Xi, Peng Liyuan extend Chinese New Year greetings to U.S. Lincoln High School teachers, students Xinhua) 08:50, February 12, 2024 BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on Sunday replied to a Chinese New Year greeting card from teachers and students of U.S. Lincoln High School, extending their best wishes of the Year of the Dragon. In a greeting card sent to the teachers and students, Xi and Peng invited them to visit China more often, including participating in exchange and study programs which invite 50,000 young Americans to China, so as to contribute to the friendship between the two peoples, especially among the young people. Earlier, teachers and students of the school in the U.S. Washington State sent a New Year greeting card to Xi, Peng and the Chinese people, extending their best wishes for happiness and health in the new year. More than 100 teachers and students signed the card. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Netanyahu, Biden talk over hostages, aid to Gaza Xinhua) 13:56, February 12, 2024 JERUSALEM, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday discussed over the phone the ongoing efforts to free hostages held in Gaza and to facilitate more aid into the Palestinian enclave. An Israeli government official told Xinhua that the conversation focused on the hostages, approximately 100 of them are still in Gaza after being kidnapped during Hamas's attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Additionally, the two leaders discussed Israel's declared plan to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, as well as the facilitation of more aid into Gaza. According to a readout released by the White House, Biden told Netanyahu that Israel should not proceed with a military campaign in Rafah without a plan that ensures the safety of the about one million people sheltering there. Biden reaffirmed the "shared goal to see Hamas defeated," according to the statement. He also called for urgent steps to increase the humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. The talk was the first time the two leaders have talked since Biden criticized Israel's military campaign last week, describing it as "over the top." The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,176 since Oct. 7, 2023, with 67,784 others being injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Precinct 3 County Commissioner candidate Christopher Schuchardt, left, shakes hands with Republican Party of Bexar County Chair Jeff McManus at a debate the park held at Aggie Park in San Antonio on Feb. 1, 2024. Schuhardts opponent, incumbent County Commissioner Grant Moody, was not present for the debate. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Incumbent Precinct 3 County Commissioner Grant Moody, left, talks to District 10 City Councilman Marc Whyte at the Bexar County Republican Women candidate forum at Anne Maries Banquet Hall on Feb. 9, 2024. Ronald Cortes Precinct 3 County Commissioner candidate Christopher Schuchardt answers a question at a Republican Party of Bexar County debate on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. His opponent, incumbent County Commissioner Grant Moody, was not present for the debate. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Members of the audience applaud to a response by Precinct 3 County Commissioner candidate Christopher Schuchardt at the Republican Party of Bexar Countys candidate debate on Feb. 1, 2024. Marvin Pfeiffer/Staff Photographer Incumbent Precinct 3 County Commissioner Grant Moody Republican address voters at a Bexar County Republican Women candidate forum at Anne Maries Banquet Hall on Feb. 9, 2024. Ronald Cortes Proposition A, the controversial bundle of criminal justice reforms that San Antonio voters resoundingly rejected in May, is enjoying a second life as a hot issue in the GOP primary race in Bexar Countys Precinct 3. When County Commissioner Grant Moody named his conservative wins for Bexar County at Fridays Bexar County Republican Women candidate forum, the defeat of the ballot measure was high on the list. Back in May, we helped lead the fight against Proposition A, Moody told the clubs members at Anne Maries Event Center on the North Side. And I dont have to tell anybody in this room how disastrous that would have been for our community if that radical measure would have passed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Prop A is also central to opponent Christopher Chris Schuchardts political origin story. The trucking company owner said he launched a long-shot self-funded campaign for San Antonio mayor in the May election to help defeat Prop A. As his current campaign website tells it, he ran with the express mission of canvassing every corner of the city to get out the vote against Prop A. The ballot measure aimed to decriminalize abortion and low-level marijuana possession, ban police no-knock warrants and chokeholds, and create a justice director at City Hall to oversee criminal justice policies. The most divisive part was a provision requiring police to issue citations for select low-level, nonviolent crimes instead of making arrests. Republicans and Democrats alike balked at Prop A, saying it would increase crime. Most of City Council, a nonpartisan body, came out against it. The San Antonio Police Officers Association spent more than $1.8 million to defeat the measure. The result: 72% of voters rejected the measure. Advertisement Article continues below this ad So why are the two Republicans vying to win their partys primary nomination for Commissioners Court Precinct 3 talking about a dead issue and a municipal one at that? Because public safety is top of mind for most Republican primary voters. If nothing else, it helps to establish conservative bona fides, said Kelton Morgan, a Republican political consultant who is not involved in either candidates campaign. Law and order is at the center of just about any political message right now, so I think you see both candidates trying to stake out the strongest law-and-order position. Republican priorities Voters may be more familiar with Prop A than with the role and responsibilities of Commissioners Court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After all, the police union ran ads on TV and radio in heavy rotation, and Vote Against Prop A signs dotted front lawns and appeared on highway billboards throughout the city. Prop A was a serious threat to public safety, said Morgan, who was the political consultant for the San Antonio Safe political action committee, which business leaders formed to fight the measure. Talking about the proposition is also a way to bring the issue of abortion into a local race, said Sharon Navarro, a political science professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Its the hope that abortion, which is a social-religious issue, will mobilize some Republicans to come out and vote, Navarro said. Moody has touted his primary-election endorsement from Texas Alliance for Life, an Austin-based anti-abortion group that unsuccessfully sought to block Prop A from getting on the city ballot. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That Prop A was a city measure, and not a county one, may not matter to most Republican primary voters. Even though people, for the most part, certainly dont have the level of in-depth understanding about county government that they do about city government, they do know what issues are driving them to vote, Morgan said. Debra Villalba, who attended the Bexar County Republican Women forum, is most concerned about crime, whats going on in schools and immigration. She plans to vote for Moody in part because he showed up for the Friday event. Schuchardt did not attend. For Gary Chick, election integrity is the most burning issue something he thinks Moody isnt concerned enough about. Chick wants the county to count ballots by hand instead of relying on machines, which experts say would be a costly, time-consuming endeavor that would be less accurate and less secure. Chick is leaning toward Schuchardt because Moody missed the Republican Party of Bexar Countys Feb. 1 debate and Schuchardt didnt. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I kind of had my mind made up, but it does depend on what (Moody) would have said, Chick said. I havent paid as much attention to the county commissioners as I probably should. The five-member Commissioners Court is the governing body for the county. The county judge and four commissioners adopt the countys annual budget (which nearly topped $3 billion this year) and set the property tax rates for the county and the Bexar County Hospital District. The court also oversees the building and maintenance of county roads, bridges, drainage projects, parks and county facilities. But county government is fragmented, with a web of elected officials such as the sheriff, district attorney, tax assessor-collector, district clerk and judges whose budgets are set by Commissioners Court but are otherwise autonomous. Its confusing to many voters. Precinct 3, which spans much of northern Bexar County, long has been the courts sole Republican-held seat. The winner of the March 5 primary will face Democrat Susan Korbel in Novembers general election. Moody beat Korbel with more than 53% of the vote in the November 2022 special election to fill the vacancy left when Republican Trish DeBerry resigned to run unsuccessfully for county judge. Dueling messages In bold yellow text, one of Moodys campaign mailers reads: Grant Moody Fought to Defeat Radical Prop A. When radicals sought to let criminals run free and undermine law enforcement, Republican Grant Moody said, Not on My Watch, the other side reads. Like all of his mailers, it lists his endorsements from the Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County, the San Antonio police union and the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas. He maintains that Prop A was a county issue because the city of San Antonio makes up a large portion of the countys boundaries and because the jail, sheriffs office, district attorneys office and the criminal courts are funded out of the county budget. If you are going to implement soft-on-crime policies like Proposition A, then youre going to have more crime and ultimately thats going to make the criminal justice system more of a burden, more challenging and more costly, said Moody, 43. Schuchardt took aim at Moodys mailer in a Jan. 26 campaign Facebook post that ridiculed the incumbent for being so removed from the actual fight to defeat Prop A that his mailer misstated the election as taking place in May 2022, not last year. Schuchardt, 34, said he brings up Prop A as a way to show the failures that Ive seen with both our city and county government. My hope is to create an atmosphere where the people who propose things like Prop A dont feel like this is a fertile ground for something like that, he said. His campaign website tells visitors, Its Time to Lead a Conservative Revolution in Bexar County. Schuchardts political outsider status extends to his voting record at least when it comes to GOP primaries, in which he voted only in the March 2008 and March 2022 elections, according to his Texas voter history, a copy of which he gave to the San Antonio Express-News. He is a more regular general election voter. If those who have been showing up who voted in every primary and have been in every (Republican) club meeting didnt have such abysmal records, I wouldnt be here today, Schuchardt said. Moody contrasted his primary voting record with his challengers at the forum Friday. In this race, Im the only candidate who voted in the 2010 Republican primary. Im the only candidate who voted in the 2012 Republican primary. Im the only candidate who voted in the 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 Republican primary, Moody told members of the Bexar County Republican Women club. Moody has voted in every general election since 2004 and in every primary since 2010, according to voting records. VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know for the March 5 Texas primary election Kathy Smith, a Republican Women club member, said she hasnt decided which one of these candidates who have totally contrasting" personalities will get her vote. Shes been impressed by Schuchardt, particularly his success in business. On the other hand, Moodys consistent primary voting record underscores his involvement and interest in politics, she said. While Smith appreciates that both candidates were staunchly opposed to Prop A, I had kind of filed that away as a win, she said. You know, move on to the next battle. She wants to hear about other things, such as how each candidate will make as good a fight as you can and get as much as you can for our precinct, she said. Its hard to be the minority (on the court), but thats a fact of life here. Whos more law and order? Schuchardts focus on who fought harder against Prop A is a reflection of the fact that Moody is a proven candidate while Schuchardt is conjectural, Morgan said. Schuchardt is bringing it up solely because he needs something to establish that he actually has credibility on law-and-order issues, and he doesnt, Morgan said. Though Moody has been in office for only 14 months, he can point to his first and only county budget as a win for public safety. The 2023-24 budget funds 50 new positions for the sheriffs office, which included 36 patrol deputies, and 16 new constable deputies (four for each precinct). That was in addition to 12 new patrol deputies the court approved in April. In August, Commissioners Court approved raises for deputies of about 9% on average. Moody said he is focused on filling vacancies at the sheriffs office in order to reduce the millions of dollars that the agency requests annually for overtime pay. Schuchardt said he would prioritize better management within the sheriffs office. We all support law enforcement and want law and order, and I dont necessarily think the only way you achieve that is through an open-ended checkbook, he said. One thing I would really push is, If you want more money, start showing me better management. Ride-sharing and delivery drivers are planning on striking across several U.S. cities located near airports on Valentines Day. Justice for App Workers a national coalition of ride-sharing and delivery drivers announced last week its plans to strike Wednesday. The coalition wrote that the workers are calling for fair wages and safety measures, among other things. The coalition said in the press release that drivers should not need to worry about making ends meet or about possibly being deactivated from apps. The coalition is urging people to join drivers at the rallies to demand changes from Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, and all the app companies profiting off of our hard work. The coalition said those striking will not be taking rides to and from the airport all day in Rhode Island and the cities of Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Tampa. Uber emphasized in a statement to The Hill that earnings for drivers are strong. A spokesperson for the company noted that the strike should not impact price and driver availability, adding that Uber saw an increase in trips during last years strike on Valentines Day. Driver earnings remain strong, and as of Q4 2023, drivers in the U.S. were making about $33 per utilized hour, Ubers statement read. Uber announced updated processes last year for deactivating a drivers account, which include creating a pathway to review deactivation decisions, protecting drivers from false allegations and helping those who were falsely accused of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol get back to driving through submitting a drug test. Lyft also said in a statement to The Hill that it has improved its own deactivation process. The company recently announced new changes to its driver program, including guaranteeing at least 70 percent of riders fares to the driver after external fees and being able to appeal a deactivation decision in the Lyft driver app. We are constantly working to improve the driver experience, which is why just this month we released a series of new offers and commitments aimed at increasing driver pay and transparency, Lyfts statement said. This includes a new minimum earnings guarantee and an improved deactivation appeals process. Now, drivers will always make at least 70 percent of the weekly rider fares after external fees. Its all part of our new customer-obsessed focus on drivers, the statement continued. The Hill has reached out to DoorDash for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Colin Pitchfork was jailed for the murder and rape of Dawn Ashworth and Lynda Mann in the 1980s - PA Colin Pitchfork, the double child killer, has been granted an appeal to be considered for release, prompting anger at the Parole Boards flawed handling of his case. Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, is seeking an urgent meeting with the Parole Board over its deeply concerning decision to grant Pitchforks appeal to reconsider his case. The 63-year-old lost his latest bid for freedom in December but, having contested the decision, he will now face a fresh hearing which could see him released from jail. The mother of one of his victims said words fail me now as she heard the news. At the same time, an MP who has campaigned to keep Pitchfork behind bars warned the Parole Board was demonstrating its utter inability to appropriately deal with this dangerous man. Pitchfork was jailed for life in 1988 after raping and strangling two 15-year-olds, Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986. He was given a minimum term of 30 years, later reduced to 28 years because of progress he had made in prison, and was released in September 2021. But Pitchfork was back behind bars two months later after he breached his licence conditions when he approached a lone woman while litter-picking. In June 2023, the Parole Board found the decision to recall him to prison was flawed and said his detention was no longer necessary for public safety. But this ruling was blocked by Mr Chalk who is also the Lord Chancellor as he called for the decision to release Pitchfork to be reviewed. Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, seeks a meeting with the parole board regarding its 'concerning' handling of Pitchfork's case - GEOFF PUGH FOR THE TELEGRAPH The board reviewed the decision and decided Mr Chalk was right. But this was appealed by Pitchfork, resulting in a fresh hearing. A government source said it was deeply concerning that, having made one flawed decision, the Parole Board has made another, causing immense distress to the families of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth. It added: They are again left with no certainty and the Lord Chancellor has sought an urgent meeting with the Parole Board. Id throw away the key Barbara Ashworth, Dawns mother, expressed her anguish at the news there would be another parole hearing and the renewed prospect of Pitchfork being freed. The 77-year-old, who lives in Cornwall, said: Words fail me now. He seems to want to fight no matter what. I just dont know where to go next to be honest. Hes killed two schoolgirls. I know what Id do, Id throw away the key. Pitchfork, 27 at the time of the offences, became the first man to be convicted in the UK using DNA fingerprinting evidence. He initially persuaded a work colleague to provide a DNA sample pretending to be him. He was later suspected of trying to cheat lie detector tests, according to parole papers. Documents said he was subjected to polygraph tests in 2021 and it was believed that Mr Pitchfork was deliberately seeking to undermine the testing process by controlling his breathing. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A Waymo self-driving car, owned by Alphabet, is engulfed in flames in San Francisco on Saturday. Photograph: Michael Vandi via Reuters Authorities in California are working to determine if the destruction of a driverless taxi in an arson attack by a mob of lunar new year revelers was the latest in a series of protests targeting autonomous vehicles in the state. According to the San Francisco fire department, which posted images of the incinerated SUV on Twitter/X, a group of people jumped on the electric vehicle in the citys Chinatown district on Saturday night, smashing windows and spraying it with graffiti before setting it alight with a firework. Related: The rebel group stopping self-driving cars in San Francisco one cone at a time Officials said the car, a Jaguar I-Pace operated by Waymo, Googles self-driving car project, was unoccupied, and that no arrests had been made as of Monday morning. The vehicle was not transporting any riders and no injuries have been reported, Waymo said in a statement. We are working closely with local safety officials to respond to the situation. The attack follows a number of recent cases and protests involving autonomous vehicles in California, a leading state for the driverless revolution with more than 9m miles driven on public roads by test permit holders last year, according to its department of motor vehicles (DMV). The Guardian reported last summer on a group called the Safe Street Rebels, which has operated a campaign of disrupting and disabling driverless vehicles in San Francisco since they first appeared in 2022. Members realized quickly that placing a traffic cone on the hood of a self-driving car interfered with sensors and placed it in panic mode, rendering it immobile until a human employee could come to rescue it. Protesters question the safety of the vehicles, operated in California almost exclusively by Waymo since Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, saw its test permit suspended in October last year. Cruise was accused of trying to hide the severity of an incident in San Francisco in which a pedestrian was hit by a car, driven by a human driver, at a stoplight and flung into the path of a Cruise self-driving car, which then ran her over and stopped on top of her. The woman survived. Cruise withdrew its fleet of 950 vehicles after the California DMV said they posed an unreasonable threat to public safety and that the agency was investigating a number of other concerning incidents involving driverless cars. Related: Cruise recalls all self-driving cars after grisly accident and California ban The safety record of Waymos driverless taxi service has also come into question. Last June, one of its vehicles killed a dog, and Californias automobile regulator launched an investigation recently after a Waymo car struck and injured a cyclist that was obscured from its sensors by another vehicle at a San Francisco intersection. Police said they had not immediately established whether the destruction of the Waymo car in Chinatown was linked to protests against autonomous vehicles or the work of opportunist vandals. An eyewitness, Michael Vandi, told Reuters he saw one person jump on the roof and break the windshield, and another leapt onto the vehicles hood as a large group of others cheered, some battering it with skateboards. That was when it went wild, he told the news agency. There were two groups of people, folks who encouraged it and others who were just shocked and started filming. No one stood up. There wasnt anything you could do to stand up to dozens of people. Reuters contributed reporting By Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch political party NSC said on Monday it would not join a new coalition government with the nationalist Freedom Party (PVV) led by anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders, citing irreconcilable differences. The move by NSC, a centrist upstart that took 20 seats in the Nov. 22 election won by Wilders, effectively blocks the formation of a rightwing government that would have a majority in parliament. Coalition talks were already thrown in disarray last week, when the NSC unexpectedly stepped away, leaving the three other prospective coalition partners to puzzle over their next moves. A report by the intermediary leading the talks, former Labour minister Ronald Plasterk, on Monday made it clear NSC had no intention of joining any government coalition with the PVV as it said differences on the rule of law were too big to overcome. Wilders won a quarter of the vote in the election, and needs other parties to form a workable coalition. He has been negotiating with the NSC, the centre-right VVD of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the farmers' protest party BBB since late November, without giving any sign that a deal was close. Talks were complicated from the start, as both NSC and VVD had expressed serious doubts about working with Wilders, whose program had called for shutting down mosques and banning the Koran in the Netherlands. Wilders repeatedly said he would shelve plans that were seen to violate the Dutch constitution, and Plasterk's report showed he had vowed to his prospective partners to respect the rule of law. But this did not go far enough for the NSC. "Considering past remarks and the PVV's election program, the distance remains too large to join a majority or minority government," it said. The PVV, VVD and BBB may now try to form a minority government, which NSC-leader Pieter Omtzigt said he would consider giving outside support. The Lower House of parliament will discuss the next steps in the government formation on Wednesday. (Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by Gareth Jones and Toby Chopra) A Dutch court on Monday ordered the Netherlands government to block the export of all F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel amid concerns of violations of international law in its incessant bombardment of the Gaza Strip. "It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law," the court said. The court asked the state to comply with the order within seven days and dismissed a request by government lawyers to suspend the order during an appeal to the supreme court. The court order came just hours after Israel attacked the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip, killing at least 67 Palestinians and injuring dozens. People inspect the damage to their homes in Rafah following Israeli air strikes (Getty Images) Rafah, bordering Egypt, is the last refuge for 1.4 million Palestinians, who fled Israel's offensive and military advances in the northern part of the Strip. The Dutch appeals court said it was likely that F-35s were being used in attacks on Gaza, leading to unacceptable civilian casualties. More than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in four months, according to Gaza health officials, in a retaliatory offensive after the 7 October attack by Hamas in southern Israel. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and abducted at least 250 hostages during the offensive, according to Israeli tallies. Israel denies committing war crimes in its attacks on Gaza, and says it works to limit civilian casualties. The case against the Dutch government was brought last December by several human rights groups, including the Dutch affiliate of Oxfam. Rights groups argued that the Dutch government shipments were contributing to wide-scale and serious violations of humanitarian law by Israel. An earlier ruling by a lower court stopped short of ordering the government to halt the exports. It said the state had a large degree of freedom when it comes to weighing political and policy issues in deciding on arms exports. That was dismissed by the appeals court which said political and economic concerns did not trump the clear risk of violations of the laws of war. The Netherlands houses one of several regional warehouses of US-owned F-35 parts, from which the parts are distributed to countries that request them, including Israel in at least one shipment since October last year. An Israeli Air Force F-35 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli Air Force pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel By Stephanie van den Berg THE HAGUE (Reuters) -A Dutch court on Monday ordered the government to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used to violate international law during the war in Gaza. The appeals court said the state had seven days to comply to the order, which echoed alarm across Europe and elsewhere over the humanitarian impact of the war. Israel denies committing abuses and says it is battling Hamas militants bent on its destruction. "It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law," the court said, ruling in favour of a lawsuit against the Dutch state over the exports brought by rights groups including the Dutch arm of Oxfam. The Dutch government said it would appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that it should be up to the state to set foreign policy, not a court. Dutch trade Minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen said the fighter jets were crucial for Israel's security and it was too early to say if a ban on exporting parts from his country would have any concrete impact on the overall supplies to Israel. "We are part of a big consortium of countries that are also working together with Israel. We will talk to partners how to deal with this," he said. The Netherlands houses one of several regional warehouses of U.S.-owned F-35 parts, which are distributed to countries that request them, including Israel in at least one shipment since Oct. 7. Israel's massive aerial and ground offensive in the densely populated Gaza Strip has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run enclave's health authorities, and forced most of its 2.3 million people to flee their homes. Israel denies committing war crimes in its attacks on Gaza, which followed the Hamas cross-border raid on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 240 were taken hostage. Israeli cabinet minister Benny Gantz said on social media he had met with visiting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and welcomed the decision to appeal. "I ... reiterated that the court decision will harm the global and Israeli imperative of fighting terror," Gantz posted on X. CIVILIAN CASUALTIES In a first ruling in December, a Dutch lower court had stopped short of ordering the Dutch government to halt the exports, even though it said it was likely that F-35s contributed to violations of the laws of war. But where the lower court ruled the state had a large degree of freedom in weighing political and policy issues to decide on arms exports, the appeals court said such concerns did not trump the clear risk of breaches of international law. The appeals court also said it was likely the F-35s were being used in attacks on Gaza, leading to unacceptable civilian casualties. It dismissed the Dutch state's argument that it did not have to do a new check on the permit for the exports. "We hope this ruling will strengthen international law in other countries so that the citizens of Gaza are also protected by international law," Oxfam Novib director Michiel Servaes said in a statement. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell noted the ruling on Monday and made a thinly veiled call on the United States to cut arms supplies to Israel due to high civilian casualties in Gaza. Presiding Judge Bas Boele said there was a possibility the Dutch government could allow the export of F-35 parts to Israel in future, but only on the strict condition they would not be used in military operations in Gaza. The government said it would try to convince partners it would remain a reliable member of the F-35 programme and other forms of international and European defence cooperation. The F-35's manufacturer, Lockheed Martin said in a statement it was evaluating the impact of the Dutch court ruling on its supply chain but added it stood "ready to support the U.S. government and allies as needed". (Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg and Bart Meijer, additional reporting by Dan Williams, Editing by David Goodman, Angus MacSwan, Alex Richardson, Ed Osmond and Andrew Heavens) FILE - Smoke rises following Israeli bombardments in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 17, 2024. Judges in the Netherlands on Monday Feb. 12, 2024 ordered the Dutch government to halt the export of fighter jet parts to Israel, citing a clear risk of violations of international law. (AP Photo/Mohammed Dahman, File) THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) An appeals court ordered the Dutch government on Monday to halt the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, citing a clear risk of violations of international law. A trio of human rights organizations brought a civil suit against the Netherlands in December, arguing authorities needed to reevaluate the export license in light of Israeli military action in the Gaza Strip. It is undeniable that there is a clear risk that the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law, Judge Bas Boele said in reading out the ruling, eliciting cheers from several people in the courtroom. The exports must cease within seven days. The decision came as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte traveled to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the conflict. Rutte was also expected to separately meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government would appeal. It is up to the state to shape its foreign policy, Geoffrey van Leeuwen, the minister for foreign trade and development said in a statement. In the meantime, van Leeuwen said his office would abide by the export ban. We are extremely grateful that there is justice and that the court was willing to speak out on justice, lead lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld told reporters after the hearing. Oxfam Novib, Pax Nederland and The Rights Forum filed the case in December. They argued the continued transfer of the aircraft parts makes the Netherlands complicit in possible war crimes being committed by Israel in its war with Hamas. In January, a lower court sided with the government, allowing the Dutch to continue sending U.S.-owned parts stored at a warehouse in the town of Woensdrecht to Israel. The Netherlands is home to one of three F-35 European regional warehouses. Other countries are also considering restricting weapons sales to Israel. Human rights groups in the United Kingdom have brought a similar suit against their government, attempting to block weapons exports to Israel. In the United States, Democrats in the Senate are pushing a bill that would require President Joe Biden to get congressional approval before greenlighting weapons sales to Israel. Late last month, the U.N. top court ordered Israel to do all it can to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in Gaza. Although that decision was made after the appeal in the Dutch case was heard, the groups lawyers say judges likely considered the legally binding order from the International Court of Justice. The decision left some room for Dutch authorities to export parts of the aircraft being used in operations other than Gaza. ___ Full AP coverage of the Israel-Hamas war at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war Semafor Signals Insights from The Guardian, The Lawfare Podcast, Atlantic Council, and Naledi Pandor The News A Dutch appeals court ordered the Netherlands to stop the delivery of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over mounting concerns over their use in the countrys conflict in Gaza. It is undeniable that there is a clear risk that the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law, the court said in its ruling, adding that the government had seven days to comply with the order. The case was brought by international rights groups in December, who accused the Dutch government of being complicit in alleged war crimes being committed by Israel in its ongoing war against Hamas. The Dutch government said it would appeal the decision while abiding by the courts ruling. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Pressure is mounting for Israels allies to impose weapons restrictions Sources: The Associated Press, JURIST, The Guardian, The Lawfare Podcast Israels allies are facing increasing pressure to impose export restrictions on weapons, as civilian casualties continue to rise in the countrys military campaign in Gaza. Human rights groups based in the U.K. sued the government last December to try and stop it from licensing weapons exports to Israel, which Britains defense secretary defended as being a relatively small. While some U.S. lawmakers have urged placing conditions on weapons sales to Israel, analysts have accused the Biden administration of ignoring its laws and standards on vetting countries that receive military aid from the U.S., Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man of Democracy for the Arab World Now wrote for The Guardian. The U.S. has instead created a separate mechanism for vetting Israel, and the State Department has not concluded that the country has committed any gross violations of human rights, one former State Department official, who resigned in protest over weapons transfers, told The Lawfare Podcast. Instead of usingtried and tested enforcement mechanisms, Biden is communicating conditions behind closed doors where there can be no oversight of accountability, Omer-Man argued. Recent ICJ ruling could scrutinize US support of Israel Sources: Atlantic Council, Naledi Pandor A recent provisional ruling by the International Court of Justice calling on Israel to take measures to prevent genocide in Gaza puts countries supporting Israel on notice particularly the U.S. and the U.K. who could also face cases before the ICJ if the court determines that Israel committed genocide, a lawyer at the Atlantic Council wrote. If the finding is that there has been genocide, those states that have aided and abetted become a party to the commission of an infringement in terms of the Convention, said Naledi Pandor, South Africas Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, following the January ruling. Israel has very powerful friends who I hope will advise Israel that they should act, she added. By Bart H. Meijer AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Efforts to form a government in the Netherlands are back at square one 12 weeks after an election won by the nationalist Freedom Party (PVV) of anti-Muslim populist Geert Wilders but well short of a majority. Here's a look at the scenarios left on the table. RIGHT-WING MAJORITY GOVERNMENT Since his victory with a quarter of the vote on Nov. 22, Wilders has been trying to form a coalition with the centre-right VVD of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, the centrist NSC and the farmers protest party BBB. This would create a comfortable majority of 88 seats in the 150-seat Lower House. But talks failed to gain traction as Wilders struggled to overcome the reluctance of both VVD and NSC to work with him. In a report on the talks issued on Monday, NSC finally pulled the plug, citing what it said was Wilders' lack of respect for the rule of law, an accusation he has dismissed. The intermediary leading the talks said he still thought an agreement could be possible, but the NSC in its report ruled out joining any coalition with Wilders. RIGHT-WING MINORITY GOVERNMENT The most logical step now would be for PVV, VVD and BBB to try to cobble together a minority government, to which NSC chief Pieter Omtzigt said he would consider giving outside support. The Netherlands is usually governed by majority coalitions that nail down their agreements in detailed government pacts, but there have been minority governments before. The most recent example is Rutte's first government, which functioned with the support of the PVV from 2010 to 2012. OTHER COMBINATIONS Theoretically, combinations of parties other than those that were at the table until now could try to form a government, for instance a Green Left-Labour alliance - led by ex-European Union climate commissioner Frans Timmermans - that was the runner-up in the November election. But Timmermans has excluded working with Wilders, and earlier this month said it was very unlikely his party would play any role in forming the next government. Without Timmermans' party there is no realistic option for a majority government other than the one tried already. TECHNOCRATIC GOVERNMENT If PVV, VVD and BBB fail to agree on a detailed coalition pact, they could opt for a government with looser ties to the parties in parliament, largely consisting of outside experts who would seek shifting majorities in parliament for their policies. Such a technocratic government was floated by Omtzigt as his preferred option before the election, and after he stepped away from the talks last week, but is untested in recent Dutch history - and could struggle to muster a popular mandate. BROAD OUTSIDERS GOVERNMENT Omtzigt has also proposed taking the idea of a technocratic government a step further to allow a larger group of parties to nominate independent figures to a cabinet that would not be bound by agreements with parties in parliament. This experimental broad coalition would also try to cultivate varying majorities for their proposals. NEW ELECTION If no new government can be formed, a new election is an option of last resort. There are no set terms for how long a government formation in the Netherlands can last. The most recent one, in 2021, took a record 299 days to complete. (Reporting by Bart Meijer; editing by Mark Heinrich) Shown here are the expected high temperatures Monday afternoon across South and Southeast Texas. Pivotal Weather Its been the same pattern over the last couple of weeks. Quiet weather and sunny skies have dominated the forecast for the first half of the week, but storm systems have tended to cause big changes by the end of the week and into the weekend. That is exactly whats in store this week as well. Be sure to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather here in the next few days, since cloudy skies, rain chances, and another cold front enter the forecast Friday and into the weekend. Heres the day-by-day forecast. Monday: Itll be a chilly start as low temperatures drop to the upper 30s and low 40s. Breezy winds at 15 to 20 mph will make it feel 5 to 10 degrees colder, so coats will be necessary as you walk out the door. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thankfully, a warming trend is expected throughout the day. Temperatures will reach the mid to upper 50s by noon, on their way to the low 60s by the afternoon. This will be slightly below average for this time of year, breaking a streak of 16 days in a row with high temps at or above average in San Antonio. Tuesday: Itll be a very similar day on Tuesday as morning low temperatures drop to the upper 30s once again. This time, temperatures will rise a few more degrees, reaching between 65 and 68 degrees in San Antonio under mostly sunny skies. Valentines Day: A few changes are expected on Wednesday, but none of them will be big enough to cause any weather headaches on Valentines Day. Skies will become partly cloudy and temperatures will warm into the upper 60s. Dry skies will continue, so dont expect any weather delays if youre heading out for date night. Shown is expected cloud-cover on Valentine's Day. The darker shading correlates to more clouds. In San Antonio, partly to mostly cloudy skies are expected. Pivotal Weather Thursday: A wave of Pacific moisture will start to move from the eastern Pacific ocean into Mexico, on a course for South Texas. Most of Thursday will still be dry here in San Antonio, but a few showers are possible by Thursday evening and night. Temperatures will stay relatively warm with highs in the upper 60s. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Friday: With the most recent data, weather models have backed off on the amount of rain expected in San Antonio by Friday. Previously, it was likely that the Alamo City could receive multiple inches of rain. Now, the highest rainfall totals are expected to stay closer to the Texas Gulf Coast. There is still about a 50% chance of rain in San Antonio, but most models agree that totals will be less than an inch. Shown is the estimated rainfall amounts on Friday, as depicted by the National Blend of Models. San Antonio will likely see less than one inch of rain. Pivotal Weather A few thunderstorms may become embedded in the showers Friday, but severe thunderstorms are not expected. Forecast rain totals could still change again, based on the direction of a low-pressure system. (FOX40.COM) Sacramento Fire Department recently responded to a flaming house with multiple occupants inside. Around noon, firefighters said they arrived at a residential fire near the 2400 block of Colfax Street where they saw visible flames from a garage. Six animals and a person were reportedly inside the home. Police investigate man found dead in Sacramento street After a quick knockdown, all pets and humans are safe, Sacramento Fire Department said on X. Cause is likely electrical from a space heater. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. A federal judge ruled that Elon Musk must testify in the Security and Exchange Commissions (SEC) investigation into his purchase of Twitter, now named X, following through on a threat made in December. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler ordered late Saturday that Musk and the SEC must agree to a time and place to conduct a deposition within a week, continuing a feud between Musk and the regulatory agency over his $44 billion Twitter purchase. Musk has resisted complying with the investigation, which questions the billionaires 2022 purchase and subsequent attempts to back out of a deal to buy Twitter. Musk was eventually forced to go through with the massive sale. The SEC has not alleged any wrongdoing. The companys value has plummeted since the purchase, with a majority of the platforms advertisers leaving due to Musk relaxing content moderation policies and promoting antisemitic statements. When the SEC demanded he sit for a third deposition for their investigation in September, he refused, instead arguing the agency has no authority to force him to answer questions. The SEC sued Musk to force his testimony the next month. Beeler dismissed Musks claims of the SEC lacking authority, noting the agency in fact can enforce depositions with subpoenas. She also said demanding testimony is not unduly burdensome to Musk. Musk also faces a separate dispute with the SEC over a 2018 agreement that he limit public communications about his companies. Musk claims the agreement was an unjust limit on his free speech rights. A federal appeals court threw out a suit against the agency last year, which he appealed to the Supreme Court in December. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In a closely contested presidential election on Sunday, Alexander Stubb of the centre-right National Coalition Party emerged victorious, narrowly defeating liberal Green Party member Pekka Haavisto, who graciously conceded defeat, according to a report from Reuters. Stubb, a staunch advocate for European integration and a vocal supporter of Ukraine, has consistently adopted a firm stance towards Russia. Reuters went on to disclose that win was declared in the run-off vote, securing 51.6% of the votes with 99.7% of the ballots counted, while Haavisto garnered 48.4%, as per data from the justice ministry. As Finland's new head of state, Stubb will shoulder the responsibility of shaping the nation's security and foreign policies, which includes navigating its relationship with Russia, with whom Finland shares a lengthy border. In his televised victory speech, Stubb expressed profound gratitude, describing his win as "the greatest honour" of his life. "The feeling is calm, humble but of course at the same time I am extremely happy and grateful that the Finns in such large numbers have voted and that I get to serve as president of the Republic of Finland," he remarked. Stubb, a former prime minister, had previously emerged as the frontrunner in the initial round of voting on Jan. 28, securing 27.2% of the vote, with Haavisto close behind at 25.8%. Opinion surveys consistently favored Stubb, indicating a lead of 6-8 percentage points over Haavisto. According to Reuters,Haavisto, in his congratulatory message to Stubb, affirmed his belief that Finland would be served well by its new president. "I believe Finland now gets a good president for the republic. Alexander Stubb is an experienced, competent person for the job. No more babble," he stated. With Stubb's victory, Finland looks ahead to a presidency marked by a commitment to European values and a robust stance on international relations, particularly concerning Russia and the security landscape of the region. Last month, HNGN reported that as the easternmost democracy in Europe, Finland holds the unique distinction of being the sole EU member to have engaged in a conflict with Russia and shares the longest border with its eastern neighbor. Once neutral nations, both Finland and Sweden shifted their security allegiances towards the West following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Notably, Finland has emerged as a significant arms provider to Ukraine, firmly opposing Russia's invasion. The forthcoming presidential election on Sunday will determine the successor to Sauli Niinisto, a conservative who has completed two consecutive six-year terms as president. While the prime minister oversees the executive branch of government from an administrative standpoint, the Finnish president holds pivotal roles in defense and foreign policy. Serving as the commander-in-chief of the military, the president also appoints military officials, thus shaping the nation's strategic direction. Tsakhia Elbegdorg/X The former president of Mongolia has thrown shade at Vladimir Putins much-ridiculed claim in an interview with Tucker Carlson that Ukraine has always been a part of the Russian empire. Present-day Mongolia was itself under the Russian yoke for much of the 20th century as a communist satellite controlled by the Soviet Union. Putin Nearly Bores Tucker Carlson to Death With Two-Hour History Lesson But well before then, as former President Tsakhia Elbegdorj pointed out on X, the Mongols ruled over history's largest contiguous land empireincluding modern-day Russia. After Putins talk. I found Mongolian historic map. Dont worry. We are a peaceful and free nation, he tweeted. After Putins talk. I found Mongolian historic map. Dont worry. We are a peaceful and free nation pic.twitter.com/w5c2Hr0cQK Mongol Tsakhia ELBEGDORJ (@elbegdorj) February 11, 2024 The Kremlin chief has been widely criticized for the historically muddled claims made in the rambling two-hour interview with Carlson in Moscow last week, when he started with the arrival of the Nordic chief Rurik in the city of Novgorod in 862 to rule over the Rus tribe. For Putin that was proof of Russian statehood dating back to the ninth century, but historians questioned his interpretation, pointing out that it could equally be seen as proof of the primacy of Kyiv over early medieval Muscovy. Reporter Shot in Ukraine: No, Tucker. Thats Not How You Cover the War In his ahistorical rant, Putin also forgot to mention that for much of the subsequent period Moscow, Kyiv and Novgorod all fell under the Mongol Empire, which at its peak in the 13th century, under Genghis Khan and his descendants, stretched 6,000 miles across Eurasia, far greater in size than the Russian or Soviet empires ever reached. Elbegdorj, 60, was one of the leaders of the 1990 revolution to end communist rule and went on to serve as both prime minister and president of independent Mongolia. His supporters call him the Golden Sparrow of Democracy. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Green Bowl Last night, the Kansas City Chiefs weren't the only ones who celebrated a big win it was also a big night for green energy. The event was the first Super Bowl to be powered entirely by renewable energy, an impressive feat considering the sheer amount of electricity needed to keep the lights on in a stadium that seats up to 65,000 fans. Solar Stadium The Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas got all of its power from the gigantic Arrow Canyon Solar Project, owned by local utility NV Energy. The farm, which is located on the Moapa Band of Paiute Indians Reservation 20 miles from Sin City, is made up of 621,000 panels as well as battery storage. As Business Insider reports, the stadium was estimated to consume 28 megawatt hours of power during this year's Super Bowl. "If they can do it, hopefully it inspires people with homes or small businesses and other corporations to move in this direction," Adam Kramer, CEO of NZero, the company that tracks the stadium's emissions, told BI. "There's not a bigger stage in the United States than the Super Bowl, and the fact that sustainability is one of the storylines says everything." Outside of powering stadiums, the solar farm is designed to generate enough energy for up to 76,000 average Nevada homes. Carbon Bootprint But is that all greenwashing? Considering thousands of fans, players, and staff likely had to fly in for the event we're looking at you Taylor Swift the Super Bowl still has a considerable carbon footprint. That's not to mention the water needed to keep a field, albeit a shaded one, in the middle of the Nevada desert green. Nonetheless, the fact that we're even talking about our environmental footprint when it comes to sporting events is at least a step in the right direction. More on renewable energy: Coal Plants Staying Online Because AI Needs So Much Power Ukraine's Western allies must commit to victory over Russia and not fall into "traps" laid by the Kremlin, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in a Feb. 11 interview with the Austrian news outlet Der Standard. Kallas has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022. "We should not fall into the various traps that have been set," Kallas said when questioned about the war in Ukraine. "It is a mistake to believe that the war can be won quickly. Russia is preparing for a long period of war. The war will continue until Russia realizes that it cannot win." Kallas's strong words of support come as doubts rise regarding the long-term stability of Western aid to Ukraine. Political turmoil in Washington, D.C. has frozen U.S. aid to Ukraine for months, delaying urgently-needed funds as the country enters its third year at war. A Nordic-Baltic delegation, including representatives from Estonia, recently visited the U.S. to advocate for continued financial support from Congress. Read also: Border concerns take over after Trumps primary victories, Ukraine aid in question According to Kallas, Ukraine's international partners must believe that victory is possible. "We are stronger, but we must help Ukraine defend itself and give it what it needs. ... Russia wants us to believe that Ukraine cannot win, so that we stop supporting it," she said. One "trap" that Kallas urged allies to avoid is the belief that negotiations with Russia will lead to a lasting peace. Another is fear that defending Ukraine will only provoke Moscow further and lead to escalating conflict. "The opposite is true," Kallas said. "It is weakness, not strength, that provokes Russia." Other European leaders have also intensified their rhetoric in support of Ukraine amid the U.S. funding crisis. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Jan. 30 that Europe must be ready to defeat Russia no matter what American politicians decide. Finland's president-elect Alexander Stubb has called for unconditional NATO support for Ukraine. Estonia remains one of Ukraine's staunchest allies. During the full-scale war, it has provided Kyiv with financial assistance worth nearly 500 million euros more than 1.4% of its GDP. Ukraine and Estonia also agreed on Feb. 8 to start negotiations on a bilateral security agreement. Read also: Estonian PM: Our taxpayers shouldnt pay for damages caused by Russia According to Kallas, one "trap" to avoid is the belief that negotiations with Russia will lead to a lasting peace. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Recent comments made by U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump on NATO should be a wake-up call for NATO members who haven't invested much in defense, Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told reporters on Monday. "I think what the presidential candidate in America said is also something to maybe wake up some of the allies who haven't done that much,", she said at a joint press conference with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola. Metsola said that the European Union should spend more on defense. She added that the EU should send a clear message "irrespective of who will lead the next American administration (...) that we are strong enough to be able to defend each other and that any statement of that sort needs to be recognized with the danger that it brings, but also a steadfastness on our regard that we need to do more." Trump suggested the United States might not protect NATO allies who aren't spending enough on defense from a potential Russian invasion. (Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Sharon Singleton) The European Council agreed on Feb. 12 to a set of new measures targeting profits from frozen assets belonging to the Russian Central Bank, possibly paving the way for the revenue to be eventually redirected to Ukraine. Western countries immobilized around $300 billion of the Russian Central Bank's assets at the start of the full-scale invasion. Since then, Washington, Brussels, and Kyiv have discussed legal ways of channeling these funds to aid Ukraine's reconstruction efforts but have yet to come to a definitive conclusion. Group of Seven (G7) nations have pledged that Russian assets held in their jurisdictions would remain frozen until Moscow pays war reparations to Ukraine. The EU proposed a plan on Dec. 12 to seize about 15 billion euros ($16.2 billion) in projected profits generated by frozen assets of Russia's Central Bank and transfer them to Ukraine. The European Commission estimated the plan would generate about 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) annually, or 15 billion from 2023-2027. The plan would most directly impact Euroclear, a Belgium-based financial services company that holds about 191 billion euros ($205 billion) in Russian assets. The European Council said on Feb. 12 that central securities depositaries (CSDs) holding more than 1 million euros ($1.07 million) in assets from the Russian Central Bank must separate any profits generated from the primary accounts. Revenue must be isolated and monitored, and cannot be disposed of. The decision is the next step in potentially enabling part of the frozen Russian assets to be ultimately redirected to help pay for Ukraine's reconstruction, the European Council said. The funds may be channeled through the EU budget in the future. Read also: Opinion: Seizing Russias frozen assets is the right move Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Council of the European Union has adopted a decision that brings closer the establishment of a mechanism for the use of excess profits from frozen Russian assets in the EU in favour of Ukraine. Source: European Pravda with reference to the Council of the EU Details: Following the decision of permanent representatives of the EU at the end of January, the Council of the European Union adopted rules determining the legal status of excess profits from immobilised assets of the Russian Federation on the territory of the association, as well as requiring them to be stored in separate accounts. Quote: "The Council decided in particular that CSDs [central securities depositories ed.] holding more than 1 million of CBRs [Russian Central Bank ed.] assets must account extraordinary cash balances accumulating due to EU restrictive measures separately and must also keep corresponding revenues separate. In addition, CSDs shall be prohibited from disposing of the ensuing net profits," the Council said. The Council of the European Union specified that depositories cannot dispose of the profits from Russian assets. However, at the depositary's request, the supervisory authorities in each country may make individual decisions about "disposing of the ensuing net profits." "This decision paves the way for the Council to decide on a possible establishment of a financial contribution to the EU budget raised on these net profits to support Ukraine and its recovery and reconstruction at a later stage," the decision states. According to official data, sanctions against Russia imposed by the EU, Australia, and the Group of Seven countries have immobilised approximately 260 billion of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation's assets, with the EU accounting for more than two-thirds of the total. Last month, Josep Borrell, EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that a political agreement was reached between the EU member states regarding the use of proceeds from frozen Russian assets. Support UP or become our patron! The European Union has suggested including three Chinese firms that cooperate with Russia into the sanctions list; if adopted, it will be the first case of Chinese firms being sanctioned for their contributions to Russias war effort against Ukraine. Source: Bloomberg Details: The proposed sanctions package has yet to be approved by all EU countries, some of which had previously opposed the inclusion of Chinese firms into sanctions lists. If the proposal is adopted, it will be the first time the EU has imposed restrictions on companies in mainland China since Russia invaded Ukraine. According to a draft of the proposal seen by Bloomberg, the sanctions list also includes companies in Hong Kong, Serbia, India and Turkiye. The restrictions would ban European firms from trading with the firms included in the list. "The issue is of critical importance to the EU, which counts Beijing as one of its most important trade partners," Bloomberg reported. The three Chinese firms have not been named, but the draft indicates that they are mostly technology and electronics companies that have been accused of contributing to Russias military and technological enhancement or to the development of Russias defence and security sector." Background: On 8 February, Bloomberg reported that the EU proposed new sanctions against 55 companies and over 60 individuals who support Russia's aggression against Ukraine. TikTok owner ByteDance is facing heavy fines as the European Union prepares to audit it in light of new content moderation rules over concerns about risks to minors. Support UP or become our patron! By John Irish LA CELLE SAINT-CLOUD, France (Reuters) - France, Poland and Germany accused Russia on Monday of putting together an elaborate network of websites to spread pro-Russian propaganda to undermine their governments, warning of a mass spread of such content ahead of EU elections in June. Western nations have repeatedly accused Russian operatives of using social media and the internet to spread false or misleading information to undermine them, promote Russia or attempt to sway public opinion in their countries against backing Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion. "We are in a period of vulnerability with the European elections and, regarding France, the Olympics," French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne told a joint news conference with his Polish and German counterparts at a French chateau near Paris. The ministers said they had created a joint mechanism to detect and respond to potential Russian internet attacks. They met as part of efforts to reinvigorate the "Weimar Triangle" platform of political cooperation between Germany, France and Poland created in 1991. In a media briefing ahead of the meeting, French diplomatic sources said VIGINUM, the French watchdog that monitors foreign digital interference, had identified some 193 websites that aimed to broadly spread information from pro-Russian sources as well as Russian news outlets and institutions. "The objective seems to be to cover the Russo-Ukraine conflict by presenting the 'special military operation' positively and denigrating Ukraine and its leaders," a French diplomat said, referring to Moscow's term for the invasion. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied accusations of spreading false or misleading information. After the last European Parliament elections in 2019, Russia's Security Council described allegations that Moscow had propagated disinformation to sway voters as absurd. France has in particular called out Russian activities in Africa, saying that Moscow-linked actors have tried to discredit Paris in West Africa, saturating regular media and social media. 'ATTACKS ON OUR DEMOCRACY' That has prompted multi-faceted actions by France to reverse an anti-French narrative that has damaged its influence and interests, including with a unit dedicated in part to spotting and dealing with malicious content. The diplomats said that unlike in previous disinformation campaigns, the internet Portal Kombat, as dubbed by France, aims to attract people to these sites, some with local domain names, so that information could then be spread locally. "These are attacks on our democracy," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, adding that the European Union could not allow people's confidence to be undermined. French officials said that so far the websites in question had made few inroads. But their concern is that with the two-year anniversary of the Ukraine war, elections in Russia, the EU and the United States, and the Olympic Games all occurring this year, the websites were being put in place so that when the time came they could spread large amounts of harmful information. "We are expecting an acceleration of different Russian actions and even widespread dissemination, so this is a reason to bring this to attention now," a French military official said. An example of such activity on Monday cited by diplomats was an article that appeared on one of the websites, entitled "That's enough!: France calls for radical measures against (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy". The article referred to a post on social media platform X of a far-right French opposition politician who has pro-Russian leanings. (Reporting by John Irish; editing by Hugh Lawson and Mark Heinrich) On Sunday, the White House announced that President Joe Biden has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off launching a military operation in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect and support the more than one million people sheltering there. The US president and Netanyahu spoke over the phone for the first time since Biden described Israel's military strikes in Gaza as "over the top" on Thursday in response to Hamas's attack on October 7. Biden Warns Netanyahu Against Rafah Offensive Biden spoke to Netanyahu on Sunday amid Israel's preparations for an offensive in the region that borders Egypt to the south of the strip. In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Netanyahu seemed defiant despite the call. Netanyahu told the US network, "We're going to do it. We're going to get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah." He said the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) believe four Hamas cells are operating inside Rafah. However, he gave no timeframe for the operation and assured that the IDF would carry it out "while providing safe passage for the civilian population." Israel's most recent military strategy has triggered widespread condemnation worldwide. Egypt, which borders the region and runs the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, said such an operation would be illegal under international law and risk a refugee crisis spilling over into its territory. It has threatened to revoke its peace treaty with Israel, the Camp David Accords, which are a primary source of stability in the Middle East, if Mr Netanyahu follows through on his proposal. Read Also: Sudan's Prolonged Conflict Sparks Dire Migrant Crisis Netanyahu Pushes Victory When Israeli ground forces arrived in Gaza for the first time last year, they advised the strip's population to evacuate the north within 24 hours and head south towards areas like Rafah. The 1.4 million Gaza residents currently live there, mostly in 'tent cities' or temporary camps. Netanyahu responded that there were areas north of Rafah city "already cleared by the IDF" when asked where these people could be expected to relocate again. During his interview with ABC News, Netanyahu claimed that not moving on Rafah would result in Israel losing the war. However, he said, "Victory is in reach if the operation does happen." He added when asked what victory meant that they do not have to kill every last terrorist, but they have to dismantle Hamas as a military force. Furthermore, he was also questioned about the Israeli hostages that were still held in Gaza. He said that the number of missing persons "warrants the kind of efforts we are doing." According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, over 28,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died, and over 67,000 have been wounded since October 7. Israel declared war after thousands of Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,300 people and capturing 250 hostages. Related Article: Netanyahu Orders Rafah Evacuation By Andrew Gray BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday made a thinly veiled call on the U.S. to cut arms supplies to Israel due to high civilian casualties in its war in Gaza. Borrell recalled that U.S. President Joe Biden said last week that Israel's response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack had been "over the top" and U.S. and other Western officials had repeatedly said too many civilians were being killed in Gaza. "Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed," Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU development aid ministers in Brussels. "If the international community believes that this is a slaughter, that too many people are being killed, maybe we have to think about the provision of arms," he added. The U.S. is Israel's most important foreign arms provider. It gives Israel $3.8 billion in military aid annually, ranging from fighter jets to powerful bombs. Washington has so far not heeded any pleas to cut such aid. Asked at a news briefing about Borrell's comments and whether the U.S. is considering to cut military aid to Israel, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller defended the U.S. policy, saying it gave the administration the "maximum ability" to be successful in influencing Israel. "We have not made the assessment that ... that is a step that would be more impactful than the steps that we have already taken," Miller said. Borrell also noted that a Dutch court on Monday ordered the government of the Netherlands to block all exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over concerns they were being used in violations of international law in the Gaza war. Borrell said it was contradictory for countries to repeatedly declare that Israel was killing too many civilians in Gaza but do nothing concrete to prevent the killing. Israel has insisted it takes extensive measures to protect civilians but is forced to conduct military operations in civilian areas as Hamas, the Palestinian militant group responsible for the Oct. 7 attack, operates there. In his remarks in Brussels, Borrell also sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he was not listening to pleas to do more to protect civilians. "Everybody goes to Tel Aviv, begging 'please don't do that, protect civilians, don't kill so many'. How many is too many? What is the standard?" Borrell said, appearing angry and emotional. "Netanyahu doesn't listen (to) anyone." Borrell said Netanyahu had been calling for an evacuation of Palestinian civilians from the Rafah area of Gaza - the last part of the enclave where people have found refuge - but the veteran Spanish politician questioned how this could be done. "They are going to evacuate? Where? To the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people?" he said. (Reporting by Andrew Gray, writing by Andrew Gray and Julia Payne, Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in WashingtonEditing by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Toby Chopra and Marguerita Choy) EVANSVILLE We're bringing you Tri-State restaurant happenings and food news you need to know. Here's the latest. Mardi Gras Dinner event on Feb. 16 The 7Mile Lounge will host a special Mardi Gras dinner with food provided by Jan's Place on Friday, Feb. 16, from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $60. Dinner includes a garden salad, Cajun stuffed chicken breast, seafood gumbo with rice, garlic bread and a bottle of wine. The 7Mile Lounge is at 915 Main St.; 812-550-1127. Arveneda and Art McDonald relax inside the 7Mile Lounge on Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. Fat Tuesday Events Many restaurants are serving Mardi Gras specials in the area, most culminating on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 13. Check out our roundup to see where all the fun will be. Valentine's Day at the Farmer and Frenchman The Farmer and Frenchman will be hosting special Valentine's Day dinners on Wednesday, Feb. 14, and Thursday, Feb. 15, from 7-9 p.m. The meal will consist of five courses of the Farmer and Frenchman's European-influenced specialties, paired with complementary wines. Courses include panko-crusted fennel arancini rice ball with roasted tomato ragout and rosemary pistou; charred octopus with parsnip puree, fingerling potatoes, and Spanish chorizo; classic veal Bolognese over potato gnocchi with crisp guanciale and marinated burrata cheese; red wine braised short ribs over parmesan polenta with a truffle demi glace; and a double chocolate biscotti tiramisu. Tickets may be purchased online only and are $160 per person with wine pairings, or $125 per person without wine. Reserve early, as events at the Farmer and Frenchman sell out. The Farmer and Frenchman is at 12522 U.S. 41, Robards, Ky.; 270-748-1856. Special Valentine's Day Dinner on the Bridge The Old National Events Plaza will host a special Valentine's Day on the Bridge Dinner on Wednesday, Feb. 14. There will be multiple seatings over the course of the evening. Guests will be served a welcome glass of Champagne and a sumptuous five-course meal with wine pairings for each course, red roses and a box of chocolate-covered strawberries to take home. Tickets are $300 per couple. To stay current with the Old National Events Plaza food events, visit the Savor Evansville page on Facebook. The Old National Events Plaza is at 715 Locust St.; 812-435-5770. More: Here are 37 places in the Tri-State where you can get your gumbo on this Mardi Gras season Mardi Gras at Mo's House Mos House will be serving special Mardi Gras-themed cocktails throughout the month of February. Look for Hurricanes, Sazeracs, daiquiris and specialty cocktails such as the NOLA 75 with Citadelle Gin, Chinola Liqueur, agave and Champagne; and the Bacchanalian with Pierre Ferrand Cognac, Merlot, agave nectar and lemon. On Fat Tuesday, Feb. 13, the Bodine's Newsstand truck will be in the house, serving hand battered fish N chips, specialty burgers and some Cajun specials. Mo's House is at 1114 Parrett St.; 812-401-3800. Pappa Bear's keeps Mardi Gras going The Pappa Bear's Catering truck will be at the Barker Brewhouse on Thursday, Feb. 15. from 5-8 p.m. and at the Myriad Brewing Company Newburgh Taproom on Friday, Feb. 16, from 4:30-8 p.m. On the menu will be boudin and crawfish cakes with chipotle mayo, red beans and rice with sausage, gumbo, Cajun shrimp or chicken pasta, crawfish dip, blackened tilapia tacos, bread pudding and more. The Barker Brewhouse is at 96 N. Barker Ave.; 812-437-5079; Myriad Newburgh is at 8245 High Pointe Drive, Newburgh; 812-518-9155. Crawfish in a steamer basket. Valentine's Dinner by Sauced and The Wine Vault The Wine Vault and Sauced will be hosting a special Valentine's Day dinner and wine pairing in the Sauced Ballroom on Wednesday, Feb. 14, beginning at 6 p.m. On the menu are a winter greens salad with smoked almonds, dates and goat cheese; Lobster Newburgh with a white wine and cream sauce on puff pastry; beef filet with Stilton blue cheese mushrooms with grilled asparagus and potatoes Anna; and chocolate covered strawberry cheesecake. Each course will be served with a complementary wine. Tickets are $100 per person. Sauced is at 1113 Parrett St.; 812-402-2230. Valentine's Day Dinner at Schymik's Kitchen Schymiks Kitchen will offer a special Valentines Day limited menu on Wednesday, Feb. 14, from 5-9 p.m. Options include Italian wedding soup, pink quinoa salad, jerk chicken egg rolls, oysters with champagne mignonette, seafood paella, glazed duck breast, white chocolate strawberry cheesecake, Devil's food cake bread pudding and more. Schymik's Kitchen is at 1112 Parrett St.; 812-401-3333. Fish Fry The St. Wendel Knights of St. John will hold a fish fry on Friday, Feb. 16, from 5-7 p.m. On the menu will be fried fish, potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans, mac and cheese and cornbread. Grilled cheese will be available. Meals are $13 for adults and $6 for children. A D.J. will provide dance music after the dinner from 7-11 p.m. The dance is free to enter and open to all ages. There will be a cash bar available. The St. Wendel Knights Home is at 11714 Winery Road, Wadesville, Indiana. 812-963-9369. International Food Expo The University of Southern Indiana will welcome the public to the annual USI International Food Expo on Friday, Feb. 16, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in Carter Hall. The USI International Club and Center for International Programs host the event, which will feature dishes from around the globe alongside live music, dancing, and traditional costumes. Tickets are $15 for non-students and $10 for USI students. The University of Southern Indiana is at 8600 University Blvd. Send your food news to Aimee Blume at aimee.blume@courierpress.com. For more Evansville-area restaurant news and discussion, visit Fingers, Fork, Knife and Spoon Evansville, Evansville 411 NEWS development news, and join Tri-State Restaurant Reviews, all on Facebook. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville food news: 10 bites of food news for you this week A heartless mugger wanted for pickpocketing a 91-year-old cancer patient on the Upper East Side, breaking his ribs when he resisted, has been nabbed, police said Monday. Ex-con Christian Torres, at 45 half the victims age, was busted Sunday night by officers who spotted him on an uptown No. 6 train and recognized him from a wanted photo released by the NYPD. He was charged with robbery and assaulting a victim over 65. The victim, retired lawyer Hyman Silverglad, who told the Daily News last week in a hospital bed interview that the city is turning into a jungle, was relieved to hear of the arrest. I am very happy, Silverglad told the Daily News over the phone. Hes off the streets and by that, we are all safe Ill do anything to put my attacker behind the bars. Torres, mostly recently sprung from prison last April, allegedly confronted Silverglad the morning of Feb. 1 as the victim was walking along E. 86th St. near First Ave., yards from his home, after buying grapes and other produce from a street vendor. The mugger tried to steal Silverglads wallet but the victim would have none of it, striking the crooks hand and yelling Police! Police! But the robber overwhelmed Silverglad, flinging him to the ground and running off empty-handed. Writing in pain and with his cellphone back in his apartment, Silverglad, who is bedridden and was only out alone only because his home health aide was off, crawled back to his apartment. I decided to walk on my knees across the crosswalk and people saw me but nobody helped me, Silverglad lamented. But his angels without wings, as he called them, were at the entrance to his building a woman who lives there and her two friends. They held me by my hands and shoulder and got me to my apartment, he said. They even got my keys out of my pocket to open the door because I could not even do that. Once inside, he called his son James, who rushed to the apartment from Queens and took Silverglad to the Mount Sinai Morningside, where he is still recovering. Silverglad, a retired lawyer battling Stage 4 prostate cancer, suffered six broken ribs, a spinal hematoma and a bruised ego. I should have given him the wallet, Silverglad said. Now I am having to experience this pain. Torres, whose photo was released to the media Feb. 6, lives in Brooklyn and has a long record, most recently for a Harlem burglary in 2021, police said. He was conditionally released by parole in April 2023 after serving more than a year for attempted robbery in the Bronx, records show. Before that, he was conditionally released in March 2009 following a 2005 drug possession conviction in Brooklyn. His longest stint in prison ended in December 2004, when he was paroled after serving six years for arson and robbery in the Bronx, records show. Editor's note: This article includes references to sexual assault and may be triggering to some readers. Reader discretion is advised. Information about resources for sexual assault survivors can be found at the end of this story. A former employee of Thomas J. Henry Law has alleged that the firms former CEO sexually assaulted her in 2019 and that, as a result, she was harassed and discriminated against at work. The civil lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Antonio on Wednesday against the large personal injury law firm with offices around Texas. The plaintiff, whom the American-Statesman is not naming because she is alleging sexual assault, worked as a manager at the law firms San Antonio office from 2015 to 2022. She claims that, at the firm-sponsored Austin Elevates Festival in 2019, she was drugged and then sexually assaulted by then-CEO John Sweeney. Sweeney, who is not a party in the lawsuit, did not respond to an emailed request for comment Friday. The Statesman made multiple calls to Thomas J. Henry Law and was referred to Ruben Herrera, a marketing and public relations official for the firm, for comment. As of Monday afternoon, Herrera had not responded. Emails sent to Herrera bounced back with a message stating, "Recipient email server rejected the message." According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff had no recollection of the assault, which later became the topic of rampant demeaning workplace gossip. The plaintiff claimed that the assault led to workplace discrimination and harassment; she became the only manager without an office space and was denied a promotion despite being given more duties. In 2022, the plaintiff said that she reported the sexual assault and ensuing treatment to human resources. But, the lawsuit says, the assault was never investigated. Her attorney declined to say whether his client had reported the assault to police. The lawsuit also claims that top managers at the law firm had prior knowledge of Sweeney's sexual contact with the plaintiff at the festival in 2019. The plaintiff claims that Thomas J. Henry admonished her at a managers' meeting and threatened her by saying that "anyone is replaceable" and "anyone can get fired." The plaintiff felt she had no choice but to resign from such a hostile work environment, the lawsuit says. In addition to monetary compensation, the plaintiff is asking that Thomas J. Henry Law conduct discrimination and sexual harassment training. Our client like all employees deserves a workplace free from harassment and retaliation, Jay Ellwanger, who represents the plaintiff, said in a statement. Our hope is that this lawsuit will lead to some positive change. The San Antonio Express-News reported that Sweeneys LinkedIn page which no longer appears to be public showed that he was the CEO of Thomas J. Henry Law from late 2018 to April 2021. How to get help If you have experienced sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline by calling 800-656-4673 or visiting online.rainn.org for emotional support, advice or crisis intervention. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Lawsuit against Thomas J. Henry Law alleges sexual assault New developments in one of the biggest bribery scandals in Ohio history. Attorney General Dave Yost announced new indictments against two former FirstEnergy executives and a former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo. Former CEO Chuck Jones and former Senior Vice President of External Affairs Michael Dowling were charged in the combined 27-count indictment for the first time. This is the second indictment Randazzo was named in. >> Police investigate bomb threat near Miami County businesses Randazzo was first charged in December 2023 on allegations that he accepted bribes from FirstEnergy and helped pass a bailout plan to keep two nuclear plants open. Two companies controlled by Randazzo, the Sustainability Funding Alliance of Ohio and IEU-Ohio Administration Co., are named in the filing, alleging them to be shell companies created for furthering the former PUCO chairmans alleged criminal activity. Randazzo was indicted on 22 felony counts, Jones on 10 felony counts, and Dowling on 12 felony counts. Sustainability Funding Alliance of Ohio is included in 11 criminal charges. IEU-Ohio Administration is included in five criminal charges. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder was convicted in this scandal. He will spend 20 years in federal prison. These criminal indictments mark the latest development in Yosts efforts to hold those responsible for the House Bill 6 scandal accountable while saving Ohioans significant taxpayer dollars, according to a media release. Special counsel Jack Smith in a recent court filing cited case law that Judge Aileen Cannon, the MAGA-appointed federal judge overseeing Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago classified documents case, previously worked on as a way of reminding her why she should rule against the former president. As Trump's team of attorneys continues to paint his criminal case as a Biden-administration-led, politically motivated "witch hunt," they've also asked the Cannon mandate Smith and his team of prosecutors to turn over the trove of evidence they have against Trump, despite the fact that the defense team has already received more than a million pages of evidence, per The Daily Beast. As Trump's legal team's strategy to delay the trial becomes increasingly apparent, Smith's filing pointed toward a case from Cannon's past, recalling how she worked to establish boundaries around such tactics. The Daily Beast noted that Cannon, while serving as a federal prosecutor for the Department of Justice in South Florida in 2015, worked on a sting operation in which two men were convicted after trying to loot a phony stash house. One of the men appealed his conviction, arguing that he was the victim of "unfair prosecution" because the majority of stash house sting operations see Black and Hispanic people apprehended. In 2021, Cannon's former team won the case when the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals emphasized the need for a "demanding burden" to make such a claim. Though she was already acting as a judge, Smith's citing of the aptly named U.S. vs. Cannon is meant to underscore Trump's own claim of "selective prosecution" in his documents case. A request to discover such material is, instead, governed by well-settled and binding precedent in [Armstrong] and [Jordan,] prosecutors wrote. Though lawyers often cite past cases, as The Daily Beast pointed out, Smith's "decision to point Cannon to her own case also sends a message and not one meant for Trumps lawyers or even the American public paying close attention to the historic case." "Smiths choice to cite case law that Cannon actually worked could be viewed as a reminder to the judge that she knows better than to side with Trump on this especially on such a narrow topic as bias-alleging document requests," The Daily Beast's Jose Pagliery wrote. She worked on almost no cases. She had very little courtroom experience. To find a case that actually she worked on and that resulted in a published opinion is in itself improbable, Catherine Ross, a professor emeritus at George Washington University Law School, told the Daily Beast. Its a brilliant maneuver, and particularly with a judge who had so little trial background, she said. Its not quite the same as confronting a judge with an opinion they wrote or joined, Ross added. I dont think selective prosecution comes up often. There are very few people who can pass the laugh test on claiming that. I think they have her locked in a pretty tight spotif she were a normal judge. Smith's team last week accused Cannon of making a "clear error" by granting Trump's motion to unredact portions of their motions in discovery despite the Justice Department's concern about the safety of witnesses in the case. Smith's filing claims that "discovery material, if publicly docketed in unredacted form as the Court has ordered, would disclose the identities of numerous potential witnesses, along with the substance of the statements they made to the FBI or the grand jury, exposing them to significant and immediate risks of threats, intimidation, and harassment." The filing adds that threats have already happened to witnesses, law enforcement agents, judicial officers, and Department of Justice employees whose identities have been disclosed in cases in which defendant Trump is involved. Former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman warned that Cannon put herself "in a box of her own making" with the order. "Remember, we have this ongoing drama with her," Litman told MSNBC of Cannon's odd rulings seeming to push Trump's trial until after the 2024 presidential election. "She's been slow-walking the case and she had these early sort of debacles that the 11th Circuit reversed." "We've been wondering will she make another clear misstep that would give Smith the wherewithal to say maybe it's time to recuse her," he added. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann, who served on special counsel Bob Mueller's team, likewise claimed that Cannon could be facing an imminent recusal by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. "So now there is this issue, with respect to divulging the name of someone who is under investigation, which could interfere with a criminal investigation. We don't know about the underlying facts of that so it is somewhat guesswork," Weissmann told MSNBC. "What I can tell, you as a I have been in a prosecutor for many years that does not get disclosed when you are doing an investigation," he added. "To me, it is so reminiscent of the same problem she had during the investigation. So, if she continues this route, it will be interesting to see whether Jack Smith gets to the 11th Circuit and whether they sort of politely recuse her, essentially, which happens when the circuit hears the case and basically says 'When we send this back, we think that the better course is for a different judge to hear it.'" The officials said that Israeli troops arrested about 20 Hamas terrorists who were hiding inside a Khan Younis hospital in Gaza with the Jewish army assisted by medical staff who were waiting for an oxygen tank delivery. The Israeli military reported on Saturday that several of the Israel Defense Forces' special units were sent to the Al-Amal Hospital last week after intelligence suggested that Hamas members were operating within the civilian space. Israeli Troops, Gaza Medical Staff Arrest 20 Hamas Terrorists The Israeli troops were able to relocate and subdue the terrorists with the assistance of the Al-Amal Hospital staff without using any weapons or disrupting any medical procedures. The military said in a statement that the operation once again proved the cynical modus operandi of the Hamas terror organization, which uses hospitals and the civilian population to hide terrorists. The military added that the Hamas terrorists were taken into custody and transported to Israel for interrogation. The IDF worked with the Coordination and Liaison Administration for Gaza to deliver more than 20 oxygen tanks donated to the hospital after the arrests. It stated before the operation that its soldiers received training on "the importance of preventing harm to patients, medical staff, civilians, and medical equipment, by international law." Al-Amal hospital, along with other medical facilities across Gaza, has been struggling to provide care for its patients as the conflict between Israel and Hamas has left tens of thousands of people injured. According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, about 68,000 people have been injured by the war so far, with the death toll in Gaza surpassing 28,000. The arrests in Al-Amal hospital were just some of the hundreds over the past week in Khan Younis, where fighting is still at its worst in the war. Thousands of Palestinian refugees from the north have now moved even further south to Rafah after the IDF advanced through the main city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Rafah, now Gaza's most populous city housing more than 1.4 million refugees, could see unprecedented levels of civilian casualties as the IDF prepares to invade it to destroy Hamas terrorists and identify the remaining 136 captives in Gaza. Read Also: US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Taken to Hospital Over' Bladder Issue' Symptoms Israeli Airstrikes Killed At Least 44 Palestinians in Rafah On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes in Rafah killed at least 44 Palestinians, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that an attack on the city was unavoidable and issued an order for a joint evacuation. According to the Times of Israel, one of the strikes' primary targets was Ahmed Al-Yaaqoubi, a top Hamas police official, whose death was confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet. The IDF claimed that Hamas military operative Iman Rantisi and another officer in Rafah's secret police department were also killed in the attack. The Israeli Air Force allegedly published footage of the airstrike on the vehicle all three were traveling in. In the last four months, many of Gaza's 2.3 million residents fled to the town near the Egyptian border after they were displaced by Israel's ground offensive on other parts of the tiny region. Related Article: Israeli Airstrikes Claim Lives of 44 Palestinians in Rafah Following Netanyahu's Ground Invasion Announcement WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Democratic-led U.S. Senate is voting this week on a $95.34 billion emergency spending bill, including security assistance for Ukraine and Israel, international humanitarian aid and resources to help allies in the Indo-Pacific. The Senate's Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, kept lawmakers in Washington for rare weekend votes, in an effort to pass the bill within days and send it for consideration by the Republican-led House of Representatives, although there was no guarantee Republican Speaker Mike Johnson - who has voted against past aid for Ukraine - would even allow a vote. Here is some of what is in the bill: UKRAINE AID The bill includes $60.06 billion in additional aid to Ukraine. Much of that would come in the form of weapons and military equipment purchased from U.S. defense companies and to restore U.S. stockpiles after two years of transfers for Ukraine's battle against Russian invaders. ISRAEL AID The Senate plan directs $14.1 billion to Israel to support its war against Hamas. It also strips U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Israel has accused 12 of UNRWA's Palestinian employees of being involved in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel. RED SEA SUPPORT The bill gives the Pentagon $2.44 billion for operations around the Red Sea, where U.S. forces have sought to combat attacks on shipping by Houthi rebels in Yemen. INDO-PACIFIC FUNDING The bill would spend almost $4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, and deter aggression by China. HUMANITARIAN AID The bill would provide $9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance to provide food, water, shelter, medical care and other services to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine and other populations in conflict zones around the globe. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Jonathan Oatis) PORT ST. LUCIE Hundreds of law enforcement members from across the state as well as Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Brian Mast attended services Monday morning for Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Zachary Fink, who died 10 days earlier, along with another man, after a crash on Interstate 95. An enormous American flag was suspended from a St. Lucie County Fire District truck at Christ Fellowship Church, just west of I-95, as vehicles from local law enforcement agencies such as the Indian River County Sheriffs Office were joined by those from agencies from various parts of Florida, including the Seminole and Hillsborough county sheriff's offices and the Palm Springs, Maitland, Fort Lauderdale, Boynton Beach and Coconut Creek police departments. FHP Col. Gary L. Howze II thanked the Treasure Coast for its support, noting words couldnt describe the appreciation felt as people lined the roadways and took time from their day as we escorted Trooper Fink following his passing. Fink, 26, died Feb. 2 along with semitrailer driver Arsenio Mas, 55, of Homestead following a crash on I-95 in the area of Crosstown Parkway as part of a vehicle pursuit. According to officials, the crash happened after Michael Anthony Addison, 30, was being chased by Fink and made a U-turn and headed north in the southbound lanes before exiting at St. Lucie West. Addison ultimately was apprehended and arrested. Fink always wanted to help people Howze said Finks father and stepmother remarked that at age 6 they asked him what he wanted to do when he grew up and he said he wanted to help people. He grew up destined for a life of selfless service as he made deliberate life choices to set himself up for a career in law enforcement, especially state law enforcement, Howze said. Troopers, Howze said, take a binding obligation to support the community. As part of that oath, we swear and affirm that we're going to protect all those in harm's way, Howze said. We're going to give our all, and that's exactly what Zach was doing. Finks cousin, Shea Fink, a Palm Beach County sheriffs deputy, said Zachary Fink is survived by his fiancee, parents, brother and other family members. There are no words to describe the loss and heartache we are all feeling, but we do find solace in the outpouring of support from those of you here today, and those watching abroad, Shea Fink said. The services were broadcast over the internet. His dedication to duty Mast remarked about Zachary Finks dedication to duty. What struck me as most remarkable is not that somebody would lay down their life for a friend, it's that somebody would lay down their life for somebody that they barely know, said Mast, himself an Army veteran. That was the life of Trooper Fink daily. Zachary Fink, a three-year FHP veteran, first was assigned to Troop D, specifically to Brevard County, and later transferred to Troop L, which includes St. Lucie County, where his family lives. DeSantis said Zachary Finks choice to dedicate his life to service to the community was a noble calling and line of work. His pursuit of a dangerous felon cost him his life, but there's no question that his actions saved the lives of other people, DeSantis said. In speaking to Finks family and fiancee, DeSantis said Zachary Finks death is a loss for the state. You should be proud of Zachs heroism, DeSantis said. He made an impact in a great way on the state of Florida. For as long as he can remember, Shea Fink said, his cousin Zachary wanted to help his community and serve his country in some way. Just like his Army veteran father, Shea Fink said. For Acting Port St. Lucie Police Chief Richard Del Toro, it was important for him to be there, he said before the service. Anytime a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty, it's the ultimate sacrifice, Del Toro said. It's our way of showing support to honor the family and the officer that has fallen. Church hosted another law enforcement funeral The service for Zachary Fink wasnt the first for a fallen officer at Christ Fellowship. In June 2022, more than 1,000 people attended services there for Kyle Patterson, 35, a senior investigator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Patterson died June 9, 2022, after a traffic crash in which a wrong way driver struck his unmarked FWC vehicle on Okeechobee Road in the area of South Header Canal Road, according to information from the Florida Highway Patrol and FWC. The 24-year-old Tampa woman who drove a Kia sedan east in the westbound lanes, crashing into Pattersons vehicle, also died. Paying their respects As cars motored past on Southwest Village Parkway in front of the church, George Goodfellow, 68, stood on a sidewalk. He he said he lives nearby. We just wanted to show our support to the family and to law enforcement as a whole, Goodfellow said. Richard Beeten, 71, who said he is a member of Treasure Coast Back the Blue, stood nearby with a Thin Blue Line American flag. I back the blue, Beeten said. Were here to show our support for law enforcement. Gunfire on interstate: Martin County Sheriff's detectives on I-95 investigating 3 bullet-riddled cars PSL drug arrest: Huge methamphetamine, THC bust in Port St. Lucie Will Greenlee is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Will on X @OffTheBeatTweet or reach him by phone at 772-267-7926. E-mail him at will.greenlee@tcpalm.com. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: FHP Trooper Zachary Fink remembered in services Monday in PSL The claim: Putin A Feb. 9 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows a purported quote from Russian President Vladimir Putin's interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. TUCKER: Are you following whats happening on the US southern border? reads the start of the post, which is a screenshot of a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. PUTIN: Actually yes. Its part of my daily briefing. We Russians find it ironically amusing your Congress will spend billions protecting foreign borders but neglect its own. Its quiet laughable but deadly (sic). The post received more than 200 likes in three days. Other versions of the claim spread widely on Facebook and X. More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page Our rating: False No such quote appears in transcripts from Carlsons interview with Putin. The Russian president did point to problems at the U.S. border as a reason why the U.S. should not become involved in the war in Ukraine. Putin referenced US southern border in response to Schumer's 'cheap provocation' Carlson said in a Feb. 6 X post that he was interviewing Putin in an attempt to inform people about Russias war with Ukraine in light of the billions of dollars of aid the U.S. has given to Ukraine. Two days later he released the full interview covering various topics, including the war in Ukraine, President Joe Biden and detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. There are no reports from legitimate news outlets of Putin's supposed remark about the U.S. southern border. The purported quotation also does not appear in interview transcripts from the Kremlin or Carlsons YouTube channel, though Putin did bring up the topic. Carlson asked Putin about Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumers comment in an MSNBC interview that Americans could eventually be drawn into the fighting if legislation with more Ukraine aid didnt pass. Putin called the remark a cheap provocation and said he could not understand why the U.S. should fight in the war. You have issues on the border, issues with migration, issues with the national debt more than $33 trillion dollars, Putin said. You have nothing better to do, so you should fight in Ukraine? Fact check: Obama wasn't arrested. Tucker Carlson didn't post a video about it, either Tucker Carlson interviews Vladimir Putin USA TODAY previously debunked claims that Putin told Carlson that President Joe Biden is a facade for those in real power and that no Western journalists besides Carlson had reached out to interview the Russian leader. USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. AFP Fact Check and PolitiFact also debunked the claim. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here. USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim about Putin's remark on US border | Fact check Millions of Americans have become informal family caregivers: people who provide family members or friends with unpaid assistance in accomplishing daily tasks such as bathing, eating, transportation and managing medications. Driven in part by a preference for home-based care rather than long-term care options such as assisted living facilities, and the limited availability and high cost of formal care services, family caregivers play a pivotal role in the safety and well-being of their loved ones. Approximately 34.2 million people in the United States provide unpaid assistance to adults age 50 or above, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. Among them, about 15.7 million adult family caregivers care for someone with dementia. I am a licensed clinical social worker and an assistant professor of social work studying disparities in health and health care systems. I focus on underrepresented populations in the field of aging. Challenges for family caregivers In my research focusing on East Asian family caregivers for people with Alzheimers and related dementia, I discovered that Chinese American and Korean American caregivers often encounter challenging situations. These include discrimination from health care facilities or providers, feelings of loneliness and financial issues. Some of these caregivers even find themselves having to retire early because they struggle to balance both work and caregiving responsibilities. My findings join a growing body of research showing that family caregivers commonly encounter five specific challenges: financial burdens, limited use of home- and community-based services, difficulties accessing resources, a lack of knowledge about existing educational programs, and physical and emotional challenges, such as feelings of helplessness and caregiver burnout. However, researchers are also finding that family caregivers feel more capable of managing these challenges when they can tap into formal services that offer practical guidance and insights for their situations, as well as assistance with some unique challenges involved with family caregiving. The demographics of informal caregivers More than 6 in 10 family caregivers are women. Society has always expected women to take on caregiving responsibilities. Women also usually earn less money or rely on other family members for financial support. This is because equal pay in the workplace has been slow to happen, and women often take on roles like becoming the primary caregiver for their own children as well as their aging relatives, which can drastically affect their earnings. While nearly half of care recipients live in their own homes, 1 in 3 live with their caregivers. Sometimes termed resident caregivers, these individuals are less likely to turn to others outside the family for caregiving support, often because they feel that its important to keep caregiving within the family. These caregivers are typically older, retired or unemployed and have lower income than caregivers who live separately. According to a 2020 report from the AARP Public Policy Institute, about 1 in 3 family caregivers provide more than 21 hours of care a week to a loved one. Juggling caregiving with everyday life Caregiving often creates financial burdens because it makes it harder to hold a full-time or part-time job, or to return to work after taking time off, particularly for spouses who are caregivers. Often, community-based organizations such as nonprofits that serve older adults offer a variety of in-home services and educational programs. These can help family caregivers manage or reduce the physical and emotional strains of their responsibilities. However, these demands also can make it difficult for some caregivers to even learn that these resources exist, or take advantage of them, particularly as the care recipients condition progresses. These challenges worsened at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many support programs were canceled, and it was hard to access health care, which made things even more stressful and tiring for caregivers. Research shows that those who are new to family caregiving often take care of their loved ones without any formal support initially. As a result, they may face increased emotional burdens. And caregivers age 70 and above face particular challenges, since they may be navigating their own health issues at the same time. These individuals are less likely to receive informal support, which can lead to social isolation and burnout. Caregivers age 70 and above may be navigating their own health challenges with little support. Alistair Berg/DigitalVision via Getty Images Support for family caregivers There are numerous programs and services available for family caregivers and their loved ones, whether they reside at home or in a residential facility. These resources include government health and disability programs, legal assistance and disease-specific organizations, some of which are specific to certain states. In addition, research has found that providing appropriate education and training to people in the early stages of caregiving enables them to better balance their own health and well-being with successfully fulfilling their responsibilities. Many community-based organizations, such as local nonprofits focused on aging, as well as government programs or senior centers, may offer case management services for older adults, which can be beneficial for learning about existing resources and services. For family caregivers of people with dementia, formal support services are particularly crucial to their ability to cope and navigate the challenges they face. The role of Medicaid Formal support may also be helpful in finding affordable home-based and community resources that can help compensate for a lack of informal support. These include home health services funded by Medicare and Medicaid-funded providers of medical and nonmedical services, including transportation. Medicaid, which targets low-income Americans, seniors, people with disabilities and a few select other groups, has certain income requirements. Determine the eligibility requirements first to find out whether your loved one qualifies for Medicaid. The services and support covered by Medicaid may vary based on a number of factors, such as timing of care, the specific needs of caregivers and their loved ones, the care plan in place for the loved one and the location or state in which the caregiver and their loved one reside. Each state also has its own Medicaid program with unique rules, regulations and eligibility criteria. This can result in variations in the types of services covered, the extent of coverage and the specific requirements for accessing Medicaid-funded support. If so, contact your states Medicaid office to get more information about self-directed services and whether you can become a paid family caregiver. Medicare might help Medicare may help pay for certain home health services if an older adult needs skilled services part time and is considered homebound. This assistance can alleviate some of the caregiving responsibilities and financial burdens on the family caregiver, allowing them to focus on providing care and support to their loved ones without worrying about the cost of essential medical services. Peer-to-peer support is also crucial. Family caregivers who join support groups tend to manage their stress more effectively and experience an overall better quality of life. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Kathy L. Lee, University of Texas at Arlington Read more: Kathy Lee has received funding from the Alzheimer's Association - New to the Field (AARG-NTF-20-678171). LEHI, Utah (ABC4) A new campus in Lehi for Primary Childrens Hospital is bringing pediatric care much closer to home for families in Utah County, and some of those families tell ABC4.com its a welcome addition to the community. Over the last year, Marissa Kauffman and her family have had to make the drive from their home in Lehi to the Primary Childrens Hospital in Salt Lake City near the University of Utah. Kauffmans mother, Tara, said those trips sometimes became a whole-day event. Marissa said she is undergoing treatment for her liver. Her infusions for treatment can sometimes take multiple hours already on top of the hours drive from Lehi to Salt Lake City, depending on traffic. Tara Kauffman said the trip to the new campus in Lehi is only seven minutes and a nice burden off their shoulders. Marrisa Kauffman, 14, receives an infusion treatment at Primary Childrens Hospital (Courtesy: Primary Childrens Hospital) Shes not having to miss so much school and it doesnt take so long to get home after, said Tara. When she does her infusions, she is sometimes there anywhere from two hours to six hours so its nice to be close so we can come home after a long day a lot quicker. Miller Campus President Lisa Paletta said this is something Intermountain Health has been looking forward to for several years and they hope to ease the stress off more families like the Kauffmans. By the year 2028, we will have more kids in Utah County than we will have in Salt Lake County, said Paletta. She said that even before that growth, Primary Childrens already had many patients making the drive from past the Point of the Mountain for care. To be able to reduce that burden and have care closer to home for those kids will really make a difference on the families, said Paletta. Paletta explained that families making the switch from the Salt Lake campus to the new Lehi campus will find the experience seamless. She said Primary Childrens Hospital views itself as one hospital, two campuses and has full integration among staff. Additionally, the new Lehi campus offers full services including surgical units, trauma care, and behavioral units. Thriving Utah: 3 Utah metros in top tier of performing cities, report says My greatest hope is that the community knows we are here, said Paletta. They can feel our hope and healing and love from our caregivers. To the cheers and applause of about 400 caregivers, Marissa and two other Primary Childrens patients, Kaylee Rasmussen, 11, and Kylee Jackson, 12, were welcomed as the hospitals first guests. It was really cool, said Marissa. It was an experience and something that I was not used to. Being the first patient is something cool you could brag about. Marissa said she is grateful for Primary Childrens Hospital, the care she has received, and the welcome they gave to the new Miller Family Campus in Lehi. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Family and friends of slain Whitman nurse Maggie Mbitu gathered Sunday for a prayer vigil at Grace and Faith Anglican Church as they anxiously await word of an arrest in Kenya, where Mbitus alleged killer remains on the run. Mbitus body was found in a car in a Logan Airport garage last November. 40-year-old Kevin Kangethe of Lowell, whom Mbitus family members tell us she was trying to break up with, was wanted for murder when he boarded a flight and fled to Kenya. In January, Kangethe was captured in Kenya. But just last week, he escaped Nairobi police custody and is now on the run. It was very disappointing, said Mbitus cousin, Milka Ndungu. I remember, I was at work, and I saw it on the news, and it brought me back to when Maggie got murdered, and it was very painful. Whitman police searching for missing woman last seen in Halifax Kangethe was awaiting extradition when Kenyan authorities say a man claiming to be his attorney asked to speak to him before Kangethe then ran from the police station and hopped into a privately owned minivan. Four officers who were on duty at the time are now in custody, the Associated Press has reported. Having the suspect getting caught and somehow he gets out, said another cousin of Mbitu, George Kamau, to escape from police custody is just adding salt to the wound. Mbitus family is pleading with the Kenyan government and authorities more than 7,000 miles away to recapture Kangethe. We feel that, if we get justice, its not like Maggie will come back, but at least well have, you know, some closure, Ndungu said. As loved ones sang and prayed at the Bridgewater church, they remembered and honored the 31-year-old people person who was calm and charming, they say. She didnt deserve to die, Ndungu said. She deserved to live with us. She was still young. She had a future ahead of her. And we believe that the suspect just cut her life off. Kevin Adam Kinyanjui Kangethe appears at the Mililani law court in Nairobi, Kenya, on Jan. 31, 2024. The Nairobi police chief said early Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, that Kangethe, a murder suspect who was awaiting extradition to the United States, had slipped out of a police station cell and jumped into one of the privately owned minivans that are the main transportation source in Kenya. (AP Photo) This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Russian forces fired 45 drones over Ukraine on Sunday during a five and a half-hour bombardment. As the war moves into its third year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began to reorganize his war cabinet. The Ukrainian air force claimed in a statement to have downed forty of the Iranian-made Shahed drones over nine separate locations, including the suburbs of Kyiv, the nation's capital. Russia Launches 45 Drones in Mass Barrage of Ukraine Agriculture and coastal infrastructure were the targets of the five-and-a-half-hour onslaught, according to posts made on Telegram by representatives of Ukraine's southern military forces. They stated that a strike in the Mykolaiv district had injured one person, causing a fire and damaged neighboring residential buildings, as per NY Post. Serhiy Lysak, the chief of the military administration in the Dnipropetrovsk area of Ukraine, reported that another person was hurt when a fire started as a result of falling debris from a wrecked drone. Additionally, Moldovan border police reported on Sunday that pieces of a "Shahed-type drone" had been discovered close to the Ukrainian border, in the southern town of Etulia. However, they maintained there was no threat to the local population from the wreckage. Regarding the Russian troops' nocturnal strikes on Ukraine's Izmail area on Friday, the border police said in a statement that "there is a suspicion that the detected drone debris is one of the drones shot down by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft system." Read Also: NYT: Russia Helps North Korea Access International Bank Networks Amid Military Weapons Deal Zelensky Reshuffle War Cabinet The strikes take place as Zelensky continues to shuffle military leaders in an effort to keep up the pressure on the Russian forces that are attacking. Lt. Gen. Alexander Pavlyuk, a former deputy minister of defense, will take over as head of Ukraine's ground forces, Kyiv said on Sunday. Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was nominated on Thursday to succeed Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the departing head of Ukraine's armed forces, previously held the position. Additionally, fresh presidential orders designated Maj. Gen. Ihor Plahuta as commander of Ukraine's territory defense forces, Brig. Gen. Ihor Skibiuk as commander of the country's air assault forces, and Yurii Sodol, the previous head of the country's marine corps, as commander of Ukraine's combined forces. As Kyiv's troops are primarily on the defense, incoming commander-in-chief Syrskyi has said that two of his top priorities are enhancing troop rotation at the front lines and using the potential of modern technologies. Per The Hill, US lawmakers are still drafting legislation to provide further help to Ukraine, even as Kyiv hopes for a fresh start in its conflict with Russia as it approaches two years of warfare. A $95.3 billion package subsidizing Ukraine, Israel, and other national security goals was approved by the Senate on Friday. This comes after an earlier attempt in Congress last week to enact border security requirements and finance Israel and Ukraine failed. Related Article: Russia Launches Missile Attack on Kyiv; 1 Confirmed Killed in Mykolaiv GOTHENBURG, Sweden (Reuters) -A powerful fire broke out at an amusement park in the western Swedish city of Gothenburg on Monday, engulfing outdoor water slides and related facilities that were under construction, eyewitnesses and rescue services said. There were no reports of serious injuries, but police said on Monday evening that one man was missing. No guests were at the Oceana waterpark, a new addition to Gothenburg's Liseberg funfair, which had been scheduled to open later this year, a spokesperson for the park told Swedish news agency TT. The park said in a statement that the man missing had been working on the project on behalf of Liseberg. "The fire started at one of the water rides outside the building and then spread to the entire building," Liseberg said in its statement. Efforts to extinguish the fire were still ongoing at 1700 GMT and were expected to take time, regional newspaper Goteborgs-Posten reported. Thick black smoke rose above the city and police advised those living in the area to stay indoors and keep windows closed to protect against fumes. Live video showed slides being engulfed by flames while several fire-fighting vehicles surrounded the area. Guests at a nearby hotel and office premises had been evacuated, Liseberg said. (Reporting by Johan Ahlander; writing by Stine Jacobsen and Marie Mannes; editing by Terje Solsvik and Leslie Adler) Well, its still hanging around, the frigid season that is, and if youre like me you just want to curl up indoors with a blanket, a bowl of popcorn, and a mug of hot chocolate until Spring arrives (March 19, BTW). But if the lingering nip in the air doesnt bother you, and youre willing to venture out, here are some Lexington restaurants that have made things a little cozier whether that means a fireplace, a heated igloo, or comfort food and specialty winter cocktails. In recognition of the local restaurants efforts, Id like to honor these spots with a newly created winter award category the Warmies. The Merrick Inn 1074 Merrick Drive; 859-269-5417; themerrickinn.com The first nominee is the Merrick Inn, the closest thing Lexington has to a cozy New England inn. This beloved spot is the epitome of comfort food the kind your mom and grandma warmed up your insides with. If youre looking for a meal that will stick to your ribs and fuel you for whatever outdoor activities you may have, here are three suggestions: the Kentucky Hot Brown; the Pecan Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Makers Mark apple chutney and maple chipotle butter, and the Southern fried chicken. Merrick Inn has a classic Kentucky Hot Brown made with turkey, ham and bacon. Rob Bolson More importantly, the Merrick Inn has not one, but four fireplaces a wood-burning one in the bar, and gas fireplaces in three of the dining rooms, quadrupling your chances of staying warm here. 1074 Merrick Drive; 859-269-5417; themerrickinn.com Bronte Bistro at Joseph Beth Bookstore 161 Lexington Green Circle #B; 859-422-1429; josephbeth.com Leave their luscious salads for warmer weather, and instead tuck into a dish meant to stand up to the frigid temps. Dishes such as Guinness Beef Stew, Stuffed Pepper Soup and Vegetarian Chili will warm you up, as will their expansive menu of coffees, teas and cocoas, along with specialty winter cocktails like Toasted Almond with amaretto and almond liqueur (I get toasty just thinking about it), Apple Pie Mule and a Winter Old-Fashioned with homemade spiced syrup. The bookstores stunning fireplace, just across from the bistro, is the perfect place to curl up with a book maybe one where winter weather features prominently, such as Call of the Wild, The Shining, or Ethan Frome. The Goose 170 Jefferson Street; 859-554-5118; thegooselexington.com The sun-warmed patio is what I usually think of when considering this Jefferson Avenue favorite, but in the winter, the gas fireplaces in the sunroom are the perfect seasonal substitute. Come cozy up to our fireplace and enjoy some good food! #gooselexingtononjefferson #thingstodoinlexingtonky #sharethelex #lexingtonkentucky #visitlex Posted by The Goose Lexington on Monday, January 15, 2024 Grab a fireside table and warm up with a Four Roses apple cider old-fashioned before ordering one of their winterized dishes. Toasted ravioli is a good choice for an app; bean soup with country ham or tomato basil make for a satisfying soup option, and for an entree, try the roasted pork chop with roasted potatoes and fried Brussels sprouts. Blue Heron Steakhouse 185 Jefferson Street; 859-254-2491; blueheronsteakhouse.com Just across the street from the Goose, the Blue Heron beckons the weary winter warrior. The charming bungalow is cozy at any time, but never more so than when the wood-burning fireplace is casting a warm glow. Blue Heron on Jefferson Street has a wood-burning fireplace. Blue Heron/Facebook Add to that a bowl of their loaded potato soup, a prime cut of beef accompanied by smoked gouda mac and cheese, and something from their expansive bourbon list, and I dont care what its doing outside. J. Renders Southern Table & Bar 3191 Beaumont Center Circle; 859-533-9777; jrenders.com This casual Beaumont spot wrote the book on comfort food. White chicken chili and Brunswick Stew are on the menu this winter, and the meatloaf and buttermilk fried chicken with sides like sweet molasses baked beans and smoked mac and cheese are just as filling. J. Renders Southern Table & Bar has two heated igloo domes for outdoor dining this winter. Provided Enjoy these dishes along with a coffee drink with choice of liqueur in one of the restaurants two heated igloos. Each dome has seating up to eight people and has Bluetooth speakers. Reservations can be made online. Charlie Browns Restaurant 816 Euclid Avenue; 859-269-5701; charliebrownslex.com This Chevy Chase favorite was one of the first restaurants in Lexington to discover the appeal of a warm fire. Patrons have been grabbing couch space around the brick fireplace for 67 years. Its still a great place to warm up, particularly when you throw in such spicy dishes as Caribbean chicken strips with jerk seasoning or hot pepper cheese stuffed jalapenos. A helping of either makes me feel like its July in January. Harrys American Bar & Grill and Drakes Various locations throughout Lexington area; bluegrasshospitality.com These two eateries under the Blue Grass Hospitality umbrella really push the envelope when it comes to providing a cozy nook for cold-weather dining. All three Drakes locations (Landsdowne, Hamburg and Leestown Road) have wood-burning fireplaces, while Harrys Palomar and Hamburg locations keep things toasty with their enclosed heated patios. Celebrating National Margarita Day with Drake's Snow-Rita 1800 Tequila, coconut puree, lime juice & simple syrup. Only available until the end of the month! http://ow.ly/MGsn50MYky9 Posted by Drake's Lexington on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 Food-wise, opt for Harrys Bourbon Corn Chowder (if the soups temperature doesnt warm you up, the bourbon will), and for an appropriately seasonal cocktail, go for Drakes Snow-Rita (tequila, coconut puree, lime juice and simple syrup). 25 years ago, a restaurant review almost shut down what is now a Lexington landmark Bella Notte 3715 Nicholasville Rd.; 859-245-1789; bellalexington.com The enclosed sunroom with its gas fireplace is a big draw here, as is the winter menu featuring heavier fare such as braised meats, stews, and dishes like Pappardelle Bolognese and white bean soup. Get cozy this winter with our new Pappardelle Bolognese. This savory dish is made with a ragout of ground veal, pork and... Posted by Bella Notte Italian Trattoria on Friday, December 20, 2019 They havent forgotten specialty winter cocktails either. If youre like me and enjoy an after-dinner drink, let me recommend the Gingerbread Nocciola. Carsons Food & Drink 362 E. Main St.; 859-309-3039; carsonsfoodanddrink.com This downtown favorite has a gas fireplace in the middle of the front wall of the main dining area. It also has a rotating array of belly-filling soups, including the house chili with 17 herbs and spices, and the cream-based Buffalo Bleu, described by one employee as a Buffalo dip in soup form. Carsons has a fireplace in the middle of the front wall of the dinning area. Silas Walker/swalker@herald-leader.com Dudleys on Short 259 W. Short St. #125; 859-252-1010; dudleysonshort.com Granted, the fireplace in the small alcove known as the Elk Room doesnt give off much heat, being more decorative than functional. But the restaurant more than makes up for it in the searing flavors of some of their dishes. Dudleys smoked trout eggs with paprika and chives, Kentucky Hot Brown and Moroccan Braised Lamb Shank will appeal to those with an educated spice palate. The restaurant gets even more props for their cappuccino and espresso martinis, and especially for their smores with homemade marshmallows, honey graham and chocolate cremeux. Coles 735 Main 735 E. Main St.; 859-266-9000; coles735main.com Why settle for one fireplace when you can have two? At Coles, you can snuggle up before gas fireplaces in both the bar and the main dining room. Living up to its reputation as one of Lexingtons most inventive eateries, dishes on the winter menu include truffle-infused lobster bisque, Moroccan butternut squash stew and Kennys white cheddar and leek potato gratin. 735 Main has a fireplace front and center, heating up the intimate dining room. Coles is open for dinner Monday through Saturday. Cole Arimes Not to be outdone, the bar staff has come up with two creative drinks perfect for cold weather. The Harvest Swoon is a mixture of Old Forester bourbon, Cocchi Americano red vermouth, Wise Bird Pommeau apple cider and Amontillado sherry, while the Little Scotch on the Prairie is made with Dewars White Label Scotch, Rivulet pecan liqueur and angostura cocoa bitters. And if that doesnt keep you warm, nothing will. And the winner of the 2024 Warmy goes to... all of them. Best bourbon bars: Try thousands of rare bottles at these 13 in, around Lexington Breakfast guide: Here are 12 places off the beaten path to try in, around Lexington Ranked: The best local restaurants for biscuits and gravy in Lexington AUSTIN (KXAN) The Austin Fire Department rescued five cats after a fire at a northeast Austin home Sunday night, according to a social media post from AFD. AFD said the fire began in a garage and spread to the attic of the home on Newport Avenue, which is near Interstate 35 and Braker Lane. Firefighters give oxygen to a cat they rescued from a house fire in northeast Austin. (Photo courtesy: Austin Fire Department) Firefighters give oxygen to a cat they rescued from a house fire in northeast Austin. (Photo courtesy: Austin Fire Department) A house fire started in a garage in northeast Austin on Sunday night. AFD recused five cats at the scene. (Photo courtesy: Austin Fire Department) AFD said the firefighters fought through smoke and heat to extinguish the fire. Two of the cats needed oxygen after being rescued. This is an ongoing investigation, AFD said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Although the use of taxpayer-funded vouchers to attend private school nearly tripled in Palm Beach County this year, it's still far behind other Florida counties that have hundreds more private schools and a larger share of the student population attending them. The state's voucher program was expanded last summer to include families of all income levels, meaning that nearly every family in the state could opt in to use the voucher to help reduce the cost of private education. If a student moves from public to private school, the money follows them. If the student previously attended private school and began using a voucher this year, it's a new cost for the state. "There will be a preference for low- and middle-income families but at the end of the day, we fundamentally believe that the money should follow the student. It should be directed based on what the parent thinks is the most appropriate education program for their child," Gov. Ron DeSantis said when he signed the voucher bill in Miami in March 2023. Historic enrollment and expected enrollment for the 2023-24 school year at Palm Beach County schools. The blue bar represents traditional, district-run schools, the orange bar represents charter school students and the gray bar represents the students who use publicly funded Family Empowerment Scholarships to attend private schools. Which Florida counties have the most private schools and the biggest share of its students attending those schools? Here's what to know: Florida counties with the most private schools The number of private schools in Florida has increased by 600 in the past 10 years, according to the most recent data available from the Florida Department of Education from the 2022-23 school year. That year, 2,973 private schools operated across the state, many of which are religiously affiliated. Unsurprisingly, all seven of the state's urban counties (Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach and Pinellas) made the list of counties with the most private schools. Here are the counties with the most private schools: Miami-Dade: 602 schools Broward: 286 schools Orange: 246 schools Hillsborough: 165 schools Duval: 160 schools Palm Beach: 145 schools Pinellas: 128 schools Polk: 106 schools Brevard: 88 schools Osceola: 84 schools Students at Rosaraian Academy, a private school in West Palm Beach Florida counties with the largest share of private school students Although many of Florida's most populous counties have the largest number of private schools, more rural counties have the largest share of students who attend them. Here are the counties where the largest percentage of students attend private schools: Martin: 44.4% of all students attend private school Jefferson: 38.2% of students Escambia: 21.2% of students Miami-Dade: 20.3% of students Hamilton: 18.4% of students Bradford: 18.1% of students Pinellas: 16.8% of students Duval: 16.6% of students Broward: 16.2% of students Seminole: 15.5% of students In Palm Beach County, just 13.5% of all students attend private school, according to the 2022-23 data. This year's data, which will likely reflect the increased enrollment in private schools, is not yet available from the Department of Education. Want more education news? Sign up for ourExtra Credit weekly newsletter, delivered every Friday! Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today! This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Vouchers: Which Florida counties have the most private schools? You cant blame Floridians for being skeptical when they heard there was an earthquake off the east coast on Wednesday night. Life on Florida's Space Coast means youre used to sonic booms, loud rumblings that travel more than 40 miles when big rockets lift off and trailing flames streaking across the sky. As commercial launch traffic picks up at Cape Canaveral, theres more such activity than ever before. Theres also no fault line along Floridas Atlantic coast and very little earthquake activity. It's one of the few natural disasters the state doesn't have to cope with on a regular basis. In every previous instance where the U.S. Geological Survey lists an "earthquake" off Florida's Atlantic coast, dating back to 1900, all but one previous event was a massive explosion set by the U.S. Navy to test the seaworthiness of its new ships against underwater mines. The Navy also detonates big practice bombs at its Pinecastle Bombing Range complex in the nearby Ocala National Forest, occasionally rattling doors and dishes for miles away. So forgive Floridians for questioning what really happened at 10:48 p.m. on Wednesday night. But the USGS says it was an earthquake, and other seismologists agree. "The signature of the seismic waves is consistent with an earthquake," said Oliver Boyd, a research geophysicist with the USGS. The most likely cause of the earthquake is stress on fractures in the Earth's crust. "Just about anywhere you are on the planet, the plates are experiencing stress." The U.S. Geological Survey received more than 200 responses from people who reported feeling the earthquake in Florida on Feb. 7, along 200 miles of coast and inland nearly 50 miles. Florida earthquake history Expert seismologists were skeptical when word spread Thursday that a magnitude 4 earthquake had been detected about 100 miles due east of Kennedy Space Center. An earthquake? Off Florida? Even the seismologist who directs the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, Paul Earle, admitted he was skeptical at first. When he saw the report pop up, he thought "In Florida?" He wrote to ask the analysts "Are you sure?" It is highly unusual to have a seismic event in Florida or close to Florida, said Jochen Braunmiller, a research assistant professor at the University of South Floridas school of geological sciences. So I was very surprised when I heard about it. The USGS records dating back to 1900 show only one real earthquake offshore in the Atlantic within 400 miles of the state's coast, a magnitude 3.2 in the Bahamas about 75 miles east of Florida in 1992. USGS data shows more than a dozen earthquakes have been recorded farther out in the Atlantic, 400-1,000 Miles east of Florida. Inland, a couple of earthquakes of at least 1.5 magnitude have been recorded on the peninsula, near Jacksonville and between Gainesville and Ocala, and three at the northwest corner of the Panhandle at the Florida/Alabama line, according to USGS data. At least four have been recorded off the continental shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. Earle said it's possible that seismic activity below a magnitude of 2.5 could have been missed in earlier years. Earthquake on Florida's coast Braunmiller happened to be with a group of seismologists on the coast in Melbourne and the earthquake was a hot topic. We were all very intrigued by it and suspicious and wondering what was going on, Braunmiller told USA TODAY. Is it an earthquake? Is it an explosion? Is it a landslide? By Thursday afternoon, the seismologists Braunmiller was talking to, including colleagues at USF, agreed it was an earthquake. They compared the seismic data from a 2021 ship shock trial with the signal from Wednesday night's event. "They look very different," he said. We are fairly sure it was an earthquake. Wave signals on seismometers show slight differences between earthquakes and explosions, he said. "We have some comparison to some explosions the Navy did three years ago and the signal looks different." If there's an explosion in the water, a lot of energy gets trapped in the ocean and propagates slowly toward land, he said. So the sound wave goes up and down in the water column and comes in much later than the other seismic signal that travels faster. Ray Russo, an associate professor at the University of Florida's geological sciences department, agreed this recorded motion was more consistent with an earthquake than an explosion. "The waveforms look like an earthquake - the S (for shear) waves ... are much larger than the P waves (for primary)," Russo told USA TODAY. "Explosions typically do not produce large S waves, although an explosion in the water could conceivably do so." The survey estimated Wednesday's activity took place at a depth of six miles, plus or minus five miles. "I've learned to never say 100% certain but Im very certain this is a tectonic earthquake," Earle said. Explore: Find earthquakes near you What is a Navy ship shock trial? Floridians and seismologists wondered if the earthquake was the Navy offshore with explosives again. They've conducted ship shock trials on vessels at least nine times in 23 years. The trials detonate the equivalent of several tons of TNT near a ship that is new for its class, to ensure the ship is battle ready and can withstand blasts from underwater mines. One of the explosions in 2016 registered 3.7 on the Richter scale and triggered a response on seismographs as far away as Venezuela and Minnesota. The Navy said its not to blame this time. "We're not tracking any sort of large operation or shock trials or anything that would be seismic-related," said Lt. Commander Andrew Bertucci, a Navy public affairs officer. Live marine vessel tracking maps did show a couple of Navy and Coast Guard vessels out in the Atlantic Thursday, as well as several tankers, cargo ships and an unidentified tug or special craft. Navy ship shock trials off Florida These are some of the previous trials off Florida's east coast. Life on Floridas Space Coast means learning to live with unusual sounds The National Weather Service office in Melbourne posted on Facebook, asking if people had felt the shaking and the responses revealed just how much the regions residents are accustomed to such activity. Thought it was a rocket, multiple people responded. Some said they ran outside to try to catch a last-minute glimpse of a launch. They knew a SpaceX rocket was set to launch NASAs new PACE satellite into orbit. But that didnt happen until nearly three hours later, at 1:33 a.m., from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Stations launch complex. Others thought it was thunder, not unusual in a state that gets the most lightning strikes per square mile. Again on Friday morning, coastal residents turned to social media to ask about a rumbling sound and learned the Dragon spacecraft had returned to Earth carrying three astronauts from the International Space Station in a joint Axiom and SpaceX mission. SpaceX launches NASA PACE spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida earthquake: How rare event compares in history Florida lawmakers are taking another crack at banning hemp products with high levels of psychoactive chemicals like Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< The bill cleared its second House committee Monday afternoon and is already teed up for a floor vote in the Florida Senate. In 2020, there were 333 calls to Florida Poison Control involving children exposed to hemp products. Last year, there were nearly 800 calls, which is just shy of a 240% increase for three years. The numbers are exploding, said Mike McCormick with Florida Poison Control. McCormick explained psychoactive chemicals added to products like Delta-8, Delta-10, and others are the primary culprit. But he added the lack of regulations around the industry also poses other risks to health and safety. Theyve found mold that was in the hemp made it through to the final edible product. Theyve found pesticides, said McCormick. Last year, Florida lawmakers imposed new packaging requirements, which prohibited the products from being presented in ways that could be appealing to children. READ: Florida lawmakers eyeing THC caps for legal weed ahead of likely statewide vote in November This year, state lawmakers are pushing a bill that would entirely ban products with high concentrations of serval THC derivatives. Gabe Suarez owns Natural Life, which sells hemp products in Jacksonville and other Florida cities. His company ensures the quality of its products with independent lab testing. Suarez argued lawmakers would better serve consumers by implementing more quality-control regulations, rather than imposing a flat ban. Let the consumer choose and then the government can provide the rules to play by to keep everybody safe, said Suarez. McCormick noted even if the proposed ban passes, lawmakers will likely find themselves in a game of whack-a-mole, as new chemicals are being synthesized regularly. Were kind of chasing this explosion in products and because theres more products out there, what we see is more children getting into them, said McCormick. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) claimed that it successfully rescued two hostages following a special operation in Rafah, a city in Gaza. The Monday announcement marks the second time since the Hamas terrorist group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack that the IDF conducted a successful operation to free captives. Another such operation that was conducted two months ago failed. IDF Rescues 2 Hostages in Rafah Officials from the IDF said that the latest operation took place at around 1:00 a.m. local time. It reportedly involved forces from the Shin Bet special operations unit, the Israeli police counterterrorism unit, and IDF navy seals. The forces arrived at a building located in the heart of Rafah where the two hostages were being held by the militant group. A spokesperson for the IDF said during a briefing that the troops managed to covertly reach the building and reach the second floor, blow up the door of the apartment, and kill the three militants who were guarding the two hostages, as per Axios. The spokesperson also noted that the two captives, who were identified as 60-year-old Fernando Merman and 70-year-old Luis Har, were evacuated inside a helicopter to a hospital inside Israel. They noted that they were both in good medical condition following the rescue operation. The IDF and Shin Bet had been working on the operation for the past few weeks based on intelligence information. A senior IDF official said that operational opportunity came overnight on Sunday into Monday. The official also said that the Israeli Air Force conducted heavy strikes in Rafah as a diversion to allow the special operation to extract the two hostages. On the other hand, the Ministry of Health in Hamas-run Gaza reported that the air strikes killed dozens of Palestinians. Read Also: Biden Urges Israel To Not Proceed in Rafah Without 'Credible Plan' To Protect Civilians Palestinians Killed in Air Strikes The air strikes also came a few hours after United States President Joe Biden stressed during a weekend phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that there should be no military operation in Rafah unless there were plans in place to protect civilians, according to the Washington Post. The Middle Eastern country is facing mounting pressure from allies and neighbors to stop plans for what it described as a massive operation in the region. In a statement that was posted on Monday on Telegram, the IDF said that it conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip. A program officer for Project Hope, Motaz al Aaaraj, said that they woke up to the sounds of very violent bombardment from warplanes, helicopters, and artillery in various places. In an interview, the Israeli prime minister referred vaguely to "plenty of areas" north of the city when he was asked where Palestinian civilians were staying in Rafah. The situation comes as more than a million displaced Palestinians are seeking shelter in Rafah, which is located on the border with Egypt. Following failed ceasefire talks, Netanyahu said that Israeli forces would fight on until "total victory" against the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip, said WION. Related Article: Russia Launches 45 Drones in Mass Barrage of Ukraine as Volodymyr Zelensky Continues War Cabinet Reshuffle Is displaying an upside down U.S. flag legal in Texas? This was a question recently asked by a poster on Reddit Fort Worth who snapped a photo of an upside down flag flying below a blue MAGA banner. Isnt that like illegal?, the poster asked. Technically, flying the flag upside down is not desecration of Old Glory but, according to the U.S. Flag Code, a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. Rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court have rendered moot the guidance from the flag code. A post on Reddit shows an upside down flag in Texas. More trending stories: Texas to 'spring forward': When daylight saving time begins TikTok star Keith Lee gives love to 'dopest restaurant' in Fort Worth Why Texas should care about return of La Nina. U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on the flag and the right to expression In extreme cases, such as the burning of the flag, the Supreme Court has ruled, twice, that desecrating the nations flag is protected expression by the First Amendment. In the first case, Texas v. Johnson, Gregory Lee Johnson burned a flag at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas. Johnson was arrested for breaking a Texas law, fined $2,000 and sentenced to a year in prison. His case went to the high court that affirmed a reversal of the original verdict by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable, wrote Justice William Brennan, citing the Texas v. Johnson case. In response, Congress passed an anti-flag burning law in 1989 that the Supreme Court struck down a year later in United States v. Eichman as unconstitutional. An upside down flag: A prop for protests or signal for help Many see the inversion of the flag as a sign of disrespect, but it has traditionally been used as a call for help by individuals and groups. Sailors have used it to signal their vessel is in trouble. It is a widely employed method to signal for help. More recently, it has been used by protesters from both ends of the ideological divide to show their displeasure from activists protesting the end of national abortion rights to the war in Iraq to hordes of Donald Trump supporters breaching the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.. That was the most powerful way for me to display my distress over the continuation of the war in Iraq, said Donald Vance during an anti-war protest in Modesto, California, in 2000. Forensic Science Roadshow DOVER Dover Public Library on Monday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. will host Forensic Science Roadshow with Paul Zambella, a former forensic scientist at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Laboratory. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit library.dover.nh.gov or call 603-516-6050. Dover Public Library Portsmouth Democratic Roundtable PORTSMOUTH The Portsmouth Democratic Roundtable will resume on Feb. 13, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at a local restaurant in Portsmouth. Please call or contact Peter Somssich at 603-436-5382 (no texts) or peter.somssich@gmail.com for the location. NH Humanities Knit Democracy Together DOVER On Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the Dover Public Library, Knit Democracy Together will demystify the electoral process in New Hampshire and your rights as a voter as it engages citizen crafters in building a collaborative sculpture of the New Hampshire State House using knitted and crocheted pieces stitched in six knitting circles around the state. In June the completed sculpture will be unveiled and publicly displayed at the NH State Library. No prior knitting or crocheting experience necessary. Evening of art and chocolate KITTERY, Maine Its a feast for the senses at An Evening of Art & Chocolate to be held Saturday, Feb. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Star Theatre/Kittery Community Center at 120 Rogers Road in Kittery, Maine. The event, which benefits Friends of the Earth, Sea & Space Center, will feature a silent auction with a wide range of art up for bid as well as delectable creations from local bakers, chocolatiers and dessert makers, and a hot chocolate bar. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door at earthseaspacemuseum.org. Puzzle swap DOVER On Saturday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Dover Public Library, donate your gently used puzzles and then come back to trade out for some new-to-you ones. Puzzles can be dropped off starting on Friday, Feb. 16 up until 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17. For every puzzle donated, you will receive one ticket to trade for another puzzle (up to five puzzles). Those with tickets are invited to come pick out puzzles between 2 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17. Snow flower crafting DOVER On Saturday, Feb. 17 at 11 a.m. at the Dover Public Library, children ages 6 and up are invited to join us in the activity/storytime room to craft winter flowers. We will use both craft paper and an assortment of found objects to make 3-dimensional snow flowers. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Forensic Science Roadshow, art and chocolate: Community events A few nights ago, Becky White recoiled at the idea. How could she possibly forgive the young man she blamed for her sons death? By the time she arrived Friday morning at the federal courthouse in Austin, however, White resolved to forgive Juan Ignacio Soria Gamez, a 21-year-old from Williamson County who used Instagram and Snapchat to sell fentanyl-laced pills to people who thought they were buying Xanax or Valium including the teenage son White buried in 2021. The defendant, those who died, those who mourn them all are casualties of a fentanyl crisis that seeps deeper into Texas by the day. Holding onto anger felt like ingesting a poison of a different kind. White knew she had to let it go, even if she wasnt sure how. Her prepared remarks contained a blank space at the bottom of page 4 where forgiveness should be. I was like, OK God, if thats what Im supposed to do, you give me the words," she said. *** White said her son, Cameron Stewart, was funny, sweet, smart, charismatic, a gifted athlete with a heap of track and soccer medals, an entrepreneur whose side-hustles included a power-washing service. The Cedar Park teen also struggled with severe anxiety. He died in the spring of 2021, at age 19, of fentanyl poisoning. Becky White, left, hugs Stefanie Turner, mother of Tucker Roe, Friday after the sentencing of Juan Ignacio Soria Gamez, who pleaded guilty to the distribution of controlled substances resulting in Roe's fentanyl death. White is the mother of Cameron Curtis Stewart, who also died of fentanyl poisoning. Gamez, who sold Stewart a pill shortly before his death, posted on Instagram about the funeral. His next post, White said, offered more pills for sale. You knew what you were selling was killing people! White told Gamez at his sentencing hearing Friday. Gamez flaunted his drugs, guns and bottles of whiskey on social media, said Stefanie Turner, a Leander mom who started watching him online. He posted photos of the cash he was making and the new shoes he was buying. Gamez even bragged about his sales numbers, Turner said, as if (his) drug game was being rated by the Better Business Bureau. Turners son, Tucker Roe, died of fentanyl poisoning in the fall of 2021, six months after Stewart. Roe was 19, too. Stefanie Turner, mother of fentanyl victim Tucker Roe, speaks at news conference Friday at the U.S. Courthouse in Austin. During a sentencing hearing earlier that day, she offered her forgiveness to the 21-year-old drug dealer she blames for her sons death. The dealer whod been so brazen on social media was somber and soft-spoken in court Friday, slouched in a baggy, orange prison jumpsuit and wearing wrist chains that jangled as he walked. Gamez was charged with selling the drugs that caused Roes death. He wasnt charged in Stewarts death: Prosecutors said they couldnt be sure who sold that fatal dose. Justice for Roe would be the closest White would get to justice for Stewart. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman handed down a 13-year sentence Friday, but Gamez could have lost even more. At the time of his arrest, he had been taking up to 20 pills a day, said his mother, Estrellita Martinez. He spent his first three weeks in jail reeling from withdrawal, she said. You could have been the one in that casket, defense attorney George Lobb told Gamez. *** The scale of the fentanyl crisis is almost impossible to comprehend. Just 2 milligrams, equal to about 10-15 grains of table salt, is enough to kill somebody. Last year the feds seized nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, plus more than 78.4 million fentanyl-laced tablets, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark H. Marshall said. Thats enough to kill every man, woman and child in this country, he said. The devastation is reflected in the growing ranks of Angel Moms, a sisterhood of Texas mothers who have lost a son or daughter to fentanyl poisoning. They started two years ago with eight members. "Were up to 90 now," said Carilu Bell, who lost her 44-year-old son, Casey Dean Copeland, in 2021. Copeland was an Austin native, a personal trainer and a huge Longhorns fan who never said an unkind word about anybody, Bell said. "I sometimes feel like he's away on a long surfing trip and he's going to come home," Bell said. Parents and friends of people who died of fentanyl, holding posters showing their lost loved ones, attend Friday's courthouse news conference. Roughly two dozen Angel Moms came to the federal courthouse on Friday, some driving from as far away as Houston and Corpus Christi, making a show of solidarity and hope. Maybe someday there would be accountability for their loss. Maybe someday they would have their day in court. White read her remarks, describing a bright son robbed of his future. Then, when she reached the blank spot at the bottom of page 4, White tearfully turned to Gamez. Their eyes locked. She recounted her struggle with forgiveness, and her realization that clinging to bitterness only hurt herself. In some ways, Gamez and Stewart fought the same battle. Everyone here was losing. Her voice quivering but certain, White asserted, I forgive you. The Angel Moms, quietly crying, drew a sharp breath, a gasp of catharsis. Maybe someday they will feel that unburdening. Until then, this moment will do. Grumet is the Statesmans Metro columnist. Her column, ATX in Context, contains her opinions. Share yours via email at bgrumet@statesman.com or via Twitter at @bgrumet. Find her previous work at statesman.com/news/columns. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Fentanyl victim's mother makes peace with man who sold pills to teens An Ohio grand jury indicted two former executives of the utility company FirstEnergy Corp. for allegedly participating in a $60 million bribery scheme that has already landed former state House Speaker Larry Householder and former state Republican Party Chair Matt Borges behind bars. Last spring, Householder and Borges were both convicted for their role in a racketeering conspiracy involving tens of millions of dollars in bribes to ensure the passage of a billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded bailout of two FirstEnergy nuclear plants in Ohio. FirstEnergy paid a $230 million fine and fired some of the companys executives, but this is the first time anyone from FirstEnergy has faced criminal charges in the corruption probe. Prosecutors have accused former FirstEnergy CEO Charles Chuck Jones and former Vice President Michael Dowling of participating in a largescale covert scheme to corrupt the Chairman of the Ohio Public Utilities Commission (PUCO), steal millions of dollars of cash from a large publicly traded electric utility, forge a spurious contract to conceal a cash side deal in a PUCO ratemaking case, steal millions of dollars from a non-profit trade group representing large industrial energy users, and tamper with government records involving financial public disclosures and disclosures of the identities of paid lobbyists, according to the indictment. Former PUCO Chairman Samuel Randazzo was also indicted. A federal grand jury previously indicted Randazzo last year. This indictment is about more than one piece of legislation. It is about the hostile capture of a significant portion of Ohios state government by deception, betrayal and dishonesty, said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Shout it from the public square to the boardroom, from Wall Street to Broad and High: Those who perversely seek to turn the government to their own private ends will face the destruction of everything they worked for. Jones attorney Carole Rendon, a partner with the law firm BakerHostetler, blasted the one-sided information in the indictment and what she called the false and unfair narrative around her client and other FirstEnergy executives since the scheme came to light. Mr. Jones did not violate the law. He did not bribe anyone. He acted in the best interests of FirstEnergys customers as well as its employees and investors, and never betrayed their trust, Rendon said. Most importantly, the facts necessary to understand what actually happened have not yet been made public, she added, promising that the unspecified information will set the record straight and restore the excellent reputation that Mr. Jones built over a lifetime of service. The Hill has reached out to Dowling and Randazzo for comment. Updated at 3:31 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former lawmaker Serhii Pashynskyi and five other individuals were charged for allegedly illegally appropriating almost 100,000 tons of state-owned oil in 2014, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on Feb. 12. Pashynskyi said earlier on Feb. 12 that the members of the SBU and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) had searched his home reportedly in connection with an almost 10-year-old investigation into controversial Ukrainian businessman Serhii Kurchenko. Kurchenko, who fled Ukraine in 2014 and is accused of funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into his own pockets from selling state-owned natural resources, has lived in Russia since he departed from Ukraine. According to the SBU, Pashynskyi and his accomplices conspired to appropriate the oil confiscated from Kurchenko via a specially created state company. The conspirators then allegedly sold the oil to companies owned by their associates. The SBU said that the company received payments in full from the Defense Ministry for the oil but only delivered less than 2% of the promised total. The remaining oil was allegedly sold to customers in Russia and Belarus through a third-party company. Pashynskyi and the other individuals reportedly involved in the plot pocketed the profits. The total losses to the state's budget from the scheme reached almost Hr 1 billion ($26.3 million), the SBU said. Pashynskyi, whom President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly referred to as a "criminal" in 2019, has been heavily involved in procuring weapons for the Ukrainian army since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. An investigation by The New York Times released in August 2023 found that a company associated with Pashynskyi had become the "biggest private arms supplier in Ukraine." Pashynskyi was previously accused of laundering funds associated with Kurchenko's oil as far back as 2015. The SBU said the investigation is ongoing and that Pashynskyi and his accomplices may face up to 12 years in prison if convicted. Read also: Defense Ministry official suspended in alleged connection to weapons procurement fraud case Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Former lawmaker Serhii Pashynskyi said on Feb. 12 that officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) searched his home. According to Pashynskyi, the search was in relation to an almost 10-year-old investigation into controversial Ukrainian businessman Serhii Kurchenko, who fled Ukraine in 2014 and is accused of funneling hundreds of millions of dollars into his own pockets from the sale of state-owned natural resources. Kurchenko has lived in Russia since 2014. Pashynskyi, whom President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly referred to as a "criminal" in 2019, has been heavily involved in procuring weapons for the Ukrainian army since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. An investigation by The New York Times released in August 2023 found that a company associated with Pashynskyi has become the "biggest private arms supplier in Ukraine." Pashynskyi highlighted his work procuring weapons for the army in a Facebook post on Feb. 12, in which he shared news of the search of his home by the SBU and NABU. "I only have one request to the investigators - do not distract me with Kurchenko, please," he wrote. Pashynskyi suggested that the investigation was related to an appeal he had made as a lawmaker in 2015 to use oil confiscated from companies associated with Kurchenko to cover a shortage faced by Ukraine's military. A lawmaker from the bloc of former President Petro Poroshenko accused Pashynskyi in 2015 of laundering funds obtained from the confiscated fuel. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky appoints 4 new high-level military commanders Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. CHICAGO, Ill. (NEXSTAR) Tim Mapes, the long-time chief of staff for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for perjury and obstructing justice Monday. A federal jury found Mapes guilty last year of trying to obstruct the federal investigation into Madigans operation at the Capitol. Mapes served as Madigans chief of staff for 25 years. He also served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Democratic Party for 20 years while Madigan chaired the party. Burkes conviction caps off year of corruption cases in Illinois House Republicans applauded the sentence, but are asking for laws to hold more politicians accountable for their ethics. We sound like a broken record with our continuous calls for ethics reform, but we will not stop until it is passed: we cannot continue to rely on federal prosecution to hold elected officials to a higher standard, House Republican Leader Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savana) said. Madigans own criminal trial is scheduled to start his trial later this year. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Former Ukrainian lawmaker Serhiy Pashynskyi, along with his business partner and four other suspects, have been charged with misappropriation and sale of 97,000 tons of oil products confiscated by Ukraine and intended for military needs, Ukrainian law enforcement announced on Feb. 12. Read also: SBU set two more Russian oil refineries on fire This resulted in losses to the state budget of nearly UAH 1 billion ($26 million). The five suspects now face up to 12 years in prison. The charges were announced by Ukraines SBU security service, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). NV's sources confirmed that Pashynskyis home was recently searched by SBU and NABU officers. In 2014, the courts had confiscated 100,000 tons of fuel from companies close to Ukrainian oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko. He was suspected of stealing gasoline from Naftogaz state-owned oil and gas company. In 2015, with the help of Pashynskyi's political lobby, these oil products were transferred for sale to a specialized state enterprise to fill the state budget, according to the SBU. At the time, the company was headed by officials controlled by Pashynskyi's business partner. The company officials facilitated the sale of the oil products at significantly reduced prices to a group of companies owned by Pashynskyi's business partner. Read also: Top Ukrainian official accused of embezzling $1.8M in state funds NABU "These oil products were then sold at the gas stations of this group of companies and other network gas stations, and the proceeds were concentrated among the beneficiaries of the scheme," the SBU said. To make it appear that the seized oil products were transferred for the needs of the Defense Ministry, the state company made the relevant deliveries on a commercial basis, for which the ministry paid in full. However, the Defense Ministry received only 1.6% of these oil products. Read also: SBU names ex-official as suspect in leading Melitopol FSB branch, overseeing torture of locals At the same time, the defendants sold the same range of goods to their group of companies at a price half as cheap as to the Armed Forces, the message adds. According to the investigation, the former MP provided political cover for these transactions by using his influence on state enterprises, judicial and law enforcement agencies involved in the confiscation of these oil products. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Officers of the SBU and the NABU searched the home of former MP Serhiy Pashynskyi, he wrote on Facebook on Feb. 12. Pashynskyi linked the searches to the fuel of oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko case, citing the transfer of nearly 100,000 tons of oil products he owned to state oil operators in 2014. In 2015, Pashynskyi requested the president to address the armys fuel shortage with Rosneft fuel, which he claims provoked ire from former pro-Russian President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovychs backers and their Russian counterparts. Through their agents, 10 years ago, the Russians, using their spy network, managed to open criminal proceedings against him, Pashinsky said. Read also: Former head of Ukraines Supreme Court suspended from court duties by High Council of Justice It is on the basis of this 10-year-old proceeding that searches are being conducted at my place. The former MP called the media reports that he had been served with a notice of suspicion fake. He says that since March 2022 he has been the head of the National Association of Defense Industry Enterprises of Ukraine, whose member companies produce drones, artillery, armored vehicles, ammunition, etc. and during this time he has never left Ukraine. Kurchenkos companies were suspected of stealing gasoline from Naftogaz of Ukraine. The Prosecutor Generals Office reported that the court had confiscated 100,000 tons of fuel from the oligarchs companies. He was suspected of creating a criminal organization and legalizing the proceeds of crime through the sale of 800,000 tons of oil products. In fact, the oil products were not re-exported and remained in Ukraine. As a result, the state suffered a loss of UAH 1.2 billion ($31,6 million) from 2012 to 2014. Kurchenko himself fled abroad. Read also: Austria refuses to extradite former NBU head suspected of stealing UAH 200 million Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine United States President Joe Biden defended GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley after former President Donald Trump questioned her husband's whereabouts. The situation comes after the Republican businessman dragged Michael Haley into the swirl of personal attacks he lobbed against her over the weekend. The comments were made during a rally that was held at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina. Biden Defends Haley Against Trump's Personal Attacks The former president questioned the whereabouts of Haley's husband, who is currently serving an active duty deployment in the Horn of Africa for the South Carolina Army National Guard. He said, "Where's her husband? Oh, he's away. He's away." The Republican businessman seemingly implied that the former South Carolina governor, who is the sole high-profile Republican still battling him for the GOP presidential nomination, was having challenges in her marriage that would explain her husband's absence. In a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Biden said that the answer to that question was that Michael was abroad, serving his country. He added that his predecessor would not know about service to his country if it "slapped him in the face," as per Politico. Currently, some polls that pit Haley against Biden in a general election matchup show that the Republican lawmaker comes out on top. However, in order to succeed, she will have to beat out Trump for the GOP nomination. The former president has long dominated the primary, even as the field has narrowed and he currently holds a substantial lead over Haley in her home state. During his visit to South Carolina, Trump also said that he would encourage Russians to do "whatever the hell they want" to NATO allies that did not meet the military alliance's spending guidelines. Trump's comments against his rivals come as he himself is currently out on bail in relation to criminal charges that he faces in Georgia. Prior to attacking Haley's husband, he also claimed that the former South Carolina governor was in charge of security for the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, despite her not holding any government position at the time. Read Also: Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Announces Senate Bid To Help Republicans Flip State Serving the United States Some people have suggested that the former president was insinuating that the major left for full-time deployment, the second of his career, in an attempt to "escape" his wife. The desperate personal attacks suggest that Haley has gotten deep under the former president's skin, according to CNN. In the past few weeks, Haley has repeatedly called out Trump's gaffes, even going as far as handing out mental competency tests to voters during a recent rally. She responded swiftly to the GOP frontrunner's attack on her husband, saying that her husband was deployed to serve the United States. Trump's latest remarks are the latest example of him disparaging his opponents based on their U.S. military service. He also went back to questioning whether or not the late Sen. John McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, was a hero because the former president liked "people who weren't captured." Throughout the Republican businessman's political career, he has faced accusations of disregarding long-standing norms on avoiding attacking current or past service members or people in a politician's family, said the Associated Press. Related Article: Obama Admin Physician Claims Robert Hur's Report Proves POTUS Has Serious Health Issues A former Overland Park police officer who was under investigation over allegations of misusing funds and resigned in December has been hired in Missouri. Rachel Scattergood was sworn in last week as an officer with the Gladstone Police Department, according to a video on the agencys Facebook page. Pretty excited to get her on board, Chief Fred Farris says in the video. She comes to us with a great deal of experience, he says. A spokesman for the Gladstone Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Scattergood started with the Overland Park Police Department in June 2012, according to records from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, the state agency responsible for licensing officers. In May 2022, she and four other officers were placed on paid administrative leave amid allegations they received questionable monetary benefits while board members of the Overland Park Police Officers Foundation. The allegations came to light when new foundation leaders ordered an audit, which found unauthorized payments to Scattergood, Sgt. Brandon Faber, Officer Brad Heater and Sgt. Tim Tinnin. The audit found the board members had benefited from educational scholarships in violation of the charitys bylaws. Money went directly into two of the members pockets instead of the academic institutions, a move auditors found suspicious. Board members received other payments, earmarked for assisting families in financial distress following catastrophic injury or death, and used them for dental and veterinarian bills, the audit found. The officers received $27,000 for their own benefit, according to the audit. Findings were submitted to the Johnson County District Attorneys Office in spring 2022. Despite clear evidence the officers violated charity bylaws concerning self-dealing and self-enrichment, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said in October 2023 that his office could not prove the officers knowingly collected money for unauthorized expenses or misused funds on purpose. He largely attributed that conclusion to a lack of record-keeping by charity leadership and its vague governing document. The officers also wiped their electronic devices clean of any data, the DAs office said. While charges werent filed, Howe added, We didnt say there wasnt shadowy behavior, because there was. The four officers resigned in December while the city was investigating them for potential policy violations. Since they were no longer employees, Their resignation was functionally the end of the internal personnel investigation, Meg Ralph, a spokeswoman for the City of Overland Park, said Monday. When an officer leaves a department, paperwork is submitted to the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training. Employers select whether the officer voluntary resigned, resigned under questionable circumstances or was involuntarily terminated. Ralph said they marked that Scattergood resigned under questionable circumstances. Missouri mandates agencies request a copy of past personnel files of officers applying for jobs. Legislation is advancing in the Virginia General Assembly that would rename the Fort Monroe Authoritys executive director as the authoritys chief executive officer. The change appears semantic. But it has raised questions about whether the title change will expand the types of records the authority can exclude from disclosure under the states open records law. The Fort Monroe Authority is a political subdivision that oversees development on the states property at the fort, which ceased to operate as an Army base in 2011. HB 1138, introduced by Del. A.C. Cordoza, R-Hampton, and SB 89, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, would change the Fort Monroe Authoritys executive director to a chief executive officer. State code grants exceptions for Freedom of Information Act requests. It allows specific public bodies, such as the chief executive officer of any political subdivision of the Commonwealth, to exclude working papers and correspondence from FOIA requests. Phyllis Terrell, a spokesperson for the Fort Monroe Authority, said she didnt believe getting around FOIA law was part of the motivation in the title change. It is the understanding of the Fort Monroe Authority (FMA) that the title of executive director is already covered by the working papers exception I.e., the executive director is the FMAs chief executive officer as that term is used in the FOIA statute, Terrell said. So, theres no change in the application of FOIA by this title change. Terrell, who said she consulted with the attorney generals office about the change, told the Daily Press the title change would better reflect all of the responsibilities as the leader of the dynamic organization. Many CEOs lead nonprofit, government agencies, and business type organizations, she wrote in a text, citing similarities to the leadership structure of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. There, she noted Williamsburg CEO Cliff Fleet oversees operations and preservation of the historic area as well as the revenue generating hospitality, retail, and commercial real estate units. Similarly this role at Fort Monroe Authority is moving in this direction. Future leaders of the FMA will likely have this experience and expertise, Terrell said. The title of Chief Executive Officer perhaps better reflects all that is entailed with the role. When advocating for the legislation in a Feb. 1 House subcommittee hearing, FMA Executive Director Glenn Oder said the current title makes the position sound like an agency position. The position is not an agency position, Oder said. Its not appointed by the governor. Its a position that serves sort of at the pleasure of the Board of Trustees. And so moving it into a chief executive officer position aligns it more with some of the other more significant responsibilities that are in the commonwealth of Virginia. Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said her initial reaction to the legislation was concern, fearing it would enable the Fort Monroe Authority to skirt FOIA law. Initially, this did grab my attention, Rhyne said. And it did concern me that it could be a way of claiming use of an exemption that that position might not have had access to. But in talking with some experts and people who understand the code as a whole a lot better than I do, I decided that it was probably not as alarming as I had thought it was. Based on her conversations with state code experts, Rhyne said the FOIA exemptions granted to CEOs of political subdivisions are less about the title and more about the function. She said she believes Oder already can use the working papers exemption because he is in charge of the Fort Monroe Authority, which already is labeled a political subdivision of the commonwealth. She said she backed off opposing the legislation because she felt that it seemed to be something that was already allowed whether he thought he could do it or not. Locke wrote in a text that the change of title from executive director to CEO recognizes that the Fort Monroe Authority is more than just a tourist attraction. She stated it is also a multi-faceted real estate operation and visitor center and that the title of CEO best represents one who heads such an operation. She said the title does not convey any additional authority to the position and that there is no change under the FOIA statute by the title change. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously and had been read twice in the House and engrossed as of Friday. The Fort Monroe Authority has previously sought legislation to shield it from FOIA requests. Last year, Cordoza and Locke introduced legislation that allowed the Fort Monroe Authority to withhold trade secrets, proprietary information or financial information received from a private individual or entity for the purposes of complying with a lease, license, permit, or other agreements of a commercial or residential real estate nature. The legislation passed and was signed into law. Oder said then the legislation was needed as developers were reluctant to do business with the authority because they didnt want their financial information to be subject to FOIA. The legislation drew criticism from open government advocates and journalists. Terrell told the Daily Press the authority has been very transparent when FOIA requests are made. She cited the authority handing over salary information to the Daily Press last year. Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Sunday that the military offensive of Rafah in southern Gaza was going to happen once Israel concluded its strategy to allow the over one million people taking refuge there to evacuate. During an appearance on 'This Week With George Stephanopoulos,' Netanyahu offered the following statement: "Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are basically saying: 'Lose the war' as per New York Times. Biden Urges Humanitarian Action Amid Israeli Israeli strikes targeted the vicinity of Kuwait Hospital in Rafah, as reported by an Associated Press journalist on the ground. The Israeli military, in a statement, mentioned hitting "terror targets in the area of Shaboura," a district within Rafah. The series of strikes concluded without detailing specific targets or assessing potential damage and casualties. As a result of the strikes, some wounded individuals were brought to Kuwait Hospital, although Palestinian health officials did not immediately provide casualty information. US President Joe Biden expressed his concerns in what was described as his most forceful language yet on a potential military operation. In a 45-minute conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden emphasized the need for "urgent and specific" measures to strengthen humanitarian aid. The discussion largely focused on the potential for a cease-fire agreement, with a "framework" now in place, indicating progress in negotiations that could lead to the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas. Despite acknowledging that "gaps remain," a senior US administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, highlighted the impact of military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis, bringing the group closer to accepting a deal. Amidst diplomatic efforts, concerns surfaced over a potential Israeli ground invasion of Rafah. Egypt reportedly threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops entered Rafah, citing fears of the conflict pushing Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula and disrupting Gaza's main aid supply route. The threat to suspend the Camp David Accords, a longstanding regional stability cornerstone, came after Netanyahu insisted on the necessity of sending troops into Rafah to secure victory in the four-month war against Hamas. Netanyahu asserted that Hamas had four battalions in Rafah, according to Missoulian. Read Also: Netherlands: Ex-Dutch PM Dries van Agt, Wife Die 'Hand in Hand' by Euthanasia Netanyahu Silent on Biden Call as Tensions Rise While Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the call with Biden, Hamas warned that any invasion of Rafah would jeopardize ongoing talks mediated by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar. There has been a recent incident involving an Israeli drone that targeted a vehicle near Lebanon's southern port city of Sidon. As a result, there have been reports of two casualties and two injuries. An airstrike, located about 37 miles from the Israeli border, was one of the most significant attacks into Lebanon since the recent increase in violence along the Lebanon-Israel border on Oct. 8. The situation continues to unfold as aid groups express concerns that an offensive in Rafah would exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where around 80% of residents have fled their homes. President Biden emphasized the need to build on negotiation progress for the release of hostages while facing growing pressure to adjust his stance on the conflict, particularly from younger voters. Friction points between the US and Israel include efforts to create a buffer zone within Gaza, postwar security control, and the rate of Palestinian civilians' return to north Gaza. Netanyahu affirmed that security control would remain with Israel, even if a presence inside Gaza was required. Israel's plan to push into Rafah further complicates relations with Egypt, which has reinforced its border defenses and warned of potential suspension of the peace treaty. As the diplomatic landscape shifts, concerns persist over the potential impact of military actions on both the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the stability of the region, The Wall Street Journal reported. Related Article: Kim Jong Un Threatens To Occupy South Korea Territory, Destroy Seoul, Other Enemies as It's Pyongyang's 'Legal Right' As we enter the general election campaign for president, with fears of how polarization and declining trust in the integrity of elections might tip into political violence, Americans are again concerned about the future of their country. These concerns parallel the dynamics I study in fragile states worldwide, so I am often asked: Isnt America fragile, too? At face value, this question doesnt really make sense. The United States is nothing like Syria, Nigeria, or Afghanistan. Our government is democratically elected and stable, the institutions function comparatively well, and the dynamic business sector makes day-to-day living more comfortable than almost anywhere on Earth. American advances in science and technology are the envy of the world. And the U.S. receives the largest number of immigrants from across the globe and remains a beacon for people seeking a better life. As a state, a lot of things are going right. But if we consider fragility from a different angle, America is fragile. And its fragile in a way fragile states tend not to be: Americans face a growing deinstitutionalization of social life, especially at the local level. We might say America is a fragile society, with many problems that fragile states typically dont have: family disintegration, school shootings, teens committing suicide, skyrocketing rates of depression, and deaths of despairfrom alcoholism, drug abuse, and loneliness. Indeed, no country in history has had such material wealth alongside such unprecedented social decay. Understanding the challenges fragile states face can help us understand our national cleavages as well as the local social breakdown that many of our fellow citizens experience. A states ability to navigate its challenges is chiefly determined by the capacity of its population to cooperate and the ability of its institutions (formal and informal) to channel this cooperation. These two factors shape how a government interacts with its citizens; how officials, politicians, military officers, and businesspeople behave; and how effective foreign efforts will prove in upgrading governance. In short, they determine how effective governance is, especially when its needed most. As America experiences unprecedented deinstitutionalization, there is a concomitant decline in citizens capacity to cooperate across differences. This is because institutions are where friction is forged into cohesion, as individuals work together to solve shared problems. To address the challenges that make America a fragile society, well need to strengthen the institutions that bring people together at local, state, and national levels. Social cooperation and American fragility. As a start, its important to understand that roughly one-third of the worlds states are fundamentally fragile because they lack both the cohesion necessary to lubricate cooperation as well the bridging mechanisms (e.g, effective judicial systems, widely accepted electoral processes, national service, high schools and universities that integrate populations, abundance of cross-partisan civic associations) necessary to manage conflict. Deficient in both, fragile states such as Nigeria and Iraq struggle to address their challenges. They cascade from crisis to crisisoften under the threat of political violencemaking it extremely hard to build the institutions necessary to ensure stability and jumpstart economic development. Political fragmentation and weak governing bodies fuel each other, severely undermining the legitimacy of the state and producing highly unstable political orders that are hard to reform. In the absence of apolitical state bodies capable of distributing public services and applying the law evenly (and lacking the capacity to create them), the fragile state falls into a vicious cycle that is hard to overcome. As such, whereas robust states have strong national cohesion (or at least widely accepted institutions to manage differences), in fragile states the strongest cohesion is localbuilt on strong ethnic, religious, tribal, and family connections. These provide the best support in daily life while the state is viewed suspiciously. As this fragile states framework makes clear, while the United States has some concerning developments, it is currently not fragile as a state. Polarization has hurt our social fabric but has neither divided us in the way countries such as Syria and Somalia are divided nor undermined our robust conflict management institutions in a way that would irrevocably change the nature of competition between groups. The United States has always been less vulnerable here because of the Founders wisdomthe Constitutions system of checks and balances distribute power among three national institutions and state governments. But given the rise in both rhetoric and political violence in recent years, it is worth asking why the United States is more polarized than comparably developed countries and what this says about the countrys underlying social and institutional dynamicsand whether these are deteriorating to the point where the country would become genuinely fragile. Despite its many great assets, a country of alienated, weakly integrated and unembedded individuals is vulnerable to provocative political entrepreneurs and at risk of destabilizing democratic processesproducing ever more vicious disputes over electoral results and growing political violence. What are some factors that make America a fragile society? First, like some of the most fragile states, Americas vast geographical landscape makes building social cohesion difficult, as in African countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, Nigeria, and Sudan. In general, smaller states build cohesion more easily, and in Africa today the most unstable places are the largestjust as the most polarized developed country, the U.S., is the most sprawling. (Canada is larger geographically but the population is lower and less sprawling.) Relatedly, Americas growing geographical political segregation, exacerbated by the vast landscape, is something more likely to be found in states divided by identity such as Syria and Iraq than in affluent countries like France or Germany. This further inhibits the social integration, fraternal ties, and compromise that shared spaces and institutions once brought. American society is also becoming deinstitutionalized, producing social problems at the local level, alongside more alienation and mistrust of national political processes than a healthy polity should have. While fragile states have little to hold them together nationally, they are much more resilient locally than contemporary America because their thick local institutions provide ample support in tight-knit local communities. As such, whereas in fragile states distrust is a natural product of alienation from the national government, in America the detachment from local institutions is at least significantly responsible. Local social disintegration is feeding alienation nationally. Americans were once deeply engaged in a rich place-based associational lifeas Alexis de Tocqueville so vividly described in the early 19th century, and 20th scholars such as Robert Putnam and Theda Skocpol have documented in recent years. Because Americans lived in bounded towns and neighborhoods built around shared, overlapping institutionschurches, schools, retail stores, place-based civic associations, public spaces, and interfamily networksthey were deeply intertwined with the lives of others. Associational life provided ample opportunity to interact with people of different classes and political leanings, appreciate different views, and work with, negotiate, and compromise with others, both locally and beyond. This ensured the country was well connected vertically and horizontally. While all developed countries have seen a weakening of social bonds and the institutions that support them, this process has gone much further in the United States than elsewhere. Institutionalized associational life has withered, with functional social networks emerging from specific experiences (e.g., university) or geared toward specific goals (professional or affinity groups) becoming much more important than place-based fraternity and improvement. Its worth nothing that this has yielded many gains for individual freedom and choice. Women, people of color, and others who faced discrimination and constraints in the old system have much more opportunity. And our economy has gained a lot from their contributions in the workforce, affording all of us access to far more choice, convenience, and comfort. But a society centered on individual choice, convenience, and comfort can make our ties to one another more vulnerable and marginalize many places and individuals. What does such marginalization look like? Many low-income Americans and people of color are badly affected if they live in one of the growing numbers of distressed neighborhoodsaccording to Purpose Built Communities, there are roughly 825 in urban areas alone, with more in suburban and rural areas. But even affluent Americans are impacted by the social poverty of modern life. And the consequences of these dynamics filter their way into our politics. If we dont know our neighbors, arent active in local community life, pay for others to raise our children and service our elders, and try to buy our way into a good life, we pay a large price, John McKnight and Peter Block write. We produce, unintentionally as it might be, a weak family, a careless community, and a nation that tries hopelessly to revive itself from the top down. And while some places thrive, others suffer from a form of local governance failure akin to what the fragile states framework shows: Fragile states suffer nationally due to a similar combination of weak social bonds and institutions and isolation from more dynamic parts of the country. The resulting neighborhood effect (a term popularized by Harvard sociologist William Julius Wilson) yields a pattern of instability, violence, and poor economic prospects. These problems attract less attention in the daily news cycle than politics but are arguably much more devastating to the lives of tens of millions of Americans, and have a huge, albeit indirect, influence on the nature of politics. The focus on place is key here, as restoring social cohesion and strengthening national institutions cannot happen without strengthening neighborhoods and their place-specific institutions. Beyond politics and policy. Policymakers struggle to address problems that are not the product of politics per se, and sure enough they have struggled to come up with ideas on how to address Americas growing social crisis. Better electoral rules, better policies, and better checks on power may all be useful, but they are unlikely to restore cohesion, reverse the pull of deinstitutionalization, and strengthen local institutions such that everyone feels vested in their place and country. As Edmund Burke wrote, To be attached to the subdivision, to love the little platoon we belong to in society, is the first principle (the germ as it were) of public affections. We can pursue this across three levels of American society: national, states and localities, and neighborhoods. A robust national service program could foster the cross-political relationships and fraternity (the state or feeling of friendship and mutual support within a group) that are missing today. This could be designed to offer ample opportunities for people from all segments of society to work together on practical initiatives that can help integrate our ever more diverse country. For example, Israels national military service creates bonds across all parts of a highly diverse society (some religious and Arabs do not) in a way that nothing comparable in the U.S. does. Ideally, the projects will be very local and nurture a greater appreciation of places currently lagging, helping these places retain and attract talent. Even though the U.S. was built with a federal system, far too many policies, decisions about spending, and debates have been nationalized, weakening the opportunity to build cohesion at the state and local levelessential in such a large polity. This encourages national ambition on the part of advocacy groups, the professional class, and the nonprofit world, yielding zero sum competitions for power and influence and greater division and frustration than is necessary. Much like decentralization is commonly used to reduce the risk of conflict in fragile states, subsidiarity would allow more decisions to occur at the state and local level. This requires ensuring that a much greater share of government spending catalyzed local cooperation and empowered local communitiesincluding at the neighborhood levelrather than working in a siloed, formulaic, distant fashion as is the case today. More energy and talent would flow there, and more people would see their states and localities as worthy of their loyalties, fostering cohesion bottom up rather than top down. Lastly, we can reclaim neighborhoods as a central arena in peoples lives. Neighborhoods are not a topic often discussed in foreign policy circles, but its the geographical zone most apt to rebuild the social fabric that underpins everything else in our society. Every person should live in a flourishing neighborhood: a place filled with institutions and activities to tie them to their neighbors and access to social and economic opportunities that gives them confidence in their futures. Leaders might reenvision the social landscape around clearly demarcated neighborhoods, with a renewed emphasis on bolstering in-person exchange and developing place-based organizational life. These are what give fragile states such a rich social life locally. These locales would each have community schools and a commercial center that can provide everyday facilities and services. Assets and associations like parks, libraries, public transit, community organizations, cafe, and bars can promote bonding. Government would be decentralized so neighborhoods or subregions have greater say in how resources are used, fostering more creativity, accountability, and state-social synergies. Americas social crisis rarely receives the attention it deserves, possibly because many leaders are partially insulated from it by the neighborhoods and networks they belong to. But the breakdown that affects so many has great implications for whether Americas increasingly fragile society will pose greater risks to its politics and polity. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (L) and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speak during a press conference after their meeting at the Federal Chancellery. Kay Nietfeld/dpa The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland meeting near Paris on Monday said they want to work together to tackle Russian disinformation efforts. The three countries have agreed on a joint warning mechanism against Russian troll attacks, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on Monday in La Celle-Saint-Cloud near Paris after a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and his Polish colleague Radosaw Sikorski. The three countries had fallen victim to the same Russian destabilization strategy and wanted to defend themselves together, they said. In particular, the upcoming European elections and the Olympic Games in Paris are considered possible targets of such attacks. Russia is trying to destroy European unity, Sejourne after the tripartite meeting, adding that almost 200 fake news sites have been discovered. These instruments of disinformation should be disclosed transparently in the future, the French minister said. "We are ready to act to defend our democracy," Sejourne added. The meeting also included a discussion on deepening foreign policy and security cooperation. Germany, France and Poland want to move forward together towards a common defence and security architecture in Europe, Baerbock said on Monday at the meeting. Not only do 27 different national systems in the European Union need to be better interlinked, she said, but in the future, joint procurement and joint projects in the defence sector must be initiated and operational capabilities must be pooled more closely than before against the background of the Russian war against Ukraine that has been going on for almost two years. "If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin believes that our strength is dwindling and our support is waning, he is completely mistaken, Baerbock asserted. Also known as the Weimar Triangle, the format is an alliance the three nations created in 1991 in order to work together on European issues. The three foreign ministers also discussed continuing support for Ukraine. Voters in every EU member country are due to go to the polls in June to choose a new European Parliament. Sejourne only took office a month ago as part of a government reshuffle in Paris. Poland's top diplomat has only been in his post since the new centrist government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk took office in December, although Sikorski had also held the job of foreign minister from 2007 to 2014. French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk ahead of their meeting at the Elysee Palace. Julien Mattia/Le Pictorium via ZUMA Press/dpa French President Emmanuel Macron waits to receive Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk ahead of their meeting at the Elysee Palace. Julien Mattia/Le Pictorium via ZUMA Press/dpa Speaking on Monday during a visit to Paris by Poland's new, pro-European Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the two countries want to open a new chapter in their relations. A new agreement between the two countries is being prepared for this purpose, he said. "Once again, I would like to express our friendship and our pleasure at seeing you here again and, through you and your government, having trustworthy, pro-European partners who are clear on European security and our major challenges," Macron said, addressing Tusk. "Welcome back!" Tusk said that he wanted to begin his term as Poland's head of government by revitalizing relations with key European partners as quickly as possible. He said he had the feeling that the positions of France and Poland were very similar in these difficult times, including with regard to geopolitics and security issues. "Europe must become a secure continent, and that means that the European Union, France and Poland must become strong states ready to defend and support their own borders and territory." Tusk said that it was "absolutely necessary" to create what he called "a MEGA plan for a secure Europe, for European security." Tusk translated the acronym MEGA as "Make Europe Great Again" - echoing the famous campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" used by former US president Donald Trump who is campaigning to win his old job back. "I would like us to send a joint signal today to Europe and to the entire West that we are ready to show full solidarity in all situations, even the most difficult ones," Tusk said. Macron highlighted that French-Polish cooperation in areas such as defence and energy contributed to strengthening European sovereignty. Both France and Poland play an important role in supporting Ukraine, Macron said as he praised the cooperation between the two armies. He emphasized that everything Europe does to supply strategic materiel and ammunition to Ukraine must serve to strengthen Europe as an industrial and defence location. Production capacities should be increased so that Europe becomes a complementary security and defence force to NATO, he said. French President Emmanuel Macron (R) welcomes Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk ahead of their meeting at the Elysee Palace. Julien Mattia/Le Pictorium via ZUMA Press/dpa VIGINUM, a French state body responsible for vigilance and protection against foreign digital interference, reportedly uncovered Russias special operation called Portal Kombat on 12 February. Within this operation a network of Russian websites spread the Kremlins propaganda about the war in Ukraine throughout the West. Source: European Pravda Details: The Portal Kombat network consists of at least 193 websites. At first they spread the news about Ukraine and Russia but since the beginning of the full-scale invasion targeted the occupied Ukrainian territories, and then several Western countries which support Ukraine, for instance, France. Some websites contained the word "pravda" in their domain names. For instance, an English-speaking portal could be found with the link pravda.en.com, and the French-speaking one with pravda.fr.com. "The websites of this network do not create their own content but repost content from three main sources: Russian or pro-Russian accounts on social media, Russian information agencies and official websites of local institutions or people," VIGINUM states. From 23 June to 19 September 2023, the websites posted over 150,000 materials. The goal of Portal Kombat was to put Russias "special military operation" in a positive light and discredit Ukraine and its leadership. "Trying to target a vast audience, this network uses a number of methods, specifically a thorough selection of pro-Russian propaganda sources according to target audience, large-scale automation of the spreading of content and optimization of search engines," the report reads. Background: Back in June 2023 VIGINUM uncovered another Russian special operation, Doppelganger, within which websites-clones of leading world media outlets had been created. Meanwhile, experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany detected a large-scale disinformation campaign in favour of Russia on Twitter. Support UP or become our patron! Three NATO nations have announced plans to build defended bunkers along their borders with Russia. Europe has also received a cautionary message to increase their weapons reserves to levels typically seen during times of disagreement, as they prepare for a potential confrontation with Vladimir Putin. Following the catastrophic results of the Russian President's prolonged invasion of Ukraine, the defense ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have come together to proactively prevent a similar tragedy from occurring.The trio of Baltic nations has announced plans to build a comprehensive network of fortifications along their borders, aiming to deter any potential invasion. Estonia Plans $64.7 Million Bunker Project Estonia has unveiled plans for a $64.7 million bunker project aimed at bolstering its defenses. The construction, set to begin in Estonia, will include approximately 600 bunkers strategically placed around the border crossing points of Narva in the north and Voru in the south, according to a report by Newsweek. Susan Lillevali from the Estonian Defence Ministry emphasized the project's overarching goal of ensuring readiness "to fight the enemy from the first meter and first hour." Citing the challenges faced by Ukraine in reclaiming conquered territories, Lillevali stressed the significance of counter-mobility and fortification measures in preventing military conflicts. Estonia, along with Latvia and Lithuania, has long been considered a potential target for Russian aggression within NATO. While Ukraine has managed to resist Moscow's advances for years, the Baltic states are seen as more vulnerable, potentially falling within a matter of days if faced with an invasion. Lillevali highlighted that these installations serve the dual purpose of deterring military conflict in the region and potentially altering the enemy's calculations. She drew parallels with historical conflicts in the region, such as in Finland, and cited the ongoing war in Ukraine as a demonstration of the continued validity of fortification measures in the 21st century. Concerns over Russian aggression have prompted NATO to call for increased levels of weapons production in Europe. Jens Stoltenberg, the secretary-general of NATO, emphasized the need to reinforce the industrial base to support Ukraine and replenish weapons stocks. Stoltenberg cautioned against taking peace in Europe for granted, citing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine as evidence, as per to The Sun. Read Also: King Charles III Delivers First Message After Cancer Diagnosis Trump's World War Comments The possibility of a global conflict is increasing due to the contentious remarks made by former US President Donald Trump. During a recent rally, Trump expressed his stance on NATO members who do not meet defense contribution expectations, stating that he would be open to Russia taking action accordingly. NATO swiftly intervened, condemning Trump's actions for endangering soldiers and reiterating its dedication to a strong and united response to any NATO attack. Lithuania is also strategically planning for potential Russian aggression, focusing on the Suwaki Gap, a critical land strip between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The gap's occupation could isolate the Baltic states from their European allies. Estonia's bunker project includes the construction of 600 bunkers designed to hold 10 troops each, along with equipment and gear. These bunkers, resembling cuboid concrete cellars, aim to provide protection against enemy artillery shells. The first installations are expected to begin in early 2025, with prototypes currently under construction and testing set to commence this year. Lieutenant Colonel Kaido Tiitus, an adviser to Lillevali, explained that the bunkers are a crucial component to stop the advance of Russian armored units from the outset. Learning from the conflict in Ukraine, Estonia aims to protect against larger caliber artillery, ensuring the network's effectiveness in the event of war. As tensions continue to rise, NATO nations, including Estonia, closely analyze the Russian military's performance in Ukraine to strengthen their defenses against potential threats. Estonia's bunker network is strategically designed to address the strengths and weaknesses of Moscow's units, providing a robust defense against potential aggression, according to Newsweek. Related Article: Joe Biden's Order Includes Human Rights Conditions to Requirements for Military Assistance The Georgia Department of Transportation contractors are starting a major project that is expected to impact traffic along North Druid Hills Road for months. Traffic is already terrible enough and its about to get worse with them closing this bridge right here, said Adrian Webb. In the next few weeks, the bridge over North Fork Peachtree Creek in Brookhaven will be shut down. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] GDOT plans on starting some much-needed repairs on the 1962 bridge. GDOT said the bridge will close down for 90 days and its supposed to start in March. Thats news Webb doesnt want to hear. Its about to cause a lot of problems for a lot of people, said Webb. The construction will happen over 90 days starting in March between Buford Highway and West Druid Hills. Drivers can expect nightly construction lane closures. Then there will be a full roadway closure. During the three months, drivers will have to use a five-mile detour following I-85 Northbound. Very frustrating. Very frustrating, said Webb. TRENDING STORIES: GDOT said the bridge replacement is part of a larger I-85 improvement project that is now going on. The new bridge structure will be wider and safer, which will help with the flow of traffic. Really? I want to see it when theyre done with it then. To see if itll make it a lot whole more easier for everyone to get in and out. So well see, said Webb. Several businesses said they are also concerned that the closure will hurt their bottom line. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Legislation aimed at ensuring the huge number of solar farms springing up across rural Georgia dont become permanent eyesores cleared the state House of Representatives on Monday. House Bill 300, which passed unanimously, requires companies that lease property for solar farms to restore the land to its natural state after the leases expire. Restoration activities include removing the foundations of solar arrays from the ground to a depth of at lease three feet, filling holes that have been dug to accommodate solar panels, and removing cables and overhead power and communications lines. The bill also requires the companies to provide financial assurance at least equal to the estimated cost of removing solar arrays and returning the property to its natural state. The original version of the measure called for creating a state trust fund to finance restoring land used for solar farms. However, the bills backers decided a trust fund wasnt necessary and money to pay for restoration activities could come through the private sector. House Bill 300 now moves to the Georgia Senate. The judge overseeing former President Trumps Georgia criminal case set the stage Monday for a high-stakes battle later this week over whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) should be disqualified for her relationship with a top prosecutor in the case. At a Monday proceeding, Judge Scott McAfee vowed to move ahead with an evidentiary hearing on Thursday, where he will weigh accusations by Trump and some of his co-defendants that the relationship constitutes a conflict of interest. I think its possible that the facts alleged by the defendant could result in disqualification, the judge said. I think an evidentiary hearing must occur to establish the record on those core allegations. With the prospect of testimony from Willis and other prosecutors and even Williss father the hearing is set to be a blockbuster moment in the case. McAfee will sort out weeks of barbs between the parties, with each side asserting the other is still making false representations about Williss relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The judge insisted he would keep the hearing focused, suggesting he would not hesitate to step in if defense counsel sought harassment or undue embarrassment for the prosecutors. I think the issues at point here are whether a relationship existed, whether that relationship was romantic or non-romantic in nature, when it formed and whether it continues, McAfee said. And thats only relevant because its in combination with the question of the existence and extent of any personal benefit conveyed as a result of that relationship. The effort to seek Williss disqualification began after Mike Roman, a Trump 2020 campaign operative who is charged alongside Trump, first brought the relationship to light last month. Trump and other co-defendants later joined the efforts. On Monday, McAfee said he would defer decisions on whether Roman can subpoena Willis, Wade and other district attorney staff to testify until the Thursday hearing. The district attorneys office is hoping to avoid testifying. Willis and Wade have acknowledged a personal relationship but insist the relationship poses no professional conflict and that they were only friends when Wade was first hired to investigate Trump. At Mondays proceeding, Roman attorney Ashleigh Merchant continued to contest those claims. Merchant told the judge Monday that Wades former law partner, Terrence Bradley, would testify that Willis and Wades personal relationship began prior to his hiring as a special prosecutor in the Trump case. Merchant also claimed that Wade previously said in divorce filings, under oath, that he had no outside relationship during his marriage a direct contradiction to the affidavit he filed earlier this month acknowledging his relationship with Willis. Weve got two declarations in two different courts, both sworn, both filed with the court, that say something completely different, Merchant said, claiming that Wade later altered the affidavit in his divorce case to assert his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Fulton County prosecutors hit back, accusing the defense of making unfounded claims meant to draw negative media attention, asserting that Merchants claims that Willis and Wade cohabitated were false. Not one prosecutor with the district attorneys office appeared in person for the Monday hearing a notable contrast to their usual procedure. The defense was not bringing new facts. The defense was not bringing you law. The defense was bringing you gossip, special prosecutor Anna Cross told the judge. And the state cannot, and the court should not, condone that practice. McAfee did, however, on Monday quash a subpoena for Wades bank accounts and warned that his experience as a prosecutor would not be relevant to Thursdays hearing. Trump and some of his co-defendants have criticized Wade for having a lack of experience in handling complex criminal cases involving racketeering charges, also noting how he received hundreds of thousands of dollars for his work. In my mind, as long as a lawyer has a heartbeat and a bar card, McAfee said, then that lawyers appointment is a matter within the district attorneys discretion. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A man was sentenced to life in prison for the stabbing death of the mother of his daughter in Monroe, Georgia. According to the Walton County District Attorneys Office, Gregory Norwood was found guilty of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, family violence battery, and five counts of cruelty to children. Police said Norwood went to 31-year-old Crystal Powells home in Monroe on April 16, 2022, where they argued. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Powells four children, including an infant she had with Norwood, were in the home, as well as two very young cousins. During the argument, Norwood stabbed Powell 14 times, killing her just outside her front door. Five of the children, ranging in age from 3 to 11, witnessed the murder and saw her body in front of the house. The oldest child called 911 after Norwood left the home with his daughter, 1-year-old Nala. He was later located in Newton County and arrested. Police found blood on his shoes which later was confirmed to be a DNA match with Powell. Norwood said during a police interview that Powell stabbed herself and that he stabbed her. During his trial, he again claimed that she stabbed herself 14 times. TRENDING STORIES: The Medical Examiner who performed the autopsy testified that the stab wounds were not consistent with being self-inflicted. The five children testified at his trial. The jury deliberated for less than an hour on the fifth day of the trial before returning the verdict of guilty on all counts. Norwood was sentenced to life without parole plus 100 years in prison. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2nd R) meets Leader of the Christian Democratic Union and Leader of the Opposition in Germany Friedrich Merz (2nd L) at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. Kobi Gideon/GPO/dpa Friedrich Merz, head of the conservative opposition in the German parliament, has backed Israel's military action against the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the southern border town of Rafah during a visit to Israel. "In my opinion, the Israeli government and the Israeli army are doing everything they can to protect the civilian population there," he said on Monday after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. The civilian population is being used by Hamas as a shield to make the fight against terrorism more difficult, Merz said. "In this respect, it is now also up to Hamas to ensure that there are no more civilian casualties." More than 28,000 people in Gaza have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion since October 7, according to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry. Tens of thousands more have reportedly been injured. Hamas and other extremist groups killed more than 1,200 people in Israel in a terrorist attack and took around 240 people hostage. Merz, who leads the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) parliamentary faction, had initially congratulated Netanyahu on the release of two more hostages last night. "That is a good sign." However, many hostages were still being held by the terrorists, he added. "It is important that the Israeli army and the Israeli government are now successful in really destroying Hamas," Merz said. "And they are on this path." Merz said he also spoke with Netanyahu about the humanitarian situation of the people in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian civilian population is being warned of military operations and urged by telephone and leaflet to leave those areas where military action is taking place, said Merz. "But it is also true that there are civilian casualties. There will also continue to be civilian casualties." Merz also plans to talk to Foreign Minister Israel Katz, opposition leader Yair Lapid and opposition politician Benny Gantz. Gantz, a former defence minister, is a member of the Israeli war Cabinet. Merz also wants to visit a hospital. This is Merz's first visit since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent massive Israeli invasion of Gaza. Merz is being accompanied by the conservative deputy parliamentary group leaders Johann Wadephul and Jens Spahn as well as the deputy chair of the German-Israeli parliamentary group, Gitta Connemann, also a CDU member. The talks come after Netanyahu announced on Friday an offensive in Rafah, the southern city in Gaza where some 1.3 million Palestinians have sought refugee from other areas of the strip. US President Joe Biden and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock are among those who have warned against a Rafah offensive due to the potentially massive civilian casualties. Netanyau said on Sunday on US television that the Israeli army is preparing a "safe corridor" for Rafah civilians to be evacuated. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meets Leader of the Christian Democratic Union and Leader of the Opposition in Germany Friedrich Merz at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem. Kobi Gideon/GPO/dpa People hold cellular phones. Consumer advocates have accused Germany's Federal Network Agency of taking insufficient action to ensure the right to a price reduction in case of poor mobile phone service. Peter Kneffel/dpa Consumer advocates have accused Germany's Federal Network Agency of taking insufficient action to ensure the right to a price reduction in case of poor mobile phone service. The agency has failed to develop a measurement tool, although it should have done so according to an amendment to the law in 2021, lawyer Felix Flosbach from the consumer advice centre in North-Rhine Westphalia told dpa. The authority, based just south of Cologne in Bonn, announced that it would make the instrument available in the course of the year. This is the only way consumers can utilize the right. They can then enforce a price reduction or contract cancellation if their mobile phone network is considerably worse than contractually guaranteed. For landline networks this is already possible. However, the necessary checks on the reporting site and app are time-consuming. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, right, accompanied by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, left, and CEO of Rheinmetall Armin Papperger, visits a production line at the future site of an arms factory where weapons maker Rheinmetall plans to produce artilleries from 2025, in Unterluess, Germany, Monday Feb. 12, 2024. (Fabian Bimmer/Pool Photo via AP) BERLIN (AP) The leaders of Germany and Denmark joined in a ground-breaking ceremony for a new ammunition factory on Monday, underlining Europe's efforts to ramp up its weapons production as Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on. The plant being built by defense company Rheinmetall at its existing site in Unterluess in northern Germany is expected eventually to produce around 200,000 artillery shells per year along with explosives and possibly other components, including warheads. Rheinmetall is shouldering the cost of about 300 million euros ($324 million). Rheinmetall said that production at the site will primarily meet the needs of Germany's military, the Bundeswehr. The company said the priority is to start production as soon as possible and it expects construction to take about a year. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who attended the ceremony with his defense minister and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, said Rheinmetall was laying the foundation for supplying the Bundeswehr and our partners in Europe with artillery ammunition independently and above all durably. He said that was particularly important in light of Ukraine's ammunition needs, German news agency dpa reported. We have managed so far by delivering a great deal from our stocks, but that is becoming ever more difficult, he added. It is important that we do everything to increase production worldwide. Russias arms industry far outweighs Ukraines, and Kyiv has relied on Western help to match Moscows firepower. But the 27-nation EUs plans to produce 1 million artillery rounds for Ukraine have fallen short, with only about a third of the target met. The war in Ukraine heightened anxiety in Germany about the preparedness of its own armed forces, prompting Scholz days after the Russian invasion to announce what he called a turning point in military spending. Germany plans to spend 2% of its gross domestic product this year, an aim NATO allies set themselves a decade ago, after long falling short. It also has become Ukraine's second-biggest military supplier after the United States. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for large-scale production of defence equipment so that Europe could successfully restrain potential aggressors at the ceremony marking the construction of a new ammunition plant. Source: Scholz quoted by ZDF, as reported by European Pravda Details: Minding the threat from Russia, Scholz called for a significant increase in defence production in Europe at the ceremony of laying a new ammunition plant for the defence concern Rheinmetall. According to Scholz, European partners should combine their orders to ensure the defence industry's supply security for the next several decades. "We must move from manufacturing to mass production of armaments," the German chancellor stated. Scholz said Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine, as well as President Vladimir Putin's openly stated imperial ambitions, pose the most serious threat to the European peace order. "Those who want peace must be able to successfully deter aggressors," the head of the German government concluded. Once completed and operational, the new Rheinmetall plant in Unterlus will produce 200,000 artillery rounds per year, including for Ukraine. According to Rheinmetall, the company will invest 300 million in this facility. Earlier, Marc Theis, retired Belgian Armed Forces General, criticised the state of defence production in Europe, arguing that it would take years to build up capacity to meet the needs of European countries and help Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Migrants detained by German police during operation to prevent illegal migration along the German-Polish border - FILIP SINGER/SHUTTERSTOCK Germany is struggling to deport foreigners because embassy workers from their country of origin keep hanging up the phone when the government tries to reach them, a state minister has said. Tamara Zieschang, the state interior minister in Saxony-Anhalt, warned that around two-thirds of the countries involved in deportations were refusing to cooperate. The Cameroon embassy, for example, does not answer our letters. And people also hang up on the phone straight away when it is clear: it is us again, she told German newspaper Volkstimme. The proportion of uncooperative countries of origin in Saxony-Anhalt is around two-thirds. Returns to these countries are not possible at all or only to a very limited extent, Ms Zieschang added. Other countries allegedly refusing to assist in deportation orders included Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Guinea-Bissau. A family walks between housing blocks at Brandenburgs immigration centre housing some 1400 asylum seekers - ODD ANDERSEN/AFP Deportation is an increasingly tense political issue in Germany, where the government is in the early stages of considering a Rwanda-style system of processing asylum claims in third countries. In January, the German parliament approved a new raft of laws that would make it easier to deport rejected asylum seekers. The new rules permit searches of a foreigners residence to prove their identity, and in some cases removes the authorities obligation to give a person advance notice of their deportation. And in cases where a foreigner is a member of a criminal organisation, the maximum length of pre-deportation custody has been increased from 10 to 28 days. A spokesman for Saxony-Anhalts interior minister told German newspaper Bild that it is not currently possible to deport any Syrians or Afghans in criminal cases, and called on Olaf Scholzs federal government to take more action. Germany must succeed in what Estonia has been doing for a long time, namely, returning dangerous people and criminals to Syria and Afghanistan. It is the federal governments job to create paths and opportunities, the spokesman said. According to German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, rejected asylum seekers can be granted temporary residence on grounds of illness, lost documents or a child with German residency status. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. What on earth has Rochdale done to deserve the candidates in this by-election? After the death of the much-loved Labour MP Tony Lloyd, a gaggle of truly atrocious or at least unfortunate people have put themselves forward to represent it. Where to begin with these men? And they are notably all men. Guy Otten from the Greens is the unfortunate one: he will appear on the ballot paper, even though he has stepped aside after criticising the Gaza conflict and Islamic religion (a sign that the messy party needs to find clarity in what it stands for). Simon Danczuk is standing for Reform UK. He was suspended from the Labour Party in 2015 following accusations of inappropriate behaviour. He was exchanging explicit messages with a 17-year-old. The Labour candidate, Azhar Ali, is embroiled in an anti-Semitism row: he effectively blamed October 7 on Jews, saying that Israel allowed the Hamas terrorist attacks to happen to justify its attack on Gaza. He is still standing but Labour has suspended him. Add to this list is George Galloway, a man who could cause a fight in an empty pub. He is standing for the Workers Party of Britain, which defends the achievements of the USSR, China and Cuba. He is mostly concerned with Gaza and Kashmir. Fair enough, but that is not what he is really doing here, is it? I must be careful here, for Galloway is famously litigious and is a clever and effective orator but wherever he goes, he plays up cultural and racial tension to further what exactly? Whose lives does this man improve? This is a man whose frankly traumatising appearance on Big Brother in 2006, saw him purr Now do you want meto be the cat at Rula Lenska as he lapped up pretend (?) milk while she petted him in the most disturbing role play the world has ever witnessed. (He was also wearing red Spandex.) But really this is a trifle compared to his history of abhorrent statements. When he was campaigning against Oona King in 2005 in Bethnal Green, he said at a hustings that she had voted to kill a lot of women in the last few years. Many of them had darker skins than her. When he was standing for Respect against Naz Shah in 2015, he accused her of lying about her forced marriage, saying that she was not 15 but actually 16, as though that made it all right. On the allegations of rape against Julian Assange he said Not everyone needs to be asked prior to each insertion. What a player. He has supported Hamas and Hezbollah. His campaign in Batley and Spen, where Jo Cox had been murdered, was accused of fuelling anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. He has denied that Iran persecutes gay people. After October 7 he posted denials of the rapes and said only one baby had been killed. What will he actually do for the people of Rochdale? Well, he once said I like elections more than I like serving. Being an MP, he said, was 2% terrifying and 98% tedium. Let us never condemn this indefatigable ego to the tedium of winning a seat. That would be a truly monstrous thing to do to this poisonous pussycat. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. U.S. military confirms airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah Xinhua) 13:57, February 12, 2024 SANAA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. military confirmed Sunday it struck Houthi targets near the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah a day earlier, claiming to have hit the group's two unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and three anti-ship cruise missiles. In an online statement, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces successfully conducted self-defense strikes against these targets north of Hodeidah "that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea" on Saturday afternoon. "CENTCOM identified these USVs and missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region," it said. On Saturday evening, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported that U.S. and British aircraft carried out a fresh round of airstrikes on Houthi targets, hitting the Al-Salif port northwest of Hodeidah city, without providing more details. Houthi group has launched dozens of missile attacks against Israel-linked merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November last year, in what the group said were done out of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Washington has warned Houthis to re-list them as a "global terrorist organization" if the group doesn't stop attacking shipping. Houthi group has been controlling the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah since the 2018 UN-brokered Stockholm Agreement, which was backed by the United States and Britain, forcing the Yemeni internationally recognized government out. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) The Senate made an essential choice by voting in favor of advancing an aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and other important US allies. This vote marks a crucial milestone, especially with the support of 18 GOP lawmakers. The package would allocate $60 billion to Ukraine, primarily for the purpose of acquiring defense equipment manufactured in the United States. This includes munitions and air defense systems, which are deemed crucial in light of the ongoing challenges posed by Russia. It includes a substantial amount of funding for the government in Kyiv and additional assistance, as per Fox News. Senate Advances Aid Package In a crucial vote of 67 to 27, the Senate moved forward with a procedural vote on Sunday, indicating sustained and even growing Republican support for an aid package for Ukraine and Israel. The outcome demonstrated a noteworthy increase in GOP backing compared to the previous procedural vote on the bill, despite lobbying efforts by former President Donald Trump against US foreign aid. The proposed aid package, which includes approximately $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $4.83 billion for Indo-Pacific allies, and provisions addressing the fentanyl crisis, faces further hurdles as it progresses through the legislative process. If approved by the Senate, the bill will proceed to the House, where uncertainty looms over when or if Speaker Mike Johnson will schedule a vote. Many House Republicans oppose additional aid to Ukraine, aligning with Trump's stance against legislation that could be perceived as a victory for President Joe Biden. While the Senate is diligently working on the bill over the weekend, the final vote may still be days away due to the deliberate pace set by GOP Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. Despite clearing a critical 60-vote threshold in a previous advancement on Thursday, after the procedural votes, and a floor debate on Saturday, an agreement from all 100 senators is needed to expedite the legislative process. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed determination, stating, "We're going to keep working on this bill until the job is done." Democratic Senator Chris Murphy is optimistic about the Senate passing the bill, including funding for Ukraine, by early to midweek, according to CNN News. Read Also: Iran Expresses Unwavering Support for Hezbollah Amid Rising Tensions, Confrontations With US Forces Republicans Challenge Urgent Ukraine Aid However, Republican opposition remains robust, with concerns raised about the adequacy of the package. Critics argue for more time to refine the bill, alleging it falls short of addressing critical issues. Democrats counter these claims, accusing Republicans of obstructing the legislation due to Trump's apprehensions about the 2024 election. The bill's key components, particularly aid to Ukraine, have garnered international attention. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, during his recent visit to Washington, urged Congress to swiftly advance the package. The Pentagon has warned that funds for Ukraine have effectively run dry, emphasizing the urgency of passing the aid bill. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a staunch advocate for additional aid to Ukraine, highlighted the gravity of the situation, stating, "It's no exaggeration to say that the eyes of the world are on the United States Senate." President Biden had requested Congress to reauthorize funding for Ukraine in August, but partisan gridlock has delayed the process for months. Schumer underscored the importance of the Senate confronting the threat posed by Russia by passing the bill promptly. If the aid package secures Senate approval, its fate in the House of Representatives remains uncertain. Last week, the House failed to surpass the two-thirds vote threshold required to advance a standalone $17.6 billion Israel support bill, bypassing the House Rules Committee. The legislative journey of this critical aid package continues to unfold against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and domestic political considerations, New York Post reported. Related Article: Finland Elects Alexander Stubb as President Texas may be known as the Lone Star State, but it isn't the Lone Voice in demanding a secure border and an efficient pro-American immigration policy. Washington needs to live up to its sworn oath to uphold the constitution and quit the constant campaign blame storming. Until it does, the drug cartels and human traffickers will continue to prosper, teeing up the nightmare scenario of someone on the Terrorist Watch List slipping through and repeating a 9-11 strike. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb meets with Hoosier members of the Indiana National Guard stationed in Kenya in November 2023. Thats why states cant wait on the feds to make progress and why I was proud to stand with 13 other governors in support of Gov. Greg Abbotts frontline cause last week at our countrys southern border. Even though that border is being overwhelmed daily, the negative ramifications ultimately wash up inside our own state borders with fatal consequences. The in-depth briefing we received from Texas border czar Mike Banks and the Texas National Guard confirmed my worst fears. Criminal migrant smuggling organizations prey on desperate populations with a false promise of a better life. The drug cartels have national distribution routes, complete with stash houses and elaborate networks, to peddle their killer drugs nationwide. They extort migrants and treat them like a commodity instead of a human being and reap millions of dollars to continue their criminal operations. The migrants are tracked like cattle using bar-coded bracelets and are directed to swim across flowing waters knowing full well there is a high likelihood of drowning. If they survive, they are forced into a life of crime as a drug or human smuggler or, worse, a victim of forced labor or sex trafficking to pay off an unattainable deal they made with the devil, in this case the drug cartels. Let me be clear: This is a federal failure to promote and protect our American values. Chiefly, were a nation that believes its laws should be enforced and that citizens should be rewarded based on hard work and ingenuity and its costing citizens who do play by the rules. After all, American citizens do not have the luxury of picking and choosing which laws to obey and ignore, nor should someone who enters our country illegally. This failure is hitting the heartland hard. Nearly all synthetic opioids harming Americans are manufactured outside the U.S. and smuggled in across the southern border. Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are attributed to more than 71% of all overdose deaths in Indiana. According to the Indiana State Police, in 2022, law enforcement agencies across the state seized 21 pounds of fentanyl. Just one year later, officers confiscated more than three times that amount, totaling 68 pounds of fentanyl. Both sides of the immigration coin need to be addressed now. First, we must fix our broken illegal immigration policy by securing the southern border and other ports of entry. The president needs to start enforcing the laws currently on the books and detaining illegal entries. Congress needs to increase law enforcement resources, federal law enforcement manpower, infrastructure and technology. Until this is done, we cannot implement a sane immigration policy that helps states like Indiana grow by meeting our workforce needs. Thats why, on Friday, I announced we are sending 50 Indiana National Guardsmen, a task force, to spend 10 months supporting the Texas National Guard at the border. This follows a long and recent history of patriotic support at the border by our National Guard. From October 2020 to late last year, 300 Hoosier guardsmen and women have worked along the border on various federal missions. Second, Congress must establish legal immigration reforms. From the very outset, the United States became a prosperous nation because immigrants seized an opportunity for a better life through the dignity of honest work. Indiana alone now has more than 100,000 open jobs and an unemployment rate of 3.7%. In our evolving economy, every state needs workers at every level, especially in agriculture, health care and service industries. Those on the journey looking to realize the American dream to be a U.S. citizen and uphold our countrys laws should be welcomed with open arms, as our ancestors were before us. We have an opportunity to create policy that not only grows our population and economy, but also enriches our communities. We will be judged by the next generation on how we respond today to this challenge facing our nation. Lets rise to the challenge. Eric J. Holcomb is governor of Indiana. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Eric Holcomb: Why I'm sending Indiana National Guard to Texas border Aftermath of the attack on Selydove on 12 February 2024. Photo: The Prosecutor's Office After midnight on 12 February, Russian troops fired missiles at civilian buildings in Selydove, Donetsk Oblast, injuring three people. Source: Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office Details: Russian troops attacked Selydove with three S-300 missiles at about 00:30. As a result of the attack, a 63-year-old woman and her two grandchildren, aged 10 and 17, were injured. All three victims suffered critical explosive wounds and have been hospitalised. The explosions also damaged at least 15 private households and power lines. Under the procedural leadership of the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office, a pre-trial investigation has been launched as part of criminal proceedings regarding the violation of the laws and customs of War (Art.438.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Background: Selydove is regularly attacked. On 8 February, around 00:30 (Kyiv time), Russian troops carried out a massive missile attack on Selydove. A residential area was hit, a 50-year-old woman was killed, and seven civilians were injured: four women, two men and a 6-year-old boy. On the evening of 30 December 2023, Russian troops attacked Selydove in Donetsk Oblast with an S-300 missile: a man was killed and six other people were injured. Late in the evening of 20 November, Selydove was also hit, killing three people and injuring eight others. Support UP or become our patron! The research vessel Gannet navigates waters near its home at the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah. The boat will serve the Gray's Reef National Maritime Sanctuary. In the 41 million square miles of Atlantic Ocean, Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary amounts to a mere speck. But the 11,000-acre square-shaped preserve, 19 miles off the Georgia coast, is a microcosm of climate changes outsized influence on oceans and their inhabitants. On Saturday, the sanctuary christened its newest and largest tool in exploring what is one of the largest near-shore, live-bottom reefs off the Southeastern U.S. coast: the 52-foot research vessel Gannet. Its going to be absolutely critical to helping us understand how the resources at Gray's Reef and in the surrounding region are changing (and) how they're adapting to the changing climate, John Armor, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, said in an onboard interview Friday. And it will help us adapt our management approach, based on the best science. Actually, the Gannet named for a large but somewhat elusive Atlantic seabird felt the impact of climate change before ever reaching its new home at the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah. Low water levels tied to drought disrupted traffic through the Panama Canal, and the cargo vessel carrying the Gannet from its manufacturer in Bellingham, Washington, traveled around South America and through the Strait of Magellan in southern Chile before finally heading north as it finally reached the Atlantic. So, it ended up going about 18,000 miles on a ship to get here, Grays Reef Superintendent Stan Rogers said. John Armor, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent Stan Rogers aboard the research vessel Gannet. Because of its size and features, the Gannet opens opportunities for enhanced research not possible with its predecessor, the Joe Ferguson, which was retired in October after 17 years of service. Previous to this boat, we didnt really have the ability to do much over-the-side' instrumentation work, Rogers noted. We have a drop camera and things you could deploy by hand. But we didn't have a crane or a frame with a winch to be able to deploy things like (remotely operated vehicles) or mapping instruments. On the Gannet, a 12-foot A-shaped frame can support objects up to 3,500 pounds, while a winch system can reach depths of more than 650 feet, allowing for the deployment of monitoring instruments including underwater robots, ocean gliders and seafloor sensors. An elevated platform also offers better visibility for monitoring North Atlantic right whales, dolphins and seabirds during survey work. Gray's Reef also plans to frequently host educators and students for information-rich voyages aboard the Gannet. "It exposes them to different career paths that they might not have otherwise even known existed," Armor said. "I mean, a career in ocean research that's a real thing, right? You see actual people doing it, and it's inspiring. Bringing more people into the conversation on ocean conservation is just absolutely critical." 'Salt Bombs': Tybee company makes history with harvest from Georgia's first floating oyster farm That sweet spot on the shelf Beyond Grays Reef, located directly west of Sapelo Island, the new vessel will allow for enhanced exploration of what remains a largely unexplored and undiscovered portion of the Atlantic continental shelf that stretches from North Carolina to central Florida, said Armor. We have big ships doing sort of the offshore research and we have small boats doing (near-shore) estuaries, he added. But this vessel really is sort of that sweet spot on the shelf. With a range of about 460 miles, the Gannet can cover much of that area. Closer to home, as heat-trapping pollution from the burning of fossil fuels continues to drive temperatures up, the Gannet will allow researchers to better gauge the growing underwater impact of climate change, and to develop sound adaptation strategies to preserve Grays Reef, Armor and Rogers agreed. The Gray's Reef National Maritime Sanctuary is one of the largest near-shore, live-bottom reefs off the Southeastern U.S. coast. Not 'right': Speeding vessels off Georgia coast imperiling whales, report finds But the effects of a warming atmosphere already are evident. As water temperatures rise, an uptick in extreme weather also has shifted salinity and acidity levels, Rogers said. Were seeing species saying, like, I used to like it here, but now I dont like it so much, so I want to go this way, he added. So, were seeing species shift. At the same time, new species, including fish native to the Caribbean, are showing up off the coast of Georgia for the first time. With temperature readings as high as 90 degrees in sanctuary waters 70 feet deep, that migration should come as no surprise, Rogers said. You might as well be in Bermuda, he added with a laugh. And its not just fish. Grays Reef researchers are closely watching new species of algae as they appear in the area for the first time. That can be good and can be bad; we don't know yet, Rogers conceded. When these new species show up, they can displace others. And especially things like algae, they can come and just dominate habitat and then shade out and outcompete other species. Either way, the Gannet will be at the center of efforts to study climate-related changes to the reef. A national marine sanctuary without a boat is like a fire station without a firetruck, said Armor. We cant do our job if we cant get out there. John Deem covers climate change and the environment in coastal Georgia. He can be reached at jdeem@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: New Gray's Reef research vessel finds home in Savannah [Source] A documentary that introduces the 1985 global charity hit We Are the World in a new light is now streaming on Netflix, diving deep into the iconic songs history and the remarkable talents in and behind the scenes who gave it life. The Greatest Night in Pop, directed by Bao Nguyen, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 19. NextShark spoke with the acclaimed Vietnamese American filmmaker about the challenges he and its production team which included Lionel Richie, who co-wrote and co-performed the top-selling single faced while putting pieces of the project together. Old song, new story Released on March 7, 1985, We Are the World is a charity single produced to benefit Ethiopia amid a famine that killed up to 1.2 million people. Written by Richie and Michael Jackson, produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, and released by Columbia Records, the song became the fastest-selling U.S. pop single in history, won multiple Grammys and raised millions to help the starving African country. Trending on NextShark: Angela Chao, CEO of US-based shipping company Foremost Group, dead at 50 More than 40 musicians formed the supergroup USA for Africa to record the song on the night of Jan. 28, 1985. Nguyen, whose works have appeared on HBO, the New York Times, NBC, PBS and Vice, sought to deliver a fresh form of nostalgia in The Greatest Night. I was acutely aware of its monumental legacy, but I wanted to peel back the layers, find a new angle, the Maryland-born creative tells NextShark. It struck me as a heist film, an ensemble cast with a ticking clock and I did a lot of work with our editor at first, Nic Zimmermann, to strike that tone. This wasnt just about nostalgia; it was about rediscovery, finding the heartbeat of that night. Nguyen says their work involved interspersing present-day reflections with archival frenzy to find a balance between the immediacy of the moment and the weight of its legacy. Trending on NextShark: Young Chinese women are resorting to AI boyfriends for better communication Its about capturing that spontaneity, the unscripted vulnerabilities of icons, and presenting it in a light that feels both familiar and utterly new, Nguyen says. The Greatest Night showcases unpublished behind-the-scenes from the songs planning to its recording. Nguyen admits to not fully grasping the mountain of unseen footage they had to climb at the beginning, but they eventually managed to find help. Trending on NextShark: Author gets kicked off WestJet flight due to excessive bathroom use It was like uncovering a time capsule, except some of it was nearly disintegrated. The tapes, some 40 years old, were a puzzle. We had tapes without sound, and some, frankly, were just lost to time. But then, magic happened, Nguyen recalls. We found this goldmine of audio from David Breskin who was covering the whole process for Life Magazine, and it was like finding the missing piece. Under the meticulous work of our editor Nic Zimmermann and assistant editor Ric Crossley, syncing this with the silent footage was like composing a new piece of music." He adds, "It brought the studio to life in a way no ones ever seen. It was more than just a technical challenge; it was a narrative one, trying to weave these fragments into a story that felt immediate, like you were there that night, watching history unfold. Call to the stars The Greatest Night features interviews with artists whose voices graced the multi-platinum single, including Richie, Cyndi Lauper and Bruce Springsteen. Nguyen credits producers Julia Nottingham, George Hencken and story producer Lisa Stevens for setting those up. It started with a leap of faith and a cold call that turned into an unexpected alliance with AMA producer Larry Klein. Larry's introduction was pivotal, transforming skepticism into trust and once we got Lionel onboard, it was much easier, Nguyen says. These interviews werent just about recounting events; they were about capturing reflections, the passage of time etched in their voices and the indelible mark that night left on their lives. With dozens of diverse musicians involved in the song, Nguyen had to strike a balance in highlighting individual stories and the collaborative spirit that defined the recording session. He made sure to include others who contributed behind the curtains, including the lone Asian American staff who held one of the cameras. I was particularly adamant about ensuring we had voices from all walks of life, including finding that singular Asian American perspective. Ken Woo, a young cameraman at the time, became one of my favorite subjects in the film, Nguyen recalls. His story added a vital layer, illustrating how this wasnt just a gathering of the worlds musical elite but a concerted effort by a wide-ranging group of individuals, each contributing to the magic of that night. This duality of the singular moments against the backdrop of unity, and the inclusion of often-unheard perspectives like Kens, was key in underscoring the shared mission that brought them together. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bao M Nguyen (@baomnguyen) The big picture The Greatest Night quickly found success on Netflix after its release on Jan. 29. The feature documentary remains in the streaming platforms top 10 films as of press time. When asked about surprises the movie has for audiences, Nguyen refers to its approach in showcasing the unknown. I believe the surprises lie in the nuances, the unseen moments and the unheard conversations, he tells NextShark. Discovering the depth of collaboration, the tensions and triumphs, offers a new understanding of We Are the World. The documentary peels back the layers of an iconic event, revealing the humanity behind the harmony. Its these unexpected glimpses, the vulnerabilities of legends, that I think will resonate most. The Greatest Night reinforces the songs message of collaboration, particularly in trying times. As director, Nguyen says the convergence of paths and unexpected connections have left him the deepest impression. This project was a testament to the power of curiosity and the unforeseen beauty of collaboration. Its a reminder of the song's enduring legacy, not just as a cultural milestone but as a beacon of collective hope and humanity. As we navigate a world that feels increasingly fragmented, the message of We Are the World and the spirit of that night stand as a poignant reminder of what we can achieve together. Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! Claude Tiller, the superintendent of the Green Bay School District, shakes hands with former school board member Jean Marsch of Allouez at a meet-and-greet July 18 at the Aging & Disability Resource Center of Brown County in Green Bay. He is under review for comments he made recently on an Atlanta-based talk radio show. This story has been updated to include the Green Bay School Board's statement and details from Monday night's board meeting. GREEN BAY Green Bay School District Superintendent Claude Tiller is under review for comments he made on an Atlanta-based talk radio show last week, according to the Green Bay School Board. Tiller was in Atlanta on Feb. 6 to recruit teachers from Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College, according to his X, formerly known as Twitter, account. While there, he was a guest on a WAOK 1380 radio talk show "REALationship Talk." The Feb. 6 show, hosted by Adrienne Berry, focused on navigating educational leadership, according to the station's Facebook page. Berry did not immediately respond to the Press-Gazette's phone call or social media messages. More: Green Bay School Board members got internal culture report 5 months ago. They havent discussed it. The show segment is not available online, and the nature of Tiller's comments are unknown. The Press-Gazette has submitted a public records request to the school district for a recording of the show. Other groups have put in similar requests, including news organizations, community members and the teachers' union. It is not known whether the district has a copy of the talk show recording. "Board of Education members are aware of the Atlanta radio talk show interview with Superintendent, Dr. Claude Tiller, Jr.," the board's email statement said. "We are currently working through some of the issues raised that warrant further review and discussion. Because this is in part a personnel issue, we are not able to make any additional comments at this time." Tiller was not at Monday's board meeting, and district director of communications, Lori Blakeslee, said she could not confirm whether Tiller is on administrative leave. She told media before the start of the meeting that the board would not be granting any interviews. Former principal and board member calls for Green Bay School District to release talk show recording Ed Dorff, a former district principal and board member, spoke at Monday's meeting, calling for the district to make a video of the talk show public. He was the only speaker. Dorff said he watched the video online, but it has since been taken down. "I strongly encourage the district to make this video publicly available so that people can view the entire piece before drawing any conclusion one way or another," Dorff said. The board is working with attorney Geoffrey Lacy, according to the district's legal counsel, Melissa Thiel Collar. Lacy represented the Pulaski School District when it got a restraining order against the Wisconsin chapter leader of Gays Against Groomers. More: Internal Green Bay Schools report shows a culture of 'distrust and antagonism' Lacy told the Press-Gazette in an email that there was no official request from the board to remove the video, and the board is unaware of the circumstances surrounding its removal. Dorff also said how the Green Bay School Board handles Tiller's comments "will be a test of your character and your moral courage." The board had a closed session meeting Friday evening "to discuss strategy for potential litigation," according to the agenda. Tiller started as the district's superintendent in July, coming from Detroit Public Schools. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Danielle is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105. This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay Superintendent Claude Tiller reportedly under review Alfred Griffiths, 54, whose TJ Maxx murder remains unsolved since 2014, is shown in family photos. It's been nearly a decade since Pam Griffiths and Claudia Griffiths Marsh lost their brother Alfred Griffiths, a caregiver, his mother's best friend and a "doting uncle," in what has become a Cape Coral cold case. Pam Griffiths, 60, now lives in Los Angeles, while Griffiths Marsh, 54, lives in Atlanta. However, they say they've kept in touch with Southwest Florida authorities in their search for answers in the murder of Alfred Griffiths, who was 54. Just before 9 p.m. Nov. 18, 2014, Griffiths took a break from his job for a smoke on a bench outside the Del Prado Boulevard TJ Maxx store when he was fatally gunned down, shot in the head. The perpetrator fled. Alfred Griffiths had worked with the company for 14 years, according to the retailer. According to witnesses, Griffiths was shot multiple times while a police cruiser was in the parking lot. He died at a hospital. Witnesses at the time said they saw a possible male suspect run and get into a car, possibly an older-model sedan gold or silver Chevrolet, Cavalier or Impala. Pam Griffiths, 60, and Claudia Griffiths Marsh, 54, remember their brother, Alfred Griffiths, 54,when he died. A manager at a Cape Coral TJ Maxx, his murder remains unsolved since 2014. A family photo shows happier times with their older brother. It's unclear if Alfred Griffiths was targeted. Police describe the suspect as white, in his 40s with a thin build and white- or light-colored hair and rimmed eyeglasses. Authorities said the initial information indicated that the suspect was wearing a long-sleeve fleece T-shirt or jacket. Sketch of the suspect in TJ Maxx shooting death. Pam Griffiths lamented the absence of surveillance footage in the area. An anonymous donor has offered $25,000 reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer, in addition to the $3,000 presented by Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers. "Do the right thing," Griffiths Marsh begged. "It's not even about the money." Bank of America 911 call: 'I don't wanna hurt them': First released 911 call tells Bank of America attacker's exchange Murder trial postponed: Capital murder trial for North Fort Myers man in 2-year-old's death delayed until spring Now, both sisters and their mother are left seeking answers. "It's been 10 years, but the wound is still there," Griffiths Marsh said. "There's no closure." Griffiths Marsh said the family just wants to know why their brother was killed and added he has missed "countless" family events. "Birthdays and holidays are not the same," Griffiths Marsh said. The family has also spread awareness through a podcast, dubbed "Paradise After Dark." "He was a hard worker. He was a good person," Griffiths Marsh said. Alfred Griffiths: Retail leader and family caregiver Pam Griffiths said Alfred Griffiths took care of their mother, who lived in Southwest Florida. The siblings' father died in 2011. "He was my mom's best friend," Griffiths Marsh said. The Griffiths said their brother had always been the "popular kid" in high school and was part of the varsity swim team. "He was very very popular in school," Pam Griffiths said. Alfred Griffiths, 54, whose TJ Maxx murder remains unsolved since 2014, is shown here with one of his sisters in this family photograph. Griffiths Marsh, who has three children 17-year-old twins and a 14-year-old daughter, said he was also a "doting uncle." "He's missed so much," Griffiths Marsh said. "That's for me part of what's most difficult." Pam Griffiths said their brother's hobbies included cooking and spending time with his mother. "He would just sit and look at the water," Pam Griffiths said. Search for answers "We know someone out there knows something [or] knows someone," Pam Griffiths said. "We're just making sure our brother's case doesn't get shoved to the back." "Somebody has forced him to be forgotten," Griffiths Marsh said. Despite the search for answers, Griffiths Marsh said there "never will be any justice." "We just want to know why and who," Griffiths Marsh said. Alfred Griffiths, 54, of Cape Coral, whose TJ Maxx murder remains unsolved since 2014, is shown in this family photo. At the time, Griffiths Marsh said the family was in shock and didn't hold a funeral. She also regretted not immediately hiring a private investigator. "We had difficulty processing what happened," Griffiths Marsh said. Pam Griffiths compared the family events their brother has missed to what seems a lifetime the sisters have spent searching for answers. Officer Mercedes Phillips, spokesperson for Cape Coral police, said the detective on Griffiths' case needs time to wrap up a few cases with her team. "Then as now, we remain saddened by the tragic passing of our Cape Coral store manager, Mr. Alfred Griffiths," Andrew Mastrangelo, spokesperson for TJ Maxx, wrote in a statement. "Alfred worked for TJ Maxx for more than 10 years, and made a tremendous impression on those who knew him. He was not only an exemplary Associate, but he was also known for his many philanthropic endeavors in the local community." Mastrangelo said the retail giant remains committed to cooperating with local law enforcement. Carla Adams, senior customer service representative at Cape Coral police, on Nov. 2, 2023, said police were working two cold cases, but couldn't release further details. It's unclear if Griffiths' murder is one of the two cases. Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Alfred Griffiths' 2014 murder: 'We just want to know why and who' Jeff Bezos has recently submitted a statement to federal agencies, disclosing his sale of approximately 12 million shares of Amazon stock, which amounts to a staggering value of over $2 billion. A statement was made to the US Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the sale of a significant number of shares of common stock by the executive chairman of Amazon. The transactions took place on Feb. 7 and Feb. 8. The total worth of Amazon's shares, headquartered in Seattle, exceeded $2.042 billion, as per Yahoo News. Jeff Bezos Plans $8.4B Amazon Stock Sale Separately, former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos revealed in a filing with the SEC that he intends to sell 50 million shares of the company's stock, with an estimated value of $8.4 billion, probably around February 7. His previous investments, which ranged from 1 million to more than 3.2 million shares, were recently divided into five separate blocks, and this action follows suit. Having stepped down as Amazon's CEO in 2021 to focus on ventures like Blue Origin and philanthropy, Bezos' decision to sell shares could be linked to various factors. While residing in Seattle, his official address on the filings, reports suggest he has relocated to Miami. The motive behind Bezos' significant stock sale remains unclear. However, it does narrow the wealth gap between him and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Prior to the sale, Bezos trailed Musk's net worth by only $5 billion, with Musk's fortune reaching $200 billion. Despite Musk's net worth rising to $209 billion, Bezos is in a position to potentially overtake him in the race to become the world's richest person. Bezos first claimed the title of the world's richest person in 2017, surpassing Bill Gates, and held the position consistently until 2021 when Elon Musk took the lead. This recent surge in Bezos' wealth contrasts with a $29 billion decline in Musk's fortune, attributed partly to a decline in Tesla's stock and a court ruling voiding Musk's $55 billion compensation package at Tesla, according to US News. Read Also: Following Election, Pakistan in Turmoil as Opposition Stuns with Surprise Victory Amazon Stock Sales As of February 1, Forbes' billionaires list ranks Musk as the second-richest person, trailing Bernard Arnault. Bloomberg's list, updated daily, currently places Musk at the top with Bezos closely behind. Musk's wealth primarily consists of his substantial holdings in Tesla, accounting for about 13% of the company's shares valued at approximately $73 billion. His investments in other ventures like SpaceX contribute to the rest of his fortune. This planned stock sale is not Bezos' first. In 2021, he sold $2.5 billion in Amazon shares as he prepared to step down as CEO. Previous large-scale sales occurred in 2020 and 2019, totaling $1.8 billion and $2.8 billion, respectively. Representatives for Amazon and Bezos have not yet responded to requests for comments on this recent stock sale. The move, however, will undoubtedly be closely monitored as it has the potential to reshape the rankings of the world's wealthiest individuals, Business Insider reported. Related Article: Israel Discovers Hamas Command Tunnel Under UNRWA Gaza HQ DUBAI (Reuters) - The World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday reiterated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and expressed particular concern at Israeli attacks on Rafah where most of the enclave's inhabitants have fled. Israeli airstrikes overnight killed 48 people in Rafah, local health authorities said. Ghebreyesus said only 15 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza were "still partially or minimally functioning" and that aid workers were doing their best in impossible circumstances. Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, he said the WHO, the U.N.'s health agency, continued to call for safe access for humanitarian personnel and supplies, for Hamas to release hostages, and for a ceasefire. The war in Gaza began on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters stormed border fences to attack Israeli towns, killing 1,200 people and seizing around 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's four-month war in Gaza has killed more than 28,000 people, say health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave. The U.N. has said more than 85% of Gazans have been displaced and that Gaza faces famine, with one in five children under five acutely malnourished. Last week, Israel said it planned to assault Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the enclave, to which more than one million displaced people had fled, camping on the street, in empty lots and on the beach. "I am especially concerned by the recent attacks on Rafah where the majority of Gaza's population has fled the destruction," he said. "So far, we have delivered 447 metric tons of medical supplies to Gaza, but it's a drop in the ocean of need, which continues to grow every day," he said. (Reporting by Maha El Dahan and Federico Maccioni, Writing by Nayera Abdallah and Angus McDowall; Editing by Bernadette Baum) The heavy rain on Monday has caused several issues across metro Atlantas roads. Channel 2s Steve Gehlbach hit the roads throughout the morning where he found a bit of everything from accidents to flooded lanes. Cars and trucks splashed up water on Highway 92 in Fairburn. Barricades blocked all but one lane as flood water covered the others. Drivers were forced to wait and take turns driving through the shallow water in the one passable lane. In downtown Atlanta, the heavy rain may be to blame for a large hole that opened in the middle of Courtland Street. TRENDING STORIES: Atlanta police had to block the road when a driver ended up stuck in the hole and damaging their car after they ended up driving over what was much bigger than your average pothole. Atlanta firefighters had to battle the rain and some rising water in a creek as an SUV drove down into a ravine off Marietta Road in Northwest Atlanta. The driver was never in the water, but Atlanta Fire Rescue said they had to cut off the door to get to the victim, who was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Its not clear if the weather or something else caused the driver to end up down the embankment from the rear lot of a business. Atlanta police are investigating. Another driver had to be rescued after their red car got partially submerged in water along Jonesboro Road at Interstate 285. When the rain will finally move out, on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m. After laughing and saying, "I know how famous I am," the ruthless teenager who murdered Brianna Ghey joyously Googled her crimes while she was inside the place where she had committed them. Scarlett Jenkinson, who is 16 years old, acted in a heartless manner, disregarding the suffering of her victim's parents and expressing to the workers at the correctional facility that she does not place any importance on them, as per The Sun. Scarlett Jenkinson's Case Jenkinson and Ratcliffe, convicted for the "ferocious" murder of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old who was stabbed 28 times in a Cheshire park in February 2023, are now named as her killers after a judge lifted reporting restrictions. The court ruling allows the reporting of more details, including Jenkinson's school transitions and her initial meeting with Brianna Ghey, who was transgender. The police were informed of an incident involving a cannabis-laced sweet at Culcheth High School in September 2022, where Jenkinson, then 15, was involved in spiking a 13-year-old victim. The judge, during the sentencing hearing, described the murder as "exceptionally brutal" with elements of sadism by Jenkinson and transphobic hate by Ratcliffe. The judge noted that Jenkinson "enjoyed" the killing, driven by a "deep desire to kill," while Ratcliffe displayed "dehumanizing language." Both were sentenced, and Brianna Ghey's parents expressed their desire for them never to be released from prison. Jenkinson had left her original school due to an incident involving cannabis-laced sweets. She joined Brianna Ghey's school, becoming "obsessed" with her. The court revealed that the duo had created a "kill list" targeting four youths and later added Brianna Ghey when she befriended Jenkinson. During the trial, evidence emerged about their fascination with violence, torture, and murder, leading to the harrowing killing. A second "kill list" of staff caring for Jenkinson was found in her secure accommodation, according to BBC News. Read Also: Maersk Has Issued A Warning In The Wake Of Ongoing Red Sea Conflict Brianna Ghey's Murder Both Jenkinson and Ratcliffe took pleasure in Brianna Ghey's vulnerability, which was brought to light by her dad. Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were referred to as "two predators stalking their prey." The murder weapon, clothes that was smeared with blood, and a handwritten note that detailed the plot were discovered by the investigators at the residences of the perpetrators. Plans for other killings were disclosed in messages that were found on their phones, as well as a previous attempt to administer an overdose to Brianna Ghey. The Crown Prosecution Service views Brianna Ghey's murder as a hate crime driven by transphobia. Senior Crown Prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams hopes the sentence brings some closure, emphasizing the brutality of the crime. While the court lifted anonymity orders due to their young age, Brianna Ghey's family fears their names will be associated with her forever. The stepfather expressed a desire for the perpetrators to be "locked up and not be spoken about again." The Crown Prosecution Service views Brianna Ghey's murder as a hate crime driven by transphobia. Senior Crown Prosecutor Nicola Wyn Williams hopes the sentence brings some closure, emphasizing the brutality of the crime. While the court lifted anonymity orders due to their young age, Brianna Ghey's family fears their names will be associated with her forever. The stepfather expressed a desire for the perpetrators to be "locked up and not be spoken about again," Independent reported. Related Article: Avolon CEO Claims Boeing Making Significant Progress, Argues Other Manufacturers Also Have Quality Issues The latest blast from winter is expected to bring heavy snowfall to northeast Pennsylvania and the Catskills, while the Southern Tier avoids significant accumulation of the white stuff. Broome County could still receive up to three inches of snow between late tonight and around 7 p.m., Tuesday, the National Weather Service said, but lesser amounts are likely. Overnight, the National Weather Service Office in Binghamton downgraded winter storm warnings for Chemung, Tioga and Broome counties to advisories. The advisories begin at midnight and continue until 1 p.m. Tuesday. Winter storm watches for north of the Southern Tier and Steuben County were canceled, however watches remain in place for Chenango and Otsego counties. The latest forecasts continue to trend to a more southern track for the snow, decreasing expected totals for the Southern Tier and Central New York state. "At one point it looked to be a very impactful storm for the the Southern Tier, now it's going to be pretty minor," said National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Pellerito. Crime: Binghamton homicide investigation: 20-year-old man dead after shooting Here's what is expected in Broome County from winter storm Monday: Some sun, with a high near 40. Monday night: There is chance of snow, probably after 4 a.m. New snow accumulation of around an inch is possible. Tuesday: Snow is likely, mainly before noon, then a slight chance of snow showers after 2 p.m. The snow could be heavy at times. New snow accumulation of around 2 inches. Tuesday night: A chance of snow showers, mainly after 8 p.m. with new snow accumulation of less than a half inch. Tuesday morning commute could be challenging Pellerito cautioned that this is still "a very potent storm" that will hammer other areas and has the potential to impact travel in the region. "What we do get is going to be right squarely on the (Tuesday) morning commute," he said. "I can't rule out slick roads if you pick up that quick inch or two right at rush hour. "But as far as major impacts, that's all going to be south." Follow Neal Simon on Twitter @HornellTribNeal. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Storm: Heavy snow will miss Binghamton, Southern Tier Floridas multi-billion dollar hemp industry at risk of going up in smoke is a new state bill becomes a law. The bill would set THC limits in hemp products to not exceed two milligrams per serving and ten milligrams per container. It also modifies the definition of hemp products, saying they cant be attractive to children by including promotional characters, animations or flavors that attract kids. It basically handcuffs the business and changes the way that were currently operating, said Vita Labs CEO JJ Combs. Read: Teen dies after being hit by a trailer in Volusia County, police say Combs is a board-certified pharmacist. His company extracts from the hemp plant to make everything from gummies to vapes -- products that could be off the market if the bill passes. Some doctors have argued that, every year, hundreds of kids have been exposed to highly potent THC products including some under the age of 5. They said existing laws werent tough enough. Last year, a bill tried to put a cap on products, but the provisions were removed. Read: Man seriously injured after shooting in Titusville, police say Instead, the legislature passed a lesser measure, restricting buyers to be 21 and up. Combs believes lawmakers are putting their focus on the wrong people. This isnt some rinky-dink industry. We are sophisticated. We make good products. We are able to offer products at a cheaper price, were more economical, said Combs. We have a bigger reach than many people think. Read: Bodycam footage sheds light on Altamonte Springs Police officer-involved shooting The senate will consider the bill for its second reading on Tuesday. If passed, it would go into effect this July. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. HENRY COUNTY, Va. (WFXR) The Henry County Department of Public Safety is officers a fee National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians course. From March 5 until July 30, participants will have the chance to obtain their Virginia EMT Certification. Typically, the course would cost about $800 per person. However, the department will use funds from its Four-for-Life to cover the expenses of each student. Suzie Helbert, Deputy Director of Public Safety and Chief of Training and Volunteer Coordination says the skills learned during the course will help students effectively respond during an emergency. If your loved one were to have a heart attack or if they injured themselves working around the house, would you know what to do? Most people wouldnt but this class can prepare anyone to be a first responder. Even if you dont plan on making it a career, Id encourage you to apply. You never know when it might come in handy, said Helbert. It takes everybody, local fire department sheds light on growing need for first responders The courses will take place at the Henry County Department of Public Safety Emergency Services Training Center, every Tuesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and at least one Saturday a month from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Throughout the course, students will learn emergency medical services foundations, airway management, patient assessment, medical emergencies, trauma, special populations, EMS operations, and more. Henry County officials say the county is experiencing a decline in the number of volunteers for rescue squads. The lack of volunteers has forced the Axton Life Saving Crew to close its doors. Related story: Lack of volunteers forces Axton Life Saving Crew to close The demand for emergency services continues to rise, stretching our resources to their limits, said Matt Tatum, Director of Public Safety. For more information about the NREMT course or volunteer opportunities, contact Suzie Helbert at (276) 634-4662 or by email at shelbert@henrycountyva.gov. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Rebecca "Becky" Ash has worked in three of Springfield's middle schools but is leaving the district for a principal job in Branson. She has been named principal of Branson Junior High. According to a Friday news release from the Branson district, the school board recently approved the hiring. She will start July 1, succeeding Bryan Bronn, who has retiring after a 15-year stint as the principal. I am so honored to have the opportunity to join the Branson school district, said Ash, as part of the release. Becky Ash Bransons reputation of collaboration and community is known throughout southwest Missouri, and I am excited to be part of its continuing expectation of excellence. I am deeply committed to all students achieving at high levels and growing to their full potential, and I look forward to becoming part of the Branson family to help uphold and enhance this incredible tradition. Ash was an elementary teacher in Camdenton and Kirksville before she was hired by the Springfield district in 2012. For her first three years in Springfield, she taught in the Wonders of the Ozarks Learning Facility, a magnet program for fifth-graders often referred to as WOLF. She worked as an assistant principal at Jarrett Middle School and then spent six years as principal of Pipkin Middle Schools. Ash has been principal of Hickory Hills Elementary and Middle School, a K-8 campus, since mid-2022. She completed her undergraduate studies in elementary education at Fontbonne University, graduate studies in educational administration at Missouri State University, and an education specialist degree from Southwest Baptist University. She and husband Kenny have three school-age children. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Principal of Springfield's Hickory Hills takes Branson school job A hiker was rescued after getting stranded on a snowy California peak, according to a sheriffs department. The North Hills man, 46, trekked off trail and went directly up the Mt. Baldy bowl toward the summit on Sunday, Feb. 11, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said in a Feb. 12 news release. The mountain, the highest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 45 miles northeast of Los Angeles, was covered in layers of compact snow, powdery snow, and ice, deputies said. As the man hiked away from his gear, deputies said he ended up in an area where he did not feel safe hiking up or down the mountain side. After a rescue helicopter spotted the man near the summit about 9,800 feet high, deputies said they lowered a rescuer to him. The rescuer placed him in a harness, and he was hoisted from the area, officials said. The department urged hikers to stay on trail and notify others of hiking plans, adding that hikers should check the forecast beforehand. Mountain conditions can be treacherous and change drastically over a matter of minutes, deputies said. A little more than a week before the mans rescue, deputies also warned of dangerous conditions on the mountain brought on by recent storms. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department strongly urges everyone to stay away and refrain from mountain activities during this inclement weather, Deputies said in a Feb. 4 news release. The weather has effectively buried the mountain in snow and it is highly likely hikers will get into trouble. A missing hiker was found dead on the same mountain on Feb. 10, a day prior to the mans rescue, while three hikers were also recently rescued from the mountain, McClatchy News reported. How to be prepared while hiking If youre planning to hike, the National Park Service says there are 10 essentials you should take: Navigation: Pack a map, compass and a GPS system. Make sure you study your route beforehand and understand how to use the tools. Sun protection: Sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat can help protect your skin and eyes from UV rays. Insulation: A jacket, hat, gloves, raincoat and thermal underwear can help you be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions. Illumination: A flashlight, lantern and headlamp can create light if you get stuck in the dark and dont forget to pack extra batteries. First-aid supplies: Its a good idea to have a first-aid kit on hand while hiking. Check the expiration date on items before you pack them. Fire: Matches and a lighter can help start fire to act as an emergency signal in times of need. Repair kit and tools: Duct tape, a knife, screwdriver and scissors can be helpful if items break during your hike or you need assistance. Nutrition: You should pack an extra days worth of food in case something goes wrong. Park officials recommend having salty and easy to digest snacks. Hydration: You should drink water often and before you feel thirsty if youre hiking in hot weather. Keeping your body hydrated is of utmost importance, park officials said. Emergency shelter: Packing a tent, space blanket, tarp and bivy can help you be prepared if severe weather breaks out or your plan takes a turn. Drone spots body of 22-year-old hiker week after she vanished on Mount Baldy, cops say Lost hikers hunkered down to spend night on frigid mountain, California rescuers say Actor Julian Sands, missing for months, found dead on California mountain, officials say The federal government recently offered its support for the removal of four dams on the Lower Snake River in the Pacific Northwest with the goal of restoring wild salmon populations. On Dec. 14, the Biden administration announced an agreement to work in partnership with tribes and states to restore wild salmon populations, expand tribally sponsored clean energy, and provide stability for communities that rely on the Columbia River system. The agreement also includes federal government funding of studies on how Lower Snake River dams could be replaced. However, the decision to breach those dams would require an act of Congress, as High Country News reported. While the dams provide irrigation and hydropower to nearby communities, they have also contributed to the near extinction of 13 salmon and steelhead species, according to The Washington Post. Dwindling salmon populations also negatively affect endangered orcas, who rely on the fish for food. The government plans to invest $300 million over 10 years to restore native fish and their habitats throughout the Columbia River Basin. A third of this will go to the four Lower River Treaty tribes, Washington, and Oregon, while the remaining funding will go toward hatchery modernization, upgrades, and maintenance. The Department of Energy is also committing support for the development of at least 1-3 gigawatts of tribally sponsored clean energy projects. If Congress authorizes a breach of the dams, this will help replace the associated power loss. The agreement follows a September announcement that $200 million will be dispersed to tribes over 20 years to help restore salmon in the Upper Columbia, per High Country News. The idea of dam removal is nothing new. For instance, a project is already underway to nix four hydroelectric dams along Californias Klamath River the first was removed in late 2023, while the remaining three are slated to disappear this year. The move is expected to help restore wild salmon populations. One of the most well-known dam removals in the United States was Washingtons Elwha Dam, which was scrapped in 2011 because of flooding, sediment flow disruptions, and salmon migration blockages. In a recent TikTok video shared by the World Economic Forum, Amy Kober, vice president of communications at the nonprofit American Rivers, said: Its just transforming that entire river. People are consistently amazed at how fast a river can come back to life when a dam is removed. As far as the recent project goes, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs council chairman Jonathan W. Smith Sr. said in a release, We are optimistic that this first of its kind Presidential Memorandum on the Columbia Basin will chart a new course for the federal government that will lead to true restoration of our fisheries. Corinne Sams, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation board of trustees member, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission chair, and Fish and Wildlife Commission chair also approved of the December agreement. As Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) we are bound to the salmon and the rivers these are our life sources, Sams said in a statement. We will not allow extinction to be an option for the salmon, nor for us. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland added: As we commemorate todays historic milestone, the Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to comprehensive and collaborative basin-wide solutions to restoring salmon and other native fish populations. At every step of the way, tribes will continue to have a seat at the table and be integral in our efforts to restore and protect these precious ecosystems. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. HMS Prince of Wales makes its delayed exit from Portsmouth Harbour. It will replace HMS Queen Elizabeth on Nato trials - Paul Jacobs/Paul Jacobs/pictureexclusive.com HMS Prince of Wales has set sail to lead the biggest Nato exercise since the Cold War after being delayed at the last minute. The 3 billion aircraft carrier had to be prepared at short notice after HMS Queen Elizabeth, its sister vessel, pulled out of exercise Steadfast Defender on Norways Arctic coast because of an issue with its starboard propeller coupling. HMS Prince of Wales was due to be deployed on Sunday but was delayed for reasons not made public. Now, after a seven-day turnaround, which included bringing on board 400,000 of food, as well as spare parts for F-35 Lightnings, Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, cold weather kit, and medical stores, the warship has set sail for the North Sea, where it will conduct a weeks training with its air group. HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier departing from Portsmouth Port in September - FINNBARR WEBSTER/GETTY IMAGES The carrier brings the capability of F-35B Lightning stealth fighters from 617 Dambusters Squadron at RAF Marham, submarine hunting and airborne early warning Merlin Mk2 helicopters from RNAS Culdrose, and battlefield Wildcat helicopters of 847 Naval Air Squadron from RNAS Yeovilton. HMS Prince of Wales will lead a carrier strike group of eight ships, with four British, including frigate HMS Somerset and two Tide-class tankers from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, being supported by US, Spanish and Danish vessels. Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, said the militarys ability to deploy hundreds of crew within a week was testament to the skill and ability of the Royal Navy. Mr Shapps added: In an increasingly dangerous world, where it is more important than ever that we stand united with our allies, HMS Prince of Wales will send a powerful message of collective security and deterrence at the head of this multinational strike group. Captain Will Blackett, HMS Prince of Waless commanding officer, said his team had succeeded in bringing the ship to immediate readiness in one week, rather than the usual 30 days. HMS Prince of Wales is now ready to go; we are all looking forward to delivering the mission, he said. HMS Prince of Wales sets sail from Portsmouth Harbour to lead the largest Nato exercise since the Cold War, involving more than 40 vessels - GARETH FULLER/PA Commodore James Blackmore, commander UK Carrier Strike Group, in overall charge of the ship, her air power and escorts, added it was a remarkable achievement to be at sea, given the carrier had been preparing for a substantial maintenance package seven days ago. Once the work-up is complete, the Prince of Wales task group will move to the High North and Exercise Nordic Response, the maritime element of Steadfast Defender, with the emphasis on protecting northern Norway, Sweden and Finland to defend the Nordic nations from attack. Commodore Blackmore added: The UK has an unwavering commitment to Nato and collective deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic region. There is no better demonstration of that than HMS Prince of Wales being at the heart of the upcoming Nato maritime exercises; the largest in over 40 years. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. New College of Florida's, College Hall photographed from the backside facing Sarasota Bay located on the Bayfront side of the Campus. THOMAS BENDER/HERALD-TRIBUNE New College ignores homophobic 'comedy' Just over two weeks ago, at a New College-sanctioned group comedy performance at McCurdy's Comedy Theatre, the college's dean of students performed as a stand-up comic. He joked about Amazonians forcing him and his Peace Corps battalion to have gay sex and how as a child he exposed himself to a little girl, among other things. Opinion: New College's online program is more empty hype from political hucksters Since then, no administrator at New College has expressed disapproval of the deans routine. When some in the wider community found such "wit" questionable, an official college spokesperson simply replied that the college rejected cancel culture and that free speech and free expression were at stake. Write to us: How to send a letter to the editor Of course, the First Amendment is not at issue. What is very much at issue, however, is whether such wit is acceptable under the aegis of any educational institution be it high school, university or college. Justus D. Doenecke, Emeritus Professor of History, New College of Florida, Sarasota Let local government control local issues As stated in Proposed vacation rental fee restrictions examined, a story published Feb. 9, the Florida governing elite have decided that it would be good for Florida if more laws were enacted to control how localities govern. They want to take charge of the minutiae of day-to-day governance that localities are best able to manage, such as parking and the above-noted rental oversight. Wouldnt it be better to have local control based on local knowledge of how to solve local problems? To paraphrase a famous conservative president: The most terrifying words in the English language are, Im from the Florida state government and Im here to help. Thomas Perkins, Bradenton AP story omits Bidens poor memory As a former reporter and editor, I was appalled with The Associated Press story, No charges sought for Biden over docs in the Herald-Tribune on Feb. 9. One had to go down to the 15th paragraph to read Hurs report said criminal charges were not merited for multiple reasons. However, the story left out one reason cited by almost all the major media (including NPR, NBC and CNN): Bidens poor memory. NBC reported Biden couldnt remember when he was vice president or when his son Beau died. Even USA TODAY reported the following:In addition to raising national security questions, the report said Biden presented himself as an elderly man with poor memory. Is your newspaper trying to cover for a person who probably should not be our president now, much less reelected for a second term as a world leader? Sidna B. Mitchell, Venice Despite greatest memory, Trump forgetful For those who are making an issue of President Joe Bidens recollection while giving testimony, remember this: Former President Donald Trump has boasted at various points that he has one of the great memories of all time or even the worlds greatest memory. And yet, Trump said he couldnt remember 36 times in response to special counsel Robert Muellers questions. He told the prosecutors that he had no memory of what they were asking about, employing several formulations to make the same point: I do not remember. I do not recall. I have no recollection. I have no independent recollection. I have no current recollection. Even Ivanka Trump, his daughter, repeatedly told the Jan. 6 House committee that she could not recall or remember/ the answers to their questions about her actions and conversations on Jan. 6, 2021, including those with her father. According to the transcripts, the phrases dont recall, dont remember or don't know came up more than 300 times among her and investigators while she was being interviewed. U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican, told the House panel he couldn't recall how many times he spoke with Trump on Jan. 6, according to The Washington Post. In case you had forgotten. Carol J. Kennedy, Democratic Area 4 leader, Venice Area Democratic Club Teach role of LGBTQIA+ people in history Florida wants to teach our kindergartners about the evils of communism. Does that mean it will also teach how the Nazis required gay people to wear a pink triangle so they could be rounded up for elimination, along with the Jews? Or will that history be missing due to the Dont Say Gay law? Members of the LGBTQIA+ community have always been around. They are part of history. Schools teach about the Holocaust but do they tell students about Matthew Shepard, a gay student who was tied to a fence and tortured until death? Or Alan Turing, the Englishman who broke the Nazi code but was abused because he was gay? Robin Morgan, Sarasota This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College's leaders refuse to condemn dean's homophobic jokes U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, speaking at a makeshift podium at the John Wright Restaurant overlooking the Susquehanna River, said, I dont think theres ever been anything like this. It was unusual. Elected officials from York and Lancaster counties on both sides of the river, got together on a damp, chilly Monday morning to express their opposition to a hydroelectric energy storage project proposed to be built by Cuffs Run, a few miles downriver. I dont know when something like this ever happened before when elected officials from York and Lancaster counties come together to oppose a project, Smucker said. Upper reservoir and power house site plan for York Energy Storage LLC at Cuffs Run. The opposition among elected officials to the $2.1 billion project, which would include construction of a 580-acre reservoir on the bluff overlooking the river at Cuffs Run, is unanimous, Smucker said. It seemed to be. Attending the Monday morning briefing and press conference were members of the state Legislature and the county commissioners from both counties. The officials have signed a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, expressing their opposition to the project, citing the displacement of more than 40 families, the loss of prime farmland and natural wilderness and when they referred to as the unnecessary nature of the project to justify their opposition. The letter the text wasnt released immediately asked FERC to reject the project. FERC, on Feb. 1, accepted a preliminary permit application from York Energy Storage, a Reading-based company that proposed building the project. The project, which was first proposed in the 1990s and was resurrected and abandoned in 2011, came back to life in 2023. FERC rejected the plans last fall, citing a variety of issues, including that the plans were not as detailed as they needed to be. The company resubmitted revised plans in December. A top map of York Energy Storage LLC at Cuffs Run. Since the project has resurfaced, elected officials have caught a lot of flak from residents who oppose it. State Rep. Wendy Fink, a Republican whose district includes the Chanceford Township site for the proposed project, said her office received many phone calls from her constituents who oppose it. The project, she said, would destroy the lives of families who have lived on that exceptional farmland for generations. We should be supporting our local farmers, not shutting them down, she said. Ken Heffner, chair of the Chanceford Township board of supervisors, put it more bluntly. People, he said, are angry. He said the township welcomes the efforts of national, state and county elected officials to block the project. I dont know if theres anything we can do other than oppose it, he said. Its very important that these people came out. Frankly, we cant fight it. We still have five bridges out from five years ago. Elected officials stressed the environmental impact of the project and the unfairness of it. We have our fair share of dams, said York County President Commissioner Julie Wheeler. We provide our fair share of energy, and we have our fair share of environmental impacts. Wheeler said the project would consume 14 percent of the farmland that York County has worked to preserve and protect from development and cause irreversible damage to rich farmland and natural beauty. Looking directly at the cut where Cuffs Run flows into the Susquehanna River from Chanceford Township on July 10, 2023. State Sen. Kristen Philips-Hill, a Republican who represents the area and who has opposed previous high-voltage power-line projects in southern York County, was blunt, calling the project that would be bigger than the Chesapeake Bay bridge as horrendous. She cited figures that indicated that Maryland would benefit much more from the project than those whose land would be flooded to accommodate it to bolster her argument. Citing figures provided by the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office, she said Pennsylvania produces 81 percent more energy than it consumes while Maryland produces 25 percent less energy than it needs. York County, between its three hydroelectric dams on the Susquehanna and the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, produces more than its fair share of energy, she said. The York Energy Storage project, she said, is intended to serve as a battery to meet the needs of Baltimore and the Washington suburbs. If Maryland needs the energy, she said, let that state find a site for the project. We are a welcoming community, she said. But you are not welcome here. Enough is enough. In response to a question from a reporter, Philips-Hall also cited the fact that the project would consume more energy than it produced. The idea is that the site would pump water into the reservoir during times of low demand and then release it to generate electricity during periods of high demand, when energy prices spike. Pumping the water up the 225-foot-high bluff would consume more energy than its turbines could produce, she said. More: Cuffs Run hydroelectric project gains preliminary approval. Environmental groups oppose it The officials gathered at Mondays event were also unanimous that they did not oppose development of new energy sources. But they said the Cuffs Run project is not the answer. We will do everything we can to stop this project, Smucker, whose district covers 60 percent of York County, said. There is no sense in going forward with this project. Were going to stop it. Columnist/reporter Mike Argento has been a York Daily Record staffer since 1982. Reach him at mike@ydr.com. This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Cuffs Run: York, Lancaster County political leaders oppose project Iraq's foreign ministry announced that Baghdad and Washington have agreed to hold negotiations on the future of the US-led military coalition in Iraq to determine a timeline for a phased withdrawal of troops and the coalition's end. The US-led military coalition was established in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group, the year the jihadist group overran nearly a third of Iraq's territory and swathes of neighboring Syria. Iraq, US Resume Talks General Yehia Rasool, the military spokesman for Iraq's prime minister, said, "The supreme Iraqi military commission resumed its meetings with international coalition forces in Baghdad on Sunday." Rasool noted that as long as nothing disrupts the serenity of their talks, the meetings will occur regularly to achieve the commission's works as soon as possible. He said the discussions were intended to establish a "timeline" for a "progressive pullout" of coalition forces from Iraq, which would lead to the end of its mission. US and allied troops have been targeted more than 165 times in the Middle East since mid-October in attacks related to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose coalition of Iran-backed groups enraged by US support for Israel, has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. The US has retaliated with multiple deadly strikes targeting these groups. Washington has 2,500 soldiers in Iraq and some 900 troops in Syria as part of the coalition against IS. Its forces in Iraq are deployed at the invitation of Baghdad, while those in Syria are stationed in areas outside Syrian government control. Currently, US Marines in Iraq support government forces in their efforts to stop IS militants from resurfacing. In Sunday's statement, Rasool said that talks were now focusing on assessing the threat presented by IS, which has been defeated in Syria and Iraq but still has sleeper cells that carry attacks. He added that the talks were also centering on the capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces. Iraqi authorities want to cooperate in bilateral military cooperation to contribute to the force that will replace the international coalition. However, the procedure is likely to be extended. According to a coalition statement released on Thursday, the goal is "to assess" the progress accomplished in destroying the terrorists and "discuss the future transition" of the coalition's mission. Read Also: Israel Discovers Hamas Command Tunnel Under UNRWA Gaza HQ US Reprisals Against Iran-linked Groups Anger Iraq, Syria The US, which threatened additional strikes, said that Iran-backed forces were responsible for the drone attack on a US base in Jordan on Sunday. However, US forces refrained from attacking inside Iranian territory, with both Washington and Tehran eager to prevent a full-scale conflict. But with tensions already high due to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, both the Syrian and Iraqi governments joined Tehran in accusing Washington of threatening regional stability. According to National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, US aircraft struck "more than 85 targets at seven facilities," four in Syria and three in Iraq. He added that the targets were carefully selected to avoid civilian casualties. Related Article: Iran Expresses Unwavering Support for Hezbollah Amid Rising Tensions, Confrontations With US Forces Michael Dowling, former FirstEnergy executive Former FirstEnergy Corp. executive Michael Dowling is one of the three men indicted on 27 felony violations in connection with the House Bill 6 scandal. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the charges, which include engaging in a corrupt activity, during a Monday news conference. More: Ohio AG announces indictments for ex-FirstEnergy execs, Randazzo in HB 6 scandal Dowling is facing bribery, telecommunications fraud, money laundering, theft and tampering with records charges. Who is Mike Dowling? Dowling rose through the ranks at Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp., starting in the communications department in 1986 and moving up to senior vice president before being fired in October 2020. Dowling worked as a lobbyist for the utility for more than two decades and oversaw local, state and federal government relations and regulatory affairs. Investigation: FirstEnergy says it turned over a new leaf but it's still fighting for secrecy FirstEnergy fired Dowling from his job as senior vice president of external affairs as well as Dennis Chack, another senior vice president, and then CEO Chuck Jones. The firings came the same day that two of five people then charged in the federal investigation took plea deals. Gov. Mike DeWine in July 2019 appointed Dowling to a nine-year term on the University of Akron board of directors a post Dowling resigned from in August 2021. Dowling also is a former director at the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank. Dowling has a bachelor's degree in business and organizational communications from the University of Akron. What was FirstEnergy's role in the scandal? FirstEnergy bankrolled a plan to return Perry County Republican Larry Householder to political power and in turn Householder would champion a $1.3 billion bailout bill to help FirstEnergy's aging nuclear power plants. FirstEnergy plowed $61 million into the efforts to elect Householder as Ohio House speaker, pass the bill and then defend the legislation against a referendum campaign. In July 2021, the company signed a deferred prosecution agreement, admitted its role in a bribery scheme, paid a $230 million fine and pledged to cooperate with federal authorities. It also said it bribed long-time attorney Sam Randazzo with a $4.3 million payment just before Randazzo became chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. What is Dave Yost accusing Michael Dowling and Chuck Jones of? Yost's team said Monday that Dowling and Jones bribed Randazzo to do the bidding of FirstEnergy on the PUCO. In March 2022, FirstEnergy said in court documents that Jones and Dowling were the architects of the bribery scheme. In March 2023, federal jurors found Householder and former Ohio GOP chairman Matt Borges guilty of racketeering conspiracy. Federal prosecutors presented Dowling's communications and meetings with Householder and others as evidence of the bribery scheme. Randazzo pleaded not guilty to 11 counts in a federal indictment unsealed in December 2023. Retired Akron Beacon Journal reporter Jim Mackinnon contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ex-FirstEnergy exec Michael Dowling indicted in HB6 scandal. Who is he House Education Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) is investigating Columbia University over its handling of antisemitism on campus, she informed the school in a Monday letter. Foxx has said for weeks the committee would be expanding antisemitism probes against higher education that began in December with Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Committee on Education and the Workforce is investigating Columbia Universitys response to antisemitism and its failure to protect Jewish students. We have grave concerns regarding the inadequacy of Columbias response to antisemitism on its campus, Foxx wrote to top university officials including President Minouche Shafik and trustees co-Chair David Greenwald. Foxx says the school has had a concerning environment regarding antisemitism for more than two decades and listed incidents before and after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks against Israel. There have been numerous incidents of antisemitic assaults, harassment, and vandalism at Columbia, Foxx said, also pointing to what she called antisemitic remarks from professors and faculty. The committee is giving the school two weeks to produce documents that include all antisemitic incidents since 2021, records showing disciplinary actions against students on the topic and information about club speakers and events that have been requested. This request encompasses responsive materials in the possession of not only Columbia faculty, staff, students, and other affiliates but also individual members of the Columbia Board of Trustees. The request also extends to any informal communications such as texts or other electronic messages, the letter concluded. The new investigation comes as Foxx recently threatened to subpoena Harvard for not handing over materials her panel has requested in its antisemitism probe. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. House Republicans are eyeing a redo on impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week after the conference fell short of penalizing the embattled Cabinet head in a stunning and embarrassing fashion. The House is slated to hold another vote on impeaching Mayorkas on Tuesday, which Republicans expect to be successful, as Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) returns to the Capitol following cancer treatment. If all members are present and vote the same way as last week, and Scalise is supportive of impeachment, the effort will just squeak by. Also this week, the Senate will continue consideration of the $95.3 billion national security supplemental which, if passed, would put pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to move on aid for Ukraine a matter that has emerged as a politically polarizing topic for House Republicans. Senators advanced the package Sunday. Back on the House side, lawmakers may consider legislation related to the nations warrantless surveillance powers this week after Congress approved a short-term extension of the authority last year. Reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) have been the subject of heated debate on Capitol Hill. And all eyes will be on New Yorks 3rd Congressional District this week as voters head to the polls to select a successor to former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who was expelled from Congress last year. Lawmakers are watching the Long Island race closely to see how it will impact the already slim House GOP majority. Mayorkas impeachment take 2 House Republicans will try to impeach Mayorkas again Tuesday, their second attempt in one week after the effort failed on the House floor. This time around, however, they are bullish about their odds as Scalise makes his way back to Washington. The vote to impeach Mayorkas failed in a 214-216 vote last week, after three GOP lawmakers opposed the effort and Scalise did not vote because he was undergoing cancer treatment, buying Mayorkas some more time without having the mark of impeachment on his tenure. Republicans, however, are optimistic that they will be able to impeach the embattled Cabinet secretary this week: If all lawmakers are present and vote the same way as last week, and Scalise supports impeachment, the final tally would be 216-215, just enough support to penalize Mayorkas. The three Republicans who opposed impeachment last week Reps. Ken Buck (Colo.), Tom McClintock (Calif.) and Mike Gallagher (Wis.) are unlikely to change their votes. Buck told The Hill after the first referendum that he is not switching my vote if the articles were to come back to the floor, and Gallagher announced over the weekend that he will not run for reelection this year, untethering him from any political ramifications his vote could come with. Republicans are accusing Mayorkas of willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law, based on allegations that he violated immigration laws by failing to detain a sufficient number of migrants, as well as breach of trust, which accuses him of not carrying out his responsibilities, misleading Congress and obstructing its investigation. During an interview with NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday, Mayorkas called the GOPs claims against him baseless allegations. Thats why I really am not distracted by them and focused on the work of the Department of Homeland Security. Asked if he bears responsibility for the situation at the border, Mayorkas put the onus on Congress to approve legislation. A bipartisan group of senators unveiled a border security agreement earlier this month, but conservatives in both chambers quickly squashed it. It certainly is a crisis, and, well, we dont bear responsibility for a broken system, and were doing a tremendous amount within that broken system, he said. But, fundamentally, fundamentally, Congress is the only one who can fix this. Senate moves ahead with supplemental The Senate will continue consideration of the $95.3 billion foreign aid package this week following a weekend session that stretched into Super Bowl Sunday. The chamber advanced the supplemental which includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies in a 67-27 vote Sunday, clearing a third procedural hurdle in the past week. The next vote on the legislation is slated for Monday at 8:30 p.m., unless lawmakers are able to reach a time agreement which is unlikely as conservatives vow to slow down the process in protest of the foreign aid. Leadership, however, has still not landed a deal on amendment votes. Republican Senators are demanding votes on border provisions. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Sundays successful vote a significant step toward passing the measure, and said the bipartisan tally which included 18 GOP yes votes was a strong signal that this bill has the support it needs to get through this chamber. Advancing this bill today was precisely the right thing to do, he added. Our friends abroad are watching closely how we vote in the upcoming days. Ukrainian fighters are watching. And you can be sure Vladimir Putin is watching the Senate, too. Senate passage of the supplemental, which could happen this week, would place significant pressure on the House to move on aid for Ukraine. Support for Kyiv has become a hot-button issue in the House GOP conference, with an increasing number of Republican lawmakers becoming skeptical of additional aid for the embattled U.S. ally. Johnson would not comment on the Senate supplemental last week, reserving judgment until the upper chamber sends it over. Look, well see what the Senate does, Johnson told reporters. Were allowing the process to play out, and well handle it as it is sent over. I have made very clear that you have to address these issues on their own merits. Potential House vote on FISA legislation The House may vote on legislation related to the U.S.s warrantless surveillance powers this week, according to the schedule from Scalises office, bringing the hot-button issue back to the forefront after lawmakers failed to reach a consensus on reforms last year. It is unclear what FISA-related legislation the chamber will consider. But it comes after the House and Senate both passed a short-term FISA extension in December as part of the annual defense policy bill extending FISAs Section 702 until the middle of April. Congress went ahead with a short-term extension after lawmakers were unable to agree on reforms to the warrantless surveillance powers. In December, the House was slated to vote on competing FISA reform bills one championed by the House Judiciary Committee, the other the House Intelligence Committee setting the stage for a floor showdown. Members on the Judiciary panel had pushed for a requirement that the government receives a warrant before it reviews information on Americans communicating with those abroad who are swept up in the surveillance process. Intelligence Committee lawmakers, however, saw that as weakening the purpose of the surveillance powers and preventing law enforcement from sifting through information it may need to act on immediately. In a strategy known as Queen of the Hill, Johnson planned to send whichever bill garnered more support to the Senate for consideration. But the Speaker nixed those plans before the House Rules Committee was scheduled to consider the pair of bills, and Congress instead moved forward with the short-term extension. Voters to select Santos successor in NY-3 Voters in New Yorks 3rd Congressional District will select a new individual to represent them in Washington this week, filling the seat vacated by Santos following his expulsion in December. The race between former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) and Republican Mazi Pilip has taken on outsized importance on the national stage because of its implications for the party breakdown in the House. If Pilip wins the seat, holding it over from the Santos era, the breakdown in the House would be 220-212, meaning the GOP conference could lose three GOP lawmakers on any party-line vote with full attendance and still see success. But if Suozzi wins his seat back, flipping the district from red to blue, the House split would be 219-213, meaning Republicans can only lose two of their own on party-line votes with full attendance and still get their efforts over the finish line. An Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill poll released last week showed Suozzi with a narrow lead over Pilip, 50 percent to 47 percent. Three percent of respondents said they were undecided. But when the undecided batch was required to choose a candidate, Suozzis lead expanded over Pilip, 52 percent to 48 percent. Both leads, however, are within the polls margin of error. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Joe Tate (D-Detroit) has taken action against Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) following several social media posts on the platform X which are being called racist and hate speech by many of their colleagues. Rep. Schriver had re-posted a map on Feb. 6, allegedly showing where white people live in comparison with communities of color across the world. At the bottom of the map, it declares The great replacement! State Rep. Josh Schriver (R-Oxford) (Photo: MI House of Rep.) The Great Replacement Theory is a popular white supremacist theory that communities of color are replacing traditionally Caucasian communities, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The original X post was shared by right-wing media personality Jack Posobiec. After initial reactions condemning the post including from Speaker Tate, who called the posts blatantly racist Rep. Schriver doubled down on the Great Replacement Theory rhetoric with several related posts of his own. Tate spoke out again Monday morning in a press release. I will not allow the Michigan House of Representatives to be a forum for the proliferation of racist, hateful and bigoted speech, House Speaker Tate said. Representative Schriver has a history of promoting debunked theories and dangerous rhetoric that jeopardizes the safety of Michigan residents and contributes to a hostile and uncomfortable environment for others. The House of Representatives is the peoples house, and all Michiganders should look upon this body and take pride in how we conduct ourselves. It is also a workplace, and I have a responsibility to make sure the employees of the House feel safe and secure. Tate said he will withhold the office allotment for Schriver, and the representatives staff will be reassigned. Tate is also removing Schriver from assignments on the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Committee, and the resources typically made available to a representative will be held by the House Business Office. According to Tate, these resources are provided at the discretion and pleasure of the Speaker. Schriver will continue as a representative and will still be able to vote on legislation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. A key parliamentary committee's report noted that the British government's Rwanda deportation deal is fundamentally flawed and is incompatible with the United Kingdom's human rights safeguards. The Joint Committee on Human Rights said that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan jeopardized the UK's international reputation. The Rwanda bill will be debated in detail by the House of Lords this week and will face substantial opposition. Rishi Sunak's Rwanda Deportation Plan Even if Sunak's Rwanda bill passes, it is unclear whether or not flights will ever take off in the future. The British prime minister's controversial legislation was approved by MPs last month despite substantial opposition. Sunak's own party was split over the plan and the immigration minister at the time quit his post, declaring that it would not work properly. Under the proposed scheme, which has so far cost $366 million, the UK will block claims for asylum for any individual arriving over the English Channel. The region would instead send them on a one-way trip to Rwanda and the local government has promised to consider their cases for protection. The UK Supreme Court previously ruled that Rwanda is not a safe country because it could send victims of abuses, including torture, back to nations that they have fled from, as per BBC. However, if Sunak's proposed bill is passed by Parliament, British judges will be told to find the country is a safe place without considering the evidence a second time. The cross-party Joint Committee on Human Rights said that the bill would deny nearly all asylum seekers the legal right to ask an independent court to assess their case to remain in the UK. The report noted that the principle that individuals cannot be removed from a country to face a real risk of persecution, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or death is a core principle of international law. It noted that this is something that the UK has committed itself to on numerous occasions over the past seven decades. Read Also: Russia Is Looking To Exchange American Journalist Evan Gershkovich For Alleged Assassin Vadmin Krasikov Breaching International Law The committee argued that while Rwanda has pledged in a new treaty with the UK to work on improving its human rights safeguards, there was no guarantee that it would work in practice. It noted that the courts remain the most appropriate branch of the state to resolve contested issues of fact. Sunak's Rwanda deportation bill is part of the UK government's attempts to curb the rising number of migrants who are arriving in England. They have made dangerous crossings, often in unseaworthy vessels, of one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, according to The National News. The legislation would also place the responsibility on ministers to decide whether or not to comply with interim rulings that are issued by judges at the European Court of Human Rights. It therefore "openly invites the possibility of the UK breaching international law." The situation comes after the UK's upper house of parliament last month voted to delay Sunak's Rwanda bill. It came despite the prime minister urging members of the unelected House of Lords to back his proposal, which he characterized as the will of the people, said Aljazeera. Related Article: Sudan's Prolonged Conflict Sparks Dire Migrant Crisis By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) -International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday he was deeply concerned about reports of bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Khan posted on X after airstrikes in the city that is the last refuge of about a million displaced civilians. The prosecutor said the court was "actively investigating any crimes allegedly committed" in Gaza and that "those who are in breach of the law will be held accountable". He later told Reuters that half of the population of Gaza is currently concentrated around Rafah, "reportedly six times its normal concentration". "When you have a population that is 60% children and women by all accounts, the risks to civilians are profound", he said. "This situation is one that I give the utmost priority to. It's an issue that we're moving forward on." Israel is not a member of the Hague-based court and does not recognise its jurisdiction. But Khan said in October his court had jurisdiction over any potential war crimes carried out by Hamas Palestinian militants in Israel and by Israelis in the Gaza Strip. Israel denies committing atrocities in its attacks on Gaza, which followed the Hamas cross-border raid on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 240 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. More than four months on, much of the densely-populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said four Hamas battalions are in Rafah, and that Israel cannot achieve its goal of eliminating the Islamist militants while they remain there. Civilians should be evacuated from the combat zone, it said. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch, Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Alison Williams and Andrew Heavens) Nearly two years ago, police in North Idaho had the leader of Americas largest white nationalist group and 30 of his followers unmasked, zip-tied and in custody. Theyd been caught on June 11, 2022, based on a tip that said a little army of masked men had been seen filing into the back of a U-Haul truck. Coeur dAlene police pulled open the back door, found a squadron of men equipped with white masks, metal flag poles, homemade sheet-metal riot shields and a smoke grenade. And on the groups leader, Thomas Rousseau, police found a note laying out a detailed plan to establish a confrontational dynamic at that days gay pride festival. Rousseau is the head of Patriot Front, a secretive racist organization of young men that has been running a guerrilla marketing campaign for white nationalism since the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. Patriot Front frequently targets minority communities with racist propaganda vandalism, said Jeff Tischauser, research analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center, an anti-hate organization. They spray-paint over gay pride murals. They deface George Floyd memorials. And they show up to events like Coeur dAlenes Pride in the Park with masks, shields and smoke bombs in an attempt to intimidate participants into staying home, he said. But this time, every one of them was arrested, booked into jail and charged by local prosecutors with conspiracy to riot by disturbing the peace. Anti-extremism experts have been watching the case closely ever since, hoping Patriot Front would face consequences. The prosecution in Coeur dAlene finally had an opportunity to hold them accountable for their harassment and their intimidation of the diverse community, Tischauser said. Instead, Rousseaus case never got to trial. While most of Rousseaus underlings have either been found guilty of conspiracy to riot or pleaded to a lesser infraction, Judge John Cafferty dismissed the case against the white nationalist leader in November. This is an important case. It should not be dismissed lightly, Cafferty said, according to court transcripts. I tried to do what I could to not get to this point. But after a year and a half of delays, lost evidence and failures of prosecutors to follow court orders, he said he didnt have a choice. The prosecutors, on the other hand, blamed judges and defense attorneys for the case devolving into a forum for fishing expeditions justified by nothing more than bumper sticker claims. In all, it highlights just how difficult it is for an overwhelmed and understaffed team of prosecutors to take on a case involving so many extremists at once. Its one reason why, Kris Goldsmith, head of an anti-fascist research organization, said the Patriot Front case should not have been handled by local prosecutors to begin with. Expecting a city prosecutor to take on a national white supremacist organization is disappointing, Goldsmith said. The FBI is just sitting on their hands. In fact, court documents suggest, the FBI made prosecuting Patriot Front a lot harder. OVERLOADED, UNDERSTAFFED The Coeur dAlene community has already had plenty of practice defying hate groups. Over two decades ago, community members stood up to white supremacist Richard Butler and the other neo-Nazis on his Aryan Nations compound in nearby Hayden Lake. And Patriot Front had targeted the city repeatedly with graffiti and racist propaganda fliers. We need to catch these people, Steve Widmyer, then mayor of Coeur dAlene, wrote in 2021 after a local college was targeted that August. Disgusting. In 2022, police caught 31 of them at once. Yet, the size of the catch, ironically, may have helped the biggest fish get away. Even the limited size of local courtrooms quickly became a problem. We could have asked to join all 31 cases, but the reality is that Kootenai County does not have a facility to handle something like that, Wes Somerton, the head of Coeur dAlenes criminal prosecutors, later told the court. Instead the prosecutors office initially charged all the cases separately, though they later tried to combine them. While prosecutors did not return interview requests from InvestigateWest, court records show how the sheer size of the caseload quickly clogged up the local judicial system. The city prosecutors handling the cases had to pinball between the courts of nine judges. Scheduling alone was a nightmare: One week, there were two different Patriot Front trials scheduled before two different judges in two different courtrooms, involving the same witnesses. As a small city, there are only four attorneys in the city prosecutors office, tasked with handling all misdemeanors and infractions within city limits. And then, in the middle of the Patriot Front prosecutions, one of the four went on paternity leave, meaning prosecutors were left pulling double-docket duty. A prescheduled summer vacation meant every case on the docket had to be handled by two prosecutors. In July 2023, neither remaining city prosecutor showed up for a scheduled hearing in one Patriot Front case. Judge Destry Randles was unsympathetic. The court is not in the business of tracking down attorneys when they are not where they are supposed to be, Randles said, according to court transcripts. Similarly, after Deputy City Attorney Ryan Hunter was chastised for failing to get the defense some court-required information, he pointed to the short-staffed prosecutors office for why it slipped his mind. In court documents, he wrote that hed fallen victim to the ever-present cracks into which things fall for every person, attorney and judge alike at some point. A number of Patriot Front members, meanwhile, were represented by aggressive private attorneys, paid at a rate of $150 an hour by the Kootenai County taxpayers, instead of a harried public defenders office. The public defenders office had concluded theyd only be able to represent one of the 31 defendants without there being a conflict of interest. So for the others who couldnt afford an attorney, the county recruited other local private lawyers to pinch-hit. After trying to represent himself for six months, Rousseau applied for a public defender in December 2022. Instead, he was handed private attorney Kinzo Mihara. Mihara was a Marine veteran whod been given a Carnegie Medal for dragging a man from a burning helicopter cockpit, and not afraid to brag about it in court. He worked evenings and weekends to get caught up on the Patriot Front case, according to an affidavit. He unleashed repeated salvos of bombast against the prosecutors, declaring in one court document that the prosecution team spits upon the grave, and defiles the memory, of the Patriots who gave their last drop of blood and dying breaths in support of our great Constitution. In court filings, Hunter accused Mihara of hyperbolic hostility and vitriol, of being self-congratulatory and braggadocious, and of abandoning professionalism in favor of performative advocacy. But ultimately Miharas tactics worked. He managed to turn a key collection of evidence what may have seemed like a massive coup for law enforcement into the prosecutions downfall. LOST CELLPHONE After officers had arrested Patriot Front members, theyd hauled away a potential treasure trove of evidence: 37 Patriot Front devices, according to police records, including cellphones wrapped in signal-blocking foil, SD cards, GoPro cameras and a USB stick. In all, there were roughly 3,500 gigabytes worth of everything from Hitler pictures to swastika logos to in one case child pornography. It was like opening Pandoras box, one judge later said. The Patriot Front cases ground to a halt as defense attorneys demanded time to sift through all the new information. The data didnt help the prosecutors. Some judges had ruled the police didnt have probable cause for the July 11 arrest of Patriot Front and barred them from using it. But the defense thought it could help them. If one of those cellphones had information that could help prove a defendants innocence, then the defense was legally entitled to see it. Mihara argued there just might be. In court documents, he wrote that the cellphone of a Patriot Front videographer potentially contained a video of Patriot Front leadership instructing members to refrain from violence and to be respectful while protesting Pride in the Park. Just one problem: The police had already handed all 37 devices over to the FBI, before a sealed federal warrant had been signed. Mihara called the move ludicrous. In an email to InvestigateWest, the Coeur dAlene Police Department said they would have likely sent them to the FBI anyway, as they have an electronic forensics lab that could process the phones in a timely manner whereas our agency resources would have taken months to complete. But that analysis took more than seven months to complete, according to court records. And when they were finally done, the FBI wouldnt give back the actual phones. (The FBI declined to comment for this story.) Mihara was incensed. The idea that a prosecutor could simply hide evidence by sending it to a federal agency, he wrote in a court filing, embodies the very tyranny our forefathers saw in their British masters. At one moment, the runaround turned into a full circle: The prosecution encouraged defense attorneys to reach out to the FBI. The FBI told them to talk to the city prosecutors. And even when the city shared the FBIs electronic copy of the data, it wasnt good enough, Mihara said. His digital forensics expert testified that the data was wildly incomplete. They needed to see the physical phone itself. That was impossible, as prosecutors formally acknowledged in court on Aug. 2. They didnt have the power to tell the FBI to give the phone back. Legally, at least, the evidence was lost. Several judges werent happy. There is no faith in the process when the prosecutor can play hide the ball with evidence, Judge Randles said. Hunter had argued that even if a cellphone video of Patriot Front leaders urging nonviolence did exist and that was doubtful it was irrelevant. Patriot Front wasnt even being accused of planning violence, just of disturbing the peace. Yet the frustration in courtrooms over the prosecutions approach was building. Court transcripts show a litany of complaints from several judges: Prosecutors had released evidence to the defense in drips and drabs. Filings were coming in late. Necessary objections werent being properly filed. Court orders to disclose werent being followed. The city would claim theyd turned over everything, only to announce they found more they needed to turn over. Finally, one judge had had enough. I have never, in my 10 years, seen anything that even approaches this level of failure to properly disclose evidence, Randles said, according to court transcripts. In August, he dismissed the case against one Patriot Front defendant, Richard Jessop of Idaho. In November, Judge Cafferty followed suit, dismissing the case against Rousseau. Richard Jessop was unmasked during the 2022 arrest of Patriot Front members in Coeur dAlene. His case was ultimately dismissed in August 2023, with the judge accusing the prosecution of playing games with the evidence. When judges did allow the Patriot Front cases to reach the jury, however, the Coeur dAlene prosecutors had been undefeated. Juries were convinced by the prosecutors arguments that while Patriot Front had the free speech right to protest, their anarchist tactics of unlawfully violating other peoples First Amendment rights should not be tolerated. Seven Patriot Front members were convicted of conspiracy to riot sentenced to a few days in jail, a year or two of probation, a $1,000 fine, and were banned from the area around the park. (Mihara is representing four of them on appeal.) Twenty took plea deals, copping to participating in a parade without a permit and getting off with a fine. Four, including the videographer, have bench warrants out for their arrest. And the Patriot Front phone with the child porn on it? It belonged to Patriot Front member Jared Boyce of Utah. He was convicted on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and sentenced to a year in jail. Coeur dAlene is appealing two cases that had been dismissed, though Somerton, one of the two prosecutors overseeing it, is retiring in April. My client looks forward to the day that this case is ultimately put to rest in his favor, Mihara wrote in a statement to InvestigateWest. But for now, Rousseau the man behind everything has been able to walk away. CIVIL ACTION This January, 19 months after police caught him in the U-Haul, Rousseau marched through New York wearing sunglasses and a cowboy hat no mask, no Idaho criminal conviction and shared a message of defiance. Every day, every year were going to stay out here, Rousseau told onlookers in a video shared on social media. Were going to keep doing demonstrations. Were going to keep making ourselves known. Rousseau did not respond to an interview request InvestigateWest sent to his phone number listed on court documents. Goldsmith, from the anti-fascist research organization, has argued that theres a slew of strategies the FBI could take against Rousseau, including getting him on tax evasion. The FBI has everything they need to take down this little gangster-wanna-be and his crew of neo-Nazis, Goldsmith said. But Coeur dAlenes history suggests another course, which has often been the more reliable route for those aiming to take on extremists. Ultimately, it was a civil lawsuit, brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center nearly 25 years ago, that bankrupted the Aryan Nations and forced them to sell their compound. In fact, civil cases, with their lower burdens of proof, have often been the more reliable route for those aiming to take on extremists. They were used against the organizers of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. And theyre already being used elsewhere against Patriot Front. Less than a month after being arrested in Idaho, Patriot Front marched in Boston, where they allegedly kicked, punched and beat with their metal shields a Black musician who confronted them. Today, hes suing them. While Patriot Front may gloat about its victory in Idaho, Tischauser, with the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that the white nationalist group appears weaker these days. Even in Texas, Rousseaus home base, he said, the amount of Patriot Front fliers being distributed has fallen by 30 percent. He believes the culmination of all the litigation is taking its toll. Even a failed prosecution can be valuable in the long term, Goldsmith said. The evidence that comes out in discovery is enough to establish what will be criminal and civil liability in other jurisdictions, Goldsmith said. Tom Rousseau will fade into irrelevance and will spend the rest of his life in debt. And those around him, the top lieutenants in Patriot Front, will be tied to him like an anchor. InvestigateWest (invw.org) is an independent news nonprofit dedicated to investigative journalism in the Pacific Northwest. A Report for America corps member, Daniel Walters covers democracy and extremism across the region. He can be reached at daniel@invw.org . Executive Director of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol speaks during the Annual Meeting 2019 of the World Economic Forum. Birol believes nuclear power is making "a strong comeback" around the world. Valeriano Di Domenico/World Economic Forum/dpa The head of the international Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, believes nuclear power is making "a strong comeback" around the world. This applies in France, Asia, North America, the Middle East and elsewhere, he told dpa ahead of the association's ministerial meeting in Paris on Tuesday. "After the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, many countries have understood the importance of nuclear together with renewables, homegrown electricity generation," he said. Birol struck a critical tone when it came to Germany's nuclear phase-out, which was completed last year: "If I was a government where there was a technology which was running in [sic] impeccable terms, without having any challenges, to leave them aside and look at the options which would on one hand increase my reliance on other countries, which also would lead to increase of emissions, I would have given a second thought." The Belgian government had pursued a similar policy before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and then decided against it, he pointed out. Birol said the issue of nuclear waste is a serious challenge, but argued that this problem could be solved and was not a reason to "throw the technology aside." Representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have arrived in Kyiv on a working visit to discuss with authorities the goals of Kyiv's economic policy and the challenges facing the nations economy. Source: a statement by Vahram Stepanyan, IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Quote: "An IMF team, led by Uma Ramakrishnan, Deputy Director of the Funds European Department, starts meetings today in Kyiv with the Ukrainian authorities and other stakeholders. The discussions will focus on the authorities economic objectives and the challenges facing the Ukrainian economy." Details: The official added that the IMF team will also participate in the inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee of the IMF-administered Ukraine Capacity Development Fund on 13 February. During the meeting, the parties will discuss priorities for strengthening Ukraine's capacity and the IMF's support for this critical task. Following these meetings, an IMF mission led by Gavin Gray will begin discussions with Ukrainian authorities in Warsaw on 17 February in the context of the third review of the IMF-supported Extended Fund Facility. Background: In order to implement the agreements with the IMF, the Ukrainian government adopted a resolution on 27 December amending the procedures governing the provision of state financial support to businesses. Support UP or become our patron! Duvan Thomas Perez was just 16 when he was fatally injured while cleaning machinery at a Mississippi slaughterhouse. The penalty for the Mar-Jac Poultry processing plant was just $212,646 in federal fines and 17 safety citations, despite the incident being one in a series. Mar-Jac Poultry is aware of how dangerous the machinery they use can be when safety standards are not in place to prevent serious injury and death. The companys inaction has directly led to this terrible tragedy, which has left so many to mourn this childs preventable death, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Osha) regional administrator, Kurt Petermeyer, said in a statement last month. But it was not the first time the factory had had a workplace death or faced citations for safety procedure violations in recent years. Despite previous incidents, and as the Mississippi factory became notorious, Mar-Jac continued to receive only fines. Now experts, outraged at the latest death, are demanding stronger consequences for companies that violate safety procedures and use child labor. Experts are also arguing that Perezs death highlights how immigrant minors may be more vulnerable to dangerous working conditions. The fines imposed by Osha on this particular poultry plant are not sufficient to deter massive exploitation of child migrants, especially undocumented child migrants, Elora Mukherjee, a professor of law at Columbia Law School in New York, said. The fine is more than $200,000, [but] the profits that this company and other [similar] companies make are far, far greater, she said. Perezs family is suing Mar-Jac, arguing that the company has long failed to follow health and safety regulations, as well as suing a staffing contractor and some individuals, WLOX reported. Now, in addition to the safety sanctions, Osha is investigating Mar-Jac Poultry for possible US child labor law violations. Perez, who had migrated to the US from Guatemala, suffered a gruesome death while cleaning meat-processing equipment, despite minors being prohibited by federal law from working in slaughterhouses as it is deemed too dangerous. Mar-Jac did not respond to the Guardians request for comment. Perezs death was the third fatality at the Mississippi plant in under three years. In May 2021, a 48-year-old employee was fatally injured after his shirtsleeve became caught on a machine. Another employee, a 33-year-old man, was killed in December 2020 after a co-worker inserted an airhose into his rectum and released pressurized air, causing fatal injuries. Other children besides Perez have been fatally injured at workplaces across the US as child labor violations increase nationwide, according to the Department of Labor. Months after Perezs death, another 16-year-old boy, this time in Wisconsin, was killed after becoming trapped in machinery at the Florence Hardwoods sawmill. Osha fined Florence Hardwoods $1.4m after investigators discovered that minors had been operating equipment without adequate training or in line with safety requirements, CBS News reported. Overall, immigrant children are more vulnerable to working in illegal and exploitative conditions. Ivon Padilla-Rodriguez, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said that minors who need to support themselves or family members but may not be able to work legally risk being led into exploitative work environments. Work authorization allows people who have entered the country legally, or who have been granted temporary status to stay in the US, the ability to legally work, but approval can be a lengthy, complicated process, often taking months. For those old enough, they should have access to safe and regulated employment opportunities via work authorization, Padilla-Rodriguez said. Unless the US is going to offer the children cash assistance to alleviate their and their families financial precarity, some of the kids are still going to have to work, she added. Immigrant minors face the same challenges as other immigrants when it comes to navigating workplace safety, but with the added obstacle of being children, said Terri Gerstein, the director of New York Universitys Wagner labor initiative. They dont know [what] resources are available to help them. People may be afraid that if they report violations, theyll be retaliated against and then theyll lose their jobs, Gerstein said. Employers are also not being held accountable for poor working conditions amid a lack of workplace investigators to ensure enforcement and meaningful consequences for violations, Gerstein said. Osha and other labor regulators, those in charge of tracking violations, are very, very underfunded and under resourced, she added. Some states, like Florida, do not have a state labor department that monitors violations, meaning many labor violations, including those involving children, go unprosecuted, Gerstein added. Even if you have really high fines, if you dont have enough enforcers to do the work, the fines are not going to be that salient to employers, she said. Gerstein and Mukherjee said that companies can also avoid consequences for illegally employing children by using subcontractors to staff plants, then saying they were unaware of illegal hiring. Related: It should never have happened: death of boy, 16, at sawmill highlights rise of child labour in US The parent company can say: Oh, we didnt know. We relied on and trusted a subcontractor, Mukherjee said. Those corporations at the top that really have the ability to stop and prevent the violations, distance themselves from the violations and avoid responsibility, Gerstein added. Perez was hired to work at the Mar-Jac plant by the Alabama-based subcontractor Onin Staffing, and used the identity of a 32-year-old man to get the job, NBC News reported. Larry Stine, an attorney for Mar-Jac, told NBC that the company had been surprised to learn Perez was actually 16 and blamed his hiring on the staffing agency. Onin Staffing did not respond to the Guardians request for comment. For wealthier companies with sizable profits, like Mar-Jac, fines, which are calculated based on a federal statute, are not a sufficient deterrent given substantial profits, Mukherjee said. Even when companies face violations, the parents of children discovered to be illegally working may face legal consequences, too. When investigators discovered the use of illegal child labor at Packers Sanitation, a Nebraska slaughterhouse, the parents of at least one child faced jail time and possible deportation, the Washington Post first reported. Gerstein and Mukherjee argue that the government must pass several laws that would implement harsher punishments for employers who violate child labor laws, including bringing criminal sanctions against employers for severe violations, like workplace fatalities. Other policy changes proposed include allowing injured children to pursue personal injury lawsuits against employers in more states, even when they were hired illegally, or increasing financial penalties for violations. Enforcement mechanisms that would work more effectively include much larger fines, more detailed and serious investigations, criminal sanctions and creating conditions so that child migrants wouldnt be in positions of needing to work in such exploitative conditions, Mukherjee said. NEW YORK Tom Suozzi and Mazi Melesa Pilip, the two candidates vying in a Long Island special election to fill ex-Rep. George Santos seat, are vowing to pull out all the stops to win despite an impending major snowstorm that could have a dramatic impact on Tuesdays hotly contested race. With an estimated 8 inches of snow expected to fall in the New York City area, Democrat and his opponent Pilip, whos running on the Republican line, are hoping to make sure their supporters brave the bad weather to vote in person on Election Day. The race has been characterized as having serious implications for Congress and a preview of what will drive voters to the polls in November. We have very good early return results in the early voting and the absentee ballots, and it looks like the weather gets better later in the day, Suozzi told reporters at a campaign stop at a bakery in Glen Cove. Despite the predicted worst snowstorm in two years, Republicans may benefit from the vaunted Nassau County Republican Party organization, which has been known to drive higher turnout among its loyal supporters for years in good weather and bad. Nassau Republicans are energized and eager to support Mazi in this special election, said Brian Devine, a spokesman for Pilip. We are confident that regardless of the forecasted weather, our people will flock to the polls and send Mazi to Washington, D.C. Neither campaign shared details about their get out the vote plans, but insisted they would be ready. Nassau Republicans in particularly have mounted an aggressive door-to-door campaign to encourage votes for Pilip, while Suozzi has leaned heavily on volunteers from local unions. Suozzi and the Democrats have enjoyed a major advantage in TV ad spending but it remains to be seen if that translates into voters battling the snow to cast ballots for him. Election officials say polls will be open as usual from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the 3rd Congressional District that spans the North Shore and a slice of northeast Queens. Forecasters say the snow will start overnight and already be falling in earnest by dawn Tuesday when voting gets underway and will continue through the afternoon before the storm moves away later in the day. Some analysts say the storm could give Suozzi an edge because more Democrats than Republicans banked their votes by already voting by mail or casting ballots during the nine days of in-person early voting. Republicans, on the other hand, typically prefer to vote in person on Election Day, especially since the 2020 presidential election when former President Trump decried mail-in voting as a liberal scam and blamed his loss to President Biden in part on Democrats voting by mail during the COVID pandemic. The snowstorm could weaken the Republican edge on Election Day if people are too busy trying to cope with shoveling their homes and cars out to go to the polls. Public schools will be closed in New York City, potentially making it more difficult for parents to vote. Estimates say Democrats had a 11% edge over Republicans among the nearly 50,000 voters who cast votes during the nine days of early voting, compared with a 7.8% edge in the 2020 race that Santos won in an upset. Team Blue has a 29% edge among the 12,694 votes cast by absentee ballot, also slightly better than in 2022. GOP-friendly analysts warn those figures dont necessarily mean voters backed Suozzi. They also point out that Santos won by 7.5% despite not-dissimilar early vote numbers. Independents make up nearly 30% of voters in the district, meaning they will likely determine the winner of Tuesdays vote. In a heart-wrenching turn of events, a one-month-old infant in Missouri tragically lost her life after her mother mistakenly placed her in an oven, thinking it was the crib. Mariah Thomas of Kansas City has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child following this devastating incident. As of now, court records do not reflect whether Thomas has legal representation. Mother's Error Leads to Baby's Death The dreadful episode unfolded on a Friday afternoon when the authorities responded to a distressing report of an infant not breathing. Upon arrival at the scene, responders were met with a harrowing sight- the child bore apparent burns and was pronounced dead on-site. According to a probable cause statement, a witness recounted a chilling detail to the responders, revealing that the mother had mistakenly placed the infant in the oven instead of the crib while attempting to put her down for a nap. The statement did not delve into the specifics of how such a grievous error occurred, leaving many questions unanswered. The scene described by the authorities was nothing short of distressing. Charging documents indicate that the infant sustained severe burns, and the situation was deemed "gruesome" by law enforcement officials. Police discovered the baby lying in a car seat inside the home, with evident thermal injuries on various parts of her body. Additionally, the infant's clothing had melted onto her diaper. "She was clothes in a bodysuit over a diaper. The clothing appeared to have melted into the diaper, and it was very dirty, possibly burned on the backside," a police affidavit read. "A baby blanket with significant burn marks was located in the living room and was collected." Read Also: Harmony Mongomery: Father Fatally Punched Daughter, Wanted to Use Handsaw, Blender to Hide Body, Ex-Wife Reveals Prosecutor Mourns Infant's Loss, Calls for Justice Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker expressed profound sorrow over the loss of the infant's life, acknowledging the gravity of the tragedy. Baker, in a statement, highlighted the need for the criminal justice system to respond fittingly to such appalling circumstances. "We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life," the prosecutor said in a statement, as reported by The Guardian. "We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances." Further details provided by detectives shed light on the sequence of events leading up to the infant's untimely demise. The child's grandparents, who had left the home earlier that morning, received a distressing call from the child's mother, who was hysterical, informing them of the grave mistake. Upon returning home, the grandfather discovered the tragic scene, with the smell of smoke permeating the air and the baby lifeless in her crib. The mother, in a state of distress, confessed to accidentally placing the infant in the oven. If found guilty, Thomas faces a potential sentence ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. Related Article: Texas Mother Tortures 5 Children, Attempts to Put 3-Year-Old Daughter in Hot Oven Opelika, Ala. (WRBL) Local chef Nick Howard emerged as a hero during Monday mornings flash flooding in east Alabama as he rescued a distressed woman trapped in her car behind Opelikas Piggly Wiggly on First Avenue. The woman was attempting to navigate the roadway when she got stuck, and the water started rising. Howard walked down to take a picture of the roadway when he saw the woman trapped in her car. Wading into the water, Howard escorted the woman to safety. He reassured the trapped woman, Im just glad I walked down there. I didnt even know you were in there. My Lord. Visibly upset and shaking, she thanked him several times with a hug. Chef Howard, ever the calming presence, lightened the mood with humor, Maam, are you OK? Its OK, youre gonna be OK. I helped her out, officer. Do I get a medal? Ill give you a handshake. I done saved a life. Hopefully, Chef Howard will get a medal for his bravery or a new pair of shoes; he ruined the Air Forces he had on. In the meantime, we were able to grant one request. Hey, I need Elizabeth White out here. I need to be on her page today, said Howard. Ask, and you shall receive! Chef Howard deserves to be highlighted as a reminder of the impact one person can have during challenging situations. The private chef and owner of The Dazzle Way Catering tells WRBLs Elizabeth White he was happy to lend a helping hand. Remember, when faced with flash flood conditions, prioritize safety. Avoid flooded roads, as even a small amount of water can be dangerous. Turn around, dont drown. If trapped in a vehicle, try to exit safely, and if assistance is needed, call emergency services immediately. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. Is there anything Glen Powell cant do? First, the actor made Sydney Sweeney fall in love with him in Anyone But You. In a few months, hes about to become the titular Hit Man in a new Netflix action comedy movie. And finally, the hunky actor will literally fight tornadoes in the upcoming remake of Twisterbrilliantly titled Twisters. The first trailer for Twisters was aired during Sunday nights Super Bowl, showcasing Powell as Tyler Owens, the self-proclaimed Tornado Wrangler. What a nickname. Powell is also joined by co-stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea, and Kiernan Shipka, who are all bonded together against one huge enemy: cyclones. Tyler enjoys chasing tornadoes, a dangerous feat with little-to-no reward other thanlocal notoriety? But that could all change when Kate Cooper (Edgar-Jones) offers up a new idea: They could destroy the first tornado, forever changing weather history. But destroying a tornado is not exactly easy. I mean, a tornado isnt an easily demolishable buildingits a quickly moving storm system with the ability to kill many. But with the Tornado Wrangler on her side, Kate sets forth on a mission to capture not one but two huge windstorms hurtling towards the nearby area. Fans of the original Twister were blown away (pun intended) by the first look at the upcoming action flick. The most impressive aspect of the film, though, had nothing to do with the trailer. Fans were most excited to be reminded of the movies titleand yes, there are exactly two tornadoes in this movie, so the title fits. Theyre literally twin sister cyclones. Twisters. Ugh! The title is just so perfect. Twister 2? No sale. Fuck off. Not interested Twisters? Im there day 1. The birth of my beautiful son Lance can wait. Ive got a movie to watch. FA, fka (@coopercooperco) February 12, 2024 Twister Twisters Twister: Topeka Drift Twist Tornado 5 Tornado and Twister 6 Twister 7 The Fate of the Twister T9 Twister X Washington Post TikTok Dad (@davejorgenson) February 12, 2024 me when i saw that theyre calling the Twister sequel Twisters pic.twitter.com/U45yXJQDYu Harrison Renshaw (@RenshawHS) February 12, 2024 Twisters will be released in theaters on July 19. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Wednesdays precision drone strike in eastern Baghdad, which killed an Iraqi militia commander the U.S. said was responsible for carrying out attacks on Americans troops, was President Joe Bidens latest maneuver to uphold a vow he made last month. Have no doubtwe will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner [of] our choosing, Biden said about the Iran-backed groups responsible for the deaths of three U.S. service members in a January 28 drone attack in Jordan. But the question that analysts like former National Security Adviser John Bolton and even U.S. inspectors general are asking is: Will Bidens retaliation be enough to deter the militants Iranian puppermasters? That effort to hold responsible the culprits of recent attacks on U.S. forces and interests in the Middle East has taken multiple forms. Washingtons opening salvo began on February 2, with a series of air strikes on Iranian-backed militant sites across Iraq and Syria. The campaign hit more than 85 targets, including command and control centers, weapons storage facilities, and intelligence facilities. At least 40 people were reportedly killed in the initial wave of retaliatory attacks, including 16 members of Iraqs Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)a state force made up of militias that are primarily Shiite and supported by Iran. The following day, American and British warplanes, supported by an international coalition, struck 36 military sites across parts of Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels. The Iran-backed group of terrorists has waged war on international shipping through the Red Sea since November, attacking international merchant and naval vessels in ostensible protest of Israels war against Hamas in Gaza. The strikes targeting missile launchers, weapons depots, and air defense systems sought to degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners, the international coalition of eight countries wrote in a statement. Speaking on Meet the Press the next day, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned more would come: We intend to take additional strikes, and additional action, to continue to send a clear message that the United States will respond when our forces are attacked, when our people are killed. Indeed, the U.S. military campaign against Iran-backed groups across the region continued throughout last week. In Yemen, American forces struck Houthi targets on at least six occasions, preventing imminent attacks by the militants as they prepared to launch anti-ship cruise missiles. In Iraq, Wednesdays drone strike killed Abu Baqir Al-Saadi, a senior Kataib Hezbollah commander in charge of the groups operations in Syria. The U.S. hasnt formally accused the Iraqi militia of carrying out the strike on the Tower 22 military base in Jordan, but American officials have assessed that it had the footprints of Kataib Hezbollah. But despite Washingtons multi-theater efforts to hold Irans proxies throughout the region accountable, attacks on U.S. troops and interests continue. Late Wednesday night, an American base at Syrias Al-Omar oilfield was reportedly swarmed by suicide drones. The Houthis attacks in international waterways have persisted on a near-daily basis despite U.S. strikes in Yemen. And Irans flow of weapons and intelligence to its militias hasnt abated, U.S. officials told NBC News last week. The Islamic Resistance in Iraqan umbrella group of Iran-backed groups across the countrydeclared Friday that it would resume its operations against U.S. forces after a brief pause. In all, there have been some 170 attacks on American troops in Iraq and Syria since October. An inspector general report released Friday found that the ongoing targeting of American and allied forces by Iranian proxies had disrupted U.S. counterterrorism operations against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraqthe reason for its military presence in the countries. It further assessed that Iran and Iran-aligned militias will continue to attack U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria as long as Iran does not direct a halt to these activities. Some analysts say the U.S. hasnt inflicted enough pain on Iran to give it a reason to do so, pointing to its choice of targets outside the country. The five-day delay between the Biden administrations vow to retaliate following the Tower 22 attack and initial wave of air strikes also raised eyebrows for giving the militias an opportunity to evacuate their fighters. The most dangerous place to be in the Middle East is an empty warehouse. Theyre talking about the number of strikes rather than the impact of strikes, so theres a quality versus quantity dynamic here, said John Noonan, senior advisor at Polaris National Security and a former congressional staffer, who referred to the Biden administrations response thus far as deterrence theater in an interview with The Dispatch. The approach seems to be aimed at avoiding escalation with Iran, with American defense officials openly stating that theyre not seeking war with Tehran, despite its sponsorship of the groups behind continued attacks against U.S. forces. The goal hasnt gone unnoticed in Iran: One state-run media outlet referred to the Biden administrations military campaign as a controlled response and a face-saving reaction. Even the drone strike in Baghdad, which targeted a senior militia leader, reflected Washingtons apparent unwillingness to hit Iran and its leadership more directly. The administration seems unable to point the finger at the party thats responsible for all the violence in the region, and thats obviously Iran, Former National Security Adviser John Bolton said in an interview with The Dispatch. Up until now, Iran has paid no price whatsoever for everything that theyve unleashed. Their proxies have suffered, but at some level Iran sees them as expendable. So Iran gets to violate our red lines by killing Americans, but were hesitant to violate their red lines by striking targets inside Iran. The U.S. could hit sites inside Iran to send a powerful message without threatening the regimes survival and a wider war, Bolton insists. Among them are Iranian military bases near the Iraq border, from which Tehran has long trained and equipped the militias now carrying out attacks against U.S. forces. Another possible target is Irans air defenses along the border with Iraq and around the Persian Gulf. Outside of Iran, the U.S. could target the Iranian navy, which would be particularly potent in the Red Sea, where Iranian ships have been providing intelligence that enables the Houthis ongoing attacks on naval and commercial ships. Those are clear military assets, they have been violating our longstanding interest in freedom in the seas, and they would be legitimate targets, Bolton said. Until that more forceful U.S. response comes, Iran may see the White Houses commitment to de-escalation as an opportunity to test American red lines. While America still has a highly credible force that they can wield effectively, what they missed in redrawing the definition of traditional deterrence is the importance of will. And you see that reflected and hear that reflected in their language and the way [U.S. officials] talk about deterrence, Noonan said. They talk about escalation as if were the only contributing factor in the escalation equationas if we get to decide whether or not things escalate, as if we have total control over whether or not things escalate. Thats simply not true. The enemy does have input in whether or not a geopolitical crisis escalates or de-escalates. Read more at The Dispatch The Dispatch is a new digital media company providing engaged citizens with fact-based reporting and commentary, informed by conservative principles. Sign up for free. WASHINGTON (AP) Iraq and the U.S.-led military coalition resumed meetings Sunday on how to draw down troops who have been deployed there for years combating the Islamic State. The first long-awaited meeting took place Jan. 27, but had since been put on pause after Iran-backed militants struck a U.S. outpost in Jordan the very next day with a drone that killed three U.S. service members. In the weeks since, the U.S. has launched multiple retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria including a strike last week that killed a high-ranking commander of the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia who the U.S. said is responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on American troops in the region. Both Iraq and the U.S. had agreed last August to enter into talks to transition U.S. and coalition forces from their long-standing role in assisting Iraq in combating IS. There are approximately 2,500 U.S. troops in the country, and their departure will take into account the security situation on the ground, and the capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces, the Iraq government said in a statement Sunday posted to X, formerly Twitter. The resumed meetings will continue to chart a path to a new bilateral relationship as long as nothing disturbs the peace of the talks," Iraq said in its statement. Iraq has long struggled to balance its ties with the U.S. and Iran, both allies of the Iraqi government but regional archenemies. Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in the wake of Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks, Iran-aligned groups have struck at U.S. facilities in Iraq, Syria and Jordan 170 times, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by the U.S., which blames Kataib Hezbollah for a string of those attacks. The Iraqi government has angrily condemned U.S. airstrikes against Kataib Hezbollah, which is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces. The Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, are state-sanctioned, mainly Shiite militias, which have grown into a powerful political faction estimated to have the most seats in the Iraqi parliament. But the deaths of three U.S. service members at Tower 22 in Jordan was a red line for the U.S. and in the days following the deadly strike, Iran disavowed any knowledge or connection to the attack, and Kataib Hezbollah said it would cease launching attacks in order to not embarrass the Iraqi government. Notably, there have been no additional strikes against U.S. bases in Iraq since Feb. 4. An Iraqi man living in Columbus was part of a plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush, seen here at a pro football game in November in Texas, over the Iraq War. Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Columbus to 14 years and eight months in prison for his guilty plea to attempting to provide material support to terrorists. An Iraqi man who was living in Columbus when federal authorities say he plotted to assassinate former President George W. Bush as revenge for the Iraq War has been sentenced to 14 years and eight months in prison. Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, 53, was sentenced Monday in federal court in Columbus by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Although Watson also sentenced Shihab to a lifetime of supervised release, he is likely to be deported by immigration authorities upon release because he is not a U.S. citizen. Shihab pleaded guilty in March 2023 to attempting to provide material support to terrorists. When Shihab was arrested by the FBI in May 2022, federal law enforcement officials said Bush was never in real danger because Shihab unwittingly told his plans to confidential informants for the FBI between November 2021 and April 2022. The plot included the intention to smuggle at least four Iraqi nationals across the Mexican border to kill Bush. The road to this case's disposition Monday has been long. Shihab waffled on a plea agreement at a hearing in January 2023, and then he objected to being sentenced by Watson because the judge was appointed to the federal bench by Bush in 2004. Most recently, Shihab's sentencing was delayed after he pushed for and received an Arabic-speaking public defense attorney. He had been utilizing an interpreter with an English-speaking attorney. In his guilty plea, Shihab admitted he was part of a group overseas seeking to assassinate Bush over the Iraq War. His role was to conduct surveillance on Bush's residences and offices, and to obtain firearms and vehicles. According to court records, Shihab traveled with an FBI informant in February 2022 to Bush's home and the George W. Bush Institute, both in Dallas. In March 2022, Shihab met with an informant at a hotel in Columbus to look at firearms and law enforcement uniforms, court records state. jlaird@dispatch.com @LairdWrites This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Iraqi sentenced in Columbus in plot to kill President George W. Bush (Bloomberg) -- Israel launched more airstrikes on Rafah early Monday morning and freed two hostages, as international condemnation grows over a potential ground attack on the southern Gaza city, where more than one million people have sought refuge from the war against Hamas. Most Read from Bloomberg The hostages were freed overnight during a special-forces mission in Rafah. The men, both Israeli, have been transferred to Israel and are in good medical condition, the military said. Israel launched a series of strikes on the Shaboura district of Rafah, the military said. Dozens of people have died so far, Palestinian media reported, citing health officials in Gaza. The strikes came after US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more to shield civilians. Israel, Biden said, shouldnt push into Rafah without a credible and executable plan for their safety and support. Netanyahu spoke to Biden on Sunday and said Israel was working on a plan to move civilians out the area. Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are basically saying: Lose the war, keep Hamas there, Netanyahu told American news channel ABC. We are not going to let Hamas emerge victorious. Freshly Downgraded Israel Readies Bond Spree to Pay for War The US as well as European and Arab states have strongly criticized Israel for preparing to move ground forces into the city, which sits near Gazas border with Egypt. Around half of Gazas 2.3 million people fled to or near Rafah at the start of the war, when Israeli forces concentrated on northern areas including Gaza City. More recently, the army has mainly focused on Khan Younis, a city to the north of Rafah. Last week, Biden said Israels offensive on Gaza had been over the top and that there were a lot of innocent people who are starving. Its got to stop, he said. An attack on Rafah would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt, Josep Borrell, the European Unions top foreign-policy official, said on Sunday. Resuming negotiations to free hostages and suspend hostilities is the only way to avert a bloodshed. One Egyptian parliamentarian, Mostafa Bakry, widely seen as close to President Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi, said Cairo had threatened to take the extraordinary step of suspending its 45-year-old peace treaty with Israel if it sends troops into Rafah. Egypt is one of the few Arab states that formally recognizes Israel. Netanyahu has insisted the war must continue until Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and EU, is destroyed. The Israel-Hamas conflict began on Oct. 7 when militants from the Iran-backed group broke out of Gaza and swarmed southern Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people. Almost 28,000 people have been killed by Israels retaliatory air and ground attack on Gaza, according to health officials in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory. Israel says it has killed 12,000 Hamas fighters. Hamas abducted around 250 people during its incursion. Roughly 100 were freed during a week-long truce that ended on Dec. 1. The Israeli military has said that of the roughly 135 captives still in Gaza, 31 are dead. The two hostages were rescued at around 2 a.m. local time, according the militarys chief spokesman, Daniel Hagari. They were named as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70. The special forces breached a building in the heart of Rafah, Hagari said on Monday. On the second floor, Louis and Fernando were held by armed Hamas terrorists. Netanyahu held a meeting of his war cabinet on Sunday night to discuss Arab-led talks in Cairo on a possible exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, and a pause in fighting. Israel rejected Hamas most recent offer which included a condition that Israeli forces pull out of Gaza within about 90 days as unacceptable. Its unclear if Netanyahu is sending representatives to the Cairo talks, scheduled to be held later on Monday. Ship in Red Sea Signals All-Muslim Crew to Avoid Houthi Attack The war in Gaza has roiled the wider Middle East. Yemens Houthis, also backed by Iran, have attacked commercial and military ships around the Red Sea, causing freight prices to soar and nervousness among oil traders. Despite the US and UK launching strikes on their positions, the Houthis say theyll continue until Israel pulls out of Gaza. Read this next: An Isolated Israel Doubles Down on War in Gaza At All Costs US bases in Syria, Iraq and Jordan have also been assaulted by Iran-supported militants, forcing Washington to respond with strikes of its own on Iraqi and Syrian territory. One drone attack last month in Jordan killed three US soldiers, prompting accusations from Republicans that Biden is too soft on Iran. Iran backs anti-Israel and anti-US groups across the region. Together, they are often called the axis of resistance. They include Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as Hamas, the Houthis and militias in Syria and Iraq. --With assistance from Michael Gunn. (Updates with Israeli comments on moving people out of Rafah) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warned Israel it could face war crimes charges if it pushes ahead with an invasion of Rafah. Karim Khan, a British lawyer, said he was deeply concerned about the potential assault on the southern Gazan city where 1.4 million Palestinians are understood to be sheltering, and reiterated that those who commit war crimes will be held accountable. International pressure was mounting on Monday against the planned attack on the last remaining Gazan enclave, with Lord Cameron urging Israel to stop and think seriously before taking any further action. The Foreign Secretary said Britain was very concerned after Israel ordered troops on standby to close in on the city, and called again for a sustainable ceasefire. Israel has reportedly proposed creating 15 cities of around 25,000 tents each in Gaza as part of an evacuation plan, suggesting it plans to press ahead with its Rafah offensive. The plan allegedly put forward by Mr Netanyahus government would see Egypt put in charge of setting up the camps and field hospitals with the US and its Arab partners providing the funding, officials told the Wall Street Journal. Mr Netayahus office declined to comment on the proposal and the Egyptian government could not be reached for comment. Palestinian children walk under the remains of Al-Huda Mosque in Rafah - MOHAMMED TALATENE/AVALON Meanwhile, Volker Turk, the UNs human rights chief, said the prospect of a military operation where many refugees have already fled from bombs was terrifying. A potential full-fledged military incursion into Rafah, where some 1.5 million Palestinians are packed against the Egyptian border with nowhere further to flee is terrifying, given the prospect that an extremely high number of civilians, again mostly children and women, will likely be killed and injured, he said. His comments came after an Israeli special forces rescue operation in the early hours of Monday morning freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas militants in Rafah. Supporting airstrikes, used as a diversion as the hostages escaped, killed at least 67 people. Joe Biden, who has warned against launching an operation in the region without an extensive evacuation plan, is considering publicising his frustrations with Benjamin Netanyahu. The US president is said to have referred to the Israeli leader as an a--hole who is impossible to work with and sees him as the main impediment to peace, according to NBC News. Around 1.4 million Palestinians are understood to be sheltering in Rafah - MOHAMMED ABED/GETTY IMAGES On Monday, Josep Borrell, the EUs foreign policy chief, called on the US and allies to stop sending weapons to Israel as too many people were being killed. Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed, Mr Borrell told reporters after a meeting of EU development aid ministers in Brussels. Mr Borrell pointed to a ruling by a Dutch appeals court on Monday blocking the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel over a clear risk of violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza. Aid agencies say an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic. Egypt has reinforced its border with the city, saying it fears Gazans will be pushed across, never to return. Israel has insisted its Gaza operation is not over until it has destroyed Hamas and its leadership, many of whom are thought to be hiding in Rafah. Josep Borrell has called on the US and allies to stop sending weapons to Israel - JOHANNA GERON/REUTERS On Monday, the White House said there were legitimate targets in Rafah, including the Hamas chiefs known to have travelled south and hidden in a network of tunnels. Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesman, said on Monday that Israel was fighting to prevent extremism and terrorism from spiralling further in Europe and said it expected its allies to stand by it. Mr Levy called on UN aid agencies to help facilitate the offensive, urging them to work with us to find a way. Mr Netanyahu has brushed aside international alarm over his plans, saying those who said Israel should not enter Rafah are basically saying lose the war. On Friday, he announced he had ordered his military to prepare a plan to evacuate the city, a key corridor for humanitarian assistance in southern Gaza where Palestinians had previously been told to flee to for safety. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A US customs and border protection dog detected mummified monkeys at Boston's Logan Airport last month after sniffing out something unusual in luggage from a traveler returning from Africa. The federal authorities said they are preventing meat that can potentially spread dangerous diseases like the Ebola virus from entering the country. Airport K-9 Detects Mummified Monkeys in Passenger's Luggage K-9 Buddey notified officers on January 8 about a passenger's bag that had just arrived on a Delta flight from Paris. According to Customs and Border Protection, the person was returning to the US following a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The passenger said the bag only had a dried fish inside, and a luggage x-ray confirmed the passenger's claim. However, the agency reported that a physical examination also revealed "the dead and dehydrated bodies of four monkeys." The customs and border police spokesperson Ryan Bissette reported that the tourist claimed on Sunday that he had brought the monkeys into the US for personal use. According to The Guardian, eating raw or barely processed meat from wild animals, or "bush meat," is prohibited in the US because of the risk of disease. "The potential dangers posed by bringing bushmeat into the United States are real," Julio Caravia, local port director for Customs and Border Protection, said. "Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus." The mummified monkeys were found at Logan airport in January. However, it was disclosed to the public on Friday. Bisette noted that no charges were filed in relation to the discovery of the monkeys. However, the traveler's whole luggage that had visited central Africa was seized, and the approximately 9 pounds (4 kg) of bushmeat were identified for destruction by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read Also: Israeli Troops, Gaza Medical Staff Arrest 20 Hamas Terrorists Hiding Inside Khan Younis Hospital Mummified Dolphin Discovered on US Beach According to Live Science, a strange, skeleton-like dolphin was discovered by South Carolina beachgoers spread out on the sand, where it may have been slowly drying out for months. One expert said the animal might have accidentally become stranded after deliberately beaching itself. Representatives of the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (LMMN) posted on Facebook that the organization had received a call on January 14 about a "mummified dolphin" near Hilton Head Island. LMMN volunteer Amber Kuehn, a marine scientist, and the Hilton Head Island Sea Turtle Patrol coordinator visited the scene to measure and take samples of the skin and teeth before burying the remains on the beach. Kuehn told Live Science in an email that the dolphin was most likely a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), measuring about 8 feet (2.4 meters) long. She added that it was unclear how old it was or what sex the dolphin was. Furthermore, she cleared that it was not mummified, but the dolphin was simply decomposed. However, she said that the level of decomposition was unusually high. Related Article: 3000-Year-Old Mummy Found in Rubbish Dump! Archeologists Claim It Dates Back To Manchay Culture Semafor Signals Insights from Haaretz, The Daily Beast, and La Nacion The News Israel on Sunday rescued two Israeli-Argentine hostages from Gazas Rafah city marking only the second successful hostage rescue from the enclave since Hamas Oct. 7 attacks. The rescue mission involved an air raid on the densely-populated city, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering after fleeing Israels bombardment in the north. The raid killed at least 67 Palestinians, according to Gazas health authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered an evacuation of Rafah as the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) plans a ground offensive to retake complete control. International actors are becoming increasingly worried that Israels counteroffensive is yielding little success in containing Hamas, at the continuing expense of tens of thousands civilian lives. But Netanyahu dismissed concerns, saying, Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our hostages. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Rafah operation is crucial for control over Hamas, but complete defeat looks impossible Source: Haaretz Its impossible to deactivate Hamas supply lines from Egypt without first taking control of Rafah, Haaretz columnist Amos Harel wrote. But as Israel hones in on Rafah, Hamas is attempting to restore both military and political control in the north, suggesting that the militant group is far from being defeated, Harel argued. Israels post-war plan is for Gaza to be governed without Hamas, but no Palestinian or Arab world entities would take on that responsibility when Hamas leaders and thousands of members are still in the picture, he wrote. The prospect of the Palestinian Authority governing Gaza is also becoming bleak as an economic crisis in the West Bank fueled by the Israeli government banning Palestinians from working in Israel could devolve into unprecedented violence. Palestinians sheltering in Rafah express regret for following Israels evacuation orders Sources: The Daily Beast, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who obeyed Israels order to flee to Rafah for safety, feel misled and trapped with no place to go, an anonymous author wrote for The Daily Beast. Theres no safe place in Gaza, one Palestinian told The Daily Beast, and many are now regretting their decision to follow Israels evacuation orders. The international community is growing increasingly frustrated by Israels apparent lack of commitment to minimizing collateral damage, with staunch allies of Israel like Germany warning that an attack on Rafah would be a humanitarian catastrophe. The people in #Gaza cannot disappear into thin air, Germanys foreign minister posted on X. U.S. President Joe Biden similarly warned Netanyahu Sunday, telling him on a call that Israel should avoid any offensive in Rafah without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there. Was hostage rescue a reward for Argentinas pro-Israel leader, Javier Milei? Sources: La Nacion, Economics blogger Frances Coppola Argentine President Javier Milei campaigned on the promise of defending Judaism and Israel, and he has backed Israels Gaza offensive and promised to move his countrys embassy to Jerusalem during a recent state visit. It appears that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to reward Milei and show his ally that Israel is perfectly capable of rescuing hostages when it suits [them], argued global economics blogger Frances Coppola. Argentina and its large Jewish population have long faced terror threats cemented by the 1994 bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish community center and an allegedly foiled attack this year. Mileis unequivocal support for Israel might gain him domestic support, but Argentina has serious deficiencies in its intelligence capacity and his rhetoric could only encourage more attacks against the country, one analyst told La Nacion newspaper. Louis Har (L) and Fernando Marman (2nd R), who were held hostages by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, are reunited with their families at Sheba Medical Center, after they were rescued in an IDF operation on Sunday night in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli special forces entered a building in the centre of Rafah where two hostages guarded by Palestinian Islamist Hamas forces were kept, and freed them under heavy fire, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday. -/IDF/dpa For the first time since the beginning of the Gaza war more than four months ago, Israel has succeeded in freeing civilian hostages alive from the hands of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas in a dramatic overnight rescue operation. Two men, aged 60 and 70, were freed during a daring operation by Israeli special forces in the border town of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. Immediately after storming the building, Israel's air force began attacks in the Rafah area to enable the forces to withdraw, according to military sources. The Hamas-controlled health authority said at least 67 people, including children and women, were killed in Israeli attacks and fighting in Rafah during the night and spoke of a "massacre." The two men were part of the some 240 hostages that Hamas and other extremists kidnapped from Israel in their unprecedented raid on October 7, in which they killed some 1,200 people. The Israeli military had been preparing for the rescue for some time and was waiting for the right moment, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday. The hostages had been held on the second floor of a building in Rafah by Hamas armed terrorists, he said. Other gunmen were in neighbouring buildings. The security forces stood in front of the hostages to protect them and then engaged in a fierce fire fight. They are the first civilian hostages that Israeli soldiers have been able to free since the massacres on October 7, in which terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups killed 1,200 people in Israel and took around 240 hostage. The two hostages were rescued as part of an operation that began with heavy IDF airstrikes in the Shaboura district in central Rafah, according to the Jerusalem Post. In a statement earlier on Monday, the IDF said it "conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip" overnight. The New York Times reported that the airstrikes were used to provide cover for the rescue operation. The statements and tolls from both sides could not initially be independently verified. The health authority in Gaza has put the overall death toll in the territory at more than 28,300 since the war began. The freed hostages were taken by helicopter to the Shiba Hospital near Tel Aviv, where they were embraced by their families. Argentinian President Javier Milei wrote on X that the men were were dual Israeli-Argentinian citizens. Israel celebrated the liberation as a rare success, with praise for the operation and proclamations that Israel would do whatever it could to free the remaining hostages coming from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz. "Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will achieve the release of all our hostages," Netanyahu said. Hagari said 134 people are still being held hostage in Gaza, though Israel sources said about 30 are no longer alive. The rescue operation took place as Israel is preparing for a ground offensive in Rafah, which borders Egypt and coming under increasing pressure not to do so. On Monday following the Rafah operation, Turkey accused Israel of deliberately expelling Palestinians, "We consider this operation to be part of a plan to expel the people of Gaza from their own land," the Foreign Ministry in Ankara announced. The attacks are aggravating the humanitarian situation and undermining efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire in the region. A top UN official in Gaza said he has "no idea" where to evacuate civilians from the city of Rafah after a call from the Israeli government for assistance. UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) director Philippe Lazzarini said every time people were instructed to move, this area in Gaza was later attacked. "People have been just moved from one place to the other," Lazzarini said. "Each time they were told to go to a given place, saying: 'this will be a safer place,' It has been proven that the place was not safe. "So to go where? I don't know," he said. Also on Monday the human rights organization Amnesty International accused the IDF of unlawfully attacking houses in Rafah in December and January and killing a number of innocent people in the process. At least 95 civilians were killed in four bombings then, the group said. The organization found no evidence that the buildings or the people inside them were legitimate military targets. All four attacks were "probably direct attacks" on civilians and civilian objects. They must be investigated as war crimes, the group demanded. According to Amnesty's findings, Israel's army is said to have failed to warn the residents of the attacks effectively or at all. Israel's army repeatedly emphasizes that its attacks are always aimed at military targets and that Hamas is abusing civilians by using them as human shields. Israel's government called on UN organizations working in the region to help evacuate civilians from Rafah. Egypt has consistently said it would not take Gaza residents and was beefing up its borders with Gaza on Monday. The IDF is drawing up evacuation plans for civilians in the overcrowded city that now houses 1.3 million. Before the war there were around 300,000 there. Hamas terrorists want to use the Palestinian civilians in Rafah as "human shields", said government spokesman Eilon Levi, urging the UN to help. "Don't say it can't be done. Work with us and find out!" Louis Har (2nd R), who was held hostage by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, hugs a relative at Sheba Medical Center, after he was rescued along with Fernando Marman in an IDF operation on Sunday night in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli special forces entered a building in the centre of Rafah where two hostages guarded by Palestinian Islamist Hamas forces were kept, and freed them under heavy fire, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday. -/IDF/dpa Louis Har (2nd R), who was held hostage by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, hugs a relative at Sheba Medical Center, after he was rescued along with Fernando Marman in an IDF operation on Sunday night in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli special forces entered a building in the centre of Rafah where two hostages guarded by Palestinian Islamist Hamas forces were kept, and freed them under heavy fire, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday. -/IDF/dpa For the first time since the beginning of the Gaza war more than four months ago, Israel has succeeded in freeing civilian hostages alive from the hands of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement in a dramatic overnight rescue operation. Two men, aged 60 and 70, were freed during a daring operation by Israeli special forces in the border town of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. Immediately after storming the building, the Israeli Air Force began attacks in the Rafah area to enable the forces to withdraw, according to military sources. The Hamas-controlled health authority said at least 67 people, including women and children, were killed in Israeli attacks and fighting in Rafah during the night and spoke of a "massacre." The two men were part of the some 240 hostages that Hamas and other extremists kidnapped from Israel in their unprecedented raid on October 7, in which they killed some 1,200 people. The Israeli military had been preparing for the rescue for some time and was waiting for the right moment, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Daniel Hagari said on Monday. The hostages had been held on the second floor of a building in Rafah by armed Hamas terrorists, he said. Other gunmen were in neighbouring buildings. The security forces stood in front of the hostages to protect them and then engaged in a fierce firefight. They are the first civilian hostages that Israeli soldiers have been able to free since the massacres on October 7. The two hostages were rescued as part of an operation that began with heavy IDF airstrikes in the Shaboura district in central Rafah, according to the Jerusalem Post. In a statement earlier on Monday, the IDF said it "conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip" overnight. The New York Times reported that the airstrikes were used to provide cover for the rescue operation. The statements and tolls from both sides could not initially be independently verified. The health authority in Gaza has put the overall death toll in the territory at more than 28,300 since the war began. The freed hostages were taken by helicopter to the Shiba Hospital near Tel Aviv, where they were embraced by their families. Argentinian President Javier Milei wrote on X that the men were were dual Israeli-Argentinian citizens. Israel celebrated the liberation as a rare success, with praise for the operation and proclamations that Israel would do whatever it could to free the remaining hostages coming from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz. "Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will achieve the release of all our hostages," Netanyahu said. Hagari said 134 people are still being held hostage in Gaza, though Israeli sourceshave said about 30 are no longer alive. The rescue operation took place as Israel is preparing for a ground offensive in Rafah, which borders Egypt, and for which it is coming under increasing pressure not to do so. On Monday following the Rafah operation, Turkey accused Israel of deliberately expelling Palestinians, "We consider this operation to be part of a plan to expel the people of Gaza from their own land," the Foreign Ministry in Ankara announced. The attacks are aggravating the humanitarian situation and undermining efforts to achieve a lasting ceasefire in the region. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Monday appealed for restraint in the face of a potential Israeli military incursion in Rafah, warning of the risk of further atrocity crimes in the Gaza war. A potential fully-fledged incursion in Rafah "is terrifying, given the prospect that an extremely high number of civilians, again mostly children and women, will likely be killed and injured," Turk warned. The spokeman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the world organization is sceptical about helping evacuate civilians from Rafah as Israel has requested. "What we want is to ensure that anything that happens is done in full respect ... of the protection of of civilians. We will not be party to forced displacement of people," Stephane Dujarric said in New York. A top UN official in Gaza earlier said he has "no idea" where to evacuate civilians from the city of Rafah after a call from the Israeli government for assistance. UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) director Philippe Lazzarini said every time people were instructed to move, this area in Gaza was later attacked. "People have been just moved from one place to the other," Lazzarini said. "Each time they were told to go to a given place, saying: 'this will be a safer place,' It has been proven that the place was not safe. "So to go where? I don't know," he said. Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian urgently warned Israel against military action in Rafah. The expansion of "war crimes and genocide" to the city would have "serious consequences" for Tel Aviv, he said in a post on the X platform, formerly Twitter. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned Israel's actions on Monday evening and repeatedly compared Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. Netanyahu was crossing a new red line every day, and the West was turning a blind eye to the bloodshed, Erdogan charged after a Cabinet meeting in Ankara. The IDF is drawing up evacuation plans for civilians in Rafah that now houses 1.3 million. Before the war there were around 300,000. Fernando Marman, who was held hostage by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, hugs a relative at Sheba Medical Center, after he was rescued along with Louis Har in an IDF operation on Sunday night in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israeli special forces entered a building in the centre of Rafah where two hostages guarded by Palestinian Islamist Hamas forces were kept, and freed them under heavy fire, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday. -/IDF/dpa Palestinians inspect damaged residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. The two hostages were rescued as part of an operation that began with heavy IDF airstrikes. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Israeli special forces entered a building in the centre of Rafah where two hostages guarded by Palestinian Islamist Hamas forces were kept, and freed them under heavy fire, army spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday. They are the first civilian hostages that Israeli soldiers have been able to free since the massacres on October 7, in which terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups killed 1,200 people in Israel and took around 240 hostage. The Israeli military had been preparing for the rescue for some time and was waiting for the right moment, Hagari said. The two male hostages, aged 60 and 70, were being held on the second floor, Hagari said. Other militants were in neighbouring buildings, he added. The security forces stood in front of the hostages to protect them and then engaged in a fierce exchange of fire. "This was a complex rescue operation under fire in the heart of Rafah, based on highly sensitive and valuable intelligence," Hagari wrote on Telegram. Just one minute after the building was stormed Israel's air force began attacking the Rafah area to allow the forces to withdraw. The two hostages were evacuated from the building under heavy fire, said the Israeli army spokesman. The two hostages were rescued as part of an operation that began with heavy IDF airstrikes in the Shaboura district in central Rafah, according to the Jerusalem Post. In a statement earlier on Monday, the IDF said it "conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip" overnight. There were mixed reports on the death toll from the attack. The Hamas-controlled health authority reported at 67, with more than 160 injured from the operation. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, citing medical personnel in Rafah, at least 52 civilians and others were killed in the heavy Israeli airstrikes. Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera reported that at least 63 died and dozens were injured. The statements and tolls from both sides could not initially be independently verified. The health authority in Gaza has put the overall death toll in the territory at more than 28,000 since the war began. The two hostages were "both in good medical condition, and were transferred for medical examination at the Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital," the IDF said in a Telegram post. Hagari said 134 people are still being held hostage in Gaza, though Israel sources said about 30 are no longer alive. An Israeli soldier had been rescued by the army at the end of October. The rescue operation took place while Israel is preparing for a ground offensive in Rafah, which borders Egypt. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are currently sheltering there in a very confined space. Israel's plans for a military offensive in the overcrowded city have met with strong international criticism. Israel has already attacked targets in Rafah from the air on several occasions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued that Israel could not win the war if Hamas battalions remained in Rafah. The premier assured the hundreds of thousands of civilians seeking protection in Rafah of a "safe corridor" ahead of the planned ground offensive there. A Palestinian holds bullets after Israeli special forces entered residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. The two hostages were rescued as part of an operation that began with heavy IDF airstrikes. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa A Palestinian inspects damaged buildings after Israeli airstrikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli special forces entered the buildings to free two Israelis who Hamas was holding. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa Editors note: This story has been edited to remove the word allegedly in reference to the abduction of Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har by Hamas militants. Two Israeli men who were taken hostage by Hamas militants during the groups devastating Oct. 7 attacks were rescued in an overnight mission in Rafah, a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli military. In a statement, the Israeli Defense Forces said they had successfully rescued the men, identifying them as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70. The men were kidnapped during a surprise border attack on Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on Oct. 7. The men are in good medical condition and were transferred for further medical examination in Israel, the statement said. The rescue came as Israel stepped up its attacks in the Rafah region, which borders Egypt. The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry told the AFP that recent strikes killed 52 people, while 14 houses and three mosques were also hit. Israel Bombs Gaza Refuge City Rafah Despite U.S. Disaster Warning The Israeli military on Sunday wrote on Telegram that it had engaged in a series of strikes on terror targets but had now concluded its operation. The strikes came in direct defiance of an earlier warning by Hamas, which told the AFP that targeting Rafahan area filled with Gazan civilians escaping the carnagewould torpedo hostage negotiations. Israel also ignored the pleading of President Joe Biden, who in a call with Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday reaffirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there, a White House statement said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Lord Cameron has urged Israel to stop and think seriously before launching a ground assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, saying the people there have nowhere to go. Benjamin Netanyahu has brushed aside international alarm over Israels plans to move in to the southern enclave, where about a million displaced civilians are sheltering, insisting Israels military operations will continue until total victory is achieved. On Monday, the Foreign Secretary said Britain was very concerned amid reports of a ground invasion and reiterated calls for a sustainable ceasefire. We think it is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people, said Lord Cameron. Theres nowhere for them to go. Children walk under the remains of Al-Huda Mosque, which was destroyed following an Israeli bombing on the city of Rafah - MOHAMMED TALATENE/AVALON He added: So we are very concerned about the situation and we want Israel to stop and think seriously before it takes any further action. Downing Street echoed Lord Camerons reservations, with Rishi Sunaks official spokesman saying: We are obviously deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah. They declined to say whether the Prime Minister believes total victory over Hamas was realistic, instead doubling down on calls for a pause in this fighting so we can get aid in and hostages out. It comes after an Israeli special forces rescue operation freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas militants in Rafah in the early hours of Monday morning, with supporting air strikes killing 67 people. A young child carries a cat in the rubble of damaged buildings following Israeli bombardment in Rafah - SAID KHATIB/AFP The US has also objected to Israel conducting military operations in the densely populated region without a credible evacuation plan. Aid agencies say an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic. Egypt has reinforced its border with the city, saying it fears Gazans will be pushed across, never to return. But Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesman, said on Monday that Israel was fighting to prevent extremism and terrorism from spiralling further in Europe and said it expected its allies to stand by it. Mr Levy called on UN aid agencies to help facilitate the offensive, urging them to: Work with us to find a way. Last week, Joe Biden called Israels military response in Gaza over the top, and also sought urgent and specific steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. On Monday, Josep Borrell, the EUs foreign policy chief, urged allies of Israel, primarily the United States, to stop sending weapons to Israel, as too many people were being killed in Gaza. An injured woman walks with a young boy at Kuwait Hospital - ANADOLU Referring to Mr Bidens comments, he said: Well, if you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people ... [being] killed. Concerns over Israels tactics led to a Dutch appeals court blocking the export of F-35 fighter jet parts to the country over a clear risk of violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza. On Monday, Britain followed the US in announcing sanctions on four extremist Israeli settlers accused of committing human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Announcing the new curbs, which comprise UK asset freezes alongside travel and visa bans, Lord Cameron said: Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Recommended For Israels sake, Netanyahu must go now Read more Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Dozens of people, including children, have been killed as extremely intense Israeli airstrikes and shelling pounded multiple locations in Rafah overnight Monday, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, as international alarm mounts over Israels planned ground offensive in the southern Gazan city. More than 100 people were killed due to Israeli airstrikes as warplanes targeted different areas of the city and helicopters fired machine guns along the border areas, the PRCS said early Monday. The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza said 94 people lost their lives. CNN cannot independently verify either number. The discrepancy likely exists because the health ministry only updates death toll numbers after bodies have been identified. Both groups warned the figure was likely to rise and the PRCS said people remained trapped beneath the rubble. The director of Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital said medical facilities in Rafah cannot handle the large number of injuries due to the Israeli occupations bombardment. Footage obtained by CNN showed a chaotic scene inside Rafahs Al Kuwaiti hospital, with medics trying to resuscitate a motionless child in one scene and another showing doctors treating a wounded man on the hospital floor. In another video a woman was inconsolable as she held a childs body wrapped in white cloth. At least two mosques and around a dozen homes were targeted in the strikes, the Rafah municipality said Monday. The Israeli military confirmed it conducted a series of strikes on what it said were targets in the Shaboura area of Rafah and that two Israeli hostages were rescued in a special operation. In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces, Israel Security Agency Shin Bet and Police identified the hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, and said they were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak. Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 12, 2024. - Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images They are both in good medical condition and were transferred for medical examination at the Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital, the statement said. IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters the covert operation to secure the hostages began at 1:49 a.m. local time, with the airstrikes on Rafah launching a minute later. In a statement Monday, Hamas condemned what it said was a horrific massacre by Israel against civilians in Rafah. The Israeli militarys attack on Rafah and its horrific massacres against defenseless civilians and displaced children, women, and the elderly is considered a continuation of the genocidal war and the forced displacement attempts it is waging against our Palestinian people, Hamas said. More than 1.3 million people more than half of Gazas population is seeking refuge in Rafah, with the majority of people displaced from other parts of the besieged enclave crammed into a sprawling tent city. There are severe shortages of food, water, medicine and shelter, and the city has been described as a pressure cooker of despair by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) spokesperson, Jens Laerke. Rafah has experienced aerial assaults from Israeli forces for months, but Mondays bombardment has heightened fears that an anticipated Israeli ground campaign would result in a bloodbath, with those trapped in the overcrowded city having no remaining escape route. According to the Gazan health ministry, more than 28,100 people have been killed in the enclave since October 7. Last bastion Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday directed the countrys military to plan for the evacuation of the population from Rafah after saying that the IDF would soon go into Rafah, Hamass last bastion. His comments set off a firestorm of criticism, with Human Rights Watch saying forced displacement of Palestinians in Rafah would have catastrophic consequences. The United Nations said it was extremely worried about the fate of civilians in Rafah, according to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, who said people need to be protected. A Hamas leadership source said that an assault on Rafah would mean the destruction of negotiations that have been ongoing for weeks, according to Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV. And Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Kingdom joined a growing list of countries to express concern over Israels planned offensive. Saudi Arabias foreign ministry warned of very serious repercussions of storming and targeting the city, while Qatar a key mediator in talks between Israel and Hamas on Sunday urged the UNs Security Council to prevent Israel from committing what it described as genocide and warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in the city. A satellite image from Maxar Technologies shows Rafah, Gaza, on February 3, 2024. - Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies In a call with Netanyahu on Sunday, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his stance the IDF should not proceed with the military operation in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to ensure the safety of civilians, according to a White House release. But Netanyahu has brushed off the criticism, saying that telling Israel not to enter the southern Gazan city was like telling the country to lose the war. Victory is within reach. Were going to do it. Were going to get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah, which is the last bastion, but were going to do it, Netanyahu told ABC News in an interview Sunday. An Israeli official told CNN that Netanyahu wants the Rafah operation completed by the start of Ramadan, expected to begin in early March Netanyahu said Israel would provide safe passage for the civilian population but did not provide details on how that would happen. Were working out a detailed plan, he said. Many Palestinians fleeing Israeli bombs and shelling have trekked through the enclave and taken refuge in the city as the IDFs campaign has moved south through Gaza. It has rapidly become home to a huge population of displaced Palestinians. Satellite images showed last week how a tent city in Rafah has swelled in size in just a few weeks, as more Gazans descend on the area to escape the IDFs campaign. It is unclear where next they could go; the city borders Egypt to the south, but the border into the country has been closed for months. The dead are better than us For the more than one million Palestinians in the southern city, the expected push into Rafah is causing alarm and fear. We are praying to God that what happened in Gaza City does not happen in Rafah because if the same happens in Rafah we will have no place to go, Mohammad Jamal Abu Tour, a Palestinian living in Rafah, said. If we go to Gaza City or Khan Younis or El Nuseirat we are not going to find the supplies that were provided for us here in Rafah, he added. We keep hearing that in Gaza City they cant find clean water and that they are eating grass, they drink from the sea, God help them. Mahmoud Khalil Amer, who was displaced from the Al Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, said he stayed in a tent near a cemetery in Rafah. We are not living, the dead are better than us, he said. Rafah is the last major population center in Gaza not occupied by the Israeli military. Other cities stormed by the IDF in its mission to destroy Hamas have been turned into wastelands a grim preview of what could be in store for Rafah. People in the Tal El Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City described scenes of total destruction following Israeli operations in northern Gaza, with some people saying they have had to drink from toilets due to a lack of water. We were besieged. We tried to go back to the north, but we were besieged here, Abdul Kareem Al-Qaseer told a journalist working for CNN. Every day there were martyrs. Every day there was shelling. Every day there was hunger. We even had to drink water from the toilets. We had to drink from it and make our children drink from it. There was no food, no drink, he added. Olfat Hamdan said she had witnessed dead bodies on the streets of Gaza City, noting that nobody was able to drag them or move them. What have I seen? Total destruction look at of the scale of the destruction, she said in a video commissioned by CNN, as she pointed to damaged buildings and rubble around her. In the southern city of Khan Younis, where the Israeli military urged large numbers of civilians to flee in the early days of the war, the devastation witnessed by CNN was described as being beyond imagination. Since the IDF focused its campaign on Khan Younis, many buildings have been completely destroyed and the rubble bulldozed away. The ones that are left standing appear damaged beyond any chance of repair. Some look like the ruins of medieval castles lone walls with holes where windows used to be. At the heart of crescendoing fears surrounding an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah is a large-scale human toll from a war that has already inflicted a catastrophic humanitarian crisis on the people of Gaza, including starvation, looming famine, a medical disaster, and the deaths of more than 28,100 Palestinians, according to information released by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza. Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Daniel Hagaris name. CNNs Martin Goillandeau, Lauren Izso, Alex Stambaugh, Ivana Kottasova, Simon Cullen, Kareem El Damanhoury, Amir Tal, Mick Krever, Eve Brennan, Khader Al Zaanoun and Hamdi Alkhshali contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com At 1.49am on Monday, Israeli commandos climbed to the roof of a two-storey building in the middle of Gazas sprawling southern city of Rafah. After entering the block, elite counter-terrorism soldiers descended to the second floor where they attached explosives to the door of an apartment. The blast instantly killed three Hamas terrorists standing in the corridor on the other side. Those men were guarding Fernando Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who were kidnapped from their kibbutz of Nir Yitzhak, just across from Gaza, 129 days earlier. The diamonds are in our hands, the commanders radioed back to HQ as they gathered up the hostages, using a pre-agreed codeword. The daring raid marks one of the few occasions Israeli ground forces have entered Rafah, the southerly city butting up against the Egyptian border, since their war on Hamas began. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israels prime minister, is preparing to launch a full-scale assault on the city where one million Gazans are sheltering after fleeing the bombs across the rest of the strip. The raid on Rafah was made possible by advanced Israeli intelligence. As commandos began their raid on the apartment complex they would also have been aware of a high number of Hamas fighters stationed in two other adjacent buildings. The entire rescue was watched in real-time from an operational headquarters in Beer Sheva in the Negev desert. Mr Netanyahu, the Israeli president, and the defence minister joined them at what was a very tense and emotional night, according to the IDF. At 1.40a.m. I saw you charging in and a few seconds later I heard: Weve got the hostages, Mr Netanyahu recalled in a meeting with some of the troops who led the rescue operation on Monday. He praised them for a perfect operation. It was also an operation which saw yet more Palestinians killed in devastating distraction bombings that allowed the hostages to escape to the safety of a hospital in Israel. The IDF said its commandos shielded the two hostages during heavy exchanges of fire at several locations. Additional ground troops from the Navys Shayetet 13 commando unit and 7th Armoured Brigade provided cover as Hamas fighters targeted the operation from the surrounding buildings, injuring one soldier. The commandos and the hostages were ordered back into the building by the operations commander and did not come out until around 1.50am, when Israel called in airstrikes as a diversion to help the soldiers and the hostages escape. The devastating bombings destroyed 14 buildings and killed at least 67 Palestinians, authorities in Gaza said. The apartment building where the hostages were held before being rescued by Israeli commandos - SAID KHATIB/AFP Gazas Hamas-controlled health ministry said on Monday the casualties mostly came from both the IDF airstrikes and exchange of gunfire during the extraction of the hostages. Footage from the scene showed a dozen buildings reduced to rubble and houses left without windows. One witness on the ground said the IDF stormed a building to rescue the hostages and later called in an airstrike to destroy it. Many of the casualties from the air strike appear to be civilians. As dawn arrived on Monday, dozens of survivors and families were seen coalescing among the destroyed houses. I cant tell you how we survived last night, Abu Abdullah al Qadi said. They killed my cousin. They killed a lot of people in the strikes. Abu Suhaib, 28, said he heard warplanes dropping bombs and helicopters hovering overhead. The situation was hell, Mr Suhaib, who slept just dozens of metres from one of the air strikes, told AFP. We heard the sound of the explosion, like hell falling down on civilians. The air strikes helped the commandos hurry the two men to awaiting armoured vehicles, which transported them to the border, just a few kilometres away. A military helicopter with Israeli soldiers was waiting outside the fence to airlift the hostages to the Sheba medical centre near Tel Aviv, where the families were already ready to welcome their relatives back. Israel had intelligence about the two mens whereabouts and had been preparing the operation for some time, according to the Israeli military. They were waiting for the right conditions on the ground and had to abort a rescue mission last week. The hostages had no idea. In a short interview, the unnamed commander of the rescue unit who led the operation, said on Sunday: The door opened and we saw the hostages on the floor. For a few seconds, they didnt understand what was happening later they realised it was special forces that came to rescue them. The joint operation by the Yamam counter-terrorism unit, the Shin Bet security agency at the IDF is the first successful hostage rescue since a female Israeli soldier was saved from Gaza in the early days of the ground offensive in late October. The families had no idea an operation to save their loved ones was afoot when they got a call in the middle of the night asking them to get to the hospital to meet them. Mr Hars son-in-law said his wife was shocked when she got the call informing her she should come to the Sheba medical centre to meet her father. She couldnt speak, Idan Bejerano told public broadcaster Kan. She was in shock. We were tense for an hour, an hour and a half until we met. The two released hostages looked thin and pale but seemed to be communicating well and aware of their surroundings, according to Mr Bejerano. Louis Har was reunited with his family after 128 days in captivity Fernando Marman and Louis Har, far right, at the Sheba medical centre with their families When he saw his son-in-law, Mr Har reportedly told him: You have a birthday today, mazal tov! The IDF, in a message detailing the operation, said the excitement at the rescue should not outweigh the anxiety of the families of the remaining 134 hostages still in Hamas captivity. If you are listening to me, know that we are determined to bring you back home, Mr Hagari said. We will not give up any opportunity to bring you back home. Meanwhile, Israels opposition leader said on Monday that Israel had a narrow window of opportunity right now to negotiate a hostage deal with Hamas. Yair Lapid cited his recent conversations with Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, who told him now was the time frame where a deal could be made. But Mr Netanyahu, emboldened by the success of the rescue operation, on Monday afternoon pledged to carry on with the war as he told the visiting Dutch prime minister that Israel will not leave the terror battalions alone in Rafah. Mark Rutte warned ahead of his trip to Israel that a ground operation in Rafah would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences and called for a ceasefire. Mr Ruttes visit coincided with a Dutch court ruling to suspend the exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel amid fears that the jet parts were being used to violate international law in Gaza. The Dutch government has pledged to appeal the decision. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. New York City Mayor Eric Adams ordered curfew at dozens of migrant shelters across the region following the Times Square shooting of a tourist that led to the arrest of a teenager. The situation comes as the suspect in police custody was found to have been staying at a migrant shelter prior to the incident. The new curfew will run from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. at 20 migrant shelters that house a total of 3,608 people. New York City Curfew for Migrant Shelters This number represents a fraction of the 200 emergency shelter sites that are helping to house the tens of thousands of migrants entering the city every month. In a Sunday statement, Adams' administration noted that imposing a curfew will help ensure citywide safety. City Hall spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said that the city continues to lead the nation in managing this national humanitarian crisis. She noted that this includes prioritizing the health and safety of both asylum seekers in the city's care and New York residents who live in communities surrounding the emergency shelters that they manage, as per the Gothamist. A staff attorney for the Homeless Rights Project, Joshua Goldfein, said that the new curfew is "totally counterproductive." He noted that people are working, and most of the time, they are working late. He argued that many people are working doing delivery for apps and it does not make sense to impose the additional burden of the curfew on them. The Times Square incident resulted in authorities arresting a 15-year-old boy, who was said to have immigrated from Venezuela last year. The teen was also said to be a suspect in two other incidents, including another shooting in Times Square as well as a robbery in the Bronx. Officials said on Saturday that the suspect would be charged as an adult. Read Also: California: Mayors Now Want To Amend Prop 47 As Drugs, Thefts Spike-How Can Crime Laws Be Adjusted? Times Square Shooting Incident The widening of curfew rules comes after city officials have publicly keyed on crimes related to migrants, who can appear stuck in difficult straits without access to work. The 15-year-old suspect reportedly shot a tourist and opened fire on a police officer on Thursday, according to the New York Daily News. During a news conference three days prior to that incident, New York Police Department (NYPD) Edward Caban said that a "wave of migrant crime" has hit the city in recent months. On the other hand, there were those who pushed back on the suggestion that the roughly 66,000 asylum seekers in the city's care are driving a significant increase in crime statistics. Several studies have found that immigrants are historically linked to significantly less criminal behavior than native-born Americans. During a Friday news conference in Brooklyn, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul rejected the notion that migrants are driving a crime surge. The suspect in the Times Square incident has been identified as Jesus Alejandro Rivas Figueroa who was last known to be staying in New York City's Upper West Side. He is facing two counts of attempted murder as well as assault and criminal possession of a weapon charges, said NBC News. Related Article: Texas Woman Fatally Shot by Police During Houston Megachurch Shooting Russian forces in occupied Donetsk Oblast are assembling a barrier of train cars that stretches 30 kilometers long, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Feb. 11 report, citing satellite imagery and Ukrainian Telegram channels. The barrier, nicknamed the "tsar train," may be intended to serve as another defensive line against advancing Ukrainian troops. Satellite images show the line of train cars stretching from Olenivka, south of the city of Donetsk, to Volnovakha, north of Mariupol. The barrier is reportedly constructed from over 2,100 freight cars. The train barrier is about six kilometers from the current frontline at Novomykhailivka, the ISW said. Analysts said the line "is in an area of the front that was relatively inactive when Russian forces reportedly began construction," though Russian troops have made "marginal" advancements in the area more recently. The barrier appears to be a new Russian defensive line, but the ISW said occupying forces could have "other purposes" in mind for the structure. Russia's lines of defense in the occupied regions have proved difficult to penetrate, stalling the Ukrainian military's counteroffensive operations on the eastern and southern fronts. Ukrainian troops are now also on the defensive in Donetsk Oblast, fighting off the Russian assault on the city of Avdiivka, whick lies kilometers away from occupied Donetsk. The military reported Feb. 11 that Russia has been deploying more armored groups in its attempt to overwhelm the city. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Zelensky appoints 4 new high-level military commanders Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Faced with a federal judge in the Donald Trump Mar-a-Lago classified documents case who keeps making bizarre rulings clearly favoring the man who appointed her, federal prosecutors have resorted to citing case law that Aileen Cannon should know for one major reason: She worked on it herself. Department of Justice special prosecutor Jack Smith fired off a quiet shot across the bow at Cannon in a recent court filinga filing that seeks to block Trumps latest ploy to morph this criminal case into some kind of wild goose chase against the Biden administration. Although the Trump team has already received 1.3 million pages of evidence, the former presidents defense lawyers are trying to bolster their clients conspiracy-laden claims that this investigation is just a White House-led selective prosecution. In search of political bias, theyve asked Cannon to force the DOJ to turn over all kinds of documentsunder the guise of so-called Brady rules, which require the government to disclose exculpatory information to a person charged with a crime. Judge Aileen Cannons Games in Florida May Delay Other Trump Trials In short, its a fishing expedition to delay the trial. And, as it happens, Cannon herself worked on a case that established some clear restrictions on this kind of legal deep-sea voyage. Back when she was a federal prosecutor in South Florida, Cannon worked on a case involving a 2015 sting operation that caught two men who planned to rob a fake stash house of half a million dollars of cocaine, showing up with two AK-47s in their pickup truck. One of them appealed his conviction by claiming he was subject to an unfair selective prosecution on the grounds that the vast majority of stash house stings nab Blacks and Hispanics. Cannon had already been elevated to the bench when her old team won the case in 2021, with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals pointing to long-established precedent that sets a demanding burden to make that kind of claimparticularly when trying to set off a document search for imaginary proof. By coincidence, the case actually bore Cannons name. One of the men caught in the sting was named Lance Cannon, and the case was dubbed U.S. v. Cannon. Now that Trump is making a similarly spectacular claim, Smiths prosecutors have reminded Judge Cannon that her hard-won victory is the very reason she should rule against the former president. Defendants cant just demand a government document dump by pointing to some flimsy notion of selective prosecution, the DOJ argued. A request to discover such material is, instead, governed by well-settled and binding precedent in [Armstrong] and [Jordan,] prosecutors wrote in February, citing the case she worked on by name. "Its smart lawyering," said Robert A. Sanders, a retired Navy JAG captain who now teaches law at the University of New Haven. Its also something of a flex. She worked on almost no cases. She had very little courtroom experience. To find a case that actually she worked on and that resulted in a published opinion is in itself improbable, said Catherine Ross, a professor emeritus at George Washington University Law School. Its a brilliant maneuver, and particularly with a judge who had so little trial background, she said. Citing past cases is part of a lawyers everyday job. When they point to higher court rulings, attorneys do it to explain how the current interpretation of the law guides judges to make certain decisions. Occasionally, lawyers get the opportunity to point to a judges own past rulingsa sort of gentle nudge that reminds judges to remain consistent. But this is different. The decision to point Cannon to her own case also sends a messageand not one meant for Trumps lawyers or even the American public paying close attention to the historic case. Smiths choice to cite case law that Cannon actually worked could be viewed as a reminder to the judge that she knows better than to side with Trump on thisespecially on such a narrow topic as bias-alleging document requests. Its not quite the same as confronting a judge with an opinion they wrote or joined, Ross said. I dont think selective prosecution comes up often. There are very few people who can pass the laugh test on claiming that. I think they have her locked in a pretty tight spotif she were a normal judge. Special prosecutor Jack Smith sits in the courtroom. Peter Dejong/Reuters Then again, prosecutors are contending with a judge who has gone out of her way to block, slow down, and frustrate the criminal case against Trump. Long before he was caught hoarding a vast collection of classified documents that he took home with him from the White House, Trump singled out Cannon as his preferred federal judge in South Florida. When Trump filed his revenge lawsuit against Hillary Clinton at a satellite courthouse where Cannon is the only judge, he was disappointed that another judge landed the case. (The judge ended up excoriating Trumps lawyers for clearly trying to game the local districts judicial assignment wheel.) After the FBI seized boxes at Mar-a-Lago, Trumps lawyers sued the DOJ to hamper the probe and managed to get Cannon this time around. She used that opportunity to halt agents from reviewing evidence, appointing a referee in faraway Brooklyn to slow down the investigation, and feigning concern about Trumps privacy that in reality stemmed from a doctors note Trump had previously made public as part of a publicity stunt. It wasnt until the 11th Circuit ordered her to back off that she relented. But since then, Cannon has consistently delayed a court review of classified records that would have only taken two days, causing a domino effect that has cast a cloud of uncertainty over the timing of Trumps other upcoming trials in New York and Washington, D.C. Sanders said the prosecutors citation of a case Cannon worked on could be read as a subtle reminder to the judge herself. The message is: Remember what you did earlier? And how you got jammed up for itwhen you went in a direction no one in the world thought was right? Think about what youre going to do this time, Sanders said. Judge Issues Rare Ruling Against Trump in Classified Docs Case But if thats the message, Cannon may not be getting it. In her latest move on Thursday, Cannon initially rejected prosecutors request to keep secret the identity of government witnessesonly to reverse herself and temporarily halt the measure the next day, after the DOJ special counsel warned about the threat of intimidation. The judge has yet to rule on the Trump teams request to greenlight its government dumpster dive, but Trump referenced the issue in a Thursday afternoon post on his Truth Social media network. Deranged Jack Smith and his Thugs should immediately drop the totally discredited Documents Hoax against me. A TWO-TIERED SYSTEM OF JUSTICE AND SELECTIVE PROSECUTION! he posted. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Mayim Bialik may no longer be hosting Jeopardy!, but the show is open to her returning one day. The shows executive producer, Michael Davies, said the decision to part with Bialik came from a desire to have one host, Ken Jennings. When I took over the show, we were forced into that situation, Davies recently said about having two hosts while speaking during the Television Critics Association winter 2024 press tour, according to Variety. Over the past two and a half seasons, what weve heard from a lot of from television stations and other interested parties is that they wanted more consistency. They wanted a single host. Davies, who took over the show in April 2022, then floated the idea Bialik could come back to the host's podium in some capacity. Mayim is a superb host, he said. We hope to continue working with her on primetime versions this conversation is ongoing. Bialik announced she would no longer be hosting the program in an Instagram post in December, although she didn't provide any specific details about her departure. As the holiday break begins in Hollywood, I have some Jeopardy! news. Sony has informed me that I will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy! Bialik wrote. I am incredibly honored to have been nominated for a primetime Emmy for hosting this year and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Jeopardy! family. For all of you who have supported me through this incredible journey and to the fans, contestants, writers, staff and crew of Americas Favorite Quiz Show, thank you. At the time, Jeopardy! released its own statement Bialik's exit. Mayim Bialik has announced she will no longer be hosting the syndicated version of Jeopardy! We made the decision to have one host for the syndicated show next season to maintain continuity for our viewers, and Ken Jennings will be the sole host for syndicated Jeopardy! the show said. Mayim Bialik hosting We are truly grateful for all of Mayims contributions to Jeopardy!, and we hope to continue to work with her on primetime specials, the show added. At the time, Jennings said he was taken aback by the news. It took me off guard, because I loved working with my Mayim and Im gonna miss her, Jennings told The Hollywood Reporter in a story published the day after Christmas. In July 2022, Bialik and Jennings were officially announced as co-hosts after a string of guest hosts filled in following the death of longtime host Alex Trebek in 2020. Mike Richards, who had been named permanent host in August 2021 along with Bialik had stepped down from the job that same month for previous lawsuits and sexist comments he made on a podcast. This article was originally published on TODAY.com New Delhi's Foreign Ministry said on Monday that a Qatari court has ordered the release of eight Indian naval officers who were previously on death row for unspecified charges. Authorities said in January that the men's death penalty had been converted into prison sentences of "varying" lengths. This comes as seven of the eight individuals have already returned home to India, as confirmed by the Foreign Ministry. Qatar Releases Indian Naval Officers Neither India nor Qatar revealed what charges were filed against the naval officers who were working for Dahra Global, which is a private firm in Qatar. However, previous reports claimed that the individuals were charged with spying for Israel. In a statement, New Delhi's Foreign Ministry said that they appreciated the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release of the eight Indian nationals. The arrest of the naval officers made headlines in the South Asian country in 2022, as per BBC. In October last year, India said that it was "deeply shocked" after the Court of First Instance in Qatar sentenced the men to death. The Indian Foreign Ministry subsequently filed an appeal against the sentence handed to the naval officers. The situation comes as India and Qatar are considered to be close allies and comes as New Delhi recently signed a $78 billion deal to import liquefied natural gas from Doha until the end of 2048. Read Also: Iraq, US Resume Negotiations Over Future of US-led Coalition The conviction of the Indian naval officers briefly disturbed ties between the two nations but experts argued that sustained diplomatic efforts led to the release of the eight men. India's Foreign Ministry said in December last year that its ambassador to Qatar had met the eight men in prison. The remaining naval officer who has not yet returned home is said to be working through some paperwork and will be released soon. The seven who were able to come back were identified as Capts. Navtej Singh Gill, Saurabj Vasisht, Birendra Kumar Verma, Commanders Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Sanjeev Gupta, Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh, according to NDTV. Communal of Death Sentence The commune of the eight men's death sentences was made shortly after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the COP28 summit that was held in Dubai. After one of the eight naval officers returned home to India, he thanked the prime minister, saying that they were very happy to be back home safely. He also said, "Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi as this was only possible because of his personal intervention." Another one of the seven men who returned home said that they waited for 18 months to return to India. He said that they are "extremely grateful to the Prime Minister." He also expressed gratitude to the Indian government for all the efforts that were made to secure their release. A general secretary of India's main opposition party, Jairam Ramesh, demanded last year that the local government "explain to the families and the people of India" why it has not yet secured the release of the naval officers more than half a year after their detention, said CNN. Related Article: Parliamentary Report Says British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Rwanda Deportation Plan is Fundamentally Flawed A Jewish chaplain at Leeds University has been forced into hiding after he was targeted with death threats and anti-Semitic protests, prompting an open letter from 500 former students for action. Rabbi Zecharia Deutsch, his wife, Nava, and their two children were moved to a safe location on police advice after receiving death threats over his role as an Israel Defense Force (IDF) reservist. Pro-Palestinian campaigners have accused Rabbi Deutsch of genocide after he returned to Israel after Hamass Oct 7 terror attacks to serve in the IDF. The rabbi has received hundreds of malicious calls including threats to kill him, rape his wife, and murder their children. As a result, Jewish and non-Jewish former and current students with graduation dates ranging from 1967 to the present, have written an open letter to Prof Hai-Sui Yu, the universitys vice-chancellor, warning about the current state of anti-Semitism on campus. Universities should be a safe haven The letter, signed by more than 500 alumni, says: The university has a duty both morally and legally to report and prevent extremist behaviour, which no doubt includes defacing a Jewish community centre for students. We expect to see the university wholeheartedly condemning this behaviour and acting decisively to curtail it. This letter also comes after the universitys Jewish Society hosted a Challah bake at its Jewish community centre, which has since been defaced with graffiti reading Free Palestine and IDF off campus. The more than 500 alumni added in their letter: Universities have a responsibility to provide a safe haven for students of all backgrounds. As former students, the University of Leeds holds a special place in our heart: and so we were shocked and saddened to see that this week the universitys Hillel House was victim to anti-Semitic graffiti, and that there are ongoing protests against the Jewish chaplains on campus. They also demanded to know what measures the vice-chancellor was taking to prevent anti-Semitism on campus, to protect and support Jewish people and safeguard their security, and how it was supporting the chaplains. The incidents in Leeds come after students at the University of Birmingham chanted death to Zionists during a rally last week. Jewish student groups later issued a statement saying that safety on campus had been broken. University deeply shocked According to the Community Security Trust (CST), a charity which monitors anti-Semitic incidents in the UK, in the 68 days inclusive between the Hamas terror attack on Israel and Wednesday Dec 13, it recorded at least 2,093 anti-Semitic incidents across the UK. A University of Leeds spokesman said they were deeply shocked and saddened by Rabbi Deutsch receiving threats to his safety and that of his family and that the Jewish community centre was attacked, adding: We understand and share the sentiment that has been expressed within and beyond our community, that anti-Semitism is a hatred that has no place on campus. We totally condemn the anti-Semitic abuse and threats directed towards the chaplain and his family such attacks on any individual are unacceptable and will not be tolerated from members of the public or our university community. The interim vice-chancellor and president is seeking meetings with universities in the region as well as our key partners across the city and local politicians, to identify what more we can do together to address issues being experienced by communities in the city and wider region. The spokesman added that they are supporting West Yorkshire Police and the Union of Jewish Students as the property owners as they investigate this incident as a hate crime. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. An audience member has reported a comedian to British authorities over an alleged hate crime, he told The Daily Beast, after the comic allegedly ordered an Israeli man to leave his show in London. Comic Paul Currie, from Belfast, was accused of becoming verbally abusive towards the audience member near the end of the show at Soho Theatre on Saturday night. John*, another attendee, told The Daily Beast that the incident began when Currie pulled out a Palestinian flag. Jon Stewart Calls Out Very Small Apple TV+ for Censoring Him Paul Currie was performing his show Shtoombilled by the theater as a unique, surrealist, dada punk-clown, non-verbal experience from the award-winning Belfast comedy artist. He had a suitcase on the stage that he kept retrieving props from, John said. About five minutes from the end of the show, he took out the Ukrainian flag, and then immediately after that he took out a Palestinian flag. John says a large portion of the audience stood up at that point, which Currie encouraged. As people sat down, John says, Currie addressed a young man in the second row. He said to him: You didnt stand, did you not enjoy my show? And the guy saidwho we later learned is Israelithe guy said: I did enjoy your show until you took out the Palestinian flag. At that point, John alleges, the exchange escalated immediately. [Currie] was quiet for a second and then he said: Get the fuck out of my show. Go on, get the fuck out of here. He repeated it so many timesFuck off, get the fuck out of here. John says he and his group had stood at the bit where the Israeli man remained seated. We werent standing for the Palestinian flag, John says, but rather as an ovation for the end of his show. John is Jewish and says he found it very uncomfortable. We were shocked, he said. He explained that all four of the people in his group are Jewish and hold Israeli citizenship. The man on the receiving end of the alleged barrage remained surprisingly calm, John said. I think he was incredibly brave because in a room full of 200 people, to be able to say I enjoyed the show until you took out the flag I thought was incredibly brave. John says they spoke briefly outside the theater after the show, at which point he learned he was Israeli. During the purported tirade, John claims there were quite a few audience members who had risen to their feet, shouting Free Palestine! Free Palestine! Get the fuck out of here. John claims the Israeli man, at that point, got up to leave. John and his party also stood to walk out too. He says the experience was quite frightening because there were a lot of people sort of screaming at that time. John says his group went to the foyer of the theater where they tried to speak to the manager on duty. He said the staff member had not witnessed what happened during the show and alleged she could not compute the magnitude of what we were talking about. She was much more preoccupied with fielding lots of people around the theater going to different venues, and so we were sort of a hindrance to her, John said. She really didnt want to engage with it at all. She said to me: We do advocate freedom of speech here, but I dont really want to hold anything against her because she clearly couldnt compute what I was really talking about. John added that another person who was at the show contacted Johns friend after John and his group had walked out. This person allegedly stayed behind, but had been thinking of leaving as well, but they were scared, actually, to stand up and be singled out. They alleged that the chanting had continued after the walkouts and claimed that Currie said to the audience: I think Im going to get into troublecan you all please put as much support for me on social media [as possible]? John also says he stood on the sidewalk outside the theater after the show ended. He claims that audience members looked at him and his party very antagonistically, in a very threatening way, as they came out. At that point, John says, he decided to leave. John said that while it hadnt occurred to him at the time, he later reflected on the fact that The Soho Theatre today stands on the site where the West End Great Synagogue once stood. A mizrach, traditionally placed on the eastern wall of a Jewish building, is still displayed inside the theater. It just seems incredibly sad that what was once a synagogue became a site where there was a hate crime against Jews, John said. John says Saturday was his first encounter with Currie. My opinion of him is that hes a bit of a lost soul, to be honest, John added, saying that he hopes that some good comes from the alleged incident. Id like him to learn something about this. Id like him to get a deeper understanding of what this is all about that he was getting himself involved in. Thats what Id like to see. He also said hed like to see a formal apologynot to me personally but to, you know, the broader community. The Daily Beast has contacted Currie for comment. John says he reported the incident to law enforcement on Monday. We are aware of the incident that took place at the Soho Theatre on Saturday evening, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson told The Daily Beast. We understand why it was upsetting for those involved and we note the venue has issued a statement confirming they are looking into what took place. A report was submitted to police on Monday and enquiries are ongoing. Earlier, the Soho Theatre said in a statement that it was sorry and saddened by the incident which has caused upset and hurt to the audience members and others. We take this very seriously and are looking into the detail of what happened as thoroughly, as sensitively, and as quickly as we can, the statement read. It is important to us that Soho Theatre is a welcoming and inclusive place for all. The Campaign Against Antisemitism, a British nonprofit dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law, says it is now assisting people who were hounded out of Curries show and is exploring legal options. What the Jewish audience-members have recounted is atrocious, and we are working with them and our lawyers to ensure that those who instigated and enabled it are held to account, a spokesperson for the organization said. These allegations are of deeply disturbing discriminatory abuse against Jews. Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but hounding Jews out of theatres is reminiscent of humanitys darkest days, and must have no place in central London in 2024. *Name changed to protect anonymity. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Guess whos back on Broadway?! Fresh off the announcement that Jinkx Monsoon will be making her Carnegie Hall debut in a very special concert for Valentines Day 2025, the RuPauls Drag Race legend is now doubling down by announcing that shes coming back to Chicago on Broadway! Jinkxs new Chicago run, where shell reprise her role as Matron Mama Morton, will take place from June 27 to July 12, 2024. Well, lets just say that we couldnt be more excited! Most of my life, and my entire artistic career I have known the roles I would play well, but I also knew the industry was not yet giving actors like me the chance to prove it, Jinkx wrote in a statement. Over the last decade, I, and queer artists like myself, have been chipping away at the antiquated ideas of gender and performance leading to my life-changing run as Mama Morton in Chicago. She added, During that one 10-week run, I learned so much about my craft and myself and I cannot wait to take all of that back into this role and show. I am still just a kid, in shock and awe of this wonderful world I get to be a part of. Jinkx also shared sweet words in an Instagram post, writing: Shes baaack! Im beyond thrilled to reunite with my [Chicago musical] family for 20 performances only, kicking off NYC Pride! Be good to Mama and swing by this summer June 27 - July 12! www.instagram.com Jinkx has a very busy year ahead of her, which also includes her role as a villain in the new season of Doctor Who. In the meantime, a few things are also happening in Jinkxs personal life. Jinkx got married to Michael Abbott in Jan. 2021 through a virtual wedding ceremony given that the lockdown was still in full effect. Unfortunately, Abbott revealed over the weekend that he and Jinkx have decided to go their separate ways. With a heavy heart, I share that Jinkx and I have chosen to part ways, Michael wrote in an Instagram post. In this extremely challenging time, I want to emphasize my deep gratitude to Jinkx for the shared moments, love, and growth we experienced together. As we begin the intricate process of untangling our lives, I carry a profound appreciation for the positive impact Jinkx has had on my journey. He added, Friends and followers your understanding and respect for our privacy are valued more than words can express. Thank you for your empathy and support during this difficult chapter. www.instagram.com Separating from a partner can be a huge undertaking and a stressful event in most peoples lives. As requested by Michael, it would be wise for Drag Race fans to respect their privacy at this time. We wish nothing but the best to these two people. Sending all our love! For tickets and more information about Jinkx Monsoons Carnegie Hall debut concert, visit the venues official website. Additionally, you can buy tickets to see Jinkx in Chicago by visiting the Broadway musicals official website. Jon Stewart says hes returning to The Daily Show so he has an outlet to unload thoughts ahead of the 2024 White House race. I just thought who better to comment on this election than someone who truly understands two aging men past their prime? Stewart quipped in a reference to President Biden and former President Trump, in a Monday interview on CBS Mornings. I mean, look at me, baby, the 61-year-old comedian, who often makes self-deprecating digs about his age, said with a grin. Comedy Central announced last month that Stewart would return to The Daily Show desk on Monday nights, with a rotating lineup of other hosts culled from the programs news correspondents on other weekdays. Stewart who hosted The Daily Show for 16 years before stepping down in 2015 will make his return Monday night. Im hoping to have a catharsis, and a way to comment on things and a way to express them that hopefully people will enjoy, Stewart said, when asked by CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil whether he was aiming to have an influence on politics. As far as influence I mean, just about everything that I wanted to happen over the 16 years that I was at The Daily Show did not happen, Stewart said. If you were hoping for influence and I think Ive learned that post-Daily Show, being lucky enough to watch activists as they move to the PACT Act and the toxic exposure but being able to observe that, thats having influence, the comic, who championed legislation expanding health care for 3.5 million American military veterans who were exposed to chemicals and toxic burn pits. I like in television, you can occasionally provide air support to those on the ground who are actually doing the work. And so I dont view it as, I really want to have an influence on this issue, election, things like that. Stewart said he likes to utilize satire to lay bare corruption and integrity, rather than calling out right and left or Democratic and Republican. If you focus on integrity, and trying to expose what you think is absurd or corrupt, itll find its way to wherever it finds but those are the parameters that youre trying to use. Asked why hell only be hosting The Daily Show one night a week, Stewart replied, I just felt like just doing Mondays. I was very much enjoying my life, Stewart said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. To perhaps no ones surprise, it appears large corporations that depend on the production and consumption of dirty energy to earn billions are behind the misinformation thats making it harder for clean energy projects to get off the ground. In October 2022, climate journalist Michael Thomas shone a light on the misinformation running rampant through dozens of Facebook groups that were all opposed to clean energy projects, resulting in real and negative impacts on communities and the environment as a whole. Do you want a giant wind farm in your state? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind Its changing voters minds. Its changing local policy. And its slowing down the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, Thomas (@curious_founder) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. As detailed by CAP 20, its not a fluke. The effort to stop the countrys move toward clean energy is well-funded. According to the publication, it hasnt been uncommon for dirty energy companies to give money to national think tanks linked to sham grassroots organizations, known as astroturf groups. Those groups then work to influence public opinion, per CAP 20. In other words, companies pushing for offshore drilling have an interest in discouraging the use of offshore windmills through misinformation. An op-ed published in a Delaware newspaper on Nov. 6 is one recent example. The article, which was rife with misinformation, described offshore wind as an environmental wrecking ball, and it was written by David Stevenson, director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy at the Caesar Rodney Institute, a think tank that works to shift policy in favor of dirty energy, according to CAP 20. It just so happens that CRI recently received thousands of dollars from the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers and American Energy Alliance, the outlet reported. Politicians can also play a role in misleading people about solar and wind energy. In September, at a rally in South Carolina, former President Donald Trump claimed that offshore windmills are causing whales to die in numbers never seen before, per the BBC. However, thats not true. According to the BBC, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration examined about 90 humpback whales that washed up on U.S. beaches since 2016 and found that the No. 1 cause of death was human interaction, which includes their getting tangled in fishing nets or struck by boats. The Department of Energy, alongside other government agencies, has addressed the misinformation about the whales, and the Associated Press also recently debunked the faulty claims, stating, Scientists say there is no credible evidence linking offshore wind farms to whale deaths. Unfortunately, misinformation has continued to stall or stop clean energy projects. Across much of the U.S., regulations concerning wind or solar farms are made at the local level. Sarah Mills, who has done extensive sustainability research at the University of Michigan, told NPR in 2022: These local officials are not necessarily experts in energy. And so when you have people coming and stating things as facts, especially if theres nobody fact-checking everything, right, its difficult. Theyre certainly making decisions based on what theyre hearing. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. A judge put a new Ohio new law on hold. It would require parental consent for children younger than 16 to set up social media accounts. A federal judge has indefinitely blocked Ohio's law requiring parents to sign off on their teen's new social media accounts. Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley granted a preliminary injunction Monday, preventing the law from taking effect while attorneys debate whether Ohio can restrict childrens' access to social media. He concluded that Ohio's law would violate minors' First Amendment rights. The law, which was set to take effect mid-January, would require social media companies to get parental consent before allowing kids under the age of 16 to use their platforms. Companies that don't comply could face lawsuits and fines. But NetChoice, a trade association that represents Meta, TikTok and other technology companies, challenged the law in federal court, arguing that Ohio was violating teens' First Amendment rights. Attorneys expressed concern about how broadly the law was written, including not only Facebook and Instagram but also YouTube, gaming sites, online journaling websites and more. Attorneys defending the social media restrictions argued Ohio had the right to limit children's access to social media because of the harm it could cause. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned that social media may perpetuate body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors and low self-esteem, especially among young girls. Ultimately, Marbley ruled that Ohio might have gone too far: "Foreclosing minors under 16 from accessing all content on websites that the Act purports to cover, absent affirmative parental consent, is a breathtakingly blunt instrument for reducing social medias harm to children." NetChoice celebrated the ruling. "(T)his law and others like it in California and Arkansas not only violate constitutional rights, but if enacted, would fail to achieve the states goal of protecting kids online," said Chris Marchese, director of the NetChoice Litigation Center, in a statement. Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who championed the parental notification requirement, promised to keep fighting to protect children online. DeWine suggested Congress should get involved. Husted pledged to "escalate our efforts to protect kids from further exploitation. Preliminary Injunction granted on social media law by Jessie Balmert on Scribd This embedded content is not available in your region. Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio's parental notification law on social media on hold indefinitely An American woman and a man from Belize were killed after what was perceived to be a dispute between drug dealers at a beach club in Tulum on Mexico's Caribbean coast over the weekend. According to prosecutors from the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, the American woman was allegedly caught in the crossfire and had no connection to an alleged male drug dealer who was also killed in the shooting on Friday night (Feb. 9). Prosecutors and the US Embassy in Mexico have not provided the name of the American woman or her hometown, the Associated Press reported. The Central American country of Belize shares a border with Mexico on the Caribbean coast, while Tulum is located south of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, closer to Belize. Read Also: FBI Arrests Tennessee Man for Planning Attack on US Southern Border Prosecutors added that the dead man had cocaine and pills in his possession when he was killed, and was believed to be a dealer. On the other hand, the suspects - who are reported to be still on the run - had been identified. Foreign tourists have been killed in the past after getting caught in drug gang shootouts in Tulum, such as in 2021, when two tourists, including an India-born California travel vlogger, were killed in another drug dealer crossfire while eating at a restaurant. Last year, the US State Department issued a travel alert warning travelers to "exercise increased situational awareness" especially after dark, at Mexico's Caribbean beach resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. Related Article: Mexico Gunmen Abducts Mexican Volunteer Searching for Missing Brother, Kill Husband and Son GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) The judge overseeing Sean Williams federal child pornography production trial wants it to start May 21 and be combined with a charge related to Williams Oct. 18, 2023 escape from a prison transport van. COMPLETE COVERAGE OF THE SEAN WILLIAMS CASE Federal Judge Ronnie Greer said the prosecutions possibility of tying Williams escape to an effort to prove consciousness of guilt in the child sex crimes case was one logical reason to try those together. Currently, Williams child pornography production trial is set to begin March 26, and he is scheduled to be tried May 21 on the escape count and a separate alleged attempted escape that occurred in July 2023. Williams is also at the center of two federal civil suits against Johnson City, one filed by a former federal prosecutor in June 2022, the other on behalf of multiple alleged rape victims in June 2023. Both suits center around alleged incompetence and/or corruption by the Johnson City Police Department as multiple reports of Williams drugging and raping women in his downtown apartment were being made between 2019 and 2021. The city has denied all allegations in both suits. One reason for Mondays status hearing was for Greer to hear defense attorney Joseph McAfees motion to push the child pornography trial date back, an outcome that appears almost certain. McAfee, Williams third attorney so far, was appointed Dec. 21, 2023. Greer gave his opinion during a hearing he called to talk a little bit about logistics and see where we are in the multiple, intersecting cases of the 52-year-old former downtown Johnson City man. Williams federal charges in East Tennessee include one count of attempted escape and one count of escape, which occurred in July and October of 2023. They are tied together in one indictment that dates to 2021. A separate indictment from September 2023 after the alleged attempted escape but before the actual escape Oct. 18, 2023 charges Williams with three counts of child pornography production. Greer said if prosecutors are considering an effort to show the October escape can prove consciousness of guilt in the child sex charges, it just makes some sense to me to try both of them together. That move would involve severing the October escape charge from its current case with the attempted escape so it could be tried concurrently with the child sex charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Gomez and Joseph McAfee, Williams appointed attorney, both seemed agreeable to the idea. Another judge recently okayed a request by McAfee to delay the trial until May 21 on the escape and attempted escape charges, given his need to catch up on the facts of the case. Bristols Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on target for summer opening McAfee has also requested a delay in the child pornography trial to give him time to review what he describes as voluminous discovery materials. Those are primarily in the form of digital video and photographic evidence allegedly found on hard drives and other devices Western Carolina University police claim Williams was holding when they arrested him April 29, 2023 on drug charges. Federal prosecutors are primarily basing their child pornography case on that alleged evidence. A search warrant affidavit claims the data includes video and images of child rapes as well as similar evidence allegedly showing Williams raping more than 50 different women, who appear to be drugged, in his Johnson City apartment. McAfee told Greer he has found a forensic expert in East Tennessee who can review the evidence, which should make a motions deadline of late March feasible for him. That expert will probably have to travel to an FBI office to view the files, which McAfee said are on about eight different drives. Greer told prosecutors and Williams attorney that approach made the most sense to him and asked the attorneys to let him know by Feb. 26 whether they agreed. Asked how long they expected to need for the envisioned combined trial, including cross-examination, Gomez said three days and McAfee said four. How we got here Williams first federal count in Tennessees Eastern District Court isnt even being prosecuted anymore a felon in possession of ammunition charge that Johnson City police unsuccessfully attempted to serve on Williams May 5, 2021. Weeks after a woman named Mikayla Evans fell from Williams fifth-story apartment window in September 2020, Johnson City police had asked Kat Dahl, a federal prosecutor assigned to help them take certain cases federal, to help prosecute Williams. They had allegedly found ammunition while searching the convicted felons safe during the course of investigating Evans fall. Dahl came into the case and quickly learned of the sexual assault and drugging allegations. Her lawsuit claims she pressed police to broaden their investigation into those allegations. That didnt happen, Dahl got the ammunition indictment in April 2021, and in late June 2021 then-Johnson City Police Chief Karl Turner told Dahl the city wasnt renewing her contract. Sean Williams alleged victims speak out, say city manager victim blamed them Dahls suit claims she spent several weeks hounding police to serve the warrant until they made the attempt on May 5. It was unsuccessful, and Williams then spent almost two years on the run before Western Carolina University police arrested him on drug charges after finding him in a car in the wee hours of April 29, 2023 during a parking lot sweep. Less than two months later, attorneys filed a second civil federal suit against Johnson City and several police officers on behalf of nine anonymous alleged victims of Williams. It claims the police corruptly participated in a sex trafficking operation run by Williams and essentially allowed it to continue, allegedly contributing to the harm suffered by his alleged victims. Dahls suit alleging retaliatory discharge and civil rights violations is scheduled for May 2023, though a judge hasnt yet ruled on the citys motion to essentially dismiss it. The so-called Jane Does lawsuit is scheduled for trial in April 2025. Plaintiffs attorneys have amended it to seek class action status and add additional defendants from the police department, and are awaiting a judges ruling on those requests. The city has opposed them. Johnson City and other defendants deny all the allegations in both civil lawsuits. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather. A trial date has been set for Donna Adelson, whos accused of first-degree murder in the 2014 killing of her former son-in-law, Dan Markel. On Monday, Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett set a start date of Sept. 30 for the high-profile murder trial. Jury selection will kick off that day, with opening arguments likely later in the week. Prosecutors signaled during the brief court proceeding that they dont expect to make any kind of deal with Adelson. Donna Adelson appears via Zoom for a court hearing on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, before Leon Circuit Judge Stephen Everett. Adelson is charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation in the 2014 murder-for-hire killing of law professor Dan Markel. Does the state intend to give a plea offer? Everett asked. No that I know of, Assistant State Attorney Sarah Kathryn Dugan said, adding she would let the court know if that changed. Ultimately when it comes down to it, Mrs. Adelson has to make a ... voluntary decision about going to trial, Everett said. That includes whether or not there is a plea offer to reject or accept. Assistant State Attorney Sarah Dugan talks with Assistant State Attorney Georgia Cappleman during a recess on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. Adelson, who is being held without bond in the Leon County Detention Facility, appeared in court via Zoom. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation. She was arrested Nov. 13 as she and her husband, Harvey Adelson, tried to board a flight to Vietnam with one-way tickets. Their attempted flight overseas came one week after her son, Charlie Adelson, was found guilty in Markels murder after an eight-day trial in Tallahassee. Dan Markel, a law professor at Florida State University, was fatally shot July 18, 2014, in the garage of his Trescott Drive home. The murder, which was carried out by two Miami hit men, happened amid a nasty court battle between Markel and his ex-wife, Wendi Adelson, who is Donna Adelsons daughter and Charlie Adelson's sister. Donna Adelsons defense lawyers Alex Morris, right, and Daniel Rashbaum chat with one another ahead of a hearing for Adelson on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Three others have also been convicted in the murder plot: the two hit men, Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, and Charlie Adelsons former girlfriend, Katie Magbanua. Everett set a status hearing on Donna Adelsons trial for the week of July 22. She is represented by Dan Rashbaum, a Miami lawyer who defended her son at trial, and Tallahassee lawyer Alex Morris, both of whom attended Mondays proceeding in person. Neither had any comment after the date was set. Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Dan Markel murder: Judge sets trial date for Donna Adelson The judge presiding over former President Donald Trumps criminal case in Georgia is moving forward with a Thursday hearing meant to discern whether District Attorney Fani Willis and the rest of the prosecution team should be disqualified from leading the case. Judge Scott McAfee rejected the prosecutors request to cancel the hearing a decision that keeps alive the prospect that Willis may have to testify under oath about her romantic relationship with a special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, whom she hired to help run the case as a contract attorney. Trump and other defendants have alleged that Willis and Wade have conflicts of interest because they have allegedly used income from Wades contract to pay for vacations together. The state has admitted a relationship existed, McAfee said in court on Monday. And so, what remains to be proven is the existence and extent of any financial benefit, again, if there even was one. Because I think its possible that the facts alleged by the defendant could result in disqualification, I think an evidentiary hearing must occur to establish the record on those core allegations. Though the judge made clear he had not decided whether there is any merit to the allegations, his decision was a blow to prosecutors who had hoped he would call off the entire thing. Anna Cross, a deputy for Willis who has handled key proceedings in state and federal court, said the allegations against Willis amounted to gossip meant to cause a spectacle that had no legal basis. Even if the allegations of financial impropriety were proven, Cross said, they would have no bearing on the criminal case against Trump and his co-defendants related to their efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. This is a serious case, these are serious charges. Your honors been running a serious courtroom, Cross said, adding, The defense is bringing you gossip. The judge wasnt immediately persuaded, however, and indicated that the allegations could result in disqualification especially if prosecutors lied about when the relationship started. McAfees ruling sustains, for at least a few more days, a spotlight on the personal life of the Atlanta-area district attorney whose national profile has skyrocketed amid her investigation and prosecution of the former president. Willis has suggested in public comments that the focus on her relationship with Wade is racist. Defense attorneys have denied that accusation and have argued that Willis out-of-court remarks responding to the allegations are inappropriate extrajudicial statements. The remarkable proceeding stems from a Jan. 8 filing by former Trump campaign official Mike Roman, one of Trumps 18 co-defendants in the sprawling racketeering case. Romans lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, alleged that Willis and Wade have been romantically involved for several years and benefited financially from their decisions in the case. She has also claimed their romance began before Wade joined Willis team. Willis and Wade acknowledged in court papers this month that they entered a personal relationship in addition to their professional relationship and friendship. But they rejected the allegations that the nature of their relationship had any bearing on the case. They said they have violated no ethics rules, and they denied they have been improperly enriched by their work on the case. They also said that Wade joined Willis team before the relationship turned romantic. Shortly after Merchants allegations, McAfee set a Feb. 15 hearing to hear evidence. Merchant is seeking to force Willis and Wade to testify at that hearing. Though McAfee rejected the states effort to cancel the hearing, he agreed that he wont force Willis, Wade or others in her office to testify until after hearing from witnesses called by Merchant. Merchant has said those witnesses will help substantiate her allegations against them. Cross called the efforts to subpoena the prosecutors an abuse of the subpoena power. McAfee said he would not permit redundant or gratuitous evidence and attempt to keep Thursdays hearing focused on the specific allegations of a financial conflict. Cross said the state would present voluminous evidence undermining the allegations against Willis and Wade and that she would be shocked if the defense team could back up some of the allegations about their relationship. Theres just no way to make that claim in good faith given the record thats before the court now, Cross said. Merchant, however, said she will be able to show Wade and Willis relationship turned romantic before she brought him onto the Trump case in November 2021. If she can show that, it would mean Willis and Wade lied to the judge when they said in court papers last week that they did not enter a romantic relationship until 2022. Cross said the district attorneys office intends to call Willis father, John Floyd, as a witness at Thursdays hearing. Cross said Floyd would testify about Willis living arrangements to counter allegations that Willis and Wade co-habitated during the Trump investigation. The hearing also confirmed that Wade has refused to accept service of a subpoena issued by Merchant. LANSING A Clinton County jury on Friday convicted a retired priest of stealing more than three-quarters of a million dollars from several retired priests over a six-year period. David Rosenberg, 72, of DeWitt, was convicted on eight felony charges for stealing $780,000 and using the money to fund his own charitable foundation, FaithFirst, formerly known as the Rosenberg Family Corporation, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in release. Rosenberg was convicted on three counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult $100,000 or more, a 20-year felony; one count of false pretenses $100,000 or more, a 20-year-felony; one count of false pretenses $20,000-$50,000, a 15-year felony; one county of perjury, a 15-year felony; one count of uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony; and one count of larceny, a 10-year felony, Nessel said. Sentencing has been set for 1 p.m. on March 18. Rosenberg was employed as director of the Lansing Catholic Dioceses St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt between 2015 and 2021. The 95-acre Retreat Center property includes apartments that house retired priests. The three victims lived at the Retreat Center apartments until their deaths, the release said. The embezzlement charges pertain to retired priests the Rev. Benjamin Werner, the Rev. Joseph Aubin and the Rev. Ken McDonald, who purportedly donated much of their wealth to Rosenberg's foundation. Upon the conclusion of these criminal proceedings, our prayers are naturally with those most affected by Father Rosenbergs actions, especially the close friends and family of his three victims, each of whom has since died, may they rest in peace, said David Kerr, director of communications for the Diocese of Lansing. Rosenberg was the director of the Diocese of Lansings Saint Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt from 2015 until his retirement in 2021, according to the Diocese. The Diocese said Rosenberg was not accused of stealing money from the Diocese, and said as director of the retreat center he had no official responsibilities for the nearby community of retired priests. After he was charged in 2022, Rosenberg was ordered to refrain from public ministry by Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, the Diocese said. That order remains in place. State Journal reporter Ken Palmer contributed. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing area retired priest David Rosenberg convicted of embezzlement We are hearing from a man who saw a plane crash and catch fire in the middle of Interstate 75 in Florida on Friday. >>PHOTOS: At least 2 dead after plane that traveled from Ohio crashes on Florida highway News Center 7 previously reported that a Bombardier Challenger 600 jet carrying five people crashed on I-75 near Naples, Florida around 3:15 p.m., the FAA confirmed. The plane traveled from Ohio and crashed in Florida. Tracking the jets tail number, N823KD, the flight appeared to have been headed to the Naples Airport from Ohio State, according to FlightAware and WINK. A spokesperson from Ohio State said the plane is not affiliated with the university. The pilot and co-pilot, both from Florida, died. A 27-year-old crew member, also from Florida, and two passengers from Columbus survived. >>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Sheriff identifies 2 killed in plane crash on Florida highway One man lives near the crash site and considers himself very lucky because the neighborhood he lives in is separated by a barrier. We were very lucky, said Javid Kapadia. Because again, maybe another 150 yards or so. And thank God for that barrier. He said he was about to leave for the gym when he heard an explosion and then his house shook. He then ran outside and saw clouds of black smoke and there was a strong smell. Maybe about 150 yards or so south of my house and I just started smelling jet fuel, said Kapadia. I thought maybe it was an oil tanker. >>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: At least 2 dead after plane that traveled from Ohio crashes on Florida highway He also said the actions of the pilot also saved lives. Very fortunate, especially for that pilot who really did everything he could to save lives on the ground, explained Kapadia. Because I imagine if he was just right over that barrier that could have been one of our homes right over here could have been our home could have been these homes right back here. The FAA continues to investigate the cause of this crash. Kamala Harris said anyone who sees her at work 'walks away fully aware of my capacity to lead' - Brandon Bell/Getty Images Kamala Harris has said she is ready to serve amid growing questions over the age and health of Joe Biden ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The vice-president, 59, insisted she would be ready to step into the 81-year-old presidents shoes should the need arise. I am ready to serve. Theres no question about that, she told the Wall Street Journal in an interview on Air Force Two. The comments will add fuel to the debate raging in the US about what the Democrats would do if Mr Biden was forced to step down ahead of this years election for health reasons. Longstanding concerns over Mr Bidens age and mental acuity were brought into sharp focus last week after the president was described as a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory in an independent report into mishandling of classified documents. Special counsel Robert Hur said Mr Bidens memory was so poor that he struggled to remember when he was vice-president or when his son Beau had died. The Biden administration has rejected the description of the president. Interviewed two days before the publication of the Hur report, Ms Harris told the WSJ that anyone who sees her at work walks away fully aware of my capacity to lead. President Biden and Ms Harris hold hands at a Black History Month reception at the White House this week - Annabelle Gordon/CNP/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Democrat officials said there was no discussion about replacing Mr Biden as a candidate to lead the party into the election in November. If Mr Biden did withdraw, Ms Harris would have to gain delegates through the primary election system or enough support for a presidential ticket through the partys national committee. However, her own approval rating has been struggling. According to FiveThirtyEight, 53.5 per cent of voters disapprove of the vice-president, suggesting she is more unpopular than Mr Biden. Her tenure has been difficult; in 2023 an NBC survey found she was the most unpopular vice-president since polling began. There were reports of tension between Ms Harris and the president and her image was hit by a raft of high-profile departures during her first year in office. Ms Harris also faced criticism over her handling of the border crisis, with Eric Adams, New Yorks mayor, complaining she had too much in her portfolio. In recent months the White House has sought to boost her profile. In particular, she has led the administrations defence of abortion rights, an issue identified by Democrat strategists as a vote winner after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. It was an issue she raised in the WSJ interview, saying: I do believe that the majority of people have an empathy gene, she said. I get why people are protesting And the more they realise what has actually been happening since the Dobbs decision came down, the more open they are to consider the fundamental point, which is should the government be telling a woman what to do? She has also had to run the gauntlet of pro-Palestine protesters who have been out in force at her meetings since the Gaza war erupted. I get why people are protesting, she said in the interview. We are working around the clock to end this conflict. As things stand there is no suggestion she will be dropped from the ticket. And should Mr Biden decide against running, Ms Harris would still need to find enough delegates to support her at the Democratic national convention. Many Democrats are conflicted about Kamala Harris being on the ticket, David Gergen, who served as an adviser to presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bill Clinton, told The Telegraph. They like and respect her personally and they appreciate that by traditional standards Ms Harris has earned another term. Indeed, they recognise that by traditional standards she has earned a place on the ticket. They also fear that dropping her would cause a firestorm in the black community. But they think leaving her on the ticket could be at least as hazardous. Given Bidens age, this election is shaping up as a referendum on Harris as well as Biden. In their eyes, that is more weight than the sled will carry. After his memory came under fire last week, Mr Biden joked on Monday: I know I dont look like it, but Ive been around a while. I do remember that. He added: But you know, theres so much were getting done Mr Bidens spokesperson also defended the presidents lack of media interviews: We have found some non-traditional ways. We think its important to meet the American people where they are. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. U.S. President Joe Biden's election campaign launched its official TikTok account despite the app being banned by the U.S. government. Since TikTok is not allowed in most government-issued devices, many Americans will think that this is hypocrisy. This is because Joe Biden signed legislation back in 2022, which barred most federal government-owned devices from using TikTok. It was a part of the Biden Admin's massive omnibus spending bill. The approval of the legislation was a big win for the U.S. government against China in Congress. After that, New York City and some U.S. states followed the Biden Admin and banned TikTok on government-issued devices in 2023. But, if the U.S. government is against the use of TikTok, why did the Biden election campaign create an account on the platform? Joe Biden Election Campaign Creates TikTok Account CNBC reported that advisors of Joe Biden's election campaign explained why they created the new TikTok account. They said that this is needed to meet voters where they are. What they said is true since TikTok remains one of the most popular apps among younger Americans. Aside from its popularity, TikTok is also important for many people. The Pew Research Center revealed in 2023 that around 1/3 of Americans between 18 to 19 years old get their daily news on TikTok. By creating the new TikTok account, Joe Biden's election campaign advisors are expecting it to help them reach more young voters and share what POTUS plans to do if he wins the upcoming presidential election. As of writing, the Biden Administration and TikTok are in a love-hate relationship. This is because the U.S. government is introducing stricter regulations against it, as well as pressuring ByteDance to sell the app. Although this is the case, the Biden Admin still takes advantage of TikTok by courting TikTok influencers to help engage with people and spread public service messages. Read Also: Joe Biden Offers Sharpest Criticism of Israel's Operations in Gaza as He Pushes for Hostage Ceasefire Not the First Time for Joe Biden Using TikTok for campaigns is not new for Joe Biden's team. In 2022, The Verge reported that the non-profit group Building Back Together launched its own TikTok account. This Biden-affiliated group created it in order to engage with young people and inform them about Joe Biden's agenda before the 2022 midterm elections happened. The Building Back Together said that it would use the TikTok account to create content inspired by TikTok features and trends. These include using the green screen function to explain Joe Biden's agenda. This could also be the plan for the new TikTok account of Joe Biden's 2024 election campaign. If you're one of the president's supporters, you can follow the new TikTok account by searching for "@bidenhq." Related Article: Joe Biden Defends Nikki Haley After Donald Trump's Remarks on Former South Carolina Governor's Husband To understand what ketamine is and how it works, we have to understand some things about the brain one of the world's most complicated and beautiful systems. Lets boil synaptic connections down to a simple analogy: traffic lights. Some signals say go and other signals say stop. Normally, communication is smooth sailing. But under duress, like severe physical or emotional pain, the brain may get too many go signals. This is where ketamine comes into play. We spoke with experts to help guide us through what ketamine is and how it works. What is ketamine? Among our brains communication signals are neurotransmitters. One of these neurotransmitters is called glutamate. Glutamate helps neurons fire a go signal. But glutamate cant work without unlocking what is known as the NDMA receptor. Think of this as the mechanism that turns the traffic light from red to green. This process is vital for learning and memory and for being conscious and aware. However, there are some situations when you dont want to be aware like if you are in severe pain from an injury or if you are undergoing an operation. In these situations, its like all of the lights are green you would just get signal after signal that you are hurt and you are in pain. This is where ketamine comes in. It binds to the NDMA receptors and is essentially a stop signal. It starts to interfere with the connection between your brain and your body. Ketamine is known as a dissociative anesthetic or dissociative hallucinogen. The effects are dose-dependent, but it generally leads to a disconnected feeling from you, your person and your body. Symptoms range from unconsciousness, (like when used in general anesthesia) to an out of body experience or hallucinations. What is ketamine therapy? Glutamate plays a role in awareness and it also plays a role in regulating mood. Most of us have likely had moments of overwhelming, racing thoughts. In severe depression and anxiety, there is often a cycle of ruminating negative thoughts. Ketamine therapy, a combination of ketamine and cognitive behavioral therapy, aims to break this cycle. Dr. Shannon Eaton, a neuroscientist and Assistant Teaching Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University explains how it works, In the treatment of major depression disorder, ketamine can stop some of that faulty thinking, that rumination effect the cycle of like, Everything bad is happening. Only bad things happen. Ketamine can come in and silence that because it's that 'stop' signal saying, Don't send that signal anymore. Stop thinking.' Ketamine has recently received attention because of the role it played in Matthew Perrys death. Perry was using ketamine under the care of a physician for the treatment of depression, although the levels of ketamine in his system at the time of his death werent related to his last infusion. When taken properly, ketamine can be a safe and effective treatment for depression, although the nasal spray, Spravato, is the only medication approved by the FDA. Its an exciting development in the field of psychiatry because it often works right away, unlike other antidepressants which may take months to work. What you should know: What are ketamine infusion clinics where Matthew Perry sought help? Is ketamine legal? Ketamine is a legal medication thats used for many medical purposes. Dr. Ryan Marino, a Medical Toxicologist, Emergency Medicine Physician, and Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, explains that ketamine is considered a general anesthetic, but can be used for many different medical purposes. Ketamine was primarily developed for anesthesia for surgical procedures, and it is still used for that indication today. It is also used as a general sedative so for people who are on ventilators or if they have some other kind of critical illness and need continuous medication for comfort and sedation. He adds that its also used in the emergency department for some minor procedures like reducing fractures and dislocations. Does ketamine require supervision? Ketamine is also used recreationally, and without a prescription from a medical provider, its not legal. There are serious risks associated with taking ketamine without supervision. Ketamine is a powerful tool in a medical professional's belt for the treatment of pain and requires physician-level expertise to be used safely. A doctor can weigh the risk factors that may make ketamine use unsafe such as a heart or psychiatric condition. In any setting, ketamine use requires supervision in case of an emergency. Is ketamine an opioid? No and how it works may surprise you. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is ketamine? How the drug involved in Matthew Perry death works The Kettle Moraine School District's bus company, Dousman Transport, is offering a new app for parents to track their kids on the school bus called MyView. Here's what to know about the app, as well as other similar apps used by other bus companies for the Wisconsin school districts that they serve. What does the school bus tracking app do? The app allows parents to see their child's school bus schedules and their child's school bus location in real time, the Kettle Moraine School District said in a Facebook post Jan. 31. Zonar, the company that made the MyView app, said the app helps reduce the issues that come with parents trying to juggle things like work, child-care and after-school activities and trying to plan those around the bus schedule. The app allows for parents to see if their child got on and off the bus and learn about bus substitutions or delays. The app also allows school transportation departments to communicate with parents about things like bus delays, substitutions, scheduling and route changes. Zonar's MyView app allows parents to track their child's school bus and send alerts when the bus is arriving or drop off. How do you access the school bus tracking app? To sign up, parents or guardians download the app from Apple or Google Play, create an account with their full name, email and password. Districts create an access code that must be input into the app upon signing up to ensure the user has a student enrolled in the respective district. The parent or guardian then enters the bus number or route number their child is assigned. The user then enters their student's information, including full name and student ID number. How many people use the MyView app? Zonar Systems Manager of Public Relations and Media Larry Meyers said while the company does not disclose parent uptake, he said "the app is extraordinarily useful and popular with parents." "Word-of-mouth and district communications have proven to be successful in educating parents on the apps utility and safety," Meyers said in an email. What other Milwaukee area school districts have parents using the MyView app? Along with Kettle Moraine, parents in the Arrowhead Union High School, Mukwonago Area and the Randall School Districts also use the MyView app, according to Dousman Transport Company President Larry Kirkley. Do other bus companies use MyView or any similar apps? Yes, other Wisconsin bus companies use similar apps. First Student, which is another company that serves numerous Wisconsin school districts, offers its in-house FirstView app for parents and the school districts it serves. The app has more than 475,000 registered users across North America and about 6,500 users in Wisconsin, according to an email from First Student marketing and communications manager Mary Beth Lisy. The Wisconsin Heights School District, in the Madison area, uses an app called Skyward, according to Chris Noonan, an operations assistant for Go Riteway's Mazomanie Terminal. Go Riteway is the bus company that the Wisconsin Heights School District uses for school bus services. Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about bus tracking apps used by Kettle Moraine, Arrowhead The King made his first public appearance since the diagnosis in Sandringham on Feb 11 - KARWAI TANG/WIREIMAGE The King is hopeful that his state visit to Australia in the autumn will go ahead despite his cancer diagnosis last week. He was expected to visit the country with Queen Camilla as part of a long-haul trip in late October, but his diagnosis and ongoing treatment have thrown the plans into doubt. However, a Palace source told The Telegraph that the monarch still hopes to keep to the visit, scheduled around the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Samoa and confirmed by Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, in early January. The source said: We continue planning, but were not at any stage to confirm timing or dates because its the first week of the Kings treatment. It certainly remains the case that hes hopeful it will go ahead. It is understood that, before the Kings diagnosis, planning for the overseas trip had been at an early stage, but Mr Albanese revealed the monarchs intention to visit at the beginning of the year. A government spokesperson told The Australian newspaper: The Prime Minister enjoys a warm relationship with the King, and looks forward to welcoming His Majesty to Australia later this year. The long-awaited visit will mark the Kings first trip to the country since his accession, and the first by a ruling monarch since Elizabeth II in October 2011. The last visit to Australia by a ruling monarch happened in 2011 when Queen Elizabeth II went to the country - Jodie Richter/Getty Images The Palace source added: Albanese confirmed there was a state visit in the pipeline, adding that planning for future state visits continues, making allowance for changed circumstances. The King has had to postpone all public duties at home as he undergoes treatment for an unspecified cancer discovered by his medical team following a corrective treatment for an enlarged prostate. He will be avoiding public engagements to protect his health and will be spending most of his time recovering at Sandringham or Highgrove. He is also expected to return to London more or less weekly in order to hold his audience with the Prime Minister and receive further treatment and medical advice. On Sunday, the King was seen in public for the first time since he began regular treatments one week ago. He was pictured walking to church at Sandringham with the Queen, smiling and waving to well-wishers. He was previously only photographed last week through the large windows of the state Bentley after a brief visit by the Duke of Sussex to Clarence House. The Kings overseas visits for the time being are left up in the air following his diagnosis, including an expected visit to Canada in the spring and one to New Zealand around the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. The tours would mark the monarchs first visits to Commonwealth realms since he ascended the throne and are considered critical in terms of shoring up support in a time of growing republicanism. The timing is crucial, with several indicating that they want to sever ties with the Royal family and remove the King as head of state. In Australia, the prime minister confirmed last year that his desire for a referendum remained undimmed. I want to see an Australian as Australias head of state, he said. The Kings first overseas tours after ascending the throne were to France and Germany respectively, then to Kenya, a member of the Commonwealth but not a realm. He is said to have been keen to appear at the heads government meeting in Samoa, which starts on Oct 21, but the trip now hinges on whether he will feel able to. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. (FOX40.COM) A kitchen fire at the Sierra Grill Smokehouse in the North Auburn area required the assistance of several neighboring fire agencies on Monday morning, according to CAL FIRE Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit. Crews initially received calls for a commercial fire at the popular smokehouse located at 2515 Grass Highway (Highway 49), Auburn. As crews arrived on scene they began attacking the fire at the rear of the building while also conducting a search to ensure no on was inside. Drone operators with CAL FIRE NEU was able to provide important information about the fire behavior and state of building to ensure the safety of fire crews on the ground. Aston Martin and 70s BMW stolen from Granite Bay Eventually, the fire was contained to the kitchen area and the cause of the fire is now under investigation. The Auburn City Fire Department, the Placer County Sheriffs Office, Newcastle Professional Firefighters Association and the Roseville Fire Department assisted with the call. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized in the critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday after developing symptoms "suggesting an emergent bladder issue," the Pentagon said. It was unclear how long Austin will remain hospitalized, two doctors said in a statement released Sunday evening by the Pentagon. On Dec. 22, Austin underwent prostate-removal surgery to treat cancer of the prostate at Walter Reed. He returned home and more than a week later was hospitalized due to a urinary tract infection that left him with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain. On Sunday, his doctors said the current bladder issue "is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery," adding his cancer prognosis remains excellent. Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men, according to the American Cancer Society. The cancer is treated with surgery to remove the prostate, radiation or medications or combination of those treatments. In other cases, doctors recommend active surveillance, which means doctors monitor for signs of tumor growth but do not immediately treat the cancer. Prostate cancer affects more than one in eight U.S. men, and one in six Black men, during their lifetime. The the risk of getting it increases with age. Austin, the first Black defense secretary, is 70. What complications can occur after prostate removal? Doctors not involved in Austin's care said a small percentage of men can develop complications such as infections or difficulty urinating following prostate surgery. When a man undergoes prostate removal surgery, doctors must connect the bladder to the urethra. In rare cases, complications can result if that connection is too tight or too loose, said Boback M. Berookhim, a urologist Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. If the connection is too lose, urine can leak and pool within the pelvis, which can affect other organs and lead to infection, Berookhim said. If the connection is too tight, some men are unable to urinate at all. That requires doctors to insert a urinary catheter to drain the the urine. "It's more plumbing question than anything else," Berookhim said. "It's either the connection is too loose and there's urine leaking, or it's too tight and there's nothing coming out whatsoever." The American Cancer Society estimates 288,300 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed in 2023 and nearly 35,000 men died from the disease. Black men are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer and are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage compared to white men. The American Cancer Society recommends Black men discuss with their doctor potentially screening for prostate cancer beginning at age 45. Screening can include a physical exam of the prostate with rectal exam as well the prostate-specific antigen blood test. "It's not just that the prevalence is higher, it's also that (Black) men have a risk of more aggressive cancers in general," Berookhim said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lloyd Austin hospitalized for bladder issue after prostate removal A meeting facilitated at Camp David in 1979 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin solidified the beginning of a landmark accord that allowed over 40 years of peace between the two countries. That peace has held a bond through two Palestinian uprisings and a series of wars in the region. With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ignoring overwhelming international criticism for the Israeli assault on Gaza and its civilians, the Egyptian government is threatening to void the decades-old treaty. The Associated Press touched on the history of Egypt and Israel, noting they have fought four major wars, most recently in 1973. The agreement shocked the world when Sadat broke with other Arab leaders and decided to engage with Israelis. Under the peace treaty, Israel agreed to withdraw from Sinai, and in return, Egypt would leave demilitarized. Israeli ships were granted passage through the Suez Canal, a key trade route. The countries ultimately established total diplomatic relations in Israel's first peace agreement with an Arab country. "The Camp David Accords were led by three brave men who took a bold stance because they knew the lasting effects for peace and security, both then and for the future. We need the same kind of leadership today, and it is currently lacking in the Israeli government," said Paige Alexander, chief executive of the Carter Center. Two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat told The Associated Press on Sunday that Egypt may suspend the peace treaty if Israeli troops invade Rafah. Netanyahu says Rafah is Hamas' last remaining stronghold after more than four months of war and that sending in ground troops is essential to defeat the group. Egypt has long opposed any move by Israel that could send Palestinians fleeing across the border into its territory. Rafah is also the besieged territory's main entry point for humanitarian aid, and an Israeli attack could stifle the deliveries of key, supplies more than they already have, leaving many Palestinians under extreme, dire conditions. According to the AP, Rafah's population has grown from 280,000 people to an estimated 1.4 million as Palestinians continue to flee from Israel's onslaught. Hundreds of thousands of those evacuees are living in slummish tent camps and cramped outside along the border wall. Netanyahu has ordered the military to prepare a plan to evacuate all Palestinian civilians before the offensive starts. But it remains unclear where they will go. Netanyahu said Sunday that they would be able to return to open spaces farther north. But those areas have been badly damaged by the Israeli offensive, leaving nothing but ruins in their wake. What Happens If Egypt Voids The Treaty with Israel? If Egypt were to nullify the agreement, it could mean that Israel could no longer rely on its southern border. Amping up forces along its border with Egypt would no doubt challenge an Israeli military already thinly stretched. But it would bear serious ramifications for Egypt as well. Egypt has received billions of dollars in U.S. military assistance from the U.S. since the peace agreement. Should the treaty be voided, it would compromise funding, and a massive military buildup would also add strain to Egypt's already struggling economy. Alexander said that if Israel attacked Rafah, it would "threaten to draw Egypt into the hostilities, which would be catastrophic for the entire region." HOUSTON (Nexstar) The woman suspected of opening fire at Houstons popular Lakewood Church on Sunday is 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno, according to a search warrant Nexstar obtained Monday. On Sunday afternoon, a woman entered Pastor Joel Osteens megachurch armed with a long gun, the Houston Police Department said Sunday. The suspect shot and injured one man before being killed by two off-duty security officers. The man was treated and released from the hospital, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. A 7-year-old child was shot in the head in the incident and is in critical condition. He is not expected to survive. Authorities identified the suspect as the biological mother of the child during a press conference Monday. Woman killed after she opened fire in Joel Osteens megachurch, boy with her shot, hospitalized The search warrant states Moreno was armed with an AR-15 and threatened to have a bomb. An officer on scene observed she has substances consistent with the manufacture of explosive devices, though it is not known now whether the threat was credible. Police said during the Monday conference that the substances were benign and common products, and that anyone who would have been exposed to them would not have been harmed. Police also said during the conference the gun she used was purchased by her in December. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission identified one of the off-duty officers as agent Adrian Herrera, who was working security for the church at the time of the shooting. While we are still gathering the facts on what took place at Lakewood Church, I can say that Im extremely proud of the quick response of our agent as well as the other law enforcement agents on the scene, TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly said. These officers likely prevented a much greater tragedy through their brave actions. Herrera has been employed by TABC for around five years. He was placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal TABC investigation into the shooting, TABC said in a press release. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner and Mayor John Whitmire held a press conference in Houston on Monday at 1:30 p.m. Watch the full conference in the video player at the top of this page. Authorities said the preliminary investigation showed the suspect had a history of mental health disorders. Police will be reviewing body-worn camera footage and security footage from the church during their investigation. Nexstar Texas Correspondent Ryan Chandler will be there bringing live updates. Check back here for the latest information. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Gregory Holley III installs Zong Sae Vang's smoke detector while Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski talks with Vang on June 16, 2023. Milwaukee firefighters went door-to-door offering fire safety assistance in the Martin Drive Neighborhood in Milwaukee. Vang moved in a year ago and has never had a working smoke detector. The risk of dying in a house fire is 55% lower in homes that have a functioning smoke alarm, according to the National Fire Protection Association. But ensuring that all City of Milwaukee residents have functional smoke alarms continues to be a challenge, said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski after a series of fires in the last year including one that killed a 9-year-old girl. The Public Investigator team spoke with the Milwaukee Fire Department and the city's Department of Neighborhood Services to answer common questions about smoke alarms in rental homes in the City of Milwaukee. Whos responsible for maintaining smoke alarms in rentals in the City of Milwaukee? Property owners carry the bulk of the responsibility for maintaining smoke alarms in Milwaukee. Property owners are responsible for installing smoke alarms in all required locations in units and common areas, such as the lobby. Property owners of buildings with three units or more are also required to test smoke alarms and fire alarm systems annually and are supposed to provide a copy of test results to the city upon request. While property owners are responsible for maintaining the smoke alarms in common areas, such as replacing batteries, tenants are responsible for maintaining smoke alarms in their units. If a tenant finds that a smoke alarm in their unit isn't functional, they can submit a written notice to the property owner. Where do I need smoke alarms in my apartment or home? Smoke alarms are required in every residential building, whether its a single-family home, a 100+ unit building, or rooming house. A smoke alarm is required in the basement, on every floor and within each sleeping area. If there are two sleeping areas on a single floor, a smoke alarm is required in both. Properties built after 2011 are required to have hard-wired interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, said Jumaane Cheatham, DNS commercial building code enforcement manager. Smoke alarms aren't required in unfinished attics, a storage area or in the kitchen. What if my smoke alarm isnt working or is missing? The first thing tenants should do is notify their landlord, apartment management or maintenance. The buildings management has five business days to rectify the issue, according to city code. If management does not act within that timeframe, the tenant can reach out to the Department of Neighborhood Services at (414) 286-2268. How do I test my smoke alarm? To test the smoke alarm, press the hush button for a few seconds. If the alarm beeps, then its in working condition. If it doesnt make a sound, then the batteries might need replacement, or the smoke alarm could be broken. Can I call the city to test if my smoke alarm works? Anyone regardless of their citizenship status can call the Milwaukee Fire Departments Smoke Alarm Hotline at (414) 286-8980 to test their smoke alarm. However, testing smoke alarms is considered a low priority call, said Lt. Carlos Velazquez Sanchez of the Milwaukee Fire Department. He suggests testing it yourself unless youre physically unable. The Department of Neighborhood Services does not test smoke alarms, but can instruct you on how to test them. When should I replace my smoke alarm? You should replace your smoke alarms every 10 years. Replace the batteries in your smoke alarm once every year. Where can I get a free smoke alarm? Anyone who lives in Milwaukee, regardless of citizenship, can call the citys fire department at (414) 286-8980 to arrange for a smoke detector to be installed at no cost. If you live in a large apartment complex, Velazquez Sanchez suggests you first reach out to your building management about installing the smoke alarm and escalate it to the Department of Neighborhood Services if needed. The Milwaukee Fire Department supplies BRK smoke alarms, but it doesnt endorse this brand, Velazquez Sanchez said. Does the city track if rental properties are overdue for smoke detector and smoke alarm tests? Yes, but only for properties with three units or more. Every year, during a state-required fire inspection, the Department of Neighborhood Services requires buildings with more than three units to show records of their annual smoke detector test. Properties with one or two units are not required by the state or the city to have annual fire inspections, according to Jeremey McGovern, the certification and communications coordinator of the Department of Neighborhood Services. I burned something and my smoke alarm triggered. How do I turn it off? Sometimes something like burnt toast can trigger the smoke alarm. Press the hush button on the surface of the smoke alarm. Removing the smoke alarms batteries or uninstalling the alarm violates the citys fire safety code. Is there a difference between smoke alarms and smoke detectors? Yes. Both detect smoke. But a smoke alarm is a battery-operated standalone device that sounds an alarm. A smoke detector is a part of the hard-wired system in the building that communicates with the entire buildings fire alarm system, Cheatham said. Milwaukee city codes requires all buildings built after 1992 to have smoke detectors. Smoke alarms are required in buildings built after 2011, said Cheatham. Gina Castro is a Public Investigator reporter. She can be reached at gcastro@gannett.com. Questions or tips? Public Investigator can help Public investigator logo Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We'll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to watchdog@journalsentinel.com or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at jsonline.com/tips. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Answering questions about who's responsible for smoke alarms in Milwaukee LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) In 2021, Boji Group paid $1.75 million to buy the empty Masonic Temple. Monday night the City Council Committee of the Whole will begin the process to consider a purchase agreement for that same property with a $5 million payout to the developer. Under the proposed purchase agreement for the former Masonic Temple, 217 S. Capital Ave., has two cash provisions. The first is $3.65 million for the actual building and land on which it sits. SUPP 4869-2524-4037.8 Site Purchase Agreement Boji City HallDownload The remaining $1.35 million will create a permanent visibility easement and pay the developers for carrying costs. The easement will cost taxpayers about $350,000 and would prevent Boji from developing a 20-spot parking lot on the north side of the building. Boji Group owns the building that the lot is attached to and cant detach the lot from that property to sell it by itself. The building is the former Farnum Building, located at the corner of Allegan St. and Capital Ave. in downtown Lansing. It used to host the Michigan Senate offices and hearing rooms. A screenshot of the Google satellite image showing the parking lot [blue outline] between the former Masonic Temple and another building that a purchase agreement would pay a developer $350,000 not to develop. (WLNS) John Hindo, president of the Boji Group tells 6 News the lot is part property for which the company has a mortgage. The lot cannot be separated from the building and sold separately he says. In addition, the company has lease agreements with current tenants that requires them to provide parking spots in the small parking lot in question. The remaining $1 million would be used to cover the developers costs in holding onto the property before the city had the financial wherewithal to create a new city hall. Weve held it for this opportunity, and we have expenses that wed like to be reimbursed for, Hindo says of the deal. Again, we could have sold the building over a year ago for $1 million over our asking price and not incurred any of these expenses, but we knew, at some point, there was going to be a city hall opportunity. Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and John Hindo, president of the Boji Group, argue the purchase agreement for the former Masonic Temple is a good deal for Lansing. (WLNS) What is it that Hindo says the city should foot the bill for, exactly? Weve been paying for taxes, insurance, utilities, Hindo says, You know, electric, Board of Water and Light, all the utilities and maintenance repairs and carrying the building. Records on the citys website show the company has paid $481,146.78 in property taxes for the building since obtaining it in 2021. Records show the company paid Cooley Law School $1.75 million for the building at the time. Cooleys ownership kept the property off the tax rolls due to its nonprofit status. Boji Group is a for profit entity. The revelation of reimbursing Boji for the expenses the company incurred with the speculation isnt sitting will with at least one member of city council. It is concerning that a substantial amount of money -specifically $1 million is being considered for a speculative venture involving the acquisition of a new city hall and the project generating additional profits for wealthy developers are the expense of the taxpayers of Lansing in the proposed deal, says Ryan Kost, First Ward City Council member. Discussions of a new city hall have been ongoing for nearly a decade. Former Mayor Virg Bernero had struck a deal with Chicago developer J. Paul Beitler to purchase the current city hall and redevelop it into a hotel and restaurant complex. But when Lansing Mayor Andy Schor was elected, he nixed the deal because of concerns about where the city would relocate the 54-A District Court and the jail facility. In November 2022, taxpayers approved a $175 million bond proposal to build a new public safety facility. That new facility will be located on South Washington Ave. and replace the old National Guard Building that used to house the citys election operations. Last year, the state legislature approved a $40 million budget appropriation for the city to have a new city hall. Following that announcement, the Schor administration negotiated a deal to not only purchase the building but to hire Boji Group to develop the building for city use. Under that deal, four the buildings seven floors will be redeveloped to meet city needs for an estimated $42 million. The other three floors could be rented to the Lansing School District or the state, Schor says. The $2 million over the state appropriation for city hall would come from the sale of the current city hall building. Schor is expected to sell the building Beitler for his planned hotels and restaurant hub. Schor says hes not focused on the $1.3 million because the entire deal for the purchase and development of the building is a win for taxpayers. Its a win for the preservation community because were preserving a building. Its a win for downtown because well have a revitalized hotel at probably one of the best spots in the city and were doing it without spending Lansing taxpayer dollars to do it, says Schor. its a win for the taxpayers because they get a more effective and efficient city government where they can come and pay taxes, pay their bill, get a permit, see City Council, see the mayor all in one place. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. A Las Cruces Police Department patrol officer was killed, and the suspected murderer was shot to death by a citizen bystander on Sunday. Officer Jonah Hernandez died from a stab wound while responding to a trespassing call. Hernandez, who is from El Paso and has been with LCPD for two years, leaves behind a wife and two sons, ages 10 and 2. Police did not provide the name of the 29-year-old male suspected murderer but did say that he was shot and killed by someone who witnessed at least part of the stabbing. A witness then used Hernandez's radio to call for help. Police will not release the name of the suspected murderer until his next of kin have been notified. According to police, Hernandez was responding to a trespassing call on the 300 block of South Valley Drive around 5 p.m. on Sunday. Police believe Hernandez was stabbed at least once by the suspect, who allegedly trespassed onto the property. Hernandez was taken to Mountain View Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. Las Cruces Police will have additional information and anticipates holding a news conference early this week. This is a breaking story. Check back later for more details. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Las Cruces Police Department officer killed in the line of duty. A Las Cruces Police Department patrol officer was killed, and the suspected attacker was shot to death by a citizen bystander. Officer Jonah Hernandez, 35, died from a stab wound while responding to a trespassing call on Feb. 11. Hernandez, who is from El Paso and has been with LCPD for two years, leaves behind a wife and two sons, ages 10 and 2. Police did not provide the name of the 29-year-old man suspected attacker but did say that he was shot and killed by someone who witnessed at least part of the stabbing. A witness then used Hernandez's radio to call for help. LCPD officer Jonah Hernandez, 35, was stabbed shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, after responding to a trespassing call. Hernandez was responding to a trespassing call on the 300 block of South Valley Drive around 5 p.m. on Sunday, police officials said. Police believe Hernandez was stabbed at least once by the suspect, who allegedly trespassed onto the property. Hernandez was taken to Mountain View Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. LCPD officer Jonah Hernandez with his family. Several government and law enforcement agencies across the country took to social media to send their condolences to Hernandez, including the FBI El Paso Division. Las Cruces police will have additional information and anticipates holding a news conference planned for Tuesday. New Mexico governor responds to stabbing "I was horrified to hear of the murder of a young officer in Las Cruces last night. Officer Hernandez was, by all accounts, a dedicated and brave public servant and an outstanding son, husband and father," New Mexico Gov.Michelle Lujan Grisham posted on X. "I am praying for his wife, two sons, friends and family, his colleagues at the Las Cruces Police Department, and the Las Cruces community as they grieve his sudden and terrible loss. Officer Hernandez, thank you for your service." LCPD officer Jonah Hernandez with his family. Former Las Cruces mayor: May this heroic officer Rest in Peace "When an officer gives the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our city, this is a tragedy. May this heroic officer Rest in Peace, and God Bless his family during this difficult time," former Las Cruces mayor Ken Miyagishima posted on X. Social media reacts to fatal stabbing I am shocked and heartbroken by the tragic loss of @LasCrucesPolice Officer Jonah Hernandez, who died from injuries received in the line of duty Sunday responding to a trespassing call. My prayers and thoughts go out to Officer Hernandezs family and friends. #nmleg #LasCruces pic.twitter.com/WrVJAaXsLL Lt. Governor Howie Morales (@LtGovMorales) February 12, 2024 #FBIEP sends our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Officer Jonah Hernandez. He served with the Las Cruces Police Department (@LasCrucesPD) for two years. Officer Hernandez was from the City of El Paso. pic.twitter.com/steuxnH6SM FBI El Paso (@FBIElPaso) February 12, 2024 The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Officer Jonah Hernandez of the Las Cruces Police Department. Officer Hernandez's end of watch came too soon, and we stand in solemn solidarity with the Las Cruces pic.twitter.com/TqI87OAZGq BCSO (Sheriff) NM (@BCSONM) February 12, 2024 Our prayers and hearts are with the Las Cruces Police Department for loss of Officer Jonah Hernandez #NeverForget Albuquerque Police Department (@ABQPOLICE) February 12, 2024 The New Mexico Corrections Department extends our deepest condolences to our law enforcement partners at the Las Cruces Police Department and the family of Officer Jonah Hernandez. https://t.co/gJQHi3J80i NM Corrections Dept. (@NMCDPIO) February 12, 2024 While 100,000,000 people watched a football game yesterday, Las Cruces Police Officer Jonah Hernandez gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting his community. He leaves behind a wife and two young boys. Rest well hero pic.twitter.com/KciHHjVSi2 Glendale Arizona FOP Lodge 12 (@GlendaleFOP12) February 12, 2024 This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Las Cruces police officer killed in fatal stabbing; suspect killed According to The Independent, scientists have identified 11 proteins that they say are highly accurate - more than 90 percent - at predicting future dementia. A blood test could predict dementia up to 15 years before diagnosis, research suggests. The proteins are found in the liquid component of blood known as the plasma and are markers for the biological changes that occur in those who have dementia or Alzheimer's disease. One such protein, GFAP, has previously been identified as a potential biomarker in smaller studies. The researchers from the University of Warwick and Fudan University in China described their findings, published in Nature Aging, as a "breakthrough." Professor Jianfeng Feng, from the University of Warwick's Department of Computer Science, said this test "could be seamlessly integrated into the NHS and used as a screening tool by GPs." Scientists say that an early diagnosis is crucial for those with the condition as there are new drugs to slow down the progression of the disease if detected early enough. Jia You of Fudan University said early screening "holds immense significance in pinpointing dementia risks." He said, "A notable advantage of plasma protein analysis is that it merely necessitates routine blood tests, similar to those conducted during regular hospital visits or health checks. "This simplicity offers a considerable edge over more invasive procedures like lumbar punctures, especially where the targeting population are healthy individuals." Who Will This Potentially Affect? The Guardian reported more than 55 million people live with dementia worldwide, a figure expected to reach 78 million by 2030. About 70% of all dementia is caused by Alzheimer's disease, with vascular dementia caused by blood vessel damage, making up 20% of cases. "We hope to develop this as a screening kit that can be used in the NHS," said Prof Jianfeng Feng. Confirming the disease early is critical if patients are to benefit from two new Alzheimer's drugs, lecanemab and donanemab, which are under review by the UK medicines regulator. The US medicines regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, has approved lecanemab and is expected to rule on donanemab imminently. European regulators are still reviewing both drugs. Since lecanemab, a synthetic antibody therapy created by Biogen in the US and Eisai in Japan, made headlines in 2022 for slowing Alzheimer's, doctors and medical charities have warned that the health service is not ready to deliver such drugs, said The Guardian. Work is progressing to develop and offer simple blood tests to diagnose the disease, but researchers say that challenges remain even with a quick diagnosis. The new drugs must be infused into patients every two weeks, and there are fatal side effects. Patients would need regular MRI scans to check for brain swelling or bleeding. While talks with several companies to develop the test are still in its early stages, the cost, currently at several hundred pounds, would need to decrease to make it viable. For the latest study, blood samples from 52,645 UK adults without dementia were collected and frozen between 2006 and 2010 and analyzed 10 to 15 years later. More than 1,400 participants went on to develop dementia. Using artificial intelligence, the researchers looked for connections between nearly 1,500 blood proteins and developing dementia years later. Dr. Sheona Scales, the director of research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "This new study adds to the growing body of evidence that looking at levels of certain proteins in the blood of healthy people could accurately predict dementia before symptoms develop." Scales added, "Even when tests show promise in studies like this, they still need to go through regulatory approval before they can be used in a healthcare setting. "Blood tests are showing great promise, but so far none have been validated for use in the UK. In collaboration with the Alzheimer's Society, NIHR, and with generous funding from players of People's Postcode Lottery, we are in the process of funding research to provide the evidence the NHS would need to move forward with blood tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease." New year, new house? If you enter into HGTV's 2024 Dream Home giveaway, that can be your reality. The sweepstakes is slowly coming to end, giving those just a few days to put in their final daily entries for the Anastasia Island home. The 2024 home was designed by architect Michael Stauffer and built by local builder Glenn Layton Homes. The home's interior design was by Brian Patrick Flynn. Where is the 2024 HGTV Dream Home? Front of home The 2024 HGTV Dream Home is on Anastasia Island in Northeast Florida and described as "a grand coastal escape." Where is Anastasia Island? Anastasia Island is located along Florida's northeast coast east of St. Augustine. The 14-mile barrier island averages 1 mile in width and is separated from the mainland by the Matanzas River. Anastasia Island also boasts a lot of hit attractions, such as: Anastasia State Park, including four miles of sandy beach. St. Augustine, which is only a few miles away and holds some of Florida's richest history. The St. Augustine Light House and Maritime Museum, which has a St. Augustine mailing address but stands tall on the north end of Anastasia Island. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park, where you'll see more than alligators. There are crocodiles and birds, too. What features does the HGTV Dream Home offer? The three-bedroom, four-bathroom home is about 3,300 square feet with views of the Matanzas River and the St. Augustine Lighthouse. The home was designed by architect Michael Stauffer and built by local builder Glenn Layton Homes. The home's interior design was by Brian Patrick Flynn. The home combines classic coastal elegance with modern touches and layers of natural textures drenched in blue and white hues. Upon entry, guests will see beautiful waterfront views. The front door leads to the great room with an open concept that includes a living room with sleek sofas and a fireplace, a dining room with a beach-inspired distressed table, and a kitchen with bright blue cabinets. The laundry room and mudroom sit between the kitchen and an attached two-car garage. The main bedroom has a skylight and offers a private retreat from the rest of the home with a walk-in closet and main bathroom. The house has two guest suites and a loft with a wet bar and a mini fridge. The backyard is a getaway with an outdoor kitchen and high-top bar, a pool with an elevated platform and a pergola. How much is the HGTV Dream Home grand prize package worth? Value of the total Anastasia Island HGTV Dream Home package is estimated at just over $2.2 million. In total, the winner of the sweepstakes will receive: Keys to the fully furnished home A new Mercedes-Benz E Class sedan $100,000 cash Everything to know about sweepstakes: HGTVs 2024 sweepstakes in final weeks How can I enter to win the 2024 HGTV sweepstakes? The official entry period of the HGTV Dream Home 2024 is about to close, ending on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. EST. Eligible fans can enter daily at HGTV.com and FoodNetwork.com, where they will also find full details and the official rules, as well as additional home features. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: HGTV Dream Home: Final days to enter to win Florida house. Here's how SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) San Angelo residents looking for a quick bite of the fan-acclaimed Lords chicken may need to look elsewhere in town in four days when the Sherwood Way Chick-fil-A shuts down temporarily. According to the restaurant and its sister location on Knickerbocker Road, the closure is slated for Friday, Feb. 16, and is to allow work to begin on the fast-food joints store refresh construction project. The establishment, located at 3720 S. FM 2288, will close its doors to dine-in customers at 2 p.m. and its drive-thru service at 7:30 p.m. The restaurant will remain closed until further notice while construction is underway, according to its sister location. For those who may be worried about a favorite Chick-fil-A worker, dont worry some employees of the Sherwood Way location will be migrating to the Knickerbocker restaurant in the meantime. The Knickerbocker location has been posting a countdown to the closure of its sister store on its Facebook page and assuring San Angelo residents that the restaurants combined efforts will continue to serve the city while one of their most frequented buildings undergoes a face-lift. We look forward to working together with our friends to serve you San Angelo! the Knickerbocker location said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) attacked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for complete gaslighting after he defended President Joe Biden during an interview over the weekend an accusation critics quickly turned against her. Mayorkas, who was the subject of a failed Republican impeachment attempt on the House floor last week, went on the offensive for his boss after special counsel Robert Hur called Biden an elderly man with a poor memory. Mayorkas called those claims gratuitous, unnecessary and inaccurate. The most difficult part about a meeting with President Biden is preparing for it, because he is sharp, intensely probing, and detail-oriented, and focused, he said on Meet the Press on Sunday. Boebert retweeted the clip and compared Mayorkas to infamous Iraqi propagandist Muhammad Saeed Al-Sahhaf, aka Baghdad Bob. Even Baghdad Bob was a bit more subtle than this, she wrote on X. Complete gaslighting. Boebert, who last year was kicked out of a performance of the Beetlejuice musical for being disruptive and inappropriate, holds what had been widely considered a safe Republican House seat, but barely won reelection in 2022 and since switched districts in an effort to duck a rematch with Adam Frisch. However, she recently came in fifth in a straw poll of her new district. Boeberts critics couldnt help but point out the irony of the gaslighting claim given her embrace of conspiracytheories and total fealty to Donald Trump.: .@laurenboebert Lauren, perhaps it's best to avoid name-calling and judging people's mental resilience. We all witnessed your performance in the theater. Maybe take a seat and let the adults tackle the serious matters. Thanks. Folks, these people are completely useless. The pic.twitter.com/NF6TQv2Tk8 Human (@4HumanUnity) February 11, 2024 Translation : Someone who I'm claiming has had a diminishmental capacity for years easily beat my master in electoral and popular votes. How sad does that make my master? Make America Safer Today (@MAST_Cyber) February 11, 2024 I'm genuinely surprised you know what gaslighting is JuiceLord (@RvrLrd) February 11, 2024 Dont Worry, 11 more months and you wont have to be concerned with any of this! Chris Becker (@Chris_Becker2) February 11, 2024 If only America could get a restraining order against this idiot. (@ChidiNwatu) February 11, 2024 As if you have ANY credibility when it comes to judging mental acuity. https://t.co/3qvXzEFEvW mrinjustified (@mrinjustified) February 11, 2024 5TH IN A STRAW POLL ShepGirl (@mrusk745) February 11, 2024 Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz serves an apple bar with caramel glaze to Rep. Ethan Cha, of Woodbury, and other state lawmakers in the state capitol building in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Feb. 12, 2024, the first day of Minnesota's legislative session for the year. Walz has a tradition of serving bars to state lawmakers each year on the first day of the legislative session in a gesture of camaraderie and bipartisanship. (AP Photo/Trisha Ahmed) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) The Minnesota Legislature convened Monday with lawmakers fast-tracking legislation to fix a law enacted last year that limits the powers of police who work in schools to restrain disruptive students. The change was one of several restrictions on the use of force passed in the state since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer in 2020 put the state in the international spotlight over racism and policing. Several law enforcement agencies withdrew their officers from Minnesota schools last fall, calling the new rules unworkable. The House and Senate gaveled to order around noon Monday for a 14-week session with a relatively modest agenda. Theyll take something of a breather after a momentous 2023 session that saw Democrats use their newfound full control of the statehouse to enact practically everything on their ambitious wish list. That included expanded abortion and transgender rights, paid family and medical leave, universal free school lunches, child care credits and other aid for families. The main task this year is a public infrastructure borrowing package known as a bonding bill. The session must end by May 20. The House scheduled the first of at least three hearings on a potential solution for the school resource officers dispute for Monday evening, with a floor vote possible as early as next week. It would try to bring clarity by developing a statewide standard for school resource officer training and develop a model policy for school districts on the proper use of force that would include minimizing the use of prone restraints and other holds that can impair breathing, while promoting conflict de-escalation. The bill also removes a requirement from last years law that a threat of bodily injury or death be imminent before a teacher or principal could use reasonable force on a student to prevent injury or death to a student or others. The Democratic-controlled House voted down a procedural attempt by the Republican minority to bring the issue to the floor immediately. Democrats have delayed fixing this long enough, leaving our students and school staff less safe. We cannot wait one more minute," GOP House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, of Cold Spring, said during the debate. The lead sponsor in the House, Democratic Rep. Cedrick Frazier, of New Hope, countered that it was more important to put the bill through the public hearing process first so that all stakeholders can weigh in. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, a former high school teacher, told reporters that his goal is to reach a compromise that makes sure that school resource officers and teachers have a clear understanding of what they can do in situations where students need to be restrained, so that all sides can be confident going forward. A Senate committee is expected to take its first look at the legislation Wednesday. Democratic Majority Leader Erin Murphy, of St. Paul, said she expects the bill to reach the Senate floor in the next two or three weeks. Advocates for people with disabilities and mental illness expressed concerns about the possible lessening of protections for vulnerable students, while law enforcement groups called for modifications to shield police departments more explicitly from civil liability. Before lawmakers convened, Democratic Sen. Mary Kunesh, of New Brighton, led chants of E-R-A! E-R-A! as hundreds of people holding green signs rallied in the Capitol rotunda for a top Democratic priority for the session, an Equal Rights Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution. The amendment would ban gender discrimination and add permanent constitutional protections for abortion rights, as well as for gender identity and expression. The 2023 session removed nearly all restrictions on abortion from Minnesota law. Supporters want to ensure that no future session could restore them. The amendment would go on the 2026 ballot so that supporters have more time to campaign for it. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, of East Grand Forks, accused Democrats of playing political games by waiting two years instead of letting voters decide in November. He said the amendment contains extreme language on abortion and other social issues. Supporters of making Minnesota a sanctuary state for immigrants without permanent legal status rallied outside the Capitol in support of a bill that would bar state and local governments from sharing data or collaborating with federal authorities on civil immigration enforcement. The narrow Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are divided on the issue, and House Speaker Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, told reporters she didn't think there are enough votes to pass it. ___ Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15 Arizona lawmakers passed legislation last week designed to ensure the state's recently widened recount margin won't disrupt this year's elections. The fix carves out time for election officials to hit key deadlines even if races go to recounts during the upcoming state primary and general elections. Lawmakers said it will ensure military and overseas voters get their ballots for the November election on time and Arizonans' votes for president count in the national tally. But the bipartisan election measure includes several provisions that will impact Arizonans at the polls later this year and in election cycles to come. Here's what to know. Law changes primary date The new statute will move the state primary forward this year to buy election officials time to deal with potential recounts. It was initially scheduled for Aug. 6. The new law moves the election up a week to July 30. That means other related dates will also be adjusted. The new voter registration deadline will fall on July 1 and ballots will be mailed to early voters on July 3, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office. Next year's primary election will also fall on July 30, per the legislation. After that, it will revert back to the Aug. 6 date unless lawmakers take further action. Changes for those assisting voters with disabilities In Arizona, voters who are physically unable to mark their own ballots may be assisted by others to cast their vote. These assistants have long been required to sign an affidavit on early ballots attesting under the penalty of perjury that they filled out the ballot as the voter instructed. Under the new law, their signatures will also be checked by election workers in a process called signature verification. Election officials said the full ramifications of that change weren't immediately clear. But they said it could mean voting assistants would have to be registered voters themselves. That could pose future barriers for some voters who need assistance filling out their ballots. A compressed period to fix missing, mismatched signatures During the signature verification process, election workers are trained to look at specific characteristics of a signed early ballot envelope and compare them with known samples of a voter's signature. If a ballot envelope is missing a signature or staff determine the signature on the envelope does not match previous samples, workers attempt to contact the voter to correct, or "cure," the issue. State law currently dictates voters have five business days to cure their ballot after election day. The bill swaps that language to calendar days through 2026, meaning voters will have to move slightly faster in the next few years to fix their signature if their ballot requires curing. The new law also mandates that county recorders and municipal clerks help voters out by staying open on the weekends immediately before and after the election. New rules for ballots handed in on election day Starting in 2026, the new law will change how early ballots handed in on election day are processed. Those ballots, known as "late earlies," are currently collected from polling locations and drop boxes once voting ends on election day. Then, they must go through the signature verification process before they can be tallied. The new statute will allow voters who filled out an early ballot to return it to a polling place on election day, show ID and have their ballot stamped as verified without needing scrutiny of the voter's signature against past samples. That means voters dropping off their early ballots on election day could see new lines in polling places during the next midterm election cycle. Ballots are processed on Nov. 10, 2022, at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center in Phoenix. Initial results could come quicker, but close races might still take days Lawmakers hope the new process for "late earlies" could speed up vote tallying. The provision could help counties get more results out on election night once it takes effect. Still, voters can expect full results to take days because state law dictates a mandatory ballot curing period. Media can call races with wide margins without knowing full tallies, but closer races may hinge on ballots stuck in the curing process. The compressed curing period included in the legislation will slightly shorten the wait for those full results in the next few years but not enough to get tight races called on election night. Plus, it expires in 2027 unless lawmakers take further action. Sasha Hupka covers county government and election administration for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip to share on elections or voting? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Threads: @sashahupkasnaps. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Will Arizona's new election timeline law impact voters? What to know A wilderness therapy camp in North Carolina thats already under investigation for the death of a student is now facing a federal lawsuit for allegations of the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old child in 2016. Trails Carolina advertises itself as a wilderness camp for children and teens who struggle with various mental health issues and behavioral concerns. SEE MORE: Boy dies at wilderness therapy camp in NC mountains The North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation has issued Trails Carolina several deficiency reports since 2019. They came after annual inspections and a complaint, which was later determined to be unsubstantiated. A new lawsuit comes just days after the death of a 12-year-old boy attending the camp on Feb. 3. The plaintiff in the lawsuit alleges another student attending the camp was responsible for the abuse, and she claims she wasnt the only victim. [Plaintiffs] sexual assailant, hereinafter referred to as Jane Doe, had sexually assaulted two other girls prior to assaulting Plaintiff, the lawsuit alleges. The first alleged assault happened a week into the victims stay at the camp and continued even after being reported to staff, according to the lawsuit. Although another student allegedly committed the assaults, the lawsuit names the business, as well as the plaintiffs therapist at the time, for their alleged failure to act after the reported assault to authorities. They did not report it to Trails Carolinas regulators or law enforcement, as Trails Carolina has a policy that requires its employees to instead report sexual assault to either, according to the court documents. Channel 9 is working to learn if a police report or any criminal charges were later filed in connection with the alleged assault. The plaintiff now wants the court to grant a jury trial as well as punitive damages in excess of $75,000. Were reaching out to Trails Carolina for a comment on the lawsuit. Check this article for updates. (WATCH: Former YMCA worker charged with child sex crimes now accused of abuse at Camp Thunderbird) Fans of the Bridgerton book series and Netflix show can hear more about them from the author who brought them to life during a Zoom presentation from the Rock Island Public Library. The library is virtually hosting award-winning romance author Julia Quinn for a Zoom presentation called Romance & Regency with Bridgertons Julia Quinn on February 20 at 7 p.m. Julia Quinn (Rock Island Public Library) To register for the event and submit questions for Quinn, click here. A link to the presentation will be emailed to participants before the program starts. The event is presented by Illinois Libraries Present, a collaboration with 200 libraries statewide featuring virtual events with bestselling authors and respected speakers. Julia Quinn is a #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning romance author who has written almost 40 novels, including the popular Bridgerton family series. The Netflix series based on the books premiered in 2020. Her newest novel, Queen Charlotte, is co-written with television producer Shonda Rhimes and covers Bridgertons Queen Charlotte and King George IIIs love story and how it created a societal shift. Quinn will be joined by Sarah MacLean, bestselling historical romance author and romance columnist for The New York Times, The Washington Post and Bustle. MacLean also co-hosts the weekly romance podcast Fated Mates. The presentation from Quinn is made possible by Illinois Libraries Present (ILP), a statewide collaboration among public libraries offering premier events. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Israel says it has rescued two hostages held by Hamas in Gazas Rafah refugee camp during a raid and airstrikes which local health officials say killed 67 Palestinians and wounded dozens more. It comes amid growing fears of a major Israeli ground offensive into Rafah, a city that many refugees have been gathering in, located in southern Gaza. Israel went ahead with Sunday nights raid despite US president Joe Biden calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off invading Rafah until a plan was in place that would prevent massive civilian casualties. Early on Monday morning the Israeli military confirmed it conducted a series of strikes on southern Gaza that have now concluded. The military said it struck terror targets in the area of Shaboura, a district in Rafah. An injured woman covered in blood holds a childs hand, also injured, at Kuwait Hospital where they are brought for treatment following Israeli attacks on Rafah (Getty) It added that two hostages were rescued from the captivity of militants in Rafah. The hostages have been identified as 60-year-old Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har, 70, both of whom were captured by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the groups 7 October terror attack on southern Israel. Rescued Israeli-Argentinian hostage Louis Har is reunited with his family at the Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan (Getty) They are both in good medical condition, and were transferred for medical examination at the Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital, a joint IDF and police statement read. Rescued Israeli-Argentinian hostage Fernando Simon Marman being reunited with his family at the Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan (Getty) Mr Netanyahu suggested Israel would look to carry out more rescue operations like Sunday nights, in spite of the high death toll. Fernando and Louis, welcome home, he said. I salute our brave fighters for the daring action that led to their release. Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our hostages. We will not miss any opportunity to bring them home. Har and Marman had been captured in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during Hamas raid on 7 October (Getty) The Argentinian government thanked Israel for the rescue of the two hostages, who were dual nationals of Argentina. Heavy bombing on Sunday night caused widespread panic in Rafah a city on the southern border with Egypt where Palestinians fleeing Israels offensive and military advances have sought shelter. An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians are currently in the region after being displaced by Israels campaign against Hamas. Israeli planes, tanks and ships took part in the strikes, hitting two mosques and several houses in the strip, residents said. Ahmed*, 54, who works for the Palestinian Red Crescent, said he was shaken awake by huge explosions at 2am. His family fled their home in north Gaza earlier in the war so he was sleeping rough in a tent on the streets when the Israeli military launched their attack on Rafah. The sound of bullets was so close we gathered in a group and covered ourselves with blankets as we had nothing else, he told The Independent. It was terrifying. Amjed* said the Israeli raid appeared to be focused on the al-Shaboura camp within Rafah, located a few minutes from where he was sheltering. It was a nightmare. We thought it was the start of the ground invasion, as we heard helicopter gunfire and flare bombings in the sky. We are [lucky] we are alive, he said. Tens of families have started to flee back to Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, he added. Khan Younis, just north of Rafah, has been the focus of a ferocious Israel's ground offensive in recent weeks and Deir al-Balah is in the centre of the tiny Gaza Strip. A destroyed mosque is seen following Israeli bombardments over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip (Getty) The roads are incredibly dangerous, he added, but people are desperate. Most of the Palestinians seeking refuge in Rafah were crammed into tents, makeshift shelters, schools or hospital grounds, having been uprooted multiple times by repeated Israeli evacuation orders over the past four months of war. The Palestinian foreign ministry in the West Bank condemned Israels continued mass massacres in Gaza. Israel is officially continuing to target civilians and transfer the war to Rafah to push the population to get displaced under bombardment, it said on X/Twitter. The recent massacres of the occupation are evidence of the validity of international warnings and fears of catastrophic results of the expansion of the war to Rafah, it added. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates// The occupation's #massacre in Rafah is evidence of the validity of warnings about the catastrophic dangers of its invasion. Netanyahu commits mass massacres with a mentality of revenge, not victory and not in accordance with pic.twitter.com/cbuS7iaZr9 State of Palestine - MFA (@pmofa) February 12, 2024 Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht said the operation in Rafah was very complex, adding: We have been working a long time on this operation. We were waiting for the right conditions. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, another IDF spokesperson, called it a complex rescue operation under fire in the heart of Rafah, based on highly sensitive and valuable intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate and the Israel Security Agency. He said the hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with an explosive charge during the raid. The US president and Mr Netanyahu spoke on Sunday morning (US time) for about 45 minutes, days after Mr Biden said Israels military response in the Gaza Strip had been over the top and expressed grave concern over the rising civilian death toll in the Palestinian enclave. Mr Biden affirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety and support for the more than one million people sheltering there, the White House said. Mr Netanyahus office has said that it has ordered the military to develop a plan to evacuate Rafah and destroy four Hamas battalions it says are deployed there. More than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in retaliation against the 7 October attack by Hamas in southern Israel. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and abducted at least 250 during the offensive, according to Israeli tallies. Mr Netanyahu in an interview aired on Sunday said that enough of the 132 remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza were alive to justify Israel's war in the region. A senior Hamas leader was quoted by Hamas-run Aqsa Television saying any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would blow up the hostage exchange negotiations. Egypt, which has reinforced its border with the city, warned on Sunday of dire consequences of a potential Israeli military assault on Rafah. Egypt called for the necessity of uniting all international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city of Rafah, its foreign ministry said in a statement. World Health Organisation head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern at the attack on Rafah and reiterated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. I am especially concerned by the recent attacks on Rafah where the majority of Gazas population has fled the destruction, he said at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Mr Ghebreyesus said only 15 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza were still partially or minimally functioning. * Names have been changed In Ukraine, travel demand is gradually recovering, but it is still significantly lower than before pre-war levels, as stated by the internal statistics of the Ukrainian tour operator Join UP! In 2023, 235 thousand tourists used its services. This is 48% more than in 2022, but still four times less than in 2021. Read also: Ukrainian SkyUp aircraft reportedly damaged in Sudan, crew evacuated "The main trends in the travel industry remain almost unchanged from the previous year: we still see that for foreign tours mostly women with children are applying, and tours in Ukraine are more often booked with men, says Iryna Mosulezna, Managing Director of Join UP! Ukraine. People are already used to departing from the airports closest to Ukraine, so the demand for air tours dominates. At the same time, the depth of bookings is decreasing people are ready to buy a tour and go on a trip in a week." Read also: Ukrainian tourism up 13% from 2022, but still nearly 20% pre-war levels Most Ukrainians book air tours to Egypt and Turkey. Both destinations are in the top 10 both during the summer season (Turkey is the leader and Egypt is second) and in winter (Egypt is the leader and Turkey is ranked 9th). As for bus tours, the situation is identical to last year: Turkey is the leader (6976 tourists). It is closely followed by Bulgaria (6642 tourists), followed by Montenegro (2226 tourists) and Greece (1861 tourists). Internal Ukraine tours are among the top three most popular destinations in winter, and also ranked 8th during the summer vacation season. Read also: Ukraines SkyUp Airlines granted approval for US flights Last year, women traveled most often 59% of all tours, 24% of travelers were children, and 17% were men (this includes both foreign trips and tours in Ukraine). Earlier it was reported that in June 2022, the SBU announced the seizure of the corporate rights of a travel company associated with a Russian metallurgical oligarch. It was about the tour operator TUI Ukraine, which was previously personally owned by Severstal owner Alexei Mordashov. In December 2022, IATA announced that the global airline industry would return to profit in 2023. In 2022, global air cargo turnover decreased by 1.9%. At the same time, it was 3.6% lower than in 2019. In 2023, global airlines increased passenger traffic by 36.9%. Ukraine International Airlines has signed a contract with SkyUp Airlines for the transportation of the country's top officials. This Ukrainian carrier lost at least one plane during the military coup in Sudan. But it managed to evacuate another aircraft from Boryspil International Airport outside Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A prominent banking executive from Nigeria who was among six killed in a helicopter crash in Southern California late last week posted a foreboding message to social media weeks before that advised his followers to number our days. Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Access Bank in Lagos, one of the largest financial institutions in Africa, was discovered among the dead, along with his wife and son, whose names and ages were not immediately released by authorities. Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe speaks onstage at Global Citizen Live, Lagos, on Sept. 18, 2021, in Lagos, Nigeria. (Photo by Andrew Esiebo/Getty Images for Global Citizen) The chartered flight, operated by Orbic Air in Burbank, crashed in the Mojave Desert shortly after 10 p.m. on Feb 9, with two pilots and four passengers on board. There were no survivors. Also killed was Bimbo Ogunbanjo, the former chairman of the Nigerian stock exchange, according to a statement from Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director general of the World Trade Organization. Weeks before the crash, Wigwe posted cryptic but uplifting remarks to social media, leading to speculation among some of his followers about whether the CEO had experienced a premonition of the impending tragedy. Today and always, let us remember that life is a precious gift a chance to breathe, feel, love, experience and connect, Wigwe wrote on the platform X. Lets honor this gift by living with purpose, kindness, and gratitude, making every moment count. Let us number our days. Nigerian officials, meanwhile, called Wigwes death a monumental loss for Nigeria, as well as Africas broader financial community. The death of Roosevelt Herbert Wigwe is a terrible blow for Nigeria and Africas banking industry, said Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson for Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu, in a statement posted to the platform X. He added: Wigwe had a big vision to make Access Holdings Africas biggest, with all the unquenchable thirst for acquisitions. Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board have not yet determined what caused the flight to go down. The Airbus Helicopters H130 took off from Palm Springs, California, at 8:45 p.m., headed to Boulder City, Nevada, about 25 miles south of Las Vegas. Friends and family members later revealed that the group was in town to attend the Super Bowl when fate intervened. The aircraft was more than an hour into the flight when it apparently ran into trouble over Halloran Springs, California, and crashed about a hundred miles from its destination. The NTSB is also investigating reports of downed power lines near the accident site and planned to consider if the weather had played a role, as freezing temperatures and a wintry mix of rain and snow swept the region on the day of the crash. Some drivers along Interstate 15 witnessed the crash and told investigators they possibly saw flames coming from the aircraft before it slammed into the ground. Let Us Number Our Days: Nigerian CEO Posted Foreboding Message to Social Media Weeks Before His Death In Helicopter Crash A Netherlands appeals court ordered the Dutch government to cease the exportation of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, citing potential violations of international law as the reason. Three human rights organizations brought the lawsuit against the Netherlands in December, stating that authorities needed to rethink the export license due to the ongoing military actions of Israel on the Gaza Strip. "It is undeniable that there is a clear risk that the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law," Judge Bas Boele said in reading out the ruling. The decision comes on the heels of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's trip to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the ongoing struggle between Israel and Hamas. He was expected to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh as well. What Is Next For The Ruling? Geoffrey van Leeuwen, minister for foreign trade and development, said the government would appeal the ruling. "It is up to the state to shape its foreign policy," Geoffrey van Leeuwen, the minister for foreign trade and development said in a statement. "We are extremely grateful that there is justice and that the court was willing to speak out on justice," lead lawyer Liesbeth Zegveld told reporters after the hearing. Three humanitarian groups, Oxfam Novib, Pax Nederland and The Rights Forum filed the lawsuit last year, arguing that the continued transfer of aircraft parts for fighter jets makes the Netherlands complicit in possible war crimes committed against civilians in the fight against Hamas. Last month a lower court sided with the government in ruling that the Dutch government could continue sending U.S.-owned parts to Israel. The Netherlands is home to one of three F-35 European regional warehouses. The United Kingdom, as well as others, are considering restricting weapons sales to Israel as human rights groups in the UK brought a similar lawsuit against the British government in an attempt to block weapons exports to Israel. Democrats in the United States Senate are pushing a bill that stipulates that President Joe Biden needs congressional approval for arms sales to Israel. Shortly after Farah Stockman earned a degree in social studies from Harvard in the late 1990s, she moved to Kenya, where shed done a study abroad program in college a few years before. She already had friends, connections and a heart for Kenyans. She moved there to help kids shed seen living on the streets during her college years. Two years in, she became a Nairobi correspondent for The New York Times, a foray into journalism that would change her life and lead her to become a keen observer on global events. As a journalist, shes covered a variety of international stories, including the criminal trials that arose from genocide in Rwanda. She notes proudly that the NGO she helped start, now called Jitegemee, is run by Kenyans. Stockman, 49, has been a full-time journalist for roughly a quarter century, including 16 years as a columnist and editorial writer for The Boston Globe; she still lives in Cambridge with her daughter. Over the years, shes reported from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, South Sudan and Guantanamo Bay. In 2016 a big year in which she won a Pulitzer Prize for her commentary at the Globe and had her daughter she returned to The New York Times as a columnist. Shes since written a book, American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears. It, too, is the story of people who struggle. Shes currently working on a new project about housing in Detroit. Deseret talked to her about why politics shouldnt be ones identity. We live in a world where theres so many things grabbing peoples attention that the only way to capture you is to keep you in a constant state of outrage. Deseret Magazine: Is polarization the serious problem media presents? Farah Stockman: I think polarization is when people identify themselves as not the other. If youre for it, Im against it. If thats you, then you are basically letting somebody else have power over you by whatever theyre for, youre against. I see examples all over the place. My daughter has been having some challenges learning to read. We found this literacy teacher who was great over the summer, and she was furious that science-based methods werent being used to teach kids to read. I later heard that because George W. Bush wanted those methods under No Child Left Behind, the teachers union didnt want those methods. It got political; it had nothing to do with the methods. It had to do with not wanting No Child Left Behind and not liking George Bush. You can come up with 100 examples of that when it comes to (Donald) Trump. I think Trump is an awful person, but it doesnt mean everything he did was wrong. There were things he did that needed to be done and even Biden is doing them. At a certain point, we lose. We just do ourselves such a disservice when we start defining politics in this tribal way. DM: What did you learn about identity writing that book? FS: I think of class as an identity and a culture and that is rarely talked about on the left. Thats starting to change. But for a long time, there were these two pillars where you either cared about race or you cared about class. A lot of the talk surrounding the rise of Trump was about how he was talking about race and his policies were racist and, therefore, these white working-class people who supported him were all racist. There was a lot of that in the run-up to his election. I wanted my book to look more closely at that, and why working-class people were flocking to him, which was more complicated. Race was part of the story. But theres more. I think now were seeing the rise of unions and more conversation on the left about working-class issues, but for a long time, liberals were people who came from college and had sort of forgotten about some of these working-class identity issues. I think thats part of why they lost ground in some places. DM: What do you mean? FS: I wrote about a factory in Indianapolis. Indiana, that used to be a hotbed of unions. They were blue-collar people who elected folks that believed in a labor movement, and some of them came to feel that the Democratic Party had abandoned them, specifically when Bill Clinton started supporting NAFTA. Support of NAFTA was absolutely instrumental in some places in turning people away from the Democratic Party. They were so mad at Bill Clinton all these years later that they would never have voted for his wife. They had personal stories of factories closing down. I interviewed two guys back to back. Both had lost not one but two factory jobs after their plants closed. If you know what a factory job used to be like, you work your way up and pay your dues, then by the time youre in your 40s or 50s, youve made it. Thats the life their fathers led. But they didnt get to live that life. They were still working the night shift at age 48, 50, because when you get rehired, you start from the bottom, you lose all your seniority. They were like men who are adrift. They couldnt live up to the standards their fathers-in-law or their fathers had set. And they were mad. The language of the Democratic Party was about going to college. It wasnt about bringing back manufacturing. Now it is. Biden talks about bringing back manufacturing a lot and hes done a lot to try to make that happen. But I think Trump did a lot to make that part of the narrative. A lot of these guys voted for (Barack) Obama in 2008. What did Obama promise to do? Renegotiate NAFTA. So, you know, its identity, blue-collar identity factory worker. But its bigger than that and it does tie into politics and policy. DM: Can we close the distance between us? FS: I was hoping we would see that under Biden, because he has adopted a lot of the blue-collar appeal, the stuff that Trump was saying, and hes actually gone a step further. It was Trumps trade rep, a guy named Bob Lighthizer, who renegotiated NAFTA and Bidens trade negotiator has taken that agreement and is implementing it. Theres no daylight between Trump and Biden when it comes to trade. Their people are secretly agreeing. When you get to the voters, are they still hair-on-fire polarized opponents? I dont know. I see a lot of overlap. But when you get to the political rhetoric, it disappears. You dont hear Biden saying, Yes, Trump did this right and I continued it. Instead, they criticize. Part of thats politics, I think. We live in a world where theres so many things grabbing peoples attention that the only way to capture you is to keep you in a constant state of outrage. People dont want to hear Trump did good things on this or that. Or, if youre a Trump supporter, that Biden is doing exactly what you said you wanted. DM: Whats Congress doing in all of this? FS: Its similar in that when you hear them talk offline, they say things like, theyre surprised that things are more collegial. But they play to the cameras and they play to their base who hates the other side. In the name of absolute transparency, you want these cameras, but if it causes people to just perform for the crowd, maybe thats not helpful. DM: What did you learn from an unlikely friendship of two people on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom? FS: That was a space where you had Democrats and Republicans by design, and where the people working in that space decided to make it work. I guess that committee had had problems in the past with people feuding instead of trying to find areas where they could work together. I think if you get to know people as human beings, you can better understand the way they see things. You may not ever agree with them, but at least you might be able to see how they could have that point of view. I worry that today were so self-segregated, where we live in communities where you dont necessarily see people who have different political views, or who are of different education levels. So you might just dismiss their entire point of view, because theyre the other or support the other candidate. You never understand or hear a good-faith argument about why they think the things they think. DM: Any last work? FS: Dont give the other side the power. If you define your identity, even unconsciously, as Im for whatever theyre against, then youre giving them the power to define you. And thats just silly. It ruins politics because it means strange bedfellows cant get together and do things that they do agree on, because theyre not supposed to be sitting at the same table. This story appears in the January/February 2024 issue of Deseret Magazine. Learn more about how to subscribe. A nationwide recall of products containing cheese with a risk for listeria contamination continues to grow larger, with salad kits and taco kits sold at stores, including Austin-based grocery chain Whole Foods Market being removed from shelves. Rizo-Lopez Foods of Modesto, California, on Feb. 5 recalled dozens of dairy products including queso fresco and cotija cheese, because of the risk of contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Those recalled products including cheese, crema, yogurt, and sour cream were sold nationwide under brand names such as 365 Whole Foods Market, Don Francisco and Tio Francisco, the company said in a press release. Stores carrying products initially affected included Harris Teeter and Whole Foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued notices that increased the list of products recalled because they contained cheese made by Rizo-Lopez Foods to more than five dozen, including black bean dip and other products sold at Costco and Trader Joe's, and Amazon Kitchen-branded burritos. Listeria recall: More cheese products pulled at Walmart, Costco, Safeway, other stores Then, late Friday and Saturday, the FDA issued notifications of 10 additional food companies with voluntary recalls connected to the agency's ongoing investigation of the listeria outbreak. Those products included various salad kits and taco kits including those carrying the Dole brand, and were sold at stores including Albertson's, Carrs-Safeway, Costco, Eagle, Safeway, and Walmart. Home Chef also notified delivery customers via email that several meals among them White Cheddar Pesto Mac and Cheese and Cherry Chipotle Brisket Tacos may not have the cheese required for the dishes and advised them to discard the cheese if one of the specific meal kits did come with cheese. What additional foods are being recalled for listeria risk in Texas? These companies issued recalls of products sold in Texas that contained cheese supplied by Rizo-Lopez Food or had the potential for cross-contamination from recalled cheese products: Albertsons Companies recalled Ready Meals Chicken Street Tacos, Ready Meals Chicken Street Tacos Meal Kit, Chicken Mini Street Tacos Meal Kit, Chicken Asada Street Taco Meal, and Ready Meals Asada Street Taco Meal (all sell thru dates up to and Feb. 10, 2024), which contained a recalled cheese ingredient supplied by Rizo-Lopez Foods, and sold at stores, including Albertsons, Carrs-Safeway, Eagle, Lucky, Pavilions, Randalls, Safeway, Shaw's, Star Market, Tom Thumb, and Vons in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas , Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming. Ready Pac Foods, Inc. recalled Marketside Southwest Chopped Kits (use-by-dates Dec. 27, 2023 to Jan. 1, 2024) and Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Kits (use-by-dates Feb. 3, 2024 to Feb. 19, 2024) sold to Walmart stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas , Vermont and Wyoming; Ready Pac Bistro Fresh Mex Chopped Kit (use-by-dates Jan. 1, 2024 to Feb. 18, 2024) sold to WinCo stores in Arizona and California; and Ready Pac Bistro Queso Crunch Salad Kits (use-by-dates Jan. 1, 2024 to Feb. 18, 2024), all with recalled cheese, sold to Costco stores in California, Hawaii, and Nevada. Taylor Fresh Foods is voluntarily recalling Marketside Bacon Ranch Crunch Salad Kit, which were made with ingredient packets containing cheese as part of the expanded recall from Rizo-Lopez Foods (all had best-if-used-by dates on or before Feb 21, 2024), and were sold at Walmart stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Washington, D.C. Listeria: Here's how you get it and the symptoms You can get listeriosis, an infection, by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria. In November 2023, the FDA issued a recall of peaches, plums and nectarines sold at stores, including supermarkets Albertsons, Aldi, Publix, Sam's Club and Walmart, over concerns of listeria contamination. Most people who are infected do not become seriously ill, but a serious infection can develop in those most susceptible including pregnant women and their newborns, adults ages 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems, according to the CDC. Each year, about 1,600 people get sick and 260 die from listeriosis, the CDC says. Symptoms may start the same day you eat contaminated food, but are more likely to begin within two weeks after consumption and may start as late as 10 weeks later, according to the FDA. Symptoms may include fever, muscle aches, nausea, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea for those with a mild illness. Serious infections may lead to headaches, a stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, and convulsions. If you develop symptoms, contact your healthcare provider. Listeria outbreak cheese recall The recently recalled products tie into a multistate and multi-year investigation involving listeria outbreaks connected to Rizo-Lopez Foods in 2021 and 2017, with cases dating back to 2014. The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Infection began investigating again after the Hawaii State Department of Health in January 2024 reported it had found a sample of Rizo-Lopez Foods-manufactured Rizo Bros Aged Cotija that tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The outbreak has resulted in 26 illnesses with 2 deaths and 23 hospitalizations in 11 states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington), the CDC has said. Illnesses date back to 2014, the CDC said, with the most recent case in December 2023. One death was reported from California in 2017, and the other death was reported from Texas in 2020, the CDC told USA TODAY. What if I bought cheese products recalled for listeria risk? Check your refrigerator and freezer for any recalled products and throw them away. Do not eat them. If you froze a product without the original packaging and cant tell if it is part of the recall, throw it away. You can get a refund from the store where you bought the products. Clean and sanitize any surfaces the products may have touched, as listeria can survive in refrigerators and spread to other foods and surfaces. Follow the FDA's safe handling and cleaning advice to prevent cross-contamination. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Products recalled over listeria risk include Austin-based Whole Foods In a recent update from ABC News, regarding the shooting at Joel Osteen's church in Lakewood, it was discovered that the shooter had the words "Free Palestine" written on the rifle that was used during the shooting. The motive for the incident remains unknown but investigators have stated that they are going through the suspect's social media and writings. The Suspect The suspect is unknown, but was described as between the ages of 30-35 and female. Detectives believe that she fired 12 shots before two off-duty officers returned fire that killed the suspect. Houston Police Chief, Troy Finner also stated that when the suspect entered the Church she was accompanied by a 4 or 5-year-old child. The suspect's relationship with the child also remains unknown. Finner also reported that the child was also hit during the gunfire exchange and has been hospitalized in critical condition. A man who is believed to be a Parishioner was also shot in the leg according to Finner. Authorities have also reported the suspect had allegedly made the threat that she had a bomb but when they searched her car, they did not find anything. However, they did report that she was spraying an unknown substance. The authorities are also searching the suspect's history of arrests, which they believe she has on her record although that hasn't been revealed either. The incident occurred at 2 pm just before the Church's Spanish language service was set to begin. Harris County Judge, Lina Hidalgo, made the following statement "I will not make any assumptions because information continues to come in as to what motivated the shooter, but I am asking that the investigation look into whether it was a hate crime, given the shooting took place at an all-Spanish service." Hidalgo concluded with the following "We all stand with the Lakewood congregation as they recover from this terrifying day and with the young child and adult who are known to have been hurt in the shooting." Osteen himself also provided the following statement in a social media post "Our community is devastated by today's events and grateful for the swift actions of law enforcement. Please join me in continued prayer for healing and peace." This news follows the recent update regarding another shooting. This time at a school in Michigan where the suspect's mother Jennifer Crumbley has been convicted of manslaughter. In addition, this incident follows another update to boost the safety of students when these incidents occur. Recent Update In a recent update, CNN has reported that the woman has been identified as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36. According to a search warrant disclosed by the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office on Monday, officers resorted to self-defense, fatally shooting her after she aimed her weapon at them. During the incident, a young child sustained critical injuries and is currently hospitalized, although it remains uncertain who fired the shot causing the child's injury, as confirmed by the police chief. PROVIDENCE Former Republican U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who has made a series of media appearances warning against another Trump presidency, will bring her message to Brown University. On Feb. 13, Cheney will deliver the Stephen A. Ogden Jr. 60 Memorial Lecture on International Affairs, following in the footsteps of various politicians and heads of state, including former British prime ministers, the Dalai Lama and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Rhode Island's former governor. More: Defeat Donald Trump: Former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney on the future of the Republican Party Cheney, who represented Wyoming from 2017 to 2023, will give a talk called "Defending Democracy," which Brown said will cover "how she arrived at her personal convictions, her time in Congress and the future of politics in America." "As the country continues to grapple with questions about democracy, particularly in a major election year, we'll hear from a wide range of leaders over the course of the year, and we've heard already that Brown and local community members are interested in Liz Cheney's insights," said university spokeswoman Amanda McGregor. Though tickets are free, they've already all been scooped up. Those looking for a seat are now on a waitlist. A December 2022 file photo shows U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., serving as vice chair of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Talk follows media tour for Cheney's new memoir The visit comes on the heels of Cheney's Tuesday talk with historian Jon Meacham at Vanderbilt University. Speaking to a packed room, Cheney implored Tennessee Republicans to stand against former President Donald Trump in his bid for another term, calling it "a really clear choice." "You cannot be both for Donald Trump and for the Constitution," she said. More: Brown University students start hunger strike calling for divestment from arms manufacturers Aside from being an ardent Trump critic, Cheney is known for having served as vice chair of the House's Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol. In December, Cheney's memoir, "Oath and Honor," was released, detailing the insurrection and its aftermath. A whirlwind media tour followed, placing Cheney all over broadcast news, including NPR, MSNBC, ABC and CBS. In addition to her other college campus visits, Cheney is scheduled to speak at Drake University in Iowa in March. With her days as a lawmaker behind her, Cheney now teaches at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. Interested in being added to the waitlist for tickets? Register online here. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Former Rep. Liz Cheney takes her 'Defending Democracy' talk to Brown University Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remained hospitalized Monday, following a non-surgical procedure to address a bladder issue that sent him on Sunday to the intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Austins most recent issue is not expected to affect his prostate cancer prognosis, his doctors said in a release Monday, and he is expected to be able to resume his normal duties on Tuesday. The current bladder issue is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery, Dr. John Maddox, Walter Reeds trauma director, and Dr. Gregory Chestnut, Walter Reeds head of prostate disease research, said in a joint statement. His cancer prognosis remains excellent. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been acting defense secretary since late Sunday afternoon, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Monday. Hicks was notified of Austins move to Walter Reed at the same time as White House and congressional officials, Ryder said. Ryder did not say whether Austins bladder issue is related to the urinary tract infection that sent him to Walter Reed for two weeks earlier this year, a complication from a prostate cancer procedure completed Dec. 22. Austin has canceled an upcoming trip to Europe, for which he was scheduled to leave Tuesday. He plans to participate remotely in a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting on Wednesday, Ryder said, but will be replaced by Celeste Wallander, assistant defense secretary for international security affairs, if he is not well enough to join. Austin will be represented by NATO Ambassador Julie Smith on Thursday at a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels, Belgium. Austin admits he wanted to keep his cancer diagnosis secret Before his hospitalization, Austin received a copy of a Pentagon review into his January hospitalization and recommendations for a new notification policy for senior government officials in the event of a defense secretarys incapacitation. Austin has handled his latest hospitalization with much more transparency than his previous stays at Walter Reed, during which time only a few members of his staff knew why he had temporarily passed duties to Hicks. Ryder could not specify when Austin will sign off on the review or when the Pentagon will be able to share details publicly. Our aim is to try to provide as much information about the review to you, when we can, he said. (COLORADO SPRINGS) Downtown Colorado Springs business owners spent the day cleaning up and boarding up their walls after a car crashed through them early Sunday morning. Police reported that the incident stemmed from a domestic disturbance, culminating in a dramatic series of events involving a suspect identified as 24-year-old Fidencio Meza-Pelayo. According to authorities, the altercation began around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday on South Prospect Street. Meza-Pelayo allegedly engaged in a dispute with his girlfriend, who fled the scene. Believing she sought refuge in a neighboring house, he attempted to break into the home. However, police say when he entered, the homeowner fired a single shot, striking Meza-Pelayo. Police report that he then fled the scene at high speed, subsequently crashing into multiple downtown businesses. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Late-night crash destroys Tejon Street storefronts One of the affected business owners, Kevin Megyeri of Skirted Heifer, described receiving a call around 2:45 a.m. notifying him that a car had smashed through the front of his restaurant. Skirted Heifer after downtown car crash, Courtesy: Owner Kevin Megyeri Skirted Heifer after downtown car crash, Courtesy: Owner Kevin Megyeri Megyeri expressed shock at the extent of the damage, noting the incredible speed at which the vehicle must have been traveling. The car not only plowed through Skirted Heifer but also struck a parked car and affected neighboring businesses, including an AT&T store and the Boulder Street Gallery. After colliding with the parked car, Megyeri described how police told him the driver popped his tire on the corner of the block across the street, propelling a block of concrete through the AT&T store like a cannonball. Megyeri also said before crashing into Skirted Heifer, the vehicle also demolished a nine-foot-tall sign depicting a map of downtown, which ended up halfway down the block. Scene outside Skirted Heifer after downtown car crash, Courtesy: Owner Kevin Megyeri The AT&T stores exterior was strewn with shattered glass, while the interior lay in ruins. Similarly, the Boulder Street Gallery required boarding up due to the damage sustained. Its very scary that somebody can go that fast in a 25-mile-an-hour speed limit and just drive, not care, said Megyeri. Megyeri lamented the loss, particularly on the day of the Super Bowl which would typically be one of the busiest days of the year for his restaurant. Instead of preparing for the event, he found himself overseeing the boarding-up process. Megyeri expressed concern for his staff and emphasized the uncertainty of when his business might reopen, especially if there is structural damage that could prolong the closure. I care for my employees and to watch them not going to be able to have a job for a while is really freaking me out right now, Megyeri said emotionally. In response to the incident, Skirted Heifer has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support its employees: Fundraiser by Kevin Megyeri : Car Crashes Into Skirted Heifer (gofundme.com) Despite the setback, Megyeri is directing customers to his other restaurant, Bambinos Urban Pizzeria, located nearby, and his alternate Skirted Heifer location on the east side of Colorado Springs, at 5935 Dublin Blvd. Meanwhile, Meza-Pelayo faces charges, including kidnapping, assault, burglary, and various traffic offenses. Police say he is currently hospitalized for injuries sustained but expect him to survive. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. The Fresh Start program, a resource center and emergency shelter for homeless families operated by Lebanon County Christian Ministries, will become a partner with WellSpan Health's Arches to Wellness program, a recuperative care medical respite program, providing those facing health challenges and lack of housing with a place to stay while they receive medical support. While the program has partnerships with shelters in Franklin, Adams and York counties, the two beds at the Fresh Start shelter will be Lebanon County's first. Patients can be recommended for the program by WellSpan caregivers or by those at partnered shelters. Bryan Smith, executive director of LCCM, said that early on in the conversation, when Fresh Start shelter was identified as the kind of program that Arches to Wellness was looking to partner with, it made sense to have a program in the community that serves homeless people with medical needs, rather than having them travel outside the county. "For us as an organization, this brings a level of case management and resources to the table that may have been concern for acceptance because of medical conditions," he said. "My staff are shelter staff, they're loving people who care for folks, but they're not nurses and caregivers from a medical perspective. This helps to bridge that gap." Smith said both the Arches to Wellness beds and the new location for the Fresh Start shelter at 611 Chestnut St., housed under the Chestnut Street Community Center, will go live at the same time, which is currently planned for next week. LCCM Executive Director Bryan Smith said that both the ARCHES to Wellness beds and the Fresh Start Shelters' new location at 611 Chestnut St. will go live at the same time. Jenn Weitkamp, manager of business operations for special programs at WellSpan, gave a hypothetical example of how the program works: a patient who keeps showing up in the emergency room is identified by staff that while they do have medical issues, the larger underlying issue is that they're suffering from homelessness. The Arches to Wellness team is then notified and looks through the patient's chart to get a better understanding of the situation. They then have a conversation with the patient about whether they would like to come into the program. Once approved, they're given their own space, three meals a day, snacks if needed, laundry, shower facilities and a warm bed. "The other thing, a lot of people don't think about this, but many of our shelter systems during the day, the folks that are staying there have to leave during the day," Weitkamp said. "For people that are recovering or are sick or whatever, that becomes a really difficult thing because you might be sitting outside in the cold for six hours before you can go back in." "When they come into our program, they don't have to do that, they can stay indoors all the time so they can get the care that they need." With the addition of the two beds in Lebanon, WellSpan has 20 Arches to Wellness beds in shelters across Central Pennsylvania. Weitkamp said that recuperative care medical respites aren't very common. According to data from the National Institute for Medical Respite Care, which Arches to Wellness is a a part of, there are 145 medical respite programs in the country and three in Pennsylvania, including the WellSpan program. Weitkamp said the space used at local shelters for the Arches to Wellness program are leased from them whether the beds are filled or not. Smith said that those funds allow them to offset expenses and continue to offer resources to the community through the Fresh Start Shelter in the long-term. "The thing that has been very obvious to myself and my team is that we are getting more referrals than we can possibly fill beds. One of the things that we really try to do in our department is when we have people that are in different counties, like maybe we have openings in our York location but we're getting a referral from Good Sam in Lebanon, we don't love to move people around." "We really want to keep them in their county or area where they're already connected." She said that WellSpan has been seeing an increase in referrals from Lebanon County who meet the needs for recuperative care. The program allows its patients to recover from whatever health issue they are facing, and get better. She explained that the patients can be suffering from anything from wounds on their feet to a cancer patient being treated with chemotherapy. While the level of treatment depends on a patient's circumstances, nurses cane be brought in to see the patients and transportation is arranged for their appointments. Part of the benifit, Weitkamp said, is that it allows for beds in the hospitals to open, as patients facing similar circumstances before Arches to Wellness would often end up staying in the hospital for longer periods of time. "It's really not ideal for somebody to stay in the hospital bed when maybe what they really need is something that can be given at the outpatient level, like maybe they need some nursing education around diabetes or maybe they need physical therapy but they're not at a point where they're debilitated and can't function." Generally, she said, who become part of the Arches to Wellness program are usually there for 30-45 days. While they're there, they're connected social workers who help them plan their next steps, and connect them with the resources they might need. In terms of outcomes, Weitkamp said that the Arches to Wellness was able to connect 88% of its patients with permanent or temporary housing, taking into account that generally it's the connection made with the shelter system, 100% to a primary care physician, 63% to an ID, 81% to a birth certificate and 95% to insurance. While not a requirement, 100% of patients currently in the program were considered homeless before being recommended into the program. Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at DLarlham@LDNews.com or on X @djlarlham. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Arches to Wellness beds find space at Fresh Start shelter LUXEMBURG, Wis. (WFRV) Police in Luxemburg say they are currently searching for a stolen semi-trailer tanker. According to a release from the Luxemburg Police Department, a stainless steel semi-trailer tanker was stolen from the Fermented Nutrition Corporation on 407 Fourth Street sometime between Tuesday, January 30, 2023, and Friday, February 2, 2024. City of De Pere releases new De Pere Report It application Police say the tanker looks similar to the one in the photo provided and is a 2012 Walker tanker with Wisconsin semi-trailer plates reading 635787. Officers add that the tanker was removed from the site at the Fermented Nutrition Corporation by a semi-trailer. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the stolen tanker is asked to contact the Luxemburg Police Department at 920-845-5381. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. In this photo provided by the Indian Navy on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, a view of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda in the background, on fire after an attack in the Red sea. The crew aboard a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker hit by a missile launched by Yemens Houthi rebels is battling a fire onboard the stricken vessel sparked by the strike. Associated Press WASHINGTON Just 15 miles off the Israeli coast, Chevron operates a natural gas field that has already had to be shut in once over fear of a missile attack. Approximately 1,200 miles to the east, along the Persian Gulf, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Shell are drilling for oil and gas through joint ventures with state-owned oil companies that have previously been targeted by terrorists. And 1,400 miles to the south, BP has had to divert tankers from passing through the 20-mile wide Bab el Mandeb Strait, where Iran-backed Houthi militants are firing missiles at passing ships. Four months after Hamas fighters swarmed across the Israeli border, killing more than 1,100 people and kidnapping over 200 more, many of the oil and natural gas companies that operate in and around Houston have much at stake as tensions in the Middle East build. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A week after the U.S. military hit Iran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for a fatal drone strike on U.S. troops, fear of a wider conflict is growing, potentially drawing the United States and Israel into conflict with Iran. The real issue is Iran contagion risk. The Strait of Hormuz carries 25% of seaborne oil trade, and if war breaks out in the Persian Gulf that means the loss of all spare capacity north of Hormuz, said Bob McNally, president of the Washington-based consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group. Iran doesnt want war, the Biden administration certainly doesnt, but you cant always get what you want. To avoid having their ships fired on by the Houthis as they make their way north through the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, oil companies have begun diverting European-bound oil and LNG tankers around Africa. Shipping traffic in the Suez Canal has fallen to a two-year low, with the biggest decline among highly flammable LNG and LPG tanker traffic, which declined 75% and 66% respectively between November and January, according to the data firm KPLER. And U.S. oil companies operating in the Middle East are watching to see if the war expands to the Persian Gulf, putting at risk assets and personnel around Dubai and Al Khobar, in eastern Saudi Arabia. Advertisement Article continues below this ad These cities are like mini Houstons, with lots of expats, said Michael Knights, a military researcher with the think tank Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The oil companies are obviously concerned the U.S. could strike in Iran, and that could shift action to the Gulf side, with strikes that could hit American citizens. Iran, Israel and the U.S. so far have taken care not to escalate the conflict. The U.S. attack on Iran-backed militias seemed designed to make Iran pay for the death of three American soldiers without giving it motivation to ramp up attacks, said Crispin Hawes, who counsels energy companies on political developments in the Middle East through London-based Idrisi Advisors. The reality is Iran has maintained this rumbling phony conflict for 30 years but has been extraordinarily successful in making sure it doesnt come back to Iranian soil, he said. Were a long way from Iranian naval units targeting U.S. tankers in the (Persian) Gulf. But with so many factions launching attacks against each other, there is always the risk that tensions could escalate quickly. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Houthis, who have been fighting a civil war in Yemen for a decade, so far have stuck to attacking ships on their way to the Suez Canal. But many experts described their strategy as unclear and questioned whether they might expand their campaign, as they did in 2019 when they claimed responsibility for attacking two large oil processing facilities in Saudi Arabia, cutting that countrys oil production in half. In the eastern Mediterranean, observers are waiting to see what Israel does once its offensive against Hamas is over and whether it will move to push Hezbollah rocket installations off the Israeli-Lebanese border. Theres (energy) assets that could be hit and might be more at risk from Hezbollah, said Jim Krane, a fellow at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. Everythings so volatile right now. The Israel-Palestine conflict is such a trigger for emotions that run super hot. The eastern Mediterranean has been a hotbed for drilling activity among large oil companies, including Exxon and Chevron, in recent years, with talks of setting up floating terminals to liquefy natural gas and put it on tankers. Chevron shut down the Tamar natural gas field in the eastern Mediterranean for five weeks last year out of concern it could be targeted by Hamas. And the nearby Leviathan field, which Chevron acquired when it purchased Noble Energy in 2020, could potentially be a target as well, Hawes said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is facing a challenging primary battle, potentially including her former chief of staff, reflecting just how polarizing a figure she has become in her home state of South Carolina. Mace fought off a tough primary challenger backed by former President Trump in 2022, proving herself to be a resilient candidate. But this year, the challenges are coming from different reasons and some of them are personal and potent. I dont know if South Carolinians, those of us who reside in the Lowcountry, know what shes for, who shes for, or who shes against, depending on the day, and then I really dont think that she does, said Alex Stroman, a former executive director for the South Carolina GOP. Nancy Mace I think is finding out that if youre a weathervane, and youre not consistent from Monday to Tuesday to Wednesday, then voters are going to respond accordingly and maybe look for other options and look for consistency. Top stories from The Hill Mace has sparked fury within the GOP ranks in recent months over her outspokenness and her willingness to buck the party establishment. That was on clear display last fall when she joined seven other Republicans to oust then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), prompting several weeks of turbulence as Republicans scrambled to find a replacement. Now, allies of McCarthy are making moves to recruit a primary challenger, according to a recent Politico report. Kevin wants payback for being removed, and the fiction there is that hes going to fare better in the Lowcountry of South Carolina than he fared on his home turf in Washington, D.C., said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who led the eight Republicans who booted McCarthy. Mace has sought to position herself as a maverick within her party since first being elected to Congress in 2020, quipping to The Hill last year that I feel like Im on an island. She has been openly critical of her partys stances on gun safety and abortion and has gotten into public spats with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a key Trump ally on the Hill. Her criticism of Trump drew a primary challenge in 2022 from Katie Arrington, a former state lawmaker who had the former presidents support. But Mace defeated her and went on to win reelection. This cycle, however, Mace is drawing primary threats from some of her erstwhile allies. Republican critics cite what they describe as her on-again, off-again record of supporting Trump and her propensity for the spotlight as reasons she should be replaced. Nobody begrudges a political candidate for airtime, but she seems to be primarily focused on her next Fox TV hit, whereas members of Congress have to do constituent service, they have to be in the district, they have to go to events, said Republican strategist Chip Felkel, whos not involved in the congressional race. Others have pointed to Maces record on key policy issues. We need a consistent conservative who doesnt flip-flop for fame, said former state agency official Catherine Templeton, who announced a primary bid against Mace on Monday. Templeton was later endorsed by Arrington. Mace, who has criticized Republicans on their handling of abortion, argued the party has to be pro-woman and pro-life. Yet she also voted for an amendment to the annual defense policy legislation last summer that would have barred service members who left their state to seek an abortion from being reimbursed by the Pentagon. Mace defended her stance at the time, explaining the Senate wasnt going to keep it in the final legislation anyway. Meanwhile, Maces ties with the former president have also raised eyebrows. The South Carolina Republican worked on his 2016 campaign, but she criticized him in the days after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and voted to hold former Trump adviser Stephen Bannon in contempt for a House subpoena. She has since endorsed Trump for president ahead of November. Some bad headlines have also added to the scrutiny over Mace. The Daily Beast reported earlier this week that her entire staff in her D.C. office had turned over since November. Gabrielle Lipsky, a spokesperson for Mace, mocked the article on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing BREAKING: Entitled Former Staffers, with Inflated Self-Regard, Embark on Revenge Tour Against Member Who No Longer Needs Them[.] Give me a break. lmao. And Mace has brushed off Templeton as nothing more than a puppet in Kevin McCarthys bitter revenge operation in a post on X. A source close to Templetons campaign disputed the idea that McCarthy prompted the former state agency officials run. The source said although Templeton took a meeting with someone from McCarthys orbit late last year, she had been recruited to run in the district for several cycles previously and wanted to wait until her children were older. Meanwhile, Maces former chief of staff Daniel Hanlon, whom she fired last year, separately filed paperwork last month to run in the primary. This is about the establishment and the powerful vs. someone whos going to be an independent voice, said a source on the Mace campaign, predicting Templetons run is going to be a retread of 2018 in the governors race. The source also pushed back on the idea that Mace has flip-flopped on issues, pointing to her votes on holding Bannon in contempt as well as her vote that moved to hold Hunter Biden in contempt as proof of her consistent track record. The source also argued Mace declined more media hits than she actually participated in. The source also defended Maces endorsement of Trump this cycle, saying this is really about the future of our country and that their past disagreements were water under the bridge. Some Republicans believe primary challenges are not necessarily a bad thing in Congress. Competitions good at every level, said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). Thats what makes our process what it is. Longtime GOP strategist Dave Wilson argued Mace has always drawn challengers because shes a challenging force. But he suggested shed need to explain her recent track record to voters. The question that voters in the 1st Congressional District are more likely to ask is, Are you doing things to be an obstructionist for the sake of being an obstructionist? Or do you have a real reason for what you did? he said. Still, her vote to oust McCarthy wont hamper her from being supported by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). A spokesperson for NRCC told The Hill its an incumbent-driven group and backs all of its current GOP members. It also remains to be seen how much McCarthys reported influence in the primary will have an impact, though some Republicans are skeptical it will hurt her. I think people dont respect when somebodys coming from out of the district telling people in their own district, how they should be thinking. And I think that kind of at least in East Tennessee it kind of falls on deaf ears, said Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Maj. Michael Haley, the husband of GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, hit back at former President Donald Trumps questioning of his whereabouts with a meme on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The Army major has been deployed to Africa since June with the South Carolina Army National Guard. But Trump didnt let the truth get in the way of an attack on Nikki Haley, his rival for the Republican 2024 nomination, when he addressed a campaign rally in Conway, South Carolina Haleys home state, of which she previously served as governor over the weekend. She comes over to see me at Mar-a-Lago. Sir, I will never run against you. She brought her husband, Trump told the crowd. Wheres her husband? Oh, hes away. Hes away. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband? Where is he? Hes gone. He knew. He knew. Trump makes fun of Nikki Haleys husband, who is stationed overseas serving in the U.S. military: What happened to her husband? Where is he? He's gone pic.twitter.com/Ass2dtmTWV Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) February 10, 2024 Michael Haley responded on X with a photo of a wolf. A caption on the image read: The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack. Nikki Haleys husband, Maj. Michael Haley, tweeted this after Trump attacked her today for him not being with her. (Hes a commissioner officer deployed in Africa with the SC national guard.) https://t.co/6MX73KoX0W Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 11, 2024 Nikki Haley, meanwhile, addressed Trump on her own X account: Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. https://t.co/AfN3u4AsJc Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) February 10, 2024 Related... Major airlines worldwide are being accused of greenwashing by consumer protection and environmental groups that say the companies have misled customers about the sustainability of the aviation industry, according to Reuters. While environmental organizations have been going after airlines for more than a decade, as reported by JD Supra, the legal backlash has reached a boiling point in recent years. Whats happening? The Conversation reported that four climate-related greenwashing cases have been brought against major airlines in Europe, one in the U.S., and one in Brazil. However, a civil lawsuit brought against Dutch airline KLM by climate action group Fossiel Vrij NL (Fossil-Free Netherlands) is getting the most media attention since its reportedly the first to confront airline giants about greenwashing, according to AP News. Reuters reported that Britains Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also recently accused Ryanair, Lufthansa, and Etihad of downplaying their environmental impact in advertisements. One of the things we just caught onto was that a lot of airlines are making claims about sustainability and eco-friendly, sustainable choices, greener choices, Miles Lockwood, the director of complaints and investigations at the ASA, told Reuters. It seems consumers arent buying it anymore, however. Delta Air Lines is also facing a class-action lawsuit in a Los Angeles federal court over its deceiving marketing claims of being carbon neutral by supporting clean energy projects. Filed on May 30, 2023, the case marks what is possibly the first such greenwashing class action lawsuit against an airline under state consumer protection law in the U.S. Why are the greenwashing cases against airlines important? As The Conversation reported, filing greenwashing complaints against airlines is an effective form of climate action because of the undeniable power of advertising to influence human behavior. For example, a report by Greenpeace and the New Weather Institute think-tank estimated that airline ads contributed at least 11 million metric tonnes (more than 12 million tons) and up to 34 million metric tonnes (over 37 million tons) of heat-trapping-gas equivalent pollution globally in 2019. Since climate cases filed against heavily polluting companies can reduce the firms value by 0.41% on average, according to a study released by The London School of Economics and Political Science, the explosion of climate-related litigation forces airlines to either clean up their acts or watch their stock prices plummet. The aviation industry accounts for up to 3.5% of planetary overheating worldwide, according to Our World In Data, so continuing to put the spotlight on airlines is crucial to help bring temperatures down. Whats being done about it? Thankfully, some airplane manufacturers have already made significant headway in reducing pollution. For instance, companies like ZeroAvia and Universal Hydrogen have completed test flights with hydrogen-powered planes that can seat up to 40 passengers. Electric plane developer Eviation designed what is reported as the worlds first electric passenger plane that can fly 300 miles on a single charge. In addition, several airlines, such as American, Delta, Southwest, and United, have set a goal to significantly reduce pollution by 2050. In the meantime, putting pressure on the aviation sector helps hold companies accountable and ensures they follow environmentally responsible business practices. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Its been nearly a year since Lake Powell reached dangerously low levels, and though the human-made reservoir has risen since, there is still much cause for alarm. Created in 1963, Lake Powell is a product of the Colorado River and Glen Canyon Dam. It has been drying up since 2000 because of a megadrought in the Southwest and unsustainable water usage, Newsweek reported last February. Even above-average rainfall and snowpack may not help, Robyn White wrote, a sentiment echoed by The Colorado Sun in August. Whats happening? The main concern is that the lake, located in Utah and Arizona, will reach a dead pool of 3,370 feet, Newsweek also reported last year, which marks when the hydropower dam would be unable to function. All 10 of the lakes lowest recorded readings were made in March and April. On April 12 and 13, the water level dropped below 3,520 feet. It climbed to a peak of 3,584 feet July 8, but it has been dropping ever since. Thursdays reading was 3,564 feet, and more than half of the boat launch ramps and other sites were inaccessible. Lake Powell is in the same boat as Lake Mead, a couple of hundred miles away in Nevada and Arizona. The United States two largest reservoirs, they rely on the Colorado River to provide water and electricity to millions of residents. Lake Powell supports 5.8 million households and businesses in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, according to The Hill. Lake Mead provides power to 1.3 million Americans in Arizona, California, and Nevada, per CNN. Why is this concerning? If dead pool were reached, it would be a catastrophe, Newsweek reported last February. Much of life in the southwest U.S. exists as we know it due to the Hoover Dam and dead pool would cause all its operations to cease. Anthony F. Arrigo, who wrote a book about the dam, told the outlet: Without the dam system along the Colorado, its not hyperbole to say that the southwest would be virtually uninhabitable. The reason that the southwest exists as we know it today is because of the dams. There is no other reason. Arrigo and Robert Glennon, a water policy and law expert and emeritus professor at the University of Arizona, told Newsweek that tribes, farms, and cities downstream would go kaput, naming Los Angeles and salad greens as victims. What can be done? In the short term, Colorado River water users need to figure out how to use less water, Audubon Colorado River Program director Jennifer Pitt told Newsweek. There is broad agreement that water uses need to be reduced by about 30%, but theres not yet agreement about who should use less. Seven states in the U.S. and two in Mexico rely on water from the Colorado. In the longer term, as climate change continues to warm the region, the problem will get worse, so reducing carbon emissions has to be part of the solution as well. The federal Bureau of Reclamation has proposed digging tunnels around the dam, restoring the rivers flow, or lowering the power turbines to ground level, Denvers 9News reported last year, on the day of the historic low. Gary Wockner, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Save the Colorado, told the television station the dam should be decommissioned. Theres a huge opportunity here to right some historic environmental wrongs and perhaps make more logical sense about how we manage the entire river system, he said. Eric Balken, executive director of the nonprofit Glen Canyon Institute, agreed. I think it would be foolish for us not to at least study the idea of fully phasing out that reservoir because it just is becoming more and more likely that its going to drop into a dead pool scenario, Balken told Newsweek. Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. SOUTHAVEN, Miss. A man is in custody after being accused of tying up and physically assaulting a victim for two days at a house in Southaven, Mississippi. According to the Southaven Police Department, Brian Damron was taken into custody on Monday by their SWAT team. Download the WREG App today and stay up to date with breaking news and weather. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Around 10:30 a.m., officers say they responded to Dela Drive regarding an unlawful confinement and aggravated assault. SPD says the victim had multiple injuries. They were taken to the hospital for treatment. The victim stated that Damron mixed drugs and alcohol, causing him to pass out. That is when they were able to escape. Southaven Police said Damron has warrants in Mississippi. Damron also has a criminal history of numerous violent offenses from Calloway County, Kentucky including unlawful imprisonment, assault second degree under extreme emotional disturbance, wanton endangerment, and burglary third degree. When he was arrested Monday, he was on probation in Kentucky. Police say the scene is now secure and there is no threat to the public. However, neighbors were left shocked and scared because they had no idea what was going on. Bond revoked for suspect in Sunday crime spree Never saw, heard, or could think nothing like that could go on next to me. Like I stay right here. Thats kind of scary, one neighbor said. WREG noticed a boarded-up window and a sign on the door, letting us know that a chemical agent was sprayed in the home on Dela Drive. The note is dated on Monday, just a short time after Southaven police were called to the street. This is the second incident in less than a year, that the SWAT team was called to the neighborhood. Back in August, a man was shot dead by a SWAT officer just around the corner. AR woman loses part of intestine after attack The neighbor says once is a fluke, but twice is concerning and hell be watching his surroundings a little more closely moving forward. Hearing that, its kind of questionable. Because you never know what could happen if that is right next door to you, the neighbor said. You never know who youre living next to, so that is kind of surprising, kind of shocking. At this time, the relationship between the suspect and the victim is unknown. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A 49-year-old Buffalo man was arraigned Saturday for his alleged involvement in a fatal shooting in the City of Buffalos Kensington neighborhood, the Erie County District Attorneys Office announced. Levon Dickson was arraigned on one count of murder in the second degree. Buffalo man arrested in connection with fatal Warwick Avenue shooting On Feb. 7, at approximately 6:30 p.m., police responded to the scene of a reported shooting on the 300 block of Warwick Avenue where, they said, the found a male victim suffering from gunshot wounds. The victim, a 60-year-old man, died at the scene. Dickson faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the highest charge. He is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 15. He was held without bail. Latest Posts Emily Miller is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2022. See more of her work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Sacramento County sheriffs deputies have arrested a man Monday accused of causing a collision in which a boy was hospitalized Sunday after the suspects vehicle collided with a deputys patrol car, striking him on a south Sacramento street corner. A deputy and his K-9 partner driving through an Parkway neighborhood intersection at Franklin Boulevard and Brookfield Drive on a green light when they were struck by the Buick, said Sgt. Amar Gandhi, a spokesman with the Sheriffs Office. According to Gandhi, the suspect was driving southbound on Franklin Boulevard and made a turn against a red light onto Brookfield Drive. Thats when the suspects silver Buick SUV struck the Chevrolet full-size SUV. The boy was standing at the northeast corner of the roadway with his father when he struck, Gandhi said. He was taken to a hospital; Gandhi said the boy was conscious when hospitalized but an update on his status wasnt immediately available. The deputy and K-9 were not hurt in the collision, but it was unknown if the driver of the Buick suffered any injuries. Deputies later arrested the 23-year-old driver after he turned himself in, though it was not known if he was booked into jail. Gandhi said the Sacramento Police Department was investigating the incident. A man was arrested after a shooting on Monday morning at Zanesville City Hall. The man fired three rounds into the drive thru window, but no one was injured. ZANESVILLE A man was taken into custody just minutes after a shooting at Zanesville City Hall on Monday morning. No one was injured. Zanesville Police Detective Sgt. Phil Michel said ZPD received a call around 9:47 a.m. in regards to a shooting incident at city hall, 401 Market St. One man came into the utilities billing office and appeared to be upset. He had left the building and walked onto California Street, where he then pulled a handgun and shot several times through the billing window. Employees were in the office when the shooting occurred. A description was provided of the suspect. Officers and detectives responded to the call and were able to find the suspect blocks away from city hall. The suspect was taken into custody and a firearm was recovered. Only three minutes had elapsed from the time the call was received until the time the suspect was in custody, Michel noted. The suspect is currently in the Zanesville City Jail. The billing office was closed for the remainder of the day on Monday. Anyone with information concerning the investigation is asked to contact the ZanesvillePolice Department, 740-455-0700, or Det. Chris Andrews, 740-455-0709. Nofurther information is available. Mayor Don Mason said City Hall was locked down for an hour. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Shots fired at Zanesville City Hall; police arrest suspect A man is in custody after being accused of shooting a police officer and a woman who was held hostage in Richland County Sunday night. >>Man hospitalized after being found shot in Harrison Township Ontario Police officers were dispatched at 8:47 p.m. to Landings at Walker Lake on Landings Court because someone was violating a protection order, according to our news partner WBNS in Columbus. A 911 caller told police that the male suspect was armed. The suspect has been identified as Jareth Vance, 32, and he reportedly confronted officers when they arrived as he held a woman hostage at gunpoint. Officers tried to rescue her, but Vance fired shots at them. One officer was struck at least once and the woman was also shot at least once when she tried to escape, WBNS said. >>Unattended 1-year-old shoots self in Harrison Twp. apartment complex, deputies say Vance barricaded himself inside an apartment where he held a 16-year-old hostage and hostage negotiators were called to assist the situation. Police told WBNS that the standoff lasted four hours until he surrendered. The 16-year-old was rescued unharmed. Medics transported the officer to the hospital where he was listed in stable condition. The condition of the woman is not known currently, according to WBNS. Police did not say what charges Vance could face. Houston galleries and museums offer a chance to see Black artists' works. Collage Installation view of THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 2023. Photo by Sean Fleming. Courtesy Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Pictured: "35 and Counting" by Dom Elam. Sean Fleming Installation view of THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 2023. Photo by Sean Fleming. Courtesy Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Pictured: "4 Freedmen's Town" by Jaylen Pigford. Sean Fleming "Leave It All Behind?" (2023) by Berlin at "THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show" at CAMH through March 24, 2024. Sean Fleming, courtesy of CAMH Kaneem Smith, "Transition," 2024, mixed fabric media and acrylic. On display at Nicole Longnecker Gallery. Kaneem Smith/Longnecker Gallery This year is the centennial of John T. Biggers, the legendary muralist whose renowned work as an artist and muralist was just one small part of his legacy. A North Carolina native, Biggers came to Houston in 1949 to chair the art department at Texas State University for Negroes, now known as Texas Southern. He taught there for over three decades, sending multiple generations of artists into the world to make their mark. Biggers was interested in looking back, which explains why he founded the Traditional African Art Gallery at TSU's University Museum. But as a teacher, he also believed in seeding the future. In honor of his work as an instructor and to celebrate Black History Month, here are a handful of artists and exhibitions reflecting on his legacy. 1. Lisa E. Li Harris Lisa E. Harris, a Houston-based independent and interdisciplinary artist, is the inaugural Houston Regional Affiliate Fellow for the American Academy in Rome. The descriptor multidisciplinary applies fittingly to Lisa E. "Li" Harris work but also feels inadequate. Harris art functions as an ecosystem, featuring voice, music, electronic media, photography and other forms to meditate on our existence. Harris will present her work This Is the Day, a sound and light installation, this month at Lawndale. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The piece opens for viewing Feb. 15 and will remain on view through April 8, when Harris will perform Onshore Trilling: What to Do When the Earth Sings the Bruise at Lawndales outdoor space during the total solar eclipse. The piece will be very much of Houston, a meditation on body and space informed by the city's connection to offshore drilling and the sounds of the South, particularly the blues. This Is the Day When: 11 a..m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, Feb. 16-April 8 'Onshore Trilling' When: 12:20 p.m. April 8 Advertisement Article continues below this ad Where: Lawndale, 4912 Main 2. Imhotep Blot Installation view of THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 2023. Photo by Sean Fleming. Courtesy Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Pictured: "Sacred Quilt" by Imhotep Blot. Sean Fleming The Contemporary Arts Museum Houstons This Way: A Houston Group Show is a time machine. Its a protest. Its a history. Its a love letter. The CAMHs introduction to the show partially reads, In this moment in Houstons history, 12 visionary Black artists were invited to shape the unseen at a critical time in which Freedmens Towns sacred archives and assets must be protected. Several of the works on display focus on the bricks so central to Fourth Ward/Freedmens Town, juxtaposing them with the sheen of the glass and metal of downtown that looms over them. In Imhotep Blots Sacred Quilt, an oil and acrylic paint on paper from 2020, a facial form is cleaved in two, gashed by the citys skyline. Dom Elams 35 and Counting places cold, gray towers made of clay among colorful homes and churches, some of them toppled. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Antonio Diane Reeces You Cant Pray a Lie feels like a celebration of history and a condemnation of how we fail to preserve it, with delicate fabrics carrying images and information from a neighborhood that has, over a century, been transformed without concern for its past. When: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday, through March 24 Where: Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose Advertisement Article continues below this ad 3. Jesse Lott The artist Jesse Lott Molly Glentzer / Houston Chronicle Only a week remains in Project Row Houses The Founders Round, which recognizes the work of the artists James Bettison, Bert Long Jr., Jesse Lott, Rick Lowe, Floyd Newsum, Bert Samples and George Smith who established this hub and incubator for Black artists in Third Ward. Perhaps most sentimental among the seven row house installations that opened last October is Jesse Lotts House, which was curated by Vida Lott and Wayne Lott months after Jesses death last July at age 80. When: Noon- 5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, through Feb. 18 Advertisement Article continues below this ad Where: Project Row Houses, 2521 Holman 4. Justin O'Keith Higgs "Obsidian" by Justin O'Keith Higgs, on display at the Houston Museum of African American Culture. photo by Andrew Dansby Houston Museum of African American Culture chief curator Christopher Blay has assembled the Bert Long Jr. Gallery Spring Survey Exhibition, which features work by nine artists, most of them with Houston connections. Two pieces by Justin OKeith Higgs commanded my attention. Higgs is an artist-photographer-attorney who also was a Dallas Mavericks ManiAAC Dancer. His Obsidian and Black Tudor present two male faces with solemn expressions radiantly lit and accentuated with paint on canvas. I cant figure out where lighting ends and painting begins with his subjects hair in Obsidian, but the effect is mesmerizing. Ann Johnsons Delita transfers a photo onto a rusted ironing board, conveying a feeling of sentimentality and weariness. A tufted cotton boll bursting from its leaves sits atop the piece. Johnsons pieces make repeated use of cotton, carrying with them the dubious history of the fluffy fiber. When: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. through March 30 Where: Houston Museum of African American Culture, 4807 Caroline 5. Kaneem Smith Kaneem Smith, "Laborscape No. 17," 2023, cotton fabrics, plywood, acrylic. On view at Nicole Longnecker Gallery. Kaneem Smith/Longnecker Gallery Kaneem Smith hails from colder confines Buffalo, N.Y. but has called Houston home for two decades. Her Laborscapes series is a portmanteau of intention: Smiths works have the feel of impressionist landscapes, but theyre assembled from reclaimed fabrics, lending them the cross-generational weight of quilting traditions and the twisted history behind cotton production. Some of her pieces have deeper Houston history: Smith repurposed some old work clothes that belonged to her father, George Smith, who was one of the seven Black artists who came together 30 years ago to found Project Row Houses. When: Through March 9 (artist meet and greet at 6 p.m. March 7) A man who ignited a 22,000-acre fire that killed a firefighter and burned down homes in California will spend one year in county jail after pleading guilty. Refugio Jimenez Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure, the San Bernardino district attorney said on Friday. In addition to jail time, Jimenez will be responsible for 200 hours of community service and will serve two years felony probation. "Resolving the case was never going to be a win," San Bernardino County district attorney Jason Anderson said in a press release. The Defendants reckless conduct had tremendous impact on land, properties, emergency response resources, the displacement of entire communities, and resulted in the tragic death of Forest Service Wildland Firefighter Charles Morton." On Sept. 5, 2020, Jimenez and his wife Angelina Jimenez set off a pyrotechnic device to reveal the gender of their new baby with pink or blue smoke at a family gathering in El Dorado Ranch Park at the base of the San Bernardino mountains, around 22 miles outside of downtown San Bernardino. The smoke ignited the surrounding dry brush and sparked a fire that burned through 22,000 acres of land, according to the district attorney. The couple tried in vain to put out the fire on their own before calling 911, and cooperated with officials who arrived on the scene. An attorney for Jimenez did not immediately return a request for comment. The district attorney's office declined to comment further on the case. More: Oregon timber company sues Forest Service for not putting out 2020 wildfire before blowup 18-year firefighting veteran killed in wildfire Charles Morton, a U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter who fought fires for 18 years, died during an operation carried out almost two weeks after the fire first broke out. Crews from the San Bernardino County fire department and the Forest Service's Big Bear Hotshot Squad were attempting to control the blaze by setting off small fires. After a wind change unexpectedly spread the fire, Morton headed off on his own to scout the spot fires, according to a report on Morton's death released by the U.S. Forest Service. He died of his burns after he was trapped by the fire, and his body was recovered that night. Morton, 39, joined the Fire Service in 2007 and worked for the Front Country and Mountaintop ranger districts, the Mill Creek Interagency Hotshots, Engine 31, Engine 19, before he joined the Big Bear Interagency Hotshots, according to the Palm Springs Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network. Hotshot crews, comprised of around 20 firefighters, fight the most challenging parts of large wildland fires. Wife sentenced to community service, one year probation Angelina Jimenez pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing fire to property of another, and was sentenced to 400 hours of community service and one year of summary probation, according to the district attorney. The couple must also pay $1,789,972 in victims' restitution fees. The pair initially pleaded not guilty after they were indicted on more than 30 charges by a grand jury in July of 2021, according to the Victorville Daily Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. They were released on recognizance, even though prosecutors asked the judge to hold them on $50,000 bail. On the third anniversary of the fire last September, the Fire Service filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of the smoke bombs that set off the fire, claiming the devices are illegal in the state of California. The fire injured 13 people, including two firefighters. It spread across 36 square miles and damaged 20 buildings, including five homes, and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate across the San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The Fire Service said the blaze was finally contained on Nov. 16. More than 8,600 fires burned across California that year, destroying more than 11,000 structures and killing 33 people, according to CalFire. The year saw a record two million acres of land torched across the state. Contributing: Associated Press Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at cmayesosterman@usatoday.com. Follow her on X @CybeleMO. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man who sparked El Dorado fire at gender reveal party pleads guilty The man who killed a U-Haul clerk in Pittsburghs Larimer neighborhood in 2021 has been convicted of second-degree murder. >> New evidence unveiled in court after 2021 murder of U-Haul clerk Braijon Burton, who was 21 at the time of the shooting, wanted to rent a truck but couldnt afford to pay for it. Burton shot and killed Jake Jaillet, 21, who was working at the store for the summer, before leading police on a chase along Route 28. Hes an amazing man, said Jeff Jaillet. Only 21 years old. Hes the greatest man Ill ever know. Jeff Jaillet described his son Jake as emotions from the last two and a half years swirled inside of him, but at last, he experienced a feeling of relief. Its been a long road, said Jaillet. And its justice for Jake. For the last week, 12 jurors listened to hours of evidence, testimony from witnesses and a heart-wrenching call for help from Jakes friend who heard the gunshots. They were working at the same U-Haul location together during summer break. Id like to thank Pittsburgh police, said Jaillet. It was an amazing coordinated effort. We didnt know about until the trial that brought this man to justice as quickly as they did. It could have been a lot worse. Thank the ADA. Thank the DAs office. An amazing case. Made it in my opinion an easy decision. The jurors asked a few questions that made the Jaillet family nervous that a unanimous decision might not be reached. One of those questions was if thered be more direction from the court if they couldnt agree. And another one was if theyd have to explain why they were thinking guilty or not guilty. I guess for me I figured it was an open and shut case, said Jaillet. And when you hear that. I mean obviously from the defenses standpoint. Theyre going to be looking for that. That was the best shot that they had so sure we were nervous, but in the end, justice was served. The jurors found Burton guilty not only of second degree murder but also seven other charges including robbery of a motor vehicle and aggravated assault. Happy for ourselves, said Jaillet. Our family. Our friends. Mostly for Jake. Burton will be sentenced in 90 days. Hes looking at life in prison without parole. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: West Mifflin, Pittsburgh Public schools arent allowing visitors Monday over reported threat Man killed during argument with girlfriends father Super Bowl OT means free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings VIDEO: 11 Investigates: Controversial plan to put armed officers in schools DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts The autopsy of a man who died while being arrested by Wichita police said he had a lethal level of methamphetamine in his system, but notes that officers may have contributed to his death. Thomas W. Dempsey, 47, who weighed 340 pounds, complained about trouble breathing while laying on his stomach during his arrest and lost consciousness while being handcuffed. He died outside his home in northwest Wichita in June 2023. Dr. Scott Kipper, with the Sedgwick County Regional Forensic Science Center, said in the autopsy that it is his opinion Dempsey died of methamphetamine toxicity. But the prone position police put Dempsey into with an officer kneeling on his back or shoulder while officers daisy-chained three handcuffs together to arrest him cannot be ruled out as a factor in his death, Kipper wrote in the autopsy. Kipper said the cause of death is best classified as undetermined since the extent, if any, to which the actions of arrested officers may have accelerated Mr. Dempseys death cannot be definitively determined. Police responded at 5:21 a.m. on June 25 to the 2700 block of North Parkridge after Dempsey called 911 to tell them he may have killed his wife. Nicole Dempsey, 44, was found fatally shot inside. Dempsey had been complying with officers to come down off his porch and lying on the ground before complaining about feeling bloated and having trouble breathing, Kipper wrote. Several times he attempts to roll onto his side while being ordered to remain face down and to place his hands behind his back, Kipper wrote. He continues to complain of not being able to breath when on his belly during the arrest/handcuffing process. Dempseys blood had 478 nanograms per milliliter of methamphetamine what Kipper called a lethal level. Amphetamine was also found in his blood. Blood concentrations of methamphetamine related to toxicity can vary depending on drug use patterns, health conditions, and a number of other factors specific to individual users and situations, the forensic science center said in a statement. As such, a lethal range cannot be explicitly defined. The illicit use of methamphetamine is inherently unsafe. Under cause of death, Kipper said other significant conditions included hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (which is a buildup of plaque in the arteries) , morbid obesity, and physical exertion with possible positional/mechanical asphyxia during apprehension by law enforcement. No charges, ongoing investigation Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said no charges would be filed against the officers since, given the information provided, there was insufficient evidence to establish that a crime was committed by any of the officers. Kneeling on someones back or shoulder during an arrest doesnt violate any police policy; there also isnt anything in the policy about placing a heavier person on their stomach. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, which was requested by the Wichita Police Department to investigate the in-custody death, presented its findings, along with the autopsy, to Bennett on Aug. 25. The WPD started an internal investigation after Bennett reached his decision. Police Chief Joe Sullivan said he would not comment while that is underway. Citing the ongoing internal investigation, the police department denied The Eagles request for any body cam footage or any records and reports related to the death. Its not uncommon for internal investigations to take several months. Footage and video Dempsey appeared to be unresponsive shortly before the last handcuff was locked in place, Kipper wrote in the autopsy. An officer noted Dempseys pulse was very fast while checking it several times after he became unresponsive. Several minutes after he became unresponsive, resuscitative efforts are initiated, Kipper wrote. The cessation and resuscitative efforts and pronouncement of death are not seen in the provided video clips. Its unclear why that part wasnt provided to the medical examiner. Kipper said he reviewed a neighbors security camera and officer body cam footage as part of his autopsy. This footage shows Mr. Dempsey appearing to possibly be intoxicated/under the influence of an unknown substance, Kipper wrote. He was also noted to have apparent labored breathing. Kipper added: The above noted video review strongly suggests that the position that Mr. Dempsey was placed into during apprehension may have contributed to his respiratory compromise. The possibility that such an increase in the respiratory compromise may have accelerated his death cannot be ruled out. The Lufthansa Airbus A380 returned to Bangkok after just 90 minutes in the air (Getty) A 63-year-old man has died after coughing up litres of blood on a Lufthansa flight from Bangkok to Munich. Flight LH773 was scheduled to depart Bangkok for the Bavarian capital at 11.40pm on Thursday 8 February. After 90 minutes in the air, however, the plane was forced to turn around after a German national was pronounced dead onboard. According to a fellow passenger, the man lost litres of blood through his mouth and nose. It was absolute horror, everyone was screaming, said Karin Missfelder, who was situated in the row diagonally behind the passenger. Ms Missfelder, a nursing specialist at University Hospital in Zurich immediately noticed her fellow passengers poor health upon boarding. He had cold sweats, was breathing much too quickly, and was already apathetic, she told Swiss news outlet Blick. The mans Filipina wife explained that the pair had run to the plane very quickly, which is why he wasnt feeling well. At this stage, the nurse intervened and said that the passenger needed medical attention, prompting the captain to call for a doctor over the loudspeaker. The interior of a Lufthansa Airbus A380 plane (Getty Images) A young, around 30-year-old man from Poland with poor English looked at the German, she said, but only felt his pulse and asked how he was feeling. They then gave him a little chamomile tea, but he [had] already spit blood into the bag that his wife held out to him, she said. Despite the escalating situation, the decision was made by airport officials to depart. As the plane became airborne, the mans condition worsened dramatically and blood began gushing out of his mouth and nose. The man lost litres of blood, she said. Flight stewards immediately began resuscitation, to no avail, and the man was carried into the galley and a decision was made to return to Bangkok. The captain announced over the loudspeaker that the passenger had sadly died. Despite the ordeal that passengers had witnessed, Ms Missfelders husband, Martin, described the situation back at Bangkok Airport as chaotic. Nobody looked after us, we waited two hours. There was no care team there, nobody, he said. He said the worst thing was that the wife of the deceased passenger then had to proceed through customs alone. She stood there all alone and apathetic and had to endure all the formalities. The fact that Lufthansa has no measures in his case, that no one cares about around 30 traumatised passengers around, is unacceptable. In a statement to The Independent, a Lufthansa representative confirmed that a medical emergency had occurred on the flight. Although immediate and comprehensive first aid measures were taken by the crew and a doctor on board, the passenger died during the flight. After 1.5 hours of flight time, the crew decided to turn back to Bangkok, where the aircraft landed normally and safely. There, the instructions of the medical emergency services and the Thai authorities were followed. The passengers on the cancelled flight have since been rebooked on other flights. Our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased passenger. We also regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers of this flight. Lufthansa did not respond when pressed on the decision to depart Bangkok in spite of the mans failing health. The news comes as service has resumed after the German flag carrier cancelled hundreds of flights from the countrys major airports following a 27-hour strike by ground staff. Members of the Ver.di union walked out at five major German airports on Wednesday 7 February in a dispute over pay. NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) A 41-year-old Lorain County man is accused of impersonating a police officer outside a local Walmart store and then aggressively following a man who told police he feared for his life. According to a North Olmsted police report, on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at about 1:30 p.m., officers were called to the Walmart on Brookpark Road for a report of a traffic altercation. This embedded content is not available in your region. A man in the parking lot told police that while he was sitting in his Black 2020 BMW, he noticed another man taking a video of his missing rear license plate. The victim told police the suspect was wearing a police uniform sweater, dress pants, and a brown overcoat, so he rolled down his window to speak with him. According to the report, the suspect approached the driver-side window, similar to how a police officer would conduct a traffic stop, and then started yelling at the victim about the missing license plate and said, Youre going to go to jail. Bicyclist found unconscious in Summit County The victim told police he felt the interaction was escalating, and he believed the individual he was speaking to was not a real police officer so he attempted to leave the Walmart parking lot. Thats when the suspect, identified as Seth Adams, 41, of Grafton, charged towards the moving BMW on foot and then jumped a Silver Volkswagen Jetta and began following the victim at a high rate of speed with orange flashing lights in his front windshield, according to the police report. According to the report, Adams came very close to striking the victims vehicle. The situation lasted several minutes until the victim was able to get away and call police. While police were speaking with the victim, officers were able to track down the suspect, who they reported was wearing a leather belt with several live rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. According to the report, the ammunition was prominently displayed along the length of the belt. In addition, in Adams wallet, officers said they found, a badge-shaped coin similar to how a police officers badge would typically be displayed. According to police, the vehicle Adams was driving had a license plate that had been altered and the vehicles VIN on the dashboard had been partially covered a playing card, and a Cleveland Police Patrolmans association card. It was noted by officers on scene that there were no other pieces of paper anywhere else on the dashboard and that the placement of the cards over the vin appeared to be intentional, read the report. Man connected to missing womans death held on $1M bond Adams was then transported to the North Olmsted Police Department, where officers continued to question him. According to the report, officers were permitted to review the video Adams had recorded on his phone and found that during the pursuit of the BMW, Adams could be heard advising the open air of the vehicle speeds similar to the manner that a police pursuit would be called out. Adams told police that he initially started recording the BMW because he is a fan of the car style and was not aware that anyone was inside the vehicle until the driver gave him the middle finger. Adams said he did try to notify the man of the missing rear license plate. He then told police that he moved his car two parking spots over but was approached by the BMW which then took off at a high rate of speed. Adams followed with his phone recording and the dashboard lights activated, according to the report. Adams told police he was looking for his other phone to inform law enforcement of the BMWs reckless driving. However, officers note in the report that they were not contacted by Adams. Local officer shot trying to rescue hostage Adams also told officers he had purchased the light bar in case he came across any disabled motorists who needed help and said he activated the light in this scenario to warn other traffic that the BMW was coming. Adams was booked into the jail and charged with the following: ORC.4549.62 Alteration of a VIN, a felony of the 5th degree. ORC. 2923.24 Possessing Criminal tools, a misdemeanor of the first degree. ORC. 2921.51(B) Impersonation of a peace officer, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. ORC. 2903.22 Menacing, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. A 60-year-old man died Sunday night after his car veered off the road near Delaware City and sank in the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. Numerous first responders, including personnel from Delaware City, Goodwill and Port Penn fire companies, Delaware State Police, New Castle County's dive team and New Castle County Paramedics, responded to an area near Reedy Point Bridge about 11:45 p.m. for reports that a Chrysler had left North Canal Road and crashed into the C&D Canal. There, first responders found the car "completely submerged in the canal with a debris field present," a news release from Delaware City Fire Company said. A 60-year-old man died Sunday night after his car veered off the road near Delaware City and sank in the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, Delaware City Fire Company said. Rescue swimmers dove into the water but weren't able to get to the car due to the depth of canal. Once members of the dive team arrived, firefighters used sonar to locate the car. It had sunk about 12 feet, the news release said. The divers, whom Delaware City said were "battling near-zero visibility and a strong current," found the car and pulled the man to shore. Paramedics and EMTs tried to save him, but he was pronounced dead on scene. Delaware State Police is investigating what caused the man, who is from Elkton, Maryland, to crash. His name will be released once family is notified. The U.S. Coast Guard also responded to aid in the recovery. Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_ This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Man killed after car plunges into C&D Canal near Delaware City A view of the main dining room at PostScript in Upper Kirby Jenn Duncan It will be nearly impossible to miss PostScript when it officially opens for dinner service Monday night. Anchoring a corner of the Shops at Arrive River Oaks, 2800 Kirby, PostScript is a restaurant dripping in several shades of pink. Metallic butterflies, plastic orchids and cherry blossoms, gleaming chandeliers and a "press for champagne" button will welcome Houstonians to the striking space. The colorful design of this playful restaurant isnt the only headliner. This opening also marks the return of Bryan Caswell, one of Houstons well-known chefs whos helped put the city in the national spotlight with a James Beard nomination and a 2009 Best New Chef award from Food & Wine magazine. As the team behind the Dallas-based hospitality group GAP Concepts puts it, PostScript aims to seamlessly blend a splashy restaurant with serious food. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Were not here to be an Instagram restaurant, said Veeral Rathod, PostScript's co-owner. Its about food and people coming together to spend their time with us. HOUSTON EATS: The Chronicles top 100 restaurants Chef Bryan Caswell oversaw PostScript's opening menu At first glance, PostScripts menu looks like standard fare for an Upper Kirby-River Oaks restaurant, with fresh seafood, grilled meats, fried seafood from the Gulf and some sushi thrown in the mix. But Caswell, whose Reef restaurant closed in 2019, is imparting some personal touches to a number of dishes in his role as a consulting executive chef at PostScript. Advertisement Article continues below this ad One dish, as Caswell explains, features a miniature glazed Shipley-like doughnut dotted with ghost pepper caviar, candied shallots and white chocolate creme fraiche. Hot chiles are infused into the sustainable Louisiana caviar to give it a touch of heat, catering to Texan palates. Bryan takes classics and presents them in a different light, Rathod said. It tastes familiar but different at the same time. The space, which seats about 300 people total, is in the home of a former Del Friscos Grille, which meant Caswell had a particularly large kitchen at his disposal. Dinner will be served from 5 to 11 p.m., but Caswell is also working on developing menus for lunch, brunch and, eventually, afternoon tea. Theres a speakeasy-inspired door, covered in a James Bond photo of Roger Moore sipping a drink, which leads to a private dining room with its own bar. MORE FROM BAO ONG: Owners who split with Brazos Bagel founder reopening shop near the Heights as Space City Bagels Advertisement Article continues below this ad A view of the main dining room at PostScript in Upper Kirby Jenn Duncan When PostScript goes beyond dinner service, it may remind some customers of the wildly popular Sketch in London, one of the most popular dining rooms on social media. The Dallas-based GAP Concepts also operates XOXO Dining Room in Dallas, which also doesnt hold back on using pink in its interior design. We like the bright colors, but we didnt want it to look too Barbie dollhouse, Rathod said. Theres also a gilded press for champagne button, which is still being fine-tuned, at each booth. A pink piano in the middle of the dining room. The bar, which greets customers at the entrance, is topped with vibrant pink agate stones. Over a series of family and friends dinners this past week, the restaurant also rolled out a pink carpet for everyone. A Phobos eclipse will only grow larger over the next 50 million years as it continues to descend towards Mars. The next solar eclipse to cross North America is fast approaching, but over on Mars, the Red Planet already experienced one of its own celestial shadow events this year. On February 8, the asteroid-sized Martian moon Phobos crossed in front of the sun above Jezero Craterthe area just so happening to host NASAs Perseverance rover . As Phobos continued across the sky, Percys left Mastcam-Z camera angled away from its usual landscape vista subject matter towards the satellite, snapping a few dozen photos for project coordinators back at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Credit: NASA/JPL/ASU The images showcase a markedly different full lunar eclipse than the ones Earth receives every 2.5 or so years. Given both Phobos size and shape, the moon doesnt fully cover the suninstead, the 17x14x11 mile misshapen hunk of rock blocks only a small portion of the star as it continues along its path. The result arguably resembles more googly eye than awe-inspiring cosmic calendar occurrence, but its still a pretty impressive vantage point. Phobos and its smaller sibling moon Deimos were discovered in 1877 by US astronomer Asaph Hall, and are respectively named after the Greek words for Fear and Dread. The origins of both satellites arent wholly understood, although astronomers theorize them to be either asteroids or debris leftover from the solar systems formation that occurred around 4.5 billion years ago. [Related: The Mars Express just got up close and personal with Phobos .] While the Earths moon continues to inch away from its planetary pull at a rate of roughly 1.5 inches per year, Phobos is actually being drawn towards Mars about six feet closer every century. While that makes for a comparatively slow descent, it does still mean the moon will eventually either crash into Mars, or break it up into thousands of fragments to form a planetary ring like Saturns. No need to worry, though, since that grand finale isnt expected for another 50 million years. In the meantime, Phobos will continue orbiting Mars at a rate of three times per day, while the slower Deimos completes its journey every 30 hours. Perseverances lunar eclipse capture, while incredible on its own, naturally fails to capture much detail of the moons pockmarked surface. Luckily, the European Space Agencys Mars Express caught a closer look back in 2022, when the satellite came within just 52 miles of the moon to snap its own photos. Blamed by House Republicans for the unprecedented arrivals of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas narrowly escaped impeachment last week. Mayorkas, whose family fled the regime of Fidel Castro when he was an infant and settled in Beverly Hills, is the first Latino and the first immigrant to lead the federal agency responsible for enforcing the nation's immigration laws. House Republican leaders have vowed to attempt another impeachment vote, maybe as soon as this week. Read more: He took on L.A.s street gangs. For Mayorkas, impeachment does not rattle me In a wide-ranging interview last week at Homeland Security headquarters, Mayorkas told the Los Angeles Times about his Los Angeles upbringing, his thoughts on the impeachment vote and the challenges before him. Questions and responses have been condensed and edited slightly for clarity. Were you surprised the impeachment vote failed? I didn't assume an outcome one way or the other. I really didn't know. My understanding is that there may be a a second round. And frankly, my schedule hasn't changed. I wasn't tracking it. I was in meetings, actually, in Northern California, working on our prioritization of the use of artificial intelligence to advance our mission and also to defend against its malevolent use. So I met with an executive in a technology company in the Bay Area, I participated in a recruitment effort we're trying to recruit AI talent to the department. So I was busy. You are someone with a significant degree of respect for the law and for government service. Has this process shaken your faith at all in the rule of law? It hasn't shaken my faith in the rule of law. I am mindful of how politics has impaired execution of legal and legislative responsibilities. How did it make you feel overall? I am disappointed. It is unpleasant to see false statements made about me. I draw inspiration from the people with whom I work every day and what we are trying to accomplish, and I do not allow the baseless allegations to in any way impair my devotion to the work or to the people. How did your family choose to settle in Beverly Hills? We lived in a two-bedroom apartment half a block from the school. The education system was what drove my parents; we couldn't afford a home. My sister and I were the children, then my younger brother was born and it was three kids, and we moved to a small home two blocks away. And then my other brother was born, and I shared a bedroom with my two brothers. Were you connected at all to the Jewish community in L.A.? We were not very observant. I did go to synagogue, twice a year, for the High Holy Days. Certainly my mother's background was something that filled the home, and my father's background from Cuba. And when we went out to eat, one of our special places was a Cuban restaurant, just short of downtown, called El Colmao. I checked on it throughout COVID, just to make sure they were making it. It's very sentimental to me. You know who gave it a great review? [The late Los Angeles Times restaurant critic] Jonathan Gold. I grew up with him. We went to Horace Mann, which was an elementary school that drew from a very modest community. One thinks Beverly Hills, and one has images. Not for the students of Horace Mann we had a middle income and below. You said recently that you're not engaged in politics, you're engaged in the work of DHS. But obviously your job is immensely politically important. Do you consider yourself politically ambitious? I've never been politically ambitious, I've been very devoted to public service. I was a career prosecutor. That's how I entered government in 1989 and I had an opportunity almost nine years later to become a political appointee to lead the office and, quite frankly, it was a political appointment but not a political position, if you will. The work of being a prosecutor is apolitical by definition and by ethic. I understand a political environment and political ramifications of actions, but I treat my work as though I am a career government servant. Recent reports describe the exodus from Cuba as the country's most significant migratory crisis since 1959. Does that affect you, personally, to see your own history reflected in the migratory situations of today? The regime hasn't changed. The reason people leave hasn't changed, so I well understand the exodus. But, you know, we have laws that we enforce. You inherited an agency that already had low morale. What have you done about that since you arrived and do you feel like it has made any dent? I've been very focused on employee well-being. I was very focused on that throughout my tenure as deputy secretary and it's one of our highest priorities. It is our highest priority for the organization as an organization, and we have invested tremendous focus, attention and resources to that, everywhere from employee physical and mental well-being, to the condition of facilities, to fairness in pay. We recognize employees for their great work more than, I think, ever before. I've traveled around the country recognizing employees in the field. It's an intense area of focus. But in news reports, you often hear about how politics has affected the perspective of employees on the ground. I think that's true. Politics has entered the workplace to a degree that I had never seen before. However much that is the case, those employees remain totally committed to mission and accomplishing the mission. It has not impacted their devotion to mission one bit, from what I have seen. What are some of the other, non-immigration-related achievements you're proudest of since becoming secretary? Let me start with FEMA, just because I've been tracking very closely in Los Angeles the flooding and I've been on some very important calls of this week with respect to restoration of the community in Maui, following the tragic fires there. We have materially changed policies, so that otherwise historically disenfranchised communities can access individual assistance. We simplified our individual assistance programs. In the cyber domain, we have published cybersecurity performance goals that are tailored to different companies, according to their resources and capabilities. We have instituted the cybersafety review board which reviews major incidents and publishes an analysis of those incidents, as well as steps one can take. In the Customs and Border Protection area, obviously the borders are an extraordinary challenge. We have taken actions to make sure that products designed in whole or in part with forced labor don't enter the United States. We have, for the first time ever, made crimes of exploitation a mission priority. We have expanded the fight against human trafficking. We are about to launch a program to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. Secret Service has done an astonishing amount in protecting major events but also protecting the president visiting a country that is at war, for the first time, I think, in history. Is it safe to say that the border has been the toughest challenge within the DHS mission, or is there another challenge that you think is particularly great that people overlook? The challenge of fentanyl. We have taken unprecedented steps in that fight, increased the interdiction of fentanyl precursor chemicals. The threat of adverse nation-states is something that has risen tremendously over the past five-plus years, and the terrorism landscape has changed where domestic violent extremism the lone actor, the small groups loosely affiliated present such a significant threat to the homeland. What did you think about the bipartisan border security and foreign aid bill that failed to advance in the Senate? It is a tough but fair set of much-needed tools, and much-needed resources for our department and for the Department of Justice in executing our fundamentally broken immigration system. This department has relied on the Department of Defense to augment our resources at the southern border. This legislation would provide for more Border Patrol agents, more support personnel, more asylum officers, more Office of Field Operations personnel, more ICE officers, more technology. It's a bill that would make a very significant difference and one that we need. It is important that Congress not spend time pursuing baseless allegations and actually fix what everyone agrees is a broken system. And so I hope that they really focus on this legislation and get it across the finish line. If they want the challenge at the border to be addressed, then it requires solutions, and this legislation is a solution. If they want a problem to be of political benefit, then that would be quite defining. Get the best of the Los Angeles Times politics coverage with the Essential Politics newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A group of 43 mayors from around the country are asking the Biden administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to permanently extend work permits for migrants, citing economic concerns and shelter space. In a letter delivered Monday to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur Jaddou, the mayors and county executives asked for automatic extensions for existing work permits of at least 540 days. Without this, hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers will lose their work authorization, businesses will lose staff, and our cities and counties will face an increasing challenge to provide shelter to the public, wrote the mayors. Those signing the letter include New York Mayor Eric Adams (D), who at times has generated ire in the immigration advocacy world for his rhetoric around migrants, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D), whos been publicly vocal about his citys struggles to house migrants. Over the past few weeks, Denver has seen record-high numbers of migrants arriving in our city, and very few have the ability to work and make a living for their families, said Johnston. This has created simultaneous humanitarian and fiscal crises for our city, forcing us to look at significant budget cuts and reduction in services. We know that the ability for migrants to work is critical to Denvers success, and it is imperative that [the Department of Homeland Security] take immediate action to prevent even more migrants from losing their work authorization. The request to extend work permits comes months after the sunset of a USCIS rule from 2022 that had extended automatic renewals to last 540 days. As of October, those automatic renewals reverted to last only 180 days, meaning some foreign nationals who renewed their work papers after the rules sunset will start losing their right to work legally this spring. Local businesses are still struggling to address the current labor shortage and cannot handle further disruption to their operations from losing the employees they already have. A longer extension will allow immigrants to keep their jobs and businesses to operate without interruption, wrote the mayors. Since October, USCIS has been under pressure from elected officials, advocates and immigrants to reinstate the automatic 540-day extensions. New York City thrives on the diverse and dedicated contributions of these community members and stripping people of their right to work is simply un-American. Im hopeful the federal government acts swiftly to protect the stability and security of hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers and their families, said Adams in a statement. In September, the agency amended its manual to allow extensions of up to five years for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) issued to certain categories of foreign nationals, including asylum-seekers, but automatic extensions are currently limited to 180 days. A spokesperson for USCIS did not immediately return a request for comment. The length of EADs is important because it allows immigrants and their employers to plan ahead six-month permits limit the kinds of jobs people can apply for and because a series of other benefits are tied to the work permit in many jurisdictions. My work permit gave me access to all the things I need to live and provide for my family a job, a drivers license, health care, and more. It is critical that the government extend work permits for immigrants who are waiting for their applications to be processed, and are scared their work permits wont come in time, said Charity R., an asylum-seeker from Nigeria and member of the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project. The short-term renewals also tie in to another issue dogging USCIS: application backlogs. USCISs goal is to process EADs in three months on average. According to the agencys numbers, processing times for EADs were reduced by 32 percent between the end of fiscal 2022 and the end of fiscal 2023, from 6.8 to 4.6 months on average. On Monday, USCIS announced it has reduced overall backlogs for the first time in more than a decade it currently has 4.3 million cases pending that have exceeded their target processing times, compared with about five million pending cases at the end of fiscal 2022. The mayors recognized USCISs efforts, in particular granting the five-year EADs to certain groups, like some recipients of Temporary Protected Status, a program that allows nationals of certain countries in crisis to live and work in the United States. While laudable, these actions will not help immigrants who are currently in the work permit renewal backlog and whose EADs are about to expire, they wrote. Those backlogs can mean long wait times without the ability to work for some migrants, and theyre made worse by accumulation of applications as short-term work permits expire. The long waits often generate artificial deadlines for immigrants who can lose their jobs from one day to the next. I waited over a year for my work permit renewal application to be processed. It was scary I was afraid every day that I would lose my job if my work permit didnt come in time, said Charity R. The mayors called on USCIS to permanently implement the 540-day extensions, or at least extend 2022s temporary rule until backlogs are sorted out. If DHS does not implement a permanent change to the automatic extension, any temporary extension should be for a period of no less than three years, to allow sufficient time for USCIS to work through the extensive work permit renewal backlog. We ask that you act swiftly so that the communities we represent do not experience the destabilizing effects of immigrant workers falling out of the workforce, they wrote. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. NEW YORK Mazi Melesa Pilip and Tom Suozzi made their closing cases to Long Island and Queens voters Monday, on the eve of their ultracompetitive special House election for the seat vacated by George Santos. Pilip, the Republican nominee, argued that Suozzi, the Democrat, is soft on immigration, as Suozzi framed himself as an antidote to poisonous partisanship that he said is blocking progress and is personified by Pilip. The race is weighty in both symbolism and function, providing possible insights into which way the political wind is blowing in a swing suburban district, and delivering Democrats a chance to further erode the GOPs fragile House majority. Both parties have invested heavily in the race. And both candidates blitzed TV airwaves ahead of Election Day. In a Monday morning appearance on WNYW-TV, the Ethiopian-born Pilip acknowledged her limitations as a public speaker but vowed to better serve the district as an advocate for law and order. Hes a talker excellent talker; hes really good on that I am a person of action, Pilip told the station, referring to Suozzi, a former three-term congressman. Pilip, a 44-year-old and fresh face in politics who has served for two years in the Nassau County Legislature, is aiming to block Suozzis return to the House. She has the backing of an assortment of police unions and the National Border Patrol Council. Suozzi, a 61-year-old centrist and Long Island lifer, gave up his seat representing the district to stage a doomed run for governor in 2022. Now, hes in the fight of his political life to reclaim his seat, buffeted by GOP efforts to blame him for the citys vexing migrant crisis. Pilips campaign has branded him Sanctuary Suozzi and sought to exploit anxieties that migrants in New York are driving a crime wave. New York Citys cavernous, tent-style migrant shelter at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center sits within the House district, which sprawls from eastern Queens out across Long Islands tony North Shore. There is no statistical evidence that the estimated 66,000 asylum seekers in city care are having any significant effect on the citys crime rate, though high-profile crimes in recent days have been linked to migrants. He is the one responsible, and we have to hold him accountable, Pilip, a registered Democrat, told WNYW-TV. Im going to Washington. Im going to secure our border. Pilips allies have emphasized Suozzis past support for so-called sanctuary city policies, which limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. He has suggested that federal immigration authorities have not always followed local laws, but that local officials should cooperate with federal authorities when they adhere to the rules. The former congressman, in his own Monday morning appearance on WNYW-TV, said Pilip is the wrong answer on immigration, emphasizing that she is aligned with former President Donald Trump in opposing a bipartisan legislative deal to secure the border. Thats appalling, Suozzi told the station. Dont keep the border open and bring more migrants to New York. Make the deal. Thats what Im about. The veteran politician also argued, perhaps improbably, that he is a vote for change. People are sick of the way Washington is running, Suozzi said. I want to change that and stop all the partisanship and the fighting and get people to work together. In the morning, Suozzi also visited St. Roccos Bakery in his native Glen Cove to greet locals. Pilip planned to hold a Monday evening campaign rally in Franklin Square. Experts said the race was coming down to the wire. The chair of the state Democratic party, Jay Jacobs, said Democrats had outvoted Republican and Conservative Party voters by about 12,000 in the early voting. We feel good about it, Jacobs said. Still, Democrats are seen as more likely than Republicans to vote early, and early voting data offers few clues about how independents and conservative Democrats might be receiving the candidates. Former Rep. Peter King, the Republican who represented a version of the district for a decade until 2003, predicted Pilip would win narrowly. He said voters seemed to have moved on from the unpopular Santos. The overriding issue, King said by phone, is a combination of immigration and crime intertwined. The race in New Yorks 3rd Congressional District has made for a mad dash after Santos was expelled from the House in December, felled by his serial lies and a 23-count indictment accusing him of fraud. Santos has pleaded not guilty. He said Monday that he would not vote in the special election, adding that he was jaded as (expletive) and that he has no empathy for the political process. He added that he views Pilip as a kind person, but added that he would not mind if she lost. I dont want Tom to win, Santos said by phone. Im not thrilled about Mazi. Santos a conservative Republican who deceived voters about his education, religion, family history, professional experience and property ownership won the district by about 8 points in 2022. Four days after Santos early December expulsion from Congress, Gov. Hochul, a centrist Democrat, scheduled the special election and put her support behind Suozzi, putting aside lingering animosity from her 2022 governors race with the congressman. In the bruising contest, Suozzi aggravated Hochul by describing her as an interim governor. Hochul has called the special election her top priority and marshaled the force of New Yorks Democratic apparatus behind Suozzi. She is seeking a measure of political redemption after critics blamed her narrow general election victory over Lee Zeldin for down ballot losses in 2022. Republicans flipped four New York House seats in the midterms. Hochul has chastised Pilips approach to immigration and abortion and framed her as untrustworthy. The governor has argued there are way too many unanswered questions about Pilip, who has delivered evasive answers when pressed on her positions on abortion and gun control. Hochul has even likened Pilip to Santos. In an appearance on Fox News on Monday, Pilip pushed back on such comparisons. I am very much vetted, Pilip, a veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces, told the network. Im very proud of who I am. But she has left some of her positions unclear. In one of the more peculiar moments of the campaign, Pilip tried to walk a fine line on abortion rights at the races lone debate last week, saying both that every woman should have that choice and that she is pro-life. Suozzi has urged voters to watch the feisty, policy-rich, hour-long debate before casting ballots. Everybodys got to watch the debate, he told WNYW-TV on Monday. If you watch the debate, I win. _____ Hungarian banking group OTP Bank, which was once added to Kyiv's international sponsors of war list, expressed interest in buying Ukraine's state-owned Sense Bank, Ukrainska Pravda media outlet reported on Feb. 12, citing unnamed sources familiar with acquisition talks. The report comes several weeks after Ukraine's Deputy Finance Minister Yurii Drahanchuk said that foreign investors were interested in purchasing Sense Bank and another state-owned bank, Ukrgasbank. Both banks were among the 10 most profitable banks in Ukraine in 2023. Sense Bank, a Ukrainian branch of Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman's Alfa-Bank, was nationalized in the summer of 2023 as its owner had been placed under sanctions. Ukrgasbank is a Ukrainian commercial bank founded in 1993. OTP Bank, an alleged potential buyer of Sense Bank, is Hungary's largest commercial bank and one of the largest financial service providers in Central and Eastern Europe. Read also: Ukraine Business Roundup February 6 The company operates both in Ukrainian and Russian markets, with the latter being a potential challenge for the purchase of Sense Bank, according to Ukrainska Pravda. Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention designated OTP as an "international sponsor of war" in May last year, which Hungary then used as a justification to block EU defense aid to Ukraine. Ukraine provisionally removed OTP Bank from the list in October 2023 in the hope that this would lead to Hungary unblocking 500 million euros (around $538 million) in military aid from the EU. In response, Budapest said it "still needs guarantees" that the bank will not be reinstated to the list. If the alleged deal takes place, and the Ukrainian branch of OTP Bank is merged with Sense Bank, the new bank may become Ukraine's fourth largest bank in terms of net assets after PrivatBank, Oschadbank, and Ukreximbank, Ukrainska Pravda wrote. The Ukrainian branch of OTP Bank told Ukrainska Pravda they are "not authorized to comment on the group's intentions," and Ukraine's Finance Ministry has not responded to a request for comment. Read also: Ukraine wants to make reconstruction transparent. Will it work? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. League City is seeking $208,000 in federal funding for the police department to develop a mental health response team. The city recently applied for a federal grant which, if approved, would fund the first phase of a program that would assign specially trained officers to respond to mental health related calls. League City Police Department League City police and federal law enforcement agencies are taking precautionary measures following a report of a possible threat to area schools that has raised concerns on social media. The department confirmed it had received information Thursday from Lander police in Wyoming about a possible threat to an unnamed school in League City, but that no evidence of an actionable threat has yet been determined, according to League City Police Department spokesperson Jose Ortega. This is something that has been a rumored threat, but nothing has been verified that there have been any actionable threats, Ortega said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The department, in partnership with other local agencies, has increased its presence at Clear Creek ISD campuses, private schools and day cares as a precautionary measure, according to Sunday post on the departments Facebook page by Chief Cliff Woitena. The department is receiving help from the Galveston County Sheriff's Office, Dickinson Police Department, Galveston County Precinct 4, and the League City Fire Department Fire Marshals Office to cover all public schools within League City. All of our schools began their Monday safe and secure with officers and deputies (present) throughout the various schools, and we will continue to make sure they are safe and secure through the week, Ortega said. The report stems from a case involving two male runaway juveniles who allegedly stole a vehicle and guns from a Wyoming residence on Feb. 8 and were reportedly heading toward League City. According to Ortega, the League City Police Department is in contact with the Lander Police Department to monitor any developments, working with other agencies as the search for the juveniles continues. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As of now there still hasnt been any credible threat that weve seen from this, but we know that with all the social media (attention) about it, we wanted to make sure we stepped up our presence for their safety and security, Ortega said. Woitena said in his Facebook post that the male juveniles only confirmed connection to League City was through a female acquaintance of one of the males. The acquaintance, he said, has relatives who live in the city, but that those relatives have no relationship with the juveniles. In his post, Woitena also said the department has been guarded with information it has released to the public because of a lack of any credible evidence of a threat and the departments desire to try and prevent the current state of panic. Woitena said many social media sources have distorted aspects of the report and are not based in factual evidence. We recognize that our community is impacted by these events, and we are not willing to risk the safety of our citizens, Woitena said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Clear Creek ISD issued a response to parents on Sunday reiterating the polices statement that no threat to the districts schools has been substantiated, but that precautionary measures are in place. As a personal rule, I do not usually write recaps or reviews of TV news programs. There is an entire machine for the 24/7 news machine to amplify itself and to which I do not need or want to contribute. But in that seemingly endless firehose of news content where one crisis flows into the cacophonous noise of the next, is it any wonder that a large percentage of Americans tell pollsters that they are exhausted by politics and current events? There are important moments that are lost and that matter in ways that even the hosts, producers and writers may not realize or understand. A recent episode of MSNBC's "The Last Word with Lawrence ODonnell" was one such example. In an attempt to evade responsibility for his many crimes against democracy and society, Donald Trump and his attorneys are claiming that he is above the law. Per their arguments and fantasies, Trump can order his political opponents and anyone else for that matter murdered without being held accountable under the law. They also claim that Trump can sell pardons and engage in other corrupt acts without fear for being arrested or held responsible by the law. In their fascist and autocratic reasoning, somehow, to be held responsible under the law like any other person in American society would make it impossible for a president (meaning Donald Trump and his Republican fascist successors) to do their job. These claims are not just legal maneuverings. Trump, as shown by his promises to be a dictator on "day one" of his presidency, channeling Hitlerian threats, claims that he is chosen by god and Jesus Christ to be a type of prophet of MAGA vengeance and restoration does believe these things. Public opinion polls have consistently shown, including a new one from the UMass Amherst, that a large majority of Republican and other Trump voters endorse Trumps claims to dictator status and want him to take such power when/if he wins the 2024 election. In his 8-minute-long monologue and act of public teaching, Lawrence ODonnell described the verdict as a thundering endorsement of Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over Trumps trial in Washington DC for crimes related to the Jan. 6 coup attempt and the larger plot to end democracy: But the proof that Judge Chutkan bears no judicial prejudice against Donald Trump whatsoever came today, in the form of a court of appeals opinion in an order that affirmed every single word Judge Tanya Chutkan wrote in her 48-page opinion, in December [in response to] Donald trump's claim of immunity for any crimes he committed while president. Judge Chutkan's opinion said that the presidency, quote, does not confer a lifelong get out of jail free pass. There were many winners today, when the court of appeals opinion was issued. Special prosecutor Jack Smith and his brilliant legal team, the framers of the Constitution with Alexander Hamilton being specifically quoted in the opinion supporting criminal prosecutions. The American people who believe in the rule of law were very big winners today, and the people who believe in Donald Trump were once again, like Donald Trump himself, big losers today. But, the individual biggest winner of the day was judge Tanya Chutkan, whose work was studied line by line and word by word by Donald Trump's lawyers, who tried to rip it apart in arguments to a three judge panel of the court of appeals, and each of those judges, including a conservative Republican appointed judge, who has hired law clerks who are members of the Federalist Society unanimously agreed that Judge Chutkan was right in every word she wrote, every word. Trumps legal battles are also much greater than deciding if a corrupt ex-president will be held accountable for his crimes: these proceedings (and the 2024 election) are a national civics lesson and test of how enduring Americas multiracial pluralistic democracy will be and how much progress we have made towards being a true we the people democracy or if instead the country will collapse backward into a new Jim and Jane Crow plutocracy and system of fake democracy and competitive authoritarianism. Ultimately, the American democratic project is an experiment, an ongoing one, and will it endure or not? In the literal personhood and symbolic power of Judge Chutkan (and the other black and brown members of law enforcement and the courts who are holding Trump and his MAGA cabalists responsible for their obvious crimes including the Capitol police officers on Jan. 6 who saved the country from Trumps MAGA attack force) we see a black person, a black woman, an immigrant from Jamaica who not too long ago in American history would be written out of the polity as a type of anti-citizen and Other, the basis upon which and against and upon white (male) citizenship and white herrenvolk democracy and the racial state would be defined. For those of us who believe in the American democratic experiment and its promise and potential, especially the children and heirs of the Black Freedom Struggle and civil rights movement and other rights revolutions and activism of the 1960s and 1970s, to see Judge Chutkan in this role is exhilarating even as the stakes involved for our safety and futures are terrifying. For Trump, his MAGA people, neofascists, authoritarian populists and the larger conservative movement and white right and those others who are in that orbit, this is all so disturbing and enraging. For them, it is an impossibly wrong thing (both as expressed consciously, i.e. we believe in traditional values," and in the subconscious and semi-quiet thoughts that serve as the real root of their resentment and rage at political correctness and those people who dont know their place and whatever other myriad forms frustrated white entitlement and privilege may take) to see a white man like Trump (who in their minds is somehow a stand-in for people like them) being held accountable by those who they deem to not be real Americans and patriots." Because what does MAGA Make American Great Again! really mean if not What America White Again!? Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Lawrence ODonnell spoke to this in the following way: Donald Trump has many bad days ahead of him, as criminal defendant Trump. None will be more painful than the days he spends in Winston Chutkans daughters courtroom. Winston Chutkan told the New York Times that when he won a scholarship to go to high school in Jamaica, quote, I wore shoes and experienced indoor plumbing for the first time in my life. Winston Chutkan worked very hard, did very well in high school. He went on to become an orthopedic surgeon, one of Jamaica's most prominent physicians. When his daughter Tanya arrived in Washington from Jamaica at age 17 to attend George Washington University, she fell in love with the city, and has lived here ever since, except for her for three years as a distinguished student at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was an editor of the law review. Tanya's younger sister and brother both followed in their father's footsteps and became physicians. Tanya Chutkan served as a public defender in Washington D.C., where she married another public defender and had two children. She then became a highly compensated member of a large Washington law firm. President Obama appointed Tanya Chutkan to a federal judgeship in 2014. Her appointment was confirmed by the United States Senate, 95 to nothing. She told her sister then, I have never been so excited to receive a pay cut. Tanya Chutkan knows that Donald Trump thinks her blood is poison, and that her children's blood is poison. Donald Trump says that immigrants like Tanya Chutkan are poisoning the blood of America, a phrase that Donald trump has lifted directly from Adolf Hitler..... ODonnells public teaching on his Tuesday show also signaled to what political scientists and other experts know from public opinion data, focus groups, and other research about the values and beliefs that are driving Trumpism and the larger neofascist movement and global right in its campaign against multiracial pluralistic democracy. These factors include hostile sexism, racism and white supremacy (of course), racial resentment, nativism, social dominance behavior, and a type of collective anxiety about social change in the form of death anxieties (what social psychologists have termed terror management theory, the dark triad of personal types, and collective narcissism and other forms of mass pathology. Here ODonnell takes these concepts and personalizes them by describing Trumps mind and emotions, which for the corrupt ex-president must be like a real-life horror movie he cannot escape: So, the day is going to come when Donald Trump stands trial, in Judge Chutkan's courtroom, where every day he will be looking up at a judge, who he has publicly and personally insulted by calling her a racist and hurling other insults at her. And he will be looking up at a judge who he has accused, along with every other immigrant who Donald Trump didn't marry, of poisoning the blood of America. And every day Donald Trump sits in that courtroom, looking up at Judge Chutkan, he will be looking at her with raging hatred that he will not be allowed to express in that courtroom. And he will be looking at her in abject fear, which he will admit to no one. Four weeks ago, Donald Trump sat in the court of appeals hearing room, looking up at the three women judges who heard this case. Judge Karen Henderson, Judge Florence Pan, and Judge Michelle Childs. There was no legal reason for him to be in the room. Donald Trump is of course profoundly stupid, but still not stupid enough to think that his eyes or his hair or his makeup or his red necktie would intimidate those judges. And surely, the dark, twisted coils of Donald Trump's brain were still able to process the obvious fact that these three women had complete control over him, in this proceeding. Americas mainstream news media has largely failed in the Age of Trump and beyond in its responsibilities and obligations to engage in sustained pro-democracy journalism that educates, informs, and empowers citizens by holding the powerful responsible and then telling the public not just what is important and how they should think about it but then what to do about it. Lawrence ODonnells commentary on Tuesday was a bright exception to that pattern of failure (as was his conversation several days ago with historian David Blight about Trump being disqualified from office per the Constitution). As the 2024 election approaches the American people need more of this type of news coverage-public civics education and teaching. But given how the news media and larger attention economy has trained the American people to spectacle and distraction, do enough of them even have the capacity to understand and the attention span necessary to process it? The answer to that question and what it reveals about Americas civic culture and democracy (and what it demands of them) will weigh heavily on Election Day and then what comes next. Editor's note: The Tennessean Editorial Board invited candidates for the March 5, 2024 Metro Nashville-Davidson County primary election to fill out our questionnaire. They include biographical information and answers to seven questions on variety of topics from key policy issues to their recommendation for visitors on what to see or do in the city. Early voting goes from Feb. 14-27. Learn more at the Davidson County Election Commission. Candidate Q&As: Learn about candidates running in Nashville-Davidson County's March 5 primary election Name: Robert Taylor Position: School Board District 1 Political party: Democratic Age : 46 What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? Bordeaux Education: Fisk University-BA Biology/Minor in Education; Bowie State University-Master of Public Administration, Public Policy Concentration Job history: Instructor/Program Manager, Master of Public Health Program at Meharry Medical College; Program Director, Men's Initiative at Tennessee State University; Family Involvement Specialist, Metro Nashville Public Schools; Program Manager, Metro Nashville Public Health Department Family: Married to Adjoa Arthur Taylor for 23 years. We have seven children ages 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8 Robert Taylor, candidate for Nashville School Board District 1 (March 5, 2024, primary) Why are you running for this office? I am running for school board in District 1 because I believe our city is looking for leadership that is focused on serving the specific needs of each community. My experience as an MNPS parent, former MNPS Family Involvement Specialist, and avid MNPS supporter has shown me that elevating parent, teacher and student voices is one of the most powerful tools we can use to identify needs and improve educational outcomes for our students. My time as a program manager at TSU and faculty member at Meharry Medical College has taught me what our students need to succeed after graduation. I believe that all parents send their very best to our schools every day, their children. It is our responsibility as a community to honor those parents and get public education right as we work towards the goal of making sure MNPS schools are the best choice for all Nashville families. I have a proven track record of showing up for my community and getting things done. I am looking forward to earning the privilege of continuing that work as the school board representative for District 1. What makes you qualified to hold this office and better qualified than your opponent(s)? My experience as a community servant and leader is unmatched in this race. I have served as a thought partner on several issues that have impacted MNPS students and families over the years such as the state funding formula, the MNPS student discipline policy, MNPS priority school improvement, and Advanced Academic participation rates to name a few. I am also a current parent of two MNPS students, more than the other candidates combined. I have been an MNPS parent for over 15 years and our family has been a part of 5 different MNPS school communities during that time. I believe every child deserves a quality education in their own neighborhood, with options to pursue their unique talents and interests. I also have children who attend private school. This provides me with a unique perspective through the lived experience of trying to find the best educational opportunities for my children here in Nashville. This experience has fortified my commitment to ensuring that MNPS is the best educational opportunity for all students. also have a track record, as a public administrator and former MNPS family involvement specialist for the Whites Creek cluster, of entering organizations that have opportunities for improvement and helping them implement policies and procedures that allow them to achieve and exceed their written goals and objectives. I have also been committed to bringing additional resources to our schools and advocating at the local and state levels for more appropriate funding for our schools. As a part of my work with the Haynes Trinity Neighborhood Coalition, we were able to raise over $100,000 to support the priority schools in the Whites Creek cluster. I come as a candidate who is not only talking about what I want to do if elected to the board, I am a candidate who can speak about what I have done and will continue to do once elected to the board. The list below is just a snapshot of the work I have done in my community. This work provided me with the experience and relationships necessary to represent District 1 as a school board member. MNPS Student Board Member Selection Committee Mayor Briley's Kitchen Cabinet for MNPS Priority Schools District 1 participatory budget representative Former Nashville Branch NAACP Education Chair NOAH Education Committee Member Officer, Nashville Election Commission President, The New Life Center Former Rejoice School of Ballet Board Chair Haynes Trinity Neighborhood Coalition Treasurer Former Jordan Ridge at Eaton's Creek HOA Board President Nashville Fisk University Alumni Association Fundraising Chair Word of Life Christian Center International (WLCCI) Board Member Brothers of Umoja (Tennessee State University and Shaw University) Advisory Board Nashville Breastfeeding Coalition ACES Nashville Coalition Nashville Health & Wellbeing Leadership Council I am also a firm believer that representation matters. As a Black Man, I believe our children need to see more examples of positive men doing the work of the people. Men who are committed to the well-being of the entire community. These are just a few of the experiences that have qualified me for the role of School Board. I am confident that I have prepared for this role and I am excited about the opportunity to continue uniting our city around the common value of making education our number one priority. For more information, please visit our website at www.TaylorForSchools.com If you are elected (or re-elected), what are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office? One of the primary roles of a school board member is policy oversight. I hope to focus on developing policies that will encourage family and community partnerships. I have listed a few of the policy changes below. Add language to the Parent and Family Engagement policy to require Title I and School Improvement Plans to be posted on each school's website and made accessible to all parents/guardians. Also ensure that parents are actually, meaningfully engaged in the plan development process as is currently stated in the policy. Adjust the fundraising policy to include language related to having clear goals and objectives as a part of the authorization request form. Add language to the Student Discipline Due Process policy to require the student and their guardian to be referred for additional support services prior to the student's return to school. Add language to the Capital Budget policy to include the prioritization of equitable distribution of resources. What are you hearing most from voters about what they want you to accomplish, if elected? Most of the voters I have met during this election cycle just want a school board representative that is present in the community and someone they know will show up when called upon. The voters have also asked about increased coordination of community partnerships and support services that can relieve some of the pressure from our teachers and school staff so they can focus on their primary roles as teachers. This work I have done in the past and can work with Dr. Battle and her team to make sure we continue to improve upon the great work that is already taking place. What is your proudest achievement in your personal or public life? Personal: My Family, 23 years of marriage and 7 amazing children. Public: Creating the Fisk University License Plate for Tennessee A "fun" question: When visitors ask you, "What should I do in Nashville?" what are the top 2 or 3 things or places you recommend? Visit the Campus of Fisk University, visit the Parthenon and see Athena, Riddim N Spice, Slim and Husky's, Prince's Will you commit to being civil in how you present yourself and the way you interact with opponents and others? (Our definition of civility is being a good, active, honest and respectable citizen) Yes Call Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @davidplazas. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville election: Robert Taylor for School Board, District 1 Editor's note: The Tennessean Editorial Board invited candidates for the March 5, 2024 Metro Nashville-Davidson County primary election to fill out our questionnaire. They include biographical information and answers to seven questions on variety of topics from key policy issues to their recommendation for visitors on what to see or do in the city. Early voting goes from Feb. 14-27. Learn more at the Davidson County Election Commission. Candidate Q&As: Learn about candidates running in Nashville-Davidson County's March 5 primary election Name: Vivian Wilhoite Position: Davidson County Assessor of Property Political party: Democratic Age : 60 What neighborhood/part of the county do you live in? Southeast Davidson - Metro Council District 29 Education: Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, major in Marketing with some course studies in Real Estate The Tennessee State University Graduated 1987 Job history: Assessor of Property Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee - Current Position Elected March 2016 Seeking Re-Election Charged with the responsibility to identify, list, classify and value all taxable real, personality & commercial property in Nashville-Davidson County, Tennessee. Successfully supervises a 77 member staff and oversees an operating budget of $10 million. Chief of Consumer Services/Manager of Outreach State of Tennessee Tennessee Public Service Commission/Tennessee Regulatory Authority - June 1996 to August 2016 Responsible for proactively connecting local communities throughout Tennessee with the Public Service Commission to better inform of its regulatory oversight of the for-profit gas, water, electric and telephone utilities. Councilmember Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County City Council, Nashville, Tennessee - August 2003 August 2011 Successfully elected to serve a two- 4 year terms limited of a 40-member legislative body. Proactively formulated and collaborated collectively in establishing policies to positively impact the district represented, the city & the county organization with a $2.4 billion dollar budget. Successfully attended 100% of the council meetings representing a district population constituency of 10,000-12,000. Staff Real Estate Appraiser State of Tennessee- Tennessee Public Service Commission - May 1987 to June 1995 Responsible for the identifying, listing and appraising property of public utilities for ad valorem tax purposes. Family: I am married to Larry Wilhoite, a Nashville native. We have two young adult sons, Pherius and Lelan and a dog named Bella. Vivian Wilhoite, incumbent and candidate for Davidson County Assessor (March 5, 2024, primary election) Why are you running for this office? I am running for re-election as the Assessor of Property to build on the legacy that I have initiated since elected in 2016. Over the last eight (8) years, I have built a proactive approach to community engagement on fair and equitable valuation. I want to continue the legacy of work of providing fair and equitable valuation to the property owners of Nashville & Davidson County, promoting an amazing, diverse, professional, and credentialed staff who are committed to our mission, and to continue to give energetically, informative leadership to property owners and the residents of Davidson County, Tennessee. It is my pleasure to serve. To learn more about me and my journey, please visit my website at KeepVivian.com. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram as Vivian Wilhoite. Or Twitter X @vivian4service. Of course feel free to email me at vivianwilhoite@icloud.com What makes you qualified to hold this office and better qualified than your opponent(s)? What makes me, Vivian Wilhoite, qualified to hold the position of Assessor of Property and better qualified than my opponent is my sixteen years of experience, eight years as a Real Estate Appraiser with the Tennessee Public Service Commission appraising the for-profit gas, water, electric and telephone utilities for ad valorem tax purposes, and eight years as the Assessor of Property appraising Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County, the now 276,000 residential and commercial properties and 36,000 personal accounts for ad valorem tax purposes. I was qualified when I ran for Assessor of Property in 2016. I am more qualified to hold the position of Assessor of Property today after serving as the Assessor of Property successfully leading and completing two Reappraisals in 2017 and 2021 with my professional, experienced, and credentialed staff. For these reasons and more, I am better qualified than my opponent, and ask you for your vote and support for re-election. Experience matters. Additionally I, Vivian Wilhoite, am better qualified than my opponent because of my leadership to form an amazingly diverse staff of professional and credentialed employees who continue to be committed to the mission of fair and equitable valuation, transparency, and continuing outreach presentations beyond the 250 presentations conducted in the community. These presentations in the reappraisal and non-reappraisal years empower the public on critical information about the Reappraisal process, their right to appeal, and the availability of the Tax Freeze, Tax Relief, and Tax Deferral programs that the Office of the Trustee administers, and the Tax Assistance program that Metro Social Services administers to benefits property owners. Experience matters. If you are elected (or re-elected), what are your top 2 to 3 priorities for your new (or next) term in office? I have already started the plan for the next term in office. I have top priorities for property owners and top priorities for my staff. I inherited an aging office, so I began the plan of building a new administration since elected in 2016. While the pandemic slowed the process, we continued to accomplish my top priorities of providing fair and equitable valuation, transparency of the process and educating property owners about the reappraisal process, their right to appeal, and to increase the knowledge of property owners' awareness of exemptions decided by the State Board of Equalization. I will continue to build on the achievements and successes of these priorities, working with the mayor, metro council and our governing body of the Tennessee General Assembly and the Department of Property Assessments of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. In the next term my amazing staff and I will successfully implement the Computer Assistance Mass Appraisal System (CAMA) that will benefit Davidson County citizens. I will continue the plan of supporting my amazing staffs professional development and continue the work to ensure that my staff is competitively paid at every level. What are you hearing most from voters about what they want you to accomplish, if elected? Honestly, voters have provided positive feedback in our proactive efforts to increase the understanding of the reappraisal process and their right to appeal. In my many opportunities of educating property owners, and meeting them where they are, voters are primarily interested in valuation and the process. Which is why we conduct frequent outreach presentations in the reappraisal and non-reappraisal years. We want property owners and potential property owners empowered. The more than 250 presentations and growing is our way of providing transparency of the process and giving opportunity for the public to ask questions for better understanding and increased trust of our work. A home or business may be one of the biggest investments in ones lifetime, the Assessor of Property and staff play a critical and crucial role in determining values for ad valorem purposes. We will continue the proactive approach implemented of educating the public about the Reappraisal process and a property owner's right to appeal their property values because it is key to fulfilling the interest of property owners and gives transparency about process to fair and equitable valuation. What is your proudest achievement in your personal or public life? My proudest achievement in my public life is when I started immediately after being elected in 2016 in serving others with my outreach education program to proactively educate Davidson County property owners and potential property owners about the Reappraisal process and the appeals process. This is our effort, which is imperative that we communicate with property owners about the process, and to be transparent about the process. Since then, I continue to proactively provide outreach not only in the Reappraisal years, but also in the non-reappraisal years, expanding the topics to a Property Owner's Right to Appeal, Exemption Workshops for Churches and Not-for-Profit organizations collaborating with the State Board of Equalization, and initiating a program of property valuation educational outreach efforts in the Metro Nashville Public Schools and private schools as a civic lesson, helping students to learn about ownership of property, whether they are in a home, apartment or aspire to own a business. Our proactive efforts were recognized by the International Association of Assessing Officers earning the recertification of the prestigious IAAO Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration. A "fun" question: When visitors ask you, "What should I do in Nashville?" what are the top 2 or 3 things or places you recommend? The top three answers that I would give are: One, visit the Jefferson Street Sound Museum and get a tour conducted by founder and curator Lorenzo Washington, to learn of the wealth of Jefferson Street music history. In addition to the blues, maybe you will find a CD of The Tennessee State University Grammy award winning music of The Aristocrat of Bands. Two, eat some Prince's Hot Chicken, and while you are there, you may get lucky to meet the owner, who is the sweetest, Mrs. Andre Prince Jeffries; and then three, walk off the jot chicken by walking around the Opryland Hotel. Try not to get lost! Will you commit to being civil in how you present yourself and the way you interact with opponents and others? (Our definition of civility is being a good, active, honest and respectable citizen) Yes Call Opinion and Engagement Director David Plazas at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @davidplazas. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville election: Vivian Wilhoite, Davidson County Property Assessor A Conservative MP who was arrested over allegations of rape, sexual assault and misconduct in public office will face no further action by the Metropolitan Police. Andrew Rosindell, the MP for Romford, was arrested in May 2022. The alleged offences were claimed to have taken place between 2002 and 2009. He had been barred from attending the parliamentary estate and could not speak in the Commons chamber or vote while the investigation was carried out. A Met Police statement said that after a thorough investigation the evidence threshold for criminal prosecution had not been met. A spokesman for Mr Rosindell said: Andrew has been completely exonerated. He has been working constantly for Romford throughout the past 21 months and will continue to speak up for the people of his beloved home town as their local MP. Andrew Rosindell with Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbit at Romford Greyhound Stadium in 2005. Mr Rosindell was first elected in 2001 - Eddie Mulholland Mr Rosindell, who was first elected in 2001 and was a shadow home affairs minister from 2007 to 2010, is understood to have been told on Sunday that no further action would be taken. A Met Police spokesman said: In January 2020, the Met received a report relating to alleged sexual offences having been committed in London between 2002 and 2009. A man, aged in his 50s, was arrested in May 2022 on suspicion of indecent assault, sexual assault, rape, abuse of position of trust and misconduct in public office. A thorough investigation has been carried out by detectives. They concluded that the evidence did not meet the threshold set by Crown Prosecutors. The man has been informed he will face no further action. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed into law gun safety measures following the shooting at Michigan State University last year, many gun safety advocates applauded the passage of proposals that previously stalled under Republican leadership. But those celebrations occurred against a backdrop of urgent calls for more. Before the MSU shooting, Whitmer called on lawmakers to send legislation her way to enact background checks for all gun purchases, firearm storage requirements to keep guns out of the hands of children and a red flag law allowing courts to order the temporary removal of guns from those who pose an imminent risk to themselves or others. Two months after the MSU shooting, Whitmer signed into law the universal background checks and safe storage requirements. And about a month after that, she approved legislation to temporarily take away guns from those at risk of endangering themselves or others, marking the culmination of her call for the trio of gun safety measures. Those new laws take effect this week. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks at Michigan State University on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, during a candlelight vigil honoring the victims of Mondays mass shooting on campus. Tijuana Morris, a 68-year-old retired police officer from Detroit, was among the gun safety advocates who stood behind Whitmer and lawmakers at the red flag law bill signing ceremony last year, holding a sign that said "BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS NOW!" She welcomed the new gun safety laws while expressing hope for additional action. "This is just the beginning," she told the Free Press at the time. After the event, Whitmer expressed openness to other efforts to curb gun violence. "I don't think the conversation's over," she said. This year, Whitmer's office pointed to dedicated funding for local law enforcement in the governor's proposal for the next state budget when asked about the specific gun safety measures Whitmer wants to see on her desk. "We've gotten Michigan on the right side of history to protect people from gun violence, but there's more work to do to make sure Michiganders feel safe in their communities," wrote Whitmer spokesperson Bobby Leddy in an email. Gun safety advocates hope lawmakers who heralded the legislation passed last year will remain focused on ways to curb gun violence, and Democratic lawmakers pushing for additional action on gun safety say they plan to home in on a few legislative priorities this year. But it's unclear which measures Whitmer and Democratic legislative leaders want to see passed. [ Tell us what you think: Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters ] "This is a crisis that must be tackled from all angles, and we will continue to work with police, medical professionals, teachers, mental health experts, parents, and anyone committed to making our state a safer place," said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, in a statement to the Free Press. Amber McCann, spokesperson for House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, forecasts representatives will "continue to introduce and champion additional measures to help keep our residents and communities safe." State Sen. John Cherry, D-Flint, stands near his gun safe at his home in Flint where he keeps his five guns used for hunting locked from his young daughter. Cherry voted for legislation signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requiring the safe storage of firearms aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of children. Mikah Rector-Brooks, press associate for the youth-led gun safety group March For Our Lives, characterized the new laws in Michigan as an incomplete victory. "It was truly the bare minimum, and what I've seen lawmakers do in the past and what we really want to avoid is checking a box and moving on," they said. "Not just in Michigan, but all over the country, lawmakers take action after tragedies." But they shouldn't wait for more people to die to pass laws to prevent gun violence, Rector-Brooks said. Advocates have their eyes on a long legislative wish list with many items supported by the group of state lawmakers working on gun safety. A long list of priorities on the gun safety agenda Gun safety advocates see an opening for reducing gun violence in the next state budget. They want to see continued funding for community violence intervention programs such as street outreach focused on those at risk of committing gun violence. End Gun Violence Michigans executive director Ryan Bates said he also wants to see funding for implementing the gun safety legislation recently signed into law such as a public awareness campaign informing Michigan residents how they can petition a court for an "extreme risk protection order" to temporarily remove guns from someone posing an imminent threat to themselves or others. Gun safety advocates pointed to legislative actions toward the end of last year as a sign lawmakers intend to take additional action this year. On a party-line vote last November, Democrats in the state House passed legislation banning the open carry of firearms at polling locations, early voting sites, clerk's offices and ballot drop boxes and a complete prohibition on the possession of firearms at absentee ballot counting centers. The same month, Whitmer signed legislation temporarily banning those with domestic violence convictions from possessing and purchasing firearms and ammunition in Michigan. The crowd came to the Michigan Moms Against Gun Violence rally at Spirit Plaza in Detroit with a variety of signs Sunday, August 18, 2019. "So I do think that they will continue working on this," said Sean Holihan, state legislative director for the gun safety advocacy group Giffords. "And as long as Democrats have the majority, we're going to continue to see progress." But some gun regulations introduced by Democratic lawmakers have not received a hearing, including bills to raise the purchasing age from 18 to 21, establish a 14-day waiting period between purchasing a firearm and obtaining it and allowing local governments to ban open carry within their borders and create gun-free zones. State Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, who introduced the bill enabling local governments to create gun-free zones said that amid the many legislative priorities competing for lawmakers' attention, he's hopeful they'll circle back to gun safety this year. "There is still a fair amount of low-hanging fruit available," Irwin said. While those who introduced those bills hope to see action soon, other gun-related bills may still emerge this legislative session. State Rep. Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield Township, who chairs the Michigan Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus, outlined legislation in the pipeline targeting "ghost guns," homemade firearms that lack serial numbers, making them impossible to track. State Rep. Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield Township, serves as chair of the Michigan Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus. She also discussed ensuring gun buyback programs result in the complete destruction of the firearms. A New York Times investigation found that Michigan State Police was the largest client of a company that destroys part of the firearms from law enforcement agencies while profiting off online sales of the remaining parts. Michigan State Police subsequently halted its contract with the company. Brabec said the firearm safety caucus she leads has also discussed Michigan's "stand your ground" law that allows the use of deadly force any place someone has the legal right to be without imposing any "duty to retreat" so long as the person using such force is not committing a crime at the time and believes the use of force will prevent imminent death, bodily harm or sexual assault. "That we still have that on the books, is problematic," said Brabec. Brabec said eliminating the liability protection for firearm manufacturers and dealers also tops the list of her caucus' legislative priorities. During a committee hearing last year, Democratic lawmakers amended the safe storage legislation to include a removal of the immunity protection. But they later backtracked. Brabec listed changing Michigan's liability law among her caucus legislative priorities this year. The caucus Brabec leads is open to all state House representatives from both parties, but its members only include Democrats, she said. Republicans, for their part, have backed legislation aimed at improving school safety and mental health support but have largely opposed new gun restrictions. A potentially short window to take action on gun safety measures Democratic lawmakers who want to continue the momentum on gun safety action cited the loss of a voting majority in the state House as a temporary obstacle. Special elections in April will decide who will fill two vacant seats in solidly Democratic districts, but for now the House is split 54-54. State Rep. Penelope Tsnernoglou D-East Lansing, whose bill to raise the minimum age for purchasing firearms has yet to receive a hearing, said she feels a sense of urgency. "I think that things are moving slowly. They are moving slowly forward which sometimes is the case with new laws. My personal preference would be to move forward more quickly. But I don't really personally have the ability to move these things any faster than they are," she said. She said additional legislative action on gun safety will depend on the outcome of the November election this year, which will determine whether Democrats keep control of the state House in 2025. Officials and people in the crowd cheer on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after she signs into law bills that would allow police officers, family members and medical professionals to ask courts to issue an extreme risk protection order to temporarily take away guns from those who pose a danger to themselves or others on Monday, May 22, 2023, outside of the 44th District Court in Royal Oak. Democrats' universal background check and red flag law bills passed on party-line votes, but some Republicans in the state House supported the firearm storage requirements. If new gun regulations face united GOP opposition, Democrats could potentially have until the end of 2024 to pass them before Republicans flip control of the state House. "It's a tight window," said Rector-Brooks from March For Our Lives. Some see action on gun safety as a winning issue in an election year, potentially inspiring additional legislative movement on new gun laws this year. "I think gun violence prevention is a winning political issue," said Tanya Schardt, senior director of state and federal policy for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "The policies work and we know that." State Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, who is currently working to move her legislation to establish a waiting period in Michigan said voters are clamoring for lawmakers to do more to tackle gun violence. "This is a public health crisis, and I believe that many people in our community including scores of people who are themselves responsible gun owners believe that we can take more steps forward," she said. Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan has new gun safety laws, are more on the way? GRANITEVILLE, S.C. (WJBF)- A schools alma mater song is intended to express pride in the institution, but most students dont know the words to theirs. And many alma maters were written decades ago and kids dont connect with them until now. For many students the alma mater is something you hear a couple times a year at special events. Midland Valley High Schools principal wanted to change that, so he enlisted the help of a teacher and a very talented student to add a modern flair to the song. Every morning when school begins, the Midland Valley High School alma mater plays through the halls. It is Midland Valley high school principal, Sheldon Higginbottoms, goal to foster as much school spirit and pride as he can while he is there. He told NewsChannel 6 he thought that having an alma mater that students can relate to is part of that. Hometown History: Trailblazers C.T. Walker and R.A. Dent And you know how it is at the end of graduation, we we play our alma mater and I look around and nobody is singing it. And I start thinking of you know, ways to to make it popular, he explained. Higginbottom approached Francesca Mackie, the schools Media Technology teacher about updating the schools alma mater in a way that would get kids excited about it and wanting to sing it. And so it wasnt actually the lyrics of the alma mater. Originally, I had written just a Midland Valley song to play on the scoreboard, Mackie said. In 2023, Higgenbottom told Mackie he wanted a rap version of the Alma mater. Mackie blended her song with the Alma Mater and set it to a beat, but wasnt quite happy with it. Both Higginbottom and Mackie thought that senior, Omarrion Jordan, was the perfect candidate for the job. And just the joy on his face, the smile. Hes got just a great personality that people just like to be around. And when I saw him with that smile and I started thinking about like, thats my guy, Higgenbottom said. Jordan said that he was flattered that they thought he could do it and set out to do the best he could do. So I put it and put it inside my headphones. Im like, Okay, Im just listening to it over and over and over by constantly listening to the beat. Im trying to find a flow. And it just like I cant. So it just like Im like, okay, let me listen to how he did it first and just basically say how hes saying it, but add my own style to it. And thats exactly what I did. New BBQ restaurant going in the former Sunshine Bakery building Mackie said the day after she gave Jordan the task of updating the song, he had it done. And I was not expecting him to have it that fast. He took it home and he just really transformed the demo that I gave him because my beat was a little different. So and he made it sound like the kind of rap lyrics that they listen to today. Once the song was finished, Mackie and her Media Tech class created a music video to go with it. Now, the song has taken off like wildfire in the school. Theres even a dance to go with it. Now the song is played every afternoon and there is even a Spanish and country version. Jordan said that hearing the praise from educators like Mackie and Higginbottom means the world to him. So it was like I was at a loss for words. And when I heard it, because I was like, I never had anybody like, thats opening me tell me stuff like that beside my family. So its like for another adult thats way older than me to tell me something like that, it made me feel proud of myself, like Im doing something good. Jordan is working on several other songs, including one about how hard teachers work. Hes hoping to go into a music career- among other things- after high school. Photojournalist: Dania Alawir. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF. The incident is said to have occurred on a stationary train in Paris Gare du Nord station - NATHAN LAINE/BLOOMBERG A man identified as a migrant has died after being electrocuted while climbing on top of a Eurostar train in Paris that was heading to London. The unnamed man suffered fatal injuries when he came into contact with the live wire above the stationary train at Gare du Nord station last Thursday, according to police sources. Security camera footage showed the man crossing tracks from another platform at the station at around 10pm local time on Feb 8 before suffering the electric shock. Le Parisien newspaper reported that his body had burst into flames upon contact with the live wire. He died at the scene half an hour later, prosecutors in the French capital said. Police confirmed that while they were convinced the man was a migrant, the condition of his body after the electric shock did not allow for more precise identification. The incident was reported to have caused some disruption to the scheduled service of the Eurostar trains. Border police to lead investigation Prosecutors said they had opened an investigation into the circumstances of the death, which will be led by border police at Gare du Nord. Eurostar trains leaving from Gare du Nord link Paris with Brussels and Amsterdam, as well as London via the Channel Tunnel. The death comes after Paris and London said last week they would step up efforts to prevent irregular crossings by migrants to the UK, most of which are by small boats across the Channel. The last time a migrant died from electrocution after attempting to stow away on top of a Eurostar train was in 2017. While the number of migrants crossing the Channel via trucks and trains is thought to have dropped in recent years because of higher security, small boat crossings have rocketed. Last Saturday, 124 migrants made the crossing on three small boats, the Home Office confirmed. The latest arrivals bring the total for the year to 1,506, down from the 2,072 recorded by the same point last year but up from 1,339 in 2022. The number of people intercepted by Border Force in the second week of February was 171, while the highest number who crossed in a single day so far this year was 358 on Jan 17. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Emergency vehicles line the feeder road outside Lakewood Church during a reported active shooter event Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer The child shot Sunday at Lakewood Church in Houston may not survive their wounds, a Montgomery County District Attorney's Office spokesperson said Monday. The alleged shooter, Genesse Moreno, brought her 7-year-old child to the church, officials said at a Monday press conference. The child was shot in the head when Moreno allegedly exchanged gunfire with two police officers a Houston Police Department Officer and an agent for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, both working as security for the church. Officials have not yet said who shot the 7-year-old. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Check here for the latest updates on the shooting at Lakewood Church "That female, that suspect put that baby in danger," Finner said. "Im going to put that blame on her." A 47-year-old man, a Lakewood employee, was shot in the hip. He has since been discharged from the hospital. Montgomery County officials confirmed the child's prognosis Monday morning when providing details about police and FBI agents searching a Conroe home connected to the woman. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing. At a Monday press conference, Finner asked Houstonians to keep the child in their prayers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Migrants in Mexico have made more than 64.3 million requests to enter the U.S. using a smartphone app that the Biden administration has tried to establish as the main gateway to the American asylum system at the southern border, internal federal government documents obtained by CBS News show. In the first year of the program's implementation, migrants used the phone app, known as CBP One, tens of millions of times to apply for a coveted appointment to be processed by U.S. immigration authorities at an official border crossing, according to the internal documents. So far, nearly 450,000 migrants have been allowed into the U.S. under the process, the documents show. The documents cover a 13-month period between January 2023, when the Biden administration started allowing migrants to request appointments using CBP One, and Feb. 8, 2024. On average, migrants have made just under 5 million appointment requests per month. The number of requests does not represent unique individuals, since the total includes repeated attempts by the same people. Nonetheless, the figure illustrates the extraordinarily high demand among migrants to come to the U.S. and the desperation that leads many to try again and again to secure a chance to enter the country. "It's a staggering number," said Theresa Cardinal Brown, a former U.S. immigration official during the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. "There's a lot of people who would love to migrate to the United States. In essence, they see CBP One as sort of a self-petitioning mechanism that we've never had before." A Biden effort to control migration A migrant shows the CBP One app from Customs and Border Protection, which is used to apply for an appointment to claim asylum, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on May 10, 2023. / Credit: GILLES CLARENNE/AFP via Getty Images The Biden administration has sought to use the CBP One system to encourage migrants to refrain from crossing the border illegally in between ports of entry. Unlike those who enter the country unlawfully, migrants who secure a CBP One appointment can apply for a work permit after being released from U.S. custody and do not have to satisfy the stricter asylum conditions of a Biden administration regulation. That rule presumes migrants are ineligible for asylum if they enter the U.S. unlawfully after failing to seek refuge in a third country, like Mexico, on their way to American soil. As of Feb. 8, U.S. officials at ports of entry along the southern border had allowed 448,701 migrants with CBP One appointments to enter the country, giving them notices to appear in immigration court to plead their cases, according to the internal government documents. While migrants who come to a port of entry with a CBP One appointment undergo national security and public safety checks, they are not screened for asylum. Instead, they are processed under the humanitarian parole authority, which allows them to work, and given a notice to appear in immigration court, where they can later ask for asylum. Those cases typically take years to be decided. The top origin countries of those allowed into the U.S. under the program, the documents show, are Venezuela, Mexico, Haiti, Cuba, Honduras, Russia, El Salvador, Colombia, Chile and Guatemala. The CBP One process is available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese and Russian, and open to migrants from any country who are physically in central or northern Mexico. A geofencing feature is supposed to block anyone south of Mexico City from using the app. Every morning, the U.S. government distributes 1,450 new CBP One appointments. Most of them are allocated randomly, while 30% of them are offered to migrants who have been waiting in Mexico the longest. Those who fail to get an appointment have to try again the next day. A senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection official said the number of CBP One appointment requests is "high," but "not unreasonably high." Migrants are often making a new request each day until they get an appointment, according to the official, who requested anonymity to discuss the process. "If somebody requests for five weeks straight before they get an appointment, that individual is showing up 35 times in that number," the senior CBP official told CBS News. While the agency increased the daily number of CBP One spots several times last year, the official said there are no current plans to do so again. The official noted that together with dozens of humanitarian exemptions to the CBP One requirement, the U.S. is processing more than 1,500 migrants each day at ports of entry four times the pre-pandemic level. Mixed results with CBP One The CBP One system is one of several programs the Biden administration has established to give migrants a legal and orderly way to come to the U.S., alongside an initiative that allows Americans to sponsor the entry of up to 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans each month. Those processes have been paired with a rule that restricts asylum eligibility and expands deportations. While the administration credited this "carrots and sticks" strategy for a two-year low in illegal border crossings in June 2023, migrant crossings in between ports of entry later spiked, reaching a quarter of a million in December, a record high. The impact of the CBP One process has also varied widely by nationality. Illegal border crossings by Cubans and Haitians, two of the top nationalities using CBP One, have remained very low compared to 2022 and 2021. On the other hand, tens of thousands of migrants from Central America and Venezuela have continued to cross into the U.S. unlawfully each month, bypassing the CBP One system. The senior CBP official attributed the disparate impact to the large diaspora communities that help migrants from Cuba and Haiti and provide them information about U.S. border policies. Cardinal Brown, the former U.S. immigration official who now serves as a senior adviser at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the CBP One system is "providing some order" at the border. But she said many migrants are also giving up waiting for appointments and crossing into the U.S. without authorization. The incentive to wait for an appointment has been diluted by the fact that many migrants who enter the country illegally are still released with court notices. Due to insufficient detention facilities and asylum officers, the government has been releasing most migrants who cross the border illegally over the past several months, instead of screening them using the heightened asylum standards, government data show. The number of CBP One appointments, Cardinal Brown added, is "clearly a drop in the bucket of this massive number of migrants moving in this hemisphere and trying to get to the United States." Paul Giamatti, 2024 Oscars nominee for "The Holdovers" "Hello Vincent": Artificial intelligence brings Van Gogh to life Investigation after shooting at Joel Osteen's Lakewood church in Houston (Bloomberg) -- For Javier Milei, Pope Francis used to be the devils man on Earth. But now, after an encounter at the Vatican, the president praises the pontiff as the most important Argentine. Most Read from Bloomberg Mileis U-turn, in a television interview to be broadcast Monday evening, sees him admitting that hes been forced to change his tune. One of the things I have realized recently is that the Pope is the most important Argentine person in the whole of Argentina, hes the leader of Catholics in the world, Milei told Italian TV channel Retequattro in remarks released before the program. As a result, I had to reconsider some positions and, from that moment, we began to build a positive bond, Milei said. The worlds two most powerful Argentines had traded barbs throughout the election that Milei won in a landslide in November. Milei called the pope a filthy leftist and accused him of interfering in the politics of his deeply-Catholic home nation. The pope, for his part, had warned against saviors without a past like Adolf Hitler, comments Milei took as a personal insult. After Francis granted Milei a private audience Monday morning, the Vatican referred to their cordial discussions in a statement. Appreciation was expressed for the good relations between the Holy See and the Argentine Republic, and the will to strengthen them further. Milei and Francis had embraced Sunday on the sidelines of a ceremony at St Peters Basilica to canonize Argentinas first female saint. Still, Milei and the Pope are not perfectly aligned when it comes to faith. Asked if he is a Catholic, the president replied in the interview: Yes, I am Catholic. I also practice Judaism a little bit. --With assistance from Thomas Hall and Walter Brandimarte. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Update: According to the Marion County Sheriffs Office, this case does not meet FDLEs criteria for an Amber Alert, as malicious intent could not be proven. Deputies said the children, Tristan Johnson, 4, and Terrance Johnson, 6, had been with their father, Terrance Johnson, since Jan. 19. The sheriffs office said that he was going to bring them back to their mother on Jan. 22, when he decided to take them to visit family in New Jersey. In a news release, the MCSO explained that, from their understanding, the parents are still married but are in the process of a divorce. On Jan. 28, while the children were in New Jersey with the father, the mother had police do a well-being check on the children, and the children were fine. Read: FHP: Motorcyclist dies after colliding with woman on sidewalk in Winter Park In February, the mother requested that the Florida courts award her temporary custody of the children, which was granted. However, in a civil procedure like this, it is only enforceable in Florida unless the mother obtains a court order in New Jersey, according to deputies. Deputies further explained that the father is allowed to have his children. However, if he returns to Florida, he must return the children to their mother, at least temporarily. He is not facing any criminal charges. The Marion County Sheriffs Office said the father, Terrance Johnson, 37, has had Tristan Johnson, 4, and Terrance Johnson, 6, since Jan. 19. The father was supposed to bring the young children to their mother on Jan. 22; instead, he took the children to visit family in New Jersey. Previous story: Deputies in Marion County are looking for two young children. Marion County Sheriffs Office said 4-year-old Tristan Johnson and 6-year-old Terrance Johnson were last seen at Harveys Supermarket on Pine Avenue in Ocala. Investigators said their mother left her two sons in the custody of their father at that location. Tristan Johnson, age 4, is described as 35 tall, approximately 40 lbs., with brown eyes and black hair. Terrance Johnson, age 6, is described as 38 tall, approximately 55 lbs., with brown eyes and black hair. Marion County deputies are looking for 2 boys last seen in Ocala. Deputies believe the boys father, Terrance Johnson, 37, unlawfully traveled out of Florida with the children, possibly to New Jersey. READ: Teen dies after being hit by a trailer in Volusia County, police say Investigators said the father has stopped communicating with the boys mother and they now have a concern for their safety. They added that a court order has been filed for law enforcement to take custody of the children and return them to their mother. READ: Exploring Futures: Ocalas College Campus Tour Program Unveiled! Deputies are asking anyone with tips about where the trio could be to call 911. Stay with WFTV.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates on this story. This embedded content is not available in your region. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. SLIDELL, La. (WGNO) A couple from Mississippi was arrested after police said they stole from several stores in Slidell. According to the Slidell Police Department, the two were busted for shoplifting from 12 stores in the Fremaux Town Center. Man killed in Lower Ninth Ward shooting over weekend A photo of the stolen goods shows items like tech gadgets, shoes, cosmetics accessories and more. Responding officers said the woman tried to get away but was captured. She faces a charge of resisting an officer by flight. The two were also charged with felony shoplifting and possession of narcotics. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO. State lawmakers recently filed legislation to replace Mississippis two statues of white supremacists in the U.S. Capitol in Washington a move that would follow the lead of several other Southern states. House Minority Leader Robert Johnson III, a Democrat from Natchez, filed a resolution to replace statutes of Jefferson Davis and J.Z. George in the U.S Capitols National Statuary Hall Collection with statues of civil rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer and Hiram Revels, the first African American to serve in Congress. Senate Minority Leader Derrick Simmons, a Democrat from Greenville, filed a measure to create a commission to select replacements for the Davis and George statues. I just dont think having statues that represent the Confederacy is a correct representation of who Mississippi is, Johnson said. And I just think its time for change. Each U.S. state is allowed to place two statues of people illustrious for their historic renown or distinguished civil or military services, after Congress passed a federal law in the mid-nineteenth century establishing the national collection. Around 3 to 5 million people pass through the collection in the Capitol each year, according to the Architect of the Capitols website, to glance at who are supposed to be the countrys most reputable figures. Virginia, in 2020, removed Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the U.S. Capitol and plans to replace it with civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns. Susan Walsh / AP Documented racists But the leaders of the Magnolia State, who often boast about Mississippis literary, musical and artistic impact on the country, continue to honor the legacy of two slave owners who actively worked to maintain the white power structure of their day. Both Davis and George were leaders of the Confederacy, and their vivid racism is well documented. Davis served in the U.S. House and Senate from Mississippi before becoming the first and only president of the Confederate States of America, which fought to preserve slavery. Davis later said in a speech to the Mississippi Legislature that if he had the chance to change any of his past actions about secession, he would not do anything differently. George was a member of Mississippis Secession Convention in 1861, and he signed the secession ordinance that included these words: Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery the greatest material interest of the world. George served in the Confederate Army and was also the architect of the 1890 Constitution that sought to reestablish white supremacy in the state and disenfranchise Black citizens from voting or holding elected office. The Mississippians who initially honored George and Davis with statutes also had ties to the Confederacy or sympathized with the Confederacy. A columnist at the time interviewed David Bramlette Jr., one of the men who selected Davis and George, and invited all Mississippians to attend the unveiling ceremony in Washington. The column specifically noted that general officers of the Confederate organization were invited to attend. The article went on to quote Bramlette saying the reason the state honored George with a statue was because he was a great constitutional lawyer and a leader in the preservation of the white, Anglo-Saxon civilization of the South. Evelyn Bethune, front left in yellow, a granddaughter of Mary McLeod Bethune, speaks with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, as members of the Congressional Black Caucus gather around an unveiled statue of Mary McLeod Bethune, at a ceremony for the statue, which is the first state statue of a Black woman in Statuary Hall, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Capitol replacements Many Southern states have replaced their original statues of Confederate leaders with more inclusive figures. Alabama, in 2009, replaced a statue of Jabez Lamar Monroe Curry, a Confederate officer, with one of Helen Keller, a political activist and disability rights advocate. Arkansas is in the process of replacing statues of Uriah Milton Rose, a Confederate sympathizer, and James Paul Clarke, a former U.S. senator, with statues of civil rights activist Daisy Bates and musician Johnny Cash. Florida, in 2016, approved a measure to replace Confederate Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith with Mary McLeod Bethune, a civil rights activist and founder of a Florida university. Virginia, in 2020, removed Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the collection and plans to replace it with civil rights activist Barbara Rose Johns. To change a statue, federal law requires a majority of lawmakers in both legislative chambers to vote to approve the replacement, and the state is required to pay for the costs of replacing the two statues. Mississippis Republican committee leaders in the House and Senate were noncommittal about Johnson and Simmons proposals to change out the Davis and George statues. House Speaker Jason White referred Johnsons proposal to two committees for consideration: the House Rules Committee and the House State Affairs Committee. The measure must pass both committees before the entire House can consider it. House Rules Committee Chairman Fred Shanks, R-Brandon, said he did not know much about the National Statuary Hall Collection, but that he would review Johnsons proposal. Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann referred Simmons proposal to the Senate Rules Committee, which is led by Sen. Dean Kirby, R-Pearl. Ill probably poll the committee and see where we are, Kirby said. If I see that its a real negative, I probably will not bring it up. Both Johnson and Simmons said they are open to suggestions for who should replace Mississippis statues, but they want it to honor someone who is more representative of a modern-day Mississippi. I want two individuals that when my children who are 5 and 10 can look back 50 years from now and they will say those two representations of Mississippi are still positive representations of Mississippi, Simmons said. The unfortunate thing is we cant say that now. BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tracing images of loong, the Chinese dragon, in the Forbidden City, learning about stories of loong summoning rain in royal altars, and buying Chinese dragon mascots -- these are just some of the new experiences awaiting Beijing residents and visitors during the 2024 Chinese New Year. To celebrate the Year of the Dragon which started on Saturday, the likes of museums, parks and scenic spots in Beijing are offering a plenty of activities and cultural products with the Chinese dragon theme. A cartoon loong statue can be seen in front of the 700-year-old Hong'en Taoist Temple, which is hosting an immersive loong exhibition in tribute to its location at what was considered the city's "dragon tail" back in the 13th century. "We have received nearly 20,000 visitors in just over 20 days since the temple reopened after renovation," said Chen Xue, general manager of the temple's management organization. Beijing's Central Axis is seen by some as the city's "dragon vein." Many cultural sites along this axis have rolled out loong-themed souvenirs to attract tourists. According to the municipal government, Beijing has created and made available close to 100 creative cultural products themed on loong ahead of the 2024 Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival. The Beijing Confucian Temple and Imperial College Museum launched a series of creative cultural products themed on "Ao," one of the nine sons of the loong in Chinese mythology. Their blind boxes were quickly sold out, said Yan Jing, a director of the museum. "Cultural products are increasingly popular as New Year goods, and their booming sales have added zest to the festival while boosting consumption," said Duan Tiyu, chairman of Beijing Gongmei Group, a company known for making and selling traditional cultural gifts. More than 100 museums in Beijing will stay open during this year's Spring Festival, and Beijing will also launch 10 museum tour routes to cater to increasingly culture-savvy tourists. Decorations adorn the porch and flowerbeds outside a home in Conroe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, that is associated with the shooting at Lakewood Church Sunday in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A car is towed from the driveway of a home in Conroe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. The home is associated with the shooting at Lakewood Church Sunday in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A sign is visible outside a home in Conroe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, that is associated with the shooting at Lakewood Church Sunday in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A banner with the words God Bless America hangs from the eave of a home in Conroe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, that is associated with the shooting at Lakewood Church Sunday in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston Police and Harris County Sheriffs officers outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Search warrant issued Officers from multiple agencies visited a home associated with Genesse Moreno in the 9700 block of Gulfstream Drive in Conroe early Monday, hours after the Lakewood Church shooting in Houston. The officers were executing a search warrant for evidence connected to aggravated assault, possession of a prohibited weapon and hoax bomb. Ken Ellis/Staff Officers from multiple agencies visited a home in Conroe early Monday, hours after a shooting at Lakewood Church in Houston left a woman dead and a 5-year-old child critically wounded, officials with the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said. The officers were at the home in the 9700 block of Gulfstream Drive executing a search warrant for evidence connected to aggravated assault, possession of a prohibited weapon and hoax bomb, said Donna Hansen, chief of the felony division at the district attorney's office. The home is in the Sterling Place subdivision off Airport Road. LAKEWOOD CHURCH SHOOTING: Live updates in the aftermath of the deadly shooting Advertisement Article continues below this ad Officials with the FBI, Houston and Conroe police departments and the Texas Rangers responded to the home to execute the search warrant. Hansen confirmed the search warrant was connected to the Lakewood Church shooting. It was a multi-agency collaboration to make sure everybody here in Conroe was safe, Hansen said. Connor Hagan, a spokesman for the FBI, confirmed agents participated in the search warrant which was connected to the Lakewood Church shooting. He said more information would be released at a 1:30 p.m. press conference at the Houston Police Department. A woman with a long rifle entered Lakewood Church on Sunday afternoon and fired shots inside the Houston megachurch, authorities said. The woman later was fatally shot by two off-duty police officers, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A small child who arrived at the church with the woman was critically injured and was at a local hospital receiving treatment, Finner said during a Sunday news briefing. Hansen on Monday said the child was not expected to survive. A 57-year-old man was shot in the leg and was taken to the hospital, where his condition was stabilized, Finner said. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. February marks the first anniversary of legal cannabis sales for adult, non-medical use in Missouri. There has been significant growth and change in the industry over the past year. The state averaged nearly $4 million in cannabis sales per day. That is around $1.3 billion in cannabis sales in 2023. Millions of dollars in money made from recreational marijuana taxes are going to veterans, public defenders, and programs to combat addiction. Missouri has sent $3.8 million from the adult-use marijuana program to various agencies as specified in Article XIV, Section 2. Notably, $1.2 million was sent to the Missouri Veterans Commission, the Substance Use Disorder Grants Program, and the Missouri State Public Defender System. Missouris Division of Cannabis Regulation has increased its staff from around 50 to nearly 150. The department also awarded the first 48 microbusiness licenses. This anniversary underscores Missouris evolving approach to cannabis regulation and its commitment to supporting key state programs through the generated funds. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. DEARBORN, Mich. Senior advisers to President Joe Biden admitted mistakes and apologized privately to Arab Americans in Michigan for the way the administration has handled the war in Gaza and for how it has talked publicly about Palestinians during the deadly conflict with Israel. Biden on Thursday dispatched several of his top aides to Dearborn, the U.S. city with the highest percentage of Arab Americans, for a series of private meetings with politicians, community advocates and faith leaders for discussions about the war in Gaza. Abbas Alawieh, a Dearborn activist who attended one of the meetings, said the officials admitted mistakes and missteps in the administrations response to the conflict. But Alawieh, who is one of the leaders of a campaign encouraging Michigan residents to vote uncommitted in next weeks Democratic primary instead of casting their votes for Biden, said the administrations mea culpa rang hollow. The presidents refusal to change course or even publicly acknowledge his mistakes is a grave insult to people here in Michigan to Michigan Democrats in particular, Alawieh said. The hypocrisy of telling us privately that the administration has made mistakes while continuing to fail to hold (Benjamin) Netanyahu accountable publicly its a blatant display of moral bankruptcy that will have political consequences here in Michigan. More: Biden is getting squeezed over Israel-Hamas war. Will it cost him the White House? Tensions rise as a cease-fire for Palestine protest spills into the parking lot of The Henry Hotel in Dearborn before government officials meet with community leaders in Dearborn on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024. Ali Dagher, a Dearborn attorney who also attended one of the meetings, said Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer apologized for how the Biden administration at times has talked about Palestinians. "Jon Finer specifically apologized for the language being used, Dagher said. He apologized for the administration's failure to stop the dehumanizing of Palestinians. He apologized for ... how the president has talked about the Palestinians." The meetings came as Biden is facing mounting anger from Arab Americans, a key voting bloc in the swing state of Michigan, heading into this years presidential election. Arab, Muslim and progressive groups are demanding that Biden call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and have put him on notice that he will no longer get their vote. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who has been hammering the Biden administration for months on the war, declined a meeting last month with Biden's campaign manager, saying the administration should be sending policy makers to Dearborn, not campaign officials. On Thursday, Hammoud hosted one of the meetings with Bidens senior advisers at Dearborn City Hall. Hammoud said his message was heard and this time, the officials in attendance were those who focus on foreign policy issues, not electoral politics. "This meeting was held to ensure that the White House and those with the ability to change the course of the genocide unfolding in Gaza very clearly hear and understand the demands of our community directly from us," Hammoud said in a statement after the meeting. "We remained uncompromising in our values and our demands for a permanent cease-fire, ending unrestricted military support to the State of Israel, and expediting humanitarian aid and funding to UNRWA, among others." After the meeting with Hammoud, Biden officials held a meeting with Palestinian Americans; a meeting with other elected officials that included Michigan Majority Floor Leader State Rep. Abraham Aiyash, D-Hamtramck, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Wayne County Circuit Judge Mariam Bazzi, among others. A fourth meeting was held in the late afternoon with community and faith leaders that included Dagher, Osama Siblani, publisher of the Dearborn-based Arab American News, and two leaders in Detroit's African American Muslim community. Siblani said he conveyed seven points that he read and distributed to the officials. The points called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Yemen and other areas; the release of all hostages and prisoners on both sides; assistance for Palestinians to rebuild lives; a resumption of aid to UNRWA, the U.N agency for Palestinian refugees; and tangible steps to create a Palestinian state. "Our community is rightfully angry and will not accept future engagements or dialogues with this administration unless and until an immediate cease-fire is implemented," Siblani said he told the officials. More: Joe Biden reaches out to Michigan's Arab-American, Muslim community as he faces criticism over Gaza The Biden advisers who attended the meetings included Finer, who serves under National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and Samantha Power, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and author of an influential book: "A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide." In recent months, some Arab American advocates have criticized Power for her stance on what they describe as a genocide currently taking place in Gaza. Dagher said Power spoke during the meeting about UNRWA (The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East), to which the U.S. recently suspended funding amid accusations some of its members were linked to terrorism. Power said the U.S. "will not be abandoning UNRWA," Dagher said. "They're waiting for UNRWA to complete its investigation." Other Biden officials who attended the Dearborn meetings included Steve Benjamin, senior adviser and director of the Office of Public Engagement; Tom Perez, senior adviser to Biden and director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; Dan Koh, director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Mazen Basrawi National Security Counci director for Partnerships and Global Engagement. While the group met, about 50 protesters gathered outside The Henry Hotel in Dearborn, many wearing black-and-white keffiyehs and waving Palestinian flags. Chants broke out among the crowd, including "stop the genocide" and "cease-fire now." A handful of police gathered nearby as did hotel staff, but the protest remained peaceful. Ali Sobh, 22, of Dearborn, was among the protesters, saying: "If you have any ounce of empathy, you can feel for the Palestinian people." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden advisers apologize to Arab Americans over response to Gaza war Moldovan authorities on Feb. 11 discovered fragments of a Shahed-type drone in the Moldova-Ukraine border area not long after a Russian drone strike against Odesa Oblast, the Moldovan Border Police reported. Russian forces launched three waves of "kamikaze" drones against Odesa Oblast overnight on Feb. 9-10, targeting Odesa and Danube port infrastructure in the Izmail district. Four people were reported injured. Chisinau suspects that the drone found on its territory was downed by Ukrainian defenses during the Feb. 9-10 attack. According to Moldova, drone debris was found near the village of Etulia, a Moldovan border settlement some 15 kilometers northeast of the Ukrainian Danube port of Reni and almost 40 kilometers northwest of Izmail. "We note that there are no risks or dangers for the communities in the area," Moldovan authorities added. Access to the crash site was restricted, and the fragments were sent for expertise, the Border Police said. "Russia's war on Ukraine hits close to home in Moldova again. The discovery of Shahed drone debris in southern Moldova today serves as another stark reminder of the grim reality we face," Moldovan President Maia Sandu said. "Russia's aggression endangers the entire continent. Support for Ukraine must continue." Previously, Russian drone strikes against Odesa Oblast led to drone debris being found also on Romanian soil in the autumn of 2023. In response, Bucharest instituted additional security measures in the border region, which included building shelters and air defense systems. Turkish F-16 fighter jets stationed in Romania were scrambled during the Russian attack on Odesa Oblast on Feb. 9-10. Read also: ISW: Russia sets conditions to destabilize Moldova Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Houston Police and Harris County Sheriffs officers outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Investigators described the woman suspected in the Sunday shooting at Lakewood Church as someone whose mental health issues became so severe that Houston police placed her on a mental health hold in 2016 and remained baffled by the Conroe woman's decision to take her young son as she walked into the church with two guns. Its too early to determine a motive for the shooters action, and were not in the business of speculating, said Doug Williams, special agent in charge of the FBIs Houston Field Office. A day after the deadly shooting at Lakewood Church, a picture began to emerge Monday of Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36, a woman who was in the midst of an acrimonious divorce and whose life became rutted with a lengthy civil and criminal history across multiple counties dating back to 2005. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Further confounding authorities was antisemitic writing they found in her car and a "Palestine" sticker on one of the guns she used in the shooting. They said her divorce was contentious, and some members of her ex-husband's family may be Jewish. Moreno allegedly pulled up to Lakewood at 1:53 p.m. and entered through a door on the west side. She made her way inside the church and allegedly began firing two minutes later, said Chris Hassig, head of Houston Police Department's homicide division. Investigators have determined that the 7-year-old she brought to the church with her was her biological son, Hassig said. He was shot in the head and was in serious condition at a hospital as of Monday afternoon. A warrant issued to Houston Police Department out of Montgomery County alleged that Moreno shot and injured one man with an AR-15-style rifle after walking into Lakewood Church. She then allegedly pointed her weapon at off-duty officers working as security, who shot and killed her. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Before she was killed, Moreno allegedly said she had a bomb, according to the warrant. At Monday's press conference, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said that chemicals Moreno allegedly sprayed were common items found at the grocery store and posed no public risk. Detectives searching Moreno's Conroe address looked for evidence of a bomb as well as her motive and intentions for the shooting. The home where Moreno lived is in a small, quiet neighborhood off Airport Road. Dozens of decorations are scattered throughout the front yard, including a small flag on the garage that says, God bless America. No one appeared to be home Monday, as TV crews camped in front of the home and journalists fanned out in the neighborhood to talk with residents. Moreno has gone by several aliases and had numerous run-ins with police on issues from marijuana possession to unlawful carrying of a firearm, according to investigators and a review of records. A criminal history search through the Texas Department of Public Safety shows court records with a string of mostly minor infractions stretching back to 2005. A search of court records in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties returns several results in civil and criminal courts for a person matching the suspect's name. She was charged and pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of unlawful carrying of a weapon in Fort Bend, records show. Roderick Glass, a public defender in Fort Bend County, declined to elaborate on the plea agreement in that case, saying discussions were covered under attorney-client privilege. She was charged on April 2, 2022, pleaded guilty in October and agreed to forfeit seized weapons and ammunition as part of that agreement, Glass said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Authorities destroyed a pistol and a rifle as part of that plea agreement, said Wesley Wittig, a spokesman for the Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office. An vacant restaurant caught fire on Sunday evening, and investigators say someone set several fires inside on purpose. Firefighters with the Charlotte Fire Department went to the 3500 block of Mount Holly-Huntersville Road just after 9 p.m. Sunday to find smoke coming out of a vacant restaurant. Fire at Charlotte Premium Outlets under investigation It took thirty firefighters 23 minutes to put the fire out. No one was injured. Investigators determined the fires were set on purpose, causing $2,000 in damage. The fire is still being investigated. Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers 704-334-1600. (WATCH: Fire that burned Korean BBQ restaurant in South End started in vents) CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Multiple fires were set at a vacant restaurant Sunday evening in northwest Charlotte, the Charlotte Fire Department announced on Monday. Fire crews responded to calls regarding the fires around 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, near 3500 Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road in northwest Charlotte. Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area >> Latest stories here Thirty firefighters were able to contain the blaze within 23 minutes, Charlotte Fire said. An initial investigation revealed multiple fires had been set at a vacant restaurant with an estimated loss of $2,000. This remains an active investigation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. The 2024 Munich Security Index showed that the perception of Russia as a threat in countries of the Group of Seven (G7) and BRICS (except Russia) has dropped significantly compared to last year's survey. Since 2021, the poll has been conducted yearly ahead of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) to better understand global risk perceptions. Almost all indicators linked to Russia's war against Ukraine have decreased, including the use of nuclear weapons by an aggressor and energy supply disruptions, according to the report. The MSC and Kekst CNC, a global strategic communications consultancy, interviewed 12,000 people from 12 countries on how they view 32 major risks. These countries are Italy, Japan, France, the U.S., the U.K., Brazil, South Africa, Germany, Canada, India and China. A survey with selected questions was also conducted in Ukraine. The polling for the 2024 Munich Security Index took place from Oct. 24 to Nov. 16 last year. In the previous survey conducted in October 2022, Russia was deemed the highest risk among five G7 countries, while only respondents in the U.K. and Japan still thought so in late 2023. Russia is now the seventh greatest concern for Germans, and Italians rank it as the 12th. Among the G7 countries, a threat from Moscow grew from being the 15th biggest concern in 2021 to the top concern in 2022 but dropped to fourth in 2023, the survey results showed. "Meanwhile, perceptions of nontraditional risks remain high. People around the world continue to be most concerned about environmental threats, while risk perceptions of mass migration as a result of war or climate change, Islamic terrorism, and organized crimes have heightened," the MSC wrote. Ukraine is still considered an ally in all polled countries, especially in G7 nations, but to a lesser extent than in 2022, reads the report. The Munich Security Conference is an annual event gathering security and defense leaders worldwide. This year, it will take place in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 16-18. Russia and its ally Iran are reportedly not invited. This year's agenda is expected to cover Russia's all-out war against Ukraine, which will soon mark its second anniversary, and the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. Read also: Opinion: Will Putin unite Europe? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Corfe on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. Villages like this are too white and heteronormative, according to curators - SOUTHERN LIGHTSCAPES/MOMENT RF The Museum of English Rural Life is set to tackle the whiteness of the countryside in a new project. Curators at the museum, dedicated to the history of Englands countryside, have launched a 100,000 scheme to dispel the perception that rural Britain is a white, heteronormative place. The project will seek to redress the assumed whiteness of the countryside and increase the representation of ethnic minorities and LGBTQ+ rural people in displays about life in the country. The Museum of English Rural Life is managed by the University of Reading and receives Arts Council England funding to support its collection of pastoral artefacts, including ploughs, tractors and examples of Womens Institute handicraft. It comes after The Telegraph revealed a report submitted to an all-party parliamentary group (APPG) suggested the British countryside is a racist colonial white space, with green spaces governed by white British cultural values. The scope of the new museum project, titled Further Afield, was announced by Tim Jerrome, the collection researcher who wrote on the museums website: It is easy to fall into the trap of viewing the countryside as a white, heteronormative and able-bodied place. Ties people of colour to towns He added in a blog post explaining the new project: The whiteness of the countryside is heavily tied to traditional romanticisation of farming and rurality, with assumptions that the same families of farmers have owned and worked the same land for decades or even centuries. The blog further claims that this perception ties people of colour to towns, along with LGBTQ people who are pigeonholed as being ubiquitously urban in residence. The museum will work with groups who have been historically underrepresented in the countryside to redress the balance of representation, and create more diverse content and displays about rural Britain. Mr Jerrome explained on the museums website: Our ultimate aim is to give people from historically marginalised communities a platform to add their chapter to the story of English rural life, in whatever form that may take. The Further Afield project will be supported by a 99,000 grant from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and the Museums Associations, and will work with groups focused on increasing ethnic minority access to the countryside, and the LGBTQ+ staff network of the Forestry Commission. The project will also address the lives of disabled people in rural areas, who face significant barriers. 300k annual Arts Council funding The Museum of English Rural Life was founded by experts from the Department of Agriculture in 1951, and in 2022 secured 304,499 in annual funding from the Arts Council to support its work telling the story of farming and country life. The museums new focus on diversifying its collection comes after charity umbrella group Wildlife and Countryside Link, whose members include the RSPCA, WWF and the National Trust, claimed that the British countryside is a racist colonial white environment. Wildlife and Countryside Link submitted the report to MPs on the APPG for Race and Community, which had called for evidence on the links between systemic racism and climate change. The report further claimed that Britains green spaces are governed by white British cultural values, and that the perception that the countryside is a white space prevents ethnic minorities from enjoying the outdoors. This report followed a 2023 announcement that hate studies experts at the University of Leicester were aiming to investigate rural racism in the British countryside Academics specialising in British colonialism were commissioned to record the lived realities of ethnic minorities living in the country. Ollie Douglas, curator of The Museum of English Rural Life Collections, said: The Museum of English Rural Life has always sought to represent the wide social history of the countryside and the full range of peoples experience of it. The Further Afield project seeks to broaden and expand our use of collections and we are proud to stand against any type of discrimination. The University of Reading has been contacted for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Businessman Elon Musk on Feb. 11 said that his SpaceX company sold no Starlink terminals to Russia, directly or indirectly. He said this in response to several media outlets and Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reporting that Russia uses Starlink terminals on the front line in Ukraine. "A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false," Musk said on his social media platform X. "To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia." In a follow-up statement, Musk said that Starlink would not connect to devices in Russia: "Starlink satellites will not close the link in Russia." Both HUR and media reports said that Russian forces connected Starlink in occupied Ukraine, not on Russian territory. Ukraine's military intelligence agency published a clip from an intercepted phone call, where Russian soldiers allegedly discuss having successfully set up a Starlink terminal. The soldiers are from Russia's 83rd Assault Brigade based in Donetsk Oblast, near Klishchiivka and Andriivka, according to the agency. Military intelligence spokesman Andrii Yusov told RBC-Ukraine that Russia's use of Starlink is growing to systemic levels. Yusov also said on air on Feb. 12 that "no one claims that Starlink is officially being sold" to Russia. Moscow is likely acquiring the terminals through smuggling and third-party countries, he clarified. Ukrainian soldiers previously told journalists or wrote on Twitter that these terminals are being delivered to Russia through intermediaries like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Read also: Russian military uses Starlink inside Ukraine, intelligence confirms While the reports were vague about the consequences of Russia using this technology, Ukrainian service members told Defense One that this would make their lives more difficult. Starlink is operated by SpaceX and has been extensively used by Ukrainian forces for military applications. Musk has spoken out in favor of a peace deal with Russia and was reported to be growing more amenable to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the right-wing commentators his government sponsors. In a Feb. 8 post on X, formerly Twitter, SpaceX officials said the company "does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military. Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning the service will not work in that country. SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia." Multiple Russian companies advertise Starlink terminals for sale. SpaceX said these sales are scams. SpaceX began providing the Starlink satellite internet system to Ukraine shortly after the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022. In June 2023, the Pentagon confirmed that SpaceX had won a contract from the Defense Department to provide Ukraine with Starlink satellite services. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. [Source] Myanmar's military junta has activated a dormant mandatory military service law that forces participation of all young men and women for at least two years. About the law: Myanmars military government announced on Feb. 10 that it is reviving the Peoples Military Service Law for the first time since it was introduced in 2010, reported the BBC. The junta, called the State Administration Council, stated that it is set to "release necessary bylaws, procedures, announcements orders, notifications and instructions" for the law's implementation. The compulsory conscription, which takes effect immediately, requires men aged 18-45 and women aged 18-35 to be drafted for two years and up to five years during emergencies. Those who fail to comply face imprisonment for up to five years. Exemptions are granted to religious orders and temporary deferments to civil servants and students. Response to nationwide resistance: The military junta came to power after ousting elected Aung San Suu Kyi via a coup in 2021. The coup initially sparked nonviolent protests and civil disobedience, which evolved into organized armed resistance. Observers view the laws activation as the military's response to further escalations. The National Unity Government, which represents the resistance, noted over 14,000 defections from the military since the coup, reported the Associated Press. Trending on NextShark: Young Chinese women are resorting to AI boyfriends for better communication Struggles in recruitment: On Jan. 31, Myanmar army chief Min Aung Hlaing extended the nation's state of emergency for another six months until July 31 and vowed to crush all opposition to the junta's rule. The extension, the fifth since the junta took power, effectively delayed elections in the country. The Tatmadaw, as the military is known, has been challenged by a coordinated offensive from ethnic minority insurgent groups and pro-democracy fighters since October, reported The Guardian. After suffering significant setbacks in recent months, the military has strained its capacity and is now facing internal morale issues among officers. Insiders report that the junta has since faced challenges in recruiting soldiers. Trending on NextShark: Viral video of daughter slapped by her father after return home from Tet sparks debate Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! An overturned vessel has caused a huge oil spill along Trinidad and Tobagos coastline, in what the Caribbean countrys prime minister described as a national emergency on Sunday. The spill occurred on February 7 off the southern shores of the Tobago Island, according to the countrys Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM). About 15 kilometers (9 miles) of the coastline is now blackened, the agency said in a statement Saturday. Photos from the scene show recovery workers wading through thick black sludge, with huge areas of the beach covered in oil. Several government agencies, including at least 1,000 volunteers, have been working to control the spill. Prime Minister Keith Rowley said in a news conference Sunday that the situation is not under control. The origins of the vessel have not yet been identified, he added. This is a national emergency and therefore it will have to be funded as an extraordinary expense, Rowley said, adding, we dont know the full scope and scale of what is going to be required. Authorities installed booms - floating barriers - to prevent the spill from spreading to other areas, said Farley Augustine, the chief secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly. Officials have also dispatched divers to try to plug the leak but have not been successful. What has to happen is that we have to find a way to now extract every bit of oil thats in the vessel, bearing in mind as we have been reiterating not knowing the schematics of the vessel, Augustine told reporters. CNN has reached out to the prime ministers office for comment. An oil spill in Tobago Island, Trinidad and Tobago, is seen in this handout photo released February 10, 2024 - Office of the Chief Secretary/Reuters Workers clean up an oil spill on Rockly Bay beach in Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago, on February 10, 2024. The origin of the ship that caused the spill is not yet known. - Akash Boodan/AP The oil spill, pictured on February 10, covered about 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) of the coastline in black residue. - Clement Williams/AFP/Getty Images Were not sure if its a freighter, a tanker, or a barge because only the keel of the vessel is visible. And its identifying physical characteristics are in water that we cant penetrate for the moment, Rowley said Sunday. But we do know it appears to be broken having made contact here and is leaking some kind of hydrocarbon that is fouling the water and the coastline, he added. Residents in the local area of Lambeau reported a constant stench from the spill, leaving some worried about their health, according to local media. Augustine, the chief secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, advised those with respiratory illnesses to use masks and self-relocate or find ways to mitigate against that. The spill took place during Carnival season, one of the countrys biggest tourist attractions. The best part of Tobagos economy is its tourism, so it is important that we be cognizant that we dont expose the tourism product to this kind of thing, and because this has happened, we have to contain it, the prime minister said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Emergency workers in Trinidad and Tobago are racing to clean up a massive oil spill after a mystery vessel ran aground near the Caribbean islands, casting a pall over Carnival tourism. The spill was "not under control" as of Sunday, said Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who added that the country is grappling with a national emergency. The mystery vessel capsized Wednesday, having made no emergency calls, with no sign of crew, and no clear sign of ownership. A massive oil spill from an overturned vessel off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago is Rowley on Sunday declared a national emergency as oil leaking from the vessel affected nearly 10 miles of coastline. "Cleaning and restoration can only begin as soon as we have the situation under control. Right now the situation is not under control," the prime minister told journalists. Divers have so far been unable to plug the leak. Hundreds of volunteers have been toiling since Thursday to halt the spread of the oil, and the government has asked for even more to lend a hand. Images and video released by the government showed crews working late into the night Sunday. The leak has damaged a reef and Atlantic beaches, and residents of the village of Lambeau have been advised to wear masks or temporarily relocate. The government posted satellite imagery on social media, showing affected areas. "The satellite imagery reveals a distinctive silver-like slick emanating from the overturned wrecked vessel. Additionally, there are noticeable streaks of a thick, black-like substance accompanying the spill," the post says. View of the oil spill at Rockly Bay in Tobago island, Trinidad and Tobago, on February 10, 2024. / Credit: CLEMENT WILLIAMS/AFP via Getty Images The spill comes at the height of Carnival, threatening the tourist business that is crucial to the dual-island nation's economy. Just how badly tourism will be affected remains unclear. A cruise ship carrying 3,000 people docked in Tobago on Sunday. Rowley said the mystery vessel might have been involved in "illicit" business, adding: "We don't know who it belongs to. We have no idea where it came from, and we also don't know all that it contains." Divers spotted the name "Gulfstream" on the craft's side and have identified a length of cable, possibly indicating it was in the process of being towed, Rowley said. The island's Emergency Management Agency said there were no signs of life on the vessel, which is around 330 feet in length. The agency has posted dozens of images and videos on social media showing the ship and crews scrambling to contain and clean up the oil spill. Paul Giamatti, 2024 Oscars nominee for "The Holdovers" "Hello Vincent": Artificial intelligence brings Van Gogh to life Investigation after shooting at Joel Osteen's Lakewood church in Houston The North Londonderry Township Police Department is seeking assistance in locating a 16-year-old teen who went missing Friday, Feb. 9. Arianna Douglas was last seen on 9:30 p.m at the 800 block of Hoffer Road. Thursday, Feb. 8. Police said Douglas' parents discovered she was missing when they attempted to wake her from school the following morning. Douglas was last seen wearing a black hooded sweat shirt and pajama pants. "It appears Arianna Douglas left the home voluntarily," police said in a release Monday. "Douglas is believed to be in the company of another missing juvenile by the name of Rusty Winterstein." Arianna Douglas, 16, was last seen on Feb. 8 wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and pajama pants. Winterstein, 16, from Jackson Township, was reported missing by the Pennsylvania State Police on Monday, Feb. 5. Police said Winterstein does not have access to his cell phone. "Winterstein was last seen before getting on the school bus the morning of Feb. 5, 2024 where he was reported to be wearing a dark colored hoodie, black Adidas sweatpants, and a black backpack," police said in an email to the Lebanon Daily News on Feb. 8. Anyone with information about Douglas or Winterstein's whereabouts can contact the North Londonderry Township Police Department at 717-838-5276 or Pennsylvania State Police at 717-856-2194. This is an ongoing story. Please check back with the Lebanon Daily News for updates. Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth. This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: N. Londonderry Twp. PA Police seek help locating missing 16-year-old Police Chief Troy Finner speaks to the media in the aftermath of the shooting at Lakewood Church during a news conference at police headquarters on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Police Chief Troy Finner speaks to the media in the aftermath of the shooting at Lakewood Church during a news conference at police headquarters on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Exterior of Lakewood Church on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Houston Karen Warren/Staff photographer Andrea Espinoza, center, and Nicole Guevara are interviewed by Telemundo reporter Mitchell Zavallos on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Houston, about their experiences during the shooting inside Lakewood Church, Sunday, when a woman in her 30s, who was armed with a long gun and wearing a trench coat, entered the church accompanied by a 5 year-old child and began spraying a substance and firing at people just before the weekly Sunday Spanish language service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A banner with the words God Bless America hangs from the eave of a home in Conroe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, that is associated with the shooting at Lakewood Church Sunday in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A sign is visible outside a home in Conroe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, that is associated with the shooting at Lakewood Church Sunday in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Police officers stand outside Lakeood Church during an active shooter event at the church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston Police and Harris County Sheriffs officers outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer From left, Police Chief Troy Finner, Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, Mayor John Whitmire and Fire Department Chief Samuel Pena, participate in a press conference during an active shooter event at Lakewood Church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Dog tags and cross on Jaime Cabrera, who was inside of Lakewood Church when the shooting happened on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Cabrera, who was in the military, stayed in the sanctuary to try to assist after he said 15 shots were fired from the second story of the church. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Houston Police officers watch over displaced church goers outside Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Houston Police and Harris County Sheriffs officers outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, left center, and Mayor John Whitmire, right center, listen as Houston Police Chief Troy Finner makes comments at a press conference during an active shooter event at Lakewood Church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A woman talks on the phone outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A Houston Police officer outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Jaime Cabrera, who was inside of Lakewood Church when the shooting happened talks to Houston Police officers on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Cabrera, who was in the military, stayed in the sanctuary to try to assist after he said 15 shots were fired from the second story of the church. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A woman outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen listens to comments at a press conference during an active shooter event at the church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Follow along below for live updates and analysis from Chronicle reporters. To support our journalism, please consider subscribing to the Chronicle for unlimited digital access. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Genesse Moreno, the suspect in Sunday's shooting at Lakewood Church, allegedly confronted an unarmed security guard outside the building before she was let in and began firing. "She displayed or possibly pointed a weapon at that security officer," Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said at a Monday news briefing. He said he didn't consider it a "security breach." Finner said he didn't know who shot Moreno's 7-year-old child, who remains hospitalized. "We just don't know right now," Finner said. "Was it the police officers who shot or was it her? We don't know. I think the worst thing we can do is speculate. Once we get the evidence in and the ballistics and all that, I think we'll know that." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Agent Adrian Herrera and Houston Police Officer Christopher Moreno (no relation to the suspect) were working security at the church. "We are extremely thankful for the quick response of the two officers," said Douglas Williams, the special agent in charge of the Houston FBI office. "There is no doubt that their heroic actions saved lives." John Wayne Ferguson John Osteen, Joel Osteens father, founded Lakewood Church in 1959 in an abandoned East Houston feed store. Advertisement Article continues below this ad John Osteen was the son of a cotton farmer from Paris, Texas. He found Jesus when he was working at a Fort Worth movie theater, and went on to study religion and be ordained as a Southern Baptist minister. Ninety people gathered at his inaugural sermon at Lakewood. In 1979, the church moved into a building that sat 5,000; nine years later, it upgraded to a building in northeast Houston that sat 8,200. Joel Osteen took over from his father in 1999. Churches and other places of worship have increasingly upped their security in recent years as they become targets of violence. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lakewood Church, the site of a deadly shooting Sunday, has too. It has a dedicated staff in charge of church security and contracted off-duty officers as security guards. Two of those off-duty officers engaged the shooter on Sunday, killing her, according to authorities. Lakewood spokesperson Don Iloff said the church has searched attendees' bags before every in-person service for the last five years. The bag search occurs between and during services for as long as people enter, he said. Iloff said he didnt know whether Morenos bag was searched Sunday. Moreno and the child entered through an accessible entrance for disabled people, not the main entrance where the bag check is located, Iloff said. Lakewoods security team is debriefing and considering new recommendations, including metal detectors, Iloff said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chuck Chadwick, founder of the National Organization for Church Security and Safety Management, has helped consult on and provide security to hundreds of churches across America, including several megachurches in Texas. Chadwick said hes not aware of other churches that search bags before entry. Claire Hao Correction (February 12, 6:30 p.m.): This post has been updated with Chuck Chadwick's name. Christopher Hassig, commander of the Houston Police Departments homicide division, said the investigation was ongoing and very fluid. He said the suspect, 36-year-old Genesse Moreno, acted alone. Hassig said Moreno allegedly pulled up to the west side of Lakewood Church at 1:53 p.m. on Sunday. She pulled a 7-year-old child out of the backseat and a bag. A security guard let her in along the west side of the building. At 1:55 p.m., she allegedly fired multiple rounds in the hallway. Two off-duty officers who were working security shifts at the church returned fire. The woman fell to the ground, Hassig said, as did the 7-year-old child, who was also shot. Hassig did not specify who shot the child. Christopher Hassig, commander Houston Police Homicide speaks to members of the media in the aftermath of the shooting at Lakewood Church during a news conference at police headquarters on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Hassig said Moreno was firing her gun both indiscriminately and in a targeted manner. She engaged our officers, she was trying to shoot our officers, Hassig said. Hassig said the 57-year-old man who was wounded was an employee of Lakewood Church. Moreno was pronounced dead at 2:07 p.m. Investigators are still looking into the motivation for the shooting. Hassig said investigators believed Moreno had a mental health history and has used several aliases. Early investigations found antisemitic writings. Hassig said investigators believe there was a dispute with Morenos ex-husband and his family, and some of those individuals were Jewish. Hassig said an AR-15 style rifle with a sticker that said Palestine and a .22-caliber rifle were recovered at the scene. Sarah Smith and John Wayne Ferguson Correction (February 12, 5:20 p.m.): This entry has been updated to clarify that the weapon found at the scene was an AR-15 style rifle. Houston Mayor John Whitmire pledged to increase security around houses of worship in Houston and promised transparency as the investigation unfurls. We need to continue to be aware of mental health issues in our community, he said. There are indications that mental health played a role in an early investigation. Whitmire praised law enforcements efforts and collaboration. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said the child shot was still in the hospital but that the 57-year-old man had been discharged. The child is "fighting for his life," he said. Mayor John Whitmire attends a news conference in the aftermath of the shooting at Lakewood Church on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer On Sunday, Finner said the alleged shooter entered the building and began spraying a substance. Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena said Monday preliminary tests show there is no risk of exposure to any chemical or product to anyone who was at Lakewood. The chemicals Moreno allegedly sprayed, he said, were common items found at the grocery store. While the chemicals were potentially flammable, they didnt pose any threats to people that may have encountered them. Its too early to determine a motive for the shooters action, and were not in the business of speculating, said Doug Williams, special agent in charge of the FBIs Houston Field Office. The FBI is supporting local law enforcement agencies in their investigation. Sarah Smith and John Wayne Ferguson The Houston Police Department will be holding a press conference at 1:30 p.m. to give updates on Sundays shooting at Lakewood Church that left one man wounded, a child in critical condition and the shooter dead. The news conference will take place at HPD headquarters and will be livestreamed on X, formerly known as Twitter. Since taking over Lakewood Church in 1999, Joel Osteen has become arguably the nations leading televangelist. "I've outlasted the critics and figured out what I feel like I'm supposed to do," he said in one of two lengthy interviews with the Houston Chronicle in 2018. "If you have a message to get out, there has never been a better day." As news of an active shooter at Lakewood Church circulated on Sunday, pastors near and far took to social media to express their support and concern. Gateway Church in Dallas, led by Pastor Robert Morris, asked the community to pray following the tragedy. Our hearts are heavy for the individuals and families affected, Gateway Church officials wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. Lord, we know you are near to the brokenhearted and you bring healing in your hands. We ask that your presence would be felt by everyone impacted by todays events and we declare peace and healing over this community. Pastors Remus and Mia Wright of Houston's The Fountain of Praise told Lakewood Church theyd kneel with them in prayer during this time. The Fountain of Praise stands united with Pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen and our beloved Lakewood Church family, they said on Instagram. In this moment of crisis, we join hands in faith and solidarity, bowing in prayer and trusting in Gods unwavering protection. You are not alone. We are here with you, believing in the power of Gods grace to guide all people of faith through difficult times as these. Shakari Briggs The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission identified the agent who fired on Genesse Moreno, the woman accused of a shooting at Lakewood Church on Sunday. Agent Adrian Herrera was working as a security officer at the time of the shooting, the agency said in a press release. He and a Houston Police Department officer, who hasnt been named, fired on Moreno soon after she entered the church building armed with an AR-15 style rifle, according to authorities. The police officers killed Moreno. While we are still gathering the facts on what took place at Lakewood Church, I can say that Im extremely proud of the quick response of our agent as well as the other law enforcement agents on the scene, TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly said in a statement Monday. These officers likely prevented a much greater tragedy through their brave actions. Herrera has worked for the agency for five years, according to the press release. He was placed on administrative duty following the shooting pending an investigation, which is typical after an officer fires weapon in the line of duty. John Wayne Ferguson Correction (February 12, 5:20 p.m.): This entry has been updated to clarify that the weapon found at the scene was an AR-15 style rifle. The person suspected in the shooting at Lakewood Church has been identified as Genesse Ivonne Moreno, 36, according to a copy of a search warrant obtained by the Houston Chronicle. Detectives in the warrant alleged that Moreno shot and injured one man with an AR-15 style rifle after walking into Lakewood Church. She then allegedly pointed her weapon at responding officers, who shot and killed her. Before she was killed, Moreno allegedly said she had a bomb, according to the warrant. Detectives were requesting the warrant for a Conroe address connected to Moreno to look for evidence of a bomb as well as her motive for the shooting. Matt deGrood Correction (February 12, 5:20 p.m.): This entry has been updated to clarify that the weapon found at the scene was an AR-15 style rifle. A 7-year-old child shot Sunday at Lakewood Church in Houston is not expected to survive their wounds, a Montgomery County District Attorney's Office spokesperson said Monday. The child, who hasn't been named, was wounded when a woman exchanged gunfire with two police officers a Houston Police Department Officer and an agent for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission who were working as security for the church, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said Sunday. The child came into the church with the woman, Finner said. Their relationship was unclear. The shooting left the child critically injured and under treatment at a hospital, Finner said on Sunday. A 57-year-old man was also shot in the leg or hip, and was expected to survive, Finner said. John Wayne Ferguson Correction (February 12, 3:33 p.m.): This post has been updated to reflect that the child is 7 years old, according to police. The sounds of shots being fired inside Lakewood Church were caught on a livestream as one of its pastors was making pre-service announcements. In a video that spread quickly across social media, Pastor Jorge Basave initially continued making his announcements when the first of several shots were fired. He then stopped to look behind in him as church attendees in the background could be seen fleeing from the shooting. Basave looked back at the livestream camera, which then fades to the church's logo. "That was a bit traumatic," he said of his experience. "I was worried my fear would be contagious, so I had to remain calm." Jhair Romero and John Wayne Ferguson Officers from multiple agencies visited a home in Conroe early Monday, hours after the Lakewood Church shooting in Houston, officials with the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said. The officers were at the home in the 9700 block of Gulfstream Drive executing a search warrant for evidence connected to aggravated assault, possession of a prohibited weapon and hoax bomb, said Donna Hansen, chief of the felony division at the district attorney's office. The home is in the Sterling Place subdivision off Airport Road. Hansen confirmed the search warrant was connected to the Lakewood Church shooting. Decorations adorn the porch and flowerbeds outside a home in Conroe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, that is associated with the shooting at Lakewood Church Sunday in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Officials with the FBI, Houston and Conroe police departments and the Texas Rangers responded to the home to execute the search warrant. It was a multi-agency collaboration to make sure everybody here in Conroe was safe, Hansen said. Representatives from the FBI did not immediately confirm the name of the suspect for the search warrant. A car is towed from the driveway of a home in Conroe, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. The home is associated with the shooting at Lakewood Church Sunday in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A shooter entered Lakewood Church on Sunday afternoon, leaving a 5-year-old in critical condition and a 57-year-old man in stable condition. The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Houston Chronicle photographers captured the aftermath. Take a look at the photo gallery here. Lakewood Church is a nondenominational Christian megachurch located southwest of downtown. It has an estimated weekly attendance of about 45,000. (It's the third-largest church in the country, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research.) Senior pastor Joel Osteen has led the church since 1999; it was founded by his father, John Osteen. The church is not part of any larger organized denomination. Lakewoods building was home to the Houston Rockets from 1975 to 2002. Emergency vehicles line the feeder road outside Lakewood Church during a reported active shooter event Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Around 2 p.m. on Sunday, authorities were called to Lakewood about a possible shooting. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said a woman in her 30s, armed with a long gun and wearing a trench coat, entered the church accompanied by a 7-year-old child. She began spraying a substance and firing at people, Finner said, just before the weekly Sunday Spanish language service. The woman claimed she had explosives on her, but Finner said police did not find any in a search. An off-duty Houston Police Department officer who was working security and a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agent shot the woman, Finner said. Both will be placed on administrative leave while their agencies conduct an investigation. The child was also shot, but Finner did not specify by whom. Jhair Romero and Elizabeth Sander Correction (February 12, 3:33 p.m.): This post has been updated to reflect that the child is 7 years old, according to police. A 15-year-old boy broke the glass and jumped out of his third story bedroom window and ran to a nearby Walgreens for help, saying he was beaten in his home, a Florida sheriffs office said. A man, 41, said he came home to his apartment in Gainesville on Feb. 7 and found a 15-year-old boy who lived in the home had not done his chores, according to an arrest report from the Alachua County Sheriffs Office. The relationship between the man and the teen was not released. McClatchy News is not identifying the man to protect the identity of the child. The man became angry at the teen, and said the boy had disrespectful body language and rolled his eyes at the man, according to the report. The man told the teen to go to his room, then followed him and told the teen to strip until he was naked, deputies said. The teen was told to lay down on the bed with his backside exposed, and then the man used a belt to hit the teen, the sheriffs office said. The man told deputies he whipped the teen with the belt as many as 30 times, and he told the teen to move his hands when he tried to block the blows, according to the report. The 15-year-old said the man hit him multiple times with a closed fist after seeing him watch a video the man didnt approve of, deputies said. The boy told deputies he was in such great fear of what the (man) was going to do to him, he made the decision to jump through the window of his third story apartment in an attempt to get away from him. A downstairs neighbor said they heard commotion above them, then stomping and what sounded like someone being chased, according to the report. Then, she heard glass shatter, deputies said, and looked out of her window to see the teenager hanging naked from his window screaming help me. The teen jumped to the ground and then ran to a Walgreens nearby, the sheriffs office said. A customer told deputies the boy was pleading for help, WJXT reported. I came right in front of a young man who was butt naked, no clothes, and I was stunned, witness Patricia Jackson told the outlet. The tissue that we were about to purchase wasnt enough to clean up the blood that I saw. There was a lot of bloodshed. Deputies said when emergency services arrived at the Walgreens, two tourniquets had to be used to stop the bleeding from the teens injuries from the jump, according to the report. Paramedics saw dark bruises on his back and buttocks, and belt lines on his arms and back, deputies said. The teen also had gashes from the glass, according to the report. The injuries appeared to go beyond the scope of corporal punishment, deputies said. The man was charged with abuse of a child without great bodily harm and was taken into custody, according to sheriffs office records. Gainesville is about 70 miles southwest of Jacksonville. If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. Teen wanted for murder found when he goes to church with gun in waistband, AL cops say Parents locked 6-year-old girl in dog crate and tortured her, Pennsylvania officials say Cops find 1-year-old in SUV of man shot to death under freeway, Texas officials say Dad abducted 5-year-old, drove off in stolen car from Michigan to Arkansas, cops say A Naples man facing several charges, including attempted first-degree murder, after authorities say he shot one of two victims in the face and stomach, entered a not guilty plea. Shannon Lynn Hurst, public defender for Roodjery Roger, 30, entered the plea Monday before Collier Circuit Judge Elizabeth Krier. Roger wasn't present at the hearing. Roger is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm; shooting into a vehicle; armed robbery with a firearm; aggravated battery using a deadly weapon; carrying a concealed firearm; and possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. He remained in custody Monday afternoon on a $130,000 bond for five of the seven counts. He's being held without bond on the attempted murder and armed robbery counts. Roger was charged in January for the shooting that happened Sept. 11, 2023. According to an incident report from the Collier County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the shooting on 42nd Street Southwest on Sept. 11, 2023. Deputies said surveillance video captured Roger's car parked in front of the victims' residence on the driveway. The report notes Roger backed into the driveway. Rick LoCastro probe: Naples police say October incident at Naples restaurant led to Rick LoCastro arrest warrant Authorities said the footage then captured Roger walking shirtless with a mask covering his face toward the residence. The first of the two victims told authorities they were outside and Roger attacked them from behind, hitting them in the heads with a firearm. Roger pointed the firearm at the victim and took between $600 and $700 in cash, as well as their cellphone. Authorities said Roger continued to kick the first victim in the face several times before the victim fled. Deputies said the surveillance video then captured Roger walking toward the driveway when the second victim arrived in his car. Roger moved the firearm from his right front pocket and put it behind his back, authorities said. He then approached the second victim's car pointing the firearm, the sheriff's office said. Authorities said the victim rapidly reversed and struck Roger's parked car. Roger fired a shot toward the victim's car. The sheriff's office said Roger approached his vehicle and opened the driver's door as if he was going to leave, but instead stepped back from behind the driver's door and ran back toward the victim's car. Authorities said it appeared Roger manipulated his firearm by racking the slide or clearing a malfunction. He ran toward the front of the victim's car and fired another round at the victim. Roger then fled while the victim ran inside the home and sought help, the report notes. Authorities found the car Roger was driving less than a mile away. Roger was arrested the same day on unrelated charges. The sheriff's office said the second victim continues to get treatment for the wounds he suffered to the face and stomach areas. Roger is due in court April 18 for a case management conference. Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Naples man enters not guilty plea in attempted murder shooting This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post with more information as it becomes available. WEST JORDAN, Utah (ABC4) Emergency crews responded to the scene of a downed helicopter at the South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan on Monday, Feb. 12. The Utah National Guard confirmed on Twitter/X that an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter went down around 1:20 p.m. Salt Lake Airport officials, which oversees the South Valley Regional Airport, told ABC4 the National Guard is overtaking and handling the scene. Thriving Utah: 3 Utah metros in top tier of performing cities, report says The National Guard said the helicopter went down as part of a training accident that occurred at the West Jordan Army Aviation Support Facility. Details on the training accident have not been released. There were no fatalities as a result of the incident, however, two pilots are being transported to the hospital in stable condition. ABC4 has a crew on the scene and will update this story as more information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. There is a growing tendency among Russian officers in the Western Military District to commit violence against their subordinates, Ukraine's National Resistance Center reported on Feb. 11, citing undisclosed sources. Poor morale has reportedly plagued Russian forces since the start of the all-out war against Ukraine, and cases of executions and soldiers disobeying orders have been recorded. A number of military court verdicts related to murders of service personnel by on-duty unit commanders have been recorded in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the center claimed. These incidents are reportedly caused by mutually hostile behavior by both service personnel and commanders or linked to alcohol and drug intoxication. At the beginning of February, the Kursk Garrison Military Court sentenced a senior ensign to 14 years in prison for shooting a group of subordinates while heavily intoxicated by alcohol, according to the report. Kursk Oblast lies at the border with Ukraine's Sumy Oblast. Read also: White House: Russia endures heavy losses near Avdiivka, suffers from low morale Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Former President Donald Trump's suggestion that the United States should not protect NATO allies who failed to meet their defense spending targets "undermines all of our security," NATO Secretary General Jans Stoltenberg said Sunday. At a campaign event on Saturday, Trump recounted a story he told an unidentified NATO member when asked about his threats to not defend allies who did not meet defense spending targets against an aggressor. "'You didn't pay? You're delinquent? No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills,'" Mr. Trump recounted saying. In a written statement on Sunday, Stoltenberg said, "NATO remains ready and able to defend all Allies. Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response. Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S. and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the U.S. will remain a strong and committed NATO ally." What are NATO defense spending targets? NATO ally countries are committed to spending at least 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense in order to ensure their military readiness. According to NATO data from 2023, 19 of NATO's 30 members are spending less than that, though most NATO nations near Ukraine, Russia or Russian ally Belarus are spending more that 2% of their GDP on defense. Finland, Hungary, Romania, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all spend between 2.3% and 2.7% of their GDP on defense, while Poland spends over 3.9%. The U.S. spent 3.49% of its GDP on defense spending in 2023, according to NATO figures. International response President Biden condemned Trump's comments, saying "Donald Trump's admission that he intends to give Putin a green light for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic states, [is] appalling and dangerous." EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday, "Let's be serious. NATO cannot be an a la carte military alliance, it cannot be a military alliance that works depending on the humor of the president of the U.S. day to day. Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister, Pawel Zalewski, said Mr. Trump's comments were "very worrying." "He correctly calls on member countries to spend more on defense, but he also calls on Russia to attack. This is completely incomprehensible," Zalewski told the publication POLITICO. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said in a statement on social media that, "the Transatlantic Alliance has underpinned the security and the prosperity of Americans, Canadians and Europeans for 75 years. Reckless statements on NATO's security and Art 5 solidarity serve only Putin's interest. They do not bring more security or peace to the world." Michel said that such remarks "reemphasize the need for the EU to urgently further develop its strategic autonomy and invest in its defense. And keep our alliance strong." Paul Giamatti, 2024 Oscars nominee for "The Holdovers" "Hello Vincent": Artificial intelligence brings Van Gogh to life Investigation after shooting at Joel Osteen's Lakewood church in Houston Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, speaks to the media before the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. -/European Council/dpa NATO cannot run on the impulses of the US president, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday in Brussels. Responding to comments from former US president Donal Trump, Borrell said that the military alliance "cannot be a la carte." On the campaign trail in the state of South Carolina, the Republican frontrunner for the 2024 US presidential election said that he would "not protect" countries from Russia that did not reach NATO's defence spending requirements. "In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want," Trump said, referring to Russia, calling the alliance's collective defence commitments into question. "During this campaign, we will see and listen to many things," Borrell said, dismissing Trump's comments, adding that he won't be commenting on any "silly idea" that comes out of the US presidential campaign. Trump's campaign intervention comes as the US Senate is deciding on a $95.3-billion foreign aid bill for Ukraine and Israel, which the former president staunchly opposes. The former US president has been pushing for higher contributions by the US's European counterparts in intergovernmental organisations such as NATO, and in aid for Ukraine. "It is unclear to what extent the US will be able to maintain its military and civilian capabilities in the future," German State Secretary for Development Jochen Flasbarth added on Monday while talking about ongoing political tussle in the US over Ukraine aid. "This means that Europe itself will face additional challenges, additional demands and additional responsibility," he added. NCAI President Mark Macarro will make the State of Indian Nations address on Monday. (Photo/Levi Rickert for Native News Online) WASHINGTON Hundreds of tribal leaders from throughout Indian Country are in the nation's capital to attend the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Executive Council Winter Session. The session will held at the Washington Westin from Monday, February 12 - Thursday, February 15. This four-day legislative conference will gather leaders of tribal nations to engage in crucial discussions on issues impacting American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The conference features a variety of task force meetings, breakout sessions, special events, and guest speakers from the Biden-Harris administration, Congress, and federal partners. Additionally, winter session will feature the 2024 Native Youth Leadership Summit (NYLS), hosted by the NCAI Youth Commission. On Monday morning, Mark Macarro (Pechanga) who was elected NCAI president in November 2023 in New Orleans will deliver his first State of Indian Nations address before a live audience at the Warner Theater, located at 513 - 13th Street. In addition to his NCAI role, Macarro has served as tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians located in Temecula California, Similar to the U.S. presidents annual State of the Union address, each year, the president of NCAI delivers a speech to tribal leaders, members of Congress, government officials, and the public. The purpose of the address is to provide an update on the issues important to Indian Country and a vision for the upcoming year. Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Macarro will outline the goals of tribal leaders, the opportunities for success and advancement of Native peoples, and priorities to advance our nation-to-nation relationship with the United States. The event will also be live-streamed on NCAIs official YouTube channel. Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), the first Alaaks Native elected to Congress, will deliver the congressional response at the conclusion of Macarro's address. On Monday afternoon, there will be several workshops and sessions at the Westin Hotel. The first general session will begin on Tuesday, February 13. Late last week, NCAI released the names of the features speakers who will address the general assembly throughout the winter session. (See AGENDA). Featured speakers include: Deb Haaland, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior Denis McDonough, Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Gina Raimondo, Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce Miguel Cardona, Secretary, U.S. Department of Education Bryan Newland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. House Minority Leader Brian Schatz, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Frank Pallone, U.S. House Representative Jackson Brossy, Assistant Administrator, Office of Native American Affairs, Small Business Administration Martin OMalley, Commissioner, Social Security Administration Elizabeth Carr, Tribal Advisor to the Director, Office of Management and Budget Rose Petoskey, Senior Advisor and Tribal Affairs Director, White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Elizabeth Reese, Senior Policy Advisor for Native Affairs, White House Domestic Policy Council About the Author: "Levi \"Calm Before the Storm\" Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net." Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net The Nova-C lunar lander is shown at Intuitive Machines on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Houston. The lander was put on display during a media open house before being shipped to Florida for its launch to the moon. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer People gather around the Nova-C lunar lander at Intuitive Machines on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023 in Houston. The lander was put on display during a media open house before being shipped to Florida for its launch to the moon. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer People gather around the Nova-C lunar lander at Intuitive Machines on Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Houston. The lander was put on display during a media open house before being shipped to Florida for its launch to the moon. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer This composite image of the moon uses Clementine data from 1994. NASA If Houstons Intuitive Machines launches its moon lander this week, as scheduled, it will be joining a hectic new race to reach the lunar surface. But more than that, it will become part of a multinational chess match that could determine the rules and norms for operating there. Advertisement Article continues below this ad So far, the United States and 35 other countries have signed on to an agreement about how to live and work on the moon, known as the Artemis Accords. China and Russia have declined to participate and are gathering their own international cadre. Countries vying for access want the national prestige of landing on the moon, and they hope to inspire a technical workforce. Companies are looking to provide taxi services, extract metal from the soil and build large antennas in space. And explorers could turn frozen water into rocket propellant. The latter is especially important to NASA and one of the reasons its administrator has repeatedly said the U.S. must beat China to the moons South Pole, where frozen water is believed to exist in permanently shadowed areas. We are in a space race with China, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said last year during a news conference. I dont want China to get to the South Pole first with humans and then say, This is ours. Stay out. Intuitive Machines is slated to land near the South Pole, and its hoping to be the first U.S. company to make a soft landing on the moon, launching early Thursday and reaching the lunar surface Feb. 22. The U.S. hasnt completed a soft lunar landing since December 1972. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Intuitive Machines mission comes amid a flurry of moonshots, with Japan becoming the fifth nation to touch down softly last month albeit with its lander upside down and Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology's lander burning up in the Earths atmosphere after a propulsion issue prevented it from reaching the moon. It's intrigued a lot of people on how many missions there are to the moon, said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines. Who's going to be the first? Who's going to be successful? What does success look like, and what does that mean for the future?" Nelson is focused on China specifically because of its actions in the South China Sea, where it has claimed disputed islands that the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia claim to own. China has built military installations and other infrastructure on some of the islands, said Kari A. Bingen, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She said China could do the same on the moon. My concern is that they would take a page out of their South China Sea playbook build infrastructure and then de facto lay claim to those areas and keep others out, Bingen said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There are international laws that govern the moon, but they dont have effective enforcement mechanisms, said Michelle Hanlon, executive director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi. Theyre also vague. The Outer Space Treaty states that countries cannot claim territory on the moon. But Hanlon said it doesnt have much teeth. Countries are supposed to conduct their activities with due regard to other nations, but the treaty doesnt explain what due regard means. This is really what's going to be the issue, Hanlon said. We're all trying to get to the lunar South Pole. It's not that big. It's hard to land on. There are going to be conflicts. Somebody is going to bump into somebody. The plume effect is going to ruin somebody else's operation. And then what do we do? NASA and the U.S. Department of State are trying to define due regard with the new Artemis Accords, which the U.S. signed in 2020. Under its rules, Hanlon said, countries can have notification and coordination zones. Essentially, one country has to contact another if its coming close to its infrastructure on the moon. Then they will have a consultation, likely overseen by the State Department and NASA. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Outer Space Treaty also doesnt address resources: Who owns the soil or frozen water collected from the moon? The U.S. wants whoever extracts something to own it. It doesnt want to wait for a regulatory body to manage how resources are used. As such, NASA recently selected companies that it will pay to go to the moon and scoop up rocks and dirt. They dont even need to bring the material home to get paid. Its to normalize the concept that you can purchase and sell resources that you extract from another celestial body, Hanlon said. But not everyone thinks a space race is underway. Phil Smith, a space industry analyst at BryceTech, called that a manufactured fear pulled from when the U.S. and the Soviet Union raced to put men on the moon. Today, politicians dont need geopolitical pressures to justify a speedy return to the moon. The idea for some is, Well, surely we need a race again to make the results again, Smith said. And I think that's old-school thinking. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Secure World Foundation, which promotes the sustainable and peaceful use of space, likewise noted that multiple moon programs are not a guaranteed path to conflict. It recently posted a message on its website stating that the U.S.-led Artemis Accords and the China-Russia cohort have similar interpretations of international law, though there is a significant amount of confusion over how each programs principles will be applied to their activities. Ultimately, theres no question that increasingly advanced and affordable technologies are prompting a lunar resurgence. Smith said there could be more than 100 moon missions in the next decade, including those that land on the moon and those never intended to land. They're all coming together at the same time because of where technology is, said Philip Metzger, director of the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education at the University of Central Florida. New reasons have been identified to go back to the moon, and that's creating this rush. The CEO of a major Nigerian bank, his wife and son were among the six people who died in a helicopter crash in a Southern California desert late Friday. World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala announced in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Access Bank chief executive Herbert Wigwe died in the crash. Wigwe's wife and son, as well as Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of the Nigeria Stock Exchange also died in the crash, Okonjo-Iweala said. This undated photograph shows Herbert Wigwe, chief executive of Access Bank, Nigeria in his Lagos office. Wigwe was killed Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 along with his wife and son when a helicopter they were riding in crashed near in Southern California's Mojave Desert. (AP Photo/Ayodeji Owolabi) ORG XMIT: LAG101 "My deepest sympathies and condolences to the Wigwe family, the Ogunbanjo family, Access Bank Group employees and Management @myaccessbank and my younger Brother Herberts partner Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace," Okonjo-Iweala said in the post. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu also identified Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba Wigwe, his son Chizi, and Ogunbanjo as the four passengers who died in the crash. Two pilots, who have yet to be identified, also died in the crash. "Their passing is an overwhelming tragedy that is shocking beyond comprehension. I extend my condolences to the Wigwe and Ogunbanjo families, the business community, and all those impacted by this harrowing incident," Tinubu wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. I am shocked and deeply distressed by the news of the passing of Mr. Herbert Wigwe, a distinguished banker, humanitarian, and entrepreneur, and Mr. Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, along with members of the Wigwe family - Herberts pic.twitter.com/Ptc9tkfRBP Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) February 11, 2024 Access bank also confirmed Wigwe's death in a statement on X. "Today, we bid farewell to a visionary leader, @HerbertOWigwe, whose passion and unwavering commitment to excellence transformed Access into a global powerhouse. His legacy of excellence and compassion will continue to inspire us all. Rest in peace, Herbert Wigwe. Your impact will forever be felt," the bank said. Helicopter crashes in California The Federal Aviation Administration said a Eurocopter EC130 helicopter crashed around 10 p.m. on Friday near Nipton, California, which is 60 miles south of Las Vegas in San Bernardino County. The FAA is investigating alongside the National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB member Michael Graham told reporters during a news conference that the helicopter was operated by California-based charter company Orbic Air and was traveling from Palm Springs, California, to Boulder City, Nevada. The helicopter took off around 8:45 p.m. and crashed just after 10 p.m. near Interstate 15 in Halloran Springs, California. Graham said witnesses either saw the plane crash or the aftermath and reported the crash occured amid rainy and wintry conditions. "There was fire when the aircraft did contact the terrain," Graham said. In a second new conference on Sunday, Graham said the helicopter had descended from an altitude of around 1,000 to 1,500 feet, sped up, and impacted the terrain in a nose low and right bank angle. The debris field from the crash was 100 yards long, Graham said. He said all the major components of the aircraft have been found. Fiery explosion: 2 dead after small plane crashes into car, creating fiery explosion on Florida highway Graham said all four passengers, the pilot-in-command and a safety pilot died. He did not release the names of those on board. Id like to express our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy, Graham said. Contributing: Krystal Nurse, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, and Jeanine Santucci This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California helicopter crash: Nigerian bank CEO, wife, son killed ELGIN, S.C. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is doubling down on her condemnation of former President Donald Trump over comments he made ridiculing her deployed husband. The problem with Trump is hes never been anywhere near a uniform, Haley said during an interview with Fox News on Monday. The closest hes come to harm's way is a golf ball hitting him on a golf cart." "What he did is disgusting. And anybody that agrees with it or says it's okay is disgusting along with him," she added. Haleys criticism comes in response to an attack Trump leveled on Saturday at her husband, who is serving a yearlong deployment in Africa, for not appearing on the campaign trail. Haley has since used it as an opportunity to tear into him for disparaging comments he has previously made about veterans. At campaign stops across South Carolina, Haley has started highlighting Trumps mocking of service members as a key reason why voters should back her in the states fast-approaching GOP presidential primary. This wasn't a slip of the tongue for Trump, Haley said after an event inside the Thunder Tower Harley-Davidson on Monday afternoon. When he goes off his teleprompter, that's him speaking from the heart. And it's a pattern. Haley spent the better part of her speech at the central South Carolina venue tying Trumps comments about veterans to wider concerns about his character and fitness to lead. He doesn't understand the founding of this country, Haley said to a crowd of fewer than 50 people, that included many veterans and their families. He's not qualified to be the president of the United States. The tone marks a stark shift for Haley, who has tiptoed around criticizing Trump for much of the 2024 presidential campaign by arguing that chaos simply follows him. Now, as Haley seeks to build momentum in South Carolina after Trump clinched victories in other pivotal 2024 contests, she is drastically ramping up criticism of the former president. Haleys all-out attack Earlier on Monday, Haley released a nearly two-minute ad arguing that its time to support leaders who support our troops. In particular, the ad highlighted Trumps 2015 comments about former Sen. John McCain, who served in Vietnam and was a prisoner of war. Trump during his first presidential campaign, said the Arizona lawmaker was "not a war hero" and that he preferred "people who weren't captured. Haley's spot alsoresurfaced allegations from Trump's former chief of staff, John Kelly, that the then-president described fallen soldiers as losers and suckers in 2018. The ad comes just days after Trump questioned the whereabouts of Haleys husband Maj. Michael Haley, who is an active-duty member of the South Carolina National Guard. Where's her husband? Oh, he's away. He's away. What happened to her husband? Trump said during a campaign rally in South Carolina. Haley initially responded to the comments over the weekend during a campaign event, stating: Donald, if you have something to say, dont say it behind my back. Get on a debate stage and say it to my face." If you mock the service of a combat veteran, you dont deserve a driver's license, let alone being the president of the United States, she added in comments that she has since repeated, including in the ad. The mounting fight between Trump and Haley comes less than two weeks before South Carolina's pivotal Republican primary. Haley is trailing Trump by over 30 points in her home state, which is set to vote in the GOP race on Feb. 24. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikki Haley calls Donald Trump 'disgusting' over his veterans comments New Jersey's Division of Developmental Disabilities announced $6 million in funding Wednesday to build and upgrade homes for people with disabilities currently living in nursing homes, said the Department of Human Services, which oversees the DDD. The initiative will create better living spaces for an estimated 100 people in community settings, the state said. Funding of up to $60,000 per bed, with a maximum of $240,000 for each home, will be available, the announcement said. This expansion will enhance community infrastructure and provide more opportunities for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to be supported in their community, said Department of Human Services spokesperson Tom Hester. The latest funding is part of an ongoing effort that also included $5 million last year, he said. New Jersey announced $6 million to help expand space in group homes for people with disabilities now in nursing homes. That follows a report that found hundreds of people living in nursing homes unable to provide them with the proper care. A report issued by the advocacy group Disability Rights New Jersey last fall highlighted the plight of hundreds of people with developmental disabilities who are placed in nursing homes lacking adequate oversight and resources. People with behavioral disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other disabilities often end up in these facilities when home care becomes untenable. But advocates criticized the state's failure to properly track and monitor residents in these settings. They called for better regulation and the development of a more effective screening system to prevent undue institutionalization. Advocate says money alone won't solve the housing problem The state's additional funding is welcome, but the problem will continue to exist without better oversight, said Mercedes Witowsky, executive director of the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities, which funded the report. We are going to get 100 people out, but now 100 more people will go back in because you don't have the infrastructure in the community to appropriately support those individuals, she said Friday. More: Hundreds with disabilities in NJ are forced into nursing homes, new report says Witowsky called the $6 million a great step in getting people out of nursing homes but also cautioned that more money will be needed for nursing, staffing and day-to-day operations. The ongoing support of dollars to keep an individual safe and healthy in that setting is critical, she said. What things the state will cover in housing for people with disabilities The money can be put toward buying, building or renovating homes to make them more accessible and comfortable for residents. Up to $70,000 can go toward the purchase of an accessible vehicle, $3,000 per bed can be used for furnishings, and up to 5% of the proposed operating budget can go to staff training and development. Organizations interested in applying must be licensed and meet standards that include financial stability, no compliance issues over the past three years and no conflicts between personal interests and their responsibilities to the project. The program is open to nonprofits, for-profits and government entities. Full details and application instructions are available on the state Department of Human Services website. The deadline for submissions is May 1, and funding will be awarded as soon as practical thereafter, Hester said. Gene Myers covers disability and mental health for NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY Network. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: myers@northjersey.com Twitter: @myersgene This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ offers $6M to expand group homes for people with disabilities The state Senate has passed a bill that would expand New Jersey's anti-discrimination statutes. During Monday's first voting session of the new legislative term, state senators, along party lines, passed a bill that would prohibit discrimination based on height and weight. The legislation, sponsored by Democratic state Sens. Andrew Zwicker and Angela McKnight, is modeled after Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which was the first of its kind the United States. Federal law does not protect people from discrimination based on height and weight. What did officials say? McKnight, who represents Hudson County, said she wants to ensure that New Jersey protects all classes and said she thinks its important that people of all sizes not be subjected to discrimination. Details in the rotunda in the newly-renovated New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Im a tall woman. I should not be discriminated against just because Im tall, she said. My weight and my height have nothing to do with whats in my brain. Zwicker, who represents Central Jersey, was not on hand Monday morning but said in a statement that roughly 40% of adults struggle with obesity and their weight, and about 20% of children, but this sort of discrimination and bias goes well beyond societal impacts of what we have imposed as a norm. Trenton makes: Why does the NJ Schools Development Authority face a budget shortfall in the billions? Charlie Stile: While Trenton lawmakers pine for raises, NJ public retirees see 'slap in the face' Are there exceptions? There are exceptions, though, in cases where height and weight restrictions are considered bona fide occupational qualifications and safety reasons. The bill did meet some resistance. State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican, said that although the legislation is well-intentioned, it is likely to create havoc because the exceptions based on occupational qualification and safety are not adequately spelled out. A companion bill has not yet been introduced in the state Assembly. An accompanying bill would need to be passed by that body before the legislation can head to the Gov. Phil Murphy's desk. Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ may expand anti-discrimination protections based on height, weight From left, Police Chief Troy Finner, Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, Mayor John Whitmire and Fire Department Chief Samuel Pena, participate in a press conference during an active shooter event at Lakewood Church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen listens to comments at a press conference during an active shooter event at the church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A Houston Police officer outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Houston Police and Harris County Sheriffs officers outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Police officers stand outside Lakeood Church during an active shooter event at the church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A woman, who police described as a gunman, was shot and killed by police on Sunday afternoon at Lakewood Church in Houston. Two other people, including a 5-year-old child, were shot and wounded at the church. Lakewood, Houston's largest church is famously led by megachurch pastor Joel Osteen. As information from the church and authorities continues to filter in, here's what to know about the church and the shooting. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What is Lakewood Church? Lakewood Church is a megachurch located in southwest of downtown Houston. It is the home church of pastor and televangelist Joel Osteen. The church is located at 3700 Southwest Freeway. Lakewood is a nondenominational, evangelical Christian church. An estimated 45,000 people attend services at the church every week. The church has four weekly English-language services and two Spanish-language services. The church is located the building once known as The Summit and, later, Compaq Area, which was the home arena for the Houston Rockets from 1975 to 2002. The building has a capacity of about 16,800 people. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lakewood is the third largest megachurch in the U.S., according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. It is the largest church in Texas. Who is the pastor at Lakewood Church? JOEL OSTEEN: What to know about the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston Lakewood Church is led by Joel Osteen, 60, and his wife, Victoria, 62. He has been the church's senior pastor since 1999. Osteen is the son of the church founder John Osteen. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What denomination is Lakewood Church? Lakewood Church is a nondenominational Christian church, meaning it's not aligned with other distint religious bodies, such as the Roman Catholic Church or Southern Baptist Convention. Osteen preaches the prosperity theology, the idea that people can escape poverty and even find wealth through their devotion to God. Osteen has described himself as an "encourager" and rarely addresses or even acknowledges the fundamental mysteries of Christianity, let alone such contentious issues as same-sex marriage or abortion, according to a 2018 profile by former Houston Chronicle reporter Katherine Blunt. The church and Osteen are famous for their wealth. Osteen last month announced the church had paid off a $100 million loan it had taken out for renovations. Osteen's home is River Oaks was once valued at $12 million and Lakewood's operating expenses were estimated at $90 million. Advertisement Article continues below this ad How many services does Lakewood Church have? Lakewood Church offers in-person and online services on Sundays at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m., and online services at 7 p.m. Sundays, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 7 p.m. Saturdays, according to its website. Services in Spanish are held Sundays at 2 p.m. What happened on Sunday? Around 2 p.m. Sunday, authorities were called to the church about a possible shooting inside the building. Advertisement Article continues below this ad During a press conference, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said a woman in her 30s, who was armed with a long gun and wearing a trench coat, entered the church accompanied by a child and began firing at people. 'KIND OF IN A FOG': Joel Osteen responds to deadly shooting at his megachurch The woman was shot by two police officers who were working security at the building, Finner said. A 5-year-old child was shot and was in critical condition. A 57-year-old man who was inside the church at the time was shot in the hip and was in stable condition, Finner said. The building was evacuated. and police were working to reunite families who were separated during the response. According to initial reports, some people remained in the building hours later but were accounted for. What has the church said about the shooting? As of 4 p.m., the only public statement the church has made was announcing an "active situation" at the church and that law enforcement was at the scene. "We don't understand why these things happen, but we know that God is in control," Osteen said. During a press conference, Osteen said he was "in a fog," after the shooting. He said the damage could have been worse, but the shooting happened between two of the church's services. https://twitter.com/houstonpolice/status/1756794178191688114 Did the church have security? A RUNDOWN: What to know about the Lakewood Church shooting Yes. Finner said a TABC agent and a Houston Police Department officer who were working extra security at the church fired at the woman and killed her soon after she started shooting It was unclear what other kind of police presence was at the church during the shooting. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez initially said that a Harris County deputy was on scene and had shot the suspected gunman. He later claimed that an officer from another agency might have fired shots. Lakewood does have its own security employees. The Biden administration is playing down threats of imminent military action from Venezuela against neighboring Guyana, telling reporters on Monday that recently released satellite imagery reveal small-scale activity in remote locations. The White House response comes after a Washington-based think tank released the images over the weekend, leading to concern that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro might follow through on weeks of threats to annex Essequibo, a large portion of Guyanan territory. Weve obviously been monitoring this closely ourselves. Our assessment is that whatever military movements there have been by Venezuela have been of a very small nature in size and scale, and scope, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said in a daily press briefing. We see no indication that theres about to be hostilities, or that the Venezuelan military would be capable of conducting any significant military activities there. The satellite images showed fewer than 250 personnel, three patrol ships with nine staffers, and two short-range surface-to-air systems deployed to the border region, which are unable to target anything in Guyanese airspace, one National Security Council official told McClatchy and the Miami Herald. We see no significant Venezuelan military buildup under way near Essequibo, the official said. Venezuelas military is ill-equipped to engage in significant, sustained military activity due to lack of maintenance, spare parts, fuel, and an extremely limited ability to forward deploy in difficult terrain or via maritime routes. Still, we oppose any potential threat or use of force by one country against another, the official added. Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer visited Guyana earlier this month in a high-level message of support for Guyanas sovereignty one part of a flurry of diplomacy around the South American nation ever since Maduro began threatening to take action late last year. In December, the United Kingdom sent a warship to Guyana in an expression of support, angering the Venezuelans. The British Embassy told McClatchy that the UK will continue to work to ensure Guyanas territorial integrity. Angered by the leaked satellite photos, Venezuelas military said that its presence in the area is not hostile, shrugging off reports that it is building a large base right at the border. In Guyana, the government said that the increased military presence violates the terms of the peace declaration signed in December in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in which both countries committed to lowering tension surrounding their century-old border dispute. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S.-based think-tank, over the weekend published several satellite images that revealed that Venezuela was expanding its military base on the island of Anacoco and in the area of Punta Barima, at the Guyana border. One of the images revealed the construction of an improvised landing strip 1,200 meters long and 50 meters wide on Anacoco Island, located on the Cuyuni River, just on the edge of the disputed border with Guyana. The photo also shows a Venezuelan helicopter in flight and the clearing and construction of a dirt road, connecting the landing strip to a newly enlarged base. The leaked photos also show the construction of a new bridge connecting the Venezuelan territory to the Anacoco island and the concentration of a number of amphibious armored fighting vehicles. The expansion would likely indicate an increase in stationed personnel from platoon to company or battalion size, increasing personnel from around 50 up to and possibly over 300, the center said in its report. Notably, a mixed group of armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) can be seen consisting of six vehicles, likely Scorpion light tanks and at least one EE-11 APC. New trails or roads have also been built from the base south through the forest to the airfield, and there is evidence of recent tracked and wheeled vehicle activity. A Bell 206 helicopter can also be seen. Other photos also unveiled an increased presence of Venezuelan navy gunboats in the northern Sucre state. Calling the centers report an instrument of a malignant public campaign against the Venezuelan government, members of the Maduro regime said the increased military presence at the Essequibo region at the border portrays no aims of aggression. The Bolivarian National Armed Forces makes a non-hostile presence at the Essequibo territory to advance in this sovereign purpose. Nothing will stop us!, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said over the weekend through his X account. But the photos seemed to have angered other members of the Venezuelan military, including Domingo Hernandez Larez, strategic operational commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, who claimed his country was the obvious victim of espionage. The photos are the result of the North American imperialist spies in action! Hernandez Larez said on his X account, adding that U.S. intelligence is working from laboratories set up for the Guyanese. Seeking to lower tensions, the leaders of Guyana and Venezuela met in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and pledged not to use force to resolve the dispute over which nation is the rightful owner of an oil- and mineral-rich region bordering the two countries, roughly the size of Florida. The border dispute, which has been going on since the beginning of the 19th century, gained intensity following a referendum held on Dec. 3, in which the Caracas socialist regime asked Venezuelans to green-light the use of force to annex three-quarters of Guyana. The Maduro government said that 95% of Venezuelans voted in favor of the forced annexation, but independent observers questioned the results, saying that the empty polling stations seen during the vote did not support claims that more than 10 million people participated. Tensions between the two countries did in fact appear to have cooled since the referendum, but international observers say that the Caracas regimes dealings are not completely on the level. There is likely more than meets the eye when it comes to Venezuelas approach to negotiations, the centers report said, adding that the Maduro regime may be engaging in a strategy that aims to pair the threat of force with diplomatic incentives. Under this reading, Venezuelas participation [in the negotiations[ represents the diplomatic carrot, while its military engagement in provocative behavior acts as a stick to tilt negotiations in Caracass favor, the report said. Recent activity by the Venezuelan armed forces within the Essequibo and in nearby waters observed in satellite imagery lends credence to this argument and suggests Maduro may be duplicitous in his commitment to resolve the dispute through diplomatic channels, the centers report added. A fast-moving storm pushing through the eastern half of the country could bring major disruptions to travel in the Northeast through Tuesday. Widespread heavy snowfall was expected across northern Pennsylvania and southern New York late Monday, then southern New England on Tuesday morning, the Weather Prediction Center forecast said. Boston is the biggest city in the path of the storm, forecasters said, where up to a foot of snow was possible. Schools in Boston will be closed Tuesday. The probability of more than 8 inches of snow was 70% to 90% along a swath on the Pennsylvania/New York border and across most of Massachusetts, according to the weather prediction center. Snow has started across Southern states Snow was already reported across several Southern states Monday, as winter storm advisories and warnings remained in place Monday afternoon across portions of Oklahoma, northern Arkansas, southern Missouri and northern Kentucky. Earlier, the storm had dumped as much as 14 inches of snow in Plainview, Texas. Just which areas of New England could be hit hardest will be determined as the storm develops, said David Roth, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. An intensifying Noreaster along the coast was forecast to cause moderate coastal flooding at high tide along the Jersey shore and portions of the New England coast, which has already seen at least two big coastal flood events this winter, as well as higher than normal tides over the weekend. Fortunately, the system will be faster-moving, which reduces the risks, Roth said. This doesnt have the hallmarks of a record event. Rain and wind were forecast in southern Louisiana but were expected to clear out in time to prevent major interruptions to Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans, he said. Predicted snow totals for the Feb. 11-12, 2024, Northeast snowstorm. Excessive rainfall could lead to flash flooding in mid-Atlantic Areas across parts of the southern Appalachians and the southern mid-Atlantic faced a risk of excessive rainfall into Tuesday with a chance for local flash flooding as the system moves through. A new low will form over North Carolina that will move into the mid-Atlantic, Roth said. The path of that movement will help determine where the storms worst effects will be felt. Boston seems like the major city impacted, with a slight chance closer to New York City, Roth said. Onshore winds could push the ocean up into inland rivers and increase the chances for coastal flooding, he said. The storms will see enhanced rainfall because a lot of moisture is flowing up over Mexico along with moisture moving into the region from the Gulf of Mexico, Roth said. Youre getting moisture from both oceans, at multiple levels, and thats why were experiencing some flash flooding. Warmer than normal sea surface temperatures in the Pacific have been helping boost rainfall in systems coming off the Pacific this winter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Storms to bring rain, snow across eastern US on Monday and Tuesday. If the Conservative Partys high command really thinks that bringing back Boris Johnson in some form is the remedy for its unpopularity then it has, as they say, another think coming. For while Johnson is certainly a more gifted stump campaigner than Rishi Sunak, the mood of the right-of-centre electorate is firmly in what one might refer to as Pete Townshend mode (wont get fooled again). A few joint appearances by Sunak and the blond bombshell or even Johnson standing again will not bring back the long-lost hordes of voters. The basic situation is as follows: for the past decade or so the Conservative Party has steered the country in the manner of an ungifted yet blase learner driver, and now it has been found out. There have been bunny hops up the road, multiple engine stallings and 18-point turns. On Brexit and economic management, the sudden changes of direction have destroyed the illusion of basic competence. But it is on the foundational issue of immigration that the worst offences have been perpetrated. Coming up to every junction, the electorate has told the party to turn right and yet it has, time and again, turned left. Now, the disastrous consequences are plain to see acute housing shortages, public services overwhelmed, core British values overtly condemned by Islamist mobs. On this issue, now consistently ranked the nations number one problem by people who voted Tory in 2019, Johnson is as culpable as his predecessors and successors in 10 Downing Street. David Cameron and Theresa May broke promises to bring annual net migration down to the tens of thousands, averaging a quarter of a million each. Then Johnson promised voters that overall numbers would come down on his watch before raising them to their highest levels. Liz Truss was rumoured to be preparing yet further liberalisations before she was brought down and then Sunak stuck to Johnsons course of 700,000 incomers a year net. And now the Tories appear to think that a bit of end of the pier ice cream licking, Blair and Brown-style, from Sunak and Johnson will bring cultural conservatives in the Red Wall and the traditional shire redoubts flocking back to their banner. That is one cones hotline which is surely destined to fail. Between now and election day, it would be surprising if Johnson refused to offer a few token acts of support for Sunak. No doubt this will include a couple of rallying columns. But this will primarily be to advertise to the remnants of the partys activist base that he remains loyal to it rather than amounting to any serious attempt to keep his usurper in Downing Street. Perhaps Sunak will also offer Johnson the Tory candidacy in one of many soon-to-be vacant plum seats where, the sitting MP is standing down. Kwasi Kwartengs Spelthorne constituency on the edge of London (2019 majority 18,000) could be on offer given that Kwarteng pushed the idea of a Boris resurrection during a weekend television appearance. In which case, Johnson will surely be canny enough to graciously decline and thus preserve the idea that he is an electoral winner and that the impending catastrophe is Sunaks alone. When we learn of two more Tory by-election disasters early on Friday, they will largely be put down to Sunak being an electoral liability for his party. Few will remember that, before his defenestration, Johnson was presiding over similar by-election disasters. There has seldom been a better time to be a prince over the water in Tory politics rather than taking a leading role in the looming episode of Total Wipeout. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. FILE PHOTO: Injection pens and boxes of Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy are shown in this photo illustration in Oslo (Reuters) -Novo Holdings, the controlling shareholder of Danish obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk, plans to invest about $35 billion by 2030, CEO Kasim Kutay told Reuters in an interview on Monday. Novo Holdings would invest about $5 billion a year in the next five years, and that could go up to $7 billion a year by 2030, Kutay said. The company, the investment arm of the Novo Nordisk Foundation, has 77% of voting shares in Novo Nordisk that makes the blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy and diabetes treatment Ozempic. Novo Holdings also has controlling stakes in industrial enzymes maker Novonesis, formerly known as Novozymes, and manages a portfolio of 160 companies. Its portfolio comprises investments across life sciences and capital investments in equities, fixed-income assets, and real estate. Kutay said dividend payments from Novo Nordisk, boosted by the popularity of Ozempic and Wegovy, allowed it to reinvest. The Financial Times first reported on Novo Holdings' investment plans. The move comes soon after Novo Holdings said last week it would buy key manufacturing subcontractor Catalent for $16.5 billion to boost Wegovy output. Earlier this month, the company also said it was investing in Indian private hospital chain Manipal Hospitals, as it seeks to tap into the growing market potential in Asia. Kutay on Monday added that India was a core focus for Novo Holdings' overall Asia strategy, and that it has invested in several companies in the country. For Novo Holdings, which invests in life science companies and had assets of 108 billion euros ($115.86 billion) at end-2022, its recent investment in India was its largest in Asia to date. Kutay added that future investments will be focused on countries in Asia, Europe, and North America, and that there were currently no planned investments in the Africa region. (Reporting by Mrinmay Dey and Devika Madhusudhanan Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman and Sonia Cheema) A winter storm warning has been issued for Monroe County and neighboring counties by the National Weather Service. The exception is northern Wayne County, which is now covered by a winter weather advisory. From Monday night into Tuesday, most of Monroe and Carbon counties are looking at 8 to 12 inches. After increasing the forecast for Mount Pocono and northern Monroe County to 12 to 18 on Monday morning, the NWS office in Philadelphia/Mount Holly has lowered the Mount Pocono total to 12 inches in its Monday afternoon update. Snowfall rates above 1 inch per hour are expected "especially around the Tuesday morning commute, which will make for very hazardous travel conditions," the NWS said in both Monday briefings. More: East Stroudsburg, Honesdale declare snow emergencies Related: Vehicle restrictions set on I-80, I-380, I-84, other highways during winter storm The NWS office in Binghamton, New York, expects 8 to 12 inches of snow for Honesdale and Milford. Kathryne Rubright is the managing editor of the Pocono Record and the Tri-County Independent. Reach her at krubright@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Pocono weather: Winter storm warning issued for Monroe NEW YORK Two progressive New York lawmakers are taking aim at 30- and 60-day migrant shelter stay limits in the latest challenge to the Adams administrations controversial policy. Assemblymember Catalina Cruz of Queens and Manhattan state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal proposed legislation intended to outlaw the Adams Administrations cruel 30 and 60-day rules, they announced in a release on Monday. If approved, the bill would prevent municipalities and the state from placing limits on shelter stays and would bar them from giving shelter residents the boot unless under special circumstances. Kicking people out to the streets during the coldest time of year wont help solve our housing crisis and forcing asylum seekers out of shelters will do nothing to mitigate the migrant situation, Hoylman-Sigal said in a statement. Tens of thousands of migrants have received eviction notices since the city first started rolling out the policy in September, starting with single adults. The first families were required to leave their shelter in January. Single adults are limited to 30 days and families to 60 days of consecutive shelter stays. After their time is up, migrants must reapply for shelter beds at either a site in the East Village or the citys migrant welcome center in Midtown. The bill has the backing of WIN, one of the citys biggest shelter providers, and a coalition of faith-based organizations and advocates called New York Shelter for All in Need Equally, or NY SANE. Gov. Hochul will review the legislation if it passes through both houses of the Legislature, a spokesperson said of Hochuls support. The Adams administration has maintained that the rule is a cost-saving initiative that helps encourage migrants to leave the shelter system. We are grateful for the partnership of our federal and state partners, but, instead of introducing counterproductive legislation, we would encourage members of the Legislature to join us in advocating for meaningful financial help and continuing to ask for more assistance to help resettle families across New York state and the country, said Kayla Mamelak, a spokesperson for the mayor. More than 60% of migrants have chosen to leave the shelter system, Mamelak said, adding that the 30-and-60-day notices encourage more migrants to do so. Most New Yorkers agree that a shelter system should be temporary, especially for children who need consistency and permanency, Mamelak said. A hotel room is no place to grow up or raise a family. But critics have slammed the policy as inhumane. Theyre concerned about the thousands whove slept outside, on trains or in makeshift waiting rooms in gyms and churches while they wait for a new shelter placement, and they say the frequent moves disrupt families and children as they struggle to keep their kids in schools. The current shelter time limit policies are not only inhumane but counterproductive, thrusting families into further uncertainty and distress, Cruz said in a statement. Our legislation to end these arbitrary 30- and 60-day shelter limit policies is more than a policy change; its a commitment to human rights and a testament to New Yorks enduring spirit of inclusivity and compassion. Progressive City Council members last fall proposed a bill aimed to take down the policy that would also eliminate shelter stay limits, but it didnt make it past the end of the session. Last month, City Council members and advocates called on Mayor Eric Adams to lift the limits for migrant families, and City Comptroller Brad Lander is currently investigating the 60-day policy for families. --------- State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Houston, waits to ask a question as debate on HB1 begins on Friday, November 17, 2023. The omnibus education bill faces two dozen amendments in the House. Left to right are Representatives Drew Darby, Ellen Troxclair, Jared Patterson, James Frank and Briscoe Cain. Bob Daemmrich State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, greets a colleague on the House floor during the special session called July 8, 2021. Bob Daemmrich/Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto Lord help us, state Rep. Briscoe Cain is our pick in the race between a somewhat reformed election skeptic and an outright insurrection fomenter. For seven years, the district that includes Crosby, Deer Park and portions of La Porte and Baytown, has been served, or perhaps more accurately not served, by Cain. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Weve had plenty of opportunities to criticize the Deer Park conservative whom Texas Monthly recently called a boy-faced troll. There was the time he dressed in his cowboy finest to travel to Philadelphia after the 2020 election in an attempt to challenge the results and rustle up a win for Donald Trump, as we put it. And the time he attempted to bring his own brand of voter suppression to Texas but botched it when he recessed an elections committee hearing without telling lawmakers when to come back. One day we will look back on Cain and wonder how men such as him would dare stand in the way of Americas march to greater enfranchisement, we wrote at the time. In fact, we described his entire first three terms in office as harmful buffoonery, full of extreme and divisive social media rhetoric that mirrors his approach to policymaking. His ineffectiveness twice landed him on the list of worst legislators by Texas Monthly. This far-right, hobby-horse crusader, who is apparently approaching 40 years old, has matured somewhat since taking office in 2017. He's even earned a target on his back by voting for the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton. Say what you will about Cain, and we have, that vote took integrity and truly putting the law before partisan pressures. Cain's our pick, at least in the Republican primary. VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know for the 2024 Texas Primary Election You may remember his challenger, Bianca Gracia, for her role in helping organize the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally. Or perhaps her cameo in the prequel: an Insurrection Eve video with noted co-stars Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. Or perhaps you caught her return to the screen in the Jan. 6 congressional hearings, where she made repeated use of her catchphrase: I rely on my Fifth Amendment privilege. Despite claiming to have the endorsement of the Almighty, who we have to presume is also the 45th president, she lost a previous run for a state Senate seat. The Latinos for Trump co-founder now has Paxtons endorsement, whatever thats worth. Gracia describes herself as the Christian Conservative Constitutional Candidate but were pretty sure Republican voters already have that alliterative bingo with Cain in the office. Advertisement Article continues below this ad BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) New York State Police are investigating after a 20-year-old man was shot Saturday in the Town of Dunkirk. Saturday, at approximately 2:50 p.m., NYS police said the Bureau of Criminal Investigation responded to Brooks Memorial Hospital for a victim with multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was transported to ECMC and is in guarded condition, according to NYS police. The incident is under an ongoing investigation. Anyone with any information is asked to call 585-344-6200. Emily Miller is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2022. See more of her work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Nuclear crocodiles are real in Florida. No, they don't glow in the dark, but they do spend their lives in the canals outside a nuclear power plant. In Homestead, at Florida Power & Light's (FPL) Turkey Point nuclear power plant, crocodiles that's right, not alligators hatch and live in the canals that cool the steam from the plant and in the ponds created for reptiles. "Back in 1978, a worker found an egg and didn't know what it was and brought it to biologist," said Bill Orlove, senior manager, generation communications, marketing and communications, NextEra Energy, which owns the Florida energy company. "And for the last 40 years, we maintain a crocodile monitoring program to ensure that we are able and aim to be good stewards of the environment." Crocodiles thrive outside Florida Power & Light's Turkey Point nuclear plant. At the time of the first egg discovery at Turkey Point, the American crocodile was on the Endangered Species list of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With the help of FPL, the Florida population has recovered and is now classified as threatened by the federal service and Floridas Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. What's the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? Alligators and crocodiles both live in Florida. Everglades National Park is the only place in the world where they coexist. They can be distinguished by head shape and color. Alligators, which more people know and see in Florida, have a broad, rounded snout with no lower teeth visible when their jaws are closed. They are primarily dark gray in color with a lighter color underside. The American crocodile has a narrow snout, and the fourth tooth of the lower jaw protrudes when closed. They are brownish gray, and usually are paler in color than alligators. A reptile swims in a pond Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Jensen Beach. FPL's American Crocodile Program The company's American Crocodile Program preserves and creates habitat for crocodile nesting and basking, Orlove said in an interview. The team conducts capture surveys to document population size, activity, growth and survival of the species. The Turkey Point team works with hatchlings for five days before releasing them back into the wild. During that time, the team measures, weighs, sexes and microchips the hatchlings. Around 2,000 American crocodiles live in South Florida with 400 adults in Turkey Point alone. In 2021, the Turkey Point team tagged 565 hatchlings, the largest number in the programs history, Orlove said. In 2022, the team saw a record-breaking number of nests at 33, and the third largest number of hatchlings tagged and released with 512. Crocodiles thrive outside Florida Power & Light's Turkey Point nuclear plant. How did a power company do this? The canals used to cool the steam at Turkey Point instead of cooling towers also serve as a perfect habitat for the crocodiles. FPL built 168 linear miles of canals it uses for the operation of the plant, Orlove said. "It didn't happen because we built these canals but the canals and the habitat within it, allows a great habitat for these American crocodiles to go through the whole circle of life," he said. They have been "downlisted from endangered to threatened and that is in part because of this habitat they have in these canals. Absolutely they are thriving." So that the crocodiles can spend their entire life cycle in the area around Turkey Point, FPL dug out fresh-water ponds. "They (crocodiles) need to have both fresh water and salt water," Orlove said. "They have that because there are fresh-water ponds that we have dug out in the berms. They bring the eggs up to the berms, that's where the females lay their eggs. And when they hatch, they come out and they need to be in fresh water before they come into salt water. It gives them that habitat. "It's able to survive by mating, hatching. Everything is there." After the first crocodile egg was found, FPL wanted to help the reptile survive. The company's American Crocodile Program conducts capture surveys to document population size, activity, growth and survival of the species. Mutual of Omahas Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild crew traveled to Florida to visit Turkey Point to see its more than 500 crocodiles. Its program called "Nuclear Crocs of the Everglades" aired in 2023. In 1992, 107 crocodiles lived on the 11,000 protected acres at Turkey Point when Mutual of Omahas Wildlife Heritage Trust visited. "It's very unique in that we have the ability to provide clean emissions free energy in this very unique habitat," Orlove said. Not only do crocodiles live there, but also birds and plant life," he said. "This is an example of how wildlife can thrive next to a nuclear power facility." The American crocodile program at Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Site in Homestead has helped the reptile rebound. Photographed on Tuesday, July, 17, 2019. The baby crocodiles are caught, sexed, chipped, measured, weighed and released. The plant's cooling canals are perfect habitat for the vulnerable species which nest on the man made berms. An American Crocodile rests on Croc Island prior to Gatorama's Big Bull Roundup on Sunday at the Moore Haven attraction. The American crocodile program at Turkey Point Nuclear Generating Site in Homestead has helped the reptile rebound. Photographed on Tuesday, July, 17, 2019. The baby crocodiles are caught, sexed, chipped, measured, weighed and released. The plant's cooling canals are perfect habitat for the vulnerable species which nest on the man made berms. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Florida nuclear site home to American crocodiles and they're thriving Police failed to attend 40 per cent of shoplifting incidents where there was violence, despite an agreement to prioritise such offences, official figures show. Officers also failed to attend in a quarter of cases where the shoplifter was detained by shop or security staff, according to the data from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC). The figures represented a significant improvement on last year but revealed big performance differences between forces, with some achieving 100 per cent attendance rates for violent shoplifting incidents or where the offender was detained. The figures were based on 31 of the 43 forces in England and Wales who were each asked to review 50 shop theft crimes from Dec 1 last year. The exercise was designed to assess the impact of an agreement announced last October where police pledged to attend shoplifting incidents if there was violence against a store worker, a suspected thief was detained or officers were needed to secure evidence. Epidemic of shoplifting It was launched amid an epidemic of shoplifting, with offences rising by more than 30 per cent in a year to a record 1,300 a day. In the year to September 2023, there were 402,482 offences, the first time on record that it has passed 400,000 in a year. Katy Bourne, head of retail crime for the Association of Police of Crime Commissioners, said that while there had been a step forward in attendance rates, she was disappointed that the amount of shoplifting and abuse of shopworkers had been allowed to rise to such levels. At the end of the day, pursuing leads and lines of inquiry should be what police should be doing anyway, regardless of the type of crime. These are the types of crimes that matter to the public, she said. Theres a lot of work still to be done. There was still a quarter that didnt respond to the call-out. I want a consistent and prolonged approach by police to tackle it. The data showed that of more than 1,500 crimes reviewed across all retailers, police attended 60 per cent where violence had been used, leaving 40 per cent unattended. Some 16 per cent of the forces sampled reported 100 per cent attendance to this type of incident. New violence against shopworkers law Police attendance for detained shoplifters was 76 per cent, leaving 24 per cent unattended. Some 21 per cent had 100 per cent attendance rates. The NPCC said attendance depended on whether an offender had left the scene or been let go before police were called, how soon after the incident it was reported, whether a retailer may not support a prosecution, or when officers are dealing with or are diverted to an urgent incident elsewhere. The British Retail Consortium is expected to call on Wednesday for a new specific standalone offence of violence against a shopworker, with attacks and abuse of staff at a record high of more than 400 incidents a day. Shop managers have told of ordeals such as groups of masked and armed youngsters battering through glass doors, leaping over kiosks and looting shelves. The Co-op has reported assaults on staff have increased by almost 30 per cent, with 20 per cent more anti-social behaviour and verbal abuse. Threatened with knives and screwdrivers Employees described being threatened by raiders with knives and screwdrivers - with Co-op worker Charlene Corbin, 28, sharing snaps of her bloodied face after she was bottled by a shoplifter. David McKelvey, a former Scotland Yard detective chief inspector and founder of TM Eye, which provides retailers with private detectives who apprehend and prosecute shoplifters, said many stores had introduced non-intervention policies because of the risk of injury to staff or to the shoplifter. He said this was being exploited by prolific offenders who felt they now had free rein to steal. There needs to be more enforcement. If you start catching the shoplifters and put them before the courts and they get decent sentences you will solve the problem very quickly, he said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Emergency officials investigated the scene of a plane crash on I-75 in Naples near exit 105 on Saturday. The plane carrying five people crashed on Friday and two people were confirmed dead. The plane that took off from Ohio State University's airport and crashed along Interstate 75 in Florida could end up being one of around 1,000 or so plane accidents across the United States this year. But data shows the number of accidents that result in serious injuries or fatalities have declined for roughly 30 years. A 68-foot-long Bombardier Challenger 600 had five people on board when it took off from Ohio State University's airport at 12:30 p.m. Friday on its way to Naples Airport. Made with Flourish Both the pilot and co-pilot flying the jet that crashed Friday died. But three people survived the crash, including two Columbus residents. Since 1992, the number of airplane accidents has declined by almost half, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. In 1992, there were 2,110 airplane accidents in the U.S. resulting in 866 deaths and 408 people being seriously injured. Accidents declined to 1,157 while fatalities fell to 344 and injuries to 221 as of 2021, the most recent year for which data is available from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Read More: Bombardier Challenger 600 series aircraft has history of fatal crashes, records show By comparison, far more Ohioans died in car accidents in 2021 with 1,354 losing their life on roadways in the state, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. As the number of airplane accidents have decline, the number of hours flown have largely remained the same in the U.S., data shows. Even if a plane does crash, the likelihood of people aboard surviving is relatively high, a study from the National Transportation Safety Board that examined data from 1983 through 2000found. In 94% of crashes involving "Part 121 aircraft," which includes planes carrying 10 passengers or more and most commercial jets, nearly all people aboard survived an accident, according to the study. Made with Flourish mfilby@dispatch.com @MaxFilby This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: After Ohio jet crashed in Florida, a look at how often planes go down In a move that puts career education on par with traditional academic schooling, the Ohio state education department has become the first in the nation to add and Workforce to its name. Steve Dackin, appointed as the first director of the recast Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, told The 74 in an interview last month that building pathways to careers will be his second biggest priority just after overseeing Ohios shift to the science of reading, which Gov. Mike DeWine and the legislature also mandated last year. For Dackin, career education even comes before the difficult task of tackling academic deficits students developed during the pandemic. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter I think a good job is the quickest way out of poverty, said Dackin, a former local school superintendent and community college administrator. I just see this as the mission of the agency. First priority is making sure kids can read and write, he said. Second priority is making sure that theyre able to be employed and have a path to a good job. Dackin, 66, comes to the job with clear strengths, but also with controversy. He has experience in both school districts and career pathways, having served as superintendent for more than six years of the 7,500-student Reynoldsburg school district near Columbus. Additionally, he has more than seven years connecting students, businesses and Columbus State Community College as that schools superintendent of school and community partnerships. Over the last few years, Dackin has also worked with the Governors Executive Workforce Board on a research project that looks at how well schools teach students about career opportunities. He said that the project, whose findings could be released in February, will be one guide in his new position. A former member of Ohios State Board of Education, the current board selected him as state superintendent in 2022 to head the old version of the education department. But Dackin, who had a lead role in the search for that post before becoming a candidate, faced ethics complaints and had to step down just three weeks after taking the job. Since the new director position is now appointed by the governor, the conflict of interest issues no longer apply. Ohios shift to having an appointed director also drew controversy because it takes away control from the state school board, which has some elected members, and gives it to the governor. Some state board members sued to block the change, saying it would violate the rights of voters who elected them, but they failed and the powers of the state board and superintendent are now much more limited. With those issues cleared, Dackin talked with The 74 about the departments expanded mission. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. The 74: Do you see the mission of this department really changing now that workforce has been added to the name? How much? Dackin: Yes. I mean, we have workforce in our title. We cant separate education from workforce. Its inseparable. And so to have a prepared workforce means that we have to do our due diligence on the preparation side. Ive heard a lot in the last four or five years, from employers about their needs, and you hear everything from I just need people who can pass a drug test.thats a refrain from some to We cant find people who have the skill set that I need, you know, and We cant find people who have the employability skills that I need, like showing up to work on time and being able to work with people, contribute to the team, some of those things that we know are needed. The American High School is amazing to me, how resilient its been for 50 years. Think about your own experience in high school. My guess is you experienced a seven or eight-period day where you had classes every 50 minutes and three minutes or four minutes between a class and then went to the next class and went to the next class and, and so on. And high schools look a lot like that still. I think its time to take a step back and ask ourselves, Are we getting what we need to have for this new demand of an information-based economy? I think thats a lofty question for a whole lot of people to try to answer. The 74: Are you watching what Indianas doing right now? Theyre having a big talk about rethinking and transforming High School and making work experiences a much more central part of high school. Dackin: Well, I will be now. No, I wasnt aware of that. And again, Im 14 days in the job, but Im always interested in looking at whatever places that are producing real outcomes. Because there are a lot of places doing things, but not many places are producing real outcomes. And again, to me, the ultimate outcome is a good job. I think a good job is the quickest way out of poverty We have so many good jobs in Ohio right now. I just see this as the mission of the agency. First priority is making sure kids can read or write. Second priority is making sure that theyre able to be employed and have a path to a good job. Third thing were trying to do is to deal with the accelerated learning issues that we have. You know the pandemic really set a lotwe had some students in the state who werent in school for two years. And so theres still a lag there, around what they experience and where theyre at, and their gaps in learning, mathematics being a really good example of that. We have huge achievement gaps in math, more than even literacy. So we have to think about interventions we need to be doing and, frankly, make sure the department has a role in helping to analyze and research interventions that work and make those available to folks. And then the fourth priority is none of this happens well if students arent safe, or they have challenges in their mental or emotional well-being. Ive always applauded the governor since his first budget for putting money in and getting the legislature to agree to make dollars available for student wellness. Its really hard to concentrate and read and write and do arithmetic if youre dealing with all kinds of emotional or mental health issues. So these are our four priorities. Thats all I want. Four. And they align with the Governors priorities. And I think when you can get really focused on doing a few things but doing better than anybody else, youve got a shot at doing something big. The 74: You were state superintendent briefly under the old system? Do you prefer it this way? Is this really the best way going forward? Dackin: Yeah. I think the thing that I liked about this opportunity is that the governors focus is the same focus Ive had my entire career. And its the same focus I had even as an appointee on the state board. First and foremost is literacy. We cant accomplish our workforce goals if kids are not reading at or above grade level as they matriculate through the system. Thats foundational. I think that literacy is almost a right. Hes put a stake in the ground around the science of reading. We know more now about how kids read and learn how to read than we ever have in the past. Our knowledge about the function of the cognitive processes in young brains, we know more now than ever. For him to say, This is what were going to do in Ohio, took courage. And it was a visionary step on his part, to get us on the right path toward a more preferred future. The 74: Did you make the jump to science reading, when you were at Reynoldsburg? Dackin: We did the science of reading in Reynoldsburg. We didnt call it that, but we had the components of the science of reading. One of the things we did really well in Reynoldsburg is that we hired really, really, really, really quality teachers and principals. And then we gave them the authority to make decisions that they felt were in the best interests of their kids, relative to the outcomes we set. That was a difference-maker. The 74: So what if the professional in the classroom wants to use three-cueing with the kids? (Ohios law that requires teachers to use the science of reading approaches banned so-called cueing having young students figure out what a word is through context or pictures that has been a key part of other reading strategies.) Dackin: Well, right now, the role of the Department of Education is to enforce the law. And so thats what Im gonna do. Im gonna enforce the law. Thats kind of a nonnegotiable. The 74: But do you agree with that, that it should be banned, like the state has? Dackin: I agree with the fact that we have focused on five components of the science of reading that are research-based and have proven results. We felt that when I was a superintendent, and I know districts that do it very well. And so thats where I plant my flag. The 74: With this new department, how would you balance how much is straight workforce prep? And how much is just straight education? Dackin: I dont think you can separate the two. Thats been one of our challenges, not just Ohio, but across the country. Weve seen Career Tech as a place that some kids go, and we have general education as a place for other kids to go, and its been this kind of separation point. But employers say the skill sets that are needed, and the knowledge base that is needed now in the workforce are a sophisticated set of skills. The last couple years, Ive been working on a project on an issue that I think few people have a fundamental understanding of. The number of kids who enter high school in any given year in Ohio as freshmenabout 135136,000 between 68 and 70% of those kids never get to a four-year degree In Ohio. Its a big number. But we have all these jobs that are posted right now that we cant fill. And so we need every able-bodied Ohioan to be skilled, ready to take these jobs. We cant have a stat like that, where three-quarters of the workforce after they get out of high school, are not sure what theyre doing. We then have to kind of reverse-engineer this a little bit. And that is, what are they doing while they are in K-12? And how do we ensure that kids are graduating and how do we expand opportunities while we have them in K-12 so that theyre leaving us in K-12 with requisite skills that become employable? Dackin continued talking about the research project with the Governors Executive Workforce Board and how little students are taught about career opportunities. One thing we do not do well in high schools in this state, and I suspect in many states, we never grab a kids heart while theyre in high school. I think its time to kind of use the phrase, reverse engineer, the middle school, high school experience so that we can start grabbing kids hearts. They dont know what they dont know, and they dont know about careers, largely. We found out a couple things. One is most kids were led to believe that their primary opportunities would be either in college or the military. There was little discussion about careers in technology, careers in medicine. So right now theyre at a deficit. If you ask a kid, what do you want to do when you get out of high school, theyre void of much information about whats available. Thats a shame, shame on us as adults. Weve got to figure that out. I think our challenge is to make sure that every kid, as theyre going through our K-12 system, their parents have access to labor market data that talks about what the careers are, what the pay is, what it takes to get from point A to point B. So many people dont know how to navigate the system, because its very complex. The 74: How much do you think that report is going to guide some of your vision for this job going forward? Dackin: I think that is one of many blueprints that we can build on. Youve got to have multiple strategies. And weve got to see some pilots out there where we can get real data on whats happening, real outcome data. One of our challenges in our state is its tough to get employability data. Weve got (places where) its being done pretty well. Our challenge in Ohio is how do we scale that? How do we ensure that it just isnt the luck of the draw, that a kid happens to be in a place where they have a really well-thought-out system from K-12 to a good job? College may be part of that, maybe not, but how do we scale it? Ohio is paying more students to attend private schools than ever before thanks to a change in state law and concerted marketing from non-public schools. Ohio has awarded more than 82,000 vouchers for private school students for the 2023-2024 school year triple the number of scholarships doled out in previous years, according to the most recent Ohio Department of Education and Workforce data. Vouchers account for almost half of the 170,000 students enrolled in private schools during the 2022-2023 school year. Ohio hasn't yet released enrollment totals for the most recent school year. The surge in vouchers happened because Ohio's Republican-controlled Legislature took a program initially pitched as a way to help lower-income families escape troubled public schools and expanded the applicant pool to all private school students. Meanwhile, private schools are pitching the vouchers as a "major blessing" for their budgets, encouraging current students to apply for the taxpayer-funded program. In some cases, families risked losing church subsidies or discounts if they didn't apply for vouchers. Proponents of universal vouchers say it's important for parents to have a choice in where their children attend school. Children should never dread going to class, and parents should always have confidence that their children are walking into a positive, results-focused learning environment," Senate President Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said after the changes were approved. Opponents say the state shouldn't be shelling out taxpayer money for private, oftentimes religious, education. William Phillis, executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity & Adequacy of School Funding, said the concept seems even more ridiculous when you apply it to other public services. "If I want to join a country club instead of using the public parks, I shouldn't be entitled to a voucher to cash in at a private country club," Phillis, a former teacher and state assistant superintendent of public instruction, said. "Or if I don't want to swim in the public pool, I'm not entitled to a voucher to build a backyard pool at my residence." The debate is also the subject of a pending lawsuit in which 100 school districts sued the state to stop the private school voucher program. What is the cost? The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce doesn't yet know the final cost of the state's universal voucher program. While lawmakers were debating the idea, the Ohio Legislative Service Commission estimated it would cost $397.8 million for the 2023-2024 school year and $439.1 million for the 2024-2025 school year. That's still a fraction of the nearly $13 billion that Ohio spends on K-12 education in a year or $13.5 billion allocated for transportation over two years. So far, the average amount awarded for this type of voucher has been $4,962, according to the state education department. At that rate, vouchers would cost $406.9 million for 82,000 awardees or $452.5 million if all of the 91,200 current applicants are approved. Halfway through the school year, the state has paid out $116.9 million for this type of voucher. But determining the final cost isn't as simple as doubling that number, an Ohio Department of Education and Workforce spokeswoman explained. More people could apply or others could leave the school or state before collecting the full sum. It's not yet clear how many of those vouchers went to students choosing a private school for the first time versus students already enrolled in private education. "A sizeable portion" likely came from the latter, said Chad Aldis, director of Ohio policy at the pro-voucher Thomas B. FordhamInstitute. Each student in kindergarten through eighth grade is eligible for up to $6,165 per year or $8,407 annually for high school students. Families with incomes at or below 450% of the federal poverty rate, which is about $135,000 for a family of four, are eligible for the full amount. Those who make more would get an increasingly smaller sum of at least $650 annually for K-8th and $950 for high school. Opponents of the vouchers say that is money that should be allocated to public schools instead. Proponents, like Aldis, said local school districts aren't getting shorted. "That pot was much larger because the Legislature expected EdChoice scholarships to be taken from it," he said. Who is getting Ohio's vouchers? The new rules for vouchers have also changed the demographics of who gets them. More students of every race were awarded vouchers for the 2023-2024 school year, but white students saw the largest jump. White students comprised 82% of EdChoice expansion vouchers for the 2023-2024 school year, compared to about 66% in recent years, according to an analysis of Ohio DEW data. Meanwhile, Black students comprised 6% of these vouchers in the 2023-2024 school year compared to 15% in previous years. Hispanic students' vouchers were 4% of the total for the current school year compared to 8.6% in past years. "Current private school students, until I see otherwise I will assume, were the bulk of the new applicants," Aldis said. "If that's the case, then you would expect them to be a little whiter, a little wealthier, whatever the general private school description would be." Vouchers for high school students also increased dramatically, a nearly five-fold jump from the previous school year. What's next? Ohio's Republican lawmakers are looking for more ways to help out students at non-public schools. "Universal vouchers is kind of a halfway point for some of these voucher advocates," Phillis said. "There's this huge appetite on the part of some state officials to take as much money away from the public system as possible for the benefit of increasing the private school enrollment." Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery, has proposed creating educational saving accounts for students at non-chartered, nonpublic schools, many of which are religious. House Bill 339 would cost about $238 million per year if all 32,000 of their estimated students obtained a savings account, according to a Legislative Service Commission analysis. "The state should not be in the business of picking winners and losers," Click told lawmakers in committee. Fordham hasn't taken a position on Click's bill. "The question is whether it's appropriate for state resources to flow to those schools that have opted out of all oversight," Aldis said. Lawmakers have also floated giving private schools money for repairs or to construct new buildings, much like their public school counterparts. Aldis said it's worth considering if state lawmakers can figure out how state money impacts who owns the building. Jessie Balmert is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio's private school vouchers swell after eligibility expansion For years, Soper Public Schools had four-day school weeks. It still does, in a way, but its unique method might become outlawed. The southeast Oklahoma district has students complete assignments from home on Fridays. Soper calls them back to basics days where students reinforce fundamental lessons, like multiplication tables, the cursive alphabet and reading an analog clock. The districts academic results are similar to the year before when students attended school five days a week, Superintendent Scott Van Worth said, and discipline issues have decreased. He said families prefer the schedule, and so do his teachers. Parents are way happier, Van Worth said. Kids are happier. Teachers are happier. Its a good deal. I think all schools should try it to be honest with you. But in the eyes of some lawmakers, no district should use virtual school days to this extent. Sen. Kristen Thompson during a press conference by the Oklahoma Senate to lay out their education priorities for the 2024 Legislative Session at the Oklahoma Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. Sponsor of bill to ban most virtual instruction days says families can't afford to miss work for remote learning A bill that advanced to the Senate floor last week would prohibit traditional public schools from using virtual instruction days except in cases of inclement weather, building maintenance issues or lack of staff due to illnesses. Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, said a pre-planned virtual school day was disruptive for her family and ineffective for learning. She said her older children finished their schoolwork in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, she had to take a day off of work to help her kindergartener complete his online assignments. Since filing Senate Bill 1768 to limit virtual school days only to emergency situations, Thompson said shes heard from other parents across the state who have had to spend weeks of paid time off from work because their childrens school scheduled a high number of remote learning days. I would hope that we minimize our use of virtual days, Thompson said during a committee hearing Tuesday. I dont think that theyre effective. I know there are situations that we need them, but we have got to look at what this is doing to our current workforce. More: His son was critically injured during a traffic stop. It's changed Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat's legislative goals Not all school districts use virtual days as often as Soper. Many include five or fewer in their school calendars, sometimes overlapping with parent-teacher conferences or days where staff have professional development. But some schedule dozens of remote learning days throughout the school year. Its unclear how many school districts made this a practice, but Oklahoma Voice found five, including Soper, who included 20 or more remote learning days in their academic calendar this school year. Parents enroll their children in traditional public schools because they expect in-person instruction, said Sen. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, a co-author of SB 1768. If a parent chooses to put their kids into a virtual environment, that choice is out there for them, Paxton said. If they choose to homeschool their children, that choice is out there for them. I expect those (public school) buildings to be open to educate my children. What's next for Soper Public Schools if virtual learning bill passes If the bill becomes law, Soper schools will comply, Van Worth said. But teachers at retirement age will likely leave, and it wont be easy to replace them, he said. The school district had a four-day school week for eight years until recently, when the criteria to keep that schedule became significantly stricter. Thats why Soper tried a five-day week last school year and realized its community roundly preferred the four-day schedule. Forcing the district to reverse course would be a huge mistake by lawmakers, Van Worth said. More is not always better, he said. More is sometimes just more. Getting breaks actually lets you come back and get more done. I think were missing that in American culture. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma lawmakers look to limit virtual learning days for schools Texas State Representative Lacey Hull is shown Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022, in Houston. Melissa Phillip / Staff Photographer In the raging Texas Republican civil war, House District 138 has emerged as yet another battlefield. Incumbent and staunch conservative Lacey Hull is not only facing a challenger after her vote to impeach fellow Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. She's also enduring targeted Islamophobic mailers attacking her, and other Republican incumbents, for a vote to recognize some Muslim holidays. If Hull deserves criticism, its certainly not for either of those positions. Born and raised in her district, the Spring Branch representative has been on the front lines of the culture wars, supporting bills that place limits on transgender student athletes and condemn critical race theory. She has a few laudable legislative wins that cut across partisan lines, including her freshman-term John and Josephs Law, which requires law enforcement and medical examiners to participate in a national database to help ID unidentified persons and her more recent bipartisan work to restrict schools from using handcuffs on children, though she was unsuccessful in curbing the use of other restraints. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Yes, she's contributed, as we wrote in her last primary race, to our ever-deeper partisan rancor. But it was an act of integrity voting to impeach Paxton based on credible evidence of corruption that has now made her a target of such rancor, despite being one of the most solidly conservative voices in the House. Hull is by far a preferable candidate to her challenger, Jared Woodfill, former Harris County GOP chairman, activist and lawyer who seems nearly as dogged by drama as Paxton himself. Woodfill was ousted in 2014 from his party chairmanship in part for his divisiveness and in part for lagging outreach, fundraising, recruitment and lack of transparency in financial operations. Woodfill has Paxtons endorsement, but perhaps more to the point, he has the blessing of GOP megadonor and far-right activist Steven Hotze. If Hull is a soldier in the culture wars, Woodfill is an extremist major of mayhem. The partisan operative has come to the legal defense of some of the most reprehensible people in Texas politics. VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know for the 2024 Texas Primary Election Advertisement Article continues below this ad Woodfill testified in 2004 to being aware that another conservative colleague, former state Rep. Paul Pressler, had been accused of sexual abuse against a minor. That apparently didnt stop Woodfills law firm from, as Texas Monthly wrote, supplying him with a stream of young male assistants for at least the next thirteen years. Woodfill has minimized the allegations but at least some were settled confidentially in December. Meanwhile, Woodfill boasts helping defeat Houston's equal rights ordinance, or HERO, which extended protections against discrimination to a wide variety of Houstonians, including women, people with disabilities, military members, and yes, transgender people seeking to pee in peace. More recently, Woodfill has been at Hotze's side as he faces criminal charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, for funding a voter-fraud-hunting scheme in which one of his investigators ran an innocent A/C repairman off the road and held him at gunpoint on the false assumption that he was trafficking fraudulent ballots. (Bloomberg) -- Donald Trumps latest provocation reciting an old conversation where he said hed let Russia do whatever the hell they want to NATO members in arrears had officials in Europe going back to that time and remembering it somewhat differently. Most Read from Bloomberg Several European officials who interacted with Trump at multiple summits of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said they couldnt recall the version of events the former president and current Republican front-runner shared with a rally of supporters in South Carolina, nor that he ever went as far as saying hed invite a Russian attack. They have memories of Trump repeatedly hectoring members who were falling short of NATOs spending target at multiple meetings and goading them to pay up fees in return for being protected. In fact, during the 2018 summit in Brussels, Trump called a hastily arranged news conference to address reports that he had privately threatened to pull out of the post-World War II alliance if countries didnt quickly increase defense spending. Not only do officials on the continent remember Trumps antagonism differently, this time around they come prepared to handle a lot of what he will throw out. There is an awareness that the former president will mix facts with fiction, that he is prone to exaggeration and that the tight race is descending into an ugly contest with politics playing to a domestic audience. They realize that this wont be the first or indeed the last incident where Trumps own recounting of an interaction with a foreign leader is resurrected and retold to US voters. The European Union boosted defense spending in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine and it has already set in motion plans in the event Trump gets another term as president, and the messaging in Europe tends to be more restrained. President Joe Biden is fighting for re-election and his White House naturally went on the attack, calling the comments appalling. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance remains ready and able to defend all allies. As Bloomberg reported last week, EU has quietly started preparing an impact assessment of the consequences of the November US election, paying particular attention to the scenario in which Trump wins. If anything, Trumps comments have re-energized talk of European solidarity and of finding ways to boost funding for its defense sector even further. If Europe does not take more effective care of its own security, if we will make Europes security depending solely on the good will and readiness to defend the US, sooner or later it may end in disaster, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday. We also need to wake up Europe. Though Trump repeatedly criticized members for not paying their dues, NATO doesnt have membership or protection fees. Its members pledged to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense and abide by the principle that an attack on one is an attack on all. In his 2020 memoir, The Room Where It Happened, former National Security Advisor John Bolton recounts how Trump planned to threaten to withdraw from NATO at the 2018 summit. The then-president told his adviser ahead of the gathering that he planned to tell allies that by the following Jan. 1 all nations must commit to 2%, or we will walk out, and not defend those who have not. Bolton sought to rein in Trump, telling him to go up to the line, but dont cross it. He should slam delinquent members but not threaten withdrawal, Bolton told him, according to his account. In the end, Trump told allies he was with NATO 100%, but that allies had to pay the 2% by Jan. 1 or the US was just going to do its own thing, Bolton wrote. At the same 2018 summit, Trump vehemently reprimanded Germany for its backing of the projected Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would carry natural gas from Russia as well as Berlins purchases of Russian gas overall. So were supposed to protect you against Russia, and theyre paying billions to Russia, Trump told NATOs Stoltenberg. Germany is totally controlled by Russia. During the meeting, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who is the front-runner to take over as NATO chief from Stoltenberg, enlisted fellow leaders to take a soft approach with Trump, saying that the former presidents argument was right and that Europe needed to pay more, according to a person present for the exchange, effectively deescalating the situation. Facing blow back from his Saturday comments, Trumps campaign contended that his time in office included relative stability in Europe and it reiterated his longtime claims that he goaded NATO member countries to increase spending. While Trumps misunderstanding of how NATO works hasnt changed in the past six years, Europe has taken major strides since Russias invasion of Ukraine, said one of the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. NATO allies, and Europe in particular, significantly scaled back defense spending in the years after the end of the Cold War, only starting to reverse the trend in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. But Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022 has accelerated the shift, most notably in Germany, which chronically underspend. Defense spending has been rising to unprecedented levels since Russias war in Ukraine, said Oana Lungescu, a distinguished fellow at RUSI and former NATO spokesperson, adding that she expects that around two thirds of NATO allies will meet the guideline this year. But its clear that NATO countries simply have to invest much more and much faster in their own defense, regardless of who sits in the White House. European allies have shipped tens of billions of dollars worth of advanced weapons to Ukraine, even after initially resisting when Russias tanks rolled toward Kyiv. The EU as a bloc, of which most members are also part of NATO, has also taken unprecedented steps into active military support for Ukraine, both in weapons aid and military training. The EU is working on plans to increase its artillery production and ramp up its defense industry, including with a new strategy due to be unveiled in the coming weeks. Despite European efforts to bolster its defense industry, it would take many years for it to realistically replace the security umbrella provided by the US, and any move by Washington to rethink its NATO commitments would be potentially catastrophic for Europe. Just last month, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said it would be a nightmare scenario if the US were to withdraw its European forces. Trumps latest remarks, coupled with his lead in the polls ahead of Novembers election and the ongoing deadlock in Congress where a $60 billion aid package that Ukraine desperately needs remains deadlocked, is likely to strengthen those voices that have been calling on the EU to do even more to boost its capabilities and autonomy. The idea of a more strategically autonomous Europe was once a mostly intellectual concept advocated by France and a few others. Nowadays, even diplomats in some of the USs staunchest allies in central and eastern Europe argue that the EU needs the ability and capabilities to act within NATO and stand on its own two feet, according to multiple officials in those countries. That day is still many years away. A target to provide Ukraine with one million rounds of artillery by March has been delayed until the end of the year and member states are still at odds over how to raise the tens of billions its defense industry needs to expand and how to spend the money. Beyond the immediate reactions, Trumps latest remarks may well sharpen minds even further when EU leaders gather in Brussels next month at a summit to discuss a strategy for their defense industry. They reemphasize the need for the EU to urgently further develop its strategic autonomy and invest in its defense. And to keep our Alliance strong, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said on the platform X. Read this next: In Trump-Biden Rematch, the Only Sure Loser Is China --With assistance from Natalia Ojewska. (Updates with Trumps criticism of Germanys gas purchases in the 12th paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. By David Stanway SINGAPORE (Reuters) - More than a fifth of the world's migrating species are at risk of going extinct as a result of climate change and human encroachment, according to the United Nation's first-ever report on migrating animals published on Monday. Billions of animals make journeys across deserts, plains or oceans every year to breed and feed, and "unsustainable" pressures put on migratory species could not only see their populations dwindle, but also disrupt food supplies and threaten livelihoods, the report said. Of the 1,189 species covered by a 1979 U.N. convention to protect migratory animals, 44% have seen numbers decline, and as many as 22% could vanish altogether, the report added. The numbers were based on assessments and data provided by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as well as the Living Planet Index, which collates population numbers for more than 5,000 species from 1970 onwards. The report, released on Monday, gives "a very clear direction" about what governments need to do to tackle the threats to migratory species, said Amy Fraenkel, executive secretary of the U.N. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. "It's always about implementation," she said ahead of the convention's meeting, held this week in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Humans pose the biggest threat, with activities including hunting, fishing and other forms of overexploitation impacting 70% of the species on the U.N. list. Habitat loss affected up to 75% of the species underlining the need for more connectivity between isolated ecosystems. The report's authors urged governments to avoid disrupting habitats and migration paths when installing infrastructure such as dams, pipelines or wind turbines. "We need to look at the top levels of government decision making," said Fraenkel "and what is being planned so that we can make sure that we can ... address human needs while not sacrificing the nature we all need to survive." The pressures are being compounded by temperature changes, which disrupt the timing of migrations, cause heat stress and drive increasingly destructive weather-related events such as drought or forest fires. "The changes that had been already predicted some years ago are now happening," Fraenkel said. Parties to the Convention meet every three years to review new species to add to its watchlist. Among the animals being considered at this week's Samarkand meeting will be the giant Amazon catfish. The agency will also launch a new program to provide technical assistance for countries to protect habitats more effectively, Fraenkel said. Conservationists urged governments to honour their 2022 pledge under the new global biodiversity agreement to set aside 30% of the world's land and sea territories for nature by 2030. "If governments do everything they have committed to do, then the next (U.N. report) will have some good news," said Susan Lieberman, vice-president of international policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society, who is attending the Samarkand meeting. (Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Katy Daigle and Miral Fahmy) Students at one New Hampshire high school will see a heightened police presence on Tuesday after a fight led to the arrest of one student and a hospital trip for another. Officers responding to Memorial High School around 12:15 p.m. for a report of an assault found that two male students, who are both minors, had gotten into an argument that turned violent, eventually escalating to a physical fight, according to Manchester Police. One student was injured and transported to an area hospital with injuries not considered to be life-threatening. The other student was charged with second-degree assault and taken into custody. The school was put into a stay in place status while authorities investigated. There is no tolerance for behaviors that impact the safety of the school community or disrupt routine operations, said Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Chmiel Gillis. We will continue to work with the Manchester Police Department and the school administration to fully investigate and take appropriate action under our student code of conduct. Out of an abundance of caution, we expect an increased police presence at the school tomorrow. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Well, of course both The New York Times and The Washington Post led with stories Saturday morning about Joe Bidens age and mental acuity. The story of special counsel Robert Hurs report and its petty rhetoric about the presidents supposed memory lapses broke Thursday afternoon. It was the lead story in both papers Friday, perhaps understandably. But then it was still the lead Saturday. And even on Sunday both papers were still chewing it over, although to its credit, the Posts Sunday piece didnt just lazily extend the narrative with another beard-scratching news analysis about Democrats deep concern but reported on what actually happened during Bidens two interviews with Hur. (Spoiler alert: Nothing occurred in the sessions to make White House aides think that attacks on Bidens memory would feature in the report at all.) Were at a fateful crossroads here. On one road, the Avenue of Responsible Sobriety traveled by the Times and the Post and most of the mainstream media, lies legitimate and necessary dialogue about whether any octogenarian, and this one specifically, is fit to be president. But the other road, the Mad Max Hellscape Expressway, has been taken over by the right-wing media, whose interest is not legitimate dialogue but the utter destruction of the octogenarian in question. This is not a level playing field, folks. Where these roads meet, the souped-up Hummers of the Hellscape Expressway will overrun the dainty Priuses of Responsibility Avenue. I have my reservations about Bidenand in a better, more mature world, Id love to air the necessary debate fully. We should have done this in 2020. But in the world we inhabit, dwelling on Bidens capacity or lack thereof will frame this discussion in such a way that will accomplish only one thing. It will elect the man who just gave Vladimir Putin a green light to invade NATO allies. Whats the greater potential for havoc and destruction of our way of lifethe things Biden forgets, or the things Trump remembers? I have written what Im about to write here probably 20 times in the last couple years, and Ill write it 20 more or 200 more until I see people starting to get the point. In terms of how the American political media works, we have recently crossed a dark Rubicon. We now live in a world, which I believe we entered after January 6, 2021, in which the right-wing media sets the national agenda. The mainstream media follows. Going way back in time, we had only a mainstream mediathe Times and the Post and the Associated Press and the major networks. In the 1970s, after the famous Powell Memo, wealthy conservatives began funding their own media. For most of the last 50 years, even as the right-wing media grew, it remained clear that the mainstream media set the agendathat is, it determined what we all talked about every day. But recently, that flipped. This transformation has been in process for several years, but I date it to January 6 for two reasons. First, before that, the right-wing media didnt have all-consuming power when it came to crunch time. They could not, for example, elect Donald Trump. There was still enough of a shred of news-gathering honesty at Fox News that it called Arizona for Joe Biden. Second, January 6 was a moment of choosing for the American right. Conservative politicians and the right-wing media could have woken up on January 7 and decided that enough was enough and they were captaining their MAGA-ized spaceship back down to planet Earth. But weve seen how both of those matters sorted themselves out. Fox forced out the two people who made that Arizona call. You think this November Fox will be in the vanguardit was the first network to give Arizona to Bidenof calling a purple state for the Democrat? Its inconceivable. And on the second matter, with a few notable exceptions, virtually the whole party now embraces the January 6 uprising (or is too cowardly to say otherwise). The right-wing media has followed suit, giving us a sprawling and enormously powerful messaging apparatusFox, Newsmax, One America, all those Sinclair radio and TV stations, Christian radio, most newspapers out there around the country, the majority of prominent opinion journals, most of the largest social media personalities, and morethat now sings from the same hymnal. They did before, but January 6 provided that extra kick; the grain alcohol in the punch. It gave these outlets a sense of mission that wasnt quite so fully and recognizably there before. So this is where we are. We have one media whose goal is still largely to educate, explore, and explain. And we have another media whose goal is to elect members of a certain political party. The first media will sometimes pursue stories at odds with the priorities of the second mediaDonald Trumps indictments, for example. But it will at other times pursue stories that fit perfectly into the second medias agendaJoe Bidens age. However, the second media will never, ever, ever pursue stories that might coincide with the first medias priorities. And this imbalancethe mainstream media will sometimes do the bidding of the right-wing media, but the opposite will never happenis the precise reason why the right-wing media has become the agenda-setting media in the United States. Where does this leave us with respect to the Biden-age story? Well, I dont think we should become exactly like them. Theyre propaganda networks. Where Biden has done wrong, we should say so. And yes, we should discuss his mental acuity and the political risks it carries. If he loses a few more points in the polls because of this Hur report, whether fair or unfair, the topic of whether he can win is totally a fair one. But we dont need to dwell on it. There are a lot of other questions the mainstream media can be asking. Why did Hur issue this heavily editorialized report? Why did Merrick Garland approve its release? Does Hur have an agenda? He didnt appear to when he was named, but I remember all too well the days when The Washington Post was telling me that Ken Starr was an upstanding man who had no agenda. And: What about Donald Trumps brain? For Gods sakes, he confused E. Jean Carroll with his ex-wife! He makes verbal gaffes all. The. Time. Just last Friday, in a speech before an NRA crowd, he made several. He slurred subsidies as subsies. He groused that it gets covered if he said one word a little bit mispronunciation. He confused Biden with Barack Obama (again). He said the Democrats were going to rename Pennsylvania (?!?). He also said: Nice Saturday afternoon. I could tell you, if I werent doing this, where I would have been, I would have been in a very nice location. It was Friday. Night. Can you imagine if Biden had done that? The Times covered the NRA speech, as did the Post. Neither piece made any mention of these malapropisms. The Times emphasized Trumps comments about Bidens handling of classified documents, while the Post led with his promises to the crowd on guns. Those were legitimate news judgments by traditional standards. But I cant help suspecting that if Biden had confused his days, it would have made it into their stories. Maybe even led them. The mainstream media needs to come to terms with the fact that the traditional standards arent working anymore. With a candidate who lies (or at least baldly exaggerates) nearly every time he opens his mouth, with an avowedly ideological media whose agenda is plainly political, and with a leader and movement that is openly bragging about how it will attack democracy if it gains power again, hewing to traditional news standards will do nothing but play handmaiden to democracys demise. So sure, Joe Bidens age is an issue. But I mean, come on. Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign event in Spartanburg, S.C., Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Hello OnPolitics readers! Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley released an ad today lashing out at former President Donald Trump after he criticized her husband, Maj. Michael Haley, who is overseas on military deployment. The ad tallies comments Trump has previously made about veterans. For example Trump during his first presidential campaign said former Sen. John McCain, who served in Vietnam and was a prisoner of war, was "not a war hero" and that he preferred "people who weren't captured, USA TODAYs Karissa Waddick reported. What did Trump say about Haley's husband? Trump during a South Carolina rally questioned why Michael Haley has not appeared on the campaign trail. Where's her husband? Oh, he's away. He's away. What happened to her husband?, Trump said at the rally. What else did the ad highlight? Haley's latest spot also resurfaces allegations from Trump's former chief of staff, John Kelly, that the then-president described fallen soldiers as losers and suckers in 2018. The ad casts Trump's latest comments as a broader trend of anti-veteran rhetoric from the ex-president. Gloves off? The former governor is seeking to build momentum in South Carolina after Trump clinched victories in other pivotal 2024 contests, including the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Read more: Nikki Haley hits Donald Trump over comments about veterans days after he attacked her husband Stay in the know on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikki Haley hits Donald Trump after he criticizes her husband A collection of campaign mailers that have appeared in competitive GOP districts in Texas ahead of the 2024 primary. Hearst Newspapers Across the state, voters in Texas House districts with competitive GOP primaries are receiving campaign mailers from conservative organizations attacking incumbent representatives. According to ads sent by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Republicans in the Legislature are spending tax dollars recklessly, voting to increase their own pensions last session. Per Texas Gun Rights, a handful of conservatives have helped President Joe Biden bring gun control to Texas. And then there are the mailers and texts from the Texas Family Project, which blast House RINOs Republicans in name only for passing resolutions to celebrate Muslim holidays and acknowledge the work of LGBTQ chambers of commerce. Advertisement Article continues below this ad TEXAS VOTER GUIDE: A guide to the local and national races that your vote will decide in the primaries As so-called dark money groups, they can send mailers without having to disclose who is funding them. But all three groups share something in common: The people who run them have deep ties to a web of far-right advocacy groups with links to GOP megadonors Tim Dunn and brothers Dan and Farris Wilks. The billionaire oil tycoons from West Texas have been active in state politics for decades, supporting candidates and organizations that aim to push the party further to the right, especially on social issues. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Texas Gun Rights and the Texas Family Project ramped up their involvement in competitive primaries this year amid an ongoing civil war within the Texas Republican Party, which has split into factions over the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton and support for Gov. Greg Abbotts priority private school voucher plan. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Their mailers have been sent out in at least 10 House districts with competitive primaries and take aim at some of the chambers most conservative members, according to pictures and texts obtained by Hearst Newspapers. The targets include Houston-area districts currently represented by Reps. Lacey Hull, Mano DeAyala and Jacey Jetton, along with San Antonio-area districts represented by Reps. Steve Allison and Ellen Troxclair. None of the groups responded to a request for comment. The anti-Muslim mailer sent by the Texas Family Project was widely condemned by Texas Republicans as hateful and contrary to the partys beliefs. I hope that people will take just a couple short minutes to actually look up the dark web of how these organizations are all tied together by donors that don't even live in my district, Troxclair said. And the fact that they're copying it all across the state it's gotten so far away from policy. Strings on a corkboard Understanding the connection between the groups, their leaders and funders is like pinning red strings on a corkboard. A handful of the groups have rebranded after getting caught up in public scandals. Some are registered officially under one name but use a different name publicly. (The Wilks brothers did not respond to a request for comment, and Dunn could not be reached. All of their associates named in this story did not return requests for comment.) Advertisement Article continues below this ad Because the organizations are registered as 501(c)(4) nonprofits, they are not required to disclose their funders, making it difficult to determine who exactly is paying for the mailers and other campaign materials. Those kinds of nonprofits are not allowed to explicitly support or oppose candidates, but they can get around those rules by focusing on specific issues, even if they single out politicians. The most prominent PAC in the Dunn-Wilks network is Defend Texas Liberty, which has been caught in a political firestorm since October after its former leader, former state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, hosted a well-known white supremacist who has praised Adolf Hitler. ATTENTION VOTERS: Send us your campaign mail The PAC has since rebranded to Texans United for a Conservative Majority, which has received $1.3 million from Farris Wilks and $700,000 from the Dunn-affiliated firm Hexagon Partners. Stickland has been removed as the groups leader. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, which sent the pension mailers, was originally an arm of a group Dunn heavily funded that preceded Defend Texas Liberty. The nonprofit publishes annual scorecards grading legislators votes on economic policies and created a separate 501(c)(4) in January 2023, which is behind the latest round of mailers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Among the 501(c)(4)s initial slate of directors was former state Rep. Kyle Biedermann, an embattled far-right Republican running against Troxclair in her Hill Country district. Biedermann, who did not respond to a request for comment, appears to have stepped down from the board before announcing his campaign last October, and his run for office has been heavily funded by Texans United for a Conservative Majority. On its website, the group names policy goals that include abolishing property taxes, eliminating corporate welfare and imposing spending limits on local governments. Texas Gun Rights filed as a 501(c)(4) in February 2023, and Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi was initially listed on the board of directors. A spokesperson for the Texas GOP said he resigned from the group the next month and is not linked to the latest round of mailers sent by the organization. WHAT TO KNOW: How to vote in Houston's March 5 primary election Rinaldi has close ties to Stickland, and he has been working as an attorney for Farris Wilks in recent months, the Texas Tribune reported. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The president of Texas Gun Rights, Chris McNutt, teamed up with a Defend Texas Liberty employee last year to help Kyle Rittenhouse the young man tried and later acquitted of five charges after fatally shooting two men and wounding a third during Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha, Wis., in 2020 establish a foundation. The Texas Family Project established its 501(c)(4) in April 2022, and its president, Brady Gray, was the CEO of a right-wing consulting firm owned by Stickland, according to Grays LinkedIn profile. On its website, the group defended its recent mailers, saying in a blog post: We work to make families the most powerful force in Austin and to ensure Christian family values are upheld by our government. Texas voters deserve no less. Tony McDonald, a longtime attorney for Dunn-Wilks groups, is a registered agent for Texans for Fiscal Responsibility and the Texas Family Project. He declined to comment for this story but noted that his role as a registered agent is related to legal procedures and has zero indication he is involved in any of the organizations day-to-day activities. There are several other advocacy groups linked to the Dunn-Wilks sphere, including some that cover vaccines and border security. Many of them bear names similar to other, unaffiliated GOP activist groups. The purpose is to deceive the public, said Troxclair, R-Lakeway. Lawmakers say mailers are deceptive Troxclair said she was in total and utter shock when she saw the mailers going out in her Hill Country district, which includes Boerne, Fredericksburg and Burnet. The one about pensions photoshopped her face onto an old West-style wanted poster and tied her to former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The gun mailer touted a new website targeting her for allegedly not supporting the Second Amendment. Troxclair, a first-term representative, found the accusations ridiculous. She is regularly ranked among the most conservative lawmakers in the House, according to analyses conducted by a political science professor at Rice University. She points out that shes endorsed by the National Rifle Association. The allegation she raised her own pension? The bill never passed, she said, and was meant to raise judicial pay. Theres always some monkey business that can happen, but this is so far and beyond anything I've ever seen, when it comes to intentionally manipulative, deceptive and outright false, Troxclair said. WHY IT MATTERS: In Texas, your vote could matter more in the primary than the November election The Texas House is ground zero for GOP infighting this season, as dozens of members face competitive primaries. After the 2021 redistricting cycle, there are few competitive districts come November so, in many cases, whoever wins the primary is all but certain to win the general election. There has always been at least some tension between Republican leadership in the Legislature and the partys right flank. But the infighting has reached a new level over the past year. Paxton promised political retribution against anyone who took part in the effort to remove him from office, and the Dunn-Wilks groups led a public campaign opposing his impeachment before his Senate trial. House Speaker Dade Phelan who is under fire from Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi and other fellow Republicans has promised to protect his incumbent members. He has been increasingly critical of the Dunn-Wilks network in recent months, especially as the businessmen have bankrolled a Phelan primary opponent who is running to the speakers right. These hateful mailers represent the increasingly reckless turn our political discourse is taking at the hands of dark money groups and the bigotry they espouse, Phelan said in an emailed statement. State Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, is not facing a primary challenger this cycle, but he and others have stepped up to defend their GOP colleagues in light of the mailers and other campaign advertisements. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is hoping to get a judge to reinstate Measure 114 while legal challenges against the voter-approved measure persist. The Oregon Department of Justice filed a motion for a stay on Friday pending the states appeal to allow the gun restriction measure to take effect after a Harney County judge ruled the measure was unconstitutional in November. Measure 114 requires people to undergo a background check and gun safety courses for a gun permit and bans magazines carrying over 10 rounds. Lake Oswego retirees flooded, battle City Hall Plaintiffs in the Harney County suit include Joseph Arnold, Cliff Asmussen, Gun Owners of America, Inc., and the Gun Owners Foundation who argue the law violates the right to bear arms under the state constitution. In the motion, Rosenblum says the state is likely to prevail arguing Measure 114s gun restrictions are reasonable and promote public safety. The state says the stay should be granted because Measure 114s restriction of large capacity magazines is constitutional arguing magazines are not considered arms, which are constitutionally protected. 3 alleged drug dealers busted near Portland Safeway The state furthers that large capacity magazines increase the lethality of mass shootings and says state magazine restrictions can reduce those harms. Measure 114 is a reasonable use of legislative authority to address increasing harms and threats from gun violence and mass shootings. The statute is therefore facially constitutional, Rosenblum argued in the motion. As an alternative to the stay, the state argues the court could expedite their appeal given the stakes of the case, according to court documents. Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge Project moves to design phase In response to the motion, Tony Aiello, Jr., an attorney for the plaintiffs, said The Defendants are asking the Court of Appeals to infringe on the rights of Oregonians by allowing them to enforce a law during this appeal that has already been found to be unconstitutional. There is no support in law for such a proposition, and this motion continues a pattern of relentless and wasteful overspending by Oregons executive branch. Unfortunately, it is not surprising that the Defendants are taking this action despite having lost at every stage of this case, including two trips to the Oregon Supreme Court where similar requests were denied. We remain confident in the record we created at trial and look forward to continuing our fight against the most extreme anti-firearm law in the country, Aiello Jr. added. In an emailed statement, the attorney urged gun rights advocates to donate to efforts to stop Measure 114, saying, The public can join the Oregon Firearms Federation, Firearms Policy Coalition, and Second Amendment Foundation who are supporting this litigation by donating to those organizations or to www.GiveSendGo.com/StateCourt_StopMeasure114. Mayor Monday: Vancouvers on-going battle with homelessness In reaction to the motion, Jess Marks from the Oregon Alliance for Gun Safety a group that supports Measure 114 said, Since Measure 114 was brought to the ballot over a year, it is estimated over 600 Oregonians have died from gun related tragedies. It is imperative Measure 114 goes into place as soon as possible, just as voters intended. Data shows in a 10-year-time period, permitting would have saved over 1,000 lives in Oregon. In another 10 years, I believe Oregonians will see permitting as a normal, smart part of the process of purchasing a firearm, that respects both community safety and the rights of responsible firearm owners, Marks continued. In November, Harney County Judge Robert Raschio struck down the law after he found the permit-to-purchase scheme under Measure 114 is unconstitutional based on the laws 30-day-minimum delay to buy a firearm, the measures use of language from concealed handgun statutes, and because the Federal Bureau of Investigation refuses to conduct criminal background checks. Portland needs hope: MultCo DA Schmidt focusing on theft, Measure 110 He also determined the ban on large-capacity magazines is unconstitutional under the state constitution because firearm components, such as magazines, are legally protected and magazines are a necessary part of guns, according to the ruling. The law has been unable to go into effect amid federal and state legal challenges. The plaintiffs filed the suit against Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, and Casey Codding the superintendent of the Oregon State Police. After the Harney County courts ruling, Rosenblum said the state would appeal the decision stating, the Harney County judges ruling is wrong. Worse, it needlessly puts Oregonians lives at risk. The state will file an appeal and we believe we will prevail. This latest court filing comes after a federal judge ruled Measure 114 was constitutional in July. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. MIAMI Authorities were investigating what led to a crash between two boats Sunday afternoon that led to over a dozen people being hurt near PortMiami. On Monday, CBS News Miami's Peter D'Oench spoke with two of the people who were on the boat and who say they were fortunately not injured. With permission from his mother, CBS News Miami spoke with one youngster who recalled what happened. The child said, "I heard a bang and I saw a bunch of people on the floor." His mother, who did not want to be identified, said "It was scary. I saw a number of people falling down on the boat." Outside Jackson Memorial Hospital, we also spoke with Rabbi Yossi Harlig of the Chabad of Kendall who said his sister and brother-in-law were on the tour boat along with their four children. He said the children were not injured but his sister was beaten and treated at the hospital with a fractured shoulder and pelvis and his brother-in-law had some broken ribs. He said they had come to South Florida from California for his son's bar mitzvah. He said "My sister was turning around and there was the crash in the last second and she saw it crash into it where she was sitting. She feels thankful. The boat could have tipped over. None of them were wearing life jackets. Something terrible could have happened. I hope they make a full recovery. It just goes to show you how things can change in a second." Around 3:15 p.m., over 30 Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel, including two fireboats and an air rescue unit alongside the City of Miami Fire, the Florida Wildlife Commission and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to reports of a boat collision in Fisherman's Channel near Dodge Island. According to the Coast Guard, the two watercraft involved were a tour boat and a recreation vessel. According to MDFR, the response was upgraded due to the number of people involved and the need for additional manpower. MDFR told CBS News Miami that a total of 13 people were transported by responding agencies to a local hospital, while other patients on the scene were evaluated and released. Paul Giamatti, 2024 Oscars nominee for "The Holdovers" "Hello Vincent": Artificial intelligence brings Van Gogh to life Investigation after shooting at Joel Osteen's Lakewood church in Houston [Source] Mahnoor Cheema, a 17-year-old student in Britain with an IQ of 161, is advocating for better support for gifted students in state schools. About the student: Cheema, who arrived in Britain from Lahore, Pakistan, at the age of 9, was denied the opportunity to advance academically at the Colnbrook Church of England primary school and at the Langley Grammar School despite her exceptional intelligence and academic achievements, including passing 33 GCSEs and taking 28 A-Levels. Her IQ of 161 is reported to be higher than theoretical physicists Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. Cheemas disappointment: Instead, Cheema was given extra math and placed in a nurture group to help her make friends. Her teachers reportedly discouraged her from sitting so many GCSEs, claiming that she was already overburdened. When her parents became involved, they were reportedly dismissed as pushy, according to The Times. Calling for support: Now, Cheema highlights the need for recognition and support for talented students like herself, lamenting the waste of potential she sees in the education system. Trending on NextShark: Viral video of daughter slapped by her father after return home from Tet sparks debate I feel we are wasting so much talent in the U.K., Cheema said. I feel so sorry for that nine-year-old girl when I look back at my experience. I am sure I am not alone. I think there are so many kids who had talent to do so much but it was wasted because no one recognized their potential or knew what to do with it. Cheema asserts that educational institutions should recognize their responsibility to support gifted children, similar to the support provided for those with special educational needs. She criticizes the British education system for its perceived slowness in teaching mathematics, citing examples of more advanced curricula in Pakistan. Cheema also expresses her struggle to connect with peers due to her intellectual differences, having engaged in advanced reading of philosophers like Plato and Socrates while classmates preferred more typical adolescent literature like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Trending on NextShark: Angela Chao, CEO of US-based shipping company Foremost Group, dead at 50 Where is Cheema now?: Now settled at Henrietta Barnett School, Cheema enjoys extracurricular activities like swimming and horse riding, demonstrating her well-rounded nature. She is a member of Mensa, reserved for the top 2% of the general population in intelligence tests. Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! Workers help position a harm reduction vending machine at Hunter's in Palm Springs, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. DAP Health installed the vending machine to provide items such as Narcan, cookers, fentanyl test strips, HIV test kits and more for free for anyone who may have a need. After gaining roughly $215,000 in settlement money by joining opioid lawsuits against some of the nations largest pharmaceutical companies, Palm Springs will use the funding for a variety of programs designed to help those struggling with substance abuse and addiction. The initial funding approved by the council is part of roughly $2.9 million in total coming to the city over the next 18 years as a result of the settlements. The councils approval of money for three programs did not include specific earmarks or deadlines for the money to be spent. Instead, the funds will be placed in an account used for future reimbursements from any of the three initiatives. As this is the first year of program operations, there isnt data to assist in determining which program area may have the greatest need, City Manager Scott Stiles wrote in a council report last week. The City Council may wish to allocate specific amounts to each program area in the future once reports are available on program needs and successes. Where's the money coming from? The city received $215,838 in opioid settlement funds from the state of California, with the money required to be used mainly for opioid abatement. The money stems from a 2022 nationwide settlement over thousands of civil claims related to the opioid crisis filed against the nations three largest drug distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health and a major pharmaceutical manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Through the $26 billion settlement which is the second-largest multistate settlement agreement in U.S. history, per the New York Times the state of California will receive roughly $2.05 billion through 2038. Additionally, five other settlements against the pharmacies of CVS, Walgreens and Walmart as well as manufacturers Allergan and Teva Pharmaceuticals led to a proposed $17.3 billion settlement, from which the state of California is expected to see hundreds of millions of dollars. Along with this year's funding, the city will continue to receive about $150,000 annually for the next 18 years from these settlements, according to Stiles council report. How will the money be used locally? While specific funding amounts will be determined by city staff, the council agreed to use some of the funds for its Rehabilitation Re-entry Program, a new effort to help people at risk of having to leave addiction rehab programs once they cannot afford it any longer. Applicants for the Rehabilitation Re-entry Program would be eligible for up to $5,000 for reimbursements on the following services from qualified providers: Inpatient programming of both detox and residential levels of care. A step-down outpatient program with housing. Partial hospital programming. Intensive outpatient programming. The program may also be used to reimburse the cost of medications not covered by peoples health insurance, as well as other necessary costs during the course of treatment. In the report to council, Stiles noted the available funding may be the deciding factor for someone seeking treatment and may encourage more individuals to pursue rehabilitation. The second program eligible for the funding is a substance misuse harm reduction program, making Naloxone a medication that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses and other harm reduction items available to health and social services providers, police and fire personnel and opioid users to prevent overdoses. The settlement funds could also be used on the citys tenant-based rental assistance program, which was set up by the council last year. The rental aid program, which gained another $1 million in funding at the council's Feb. 8 meeting, would use the settlement funds specifically for people moving into sober living facilities. What city officials said The need for such programs is evident in the valley: The Palm Springs Fire Department reported receiving 275 calls for individuals who had overdosed in 2023, of which 101 calls required the use of Naloxone, often known by its brand name Narcan. Thirty-eight of those calls were for individuals who are homeless, according to the department. The funding will expand the availability of Naloxone for city officials and first responders while building on existing efforts. Last fall, local nonprofit DAP Health installed a free vending machine with an overdose reversing spray, STI test kits and fentanyl test strips at Hunters Palm Springs downtown, and the city indicated its interest in similar efforts. Additionally, public access to such items would be made available through the use of an outside vending machine to be placed in an area of the city to be determined, Stiles said in his council report. The City of Palm Springs will work with DAP Harm Reduction Program to identify a location for the vending machine and DAP would be responsible for maintaining and stocking the machine. Representatives from DAP Healths harm reduction program also spoke to the council Thursday, noting they used Narcan to save 556 people and referred more than 500 people to social support services in 2023. Meanwhile, the rehabilitation rehab re-entry program proposed to receive funding would be a new city program, according to Jay Virata, the citys director of housing and community development. He noted data from Michaels House Treatment Center that showed 75% of its population had to exit treatment due to a lack of funding or health insurance. More: DAP Health adds harm reduction vending machine at Hunters, reflects on program The council cheered the funding and the city taking initiative to join the lawsuits, though councilmembers also acknowledged the first round of funds wont go far. A few members encouraged city staff to leverage the money with other related grants and initiatives in the community. The funds that we're receiving are frankly a drop in the bucket compared to the costs that we have incurred over the course of a number of years and are continuing to incur because of opioid addiction issues and the amount of fentanyl thats in the system, Councilmember Lisa Middleton said. I think we need to, as we're looking at these programs, really concentrate our efforts on those programs that will have a dramatic effect on treatment for those individuals who have become addicted and are at risk of losing their lives, she added. City officials also said they could use the settlement money for other related initiatives at the councils direction. Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs to see $2.9 million from opioid lawsuit settlements. What to know NEENAH Partisan politics have entered the nonpartisan Neenah school board election. The Winnebago County Republican Party recently inserted itself into the race by mailing a postcard to district residents supporting three of the eight candidates: Chari Long, Roxanne Schwandt-Knutson and Jeb Pfeifle. "They favor excellence & achievement, parents' rights, and curriculum transparency," the postcard says. The postcard makes no mention of candidates Alex Corrigan, Brian Epley, Susan Garcia Franz, Tom Hanby or Kris Sahr. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has been organizing volunteers to canvass Neenah and Menasha. "We will be connecting with voters all across the area for our amazing progressive candidates for this year's spring elections," the party website says. Todd Stevenson, a member of the Neenah Common Council for more than 30 years, said it's the first time he can recall that partisan groups were so actively involved in campaigning for local, nonpartisan candidates. In the past, the candidates themselves might have referenced an endorsement from the Republican Party or Democratic Party, Stevenson told The Post-Crescent, but outside materials weren't printed and mailed to drum up votes. He said the development "unfortunately is a sign of the times, and that's kind of scary." "It's concerning to me," Stevenson continued, "because these nonpartisan, local elections and offices seem to have been able to avoid some of the rhetoric that has evolved in the last five years. Now it seems to be infiltrating the local elections. Having seen how our state and federal government are currently performing, it would be sad to see that evolve into local government as well." Republican Party chairman defends the mailing Ed Hudak, chairman of the Winnebago County Republican Party, defended the mailing of the postcard and emphasized that it didn't equate to a formal endorsement of the three candidates. "We are recommending to our members who we think are the most conservative," Hudak said. The postcard, though, was received by more than just members of the Republican Party. Faced with that information, Hudak said the postcard was sent to "members and friends." "This isn't just us doing this," he said. "The Democrat is in this up to their ears. That's why we got involved, quite frankly, because we found the Democrat was doing this. They were promoting people and recommending them to their members." Questionnaires: Candidates for the Neenah school board explain their goals Candidates didn't ask for GOP support, but welcome it Long, Schwandt-Knutson and Pfeifle said they filled out a questionnaire for the Winnebago County Republic Party, but didn't solicit its support. Each, though, was good with the postcard and had no qualms about the association between a nonpartisan seat and the postcard from the Republican Party. "I'm OK with being endorsed by whomever wants to endorse me," Long said. "I got it in the mail," Schwandt-Knutson said, "and I was like, 'Oh, look at this! It has my name on it, and it's not a bill.'" Pfeifle said he hadn't seen the postcard "It's an apolitical seat, right, and that's the way I'm viewing it," Pfeifle said, "but I'm historically a conservative guy, and I'm not going to hide from that." Related: Neenah recommends closing Hoover Elementary School What do the other candidates think about the postcard? Epley, an incumbent, said he wasn't contacted by the Winnebago County Republican Party ahead of the mailing. He said he strives to be nonpartisan because he represents the entire school district, not a particular party within the district. "I feel like our (school) board generally operates in a nonpartisan way," Epley said, "so it would be a shame if we started getting highly political." Garcia Franz also was not contacted by the Republican Party. "It should be a nonpartisan election, but I don't believe there are strong rules that prohibit that activity, so it takes place," she said. "At the end of the day, I hope people research and find out information about the candidates." Hanby wasn't surprised by the Republican Party's mailing, but questioned why he wasn't contacted for consideration. "I think it's a little peculiar that I'm fairly conservative and nobody said, 'Hey, do you want in?'" Hanby said. "That makes me think the candidates initiated it somehow. That was my suspicion when I saw it." Corrigan didn't take issue with the postcard. She disclosed that she accepted in-kind support from the Democratic Party, which organized volunteers to hand out cards, which she provided, when knocking on doors. "The position is nonpartisan, but people aren't nonpartisan," Corrigan said. Sahr also wasn't concerned with the postcard. "People are going to choose sides either way," he said. The top six finishers in the Feb. 20 primary election will advance to the April 2 election for three seats on the school board. For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit the MyVote Wisconsin website at myvote.wi.gov/en-us. Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Partisan politics infiltrates Neenah school board election LONDON (Reuters) - The transatlantic partnership between the U.S. and European allies will continue no matter who is in the White House, Germany's finance minister said on Monday amid a furore over critical remarks about NATO by ex-U.S. President Donald Trump. Running for another term as president in the November election, Trump suggested during a campaign rally on Saturday that he would not defend NATO allies who failed to spend enough on defence and would even encourage Russia to attack them. "Regardless of who is in the White House, we have an overriding interest in continuing to cooperate across the Atlantic, economically, politically and also in matters of security," German Finance Minister Christian Lindner said. Speaking during a visit to London, Lindner said Britain and Germany shared similar challenges when it comes to strengthening free trade capabilities. "After Donald Trump's initial statements, this dialogue is of particular importance," Lindner said before going into a meeting with British counterpart Jeremy Hunt. "We are facing major challenges as European members of NATO," Lindner said, adding that Europe's peace and free trade order had been put at risk by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Lindner, referring to Britain's 2020 departure from the European Union, also said Brexit had made business in Britain more difficult for German companies, meaning that close dialogue between the countries was crucial. "This intensive exchange and dialogue is necessary because, unfortunately, we can no longer see each other regularly within the framework of the European Union," Lindner said. (Reporting by Maria Martinez; editing by Matthias Williams and Mark Heinrich) SpaceX, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks during live interview with Ben Shapiro at the symposium on fighting antisemitism on January 22, 2024 in Krakow, Poland. Omar Marques/Getty Images The claim: Days before senators unveiled an immigration bill aimed at slowing illegal immigration, Elon Musk riffed on a common myth that Democrats want mass illegal immigration to gain more voters. "Bidens strategy is very simple: 1. Get as many illegals in the country as possible. 2. Legalize them to create a permanent majority a one-party state," Musk posted Feb. 2 on X. "That is why they are encouraging so much illegal immigration. Simple, yet effective." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Over one week, Musk posted about immigration about two dozen times; another post said that "every deportation is a lost vote." The morning after a trio of bipartisan senators unveiled the immigration bill, Musk wrote, "The long-term goal of the so-called Border Security bill is enabling illegals to vote! It will do the total opposite of securing the border." PolitiFact ruling: False. The path to U.S. citizenship, which is required for voting in federal elections, can take a decade, so the current influx of immigrants would not lead to a significant number of new voters for many years, if ever. Even when immigrants become voting citizens, it doesnt mean the United States will become a one-party nation. Biden currently supports a Senate immigration bill that does not create a broad path to citizenship. Discussion Musks statement echoes a recent statement by former President Donald Trump, who said, "Thats why they are allowing these people to come in people that dont speak our language they are signing them up to vote." PolitiFact rated that Pants on Fire. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Such statements align with conspiracy theories about the "great replacement," which claim white people of European descent are deliberately being replaced with nonwhite people. Musk provided no evidence to show such a Biden strategy exists. And the claim doesnt add up, because it takes immigrants years to become U.S. citizens, and theres no guarantee that immigrants who gain citizenship will vote for Democrats. We emailed the X press account and received an automatic reply saying, "busy now, please check back later." Musk called this alleged strategy "very simple" and "effective," but its neither. Federal law requires citizenship as a condition to vote in national elections. Gaining citizenship can take a decade or longer. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Interacting with the government, including trying to vote, is something immigrants in the country illegally try to avoid, Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist, previously told PolitiFact: "They are not going to go register to vote and expose themselves." Occasionally, noncitizens have been prosecuted for voting. When noncitizens register to vote, it is often in error. Musks X post included a screenshot of a January 2021 Associated Press article about Bidens plan to ask Congress to create a path for citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally. But Bidens efforts stalled because his proposed 2021 bill did not advance. Biden said he would have signed the Senate legislation last week that was considerably tougher on immigration. If fully implemented, the proposal would have decreased the number of immigrants permitted into the country because of its higher standard to be considered for asylum. Republican senators ultimately blocked the deal from passing. Michelle Mittelstadt, a spokesperson for the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, said the new legislation did not "provide any path to citizenship for anyone currently in the country illegally and would not in any way expedite legal permanent residence for any future border arrivals." Advertisement Article continues below this ad "It takes on average 5 years in green card status before a person can become a U.S. citizen, so no one would instantly gain the right to vote," Mittelstadt said. And there is no guarantee that immigrants who become citizens will vote for Democrats. Experts have told PolitiFact its ridiculous to make assumptions about how immigrants crossing the border now will vote in the future if they gain citizenship. Since Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, the platform now known as X has removed guardrails designed to restrict the flow of mis- and disinformation. Its easy to discount such "conspiracy theory nonsense" from random trolls on X, but its powerful when it comes from Musk, who owns the platform, said Anthony Gutierrez, executive director of Common Cause Texas, a group that advocates for voting rights. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The short-lived respite from the cold and snow is over for Bucks County, as the National Weather Service in Mount Holly is forecasting yet another round of snow on Tuesday for the Delaware Valley. The weather service expects a wide range of accumulations in Bucks County, but some could see up to 8 inches of snow before the quick-moving storm moves out. The brunt of the storm is expected to hit Bucks County during Tuesday morning's commute. Upper Bucks County is under a winter storm warning as the northern sections of the county could see up the highest snow totals. The weather service also issued a winter weather advisory Monday morning for Lower Bucks County and part of southern New Jersey, where the snow is supposed to be less. The winter storm warning and advisory is in effect from midnight until 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13. "Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute," the alerts read. The alerts also warned that heavy snow will be possible around the time of Tuesday morning's commute, with snowfall rates of one half to 1 inch per hour possible. There is uncertainty regarding snow amounts and how efficiently the snow will accumulate on roads, given mild temperatures with precipitation starting as rain overnight. Here's everything else Bucks County residents need to know about this incoming storm. Bucks County snow storm starts off with rain, will impact morning commute Sarah Johnson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, said true accumulations will vary, depending on where you are in Bucks County. January snowstorm in Bucks County: Bucks County snow forecast: Winter storm could dump up to 6 inches. "The latest forecasts for amounts across Bucks County is 1 to 8 inches. We know that sounds like a wide forecast, but we're going to see sharp gradients across Bucks County," Johnson said. "The forecast calls for 1 to 3 inches for Lower Bucks County, and 4 to 8 inches for Upper Bucks County. "It's going to start off as all rain in Bucks County, then in the predawn hours, it will change over to a rain-snow mix, then to all snow as we get closer to sunrise," Johnson added. "We are expecting that changeover right around the time of the morning commute." The National Weather Service in Mount Holly updates is snow forecast for the Delaware Valley through a post on social media on Monday, Feb. 13. The snow will last at least through Tuesday afternoon before the system moves out. "It's not going to be a very long period of snow," Johnson said. "But it does unfortunately include the morning commute." No brine in Middletown? No street brine dropped on Middletown's streets before the snow storm. Here's why The weather service also pushed an alert on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: Significant changes to the forecast from the overnight package, particularly with respect to increasing snowfall amounts. The Tuesday morning commute is looking *rough*, particularly I-78 & I-80 corridors, but I-95 northwest will need to be cautious. https://t.co/mMnIx09PUq pic.twitter.com/ufCVgU3RLD NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) February 12, 2024 Another snow day for Bucks County? Temps remain low after storm Johnson said Bucks County has received between 6 and 10 inches of total snow since Jan. 1. Snowstorms shutter Bucks schools: Snow closes schools in Bucks County. What to expect Tuesday And once the snow storm passes through on Tuesday, Bucks County will be left to contend with a turbulent weather cycle lasting at least through the rest of the week. The sun returns on Wednesday, but it will be a gusty day, with temperatures only reaching 37 degrees and winds nearing 25 mph. There's a chance of rain on Thursday morning; otherwise, it will be a partly sunny day, with temperatures in the low 40s. Friday will be mostly sunny, but the cold weather will remain, as temperatures will only reach 41 degrees. There is yet another chance of snow on Saturday; otherwise, it'll be a mostly cloudy start to the weekend with temperatures in the low 40s. The normal high temperatures for this time of year in Bucks County are about 45-46 degrees, and normal lows are about 25-26 degrees. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Is it going to snow? See Bucks County weather forecast for Tuesday A man pleaded has pleaded guilty to playing a role in the murder of a 26-year-old Pasco father, but wont serve any more time in jail. Police say Christian Uribe, 21, was the gunman aiming for a then 15-year-old rival gang member in August 2022 when he allegedly hit Roberto Anthony Flores Segura. The rival gang member was one of several accused of taking revenge on Uribe by shooting him weeks later. The wounds left him partially paralyzed. Uribe pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance last week in Franklin County Superior Court. He was initially charged with first-degree murder. His sentencing range was six months to a year in a local jail. Prosecutors recommended the low end of the range. When combined with the time hes already spent in custody, Uribe wont serve any additional time behind bars, Deputy Prosecutor Dave Corkrum said during the hearing. His defense attorney, Dennis Hanson, pointed out that Uribe will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Uribe will be responsible for paying at least part of $13,000 in restitution to Flores Seguras mother, according to court documents. He will be responsible along with Angel Ingram, 16, who previously pleaded guilty to drive-by shooting in Benton-Franklin Juvenile Court. A third suspect, Jesus Partinda-Landin, 21, continues to be wanted for first-degree murder in connection with the shooting. Young father killed Flores Segura was walking on Brown Street with five people that included 15-year-old Jesus Rivera-Magallon about 8 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2022, according to court documents. Security cameras showed a green car pass by on 19th Street as the group approached the intersection. The sedan made a U-Turn on 19th Avenue and passed by the group a second time. This time someone inside opened fire. One bullet struck Flores Segura on his left side, damaging his diaphragm, spleen, liver and heart. He was rushed to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, but later died. Flores Seguras stepbrother told the police he didnt know who fired the shots, but later sent a text message to a family member that blamed Uribe and another man, according to court documents. Police found two different calibers of shell casings at the scene .380 and .40 caliber. Police believe the shooting was gang-related. Police tracked the Toyota Avalon allegedly used in the shooting to the 200 block of Owen Avenue in Pasco. According to cellphone data, the alleged driver, Partina-Landin, was in the area of 19th Avneue and Brown Street when the shots were fired. The second shooting On Aug. 26, witnesses reported hearing three gunshots about 12:30 a.m. near East Butte Street and South Owen Avenue. About the same time, dispatchers got a call from a man who had just been wounded in the back. When police arrived they found Uribe on the sidewalk. He was taken to a local hospital and survived, but was left paralyzed from the chest down. Uribe believed he heard Rivera-Magallon moments before the shooting started, according to court documents. Rivera-Magallon previously pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance in Benton-Franklin Juvenile Court in connection with the shooting. Other teens tied to the shooting, Alejandro Garcia, 17, and Juan Zuniga, 22, have pleaded guilty to their roles in the shooting. Garcia pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance in juvenile court, and Zunuga to drive-by shooting in Franklin Superior Court. Zuniga was sentenced to five years in prison. LANCASTER The Lancaster Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash where the passenger of a horse and buggy was killed. On Feb. 11, at approximately 5:52 p.m., the patrol responded to the report of a two-vehicle crash on McCullough Road SE in the area of Ohio 312. A 2000, Ford F-350, operated by 72-year-old Earl James Nixon, was traveling westbound on Township Road 322. A horse and buggy, operated by 65-year-old Perry Coblentz, was traveling eastbound on Township Road 322. Nixon struck the horse. The horse and buggy traveled off the right side of the roadway and overturned. Klayton Coblentz was a passenger of the horse and buggy and succumbed to his injuries, according to a news release from the patrol. The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted on the scene by the Rushcreek Township Fire Department and Pleasant Township Fire Department. The crash remains under investigation. This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Truck vs horse and buggy crash results in one dead in Fairfield County Although Florida's school voucher program is supposed to increase educational options for public school students whose families can't afford private school, data from the first year of the program in Palm Beach County show that nearly 80% of students who used the vouchers were already attending private schools effectively subsidizing their private education with taxpayer dollars. At least one education researcher and a private school leader say that's exactly the point. "(It's) the least surprising thing that has happened in education policy in a long time," said Douglas Harris, an economist and professor at Tulane University who studies school choice. "It's like creating an incentive when someone buys a new, expensive car. Who is all that money going to go to? People who were already buying expensive cars." Meanwhile, one private school official relishes what he calls the transition from funding school systems to funding individual students. Palm Beach Christian Academies Superintendent John Anthony Boggess says his schools, which are on the campuses of Baptist-affiliated Family Churches, encourage every parent to apply for the voucher. "We say, 'You have this available, you need to utilize it. Its your tax dollars. Apply it to your tuition payment schedule for our school,'" he said. More: Public schools have 'never competed' with private schools, until now. How will they fare? Voucher use doubled in Palm Beach County in 2023 Florida has allowed select students to use taxpayer dollars to attend private schools since 1999, when Gov. Jeb Bush first signed the voucher program into law. Until last year, voucher applications were limited to groups such as families earning a low income or students with disabilities. But in July, a law championed by Republicans in the Legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis created a near-universal voucher program with no income limits. "There will be a preference for low- and middle-income families, but at the end of the day, we fundamentally believe that the money should follow the student. It should be directed based on what the parent thinks is the most appropriate education program for their child," DeSantis said of the program. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reacts after signing a bill to expand school vouchers across Florida during a press conference at Christopher Columbus High School on Monday, March 27, 2023, in Miami. In its first year, the number of Palm Beach County students using vouchers to attend private school has more than doubled, according to data from Step Up For Students, one of the two organizations that manage the scholarships. During the 2022-23 school year, just under 4,000 students used the educational options voucher. This school year, that number soared to 10,838 kids. If the student using the voucher previously attended a public school, the money follows them out of the school's budget. If the student was already enrolled in private school, the voucher is effectively a new cost for the state. And Palm Beach County's data show no mass exodus from public schools now that their families have state help affording private school. In fact, a vast majority of students new to the voucher program already attended private school. Data from Step Up for Students show that just 10% of students using vouchers this year came from Palm Beach County's public schools. About 78.5% of the students were enrolled in private schools last year, the data show. "They were already going to write a check, so now theyre going to write a smaller check," Harris said of private school tuition paid in part by vouchers. This graph shows the origins of students new to Palm Beach County's voucher program in 2023-24. The total number of vouchers includes those awarded by the newly expanded program for educational options, funded by the state, the Florida tax credit scholarship, funded by corporate contributions, and the unique abilities scholarship for students with special needs. Voucher results in Florida mirror other states with expanded vouchers Palm Beach County's rate of existing private school students using vouchers mirrors initial reports from other states such as Iowa and Arizona that have expanded vouchers in recent years. Roughly two in three students using Iowa's education spending accounts had previously attended a private school, The Des Moines Register reported. About 21% of students using the vouchers started kindergarten this year, and more than 12% previously attended a public school, the newspaper reported. In Arizona, researchers also found that vouchers were also primarily being used by students already attending private schools and that nearly half were being used by families in the wealthiest ZIP codes. The program is approaching a cost to taxpayers of $1 billion, or 1,400% of the original projected cost. Despite disagreement on the price tag, Florida's program is expected to cost between $2 billion and $4 billion in the first year. Private school leaders encourage families to use vouchers to help cut tuition Of Palm Beach County's 163 private schools, 121 accept the newly expanded voucher for educational options, according to a database maintained by the Florida Department of Education. Leading three of those schools is Boggess, who worked as public school Superintendent Mike Burke's chief of staff until last spring, when he left to take the new job in private education. Palm Beach County Superintendent Mike Burke, left, with then-Chief of Staff J. Boggess during a press conference about the school year in August 2022. Boggess left the district in spring 2023 and is now superintendent of private schools run by Family Church. Boggess said that nearly 90% of students at the schools he oversees use the voucher program and that school employees heavily encourage all families to apply so the school can build the family's payment plan around the voucher. With tuition set around $10,000 per year at the Lake Park school and $13,000 per year at the West Palm Beach campus, the voucher takes care of between 60% and 80% of tuition for most families. "Im not building a system based on this, but I am taking advantage of this," Boggess said. "(School) choice isnt new to the state of Florida ... The challenging portion is there arent enough private schools out there." The Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida on January 24, 2023. Boggess said his school system is counting on a huge influx of students in the next five years. Palm Beach Christian Academy has plans to add 16 campuses to the three it has now in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties. All of those campuses will be created within Family Church buildings or built on church property. Construction is to be funded by donations from parishioners, Boggess said. Harris said it's likely to be several years before the school district sees the full impact of the voucher program. The expansion has incentivized the building of new private schools, which he said underscores the long-term goal of the program. "Im less interested in what happens in the short term because the intent of the policy is to bring a much bigger change to public education," Harris said. "To shift more families out of public schools and into private schools thats the goal." Want more education news? Sign up for ourExtra Credit weekly newsletter, delivered every Friday! Boggess said his schools aim to reinstate the home/church/school model of influencing a child's life, where the lessons taught at church on Sunday are echoed throughout the school week and reinforced at home by parents or guardians. Vouchers make it possible for more people, he said. "I think this is a reshape of the funding model altogether. We arent funding systems of schools anymore; were funding individual students," Boggess said. "It's upholding the parental right so that they can choose the best option for that child." Katherine Kokal is a journalist covering education at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at kkokal@pbpost.com. Help support our work, subscribe today! This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County vouchers: Use for private schools doubled in 2023 Peak XV, the venture capital firm that split from Sequoia Capital last year, is taking its portfolio companies from India, Southeast Asia and Australia on an "immersion" trip to Silicon Valley this week to meet several industry titans, the latest in the venture firm's broadening offerings and networking flex. About 60 founders, many backed by Peak XVs powerfully influential program Surge, will join partners from the firm on the trip to meet industry leaders and visit AI research centers, according to a participant briefed on the matter. The week includes strategy sessions with executives from OpenAI and Nvidia as well as Sequoia partner Doug Leone, and talks from seasoned operators like Uniphore chief Umesh Sachdev and DoorDash advisor Gokul Rajaram, according to an email the firm sent to portfolio startups seen by TechCrunch. The program, internally dubbed Immersion Week, is the latest peek at Peak XV's broadening roster beyond writing checks as competition intensifies among venture investors seeking access to the most promising AI startups globally. India, one of the largest startup ecosystems, currently lacks the depth in deep tech and AI startups. Very few players in India are attempting to build foundational large language models. Sarvam AI, one such startup, announced a $41 million funding late last year led by Peak XV and Lightspeed India and scored a partnership with Microsoft last week. Investors say that many existing startups in India are strategizing on what new capabilities to build and in finding customers overseas -- and that's where a trip like "Immersion" can prove beneficial. Peak XV, which has $2.5 billion to deploy in the region, has taken an aggressive approach since its split last year, rapidly building out its bench strength and networking capabilities across geographies. Peak XV didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Monday morning. But in the email to portfolio companies over the weekend, Peak XV told founders the trip would focus on building world-class products and gaining a glimpse into the AI world. Peak XV managing directors Shailendra Singh, Rajan Anandan, Harshjit Sethi and Ashish Agrawal, and Surge partner Pieter Kemps are among those hosting the week, according to the person briefed on the matter. DUNMORE, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) Preparations are underway for the winter storm thats headed our way. No matter what Mother Nature throws at us, PennDOT crews are ready for action. The PennDOT District 4 incident command center gives workers a birds eye view of the roads, helping them distribute information to drivers and agencies. Were able to see where our plow trucks are, the different speed restrictions, tracking any of those restrictions that are put on roads, and then also just providing any support that our counties need, stated Kaitlyn Drumheller, PennDOT District 4, Maintenace Engineer. It was relatively quiet Monday morning, but thats expected to change overnight. Our crews are already preparing by making sure we have drivers to cover all of our routes, our district staff is planning, following the weather forecast to ensure that we have proper callouts, and were anti-icing ahead of the storm, explained Drumheller. The storm is expected to impact travel during the morning commute on Tuesday, and Penndot is calling in more manpower from within the district and the Philadelphia area Were bringing additional crews up and theyll be paired together to plow both lanes of the interstate, and theyll be primarily focused on Interstate 380 and Interstate 84. Those are the two areas were expecting the highest snowfall intensities, said Jonathan Eboli, assistant district executive of maintenance at PennDOT District 4. Drivers are encouraged to know before you go by staying up to date on the latest conditions on 511PA. If you do not need to go out, do not go out. If you do, just tie tips, giving yourself enough time, making sure youre keeping enough distance between other vehicles in case anyone comes to a sudden stop, being alert, and making sure you clean your car off completely because if snow falls off it could injure anybody else, or ice, anything like that, expressed Elizabeth Fabri, District 4 Safety Press Officer. PennDOT and PTC urge caution in upcoming weather At 3:00 a.m. Tuesday, PennDOT says a tier 4 restriction will be enacted for all of NEPA, which restricts all commercial vehicles from being on the interstates at that time. PennDOT is activating the incident command center at midnight. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PAhomepage.com. With snow expected to fall overnight throughout Pennsylvania, officials are starting to issue restrictions on several area roadways. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission crews are pre-treating roads where necessary but warn salt wont resolve all risks when it comes to driving during a winter storm. So, the agencies ask drivers to avoid unnecessary travel and are issuing vehicle restrictions that go into place at 3 a.m. on Tuesday. The vehicle restrictions in Western Pennsylvania are listed below. Click here to see a map of all the restrictions in the state. Pennsylvania Turnpike The Turnpike (I-76) from New Stanton (Exit 75) to Breezewood (Exit 161) is under a Tier 2 restriction, which bans vehicles such as empty tractor-trailers, oversized loads, RVS and motorcycles. Click here for the full list of restrictions. I-80 I-80 between Exit 19B: I-79 NORTH - ERIE and Exit 173: PA 64 - LAMAR is under a Tier 2 restriction. I-80 from Exit 173: PA 64 - LAMAR to the New Jersey border is under a Tier 4 restriction, which bans all commercial vehicles. City of Pittsburgh Pittsburghs Department of Public Works says forecasted rain will prevent crews from pretreating roads for the snow thats expected to fall during the morning rush hour. Motorists are asked to remain alert for crews completing roadwork on Tuesday morning and be mindful of where they park their cars. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: West Mifflin, Pittsburgh Public schools arent allowing visitors Monday over reported threat Man killed during argument with girlfriends father Super Bowl OT means free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings VIDEO: 11 Investigates: Controversial plan to put armed officers in schools DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Elon Musk is now being ordered to testify again before the Securities and Exchange Commission on its probe for possible federal violations on his $44 billion takeover of Twitter (now X). California Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler, on Saturday, formalized the tentative ruling on the SEC's subpoena on Musk following his refusal to appear in two interviews. Under the ruling, Musk and the SEC now only have a week to decide a date and location for the rescheduled testimony. Investigation on Twitter Takeover Continues to be Delayed Musk previously refused to attend the interviews, claiming that the SEC's questions are irrelevant and that it has already appeared in two interviews. Musk has since challenged the SEC's subpoena, forcing the commission to sue him. However, according to Beeler, the subsequent interviews on Musk will not be "unduly burdensome." The SEC interviews are only half-day sessions. The SEC has been intensifying its investigations on X owner after it reportedly obtained "thousands of new documents" it wants Musk to clarify. Also Read: SEC Investigates Twitter Security Flaw Before Musk's Acquisition Musk Under More Leadership Controversies The latest development on the X investigation is only part of the increasing controversies Musk has lately become involved in regarding the management of his companies. Musk and the SEC previously clashed in 2018 after the commission sued him for a posting "funding secured" in reference to possible plans of taking Tesla private. The SEC sued Musk again in 2019 after allegedly failing to comply with the agreement that a Tesla lawyer would have to vet his posts regarding the electric auto manufacturer. And just recently, the Tesla CEO was denied of his "unfathomable" $56 billion bonus package for supposed large influence on the board's decision. In response, Musk posted on X to "never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware." Related Article: Elon Musk's X Loses Over 71% of Original Value, Says Fidelity Poles on the border with Ukraine poured grain from trucks Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Poland Micha Koodziejczak stated that all Ukrainian grain in transit through Poland should be checked, in a comment to Polish outlet PAP on Feb. 12. Today, at a meeting with various services, I will demand that all grain shipments that are exported and embargoed be checked in Poland, the Polish politician said. Read also: Ukraine, Poland enter talks on grain export quotas Koodziejczak also added that the procedures for checking grain at the border are not effective enough, and he personally has no confidence in any importer or exporter from abroad who submits their own tests. According to him, there are cases when grain gets to Germany and after testing turns out to be of poor quality, in 99 percent of cases it returns to Poland as European grain. He added that the same applies to grain testing in ports. It is not returning back to Ukraine, but to Poland, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Poland said. Read also: Polish farmers resume protests, block key Ukraine border crossings On Feb. 8, 2024, it became known that Polish farmers would block the Zosin-Ustyluh checkpoint. The passage of trucks is also expected to slow down to 3-4 per hour at the Dohobyczow-Uhrynow checkpoint. On Feb. 10, Polish farmers unblocked the Shehyni-Medyka checkpoint, where traffic had been suspended since Feb. 9. On Feb. 11, it was reported online that Polish protesters near the Dorohusk checkpoint on the border with Ukraine damaged Ukrainian trucks and threw grain out of them. Videos were posted. According to the reports, there were three tons of grain spilled from each damaged truck. The trucks from which some of the grain was dumped were sealed after customs procedures. On Feb. 12, Polish farmers began protests at two more checkpoints on the border with Ukraine Zosin and Dolhobyczow - and again blocked Shehyni. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 (Photo : Unsplash/Bret Kavanaugh) Elon Musk's brain implant company, Neuralink Corp., relocated its business incorporation from Delaware to Nevada, which offers more protections for executives against investor suits, to distance itself from a state where Musk faced legal challenges, including issues regarding pay and the acquisition of Twitter. Series of Setbacks in Delaware In a notice to shareholders, the company completed the move on Thursday, following several legal setbacks for Musk in "The First State," including a judge invalidating his $55 billion pay package as CEO of Tesla. Relocating Neralink Incorporation From Delaware to Nevada Musk promptly expressed his thoughts about the decisions in a series of posts on X, previously known as Twitter, saying, "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware," and recommended Nevada or Texas if shareholders want to decide matters. Musk has also signaled plans to reincorporate Tesla, once again relocating the company away from Delaware. A Public Vote Supporting the Relocation Musk posted a poll on his X profile after the ruling invalidated his $55 billion payout plan, asking if the company should relocate its incorporation to Texas. Tesla, based in Austin, was originally incorporated in Delaware in 2003. Last week, Musk promised to attempt moving Tesla's incorporation from Delaware to Texas, though this would need approval through a shareholder vote. After the results revealed that 87.1% of respondents favored the move to Texas, he wrote that the public vote decisively supported the state, stating, "Tesla will move immediately to hold a shareholder vote to transfer state of incorporation to Texas." Legal Battles in Delaware Musk has had numerous legal battles in Delaware, known as the U.S. incorporation hub with 1.3 million legal entities, where more than 70% of Fortune 500 companies are incorporated. The state's chancery court judges are renowned for their expertise in business law and can expedite cases. Delaware is often chosen for resolving major merger and acquisition disputes, even by foreign companies. READ ALSO: Elon Musk's Drug Use Concerns Executives in Businesses He Runs; Denied in Random Testing Results Large businesses are drawn to the state due to established legal precedents, access to skilled corporate lawyers, and the state's corporate law statute, which provides "predictability and stability." Two years ago, a Delaware judge dismissed an investor lawsuit against Musk's $2.6 billion purchase of SolarCity, stating that Musk didn't coerce other directors into accepting an overpriced buyout of the renewable power provider. Later in 2022, Musk faced difficulties when attempting to withdraw his bid to purchase the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. He encountered setbacks in pretrial rulings by Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick, the same judge who later invalidated his 2018 pay plan. Neuralink's Successful Brain Implant Neuralink conducted its initial human brain implant in January, and according to Musk, the patient is recovering satisfactorily. The company's first objective is to enable people to control a computer keyboard or cursor using their thoughts. RELATED ARTICLE: Elon Musk Taking Drugs with Tesla Board Members, Sparks Concerns About Management Independence and Security 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Unsplash/ bruce mars) Workers say drinking with colleagues after a productive day at work is becoming less appealing. The "Happy Hour" Norm According to two studies by JAMA Psychiatry conducted in 2001-2002 and 2012-2013, Americans have increasingly relied on alcohol over the past two decades, showing an 11% increase in the number within a year. High-risk drinking, defined as consuming four or more drinks per day at least once a week for women and five or more for men, rose by 30%. Specifically, women saw an increase of nearly 16%, while Asian Americans experienced a rise of almost 30%. During this period, more women entered the workforce, leading to more after-work drinking due to increased stress and workload from balancing home and work responsibilities. Many individuals feel compelled to drink socially in various settings, such as after-work happy hours, dinners with friends, and gatherings at home as a means of stress relief. Moreover, this social interaction is more socially acceptable compared to substance abuse, with less stigma attached to alcohol consumption. After-Work Activities Replacing The New "Happy Hour" Norm A recent report by Gympass, a platform for companies to offer wellness activities to employees, suggests that exercising is now seen as the new "happy hour" for professionals. The company studied millions of "check-ins," which show that employees are using their services, from over two million subscribers, and compiled a report called "Year in Motion," which includes data from professionals in nine industries such as finance, retail, and tech in 2023. The Workout Trend Findings Based on the findings, the most preferred time for employees to engage in fitness activities last year was 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., compared to 5 p.m. Among all employees, those in the finance industry were the only ones who preferred morning workouts, particularly at 6 a.m., which was the third most popular time. Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays were the least popular days for people to engage in wellness activities. Tuesday was the most popular day when people went to the gym, attended fitness classes, and used other wellness services. Wednesdays and Thursdays were the next most popular days for engaging in wellness activities. Road to a Healthier Work Lifestyle The move away from happy hours towards more fitness time aligns with the growing emphasis on wellness. This year, Gen Z focuses on staying healthy and changing how they view work culture. Additionally, many Americans aim to drink less in 2024, with some already giving up alcohol completely. READ ALSO: When Workers Can't Find Purpose in A Frustrating Environment, "Quiet Thriving" Can Help When Should Workers Head to the Gym? Experts agree that regardless of when you exercise, you're on the right track as long as you're committed to incorporating physical activity into your busy schedule. The American Heart Association suggests the following: At least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) per week of moderate-intensity activity; or Seventy-five minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous aerobic activity per week. Morning Warriors Fitness experts and doctors suggest that individuals in this group could gain an all-day energy boost by exercising early in the morning. Moreover, your body might be more primed to burn fat in the morning when there's less sugar in your system to burn through initially. The mental benefits of an early morning workout are often praised for clearing your mind and starting the day positively, which is why most Fortune 500 CEOs reportedly work out in the morning, as stated by www.fastcompany.com. However, a more thorough warm-up in the morning is advised to prevent injuries. Evening Champions Physicians say that your body may be better equipped to handle a sweat or strength-training session when you've been active throughout the day. Additionally, you have more energy from meals and snacks consumed throughout the day to fuel your workout and keep your energy levels up. Exercising too close to bedtime can be problematic. According to helpguide.org, it's recommended to time moderate or vigorous workouts at least three hours before bedtime. However, research indicates that any exercise can improve your sleep quality and provide the rest your body requires. RELATED ARTICLE: How Curiosity Boosts Creativity and Re-Engages the Workforce 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ONTARIO, Ohio (WJW) Police and state agents are investigating after an officer was shot responding to a domestic situation in Richland County. Monday afternoon, Ontario police chief Tommy Hill offered an update on the investigation. Hill identified the officer as Dylan Bailey, a six year veteran, and said he is currently in stable condition. This was an absolute nightmare situation, Hill said during the press conference. Police sources confirmed to the FOX 8 I-Team that an Ontario law enforcement officer was shot and injured Sunday, as well as a female victim. Both were taken to the hospital. Fire levels clubhouse, home at loved local golf course The officer was shot and wounded while trying to rescue the female hostage. The officer was responding to a 911 call shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday regarding a violation of a no contact order at a home on Landings Court, said officials. When officers arrived, they were confronted by a 32-year-old man, identified as Jareth Vance. Officials report he was holding a female hostage at gunpoint. Officers tried to rescue the woman (who they believe to be his girlfriend), and thats when the suspect fired at police, striking one of the officers. After the shooting, the hostage escaped the suspects control. He (then) shot her as well, wrote police in a media release. (The suspect) then barricaded himself inside the residence where he held a 16-year-old hostage. Cameras catch Travis Kelce push head coach After a four-hour standoff, officials said, Vance surrendered to law enforcement. The 16-year-old hostage was unharmed. Hill said the suspects vehicle has been seized. Vance is currently at Richland County Jail and is so far charged with attempted aggravated murder. Hill said more charges are expected. Vances bond was set at $1 million Monday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. (Photo : Unsplash/Michael Fortsch) Two off-duty police officers took down a woman who opened fire at Lakewood Church on Sunday, according to the police. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner stated in a press briefing that a woman in her early 30s entered the west side of the church armed with a long rifle, wearing a trenchcoat and carrying a backpack, was allegedly accompanied by a child, around four to five years old, and began shooting as soon as she entered the building. Megachurch Shooting Incident's Casualty Two off-duty officers, one from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the other from the Houston Police Department, killed the shooter before she harmed anyone inside the church, which was getting ready for a Spanish-language service. READ ALSO: NYPD's WhatsApp Initiative, Praised as "The Fastest" Shoplifting Epidemic Response by Retail Storekeepers According to Finner, two individuals were injured, including the child who was with the shooter. Authorities are still investigating the relationship between the child and the shooter, as well as the shooter's motive, adding they are unsure who shot the child during the incident and who is in critical condition after being transported to Texas Children's Hospital. A man in his fifties also sustained a non-critical leg injury and is currently being treated at a local hospital. Finner stated that the woman had claimed to have a bomb, leading authorities to search her backpack and vehicle. However, no explosives were found. Chaos at the Spanish-speaking Lakewood Service The Spanish-speaking service was set to start at 2 p.m. when the witnesses said they heard multiple gunshots in the choir room. ABC13 reporters were at the church, witnessing crowds of people, including children, evacuating the worship center. Church attendees are directed to go to Lifetime Fitness at 1 Healthy Way in the Greenway Plaza area to reunite with their families, as many were separated during the chaos. Gunshots Still Unconfirmed by Authorities Video shared with Eyewitness News shows the chaos inside the church as rapid gunfire rings out and people scramble for safety. Authorities have not confirmed the exact number of shots fired, but a man who fled the scene with his three young daughters reported hearing 20 to 30 gunshots. The Houston Police Department advised drivers to steer clear of the area. As of 3 p.m., the Southwest Freeway feeder road near Edloe Street has been closed as authorities continue their investigation. Lakewood Megachurch Overseen by Joel Osteen Lakewood Church, overseen by Osteen and his wife, Victoria Osteen, who serves as co-pastor, seats around 16,000 people. Pastor Joel Osteen is one of the wealthiest and most famous pastors in the United States, preaching the prosperity gospel. As per the church's website, his media broadcasts, podcasts, and radio shows reach millions of households worldwide. Osteen told reporters on Sunday that he doesn't understand why these things happen, but God's in control," stating they'll stay strong and keep moving forward. RELATED ARTICLE: Dallas Shooting, Police Chief David Brown: Difficult Career Ahead After Five Officers Dead 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Backed by employees, GME Finance aims to become No.1 loan provider to foreign nationals in Korea Editors note This article is the second in The Korea Times' 2024 series focusing on "Diversity, Inclusiveness and Equality." ED. By Lee Yeon-woo Getting a job as a foreign national can be difficult in any country. In Korea, the language barrier and stringent immigration policies complicate matters further, particularly for those looking for work not involving hard labor or teaching English. Even obtaining an advanced degree here does not guarantee easy cultural and economic assimilation. Madhukar Shrestha, a Nepalese national, first came to Korea in 2014 to pursue a master's degree at Ajou University. But after graduating, he found himself in a cycle of short-term jobs, including roles as a server, a cook and a part-timer in small offices. "I think Korean companies are generally open to hiring foreign nationals. Foreign nationals really work hard to prove themselves, so companies recognize that. But at the same time, they can't sponsor visas for everyone. And language is always an issue; not everybody can be excellent in Korean," Shrestha told The Korea Times. However, about a year ago, he secured a position at GME Finance, a licensed loan provider for foreign nationals recognized by the Financial Supervisory Services in Korea since 2019. As a full-time marketing officer, he now oversees loan applications for Nepalese clients. "The work environment here is very multicultural. We essentially use three languages. I use my native language to communicate with my customers, English to communicate with everybody and also some Korean with the Korean staff," Shrestha said. Being a foreign national is an asset at GME Finance, according to its COO Eric Sung, who built the company from scratch. "Securing a loan in Korea can be nearly impossible for foreign nationals. While we adhere to the same standards as domestic banks when providing loans, our foreign staff, sharing the same nationality as the loan applicant, personally reach out to assist them throughout the process," Sung said. "Communicating in a language that's familiar to our clients, regardless of their fluency in Korean or English, fosters trust. Therefore, we aim to increase our recruitment of foreign nationals to strengthen trust with our customers." Approximately 80 percent of GME Finance's employees are foreign nationals. Their roles span a diverse range, including foreign exchange and sales, as well as the management of partnerships with foreign firms. This diverse team has been instrumental in the company's growth, with its operating profit reaching 550 million won ($414,125) as of 2022. GME Finance further broadened its services recently by launching an online loan application process, enabling foreign nationals to apply for loans exclusively through its app. Sung also highlighted the significant contributions of foreign employees in driving the firm's international expansion. For instance, GME Finance's CMO Kumudumali Kanchanamala recently fostered a strong partnership with Sampath Bank, a prominent commercial bank in Sri Lanka, channeling capital into the company. "While the bank has been a partner of ours, it wasn't a major one initially. Thanks to our employees' efforts in exploring these uncharted areas, we've been able to seize more opportunities for cooperation with foreign partners, effectively reducing costs," Sung said. Kanchanamala credits GME Finance's work environment for enabling her to utilize her abilities fully. Initially joining the company as a loan marketing officer focusing on the Sri Lankan segment in 2018, she rapidly advanced in her career. Within a few years, Kanchanamala ascended to the role of head of finance for the Sri Lankan market, and by 2022, she was appointed as CMO. She now oversees operations across 12 countries. "I got many work experiences here, and my career went up as a result," she said. "There [is] no differentiation based on nationality or educational background in this office. The management puts priority [on] the skills and the performance of the staff. It gives us [hope] that we can reach [a] higher position if we work hard. The management always encourages us to do innovative things." To ensure a supportive working environment, GME Finance conducts all business meetings in English, accommodating its diverse staff. The company offers language classes for those less proficient in Korean or English. Additionally, it organizes annual gatherings and events designed to foster camaraderie and mutual understanding among its multinational employees. The office culture is further enriched by small campaigns aimed at motivating employees and encouraging high performance and positive morale. Monica Lee, a Korean national with two and a half years of experience at the company, initially found the multicultural environment challenging. "At first, I questioned if I was in the right place. However, my perspective gradually shifted as I interacted with my colleagues. My English isn't strong, and some of them struggle with Korean, but we've found ways to connect. I've learned to say 'thank you' in Indonesian and 'you're welcome' in Sri Lankan. Similarly, foreign employees make an effort to speak to me with simple Korean phrases. This mutual effort is how we've come together," Lee said. "At the end of the day, we're all just people trying to work together in the same space. Cultural differences should not be a barrier to our collaboration." By Anna J. Park Starting this year, cryptocurrency exchanges that are deemed unsuitable, due to failing to meet stringent standards, will be expelled from the marketplace, as financial authorities plan to strengthen scrutiny and inspection of them, the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit (KoFIU) said Monday. At the same time, the financial authorities will attempt to block the entry of unfit virtual business operators into the marketplace by expanding the scope of screening targets when a new business aims to advance into the cryptocurrency market. The government is also considering adopting a preemptive trading suspension system for suspicious transactions, even at a pre-investigation stage, to swiftly prevent a criminal act. The system is being implemented in 49 countries, including Britain, Germany, and Finland, as recommended by the Financial Action Task Force, an international anti-money laundering organization. These are some of the key policy directions and measures that will be implemented throughout this year by KoFIU, as the agency announced its annual work plan on Monday. The plans were drawn up after closely consulting with the cryptocurrency industry and experts at its policy advisory committees. Since the fall of 2021, KoFIU has been managing the official registration of dozens of coin exchanges that operate in Korea. As cryptocurrency exchanges that gained government recognition three years ago are slated to renew their registrations during the second half of this year, KoFIU plans to conduct thorough examinations during the first half of this year. After closely looking into the anti-money laundering inspections of coin exchanges, operational capacity in the Korean won market and consumer protection measures, the financial authorities are planning to expel those that fail to meet the strengthened standards. The commissioner of KoFiu said that the stringent inspections regarding the cryptocurrency exchanges are to ensure the smooth implementation of the country's first protection law on virtual asset consumers, which will take effect in July. "In preparation for the enactment of the virtual asset consumer protection act from the latter half of this year and the large-scale renewal registrations, KoFIU will agilely push forward with the necessary institutional improvements to ensure the seamless operation of the cryptocurrency industry," Rhee Yun-su, the commissioner at the intelligence unit, said. Editors note This is the second in a two-part series exploring Hong Kong's captivating yet disappearing neon signs, once a bright and iconic part of the city's landscape. ED. By Kwak Yeon-soo HONG KONG Growing up in Hong Kong in the 1980 and '90s, Cardin Chan was surrounded by neon signs that bathed the city in their vibrant glow. At the time, she didn't pay much attention to them, but neon lights have always fascinated her and quietly shaped her sense of belonging. This defining feature of Hong Kong's nightscape was an omnipresent yet unexamined part of her childhood. It wasn't until Chan spent years abroad in London, engaging with people who felt very passionate about their own home, district, city or country, that she began to reexamine the neon lights of Hong Kong through a lens of appreciation and nostalgia. At the same time, she realized neon's growing disappearance during each visit to Hong Kong. Chan began to see the fading glow of neon not just as a loss of physical landmarks but as a dimming of the city's cultural identity. After relocating back to Hong Kong in 2017, she dedicated herself to rediscovering the city, choosing its neon heritage as a starting point. As a volunteer, her first task was to conduct a survey of remaining neon signs in the city. This initial step led her down a path to approach the people of the neon industry. The more she learned about the subject, the more she realized that the lack of understanding of Hong Kong's neon lights contributed to their disappearance. Motivated to change this, Chan joined the Tetra Neon Exchange (TNX), a nonprofit organization committed to preserving Hong Kongs neon signs, in 2020. Chan has since served as the general manager of TNX, dedicating her efforts to educating and conserving the neon lights that once defined the city's nightscape. The organization works tirelessly to save neon signs at risk of being removed for whatever reasons. This task demands time, trust and a lot of work, according to Chan. "I want Hong Kong's neon to be given a fair chance to shine once more. We conserve both tangible and intangible heritage signs and stories. Education, changing perceptions and mentality are what I believe should be the key areas of my work," she said. Below is an excerpt of The Korea Times' interview with Chan. It has been edited for clarity and readability. Q. I feel like neon signs are an integral part of the city's streetscape. Why are neon signs important to Hong Kong culture? A. Neon signs are important because they are the embodiments of what makes Hong Kong unique, where the old meets the new, and the East blends with the West. They encapsulate our visual culture, aesthetics and cultural elements like handwritten calligraphy, pictograms, designs artists from Shanghai in the 1950s and geometry from the West. Hong Kong earned the title "Pearl of the Orient" because of our bright signs. Our streets were like galleries. Iconic streetscapes drew opportunities and talent. As can be seen in movies, postcards and photo books, neon has been an inspiration to many for decades. To this day, the neon streetscape may be one of the first things that comes to mind when people think of Hong Kong. Q. Can you describe neon signs' heyday in the late 20th century? How was the business environment different from that of today? A. When walking along Nathan Road, for example, I was greeted by a sea of neon signs. It was magical. I was told that during the heyday, there were around 200 people that worked in the neon industry and some neon tube benders needed to work nonstop for a week or so to meet deadlines. So far, there hasnt been a published figure regarding the total number of neon signs in Hong Kong. However, it seems the Buildings Department released a figure around 2010, and there were over 120,000 signs on Hong Kongs streets, and I believe a majority of them were neon. Q. I heard LED lights posed a big threat to the neon industry, followed by government regulations citing safety reasons. When did the industry begin to wane? A. Neon has been going through transformations since the early 2000s because of a combination of reasons, and LED and regulations are only two of them. Other reasons include the loss of their natural habitat through gentrification and the disappearance of businesses that had neon signs. Q. Compared to the past when neon lights mainly served commercial purposes, neon lights are appreciated as a form of art these days. Do you think this can be another form of preserving the heritage? A. Neon has been quite a popular medium that artists like to create with, but it does seem like more artists have embraced neon in recent years. I think it helps with the transition by expanding the "preconceived" role of neon among the general public over time. More importantly, it helps keep the craft going and further nurtures the creativity and skills of the neon artisans. Q. What more do you think could be done by the community to safeguard the neon lights of Hong Kong? A. I think the most pressing and effective way for the community to safeguard neon is to rediscover neon, its history and significance. Also, we need to consistently pay attention to the developments and support the industry by commissioning new work. Chan gave an example of a successful partnership with Tai Ping Koon restaurant. The collaboration began in October 2022, when the restaurant contacted the TNX about removing a neon sign from its Tsim Sha Tsui branch. "We approached and left them introduction material even earlier," Chan said. "After some discussions, the restaurant owner, the contractor and we worked together to save the neon sign." This project laid the foundation of trust, leading to another opportunity with the famous restaurant's Yau Ma Tei branch. "Due to the trust we already built between us, the owner felt safe to put their two more signs in our hands. To create even more awareness and add another layer of meaning to our 'Vital Signs' exhibition at Tai Kwun at that time, we managed to incorporate one of those signs as a part of the program," Chan said. The effort has not only preserved the signs but also deepened the restaurant owner's appreciation for Hong Kong's neon heritage, resulting in Tai Ping Koon's commissioning of a new sign, complying with current regulations, for the Yau Ma Tei branch. "I believe since our collaboration, the owner has been working with us even more closely. We have been helping to promote their sign story in the hope of encouraging other businesses to follow this wonderful example," she said. Chan stressed the importance of advocacy and education in neon conservation. "Without a genuine understanding of neon, it might only be seen as a trend and will only be on the radar temporarily. It takes time for knowledge to sink in and [for] people to shift their existing mindset. Neon doesnt need to be a sunset industry if we give it a fair chance," she said. The neon conservationist hopes the TNX's efforts can continue to lay a healthy and solid foundation for neon's continued presence and appreciation in Hong Kong. "Something historical is not necessarily old and needs to make way for the new. If we are willing to give it a new definition and support, it won't only have a glorious past, but a future too," Chan said. Experts from South Korea and the United States will gather in Seoul this year to discuss North Korea's human rights situation in celebration of the 10th anniversary of a U.N. report on the North's rights violations. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in North Korea was established in March 2013 to investigate the widespread human rights violations in the North. In February 2014, the COI released its landmark report that accused North Korean officials of systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations and made related recommendations. The international forum, to be held in the first half of this year, will be attended by government officials and experts joining in both online and offline, according to the foreign ministry. The participants are expected to discuss the ongoing human rights violation in the North and ways to improve the rights situation in the reclusive country. Last year, the ministry held a forum to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the COI. (Yonhap) The number of elementary, middle and high school students in Korea is expected to fall below the current 5-million level in the next two years, data from a state-run institute showed Monday, amid the country's chronically low birthrates. The total number of the students is estimated to decline to 4.83 million in 2026 from 5.13 million this year, according to the data from the Korean Education Development Institute. In 2029, the number of students is expected to further decline to 4.275 million, the data showed, marking a fall of nearly 1 million students in five years. The number of first graders is expected to decrease from 347,950 this year to 244,965 in 2029, according to the data. Last year, the number of first graders stood at 401,752 as of April. Korea's total fertility rate the average number of children a woman bears in her lifetime fell to a fresh low of 0.78 in 2022, well below the replacement level of 2.1 needed to maintain the country's population at 51 million. (Yonhap) Health ministry says no compromise, warns of tough response By Jun Ji-hye Doctors are on a collision course with the government, as they are planning collective actions, including a large-scale strike, in protest of the health ministry's recent decision to let more students into medical schools. As the government is strongly determined not to back off but push ahead with the long-delayed quota hike this time, concerns are rising that citizens could experience inconvenience in receiving adequate medical services. Participants in the collective action are expected to include not only general physicians operating local clinics, but also interns and resident doctors working in large hospitals. Their actions would include shutting down clinics, taking annual leave or submitting resignation letters en masse. The doctors threats came after the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Feb. 6 that the annual enrollment quota at 40 medical schools across the county will increase next year to 5,058 from the current 3,058, in order to improve public access to medical services in underserved areas and alleviate chronic shortages of physicians in critical fields such as pediatrics and emergency care. It will be the first hike in nearly 20 years, as the current limit was set in 2006. The health ministry made it clear that the government will not repeat the compromise made in 2020, referring to the previous Moon Jae-in governments eventual retraction of its proposal to raise the medical school admissions quota by 4,000 over 10 years. That plan faced fierce protests by physicians, interns and resident doctors as well as medical school students. This time, the ministry threatened a stern response to doctors looming strike, including a measure that could revoke their licenses. As its first collective action against the governments decision, the Korean Medical Association (KMA), the nations largest coalition of doctors, will hold massive rallies across the nation on Thursday. The KMA went into emergency mode after Lee Pil-soo resigned as its head following the governments announcement. It said on Sunday that its emergency response committee will soon decide on the details for additional collective actions. Doctors affiliated with the Korea Emergency Medical Association also announced a decision to form an emergency council and join collective actions to be led by the KMA. As the KMA consists mostly of doctors who operate local clinics, its use of the expression general strike is largely interpreted as a shutdown of those clinics. The ministry believes such an action would have a limited impact on health services when looking back on the 2020 case when the participation rate stood at only about 10 percent. Major concerns are revolving around possible collective actions to be staged by interns and resident doctors who play a pivotal role in larger hospitals. A strike by junior doctors has a greater impact, as seen in 2020 when more than 80 percent of them participated in collective actions that defeated the Moon governments push for the hike. A day after the government announced the decision to raise the medical school quota by an extra 2,000, Park Dan, head of the Korean Intern Resident Association (KIRA), wrote on social media, The number is far too excessive. We will consider all necessary measures (against the decision). The KIRA said its survey conducted on around 10,000 interns and resident doctors showed that 88.2 percent of the respondents agreed with taking collective action, including strikes, if the government proceeds with raising the medical school quota. Interns and resident doctors at the so-called big five hospitals in Seoul Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul Asan Medical Center, Samsung Medical Center, Severance Hospital and Seoul St. Marys Hospital have already carried out their own surveys and agreed to participate in the collective action. The health ministry stressed that it will respond firmly to any potential strikes by doctors in accordance with laws and principles. Under the Medical Service Act, the government can issue an order for doctors to return to work if they go on strike. Violators of this order face suspension of their licenses for up to one year or imprisonment up to three years. The law also stipulates that the government possesses the authority to potentially revoke doctors licenses should they receive criminal punishment after failing to adhere to this order. We have strong will to respond sternly to any illegal acts and have prepared for that, a ministry official said. A senior official at the presidential office also said doctors' planned collective action lacks justification, adding that previous administrations have missed the proper timing to raise the medical school quota and it cannot be delayed anymore. Traffic levels on major highways eased Monday as people who visited their families during the Lunar New Year holiday returned home on the final day of the four-day holiday. A drive from Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to the capital was expected to take about five hours as of 5 p.m., while driving from Gwangju, 267 kilometers south of the capital, to Seoul was expected to take three hours and 30 minutes, according to the state-run Korea Expressway Corp. The drive in the opposite direction from Seoul to Busan was estimated to take 4 hours and 30 minutes and from the capital to Gwangju to take 3 hours and 30 minutes. It estimated 4.2 million cars would hit the road Monday, 950,000 vehicles less than the previous day. (Yonhap) By Lee Hae-rin Netflix's new Korean original series, "A Killer Paradox," is triggering a backlash online from supporters of main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Jae-myung, for allegedly portraying a villainous character who reminded audiences of the politician's physical appearance as well as scandals that occurred while he was running for president in 2022, which were not a part of the original webtoon series. The eight-part crime thriller that hit the over-the-top streaming service Friday revolves around a cat-and-mouse scenario between an ordinary college student who accidentally kills a serial killer, played by Choi Woo-shik, and a dutiful detective, played by Son Suk-ku. It is based on the webtoon series of the same name by Kkomabi, a webtoonist. In episode seven, a character named Chairman Hyung Sung-guk appears, who, according to some, highly resembles the current DPK leader. Hyung, a construction company owner who takes advantage of his connections to various gangs as well as high-ranking government officials, wields a large amount of influence and corrupts those in his way, "astonishingly, he resembles Lee in appearance," a viewer pointed out online, noting how the character has a similar face as Lee and Lee and Hyung both wear black-framed glasses and have white slicked backed hair. Lee's supporters also say that the series added some details about the character that immediately reminded viewers of Lee. Notably, the scene where Hyung eats sushi while in prison due to tax evasion, embezzlement and bribery charges linked to a land redevelopment project reminded viewers of the scandal that surfaced during Lee's 2022 presidential campaign. At the time, when Lee was the governor of Gyeonggi Province, it was alleged that Lee's wife inappropriately used the provincial government's credit card to buy sushi, beef and other expensive items. Also, Hyung's prison number 4421 corresponds to the 442.1 billion won ($331.9 million) earned by a construction company from the lucrative Daejang-dong land development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, while Lee served as the city's mayor. It has been alleged that Lee gave favors to specific developers for the project. The sushi scene and the prison number did not appear in the original webcomic. However, Netflix said the assumptions are "groundless" and denied any connection between the character and the DPK leader. Conservative members criticize liberal dominance of party leadership By Nam Hyun-woo Minor political parties that were recently formed as several politicians broke away from Koreas main conservative and liberal parties, decided to merge so as to form a big-tent party. However, doubts remain over their ability to work together and find a common identity as a single political entity. Their supporters are still sharply divided along ideological lines, complaining that the merger was announced only for the sake of the April 10 general elections, without setting a common agenda as a single party. On Friday, the four parties the Reform Party headed by former ruling People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Lee Jun-seok, the Saemirae Party headed by former main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Nak-yon, the New Party headed by former lawmaker Keum Tae-seop, and the Principle and Common Sense party headed by independent Rep. Cho Eung-cheon announced that they agreed to merge into a single party under the name of the Reform Party. During its first leadership meeting on Sunday, the Reform Party decided to have the former chairmen of the PPP and the DPK as co-chairmen and named a number of party officials on Monday, including their Supreme Council members, each recommended by their respective parties. The first Supreme Council meeting will be held on Tuesday. I appreciate everyone for reaching this agreement despite the short period of negotiations, Lee Nak-yon said after Sundays meeting. We will do our best to meet the expectations on us. We will launch the partys leadership as soon as possible to carry out things that we need to address. The former liberal party head wrote on Facebook that he accepted using the Reform Party as the merged party name in order to keep the momentum of political reform. I beg our party members and supporters to understand and accept this. During a radio interview with broadcaster MBC, Monday, Lee Jun-seok said, We decided to use the Reform Party as the merged partys name because my group agreed on the integration with the existing Reform Party being at the center. Their comments came because supporters of the existing Reform Party and Saemirae Party are expressing their complaints about the abrupt merger. Of them, the Reform Party, whose supporters are mostly conservatives, is seeing its members leaving the party, criticizing the merged partys imbalance between the conservatives and the liberals, because except for the Reform Party, all the other three political groups are comprised of former DPK or other liberal party members. On the website of the Reform Party, Monday, members left posts regarding their disappointment with the merger, asking for ways to leave the party. The so-called big-tent party is now filled with former members of the DPK, and it is natural to have concerns that the voice of reformatist conservatives may be overshadowed, a party member wrote. With an imbalance of power within the leadership, how can an equal voice be ensured? Lee Ki-in, a spokesperson of the Reform Party, also wrote on the website, I assume that the supporters are outraged because the process and the cause of the merger were not transparent, and we are also painfully looking back to the decision as to whether we have neglected whats important for the sake of the elections. Lee Jun-seok said in the radio interview that he is also aware of the criticisms over the imbalance between the conservatives and the liberals, but the Supreme Council is not experiencing disagreement because of their former party affiliations, and I can assure that the [merged] Reform Party has set up a structure for reasonable decision making. With its ability to reach ideological consensus facing doubts, the recent merger of the Reform Party is now working on its strategy for the elections. Watchers are saying that chances are high for the party to recommend conservative members, such as Lee Jun-seok, as candidates for conservative strongholds of Daegu and Busan, and liberal figures, such as Lee Nak-yon, for Gwangju and Jeolla provinces. For Seoul and the surrounding province of Gyeonggi, the party will likely recommend Keum, who has already announced his bid to run in Seouls Jongno District, Rep. Yang Hyang-ja, who is seeking to run in Yongin in Gyeonggi Province and other politicians who have relatively moderate partisan orientations. HanmiGlobal affiliate seeks opportunities in offshore wind projects By Park Jae-hyuk Korean companies have long been unfamiliar with looking for professional cost management services when they place construction orders, as most of their projects in the past were not of a scale that warranted hiring advisory firms. Soaring construction costs and large-scale projects to build state-of-the-art facilities, however, have also increased demand for cost management services in Korea, paving the way for Turner & Townsend Korea to seek more business opportunities. The company specializing in construction cost management was established in 2009 as a joint venture between the Britain-headquartered Turner & Townsend and HanmiGlobal, a Korean construction project management firm. After growing into a leading company in the Korean market, it has provided services for various mega-size projects, including the construction of LG Science Park, Shinsegaes Starfield shopping malls and Microsofts data centers in Korea. Despite such a track record, Turner & Townsend Korea President Park Jang-shik said there is still room for growth in Koreas construction cost management market, considering the trend of global enterprises hiring cost management firms in addition to project management companies when they place construction orders. Systematic and efficient management of costs determines the success of a project, he told The Korea Times in an interview. Cost management is essential for construction projects. Park, who joined HanmiGlobal in 2000 as an engineer, was transferred to Turner & Townsend Korea in 2011 when HanmiGlobal sent all of its employees in charge of cost management services to the joint venture. After taking charge of sales and operations at the company, he was appointed as its president last November. In 2009, when HanmiGlobal Chairman Kim Jong-hoon decided to found a company specializing in construction cost management, he preferred establishing a joint venture with a renowned foreign company over setting up its own subsidiary, Park said. Turner & Townsend swiftly agreed to HanmiGlobals proposal, as both companies anticipated a synergy effect. He forecast that there will be a growing demand for cost management services for projects to build data centers and large shopping malls. Turner & Townsend Korea is also optimistic about the potential benefits from the Yoon Suk Yeol administrations recent move to ease regulations on the reconstruction of apartment buildings aged over 30 years. Park, however, noted that his company seeks to offer services for a wider range of projects. We want to expand our presence in the market for eco-friendly projects, such as the construction of offshore wind farms, he said. HanmiGlobal has already managed projects to build offshore wind plants. With the expectation of further growth in the market, he added that his company is looking for more specialists in construction cost management, although Korea still lacks such experts. He also unveiled his companys plan to digitalize its working process this year by adopting the Hive, Turner & Townsends internal cloud platform. As we want to receive orders repeatedly from our core clients, we will use the new system in drawing up trustworthy reports with higher qualities, Park said. I hope to make a company that grows more rapidly and gains the trust of clients. Electric cars accounted for 9.3 percent of newly purchased cars in Korea last year, data showed Monday, hovering above that of other major counterparts, including the United States and Japan. The electric vehicles (EVs) took up 162,507 of 1.74 million cars sold in Korea in 2023, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The ratio marked a significant rise from just 1.9 percent tallied in 2019. The figure, however, fell slightly from 9.7 percent posted in 2022, apparently reflecting the growing concerns over the lack of charging infrastructure and higher costs. Last year, EVs accounted for 22.2 percent of around 30 million cars sold in China, on the back of Beijing's aggressive move to bolster the sales by providing tax cuts and other discounts. The United States, meanwhile, saw EVs take up 7.2 percent of its domestic automobile sales, trailed by Japan with 2.9 percent and India with 2.1 percent. (Yonhap) By Baek Byung-yeul Lee Jae-yong, the executive chairman of Samsung Electronics and leader of Samsung Group, visited Malaysia during the Lunar New Year holidays last week to inspect the groups battery business and provide support and encouragement to employees working abroad during the Korean holiday season, the company said Monday. Samsung said that Lee chose Malaysia as his first overseas destination this year. During his visit, the Samsung chief also visited Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, to observe the local IT market, which has become a significant market for Samsung Electronics in Southeast Asia. Samsung SDI, the battery unit of Samsung Group, produces batteries in Seremban, Malaysia. The company is currently operating Plant 1 and has been building Plant 2 since 2022 to meet the growing demand for cylindrical batteries. "The second plant, which is being built with an investment of 1.7 trillion won ($1.27 billion), is expected to be completed in 2025. From 2024, it will produce Samsung SDI's PRiMX 2700 cylindrical batteries. These batteries are installed in various products such as power tools and electric vehicles (EVs)," Samsung said. The executive chairman inspected Samsung SDI's first plant as well as the second plant, which is currently under construction, on Friday. He also had meals with employees there during the holiday season, gave them gifts and listened to their concerns, according to Samsung. Despite achieving record performance with 22.7 trillion won in sales and 1.6 trillion won in operating profits in 2023, Samsung SDI is being affected by the recent slowdown in the global market for power tools and EVs. But Samsung said its battery unit plans to carry out investments for the future without interruption and strengthen its technology development. "We don't need to be discouraged by difficulties, and we should invest boldly. Let's not be swayed by short-term results, let's lead change through bold challenges," the executive chairman told employees. "Let's create new value and secure solid competitiveness." The executive chairman also analyzed the local market's response in Kuala Lumpur, the largest city in Malaysia, on Saturday. Malaysia, where Samsung has the largest share in the smartphone market, is increasingly regarded as an important market for the company in Southeast Asia. "The executive chairman visited the largest store in Southeast Asia created in 2022 by Samsung Electronics and the Malaysian retail company Senheng to observe consumers' responses to IT gadgets," the company said. The Samsung chief has been visiting overseas business sites during Korea's various holidays to inspect the business conducted by Samsung in several different markets. During the last Chuseok holiday, Lee visited Samsung Electronics' R&D Center in Israel, Samsung Electronics' TV and tablet PC manufacturing plant in Egypt and the site of an underground tunnel construction in Saudi Arabia's NEOM city being carried out by Samsung C&T. During the 2022 Chuseok holiday, he also visited Samsung Electronics' home appliance factory in Mexico, Samsung Engineering's oil refinery construction site and Samsung Electronics' branch in Panama in Central America. By Ko Dong-hwan TV home shopping channels are unlikely to recover from the continuing drop in their sales as more people are spending time with mobile devices instead of television, according to industry watchers, Monday. The companies had drawn increasing attention at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when people were discouraged from going outside and spent more time at home. But as the pandemic subsided and social distancing regulations were lifted, demand for home shopping ceased to grow. With more people now relying on smartphones for virtually all everyday activities and less people watching television, the structural shift is unlikely to change course, according to experts. This means the dropping sales for TV home shopping channels will likely continue indefinitely. The prediction comes as the country's major TV home shopping channels last year saw their annual sales drop. CJ Onstyle registered sales of 1.34 trillion won ($1 billion) last year, a 1.3 percent year-on-year drop, and a net profit of 69.3 billion, a 4.1 percent fall from the previous year. Both figures have been in continuous decline since 2020, with last year's net profit even less than half that of 2020 when the figure set a record of 176 billion won. GS Shop under GS Home Shopping last year notched 1.13 trillion won in sales and a net profit of 118 billion won, down by 8.7 percent and 17.3 percent, respectively, from 2022. Hyundai Home Shopping also saw its sale decline last year by 2.5 percent to 1.74 trillion won and net profit fall by 60.2 percent to 44.9 billion won. The company had kept its net profit over 100 billion won for the previous 10 years. The worst performance of last year was demonstrated by Lotte Home Shopping. It totaled sales worth 942 billion won and a net profit of 8.3 billion won, year-on-year plummets of 12.6 percent and 89.4 percent, respectively. In addition to declining viewerships, the companies are suffering rising airwave streaming fees from cable TV channel providers. Having risen by more than 8 percent each year on average, the fees the companies paid altogether in 2022 were more than 65 percent of their overall sales, according to Korea TV Homeshopping Association. "TV home shopping companies are scrambling to transition their businesses to mobile platforms but at the same time they seem reluctant to give up their traditional platform," an industry analyst said. "Negotiations between the companies and TV channel providers began last month for this year's airwave streaming fees. But with the dropping performances and prospects not looking good, it's apparent the negotiations won't reach an agreement any time soon." U.S. President Joe Biden and top western officials criticized former president Donald Trump on Sunday after he suggested the United States might not protect NATO allies who aren't spending enough on defence from a potential Russian invasion. "Americas leadership on the world stage and support for our allies is critical to keeping the American people safe here at home," said Biden in a statement. "If my opponent, Donald Trump, is able to regain power, he is making it clear as day that he will abandon our NATO allies if Russia attacks and allow Russia to 'do whatever the hell they want' with them." Trump, speaking during a political rally in South Carolina and appearing to recount a meeting with NATO leaders, quoted the president of "a big country" that he did not name as asking, "Well sir, if we don't pay, and we're attacked by Russia - will you protect us?" "I said: 'You didn't pay? You're delinquent?' He said: 'Yes, let's say that happened.' No I would not protect you. In fact I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay." NATO's 31 members have agreed on a target of spending at least 2 percent of gross domestic product on defence, but NATO estimates have shown that only 11 are spending that much. His comments drew a swift rebuke from NATO and U.S. allies. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk", said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in a written statement. "Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response," he added, reacting to remarks on Saturday by Trump, who is likely to be the Republican nominee in this year's U.S. presidential election. Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also weighed in. "NATO's motto 'one for all, all for one' is a concrete commitment. Undermining the credibility of allied countries means weakening the entire NATO," he wrote on social media platform X. "No election campaign is an excuse for playing with the security of the Alliance." Germany's foreign ministry posted the message 'One for all and all for one' with the hashtag #StrongerTogether on its English language X account following Trump's comments. EU Council President Charles Michel said: "Reckless statements on #NATOs security and Art 5 solidarity serve only (Russian President Vladimir) Putins interest." Article 5 of the NATO treaty says that an armed attack against an alliance member will be considered an attack against them all, triggering collective self-defence. Referring to Trump's comments, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton in an interview with France's LCI television said, "We have heard that before ... Nothing new under the sun." "He maybe has issues with his memory, it was actually a female president, not of a country, but of the European Union," Breton added, referring to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen and a conversation she had with Trump in 2020. "We cannot flip a coin about our security every four years depending on this or that election, namely the U.S. presidential election," Breton said, adding European Union leaders understood the bloc needed to boost its own military spending and capacities. "President Trump got our allies to increase their NATO spending by demanding they pay up, but Joe Biden went back to letting them take advantage of the American taxpayer," said Jason Miller, Trump's senior campaign advisor. "When you dont pay your defense spending you cant be surprised that you get more war. (Reuters) Israel announced on Monday the rescue of two hostages in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where the Hamas-run health ministry said "around 100" Palestinians including children were killed in heavy overnight air strikes. Israel is preparing for a ground incursion into the teeming city along the border with Egypt, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge from fighting further north. The precarious humanitarian situation in Rafah has prompted aid groups and foreign governments, including Israel's key ally the United States, to express deep concern over the potentially disastrous consequences of expanding operations there. The Israeli military announced early Monday morning that two hostages had been rescued in a joint military, Shin Bet and police operation in Rafah after nearly 130 days in captivity. In a statement, the army identified the two as Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har, saying they "were kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organization on Oct. 7, 2023 from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak." Both were in "good medical condition," it added. "The military and the Shin Bet have been working on this operation for a long time... and they waited until the conditions were right to carry it out," army spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a briefing. A firefight broke out as the hostages were being taken out of the building they were held in, he added, with air strikes targeting nearby buildings where shots were fired. "Many terrorists were killed this evening during this operation and one of our fighters was slightly injured," he said. During the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, Palestinian militants seized about 250 hostages, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel says around 130 are still in Gaza, though 29 are thought to be dead. The Hamas attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel has responded with a relentless offensive in Gaza that the territory's health ministry says has killed at least 28,176 people as of Sunday, mostly women and children. Dozens of hostages were freed by Hamas during a one-week truce in November 2023 that also saw the release of more than 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Since then, Netanyahu has faced mounting protests and even calls for early elections, with relatives of the hostages frustrated over the pace of the rescues. Renewed talks for a pause in the fighting have been held in Cairo, with Hamas open to a fresh ceasefire including more prisoner-hostage exchanges. But a Hamas leader told AFP on condition of anonymity that an Israeli push into Rafah "would torpedo the exchange negotiations." The group's military wing on Sunday said two hostages had been killed and eight others seriously wounded in Israeli bombardment in recent days, a claim AFP was unable to independently verify. Overnight strikes Despite mounting calls for him to strike a deal with Hamas to secure the remaining captives' release, Netanyahu has insisted that only military pressure can bring them home. Last week, he said he had ordered troops to prepare for operations in Rafah, the last major city they have yet to enter. "Around 100" people were killed in heavy air strikes in the overcrowded city before dawn on Monday, according to a statement from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. AFP journalists and witnesses heard an intense series of strikes and saw smoke billowing above the city, which now hosts more than half of Gaza's total population after they fled bombardment elsewhere in the Strip. The strikes hit 14 houses and three mosques in different parts of Rafah, according to the Hamas government. The Israeli military said it had "conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip," adding that the strikes had concluded. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu by phone Sunday and told him the Rafah advance should not go ahead in the absence of a "credible" plan to ensure "the safety" of people sheltering there, the White House said. About 1.4 million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, with many living in tents, while food, water and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce. Netanyahu had told U.S. broadcaster ABC News the Rafah operation would go ahead until Hamas was eliminated, adding he would provide "safe passage" to civilians wishing to leave. When pressed about where they could go, Netanyahu said: "You know, the areas that we've cleared north of Rafah, plenty of areas there. But, we are working out a detailed plan." 'Demilitarization' During a visit to a military base Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel aims for "the demilitarization of Gaza." "This requires our security control... over the entire area west of Jordan, including the Gaza Strip," he said. Qatar, Oman and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), meanwhile, were some of the latest to raise the alarm over the plan to advance on Rafah. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also rejected "forced" displacement of people from Rafah, evoking the trauma of Palestinians' mass exodus and forced displacement around the time of Israel's creation in 1948. Riyadh called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting, while Britain's Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the priority "must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out." (AFP) Carnival dancers took the biggest stage in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night with their faces painted red in a traditional Indigenous manner, while percussionists had Miners out written across the skins of their drums. It was part of Salgueiro's samba school's tribute to the Yanomami, Brazils largest Indigenous group, with its giant floats, costumes and songs based on the groups ancient culture and traditions. My Salgueiro is the arrow for the people of the forest, the parade participants sang out as they marched through the Sambadrome, delivering their message to more than 70,000 revelers at the Sambadrome and millions watching live on television. The chance thats left for us is an Indigenous Brazil. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is under pressure to deliver on promises to eradicate illegal mining, particularly amid a recent backslide in efforts. Sundays parade comes as Brazil celebrates one year since Lula declared a public health emergency for the Yanomami people in the Amazon, who are suffering from malnutrition and diseases such as malaria as a consequence of illegal mining. Ours is a cry for help from Brazil and the world in general, said Davi Kopenawa, a Yanomami leader and shaman who advised the samba school on how to remain truthful to his people, and paraded with Salgueiro. My hope is that the world, upon hearing our call, will put pressure on the Brazilian government to remove all the miners, destroyers of our mother Earth, who are soiling the water and killing fish. Kopenawa paraded with feathered armbands and headdress, plus a beaded necklace depicting a jaguar. He was joined by 13 other Yanomami who flew across the country to participate in Salgueiros parade. One of the first floats consisted of a severed tree trunk, with an performer depicting a Yanomami mother seeking to protect her child as invaders drew close, and other floats featured massive sculptures of Yanomami people. Through this homage to Yanomami history and culture, Salgueiro sought to draw attention to the devastating effects brought by illegal mining inside Yanomami territory, including widespread river contamination, famine and disease. Some 30,000 Yanomami live in Brazils largest Indigenous territory, spanning more than 9 million hectares (22 million acres) in the northern area of the Amazon rainforest, along the border with Venezuela. Three weeks after assuming the presidency, Lula declared a public health emergency and sent the armed forces, doctors, nurses and food. Still, over 300 Yanomami died of various causes in 2023, according to the health ministry. Lula swiftly created a dedicated inter-ministerial task force to fight illegal mining and in 2023, Brazils environmental agency destroyed a record 33 aircraft found on or near Yanomami territory. The agents also wrecked or apprehended mining barges, fuel, chainsaws, Starlink internet units and campsites. Government officials say that since the beginning of the operation, areas with illegal mining inside Yanomami territory have dropped 85% and that Yanomamis health has improved. But after the operation's initial success, prosecutors, law enforcement and employees of federal environmental agencies say illegal miners are returning. There has been a significant reduction, but mining hasnt ended. We reckon that the miners are exploiting as much as possible, because they assess they eventually will have to leave, Jair Schmitt, head of environmental protection at Brazils environmental agency Ibama, told The Associated Press. Schmitt said miners have adapted to escape law enforcement and satellite detection by working at night, setting camp under the forest canopy and choosing old mining pits instead of clearing forest to open new ones. Humberto Freire, director of the newly created Amazon and environmental unit of the federal police, said officers also noticed miners have begun working in a much smaller, artisanal way, and that government agencies need to take stronger action. We need, for example, the air force to effectively control the airspace over Yanomami land. We need the navy to control the flow of people on rivers. We need the army to do a quality job, too, Freire said. The federal police can do more, the armed forces can do more, as well as Ibama and Funai (the Indigenous affairs agency.)" One of the parades wings featured dancers dressed in the dark-green garb of army uniforms. Following behind was a float featuring two giant army hats with skulls, an explicitly critical element of the parade. Lula had said the armed forces would play a key role in the fight, providing logistical support and security to public workers and federal agents on the ground who say they increasingly fear for their lives. But it isn't the military's responsibility to engage in direct combat, according to political scientist Joao Roberto Martins Filho. Still, the big question is why the army, which has three permanent bases inside Yanomami territory, didnt sound the alarm under Lulas predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. There was nearly a massacre of an unprotected population. Why did the army let this happen instead of denouncing it to the federal government or reaching out to the press?" Martins Filho, a professor at the Federal University of Sao Carlos, told the AP. "In a certain way, they were accomplices. In a written response to the AP, the army said that illegal mining and the health crisis within the Yanomami territory are complex issues involving the legal jurisdiction of various government agencies, and that the army is always prepared to fulfill its strategic missions. That includes providing support to federal agencies through logistical, communication, and intelligence activities, such as those being conducted in the Yanomami territory, the statement said. Illegal planes are essential for transporting prospectors and equipment to far-flung reserves, as shown in a 2022 Associated Press investigation in Roraima state, where most mining affecting the Yanomami takes place. Without unauthorized aircrafts, officials and experts have said illegal mining operations would collapse. After a Jan. 2023 presidential decree ordered the air force to close the airspace over Yanomami territory, the situation on the ground improved significantly, authorities and Indigenous people told the AP. In a written response to the AP, Brazil's air force said it has been patrolling the so-called Air Defense Identification Zone over the Yanomami Territory. Under this rule, an aircraft may be shot down for failing to obey orders to change route. The force claims the measure led to a 90% reduction in illegal flights. Its highly efficient. We would find landing strips, but no planes, said Andre Luiz Porreca Ferreira Cunha, a federal prosecutor who oversees cases linked to illegal mining across the western Amazon. But some on the ground suggest the armed forces are no longer sufficiently involved in operations, and that illegal miners started coming back as a result. In a joint statement last month, the associations representing federal workers in environmental and Indigenous affairs accused the armed forces of failing to fulfill their mission of supporting and facilitating the work of other agencies combating illegal mining. The association alleged that the military denied use of aircraft for transporting personnel and equipment, haven't collaborated in the destruction of mining machinery and airstrips and instead shut down support points for refueling environmental agency aircraft. Ferreira Cunha, the prosecutor, said violent attacks of Ibama agents and members of the federal police are becoming more frequent, with some cases of attempted murders. Government health teams have also been targeted, and are unable or unwilling to reach certain communities, said Junior Hekurari, a member of the group and president of Condisi-Y, the local health council. Some are heavily armed, the health teams are scared, he said. This state of emergency cannot solve the problem. We need something permanent, for all the communities, Hekurari added. If they (government authorities) dont stay, the miners will return tomorrow. (AP) Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Amid reports on Monday that two hostages have been rescued during a raid by Israeli special forces in Rafah city, the head of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the spiralling humanitarian crisis in Gaza is still not being met with anywhere near sufficient aid relief Arab News, December 27, 2023 KHOST, Afghanistan: Zubaida traveled from the rural outskirts of Khost in eastern Afghanistan to give birth at a maternity hospital specializing in complicated cases, fearing a fate all too common among pregnant Afghan women her death or her childs.She lay dazed, surrounded by the unfamiliar bustle of the Doctors Without Borders (MSF)-run hospital, exhausted from delivery the day before, but relieved. Her still-weak newborn slept nearby in an iron crib with peeling paint, the childs eyes lined with khol to ward off evil. If I had given birth at home, there could have been complications for the baby and for me, said the woman, who doesnt know her age. Not all of the women who make it to the hospital are so lucky. Sometimes we receive patients who come too late to save their lives after delivering at home, said Therese Tuyisabingere, the head of midwifery at MSF in Khost, capital of Khost province. The facility delivers 20,000 babies a year, nearly half those born in the province, and it only takes on high-risk and complicated pregnancies, many involving mothers who havent had any check-ups. This is a big challenge for us to save lives, said Tuyisabingere. She and the some 100 midwives at the clinic are on the front lines of a battle to reduce the maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan, where having many children is a source of pride, but where every birth carries heavy risks with odds against women mounting. Afghanistan is among the worst countries in the world for deaths in childbirth, with one woman dying every two hours, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said earlier this month. The Afghan health ministry did not respond to repeated requests for comment on this story. According to the latest World Health Organization figures, from 2017, 638 women die in Afghanistan for every 100,000 viable births, compared with 19 in the United States. That figure, moreover, conceals the huge disparities between rural and urban areas. Terje Watterdal, country director for the non-profit Norwegian Afghanistan Committee (NAC), said they saw 5,000 maternal deaths per 100,000 births in remote parts of Afghanistan. Men carry the women over their shoulders, and the women die over the mountain trying to reach a hospital, he said. Before the return to power of the Taliban in August 2021 and the end of their insurgency, women would sometimes have to brave the frontlines to reach help, but now there are new challenges including a brain drain of expertise. A lot of gynaecologists have left the country, Watterdal said. Moreover, Taliban authorities want to get rid of the mobile medical teams visiting women because they cannot control the health messages they were giving, he said.Under the Taliban government, women have been squeezed from public life and had access to education restricted, threatening the future of the female medical field in a country where many families avoid sending women to male doctors. Access to antenatal and postnatal care for a woman was (always) extremely complicated. Its even more complicated today, said Filipe Ribeiro, MSF director in Afghanistan. This is due to measures taken by authorities as well as the failings of the health care system including structural support from foreign donors. What little there was has been put under even greater pressure, Ribeiro said.The financial strain on families amid the countrys economic crisis increases the risks, said Noor Khanum Ahmadzai, health coordinator for non-governmental organization Terre des Hommes in Kabul. In a public hospital where the midwives are overworked and poorly paid, women have to bring their own medicine. A delivery costs around 2,000 Afghanis ($29) a significant sum for many families. Despite the risks, women who used to go to the public sector now prefer to deliver at home, because they dont have money, said Ahmadzai. An estimated 40 percent of Afghan women give birth at home, but that shoots up to 80 percent in remote areas often with the help of their mother-in-law or a local matriarch, but sometimes alone. Islam Bibi, pregnant with triplets, went to the MSF facility in Khost in pain, and empty-handed. I was sick, my husband didnt have any money. I was told, Go to this hospital, they do everything for free, said the 38-year-old, one of hundreds of thousands of Afghans who fled Pakistan in recent months, fearing deportation. Multiple births like Islam Bibis are common, said Tania Allekotte, an MSF gynaecologist from Argentina. It is valued here to have many children and many women take a treatment to stimulate their fecundity. We often have twins here, she told AFP. The average woman has six children in Afghanistan, but multiple pregnancies, repeated caesarean sections or miscarriages increase the risk of death. There are some rays of hope.Women in neighboring Paktia province may have fewer risks now, thanks to a first-of-its-kind maternity center opened recently by NAC in the small provincial capital Gardez a clinic run by women for women. This type of clinic doesnt exist in the majority of provinces, Khair Mohammad Mansoor, the Taliban-appointed provincial health director, told the all-male audience. We have created a system for them in which sharia law and all medical principles will be observed. The NAC facility aims to help many of our sisters who live in isolated areas, manager Nasrin Oryakhil said, with similar clinics planned for four other provinces in the coming months. Its walls freshly painted and decorated with posters promoting vitamins and iron for pregnant women, the small clinic is set up for 10 deliveries a day, said head midwife Momina Kohistani. Keeping mothers alive as they bring new life into the world is close to home for her. My mother died in childbirth, she murmured, tears rolling down her cheeks. Human Rights Watch, February 6, 2024 Heather Barr In the last two and a half years after regaining power in Afghanistan, the Taliban, have created the worlds most serious womens rights crisis. They have systematically violated the rights of women and girls including as they relate to education, paid employment, freedom of speech and movement, and political participation among many others. The response of the international community has been tepid and seems to lack an appreciation of how the situation in Afghanistan has grave implications for the rights of women and girls globally. More needs to be done to prevent this from developing any further and to reinforce global commitment to gender equality. The crisis in Afghanistan has largely disappeared from the news. It was pushed aside by the war in Ukraine and the humiliation and fatigue of Western countries whose twenty years of military and civilian intervention ended in dust and defeat. As a new war unfolds in the Middle East, Afghans do not have the option to just move on and forgetfor women and girls in particular, life under the Taliban involves ever-deepening misery. In the more than two years since seizing control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have carried out a relentless and all-encompassing attack on the human rights of women and girls, violating virtually every aspect of these rights. Afghan women are putting their lives on the linefacing surveillance, harassment, assault, arbitrary detention, torture, and exileto oppose Taliban abuses. They deserve the international communitys full solidarity in their struggle. But the world should also stand with them because the events in Afghanistanand the worlds responsehave deep implications for gender equality everywhere. At A Glance: Gender Apartheid in the Talibans Afghanistan There is broad consensus that the situation in Afghanistan is the most serious womens rights crisis in the world. The country is ranked last on the Women, Peace and Security Index and the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Afghanistan has referred to the unprecedented deterioration of womens rights. Afghan womenand officials at the UN and elsewherehave called it gender apartheid. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 75 years ago, there may never have been anything like itexcept once, from 1996 to 2001 when the Taliban previously controlled Afghanistan. Recent Taliban crackdowns on womens employment in the private sector, including ordering the closure of all beauty salons at a cost of 60,000 womens jobs, signal a continuing assault on the livelihood of Afghan women. The closure of beauty salons also signifies the loss of one of the very few women-only spaces outside the homea crucial source of community and support, especially given that the Taliban systematically dismantled services for women and girls experiencing domestic violence. Their ban on women working in most roles in aid agencies is putting more women and girls in crisis. In Afghanistans increasingly gender-segregated society, if women workers are not there to deliver aid to women, they will often go without aid. Beyond blocking basic access to food at risk, even the chance to walk in a park, play a sport, or enjoy nature is being stripped away from Afghanistans women and girls. Women who protest these violations face terrible consequences including enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and torture. From threats, beatings, and abusive conditions both during detainment and release, the Taliban continue to commit severe abuses against an ongoingand underreportedstring of womens rights defenders. More recently they have also begun widespread detaining of women and girls on accusations that they were not wearing proper hijab. Afghanistan today faces a constant flow of new restrictions against women and girlsand the Taliban are nowhere near done with their dystopian project. Un-Feminist Foreign Policy Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the International Commission of Jurists, and Madre have all adopted the position that the Taliban have committed crimes against humanity of gender persecution, which fall within the jurisdiction of national and international courts including the International Criminal Court (ICC). The response of governments and international organizations to this crisis, though, has been poor. It has been disorganized, politicized, chaotic, often apathetic, and, frankly, un-feminist. Many diplomats tell us how important it is to engage with the Taliban. But it is very clear by now that that engagement has produced nothing in terms of convincing the Taliban to end their assault on womens rightsand may even be counterproductive. When diplomats engage, the focus is often on counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, business deals, or hostage returns. Despite Afghan women signaling and appealing otherwise, their rights protection agenda rarely makes it onto the priority list of diplomats. There has also been unhelpful global rhetoric suggesting that the international community faces a mutually exclusive choice between defending womens rights and saving lives through humanitarian assistance many prioritizing the latter only. However, fully respecting womens rights is essential to the project of saving lives through humanitarian assistance. The fact that over 90 percent of the more than 2,000 people killed in the October 2023 Herat earthquakes were women and children is a stark reminder of this. The earthquake struck in late morning, at an hour when men were out at work and women were at home minding childrenthe only role the Taliban feel they ought to have. Rights violations under the Taliban have also contributed to higher rates of hunger among women-headed households another indicator of why more needs to be done. If the world can learn to live with the Talibans abusesAfghan women being largely confined to their homes, losing their voice, their personhood, their education, their dreams, and contributions to their communitiesthen this is a brutal demonstration of how fragile the rights of women and girls are everywhere. If Taliban leaders can fly on private jets, be rolled the red carpet on diplomatic visits, allowed to run embassies, and be courted for business dealswhile continuing to enact the most comprehensive set of womens rights violations on the planetthis is a clear sign of how little womens rights, anywhere, matter. Consequences Far Beyond Afghanistan Beyond Afghanistan, communities face a global backlash and repressive developments against the rights of women and girls. From attacks on reproductive rights and sexual violence against women and girls during conflicts, to the gendered impacts of climate change, womens rights all over the world remain in crisis. No country has achieved gender equality. Women in Iceland, long seen as the worlds most equal country, recently went on strike, protesting stalled progress toward gender equality. In Iran, women and their male allies have been jailed and killed for protesting forced hijab-wearing and other forms of discrimination. Womens participation in peace processes is decreasing, even in UN-supported talks. Technological advances are fueling new forms of gender-based violence including against female journalists and politicians with serious and even deadly consequences. UN Women says gender disparities are worsening and it could take another 286 years to close the global gender gaps in legal protections for women and girls. In countries with declining birth rates, governments are often pursuing strategies that harm women. The Talibans attacks on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistanand the tepid international response to this crisisare happening within this context. The global backlash perhaps feels like permission for diplomats to shrug their shoulders in a what can you do? way over the womens rights crisis in Afghanistan. One effect of the Talibans abuses is that the bar for womens rights globally just got much lower. The lack of an effective international response creates the impression that womens rights are not much of a concern to world leaders. Experts and activists in other countries have pointed to Talibanization, where the success of the Taliban appears to be emboldening misogynistic leaders everywhere. In Yemen, for instance, Houthi leaders have imposed similar restrictions. Boko Haram is sometimes referred to as the Taliban of Nigeria and elsewhere the Taliban have been described as the worlds most successful terrorist group. A Way Forward? So, what should the international community do to stand with Afghan women and, in doing so, defend womens rights everywhere? Rights advocates must tell political leaders that they have not forgotten the womens crisis in Afghanistan, and leaders are not allowed to either. Specific steps within multilateral organizations must be taken. At the United Nations (UN) level, leaders should support efforts to adopt a treaty on crimes against humanity that would strengthen protections for women and explore the inclusion of gender apartheid. There is also a need for the creation of a UN-mandated accountability mechanism to collect and preserve evidence of international crimes being committed in Afghanistan, including against women and girls. Delegates should support the special rapporteur and other experts on human rights in Afghanistan as they prepare to report to the Human Rights Council in June 2024 on a response to the Talibans institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity and exclusion of women and girls. Finally, discussions should call for the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan while maintaining its current responsibility to monitor the human rights situation with adequate staffing. As for international courts, political leaders should ensure that the ICC and other courts have the resources and cooperation needed to hold Taliban leaders accountable for gender persecution. A case must also be brought to the International Court of Justice regarding the Talibans violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which Afghanistan ratified without reservation in 2003. As a well-known saying from Indigenous women activists in Australia goes, If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. If you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us walk together. The international community should recognize that the fight Afghan women and girls are in right now is a fight for the rights of women and girls everywhere. We should stand with them as if their fate helps determine our ownbecause it does. An officer-involved shooting Sunday left one person injured in Bedford County, according to a Virginia State Police news release. Just after 11 a.m., a Botetourt County Sheriff's Office tried to stop an SUV for reckless driving when the driver fled the traffic stop and continued into Bedford County, the state police news release said. The vehicle crashed on Falling Creek Road, which is where the officer-involved shooting took place. The suspect was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment for a gunshot wound, the release said. No officers were injured in the incident. The Virginia State Police is investigating the shooting, and no further information has been released at this time. OSAKA, Feb 12 (News On Japan) - The governor of Osaka Prefecture, Hirofumi Yoshimura, has announced plans to implement an autumn admission system at Osaka Public University to align with the academic calendars of universities abroad. This initiative aims to foster a global perspective and English proficiency among students, contributing to the broader vision of nurturing talent with a broad outlook, which is seen as crucial for Osaka's growth. Yoshimura emphasized during the announcement on February 9, the significance of making autumn the start of the academic year: "Switching to fall admissions will cultivate individuals with international sensibilities and English skills, which will, in turn, contribute to Osaka's development. It's a challenge worth taking." The move is designed to attract outstanding international students and encourage Japanese students to study abroad, enhancing the global competency of the local student body. "Making English the official language of the university is indeed a vision for the future," Yoshimura added, indicating long-term plans to internationalize the academic environment. Experts, including education journalist Reiji Ishiwatari, have highlighted challenges associated with the transition to fall admissions, such as the gap between high school graduation in March and university enrollment, and the interval before entering the workforce. "There's a need to address the disadvantages, such as the half-year gap that will arise between high school graduation and university admission, and also before starting employment," Ishiwatari noted. Osaka Public University, established by Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City, aims to introduce fall admissions by the 2027 academic year, marking a significant shift towards globalizing its academic schedule and making English the medium of instruction, a move that reflects an ambitious effort to reposition the institution on the world stage. Source: ANN Shiga, Feb 12 (News On Japan) - Lake Biwa, in Shiga Prefecture, has become the majestic backdrop for the arrival of whooper swans, often referred to as "messengers of winter." Since mid-January, whooper swans have been arriving in the rice fields of Takashima City, each about 140 cm in length. Occasionally, they spread their pristine white wings, showcasing their grace to the admiration of onlookers. Whooper swans, also known as the common swan, are migratory birds that travel about 4,000 kilometers from Siberia to Japan each year during this period. According to the Lake Biwa Wild Bird Center, about 670 whooper swans have been spotted at Lake Biwa this season. These whooper swans are expected to return to Siberia by late February, marking the end of their temporary stay in the serene waters and fields surrounding Japan's largest freshwater lake. Source: YOMIURI TOKYO, Feb 12 (News On Japan) - On the April 11th broadcast of "Beat Takeshi's TV Tackle" (TV Asahi), Beat Takeshi suggested measures to prevent the persistent problem of illegal dumping of hard rubbish. The program highlighted the issue of illegally dumped cars and boats moored without permission on the banks of the Mamagawa River, leading to a debate among the studio guests. Takeshi questioned the situation, pointing to the abandoned vehicles on the riverbank, "Cars are left on the embankment, but they must have been driven there, right? Are they dumped because it costs money to scrap them?" In response, Mr. Seizo Sasaki, a former investigator from the Saitama Prefectural Police, explained, "Scrapping a vehicle costs money, so people think they can leave them there indefinitely without being reprimanded. That's why there are so many cars parked like that." Alpinist Ken Noguchi mentioned a similar situation at Mount Fuji, "The inside of the Aokigahara forest at Mount Fuji used to look just like that. There were many cars with their license plates removed, abandoned along the forest roads." Sasaki added, "Even if the owners are contacted, they have to pay to remove the cars themselves. Without economic means, this cannot be resolved," and remarked, "Illegal dumping is a crime, isn't it? So, they can be arrested." Takeshi then suggested a preventive measure, recalling an approach used at Mount Fuji, "Like I said before about Mount Fuji, there are toll booths, right? If trucks are loaded with cargo, take a photo and note the license plate. If the cargo is missing when they leave, it's definitely illegal dumping." Sasaki agreed with Takeshi's idea, proposing, "It's a very good idea. How about installing machines that can read license plates?" He also suggested applying the technology used in elevators with cameras. However, Sawako Agawa expressed her unease, "It's scary, that elevator. You don't expect cameras to be on every floor, so if you pick your nose, everyone waiting on each floor can see it." TOKYO, Feb 12 (News On Japan) - Toyota Motor Corporation has announced plans to conduct a demonstration experiment using autonomous vehicles on the public roads of Odaiba, Tokyo, as early as July this year. Previously, Toyota operated autonomous vehicles during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. This upcoming experiment will be led by MONET Technologies, a joint venture funded by Toyota, SoftBank, and others. The trials, set to commence in July, will operate under "Level 2" autonomy, where an in-vehicle operator will control the vehicle in response to specific conditions. The ultimate goal of these experiments is to achieve "Level 4" autonomy, where vehicles can operate unmanned under certain conditions. Honda is also advancing plans to launch an autonomous taxi service by early 2026, marking a significant step towards integrating autonomous vehicles into public transportation and addressing mobility challenges in urban environments. Source: ANN KYOTO, Feb 12 (News On Japan) - Daihatsu Industry has recommenced production of specific vehicle models at its Kyoto factory, marking the first resumption of operations since halting all domestic factory activities due to a misconduct scandal. Employees began arriving at the Kyoto factory around 7 a.m. on February 12th to restart operations. The production that has been resumed includes Toyota's "Probox" and Mazda's "Familia Van," which had their shipping suspension orders lifted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism on the 19th of last month. This restart of production at a Daihatsu factory is the first since all domestic factories ceased operations in December of the previous year, following the revelation of fraudulent practices in certification tests. Keita Ide, Director-General of the Corporate Headquarters, emphasized the company's commitment to regaining public trust: "We aim to thoroughly implement measures to prevent recurrence and regain the trust of everyone as soon as possible, with all employees united in this effort." Daihatsu plans to further resume production of ten vehicle models, including the "Mira e:S," at its Oita factory on the 26th, as part of its efforts to fully recover from the fallout of last year's compliance issues and restore confidence in its manufacturing processes. Source: ANN Blog Archive: Mar 2024 (90) Feb 2024 (145) Jan 2024 (156) Dec 2023 (155) Nov 2023 (150) Oct 2023 (155) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) TOKYO, Feb 13 (News On Japan) - As Japan faces a critical shortfall of over 20,000 drivers, the bus industry has embarked on a novel initiative to address the issue: hire more women. Statistics reveal that women constitute less than 2% of bus drivers, illustrating an extremely skewed gender ratio of "98:2". In an effort to shift this imbalance, a video campaign aimed at women has been launched on female-only train carriages in the capital region and Kansai, starting from February 12th. Miki Fujimoto, a prominent figure in the campaign, questions, "Are you aware that 'bus driver' is a viable career option for women?" A group of female bus drivers share their reasons for choosing this path, asserting, "Women can indeed become bus drivers!" The campaign is spearheaded by an organization dedicated to revitalizing female recruitment in the sector. Mie Nakajima, president of the Female Bus Drivers Association, states, "In areas where women have not been bus drivers for over a decade, the idea of a woman driving a bus might not even cross people's minds. We hope to encourage applications, aspiring for more women to consider a career as a bus driver." On the day of filming, current drivers gathered to address the "2024 problem," a projected shortfall of over 20,000 drivers. Fujimoto inquires, "Isn't driving a bus difficult for women?" A female bus driver responds, "Not at all. The steering and gears are as light as those in a regular car. Being a woman does not put me at a disadvantage." Nakajima notes, "In some countries, the gender ratio among bus drivers is 5:5, spanning ages 20 to 50. Changing the occupational structure is essential to resolving the driver shortage. We hope to spark interest." Enhancing Female Recruitment...and the Necessary Environment Expanding the number of female drivers requires adjustments on the part of employers. West Japan JR Bus, operating in Hokuriku and Kinki, has been visited for inspection. Although all drivers at this branch are currently male, efforts have been made to accommodate female drivers, including dedicated rest and shower rooms. Nakajima questions whether women's opinions were considered in creating these female-only areas. Akiyoshi Fujimoto, manager of West Japan JR Bus Kyoto branch, admits that while some feedback has been gathered, it may not cover all aspects. Nakajima points out the absence of facilities for hair and makeup. Reflecting on the feedback, Fujimoto acknowledges the importance of providing spaces where employees can comfortably prepare themselves. Kazuki Horikoshi, a principal at West Japan JR Bus, believes that fostering a diverse workforce enhances recruitment competitiveness and contributes to service and safety improvements, ultimately benefiting customers. Source: ANN TOKYO, Feb 13 (News On Japan) - On the final day of the three-day weekend, Tokyo Disney Resort in Urayasu City was bustling with visitors eagerly awaited Minnie's parade, marking the 40th anniversary celebrations of Tokyo Disney Resort drawing to a close. Many had booked hotels to fully enjoy the park over the holiday. A group of university students from Nara shared, "We came from Nara and stayed at the Celebration Hotel, costing us 64,000 yen for two nights." A family of seven added, "We visited Land on Saturday and Sea on Sunday, staying at the Disney Land Hotel. We believe the cost exceeded one million yen." A couple with a baby mentioned their stay at the Celebration Hotel costing about 100,000 yen. The introduction of an "accommodation tax" for guests staying in hotels within Urayasu City, home to the grand Tokyo Disney Resort, is under consideration. The city recently announced plans to start concrete discussions on implementing the tax from April. An aerial view of the JR Maihama Station area reveals numerous hotels surrounding Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, highlighting its prime seaside location. Pre-pandemic in 2019, Urayasu City welcomed approximately 30 million visitors, with around 8 million overnight stays. The proposed accommodation tax in Urayasu City has elicited various reactions from Disney Resort visitors. A couple from Kitakyushu, staying for two nights, hoped for easier accommodation bookings if taxes lead to improvements. University students from Nara wished for traffic congestion relief, while a family from Niigata expressed hope for easing transportation crowding. Parents from Nara hoped the tax would make the resort more accessible for children. While some see potential benefits in using the tax for infrastructural improvements and emergency services around Maihama Station, others fear increased financial burdens. A guest from Kanagawa lamented the additional cost, and another from Hyogo expressed concern over spending even more on their visit. Urayasu City aims to use the tax for infrastructure development and expanding emergency services. Although the exact tax amount per night is undecided, a hypothetical 100 yen charge could generate approximately 700 million yen annually. Aviation and travel analyst Kotaro Toriumi highlighted the primary benefit as reducing the financial load on city residents, given the majority of visitors are tourists. Since Tokyo's early adoption of the accommodation tax in 2002, Osaka Prefecture and Kyoto City have followed suit. Kyoto's tax varies by accommodation price, reaching up to 1,000 yen for stays costing over 50,000 yen. With tourism expected to surge post-pandemic, more municipalities are considering the tax as a vital source for tourism promotion. Cities like Sendai, Atami, and Kumamoto are among those exploring the introduction of a lodging tax. Urayasu City has yet to determine a start date for the tax but emphasizes creating a comfortable and secure environment for guests and businesses alike, aiming for their understanding and cooperation. Source: FNN TOKYO, Feb 13 (News On Japan) - The Hilltop Hotel in Chiyoda, Tokyo, cherished by esteemed literary figures like Yasunari Kawabata, Yukio Mishima, and Shotaro Ikenami as their regular retreat, closed its doors on Monday for last time. The closing is due to the aging infrastructure of the building, with no specified timeline for reopening. On its last day, individuals flocked to its lobby and restaurant to bid a sentimental farewell to a place deeply interwoven with Japan's cultural and literary heritage. Source: Kyodo WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden is coming out in opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, saying in a statement to be released Thursday that the U.S. needs to "maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Over 34 African leaders are to converge in Addis Ababa for the 37th African Union (AU) Summit by this weeks end to discuss pressing issues, including education, peace, trade, and governance. African leaders will meet in Ethiopias capital this February 17-18, for a pivotal gathering that could shape the course of the African continent for years to come. With the theme Educate an African fit for the 21st Century, the event aims to build resilient education systems and address the challenges of development, conflict, and inequality. The more than three dozen of African leaders expected to attend the event include 24 presidents, two prime ministers, five vice presidents Beyond the African continent, high-ranking officials from various international organizations will be present, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The summit could mark a turning point in Africas journey towards a brighter, more prosperous future. One of the key themes to be discussed is building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality, and relevant learning in Africa. Access to quality education remains a significant challenge in many parts of Africa, with millions of children still out of school. Besides education, the summit will also cover a range of other critical issues, including peace and security, trade and integration, agriculture and climate change, governance and human rights, and gender and youth empowerment. French new foreign minister Stephane Sejourne said he will invest in improving ties with Morocco and reaffirmed Paris support for the Sahara autonomy plan. The Republics President has personally asked me to invest in French-Moroccan relations to open a new chapter in our toes. I will be committed to that, Sejourne told Ouest-France daily paper. Ties between Morocco and France worsened in the two past years against the backdrop of a series of events, notably Paris falling short of following the USAs full recognition of Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara, manoeuvres by French MPs against Moroccan interests at the European parliament, and Macrons Algiers tropism. There have been many contacts with Moroccan diplomacy, said Sejourne. Now, it is time to move forward. I will do everything in the upcoming weeks and months so that France and Morocco get closer, he said, adding that his priority will be rebuilding trust. He said France has a position that is clear and steady in support for the autonomy plan since 2007. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (AP-UfM) will convene its 17th plenary session, the 8th Summit of its presidents, as well as the meetings of its standing committees, bureau and extended bureau on Thursday and Friday (Feb.15-16) at the headquarters of the House of Representatives in Rabat. The meetings will examine the situation in the Mediterranean region and the role of the Assembly in Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the 21st century, and adopt the reports and recommendations of the standing committees and the working group, the House of Representatives said in a statement. The Kingdoms House of Representatives is one of the founders of the AP-UfM, and has held the presidency since April 2022. Morocco has also hosted several of its sessions and meetings of its standing committees. The AP-UfM, which intends to provide a forum for Mediterranean dialogue and cooperation, convenes at least once a year and brings together elected representatives from European Union countries and their partners in southern Mediterranean countries. U.S. Congress will review American relationship with South Africa for its support of U.S.-designated terrorist organizations such as Hamas and engagement in activities that undermine Washingtons national security and foreign policy interests. U.S. lawmakers will discuss in the few coming weeks a bipartisan bill introduced by Republican congressman John James and Democratic congressman Jared Moskowitz. Under the U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act, Pretoria risks economic sanctions for siding with U.S. adversaries. In 2022, trade exchanges between the two countries reached $25.5 billion, making Washington Pretorias second-largest trading partner after Beijing. Rep. James said: I am proud to lead the U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act in the House with my Democrat colleague Jared Moskowitz. South Africa has been building ties to countries and actors that undermine Americas national security and threaten our way of life through its military and political cooperation with China and Russia and its support of U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas, he underlined. The legislation, introduced to the House of Representatives, comes few days after Pretorias meddling in the Sahara issue and attempts to derail the UN-led political process besides its backing of Polisario armed militia threatening regional peace and stability. LINCOLN Eleven state senators, as well as rural residents who now drive hours for medical care, called last week for an end to the expansion of care deserts in Nebraska. Those are counties, which now number 15, that no longer have a skilled nursing home or assisted living center. One care desert is in Nebraskas wide-open Sandhills, where the closure of a nursing home in Mullen two years ago has forced residents to drive 90 miles or more for medical care. Jeanne Gentry, who lives north of Hyannis, said their home is two hours from help for a health emergency or an injury on their ranch. You have to make a choice, Gentry said, does a (medical) situation deem traveling that far? But not all medical needs can be taken care of at home, she added, describing how it might take a minimum of an hour for a local ambulance to reach their ranch if someone had a heart attack. The long drive to a hospital and the delay in care can lead to tragic results, Gentry said. She added that she needed rehabilitation at a care center after a recent surgery, which ended up being an eight-week stay, 2 hours away in Broken Bow. If you dont live in a care desert, its difficult to understand our situation, Gentry said. In the last three years, 12 nursing homes and 17 assisted living homes have closed in Nebraska, said State Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams. That leaves 15 of the states 93 counties without such care centers, which is a crisis situation, Dorn said at a press conference Thursday. It forces families and friends to travel further to see loved ones, and visits, he said, have an important impact on a persons health and well-being. We cant continue at this pace, Dorn said. We have to try and find a way to stop this cycle. The senator has introduced two bills to address the issue and attempt to halt the closure of more skilled nursing and assisted living facilities by improving the states reimbursement rates for care. Public hearings on Legislative Bills 941 and 942 are scheduled Tuesday before the Legislatures Appropriations Committee. LB 941 would increase the current Medicaid reimbursement rates for care at an assisted-living facility based upon recent recommendations of a study done on behalf of the Nebraska Health and Human Services Department. The study recommended a 17% increase in the provider rates. LB 942 would appropriate funds to DHHS to increase Medicaid reimbursement by 5% for nursing facility care. The current gap between reimbursement and the actual cost of daily care is nearly $50, according to the Nebraska Health Care Association, and the bill would help narrow, but not close, the gap. Its important that care is reimbursed adequately, said Jalene Carpenter of the Health Care Association, to prevent more care centers from closing. Dorn added that inadequate Medicaid reimbursement not only can force closings, but also hifts the cost of care onto non-Medicaid residents, thus forcing up their costs. About 60% of all residents in nursing homes in Nebraska are covered by Medicaid, Carpenter said. The ICJ gathered for the case against Israel brought by South Africa. Photo: Remko de Waal/ANP/Redux On January 26, the International Court of Justice ruled almost unanimously that Israels war against Gaza could amount to genocide and ordered the Israelis to take six measures to prevent it. For Americans, the judgment likely produced confusion. The ICJ did not declare that Israels assault, which has claimed over 28,000 lives, was genocide full stop. Before the ruling, White House spokesperson John Kirby called the case, which had been brought by South Africa, meritless, counterproductive, and completely without any basis in fact whatsoever. Those convinced of Israels right to self-defense after Hamas October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis derided the South African case as theater. The court is affiliated with the United Nations, which, after failing to take action in so many wars in recent decades, has come to be seen as ineffectual. Meanwhile, the onslaught in Gaza continues. But it would be a mistake to view the ICJs actions as insignificant. As the legal scholar David Kaye noted in Foreign Affairs, had the court ordered Israel to cease its military operations altogether, it would have given both Israel and its backers, particularly the U.S., the excuse to do what they usually do: Dismiss the court entirely. Yet by issuing a moderate but condemnatory judgment, the court put the U.S. on notice that it could be considered party to the worst crime imaginable. The ICJ is expected to rule again in the coming years, and if the U.S. fails to rein in its ally, the consequences will be catastrophic not only for the Palestinians but for the whole rules-based international order that the U.S. built in the aftermath of World War II. The court, in effect, is giving the U.S. one last chance to save itself. The ICJ case has come after a long period of American foreign-policy disasters. The invasion of Iraq and the broader War on Terror devastated the Middle East as well as undermined U.S. institutions, creating a crisis of faith in government that, among other things, helped bring Donald Trump to power. The war in Gaza risks severing the U.S.s dwindling claims to moral legitimacy abroad with myriad possible repercussions for life at home. The stain of torture and arrogance and deceit during the War on Terror had profound consequences. Imagine what the stain of genocide could do. The U.N., the ICJ, and the many other multilateral institutions that compose the bedrock of the modern U.S.-led order come from the same period of lofty ideals: the years after World War II, when Europe and Japan lay in ruins and the victorious Allies had inherited much of the world. The Allies first set about punishing the losers of the war in the name of a new era of what the historian Gary J. Bass cites as organized international justice. For the Nazis, that punishment was the Nuremberg trials, which are mostly remembered as a success. Less well known, but in some ways more important for our current moment, was the fate of Japanese generals and politicians in what was called the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. The Tokyo trial had grand ambitions to establish international principles for a safer postwar world a revived international law that outlawed aggression and atrocity, Bass writes in his groundbreaking new book, Judgment at Tokyo. But the trial told only half the story. The dropping of the nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the firebombing of dozens of cities, was hardly considered. Even the Americans recognized their good luck. I supposed if I had lost the war, I would have been tried as a war criminal, said General Curtis LeMay, who oversaw the bombings of Japan. Fortunately, we were on the winning side. The aftermath of World War II gave the U.S. the moral high ground, a crucial element of what would become that infuriatingly important thing: American exceptionalism. It also allowed Americans to believe that an act of total annihilation was justified to bring peace, a concept so ingrained in our destructive yet moralizing foreign policy that you can see its deathly spirit everywhere from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan. The arrival of the Cold War undermined the kind of international cooperation the Allies had envisioned. Since the ICJs establishment in 1946, the U.S. has consistently challenged rulings that threatened its own interests. In 1984, for example, when Nicaragua brought a case against the U.S. for supporting the Contras against the Sandinistas, the Reagan administration simply refused to participate in the proceedings. In 2005, George W. Bush contested the ICJs jurisdiction; so did Trump in 2018. The U.S. has shown even more disregard for the International Criminal Court, which was established in 1998 and was inspired by Nuremberg and Tokyo. The ICC, unlike the ICJ, is a criminal tribunal designed to prosecute individuals for things like genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Starting in 2002, at the beginning of the War on Terror, the Bush administration withdrew its status as a signatory to the ICC. Trump even issued sanctions and visa bans on ICC officials investigating U.S. activities abroad. The War on Terror represented the great untethering of the U.S. from the rule of law. President Biden promised to put that horrific chapter behind us by leaving Afghanistan, yet with the war on Gaza, he has plunged the U.S. back into its self-defeating logic. We see how deeply the War on Terror has cemented habits of American foreign policy. Now we have the worst of all worlds: American leaders still believe total annihilation is a precondition for peace, but this time the enemy is terror whether it emanates from Gaza or elsewhere which many experts agree is almost impossible to destroy. It is a war that is never-ending but always justified. The rest of the world has long argued that there can be no international justice if the U.S. manages to evade it. Many Americans agree and understandably have focused their ire on Biden. Arab and Muslim Americans, among others, have declared they wont vote for him in November because whatever threat Trump poses, its difficult to forgive abetting the murder of ones own family and ones people. But what has been surprising is that few leftist Democratic lawmakers have made serious trouble for the Biden administration. With a few exceptions Michigans Rashida Tlaib being an obvious one progressive members of Congress have fallen in line. The Democratic Party did not attempt to prevent what everyone knew would be Israels disastrous military response and has not demanded a real reckoning with the U.S.s unconditional support for Israels military. This despite the fact that were reading about babies having amputations without anesthesia, seeing evidence of men tortured, and watching the indiscriminate razing of Palestinian homes, schools, and mosques. If the ICJ ultimately finds that Israel has committed genocide with the help of the U.S., it will likely be dismissed by the American government and held up as evidence of the bias or irrelevance of the U.N. In reality, it may mark the moment when the U.S. could have broken the hold that exceptionalism continues to exert over its posture toward the rest of humanity. The crisis of American foreign policy goes deeper than Gaza; the crisis is in the mentality that allowed the first three cataclysmic months of the Gaza war to occur in the first place. Despite all we know about the Iraq War and the War on Terror, despite the fact that we live with the repercussions every day, foreign policy remains a fuzzy, distant concern. For much of the rest of the world, in contrast, South Africas case has been an intervention and an inspiration, a confirmation of their longtime understanding of reality. They are asking Americans to see their foreign policy as non-Americans do: the thing about America that matters the most. Migrants who recently arrived from Eagle Pass, Texas, walk to Floyd Bennett Field in the Brooklyn borough of New York on February 3, 2024. Photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in 2022 in large part by flipping four seats in the New York suburbs by hammering Democrats as soft on crime. This year theyre defending these same districts to keep their slim majority intact, but they are going on the offensive with a new weapon: immigration. New York is particularly sensitive to immigration as a political issue as the state continues to contend with the arrival of more than 170,000 migrants from the southern border over the past two years an influx that has stressed the citys capacity and resources to provide adequate food and shelter to the newcomers. A December Quinnipiac University poll found that 62 percent of registered voters in the city agreed with Mayor Eric Adamss statement from last year that the migrant crisis will destroy New York City. This discontent, especially on top of recent headlines about migrants allegedly committing crimes and chaos at the southern border, has given Republicans what they believe is a winning issue. The first test of this strategy will come on Tuesday in the special election to replace George Santos in one of the congressional districts Republicans flipped in 2022. Both the Democratic candidate Tom Suozzi and Republican Mazi Pilip have put immigration at the forefront of their campaigns, seeking to prove whos strongest on the issue of border security. Early in the campaign, the two candidates held dueling press conferences outside a migrant shelter in Queens, in part of the district that stretches into Nassau County, arguing that their side would be the most effective at stopping the flow of migrants into the city. Attention then turned to Washington, where bipartisan Senate legislation to tighten the border fell apart in the face of Republican opposition. Suozzi, who represented the district in Congress before retiring in 2022, accuses Republicans of tanking the bill they helped negotiate for political gain. Pilip, a two-term county legislator, is echoing her partys line that the bill doesnt go far enough, calling it an absolute nonstarter. After being dubbed Sanctuary Suozzi by his opponent, he defended his immigration record in one ad and promised to secure the border while opening legal paths to citizenship. Every ad Republicans have aired has been on immigration, according to Politico. In particular, the National Republican Congressional Committee and Johnsons Congressional Leadership PAC have called Suozzi an open-border radical and accused him of rolling out the red carpet for illegal immigrants, respectively. Democrats have spent years neglecting our borders and now American cities are at a breaking point trying to keep pace with the current influx of illegal migrants. Voters know who is responsible for the illegal-migrant issue and will hold Democrats accountable for it in 2024, a NRCC spokesperson said in a statement. The two candidates found rare consensus on last months incident where two NYPD officers were allegedly beaten by a group of migrants outside a Manhattan shelter, saying they should be deported. The result of the special election could have an immediate impact on another Republican goal: impeaching Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border. On Tuesday, Republicans failed to get enough votes from their own party to succeed. They plan to try again, meaning an additional vote from Pilip could make the difference. Among those voting to impeach Mayorkas were New York freshmen Republican lawmakers Mike Lawler, Anthony DEsposito, Marc Molinaro, and Brandon Williams, whose districts are considered to be in play this fall. Congressman Pat Ryan, a Democrat who represents the Hudson Valley and is also up for reelection this year, said in an interview that his Republican colleagues rejection of the border bill is evidence that the GOP was never truly serious about reaching a compromise. At this point, a year plus in, Im just so tired of hearing about folks who say theyre moderate and say they came here to D.C. to get stuff done. And Im explicitly talking about my New York Republican neighbors that are on all sides in my district, he said. This week was your chance to prove that, and pretty much every single Republican decided they care more about taking photos at the border or fearmongering about immigration rather than doing a single freaking thing to actually secure the border. Ryan, who led one of the few successful Democratic congressional campaigns in New York two years ago, thinks that Republicans might struggle to push their message on immigration in some of the more moderate districts up for grabs this fall. I think voters are very smart and they see through the acts and they see through the b.s. And more and more, especially on this issue of border security and immigration, its very clear that this is at Trumps direction. Its at the far-right MAGA playbooks direction, he said. Theres just now such a consistent track record of bad faith. Alyssa Cass, a Democratic political strategist, described Republicans tumultuous week on Capitol Hill as 31 flavors of Republican chaos. Republican fumbling on the border gives Democrats a unique opportunity to seize the issue, she said. I think that if Democrats message aggressively and, sometimes perhaps uncomfortably, they can really seize the advantage on this issue. Tuskegee University will participate in a HBCU program that's designed to providing opportunities for underserved populations in the tech field. Launched in January, the HBCU Innovation Internship program is a 12-week program meant to provide exposure, hands-on work experience and supplementary professional development for seven students selected from four partnering Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Alabama. "As we launch the HBCU Innovation Internship Program, we are not only addressing the critical need for diverse talent in the tech sector, but we are also fostering a supportive environment for the career development of young Black professionals. By providing hands-on internship experiences at innovative Alabama companies, we are sowing the seeds for a more inclusive and dynamic future," aid Miller Girvin, the vice president of Innovation and Talent at the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. He said the organization is excited to witness the positive impact that these "talented students will undoubtedly bring to the tech industry and beyond." The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama announced on Wednesday that it partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission and Innovate Alabama to launch the HBCU Innovation Internship program. Partner universities include Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Miles College, Shelton State Community College and Tuskegee University. The program places the students in paid internships across six Alabama-based tech startups, accelerators and incubators with the goal of providing young Black professionals with a pathway to success in an innovative landscape. The students are interning at the following companies: Techstars EnergyTech Accelerator, Prosper HealthTech Accelerator, Innovation Depot, HudsonAlpha AgTech Accelerator, Immediate, and Decatur-Morgan County E-Center. The interns were chosen from a group of finalists that participated in an interview day with the employers. According to an EDPA news release, the finalists were selected based on their interests in tech and entrepreneurship, GPA, race and ethnicity, interview performance, enrollment status and the ability to reflect the programs commitment to a holistic and inclusive approach. We couldnt be more pleased with the additional capacity and perspective that our intern brings to our team, said Kellie Clark, managing director of the Prosper HealthTech Accelerator. Additionally, we believe that success moves at the speed of relationships which makes us even more excited to expand our interns professional network. According to the EDPA, the program is committed to addressing the challenges young Black professionals face. Additionally, the long term goal of the program is not just for the students to have careers in startups and innovative organizations, but to do so in Alabama. The EDPA is a private nonprofit organization with more than 60 corporate partners that is committed to the economic development of Alabama. The EDPA supports other programs such as ALEX (Alabama Experience) and FuelAL. Crane Rental Company Faces OSHA Citations, Fines After Workers Death The crane operator suffered a fatal electrocution on a Captn Hooks Crane Service Inc. Following a 34-year-old crane operators death by electrocution, OSHA has imposed fines totaling $26,585 to Captn Hooks Crane Service Inc. The agency launched an investigation into the Melbourne, Florida-based crane rental service following the August 2023 incident. According to a release dated Feb. 8, the crane's boomextended to lift metal frame roof trussescame into contact with high-voltage power lines, resulting in the operator's immediate death. OSHA later found that the company had sent the uncertified crane operator to work alone on a residential construction site when the accident occurred. OSHA cited Captn Hooks Crane Service with three serious violations, including the employment of an uncertified operator and the operation of a crane dangerously close to overhead power lines without ensuring the crane was on a stable foundation. Additionally, the company was cited for two other-than-serious violations for the failure to properly label rigging equipment and maintain legible warning labels on the crane. Fatal incidents in construction often occur because of the employers failure to follow basic safety protocols and industry-standard regulations. In this case, Captn Hooks Crane Service cut corners and made the conscious choice to send an uncertified crane operator to a job site. That decision led to this worker losing their life, OSHA Area Office Director Erin Sanchez in Orlando said in a statement. Employers owe it to their employees to provide a safe working environment. Captn Hooks Crane Service Inc. now has 15 business days to comply with the citations, request an informal conference with OSHA, or contest the findings before an independent commission. Authored by James Marks via RealClear Wire, Normally a new year brings a renewed focus on getting things done in Washington. But with Congress accomplishing little in 2023 and attentions now shifting to the November elections, it is more prudent than ever that the policy agenda of our nations leaders reflect whats best for our collective future, not politics. Take this administrations campaign to spread electric-vehicle (EV) technologies. There is no doubt that EVs will be part of Americas future. But decisions made by President Biden and his allies to incentivize and rush the adoption of EVs into the American transportation sector will have unintended consequences. Most unrecognized being the implications on our national security priorities. Back in April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced a rule that would regulate the tailpipe emissions of light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The rule aims to have roughly two-thirds of automobiles sold in 2032 to be electric. However, proponents of these types of heavy-handed government policies fail to account for the realities of the global EV market and importantly the dominance held by the Chinese. For the last 15 years, China has solidified various investments within the EV value chain, fortifying its position of power in this rapidly expanding market. China dominates the market for rare earths reserves, mineral extraction, and battery production, all of which are integral to the production of EVs. And while the U.S. Geological Survey estimates China only has about 36% of the globes rare earths reserves, it has come to control 70% of the worlds extraction capability and nearly 77% of the worlds battery manufacturing capacity. Its this condition that makes a concerted push toward EVs risky because clearly to get more electric vehicles, Americans will increase our reliance on China. Recently a letter cosigned by me, and 16 other national security experts highlight these details and the associated risk that continued overexposure to China could mean for public officials. the U.S. automobile market will be inadvertently tied to Chinese interests, making prices and markets more susceptible to Chinese manipulation. For example, in October China announced intentions to enforce export restrictions on graphite, a mineral that makes up the largest amount by volume and mass of an EV battery. The country has a history of weaponizing trade as a means to exert its power. As Columbias Center on Global Energy Policy explained, the move was clearly part of Chinas broader strategy of flexing its economic muscle in response to escalating trade tensions with the United States. If we continue to push the status quo, Americans will more likely face a trade war with China rather than a fully integrated, electrified future. Instead of electrification strategies and regulations that will artificially increase EV demand, we need to ensure that domestic investment and infrastructure opportunities are our first priority and establish policies that will level our playing field with China. One place to start would be enabling more domestic mineral and battery production with a timely and effective permitting process. Thankfully, national security voices like ours arent the only ones sounding the alarm. Recently, dozens of Congressional members in both the Senate and House wrote a likeminded letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, expressing concern over this aggressive plan to reduce vehicle emissions and flood the nation with EVs. Additionally, the House passed the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2023 (CARS Act) at the end of last year, which affirms American security and independence, and would force leaders to think of solutions that will responsibly and equitably transition people to EVs. Pushing forward with emissions rules and mandates will only serve to undermine Americans' national security. President Xi Jinpings recent speeches at the G20 make it clear that China wants to maintain its position at the top of this market and is continuing investments to do so. As stated in our letter, we must strengthen our market share and capabilities before hastening the clean energy transition. In this way, we can stand up for freedom and democracy, rather than submit to Chinese domination, and secure a prosperous economic future for us all in the 21st century. ADVERTISEMENT By Zerohedge.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Russian gas giant Gazprom has been awarded the development contract for the supergiant Nasiriyah oil field in Iraqs strategic southern eastern region close to the main export terminal of Al Fao in Basra. At around the same time, it was announced that China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corp (CPECC) and PetroChina will complete the critically important Halfaya gas project by the end of Q1 this year. The Halfaya field lies 175 kilometres to the northeast of the Nasiriyah oil field and, together with Basra to the south, form a triangle of influence incorporating several major Russian and Chinese oil and gas developments. These two developments in turn follow the very recent announcement that China is over the halfway mark in completing the construction of Iraqs biggest crude oil storage facility, also in Nasiriyah. This will also act as a logistical command centre for all of Chinas and Russias oil and gas projects in southern Iraq and for the build-out of multiple non-oil projects connected to the all-encompassing Iraq-China Framework Agreement, as analysed in depth in my new book on the new global oil market order. The supergiant Nasiriyah oilfield has an estimated 4.36 billion barrels of reserves in place, but since its discovery in the DhiQar province by the Iraq National Oil Company in 1975 little has been done to develop the oil. Tentatively coming on stream in 2009 and listed on Iraqs 2009-2010 fast-track plan, which aimed to raise its output to about 50,000 barrels per day (bpd), the first half of 2009 saw ENI, Nippon Oil, Chevron, and Repsol submitting bids to develop the field on an Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contract basis, with a consortium comprised of Nippon Oil, Inpex, and JGC Corporation looking set to win the contract before negotiations broke down. The departure in 2014 of the divisive figure of Shia Islamist Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister, and his replacement by the seemingly more inclusive, although also Shia, Haider al-Abadi led to optimism in Iraq that the Nasiriyah project could move ahead again, but these hopes were also dashed. The development plan for Nasiriyah was then broadened out as part of a Nasiriyah Integrated Project (NIP) that would include a 300,000-bpd refinery. This was part of Iraqs plan at the time to increase refining capacity across the south by more than 700,000 bpd by (at that point) the end of 2015. Deals were agreed in principle with several international oil companies (IOCs) from both the Global North and the Global South to effect this, with around US$50 billion of investment earmarked for such developments in Karbala, Kirkuk, Missan, Mosul, and Nasiriyah. Again, these plans were subject to delays and changes. At this point, though, it is apposite to note that the development contract agreed just over a week ago with Gazprom for Nasiriyah does not include previous plans for the refinery. This leaves the way open for a Chinese firm to take the refinery project, as a senior source who works closely to Irans Petroleum Ministry exclusively told OilPrice.com last week. Related: U.S. Oil Drilling Activity Stalls Such an arrangement would suit Chinas ongoing big plans for Iraq perfectly. Beijing has long seen the development of the entire DhiQar province as a key to its strategy to turn Iraq into a client state, as it has largely done with neighbouring Iran. In Tehrans case, this was achieved through the all-encompassing Iran-China 25-Year Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement, as first revealed anywhere in the world in my 3 September 2019 article on the subject and analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. China is using the same sort of arrangement for Iraq, as evidenced in the equally all-encompassing Iraq-China Framework Agreement of 2021. This in turn, was an extension in scale and scope of the Oil for Reconstruction and Investment agreement signed by Baghdad and Beijing in September 2019, which allowed Chinese firms to invest in infrastructure projects in Iraq in exchange for oil. Originally, China had intended on taking the very direct approach to securing all the assets it wanted in southern Iraq that Russia had taken in 2017 when it had effectively taken control of all of the oil assets in Iraqs semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, as also full detailed in my new book on the new global oil market order. Firstly, at the beginning of 2021, Chinese state oil proxy Zhenhua Oil agreed a US$2 billion fiveyear prepayment oil supply deal between the Federal Government of Iraq (FGI) in Baghdad in the south of the country. Underlining once again that Chinas oil and gas activities are part of its broader colonising plans (President Xi is a great admirer of Great Britains use of the East India Company in its own such plans), Zhenhua Oil is a subsidiary of Chinas massive defence contractor Norinco. Secondly, discussions began between China and Iraq on expanding the build-up of Beijings presence in the countrys oil and gas projects across the south of the country. The takeover by Chinese companies of multiple elements (exploration, development, maintenance, security, and so on) of oil and gas field licences in southern Iraq had been especially prevalent since the unilateral withdrawal of the U.S. from the nuclear deal with Iran in May 2018, as also analysed in depth in my new book. And thirdly, as a part of the earlier 25-year agreement with Iran which holds enormous sway over Iraq through its political, economic, and military proxies China had already begun building major logistics links that involved Iraq. These logistical links not only benefited China by helping to construct a cohesive whole across the vast oil and gas resources of Iran and Iraq but also gave it multiple footholds to establish a security presence on the ground across both countries. It is entirely legal for oil companies to deploy whatever security forces they think necessary to protect their valuable assets on the ground in whichever country they operate. In Chinas case, this has been tens of thousands of such personnel across its key oil and gas facilities in the Middle East, and tens of thousands more across multiple sites elsewhere in the world in which it has rolled out projects connected to its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as also fully analysed in my new book. Following the Zhenhua Oil deal in southern Iraq, Baghdad approved nearly IQD1 trillion (US$700 million) for infrastructure projects in the city of Al-Zubair in the southern Iraq oil hub of Basra. The Al-Zubair announcement came around the same time as the awarding by Baghdad of another major contract to another Chinese company to build a civilian airport to replace the military base in the southern oil rich DhiQar governorate. The Dhi Qar region includes two of Iraqs potentially biggest oil fields one being Nasiriyah, and the other Gharraf and China said that it intended to complete the airport by 2024. This airport project, it announced, would include the construction of multiple cargo buildings and roads linking the airport to the citys town centre and separately to other key oil areas in southern Iraq. In the later discussions involved in the 2021 Iraq-China Framework Agreement, it was decided unanimously by both sides that the airport could be expanded later to be a dual-use civilian and military airport. The military component would be usable by China without first having to consult with whatever Iraqi government was in power at the time, a senior source who works closely with Iraqs Oil Ministry exclusively told OilPrice.com at the time. This very direct strategy of Chinas fell foul of the U.S., which still harbours aspirations to re-assert itself somehow in Iraq, despite all indications being that it has already lost out entirely to China and Russia. Nonetheless, it was made very clear to China that a de facto takeover of southern Iraqs oil sector in the same way Russia had done in the north would not go down well with the White House, especially as these efforts were to be led by Chinese defence giant Norincos oil subsidiary Zhenhua Oil. Although the temperature had been turned down on the ongoing U.S.-China Trade War at the time, Beijing was assured that it risked it being turned up again. At the time, China could not afford any further damage to its economic prospects, given the chaos being wrought by rampant Covid and its disastrous handling of it through its ultra-tight Zero-Covid policy. Instead, China reverted to its stealthier East India Company approach and ramped up its signing of multiple contract-only deals across many of Iraqs biggest oil and gas projects. The next one could be for the Nasiriyah refinery project. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The recent pause on new permits for LNG export projects has divided America in the latest controversy surrounding the Biden Administrations energy policies. Environmentalists hailed the decision as a win for the climate and a step toward weaning the world off fossil fuels. A group of U.S. industrial gas consumers welcomed the permit halt as a win for reliability for American consumers and a means to prevent spikes in domestic natural gas and electricity prices. On the other hand, oil and gas industry associations slammed the Biden Administrations decision as a loss for America and a win for Russia as it would undermine the economy and jobs at home and Americas credibility as a reliable partner to provide gas to its allies. The pause in new LNG export project approvals is a mistake as it would actually hold back global efforts to reduce emissions, according to ExxonMobil. Reducing production of LNG actually harms the world achieving net zero sooner rather than later, Exxons chief financial officer Kathy Mikells told Bloomberg in an interview earlier this month. The American Petroleum Institute (API) and other major industry groups, including American Exploration and Production Council (AXPC), Center for LNG (CLNG), Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), LNG Allies, among others, slammed the Biden Administrations decision to halt export project approvals. Related: Plunging Oil and Gas Sales Drag Russias Exports to Europe Down by 68% Environmental issues aside, supporters of the LNG permit halt say that lower U.S. LNG exports would ease upward price pressures on natural gas and electricity in America as more gas would be available for the domestic market. Soaring U.S. LNG exports have made natural gas a global commodity and the United States vulnerable to global price volatility. The Biden Administration is clearly mindful to stress as much on protecting American consumers from natural gas and electricity price spikes as on the climate benefits of less LNG production on local U.S. communities. If the U.S. were to approve after the pause all currently paused LNG export terminals, U.S. natural gas prices could jump by between 9% and 14% per year in the medium term, according to modeling by clean energy policy think tank Energy Innovation and Jesse Jenkins of Princeton University. Such a surge in prices would impose $11-$18 billion in new annual gas costs on U.S. households, businesses, and industry. Over time, exact expenditures may moderate as producers adjust output to demand, Energy Innovation wrote in a Forbes article. According to the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, every $1 per MMBtu increase in the price of natural gas adds $34.2 billion in annual costs to domestic consumers plus the increased cost of electricity. As LNG export volumes increase, reliability risks and costs for both natural gas and electricity increase due to the combination of accelerating increases in peak LNG export demand and domestic demand during peak winter weather, the association said last week. Yet, even with temporary spikes during the 2021 winter storm and in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, U.S. benchmark natural gas prices have averaged $3.37 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) since 2016, compared to $3.48 per MMBtu in the six years before 2016, when the U.S. started exporting LNG, data from the Energy Information Administration shows. The EIA expects the Henry Hub price to average under $3.00/MMBtu in 2024 and 2025, only slightly higher than the average price of $2.54/MMBtu for 2023. The Henry Hub price remained relatively low for all of 2023 because of strong natural gas production and more natural gas in storage, said the administration, which expects slow growth in U.S. gas output over the next two years but enough to set new record highs. ADVERTISEMENT LNG exports offtake provide actually a couple of useful benefits for the US one is that it makes it easier to produce oil in gassy formations because it gives the gas a place to go, Kevin Book at U.S.-based consultancy ClearView Energy Partners told the Financial Times at the end of last month. If natural gas producers are discouraged by regulation such as stalled LNG project approvals from boosting production, U.S. gas prices could rise anyway because supply may not catch up with demand, and global LNG markets could tighten more than previously expected. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In late January, NATO began what it has called its largest military exercise since the Cold War. Steadfast Defender 24 involves 90,000 troops from all 31 alliance members as well as NATO invitee Sweden for four months of maneuvers by land, sea, and air. You have to go all the way back to 1988 for the last NATO exercise that involved more troops: Reforger with 125,000. In between, the Trident Juncture exercise in 2018 included 50,000 personnel. While official NATO documents dont say outright that theyre training against a potential Russian offensive on allied territory, its clear thats what is on their minds. The alliance says it is testing responses during a simulated emerging conflict scenario with a near-peer adversary. Exercise maps will show an adversary with a fictitious name, but privately my NATO sources acknowledge without hesitation that of course this means Russia. Deep Background: Take a look at the geography and what the alliance will practice, and it becomes even more evident. Roughly speaking, Steadfast Defender 24 includes two phases. The first, which kicked off slowly at the end of January, involves the transatlantic reinforcement of forces. This is in fact the key to see if the United States can effectively deploy a large number of troops and equipment to continental Europe to mount a defense. Dont underestimate the symbolism, as the United States nears a presidential election that culminates on November 5. The image of U.S. troops training alongside other nations in mock amphibious assaults in the Atlantic in the next two months, involving more than 50 naval vessels including aircraft carriers, frigates, and destroyers, could help assuage European fears of a less committed United States down the road. The second phase of the exercise is equally crucial and is likely to show whether NATO is capable of defending its vulnerable eastern flank -- every inch of allied territory, as NATO officials like to put it. Starting in mid-February and running till the end of May, many of the elements will take place on land and in the sky, involving up to 80 air platforms including F-35 fighter jets, helicopters, and drones, as well as more than 1,000 combat vehicles, including 166 tanks. The epicenter is Poland, where a major river crossing will be attempted in March, but also in the Baltic states, with Germany acting as a major hub for reinforcement and coordination. There will also be exercises throughout the Nordic region, as well as Czechia, Hungary, North Macedonia, and Romania. ADVERTISEMENT Drilling Down This will also represent the first proper chance for NATO to test aspects of its new defense plans agreed at the Vilnius NATO summit in July, a 4,000-page document in which every ally should know exactly which part of alliance territory it should defend if NATO is attacked. Another big test is seeing how well the alliances Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), which was created as a direct response to Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014, functions. It will be one of the blocs key components to defend any potential attack, with some 6,000 troops that should be deployable within days to any corner of the alliance. One of the aims of Steadfast Defender is ensuring this reaction force can be deployed together with various national forces once each year, starting from 2025. So this year is very much a test run. While the exercise has been planned for years, it comes at a pivotal time. Two years into Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it should act as assurance that the alliance is ready in case the war creeps closer or even spreads across NATO members borders. While no Ukrainian troops are participating, the specter of the war in that country looms large in planners minds. Speaking to media in early February, NATO Brigadier General Gunnar Bruegner said there is this unified sense that we need to go bigger, we need to train harder when asked about the impact of the war on the alliance. The real question, however, is whether it will truly allay fears in Europe. Firstly, weapons deliveries to Ukraine have dropped alarmingly in recent months. The chairman of NATOs military committee, Rob Bauer, said last fall that Western arms industries need to ramp up, as "the bottom of the barrel is now visible. Then there have been plenty of recent official warnings that European allies must step up and prepare for the war potentially escaping containment to spread beyond Ukraine. And its not just Ukraines neighbors. The Belgian Army chief Michel Hofman suggested that Putin opening a second front in Moldova or the Baltics is not out of the question. And Hofmans Swedish counterpart, Micael Byden, warned in late January that his countrymen mentally must prepare for war, triggering a slight panic as the public rushed out to buy extra fuel and survival kits. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Uzbekistan wants to develop an all-weather strategic partnership with China. But trade statistics for 2023 indicate the developing relationship between Tashkent and Beijing is far from one of equals. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev traveled to China in late January, meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The two countries signed an array of agreements during Mirziyoyevs visit that a presidential statement said would enrich the content of their strategic partnership. The bilateral documents signed in Beijing outlined cooperation in a wide variety of areas, ranging from big-picture issues, including environmental protection and poverty reduction, to micro topics, such as the sanitary standards for Uzbek pea exports to China. While Beijing rolled out the red carpet for Mirziyoyev, the numbers confirm that the foundation of any strategic partnership rests more on rhetoric than substance. Figures covering 2023 show that Uzbekistan ran a severe trade deficit with Beijing, deepening a dependency on Chinese durable goods. According to PRCs customs agency, Chinas trade turnover with Uzbekistan last year totaled $14 billion, with Uzbek exports accounting for only $1.6 billion of the overall amount. Numbers provided by Central Asian states often do not align with official Chinese data, but Uzbekistans Statistics Agency also reported that while the volume of Uzbek-Chinese trade reached $13.7 billion, exports to China only stood at $2.5 billion. Uzbekistans growing appetite for Chinese autos has been well documented. The imbalance also extends to consumer electronics, including mobile phones. The Uzbek Agency for Statistics reported that the country imported 3.1 million mobile phones from China in 2023, far outpacing imports from other sources. Vietnam ranked as the second biggest mobile phone supplier to Uzbekistan, shipping 276,800 units. Third was India, with 37,200 units shipped. The overall total reflected 13.7 percent growth in mobile phone imports over 2022 numbers. China additionally has established itself as a major creditor of Uzbekistan, according to officials at the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade. The ministry reported that Uzbekistan attracted international loans totaling $2.8 billion in 2023, the majority of which was provided by the Asian Development Bank ($616 million), the World Bank ($552 million) and China ($399 million). The Uzbek government devoted $872 million in loans to the countrys energy sector. Meanwhile, the transport sector gained $473 million in international support, while agriculture and water management sector received $300 million. By Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led government will face a floor test in the Bihar Assembly on Monday. Last month, Kumar took the oath as Bihar CM for the record ninth time after dumping the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and the INDIA bloc to form a new government with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Now Kumar with his newly-formed alliance will seek a trust vote in the Assembly. Ahead of the floor test, Nitish Kumars party Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has issued a three-line whip to all of its MLAs to be present during the proceedings. All eyes will, therefore, be on the floor test exercise that is taking place after days of what was seen as a politically volatile situation in the state. The parties such as the JD-U, RJD, and Congress were seen struggling to keep their flock of MLAs intact. Ahead of the crucial number test, the Congress shifted its MLAs to Hyderabad to protect them from possible poaching. The Congress legislators have returned to Patna from Hyderabad. At the same time, RJD MLAs have been camping at former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadavs place since Saturday night. The BJP shifted its MLAs to Maha Bodhi resort in Bodh Gaya. However, BJP claimed that its legislators were sent to Bodh Gaya for some training. The saffron party said that there was no threat of poaching to its MLAs. Meanwhile, CM Nitish Kumar has expressed confidence that the government led by him will prove its majority in the Assembly comfortably. Other MLAs from the ruling side were also heard claiming that the new government will have no difficulty in proving the majority during the floor test. Nitish has already said that he has again come to National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and will stay permanently with it. Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustan Awam Morch (HAM) founder, Jitan Ram Manjhi has also issued a whip to his party's four MLAs, asking them to vote in favour of the NDA government during the floor test in the Bihar Assembly. Ahead of the much-awaited floor test in Bihar, it is important to have a look at how the numbers stack up. The total strength of the Bihar Assembly is 243 and the majority mark is 122. The NDA has a comfortable majority of 128 with the BJP having 78 MLAs, the JD-U 45, HAM 4 and an independent MLA. The opposition has 114 MLAs of which RJD has 79, Congress 19, CPI-ML 12, CPI-M 2, and CPI has 2. Shareholders in Saudi Aramco will decide whether the worlds largest oil firm will proceed with a new share offering this year, Aramcos chief executive Amin Nasser said on Monday, as carried by Reuters. Currently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia owns just over 98% of Aramco after selling 1.7% in the initial public offering (IPO) in December 2019. Of the 98% held by the Kingdom, the Saudi government owns 90% of Aramco, while the sovereign wealth fund owns the other 8%. Reports emerged last month that Saudi Arabia was working with advisers to revive a new sale of stock in state oil giant Aramco, which is the worlds largest oil firm in terms of both market capitalization and oil production. The Saudis are looking to sell shares in Aramco on the domestic market and look to raise at least $10 billion from the follow-up offering, anonymous sources with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg at the end of January. Before the IPO in 2019, Saudi Arabia initially aimed to list Aramco on the Saudi stock exchange, Tadawul, and on one major international market, with London, New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong all rumored or reported to have been in the race. But in the end, tepid investor demand and the possibility of exposing the Kingdom to lawsuitsespecially with a New York listingforced the rulers to downsize the Aramco IPO. Saudi Aramco made its debut on the Saudi Stock Exchange in December 2019 and raised around $30 billion in the share listing which became the largest in history. Since the IPO, Saudi rulers, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have said on several occasions there would be more Aramco shale sales on Tadawul in the future. ADVERTISEMENT The latest share sale plan now reportedly under consideration has the Saudis seeking to raise at least $10.7 billion (40 billion Saudi riyals) from the share sale, according to Bloombergs sources. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Austria, one of the few EU countries still receiving Russian natural gas by pipeline, is looking to reduce its dependence on Moscow, including by seeking to end a long-term deal that Austria-based energy giant OMV has with Gazprom, Austrian Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler said on Monday. Austria has become massively dependent on Russian gas in recent decades. Despite government efforts, the share of Russian natural gas in Austrias gas import mix remains too high, said Gewessler, who is part of the Green party, a coalition partner in the government. In December 2023, the share of Russian gas in Austrias imports was at 98% -- the highest since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the minister said at a news conference and in comments posted on X. Our goal is: Ditch Russian natural gas. As a sovereign country, we cannot accept this dependence - the share of gas imports from Russia is increasing instead of decreasing, Gewessler said. As the share of Russian natural gas is growing instead of declining, and if the market fails, the state must intervene, she added. We will develop proposals for a legal requirements of diversification, Gewessler said. In addition, all options for terminating the long-term supply contract between OMV and Gazprom should be reviewed, the minister said. Gewessler also proposed gas importers be obliged to gradually raise the share of non-Russian gas they are selling in Austria. The proposals would need a two-thirds majority in Parliament, and Gewessler appealed to lawmakers to take the next step and act in the interests of Austrias independence. Gewessler is a representative of the Greens, the coalition partner of the conservative Peoples Party of Chancellor Karl Nehammer. It wasnt clear to what extent the Peoples Party was involved in the plans Gewessler announced. ADVERTISEMENT It is not clear how far the proposals would go, either, as Austria is heading to a general election this year. The far-right Freedom Party is leading in polls. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Diamondback Energy and Endeavor Energy Resources are discussing a merger that could see yet another mega-company join Exxon and Chevron in the Permian. Per Reuters, which cited unnamed sources, the value of the deal is $25 billion in cash and stock. The source also said Diamondback shareholders will receive a collective stake of over 50% in the new company. The value of the resulting company could top $50 billion. The Financial Times noted that if the deal was finalized, it would be a win for Diamondback over Conoco, which has also been a candidate for Endeavor, which the news outlet described as one of the most sought-after shale oil independents. Also, the FT said Diamondback was putting the finishing touches to the deal, suggesting a public announcement of the tie-up is a matter of time. If closed, it would be a big win for Diamondback after its failed attempt to acquire CrownRock last year. Instead, the independent was acquired by Occidental. Reuters wrote that the company resulting from that tie-up would be the third-largest oil producer in the Permian, behind only Exxon and Chevron. It would also be the largest oil producer operating exclusively in the Permian. "Their (drilling) inventory is extremely high quality that will make the combined companies a very attractive investment on Wall Street. I imagine it will be well received by the market on Monday," Andrew Dittmar, senior vice president at Enverus, told Reuters. The Diamondback-Endeavor merger extends a series of megadeals that began with Exxons acquisition of Pioneer Natural Resources last year, followed by Chevrons purchase of Hess Corp., and several smaller-scale but still nine-figure deals. According to oil analysts, the shopping spree in the Permian play will continue as drillers rush to secure future production by expanding their acreage inorganically through acquisitions. ADVERTISEMENT By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: OPECs second-largest producer, Iraq, is committed to its voluntary cut in the OPEC+ agreement and will produce no more than 4 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil, Iraqs Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said on Monday. Iraq, which pumped 4.292 million bpd in December, per OPECs secondary sources, is one of several OPEC+ producers who pledged at the end of November to make voluntary cuts to their crude oil production in the first quarter of 2024. Iraq announced a production cut of 223,000 bpd between January 1 and March 31, 2024. Afterwards, in order to support market stability, these voluntary cuts will be returned gradually subject to market conditions, OPEC said at the time, commenting on the voluntary cuts which Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman also announced. Currently, Iraqs crude oil exports are in the range between 3.35 million bpd and 3.4 million bpd, Reuters quoted the Iraqi minister Abdel-Ghani as telling reporters today. The minister also commented on the nearly year-long halt to crude exports from northern Iraq and its semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan and when these exports could be expected to resume. Resumption of exports from the Kurdistan region is linked to the resumption of production from the fields in the region. Talks with the companies operating in the region are on their way to reach a resolution in the near future, Abdel-Ghani said, as carried by Reuters. At the end of last month, the international oil companies operating in Kurdistan called on the U.S. Congress for immediate action to help resolve halted crude oil exports from the semi-autonomous region. The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) has written a letter to Congress in which it says that it remains committed to the Kurdistan Region and urges the U.S. Congress to support efforts to resume full oil production and exports, essential for regional economic stability and security. ADVERTISEMENT By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A British warship departed for Norway on Monday to take part in NATO war exercises, as Norways security chief told Reuters that the countrys oil and gas installations were at risk of attack by Russia. "I am concerned about dependency, and there is no doubt that Europe has become more dependent on Norwegian gas," Lars Christian Aamodt, head of the National Security Authority, told Reuters. "As soon as the dependency increases, so will the threat and the risk," he said. Furthermore, the Norwegian security chief predicted that the threat could rise as the Israel-Hamas war expands into other venues. The NSA head said the countrys oil and gas facilities were vulnerable to physical sabotage cyberattacks, and noted Russias ongoing surveillance of the countrys energy infrastructure. Last October, Norway began to increase security measures around its oil and gas infrastructure following a suspected sabotage incident on a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea. Norway remains a key potential target for Moscow since it surpassed Russia in 2022 as the biggest supplier of energy to Europe. Norways efforts to further enhance security offshore come amid consistently rising tensions between Russia and NATO. On Monday, Moscow reportedly deployed two nuclear-capable missile carriers over the Norwegian Sea, with NATO responding by scrambling jets. Also on Monday, Norways Defense Minister, Bjrn Arild Gram, told reporters at an intelligence conference that the current security situation is serious. There is a full-scale invasion war ongoing in Europe. We are standing at a crossroads [...], he said. Small states like Norway must maneuver with wisdom and take security policy risks into account in decisions made in all sectors, he added. Norways National Intelligence Agency chief told reporters that Developments have unfortunately gone in the wrong direction. ADVERTISEMENT Its a more dangerous situation now than it was at the beginning of 2023, the intelligence head said. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Crude oil began trade this week with a loss after Israel said it was done with bombing southern Gaza for the time being, suggesting a decline in supply disruption risk. Both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate were modestly down after trade opened in Asia, with the decline possibly moderated by news of another Houthi attack on a vessel in the Red Sea. However, a recent statement from the Iranian foreign minister added to the downside potential in oil, after the official said Developments in Gaza are moving toward a diplomatic solution. The statement was made after Hossein Amirabdollahian visited Lebanon for talks with senior Hamas officials. In further bearish news, Plains All American Pipeline said in its 2023 financial report presentation it expected oil production from the Permian to break another record this year, reaching 6.4 million bpd, Bloomberg reported earlier today. The report also noted a new oil demand forecast by Goldman Sachs, which pointed out expectations of further EV expansion in China, undermining oil demand. Also on the bearish side, the Fed signaled once again it had no immediate plans for rate cuts, which is bound to keep oil price range-bound for the time being. On the bullish side, the Houthis have attacked yet another ship in the Red Sea, according to a statement from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations authority. The UKTMO reported earlier today that a ships captain had signaled the vessel had been hit by two missiles in the Bab el-Mandeb strait off the coast of Yemen. ADVERTISEMENT The Yemeni Houthis have kept attacking ships moving through the Red Sea despite retaliatory attacks by the U.S. and the UK against targets on land. Most traffic has been rerouted from the Middle East to Africa, with positive implications for oil demand as the rerouting adds more than a week to the average journey from Asia to Europe. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Governments need to admit that the transition to low-carbon solutions would raise the price of energy globally, TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanne told the Financial Times in an interview published on Monday. We think that fundamentally this energy transition will mean a higher price of energy, Pouyanne told FT, noting that policy makers would be essentially mis-selling the transition if they fail to admit it would entail higher costs for consumers. According to TotalEnergiess CEO, governments and environmental campaigners have been naive to believe that the answer to lowering emissions is simply to reduce oil and gas production, especially before alternatives are ready to step up and replace part of the fossil fuels currently used to meet rising global energy demand. Moreover, the energy transition will vary according to regional specificities. We cannot ask African countries just to avoid developing the resources because we have developed their resources for our own comfort for 20 years, Pouyanne, who has been leading TotalEnergies for a decade now, told FT. Among the European majors, TotalEnergies has had the most consistent message to investors since the energy transition became a focus of the market. The French supermajor has been insisting for years that its priorities are growing oil and gas, with an emphasis on LNG, and growth in integrated power solutions. Per data from LSEG analyzed by FT, TotalEnergies has outperformed its competitors in terms of average annual total shareholder returns since 2014 and is ahead of Chevron, Exxon, Shell, and BP. Last week, TotalEnergies said it was raising its ordinary 2023 dividend by 7.1% from 2022 and that it had completed $9 billion in share buybacks. The board confirmed a shareholder return policy for 2024 targeting a payout of more than 40% of cash flow from operations (CFFO). ADVERTISEMENT New projects in Africa, Brazil, and Iraq will bring much of the new oil and gas production for the French supermajor. TotalEnergies has also made a significant discovery of light oil with associated gas on the Venus prospect in the Orange Basin offshore Namibia. Venus could be a giant oil and gas discovery, the company said in an investor presentation in September 2022. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Venezuela has accused neighboring Guyana of issuing illegal exploration licenses to oil companies for the Essequibo region which is under dispute between the two countries. According to Caracas, Georgetown had been issuing illegal oil concessions ... in a maritime area that is indisputably Venezuelan. At the end of last week, Caracas made news when it ordered troops to the border with Guyana, which sounded the alarm on the buildup. Venezuela did not deny it but said it had the right to shore up its borders in response to U.S. military exercises in Guyana toward the end of the year and the presence of a UK anti-narcotics vessel that is in Guyanese waters. Previously, the Venezuelan government criticized Exxon for depending on the U.S. military for its security and for its exploitation of Guyanas oil resources. Speaking of Exxon, the supermajor last week may have contributed to Caracas anger at Guyana after it said it had plans to explore for oil and gas in the Essequibo region. Guyanas foreign secretary Robert Persaud told the AP that Exxon was fully within its rights to explore in that specific place off the coast of the country because it is within established Guyana waters in a fully demarcated area. We are not going anywhere, the head of Exxons Guyanese operations, Alistair Rudge, said. Essequibo used to be part of Venezuela during its colonial period, but at the end of the 19th century, an international arbitration gave the land to Guyana, then a British colony. Venezuela has never accepted the arbitration decision, but for most of the time since it was made, it has not acted on its grievance. The simmering dispute between Guyana and Venezuela escalated at the end of last year when Nicolas Maduro held a non-binding referendum on whether Venezuela should annex the Essequibo region, off whose coasts Guyanas huge oil discoveries have been made in recent years. ADVERTISEMENT By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Bellevue Little Theatre's latest production, "Agnes of God," delves into a tapestry of themes that includes drugs, body image, trauma, faith, purity, sexual assault and atheism, delivering a gripping portrayal of human emotion and talent. The play centers around two habit-wearing nuns, one black and one pure white, alongside a persistent atheist psychiatrist determined to unravel the truth behind why Agnes, a seemingly innocent 21-year-old nun, became pregnant and why her baby was found in a waste basket. The 1979 play was originally written by playwright John Pielmeier, and brought to life again by local director, Jon Flower. He told KIOS Morning Edition Host Mike Hogan, "Everything the women experienced in the play is still relevant today. It centers around the relationship of the three women the trauma throughout their life and how their own individual stories, mirror one another." The set, which seemed to be intentionally static throughout the performance, consisted of two side tables, two chairs an ashtray, and a glass of water. The limited set added to the tension of the room, which at times was booming with emotion, with song, with smoke, and even with blood made from peanut butter. Dr. Martha Livingstone, played by real-life psychiatrist Heather Wilhelm, perfectly portrayed the not-so-uncommon scenario of logic and an unfortunate religious past making grappling with the concept of religion near impossible. Wilhelm provides an outstanding performance, with cigarette-puffing monologues that skillfully navigate the intersection of faith and reason to find the truth. The production offers a diverse array of perspectives on religion, handled with both respect and honesty, reflecting contemporary attitudes toward faith. Sara Scheidies, in the role of Agnes, delivers a mesmerizing performance that electrifies the stage. Her fearless portrayal captures the essence of a sheltered, innocent, yet abused young woman trapped in a grown woman's body. Each scream, cry, weep and song resonates deeply, drawing the audience into Agnes's tumultuous world. Whether detailing the harrowing abuse suffered at the hands of her mother or baring her soul in moments of hypnosis-induced confession, Scheidies commands the stage, leaving audiences spellbound and utterly captivated. As Mother Miriam Ruth, Sue Mouttet delivers a performance both hardened and nuanced, portraying a nun who abandoned an ordinary life and family for the catholic confines of the convent. Mouttet's character, once a two-pack-a-day smoker, trades cigarettes for the habit, seeking solace in a more sacred calling. Throughout the play, as Lingstone probes for truth, Miriam resists, knowing the secrets that Agnes harbors. While the notion of immaculate conception looms large, Miriam attempts to shield her niece, Agnes from the unsettling reality that threatens to shatter the fragile young woman once and for all. The play leaves a profound impact, earning a standing ovation from some in the audience. Its ability to navigate challenging themes with grace and respect is commendable, leaving viewers spellbound and speechless. "Agnes of God" has one remaining weekend, and everyone should go see it. What was able to be achieved and portrayed with a limited set and characters was reason enough for applause. Tickets are $15 for students, $20 for seniors and $25 for adults. Remaining shows are 7:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Friday's show offers sign language interpretation. Buy tickets at theblt.org. Season ticket holders can call the BLT at 402-413-8945 for reservations. A $1.9 million state grant will lead to the construction of 13 houses in Bellevue to replace some of those that were lost in the 2019 floods. In a press conference at Bellevue City Hall on Friday, Gov. Jim Pillen, along with Nebraska Economic Development Director K.C. Belitz, announced that the grant will finance the construction of the single-family homes. The grant was awarded to the Housing Foundation for Sarpy County, which is working with Omaha metro area homebuilder Sudbeck Homes to construct the homes. The houses will be located in the 51st Street and Lookingglass Drive area, which is in the southern part of Nebraskas third-largest city. Its really, really important that the State of Nebraska plays a great role in helping our communities, Pillen said. Melvin Sudbeck of Sudbeck Homes told reporters that the company expects to break ground in about four months. The first houses are expected to be completed next year. The new homes will make up only a small fraction of the 399 homes Bellevue lost in the spring 2019 floods. Most of the houses lost were in lower-income neighborhoods, said Carolyn Pospisil, executive director of the countys housing foundation. City and housing leaders placed an emphasis on bringing back people who were displaced by the floods. She said the foundation will reach out to people who expressed interest in returning during a survey conducted in the floods aftermath. Well be able to reach out first to those families. And then after that, well be able to open them up to the market, Pospisil said. Most of the upcoming houses are expected to be sold in the low-$200,000 range. The average house will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms. This isnt going to just be 13 homes that look all the same in the same area, Pospisil said. Pospisil told reporters the new homes will open Sarpy County up to people who dont necessarily have high incomes. Basically, families that are making $80,000 per year or less dont really have an option right now for homeownership in Sarpy County, she said. This will allow us to build things (with) higher-quality building products with a little bit less of a (price) tag. Pospisil said the state grant and plan to build those homes could provide a blueprint toward getting more middle-class families to move to Sarpy County. This has given us a chance to rethink what homeownership looks like for families that are in middle incomes and middle-class families, she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the BJP -- without its alliance partners -- will win 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The NDA will return to power for the third consecutive term with 400 seats, Modi said while addressing a rally in Madhya Pradeshs Jhabua. He said that even the opposition leader say that BJP will win 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. I have not come to Jhabua to campaign. The kind of support BJP has received in Madhya Pradesh shows that the people have trust in BJP's double-engine government, he said. He also took jibe at Congress saying the grand-old party and its allies have already accepted their defeat and they have started using their last tactic -- loot and divide. Knowing the results, the Congress and its allies are now using their last weapon to divide the people in the name of religion, caste and creed. But, the people of this country will not let them succeed, Modi said. He said that after losing the state assembly election recently, the Congress has witnessed a major crisis and many of them are willing to run away from the party. He said that people of Madhya Pradesh have given a befitting reply to the Congress during the assembly election however their (Congress) sins will be cleansed after the Lok Sabha elections. Congress has always considered the tribals as their vote bank. We do not consider them a vote bank. They are the pride of our country. Our main motto is to uplift the community by providing them their rights. They have been deprived of their rights for several decades, Modi said. He said that by making changes in the Forest Property Law, the BJP government has returned the rights related to forest land to the tribal society. During his first visit to Madhya Pradesh ahead of the Lok Sabha election Modi who is seeking a third term -- also announced several projects and also laid the foundation stones of some of the projects. Congress comes to you (tribals) to seek your support during the elections only. The BJP has set an example by appointing a tribal, Droupadi Murmu, as the President. Congress -- which claims to be sympathisers of the tribals -- had put in all efforts not to let it happen, Modi said in Jhabua -- a tribal dominated area of the state. In a case that Nebraskas chief federal judge called horrific, egregious, unthinkable (and) inhuman, an Omaha man was sentenced last week to 27 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a minor state ward. Robert Kaczmarek, 55, was indicted in early 2023 and sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing child pornography. According to court documents, he physically and sexually abused an Omaha girl for more than a year as she was between the ages of 16 and 17. After the girl was reported missing in August 2022, she was found malnourished and on drugs in Kaczmareks windowless cellar. In addition to his prison sentence, Kaczmarek also was ordered to pay the girl more than $100,000 in restitution. What was done to this young lady ... I seldom see it, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert Rossiter said when pronouncing Kaczmareks sentence. According to court documents and statements from the U.S. Attorneys Office, police first became aware of Kaczmarek in December 2021 when the girls foster mother reported concerns that she was having an inappropriate relationship with an older man named Rob. The girl was 16 years old at the time. In July 2022, according to the plea agreement, the girl took part in a forensic interview with authorities in which she disclosed that she had been in a sexual relationship with Kaczmarek since meeting him through a friend about a year prior. She told police that Kaczmarek initially provided her with marijuana, but eventually began supplying her with cocaine, alcohol and methamphetamine, to which she became actively addicted. Kaczmarek would then exploit her addiction and exchange sex for drugs, according to his plea agreement. The girl also told police that Kaczmarek had a camera in his bedroom which he would use to take videos of her being sexually abused. On Aug. 8, 2022, Omaha police were made aware that the girl had left her guardians residence with Kaczmarek and had not returned. Police contacted Kaczmarek on Aug. 11, and he admitted to seeing the girl on Aug. 8, but denied having any further contact. On Aug. 22, officers executed a search warrant at Kaczmareks Omaha home. They found a camera set up in Kaczmareks bedroom as the girl had described, as well as methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. Kaczmarek told police that the girl was staying with a friend of his. The girl was located in a dirty cellar with boarded-up windows and only a hand-held light source, according to a sentencing memorandum. She was suicidal, on methamphetamines and weighed just 88 pounds. Lt. Tara Ackerson of the Omaha Police Department, which investigated the case, called Kaczmareks crimes heinous and inconceivable. The sentence that was imposed upon him sends the message that preying on our youth will not be tolerated, Ackerson said. We will continue to work with our federal partners to ensure that those involved in sex trafficking are held accountable. Taylor McKesson always knew she was going to college because her mother who never received a postsecondary degree drilled the goal into her from a young age. McKesson was one of more than 1,100 graduates from the Omaha Public Schools to continue their education in a postsecondary program in 2022, according to a new study released by the district. She credits her experience at North High School for her enrollment in Creighton University. I feel like OPS prepared me for college very well, McKesson said. I feel like they always gave students a choice. OPS never pushed college on students, but they (said), If you want to go to college, lets take this route. If you dont want to go to college, there are still opportunities for you. She is among the majority of 2022 Omaha Public Schools graduates who chose to pursue more education, according to the districts recently published 2022 Graduate Follow-up report. Out of the 1,842 students surveyed, 60% decided to continue their education after graduating. Thats a slightly higher percentage than graduates who had pursued more education than in 2021 but slightly lower than the percentage from 2018 and the national average. The district has researched graduate outcomes for 68 years, releasing a report annually that is one year behind because of the time it takes to collect results, officials said. This is an incredible wealth of information. It just really gives us a holistic understanding of what a 12-year experience in the Omaha Public Schools sort of culminates for our graduates, said Susanne Cramer, executive director of school improvement for OPS. In each report, we provide five years of data at a time, so we can kind of watch those cycles and those increments of trends over time. The study researches only four-year cohorts in OPS, so it was only available for 2,754 graduates in 2022. OPS had 3,483 seniors that year, meaning the rest either continued their high school education to a fifth year, dropped out or transferred to another district. Only 1,842 graduates responded to the survey through several follow-ups in the months after the May graduation. Typically, OPS achieves a higher response rate, however, limits imposed on survey callers weekly hours significantly impacted the number of surveys completed, the report said. The rate of graduates entering a postsecondary program is bouncing back following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, 60% of graduates enrolled in a part-time or full-time program, while only 57% enrolled in 2021. In 2018, 63% of students enrolled in a postsecondary program. This is due to actually more students attending postsecondary full-time, Cramer said. So were pleased to see that number trending upward. Nationally, 62% of high school graduates in 2021 enrolled in a postsecondary program, which is the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The districts study also broke down graduation data by high school and student demographics. In 2022, Burke and Central had the highest rate of students going to college at 67%, while Northwest had the lowest rate at 47%. About 57% of Black students continued their education following graduation, compared to 67% of white students. The majority of OPS graduates in 2022 stayed in Nebraska for their postsecondary education 919 remained in-state, while 56 went to school in Iowa, 17 in Missouri, 12 in Kansas and the rest spread out across the U.S. McKesson, now a college sophomore, said she wasnt even thinking about Creighton University as her next step after graduating. Throughout her time at North High, she was planning to attend a historically Black college or university or go somewhere else outside Nebraska. My senior year is when I got really introduced to Creighton. It was one of those top colleges that really wanted me to go there and noticed a lot of potential in me, McKesson said. They told me to apply for this one scholarship, and I ended up getting a full ride. Thats when I was like, OK, I think I want to stay here with my mom and work within the community and see what I can do for my community before I graduate college and go somewhere else to start a new journey. Why students did, and didnt, go to college The roughly 700 graduates who didnt continue their education most frequently cited the need to take a break from school and the inability to find enough college funding, the report said. Others also named low grades or test scores and the COVID-19 pandemic as factors in their decisions not to attend more schooling. About 87% of those graduates said they wanted to attend college in the future. Students who enrolled in college in 2022 were more decided on their career goals than the year prior, with 72% of them pursuing a major that matched their career goal field. North High School focuses on curriculum in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. McKesson said while she wished the school offered more classes that werent STEM-based, it did influence her choice to go into psychology and criminal justice. She said she wants to go into forensic psychology or become a lawyer to help Black and brown residents in communities like North Omaha. Cramer said each high schools unique course offerings help students realize what career path they want before graduating. The 2022 graduates also experienced one year of the districts career academies and pathways program, which offers specific career-based programs depending on the high school. We just really hope that the access to those certifications and experiences and exploration and so forth will not only give future graduates more certainty, but a leg up to help them get that next job or that next step for their education in alignment with what their dreams are, Cramer said. We hope to see both that certainty and kids getting into what they want to do. When asked what OPS could improve, 34% of graduates said they wished they received more education on life skills, like finances, finding an apartment, cooking or getting a job. Other improvements listed were instructional practices, more college preparation, a better learning environment and career preparation. This (part) is really important for us to understand what might be an area for even further exploration for us, to understand about the student experience, Cramer said. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been dealt a huge blow as the court of appeal has nullified the now controversial Primary Elections held by the ruling party in Zamfara state. The Court of Appeal in Sokoto led by Justice Tom Yakubu set aside the judgement of a Zamfara High Court that produced the partys candidates for governorship, National and State Assembly elections. The confusion is, which party will take over the victory of APC in the election conducted by INEC. The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has stated that he will not be attending the All African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals between the Super Eagles and Cote dIvoire. Obi said the death of Access Bank Holdings, Herbert Wigwe has affected him to the level that he cant make it to the stadium to watch the final AFCON. Recall that Wigwe had died in a chopper crash in the United States and was confirmed on Saturday. However, Obi said the incident had affected him because the deceased was his friend. Posting on X, Obi wrote: My beloved Super Eagles, As you step onto the field of play for the epoch-making AFCON finals today, I want to join our teeming compatriots to express my deepest support and commitment to you. It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that I will not be physically present in the stadium to support you. The devastating news of the death of my dear friend, and one of our countrys outstanding entrepreneurs, Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Access Holdings, along with his wife and son, and another friend, former Group Managing Director of Nigeria Exchange Group PLC, Abimbola Ogunbanjos passing has left me deeply saddened and affected. In the light of this tragedy, Ive had to make a difficult decision to cancel my plans to be present physically at the match venue as a mark of respect to these great souls who made immense contributions to the development of our country particularly in education and youth empowerment through jobs. The Board of Access Holdings Plc is set to announce the appointment of a new Acting Group Chief Executive Officer after the passing of its Group CEO, Herbert Wigwe in a helicopter accident in California on Friday night. The groups statement announcing the passing of Herbert Wigwe read, In line with the Companys policy, the Board will soon announce the appointment of an Acting Group Chief Executive Officer even as we remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr Wigwes legacy of growth and operational excellence. Access Holding is a sprawling conglomerate with an asset base of over a total of N21.4 trillion by far the largest of any financial institution in Nigeria. The company also has a market cap of over N800 billion and was recently just part of the SWOOTs. Analysts suggest the size of the bank and its sprawling influence require that a decision is made sooner rather than later about the leadership of the corporation to avoid a vacuum. READ ALSO: Chopper Crash: Access bank reacts to death of Herbert Wigwe, his wife and son The recent passing of Herbert Wigwe, former Managing Director of Access Bank and Group CEO of Access Holdings, has sent shockwaves through the banking community. Wigwes untimely demise not only marks a profound loss for Access Holdings but also signifies a significant void in the banking sphere, even beyond the borders of Nigeria. Wigwes tenure at Access Bank was nothing short of transformative. Joining the institution in 2002 as Deputy Managing Director, he played a pivotal role in its evolution. In 2014, Wigwe assumed the mantle of Managing Director, succeeding Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. Under his leadership, Access Bank embarked on a remarkable journey of expansion, extending its reach far beyond the confines of Nigeria. Before his untimely passing, Wigwe was serving as the Chairman of Access Bank (UK) Limited, and Non-Executive Director of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company Plc and FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange. The investigation is still ongoing by the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into the cause of the crash. However, NTSB member, Michael Graham while briefing journalists about the crash noted that the weather conditions at the time of the accident suggested rain and a wintery mix. Wigwe was aboard the Airbus EC130 Helicopter with his wife, Chizoba, son, Chizi, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc. From Umar Ado Sokoto The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says so long there is insecurity ,the issue of food security will remains a mirage ,thereby throwing millions of Nigerians into hunger and abject poverty . Although ,the party commended the decision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the released of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains to Nigerian markets . The PDP however ,said governments should fight insecurity for food security to be achieved . The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the National Chairman of PDP ,Alhaji Yusuf Dingyadi stated this in an interview with new men in Sokoto. Dingyadi who decried the closure of Niger Republic borders also said the closure is having a serious economy consequences with northern states sharing borders with Niger Republic . He said the current security challenges were tackled ,Sokoto,Kebbi ,Niger and Benue states can produces available food that can feed the nation and for export to other neighbouring countries . The media analyst and consultant also supported the kenetic and non kenetic approach in the fight against banditry and other criminal acts being faced in Nigeria particularly in the northern region of the country . He also lamented on how some state governors abandoned their states and settled in Abuja leaving their people in hunger and abject poverty . He therefore advised the Chief Executives to stay with their people in their states no matter how the situation they found themselves . Related Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State stressed that putting an end to banditry in Ukum, Logo, and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas is crucial for fostering peace and development within these regions. The three local government areas, referred to as the Sankera axis, have become focal points for kidnapping and killings by bandits. Within the past three months, the Ukum Local Government Chairman, Rev. Gideon Haanongon, and the state Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Matthew Abo, who also comes from the same council, were two notable individuals abducted within this axis. Speaking about the need to end banditry in the area, the governor emphasized that development will not materialize until peace is restored. Alia conveyed this message on Saturday at the Akume Atongo Stadium in Katsina-Ala, addressing mourners gathered to honor their late traditional ruler, Chief Abu Shuluwa. He stated that the late king died while striving for the peace of his subjects, asserting that his demise should also signify the end of banditry in the area Until peace returns in Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala LGs, development will continue to elude the people because nobody will want to invest in an insecure environment, he said. The governor appealed to those hiding in the bush to come back home, assuring them of his positive intentions. Alia also pledged that, in due time, the Sankera traditional council would convene to decide the origin of the new king, emphasizing the importance of doing what is right. Former Governor Gabriel Suswam described the late king as a fulfilled individual, noted for his outspokenness and courage. Suswam lamented that the people of Sankera have lost a remarkable figure who, despite his extensive political experience before ascending to the throne, managed to maintain a lack of adversaries Regarding the appointment of the new Tor Sankera, he clarified that it falls within the constitutional mandate of the Governor to appoint second and first-class chiefs in the state. Kanyi Daily recalls that the Court of Appeal in Abuja had upheld the election of Hyacinth Alia as the governor of Benue State. Nollywood actor and pastor, Yul Edochie, faced heavy criticism after a prophecy he made about the AFCON 2023 final turned out to be incorrect. The Super Eagles suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Ivory Coast in a thrilling match on Sunday night in Abidjan. In a post on his Instagram page before the match, Yul predicted that the Super Eagles would defeat the Ivory Coast without the need for a penalty shootout. He wrote, Todays game will not get a penalty shootout. Nigeria will defeat the Ivory Coast comfortably. However, following the Super Eagles loss, Nigerians flooded Yuls Instagram page to express their disappointment and label his prophecy as fake. @desire59 wrote: Daddy you sure say na God call you so? @thokozullumbia wrote: You had only one chance to win peoples heart, you have messed up again @judysleague_truth wrote: FROM ONE EMBARRASSMENT TO ANOTHER!! Indeed you and Judy does fit each other @iam_baronbully wrote: With due respect sir close down ur church @maryodufa wrote: Ivory Coast don win.. na people like you da make them see Christian somehow. Come and delete this rubbish @makadiza wrote: Why do you lie chief . But atlist you lost I was skered cz of it happened you win , you were going to finish our woman more @ikennaya wrote: This prophecy is not good for a start; you have just invited more hatred my pastor @bisholack wrote: Yul stop mocking God. Anything you put your hands and mouth on lately does not progress. You said South Africa will surprise Nigeria and its the opposite and now you predict for Nigeria look at the outcome. There are strong indications that the pockets of protests witnessed in some parts of the country during the week is causing tension in Imo State. Reason is that the campaign to protest against hardship in the country has hit the state. Impartial Observers recalls that few days ago, there were protests in parts of Kano and Niger states over high cost of living and hardship. Our correspondent who moved round noticed that the matter has become subject of discussion in major places in the Imo, especially the state capital, fuelling suspicion that the state may also be caught in the web. At major bus stops and gathering points, Impartial Observers discovered is has become a subject of discussion indicating that the campaign to protest has entered Imo State. Though, Impartial Observers cannot point at any group or individual fuelling the campaign but it has become a kind of talk in the town by residents. Meanwhile, reports have it that Nigerians in Diaspora have joined the agitation and petitioned Tinubu while planning a protest in the United Kingdom. Related Unknown gunmen have killed Barr. Victor Onwubiko, an Imo-based legal practitioner resident in Uturu in Abia state. The incident, according to a source, happened on Saturday night while the lawyer was returning to Abia State University, Uturu where he resides. The source told our correspondent that a notable kidnapping incident took place along Okigwe/Uturu road around 8 to 9PM on Saturday. It said, The lawyer killed by the gunmen was identified as Barr. Victor Onwubiko. He is based in Okigwe Town in Imo state but also resident in Abia state University Uturu. He was returning to Abia state where he also resides when he was ambushed by gunmen and killed along Okigwe/Uturu road. There have been series of kidnappings and killings along the road irrespective of the heavy security agents in the area, the source added. Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Imo police command through the Spokesman, Henry Okoye, proved abortive as his phones were unreachable as at the time of filing this report. Related Jessica Flores is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. Before joining The Chronicle in 2021, she worked for USA Today, NPR affiliate KPCC and Curbed LA. Originally from L.A., she received her masters degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a bachelors degree from Mount Saint Marys University in Los Angeles. She can be reached at Jessica.Flores@sfchronicle.com. By Umar Usman Duguri. Following the recent discovery of Oil and Gas in the Kolmani River Valley of Bauchi and Gombe States, the Government of Bauchi State under the leadership of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed CON (Kauran Bauchi) approved the establishment of an Oil and Gas Academy to provide the requisite skills for the drilling and refining activity expected to commence, soon. The Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy was established through the Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy, Alkaleri Law, 2020. According to Senator Bala Mohamed, the institution is aspiring to be a leading Institution of learning in the provision of skilled manpower in the Oil and Gas Sector in the country in the long run and to provide quality training in meeting the skilled manpower needs of the Oil and Gas sector as well as to comply with the global best practices in the oil and gas sector in years to come. The pioneer Rector of the Academy, Dr. Ahmed Sulaiman Yaro, describe the journey so far in the institution as a WILL of God to have a committed Governor Senator Bala Mohamed in making things reals despite paucity of funds and other challenges but, steadfast to raise the academy earlier before the formally commissioning of the Komani Oil in Alkaleri by the former President of Nigeria Mohamed Buhari. The Academy will run multiple Professional Certificate Programmes in Core Oil and Gas Courses as well as Diploma and the National Vocational Certificate/National Skill Qualification (NVC/NSQ) Programme under the supervision of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). The Programmes are domiciled in Five (5) School units as follows: School of Oil and Gas Upstream Technology, School of Oil and Gas Downstream Technology, School of Industrial Safety and Environmental Technology, School of National Vocational Education/Qualification and School of General Studies. Yero says, the academy has so far witnessed tremendous goals with the total support of Governor Bala Mohamed, they are; Refurbishing of Office and Classroom Accommodations: -. The Academy occupies a one Storey block of 4 offices and 8 classrooms as well as a Computer Room allocated by the Polytechnic. The Management modified the building to accommodate the Principal Officers and their supporting staff. All offices were furnished with basic furniture and office equipment. A petrol stand by Generator was also provided to support power supply to the Offices and Classrooms. Deployment of a Students Application and Registration Portal: It is a students record management portal. It will maintain precise information on a student from his/her Application to admission, registration, progression and graduation. The System guarantees reliable records and block leakages of expected revenue from school fees. The Portal is used in the enrolment of students. The development of ICT Center and e learning facility: A Standard Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Center, furnished with 100 set of Computers has been developed to host the proposed online Programme of the Oil and Gas Academy. The Center is also equipped with Interactive Boards and Server which provides 24/7 Network connectivity for effective e learning services. A 30 KVA Diesel Powered Generating set is on standby to support the operation of the Center. Linkage to Regulatory bodies and study tour of sister Institutions: the Management of the Academy has reached out to the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Kaduna and Sister Institutions in the Oil and Gas Sector with a view to laying the ground for good working relationships. The Academy has linked up with the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurum, Delta State and has secured the consent of the Institute for collaboration in practical lessons for students of the Academy before the development of the Permanent Site in Alkaleri. Still, the Academy plans to work along with some Professional Regulatory Bodies such as the Nigerian Institute of Welding (NIW), the Nigerian Content Board (NCB) and Council for the Regulation of Engineering (COREN) and other stake holders in the Oil sector toward enriching the Curriculum of its Vocational Courses. In the area of Staffing, the rector says, With the gracious approval of the State Governor, His Excellency, Senator, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed CON, BOGAA has recruited some 43 Non-teaching staff since March, 2023. The Staff have been working with the Management in the implementation of the take off plan of the Academy. Similarly the academy has Approved Operational guidelines for its activities: In addition to the Bauchi State Law which established BOGAA, Management has successfully developed a Scheme of Service and Condition of Service from NBTE documents that will guide the Authority of the Academy in the employment, placements, welfare, discipline, disengagement and the guide for the general conduct of staff. The two documents are prerequisites for the accreditation of Institutions and were meant to raise BOGAA to the national standard set for Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology in the Country. Added to these is the Students Handbook: It is a students guide to the rules and regulations governing Students tenure in the Academy. The Book provides vital information on the Academy including the School structure, academic programmes, admission and registration procedure, conduct of Examinations and graduation, students welfare and disciplinary measures among other things. The Handbook is also a standard requirement for the accreditation of BOGAA by NBTE. Another joyous thing is the Release of take-off Funds: The State has maintained regular release of funds to BOGAA. The grant covered the cost of facility improvement, day to day operations in respect of consumable items such as office stationery, fueling and other logistical services. Management appreciates the Government for including the Academy in the 2023 and 2024 approved fiscal budget and it is hopeful that releases for both capital and recurrent projects of the Academy will be prompt in order to speed up the take-off of BOGAA. Collaboration with Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic (ATAP): Further to the allocation of an Office block, ICT Room and sets of Computers by the Polytechnic, BOGAA enjoy cordial relationship with its Host which allowed sharing of facilities between the two Institutions. Take-off of Academic activities: Academic activities in the Academy began with collaboration between BOGAA and the Institute of Vocational and Skill Development of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi in running National Vocational Certificate/Skill Qualification Framework (NVC/NSQ). The Academic Calendar for 2023/2024 Academic Session took off with the sales of Application for Admission Forms in the month of July, 2023. A total of 350 Candidates have enrolled for the Programme going on at the Temporary Site of the Academy in Bauchi. Credit must also be given to Bauchi State Government for subsidizing the School Fees by 50%, a gesture which by no small means encouraged enrolment of indigent Candidates. The NVC/NSQ Programme is the following Courses: Welding and Fabrication; Plumbing and Pipe Fitting; GSM Repairs; Computer Studies; Automotive Mechatronics; Block laying, Bricklaying and Concreting; Carpentry and joinery; Electrical Installations and Repairs, NBTE Resource Inspection Visit: Consequent to the receipt of a letter Ref. No. TEB/VTSD/VEIs/536/VOL.1/104 dated 9th February, 2023 from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and release of the required Fund by Bauchi State Government, the NBTE conducted a Resource Inspection visit to Eight (8) National Innovative Diploma (NID) Programmes proposed by BOGAA on 18th -23rd December, 2023. The result of the Visit is being awaited. The Academy is hopeful of a positive result which will enable it to admit students in the following Programmes. NID Computer Hardware Engineering Technology, NID Computer Software Technology; NID Telecommunications Technology; NID Automotive Machatronics; NID Building Construction; NID Solar Technology; NID Electrical Installation and Repairs; NID Welding and Fabrication Technology. All is set for Memorandum of Understanding with Technical partners: Arrangements is at conclusive stage for endorsement of the Memorandum of Understanding between Bauchi State Government and BOGAA on the one hand with Merss. Catalysts Services, the technical partners of the Academy on the other hand. The MOU will facilitate the take-off of the online training component of the BOGAA. This is the main mandate of BOGAA, as it will prepare graduate Engineers, Scientists and Technicians for professional Certification in Core Oil and Gas Courses. Take-off of Physical Development at the Permanent Site: His Excellency, the Executive Governor has demonstrated the State Government commitment to develop the Permanent Site of BOGAA at Alkaleri within the shortest possible time. Already, provisions have been made in 2024 Budget for the Construction of Gate House, Perimeter Fence, Administrative Block and Classrooms. The steps taken by the State Government will not only facilitate the smooth take-off of BOGAA but also attract to the Institution, the intervention of stake holders in the Energy Sector and other development Partners through donation of required Equipment and sponsorships of trainings. For smooth day to day activities, there are available Operational Vehicles: Management of BOGAA is not unaware that the Governor has graciously approved the allocation of official vehicles for the principal officers and a utility pick up as a necessity for enhanced operation of the Academy. Management awaits the delivery of the Vehicles which will to facilitate the Accreditation of the Academy by National and International Professional Organizations and its full take-off. The rector of the academy concluded, the governors achievements in the maiden oil and Gas academy as a mark of success and brighter future of oil and gas sector in nationwide, stressing that, The Bauchi Oil and Gas Academy (BOGAA) remain the first and only training Institute in the Oil and Gas sector in the entire Northern Region of Nigeria. It hopes to provide the requisite skill to the large number of unemployed youths of the Region in the upcoming Oil and Gas exploration, drilling and refining activities in the region and also, to prepare the youths for jobs from the industries that will sprout along the value chain of Oil and Gas sector. It is pertinent to say that the responsibility of nurturing BOGAA to greatness should not be left to its founders and proprietor alone. It is a matter of necessity and patriotism for well to do individuals, groups and Philanthropic Organisations within and outside Bauchi State to support the initiatives of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed in setting up the Academy by way of developing physical facilities, donation of Laboratory equipment, Workshop Machines, ICT materials and sponsorship of students, Dr Yero, concluded. Related During the AFCON finals on Sunday night, the Super Eagles lost 2-1 to the Elephants of Ivory Coast in a thrilling game held in Abidjan. Before the match, Yul Edochie had prophesied that the match would not go to a penalty shootout, claiming that Nigeria would confidently defeat Ivory Coast. Following the failed prophecy, Yul Edochie faced a barrage of negative comments from disappointed Nigerians on his social media page. Sarah Martins also took to her Instagram page to express her disappointment, suggesting that Yul Edochie missed an opportunity to validate his supposed divine calling. In her post, Sarah Martins expressed her belief that the Super Eagles loss was almost predetermined the moment Yul Edochie made his prophecy. The actress went on to imply that had her colleague refrained from making the prediction, the outcome of the match might have been different. She wrote, The moment pastor Yul prophesied, I knew we were gonna loose The only opportunity he had to proof that indeed God called him If he held back his prophecy we for win.,. Orishirishi. KanyiDaily recalls that Sarah Martins had described Yul Edochie as an adulterous pastor after he announced the establishment of his ministry. The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, has called on Nigerias First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to deliver the message of the suffering populace regarding hunger and starvation in the country to the President, emphasizing the severity of the hardship. During a courtesy visit by the first lady to his palace on Monday, the Emir conveyed this message. Mrs. Tinubu visited Kano to attend the inauguration of a Faculty of Law building at Maryam Abacha American University named after her. The emir stated, Although we have several means of communicating our needs and requests to the government, your channel is the most reliable way to inform the President about the actual situation in the country. The hunger and starvation, though not new, have worsened and require immediate attention, he added. Furthermore, Aminu Ado Bayero addressed the issue of insecurity, stating, The issues of insecurity are another serious challenge we face. While I understand your government inherited this, urgent action is needed to address the threats. We have been receiving numerous messages from our people, including concerns about the rumored relocation of CBN and FAAN to Lagos. The government should provide clarity on this matter and communicate with Nigerians effectively, he emphasized. Commending the first lady for her concern for the welfare of children, Bayero urged her to implement her Renewed Hope Initiative Pet Programme, stating that it could alleviate the plight of the underprivileged. Expressing concern about girl child education, the emir urged Mrs. Tinubu to address the issue effectively and ensure its resolution without hindrance. Mrs Adachukwu Kukelu Okafor who burnt the private parts and body of her 10-years-old maid has been declared wanted.. Recall that the incident happened in Anambra state with a video of the n3ked little girl with burns all over her body including her buttocks, private area, body, and face. Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye made the declaration at a press conference on Monday, February 12, in Abuja. Kennedy-Ohanenye stated that the suspect, believed to be a lawyer, has been evading authorities since the incident. According to her, she has changed her contact information but continues to post on social media, asserting that no action will be taken against her. The Minister said: I decided the keep quiet on the issue of Mrs Adachukwu Kukelu Okafor who burnt the private parts and body of her 10years old househelp with a hot knife and hot iron in Anambra state. I kept quiet because I thought it would have been solved by now but since it hasnt, I have decided to wage into the issue. Some people wonder why the Womens Affairs ministry always wages into issues but it is within my purview to get involved in anything that concerns women and children across the nation. So I will not listen anymore but would wage into any issue that concerns women and children across the country. With the President, we have right now, its time for Nigerians to fight for their rights and it can only happen with a President that listens and I dont want Nigerians to miss out. So I am declaring Adachukwu Kukelu Okafor wanted. Please Nigerians, go out there, search for this woman, bring her out and hand her over to any police station. The Womens Affairs Ministry is offering Two Million naira (N2 million) to anyone who finds her, hands her over to the police, helps the police in her capture or provides the information to the Womens Affairs Ministry. We need the woman urgently because the girl is in pain and in the hospital, it could be your child or relative tomorrow so lets not fold our hands. In a couple of days, this ministry would make a pronouncement on taking househelp that are less than 18 years, we are going to put a stop to it and need whistleblowers to give us information. Nigeria already has a law against taking underage maids, so we intend to implement it. Nigerians can also come to us and report such cases or cases of people who withhold other peoples wages or money and you would see immediate action. Nollywood actress, Lizzy Anjorin dared her colleague, Faith Ojo to share receipts after she accused her husband of land grabbing. Recall that Faith Ojo had some hours ago addressed the rumors about Lizzy Anjorins husband, Alhaji Lateef Lawal, snatching one of her landed properties in Lagos. On Instagram, the CEO of Fojo Media revealed that the story about land grabbing involving Mr Lawal is genuine as the latter snatched her land in Lagos. She noted that the case is presently in court, believing the Nigerias judiciary system. However, Lizzy fired back daring her to release receipts to prove her allegation. She wrote: MADAM WE SYMPATHISE WITH YOU CAN YOU POST THE RECIPT OF THOSE THAT COLLECTED MONEY FROM YOU OR YOU ARE TRY TO CHANGE THE NARRATIVE ? IF YOU ARE NOT IN A GAME TO SET ME UP TO DESTROY ME KINDLY HELP US WITH RECEIPT OF UR CLAIMS IF YOU CANT IT MEANS YOU WANT TO JOIN SEPETERI GISTLOVER TO K*LL ME NIGERIANS SEBI YOU DEY SEE THEM. Barrister Jude Oguejiofor A lawyer from Orsumogu community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, Jude Oguejiofor has been killed by gunmen The Nigerian Tribune reported that Oguejiofor was abducted by gunmen alongside his younger brother, who is a medical doctor. While his brother was later released by the gunmen, Oguejiofor was killed, according to the report. Sources told the publication that the legal practitioner was abducted when he went home to visit his aged parents in the company of his brother. The gunmen later released his brother and kept him on the allegation that he had been writing petitions to the Anambra State government about their activities, a source who pleaded for anonymity said. They, however, promised that he would be released as soon as they complete their investigations. They later contacted the family and told them to forget about the legal practitioner as he had been killed. The source said that Barr Jude Oguejiofors father collapsed and died immediately after the news got to him on Sunday February 11. The Labour Party has reacted to damning allegations of alleged misappropriation leveled against its Party chairman, Julius Abure. The partys national treasurer Oluchi Oparah had accused Abure of possessing N3.5 billion belonging to the party. Obiora Ifoh, the national publicity secretary of the Labour Party in a statement released on Monday refuted the claim made by Oparah. The partys national treasurer, Oluchi Oparah, had also requested transparency from Abure regarding the partys financial affairs. Oparah, during a news briefing in Abuja on Monday, said the finances amounted to over N3.5 billion derived from the sales of forms and other fundraising activities for the 2023 general elections. The treasurer contended that she was unable to fulfil her legally mandated duty of managing the partys finances due to the actions of the national chairman. Reacting to the allegations, the party said: The attention of the leadership of the party has been drawn to a news conference by our National Treasurer, Ms Oluchi Opara where she raised a number of allegations against the National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure bothering more on corruption and abuse of office. We want to say that the National Treasurer who is certainly under some external influences merely read out a concocted statement drafted by our detractors to further tar the image of the party. With the exception of the National Treasurer whose tenure is about to end in few weeks time, and who has served for 8 years as National Treasurer without a single record of party accounts, no other member of the national working committee has raised any issue of embezzlement against out National Chairman who made a pledge on assumption that the party has to be revamped. Evidence is our proactive outing in the 2023 general election as the party presented for the first time a very good presidential candidate. Let it be said that the Labour Party has not earned N3.5 billion as claimed and that the National Chairman has not embezzled any money that belongs to the party as alleged. The records are there, except that Ms Oluchi Opara doesnt even understand simple accounting even as a treasurer. An External Auditor is engaged by the party and our account is under constant scrutiny of INEC or other regulatory bodies. Abure does not own several houses and property as spuriously alleged by our estranged National Treasurer, even though no law prohibits him from owning properties. The constitution of the Labour Party in Article 14:1b provides that the National Chairman shall be the Accounting Officer of the party while 14:1d Shall approve all expenditures and shall be a signatory to the Partys Bank account(s). Accordingly, Article 14: 6 states that the National Treasurer Shall receive and promptly pay into the Partys account(s), all monies received for and on behalf of the Party. Shall ensure the preparation of Annual Statement of Account/Reports on finances of the Party including compilation of the Partys Assets and liabilities and make the same available to the National Executive Council from time to time. Shall be a co-signatory to the Party Account(s). It further stated: These sections are clear as to the duty of the national chairman apart from providing leadership. The duty of the National Treasurer is also clearly spelt out. In the past, the party didnt have accounting books or methods as it was run by the then chairman and Ms Oluchi the Treasurer. They were only accountable to themselves, but with the emergence of the Abure-led executive, and the growth of the party, it became imperative for the party to structure its accounting method and policy. This of course didnt go down well with the National Treasurer whose financial source was shut down. The party can understand her vituperations but we cant help her situation more so when her time in the NWC is running out. Her wish to cash out was not granted and her subtle effort to push the leadership to settle her was rejected hence her resolve to fight dirty. It will be recalled that she is alone in this battle. Several stakeholders have had course to prevail on her to bridle her inordinate ambition but all to no avail. We are surprised that despite all efforts to assure her of a future, she still went ahead to align with our detractors and sworn enemies of the party. The party will definitely take her case to the disciplinary committee where appropriate measures will be taken. The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has appointed former Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom) Mrs. Chinelo Anohu, as head and senior Director of Africa Investment Forum. AfDB President Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, confirmed the appointment which took effect from 1st September, 2019. Anohu, a member of the London Stock Exchange Africa Advisory Board, served as Director General of the National Pension Commission of Nigeria (PenCom) for five years. The AfDB described Chinelo Anohu as having an impressive record in formulating investment strategies. Chinelo brings extensive knowledge of institutional investment practice and experience in attracting new capital, expertise in the development of innovative asset classes spanning pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, private equity and private family wealth fund. The AfDBs inaugural African Investment Forum, which held in 2018 attracted $39billion in investment interests for bankable deals in Africa. The second edition of the forum is scheduled to hold in November this year. According to the AfDB: The Africa Investment Forum has become Africas premier multi-stakeholder transactional platform for leveraging investments from private sector, African and global financial institutions, global pension funds and sovereign wealth funds and other institutional investors. Speaking on the appointment, Dr. Adesina said he was delighted that Anohu is joining us as the Head, and Senior Director of Africa Investment Forum. Her can-do-attitude, leadership, hands-on experience in working with global pension funds and institutional investors and extensive global networks among institutional investors will significantly position and help tje African Investment Forum to drive its global agenda to attract more investment to Africa. READ ALSO: African countries import $50bn worth of food annually AfDB Chinelo began her professional career as an Attorney with the global oil conglomerate, Chevron, Nigeria. She worked in legal and financial services firms in Nigeria and the United Kingdom before joining the Nigerian Bureau of Public Enterprises, the implementation agency for the reform and privatization of state-owned enterprises. As a consultant assigned by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), she helped to restructure and privatize the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited, Nicon Hilton Hotel and AfriBank, among several others. Under her leadership as Director General of the Nigerian Pension Commission, the number of pension contributors rose from 5 million to close to 8 million, while assets under management grew from $19.3 billion to a record $42 billion. She also introduced micro pension structures that created opportunities for informal sector workers to be included in the contributory pension scheme. She also created the first ever World Pension Summit Africa, which was held in Africa three years in a row, and convened global financial experts across the pension industry. She graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Computer and Communications Law from the London School of Economics in 2000. She has studied at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA and the Insead Business School, France. The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 2019 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has expressed belief that he will get justice in his suit against President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress. In his letter to Nigerians, the PDPs presidential candidate urged his supporters not to underestimate the effect of their belief that justice will be done. He noted that although the battle to get rid of corruption and alleged dictatorship in the country is a tough one, the continuous support of the public shown to him so far makes the fight worthwhile. He went on to say that the amount of backing he has garnered from Nigerians has strengthened his resolve to seek justice by appealing the tribunals verdict at the Supreme Court. A Message of Gratitude to Nigerians For Your Support on This Necessary Journey. Dearly beloved citizens of Nigeria, I write to personally thank you for your support for our shared common goal and the solidarity I enjoyed from all walks of life and every strata of society, right from July 21, 2018, when I informed you, the good people of Nigeria, that I would contest the 2019 Presidential election, to Wednesday, September 11, 2019, when the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal rendered its verdict. Nothing good comes easy, and hard as the task to rid Nigeria from the forces of fascism, and be an instrument for the full restoration of the rule of law and democracy in Nigeria is, your support makes the struggle worthwhile. I owe so much to this great land of Nigeria that took me from the streets of Jada, where I sold firewood, to the heights I have attained, by Gods benevolence, in the civil service, in corporate Nigeria, and in public service. If I do not play my part in making it possible for other orphaned children, indigent youths and the less privileged, to replicate and even surpass my path to significance, I would have failed my Maker. If I do not ensure that the ladder I climbed remains accessible to those at the bottom, middle and top tiers of society, I would not have fulfilled my purpose. And only by ensuring that democracy is not just done, but seen to be done, can Nigeria and Nigerians have a sense that this our dear land is indeed a land where Unity, Faith, Peace and Progress reside. It is for this, and other patriotic reasons, that I am pursuing this judicial route: To ensure that the votes of Nigerians count and are counted. Yes, those who do not want this as Nigerias reality, will use every trick in the book to undermine, discourage, misinform and mislead, but with Gods help and the support of Nigerians, we will ensure that Nigeria makes a course correction away from tyranny and towards democracy. We must return to being Africas bastion of democracy, where the rights to Freedom of Speech and Freedom after the Speech, are guaranteed. We must stand together to pursue this just cause all the way so that our judiciary is not afraid to do their jobs and have to be wary of blackmail, intimidation, and victimisation. I note the immense outpouring of goodwill from ordinary Nigerians in every nook and cranny of Nigeria and from all regions, religions and relationships. Once again I thank you all for your support. I also thank the governors elected on the platform of my party, the Peoples Democratic Party, as well as the National Executive Committee, for their unanimous and unambiguous support for the judicial phase of this struggle, especially after it was announced that we would go on to appeal. I urge all Nigerians to continue their support for this recourse to constitutional order via the courts. Even if there is little or nothing you can do to ensure that justice is done in Nigeria, just believe that it will happen. Let us never underestimate the effect of our belief in Nigeria. Finally, I say to all concerned, that we will all die and give an account of our lives to our Creator. Thank you and may God bless Nigeria. A 23-year-old man, Michael Okhide has absconded after allegedly stabbing to death his father, Clement Okhide, and mother, Toyin, in their apartment on Afeez Gbadamosi Street in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State. According to reports, the sad incident happened on Tuesday evening, February 4, 2020, when Michael and his parents were at home. After killing his parents, the drug addicted son allegedly attacked his sister, Mercy, an NYSC serving corp member, who just returned home around 5.30pm, from her primary place of assignment. Residents were thrown into shock on Tuesday evening when they discovered the lifeless bodies of the man and his wife in their apartment. Mercy, who was found in the pool of her blood, was rushed to the hospital where doctors are still battling to save her. Michael, the drug addict who is the first child out of three children, in now on the run. Although the exact reason for snuffing life out of his parents could not be immediately ascertained, residents said it would not be unconnected with his uncontrollable urge to get some of the illicit drugs at all costs. One of the residents who described the 60-year-old late lawyer as a no-nonsense man said: He had been warning his son against taking illicit drugs but he wouldnt listen. There had been an altercation between them several times. Michael is the first child. The couple had three children. He had gone to three private universities but could not complete his education because of illicit drugs. At a point, he said that his family hated, even when his parents did all they could to make him useful A member of the deceaseds family who spoke on the condition of anonymity to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) described the incident as sacrilege. He said, This type of tragedy has never occurred in my family. The boy has finally done his worst. It is unfortunate that my brother and his wife lost their lives in the process of trying to ensure he turned a new leaf. Michael has been a thorn in the entire familys flesh. If you cautioned him, he would snap at you and warn you to mind your business Another resident explained that after allegedly committing the act, Michael was seen leaving the building in a boxer short. This raised brows but no one suspected he would have gone as far as killing his parents. Neighbours were alerted to his actions when they heard his wounded sisters screams. They then went into the house to find the parents and their daughter lying in blood. Michaels sister, Mercy, said when she got home, she saw bloodstains in the house, adding that her brother allegedly attacked her but she escaped with injuries. She said: When I got home around 5.30pm, I met the entrance door open and saw blood on the net. The door to the kitchen was also open but when I entered into the kitchen, I saw that there was bloodstain everywhere and I became scared. As I was leaving the kitchen, I heard my mummy screaming my name that I should run, and immediately, I saw Michael came where I was and I saw bloodstains on him. He told me to come inside and I refused, so, both of us started struggling and he stabbed me in my stomach and my hands but I was lucky that the cut was not deep. He wanted to prevent me from escaping but I was lucky to escape and he ran back inside and later I heard that he ran away and locked the gate with a padlock. Policemen from the Ejigbo division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Olabisi Okuwobi, responded to the scene when they got the report and evacuated the bodies to the morgue. Efforts are being made to catch the fleeing son. ALSO READ: Nigerian Mother And Her Son Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison For Duping An American Off N29 Million San Francisco Mayor London Breed has joined the Republican-led movement to overturn Proposition 47, a piece of legislation passed in 2014 that aimed to tackle the overcrowding in jails and prison by reducing felony convictions for drug possession and low-level theft convictions to misdemeanors. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle San Francisco Mayor London Breed joined local and national Republicans in their misguided pursuit to roll back Proposition 47 legislation that was passed a decade ago to help the state address its overcrowded, overburdened and expensive jail and prison system. With overdose deaths at record highs in San Francisco and retail theft getting national attention, Breed wants to change Prop. 47 to make it easier to charge dealers with murder and increase jail time for certain retail theft activity. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This past week, Breed said there are no real consequences for crimes that are committed in the city, which isnt true. She added that the citys goal is not to keep people locked up, even though repealing Prop. 47 could do just that. Breed once supported Prop. 47. Her extreme conservative pivot on the measure sets a troubling standard for what it means to be a moderate Democrat in California. Its sensible for a mayor to want to aggressively tackle their citys biggest problems, but the logic Breed is using rejects a San Francisco history that clearly shows harsher sentencing alone wont solve issues born from deep-rooted social crises. Maybe Breed is trying to gin up support with moderate voters in the city as her reelection bid approaches. Or maybe shes reacting to the criticism coming from national conservatives who say San Francisco is an example of failed Democratic leadership. Either way, Breeds decisions get national attention. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Breeds public feuds with progressives have made her a media darling, and a popular voice among moderate Democrats in America. But instead of being a unifying force in her party, Breeds conservative turn on critical issues sends a disturbing message that moderate Democrats in San Francisco no longer prioritize compassion or equity. Breed isnt the only moderate to recently oppose Prop. 47. Shes joined by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, along with other Democrats. But what sets Breed apart from the pack isnt just her actions but her rhetoric. Shes the vocal moderate pushing the narrative that compassion is killing people and her constituents need tough love while also calling for more drug users to be jailed, to make it easier to strip needy residents of city-funded cash assistance and for cops in San Francisco to have less oversight. Being anti-Prop. 47 makes sense for Breed. But make no mistake, if Prop. 47 is rolled back, the consequences will be devastating. Californias incarcerated population is lower now than it was in the early 2000s, but overcrowding remains a problem in jails and prisons. Removing Prop. 47 will only fill these facilities with even more bodies, which will cost taxpayers more in facility upkeep or expansions. Its easy to guess who will fill these jails and prisons in a state where Black neighborhoods are overpoliced and Black Californians are incarcerated at a rate thats 9.5 times that of white people, according to the East Coast criminal justice think tank the Prison Policy Initiative. Black people already represent nearly 30% of inmates in California, which is roughly five times our share of the overall population. While California hasnt invested nearly enough in treatment and social services since Prop. 47 was enacted, any minimal gains made in areas of holistic rehabilitation will be lost. Advertisement Article continues below this ad But none of these dangers matter to the anti-Prop. 47 movement. Thats because Republicans have been effective over the years in labeling Prop. 47 as dangerous and misguided. Theyve even convinced some Democrats to argue that overdose deaths rose in places like San Francisco because of Prop. 47. Overdoses rose in San Francisco several years after Prop. 47s passage, but theres no study that supports blaming the trend on the proposition. The truth is that San Franciscos overdoses were relatively level between 2014 and 2017. It was within this window, around 2015, that fentanyl first arrived in the city. What followed was a jump in overdoses from 2018 through 2021, a time that included the start of the pandemic, a national civil rights movement and a complete upending of daily life for millions of people. This rise mirrored a national rise in overdoses. The Republican-led narrative against Prop. 47 omits other important context. The legislation focuses on low-level thefts of under $950. The smash-and-grabs that have been the most viral in California and had Republicans condemning Democratic policies like the ones that happened in Union Square in San Francisco a few years ago occur at upscale stores where the merchandise is worth several thousand dollars. Prop. 47 doesnt stop these people from being charged with felonies. Also, Californias modern drug crisis didnt start because we stopped arresting people. And overly harsh drug laws arent the cure for curbing deaths caused by a complicated and dangerous drug like fentanyl. Mississippi, Florida, Arizona and Louisiana all have stricter drug laws than California, but they also have higher overdose rates than does California, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In addition, there are numerous studies showing how Prop. 47 has a positive impact on the state. Studies show Prop. 47 has helped lower the state prison population and reduced recidivism rates, which can save taxpayers money by diverting people with low-level convictions from prison and into programs that provide educational and rehabilitative services. Prop. 47 isnt the devil Republicans, and moderates like Breed, want folks to believe it is. Rather than acknowledge the success of Prop. 47, Breed and other moderate Democrats have chosen to align themselves with the regressive thinking of the GOP. Instead of fighting the systemic racism that plagues our criminal justice system, theyre choosing to be complicit in perpetuating it. How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region. 100 years ago Feb. 12, 1924: The committee which is to be in charge of the Boy Scout summer camp, to be held in June this year was appointed yesterday by Edgar M. Sain. The personnel is as follows: F.R. Sack, chairman; Sam Holder. Ned Dolan, Charles Hall, Dr. H.B. Wood, John H. Eiff and Elmo Franklin. 75 years ago Feb. 12, 1949: Bloomington will celebrate Abraham Lincoln's 140th birthday today but the city can only emerge a loser. Bloomington today relinquishes a 26 year-old claim to a piece of Lincoln lore. A Lincoln picture claimed to have been taken in Bloomington in 1844, this week was declared taken in Chicago, in 1857. 50 years ago Feb. 12, 1974: Five Bloomington youths took the occasion of Lincoln's Birthday to visit a site where Lincoln once spoke, a large oak tree at the rear of 701 E. Taylor. A plaque on the tree signed by Vice President Adlai E. Stevenson attests to his appearance. 25 years ago Feb. 12, 1999: More than 500 people gathered at the Main Lounge in Illinois Wesleyan University's Memorial Student Center to hear from longtime feminist icon Gloria Steinem. She told the standing-room-only crowd that feminism and political activism have become widely misunderstood. "We have not yet realized that men can do what women can do," she said. "Who does the dishes? Who doesn't? It's about politics. It can change." Vintage Pantagraph newspaper ads for medicine, 'magic' remedies Clover Blossom Extract - Nov. 15, 1883 St. Jacobs Oil - July 14, 1887 Castoria - July 26, 1892 Rheumatic Ring - May 29, 1894 Beefmalt - May 29, 1894 Wakefield's Cough Syrup - Feb. 13, 1908 S.S.S. - April 23, 1908 Olive Tablets - Nov. 20, 1911 Cold-go - Dec. 11, 1911 Dr. Danby - Dec. 11, 1911 Allcock Plasters - March 2, 1917 Olive Tablets - Feb. 23, 1918 Laxative Bromo Quinine - Oct. 16, 1918 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - April 24, 1919 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - April 29, 1919 Snake Oil - Nov. 22, 1919 Beecham's Pills - Nov. 22, 1919 Snake Oil - Nov. 29, 1919 Doan's Kidney Pills - March 8, 1920 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - Sept. 21, 1920 J.C. Hutzell's Eczema Treatment - Nov. 11, 1922 Gude's Pepto-Mangan - April 2, 1923 O-Joy Corn Wafers - March 4, 1930 Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription - March 19, 1930 666 Tablets - March 25, 1930 Cuticura - March 25, 1930 Geo-Mineral - Dec. 8, 1948 Anacin - Jan. 16, 1963 Liquiprin - Aug. 27, 1970 Icy Hot - Nov. 20, 1977 EL PASO El Pasos Michael Melick said its better to teach a lesson with questions than answers. The history teacher at El Paso-Gridley High School is also board president of The Project XV Museum, which he envisions as an extension of his classroom where students on field trips can keep the questions coming. The museum, which is still being developed, seeks to tell the story of Illinois first Black voter, David Strother. It will be the states first voting rights museum. Strother formerly owned a barbershop in the historic Legacy Building at 1 W. Front St. in El Paso. Its a 19th century opera house structure thats also held a dental office, bank and drug store over the years. Museum founder Tabitha Nowark bought the building to initially run as an events space, before one of Melicks students gave a 2019 presentation on Strothers. Melick said their job, as a museum, is to preserve facts and present the historical record as it exists. He said theyll let museumgoers come to their own conclusions about what the record means. During a Sunday interview with The Pantagraph, the history teacher then quoted Frederick Douglass: It is easier to build strong children than fix broken men. Melick, his father Jeff Melick, and sons Waylon and Knox joined hands Sunday morning to hang up and install drywall in the museum's future conference room and classroom. Just under a year ago, Michael Melick was also among dozens of volunteers who gathered at the site for one of several work parties the museum organized for cleanout and prep work. Over the past year, Melick estimated that over 500 hours of cumulative work time have been served by at least 100 volunteers. Throughout 2023, more display items were donated, and several infrastructure projects were completed under the direction of museum project manager Brandi Montalbano. The basement level of the museum now has lighting, framed wall sections and access ramps. One of two safes installed by the former banking operation is now set up as a childrens play area. Other work thats been done include concrete flooring that replaced dirt ground; and the museums lobby is more furnished and decorated, and covered by an antique-style drop ceiling. After noting theyre developing this museum on a shoestring budget, Melick said, I think were kicking butt. Studying Strother In 2011, former Pantagraph editor Scott Richardson reported that Strother entered an El Paso polling site April 4, 1870, only days after the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting voting rights to Black people. Strother was initially turned away, and didnt cast his vote until a sole election judge was shown a copy of the new amendment. Gridleys Barb Lancaster is the museums historical researcher. When she first visited The Legacy Building and saw Strothers barbershop, she said she didn't think much of it. Now, Lancaaster said she cant stop talking about him. She said Strother was loved by many in the El Paso community. He had owned two fine violins and the entire works of Charles Dickens, and he was a longtime subscriber to The Pantagraph. He was very well read, Lancaster said. She said the El Paso library has offered to loan the museum an original copy of Strother's obituary, which was widely circulated. While Melick said he doesnt want to deify Strother, his life was very exceptional when you view it through the lens of ordinary Americans. He was doing what were all doing. He went to work every day he put his pants on one leg at a time, just like everyone else, he said. And, Melick said they have a responsibility to tell his story. The Project XV Museums next public event is a progress tour from 3-6 p.m. March 3. The museum is also planning another April fundraising gala around the anniversary of Strothers vote; exact dates and other details have not yet been finalized. For more information or to support the museum, visit projectxvmuseum.com. Photos: El Paso-Gridley boys basketball at Fieldcrest. SPRINGFIELD Welcomed precipitation across most of the state in late January contributed to what has been a slow journey to recovery from the 2023 drought. Illinois received an average of 4.25 inches of precipitation Jan. 1-29, which was 2.53 inches above normal, the National Agricultural Statistics Service Illinois field office reported. The active pattern created some flooding issues and extremely muddy conditions. We made up some serious ground in drought relief over the last few weeks in southern Illinois, State Climatologist Trent Ford told FarmWeek. Deep-layer soil and water table levels are still much below average, but theyre improving. Looking back on a rollercoaster crop season, a dry start to summer pushed the entire state into drought by late June, and while timely summer rains limited significant row crop impacts, a dry fall reignited the drought, causing low water levels on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The tables turned again in January. Ford said levels on the Mississippi River between Cairo and Memphis, Tennessee, have increased 10 to 15 feet in some areas over the past couple of weeks. While significant rainfall is encouraging, it will take a lot more to reach normal river levels due to the intensity of drought experienced across the entire Midwest down into the southern states. Meanwhile, some bodies of water, including the Illinois and Rock rivers, reached or surpassed flood stage last week. Ice jams also contributed to flooding issues at some locations. A similar story can be told for soil moisture levels across the state. Ford said there has been significant progress replenishing moisture, but especially in southern and western Illinois, two years of drought conditions have dried up deeper level soils. For example, our well at the water survey site in Belleville, the water tables are still 10 feet deeper than what we typically expect this time of year, he said. The topsoil moisture supply ranked 57% adequate, 39% surplus and just 4% short statewide as of Jan. 28, according to NASS. February is usually the driest month of the year, so Ford is not expecting much help in the near term, but he said, The biggest determinant for crop impacts from drought is how much rain falls in spring and summer. So even if we come in with fairly dry soils in the spring, if we get enough rain this summer, there wont be that many impacts. On the flip side, if there is a dry pattern in the spring and summer, Ford said Illinois remains in a vulnerable state for drought, but that does not mean a repeat of 2023 is inevitable. Because there isnt a strong signal pointing to drought in spring and summer, Im not overly concerned at this time, he said. The 2023 drought was not predicted very well more than a few weeks out, so well have to wait and see what weather we get come April and May. At the end of January, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed parts of western Illinois and the entire southern third of the state were experiencing abnormally dry conditions with 18% in moderate drought. Photos: Illinois State Fair political days through the years 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2009 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2005 State Fair 2004 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2006 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2018 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2021 State Fair 2021 State Fair The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has expressed its appreciation for the visionary proposal put forth by Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia to implement a flat rate tax on the importation of spare parts into the country. This proposal is seen as a crucial step in safeguarding the interests of spare parts dealerships nationwide. In a statement released Sunday, February 11, 2024, the Association declared its wholehearted acceptance and support for Dr. Bawumias proposal. It eagerly anticipates the timely implementation of this policy, which is contingent upon the New Patriotic Partys success in the upcoming December 7, 2024, elections. During a forum held on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, in Accra, the Vice President, also the flagbearer of the NPP, announced the partys commitment to introducing a flat rate tax on spare parts imports. This announcement has been met with enthusiasm by the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association, which aims to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure the smooth implementation of this tax structure. The proposed flat rate tax is expected to significantly reduce the cost of spare parts, providing much-needed relief to commercial drivers who incorporate these expenses into transport fares. This reduction in costs will also alleviate burdens on the commuting public, resulting in a more sustainable and affordable transportation system. The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association calls upon all its members to rally behind the introduction of the flat rate tax on spare parts imports. By uniting in support of this initiative, the association aims to contribute to the growth and prosperity of the spare parts dealership industry while fostering positive developments in the broader economic landscape. The Association expressed its gratitude to Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia for his foresight and commitment to the welfare of the spare parts sector. It looks forward to witnessing the positive impact of this policy on the industry and the nation as a whole. Full statement from Spare Parts Dealers Association below: Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association Commends Dr. Mahamadu Bawumias Proposal for Flat Rate Tax on Spare Parts Imports The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association expresses its heartfelt appreciation for the visionary proposal put forth by Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Partys presidential aspirant, to implement a flat rate tax on the importation of spare parts into the country. The Association views this initiative as highly commendable and believes it will play a crucial role in safeguarding the interests of spare parts dealerships nationwide. As an apolitical organization dedicated to the development and enhancement of the spare parts dealership industry, we wholeheartedly accept and support Dr. Bawumias proposal. We eagerly anticipate the timely implementation of this policy, contingent upon the New Patriotic Partys success in breaking the eight-year political jinx come December 7, 2024. During a forum held on Wednesday, 7th February 2024, in Accra, the Vice President, also the flagbearer of the NPP, announced the partys commitment to introducing a flat rate tax on spare parts imports. The Association is committed to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to ensure the seamless implementation of this beneficial tax structure. The proposed flat rate tax is poised to significantly reduce the cost of spare parts, providing much-needed relief to commercial drivers who routinely factor these expenses into transport fares. This, in turn, will alleviate additional burdens on the commuting public, contributing to a more sustainable and affordable transportation system. We call upon all members of the Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association to rally behind the introduction of the flat rate tax on spare parts imports. By uniting in support of this initiative, we can collectively contribute to the growth and prosperity of the spare parts dealership industry while fostering positive developments in the broader economic landscape. The Association expresses its gratitude to Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia for his foresight and commitment to the welfare of the spare parts sector, and we look forward to witnessing the positive impact of this policy on our industry and the nation as a whole. For media inquiries, please contact: Takyi Addo 0244369057 Head of Communications 11 February 2024 Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In a media forum convened on Wednesday, 7th February 2024, in Accra, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, the Vice President and current flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), unveiled the party's commitment to implementing a flat rate duty on spare parts imports. The Suame Magazine Spare Parts Dealers Association expresses its gratitude for Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia's groundbreaking proposal for a Flat Rate Duty on Spare Parts Imports. As a non-partisan organization dedicated to advancing the spare parts dealership industry, we wholeheartedly embrace and endorse Dr. Bawumia's proposal. The group said. The envisaged flat rate duty holds the promise of a substantial reduction in the cost of spare parts, offering much-needed relief to commercial drivers who regularly factor these expenses into transport fares. This reduction will, in turn, alleviate additional burdens on the commuting public, contributing to a more sustainable and affordable transportation system. The Association is committed to working closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure the seamless implementation of this beneficial duty structure. We call upon all members of the Suame Magazine Spare Parts Dealers Association to unite in support of the introduction of the Flat Rate Duty on Spare Parts Imports. Through collective support for this initiative, we can actively contribute to the growth and prosperity of the spare parts dealership industry, fostering positive developments in the broader economic landscape. The association said in a statement. The Association also expresses gratitude to Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia for his foresight and dedication to the welfare of the spare parts sector, eagerly anticipating the positive impact of this policy on our industry and the nation as a whole. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ghana Police Service has today 11th February 2024 arrested four (4) more people in connection with the murder of Mr. Eric Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cossy Hill Hotel at Jirapa in the Upper West Region, bringing the number of suspects so far arrested to five (5). The suspects, Dookuuri Fausta, Braimah Kasim, Beyuo Felix and Michael Klugey who are all workers at the Cossy Hill Hotel are in Police custody assisting the investigation together with suspect Kumbata Kwaku who was earlier on arrested. Investigation continues to bring the perpetrator(s) to face justice - Police said in a statement. Background The owner of the safari resort in Jirapa in the Upper West Region, commonly referred to as "Jirapa Dubai" is dead. Eric Johnson was reportedly stabbed to death on Saturday night, Graphic Online reports. Eric Johnson recently built the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel, nicknamed Jirapa Dubai, in the Upper West Region. It has a 4-km safari park with various kinds of animals including zebras. It has an artificial lake with fishes, aqua activities or games (Jet Ski), Eric Johnson was attacked by unknown assailants on Saturday night [January 10] and stabbed to death. The police are yet to comment on the incident but it has generated discussion in the public domain. Eric Johnson, an entrepreneur revealed that he decided to build the safari resort in Jirapa to help create employment opportunities in the area and also to help open the area to tourists to help boost the local economy. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Henry Nana Boakye, the National Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, has appealed for the restoration of road tolls. The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, directed for the collection of the road tolls to cease following the introduction of the Electronic Levy (E-Levy) by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, last two years in March. However, many Ghanaians have since been calling on the government to restore the toll, as abolishing it is hugely costing the nation, but the government hasn't heeded the citizens' plea. Contributing to Friday's edition of Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly called "Nana B", called on his government to bring back the tolls arguing that millions of money are being washed away due to the removal of the tolls. The NPP National Organizer made a solemn appeal to the officials in charge saying, "I plead with our leaders that one thing they should rethink and restore is the road tolls. I haven't seen anything canceled in Ghana that the citizens are calling for it to come back like the road toll". "This year, it is estimated that the road toll can help us generate revenues of about 120 million. This emission tax we are talking about would only bring us 48m, so I implore the government to immediately bring back the road tolls," he accentuated. Watch video below Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Medical professionals have stepped up calls for US President Joe Biden to take a mental competency test after a new blistering report from special counsel Robert Hur revealed the 81-year-old cant remember basic facts about his own life and career. The Hur report, released Thursday night, February 8, assessed Biden as too senile to be prosecuted over his wrongful retention of classified documents and noted the commander-in-chief did not remember when he was vice president and did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died over two days of interviews in October. Something isnt right, and even if its minor, it must be explained to the public, Dr. Stuart Fischer, a primary care physician at a nursing home in the Bronx, told NY Post. The horse is out of the barn. Not only does [Biden] have an infirmity of some degree, but he has delayed producing objective evidence, the internal medicine expert added, arguing that no one is buying the presidents defenses about his memory. Despite being the oldest president in US history, Biden has refused to take mental acuity tests despite repeated calls to do so as well as consistent polling showing a majority of Americans share those concerns. The results of Bidens most recent physical exam, released by the White House in February of last year, described the chief executive as fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, but made no mention of a cognitive test or an assessment of his mental fitness. On Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed to reporters that she had talked to White House physician Kevin OConnor around that time and he had told her that because of the presidents actions every day, what he deals with with world leaders, the domestic issues that he has to deal with that shows that the president is very much active and understands whats going on and [OConnor] didnt believe a test like that was warranted because of, just who he is as president of the United States and everything he has to deal with. But again, Im not a medical doctor, the press secretary added. But, according to Fischer, Biden has signs of symptoms that could indicate he suffers from infectious disease or fatigue, though the physician stressed that he is not Bidens doctor and his statements did not constitute a diagnosis. I dont know how this man can have anything more than a mild schedule, added the doc, because the more he pushes himself, the more difficult it is for an 81-year-old body to respond. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), a physician to both former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump and a member of the White House Medical Unit under President George W. Bush, said that if Biden clinches the Democratic presidential nomination, he should 100% have to submit to a mental competency test before the general election. He doesnt need a [cognitive] screening test, Jackson said. He needs an actual cognitive battery of tests, objectively done, put on paper, and briefed to the American people by his physician. Im not making a diagnosis. And Im not saying the guy has Alzheimers or multi-infarct dementia or Parkinsons or anything else, he clarified. This guy has cognitive issues related to his age: He shuffles when he walks, he slurs his speech, he forgets where hes at, what hes doing, he cant remember names, he cant remember dates that is not someone that should be in control of the nuclear codes in this country and controlling our fate overseas. Ive been saying since he was candidate Joe Biden: This man does not have the cognitive wherewithal or ability to be our head of state, added Jackson, who went on to describe the presidents recent confusion of European leaders with their dead predecessors as super concerning. Special counsel Robert Hur determined that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after leaving office as vice president in 2016. The records kept by Biden included documents on military and foreign policy in Afghanistan as well as other national security and foreign policy issues. Despite the findings, Hurs 388-page report recommended that the president not face charges. The special counsel noted that Biden would likely present himself to a jury as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory if he were to face trial. If youre too incompetent and too cognitively impaired because of your age to defend yourself from these charges if hes charged then it absolutely, positively goes without saying you should not be the commander-in-chief, added the lawmaker. Renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson, the former secretary of housing and urban development under Trump, said; As someone who knows a thing or two about the human brain, Joe Bidens mental decline has been obvious for several years, Carson said. Yesterdays report, last nights press conference, and the current state of the union further proves that point. Our southern border is under siege, there are two major global conflicts taking place, and our judicial system has become a weaponized arm of the presidents campaign. Americans should be asking, who is running the country? Carson has previously stated he believes Biden has signs of dementia, given the presidents aggressive demeanor, apparent confusion and issues with his speech. Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Analysis led by Chad Meyerhoefer shows harmful effects regardless of whether laws passed, with potential parallels to current U.S. "bathroom bills." A coordinated political effort against LGBT rights in Poland over the past several years has resulted in little substantive policy but substantial negative mental health outcomes for the country's population, according to a study led by Chad Meyerhoefer, the Arthur F. Searing Professor and chair of the department of economics in the College of Business. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) working paper finds that annual suicide attempts increased by 16% after the enactment of anti-LGBT statutes. In addition, suicides increased among middle-aged men and in areas that considered but did not enact anti-LGBT policies. "Our findings suggest that stigmatization of minority groups leads to declines in population mental health," said Meyerhoefer, who is also a research associate with NBER's Economics of Health Program. "These types of discriminatory actions lead to stress, feelings of isolation, and hostility. For those already suffering from mental health problems, which are more prevalent among LGBT individuals, the social stigma associated with the laws can lead to suicide attempts." Anti-LGBT sentiment in politics The anti-LGBT movement in Poland accompanied the political ascendance of the country's Law and Justice party, also known as PiS, which Meyerhoefer described as representing a brand of "right-wing" populism. The party gained a Parliamentary majority in 2015 and held power until voters elected a more moderate majority in December 2023. During that time, Meyerhoefer said, the party used cultural wedge issues, including LGBT rights, as part of its political strategy. National party leaders codified the "promotion of family values," a platform that included anti-LGBT rhetoric. However, at the national level, relatively little substantive policy was enacted regarding the issue of LGBT rights. Rather, this anti-LGBT sentiment gained more political traction at the local level, particularly in areas that had populations that were more politically conservative and with lower levels of socioeconomic status. Most anti-LGBT legislation was implemented at the powiat (county) or gmina (municipal) level, and by 2019, a total of 91 powiats, gminas, and provinces had enacted some form of the legislation. These areas covered about a third of both the country's land area and population, Meyerhoefer said. Sub-national legislation typically declared official opposition to the ideology associated with the LGBT rights movement and denounced homosexuality and sex education in schools. Some laws also asserted parental control over extra-curricular school activities and appointed a "family ombudsman" tasked with protecting family rights. Many proponents couched their proposals as aiming to create "LGBT-free zones." "Rather than articulating specific restrictions on LGBT individuals, these actions provide official sanction to generalized discrimination against LGBT individuals in a variety of societal domains," said Meyerhoefer, whose broad-based research in health economics has focused on the effects of public policies on health outcomes, health care access and economic measures. Anti-LGBT bills led to more suicides To study the impact of these official actions on the population's mental health, Meyerhoefer's team analyzed county-level data on suicides and suicide attempts using difference-in-differences (DID) models to compare changes in suicide attempts, suicides and overall mortality in areas that adopted anti-LGBT laws to changes in these outcomes in areas along the county's border that did not pass laws. The working paper, "Implications of the Decline in LGBT Rights for Population Mental Health: Evidence from Polish 'LGBT-free Zones,'" is co-authored with Bingjin Xue '18G '23 Ph.D., assistant professor of economics at the Paul College Economics at the University of New Hampshire, and Anna Poznanska, a researcher at the Polish National Institute of Public Health. Xue, who earned her master's degree in financial engineering and Ph.D. in economics from Lehigh, is a health economist whose research focuses on the effects of health information technology and the impact of public policies on population mental health and well-being. The researchers found that suicide attempts increased by 16%, or five attempts per 100,000 people, after the enactment of anti-LGBT statutes. This rise in suicide attempts was concentrated among men, and was associated with 11 additional suicides per 100,000 individuals aged 3049. These results track with minority stress theory, which posits that stigma, prejudice and discrimination against individuals in the minority create a stressful social environment that leads to physical and mental health problems. But what was more surprising to researchers was their finding that areas that deliberated adopting but ultimately rejected laws also experienced a substantial increase in suicide attempts. "We were surprised how large the effect of the deliberation of anti-LGBT resolutions was on suicide attempts," Meyerhoefer said. "Since the areas that enacted and deliberated anti-LGBT statutes have different characteristics, it is challenging to make direct comparisons, but the effect of deliberating resolutions on suicide attempts is at least as large as the effect of enacting statutes." The study also noted that poor access to pharmacological treatment of mental health conditions and reduced resources for troubled youth may exacerbate negative outcomes. Anticipating the effects of 'bathroom bills' in the US The findings provide lessons that can apply to other countries in which sexuality is a contested political issue. The study discusses several countries that have enacted laws that criminalize same-sex sexual acts with sentences up to the death penalty. These countries include Uganda, Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Northern Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia and the United Arab Emirates. Poland's European neighbor, Hungary, attracted international attention for a slate of anti-LGBT laws passed in 2021 that included a ban on disseminating information considered to "promote homosexuality or gender reassignment" by any means, including through the media or in schools. Such anti-LGBT political efforts stand in contrast to the more predominant movement for increased LGBT rights gaining traction globally. The study cites a Human Rights Campaign report that tallies 35 countries that have legalized same-sex marriage, in addition to many more countries that have introduced protections for joint adoption and prohibitions against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. "Despite evidence that same-sex marriage laws and similar non-discrimination policies increased the well-being of LGBT people and created economic wealth, there is a growing backlash from conservative political groups against the expansion of LGBT rights," Meyerhoefer said. In the United States, Meyerhoefer sees parallels with "bathroom bills" currently under debate in several states. These laws generally seek to restrict the use of public restrooms by individuals based on their gender identity. While relatively few bills have become law in the United States, Poland's example suggests that the intense public debate around the bills is causing significant stress and harm to members of the LGBT population. "Although laws in the U.S. tend to focus on the school environment (either depictions of LGBT individuals in literature, or bathroom access), they still generate social conflict over the right of LGBT individuals to freely express their gender identity," he said. "As a result, anti-LGBT laws in the U.S. or elsewhere can lead to stigma and stress for LGBT individuals." The future in Poland Even prior to the ouster of PiS, many of the local laws that had passed in gminas have been overturned through court rulings or repealed voluntarily. Meyerhoefer said he expects that the movement to repeal these acts will continue to accelerate under the more moderate national government. Still, it may not be enough to counteract the negative effects of the prior bills. "Even when anti-LGBT laws do not directly restrict the rights of LGBT individuals, or only affect some individuals, they have broader negative consequences for population mental health," Meyerhoefer said. "The effects of law repeals is certainly something we are interested in studying." More information: Chad Meyerhoefer et al, Implications of the Decline in LGBT Rights for Population Mental Health: Evidence from Polish "LGBT-free zones" (2023). DOI: 10.3386/w31702 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A composite of 29 individual exposures from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Maunakea, taken in August 2022. The horizontal and diagonal white lines are bright satellites that unexpectedly flew through the field of view during observations, covering any objects behind them. Credit: P. Cowan/W. Fraser/S. Lawler/CLASSY Survey Team/CFHT I used to love rocket launches when I was younger. During every launch, I imagined what it would feel like to be an astronaut sitting in the spacecraft, listening to that final countdown and then feeling multiple gees push me up through the atmosphere and away from our blue marble. But as I learned more about the severe limitations of human spaceflight, I turned my attention to the oldest and most accessible form of space exploration: the science of astronomy. Since 2019, I've watched my unencumbered enthusiasm for rocket launches soften to tepid interest, and finally sour to outright dread. The corporate space race, led by SpaceX, is entirely responsible for this transformation in my mindset. I am worried by the complete shift to the move-fast-and-break-things attitude that comes from the tech sector instead of government scientific agencies. I am put off by the colonialist language and billionaire-worship of private corporations. I am increasingly furious at the nonexistent public education and lack of transparency offered by these companies. The final nail in the coffin for my love of rocket launches came with SpaceX's Starlink satellite megaconstellations. Crowded orbits The corporate space race is well underway, with private companies flooding Low Earth Orbit with thousands of mass-produced satellites. In previous decades, the prohibitively high cost of launch kept the rate of increase and total number of satellites from growing too rapidly. But launches have been getting steadily cheaper for years. SpaceX has launched thousands of their own Starlink communication satellites, as well as hundreds of satellites for their direct competitors. Half of all launches worldwide in 2023 were SpaceX rockets. As an astronomer, I'm painfully aware of what these thousands of new satellites have done to the night sky worldwide. They reflect sunlight long after the sky has grown dark, looking like moving stars. Starlink satellites are the most numerous and occupy some of the lowest orbits, so they make up the majority of the satellites seen in the sky. Last year, SpaceX launched one of the brightest objects in the sky on behalf of another company: BlueWalker 3, a satellite with the same sky-footprint as a small house. They plan to operate a fleet of dozens, each as bright as the brightest stars in the sky. Al Jazeera reports on the impacts of Starlink satellites. Lost information and knowledge These satellites are now increasingly obstructing telescopic space exploration, both on the ground and in space. Astronomers are the canaries in the coal mine for this rapidly expanding experiment in orbit: we see these satellites increasingly affecting our research every day. I have watched over the past five years as satellite streaks in my own research images from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope have changed from an unusual occurrence to lost data in nearly every image. Astronomy is the only way to learn about the universe, the overwhelming majority of which can never be explored by humans. The farthest human-made object from Earth is the Voyager 1 probe, now eight times farther from the sun than Neptune after 46 years continuously traveling significantly faster than a speeding bullet. But even if Voyager 1 was pointed directly toward our nearest neighboring star, Proxima Centauri (it's not), it would take over 100,000 years to get there. We are light-years away from having technology that can robotically explore even our neighboring solar systems on a human timescale, let alone bring humans out to the stars. The vast majority of astronomy research is carried out by telescopes on Earth: large optical telescopes on remote mountaintops, large radio telescopes in radio-quiet zones that are meticulously maintained, as well as smaller telescopes scattered around the world. There are a handful of telescopes in Low Earth Orbit that also have to contend with light pollution from Starlink and other megaconstellations. There are also a handful of telescopes outside Earth orbit which can only operate for a few years, unlike ground-based facilities that can be maintained and enhanced with new technologies for decades. Government regulation needed Space exploration using Earth-based telescopes is growing increasingly less effective as more bright and radio-loud satellites are placed between Earth and the stars. But there are much worse problems ahead if corporations continue launching satellites: atmospheric pollution on launch and reentry, ground casualty risks from reentries, and the very real possibility of a runaway collisional cascade in orbit, referred to as the Kessler Syndrome. Satellites are an incredibly useful part of our lives, but there are limits to how many can safely orbit Earth. Current regulations on launches and orbital operations by governments are very weak, and are not set up for the current regime of thousands of new satellites per year. Regulation on the number of satellites in orbit would force corporations toward technology improvements and service models that use fewer satellites, keeping orbit usable for future generations. Ask your government representatives to support satellite regulation, and expansion of rural broadband. Get out and enjoy your dark skies, before they change. With proper regulation, our oldest form of space exploration can continue. I desperately hope we never reach a point where the natural patterns in the sky are drowned out by anthropogenic ones, but without regulation, corporations will get us there soon. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Shaunt Oungoulian, right, and Diego Roig of Les Lunes prune vines at the Black Vineyard in Napa, which they lease. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle The French word vigneron doesnt have a perfect English translation. It refers to a person who both farms a vineyard and makes wine from it. Vignerons are commonplace in France but scarce in California, where the jobs of farming and winemaking are almost always separate. Over the past decade, however, the natural wine movement which is more than a little obsessed with French wine culture has tried to make the vigneron ideal happen in California. Because natural winemakers promote their additive-free approach, many have coveted the chance to do their own farming, which allows them to ensure that all agricultural inputs are organic. Its become something of a bragging right for the vintners who are getting their hands dirty by pulling weeds or spraying treatments for mildew. The message, according to Megan Bell, the owner and winemaker at Margins Wine, has long been that as a natural winemaker, youre not really legit unless youre also involved in farming. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After years of fetishizing the life of the vigneron, some members of Californias natural wine community including Bell are starting to question the feasibility and importance of doing ones own farming. But others have built their entire businesses around it, impracticalities be damned. Shaunt Oungoulian, right, and Diego Roig farm 10 vineyards in Napa and Sonoma counties. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Among those most committed to the cause are Diego Roig and Shaunt Oungoulian, who own the Les Lunes and Populis wine labels. Though they dont own any land and make their wine out of a Richmond warehouse, the pair have managed to lease 10 vineyards in Napa and Sonoma counties, which they farm organically, driving their two tractors between the sites throughout the week. For Roig and Oungoulian who like all natural winemakers place a high premium on the transparency of their processes its the most authentic way to do it. If youre making natural wine, the farming goes hand in hand, said Roig. Most of our reference points, our idols, the people we look up to in France theyre in the vineyard all year. Les Lunes farming protocol informs their winemaking: Instead of adding nutrients to a wine tank to jump-start a fermentation, Roig and Oungoulian can try to correct nutrient deficiencies beforehand in the vineyard by spreading compost and planting cover crops. And because they perform the labor themselves along with a few full- and part-time employees they get access to affordable fruit in regions that wed otherwise be priced out of, said Oungoulian, such as Merlot in Napa Valley. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A selection of Les Lunes wines. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Of the 50 acres that Roig and Oungoulian farm, they estimate about 80% were farmed with synthetic chemicals before they arrived. Theyve now converted everything to organic practices. Weve often felt that Napa and Sonoma dont need new vineyard plantings, said Roig. What we feel it really needs is for distinctive vineyards to be farmed more respectfully. Coral Wang, the winemaker behind the new label Maison des Plaisances, is another vigneron success story. After learning to make wine in southern France, she arrived in California and was shocked, she said, to see that none of the winemakers were farming. Initially, she sourced grapes from a vineyard in Cloverdale, but then she found her dream scenario: a 2-acre vineyard in Lovall Valley, near the town of Sonoma, where she and her dog can live on-site. Its only when you really spend this much time here that you start to see the nuances, the tricky spots, and really learn what the vineyard has to tell you, said Wang. During high-intensity times of year, like pruning in the winter or harvesting in the fall, she enlists a group of friends to help, cooking lunch for them as payment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wang considers herself a farmer who makes wine, not the other way around. I want to farm first and foremost, she said, and then making the wine is a fun product from growing something. Yet a growing number of Californias natural winemakers are rethinking the value of the vigneron model. Some local vignerons are considering giving it up, saying it simply isnt practical to shoulder both jobs at once, or that its best left to more experienced agriculturalists. When Megan Bell started her Margins wine label eight years ago, the cool thing to do seemed to be to farm some vineyards organically, she said. It was her goal to do as much of her own farming as possible, maybe even buy her own vineyard someday. So she was thrilled when she found the Makjavich Vineyard, a 2-acre plot in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its owner, Larry Makjavich, had been farming it by himself and was glad for Bells help. Since 2019, shes been sharing the burden with him: pruning in the winter, thinning the vine shoots in the spring, pulling leaves in the summer. Now, that burden feels unsustainable on top of everything else she does to run her small business, Bell said. She runs a tasting room in Santa Cruz; shes in charge of her own sales and marketing. Bell now regards her original plan of trying to farm multiple vineyards as ludicrous. Advertisement Article continues below this ad About 40% of the vineyard acreage that Shaunt Oungoulian and Diego Roig farm was not being farmed organically before they arrived. Now, all the vineyards they tend are organic. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Shes not the only one whos feeling disillusioned. We all had that vision, said Stagiaire Wines Brent Mayeaux of becoming a vigneron. In the natural wine world, he said, there was this idea that if youre just buying grapes youre not the real deal. Mayeaux still farms a small vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but spending time there is more challenging since he moved from Santa Cruz to San Francisco. When you have to put all your energy into selling your wine, he said, farming is really hard to justify. Hed consider adding another farming assignment for himself if it were closer to the city, but he no longer wants to take on a site just for the sake of it. Bell said logistical hurdles arent the only reason shes considering giving up farming. From my view now, its incredibly pompous to be like, oh no, I need to farm this, she said. The owners of the vineyards she buys fruit from are doing a better job than she could, she added, like at Paicines Ranch in San Benito County, which is farmed according to an elaborate regenerative protocol, with animals roaming the ranch. I could never farm like that, she said. Theres so much work, education and resources that went into it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Maybe, Mayeaux suggested, its OK that California is different from France. For better or worse, the economy and the culture here mean that there is this great separation of grape grower and winemaker, he said. And to expect that every winemaker is going to be predominantly growing their own grapes, I think, is unfair. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A Zygaspis quadrifrons is photographed in the wild in Koanaka, Botswana. Credit: Johan Marais Amphisbaenians are strange creatures. Like worms with vertebrae, scales, a large central tooth and sometimes small forearms, these reptiles live underground, burrowing tunnels and preying on just about anything they encounter, not unlike a miniature version of the monstrous sandworms from "Dune." Even though they're found around much of the world, little is known about how amphisbaenians behave in the wild because they cannot be observed while in their natural habitat under sand and soil. But thanks to two papers published in the March issue of The Anatomical Record, new light is being shed on these animals and their specialized anatomy. Using a micro-CT scanner at The University of Texas at Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences, researchers completed a detailed comparative analysis of 15 amphisbaenians from southern Africa and a bone-by-bone description of every cranial anatomical feature of the species Zygaspis quadrifrons. These are the most detailed studies of southern African amphisbaenians to date, according to the researchers. By CT scanning these specimens, researchers were able to render individual bones as large 3D-printed models. This made it possible for them to take a close look at bones such as the tabulosphenoid, which is almost entirely inside the skull and almost impossible to see without this technology, said Christopher J. Bell, the lead author on the paper that delved into the skull anatomy of Zygaspis, and a professor in the Jackson School. Separate sections of the skull of a Zygaspis quadrifron specimen are highlighted in this CT scan. The large nasal cavities and prominent central tooth stand out in this photo. Credit: Scans: Jackson School of Geosciences CT lab. Coloring and rendering: Sam Houston State University "You could fit three skulls of the Zygaspis quadrifrons on the nail of my pinky. We can now look at these really small vertebrate organisms in a measure of detail that we never had before," Bell said. The research began more than 15 years ago when Patrick J. Lewis, a co-author on both papers and paleobiology professor at Sam Houston State University, led a team to Botswana on a mission to trap and study animals of all kinds. While digging and sampling the environment, they began catching amphisbaenians. At the time, Lewis didn't know much about them. When one of his students handed him one, he said he was surprised that something that looked so much like a worm could be so strong. "They wriggle around and try to escape and move in ways that worms just aren't able to. These are much more like little snakes in the way that they move and interact. It's just surprising for something that's so tiny. You just don't expect that behavior," Lewis said. Some of the most striking imagery to come from these CT scans highlights sutures within the skull: deep, thin waves that "grab" on to each other, Lewis described. The images also render in exquisite details the amphisbaenians' strange singular central tooth, which interlocks with two bottom teeth. Zygaspis quadrifrons is photographed in the wild in Koanaka, Botswana. Credit: Johan Marais "Combined with the powerful jaw muscles in amphisbaenians, it gives them a ferocious bite for an animal of their size. They can bite and tear out pieces of their prey," Bell said. Antonio Meza, a lead author on the paper examining the different species of amphisbaenians and first-year doctoral student at Arizona State University, said that snakes and other reptiles are born with an egg tooth that allows them to break out of their shell. "But in amphisbaenians, they just have kept it," he said. Meza's analysis also confirmed sexual dimorphism in Zygaspis quadrifrons, with the females larger than males in this species. With little biological and ecological data available on amphisbaenians, studying their anatomy is the best way for researchers to learn more about these bizarre animals and the hidden lives they lead beneath the surface. More information: Christopher J. Bell et al, Cranial anatomy of the "roundheaded" Amphisbaenian Zygaspis quadrifrons (Squamata, Amphisbaenia) based on highresolution xray computed tomography, The Anatomical Record (2023). DOI: 10.1002/ar.25304 Antonio Meza et al, Variation in the cranial osteology of the amphisbaenian genus Zygaspis based on highresolution xray computed tomography, The Anatomical Record (2023). DOI: 10.1002/ar.25321 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The richness of skin bacteria is negatively correlated with Bd loads. Color and size correspond with Jaccard dispersion values. Shape indicates frog survival. Bd-negative samples have been excluded. Credit: Ecology Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1111/ele.14372 Pumpkin toadlets are in trouble. Progressively severe droughts are disrupting the microbiomes of the thumbnail-sized orange frogs, potentially leaving them vulnerable to a deadly fungal disease, according to a new study by an international research team. The finding suggests that abnormal rainfall patterns, which are expected to worsen due to climate change and deforestation, may upset mutually beneficial relationships between wildlife and microorganisms, leading to biodiversity decline. The researchers, led by Penn State doctoral candidate Shannon Buttimer and Professor of Biology Guilherme Becker, published their findings in Ecology Letters. The work was featured on the cover of the journal's January issue. During a campaign to sample the skin bacteria of the pumpkin toadlets for his master's thesis, co-author Diego Moura-Campos found nine dead or dying frogs. It was later confirmed that they had died of chytridiomycosis, a fungal disease caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which is a threat to amphibian populations worldwide. Pumpkin toadlets, like many other amphibians, boast natural Bd-inhibiting bacteria on their skin. These microbes should help protect against the fungus, so why did these frogs die, and why all at once? "It is super rare to witness amphibian die-offs in the wild, let alone have collected samples from before and throughout an outbreak," said Buttimer, who is pursuing her doctorate in the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences' Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Ecology. Buttimer explained that deforestation of this region and in the Amazon rainforest has resulted in greater rainfall variabilityincreased duration of drought and, conversely, heavier periods of rainfall. "The outbreak coincided with some of the lowest rainfall in the area in the past 60 years, so we set out to investigate whether there might be a connection between the drought, the skin microbiome, and the die-off." Using 237 skin swab samples gathered over the course of a year, the researchers genetically sequenced the toadlets' skin microbiomes and compared that information against a reference database of skin microbes identified as Bd-inhibitorsbacteria that exert a protective effect against the amphibian chytrid fungus. The AmphiBac database, organized by Doug Woodhams, assistant professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and 25 co-authors, contains a growing list of DNA sequences of microbes whose inhibitory properties have been tested against Bd in controlled lab experiments. The researchers found that toadlet microbiomes sampled following periods of higher-than-average rainfall were more abundant in known Bd-inhibitors. In contrast, one month after the drought, the toadlet microbiomes had fewer known Bd-inhibiting bacteria. The finding, researchers said, indicates that drought may reduce the abundance of some Bd-inhibiting bacteria, leaving the toadlets vulnerable to the fungal disease. The researchers also investigated microbiome diversity metrics like species richness and composition. Overall, the researchers found that higher levels of species richness were associated with lower infection severity. Microbiome composition also became more variable following periods of low rainfall, indicating that the toadlets' microbiomes may have transitioned to a state known as dysbiosis, where they become less stable and less functional. According to researchers, this higher variability and the loss of key protective microbes may both contribute to the increase in chytridiomycosis infections. While further experimentation is required to understand the causal mechanisms that influence the skin microbiome and Bd dynamics, the researchers said this study underscores the importance of considering microbiome health when assessing populations that are threatened by climate change, habitat loss and disease. "I hope our results will encourage people to consider how deforestation and climate change are breaking down invisible symbioses and leading to population-scale consequences," Buttimer said. Co-authors on the study include Diego Moura-Campos, The Australian National University; Sasha E. Greenspan, Wesley J. Neely, University of Alabama; Lucas Ferrante, Universidade Federal do Amazonas; Luis Felipe Toledo, Universidade Estadual de Campinas. More information: Shannon Buttimer et al, Skin microbiome disturbance linked to droughtassociated amphibian disease, Ecology Letters (2024). DOI: 10.1111/ele.14372 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Britain's Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan (R) and European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova disagreed on whether British red tape was hampering the hiring process. EU and UK science chiefs on Monday launched a push to attract scientists to Europe's 80 billion Horizon research program after warnings of high costs and red tape in Britain. The UK quit the Horizon Europe program when it left the EU in 2020. Following years of uncertainty, in which British researchers were prevented from fully taking part in the scheme due to political disputes, the UK rejoined the scheme in January. At a meeting in London on Monday, UK science, business and research leaders were urged to "seize the opportunity" of Horizon Europe funding, despite the concerns over costs and visas for European scientists wanting to work in the UK. "There were some concerns that were raised by researchers, and also related to the cost of fees, health care surcharges, salaries," the European Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Illiana Ivanova said at a press conference after the meeting. "I wouldn't want to focus on what might be a potential division," she added. Britain was last year expected to rejoin Horizon, which focuses on issues like climate change and medical research, after reaching an agreement with the EU on the flow of goods between the UK and Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, however, delayed joining the scheme so he could extract a better deal on budget contributions. Horizon Europe has a budget of 95.5 billion euros (81 billion, $103 billion) with the UK expected to contribute on average around 2.43 billion euros per year in order to participate. Earlier on Monday, Ivanova said that Britain should ease visa procedures or risk missing out on the full benefits of Horizon. "We are having some difficulties with European researchers going to the UK due to some visa issues and also higher costs that I'm going to raise with the British side," she told the Financial Times. But British science minister Michelle Donelan denied that the UK was facing challenges in recruiting participants. She said "the key message" from scientists, innovators and businesses was that "association" with the project would support their interests and further Britain's economic growth and development. "You will hear first hand from individuals who have actively chosen to locate here because of all those positives we have," she said at the press conference. She said the UK would consider collaborating on other projects with the EU on "a case by case basis". "The British public voted to leave the EU to have more control and say over their decision-making," she said. "Of course that means that on each and every one of these different aspects, the merits and topics would need to be reviewed and examined." When it came to Horizon, however, rejoining was "somewhat of a no-brainer", she added, saying that Britain took its time to rejoin the project so that it could get value for the taxpayers. "That is why we continued to negotiate and get a deal that worked," she said. 2024 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Almonte-Marismas aquifer system underlying Donana, the division between six groundwater bodies, and the areas protected within Donana National and Natural Parks (which, combined, make up Donana Natural Space). Credit: Wetlands (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s13157-023-01769-1 A team led by the Donana Biological Station and the Geological and Mining Institute of the Spanish National Research Council has reviewed more than 70 studies related to groundwater and the conservation status of one of Europe's most iconic wetlands, Donana, in southern Spain. The research has shown that there is ample scientific evidence of serious impacts caused by groundwater abstraction. A total of 22 researchers from different institutes in both the fields of wetland ecology and hydrogeology, with extensive experience in research projects in Donana, have participated in this study. Data from the Confederacion Hidrografica del Guadalquivir (Guadalquivir River Basin Authority) show a general decline in water tables throughout the protected area over the last three decades, especially in the areas closest to where water is extracted for agricultural and urban use. In addition, numerous scientific studies have recorded impacts on the aquatic and terrestrial habitats of Donana, as well as on water quality. "Since the 1970s, different scientists and technicians have reported that uncontrolled abstraction of groundwater would have very serious consequences for Donana," says Carolina Guardiola Albert, CSIC researcher at the Geological Mining Institute. "Our impression is either that water and land managers involved in Donana at different levels have been deaf to these warnings, or else they have failed to take effective action." Despite the scientific evidence, for years, no measures have been implemented to avoid successfully, or at least mitigate, these impacts on the protected area. Given the inaction of the administrations in this regard, the Court of Justice of the European Union condemned Spain in 2021. A year later, the European Union warned Spain again with a new judgment if an agreement was not reached soon to withdraw a proposed law, presented in the Andalusian regional parliament, that sought to expand irrigation around Donana. "The actions of the European Court of Justice brought about a change of attitude, but we remain skeptical that the necessary measures will be implemented and, above all, that all the administrations and agents involved will be able to coordinate to effectively implement these measures," explains the scientist. Impacts on both aquatic and terrestrial habitats Scientific evidence of the impacts that agriculture is causing on Donana is clear and abundant. There are several studies that show how the reduction in groundwater levels has led to the disappearance of many ponds, key for the conservation of many species. In one of the studies reviewed, published in 2001, a drop in the water table of up to 20 meters between 1972 and 1992 was detected. The researchers also noted the disappearance of ponds that had been recorded in historical maps, especially in the northern area most affected by groundwater declines, largely due to irrigation. More recently, in a study published last year, the Donana Biological Station identified a loss of almost 60% of the ponds that existed in the 1980s. In addition, it was found that most of the new ponds flood less often and dry out earlier than expected based purely on climatic variation, especially in the areas closest to Matalascanas and the greenhouses, which have the greatest impact caused by overexploitation of the aquifer. This affects numerous animal species that depend on these ponds, as well as aquatic vegetation. The extraction of water from the aquifer also has a strong impact on the marsh. Along with rainfall, surface water streams into the marsh receive inputs from the aquifer. However, these have been reduced in recent years. Several studies conducted in the Rocina area in the early 2000s suggest a 60% reduction in groundwater discharges to the streams circulating through the area. This trend has been exacerbated by the large expansion of intensive agriculture in the area since then. In addition, the reduction in groundwater discharge explains changes in dominant species in the riparian forests, with a progressive decline in willows, which are more dependent on water, and an increase in ash trees, which need less moisture. This problem is not only affecting aquatic habitats. It has also had an impact on terrestrial vegetation. For example, cork oaks that are hundreds of years old are now dying quickly in Donana. According to ICTS-RBD data, 8% have already perished since 2009, and many are losing their leaf cover due to falling water tables. Many other changes in vegetation are being recorded. Species such as Erica scoparia, a type of heather, are being replaced by more drought-tolerant species such as gorse Ulex australis. In addition, a recent study has recorded how pines and shrubs are colonizing the basins of many dry temporary ponds, which confirms wetland deterioration and disappearance. Impacts on water quality Groundwater-dependent agriculture is not only having serious impacts on terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, but also on water quality. "While we tend to think more about water quantity than water quality, the truth is that they are equally important," explains Andy J. Green, CSIC research professor at the Donana Biological Station. "Nutrient and contaminant loads to the marsh have been increasing with agricultural and urban expansion, especially around El Rocio." These issues have long been of concern to the scientific community, and numerous studies on water quality have been carried out on both surface and groundwater. The impact on water quality is intimately connected to the use of agrochemicals for red fruit irrigated crops (including strawberries). A reduced flow rate leads to further increases in concentrations of contaminants and increased salinity through higher evaporation rates. Climate change, with a strong increase in temperature, is favoring the proliferation of toxic algae and invasive plants under high nutrient concentrations. For example, phosphorus loading has increased sharply since 2000, which has, in turn, favored the expansion of the invasive aquatic fern Azolla filiculoides across the marsh and some ponds, negatively impacting amphibians and aquatic plants. Recent data show extremely high nutrient loads in streams affected by groundwater pumping for agriculture. "We have transformed the National Park into a green filter to clean up stream water, which is now often toxic for fish and other wildlife," says Andy J. Green. Pollution in the Donana aquifer due to agricultural and urban activities dates back to the initial expansion of irrigation in the 1970s, and the deterioration of groundwater quality has been recognized by international institutions. "Measures are urgently needed to reduce the input of fertilizers into the aquifer and to clean the water before it enters the National Park," says the researcher. One of the proposals most often heard when talking about implementing measures for the conservation of Donana is to transfer water from other nearby watersheds. The scientific team considers, however, that this may be unrealistic given the limited volume of surface water available and climate model predictions for southern Spain. Furthermore, the supply of surface water from other watersheds could facilitate biological invasions and promote further eutrophication associated with expanding irrigated crops, as already seen in the Mar Menor wetland in south-eastern Spain. "Thanks to the results of the scientific research carried out in Donana, we can explain the relationship between the current state of the protected area and the effects of external agents acting on it, such as the direct actions of human beings and the effects of climate change" explains Carolina Guardiola. "This knowledge is fundamental to guide decisions on measures to protect and restore these ecosystems." The paper is published in the journal Wetlands. More information: Andy J. Green et al, Groundwater Abstraction has Caused Extensive Ecological Damage to the Donana World Heritage Site, Spain, Wetlands (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s13157-023-01769-1 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Confocal fluorescence microscopy images of EKGel. (a,d) Confocal microscopy image of EKGel with rhodamine-B isothiocyanate-labeled gelatin (red color). (b, e) CF-488A labeled aCNCs (green color). The merged image appears yellow where the two channels overlap (c, f). C aCNC = 1.5 wt%, C gel = 2.0 wt%. Scale bar is 2 m in (ac) and 5 m in (de). Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220755120 You can mend a broken heart this Valentine's Day now that researchers have invented a new hydrogel that can be used to heal damaged heart tissue and improve cancer treatments. University of Waterloo chemical engineering researcher Dr. Elisabeth Prince teamed up with researchers from the University of Toronto and Duke University to design the synthetic material made using cellulose nanocrystals, which are derived from wood pulp. The material is engineered to replicate the fibrous nanostructures and properties of human tissues, thereby recreating its unique biomechanical properties. The research was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Cancer is a diverse disease, and two patients with the same type of cancer will often respond to the same treatment in very different ways," Prince said. "Tumor organoids are essentially a miniaturized version of an individual patient's tumor that can be used for drug testing, which could allow researchers to develop personalized therapies for a specific patient." As director of the Prince Polymer Materials Lab, Prince designs synthetic biomimetic hydrogels for biomedical applications. The hydrogels have a nanofibrous architecture with large pores for nutrient and waste transport, which affect mechanical properties and cell interaction. Prince, a professor in Waterloo's Department of Chemical Engineering, utilized these human-tissue mimetic hydrogels to promote the growth of small-scale tumor replicas derived from donated tumor tissue. She aims to test the effectiveness of cancer treatments on the mini-tumor organoids before administering the treatment to patients, potentially allowing for personalized cancer therapies. This research was conducted alongside Professor David Cescon at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center. Prince's research group at Waterloo is developing similar biomimetic hydrogels to be injectable for drug delivery and regenerative medical applications as Waterloo researchers continue to lead health innovation in Canada. Her research aims to use injected filamentous hydrogel material to regrow heart tissue damaged after a heart attack. She used nanofibers as a scaffolding for the regrowth and healing of damaged heart tissue. "We are building on the work that I started during my Ph.D. to design human-tissue mimetic hydrogels that can be injected into the human body to deliver therapeutics and repair the damage caused to the heart when a patient suffers a heart attack," Prince said. Prince's research is unique as most gels currently used in tissue engineering or 3D cell culture don't possess this nanofibrous architecture. Prince's group uses nanoparticles and polymers as building blocks for materials and develops chemistry for nanostructures that accurately mimic human tissues. The next step in Prince's research is to use conductive nanoparticles to make electrically conductive nanofibrous gels that can be used to heal heart and skeletal muscle tissue. More information: Elisabeth Prince et al, Nanocolloidal hydrogel mimics the structure and nonlinear mechanical properties of biological fibrous networks, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220755120 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A fallow deer. Credit: Luke Saddler Modern populations of fallow deer possess hidden cultural histories dating back to the Roman Empire, which should be factored into decisions around their management and conservation. New research, bringing together DNA analysis with archaeological insights, has revealed how fallow deer have been repeatedly moved to new territories by humans, often as a symbol of colonial power or because of ancient cultures and religions. The results show that the animal was first introduced into Britain by the Romans and not the Normans, as previously believed. The findings also reveal how British colonial links during the 17th19th centuries played a key role in spreading the deer around the world, including the Caribbean island of Barbuda, where fallow deer are the national animal. The research, conducted jointly by Durham University and the University of Exeter, compares contemporary fallow deer records with zooarchaeological samples dating back 10,000 years. The work has been published in two new studies, simultaneously. "The 10,000-year biocultural history of fallow deer and its implications for conservation policy" is featured in the latest edition of PNAS, while "Ancient and modern DNA tracks temporal and spatial population dynamics in the European fallow deer since the Eemian interglacial" appears in Scientific Reports. Dr. Karis Baker, Department of Biosciences, Durham University, said, "Over the last 10,000 years, humans have manipulated fallow deer populations with varying outcomes. Persian fallow deer (Dama mesopotamica) are now endangered, while European fallow deer (Dama dama) are globally widespread and simultaneously considered wild, domestic, endangered, invasive and are even the national animal of Barbuda and Antigua. But despite this close association with people, there has been little consensus regarding their natural ranges or the timing and circumstances of their human-mediated translocations." Using several hundred DNA samples extracted from both modern and archaeological deer specimens around the worldincluding the oldest sample so far sequenced from the UK at 130,000 years oldthe researchers were able to generate an evolutionary history "tree" for the animal. The analysis revealed two distinct European fallow deer populations. The first originated in the Balkans and extended right across Southern and Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman Empireincluding to Englandbut today survives only in pockets of Spain, Italy and the Greek Islands. The second originated in Anatolia and remained relatively isolated until it was brought to Britain in 1000 AD, from where it was taken around the world. A third groupthe Persian fallow deerwas once widespread throughout southwest Asia but is now listed as Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Professor Rus Hoelzel, in the Molecular Ecology Group, Durham University Department of Biosciences, said, "These data provide a number of fascinating insights. For example, populations in southern Europe show indications of being stable for extended periods of time suggesting very early translocation from a likely glacial refuge in the Balkans." Combining the genetic data with archaeological and historical records enabled the team to build a picture of how fallow deer has been translocated by people at different times and in varying cultural contexts. The animal's strong association with Greco-Roman goddesses Artemis and Diana, for example, would have driven much of its movements around the Mediterranean during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman period. The team identified the earliest evidence of fallow deer beyond the Mediterranean at a Roman palace in Fishbourne, in what is now West Sussex, and found evidence to suggest the animal remained in the country for several hundred years before becoming extinct. Several centuries later, deer originating from the Anatolian population were then reintroduced around 1000 AD, just before the Norman Conquest, and it was this population that in turn, was exported around the British Empire. This practice was referenced in the 17th century Dutch hunting manuscript "Jacht-Bedryff," for example, which states that Maurice of Nassau, later the Prince of Orange, acquired 100 fallow deer from England to stock The Hague Forest. Historical records also show that Anatolian fallow deer were exported to the island of Barbuda by the Codrington family of Gloucestershire, where its cultural status has changed from symbolizing colonial dominance to freedom, following the emancipation of slaves in 1834. Naomi Sykes, Lawrence Professor of Archaeology, and Head of University of Exeter's Department of Archaeology and History said, "These findings overturn much of what we thought we knew about the origins and the spread of fallow deer. Worshipped as Greco-Roman deities, fallow deer have been subject to repeated translocations, largely as symbols of cultural power, and this means that today, they very much expose the limitations of labels such as 'domestic,' 'wild,' 'endangered' and 'invasive.'" The authors say that the example of Barbuda, where the deer is afforded no legal protection due to its alien statusdespite being the national animalhas implications for conservation principles. Professor Sykes said, "Conservation policy is invariably based on contemporary or recent understanding of an animal's status, such as how and when it was introduced. But while many species may legitimately be labeled as invasive, this is not true of all translocated populations, some of whom are critically entangled with human history and might offer valuable cultural heritage or a conservation resource." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The wing, highlighting the flight feathers, of Temminck's Lark. Credit: Yosef Kiat Birds can flyat least, most of them can. Flightless birds like penguins and ostriches have evolved lifestyles that don't require flight. However, there's a lot that scientists don't know about how the wings and feathers of flightless birds differ from their airborne cousins. In a new study in the journal PNAS, scientists examined hundreds of birds in museum collections and discovered a suite of feather characteristics that all flying birds have in common. These "rules" provide clues as to how the dinosaur ancestors of modern birds first evolved the ability to fly, and which dinosaurs were capable of flight. Not all dinosaurs evolved into birds, but all living birds are dinosaurs. Birds are members of the group of dinosaurs that survived when an asteroid hit the Earth 66 million years ago. Long before the asteroid hit, some of the members of a group of dinosaurs called Penneraptorans began to evolve feathers and the ability to fly. Members of the Penneraptoran group began to develop feathers before they were able to fly; the original purpose of feathers might have been for insulation or to attract mates. For instance, Velociraptor had feathers, but it couldn't fly. Of course, scientists can't hop in a time machine to the Cretaceous Period to see whether Velociraptors could fly. Instead, paleontologists rely on clues in the animals' fossilized skeletons, like the size and shape of arm/wing bones and wishbones, along with the shape of any preserved feathers, to determine which species were capable of true, powered flight. For instance, the long primary feathers along the tips of birds' wings are asymmetrical in birds that can fly, but symmetrical in birds that can't. The primary feathers of a penguin. Credit: Yosef Kiat The quest for clues about dinosaur flight led to a collaboration between Jingmai O'Connor, a paleontologist at the Field Museum in Chicago, and Yosef Kiat, a postdoctoral researcher at the Field. "Yosef, an ornithologist, was investigating traits like the number of different types of wing feathers in relation to the length of arm bone they attach to, and the degree of asymmetry in birds' flight feathers," said O'Connor, the museum's associate curator of fossil reptiles, who specializes in early birds. "Through our collaboration, Yosef is able track these traits in fossils that are 160120 million years old, and therefore study the early evolutionary history of feathers." Kiat undertook a study of the feathers of every order of living birds, examining specimens from 346 different species preserved in museums around the world. As he looked at the wings and feathers from hummingbirds and hawks, penguins and pelicans, he noticed a number of consistent traits among species that can fly. For instance, in addition to asymmetrical feathers, all the flighted birds had between nine and 11 primary feathers. In flightless birds, the number varies widely penguins have more than 40, while emus have none. It's a deceptively simple rule that's seemingly gone unnoticed by scientists. "It's really surprising, that with so many styles of flight we can find in modern birds, they all share this trait of having between nine and 11 primary feathers," says Kiat. "And I was surprised that no one seems to have found this before." Fossil showing the wing and feathers of the prehistoric bird Confuciusornis. Credit: Yosef Kiat By applying the information about the number of primary feathers to the overall bird family tree, Kiat and O'Connor also found that it takes a long time for birds to evolve a different number of primary feathers. "This trait only changes after really long periods of geologic time," says O'Connor. "It takes a very long time for evolution to act on this trait and change it." In addition to modern birds, the researchers also examined 65 fossil specimens representing 35 different species of feathered dinosaurs and extinct birds. By applying the findings from modern birds, the researchers were able to extrapolate information about the fossils. "You can basically look at the overlap of the number of primary feathers and the shape of those feathers to determine if a fossil bird could fly, and whether its ancestors could," says O'Connor. For instance, the researchers looked at the feathered dinosaur Caudipteryx. Caudipteryx had nine primary feathers, but those feathers are almost symmetrical, and the proportions of its wings would have made flight impossible. The researchers said it's possible that Caudipteryx had an ancestor that was capable of flight, but that trait was lost by the time Caudipteryx arrived on the scene. Since it takes a long time for the number of primary feathers to change, the flightless Caudipteryx retained its nine primaries. Meanwhile, other feathered fossils' wings seemed flight-ready including those of the earliest known bird, Archaeopteryx, and Microraptor, a tiny, four-winged dinosaur that isn't a direct ancestor of modern birds. Blackburnian Warblers in the collections of the Field Museum used in this study. Credit: Yosef Kiat Fossil showing the wings and feathers of the dinosaur Microraptor. Credit: Yosef Kiat Taken a step further, these data may inform the conversation among scientists about the origins of dinosaurian flight. "It was only recently that scientists realized that birds are not the only flying dinosaurs," says O'Connor. "And there have been debates about whether flight evolved in dinosaurs just once, or multiple separate times. Our results here seem to suggest that flight only evolved once in dinosaurs, but we have to really recognize that our understanding of flight in dinosaurs is just beginning, and we're likely still missing some of the earliest stages of feathered wing evolution." "Our study, which combines paleontological data based on fossils of extinct species with information from birds that live today, provides interesting insights into feathers and plumageone of the most interesting evolutionary novelties among vertebrates. Thus, it helps us learn about the evolution of these dinosaurs and highlights the importance of integrating knowledge from different sources for an improved understanding of evolutionary processes," says Kiat. "Theropod dinosaurs, including birds, are one of the most successful vertebrate lineages on our planet," says O'Connor. "One of the reasons that they're so successful is their flight. One of the other reasons is probably their feathers, because there's such versatile structures. So any information that can help us understand how these two important features co-evolved that led to this enormous success is really important." More information: Kiat, Yosef et al, Functional constraints on the number and shape of flight feathers, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306639121 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Sturgeon were the most threatened group of listed fish in the report, with overfishing and pollution particular concerns. Credit: Egor Kamelev from Pexels Risks to migrating mammals, birds and fishes are rising, a landmark report has warned. The first State of the World's Migratory Species report found that countries aren't doing enough to save threatened species, which are in danger of falling through gaps in legal protections. Even though they're meant to be protected, sharks, rays and sturgeon are in danger of disappearing. The State of the World's Migratory Species report reveals that 97% of fishes listed under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) are threatened with extinction. Our voracious appetite is pushing many species towards the brink, with pollution and bycatch also driving the dramatic declines. Dr. Rupert Collins, the Natural History Museum's Senior Curator of Fishes, says, "Migratory fishes are affected by almost every negative impact that humans have on the planet, not just overfishing." "The destruction of habitats like mangroves removes important shelter for young fish to grow up in, dams obstruct their passage, while plastic and sewage pollution swamp their environment. "Unfortunately, they don't currently have much of a chance where humans live, and that's the sobering reality of the report." As well as fish, hundreds of other mammals and birds are also at risk. While 14 species are now in a better position than they were in the 1970s, such as the humpback whale, these successes are outweighed by the 70 animals which are now more endangered than ever. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, says, "Migratory species act not only as indicators of environmental change but play an integral role in maintaining the function and resilience of our planet's complex ecosystems." "Today's report clearly shows us that unsustainable human activities are jeopardizing the future of these creatures. The global community has an opportunity to translate this latest science of the pressures facing migratory species into concrete conservation action." The report was launched on the first day of CMS COP14, an international meeting that hopes to provide additional protections for migratory species. Why are fishes under threat? Many animals live their life on the move, walking, swimming or flying across the world as part of regular migrations as they travel seasonally to breed and feed. As they move around, migratory species can help to spread seeds, cycle nutrients, and sequester carbon dioxide. They're also a vital part of food webs, feeding on and being fed on by many other species. By their very nature, these animals end up crossing borders, which can cause problems. What may be considered a protected species in one country might not be in another, meaning animal may never reach their intended destination. To try and address this, in 1979 many of the world's nations signed up to the CMS pledging to conserve the species listed. Today, over 130 states have signed the convention, although there are some notable absences such as the U.S., Japan and China. Under the convention migratory species considered at risk are put into one of two categories. Appendix I is for species threatened with extinction, and Appendix II for those with an "unfavorable" conservation status. The new report reveals that many species on both lists are in decline. Over three-quarters of Appendix I species are in decline, while the populations of 42% of species in Appendix II are falling. Of the species listed, fishes are the most threatened. Species like giant manta rays, whale sharks and the European eel have seen an average population decline of 90% since 1970. In part, this is likely because the large ranges of these species make their habitat difficult to protect. "Fish that are born and die in the same place are easier to conserve, as protected areas can cover their entire range," Rupert says. "Migratory fishes are much more susceptible to our impacts, as it's not easy to create protected areas that link all the different habitats they might use over their lifetime." But of all the fish, sturgeons are the most threatened. The popularity of their meat and caviar, as well as pollution and water abstraction, has led to these animals becoming highly endangered, with some species already thought to have become extinct. How are migratory animals doing? The problems being faced by sturgeons are representative of wider issues for migratory species. Both habitat loss and overexploitation affect more than 70% of these animals, with pollution having the third greatest impact. Together, these factors are estimated to have caused a 15% decline in migratory populations between 1970 and 2017. The greatest declines are happening in biodiverse continents such as Asia and Africa, while Europe is showing slight improvement (although this may be because much of its biodiversity has already been lost). While mammals, birds and reptiles appear to be bucking the overall trend, it may be related to a few species recovering strongly which is offsetting the losses from many others. In addition, the population trends of around a tenth of species are also unknown, making it hard to work out how they are faring. Turning around historic declines will not be easy, but many of the actions are relatively straightforward. The report calls for the existing network of protected areas to be expanded and more effectively protected, noting that over half of sites important for migratory species are under unsustainable pressure from humans. It also calls for better protections against illegal killings of migratory animals. For example, around the Mediterranean, it's estimated that around 25 million birds die every year from illegal hunting despite international agreements. A more difficult task, however, is to assess the conservation status of many oceanic migratory species. The difficulty of assessing marine creatures like fish, squid and crustaceans means that, in many cases it's simply not known how well their populations are doing. "We don't necessarily know the extent of the natural ranges for many species, how they use their habitats, and to what degree they migrate," Rupert adds. "It's a particular problem in the tropics, where there are thousands of species which are yet to be described or even studied at the most basic level." In the meantime, the report lists 399 species that might benefit from being listed in the CMS, including the emperor penguin, the walrus, and two species of horseshoe crab. These potential new listings will be among the topics delegates to CMS COP14 will be discussing, as they hope to close a new deal before the conference ends on 17 February. This story is republished courtesy of Natural History Museum. Read the original story here. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain While NASA is rooting for SpaceX to achieve Starship success so it can land humans on the moon, the U.S. military has plans of their own for the massive rocket that could include launches from Florida's Space Coast. Elon Musk's next-generation rocket currently in development at SpaceX's southeast Texas facilities is gearing up for its third suborbital test flight as soon as this month after its first two ended in explosions last year. It's part of the company's long-term plans for a completely reusable spacecraft with more payload capacity into space than any other rocket ever. Starship's potential also includes flying quickly from one spot on Earth to another, which is what has the Department of Defense interested. That was discussed during the Space Mobility Conference held by the Space Force at the Orange County Convention Center earlier this month. "Rocket cargo point-to-point is not the reason we're building Starship," said SpaceX senior adviser Gary Henry. "We're building Starship to get to Mars." [But] "what we're finding is it's a system we're putting together that has profound impacts for national security, and one of them just happens to be rocket point-to-point." The big driver of that is the potential the military could use the rocket to send supplies, and perhaps even troops in the future, to anywhere in the world in less than an hour. Defense department officials began looking at the idea two decades ago but only recently has it come closer to reality. "Envision a number of containers sitting in a warehouse down in [Cape] Canaveral, we go to an alert level, we pull them up, you start putting them on the rocket," said Gregory Spanjers, chief scientist for the U.S. Air Force Research Lab. "At each successive alert level, your time to launch shrinks and shrinks and shrinks, and we can we get it down to one hour." Spanjers said teams have already been making mockups of Starship's cargo bay figuring out how to take advantage of a quick supply run. Speed is the obvious draw, but the cost is dropping and getting closer to existing expenses for moving supplies. Henry said SpaceX's current fleet of Falcon 9 rockets with boosters originally designed to fly 10 times, but with future boosters that might go up as many as 40 times, have brought the price of flying payloads from about $4,500 per pound to about $900 per pound. The Falcon 9's have a capacity of 44,000 pounds to 132,000 pounds. "But Starship is a very different animal," he said. "Starship is fundamentally meant to be rapidly reusable We designed the vehicle from the outset to fly 100 times, not 10 times, and it's going to deliver [220,000 to 250,000 pounds] 100 to 115 metric tons to low-Earth orbit." He said Starship would bring the cost trajectory down to a starting point of $90 per pound. Musk has said he could see that dropping even more to $9 a pound down the road. Henry said these are prices close to what one gets using a C-17 cargo plane transport, the supply workhorse of the military, but with flights that take hours instead of minutes. He also stressed just how often SpaceX plans to launch. "In a few years, we will be launching Starships hundreds, and soon thereafter, thousands of times a year," he said. "And if just assuming you have a rapidly reusable system that could let's say launch twice a day, from a single launch base, you're going to find very, very quickly, we're going to run out of places to launch." Right now SpaceX has one usable launch tower at Starbase in Texas, but it is already building out more. Steel girders constructed at SpaceX's Kennedy Space Center facilities were loaded Wednesday on a barge to make their way to Starbase. SpaceX is also building out a Starship launch tower at KSC. To meet its launch plans, it will need multiple launch towers from its existing launch sites at KSC, Texas and California, but SpaceX could spread its footprint to new launch sites down the line as well, and that could feed into point-to-point plans the military is interested in, Henry said. "I think the answer is we're going to need both as a company, but also as a nation, to fully leverage Starship," he said. "We're going to need a proliferation of launch sites [within the continental U.S.] and maybe even globally to fully capture this." It's one of the facets of China's growing space program that is starting to outpace the U.S. During a talk at the conference, Space Force intelligence analyst Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Lerch with Space Systems Command said China was beginning to build out more launch sites and advance their rocket types to catch up to the U.S. "There's a bottleneck that they need to alleviate so they're doing something about it," he said noting it performed its first sea launch in the South China Sea as well. He also noted their price points are projected to fall as well with China's Long March 5 rocket flying at around $1,360 per pound, but the Long March 9 rocket is aiming to be completely reusable with a price cut in half down to $680 per pound. "China is moving very, very close, It is full speed ahead in terms of reusability," he said, and that it too is relying on commercial launches, and not just government rockets. This thrust feeds into China's stance as a superpower in space as it continues to build out its low-Earth orbit space station and has plans to pursue a crewed lunar landing before the end of the decade. On top of any sort of lunar competition, China's saber-rattling in terms of trying to reunify with Taiwan has U.S. military concerned. "Right now we have a very aggressive adversary," said Space Force Col. Nathan Vosters, director for requirements, resources, and programs for the Indo-Pacific region. He said the ability for rapid delivery to that part of the world ties directly to ensuring a free and open region, which generates 60% of the world's gross domestic product. "This technology, I think, has the opportunity to both promote a continued free and open Indo-Pacific while also contributing directly to the war fight if and when that time would come," he said. "At the very least, this changes the calculus problem a little bit for our adversaries in the region." Spanjers said getting over the technological hurdle that Starship is attempting is essential but everyone on the board felt it was just a matter of time. "I hope that we see a successful demonstration here very quickly," he said. "I think we're all in your corner, because it advances where we're going." 2024 Orlando Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Chenanisaurus barbaricus. Credit: Paleocolour, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. 66 million years ago, the last dinosaurs vanished from Earth. We're still trying to understand why. New fossils of abelisaursdistant relatives of the tyrannosaursfrom north Africa suggest that African dinosaurs remained diverse up to the very end. And that suggests their demise came suddenly, with the impact of a giant asteroid. The causes of the mass extinction have been debated for two centuries. Georges Cuvier, the father of paleontology, thought extinction was driven by catastrophes. Charles Darwin thought gradual changes in the environment and competition between species slowly drove lineages extinct. As our understanding of the fossil record improved, it became clear that the Cretaceous period (145 million years to 66 million years ago) ended with an extraordinary wave of extinction. Huge numbers of species disappeared, worldwide, in a brief period. The discovery of the 180km-wide Chixculub asteroid impact crater in Mexico suggested a sudden extinction of dinosaurs and other species, driven by the impact. But others have argued that a long, slow decline in dinosaur diversity contributed to their extinction. Piecing together the story is hard. It's not just that dinosaur fossils are so rare; the fossil record is also patchy. Most of what we know about the dinosaurs' final days is the result of intensive study of a few places in the United States, Canada and Mongolia. Far less is known about dinosaurs of the southern landmassesSouth America, India, Madagascar, Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand. Partly that's down to geography; it's hard to find dinosaurs in rainforests. Partly there have, historically, just been more paleontologists and museums in the northern hemisphere. The question is whether the picture is biased. Because it's such a huge landmass, Africa probably had far more dinosaur species than North America. Yet until recently we've known hardly anything about Africa's end-Cretaceous dinosaurs. Africa has few terrestrial rocks from this period. That's because high levels of volcanic activity pushed sea levels up, submerging much of Africa under shallow seas. Dinosaurs, being terrestrial, rarely occur in marine rocks. But rarely doesn't mean never. Study enough marine fossils, you eventually find a dinosaur. And in Morocco, we've studied lots of marine fossils. What we've found The phosphate deposits of Morocco are the remains of an ancient seabed, dating to the final million years of the dinosaur era. They're full of fish bones and scales, shark teeth and marine reptiles. Vast numbers of marine reptilesmosasaurs, plesiosaurs, sea turtles. But once in a while, dinosaurs turn up. It's not clear how dinosaur bones ended up in marine sediments. Dinosaurs may have swum out to islands searching for food, as deer and elephants do today, and some might have drowned. Other dinosaurs might have been washed out to sea by floods or storms, or drowned in rivers that carried them downstream to the ocean. Still others may have died on the shoreline before being carried out on a high tide. But some improbable series of events transported dinosaurs into the ocean. And so, studying marine beds, and working over many years, we've slowly put together a picture of Africa's last dinosaurs, bone by bone. Africa's last dinosaurs included titanosaurian sauropods, long-necked plant-eaters the size of elephants. Horse-sized duckbill dinosaurs filled the herbivore niche. But the carnivores are particularly interesting. Sitting at the top of the food chain, they tell us a lot about the ecosystem. And African predatory dinosaurs were diverse, implying diverse herbivores, and lots of them. The top predator was a ten-meter-long animal called Chenanisaurus barbaricus. So far Chenanisaurus is known from just a jawbone, but this tells us it was part of the Abelisauridae, a bizarre family of carnivores found in South America, India, Madagascar and Europe, while tyrannosaurs dominated in the north. Abelisaurs had short, bulldog snouts, and sometimes horns, and they had bizarre, stumpy little arms that make the arms of T. rex look massive by comparison. Now, fossils of two new abelisaurs have appeared in Morocco. One is known from a tibia, a shin bone. It was smaller than Chenanisaurus, about five meters longsmall by dinosaur standards, but large compared to modern predators. Curiously, it resembles abelisaurs found in South America. It's possible this marks an ancient land connection that existed between the continents 100 million years ago. Or, abelisaurs may have swum the narrow seaway separating the continents. Another bone is from the foot of an even smaller abelisaurid, just three meters long. Similar small abelisaurids occur in Europe; it may be related to them. In recent months, more dinosaur fossils and more species have turned up. We're still writing these fossils up, so we can't say much now, but finding so many species in a handful of fossils tells us we're sampling from a highly diverse fauna. While fossils from the Great Plains in North America may record a decline in dinosaur diversity, this may be a local phenomenon, not a global one. It's possible global cooling in the latest Cretaceous hit higher-latitude environments hard, reducing diversity. But the African dinosaur fauna hints that at low latitudes, dinosaurs were thriving, even diversifying. If so, that means dinosaurs were cut down in their prime; burning out rather than fading away. What our findings show Africa's last dinosaurs, especially its diverse predatory dinosaurs, suggest that immediately before their extinction, the dinosaurs thrived. For over 100 million years, they evolved and diversified, producing a remarkable range of species: predators, herbivores, aquatic species, even flying forms, the birds. Then in a single, catastrophic moment, everything was wiped out in the months of darkness caused by dust and soot from the impact. Everything, except a half-dozen or so bird species. Evolution is driven by rare, improbable events like asteroid impacts. Curiously, science is often driven forward by improbable events as welllike the unlikely discovery of dinosaurs buried millions of years ago, at the bottom of the sea. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The PREFIRE mission will send two CubeSatsdepicted in an artist's concept orbiting Earthinto space to study how much heat the planet absorbs and emits from its polar regions. These measurements will inform climate and ice models. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Two new miniature NASA satellites will start crisscrossing Earth's atmosphere in a few months, detecting heat lost to space. Their observations from the planet's most bone-chilling regions will help predict how our ice, seas, and weather will change in the face of global warming. About the size of a shoebox, the cube satellites, or CubeSats, comprise a mission called PREFIRE, short for Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment. Equipped with technology proven at Mars, their objective is to reveal the full spectrum of heat loss from Earth's polar regions for the first time, making climate models more accurate. PREFIRE has been jointly developed by NASA and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with team members from the universities of Michigan and Colorado. The mission starts with Earth's energy budget. In a planetary balancing act, the amount of heat energy the planet receives from the sun should ideally be offset by the amount that radiates from the Earth system into space. The difference between incoming and outgoing energy determines Earth's temperature and shapes our climate. Polar regions play a key role in the process, acting like Earth's radiator fins. The stirring of air and water, through weather and ocean currents, moves heat energy received in the tropics toward the poles, where it is emitted as thermal infrared radiationthe same type of energy you feel from a heat lamp. Some 60% of that energy flows out to space in far-infrared wavelengths that have never been systematically measured. PREFIRE can close that gap. "We have the potential to discover some fundamental things about how our planet works," said Brian Drouin, scientist and deputy principal investigator for the mission at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "In climate projections, a lot of the uncertainty comes in from what we don't know about the North and South poles and how efficiently radiation is emitted into space," he said. "The importance of that radiation wasn't realized for much of the Space Age, but we know now and are aiming to measure it." Launching from New Zealand two weeks apart in May, each satellite will carry a thermal infrared spectrometer. The JPL-designed instruments include specially shaped mirrors and detectors for splitting and measuring infrared light. Similar technology is used by the Mars Climate Sounder on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to explore the Red Planet's atmosphere and weather. Miniaturizing the instruments to fit on CubeSats was a challenge for the PREFIRE engineering team. They developed a scaled-down design optimized for the comparatively warm conditions of our own planet. Weighing less than 6 pounds (3 kilograms), the instruments make readings using a device called a thermocouple, similar to the sensors found in many household thermostats. Ground zero for climate change To maximize coverage, the PREFIRE twins will orbit Earth along different paths, overlapping every few hours near the poles. Since the 1970s, the Arctic has warmed at least three times faster than anywhere else on Earth. Winter sea ice there has shrunk by more than 15,900 square miles (41,200 square kilometers) per year, a loss of 2.6% per decade relative to the 1981-2010 average. A change is occurring on the opposite side of the planet, too: Antarctica's ice sheets are losing mass at an average rate of about 150 billion tons per year. The implications of these changes are far-reaching. Fluctuations in sea ice shape polar ecosystems and influence the temperature and circulation of the ocean. Meltwater from mile-thick ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica is responsible for about one-third of the rise in global mean sea level since 1993. "If you change the polar regions, you also fundamentally change the weather around the world," said Tristan L'Ecuyer, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the mission's principal investigator. "Extreme storms, flooding, coastal erosionall of these things are influenced by what's going on in the Arctic and Antarctic." To understand and project such changes, scientists use climate models that consider many physical processes. Running the models multiple times (each time under slightly different conditions and assumptions) results in an ensemble of climate projections. Assumptions about uncertain parameters, such as how efficiently the poles emit thermal radiation, can significantly impact the projections. PREFIRE will supply new data on various climate variables, including atmospheric temperature, surface properties, water vapor, and clouds. Ultimately, more information will yield a more accurate vision of a world in flux, said L'Ecuyer. "As our climate models converge, we'll start to really understand what the future's going to look like in the Arctic and Antarctic," he added. Provided by NASA This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Excited nature lovers flocked to a tiny town from all across the state of Vermont last September, wildlife officials said. They all came to see one rare sight: a marbled godwit. The spotting on Sept. 19 in North Hero was a significant moment for birders in the area. It was the second time a marbled godwit was reported in Vermont during the past decade, according to eBird, a bird sighting database ran by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. "The godwit in North Hero was a rare and exciting find, the kind of 'vagrant'or bird outside of its usual rangethat gives local birders a chance to see a new species close to home," Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department bird biologist Jill Kilborn said in a Feb. 6 news release. But seemingly out of nowhere, the godwit was found dead a week after its first sighting, officials said. A landowner found the dead bird within a mile of where it was spotted alive, Kilborn told McClatchy News in an email. Many birders grew worried about what happened to the godwit after they noticed its disappearance from the shore, officials said. Due to the rarity of the bird and its mysterious death, wildlife officials said they decided to send the bird to a laboratory in New Hampshire to find out what happened. Now, months later, state officials have released the cause of the rare bird's death. A marbled godwit is a shorebird with "stilt-like legs," officials said. It has an "extremely long" bill that helps it dig in the sand for food, according to All About Birds. It's about as big as a crow with typically brown and white coloration, according to the database. The bird prefers to stay near wetlands during breeding, then move on to salt ponds and beaches during the winter. Marbled godwits range from the Great Plains and Ontario when breeding to the Atlantic and Gulf Coast for winter, although they don't usually cross through Vermont, officials said. It's unknown how the bird ended up in Vermont, although factors such as strong weather or migratory patterns can contribute, Kilborn said. Confusion on what happened to the marbled godwit was cleared up with the test results from the University of New Hampshire Diagnostics Lab, according to state officials. The results took about six weeks to process, Kilborn said. After a "full disease panel and necropsy," it appeared the bird died of natural causes, the department said. Despite having no injuries, the godwit had several other issues that officials say may have contributed to its death: malnutrition, "high parasite load" and infections. "Oftentimes birds found outside of their normal range are very stressed, and if they can't find the proper food or cover this can combine with other stressors like poor nutrition and sickness," Kilborn said in the release. "All evidence suggests this is what happened to the godwit." Even though other factors were at play in the godwit's death, it still could serve as a valuable lesson on how "excited viewers" could put unintentional stress on a rare bird, Kilborn said. "If a bird is changing their behavior because you are watching them, then you are too close," she said. North Hero is about 35 miles northwest of Burlington. 2024 The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Overview of dataset. Credit: Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06862-3 Following the arrival of the first farmers in Scandinavia 5,900 years ago, the hunter-gatherer population was wiped out within a few generations, according to a new study from Lund University in Sweden, among others. The results, which are contrary to prevailing opinion, are based on DNA analysis of skeletons and teeth found in what is now Denmark. The extensive study has been published as four separate articles in the journal Nature. An international research team, of which Lund University in Sweden is a member, has been able to draw new conclusions about the effects of migration on ancient populations by extracting DNA from skeletal parts and teeth of prehistoric people. The study shows, among other things, that there have been two almost total population turnovers in Denmark over the past 7,300 years. The first population change happened 5,900 years ago when a farmer population, with a different origin and appearance, drove out the gatherers, hunters and fishers who had previously populated Scandinavia. Within a few generations, almost the entire hunter-gatherer population was wiped out. "This transition has previously been presented as peaceful. However, our study indicates the opposite. In addition to violent death, it is likely that new pathogens from livestock finished off many gatherers," says Anne Birgitte Nielsen, geology researcher and head of the Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory at Lund University. A thousand years later, about 4,850 years ago, another population change took place when people with genetic roots in Yamnayaa livestock herding people with origins in southern Russiacame to Scandinavia and wiped out the previous farmer population. Once again, this could have involved both violence and new pathogens. These big-boned people pursued a semi-nomadic life on the steppes, tamed animals, kept domestic cattle and moved over large areas using horses and carts. The people who settled in our climes were a mix between Yamnaya and Eastern European Neolithic people. This genetic profile is dominant in today's Denmark, whereas the DNA profile of the first farmer population has been essentially erased. "This time there was also a rapid population turnover, with virtually no descendants from the predecessors. We don't have as much DNA material from Sweden, but what there is points to a similar course of events. In other words, many Swedes are to a great extent also descendants of these semi-nomads," says Birgitte Nielsen, who contributed quantitative pollen data that show how the vegetation changed in connection with the population changes. The results do not just overturn previous theories about amorous and peaceful meetings between groups of people. The study also provides a deepened understanding of historical migration flows, and the interpretation of archaeological finds and changes in vegetation and land use found in paleoecological data. "Our results help to enhance our knowledge of our heredity and our understanding of the development of certain diseases. Something that in the long term could be beneficial, for example in medical research," concludes Birgitte Nielsen. More information: Morten E. Allentoft et al, 100 ancient genomes show repeated population turnovers in Neolithic Denmark, Nature (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06862-3 Journal information: Nature This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: These gravel-capped fluvial ridges in northeastern Colorado were among the "fossil river" remnants studied by Nebraska geologists Jesse Korus and Matt Joeckel. The eroded remnants of ancient river channels provide important information about ancient hydrology, landscape changes and uplift of the Great Plains. Credit: Jesse Korus | Natural Resources Nebraska's rivers can be thought of as places for quiet contemplation, familiar local landmarks or as precious natural resources to be protected. For Jesse Korus, the state's rivers are all that, but they're also something more: They are messengers from Nebraska's deep geologic past. And their messages, discerned through innovative analysis of remnant river-channel deposits preserved in modern topography and rock outcrops, are important in helping Nebraskans understand the ongoing geological dynamics affecting the state. Korus, an associate professor with the University of NebraskaLincoln's School of Natural Resources, is deepening the knowledge of Nebraska's geologic past by co-authoring two recent studies of ancient river systems on the Great Plains. "This is the first time we've directly observed the courses of ancient river channels over a broad area of the Great Plains and related those to past landscapes and events," Korus said. One paper, published in Geosphere, observes that Great Plains landscapes "are the products of a long-lived, continental sediment routing system" via rivers, "and yet strikingly little is known about these ancient rivers." The paper by Korus and Matt Joeckel, senior associate director of the School of Natural Resources and Nebraska state geologist, helps fill in the knowledge gap about the history of the Platte River's ancestral river system from as long as 33 million years ago. "The rivers were agents of construction of the Great Plains," said Korus, who is also a groundwater geologist for the Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division. Joeckel is the CSD director. A second paper by the two scientists, published in The Sedimentary Record, explains how patterns of riverine sediment deposition from the Rocky Mountains down to the Gulf of Mexico convey key geologic information about upstream conditions. Enormous, fan-shaped sedimentary deposits in Nebraska's ancient High Plains stabilized the river's sediment delivery system, holding sediments for millions of years, and prevented climate fluctuations from rapidly altering the landscape in downstream areas, Korus and Joeckel wrote. "These rivers carried not only the sediments and the water itself, but information about the geologic pastpast environment, past events," Korus said. "For example, uplift in the Rocky Mountains would have created a pulse of sediment that ultimately ended up as a thick sediment body deposited in the sink" far downstream in the Gulf of Mexico. Giant "megafans" of sedimentation in ancient southwest Nebraska, as well as parts of Colorado and Wyoming, delayed that information transmission by acting as a "signal buffer," Korus and Joeckel found. The vast fan-like structures, up to 56 miles wide, stored sediment eroded from the Rocky Mountains for perhaps as long as 5 million years before some of it was transported downstream. This geologic process delayed the riverine transmission of signals of uplift and climate change affecting the ancient river basin. The Nebraska scientists' analysis strengthens the understanding of how rivers respond to tectonic movement, geomorphic upheaval and climate change over geologic timescales. Their work also sets the stage for Korus and Joeckel to pursue expanded geologic analysis of western Nebraska, eastern Wyoming and northeast Colorado. Sediments exposed at the surface in those areas are analogous to the Ogallala Aquifer in the subsurface farther east. This future research can boost understanding of the aquifer, Nebraska's preeminent natural resource. Such study, Korus said, can "improve our understanding of deposits in the subsurface, the very deposits that are part of the High Plains Ogallala Aquifer. So it lends itself to an increased understanding of our great aquifer systems here in Nebraska." For both these projects, Korus and Joeckel used the remote-sensing technology known as lidar, or light detection and ranging, which enables analysis of the terrain in remarkably fine detail. For the first paper, Korus and Joeckel identified more than 3,100 fluvial ridges, the eroded remnants of ancient river channels that provide important information about ancient hydrology and drainage patterns. Meticulous analysis of those "fossil rivers," spanning from 2 million years ago to about 33 million years in the past, revealed the evolution of the Platte River system. It indicated that the streams of the ancient South Platte River system were initially small and diverse, following a course quite different from the modern river system. "The earliest South Platte was far different than it is today," Korus said. "Some rivers flowed from northwest to southeast, perpendicular to the modern South Platte River in eastern Colorado. That suggests that that river system wasn't quite established yet. It was still in its earliest stages. Then, younger ridges show us that the rivers became larger, leading to the incision of the modern South Platte valley. Only after the modern route of the South Platte was established did the modern North Platte valley begin to develop." Understanding these ancient geologic details hinges on discerning the messages contained in Nebraska's geology. "Sediments and rocks in general can be read like a book, and they tell us about the geologic past," Korus said. More information: Jesse T. Korus et al, Exhumed fluvial landforms reveal evolution of late EocenePliocene rivers on the Central and Northern Great Plains, USA, Geosphere (2023). DOI: 10.1130/GES02587.1 Jesse Korus et al, Telescopic Megafans on the High Plains, USA Were Signal Buffers in a Major Source-To-Sink System, The Sedimentary Record (2023). DOI: 10.2110/001c.89096 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The study area in the Baltic Sea. Location and relative ages of submerged archaeological sites are taken from http://www.splashcos.org. (A) Overview map of the Western Baltic Sea. Bathymetric data were taken from the Global Multi-Resolution Topography (GMRT) synthesis (3). (B) Detailed structure of the Bay of Mecklenburg including the location of the Blinkerwall. Bathymetric data from The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency Bundesamt fur Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH). Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312008121 In autumn 2021, geologists discovered an unusual row of stones, almost 1 km long, at the bottom of Mecklenburg Bight. The site is located around 10 kilometers off Rerik at a 21-meter water depth. The approximately 1,500 stones are aligned so regularly that a natural origin seems unlikely. A team of researchers from different disciplines has now concluded that Stone Age hunter-gatherers likely built this structure around 11,000 years ago to hunt reindeer. The finding represents the first discovery of a Stone Age hunting structure in the Baltic Sea region. The scientists present their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The discovery of the hunting site Originally, a team of researchers and students from Kiel University (CAU) wanted to investigate manganese crusts on a ridge of basal till that forms the seafloor about 10 kilometers off Rerik in Mecklenburg Bight. During their survey, however, they discovered a 970-meter long regular row of stones. The structure consists of around 1,500 stones, most some tens of centimeters in diameter, that connect several large meter-scale boulders. The researchers reported their discovery to the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state agency for culture and monument preservation (Landesamt fur Kultur und Denkmalpflege Mecklenburg-Vorpommern LAKD M-V), which then coordinated further investigations. The stone wall is located on the southwestern flank of a ridge of basal till trending roughly parallel to an adjacent basin in the South, presumably a former lake or bog. Today, the Baltic Sea is 21 meters deep at this location. Thus, the stone wall must have been built before the sea level rose significantly after the end of the last ice age, which happened around 8,500 years ago. Large parts of the previously accessible landscape ultimately flooded at that time. Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemunde (IOW), the CAU research focus Kiel Marine Science, the University of Rostock, the Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology (ZBSA, since 2024 part of the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology LEIZA), the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) as well as the LAKD M-V used modern geophysical methods to create a detailed 3D model of the wall and to reconstruct the structure of the ancient landscape. Using sediment samples from the adjacent basin to the south, it was possible to narrow down the possible period when the wall could have been built. Furthermore, research divers from the universities of Rostock and Kiel explored the stone wall. The results to date "Our investigations indicate that a natural origin of the underwater stone wall as well as a construction in modern times, for instance, in connection with submarine cable laying or stone harvesting are not very likely. The methodical arrangement of the many small stones that connect the large, non-moveable boulders speaks against this," explains Jacob Geersen, lead author of the study. As part of the new IOW research focus "Shallow Water Processes and Transitions to the Baltic Scale," Geersen is investigating geological and anthropogenic processes in the Baltic Sea region. Excluding natural processes and a modern origin, the stone wall could only have been formed after the end of the last ice age, when the landscape was not yet flooded by the Baltic Sea. "At this time, the entire population across northern Europe was likely below 5,000 people. One of their main food sources were herds of reindeer, which migrated seasonally through the sparsely vegetated post-glacial landscape. The wall was probably used to guide the reindeer into a bottleneck between the adjacent lakeshore and the wall, or even into the lake, where the Stone Age hunters could kill them more easily with their weapons," explains Marcel Bradtmoller from the University of Rostock. Comparable prehistoric hunting structures have already been found in other parts of the world, for example, at the bottom of Lake Huron (Michigan) at a depth of 30 meters. Here, US archaeologists documented stone walls as well as hunting blinds constructed for hunting caribou, the North American equivalent of reindeer. The stone walls in Lake Huron and in Mecklenburg Bight share many characteristics such as a location on the flank of a topographic ridge, as well as a subparallel trending lakeshore on one side. As the last reindeer herds disappeared from our latitudes around 11,000 years ago, when the climate became warmer and forests were spreading, the stone wall was most likely not built after this time. This would make it the oldest human structure ever discovered in the Baltic Sea. "Although numerous well-preserved archaeological sites from the Stone Age are known from the Bay of Wismar and along the coast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, these are located in much shallower water depths and mostly date to the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods (approx. 7,0002,500 BC)," explains Jens Auer from the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Office for Culture and Monument Preservation (LAKD M-V), who was involved in the exploration and sampling of many of these sites. What's next? The stone wall and the surrounding seabed will be investigated in more detail using side-scan sonar, sediment echo sounder and multibeam echo sounder devices. Additionally, research divers from the University of Rostock and archaeologists from the LAKD M-V are planning further diving campaigns to search the stone wall and its surroundings for archaeological finds that could help with the interpretation of the structure. Luminescence dating, which can be used to determine when the surface of a stone was last exposed to sunlight, may help in determining a more precise date that the stone wall was constructed. Furthermore, the researchers intend to reconstruct the ancient surrounding landscape in more detail. "We have evidence for the existence of comparable stone walls at other locations in the Mecklenburg Bight. These will be systematically investigated as well," explains Jens Schneider von Deimling from Kiel University. Overall, the investigations can make a significant contribution to understanding the life, organization and hunting methods of early Stone Age hunter-gatherers. More information: Geersen, Jacob et al, A submerged Stone Age hunting architecture from the Western Baltic Sea, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312008121 Provided by Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemunde This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Scientists have found the crystal structure and unlocked the mechanism of activity of a family of enzymes that produce monensin, widely used as a cattle antibiotic. Supercomputer simulations helped reveal the sequence of reactions of the enzyme. Knowing the structure and reaction mechanisms of monensin enzymes opens the door for future design of related antibiotics. Credit: Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41889-0 Chemists have determined for the first time the crystal structure of a key component of the monensin enzyme and have unlocked the mechanism of its reaction activity. "The main finding was the first crystal structure for this family of enzymes," said Chu-Young Kim, a professor of Biochemistry at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), who led the experimental side of the study. He and colleagues solved the crystal structure for MonCI, a key enzyme in soil bacteria that naturally synthesizes monensin. Lela Vukovic, an associate professor at The University of Texas, at El Paso (UTEP), performed the computational studies on the monensin research, published in Nature Communications. The University of Texas Research Cyberinfrastructure (UTRC) initiative awarded Vukovic supercomputer allocations on the Lonestar6 system at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) to meet these challenges. UTRC provides advanced computing capabilities to researchers across all 14 UT System institutions. TACC's Lonestar6 helped reveal the reaction sequence that produces monensin. This research opens the door for future design of safer, more effective antibiotics. "We found that MonCI is used to carry out three crucial epoxidation reactions," Kim said. "This is very unusual and has implications on how we can engineer the bacterium to produce new antibiotics." Kim, who recently left UTEP to join UIUC, consulted Vukovic's lab with the structure results and full of new questions. What he found was an interesting sequential reaction inside the enzyme. However, it was still experimentally impossible to obtain the crystal structure of the enzyme with the substrate inside in its active mode. Molecular dynamics simulations of MonCIpremonensin A free acid. (a) Initial and average distances between the C = C bond and the distal oxygen atom of C(4a)-hydroperoxy group for each simulated system. (b) Conformation of premonensin A free acid at the start (red) and after 200 ns (blue) of simulation. Credit: Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41889-0 That's when Kim and Vukovic decided to model the enzyme and substate in simulations when the substrate is stable. If a substrate is stable in a certain position, then a reaction can occur for that position. Vukovic and her students Tara Nitka and Anju Yadav developed full models of the roughly 78,000-atom system based on the crystal structures determined by the study experimentalists. "The computational challenges arose from examining multiple systems to determine the position in which premonensin A and its epoxidated versions are most stable and most likely to undergo first, second, and third epoxidation reactions," Vukovic said. "Supercomputers have been very useful in characterizing these biological molecules that naturally produce antibiotics," Vukovic added. "We would not be able to perform the computational studies without them. Computational studies help us discover and understand these complex sequential reactions important to society." Vukovic performed her postdoctoral research at UIUC under the late Klaus Schulten, whose legacy lives on in the NAMD software his group developed and was used in this study and countless others. "UIUC is doing a lot of work to optimize NAMD to run on the nation's supercomputers, such as Lonertar6 and Stampede2 at TACC," she said. "NAMD allowed us to zoom into this enzyme and see which reactions happen first, second, and third to generate monensin." "Monensin biosynthesis requires at least 14 different enzymes, one of which is MonCI," Kim added. "We must also investigate all of the other enzymes. In the future, we expect to generate improved versions of monensin to better take care of cattle and poultry. Additionally, monensin is toxic to horses and dogs, so these farm animals are sometimes accidentally poisoned and killed. Therefore, a nontoxic monensin is needed." The authors are Qian Wang, Tara A. Nitka, Anju Yadav, and Lela Vukovic of The University of Texas at El Paso; Ning Liu, Hongli Xiao, Hui Yang, and Xi Chen of Northwest University, China; Irimpan I. Mathews of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory; and Chu-Young Kim of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. More information: Qian Wang et al, Triepoxide formation by a flavin-dependent monooxygenase in monensin biosynthesis, Nature Communications (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41889-0 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Every year as Valentine's Day approaches, people remind themselves that not all expressions of love fit the stereotypes of modern romance. V-Day cynics might plan a "Galentines" night for female friends or toast their platonic "Palentines" instead. In other words, the holiday shines a cold light on the limits of our romantic imaginations, which hew to a familiar script. Two people are supposed to meet, the arrows of Cupid strike them unwittingly, and they have no choice but to fall in love. They face obstacles, they overcome them, and then they run into each other's arms. Love is a delightful sport, and neither reason nor the gods have anything to do with it. This model of romance flows from Roman poetry, medieval chivalry and Renaissance literature, especially Shakespeare. But as a professor of religion, I study an alternative vision of eros: medieval Christian mystics who viewed the body's desires as immediately and inescapably linked to God, reason and sometimes even suffering. Yet this way of thinking about love has even older roots. My favorite class to teach traces connections between eros and transcendence, starting with ancient Greek literature. Centuries before Christianity, the Greeks had their own ideas about desire. Erotic love was not a pleasant diversion, but a high-stakes trial to be survived, quivering with perilous energy. These poets' and philosophers' ideas can stimulate our thinking todayand perhaps our loving as well. Deadly serious For the ancient Greeks, eroswhich could be translated as "yearning" or "passionate desire"was a matter of life and death, even a danger to avoid. In the tragedies of Sophocles, when someone feels eros, typically something is about to go terribly wrong, if it hasn't already. Take "Antigone," written in Athens in the fifth century B.C.E. The play opens with the title character mourning the death of her brother Polyneices, who betrayed her father and killed her other brother in battle. After this civil war, King Creon, Antigone's uncle, forbids citizens from burying Polyneices: an insult to his memory, but also a violation of the city's religion. When Antigone insists on burying him anyway, she is condemned to death. The play is often interpreted as a lesson on duty: Creon executing the laws of the state versus Antigone defending the laws of the gods. Yet, uncomfortably for modern readers, Antigone's devotion to Polyneices seems to be more than sisterly love. Antigone leaps at the chance to die next to her brother. "Loving, I shall lie with him, yes, with my loved one," she swears to her law-abiding sister, "when I have dared the crime of piety." Were Polyneices her husband, child, parent or even fiance, Antigone says, she would never have violated the law. But her desire for Polyneices is so great that she is willing to face "marriage to Death." She compares the cave where Creon buries her alive with the bedroom on a wedding night. Rather than starve, she hangs herself with her own linen veil. Scholars have asked whether Antigone has too much eros or too littleand what exactly she desires. Does she lust for justice? For piety? For her deceased brother's body? Her desire is somehow embodied and otherworldly at the same time, calling our own erotic boundaries into question. Eventually, Creon's passion for civic order consumes him as well. His son, Antigone's fiance, stabs himself in grief as he embraces her corpseand hearing of this, his mother kills herself as well. Eros races through the royal family like a plague, leveling them all. No wonder the chorus prays to the goddess of love, pleading for protection from her violent whims. "Who has you within him is mad," the chorus laments. "You twist the minds of the just." Embrace the risk This leads to a second lesson from the Greeks: Love might make you a better person, but it also might not. Rather than speak in his own voice, the philosopher Plato wrote dialogues starring his teacher, Socrates, who had a lot to say about love and friendship. In one dialogue, "Lysis," Socrates jokes that if all you want is romantic love, the best plan is to insult your crush until they thirst for attention. In another, "Symposium," Socrates' young student Phaedrus imagines an indomitable army entirely comprising people in love. What courage and strength they would show off for each other! In the "Phaedrus" dialogue, foolish lovers seek a friends-with-benefits arrangement, afraid of the unwieldy passions that come with falling in love. Socrates entertains their question: Is it better to separate affection from sexual entanglements, since the force of desire can erode one's ethical principles? His answer is emphatically "No." For Socrates, sexual attraction steers the soul toward divine goodness and beauty, just as great art or acts of justice can do. The idea of friends with benefits, he warns, cleaves the ethical self from the erotic self. Here and elsewhere, Plato insists that to be whole people, we must embrace the risks that come with love. A necessary madness Socrates has one more lesson to teach. Erotic love is indeed a kind of madnessbut a madness necessary for wisdom. In "Phaedrus," Socrates suggests that love is a madness given by the gods, a fire blazing like artistic inspiration or sacred rites. Sexual desire disorients us, but only because it is reorienting lovers toward another world. The "goal of loving," according to one dialogue, is to "catch sight" of pure beauty and goodness. In erotic longing we bump up against something greater than us, a thread that we can trace back to the divine. And for Socrates, this pathway from eros to God is reason. In desire, a shimmer of light cracks through the broken crust of the material world, inspiring us to yearn for things that last. The contemporary philosopher Jean-Luc Marion has suggested that modern academic philosophy has totally failed when it comes to the topic of desire. There are vast subfields devoted to the philosophies of language, mind, law, science and mathematics, yet curiously there is no philosophy of eros. Like the ancient Greeks and medieval Christians, Marion warns philosophers against assuming that love is irrational. Far from it. If love looks like madness, he says, that's because it possesses a "greater rationality." In the words of another French philosopher, Blaise Pascal: "The heart has its reasons, which reason knows nothing of." This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In this image from video provided by NASA, the 11 International Space Station crew members representing Expedition 70 (red shirts) and Axiom Space 3 (dark blue suits) crews gather for a farewell ceremony calling down to mission controllers on Earth on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024. Front row from left are Italy's Walter Villadei, Turkey's Alper Gezeravci and Sweden's Marcus Wandt. Above them hanging upside down in blue is Axiom Space's Michael Lopez-Alegria, a former NASA astronaut. Credit: NASA via AP Turkey's first astronaut returned home to a hero's welcome Monday, portrayed as a symbol of the country's advances in technology and aerospace. Alper Gezeravci was greeted by bouquet-laden children at Ankara's Esenboga Airport as he returned from a private three-week mission to the International Space Station. In return, he handed out Turkish flags he had carried with him into space. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has closely followed Gezeravci's mission, declaring it a "new symbol of a growing, stronger and assertive Turkey," after the country marked its centenary last year. Erdogan has spoken several times to Gezeravci, a 44-year-old former Turkish fighter pilot, since he left for Florida to prepare for the mission. His space flight, for which Turkey paid roughly $55 million, was the third such journey organized by Houston-based Axiom Space with NASA and SpaceX. The expedition is seen in Turkey as a source of national pride and a highlight of its technological advancement, especially in the field of aerospace and military development such as aerial drones. Addressing journalists at Esenboga in front of a backdrop proclaiming "Turkey's First Manned Space Mission," Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said the mission was "a first, but it will not be the last. A new page has been opened in space science and technologies for Turkey." Turkey established its own space agency in 2018, and said it will land on the moon by 2026. Gezeravci was joined on the trip by Italian air force Col. Walter Villadei and Sweden's Marcus Wandt, a former fighter pilot. They were escorted by retired NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, who now works for Axiom Space. The crew returned in a SpaceX capsule that parachuted into the Atlantic off the Florida coast on Friday. While in orbit, the astronauts conducted science experiments and chatted with schoolchildren and officials from their countries. They enjoyed a few extra days at the space station, waiting for the weather to improve in the splashdown zone. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Stratigraphy and sulfur isotopes for the Meishan section, China, across the Permian-Triassic boundary. Credit: Li et al. 2024. The concept of deadly mass extinctions wreaking destruction upon Earth's ecosystems millions of years ago is something that has fascinated the public and scientists alike for decades. A groundbreaking publication by Jack Sepkoski and David Raup in 1982 identified the "Big Five" extinction events through the planet's geological history, these being defined as end-Ordovician (~444445 million years ago, Ma), Late Devonian (~359372 Ma), end-Permian (~252 Ma), end-Triassic (~201 Ma) and end-Cretaceous (~66 Ma). The end-Permian event is considered to be the largest of these biotic crises. During this catastrophe, it is estimated that ~81% of all marine species and ~70% of terrestrial vertebrate species became extinct. But it was not only animals impacted by the event, as land plants also experienced significant mutations and destruction. Explosive volcanism in the Siberian Large Igneous Province, covering an estimated 7,000,000 km2, is evidenced by massive pyroclastic flow deposits and postulated to be the most likely trigger for the end-Permian mass extinction. This caused a wide range of damaging effects, such as ocean anoxia, hydrogen sulfide poisoning, acid rain, ozone depletion and global warming. New research published in Chemical Geology has investigated the link between volcanism damaging the ozone layer and enhanced irradiation of Earth, consequently leading to a plethora of irreversible change across the planet. Dr. Rucao Li, postdoctoral researcher at Nanjing University, China, and colleagues studied pyrite from ash layers in the Meishan section, South China, to measure sulfur isotopes and understand the effect sulfur dioxide emissions from volcanoes had on stratospheric ozone. Schematic explanation of the relationship between volcanism entering the stratosphere and the consequences leading to the end-Permian mass extinction. A) During the Permian an ozone layer protected the planet from incoming solar radiation. B) Explosive volcanic eruptions input sulfur dioxide and other molecules into the stratosphere which disrupted the ozone layer, causing photolysis of sulfur dioxide to produce MIF-S sulfate aerosols that were transported to the ocean and underwent chemical reactions to produce hydrogen sulfide, making the water column sulfidic and anoxic. C) After eruption, the ozone layer was not restored and prolonged UV irradiation damaged terrestrial and marine flora and fauna beyond survival. Credit: Li et al. 2024. To do so, the research team used secondary ion mass spectrometry to detect the presence of three sulfur isotopes (sulfur-33, sulfur-34 and sulfur-36) in microscopic pyrite grains (1030 m). The scientists identified a distinct positive change of +0.30 to +0.94 in Mass-Independent Fractionation sulfur isotopes (MIF-S) in a bed of the study section located a few centimeters below the designated end-Permian bed, where there is a coincident increase in the abundance of ash layers. However, in the bed designated the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) of the Permian-Triassic Boundary, there is no distinct MIF-S signal. Dr. Li and colleagues note that such a significant change has rarely been found in rocks younger than 2 billion years old due to the progressive increase in the planet's oxygen budget and ozone formation through time, which ultimately impacted the oxidation of sulfur. The process by which volcanic emissions may have resulted in this planetary catastrophe relates to the photolysis (molecule breakdown due to the absorption of light) of sulfur dioxide by ultraviolet radiation. Once explosive volcanism disrupted the ozone layer and entered the stratosphere there would have been fewer oxygen molecules blocking incoming solar ultraviolet radiation, resulting in the conversion of sulfur dioxide molecules to MIF-S sulfate aerosols, which were transported from land to the oceans. This has indeed been supported by modeling that suggested a decrease from 30% atmospheric oxygen in the Phanerozoic (beginning ~538 Ma) to half that by the end-Permian. Dr. Li and colleagues suggest sulfate-reducing bacteria in the ocean then converted MIF-S-preserving molecules to hydrogen sulfide, making the marine realm both sulfidic and anoxica catastrophic combination for survival. With terrestrial organisms exposed to high-intensity ultraviolet radiation on land and oxygen-producers in the shallow photic zone of the sea negatively impacted, this would have filtered through the water column as oxygen supply declined. Ultimately, there was no escape on Earth from the damaging impacts of ozone destruction. Though not at the same devastating scale, the concerns over ozone depletion in recent decades have very real consequences for our planet's terrestrial and marine organisms, as well as humans. More information: Rucao Li et al, Atmospheric ozone destruction and the end-Permian crisis: Evidence from multiple sulfur isotopes, Chemical Geology (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.121936 Journal information: Chemical Geology 2024 Science X Network A smattering of local news to start the week... Full price for credit card payment Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), announced a new consumer protection law that will go into effect Sunday Feb. 11. This new law will amend and clarify New Yorks existing credit card surcharge law and require sellers to list the full charge including fees before the consumer gives their credit card information. The New York State Department of States Division of Consumer Protection recommends that interested localities review DCPs Credit Card Surcharge Legal Update Letter for more information. New Yorkers should never have to deal with hidden credit card costs, and this law will ensure individuals can trust that their purchases will not result in surprise surcharges, Hochul said. The law requires businesses to post before checkout: The total price of an item or service inclusive of the credit card surcharge; or a two-tiered pricing option, which requires the credit card price to be posted alongside the cash price. For sellers, DO: The business lists the higher credit card price next to a lower cash price. The business lists the credit card price for items and services, then lets customers know they will receive a discount for using cash. The business changes all prices to the credit card price. DONT: The business posts a sign on the door and at the register stating an additional 3.9 percent surcharge will apply for credit card purchases. This business has a 4 percent cash discount incentive built into all pricing. Any purchases made with a credit or debit card will not receive the cash discount and an adjustment in cost will be displayed on your receipt. A convenience fee, service fee, administration fee, non-cash adjustment, technology fee, processing fee, etc., is charged to credit card users and added as a separate line item on a customer receipt. The price tag of an item shows $10.00, + 4 percent if paying with a credit card. NY FFA fundraising push In conjunction with National FFA Week, the National Future Farmers of America Organization will host its ninth, 24-hour campaign to raise awareness and support for FFA. The importance of this initiative is in directing gifts to the donor's FFA state of choice, thereby providing funding to support FFA members. To make a gift to NY FFA on February 22, visit www.FFA.org/GiveFFADay and select New York State. With New York FFA membership now exceeding 11,500, funding needs have never been greater. Give FFA Day provides the NY FFA with the opportunity to raise funds in collaboration with other state associations across the nation. The 2024 campaign is on pace to be the NY FFA Foundation's largest annual fundraising effort. Five donors have pledged $40,000 in matching funds for the New York Give FFA Day campaign. Through their matching gifts, they aim to amplify contributions. The New York FFA Foundation expresses gratitude to our matching donors: second-time matcher Sam Shapiro, Art Berkey, Daryle and Sharon Foster, Spencer and Judy Gridley, and Lowell Sanders. Make a gift to NY FFA on Feb. 22, by visiting www.FFA.org/GiveFFADay and select New York State. Checks can be mailed to the NY FFA Foundation, 9340 Long Pond Rd, Croghan, NY 13327, or visit nyffafoundation.org/giveffaday.html. ChowderFest Winners Announced Discover Saratoga announce the winners of the 25th Annucal Saratoga Chowderfest, which was held Saturday, Feb. 10. Eventgoers sampled a variety of chowder from participating vendors and voted for their favorite. The 2024 Chowderfest winners are: Peoples Choice 500 bowls or less: Bentleys Tavern Peoples Choice 501-750 bowls: Ribbon Cafe Peoples Choice 751-1,000 bowls: The Mill on Round Lake Peoples Choice 1,001-1,500 bowls: Kindred Peoples Choice 1,501- 2,000 bowls: Clancys Tavern Peoples Choice 2,001-3,000 bowls: Rhea Peoples Choice 3,001-4,000 bowls: West Ave Pizza Peoples Choice 4,001+ bowls: Druthers Brewing Company 2024 Chowderfest Highlights: 85 vendors including 10 first-time participants 116,383 bowls of chowder served 40,000+ people attended the event Had Robert F. Kennedy Jr. taken a slightly more traditional route, like his father and his uncle, John F. Kennedy, this all might have been different. Jack Ohman/Tribune Content Agency Curb your enthusiasm for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Hot take: Hes the next Donald J. Trump, but even less politically accomplished and I didnt think that was possible. The notion that RFK Jr. could competently serve as president of the United States is laughable. His TV star wife, actress Cheryl Hines, who plays Larry Davids long-suffering spouse in Curb Your Enthusiasm, seems superhuman in her tolerance for her real-life husband. Write in Larry, folks. As a young man, RFK Jr. was widely regarded as the most politically marketable of all the Kennedy kids of that generation. Kennedy was his fathers image, but better, looking like the front man for the New Frontier rock star long hair, big smile and hyperarticulate. He was said to be shopping for a U.S. House district in New York, en route to more. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Then the tragedy of his fathers assassination overwhelmed him. The plane he was on over Rapid City, S.D., had to land because he had overdosed on heroin. What RFKs children had gone through is unfathomable, and it is no wonder that he sought escape. RFK Jr. quit drugs, got (thrice) married, had lots of photogenic children, and made a name for himself as a law professor at Pace University, where he led an effort to clean up the Hudson River. He also led a commendable initiative to hold the U.S. Navy accountable for poisoning the waters at Vieques, Puerto Rico. All good stuff. Had Robert F. Kennedy Jr. taken a slightly more traditional route, like his father and his uncle, John F. Kennedy, this all might have been a different story: maybe a lap in the Navy, a few terms in the House, a likely move up to the Senate to line up to run for president sometime in his 40s, and RFK Jr. might be sitting in his presidential library. Several of his siblings and cousins, and even his nephew, served creditably in offices such as lieutenant governor of Maryland and the U.S. House of Representatives. But RFK Jr. didnt want to expose himself to the tedium of actual public service, for, like Trump, he saw that the culture was moving in a darker direction. Now, name ID is everything, the illusion of accomplishment is paramount, and the ability to run your mouth are the main qualifications. Flood the media zone, and youre perceived as qualified. Trump saw this early and often. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The audacity of Kennedys once Democratic, now independent candidacy, and maybe even as a Libertarian, has earned him rather significant polling numbers: some show him in the 20s or better. Late last century, Kennedy spoke around the country and had a radio show on AirAmerica like former Sen. Al Franken but, unlike Franken, didnt take the time to do the homework. I spent some time with RFK Jr. in 2001. I helped arrange to have him speak at Portland State University alumni weekend. PSU paid him $11,500 and he was worth every penny. He was charming, low-key, carried around a battered briefcase and even laughed when I teased him about his too-narrow tie. I got a guy at Nordstrom, I told him. He told me he had his ties narrowed, an obvious homage to his late father. While driving him to his hotel, I told him about attending his fathers burial at Arlington National Cemetery as a 7-year-old in 1968, and he seemed touched. He said whenever he walked down the street in Boston, people would call out to him, I knew your FATHAH! I found myself liking him, and there was never a moment where he seemed, well, unstable. I also watched him dismantle former Vice President Dan Quayle in a Portland debate about climate, the only time I ever felt sorry for Quayle. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Now, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has turned into a crank, a delusional conspiracy nut about, well, most things: vaccines, the JFK assassination, his father's assassination, the origins of COVID-19 and an almost endless litany of other subjects. He hangs around intellectually flatulent Steve Bannon and wacky Putin buddy Gen. Michael Flynn, and his name was floated recently as a potential running mate for Trump. Trump/Kennedy 2024? What a perfect pairing! Both are utterly unqualified, delusional, vain and would be a catastrophe for the country each in his own special way. Even his Kennedy sibs are supporting President Joe Biden, and JFKs grandson mocked his second cousin on social. On Friday, the Democratic National Committee filed a federal election complaint against him for illegally working with a super PAC to get on the ballot in several states critical to President Biden. ATLANTIC CITY The Atlantic City Housing Authority is giving dozens of Stanley Holmes Village residents until Tuesday to move to the Claridge Hotel for about a month so it can make repairs to broken sewer pipes, but has made no provision for residents to be able to cook or care for pets. No hot plates, microwaves, candles, insense (sic) vaping or any other smoking or cooking devices allowed in the hotel rooms, said a letter dated Feb. 8 signed by authority Director of Management Deirdre Brock. We must stress there is no smoking and no animals allowed in any room. If you do, you will be charged a $400 cleaning room fee and asked to leave. It was not clear until a meeting Monday night organized by Steve Young of the National Action Network that the authority will provide breakfast and dinner daily to the 19 families affected. The letter also told residents to bring their own cleaning supplies to keep their hotel rooms clean. Neither Brock nor authority Executive Director Tom Sahlin responded to requests for comment and more information. We need to temporarily relocate buildings (1615- 1627 City Place) and (221 to 243 MLK Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, 1624 and 1626 Mediterranean Avenue), said a letter from the authority to dozens of affected residents dated Thursday. It gave them until the end of the day Monday to take what they need and get themselves to the Claridge, which is a mile away. There are sewage pipe leaks ... in the crawl space that require shutting the water off to fix the leaks, said the letter from the authority. The water is to be turned off and work is scheduled to start Wednesday, the letter said, and an update on progress will be given to residents March 1. The authority estimates they will move back in to their apartments March 11, according to the letter. Life in Stanley Holmes Village requires cooking without a stove, staying warm without heat In their second winter without consistent heat, hot water and gas service, Stanley Holmes Village residents say it's difficult to stay warm and eat right. But what has really hurt, they say, is the lack of action and concern from the Atlantic City Housing Authority, which collects about $15 million in federal taxpayer dollars each year to take care of its nine complexes and is ruled by a local board of their neighbors in town. Councilman Kaleem Shabazz, who represents the 3rd Ward where Stanley Holmes is located, said Monday morning the authority had not notified him of the action. Some residents are saying the short notice is making it difficult to find temporary homes for pets, and they cannot afford to buy restaurant food for the estimated month it will take to finish repairs. Everybody just paid rent and bought groceries, said Tammy Bethea, who grew up in the village and has had her own apartment since 1988. Rent is due by the 5th of the month and the notice came out right after that due date, giving people less money to buy food at the hotel. Bethea has two dogs she is worried about caring for. She is asking the authority to find her a pet-friendly hotel but has gotten no response. They said I could go back and forth, Bethea said, to take care of the dogs. But there will be no heat in the apartment and she cannot leave space heaters on for them. Carlester Prescott said she is glad the sewer pipe is getting fixed. She has been living with the smell of sewer water and gases in her apartment for six months, she said, and with an infestation of tiny biting insects that come up from the pipes. Now they want to up and do something, Prescott said, adding she wished it was fixed earlier and that the authority would provide more help to the elderly to move their belongings and afford food. Prescott will go to her daughters apartment in an unaffected Stanley Holmes building to cook, she said, but most people dont have that option. Atlantic City Housing Authority hires consultant for possible Stanley demo, replacement The Atlantic City Housing Authority voted to hire a consultant to help it apply to the federal government to demolish and replace Stanley Holmes Village on Thursday night, and heard more complaints from tenants in various properties about the inability to get needed repairs done. Unfortunately we dont have a means to stop it in its entirety, South Jersey Legal Services Atlantic City office managing attorney Sheila Hughes said of the sudden demand to move. About 100 residents of Stanley Holmes are suing over conditions there, and some of them were given a letter late Thursday stating they had to be out by midnight Monday, Hughes said. We did make a demand they choose different accommodations that have cooking and laundry, that kind of stuff, Hughes said. We are prepared to go back to the judge if we need to. I believe they are setting us up, said Diane Ruffin, who is part of the residents lawsuit against the Housing Authority. She has not yet decided whether she will leave, she said. Ruffin is afraid the authority will eventually tell them they cannot return to their homes because of the pipes, and will force them to move to high-rises that have similar problems to those at Stanley Holmes. I have one hand, no family and no car, said Ruffin, who had a stroke in 2017 and has ongoing movement and health challenges because of it. Its not fair to us. They are mentally abusing us and physically mistreating us. Steve Young of the National Action Network South Jersey Chapter called an emergency meeting for 5 p.m. Monday at the Stanley Holmes Village Community Room. Im hearing all kinds of things, Young said early Monday. Its overwhelming. Thats why we are trying to get everybody together. Its a lack of info and transparency thats hurting everybody. Atlantic City faces a myriad of issues as State of the City approaches Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. has said he will make some big announcements at this year's State of the City address. But will they be big enough to draw attention away from lingering problems and create new optimism for the city? In the past when relocating people to work on apartments, the authority has provided reimbursement for money spent on food if the residents kept receipts. But Hughes said the authority has not made clear whether it will do so in this case, which involves a large number of people. Our plan is to get in touch with our clients tomorrow to see how it went, Hughes said. We told them to hang on to receipts in case we do have to fight for reimbursement. If they dont give food vouchers or move them to another location, we will end up in front of the judge, Hughes said. Mediterranean Avenue resident Tiffany Brown got notice that only included one of three pages of information, so she didnt know she wouldnt have access to a microwave at the Claridge, she said. I just bought $100 worth of microwavable food, Brown said. All they had to do was give us more time to make plans and gather accurate information. Many Stanley Holmes residents have been without reliable central heat and hot water for much of this fall and winter. Prescott said the work that will be done will fix the sewer pipe, but the notice said nothing about getting the heat working again. The authority has provided space heaters to the residents, but they say they only warm one room, not the entire unit. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. BRIDGETON A suspect wanted for killing a city man nearly three years ago was arrested Thursday at the U.S.-Mexico border, the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office said. David Morales-Olmedo, 28, was charged with homicide and related weapons offenses in the shooting death of Mario Soriano. Olmedo is being held in the San Diego County Central Jail awaiting extradition to New Jersey. Officers responded to shots being fired in the 100 block of North Pearl Street in Bridgeton about 10:15 p.m. Jun. 3, 2021. The victim, Soriano, was transported by personal vehicle to Inspira Health Center Bridgeton, where he died from his injuries after sustaining several gunshot wounds, police said at the time. Olmedo was named a suspect the day after the murder and remained on the run for over two years until U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers took him into custody at the San Ysidro port of entry in California. Authorities said Olmedo applied for admission into the U.S. but was flagged down as a wanted person and arrested. Editor's note: This is the second in a three part series about how Quad-Cities schools address safety. This story focuses on the role of mental health resources in preventing crises. Quad-Cities schools are seeing national trends play out, as an increase in mental health needs nationwide have made preventing crises more challenging. There is a nationwide mental health crisis, particularly among teenage populations, North Scott SRO Jack Schwertman said. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 87% of U.S. public schools reported the pandemic negatively impacted students socio-emotional development in the 2021-22 school year, citing upticks in student misconduct and classroom disruptions. We can put up more sensors, more protections here, and nothing ever happens, Schwertman said. But we can try to prevent a situation from even happening by giving (students) the help they need prior to. East Moline Superintendent Kristin Humphries said it is all about cultivating good soil putting in the work upfront to not only respond to crisis situations as they happen, but prepare in advance. The district uses an approach called conscious discipline. At the districts Early Learning Center, teachers hang up next to their classrooms a sign that allows children to decide how they would like to be greeted that day. They can choose from a range of greetings a high five, a hug, a fist bump and others. Humphries said he saw a group of Ridgeland students each choosing to give their first grade teacher a hug on their way into specials class. Its not just having a sign on the wall and giving a kid a fist bump. But we do a lot of work on giving kids the tools to help them regulate themselves, he said, adding that being able to communicate with children in different brain states is key. Kids that keep things bottled up are the kids that generally were having problems with." North Scott High School has a school-based therapist, Schwertman noted. ...But thats one person for 1,200 kids in this building alone, he said. (Students) are not going to be able to get the full, adequate amount of help in 30 minutes. Considering this dilemma, Schwertman urges school leaders and law enforcement alike to view crisis response from a different perspective, with more of a focus on providing mental health assistance earlier. Other districts also are doing prevention work, including focusing on students emotional and mental health needs. Crises are not black and white, said Sarah Harris, Bettendorf schools SEBH (social, emotional and behavioral health) coordinator. ...There is no profile for an active shooter. For this reason, she said its critical to consider safe belonging in school environments during talks of campus-related crisis mitigation. Violence prevention is positive behavior intervention support, Harris said. And, the things we do to help kids feel safe in an environment. Additionally, Bettendorfs crisis response teams undergo regular Crisis Response Violence Prevention (CRVP) training and tabletop discussions on a variety of topics, meeting monthly. Each session aims to teach CRVP through a trauma-informed lens, Harris said. This is about talking (CRVP) through, preparing for it and then getting on a cycle of prevention, she said. Were (not) responding constantly, at a macro level but we are working all the time. DCSD communications director Sarah Ott said Davenport schools have placed a huge emphasis on social-emotional learning (SEL), integrating it into all grade-level curriculums. Having trauma-informed practices and behavioral supports has been big integrating supports for our students has been at the forefront of everything (the district) has been doing over the past few years, she said. In her kindergarteners classroom at McKinley Elementary in Davenport, Susan Roelle notices this SEL integration particularly in terms of behavioral regulation and de-escalation. While she doesnt have a magic answer on how schools and communities should properly address and prevent school-based violence, to her, tighter gun control laws are a start. If you dont have access to a gun, then nobody's gonna get shot, simply, Roelle said. I'm not talking about taking away Second Amendment rights, Im talking about weapons of mass destruction, kids with (access to) guns, etcetera I think its appalling for us as a state (and nation) that our school-aged children have to learn active shooter drills, she added. I think it's a reflection of the grown-ups in the country Im embarrassed myself. As firearm regulations continue to be a hot-button legislative issue, Roelle said schools should be laser-focused on bullying and advocates for increased mental health funding. I think bullying is probably the number one thing that causes school-aged kids let's be honest, teenage boys to want to go in and shoot up a school, alongside gun access, she said. I think we have to teach our kids that (and) why you shouldn't do it. Whether that's like a full-on class or more people coming in to talk in an assembly style, (etc.). Roelle said she has regular conversations with her kindergartner about bullying, aiming to help build self-advocacy skills. Bettendorf parent Michael Burns said he sees a need for a wider role for parents and other role models in preventative work. He doesnt view the topic of school violence as solely a school problem. Instead, he calls it a microcosm of society and one of the many challenges parents face urging more parents to have clear behavioral expectations, frequent conversations about violence and hold their children accountable. On a lot of these things, you know, folks will say, It really just depends on the district and the kids socioeconomic status and whatnot, Burns said. Some of that may be true, but (...) parents have got to communicate with our kids, they can't expect it to lay solely on teachers and administrators. Owen Farrell, public safety communications manager for the Davenport Police Department, said parents play a key role in preparing students for emergency situations. Regardless of if they are at school, the movies, or anywhere in public, remind them to pay attention to their surroundings and have a plan in place in the event of an emergency, Farrell said. The Scott County-wide Handle With Care program is another prevention strategy Davenport schools lean heavily on. In this program, if a law enforcement officer encounters a child or juvenile during a call, that students information is forwarded to their school before the bell rings the next day. That way, school officials know to handle (that student) with care and apply the appropriate interventions if needed. They don't (automatically) approach that student, it's just that they're kind of keeping an eye out, Andy Neyrinck, Davenport schools security director, said. If that kid has an upside down day, then they're quick to try and assist that student. This approach may also help school staff handle a students disciplinary issues more effectively, he added. Neyrinck also encourages parents to contact their students school if they are concerned about their childs mental or behavioral health. If they suspect their child is struggling or having a problem, share that with their building principal or classroom teacher so they can try and work with the student, he said. We have resources to help. In the spring of 2022, student disciplinary concerns voiced by some Bettendorf Middle School (BMS) parents and staff reflected the local impacts of the nationwide trend in social-emotional development. Burns admitted to having a degree of worry before sending his eldest child to BMS but said his children have discussed a tremendous change in the overall frequency and severity of student misconduct. ...More importantly, there was an investment by the parents, he said, citing the ability for parents and community members to volunteer as hall or entrance monitors at Bettendorf schools, increasing the number of adults in the building. For students who might lack a strong parental presence at home, he thinks investing in character-building programs both in and outside of school grounds is another preventative step in the right direction. There are so many other great programs in the Quad Cities, but they're not always utilized the best, or maybe access isn't as open as it should or could be, Burns said, noting his experience as a Scoutmaster for Bettendorfs Cub Scout Pack 54. At Pleasant Valley, staff is focused on building good relationships with students as one violence prevention tool. Our counselors serve as a great support for our students along with our school based therapists who serve each of our buildings, said PV Superintendent Brian Strusz. RAFAH, Gaza Strip The Israeli military said it rescued two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip early Monday, marking a small but symbolically significant success in its quest to bring home over 100 captives believed to be held by the Hamas militant group. The two men were rescued from a residential building in the southern border town of Rafah in a raid that also killed at least seven people, according to Palestinian officials. Witnesses reported at least 17 airstrikes, flares and Apache helicopter fire. The army identified the two rescued hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, and said both were in good medical condition. It said both men were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that started the Israel-Hamas war, now in its fifth month. They are just the second and third hostages to be rescued safely. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said the operation was based on precise intelligence, and that the site, located on the second floor of a building, had been watched for some time. He said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Israel's military chief and other top officials as the raid unfolded. The rescue came after a series of Israeli strikes early Monday hit Rafah, the city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in the four-month Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been signaling its ground offensive in Gaza may soon target the densely populated city on the Egyptian border. On Sunday, President Joe Biden told Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation against the Hamas militant group in the densely populated Gaza border town of Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians, the White House said. The strikes hit around Kuwait Hospital early Monday morning, an Associated Press journalist in Rafah said. Some of those wounded in the strikes had been brought to the hospital. The Israeli military said it struck terror targets in the area of Shaboura which is a district in Rafah. The military statement said the series of strikes had concluded, without elaborating on the targets or assessing the potential damage or casualties. Palestinian health officials did not immediately offer any casualty information. Biden's remarks were his most forceful language yet on the possible operation. Biden, who last week called Israels military response in Gaza over the top, also sought urgent and specific steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. Israels Channel 13 television said the conversation lasted 45 minutes. Discussion of the potential for a cease-fire agreement took up much of the call, a senior U.S. administration official said, and after weeks of diplomacy, a framework" is now pretty much in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a halt to fighting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remain, but declined to give details. The official said military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent weeks helped bring the group closer to accepting a deal. Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the call. Hamas Al-Aqsa television station earlier quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying any invasion of Rafah would blow up the talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Biden and Netanyahu spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops are sent into Rafah, where Egypt fears fighting could push Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula and force the closure of Gaza's main aid supply route. The threat to suspend the Camp David Accords, a cornerstone of regional stability for nearly a half-century, came after Netanyahu said sending troops into Rafah was necessary to win the four-month war against Hamas. He asserted that Hamas has four battalions there. Meanwhile, an Israeli drone struck a car near Lebanons southern port city of Sidon on Saturday, killing at least two people and wounding two others, security officials said Sunday. The drone strike near the coastal town of Jadra took place about 37 miles from the Israeli border, making it one of the farthest inside Lebanon since violence erupted along the Lebanon-Israel border on Oct. 8, a day after Hamas' attack in southern Israel. Over half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have fled to Rafah to escape fighting in other areas, and they are packed into tent camps and U.N.-run shelters. Egypt fears a mass influx of Palestinian refugees who may never be allowed to return. Netanyahu told Fox News Sunday that theres plenty of room north of Rafah for them to go to after Israels offensive elsewhere in Gaza, and said Israel would direct evacuees with flyers, with cellphones and with safe corridors and other things. But the offensive has caused widespread destruction, with little capacity to take in people. The standoff between Israel and Egypt, two close U.S. allies, took shape as aid groups warned that an offensive in Rafah would worsen the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Around 80% of residents have fled their homes, and the U.N. says a quarter of the population faces starvation. A ground operation in Rafah could cut off one of the only avenues for delivering food and medical supplies. Forty-four trucks of aid entered Gaza on Sunday, said Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority. About 500 entered daily before the war. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other countries have also warned of severe repercussions if Israel goes into Rafah. An Israeli offensive on Rafah would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X. Human Rights Watch said forced displacement is a war crime. The White House, which has rushed arms to Israel and shielded it from international calls for a cease-fire, has warned that a Rafah ground operation would be a disaster for civilians. Israel-Hamas war at 100 days ABOUT THIS PROJECT: After six months of reporting, more than 3,000 miles traveled in Montana alone and with support from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalisms National Fellowship, Lee Montana newspapers published Gone Too Soon, a three-part series that examines the life expectancy gap in Montana. In Montana, where Native Americans comprise 6.7% of the population, Indigenous people die a generation younger than their white neighbors. From 2018 to 2022, white Montanans died, on average, at 78, while their Native American neighbors died 17 years sooner at 61. In some places, the gap widens. On the Fort Peck Reservation, Indigenous people typically die at 52 almost 30 years younger than their white counterparts. In covering this story, Indigenous Communities Reporter Nora Mabie traveled to the Crow, Fort Peck and Fort Belknap reservations, spending meaningful time in each community. San Franciscos Mission Hotel held a joint funeral service in March 2021 for seven residents. The hotel is one of the sites leased by the city to house the unsheltered population, and resident deaths have become so frequent in these facilities that joint memorials have become the norm. Though the causes of the deaths vary, drug overdoses have been responsible for 40% of those memorialized. These former hotel residents had been homeless, and the city helped them by providing them with a permanent shelter. Considering homelessness by its strict definition, this would seem to solve the problem. People who previously did not have a home now do. But for those suffering from trauma, mental illness and substance abuse, homelessness is a symptom of deeper problems. This is especially true in the age of fentanyl. We can warehouse every person living on the streets today and hang Mission Accomplished banners above the doors of their new homes. Still, we would eventually discover we had uncorked the champagne prematurely. Since the 2009 passage of the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act, the federal governments approach to solving homelessness has been guided by the Housing First philosophy. Fifteen years later, we should recognize the inadequacy of this approach. The Department of Housing and Urban Developments recent Homeless Assessment Report shows a 12% increase nationally in the number of homeless from 2022 to 2023. Karen Dolan: 12% surge in homelessness requires affordable units, higher minimum wage Homelessness in the United States surged by a record 12% between January 2022 and January 2023, according to a report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In the worlds wealthiest nation, how does this happen, and what can be done to remedy it? Housing First is based on the theory that most of the problems from which homeless individuals suffer, such as alcohol or drug addiction, are a product of their homelessness rather than the cause. Proponents believe these ancillary issues would improve if they had a stable residence. Housing First policies have focused on the rapid rehousing of homeless individuals, with the bulk of federal funds going to so-called permanent-supportive housing." In theory, these facilities such as San Franciscos Mission Hotel include support services, which are frequently neglected in practice. By federal law, these facilities cannot impose sobriety requirements on residents. Housing First has primarily amounted to an out of sight, out of mind solution to homelessness people die indoors rather than on the sidewalk. The fentanyl crisis has exposed the callousness of this policy. For example, University of Pennsylvania researchers found that 56% of fatal overdoses among New York Citys homeless population occurred in permanent-supportive housing. The housing-centered approach is clearly failing. When we recognize the relationship between addiction and homelessness, it is easier to understand why the unsheltered population continues to grow. The homeless encampments found in many major cities are often surrounded by open-air drug markets, which are a magnet for addicts. According to San Francisco Mayor London Breed, 60% of the people offered housing by her outreach team refused to accept help and move indoors. Some already had housing but chose to stay on the streets. In the early 20th century, Nels Anderson a formerly homeless sociologist who became the nations leading expert on homelessness explained this phenomenon. Unlike users of alcohol or cocaine who could go without their drugs for lengthy periods, he wrote, users of heroin or morphine are not able to separate themselves from the source of supply for so long a time. Fentanyl maintains an even tighter hold on opioid addicts than heroin, to the point that most users will neglect to seek treatment without some form of compassionate intervention. As one former drug addict put it, addiction is the loss of the freedom to abstain. Affordable housing is an essential component of the homelessness solution, but it is by no means sufficient. West Virginia, where homelessness is rare but addiction is rampant, should serve as a grim reminder that substance abuse and overdose deaths do not disappear behind welcome mats. After four years of international controversy, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has agreed to temporarily loan a Balot sculpture (circa 1931) to the White Cube museum in Lusanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo, from April 20 to Nov. 24. This will be the first time the Balot sculpture has returned to its country of origin in more than 50 years. Balot was an abusive Belgian colonizer who was murdered in an uprising in the Congo in 1931. Later, a sculpture of the European oppressor was carved in wood by a native artist, to contain and control the Belgians spirit, in accordance with the beliefs of the Pende people. The VMFA purchased the Balot sculpture from collector Herbert F. Weiss in March 2015 for $25,000. A group associated with the White Cube museum, the Congolese Plantation Workers Art League also known as CATPC has been requesting the sculpture for loan since 2020. Cedart Tamasala, one of the artists in the group, said they wanted to bring the Balot statue back to the Congo to rekindle our relation with our heritage, and retrieve the powers that are contained in the sculpture. CATPC said the VMFA stonewalled its requests for the loan for years, with the story being covered in The New Yorker, The Guardian, Artnet.com, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and elsewhere. The controversy highlighted tensions between Western art museums displaying artifacts from the colonial era and the countries from where the works were taken. Last year, several museums returned looted art, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Chrysler Museum of Art, the Denver Museum of Art, the National Museum of Scotland and many more. Also last year, the VMFA returned 44 works of ancient art to Italy, Egypt and Turkey following an investigation by the Manhattan District Attorneys Office and the Department of Homeland Security into the global trafficking of looted or stolen antiquities. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts returns any works in its collection that are discovered to be unlawfully held. The museum takes seriously, and responds to, all restitution claims for works in our collection, VMFAs director and CEO, Alex Nyerges, said at the time. In contrast, the VMFA says it lawfully purchased the Balot sculpture in 2015 and the sculptures provenance is well-documented. In 2022, the White Cube decided to mint digital images of the Balot statue known as non-fungible tokens, or NFTs and sell them to raise funds and buy back land in Congo. To create the NFT, the White Cube took an image of Balot from the VMFAs website without the VMFAs permission. At the time, the VMFA described the White Cubes actions as unacceptable and unprofessional. The White Cube said they were left no other option to gain access to the sculpture. The loan idea became sidetracked for a while due to the NFT issue, but the parties maintained open communication and reconciled last year, said Michael R. Taylor, VMFAs chief curator and deputy director for art and education. Since that time, VMFA, CATPC and the White Cube museum have worked together on the complex logistics involved in bringing the sculpture to Lusanga. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is delighted to partner with CATPC for this important exhibition, Nyerges said. The sculptures appearance in Lusanga will be profoundly meaningful to the people in that region. The loan of a wooden sculpture from an American museums collection to a museum in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also of historic significance, and we hope it will inspire a new era of collaboration and partnerships between museums on both continents. The sculptures display in Lusanga is timed to coincide with an exhibition of new works by CATPC artists at the Dutch National Pavilion in Venice. CATPC, in collaboration with artist Renzo Martens and curator Hicham Khalidi, will represent the Netherlands at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, and the Balot sculpture will be projected as a livestream from the White Cube into the Dutch Pavilion as a key component of this exhibition. Exhibiting the ancestral sculpture of Balot in Lusanga will enable the community to reconnect physically and historically with this symbolic object and demonstrate our shared value of humanity, said CATPCs Tamasala. PHOTOS: Balot, the VMFA & the White Cube PG&E employees work at 14th and Guerrero streets in San Francisco on a hot April day. Employers could mitigate heat exposure by offering wearables and other technology that could instantaneously assess risk to employees. Michaela Vatcheva/Special to the Chronicle 2023 This spring, California is poised to become the third state in the nation to adopt specific regulations around indoor temperatures for frontline workers. Following in the footsteps of Minnesota and Oregon, the regulations proposed by Californias Occupational Safety and Standards Board would require worksites to remain below 87 degrees when employees are present and 82 degrees when wearing protective clothing. For a state that broke or tied 348 temperature records last July alone, the regulations are a step in the right direction. But they are nowhere near enough. According to employees willing to go on record, concerns abound over the 87-degree temperature threshold. Robert Moreno, a San Diego-based UPS worker, told the KFF Health News last month he wouldnt even eat lunch outside in 87-degree weather, much less work in a sun-drenched sheet metal warehouse. Hes right to be wary. A 2018 analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of 25 heat-related illnesses investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration which included six fatalities when the heat index was from 85 to 90 degrees concluded that employers should start screening their workers for heat stress when the temperature reaches 85 degrees. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A two-degree difference may not seem like a lot, but given the CDC findings, it could be the difference between life and death. In truth, the primary issue is not that the state board might have chosen the wrong temperature, but rather that no one temperature can be deemed universally safe for employees because it does not take into account the variability of human physiology. No two people are the same, and socioeconomic as well as physical contextual factors affect heat risk. For example, personal risk factors like heart disease and obesity can exacerbate heat intolerance. There are also factors like sex, age and genetic predisposition that could influence an individuals likelihood of suffering from heat exhaustion. Moreover, doctors warn that heat exhaustion can begin at temperatures in the low 80s, so pursuing a different standard is not a panacea for these injuries. With a comprehensive, consensus-based governmental solution months or even years away, the best solution lies not in the legislative chambers of Sacramento, but with management. Employers can proactively preempt the threat of arduous (and costly) regulations by taking steps to independently protect workers. If companies begin mitigating heat risk now, they will find themselves in a more advantageous position once regulators come knocking. Advertisement Article continues below this ad So what can employers do? First, they could reassess their approach to implementing tech in the workplace. Workplace wearables, for example, can analyze employee risk in real time and proactively mitigate risk before accidents can happen. Last year, my global safety solutions company, Soter Analytics, worked with one of Canadas largest farm and ranch supply operations and petroleum distribution networks to combat the threat of workplace injuries by supplying over 100 workers with a wearable that sent real-time audible and vibration feedback of any high-risk spine movement. As a result, ergonomic injuries decreased by 86%. The same principle could apply to measuring various health metrics in high-heat environments. And as artificial intelligence and other technology advances, they too can be utilized to prevent heat exhaustion and temperature-related injuries. Another area employers can invest in is training. A 2019 workplace study showed that after the implementation of a voluntary heat stress awareness program from 2009 to 2017, there was a decrease in heat-related illnesses for outdoor workers who had two or more risk factors. Researchers also found that the median workers compensation decreased by 50%. As global temperatures rise and heat increasingly becomes a hazard in California, heat mitigation needs to be at the forefront of employee safety training and education. The simultaneous adoption of wearables and a robust workplace heat-mitigation training program would likely significantly improve worker safety and far surpass the impact of Californias proposed guidelines. Preventing heat stress isnt just about safeguarding employee health, but also the bottom line. Research shows that worker productivity decreases by at least 1% every 2 degrees over 77 degrees, with even more significant impacts once the temperature rises above 85 degrees. Taken together with the propensity of overheated workers to sustain long-term injuries, ignoring heat stress is worse for productivity than allowing breaks or investing in a cooler environment. That especially rings true in California, a state that serves as a primary hub for manufacturing in the United States and employs more than 1.2 million workers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A pottery pop-up in The Fan was the talk of the town on Saturday morning. The reason? A visit from the celebrated potters at East Fork, the Asheville, North Carolina-based pottery company started by the great-grandson of Henri Matisse. The company has grown a cult following since its founding in 2009, attracting customers who value their limited-edition pottery. Many of the pieces accrue value by virtue of their rarity and age. On Saturday morning, a line to buy the companys mugs, plates and bowls stretched around the block of the building used for the pop-up event: the main staging warehouse for local boutique goods store Na Nin. Na Nin partnered with East Fork to host the sale, beginning on Friday evening and ending on Saturday at 3 p.m. But by noon, most of the shelves in Na Nins warehouse had been cleared of East Forks wares. Richmonders were elated for a chance to buy East Forks items. Kaylee Huie and her mother, Marty Huie, estimated they spent over $1,500 between the two sales. The pair carried armfuls of mugs and plates to their car at around 11 a.m. on Saturday. They drove over an hour to shop at the pop-up. We love the quality of the pottery. We love the company and what they stand for. And we just cant help but come and take advantage of the pop-up sale, said Kaylee Huie. The two swear that their husbands wanted them to come back, believe it or not, because they loved the pottery so much. Marty Huie swears they retain heat from a warming light for longer than other dishware, and that they make meals look more beautiful. East Fork pop-up sales coordinator Layson Peters said she believes customers like the Huies are attracted to the companys ethos. The company is B Corp certified, a rating earned by corporations that is meant to identify companies that are judged to be environmentally and socially responsible. Were just really conscious about how we show up, socially, in public spaces, and I think people are attracted to that, Peters said. It also trades on the story of John Vigeland and Alex Matisse, two potters passionate about North Carolina clay. Alex Matisse is the great-grandson of the French post-Impressionist painter Henri Matisse. Those who do not know the companys story buy in for the high quality of East Forks products, which Peters said are beautiful but also resilient. If taken care of, they can even appreciate in value. Attendee Kimberly Cox said she had not heard of East Fork, but it was worth the two-hour wait in line. Na Nin, the companys local partner, accompanied East Forks pop-up with its own wares: a collection of home goods, clothing and sustainably sourced knick-knacks. Na Nin, which means I am in Korean, was started by Kate Jennings in 2009. Jennings was a local kindergarten teacher until 2014, when she took her business full time. Na Nin has a storefront on South Addison Street in The Fan. The resale opportunity with East Fork clays is part of what has built the North Carolina company's fan base. Angelica Rosales, the Na Nin's director of sales, described East Fork's cult following as potheads. There are people who come to every East Fork pop-up, Rosales said. Its like the Grateful Dead. East Fork dinnerware runs in limited editions that appreciate in the eyes of others seeking to complete their sets. On Etsy, a bowl from the company resells for $175, for example. Kelly Teeling, a self-described East Fork enthusiast, said she has been keeping an eye out on East Fork dishware from a particular edition named Taro, which refers to the primary color used in that set. If you see anyone with them, let me know, Teeling said jokingly. Im on the lookout. Local potter Emily Wicks, who came to support the event, said Richmonds pottery community is booming. On that note, the turnout at Na Nins warehouse did not come as a surprise. This community really grew up around 2020, said Wicks, who opened a pottery shop in Richmonds North Side in 2018. And this line is an example of that. 5 budget-friendly cookbooks to help you save money on groceries 1. Budget Bytes by Beth Moncel 2. Broke Vegan: Speedy by Saskia Sidey 3. Trader Joes 5 Items or Less Cookbook by Anna Lisa 4. Perfectly Good Food by Margaret Li and Irene Li 5. Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown Hanover County authorities on Monday announced the arrest of Philip Albert Childress, 58, of Mechanicsville, on a charge of possession of child pornography, which was Childress third arrest for the same offense in three years, according to court records. Authorities said deputies on Jan. 30 served a search warrant on Childress residence in the 6300 block of Greystone Creek Road, where they recovered a substantial quantity of illegal pornographic images. As a result, investigators obtained felony arrest warrants for Childress. Hanover Sheriffs Office Sgt. Steve Wills said deputies were not immediately able to arrest Childress because he had checked himself into Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Chesterfield County to seek treatment for an unspecified medical issue. Chesterfield police on Friday were able to locate and arrest Childress and transport him to the Chesterfield County Jail, where he remains in custody awaiting transfer to Hanover. Wills said the arrest marks the third time that Childress has been investigated and charged with possession of child pornography. Childress in March 2021 was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, according to court records. He posted bail and was released, but then was arrested again in June 2022 for committing the same offense. Childress was out on bail again when he was arrested on Friday for the third time. But authorities have been unable to move forward with prosecuting Childress because he has been repeatedly hospitalized or received doctors notes for medical issues, Wills said. Wills said the prior two charges had been folded into a single prosecution, with a jury trial scheduled to begin on Feb. 27 after multiple continuances. Now, the trial may be delayed again as officials consider trying all three cases together. Childress is a former volunteer for Hanover Fire & EMS. He could not immediately be reached for comment. From the archives: More than 240 photos of Richmond and Virginia in the 1970s A 54-page bill setting rules and taxes for the legal sale of marijuana to adults passed the House of Delegates on Monday, while a similar measure is slated to face a final up or down state Senate vote on Tuesday. But they face a skeptical Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has said he has no interest in approving a mechanism for retail sales of marijuana. The 52-48 vote on House Bill 698, essentially along party lines, suggests proponents could not override a veto, which requires the votes of two-thirds of the members present. A law setting rules and taxes for marijuana sales is a priority of the Democratic majorities in the General Assembly. Youngkins unwillingness to discuss the issue is one reason Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, cited for the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees refusal to take up Youngkins push for an arena and performing arts center development in Alexandria. Del. Jay Leftwich, R-Chesapeake, said that after setting up its legal marijuana market, Colorado has seen an increase in poison center calls and drug abuse. He said Virginia has already seen these trends emerge after legalizing adult possession of small amounts of marijuana. He also warned that dealers in Virginia are lacing marijuana with fentanyl, a drug that can be fatal in tiny amounts. European counties that have embraced this have begun to think again, Leftwich said. The bills sponsor, Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, replied: We already have an $4 billion illegal, illicit market. Lets deal with it. He said his bill would deal with issues Leftwich raised, including consumption by minors and adulteration. Bill would allow licenses in 2025 The bill says the state Cannabis Control Authority could begin issuing licenses for manufacture and sale of marijuana on July 1, 2025. The authority would establish requirements for packaging and labeling, including details about the total percentage and milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol included in the product and the number of milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in each package and serving. Labeling would include prominent child and safety warnings. In addition, the authority would be empowered to conduct annual investigations of manufacturers and retailers facilities. The number of licenses any one entity could hold would be limited to six. Background checks would be required. County supervisors and city and town councils would be able to hold referendums to see if residents want to allow or ban marijuana retail facilities. The authority would have to implement a plan to encourage participation in the marijuana industry by people from historically economically disadvantaged communities. The state would levy a 4.5% tax on marijuana sales, and localities could levy an additional 4.5% tax. Youngkin has given strong indications that he would not sign such a measure. He told reporters last month: I just dont have a lot of interest in pressing forward with marijuana legislation. Following the House vote, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Virginia State Police Association and the Virginia Sheriffs Association sent a letter to all 140 members of the General Assembly saying that legalizing retail sales would undermine Youngkins efforts to improve Virginias behavioral health system. A retail market in Virginia will mean an increase in crime, arrests, DUIs with no significant change in tax revenue, the letter said. Virginia General Assembly opens 2024 session Tulum beach club shooting death toll rises to two Tulum, Q.R. The death toll in the Friday evening beach club shooting in Tulum has risen to two. According to the State Attorney General (FGE), the man that was injured in the Friday shooting has died. The FGE released a statement late Sunday regarding the Friday shooting that claimed the life of an American woman who was pronounced dead at the scene. The man, identified by the FGE only by his nickname Belize, was taken to hospital where he died. According to the FGE, they have identified those responsible for the shooting that killed two people. The shooting happened at a restaurant-beach club in the Tulum Hotel Zone Friday evening. The shooting is reported to have been between criminal gang members, one of which was Belize. The woman, identified as Niko H, was killed when she was hit by a stray bullet during the exchange of gunfire. Authorities have not clarified if she was a tourist or resident. In their statement, the FGE reported that the female person who unfortunately lost her life had no connection with the deceased male, identified with the alias Belize. The woman died at the scene. The man was taken to hospital where he later died. Photo: February 9, 2024. Regarding the man Belize, he is identified for his probable participation in events possibly constituting drug-related crimes in the form of drug dealing and that he was part of a criminal group that generated violence in the state. At the time of the events, the subject had among his belongings transparent bags containing white powder with characteristics typical of cocaine, transparent bags with red and orange pills, as well as a transparent bag containing brown granulated powder. The FGE says they have identified those responsible for the murders and are working on arrests. Yucatan Peninsula braces for arrival of polar air mass Riviera Maya, Q.R. A mass of polar U.S. air is quickly making its way toward the Yucatan Peninsula. The area is bracing for another bout of strong winds as the cold air mixes with the above 35C temperatures of the Mexican Caribbean. Mexicos Servicio Meteorologico Nacional (SMN) says cold front no. 34 will quickly travel along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and in interaction with the subtropical jet stream, will generate rains in the east and southeast. The polar air mass associated with the front will maintain the North event along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula. The state of Quintana Roo is bracing for another bout of 60 to 80 km/h winds and waves of 1 to 3 meters high. On Tuesday, cold front no. 34 will extend over the Yucatan Peninsula while during Wednesday and Thursday, it will prevail with stationary characteristics over the Peninsula, likely creating rain in the southeast. Cold Front number 34 will advance rapidly over the slope of the Gulf of Mexico and will interact with the subtropical jet stream, which will cause heavy occasional rains in Campeche and showers in Yucatan and Quintana Roo, State Civil Protection (Coordinacion Estatal de Proteccion Civil QRoo) reported in a statement Monday morning. The mass of U.S. polar air associated with cold front 34 is moving fast and is expected to fully engulf the Peninsula by Tuesday. It is the second cold air system to hit the region in a week. The last cold front, no. 32, reached the Yucatan Peninsula February 5 creating near hurricane wind gusts that felled trees, billboards and flooded the island streets of Holbox. Strong winds are expected to stick around for a few days until the system moves off. Citizens Telephone Cooperative is inviting the community to mark its 110 years of service on Feb. 28. Tracing its roots back to 1914 with a handful of employees, the cooperative has grown from a local telephone company to a technology leader offering voice, video, and data services with over 70 employees, according to a Citizens news release. It now operates a 448-mile regional open access fiber network that spans 10 counties, 10 towns, and three cities in Southwestern Virginia; including 15 industrial parks, according to the release. Along that network, Citizens provides wholesale transport and Internet bandwidth to a variety of service providers and access to first responders, educational institutions and medical facilities. The community is invited to stop by Citizens on Wednesday, Feb. 28, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. for refreshments. The office is located at 220 Webbs Mill Road in Floyd. Its our birthday, but you get the gift, said Donna Smith, CEO & General Manager of Citizens, in the release. Come celebrate with us. Citizens is currently in the final construction phase of a six-year, multi-million dollar fiber expansion to deliver gigabit speeds to homes in Floyd County. Later this year, the company plans to commemorate the completion of the FTTH (Fiber to the Home) project with a community event, according to the release. For more information, visit www.citizens.coop or call 540-745-2111. The Roanoke Times NEWPORT Not far from where Sinking Creek winds through this historic village and passes under a covered bridge, muddy water flowed up from the ground Wednesday in what is normally a clear-running natural spring. About a half mile away, construction crews worked on steep slopes to build a natural gas pipeline that descends into the community, burrows under Blue Grass Trail (Virginia 42) and the adjacent Greenbrier Branch, and makes its way back up a mountainside. Did muddy runoff from work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline wind up in the natural spring? Direct answers were not available from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality or Mountain Valley. But whats happening at Sinking Creek is just the latest in a series of problems that have long plagued the controversial project, opponents say. A letter from 29 community and statewide organizations asks DEQ to stop work on the pipeline. Despite the fact that MVP has been allowed to rip and blast through the countryside and our waters for extended periods since early 2018, it has yet to correct its plans and its behavior in a way that avoids the very same kind of violations first seen six years ago, states a letter sent Thursday to DEQ Director Michael Rolband. In the past, DEQ has cited the company for violations of erosion and sediment control regulations, which sometimes allowed muddy runoff to flow directly from construction sites onto nearby private property and into streams. The situation at Sinking Creek appears to be different. Karst topography in the area sinkholes, caves and caverns caused by the dissolving of limestone and other rock over time may have created a channel that allowed sediment-laden water to travel a longer distance underground before it surfaced in the natural spring, which feeds into Sinking Creek. Donna Pitt of Preserve Giles County watched the orange-brown water flow past her as she stood next to the spring Wednesday afternoon. What she saw, Pitt said, was exactly what pipeline opponents have warned about for years in comments to regulatory agencies. We knew that it was going to be a disaster of some kind, somewhere, Pitt said. And the fact that it is in Sinking Creek, the community that has fought Mountain Valley from the beginning, just infuriates me. Drinking water has been contaminated for at least two homes that rely on wells or springs, she said. And plumes of sediment were visible in the creek as far as three miles downstream from the contaminated spring. I have lived in this community my entire life and am hard-pressed to recall a time seeing this much mud in the stream, Perry Martin, a member of the Giles County Board of Supervisors, wrote in a recent email to DEQ. The Roanoke Times submitted questions to DEQ about the situation at Sinking Creek on Tuesday. Additional inquiries about the request for a stop work order were emailed to the agencys spokeswoman on Friday. In a response Saturday morning, Irinia Calos wrote in an email that Mountain Valley is working with the karst expert at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and its karst consultants regarding mitigation and minimization options. Karst specialists and inspectors continue investigating this issue. DEQ did not respond to questions about the stop-work request. Although a spokeswoman for Mountain Valley did not confirm that the sediment came from pipeline work some distance away, she acknowledged there was a problem. Mountain Valley is actively addressing the situation in an effort to protect the surrounding resources and alleviate community concerns, Natalie Cox wrote in an email. On Wednesday, workers at the scene were pumping water from the spring, before it reached the creek, and hauling it away in tanker trucks. On Friday, Pitt said, they had placed a floating dam in Sinking Creek in an effort to catch the sediment before it was carried downstream. Cox did not provide a detailed answer to questions about the cleanup efforts. But in response to the call for a stop-work order, she wrote: MVP project opponents continue to promote factual inaccuracies in support of their agenda, which includes a primary objective to stop MVP and other linear infrastructure. Construction of the buried pipeline has undergone an unprecedented level of scrutiny from DEQ and other regulatory agencies, Cox wrote. Erosion control devices temporary measures intended to curb the flow of storm water while construction is underway can be overwhelmed by heavy rains. During January 2024, MVPs six Virginia counties received between 4.2 and 6.8 inches of rain, which was well above the 20-year average for these counties, Cox wrote. As has always been the case, completing construction and fully restoring the projects right-of-way remains the best method of permanent environmental protection. Long delayed by legal challenges filed by environmental groups, the project was fast-tracked by Congress last year. Mountain Valley says it hopes to have the pipeline in service by late March, providing needed natural gas to East Coast markets. Over the past six years, opponents have repeatedly asked DEQ to stop work on the pipeline until Mountain Valley can demonstrate compliance with state environmental standards. There has been just one such order, in the summer of 2019, on a small stretch of the 303-mile pipeline in Montgomery County. Problems then paled in comparison to whats happening now, according to David Sligh, conservation director of Wild Virginia. The states inaction is part of the pattern that has been set throughout the period when this has been under construction, where DEQ has been timid about saying there are problems, Sligh said. Its an abdication of their duty. Last weeks request for a stop-work order was made by groups that include Wild Virginia, the Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights coalition, Preserve Giles County, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, and the Sierra Clubs New River Valley Group. The 17-page letter included detailed descriptions of cases in which sediment infiltrated Sinking Creek, the Bottom Creek watershed on Bent Mountain and other streams and wetland along the pipelines route, which runs from northern West Virginia, through Southwest Virginia, to connect with an existing pipeline near the North Carolina line. The reality of the effects on water bodies, which DEQ personnel seem all too willing to ignore or dismiss, must not be discounted, the letter stated. In addition to inspections by DEQ, monitoring is conducted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. A review of weekly reports from Dec. 31 through Feb. 3 filed with FERC shows at least 32 cases where sediment was washed off the pipeline right-of-way, sometimes into streams and wetlands. During todays heavy rain event, turbid water undermined a compost filter sock and entered stream S-Y7, a report from Jan. 9 stated. Streams are seldom identified by name in the environmental compliance reports. Despite that incident and others, FERC found no cases of problem areas or non-compliance, two of the terms used to describe incidents recorded by inspectors. Instead, the federal agency handled the matters through communication reports, which provide documentation of meetings held to resolve the issues. These events and reports are all considered equally by FERC staff as part of the overall compliance record and for purposes of requiring follow-up remediation, agency spokeswoman Celeste Miller wrote in an email. Sedimentation which can clog waterways, impede wildlife and aquatic vegetation, contribute to flooding and increase the cost of treating drinking water is listed by the Environmental Protection Agency as a common form of water pollution. Existing problems in Southwest Virginia will not be addressed, the letter requesting a stop-work order said, if MVP is allowed to rush forward with construction at its current breakneck pace. Jonathan Hidalgo, 34, pleaded guilty in November to three felony charges: delivering narcotics to a prisoner and two counts of bribery in a correctional facility. Judge David Carson sentenced Hidalgo in Roanoke Circuit Court Monday to a total 12 years in prison, suspended after he serves four. Once released, he will be placed on supervised probation for one year. Carson commended Hidalgo for his lack of a prior criminal record and cooperation with investigators, but decided that acting law enforcement officers should be held to a higher standard, Chief Assistant Commonwealths Attorney John McNeil said after Mondays hearing. One of Hidalgos bribery charges dates from early December 2022, when he accepted $1,000 and some marijuana from a female outside the jail, McNeil said during Hidalgos November plea hearing. He later delivered the drugs to inmates by hiding it in cleaning supplies. The following January, another inmate offered Hidalgo $600 for another marijuana delivery, McNeil said. He carried the drugs into the city jail when he reported for work on Jan. 13. Virginia State Police officers were already there investigating inmate reports of drugs in the facility, McNeil said. Hidalgo told them there was marijuana in his backpack, which investigators seized. Hidalgo had been out of jail on bond since shortly after his arrest in March 2023. McNeil said he was remanded to the custody of the city sheriffs office at the close of Mondays hearing. One person was shot by police in Bedford County following an attempted traffic stop for reckless driving on Sunday. After attempting to stop an SUV in Botetourt County sometime shortly after 11 a.m., the driver of the vehicle initiated a chase into Bedford County, where the vehicle crashed on Falling Creek Road, and where the shooting eventually occurred. No information has been released as to the condition of the driver and, according to a statement released by the Bedford County Sherriffs office, the Virginia State Police are currently investigating the incident. Both Botetourt County and Bedford County Sherriffs Officers were involved in the pursuit. No law enforcement personnel were injured in the incident. HOUSTON A woman in a trenchcoat opened fire with a long gun inside celebrity pastor Joel Osteens megachurch in Texas before being gunned down by two off-duty officers who confronted her, sending worshippers rushing from the building between busy Sunday services, authorities said. The woman entered the Houston church with a 5-year-old boy shortly before 2 p.m. and the child was shot and critically injured. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said it was not clear whether the child was struck by the off-duty officers who returned fire. He said a 57-year-old man also was shot and wounded. The child was in critical condition at a hospital, while the man was stable with a hip wound. Finner said that after the woman began shooting, both officers engaged her and the woman was killed. He said that unfortunately a 5-year-old kid was hit" although he released no immediate details on how the confrontation unfolded. He praised the officers for quickly confronting the woman, adding, She had a long gun, and it could have been a lot worse." The woman was not immediately identified, and her motive wasn't clear. The shooting happened between services at the megachurch that is regularly attended by 45,000 people every week, making it the third largest megachurch in the U.S., according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteens televised sermons reach about 100 countries. It was not clear where Osteen was at the time. But he joined police at a news conference afterward and said the church is devastated. He added that the shooting could have been much worse if it had happened during the larger 11 a.m. service. He added he would pray for the victims and for the woman who did the shooting and their families. Were going to stay strong and were going to continue to, to move forward, Osteen said after authorities spoke. There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us -- the forces of God -- are stronger than that. So were going to keep going strong and just, you know, doing what Gods called us to do: lift people up and give hope to the world. Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple gunshots shortly before the churchs 2 p.m. Spanish language service was set to begin. Christina Rodriguez, who was inside the church, told Houston television station KTRK that she started screaming, Theres a shooter, theres a shooter, and then she and others ran to the backside of a library inside the building, then stood in a stairway before they were told it was safe to leave. Longtime church member Alan Guity, whose family is from Honduras, said he was resting inside the churchs sanctuary before the 2 p.m. service as his mother was working as an usher when he heard gunshots. Boom, boom, boom, boom and I yelled, Mom, he said. The 35-year-old ran to his mother and they both laid flat on the floor and prayed as the gunfire continued. They remained there for about five minutes until someone told them it was safe to evacuate. Outside, Guity said, he and his mother tried to calm people down by worshiping and singing in Spanish, Move in me, move in me. Touch my mind and my heart. Move within me Holy Spirit. Guity was among the many congregation members who waited Sunday evening to be allowed to return to their vehicles as police continued to search the building. The church is located in what used to be an arena where the NBA's Houston Rockets used to play years ago. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a separate statement saying our hearts are with those impacted by todays tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred. At least 20 police and fire trucks were near one of the churchs entrances Sunday afternoon, including the fire departments hazardous materials truck. Finner said it was reported that the woman had a bomb, but no explosives were found when her vehicle and backpack were searched. Worshippers could be seen leaving the building as authorities evacuated the church before the news conference. Officials announced a reunification center had been set up at a nearby gym for people to find their loved ones. The church has grown tremendously over the past 25 years since Joel Osteen took over after his father's death in 1999 with an upbeat style of Christian televangelism that has captured a following of millions. The elder Osteen founded the church in a converted feed store in 1959. At times, Lakewood Church has served as a shelter during flooding in Houston. After the pandemic, it reopened for a time at one-quarter of its capacity with only 4,000 worshippers allowed. Photos: Woman opens fire at Houston church led by Joel Osteen Superior Court Judge Michael Begert files for reelection at the Department of Elections at San Francisco City Hall in December. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle A group called Stop Crime Action says San Francisco Superior Court Judges Michael Begert and Patrick Thompson are soft on crime. The group says both judges have freed dangerous defendants while they were awaiting trial but records of their cases appear to tell a somewhat different story. The judges records are under scrutiny because both face election challenges in March. Most Superior Court judges are automatically elected to new six-year terms because they have no challengers, which was the case with Begert in 2018. But while San Franciscos rate of violent crime has been steadily declining, property crime rates, drug use and public fears are high, and their potency as a political issue was displayed in the 2022 recall of left-leaning District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Stop Crime Action, founded by anti-crime activist Frank Noto with financial assistance from billionaire William Oberndorf, was active in Boudins recall and now is looking to change the composition of San Franciscos courts. An affiliated group, Stop Crime SF, also led by Noto, recruited volunteers to watch judges handling of criminal cases. The group then issued report cards giving F grades to Begert and Thompson, quoting unnamed observers who called them arrogant, inept and biased. In the election campaign, Stop Crime Action is focusing on specific cases. In one case, the group says, Begert, while presiding over San Franciscos Drug Treatment Court, repeatedly released a convicted sex offender, Andrew Boddy, who was then accused of five additional crimes, after which Begert freed the defendant again. Court records of the defendant provide a different picture. Begert described Boddy as a highly traumatized, homeless, transgender woman with substance abuse and mental health challenges. Boddys public defender said she uses feminine pronouns and the name Anna Boddy. Stop Crime Action identified Boddy by the male name listed in the court docket. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its true that Begert has released Boddy, but the judge says prosecutors never objected. Every time she returned to my court, it was with the agreement of the District Attorneys Office, Begert told the Chronicle. As court records reflect, Boddy pleaded guilty to a burglary charge in January 2023 and, under a plea agreement with prosecutors, was returned to Drug Court for a medical referral. Begert said Boddy had some success in treatment but remained homeless and was repeatedly assaulted on the streets. When she was charged with another crime in May, he returned her case to criminal court. Nevertheless, said Noto, Boddy had a record of sex crimes and violence before being initially released by Begert. That is still 100% on Judge Begert regardless of what excuses he tries to make, Noto said. In another case, Stop Crime Action said Begert had referred a burglary defendant, Sebastian Mendez, to a treatment program, and released him from custody, even though he had dropped out of the program months earlier after a referral by another judge. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That is untrue, Begert said. He said he returned Mendez to criminal court after the defendant refused the recommended treatment, and that he remains in custody. Records kept by the sheriffs office confirm that Mendez is in jail. Such disputes are plentiful in the campaigns against Begert and Thompson, who is also being challenged for a new six-year term. In Thompsons case, Notos organization has also accused the judge of returning dangerous defendants to the streets In one case, Stop Crime Action said, the judge freed an accused and previously convicted drug dealer, Erik Ramos Diaz, without bail last year while awaiting trial, and Diaz fled after disconnecting his monitoring device. But Thompson said the District Attorneys Office did not oppose the release, and he has issued a warrant for Diazs arrest. The judge provided a transcript of a hearing in his court last June in which he proposed to release Diaz and asked Deputy District Attorney Yuri Chornobil if he objected. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Your Honor, no new charges have been filed, Chornobil replied. And given that, the People would be would consent to release with the prior release conditions that Your Honor imposed. Similarly, Notos organization cited Thompsons decision to release Darbin Hernon without bail after he was charged with drug crimes. Hernon failed to appear for a hearing two weeks later. Thats true, Thompson said, but it fails to mention that Hernons prosecutors told him on multiple occasions that they did not object to release on any of the charges the judge had required him to face. Thompson cited an email he received last July from Hernons public defender, Stephen Olmo, who said he had spoken to the prosecutor about releasing Hernon without bail. Olmo said the prosecutor told him he will agree (because) Mr. Hernon has a U.S. Marshals hold on him that means prosecution by the federal government. Noto also cited Thompsons decision last July to release Joshua Vicente Lopez without bail after he was charged with drug dealing. Two months later, Noto said, police arrested Lopez again, allegedly with fentanyl and other drugs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thompson said the prosecutor, after asking to hold Lopez without bail, sought to delay his hearing beyond the legal deadline. Under state law, my only options were to dismiss the case or release the defendant, the judge said. The district attorney did not object to release. After he failed to appear, I issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Those were cases cited in the Stop Crime SF report card and in the campaign by Notos group against the two judges. While Stop Crime Action is accusing both judges of coddling criminals, their election opponents have said little about the incumbents records. Lets send a message to our court: We need our streets safe, Begerts challenger, Albert Chip Zecher, a business law attorney, said at a candidates debate in December. He did not criticize Begert or mention any of his cases. Likewise, Deputy District Attorney Jean Myungjin Roland, Thompsons opponent, did not refer to the judges record, but told the debate audience that you can vote to keep the status quo, or you can vote for change for public safety. The Bar Association of San Francisco sought to question the two challengers about their qualifications and character. The association announced Jan. 29 that it had rated both Begert and Thompson, who had answered those questions, as well-qualified but could not evaluate Zecher or Roland because they had not responded. The Chronicle asked their campaigns about their lack of response but got no replies. In short, the challengers are running quiet campaigns that promote their own credentials, while Stop Crime Action attacks the incumbents. Begert, a former business lawyer and chairman of the Asian American Justice Center, was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010. He does not handle criminal cases but runs San Franciscos Drug Court, other treatment-referral courts and the CARE Court Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment established by Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers in an effort to remove mentally ill people from the streets and place them in treatment. Thompson was appointed by Newsom in 2022 after 30 years of law practice with private firms and is a former chairman of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, which seeks to dismantle systems of oppression and racism. He conducts preliminary hearings, which determine whether a criminal defendant will go to trial or should be released. Zecher has practiced law for 33 years, most recently representing Silicon Valley technology firms, and is a Newsom appointee to the Board of Directors at UC College of the Law in San Francisco. Roland has been a prosecutor for more than 22 years and is a managing attorney in the felonies division of the office of District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, who has not endorsed a candidate in the election. The desecration of the Shockoe Hill African Burying Ground, once the largest burial site for free and enslaved Black people in the nation, has taken many forms. An 1880s road project exposed dead bodies and bones, some of which were used for fill, leading Richmond Planet editor John Mitchell Jr. to decry people who profited by the desecration of the burial ground ... where graves were dug into, bones scattered, coffins exposed, and the hearts of the surviving families made to bleed by the desecration of the remains of their loved ones, according to the richmondcemeteries.org website of VCU professor Ryan Smith. The 1930s construction of a nearby Fifth Street viaduct, named for Confederate Gen. Stonewall Jackson, further disturbed the site. And in the 1950s, a Sunoco gas station dealt another blow to the sanctity of the burial ground. This was the landscape that Texas resident Lenora McQueen discovered when she traveled to Richmond in search of the gravesite of her fourth great-grandmother. Confusion turned into outrage, and then activism, as McQueen and others successfully secured a Virginia Department of Historic Resources marker at the site and got it listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The city, in a tax sale, purchased the abandoned gas station at North Fifth and Hospital streets. A mural on the building transformed it into a memorial. But what should be hallowed ground remains the victim of drive-by desecration, in the form of a double billboard advertising political and commercial messages for drivers on Interstate 64. It is an abomination. Its awful; its horrible, McQueen said during an interview Feb. 8. In May 2022 about a month before the Virginia Department of Historic Resources unveiled a marker at the site McQueen reached out to Lamar Advertising about donating half of the billboard for the historic site. Jeff Gschwind, a sales manager for Lamar, seemed amenable to donating space on the billboard. But when I read the details of what they were offering, they were offering the billboard down the street, not the one on the burial ground, McQueen said. Gschwind also thought that she wanted to commemorate the historical marker event rather than the burial ground. She wrote back to clarify that she was talking about the billboard on 1305 N. Fifth St. What I would like to do is announce the presence of the burial ground at that spot. I want people to know that it is right there, and people are driving over it at that moment as they see the sign, McQueen wrote. Also, it can be clearly seen in the burial ground. Gschwind wrote back that the billboard at the burying ground will not be an option, as both sides of the billboard are sold annually. What we have offered is valued at nearly $6,000. However, I completely understand what you are looking for and unfortunately, its not something that Lamar is able to provide. Complicating matters was that a previous owner of the Sunoco station had given Lamar the right to use the billboard in perpetuity. Twenty-one months passed before McQueen was triggered by a photo of VCU Health advertising on the billboard jarring, given the history of the Medical College of Virginia, among other medical schools, robbing graves at the burial ground for medical research during the 19th century. But in the meantime, 6th District Councilperson Ellen Robertson, who represents the area where the burying ground is located, had been in talks with Lamar about removing or repurposing the billboard. They said they completely understood, but thats a very significant billboard in their inventory, Robertson said Friday. And they are willing to swap that billboard out for a different site or a billboard that the city may own. Lamar Advertising sent a list of Richmond sites they would be interested in. Weve responded that were very interested and willing to talk with them about looking at the locations they suggested, Robertson said. City staff are awaiting advice from the city attorneys office on how to proceed with a swap before consulting with the mayors office. Were optimistic. We think its going to happen, Robertson said. So then, the question is, what happens with the billboard? Does the city take it down and risk disturbing the burial ground further? Or does it find a respectable way to tell the story of the burial ground and use the billboard as a part of the storytelling? Robertson said. Right now, we dont have any answers to that. My answer would be to repurpose the sign, not unlike the Sunoco station, as a vehicle to interpret a burying ground stripped by development of evidence of its existence. The exploitation of enslaved labor in Virginia cannot be allowed to morph into a commercial interest profiting from a billboard that sits on what should be hallowed ground. This history is finally being unearthed and properly commemorated, long after the bodies themselves were disinterred or otherwise debased. Id like Lamar to view this as a form of community repair, and not seek a quid pro quo. But, Im grateful that they were willing to recognize that this was the right thing to do, even though they want to recover whatever their value is, Robertson said. There can be no reconciliation without truth, no matter how ugly. The billboard would let passing motorists know what transpired on this soil: a civic and national crime on multiple levels that abused Black people in life and defiled them after death. Itd be a welcome sign that Richmond is no longer hiding from its history, but announcing it to the world. By Hannah Cottrell, PA A busker who left his guitar at a bus stop was reunited with the instrument less than 24 hours later thanks to the power of social media. Jesse Geaney said losing his guitar would have thrown (him) a curveball and affected his livelihood after he had started to produce studio recordings of his music, saying he didnt expect to see it again. The 30-year-old, originally from Ireland and currently living in Lewisham, south-east London, started busking while he was homeless for around eight years. Jesse Geaney said his livelihood would have been affected had he not been reunited with his guitar (Jesse Geaney/PA) Music really helped me deal with the stress of being homeless and it gave me something to hold on to, he told the PA news agency. He added that he has been sober for a year and has been able to access supported social housing through Lewisham Council in the last seven months. Mr Geaney said he was in a positive place before he lost his guitar on Friday evening when suddenly everything came crashing back down and everything was ruined. I knew something was going to go wrong, it was bad. I couldnt do any of the things I planned this month, he said. But it spun around thanks to the people of Lewisham and the sheer kindness and commitment and the power of the internet. He added that he was on the way to a friends recording studio when he left his guitar at the bus stop after being in a rush. Ive just started getting all the music stuff going, he said. I didnt expect to see it again you see an instrument on the street, a lot of people would take that. He posted about his lost guitar in a local Facebook group and said that, within hours, he received several messages from people helping to connect him with a woman who found it and took it safely home with her. Claire Wheeler found the guitar at the bus stop and posted photos of it on a local Facebook group (Claire Wheeler/PA) I was so surprised to wake up on Saturday morning to see messages about it all the whole thing was resolved in 15 hours just through the community Facebook page, he said. Claire Wheeler, a substance misuse worker from nearby Eltham, said she was on her way home on Friday evening when she saw Mr Geaneys guitar at the bus stop. She took photos of the instrument and initially planned to hand it to a bus driver, but they declined to take it because it was not left on the bus itself. So Ms Wheeler decided to take it home with her and posted the images to the Facebook group where members of the page were able to locate Mr Geaneys original post and connect the pair. Somebody else did the work for me they found him, the power of social media did it all for me, she told PA. It makes me feel happy that its going back to the right place. To speak to Jesse and hear his story makes me feel even better someone who has been down on their luck and trying to do an awful lot with their life, and this is his livelihood. The pair met on Saturday, and Ms Wheeler returned the guitar to its owner. Mr Geaney said he felt uplifted after being reunited with his instrument, saying he would have had to scrape together to purchase a new one after recently spending 220 on his guitar. Its a high precision instrument which would be worth a pretty penny Im just in awe and Im still buzzing that this has happened, he said. The integrity of people is just beautiful and for every one person that does you bad, theres 10 people that can do you good. Olivia Kelleher A judge in Cork has had to discharge the jury in the case of a man charged with dangerous driving causing the death of GAA commentator Paudie Palmer after it emerged that a juror had visited the scene of the crash over the weekend. A mistrial has been declared in the case of Bohdan Bezverkhyi of Rigsdale House, Ballinhassig, Co Cork. The 33-year-old Ukrainian national had denied dangerous driving causing the death of the 65-year-old at Dunkereen Crossroads in Innishannon, Co Cork on December 29th, 2022. Judge Colin Daly addressed the jurors at Cork Circuit Criminal Court shortly before lunchtime today. He asked the jurors if a visit to the crash site had been made by one member. They confirmed through the foreman that it had. Judge Daly said that such a visit had been in breach of the duties of the jury. He indicated that a verdict could not be reached in a proper way as they had broken their oath. I warned you that you were only to rely on the evidence. It is very obvious that we cannot have a fair trial. A sworn jury minder had indicated that he overheard a conversation among jurors about one member of the jury having visited the crash site. The garda said that the juror had made certain conclusions about the crash that he discussed with his fellow jurors. This resulted in the jury being questioned about the matter. The jurors had retired to deliberate shortly after 11am last Friday. They were sent home at 5.20pm on Friday. They resumed their deliberations this morning. The Prosecution case had been that Mr Bezverkhyi went through a stop sign and struck Mr Palmer whilst drunk behind the wheel. Prosecution barrister Brendan Kelly, SC, said that a neighbour had heard the revving of a car driving along the road past her gate prior to the collision at Dunkereen crossroads near Innishannon in Co Cork on December 29th, 2022 But you also have an eye-witness Mr Bezverkhyi himself when he texted numerous people that day. And he was speaking honestly then, talking to these individuals when he said I blame myself for it I left the scene of a traffic accident, drunk, there is no excuse for me, I am guilty of it all. There is your eye-witness. There is the truth of it. He had also asked the jury to consider the technical evidence on the damage done to both vehicles in the crash. The defence had emphasised that Mr Palmer was not wearing a seat belt. Defence counsel Seamus Roche, SC, said that his client had indicated in interviews that he left the scene because he was afraid. He was in shock. Perhaps he did not have the fortitude to remain at the scene. That is reprehensible. And perhaps there is bravado in what he said to others (in the texts). Mr Roche also said that the technical evidence on the examination of the cars and the crash scene was somewhat impenetrable and did not identify the exact point of impact. Mr Bezverkhyi also pleaded guilty to other charges relating to the same incident including that he failed to report the incident to gardai, failed to offer assistance to the injured person, failed to stop and that he left the scene of the crash. Mr Bezverkhyi also pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving in a separate incident in Curraheen in Co Cork on December 28th, 2022. Meanwhile, Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster had indicated that Paudie Palmer died of traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and thoracic injuries due to a road traffic collision. Mr Palmer, who was a 65-year-old broadcaster with C103/96FM and a columnist with the Echo in Cork, died from injuries sustained in the crash on January 8th, 2023 at Cork University Hospital. The popular broadcaster was also a retired school teacher. He survived by his wife Colette, his daughters Claire and Emily, his brothers Denis, Richie and John, his grandson Lucas Padraig his extended family, former colleagues at St Brogan's College in Bandon and a wide circle of friends. The native of Kenmare in Co Kerry was the uncle of Claudine Keane, who is the wife of former Ireland International Robbie Keane. He lived in Innishannon in Co Cork. Mr Keane was very well known and respected in sporting circles. Attendees at his funeral mass included GAA stars Sean Og O'hAilpin and Alan Quirke and Munster GAA Council PRO Bob Ryan. David Young, PA Stormonts First Minister has ruled out the imposition of water charges in Northern Ireland. The UK government has made the release of a 3.3 billion package to support the return of devolution dependent on the newly formed ministerial executive in Belfast committing to introduce its own additional revenue-raising measures. Water charging is not the only option open to ministers to raise extra cash for public services, but it is one of the more significant potential tools at their disposal. Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle ONeill made clear her opposition to such a measure on Monday. Her comments chime with weekend remarks by DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly who said it is unsustainable to ask people to pay more for poor public services. Ms ONeill said the British government needed to shoulder the burden and deliver a proper funding model for Northern Ireland. Im saying very clearly no to water charges, she told BBC NI. Im saying very clearly that you cant burden people who are living through a cost of living in crisis with additional household bills whilst their services and public services are declining. Thats not the right spot for us to be. So what we intend to do is to fight together for a proper funding model, we intend to be at the Treasury in the coming weeks to make that case again very clearly. Well talk about it again at our executive this week. We are unified in trying to achieve a proper funding model. She added: Im not working on the basis of failure, we intend to succeed. We need a proper funding model. When you look at how Scotland are funded, at how Wales are funded, we are funded below need. And its not on the basis of us standing with a begging bowl, which I often hear referred to. This is about us fighting for good public services. This is us fighting for whats right and just and that is that were properly funded to deal with the needs of the public that we collectively serve. Ms Little Pengelly told the BBC on Sunday that there was a huge number of hard-pressed families in Northern Ireland as she voiced concern about the potential impact of new revenue-raising measures. Many of those families are the very same families who are trying to bring up children, stay in work, get childcare, she said. We know how much financial pressure these families are under. A number of these proposals will do nothing but put additional pressure on those hard-pressed families at a time of a cost-of-living crisis. By Cillian Sherlock and Cate McCurry, PA Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned there will be people attempting to use upcoming referendum's on the rights of families as red herrings to mislead voters. Two referendum's are to be held on March 8th to amend Irelands Constitution. The first plebiscite is on whether the Constitution should be changed to extend the definition of family beyond only those based on marriage to include durable relationships. Vote Yes on March 8th: A more inclusive concept of Family Remove outdated language re a womans life within the home Recognise the care & support family members provide to each other State shall strive to support family carehttps://t.co/jfIV46peFZ pic.twitter.com/XBtkVUTfKK Fine Gael (@FineGael) February 12, 2024 The second is on whether to delete a reference to the role and duties of women in the home and replace it with a new article placing an obligation on the State to strive to support the provision of care by families. Launching Fine Gaels campaign in support of a yes vote for both changes, Mr Varadkar said there were always red herrings in every referendum campaign. Speaking in Dublin on Monday, he said: There are going to be people who try to make the referendum about something that it is not actually about. Anti-migrant groups have said the proposed changes redefining the rights for family could lead to higher immigration due to increased reunification of asylum seekers spouses and relatives. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said one million people would benefit from a protective shield of the recognition of their family through the proposed changes. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. But Mr Varadkar said immigration law already provided for reunification and added that State law allowed for circumstances where non-national spouses of Irish citizens could be deported. The Taoiseach told the launch event that one million people would benefit from a protective shield of the recognition of their family through the proposed changes to the Constitution. We can all think of everyday examples of people that we know; a single mother or a single father raising a family; guardians perhaps a sister or brother that has taken on rearing their nieces and nephews when their brother or sister passed on; grandparents bringing up kids because the birth parents arent able to for one reason or another, he said. These are everyday examples. We estimate about a million people form these families and yet our Constitution says that their families are not real. On the referendum about care, Mr Varadkar said the wording would place an obligation on the State to strive to support families providing care. Minister for Children Roderic OGorman said a durable relationship was one that was stable and committed. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. He said this meant the State would have to work vigorously to improve things for family carers. Asked why the Government had chosen to add the word strive rather than proposed a constitutional change to impose an obligation to directly support the provision of care, Mr Varadkar said there was a need to be careful that the wording was not too strong. If you put in language that is obligatory, for example, it takes decisions away from the Oireachtas the people that are elected by the public to make decisions for example, on how money is allocated and potentially puts it in the hands of the courts and judges that are not elected, he said. Anytime were making a budget, we have to make difficult choices. And take, for example, social welfare weve to make choices between pensioners and sometimes between carers and sometimes between people that have a lone-parent family and other groups. Those are choices that should be made, in our view, by the Oireachtas and the elected members of the people. He added: This does put an additional obligation on the State to strive to support family carers but it doesnt make it so strong that it might be at the expense of other groups that arent listed. Elsewhere, Minister for Children Roderic OGorman said the proposed wording would place a mandatory obligation on the State to recognise a carers role. If you pull shall into a piece of legislation thats a clear direction to the government to do something, the Green minister added. The alternative is may, where youre giving the government some flexibility. But we placed shall in there because it is a clear direction to State that it must continue to do more, it must continue to increase the level of support it gives to family care that will have an impact in Cabinet discussions, in budgetary negotiations, but it will also as with the article on the family it will also be ultimately interpreted by the courts and the courts will ultimately say if the State has done enough in terms of meeting that new obligation. Mr OGorman said a durable relationship was one that was stable and committed. Durable relationship is a relationship of strength, a relationship of stability, a relationship of commitment, and its a relationship that fits in with the wider description of the family in Article 41, something thats the fundamental unit group of society, he said. Mr OGorman also said that while the courts would have a role in interpreting the meaning of the Constitution, the Government was very clear that it would include one-parent families and cohabiting couples and any children they might have. He ruled out it including three adults living together who wanted to claim family status. Thats not contained within this definition, because that isnt a fundamental unit group of society, he said. Mr Varadkar said it was not the case that every durable relationship could become recognised as a family. For example, he said nobody would be able to get the courts to define a decades-long-strong business relationship as a family. He added: A family must be the natural and primary fundamental unit group of society, that it must be a moral institution, that it must be an institution possessing inalienable and imprescriptible rights, that it must be necessary for the basis of social order and indispensable for the welfare of the State. Asked if there was a threshold for how long a relationship must be, Mr Varadkar said durability did not have to be based on a duration. But he added that existing law outside the Constitution said that cohabiting couples needed to be living together for two years if there was a child involved, or five years if they did not have children before they were recognised under legislation. House Republicans are not accepting the Senates version of the Constitutional Carry bill. A week after the Senate passed H. 3594, the permitless carry bill, House Republican leadership announced they plan to reject the changes that were made during the Senate amendment process. It is our firm belief that this bill, in its original form, best reflects the fundamental rights and freedoms of our constituents, SC GOP Majority leader Davey Hiott wrote in a statement via Twitter. Under current law, anyone who can legally own a gun needs a concealed weapons permit, which requires training to carry it publicly. This bill, however, allows all legal gun owners to carry publicly without a CWP. Open carry Open carry refers to the practice of carrying openly visible firearms in public. Five states and Washington D.C. forbid the open carry of hand The House passed a version of the permitless carry bill in 2023. The Senate added several amendments last week, including creating an optional training program free to participants available twice monthly in every county in SC, put on by SLED. The Senate also changed the age from 21 to 18 to carry a concealed weapon and added an extra penalty for carrying in prohibited places without a CWP. While I respect the intentions and efforts of the Senate, the House Republican Caucus remains united in our decision to non-concur with the Senates changes, the SCGOP release said. House Republicans who took issue with the amendments said the bill that came out of the Senate was not true constitutional carry, but instead, a watered down version. Some House Republicans have been concerned that if they send the bill back to the Senate, it may not move through at all, leaving another year without the passage of the bill. But RJ May, R-Lexington, vice president of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, called that concern a political tactic. What the Senate passed is unacceptable and were glad they [House Republicans] finally came around to actually stand up for second amendment rights, May said. Gov. Henry McMaster has been a supporter of the bill since its inception. He released a statement after House Republicans decided to not concur. The decision today by Republicans in the SC House to reject Senate changes to H. 3594 keeps the revolving door for career violent criminals wide open, the press release said. The public is losing confidence. So am I. Jennifer Friedenbach, executive director of the Coalition on Homelessness, speaks on a panel at a Chronicle-sponsored event in San Francisco on Feb. 16, 2023. Salgu Wissmath/The Chronicle 2023 The Coalition on Homelessness, an advocacy group locked in an ongoing lawsuit with San Francisco over encampment sweeps, is now facing its own legal battle. A former employee of the coalition is suing the nonprofit, alleging that she faced continued discrimination and harassment during her time there. Kelly Cutler, who served as the nonprofits human rights organizer for six years, filed a lawsuit against the nonprofit and Executive Director Jennifer Friedenbach Feb. 9 in San Francisco Superior Court. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cutler accuses the nonprofit of more than a dozen state code violations, including discrimination and harassment, failure to compensate employees for all hours worked and a lack of adequate meal and rest breaks. Friedenbach deferred questions from a reporter to Joe Wilson, a member of the coalitions board of directors. In a brief emailed statement, Wilson wrote that the coalition will cooperate fully with the legal process pertaining to the lawsuit. We cannot comment further on confidential personnel matters. According to the lawsuit, Cutler was diagnosed with PTSD due to the nature of her work with the coalition. Friedenbach allegedly discussed Cutlers condition and mental health with other co-workers without her consent and failed to provide accommodations for her disability. The lawsuit further alleges that Cutler was not paid accurately for overtime she was required to work and was not provided meal and rest breaks, as required by state law. She was also forced to incur expenses as part of her job duties that were not appropriately reimbursed, such as mileage, the lawsuit states. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Toward the end of her employment with the coalition, Cutler claims she faced retaliation. The lawsuit states that Cutler in May 2022 voiced concerns after Friedenbach indicated she planned to hire a new employee based on their African American and female characteristics. Cutler told Friedenbach in a meeting that she believed that her hiring practices were illegal and that another candidate held superior qualifications. Friedenbach in response allegedly accused Cutler of making white supremacist comments and sent harassing text messages to her. Cutler was allegedly forced to quit in June 2022 because of Friedenbachs continued discrimination and harassment. She is seeking unspecified damages and back pay for unpaid wages, mental and emotional distress and attorney fees. Cutler could not immediately be reached for comment. Paul Boden, the organizations former executive director, called a reporter Monday morning after reportedly speaking with Friedenbach about the Chronicles inquiry, but said he was not speaking on her behalf. Boden said he felt an obligation to point out that this was the first lawsuit of its kind filed against the nonprofit since its founding more than three decades ago. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It makes a statement because I know a ton of organizations that are getting raked over the coals and its like, man, were just a small, broke-ass homeless coalition doing the best we can, he said. Its a first for us. In September 2022, the coalition sued the city on behalf of seven unhoused San Franciscans, arguing that San Francisco officials violated state and federal laws, as well as its own policies and the rights of homeless individuals, by clearing encampments without offering adequate shelter and unlawfully seizing their belongings. FLORENCE Francis Marion University hosted the Sankofa African American Museum on Wheels Exhibition on Wednesday and Thursday to educate students on Black history in celebration of Black History Month. When we were in slavery, we could not learn to read. It was against the law; they would disfigure us if we tried to learn to read, museum curator Angela Jennings said. My broad goal now is to teach everybody about our history and culture and to not let Black history be taken out of the public schools systems and the public colleges. The museum which is a timeline of Black history has been touring for 29 years and is constantly evolving. The end of the timeline shows Supreme Court Justice Ketanaji Brown Jackson, who is the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Sankofa is a Ghanaian term that means go back and get it. Jennings said the image of Sankofa is an Adinkra symbol of a bird flying forward with its head turned back, but even though its head is facing behind, it never stops continuing forward. It means go back and learn your history and your culture reach back and fetch, Jennings said. The museum begins in Africa, and details the Middle Passage, slavery, famous Black Americans, the civil rights movement, and some of the most recent elected officials in America such as former President Barack Obama and current Vice President Kamala Harris. The museum holds newspaper clippings about historical events, artifacts such as 19th-century tax forms about enslaved people, figurines of historical figures, magazines and replicas. Jennings said she is working on adding a portion on slave breeding to the already large exhibit. The exhibit was held in the Honors Center on Francis Marion Universitys campus at the same time the university was holding tours of its historic Hewn Timber Cabins. The cabins date back to the mid-19th century and were the living quarters for enslaved persons. MARION, S.C. -- The Marion Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony for Luckys on Harllee last week. Marion Chamber president Janice Lane welcomed owners Lucky Leyland and Laney Siau for investing in Marion at their location on 105 Harllee Place. It was the biggest support system Ive had in 46 years of living, Leyland said. It was phenomenal and it made me want to do nothing but get this thing in order and open up another business right behind it. The new business officially opened Monday and will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Siau and Leyland made Marion their home after traveling the country to be closer to family. They later came up with the idea to create another food spot in the area featuring a family friendly restaurant offering authentic food inspired by Leylands hometown Philadelphia. The highlight item is their Philly cheese steak sandwiches and includes plans to add hoagies. I like to eat and I like to eat late, Leyland said. So I figured Id bring a little hometown love into this place and get it rocking on some good food. Leyland said the amoroso rolls delivered from Philadelphia. If you dont have the proper roll its over, Leyland said. The reaction from the public has been great, he said. I want to build this place, he said. Im here now and Im not going anywhere. The menu includes a Philadelphia theme with items named after his grandmother, Veteran's Stadium and the film Rocky. "It's not just a meal and it opens up conversations on why we're here," he said. "All of my sandwiches are signature sandwiches. It gives a little history to it because I'm in a historical place so why not bring Philly which his the most historical place in the country to this place." For more information call 843-433-8577. Former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley returned to Orangeburg on Sunday as she continues her push for the Republican nomination for president. Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Orangeburg resident Edgar McGee, left, talks with former S.C. governor Nikki Haley at her Sunday, Feb. 11, Its A Great Day In South Carolina Its so great to be back on my stomping grounds of Orangeburg and to see everybody again, Haley said. Haley is a Bamberg native and graduate of Orangeburg Preparatory Schools. Haley in Orangeburg Patricia Guarnieri traveled Fleetwood, N.C., to attend the Nikki Haley campaign stop in Orangeburg. Haley will face former President Donald J. Trump in the Republican presidential primary in Feb. 24. Haley told the crowd of almost 100 at The Cinema that her main priorities as president will be increasing security at the southern border, strengthening the economy and Americas foreign policy, revamping education and supporting veterans. Haley in Orangeburg Solicitor Scarlett Wilson speaks at the Nikki Haley campaign stop in Orangeburg. If elected, Haley said she will encourage policies requiring every employer to verify employees immigration status, station more law enforcement at the border, defund sanctuary cities and increase deportations. Haley said she will reign in unnecessary federal spending and the national debt, which she blamed for young peoples anxieties about the economy. Everybody said the economy was good under Trump and it was, right? But at what cost? she said. She pointed to the increase in the national debt and higher tariffs as shortcomings of former President Donald Trumps administration. You dont fix the economy by taking money away from people, she said. You fix the economy when you start to put money back in people's pockets and when you focus on the value of a tax dollar. Haley said she would cut down on wasteful spending and borrowing by both Republicans and Democrats and veto any funding proposals that dont take the country to pre-pandemic spending levels. She said she will send as many federal programs as possible to the state level, such as education, health care and welfare, to make the federal government smaller. She said she will eliminate the federal gas and diesel tax, cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses and simplify tax brackets. The country needs to get back to basics in the classroom and promote transparency in education, she said. The second we start listening to what teachers have to say, thats when you will truly fix education in this country, she said. Haley said she would improve support for veterans in the country, noting the rates of homelessness and suicide among veterans and waiting times for doctors appointments in the Veterans Affairs system. It's truly shameful how we treat our veterans, she said. She shared her husbands struggles after returning from a deployment in Afghanistan while she was governor. When he came back home to us, that was a lot of prayers answered, she said. But when he got home, that was the hard part. Michael Haley, currently deployed again with the South Carolina National Guard, couldn't hear loud noises or be in crowds when he returned from his first deployment, she said. Telehealth options should be expanded and offered to more veterans to improve wait times, she said. Every congressman should get their health care through the VA system, she said to a positive response from the crowd. She also addressed a shot Trump took at her and her husband at a rally in Conway on Saturday, in which Trump asked why Haleys husband has not been accompanying her on the campaign trail. The former governor said Trump mocked her husbands service. Donald, if you have something you have to say, dont say it behind my back say it to my face on a debate stage, she said to a positive response from the crowd. Trump has not participated in any debates this cycle. Donald Trump clearly doesn't understand that in South Carolina, we love our military men and women, Haley said. In South Carolina, we dont look down on those who sacrifice and serve our country. We lift them up and thank them every day for the rest of their life. Haley called Trumps comments on service men and women a sick way of thinking and said he doesn't understand the sacrifice military members make. IN PHOTOS: Nikki Haley makes a campaign stop in Orangeburg Close Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg +19 +19 +19 +19 +19 +19 +19 +19 +19 +19 I dont think he thinks America is worth fighting for, because you wouldnt degrade the people who are defending it if that was the case, she said. A heckler called Haley a liar and a racist at one point during the rally, before being shouted down by some chants of Nikki from the crowd and being escorted out. My husband and all our military men and women sacrifice every day for him to have the right to do that, she said afterward. Haley said she would strengthen Americas foreign image to prevent wars. She criticized comments made by Trump at the Conway rally saying he would not support NATO member countries in wars with Russia who dont contribute enough financially to the alliance. I dealt with Russia every single day at the United Nations, Haley said. Putin kills his opponents. He invades free countries. This is not someone you ever want to pal around with and you certainly dont want to give them the right to invade a friend. She said she supports making NATO members put more into the alliance, but she called the alliance a success story and said shes committed to supporting it. Haley said while Trump was surrounded by the D.C. elite, she supports policies that would make her unpopular with the establishment such as term limits, competency tests for elected officials over 75 and banning stock market trading by Congress members. Haley has lost the endorsements of many of her home state politicians to Trump. The former president has been endorsed by Gov. Henry McMaster, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and Congresswoman Nancy Mace. Haley blamed the lack of support on her successes as governor, such as requiring more on-the-record voting for bills in the State House, income disclosures for state lawmakers, vetoing pet projects and defeating McMaster in the 2010 Republican primary for governor. If thats what they're going to be upset about, they can have them, she said to the crowd. I dont want them. Its you I want at the end of the day. Charleston and Berkeley counties solicitor Scarlett Wilson, a Haley supporter, introduced her at the rally as South Carolinas favorite daughter. Wilson highlighted Haleys performance as governor during the 2015 shooting of Walter Scott and the Mother Emmanuel shootings. Wilson prosecuted the perpetrators in both perpetrators. It was a lonely, lonely, dark time, but thankfully, I had someone who had my back, Wilson said. I had Gov. Nikki Haley. Haley represented the state with dignity and grace, Wilson said. We needed Nikki Haley in the governor's mansion, we needed Nikki Haley in the Trump administration and we now need Nikki Haley in the White House, she said. The former governor said she has a better chance of defeating President Joe Biden in the general election than Trump, citing poll numbers showing most Americans' aversion to a Trump-Biden rematch. She mentioned some polls have her beating Biden in the general, with Biden and Trump close to each other in a potential rematch. Haley claims Bidens age and mental capacity make him unfit to serve and that Trump brings chaos and is too friendly to Americas enemies. Thats not what we need for our country, she said. We need someone whos going to work eight years, disciplined, focused to get our country back on track. She also criticized both Biden and Trumps mishandling of classified documents. Both of these men are tied up in investigations, she said. They're tied up in their own egos not wanting to leave these jobs. They're tied up in what's in it for them. Americans deserve better, she said. They know they deserve better. She also pointed to a recent special counsel report raising further concerns over Bidens memory and age. I wish him well, I do, she said. But this is serious and we need to be very cautious of what is happening, because our enemies are paying attention. She believes he will ultimately not make it to the election as the Democrats candidate. My bet is 30 days from now, I dont think Joe Biden is going to be the nominee, she said. Youre going to have a female President of the United States. Its either going to be me or its going to be Kamala Harris. Haley also questioned Trumps age and mental fitness for the presidency, mentioning an instance where Trump seemed to confuse Haley with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and blamed her for not securing the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection while giving a speech in New Hampshire last month. I've never been in charge of security at the Capitol, she said. I certainly wasnt in D.C. on Jan. 6. Haley spent a significant amount of her address discussing Trump. How much more chaos are we going to put up with? she said. How many more losses do we have to have before we say Maybe thats not the way we should go? Thats why I think its time for a new generation of leaders. No more chaos, no more noise, now its time to get to work for the American people. Haley said her campaigns primary goal in the Palmetto State is to continue to build up momentum going into the Michigan and the Super Tuesday primaries. Trump still leads Haley by a significant margin in South Carolina ahead of Feb. 24, but she believes she can close the gap. We have the opportunity to fix this, she said. So dont let anyone tell you that the choice is made. The choice isnt made until the ballots are counted Feb. 24. Haleys bus tour across the state is focused on getting her in front of as many voters as possible and reminding them of her gubernatorial record, she said. Thats how you win an election: You work hard, she said. You dont go stand on a stage with a teleprompter. You dont go hide behind a desk and say Im not going to do the Super Bowl interview. You get out there and you talk to the people. Ashley Whetsell brought her daughter Daisy, 11, to the rally to show support for Haley. Whetsell said her top issues are the border and economy, and she believes Haley can reproduce her success as governor. I feel like she needs to win in South Carolina in order to keep going, but nobody can make that call but her, she said. Patricia Guarnieri, an independent voter from Fleetwood, N.C., came to the rally with her husband. Guarnieri said Haley is the Republican Partys only hope to be competitive. I think the Republican Party stands a chance if they have Nikki Haley at the helm, she said. Edgar McGee said he remembers Haley as a little girl sitting on a crate to run the cash register at her family's business in Orangeburg, when he built a building for the family. If you want a real American story, she absolutely is a picture of it, McGee said. McGee, like Guarnieri, said the countrys international image is his top priority. He also believes Haley will have a better chance at attracting swing voters than Trump. I think if America sees what you saw there today, she'll get a lot of Democratic votes if Biden is the Democratic candidate, he said. Trump wont get it, but she could. Haley encouraged the crowd to turn out for the primary. We have lots of people who vote in general elections, she said. In general elections, youre given a choice. In a primary, you make your choice. She encouraged early voting and spreading the word from person to person. In South Carolina, we know how to fix things, she said. We know how to get things right. We just have to commit to doing it. Haley said she is running to support veterans like her husband, young people just starting out in a tough economy like her daughter, college students writing things he doesnt believe in like her son and immigrants and entrepreneurs like her parents. My parents came here 50 years ago to an America that was strong and proud and full of opportunities, she said. I want them to know that country again. SUMTER The city of Sumter hosted a ceremony to dedicate a P-51 Mustang replica static display to the Tuskegee Airmen at Veterans Park on Friday. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. speaks during a Tuskegee Airmen Monument dedication ceremony at Veterans Park in Sumter. The display was installed in July 2023 and is the only full-scale P-51 Mustang replica on permanent public display in the United States outside the National Historic Site in Tuskegee, Alabama. We stand here today in honor of not only the heroic actions of the Tuskegee Airmen, but of the historic precedent they set in defiance of a world that would not see their worth, said David Merchant, Sumter mayor. They continue to be an inspiration to everyone who has and will follow in their footsteps. Sumter, known for its motto of Uncommon Patriotism, was home to two Tuskegee airmen: Lt. Col. Willie Ashley and Lt. Leroy Bowman. Both men were P-51 pilots in the predominantly African American Army Air Corps 332nd Fighter Group Red Tails during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen engaged in air-to-air and air-to-ground combat as necessary in their missions to escort Fifteenth Air Force bombers through hostile airspace. Despite the challenges faced by the Tuskegee Airmen due to the prejudices and discrimination that were common at the time, the Red Tails excelled in their mission. According to Tuskegee Airmen Chronology by Daniel Haulman from the Air Force Historical Research Agency, The total number of escorted bombers shot down was significantly less than the average number of bombers lost by the six other fighter escort groups of the Fifteenth Air Force. The Tuskegee Airmen started a journey before there was a path. Before there was anyone ahead to look to. They paved a way that changed America, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr., who attended the dedication as the keynote speaker. Brown was stationed at Shaw Air Force Base from November 1999 to June 2003, and served in a variety of roles such as F-16 Fighting Falcon instructor pilot, assistant operations officer and commander of the 55th, 78th and 79th Fighter Squadrons. This P-51 behind us stands as a visual memorial to the legacy of the Red Tails, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the contributions of men and women from South Carolina, said Brown. The dedication ceremony was open to the public and attended by not only members of the local Sumter community and Team Shaw, but also others such as Rep. G. Murrell Smith, speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives, and retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. George Bowman, a descendant of Lt. Leroy Bowman. The ceremony was also attended by joint military leadership representing the variety of major operational units based at Shaw Air Force Base including U.S. Air Forces Central, U.S. Army Central Command, Fifteenth Air Force and 20th Fighter Wing. The Tuskegee Airmen created a legacy of honor and made a lasting impact on our nation. It is a legacy that echoes the noble call to service a call that resonates through generations and continues to inspire today, said Brown. We stand here as stewards of that legacy. It is a legacy that transcends the military, embracing the many ways we can all serve and contribute to our communities and our country. Prabowo Subianto, left, with running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, son of President Joko Widodo. Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) By Philip J. Heijmans (Bloomberg) A group of powerful Indonesian oligarchs gathered at a cafe in Jakarta last month in a show of support for Prabowo Subianto, underlining why the ex-general may be third time lucky in the upcoming presidential election. We are small in number, yes, coal billionaire Garibaldi Thohir told the room in a widely publicized video of the event. But in this room maybe one third of Indonesias economy is here. Their support is a big change from five years ago, when Thohirs brother sitting cabinet minister Erick Thohir led President Joko Widodos campaign to beat Prabowo for a second time. Jokowi, as the incumbent is popularly known, cant run for a third term and has implicitly backed Prabowo by having his 36-year-old son join the ticket as vice president. ADVERTISEMENT Yet the band of American-educated businessmen gathered in the cafe are just as key to victory when 205 million Indonesians elect Jokowis successor on Feb. 14. Prabowo Subianto, left, with running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka, son of President Joko Widodo. Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) Prabowo, a former son-in-law of the late dictator Suharto, sang along to Creedence Clearwater Revival during the meeting as he expressed his gratitude for their support. I get it now why I lost the presidential election twice, said Prabowo, who was once banned from entering the US over suspected rights abuses. Back then, I was not invited here. The remarks underscore the sway Indonesias ruling class of tycoons and politicians still have in choosing the countrys leaders, nearly three decades since the country embraced democracy. Garibaldi Thohir Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) While Suhartos ouster in 1998 ushered in an era of reform, politics remain dominated by the factions that made fortunes during his three-decade rule. Their influence over the economy and politics ensured policies that enlarged their wealth from land and the exploitation of the nations vast natural resources. Emails seeking comment sent to Garibaldi Thohir through his company PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk and to Erick Thohir through the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises were not answered. Story continues Political Elite As many as half of the 575 lawmakers in parliament have connections with the mining sector, according to the Indonesia Mining Advocacy Network, which investigates the crossover between officials and business. Indonesia is governed by the oligarchy the political elites and the business elites and when it comes to their interests, I think they overlap, said Dedi Dinarto, an associate with advisory firm Global Counsel. This kind of conflict of interest, where a businessman knows a policy is going to come out from a government, is not ideal, but thats the fact in Indonesia. When Jokowi became president in 2014, some analysts expected the former furniture maker from humble origins to sweep away the old power structure. But by his second term, any hope of that was gone as he stacked his cabinet with prominent businessmen and former rivals, including Prabowo as defense minister. With their backing, and the support of four in five lawmakers in the lower house, Jokowi was able to pass reforms designed to elevate Indonesia to the worlds 4th largest economy by 2045. Meanwhile, Indonesias tycoons were amassing record wealth. Forbes reported a 40% increase last year among the 50 richest on its list, to reach a total of $252 billion. London-based consultancy Knight Frank projects the number of individuals with a minimum net worth of $30 million will more than double by 2026 from a decade earlier. Jokowi has been very, very smart to make use of the elite concerns to serve his purposes, Dinarto said. Jokowi, second left, with Erick Thohir, center, at the inauguration of a photovoltaic power plant in Purwakarta, Indonesia, in November 2023. (Photographer: Rosa Panggabean/Bl) The elite have managed to retain their influence for several reasons. For one, the first direct presidential vote after Suhartos ouster didnt occur for six years. In the interim, the president was picked directly by lawmakers. Then, expensive election campaigns created a barrier for new players. More critical still is a provision that remains in the Constitution after the end of Suhartos three-decade dictatorship: that presidential and vice-presidential aspirants must secure the backing of at least 20% of parliament members, or show that they won at least a quarter of the popular vote in the previous election. The rule, upheld under Jokowi, has been challenged at the Constitutional Court over 30 times as critics complain it puts government representation out of reach of ordinary citizens. Its like going to a concert but using tickets that have already been used, said Herdiansyah Hamzah, a constitutional expert at Universitas Mulawarman in East Kalimantan. In the end, the presidential candidates are dominated by old people and certain parties. Cost of Business Jokowis critics say he hasnt helped. Hes been accused of defanging the anti-graft body that was probing his ministers and his government has passed laws limiting criticism of the president and public institutions. His landmark job creation law already dogged by transparency concerns was initially rendered legally defective before it was revised and passed. Representatives for Jokowi didnt respond to requests for comment. Indonesia ranked 115th out of 180 in Transparency Internationals 2023 corruption perception index, after posting its worst slide since the reform era the prior year. Jokowi and his inner circle are trying to resolve bottlenecks to ensure that his priorities are approved and can proceed smoothly. But in the process they changed some rules, said Alexander Arifianto, a senior fellow with the Indonesia program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Now, they are treated like gods. Jokowis most telling gambit was to allow his elder son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to run for vice president alongside Prabowo. His younger son, 29-year-old Kaesang Pangarep, helms a fringe party that as of Jan. 12 had raised more campaign funds than any other in the Prabowo camp, data show. A son-in-law, Bobby Nasution, is the mayor of Medan, Indonesias fourth-largest city. Some observers say the strategy is an effort to maintain a direct line to the presidency after he leaves office by creating a lasting political dynasty. Gibran after a medical check-up, required for candidacy in the election, in Jakarta. Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) Indonesias dynastic politics is a big problem, former vice president Jusuf Kalla said in an interview. Even Suharto was good for 10 years, he said. When the children are still in school thats good, but when they grow up and get to know the business thats the problem. Yet Jokowis gambit to bring his son into the political arena has created fractures in the traditional circles of power and raised concern about the influence of the nations elites. Gibrans candidacy, for example, was made possible by a Constitutional Court ruling that was presided over by Jokowis brother-in-law. That sparked discord within the cabinet and led to student demonstrations. Corruption probes against a pair of ministers from junior coalition partner the National Democratic Party raised speculation that the investigations were motivated by the partys support for former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedans presidential bid. Similarly, a probe of the trade ministry led by National Mandate Party chief Zulkifli Hasan over alleged corruption related to sugar imports was seen as an attempt to bargain over support for Jokowis candidate, said Titi Anggraini, an advisory board member of the Association for Elections and Democracy, or Perludem, an independent, non-profit advocacy group. Election rivals have also alleged interference on the campaign trail. We book a campaign venue for a rally and last minute the permit for the event is revoked by the local police, said Tom Lembong, an ex-trade minister serving as vice-chair of Anies campaign. No reason given. Anies Baswedan, left, Prabowo Subianto, center, and Ganjar Pranowo during the final presidential debate in Jakarta on Feb. 4. Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) One big indication of a rift in the traditional political alliances was the decision by the ruling partys matriarch Megawati Sukarnoputri, to back the partys own candidate Ganjar Pranowo after initially seeking to have her daughter campaign for the position. Everything has been weakened because of the politicization of the constitutional court, the vulgarity of dynastic politics and now elections full of controversy, said Perludems Anggraini. With assistance from Soraya Permatasari and Chandra Asmara. 2024 Bloomberg L.P. SPENCER, Iowa -- A Laurens, Iowa, cattle owner has been fined after pleading guilty of failing to provide adequate feed and water to a herd of cattle and causing the death of two of them. Brent Svuba, 39, pleaded guilty in Clay County District Court to one count of animal neglect -- serious injury or death, a serious misdemeanor. District Associate Judge Andrew Smith ordered him to pay a $430 fine, plus court costs and surcharges. Svuba was arrested Sept. 26 after the Clay County Sheriff's Office received a report of malnourished cattle in a pasture in rural Webb. An investigation determined two cattle had died from malnourishment and lack of water. The other cattle appeared gaunt and thin and had apparently gone an extended period of time without feed, according to court documents. The cattle were moved to another location where they could be returned to health. SAC CITY, Iowa The reward fund for a missing Wall Lake, Iowa, trucker now exceeds $27,000. Sac County Crime Stoppers, which manages funds used for law enforcement investigations in the Northwest Iowa county, announced in a Facebook post Sunday that up to $27,800 is being offered for information leading to the location of 53-year-old David Schultz or an arrest and consequent conviction in Schultz's case. In January, the Sac County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to use $25,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds for the reward. The rest of the money being offered for information consists of "ongoing contributions that the community has provided to the Sac County Crime Stoppers account for David Schultz specifically," the post read. Schultz, a married father of 10-year-old twin boys, vanished before Thanksgiving. He was last heard from in the early morning hours of Nov. 21, according to the Lake View Police Department. Schultz's red Peterbilt semi with white stripes was found the afternoon of Nov. 21 parked in the middle of the northbound lane of County Road N-14, not far from where it intersects with D-15 in northeastern Sac County. The trailer he rents was loaded with pigs, but Schultz was nowhere to be found on that stretch of paved roadway, which is flanked by cornfields. Anyone with information concerning Schultz's disappearance is asked to call the Sac County Communications Center at 712-662-7127 or email tips@saccountyiowa.gov. OMAHA A Walthill, Nebraska, man has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for shooting another man in the pinky. Dante Stabler, 23, pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in Omaha to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. A charge of using, carrying or possessing a firearm during a violent crime was dismissed. The victim confronted Stabler on Feb. 22 in Macy about his stolen vehicle. Stabler is accused of firing a shot from a pistol into the pavement. The victim then charged Stabler and grabbed the pistol. When the victim grabbed the gun, Stabler fired a second shot, striking the victim's finger. While the victim was at the hospital in Winnebago, a nurse notified the FBI of the shooting, and the FBI began an investigation. SIOUX CITY -- Sioux City police investigating a Morningside burglary arrested a man suspected of committing a string of burglaries in Sioux City and Sergeant Bluffs in recent months. Officers were dispatched to a home in the 2600 block of South Coral Street at 5:28 a.m. Monday after a woman reported she had awakened and found a man inside her home. The suspect ran from the house and was apprehended by police after a short foot pursuit. The suspect was identified as Kaden Anton-Miller, who police suspect of other burglaries. Anton-Miller, 20, of Sergeant Bluff, was booked into the Woodbury County Jail on two counts of second-degree burglary, five counts of attempted second-degree burglary and single counts of third-degree burglary, motor vehicle theft, operating a vehicle without owner's consent, theft, eluding and failure to obey a police officer. According to a records search on Iowa Courts Online, Anton-Miller previously was charged with stealing a vehicle in Sergeant Bluff in April, and in June he was arrested on warrants charging him with selling drugs to a person under age 18 and an April burglary in Sergeant Bluff. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is scheduled to stand trial in March and April in separate cases. At the time of Monday's arrest, Anton-Miller was free after posting bond after his previous arrests. Elon Musk watches the first half of the Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, Feb. 11. A new book reveals that the Tesla CEOs $44 billion purchase of Twitter stems from a dispute with a college student in Florida. Rob Carr/Getty Images Elon Musks unexpected takeover bid for Twitter traces back to a feud with a Florida college student, according to a new book recounting the chaotic ordeal. The Tesla CEOs hyperfocus on acquiring the San Francisco-based social media giant intensified after Parag Agrawal, its former CEO, rejected Musks request to block an account run by 21-year-old Jack Sweeney that used publicly available data to track Musks private jet. The billionaire started buying Twitter shares shortly after Agrawal denied his request, according to an excerpt from Battle for the Bird by Bloomberg reporter Kurt Wagner. The book suggests that Musks motivation to ban the jet-tracking account was the primary driver behind the $44 billion purchase in November 2022, which left many industry analysts perplexed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Sweeney, who operated the @ElonJet account, manages several similar feeds on various social media platforms, tracking the private jets of various notable figures, including Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Kylie Jenner. In December, Swifts lawyers issued a cease-and-desist letter to Sweeney, demanding he shut down the accounts @TaylorSwiftJets on various platforms, citing safety concerns for their client. Sweeney has defended his activities, claiming they are legal and based on collecting and sharing publicly available information from federally mandated flight broadcasts by private jets, a method commonly used by hobbyists to monitor flight paths. Musk initially cited free speech as the primary motivation behind the Twitter acquisition, pledging not to ban Sweeneys account. However, a month after the deal closed, Musk suspended @ElonJet. Sweeney continues operating the feed on other platforms such as Threads, BlueSky and Mastodon. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Elon Musk initially cited free speech as the primary motivation behind his acquisition of Twitter and pledged not to ban @ElonJet, the account which tracked his private jet. However, a month after the deal closed, Musk suspended it. Alain Jocard/AFP/TNS Twitter, now known as X, lost 71.5% of its value since the acquisition, according to a report issued last month by mutual fund Fidelity. In the first year post-Musk takeover, the monthly user count also dropped by 15%, according to web analytics provider Similarweb. attributed to an increase in hate speech on the platform. Advertising revenue has also dropped substantially. Over the weekend, Musk faced another setback, as a federal judge ordered him to testify in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probe related to the Twitter acquisition. The agency is investigating potential securities fraud during the period when Musk began purchasing Twitter stock leading up to the leveraged buyout in 2022. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Musk, who has persistently resisted the SECs attempts to interview him, argued that he was being harassed. WOODBURY, Conn. A Connecticut pastor has been arrested on allegations that he sold crystal meth out of his church's rectory, police said. The reverend of a United Methodist Church in Woodbury was taken into custody Friday after police received a tip about the drugs, authorities said. The pastor was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance and use of drug paraphernalia, among other charges. The reverend was released on $10,000 bail and was ordered to appear in Waterbury Superior Court on Feb. 23. Phone and email messages were left Monday for the pastor and the church. State police said in a news release that the pastor was found in possession of crystal methamphetamine in both rock form and that had been liquefied into a hypodermic needle. Police said they arrested the pastor at the site of a purported drug deal set up by a cooperating witness who had tipped them off, the Republican-American of Waterbury reported. Celebrity birthdays: Feb. 12 Arsenio Hall Brett Kavanaugh Christina Ricci Chynna Phillips Costa-Gavras Ehud Barak Gucci Mane Jesse Spencer Jim Creeggan John Michael Higgins Josh Brolin Judy Blume Michael McDonald Sarah Lancaster Zach Grenier When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that the government couldnt take a persons property for owing back taxes without compensating them for it, it looked as if a Lincoln woman and Scottsbluff man might finally get the compensation they had been seeking in separate legal battles. One had owed $3,800 on property taxes, the other $5,300. Investment companies bought the tax liens, then got Lancaster and Scotts Bluff counties to give them the deeds to their houses worth around $60,000, leaving Sandra Niveen and Kevin Fair with nothing. It was a process allowed by state law. Then came the decision in Tyler v. Hennepin County last May, where all nine justices agreed that Minnesotas tax sale process violated the Fifth Amendments takings clause, barring the government from taking private property for public use without just compensation. But in Nebraska nine months later, its still not so clear who owes Niveen and Fair compensation for the homes they lost. Unable to dispute that its a taking, they instead argue about who is liable for the taking, attorney Christina Martin told the Nebraska Supreme Court this week during back-to-back arguments in the cases. The investor says the county is liable. The county says the state is liable. And the state says the investor is liable. Martin, of the Pacific Legal Foundation, a public interest legal organization that fights for property rights, said Niveen and Fair will accept just compensation from any of them. She said fairness and justice require both the county and investors Tax 106 in Niveens case and Continental Resources in Fairs case be held liable. Tax 106 received the whole windfall from the taking, Martin said in Niveens case. And it couldnt have done it without Lancaster County deeding her entire property to the company over a $3,800 debt. Justice Jonathan Papik asked if the county had any choice under state law but to do that and if that mattered. Martin said it didnt matter if the county was just following requirements of state law. What mattered was whether the government took private property without just compensation. Unlike the Minnesota case where Hennepin County sold 94-year-old Geraldine Tylers home for $40,000 and kept all of the money after she failed to pay $15,000 in property taxes, interest and fees in the Nebraska cases neither of the counties got anything more than the back taxes, interest and fees. The private companies that bought the tax liens did. Attorney Chris Blunk, who represented Tax 106 and Vintage Management LLC, denied there was a taking at all in Niveens case. To which Justice Lindsey Miller-Lerman asked somewhat incredulously: Not a taking by anybody? Blunk said its apples and oranges. Minnesotas law was the clear definition of taking. The government took the property and kept the money above what was owed. Thats law school 101, he said. Our statutory scheme is different than Minnesota. Justice John Freudenberg asked Blunk, if the justices were to find that it was a taking, who owes the money? Well, certainly not my client. My client made a bargain with the county and for the purchase price of the taxes that were delinquent and all the subsequent taxes that they paid for the next three years. Their bargain was, from the county, they were to get a tax deed, he said. Blunk said nothing in the statute said they had to sell the property or give excess to anyone. Attorney Greg Scaglione, who represented Continental Resources in Fairs case, said the company was an innocent purchaser promised interest and the potential for equity. Now the county wants to renege on the deal as it is obligated to by the Legislature. And thats not right, he said. Scaglione said the county needs to make it right with the owner if there is a surplus. Chief Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Dan Zieg, who represented both counties, said their position, very simply, is they followed the law. Counties dont get to pick and choose which laws to follow. It keeps coming back to what did the county actually do wrong in all of this? Other than follow the law. We did nothing wrong, Zieg said. From the time the taxes became delinquent to the time the deed was issued, every step the county took was required by law, ordered by the Legislature, he said. Its still a taking. Its just that we did not do the taking. It was the state of Nebraska that did the taking by enacting those laws, Zieg said. But, Zieg argued also that the state was right, the investor was responsible, too. The investor came to a fork in the road and couldve foreclosed on its lien. Then, the property owner would get any excess funds that are made through the auction. Instead, they chose to go to the path of the tax deed and try and opt for that obscene windfall from all of this, he said. Solicitor General Eric Hamilton took issue with Blunks argument that by having to pay any excess profit on the property now would be to deny them the bargain they reached with the county. Under this statutory scheme, investment companies receive 14% interest when property owners pay the liens. Or if they could choose to take the judicial foreclosure route theyre entitled to that interest and fees as well. So there is still plenty for Tax 106, and similarly situated firms, even if they are denied this jackpot opportunity where they receive a tax deed on a property that has surplus equity, Hamilton said. The court is expected to rule later in the cases. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 A new report from the ACLU of Nebraska accuses the U.S. Department of Justice immigration court in Omaha of routinely violating due process rights in immigrants removal proceedings. The new report, unveiled Friday, is based on more than 500 pretrial hearings that researchers watched between April and August 2023. A team recorded the process and outcome of each hearing, including its length, whether immigrants were advised of their rights, the language they spoke and whether they had an interpreter or attorney. The court oversees cases for people living in Nebraska and Iowa. Dylan Severino, legal fellow for the Nebraska ACLU and the reports lead author, said federal law guarantees that immigrants receive a full and fair removal hearing. What we saw is a far cry from that guarantee, he said in a statement. The U.S. Department of Justices Executive Office for Immigration Review, which oversees such immigration courts, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. Rights called an unmovable object About 40% of removal proceedings for the Omaha court include people living in Iowa, according to the ACLU of Iowa. It also said more than 2,600 new proceedings were filed against people living in Iowa in the current fiscal year. Comparable figures were not provided for Nebraska. Severino said pressures on courts, including growing caseloads and backlogs, should not affect constitutional rights. Thats an unmovable object that simply cannot be fringed upon for the sake of expediency, Severino said at a Friday news conference. The Nebraska ACLUs report, produced in partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Legal Decision-Making Lab, presents four takeaways from 534 observed hearings: The duration of each procedural pretrial hearing was 3.9 minutes. Judges read immigrants their rights in 18% of observed hearings, often in group settings. For 32 immigrants whose preferred language was a Central American Indigenous language, such as Mam, Qanjobal and Kiche, 81% did not have an interpreter. An attorney did not represent an immigrant in 19% of observed hearings. The ACLU primarily observed non-detained cases before two of the three judges U.S. Judges Alexandra Larsen and Abby Meyer. Judge Matthew Morrissey primarily presides over cases of detained immigrants, the ACLU said. The report says 387 hearings before Judge Larsen were observed. They lasted an average of 3.8 minutes, and Larsen didnt advise 79% of the immigrants of their rights. Of 147 hearings before Judge Meyer, she did not advise 92% of immigrants of their rights, and the hearings lasted an average of 3 minutes. ACLUs recommendations Rose Godinez, Nebraska ACLU legal director, said the report indicates that the immigration system is not working for anyone and she hopes federal and state leaders pay attention. It is a problem that is shared by all of us, and the solution also depends on all of us, she said. Among the ACLUs recommendations are for the court to advise immigrants of their rights individually before each hearing and provide adequate interpretation services. It also recommends that local or state governments create a program for guaranteed representation. The ACLU also argues that the immigration courts should be federally restructured as an independent court system from the executive branch, with more immigration judges, who should come from diverse work experiences. Most of the systems judges are former Immigrations and Customs Enforcement attorneys, including all three in Omaha. In the meantime, the ACLU states, this onus of depoliticization falls on the DOJ. In a system that pits immigrants against the government, that bias can be determinative in life-or-death asylum cases, the ACLU report states. Severino said the Omaha court isnt reaching the bar set by constitutional rights. He argued that reforms would help the court become more efficient by preventing retrials and appeals. The bottom line is that there needs to be action to address the problems we found and help more people stay in Nebraska and Iowa, put down roots, and continue to strengthen our communities, Severino said. Steps during a typical pretrial proceeding A typical pretrial removal hearing for immigrants, or Master Calendar Hearing, is an important step that the attorneys with the ACLU of Nebraska and an immigration attorney said are some of the most important. The following actions must occur during each immigrants pretrial hearing: The immigrants case is called for hearing. The judge asks the immigrant to pronounce their name. The judge requests that the immigrant name their attorney, if they have one. The judge advises the immigrant of their rights in the court. An ICE attorney describes allegations against the immigrant. The judge asks the immigrant to deny or admit to each allegation. The judge asks the immigrant to choose a country for deportation. If the immigrant refuses, the country is chosen for them. The judge asks if there are legal reasons the immigrant should not be deported. The judge sets deadlines for the submission of various forms, applications, statements and more. The judge schedules the next pretrial hearing or a final evidentiary hearing (known as a trial or Individual Calendar Hearing) to decide the case. This story was originally published by Nebraska Examiner, which is part of States Newsroom. After years of stability, Antarctica is losing ice Posted on 12 February 2024 by This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by SueEllen Campbell Until recently, Antarcticas ice has seemed surprisingly stable. In contrast to the far north, the southern continents massive ice sheets, glaciers, ice shelves (ice that floats on the ocean), and seasonal ice appeared to be reliably frozen: Enough snow fell in the high interior to compensate for what melted around the edges. But the situation has changed. On balance, Antarctica is now losing ice. And more and more, scientists are concerned about that melting and its potential impacts from sea level rise to changed ocean and air circulation to stress on wildlife both local and global. Knowing that there is still much to learn, they are stepping up their research, despite the massive challenges in learning anything in such extreme conditions. Winter 2023: record-low sea ice Where did all the Antarctic sea ice go? Full Story podcast, The Guardian. This excellent 19-minute interview by Laura Murphy-Oates with Graham Readfearn (The Guardians Australia environment writer) and oceanographer Will Hobbs clearly explains both the anomalous loss of southern sea ice last winter and its larger possible ramifications. For a print account of the same situation, see Dark waters as Antarctic researchers dive into grim climate picture. Matthew Ward Agius, Cosmos. Thwaites Glacier, the widest glacier on Earth: The Race to Understand Antarcticas Most Terrifying Glacier. Jon Gertner, Wired. An interesting portrait of one scientist and the massive research project he is now part of, the ITGC. Though this article dates from before COVID-19 put the project on hold, it has lost none of its relevance. The extensive website of this joint U.S.-U.K. effort includes a short video with clear graphics, an impressive list of participants, and an article about the goals of the current season, now underway. Warming seas are carving into glacier that could trigger sea level rise. Chris Mooney, Washington Post. An intriguing account of some research from the 22-23 season involving a robot exploring channels being cut into the bottom of the ice shelf by warmer water. Antarcticas Upside Down World. Douglas Fox, BioGraphic. Studying the behavior of ice is leading to some other unexpected discoveries. One, the subject of this surprising piece, is a world of living creatures such as sea anemones attached to the bottom of the Thwaites Ice Shelf, far from any sources of light or food. Another story by Fox tells of under-ice rivers, some moving as quickly as a white-water river, and a cavern nearly tall enough to hold the Empire State Building: A natural cathedral lurks deep under Antarctic ice. Science News Explores. Beyond Thwaites: New research sparks concerns that ocean circulation will collapse. Fred Pearce, Yale Environment 360. An influential new analysis, one being hailed as a sea change in scientific understanding, predicts that ice melt in the Southern Ocean, not the North Atlantic, may well slow or even shut down the global conveyor belt of heat and perhaps within a few decades. On this day in 1935, the USS Macon, one of the largest helium-filled rigid airships ever built, crashed into the Pacific, ending the use of rigid airships by the United States military. Designed for scounting, while it functioned the Macon could hold up to five small biplanes that could take off from it and return. You may use this page to discuss failed US military experiments, the history of aviation, or whatever areas of freewheeling, off-topic discourse you choose. Find previous discussions in the Open Thread archive. Excepting the entreaty that you remain on topic, all of Slates usual commenting policies apply. If you depend on this community and Slates journalism, please consider joining Slate Plus. We appreciate your support. In 2021 the writer then known as Luc Santeauthor of the classic 1991 urban history Low Life: Lures and Snares of Old New Yorksent an email to a group of friends and colleagues. In it, she explained that she was in fact Lucy Sante and would now embrace the gender identity she had suppressed for the previous 66 years of her life. The most startling thing about this news wasnt Santes transition, but the fact that she had put it off for so long. In her captivating new memoir, I Heard Her Call My Name, Sante mentions that, while living in New York in the 1970s and 80s, she had been close to the photographer Nan Goldin, a celebrated portraitist of the downtown gay and transgender communities. Sante describes herself as first and foremost a bohemian, a type of person of which there are vanishingly few these days. Proud gender nonconformists, drag queens, and the people who admired them were all around her during her New York yearsyet, in the midst of what was surely the most accepting environment available at that time, she still didnt feel free to be herself. Apart from Santes age when she announced her gender identity, there isnt anything particularly unusual or new to her transition story. Technology played a pivotal role, from an app that feminizes selfies and showed her the womans face she had so long denied to the online communities where she sought advice and support in coming out. She describes the physical effects of taking hormones, the process of constructing a whole new wardrobe, the stress her transition imposed on her long-term relationship. What makes I Heard Her Call My Name extraordinary arent the events Sante describes but the way she describes them. Her writing remains as perceptive, elegant, and striking as ever, and furthermore it is fearlessly honesta quality that often seems almost as rare as Sante-style bohemians. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Slate receives a commission when you purchase items using the links on this page. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Im allergic to theory, Sante writes, and even more to the kind of shibboleth rhetoric (and its principal by-product, a defensive posture) that pervades muchthough by no means allof trans writing. This pertains to the concepts in I Heard Her Call My Name as well as to the books language. Sante frames the book as a double memoir, one part describing her conventional biographyall of it lived in the persona of Lucand the other recounting her progress since her egg cracked (one of the instances in which she does use trans lingopresumably not of the shibboleth variety). Lucs history is interesting in its own right: The Belgian-born only child of indecisive Belgian immigrants, Sante spent childhood pinging back and forth between New Jersey and Belgium, the country her mother loved and forever yearned for. Advertisement Advertisement Luc was a foreigner who felt truly at home only in New York City, the version of it haunted by the crime, social chaos, and economic woes of the 1970s. It was a run-down but still thrilling city where misfits, artists, eccentrics, and adventurers could afford to live, albeit in hovels. Aside from the inevitable stereo, Sante writes of these apartments, they contained little in the way of current consumer goods; almost everything we owned was secondhand and likely scavenged. Still, she makes it sound exhilarating. Luc was a punk aesthete whose friends included Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jim Jarmusch, the Bush Tetras, Lux Interior, Darryl Pinckney, and Elizabeth Hardwick. Luc wrote, and Lucy still writes, for the New York Review of Books. It has been a life, if not of riches, certainly of an enviably authentic late 20th-century coolness. Advertisement Advertisement Despite being surrounded by every variety of rebel and free spirit, Lucy hid behind the facade of Luca male persona she describes as saturnine, cerebral, a bit remote, a bit owlish, possibly quirky, coming very close to asexual despite my best intentions. She was and is deeply and comprehensively attracted to women, toward whom she has felt an almost abject reverence. (She often writes of not deserving to be one.) I had tried so hard for so long to be a heterosexual man, she writes, that the need to behave like one took me over like a puppeteer whenever I found myself in the presence of a woman I found attractive. But maleness itself, with its acrid musk, its stubble, its needful dangling genitalia, its oafishness and clumsiness, its sense of mission and conquest, reminded her only of the aspects of myself I most despised. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Santes mother, a stringent Catholic, openly mourned Marie-Luce, the stillborn daughter who preceded Luc. She often called me by feminine diminutives, Sante writes of those early years. Im certain my mother wanted me to be a girl. She feared men, and longed for a child who would be an extension of herself. When Sante was young, her mother searched my room on any pretext and read every bit of writing she found there. She wanted an account of everywhere I went and everyone I met. Following each of two events signaling Santes independencegoing off to college and getting marriedher mother had nervous breakdowns and had to be hospitalized. She felt her child had betrayed her by growing up, and she never forgave Sante for leaving her. To the end of her mothers life, Sante writes, we hated each other so intensely it was almost like love. Advertisement Did this fierce, tortuous relationship contribute to Santes gender dysphoria? Maybe? Probably? Sante seems to think so but shows no interest in determining exactly how muchor in arguing that she was simply born that way. Making categorical declarations about such unknowable things is an activists proclivity, and Sante lacks it. I Heard Her Call My Name is a revealing memoir, yet a resolutely private one as well, concerned only with documenting how this life and transition have felt to a single, idiosyncratic human being. I dont wish to be a spokesperson, Sante writes in the books final chapter. She is less interested in establishing what made her what she is than she is in delivering a truthful accounting of what it has felt like to live almost seven decades denying the consuming furnace at the center of my life. The shame and unworthiness she still feels (despite supportive friends and many years of therapy) serve as reminders of just how hard it can be to shake off the bindings laid on during our childhoods. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Sante tells it, her life as Luc combined the performance of a male, intellectual identity and the relinquishing of almost every major decision to her female partners. My marriages were succeeding monarchies, she writes in one bravura paragraph that recapitulates lists of the lifestyle markers of the 80s (We ate at restaurants where you were served seven squid-ink ravioli on a plate the size of a bicycle wheel) and 90s (We joined a food co-op and experimented with previously unknown leafy greens). I underwent all these things passively, Sante writes; they were weather. But at the same time they seemed alien, and my participation ceremonial, as if I were visiting a foreign country and for diplomatic reasons had to undergo all the observances, however inexplicable. Advertisement While Santes particular predicament was unusual, this sensation of falseness will be familiar to many. You dont have to suffer from gender dysphoria to feel that you could mimic this or that specific behavior, but couldnt sufficiently understand the underlying logic to knit the behaviors into a convincing personality. A paradox of this breed of confessional writing, when its done as well as Sante does it, is that the more precisely and frankly the writer describes an individual experience, the easier it becomes for readers to recognize it as similar to dilemmas of their own. Even the one area in Santes life in which she felt confident, her writing, became contaminated by her unwillingness to face herself. In the absence of any other notably masculine qualities, she observes, it was writing that became the principal signifier of my male identity, and gradually my social personality became coextensive with my work. In time, my work didnt reflect me; I reflected it. So Luc was in many ways a walking byline. Today Luc remains a presence that, Sante says, I sometimes like to think of as my sad-sack ex-husband, a hilariously homely and even fond way of accommodating a shucked-off identity. Santes writings have meant so much to so many readers it would be wrenching to have to dismiss them as the product of a person so self-deceiving they merely served to prop up the fraud. There has always been much truth in her work, flourishing like those renegade artists in the squalor of 1970s New York. And now there is even more. For many viewers of the Super Bowl, one ad amid the beer and tax-software and car commercials may be particularly surprising. It might look something like this: A guitar strums a melancholy tune. Black-and-white photos depicting mothers, fathers, and sons living in what looks to be impoverished Central American towns cycle through. An accented narrator describes a young and poor, but happy, family forced to leave their town. One day, they heard the head of their country was sending soldiers to their town because he thought they were part of an insurrection, the narrator says. The photos start to depict scenes of panicked flight through village streets and jungle roads; the faces of the family become anguished. They were scared, hungry, and exhausted. Advertisement Then the ad takes a turn: But they were far away from the atrocities taking place in Bethlehem. On the screen, words flash in minimalist white: Jesus was a refugee. That specific ad, titled Refugee, is one of 17 ads in English and Spanish that have been produced as part of a campaign called He Gets Us. For over a year, these ads have run during notable events such as NCAA March Madness games and the Grammys, and have graced billboards in major cities around the country, including in Times Square. The video for one of these ads, called The Rebel, has 87 million views on YouTube. They are all designed to send a simple message: Jesus was just like us. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its a strangely benign message for an ad campaign without a product or overt political cause to promote. But its very well-funded: The 30-second and minute-long He Gets Us ad spots that will run during the Super Bowl should amount to a total cost of $20 million, according to Ad Age. And the campaigns backers have said they plan on spending a total of $1 billion over the next three years. Advertisement The campaign is being run by something called The Signatry, a Kansas-based Christian foundation that exists, essentially, to connect donors (and their financial advisors) with causes in order to inspire and facilitate revolutionary biblical generosity. According to Ministry Watch, an evangelical watchdog organization that scrutinizes the finances of Christian charities, in 2018, the foundation reported more than $1 billion in contributions. The foundation itself seems to be apolitical and nondenominational. The list of donors, as far as we know, is a bit more traditionally evangelical. It includes Christianity Today, often called the flagship magazine of American evangelicalism. It also includes David Green, the billionaire co-founder of Hobby Lobby who fought the government over contraceptives; he told Glenn Beck in November that he was a donor. (A spokesman for the campaign told Religion News Service that the donors hailed from a variety of Christian denominations.) But we dont know the full list of donors: According to the campaign, thats because the people who are funding this dont want to distract from the message. Christianity Today reported that they were a small group of wealthy anonymous families. The ad campaigns spokespeople told Religion News Service the donors were like-minded families who desire to see the Jesus of the Bible represented in todays culture with the same relevance and impact He had 2000 years ago. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The presence of Green and other more traditional evangelicals among those on the donor list is a bit strange in part because the ads demand so little of their audience. Many more conservative Christians have criticized the ads for treating Jesus like a cool guy rather than humanitys savior and the son of God. This is, of course, the point. The ads arent telling people to convert to Christianity. Theyre just asking for people to check this guy out. And hey, if that leads you to join a church, then thats just your informed decision, made of your own free will. In other words, this is an evangelization effort, meant to reach out to people who are wary of organized religion. The campaign makes this explicit on its website by acknowledging that many associate Christianity with judgementalism, discrimination, and hypocrisy. The goal: How might we all rediscover the promise of the love [the story of Jesus] represents? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to Religion News Service, the ad group has arranged for volunteers from more than 20,000 churches to respond to questions from viewers through the website. It also features reading plans and a number to text for prayers from volunteers or words of encouragement. Advertisement Advertisement Proselytizing is an important element of evangelical Christianity. Ryan Burge, a political science professor who researches religion and political behavior at Eastern Illinois University, cited a study that showed that around 77 percent of evangelicals had encouraged others to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. But Burge described the campaigns media-blitz approach as incredibly unusual. Theres really very little precedent for it. In the 1980s, the Christian Broadcasting Network pushed a $5 million national campaign promoting a new issue of The Living Bible translation. In the 2010s, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ran a campaign to counter stereotypes and misconceptions about the church. In 2004, the United Church of Christ ran a campaign touting their inclusivity. But these were ad campaigns specific to individual churches or sects, and all cost a fraction of the projected costs of He Gets Us. Advertisement Theres something else a little odd about this campaign: its politics. The Refugee ad scans as solidly progressive, or at least pro-immigrant. One of the ads, called The Physician, tells the story of Jesus as a man who healed people, but relies on the heartbreaking imagery of the early COVID pandemic. Several others, in an effort to appeal to the disaffected, deal with less overtly political themes but valorize groups not often celebrated by the Christian right. One emphasizes that Jesus was born to a teen mom. Another compares his disciples to rebellious urban youths who are ultimately misjudged. Advertisement Advertisement But a few are more politically ambiguous. In an ad called Outrage, where it describes a man turning the other cheek, the images that flash are largely of white people yelling at people of color. (In the Justice section of the He Gets Us website, it clarifies that Jesus channeled his anger in defense of others when it really mattered. When he saw opportunists taking advantage of the poor, he confronted them without hesitation. But he knew how to pick his battles. By telling this story, we reminded ourselves that even when were tested and trolled, we have the option of rising above.) Advertisement Advertisement Another ad, The Influencer, uses imagery from anti-racism protests, and seems to land on the side of the protesters being the Jesus figures. (The establishment called him an extremist. They would stop at nothing to shut him up.) But it also starts off with an image of a Black man hugging a police officer and flashes images of protesters destroying storefronts while a narrator describes the biblical priests anger toward Jesus that led to his crucifixion. Jesus was canceled, the text reads on the screen. Advertisement He Gets Us has insisted that they are not left or right, but the reality is that using fraught terms like canceled and images of Black Lives Matter protests invites viewers to try to map partisan politics onto it. And while it invites questions, it cant help but spur others: Mainly, is this really the best use of a billion dollars in Christian donations? Wouldnt the more Jesus-like thing to do with that money be to actually work to reduce problems like poverty and homelessness and the institutional failures of the justice system? But of course, the funders of these ads think theyre doing just that. As one spokesperson of the campaign told Ad Age, the He Gets Us Super Bowl spots will explore how the teachings and example of Jesus demonstrate that radical love, generosity, and kindness have the power to change the world. This ultimately gets at the real political underpinnings of the campaign: the belief that America will become a much more peaceful, successful, and wholesome place once it has become a more fully Christian nationa more traditional perspective than the focus on diversity and radical compassion and standing up for the marginalized implies. On Sunday, $20 million is being placed on that bet. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here. Dear Care and Feeding, I am the mother of an introverted 11-year-old girl. She is smart, kind, beautiful, hard-working, and empathetic. This year, she started at a school in a new part of town for 5th grade and made a couple of friends from different cultural backgroundscultures that highly value education and academic achievement. I love that she has found friends with these values and has acclimated to her new school. However, she started a group chat on her phone that got all the girls in trouble. They were having conversations that included words about private parts of the body and topics about sexuality. The conversations were clearly juvenile and did not indicate anything scary; it looked like natural curiosity from hitting puberty. They were also cussing, especially my kidagain, in a very juvenile way. I normally check her phone, though not as regularly as I should have been. I have time limits on use, she cant use it past 9 p.m., and it has restricted access to the internet and apps. I thought I was doing well. But I received an uncomfortable phone call from one of the other moms with screenshots showing parts of the group chat I missed. The other families took it as my daughter influencing their daughters in immoral ways. They have banned their daughters from playing with mine, and they are not allowed to see her outside of school. Of course, I talked to my daughter about internet safety and her digital footprint, and we are having ongoing conversations about sexuality so that she can ask me questions and I can explain things to her without any shameful stigma. She has also been putting a lot more effort into a group project they have all been working on at school to try to make amends because they made it known they dont like their daughters interacting with her anymore. To me, that is evidence of her good heart. But she has already been stigmatized. I think part of it is cultural because they are both immigrant families from more conservative cultures. I honestly had never interacted with anyone from these cultures before moving here, but I am trying to be open-minded, learn as much as I can, and be culturally sensitive in navigating this. I just cant tell if this is cultural, or if this is just stuck-up rich people being jerks to my not-rich daughter and me, a single mom. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have apologized and tried to show empathy. I have not argued or placed blame. I have tried to listen to their concerns. I have asked how I can make amends to their families and make them feel comfortable. But the reaction has mostly been anger toward my daughter and the implication that Im a bad mother over the technology part. I would expect the other families to understand kids just say stupid things and as parents, we correct behavior as it arises. I could see one conversation, but this has been excessive. I feel ashamed and humiliated, and I dont know what to do. I feel ostracized in our new community. If its cultural, there are key things I do not understand. If its the wealth gap, I dont even know how to move forward. My daughter is a good kid and I am not a bad mom. My Kid Said What? Dear What, Advertisement Im going to zoom out for you. Youre trying to make sense of these other moms reactions and taking on a sizable amount of introspection and self-doubt as a result. But it really doesnt matter whether their reactions have anything to do with their cultural heritage or socioeconomics. Their actions have told you everything you need to know. Instead of assuming the best intent of you and your child, they have assumed malfeasance. Instead of addressing the concerns and moving on, they have chosen not to drop the issue. You are acknowledging that they might have a family culture that is different, but not less valid, than yours; they are not offering you the same courtesy. Advertisement Advertisement Im not saying they are necessarily bad people. If I were raising my kid in an unfamiliar space, I might also be protective and overly vigilant. But I am saying that you dont need to spend any other energy on them or their opinions. If it comes up again, tell them firmly that you have apologized, that your daughter is a good kid who is worthy of respect, and that you are done discussing this any further. If that doesnt shut it down, block their numbers. Either way, go find other momsmaybe some whose kids swear a little. I promise they are out there. You will not be able to change these moms minds, and I dont think its worth your energy to try. Advertisement Advertisement As for your daughter, I wouldnt be surprised if the girls decide to still be friends, despite the parents opinions. But if they are cold-shouldering your daughter, then the advice Im giving you goes double for her. If you and your daughter dont know how to find your people, maybe ask a trusted teacher for some help. They see everything and might know of some kids or parents who have a similar vibe or who are social connectors of the community. In the meantime, go easy on yourself. You and your daughter didnt do anything wrong. Dont let this one blip make you question yourself anymore. Advertisement Advertisement Want Advice on Parenting, Kids, or Family Life? Submit your questions to Care and Feeding here. Its anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.) Advertisement Dear Care and Feeding, My mom remarried a wonderful man when I was 17. He came with two sons, my stepbrothers. The younger stepbrother (Steve) and my sister are only a few months apart in age, and the three of us have developed a tight relationship. (The other stepbrother is much older, so we are friendly but not close.) Over a decade ago, Steve married Renee. Renee grew up in Florida and frequently visited Disney World. She loves everything Disney. This year, as a holiday gift, she took me, my sister, and our children to Magic Kingdom before we all boarded a Disney cruise for a planned vacation. We had never been to the parks as kids, partly because of my dads money management. Advertisement Since we announced the cruise, my mom has spent the last six months making fun of us, asking if we really wanted to go, talking about how stupid it was (she has only done adult-only cruises) and how loud it was going to be with so many children running around. She also spoiled the surprise for my child and didnt even care. Before you say, Oh she just wanted to join you, she had the chance. The whole family was invited on the cruise! She thought it was dumb and declined! Well, all of us had a blast. We are already talking about the next one. Renee is considering paying for our parents to come along to celebrate my brothers 40th birthday, thinking that if it is already paid, theyll agree. I dont think my mom ever will. As we plan for the next one is there a script or something to shut my moms comments down? Do you think this might be misplaced anger from not being able to take us when we were younger? And do you think there is any chance of getting her on a boat for a man who really sees her as his own mother? Its Supposed to Be a Happy Place! Dear Happy Place, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I wouldnt be at all surprised if this is misplaced resentment and regret for what she couldnt provide you and your sister growing up. But its also possible that she simply finds the Disney vibe childish and uninterestingeven while accompanying her grandkids. Disney isnt for everyone. (To be clear, its definitely for me.) But above all, Disney is definitely not for people who will poo-poo someone elses idea of fun while there. If nothing else, its too expensive for that kind of vibe. It doesnt sound like this vacation is something your mom would be interested in. If I were you, Id just plan the trip, not bring her into the mix, and not attach this to Steves birthday (though I recognize that may not be up to you)theres too much that can go awry before and during the vacation. But since the family is considering it, and since you asked for a script, how about this: Advertisement If she says yes: OK great, but heres what Im going to ask of you. We are going to be participating in activities and shows and character meetups because theyre fun for us and for the kids. You are welcome to opt in or out of any activity the whole time we are there; if you want to spend most of the cruise at the adult-only pool, and just meet us for dinner, thats fine, this is your vacation too. But Im going to ask that you not turn your nose down at any of the choices that the rest of us make. That was really hurtful last time around, and we arent going to do that this time. Everyone should be able to have fun on their vacation without judgment. Can you agree to that? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If she says no: No problem. But just because you dont want to go on this trip doesnt mean you get to badmouth it or make fun of it to us. You really hurt our feelings with all your negative comments last time we did this trip. I need you to cool it. If you cant, then I might need to take some space apart, because I cant do that again. An irreverent Stop yucking someone elses yum or a warning-toned Back off, mom can also help with any one-off comments that sneak out of her. But I also recommend confronting her remarks head-on. Why would you say that? That hurt my feelings. Was that your intention? Or, simply, Why does this make you so upset? Its easy to make digs and pretend youre above an activity; its another thing to answer for your behavior. Calm, constructive candor will be your best chance at diffusing her patterns, here. Good luck; have a magical time! Advertisement Catch Up on Care and Feeding Missed earlier columns this week? Read them here. Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group! Dear Care and Feeding, Advertisement My two boys (11 and 13) are excellent skiers. We have a vacation house near a ski mountain, so they have skied 30-40 days a year since they were very little. That means that when friends and relatives come to visit, typically the kids arent as experienced as mine. My boys will happily leave off from pursuing insane back-country antics with their local friends and accompany visitors on slopes of whatever level suits them. Recently, a problem arose with their cousin (also 11, my nephew on my wifes side). Hes a good kid, but like all kids, he has foibles: In his case, a certain amount of insecurity, perhaps especially related to his cousins, which can turn into boastfulness. He kept going on about how great a skier he was and complaining to my boys that they wouldnt take him on double-black diamond terrain. (Ive seen this pattern with other things, from chess to video games.) My oldest finally got exasperated and took him up to a lift that led to a terrifying-looking descentthough unbeknownst to my nephew, there was a somewhat hidden, easy way down. As soon as they got off the lift and my nephew got a look at the hard descent, he freaked out and began to bawl. My son let him go on for a few minutes before revealing that if this looked like it was beyond his double-black abilities, there was an easier way down. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My wife was annoyed with our son for playing this trick on his cousin. I disagree. They were gracious and patient with their cousin for a couple of days, putting up with his boasting and constant claims of wanting to hit harder terrain, until they tried the understandable and expedient tactic of calling his bluff. In response to my wifes scolding, both my sons say that they dont want to ski with their cousin the next time he comes. I think we should let this one slide if they agree to give their cousin another chance. What say you? That Went Downhill Fast Dear Downhill, I tend to agree with you. Your sons displayed patience until it became untenable, at which point, your oldest found a creative way to solve the issue. Is your wife upset at your son for scaring his cousin, or for putting the cousin in a situation where he might have skied down dangerous terrain? I think either of those are fair points to discussand a discussion, not any kind of punishment, is whats called for here. Can his methods be improved? Sure, and your wife is free to suggest as much; on the other hand, he solved the problem for himself and without cruelty, from what it sounds like, which deserves acknowledgment as well. Advertisement And much like your son deserves the benefit of the doubt, your nephew deserves a second chance. Youth is the time for making mistakes and learning from them. Hopefully, everyone can let each other off the hook a bit, here. Dear Care and Feeding, Im a proud aunt to two babies born in the past year and am lucky to get regular photo updates of my wonderful niece and nephew. I absolutely love these photos with one exception: Sometimes the photos are of clothes-less kiddos. I know from the parents perspective these are adorable shots (bath time! Learning to crawl!) but I feel so uncomfortable having these photos on my phone (I personally never take photos of my child unless she is fully clothed). My feelings stem from the horror stories I have heard about unsuspecting parents Gmail accounts being revoked because of innocent baby photos like this, let alone the far darker and more nefarious consequences of the wrong person getting access. How do I tell my siblings, kindly, to please not share photos like this without sounding crazy (or creepy myself)?! Weirded Out in Washington Dear Weirded Out, Advertisement Advertisement Keep the conversation on the legal grey area. Hey, I love the weekly photo dump, please keep it coming, but can I make one request not to include the naked baby pics? Im just paranoid after all these instances of algorithms flagging innocent photos as problematic, and Id hate for any of us to get caught up in thatthe articles Ive read sound truly horrific. If they ask questions, you can send an article or two, or suggest they Google it. But keep the conversation away from your personal preferencesits too easy to misconstrue ones meaning. Allison More Advice From Slate We live in a state where recreational marijuana is legal. My husband is a frequent user, which I have no problem with. However, I learned today that he bought weed for our 16-year-old daughter for her birthday. Another wet weather pattern is expected to hit California this weekend, potentially fueled by an atmospheric river of moisture originating near Hawaii. Baron/Lynx Many California cities are already well ahead of their February rainfall normals, but another turbulent weather pattern is expected to push some areas toward monthly records this week. The week will start out dry, with mostly sunny skies on Monday and Tuesday. Highs will be around 60 in the Bay Area and in the mid- to upper 60s in Southern California. Lows are expected to range from the 30s inland to the 40s at the coast. Areas of fog are possible throughout the Bay Area on Monday and Tuesday mornings. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Weather models predict that fog will lead to poor visibility in the Bay Area and Central Valley on Monday morning. Baron/Lynx Wednesday will feature the first in a weeklong series of wet weather systems. Wednesday isnt expected to be particularly stormy, but up to a half-inch of rain could fall in Northern California, including the North Bay. Central California will only get clipped by light rain from this system, while Southern California will remain mostly dry. Scattered showers may remain Thursday in the northern half of the state, and Friday should be completely dry, but more potent storm systems are expected to arrive over the weekend. Multiple storms are likely to bring widespread rainfall to the Golden State from Saturday through Wednesday of next week. San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego are in line for several inches of rain, and potentially periods of gusty wind. It is unlikely the storms will wreak as much havoc as the rain and wind earlier this month, but at least moderate impacts are still expected. The Weather Prediction Center forecasts 1 to 5 inches of rain along the California coast through Sunday. Baron/Lynx Californians planning to head to the Sierra Nevada for Presidents Day weekend should prepare for a few feet of snow. However, its too early for exact forecast snowfall amounts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad By the end of the storm sequence, Los Angeles could set a new February precipitation record. Through Feb. 11, the downtown Los Angeles weather station has recorded 10.6 inches of rain this month. The current February record of 13.7 inches was set in 1998. Monday and Tuesday breakdown San Francisco: A mix of sun and clouds is expected Monday and Tuesday, with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the lower to mid-40s. Morning fog is possible in the Marina, the Embarcadero, Mission Bay and Potrero Hill both days. The fog should burn off by midmorning with plenty of blue sky emerging in the afternoon. North Bay: Monday and Tuesday will be quite seasonal for wintertime dry periods in the North Bay, with morning fog and afternoon sunshine. Highs will be near 60, with lows in the upper 30s to lower 40s. Wind is expected to be calm, which means air quality could start to plummet toward the moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups categories. East Bay: Residents in Alameda and Contra Costa counties may wake up to foggy and potentially hazy skies Monday and Tuesday. By the late morning, tranquil weather is expected with highs around 60. Lows will drop to the upper 30s to lower 40s. Air quality may be poor in the mornings due to smoke from wood burning. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Pacific Coast and Peninsula: Periods of morning fog are possible Monday and Tuesday, but otherwise, plenty of sunshine is expected throughout San Mateo County. At the coast, highs will be in the upper 50s with lows in the lower 40s. In Sam Bruno, San Mateo and Redwood City, expect highs near 60 and lows near 40. Poor air quality is possible in the mornings due to wood burning, particularly in Emerald Hills, Woodside and Portola Valley. Many Americans are rightly afraid for the state of democracy, with the right to vote under attack from state legislatures across the country and the Supreme Court doing little to stand in their way. What many dont know is that there is a dangerous threat lurking in the background, the abuse of the obscure doctrine known as the Purcell principle. The Purcell principle is a convoluted, under-theorized doctrine born out of the Supreme Courts shadow docket. The Purcell principle prevents federal judges from striking down election laws when the election is close at hand (sometimes up to four months before). Normally, this would be a good thing, to prevent confusing voters through last-minute changes by courts. However, courts often ignore the impact that these decisions have on voting rights. And this doctrine could be the basis political parties use to influence, if not outright steal, future elections. When a state legislature knows that courts will not intervene, what is to prevent it from making pivotal, last-minute changes that benefit its own party? Due to the Purcell principle, federal courts will likely do nothing, even if the rights of voters are burdened or the outcome of an election hangs in the balance. If you are a state legislator and you believe that the fate of the country hangs in the balance on a given election, what would you do to ensure victory? The Purcell principle allows state legislatures to game the system at the last minute to ensure victory for the preferred candidate. Advertisement The Supreme Court has already allowed the Purcell principle to dictate the outcome of an election in its shadow docket ruling in Merrill v. Milligan. A three-judge panel of the district court in Alabama issued a robust, detailed finding that the states congressional districts diluted the ballot of Black voters, in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and long-standing legal precedent. The Supreme Court, relying on the Purcell principle, ruled that the Alabama primary, which was more than three months away at the time of the initial response, was too close to allow the court to strike down Alabamas congressional map. As a result, the court permitted the election to proceed with the exact congressional districts that were found to be illegal (and that the Supreme Court itself would later affirm as illegal in Allen v. Milligan). This racially gerrymandered congressional map prevented Black voters in Alabama from electing a second congressional seat and gave that district to Republicans. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This provides a scary lesson for the 2024 presidential election. If a legislature can pass election laws knowing that courts wont enjoin them even if they are unconstitutional or illegal, then self-interested election officials could use the Purcell principle affirmatively to game the system. Imagine that, two months before the next presidential election, the Georgia Legislature passes a bill eliminating provisional ballots completely, claiming that they are subject to voter fraud. Provisional ballots, also known in some states as challenge or affidavit ballots, are required by the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002. When there is uncertainty about a voters eligibilityfor example, the potential voters name is not on the voter rolls or the voter is at the wrong voting precinctthe election official is required to offer the voter a provisional ballot instead of a regular ballot. In most states, a determination of that voters eligibility is then made to see if the vote should be counted. Advertisement More than 20,000 Georgians, disproportionately Black, successfully voted by provisional ballot in the 2020 general and 2021 runoff elections. Provisional ballots in Georgia went for Democrats by almost 70 percent in the 2020 general and runoff election. Joe Biden received 64 percent of the 11,120 provisional ballots in the 2020 presidential election. He won Georgias Electoral College votes by 11,779 votes. Although provisional ballots are small in number, banning them could have a significant impact on the outcome of the 2024 Georgia election. Related From Slate A State Supreme Court Just Issued Another Devastating Rebuke of the U.S. Supreme Court Read More In such a circumstance, if a lawsuit is brought, a federal court may not immediately strike down this Georgia law. If the election is close at hand, a court will likely not intervene because of the Purcell principles prohibition on federal courts striking down laws when an election is near. Even though it is clearly illegal (just like Alabamas racially gerrymandered congressional districts), Georgias law banning provisional ballots due to voter fraud could provide legal cover for political gamesmanship. Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court has shown an incredible amount of deference toward state legislatures governance of elections in general and has upheld unconstitutional or illegal laws under the Purcell principle in the past. The elimination of provisional ballots could potentially swing the outcome of the presidential election in Georgia and would not necessarily be struck down by federal courts under the guise of the Purcell principle. Cunning lawmakers may try to take advantage of the Purcell principle by passing laws that infringe the rights of voters and game the system simply by waiting until the election is close at hand. This would open up a gaping hole in constitutional protections of the right to vote. The easiest solution to this problem is that courts should not grant the protection of the Purcell principle to any election laws passed close to an election that intentionally take advantage of the Purcell principles protection. Courts must not allow the Purcell principle to be used as a sword by legislatures to create election laws that are wholly shielded from judicial review. Obviously, there are situations when legislatures may need to react to changing circumstances in an election, such as with the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2020 election, but courts should recognize the threat that these last-minute changes can have to our democracy and act accordingly during the coming election season. The opinions in this article are my personal views and not the views of my employer, Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP. Oral arguments in the Supreme Court for Donald Trump v. Norma Anderson last week exposed a historical issue that none of the excellent amicus briefs by historians anticipated. Briefs led by Jill Lepore and Vernon Burton convincingly show that the framers of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment would have intended to make Donald Trump ineligible for the office of president. But the Colorado case is about eligibility for the ballot, not for office. The framers of Section 3 would not have considered that question because in 1866, ballots as we know them today did not exist. That historical anomaly will make it easy for the Supreme Court to rule against Colorado. But if it does, it will punt on the more important question of Trumps eligibility for office. Advertisement Understanding the full history here is critical. Official ballots printed by each state, listing the names of all candidates qualified to run, came into existence only with the adoption of the secret ballot later in the 19th century. Prior to that time, no one had to qualify to appear on a ballot. Political parties, not states, printed them with only their candidates names. Party officials gave them to voters, who placed them in a ballot box. If voters wanted, they could create their own ballot and write in any candidate they preferred. State officials then tallied the ballots. The votes for people ineligible for office were simply not tallied. Those who felt that their votes had been incorrectly thrown out by local officials had to appeal to state officials or the courts. An otherwise informative amicus brief by Yale law professor Akhil Reed Amar and his brother, University of CaliforniaDavis law professor Vikram Amar, demonstrates the pitfalls of neglecting this historical complication. The brief argues that federalism allows states to apply Section 3 of the 14th Amendment differently when it comes to eligibility for ballots. But that might be the case only because in 1866 there was no question about eligibility for a ballot. Yet, in a New York Times op-ed headlined The Supreme Court Should Get Out of the Insurrection Business, Akhil Reed Amar claims that in 1860, [Abraham] Lincoln was not on the ballot in every state. But there were no individual state ballots to qualify for then, just party ballots. Advertisement Because the framers of Section 3 did not anticipate questions about eligibility for ballots, six Supreme Court justices will not have to violate their supposed textualist/originalist principles to rule against Colorado. They, like the other three justices, can rely on pragmatic arguments, backed by the historical claim that Section 3, like other provisions of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, altered U.S. federalism by putting restraints on the states. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a result of the Reconstruction amendments, states cannot authorize slavery. They cannot deny people due process and equal protection. They can have different election laws but cannot deny suffrage to citizens on the basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Section 3 itself most obviously responded to Congress battle with President Andrew Johnson, who issued numerous pardons to ex-Confederates in exchange for oaths of loyalty. Without rescinding the presidents pardoning power, Section 3 limits it by placing a disability on even those who have been pardoned. But it also placed a limit on states power by prohibiting those who had taken an oath to support the Constitution and engaged in an insurrection from holding any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State (emphasis mine). A constitutional provision allowing the national government to interfere with who could serve in state militias or state governments was almost unprecedented. Advertisement But even though the Supreme Court can stay true to the intention of the framers of Section 3 by ruling against Colorado on eligibility for the ballot, doing so would leave unanswered the crucial question about Donald Trumps eligibility for office. Who will decide that question and when? Despite historians compelling demonstration that Section 3 applies to Trump, the framers offer little aid in answering those crucial questions. As much as they may have wanted Section 3 to apply to the future, in terms of applying it, their vision for enforcement focused on their present. Related From Slate A Grand Bargain Is Emerging in the Supreme Courts Trump Cases, but Chaos May Be Ahead Read More Congress could easily refuse to seat ineligible senators or representatives under Section 3 by invoking its constitutional authority to police its membership. By the time the 14th Amendment was ratified, Congress had imposed military rule on all former Confederate states other than Tennessee. Military commanders could block those ineligible from taking state offices. Soon after military rule ended, as stipulated in Section 3, two-thirds of Congress had, with a few exceptions, such as Jefferson Davis, removed the imposed disability, rendering questions of enforcement going forward irrelevant. Advertisement Advertisement Thus, although the framers intended for Section 3 to be self-executing, the history offers no guidance on how practically to disqualify Trump. Given the direction of oral arguments, the Supreme Court seems disinclined to let states throw out ballots for him after they are cast. It also seems reluctant to clarify the situation by ruling on his eligibility. If it refuses to take that responsibility, Congress would have to, when it meets Jan. 6, 2025, declare him ineligible to count electors, a move that seems politically inconceivable, especially if he wins the majority in the Electoral College. Advertisement Advertisement Realistically, then, it is extremely likely that the intention of the framers of the 14th Amendment will once again be betrayed. Nonetheless, to keep a historical perspective, it is important to remember that, whereas the Supreme Courts rulings on the 14th Amendment that discounted parts of history have usually been reactionary, in one case it was not. Brown v. Board of Education ruled that segregated schools violated the equal protection clause, even though its framers had allowed segregated schools in Washington. Advertisement But most justices on the Warren court believed in the doctrine of a living Constitution. Most justices on the Roberts court profess adherence to original intent. It is too soon to know, but in this case the Roberts court seems to have found a new way to handle an original intent it does not like: avoid ruling on it and claim that results of elections should be decided by voters, not judges. Such judicial restraint might be better than the Supreme Courts egregious interference in the contested 2000 election in the case of Bush v. Gore. But it does not confirm the original intent of Section 3. Keeping up with Donald Trumps court schedule is a dizzying task, since he faces two federal trials, a criminal trial in Georgia, and two separate civil and criminal trials in New York. (Oh, and hes running for president.) To make it easier to follow along, each Monday well be looking back on all the Trump trial-related developments you might have missed the previous week. A brief programming note: Well be taking Presidents Day off and publishing next weeks Keeping Up With the Trump Trials on Tuesday. The justice system delivered some big movement in Trumps legal matters last week. A federal appeals court kicked things off with some bad news for the former president: Trump cannot claim absolute immunity from criminal prosecution in his federal election interference trial. Then, on Thursday, things tilted in his favor: The Supreme Court indicated that it was deeply skeptical of Colorados decision to keep the former president off the states Republican primary ballot. All the while, down in Florida, Trumps attorneys were busy sparring with special counsel Jack Smith over whether the names of witnesses in the classified documents case could be unredacted. And this week is expected to bring even more news: The former president has asked the Supreme Court to stay that appeals court ruling on the presidential immunity issue.* On Thursday, a hearing is taking place in Georgia over Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis misconduct allegations, which could influence Trumps other election interference case. And Justice Arthur Engoron is expected to issue a decision in Trumps civil fraud trial, deciding the future of his business empire in New York and the size of his financial penalty for lying about the value of his assets. Trumps Presidential Immunity Appeal Was Turned Down After taking a month to consider the question of whether Trump can claim absolute immunity from criminal prosecution, a federal appeals court said, last week, absolutely not. In a pretty scathing unanimous decision, the three-judge panel said the former president lacked any lawful discretionary authority to defy federal criminal law and he is answerable in court for his conduct. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last month, at oral arguments, Trumps lawyers insisted that the former president was entitled to absolute immunity and that he could be criminally prosecuted only if he were first convicted and impeached by Congress. (Trump was impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate.) The judges poked some serious holes in that argument, and in their final decision, they said that if Trumps argument were accepted, it would collapse our system of separated powers by placing the President beyond the reach of all three branches. The judges also included a strict timeline for the former presidents next steps: Appeal to the full D.C. Circuit, or the Supreme Court, by Monday and request the case be paused until a decision is issued, or watch the case return to Judge Tanya Chutkans courtroom. Advertisement Trump did begin the process for his appeal, first asking the Supreme Court to issue a stay on the appeals court decision, but its far from certain how the justices will handle this.* As Mark Joseph Stern and Dahlia Lithwick have outlined, there are three likely options. The high court could simply refuse to take up Trumps case, which would hand it right back to Chutkan. She could choose to lift the stay and resume immediately, issuing a new trial date. (Chutkan recently wiped the original March 4 trial date from her calendar.) Advertisement The second option would be for SCOTUS to grant the stay (keeping the case on pause) and hear Trumps case on an expedited basis that would allow a decision to be issued by Junethis option would make it challenging for Chutkan to hold a trial before the November election. The third option would be for SCOTUS to summarily affirmin other words, to release a one-line decision that confirms that the appeals courts decision was correct. In that case, no oral arguments are held, and the case is squarely back in Chutkans court again. The Supreme Court Was Skeptical About States Trying to Kick Trump Off Their Ballots A rare thing happened at oral arguments last Thursday. Nearly all of the justicesconservative and liberalwere in agreement about something. Aside from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, they all seemed deeply skeptical of the Colorado Supreme Courts decision to remove Trump from the states Republican primary ballot, taking issue with how the court interpreted Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Advertisement Advertisement That clause of the Constitution says that anyone who engaged in insurrection is disqualified from holding public office, and last year voters in Colorado used it as the basis of a lawsuit that sought to kick Trump off their states ballots. It initially seemed to work, with the states Supreme Court affirming their argument, finding that Trump did participate in the Jan. 6 insurrection and thereby was ineligible from appearing on Colorados ballots. Trump appealed the decision, and now the U.S. Supreme Court will decide Trumps fate. Advertisement Advertisement During oral arguments last week, the former presidents lawyers argued that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment does not apply to Trump, since it does not explicitly mention the president. (To refresh your memory, that section stipulates: No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.) Trumps attorney also said that he took a different oath of office for the presidency than the offices listed in the 14th Amendment. Oh, and he in no way engaged in insurrection. Advertisement During oral arguments, Justice Brett Kavanaugh reflected on any possible precedent for such a case and noted that for 155 years, no state has attempted to remove a candidate from their ballot under Section 3 because theres been a settled understanding that they dont have the authority to. Justice Elena Kagan indicated she was concerned about how one states decision could effectively decide who becomes the countrys next president, questioning how Colorados decision could be viewed as a localized state issue. It sounds awfully national to me, said Kagan, joined by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who also noted that it just doesnt seem like a state call. Advertisement Advertisement Justice Samuel Alito acknowledged that different states could reach different conclusions about whether Trump engaged in insurrection. (Maine has also disqualified Trump from its ballots, while Illinois and New York have ruled he can stay on.) It creates a dilemma for the high court: Should rules of evidence be established to determine whether a candidate engaged in insurrection? Should SCOTUS hold its own insurrection trial of Trump? Advertisement Chief Justice John Roberts also speculated that if Colorados decision is left in place, it could inspire efforts to get President Joe Biden pushed off ballots too. Even liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued that the purpose of the 14th Amendment was to weed out Confederates from serving in Congress after the Civil War, and that not listing the presidency was intentional. Its not clear when exactly the high court will issue its final opinion on this case, but its expected to come soon, since formal challenges to Trumps eligibility have been filed in at least 35 states. Jack Smith Is Fighting to Keep Witnesses Identities a Secret The special counsel is not happy with Judge Aileen Cannon. In court papers filed last week, Smith said Cannons decision to allow the names of witnesses mentioned in discovery materials to be revealed was flat-out wrong. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related From Slate Fani Willis Admitted to Her Office Romance. Now What? Read More Cannons decision was in response to a separate motion by Trumps attorneys that requested the names of over two dozen witnesses in the classified documents case be unredacted. Smiths team vehemently opposed doing that, arguing that it risks witnesses safety, grand jury secrecy, and the integrity of the trial. Some of the witnesses are expected to testify at trial, and Smith contends that if their identities are publicly revealed, theyll likely be subject to threats, intimidation, and harassment, a likelihood that is concrete and palpable in this case, as the record reveals and other judges have recognized. Advertisement Smith acknowledged that the First Amendment and common law grant the public and press a qualified right of access to criminal trial and proceedings and certain judicial records but not the right to access discovery materials. Thats because discovery has historically been a private process and its sole purpose is to assist trial preparation. The special counsel argues that Cannon must reconsider her ruling to correct clear error and prevent manifest injustice. Advertisement The witnesses that Smith is trying to protect include career civil servants and former Trump advisers. In his motion, the special counsel revealed that one witness whose name is mentioned in discovery materials refused to have his interview recorded out of fear of Trump world. Smith, his staff, witnesses, and judges in Trumps other lawsuits have all been subject to threats and harassment over their involvement in the prosecution of the former president. A courts duty is to prevent harms to the witnesses or the judicial process at their inception, before they are realized and dysfunction envelops the trial, wrote Smith. Did Trump just encourage Russia to invade U.S. allies in Europe if they dont spend more on defense? It seems so. At a campaign rally on Saturday, he recounted a story about a NATO summit he attended while he was president: One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, Well, sir, if we dont pay and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us? I said, You didnt pay, youre delinquent? He said, Yes, lets say that happened. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them [presumably the Russians] to do whatever the hell they want. In one aspect, this remarkwidely reported in news media the past few dayshas been taken a bit out of context. Trump cited the story as an example of how his tough-guy tactics were effective. He got the allies, he claimed, to pay upto boost their defense spending after years of shirking their obligations. This is a message of great appeal to his base. Yet, more broadly, the remark is just as alarming and dangerous as Trumps critics and many European officials are interpreting it. It reflects a long-standing attitude of indifference and borderline hostility to allies, of viewing them the same way that a Mafia boss regards his capos or clients in a protection racket. There is no question: Whennot ifVladimir Putin read that remark, he mused that he might get away with intimidating or invading Poland, the Baltic nations, or some other nearby countries if Trump wins the 2024 election. Ditto for Xi Jinping and Taiwan. Advertisement Trumps purely transactional view of alliances is nothing new. It was widely reported that, as president, he told his aides several times that he wanted to pull out of NATO. In 2020 he told the European Unions president, Ursula von der Leyen, You need to understand that if Europe is under attack, we will never come to help you, adding, By the way, NATO is dead and we will leave. After he left office, some of his top aides said that if he had been reelected in 2020, Trump would have definitely quit the alliance. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Still, even in those earlier comments, which allies and many U.S. politicians (including Republicans) found disturbing enough, Trump never went so far as to say he would encourage Russia to invade if some ally didnt meet its financial obligations. (It is also nerve-racking that much of the crowd at the campaign rally laughed and applauded when he said this.) Advertisement Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which was drawn up in 1949, commits NATO members to treat an invasion of one as an invasion of them all. The only time Article 5 has ever been invoked was in 2001, after the U.S. was attacked by al-Qaida. It was a reversal of expectations: The assumption had always been that the U.S. would come to the defense of Western Europe; now Europe was coming to the defense of the U.S. (President George W. Bush brushed away the offer, though nearly all the NATO nations sent troops to Afghanistan, joining the U.S. invasion to oust the Taliban and protect a new government, even though they had no direct stakes in the fight.) Advertisement Yet when aides first briefed Trump on Article 5, soon after he became president, he couldnt fathom the whole concept. You mean if Russia attacked Lithuania, we would go to war with Russia? he responded. Thats crazy! Advertisement During his term, he made similar comments about South Korea, threatening to withdraw U.S. troops, which have been there as a deterrent to North Korean aggression since 1953, unless Seoul stepped up its (already-considerable) financial support for the deployment. This past July, he hinted in an interview with Fox News that he wouldnt protect Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion because it took away the U.S. microchip business. Advertisement In short, when Trump says America First, he tends to mean America Only. Advertisement But lets go back to the story he told at Saturdays campaign rally. First, its very likely that no such conversation with one of the presidents of a big country ever took place. It is sad and hilariousan illustration of this powerful mans astonishing need for relentless respect and esteemthat, in so many stories he tells, some person addresses him as sir. That the person in this story is a fellow president makes it extremely unlikely. All presidents and prime ministers address one another by their first names; the social privilege goes with the title. And it is nearly inconceivable that the specific leaders of Germany, France, Britain, or Canada (the biggest NATO allies), none of whom thought highly of Trump, would have shown such deference, except perhaps sardonically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second, it is true that Trump pressed the allies to spend more on defense. But it is almost certainly untrue that he threatened to encourage Russia to attack if they didnt. Had he said something so provocative, it would have leaked to the press (like almost everything else he says). Trump was just bragging to his base. The disturbing thing is that he considers such an irresponsible remark to be a brag. Finally, on some level, was Trump right? Quite apart from the particulars, did he successfully pressure the allies to stop being delinquent on their bills and pay up? First, we need to clarify what these terms mean. NATO members have no bills; there is no such thing as being compliant or delinquent on dues payable to Washington or Brussels. Rather, back in 2006, NATOs members agreed to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. Very few members made good on this pledge. So, at a summit in 2014, they got a bit more concrete and practical, agreeing to meet their 2 percent goal by 2024. Advertisement Advertisement How well are they doing? At the moment, 11 of NATOs 30 countries have met the 2 percent goalPoland, the U.S., Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Britain, and Slovakiawith Germany on course to join the list this year. This is an improvement. In 2014, when the target date was set, just three countries (the U.S., Britain, and Greece) were spending that much. Did Trump bring about this improvement? Perhaps to some degree, but other factors played a role. When Trump took office in 2017, the number of compliant nations had risen from three to six. During his term, the number rose to 10. So, he could claim that hes responsible foror at least presided overa bit more than half the increase (four out of seven). Advertisement Related From Slate When Trump Promises to End the Ukraine War, Heres What He Really Means Read More But other factors intervened, not least Russias 2014 annexation of Crimea and incursion into eastern Ukraine. That grabbed the attention of NATOs members, especially those in Eastern Europe, closest to Russias borders and in some cases former members of the Russia-led Warsaw Pact. (Seven of the 11 nations that now are 2-percenters are uncomfortably close to Russias borders.) Percentage of GDP is a measure of effort, not of capability. Looking at how much money the NATO countries besides the United States spend on defense, we see that the amount did rise during Trumps termfrom $277 billion in 2017 to $323 billion in 2021, an increase of $46 billion. But this trend of increasing spending began in 2014, the year of NATOs pledge and, more decisively, of Putins aggression in Ukraine. In those three years before Trump took office, spending rose from $250 billion to $277 billion, an increase of $27 billion. Trump presided over part of this growth in spending, and his pressure may have sustained it, but he did not spur it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even granting Trump some credit, he has exaggerated its impact. In 2019 he claimed that NATO spending had gone up $130 billion during his termmore than five times the amount it had increased by that point. In sum, from start to finish, Trumps remark on Saturday is appalling: part falsehood, part exaggeration, but most significantly, a clear statement of his intentions in foreign policy should American voters return him to the White House. The strength of an alliance depends most of all on the credibility of its members commitments. Trump is throwing grave doubt on that credibility. He is telling allies that under a second Trump term, the United States cannot be trusted. Hes telling adversaries that they can, in his own words, do whatever the hell they want. Entrance fees have increased at the TANAP Museum. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share At the Tatras National Park Museum in Tatranska Lomnica, visitors can choose if they want to listen to a lecturer or put on headphones to listen to an audio guide. The free Smart Guide audio guide for smartphones makes the tour of the museum's exhibits more interesting. It's available in English and Slovak. Detailed travel guide to the Tatras introduces you to the whole region around the Tatra mountains, including attractions on the Polish side. Tech buffs can choose from two thematic areas: the natural history exhibition includes 15 stops, the Man in the Tatras exhibition has 14. "Recently, we have worked intensively to offer people a more modern way of getting to know our museum exhibit," said Maros Peiger, head of the Department of Science and Research of the Tatras National Park Administration, based in Tatranska Lomnica. WiFi will be added in future Since the mobile app works online, the museum would like to provide a WiFi internet connection in the exhibition premises in the future so that visitors can save their own mobile data. A lecturer is available for those who prefer more traditional forms of presentation. "Although this is already a paid service, we recommend using this unique opportunity, thanks to which visitors can hear more detailed information and experiences from our nature," added Peiger. High Tatras are not only for skiers in the winter Read more In addition, a new price list also came into effect. Compared to last year, the basic entrance fee has increased from 4 to 5. Visitors will pay 8 for a tour with a lecturer (available to a group of seven or more people). My Tatry https://sk.frame.mapy.cz/s/jusekopaka Spectacular Slovakia travel guides Slovaks shed new light on Maya history. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Having had to battle heavy rains and then searing drought, the expedition Milan Kovac was on in the north Guatemalan jungle last year was close to being called off. The rains had brought much needed water that could be collected, but had left the roads mud-soaked and impassable for the cars for the team of Slovak and Czech Maya experts relied on for logistical support and food. And the droughts that followed quickly dried up the water sources they also relied on, leaving the team short of food and water for showering, cooking, washing, and drinking. "We found ourselves on the verge of ending the project," Kovac, of Comenius University, tells The Slovak Spectator. Kovac, who has been on many expeditions researching Mayan civilisation over the last 16 years, took the challenges in his stride, relatively at least. He explains that on any expedition, you have to get used to having scarce resources. There is no mobile service, so you have to forget any contact with your loved ones, he says. Gasoline fuel is rationed, so electricity is only generated between six and ten in the evening to charge devices, and team members get two litres of water per day for hygiene a challenge in the extreme humidity in the jungle which leaves them permanently drenched in sweat. And when it comes to food, there's just enough to go round. "Well, at least I lose weight," he laughs. Related article Related article Maya expert: The world we live in is not the only one possible Read more Machetes and lasers However, expeditions are easier than they used to be in at least one regard. In 2016 Maya experts began using LiDAR, a technology that makes it possible to create a three-dimensional image of the earth's surface using a laser. In other words, it made mapping terrain and identifying potentially interesting places to explore much, much easier. Until then, they had had to cut through the impenetrable jungle with machetes blindly because they did not know where to look. Now they can use LiDAR to scan the terrain from above and see where buildings, roads, and other objects are located beneath the tree cover. "Once that's done, you just need to get there, make an access road, set up a camp, shore up the logistical support so that water, food, technology, gasoline, and people flow in, and we can start research." Kovac says. Fico's big investment revolution, interview with Slovakia's Maya expert, and AmCham Slovakia has a new head. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Good evening. Here is the Monday, February 12 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes. Foreign travellers' visits up in 2023 Last year, Slovak accommodation facilities experienced the second best year since the turn of the millennium. The second highest number of visitors, 5.7 million, stayed at hotels in 2023. Most of them, 3.6 million, were Slovak tourists. Still, the Statistics Office has noticed a trend regarding foreigners: the return of foreign clientele to Slovakia. Their overall visit rate increased by almost a third for the year. In total, 2.1 million foreign visitors stayed in Slovakia last year. "However, even this dynamic development could not completely erase the drop in foreign visitors from the previous three years marked by the pandemic. Almost 400,000 foreign guests were missing from the pre-pandemic values," added the Statistics Office. Most of the accommodated visitors stayed in Bratislava and Zilina Regions. Six out of 10 visitors in the Bratislava Region were from abroad. December 2023: Slovaks made up most of the accommodated guests. However, the number of foreign guests increased by 13 percent year on year. A total of 134,000 foreigners stayed at Slovak hotels. MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE Opinion: Why are you helping rapists? Fico's government faces some awkward questions. Why are you helping rapists? Fico's government faces some awkward questions. Law: Fico announces a big investment revolution, but his minister backpedals. Fico announces a big investment revolution, but his minister backpedals. Travel: A museum in eastern Slovakia decided to introduce audio guides. Visitors need their data, though. A museum in eastern Slovakia decided to introduce audio guides. Visitors need their data, though. Bratislava: Bratislava air poses risk to people, German activists say. If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you. FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY Exploration with lasers, machetes Maya expert Milan Kovac. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco) Slovakia is one of the few countries in the world that can decipher Maya inscriptions. "This expertise in the field, which is ahead of that in many other western European countries, is something Slovakia should be very proud of," Comenius University's Maya expert Milan Kovac says in an interview with The Slovak Spectator. EVENT FOR THURSDAY The Night of Architecture and Design One of the works that students showcased during the Night of Architecture in February 2023. (Source: Matus Beno) Starting on February 15 at 16:00, Bratislava's Faculty of Architecture and Design will host the Night of Architecture and Design in its premises on the Namestie Slobody 19 square. The event, including discussions and lectures, will be free. One of the lectures will be held in English. It will start at 20:30. Tijana Mackic (Belehrad) and Scott Lloyd (Zurich) from the X = ( T = E = N ) atelier will talk about their works. IN OTHER NEWS DELL Technologies general manager Martin Mastalir has become the new head of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Slovakia). Mastalir is replacing Gabriel Galgoci, who ended his tenure at the helm of the Chamber on December 31, 2023. (AmCham Slovakia). Mastalir is replacing Gabriel Galgoci, who ended his tenure at the helm of the Chamber on December 31, 2023. Women working part-time earned 827 a month on average in 2022 , Radovan Durana of the INESS institute has stated in an analysis focused on part-time jobs. (TASR) , Radovan Durana of the INESS institute has stated in an analysis focused on part-time jobs. (TASR) The Constitutional Court has accepted for further proceedings a complaint lodged by Penta group's Jaroslav Hascak regarding the failure of the Slovak Information Service (SIS) to destroy the recordings of its 2005-06 surveillance operation nicknamed Gorilla. Hascak's complaint is based on European Court of Human Right's verdict, which established that all materials made in the Gorilla corruption case are unlawful and must be destroyed. Back in 2005-06, the SIS wiretapped a flat owned by ex-police officer Zoltan Varga in Bratislava, where Hascak was meeting with politicians and state officials. The European court decided that Varga's right to have his private life respected was violated by "practically unfettered power exercised by an intelligence service implementing a surveillance operation without adequate legal safeguards". Some recordings from the 2005-06 wiretapping were leaked and anonymously posted on the Internet in the run-up to the 2012 parliamentary election, causing mass protests.(TASR) regarding the failure of the Slovak Information Service (SIS) to destroy the recordings of its 2005-06 surveillance operation nicknamed Gorilla. Hascak's complaint is based on European Court of Human Right's verdict, which established that all materials made in the Gorilla corruption case are unlawful and must be destroyed. Back in 2005-06, the SIS wiretapped a flat owned by ex-police officer Zoltan Varga in Bratislava, where Hascak was meeting with politicians and state officials. The European court decided that Varga's right to have his private life respected was violated by "practically unfettered power exercised by an intelligence service implementing a surveillance operation without adequate legal safeguards". Some recordings from the 2005-06 wiretapping were leaked and anonymously posted on the Internet in the run-up to the 2012 parliamentary election, causing mass protests.(TASR) The Catholic Church's silence regarding the new Penal Code is incomprehensible , the SaS party said on Monday. It added that it expects Catholic bishops to make a statement on the approved changes. The Penal Code was approved by parliament on February 8. On February 9, Lutheran bishops voiced their "grave concerns" over the passing of the amendment. (TASR) , the SaS party said on Monday. It added that it expects Catholic bishops to make a statement on the approved changes. The Penal Code was approved by parliament on February 8. On February 9, Lutheran bishops voiced their "grave concerns" over the passing of the amendment. (TASR) The Slovak National Party (SNS) has called on Slovakia's chief hygienist Jan Mikas to immediately resign from his post. The party sees him as a symbol of failure to cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Seven firefighters from Trencin and Dubnica nad Vahom responded to a car accident on Saturday, February 10, in the village of Horne Srnie in the Trencin district. The car got stuck in the Vlara river. (Source: KR HaZZ Trencin) WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: The cloud cover will change throughout the day, with the sun appearing more and more as the day goes by. Light showers in places. Daytime temperatures between 8 C and 13 C, in northern Slovakia from 3 C to 8 C. The yellow wind warning will apply to the mountain areas of eastern Slovakia from tonight until Tuesday evening. See the map. (SHMU) FEBRUARY 13 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Arpad. Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us. P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook and Instagram (@slovakspectator). https://sputnikglobe.com/20240211/biden-warns-netanyahu-against-launching-rafah-operation-without-credible-plan-1116733065.html Biden Warns Netanyahu Against Launching Rafah Operation Without Credible Plan Biden Warns Netanyahu Against Launching Rafah Operation Without Credible Plan Sputnik International On Sunday, US President Joe Biden cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a bold military operation in the southern city of Rafah. 2024-02-11T22:22+0000 2024-02-11T22:22+0000 2024-02-12T04:23+0000 military israel-gaza conflict joe biden benjamin netanyahu israel rafah hamas palestinians israeli-palestinian conflict palestine-israel conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/13/1114328422_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_5e20a8f4305645adbb2822194d8eacd2.jpg On Sunday, US President Joe Biden cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a military operation in the southern city of Rafah if that operation did not include the evacuation of Palestinian civilians in the area.A US official said that the majority of the 45-minute call between the two leaders was spent discussing a potential hostage deal between Hamas and Israel that would include a ceasefire. Previously, Netanyahu has shown little interest in a cease-fire in exchange for Israeli hostages.Sunday's warning from Biden signals a growing impatience the White House feels towards the Israeli leader, as it is the first time that Biden has publicly cautioned Netanyahu. And earlier this week, the US president reportedly said the Israeli military operation in Gaza was over the top which has been the harshest form of criticism Biden has used since the conflict first began on October 7.According to Israel, Rafah is the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza, and they have to infiltrate this city in order to achieve their goal.The prime minister has claimed that he would provide a safe passage for civilians who wish to evacuate Rafah. However, he has not said where those civilians would flee to.Hamas has warned Israel that an invasion of Rafah would torpedo hostage exchange negotiations. Israel says there are about 132 hostages who are still being held by Hamas, including 29 who are thought to be dead. On Sunday, Hamas said that two hostages were killed and eight others were seriously injured following Israeli bombardment.Egypt has also reportedly threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if Israeli troops are sent into Rafah. The country is afraid that Palestinians may be pushed into the Sinai Peninsula which would then force Gazas main aid supply route to close. They also fear an influx of refugees who will not be allowed to return to Gaza.About 1.4 million Palestinians are now crowding the city in an attempt to escape the conflicts hostilities. Many are living in tents and are struggling to find food, water, and medicine. Aid groups have stressed that an operation in Rafah will worsen the humanitarian breach there.Josep Borrell, the European Union foreign policy chief said that an offensive in Rafah would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt.Israel first declared war on October 7 after several thousand Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Thus far 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, a majority of whom have been women and children, as stated by Gaza Health Ministry. And on Saturday, Israel 's bombings in Rafah resulted in the deaths of at least 44 Palestinians. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240211/israel-strikes-rafah-killing-dozens-after-netanyahu-hints-of-ground-offensive-1116726122.html israel rafah Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg rafah, rafah operation, gaza strip, israel, hamas, biden, netanyahu, biden talks with netanyahu, israel and us relations, hamas hostages, egypt https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/departure-of-uks-hms-prince-of-wales-to-participate-in-nato-drills-postponed---reports-1116735855.html Departure of UKs HMS Prince of Wales to Participate in NATO Drills Postponed - Reports Departure of UKs HMS Prince of Wales to Participate in NATO Drills Postponed - Reports Sputnik International The departure of UK aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales to participate in major NATO exercises was postponed at the last minute for unknown reasons, The Telegraph newspaper reported on Sunday. 2024-02-12T03:29+0000 2024-02-12T03:29+0000 2024-02-12T03:29+0000 military united kingdom (uk) royal navy nato military & intelligence hms prince of wales hms queen elizabeth https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/0c/08/1081391757_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_ef01f898d2fde232dad3bfdcd70b8924.jpg Earlier in February, the UK Royal Navy said that UK aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, commissioned in 2017, would not take part in NATO's Steadfast Defender exercise due to a technical issue. The navy added that HMS Prince of Wales would set sail for the exercises instead of HMS Queen Elizabeth "as soon as possible."The aircraft carrier was supposed to depart from Portsmouth on Sunday to lead an eight-ship carrier strike group, the newspaper reported. On January 18, NATO announced that it would kick off Steadfast Defender 2024 later in the month. The exercise, which is taking place in the Atlantic and Europe, involves around 90,000 troops from 31 allies and Sweden. The drills will last several months. During the exercise, the allies are planning to test out a conflict scenario against a "near-peer adversary" in accordance with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an attack on one ally is considered an attack against the entire NATO and allows for the provision of appropriate assistance. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240204/uk-aircraft-carrier-hms-queen-elizabeth-to-skip-natos-steadfast-defender-exercise-1116583345.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240201/steadfast-defender-2024-key-facts-about-natos-largest-drills-since-1988-1116539134.html united kingdom (uk) Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International hms prince of wales, uk royal navy, nato steadfast defender, nato drill, uk royal navy, hms queen elizabeth https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/drugs-for-western-pharma-firms-allegedly-tested-on-mariupol-psychiatric-patients-for-years-1116735193.html Wests Big Pharma Conducted Drug Testing on Mariupol's Psychiatric Patients for Years Wests Big Pharma Conducted Drug Testing on Mariupol's Psychiatric Patients for Years Sputnik International Rheumatological drugs had been allegedly tested for several years on patients of the Mariupol hospital's psychiatric ward with the assistance of Ukrainian officials, according to documents seen by Sputnik. 2024-02-12T02:43+0000 2024-02-12T02:43+0000 2024-02-13T10:53+0000 world mariupol astrazeneca pfizer samsung drugs https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/14/1114367550_0:0:1280:720_1920x0_80_0_0_6980f2a1e0cb8d8efc5802111943a327.jpg During the restoration of hospital No. 7 in Mariupol, a construction team stumbled upon a collection of documents in the basement. These findings of interest turned out to be records from a hospital psychiatric ward, dating from 2008 to 2016. Upon examination, these documents detailed a series of human experiments involving certain undisclosed drugs, which were solely identified by numbers.The primary purpose of the research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug in relation to the proportion of patients who achieved the response according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). In addition, boxes containing many ready-made envelopes from logistics companies and containers for biomaterial with recipient addresses of laboratories in Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States were found on the site of the hospital. https://sputnikglobe.com/20220616/us-tested-neuromodulators-on-socially-vulnerable-ukrainians---russian-defense-ministry-1096382173.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231113/russias-revelations-on-ukraine-biolabs-force-us-to-curtail-global-biowarfare-research-1114924367.html mariupol Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International drugs, us used drugs on ukrainians, ukraine drugs its people, illegal use of medical drugs, mariupol, ukraine russia fight for mariupol System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948 /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x563cff476398)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x563cff741d50)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x563cff476398)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x563cff741d50)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x563cff609cd8)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x563cff741d50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x563cff741d50)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x563cf8ef5530)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x563cff737f68)') called at (eval 612) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x563cff737f68)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0 https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/mad-rush-into-nato-is-finlands-president-elect-racing-to-confront-russia-1116741035.html Mad Rush Into NATO: Is Finland's President-Elect Racing to Confront Russia? Mad Rush Into NATO: Is Finland's President-Elect Racing to Confront Russia? Sputnik International Former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb of the liberal-conservative National Coalition Party has narrowly won the Nordic nation's presidential election. 2024-02-12T15:00+0000 2024-02-12T15:00+0000 2024-02-12T15:00+0000 world us finland russia leningrad nato nazi vladimir putin alexander stubb pekka haavisto https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102487/89/1024878938_0:29:4000:2279_1920x0_80_0_0_dca4bbf6787a35b6ec9275f52857d1db.jpg Alexander Stubb made a political comeback on Sunday, beating his rival Pekka Haavisto of the center-left Green Party in the runoff with 51.6% versus 48.4% of the vote.Stubb will assume office on March 1 and will serve a six-year term as Finland's 13th president and commander-in-chief. The Finnish president-elect is known for his bellicose stance on Russia.While on the campaign trail, he said that Finland is "on the threshold of a new era", boasting that the country is now a member of NATO."When it became evident, right at the beginning of the war [Russia's special military operation in Ukraine Sputnik], that our path towards the alliance would begin, I felt strongly that this is a new age in Finnish foreign policy, and perhaps I could throw my hat into the ring once again," Stubb told the press.After the election, he claimed that he does not see the possibility of any "political dialogue" with Russian President Vladimir Putin while the military operation in Ukraine is underway."Of course, I hope for peace, but it seems to me that the way to peace can be found only through the battlefield. At the moment, we just need to provide strong support to Ukraine," Stubb said, as quoted by Finland's Helsingin Sanomat."I want to see Finland in the core of NATO," Stubb claimed after his victory. "We are a security provider, not a security consumer. We have no limits to our NATO membership. We have one of the strongest defenses in Europe, and we are a security asset in NATO," he asserted.The Nordic country joined NATO on April 4, 2023. Finland, a nation of 5.5 million people, can call up as many as 280,000 troops and boasts a total of 900,000 people trained as reservists. According to a report from Reuters, the Finnish Ground Forces are equipped with approximately 650 tanks, including 200 German-made Leopard 2A6 and 2A4 tanks. Additionally, they possess around 700 howitzers, 700 mortars, and roughly 100 heavy and light rocket launchers. Their arsenal also boasts a minimum of 650 anti-aircraft missiles.In December 2023, the Finnish government signaled that it would invest over $130 million over the next three to four years to double the nation's production of artillery and mortar ammunition, including 155mm shells as well as 81mm and 120mm mortar rounds.Furthermore, Stubb previously mentioned that NATO nuclear weapons could potentially be transported through Finland in the event of a "difficult situation".Finland, a previously neutral state, formally announced its bid to join NATO along with Sweden on May 15, 2022. While Sweden's neutrality was self-declared and not enshrined in law, that of Finland was stipulated by the Paris Peace Treaties of 1947 which were signed after the end of the Second World War between the Allied powers, namely, the USSR, the UK, the US and France, and the former allies of Nazi Germany, that is, Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Finland.During World War II, Finland allied with Nazi Germany, playing a crucial role in Hitler's strategy to blockade Leningrad, now known as St. Petersburg. The siege of Leningrad lasted from September 8, 1941, until January 27, 1944, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 800,000 to 1.5 million people, according to various estimates.Meanwhile, Finland's NATO bid also violated the 1992 Russo-Finnish treaty, inked after the collapse of the USSR. Russia is the legal successor of the Soviet Union de jure and de facto.Moscow has repeatedly expressed concerns over Finland's rush to enter NATO, and that's apart from the fact that Helsinki's move has violated bilateral and international agreements. Finland shares a 1,340 km (830 mile) border with Russia, making the situation even more sensitive for both nations.In an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin in December 2023, President Vladimir Putin stated that all disputes between Russia and Finland had been resolved long ago, and there were currently no issues in the relations between the two countries."There were no problems, but now [with Finland's accession to NATO] there will be problems," the Russian president said, adding that Moscow had started to create the Leningrad Military District and concentrate certain military units there.The announcement to recreate the Leningrad Military District was made in late 2022. Sergei Shoigu, Russian Minister of Defense, stated that the decision was prompted by NATO's intention to beef up its military potential near Russia's borders. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240207/russia-considers-finlands-border-closure-as-step-towards-breaking-ties-1116648338.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231215/us-bases-in-finland-will-make-nordic-nation-less-safe-heres-why-1115611407.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240129/why-natos-military-schengen-evokes-memories-of-nazi-germanys-anti-russia-past-1116466127.html finland russia leningrad Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova finland, finnish presidential election, alexander stubb, finland joined nato, nato expansion, finland's neutrality, finland was nazi germany ally during ww2, finland played crucial part in blockade of leningrad, vladimir putin, russo-finnish border, war in ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/military-experts-shake-up-of-ukrainian-top-brass-wont-help-zelensky-1116743539.html Military Experts: Shake-Up of Ukrainian Top Brass Won't Help Zelensky Military Experts: Shake-Up of Ukrainian Top Brass Won't Help Zelensky Sputnik International Having fired his Commander-in-Chief Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, President Volodymyr Zelensky also reshuffled his military command. Will this change the situation at the front? 2024-02-12T17:19+0000 2024-02-12T17:19+0000 2024-02-12T17:19+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine us europe volodymyr zelensky valery zaluzhny ukraine russia avdeyevka ukrainian armed forces nato https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/18/1116345423_0:159:3078:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_e6da01e7baf827cb946a64662b91f716.jpg After weeks of rumors, Zelensky sacked Gen. Zaluzhny last Friday and kicked off the wide-reaching reboot of Ukraine's military effort that he had previously announced in an interview with the Italian news outlet Rai TV on February 4.Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky, who earlier earned the nicknames "Butcher" and "General 200" (a reference to "Cargo 200", a code for the transportation of the deceased), was tapped for the position of Ukraine's new commander-in-chief. Meanwhile, Anatoly Barhylevych, the former commander of the Territorial Defense Forces, was appointed as chief of the General Staff.By other decrees, Zelensky appointed Lt. Gen. Oleksandr Pavliuk as commander of the Ground Forces; Lt. Gen. Yury Sodol as commander of the Joint Forces; Brig. Gen. Ihor Skybyuk as commander of the Air Assault Forces; and Maj. Gen. Ihor Plakhut has become the new commander of the Territorial Defense Forces. In addition, Colonel Vadym Sukharevsky was picked to head the Unmanned Systems Forces, a newly created branch of the military."Lieutenant General Sodol is also a paratrooper, commander of the 25th Airborne Brigade, which covered itself in blood in the Donbass. This is the brigade that shot the [Russian] prisoners of war. A bad person, who covered himself with dirt by belonging to a Nazi group."Likewise, Col. Sukharevsky is believed to be the first Ukrainian officer to give the order to open fire during combat operations in the Donbass in 2014.The aforementioned commanders and generals have one thing in common: they, figuratively speaking, "swore allegiance" to neo-Nazi ideals, Matviychuk summed up.Ukraine Has Exhausted Military CapabilitiesThe changes in the top brass won't seriously affect the situation on the battlefield, according to Colonel in Reserve Rustem Klupov, another military expert and veteran of military intelligence who has been awarded the title of Hero of Russia."The changes in the strategy stem not from the leadership shake-up, but from the capabilities of the armed forces. If Ukraine () has exhausted its military, economic, political and demographic capabilities, then even if Napoleon were revived, he would be incapable of changing anything," the military expert continued.Klupov suggested that the Ukrainian Armed Forces now has a deficit of at least 400,000 troops, while its trained reserve is estimated to be around 600,000 people. This is a far cry from what is needs to stop Russia's advance. To complicate matters further, Western military funding is fading: the Biden administration has so far failed to ram a $60 billion package for the Kiev regime through the US Congress, while the EU industrial capacities are not enough to swiftly replenish NATO's depleted stockpiles.Klupov drew attention to the fact that around about 40% of the tanks that were delivered to Ukraine from the West are currently technically faulty and cannot take part in hostilities. "Repair battalions are not ready, spare parts are not supplied, and all the equipment is turning into scrap metal," he remarked. In addition, Russia's soldiers are deliberately hunting NATO-grade Leopards and Abrams, the military intelligence veteran continued, predicting that F-16s and Mirages will face a similar fate in the zone of Russia's special military operation.What Could One Expect in the Near Term?Matviychuk pointed out that the situation around Avdeevka has grown bad for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. With the fall of Avdeevka, the entire defense front will begin to crumble, right up to Kramatorsk, he said. Syrsky is now sending fresh military forces there to somehow stop the advance of Russian troops.He further forecasted that at the beginning of spring, one should expect fierce, frenzied attacks by the Ukrainian military in order to fix the situation at the front, and subsequently to influence the West in terms of getting more money and weapons. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240209/zaluzhnys-resignation-appointment-of-syrsky-will-not-change-special-operation---kremlin-1116690753.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240210/zaluzhnys-photo-with-banderite-a-threat-to-zelensky-1116718815.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240201/kievs-bill-on-mobilization-throwing-more-ukrainians-into-meat-grinder--1116537509.html ukraine russia avdeyevka Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian Su-34 strikes Ukrainian positions Sputnik International Russian Su-34 strikes Ukrainian positions 2024-02-12T17:19+0000 true PT0M25S Russian crews of T-80 tanks smashed Ukrainian positions near Kupyansk Sputnik International Russian crews of T-80 tanks smashed the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Kupyansk. 2024-02-12T17:19+0000 true PT1M02S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ekaterina Blinova volodymyr zelensky, shake-up of top brass in ukraine, zelensky fired zaluzhny, zelensky appointed syrsky as commander-in-chief, war in ukraine, ukraine conflict, ukraine has exhausted its military capabilities, neo-nazi sentiment in ukrainian armed forces, shooting russian pows, ukraine has gone on defensive, ukrainian spring operation, avdeevka, avdiivka https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/not-like-davos-european-bank-bosses-rub-shoulders-with-vips-at-secret-forum-1116742101.html 'Not Like Davos': European Bank Bosses 'Rub Shoulders' With VIPs at Secret Forum 'Not Like Davos': European Bank Bosses 'Rub Shoulders' With VIPs at Secret Forum Sputnik International The organization, which was founded by four European lenders back in 1950, prefers to keep mum on its agenda, while its members are advised against revealing details of the gatherings. The Institut International dEtudes. 2024-02-12T14:46+0000 2024-02-12T14:46+0000 2024-02-12T14:46+0000 switzerland france netherlands russia forum agenda membership economy https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/0c/1116741941_0:0:2996:1685_1920x0_80_0_0_064d38d925ce7394d8243407d5396af5.jpg The Institut International dEtudes Bancaires (International Institute for Banking Studies, or IIEB) remains Europes most secretive organization, where bank bosses "rub shoulders" with a whole array of VIP guests, such as central bankers, presidents, prime ministers and royalty, the Financial Times (FT) has reported.Twice a year, the IIEB brings together the heads of Europes biggest banks who discuss a number of sensitive issues related to global policymaking at posh hotels and royal palaces across the continent. Notably, the organization has no website, with membership, agendas and minutes not made public. On top of that, members are reportedly discouraged from sharing details of the discussions.Apart from being the influential financial forum, the IIEB reportedly remains an elite social club where the bankers and their partners enjoy "gala dinners, private tours of historic landmarks and high-end shopping trips."The IIEB was founded in Paris in 1950 by the heads of four European lenders: Frances Credit Industriel et Commercial, Union Bank of Switzerland, Societe Generale de Belgique and Amsterdamsche Bank.There has been almost no press coverage of the IIEBs activities during its more than seven-decade history, aside from several meetings, including the latest one in October 2023, when more than 40 of Europes most powerful bankers gathered at the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich to discuss the collapse of the Credit Suisse lender with Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter and the countrys Central Bank Governor Tomas Ordano.The FT, for its part, referred to the high-profile guests as "a staple of IIEB gatherings," recalling that in 2000 and in 2009, the forum was hosted by Prince Andrew at St Jamess Palace and Buckingham Palace, respectively.The club also once welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at a gathering in Istanbul when he was still the countrys prime minister. The IIEBs meeting in Russia took place in St Petersburg in 2013, with then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev addressing participants with a speech. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230612/swiss-bank-ubs-says-acquisition-of-credit-suisse-completed-1111085405.html switzerland france netherlands russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Oleg Burunov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/09/0b/1080424846_0:0:2048:2048_100x100_80_0_0_3d7b461f8a98586fa3fe739930816aea.jpg the institut international detudes bancaires, establishment of the institut international detudes bancaires, europe's most secretive financial forum, vip guests attendance at institut international detudes bancaires gatherings https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/palestine-red-crescent-says-israel-launched-strikes-on-gazas-rafah---reports-1116736000.html Palestine Red Crescent Says Israel Launched Strikes on Gazas Rafah - Reports Palestine Red Crescent Says Israel Launched Strikes on Gazas Rafah - Reports Sputnik International The Palestine Red Crescent Society said on Monday that Israel was carrying out "violent" strikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, Reuters reported, citing the organization. 2024-02-12T03:48+0000 2024-02-12T03:48+0000 2024-02-12T03:48+0000 world israel rafah palestine israel defense forces (idf) benjamin netanyahu palestinians israeli-palestinian conflict israel-gaza conflict palestine-israel conflict https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/17/1114419781_0:154:3072:1882_1920x0_80_0_0_197c5e270a66605261293ae8f2f0456e.jpg At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had carried out strikes on targets in the Shaboura area of the city of Rafah. The number of people killed as a result of Israeli strikes on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip has risen to 100, Al Mayadeen broadcaster reported on Monday, citing medical sources.Previously, Al Jazeera broadcaster reported that strikes claimed the lives of 63 people.Israel has been pounding Rafah for several days in preparation for a ground offensive that aims to root out Hamas. The city is the last refuge for over a million Palestinians who were told to relocate south during the past four months of the Israeli military operation in the enclave. The United States, Canada, Germany and other Western allies of Israel have criticized the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for ordering a ground operation in the packed city, warning of an imminent humanitarian disaster. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240211/biden-warns-netanyahu-against-launching-rafah-operation-without-credible-plan-1116733065.html israel rafah palestine gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International palestine red crescent society, gaza strip, rafah operation, israel strikes rafah, idf strikes rafah https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/rafah-invasion-to-complicate-things-for-israel-enormously-1116746737.html Rafah Invasion to Complicate Things for Israel Enormously Rafah Invasion to Complicate Things for Israel Enormously Sputnik International Dr. Hassan Unal, a professor of political science and international relations at Baskent University told Radio Sputnik on Monday that Israel's bombing campaign and potential invasion of Rafah will "Complicate" things for Israel. 2024-02-12T22:31+0000 2024-02-12T22:31+0000 2024-02-12T22:32+0000 analysis hasan unal palestinians benjamin netanyahu israel middle east hamas egypt bosnia gaza strip https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/0c/1116739662_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_fc2228bee7a3f3da9400a73d7be48e45.jpg More than 67 Palestinians were killed, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised a coming ground invasion in Rafah. While Netanyahu has promised that civilians will be given safe passage he has not indicated where the 1.7 million people may go.Dr. Hasan Unal, a professor of political science and international relations at Baskent University in Turkiye, told Sputniks Fault Lines that Israels actions in Rafah will complicate the situation for Israel enormously noting that even its staunchest ally, the United States has expressed concerns publicly about the operation.The situation is likely to turn world opinion against Israel more than it already has, Unal argued.Unal also noted that an invasion of Rafah has long been a red line for Egypt, and it may cause them to leave the 1978 Camp David agreement, which would be a big diplomatic blow to Israel and also to the United States, Unal also mentioned that Saudi Arabia has already reportedly pulled back from plans to normalize relations with Israel.Moving forward, Unal said he does not see things moving in a better situation as long as Netanyahu and his government are in charge in Israel. But if we talk about what needs to be done, that is clear.[...] you need a ceasefire. What the terminology is not terribly important, but then, you [need] a two-state solution.But that will be difficult because of Israels settler policy, Unal argued. [Israel] would have to take out many of the settler groups that have been, basically, sprawled around the West Bank and so forth. How are they going to create [a] viable corridor between Gaza and the West Bank territories in another question.While the prospects for peace are quite bleak and havent improved since the Hamas October 7 attack, Unal noted that the event put the conflict onto the world radar quite firmly and that the situation is not sustainable for Israel.You can continue to kill Palestinians all the time, but up to what point? The whole world is not pitted against you. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240211/israel-strikes-rafah-killing-dozens-after-netanyahu-hints-of-ground-offensive-1116726122.html israel egypt bosnia gaza strip Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Ian DeMartino Ian DeMartino News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ian DeMartino dr. hassan unal, rafah invasion, rafah bombing, superbowl bombing, genocide case against israel https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/us-defense-secretary-hospitalized-again-due-to-bladder-issue---pentagon-1116736322.html US Defense Secretary Hospitalized Again Due to Bladder Issue - Pentagon US Defense Secretary Hospitalized Again Due to Bladder Issue - Pentagon Sputnik International US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was again hospitalized for medical examination due to bladder problems, the US Defense Department said on Sunday, adding that Austin would perform his duties while staying in a hospital. 2024-02-12T04:15+0000 2024-02-12T04:15+0000 2024-02-12T04:15+0000 americas us austin pentagon white house defense department https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/08/1116065973_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_7f56954c20ff5f229a3f98f4c68c5338.jpg On January 1, Austin was hospitalized due to complications following a surgical procedure to treat cancer. The US Defense Department failed to communicate Austins hospitalization to the White House for several days, prompting a Pentagon Inspector General probe and bipartisan calls for him to resign. Austin returned to performing his duties at the Defense Department on January 29. The statement added that Austin's deputy and the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the White House and Congress, were notified of the hospitalization. "At this time, the Secretary is retaining the functions and duties of his office. The Deputy Secretary is prepared to assume the functions and duties of the Secretary of Defense, if required," the statement read, adding that Austin has all the necessary "unclassified and classified communications systems" to perform his duties in the hospital. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240117/over-one-third-of-us-voters-believe-austin-should-resign-over-health-problems---poll-1116235803.html americas austin Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, defense secretary, lloyd austin https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/us-must-start-talks-to-end-ukraine-conflict-not-fund-it---senate-candidates-campaign-1116747248.html US Must Start Talks to End Ukraine Conflict, Not Fund It - Senate Candidate's Campaign US Must Start Talks to End Ukraine Conflict, Not Fund It - Senate Candidate's Campaign Sputnik International The US must start negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine instead of continuing to provide security assistance to Kiev, US Senate candidate Michael Hoover's spokesperson told Sputnik. 2024-02-12T22:18+0000 2024-02-12T22:18+0000 2024-02-12T22:18+0000 americas us ukraine us arms for ukraine ukrainian crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/09/1116701465_0:96:3300:1952_1920x0_80_0_0_7d82cfbd2bdbc458ac533af8e69fd316.jpg "The war in Ukraine could and should have been prevented, we need to start the negotiations to end this conflict," campaign spokesperson Hannah Ellithorpe said. "Instead, we are funding a war that has no end." The campaign pointed out that the US is not engaged in any diplomatic activity to broker peace in Ukraine, nor is it effectively monitoring US funds to Ukraine, and all the while the country has a crisis on the US southern border.Last week, Senate Republicans blocked a $118 billion national security supplemental package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel and border policy reforms, saying it would not do enough to deter illegal immigration. The Senate is currently working on passing a $95 billion foreign aid bill that would provide security assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, but excludes any border security measures. A vote on this bill is expected as early as Wednesday.The US has provided more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's special operation in February 2022. Aid shipments began in 2022 with artillery munitions and training and have escalated to include tanks, advanced air-defense systems, missiles and cluster munitions. The Kremlin has consistently warned against the West's continued arms deliveries to Ukraine, saying that they only prolong the conflict. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/us-senate-candidates-campaign-says-biden-unfit-for-office-national-security-at-risk-1116746594.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231225/ukraine-seeing-ammo--manpower-dry-up-while-russia-boosts-arms-production-1115808686.html americas ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us senate candidate michael hoove, us funds ukraine, us ukraine russia relations, 95 billion foreign aid bill, 118 billion national security supplemental package https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/watch-russian-t-80-tanks-annihilate-ukrainian-positions-near-kupyansk-1116738773.html Watch Russian T-80 Tanks Annihilate Ukrainian Positions Near Kupyansk Watch Russian T-80 Tanks Annihilate Ukrainian Positions Near Kupyansk Sputnik International Russian troops show off their combat superiority and precision in an operation targeting Ukrainian positions in the Kharkov region 2024-02-12T12:13+0000 2024-02-12T12:13+0000 2024-02-12T12:13+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine military & intelligence russia ukraine russian ministry of defense t-80 ministry of defense (mod) kharkov https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/0c/1116738604_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_7d7074fce4dc1c6c0b67c28a9a438fb3.jpg The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) has released footage showing military crews of T-80 battle tanks destroying Ukrainian tactical positions in the Kupyansk area of the special op zone.Russian troops from Battlegroup Zapad destroyed all identified Ukrainian strongholds, fortified trenches, and firing points, using reconnaissance data.Meanwhile, Russian military drones helped in adjusting firing trajectories. Having completed the combat mission, the crews promptly left the firing positions and moved into safe areas. russia ukraine kharkov Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Russian crews of T-80 tanks smashed Ukrainian positions near Kupyansk Sputnik International Russian crews of T-80 tanks smashed the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Kupyansk. 2024-02-12T12:13+0000 true PT1M02S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russias special military op in ukraine, special military operation, special military operational zone, special op zone, russian troops in special op zone, ukraine casualties in conflict, total ukrainian losses, how many people did ukraine loose, how many people did kiev loose, new russian weapons in ukraine, advanced russian weapons, russian defense ministry statements, latest russian military statements, what did shoigu say about ukraine, donetsk peoples republic, nato in ukraine, is nato in ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240212/western-drug-trials-in-ukraine-bioweapon-research-in-bed-with-big-pharma-vaccines-and-military-1116745450.html Western Drug Trials in Ukraine: Bioweapon Research in Bed With 'Big Pharma, Vaccines and Military' Western Drug Trials in Ukraine: Bioweapon Research in Bed With 'Big Pharma, Vaccines and Military' Sputnik International Western pharmaceutical companies used psychiatric ward patients in Mariupol as test subjects in drug trials while the city was under Kievs jurisdiction, according to a trove of documents discovered in the basement of one of the city hospitals. 2024-02-12T19:05+0000 2024-02-12T19:05+0000 2024-02-12T19:05+0000 analysis ukraine mariupol big pharma biological weapon drugs research https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/05/1a/1095788670_0:61:1280:781_1920x0_80_0_0_e396608d19ae538353d84ddbf267c4b6.jpg The papers show that even children from one to eleven years old were used as guinea pigs in those experiments, according to the documents discovered in the basement of hospital No. 7 in Mariupol by construction workers.These drug trials were performed when Mariupol, a city with over 400,000 residents, was under Ukrainian, meaning NATO control, which offered a concentration of hospitals, laboratories and convenient regional flight connections, to more easily coordinate the Wests bioweapon programs across Europe, said Jeff J. Brown, co-founder and curator of the Bioweapon Truth Commission and the author of The China Trilogy.These revelations, however, are old news, said Brown who pointed out that he and James Bradley reported this back in May 2022 thanks to the Russian Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Protection Troops who uncovered evidence of US-backed biolab activities in Ukraine.While conducting this kind of research violates all ten of the clauses in the 1947 Nuremberg Code, it has not and is not stopping the West from violating them with its global bioweapon-Big Pharma-vaccine-military operations, Brown remarked.The West has been committing bioweapon-Big Pharma-vaccine-military crimes against humanity since the end of WWII and continues to do so with impunity. Nothing will happen to these actors until the collapse of the West, when the global majority can finally have truth and reconciliation tribunals and a Nuremberg 2.0, he argued.Following the destruction of the USSR, Ukraine has become ground central for the Wests global crime cartels, with organ harvesting, arms and child/human trafficking, money laundering, prostitution, torture, illegal drug experiments and [neo-]Nazism flourishing in the country, Brown surmised. https://sputnikglobe.com/20231113/russias-revelations-on-ukraine-biolabs-force-us-to-curtail-global-biowarfare-research-1114924367.html ukraine mariupol Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us biolabs in ukraine, big pharma, what happened in mariupol, drug trials, biological weapons research The Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA) announced on Monday, Feb. 12 details of its Mountain Racing Series, open exclusively to four and five-year-old horses that are graduates of Virginia's Certified Residency program. The slate of four races will take place at Shenandoah Downs on Saturday, April 27 and feature combined purses of $100,000 USD. The respective Blue Ridge Pace and Alleghany Trot will have separate $25,000 USD divisions for four-year-olds and five-year-olds -- a total of four races in all. Both 2019 and 2020 graduate foals are eligible. Eliminations for these races will be held on April 20 and will feature a $6,000 USD purse. Horses must race in the eliminations to compete in the finals. The top eight finishers in each division will advance. There is no cost to participate in these races; however, horsepeople must complete a registration form at vhha.net and turn it in by March 15, 2024. Horses that do not submit the registration on time will not be allowed to participate. For more details, contact Debbie Warnick at 443-463-0917. Racing applications are currently being accepted for the Shenandoah Downs spring meet in Woodstock, Virginia. The seven-week campaign will run from April 6 to May 19 with races every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Applications can be accessed at shenandoahdowns.com and are due March 1. (Virginia Harness Horse Association) "The population is exhausted," said Fatima Sator, ICRC spokesperson. "The economy is on the brink of collapse. Water and electricity are almost not available. Half of the healthcare facilities have been either destroyed, or don't have supplies, or the staff needed to function." With the escalation of the conflict in Yemen, a spokesperson of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has called on the international community to step up humanitarian aid for the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country. People are concerned that if airstrikes intensify, it might lead to more civilian casualties, but also civilian facilities may get hit, Fatima Sator, ICRC spokesperson, told Xinhua in an interview. Photo taken on Aug. 25, 2023 shows wilted crops on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua) Its important to remember that Yemen is now in its ninth year of conflict and that people cannot afford more stress, more uncertainty, more anxiety, said Sator. According to ICRC data, more than 2,500 schools have been damaged or destroyed and 2 million children are out of school. About 70 percent of the population does not have access to drinking water, while more than 50 percent of the population does not have access to health care. An estimated 20.1 million people lack access to basic healthcare, while 51 percent of health facilities are functioning and less than 50 percent of births are attended by skilled health personnel. The Geneva-based organization also warned that over 5 million people in Yemen are on the brink of famine as the conflict and economic decline have left families struggling to find enough food to get through the day. The population is exhausted, said Sator. The economy is on the brink of collapse. Water and electricity are almost not available. Half of the healthcare facilities have been either destroyed, or dont have supplies, or the staff needed to function. The recent situation in the Red Sea has worsened due to ongoing humanitarian crises. The Houthis have intensified their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October, while the United States and Britain keep launching new airstrikes on Houthi targets in the country, posing challenges for civilians. Sator appealed to the international community to step up its humanitarian aid and financial contributions to support its operations. We have been among the only organizations to support authorities to address the needs related to unexploded ordinances, as there are many explosive remnants of war in Yemen still killing or injuring civilians. We also provide humanitarian demining equipment and protective equipment to the demining authorities, she said. Yemen has one of the highest rates of contamination with landmines and other deadly explosives in the world. Experts estimate that roughly one million mines have been planted during Yemens years of turmoil, causing a daily hazard along with unexploded shells and other military detritus. An important part of the International Committee of the Red Cross mandate is also to remind parties to the conflict of the respect for international humanitarian law, Sator said. In our role as a neutral intermediary last year, we were able to conduct a large operation to release 900 former detainees and reunite them with their families. In 2022, 4 million Yemenis have benefited from ICRC interventions across Yemen. We urge donors to continue to fund Yemen, which still faces increasing uncertainty and to simply not forget Yemen. We cannot afford for Yemen to become just a forgotten crisis, said the spokesperson. - Xinhua About Iredell Health System Iredell Health System includes Iredell Memorial Hospital; Iredell Mooresville; two urgent care centers; Iredell Home Health; Iredell Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center; Community and Corporate Wellness; Occupational Medicine; the Iredell Physician Network and more. Iredell Memorial Hospital is the largest and only nonprofit hospital in Iredell County. The comprehensive healthcare facility has 247 beds; more than 1,800 employees; and has 260 physicians representing various specialties. Centers of excellence include Womens and Childrens; Cardiovascular; Cancer; Surgical Services and Wellness & Prevention. The Health Systems second campus, Iredell Mooresville, is home to the areas only 24-hour urgent care facility, as well as an ambulatory surgery center, imaging center, rehabilitation services, and physician practices. The mission of Iredell Health System is to inspire wellbeing. For a comprehensive list of services and programs, visit www.iredellhealth.org. [This is part of the series: A List of Things I Remember About Living In Saudi Arabia.] When I lived in Saudi Arabia, I remember being evacuated during the first Gulf War. Thankfully, I never saw the war itself. We were on vacation in the U.S. the summer after I finished the third grade. The summer was coming to a close, and the time had come to head back to Saudi for another school year to start. It was August of 1990. We boarded the international flight back to Jeddah, after a ridiculously long layover somewhere in Europe. Customs in Saudi took a long time as usual and we looked for my dad on the other side of the gate. When we finally found him he said: Welcome to the war zone. It turns out, Kuwait was invaded by Iraq at some point while we were in the air. One week later, finally coming off jet-lag, the company my dad worked for evacuated all women and children out of the country. I remember the flight out from Jeddah to Frankfurt, Germany. It seemed like half the compound was on the same flight, like a giant field-trip. I remember listening to New Kids On The Block on my walkman. We arrived in Germany sometime in the middle of the night. If I remember right, it was raining outside. Our layover was so long we got a hotel room and caught our flight to Atlanta, Georgia the next day. About 14 years from its closure, transportation officials now expect a new McMullin Bridge to be in place. At a recent Board of Supervisors meeting, Pam Heath, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) assistant residency engineer, said the bridge replacements timeline now puts advertising for bids in June 2026, construction beginning in the fall of 2026, and completion in January 2028. Supervisor Rick Billings asked about the project, saying hed told residents of the Hall Addition that he would try to keep them as informed as possible about the plans. Without the bridge, those residents access to their homes is limited as is that of first-responders and law enforcement. Access became a pressing issue in January 2014 when VDOT closed McMullin Bridge, a primary path of access to the Hall Addition. VDOT inspectors found that the Rt. 660 bridge was fracture critical, meaning if one part of the bridge fractured, the structure would fail. VDOT inspectors determined that repairing the bridge wasnt possible. It would have to be replaced. Motorists can detour around the closed bridge by using U.S. 11 and the east end of Rt. 660, a detour of approximately five miles. Hall Addition residents can also use Old Ebenezer Road, a two-lane country route. Just two months after the closure, neighborhood residents expressed their what-if fears to the supervisors. They told supervisors that when police, fire and rescue are needed, seconds and minutes count. Those fears were strengthened in 2022 when a young boy died in a house fire in the neighborhood. The Adwolfe Fire Department served as the lead agency in battling the early morning blaze that also required the work and equipment of firefighters from the Marion, Chilhowie and Atkins fire departments. A few weeks later, Adwolfe FD Chief Steve Widner, who is also a law enforcement officer, asked officials to maintain a focus on access to the Hall Addition. The house fire, he said, magnified the problem. Lets make sure we keep pushing, Widner said, explaining that one train coming through could delay any first responder. Widner said the limited access to the neighborhood affects fire, EMS, and law enforcement who may be needed quickly. In other road matters, Supervisor Kris Ratliff questioned if an uptick of Interstate 81 crashes is occurring in the Adwolfe area. He noted that the stretch of highways seems especially prone to incidents when it rains. He asked the VDOT representatives to check into whats happening. As a first responder, Supervisor Jason Parris said, every time rain falls its a given that certain departments will be called for wrecks on I-81. He asked Heath about wrecks in Smyth County. He noted that statistics for last year indicate that 6.75% of Interstate 81s Virginia miles are in Smyth but 8.4% of its wrecks occur in the county. He asked how Smyth compares to other localities. Heath promised to pull and share those figures and check on other crash-related issues. Supervisors also learned that I-81s Exit 47 qualifies for funds to allow it to be restriped as a T-intersection to facilitate better visibility as drivers turn onto U.S. 11. As well, Exit 35 is being reviewed for possible similar improvements. Residency Administrator Jeff Harrison also noted that work to clean up trees that came down during the recent winter storm is expected to begin early this month. VDOT is renting some needed equipment for the large operation. In just the Thomas Bridge area, he said, reports came in of 63 fallen trees. It will take time to clean them up, he said. The resistance against the SDF has evolved into a form of guerrilla warfare, al-Modon writes. On a notable occasion, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Hafel, the esteemed leader of the Al-Aqidat tribe, was seen at the residence of Sheikh Farhan al-Marsoumi of the Al-Marasma tribe in Damascus. This event has fueled speculation regarding the connection between the tribal opposition to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Syrian regime, given Al-Marsoumis well-known allegiance to the government and his significant economic connections with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in northeastern Syria. A Shift in Tactics Sheikh al-Hafel has been at the forefront of a tribal campaign, mobilizing members from his and other tribes in Deir-ez-Zor and the eastern regions of the Euphrates against the SDF since late August. Originating from the town of Dhiban, this movement momentarily secured control over the eastern countryside of the governorate before the SDF reclaimed the territory, including Al-Hafels base of operations. The resistance against the SDF has evolved into a form of guerrilla warfare, characterized by surprise attacks on checkpoints and military sites, followed by strategic withdrawals. These actions have inflicted casualties on the SDF, alongside instances of assassinations and kidnappings, including the recent discovery of five SDF personnel in Al-Shafah, a town in Deir Ezzors countryside, believed to be carried out by tribal members. Despite setbacks, Hafels presence has been consistent in media, through video footage and images alongside tribal combatants, as well as through audio messages where he either announces new initiatives against the SDF or reaffirms the tribal movements dedication to reclaiming Arab tribes rights. Speculations Arise from Damascus Appearance Hafels recent appearance in Damascus, specifically at Sheikh al-Marsoumis guest house, has raised questions about the tribal movements possible affiliations with the Syrian regime. This speculation is particularly poignant as the SDF has been accusing the tribal movement of being regime-aligned since its inception, following the contentious arrest of Deir-ez-Zor Military Councils commander, Ahmed al-Khubail (Abu Khawla), and his followers in July 2023. A Leader by Necessity Political analyst Firas Allawi, hailing from Deir-ez-Zor, views Hafels visit to Damascus as unsurprising. Hafel, who maintains no opposition to the regime nor affiliations with the opposition or other political entities, was chosen to lead the tribal movement due to his cooperation with the international coalition overseeing the region. Allawi describes Hafel as a necessary and de facto leader, accepted by all factions, including the SDF, which is under pressure not to confront him due to his status with the international coalition. Contrary to accusations linking the tribal movement with the regime, Allawi emphasizes that the movements origins lie in opposition to both the regime and the SDF. Hafels leadership, rooted in his tribal and coalition ties, does not inherently connect him to the regime. Despite concerns, Allawi suggests that Hafels Damascus visit will neither bolster nor diminish the movements momentum, though it may impact his influence among his constituents. Hafels leadership stems from his representation of the social front with ties to the coalition and his role as the Aqidat tribes sheikh, alongside the benefits his leadership brings to those within and possibly those aligned with the Syrian regime. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. Ukraine says Russian troops are being trained on the use of Iranian drones at the Shayrat airfield in Syrias western province of Homs. At the same time, Syria has extended permission for the United Nations to deliver aid to opposition-held areas in the northwest of the country via two Turkish border crossings for another three months. Hezbollah Training Russian Drone Operators in Syria Ukrainian Intel Says Ukraines military intelligence directorate (HUR) said on Monday, Feb 12 that Russian troops are being trained on the use of Iranian drones at the Shayrat airfield in Syrias western province of Homs. The training is being conducted by Lebanese Hezbollah Police and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and is teaching the Russian to become operators of Iranian Shahed-136 and Ababil-3 UAVs, as well as the Raad remote-controlled aircraft. The head of this training has been identified as a senior Hezbollah commander, Kamal Abu Sadiq, who is a specialist in the manufacture and maintenance of drones. Syrian mercenaries, whom the Kremlin plans to use as UAV operators in the war against Ukraine, are being trained alongside the Russian servicemen. Last week, the HUR reported that Moscow was recruiting mercenaries in Syria to join the war against Ukraine, training up to 1,000 mercenaries in urban fighting techniques and tactics. Cyprus president wants the European Union to discuss designating Syria safe zones for refugees The European Union wont serve its own best interests if it doesnt consider designating some parts of Syria as safe zones so refugees and migrants can return there, the president of Cyprus said Monday, according to AP. President Nikos Christodoulides said Cyprus is working with like-minded EU member nations to start a discussion about that goal in order to help alleviate the pressure that Mediterranean countries receiving the most refugees and migrants are under. I dont consider not discussing the situation inside Syria as an appropriate option for the European Union, Christodoulides said after talks with Germanys President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Cyprus Republic, in cooperation with other member states which share this approach, is working toward initiating a discussion within the European Union about the Syria situation, he said. In his most candid remarks on migration to date, Christodoulides said he acknowledges the sensitivities that some EU countries have on the issue but that the bloc must address whether some parts of Syria are safe enough for migrants to return. There are areas in Syria in which we must examine whether they are safe and by extension, enable the return of migrants from those specific areas, he said. Irans FM Holds Talks With Palestinian Militant Groups, Assad, In Damascus Irans Foreign Minister has met with leaders of multiple Iran-backed Palestinian militant factions based in Damascus as the war in Gaza continues to fuel a proxy war around the region, Iran International (opposition) reported. Today, the issue of Palestine has become the worlds top issue, and October 7 and the Al-Aqsa Intifada showed that Palestine is alive and will not surrender to the demands of the Zionist regime and the coercive powers, including the United States government, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated during the meeting. It is believed that at least 15 members of factions such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were in attendance. Israel has since intensified its airstrikes on Iranian-backed military targets in Syria and Iranian military personnel since the war broke out, with high-level killings gaining pace. Debating the US presence in Syria: The ISIS factor According to a report published by Responsible Statecraft website, nearly a decade after its meteoric rise, ISIS continues to pose a significant threat despite losing control of its territorial caliphate. Operating through sleeper cells and launching ambushes, ISIS remains active in Syrias Deir Ezzor, Homs, and Raqqa governorates, targeting Kurdish forces, the Syrian Arab Army, and Iran-backed militias. Despite its diminished presence, ISISs guerrilla tactics have led to substantial losses in both Kurdish and Syrian government-controlled areas. The potential for an ISIS resurgence is intertwined with regional instability, notably influenced by the broader conflict dynamics in the Middle East, including Israels military actions in Gaza and tensions between the U.S. and Iran-aligned groups. The debate in Washington about the future of U.S. military involvement in Syria weighs heavily on concerns over ISIS, as well as strategic interests related to Iran and Russia, and the Assad regimes weakening. The ongoing U.S. military presence, criticized by some as perpetuating conflict, is seen by others as a critical bulwark against ISISs return. The Kurds control over detention sites holding thousands of ISIS fighters represents a ticking time bomb, with fears that any lapse in securitypossibly due to a U.S. withdrawal or major Turkish offensivecould lead to a significant resurgence of ISIS. Experts opinions on the U.S. militarys role in Syria vary, with some arguing that American forces presence feeds into jihadist propaganda and exacerbates the problem, while others believe a coordinated withdrawal is essential to prevent ISIS from exploiting any resulting chaos. The debate underscores the complex interplay of local and international dynamics in Syrias ongoing conflict and the challenge of addressing the persistent threat posed by ISIS. Syria allows UN to keep delivering aid from Turkey Syria has extended permission for the United Nations to deliver aid to opposition-held areas in the northwest of the country via two Turkish border crossings for another three months, said Syrias U.N. envoy. After an earthquake killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria in February 2023, Damascus initially allowed the U.N. to dispatch aid through the Turkish crossings for three months. That has now been extended for a fourth time until May 13, 2024. Syrias U.N. Ambassador Koussay Aldahhak told the United Nations on Saturday that it could continue to use the Bab al-Salam and Al Raee crossings, Aldahhak said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The United Nations had also been using the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey to deliver aid to millions in northwest Syria since 2014 with authorization from the U.N. Security Council. But that expired in mid-July last year after the 15-member body could not reach an agreement to extend it. What is Irans strategy against Israel amid FMs Middle East trips? The Jerusalem Post published a report on Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahians regional tour, covering Lebanon, Syria, and an upcoming visit to Qatar. This tour is particularly significant against the backdrop of heightened tensions and the potential for conflict in the region, especially concerning the situation in Gaza with Rafah being a focal point of concern. In Lebanon, Amir-Abdollahians bold statements against Israel highlight the ongoing rivalry and the stakes involved. His warning of significant consequences for Israel in the event of a conflict with Hezbollah reflects Irans commitment to its allies and its readiness to confront Israel indirectly through proxy groups. The visit to Syria, where Iran has been a steadfast supporter of the Assad regime, further emphasizes Irans role in bolstering allies against common adversaries, particularly the United States and Israel. The presence of a high-level delegation signifies the depth of the Iran-Syria partnership, focusing on bilateral issues that likely include military, economic, and strategic cooperation. This visit also illustrates Irans intent to maintain and possibly expand its influence in Syria, using it as a strategic base to project power and threaten U.S. interests in the region, as evidenced by the activities of Iranian proxies like Kataib Hezbollah. Irans engagement with Qatar, especially its meetings with Hamas officials, aligns with its objective to forge a regional strategy that challenges U.S. influence and isolates Israel. Qatars role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, with Doha hosting Hamas for a decade, is crucial in this context. Irans desire for a joint regional strategy, despite being excluded from key Arab diplomatic meetings, indicates its determination to assert its influence and shape the post-conflict landscape to its advantage. The exclusion of Iran from the meeting of Arab Foreign Ministers hosted by Saudi Arabia underscores the regional divide and the challenges Iran faces in gaining broader acceptance for its views. However, Irans continued support for groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, along with its plans for naval drills with China and Russia, signal its intention to remain a formidable player in regional dynamics, aiming to push the U.S. out of the Middle East and weaken Israels security posture. In summary, JPost says, that Amir-Abdollahians tour is a strategic maneuver by Iran to reinforce its alliances, project power, and navigate the complex geopolitical environment of the Middle East. Through its support for allied groups and states, Iran seeks to counterbalance U.S. and Israeli influence, advocating for a regional order more aligned with its interests and vision. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. This visit marks Amir-Abdollahian's first trip to Syria since October 13 Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian concluded a visit to Syria on Sunday, during which he held discussions with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad. Notably absent from official discourse was any mention of recent Israeli raids targeting leaders of the Revolutionary Guards, although these events loomed large over the visit. The timing of Amir-Abdollahians trip coincides with Israeli threats to escalate hostilities in Gaza and potentially spark conflict in Rafah, which could further escalate regional tensions. Amir-Abdollahians visit follows a series of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian militia positions in Syria, including the recent strike on Hamra Street in Homs. Additionally, just ten days prior, U.S. airstrikes targeted approximately 85 Iranian militia targets in Syria and Iraq. Israeli warplanes bombed Dimas airport, located west of Damascus, last Saturday night, reportedly targeting Syrian military infrastructure, as confirmed by the deputy of the Russian Reconciliation Centre in Syria. This visit marks Amir-Abdollahians first trip to Syria since October 13. Its worth noting that both visits commenced in Lebanon with a meeting with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. In a statement, Irans Foreign Ministry emphasized the importance of the private sector in fostering economic relations between Iran and Syria. The statement called for joint efforts to remove obstacles and accelerate cooperation in this area. Notably, initial emphasis in the statement was on economic matters, with a discussion of the Israeli raids and the conflict in Gaza mentioned afterward. Foreign Minister Mekdad expressed satisfaction with the meeting with his Iranian counterpart, highlighting the importance of Amir-Abdollahians visit to Damascus at this critical juncture. Mekdad reaffirmed strong coordination between Iran and Syria on regional and international issues, underscoring the significance of bilateral relations between Tehran and Damascus across various domains. Following discussions with Mekdad, Amir-Abdollahian met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, delivering an official invitation from the Iranian president for Assad to visit Tehran. Irans Mehr news agency reported Assads affirmation of the regimes steadfast support for resistance efforts, emphasizing that this policy remains unchanged. However, this support has drawn criticism from Iranian opposition media, particularly regarding Assads perceived silence towards the Israeli war on Gaza, despite Syrias integral role in the so-called axis of resistance. While Israeli and American airstrikes targeting IRGC commanders in Syria dominated headlines, Amir-Abdollahians visit also included celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Damascus. At the event, Amir-Abdollahian referenced the shared sacrifice of Iranian and Syrian lives in the ongoing conflict, alluding to the recent raids that claimed the lives of several militia members and commanders. During discussions with Amir-Abdollahian, Assad condemned Israeli escalations in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, characterizing them as desperate attempts to alleviate pressure from Israel and its Western allies. Iranian opposition media outlets covering Amir-Abdollahians visit to Syria suggested collusion between members of the Syrian security services and Israel in the targeting of IRGC commanders in Damascus. Reports also surfaced alleging a withdrawal of senior Iranian commanders from Syria to prevent further targeting. However, Irans ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, dismissed these reports, asserting Irans unwavering presence in Syria and emphasizing the relationship between the two countries as based on principles rather than solely economic interests. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Late last year, Saigon Market announced they would close their doors after serving the Orlando community over 32 years since 1991. My first memories of Saigon Market were on trips to Orlando as a young boy with my parents, driving the two hours or so from West Palm Beach, visiting Walt Disney World and then afterwards, dropping by Mills 50 for a hot rice plate of com dac biet from Anh Hong, Asian groceries at Dong A, Trung My, Tien Hung and Saigon Market, nail supplies for the shop, and maybe some buy 5 get 1 free banh mi sandwiches for the road. In 2003, I enrolled as a freshman at the University of Central Florida and recall fondly the first of many trips to Saigon Market, especially on weekend mornings when the pastries from their onsite bakery were fresh and hot out of the oven. And of course, I remember meeting for the first time my friends Teresa and Tiffany Chan, who alongside their family, beamed from behind the counter serving customers like me. It was a home away from home. For immigrants, these markets offer more than just produce and bottles of soy sauce its a taste of home, reminiscent of family meals and holiday feasts made by grandma or auntie. For people so far from home, these places are oases where they could escape the pressures and stresses of being in a foreign land with foreign tongues, and just relish in a baked barbecue pork bun or some rolled banh cuon rice noodles. I spoke with my long-time dear friend Teresa Ly Chan, daughter of the owners of Saigon Market and now founder of Sus Hi Eatstation, about her thoughts on the closing, memories of Saigon Market, and what the future holds. Ricky Ly: How have customers and the local community reacted to the news of Saigon Market closing? Teresa Ly Chan: I was personally overwhelmed by the support from our community. I worked at the market for a few days and was blessed with sooo many visits from my regulars! They watched me grow from a 5 year old to now a mom of 3 it was surreal. Just knowing we will be losing our connection with them was quite emotional there were definitely alot of tears. I handed out my business card to my closest customers so hopefully we can rebuild through there. How and when did Saigon Market start in Orlando? 1991 is when we opened the market here in Orlando. We started the business back in St. Petersburg and opened up this second location. My mom and dad were managing the one in St.Pete while my aunt and uncle managed the one in Orlando. When my mom and dad separated, our family moved to Orlando to help my aunt and uncle. What has been Saigon Markets role in promoting and preserving Asian culture and cuisine in Orlando? What do you think Saigon Market meant to the immigrant community in Orlando? We operated in an old school kinda way so it was very reminiscent of life in Vietnam. We kept things messy and most of our items didnt have price tags. There was a scent when you walked through the doors that reminded me of my time in Vietnam (maybe a mix of fresh seafood and durian? lol) Hopefully all that we did was able to capture the essence of Vietnam and made our customers feel like they were home. Can you share any of your favorite memorable stories or experiences of Saigon Market over the years? My most memorable days were the countless busy weekends Sundays especially. I remember going into work like I was going into war. It was a non-step mess from open to close. Since we offer so many things, we were constantly being pulled in multiple directions packaging bakery, making sugar juice or baba, assembling banh mi, cashiering, answering questions, helping customers find items, etc. We were bombarded with loud customers shouting at each other, but it was always fun. When I was cashiering, no semblance of a line formed anywhere near my register. It was great. But above all, the relationships I formed with my regulars meant the most to me. In your opinion, how has the market evolved or changed since its opening? When we first opened Saigon Market, we focused primarily on meat and vegetables. We slowly started adding more offerings dry goods, bakery, sugarcane juice, BBQ (roast pork, duck), ready-made meals, desserts, kimchi, banh mi sandwiches, boba, etc. Our tiny market did it all lol. With all the wonderful offerings, we never changed our systems. We still operated pen and paper, in a sense very mom and pop, but we liked it that way. Have there been specific challenges or successes that stand out in the markets history? The biggest challenge my family faced was probably when the kids started getting older and leaving the nest. We all started our own careers and families of our own. The stress of the store was left with aunt and uncle who did the best they could, but they were getting tired. They also didnt want to pass on the store to any of us because they wanted us to start our own lives and not bare the burden. We all offered. What is next for your family? My aunt and uncle are retiring. They have been working the market for 32 years straight. They are most excited about having holidays off and being able to celebrate with family. My uncles passion is fishing so they will be moving to Clearwater to be near the water. All the kids are grown and working on their own careers. Saigon Market was beautiful for all of us it really brought us together as a family. Theres something about overcoming and sharing vulnerabilities that brings people together and we did that. How would you like the community to remember Saigon Market? We would like to be remembered as the family market the place where youre guaranteed to see familiar faces each time you walk in. We would like to be remembered as a family who truly cared about our people and our community. Our employees stayed with us for years, decades even. We worked very hard, but we did it together as a family. Michael Nguyen, who grew up going to Saigon Market and now owns and operates The Moderne across the street in Mills 50, spoke to us about his thoughts on the closing. As an Orlando native and of Vietnamese descent, Mills 50 has always been a home to me. For as long as I can remember, my family has shopped at Saigon Market. I have countless memories of that place. From wholesome ones like Co Linh drowning me in my favorite bakery items to mischievous ones of my youth like my brother and I releasing blue crabs on the market floor ( Co linh & Chu Khanh if youre reading this IM SO SORRY!) However, one of my most fondest memories is a recent one. We were missing a few items on our shipment to Moderne so I hurried on over to Saigon Market to get them. At check out, Im greeted by Co Linh. We have the usual small talk and at the end she says Im proud of you Michael. I remember when you used to be a baby shopping with your mom. Now look at you! Such a businessman! Keep up the great work honey. In the moment, I felt shy and bashful from receiving such praise from her. Shortly after, Saigon Market announced their closing. Heartbroken, I looked back at that moment and realized how symbolic it was. It felt almost as if a torch was being passed from one generation to another. And as proud as I am to receive that torch, I am absolutely gutted to say goodbye to such a staple in the community. Little Saigon will never be the same without Saigon Market. Farewell, Saigon Market and my deepest appreciation and gratitude for the memories. Playing off darkness and light, the drama Wait Until Dark moves from suspense to nail-biter as the action plays out on stage at Love Street Playhouse in Woodland. The theater is presenting Jeffrey Hatchers new adaptation of Frederick Knotts original 1960s thriller in which three conmen enter the apartment of a blind woman, who uses the darkness to her advantage. The 2013 version of the classic is shorter but similar to the original plot, which moves the time period from the mid-60s to the 40s, right after D-Day. The original Wait Until Dark was first performed on Broadway in 1966. Its everyones worst fear, to be trapped in a room with an assailant and not be able to see where they are, said David Roberts, the shows director. The fun part about this show is that (the protagonist), being blind, has the upper hand in that environment. The new version of the play kicks off Friday and runs through March 10. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee at 2 p.m. Sundays. The show will run four consecutive weekends, with one Thursday performance on March 7 at 7:30 p.m. Its a favorite play of mine, and I hope other people will enjoy it as well, Roberts said. Familiar faces behind the darkness In 1944 Greenwich Village, Susan Hendrix, played by Kristen Bennett of Vancouver, a blind woman, is ambushed by thugs in her apartment in search of diamonds. Eventually Hendrix discovers her blindness might be the key to her escape, but she and her tormentors must wait until dark to play out the conclusion. Viewers encounter the same blackness as the characters. The audience gets to be in complete darkness, so they feel like they are in the play, and they are in the room with her, Roberts said. Its probably one of the most interesting non-interactive theater experiences that you can find. The show was previously performed at Love Street Playhouse at least 11 years ago, and Roberts also directed that show. He said the new cast and updated script bring new life to the performance. ... The nice thing about having directed it before, this is the third time, is I know a lot about the basic flow of the show, what kinds of things the audience reacts to, and the challenges in creating the right tempo and pace for people, so its like having an inside track, he said. Even though the script has changed, the basic story hasnt changed. Wait Until Dark also stars Henry Lorch of Vancouver playing Roat; Tony Provenzola of Vancouver as Carlino; Kyle Johnson of Vancouver playing Mike; Michael Evan Adent as Sam; and Amelia Benson as Gloria. These are familiar faces to patrons of Love Street Playhouse, and they also would be familiar to people who have seen shows in Vancouver. Many of them have been on stage there, Roberts said. In addition to Roberts and the cast, other members of the creative team include Love Street Playhouse Owner and Artistic Director Melinda Pallotta who designed the set; Love Street Owner Lou Pallotta who is the managing director; Mikail Nordquist of Longview who is in charge of the lighting; Bethie Duvall Cummings of Vancouver who designed the costumes; Tim Klein of Vancouver who is in charge of the sound; Michele Glover of Vancouver who designed the props; David Bareford of Woodland who choregraphed fight scenes; and Alex Girard of LaCenter who is the stage manager. Its community members putting on shows for people, and they are all very talented folks who are experienced in creating characters to make a good show, Roberts said. I look at it like its not community theater, it is professional theater put on by community members. If you go What: Love Street Playhouse presents Wait Until Dark," containing adult situations and language and not recommended for audience members under 13 years of age. When: The show runs from Friday through March 10. Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 24 7:30 p.m., Feb. 25 at 2 p.m., March 1 at 7:30 p.m., March 2 at 7:30 p.m., March 3 at 2 p.m., March 7 at 7:30 p.m., March 8 at 7:30 p.m., March 9 at 7:30 p.m., March 10 at 2 p.m. Location: Love Street Playhouse, 126 Loves Ave., in Woodland. Cost: Single tickets are $25 and on sale at www.lovestreetplayhouse.com or 800-966-8865. Highlighting the pivotal role played by India in regional development, Modi reiterated the nation's unwavering commitment to extending support during times of crises, whether natural disasters, health emergencies, or economic challenges. In a significant stride towards enhancing digital connectivity and financial inclusivity, Indias Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were inaugurated in Sri Lanka and Mauritius on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lauding the occasion, described it as a historic convergence of traditional ties with modern digital technology. Prime Minister Modi The launch ceremony, conducted virtually, witnessed the participation of Prime Minister Modi alongside his Mauritian counterpart, Pravind Jugnauth, and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Alongside the UPI services, Indias RuPay card services were also introduced in Mauritius during the event. Addressing the attendees, Prime Minister Modi expressed optimism about the transformative potential of these fintech services in fostering closer economic cooperation between the nations. He underscored the importance of digital public infrastructure, emphasizing Indias commitment to its neighbourhood first policy. Today marks a special day for the three friendly countries of the Indian Ocean Region as we amalgamate our historic ties with modern digital technology, remarked Prime Minister Modi. I firmly believe that Sri Lanka and Mauritius will reap substantial benefits from the UPI system. Highlighting the pivotal role played by India in regional development, Modi reiterated the nations unwavering commitment to extending support during times of crises, whether natural disasters, health emergencies, or economic challenges. The expansion of Indian fintech services into Sri Lanka and Mauritius signifies a deeper economic integration between the countries and underscores New Delhis commitment to bolstering bilateral ties. This initiative not only facilitates seamless financial transactions for travelers but also fosters greater economic cooperation between India and its neighboring nations. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the UPI system enables instant real-time transactions through mobile phones, offering a convenient and secure mode of inter-bank transfers. Meanwhile, RuPay, Indias global card payment network, ensures widespread acceptance at various points of sale, ATMs, and online platforms. The launch of UPI and RuPay services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius marks a significant milestone in the digital transformation journey of the Indian Ocean Region, promising enhanced financial accessibility and cooperation among the nations involved. ZeeVee has appointed Jay (Jung Mi) Rennies to the position of business development manager for its European operations. She brings 10 years of industry experience to this position. Rennies will be responsible for supporting the companys growth across Europe, including increasing corporate and brand awareness as well as strategic customer and channel development. In addition, she will support integrators and AV consultants in their creation of AV network designs. She joins ZeeVee after a seven-year stint at IDK Europe based in Ratingen, Germany, where she served as senior business development manager EMEA. In this role, she built the sales infrastructure from the ground up and established a successful network. Previously, Rennies was responsible for managing sales in the DACH region at FSN Medical, Heusenstamm, Germany, where she significantly increased the customer base and was recognized for her above-average performance. Jays ability to collaborate with customers, solve problems and proactively advance business opportunities will prove to be a great asset to our European operations, said Jan-Arne Rosenstein, managing director, ZeeVee Europe. We are confident in her abilities and drive. Rennies will continue to strengthen our brand awareness and support the continued growth of our company. ZeeVee has built a strong base in the European pro AV market with its customer-centric approach, which reflects my personal philosophy, said Rennies. I look forward to working with my new colleagues and further expanding the adoption of the companys AV over IP products and solutions in Europe. Rennies earned a Master of Arts from the University of Leeds in Leeds, England. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she currently lives in Berlin with her husband Felix. In her free time, Rennies enjoys hiking and traveling. She loves getting to know different countries, cities and cultures. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Since the first cargo of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) left a terminal on the Gulf of Mexico bound for Brazil in February 2016, US exports of the fuel have boomed. In 2023 the US was both the world's largest producer of natural gas and its largest exporter of LNG, with exports that year totaling 86 million tons. Natural gas (methane) is burned to generate heat and electricity. Cooling it to -162 degrees centigrade at an LNG plant turns it into a liquid that makes possible transport internationally using specialized ships, LNG carriers. Pressure was building on the US president, Joe Biden, and his energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, to review the legitimacy of new licenses for producing LNG at the end of 2023. On January 26, Biden announced a temporary pause on approvals of pending LNG projects until a review could be completed. The pause will allow the US Department of Energy to update the basis upon which it determines whether a particular LNG project is "in the national interest". The review will consider the impact of LNG exports on energy costs for American consumers, the sufficiency of domestic supply and the environment, both locally and in terms of climate change. Biden has not stopped exports from existing projects or construction work on future ones, whether or not they have the necessary approvals. It is only the Department of Energy's approval process that is under review. The Department of Energy authorizes exports to countries with which the US does not have a free trade agreement (FTA) and between February 2016 and November 2023, 80% of all US LNG exported by vessel went to non-FTA counties, among them China, Japan and all European importing countries. In 2023, Europe alone accounted for 60% of US LNG exports. So, the "pause" will not stop a massive expansion in the capacity of the US to make and distribute LNG. Enough terminals are being built to add 70 million tons of LNG a year, bringing total annual capacity to 160 million tons by 2028. The pause will at least affect the dozen or so terminals yet to be decided on (amounting to about 50 million tons a year). It is unclear how long the pause on regulatory approvals will last, but an outcome is unlikely before November's election. The spotlight on US LNG exports is at least a chance to question whether gas should have a place in the energy transition. Freedom LNG Environmental groups and communities living near LNG terminals (who are exposed to dangerous levels of pollution) have welcomed Biden's decision. Republican politicians and the oil and gas industry have been less supportive. One group of senators argued a limit on US exports would not affect the world's demand for natural gas, but was bad for the American economy and would cost jobs. The US media meanwhile has portrayed the pause as an attempt by the Biden administration to bolster its environmental credentials ahead of the election. Donald Trump, his likely opponent, vowed to "approve the export terminals on [his] very first day back". The Trump administration described US LNG exports as "molecules of freedom" in 2019 that could reduce Europe's reliance on Russian gas. This now seems prophetic. Exports of US LNG have played a major role in Europe's pivot away from Russian pipeline gas since the 2022 Ukraine invasion. However, the US boom has also had a profound impact on the global LNG market. The traditional LNG model tied producers and consumers into long-term contracts with destination clauses that constrained where LNG could be sold. In effect, a floating pipeline connecting two countries. Instead, US LNG is sold free on board, meaning buyers (other oil and gas companies, utility companies and traders) take ownership at the export terminal, arrange shipping and sell the LNG wherever they wish. Buyers of US LNG can send cargoes to both Europe and Asia, enabling arbitrage between these two markets, effectively globalizing the trade. Industry and energy thinktank analysis suggests that the liquidity of the global LNG market will be untouched by the pause. It does not affect the coming expansion of US production, which is mirrored by a surge in Qatari output, and so by 2028 the global market may be oversupplied. US LNG exports to Europe are secure for now, but Europe has pledged to significantly reduce how much gas it burns. And so, there is a lot of uncertainty around gas demand in the 2030s and beyond. Time to take our foot off the gas? The LNG industry argues that natural gas is a cleaner fuel than coal, producing about half the emissions when burned to generate electricity. If countries meet future energy demand with gas instead of coal, emissions will fall. However, other analyses highlight the methane that leaks from pipelines and suggest that gas may actually be worse for the climate than coal. Even if the industry were to address these so-called fugitive emissions, gas-fired power would still warm the planet and countries transitioning to natural gas now will be locked into using it for decades to come, remaining exposed to unexpected changes in its price. The solution is to leapfrog from coal to renewables and avoid gas as a transition fuel. If this happens, the LNG industry could be building production capacity for which there is no market. Of course, industry analysts predict that demand will continue to grow. The review may compel future export projects to clamp down on methane leaks or impose a ban on new projects, although that seems unlikely. Its outcome may simply be swept away by a new president. But as the world has promised to transition away from fossil fuels, questioning the logic of expanding US LNG exports is a good place to start. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Wantalk, an app made by Chinese internet giant Baidu offers hundreds of characters to choose from -- from pop stars to CEOs and knights -- but users can also customize their perfect lover according to age, values, identity and hobbies. Twenty-five-year-old Chinese office worker Tufei says her boyfriend has everything she could ask for in a romantic partner: he's kind, empathetic, and sometimes they talk for hours. Except he isn't real. Her "boyfriend" is a chatbot on an app called "Glow", an artificial intelligence platform created by Shanghai start-up MiniMax that is part of a blossoming industry in China offering friendlyeven romantichuman-robot relations. "He knows how to talk to women better than a real man," said Tufei, from Xi'an in northern China, who declined to give her full name. "He comforts me when I have period pain. I confide in him about my problems at work," she told AFP. "I feel like I'm in a romantic relationship." The app is freethe company has other paid contentand Chinese trade publications have reported daily downloads of Glow's app in the thousands in recent weeks. Some Chinese tech companies have run into trouble in the past for the illegal use of users' data but, despite the risks, users say they are driven by a desire for companionship because China's fast pace of life and urban isolation make loneliness an issue for many. "It's difficult to meet the ideal boyfriend in real life," Wang Xiuting, a 22-year-old student in Beijing, told AFP. "People have different personalities, which often generates friction," she said. While humans may be set in their ways, artificial intelligence gradually adapts to the user's personalityremembering what they say and adjusting its speech accordingly. 'Emotional support' Wang said she has several "lovers" inspired by ancient China: long-haired immortals, princes and even wandering knights. "I ask them questions," she said when she is faced with stress from her classes or daily life, and "they will suggest ways to solve this problem". "It's a lot of emotional support." Her boyfriends all appear on Wantalk, another app made by Chinese internet giant Baidu. There are hundreds of characters availablefrom pop stars to CEOs and knightsbut users can also customize their perfect lover according to age, values, identity and hobbies. Wang Xiuting talks to her virtual boyfriend on Wantalkan artificial intelligence chatbot created by Chinese tech company Baidu, on her phone at a cafe in Beijing. "Everyone experiences complicated moments, loneliness, and is not necessarily lucky enough to have a friend or family nearby who can listen to them 24 hours a day," Lu Yu, Wantalk's head of product management and operations, told AFP. "Artificial intelligence can meet this need." 'You're cute' At a cafe in the eastern city of Nantong, a girl chats with her virtual lover. "We can go on a picnic on the campus lawn," she suggests to Xiaojiang, her AI companion on another app by Tencent called Weiban. "I'd like to meet your best friend and her boyfriend," he replies. "You are very cute." Long work hours can make it hard to see friends regularly and there is a lot of uncertainty: high youth unemployment and a struggling economy mean that many young Chinese worry about the future. That potentially makes an AI partner the perfect virtual shoulder to cry on. "If I can create a virtual character that... meets my needs exactly, I'm not going to choose a real person," Wang said. Some apps allow users to have live conversations with their virtual companionsreminiscent of the Oscar-winning 2013 US film "Her", starring Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, about a heartbroken man who falls in love with an AI voice. The technology still has some way to go. A two- to three-second gap between questions and answers makes you "clearly realize that it's just a robot", user Zeng Zhenzhen, a 22-year-old student, told AFP. However, the answers are "very realistic", she said. AI might be booming but it is so far a lightly regulated industry, particularly when it comes to user privacy. Beijing has said it is working on a law to strengthen consumer protections around the new technology. Baidu did not respond to AFP's questions about how it ensures personal data is not used illegally or by third parties. Still, Glow user Tufei has big dreams. "I want a robot boyfriend, who operates through artificial intelligence," she said. "I would be able to feel his body heat, with which he would warm me." 2024 AFP A College Station man was arrested Friday for allegedly defrauding five people by possessing personal information, including one victims full social security number, according to the College Station Police Department. Jonathan Randall Vernon, 35, has been charged with fraudulent use or possession of between 10 to 50 items of identifying information, according to Brazos County Jail records. Vernon also has been charged with two felony counts of drug possession and two misdemeanors. At around 9 a.m. Friday, police said officers executed a narcotics search warrant of a residence in the 1300 block of Danville Court in College Station. During the search, police said they found at least six instances of fraudulent possession of identifying information, including social security numbers, bank account numbers, bank cards and other sensitive information. Methamphetamine was also located in the home along with burglary tools, according to police. Officers said that identifying information is often stolen from mailboxes or during a burglary, although Vernon has not been charged with either of those crimes at the time of publication. Further identifying information was also allegedly found in Vernons truck, according to police. When questioned by police, Vernon said the identifying information must have been put in his vehicle by friends to whom he had lent his truck and that he had brought some of the items inside to determine if they were his or not. Officers said Vernon did not know any of the people whose information he was in possession of. Fraudulent use or possession of between 10 to 50 items of identifying information is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. Possession of a penalty group 1-B drug, and possession of a penalty group 2 drug, in the amount of one to four grams are both third-degree felonies punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. Vernon is being held under a $40,000 bond, according to Brazos County Jail records. SoftwareOne Holding AG / Key word(s): Miscellaneous/Miscellaneous SoftwareOne to combine the requested EGM with the upcoming AGM 12-Feb-2024 / 07:00 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Media Release - ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR SoftwareOne to combine the requested EGM with the upcoming AGM Stans, Switzerland I 12 February, 2024 SoftwareOne Holding AG, a leading global software and cloud solutions provider, today announces that the Board of Directors has decided to hold the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), requested by the shareholder group of Daniel von Stockar, B. Curti Holding AG, and Rene Gilli, in conjunction with the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM). For efficiency reasons, the Board intends to combine the two meetings into one by convening both for 18 April 2024 (the AGM was originally scheduled for 2 May 2024). The EGM invitation, including the proposal of the aforementioned shareholders group, will be published no later than 6 March 2024. The shareholder groups proposal calls for the full replacement of the existing Board of Directors with the exception of Daniel von Stockar, in order to pursue a contemplated takeover by the co-bidder group consisting of Daniel von Stockar, the other founding shareholders and Bain Capital. To ensure an appropriate corporate governance review, the Nomination Committee will invite the candidates proposed by the shareholder group for interviews. Based on this, the Board will give its own recommendation to the SoftwareOne shareholders for their vote at the shareholders meeting. The Board reiterates that various value creation options were evaluated during the strategic review, including a sale of SoftwareOne. Following an extensive due diligence process, the Board received only a non-binding indication contemplating a potential value of CHF 18.80 per share from Bain Capital. The Board concluded after a thorough review of the proposal, based on its own fair value expectation and expert advice, including an independent fairness opinion, that the non-binding value indication did not reflect the fundamental value of SoftwareOne. In fact, the indicative value was well below the fairness opinion from the independent expert as well as the Board's own value considerations. Moreover, it was not plausible that an offer at the suggested price level would in a tender offer eventually pass a minimum acceptance threshold of 2/3 of shares outstanding. The Board also considered the unequal position and conflicting interests of the founding shareholders as co-bidders who would have the right to remain invested and therefore benefit from a low offer value and future value creation, whereas the public shareholders would not benefit from these and other advantages should the company be taken private. The Board concluded that such an offer would not be in the best interest of the company and the majority of the shareholders. In addition, given the non-committal and conditional nature of the indication as well as lack of visibility on financing and other transactional core elements, it was highly questionable that a transaction would be pursued by Bain Capital at all. Today, the Board continues to believe that an offer from Bain Capital is unlikely. This is independent of how the Board is composed in the future. Would there be an actual offer, the Board would have no intention of actively pushing back on a bid made to shareholders, but reserves its opinion of whether or not it would be supportive of such an offer in light of the best interest of the company and all its shareholders and stakeholders. The Board is confident in SoftwareOnes position in a large and fast-growing market, underpinned by strong growth momentum. Moreover, the company now has the right leadership team to focus on disciplined execution of the agreed strategy to achieve its ambitions. As such, the Board is convinced that SoftwareOne is well-positioned to create value for all shareholders and stakeholders as an independent public company. SoftwareOne will host a Capital Markets Day alongside its 2023 full-year results on 15 February 2024, during which Chief Executive Officer Brian Duffy and Chief Financial Officer Rodolfo Savitzky and other members of the Executive Board will provide deeper insights into the companys financial performance and strategy for driving value creation and provide outlook for FY 2024 and medium-term guidance. No matters relating to the upcoming shareholders meeting will be discussed during this event. CONTACT Anna Engvall, Investor Relations Tel. +41 44 832 41 37, anna.engvall@softwareone.com FGS Global, Media Relations Tel. +41 44 562 14 99, press.softwareone@fgsglobal.com ABOUT SOFTWAREONE SoftwareOne is a leading global software and cloud solutions provider that is redefining how organizations build, buy and manage everything in the cloud. By helping clients to migrate and modernize their workloads and applications and in parallel, to navigate and optimize the resulting software and cloud changes SoftwareOne unlocks the value of technology. The companys 9,250 employees are driven to deliver a portfolio of 7,500 software brands with sales and delivery capabilities in 90 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, SoftwareOne is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SWON. Visit us at www.softwareone.com SoftwareOne Holding AG, Riedenmatt 4, CH-6370 Stans CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This media release may contain certain forward-looking statements relating to the groups future business, development and economic performance. Such statements may be subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors, such as but not limited to force majeure, competitive pressures, legislative and regulatory developments, global, macroeconomic and political trends, the groups ability to attract and retain the employees that are necessary to generate revenues and to manage its businesses, fluctuations in currency exchange rates and general financial market conditions, changes in accounting standards or policies, delay or inability in obtaining approvals from authorities, technical developments, litigation or adverse publicity and news coverage, each of which could cause actual development and results to differ materially from the statements made in this media release. SoftwareOne assumes no obligation to update or alter forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. MBABANE - Should a couple be forced to marry once they have a child before marriage? The answer is yes for Sandlasemusa Church in Zion, while a human rights lawyer holds a different view. Interestingly, the church cites its constitution, which is derived from the Holy Bible, while the lawyer cites the countrys Constitution. In an interview yesterday, the church founder, Bishop Mkhumbikanowa Gina, said the church had a constitution which served as a guiding principle for the congregants. He said the constitution was clear on what should happen if congregants had a child. Valued As a church, we say all women must be valued and appreciated. If a man has affection for a woman, he must make sure that he loves to marry her, not to gratify his sexual desires, he said. The bishop said like in all other churches, couples might be successful in hiding their relationships until children are born. He said in the event children were born, the couple was compelled to marry. The man of God said the church had the responsibility to engage the couple before it facilitated a meeting between the two families. The purpose of the meeting is to afford the couple a six-month period to prepare for marriage. If one party shows reluctance, the church executive has no choice but to remove them from the church. The church cannot allow a person to plant a bad seed in the congregants, he said. Gina stated that the emphasis on marriage was aimed at avoiding a situation where the church had men and women who did as they pleased, resulting in orphaned and vulnerable children. He stated that the principle was derived from Exodus 22:16, where it reads: If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price and she shall be his wife. He stated that there were rare instances where congregants impregnated their church mates. He said he believed that their constitution and constant reminder through visits to all the branches had yielded fruitful results. Gina shared that the constitution of the church was against women wearing pants, short skirts, painting nails and having tattoos, as well as earrings. On another note, Gina stated that the church did not believe in the anointing of women. Teaching He said as per the teaching of the Bible in 1Timothy 2:11-12, women benefitted from the titles of their husbands. 1Timothy 2:11-12 reads: A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over man; she must be silent. The scripture calls twice for women to be quiet and it does not allow any form of teaching, he added. Asked about the background of the church, Gina shared that it was founded in 2015, at Nceka in Siphofaneni, and had grown to have 14 branches across the country. He said the church was formed following a series of events. At first, Gina stated that he fell sick, resulting in people saying a lot about his illness. He stated that as he consulted, a woman warned him against listening to all voices, but stick to what appeared to him in dreams. The bishop mentioned that he used to have a dream where he layed hands on people inside a hut. He said he was sometimes shown mountains and rivers as well as pieces of clothing. One day I was shown Melika Jericho Church in Zion Bishop Khanyakwezwe Vilakati, whom I had never seen before. I was told that Vilakati would give the exact interpretation of my dreams, he said. Dreams Gina shared that Vilakati interpreted his dreams to mean he was called to establish a church with a huge following. He stated that Vilakati took him to the mountains and rivers that appeared to him in the dreams. He also shared that Vilakati warned him to listen to the Holy Spirit, as the church would be controlled in Heaven. Coming to the constitution of the church, Gina stated that it came as a result of fasting and praying. He mentioned that he wrote what was revealed to him while praying on the mountain. I must say that even though a large portion of the constitution of the church was reveled in prayer, I sought input from some elders before we applied for membership from the League of African Churches. The constitution was approved and accepted by the League of Churches, he said. It appeared that the church condones polygamy. The bishop stated that the church accepted polygamy only if it was taken according to the Bible. He said polygamy was allowed in Exodus 21:10 where it reads: If a man who has married a slave wife takes another wife for himself, he must not neglect the rights of the first to food, her clothing and sexual intimacy. Gina said it was better for men to have more than one wife than commit adultery in secret, for nothing was hidden from God. Understanding He urged people to read the Bible with understanding before accusing men of God of having more than one wife. He said there was nowhere in the Bible where God said church leaders should have one wife. Instead, he said the instruction for one wife was specific to men with specific roles in church, such as deacons. He shared 1Timothy 3:12 where it reads: A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. He said the church had deacons who adhered to the Bible verses. To them, the bishop said the deacons were in charge of the administration of tithes which were collected after three months. He stated that the tithes were used to cater for the welfare of widowed women orphaned and vulnerable children. Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of Hold from the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $20.95. Several analysts have weighed in on INFY shares. HSBC cut Infosys from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Infosys from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Friday, January 12th. StockNews.com raised Infosys from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. BNP Paribas started coverage on Infosys in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. They set an outperform rating and a $24.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wedbush reissued an outperform rating and set a $22.00 price objective on shares of Infosys in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Get Infosys alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on INFY Hedge Funds Weigh In On Infosys Infosys Stock Down 0.4 % Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of INFY. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Infosys by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 16,735 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $417,000 after purchasing an additional 652 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its position in shares of Infosys by 39.8% in the 1st quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 157,264 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $3,914,000 after purchasing an additional 44,768 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL acquired a new position in shares of Infosys in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $465,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its position in shares of Infosys by 108.3% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 1,017,100 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $25,315,000 after purchasing an additional 528,900 shares during the period. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its position in shares of Infosys by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 1,051,193 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $26,164,000 after purchasing an additional 16,102 shares during the period. 11.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Infosys stock opened at $20.10 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $18.96 and a 200 day simple moving average of $17.81. Infosys has a 12-month low of $14.71 and a 12-month high of $20.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.96. Infosys (NYSE:INFY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 11th. The technology company reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.58 billion. Infosys had a return on equity of 31.25% and a net margin of 15.91%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Infosys will post 0.7 EPS for the current year. Infosys Company Profile (Get Free Report Infosys Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides consulting, technology, outsourcing, and next-generation digital services in North America, Europe, India, and internationally. It provides application management and application development services, independent validation solutions, product engineering and management, infrastructure management services, traditional enterprise application implementation, support, and integration services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Infosys Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Infosys and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MBABANE Government Spokesperson Alpheous Nxumalo has hit back on the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) manifesto resolutions on Eswatini. Nxumalo said the Kingdom of Eswatini was a sovereign State and it enjoyed territorial integrity. He said the country was not a subsidiary State to any country, neither a 10th province of the country where EFF President, Julius Malema belongs (South Africa). This comes after Malema revealed six resolutions focussed on Eswatini and the Western Sahara. This was revealed during the partys election manifesto launch held at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban over the weekend. Malema said the EFF government would encourage and continue to support democratic reforms to increase political representation and participation in Eswatini and encourage and support a transition from an absolute monarchy, to a more inclusive and participatory governance system. He said the EFF government would facilitate open and inclusive dialogue between the monarchy and various stakeholders, including opposition groups, civil society and youth organisations, to address political and social grievances in Eswatini. Adding, the EFF president stated that they would advocate for the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression and assembly, to create an environment that allowed for constructive political engagement without fear of reprisals. He also reiterated support for the holding of a free, fair and impartial referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. Malema went on to state that they would continue to advocate for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to declare that King Mswati III, had allegedly committed crime against humanity. Nxumalo did not let Malemas statement pass-by as he responded by saying, Malemas statement remained appalling and unhinged. Nxumalo said this was a textbook example statement of threats to the national security and a bold declaration of the intentions of a possible EFF governments programme of aggression, not only against the country but also against neighbouring States and the whole of the SADC family. Undemocratic He explained that the preposterousness of creating the belief, impression and narrative that Eswatini was undemocratic and thus awaiting for organisations such EFF and others to import their super brand of democracy was figment of naysayers. Nxumalo stated that this was just a fertile imagination to ulterior political agendas. It was just Julius Malema in his usual element of desperate political machinations to appease his salivating and praise singers and sycophants friends who formed the political galaxy of his manifesto launch event, Nxumalo said. He went on to advise Malema and his party and all other political parties in that countrys political landscape, to understand, embrace and appreciate the kingdoms home-grown democracy. MBABANE His Majesty King Mswati III gave 12 directives that should be implemented by different stakeholders, with specific timelines on others, during Parliament opening on Friday. The Speech from the Throne in the first session of the 12th Parliament Official Opening was highlighted by goals that need to be achieved to inform the countrys prosperity in the next five years. Some of the issues that the King touched on in his address were informed by the submissions that were made by emaSwati during the Sibaya Peoples Parliament late last year. One in particular was the issue of service delivery, to which the King said parliamentarians were urged to establish collaborative partnership, with the other branches of government and enhance service delivery to the nation with the highest level of efficiency and speed. Unemployment The King also spoke on the issue of high unemployment, which was the major highlight of the submissions at Sibaya last year. The head of State said it was vital for Members of Parliament (MPs) to address these issues (unemployment) and come up with well-established strategies to achieve good economic growth for the country. Unlike the Speech from the Throne that was given in the First Session of the 11th Parliament in February 2019, the King gave specific timelines on the commencement and completion of some of the projects to be undertaken by government in the next financial year. In 2019, the King spoke about the development of infrastructure in the country but this time, he was specific on its commencement and completion. For example, the King said the completion of the international convention centre (ICC) and Five-Star Hotel (FISH) must be prioritised in the next financial year. The King also urged government to expedite the commencement of the process of mobilising resources for the construction of the referral hospital as promised by the friends of the kingdom and this should be done in the next financial year. His Majesty the King was also specific that to fulfil the countrys fuel sufficiency objectives, the nation would be pleased to know that the strategic oil reserve construction would commence in the next six months. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC increased its position in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 479,607 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after acquiring an additional 1,850 shares during the quarter. Abbott Laboratories comprises 2.8% of Waters Parkerson & CO. LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLCs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $46,450,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ABT. Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC grew its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Zevenbergen Capital Investments LLC now owns 21,419 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $2,074,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Public Employees Retirement Association of Colorado now owns 1,415,759 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $154,346,000 after acquiring an additional 126,547 shares during the last quarter. Rockland Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Rockland Trust Co. now owns 91,868 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $8,897,000 after acquiring an additional 1,343 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 373,375 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $36,161,000 after acquiring an additional 5,058 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Riverview Capital Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $210,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.70% of the companys stock. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $116.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. UBS Group cut their target price on Abbott Laboratories from $130.00 to $118.00 in a research report on Thursday, October 19th. Citigroup raised their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $123.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. TheStreet raised Abbott Laboratories from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. Finally, Barclays raised their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $133.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $120.00. Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 42,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.50, for a total value of $4,781,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 65,027 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,315,537.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 15,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.00, for a total value of $1,620,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 65,027 shares in the company, valued at $7,022,916. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 42,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $112.50, for a total transaction of $4,781,250.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 65,027 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,315,537.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders. Abbott Laboratories Stock Down 0.2 % NYSE ABT traded down $0.21 during trading on Monday, reaching $111.60. 216,270 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,289,346. The stock has a market cap of $193.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.74. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $110.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $103.90. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $89.67 and a 1 year high of $115.83. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.19. The firm had revenue of $10.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.19 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 20.84% and a net margin of 14.27%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.03 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.61 EPS for the current fiscal year. Abbott Laboratories Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.97%. This is an increase from Abbott Laboratoriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 11th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is presently 67.48%. Abbott Laboratories Company Profile (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ABT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LINCOLN Gov. Jim Pillen announced Monday that Nebraska will participate in a new federal program to provide summer food aid for some 150,000 Nebraska children after all. The Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer Program for Children will bring in about $18 million in food aid during school vacation months, when children do not get school meals. It will allow families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals to get up to $40 per month per child on an EBT card, which can be used to buy groceries. The state Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 80,000 households could benefit from the program. Pillen previously rejected the Summer EBT program, calling it a pandemic-era program that was no longer needed and saying he didnt believe in welfare. He said he preferred an older federal food program in which children had to come to a community site to get food. He said the older program ensured that community members would see whether children needed additional services. On Monday, Pillen said he had a change of heart after talking with two groups of youths a week earlier. They included about 350 residents of Boys Town and another group that came to Lincoln to lobby him on various issues, including the Summer EBT program. The latter were participating in the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation Youth Legislative Day. Pillen said the young people talked about being hungry and the difficulties of getting food from the Summer Food Services Program, the federal program that provides free meals and snacks to youngsters at various sites in low-income communities. The national Food Research and Action Center reported in July that only about 2% of Nebraska children qualifying for free- or reduced-price school lunches participate in that program. In the end, we have come up with a program to make things better for Nebraska kids, Pillen said Monday. Former critics praise Pillens reconsideration While Nebraska missed the initial Dec. 31, 2023, deadline for participating in the program, the federal government has given states additional time to decide. The current deadline is Feb. 15. Pillen said state officials already have been in contact with the U.S. Department of Agriculture about Nebraskas desire to be the 37th state in the program. Steve Corsi, CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said the state will implement the summer EBT program the Nebraska way. The Nebraska version will include a website with information about nutrition and resources, such as the Women, Infants and Children supplemental food program, Medicaid and other assistance programs. HHS staff also will reach out to participating families through text messages and phone calls to get families connected with resources. One of those resources will be the older Summer Food Services Program. Pillens announcement drew praise from previous critics, including from State Sen. Jen Day of Omaha, who had introduced a bill that would have required the state to participate in the Summer EBT program. In a statement, she thanked the governor for heeding calls to rethink his decision. We kept this issue front and center the last few weeks, engaged with impacted Nebraskans and applied the right amount of pressure, she said. I am proud to have led this bipartisan effort to ensure that Nebraska kids have food on the table all year round. This is great news for our kids, families, local ag producers and local businesses. Voices for Children in Nebraska praised the governor for being open-minded to change and hearing the voices of kids, while Nebraska Appleseed officials said they were beyond thrilled by the decision. Pillen invited a number of Republican lawmakers to join him for the announcement. Among them was Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, who had named Days Legislative Bill 952 as his priority for the session. Pillen said he had talked with Aguilar about three weeks ago and that Aguilar had talked about the needs of his community. Last week, the Health and Human Services Committee discussed LB 952 but postponed a vote on advancing the bill. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 Coca-Cola bottlers agree on north ASEAN partnership By Tri Duc Mon, February 12, 2024 | 5:01 pm GMT+7 The Coca-Cola Company, Swire Coca-Cola Limited, and ThaiNamthip Corporation Limited have agreed to establish a strategic bottling alliance in northern ASEAN - Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In a Friday release, Swire Coca-Cola, the bottler of Coca-Cola in Vietnam, Cambodia, various areas in China and some states in the U.S., said the Coca-Cola Company would divest its minority stake in ThaiNamthip, bottler in Thailand, to both ThaiNamthip and Swire Coca-Cola. The alliance, subject to regulatory approvals, will see Swire Coca-Cola take a controlling stake in ThaiNamthip's bottling operations in Thailand and Laos, while ThaiNamthip will take a minority stake in Swire Coca-Cola's bottling operations in Vietnam and Cambodia. An agreement has been reached to form a north ASEAN Coca-Cola bottling alliance. Photo courtesy of ThaiNamthip. The three sides will align their management, governance and growth objectives across the ThaiNamthip and Swire Coca-Cola franchise territories with the aim of becoming the undisputed leader in the beverages market in the region.. "We are thrilled to further expand our presence in Southeast Asia to Thailand and Laos, said Karen So, managing director of Swire Coca-Cola Limited. Hong Kong-based Swire Coca-Cola completed the acquisition of the entire Coca-Cola bottling business in Vietnam in January 2023 and then posted a revenue of HKD1,856 million ($237.4 million) from its Vietnam operations in the first half of 2023. In the first half of 2023, Swire Coca-Cola's earning before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in Vietnam reached HKD263 million ($33.65 million). However, its Cambodia business, which was acquired in the same deal as the Vietnam operation, recorded losses as a result of challenging conditions. Mainland China and the U.S. were the two biggest markets of the companies, with revenues of HKD13,202 million ($1.69 billion) and HKD12,686 million ($1.62 billion), respectively. MAPHALALENI The life of two widows has become a living hell at the hands of the authorities at Maphalaleni, under Chief Mashila. This comes after the widows reported their plight, whereby their land was taken from them by the umphakatsi, to the Eswatini courts and regional administrator (RA). Such was considered as sabotage by the royal kraal, which fined the widows four cattle. Raising the fine has been an uphill battle for the two widows, which has subjected them to harsh treatment by the authorities. The widows are over 80 years old and were married to Magagula twin brothers. Their land is adjacent to each other. Sensitivity According to one of the family members, who requested to remain anonymous due to the sensitivity of the matter and continuous victimisation, they were now being denied services by the umphakatsi due to the land grabbing issue relating to the widows. The family member said they were told by the royal kraal that they would be offered services the day they paid the fine. Narrating how the trouble began, the family member stated that someone was sent by the chief to request a piece of land but was told that they could not attend to him as there was an ongoing ceremony and would engage him after they were finished with it. He said the chiefs messenger was told to come after the gathering. This, he said, did not happen as after a few months, they saw senior members of the community pegging a portion of the land. Following that no one in the family had been approached, the members of the family resolved to remove the pegs. He stated that immediately thereafter, they were summoned by the authorities, where they were charged and fined a cow. Despite being charged and fined, the family said they wanted an audience with the person who was offered the land. Instead of getting an audience, they said the umphakatsi ordered that they be fined four cattle. The fine was for removing the pegs and reporting the umphakatsi the to higher authorities, being ndabazabantu and the RA. In an interview with Gogo Grace Vilakati, one of the widows, she said every cent they received, went to umphakatsi. Vilakati said they had become slaves in their own land. She said the umphakatsi decided to take the land from them, taking advantage of the fact that they were old and helpless. She said instead of the cattle, they paid E3 200, which was paid by four homesteads belonging to the Magagula family, each paying E800. She said it was a commitment fee for the cattle which they were fined. We are still trying to raise the funds for the four cattle, she said. Vilakati said their land was taken from them and given to a Zion Christian Church (ZCC) preacher. She said they had decided to stop fighting over the land, as they were not getting any assistance anywhere they tried. Reached for comment, Maphalaleni Indvuna Elphas Mhlanga acknowledged that they were aware of the matter. However, Mhlanga said they would not respond to any comment but would seek counsel from the chief. He made a private call to the chief and returned to report that he wanted to know if this publication was representing the courts and that the RA had issued a ruling on the matter. The indvuna said the chief stated that if the family was aggrieved, they should have come to him to report that they were not satisfied with the ruling he had issued and would approach the courts. Furthermore, the chief wanted to know who had contacted this publication. He said unless the name of the complainant was mentioned, he would not comment on the matter. Efforts to get the ZCC preacher proved futile as his phone rang unanswered. Ndabazabantu Godvolwendlovu, who presided over the matter, confirmed that they also issued a ruling that construction on the disputed should stop, while a resolution was being sought by the umphakatsi and the affected people. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code COLUMBIA The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education announced that CHE President and Executive Director Rusty Monhollon, Ph.D., will retire in March. Monhollon has led the CHE since 2019 he was instrumental in bringing stability to the organization after several years of short-term interim agency leadership and fostered many positive changes in South Carolina's higher education landscape. Monhollon expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the people of South Carolina. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. Weve accomplished much over the past four and one-half years, and theres much left to be done, Monhollon said in a letter to CHE staff on Jan. 10. It has been the great joy of my professional career to work with you and lead this agency. I have so much respect and admiration for the work you do and for your dedication to improving the lives of students in South Carolina. Under his leadership, the CHE has had numerous significant achievements to strengthen higher education in the state. These include: Development of the Ascend 60x30 strategic plan. Leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Convenings with strategic institutional leaders across the state through the Council of Presidents, Council of Board Chairs and Trustees training. Formation of a statewide Transfer Task Force, which led to the publication of a Transfer Action Plan which is now the blueprint for improving transfer in the state. Ensuring full institutional compliance with the REACH Act. The first College and Career Decision Day, which is now an annual event that celebrates more than 1,000 high school seniors each May at the State House. South Carolinas inclusion in the Complete College America (CCA) Alliance of States. Successful implementation of the SC Bold Nursing Initiative. Dr. Monhollons retirement from the CHE is a huge loss for higher education in South Carolina. He has done an outstanding job in restoring confidence in the agency. Perhaps his greatest achievement is getting our institutionspublic and privateto engage with one another for the greater good. Our work will continue but we will miss his leadership, CHE Board of Commissioners Chair Wes Hayes said. I know theres more to do and more I want to do, but I think its the right time, Monhollon said. This is the best job Ive ever had and has been the culmination of my professional career. JACKSON, Miss. Diversity initiatives would be defunded or banned from universities and other public institutions under a slate of bills pending in Republican-led legislatures, with some lawmakers counting on the issue resonating with voters in this election year. DEI State Government Florida Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, listens to Gov. Ron DeSantis give his State of the State address during a joint sess Already this year, Republican lawmakers have proposed about 50 bills in 20 states that would restrict initiatives on diversity, equity and inclusion known as DEI or require their public disclosure, according to an Associated Press analysis using the bill-tracking software Plural. This is the second year Republican-led state governments have targeted DEI. This year's bills, as well as executive orders and internal agency directives, again focus heavily on higher education. But the legislation also would limit DEI in K-12 schools, state government, contracting and pension investments. Some bills would bar financial institutions from discriminating against those who refuse to participate in DEI programs. Meanwhile, Democrats have filed about two dozen bills in 11 states that would require or promote DEI initiatives. The bills cover a broad spectrum, including measures to reverse Florida's recent ban on DEI in higher education and measures to require DEI considerations in K-12 school curricula in Washington state. The Supreme Court's June decision ending affirmative action at universities has created a new legal landscape around diversity programs in the workplace and civil society. But DEI's emergence as a political rallying cry has its roots on campus, with Republican opponents saying the programs are discriminatory and promote left-wing ideology. Democratic supporters say the programs are necessary for ensuring institutions meet the needs of increasingly diverse student populations. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. Republican Oklahoma Sen. Rob Standridge, who has authored four bills aiming to hollow out DEI programs in the state, said it has become a salient campaign theme. "I think it's become more of a political thing," Standridge said. "In other words, people are using it in their campaigns in a positive way. So now all of a sudden, maybe the people that didn't care before are like, well, wait a minute, I can use this on a flier next year. And Trump brings light to it, too." The organizations that help power the conservative agenda say DEI's emergence at the center of political debate makes their crusade against it ripe for expansion. "This has opened a window of opportunity, and we don't want the window to close," Mike Gonzalez, a fellow at powerful conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, said in an interview. "We want to meet this window with a robust policy agenda." In South Carolina, Rep. Josiah Magnuson, who introduced legislation to restrict DEI, said the issue reflects a growing sentiment among Republican lawmakers that ideologies disfavored by conservatives grow with the help of campus bureaucracies. "We're finding that our colleges and universities were kind of off the rails, and we need to rein them back in," Magnuson said. "And so I think that's another thing that's providing a growing impetus to get our state universities under control." Not all Republicans are unified about which government approach is best suited to eliminate DEI. In Oklahoma, Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order in December barring state agencies and universities from spending money on the programs. Standridge said it's not clear what authority the order would have because Oklahoma's universities are regulated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, not the governor's office. "I appreciate the executive order but, arguably, it doesn't really have the authority to force the schools to do anything," Standridge said. "I ran several bills thinking maybe the moderates that are in control of the Senate would allow us to do something against DEI." For Washington state Sen. Marko Liias, DEI is crucial to serving a diverse society. Liias introduced a bill in the Democratic-controlled Legislature in 2023 to weave DEI concepts into the state's K-12 learning standards. The bill, which is up for consideration again in 2024, is designed to meet the needs of a diversifying student population, he said. "I think the opposition is organized around a political agenda, whereas I'm trying to respond to a diverse community that I represent and the experiences that they're bringing to me," Liias said. "So it's sort of reality versus theory, what's happening in our families and schools versus an agenda driven by national foundations. That's the divide." Republican-led Florida and Texas were the first states to adopt broad-based laws banning DEI efforts in higher education. Since then, other state leaders have followed. "The idea to study how much we were spending on DEI came from me seeing what other states were doing. Specifically, Ron DeSantis in Florida," said Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, a Republican. In a 2023 report, White said Mississippi's public universities are spending millions on DEI programs instead of student scholarships. In the opening weeks of Mississippi's 2024 session, Rep. Becky Currie introduced a bill that would implement sweeping bans on not only DEI offices but also on funding campus activities deemed "social activism." The bill has been referred to a House committee. Currie declined to be interviewed. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill into law on Jan. 30 that makes the state the latest to prohibit diversity training, hiring and inclusion programs at universities and in state government. Cox has called using diversity statements in hiring "bordering on evil." Republican legislators in Wisconsin brokered a narrowly approved deal with regents in December for the state's public university system to limit diversity positions at its two dozen campuses. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, later said he had only just begun to remove "cancerous DEI practices" and requested a review of diversity initiatives across state government. The crackdown on DEI is part of the same legislative project as the earlier movement to restrict the academic and legal ideas termed critical race theory, said Jonathan Butcher, a research fellow in education policy for The Heritage Foundation. Critical race theory is a way of thinking about America's history based on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation's institutions. "There is no separation. DEI is the application of critical race theory. DEI officers are the administrative control panels that are putting critical race theory into place," Butcher said. Rep. Fentrice Driskell, Florida's Democratic House minority leader, thinks the ideological motive behind restricting DEI is intertwined with an economic agenda that downplays the role of identity in exacerbating inequality. "It's a flashpoint because the conservatives like to talk about meritocracy as their vision for a society where everybody can advance," Driskell said. "Real life is actually more complicated than that. And that is what DEI programs are there to solve." The Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center is celebrating Black History Month with an exhibition profiling the lives of 23 Black abolitionists. Black Abolitionists: The Freedom Fighters brings attention to the roles free Blacks and Blacks who escaped to freedom played in bringing awareness to the capture of individuals in the transatlantic slave trade and the brutality subsequently endured by those enslaved. Many Black abolitionists also participated in and were conductors on the Underground Railroad. Often when the abolitionist movement is considered, iconic figures such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman come to mind. However, there were more than 300 Black abolitionists, whose actions and deeds have been documented, noted Vivian Glover, director of community arts and development at the Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center. Fortunately, research into the lives of Black abolitionists is ongoing and scholarly accounts continue to be contributed to this body of research, she added. The exhibition, in the Arts Centers Lusty Gallery, has been curated using colorful posters. We thought using a variety of attractive hues would be enjoyed by the young people we hope will visit the exhibition, Glover said. What was the real challenge was deciding which of the Black abolitionists to select to highlight this extraordinary group of men and women. The 23 Black abolitionists had a variety of life experiences, ranging from runaway slaves, whose inhuman treatment motivated their flights to freedom, to Blacks in the North, who were born into very privileged households. Whatever their circumstances, they took it upon themselves to become anti-slavery advocates who traveled and spoke on behalf of an enslaved population. And then there was Solomon Northup now known after his memoir, Twelve Years A Slave, was developed into an Oscar-winning film. Once Northup was free again, he also became an abolitionist speaker, Glover said. The abolitionist Josiah Henson may not be a recognized name, but generations would have heard of the character he is portrayed as in Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin. His actual story is markedly different. However, his escape from slavery, with his wife and four children, was as daring and treacherous, coming very close to a tragic ending, according to Glover. Henson and his family made it safely to Canada, where he found peace and prosperity, becoming the first Black person featured on a Canadian stamp. His life story, as it occurred was told in the 2018 documentary, Redeeming Uncle Tom: The Josiah Henson Story. In addition to speaking out against slavery, Henson would return several times to Kentucky, from where he escaped, to lead other enslaved people to a free life in Canada, Glover observed. According to documentation, in addition to speaking before audiences on behalf of anti-slavery groups, Black abolitionists also published articles, advocated in courts and even traveled abroad to England and France, where slavery had been abolished. There they raised funds for schools and churches for those who had escaped to freedom. Their speeches, publications and letters referenced their commitment to and the eagerness with which they undertook their vocations to bring an end to slavery. Student art exhibition The Arts Center has continued to show the works of Orangeburg County School District students in the lobby area of the building. The latest exhibition is a display of works by students throughout the county from elementary, middle and high schools. The current students exhibition is stunning and has received high praise, Glover said. Every new exhibition seems to be better than the last. That is proof of the unusual level of visual art talent in our area and is also evidenced testament to the dedication and inspiration visual art instructors nurture in their classrooms. The Arts Centers exhibitions are free and open to the public Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Groups are very welcome. For viewing requests outside regular hours, email Vivian Glover at vglover@orangeburgarts.org. The Orangeburg County Fine Arts Centers phone number is 803-536-4074 and it is located at 649 Riverside Drive in Orangeburg. Former S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley returned to Orangeburg on Sunday as she continues her push for the Republican nomination for president. Haley Campaigns in Orangeburg Orangeburg resident Edgar McGee, left, talks with former S.C. governor Nikki Haley at her Sunday, Feb. 11, Its A Great Day In South Carolina Its so great to be back on my stomping grounds of Orangeburg and to see everybody again, Haley said. Haley is a Bamberg native and graduate of Orangeburg Preparatory Schools. Haley in Orangeburg Patricia Guarnieri traveled Fleetwood, N.C., to attend the Nikki Haley campaign stop in Orangeburg. She will face former President Donald J. Trump in the Republican presidential primary in Feb. 24. Haley told the crowd of almost 100 at The Cinema that her main priorities as president will be increasing security at the southern border, strengthening the economy and Americas foreign policy, revamping education and supporting veterans. If elected, Haley said she will encourage policies requiring every employer to verify employees immigration status, station more law enforcement at the border, defund sanctuary cities and increase deportations. Haley said she will rein in unnecessary federal spending and the national debt, which she blamed for young peoples anxieties about the economy. Everybody said the economy was good under Trump and it was, right? But at what cost? she said. She pointed to the increase in the national debt and higher tariffs as shortcomings of former President Donald Trumps administration. You dont fix the economy by taking money away from people, she said. You fix the economy when you start to put money back in people's pockets and when you focus on the value of a tax dollar. Haley said she would cut down on wasteful spending and borrowing by both Republicans and Democrats and veto any funding proposals that dont take the country to pre-pandemic spending levels. She said she will send as many federal programs as possible to the state level, such as education, health care and welfare, to make the federal government smaller. She said she will eliminate the federal gas and diesel tax, cut taxes for the middle class and small businesses and simplify tax brackets. The country needs to get back to basics in the classroom and promote transparency in education, she said. The second we start listening to what teachers have to say, thats when you will truly fix education in this country, she said. Haley said she would improve support for veterans in the country, noting the rates of homelessness and suicide among veterans and waiting times for doctors appointments in the Veterans Affairs system. It's truly shameful how we treat our veterans, she said. She shared her husbands struggles after returning from a deployment in Afghanistan while she was governor. When he came back home to us, that was a lot of prayers answered, she said. But when he got home, that was the hard part. Michael Haley, currently deployed again with the South Carolina National Guard, couldn't hear loud noises or be in crowds when he returned from his first deployment, she said. Telehealth options should be expanded and offered to more veterans to improve wait times, she said. Every congressman should get their health care through the VA system, she said to a positive response from the crowd. She also addressed a shot Trump took at her and her husband at a rally in Conway on Saturday, in which Trump asked why Haleys husband has not been accompanying her on the campaign trail. The former governor said Trump mocked her husbands service. Donald, if you have something you have to say, dont say it behind my back say it to my face on a debate stage, she said to a positive response from the crowd. Trump has not participated in any debates this cycle. Donald Trump clearly doesn't understand that in South Carolina, we love our military men and women, Haley said. In South Carolina, we dont look down on those who sacrifice and serve our country. We lift them up and thank them every day for the rest of their life. Haley called Trumps comments on service men and women a sick way of thinking and said he doesn't understand the sacrifice military members make. I dont think he thinks America is worth fighting for, because you wouldnt degrade the people who are defending it if that was the case, she said. A heckler called Haley a liar and a racist at one point during the rally, before being shouted down by some chants of Nikki from the crowd and being escorted out. My husband and all our military men and women sacrifice every day for him to have the right to do that, she said afterward. Haley said she would strengthen Americas foreign image to prevent wars. She criticized comments made by Trump at the Conway rally saying he would not support NATO member countries in wars with Russia who dont contribute enough financially to the alliance. I dealt with Russia every single day at the United Nations, Haley said. Putin kills his opponents. He invades free countries. This is not someone you ever want to pal around with and you certainly dont want to give them the right to invade a friend. She said she supports making NATO members put more into the alliance, but she called the alliance a success story and said shes committed to supporting it. Haley said while Trump was surrounded by the D.C. elite, she supports policies that would make her unpopular with the establishment such as term limits, competency tests for elected officials over 75 and banning stock market trading by Congress members. Haley has lost the endorsements of many of her home state politicians to Trump. The former president has been endorsed by Gov. Henry McMaster, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott and Congresswoman Nancy Mace. Haley blamed the lack of support on her successes as governor, such as requiring more on-the-record voting for bills in the State House, income disclosures for state lawmakers, vetoing pet projects and defeating McMaster in the 2010 Republican primary for governor. If thats what they're going to be upset about, they can have them, she said to the crowd. I dont want them. Its you I want at the end of the day. Charleston and Berkeley counties solicitor Scarlett Wilson, a Haley supporter, introduced her at the rally as South Carolinas favorite daughter. Wilson highlighted Haleys performance as governor during the 2015 shooting of Walter Scott and the Mother Emmanuel shootings. Wilson prosecuted the perpetrators in both perpetrators. It was a lonely, lonely, dark time, but thankfully, I had someone who had my back, Wilson said. I had Gov. Nikki Haley. Haley represented the state with dignity and grace, Wilson said. We needed Nikki Haley in the governor's mansion, we needed Nikki Haley in the Trump administration and we now need Nikki Haley in the White House, she said. The former governor said she has a better chance of defeating President Joe Biden in the general election than Trump, citing poll numbers showing most Americans' aversion to a Trump-Biden rematch. She mentioned some polls have her beating Biden in the general, with Biden and Trump close to each other in a potential rematch. Haley claims Bidens age and mental capacity make him unfit to serve and that Trump brings chaos and is too friendly to Americas enemies. Thats not what we need for our country, she said. We need someone whos going to work eight years, disciplined, focused to get our country back on track. She also criticized both Biden and Trumps mishandling of classified documents. Both of these men are tied up in investigations, she said. They're tied up in their own egos not wanting to leave these jobs. They're tied up in what's in it for them. Americans deserve better, she said. They know they deserve better. She also pointed to a recent special counsel report raising further concerns over Bidens memory and age. I wish him well, I do, she said. But this is serious and we need to be very cautious of what is happening, because our enemies are paying attention. She believes he will ultimately not make it to the election as the Democrats candidate. My bet is 30 days from now, I dont think Joe Biden is going to be the nominee, she said. Youre going to have a female President of the United States. Its either going to be me or its going to be Kamala Harris. Haley also questioned Trumps age and mental fitness for the presidency, mentioning an instance where Trump seemed to confuse Haley with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and blamed her for not securing the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection while giving a speech in New Hampshire last month. I've never been in charge of security at the Capitol, she said. I certainly wasnt in D.C. on Jan. 6. Haley spent a significant amount of her address discussing Trump. How much more chaos are we going to put up with? she said. How many more losses do we have to have before we say Maybe thats not the way we should go? Thats why I think its time for a new generation of leaders. No more chaos, no more noise, now its time to get to work for the American people. Haley said her campaigns primary goal in the Palmetto State is to continue to build up momentum going into the Michigan and the Super Tuesday primaries. Trump still leads Haley by a significant margin in South Carolina ahead of Feb. 24, but she believes she can close the gap. We have the opportunity to fix this, she said. So dont let anyone tell you that the choice is made. The choice isnt made until the ballots are counted Feb. 24. Haleys bus tour across the state is focused on getting her in front of as many voters as possible and reminding them of her gubernatorial record, she said. Thats how you win an election: You work hard, she said. You dont go stand on a stage with a teleprompter. You dont go hide behind a desk and say Im not going to do the Super Bowl interview. You get out there and you talk to the people. Ashley Whetsell brought her daughter Daisy, 11, to the rally to show support for Haley. Whetsell said her top issues are the border and economy, and she believes Haley can reproduce her success as governor. I feel like she needs to win in South Carolina in order to keep going, but nobody can make that call but her, she said. Patricia Guarnieri, an independent voter from Fleetwood, North Carolina, came to the rally with her husband. Guarnieri said Haley is the Republican Partys only hope to be competitive. I think the Republican Party stands a chance if they have Nikki Haley at the helm, she said. Edgar McGee said he remembers Haley as a little girl sitting on a crate to run the cash register at her family's business in Orangeburg, when he built a building for the family. If you want a real American story, she absolutely is a picture of it, McGee said. McGee, like Guarnieri, said the countrys international image is his top priority. He also believes Haley will have a better chance at attracting swing voters than Trump. I think if America sees what you saw there today, she'll get a lot of Democratic votes if Biden is the Democratic candidate, he said. Trump wont get it, but she could. Haley encouraged the crowd to turn out for the primary. We have lots of people who vote in general elections, she said. In general elections, youre given a choice. In a primary, you make your choice. She encouraged early voting and spreading the word from person to person. In South Carolina, we know how to fix things, she said. We know how to get things right. We just have to commit to doing it. Haley said she is running to support veterans like her husband, young people just starting out in a tough economy like her daughter, college students writing things he doesnt believe in like her son and immigrants and entrepreneurs like her parents. MEMPHIS, Tenn.-- Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. - a historically black sorority - has completed a historic pledge made in 2021 to raise $1 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This achievement comes days before the international collegiate and nonprofit community service organizations 101st anniversary, marking over a century of commitment to helping those in need. The amount includes $2234.00 raised by a local chapter whose efforts exceeded their goal. Chapter picture 2023 Chapter members include, seated from left, LaFaye Bias, Dianna Davis-Bailey, Christine Simpkins-Holman and Barbara Brewer, standing, from left At the time of the original announcement, Sigma Gamma Rho had already raised nearly $500,000 for St. Jude. As part of the push to reach $1 million, Sigma Gamma Rho pledged a three-year sponsorship for the annual St. Jude Walk/Run, held during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each September. Since then, Sigma Gamma Rho has reached its goal in large part through its participation in the St. Jude Walk/Run. In 2023, the organization entered more than 200 Walk/Run teams in cities across the United States, helping it cross the fundraising finish line this year. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. Members of the local chapter, Eta Gamma Sigma Chapter, set a chapter goal to raise $2,023.00 for this sorority year. The chapter exceeded the goal by raising $2,234.00. The chapter was recognized as the Top Chapter in South Carolina for raising funds for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Members of the chapter extend appreciation to the following schools and businesses for assisting them in exceeding the chapters goal: Denmark-Olar High School, South Aiken High School, Williston-Elko High School, Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School, and Allendale IGA Grocery Store. The chapter was also successful in its on-line fundraising efforts raising more than $1,000.00. Denise Long serves as the president of the Eta Gamma Sigma Chapter and Tracy Garner served as the chapters St. Jude Liaison. Rasheeda S. Liberty, International Grand Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho stated, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated is grateful for the opportunity to support St. Jude Childrens Research Hospitals work to find cures and help save the lives of children all over the world. I am proud of the mobilization of our global membership to reach this $1,000,000 milestone, and to have done so just prior to our 101st Founders Day. Were so grateful for and honored by the incredible heart and dedicated service shown by Sigma Gamma Rho, said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. This is a milestone accomplishment by Sigma Gamma Rho and its members all over the world that will help St. Jude continue making progress in improving survival rates for children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. You have reached a premium content area of Transitions. To read this entire article please login if you are already a Transitions subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Guns were confiscated at Billings Logan International Airport security checkpoints at almost twice the national rate per passenger screened last year. Transportation Security Administration data shows officers in 2023 found 15 firearms in travelers carry-on luggage in Billings. Thats one gun for every 66,214 passengers screened, versus one for every 127,356 travelers nationwide. At airports across Montana, TSA officers discovered a record 59 firearms during routine x-ray inspections of passengers carry-on luggage. They found 16 in Bozeman, 15 in Billings, 11 in Missoula, seven in Kalispell, six in Great Falls, two in Helena, one in Havre and one in Sidney. People are very careless, TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers said. Theres no excuse for an increase because guns have never been allowed. Congress first enacted legislation to prohibit accessible weapons aboard aircraft in 1961, decades before TSA was created. The launch of TSA was to help secure the nations transportation system in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. With the exception of a decline in 2020, likely due to travel precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, firearm finds at airports in Montana have steadily increased during the past five years. TSA officers detected 50 guns during passenger screenings statewide in 2022. Thats up from 45 guns in 2021, 24 in 2020 and 34 in 2019. Billings saw a slight dip in the number of guns carried through airport security last year, down two from the state's record high of 17 in 2022. Bozeman, however, had a significant rise in 2023, up six from the 10 guns confiscated by TSA officers the previous year. During the same time, the number of guns carried through airport security increased by two in Helena and by one each in Great Falls, Havre and Sidney. Firearm finds in Missoula and Kalispell remained steady from 2022 to 2023, with 11 and seven respectively each year. The uptick of guns found travelers carry-on bags in Montana mirrors the trend at airports across the country. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport topped the list last year with 451 guns confiscated. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport came in second with 378, followed by Houstons George Bush Intercontinental Airport with 311, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with 235 and Nashville International Airport with 188. The record number of firearms discovered last year by TSA in carry-on luggage, both in Montana and nationally, is sobering, TSA Federal Security Director for Montana Kc Wurtsbaugh said in a news release. These are not the types of records that we want to break, so please pay attention to where your firearm is at all times and be sure to pack it properly. When a gun is found at a security checkpoint, TSA notifies local airport law enforcement, who come remove the gun from the x-ray machine. Most people claim they forgot it was in there, said Billings Airport Police Supervisor Keith Edgell. But, he often wonders what the point of carrying a gun is, if the person cant remember they have it with them in the first place. Hows it going to help you, if you forgot about it, he said. Once airport police remove the firearm from the security checkpoint, Edgell said, the passenger usually goes through some additional screening before going on to catch their flight. Because carrying a gun through airport security is not a violation of local or Montana law, Edgell said, those who do so are not arrested or subject to criminal charges, as they would be in some states. TSA, however, can levy a civil penalty of up to $14,950 against the traveler. Airport police hold the gun until TSA determines the fine. Among the factors considered when determining the amount of the fine are whether the gun was loaded, if there was accessible ammunition and whether the traveler has a history of violations. Even if a passenger has a concealed weapons permit, firearms are not allowed in carry-on luggage. Dankers said she could not provide the amounts of the penalties TSA imposed for the 15 guns found in Billings last year. But, she suggested the Gazette could try to obtain them through Freedom of Information Act and local public records requests or interviews with individuals who were fined. Although the civil penalty can be up $14,950, Edgell said, that isnt typical for gun infractions hes seen in Billings. However, fines between $2,500 and $5,000 are not uncommon. And, he said, the federal agency will often agree to reduce the amount significantly in exchange for prompt payment. Once the passenger has proof they paid the fine, they can come pick up their firearm from the airport police. With Montanas relaxed rules for carrying guns and more people packing them, Edgell said, he believes travelers are rushing and forgetting to think ahead about what they can and can not bring on a plane. In addition to the 15 guns confiscated at BIL security checkpoints last year, he said, there were a dozen others found in passengers checked luggage. Its the mindset in Montana, Edgell said. Were a gun-toting state. The good news then, is guns can be taken on a commercial aircraft if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared in checked baggage at the airline ticket counter. Before traveling, passengers are encouraged to check firearms regulations at their destination to make sure they are in compliance with local and state laws. TSA also recommends travelers check with their airline to make sure they comply with any carrier-specific requirements. TSA has multiple resources available to help travelers determine whether an item is permitted in carry-on baggage, checked luggage or not at all. Passengers can use the Can I Bring feature on TSAs website or mobile app. They can also message "@AskTSA" if they have a question and get real-time help from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. TSA has detailed information on its website about traveling with firearms and ammunition and a summary of penalties for prohibited items. Not being aware of where your weapon is, violates the first rule of gun ownership, Dankers said. Its important that people think about it and do better in 2024. MBABANE Justice delayed is justice denied! This adage holds true for 437 inmates who have been anxiously waiting to have their day in court. This has seen the Commissioner General (COMGEN) of His Majestys Correctional Services LaMakhosini Dlamini issuing a memorandum to the Chief Justice (CJ), Bheki Maphalala, wherein she sought to enlighten his office on the number of trial-awaiting alleged offenders. In the memorandum, the commissioner general brought it to the attention of the CJ that the alleged offenders had been in custody without the commencement of their cases. Annexed to the memorandum is a list of the alleged offenders, who, according to the COMGEN, have been in custody in the different Correctional Centres in the Kingdom of Eswatini. In response, the CJ issued a memorandum for the attention of the acting director of public prosecutions (DPP) requesting the DPP to urgently attend to the committal of the cases in which the trial-awaiting inmates are implicated. Some of the 437 inmates who are detained in various Correctional centres have been in detention since 2019. The accused persons are alleged to have committed murder, attempted murder, offences under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act 15/2018, rape, armed robbery and robbery. Inmates The Zakhele Remand Centre has 168 trial-awaiting inmates, which is the highest among the Correctional facilities. The most common crimes allegedly committed by the inmates at the Remand Centre is armed robbery and robbery, which accounts for 72 of the trial-awaiting inmates. Offences under the SODV Act are the second most committed allegedly by the yet to be tried inmates. Thirty-two of them allegedly committed murder and 22 attempted murder. Big Bend Correctional facility has the second highest number of inmates, 71, who are still to have their day in court. Inmates accused of committing offences under the SODV Act are 34, murder 28 and nine attempted murder accused persons. At this Correctional Services facility, there are no armed robbery and robbery trial-awaiting inmates. At Nhlangano Correctional Services, there is a total of 50 inmates who are yet to be tried. The most common offences allegedly committed by inmates housed at this facility are murder and attempted murder. Out of the 50 inmates who are waiting to be tried, 29 have been charged with murder and 10 with attempted murder. Nine of the inmates are alleged to have committed offences under the SODV Act and one rape accused. Thokozani Matse, who was arrested by Lavumisa police, has spent almost nine years in custody as a trial-awaiting inmate. He is incarcerated at Nhlangano Correctional Services. In fact, among those listed in the inventory compiled by the Correctional Services, Matse has spent the most number of years without trial. He was arrested in 2015. The charge of murder, among Piggs Peak Correctional Services trial-awaiting inmates, is faced by seven of them. There are 38 inmates who have still not been tried at Piggs Peak Correctional Service. Rape is a common offence with 13 accused persons having been charged with it and four charged under the SODV Act. Charged Two have been charged under the Arms and Ammunition Act and malicious injury to property as well as armed robbery, housebreaking and theft. Four of the inmates are accused of committing six counts of armed robbery each. At Sidwashini Correctional Services in Mbabane, there are 35 inmates who are awaiting their day in court. The predominant charge among these inmates is murder. At least 22 of these inmates are alleged to have committed murder; five are accused of attempted murder and three alleged offenders under the SODV Act and two rape offences. One inmate is facing a charge under the Suppression of Terrorism Act of 2006. At Vulamasango School, there is a total of 34 inmates with pending cases. The SODV Act is the predominant charge among these inmates as 18 of them are charged under the Act. Five are faced with robbery charges and rape, four attempted murder and two are accused of murder. Nineteen trial-awaiting inmates are kept at Malkerns Young Persons Centre (Juvenile) (Mdutshane) and nine of them face robbery charges. According to the inventory, four of the inmates allegedly committed an offence under the SODV Act, while three are accused of attempted murder. Matsapha Correctional Services has 16 trial-awaiting inmates. Out of the 16 inmates, 10 allegedly committed murder. Five are accused of robbery and one of housebreaking and theft. Five women are awaiting trial at Mawelawela Correctional centre and four of them have been charged with murder and the other one faces an attempted murder charge. There is one inmate who is detained at the Criminal Mental Health Centre and he was charged with attempted murder. It has been reliably gathered that the office of the DPP has committed some of the trial-awaiting prisoners to the High Court. Usually, once an accused has been committed to the High Court, he or she is called for a pre-trial conference in readiness for the commencement of his or her trial. A new camera system is being installed along this countrys roadways with the aim of tackling traffic congestion and reducing the countrys crime. This was said yesterday by Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan, who spoke with the media at the intersection of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway and Golden Grove Road in Piarco. With ten people murdered between Thursday and Saturday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley took to Facebook yesterday to assure citizens that State agencies will not give up the fight to rid our streets and other places of the evil that is now widespread as a gun culture in Trinidad and Tobago. And in a voice note to the media, Commissioner of Police Erla Christopher said, We are determined to dismantle criminal gangs and make a difference in transforming impacted communities. The Tucson Chinese Cultural Center is adding a mini film festival to its annual Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, Feb. 17. During the day, the center will celebrate the Year of the Dragon with Chinese music and dance that will take you into the rich tapestry of Chinese, Asian-American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander cultures. The festival, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the center, 1288 W. River Road, features performances by the Dragon Dance and Yo-yo, Tucson International Academy, Tucson Sino Martial Arts, Tucson Chinese Dance, Tucson Sino Choir, Sunrise Elementary School fifth graders, Tucson Sino Dance and Desert Virtuoso Music Group. Chinese food and drink will be offered for sale, and kids can participate in arts and craft activities. Admission is $5 at the door. Later Saturday, the center will host the premiere of Tucson filmmaker Nolan Veneklasens short film Young Lions, which documents the return of the centers longstanding lion dance program after the pandemic. It is one of four short films on the lineup for Night of the Dragon: An Asian American Film Premiere. Its a subculture of dancers in the Chinese community in Tucson, Arizona, that is not practiced very much. Preserving the culture and keeping that tradition alive is something I really cared about, Veneklasen said. For the 26-year-old Tucson native, the project was personal. He and his brother, Jackson, 28, had been involved in the lion dance program since they were 5 or 6; Jackson still teaches at the center. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, the center was forced to close and remained closed for nearly two years. It transitioned some events and classes online, but the lion dance program, its oldest legacy program, was suspended. When they regrouped in late 2021, it was almost like starting over. Many of the young dancers had to relearn the movements, including hoisting the heavy lion costume over two dancers while still in motion. The front dancer is the lions head, while the second fills out the tail. But the biggest fear for the centers longtime volunteer Executive Director Susan Chan and for Veneklasen was that the kids would be so out of the habit of doing lion dancing that they would lose interest. When the kids leave, its about sustainability and finding people to carry on, Chan said. It was such a big hurdle to get over in the middle of the pandemic, to try to bring back these classes and to start over, Veneklasen said. With a $5,000 grant from Southwest Folklife Alliance and the support of executive producer Robin Blackwood and fellow filmmaker/producer Sara Luu, Veneklasen spent 18 months filming the programs resurrection. I knew I had to make it about the lion dance troupe, he said. Being that it was mid-pandemic, the Chinese Cultural Center had closed its doors for over a year and no one was performing at all. The film follows Sifu (master) Kevin Lau, who has been leading the troupe since 2008, and his team Jackson Veneklasen, who has been teaching the lion dance for 15 years; Paisley Crockett, who teaches the little lions class; and Jasper Sorensen, one of the troupes young leaders as they regrouped. We see the kids struggle with the mechanics of the dance, lifting the heavy costumes over their heads and keeping in time with their lion partners. The film takes the audience to the troupes first performances post-pandemic and hears the instructors honest assessment of what went wrong and what needed to be fixed. As time went by, the dancers seemed to find their muscle memory, and performances became more seamless. Young leaders also emerged, and you got a feeling that the next generation of Tucson lion dancers was going to carry on the tradition that has been part of the Tucson Chinese community for more than five decades. Lion dancing is a dying art, but yet it is so important to our culture and its even more important to our children participating, most of them who are being adopted from China, said Chan, adding that through the ancient dance, these children are able to reconnect with their culture. This lion dance culture wont be forgotten. Veneklasen, who now lives and works in the Los Angeles film industry, said he hopes Young Lions shines a light on the program and the center. We think the lion dance is just a doorway into understanding and experiencing Chinese culture for everyone, he said. In addition to Young Lions, Night of the Dragon will feature short films by filmmakers Sara Luu, Jiaxin Wei and Andy Zhoa. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7; admission is $5 at the door. A 21-year-old man was killed in a one-vehicle crash early Sunday on Tucson's east side, police said. Cody William Duncan-Olivas died in the crash, which occurred shortly after 12:30 a.m. at South Harrison Road and East Gershon Lane, Tucson police said in a news release. Detectives determined Duncan-Olivas was driving north on Harrison in the median lane at a high rate of speed when he lost control of the white 2002 Acura RSX, drove off the road and struck a metal power pole. "Excessive speed and failure to reduce/control speed to avoid a collision are the known contributing factors of the collision at this time. Detectives noted that wet roadways and poor tire tread also contributed to the collision," police said in the release. In December, wildlife videographer Jason Miller released footage of a jaguar captured on his trail-cam. Photographing such an elusive cat is an exceedingly rare event, but in the decade since the University of Arizona Wild Cat Research Center launched its jaguar and ocelot project, its team of citizen scientists has monitored three separate jaguars and amassed more than 200 photos and videos of the big cats. The centers co-coordinators Melanie Culver and Susan Malusa and their team have been using trail cameras to detect and monitor jaguars and other species in the state, helping researchers gain insight into population dynamics, habitat use and movement patterns. Our overall mission is to contribute to wildlife conservation, Malusa said. In addition to the jaguar sightings, the centers cameras have captured more than 70 species, including 10 that are threatened or endangered. The centers archive consists of 3 million images. Even though were looking for our target species that we set cameras to monitor the jaguar and the ocelot we collect data on every single species, Culver said. The center shares its detections with the U.S. Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife, and Arizona Game and Fish. Through their data, the team can assess the impact of habitat fragmentation, roads and other human activities on wildlife behavior. Long-term data also can reveal changes over time in wildlife communities that may be impacted by environmental changes. The project was initially started in 2009 by the Department of Homeland Security during construction of the border wall. Part of that Obama administration project included a conservation element so they hired the UA Wild Cat Research Center. The government put up some money for mitigation, Culver said, and part of that money was devoted to jaguars. The goal was to determine if jaguars and ocelots were prevalent on the landscape in Arizona and whether the animals were migrating across the U.S.-Mexico border into the state. When the contract expired in 2011, so did the funding. To get continued funding for the same work is nearly impossible, Culver said. If we didnt have the citizen scientists, wed be shut down. The great outdoors Culver said her center receives about $50,000 a year in grants to keep the project running, a portion of which goes to pay Malusa. We also have to maintain the cameras, Culver said. They get stolen, vandalized and they just break so we have to continue to replace cameras. Culver and Malusa, though, have an army of over 40 dedicated citizen scientists who participate in camera monitoring, tracking and data analysis. The program draws citizen scientists from a wide variety of backgrounds. No matter if youre a retired professional wildlife biologist, or if youre brand new, we provide a lot of things you need and training, Malusa said. That training includes lessons on jaguar genetics and behavior, as well as discussions of the research permit process and regulations surrounding research of endangered species. Volunteers also get hands-on experience with the cameras and equipment. Ill never forget the first jaguar picture we got, said volunteer coordinator Liz Taylor. Oh my gosh, Im sure you heard me screaming everywhere around the world. It was great. Taylor and her husband John have been working with the Wild Cat Research Center for almost 10 years, monitoring cameras in the Chiricahua mountains. Were both passionate about being outside, Taylor said. We go hiking and camping a lot but this gives us a reason and it makes you break away from home and all those electronic gadgets and get your butt out there because you have work to do. Its really cool. Citizen science has changed Taylors outlook on life. We get to go places that we wouldnt have probably found before, and we get really great experiences out there with the critters, Taylor said. Collaborative monitoring As one of the most senior citizen scientists and the teams volunteer coordinator, Taylor is not only responsible for organizing the other volunteers, but also identifying potential new monitoring sites. I sit at this computer a lot looking at topography, trying to figure out where were going to find corridors, she said. We know they like to move in certain ways in certain areas. New target areas are determined based on factors such as habitat, terrain and distance from water or roads. The final step is to get the team into the field to set up the cameras, and hope for a jaguar. They operate about 80 camera sites across Arizona, and the cameras are checked by the citizen scientists roughly every two months. To access the trail-cams in more remote locations, some volunteers may need to hike for several miles, while other cameras may be just a few yards off the road. The job is to make sure the camera is working, collect the SD card, refresh the battery, do the environmental clearing, Taylor said. And this project doesnt just require hard work on the part of the citizen scientists. Taylor said cooperation is a key part of jaguar conservation, and ranchers in particular are a vital part of that equation. While all the cameras are placed on public lands, the team works with several ranchers bordering their sites to gain access to remote areas through their properties, and to utilize their knowledge of the landscape. There can be a little bit of concern from ranchers, because if they have a jaguar on their land, they might have a perception that it might limit what they can and cant do on their land, Culver said. However, their interactions with ranchers have been overwhelmingly positive. Im very interested in what theyre doing out here, said rancher Jim Riggs, whose family has been ranching on their land in Cochise County since the 1800s. I think its great. They (ranchers) just are so attached and in tune with whats happening on the land, Taylor said. Its just amazing. In return, the team shares its data and detections with the ranchers, informing them of the wildlife species roaming their property. We make them an album every year of all the animals that have crossed the cameras that are near their ranches, Taylor said. Culver said the abundant ranch land in Southern Arizona also provides more than suitable habitat for jaguars. Theyre living very long, healthy lives here. They wouldnt be doing that if there wasnt a strong prey base and good habitat here, and I credit the ranchers for that, Culver said. Culver said she also sees an opportunity to learn from the findings of other wildlife enthusiasts like Jason Miller. Theres knowledge there that we can incorporate into our project. Just as we incorporate historical sightings, Culver said. LINCOLN, Ill. Women stream into the courtroom and sit shoulder to shoulder, coats bunched and bags on laps. Crystal Martinez, a human trafficking survivor, enters accompanied by a guard. Her face breaks into a teary smile at the sight of benches full of supporters. Martinez, who has been incarcerated for more than two years in Illinois largest prison for women for shooting a man, was being resentenced under a rare Illinois law allowing judges to reduce jail time for some domestic violence survivors. Martinezs supporters hoped her case would indicate what other survivors of gender-based violence in Illinois could expect when a new law took effect last month that broadened who is eligible for resentencing. Instead, a recent Illinois Supreme Court ruling prompted panic that the law wouldnt apply to many of them because they had pleaded guilty in their original cases. Women who have experienced abuse are much more likely to be incarcerated than those who have not. Sentencing reforms for survivors of domestic violence are rare in the United States. Only New York and California have statutes comparable to Illinois' law, although similar reform efforts are underway in several other states. To many gathered in the courthouse north of Chicago on Dec. 15, Martinezs case represented not only her freedom but also a measure of how prosecutors could address other petitions. More than a dozen organizations, including the Illinois State Rifle Association, backed the 31-year-old mother of five in a letter to the Cook County State's Attorneys Office pushing for a sentence reduction. From age 15, Martinez was forced into prostitution where she was beaten without mercy, raped to no end and impregnated by her abuser, her lawyer, Zac Ciullo, explained to Judge Lauren Edidin. So when she saw another woman being abused in 2019, she intervened. A licensed concealed carry holder, Martinez shot and wounded a man she said was beating his girlfriend. In August 2021, Martinez pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and was sentenced to eight years. After months of work with Ciullo, Alexis Mansfield of Ascend Justice and the Womens Justice Institute, and more, Martinez stood to tell her story. She asked the judge to reconsider her sentence, taking the events of her life into account. "I didnt want to stand there and watch him beat her like Ive been beaten, Martinez told Edidin. I just was trying to do the right thing. Her oldest daughter, Nevaeh Martinez, read a handwritten statement in court. All I want is for her to come home and be happy, the 14-year-old said. I just want to be home with my children. They need me just like I need them, Martinez told Edidin. She asked for the minimum sentence, which would cut two years off her total. The judge agreed. Trauma changes your brain, Edidin told her. Today, you took your power back. Martinez is scheduled for release on May 17. In late November, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the defendant in People vs. Angela Wells was ineligible for resentencing because she had taken a plea deal. That decision threatened to jeopardize Martinezs bid to be resentenced, as she had also pleaded guilty. She was allowed to proceed only because her resentencing hearing was already scheduled when the high court made its ruling. Most criminal cases in the U.S. are resolved through plea bargaining, especially for defendants who cannot afford bail. Illinois state Sen. Robert Peters, who sponsored the gender-based violence resentencing law that went into effect in January, said the Wells decision contradicts the intent of the law. We need to recognize that theres multiple Crystals that exist out there. Not just one person, but hundreds of people, Peters said. Unless new legislation is passed or the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Wells, Cook County will not be able to consider the resentencing petitions of defendants who pleaded guilty, said Michelle Mbekeani of the Cook County States Attorneys Office, the prosecuting arm of Illinois most populous county. Going forward, Wells ties everyones hands, Mbekeani said. Weeks after her resentencing hearing, Martinez said that the years she is getting back with her family mean everything to her. To be incarcerated here with children on the outside, its like walking around with your heart outside your body, she said during a follow-up interview at Logan Correctional. Black and Hispanic women are more likely to be imprisoned than white women and are affected disproportionately by family separation due to incarceration. Martinez, who identifies as Latina, said this translates into worse outcomes in the criminal justice system. They dont look at women of color as vulnerable and victims. They look at us like were perpetrators, like we intentionally are from the wrong side of the tracks, Martinez said. The Chicago native said she didnt share her experiences as a human trafficking survivor in her original sentencing because her lawyer warned it would invite stigma associated with prostitution. It was my word against everybody, and I felt like I was a nobody. Martinez said her experience is not unique behind bars. Believe it or not, pretty much every woman Ive spoken to here has been a survivor, she said. Martinez said prosecutors and judges should keep an open mind when dealing with gender-based violence survivors requesting a new sentence. Your decision making is impacted by what youve been through in your life, she said. Its more than just the facts. Theres a person that youre going to sentence. Life is on the line. PHOENIX Arizonas top legislative Republicans filed suit Monday against President Joe Biden over his designation last year of nearly 1 million acres of federal land near the Grand Canyon as a national monument. They call it an unlawful land grab. Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma also cite the uranium deposits in the area, which are inaccessible within the national monument. That undermines the ability of Arizona utilities to get the fuel they need for power plants, their lawsuit in federal court says. Attorneys for Petersen and Toma acknowledge that the 1906 federal Antiquities Act allows a president to set aside parcels of land for protection. But they say such a proclamation has to be limited to historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures and other objects of historic or scientific interest. They argue that such designations have to be confined to the smallest area compatible with the care and management of the items to be protected. And they contend the Baaj Nwaajo Itah Kukeveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument the formal name for 1,462 square miles of the site meets neither requirement. Congress passed the Antiquities Act to protect just that: antiquities, the lawsuit says. It did not pass the law to allow the Biden administration to declare every inch of federal land a federal forest, cut off from all but those it selects. All of the designated lands are already federal property. But Petersen and Toma contend the state is harmed by the designation because it will make it more difficult to manage its own lands, which are adjacent to the new monument. Also, they say, A significant portion of energy produced and consumed in Arizona comes from nuclear power, with the figure in 2022 hitting 29% of total electricity net generation in the state. Domestic nuclear energy production is dependent on foreign imports of uranium for the moment, the lawsuit says. That puts nuclear power at risk if foreign nations suspend uranium exports to the United States, it says. There is every reason to believe such a risk exists, Petersen and Tomas lawsuit says. Many uranium imports come from foreign companies owned by nations, like Russia, with interests adverse to the interests of the United States and who leverage their control over those companies `to further geopolitical ambitions. Utilities aside, the two say theres a financial impact on the state and its residents and businesses because of the ban on new mining within the monument, given the fees and tax dollars generated to the state and Mohave County. Diminishing the tax contribution from the mining operations will simply shift the tax burden to other parties or require governments to cut necessary services, they claim. Petersen and Toma also say new uranium mining would be economically beneficial to area communities. They cite a 2009 study that indicated uranium mining would provide a $29 billion benefit to local economies in northern Arizona and southern Utah over 42 years. While the monument designation permanently blocks new uranium claims, it allows current grazing leases, hunting and fishing and other activities to continue. And Arizona will continue to have control of fish and wildlife issues. The Biden administration, through the Interior Department, declined to comment. According to the White House, the formal name for the monument translates in part to where Indigenous peoples roam in Havasupai and to our ancestral footprints in Hopi. The administration said at the time Biden came to Arizona to sign the proclamation that the monument is designed to preserve thousands of cultural and sacred sites that are significant for a dozen Indian tribes that have lived in the area. Utah lawsuit thrown out Getting a court to rule in the states favor could prove difficult. Last year, a federal judge threw out a lawsuit filed by the state of Utah and several counties that sought to roll back Bidens previous expansions of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in that state. U.S. District Court Judge David Nuffer said every previous effort to challenge the presidents authority to create national monuments under the Antiquities Act had been rejected, including rulings by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. Nuffer also said only Congress has the power to limit the presidents authority or roll back monument designations. He pointed to laws previously passed limiting new monuments in Alaska and Wyoming. Congress knows how to restrict statutory presidential power, Nuffer wrote in his ruling throwing out Utahs lawsuit. Otherwise, the terms of the statute control. Petersen, however, said the litigation is justified. Bidens maneuver is incredibly disingenuous, as it has nothing to do with protecting actual artifacts, he said in a prepared statement. Instead, it aims to halt all mining, ranching and other local uses of federal lands that are critical to our energy independence from adversary foreign nations, our food supply, and the strength of our economy he continued. We look forward to prevailing in court and for the presidents abuse of power to be reined in. Hobbs supports monument Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs had urged Biden to create the monument. In a May letter to the president, she wrote that tribes deserved to have the area protected. And she said her office had heard from people across the political spectrum including sporting groups, faith leaders, outdoor recreation businesses, conservation groups and others from a broad array of interests that support this monument designation. Hobbs stands by her support, gubernatorial press aide Christian Slater said Monday. PHOENIX The accordion, bass guitar and percussion harmonize seamlessly in the energetic beat of Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunnys chart-topping corrido, Un X100TO. Amid the easygoing, upbeat music, the enticing sweet and salty aroma of sizzling bacon and onions from Sergio Vargas pushcart stovetop permeates the air of the intersection where he meticulously assembles the ingredients for his signature Sonoran hotdogs. The reality is that this is something (the hot dogs) that everybody likes, Vargas said. Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, Vargas has been selling food at Player Breakfast Club to a diversity of people in the heart of downtown Phoenix for a year and four months. But before Vargas spent his weekdays prepping the Sonoran hotdogs and tacos at 9 a.m. and closed shop at 10 p.m., he had to go through the process of obtaining the necessary permits and paying the fees that accompany them to set up his business in the downtown area. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, the sale of foods made at home, also known as cottage foods, is legal but limited to a select list of foods that do not include meat products and tamales. HB 2042, also known as the tamale bill, would legalize the sale of tamales and other meat products cooked at home by expanding upon what is defined as cottage food and a home kitchen. According to the bill, foods packaged and sold at home or online must contain a label that clearly states the name and registration number of the food handler and lists all of the ingredients in the food product, along with the date it was produced. The bill also requires that the label includes this statement: This product was produced in a home kitchen that may process common food allergens and is not subject to public health inspection. In addition to putting themselves on an online registry, the person preparing or supervising the preparation of the homemade foods would have to complete and maintain an active food handlers certification, where they must display their registration certificate when operating their business. The tamale bill was initially introduced in 2023 as HB 2509 and passed with bipartisan support before it was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. In her veto letter, Hobbs said the bill failed to establish minimum standards to inspect or certify cottage food businesses. Nor does it provide a strong enough mechanism to ensure home kitchens are free of hazardous chemicals, rodent or insect or infestation, or that equipment and storage of temperature-sensitive foods are adequate, functioning or even existent, Hobbs letter said. Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, sponsored the bill both this year and last. I introduced the bill because people should have the freedom to make a living by producing home-baked goods, whether they be tamales or bread or salsas, and to sell those on the open market, Grantham said. The House failed to override the veto after 12 Democrats who initially voted yes changed their vote to no. Senate Democrats said they would not vote to override the veto because of health concerns brought up by health advocates after the initial vote to approve the bill. Dan Bogert, the Arizona Restaurant Associations chief operating officer, said the association opposed the original version of the bill because it did not provide a detailed enough definition of what constitutes a home kitchen. In response to these criticisms, the current version of the bill provides a list of what constitutes a home kitchen. It kept the requirement from the previous bill that the vendors offer a label that discloses the food was prepared in a home kitchen that is not subject to a health inspection. Bogert said the Arizona Restaurant Association approves of the current bill. Vargas said the current cost to obtain the necessary permits, like the ones he paid to open his business, varies depending on the vendors needs. In addition to a $30 permit fee, the application fee for a mobile food vendors license is $350, according to the city of Phoenix website. They just ask you for a lot of requirements that the reality is that if someone is doing things right, its not difficult, Vargas said. Vargas thinks the tamale bill will give a break to many aspiring food vendors who struggle with obtaining the necessary permits to operate a food stall or restaurant. Still, he also believes the bill can make it easier for people to use the system to assist food vendors. While Vargas is at his stall during bad and good times, he said he has seen many hot dog carts with small cooktops and no hand wash station that only come during major events downtown. If I dont do well here, Vargas said, they can fine me or close my business. But Vargas said the law could be better because authorities would shut him down if he tried to sell homemade tamales in his cart and disclosed this information to the Arizona Department of Health Services. I feel that it (the tamale bill) would help people who want to start a new project because the hardest part and biggest fear is applying for permits, Vargas said. Vargas said that his business has allowed him to meet people from all over the world, including people from England and Korea. From all over the United States, and everybody is here, Vargas said. Theyve had their first taco. Vargas said he also often gets customers excited at the sight of his hot dogs when they come out of the bars at night. Some people actually have a good time when youre working, Vargas said. As the tuba and yearning voices of the Mexican corrido Ya Superame by Grupo Firme played from the speakers near Vargas cart, he drizzled salsa and sprinkled some onions and cilantro on freshly cooked carne asada tacos. While he prepared the ingredients for a potential next order, two young women excitedly noticed that he had the famous Sonoran hot dogs for sale, and they were surprised to learn about the number of ingredients that go into hot dogs. They did get all the ingredients for their Sonoran hot dogs, but they were ready to try something new, and Vargas was prepared to carry on with his day serving the people of downtown Phoenix. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: I live in a rural town on a fixed income with my daughter and granddaughter. As I spend my days in retirement, Im proud to focus my work on supporting my granddaughter and helping her unlock opportunity through the power of education. Every day, I help my 12-year-old granddaughter with her homework that she completes on her tablet. Her tablet requires Internet connection, which Im able to provide because of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). The ACP gives over 20 million Americans, just like my family, a discount on their monthly Internet bill. I once heard an expression that a lot of money is whatever you pick up off the ground a $30 discount every month is a lot of money. But this discount on Internet access will change in April when the ACP is set to expire, unless we take action. How can you survive in todays America without the Internet? We need it to get information, to communicate with family like my brother all the way in Alaska, for my daughter to apply for jobs, for my granddaughter to do her schoolwork we need it for everything. To me, the Internet is now a basic need in the United States. Ive been working since I was 14 years old and I feel strongly about teaching my granddaughter the importance of a good work ethic. But todays world is hard when our kids dont have the same access. The ACP helps make sure she can work hard in school and get the same opportunity as her classmates who access the Internet at home with no problem. My bills are increasing faster than I can keep track of these days. Living on a fixed income makes it hard to find any peace when my bills keep increasing and my income doesnt go up. Thats why a program that can save us money is so necessary right now. But my story isnt unique there are so many grandmas like me who are struggling to keep up during retirement. All grandparents want to see their grandkids get opportunities and succeed. Thats what the ACP does, it gives people opportunity. At the end of the day, what really upsets me is the impact that losing the ACP will have on my granddaughter. I dont want her to get behind in school because Congress doesnt understand the importance of this program. The deciders in Congress live in a privileged bubble and shouldnt determine whether or not we deserve basic access to the Internet. They dont understand the impact this has on families across America, on our kids. It just goes right over their heads. I come from a family of Republicans and used to vote red. Today, Im a registered Independent and just want to see Congress work. We need Congress to pay attention, hear us, and act fast. Congress has a bipartisan bill that would keep the ACP going. I want to see Congressman Eli Crane support that bill and help people stay connected to the internet. Representative Crane talks a lot about how bad things are right now, but I want to see him take action to actually help us. The ACP first got support from both Republicans and Democrats, and its an example of how the government should work. It gives me hope that it became a law in the first place. This bipartisanship must continue by keeping the ACP, for the people like me who just want to give their grandkids a better future. The ACP is about opportunity. Access to the Internet levels the playing field for our kids and it keeps us all connected. Theres no end to what can be done, or what can be achieved, when we all have the same opportunity and the ACP provides opportunity. The Kings guidance through the Speech from the Throne on Friday has shaped the governments agenda as we embark on a fresh five-year term with a predominantly new group of politicians. We do so with the expectation that they can accomplish tasks with greater efficiency, effectiveness and speed. We applaud the King for acknowledging the significant concerns voiced by the people at Sibaya and prioritising them in the nations development agenda. The Prime Minister, Russell Dlamini, and his Cabinet team, are now responsible for ensuring that the directives from the Throne align with the roadmap developed at the recent Cabinet retreat to come up with the Master Plan. It is of utmost importance to prioritise the establishment of synergies with the appropriate stakeholders in order to ensure efficient delivery of services in areas such as job creation, poverty reduction, combating corruption, enhancing access to healthcare, achieving food self-sufficiency, promoting quality education and addressing gender-based violence. The timelines for these deliverables in the Kings speech emphasise the pressing need to improve the governments turnaround time. The King highlighted the Nkwe! declaration as a call for prompt and resolute action, aimed at eliminating the long-standing perception of inadequate service delivery that gave rise to the unofficial motto, there is no hurry in Eswatini. retreat During the Cabinet retreat, one of the ideas put forward for rebranding the government image was to foster a culture of excellence within the civil service. This would involve the introduction of a Performance Management Service (PMS) for civil servants. We definitely need a change of mindset for a civil service that has been plagued by a lackadaisical approach towards the public they are meant to serve. Some officials even struggle to empathise with those who are on sick beds, giving rise to bribery for services. It is not surprising in a country where prominent individuals involved in large-scale graft go unpunished. The King, driven by calls of frustration at Sibaya, is demanding tangible results in the form of convictions and imprisonment. The previous Cabinets performance on corruption is an eyesore, given the significant drop of 45 places on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of Transparency International. This indicates that we have now fallen to 130 out of 180 countries, compared to our previous position of 85 when the 11th Parliament took office in 2018. Then we wonder why individuals are so enraged by this epidemic. By safeguarding our resources, we can better fulfil the needs and aspirations of the population in various domains, including healthcare, education and infrastructure development. This, in turn, will contribute to economic growth and the achievement of our job creation and poverty alleviation goals. The country needs ample resources to address crucial initiatives like achieving energy independence, providing electricity to rural areas and ensuring access to clean drinking water for all communities. Protected resources also ensure that our civil servants have access to the essential tools they need to meet their expectations. The lack of these essential components is the reason behind the increasing frustration within government. misleading The recent Sibaya has given the new government the benefit of the doubt, so it must exercise caution to avoid misleading the nation with empty assurances. On a positive note, the country is expected to experience significant economic growth of nearly five per cent in the years 202425. Coupled with this is a reduced deficit and an expected increase in the national budget, primarily driven by higher tax revenue from both local and external sources. These indicators provide a solid foundation for us to build upon as we embark on our mission to kick inequality to the curb and demonstrate that the well-being of all emaSwati is of the utmost significance and will be treated with the respect it deserves. Before he died in 1942, Maj. Gordon W. Lillie was the last surviving leader of the "Boomers" who helped settle Oklahoma, but he was best known as Wild West showman Pawnee Bill. Lillie became captain of the Boomers, a group that sought to colonize Oklahoma's Unassigned Lands, after the death in 1884 of Boomer leader David L. Payne. Various Boomer groups had become a menace to peace along the Kansas border, and the Wichita Chamber of Commerce asked Lillie to organize the bands and lead them into the new territory. He assembled about 4,000 Boomers and made plans to enter Oklahoma, but Congress passed a bill to open the state for settlement and the Boomers entered the state legally on April 22, 1889. Backed by the Arkansas City, Kan., board of trade, he also was the leader of the "Cherokee Strip Boomers" in 1893. But the Wild West shows he produced by himself or in collaboration with Col. W.F. (Buffalo Bill) Cody brought Lillie his greatest fame and fortune. Lillie, who was born in Wellington, Kan., in 1860, worked with a group that was killing buffalo for their hides and trapping other fur-bearing animals, primarily in western Oklahoma. After a year as a trapper marked by a narrow escape from a small band of Comanche Indians and nearly being trampled by a stampeding herd of buffalo, Lillie went to work for the Pawnee Indian Agency at Pawnee in 1882. During his time at the agency, Lillie learned to speak the Pawnee language and became a friend of the Indians. A year or so later he was hired by Cody to accompany a group of Pawnees who traveled with Cody's Wild West show, but Lillie left Cody after a couple of years to organize his own show. After marrying the daughter of a Philadelphia physician, Cody taught his bride, May, how to ride and shoot, and she became noted for her trick shooting from horseback. Pawnee Bill's show grew until in 1908, he and Buffalo Bill merged into "Buffalo Bill's Wild West and Pawnee Bill's Far East" show. The show closed in 1913 in Denver when it went broke and its assets were seized, leaving Pawnee Bill only a trunk and his saddle. The Lillies retired from show business and went back to their ranch near Pawnee where Lillie had a large private herd of buffalo. During a European trip before the two Bills merged their shows, Pawnee Bill played to primarily empty seats in Antwerp, Belgium, and went broke, he told a reporter years later. A stranger lent him enough money to continue his European tour and the show earned enough in Holland to repay the benefactor. He told a reporter that during a Belgium tour, he saw a balloon ride advertised and got in on it. But the balloon broke away and he and the balloonist sat in the wicker basket for three days glaring at each other -- neither able to speak the other's language -- before they were rescued from where it had landed. "And the stunt was a dud," Lillie added. The Lillies celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Aug. 31, 1936, and were injured in an automobile accident two weeks later while returning to Pawnee from Tulsa in a gold Oldsmobile that was given to them by five friends as an anniversary present. Lillie apparently was blinded by lights of an oncoming car and crashed head-on into it at a curve in the highway near Cleveland. Mrs. Lillie died four days later, with her funeral conducted by the same minister who had presided when they repeated their wedding vows at their anniversary celebration. Lillie recovered sufficiently to leave the hospital, but friends said his condition continued deteriorating until his death on Feb. 3, 1942, as friends were preparing to celebrate his 82nd birthday 11 days later. Like this column? Read all the columns in the Only in Oklahoma series from the Tulsa World Archive. Kevin Canfield Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Kevin Canfield Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Mark Smith cant wait to move to Tulsa. Smith, director of strategic planning for the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, was named CEO of Housing Solutions on Monday. He will begin work on April 1. I think for somebody whos only been to Tulsa once, its very obvious that its a great place to live and its a great community, Smith said in an interview with the Tulsa World. I cant emphasize enough how much I enjoyed my brief time there, how much I look forward to moving there. The 34-year-old native of Buffalo, New York, is succeeding Becky Gligo, who announced in November that she was relocating to another state. Gligo will continue to serve as executive director until Smith starts his new job. Housing Solutions is the lead agency for a Way Home for Tulsa, a consortium of more than 50 private and public entities dedicated to working together to make homelessness in Tulsa rare, brief and nonrecurring. Smith said what piqued his interest in the job was the network of partners already in place working to solve the citys homelessness and affordable housing crisis. Its really hard to be successful working with these types of organizations and trying to address homelessness if you dont have strong partnerships and community support, Smith said. So seeing that here in Tulsa really, really made it interesting. Smith has worked in his current job since 2021. The position includes coordinating and leading the daily operations of Houstons The Way Home Continuum of Cares long-term planning efforts. The organization is similar to Tulsas A Way Home for Tulsa. Prior to that, Smith was executive director of operations for SBP Inc.s Houston office. The company assists and advocates for people trying to recover from natural disasters. That work included overseeing the repair of more than 165 homes damaged by Hurricane Harvey and helping raise more than $1.2 million in 2020 for home repair projects. He brings a really unique perspective, said Emily Hall, Housing Solutions Board of Directors chairwoman. He brings experience in both the world of homelessness and advocacy as well as in affordable housing, and were in a time when the need to solve homelessness really revolves around affordable access. He is currently in the middle of the work that is being done in Houston to solve both of those problems. Smith said one thing Houston has focused on that is applicable to Tulsa is its reliance on collaboration among faith-based groups, nonprofits, private philanthropy and other organizations to tackle a large, systemic and complicated problem that requires a variety of solutions. Any city in America should be trying to take that approach and bringing everybody to the table and working to have really strong systems that offer people the help that they need, Smith said. And I already see all of those ingredients in Tulsa. Smith said he doesnt know enough about the city of Tulsas housing and homelessness policies and programs to comment on them directly but noted that local governments are integral to solving the homelessness problem. Its really hard to get this job done and help people get back into housing without the support from local government and having them working at the table, he said. Since the doors opened in March 2020, Housing Solutions has grown from three employees to more than 40 and added several services, including a resource center, an outreach team and criminal justice initiatives. Tulsas affordable housing, housing insecurity and homelessness problem are real, Smith said, but solvable. So thats part of the reason why I am excited for the opportunity to be part of that solution, he said. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Vietnam bid farewell to 2023 on an upbeat note as the country spent the year experiencing positive signals that could help fulfill its ambitious goal of developing the semiconductor industry. Perhaps the most notable of these signals was that semiconductor and chip were the most-discussed keywords relating to the local economy in 2023. Expanding international cooperation With its aim at facilitating international economic integration and engaging more deeply in the global supply chain, Vietnam has made great efforts to attract investment in the semiconductor and chip-making industries, as well as collaborated with countries taking the lead in the fields. The Southeast Asian country elevated its bilateral ties with the U.S. to comprehensive strategic partnership during U.S. President Joe Bidens state visit to Vietnam in September last year, paving the way for more cooperative opportunities between Vietnam and top chip makers in the U.S. According to a report on the information and communications technologies (ICT) industry released by the Ministry of Information and Communications in May last year, Vietnam ranked third globally in terms of the outbound sales of chips to the U.S. market, just after Malaysia and Taiwan. Vietnam was among the top countries including Thailand, India, and Cambodia which hiked up chip exports to the U.S. market. Foreign investors, particularly U.S chipmaker Intel, made tremendous contributions to such export growth. The U.S. Department of State is partnering with the Vietnamese government to explore opportunities to develop and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem under the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund established by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden in August 2022 signed the CHIPS Act, a U.S. federal statute enacted by the 117th U.S. Congress that provides billions of dollars in new funding to boost domestic research and manufacturing of semiconductors in the U.S., according to the U.S. State Department. This partnership with Vietnam will help create a more resilient, secure, and sustainable global semiconductor value chain, the U.S. State Department said in a press release last September. Semiconductor chips are seen on a printed circuit board in this illustration picture taken February 17, 2023. Photo: Reuters Products ranging from vehicles to medical devices increasingly rely on semiconductors, making these tiny devices the building blocks of todays economy. According to the U.S., Vietnam shows promise as a partner in ensuring the semiconductor supply chain is diverse and resilient. By building on Vietnams existing strengths in assembly, testing, and packaging. This collaboration strives to identify new opportunities that attract industry investments and expand the technical workforces in both countries, the U.S. State Department said. Aside from the U.S., the Netherlands another powerhouse in the semiconductor industry expressed interest in collaborating with Vietnam in the field. The management authority of the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Ho Chi Minh City granted an investment registration certificate to BE Semiconductor Industries N.V. (Besi), a Dutch maker of chip equipment, on November 2, 2023. The certificate will allow Besi to build a manufacturing facility for semiconductor equipment components in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in 2025. The Dutch firm expects to install machinery and equipment at the factory in 2024 before putting the facility into operation in 2025. A ceremony held to celebrate the awarding of the investment certificate was organized during a two-day official visit to Vietnam by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who led a delegation of nearly 30 Dutch hi-tech firms that came to Vietnam to mainly explore cooperative opportunities in the semiconductor industry. During the visit, which took place from November 1 to 2 last year, PM Rutte and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh agreed to fully exploit cooperation opportunities in hi-tech, semiconductor equipment production, telecommunications ecosystem development, digital transformation, and human resources development. Aside from Intel, many other multinational corporations, including Samsung, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, SK Hynix, Hayward Quartz Technology, Synopsys and NXP Semiconductors have also channeled their investments into Vietnam's semiconductor industry. U.S. chipmaker Intels plant at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre More challenges await Semiconductor chips are at the heart of the global economy and are widely considered as indispensable to the modern digital world. Although Vietnam has attracted investment from a considerable number of top global tech firms, it is still primarily considered to be a destination for packaging, assembling, and testing chips. As such, the country must seek out measures to elevate its position in the global semiconductor supply chain in the future. Reuters reported in late October last year that Vietnam was holding talks with chips companies with the aim of boosting investment in the country and possibly building its first chipmaking plant. However, these plans may not come to fruition given that Vietnam is in heavy competition with other countries to attract investment in the semiconductor industry. As such, Vietnam may need to make changes to its overall business climate if it hopes to make a bigger entrance into the industry. Stephen Olson, a trade expert at the Hinrich Foundation in Hong Kong, who monitors the developments of the global semiconductor supply chain, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the upgrading of ties with the U.S. will not be a game-changer for Vietnam and was merely a symbolic gesture to signal U.S. commitment to the region without making any concrete commitments. The development of a semiconductor industry depends on corporate decisions rather than government proclamations, Olson said. Inside U.S. chipmaker Intels plant at the Saigon Hi-Tech Park in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Quang Minh / Tuoi Tre In an interview with Tuoi Tre, Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief economist for Asia-Pacific at French investment bank Natixis, said that Vietnam will need time to compete with other countries in both Southeast Asia and Europe. She added that Malaysia and Singapore, for instance, have more human resources than Vietnam, and Poland is also a strong competitor since it has quite a lot of engineers. In mid-2023, U.S. chipmaker Intel, whose largest semiconductor packaging and testing plant worldwide is located in Vietnam, announced a plan to invest up to US$4.6 billion in a new semiconductor assembly and test facility in Poland. Despite multiple challenges waiting ahead, observers remained sanguine about a bright outlook of the semiconductor industry in Vietnam. According to Olson, the fact that Vietnam was able to capture so much of the production that has moved out of China in recent years is a strong vote of confidence in Vietnams human and other resources, as well as its overall attractiveness as a production platform. Experts also underlined the need for Vietnam to prepare proper infrastructure and well-trained human resources in order to join a fierce and prolonged competition to engage in the global semiconductor supply chain. Commenting on Vietnams ambitious goal of building its first chipmaking plant, or fab, Olson elaborated that this road could be long and difficult as established chip makers have a huge head start and the barriers to entry are high. The costs associated with getting this industry up and running are staggering and it will take years before any new facilities are ready to come online. And that assumes that a sufficient skilled workforce can be found in Vietnam. TSMC is already delaying its plans for the U.S. in part due to questions over the availability of skilled workers, Olson said. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd (TSMC) is the world's largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple Inc and Nvidia supplier. Nothing can be done overnight. Improving the educational system and access to education will be critical in order to ensure a skilled workforce. Learning as much as possible from world-class companies already operating in Vietnam is also key. This includes both technological expertise as well as managerial know-how. The government needs to do everything in its power to ensure that rules and regulations are simple and clear, with a minimum of red tape, Olson added. In related news, during PM Chinhs visit to the U.S. in September last year, Synopsys, an American electronic design automation company, and the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC), under Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment, signed a cooperative agreement to develop a workforce capable of integrated circuit design. As per the deal, Synopsys will support NIC in opening a chip design incubation hub at the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Hanoi, helping promote the capacity of integrated circuit design and commercialize products quickly. Synopsys will also join hands with the Authority of Information and Communications Technology Industry, under Vietnams Ministry of Information and Communications, to establish a semiconductor research institute in Vietnam. Further, Cadence Design Systems, an American computational software multinational, Intel, and Arizona State University pledged to help Vietnam strengthen its workforce in technology and ramp up the capacity of chip design. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Check out the latest news in Vietnam today: Society -- Vietnam welcomed the arrival of 2,198 newborns on Saturday, the first day of the Year of the Dragon, according to data compiled from reports of healthcare centers throughout the country. -- Police of Quang Tri Province in central Vietnam have received a thank-you letter from two international visitors, hailing from the UK and Canada, for having helped the duo and inviting them for a year-end meal after they experienced a bike accident with minor injuries on February 9, the last day of the 2023 lunar year. -- Hanoi served 187,000 tourist arrivals between February 8 and 10, which coincided with the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday, up 17.4 percent year on year, with an estimated 39,000 of them being international visitors, according to the municipal tourism authoritys latest report. -- Police in Hoa Binh Province, northern Vietnam on Sunday announced that they detained a 20-year-old motorcyclist the same day for drunk driving, accelerating when pulled over by traffic police officers and crashing into one officer, leaving the latters right leg broken. Business -- Nghe An Province in north-central Vietnam ranked third among the top 10 car-owning localities nationwide in 2023, with 10,304 cars in use, according to statistics released by the Vietnam Register. -- Vietnamese high-speed boat service provider Phu Quoc Express is offering lots of discounts for rides from Rach Gia City and Ha Tien City to Phu Quoc City, a popular island destination off Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam to encourage more tourists to explore the island during the Tet holiday. World News -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized in Washington on Sunday for treatment of "symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue", a Pentagon spokesperson said, Reuters reported. -- Syria has extended permission for the United Nations to deliver aid to opposition-held areas in the northwest of the country via two Turkish border crossings for another three months, said Syria's U.N. envoy, according to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Hoa Binh Province, northern Vietnam on Sunday announced that they detained a 20-year-old motorcyclist the same day for drunk driving, accelerating when pulled over by traffic police officers and crashing into one officer, leaving the latters right leg broken. The motorcyclist, identified as Ngo Van Ngoc Duy, a native of Thanh Hoa Province in north-central Vietnam, was accused of disturbing public order, the police said. At around 11:10 am on Sunday, local traffic patrol officers discovered that Duy was recklessly driving Nguyen Huu Du, a 19-year-old resident of Thanh Hoa, on the motorbike on the 21A National Highway section passing through Hoa Binhs Lac Thuy District. The officers signaled Duy to pull him over, but he accelerated and slammed into an officer named Nguyen Viet Thang. Consequently, both Thang and Du sustained fractures on their right legs, adding that the motorbike was slightly damaged. The result of an alcohol breath test showed that Duys alcohol content reached 91mg/dl, equivalent to the highest level of alcohol concentration violation as stipulated in the Vietnamese governments Decree 100/2019. Police are working to handle the motorcyclist as per prevailing regulations. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Traffic police in northern Vietnams Quang Tri Province offered help and food for two female foreign travelers who met with a traffic accident in the province on Lunar New Years Eve. Susan, with Canadian nationality, and Leanda, a UK national, both aged 30, fell off their motorbike and were slightly injured while they were traveling on National Highway 1 in Quang Tri on Friday night, just hours before the eve of Tet, the provincial traffic police division reported on Sunday. A traffic police team on duty near the site of the accident came to the scene and called an ambulance to bring the two foreigners to a health center for treatment of the injuries. Police officers also brought the foreigners bike to their office in Hai Lang District. After taking care of their injuries, the two foreign women were escorted by the police team to their office, where they took a rest and had a dinner offered by the team. The two travelers later received some advice from the team and continued their journey. They later sent a thank-you letter to the traffic police division under the provincial police department, expressing their deep gratitude to the traffic police officers who timely and thoughtfully assisted them when they had the accident. The two foreign women were also thanked for the care and the dinner received at the police station. Vietnam is a wonderful country with hospitable, enthusiastic and warm-hearted people, they wrote. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! ABC has appointed Toni Skaife as Chief Partnerships and Negotiation Officer in the Content division. Skaife has most recently been General Manager Content Production and Business Affairs and General Manager Melbourne as Network 10 / Paramount+ and was previously Head of production and Business Affairs. At ABC some of her key priorities will be driving international partnerships to support new content initiatives, developing rights strategies and leading commercial content deal negotiation locally and abroad. ABC Chief Content Officer Oliver-Taylor said: Being able to bring Toni to the ABC and utilise her deep Australian and international experience for the benefit of Australian audiences is a real coup. The ABC will always evolve to suit our audience needs and the complexity of the ABCs vast content output across screen, audio and digital needs significant leadership. Joining the ABCs Content Leadership Team, Toni is the perfect person to help our continued transformation to a digital first organisation for the benefit of all Australians. Its an honour to be joining the ABC and to be offered this brilliant opportunity to work with Chris Oliver-Taylor and the Content team in this newly-created role, she said. I have an immense respect for our national broadcaster and the sheer quality and volume of content that is delivered on a daily basis. As an advocate of homegrown talent, stories and content I couldnt be more excited to commence the next chapter of my career in this way with a clear strategic objective to expand content partnerships that aim to serve all Australians and to be a part of the very talented Content team at the ABC. Skaife starts her new role at ABC in May. Docuseries Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV will screen on ID in April. The four-part series uncovers the alleged toxic and dangerous culture behind some of the most iconic childrens shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s under producer Dan Schneider (All That, The Amanda Show, iCarly, Sam & Cat, Victorious). It screens in the USA in mid March and lis ikely to be damaging for Nickelodeon which severed ties with Schneider following an internal investigation. Another creator, Chris Savino (The Loud House), was fired in 2017 following sexual harassment levelled against him. Quiet On Set pulls back the curtain on an empire, built by creator Dan Schneider, that had an undeniable grip on popular culture. Series such as All That and The Amanda Show, among others, were obsessively consumed by children across the world and defined comedy for a generation. But behind the upbeat onscreen presence on these shows with questionable jokes and over-the-top sketches, Quiet On Set reveals an alleged insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism, and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew. Quiet On Set features unprecedented access to key cast members, writers, and crew spanning Schneiders popular series at Nickelodeon. Former All That cast members Giovonnie Samuels, Kyle Sullivan, Bryan Hearne and Katrina Johnson and director Virgil Fabian pull back the curtain on the culture onset of the beloved teen sketch series. Writers Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton expose allegations of a toxic and sexist environment in The Amanda Show writers room. Alexa Nikolas offers insight into being a part of Zoey 101. Quiet On Setwill feature additional cast and crew from iCarly, Sam & Cat, Victorious, and other iconic series such as Marc Summers from the popular game show Double Dare. The series will also offer emotional testimony from parents of cast members who attempted to advocate for their children on these sets. Over the course of its four parts, Quiet On Set will shine a spotlight on these emotional accounts, chronicling an alleged pattern of gross, abusive, and manipulative behaviour that unfolded across decades, as well as exclusive stories about alleged child predators on set. These interviews, woven with archival footage (some of which has never been broadcast), scenes from the shows and social media commentary, will recontextualise many moments within these series that may have seemed silly or off when first aired but now carry a much darker undertone, offering a powerful reframing of these beloved shows. Quiet On Set is directed by Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz and produced by Maxine Productions and Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction in association with Business Insider. Double episode Saturday 20th April at 9.30pm on ID. Rape and Domestic Violence Services Australia. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36 Producers of 10s AACTA Awards were wise to cut one joke from Rebel Wilsons hosting gig, if a report by Nine is any measure. After highlighting the films up for Best Film, Wilson commented on the nod for Talk to Me. Why is Australia so good at making horror? she asked, before adding, Is it because everyone had that aunt whos had half a nose chopped off because of skin cancer? But the gag did not make the final broadcast. Wilson had better luck with some other zingers, joking that the awards ceremony, dubbed Australias Oscars, will be the only one serving boxed wine. Itll also be the only one where people will get munted and chuck a spew in the dunny. I love Queensland Its like if Jetstar was a state. Viewers were complimentary of 10s broadcast of the AACTAs, which in past years has been savaged for its rushed editing. This years was produced by Roving Enterprises and drew a national audience of 197,000 over its 2hr+ broadcast. The UAE and Kuwait have signed an agreement that will eliminate double taxation on income and capital taxes, and that will help prevent tax evasion, a report said. Underscoring the importance of the agreement, Dr Anwar Ali Al-Mudhaf, Kuwaits Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investments, told Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the 8th Arab Fiscal Forum, that the deal is part of the process of economic and financial integration and the free movement of capital between the UAE and Kuwait. It is expected to enhance economic integration and have positive effects on the citizens and investors of the two countries, he added. Dr Al Mudhaf underpinned the importance of the World Governments Summit, which is held annually to explore future opportunities and challenges, and the most prominent challenges facing the world across a number of pressing issues, pointing out that Kuwait's participation in the summit reaffirms the depth of the strategic and fraternal relations UAE-Kuwait ties. The Minister of Finance of Kuwait stated that the participation of more than 25 heads of state and government, 140 government delegations and more than 85 international and regional organisations and global institutions in the summit events is a clear indication of the importance and high status that the UAE has reached in the international community, as well as its strategic importance from an economic and political point of view. (Reuters) -Kyiv urged Warsaw on Monday to "hold to account" Polish farmers for stopping three trucks at a border crossing between Poland and Ukraine and spilling the Ukrainian grain they were carrying. Sunday's incident near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, reported by the Polish news agency PAP, came during a wider protest by Polish farmers against European Union agriculture policies, including allowing cheap grain imports from Ukraine. "The spoiling of Ukrainian grain on the Polish border is unacceptable. Any farmer should know how much hard work it takes to produce grain, especially during wartime," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "For the sake of friendly Ukrainian-Polish relations, the perpetrators of this provocation must be held to account." Ukrainian trade representative Taras Kachka said on Facebook the spoiled grain was en route to Lithuania and urged the Polish government to ensure the safety of Ukrainian goods. Regional prosecutor Agnieszka Kepka told Reuters an investigation had been opened into the "removal of a customs seal and destruction of property". Poland's Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Siekierski described the situation with farmers' protests as "tense", and called for dialogue. "On behalf of Polish farmers, I apologize for such an act of desperation and ask for understanding of their exceptionally difficult situation," he said in a statement. Warsaw has backed Ukraine during Russia's invasion, but relations have been hit by discontent inside Poland against what farmers and hauliers see as a surge in grain and food imports from Ukraine and improper competition. Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak said earlier on Monday that Warsaw plans to start quality checks on all grain shipments from Ukraine. Representatives of Poland's new pro-European government have said they understand the challenges farmers are facing, and that help for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion cannot come at the expense of Polish farmers. (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Additional reporting Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Jan Harvey) How many times has Universal Pictures released their Universal Monster movies over the past few years? More than a few times for sure in various formats and packaging. Less than two years ago, Universal released some of their classic monster films in 4K individually. And before that, they all were released in one big set in 4K. Going further back, the movie studio released these films as a two-part collection, splitting up the films. None of it was in any collectible packaging until now, which looks to be an Amazon-only Exclusive to 5,500 copies worldwide. The only difference with this release looks to be the packaging, which is some of the best artwork and packaging that has ever been released. It might not fit cozy on any shelf, but it can stand next to that Criterion Godzilla set that was released a while back. The same bonus features, 4K transfers from a year ago, and those same audio elements are intact that make up this amazing set that is gorgeous to look at and gives a ton of information and artwork inside its hard-bound booklet it's wrapped in. The question arises, Is this worth another re-buy? If packaging and artwork and collector's sets matter, then that's a hard YES. This release is magical, beautiful, and could be a coffee table companion, worthy of discussions with friends. But for those who already have all of these films digitally and in a previous version of 4K that only care about the films themselves, save that money, honey, because there is nothing new to look at. It just would seem prudent that Universal would at least add one new bonus feature or a commentary track with a release like this to entice more buyers. Maybe next time. However, it's so great to have all these films in 4K in one place with amazing, showstopper artwork. And with Amazon's current price of $129, that brings each 4K film to around $16. That's a heck of a deal. The following films are included in this set: Dracula (1931), Dracula in Spanish (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), The Wolf-Man (1941), The Phantom of the Opera (1943), The Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954). The films themselves were the pioneers of the entire horror genre that eventually gave birth to slashers and other types of horror. Not only did these films cause panic and scare in a different setting and times to audiences, but they also showcased that some of these monsters had real human feelings and afflictions whether it be fitting into society, romantic entanglements, or social struggles. For films being almost a century old, it's exquisitely clear where modern filmmakers have utilized and used these movie's inspirations to create their own stories. How many versions of Dracula, Frankenstein, or The Mummy have been released? Not to mention werewolf films are a dime a dozen too. The Universal Classic Monsters have their own category and serve as the Mount Rushmore of horror characters. They are not in it for blood and guts only, but these fleshed-out characters have an emotional reason for existing and carrying out their mishandled deeds upon humans. But it all started with these wonderful films that are not only entertaining but also serve as a brilliant educational experience of where horror was born out of creative thinking. It's a fantastic sight to see once again and share with new generations who love the pure existence of cinema. Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Universal has finally outdone itself by bringing these Universal Classic Monsters back again. This time in the form of a truly remarkable Collector's Booklet of movies. There are eight 4K Discs included and Digital Codes for every film. The movies are all housed inside a gorgeous, dynamite hardcover book that features new artwork that should be hung on walls. There are bits of information about every film on each page, along with new colorful artwork from the films, and posters from all countries located on the last two pages. The discs themselves are carefully placed on the last two pages as well where finally, they don't feel like they will fall out at any given moment. If anyone remembers the Godzilla Criterion booklet, this is very similar. This Limited Edition is strictly sold through Amazon and only has 5,500 copies available. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Education & Career Petition in HC against mandatory Surya Namaskar in Rajasthan schools The Jamiat in its resolution also called upon the Muslim community to refrain from sending their children to schools on Surya Saptami, February 15, 2024, and to boycott the mandated event. Read More Tuesday February 13, 2024 0:00 AM , ummid.com News Network New Delhi/Rajasthan: Various Muslim organizations, including Jamiat Ulama Rajasthan, have filed a joint petition in the Rajasthan High Court, seeking the annulment of the February 15 program on the occasion of Surya Saptami and the decision to make Surya Namaskar compulsory in schools. Advocate Zahoor Naqvi, representing Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, was present in the High Court. Although the hearing was initially scheduled for Monday February 12, 2024, the court rescheduled it for February 14. The petition was filed following the Rajasthan government mandating the inclusion of Surya Namaskar in schools, particularly on the occasion of Surya Saptami on February 15, 2024. Earlier, the State working Committee of Jamiat Ulama Rajasthan moved a resolution condemning the government's order for collective Surya Namaskar on February 15. The meeting, held at the Muslim Musafir Khana in Jaipur, was presided over by Maulana Qari Muhammad Amin Pokaran, the president of Jamiat Ulama Rajasthan. 'Boycott Call' The resolution, moved by Maulana Abdul Wahid Khatri, General Secretary of Jamiat Ulama Rajasthan, deemed it as unwarranted interference in religious matters and a violation of the freedom of religion enshrined in the Constitution. The resolution also called upon the Muslim community to refrain from sending their children to schools on Surya Saptami, February 15, 2024, and to boycott the mandated event. Leaders from Jamiat Ulama across the state attended the meeting held in the state capital Jaipur. The resolution clarified that while 'Surya is revered as a deity in Hindu society, Muslims consider worshiping anyone other than Allah as forbidden'. "Therefore, the Muslim Ummah vehemently rejects the imposition of such practices", the Jamiat said in its resolution. Jamiat Ulama emphasized that in a democratic nation, enforcing the beliefs of a particular religion on people of other faiths, especially children, under the pretext of yoga and physical practice, goes against the constitutional principles. It is also considered a blatant violation of religious freedom and child rights. Jamiat Ulama appeals to the state government to engage the Muslim community in discussions on yoga and practice-related issues to avoid unnecessary controversies. The organization urged the government to withdraw the controversial order promptly to preserve the democratic fabric of the country. Meanwhile, Maulana Niaz Ahmad Farooqui, the legal affairs incharge of Jamiat Ulama in New Delhi, expressed hope for justice from the High Court, emphasizing the significance of protecting the faith and beliefs of the Muslim community. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home International Indian Navy officials on death row in Qatar pardoned, released from jail While seven of the Indian Navy veterans have returned to India last night, the eighths departure back home is delayed due to some paper work. Read More Monday February 12, 2024 3:37 PM , ummid.com News Network Doha: In a huge breather for the Veterans back home, Qatar has pardoned the eight former Indian Navy personnel - who were arrested in an alleged spying case and sentenced to death, and released them from jail. While seven of the Indian Navy veterans have returned to India last night, the eighths departure back home is delayed due to some paper work. India thanked Qatar Emir commenting on the release of the former Navy officials. "Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals," the Indian External Affairs Ministry said while hailing the welcoming the Navy Veterans release. Qatar had handed over death penalty to them in October last year after their conviction in the spying case. The capital punishment was however commuted in December last following the diplomatic efforts by India. Case Details The Indian Navy veterans, all employees of Doha-based Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, were taken into custody in August 2022. They are Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar. The charges against them were not made public by Qatari authorities. But sources said the Indians had been working in their private capacity with Dahra Global to oversee the induction of Italian small stealth submarines U2I2. A few months into their detainment, citing unnamed Qatari officials it was reported that the Navy veterans were spying on the countrys secret submarine program for Israel. All former Navy officials have returned home except Commander Purnendu Tiwari. He is also expected to fly home soon. The former Navy officials were kept in dark since last minute of their release from the jail. The family members too were informed only after they boarded the plane to India, they told the media. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. "She pushed me to keep going through the application process," Ferreyra Salgado said. "Sometimes you need that person who helps you see opportunities you can have." Bock, a senior from Cumming, Georgia, pursuing a degree in elementary and special education, said she has always had an interest in teaching abroad. After a four-week summer study abroad in Germany earlier in her time at UNG, she aims to gain even more independence if she earns the Fulbright to teach English in Germany. "I'm hoping to explore the German education system more and compare it to the American education system," Bock said. Madison Brown, a fall 2023 graduate from Peachtree City, Georgia, with a degree in English with a writing and publication concentration, is hoping to teach English in South Korea. A previous study abroad in the country in fall 2022 inspired Brown to apply for a Fulbright in South Korea. Brown, who earned a minor in Korean, said becoming a semifinalist has only deepened her desire to spend the 2024-25 academic year in South Korea. "I couldn't have done this without UNG," Brown said of reaching this stage. "It is such a good support system UNG has created for its students who are pursuing nationally competitive scholarships." Cadet Hyunbean Park, a senior from Suwanee, Georgia, pursuing a degree in international affairs with a European concentration, credited Lin, Dr. Victoria Hightower and Col. Bryan Kirk for supporting him in his application process to teach English in Kazakhstan. Hightower is the assistant director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office and a professor of history. Kirk is UNG's professor of military science. "I'm the product of the people around me," Park said. "They're always there to help you. Students should take advantage of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, and the UNG Corps of Cadets and professor of military science are super supportive of the cadets who are willing to study abroad and pursue scholarships such as Fulbright." Students interested in learning more about nationally competitive scholarships should contact ncs@ung.edu for more information. Four children buried alive at Chopra in North Dinajpur Chopra, Feb 12 (UNI) Four children were buried alive on Monday after a pile of soil caved in during excavation for widening a drain at a site near-Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district, official sources said. The mishap happened at Chetnagaj here where a narrow drain within a BSF camp area was being widened, police said. Local people and the BSF jawans extricated the children from the debris and took the wounded to a nearby health facility at Dolua where the doctors pronounced them dead. London, Feb 12 (UNI) The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), part of the country's navy, said on Monday it had received information about an attack against a vessel 40 nautical miles south of the Yemeni port of Mocha, adding that the crew was safe. UKMTO has received a report of an incident, 40 m south of Al Mukha, Yemen. The master reports that his vessel was attacked by two missiles. The crew is reported to be safe, and the vessel is proceeding to the next port of call, the agency said in a statement. Bahrain has been ranked first globally in Islamic Finance Regulations in this years edition of the ICD-LSEG Islamic Finance Development Report. Assessing the global industry's performance during 2022, the report demonstrated the transformation of the Islamic finance industry across the past decade, which began as a niche market and gained a competitive edge, spreading across several countries and regions. With noticeable growth across the Middle East, the report additionally determined a surge in the practice of sustainable finance at Islamic banks, which has led to the development of new frameworks covering ESG and sustainable investments. IFDI indicator Based on the Islamic Finance Development Indicator (IFDI), the report was jointly launched by the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD), the private sector development arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) Group, and the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the worlds leading provider of financial markets data and infrastructure. The findings of the report were driven by the analysis of statistics from 136 countries around the world, compared across five indicators, namely financial performance, governance, knowledge, sustainability, and awareness. The report outlined fintech, digital banking, and artificial intelligence (AI) as some of the key emerging trends, which resulted in pivotal impacts on the development of Islamic banking in the decade leading up to 2022. Online events In addition to being recognised as a country where new digital banks were opening amongst leading countries across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; Bahrain earned high rankings across key criteria. Bahrain was recognised for an upsurge in hosting online events led by the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI), General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions (CIBAFI) and the International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM), all of which are headquartered in Bahrain. Khawla Ahmed Hasan Ibrahim, Director of Islamic Financial Institution Supervision at the Central Bank of Bahrain, said: "The CBB is committed to fostering a robust, transparent, and dynamic Islamic financial sector by putting in place a regulatory framework aligned with international best practices while supporting innovation and growth in Islamic finance. It will continue to provide a supportive ecosystem for investors and institutions alike to thrive within the Kingdom's financial services sector, particularly in areas like fintech, crypto assets, governance and sukuk. Dalal Buhejji, Executive Director of Business Development for Financial Services at Bahrain Economic Development Board, said: This achievement is a testament to the calibre of the financial ecosystem in Bahrain, particularly when it comes to Islamic banking. Bolstered by its solid foothold in financial services, the largest contributor to nominal GDP, Bahrain is uniquely positioned to cater to the needs of Islamic Finance institutions as well as fintechs and startups institutions offering sharia compliant products and services. Advances financial services Since its inception, Bahrains advanced financial services sector has continued to innovate by nurturing an environment conducive to the development of Islamic finance, on both a human talent and industry level. On the Islamic Finance Development Report, Bahrain achieved an overall ranking of 4th globally and 2nd in the Middle East & North Africa (Mena) in the report. Bahrain was additionally ranked 1st in the Gulf for Islamic Banking and 3rd globally for Islamic Finance Governance, indicating its excellence in regulation, corporate governance, and Shariah governance.--TradeArabia News Service HA NOI Canada boasted great potential for becoming the gateway for Vietnamese businesses to expand their scale of operations as local firms seek to reach out to other markets around the world, thanks to its strength in technology, finance, customer network and logistics in the Americas, a senior trade official said. At the same time, with the advantage of a network of free trade agreements, market advantages, high-quality labour, and trans-Asian transportation infrastructure, Viet Nam could bridge Canadian businesses with ASEAN markets, Tran Thu Quynh, commercial counsellor at the Viet Nam Trade Office in Canada, said. Currently, Viet Nam is Canada's largest trading partner in ASEAN and this country's seventh largest import partner after the US, mainland China, South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands and Hong Kong. Quynh told congthuong.vn that Canada considered Viet Nam an important trade partner in its strategy of diversifying trade and supply sources and enhancing the sustainability of the supply chain. The two countries were complementary, not competitive in terms of products. Canada had strengths in high-tech machinery, energy technology, telecommunications technology, biomedicine and input products for Viet Nam's industries such as minerals, plastics, wood, oil and gas, grains and fertiliser. In return, Viet Nam could provide home appliances, furniture and garments to the Canadian market, thanks to preferential tariffs under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Statistics compiled by the Viet Nam Customs and the Viet Nam Trade Office in Canada indicated that Vietnamese exports to Canada dropped by 11.3 per cent to over US$5.6 billion compared to the same period last year. This decline in exports to the North American nation could be seen as part of the general downward trend occurring during its economic recession. It had also moved to reduce imports from most major exporting countries in ASEAN, such as Indonesia, down 7.7 per cent; Malaysia, down 18.8 per cent; and Thailand, down 10.9 per cent. Two leading product groups that accounted for the largest proportion of Vietnamese export turnover to Canada included electronics and mobile phones, up 9.8 per cent, and boiler reactors, up 57.3 per cent. Meanwhile, Canada exported goods worth $620 million to the Vietnamese market last year, down 12.7 per cent on-year. Despite differences recorded in data between the two countries agencies, the country ran a large trade surplus of $8.5 billion with Canada in 2023. According to the office, Vietnamese items that would see good export growth included footwear, leather products and hats. Meanwhile, the export growth of input materials for production such as rubber, iron and steel, plastic materials and chemicals would depend on the recovery speed of orders and growth in Canadian industrial production. Exports of these staples experienced a sharp decline in 2023. Quynh said this year her office would continue to implement activities to promote the supply chain and logistics connections between Viet Nam and Canada, helping businesses from both sides better understand the CPTPP and how to take advantage of this agreement in their business investment strategies. At the same time, the office would focus on facilitating exports of Vietnamese firms, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, and organising delegations of Canadian firms to come to Viet Nam to seek business opportunities, including a delegation of over 100 businesses to Viet Nam in March and another in the textile and garment sector to attend the upcoming Viet Nam Sourcing Fair in June. In addition, it would also concentrate on supporting Vietnamese micro and small food producers to participate in trade fairs in Canada while promoting their cooperation with overseas Vietnamese businesses. VNS MEKONG DELTA The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has recommended localities in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta to closely monitor saltwater intrusion information and forecast bulletins, which are predicted to peak in February 2024. According to the agency, the water flow from the Mekong River basin to the Mekong Delta during the dry season of 2024 is continuing to decrease, so salinisation is estimated to intensify in the fields. The deepest intrusion is expected to occur from February 10-14. Localities in the Mekong Delta, known as Viet Nam's rice bowl, need to store fresh water to avoid localised drought. It is forecast that the total rainfall in the Mekong River basin will be lower than the average for many years by between 10 and 20 per cent in February, according to the representative of the Viet Nam Mekong River Commission under MoNRE. At the beginning of February, water reservoirs on the Lancang River of China are at about 56 per cent of the total usable capacity, with the Nuozhadu reservoir at about 40 per cent of its water capacity. Reservoirs in the lower Mekong River basin are also at about 61 per cent of their capacity. The highest water level at the Tan Chau station in An Giang Province in February is predicted to fluctuate with the tide, ranging from 1.1m to 1.7m. The average daily water flow to the Mekong Delta through the Tan Chau and Chau oc stations in February is forecast to continue decreasing from 6,000cu.m to about 3,800cu.m per second. This is lower than the average for many years and the same period in 2023, the commission reported. Water with a salinity of one per cent would intrude 9-13km deeper than the average for many years in the Hau, Tien and Vam Co Tay rivers and deeper than the saline intrusion in the same period in February 2023 from 5-6km. Saltwater intrusion with a salinity rate of four grammes per litre is expected to enter 8-11km deeper than the average in many years and 4-7km deeper than the same period in 2023. The forecast predicts the deepest saltwater intrusion including both one and four per cent in February 2024. According to the Viet Nam Mekong River Commission, due to the increasingly scarce water source in the Mekong Delta during the dry season, localities in the region need to plan for rotational water withdrawal from rivers to avoid localiaed shortages, preventing the possibility of deeper salinity. As warned by the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the provinces frequently affected by saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta during the dry season include Long An, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Kien Giang and Hau Giang. Deputy director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Hoang Phuc Lam, said that saline intrusion during the dry season of 2023-2024 in the Mekong Delta is expected to be higher than the average of many years. However, it is likely not to be as severe as in 2015-2016 or 2019-2020. The peak of salinisation at the Mekong River estuary is expected to concentrate in February and March, specifically around February 8-13, February 22-27, and March 18-25. For the Vam Co and Cai Lon rivers, the highest saline intrusion is projected to occur in March and April, with peak periods around March 8-13, March 22-27, April 7-12, and April 21-26. Lam said that the agency will collaborate with regional meteorological stations in the southern region to issue saline intrusion forecasts in the Mekong Delta. Based on the local saltwater intrusion situation, provincial meteorological stations will release forecast bulletins on saltwater intrusion on the 10th, 20th, and end of each month. Additionally, to support local disaster prevention efforts, some provincial hydrometeorological stations issued an additional bulletin in the middle of the week. VNS HA NOI A special display featuring the national education history during the royal period is opening at the Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) in the centre of Ha Noi. The permanent exhibition themed Khoi Nguon ao Hoc (Initial Sources of Education) highlights the outstanding contributions of prestigious people in the "historical flow" of Vietnamese education. It includes more than 300 documents and artefacts with contents showcased in four parts to feature and recreate life of honourable people including kings and scholars, such as kings Ly Thanh Tong (1023-1072), Ly Nhan Tong (1066 - 1128) and Le Thanh Tong (1442 - 1497), Scholar Chu Van An (1292-1370) and other influential people such as Queen Mother Y Lan, and academics Le Van Thinh, Than Nhan Trung and Luong The Vinh. Speaking at the opening ceremony held early this month by the event organiser Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam Cultural and Scientific Centre (VCSC), o inh Hong, Director of Ha Noi Department of Culture and Sports, said: "Through the displayed documents and artefacts, a heritage space will be created serving well the needs of visitors to learn about the contributions of academic luminaries to education and fostering talents, and their lessons are still valuable in today's social life." Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the VCSC said the exhibition was carried out by officials and staff of the centre with the help of Vietnamese scientists and experts from France. "We tell the stories of three kings, a queen, a scholar teacher and doctorates. They all have virtue and high intellect, sharing the same vision of school and education factors that enable us to move towards a more peaceful, prosperous and equitable society," Kieu said. The exhibition also helps the public better understand the history and development of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam, the first national university, as well as the ancient Vietnamese education and examination system during the royal period. Amelie, a representative for Beau Design, the foreign unit which carried out the Khoi Nguon ao Hoc project, said that the display content aims to honour five famous people who strived to turn education into a core foundation of the ai Viet nation. The content is associated with the history of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam. It is also a continuation of the exhibition space themed "Quoc Tu Giam - The First National University" to further spread the values of the relic site, and honours its status as the first national school in the royal period, according to Amelie. Amelie also said the display gathered maximum historical data and arranged the spaces to convey the values of intellect and memory. With a contemporary, formal and sustainable style of expression, the design focuses on the theme of education through artefacts and associated values that attract visitors, especially young people, through interactive forms of expression, she added. The colours used for the display are reminiscent of past dynasties while artefacts such as the students' desks or desks in the kings' study rooms are arranged to spread the image of famous people's efforts and spirit of learning during the royal era. The exhibition content also aims to present famous people not as monarchs but as exemplary role models, according to Amelie. VNS The Middle East and North Africas (Mena) e-commerce sector is expected to reach $57 billion in 2026, growing at an annual compound growth rate of 11%, says Flextock, a leading e-commerce enabler in the Middle East. Since cross-border trade was introduced to the region, Mena has experienced significant growth. Flextock is set to elevate the sector further with its offering of a cross-border trading services portal, contributing to a projection of the regional e-commerce industrys gross merchandise value (GMV) reaching $140 billion by 2027. While the company operates across several sectors, fashion and cosmetic merchants will be notable beneficiaries. A particular focus for Flextock has been Saudi Arabia in recent years. The tech-centric company has ventured into cross-border trading services to fully unlock the regions e-commerce potential. With the Mena regions overall economy projected to rise by 2.9% in 2024 and 4.2% in 2025, from an estimated 2% in 2023 , Flextock's decision to launch a cross-border trading services portal reinforces its commitment towards empowering businesses to reach international markets. Cross-border trading services portal The cross-border trading services portal offered by Flextock includes all the actions required to make it easier for businesses to expand to and from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE. Key features include international shipping, customs clearance, tariff and trade compliance, and international payment solutions, among others, to provide a seamless trading experience for merchants. The companys expertise encompasses domestic operations, from fulfilment capabilities to product delivery to end users with local customer support to guarantee a hassle-free experience and facilitate smooth and successful financial transactions for suppliers. All of these aspects are meticulously crafted to suit the specific requirements of a business cross-border trade through a customised plan that is aligned with the goals and objectives of customers seeking to expand their operations. To date, Flextock has helped merchants scale operations in the region within only three months of launching its new cross-border trading services portal, demonstrating the efficacy of its operations. These retailers, who operate in a variety of industries including fashion, cosmetics, and home accessories have seen a notable boost in their customer base and financial gains. It has also increased the visibility of their business and opened up new revenue streams. To transcend geographic boundaries, Flextock gives retailers access to new markets with a wider range of demographic options as they aim to onboard +1500 merchants in the coming years. The subsequent result will translate to over $1.4 billion in annual cross-border sales by 2026, reinforcing the companys contribution to the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce and logistics in the Mena region. Exposure in key markets Mohamed Mossaad, CEO of Flextock, commented: We believe that true success in e-commerce is not just about navigating the logistics space but also understanding the pivotal role of exposure in key markets. Recognising the immense potential of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and what Egypt has to offer, we are dedicated to supporting merchants on their journey for expansion. Our distinguishing feature lies in the depth of our support system, where we go above and beyond by taking care of detailed legalisation and registration procedures. This ensures our partners have a seamless, quick and efficient entry into the dynamic Saudi market - and as always, we will continue leveraging technology to ensure our merchants are afforded the best possible solutions for their success. Flextocks competitive advantage lies in its ability to manage the entire process from end to end. Merchants can efficiently track inventory, orders, and other essential metrics through the companys user-friendly portal.--TradeArabia News Service LORIENT, France More than 1,000 French citizens participated in exploring traditional Vietnamese games, calligraphy and cuisine on the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The event, titled "Tet Thang Long" was organised at the National Conference Centre in Lorient (Morbihan region, France) on February 11 (the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year). This was the first time that the people of Lorient and the Morbihan region participated in a large-scale event steeped in Vietnamese culture. The event was organised by the Vietnam Bretagne Sud Association, in collaboration with the Lorient City Council and the Art Space Association. The artistic programme was curated by artist and musician Hoang Thu Trang, a Vietnamese expatriate in France. Local authorities attended the event, including Fabrice Loher, mayor of Lorient; Laurent Duval, mayor of Languidic; Patrice Valton, mayor of Larmor-Plage; and Pascale Douniou, deputy mayor of Quimperle. This is the first time an event related to Vietnamese culture has been organised on a large scale in Lorient, with over a half day of activities to help people better understand the colourful and culturally rich history of Viet Nam. From calligraphy art booths and traditional games to special Tet dishes promoting Vietnamese cuisine and a lion and dragon dance troupe consisting of eight lions, everything was meticulously prepared and enthusiastically presented to the French public attending the event. A special highlight of the event was the artistic programme with 15 outstanding performances to promote Vietnamese music and art to the French audience. The programme brought together nearly 100 volunteers and amateur artists from various cities in France such as Paris, Nantes, Rennes, Laval, Toulouse and Lorient to participate. The selected performances were elaborately staged, colourful, and clearly demonstrated the fusion of traditional and modern art, from the Hon Sen Viet and Beo dat may troi dances to songs imbued with the atmosphere of spring such as Spring Melody, Tet has arrived, and Happy as Tet. Especially, the collection of ao dai by Belgian-Vietnamese designer Ella Phan was also presented by French and Vietnamese girls on stage. The Tet Thang Long art programme brought many unique and unforgettable experiences to the French people in Lorient and the Morbihan region. One of the most popular highlights was the choir consisting of 50 French and Vietnamese members in France of all ages, from students to retirees, who have a deep love and affection for Viet Nam. After two months of intensive training leading up to the performance, the French-Vietnamese choir mastered the song "Trong com" in Vietnamese, which was presented to an audience of nearly 1000 at the event. Kevin Nguyen, one of the young French-Vietnamese saxophonists, also performed with the choir with a saxophone solo in the song "Trong com", which surprised and delighted the audience. In addition, the choir also performed the French song "Le monde nous appartiendra," with a section of the lyrics being translated into Vietnamese by musician Hoang Thu Trang, bringing surprise and excitement to everyone. Dalilah Flecher, a French resident living in Lorient and a member of the choir, said: "I haven't missed a single rehearsal in the past two months, I even listened to and practised singing the song Trong Com many times at home to pronounce it more accurately. I love Vietnamese culture very much, and I have many Vietnamese friends. For me, singing in Vietnamese at a major event like Tet Thang Long is a wonderful experience. You know, I even wore a Vietnamese ao dai that I cut and sewed myself on stage." Another impressive performance was by the traditional music band Mam Tre from Rennes, with nearly 20 members including both Vietnamese and French, many of whom are second-generation Vietnamese-French born and raised in France. The traditional music band also included French members playing bamboo flute or ethnic drums. Mai Palier, member of the organising committee and vice president of the Vietnam Bretagne Sud Association, said: "Tet Thang Long is an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese in France to look back at their roots and share their longing for their homeland, and affirm the solidarity of the nation." "It is also an opportunity for us to proudly introduce the unique features of Vietnamese culture to the French public, as well as to connect and exchange between Vietnamese generations and international friends," she said. "Many French audience members have expressed their desire to visit Viet Nam and explore its cuisine, music and traditional customs after participating in our Tet Thang Long programme." VNS UNESCO Representative to Viet Nam Jonathan Wallace Baker has highlighted Viet Nams remarkable achievements at the organisation last year as evidence of its active participation, enormous potentials, and valuable experiences. The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations Office in Ha Noi said in a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of Tet or Vietnamese Traditional Lunar New Year that the year 2023 marked a series of highlights that Viet Nam had achieved at the UN cultural agency, with the nation for the first time serving in five institutional structures of the organisation. Viet Nam currently serves as members of UNESCO Executive Board for the 2021-2025 tenure, World Heritage Committee 2023 2027 and UNESCO 2003 Intangible Cultural Heritage Conventions Intergovernmental Committee 2022 2026. The Southeast Asian country also acts as Vice Chair of UNESCO Committee for Protection of Cultural Expression Diversity for the 2021-2025 tenure and is one among 31 Vice Presidents of the UNESCO General Conference from 2023. The year also saw Viet Nam expanding its UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), with the recognition of Hoi An an ancient city in the central province of Quang Nam in craft and folk arts, and a Lat the largest city of the Central Highlands region in music. Meanwhile, the progenitor of Vietnamese traditional medicine Hai Thuong Lan Ong Le Huu Trac (1724 - 1791) was included in the list of eminent personalities and historical events commemorated in 2023 2024 passed by the UNESCO General Conference at its 42nd session in Paris last November. According to the UNESCO representative, these achievements are certainly the evidence that Viet Nam has convinced other member states of its active participation to all mechanisms of UNESCO, as well as preparation of quality dossiers that could demonstrate the enormous potentials and the valuable experiences that the nation could bring and contribute to the common knowledge and values upheld by UNESCO and all its member states. Most recently, the fact that Viet Nam has been elected in the World Heritage Committee while it has already been serving in many other convention mechanisms indicated that it gained a high level of trust as well as the international expectations for its potential contributions, he said. He went on noting that: As suggested by UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay during her official visit to Viet Nam and meeting with H.E Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, we hope that Viet Nam could consider to host the international committee meetings which would be much meaningful during its serving terms for the demonstrations of the practical results of the UNESCO Conventions in the national context. I believe those opportunities would be highly appreciated by all other Member States and international delegates. Viet Nam has been a pioneer Member State in initiating the forums on the UNESCO designations and sustainable development, Baker said, referring to the countrys efforts in preserving and harnessing UNESCO designations for economic development. He held that each designation under different framework and mechanisms shall follow the respective operational guidelines. Some required highly monitored preservation work such as the World Heritage sites, of which the listed attributes of Outstanding Universal Values must not be undermined or diluted for any reasons; while other designations are completely open to the idea of promoting and enabling the innovation and culture creativity such as the UNESCO Creative Cities or UNESCO Learning Cities. There is no such one size fits all approach for all types of UNESCO designations and I find that the Vietnamese Government, together with various local partners have placed a great importance in the ultimate goal of ensuring sustainability in all programmes and actions, he added. According to him, that long-term vision would be fundamental for guiding immediate plans which seek to foster the creativity, mobilise the dynamics of cultural and social capitals and the young talents and creative businesses without scarifying the valuable heritage and other natural assets for the shortsighted decisions. Talking about Viet Nams potentials and advantages regarding cultural industry development, he said cultural and creative industries are not merely conduits of economic growth, but are pivotal to a holistic model of sustainable development. These industries resonate across the foundational facets of economic, environmental, cultural, and social sustainability. Viet Nam demonstrates notable potentials to be further explored. The countrys historical and cultural landscape is interwoven with the dynamic threads of cultural and creative industries. These industries not only serve as vehicles for economic prosperity but also as guardians of tradition, fostering social cohesion, and driving sustainable practices, he noted. According to Baker, Ha Noi is one of the countrys pioneers in development of cultural industry policies, thanks to its rich tapestry of cultural resources including thousands of heritage sites, traditional craft villages, and an emerging community of designers and innovators and creative spaces across the city. Viet Nam, a UNESCO-designated site, harmoniously balances cultural preservation with economic prosperity. The creative economy thrives through traditional crafts and culinary treasures, engaging both local communities and tourists. The town's architectural treasures, combined with cultural experiences like traditional craftsmanship and culinary delights, magnetize tourists and generate revenue. This synergy vividly portrays the potential of cultural industries to not only invigorate local economies but also safeguard heritage. Pivoting from existing paradigms of cultural and creative industries for sustainable development, Viet Nam needs to further capitalise on the potential of culture through cohesive strategies and policies. The following measures suggested by the UN System Task Team on the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda can serve as a helpful point of reference for public and private stakeholders, Baker said. He gave some suggestions for Viet Nam to develop its cultural industries and enhance the contribution of these industries to the nations economy. First, policy makers should continue integrating culture into governance such as formulation and practice of development programmes and legislations. Second, a stronger push for culture and creative industries to grow as powerful economic sub-sectors that generate employment, local development and entrepreneurship while taking into account the protection of fragile cultural and heritage assets is necessary. Third, environment sustainability should become a new focus as sustainable environmental understanding get integrated more consistently into cultural and creative practices. Last but not least, the local community needs to remain at the centre in culture industries for development paradigms through intercultural dialogue and knowledge transfer for social cohesion and empowerment, especially among youth and vulnerable groups. At the same time, the specific context of Viet Nam and each region working on cultural industries in sustainability should enrich the frameworks above to ensure that policies and incentives are locally aware and based to maximise synergies and progress, he concluded. VNA/VNS HA NOI Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu has highlighted the need to build a common vision towards stability, sustainability and connectivity across seas and oceans, including the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea), while addressing the recent seventh Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) in Perth, Australia. To realise the vision, Vu proposed maintaining the rules-based order at sea, and ensuring respect for and compliance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); promoting the role of diplomacy in solving disputes and disagreements at sea by peaceful means based on international law, minimising risks of miscalculation and preventing conflicts; and enhancing effective and practical maritime cooperation, including in maritime security, maintaining freedom of navigation and aviation, protecting the environment and marine ecosystem, and promoting the blue economy. He emphasised ASEAN's strong commitment to respecting international law, addressing disputes by peaceful means, not using or threatening to use force, and fully respecting legal and diplomatic processes, implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and building a substantive and effective Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with the UNCLOS. Co-chaired by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on February 9-10, the conference attracted the participation of leaders, senior officials, researchers and scholars from over 30 countries and international organisations inside and outside the region. Delegates shared different perspectives on the regional and world context, in which they stressed the trend of increasing connectivity and interdependence between regions, seas and oceans including the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the East Sea; common traditional and non-traditional challenges such as climate change, transnational criminal activities, and territorial disputes that are threatening seas and oceans; and huge implications and consequences for economic development, the ecological environment, the operation of supply chains and conflict risks if countries fail to work together to deal with these challenges. Within the framework of the event, the Vietnamese official had meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Madagascar, the UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific, Deputy Foreign Ministers of Australia, Maldives and Japan, and the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council and representatives of some ASEAN countries. At a meeting with Roger Cook, the premier of Western Australia state, Deputy Minister Vu asked the premier to continue facilitating the integration of Vietnamese working and studying in the state, and proposed speedier visa granting procedures for Vietnamese businesspeople, skilled workers and students. The two sides expressed satisfaction at the positive developments in relations between Vietnamese localities and Western Australia, particularly the opening of a direct air route between Ho Chi Minh City and Perth in January 2024 and an Invest and Trade Representative Office of Western Australia in HCM City in March 2023. VNS HA NOI The year 2023 marked a bright spot in the Vietnam-Saudi Arabia relations with regular exchanges of delegations at all levels, and fruitful meetings between leaders of the two countries, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Viet Nam Mohammed Ismaeil A. Dahlwy said. In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2024, he laid stress on the visit by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his entourage to Saudi Arabia last October, affirming that it has helped elevate the bilateral ties, and positively contributed to connecting the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). During the visit, the first working trip of a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia and the second of a Vietnamese high-level leader in 13 years, the two sides organised the Viet Nam Saudi Arabia business forum, and signed five cooperative documents in the areas of judiciary, foreign affairs, crime prevention, tourism and trade promotion, helping complete legal frameworks and create favourable conditions for future bilateral cooperation, the ambassador noted. According to him, Saudi Arabia attaches importance to developing collaborative ties with Viet Nam in various fields, which is reflected through the working trip to Vietnam by Minister of Tourism Ahmed Mibin Aqeel-Khateeb, and successful organisation of the Viet Nam Saudi Arabia business forum and the fifth meeting of the Viet Nam Saudi Arabia Intergovernmental Committee. He added that both sides worked closely and supported each other at the regional and international forums, while negotiating various agreements to shape up a foundation to consolidate the bilateral relations. In particular, economic cooperation was a highlight in the ties in 2023, with Saudi Arabia being Viet Nam's leading economic partner in the Middle East and two-way trade reaching US$2.68 billion, the diplomat said. Building on the achievements that the two nations have carved out over years, the Saudi Arabian Embassy will continue to consolidate the existing cooperation mechanisms, promote the exchange of delegations at all levels, and serve as a bridge to connect the two peoples. This year, the embassy will organise a series of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (October 21, 1999-2024) with culture and art exchanges, exhibitions, and trade promotion events on schedule. Expressing his hope that the year 2024 will bring Viet Nam new achievements, he wished Viet Nam will stay strong and prosperous, and develop strongly to become one of the "economic dragons" in the region. He said he wants to make further contributions to the Viet Nam Saudi Arabia cooperation in the time ahead. VNS According to Nikkei Asia, the transaction is valued at approximately $145 million, marking Mizuho's strategic move to integrate Kisetsu Saison's digital lending expertise and capitalise on the demand for financial services in India. Kisetsu Saison Finance, a subsidiary of the prominent Japanese credit card company Credit Saison, initiated operations in Bengaluru in 2018 and has since expanded its footprint across India. The company boasts a loan portfolio of almost $670 million, serving as a testament to its growing influence in the digital lending space. The move by Mizuho underscores a wider trend among Japanese financial entities seeking to penetrate the Indian market, where a significant portion of individuals and businesses remain underserved by traditional banking institutions. Digital lenders like Kisetsu Saison offer a viable alternative, leveraging online platforms to process loan applications swiftly and efficiently. This development comes after other instances of Japanese banks pursuing opportunities in India, notably Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group's acquisition of Fullerton India Credit in 2021, further evidencing the growing Japanese interest in India's financial services sector. In late 2021, Mizuho invested $170 million to secure a 7.5 per cent interest in M-Service, the operator behind Vietnam's popular e-wallet app, Momo. The Japanese banking giant is strategically poised to leverage the expansive retail network of the Vietnamese smartphone payment businesses. Vietnam seeks Mizuho Bank's expertise Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has proposed a collaboration with Japan's Mizuho Bank, one of the three mega banks in Japan, for the restructuring of Vietnam's underperforming banks. 1 - Vietnam elected member of the World Heritage Committee Vietnam was elected a member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term with a ratio of 121/173 votes in favour, ranking first in the group of four Asia-Pacific regions and ranking second out of nine countries in the five elected areas. As a member in the new term, Vietnam will have better conditions to contribute to completing and implementing the goals and priorities of the World Heritage Convention, sharing experiences in handling harmonise the relationship between conservation and development of World Heritage Sites in Vietnam. 2 - Vietnam named safest destination in Asia 2024 US travel guide Travel Off Path rates Vietnam as the safest destination in Asia to visit this year. A special country has proven to be stable and safe for tourists. That is Vietnam, commented the guide. Travel Off Path considers Vietnam to be the precious gem of Southeast Asia and the most attractive destination in Asia, with beautiful nature and a culture completely different from many countries. Experts also assess that Vietnam is more stable and safer than the US. Meanwhile, the newest Global Law and Order ranking published by Gallup in late 2023, Vietnam is not only the most peaceful state in Asia but also the seventh worldwide with an enviable score of 92/100, in the top 10 dominated otherwise by European countries. 3 - Vietnam wins at the World Travel Awards Vietnam was named the Worlds Leading Heritage Destination in 2023, marking the fourth time receiving the prestigious award in the past five years. Previously, Vietnam won Asias Leading Natural Destination and Asias Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards Asia and Oceania region. This is the fifth time Vietnam has been voted Asias Leading Destination and the second consecutive time it has won Asias Leading Natural Destination. In 2023, Canadian magazine The Travel also voted Vietnam as one of the 10 friendliest destinations in the world. 4 - Halong Bay-Cat Ba recognised by UNESCO The archipelago of Cat Ba and Halong was named a cultural heritage in a decision made during the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Saudi Arabia last September. Previously, only Halong Bay was recognised. According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, this complex is recognised because it contains many areas of diverse natural beauty, breathtaking scenery, salt lakes, and limestone mountains. 5 - Hoi An and Dalat recognised as Creative Cities Dalat and Hoi An joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network on World Cities Day in October 2023. After Hanoi became a UNESCO Creative City for design in 2019, Vietnam has now added a Creative City of Music and a Creative City of Crafts and Folk Arts. According to the roadmap to 2030, every two years, a maximum of two Vietnamese cities will submit candidacy documents to join the network. 6 - Michelin stars arrive in Vietnamese restaurants In June 2023, the world-famous Michelin Guide awarded stars for the first time to two restaurants in Hanoi and one restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. The Michelin Guide rates restaurants through a star system, with three stars being the highest. 7 - Vietnamese dishes recognised as Asian specialities In December, the Asia Records Organisation headquartered in India announced a list of Asian specialities to promote, honour, and suggest international tourists to enjoy on their upcoming trips. Vietnam has 10 representatives, divided equally in the categories of food and gifts. The five dishes are Saigon bread, Thua Thien-Hue mussel rice, Phan Thiet-Binh Thuan hot pot, Ninh Hoa grilled spring rolls from Khanh Hoa, and Soc Trang noodle soup. Five natural specialities and gifts include green rice from Vong village in Hanoi, sweet potatoes in Quang Binh, sesame seeds candy in Thua Thien-Hue, Dalat strawberries, and banh tet Tra Cuon in Tra Vinh. 8 - Pho bo named among top dishes worldwide On January 8, American news agency CNN announced the 20 most delicious soups or watery foods in the world for 2024. Vietnamese pho bo (beef noodle soup) was honoured by CNN as one of the 20 most delicious dishes in the world. The list is provided as suggestions for food enthusiasts to try on their upcoming trip. Pho is one of the best-known Vietnamese dishes in the world, said Andrea Nguyen, author of The Pho Cookbook. 9 - Big names perform in Vietnam for first time Last year recorded many bright spots in the development of Vietnams cultural industries. Concerts from BlackPink, Westlife, Maroon 5, Fatboy Slim, and others were deemed successful, as was the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2023. Many tourist attractions continuously innovate approaches and exploit to turn cultural fields into resources for cultural industry development. Developing cultural tourism and handicrafts is showing Vietnams efforts in its determination to achieve the goal that by 2030, cultural industries will contribute 7 per cent of GDP. 10 - New visa regulations issued Resolutions were enacted on issuing e-visas to citizens of countries and territories, allowing foreigners to enter and exit with electronic visas and increasing the temporary residence period to a maximum of 45 days for citizens of 13 countries. The new rules came into effect from last August and have helped to unlock the tourism industry. Previously, the National Assembly approved a law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens and the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam. 2024 an optimistic year for tourism & hospitality Vietnamese tourism has exceeded the goals set for 2023, with the number of international tourists in 2023 reaching over 12 million, equivalent to 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Can you tell us about Vietnam's position and prospects in the high-tech field of semiconductors? Vietnam is asserting its presence in the global semiconductor industry by leveraging strategic partnerships and geographic advantages. The recent upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with both the US and Japan has been a catalyst. US President Joe Biden's affirmation of enhanced collaboration with Vietnam in areas such as cloud computing, semiconductors, STEM, innovation, and AI underscores the strategic importance of Vietnam to the US, especially as a crucial supplier of rare earth minerals vital for the high-tech sector, including semiconductor manufacturing. Is the current shortage of skilled semiconductor engineers here an obstacle to growth? The semiconductor industry here, with its exports to the US valued at over $500 million annually, primarily focuses on assembly, packaging, and testing. The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has set a new cornerstone for integrating science, technology, and innovation into the bilateral relationship's core. This strategic pivot necessitates a concerted effort to allocate resources and intellectual capital towards Vietnam's priority sectors, notably semiconductors. Enhancing cooperation with academic institutions for talent development and engaging top researchers for university-level semiconductor education are pivotal steps towards deepening Vietnam's involvement in the global supply chain beyond assembly and testing to include chip design. Resolution 103/2023/QH15 spotlights the imperative to rejuvenate and escalate industries, with a keen focus on the semiconductor manufacturing sphere. This approach is poised to catalyse economic growth, underscoring the nation's commitment to becoming a formidable player in the global high-tech arena. Concurrently, the legislative framework mandates a substantial investment in human capital, targeting the cultivation of 50,000 to 100,000 highly skilled professionals within the burgeoning semiconductor research and production field by the years 2025 and 2030, respectively. Vietnams electronics sector possesses the necessary infrastructure and capacity to advance its semiconductor industry ambitions. As the world's ninth-largest exporter of electronic goods, the country boasts a rapidly developing semiconductor ecosystem, with significant potential to elevate its standing in the global supply chain. Vietnamese tech giants such as Viettel and FPT are forging paths into the global Integrated Circuit supply chain. How realistic is this target of training between 50,000 to 100,000 engineers by 2030? The country hosts over 300 higher education institutions, with approximately 35 offering courses in semiconductor and microelectronics engineering, reflecting a strategic shift towards addressing the burgeoning global demand for semiconductor professionals. Of these, 11 universities provide traditional programmes directly aligned with the needs of the semiconductor and microelectronics sectors. The global semiconductor workforce is estimated at over two million, with an anticipated need for an additional million by 2030. In response, Vietnamese universities have embarked on ambitious plans to develop new course and expand enrolment in semiconductor and microelectronics design fields, aiming to bolster the country's talent pool in this high-tech industry. However, the quality of engineering graduates remains a concern, with only top-tier institutions like Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, University of Engineering and Technology, and University of Science (part of Vietnam National University, Hanoi) currently equipped to produce engineers who meet the stringent requirements. These institutions boast robust training programmes, distinguished faculties, and access to cutting-edge technology, ensuring the selection of the brightest students to meet the high standards of the sector. The quality assurance for the remaining institutions has yet to be verified. The journey from chip design to market-ready packaging involves a complex process lasting 46 months, encompassing over 500 steps and traversing more than 55,000 kilometres across approximately 70 countries. This highlights the critical need for a vast, highly skilled engineering ecosystem to succeed in the intricate world of microchip design. What are the central challenges to achieving Vietnams semiconductor ambitions? The allure of the high-tech and semiconductor sectors has prompted numerous universities to expand their offerings, often stretching beyond their current capacities. Strategic allocation of state resources, focusing on a select number of institutions that meet the training standards of developed economies, is essential for producing high-quality engineers. Therefore, government policies must support students pursuing semiconductor studies, akin to incentives provided to education majors, especially targeting top-performing and underprivileged students. Business investment and collaboration with academic institutions are also crucial for nurturing Vietnam's semiconductor talent pool. Attracting domestic and international researchers to teach and mobilise the Vietnamese diaspora can enrich the educational ecosystem. Promoting semiconductor applications in domestic high-tech sectors will also stimulate research and elevate training quality. Achieving this will not only fulfill Vietnam's high-income and development goals by 2045, but also ensure the nation's pivotal role in the global high-tech industry, supported by strategic international partnerships and a focused talent cultivation strategy. Dueling surveys say Americans love Valentine's Day, and will spend $14.2 billion on their significant other or others this holiday season. Top gifts include candy, with 57% of respondents planning a purchase in that category, greeting cards at 40%, flowers at 39%, an evening out at 32%, jewelry at 22%, clothing at 21%, and gift cards at 18%, according to the National Retail Federation, which spoke to 8,329 adults early last month about Valentine shopping plans. But a LendingTree survey concludes one in three Americans may find love in the air, but worry about the financial impact of Valentine's Day spending. It concludes 45% of Americans have skipped the holiday to save money. More than half, 52%, say they would avoid the holiday altogether if they could. Men expect to spend an average $248 on their significant others, while women expect to spend less than half that on theirs, about $115. The Tribune-Herald conducted a very informal poll of its own, with Cynthia Garcia at Reed's Flowers on Austin Avenue saying, "We are booked up until Thursday, have more than 100 orders for Valentine's Day itself." She said roses and mixed arrangements are selling well. A dozen roses fetch $110, plus the cost of delivery, which is $15 on Valentine's Day, $12.50 most days. Sally Dickenson, who owns Morrison's Gifts, said Monday she was busy selling candles, candy, popcorn, "a little bit of jewelry," and unusual gifts. Her shop near Waco Drive and Valley Mills Boulevard sells items produced at El Arroyo, a Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin known for dishes "served with a side of laughs," an online plug says. From there she gets salsa, coasters, cutting boards, greeting cards, air fresheners, coffee mugs and books showcasing clever signs from the El Arroyo marquee. She also sells a Consuela-branded line of handbags. Nancy Latham, assistant manager at the James Avery jewelry store at Central Texas Marketplace, said she has noticed "guys are shopping earlier this year, which is great. Instead of being busy one day, activity is spreading out." She said James Avery received a Valentine-themed supply of charms that are proving popular. She mentioned one shaped like a playing card, dubbed the "queen of hearts," and another featuring pink shades. Both were hand-enameled by artisans in the Texas Hill Country, and are priced at $68. America Ramirez, who manages Trudy's Hallmark Shop at Richland Mall, said Monday the next three days should keep her and her staff hopping. "Wife cards already are really popular with husbands," Ramirez said. "They started coming in early, in January, knowing that if they wait until the last minute, the selection will be gone." She said her team began stocking the store with Valentine-related merchandise the week after Christmas. True, said Ramirez, people create their own cards online. But many still crave personal attention and help in choosing that special gift. They want to see and feel what they are buying and are determined to avoid shipping delays. If bubbly is a must, H-E-B calls itself the largest wine retailer in Texas, and Food & Wine Magazine in 2023 chose it as the best supermarket chain in the United States. Home Instead jobs Home Instead Waco, which provides assistance to seniors wanting to live at home, will host an open house Thursday for people wanting to know more "about the impactful and fulfilling career of caregiving." A press release announcing the event says the company, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is experiencing a dramatic increase in requests for its services nationwide. It has launched a campaign to hire 30,000 care professionals, the press release says. It quotes a Home Instead survey taken in January that found one in five Americans saw a noticeable decline in an aging loved one's well-being while together over the holidays. Thursday's session from 3 to 7 p.m. at 2121 W. Waco Drive will include talks by Tammy Wake, recruitment and engagement coordinator, and Kathleen Devine, who became a care professional after starting as a client. Falls County solar The True North solar farm in Falls County will provide energy to an upcoming Meta data center in Temple. Meta, formerly Facebook, has made a commitment to clean, renewable energy and "net zero" environmental impact. "We are thrilled to see construction at True North progressing smoothly as we reach this major milestone, despite several challenges facing the solar market," Pedro Azagra, CEO of Avangrid Inc., a Connecticut-based company with $42 billion in assets and operations in 24 states, said in the press release. "True North will be our largest solar project once complete, and represents Avangrid's unwavering commitment to accelerating a clean energy transition." Crews recently installed both main power transformers at True North. Housing market January numbers hint at recovery in the local housing market. Local real estate agent and market analyst Ashton Gustafson reports that 200 homes were sold in January, up from 177 in January last year. Average sales price was $349,533, up from $310,587 a year earlier. However, average days on the market jumped to 72 days in January from 64 days in 2023, Gustafson said. The Waco Multiple Listing Service also continues to lack inventory priced below $350,000, and first-time homebuyers, including young married couples, have fewer options, he said. "Buyer purchasing power has been squeezed with rates hovering around 6.75% to 7.5% for a 30-year fixed loan most of the month," Gustafson said. He said the industry "would love to see the 30-year rate in the mid-5s," still, "2024 feels like it is starting stronger than 2023 did." Building permit roundup Building permits continue to prime the pump of industry in Greater Waco. Graphic Packaging International, for example, continues its bite-by-bite approach to placing a $1 billion paper mill at 2601 Gateway Boulevard. This time it secured a permit valued at $60 million to build accommodations for a locker area, break room, restrooms, elevated offices, equipment platforms, electrical rooms, truck docks and other uses, according to a narrative included in the permit issued by the city of Waco. Meanwhile, Mexico-based Envases Commerce secured a $30 million permit to place another structure at its aluminum-can-producing complex at 1901 Wycon Drive. Elsewhere, two permits valued at $600,000 apiece will allow loft development at 1001 Columbus Ave., and a new HTeaO shop at 137 N. Hewitt Drive. Ascension Rehab will spend an estimated $450,000 renovating its gym at 6901 Medical Parkway. The Behringer Group will spend $10,000 to finish out another space in Union Grove food hall, 8100 Woodway Drive. The scene resembled old times at Wacos Owens-Illinois glass plant Tuesday. The plant ceased production in October, eliminating about 300 jobs, but early last week, big rigs parked along Beverly Drive, waiting to enter the vast O-I complex dating to 1944. Guard shack staffers examined paperwork and chatted with drivers. A cleaning crew busied itself just inside the main entrance. Im not making any money sitting here, groused a trucker exiled to a far-flung parking lot, where he sat in his tractor cab. He awaited word the trailer he would fetch and haul away had been filled with glass bottles. Names such as Millis Transfer, Werner and Walgreens, among others, appeared on the rigs. Drivers generally knew little to nothing about Owens-Illinois decision to shutter the plant. They dont tell us anything, said one teamster who, like the others, was following orders. Some said it was their understanding O-I was clearing all remaining product from its warehouse. A dockhand, shouting from the loading area, confirmed as much. The question becomes what will happen to the 1.1 million-square-foot facility when the beer bottles and heavy equipment have left. Indications are Owens-Illinois soon will place the property on the market. But at what price, under what conditions and for what purpose are all factors left to consider. The plant opened in 1944, while World War II raged, and has seen modifications over eight decades. One must wonder if cancer-causing asbestos, once common in the building trades, lurks within its walls. A full-scope environmental assessment needs to be done before you could possibly guess what direction is best, said Randy Reid, with Reid-Peevey Real Estate Co. A complete tear-down would be very expensive. My hunch is a good portion of the property could remain. He said any environmental problem would mean remediation expenses for anyone repurposing the building or leveling it. Any commercial building that goes through any kind of renovation work requires an asbestos check, said Bobby Horner, spokesperson for the city of Wacos development services department. Older buildings would probably have more asbestos in certain locations. Horner said by email he believes an industry needing Owens-Illinois glassmaking functions would best fit the plant on Beverly Drive. I hated to see this company go, but hopefully another one with a similar function would find this location and building and campus suited to their needs, Horner said by email. My opinion of course. The Waco Industrial Foundation was formed in 1952 to acquire property and make it available to prospects eyeing Waco. It deals mostly in vacant land, but may consider structures as it accumulates inventory. Waco businessman Bill Clifton said he knows of no reason the foundation would not at least consider acquiring the Owens-Illinois complex. Clifton represents the Waco Industrial Foundation on the Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corp. board that considers incentive packages to be offered industrial prospects. The city of Waco and McLennan County annually allocate money to the fund, while the Waco Industrial Foundation deals in property. The city and county each has budgeted $4 million in fiscal year 2024 for the Waco-McLennan County Economic Development Corp. Clifton said his opinion includes a caveat: the O-I complex is very old, fairly landlocked, and would not well serve a user needing to expand. Another thought in the back of my mind, and which would be in the back of anyones mind, would be the asbestos situation, Clifton said. Clifton said he does not know enough about the bottling industry to comment on whether a related company could use the O-I plant. We regularly evaluate the real estate inventory of the Greater Waco market in order to meet the needs of economic development prospects, said Kris Collins, the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerces industry recruiter. As of last year, the 54-acre sites real property was valued for tax purposes at more than $8.5 million, including the land and buildings. The operation also had personal property valued at almost $74.7 million. The personal property total includes more than $30.6 million in various types of machinery and equipment, $13.9 million in inventory and $20.1 million in pollution control equipment. McLennan County Judge Scott Felton said buildings of this vintage are rarely ready to go, and require remediation. He said a rail spur serves the site, which is a positive, and that companies from elsewhere in the United States, especially the manufacturing-heavy Midwest, find Texas inviting. Brad Davis, an industrial specialist with Cromwell Commercial Group, said he has no doubt the Owens-Illinois plant will stir interest. Companies crave the loading docks and high ceilings featured in the plant. Bland Cromwell, longtime industrial specialist at Coldwell Banker Commercial and now Cromwell Commercial Group, likened the Owens-Illinois closing to the loss of General Tire in the 1980s. Job losses were much greater at General Tire, where 1,400 people worked at the time, most making union wages, and Waco had a 1.4 million square-foot building to absorb. It was one of the largest vacant buildings on the market when I started with it in 1988, Cromwell said. We landed the present tenant, Caterpillar, about 18 years ago, and its use has grown to approximately 1.25 million square feet. Clarke Manufacturing uses 100,000 square feet. Caterpillar Logistics stores heavy equipment parts in Waco, while Clarke produces bath and shower products locally. Large spaces like O-I will be unique, which is what we were presented with in the late 80s with General Tire, Cromwell said. As a bonus, the General Tire site became home to the Central Texas Technology and Research Park in 2009, when state, county and city governments announced its formation. Anchoring the 21-acre park is the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative, which features labs and meeting rooms for researchers, students and industry leaders. Waco businessman Clifton Robinson donated space for the research park, with various sources paying to build what would become the BRIC and to retrofit parts of the General Tire plant to merge with new construction. A lawsuit alleging several members of a Chi Alpha campus ministry group at Texas A&M University sexually abused a 13-year-old boy is the latest fallout from reports of abuse at several of the ministrys chapters at Texas universities, including Baylor University. At least a half dozen Chi Alpha chapter leaders have lost credentials as ministers, and the ministrys national director has resigned in the months since the Assemblies of God church, Chi Alphas sponsor, launched an investigation in April into registered sex offender Daniel Savalas ties to the organization. Chris Hundl, the former leader of the Chi Alpha chapter at Baylor, was arrested in May, accused of allowing Savala to sexually abuse two young family members. Savala was arrested in Houston in June and was later transferred to the McLennan County Jail, where he is awaiting trial on child sex abuse charges. Both he and Hundl were indicted in September on a first-degree felony charge of trafficking of persons. Hundl has remained free on bond since shortly after his May arrest. The lawsuit involving the A&M chapter, filed by the childs father Jan. 25 in Harris Countys 333rd State District Court, alleges several members of the chapter took a 13-year-old boy to Savalas Houston home and sexually abused him on numerous other occasions. The lawsuit seeks $1 million in damages from the General Council of the Assemblies of God, the North Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries College Station and Mountain Valley Fellowship, a College Station church associated with Chi Alpha. According to the lawsuit, four members of the Chi Alpha chapter at A&M sexually abused the boy on several occasions between October 2021 and November 2022. The lawsuit alleges Eli Stewart, the pastor of Mountain Valley Fellowship and leader of the A&M Chi Alpha at the time, allowed one of the Chi Alpha members named in the lawsuit to take the boy to Savalas Houston home, where Savala and the member sexually abused him. The lawsuit details other alleged instances of abuse between August and November of 2022 involving all four of the named members but not Savala. The members are named in the lawsuit but have not been charged with any crime. Stewart was removed from his position at Mountain Valley Fellowship in April 2023. According to Assemblies of God spokesperson Mark Forrester, Stewart is no longer credentialed with the Assemblies of God. As a result of the broader investigation the church launched in April, it has also removed the credentials of Josh Bell, former Chi Alpha leader at Rice University; Jason Bell, former Chi Alpha leader at Sam Houston State University; and Daniel Young, former Chi Alpha leader at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Forrester said. Forrester also said Eli Gautreaux, the former South Texas District Director of Chi Alpha, is no longer credentialed as a minister, and E. Scott Martin, the national director of Chi Alpha, has resigned. Savala is alleged to have ties to Chi Alpha dating back to at least 1989, though the Assemblies of God has denied he was ever credentialed as a minister or associated with Chi Alpha in any official capacity. Forrester said a reference to Savala as a Chi Alpha staff member in a 1989 University of Louisiana at Lafayette yearbook was a captioning error. In 2012, Savala was charged with 11 counts of sexual abuse of a minor in Alaska and the same year he pleaded guilty to one of the counts. He was sentenced to two years in prison, but only served 90 days and was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. According to a Ketchikan Daily News article, Savala worked as a youth minister at Clover Pass Community Church in Ketchikan, Alaska from 1995 to 1997. The A&M lawsuit alleges Stewart attended Clover Pass Community Church and Savalas youth group, and was one of his victims. The lawsuit also says Stewart organized a letter-writing campaign among Chi Alpha members in 2012 requesting leniency for Savala in his sexual abuse case. The lawsuit says Assemblies of God and Chi Alpha leadership knew of Savalas conviction and still allowed him to be involved with multiple chapters of Chi Alpha. In addition to Savala, another Clover Pass Community Church pastor, Dwight Chris John, 71, was indicted in Alaska in June on 17 child sexual abuse charges. In a plea deal, John was convicted in December of one count and must serve 20 years in prison. Will Robinson, another former Chi Alpha leader, at the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi chapter, was arrested in July 2022 and charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child, sexual assault of a child, indecency with a child by exposure and two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. Hundl, the former Baylor chapter leader awaiting trial in McLennan County, had served at the Corpus Christi Chi Alpha chapter before moving to Waco in 2019 to found the Baylor chapter. Savala and Hundls trials are scheduled for June 24 in Wacos 54th State District Court. Mideast countries warn Israel of humanitarian disaster if Gaza's Rafah city invaded Xinhua) 09:13, February 12, 2024 CAIRO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israel is facing mounting regional and international pressure over its planned ground offensive against Rafah, a southernmost city in the war-torn Gaza Strip. Over the past few days, regional countries have warned Israel against a humanitarian meltdown in Rafah if Israeli forces insist on carrying out the ground assault on Rafah, where more than 1.4 million Palestinians living, including 1.3 million people fled from the northern regions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday he has directed the military to prepare to evacuate civilians from overcrowded Rafah ahead of an expanded offensive against Hamas. The remarks sparked great alarm among regional countries that the plan would further worsen the humanitarian situation already deteriorated since the Israel-Hamas conflict started on Oct. 7 last year in the besieged enclave. Qatar, which was engaging in diplomatic efforts along with the United States and Egypt to push for a ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, "condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli threats to storm the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip." It "warns of a humanitarian catastrophe in the city that has become a last refuge for hundreds of thousands of displaced people," said its Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement on Saturday. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, both signed peace treaties with Israel in 2020, also expressed deep concern. Saudi Arabia warned of "very serious repercussions" of storming and targeting the city of Rafah, "the last resort" for hundreds of thousands of civilians who had fled from intensive Israeli strikes on northern Gaza. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry affirmed the country's rejection of forced displacement of Palestinians, warning against what he called Israel's "systematic policy" to force Palestinians out of their land. Jordan voiced its categorical rejection of the displacement of Palestinians inside or outside their land, stressing the need to end the war and protect civilians. Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul-Gheit warned that Israel's intentions to impose the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are "serious threats to regional stability." On Sunday, in an apparent move to ease external concerns, Netanyahu said in a televised interview with ABC News that a "detailed plan" was being worked out on "providing safe passage for the civilian population, so they can leave" the Rafah city. But Hamas warned against any Israeli ground operation in the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah, saying that it would "blow up" the hostage exchange negotiations, the Hamas-run al-Aqsa TV quoted an unnamed senior Hamas leader as saying. On the same day, Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed over the phone the ongoing efforts to free hostages held in Gaza and to facilitate more aid into the Palestinian enclave. An Israeli government official told Xinhua that the conversation focused on the hostages, approximately 100 of them are still in Gaza after being kidnapped during Hamas's attack on Oct. 7, 2023. According to a readout released by the White House, Biden told Netanyahu that Israel should not proceed with a military campaign in Rafah without a plan that ensures the safety of the about one million people sheltering there. Biden reaffirmed the "shared goal to see Hamas defeated," according to the statement. He also called for urgent steps to increase the humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,176 since Oct. 7, 2023, with 67,784 others being injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) You hear it everywhere. It goes something like this: Democrats fall in love; Republicans fall in line. For decades, that was true, and especially so in Clinton's career. Democrats fell in love with the young governor of Arkansas, seeing in him a whiff of Franklin Roosevelt's imagination, Adlai Stevenson's intellectual range, John F. Kennedy's charm, Hubert H. Humphrey's instinct for inclusiveness. At the same time, the Republicans fell in line to support President George H.W. Bush in the 1992 election and Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas in 1996 both World War II combat veterans who understood the iron rules of the military command structure, both candidates vanquished by the imagination, intellect and charm of Bill Clinton. It's the formula that Caitlin Flanagan described in The Atlantic when, weighing the fall in love/fall in line continuum, she said that the "Democrats wait for a dream candidate to come along a Bill Clinton or a Barack Obama and they go out of their minds with excitement and ardor." Since then, the Clinton love/line formula has had to be reshaped, overhauled for a new era, recast for the phenomenon of Donald J. Trump, freshened for the rebellion of the MAGA troops who stampeded into the Capitol in 2021 and, in the past two months, into the caucus sites in Iowa and voting booths in New Hampshire. The latest employment of the love/line comparison came last week in The New York Times, when columnist Ezra Klein wrote that "the reality, in recent years, has been that Democrats fall in line and Republicans fall apart," adding, "The Democratic Party's establishment has held, even as the Republican Party's establishment has buckled." Let's refine that further. We are witnessing the Clinton formula turned on its head. The Democrats are falling in line, to be sure, but the important thing is that the Republicans whose old establishment, the one full of people with good manners and whose idea of excitement was a cocktail on the veranda overlooking the back nine have fallen in love. The Democrats, meanwhile, have come to heel behind an 81-year-old president who was in the Senate while both Bush and Dole enforced the Republican tradition of passing the nomination to the next logical figure the immutable law that David Yepsen, for years the brilliant Des Moines Register political writer, identified when he said that Republicans were not so much members of a political party as they were member of a fraternal lodge. Well, the Elks have fled, the Moose have sauntered away and the Eagles have taken off. The Democrats now are firmly in line for Biden, even though their procession to that line was more a slouch than a march. He's our guy, they seem to be saying, for little other reason than because he's our guy, and we need to get behind him, mostly because he is the one who seems most likely not to let Trump get ahead of him. Not much of an endorsement, but it's enough to get everyone besides Rep. Dean Phillips, the Minnesota lawmaker who is running a Gilbert and Sullivan comic-opera campaign against him, in line. "We weren't all in love with Joe Biden the last time," said Joe Trippi, the veteran Democratic political strategist. "The party that has fallen in love are the Republicans." Quite so. Inexplicable as it may be, they are in love with the least romantic American political figure since Richard M. Nixon. He lacks the management skills of Herbert Hoover, the allure of Wendell Willkie, the personal instincts of Dwight Eisenhower, the ideological integrity of Barry Goldwater, the experience of George H.W. Bush, the conventional political skills of Dole, the charm of George W. Bush, and the business acumen of Mitt Romney. And before you throw at me the example of Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, the Democrats' technocratic 1988 presidential nominee, let's agree that he may not have been a matinee idol, but he had a romantic son-of-immigrants story and he found romance in such things as freight-rail schedules and cost-benefit analyses of various types of traffic-easing roads, which at least are elements of actual governing. Those steeped in GOP service, and accomplished in the art of governing, have joined the line behind Trump, even if skeptical of his comportment, troubled about his legal fights, concerned about his foreign-policy instincts and worried about the way the party has been overhauled into a MAGA vanguard. The love fest the Republicans are having defies everything the party once stood for. This fealty may last only until November, but it is more likely that the party is undertaking a transformation equal in magnitude, significance and character to the Democrats' transformation in 1932, when a party of small government and small-ball politics became the party of the underclass and sweeping government programs. There remained a rump of the earlier party the rump of Southern conservatives, many of them committed racists but the party of FDR was changed forever. This time, the Republican Party is being reshaped by its appeal to blue-collar voters and the dispossessed that is a mirror of the New Deal approach. Trump may be defeated, or he may go away, but the next generation of people in the mold of the Bushes and the Doles will not be Republicans. They will have gone to college with, and fallen in love with, the people who today are Democrats. The danger for the Republicans today is the danger the Democrats used to face: the remnants of the old party kicking up enough of a stir that the unity a major American political party requires is jeopardized. This could be exacerbated if Trump is convicted in one of his many trials a factor that could peel away as much as 20% of the GOP coalition. "Democrats have a spirited debate within the party, and then we come home," said Trippi, "and we come home even if we aren't in love." David Shribman, a Pulitzer Prize winner in journalism, is the former executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Ajman Department of Tourism Development (ADTD), led by Mahmood Khaleel Alhashmi, Director General, is set to embark on a roadshow in the United Kingdom from February 12 to 15, 2024. The initiative aims to foster collaboration with key stakeholders in the UK tourism sector and draw visitors from various cities. The delegation's itinerary includes stops in Glasgow, Birmingham, and London, where the latest destinations and projects will be showcased to boost Ajman's global tourism appeal. The UK has been instrumental in Ajman's tourism success, ranking among the top 10 countries contributing tourists to the emirate. In 2023, foreign tourism experienced a notable 7% increase in the total number of English tourists (both residents and non-residents) compared to the previous year, said a statement. Expressing enthusiasm for the upcoming tour, Alhashmi, said: "This promotional campaign aligns seamlessly with our vision to solidify the emirate's standing on the global tourism map, placing a strong emphasis on fortifying partnerships, sharing experiences, and drawing insights from the best practices. We are confident that the meetings and memorandums of understanding to be signed during this tour will significantly contribute to supporting sustainable economic development in tourism and introduce the diverse tourism products and projects offered by the emirate." He highlighted the roadshow's role in augmenting awareness of Ajman's tourism and cultural facets. He believes that this campaign will not only serve as a means to attract visitors from the United Kingdom but will also act as an effective gateway to fostering collaboration with local and international partners in the tourism sector. This collaboration, in turn, is expected to enhance opportunities for experience exchange and lead to an increased influx of tourists to the emirate. Recent years witnessed remarkable growth in Ajman's tourism sector, boasting an 11% surge in total hotel revenues, a 6% increase in occupancy rates, and an 11% rise in visitor numbers compared to the same period in 2022. With 50 hotel facilities and approximately 4,300 rooms, Ajman maintains an 82% occupancy rate, according to the STR report, reflecting a 6% increase in revenue per available room (RevPAR) over the previous year. Simultaneously, Ajman is experiencing a tourism upswing, with escalating hotel revenues, occupancy rates, and visitor numbers. The emirate is solidifying its status as a preferred destination for UK and Ireland tourists, witnessing a surge in nights spent and arrivals from these countries, the statement said. -TradeArabia News Service Fostering 101 The Humane Society of Central Texas, 2032 Circle Road, will hold an introduction to fostering class from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Fostering 101 sessions are designed to empower and educate animal lovers who are interested in making a difference by fostering pets in need. Fostering 101 sessions offer in-depth knowledge about various aspects of pet fostering, from understanding the basic needs of animals to advanced care techniques. Ecclesiastes lecture Debra Band, an artist and scholar of Hebrew illuminated manuscripts, and philosopher Menachem Fisch will give a public lecture on their recent publication, "Qohelet: Searching for a Life Worth Living - A New Reading and a New Seeing of Ecclesiastes," from 4 to 5:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Schumacher Flex Commons on the first floor of the Moody Memorial Library at Baylor University. A book signing will follow the lecture. Czech Heritage scholarships The Czech Heritage Society of Texas is accepting applications for its $500 Victor Peter Memorial Scholarship and its $1,000 Albert J. Blaha Memorial Scholarship. Instructions for applying are available at https://czechheritage-texas.org/, by calling Richard Skopik at 254-640-2179 or by emailing roadwac5@aol.com. Graduating Texas high school seniors in 2024 are eligible for both scholarships. First-year college students with less than 30 credit hours also are eligible for the Blaha scholarship. All items required for applying must be submitted and postmarked by Feb. 28 for the Peter scholarship, and by March 11 for the Blaha scholarship. Hearts in the Arts Reservations are open through Thursday for the McLennan Community College Foundations 22nd annual Hearts in the Arts Gala. The event will start with drinks and dining at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in the Conference Center at MCC, followed by a McLennan Theatre performance of Into the Woods at 7:30 p.m. in the colleges Ball Performing Arts Center. All proceeds from the event benefit MCC scholarships and special projects advancing visual and performing arts students and faculty. Tickets are $100 each. To make reservations, contact the MCC Foundation at 254-299-8604 or reservations@mclennan.edu. Mardi Gras Ball The 2024 Mardi Gras Ball, a fundraiser for the Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children, will start at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Base at the Extraco Events Center, 4601 Bosque Blvd. Tickets cost $250 per person. Black tie is optional. For more information, call 254-752-9330 or go to advocacycntr.org. The Advocacy Center, founded in 1976, has three programs, the Childrens Advocacy Center, the Victims Center, and Prevention and Education. Tax help Students from La Vega High Schools business program will offer free tax preparation help from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Feb. 26, March 11, March 18, March 25 and April 8 at the Waco-McLennan County Central Library, 1717 Austin Ave. People receiving help should bring all tax documents, ID and Social Security cards for everyone on the tax return. No registration or library card is required. Tax-Aide program This years AARP Tax-Aide program sponsored by NeighborWorks Waco will run through April 15, offering free tax assistance to anyone, with a focus on taxpayers who are older than 50 or have low to moderate income. Tax-Aide volunteers are trained and IRS-certified. The service will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following dates and locations: Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 11 at NeighborWorks, 922 Franklin Ave. For an appointment, call 254-752-1647, ext. 0. Mondays and Wednesdays through April 15 at Ascension Providence Medical Center, 6901 Medical Parkway. For an appointment, call 254-751-4102. Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 11 at First Baptist Church of Hewitt, 301 S. First St. For an appointment, call 254-214-9123. NARFE meeting Waco Chapter 229 of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association will meet at noon Thursday in the conference room at the West Waco Library, 5301 Bosque Blvd. All active and retired federal employees are invited to attend. Skywarn class The National Weather Service Fort Worth office, in partnership with the Waco-McLennan County Office of Emergency Management, will offer a free Skywarn Storm Spotter Training Class from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in the Letterwinners Lounge at McLane Stadium, 1001 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. The class is for established storm spotters or anyone interested in learning more about severe weather threats in the region. It will feature an in-depth review and study of the various threats posed by severe thunderstorms and a review of the characteristics of storms. It will also highlight severe weather safety and how to report severe weather information to the weather service and local public safety officials. The Baylor University Public Safety Department will provide a free lunch. For an accurate count for lunches, participants must register at https://bit.ly/42vz7J1 by Feb. 19. BUENOS AIRES, Argentina A Catholic laywoman who lived in 18th-century Argentina and joined the Jesuits in their evangelical mission throughout the South American country will become the first female saint from the home country of Pope Francis on Sunday. Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, more commonly known by her Quechua name of "Mama Antula," was born in 1730 into a wealthy family in Santiago del Estero, a province north of Buenos Aires. At the age of 15, she left the comfortable life of her home and the privileges of her family to join the Jesuits at a time when women's options were limited to marriage or joining a convent. "She was a rebel, just like Jesus," Cintia Suarez, co-author of the biography "Mama Antula, the first female saint of Argentina," told The Associated Press. "She confronted her father saying 'I'm not going to get married or become a nun.' She just didn't want to follow orders." Mama Antula collaborated in the performance of spiritual exercises based on the writings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Company of Jesus in 1534, according to her biographer. When the Spanish crown expelled the Jesuits from America in 1767, considering them a threat to its interests, Mama Antula decided to take up the mantle and continue her work, even at the risk of being imprisoned. She was a very astute woman who, against the prejudices of the time, had the ability to persuade parish priests and bishops to continue the spiritual exercises of the Jesuits despite the prohibition. "Patience is good, but perseverance is better," is a phrase that is attributed to her in historical texts collected in Suarez's biography. At a time when slavery still prevailed, masters and slaves, rich and poor were welcome in her spiritual exercises. It was within that space of reflection that she helped erase social differences. "Mama Antula's charity, above all in the service to the neediest, is today very much in evidence in the midst of a society that runs the risk of forgetting that radical individualism is the most difficult virus to overcome," Francis told a group of Argentine pilgrims Friday who are in town for this weekend's canonization. Despite her outstanding work, Mama Antula was not widely recognized due to her status as a lay woman until 2013, when Francis, also a native of Argentina, was elected pope and brought her back to the public eye. Francis first authorized her beatification in 2016, after the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints recognized a miracle linked to Mama Antula. It was the inexplicable healing in 1905 of a seriously ill nun belonging to the religious order in charge of the House of spiritual exercises founded by Mama Antula in Buenos Aires. The second miracle that opened the door to her canonization came in 2017, when a former Jesuit seminarian was left on the verge of death from a stroke. A friend brought a picture of Mama Antula to the hospital and stuck it on the vital signs monitor. The man improved and left intensive care. The canonization of Mama Antula in a ceremony to be presided over by Francis at St. Peter's Basilica marks not only the first time a female from Argentina will become a saint, but will bring together two antagonistic figures: Francis and the newly elected president of Argentina, Javier Milei, who once called the pope an "imbecile" for defending social justice and "the representative of malignance on Earth." Francis, who had a long conversation with Milei after he was elected, indicated he forgave him for the campaign rhetoric and even suggested he is considering visiting his native country this year. Maria Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, or "Mama Antula," died March 7, 1799, aged 69. CEDAR FALLS More than 3,000 first-graders are expected to participate in the 18th African American Read-In on Thursday. Sixty-four schools from public and private school districts from throughout Iowa will join the free virtual event hosted by the University of Northern Iowa College of Education during the virtual event. Its important for kids to learn about the many aspects of diversity, have discussions about diversity and learn about books by African American authors, said coordinator Taraneh Matloob Haghanikar, associate professor of literacy education. This event is designed to connect students and teachers with authors, illustrators and African American literature and arts. Among the presenters are well-known author Michelle H. Martin and award-winning childrens book illustrator R. Gregory Christie. Martin is the Beverly Cleary Endowed Professor in children and youth services in the Information School at the University of Washington. She will read Wheres Rodney?, written by Carmen Bogan and illustrated by Floyd Cooper. I grew up as a Girl Scout and spent a lot of time out in the woods and nature. I discovered several years ago that there were almost no books about Black kids enjoying the outdoors. Rodney hits that sweet spot, said Martin. Its the story of a Black boy from the city who is amazed and thrilled when a field trip takes him to a national park where he can explore nature. As co-founder of the nonprofit Camp Read-a-Rama, which uses childrens book as a springboard for literacy immersion programming, she believes in reducing the distance between books and real life. Virtual events like the African American Read-In provide greater access to literary experiences, Martin said. If you have to have buses and lunches and travel and all of that, you wouldnt be able to get a powerhouse like R. Gregory Christie in front of 3,000 children. Christie will lead a draw-along with students. He is known for his programs on art, diversity and literature and is a past Caldecott Honor and NAACP Image Award winner. Leigh Zeitz, an associate professor in UNIs department of curriculum and instruction, will provide a brief magic show between the read-along and draw-along activities. We also have a Facebook page thats new this year, where weve started posting excellent African American books and lesson plans so teachers can add them to their everyday lessons, said Matloob Haghanikar. We want to make it practical for teachers to go beyond this event and learn more about African American literature and authors. The Facebook group is designed for first-grade teachers and UNI faculty and students interested in book discussions, for example, and showcasing student work. Last year about 2,000 students participated. It was the first year the read-in was extended fully across the state. This years effort has further broadened the events reach, providing access to more first-graders and their schools, Matloob Haghanikar explained. Registered schools will be provided a link to access Read-In activities. Registration includes first graders from a mix of 147 mostly public, but also private, school classrooms in 64 schools and 29 counties from across the state, including the additions of Linn, Cerro Gordo, Jackson, Jones and Chickasaw. Among the districts and communities participating are Ames, Anita, Bellevue, Burlington, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Danville, Davenport, Denver, Des Moines, Dike-New Hartford, Dubuque, Dunkerton, Fort Dodge, Independence, Iowa City, Janesville, Jesup, Johnston, Manchester, Mason City, Monticello, Moville, New Hampton, Oelwein, Osage, Ossian, Ottumwa, Peosta, Radcliffe, Ruby-Van Meter, Sioux City, Sloan, Spencer, Tabor, Tama, Union-La Porte City and Waverly. The read-in was originally organized by the late Gloria Kirkland Holmes, a UNI emerita early education professor. Matloob Haghanikar was asked to step in to coordinate the event. I know her passion was to introduce children to African American literature. I think she would be proud of what were doing, Haghanikar added. The National African American Read-In is sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English and endorsed by the international Reading Association. What's the impact of teacher experience on student success across the US? What's the impact of teacher experience on student success across the US? Teacher experience by subject CEDAR FALLS Hope, pride, and determination were all expressed Saturday as Central Rivers Area Education Agency 267 hosted a forum of six area state legislators at its building on Technology Parkway to discuss legislation reforming Iowa's AEAs. Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, D-Waterloo, Rep. Derek Wulf, R-Hudson, Rep. Jerome Amos Jr., D-Waterloo, and Rep. Bob Kressig, D-Cedar Falls, were in attendance along with Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, and Sen. Eric Giddens, D-Cedar Falls. All spoke about their experiences with the AEA, their confusion over the bill's origins, and took questions from a crowd of around 100 people. Central Rivers Chief Administrator Joel Pedersen moderated the forum. "I'm so encouraged for the support the AEAs have received since the bills have started. This is how democracy should work," Pedersen said. "As people we elect our representatives or senators and they need to hear from us. The amount of respectful, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and well-written contact we have had shows how so many people across the aisle care about education." A bill proposed by Gov. Kim Reynolds to reform AEA services is stalled in the House Education subcommittee. Were going to have further conversations on it. So were going to absorb the feedback in the subcommittee and continue to have conversations on it. But no, Im not moving it forward at this time, said Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, the committee chairman, last week. Rep. Taylor Collins, R-Mediapolis, joined Wheeler in voting to table the bill. Wulf said Saturday it wasn't just Wheeler who had concerns about the bill. "Representative Wheeler and Collins met with our caucus and their decision was not just their decision. As a whole our caucus did not have support for the bill as it was written. For all purposes HB542 is dead," he said. "I hear a lot of comments that it's just tabled, it's on hold or paused. I can tell you that the discussion out of our caucus is that the bill is dead. Can I say now that nothing comes out of (future) discussion? No, but the way that the bill read, none of us were comfortable with it." Kressig cautiously agreed. "We do not have a bill going forward ... but I get a sense, and I have seen this several times, that House and Senate Leadership will come together and formulate a bill. I'm not saying that it's what is going to happen, I've just seen it before," Kressig said. Parents and educators came forward to share their stories with legislators in the hope of somehow reaching the governor. "I have sent her emails, and I have sent her letters. I have never gotten a response back from her. Not even a form email or letter. She needs to know how this is affecting the people of this state," said one woman. Wulf said all legislators have the ear of the governor. "She is listening to us and we are sharing our stories and your stories with her. If you are not getting a response from her office then reach out to us," he said. A grandmother who is a former school nurse approached the panel to discuss how the AEA helped her daughter as well as her grandchildren. "My youngest daughter benefitted from AEA services when she was younger. She is now a successful entrepreneur and mother. Her two twin boys are currently receiving speech services at Poyner through the AEA. They need these services because, without speech services, they may become bullied." Ardell Brown, a former schoolteacher, also spoke. "I worked for schools in the '60's before the AEA started and then came back in the '70's after the AEA was implemented. It's like day and night when you compare how I taught. "When I came back to teaching and the AEA was in place it was like a different world," she said. "I was able to get so much help that I could not get before. I had new books and movies that I could share with the kids." Brown also spoke about how the AEA made a difference to a family member. "I have a niece who lives in Estherville. Her son was diagnosed with autism when he was younger. The AEA in her area would transport him from Estherville to Algona, and he was able to attend school there. "How would whatever the governor is proposing come close to what the AEA does?" she asked. "I think if Kim had a child that experienced this that she would feel differently." Ultimately Pedersen brought the room back to the main focus of what the AEA does, connecting families and students with people that just want to help kids. "I worry about these 3,400 employees across the AEA system," he said. "Most of us just want to do good things for kids. Our hope is to have this system and it's hard to have this uncertainty. Knowledge is power and love is power." Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (11 February 2024) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces repelled five attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 30th, 32nd, 43rd, 44th mechanised brigades, and 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Tabayevka, Ivanovka, and Sinkovka (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 210 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles. In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware near Dzerzhinskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Serebryansky forestry. Moreover, two attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 60th and 63rd mechanised brigades were repelled near Yampolovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses amounted up to 120 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces delivered strikes at AFU manpower and hardware near Novoye, Krasnoye, Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic) and repelled 11 attacks launched by units of the AFU 24th, 42nd mechanised brigades, 79th Air Assault Brigade, and 114th Territorial Defence Brigade near Belogorovka, Bogdanovka, Mayorsk, Leninskoye, Novgorodskoye, and Novomikhailovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 325 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by artillery inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware near Shevchenko, Vodyanoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 150 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles. In Kherson direction, units of the Russian Groups of Forces supported by artillery repelled one attack launched by the AFU 117th Mechanised Brigade near Novopokrovka (Zaporozhye region), as well as inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware near Verbovoye, Rabotino (Zaporozhye region), Tyaginka, Ivanovka, Lvovo, Berislav, and Mikhailovka (Kherson region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 50 Ukrainian troops, nine motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one D-20 and one D-30 howitzers. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out one command post of the AFU 3rd Assault Brigade near Novogrodovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), one aviation ammunition depot, as well as engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 119 areas over the past 24 hours. Air defence units intercepted 30 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Orlyanksoye (Kharkov region), Proletarka, Peschanovka, Novaya Myachka, Druzhbovka, Obryvka (Kherson region), Krivosheyevka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Kleshcheyevka, Kamenka, and Artyomovsk (Donetsk Peoples Republic). In total, 570 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 12,196 unmanned aerial vehicles, 464 air defence missile systems, 14,959 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,218 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,012 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 18,469 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form New Delhi, Feb 12 (UNI) The Supreme Court on Monday extended the interim bail of Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Kumar Mishra, in the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, which claimed eight lives. A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice K V Viswanathan while extending the interim bail directed SC registry to obtain a report from the trial court on the progress of the case and adjourned the matter. The case pertains to an incident of violence on October 3, 2021, in which eight people, including four farmers, were killed in Tikunia in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. The Apex Court in September, 2023, had relaxed the interim bail conditions imposed by the trial court on January 25 last year in which Mishra was directed not to stay either in Uttar Pradesh or in Delhi during the period. After hearing Mishras plea that his mother was admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital in Delhi, the Apex Court allowed him to visit Delhi. On December 6 last year, the trial court had framed charges against Mishra and 12 others for the alleged offences of murder, criminal conspiracy, and under other penal laws in the case of the farmers deaths, paving the way for the trial to start. The Top Court had relaxed the conditions of Mishras bail imposed by the Trial Court on humanitarian grounds as he further stated that his daughter needed treatment for certain deformities in her legs. The Apex Court, however, directed Mishra not to participate in any public function in Delhi and address the media about the case, till the matter is sub-judice. The Court also directed Mishra not to enter Uttar Pradesh except to attend the trial. The investigation of the case was going on under the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigating Team (SIT) under the supervision of Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. On September 18, 2023, the Apex court relieved the SIT, saying it had completed its probe and submitted a chargesheet in the trial court. Earlier on July 11 also, the top court had extended Mishras interim bail. UNI SNG CS1515 Romeo and Juliet. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Bella and Edward. From highbrow novels to pulpy paperbacks, literary history is filled with swoon-worthy couples. As we approach Valentines Day, we asked folks who are intimately connected to the world of books from librarians and novelists to bookshop owners and podcast hosts to pick their favorite works of romantic fiction. Please offer your own love story suggestions in the chat below. When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo Anchor Recommended by Danni Mullen, bookseller Danni Mullen, founder and lead bookseller at Chicagos nonprofit Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery, says her team absolutely loves this 2022 Trinidad-set romance. Suffused with the islands rich traditions and rituals, the mythical tale follows two outsiders who are thrust together because of their connection to the dead: Yejide grew up in a family in which one member of each generation is responsible for helping souls pass into the afterlife; Darwin was raised Rastafarian, which comes with a commandment to not interact with the dead. When he takes a job as a gravedigger in a moment of desperation, he meets Yejide inside the citys oldest cemetery, and their lives change forever. I call it an unromantic romance, because it fully builds the readers relationship with each character separately before it even allows the two to cross paths, Mullen says. The writing is beautiful and poignant, and once the characters meet, the fireworks are most assuredly felt truly swoon-worthy! Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates Little Brown & Co. Recommended by Andrew Limbong, podcast host Theres so much more to romance than a couple in love, right? says Limbong, the host of NPRs Book of the Day podcast. His pick is Yates 1961 debut novel, which was adapted into a 2008 film starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Though they live a seemingly perfect existence in suburban 1950s Connecticut, Frank and April Wheeler begin to feel the pressure of conformity and the American dream. Theres the reawakening romance between the main couple, April and Frank, sure, Limbong says. But the two get caught up in the romance of the dream of leaving suburbia, of living a better life elsewhere, of being happy. And on some level, all true romances involve a smidge of self-delusion to think that its all going to work out. Now, I wont spoil the ending, but Isnt it pretty to think so? he says, quoting Ernest Hemingways The Sun Also Rises. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks Grand Central Publishing Recommended by Annabel Monaghan, novelist The key to a good love story is creating two characters who are clearly meant to be together and then making the reader feel their emotions as if they are their own, says novelist Annabel Monaghan, whose sixth book, Summer Romance, will be released in June. No one does this like Nicholas Sparks did in creating Allie and Noah in The Notebook. Sparks debut novel is set in post-World War II North Carolina, where Allies higher social status keeps her from being with Noah, the rural boy who stole her heart. Years after their first encounter, she reunites with Noah, whos back in town after fighting in the war to restore an old house. But now shes engaged to a hardworking lawyer named Lon. As her old flame with Noah is rekindled, shes faced with a tough decision. Framing the book is a story set decades in the future, when an old man reads from a well-worn notebook to a woman in a nursing home but who are they? Save for in Illinois, there is no state sales tax on prescription drugs, but the same isnt true for over-the-counter medicines and remedies. Only a handful of states and Washington, D.C., give consumers a break on these products that many older Americans rely on to help maintain their health and wellness. Meanwhile, 41 states impose a sales tax on OTC medicines. As for Illinois, it imposes a 1 percent sales tax on prescriptions and on nonprescription items claimed to have medicinal value, such as aspirin and cough medicine. The state otherwise charges a 6.5 percent sales tax. States That Dont Tax OTC Medicines Getty Images/AARP 1. Florida Along with exempting remedies prescribed by a licensed health care provider, the Sunshine State has a long list of over-the-counter drugs exempt from the tax. They include aspirin and other pain relievers, bandages, antacids, eye drops, sinus relievers, skin medications, sleep aids and a lot more. 2. Maryland Sales of nonprescription medicine, medical supplies and medical equipment are not taxed. The list is long and includes everything from nonprescription drugs to antiseptics. Estimate Your 2023 Taxes AARPs tax calculator can help you predict what youre likely to pay for the 2023 tax year. 3. Minnesota The North Star State does not tax over-the-counter drugs, but you wont get a tax break on grooming and hygiene products. 4. New Jersey The Garden State exempts all over-the-counter drugs prescribed by a doctor as well as many without a prescription. Like other states, it runs the gamut from aspirin to zinc. 5. New York Everything from antacids to cold and flu medicines is tax-free in the Empire State. The tax applies to most cosmetics and toiletries, but some are exempt, including dandruff shampoos and sunscreens with an SPF factor of 2 or more. 6. Pennsylvania Most nonprescription drugs and some toiletries are exempt from taxes in the Keystone State. The list includes toothpaste and toothbrushes, sunburn treatments and colostomy supplies. Brussels, Feb 12 (UNI) The European Union should achieve strategic autonomy and invest in its defence, European Council President Charles Michel said on Sunday following a statement by former US President Donald Trump about Washington's relations with NATO allies. "Reckless statements on NATOs security and Art. 5 solidarity serve only [Russian President Vladimir] Putins interest. They do not bring more security or peace to the world. On the contrary, they emphasise the need for the EU to urgently further develop its strategic autonomy and invest in its defence. And to keep our alliance strong," Michel said on X. On Saturday, at a rally of his supporters in South Carolina, Trump said during his presidency, the leader of an unspecified NATO nation had asked him whether the United States would support the alliance in the event of Russia's possible attack. Trump replied in the negative, saying that NATO countries did not invest enough in defence. The former US president also vowed to encourage Russia "to do whatever the hell they want," adding that NATO member states "got to pay." UNI/SPUTNIK XC SY ARN New Delhi, Feb 11 (UNI) The Delhi Police on Sunday imposed restrictions at all borders between the national capital and Uttar Pradesh until March 11 to avoid any untoward incidents ahead of the farmers' call for a march on February 13. During this period, the gathering of the general public at all borders between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas in the jurisdictional area of the North East District will be prohibited starting Sunday, the Delhi police said in an official statement. It further prohibited the entering of tractors, trolleys, buses, trucks, commercial vehicles, personal vehicles, horses, etc., carrying protestors in Delhi from Uttar Pradesh. In an official statement, the police ordered North East District Police to make all efforts to prevent protestors from entering Delhi. No person/protestor shall be allowed to bear arms, including firearms, swords, trishul, spears, lathi, rods, etc. North East District Police shall make all efforts to detain these persons at the spot, the statement said. If any person found to be acting in contravention to this order shall be liable to be punished under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, it added. Information has been received that some farmer organisations have given a call to their supporters to gather/march to Delhi on 13th February for their demands of the law on MSP and others. They are likely to sit at the border of Delhi till their demands are met. To avoid any untoward incident and to maintain Law & Order, a precautionary Order of section 144 Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, is required to be issued to save the lives and property in the area, the Police said. Meanwhile, the Haryana government has also ordered the suspension of mobile internet, SMS, and other dongle services until February 13 in seven districts ahead of the farmers' march to Delhi. According to the order issued by Haryana's additional chief secretary (home department), the mobile internet services will remain suspended in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa districts from 6 am on February 11 to 11:59 pm on February 13. UNI PSP SSP Modi Naturals, renowned for its flagship brand Oleev, has solidified its position in the edible oil segment by prioritising natural, healthy products to promote well-being and happiness. Founded in 1974 by DD Modi, the company embarked on a remarkable journey from a modest edible oil factory in Punjab to becoming Indias largest processor of Rice Bran and being listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Their commitment to sustainability extends to supporting farmers and their families. As part of a video interaction for Adgullys AGTalk, Mukesh Ghuraiya, Chief Marketing Officer, Modi Naturals, highlights key trends propelling the FMCG industry forward. He emphasises on the premiumisation of FMCG brands, driven by increasing raw material costs due to geopolitical factors. This trend manifests in larger stock keeping units (SKUs) to maintain availability. Additionally, the FMCG sector is embracing e-commerce, albeit later than other industries. Discussing the latest marketing strategies for Modi Naturals, Ghuraiya outlines the focus on urban areas and the influential role of women as decision-makers in households. He says, With a target demographic primarily in urban locales, Modi Naturals allocates 90% of its advertising budget to digital platforms like Amazon and Blinkit, where consumer discovery is thriving. Regarding their latest campaign, Ek choti si shuruwat (A Small Beginning), Ghuraiya emphasises on simplifying the journey to health, starting from the kitchen. He stresses on the importance of incremental changes such as reducing sugar intake, swapping unhealthy products, and moderating oil usage, highlighting that these small steps can yield significant long-term health benefits. These are edited excerpts. For the complete interview with Mukesh Ghuraiya , watch below: Digital marketing agency and production house, The Content Lab, proudly announces a strategic partnership with Indias fastest-growing airline, Akasa Air, celebrated for its unwavering dedication to service excellence. This collaboration aims to enrich Akasa Air's brand presence and amplify its marketing endeavours on the digital front. The Content Lab will shoulder the pivotal responsibility of overseeing Akasa Air's social media marketing, digital initiatives, and content creation mandates. The goal is to bolster the airline's visibility, reach and engagement in the competitive aviation industry. The partnership will be instrumental in enhancing Akasa Air's digital footprint, encompassing social media engagement and digital advertising, ensuring the airline maintains its leadership in the digital sphere. Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Experience Officer of Akasa Air, remarked, "I am super excited to partner with The Content Lab as we strengthen our brand and enhance the digital footprint. As we leverage digital technology, our collaboration will help us deliver innovative, quality and engaging content thus positioning Akasa among the most loved brands globally. " Mr Mohan Kumar Singh, Principal Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on the occasion of FICCI CASCADEs Anti-Smuggling Day today said, Smuggling is a transnational crime. Underscoring the critical need for international cooperation in combating such illicit activities, DRI actively engages and participates in various global enforcement operations targeting drugs, arms, wildlife, environment, money laundering, and terror financing. Through the consistent sharing of actionable intelligence with our overseas counterparts, numerous operations have been conducted, resulting in significant seizures of contraband by customs authorities in countries including Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. DRI has also kept a close watch on the smuggling of various other items like red sanders, cigarettes, fake currency, foreign currency, wildlife products and so on. These seizures are the result of fine teamwork of the DRI officers, supported by excellent cooperation and inter-agency coordination of our partner law enforcement agencies in the country, Mr Singh added. Applauding FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy) Mr Singh stated, On behalf of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, my compliments to FICCI CASCADE for organizing the Anti-Smuggling Day. This great initiative, now in its third year in a row gives us an occasion as well as a platform to discuss the growing menace of smuggling and counterfeiting. The dynamic nature of the threat from smuggling makes it imperative for all of us to join hands and contribute our bit towards combating of smuggling activities. Highlighting the need for collective action, Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE while launching a new campaign said, We launched the Anti-Smuggling Day on 11th February, 2022 and pledged to spare no effort in raising awareness and taking concerted action against the multi-faceted challenge of smuggling. Staying true to that commitment, FICCI CASCADE is now introducing a new campaign - Smuggled Saaman Ko Karo Nakaar, Viksit Bharat Ka Sapna Karo Sakaar. The Indian economy is flourishing under a proactive government, translating to increased prosperity and subsequently, greater spending power. However, it has been observed that higher disposable income often leads to an upsurge in the consumption of smuggled goods. Today, we launch a new campaign to sensitize the beneficiaries of India's economic growth about the responsibility they bear in utilizing their income. We urge them not to purchase smuggled goods which not only jeopardize their health but also harm the country's economy. In the ensuing days and months, we will take this campaign forward through various initiatives," Mr Rajput added. The vision of Viksit Bharat is outlined by the Indian government with an ambitious goal of achieving a developed nation status by 2047. The vision encapsulates the aspiration for a prosperous country where every citizen can unlock their potential. As India propels forward on this growth trajectory, a burgeoning middle class with increased disposable incomes is inevitable. FICCI CASCADE's latest campaign, Smuggled Saaman Ko Karo Nakaar, Viksit Bharat Ka Sapna Karo Sakaar is created to enlighten this expanding customer base about the perils associated with engaging in smuggled goods, spanning categories like drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, mobile phones and packaged foods. The realization of the Viksit Bharat vision greatly depends on our collective efforts (Sabka Prayas), and the battle against smuggling stands as a pivotal element and a formidable challenge in this transformative journey. Reinforcing the need for vigilance by citizens to tackle smuggling, Mr Balesh Kumar, Member, Appellate Tribunal-SAFEMA, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance said, I would appeal to all Indians to participate in the activities of the Anti-Smuggling Day, which launched by FICCI CASCADE. This occasion serves not only as a reminder for enforcement agencies but also for citizens to remain vigilant against the use of smuggled goods, as it is in their best interest to avoid products of questionable quality. Smuggled counterfeit goods, often available at low prices in the market, pose significant risks to society and health. Therefore, I implore citizens to refrain from using such items. To intensify the global fight against smuggling and raise awareness among the youth about the menace of smuggled goods, FICCI CASCADE has also organized a competition with the theme 'Stand Against Smuggling.' This competition provides a platform to involve young minds in comprehending the severe implications of smuggling on society and empowers them to firmly oppose such illicit practices. 'Stand Against Smuggling' aims to cultivate a culture of ethical consumption and instil a sense of responsible citizenship among the younger generation. The competition has consistently drawn participants from across the globe. Over the years, FICCI CASCADE has been consistently working towards creating awareness on tackling the serious problem of smuggling and launched the Anti-Smuggling Day in 2022 as a global first. The objective of declaring an Anti-Smuggling Day was to highlight the issue amongst consumers, adverse impact of smuggling on nation-building, fostering coordination and cooperation among law enforcement agencies, facilitating better exchange of information and experiences and building a strong network to find innovative solutions to combat the scourge of smuggling. In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing and advertising, staying ahead of the curve is paramount. As industries shift and consumer behaviors change, companies must adapt, innovate, and deliver tailored solutions to meet their clients' needs. This was precisely the focus of a recent event where leaders from the BFSI space had gathered to discuss the cutting-edge advancements in programmatic advertising and contextual targeting in a cookie-less era of advertising, spearheaded by Hybrid in partnership with Adgully. The Hybrid BFSI Konnect event commenced with Yana Tolmacheva, Marketing Lead for INSEA & Europe at Hybrid, setting the stage for what was to follow. Yana highlighted Hybrid's global footprint and its commitment to leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to deliver innovative solutions across all stages of cooperation. Yana's introduction laid the groundwork for the subsequent discussions led by Gandharv Sachdeva, Country Head India, and Aniket Powar, National Sales Head at Hybrid. Aniket delved into the intricacies of Hybrid's offerings, emphasizing their customized programmatic solutions designed for audience targeting. He shed light on Hybrid's approach towards contextual targeting, especially in the Indian market, where understanding the nuances of local context is crucial. Gandharv, on the other hand, focused on the technological prowess of Hybrid, particularly highlighting the Hybrid Places and Triggers. He explained how Hybrid Places can enable brands to display ads to the relevant users in accordance with their location via the in-app channel. As the event progressed, the spotlight turned towards VOX, Hybrid's contextual marketing suite. This innovative product utilizes AI-driven technologies such as computer vision, semantic text analysis and app-scoring to deliver highly relevant and engaging ads to audiences. With VOX, advertisers can ensure that their messages resonate effectively across various digital platforms. Throughout the presentations, the speakers emphasized not only the technological advancements but also the partnerships forged with premium publishers. By integrating their solutions directly with these publishers, Hybrid ensures brand safety and maximizes the effectiveness of ad placements. This was followed by two panel discussions: "Artificial Intelligence in Advertising: Exploring The New Frontier for BFSI Sector" and "Innovative Marketing Strategies for Financial Products", which further delved into the implications of AI in advertising and the evolving landscape of marketing strategies tailored for financial products. These discussions provided valuable insights into the future of marketing and advertising in the BFSI sector, highlighting the importance of staying ahead of technological advancements and embracing innovative approaches to meet the evolving needs of consumers. Laqshya Media Group, one of Indias largest Comprehensive Marketing Communications Group, is pleased to announce the acquisition of the advertising rights for Cochin International Airport, effective February 11, 2024. This strategic move underscores Laqshyas commitment to expanding its market presence in South India and further solidifying its position as a key player in airport advertising as well. Airports are prime advertising locations, given their premium traffic and captive audience. The acquisition of advertising rights at Cochin International Airport provides Laqshya Media Group access to a valuable advertising channel, enabling brands to reach a diverse and international audience. With this acquisition, Laqshya now holds advertising rights at two major airports in South India, including Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad and now Cochin International Airport, apart from traditional media presence in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. At Laqshya Media Group, we understand the power of airport advertising in todays marketing landscape, noted Atul Shrivastava, CEO, Laqshya Media Group. Securing advertising rights at Cochin International Airport strengthens our presence in South India, offering brands innovative opportunities to boost visibility and engagement. Were excited about the potential at Cochin International Airport and committed to delivering creative excellence to leave lasting impressions and drive success for our clients. Furthermore, we are not limited to media assets but also pioneering DOOH and experiential zones at Cochin Airport. These zones will revolutionise advertising by offering immersive experiences that create stronger connections with consumers, enhancing brand loyalty and recognition. The ten-year contract includes provisions for static media, digital media, experiential spaces, and other advertising innovations, offering brands a comprehensive platform to showcase their products and services. Cochin International Airport, with an annual passenger count exceeding 10 million and recognition for its innovative and sustainable practices, presents an ideal opportunity for brands to enhance their brand perception and reach a wide audience. There's been a significant leadership transition at Mirum India, with Hareesh Tibrewala and Sanjay Mehta stepping down from their roles as Co-CEOs after nearly 15 years. Mihir Karkare, who co-founded Mirum with them in 2009, has been appointed as the Managing Director of the agency. Tibrewala and Mehta will still be involved with the company, serving on the Mirum Board. Their transition seems to be part of a planned succession, with both expressing their continued commitment to the company and its success. Tibrewala and Mehta, in their social media posts, express their commitment to the company's success while transitioning away from day-to-day responsibilities to focus on personal interests and mentoring opportunities. They also hint at potential future entrepreneurial ventures. Tibrewala writes: Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes, it is time for change at Mirum India. After having led Mirum, now for about 15 years, I (and Sanjay Mehta) have stepped down from my role as CEO and handed the baton to our next gen leadership. Effective January 2024, my dear friend, colleague and partner Mihir Karkare has taken over as Managing Director of Mirum. Having stepped out of day-to-day responsibilities, will also allow me time to focus on my bucket list (travel, reading, music, spiritualismand just watching the grass grow); as also on mentoring some start-ups as well as mentoring boards of large companies (as an Independent Director). Sanjay Mehta, while sharing this news, said: Building an organisation is like a long relay race and not a quick sprint. And like all relay races, the baton must pass on to the next runner. As a co-founder of the business, I will always see the company as my "baby" and the interests of the business, the team, the work that we deliver to our clients, will always remain important to me. Which is why, we could not have had a better transition. Mihir has spent the last 15 years in the business and has eminent capabilities, across the entire spectrum of technical, management and leadership spaces. Mihir Karkare also acknowledging this transition, shares: The day we started Social Wavelength back in 2009, seems both like it was just yesterday, and that it was a lifetime ago! In my mind, the one thing that defines the last 15 years of this organisation is - constant evolution. From starting as a Social Media agency, building full service digital capabilities, getting acquired by WPP, morphing into Mirum, doing so much work with JWT / WT / VML, building our MarTech, Media, SMCC, Health businesses etc and so much more - the evolution has been ceaseless. I view my taking on of this new role as something which carries forward this legacy of evolution. Its not some big change, its just the next stage of that evolution! Both my partners, friends and mentors - will continue as advisors and board members. Building this business with them has been the privilege of a lifetime for me, and it is with immense gratitude to them that Im taking on this role. The transition appears to be well-planned and orchestrated, with all parties involved expressing confidence in the future of Mirum India under Karkare's leadership while also remaining involved in advisory roles. Shyam Steel, a leading producer and manufacturer of TMT Bars, proudly announced the appointment of Indian actor, politician, and film producer Ravi Kishan as their brand ambassador. This strategic collaboration is specially designed to strengthen Shyam Steel's presence in the Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh markets, where the company holds a significant position. Mr. Lalit Beriwala, Director of Shyam Steel Industries, expressed his enthusiasm about the association, stating, "Ravi Kishan brings a unique blend of charisma and credibility to our brand. His immense popularity in the region, coupled with his versatile presence in Indian cinema and politics, makes him the perfect choice to represent Shyam Steel in these key markets." Ravi Kishan, currently serving as a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Gorakhpur, shared his thoughts on the association, saying, "I am thrilled to be associated with Shyam Steel, a brand that shares my commitment to excellence and growth. Together, we look forward to contributing to the development of these vibrant markets and furthering Shyam Steel's legacy as a leader in the steel industry." Shyam Steel recently announced that its turnover has reached 6,000 crores, and the company is poised for further growth with a target of 9,000 to 10,000 crores over the next two to three years. As part of their recent expansion initiatives, they commissioned a new capacity at the Mejia plant, increasing their integrated steel capacity from 0.65 million tons to 1 million tons. The company's ambitious expansion plans also include the acquisition of 600 acres of land in Purulia, Raghunathpur block, for a new greenfield project. This project, a 0.35-million-ton integrated steel facility, is expected to significantly contribute to Shyam Steel's goal of achieving a turnover of 10,000 crores. The company is dedicated to play a pivotal role in achieving the target of 300 million tonnes of steel production by 2030-31, contributing to India's transformation into a self-reliant $5-trillion economy. Shyam Steel is expanding on all fronts, from broadening its distribution networks to increasing its production capacity from 0.65 million tons to 1.35 million tons. The company is committed to playing a pivotal role in India's growth story, and its association with Ravi Kishan reflects their shared values of excellences and progress. The second edition of the citys biggest exhibition embarks today. Organised by Indias No.1 News Network, TV9 Networks Bengali news channel, TV9 Bangla is all set to paint the city of joy with a vibrant festive mood to cheer over the lifestyle exhibition, food festival and musical extravaganza. Sprawling across 1 lac sq. feet of the area, this remarkable event of epic proportions christened 'Kolkata's Biggest Expo' has unbeatable deals and attractive discounts for a variety of cars, bikes, automobiles, electronics, electric two-wheelers, furniture, home and wall decors, hand-crafted products of homegrown artisans, stylish jewellery, traditional and trendy fashion wear. TV9 Bangla Lifestyle Exhibition, Music carnival, and Food festival have spread its platter with shopping sprees at unbelievable prizes, lip-smacking and delectable cuisines from across the continent, and outstanding musical gigs. The citys musical bands like Dohar and Mir -O- Bandage will be live on February 9 and 10 respectively 7 pm onwards, followed by Chandrabindoo live on February 11 from 7:30 pm onwards from the venue. TV9 Bangla Lifestyle Expo: TV9 Bangla Lifestyle Exhibition, Music Carnival and Food Festival unveiled today Amritanshu Bhattacharya, the Managing Editor of TV9 Bangla said, It is always difficult to plan something which is out of the genre. As a responsible media house, we are trying to do something for the society. We want to spread the word with the help of media platforms like yours that Bengal is a huge market with vibrant and colourful culture and delectable foods. Honestly, we are organising this expo for the second time. No other Bengali News channel has even thought of executing such kind of an extensive lifestyle expo before in this city. Being a news channel, we generally intend to capture the happenings at every end from every corner of society, across city, state, national and global. News channel touches the daily incidents that touch our lives. News channel reaches to identify the touchpoints to understand where a person stands or wherein the demand lies, thereby connecting the audience, such kind of lifestyle is essential and is much needed in the lives of Bengalis. This is the ultimate destination where the product ranges from car automobiles, food, apparel, fashion, and jewellery, all are available under the same roof. Besides, there are other product variations for one and all. There is a special room for handicraft sections to promote the small-scale industry. Here, the live performances of musical bands are there to entertain day long. Since we are a network channel, hence we seek to prevail our presence to reach all sets of audiences and enthral them through this second edition of TV9 Bangla Lifestyle Expo, Music Carnival & Food Festival, adds Amritanshu Bhattacharya. Alabama companies exported goods and services worth more than $27.4 billion in 2023 - the second straight year that exports bested the previous years total. Overseas shipments of Alabama-made vehicles, aerospace parts, minerals and metals, as well as other products, rose more than 6% from the 2022 mark of $25.5 billion, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce. Exporting acts as a fundamental economic pillar that supports growth in Alabama, sparking both new investment and job creation here at home, Gov. Kay Ivey said in an announcement. The record-breaking success of our exporters extends the reach of the Made in Alabama brand while reflecting the high level of demand for our homegrown products. Alabama exports have jumped almost 43% since the trade-impaired pandemic year of 2020. The states goods were shipped to 190 countries, with Germany topping the list at $5.1 billion worth of goods. That was an improvement of 17%. Other top trading partners included: Canada: $3.9 billion (down 2%) China: $3.8 billion (up 15%) Mexico: $3.2 billion (up 16%) South Korea: $1.2 billion (up 15%) Other leading destinations for Alabama exports in 2023 were Japan, Brazil, Poland, India and Saudi Arabia. Motor vehicles unsurprisingly led exports in 2023, with a record annual total of $11.5 billion, up more than a quarter from the prior year. Germany, China and Canada were the leading destinations for Alabama automobiles, according to the Commerce department. And the larger category of transportation equipment, which include motor vehicles, auto parts, ships and aerospace products, was the states No. 1 export category, topping $14.8 billion. Aerospace products and parts topped $2.1 billion last year, a rise of 23% from the previous year. Other categories vaulting the $1 billion mark were minerals and ores ($2.2 billion), chemicals ($2.2 billion) and primary metals ($1.8 billion). Alabama Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair said the record really highlights the fact that companies across Alabama continue to provide top-quality goods and services that are sought by customers worldwide. Looking forward, the potential for greater export growth is there, and we are already exploring new and expanding markets for Alabama companies, McNair said. Valentines Day falls on Ash Wednesday this week, a rare occurrence that has prompted Catholics to ponder the best way to observe them both. Valentines Day is known for indulging in candy. Ash Wednesday is known for giving it up. What gives? Many people give up candy for Lent, but Valentines Day is the biggest chocolate gift-giving day of the year. Before 2018, the two holidays hadnt fallen on the same day since 1945. This year, Catholic bishops around the country have issued recommendations to celebrate St. Valentines Day a day early, on Mardi Gras. Ash Wednesday is a holy day of obligation and required fasting in the Catholic Church, which is the reason Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a day known for partying. Its the last day of indulgence before the start of Lent, a time of spiritual preparation for Easter. The word Carnival comes from the Latin words Carne Vale, which means Farewell to Meat. So, the Mardi Gras Carnival is the celebration of a traditional seasonal goodbye to gluttony. New Orleans and Mobile were at one time part of France, so they brought the culture with them, said the Rev. Doug Vu, pastor of Our Lady of La Vang Catholic Church in Birmingham. Traditionally people cleaned out everything they dont want to eat during the 40 days of Lent on Fat Tuesday, Vu said. Its a festival in the spirit of celebration. The calculation of Easter depends on the moving Jewish festival of Passover, and Ash Wednesday begins Lent 40 days plus Sundays before Easter. This year Easter falls on March 31. Forty days for Lent is based the 40 days the Lord went to the desert to pray before he began his public ministry, Vu said. Valentines Day, which is always Feb. 14, is the feast day of St. Valentine, the patron saint of love. He had a heart for young people, Vu said. He wished for them to have a holy relationship and happy marriage. Hes a patron saint of happy marriage. Valentines Day is a time for celebrating love, often by eating out and giving candy. The Catholic Diocese of Birmingham recommends celebrating Valentines Day early, on Fat Tuesday. Go out and have a good time on Fat Tuesday, Vu said. A happy couple celebrates their Valentine 365 days a year. They dont celebrate once a year. St. Valentine was a priest in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II, according to Christian tradition. Claudius was having difficulty enlisting enough soldiers for his army, which he attributed to men being reluctant to leave their wives and families. Claudius banned marriages and engagements. Valentine defied the edict and continued to perform marriages. He was executed on Feb. 14, in about 269 A.D., according to church tradition. Liturgical fasting during Lent emphasizes eating plainer food and refraining from pleasurable foods such as meat, dairy and eggs. Many people give something up during Lent as a way to prepare for Easter. Many times people give up candy as a spiritual discipline during Lent. Out of love for Jesus they could give up something, Vu said. Give it up out of love, dont give it up out of obligation. Married couples giving each other a box of chocolate on Ash Wednesday is not against the spirit of Lent, Vu said. Nor is candy forbidden during Lent, but it is one luxury item often given up. We fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and give up meat every Friday during Lent, Vu said. The average person eats three meals a day. To fast, eat one full meal before you go to work, then the other two meals just eat something so they have enough nutrition, maybe half of what they normally eat. To keep the spirit of Ash Wednesday and Lent, make a simple sacrifice, Vu suggests. The spirit of love is better than the letter of the law, he said. Like Valentines Day, the spirit of Lent should be about love, Vu said. It should be, I give up because I love Jesus, Vu said. I give up because I want the world to be a better place to live. I give up because I want an end to the war in Ukraine. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit At the top of Americas Amazon, nearly 8,000 acres of Alabamas most sensitive and ecologically important land is being preserved forever, thanks to a multi-million dollar collaboration involving The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, Patagonia, and an undisclosed donor. The Nature Conservancy in Alabama says it has closed a $15 million+ deal to buy 7,990 acres in Clarke County at the head of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, often called Americas Amazon for its remarkable biodiversity and wildlife. This is one of the most important conservation victories that weve ever been a part of, Mitch Reid, state director for The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, told AL.com. Its protected a vitally important complex of land, almost 8,000 acres, critically important to the health of the Mobile Delta and then, by extension, Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The tract being purchased is called the Land Between the Rivers, the area surrounding where the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers flow side by side and then merge to join the rest of the Delta. The area consists of numerous streams, swamps, and ox-bow lakes that are host to a wide range of species of fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Reid said the number of species living in those wetlands make it one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. The 7,990-acre tract indicated in purple was purchased from the Mobile River Sawmill Division (MRSD LLC) by The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, permanently protecting key undeveloped land on the northern edge of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The tract, sometimes called the Land Between the Rivers, includes area between the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers where they join to form the Delta.The Nature Conservancy in Alabama This is a landscape thats on par with anything youll find worldwide from Mongolia, to Africa to the Amazon, Reid said. Theres always been this sort of moniker that the Mobile Delta is North Americas Amazon. Well, if you look at the biodiversity of the Mobile Delta, it really should be the Amazon is South Americas Mobile. A Collective effort The exact price of the land purchased has not been disclosed, but Reid said it was well over $15 million. Reid said the purchase was possible thanks to a $5.2 million donation from the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit shareholder of outdoor gear-maker Patagonia. Holdfast Collective, created in 2022, owns 98% of Patagonia stock and directs its full share of Patagonias profits into donations to protect nature and biodiversity, support thriving communities and fight the environmental crisis of climate change. The $5.2 million for the Land Between the Rivers purchase is the organizations largest gift to date. In addition to the Holdfast donation, TNC committed $3 million to the purchase, while the anonymous donor contributed $10 million into a revolving loan fund to facilitate the deal. When those loans are repaid, the proceeds will be used for additional conservation purchases across the Southeast. A partnership featuring The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, Patagonia's Holdfast Collective and an undisclosed donor resulted in the purchase of 8,000 acres for conservation in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.(Photos courtesy The Nature Conservancy in Alabama) Holdfast Collective Executive Director Greg Curtis said that Alabama would be a priority for the groups wildlife conservation efforts. Alabama is important, Curtis said in a news release. The Holdfast Collective sees Alabama, and the Land Between the Rivers, as a landscape that is as critical to protect as our other priority areas around the globe. This project is the first step in a long-term strategy with our partners in Alabama to protect Americas Amazon. The purchase is the second major conservation land purchase in Alabama over the past two years, with The Conservation Fund purchasing 23,000 acres in the Red Hills area aimed at preserving a unique ecosystem that is home to the endangered Red Hills salamander, among numerous other species. The cost of that purchase was not disclosed, but involved a $17 million loan. E.O. Wilson and Americas Amazon The Delta, a web of interconnected swamps, bayous, rivers and streams, contains an almost unparalleled number of species of fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, plants and mammals. The late biologist E.O. Wilson, who grew up in and around Mobile, for decades promoted the area as one of Americas richest biological tapestries. Wilson was a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author and internationally renowned for his work in the field of biology, as a Harvard professor and author of numerous books. Reid said Wilsons advocacy for the Mobile Delta helped attract major donors like the Holdfast Collective to help preserve the area. Its pretty easy to go from point A to point B, Reid said. It was E.O. Wilson and his being from here and sort of championing our natural systems that we have here in Alabama. Reid said the tract that was purchased will foster connectivity for the wildlife there, one of Wilsons points of emphasis in his research and writings. It matters, this place matters for that system, Reid said. It matters to the people who like to fish it to hunt it to be up in it, the birds, but it matters to the system itself. A partnership featuring The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, Patagonia's Holdfast Collective and an undisclosed donor resulted in the purchase of 8,000 acres for conservation in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.(Photos courtesy The Nature Conservancy in Alabama) The Land between the Rivers The property purchased in January is known as the Mobile River Sawmill Division tract, along the southwest edge of Clarke County. Reid said the previous owners decided to entertain offers to sell that would preserve the land instead of seeing it clear-cut for timber or parceled and sold in smaller chunks. If a piece of land like this were sold off and clear-cut, which we understand was an option, that would have been a travesty, Reid said. Not only because it would have lost an enormous amount of stored carbon [from the trees], but then you would lose that wetland system that is so important to the the Delta. If you just clear cut that out, you end up with sedimentation, you could lose birds, turtles, fish, any host of species. A partnership featuring The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, Patagonia's Holdfast Collective and an undisclosed donor resulted in the purchase of 8,000 acres for conservation in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.(Photos courtesy The Nature Conservancy in Alabama) Reid said the tract was an important piece of TNCs larger vision to preserve a wildlife corridor stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Appalachian Mountains through the heart of Alabama. If you look at you look at the state of Alabama, once you have Clarke County and the land between the rivers protected, you can move up to the Red Hills, Reid said. It complements the work that were doing on the Alabama River to restore the highway of life up the Alabama. It matches the work that the state has done to protect the Talladega mountains and those pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together. Its not going to be 10 years, it may not be 50 years, but eventually I think this strategy is going to play out. Reid said TNC has not finalized details on how the land included in this purchase would be used, but said that it would be kept open and accessible to the public as much as possible, and that a hunting club that has been established on the land would continue to operate as it has. It is our intention that, in some form or other, that this is going to be preserved for the people of Alabama and available for the people of Alabama, he said. Now we have to explore the opportunities for somehow making it public, bringing it to the to the people. Authorities have released the names of three people found dead in an overturned vehicle in Turkey Creek over the weekend. The Jefferson County Coroners Office on Monday identified the victims as Haley Majhae Lalley, 35, of Boaz; Michael Adrian Russell, 36, of Warrior; and Cory Shane Roper, 46, of Hayden. The discovery was made about 11:45 a.m. Saturday by a man checking his property in the 7700 block of Bradford Road in northeast Jefferson County. The sedan - an older model Chevrolet Cavalier - was upside down in Turkey Creek. Authorities said it was about 100 feet down a ravine, and authorities said it appeared the car struck the bridge and then rolled down the hill. Three people were found dead in a crashed vehicle in Turkey Creek Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.(Contributed) First responders pulled the vehicle to the bridge and then recovered the bodies. All three were pronounced dead on the scene at 4:45 p.m. Authorities dont know when the crash happened. The Jefferson County Sheriffs Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating. Randolph County couple Greg and Teresa Almond were recently awarded $1 million in punitive and compensatory damages after a federal jury determined that deputies illegally raided their home six years ago. On Jan. 31, 2018, Randolph County Deputy Sheriff Nathaniel Morrow arrived at the Almond home around 2 p.m. and told Teresa that he was there to serve paperwork related to a civil matter, according to documents from a federal civil rights lawsuit the couple filed in 2019. Teresa told Morrow that Greg wasnt home but said that he could return in two hours to give him the paperwork then. Two hours later, a county drug task force returned based on Morrows claim that he smelled marijuana on the premises. Shortly after Greg returned home, members of the task force kicked in the door of the Almonds home and threw a shock explosive device inside the residence. After Greg was injured by the device detonating at his feet, both he and Teresa were thrown to the floor, court documents say. The search turned up less than $50 of marijuana and one Lunesta pill outside of the bottle that Greg had been prescribed. Under Alabamas civil asset forfeiture laws, which allow law enforcement to seize any property they allege is involved in a crime, Randolph County deputies seized approximately $8,000 in cash, firearms, jewelry, and other personal items from two safes inside the Almond home, according to court documents. Greg told Reason Magazine in 2019 that the deputies took even the money inside his wallet. The couple was arrested that night and detained at the Randolph County Jail until the following day. Although the couples 27-year-old son claimed the marijuana found at their home was his, the Randolph County Sheriffs Department continued to pursue prosecution. Over a year later, the Almonds were indicted on unlawful possession of marijuana for personal use and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanor charges. Prior to this incident, neither Greg nor Teresa had any criminal history. Following the raid and arrest, the Almonds lost their house and a large portion of Gregs family land after missing a deadline to refinance loans on their farm, according to what Leah Nelson of the nonprofit advocacy group Alabama Appleseed wrote about the incident in 2019. Having nowhere else to go, the couple moved into a utility shed without running water, air conditioning, or indoor plumbing. They have since struggled to get back on their feet, largely due to the negative impact their arrest had on Gregs reputation as a businessman. What Ive been hearing since then is we were meth dealers and meth heads, he told Reason in 2019. People we had been knowing for years would turn their head when they saw us and wouldnt speak. Its gotten where we avoid going to public places. Its made meI dont how to put it in wordsits made me not want to be out. Its like people are whispering behind our backs. During last months trial, Randolph County Circuit Judge Amy Newsome testified that she had never issued any kind of warrant for the sheriffs to search the Almond home. Newsome added that she had also not communicated anything to them over the phone that would have allowed them to act in good faith, according to court documents. In the courts decision, U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker wrote that there was no question that the Almonds Fourth Amendment rights had been violated. Despite their win in court, Greg previously told Reason that the trauma he and his wife endured will always have lasting effects. Its made me distrust law enforcement on every level, he said in 2019. Going down the road I can see a police or state trooper, not that Im doing anything wrong, and its kind of like my adrenaline goes up. My heart just pounds seeing them. The owner of an Alabama radio station said speculation he is responsible for the theft of his 200-foot radio tower is completely bogus and false. Some memes and posts surfaced over the weekend taking aim at Brett Elmore, owner of WJLX in Jasper, suggesting he was the person responsible for the theft that became national news. The stations AM tower and transmitter were discovered missing on Feb. 2, which ultimately forced Elmore to shut down the FM station temporarily, because of FCC rules. Obviously people speculate about a number of things, Elmore said. Why would I do something like this when completely shuts down our entire operation, my entire livelihood? Why? he said. Can anyone answer that question? We didnt have any insurance so Im not making a claim of insurance. The theft was discovered Friday when landscapers went to clean up the area, which is behind Mar-Jac Poultry. The landscaper assured Elmore he had walked the property, and the massive steel tower was nowhere to be found. I said, Its a 200-foot tower. You would see it somewhere if it was laying around, Elmore said. The small transmitter building had also been vandalized, and the transmitter gone as well. Its one thing to break into the building and steal the transmitter, he said. But its another thing to steal a 200-foot tower. The property is surrounded by about 50 acres of woods. WJLX has five acres on the edge of that property. That tower was for the stations AM site. The FM site is on the other side of town. Elmore unsuccessfully sought permission to keep the FM station on the air why they make plans to rebuild the AM tower. The estimate, he said, is expected to be six figures. The Jasper Police Department is investigating. With Mar-Jac Poultry right there, Elmore is hoping someone saw something or that something was captured on surveillance videos. He also pointed out that its a federal crime to tamper with a federally-licenses facility. Im not listening to any of the rumors or the speculation of an inside job, Elmore said. Thats completely bogus and false. I need help finding who did this, thats what I need, he said. Someone knows something. Anyone with information is asked to call Jasper police at 205-221-2121 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection dog sniffed out something unusual in luggage from a traveler returning from Africa mummified monkeys. The passenger returning from a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo reported that the luggage contained dried fish, but an inspection at Boston Logan Airport revealed dead and dehydrated bodies of four monkeys, agents said. The traveler said he brought the monkeys into the U.S. for his own consumption, Ryan Bissette, a CPB spokesperson, said Sunday. Raw or minimally processed meat from wild animals, sometimes referred to as bushmeat, is banned in the U.S. because of the threat of disease. The potential dangers posed by bringing bushmeat into the United States are real. Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus, said Julio Caravia, local port director for Customs and Border Protection. The incident happened last month but was made public on Friday. Bissette said Sunday that no charges were filed but all of the luggage was seized and the nearly 9 pounds (4 kilograms) of bushmeat were marked for destruction by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read the newsletter below. Sign up to get it in your inbox each day here. Another Walter Reed visit Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was back in the hospital on Sunday, reports The Associated Press. For the record, the White House, select members of Congress and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were notified. Austin, the Mobile native who has faced criticism, a review and an investigation over quietly being treated for prostate cancer without making the White House aware, was back at Walter Reed for symptoms the Pentagon said indicated an emergent bladder issue. The Pentagon also said through a spokesperson that the secretary has continued to function the duties of his job. Hes been scheduled to leave Tuesday for Brussels to meet with a group that coordinates support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia. A costly home raid A federal court has awarded a Randolph County couple a million dollars in its lawsuit against the county over a 2018 raid on their home by deputies, reports AL.coms Heather Gann. Greg and Teresa Almond claim that a deputy dropped by to serve paperwork regarding a civil matter. According to the plaintiffs, over the smell of marijuana, a task force showed up a couple hours later, kicked in the door and threw a shock device into the home. The lawsuit claims the task force found less than $50 of marijuana and one prescribed Lunesta pill outside of its bottle, but that authorities seized $8,000 in cash, firearms, jewelry and other items from safes in the home. Their son claimed the marijuana was his. Still, the Almonds were hit with misdemeanor possession charges. At trial, the circuit judge testified she didnt issue a warrant for the raid. Meantime, the couple claimed that Gregs reputation was damaged, leading to financial trouble. They missed a refinance deadline, lost their home and family farmland and ended up staying in a shed without running water and indoor plumbing. Every little bit helps Its not a million dollars, but put this one in the every little bit helps category. The Alabama Public Service Commission announced that some Alabama Power customers will get about a $5 credit from 2023, reports AL.coms Heather Gann. Which is nice, because when it gets really hot in a couple months, you can cut your thermostat up and use that five dollars to buy a popsicle. It all adds up to Alabama Power crediting customers a total of around $14.8 million. The reason for the credit, according to PSC President Twinkle Andress Cavanagh, is that Alabama Power went over its 6.15-percent profit cap. If they make more profit than that, they have to send it back to us customers. The $5 figure was what Cavanaugh said would be sent to typical residential customers who use around a thousand kilowatts. Born on this date In 1980, rapper Gucci Mane of Bessemer. On the calendar Today: National Clean Out Your Computer Day. (Sorry, not Throw Out Your Computer Day.) Tuesday: Fat Tuesday. Wednesday: Valentines Day The podcast An arrest warrant has been issued for a homeowner after he reportedly shot at a man going door to door in an east Fort Worth neighborhood, according to Fort Worth police. Around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, officers were dispatched to the 3100 block of Purington Avenue. Officers arrived at the scene, where a 32-year-old Black man told police that an adult male suspect started yelling racist slurs at him and then fired a weapon toward him, according to police. The victim told KXAS-TV that he works for Reliant Energy and was going door to door in the east Fort Worth neighborhood on Thursday morning asking residents about their electric bills. He knocked on a door on Purington Avenue and was met by a man with a gun, he told KXAS. The victim, who has asked to not be identified, was not injured thanks to a work tablet he had that stopped the bullet, according to the report by KXAS. He just came out and just straight pointed the barrel at me and then shot me and told me to get away from here, (racist slur). Im lucky it (the bullet) didnt hit me. It hit the tablet, the victim told KXAS. When officers arrived and began investigating, no one was home at the residence where the shooting occurred, police told the Star-Telegram. Fort Worth Gun Violence detectives are working on the case and were writing a warrant for the suspects arrest, police said. Based on the information provided by the victim, the suspect could face charges including aggravated assault and possibly a hate crime, police said. Police have not released the identity of the suspect. 2024 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Visit star-telegram.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Tommy Gooch could not hide his glee that voters did not approve a property tax renewal to pay for schools in Limestone County. Im kind of glad that it failed, he told AL.com with a chuckle, later adding, I pay enough. I pay enough taxes on my property. I dont need to pay no more. Gooch said that he called people and made social media posts, that he spoke to people on work sites as he built houses, that he urged anyone he could reach to reject the vote. I voted no on everything. When I walked in, I wasnt even going to read it, he said. He was far from alone. The property tax to fund education in Limestone County comes up for renewal every 20 years. On Dec. 5, the residents of fast-growing Limestone County overwhelmingly rejected it. Athens City Schools and Limestone County Schools are the main districts that benefit from the fund. But parts of three neighboring cities, Madison, Decatur, and Huntsville, stretch into Limestone County. Their school districts also get part of the Limestone education tax fund. Athens City Schools central office.Kayode Crown And for people like Gooch, thats a problem. Theyre trying to renew Im assuming thats the word renew something that has already been going on, for our tax money to be supporting Madison City, said Gooch, and other places that build school systems in our county, parts that were annexed. Our moneys supposed to be staying here in our county. I wish I had a way of stopping the annexation. I have no idea how to do it. Madison schools got $1.7 million, while Limestone County Schools received more than $7 million in the 2022-2023 financial year, their superintendents told AL.com. Madison City Schools central office.Kayode Crown The superintendents of Decatur and Huntsville did not respond to requests for interviews for this article. There were four measures on the ballot in December. Limestone County voters rejected two separate countywide public school taxes, both by about 60-40% margin. One is a 4.5 mill tax and the other is a 1 mill tax. A mill works out to $10 a year on a $100,000 home. Voters also rejected the 3 mill public school tax renewal for parts of the county that do not include the city school systems. That failed by a 70-30% margin. The 3 mill property tax for Athens passed. But the district will still experience revenue loss, said superintendent Beth Patton. In a statement emailed to AL.com, Patton said that this is because voters did not approve the two county-wide property taxes, part of which supported Athens City Schools. Some voters in Athens expressed that they believed that voting against the tax renewal would lower their property taxes. This is not the case, she wrote. The Alabama Constitution requires that each school district receive a bare minimum of 10 mills of property tax for general school purposes, and if a school system is below that level, then special district taxes are automatically levied to get each school district to that minimum level. The districts receive portions of the Limestone education tax fund based on the number of Limestone county-based students attending their schools, said Ed Nichols, the Madison superintendent, in an interview with AL.com. Madison City Schools saw the most significant growth in Limestone County, increasing the number of students there by 60% in the last five years. The city-wide school population grew by 20% in the same period. There are 3,300 students living in Limestone County and attending Madison City Schools, constituting just over a quarter of the systems 12,600 students. All Madison city schools earned an A in the 2023 Alabama schools report card. Nichols is concerned about the Dec. 5 votes impact on the school district because the district uses the tax money to support various programs, including ongoing school renovations and expansion as the district population grows. Madison City Schools Superintendent Ed Nichols.Kayode Crown That growth is going to really be a challenge to us without this stream of funding, he said. We want to continue to be able to allow our students the electives that they want, not turn them away, Nichols told AL.com. So those are areas like career tech and fine arts, youve got to have the facility in place for them. Gooch, whose children attend Limestone County Schools, said he believes people in the annexed parts of the county should pay for whatever goes into their school districts. They annexed that property, thats all on them, he said. They should have thought about that before they annexed. Those people that got annexed should have to pay the piper, not us. The people that are getting the benefit are the ones that should be paying. Another Limestone County resident and parent, John Witt, also opposes the annexations going on in the county and does not want to help the school districts in the annexed areas. The county is getting annexed out of existence, he said. Youve got people that live out here in the country like us. We like living in the country and we dont want to pay more taxes for the greater good of the annexed area. So were out here expecting to pay for these schools that already have more money than we have, he said. I mean, I am voting against that because its going to go to other places; at least, that is the perception. So my point is this: why should someone in this district, these districts, pay a school system just because its physically in the county? Its not a county system. Before the Dec. 5 vote, which saw just a 3% voter turnout, Witt called people on the phone urging them to reject the measure. I made 30 or 40 calls. Then they would contact people, get on their social media, and send stuff out. I said, Im not voting for it, and I advise you to not vote for it. Jess Brown, retired Athens State University political science professor, said the low voter turnout creates questions. The baseline problem is probably voter apathy and voter ignorance, Brown said. Voter apathy in the sense that 97% of the registered voters either didnt know enough or didnt care enough to even go out. And of the 3% that did vote, we may have a situation where there was voter ignorance, that they just didnt know what they were voting on. Brown said there is a growing trend of parent disenchantment with public schools. Tuscaloosa County voters in February 2023 rejected property tax increases to fund education. Choctaw County voters, in 2022, did not renew theirs, potentially leaving a funding gap. Whats happened in the last 10 to 20 years is that the parents in the voting public of Alabama are having less and less confidence in the services provided by the public school systems, he said. I hear anecdotally from a lot of people, including parents, that the sort of almost blind support, cheerleading support of public schools, that would have been very evident a generation ago, I am convinced the public schools just do not enjoy the level of public confidence that they did a generation ago. And this could be what you saw in this vote. Randy Shearouse, Limestone County Schools superintendent, said the district uses the $7 million from the property tax to hire extra teachers, which helps keep class sizes down and allows the county system to embark on new construction because other funding sources are restricted. Limestone County Schools Superintendent Randy ShearouseKayode Crown However, there is another chance to go back to Limestone County voters. But Shearouse said that the school board has not decided whether to bring the vote up again before the October 2025 deadline for the renewal. Shearouse explained that Alabama now mandates each county tax a minimum of 10 mills for education as part of the states funding formula. If you dont pass it, the county commission still has to levy 10 mils for the school system, he said. Shearouse is disappointed at the votes result. I think eventually there could be a loss of money, he said. But I think it all goes back to we want our citizens to support our school system and the good things were doing here. We think that is important. Gooch said he is committed to ensuring the vote fails again if the authorities put it back on the ballot. Because I will spend every dime I make to make sure it doesnt pass because I just dont believe in throwing good money at a dead horse, Gooch told AL.com. Its not going to pass, he said. A woman in a trenchcoat opened fire with a long gun inside celebrity pastor Joel Osteens megachurch in Texas before being gunned down by two off-duty officers who confronted her, sending worshippers rushing from the building between busy Sunday services, authorities said. The woman entered the Houston church with a 5-year-old boy shortly before 2 p.m. and the child was shot and critically injured. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said it was not clear whether the child was struck by the off-duty officers who returned fire. He said a 57-year-old man also was shot and wounded. The child was in critical condition at a childrens hospital, while the man was stable at a different hospital with a hip wound. What we know today Finner said that after the woman began shooting, both officers engaged her and the woman was killed. He said that unfortunately a 5-year-old kid was hit although he released no immediate details on how the confrontation unfolded. He praised the officers for quickly confronting the woman, adding, She had a long gun, and it could have been a lot worse. The slain woman was not immediately identified, and her motive wasnt clear. The shooting happened between services at the megachurch that is regularly attended by 45,000 people every week, making it the third largest megachurch in the U.S., according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteens televised sermons reach about 100 countries. It was not clear where Osteen was at the time. But he joined police at a news conference afterward and said the church is devastated. He added that the shooting could have been much worse if it had happened during the larger 11 a.m. service. He added he would pray for the victims and for the woman who did the shooting and their families. Were going to stay strong and were going to continue to, to move forward, Osteen said after authorities spoke. There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us -- the forces of God -- are stronger than that. So were going to keep going strong and just, you know, doing what Gods called us to do: lift people up and give hope to the world. Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple gunshots shortly before the churchs 2 p.m. Spanish language service was set to begin. Christina Rodriguez, who was inside the church, told Houston television station KTRK that she started screaming, Theres a shooter, theres a shooter, and then she and others ran to the backside of a library inside the building, then stood in a stairway before they were told it was safe to leave. Longtime church member Alan Guity, whose family is from Honduras, said he was resting inside the churchs sanctuary before the 2 p.m. service as his mother was working as an usher when he heard gunshots. Boom, boom, boom, boom and I yelled, Mom, he said. The 35-year-old ran to his mother and they both laid flat on the floor and prayed as the gunfire continued. They remained there for about five minutes until someone told them it was safe to evacuate. Outside, Guity said, he and his mother tried to calm people down by worshiping and singing in Spanish, Move in me, move in me. Touch my mind and my heart. Move within me Holy Spirit. Guity was among the many congregation members who waited Sunday evening to be allowed to return to their vehicles as police continued to search the building. The church is located in what used to be an arena where the NBAs Houston Rockets used to play years ago. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a separate statement saying our hearts are with those impacted by todays tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred. At least 20 police and fire trucks were near one of the churchs entrances Sunday afternoon, including the fire departments hazardous materials truck. Finner said it was reported that the woman had a bomb, but no explosives were found when her vehicle and backpack were searched. Worshippers could be seen leaving the building as authorities evacuated the church before the news conference. Officials announced a reunification center had been set up at a nearby gym for people to find their loved ones. The church has grown tremendously over the past 25 years since Joel Osteen took over after his fathers death in 1999 and introduced an upbeat style of Christian televangelism that has captured a following of millions. The elder Osteen founded the church in a converted feed store in 1959. At times, Lakewood Church has served as a shelter during flooding in Houston. After the pandemic, it reopened for a time at one-quarter of its capacity with only 4,000 worshippers allowed. By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press A southeast Alabama pharmacy and its owner were fined $110,000 for shoddy recordkeeping that led to thousands of opioid doses going unaccounted for, federal prosecutors said. King Drug, which has since ceased operations as a retail pharmacy in Samson, in Geneva County, and owner Traci Revels McCoy, was being sued by federal prosecutors in Montgomery for alleged violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Between January 16, 2021, and December 14, 2021, King Drug and McCoy failed to keep complete, timely, and accurate inventories and records of the receipt and dispensing of Schedule II controlled substances, said Acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross in a statement issued Friday. The recordkeeping failures resulted in thousands of doses of hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, and methadone going unaccounted for, prosecutors said, which prompted the lawsuit. A judge issued a consent judgment fining the pharmacy and McCoy $110,000 on Feb. 2. Pharmacies serve a vital role in preventing the diversion and the resulting abuse of dangerous prescription drugs, said Ross. The requirement to keep complete and accurate records is crucial for accountability and transparency. My office will use all available enforcement tools to ensure that controlled substances are properly handled and used for legitimate, medical purposes. Added Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration: Prescription medications, when misused, can pose a grave threat to public health, said Thats why meticulous recordkeeping by pharmacies is an essential line of defense against the opioid crisis. Every dose, every pill meticulously accounted for protects communities and saves lives. by Andrea Scrima In November 2023, in an essay for the German national newspaper die taz, I wrote that Germanys Jews were once again afraid for their lives. It wasand isa shameful state of affairs, considering that the country has invested heavily in coming to terms with its fascist past and has made anti-antisemitism and the unconditional support of Israel part of its Staatsrason, or national interestor, as others have come to define it, the reason for the countrys very existence. The Jews Im referring to here, however, were not reacting to a widely deplored lack of empathy following the brutal attacks of October 7. In an open letter initiated by award-winning American journalist Ben Mauk and others, more than 100 Jewish writers, journalists, scientists, and artists living in Germany described a political climate where any form of compassion with Palestinian civilians was (and continues to be) equated with support for Hamas and criminalized. Assaults on the democratic right to dissent in peaceful demonstrations; cancellations of publications, fellowships, professorships, and awards; police brutality against the countrys immigrant population, liberal-minded Jews, and other protesting citizensthe effects have been widely documented, but what matters most now is now: the fact that the German press is still, four months later, nearly monovocal in its support of Israel and that over 28,000 civilians, two-thirds of them women and children, have died. The recent, legally binding emergency ruling of the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide and do everything in its power to facilitate basic services and humanitarian aid has done little to change the circumstances on the ground or to move the media dial in any significant way. Instead, in response to claims that twelve of its staff of 30,000 were involved in the Hamas attacks, Germany has become the latest country to pull funding from the UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East, the main body entrusted with distributing supplies to the vast displacedwith the result that, only days after the ICJ ruling, and hours before the Israeli army is set to begin a ground offensive in Rafah, where over a million displaced Palestinians are presently shivering in tents and have little access to food or potable water, a complete and catastrophic collapse of humanitarian aid to Gaza seems imminent. * Much has happened in Germany since the conference We Still Need to Talk, called to life by the artist Candice Breitz and the literary scholar Michael Rothberg to reflect on urgent questions concerning genocide, political violence, antisemitism, and racism, was cancelled in November 2023. Over 40 authors, academics, and artists had been scheduled to take part until the German Federal Agency for Civic Education revoked the invitation, offering by way of explanation only that for the moment, everything is overlaid by the horrible events of October 7, 2023. Since the events cancellation, innumerable additional events have been called off due to their controversial subject matter; people have been losing their jobs and seeing their reputations ruined for having posted an expression of compassion or grief for the Palestinian wounded and dead. In view of the civil rights violations taking place, wrote the signatories of the above-mentioned open letter, we fear the atmosphere in Germany has become more dangerousfor Jews and Muslims alikethan at any time in the nations recent history. On December 15, 2023 the leading AmericanRussian journalist Masha Gessen, author of the acclaimed Surviving Autocracy, was supposed to receive the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought in Germany. Gessen, who identifies as non-binary, has written extensively on Russia and the Ukraine, autocracy, totalitarianism, and oppression; The New Yorker had just published their essay comparing Gaza to the Jewish ghettos in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II. When the news hit, a scandal erupted and one of the sponsors of the prize, the Heinrich Boll Foundation, retracted its support. The city of Bremen went ahead and awarded Gessen the prize anyway, albeit a day late and in a different location than plannedand, for fear of provoking violence, in secrecy. In their essay, Gessen describes how memory culture in Berlin initially exhilarated them, and then, at some point, the effort began to feel static, glassed in, as though it were an effort not only to remember history but also to insure that only this particular history is rememberedand only in this way. On the other hand, the Bosnian/Serbian writer Lana Bastasic, winner of the 2020 European Union Prize for Literature for her book Catch the Rabbit, recently took matters into her own hands and terminated her contract with her German publisher S. Fischer Verlag in response to its failure to speak out against the killing in Gaza and its systematic censorship of pro-Palestinian voices in Germany. The German press quickly seized on the news, and in a frenzy of Schadenfreude seemingly aimed at taking her down a notch or two and tarnishing her reputation, attacked her for living up to what she saw as her moral and ethical duty. Catch the Rabbit is a novel about the trauma of a younger generation coming of age during the brutal killings of the Bosnian war; a writer awarded for writing about the effects of genocide on young impressionable minds is ridiculed for seeing and voicing shocking parallels to the current crisis in Gaza, in spite of the fact that she is doing this at a high personal and professional cost. Bastasic was recently informed by the Austrian Literature Festival Salzburg that a previous invitation was now, regrettably, being retracted; other cancellations are likely to follow. * As Holocaust survivor and Germanys first female professor of political science, Eleonore Sterling, said in 1965, Germanys deeply patronizing, paternalistic philosemitism replaces a true act of understanding, repentance, and future vigilance. It was a far-sighted observation for its time. The philosemitic moral stance of todayin its apparent need to lecture differently-minded Jews on the meaning of Jewishness and the only acceptable position to take in this warreveals itself as especially absurd when its the Jewish and Israeli members of German society that have to point out this inconvenient truth. Any criticism of Israels actions is automatically equated with antisemitism; instead of rational arguments based on observable facts, a culture of censorship and seemingly synchronized silence can be observed. This, of course, has wide-ranging repercussions beyond public discourse. In terms of the decisions made in policing and public funding, Germany implements a specific definition of antisemitism drawn up in 2016 by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, an intergovernmental organization endorsed by the U.S. State Department and an overwhelming majority of EU states. Among its examples of antisemitism, this definition includes claiming that the State of Israel is a racist endeavor, applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation, and drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis. The German state took this a step further and criminalized the Palestinian flag and various expressions of solidarity, most notably Stop the genocide in Gaza and From the river to the sea, which were suddenly punishable by up to three years in prison until two German courts ruled in favor of their legality toward the end of last year. In response to the infringements on freedom of expression inherent in the I.H.R.A. definition and the need for a more precise tool for interpretation, a group of scholars of Holocaust history, Jewish studies, and Middle East studies formulated The Jerusalem Declaration, which provides a template for distinguishing between anti-Israeli and antisemitic positions. Among the examples it offers for opinions that one may not agree with, but are not in and of themselves antisemitic: supporting the Palestinian demand for justice, evidence-based criticism of Israel as a state, and criticizing or opposing Zionism as a form of nationalism. In its training manuals designed to teach law-enforcement officers how to recognize hate crimes, however, the German government has remained with the I.H.R.A. definition; in 2018, it created an immense bureaucracy of antisemitism commissioners whose sole purpose is to identify and publicly shame all acts and statements it deems antisemitic, including those criticizing Israeli policy or challenging the notion of the singularity of the Holocaust, i.e., that address it in a larger context that includes other acts of genocide. Curiously, very few of these commissioners are Jewish, whereas the number of Jews targeted by the I.H.R.A. definition is comparatively high. The German governments unconditional support for Israel doesnt only prevent it from condemning the deaths of civilians in Gazait also allows it to ignore the way dissenting Jews in Germany are being thrown under the same bus as they are in Israel, as the German-American author Deborah Feldman remarked following a conversation with Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck televised in November 2023. The majority of people murdered on October 7th were committed to social justice and a peaceful solution to the Middle East conflict. But, Feldman argues, their protection was sacrificed for the benefit of the radical settlers in the West Bank. In Germany, differences in opinion are negotiated along similar lines: as Susan Neiman, director of the Einstein Forum in Potsdam, observed several months ago, only those Jews who are loyal to the Israeli government are listened to, respected, and protected in Germanyin other words, the extreme right-wing, pro-government voices of the Israeli Embassy in Berlin and the Central Council of Jews in Germany. Emotions are running high, but it should be possible to think and express several truths at the same time: Israels right to defend itself; the fact that over twenty-eight thousand Palestinian civilians have already been killed; the horror of the atrocities committed by Hamas; the displacement of two million people and the blanket destruction of their homes and cities. Instead, arguments are phrased in Biblical terms of good and evil, black and whitewhile anyone venturing into the historical context of Israels founding and the ongoing oppressionand now widespread killingof Palestinians is denounced for relativizing the Hamas attacks and even the Holocaust itself. The prognosis is disturbing: it was recently revealed that the deeply xenophobic radical right-wing, neo-Nazi-affiliated party AfD (Alternative for Germany), which is rapidly gaining popular support, met in secret with leaders from German business and finance to discuss their plans for a massive deportation of foreign-born residents, including those holding German citizenshipunleashing a frenzy of demonstrations all over the country in protest against fascism and in support of democracy. And as an undercurrent of antisemitism continues to ripple throughout all sectors of German society, the AfD, in a perverse win-win scheme, has sanctimoniously appropriated the anti-antisemitism debate to camouflage its own racist prejudice and openly antisemitic actions and project it onto the countrys migrant population, many of whom are Muslim. The unfortunate result: for fear of being upstaged, Germanys other political parties, including the ruling coalition between the Social Democratic, Liberal, and Green parties, have outdone the radical right in their call for mass deportationsessentially shutting down the possibility of anything resembling impartial discourse. * As the saying goes, Germanys relationship with its past is complicated: it turns out that theres also a trauma of the perpetrator, and the country has undergone a long and painful process in its attempts to work through it. But with what success? Solidarity with the Jewish state, Pankaj Mishra writes, has burnished Germanys proud self-image as the only country that makes public remembrance of its criminal past the foundation of its collective identity. Yet while antisemitism is still, eighty years later, alive and well, it can seem that Germans, after all the hard work theyve done, consider their country rehabilitated and themselves officially absolved. Among those most vociferously defending the unconditional pro-Israel policy, one nonetheless senses an unacknowledged ambivalence toward the dictates of memory culture, and perhaps its the fear that it might, like a sudden Tourettes outburst, pop out at an inappropriate moment that makes them less invested in examining the complex landscape of their own inner contradictions than pointing the finger at, and punishing, progressive voices and the incorrigible Muslim minority, whom they hold responsible for the rise in antisemitism following the October 7 attacks. But for everything Germany lacks in conviction, it makes up for in efficiency and a pretense of moral superiority. Incidentally, it should be noted here that, according to the German Federal Police, hatred of Jews is anything but an import: 84% of all 2022 antisemitic incidents were committed by German right-wing extremists. Heated debates over the documenta exhibition and pro-Palestinian BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) campaign, which was deemed antisemitic by a 2019 Bundestag resolution because it allegedly calls the existence of Israel into question, had already dominated coverage of Jewish affairs in the German media prior to the Hamas attacks, but anyone expecting a serious public debate confronting the concrete reality of Israel and Gaza, the explosion of illegal settlements, and the future of its displaced residents waits in vain. Germany, says Feldman, fetishizes Jewishness to the point of obsession; indeed, the country can be said to have a compulsive relationship to Jews. As of late, government voices have been calling for adding a mandatory pro-Israel declaration to the naturalization process, while in Berlin, a similar statement put in place by the Senate for Culture as a legal requirement for receiving arts funding was only retractedalbeit until further noticeafter massive protest was mobilized in the cultural scene. What is my place in all this? As an American who came to Berlin when Germanys memory culture was in its nascent phase and who witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall and German Reunification, I have been observing these long, difficult processes first-hand for forty years. Ive come to view the reunited halves of the formerly divided country as two parts of a single schizoid self. As I wrote in my second book: [. . .] because the two Germanys define themselves in opposition to one another, because each of them claims a moral superiority over the other, one thats contingent on the depravity of the otherthat blames the fascist past on the otheranything that touches upon this taboo is a threat. When I studied Naomi Kleins use of the German term doppelganger to describe the mirroring effect between Israel and Palestine, it struck me that viewing the parallels between Germany and Israel as two sets of twinned doppelgangers might explain something about the German position on the irresolvable sibling rivalry between Israelis and Palestinians. They each lay claim to exceptionalism: Israel as the only safe homeland for the Jewish people in a world that might once again, without prior warning, decide to annihilate them; Germany as the infamous bureaucratized epitome of the colonialist, racist, eugenicist, and genocidal campaigns Europe had already implemented to great success in the Americas and Africa. Both entail an expiation of guilt: in the case of Germany, through its self-definition as the successful outcome of a disciplined program of atonement; for Israel, through its unaccountability qua victim for the suffering it inflicts on its nemesis. Both are a product of psychological splitting and rely on dehumanizing racist tropes to justify a lack of basic human compassion: everything one cannot integrate into the self, everything that should be weighing on ones conscience, is projected onto the shadow self, the doppelganger. This might explain why Germany has not, in fact, learned what the Holocaust should have taught us allto see, name, and prevent the persecution and killing of oppressed peoples everywhere; why Israel is not willing to face what should be self-evidentthat it is defending, through unspeakable violence, its own sacred status as victim. * On October 22, 2023, friends in Berlin organized an event during the course of which we read, over more than six hours, the entirety of Palestinian author Adania Shiblis Minor Detail in three languagesArabic, English and German. A nominee for the International Booker Prize and the National Book Award, Shibli was supposed to be presented with the Frankfurt Book Fairs LiBeraturpreis, an award extended to exceptional women writers from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arab countries. Instead, the prize ceremony was cancelled; the public announcement contained the false claim that the author herself had agreed to a postponement. Regarding the misuse of language, Shibli recently said: In Palestine-Israel, I, like many others, grew up realizing language is not merely a tool for communication. It often hides rather than articulates, holding between its silence endless possibilities not concerned with expression. Language can be attacked, abused. It can still offer the ultimate freedom of being and love you dont have access to in reality. The pounding of tanks and artillery fire, the wailing sirens of ambulances, relentless bombs raining down from overhead: these have long been everyday realities in the Palestinian territories, but in Berlin, as Susan Neiman recently remarked, the term apartheid will get you canceled faster than the N-word in New York. Yet this is precisely the term Israeli human rights organizations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other groups have long been advocating for because it most accurately describes the structure of oppression in place in the country. Now, however, the term we are battling overand seeing our professional reputations ruined overis genocide. Unequivocal words are the basic prerequisites for critical thinking; repressive states can be recognized by their strict control over public discourse. Leaving aside the unacknowledged German genocide on the Herero and Nama tribes in German Southwest Africa (todays Namibia) for the moment, it can be said that Germany insists on policing the public use of the word antisemitism according to its own narrow definition. Anyone who advocates for innocent children in refugee camps, for universal human rights and for the lessons that came out of World War II, is not an anti-Semite. To claim otherwise is gaslighting, as Feldman has said. For her part, Neiman argues that Germans would be well advised not to equate Israeli politics with the Jews and should not, as Israeli journalist Amira Hass formulates it in Haaretz, give a wounded, hurting Israel a blank check [] to pulverize and destroy and kill without restraint []. Perhaps, as this tragedy continues to unfold, Germany will eventually recognize that its responsibility from the Holocaustindeed, that the greatest lesson of its horrific historyis to dedicate itself to resolute action against the mechanisms of dehumanization, discrimination, and violence against all marginalized groups, wherever they occur. The fact that a vice chancellor debated a young writer on national televisionthe equivalent would be Kamala Harris sparring with Ta-Nehisi Coates on air, a virtually impossible prospect given the hermetic circles of power in the USoffers hope, however slim. The award-winning Israeli journalist Haggai Matar said that the only way to stop Palestinians from rising up against their oppressors is to end the oppression and denial of their human and legal rights. It is justice, security, and a decent future for all of us, or for none of us. Indeed, its becoming increasingly clear, particularly among progressive Israelis, that there can be no extermination of terror unless the causes of that terror are fundamentally changed and that Israels security is contingent on guaranteeing Palestinians the same safety and protection it claims for itself. If, that is, there are any left after the dust has settled on the ravaged landscape of Gazas ruins. Andrea Scrima was born in New York and has been living in Berlin since 1984. She is currently the writer-in-residence of the city of Graz. Author of A Lesser Day (Spuyten Duyvil, 2010, published in German translation as Wie viele Tage,Literaturverlag Droschl, 2019) and Like Lips, Like Skins (Kreislaufe, Droschl, 2021); editor-in-chief of the literary journal StatORec. Editor of the anthology Writing the Virus (Outpost19 Books, 2021), featured by the New York Times as a New & Noteworthy book of 2021. She is a dual citizen. Literature: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/10/world/europe/germany-pro-palestinian-protests.html https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-gaza-war.html https://www.972mag.com/october-war-israelis-palestinians-historic/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-commando-companies-said-diverted-from-gaza-border-to-west-bank-days-before-oct-7/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/more-details-unveiled-of-idf-intel-on-oct-7-plans-consults-hours-before-hamas-attack/ https://de.scribd.com/document/681086738/Israeli-Intelligence-Ministry-Policy-Paper-on-Gaza-s-Civilian-Population-October-2023 https://taz.de/Offener-Brief-juedischer-Intellektueller/!5965154&s=Mauk/ https://www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/freedom-for-the-one-who-thinks-differently/ https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2023/10/19/historical-reckoning-gone-haywire-germany-susan-neiman/ https://www.nybooks.com/online/2023/10/11/deja-vu-in-israel/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/oct/20/germany-israel-palestinian-author-frankfurt-adania-shibli?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/13/germany-jewish-criticise-israel-tv-debate https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/09/palestinian-author-adania-shibli-frankfurt-book-fair https://www.fr.de/kultur/literatur/schriftstellerin-deborah-feldman-wir-stehen-am-beginn-eines-zivilisationsbruchs-92656041.html https://time.com/6329142/west-bank-settler-violence-israel-security/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/10/damning-evidence-of-war-crimes-as-israeli-attacks-wipe-out-entire-families-in-gaza/ https://www.codastory.com/rewriting-history/crackdown-pro-palestinian-gatherings-germany/ https://fair.org/home/conflating-jewish-and-pro-israel-is-wrong-and-misleading/ https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/2023-10-16/ty-article-opinion/.premium/germany-you-have-long-since-betrayed-your-responsibility/0000018b-3487-d051-a1cb-3ddfa2cf0000?gift=56e7da1683424deaa009caa88fa50c18&fbclid=IwAR2wEIiY6fcsBwbvifTXCv6wen3QcMhR2pHtIDxjEWyUkzp0p0gCySDqgXQ https://taz.de/Berliner-Gericht-zu-Anti-BDS-Beschluss/!5807027/ https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/we-still-need-to-talk-bundeszentrale-fur-politische-bildung-verschiebt-konferenz-10709827.html https://www.thedial.world/state-of-the-world/israel-hamas-war-germany-response https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/26/far-right-afd-wins-local-election-watershed-moment-german-politics https://www.antisemitismusbeauftragter.de/Webs/BAS/DE/bekaempfung-antisemitismus/was-ist-antisemitismus/3d-regel/3d-regel-node.html https://www.bpb.de/shop/zeitschriften/apuz/israel-2023/520481/israelbezogener-antisemitismus/ https://archive.is/2023.11.17-130154/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/das-grosse-erschrecken-wie-der-kulturbetrieb-am-eskalierenden-nahost-konflikt-zu-zerbrechen-droht-10785640.html https://www.timesofisrael.com/prominent-german-critic-of-israel-who-had-claimed-to-be-jewish-now-says-hes-not/ https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/n01/pankaj-mishra/memory-failure https://newleftreview.org/sidecar/posts/denegation https://naomiklein.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Israel-Palestine-and-the-Doppelganger-Effect.pdf https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-weekend-essay/in-the-shadow-of-the-holocaust https://jerusalemdeclaration.org https://taz.de/Deutsche-Haltung-zu-Nahost/!5973912/ I was twelve years old when the Cuban missile crisis took place, and from that time I became interested in communism and how its mercurial power works. When I learned that Castro, a dedicated communist with a band of less than 200 followers, took power over 7.2 million Cuban people, I knew that communist ideology and its strategies of deception were important to study and understand. In 1981, in the summer of my freshman year at the University of Chicago, I began a sponsored research project on communism in America. That research grew into a book titled Covert Cadre, which was published in 1988. Upon publication, Covert Cadre was acclaimed by National Review as the most important book of the presidential election year 1988 -- a year in which Jesse Jackson, supported by communists, became a U.S. presidential candidate. Years later, in the Clinton administration, documented research in Covert Cadre resulted in invitations to provide expert witness testimony before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence. In 1994, as a result of irrefutable evidence, the presidential nominee for U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense withdrew his candidacy. In 1996, the presidential nominee for CIA director withdrew his candidacy a day before my scheduled testimony. The nominees in both cases had extensive connections with America-hating radicals and communists. Communism and communist revolutions are all different in nuances of execution, but they have common characteristics: 1) Without exception communists seek to sever the target society or country from its past, by rewriting history and destroying historic monuments. 2) Communists seek to divide the target society, and pit the people against each other in as many ways as possible: by class, race, gender, and more -- all for the purpose of facilitating their power and control over the target people. 3) Communists seek to destroy the family and have the state take over child health, education, and welfare. 4) Communists seek to destroy Christianity, Christian morality, and the church, by infiltration and creating false fronts of secular humanism of all varieties. Today, environmentalism and climate change are number one false fronts being used to destroy America and western civilization. With the declining state of understanding and appreciating American history because of decades of failing schools, it is increasingly important to maintain historic sites, statues, and art to remind and elevate peoples consciousness of the importance of heroic figures and the connection of the present with the past. Last year I became involved in the citizen initiative to oppose the removal of the Reconciliation Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. That monument embodied the meaning of America better than any other single monument in the country. You know we are in a communist revolution when reconciliation gets cancelled, as it was when that monument was removed from Arlington, following a ruling by a weak federal judge. God sent his Son to bring about reconciliation between God and sinful, fallen man. In prior generations, America was often referred to as the Redeemer Nation, because it was understood that America was the only model redeemer for the other corrupt nations of the world. What strikes me about the advanced state of the communist cultural revolution progressing in America in the wave of monument removals after the unfortunate George Floyd death and then the recent removal of the Reconciliation Memorial is that most Americans are bystanders to this destruction of America. The truth may be a step further: By allowing the destruction of our historic sites, memorials and monuments, Americans are acquiescing in their own suicide. Our Judeo-Christian orientation requires us to honor our parents, grandparents, and forebears and to cherish, retain and protect the memorials and landmarks that they have left behind. Atheists and Communists who reject this foundational view of our civilization have infiltrated our governments at all levels, and are using their power against the American people and their general belief that history, good, bad, and ugly, should be preserved, passed onto future generations, and used as a learning tool. A memorial that one family or group venerates may not be understood by another group, but therein lies its essential importance, which is to provide a catalyst for learning from the past and recognizing the importance of respecting each others cultures and differences. America has been a successful melting pot and catalyst for creativity and innovation -- lifting our country up to being recognized as the greatest place in the world. We used to say that diversity was our strength, that we learn from different views and cultures. The communist woke revolution has almost succeeded in destroying this foundational virtuous strength of our country. It must be stopped. Today, Marxism, its front groups, and apologists, such as the Southern Poverty Law Center and its derivatives such as CRT and DEI, have hijacked much of our culture and introduced class warfare and declining standards to so many of our institutions. DEI, imposed on all branches of the military by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (who also mandated the Removal of Reconciliation Monument from Arlington) has so demoralized the military that we have serious recruiting shortfalls in every branch -- a development that helps our enemies -- notably Communist China. While adding few if any new virtuous monuments, memorials, or historic markers, we have allowed BLM and Antifa to tear down past virtue under the tacit legal authority of government entities. This is dangerously wrong, and the State of Florida can stop this. In the case of the Arlington Reconciliation Memorial, the Naming Commission, created by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), required the U.S. Military to discard any and all memorabilia or commemorations of the service of the Southern forces in what was Americas most bloody war, as some morbid offering on the altar of the new American god of woke. This new god is supplanting our Judeo-Christian God and the political foundation that was created from those beliefs, and causing America to waver and become demoralized and prone to collapse from within. In Arlington Cemetery and in many cities, we have seen cranes being used not to build, but to destroy and remove historic monuments. I hope and pray that Florida can set a precedent and stop this wrecking ball of destruction of both our heritage and the proper functioning of our governing authorities. I call on all people of faith to reach out to their state elected officials and to Governor DeSantis and ask them to support Senate Bill 1122 and House Bill 395 and make it law this session. Everyone should recognize that when the pro-Marxist Southern Poverty Law Center boasts that they have removed more historic sites in Florida than any other state but one -- Virginia -- that you are over the target. Thus, making law to stop this is our patriotic duty, and for our elected congresspeople, it is an implied obligation of their oath of office. Florida Republicans under Gov. DeSantis leadership, can return to the God of our fathers and reject the god of woke. Lets hope they have the courage to step up. With the 2024 Florida legislative session being at its mid-point, Tallahassee still has a shot at passing solid historic preservation legislation that stops a key part of the Marxist cultural revolution in its tracks. Doing so will demonstrate real leadership by Florida and provide a role model for other states to follow. Doing nothing facilitates the continuation of the slow suicide of America. Scott Powell is a resident of Florida, a senior fellow at Discovery Institute, and a member of the Committee on the Present Danger-China. His timeless book, Rediscovering America, was a #1 Amazon New Release in the history genre for eight weeks. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1637581599). Reach him at scottp@discovery.org Image: Tim Evanson Illegal Alien Is One of Many Correct Legal Terms for Illegal Immigrant --Alex Nowrasteh, Cato Institute, Oct. 14, 2019 Since the Democrat News Media Colluders (or DNC) believe that most illegal immigrants will eventually be made citizens and vote Democrat, they fabricate fallacious arguments in favor of illegal immigration. One of the most common of these, as Rep. Primila Jayapal (D-WA) put in 2019, is that: No human being is illegal. I urged my colleagues to stop dehumanizing immigrant communities and instead use the term undocumented. Similarly, The Guardian reports that Hillary Clinton, challenged by an immigration activist, admitted that illegal alien is a poor choice of words and committed to abandon it. The same article reports that the Associated Press struck the expression from its style guide and that the Los Angeles Times, USAToday, the Huffington Post and ABC soon followed suit. In 2013 the New York Times public editor Margret Sullivan wrote that since many people find it offensive to describe a person with an adjective like illegal I now favor the use of undocumented or unauthorized instead. Since the CATO article notes that most people assume that illegal alien is the correct legal term, Sullivan must mean that many people on the DNC find the term offensive. The same argument has also been adopted by migrant rights organizations and combined with other fallacious arguments to normalize illegal immigration. We reject the word illegal to describe undocumented migrants. This word is factually incorrect: an action can be illegal, not a person. This migrant rights organization, on this basis, goes on to argue that the use of the word illegal to describe illegal aliens is dehumanizing, immoral, inaccurate and contributes to the demonization of migrant communities. [It] is dehumanising and reductive, an insult to the struggle and arduous experiences migrants may have been through. Even when an action is defined as illegal, legal status is arbitrary and often does not coincide with morality. The word also contributes to increased hostility towards migrant communities and insinuates they are undeserving of rights. Since these claims are premised on the view that the expressions illegal alien or illegal immigrant imply that the person themselves is illegal consider that claim first. When little 11-year-old Johnny decides to take the family car on a 70-mph spin in a 15-mph school zone and is called, by the judge an illegal driver, the judge is not saying that little Johnny is an illegal person. He/she is saying only that his action of underage driving without a license is illegal. Using the Latin legal expression qua, the judge is not saying little Johnny is illegal qua person but only qua driver. Since the DNCs foundational claim is transparently false, all of the sub-arguments that presuppose it are so as well. The claims that the expressions illegal alien and illegal immigrant are dehumanizing or immoral are false because the use of that term to describe someone does not address their humanity per se but only their status as an immigration lawbreaker, nothing more. The claim that the use of these expressions contributes to the demonization of migrant communities is clearly false, first because that term is not used to describe migrants per se but only illegal migrants. The use of those expressions is not reductive, that is, it does not reduce illegal immigrants to their status as breakers of immigration law any more than the judges calling little Johnny an illegal driver deprives Johnny of his other rights under the Constitution. The claim that the use of these terms is an insult of the struggle and arduous experiences they may have been through is no more compelling than the claim that calling little Johnny an illegal driver is an insult to the fact that he bloodied his head when he crashed the car. The argument that the use of these terms contributes to increased hostility towards migrant communities and insinuates they are undeserving of rights are also false for several reasons. First, it makes the DNCs standard deliberate confusion between illegal migrant communities and legal migrant communities. Second, calling an illegal alien an illegal alien no more increases hostility towards them than calling little Johnny an illegal driver increases hostility towards him. If there is hostility towards little Johnny it is because he broke the law and exactly the same is true of illegal aliens. Finally, the claim that describing illegal aliens as illegal aliens or illegal immigrants somehow insinuates that they are undeserving of rights is no more accurate than that the fact that the judge calls little Johnny an illegal driver somehow insinuates that his constitutional rights are suspended. The DNC needs to learn to make basic distinctions and face the real issues for a change. These DNCs arguments also make ample use of the Appeal to Emotion Fallacy that fallaciously appeals to emotion rather than reason to win an argument. In the present case the DNC tries to create the impression of an evil boogey man, a heartless Republican or conservative, who, like racists and slavers, wants to deny certain categories of people their legal and moral rights as human beings. In fact, the opposite is true. The whole point of calling someone an illegal alien is that since they broke the law it is they who are disrespecting both the citizens of the country and the legal immigrants who followed the process and that, therefore, have the right to see their laws respected. The reason the DNC prefers to use such transparent fallacies is because they do not want to face an argument that they know they cannot win on the merits. They do not want to face the fact that illegal aliens broke the law by getting into line ahead of other immigrants that go through the legal process. They do not want to face the argument that every country has the legal and moral right, even obligation, to defend their own citizens from possible foreign threats. They do not want to face the argument that one party, the Democrats (aligned with weak or corrupt Republicans), are using illegal immigration to increase their own political power, a clear attack on American democracy, Illegal immigrants arent allowed to directly vote for the commander-in-chief yet, but in vast numbers they can dramatically alter the Electoral College to favor Democrats for at least a decade because a states electoral votes are based on the number of people residing within that state, not the number of citizens [in that state]. Despite the DNCs constant refrain that they are defending our democracy, there is nothing more anti-democratic than importing new people into the country because one cannot convince the citizens to support ones absurd policies. The appropriate way to reclassify illegal aliens is by going through this thing called Congress and change the laws, but the DNC does not want to do that because they know they would fail. The DNCs fallacious arguments attempt to make an end run around U.S. citizens. Since most Americans view a weak border as a major problem for the country, the defenders of weak immigration enforcement in both parties have contempt for American democracy. Image: Illegal immigration by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free In a three-part piece arguing against the various U.S. populist and isolationist movements of the past century, starting with the movement to stay out of World War I, and continuing to World War II, Cold War, Middle East, etc., Thaddeus G. McCotter argues that the best way for our leaders to garner public support for foreign policy is to tell the truth. Except for one thing: Question: How do you know when a politician is lying? Answer: when his lips are moving. When a leader wants to start a war or gift his supporters with a new government program, he will say anything in order to start his war or pass his program. Meanwhile our liberal friends were all worried about Tucker Carlsons trip to Moscow to interview Vladimir Putin. Because? Because they are afraid that Putin would lie to Carlson? That he would launch a Narrative that would end the Ukraine War short of total victory for Zelenskyy? That Carlson would score a major coup in his post-FoxNews career and boost himself into the top tier of journalism? President Woodrow Wilson ran for reelection in 1916 on the platform of he kept us out of war and then promptly sent the doughboys to the trenches in France so that Doris Day would be able to star in On Moonlight Bay. As for FDR and the runup to World War II, well, never mind. So of course Vladimir Putin was full of lies in his two-hour interview with Tucker Carlson on February 6, as emigre Russian businessmen Mikhail Khodorkovsky bellowed in a twelve-part X-post. And you know that the interview was a Bad Thing, because our liberal friends are busy fact-checking Putins statements. But when a politician -- whether Wilson or FDR or Obama or Biden or even Putin -- makes a speech or sits for an interview, the question is: what is the Narrative? What is the politician trying to put over on us? I dont know about you, but I am interested in hearing what any headline politician has to say. My question is: what is he lying about, and why? For instance, the world is wondering whether President Bidens trainwreck press conference in the wake of his non-indictment for mishandling vital regime secrets was a cunning and sophisticated attempt by his handlers to dump the president before the 2024 election. Alternatively, the question in the minds of experts across the world may be whether Bidens handlers are now so far gone into incompetence that they forgot to keep the White House basement locked. If Biden is the most incompetent president since Jimmy Carter, imagine how incompetent the people he hired must be. Enough of Biden. My take on the Carlson-Putin interview is: Whatabout the Huns and our pal Attila? How come Putins Year Zero is not 370 CE when the Huns swarmed into Europe to rape and pillage? And where was NATO when we really needed it? I was particularly interested in Putins references to the Polish/Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austrian Empire and the significance of the Dnieper River between Russia and Europe. Take Lviv (or Lvov) in todays Ukraine. It used to be in Galicia, part of the Austrian Empire. And when libertarian saint Ludwig von Mises was born there in 1881 it was called Lemberg. Putin didnt mention the Jews. But the area he was discussing was exactly where the Jews of Eastern Europe were concentrated before the Late Unpleasantness in the mid-20th century. On the Jewish Population Maps there were many cities in the area where Jews were 50% or more of the population before the Russian pogroms and Hitlers Final Solution. Putin practically said that the Poles in 1939 were playing both ends against the middle with Germany and the Soviet Union. Our U.S./European Narrative is, of course, that the Poles were helpless victims caught in a vice between the Nazis and the Commies. I wonder, what will historians agree about Poland and 1939 in the New York Times in 2039? And Putin played the Nazi card when he accused the Ukraine regime of tolerating neo-Nazis in eastern Ukraine. I thought that our liberal friends had exclusive use of the Nazi card. Heres the thing, dear liberal friends. Whenever I detect a liberal Narrative on some issue, I always tend to think that the opposite must be true. So, if you liberal experts in the New York Times all agree on something -- like Putin -- I immediately start to wonder: Whats the angle here? What is it that liberals dont want me to know? Another thing: do you think our liberal friends actually believe their own lies? I think they do. See, one of the functions of a religious service is the believers to repeat, every Sunday, Gods Sacred Narrative. Kinda like mostly peaceful protestors reciting mostly peaceful slogans at the latest mostly peaceful protest. Christopher Chantrill @chrischantrill runs the go-to site on US government finances, usgovernmentspending.com. Also get his American Manifesto and his Road to the Middle Class. Image: Gage Skidmore This morning, I was shocked to read that somebody had opened fire at Joel Osteens Houston facility yesterday, right as the Spanish service was fixing to start; thankfully, at this point, the only fatality is the alleged shooter. Here are the preliminary details from the report I initially read, via Andrea Vacchiano at Fox News: Two people were injured and one suspect was killed during a shooting at Joel Osteens Lakewood Church on Sunday afternoon, Texas authorities say. The suspect, who was a woman, entered the church with a long rifle. She was wearing a backpack and a trench coat, and was accompanied by a small child, approximately 4 to 5 years old, [Police Chief] Finner said. At this point, my mind immediately jumped to Muslim. There are a lot of scenarios in which a child might be present for a shooting, but the rifle, backpack, and trench coat details led me to suspect that the child was brought along as a human shield, and who else reliably resorts to human shields? Well, Islamists. Hamas Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Islamic State Hezbollah etc. And then there was this: Finner also disclosed that the suspect mentioned that she had a bomb. Again, sounds like a Muslim terrorist to me! And, what do you know, the suspect sure looks like a Muslim terrorist: Image from X After that, I wondered if the alleged shooter was one of our newest American neighbors, a cultural enricher either imported by a treasonous federal bureaucracy, or welcomed by the D.C. politicians, with their erasure of our southern border. And when the report noted that the suspect was a woman I questioned how they could know, because as the left tells us, gender is a social construct so taking the person at face value is apparently, genocide or fascism or whatever the newest downloaded buzzword is. Well, as it turns out, each one of my assumptions and conjectures were actually quite on target; from just moments ago: JUST IN: The shooter at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church has been identified as a transgender Bernie Sanders supporter. Shocker. The individual was identified as Genesse Moreno who was previously known as Jeffery Escalante. Moreno, who is clearly unstable, allegedly brought a pic.twitter.com/R9IxI0LEBM Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 12, 2024 Called it. And did you notice, the suspect was also transgender? Oh, and get a load of this: Texas church shooter identified as a TRANSGENDER immigrant from El Salvador. The trans shooter entered the Lakewood Church on Sunday and opened fire during a service- leaving a child in a critical condition and a man injured. They were then shot dead by police. https://t.co/nNc8l8ah56 Oli London (@OliLondonTV) February 12, 2024 Its brown and from El Salvador, yet somehow, its white and non-Hispanic. (I use it because I genuinely cant tell whether this person is male or female.) I wonder how many other jurisdictions hide the real identities of suspects to fudge the numbers of who exactly is committing the crime in this country. Now, seeing as it was neutralized on scene, the fact that the authorities offered a mugshot picture instead of a drivers license shows us that its been in trouble before. From a local outlet: The 36-year-old previously identified as Jeffrey Escalante and had prior arrests for assault, forgery, marijuana possession, theft, evading and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to KHOUs Jeremy Rogalski. Texan Democrats were quick to put the cart before the horse, or the narrative before the facts, and used the shooting to blame the states reckless gun laws. From the Bearing Arms blog: Police havent released many details about the shooting at Lakewood Church but that hasnt stopped Texas Democrats from blaming the states reckless gun laws for the incident. In a press release on Sunday afternoon pushed out just a couple of hours after the news broke, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa called the shooting yet another example of the danger and trauma that reckless gun laws have bestowed upon our communities, adding that no place of worship, shopping center, classroom, or shared public space is safe under the leadership of those that place the gun lobby over Texans safety. What gun control law would have prevented the woman from walking into the Houston megachurch with a long gun and a five-year-old kid? Hinojosa doesnt say. In fact, the head of the Texas Democrats barely bothered to mention what did put an almost immediate end to the threat... or rather, who put down the shooter: off-duty law enforcement serving as armed security for the church. It is not legislators who respect the God-given right to self-defense and their oath to the Constitution who are reckless; it is the lefts promotion of debilitating mental illness (transgenderism) as a pride-worthy and healthy attribute. It is not armed peaceable citizens who are reckless; it is the lefts demand that these protectors be stripped of their right to protect. It is not merit-based and restricted immigration that is reckless; it is the lefts free-for-all invasion that permits foreign born nationals to (allegedly) commit escalating crimes and terrorize other people. It is not Judeo-Christian ethics that are reckless; it is the lefts cultural enrichment and secularism. The reckless accusation is more of an admission of guilt and a condemnation of the lefts own approach to governance and public policy; who would have guessed? Joe Bidens White House called President Trumps call for NATO countries to pay their fair share for their own defense as unhinged and appalling because apparently, heaping the burden on the back of the American taxpayers is the rational and moral thing to do. Heres this from The Hill via Yahoo News: At a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, the former president spoke about his time in office and how he worked with NATO. He called the organization busted before he entered the presidency and seemingly made reference to contributions that the members have to make to the alliance. One of the presidents of a big country stood up, said, Well, sir, if we dont pay and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us? Trump said at the rally. I said, You didnt pay, youre delinquent. He said, Yes, lets say that happened. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. (Update: As Matt Margolis at PJ Media noted, contrary to the narrative spun by the mainstream media, Trump was retelling a story, not issuing a threat.) In response, the White House denigrated Trump as an inhumane warmonger: Thanks to President Bidens experienced leadership, NATO is now the largest and most vital it has ever been, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in the statement. Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home. Talk about gaslightingit would be a dereliction of duty for any country not to prepare to defend itself if Russia, or any other adversary were to attack. National defense falls on the shoulders of each nation. It is not a good policy to rely on other countries to defend you if you wont build up your own defense. Secondly, isnt fair share the reliable slogan of the left? The excuse they always use to tax the middle class more and more, because we as the rich should be paying our fair share? It appears that the United States is paying more for Ukraines defense than all the European countries combined, despite them having double the U.S. population. Is that fair, especially since the war is in Europe? Would it be responsible for an American president and Congress to not budget in enough to defend ourselves in the event war erupts? Should we rely on other NATO countries to rush to our defense if Iran, Russia, or China attacked if we ourselves werent prioritizing our national defense? That would be irresponsible. Does anyone think that the European countries and Canada would step in with unlimited funds if we were deficient? Trumps policy has always been America first, and he has always said Germany should be Germany first, and France should be France first, etc. That is common sense. There is nothing extremist or radical about considering your country and your people first. What is actually unhinged is when Biden repeatedly states that the greatest existential threat to Americas survival is Trump and MAGA Republicans, or climate change. Anyone who believes that Republicans, or a possible few degree temperature rise is a greater threat than nuclear war with China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea, is incapable of understanding risk and should not be allowed to remain as president. Image: Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, unaltered. Democrats are all about throwing scraps to their political base. They throw 'abortion' to women voters as if they were all one bloc with solely this concern, and 'amnesty' or open borders to Latinos, as if they were all a single bloc, too. At election time, they come out with their offerings and tick their group boxes -- women, Latinos, what have you. Once they've done that, they dust their hands off, and then go back to lining their cronies' pockets. For Democrats, it's that simple. But what happens if they ... make a mistake? Instead of throwing alfafa at the voters they treat like barnyard animals, they throw ... glass shards? That seems to be what's happening in this buried lede in this Los Angeles Times op-ed by far-left pro-open-borders columnist Gustavo Arellano: In a 2019 Public Policy Institute of California survey, 75% of Latinos thought illegal border crossings, at a time of much-publicized migrant caravans, were either a crisis or a serious problem more than the 70% of whites who felt the same way. And the shift continues. A December survey by UnidosUS, formerly known as National Council of La Raza, of more than 3,000 Latinos in eight states showed that California Latinos were more open to increasing border security than Latinos in Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina. We tied with Florida for last place in wanting the government to provide a path to citizenship for so-called Dreamers. Of all the states, we least wanted to increase legal immigration or allow an amnesty for undocumented immigrants. It's not just that Latinos are against illegal immigration -- they are against it more than whites -- which would include the sort of suburban whites who don't see the impact of illegal immigration on their communities, but are all in on extending citizenship rights to foreigners since the cost to them seems like nothing and they want to imagine that they're "decent" people. Latinos, though, probably would see that impact. They would see increased crime, increased political corruption including electoral shenanigans such as "politiqueros" coming to harvest their ballots, overcrowded schools and hospitals, and illegal migrants getting a lot of free stuff that they don't get. They'd see their wages undercut by people who will work for less. They'd have gone through the many and expensive legal hoops to achieve legal green cards and U.S. citizenship, from waiting in line to paying huge fees and dealing with bureaucratic lost paperwork, while watching illegals say 'asylum' and get into the U.S. instantly, paying nothing at all. They'd fill out extensive paperwork to qualify for college admission and aid and watch illegal skip that entire bureaucratic morass and get their education in some states for free. They'd file taxes and argue with the IRS on their small business deductions, while illegals pay no taxes at all. Of course they'd be against this. They would have seen its impact up close, and it would have reminded them just a little too much of the places they moved away from. What's more, as Arellano concedes, the trend is continuing. Recent polls here, here, here, here, and here show an increasing willingness of Latinos to vote for Republicans, including President Trump. So you can bet those numbers are even higher than 75% at this point. In California, we are increasingly seeing Latino candidates for office who are up-front about this two-tier system going on, laying it out that they're against amnesty for illegals. Such as this candidate: Notice how she doesn't say she's Latino, which some might do, given the English last name. She already knows that Latinos are going to know this, as English last names are more common over there than most whites here expect. She just tells her story in a slightly Mexican accent which will be recognizable, about clearly something that bad which happened in Mexico which she knows her targeted voter base will recognize . She's hard and unafraid of controversy in stating 'no amnesty' for illegals. She's a Latina candidate and knows her audience well -- and is likely to draw a lot of votes -- in California. Arellano, by contrast, who's been part of the establishment for years, flounders around on this matter, assuring himself that Latinos will always vote Democrat even with this incoming data, not being able to put his finger on why this is happening at all. This is despite his stating that his own relatives were in on this political shift, which really baffles him. Maybe he should ask them. Latinos are already the biggest opponents of illegal immigration and he doesn't get this. Like any Democrat, he's been in the camp of promoting illegal immigration as a means of winning the Latino vote for Democrats -- and stands there stupefied that this is the opposite of what they want. Latinos are usually newer arrivals, and on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. They bear the brunt of illegal immigration and oppose it even more than whites do. That's a story -- and since he couldn't quite put his finger on the 'why' of this, he had to bury the lede. Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License Nikki Haleys recent requests for federal Secret Service protection coincide with revelations that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.s similar pleas in 2023 were coldly dismissed. In such highly charged political times, understanding the guidelines that determine when candidates are afforded security at public expense reveals whether such rules are being applied fairly. It is striking that Barack Obama was provided Secret Service protection far earlier in his campaign, seemingly because of his skin color, but the federal government still refuses to supply security to a Kennedy despite that family's tragic legacy of assassinations. Recent disclosures regarding the Secret Service's decision to deny Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. protection as he campaigns for president suggest the Democrats have become extremists willing to do anything to retain power. The U.S. government began providing protection to major party candidates following John F. Kennedys assassination in 1963. However, it does not appear to have applied these protections consistently with its own guidelines in Bobby Kennedys case, undermining its stated purpose to maintain the integrity of the democratic process and continuity of government. Secret Service guidelines provide the parameters of who qualifies as a candidate, the process by which threats will be assessed, and a timeline for protection - generally, candidates are only provided protection within one year of the election: Protection under these guidelines should only be granted within one year prior to the general election. Protection more than one year prior to the general election should only be granted in extraordinary, case by case circumstances in consultation with the committee, based on threat assessment and other factors. Bobby Kennedy applied for protection in May of 2023, providing a detailed explanation of personal threats against him. This was denied, in what Judicial Watchs Tom Fitton called a dangerous and vindictive refusal by the Biden administration. Kennedy said there were two more denials of protection after that. It is unclear whether President Biden had any input into the decision, but Judicial Watch reported that Biden's Homeland Security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, was the official decision-maker issuing the denial. Surely Bobby Kennedy should have been provided security by now, just nine months from the 2024 election. Bobby Kennedy now polls above 20% as a third-party candidate, qualifying him for protection under the guidelines. Nikki Haley, who as a major party candidate must demonstrate a 15% poll support for 30 days to qualify, may have a hard sell. Kennedy has steadily gained in the polls despite obvious gaslighting, deplatforming, and biased attacks by the Democrat apparatus and its mainstream media propagandists. With Joe Bidens mental competence obviously shattered, compelling Kennedy to absorb half of his campaign contributions to protect his life hardly seems like a boon for the democratic process. (Kennedy is a far superior candidate to either Biden or Harris). Bidens Banana Republic has been built on lies and toxicity. A self-proclaimed uniter who condemns half of Americans as domestic terrorists and racists, Joe B. has launched a woke federal government takeover for transgenderism, climate change, racism parading as restitution, and every other neo-Marxist, America-hating fad he can clutch. Like a corrupt third-world dictator, President Biden appears to be deliberately exposing Kennedy to assassination, or at least the anxiety that accompanies that ever-present threat - Joe Biden could instead demonstrate his mental acuity (and human decency?) by calling for fellow Democrat Kennedys protection ASAP. Jimmy Carter granted Democrat rival Ted Kennedy Secret Service protection in September 1979, 14 months prior to the election. Favoritism for people of color has extended to Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama: Obama received protection 18 months before election day, apparently premised on his skin color and threats - apparently threats against a white man dont carry the same weight in America, even if leveled against a Kennedy. An entire nation watched as John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy were assassinated. The Warren Reports magic bullet travesty has never satisfied the smell test for credibility: and neither does the denial of Bobby Kennedys Secret Service protection. Most major polls appear to simply sideline Kennedy even as his support grows - especially among young voters. Sapping his campaign funds while exposing him to anxiety and possible murder appears to be the obvious, deliberate path of POTUS Biden. Joe Rogan, citing that Kennedy has now been denied protection three times, called it f***ing egregious. America witnessed the corrupt Democrat party machine deny Bernie Sanders a fair shot in its 2016 primaries, favoring Hillary Clinton in her doomed embarrassment of a campaign against Donald Trump. Now they witness an even greater display of naked-emperor shenanigans as an iconic Kennedy is thrown to the wolves - and would-be assassins - rather than allow his voice to be heard even by Democrat voters. Voters are told it is Donald Trump who threatens democracy, despite his four years of abiding by the laws that the Biden clan flouts. If a third Kennedy is slain, would there be any accountability by any government agencies? If the CIA didnt kill John F Kennedy, Jr., it sure looks like the federal government is trying to kill this Kennedy now, through base partisan nonfeasance. Americans watching this treatment of Robert F. Kennedy. Jr. see that Joe Biden is hardly a kindly old gentleman with memory recall difficulties. If he hasn't already, Donald Trump would do well to call for Kennedys Secret Service protection, now that Kennedy meets all the requirements. Donald Trump can publicly rescue a Kennedy from the visible corruption of todays Democrat party, and maintain the integrity of the democratic process that the Democrats have visibly abandoned. Image: Gage Skidmore, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Wisconsin is a battleground state, but while one side of the aisle grovels for transparency, the other side dominates and conquers. Heres the story, from Fred Lucas at Fox News: Wisconsin is currently a battleground over a refugee resettlement controversy. Wisconsin officials have sought to meet with officials from the Department of Homeland Security about the first group of Somali refugees to settle in the Eau Claire County area of the state. The issue has even garnered interest from members of Congress. As it turns out, the controversy arose when it was revealed that neither the citizens nor their local elected representatives knew anything about the plan to bring third world refugees into their neighborhoodthe resettlement scheme had been foisted upon the people by the federal government, along with its bureaucratic NGO conspirators: The DHS is working with World Relief, a Christian nonprofit associated with the National Association of Evangelicals, to bring 75 Somalian refugees to the Eau Claire area in the Chippewa Valley by Sept. 30. In response, a handful of Republicans put forth a bill to require greater transparency regarding future resettlements. (Why not just write another strongly worded letter?) Per Lucas: State legislators are set this week to advance a bill requiring greater transparency on resettlement decisions. Federal law already requires federal officials to consult regularly (not less often than quarterly) with state and local governments before settling the refugees to an area. The state legislation would specifically require consulting with elected officials accountable to the public rather than just appointed officials as well as a requirement for public comment. Greater transparency and a requirement for public comment yields a whole lotta nothing for conserving America and her values. Somalis are still resettled, which kicks off the chain migration, and before you know it, the state has been conquered and colonized. And a requirement for public comment? Kind of like what the federal bureaucracies do before finalizing a new rule? We all know its just a formality, and has no bearing on the agenda; theyre going to enact the rule regardless of what the public has to say. One need only look at Minnesota to see how resettling a few Somalian refugees actually goes, on a not-very-long timeline; as Lucas notes, the Somali population ballooned to millions in just two decades. Or, one could observe the current landscape of Lewiston, Maine, which was once a staunchly conservative American enclave with zero gangs; now Somali thugs are part and parcel of the Lewiston experience. Why not forbid resettlements altogether? Cut off any and all Wisconsin tax dollars flowing to World Relief? If the group has any special tax protections, why not remove them? News flash, its not charity if youre dumping financial dependents on the taxpayer, instead of funding the mission yourselfand thats exactly what World Relief is doing, importing new welfare enrollees (public school, WIC, Medicaid, etc.). What about securing Wisconsins borders, and prohibiting DHS agents from stepping into the state? Id love for a leftist to explain how it benefits me, a tax-paying American, to import third world refugees who have no money, no skills, and no loyalty to this country. If they couldnt enrich their home nations, how could one expect they have anything to offer here? The long march through the (formerly) conservative states continues. Image: Fibonacci Blue from Minnesota, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, unaltered. No one can dispute how politically different Red states are from Blue states in our super-polarized country. When a large group of ideologically motivated people (usually leftists) move into a state, county, or neighborhood, things invariably change. The question for conservatives, who are usually the ones whose nice communities are changed for the worse, is whether they should flee or fight. The once-conservative Peoples Republic of Colorado perfectly proves how an influx of leftists changes an area. Most recently, Colorado decided to remove Donald Trump from the ballot. Last week, the Supreme Court carefully considered the pros and cons of removing Trump from the ballot. Its likely theyll side with Trump. But this all could have been avoided had Colorados population centers not been populated by political fanatics who feel that common sense and fairness should be replaced with pure partisanship. (In Colorado, as in many newly Blue states, rural areas remain conservative while the cities have shifted their political positions.) Staying with Colorado for a moment, the voters in two principal zip codes decide life for everyone else in the state: Denver, with 198,928 registered Democrats, 45,493 Republicans, and 191,316 unaffiliated (but leaning Democrat) voters, and Boulder, with 93,721 Democrats, 26,789 Republicans, and 97,014 unaffiliated (but leaning Democrat) voters. Its no wonder that city councils and county governments can and are dictating what is or isnt acceptable behavior at the ballot boxes and in the courts. Image: A progressives home by Dan Keck. Public domain. These big city zealots have consistently forced business owners to subordinate their religious beliefs if they are to stay in business. Home-grown Coloradans like cake-makers and website designers were persecuted by Colorados courts for daring to defend their beliefs and for standing up to the new wave of Progressives who now represent that states political majority. As the recent effort to remove Trump from the Colorado ballot shows, though, this tyranny of the majority doesnt stop with persecuting Colorados own citizens. Had they been successful, they would have erased any possibility that disaffected Democrats and independents might turn away from Biden and, instead, joined with conservatives to cast their vote for Trump. Colorado is emblematic of the new Lefts strategy to win nationally by winning locally, by any means possible. The state is also working hard to change the culture by remaking it as a Leftist utopia (some would say dystopia) where only one opinion is acceptable. It is on a crusade to create a uni-culture based on wokeness and political correctness, and woe betide anyone who gets in the way of that crusade. Colorado is not alone. If youre a conservative or Republican and want to make your voice heard, youre finding your choices about where to live are shrinking with each passing year. We all know the big states to avoid, like California, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Hawaii, but progressives arent stopping there. Instead, theyre fleeing the Blue states theyve made uninhabitable with drugs, crime, and high taxes, and are now seeking to do to existing Red states what they successfully did to Colorado. Once Democrats make these moves, they instantly burrow into the infrastructure to up-end the beneficial status quo that has provided their new destination with the safety, sound administration, and fairness that attracted them in the first place! American conservatives are systematically being squeezed out of good neighborhoods by expat Democrats who are Hell-bent on remaking their new homes into carbon copies of the ones they fled, complete with all the DEI, CRT, wokeness, and political correctness they left behind! It sounds crazy that some people would willfully befoul their own nest, despite the obvious danger to their well-being, but there it is. What is worse is that they are forcing conservatives to choose between staying put and fighting or packing up and leaving for new zip codes where they will not be subject to the incremental drip, drip, drip of cultural and social decayall the while knowing that the progressives will soon follow them to their new homes. While we Americans have always been on the move, our movements in the past were largely economically motivated. In contrast, today, a fair number of those moves are being made to preserve and safeguard our core values. What should worry all of us is that despite the immense size of our country, conservatives are running out of space to practice what they preach. Stephan Helgesen is a retired career U.S. diplomat who lived and worked in 30 countries for 25 years during the Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, and G.W. Bush Administrations. He is the author of fourteen books, six of which are on American politics and has written over 1,300 articles on politics, economics and social trends. He operates a political news story aggregator website: www.projectpushback.com. He can be reached at: stephan@stephanhelgesen.com The Iranian regime is using Wikipedia to spread disinformation. In America, we know that some groups routinely game Wikipedia, but the difference is that, in Iran, its not independent actors engaged in this game; its the government itself. Wikipedia is one of the most visited websites worldwide, easily accessible through Google search results. With over 6.7 million articles in English and nearly one million articles in Persian, its not something the Iranian propaganda apparatus can ignore. In an article about Wikipedias policies, The London Times recently wrote that the Iranian government is editing Wikipedia entries in both English and Farsi to downgrade Iranian human rights atrocities and other abuses Additionally, Information has also been changed to discredit Iranian dissident groups, while government publications have been presented as impartial news sources on the free online encyclopaedia. In one case, key details were removed about the Iranian regimes mass executions. The fact that current senior officials in the regime were involved in the 1988 death commissions, in which thousands of political prisoners were killed, was also deleted. A Wikipedia instructional point explains that its policy was once, The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth. Its since clarified that content is determined by previously published information rather than the beliefs or experiences of its editors. Even if youre sure something is true, it must be verifiable before you can add it. In other words, all those hyperlinks Irans regime has realized that it can create the illusion of verifiability by using its vast governmental resources to create forged documents and sources and then utilizing them whenever necessary. The image was made using a screengrab of Wikipedias Farsi home page and a YouTube screengrab of Ali Khamenei. Now, Iran no longer needs to publish a fake story in its state-controlled media and then push it into other nations media outlets. Instead, it simply goes straight to Wikipedia, creating the illusion of verifiability and, to many people, truth. Its a very efficient way to permeate the world of ideas with attacks on its enemies, both domestic and foreign. In 2022, Khameneis page on Persian Wikipedia was censored to exclude any negative reports about him. Erased from the page is his 1988 order to his Death Commission to exterminate the Mujahedin. Following that, a mass murder of 30,000 political prisoners, including Mujahedin and other groups, took place. The government has also used Wikipedia to remove information about those who have protested against the regime. For example, Dr. Aida Rostami, who was helping anti-government protesters, was brutally murdered by security forces. Government-affiliated users heavily edited reports about her, effectively erasing her entirely. The government has also been using Wikipedia to identify users who write facts that conflict with the governments official narrative. These users and their families then receive online or physical threats. Writing at Townhall, Bruce McColm explained, The longer Irans network of Wikipedia editors is allowed to operate without repercussions, the more difficult it will become to eradicate the false claims they have spread or to restore the truths they have suppressed. Many people in Iran and abroad read Persian Wikipedia, and many from different countries refer to English Wikipedia. Few understand how much of what they read, all of which has the illusion of verifiability, is biased or fake. Perhaps this is something democratic governments should pay attention to, while the Wikimedia Foundation should examine its responsibility for this abuse by dictatorial regimes, such as Iran, on this platform. Hassan Mahmoudi is an Iran & Middle East political and Economic researcher. by Richard Farr At first, the countless violations of the law by our new rulers still caused a degree of disquiet. But among the incomprehensible features of those months, my father later recalled, was the fact that soon life went on as if such crimes were the most natural thing in the world. Joachim Fest, Not I Berlin, early 1930s [Y]ou have clearly proved, that ignorance, idleness, and vice, are the proper ingredients for qualifying a legislator; that laws are best explained, interpreted, and applied, by those whose interest and abilities lie in perverting, confounding, and eluding them. I observe among you some lines of an institution, which, in its original, might have been tolerable, but these half erased, and the rest wholly blurred and blotted by corruptions. Jonathan Swift, Gullivers Travels, Book II, Chapter VI The hero of a David Lodge novel says that you dont know, when you make love for the last time, that you are making love for the last time. Voting is like that. Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny Sometimes its hard to stay on top of things. While trying to rank-order Nuclear War Over Taiwan, Deforestation in the Amazon, Child Slavery Linked to my own Spending Habits, The Latest Data from the Thwaites Glacier, and Whats Being Done Right Now to the Uighurs the Rohingya the Palestinians the Hazara the Yazidis the Kurds and the Tigrayans, I keep being distracted by trivia, like How Irritated I am to Have Received Yet Another Cloyingly Chummy Fund-Raising Email from the Biden-Harris Campaign. Sometimes you have to put Now aside and get the cool perspective of ancient sources. So this week I dug around in my shelves and dusted off a book from a distant era. Written by Al Gore, and entitled The Assault on Reason, its an eyewitness account of the decline of more or less everything back when the American throne was occupied by the Kennebunkport Dauphin, George II. Preoccupied with our current traumas, how quickly we forget! Gore is not a neutral observer, but his account is stolidly factual. And the fact is, George IIs reign at the great White Palace in Washington was astonishingly awful. Vandalizing, reckless, arrogant and ignorant; cruel and authoritarian; chaotic and incompetent beyond all previous measure; contemptuous of the law, of democracy, of transparency, of innocent life, of any decent respect to the opinions of mankind. In sum, what strikes the modern reader most forcibly perhaps is that the era, half lost in the mists of history, was so strikingly Trumpian. Back then we had Evildoers, and an Axis of Evil too. But luckily we had unlimited executive power, or anyway George II had it on our behalf because you dont need the rule of law when instead you can have, per the England America fought to escape, the Divine Right of Kings. Just in case we did need some laws, we also had 357 terrified little rabbits Representatives and 98 terrified little rabbits Senators who had so badly soiled themselves (terrified out of their wits by terrorism, which is after all the point of terrorism) that they signed away unnumbered civil rights in a piece of legislation sufficiently paradoxical that they they had to dig up George Orwell to think of a name for it: the Patriot Act. We had mass surveillance of American citizens, and mass lying about mass surveillance of American citizens. (This, hard on the heels of the ignoring of surveillance of certain Iraqis, sorry Saudis, who should not have been taking flying lessons.) We had yellowcake, or anyway we had lying about it. We had Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, the Pericles and Cicero of our national strategic genius, explaining to us that UN inspectors some of whom were European, so what can you expect? were being naive about Saddams WMD. (Only later did we discover the great stockpiles of Fictionalase and Feverdream.) We had Ahmed Chalabi! Partly because of Chalabi, we had Colin Powell ill at ease but blinded by loyalty to the King going to the UN and spouting either a pack of lies or else unmitigated drivel that he only later realized was a pack of lies. It emerged later that the lies had come from the office of Chalabis friend Pericles. They certainly had not come from the King himself, who only sat on the throne like a wind-up doll saying Sadda-yum Sadda-yum Sadda-yum. Pericles said we would be greeted as liberators. We got reports bravely brushed aside by the Kings Ministers that on the contrary an invasion would be a financial, diplomatic, military and strategic disaster, even a moral disaster if anyone was interested in that, and would, as any child familiar with a playground could have predicted, increase the threat of terrorism rather than reduce it. While the NSA tapped our phones, the FBI came for our library records. The countrys librarians, being both more disgusted by autocracy and more intelligent than either the Congress or the FBI, responded with warrant canaries, an idea so delightful its worth looking up. (Smile at the wit of it or cry over the need, according to taste.) Meanwhile the CIA protected our sacred honor by flying terrified innocent people to black sites in eyes-averted regimes, well out of sight of law and scruple, so that they could be subjected to enhanced underwater hospitality. We had the biggest government reorg since King Harry of the House of Truman created the modern panoptic state in 1947; thus the Department of Homeland Security. Some of us squirmed at the name, because it sounded like a joke about a sketchy outfit in a tin-pot dictatorship. Later we got used to the name while squirming about the thing itself. Most of us forgot to squirm at all about the tens of thousands of Americans whose loss of the right to unionize was such a marvelous side-benefit of the legislation. (The King himself explained that their sacrifice was essential to National Security, a magic incantation that always and forever evaporates all other considerations, trampled liberties included.) We had Richard Perle and Charles Krauthammer and all the other neocons defining themselves as erstwhile sophomoric liberals who grew up and swerved to the right after being mugged by reality. This seemed like a good line, but turned out not to be when the rest of the world (and especially the people of Iraq) were mugged by the reality of what happens when self-satisfied soi-disant realists get a bit of power and turn out to be not only blood-thirsty tub-thumping warmongers but also complete surrealists about how the world actually works. We had shock and awe, and were so amazed by our own excellence that we could not see it for what it was, which was both shocking and in many different ways awful. We had lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who had barely visited the White House at all, really as could surely have been proved except that in contravention of long-standing policy the King himself instructed the Secret Services dog to eat the visitor logs. In case we needed advice about energy policy, and a ride in a corporate jet, we had Ken Lay. In case we wanted aggressive redistricting to ward off the threat of democracy, plus free lessons in money laundering and criminal conspiracy, we had Tom DeLay. In case we needed unnumbered men of Arab descent rounded up and treated with unabashed thuggery, we had John Ashcroft. Many others were working hard for the health of the republic. Karl Rove kept up production of the WMD Kool-Aid. Scooter Libby obstructed justice over the Valerie Plame affair. Alberto Gonzales backed himself into so many tight legal corners that its a book in itself. Dennis Hastert relentlessly cheer-led the very Patriot Act under which, years later, he would himself be indicted for illegally paying millions in hush money over stuff Ill spare you even reading about. We had Abu Ghraib. Luckily, to help us get over the nauseating waves of shame, we were taught a healing mantra: the gleeful abuse and torture of prisoners of war was only the work of a few bad apples. Not, definitely not, the direct responsibility of people with bigger piles of scrambled egg on their shoulder, who in a stricter dispensation might have been, say, stripped of their uniforms in public and given lifetime jobs cleaning the Guantanamo latrines. Out in the battle zone, we had war crime after war crime after war crime. But they were committed by US and Coalition forces, who were having a rough time so it was natural to give them a bit of leeway in the raping-and-executing department. They were our rapists and executioners, after all, and you had to be some kind of bleeding heart if you wanted them held to account. It wasnt like they were terrorists; they were in the business of terrifying the terrorists, or anyway people who looked like they might be terrorists, and that was different. In any case it was, again, only a few bad apples. (One might have said that the 9/11 terrorists were a few bad apples too, but that line of thought risked sowing confusion. Nobody wanted some Iraqi getting the idea that they would be justified in invading the US and killing hundreds of thousands of civilians in revenge for what our apples did at Mahmudiyah or Haditha.) We had a postwar plan for Iraq. Only we didnt, because Donald Cicero widely touted as the best Secretary of Preemptive Violence since Ghengis Khan was in fact almost incomprehensibly incompetent. And our Mission was Accomplished. Only it wasnt, because George II on the deck of the Abraham Lincoln was if anything less connected to reality than Ahab on the deck of the Pequod. We had broken promises about carbon, the environment, and the planet. That wasnt surprising; as Pericles with his lucrative connections was not good at concealing, the government wore some clothing loosely associated with the will of the people but was really a wholly-owned subsidiary of the extractive industries; the leaders of those industries were understandably worried about what would happen to the short term if people got their heads around the effect of decades of lying (that word again; so sorry, so tedious) on the long term. We had corpses floating in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, but Brownie was doing a great job. And the actual activation of competent government help was not a good idea anyway because that sort of thing smacks of socialism. American troops kept being blown to pieces because their vehicles were not adequately armored against IED. A much larger number of Iraqis kept being blown to pieces too, many of them women and children in no vehicles at all, because of our own not-at-all-I (in fact, unlike the Humvees, no expense spared) ED. We lost billions of dollars in contractor fraud. We also had the Federal Reserve shipping great pallets of cash to Baghdad, and billions of that went AWOL too. But if you were a serious person you understood that wars a big thing and billions are rounding errors. Looming in the background was an idea so thrillingly idiotic that it might have been the set-up for a Mel Brooks movie. Preemptively invading a country whose resources you have economic designs on, but cannot invade without violating international law, is a pretty good premise (though one you should never discuss around ex-KGB agents, who might one day become President of Russia and have to be vilified by you for imitating your own example). But what if the King really lost it and declared war on a word? A war on terror itself. George II was a man of faith, as we were ceaselessly reminded, and you needed to borrow some faith from him because this was radical theology. It was the idea that, just as the world had once been saved by a Palestinian Jew in a loincloth, it could be saved all over again again by a moon-faced absurdity from Texas, who would single-handedly cast the Devil out of the broken world, ridding it once and for all of a problem that has plagued us since the Fall, namely that violence blooms lushly in human hearts when the desperation of the oppressed leaves them no other way to respond to the ignorant, pity-free smugness of the powerful. In the aftermath of the 2016 election, Gore published a new edition of his book, warning that with Trumpty Dumpty on the throne things would only get worse. Perhaps they did, but its worth considering that they only seemed to do so because Donnie Boy is, unlike George II, so personally repulsive. Anyway, lets look on the bright side. Four years of the Great Orange Cheeto continued to erode Americas claim to be a functioning democracy. But in 2020 his four years on the throne failed (barely, skin of teeth) to remove the core element of democracy, which is that one can have a change of heart and not discover its too late. Unfortunately the Covfefe-16 virus has now mutated into a more dangerous form. Our weakened institutional immune systems may not survive another outbreak, and Covfefe-24 really could give a final negative answer to Lincolns hypothetical about long endurance. Yet many Americans still find the final defeat of liberty, at the hands of those who shriek loudest about liberty, almost impossible to imagine. After all, the institutions bequeathed to us by the Founders are without parallel in the history of all Creation in their wisdom, balance, wisdom, incorruptibility, and wisdom. Its a comfort were reminded of every time we think about the unmatched dignity of the Senate, the House under its sober new leadership, the Supreme Court watching over us benignly from the Cayman Islands, the latest mass shooting, the lobbying industry, or the marvels of democracy that are Tuesday voting and gerrymandering and the Electoral College and Citizens United. Ping ping ping. Another three emails from Joe and Kamala. Batting away these messages leaves me feeling almost as tired and helpless as I do after seeing the latest headline about Donnie Darko. I mean, the underlying message is simple and I agree with every word: If you understand the threat presented by a second attack of Donorrhea, you must support us, really ought to contribute to us, and will have to vote for us. Not because were exciting, energetic, and have an intelligent, imaginative, and persuasive vision for the future of the country and the world. (What have you been smoking?) No: because even though its obvious that we should have stepped aside in favor of people more likely to win, were now the only alternative to a future that doesnt bear thinking about. Either J+K or Don Corleumpe: it is indeed a no-brainer. If the steward on your American flight comes back into cattle class offering either freezer-burned eggplant casserole or strychnine-laced cat vomit, your choice is clear. And yet Biden-Harris? Im not going to defend my reaction to them; I just want to record the bald fact that the whole business makes me want to weep. It even helps me sympathize with the millions who feel so disenfranchised, and so despairing of change, that they mistakenly identify a ray of hope in the raging and lying of the Rancid Cheese Melt. Ping. I look down at my phone and theres another one. My thumb hovers and wavers, but finally my defenses crack. In a fizz of electrons Im $25 poorer. Pathetic, $25. I should get serious and really support these guys. You too, wherever you are: the wrong result in November will be even worse for open government, democracy, common decency and world peace than the tyranny we once endured under George II. As Gore usefully reminds us, thats a a high bar. * Al Gore, The Assault on Reason, ISBN 1-59420-122-6. For further reading you can scarcely do better, or worse, than start with Amnesty Internationals 2013 report on U.S. abuse of detainees, available at https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr51/012/2013/en/. For years, Iran and the Palestine Liberation Organization have vocalized their aspirationsDeath to Israel and Death to America and for years, under Democrats, the U.S. has funded Iran, which in turn, uses the money to support terrorists to advance these goals. Barack Obama and Joe Biden decided the best thing to advance peace in the Middle East was to give Iran access to hundreds of billions of dollars. On the other hand, President Trump decided that the best way to advance peace in the volatile region was to cut off funds to terrorisms biggest sponsor (Iran), so it couldnt fund terrorists and build as many weapons for themselves. He had a maximum pressure campaign on Iran. Biden and his team of incompetents decided the best thing to do was give Iran more money. They opened up Irans ability to sell oil to fund Hamas and other terrorists. But, according to this author at the WaPo, it is Trumps fault that Hamas attacked Israel because of the Abraham Peace Accords. It was Trump who made the Arabs in Gaza mad. He fueled their rage. Really? Because they were so calm before? How Trump advanced Arab-Israeli peace but fueled Palestinian rage Strategies that spawned the Abraham Accords a transactional approach to foreign affairs that opens the way for unpredictable alliances and accommodations shed light on how Trump might manage the Middle East crisis if voters return him to power. The accords were perhaps Trumps signature foreign policy achievement. Yet the diplomatic process they set in motion especially the prospect of Saudi participation contributed to Palestinian alienation that hastened the attack by Hamas, say current and former American, Israeli and Arab officials. And the attack, in turn, is now testing whether normal Israeli-Arab relations can hold. The Abraham Accords represented one of the reasons for the Oct. 7 attack, which obstructed and complicated all strategies and agreements that deny the freedom and dignity of the Palestinian people, said Abbas Zaki, a member of the Central Committee of Fatah, the political faction that controls the Palestinian Authority. The writer says the Middle East would be much more dangerous if Trump were reelected. You see, bringing peace to countries that recognize Israels right to exist is dangerous, and causes violence, because it makes Iran and the Palestinians mad. Now that is a delusional journalist. It is similar to saying that after three years of Biden reversing Trumps policies to control the border, that the disaster of a massive incursion of illegals is the fault of Trump and the Republicans. It is clearer every day that most of the media believe their job is to campaign for Democrats and their radical policies. Facts havent mattered for a long time. They should have to report their in-kind contributions to the FEC. Rachel Maddow says that Biden, despite the revelations of being a feeble-minded elderly man who cant remember that he took and kept classified documents he had no right to take, is well-qualified to be president for five more years because he rides a bike. (Well Rachel, not exactlyhe falls off bikes, he doesnt really ride them.) Secondly, a lot of five-year-olds can ride a bike, along with a lot of people with dementia, but that doesnt mean they should be president. It has been obvious that Bidens mental capacity, which was never very high to begin with, has severely diminished over the past several years, and he should not be president. The world and America were much safer and more prosperous when Trump was president. Keeping oil prices low kept dangerous countries like Iran and Russia in check. What is more dangerous to America though is if they replace Biden with Gavin Newsom or some other leftist, because we will still get the same radical policies which will destroy America. Image: Public domain. Sorry, but this is the kind of stuff that drives me crazy. It reminds me of President Trump getting into stupid fights with Jim Acosta or Don Lemmon or magazines that no one reads. Over the weekend, former President Trump mentioned Michael Haley, a man doing his military service. This is the story: Wheres her husband? Trump questioned. Where is he? Hes gone. He knew, he knew. Haley did not mince words when she shot back at Trump two hours later in a social media post. Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about, the former South Carolina governor wrote on X. Mr. Haley is serving his country. Many thanks for his service. Back here, Mrs. Haley is trailing Mr. Trump 74-18 in national polls and 60-29 in South Carolina. He is also leading in national polls, something he didnt do in 2016 or 2020. At this point, its safe to say that President Trump is in a great position to walk into The Oval Office. The voters want no more Biden, just like voters wanted no more Carter at this point in 1980. Are you listening, Mr. Trump? You have a record to run on and a failed presidency to run against. All you have to do is remind everyone that they are worse off now. Its an easy case to make. I am disappointed that Nikki Haley is hanging around. She is actually hurting her future chances by doing so. Nevertheless, it is beyond stupid to mention a man away from his wife because he is deployed. Image: Donald Trump. YouTube screen grab. P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. Googles CEO Sundar Pichai has unveiled ambitious plans for Gemini, Googles latest AI model, signaling a paradigm shift in the landscape of online search. While Pichai remains a staunch advocate for the traditional web, he recognizes the evolving nature of online information retrieval, driven by social media, short-form videos, and generative AI. Google rolled out Gemini, its most powerful AI model yet, as a dedicated app for your phone. Gemini is effectively a direct shot at ChatGPT Gemini, named after the AI model its based on, represents a significant leap forward in AI technology. Designed to rival OpenAIs ChatGPT, Gemini boasts multimodal capabilities. It allows users to interact with it using text, voice, images, and even code. Pichai emphasizes the importance of this multimodal approach. He cites it as a reflection of how the human mind seeks to connect with the world. With Gemini, users can expect a seamless and immersive search experience that transcends traditional text-based queries. Advertisement Advertisement Googles decision to offer Gemini through a subscription model underscores its commitment to innovation and sustainability. By charging for its AI services, Google aims to offset the substantial costs associated with developing and maintaining large language models. Moreover, a subscription-based model allows Google to explore new revenue streams while offering users an ad-free and premium search experience. However, Pichai remains cautious about the potential pitfalls of generative AI Googles CEO acknowledges the risk of misinformation and hallucinations that come with such advanced technology. While the rebranded version of Google Bard, Gemini, promises to revolutionize online search, Pichai emphasizes the need for responsible usage and factual accuracy. Google is minimizing the occurrence of models gone wild, ensuring that Gemini remains a reliable and trustworthy tool for users. Despite the challenges, Pichai envisions a future where generative AI fosters imaginative and creative interactions like a childs uninhibited imagination. In conclusion, Googles Gemini represents a bold step towards the future of online search, offering users a glimpse into a more immersive and interactive web experience. After Alphabet boss Sundar Pichai said Google One was close to reaching 100 million subscribers, almost everyone was eager to see if it would happen. And guess what? It did! Google One now has more than 100 million subscribers. Google One crosses 100 million subscribers Alphabet boss Sundar Pichai shared this update via his X handle. He also talked about how hes hopeful that Googles new AI Premium Plan, which includes Gemini Advanced and other features, will do just as well. By the way, if you havent heard, Bard has been renamed Gemini now. Advertisement Advertisement Additionally, Google will introduce Gemini features in Gmail, Docs, and Workspace very soon. However, before that happens, Duet AI, which is part of the package, will need to undergo a rebranding. More importantly, this milestone corresponds with the YouTube Music + Premium which hit the same mark, i.e. 100 million subscribers. Could more subscribers jump in? Google One offers several tiers: Basic, Standard, Premium, and the newest addition, the AI Premium tier. Of course, as you step up, theres more and more. The pricing for these tiers is $1.99, $2.99, $9.99, and $19.99 per month, respectively. The latest AI Premium Tier gets you access to advanced features like Gemini Advanced. Weve covered everything about Gemini Advanced in a separate post if youd like to read it. It includes tools that help you write better emails, organize presentations, and make charts in spreadsheets. If youre already on a 5 TB or bigger plan, you get these extra features for free until July 31, 2024. Google rebranded Google Drive cloud storage to Google One in May 2018, and ever since then, it has introduced several features. From the launch to today, Google One isnt just about storing files; its a comprehensive suite of services. These include backing up your devices, using a VPN for safer browsing, earning rewards when you shop at the Google Store, and accessing premium features in Google Photos, Meet, and Calendar. Google Pixel phones have now started receiving the January 2024 Google Play system update. Youd probably know Google pushes a Play System update to Android phones almost every month, but things havent been the same in recent months. Because January 2024 Google Play System update comes almost three months after the November 2023 Google Play System update. Plus, you should know that this is the Pixel makers second attempt at pushing the January 2024 Play System update. January 2024 Google Play System is here for Pixel phones, again The January 2024 Google Play System came to Pixel phones in mid-January. However, there were several issues with the system update, according to multiple users on Reddit forums. Mostly Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8 devices were affected. Users reported again that they couldnt access their phones storage through any apps. This caused lots of problems. They couldnt take new photos, and the Files app appeared empty. Advertisement Advertisement Thats when Google jumped in and pulled this update. One Google spokesperson confirmed to 9to5Google that theyre aware of this issue. The latest system update appears to have fixed those issues now. If you own a non-Pixel device, you dont need to worry. According to the official changelog, there are improvements to system management services like making sure devices connect well, use the internet, stay safe, work smoothly, and are easy to update. It also mentions some problems with services that help in system management. How to install the update? Depending on the Pixel mode, the update weighs around 70-88MB in size. You can get the January 2024 Google Play System update by heading to Settings > Security & privacy > System & updates > Google Play system update. Typically, the update is already downloaded on the phone and simply requires a restart to install. Take note that its different from monthly security updates and these generally focus on solving the core system issues. While Microsoft improves its AI-powered Copilot for Windows, Lenovo might be developing an AI-powered operating system from scratch. Lenovo is known for its wide range of budget and high-end computers, but not its software. However, if what Executive Vice President Liu Jun said at CES 2024 is what it seems, that might be about to change. This OS is reportedly going to be a Lenovo exclusive, and be available only on the companys upcoming AI PCs. Hints at a Lenovo AI-powered operating system At CES 2024, Liu Jun hinted at Lenovo launching an artificially intelligent OS. This OS will complement the AI computers Lenovo is going to launch this year. Lenovo has been gunning it for an AI-based ecosystem, and this OS is likely to be a major part of its strategy. The approach seems similar to Huaweis HarmonyOS, a fluid and intuitive alternative to Android. Unlike Huawei, however, Lenovo isnt banned from doing business in most major markets around the world. This could severely threaten the monopoly Windows and MacOS have held on to for decades. Advertisement Advertisement What such an OS could mean Users have been waiting for an AI-powered assistant on their phones ever since GPT gained popularity. A smarter assistant that understands context clues and remembers the users preferences. And while that is in the works, what Lenovo is doing goes one step further. An operating system designed entirely around AI means an operating system that is intelligent at every task. Imagine an OS that can understand and troubleshoot issues on its own. An OS that can handle all the mundane day-to-day tasks of the average user. This AI OS wont just have a smart assistant, it will learn and grow alongside the user as time passes. Eventually, such an OS could automate almost anything and predict what a user is in the mood for. It could completely revolutionize how people see technology today. Lenovos OS may power its AI PCs Liu Jun said that this OS would be centered around AI PCs. Lenovo was quick to jump on the bandwagon, and its first AI PCs are launching this year. As with Apple Silicon and MacOS, this synergy of AI-based hardware and software could make for an excellent product. Additionally, Lenovos quick release of an AI operating system might help it monopolize this particular niche before its competitors. Whether this OS will be ready in time for this years AI PCs launch remains to be seen. However, if it is, its sure to be an instant sensation that media and news sites will be talking about for weeks. Taiwanese semiconductor behemoth TSMC appears well-prepared to strengthen its lead in the foundry market. The firm reportedly plans to nearly double its 3nm production volume in 2024 compared to 2023. It is also in the process of improving the 3nm yield rate to over 80%. TSMC is working on improving 3nm yield and production volume TSMC started 3nm mass production after Samsung but went on to commercially produce the first 3nm smartphone processor ahead of its foundry rival. The company manufactured Apples A17 Pro chip used in the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Samsung has yet to produce 3nm smartphone chips, with its initial production limited to other use cases such as cryptocurrency mining. Advertisement Advertisement The Korean firm is said to be struggling with yield rates, a measure of the usable chips produced from a wafer. TSMC also has a poor 3nm yield rate compared to previous-gen solutions, but not as poor as Samsung. More importantly, according to X tipster Revegnus, who cited a DigiTimes report, the Taiwanese firm is working towards improving the yield rate to over 80% this year. If it manages to do that, its production capacity will increase instantly. The publication reports that a higher 3nm yield rate, coupled with other foundry improvements, could enable TSMC to nearly double its production volume this year. Along with Apple, the firm may also manufacture 3nm smartphone chips for MediaTek. It might have landed contracts from companies in other tech sectors too. This report comes right on the heels of TSMC announcing its second wafer fab in Japan. The company will construct the new factory through Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM) as part of a joint venture with its Japanese partners, which include Toyota Motors. TSMC reported a 22.4% month-on-month increase in revenue in January 2024, reaching NT$215.79 billion (approx. $6.9 billion). Advertisement Samsung is playing catch-up to its foundry rival TSMCs 3nm improvements are bad news for Samsung. The Korean firm has long played second fiddle to TSMC in the foundry market, with many big companies picking the latters fab over Samsung. Despite a headstart in the 3nm era, it failed to close the gap to its arch-rival. The Taiwanese behemoth appears to have already gained an advantage in 3nm mass production. Samsung now aims to compete with TSMC in the 2nm space, the new report states. It has reportedly invited major clients to try its 2nm semiconductor fabrication process. Analysts still dont appear optimistic about Samsungs 2nm solution, though. It remains to be seen if the Korean firm can close the gap to TSMC in the 2nm era. Both companies plan to start 2nm mass production in 2025. Google is one of the top AI companies in the tech industry, and it has one of the most powerful generative AI products out there. Its called Gemini Advanced, and its positioned to steal some users from ChatGPT. But, what is Gemini Advanced? Throughout 2023, Googles primary AI chatbot was Bard, but its been renamed to Gemini, and that caused a little bit of confusion among tech users. The fact that Google unveiled yet another AI product on the same day didnt help anything. This product is Gemini Advanced. This piece is going to explain what this chatbot is, what it can do, and how it might help you with your AI needs. Advertisement Advertisement What do all of the names mean? Right now, youre grappling with five different terms. They are Gemini, Gemini Nano, Gemini Pro, Gemini Ultra, and Gemini Advanced. Its important to know what all of these terms mean in order to gain an understanding of what Google has going on. It can get a little confusing. Gemini is the chatbot that you use when you sign up to use it. Its the interface that you interact with. The same thing goes for Gemini Advanced. How are these two different? Well explain in just a bit. Gemini Nano, Gemini Pro, and Gemini Ultra are the models powering the chatbots. If a chatbot is a persons face, then a model would be their brain. The model contains all of the information, processes data, etc. The more powerful the model, the better the responses. Gemini Nano is the smallest and least capable model, so its able to fit on smartphone chips. Next up, Gemini Pro is a more standard size. Its comparable to GPT-3.5 thats powering ChatGPT for free users. The most powerful model is Gemini Ultra. Advertisement When you sign up for the free version of Gemini (the chatbot), it will be powered by Gemini Pro (the model). However, Gemini Advanced (chatbot) is a version of the chatbot thats powered by Gemini Ultra (model). How much does Gemini Advanced cost? This is what people have been wondering for the longest time. Firstly, you cant buy a Gemini Advanced subscription by itself. It comes bundled with a Google One subscription. This is the Google One AI Premium subscription, and it will cost you $19.99/month. With this plan, you will also receive other perks like 2TB of cloud storage, 10% back on Google Play Store purchases, longer Google Meet meetings, and more. Its nice having all of these perks, but youll need to be careful if youre coming from a free account. The jump from 15GB to 2TB is pretty massive. If you decide that you dont want Gemini Advanced anymore, youll lose access to any files youve uploaded after crossing 15GB. Advertisement How do I sign up for Gemini Advanced? You can sign up for Gemini Advanced either through the website or through the Google One App. If youre using your computer, go to the Google One website. This will show you the different price tiers that you can sign up for. Look for the Google One AI Premium plan. Click on the Upgrade button, and the payment screen will come up. If youre already a Google One customer, then youll already have your payment information. Youll just need to click on the Subscribe button on the bottom right of the screen. If youre new to Google One, then youll need to put your payment information in. Using the app If youre using the Google One app, its also easy to sign up. Open the Google One app and tap on the hamburger-style button at the top left of the screen (the three horizontal lines). When the panel slides in from the left, tap on the Membership plans button. This will show you a list of the payment plans that you can choose. Look for the plan, and tap on the price button. Advertisement When the panel rises from the bottom, tap on the Subscribe button. After you do that, youll be able to use Gemini Advanced. How do I access Gemini Advanced? There are two ways to access Gemini Advanced. Just like when signing up for it, you can access it through the website and the app. After signing up to the Google One AI Premium plan, go to gemini.google.com to access it on your web browser. If you want to use the app, then you just need to download the app. You can download the app from the Google Play Store. Once youre subscribed to Gemini Advanced, youll be able to use the advanced model right away. This is just like accessing regular Gemini. So, if you dont want Advanced, these steps will still apply. What can I do with Gemini Advanced? The list of things that Gemini Advanced cant do would be shorter than the list of what it can do. Being an advanced AI model developed by a trillion-dollar company, youre able to do a TON of different things with it. Here are some examples: Advertisement Encyclopedia information Many people use generative AI to get answers to general questions. How far away is the sun?, Who was the 12th president of the USA?, ETC. Youll be given a detailed answer to the question. Most of the time, the answers will be correct, but theres always the chance of the information being incorrect. So, if you get an answer, youll want to double-check it. Tips/advice How do I build a kite?, Whats the best way to swaddle a baby?, ETC. Gemini Advanced is great at providing tips and advice for what you ask. Depending on what you ask it, Gemini will give you a detailed list of bullet-pointed items walking you through the steps. The answers are usually displayed in an essay format, so it will give you an introduction paragraph and a closing paragraph with the items in the middle. It can give you advice on a wide range of topics. Advertisement Recipes Are you looking for a new recipe to spice up dinner night? Well, why not turn to Gemini? Simply ask Gemini what you want to make, and it will give you the recipe complete with all of the measurements and instructions. Whats neat is that, if you want to suggest changes to the recipe, you can just say so. If you get a recipe for tacos, but you want it to be spicier, just type Make them spicy in the text box. Then, Gemini will generate a new recipe to make them spicy. Essays If youre a student, and youre working on an essay for your course, Gemini can help. First and foremost, its highly recommended that you write your essay yourself and only use Gemini as a supplement. You can use Gemini to create an essay draft to give you an example to go off of. Advertisement It can be a great help for people who need to write long and complex essays. Also, it can give you tips and advice on fleshing out your essay. Stories If you want Gemini Advanced to give you a short story, you can ask for one. All you have to do is type what kind of story you want, what kind of characters you want, and what its about. For example, you can say Write me a story about a mean rabbit who gets his just deserts. Then, it will give you a full short story with the parameters you provided. After you do that, you can suggest edits, and Gemini will regenerate the story based on your suggestions. You can be as descriptive as you want. It might take you a couple of tries, but you should get a story to fit your needs in no time. Poems Geminis creative writing capabilities extend into poetry. If you want to have a poem created, just ask for one. Just like with writing stories, you can let it know what the poem is about and make refinements over time. Advertisement Images Gemini Advanced cant only generate written words for you; its also able to create images. All you have to do is type Make me an image of and say what you want the image to be. When you do that, youll see up to four examples show up. Click on the one you like the most and click on the Download button at the top right corner of the image. Theres a Generate more button that will appear below the image(s). Click that to have Gemini generate additional versions of the image. Summarization One of the main reasons for people to use AI chatbots is to summarize long pieces of text. If you paste a body of text or a link to a page with text and ask it to summarize the text, youll get a short and sweet explanation of what its all about. If you want it longer or more brief, you can just say so. Advertisement What if I want to switch back to the less-powerful model? There are people who dont want the more advanced model. If you dont want to use Gemini Advanced, the easiest way to do that is to switch the model right within the Gemini platform. On the website, look at the Gemini Advanced text at the top left of the screen. Youll see a little downward-facing arrow. A little dropdown menu will appear with two options. Click on the Gemini button. This will switch you back to the regular model. If youre using the app, tap on your profile picture at the top of the right of the screen and tap on the Settings button. This will bring up the menu page. Close to the bottom, youll see a toggle called Advanced responses. This will be turned on by default; turn it off. Youll be on the regular model. Advertisement How do I cancel Gemini Advanced? You can cancel Gemini Advanced by either downgrading your Google One subscription or canceling it. Downgrading through the web To downgrade it, go to the Google One website, and scroll to the bottom of the screen. There, youll see a little section showing your Google One subscription status. Click on the Manage button. On the resulting screen, Youll see a selection of some of the most expensive plans. Under that list of plans, you will see a Show more options button. This one will expand the list to show you the more affordable plans. Click on the Downgrade button next to the plan you want to move to and confirm it. Downgrading through the app Open the Google One app and tap on the hamburger-style menu. Tap on the Membership button at the top. This will take you to a page with your plans and others. Scroll down until you see the Show all plans button. That will show you the ones that you can downgrade to. Tap on the one that you want to move to and confirm it. Advertisement Canceling on the web On the website, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on the Manage button. Under the list of payment tiers, youll see a Cancel subscription button. Click on it. Youll see another Cancel button on the right side of the screen. Click it and confirm that you want to cancel. Be sure to read the warning that pops up. Canceling through the app Open the Google One app and open the hamburger-style menu. There, tap on the Settings button. On the settings screen, scroll down until you see the Cancel membership button. Tap it and read the warning that pops up. If youre sure that you want to cancel your membership, tap on the Cancel membership button at the bottom of the popup. by Carol A Westbrook The Supreme Court is poised to make another landmark decision this year, when it determines if it will uphold a Texas Federal courts ruling that invalidates the FDAs (U.S. Food and Drug Administrations) updated labeling of the abortion pill mifepristone (pronounced mi-fe-pri-ston) , brand name Mifeprex (Fig 1). Not only will this ruling have a significant impact on abortions in the US, it will also determine whether the Supreme Court (Fig 2) has the power to modify or nullify an FDA ruling. But before we delve any further into this debate, lets review the action of this drug on the biology of the female reproductive system. In the early part of a womans monthly cycle, her levels of the hormone progesterone rise, and this causes the lining of the uterus to thicken and increases its blood supply, converting it into a state that can support a fetus. After unprotected sex, sperm are deposited in the vagina, and they begin to travel up the fallopian tubes; at the same time, an egg is released from the ovary and travels down the fallopian tube. (Fig 3) When sperm and egg unite, conception occurs. Interestingly, the date of conception does not mark the start of the pregnancy; pregnancy is actually counted from the beginning of a womans monthly cycle, two weeks prior to conception. The total length of a pregnancy is usually 40 weeks, or 9 months. The fertilized egg begins to divide into a small ball of cells, which travel down the fallopian tube toward the uterus. After it reaches the inside of the uterus, the ball of cells stops and burrows into the lining of the uterus; this is called implantation. Implantation is where the Morning After Pill (Plan B) has its effects, because it opposes the action of progesterone on the lining of the uterus, preventing or reversing implantation. In an uninterrupted pregnancy, the ball of cells from the fertilized egg begins to elongate and curve into a C shape, while the outer cells develop into the placenta. Early in week 6 of the pregnancy, a furrow along the backthe neural tube begins to close; these cells will become the spinal cord and the brain. The head can now be seen. By week 7 (Fig 4), other recognizable features begin to develop, including the head and eyes, and the arm and leg buds. Although the heart has not yet completely formed, the cells that will make it up have begun to beat in unison. The coordinated beating of the heart cells does not mean that a person or a soul has been created, however, because heart cells will also beat in unison if they are grown in the laboratory in petri dishes. This tube of beating cells within the embryo will soon fold into a heart and by week 8, a heartbeat can usually be heard. Additionally, facial features become recognizable, including early eyes, nose, and ears. The fetus at this time is about inch in length from crown to rump. By week 10 (Fig 5) the head makes up about half of the embryos length, and finer details like fingers and genitalia can be clearly seen. By week 11 the embryo is officially called a fetus. Week 12 marks the end of the first trimester; the fetus is well-established within the uterus, with an umbilical cord connected to a placenta. The pregnancy is one-third complete. A mifepristone abortion, also called a medical abortion, actually requires 2 drugs given in succession. The first drug is mifepristone, which inhibits the action of progesterone. After 24-48 hours misoprostol is given. This second drug which causes the uterus to contract and expel its contents. (In some situations, misoprostol alone is used to induce abortion, though the chance of success if much greater when preceded by mifepristone.) Over the next few days the abortion occurs, there is a variable amount of bleeding, and the fetus is expelled. Two weeks after mifepristone is given, the woman returns to the clinic for a post-treatment exam to confirm that all of the uterus contents have been expelled, and that the woman is healthy without any serious problems. An outpatient medical abortion is generally used only up until the end of the first trimester (the 12th week). Although the mifepristone-misoprostol combination can also induce abortion in the second semester (12-20 weeks), it is generally not recommended for outpatient administrations. That is because second trimester abortions are longer and involve more bleeding, because the fetus is larger, as is the placenta, and both will have to be dislodged from the uterus. Second trimester terminations are recommended to take place in a health care facility where blood transfusion and emergency surgery are available. The way the abortion pill is to be administered is spelled out in the FDA labellingthe doses used, who can administer, how many clinic visits are needed, and so on. Since the initial approval in 2000, clinicians have modified the way this is done, making it less expensive, with fewer clinic visits and more involvement of advanced practitioners such as mid-wives and nurse specialists. Although off-label use of drugs is generally accepted in the United States, many clinicians see FDA labels as guides to appropriate and legally defensible clinical practice. First and foremost, the label update reaffirms that medication abortion is very safe and highly effective. It also has the potential to increase access to medication abortion in this country. For that reason, the FDA saw fit to update the labelling to become more in alignment with current medical practice, which has been shown to be safe and effective. In March 2016, the FDA approved updated labeling for Mifepristone, which contained several significant changes to the original label. These are shown in the table below. The most significant change is an increase in eligibility from 49 days (7 weeks) to 70 days (10 weeks). This may seem like a minor change, but as we saw above, the fetus has had significant time to grow and develop more recognizable human features, and most importantly, to develop a heart with a real heartbeat! The other changes bring the procedure more in line with current practices in todays health care system, such as the use of providers who are not physicians, and dropping the requirement that the follow-ups had to be done in the clinic, whereas now they can be done using telemedicine. Decreasing the number of in-person visits and decreasing the dose of mifepristone lowered the cost of the procedure. OLD LABELING NEW LABELING Use through 49 days gestation Use through 70 days gestation Day 1: Mifepristone 600 mg (3 tablets) orally Day 1: Mifepristone 200 mg (1 tablet) orally Day 3: Misoprostol 400 g (2 tablets) orally at healthcare provider facility 2448 hours after mifepristone dose: Misoprostol 800 g (4 tablets) buccally (placed in the cheek); home administration allowed Post-treatment examination: Patients return to provider 14 days after taking mifepristone Post-treatment assessment: Patients are assessed 714 days after taking mifepristone; not necessarily an in-person clinic visit Prescriber: By or under the supervision of a physician who is authorized to prescribe the drug Prescriber: By or under the supervision of a healthcare provider who is authorized to prescribe the drug The updated labelling has significant public health implications. A study by the Guttmacher Institute estimated that, following the 2016 labeling changes, twice as many abortion patients would qualify for medication abortion. Under the original protocol, just 37 percent of all U.S. abortions were eligible for mifepristone, but as a result of the updated protocol, the proportion of all abortions now eligible has doubled to 75 percent. (Fig. 6) This is in spite of the fact that the total number of abortions has decreased (Fig 7). Anti-abortion organizations recognized that these labeling changes make abortion easier and less expensive to get, and took their case to Federal courts to seek an injunction or reversal of the new policy. On April 7, 2023, a federal judge in Texas, Judge Mathew Kacsmaryk, ruled to reverse the approval of the abortion pill, in the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. United States FDA, filed on January 13, 2023. Kacsmaryks ruling was a preliminary injunction, deeming the FDA approval of mifepristone in 2000 invalid. The new FDA ruling on Mifepristone required additional authorization for non-MD providers in order to dispense the pill, so-called REMS requirement, A Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, is a drug safety program that the FDA can require for certain medications with serious safety concerns. On February 24, 2023, 12 states filed a lawsuit against the FDA to ease REMS restrictions enforced for mifepristone; this lawsuit addresses concerns that the current REMS is too restrictive, considering the medications safety profile. Judge Thomas O. Rice of the Eastern District of Washington ruled that access to abortion pills must remain available in 17 states and Washington, DC, without additional restrictions. This injunction directly contradicts Judge Kacsmaryks ruling. Kacsmaryks case marks the first lawsuit where a judge decided to overrule FDA approval. If the ruling is enforced, the entire nation will be unable to access mifepristone. Furthermore, it will have widespread implications on FDA approval for any number of medications . Further litigation will likely be required to determine which stands, and the Supreme Court will have to intervene. The upcoming year , 2024, should be a very interesting one as the pro- and anti-abortion coalitions face off in the courts, the FDAs evaluation of medical abortions gets resolved, and the role of the Supreme Court in regulating the FDA is clarified. by David J. Lobina Well, first post of the year, and a new-year-resolution unkept. Unsurprising, really. In my last entry of 2023, I drew attention to the various series of posts I have written at 3 Quarks Daily since 2021, many of which did not proceed in order, creating a bit of confusion along the way. Indeed, the last post of the year was supposed to be the final section of a two-parter, but instead I wrote about how I intended to organise my writing better in 2024. Whats more, I promised I would start 2024 with the anticipated second part of my take on why Machine Learning (ML) does not model or exhibit human intelligence, and yet in my first post of 2024 I published a piece on the psychological study of inner speech (or the interior monologue, as is known in literature), a fascinating topic in its own right, though I am not sure it got much traction, but it really has little to do with ML. In my last substantial post of 2023, then, I set up an approach to discuss the supposedly human-like abilities of contemporary Artificial Intelligence (AI [sic], as I like to put it), and I now intend to follow up on it and complete the series. It is an approach I have employed when discussing AI before, and to good effect: first I provide a proper characterisation of a specific property of human cognition in the past, I concentrated on natural language, given all the buzz around large language models; this time around was the turn of thought and thinking abilities and then I show how AI actually, ML models dont learn or exhibit mastery of such a property of cognition, in any shape or form. Its an attractive approach, I think, and whilst it can be illustrative in many respects, it is a bit by-the-by and also a bit in conflict with some of the stuff I have written about ML at 3QD Tower (whats more, it feels like little more than a gotcha argument). As I stressed in some of my previous posts, there is little reason to believe that ML algorithms model any aspect of human cognition that is, they are not theories of cognition and therefore the whole issue is moot to begin with. I would like to follow a slightly different course on this occasion, which nevertheless will allow me to rerun some of my previous arguments anyway. The plan the old plan was to describe in some detail one of the properties of human cognition I had listed and briefly described here, and then show that ML cant really exhibit such an ability. And to do so, I intended to focus on systematicity the claim that thoughts (or propositions) are structured objects, and systematicity is the ability to process and represent structurally related objects by focusing on a hierarchy of abilities, obtained by an analogy to linguistic systematicity, but argued to apply to thought tout court. The following list is from the well-known work on this issue by one Robert Hadley, who published two foundational papers on this in 1994 (heres a revisit from 2004): a) Weak systematicity is demonstrated if an agent can process test sentences containing novel combinations of words. b) Quasi systematicity: this involves weak systematicity and it is extended to embedded sentences a sentence inside another sentence, as in the rat [the cat bit] ran away. c) Strong systematicity (SS): weak systematicity plus the ability to process known words in novel positions (i.e., positions not present in the training set) for example, this would be the ability to transform an active sentence, composed of known words, into a passive sentence, constituting a new pattern. d) Strong semantic systematicity (SSS): strong systematicity plus the ability to assign appropriate meanings to all words in any novel test sentence for example, the ability to understand verbs encountered in the indicative but now used in the imperative. Crucially, human systematicity revolves around two important principles: 1) Structure Sensitivity: complex representations have an internal structure, as theyre composed of constituents that are literally there. 2) Compositionality, a property that has it that the content of thoughts is determinedby the content of theconcepts that are their constituents (quote from here). As Hadley showed in 2004, the language models at the time (so-called connectionist networks) did not fare very well, only demonstrating limited mastery of systematicity, and with rather simple sentences. The best networks were hybrid models, the combination of deep learning and symbolic representations, the latter a component that ML radicals such as Geoffrey Hinton summarily dismiss then, as now. Now, anyone reading this might think that modern language models large language models equipped with technology transforming transformers simply ace these tests, easily demonstrating these abilities I have conversed with these models, you might say, and surely they clearly do all this already. Fair is fair, but casually interacting with the software is a different proposition to putting any of these abilities to the (experimental) test.[i] In a recent paper that doesnt mention systematicity per se but describes an ability that is close to it, it is found that language models suffer from what the authors call the reversal curse that is, the inability to generalise B is A when the model has been trained on A is B. Or less cryptically, language models are not able to automatically questions such as Whos the ninth Chancellor of Germany? after being trained on Olaf Schols is the ninth Chancellor of Germany. Or in the case of my favourite example, used with GPT-4: Who is Tom Cruises mother? System answers correctly 79% of the time (this information is naturally part of the training set, given that some LLM companies use all of the internet). Who is Mary Lee Pfeiffers son? System only answers correctly 33% of the time (answer: Tom Cruise, of course!). The model, to be more accurate, is trained on sentences of the form is and is being asked to predict text in the opposite direction: is , which sounds like a kind of logical deduction (and thus close to the spirit of systematicity), though language models are of course not meant to do logic (or soundness or truth or validity) but are instead trained to predict new linguistic output from the training set. This would be a case of going back to one of my earlier arguments; namely, that language models have been trained on text and what they can predict is text.[ii] So far, so old. But perhaps theres another side to the discussion, a more fruitful one. In a recent paper, Eunice Yiu and colleagues have argued that language models, and perhaps generative ML models in general, should be seen as imitation engines rather than agents that is, as software that can be used to probe what sort of cognitive capacities are enabled by the particular statistical analyses that ML models carry out (I would downplay this point a bit, though; Yiu et al point that infants are sensitive to some statistical distributions too when learning a language, but these are only operative in combination to expectations as to what language is like; see here). Thus, ML models are not agents (let alone intelligent agents), but cultural technology, and imitators rather innovators. In this vein, Yiu et al draw a distinction between imitation and innovators with respect to infant cognition, as children go beyond imitation during ontogeny, given that most of infant learning is driven by truth-seeking processes such as understanding the goals and intentions of others, to quote Yiu et al cognition as a cognitive agent does, in other words. There is much to agree with here, and perhaps this perspective could save us from anthropomorphising AI [sic], as is constantly done on a daily basis what I would give to read a journalist say something like No, an AI did not do this, it was a human being specifically coding a neural network to solve a well-defined problem by leveraging the capabilities of Machine and Deep Learning. To hope is to live (or is it the other way around?). Useful and impressive tools, ML has little to do with intelligence or human cognition, and this includes human language too. Language models have been trained on text and have learned properties of already-produced language; that is, they havent actually learned a natural language, but the statistical distributions of text, with as many replications as non-replications in the outputs they so produce, a stochastic system that can be a bit hit-and-miss, in fact. To be extra clear: a language model is an imitating text generator, and the underlying neural network overall, as in all other Machine Learning models, an output generator from the inputs the network has been fed during training, typically not going beyond the properties of the distribution the network has analysed. Machine Learning is mostly about pattern recognition; they are function approximators: given a dataset of inputs and outputs, it is assumed that there is a function that can map inputs to outputs in a specific domain, and which resulted in the patterns observable in the data. Neural networks are specifically designed as an algorithm that aims to approximate the function represented by the data. As with other statistical methods such as regressions, this is largely achieved by calculating the error between predicted and expected outputs, minimizing the error during training; or to quote an influential book in Deep Learning: It is best to think ofnetworks as function approximation machines that are designed to achieve statistical generalization Crucially, neural networks can be employed to approximate any function, which is one reason ML is applied to all sort of problems and settings, many of which have absolutely nothing to do with human cognition. In other words, neural networks are universal approximators; or to quote from the Deep Learning book again: the universal approximation theorem states that a feedforward network with a linear output layer and at least one hidden layercan approximate anyfunction from onespace to another with any desired non-zero amount of error, provided that the network is given enough hidden units [my emphasis] To see language models, or ML in general, as informing the actual study of cognition, or of linguistics in particular, is very close to committing a category mistake, though spelling this out is for another time (Lobina, forthcoming!) and so is the issue of artificial general intelligence, if the concept is intelligible at all (I will write about this before the year is out). But to end by referring to my own sensibilities: who came up with the expression generative AI? A certain kind of linguist would like the word back, thank you very much. [i] This point applies to this post of mine too, which aimed to evaluate whether language models had acquired linguistic competence. This study carried out a more systematic analysis, and the results clearly demonstrate that the systems do not in fact show any mastery of language. That being the case, the much more fundamental point that language models are not in fact models of human cognition is perhaps even more important. If anything, though, the just cited study on how language models do with classic linguistics tests should showcase the confusion of Steven Pinker in this interview, as he really should know better (on politics, however, he knows as much as expected). [ii] But the debate continues; this study claims that meta-learning neural networks are better at systematicity, with this rejoinder casting doubt on the results. Cameron: Israel should stop and think seriously before Rafah offensive Israel should stop and think seriously before taking further action in Rafah in the south of Gaza, the Foreign Secretary has said. The town was hit by airstrikes overnight, with Israel signalling its intention to carry out a ground offensive in the area. Lord David Cameron said many of the people in Rafah had already fled from other areas and said it is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people, there is nowhere for them to go. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said they were deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah. The town, on the border with Egypt, is one of the few regions not yet targeted by an Israeli ground offensive and is providing refuge to more than half of Gazas 2.3 million population who have fled fighting elsewhere. Also on Monday, the Foreign Office sanctioned four Israeli settlers accused of committing human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Announcing the restrictions, the Foreign Office said Israels failure to act had led to an environment of near total impunity for settler extremists, with violence in the West Bank reaching record levels in 2023. Destroyed buildings in Rafah in southern Gaza (Hatem Ali/AP) Speaking to reporters in East Kilbride, Scotland, Lord Cameron said: We are very concerned about what is happening in Rafah because, lets be clear, the people there, many of whom have moved four, five, six times before getting there. It really, we think, is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people, there is nowhere for them to go. They cant go south into Egypt, they cant go north and back to their homes because many have been destroyed. So we are very concerned about the situation and we want Israel to stop and think seriously before it takes any further action. (PA Graphics) But above all, what we want is an immediate pause in the fighting. We want that pause to lead to a ceasefire, a sustainable ceasefire without a return to further fighting. That is what should happen now. We need to get those hostages out, including the British nationals. We need to get the aid in. The best way to do that is to stop the fighting now and turn that into a permanent, sustainable ceasefire. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We are obviously deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah. Over half of Gazas population are sheltering there and that crossing is vital to ensuring aid can reach the people who desperately need it. Palestinians inspect the damage to residential buildings where two Israeli hostages were reportedly held before being rescued during an operation by Israeli security forces in Rafah (Fatima Shbair/AP) It comes as 21 different agencies and organisations have written to the Prime Minister urging him to call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the offensive in Rafah, as well as the suspension of all arms export licences for sales Israel. The list of signees includes ActionAid UK, Cafod, Christian Aid and Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights. We, as agencies united, attempted to work together with the Government towards leveraging what the UK can do to halt these atrocities. We are losing confidence in ministers as the UK appears utterly incapable of restraining Israel in its current attempts, the letter says. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said sending troops into Rafah is necessary to eliminate Hamas. He announced on Friday that he had asked the military to prepare to enter Rafah and evacuate hundreds of thousands of people. The White House has said President Joe Biden told the Israeli prime minister on Sunday there should be no military operation in the densely populated Gaza border town without a credible plan to protect civilians. Two Israeli hostages were rescued from Rafah overnight following a raid on a heavily guarded apartment in the town. The accompanying airstrikes killed at least 67 people, according to a spokesman for the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Downing Street declined to say whether Mr Netanyahus claim that total victory over Hamas is months is realistic. Mr Sunaks official spokesman said: Thats the prime minister of Israels language. From the PMs perspective, what we want to see is a pause in this fighting so we can get aid in and hostages out, and obviously what we all want to see is a sustainable ceasefire. Clearly, in order to reach that, as weve said before, we need to see measures taken including Hamas no longer in charge of Gaza and an arrangement that ensures the sustainable security of Israel, as well as aid in to support the people living in Gaza. The commanding officer of the Navys new mine-hunting mother ship has spoken of his pride in the wonderful vessel after it recently arrived at its home on the Clyde. RFA Stirling Castle is part of the Navys paradigm shift in how it deals with the threat of sea mines around the world and could be ready for operations later this year. A former oil rig support ship, it was purchased by the Ministry of Defence in 2023 and will be used to transport and launch autonomous uncrewed boats which will scan the sea for mines. Its crew are going through an intense period of trials to prepare the 6,000-tonne ship for initial operational capability, which they hope to reach later this year. A dedication ceremony could take place as early as April. RFA Stirling Castle and other ships like it will replace the Navys ageing fleet of Sandown-class mine-hunting ships, most of which have left the service. Last week, the Navys mine and threat exploitation group (MTXG) showed some of their underwater drones to the PA news agency during a tour of the ship. Richard Reville said he had a soft spot for the ship (Steven Welsh/PA) Stirling Castles commanding officer is Richard Reville, who has recently rejoined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) after a career which included captaining super yachts. He described the challenges of bringing a new class of ship into the RFA, which supports the Royal Navy. He told PA: Theres been equipment fits on board that had to be done in order for the vessel to move into its military service. So its been a long process, its been challenging but its been rewarding. Its been very different for us. The threat from mines is ever evolving and very potent, he said, adding: What we have the ability to do is deal with that safely by using autonomous and remote vehicles at a stand-off distance. RFA Stirling Castle is going through a period of trials (Steve Welsh/PA) He said he is confident RFA Stirling Castle and other ships of its class can take on the tasks performed by the fleet of Sandown and Hunt-class mine-hunters. Mr Reville, who is from Milnathort in Perth and Kinross, said: I have a soft spot obviously because for myself Im not very far from Stirling Castle. Being on the first, Scottish-named ship is an absolute pleasure. Im very proud to be the commanding officer of such a wonderful platform with the capability that it has. RFA Stirling Castle arrived in Scotland at the end of January. After final training on the south coast of England, the mine-hunting ship will return to the Clyde where it will spend most of this year. Its main job will be to carry mine-hunting boats which are being used to clear the submarine lanes around the Faslane naval base. As well as operating these boats, the MTXG uses underwater drones to pinpoint sea mines and historic ordnance. One of these is the commercially available Iver 3, which can autonomously scan the seabed using sonar before reporting its findings back to crew on the surface. Lieutenant Chris Stone, of the MTXGs Zulu Squadron, told PA: Its a paradigm shift for the Royal Navy, from the legacy (mine counter-measure vessels) that Scottish people will definitely have seen about on the Clyde. Were bringing in a brand new remote and autonomous capability. He added: You only have to threaten to lay a mine in an area and that raises insurance premiums for shipping. We need a credible capability to deal with that in the future and thats what were working towards now. As a former commercial ship, the comfort of the accommodation on RFA Stirling Castle is higher than on Royal Navy warships. Previously a Norwegian vessel, it has an onboard sauna and two gyms. The ship is relatively lightly crewed with 54 personnel but only 27 will be deployed at any one time. Mr Reville said the crewing arrangements gave a good work and home life balance and would help with recruitment. The Justice Secretary is seeking an urgent meeting with the Parole Board after it granted a double child rapist and murderers appeal to reconsider his case. Alex Chalk is expected to raise concerns over the flawed decision after Colin Pitchfork successfully challenged a ruling to keep him behind bars. The 63-year-old lost his latest bid for freedom in December but, having contested the decision, will now face a fresh parole hearing which could see him released from jail. Dawn Ashworth was murdered by Colin Pitchfork in 1986 (Topham/PA) The mother of one of his victims said words fail me now as she heard the news while an MP who has campaigned to keep Pitchfork behind bars warned the Parole Board was demonstrating its utter inability to appropriately deal with this dangerous man. Pitchfork was jailed for life in 1988 after raping and strangling two 15-year-olds, Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986. He was given a minimum term of 30 years, later reduced to 28 years due to progress he had made in prison, and was released in September 2021. But Pitchfork was back behind bars two months later after breaching his licence conditions when he approached a lone woman while litter-picking. In June last year the Parole Board found the decision to recall him to prison was flawed and said his detention was no longer necessary for public safety. But this ruling was blocked by Mr Chalk who is also the Lord Chancellor as he called for the decision to release Pitchfork to be reviewed. Dawns mother Barbara Ashworth expressed her anguish at the news there would be another parole hearing with yet again the prospect of Pitchfork being freed. The 77-year-old, who now lives in Cornwall, told the PA news agency: Words fail me now. He seems to want to fight no matter what. I just dont know where to go next to be honest. Hes killed two schoolgirls. I know what Id do, Id throw away the key. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk wants to meet the Parole Board to discuss Colin Pitchforks parole hearing (Lucy North/PA) A Government source said it was deeply concerning that having made one flawed decision, the Parole Board have made another, causing immense distress to the families of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, adding: They are again left with no certainty and the Lord Chancellor has sought an urgent meeting with the Parole Board. Pitchfork, then 27, became the first man to be convicted in the UK using DNA fingerprinting evidence. He initially persuaded a work colleague to provide a DNA sample pretending to be him. He was later suspected of trying to cheat lie detector tests, according to parole papers. Documents said he was subjected to polygraph tests in 2021 and it was believed that Mr Pitchfork was deliberately seeking to undermine the testing process by controlling his breathing. Parole Board decisions on whether to release criminals from prison are initially provisional. The bodys rules stipulate both the prisoner and the Justice Secretary on behalf of victims, their families and the public have 21 days to appeal against a ruling on the grounds it is irrational, procedurally unfair and/or there had been an error of law. The Parole Board reviews the application, decides whether it is eligible for reconsideration and, if so, orders a fresh hearing to determine the case again. Conservative MP for South Leicestershire Alberto Costa told PA the Parole Boards latest ruling was in itself an irrational decision, adding: Once again, the Parole Board is demonstrating its utter inability to appropriately deal with this dangerous man who we must never forget brutally raped and strangled two young women. Pitchfork argued he had not been given a fair bid for release, complaining that comments from his prison offender manager were not taken into account. The Parole Board said the panel considering his case had a duty to take this view into account and to give adequate reasons for any disagreement with that recommendation but concluded this had not happened. Mr Costa said the bodys rules are so opaque that in effect Pitchfork has a limitless amount of appeals on every decision that the body makes which cannot be rational. Every time the Parole Board rules against him, Pitchfork can appeal, Mr Costa added, claiming this was getting to the point of madness. The MP plans to apply again for Pitchforks hearing to take place in public in a bid to ensure proper scrutiny of Parole Board decision process. A similar request was previously rejected by Parole Board chairwoman Caroline Corby meaning the hearing took place behind closed doors. Retired High Court judge Sir Stephen Silber granted Pitchforks reconsideration application, according to court records, and the Parole Board confirmed a complete re-hearing would take place in due course. Release can only be directed by the Parole Board if the new panel is satisfied that it is no longer necessary for the protection of the public that Mr Pitchfork remain confined in prison. Mr Pitchfork has, and will continue to, remain in prison until this case has fully concluded, the body added in a statement on Monday. A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: Our heartfelt sympathies remain with the families of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth at this difficult time. This Government is reforming the parole system to add a ministerial check on the release of the most dangerous criminals and are changing the law so that for societys most depraved killers, life means life. Labour is facing criticism for standing by its Rochdale by-election candidate, even after he claimed that Israel allowed Hamas to carry out its October 7 attack to provide grounds to invade Gaza. Azhar Ali apologised for his deeply offensive comments after he was recorded telling a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had deliberately relaxed security after warnings of an imminent threat. Labours decision to stick with Mr Ali has raised questions about Sir Keir Starmers claim to have changed his party since Jeremy Corbyns leadership, when it was embroiled in an antisemitism controversy. Azhar Ali has apologised for his deeply offensive comments about Israel (Peter Byrne/PA) Pat McFadden, Labours national campaign co-ordinator, said Mr Alis comments were completely wrong and did not represent the partys view. But he said Mr Ali would remain Labours parliamentary candidate in the Rochdale contest on February 29, which was triggered by the death of sitting MP Sir Tony Lloyd. Mr McFadden told Sky News: Hes issued a complete apology and retraction. And I hope he learns a good lesson from it because he should never have said something like that in the first place. The deadline to remove Mr Ali from the ballot paper has passed, but the party could withdraw campaign support. The Tories have called for the aspiring MPs campaign to be suspended and his Labour Party membership removed. Conservative Cabinet minister Michael Gove said: Sir Keir Starmer cannot continue to support this candidacy. In a recording obtained by The Mail on Sunday, Mr Ali said: The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier Americans warned them a day before (that) theres something happening. They deliberately took the security off, they allowed that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want. Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7 last year, in which 1,300 people were killed and more than 240 kidnapped. Israel has retaliated with months of attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding thousands. Mr Ali, a Lancashire county councillor and former government adviser who was made an OBE in 2020 for public service, on Sunday said: I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false. Hamass horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. He promised to urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments, saying that the Labour Party has changed unrecognisably under Keir Starmers leadership. But Mr Alis remarks were seized on by some as evidence that Labour has failed to root out antisemitism after the Corbyn era. Joe Glasman, head of political and government investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology. This is distressingly familiar to days that Sir Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing antisemitism out by its roots. Labour recently suspended the MP Kate Osamor after she appeared to say the Gaza war should be remembered as genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day. Mr Glasman said the inconsistency in deciding not to suspend Mr Ali is deeply alarming and must be urgently re-examine(d). Azhar Alis comments are totally reprehensible. But this close to polling day, electoral law says he will be Labours candidate, whatever Starmer says or does now. Alis destroyed his past record of allyship with the Jewish community and has a mountain to climb to repair it. 1/3 Mike Katz (@mikekatz) February 11, 2024 Mike Katz, the national chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, said his group would not campaign in Rochdale as Mr Ali had destroyed his past record of allyship with the Jewish community with his totally reprehensible comments. But he stopped short of calling on Labour to drop the candidate, warning that the alternative in Rochdale is George Galloway whose victory would harm the Jewish community far more than electing Ali. He added: We know how far the party has come under Keir Starmer in tackling antisemitism and that the party, from Starmer down, is as shocked and disgusted by Alis comments as we are. Dame Louise Ellman, who rejoined Labour after quitting over Mr Corbyns handling of antisemitism, criticised Mr Alis outrageous and deeply offensive remarks but said they were out of character. I have known Azhar for over twenty years and he consistently supported me when I was subjected to antisemitic attacks, she said. He should now have the opportunity to work with the Jewish community to restore the loss of trust his actions have caused. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was criticised for initially refusing to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza (Andrew Matthews/PA) As well as reigniting a row over antisemitism in the party, Mr Alis comments could highlight divisions within Labour over its stance on the Gaza conflict. The Labour leaderships initial refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire faced serious criticism from within the party ranks. Sir Keir has since hardened his tone towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and backed the Governments call for a sustainable ceasefire as the Palestinian death toll has mounted. Also running in Rochdale are its former Labour MP Simon Danczuk, now the Reform Party candidate, and Mr Galloway, of the Workers Party of Britain, who is campaigning against Labours stance on Gaza. About 20% of the electorate and 30% of the population of the town are Asian, with polls nationally suggesting Labours vote could be hit by Asian people unhappy with the party over Palestine and its perceived support for Israel. Labour has withdrawn its support for Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali, following criticism of remarks he made about Israel. Mr Ali had apologised after he was recorded suggesting in a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had taken the October 7 Hamas assault as a pretext to invade Gaza. A party spokesperson said: Following new information about further comments made by Azhar Ali coming to light today, the Labour Party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as our candidate in the Rochdale by-election. Keir Starmer has changed Labour so that it is unrecognisable from the party of 2019. We understand that these are highly unusual circumstances, but it is vital that any candidate put forward by Labour fully represents its aims and values. Given that nominations have now closed, Azhar Ali cannot be replaced as the candidate. The elction follows the death of Sir Tony Lloyd (Liam McBurney/PA) Labour had come under serious pressure after the previous remarks emerged, with the comments condemned by figures inside the party as well as political opponents. Sir Keir Starmer has sought to move his party on from the Corbyn era, which was overshadowed by controversies over antisemitism. But the party leadership had been pressed on why Mr Ali had not been immediately suspended after the comments emerged. Labour recently suspended the MP Kate Osamor after she appeared to say the Gaza war should be remembered as genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day. It is understood Mr Ali has now been suspended from Labour pending a party investigation. The decision to withdraw backing for the candidate will come as a blow to the party, which had hoped to retain the seat following the death last month of sitting MP Sir Tony Lloyd. Mr Ali, who is also a Lancashire County Councillor, has apologised to the Jewish community and retracted his remarks, which he described as deeply offensive, ignorant and false. Frontbenchers Lisa Nandy and Anneliese Dodds had been out campaigning for Mr Ali in the constituency at the weekend. Labours national campaign coordinator Pat McFadden told broadcasters the party acted because new information and more comments have come to light which meant that we had to look at this situation again. Earlier shadow minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that he believed Mr Ali, had fallen for an online conspiracy theory. According to a story published by the Daily Mail on Monday night, Mr Ali also said people in the media from certain Jewish quarters were giving crap about MP Andy McDonald, who was suspended by Labour after he used the phrase between the river and the sea in a speech during a rally. The paper also said the now-former Labour candidate claimed that Israel planned to get rid of [Palestinians] from Gaza and grab some of the land. Rishi Sunak, speaking to GB News viewers on Monday at an event in County Durham, said it was a con to suggest Labour has been reformed. He said: Keir Starmer has been running around for the last year trying to tell everybody Okay, Labour Partys changed. Well, look what just happened in Rochdale. He accused Sir Keir of having stood by and sent cabinet ministers to support him, until literally five minutes before I walked on tonight, under enormous media pressure, has decided to change his mind on principle. No principles at all, he added. Labours decision will add considerable uncertainty to the outcome of the by-election when voters go to the polls at the end of the month. Also running in Rochdale are former Labour MP Simon Danczuk, now the Reform Party candidate, and George Galloway, of the Workers Party of Britain, who is campaigning against Labours stance on Gaza. About 20% of the electorate and 30% of the population of the town are Asian, with polls nationally suggesting Labours vote could be hit by Asian people unhappy with the party over Palestine and its perceived support for Israel. If elected, Mr Ali will sit as an independent MP and will not receive the party whip. The decision means that Labour will also need to find a new candidate to contest the seat at the upcoming general election. A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: Sir Keir Starmer has blotted an otherwise fairly admirable copybook and given the public reason to doubt the earnestness of his promise to tear antisemitism out by its roots in Labour. People will have to judge for themselves whether the additional reported comments by Azhar Ali are really any worse than the comments that had already been reported. Rather than appearing as a principled decision, Labours withdrawal of support for its candidate at this late stage just looks as expedient as the failed attempt to defend him. It is the worst of all worlds for Labour. Fizzy drinks can have a detrimental impact on your gut health, an expert has said. (Getty Images) (seksan Mongkhonkhamsao via Getty Images) We all know fizzy drinks are not great for us. But did you know the extent of the impact that drinking fizzy can have on your gut health? Containing either sugar or artificial sweeteners, fizzy drinks are guzzled down by their millions. In fact, the UK consumes an average of six billion litres of soft drinks each year thats an average of 89 litres per person, per year. They taste delicious, yes, but they can also be addictive. One study from 2019 found that both the caffeine and sugar contained in fizzy drinks is evidence of addictive properties. But even the no-sugar varieties can lead to an imbalanced gut. "There are two main ingredients in fizzy drinks that are considered to be harmful to the gut: sugar in regular drinks, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose in low-calorie drinks," gut health expert Caroline Peyton of Peyton Principles, tells Yahoo UK. "So choosing one over the other is not preferable when considering the long term health of the gut." How sugar affects gut health A major culprit of the impact of fizzy drinks on gut health is sugar, as Peyton explains this ingredient has been found to affect the gut mucosal barrier, leading to intestinal permeability also known as leaky gut. "When the mucosal barrier is weakened, it can contribute to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) type symptoms like bloating or irregular bowel movements. Or even other systemic health concerns due to the transfer of toxicity across the gut into the bloodstream," she adds. "Research is still limited but has shown that when fizzy drinks are consumed it can begin to alter the gut microbiota creating dysbiosis, favouring an overgrowth of pathogenic strains at the expense of commensal (friendly) strains." Fizzy drinks containing sugar or artificial sweeteners can both impact gut health. (Getty Images) (Sellwell via Getty Images) Drinking just one fizzy drink can impact gut health Peyton says it's important to consider the totality of sugars or artificial sweeteners youre consuming each day across all food and drink, as this can have a big impact on gut health. "One can of fizzy drink contains half the daily quota of sugars as set by the government 15g out of a total of 30g. And even then, the average sugar consumption is now over 100g per day," she explains. "Taking out fizzy drinks can make a huge difference to sugar consumption and in turn help protect the beneficial bacteria and avoid a dysbiotic picture developing." She adds that its often not possible to understand the amount of artificial sweeteners like aspartame you are consuming in a day as they are found in foods such as ice cream, chewing gum, low-fat yoghurts, puddings, low-sugar sauces, jams, sugar-free desserts, sugar-free jams, and various other low-sugar or sugar-free packaged foods. "One of the problems with both sugar and sweeteners is that they are found in so many foods and its not always easy to know exactly how much is being consumed," she says. Peyton also clarifies that choosing a no sugar fizzy drink is not better than one containing sugar as both ingredients can impact gut health. Best drinks for gut health Instead of fizzy drinks, Peyton suggests drinking non-stimulating, non-caffeinated drinks such as water or herbal teas. "Ginger, fennel, peppermint and chamomile teas can calm the gut," she adds. "Green tea has some research to show it may drive down harmful bacteria, but it does contain caffeine so only drink a little. Plain water is great as it also helps to keep stools soft and easier to pass. Constipation creates an unfavourable environment and may promote dysbiosis." Gut health: Read more Ministers have been urged to call surviving Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr for advice on helping self-employed touring musicians with their tax forms. The Beatles early years playing clubs in the German port city of Hamburg were mentioned as an example of British musicians making a success of European touring, as peers raised concerns about the processing of national insurance certificates artists need to work on the continent. Crossbench peer the Earl of Clancarty said leading music organisations Live (Live music Industry Venues and Entertainment) and the Independent Society of Musicians had written to the Treasury with concerns about a backlog in processing of A1 tax forms. A Beatles publicity postcard written by George Harrison from the Star Club in Hamburg (PA) The documents are used by musicians to confirm they only need to pay UK national insurance contributions when temporarily working in the EU as well as in Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The Earl warned: Many musicians and crew are receiving their forms after a tour has ended, meaning that money is withheld, potentially permanently. Ultimately, the Treasury will be the loser. Treasury minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton replied: There has been an improvement, although I accept that it is not good enough as HMRC also acknowledges and that more needs to be done. Labour peer Lord Grocott later told peers: I point out that many members of the House still here will, like me, well remember the early days of the Beatles. They will remember that the Beatles managed perfectly well in Hamburg for many months, if not years, without any great difficulty. That was before the EU was even thought of. Can the Minister consider ways in which we can learn from this by contacting Paul and Ringo to see how they managed that? Lady Vere replied: The Beatles split up the year I was born so I do not have as long a memory as him. However, the Government are very focused on developing our emerging artists and ensuring that they can get to new international markets, whether that be in the EU or beyond. The music export growth scheme has been tripled and will now spend 3.2 million over the next two years to support these emerging artists. When it comes to music, we are talking about not just the EU but the entire world. To protest from other peers, Tory former minister Lord Forsyth of Drumlean then asked: Does the minister agree that this is not a problem of Brexit but a problem of EU members not being co-operative? Lady Vere said she had not expected a Brexit ding-dong, but added: The UK was more ambitious than the EU when it came to negotiating the trade and co-operation agreement (TCA) but some of our proposals were rejected. I note that the TCA is reviewed every five years and, while I would not want to comment on the scope of that review, there may be opportunities in the future. A blood test that looks for changes in certain proteins could predict dementia up to 15 years before diagnosis, research suggests. Scientists have identified 11 proteins that they say are highly accurate (more than 90%) at predicting future dementia. These proteins, found in the liquid component of blood known as the plasma, are markers for the biological changes that happen in people who have dementia or Alzheimers disease. One such protein known as GFAP has previously been identified as a potential biomarker in smaller studies. The researchers from the University of Warwick and Fudan University in China described their findings, published in the journal Nature Aging, as a breakthrough. Professor Jianfeng Feng, from the University of Warwicks department of computer science, said this test could be seamlessly integrated into the NHS and used as a screening tool by GPs. There are more than 944,000 people in the UK who have dementia, which is expected to rise to more than a million by 2030. The researchers said that an early diagnosis is critical for those with the condition as there are new drugs that can slow progression of the disease if detected early enough. Jia You, of Fudan University, said early screening holds immense significance in pinpointing dementia risks. He said: A notable advantage of plasma protein analysis is that it merely necessitates routine blood tests, similar to those conducted during regular hospital visits or health checks. This simplicity offers a considerable edge over more invasive procedures like lumbar punctures, especially where the targeting population are healthy individuals. For the study, thought to be the largest of its kind, the researchers looked at data from more than 50,000 healthy people from UK Biobank, which holds medical and lifestyle records of more than half a million Britons. They analysed the blood samples from this group collected between 2006 and 2010. Over a follow-up period of 10 to 15 years, more than 1,400 people went on to develop dementia. By analysing more than 1,400 different proteins in the blood and using artificial intelligence, the researchers found 11 proteins that could accurately predict dementia up to 15 years before diagnosis. Commenting on the study, Dr Richard Oakley, associate director of research and innovation at Alzheimers Society, said: This research looked at proteins in the blood of healthy individuals and followed them up 15 years later and found a common set of proteins in those that went on to develop dementia. Its very early days and lots more work is needed but this could lay the groundwork for the early prediction of dementia and teach us more about how to provide an early and accurate diagnosis. What we need now are blood tests that work in a real-world setting and that can accurately diagnose dementia when someone is starting to show symptoms. This is why were working with Alzheimers Research UK on the Blood Biomarker Challenge which will revolutionise the way dementia is diagnosed. The project, which is possible thanks to 5 million in funding raised by players of Peoples Postcode Lottery, will gather the information needed to introduce a blood test for dementia into UK healthcare systems. Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimers Research UK, added: We have seen some fantastic progress in the development of blood tests for Alzheimers over the last few months. This new study adds to the growing body of evidence that looking at levels of certain proteins in the blood of healthy people could accurately predict dementia before symptoms develop. Further studies are needed to understand how these tests and predictive models work with data from more diverse populations. The key proteins hallmarks of Alzheimers disease amyloid and tau also were not included in the analysis, so we dont know how these proteins would affect the prediction model. And, even when tests show promise in studies like this, they still need to go through regulatory approval before they can be used in a healthcare setting. Rishi Sunaks proposed Rwanda asylum law is fundamentally incompatible with the UKs human rights obligations and would flout international law, MPs and peers have warned. Parliaments Joint Committee on Human Rights said the Governments Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill risks untold damage to the UKs hard-won reputation as a proponent of human rights internationally. The controversial draft legislation and a treaty with Rwanda are intended to prevent further legal challenges to the stalled deportation scheme after a Supreme Court ruling against the plan. By compelling judges to regard Rwanda as safe, ministers want to be able to send asylum seekers on a one-way trip to the east African country. But the crossbench committee of MPs and Lords said they had heard evidence that the problems identified by the Supreme Court could not be resolved so quickly. The panel said in a report: We are not persuaded that Parliament can be confident that Rwanda is now safe. In any event, we consider that the courts are best placed to resolve such contested issues of fact. The Bill, which is going through Parliament, seeks to severely limit asylum seekers ability to appeal against being put on a flight to Kigali. While they can try to claim Rwanda is not safe for them as an individual, they cannot argue that it is generally unsafe or that they are at risk of being transferred to a third country where they could be in danger. The committee said this makes the Bill incompatible with the UKs international obligations, most obviously Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) the right to an effective remedy. The British people should decide who gets to come to this country not criminal gangs or foreign courts. Thats what this Bill delivers. We will now work to make it law so that we can get flights going to Rwanda and stop the boats. Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) December 12, 2023 The legislation also says it is up to ministers to decide whether to comply with interim rulings issued by judges at the European Court of Human Rights, and therefore openly invites the possibility of the UK breaching international law, according to the report. A so-called Rule 39 interim measure branded a pyjama injunction because it can be issued outside normal court hours contributed to the grounding in 2022 of the first flight that was set to carry asylum seekers to Rwanda. Joint committee chairwoman Joanna Cherry said: This Bill is designed to remove vital safeguards against persecution and human rights abuses, including the fundamental right to access a court. Hostility to human rights is at its heart and no amendments can salvage it. This isnt just about the rights and wrongs of the Rwanda policy itself. By taking this approach, the Bill risks untold damage to the UKs reputation as a proponent of human rights internationally. Human rights arent inconvenient barriers that must be overcome to reach policy goals, they are fundamental protections that ensure individuals are not harmed by Government action. If a policy is sound it should be able to withstand judicial scrutiny, not run away from it. Joanna Cherry (Paul Campbell/PA) The Prime Ministers Safety of Rwanda Bill passed the Commons after the Prime Minister saw off a Tory rebellion which had sought to toughen the legislation. It cleared its first major hurdle in the House of Lords last month, but faces numerous amendments in the upper chamber and an extended tussle between the Commons and Lords. Mr Sunak has urged peers not to block the will of the people by opposing the Bill as he faces an election year having made stopping the boats a key pledge of his leadership. The Lords begin detailed examination of the Bill in committee stage on Monday. The asylum scheme comes with a 290 million bill but a series of legal challenges has meant no flights have taken off since it was proposed in 2022. Under the plan, people who cross the Channel in small boats could be removed to Rwanda rather than being allowed to seek asylum in the UK. A Home Office spokesperson said: We are committed to tackling this major global challenge with bold and innovative solutions, and the Rwanda scheme is doing just that. The Bill we have introduced, and the treaty alongside it, are the best way of getting flights off to Rwanda as soon as possible. Rwanda is clearly a safe country that cares deeply about supporting refugees. It hosts more than 135,000 asylum seekers and stands ready to relocate people and help them rebuild their lives. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has launched an investigation into contact made by Nottinghamshire Police with Nottingham stabbings triple killer Valdo Calocane. The announcement comes less than two weeks after the watchdog said it would be investigating Leicestershire Police for the same reason. The investigation will look into complaints about Nottinghamshire Polices previous contact with Calocane and their handling of the murder investigation, the IOPC said in a statement on Monday. It was launched following a referral due to the force of complaints received by the force from the victims families. Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order last month for stabbing to death Ian Coates, left to right, Barnaby Webber and Grace OMalley-Kumar (Nottinghamshire Police/PA) The families allege there were flaws in the handling of the murder investigation and missed opportunities by Nottinghamshire Police to prevent the deaths. Other complaints relate to the force not executing an outstanding warrant for Calocanes arrest before the killings, and concerns about its communication with the families. Calocane was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order last month for stabbing to death university students Barnaby Webber, 19, and Grace OMalley-Kumar, 19, and school caretaker Ian Coates, 65, in the early hours of June 13 last year. He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of three people who were hit by a van stolen from Mr Coates. IOPC director of operations Steve Noonan said: Our sympathies are with the families of Barnaby Webber, Grace OMalley-Kumar and Ian Coates, and everyone else affected by the tragic events which took place on June 13 last year. We have now decided to investigate complaints made about Nottinghamshire Polices involvement with Valdo Calocane. Speaking on behalf of the families, Mr Webbers mother Emma Webber, from Taunton in Somerset, said: The failings and our concerns have been well documented, and we now welcome a thorough independent body to look into all points raised. We will also ensure that we request the opportunity to meet with the IOPC in person so that we can provide our statements and relevant evidence. The IOPC said it had launched an independent investigation into the contact Leicestershire Police had with Calocane on February 2. Three days earlier, the Attorney General ordered an independent review into the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and its decision to accept paranoid schizophrenic Calocanes guilty pleas to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility. A report examining the actions of the CPS will be published on March 25. The proportion of NHS roles in England filled by non-UK nationals has jumped sharply and now stands at an estimated one in five of the workforce, the first time this milestone has been reached, new analysis shows. Three in 10 nurses and more than a third of doctors are now non-UK nationals, driven by steep increases in recent years. Health chiefs said the figures reflected how the NHS depends on its talented international workforce to stop it buckling under pressures such as rising demand and strike action, but warned overseas recruitment could not fill vacancies forever. Of the 335,763 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses and health visitors in England in September 2023 whose nationality was known, three in 10 (30.0%, or 100,776) were non-UK nationals, according to analysis by the PA news agency. (PA Graphics) This is up from around two in 10 (19.7%) three years earlier, in September 2020, and is the highest proportion since current data began in 2009. The most common non-UK nationality is Indian, accounting for 10.1% of all FTE nurses and health visitors, followed by Filipino (7.7%), Nigerian (2.5%) and Irish (1.1%). There has been a similarly sharp rise in the proportion of hospital and community health service doctors who are non-UK nationals, which now stands at more than a third of the total (36.3% of 136,265 staff), up from around three in 10 (30.1%) in 2020 and just over a quarter (26.6%) in 2016. Indian was again the most common non-UK nationality among this group, accounting for 8.0% of all doctors, followed by Pakistani (3.7%), Egyptian (2.9%) and Nigerian (2.0%). Of the total 1,282,623 FTE hospital and community health service staff in England in September 2023 whose nationality was known, 20.4% around one in five were non-UK nationals, the PA analysis found. This is up from 13.0% in September 2016 and 11.9% in September 2009, when the data series began. Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, said the analysis shows how reliant the NHS has become on its talented international workforce, and that without such staff the health service could have very easily buckled under the pressures it has been put under, including rising demand, the pandemic and strike action. He added: Teams across the NHS are hugely appreciative to their overseas colleagues for their support and contribution. But there is no room for complacency, as we will not be able to continue to draw on international recruitment to fill NHS vacancies forever. If anything, retention is just as important as attracting new staff into the NHS and will be key in the short term to preventing pressures from worsening and ensuring the recruitment base we are looking to build from has solid foundations. Expanding the number of staff we train here is also important, so it is vital the continued expansion of training and education, set out in the NHS England long-term workforce plan, is maintained. Not all NHS staff groups have seen a rise in the percentage of the workforce who are non-UK nationals. The figure for consultants has remained broadly unchanged, standing at 22.2% in September 2023, compared with 21.6% in September 2020 and 23.2% in September 2009. The proportion has jumped recently for midwives, from 7.1% in 2020 to 9.0% in 2023, though this represents a return to levels seen in 2009, when it stood at 9.1%. However medical support staff have steadily seen an increase in non-UK nationals over time, from 7.2% in 2009 to 10.3% in 2016 and 17.6% in 2023. Some 214 different foreign nationalities are now represented in the NHS, with countries ranging from India, Portugal and Ghana all in the top 10 to tiny nations such as Tonga, Liechtenstein and the Solomon Islands. All figures are based on the latest available data from NHS Digital. Lucina Rolewicz, researcher at the independent think tank The Nuffield Trust, told PA that the NHS has become increasingly reliant on overseas recruitment to fill staffing gaps, with international nurses proving pivotal to the Government meeting its 2019 pledge to increase the number of NHS nurses in England by 50,000. She added: This is far from a sustainable, long-term solution. The NHS is still competing with other health systems for overseas staff and in some cases our working conditions, pay and career prospects may look less favourable compared to other countries. Not only this, but of those overseas workers that do join the UKs nursing and midwifery workforce, nearly two in five (38%) left within five years of joining the professional register in the latest year of data. The long-term workforce plan proposes focusing more on expanding domestic training and increasing the number of home-trained graduates working in the NHS but these plans will only come to fruition if we reduce the number of people quitting training and attract more graduates to choose NHS jobs and then to stay longer. The workforce plan, published in 2023, set out steps to recruit thousands more staff for the NHS in England over 15 years, with potentially an extra 60,000 doctors and 170,000 more nurses in place by 2036/37. Alex Baylis, assistant director of policy at health charity The Kings Fund, said: There are currently over 120,000 posts that are vacant in the NHS in England, including 42,000 nursing posts and nearly 9,000 medical posts. This is largely because, over the last five years or more, workforce planning has failed to keep pace with increasing demand. This level of vacancies is rightly a big worry to the public in last years British Social Attitudes survey of satisfaction with the NHS, increasing staffing was seen as the top priority. Since professional training takes several years, the NHS will be highly dependent on recruiting from overseas for at least the next five years, and retaining current staff, if vacancies are to be filled. Staff from overseas are and always have been absolutely essential to the NHS and must be recognised and valued as such. The NHS needs to make sure they are well supported as they get used to our system, they have access to ongoing training and career progression and, above all, they are treated fairly and not discriminated against. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: International recruitment has a valuable role in helping the NHS deliver its world-class care, but it is important we boost the domestic workforce and decrease our reliance on agency staff and overseas workers. The first ever NHS long-term workforce plan was commissioned by the Government to train, retain and reform the workforce, and put the NHS on a sustainable footing into the future. Backed by 2.4 billion, the plan will double the number of medical school places, almost double the number of adult nurse training places, and increase the number of GP training places by 50% by 2031. Through these domestic training expansions, we expect around 10% of our workforce to be recruited internationally in 15 years time, compared to nearly a quarter today. Britain has sanctioned four Israeli settlers accused of committing human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Moshe Sharvit, Yinon Levy, Zvi Bar Yosef and Ely Federman have been made subject to a UK asset freeze, and travel and visa ban. The Foreign Office said Israels failure to act had led to an environment of near total impunity for settler extremists, with violence in the West Bank reaching record levels in 2023. The department identified the four settlers and described the accusations against them as: Moshe Sharvit, an alleged extremist settler who is said to have threatened, harassed and assaulted Palestinian shepherds and their families in the Jordan Valley. In October 2023, one community of 20 families fled after Sharvit allegedly attacked the residents and told them they had five hours to leave; Yinon Levy allegedly led the Meitarim Farm outpost, founded in 2021, involved in the use of physical violence and the destruction of property to displace Palestinian communities including Zanuta in October 2023; Zvi Bar Yosef is accused of setting up the Zvis Farm outpost in 2018 and using intimidation and violence against local Palestinians, including twice threatening at gunpoint young families having a picnic; Ely Federman is said to have been involved in multiple incidents against Palestinian shepherds in the South Hebron Hills. Also on Monday, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order targeting four Israeli settlers accused of involvement in acts of violence as well as threats and attempts to destroy or seize Palestinian property. Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said: Todays sanctions place restrictions on those involved in some of the most egregious abuses of human rights. We should be clear about what is happening here. Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs. This behaviour is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given, but not followed through. Extremist settlers, by targeting and attacking Palestinian civilians, are undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians. During a visit on Monday to East Kilbride, Scotland, the Foreign Secretary also urged Israel to stop and think seriously before taking further action in Rafah in the south of Gaza. The town was hit by air strikes overnight, with Israel signalling its intention to carry out a ground offensive in the area. The countrys Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that sending ground troops into Rafah is essential to meeting Israels war goals. This comes despite warnings from Joe Biden not to conduct a military operation in the Gaza border town without a credible plan to protect civilians. Downing Street echoed the US Presidents concerns on Monday, saying the UK Government is watching developments closely. The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Clearly, with over half of Gazas population sheltering in Rafah, it is important as the US has said that there is a credible, fully worked-through plan to protect civilians and aid operations. A shadow minister has insisted it would be unfair to conclude there is a problem with Labour in Rochdale amid criticism of remarks about Israel made by the partys constituency candidate. Nick Thomas-Symonds said he believed that Azhar Ali, who claimed the country had allowed Hamas to inflict its October 7 attack, had fallen for an online conspiracy theory. The Labour hopeful has apologised after he was recorded suggesting in a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had taken the assault as a pretext to invade Gaza. It was put to Mr Thomas-Symonds that nobody at the gathering appeared to object to these remarks when they were made. Asked whether the incident reflected a problem at large with the Labour Party in Rochdale, the shadow minister without portfolio told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Weve got, as I understand it, a short clip from a meeting, so I think it would be unfair to draw a wider conclusion in that way. There are over 1.4 million displaced Palestinians in Rafah and it is the gateway to aid for Gaza an Israeli offensive there would be catastrophic. The fighting must stop now. We need a sustainable ceasefire. Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) February 11, 2024 On why Mr Ali has not been suspended, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: Well, let me first say the remarks that have been made are completely and utterly unacceptable. I was very shocked and appalled to see them and they in no way represent the views of the Labour Party. Councillor Ali has apologised unreservedly. Hes retracted those remarks and hes also shown a sense of the gravity of the offence that has been caused and the need to do now tremendous amounts of work to rebuild trust with the Jewish community which is going to be absolutely essential. So its for those reasons he hasnt been suspended and why we will now continue this campaign in Rochdale. Asked whether he believes the candidate has genuinely changed his mind following the remarks, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: I do take what Councillor Ali has said at face value that he fell for an online conspiracy theory. The deadline to remove Mr Ali from the ballot paper has passed, but the party could withdraw campaign support. The Tories have called for the aspiring MPs campaign to be suspended and his Labour Party membership removed. Mr Ali, a Lancashire county councillor and former government adviser who was made an OBE in 2020 for public service, said on Sunday: I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false. Its now clear Starmer will not protect the Jewish community. Reform UKs Simon Danczuk is the real alternative in the Rochdale by-election. Britain deserves better pic.twitter.com/52MzSEhlLu Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) February 12, 2024 Hamass horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. He promised to urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments, saying that the Labour Party has changed unrecognisably under Keir Starmers leadership. But some seized on his remarks as evidence that Labour has failed to root out antisemitism following controversies during the Corbyn era. Joe Glasman, head of political and government investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology. This is distressingly familiar to days that Sir Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing antisemitism out by its roots. Labour recently suspended the MP Kate Osamor after she appeared to say the Gaza war should be remembered as genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day. Mr Glasman said the inconsistency in deciding not to suspend Mr Ali is deeply alarming and must be urgently re-examine(d). October 7th was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising antisemitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments. Azhar Ali OBE (@CllrAzharAli) February 11, 2024 Mike Katz, the national chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, said his group would not campaign in Rochdale as Mr Ali had destroyed his past record of allyship with the Jewish community with his totally reprehensible comments. But he stopped short of calling on Labour to drop the candidate, warning that the alternative in Rochdale is George Galloway whose victory would harm the Jewish community far more than electing Ali. He added: We know how far the party has come under Keir Starmer in tackling antisemitism and that the party, from Starmer down, is as shocked and disgusted by Alis comments as we are. As well as reigniting a row over antisemitism in the party, Mr Alis comments could highlight divisions within Labour over its stance on the Gaza conflict. The Labour leaderships initial refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire has faced serious criticism from within the party ranks. Sir Keir has since hardened his tone towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and backed the Governments call for a sustainable ceasefire as the Palestinian death toll has mounted. Also running in Rochdale are former Labour MP Simon Danczuk, now the Reform Party candidate, and Mr Galloway, of the Workers Party of Britain, who is campaigning against Labours stance on Gaza. About 20% of the electorate and 30% of the population of the town are Asian, with polls nationally suggesting Labours vote could be hit by Asian people unhappy with the party over Palestine and its perceived support for Israel. Family members and supporters cheered off the HMS Prince of Wales as it departed for the largest Nato maritime exercise in 40 years on Monday. The Royal Navy aircraft carriers journey had been postponed at the last moment on Sunday as it was about to set sail to replace its sister ship which was forced to cancel its own deployment a week ago. The fleet flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth had been expected to depart from Portsmouth Naval Base last Sunday to lead the largest Nato exercise since the Cold War, involving more than 40 vessels. But the sailing of the 3 billion warship was called off at the last minute after an issue was found in final checks with the starboard propeller coupling. Since the cancellation was announced, the crew and base workers have been preparing HMS Prince of Wales to take over HMS Queen Elizabeths role in Exercise Steadfast Defender off Norway. Crowds watch as the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales sets sail from Portsmouth Harbour on Monday (Gareth Fuller/PA) Watching the HMS Prince of Wales leaving Portsmouth, parents Julie and Mark Benton were waving off their son Ethan on his first deployment. Mr Benton said: Thats a really proud moment for us. This is his first deployment, he joined when he was 17 and this is what he wanted to do from school. And here he is 19 years old and hes living his dream and couldnt be better. Its a really big deal for him. A big deal for us as a family, and hes following in his grandfathers footsteps as well. Were really, really proud of him. The family had travelled from Wrexham, north Wales, to see off their son who was disappointed when the departure was delayed from Sunday. But Mr Benton added: All the crew have worked ever so hard to get the ship ready in such a short space of time, thats fantastic. Also in Portsmouth on Monday was mum-of-two Monika Holton who, with her eight-week-old baby and toddler, was waving off her husband who is the second navigator of the warship. The 31-year-old said: Im pretty excited, pretty anxious. Life is a little bit stressed and hectic, hes my lifeline and hes going away for some time. Im also very excited. Its a big exercise for the ship, for the crew. Im just excited for him. She said the one weeks notice before his deployment was quite a shock to the system but added that the delay to the ships departure meant the couple could enjoy an early Valentines Day dinner. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said on Sunday that the sailing had been postponed but did not give a reason for the last-minute change. He said: The aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is due to sail from Portsmouth soon, subject to suitable tide and weather conditions. Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales setting sail from Portsmouth (Gareth Fuller/PA) Earlier on Monday, security minister Tom Tugendhat said of the delay that it was not acceptable that Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is sitting in dock when it should be out defending our interests abroad. Asked what had happened to HMS Prince of Wales on Sunday, Mr Tugendhat told LBC: Im afraid its not something I can explain thats a matter for the MoD (Ministry of Defence), and Im going to have to ask some questions about it. But Im sure the First Sea Lord is looking at this right now. Admiral (Sir Ben) Key has commanded an aircraft carrier in the past and will no doubt be all over the details of this and making sure they set sail as soon as possible. It isnt acceptable that we have such expensive and important items of kit sitting in dock when they should be out defending our interests abroad. Defence secretary Grant Shapps said it had been a monumental effort to get the ship immediately ready in just one week rather than with 30 days notice. He said: The ability to deploy hundreds of crew to make ready one of the worlds most complex aircraft carriers within a week is testament to the skill and ability of the Royal Navy. In an increasingly dangerous world, where it is more important than ever that we stand united with our allies, HMS Prince of Wales will send a powerful message of collective security and deterrence at the head of this multinational strike group. The carriers logistics officer, Lieutenant Commander Chris Barnett, said in less than a week the crew have brought on board approximately 70,000 sailor day rations, the equivalent of 400,000 of food, alongside 30,000 toilet rolls and spare parts, medical stores and more. The HMS Prince of Wales will be at the centre of Nato exercises involving more than 20,000 UK military personnel. The warship will lead a carrier strike group of eight ships, four of them British, supported by US, Spanish and Danish vessels. Commodore James Blackmore, commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group, said: The UK has an unwavering commitment to Nato and collective deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic region. There is no better demonstration of that than HMS Prince of Wales being at the heart of the upcoming Nato maritime exercises, the largest in over 40 years. Bankrate and AOL may earn commission from links in this story. Pricing and availability subject to change. Portions of this article were drafted using an in-house natural language generation platform. The article was reviewed, fact-checked and edited by our editorial staff. A 401(k) can be a great way to save for retirement, but a few wrong decisions can derail your progress. Not planning or lacking awareness of key fundamental aspects of your 401(k) can cost you, causing you to work longer to afford the retirement youve envisioned or to downsize your retirement dreams. Fortunately, it only takes a little planning to avoid the worst 401(k) mistakes. Here are the biggest mistakes you can make with your 401(k) and how to avoid them. 1. Not making saving a habit Not contributing enough, not contributing consistently and not increasing contributions over time in line with your salary increases theyre all going to bite you at retirement time. You can save as much as $22,500 in your 401(k) in 2023 ($23,000 in 2024) and then compound it over time. And those age 50 and older can put away an additional $7,500, really helping to juice the compounding. Its easy to set up your 401(k) and have contributions withdrawn from your paycheck, so you dont even need to think about it again. Plus, some plans allow you to make automatic annual increases. Many plans offer an automatic option that increases your contribution by 1 percent annually at a date of your choosing. Some people select the effective date of their salary increase, meaning they contribute a higher proportion of a higher salary. These automatic increases are typically capped once they reach 10 percent, though some plans may allow them to go up to 15 percent. If youre between jobs and cant make contributions to a 401(k), consider saving in an IRA. 2. Not knowing what youre invested in Youre making a gigantic mistake if youre not aware of what your contributions are invested in, the fees youre being charged or the performance of your investment funds. Many employees accept the default investment option, typically a target-date fund based on their projected retirement age when signing up for a 401(k), and never think anymore about it. Thats a mistake, and its important that you periodically look at the investment options in your 401(k) plan, with a specific focus on fees. Most 401(k) fees are borne by the plan participants, and those high fees leave less in your account to compound over time. Your 401(k) plan is required to send you an annual fee disclosure statement. Pay attention to it, and if your 401(k) fees are high, consider investing just enough to qualify for your employer match while saving other funds in an IRA with the opportunity to invest in low-fee funds. 3. Not getting your full employer match Many employers provide matching funds if you contribute to your 401(k), giving you extra incentive to save. For example, an employer may offer 50 percent matching on your contributions up to 6 percent, meaning that youll receive as much as 3 percent of your salary as an employer match. The match is subject to a vesting period that could last several years. Not contributing enough to qualify for your companys match means you are leaving free money on the table, and experts routinely advise workers to max out the free money in their 401(k). Taking full advantage of an employer match helps you compound your money that much faster. 4. Changing jobs before becoming vested in your 401(k) While your employer may match funds in your 401(k) account, youre not eligible to keep that money until you are vested. Vesting can be immediate or may take several years, and if you leave your current employer before your matching funds vest, then youll lose them. Of course, youll be able to keep any funds that you contributed from your paycheck. So be sure to check your companys policy before making a decision to leave. It would be a shame to unknowingly walk away from your employers contributions and any associated investment growth. 5. Not knowing the difference between 401(k) account types Workers typically have two options when it comes to account types the traditional 401(k) and the Roth 401(k) and the differences are significant when it comes time to plan your retirement. In a traditional 401(k), your contributions are made before tax, meaning you wont pay tax on money going into your account. But when you withdraw the money in retirement, youll be taxed. Depending on your tax bracket, the tax savings for pre-tax 401(k) contributions could be huge. In contrast, contributions to a Roth 401(k) are taxed at the time they are made, but you can withdraw those funds in retirement tax-free, meaning you keep all the accumulated growth. Youll need to understand which is the best for your needs and financial goals. 6. Taking an early withdrawal from your 401(k) One of the most ruinous things you can do for your retirement is raiding your piggy bank, whether that means cashing it out or taking a loan or hardship withdrawal. Cashing out your 401(k) plan before age 59 means the withdrawal will typically be subject to a 10 percent penalty, on top of the income tax owed on the distribution. And while many plans allow hardship withdrawals or loans, there may be a fee associated with these options. If not, at a minimum, youll miss out on any investment gains your money would have earned. 7. Checking your balance every day One of the surest ways to derail your investment returns is to check your account too frequently. Checking your account daily or even weekly may make you feel anxious that your balance isnt growing or worse is shrinking. This practice could cause you to stray from your plan by reducing your contribution or stopping it altogether. Instead, stay the course with your long-term investing plan and invest with that mentality. 8. Investing too heavily in company stock Your financial livelihood is already tied up with your employer since you earn a paycheck there. But if you invest heavily in your own companys stock, you may not be diversified enough and end up relying much too much on a single company financially. When it comes to funding your golden years, you dont want to leave anything to chance. How much is too much? The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the finance industrys self-regulating body, recommends not holding more than 10 to 20 percent of your 401(k) in your own companys stock. FINRA warns of the dangers of under-diversification and also notes that some companies limit your ability to buy and sell the stock. FINRA says: Employer-matched stock, in particular, often comes with restrictions. Some companies require employees to hold the stock until they reach a certain age, or until a specified date. 9. Failing to rollover old 401(k) accounts Changing jobs is a regular part of many peoples careers, but it can lead to one of the biggest 401(k) mistakes if not handled properly failing to rollover old 401(k) accounts. When you switch employers, its critical to have a plan for your existing 401(k) account. You might opt to leave it where it is, roll it into your new employers 401(k) plan, or roll it into an IRA. Neglecting to take one of these steps can lead to several negative consequences. For instance, leaving your account with a previous employer, especially if its a small one, might require a move or risk a forced cash-out, which could lead to tax implications and penalties. Furthermore, if you have accounts scattered across various past employers, it can become challenging to keep track of funds and maintain a unified investment approach. Bottom line Avoiding these 401(k) pitfalls is possible if you educate yourself and take steps to actively participate in your retirement planning. Fortunately, it doesnt take a lot of time to learn what you need to know, and the sponsor of your 401(k) plan may have resources, including advisors, to help you understand the key points of your plan. Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation. Bob Moore, the founder of Bobs Red Mill whole-grains company, has died. Shoppers will likely recognize his face for adorning the brands packaging for decades, with the company calling him one of the most recognized figures in the natural foods industry with a larger-than-life personality, in a release. Moore peacefully passed away at his home on Saturday, at the age of 94. His work ethic was also mentioned, as he remained on the companys board until his passing. Bobs legacy will live on forever in all of us who had the opportunity to work with him and is infused into the Bobs Red Mill brand, said Bobs Red Mill CEO Trey Winthrop. That brand has become a grocery store staple, selling several different kinds of grains including oats, flour and gluten-free grains like quinoa. Moores passion for healthy foods helped lead him to start Bobs Red Mill in 1978 in Portland, Oregon, as a local company before gradually expanding its sales into more than 70 countries and employing about 700 people. Moore in his office in a 2011 picture. - Leah Nash/For the Washington Post/Getty Images In 2010, Moore turned over the company to his employees and it is still proudly 100% employee owned, according to the companys website. All of us feel responsible and motivated to preserve his old-world approach to unprocessed foods; his commitment to pure, high-quality ingredients; and his generosity to employee owners and educational organizations focused on nutritional health, Winthrop said. Moore and his late wifes legacy (she died in 2018) are still felt in Oregon, where the couple made significant donations to Oregon State University and funded many additional research programs throughout the state. Moore is survived by his three sons (Ken, Bob, Jr. and David), plus his four daughters-in-law, nine grandchildren and six great grandchildren. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haleys latest ad showcases former President Trumps past remarks mocking veterans as she attempts to ramp up her campaign ahead of the South Carolina primary later this month. Haleys campaign released the roughly 90-second ad Monday, after Trump took aim at Haleys husband for being absent; he is serving in the military overseas. The ad includes snippets of news reports discussing past remarks from Trump, including him reportedly calling soldiers who died overseas losers and suckers. The ad highlighted Haleys response to Trumps attack on her husband, who was deployed to Africa in June last year with the South Carolina Army National Guard. Donald Trump had a rally today and in that rally, he mocked my husbands military service. And Ill say this: Donald, if you have something to say, dont say it behind my back, get on a debate stage and say it to my face, she said Saturday at a rally in South Carolina, which is featured in the ad. I am proud of Michaels service. Every military spouse knows its a family sacrifice. I have long talked about the fact that we need to have mental competency tests for anyone over the age of 75. Donald Trump claims that he would pass that. Maybe he would, maybe he wouldnt. But if you mock the service of a combat veteran, you dont deserve a drivers license, let alone being President of the United States, she said. The ad includes other past remarks, like Trump joking about then-Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for being a prisoner of war by saying in 2015, I like people who werent captured. It also included Trump in 2018 attacking retired Navy Adm. William McRaven, who oversaw the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Donald Trump has a long track record of insulting our veterans, Haley national spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement. He has no business being commander in chief. Haley said on CBSs Face the Nation on Sunday that Trumps comments about her husband were insulting to military families. This is about what it says to every military family who sacrifices alongside of them. We cant have someone who sits there and mocks our men and women who are trying to protect America, she added. When reached for comment on the ad, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung defended the former president and took aim at Haley. There has been no bigger fighter for our military men and women than President Trump. Nikki Haley likes to talk about her foreign policy chops, but bowing down to China and advocating for forever wars by sending our troops into unnecessary conflicts represent America Last policies she is so fond of, Cheung said in a statement to The Hill. Updated at 12:26 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Koko condemns ambush of Sultan Kudarat doc, calls for increased protection of PHL doctors Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III strongly denounced the ambush targeting a government physician and called for swift action to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of medical professionals. Dr. Charmaine Ceballos Barroquillo, a government physician at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital, was seriously injured in an ambush that took place in a remote area of Maguindanao Del Sur. "In times when those dedicated to saving lives face grave threats, it becomes the nation's duty to safeguard them. It is our responsibility to protect our doctors," Pimentel said in a statement on Monday. "These doctors have invested a lot of their time, talent and resources to be who they are. And the Philippine State has also invested a lot in them. Hence, we should protect these educated and knowledgeable people with the ability to improve our health and general well-being," said Pimentel as he emphasized the need to protect doctors, who dedicate their lives to saving others. "Let us put an end to the senseless violence against our doctors. It is time to prioritize the protection of our healthcare professionals," Pimentel stressed. The Mindanaoan senator said the incident highlights the dangers faced by healthcare workers in certain areas of the Philippines where security threats and armed conflicts persist. "Our authorities must apprehend the perpetrators and implement measures to safeguard the lives of doctors and other frontline healthcare workers," Pimentel said. Pimentel warned that failure to swiftly resolve the incident could have a chilling effect on doctors, particularly those serving in remote and conflict-stricken communities. For documentary filmmaker Penny Lane (yes, that is her real name), the decision to donate a kidney to a stranger was easy. On the other hand, the decision to make a film about her own experiences with that process was one she agonized over. Lane always aims to surprise both herself and her audiences, and to approach subjects in a manner that subverts expectations. For the documentary about her kidney donation, "Confessions of a Good Samaritan," her method was no different. You hear that logline, and you're kind of like, Oh, I kind of see what that would be, Lane said. It sounds preachy, it sounds really twee or sweet or something. And so the entire approach to that film had to be whatever the opposite of those things would be, the opposite of preachy." "So instead of my character being someone there to lecture you about what a good person I am, the whole film is just you watching me basically melt down and wonder if I'm a good person and what that even means. Questioning my own decisions, questioning my own morality is the route that I would take, because it's the opposite of what you might expect. A still from director Penny Lane's "Confessions of a Good Samaritan," in which she documents her own decision to donate a kidney to a stranger. F.I.L.M. series Confessions of a Good Samaritan will be featured in Hamilton Colleges F.I.L.M. series this semester. The series was first conceived of by Hamilton film professor and chair of cinema and media studies Scott Macdonald over 30 years ago and is still curated by him to this day. Lanes documentary will appear alongside a diverse array of off-the-beaten path films, from the international to the experimental, exploring topics ranging from the biology of moths to Vietnam War propaganda. The series is free and open to the public, and will take place some Sundays at 2 p.m. (find specific dates on this calendar of events by searching film) in the Bradford Auditorium in the Kirner-Johnson Building. MacDonald wants to give students a hands-on learning experience. Or, in this case, eyes-on. It's a little bit like music, MacDonald said. If you're studying music, you have to have public events. I feel that way about film too if you're studying film, and it's more true now than ever, you need to do something outside the classroom. I feel the need to make stuff available that people wouldn't otherwise have a chance to see. The acronym F.I.L.M. stands for Forum on Image and Language in Motion. One reason that MacDonald devised this title was that he simply wanted to make the word film into an acronym; he also wanted to convey the interactive, discussion-based elements of the series. I wanted to distinguish this set of events from other film events that are on campus, MacDonald said. It signals that its not just a screening. Often the filmmakers are present, or in some cases, teachers and scholars talk about the film. Film across disciplines, perspectives This semester, film selections will tie into various aspects of Hamilton Colleges curriculum beyond cinema and media studies, bringing in scholars from other departments such as history and biology. Professor Martine Guyot-Bender, scholar of French literature and film, will be presenting French director Samuel Aubin and his film La Chambre noire de khuong, or Khuong Mes Dark Room: His Life and His Work in English on Sunday, April 14. The film is Aubins attempt to recount the life of Vietnamese filmmaker Khuong Me, who created propaganda films supporting his countrys independence during the Vietnam War. Guyot-Bender discovered the film and ended up writing the English subtitles for it while doing research in Cambodia under a fellowship funded by the Center for Khmer Studies. Guyot-Benders scholarship currently focuses on social documentaries of the working class and war. She studies topics such as French film collective Slon/Iskras account of the May 1968 working class revolution in France and Cambodian refugee Rithy Panhs documentation of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, which killed his family. In translating Aubins film, Guyot-Bender found that it dovetailed with her interests and her teaching. As I was doing this, I discovered that the film very much touched on questions that I teach in my French upper level seminar, which is on representations of war, Guyot-Bender said. It's not necessarily about war being bad or good, but it's about, how do you represent the experience of war? And this film talks about this for the Vietnam War how do you represent the Vietnam War? Guyot-Bender and Aubin will co-lead a discussion and Q and A session after the screening. Guyot-Bender finds the multilayered perspectives of the film fascinating, both in the focus on the life of a propagandist enduring war and in Aubins attempts to tell the story of that life. Samuel Aubins comments are very deep in terms of questioning what it is to film somebody else's life, Guyot-Bender said. What do you choose? How do you organize the story, which is chaotic, because every story is chaotic? And how do you make sense of it? And the end of the movie says, I came with my idea, and I got a different idea at the end. And you can't really film somebodys life. It's always going to be fiction. Even though it's a documentary, it's always fiction. In documenting her own life, something she has never done for a feature film, Lane also found the process of selection and organization to be a fraught one. She tries to keep the spark of excitement for filmmaking alive by constantly tackling new challenges, but said that she doesnt intend to make another film about herself anytime soon. It was just so agonizing, in making these decisions you have to make every day about what to put in, what to cut out, what piece of information about me do you need to know or not need to know, whats relevant here, Lane said. It was so hard. It was so much harder than normal, because I didnt want to just be self-serving, I wanted to serve the film, but I also didnt want to ruin my life or ruin the lives of anyone close to me. Scott MacDonald, chair of cinema and media studies at Hamilton College, leads a Q and A session at a recent campus "Philosophy of Film" event. The experimental and the historical Lane has known MacDonald for many years, and calls him a luminary in the world of experimental film. The F.I.L.M. series commenced Sunday with a selection from that world: Godfrey Reggios bizarre fantasia "Once Within a Time." MacDonald selected the film because he finds that many of his students are enthralled by fantasy. He said that Reggio is a deeply influential experimental filmmaker. He makes very unusual, interesting work, MacDonald said. And hes now 83, and I think he's thinking of this as his final film. But it's on some level aimed both at children and at people that just love fantasy work. A number of surprising characters show up in the film. The series will close out with Hamilton College professor of Russian history and culture Jason Cieply presenting Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsas archival documentary "State Funeral" on April 28. Loznitsa is an influential Ukrainian filmmaker who made headlines in 2022 when he was ejected from the Ukrainian Film Academy for opposing boycotts of Russian filmmakers. State Funeral includes historical footage from The Great Farewell, a tribute to Joseph Stalin produced by the Soviet Union upon Stalins death in 1953. In his film, Loznitsa exposes and critiques the intensity of the cult of personality surrounding Stalin. Loznitsa made just an astonishing film about the Stalin funeral using the original footage, MacDonald said. It's an incredible film to watch. He lists some of the failures of the Stalin dictatorship. So it's a powerful, beautiful film that has a lot to say. An exterior view of Hamilton College's Kirner-Johnson building, in which the F.I.L.M. series screenings will be held. The dance of meaning Lane has presented her films at Hamilton College in years past, and said that the Q and A portion of the screenings is far and away her favorite part. I mean, you just have no idea what you made until you get audience feedback, she said. The finished film and an audience of strangers is the real test. People see things in it that you didn't intend or that you didn't know were there. Both Lane and MacDonald said that the special thing about film as an art form is that it actually combines many other art forms. There's a certain kind of truth that an image can have that is very different from the kind of truth that a spoken statement or a written statement can have, Lane said. They dont operate the same way. But in film, youre doing both. And so its this kind of endless dance between the meaning that youre creating with, lets say, the dialogue and the meaning that you're creating with the mise-en-scene and what's in the frame, and the meaning youre creating with the edit and the music and the sound. It's such an incredibly potent mix of forms of expression all combined. MacDonald was a professor of literature before he was a professor of film, and finds that those disciplines are deeply connected. I think film is music, its language, its photography, MacDonald said. It combines the other arts in a way that I think no other form really does. So I stopped teaching literature, but there's a lot to read about a lot of the films I show. Film can comprehend language, even if language can't quite comprehend film. It's an ever-expanding wonderful passion, excitement, intellectual stimulation. This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Hamilton College FILM series features diverse array of films Two Israeli-Argentinian men taken captive by Hamas on October 7 were rescued on Monday in an early morning raid in which the Israeli military carried out airstrikes that local officials said killed around 100 people in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The hostages, 60-year-old Fernando Simon Marman and 70-year-old Louis Har, had spent 128 days in captivity. Both men are in relatively good condition and have since reunited with their families. Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters on Monday the complex rescue operation was conducted after receiving highly sensitive and valuable intelligence. It involved Shin Bet, Israels internal security service, police special forces and an IDF tank brigade. The operation began at 1:49 a.m. local time, when Israeli special forces entered the building where the hostages were held. The duo were found on the second floor in the hands of Hamas terrorists. Hamas militants were also stationed in adjacent buildings, Hagari said. Israels ground forces encountered resistance throughout the operation. Once the hostages were recovered, they were protectively hugged by members of the police special forces as they were escorted out under fire from Hamas, according to Hagari, who said they were taken to a safe place within Rafah for medical attention and then airlifted out of Gaza by helicopter. Har and Marmans rescue marks just the second time since last years terror attack that the Israeli military has successfully retrieved hostages in Gaza. In December, Israeli soldiers shot and killed three Israeli hostages in Gaza after misidentifying them as threats. While the operation to free the two men will be celebrated in Israel, significant loss of life was reported inside Gaza as a result of the Israeli Air Force providing aerial cover for the ground operation. Airstrikes began 1:50 a.m., a minute after the raid began, the IDF said. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said that more than 100 people were killed in strikes in Rafah overnight, while the Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza said 94 people lost their lives. Neither group specified how many of those who died were militants. CNN cannot independently verify either number. The discrepancy likely exists because the health ministry only updates death toll numbers after bodies have been identified. Both groups said the figure is likely to rise. The director of Abu Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital said medical facilities in Rafah cannot handle the large number of injuries due to the Israeli occupations bombardment. Footage obtained by CNN showed a chaotic scene inside Rafahs Al Kuwaiti hospital, with medics trying to resuscitate a motionless child in one scene and another showing doctors treating a wounded man on the hospital floor. In another video a woman was inconsolable as she held a childs body wrapped in white cloth. In a video obtained by CNN from social media groups used by local Palestinian journalists, a young boy hangs lifelessly from the side of a structure as several men try to bring his body down. A second video showed a girl wiping tears from her eyes as she described the airstrikes. I was going to the bathroom and the strikes were ongoing. Suddenly I found fire in our house, the girl says in the video. Then I went to the bathroom and all the walls collapsed on me. The Rafah municipality said on Monday at least two mosques and around a dozen homes were struck. Palestinians walk by a residential building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, February 11, 2024. - Hatem Ali/AP The intensity of the bombardment prompted speculation that Israel might have been preparing for its anticipated ground offensive into the city, though the IDF said in a statement that the strikes have concluded. CNN has asked the IDF for clarity on whether the strikes were connected to a future ground assault. A spokesman for the US State Department said Monday that the US does not view the strikes as the launch of a full-scale offensive in Rafah. A potential incursion into Rafah has prompted concern in the international community, as the city has become a last refuge for Palestinians fleeing south to avoid Israels air and ground campaigns. More than 1.3 million people are believed to be in Rafah, the majority displaced from other parts of Gaza, according to the United Nations. There are severe shortages of food, water, medicine and shelter, and the city has been described as a pressure cooker of despair by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). A military campaign in Rafah would likely result in a bloodbath, as people there have no remaining escape route; the city borders Egypt, and the sole crossing into that country has been closed for months, along with the rest of Gazas borders. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has brushed off criticism of plans for the ground assault saying calls not to enter Rafah are like telling Israel to lose the war. He pledged to provide safe passage for civilians, but offered few details. According to the Gazan health ministry, more than 28,100 people have been killed in the enclave since October 7. Hostages in good condition The IDF later released a pair of videos of what it said showed the moments the two hostages were rescued from Rafah. One aerial video showed an exchange of fire during the rescue and a voice of an unknown person saying, the hostages are in our hands. In the second video, soldiers are seen comforting the rescued hostages in a vehicle shortly after the operation. When asked how they were feeling, one of the hostages said: Shocked, shocked, all right. The pair, Har and Marman, were transferred early Monday to Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer, according to the IDF, and were in good medical condition. Its a very special day today, at least for our family, Idan Begerano, Hars son-in-law, told CNN. Marmans niece, Geffen Sigal Ilan, said the reunion was very emotional. I couldnt believe I was hugging him, I was so happy, she said. The families said they were surprised by the news of the release, which they received in the middle of the night. Both men appeared to be doing well, but months of captivity had taken a physical toll. Theyre a little thin, a little different, they lost a little weight, Illan said. They were in an inhumane situation. Fernando Simon Marman reunites with a loved one at Sheba Medical Center, in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Monday. - IDF Louis Har is seen with his family on Monday. - IDF Netanyahu has been under mounting pressure from the Israeli public to secure the release of captives in Gaza, with some families of those held hostage being openly critical of the governments tactics. The duo had been kidnapped from the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said. Nir Yitzhak was one of multiple kibbutzim close to the border with Gaza that came under attack by Hamas militants during their October 7 rampage which saw some 1,200 people killed and more than 240 taken hostage. The office of Argentinas President Javier Milei praised Israel for the rescue, and thanked the Israeli forces behind the operation. Gallant hailed what he called an impressive release operation in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying he had followed the operation in the Command Center along with Netanyahu and senior commanders. Netanyahu released a statement Monday welcoming the two hostages back, and praising the Israeli forces. Only the continuation of military pressure, until complete victory, will result in the release of all our hostages, he said. After Mondays rescue, the total number of hostages left in Gaza is 134, Hagari said. Of that number, 130 hostages are from the October 7 attack with 29 dead and 101 believed to be alive. The other four had been held in Gaza prior to the attack. Most hostages are being held by Hamas, though some are also reportedly held by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Israel and Hamas have been unable to reach an agreement to release more hostages since one in November collapsed. That agreement resulted in a weeklong pause in fighting in exchange for the release of more than 100 hostages, mostly elderly women and children. Hamas condemned the strikes on Monday, calling them forced displacement attempts and horrific massacres against defenseless civilians and displaced children, women, and the elderly. It also accused US President Joe Biden and his administration of bearing full responsibility for the civilian deaths. The high Palestinian death toll connected to the operation caused deep concern for the Biden administration, a senior US administration official said Monday. The US is still gathering information on the details of the rescue operation, including how exactly the operation unfolded and how many civilians may have been killed, the official added. On Sunday, Biden and Netanyahu discussed a deal to secure the release of hostages in Gaza, according to a senior administration official, as well as Israels anticipated ground assault on Rafah. According to the White House, Biden reaffirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there. Matthew Miller, the US State Department spokesman, reiterated Monday that the US does not support any military campaign in Rafah that did not offer a credible plan to protect the more than 1 million Palestinian civilians who are estimated to be in Rafah, many of whom have been displaced from other parts of the strip. Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Daniel Hagaris name. It was later updated to more accurately characterize the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three Israeli hostages in December, and to more fully report a statement from US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. CNNs Kareem Khadder, Mostafa Salem, Jen Deaton, Max Saltman, Vasco Cotovio, Nic Robertson, Jo Shelley, Michael Conte, Amir Tal, Michael Rios and Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Bettmann - Getty Images Sally Field has been acting for over five decades, appearing in hit films including Steel Magnolias, Forrest Gump, and Lincoln. But besides her award-winning on-screen talent, the Hollywood star, who got her early start on the short-lived 1960s television series Gidget, has also donned some eye-catching outfits through the years. Whether photographed on red carpets wearing beaded two-piece sets and sleek pantsuits or spotted out on the town in tailored blazers and on-trend minidresses, Field has no shortage of timeless fashion-forward 'fits that can still offer style inspiration today. Ahead, we take a look at some favorites. 1958: At a Party in Los Angeles Field was spotted at a party in Los Angeles wearing a buttoned trench coat, fuzzy patterned hat, and ribbed turtleneck. Michael Ochs Archives - Getty Images 1965: Gidget Field rocks a striped two-piece bathing suit with a simple half-up half-down hairstyle while on the set of Gidget in 1965. Walt Disney Television Photo Archives - Getty Images 1965: On Set For another Gidget scene, the young actress donned a pretty floral-printed shift dress with satin pink hair ribbons. Walt Disney Television Photo Archives - Getty Images 1966: Jack Jones Opening She attended an opening in the 1960s wearing a paisley-printed spaghetti strap dress. Max B. Miller - Getty Images 1968: A Bridal Gown Field posed in a gorgeous wedding gown with a voluminous headpiece and layered pearl necklace in 1968. The actress married her first husband, Steven Craig, later that year. Frank Edwards - Getty Images 1972: A Chic White Suit She donned a sleek white pantsuit with a printed blouse to attend an event with her husband in the early 1970s. Fotos International - Getty Images 1976: Sybil She was spotted on the set of Sybil in a floral-printed white button-down top with a pretty chiffon hair ribbon. NBC - Getty Images 1977: Los Angeles Television Critics Awards Following the divorce from her first husband, Field began a relationship with actor Burt Reynolds. The two are spotted here arriving at the Los Angeles Television Critics Awards. Field wore a strappy black satin gown with an eye-catching rhinestone detail, while Reynolds sported a tux complete with bowtie and vest. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1977: In New York City She posed at her New York City hotel, wearing a sleek collared black blouse and a simple diamond necklace. Bettmann - Getty Images 1978: The Merv Griffin Show She arrived at The Merv Griffin Show in an embroidered short-sleeve linen top, accessorized with an oversized purse with a chic wooden handle. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1980: The Academy Awards Field posed with actor Dustin Hoffman at the 1980 Academy Awards. She chose a simple white dress styled with a transparent bedazzled blouse for the event. The two both won Oscars that year. ABC Photo Archives - Getty Images 1981: At Tavern on the Green Field smiled at the camera in a casual gray and white ensemble while enjoying dinner at Tavern on the Green in New York City. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1982: Meeting Queen Elizabeth II The actress met with Queen Elizabeth II wearing a ruched gown with elaborate ruffled sleeves. The look was very '80s. Express - Getty Images 1982: The American Movie Awards The actress posed with her American Movie Award wearing a strapless black gown with a textured bodice and sparkly tulle skirt. She styled her hair up in a messy updo for the ceremony. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1984: AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards She laughed with fellow actress Sissy Spacek at the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards in a drapey two-piece lilac set with a diamond necklace and simple white clutch. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1985: The Academy Awards Field posed with her Oscar in a strapless black gown accessorized with a diamond bow-shaped necklace and oversized earrings. ABC Photo Archives - Getty Images 1985: The Golden Globe Awards That same year, she also took home a Golden Globe. Field is pictured at the awards ceremony in an eye-catching red look with a tiered, ruffled hem, a wide neckline, and a matching fabric belt. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1986: AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards While attending the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards, she looked oh-so-pretty in a purple-pink gown with a striking cowl neckline and statement-making butterfly belt. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1988: A Pre-Oscar Party Field opted for a simple black and white grid-patterned blazer for a 1980s pre-Oscar party. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1989: Steel Magnolias New York City Premiere The Steel Magnolias cast proved to be one stylish group when they all arrived at the film's New York City premiere dressed to the nines. Field wore a black satin dress with a long strand of pearls for the occasion. Ron Galella, Ltd. - Getty Images 1989: Big Sisters Event Field donned a timeless printpolka dotsat an event in the late 1980s. The ensemble included a long-sleeve dress with an above-the-knee-length hem and a collared neckline, accessorized with a pearl pendant necklace and transparent tights. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1990: A Night Out Field looked fabulous in a floral-printed chiffon getup while enjoying a night out. Darlene Hammond - Getty Images 1991: At Spago's How chic is this look? The gray minidress, matching suede heels, and ankle-length overcoatthis is one look that's still on-trend today. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1991: AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards Field kept the minidresses coming when she arrived at an awards show in a long-sleeve look with a wide square-shaped neckline and ruffled hem. Her simple gold chain was the perfect accessory. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1992: AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards A minidress she was spotted in a year later featured an all-over sequined design paired with an oversized chiffon shawl. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1994: Forrest Gump Los Angeles Premiere For the Los Angeles premiere of Forrest Gump, Field opted for a slinky white gown with a transparent white beaded overlay. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1995: Primetime Emmy Awards A year later, she chose a sweet strapless lace black midi dress styled with a chic pearl necklace. Ron Galella - Getty Images 1996: The Golden Globe Awards The actress had a red moment the following year at the Oscars when she arrived in a rouge-hued A-line dress with thin straps and a matching fringed stole. KMazur - Getty Images 1997: Hope Premiere She posed with Goldie Hawn in a tailored black pantsuit with a colorful magenta blouse and glossy black heels. Ron Galella, Ltd. - Getty Images 2001: Screen Actors Guild Awards Field waves to onlookers in a pretty off-the-shoulder black gown paired with a diamond necklace and simple makeup. Kevin Winter - Getty Images 2003: Legally Blonde 2 Red, White & Blonde New York City Premiere She wore another picture-perfect polka-dotted look for the Legally Blonde 2 premiere in 2003. KMazur - Getty Images 2007: Primetime Emmy Awards Field decided on a strapless magenta gown for the Primetime Emmys a few years later. The dress featured a tiered ruffled hem and a ruched bodice. Her cream-colored satin clutch with crystal details offered the perfect amount of detail. Toni Anne Barson Archive - Getty Images 2013: Women's Media Awards Field looked chic and sleek, posing with Jane Fonda at the Women's Media Awards in 2013. The Gidget actress wore a dark gray pantsuit with a crisp white blouse and an oversized clutch for the occasion. Cindy Ord - Getty Images 2013: The Academy Awards Field's dramatic rose-hued gown for the 2013 Academy Awards boasted a glamorous ruffled train, transparent sleeves, and bodice ruching. Jeff Kravitz - Getty Images 2017: Tony Awards How fun is this beaded off-the-shoulder look she wore to present at the 2017 Tony Awards? Theo Wargo - Getty Images 2018: Costume Designers Guild Awards Field wore a long-sleeve black and white gown to the 2018 Costume Designers Guild Awards. The look combined two luxe fabricsvelvet and lace. Tommaso Boddi - Getty Images 2019: The Olivier Awards She sported a fringed pashmina over a powder-blue dress for the Olivier Awards in 2019. Dave Benett - Getty Images 2023: 80 for Brady Los Angeles Premiere Field posed with her 80 for Brady cast members in a daring velvet red pantsuit matched with a frilly white blouse. Phillip Faraone - Getty Images 2023: Palm Springs International Film Awards Field styled two unexpected piecesa cropped leather jacket and a voluminous bright pink taffeta skirtfor the Palm Springs International Film Awards. She's photographed here with Steven Spielberg. Amy Sussman - Getty Images You Might Also Like A man left a $10,000 tip on a $32 bill at a restaurant in Michigan (not pictured). megaresp/Getty Images A customer tipped a server at a Michigan restaurant $10,000. The server shared the tip with eight other staff members. A 2023 survey suggested people in the US tipped about 16% of a bill. A man left a $10,000 tip on a $32 bill while dining out at a restaurant in Michigan. In a Facebook post on February 6, The Mason Jar Cafe in Benton Harbor said a customer left a massive tip after having breakfast at the restaurant. "I'M CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING, WE'RE ALL CRYING," said the post, which had garnered more than 3,100 reactions and 360 comments. The restaurant also shared a picture of the receipt, which showed the transaction occurred on February 5. The customer's full name is blurred out, and he is identified only by his first name, Mark. The photo indicates the bill was $32.43. The suggested tip on the receipt was $5.95 to $7.44. But the customer didn't take those suggestions. A sum of $10,000 was written in as the tip, bringing the total bill to $10,032.43. Business Insider could not independently verify the receipt. "In a time where so much is happening, we wanted to share and thank the person who did this life changing act," the Facebook post said. The restaurant's manager, Tim Sweeney, told local news outlets that the man made the tip as a tribute to a friend who had recently died. Sweeney said the man was in Benton Harbor to attend his friend's funeral. Sweeney told the broadcaster WOOD-TV that the staff would "every now and then" see a $100 tip, "but not ever anything of this gratitude or magnitude." The $10,000 tip meant the man had tipped about 30,835% of his bill. Sweeney said the server shared the tip with eight other staff members who were working that day. One of the staff members, Paige Mulick, told WOOD-TV, "It was just really an act of kindness that impacted so many people." Mulick, a recent graduate of Western Michigan University, said the money would help pay off some of her student loans. "We work hard," she added. "We know that some days you're going to make more and some days you're going to make less. That's just part of how it goes. But we hustle hard and I think that a lot of people really deserve this." A 2023 Forbes survey suggested that, on average, people in the US tipped about 16% of a bill. It's not the first time a customer has left a thousand-dollar tip on a small bill. In September, a group of people dining at a Mexican restaurant in Utah left a $10,000 tip. And in July 2022, a customer at a Pennsylvania restaurant left a $3,000 tip on a $13.25 bill. The Mason Jar Cafe did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular office hours. Read the original article on Business Insider The babysitter was given the option to complete a list of chores for extra money Getty; kivankc/TikTok Mom leaves chore list for babysitter A working mom in Missouri is sparking debate online after giving her son's babysitter a chore list to complete while she was out. Katrina Ivan posted a video to her TikTok account back in December sharing the list of optional chores she'd written down for her babysitter to complete. "You are more than welcome to hang out and watch TV all night, but if you want to make some extra $, these jobs are up for grabs," the note began. Ivan went on to list jobs around the house, writing a dollar amount in front of each chore that could be added on to the babysitter's fee at the end of the night. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Parents Whose 14-Month-Old Baby Died in Drowning Accident Hear His Heartbeat in Toddler He Saved (Exclusive) The chores ranged from organizing the island and cleaning glass mirrors to vacuuming the couch and scrubbing the inside of her fridge, priced between $3 and $15. "Just let me know if you decided to do any of these and the grand total I owe you on top of the babysitting money. Thanks for being here," the note concluded. The video also featured a few pictures of the mom's house, including some messier parts of the home. In her caption on TikTok, Ivan explained her choice. "I am a teacher and I have a small business that is in the busy season," she wrote. "Little things have been let go for too long. If my sitter decides to do this, I'll be forever grateful. If not, I'll get to it later like I already had planned." In the comment section, many viewers criticized her choice, with some saying that the payment is too low. "I think $10 is too cheap for some of these tasks considering the amount of work/size of the mess," one person wrote. Ivan replied, taking the advice under consideration. "I'll definitely be restructuring the prices to make this more fair in the future. Thanks for the advice," she said. Others praised the mom for giving her babysitter a choice. "I think this is a great opportunity for your babysitter," one person said. "You're giving a choice, and I love that." Another agreed. "As a babysitter that usually just cleans anyways bc I can't sit still, I'd appreciate the thought and compensation!" "I was very surprised to so many people react to my TikTok about my note for my babysitter," Ivan tells PEOPLE. "I hope that more parents will see this and do something similar to save them some stress." "My babysitter, Em Rice, loved making extra money, and I loved coming home to a more peaceful space." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. An 11-year-old was arrested and accused of taking a gun to a Jacksonville, Florida, school last week, officials said. Three students told a teacher at Beauclerc Elementary School that the 11-year-old had a 9 mm handgun on Feb. 5, the Jacksonville County Sheriff's Office said in an arrest report. The child was seen in the bathroom racking the slide of the handgun and waving it around, the witnesses told the teacher, the report said. School staff members found the weapon when they searched the child's belongings, it said. A Duval School Board police officer found a text on the child's phone threatening to kill someone sent the day before, authorities said. The child was arrested and was being held at the Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of possessing a weapon on school property and sending a written threat to kill, according to the arrest report. It's not clear whether the child has an attorney. NBC News doesn't usually name minors charged with crimes. President Joe Biden met with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House on Monday as the administration continues talks on a possible hostage release deal in the Israel-Hamas war and has criticized Israel's planned ground assault on the Gaza city of Rafah. The two leaders, joined by senior foreign policy staff members, discussed the ongoing situation in Gaza and efforts to release hostages that Biden said he has discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders in Egypt and Qatar "to push this forward." He said that effort would include a six-week pause in fighting. "We dont know how many are still alive. The anguish that their families are enduring, week after week, month after month is unimaginable. And its a top priority for the United States to bring them home," Biden said. The two leaders also discussed bolstering humanitarian aid to Gaza and efforts to bring enduring peace based on a two-state solution, Biden said. "I made clear the United States shares the goal of seeing Hamas defeated and ensuring long-term security for Israel and its people," he added. Abdullah, who spoke after Biden, warned about Palestinians being displaced beyond the borders of Gaza and the West Bank, while urging a two-state solution. "We must together, along with Arab partners and the international community step up efforts to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and immediately start working to create a political horizon that leads to a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of a two-state solution," Abdullah said. The meeting was their first since three American soldiers were killed in a drone strike at a base in northeast Jordan last month. The U.S. has attributed the strike to militant groups being supported by Iran, and the president and first lady Jill Biden attended the transfer of the slain soldiers at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, this month. The administration is engaged in talks on a possible hostage release deal, which includes Biden sending CIA Director William Burns to Egypt on Tuesday. Intelligence chiefs from the U.S., Israel and Egypt and Qatars prime minister have negotiated a possible framework that would include a six-week pause in the fighting, the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and a plan for humanitarian assistance to reach Gaza. U.S. officials said they believe there has been major progress made on a hostage release deal that could come as soon as this week, a senior administration official told reporters Sunday after Biden spoke with Netanyahu. Its pretty much there, the official said on the call with reporters, stressing that there are still some significant issues that have to close. The official said Biden and Netanyahu spent two-thirds of their call Sunday discussing the hostage negotiations. Biden expressed concerns over Israels military operation in Rafah because a large number of civilians had been directed there earlier in the war, the official said. Biden and Netanyahu had a pretty detailed back-and-forth on that, the official said. While privately expressing frustration with Netanyahu's military approach, Biden has continued to show unequivocal support for Israel, NBC News has reported. Mt. Baldy has become one of the country's deadliest destinations for hikers, racking up scores of rescues and almost a dozen deaths in recent years. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) The body of an El Monte woman who disappeared while hiking alone on Mt. Baldy was recovered Sunday morning, ending a treacherous, weeklong search, officials said. Lifei "Ada" Huang, 22, disappeared about two hours into a solo trek Feb. 4, just as the worst of last week's historic storms hit Southern California, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department. Huang was reported missing just before midnight; rescue crews went out to search for her around 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 5. But "extreme" snowfall and avalanche risks stymied their efforts, officials said. Three other hikers were rescued Feb. 7 after getting pinned down by the storms the day before on the Bear Canyon Trail. "Resources are stretched to their limits, and hikers who get lost may have to wait long periods of time before help is available," the Sheriff's Department had warned. Read more:A beautiful sight, a deadly climb. Mt. Baldy is L.A.s favorite mountain. That's the problem Mt. Baldy has become one of the country's deadliest destinations for hikers, racking up scores of rescues and almost a dozen deaths in recent years. The Sheriff's Department has pushed to limit access to the peak. But Huang was an experienced adventurer, her Instagram page shows. She had recently hiked the Wave, a difficult and sometimes dangerous rock formation in the Arizona desert. She enjoyed beach camping in Santa Cruz, stargazing in Joshua Tree and snowboarding in the San Gabriel Mountains. Read more:Four people went hiking on Mt. Baldy during a mega storm. One is still missing Friends posted notes to her page praying she would be home to celebrate the Lunar New Year. On Saturday, the Sheriff's Department got a tip that someone flying a drone may have spotted Huang's body near the San Antonia Creek Falls. High winds kept the air rescue team from searching the area until early Sunday, when medics located Huang's remains. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Emily Rose DOHA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages held by Hamas in Rafah on Monday in a ferocious rescue operation which killed 74 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about one million civilians have sought refuge from months of bombardments. The mission by the Israeli military, the Shin Bet security service and a special police unit, freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, the military said. They were among 250 people seized during the Oct. 7 raid by Hamas militants that triggered Israel's war on Gaza. More than four months on, much of the densely-populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, with many others believed to be buried under rubble. The Israeli military says 31 hostages have died in that time, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday's rescue showed that military pressure should continue and he brushed aside international alarm at its plans for a ground assault on Rafah. U.S. President Joe Biden, who has becoming increasingly vocal that Israel should not carry out a ground offensive in Rafah without a plan to protect civilians, is scheduled on Monday to meet Jordan's King Abdullah, who has been on a diplomatic tour of western capitals to push for a ceasefire. The Palestinian Authority's official television station, Palestine TV, said 74 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation in Rafah. There was no immediate confirmation from the Gaza health ministry. A Reuters journalist at the scene in Rafah saw a vast area of rubble where buildings, including a mosque, had been destroyed. Israel says many of those killed are militants; the Gaza ministry says 70% are civilians. "I've been collecting my family's body parts since the morning, said Ibrahim Hassouna, as a woman knelt over the body of a young child nearby. "I only recognised their toes or fingers." An Israeli military spokesman said the hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with explosives during the raid amid heavy exchanges of gunfire with surrounding buildings. "We've been working a long time on this operation," Lt Col. Richard Hecht said. "We were waiting for the right conditions." The Argentine government thanked Israel for the rescue of the two men, who it said were dual nationals. A relative of one of the hostages said he had seen both freed men following their rescue and found them "a bit frail, a bit thin, a bit pale" but overall in good condition. Edan Begerano, Hare's son-in-law, said the hostages had been sleeping when "within a minute" the commandos were in the building and covering them as they fought the captors. "We were a bit shocked, we didnt know, we hadnt expected it, he said of the rescue, adding that while he was "happy" the two were freed, Israel and Hamas need to reach a deal "as soon as possible" to secure the release of the remaining hostages. Hamas said a further three hostages who had been injured in recent Israeli airstrikes had now died, adding the fate of other wounded hostages was not yet clear. 'LAST PRAYERS' Israel's military said airstrikes had coincided with the raid to allow its forces to be extracted. Hassouna, displaced from northern Gaza, said his relatives were killed at least 4 km (2 miles) from the military operation. "We have nothing to do with anything. Why did you bomb us?" he asked. People in Rafah said two mosques and several residential buildings were hit in more than an hour of strikes by Israeli warplanes, tanks and ships, which also ripped through tents where people had taken shelter. Wounded children lay waiting for treatment in the Kuwait hospital in Rafah. "We were in the tent, me and all my family, when the bullets all came at us," said Mai Al-Najjar, who had shrapnel wounds in her shoulder and face. She fought back tears as she described how her father had been killed in the car as they fled. Doctor Wael Shakfa said dead and wounded began arriving within minutes. "Some people had their legs cut off and others had their hands cut off, children, women, elderly people and men," he said. RAFAH ATTACK FEARS Some Palestinians feared Israel had begun a long-expected ground offensive in the city, where people displaced by the war are sheltering with nowhere else to go. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel, in the Oct. 7 incursion, according to Israeli tallies. Israel said it had killed more than 12,000 Hamas militants and taken out three-quarters of its battalions, of which it said earlier that four were in Rafah. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk called the prospect of an attack on Rafah "terrifying". "Those with influence must restrain, rather than enable," he said in a statement. Many Western leaders have expressed alarm at Israel's offensive while continuing to support the country. A Dutch appeals court said it had blocked the export of F-35 fighter jets parts to Israel over a "clear risk of violations of international humanitarian law" in Gaza. The government said it would appeal. Britain urged Israel to agree to a truce to free its hostages rather than attack Rafah where people were trapped. An Israeli official has said people will be evacuated further north, but its forces are also active in central Gaza. Palestinian medics said 15 people had been killed in an airstrike in the central town of Deir Al-Balah. (Reporting Nidal al-Mughrabi in Doha, Emily Rose and Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Ahmed Elimam in Dubai, Emma Farge in Geneva and Reuters bureaux; Writing by Michael Perry, Philippa Fletcher and Sharon Singleton; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Toby Chopra) TEL AVIV Israels military hailed the rescue of two hostages overnight in Rafah, while local officials said the raid killed dozens of people in the crowded, southern Gaza Strip city sheltering more than 1 million displaced people. At least 67 people were killed in Israeli strikes, Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra said. An NBC News crew that has been working on the ground in Gaza since the start of the war described the bombing in the area of Shaboura camp of Rafah as a strikingly violent and deadly assault. The dramatic rescue of Fernando Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, came amid mounting international concerns over a planned Israeli ground assault on Rafah. Israeli forces retrieved the two Israeli men taken captive during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in a complex overnight operation carried out "under fire in the heart of Rafah," Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said. Hostages Fernando Simon Marman, right, and Luis Har, second from left, hug relatives after being rescued from captivity in the Gaza Strip, at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (Israeli army via AP) The operation included a "wave of strikes" to help "enable the force's disengagement" and strike Hamas operatives in the area, he said. The strikes set off widespread panic, according to the NBC News crew, with crowds racing to take loved ones, including children, to the Kuwait Hospital. The IDF had confirmed overnight that its forces conducted strikes in the area of Shaboura. Wounded Palestinians in Rafah (NBC News) Asked to comment on the number of people Gazan health officials said had been killed in the raid, the IDF said Monday morning that it could not confirm statistics provided by Palestinian health authorities as it does not find those authorities "reliable." Hagari said that Israeli forces had been preparing for the overnight operation "for some time" and that it was executed based on highly sensitive intelligence. The IDF spokesman described how special forces breached a building "in the heart of Rafah" before locating Har and Marman on the second floor, where they were being held by armed Hamas militants. A battle ensued, he said, with "heavy exchanges of fire at several locations simultaneously." Around the same time, he said, aerial fire was deployed in the area by the Israeli air force and Southern Command. In a separate statement, the IDF, the Israeli Security Agency and Israel Police said both Har and Marman were in good medical condition and had been transferred for examination at the Sheba Tel-HaShomer Medical Center in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv. Hospital officials confirmed to NBC News that the two men were receiving care there, while a photo released by Israeli officials showed them reuniting with loved ones at the medical facility. "Fernando and Luis Welcome back home," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Monday morning. Hamas, meanwhile, condemned Israel's operations in Rafah. Israel's offensive in Gaza has so far seen more than 28,000 people killed and and more than 67,700 injured, with thousands more missing and presumed dead, according to Palestinian health authorities. And in recent days, concerns have mounted over Israel's plans to launch a ground assault on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's roughly 2.3 million people have sought shelter after the Israeli military previously declared the city bordering Egypt a safe zone. Israel announced on February 12 the rescue of two hostages in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. (Said Khatib / AFP - Getty Images) With thousands of people crammed into tents and makeshift shelters in the city, locals and aid groups have warned that a ground assault on Rafah could result in disaster. Palestinians have expressed growing worry and despair over Israels plans. Were so scared. We dont know where to go, a young woman said. Theres a lot of people here. I cant even count them. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called reports of Israels plans to evacuate Palestinians from the city extremely worrying. Proceeding with the plan could have devastating consequences for the 1.4 million people who have nowhere else left to go, he said in a post on X on Sunday as he called for a cease-fire. President Joe Biden told Netanyahu on Sunday that Israel should not launch a military operation in Rafah without a "credible and executable" plan to ensure the safety of those sheltering there, the White House said in a statement. Biden has been venting his frustration in recent private conversations over his inability to persuade Israel to change its military tactics in Gaza, and he has named Netanyahu as the primary obstacle, according to five people directly familiar with his comments. Netanyahu told ABC News in an interview aired Sunday that an attack on Rafah was key to defeating Hamas. But while he has offered reassurances that there will be safe passage for civilians out of the area, it's unclear where exactly the hundreds of thousands of people sheltering in Rafah would go. Egypt has rejected any plan of a military operation in Rafah, warning of the "grave consequences" of a ground assault. Jon Stewart, who returns as a host on "The Daily Show" Monday, sat down with "The Daily Show: Ears Edition" podcast to discuss what drew him back. (Victoria Will / Invision / Associated Press) Jon Stewart will make his much anticipated return to The Daily Show on Monday night a weekly hosting gig he will continue through the election in November. The comedian hasn't said much publicly about what lured him back to basic cable nearly a decade after he said goodbye to "The Daily Show" in 2015. But ahead of his Comedy Central homecoming, Stewart sat down with The Daily Show: Ears Edition podcast to talk about what drew him back to the job and how much has changed in the intervening years, from the transformation of the media landscape and the existential threat of artificial intelligence to the improved quality of the snack offerings at "The Daily Show" offices. The Times has the full podcast episode exclusively; it will be widely available Monday. In conversation with writers-executive producers Zhubin Parang and Jen Flanz, who showruns, Stewart says his decision to come back to Comedy Central was motivated by more than just the presidential election and the likely rematch between President Biden and former President Trump. Read more:Jon Stewart to return as (part-time) host of 'The Daily Show' through 2024 election "If you want to be present in this world, you have to be present in this conversation and you have to be as relentless and as tenacious as the counter-narrative that's being formed. So much of the information that we see now is weaponized ... and it keeps taking exponential leaps," says Stewart, who will also serve as executive producer of "The Daily Show" through 2025, and potentially beyond. "It's not just the election. It's AI. It's the way that we've militarized all our conflicts. It all ties together to one larger idea, which is the form of government we love so much is an analog I don't want to say dinosaur but it is analog and the world now moves at an increasingly infinite digital pace and reconciling those two things, I think, is the challenge of the moment for people." Stewart took over as host of "The Daily Show" from Craig Kilborn in 1999, and transformed the quirky late-night show into a destination for incisive media criticism and political satire. His Apple TV+ show "The Problem With Jon Stewart" premiered in 2021 and was canceled last fall reportedly amid creative tensions with Apple. In "Ears Edition," Stewart tells Flanz and Parang he feels compelled to remain in the conversation in order to combat the effects of artificial intelligence and other bad actors on social media. "I'm excited to be with you guys again and the best fing news team and to just be a part of that conversation because I think you have to register your thoughts and complaints so that it can be referenced, he says, as a way to counteract AI, which he called an information-laundering system, a vacuum that takes up all the pieces of human information then spits them out in reconstituted form. "If you want the world of the future to be informed by what you think is the right part of the present, he says. You have to register, you have to get it out there." "The Daily Show" has not had a permanent host since Stewart's successor, Trevor Noah, signed off in late 2022. The late-night show won an Emmy for talk series last month, clinching a victory in a category that had long been dominated by another series from a "Daily Show" veteran, "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver." Stewart's surprise return may help Comedy Central shore up one of its signature programs after a protracted period of transition. In the podcast episode, Stewart also reflects on the changes to the media landscape since he stepped down as host nearly a decade ago particularly the way that social media has come to act as an accelerant for conspiracies, disinformation and hate speech. Compared to when he hosted The Daily Show, Its a much more dire situation, he says, but at least none of these social media entities have monetized that idea and incentivized misinformation because that would truly be truly dangerous. Im really glad that they fight it so vigorously. Clearly, though much has changed in the last decade, Stewarts sense of irony remains intact. Sign up for L.A. Goes Out, a weekly newsletter about exploring and experiencing Los Angeles from the L.A. Times. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Two of Jonathan Majors ex-girlfriends have spoken out against him in a new interview in which they say the actor was physically and emotionally abusive toward them. Emma Duncan and Maura Hooper both dated the actor in drama school before he shot to fame playing Marvel roles like Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Mr Majors was also set to star in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but was fired from the Marvel Cinematic Universe after he was found guilty of having abused his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, a 31-year-old dancer from England, in December by a Manhattan jury. He was convicted of assault in the third degree and harassment. Marvel later changed the name of the upcoming film to Avengers 5. Ms Duncan accused Mr Majors of choking her, throwing her around and bruising her, while Ms Hooper accused him of emotional abuse, according to a New York Times article about the allegations. Additionally, women whod previously worked with Mr Majors spoke out against him, calling some of his behaviour on set problematic. One woman said he made a derogatory racial remark about her looks. Mr Majors denied that encounter. Much of their accounts were relayed in pretrial statements given to the prosecutions office ahead of Mr Majors trial, but were not entered into evidence due to a ruling given by the presiding judge. Such statements have been helpful in domestic abuse cases. Both women said they experienced love bombing in the early days of their relationships with the actor before they took a turn. In one instance in July of 2016, Ms Duncan said Mr Majors threatened to strangle and kill her. Priya Chaudhry, an attorney for Mr Majors, told the outlet a fight had happened but that Mr Majors did not threaten to kill or strangle Ms Duncan. At another point in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Mr Majors pushed Ms Duncan into the couch and began to choke her, the pretrial statement read. He continued telling her Im going to kill you and Im going to make sure you cant have children. Ms Chaudhry told the outlet her client did not make those remarks. Additional allegations made by Ms Duncan include more instances of abuse, including Mr Majors flipping furniture and destroying her belongings and family heirlooms. Much of the described accounts mirror allegations Ms Jabbari made against Mr Majors at trial in December. While on the witness stand, she said Mr Majors also threw things at her, including candles. In March, Ms Jabbari accused Mr Majors of slapping her, throwing into a car, twisting her arm and grabbing her hand. The incident was the focus of the trial. Ms Hooper, who dated Mr Majors after Ms Duncan, said she became pregnant a couple of months into the relationship and had an abortion. She said Mr Majors asked her to move the appointment up, which his attorney denied. Both Ms Hooper and Ms Duncan said they confronted Mr Majors with evidence that he was cheating on them something Ms Jabbari also did during her time with the actor. When Ms Hooper asked Mr Majors about the evidence, he threatened to kill himself. Ms Jabbari and Ms Duncan both said Mr Majors also threatened suicide during their relationships. Mr Majors still has not been sentenced for his charges relating to Ms Jabbaris case. His next sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 8. The actors attorneys are working to keep the statements of both Ms Hooper and Ms Duncan permanently sealed. A Kentucky doctor has admitted taking kickbacks in connection with $14 million in bills to Medicare for equipment and tests that were medically unnecessary. Amr Mohamed, 55, pleaded guilty in federal court in Lexington Monday to one charge of conspiring to violate a federal anti-kickback law. Mohamed worked at the University of Kentucky when he was indicted on March 2, 2023. He specializes in nephrology, which deals with diseases of the kidney. Mohameds clinical privileges at UK HealthCare were deactivated the next day, according to spokesperson Kristi Willett. Mohamed completed medical school in Egypt in 1992 and has been licensed in Kentucky since 2012, according to a state record. The charge against Mohamed is punishable by up to five years in prison. The allegations against Mohamed did not involve his work at UK, but rather his work to perform telemedicine services for a company called RediDoc L.L.C. Mohamed took kickbacks from RediDoc to order medical equipment, creams and genetic testing for Medicare beneficiaries, but the equipment and services were not medically necessary, according to his plea agreement. That was because Mohamed did not have a real doctor-patient relationship with the beneficiaries; did not use the results of the tests to treat them; and because he received payments that were considered kickbacks for doing the orders, his plea agreement said. Mohamed ordered medically unnecessary equipment, creams or tests for more than 7,000 people between March 2018 and April 2019 that resulted in more than $14.1 million in billing to Medicare. His plea cited a case in which a woman in Kentucky received a call from someone who told her she was eligible for free medical braces. The woman told the caller who was not identified in the document that she couldnt wear braces because of a skin condition, and not to send them. Despite that, Mohamed ordered the braces for her, which resulted in a bill to Medicare for $1,695, according to his plea. RediDoc paid him $20 for writing the order. Altogether, RediDoc paid Mohamed $261,054 in just over a year. Mohamed agreed to pay at least that much in restitution to Medicare. He could be held liable, along with the owners of RediDoc, to repay the $14.1 million in fraudulent billing that his orders enabled, according to the court record. The owners of RediDoc, Stephen Luke and David C. Laughlin Jr., have pleaded guilty in federal court in New Jersey but have not been sentenced. Documents in their cases indicate the company took part in more than $60 million in billing to Medicare for unnecessary equipment or tests. U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell scheduled Mohamed to be sentenced in May. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian forces launched 45 drones over Ukraine Sunday in a five-and-a-half-hour barrage, officials said, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continued the reshuffle of his war cabinet as the war enters its third year. In a statement, the Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 40 of the Iranian-made Shahed drones over nine different regions, including on the outskirts of the countrys capital, Kyiv. The five-and-a-half-hour attack targeted agricultural facilities and coastal infrastructure, officials for Ukraines southern defense forces wrote on Telegram. They said that a strike in the Mykolaiv region had injured one person, sparking a fire and damaging nearby residential buildings. Another person was injured in Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region when a blaze broke out due to falling debris from a destroyed drone, said the head of the regions military administration, Serhiy Lysak. Border police in Moldova also said Sunday that fragments of a Shahed-type drone were found near the southern town of Etulia close to the border with Ukraine, but that the debris posed no danger to communities nearby. There is a suspicion that the detected drone debris is one of the drones shot down by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft system, the border police said in a statement, referencing overnight attacks launched on Friday by Russian forces on Ukraines Izmail region. The distance between Etulia and Izmail is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) as the crow flies. Authorities said access to the impact site has been restricted. Moldovan President Maia Sandu responded to the incident by saying in a post on the social media platform X, that Russias war on Ukraine hits close to home in Moldova again. The discovery of Shahed drone debris in southern Moldova today serves as another stark reminder of the grim reality we face, she said. Russias aggression endangers the entire continent. Support for Ukraine must continue. The strikes come as Zelenskyy continues his shakeup of military commanders in a bid to maintain momentum against attacking Russian forces. Kyiv announced Sunday that former deputy defense minister Lt. Gen. Alexander Pavlyuk would become the new commander of Ukraines ground forces. The post was previously held by Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was named Thursday as the replacement for Ukraines outgoing military chief, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi. New presidential decrees also named Yurii Sodol, the former head of Ukraines marine corps, as the new commander of Ukraines combined forces; Brig. Gen. Ihor Skibiuk as commander of Ukraines air assault forces; and Maj. Gen. Ihor Plahuta as commander of Ukraines territorial defense forces. Incoming commander-in-chief Syrskyi has signaled that his immediate goals include improving troop rotation at the front lines and harnessing the power of new technology at a time when Kyivs forces are largely on the defensive. STARLINK CONCERNS Ukraines military intelligence service said Sunday that attacking Russian forces had been found using Starlink terminals to aid their attack. It released what it said was a recording of an intercepted conversation between two Russian soldiers as proof. Starlink terminals, which use a series of satellites run by Elon Musks company Space X to provide high-speed communications, have been vital in giving Ukraines military an edge over invading Russian troops. However, multiple reports of Russian troops using Starlink on the front line in occupied Ukraine had begun to surface in the Ukrainian media in recent weeks. They prompted Space X to release a statement on social media on Feb. 8, saying that it did not do business of any kind with the Russian government or its military. However, Western tech components have regularly been found among Russias arsenal as Moscow has become more skilled at evading sanctions, often importing goods via third countries. In a statement on Telegram Saturday, Zelenskyy said that he hoped to reboot the upper levels of Ukraines armed forces with experienced combat commanders. Now, people who are well-known in the army and who themselves know well what the army needs are taking on new responsibilities, he said. ___ Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath in Bucharest, Romania, contributed to this report. WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has canceled a trip to Brussels where he was to take part in meetings with other NATO defense ministers, a U.S. official said on Monday, after the Pentagon chief was admitted to a critical care unit and had to transfer his duties to his deputy. Austin, 70, was taken to Walter Reed Military Medical Center on Sunday for "symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue", the Pentagon said. Austin had failed to disclose a prostate cancer surgery in December and a subsequent hospitalization in January to deal with its complications. Austin was set to depart for the meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels taking place on Thursday, and a separate meeting with allies on Wednesday on how to continue supporting Ukraine in countering Russia's invasion. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting on Ukraine's defense needs, known as the Ukraine contact group, would be held virtually. It was unclear how long Austin would remain in the hospital, but he has transferred his duties to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. Austin's secrecy during his hospitalizations in December and January raised a political uproar. Republicans accused him of dereliction of duty. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has said he has confidence in Austin despite what the president agreed was a lapse in judgment. Earlier this month, Austin apologized for failing to tell Biden and senior staff about his cancer diagnosis ahead of time, adding that the health scare was a "gut punch" that had shaken him. The most recent hospitalization was publicly announced soon after he was taken there by his security detail. Austin is scheduled to testify before Congress on Feb. 29 about the secrecy surrounding his initial hospitalization. His trip would have come at a critical time in Europe. A narrowly divided U.S. Senate moved closer to passing a $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan on Sunday, but it would face an uncertain future in the House of Representatives. The legislation includes $61 billion for Ukraine, which is viewed as crucial by Kyiv as it grinds toward the second anniversary of full-scale Russia's invasion, with front lines in the east and south largely static for many months. Former President Donald Trump, who is seeking a return to power in the November election, raised a storm of criticism from the White House and top Western officials over the weekend for suggesting he would not defend NATO allies who failed to spend enough on defense and would even encourage Russia to attack them. (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Jonathan Oatis and Mark Heinrich) (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was admitted to a critical care unit in Washington on Sunday for treatment of "symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue", officials of Walter Reed Military Medical Center said. Austin, 70, later transferred the duties of his office to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers criticized Austin last month for failing to disclose a cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospitalizations in December and January, including to President Joe Biden. Some prominent Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, called for Austin to be removed from his job. The incident was an embarrassment for Biden, and Austin apologized during a televised news briefing. He is scheduled to testify before Congress on Feb. 29 about the situation. Biden, a Democrat, has said he has confidence in Austin despite what the president agreed was a lapse in judgment. With its announcement of the secretary's trip to the hospital and the quick decision to transfer his duties to a deputy, the Pentagon appeared determined to avoid a repeat of last month's political uproar. It was unclear how long Austin would remain hospitalized, officials of the hospital said in a statement late on Sunday. Austin's cancer prognosis remained excellent and the bladder issue was not expected to change his anticipated full recovery, the officials added. Austin, a retired four-star general who led forces in Iraq and is America's first Black defense secretary, was still in hospital last month as U.S. forces launched a retaliatory strike against an Iranian-backed militia leader in Baghdad. There are now three different investigations into Austin's behavior, including one by the office of the Pentagon's Inspector General, a watchdog agency that tracks military waste, fraud and abuse. The Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Mike Rogers, has called Austin to testify. Austin is scheduled to travel to Brussels for a Wednesday meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. It was not clear if his hospitalization would affect those travel plans. (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Long Beach, California; Additional reporting by Anirudh Saligrama and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Stephen Coates) The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Monday that it has successfully seized an American-made Boeing 747 cargo plane, previously owned by sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air, in accordance with a U.S. District Court final order of forfeiture issued last year. U.S. officials say Mahan Air, which has ties to the terrorist-designated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, sold the aircraft to a Venezuelan cargo airline, in violation of U.S. export control laws. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the DOJs National Security Division said in a statement Monday the transaction also directly benefited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that the full force of U.S. laws deny hostile state actors the means to engage in malign activities that threaten our national security, Olsen said. On Sunday, the government of Argentina transferred the aircraft to U.S. custody, and the DOJ said the aircraft arrived in the Southern District of Florida, where it will be prepared for disposition. U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia applauded the whole-of-government approach to completing the forfeiture of the aircraft and credited international assistance with the success of the transfer. Foreign adversaries seeking to illegally use American-made products to further their endeavors need to know that the United States government will work with the international community to hold them accountable for their illegal conduct. The United States appreciates the collaboration with our Argentinian law enforcement and judicial partners, Graves said. The Venezuelan government last month issued a harsh statement after an Argentine court decided to support the U.S. request to seize the aircraft, which had been held in Buenos Aires for almost two years. With this illegal decision, the Argentine State submits to the powers of American imperialism, the Venezuelan government statement read. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. When Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip came out against the Senates bipartisan immigration deal last Monday, former Rep. Tom Suozzi the Democrat running against her in Tuesdays special congressional election on Long Island, New York thought he had hit pay dirt. Finally, he could accuse Pilip, a Nassau County legislator running almost entirely on an end to the chaos at the U.S.-Mexico border, of being weaker on border enforcement than he is. We finally have a chance to have a solution, and were not going to do it, because President Trump said it will help Biden? Suozzi said Thursday evening, during the races sole televised debate. As Mitt Romney said: Thats appalling. Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip, left, has framed her race against former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) as a referendum on President Joe Biden's immigration policies. Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip, left, has framed her race against former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) as a referendum on President Joe Biden's immigration policies. Pressed by the moderator to lay out her plan to resolve the immigration issue, Pilip fell back on her indictment of the status quo, for which she said Suozzi, who hasnt been in Congress in two years, bears responsibility. They caused this issue, she said, referring to President Joe Biden, Suozzi, and other Democrats. Before we even are addressing the issue inside, we have to make sure first and foremost, we need to secure the border. After that day, we have to come up with the plan. Pilips response was not exactly coherent secure the border without a plan? but Republicans are betting it may not have to be. Voters in New York and beyond are frustrated with Bidens management of the border, and polling shows they trust Republicans more than Democrats to fix the problem by wide margins. In a recent public poll of the race showing Suozzi ahead of Pilip by 4 percentage points a lead within the margin of error Pilip still had a significant advantage among voters in a question about who would do a better job of addressing the influx of migrants into the United States. [Suozzi] had years in Congress where he voted 100% of the time with Biden, said Savannah Viar, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans campaign arm. That is what voters know and believe about him. Tuesdays neck-and-neck race which was set up by the expulsion of fabulist former GOP Rep. George Santos in December will be the first to test whether Democrats embrace of hard-line measures, including giving the president the ability to shut down applications for asylum entirely, will help them chip away at the GOPs advantage. A win for Suozzi in this Long Island and Queens swing district would suggest that Republicans sabotaging a bipartisan border security bill have handed Democrats a powerful talking point to limit the GOP advantage on immigration in races up to and including the battle for the presidency. February 13 is really about November 5 and swing, suburban districts around the country.Larry Levy, National Center for Suburban Studies, Hofstra University If hes successful, maybe there are strategies and tactics and messages there that the Democrats running in Orange County, California, in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, or in Oakland County, Michigan, can put into play, said Larry Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University. On the other hand, a victory for Pilip in a district that Biden carried by 8 percentage points in 2020 would suggest that anger over the immigration chaos is such that Democrats efforts to seize the high ground on border security are going to be harder than they think. February 13 is really about November 5 and swing, suburban districts around the country, Levy said. Thats what makes this special special. Suozzi, a moderate whose campaign slogan is Lets Fix This, came under attack early in the campaign for his allegedly dovish immigration record. Pilip and her Republican backers have seized, in particular, on an episode in which Suozzi ended Nassau Countys cooperation with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency while he was serving as Nassau County executive in 2007. He even bragged about getting rid of immigration enforcement, a TV spot funded by the Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super political action committee, intones over ominous music. The spot then plays a clip of Suozzi touting the decision during his 2022 run for governor: When I was county executive of Nassau County, I kicked ICE out of Nassau County. Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), who is running to replace expelled Rep. George Santos in Congress, speaks at an event in Plainview, New York, on Sunday. Suozzi has pointed to his record of bipartisan compromise as evidence of how he'd address immigration. Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), who is running to replace expelled Rep. George Santos in Congress, speaks at an event in Plainview, New York, on Sunday. Suozzi has pointed to his record of bipartisan compromise as evidence of how he'd address immigration. Suozzi has clarified repeatedly that he ended cooperation with ICE at the request of Lawrence Mulvey, Nassau Countys police commissioner at the time. Contemporary newsreports confirm that Mulvey took issue with an ICE raid in 2007, in which he said that the civil liberties of local Latino residents were violated, and guns were even drawn on Nassau County police officers. Youre pro-law enforcement would you say to your police commissioner, Oh, I dont want to listen to you, police commissioner. Its OK that theyre breaking the rules and ruining our attempts to try and do community policing? Suozzi demanded of Pilip during the debate. In TV advertising, Suozzi has highlighted more recent efforts to support tough border enforcement. One spot features him shaking hands with a Customs and Border Patrol agent and defending ICE on Fox News in 2018. And an ad funded by House Majority PAC, House Democrats main super PAC, notes that Suozzi co-sponsored a comprehensive immigration reform bill with then-Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), a popular Long Island politician currently backing Pilip. HMP has also taken to referring to Suozzis opponent as Mazi Open Borders Pilip, because of her opposition to the bipartisan immigration reform bill that was already on the brink of collapse when she came out against it. Tuesdays election will not be a perfect test of Suozzis message in the homestretch that he is the real border hawk, and that Pilip has only used the issue to score points. The timing of Pilips Feb. 5 announcement that she opposed the Senate deal, eight days before Election Day, limited how much Democrats could hammer the point home to voters. Neither Suozzi, nor HMP, nor the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have used her position on the deal in paid communications, having concluded that they would not have adequate time for that message to seep into the publics consciousness. Win or lose, Tom Suozzi and Democrats have established a successful playbook when it comes to flipping the script on the migrant crisis, which is having a very serious and outsize impact on New York.Meredith Kelly, Democratic strategist That gives Democrats a chance to envision how much further the accusation of hypocrisy on the border would go against Republicans in races of longer duration. Indeed, in a hypothetical matchup between Biden and former President Donald Trump, in which respondents are told that Biden is a champion of the bipartisan Senate deal and Trump an opponent, Biden defeats Trump 51% to 49%, according to a new poll commissioned by Blueprint 2024, a Democratic public opinion research project. Win or lose, Tom Suozzi and Democrats have established a successful playbook when it comes to flipping the script on the migrant crisis, which is having a very serious and outsize impact on New York, said Meredith Kelly, a Democratic strategist who advised New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022. This can be a playbook for races that are being held in places like New York, maybe California, where the migrant crisis is actually in their front yard. New York has a reputation for welcoming immigrants, but the surge in asylum seekers and other migrants arriving at the southern border has had a disproportionate impact on New York City and provoked a correspondingly hawkish reaction. The arrival of more than 170,000 migrants and asylum seekers has generated significant financial strain on the city and the state as they erect temporary housing on the fly with limited help from the federal government. There have also been a handful of high-profile crimes allegedly committed by migrants given shelter on the citys dime, which have prompted angry responses from Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. A video of a group of migrants beating up an NYPD officer during a Jan. 27 arrest made the rounds in local media, leading to immediate condemnations. (A longer version of the video released Thursday showed the police escalating the situation before the migrants engaged with them physically.) Get them all and send them back, Hochul declared on Feb. 1, calling for the alleged attackers deportation. Of course, precisely because of the unique situation in New York, there are those who warn against extrapolating too much from the outcome of a low-turnout special election in a state where the politics of immigration have grown so potent over such a short period. I would be cautious to over-learn any message about special elections, Kelly said. Pilip, center, walks alongside former Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), left, and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino after voting early in Massapequa, New York, on Friday. Pilip, center, walks alongside former Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), left, and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino after voting early in Massapequa, New York, on Friday. At the same time, Biden carried New Yorks 3rd by 8 percentage points. A defeat for Suozzi in the district would break Democrats special-election winning streak and could portend broader problems for the party on the immigration issue. On Friday, HuffPost spoke to a number of voters casting early ballots in Suozzis hometown of Glen Cove, where Suozzi had invited reporters to watch him cast his own vote. (Suozzi was mayor of the town from 1993 to 2001.) One such voter, Greg Cote, a retired NYPD officer and self-described moderate Democrat, is an example of the kind of voter Suozzi could normally count on. Even as Cote voted for Trump twice, he always voted for Suozzi as well. This time, though, Cote is voting for Pilip, because while Suozzi is a good person, the migration influx is bankrupting the city of New York. When you see theres a problem, then deal with it, Cote said after casting his early ballot on Friday. I think the president could have done something without going to Congress to slow down the amount of people coming in. Asked about the demise of the bipartisan compromise in the Senate, Cote responded by denouncing partisan polarization. Im not a lover of politics right now, he said. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is one of several state Democrats to take a harsher tone toward asylum seekers and other migrants following a handful of alleged criminal incidents. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is one of several state Democrats to take a harsher tone toward asylum seekers and other migrants following a handful of alleged criminal incidents. As Cotes remarks suggest, Democrats explanation of the bipartisan immigration deal requires a level of nuance that may be more effective with voters already inclined to give the party the benefit of the doubt. The Republicans message is simple: Throw out the party in charge of the White House, since the surge in border crossings has occurred on their watch. Its going to be really difficult to get the high ground on the topic of immigration because were kind of in charge right now, said Colin Strother, who has advised moderate Texas Democrats like Rep. Henry Cuellar. Its our White House, its our [Department of Homeland Security], its our border czar. Its been going on for quite some time. Strother faults Biden for not demonstrating his seriousness on the topic sooner, and recommended that he convene a multilateral summit with the leaders of Mexico, Colombia, Panama, and other countries to stop the flow of asylum seekers traversing the Darien Gap to arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border. Suozzi, no stranger to criticizing the Democratic Party from the right, admits that Biden should have taken the initiative on implementing changes in immigration policy earlier on. In a September comment to The New York Times, Suozzi held up former President Bill Clinton as a model of a Democratic president who co-opted issues raised by his adversaries, turning potential weaknesses into strengths. Take the issue theyre attacking you on, make it your own, propose a comprehensive bipartisan solution, and if the Republicans go along with it, then we move the country forward after 35 years of inaction on this very serious issue, Suozzi said in a Feb. 5 press conference, summarizing his advice to Biden as the border situation heated up. If they dont go forward, then you can point out very clearly, Wow, theyre just playing politics and trying to weaponize this issue for political purposes. But while it may have come later than he hoped, Suozzi maintains that Democrats finally called Republicans bluff with the bipartisan Senate deal. Suozzi predicted that political vindication would follow such a move. The election on Tuesday will give a better idea of whether hes right. Related... I am a lifelong resident of South Carolina. I attended schools and colleges here. My ancestors settled between the North and South Edisto Rivers in the 18th century, and my family has farmed there ever since. They served in the SC militia and volunteer infantry in defense of S.C. in every war since their settlement. We have always voted for people we considered to be proponents of individual liberty and limited government. We have always been proud to be South Carolinians. We are still proud of our state in spite of the embarrassing sight of the two U.S. senators on stage fawning over a vain candidate as he calls for banning me and anyone else who exercises our right to support the candidate of our choice for president. Unfortunately, these two have been joined in this blind mania by our governor and a congressional representative from Charleston. Apparently, the good old boys are so scared of the little brown girl from Bamberg because, when she was governor, she forced them to stand and be counted on the record when they voted in halls of government rather than cowering in anonymity. In spite of being told not to by the top elected officials of S.C., I will continue to exercise my right to support the candidate of my choice. In this case, that is Nimarata Nikki Randhawa Haley, because she is the one candidate who will, as president of the United States, do all she can to protect the inalienable right of every citizen to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. My check to Nikki Haley for President is in the mail. Jody TraywickSpartanburg This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Reader say supporting Haley in GOP primary is his 'right' SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has written to the Prime Minister and Labour leader urging them to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza amid mounting concern over a planned Israeli ground invasion of Rafah. Mr Flynn said that such action there would amount to waging a war in the largest refugee camp in the world. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the military to plan for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in the city of Rafah ahead of an expected ground invasion. The city, on the southern border with Egypt, is providing refuge to more than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million people. In his letter to Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Flynn said that such an assault there cannot be allowed to happen and urged them to join the SNP in calling for an immediate ceasefire. He wrote: Whatever our differences on this issue in the past number of months, whatever the rationale for the UK government and the Labour Party in opposing an immediate ceasefire until this point, surely now is the time to say enough is enough. Only pressing for an immediate ceasefire has any hope of stopping an even more horrific humanitarian disaster unfolding before the watching world. In changing course now, and joining us in pressing for an immediate ceasefire, I also hope it will act as an important catalyst for the entire international community to come together and finally put a stop to the conflict in Gaza and Israel. By acting now, it remains within the power of the international community to press for an immediate ceasefire, stop the imminent assault on Rafah, secure the unconditional release of all the remaining hostages taken by Hamas, and finally put an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. It comes after Scotlands First Minister Humza Yousaf on Saturday said that a threatened Israeli ground invasion of the Gazan city of Rafah would cause devastation beyond comprehension and urged the international community to demand an immediate ceasefire. Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron has said he is deeply concerned about the situation. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, he said: Deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah over half of Gazas population are sheltering in the area. The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire. Sir Keir has said an Israeli offensive there would be catastrophic adding: The fighting must stop now. We need a sustainable ceasefire. According to Israel, Rafah is the last remaining stronghold for Hamas fighters in Gaza, after more than four months of conflict sparked by the deadly October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. It is not clear where civilians in Rafah could move to as Israeli evacuation orders now cover two-thirds of Gaza. The latest figures from the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry put the overall Palestinian death toll at more than 28,100. Labour have been asked for comment. A Texas door-to-door salesman was called a racial slur and shot at by a resident at a home he stopped at but was miraculously saved by his electronic tablet device that blocked the bullet. The victim, who works for Reliant Energy, was left "shook up" by the terrifying ordeal at the Fort Worth residence. He just came out and just straight pointed the barrel at me and then shot me and told me to 'get away from here, n-----,'" the victim, whose name was not disclosed, told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. "Im lucky it didnt hit me, it hit the tablet. The door-to-door salesman shows where a bullet hit his tablet. (NBCDFW) Fort Worth Police said they responded to a call near the 3100 block of Purington Avenue on Thursday and found an adult male who said he was going door to door as a salesman for the local energy company. At one home, an adult male suspect "started yelling racial slurs at him and then fired a weapon toward him," police said. The salesman showed NBC Dallas-Fort Worth his wrecked tablet, its glass shattered with what appears to be a bullet hole and a bullet-sized dent visible in the back. When officers investigated, they found no one inside the residence where the resident opened fire. Authorities did not name the victim nor the suspect. The house in Fort Worth, Texas, where a door-to-door salesman was shot. (NBCDFW) Police said Monday the case is still under investigation and officers "will be writing a warrant" on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The victim, who said hes worked for Reliant doing sales for 10 years, said: This is the one thing I always fear getting shot at the door and today it happened. I got two daughters. I couldve been in the hospital dead now, he added. In a statement, Reliant said, Were continuing to gather information, but are thankful the sales agent was not harmed." The victim was employed by a contracting agency for Reliant, a company spokesperson said. "The safety and security of sales agents is our top priority. Fortunately, incidents like this are rare. We are fully cooperating with local law enforcement as they investigate this incident," Reliant said. Three school board races in Wilson County have only Republican candidates, which will make the March 5 county primary winner unopposed in the general election this August. Early voting is scheduled to start Wednesday, Feb. 14. Both the Zone 3 and Zone 7 Wilson County School Board races and one at-large Lebanon seat all have the two GOP candidates. Each is without a Democrat or Independent candidate. Three other races up for election are unopposed in the primary, but will each be contested in August. Campaign signs for Wilson County's Zone 7 school board candidates Jessica Hill and Jamie Farough. The Zone 5 Wilson County School Board and Assessor of Property seats each have a Republican and Democrat running for office. The Zone 1 Wilson County School Board seat has a Republican and an Independent candidate. Independent candidates arent on the ballot until August. What you need to know: Contested county primary races Wilson County School Board Zone 3 Melissa Walker Lynn Republican (incumbent) Melissa Walker Lynn Age: 59 Family: Son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. Lynns granddaughter will start kindergarten next fall. Occupation: Retired teacher with 34 years in Wilson County. What led you to run? Upon retiring, my teacher friends said, now you're going to be on the school board, right? It was my desire to help students, parents and employees, to have listening ears and a voice that I decided to seek the role of being a board member. What are the most important issues for you? My focus was, is, and will always be students, parents and employees. Students deserve to receive a high-quality education. Students receive that high level of education by our retaining teachers with competitive pay and benefits and by our continuing to offer courses preparing students for college and/or careers. Joe Schippers Republican Schippers was asked the same information as the other candidates, but said in an email his campaign "will not be participating" in The Tennessean's voter guide. Wilson County School Board Zone 7 Jamie Farough Jamie Farough Republican (incumbent) Age: 42 Occupation: Registered Nurse, Nurse Consultant-Litigation and Special Needs. What led you to run? I proudly continue to have a student in Wilson County Schools. I felt led to run for re-election because I understand the direct impact of changing education policy, safety concerns and rapid county growth as a parent, taxpayer and lifelong Wilson County resident. My experience professionally and on the board, working within the parameters of the law and with budgetary considerations, has prepared me to readily address the new and changing needs facing our school district. What are the most important issues for you? The most important issues for me are student/staff safety, teacher recruitment/retention and long-term planning (growth management/maintenance/transportation). These are the concerns I hear most often from my constituents. While our board has worked towards addressing these issues, unique challenges have presented themselves as well (COVID/Tornado/New funding formula/New education laws). I am proud of what has been accomplished and am anxious to move our board in the direction of proactively addressing these needs." Jessica Hill Republican Jessica Hill Age: 41. Family: Married 16 years with one child in Wilson County Schools. What led you to run? "I was driven to run by a calling I felt was from the Lord. As a Mother of a child in the public school system, I found myself concerned with the moral direction our schools are going and the way Zone 7 has been represented." What are the most important issues for you? "Remove inappropriate and obscene reading materials from our schools that our students currently have access to. Maintain a fiscally responsible budget to ensure our current teachers, bus drivers and staff are supported, compensated and retained. Supporting parents to have a voice in the way their children are educated. We want to raise academics, not activism." Lebanon Special School District at-large (one seat) Heather Sadler Gallaher Republican Heather Sadler Gallaher Age: 43. Family: Husband Chris Gallaher, children Drew Gallaher (21), Jack Gallaher (19), Sophie Sadler (9) and Savvy Sadler (7). Occupation: Hospice Account Executive. What led you to run? "As a mom of two young girls in the Lebanon Special School District, I want to have an active voice in their education. I feel very strongly about adding a mom to our school board to lend that perspective. I have been a widowed, single and now blended family mom and each of those tend to have a unique point of view." What are the most important issues for you? "Communication: I believe our district and school communication has to be better at relaying information about school curriculum, extracurricular activities and school board meetings. I support the renewed strength of PTO/PTA groups, as they lead to a better relationship with schools, teachers and parents. Parents rights: Every parent has a right to be informed, involved and heard when it comes to the education of their child. More parent involvement leads to more academic success for our children. Dusty Jones Republican Dusty Jones Age: 44. Family: Wife Julie Jones. Children Caden, 15, and Lila, 13. Parents are Steve and Nancy Jones. Occupation: Assistant Director of the City of Lebanon Recreation Department. What led you to run? I want to make sure the overall integrity of the school system is in the best hands. Working for children has been a lifelong passion of mine. What are the most important issues for you? Safety, Education and Support. Safety and security of our buildings is imperative. Every aspect of educating our children must the primary focus of the district. I will support our district through communication avenue awareness and the responsible organization of budget and policy planning. Wilson County races uncontested in the primary, but to be contested Aug. 1 Assessor of Property Stephen Goodall R (incumbent) Derrick T. Hammond D Wilson County School Board Zone 1 Gregory Hohman R Carrie Pfeiffer Independent (incumbent) Wilson County School Board Zone 5 Brittany Ash D Donnie Self R Early voting Voters can go to any early voting location regardless of address. Dates: Feb. 14-27. Times: 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday. Locations: Wilson County Election Commission, 230 E. Gay Street, Lebanon Mt. Juliet Community Center, 1075 Charlie Daniels Parkway, Mt. Juliet Gladeville Community Center, 95 McCrary Road, Lebanon Watertown Community Center, 8630 Sparta Pike. Election Day vote centers Voters can go to any election day vote center on Election Day regardless of address Saint Stephen Catholic Community, 14544 Lebanon Road, Old Hickory. Lakeview Elementary, 6211 Saundersville Road, Mt. Juliet. Charlie Daniels Park, 1075 Charlie Daniels Parkway, Mt. Juliet. West Elementary, 9315 Lebanon Road, Mt. Juliet. The Church at Pleasant Grove, 555 Pleasant Grove Road, Mt. Juliet. Rutland Elementary, 1995 S. Rutland Road, Mt. Juliet. Gladeville Community Center, 95 McCrary Road, Lebanon. LaGuardo Baptist Church, 8585 TN-109, Lebanon. Berea Church, 50 Berea Church Road, Lebanon. Maple Hill Church, 102 Maple Hill Road, Lebanon. Lebanon High School, 500 Blue Devil Boulevard, Lebanon. First United Methodist Church, 415 W. Main Street, Lebanon. Market Street Community Center, 321 E. Market Street, Lebanon. Southside Elementary, 1224 Murfreesboro Road, Lebanon. Carroll-Oakland School, 4664 Hunters Point Pike, Lebanon. Watertown Community Center, 8630 Sparta Pike, Watertown. Norene Community Center, 11770 Cainsville Road, Lebanon. Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: These school board seats will be decided in the Wilson County primary Just days after near-record warmth in some areas, a storm that brought accumulating snow to the southern Plains and parts of the Mississippi Valley on Monday will continue to ride a sudden change in the weather pattern, bringing accumulating snow and triggering travel disruptions from the upper part of the mid-Atlantic to southern New England, AccuWeather meteorologists warn. This will be quite a reality check and shake-up for millions of people who were recently out enjoying the warmth from this past week and the start of the weekend, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Rinde said. "Winter will return with a vengeance as the storm moves along a push of colder air that will set the stage for more typical conditions for the middle and latter part of February," Rinde said. The storm was already responsible for several inches of snow in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma this past weekend began to unload heavy snow on parts of the central Appalachians late Monday night, which then spread to areas from the mid-Atlatic to New England by Tuesday morning. AccuWeather meteorologists are projecting that a foot is likely to pile up from far northeastern Pennsylvania to Cape Cod, Massachusetts and much of Connecticut and Rhode Island just prior to Valentine's Day. As of daybreak Tuesday, 2 and 3 inches of snow fell on State College, Pennsylvania, on the northwestern edge of the storm. A wet and clinging snow fell on the northeastern United States on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024. (Photo credit: Alex Sosnowski. Location: State College, Pennsylvania) Farther to the east in the Keystone State, Jim Thorpe and Hazleton, picked up 13.4 inches from the storm. Wantage, New Jersey, located in the northwestern part of the state, has received about 10 inches from the storm so far, with 3-5 inches reported in the boroughs surrounding Manhattan. Snowfall in the Hartford, Connecticut, area ranged between 6 and 11 inches, with more in store. The storm had cut the power to close to 150,000 utility customers in Pennsylvania alone as of the midday hours on Tuesday, according to PowerOutage.us. The heaviest snow will pivot across southern New England into Tuesday afternoon as the storm tapers off in the zone from Philadelphia to New York City. "Given the warmth preceding the storm, precipitation will began as rain in many areas and snow initially melted on road surfaces throughout the accumulation zone in the Midwest and Northeast," AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Joseph Bauer stated. GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP "How quickly the storm strengthens will determine how quickly cold air can be drawn into the storm, which will have significant implications on how much snow can accumulate," Bauer explained. The injection of colder air into the storm, paired with the heavy rate of precipitation anticipated, will allow the storm to overcome the marginal surface temperatures. Within the zone where 6-12 inches of snow will fall, there is an AccuWeather Local StormMax of 21 inches in the Northeast. The heaviest snow is likely to fall on the higher elevations from far northeastern Pennsylvania and southeastern New York through much of southern New England. Within this zone, there may be sporadic power outages due to the weight of the wet, clinging snow on tree limbs. This band of heaviest snow is now expected to remain south of Boston with road conditions to range from just wet across the north and in the city to slushy and snow-covered on the hills to the south. "Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches per hour and locally greater can occur for a brief period on Tuesday, where the highest totals are expected," AccuWeather Meteorologist Adam Sadvary said. This heavy rate of snow has the potential to strand motorists and inhibit highway departments from keeping roads plowed and open. Road closures are possible at the height of the storm. Even if the heaviest snow avoids the major Interstate 95 airport hubs of the mid-Atlantic, changing weather conditions and wintry problems with connections from regional flights are likely to trigger substantial delays and cancellations. Delays due to deicing operations will extend far beyond aircraft originating from New York City. Pouring rain and fog, followed by heavy wet snow, will create poor visibility and difficult travel as road conditions transition from wet with ponding to slushy and snow packed. The wet and clinging nature of the snow will weigh down tree limbs and will trigger power outages. "Given the trajectory of this storm and the warm to cold conditions leading up to Tuesday, snowfall can ramp up from a slushy coating to half a foot or more in a matter of a few miles along the Interstate 95 corridor from New York City, southwestward to Philadelphia and northeastward to Providence, Rhode Island," Sadvary said. Tuesday morning's commute was a mess for many, including in Scranton and Allentown, Pennsylvania, New York City, and Hartford, Connecticut. Conditions will also deteriorate rapidly in the Boston area during Tuesday midday. A more southern track has begun to push heavier accumulation of snow farther to the south. While still north of the center city of Philadelphia and the five boroughs that makeup New York City and much of Long Island, New York, totals in Manhattan are projected to be between 3 and 6 inches. However, the accumulation on roads and paved surfaces will vary greatly. This more southern track is also brought a small amount of slushy snow to the hills to the north and west of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., as well as around Wilmington, Delaware, central and southern New Jersey. Heavy snow will fall on Cape Cod, Massachusetts into the afternoon. At this time, the heaviest snow is projected to stay to the north and west, with 1-3 in the offing for Philadelphia, 3 inches for Manhattan and little to no accumulation in the city core of Baltimore and Washington, D.C. However, heavy accumulating snow is expected not far from these cities in hilly areas. It may be snowing very hard right at the tail end of the storm. So, any delay in the ending of the snow can have huge consequences in terms of a rapid, last-minute accumulation. As Rinde alluded to earlier, the storm will help to set up a colder and more seasonable weather pattern from the Midwest to the Northeast. Millions will face the reality that it is still the middle of February come Valentine's Day as they dig out on Wednesday morning and recall their winter driving skills when heading to work or school or their favorite restaurant to celebrate the holiday with loved ones. Opportunities for snow will be thrown as clipper storms from western Canada dive southeastward and the northern edge of southern-tracking storms move along later next week and beyond. Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The number of tourists who visited Iran from March 2023 to February 2024 grew 50% compared to the previous year, TASS reported citing Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. This year we saw that the number of tourists who visited our country grew 50%, President Raisi said at the 17th Tehran International Tourism and Related Industries Exhibition. The country has restored the post-pandemic tourism gap and has created necessary conditions for tourists. Raisi said that Irans cultural heritage and wonderful nature is a great potential for the development of tourism. He further said that many visitors travel to Iran for medical tourism because of more affordable and effective options. On February 4, Iran unilaterally lifted visa requirements with 28 countries, including Belarus, Qatar, Mexico, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Japan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. On January 12 in Istanbul the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Nairi Petrossian presented the letter of credence to the Secretary General of the BSEC Permanent International Secretariat (PERMIS) Lazar Comanescu, the foreign ministry said. According to the readout issued by the ministry, the interlocutors highly appreciated the effective partnership established between the PERMIS and Armenia, as well as underlined Armenias constructive engagement with the Organization. Nairi Petrossian reiterated Armenias commitment to continue active participation in the multifaceted cooperation within the Organization. He emphasized that peace, regional cooperation and economic development are the most important priorities of the Government of Armenia, and the Crossroads of Peace project developed by the Government of the Republic of Armenia aims to consolidate foundations towards the achievement of those priorities. It is noted that the sides also underlined the importance of the BSEC as a platform for regional dialogue. In this context they also touched upon the preparatory works for the upcoming Armenian Chairmanship-in-Office of the BSEC, which will take place in the second part of 2024. Security vendor CyberArk has hired Alana Sahakian as its new partner manager for Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ). She will be working alongside A/NZ area vice president Thomas Fikentscher and supported by strategic partner manager Stephenie Andal. Sahakian will be responsible for leading and growing the channel business in A/NZ, focusing on fostering key relationships with strategic partners including global systems integrators (SI), consultancies, managed service providers (MSP) and technology alliances. "CyberArk's channel ecosystem remains a vital component in bolstering our market presence in A/NZ," Fikentscher said. "Alana's appointment will allow CyberArk to strengthen our partnerships and work closely with them to address the cyber security needs of organisations across the public and private sectors." Prior to joining CyberArk, Sahakian spent the last 10 years in various enterprise software companies, with experience across sales and channel management roles with companies such as Snowflake, Tableau and Oracle. To support its growth ambitions, IT professional services company Avocado Consulting has hired chief operating officer (COO) Jane Robinson to the newly created role. Robinson rejoins Avocado after serving as head of technology at software-as-a-service (SaaS) start-up Advice Intelligence, which was incubated in Avocado before being spun off and acquired by global fintech GBST last year. As COO, Robinson will oversee all operations with a focus on governance, culture and ensuring resilience across all processes and systems. This includes supporting Avocado's 150+ consultant workforce across NSW, Victoria and Queensland. She will also head up the project services business line which Avocado claims has been at the core of its success as it enters its 20th year in business. Im happy to come full circle and be home again. Being with Avocado in the earlier years and returning now as they celebrate their 20th anniversary is great," Robinson said. "Its exciting to be back to continue building the Avocado legacy as a trusted IT partner and contribute to the ongoing growth and success." February 12 marks the 100th birthday of Rhapsody in Blue. Via NPR, the daily newsmagazine 1A is re-airing my Gershwin Moment documentary from last February; it highlights my favorite Rhapsody in Blue recording, by Alexander Tsfasman and Gennadi Rozhdestvensky (Moscow, 1960). And Im taking part in additional Gershwin radio features on NPR and BBC-3. As the pianist Benjamin Pasternack once had occasion to remark to me: Its the most beloved piece in the American concert repertoire. But, historically, it may also be the most reviled. When I wrote Classical Music in America: A History of Its Rise and Fall (2005), among my most startling discoveries was the Gershwin Threat. In the classical music community, prominent musicians who spoke up for Gershwin were invariably foreign-born a long list including Schoenberg, Klemperer, Rachmaninoff, and Ravel. American-born classical musicians typically disparaged Gershwin as a dilettante interloper. The larger picture here is the Jazz Threat an antipathy to jazz being one of the defining features of interwar American classical music. In fact, the Gershwin Threat is an inexhaustible topic and it apparently remains itself inexhaustible. A much noticed Jan. 26 article in the New York Times, by the estimable jazz pianist Ethan Iverson, was headlined: The Worst Masterpiece: Rhapsody in Blue at 100. Iverson calls Gershwins Rhapsody naive and corny. His grievance is that the promise of Rhapsody in Blue hasnt been honored. Gershwins bold and obvious proposal was that Americas vital Black vernacular be merged with classical genres. And it never really happened. Hes correct about that our concert composers have mainly squandered the Black musical motherlode but Gershwin (of all people) is not to blame. He was the great hope, not the great obstacle. Iverson cites the reception history of Rhapsody in Blue but that history is obviously unknown to him. Whats salient here isnt that Rhapsody clogged the arteries of American symphonic practice; whats salient is that it was shunned. Just check out the subscription-concert repertoire for the major American orchestras all the way to the turn of the 21t century with the exception of the New York Philharmonic, they all ghettoized Gershwin as a marginal pops composer. A typical example: the Boston Symphony first performed Rhapsody in Blue on subscription in 1997. Did Rhapsody in Blue exert a baneful influence on American composers? No it exerted virtually no influence at all. They denigrated it as amateur hackwork. The most notable exception, if it can be called that, was Aaron Coplands Piano Concerto of 1926 , conceived as a modernist improvement on Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue and Concerto in F. And thats how Paul Rosenfeld influentially extolled it for fixing Gershwins hash derivative efforts. Roy Harris, in comparison, urged Copland to ignore jazz altogether. You have to look abroad to, e.g., Ravels divine Piano Concerto in G to find a major composer for whom Gershwin was a catalyst for memorably assimilating the jazz influence. In the US, the exception that proves the rule was Gershwins own Porgy and Bess itself a work still threatening and misunderstood in the US (but not abroad). Gershwins followers, Iverson complains, had terrible rhythm (he singles out Oscar Levant). But Gershwin was himself a master stride pianist. He was intimate with Harlem. He hung out with James P. Johnson and Luckey Roberts. The Gershwin Threat was many things. It stigmatized Black America as declasse. It symptomatized New World provincialism, an exaggerated quest for pedigree. It never wholly died. *** I write about the Gershwin Threat at length in On My Way the Forgotten Story of Rouben Mamoulian, George Gershwin, and Porgy and Bess and Dvoraks Prophecy and the Vexed Fate of Black Classical Music. And heres a Listening Guide for The Gershwin Moment on 1A: 00:00 Rhapsody in Blue, as recorded in Soviet Russia in 1960 4:12 John McWhorter on resituating Gershwin in the story of American music 8:55 Ruby Elzy sings My Mans Gone Now for the departed composer 13:40 Kirill Gerstein plays I Got Rhythm 14:30 Gerstein performs and discusses his improvised cadenza in the Gershwin Piano Concerto in F 23:33 Traci Lombre on Gershwin and Black America 26:20 Gershwin plays I Got Rhythm 27:40 Nina Simone sings I Love You Porgy 29:50 Music by Gershwin on the radio (1934) 35:10 Mark Clague on An American in Paris taxi horns and sonata structure (with the University of Michigan Orchestra conducted by Kenneth Kiesler) 40:40 What if Gershwin had lived as long as Copland (with comments by Mark Clague) Modi to visit Doha on Feb. 14 after UAE trip New Delhi: In a huge diplomatic win for India and Prime Minister Narendra Modis government, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, ordered the release of the eight Indian nationals and former naval personnel who were sentenced earlier to varying prison terms on alleged charges of spying for Israel. In the early hours of Monday morning, New Delhi put out a statement announcing and welcoming the release of the eight Indians, of whom seven have already returned to India. India also thanked the Qatar Emir for the release of the eight Indians, who had been earlier sentenced to death by a Qatari court in October 2023 but which was later commuted to varying prison terms in December by a higher court in the tiny oil-rich Gulf nation. The eight Indians were in the process of filing an appeal in Qatars highest court for their acquittal when the countrys ruler ordered their release and allowed them to return to India, in a huge relief for them and their families. The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Emir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and homecoming of these nationals, the MEA said in the early hours Monday. It may be noted a conversation had taken place at a meeting in early December last year between Prime Minister Modi and the Qatar Emir on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai. While New Delhi had declined to go into the specifics of that conversation between the two leaders, it is believed Mr Modi had sought the Qatar Emirs intervention. The former naval personnel were shown on TV channels praising Mr Modi on their return for his personal intervention in securing their release. The eight Indian former naval personnel in Qatari custody were earlier identified in media reports as Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, Saurabh Vashisht, Amit Nagpal, Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Sanjeev Gupta and Ragesh. Most of them were officers of captain or commander rank. Of the eight Indians, seven had earlier served as officers in the Navy while one was a sailor. Minister of state for external affairs Meenakashi Lekhi hailed the role of Mr Modi and the Qatar Emir in the release of the eight Indians. I&B minister Anurag Thakur also hailed Mr Modis efforts and said it was proof of Indias rising prestige on the global stage in the past decade. New Delhi had always reiterated it stands by the eight Indians and would continue to extend all consular and legal assistance to them as well as continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities for their release, which has now been accomplished successfully. The eight Indians were earlier sentenced to death by Qatars Court of First Instance on October 26, 2023, reportedly on espionage charges. Two months later, on December 28 last year, the Qatari Court of Appeal had commuted the death sentences of all these eight Indian nationals to varying prison terms, and had also given a time-period of 60 days to the eight Indians to file an appeal, should they choose to, in the Court of Cassation, the highest court in Qatars judicial system. Some media reports suggested the eight Indians had been sentenced to jail terms ranging from three years to 25 years of imprisonment. It may be recalled that going by media reports in the past several months, the eight Indians were accused by the Gulf nation of spying for Israel on a secret Qatari programme on stealth submarines. The eight Indians were reportedly employees of an Oman-based company, Dahra Global Technologies and Consulting Services, which was advising on a Qatari programme aimed at obtaining high-tech Italian-made submarines that could evade radar detection and providing training for Qatars Navy. They were all reportedly picked up from their residences in Qatar in August 2021 for questioning and subsequently detained before being convicted. The charges were never spelt out in public by Qatar. Pattern of discriminatory demolitions in BJP-ruled states targeting Muslims raises concerns about human rights violations. The demolitions in Uttarakhand last week, after which five people were killed in violence, follows a pattern that we see in BJP-ruled states. The pattern is of course that the government goes after citizens, especially Muslims. The demolitions are carried out as a form of extra-judicial punishment by the municipal authorities and the police, whether after episodes of communal violence or protests against discrimination. The pattern has been documented in reports like Routes of Wrath: Weaponising religious processions by the Citizens and Lawyers Initiative. In his foreword, former Supreme Court Justice Rohinton F. Nariman says the report corroborates the findings (of decline in Indian democratic values), adding: It finds that in nine states, during Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti celebrations in April 2022, there were widespread acts of hooliganism and violence. After this, the JCBs came out. A report by Amnesty International, of which I am India chair, has found similar patterns of people made homeless and deprived of livelihoods. These individuals were subjected to forced evictions, intimidation and unlawful force by the police and collective and arbitrary punishment, which undermined their rights to non-discrimination, adequate housing, and a fair trial. Muslim-concentrated localities were either chosen or Muslim-owned properties selectively targeted in diverse areas for demolitions. Adjacent or nearby Hindu-owned properties that also allegedly encroached on public land, particularly in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, were left untouched. The Indian States rationalisation of carrying out arbitrary demolitions to remove illegal encroachment sits in contrast to the reality of the country where the implementation of building laws sees lack of enforcement, that has led to a lot of construction without requisite permissions. In 2017, a report by a panel formed by the Delhi high court to document illegal constructions in the capital region found 90 per cent (of buildings) carry one kind of violation of the building bylaws or another. The emblematic case here is that of Sainik Farms in Delhi, a tiny enclave that is totally illegal but hasnt seen any JCBs come and demolish the bungalows of our wealthy. The headline of a May 2023 news item illustrates this perfectly: Expedite call on Delhis Sainik Farms bid for regularisation: High Court. Of course, the poor and especially Muslim poor are not given any such leeway. Theyre subjected to forced eviction, which is the permanent or temporary removal of people against their will from the homes or land they occupy, without legal protections and other safeguards. Forced evictions are a violation of human rights, including but not limited to the right to adequate housing. Under international human rights law, states must ensure that evictions only occur in exceptional circumstances, require full justification and the provision of adequate legal safeguards. None of that here in New India, of course. In fact, Indias bulldozer demolitions are often instigated at the highest levels of government, with many state officials directly or indirectly calling for the use of bulldozers against Muslims. There is credible evidence to believe these demolitions are discriminatory and targeted as part of a hate campaign against Muslims in India. Rather than prevent discrimination towards Muslims, senior political leaders and officials have actively encouraged it. During the April 2022 demolitions in Delhi, BJP spokesman G.V.L. Narasimha defined JCB as Jihadi Control Board, in a now-deleted tweet. The discrimination shows elsewhere too. A year-and-a-half since the demolitions that Amnesty documented, despite the financial hardships created by the loss of their homes and businesses, victims continue to wait for justice with legal cases pending in courts. To date, the courts have failed to address punitive demolitions with the scale and urgency required by the prevailing situation, enabling the Indian authorities to continue tearing down peoples homes and businesses in other areas with widespread impunity. This must be seen in conjunction with the creation of quasi-judicial tribunals in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh which have provided prompt relief to Hindus who suffered losses due to the preceding violence while Muslim victims of the violence and following demolitions continue to struggle for justice. The Routes of Wrath report concludes that while there have been earlier phases of communal violence in India, which entrenched cycles of violence, segregation and generated lasting barriers to socio-economic mobility for Indian Muslims in particular, they did not undermine State control over society or its authority over institutions in the manner that is being seen today. Coordination between Hindutva outfits, and the police and district administration, means combining an extreme ideological entity with the civil service. What can be observed is that the relationship between them has become institutionalised in many parts, sustaining a violently undemocratic model of governance that is anathema to the rule of law. In a letter to the Prime Minister in April 2022, more than 100 retired senior civil servants stated that the administration of law has become the means by which the minorities, particularly Muslims, can be kept in a state of perpetual fear. They said facilitation and support for communal frenzy was being provided at all levels of the administration from local police and administrative officials to the highest political levels in state and Central governments. While the actual commission of violence may be outsourced to fringe groups, there is little doubt as to how the ground for their operations is made fertile, how each of them follows a master script and shares a common tool kit and how the propaganda machinery of a party as well as the State is made available to them to defend their actions, the retired bureaucrats had written. Finally, the Citizens and Lawyers Initiative report concludes: The available evidence corroborates statements by civil society groups, lawyers, academics and activists, that India has now reached a stage of perpetual violence. by Gianni Criveller The three recent appointments of bishops indicate a willingness not to break. But the Agreement with the Vatican is never even mentioned by the People's Republic of China. While a "five-year plan" for Catholics has just come into force that cites Xi Jinping instead of the pope and invokes a "theological foundation" to a Sinicization that in fact remains only an adaptation to Party policy. Milan (AsiaNews) - As I write the Chinese New Year, the high point of the year, is being celebrated at home and overseas. It is the year of the dragon, which among the twelve animals of the horoscope is the strongest and most loved: it is to be believed that many Chinese women will want to have a child in this year, considered the most fortunate of all. Today's celebration catapults me into thinking about the Catholic faith in China, the fundamental theme of my life dedicated to the mission. From what we can know, 2024 should be a decisive year for dialogue between China and the Holy See: the 2018 agreement, renewed twice, will have to be permanently ratified or abandoned. In recent days, news has arrived which has rightly been commented on positively by observers: three new bishops have been ordained, with the approval of both parties, in compliance with the agreement. 2023 had been an annus horribilis for the Holy See, with the sensational transfer to Shanghai of Bishop Shen Bin. It was the second unilateral act by China which had ousted the Holy See from any consultation. The Vatican protested. It went on to accept what had happened, but requested it not reoccur. The last three agreed ordinations, accompanied by the recognition by the Holy See of the establishment of a new diocese (Weifang, in the province of Shandong, with borders redrawn by the Chinese authorities) have given the impression that there is, on the Chinese side, the will not to break with Rome and to permanently ratify the agreement. It should be remembered that this 'good' news must be contextualised: if it is true that the Pope appoints the bishops, they are not chosen by him but by an autonomous process led by the Chinese authorities, the details of which are not known, as the text of the agreement remains secret. Those elected in China are therefore Catholic bishops, but at the same time certainly appreciated by the authorities. Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that in no way, in China, are the Pope and the Holy See or the agreement mentioned when these appointments are announced. I fear that even during the liturgy of the ordination itself, the pontifical nomination is not given due prominence. In any case, the celebrations of episcopal consecrations have not been accessible to external observers for some time now. This dissonance - appointments that seem to give strength to the agreement on one side; silence on the role of Rome on the other - is even more evident if you read the Five-Year Plan for the Sinicization of Catholicism in China (2023-2027). This Plan, very detailed and divided into four parts and 33 paragraphs, was approved on 14 December 2023 by the official body that unites the Conference of Catholic Bishops (not recognized by the Holy See) and the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics: both they operate under the supervision of the United Front, the Communist Party office that governs the country's religious life. The document was published on Christmas Day on the website of the Chinese Catholic Church. A similar document for the Protestant churches was released on December 19th. Consisting of 5000 characters (corresponding to approximately 3000 Italian words), the 'Catholic' five-year plan never mentions the Pope and the Holy See; nor the agreement between the Vatican and China. The leader Xi Jinping is nominated four times; five times it is reiterated that Catholicism must take on 'Chinese characteristics '. The word sinicization () reigns supreme: it occurs 53 times. The Plan is the work program to make the sinicization process deeper, ideological and effective: It is necessary to intensify research to give theological foundation to the sinicization of Catholicism, to continuously improve the system of sinicized theological thought, to build a solid theoretical foundation for the sinicization of Catholicism, so that it constantly manifests itself with Chinese characteristics". Those who have studied the religious policy of the Chinese government for years do not find any great innovations in this approach: what impresses us, however, is the firmness and peremptoriness of the language. As if there had been no dialogue and no rapprochement with the Holy See; as if the pope's recognition of all Chinese bishops counted for nothing; as if there were no agreement between the Holy See and China that offers the world the impression that Roman Catholicism has found hospitality and citizenship in China. As a theologian, I am impressed by the project of giving a theological foundation to sinicization. It is too easy for superficial observers to justify it, and to mistake this term as a stage in the legitimate ecclesial process of inculturation. This is not the case: here there are no believers who freely seek a virtuous dialogue between the Catholic faith and their own cultural belongings. Rather, it is about imposition and, by an authoritarian regime, of the adaptation of the practice of faith to the religious policy established by the political authorities. One hundred years ago, from May 15 to June 12, 1924, the Council of Shanghai was held, the first meeting of all the bishops of China (alas, then there were still no Chinese among them). The council (the adoption of this term is interesting) was convened by the papal delegate Celso Costantini. The latter had been sent to China following the encyclical Maximun Illud of 1919, which required the missions to proceed along the path of inculturation. Several missionaries, including the Superior General of PIME Paolo Manna (now blessed) had denounced the foreign character of the Catholic Church in China. In 1926, the first six Chinese bishops were finally ordained, and a few years later in Beijing, Costantini founded a school to create a Chinese Christian art. Thus, the sinicization process began with serious delay. And in the centenary year of the Council of Shanghai it is necessary to reflect, historically and theologically, on these events and on the challenges for the future of faith in China. What we believe is unacceptable is that the control by political authorities over Catholic believers - a control that they would like to pass off as sinicization - is conveniently and ambiguously justified in the name of the inculturation of the Gospel. by John Ai Beijing intensified its military activities during the Lunar New Year. Balloons floated over the Taiwan Strait for two consecutive days. For experts, it is a warning, part of the mainlands psychological warfare against the rebel island. For the first time, armed soldiers performed at the national Spring Festival gala. Beijing (AsiaNews) While ordinary Chinese are on vacation, free to travel after years of COVID-19 restrictions, Beijing chose to "celebrate" the Lunar New Year, which marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, by sending balloons over the skies of Taiwan. Taiwans Defence Ministry reported repeated sightings in the Taiwan Strait and the island over the weekend. Over two consecutive days, at least eight Chinese spy balloons were spotted over the strait and at least five floated over the island yesterday. More were spotted the day before, a sign of intensified military activities during the holiday period. Taiwanese authorities have also intercepted Chinese military planes and unmanned aircraft, as well as battleships near its territorial waters. In recent years, China has deployed warplanes and drones on a nearly daily basis, even during the current holiday period, while Chinas Defence Ministry did not respond to media queries about military activities in the strait. China began sending balloons over the Taiwan Strait in December, a month before Taiwan's presidential election. From the few that were spotted initially, their numbers surged recently, with some flying near military bases. Analysts believe that this is an indirect warning to the autonomy-minded "rebel" island. For Taiwan, balloons pose an added threat to its airspace safety. Balloon overflights are part of China's so-called "grey zone" used to threaten Taiwan without direct military confrontation. Since the victory of the pro-independence candidate Lai Ching-te in the presidential elections last January, China's military flights have intensified and balloon sightings have increased. In January, as many as 33 Chinese fighter jets were spotted flying twice over the median line of the Taiwan Strait, the border tacitly agreed upon during the Cold War even if Beijing does not officially recognise it. As for balloons, China has always responded to criticism by saying that they are used for meteorological purposes with no military function; however, while balloons can collect data atmospheric data, experts fear that they can complement satellites and radars in intelligence gathering. In February 2023, a Chinese balloon that floated into US airspace sparked a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Pictures show the craft equipped with solar panels and electrical devices. A balloon war followed with US President Joe Biden ordering it be shot down. For Washington, the craft was a spy balloon sent to gather information on US military bases in the Pacific. In its response, China claimed that the weather balloon was only for research purposes. Finally, Chinas state television CCTV broadcast the recent Spring Festival Gala showing armed Peoples Liberation Army soldiers performing a military song on stage. This is the first time that armed soldiers from a combat unit stationed in the capital are shown goose stepping on stage during the annual event against a background screen showing military exercises, with an aircraft carrier, the latest fighter jets, missile launches, and the landing of troops on a beach. For analysts this is another warning against Taiwan, the rebel island. In the past, only military art troupes and honour guards participated in performance. by Steve Suwannarat Struggling to contain the rebels, the generals reintroduce conscription for both men and women aged 18 to 45, for two years that can be extended to five in emergency situations. The law was on the books but never enforced under Aung San Suu Kyis democratically elected government. Bangkok (AsiaNews) Struggling to contain attacks by ethnic militias on several fronts, the military junta that seized power in Myanmar on 1 February 2021 has decided to enforce conscription for both men and women aged 18 to 45, for two years under normal conditions and up to five years in case of emergency. The law was adopted in 2010 at the end of a previous military dictatorship. Although never applied during the period of democratic rule that ended three years ago with the coup d'etat led by General Min Aung Hlain, it remains in force. Since civil war broke out, the ruling military junta, formally known as the State Administration Council (SAC), has relied on air power and artillery against military and civilian targets, but it has been under pressure after rebel groups went on the offensive in October 2023. The anti-junta resistance includes the armed wings of various ethnic minorities engaged for decades against Myanmars military as well as the Peoples Defence Forces (PDFs), the armed branch of the National Unity Government (NGU) that is operating underground. The loss of many outposts and strategic positions near the Chinese and Indian borders, which cost the lives of hundreds of soldiers, has shown that few in the country are now willing to submit to a new military regime, whatever its democratic disguise or manufactured elections. In addition, substantial losses and above all defections have greatly weakened Myanmars armed forces despite the constant flow of weapons and ammunition, particularly from Russia and North Korea. The involvement of neighbouring countries in military actions as well as the renewed flight of civilians in the western state of Rakhine to Bangladesh have put the squeeze on the regime, which counted on the substantial disinterest of its neighbours and the world vis-a-vis the ongoing crackdown. In fact, enforcing conscription places an additional burden on the population, while draft dodging is punishable by a fine and imprisonment of three to five years. However, national defence is not only the responsibility of the soldier, General Zaw Min Tun told state broadcaster MRTV. National security is everyones responsibility, he said. In his view, the measure will help stop the conflict with a show of strength against the countrys enemies. Conversely, sources from various resistance groups see conscription as a way for the regime to make up for the defection of possibly up to 14,000 soldiers; in cities, including the business capital Yangon, conscription of young people has already been underway for some time, with would-be conscripts jailed if they refuse. At the end of a disputed count, the candidates close to the jailed former prime minister have a relative majority, but Nawaz Sharif is working on a government coalition that would exclude them. Many fear street violence, while the agreement with the International Monetary Fund must be renegotiated. Islamabad (AsiaNews/Agencies) Pakistans new parliament has not yet met and it is already in chaos. Imran Khan, whose party won the largest number of seats even though it was unable to use its symbol, has been forced to "speak" in a message generated by artificial intelligence because he is in prison. His main rival, three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, lost at the poll, but is trying to find allies and single MPs to form a government coalition. After a very slow (and highly contested) counting process, Pakistan finds itself with a fragmented parliament and no clear majority. About 93 of 101 "independent" MPs elected last Thursday (out of 266 constituencies) are linked to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan's party. With its leader jailed and without the party symbol, the PTI did remarkably well, about 20 seats fewer than in 2018. Despite the clear support of the military, Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) managed to take 75 seats, just a dozen more compared to six years ago (when the vote was held at the height of the Panama Papers scandal). Bilawal Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party came in third with 54 seats. In terms of regional distribution, Imran Khan's candidates won big in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the border with Afghanistan, but also won many constituencies in Punjab. Nawaz Sharif's PML-N won mainly in Punjab, while the party of the Bhutto-Zardari dynasty maintained its traditional stronghold in Sindh, securing some seats in Balochistan as well. Now the distribution of the 70 additional seats that Pakistani electoral law reserves for women (60) and minorities (10) will become very important. They are usually divided proportionally according to the votes received by each party. But "independents" are excluded from the count; heavily skewing the final seat distribution. It should also be noted that elected representatives still have three days to decide which party they want to join in the National Assembly. Sharif's PML-N is claiming that six elected MPs have joined its ranks (including one backed by the PTI). Yet, PTI-backed independents might try to join a smaller party that won only one seat. This would enable the party to share womens and minority seats. A government will have to be formed by 29 February, when the new parliament is set to convene for the first time. Despite its disappointing results, the PML-N remains the favourite to form a cabinet. Nawaz Sharif has already reached out to the Pakistan Peoples Party to ensure that MPs linked to Imran Khan remain in the opposition. Sharif would not necessarily become prime minister, but he might secure a majority with the support of a third party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, very strong in Karachi, which won 17 seats. It is highly unlikely, however, that the PTI, with the largest number of seats amid charges of fraud, would passively accept being shut out of power. This might lead to street violence in a country bedevilled by serious economic problems in March, Pakistan will have to renegotiate a deal with International Monetary Fund that allowed it to avoid defaulting. For the country, a weak government facing widespread protests would be the worst possible scenario. by Melani Manel Perera In January, Sri Lanka reported highest arrivals since 2019 after it scrapped visas for Chinese, Russians, Japanese, and Indian visitors. The sector is crucial to for the country to recover from its current economic crisis, with the government seeking to attract 2.3 million tourists in 2024. Colombo (AsiaNews) Like other countries, Sri Lanka is turning to visa-free travel to boost local tourism, a key sector if it wants to deal with its current economic crisis. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) announced in fact that it is extending beyond March an exemption introduced in November that allows nationals of China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan to enter the country for up to 30 days without a visa. Initially, the pilot program was supposed to apply only to India, but was eventually extended to the other countries with good results. In December, there was a marked increase in tourist arrivals from all countries under the pilot programme rose significantly, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. So far, 2024 is showing encouraging signs. In January, Sri Lanka welcomed 208,253 visitors, the highest figure in the last four years, up by 103.1 per cent over last year, but still 13 per cent lower than in 2018. Building on the solid momentum achieved in 2023, when Sri Lanka welcomed nearly 1.5 million visitors and surpassed US$ 2 billion in earnings, the highest since 2019, the SLTDA has set an ambitious target of 2.3 million tourists and more than US$ 4 billion in revenues in 2024. By extending the visa exemption beyond March, when Sri Lanka's peak season usually ends, the authorities hope to increase opportunities and attract last-minute travellers as well. Some popular travel destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia, China, and Iran have similar programmes to support their tourism sectors, while other destinations such as Indonesia and Vietnam are expected to do the same, looking particularly at emerging outbound tourism markets like India. In 2023, the population increased by 3%, from just over 502,000 to 517,407. A figure that reaches 15% if the last five years are taken into account. And the conflict in the Strip is set to accelerate further. At this rate, 600,000 by 2030. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) - The population of Jewish settlers in the West Bank grew by 3% in 2023, rising from 502,991 to 517,407 the previous year and recording a further increasing trend since the start of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, in response to the October 7 attack. This is what emerges in a report released yesterday by the pro-employment movement WestBankJewishPopulationStats.com, according to which the figure reaches 15% taking into consideration the last five years, with 2022 representing a "milestone" for overcoming the million. The report predicts a further "acceleration" in "growth" for 2024 and the years to come, also in relation to the Hamas attack on October 7 in southern Israel and its 1200 victims, which sparked the war in the Strip already source of over 28 thousand deaths among Palestinians. According to the report, in fact, the conflict has convinced many Israelis who previously opposed the construction of settlements in occupied lands to change their position. Serious cracks have actually been created - explains a note - in the wall of those who oppose Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Israel has occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem (and the Strip) since 1967, territories which today host a large number of settlements and outposts considered illegal by international law and an obstacle to peace, as well as representing for the Palestinians the lands of a future independent state. The study by the pro-settler movement predicts that if the growth rate of the last five years continues, the settler population in the West Bank will exceed 600 thousand units before 2030. The data does not include the population count of East Jerusalem, where more than 200,000 Israelis live in settlements that the Jewish state considers neighborhoods of its capital. Israel's government is dominated by settler leaders and supporters, according to another study of peace movements certifying an escalation of settler and extremist attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. An exponential growth that B'tselem and Peace Now have defined as "the other side" of the war in Gaza. The Israeli watchdog group Terrestrial Jerusalem also adds that since the start of Israel's war in the Strip, at least three plans for new settlements have been approved or are about to be approved in East Jerusalem. The NGO defined the speed of the settlement approval processes in recent months as "frantic", contributing to increasing the spiral of violence in the West Bank in the silence of international public opinion focused on the war in Gaza. Palestinian Health Ministry sources say at least 391 Palestinians died as victims of Israeli fire in the West Bank during this period, most during army operations. But it's not just the military who kill: according to the Israeli pro-rights group Yesh Din, settlers killed nine Palestinians in the first month and a half of the war alone, with at least 225 episodes of violence at the hands of Israeli civilians. (Photo taken from Wikipedia) Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. DRL Photo: Baldauf ICE EV Details surrounding its name are unknown, as the French premium auto brand, which is part of Stellantis, might either call it the DS 8 or the DS 9. And if you feel like that quirky styling is somewhat familiar, then you most certainly remember the company's Aero Sport Lounge Concept from four years ago.Mind you, the overall styling was seriously toned down for production. The upcoming model has a pair of slim LED headlamps accompanied by an intricate(daytime running light) signature that protrudes into the bumper, a closed-off grille as this tester was electric, and a decent-sized air intake below it.The sloping roofline, which was heavily arched behind the C-pillars, gives it a sporty profile and makes it look like a high-riding fastback sedan. Nevertheless, we reckon DS automobiles would want us to refer to it as a crossover coupe. The tester had black five-spoke alloys wrapped in snow tires for the cold-weather testing in northern Europe and a rather clean tailgate flanked by slim taillights. The rear license plate sits in a recess on the bumper, and further down, it has a sporty diffuser with a multi-fin styling.Word has it that DS' yet-unnamed flagship uses the STLA Medium platform. This is the foundation stone of the latest Peugeot e-3008 and will also be used by the next Jeep Compass, future Opel Grandland, and other upcoming models. As you already know, the platform supports bothandpowertrains, and besides the all-quiet proposals that should make up most of the lineup, we also expect the DS 8/DS 9 to launch with at least one plug-in hybrid. After all, DS plans to launch only EVs and PHEVs as of 2025.Certain outlets state this model will come to life at Melfi in Italy and will be closely tied to the successor of the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia. It should also get a tech-infused cockpit featuring gesture control, voice commands, and maybe a clever infotainment system and digital gauge cluster duo said to be projected onto a large glass panel by a few nodes in the dashboard, boasting two focal lengths. This means the driver will see the usual information, whereas the passenger will be able to watch videos on the go.It is possible that the upcoming DS flagship model is due at the end of the year or in early 2025 and should launch shortly after the unveiling. But what's your take on the quirky look? Orlando will soon become one of the first AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) hubs in the US, bringing innovative eVTOL jet operations to Florida. If you're excited about future electric air taxi operations and happen to live in Florida, you'll be happy to find some good news related to AAM. First, a full-scale eVTOL vertiport is being built at Orlando International Airport (MCO). Second, that will become the main operational base in Florida for one of the most complex and innovative air taxi designs, the German Lilium jet. The official announcement comes four years after Lilium joined forces with the City of Orlando and Lake Nona. Launching a commercial air taxi service requires tremendous work behind the scenes, especially since it involves dedicated infrastructure that needs to be built from scratch. It's a collaborative effort between local authorities, state officials, and multiple industry partners.Strategically positioned in the middle of Florida, this upcoming AAM hub is set to become a true airport city that won't be limited to electric aviation but will include all forms of transportation. In theory, the vision for green transportation in the future is widely based on these types of "multi-modal hubs where eVTOL flights are intertwined with other forms of green transportation.As for Lilium, the German eVTOL maker confirmed central Florida as one of its "key launch regions." The Orlando vertiport at MCO is set to pave the way for many other vertiports across Florida as legislation approvals continue to progress.The Lilium eVTOL jet is striving to get the green light from both the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) and is expected to enter commercial service in just two years from now.This revolutionary eVTOL jet technology was derived from the classic jet engines that currently power up to 95% of the existing commercial fleets. Lilium developed electric jet engines integrated into the wing flaps, which use a single-stage rotor/stator system driven by an electric motor. Lilium's Ducted Electric Vectored Thrust (DEVT) technology is said to increase aerodynamic efficiency and payload while also optimizing the aircraft's noise footprint.The Lilium jet will be available in several configurations, including a luxury private jet with fewer seats and a customizable cabin made of high-end materials. GKN and Collins Aerospace are just a few of the top-level industry partners that will ensure this aircraft's advanced performance.Orlando, Florida, will be just one of the many Lilium launch locations worldwide, including the UK, the Middle East, and China. The six-seat configuration for passenger transport will likely be the Lilium Jet version operating in Orlando. In the meantime, the Texas-based EMCJET was designated exclusive dealer for private sales in the US until 2030, initially targeting customers in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. The F-15 twin-engine, high-performance, all-weather air superiority fighter became operational in November 1974 as the first aircraft in the US Military arsenal that could accelerate in a vertical climb. It was also the airplane that outpaced the Saturn V moon rocket when climbing to an altitude of 100,000 feet (just over 30,000 meters). After they got their hands on the first batch of combat-ready F-15s in late 1974, the top hats of the United States Air Force realized that the fastest PR stunt the new fighter could pull would be to smash aviation records. By January 1975 less than two months after its commissioning the aircraft was dropping previous world records like bowling pins.The major race was not against its predecessor, the F-4 Phantom, but aimed at the perennial cold-war rival, the Soviet Union. Specifically, the MiG-25 Foxbat - the 3.2-Mach capable fighter developed to hunt down the legendary SR-71 Blackbird. The Soviet warplane was considered a severe threat to the best U.S. fighters of the era, and the F-15 was updated to match the MiG.However, without a direct, head-to-head confrontation, the next best tool to assess the newly launched Strike Eagle was to set new records that would be recognized worldwide, regardless of politics. And so, the race was on to its next round: time-to-altitude climb. USAF and McDonnell Douglas put on quite a show with a specially modified F-15 named Streak Eagle which broke five world records in one day and eight over two weeks and three days.Three USAF pilots were designated to reclaim the crown for the U.S. between January 16 and February 1, 1975, over Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. They took turns in the cockpit of the modified airplane and blasted through previous achievements at supersonic speeds and on full afterburner . The aircraft was essentially a stripped-down preproduction version of the combat airplane.All unnecessary deadweight was removed including the paint, 20-mm Vulcan rotary cannon and ammo, radars, radios, and other non-essentials. A pitot boom was fitted to the nose, and high-accuracy instruments were installed for precise speed and acceleration measurements. Thanks to its thrust-to-weight ratio of nearly 1.5:1, the specially-prepped F-15 would set eight records during the 17 days of testing.On January 16, the five F-4-Phantom II records fell during three attempts made by the F-15. The Time to 3,000 m (9,843 feet) was improved by Major Roger Smith by a 20% margin, from 34.52 seconds to 27.57 seconds. A hold-back system was fitted to the Streak Eagle, which then accelerated to full throttle before being released. The short takeoff distance of 400 m (1,220 feet) left very little time for the pilot to retract the landing gear before pulling a 5G vertical climb.Due to this detail, several attempts were aborted as the aircraft neared the never-exceed speed for the landing gear and had to slow down, compromising the trial. However, the pilot eventually got the hang of it and smashed the standing record.A second flight that same day broke three records, with Major Willard Macfarlane at the stick. Time to 6,000 m, 9,000 m, and 12,000 m (19,685 ft, (29,528 ft, and 39,370 ft) were simply obliterated by the Streak Eagles fast ascend. The old world bests were 48.79 seconds, 61.68 seconds, and 77.14 seconds. The F-15 did it in 39.33 s, 48.86 s, and 59.38s.In the afternoon, the plane took off one last time for the day, going for the 15,000-meter ceiling (49,212 ft), shaving 37 seconds (or 33%) off the old 114.50 seconds. The twin-engine fighter hit the mark in 77.02 seconds, around 10 seconds quicker than the Saturn V Moon rocket. See the video attached for a detailed and accurate report of the events.Having taken the crown from the aging F-4, the new kid on the block put the Soviet fighter in its sights and floored it. Or, better yet, 'ceilinged' it since the next thresholds lay at or beyond 20,000 m overhead. On January 19, Roger Smith aced the Time to 20,000 m (65,617 ft) flight, seeing the MiG-25s 169.80 seconds and raising the Eagles 122.94-second performance.Seven days later, Major Dave Peterson put on the high-pressure suit (all attempts above 15,000 m / 50,000 feet required this special equipment) and dropped below the three-minute mark in the high-speed, high-altitude record. In 1974, the Soviet aircraft hit the required level in 192.60 seconds (three minutes and twelve seconds), while the Eagle managed a 161.02-second performance (two minutes and forty-one seconds).Finally, on February 1, 1975, the man who first clubbed previous records, Major Roger Smith, got in the cockpit one last time and aimed for the absolute win: Time to 30,000 m (98,425 ft). The F-15 outpaced the MiG-25 by over half a minute, scoring 207.80 seconds, compared to the MiGs 243.86 seconds. Maj. Smith shut down the twin jets after smashing the record to protect the engines from overheating and suffering irreparable damage.Due to its 2.2-Mach momentum, the Streak Eagle continued on a ballistic trajectory, coasting silently until it hit 103,000 ft (33,792 meters). The extremely thin atmosphere wasnt absorbing the engines heat quickly enough, so the plane essentially a glider flying at just 55 knots (63 miles per hour, 102 kilometers per hour) was moving solely on inertia. The pilot pushed over into a 55-degree dive until the plane reached a safe altitude of 55,000 feet (16,764 meters). Major Smith reignited the engines, and the F-15 Streak Eagle safely returned to land at Grand Forks.The record-setting F-15 was an early version of the standard fighter, 63 feet, 9.0 inches (19.4 meters) long, with a wingspan of 42 feet, 9.7 inches (13 meters), and 18 feet, 5.4 inches (5.6 meters) long. A regular F-15 had an empty weight of 25,870 lbs (11,734 kilograms) and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 44,497 lbs (20,184 kilograms).However, the Streak Eagle was 1,800 lbs (817 kg) lighter than a production F-15A. Furthermore, its twin jets were given only the strict amount of fuel necessary to carry the record-breaking attempts. The two Pratt&Whitney afterburning turbofan engines have a Maximum Continuous Power rating of 12,410 lb of thrust (55.2 kilonewtons), a 14,690-lb (65.34 kN) 30-minute limit, and a peak 23,840-lb (106 kN) 5-minute limit.An F-15A Eagle can cruise at 502 knots (578 mph / 930 kph hour), with a top speed of 893 knots (1,028 mph / 1,654 kph) at 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). The supersonic jet can hit 1,434 knots (1,650 mph / 2,656 kph) at 45,000 feet (13,716 meters), and its operational ceiling is 63,050 feet (19,218 meters) at max thrust. The regular F-15s had a thrust-to-weight ratio of 1.15:1, enabling them to climb at 67,250 feet per minute (342 meters per second) from sea level.The record-setting F-15 Streak Eagle was donated to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in 1980 and put on outside display. A coat of camouflage grey paint was sprayed on the historic plane to protect its bare-metal body. The fighter wore the famous livery for over four decades, but it has been recently restored to its correct exposed aluminum finish. It is currently in storage in a hangar at the Museum. Kia's largest internal combustion-engined crossover has been hit with a safety recall for a problem that increases the risk of a fire. According to Kia America, the V6 engine's valve springs may have been damaged during manufacturing by a supplier from South Korea by the name of Daewonkangup. Photo: Kia NHTSA Fatigue cracking ultimately results in the valve springs breaking while driving, leading to a loss of motive power. The South Korean automaker couldn't rule out the possibility of a connecting rod punching a hole in the block, thus explaining the increased risk of a fire. Kia started investigating this condition in November 2023, following a techline case regarding a pop noise while driving followed by smoke coming from the engine compartment.The dealer that submitted the case to Kia America identified a hole in the block. The safety boffins then inspected the vehicle (a 2024 model year Telluride), identifying localized melting on the underbody shield. Come December 2023, the North American division performed a filed data analysis.Lo and behold, Kia America identified no fewer than 47 techline cases involving engine replacements for 2024 model year Telluride vehicles with relatively low mileage. Collected parts were sent to the mothership in South Korea for further analysis. Electron microscope analysis of the broken valve springs confirmed fatigue cracking.Kia Korea promptly informed Kia America that the aforementioned supplier damaged the broken valve springs during the manufacturing process. Kia Korea further determined that all of the evaluated valve springs were manufactured on the same day.Prior to thepublishing this recall on the federal watchdog's website, Kia America was aware of 83 vehicles potentially related to the subject conditions. The techline, warranty, and owner complaints were submitted between October 25 last year and January 26 this year. According to the report for NHTSA recall 24V-077, an estimated 2,872 vehicles need to be repaired by dealers.Said crossovers were produced in the period from October 1, 2023 to December 6, 2023 in the United States. As opposed to the technically similar Hyundai Palisade, which is manufactured in South Korea, the Telluride is assembled in West Point, Georgia at Kia Motor Manufacturing Georgia.Rather than inspecting the direct-injected V6 engines, dealer technicians are required to replace the so-called engine sub-assembly. By sub-assembly, Kia America most likely refers to the long block, which includes the heads and valvetrain. Short blocks usually include the engine block, the crankshaft, connecting rods, and the pistons.Owner notifications will be mailed via first-class mail on or about April 5. In the meantime, owners can easily determine if their 2024 Kia Telluride vehicles are included in this recall or not by entering the 17-character vehicle identification number on Kia's website or on the NHTSA's website. Ford has just begun deliveries of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck in Europe. The first unit went to Norway, Europe's greatest EV market. In 2023, zero-emission models had an impressive market share of over 82 percent. kWh Exciting to see our @Ford customers in Norway begin receiving their #F150Lightning deliveries. Congrats to Dag and Angela. Hope your new F-150 Lightning serves you well! @Ford_Norge https://t.co/RnukIJzGqo Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) February 10, 2024 The first Ford F-150 Lightning was delivered to a couple residing in Norway. The brand's CEO, Jim Farley, re-tweeted a post on former Twitter/current X, showing photos of the new owners next to their brand-new pickup truck.They are Dag and Angela, an American couple who moved from Texas to Norway and are now trying to bring US vibes to the Northern European roads. The truck that they received is the first to set wheels on the Old Content.Farley says it is exciting to see that Ford customers have just begun to receive their electric pickup trucks. "Congrats to Dag and Angela. Hope your new F-150 Lightning serves you well."According to the original post, uploaded to X by Per Gunnar Berg, managing director of Ford Norway, Dag and Angela run a barbeque business and call themselves "Family Tall." So it is obvious that the vehicle is going to help them with the business and transport the two tall adults and their teenage sons, who are 2 meters (6'6) tall in comfort as well.They also have a message for a relative who resides in the US: "Uncle Brian in Texas - time to replace your F-150 petrol!" If Uncle Brian decides to make the move, he must know that Ford cut down on waiting times from two years when the model was launched to only three months from the moment of the order to the moment of the handover.The F-150 Lightnings selling in Norway are Lariat Launch Edition versions, offered exclusively with the Super Crew Cab body style in Antimatter Blue metallic body color.The vehicle is powered by two electric motors in an all-wheel drive system, generating a total of 458 metric horsepower and 1,050 Newton meters of torque, making it accelerate from 0 to 100 kph (0 to 62 mph) in under 5 seconds.Drivers can select one of the four driving modes available on board: Normal, Sport, Off-Road, and Tow/Haul. Speaking of the latter, the Ford F-150 Lightning comes with a towing capacity of up to 3,500 kilograms. A lithium battery pack with a capacity of 98stores enough energy for a drive of up to 386 kilometers.The model is sold through the Ford-authorized dealer network, which includes more than 70 locations across Norway.The Northern European state is the best market for another electric model wearing the Blue Oval badge. It is the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which was selected by 3,792 customers last year.Back in January, Ford announced they would be adjusting the production of the F-150 Lightning to match the demand. The model remains the best-selling electric pickup truck in the US, marching ahead the Chevrolet Silverado, scoring a 55 percent increase in 2023 compared to 2022.However, the demand is not growing at a fast pace in 2024, as originally estimated. So, the Blue Oval needs to slow down on production. Tiny houses are primarily about functionality and making the most of a compact living space, but they don't neglect comfort or even style. A six-meter (19.6 feet) home is truly compact yet no less welcoming than a standard-sized house, and that's thanks to a clever layout with a magical bohemian touch. Photo: Mobi House Photo: Mobi House Photo: Mobi House Built on a solid trailer that's under 20 feet in length, the Lavender II tiny house by Mobi House would be an ideal option for a couple or a single owner. It successfully squeezes in all the essential components of a classic layout, with extra versatility on top. Based on the Mobi Individual platform, the Lavender tiny shares the functionality of similar one-bedroom tiny homes with a loft, and also adds its own special touch through a couple of well-chosen design elements.This is a true minimalistic home, meant to please folks who see downsizing as a way of life and a philosophy to live by instead of a grim financial decision. Mobi House is known to be faithful to the incredibly popular Scandinavian style, supported by the use of certain types of wood brought straight from Northern Europe. The Lavender tiny is designed in classic Scandinavian fashion, with a clean aesthetic, minimal furniture, and a relaxing color scheme based on white, light grey, and natural wood.The typical Scandinavian color palette has an important visual effect of amplifying spaciousness. It's complemented by the smart use of windows to enhance luminosity where it's needed the most without diminishing privacy. The Lavender doesn't feature huge windows or try to become a fashionable indoor/outdoor abode that feels more like an exotic resort than a permanent residence. Instead, it plays with a variety of shapes and sizes for a stylish effect. The large window is, by far, the most striking feature.It's unusually big for a home this size, replacing the standard picture window that's typically added to lounge areas. This round window alone is enough to transform the lounge's vibe and add a bit of magic. A hanging rocking chair is the perfect addition to an even more relaxed, bohemian-style atmosphere. A beautiful tall window brings in even more natural light, keeping this lounge bright and airy. The contrasting shapes of these two main windows add visual depth and an aesthetic layer that elevates the overall minimalism.No Mobi House lounge would be complete without the signature convertible sofa. This piece of furniture would be a treasure in any home it's a comfy seating option, an extra bed, and a storage solution all at once. It mimics the functionality of the loft staircase with integrated storage, another popular item in most tiny houses this size. The different-sized cabinets integrated into the staircase provide easy-to-reach storage for both the lounge and the kitchen while effectively preventing a cluttered look.Another surprise awaits in the kitchen. You might think that such a compact home can only have a simple kitchen with limited space. Still, the Lavender reveals a flexible, multi-purpose area within the kitchen. It could be a generous home office or an informal dining area, and it's all thanks to a big breakfast bar/desk by the window. One of the best parts is that it benefits from privacy, which is a rare treat when it comes to small spaces. It's more of a dining or office nook than a simple breakfast bar. The folding chairs stored above can quickly be added to either this nook or the kitchen countertop and then tucked away, leaving the whole area free and uncluttered.Privacy is a key quality of Lavender's loft bedroom as well. A generous-sized bookcase was strategically meant to double as a full-height protection wall, ensuring storage and privacy at the same time. Loft bedroom can often be uncomfortable, but that's not the case with the Lavender tiny.A comfortable staircase provides easy access, and the protection wall creates the cozy, intimate vibe of a traditional bedroom. In addition to the dedicated space for a double bed, a full-height wardrobe offers even more storage without taking any of the precious sleeping area space due to its corner placement.Tiny windows are added throughout, in the loft bedroom as well as the kitchen area and the bathroom. The bathroom is discretely hidden behind a decorative pocket door another smart way of creating visual interest and maximizing space at the same time. The standard version of the house comes with a shower stall, a sink, and the setup for an eco-friendly toilet. Electric radiators, heating mats, and air conditioning in the lounge area keep the right temperature year-round.A Scandinavian-inspired aesthetic defines the Lavender tiny on the outside as well. Despite its name, this particular model is far less colorful than most Mobi House builds, which aren't typically afraid to flaunt bold, dark colors and vibrant contrast. The Lavender tiny is peaceful and truly minimalistic throughout. Despite its apparently austere simplicity and modesty, this skillfully designed home feels instantly like a contemporary, bohemian sanctuary, all with the help of a few special elements. A Waymo driverless car was set on fire in San Francisco Chinatown after people blocked its way, broke the windows, and set off fireworks inside the vehicle. This was the most serious incident involving a robotaxi after previous instances showed them being coned and vandalized. It could also be a sign of the times as robots become more common. happening NOW in SF. Waymo car vandalized & lit on fire @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/OEZYFiy6mv Michael Vandi (@michael_vandi) February 11, 2024 Waymo Vehicle surrounded and then graffitid, windows were broken, and firework lit on fire inside the vehicle which ultimately caught the entire vehicle on fire. #SFFD Photos by Seraphine Hossenlopp pic.twitter.com/aOTqL3Rk8V SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) February 11, 2024 Autonomous driving is one of those great technologies promising to solve many problems for people who can't or don't want to drive a car anymore. Although they could be the first to benefit from a driverless car, the advantages of truly autonomous vehicles are more important than convenience. Autonomous driving promises to make the roads safer by eliminating human error. It could also vastly optimize personal mobility, as one robotaxi could be used more efficiently, 24 hours per day, instead of collecting dust in the garage most of the time.However, the state of technology doesn't give us much hope that humans behind the steering wheel will soon become a thing of the past. Many companies are working on driverless cars, yet very few have made notable progress, and they are all controversial. Tesla promised to bring the benefits of self-driving cars to all its electric vehicles. However, the progress is only visible to a handful of die-hard fans.Other companies, like Google's Waymo and GM's Cruise, have focused on offering driverless ride-hailing services in selected cities. Although not entirely painless, these pilot programs have gradually expanded from certain areas of San Francisco to the whole town and even other cities. Although these companies bragged about the safety of their robotaxis, both have been involved in controversial accidents over time. Cruise is still trying to recover from one after one of its cars rolled over a pedestrian in San Francisco.Even without high-profile crashes, many have perceived robotaxis as a nuisance for local traffic. In many incidents, robotaxis have blocked the streets, tampered with police scenes, and hindered emergency services' response. This has led to the emergence of activist movements trying to stop robotaxi deployment, especially in San Francisco. The protest started small, with people disabling the robotaxis by placing traffic cone s on their hoods. This activity is now known as "coning" and has become a common pastime for SF teens.It wasn't long before activism turned into vandalism, as seen in several incidents. Last July, a group of skateboarders vandalized a Waymo vehicle during a local event. Two months later, a masked man tried to destroy a Cruise autonomous vehicle with a hammer. Although things appeared to have cooled down for a while, a new incident showed that robots are not welcome on the streets of San Francisco.Video shared on social media shows people vandalizing a Waymo driverless vehicle on Jackson Street in San Francisco during the Lunar New Year celebrations. The poor Jaguar I-Pace stood no chance against the angry mob that blocked and vandalized it. Somebody jumped on the car's hood and broke the windshield and side windows using a skateboard. Others graffitied the vehicle, but the situation quickly escalated when someone lit fireworks under it. Nothing happened except a loud bang, so the crowd set fireworks inside the car instead. Soon, the robotaxi was ablaze, and firefighters arrived minutes later.Thankfully, no passengers were inside the vehicle during the incident. As a Waymo spokesperson confirmed, the car had just completed a drop-off when it was vandalized. I'm unsure if things would've been different had a driver been in the car. In the July incident , the safety driver in the car did not prevent the skateboarders from vandalizing the Waymo vehicle. 12 February 2024 15:53 (UTC+04:00) By Ulviyya Shahin French law enforcement officers arrested a Nazi who fought in Garabagh on the side of Armenia, Azernews reports, citing French media. The leader of the far-right group Zouaves Paris (ZVP), Marc de Cacqueray-Valmenier, was arrested along with 38 other members of the group. He is the only person whose detention in police custody was extended this Sunday evening. It is worth noting that in 2020, an ultra-right radical posted a photo on social media wearing a mask and carrying weapons. On his chest were two patches: the Armenian flag and a skull, used by some SS units. He also expressed his desire to create a "brigade of foreign volunteers" in cooperation with "local authorities," the aim of which would be to wage war against Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 19:45 (UTC+04:00) By Fatime Letifova On February 12, at 13:37 local time, in the vicinity of the Zangilan district along the Azerbaijan-Armenia conventional border, gunfire erupted from the positions held by the Armenian Armed Forces located in the Nerkin-And residential settlement of the Gafan district, targeting the positions of the Border Guards of the State Border Service in the Kollugishlaq village of the Zangilan district, Azernews reports. As a result of the incident, soldier Khalilzade Parviz Aghakishi oglu, a serviceman of the State Border Service, was injured. The military serviceman was evacuated to a specialised medical facility via helicopter. The incident, including the opening of gunfire from the opposing side, was captured by video surveillance cameras. Currently, the operational situation is stable and under the control of Azerbaijani units. Unequivocally, the Armenian military and political leadership bear full responsibility for this recent provocation. Besides, the sniper shooting of the border guard is the next provocation by the Armenian army. Recall that President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview that there was a ceasefire on the border. However, as usual, Armenia still violates the ceasefire. It is clear that the incident was deliberately and purposefully committed by the Armenian armed forces and that they were trying to escalate the situation. Armenia is trying to realise its dirty intentions by hiding behind the EU mission. Azerbaijan has repeatedly emphasised that the expansion of the EU mission, Armenia's purchase of weapons produced under French licence from India, and France's arming of Armenia serve to aggravate the situation in the region. The French general's visit to Armenia and his appearance at the border with Azerbaijan were interpreted by experts as France preparing Armenia for military operations. Furthermore, there was a warning in the media that Armenia would try to gain success by carrying out an operation on the border. The result was not long in coming, but it is already in the blink of an eye. Bringing snipers to the border positions is deliberate, and today's event is part of this plan. The aggressive tone of Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan in his interview with The Telegtaph is a factor that indicates that Armenia is preparing for the next provocation. In the interpretation of the video material, the sniper's actionswhere he came fromopened fire and returned to the Armenian positions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 12:41 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO) representatives will visit Mexico for the development of economic relations between the two countries, Azernews reports, citing the agency. AZPROMO held a meeting with the delegation led by the Mexican Congress and the Mexico-Azerbaijani Interparliamentary Friendship Group chairman Alberto Villa Viegasmember. Yusif Abdullayev, executive director of the agency, gave information about the agency's activities and said that there are high-level political relations between Azerbaijan and Mexico. He noted that during the AZPROMO representatives' visit to Mexico, meetings will be held with important companies operating in the country. Viegas highly appreciated the expanding trade exchange prospects between these countries, especially increasing export operations from Azerbaijan to Mexico. The Mexican congress official pointed out that both countries' ambassadors are active in this direction, including that they are ready to provide support in coordination work during the planned visit. Maria Victoria Romero Caballero, Mexico's Ambassador to Azerbaijan, emphasized the importance of holding joint events in the direction of establishing bilateral investment partnerships with Mexican companies. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 16:39 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more About 20 million eggs were exported from Azerbaijan and Turkiye to Russia until February 12, says The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control of Russia (Rosselkhoznadzor), Azernews reports. Access to paid information is limited Find the plan that suits you best. 12 February 2024 17:43 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan Banks Association's (ABA) Public Union leaders members held the meeting with the Bank of New York Mellon delegation, in Baku, Azernews reports, citing ABA. The cooperation opportunities' expansion between Azerbaijani banks and The Bank of New York Mellon was discussed at the meeting. It is worth noting that ABA was founded by commercial banks in 1990. The main goal is to protect the member organizations' interests, to help meet their needs for various types of business services, and to coordinate their activities. Currently, 23 banks and 6 non-bank credit institutions are members of ABA. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 16:00 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more Honoured Artist Nargiz Aliyarova has successfully performed at Carnegie Hall in New York. The evening was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding composer, People's Artist of the USSR, and Azerbaijan Arif Malikov (1933-2019), Azernews reports. The concert featured piano pieces from Arif Malikov's ballet "Love Legend". All tickets were sold out a few days before the concert. Nargiz Aliyarova spoke about the ballet storyline and the central role of this work. She underlined that the ballet has been demonstrated on dozens of stages around the world. Arif Malikov's ballet is included in the treasury of musical art. country The evening also featured performances of works by world-famous composers Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, Nikolai Medtner, and Claude Debussy. The performances were accompanied by applause from the audience, who at the end greeted the musician standing and repeatedly called the pianist to the stage. Nargiz Aliyarova also performed Chopin's Waltz as an encore. New York-based artist Nargiz Aliyarova is an international pianist and professor. Her repertoire includes music ranging from baroque to contemporary. In 2010, the piano musician was awarded a diploma for her outstanding contribution to the legacy of Chopin by the government of Poland. The musician has produced five CDs, three of which were released by the Belgian recording company Etcetera. Nargiz Aliyarova is a doctor of art and professor, as well as the author of more than 20 scholarly articles and several books. She is the founder and president of the National Music & Global Culture Society, which aims to be the bridge connecting communities to global and multinational culture through classical music. As a musician and music scholar, Nargiz Aliyarova contributes to the development and promotion of Azerbaijani musical culture. She has performed on many prestigious stages around the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York and the Kennedy Centre in Washington. The Honored Artist organized international competitions and held evenings dedicated to outstanding Azerbaijani composers Fikret Amirov, Uzeyir Hajibayli, etc. ---- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 10:01 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Baku and Moscow hold talks on the fate of Russian peacekeepers in Garabagh. "Moscow and Baku are coordinating the dates of the next round of negotiations on our peacekeeping contingent, the terms of its stay expire in 2025," Russian Ambassador to Baku Mikhail Yevdokimov said, Azernews reports. According to him, the Russian peacekeepers "effectively" fulfilled their functions, on the one hand "to protect this territory of Azerbaijan, and on the other hand, of course, it was important for the Armenian population that Russian peacekeepers were present there and ensured their security". Recall that Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said the issue of peacekeepers in Garabagh is discussed only with the Azerbaijani side. He noted the dialogue with partners is constructive. "We resolve all issues based on mutual agreement. As for extending the powers of the Russian peacekeeping contingent after November 2025, it will depend on the situation in the region, requirements, and relevant agreements with Baku," said the deputy minister. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 12:10 (UTC+04:00) The joint complex operational search and preventive measures are being conducted in Azerbaijan & Russia's border regions under the conditional name "Border-Shield", according to both countries' internal affairs ministers' mutual agreement, Azernews reports. The implementation of the decisions made on cross-border cooperation issues, exposing the transnational organized criminal gangs' members and terrorist organizations, and preventing carrying out weapons, explosives, devices, drugs, as well as other illegal acts, and the channels of financial and material resources for these organizations, are operations' main purpose, which will last a week. To the protection of human and civil rights and freedom, as well as the national interests of Azerbaijan and the principles of law, such complex operation-search measures are carried out regularly, with strict adherence. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 12:25 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Russian Ambassador to Baku Mikhail Yevdokimov said in an interview with journalists that sanctions contributed to the rapprochement of the two countries, Azernews reports. "We predicted that in 2023 trade turnover between Russia and Azerbaijan will reach $4 bln. We were wrong. It amounted to $4.4 bln, and the growth was 17%. The sanctions have led to our relations becoming even closer. We are implementing very serious projects in industrial cooperation," he said in an interview with journalists. Russian Ambassador to Baku Mikhail Yevdokimov added that for various reasons, not very clear to him, the Armenian side delays negotiations on the Zangazur corridor, but the implementation of the agreement between Baku and Tehran on the construction of a railroad through Iran will solve the issue, as well as open for Russia an additional way of cargo transportation to Turkiye - Russian Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov "Now the main thing is to build railroad tracks from Turkiye to Nakhchivan, it is planned to build a double track - European and Soviet. Accordingly, we will be able to carry cargo to Turkiye from Russia via Azerbaijan, Iran and Nakhchivan. <...> Up to the border with Turkiye. Further - either change of gauge, if the trains allow, or reloading of containers on other trains", - emphasized Evdokimov. Russian Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov added that the Garabagh issue is closed and now Armenia and Azerbaijan are directly exchanging drafts of the peace treaty. "What the Azerbaijani side is proposing is, in my opinion, absolutely justified, standard formulations and articles that, as a rule, exist in peace treaties between the parties. And, in principle, based on the proposals made by Baku, it seems to me, that it is possible to finalize these negotiations quite quickly. We are ready to provide the Moscow platform, and we are ready, if necessary, to provide our expertise, and our advice on the text. We have a very good interaction with our Azerbaijani colleagues here," the diplomat said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 13:38 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The Western Azerbaijani Community reacted to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's point of view in his latest interview. The statement distributed by the community says that the Armenian Prime Minister has once again lied and slandered Azerbaijan, Azernews reports. "It was Armenia that occupied the territories of Azerbaijan in violation of international law, the UN Charter, and the 1991 Almaty Declaration, which Nikol Pashinyan specifically referred to. Territorial integrity and sovereignty" were not included. "In 2019, a man who said 'Garabagh is Armenia and that's it' in the occupied territories, held military rallies and ordered attacks on Azerbaijani territory during the Patriotic War, and denied the right of return to us, the Western Azerbaijanis, has entered the country. a pathetic situation after Azerbaijan's victory, and now he is positioning himself as a party loyal to international law, showing nothing but 'crocodile tears,'" the statement said. It added that on the one hand, "we recognise Garabagh as Azerbaijani territory," and on the other hand, in the Armenian government's action plan for 2021-2026, which includes so-called statements threatening Azerbaijan's sovereignty, such as "Nagorno-Karabagh status" and "secession for salvation," presenting Garabagh as a territory outside of Azerbaijan in lawsuits to international courts is not a peace agreement. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 13:54 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matviyenko has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. According to Azernews, the letter reads: "Dear Ilham Heydarovich! On behalf of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and on my own behalf I congratulate you on another convincing victory in the elections of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Elections are an important stage in the history of any state. The free expression of will of the citizens of Azerbaijan has shown the unity of the nation and demonstrated a high level of confidence in the course the country is following under your wise leadership. I am confident that your professionalism and vast experience will contribute to socio-economic stability, the improvement of people's welfare, and the steady growth of the international prestige of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Russian-Azerbaijani relations have always been based on strong ties of friendship and principles of good neighbourliness. Today, they continue to develop dynamically in a constructive manner, including in the parliamentary line, revealing the potential of allied partnerships and mutually beneficial cooperation. Dear Ilham Heydarovich, I wish you good health, prosperity, and success in your work at the highest state post for the benefit of the people of Azerbaijan. Please accept the assurances of my highest respect." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 13:47 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more On February 12, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Mihalko was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry. According to the information, during the meeting, it was once again brought to the attention of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia that it is a serious concern, contrary to the initial agreements reached. It was noted that the said mission was widely misused as a means of propaganda against Azerbaijan, contrary to its stated goals of regional stability and contributing to confidence building between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It was brought to the attention of the EU side that the mission essentially became an agent of "binocular diplomacy," contributing to the organisation of visits by various European officials and unofficial delegations to the border regions. Without exception, it was noted that all such visits were used to spread hatred against Azerbaijan as well as to expand baseless Azerbaijanophobia. It was said that this activity of "binocular diplomacy" was observed at a time when unprecedented calm prevails along the border, as well as when both Azerbaijan and Armenia are implementing serious confidence-building measures. At the same time, the latest incident related to the prevention of an illegal crossing attempt in the regions for which the monitoring mission is responsible casts a serious shadow on the stated tasks of this mission. Such worrisome activity is in no way consistent with the mission's stated objectives of contributing to trust and confidence building as a neutral actor. The EU side was seriously urged to consider all necessary measures to ensure that the mission stationed in the territory of Armenia operates as a neutral, civilian, and unarmed mission in accordance with its stated mandate, as well as refraining from any activity directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan or affecting its legitimate security interests in one way or another. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 15:41 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The Azerbaijani Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev, has participated in a meeting dedicated to the discussion on combating climate change. Azernews reports that the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, shared a post about the meeting with the minister on her X social account. It should be noted that Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan Mukhtar Babayev also participated in a panel discussion on "Combating Climate Change by Promoting Sustainable Finance" held in Dubai, UAE. During his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan, President of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), Mukhtar Babayev, met with the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, about COP29. UAE Central Bank Governor Khalid Mohammed Balama, UAE Finance Minister Mohammed bin Hadi Al Husseini, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva and Head of the Middle East and Central Asia Department of the International Monetary Fund Jihad Azur participated in the discussion held in the framework of the World Government Summit. "It was a pleasure to meet with COP29 President Mukhtar Babaev on the sidelines of the World Government Summit. We had an excellent discussion about COP29 priorities and the IMF's efforts to support global initiatives to address climate change," Georgieva said. #COP29 President Designate, Mukhtar Babayev joined a panel to discuss Climate Action Through Fostering Sustainable Finance at the @WorldGovSummit with Khaled Mohamed Balama of @centralbankuae, Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini of @MOFUAE, and @KGeorgieva and Jihad Azour from @IMFnews pic.twitter.com/wT9ln08Nhd COP29 AZ (@COP29_AZ) February 12, 2024 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 15:09 (UTC+04:00) The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, has sent a congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev on his landslide victory in the election, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, On behalf of the Georgian people and my own, I would like to extend to you my sincere congratulations on your re-election as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. I sincerely wish you continued successes and victories in your tireless endeavours for serving your country and the welfare of the Azerbaijani people. I firmly believe that, through joint efforts, we will elevate the good-neighborly, friendly relations, and strategic partnership between our two brotherly countries to new heights. This will undoubtedly fortify the roles of both Georgia and Azerbaijan in fostering regional stability and development. Your Excellency, I reaffirm my deepest respect and extend my best wishes for continued success in your endeavours while wishing the friendly Azerbaijani people peace and prosperity. Sincerely, Salome Zourabichvili President of Georgia" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 18:05 (UTC+04:00) Salim bin Mohammed Almalik, Director-General of ICESCO, has sent a congratulatory letter to the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Ilham Aliyev, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Your Excellency, On behalf of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO), I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your re-election as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Your landslide victory in the recent election is a testament to the trust and confidence that the people of Azerbaijan have placed in your leadership. It is also a reflection of your dedication, vision, and unwavering commitment to the progress and prosperity of your nation. We at ICESCO look forward to continuing our collaboration with Azerbaijan under your esteemed leadership, working towards the advancement of education, science, and culture in the Islamic world. Your ongoing support for initiatives that promote cultural exchange, scientific research, and educational development has had a positive impact on the region, and we are confident that, with your renewed mandate, Azerbaijan will achieve even greater milestones in the coming years. Let me also express my personal admiration for your remarkable leadership in promoting the youth and advancing the peace and prosperity that resonate deeply throughout the entire Islamic world. Once again, congratulations on your re-election, and may your continued tenure bring prosperity and success to the Republic of Azerbaijan. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration. Most respectfully, Salim bin Mohammed Almalik Director-General of the ICESCO" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 18:15 (UTC+04:00) A head of work with volunteers has been appointed to the COP29 Azerbaijan Operating Company. Adila Aliyeva, the director of projects and the volunteer work department at the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's 'Regional Development' Public Union (RDP), has been named the leader of the COP29 Azerbaijan Operations Company, Azernews reports. Note that the activities of volunteers in previous COP projects have always been considered crucial, and the participation of hundreds of volunteers is expected at COP29, which will take place in the capital in November. Adila Aliyeva, who has been active in the RDP since 2019, has been involved in various projects and events related to environmental protection and ecological education for the population. A graduate of Azerbaijan State Economic University, Adila Aliyeva received her master's degree from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. By the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, Adila Aliyeva was awarded the President's Prize for Youth in 2023 for her public and social activities. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 19:11 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more As a result of the reforms carried out in the military field, the State Service for Mobilisation and Conscription was established by the decree of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Ilham Aliyev, dated February 13, 2012. The state service tried to fulfil the responsible and honourable tasks defined by the victorious commander-in-chief. From the day the service was established, preparation and organisation of mobilisation work in accordance with the direction of activity, initial military registration of citizens, preparation for full-term active military service and call to military service, education of young people in the spirit of military patriotism, reception and consideration of citizens' applications, ensuring citizen satisfaction, improvement of the legislative base, fight against corruption, equipping the service with more skilled and educated personnel, strengthening the material and technical base, and other areas have been achieved. As a part of the process of building the army, the formation of a modern mechanism regulating conscription and mobilisation is being successfully implemented in Azerbaijan. The leadership of the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ilham Aliyev, is characterised by success in the economic development of independent Azerbaijan, army building, expansion of the scale of reforms, and other areas of strategic importance. As a result of the wise policy and reforms implemented by national leader Heydar Aliyev and successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan have strengthened day by day and increased their combat capability. In order to ensure the implementation of the relevant orders of the president of the Azerbaijan Republic on the conscription of citizens for active military service, the service successfully carried out the involvement of senior citizens in conscription in accordance with the law and the transfer of them to the military units to which they are assigned to serve. In accordance with the plan approved during the 44-day Patriotic War, the involvement of military officials in the Reserve in the recruitment of the Azerbaijani army and the provision of the required number of military vehicles on the orders of the Armed Forces were successfully implemented. Taking serious steps in the fight against corruption and bribery in Azerbaijan has revealed the need for urgent measures in this direction by the State Service for Mobilisation and Conscription. In order to strengthen legal propaganda in the field of combating corruption and minimize such cases, relevant measures were taken by the service, decisive steps were taken in connection with the identified shortcomings, and work in this direction is still underway. The human factor plays an important role in the policy pursued in Azerbaijan today, where the main goal is to provide citizens with service and citizen satisfaction. During the receptions held in different regions of the Republic by the head of the service, a number of citizen appeals are resolved on the spot, and relevant measures are taken in connection with the registration and execution of those required to be investigated. The work of educating the younger generation in the spirit of loyalty to the motherland, respect for national customs and traditions, and readiness to fight for the independence and territorial integrity of the Azerbaijan Republic at any time begins in their adolescence. In order to educate young people in the spirit of military patriotism in accordance with the activity directions of the service, educational meetings are regularly organised in different regions of the Republic with the participation of relevant government agencies and public representatives, members of martyr families, war veterans, and senior students of secondary schools. The State Service is always sensitive to the families of martyrs and war veterans and their appeals. Thus, during the staffing of the service, 21 participants of the Patriotic War who successfully passed the process of checking their knowledge and physical fitness were recruited and given their service cards by the head of the service. Today, the goal of every employee of the service is loyalty to the motherland, care for a person, and most importantly, respect for national and moral values. The personnel of the state service for mobilisation and conscription will continue to adhere to the ideas of our national leader Heydar Aliyev, justify the confidence of the President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, and work with all their forces for the implementation of the tasks set at a high level. Your browser doesn't support video. Please download the file: video/mp4 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 20:39 (UTC+04:00) The results of the election clearly demonstrate the confidence of the Azerbaijani people in you, said Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban as he sent a congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev over his landslide victory in the election, Azernews reports. I am pleased that we have elevated our bilateral relations to the level of an enhanced strategic partnership in the past year. Azerbaijan is not only an important political, economic and cultural partner for Hungary, but also a sincere friend. We have a common interest in developing our multifaceted cooperation and continuing our joint investments. The continuously strengthening ties between our countries are also fuelled by our historical kinship, social traditions, the respect for family values and cooperation in organizations uniting Turkic peoples. I can assure you that my government remains committed to developing our relations and deepening our mutually beneficial cooperation, the Prime Minister said in his message. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 15:19 (UTC+04:00) Approximately 120 million dollars were allocated to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline's (BTC) operational costs, and 46 million dollars were allocated to capital costs, Azernews reports, citing the report dedicated to the 2023 results on the bp company's activities in Azerbaijan. Access to paid information is limited Find the plan that suits you best. 12 February 2024 14:56 (UTC+04:00) By Fatime Letifova Russia needs certain guarantees from this country regarding Armenia's accession to the International Criminal Court (ICC). According to Azernews, this was told by the press secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov. The Russian official has said that this issue will be resolved only after that. Recall that Armenia has formally joined the International Criminal Court (ICC). Besides, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Armenia had taken a wrong decision when its parliament voted in October to ratify the ICCs Rome statute, and the Russian foreign ministry has called the move an unfriendly step. Armenia is home to a permanent Russian military base and is part of the Moscow-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), which consists of several ex-Soviet republics. An independent analyst says that Armenia hoped that by joining the ICC and making such a sensitive step for Russia, it could receive security guarantees from the west. However, apparently it has strained its ties with Moscow without receiving real security guarantees from the west. Armenia signed the Rome Statute in 1999 but did not ratify it, citing contradictions with the countrys constitution. The constitutional court said in March that those obstacles had been removed after Armenias adoption of a new constitution in 2015. Last November, Yerevan formally deposited its instrument of ratification of the Rome statute. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 21:20 (UTC+04:00) Andrea Papa, one of the spokespersons of the Riscatto Agricolo (Agricultural Redemption) farmers' group that is part of the movement that have been staging tractor protests in many parts of Italy, said Monday that agricultural associations has been called to fresh talks at the agriculture ministry, Azernews reports, citing ANSA. The Italian tractor-protest movement appeared to split into pro-government and anti-government camps on Saturday after Premier Giorgia Meloni promised help during talks with agricultural associations on Friday. Some farmers expressed satisfaction at the dialogue and decided to go home. Others, including Papa, said the talks had only led to "promises" and pledged that the protests would continue. Among the commitments the government made on Friday was to drop plans to scrap an exemption on income-tax Irpef for farmers. The administration said it would change the tax break so it is better targetted to those in need. Relations with Parliament Minister Luca Ciriani said that the government will present the promised measures on Monday in the form of an amendment to the miscellaneous Milleproroghe bill that is already in parliament. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 12 February 2024 20:15 (UTC+04:00) Yemen's Houthis claimed Monday to have attacked a US ship in the Red Sea, Azernews report, citing Anadolu Agency. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the Star Iris ship was targeted with appropriate naval missiles, resulting in direct hits. The operation "stands as a victory for the just cause of the Palestinian people and as a response to the US-British aggression against our country," he added in a statement. There was no immediate comment from the US on the Houthi claim. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency earlier said that it had received a report of minor damage from a missile attack on a ship 40 nautical miles south of Al-Mukha in Yemen. "Vessel and crew are safe. Vessel proceeding to next port of call," it added. The Houthis have been targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel in solidarity with Gaza, which has been under an Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7. With tensions escalating due to the US and UKs joint airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, the group declared that it considered all American and British ships legitimate military targets. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Under the cover of Covid, and now in the shadow of the infamous Election Irregularities of that fated 2020 presidential election, with current emerging alleged election fraud in Nevada and Pennsylvania inconveniently slipping into the public discourse, there is proved a colluded ongoing Election Interference in the nomination of the Republican candidate, the likes of which has never occurred in our Constitutional Republic's history, albeit, the question remains: Do you support the plain-sight Election Interference of the Democratic Socialist party, employing its minions in their Propagandistic Media, and their Two Tiered Justice System? 98.25% No, I do not support Election Interference; I am a patriot unto our Constitution.1.75% Yes, I do support Election Interference; the alternative, Donald Trump, to this mentally diminished president is far worse.0% "What, me worry" if elections are rigged? Surgeries at two Providence hospitals were down by almost 50% in December and January amid an anesthesiologist shortage, The Oregonian reported Feb. 9. The delay comes after the hospitals' anesthesia staffing was taken over by a private equity-backed physician staffing firm. The new contractor, Sound Physicians, did not have enough staffers to handle the volume of the two Portland, Ore.-based hospitals. The hospitals canceled several hundred surgeries in November nearly all the nonemergent procedures scheduled through the end of the year. The group is making good progress, a spokesperson told The Oregonian, despite the hospitals performing 3,653 surgeries in December and January versus 7,108 the year prior. "That's 51% of our previous volume, and we are adding available surgical and procedure times each week," a spokesperson wrote in an email to the publication. "We are on track to be back to our typical levels in the next few weeks." "Sound Physicians began providing anesthesia services as Providence Portland and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center on November 22, 2023," a spokesperson for Sound Physicians told Becker's in an email. "We have made significant progress in our recruiting efforts and to date are about 75% staffed across both locations. We are steadily increasing points of service and anticipate exceeding the previous groups volume by late spring." "Part of the reason we chose to make this switch is the need to provide consistent anesthesia coverage for our patients and surgeons. Our previous agreement with Oregon Anesthesia Group created a situation in which patients had to wait for services while we prioritized cases based on availability of anesthesia services. When we terminated the previous contract, there were fewer than 54 providers available to serve Providence St. Vincent and Providence Portland medical centers," a spokesperson for Providence told Becker's in an email. "Its important to keep in mind that we made this decision because of concerns raised by our physicians about anesthesia availability. Patients were already waiting for services before we decided to contract with a new provider." According to the spokesperson, by March, South Physician will be staffing 19 anesthesia locations on average, which will be 107% of the level it had with its former anesthesia provider. "We will be in an even better position later this spring, and firmly believe the actions we have taken difficult as they have been are in the best interest of our patients and our physicians," the statement said. Community members have raised money to support a Louisiana dentist who was stabbed inside her dental office, nola.com reported Feb. 9. Sharon Stewart, 55, was arrested Feb. 7 on charges of stabbing Katie Tran, DDS, and attacking two others at a dental office in New Orleans. A GoFundMe page states that Dr. Tran was stabbed by a patient she was treating. Mason Liles, DDS, a friend and former classmate of Dr. Tran, set up theGoFundMe page to support Dr. Tran. He said the funds will be used to support Dr. Tran financially while she is out of work after undergoing hand surgery. The funds will also support Dr. Tran's case against the suspect. More than $87,000 was raised from more than 1,000 donations as of Feb. 12. Memphis, Tenn.-based Baptist Memorial Health Care is creating a branded network of urgent and family care centers throughout West Tennessee, North Mississippi and East Arkansas. Ten Urgent Team walk-in facilities will begin rebranding as Baptist Urgent Care in mid-March. The facilities are located in: - Bartlett, Collierville and Jackson (Tenn.) - Batesville, Columbus, Horn Lake, Starkville, West Point and Tupelo (Miss.) - Wynne, (Ark.) A new location will open in Germantown (Tenn.) in mid-March. The joint venture will eventually add further urgent care centers in these regions. "Enhancing community access to urgent care is a priority for us," Baptist Memorial President and CEO Jason Little said in a news release. "This collaboration will expand our non-emergency, walk-in services and make access to urgent care more convenient for our patients." Medford, Ore.-based Asante health system has laid off about 3% of its workforce, according to a report from NBC affiliate KOBI-TV, which is based on an internal memo sent to staff Feb. 9. According to the report, the job cuts affected mainly administrative and support roles and were necessary to offset "financial headwinds" over the past several years. Asante employs around 6,300 people, according to the health system's website. Three percent of its workforce would be around 200 people, based on that estimate. In the memo, Asante said it is still recruiting clinical staff, including nurses and physicians, and that it is offering severance pay and continuing healthcare coverage for those who have been laid off. Asante includes three hospitals, the largest being Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. Becker's has reached out to Asante and will update this report if more information becomes available. PeaceHealth Medical Group Chief Executive Scott Foster, MD, is resigning from the post. Dr. Foster's last day with the Vancouver, Wash.-based medical group will be March 8, according to an announcement shared by PeaceHealth Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Growth Officer Darrin Montalvo. Dr. Foster joined the PeaceHealth system in 2014 and assumed the chief executive role of the medical group in 2022. Family priorities are driving his decision to step down from the medical group, which consists of 10 medical centers and 139 clinics in Alaska, Oregon and Washington with more than 1,200 physicians and providers, and 16,000 caregivers. "Dr. Foster shared this choice stems from the need to provide dedicated support to his aging parents in Scotland. Their increasing care needs require his full attention," according to Mr. Montalvo. Born and raised in the United Kingdom, Dr. Foster attended medical school in Glasgow, Scotland, and practiced in Scotland and New Zealand. After earning his master's degree in Public Health, Health Services Policy and Administration from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Dr. Foster served in multiple director and executive positions with Providence Health & Services in Oregon prior to joining PeaceHealth. Melissa Edwards, MD, CMO of PeaceHealth Medical Group, will provide leadership as the interim chief executive effective immediately with partners in COO Dawn Tolotti and CFO Erin Gerner to provide overall strategic leadership. Lawmakers are trying to block a proposed merger between Liberty (Mo.) Hospital and Kansas City-based University of Kansas Health System, but a hospital board member is pushing back, the Missouri Independent reported Feb. 12. Kansas state Sen. J.R. Claeys has proposed a bill mandating that the KU Health System obtain legislative approval prior to making investments in facilities outside the state. The bill has not undergone a hearing. Meanwhile, in Missouri, legislation sponsored by state Sen. Greg Razer aims to restrict Missouri hospitals from collaborating with an out-of-state health system affiliated with an institution of higher education. The bill specifies that such partnerships would require approval by a supermajority of voters to proceed. However, Dennis Carter, president of the Liberty Hospital board, is urging lawmakers to refrain from thwarting the proposed agreement. At a Missouri Senate committee meeting, Mr. Carter expressed concerns that taking legislative action against the merger might lead to Liberty Hospital being acquired by a chain, potentially leading to the closure of its labor and delivery center and level 2 trauma center. "If we go for-profit, we'll be a little bit more than a triage center, but we will not be what Liberty Hospital and the people who voted us into office want us to be," Mr. Carter told the committee. In May, Liberty Hospital leaders began seeking a health system partnership to address increasing demand in the Kansas City suburbs north of the Missouri River. By October, they had selected the University of Kansas Health System. However, the prospect of a Kansas institution taking control of a Missouri hospital is facing resistance from lawmakers in both states. Unionized nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent are asking for the reinstatement of a nurse they say was "unjustly fired" without cause. Tiffani Daigle, RN, was terminated Jan. 25 from her job as a per diem emergency room nurse, according to the Maine State Nurses Association, which is part of National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United. Ms. Daigle, who was involved in the union's recent organizing efforts at NMMC, told the Bangor Daily News she agreed to a temporary internal contract with the understanding that she would still have her per diem position when the contract ended. Now, the union has circulated a petition to reinstate Ms. Daigle. "Northern Maine Medical Center (and its CEO Jeff Zewe) terminated Tiffani on Jan. 25, robbing our hospital and our community of Tiffani's presence, dedication and care for our patients at NMMC," the petition said. Hospital spokesperson Kristopher Malmborg shared the following statement with Becker's: "Ms. Daigle entered into a contract for services at Northern Maine Medical Center, and her contract ended." Mr. Malmborg did not respond to additional questions. A former California hospital CEO has pleaded no contest to charges related to his time at Healthcare Conglomerate Associates, a hospital management firm based in Tulare, Calif. Yorai "Benny" Benzeevi, MD, pleaded no contest to six felony counts of conflict of interest and two misdemeanor counts of failure to timely disclose campaign expenditures and using an official position for personal gain, according to the Tulare County district attorney's office. Dr. Benzeevi is required to pay $2.4 million in restitution to the Tulare Local Healthcare District, District Attorney Tim Ward said in a news release posted online. Dr. Benzeevi's plea agreement also includes 120 days of house detention as well as community service and probation, according to the Visalia Times-Delta. "Healthcare is truly a basic quality-of-life issue, and the rural healthcare system in California is fragile," Mr. Ward said. "I view the Tulare Regional Medical Center as a vulnerable victim, and I am pleased the hospital and the citizens of Tulare have persevered to arrive at this significant day." The plea agreement follows charges filed in 2020 against Dr. Benzeevi, who, through Healthcare Conglomerate Associates, or HCCA, took over operation of Tulare Regional a decade ago. Charges were also filed at the time against Alan Germany, who was acting CFO of Tulare Regional and Inyo Hospital in Lone Pine, Calif., and Bruce Greene, who served as HCCA's attorney. In 2017, Dr. Benzeevi and HCCA were ousted, and the hospital filed for bankruptcy and closed that year. After HCCA's ouster, the Tulare Local Healthcare District entered a management agreement with Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health. Mr. Germany has also agreed to a plea deal related to charges that included embezzlement, conflict of interest and using his official position for personal gain. In December 2023, he was ordered to write an apology letter to the residents of the hospital district and to pay $150,000 in restitution. Mr. Greene's firm and the hospital district reached a $3 million civil settlement last year, and Mr. Greene is expected back in court in May, according to the Visalia Times-Delta. Mr. Ward said Dr. Benzeevi's sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 19. The quantity and risk of fungal infections continues to grow worldwide, particularly as global temperatures warm, creating new environments for fungus to thrive, but drugs to treat these new and emerging infections haven't kept the same pace. The last antifungal drug approval was issued by the FDA in 2000. In 2023, a drug known as olorofim was inching closer to FDA approval, but ultimately the agency rejected it, requesting additional data. Right now, there are only three classes of antifungal drugs, which is few in comparison to antibacterial drugs, of which there are dozens, Leah Cowen, PhD, a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Toronto told NBC News. Since humans share molecular DNA with fungi, a drug that balances protection of the surrounding body while killing the fungal infection is difficult to create, and resistance to any drugs that are developed can also become the result. "I'm concerned that many patients will die because our current set of antifungal drugs are limited, and more fungi are resistant to the few antifungal drugs available," Anna Selmecki, PhD, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Minnesota Medical School told NBC. New antifungal drugs take around 25 years on average to develop, so if the makers of olorofim are able to provide the data the FDA is looking for, the drug would be coming on scene at a critical time. "They are the most similar organism to humans to human cells, which makes them hard to kill and hard to identify because they're similar to our own bodies and therefore drugs that kill fungi kill human cells, potentially," Tom Chiller, MD, CDC's head of mycotic diseases told Becker's during a previous interview. "So we will have to find specific targets for new antifungal drugs." Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire (Wis.) and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire teamed up Feb. 12 to create a medical academy program free to students. The six-week program is designed for everyone, the university said in a news release, "from high school students who might be interested in a career in healthcare to retirees who might want to learn more about what makes them tick." The two organizations said the program was created to educate the public on healthcare foundations. Students 16 and older can attend for free, and the program is $50 for all other participants. Practicing physicians will be leading the courses, which will touch on neurology, cardiology and orthopedics. The first session is scheduled for April 1. Physician recruiting can be a challenge for healthcare groups, but outpatient settings might have an advantage when it comes to bringing on spine surgeons. Four spine surgeons discuss the ASC's position in the spine surgeon recruiting market. Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity. Question: Can ASCs gain an edge in surgeon recruiting compared to hospitals and health systems? Brian Fiani, DO. Mendelson Kornblum Orthopedic & Spine Specialists (West Bloomfield, Mich.): Ambulatory surgery centers can potentially gain an edge in surgeon recruiting by offering a more streamlined and efficient work environment, increased autonomy for surgeons, opportunities for ownership or investment, and the ability to focus on specific surgical specialties. Additionally, ASCs may be able to provide more flexible scheduling and potentially higher reimbursement rates for surgeons. It is important for ASCs to highlight these advantages when recruiting surgeons and to tailor their recruitment strategies to attract top talent. Brian Gantwerker, MD. The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: Always. I think ASCs for the most part offer a superior patient and physician experience. Teamwork and collaboration are very high in these environments, as there are very aligned goals shared by all. The ASC's added benefit of revenue sharing and co-marketing strategies can be mutually beneficial. By far, ASCs do a great job taking care of patients, with case throughput, surgeon time, patient outcomes, and doing things for less. They have been and will continue to be better suited to recruit surgeons. Vladimir Sinkov, MD. Sinkov Spine (Las Vegas): ASCs can attract spine surgeons by offering greater quality and case efficiency over a hospital. Surgery centers also provide a potential investment opportunity for a spine surgeon. Christian Zimmerman, MD. St. Alphonsus Medical Group and SAHS Neuroscience Institute (Boise, Idaho): Physician recruitment in all specialties remains challenging because of current economics, relocation and medical licensure requirements. Lending assistance in any of these tedious requirements is attractive along with practice growth opportunities and call sharing. Three studies presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon's 2024 conference examined the accuracy of artificial intelligence chatbots, such as ChatGPT, when it comes to providing accurate information for musculoskeletal patients. The studies determined that while chatbots can provide accurate summaries for a wide variety of orthopedic conditions, they all have limited accuracy in certain categories, and surgeons remain the best source of patient information, according to a summary of the studies sent to Becker's on Feb. 12. The first study involved asking chatbots to answer 45 orthopedic-related questions spanning categories of "bone physiology," "referring physician" and "patient query" and rating the answers for accuracy. Research determined that when prompted with orthopedic questions, OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Bard and BingAI provided correct answers that covered the most critical points in 76.7%, 33% and 16.7% of cases, respectively. When providing clinical management suggestions, the chatbots displayed significant limitations by deviating from the standard of care and omitting critical steps such as ordering antibiotics before cultures or neglecting to include key studies in diagnostic workup. When asked less complex patient queries, ChatGPT and Google Bard were able to provide mostly accurate responses but often failed to elicit critical medical history from patients. The second study asked ChatGPT 4.0 a list of 80 commonly asked patient questions about knee and hip replacements. Each question was asked twice to ChatGPT, first asking the questions as written and then prompting the ChatGPT to answer the patient questions "as an orthopedic surgeon." Orthopedic surgeons rated the answers on a scale of one to four. Research determined that when assessing the quality of the ChatGPT responses, 26% had an average scale of three or less when asked without a prompt, and 8% had an average grade of less than three when preceded by a prompt. ChatGPT performed with 92% accuracy when prompted to answer patient questions "as an orthopedic surgeon." The third study assessed ChatGPT 4.0's ability to provide medical information about the Latarjet procedure for patients with anterior shoulder instability. Researchers conducted a Google search using the query "Latarjet" to extract the top 10 frequently asked questions and associated sources concerning the procedure. They then asked ChatGPT to perform the same search for FAQs to identify the questions and sources provided by the chatbot. Researchers found that ChatGPT demonstrated the ability to provide a broad range of clinically relevant questions and answers and derived information from academic sources 100% of the time, while the Google search engine did so only a small percentage of the time. The most common question category for both ChatGPT and Google was technical details; however, ChatGPT also presented information concerning risks/complications, recovery timeline and evaluation of surgery. Making pancakes is a great way of getting kids involved in cooking No sooner have the Christmas goodies been cleared away, than we start to see products associated with spring-time begin to arrive in the shops. And Pancake Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, will be the first big consumer day of the New Year to arrive when it takes place next Tuesday. Of course, pancakes are easy and fun to make at home. But what if you dont fancy making the effort? We carried out a quick survey of retailers Dunnes, Lidl, Tesco Express, Sainsburys, Co-op and M&S to see whats on offer and how little you can get away with spending. And we found pancakes are pretty affordable, particular Scotch pancakes, also known as drop scones and much smaller in size than standard pancakes. And if youre conscious of food miles, there are plenty of bakeries in Northern Ireland which make pancakes for the big grocers. At Co-op, a six-pack of own-brand Scotch pancakes is just 63p. And surprisingly, the usually pricey M&S sells a packet of the same product for 70p. There are also plenty of branded options, particularly from the Belfast-made Ormo brand, which is owned by Hovis Bakery. In Sainsburys, six Ormo pancakes cost 1.50 and the same price applies to six Sunblest pancakes at Co-op. Sainsburys also stocks pancakes from Mid-Ulster bakery Genesis, with a pack of eight costing 1.75. Lidl sells pancakes made by Belfast bakery Connell, and they cost 1.09 for an eight-pack. The discount grocer does offer the best value own-brand eight-pack among the retailers were surveyed, compared with 1.19 for Dunnes own brand pancakes, and 1.30 for Tesco Expresss offering. Many retailers also now offer giant-sized pancakes, with some described as buttermilk pancakes, an ingredient which gives them a richer taste. A packet of six giant buttermilk pancakes costs 1.60 at Co-op. And Sainsburys is offering four giant Sunblest pancakes for 1.75. Its also hard to miss the value-added pancake, as many manufacturers aim to load whats traditionally a fairly simple product with added ingredients. You can get protein-enriched pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes and Sicilian lemon pancakes. A pack of four chocolate chip pancakes at Co-op shops cost 1.40, while a pack of four Sicilian lemon pancakes at M&S is 1.90. Theres no doubt that keeping your pancake choices simple and unfussy will keep the costs down. But celebrity chef Paula McIntyre says no bought product would ever entice her away from making her own. She says her preference is to make the smaller and fluffier Scotch pancake, made with buttermilk. And the process brings back memories of pancakes being made on the griddle at home. Paula says: If youre looking at six bought Scotch pancakes for 60p, Ive worked out that you can make your own for 30p per six. Plus pancakes dont take long, theyre so quick to make that theyre a great way of getting kids involved in cooking. An alleged New IRA chief has been returned to custody after breaching bail conditions by refusing to give police the access code to his phone. Gary Hayden is awaiting trial for a number of matters allegedly uncovered during an undercover PSNI/MI5 sting named Operation Arbacia. The 51-year-old, from Tyrconnell Street in Londonderry, is charged with belonging to the IRA, directing terrorism and preparation for terrorist acts. Offending allegedly occurred between February and July 2020 and the case revolves around covertly recorded meetings held in a Co Tyrone house. The other accused are husband and wife David and Sharon Jord an, as well as Damien Joseph McLaughlin from Dungannon; Kevin Murphy from Coalisland, Issam Bassalat from Edinburgh, Amanda McCabe (aka Mandy Duffy) and Shea Reynolds from Lurgan and Patrick McDaid and Joseph Barr from Derry. Scottish doctor Issam Bassalat (65) is charged with intending or assisting to commit acts of terrorism by attending and addressing an IRA meeting. The case is currently before Laganside Crown Court awaiting trial. Most accused have now been released on bail including Hayden. However, he was brought before Dungannon Magistrates Court following his arrest when he refused to provide the access code for a phone and used applications with end-to-end encryptions. A detective constable explained two police officers carried out a stop-and-search procedure on Hayden who was a passenger in a car on February 8. A phone was found in his pocket which he confirmed was registered with police. He was informed the phone would be checked and was asked for the access code. Hayden took the phone from the officer and appeared to shield the screen before typing something in and passing it back to the officer unlocked. On examination, the officer noted WhatsApp on the device. Hayden asked what the officer was looking for in the phone who informed him it was in terms of bail. The phone was returned to Hayden who left the scene. The officers carried out further enquiries and discovered the bail terms required Hayden to provide the access code which he had not done nor was he to use encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp. Hayden was arrested at his home where the phone was seized and is currently being examined. The court heard there had been a number of similar incidents in recent weeks. Another bail condition banned him from recording PSNI or legal practitioners. However, during two stop-and-search procedures he was encouraging others to do so. There was another incident on February 5 when Hayden was in the company of another male who told an officer he knows his wife is a nurse. Objecting to bail, the detective said: There are concerns since the defendant has re-engaged with certain members of the community and this breach indicates he is not willing to abide by conditions. Urging bail to be granted, a defence barrister said Hayden has had his collar felt and it was a salutary lesson. However, District Judge Michael Ranaghan refused, stating: It would be unfair to put weight on the incident of the person with the defendant who made the very threatening remark to police and I cannot say if he was encouraged to do so. But Im satisfied given the seriousness of the charges, bail should be denied. It was previously disclosed the recordings suggest discussions including IRA membership, recruitment strategies, interaction with other terrorist organisations, close-quarter shootings of police, internal 'security' such as paramilitary shootings, media strategy including infiltration and commemorations. In another conversation a person referred to firearms held by others, protection rackets and raising funds by taking action against drugs dealers. Press Release February 12, 2024 Poe: Economic Cha-cha may open a can of worms Sen. Grace Poe said proponents should tread carefully in tinkering with the 1987 Constitution to amend its economic provisions, warning it could instead open a can of worms. Poe said treading the path of constitutional reforms should be done in careful and measured ways as it could open a can of worms. "Kailangan nga ba natin ng Cha-Cha para sabihin that we're open for business? Sabi nila, sarado ang ating ekonomiya. Pero ang totoo, bukas naman talaga tayo sa foreign investors," Poe said in her opening statement at the hearing of Resolution of Both Houses No. 6 seeking Charter change (Cha-cha). "Would amending the public utilities provisions in our Constitution open the economy or open a can of worms?" the chairperson of the Senate committee on public services added. Poe said the country has made great strides in the past years "liberalizing the economy without compromising national security or leaving behind Filipino businesses." Poe said Republic Act No. 11659 or amended Public Service Act (PSA), which she authored, encouraged new players in the airports, railways, expressways and telecommunications sectors "without changing the Constitution." "Guided by the long line of cases decided by the Supreme Court as to what 'public utilities' really are, we carved out public utilities which will remain covered by the 60% Filipino ownership requirement from public services that were opened up by the PSA to full foreign investments," she explained. These public utilities include the distribution and transmission of electricity; petroleum and petroleum products pipeline transmission systems; water pipeline distribution systems, including sewerage pipeline systems; seaports; and, public utility vehicles. "Because of the nature of these natural monopolies, we needed to ensure the security and supply of these essential utilities. Siniguro natin na Pilipino pa rin ang may kontrol sa mga ito at kailanman ay hindi makokontrol ng mga dayuhan," Poe said. The senator said that as it stands now, RBH 6 proposes opening, through legislation, all public utilities to foreign ownership, investments, and management without the Constitutional protection grounded on national security and domestic interests. "Hindi lang ito usapin ng pagpasok ng foreign capital at businesses. Tingnan din natin ang magiging epekto: pwedeng tanggalin sa mga Pilipino ang kontrol sa lahat ng sektor na nagbibigay serbisyo sa publiko," she said. "Pwedeng makontrol ng ibang bansa ang tubig, kuryente, seaports, gasolina, at public utility jeeps natin. Handa ba tayo dito? Kaya ba nating makipagkumptensya sa kanila?" she added Poe said proponents of Cha-cha must think hard whether the panacea to our economic woes lies in amending the Constitution, or in more efficient management of agencies, curbed if not zero corruption and less bureaucracy. "Kung dumaan sa butas ng karayom ang 86 year-old Public Service Act, mas lalong kailangan nating masuyod ang pag-amyenda ng ating 37-year-old na Saligang Batas," Poe said. Police at the scene in Ballymena where Mr Inayat Shah (above right) was stabbed to death The manager of a B&B in Ballymena was stabbed 55 times by a resident who repeatedly shouted you're dead whilst carrying out the fatal knife attack, a court has heard. Inayat Shah (64), who ran the Traveller's Rest on the Galgorm Road, was murdered by Michael Lenaghan (55) on the afternoon of March 21, 2020. During a plea hearing at Belfast Crown Court today, it emerged that prior to killing Mr Shah, Lenaghan attacked a fellow resident at the B&B/hostel with a knife and threatened to slit the throat of a second resident. A prosecutor told Judge Patricia Smyth that on the afternoon in question, Mr Shah's 16-year-old granddaughter had been visiting. The Shah family were watching TV in the living quarters of the property when they were approached by one of the residents who had just been stabbed in the chest by Lenaghan. This prompted Mr Shah to call 999, and after this, the wounded man left the living quarters and walked outside. Mr Shah was asked to stay inside by his granddaughter, but whilst remaining on the 999 call he followed the wounded man outside as he wanted to assist him. As the wounded resident and Mr Shah made their way to Lenaghan's accommodation, they were approached by Lenaghan who was still armed with a knife. An eyewitness reported seeing Lenaghan acting in an aggressive manner and he was then seen chasing Mr Shah up an alleyway. During the chase, Mr Shah ended up on the ground and he was then set upon my Lenaghan. The prosecuting KC said: Over the course of the next two-and-a-half minutes, the chilling and devastating attack on Mr Shah was captured on the recorded 999 call. The 999 call recorded the screams of Mr Shah as he was repeatedly stabbed by the defendant. Mr Shah pleaded with the defendant and offered to give him money but the defendant shouted at him saying you're dead, you're dead, talking to the police about me, you're dead, you're dead, you're dead. The screams and groans of Mr Shah fell silent, shortly before the defendant walked away from the lifeless body. The wounded man ran back to the B&B shouting the old man has been stabbed and the emergency services were called. Despite their best efforts, life was pronounced extinct at 3.57pm and a subsequent post-mortem indicated he had been stabbed 55 times. Lenaghan, who was described in the aftermath of the murder as being calm but out of it and covered in blood, walked back to his accommodation. He told the resident he threatened earlier that day you'll end up like Shah there, dead in the street. A short time after this he was approached by police and said: That thing is in the alley. I did it. It's me you're looking for. When arrested for murder, Lenaghan asked is he dead? and when told this was the case, he replied f*****g good. He was overheard by Mr Shah's daughter shouting happy days. He was aggressive and abusive to officers and also to custody staff at the PSNI station. During a police interview, he gave a largely no comment response. With an address as Galgorm Road in Ballymena, Lenaghan later admitted murdering Mr Shah on March 21, 2020. He also admitted wounding one fellow resident and threatening to kill another on the same date. Branding the fatal attack on Mr Shah as callous and gratuitous and one where wanton violence was inflicted on the victim, the prosecutor told Judge Smyth that Lenaghan had a relevant criminal record for violent offences in Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. A defence barrister said his client suffered from an acute and complex personality disorder which resulted in loss of control. Saying he can't help himself... he is what he is, the barrister said this disorder coupled with Lenaghan's alcohol intoxication that day played a significant role in what occurred. The defence barrister also paid tribute to members of Mr Shah's family who attended Mondays hearing. Several of his loved ones provided statements which spoke of his kind, loving and charitable nature and the void he has left behind. Judge Smyth also acknowledged the family and told them that she required further medical evidence before she would be in a position to impose the Tariff the minimum term Lenaghan will spend in prison before he is considered eligible for release. The Belfast Recorder said this will be imposed at a later date. A Syrian refugee was on Monday jailed for three years for the 'deplorable' rape of a vulnerable woman A Syrian refugee was today jailed for three years for the deplorable rape of a vulnerable woman. Ahmad Alsbaihi (22), of Ard Na Va Road, off the Falls Road in west Belfast, was told he will spend a further three years on supervised licence on his release from prison after he pleaded guilty to a single count of rape. Belfast Crown Court heard Alsbaihi and another male were at a city centre nightclub in the early hours of June 22, 2022, when they met the female victim and invited her back to a house for a party. Prosecution barrister Rosemary Walsh said a female witness observed the two men with the woman and had concerns about her vulnerability through her intoxication. She said she asked the victim if she knew the men and she replied she didn't. The witness decided to accompany her to the party and en route to the house, the men stopped the taxi to collect a bottle of vodka. At around 5 am, the witness said she came out of a bedroom and saw Alshaihi having sex with the victim whose eyes were closed and she was completely asleep. The court was told that following the rape, the two men redressed the victim and removed her from the living room floor and put her on the sofa. When the witness confronted the defendant, Alsbaihi claimed the victim had consented to sex when she was awake before falling asleep. Police and an ambulance were called and while being tended to by paramedics the victim woke up, the court heard, but she had no idea what had happened to her. The defendant was subsequently arrested by police but denied raping the woman and made the case that she had consented to sex. The court heard the victim's blood initially gave a reading of 178 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, however, a back count suggested a reading of between 315-525 micrograms of alcohol with an average of 425 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. In a statement to the court, the victim described the effects the rape had on her physicality, her relationships, the trauma she has endured and the ongoing fear she feels. In a pre-sentence report, the defendant told a probation officer that he felt disgusted at what he had done and the victim had not consented to having sexual intercourse with him. Defence counsel Charles MacCreanor KC said Alsbaihi, who has no previous criminal record, has now expressed his remorse and regret over the rape. He said the defendant presented as an immature male who was 20 at the time of the rape. The senior counsel added he arrived in Northern Ireland in 2017 with his mother and brother after fleeing war-ravaged Syria via Jordan and had suffered poor mental health before his offending over a number of years. Passing the six-year determinate custodial sentence, Judge Mark McGarrity said: It must been obvious to the defendant given the victim's intoxication that she was entirely helpless and defenceless. The evidence reveals that she was so incapacitated that she had no awareness of what had been inflicted upon her. She was, I consider, highly vulnerable to the defendant's deplorable actions. He nonetheless displayed a callous and wicked disregard for her. I applaud her bravery and I believe this attack has had a profound effect upon her. I also applaud the resilience of the witness. She deserves praise for playing her part in making sure the victim in this case got justice. The retired father-of-three faced lengthy waits even in the NI private sector Robert with his daughter Paulene Meehan, who helped make arrangements for the treatment A Co Antrim man forced to travel to Scotland for surgery for a chronic skin condition after almost 10 years on the NHS waiting list has said he feels born again after finally having the procedure. Robert Morrow (86), from Carrickfergus, developed rhinophyma around 2014. A very visible skin disorder, rhinophyma is caused by a proliferation of sebaceous glands and underlying connective tissue which can lead to severe swelling, lumps and redness. The condition affects mainly older, white men. Mr Morrow said the obvious nature of the condition had affected his mental health and left him self-conscious, keeping his head down in public. After seeking help, he initially spent seven years on the waiting list for treatment before even receiving a call back. I went to my doctor who diagnosed it and give me an ointment and antibiotics, Mr Morrow said. This didnt seem to do much good and it actually got worse over time, particularly on one side of my nose. I was on the NHS waiting list for seven years and was only once called to check if I still wanted the treatment. I said yes, but I was never called back. I was then told it could be another three years. This phone call took place two years ago. Robert before the operation in Glasgow Mr Morrows daughter, Paulene Meehan, eventually persuaded her father to return to the clinic, but he was again told that the waiting list would be lengthy and that, if he had the funds, he should consider private treatment. The family tried two private options in Northern Ireland. They received no reply from one centre, while the other also had long waiting times for the procedure. Mr Morrow then submitted an online query to Ever Clinic, a private clinic in Glasgow, and arranged the operation for November 2023. The procedure in Scotland involved a laser excision treatment rather than the plastic surgery method available in Northern Ireland. That meant the recovery period was so short that the father-of-three was able to go for a pint immediately afterwards. Robert with his daughter Paulene Meehan, who helped make arrangements for the treatment We went straight to a pub in George Square afterwards and got a pint of Guinness, said Paulene. Its a real shame that such a treatment isnt possible in Northern Ireland. When people think of private medical care, they assume it will be prohibitive. But the costs are reasonable and value for money considering the life-changing benefits it has brought my dad and the family. Mr Morrow, who is a retired mechanic, said the procedure had left him feeling born again. I could see an improvement every day. The level of service has been exceptional and the after-care has been fantastic, he said. The service and attention for just one patient was incredible, and the reaction from my friends has been tremendous. Infrastructure Minister John ODowd has announced an additional 1 million to tackle potholes on roads across Northern Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) An additional 1 million has been allocated to repair potholes on Northern Irelands road network, the Stormont Infrastructure Minister has announced. There were an estimated 110,000 potholes across the region, according to government data analysed by CompareNI.com last month. Infrastructure Minister John ODowd said the funding is to be spent before the end of this financial year in a number of weeks. He said currently around 7,000 potholes a month are fixed, but more needs to be done. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr ODowd blamed underinvestment and the impact of climate change for severe damage to some roads. This extra allocation will go some way to address the roads with the most significant need, he said. Unfortunately, a number of factors has recently made the situation worse. For the last decade the department has been operating in a challenging financial position due to British Government cuts and austerity which has had an impact on road maintenance activities and the overall condition of the road network. Add to that, the impact of climate change, with the wettest October in over 153 years of records, which caused severe damage to some roads across the north. The minister added: This 1 million investment today is the start of addressing the problem. Its a statement of intent that I will seek out the investment to improve our road networks for motorists and cyclists. Members of the Bruton family walk behind as members of the defence forces carry the coffin on a gun carriage after the State funeral of former Taoiseach John Bruton, at St Peter and Paul's Church, in Dunboyne (Credit: PA Wire) Veteran civil rights activist Eamonn McCann has said the late John Bruton should be recognised as a Taoiseach who took the initiative by making Bloody Sunday a matter of government policy. At his funeral on Saturday mourners heard the late Irish Prime Minister was an exceptionally good man who loved Ireland. Mr McCann, who was central to the setting up of the Bloody Sunday justice campaign, said he was surprised there was little reported about the role of the Fine Gael politician in forcing the hand of the British Government. The Irish Government handed the British Government a file of new evidence relating to Bloody Sunday in June 1997 one of Mr Brutons last acts as Taoiseach. The Irish Prime Minister called the original inquiry into the shootings by Lord Chief Justice Widgery deeply unsatisfactory and did not represent the truth of what happened. This dossier was essential when it came to convincing Tony Blairs government that a fresh inquiry should be established. It underlined Dublin's effort to obtain a Westminster declaration that 14 people shot by British troops in January 1972 were innocent of claims that they were killed while handling guns or explosives. Mr McCann said that over the years it was difficult for the Bloody Sunday families to have their voices heard and he was always giving out about the lack of action by Dublin politicians. The veteran socialist added: The families had been rebuffed by the Irish Government on other occasions. I recall being approached by someone in a pub. It came as a real surprise when I was told way back in 1995 that the Taoiseach John Bruton had brought this up. Members of the Bruton family walk behind as members of the defence forces carry the coffin on a gun carriage after the State funeral of former Taoiseach John Bruton, at St Peter and Paul's Church, in Dunboyne (Credit: PA Wire) Because, of all the parties you thought would take the initiative to make Bloody Sunday a matter of government policy in Dublin it was a very important moment. It surprised me, initially confused me, but at the end of the day delighted me because it meant that the establishment, if you like, in Dublin, was at last taking Bloody Sunday seriously and its own responsibilities seriously. Julieann Campbells uncle Jackie Duddy was the first person shot dead on the day. Mr Bruton was in attendance at the launch of her book, On Bloody Sunday: A New History Of The Day And Its Aftermath By The People Who Were There. She said: The families and wounded knew that they needed the support of the south, and in 1995 the shift in attitudes was noticeable as more and more new evidence came out. That's when Bruton designated one of his own civil servants to become a liaison between the families and the Irish Government. Derry families felt they were being taken seriously at last, and John Bruton also said he'd use his influence to get some US support too. They met with him again in 1997 before Ahern took over. Though Ahern gets the credit for helping us, it was entirely down to John Bruton. Speaking about the Dublin book launch, she added: He was very gracious and warm and spoke eloquently when he came to launch the book about the campaign at the Dublin launch. I was really touched to meet him that day and it seemed like he really, really cared about us and our need for justice. Labour is standing by its Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali despite a furious backlash over comments he made about Israel (Peter Byrne/PA) Labour is facing criticism for standing by its Rochdale by-election candidate, even after he claimed that Israel allowed Hamas to carry out its October 7 attack to provide grounds to invade Gaza. Azhar Ali apologised for his deeply offensive comments after he was recorded telling a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had deliberately relaxed security after warnings of an imminent threat. Labours decision to stick with Mr Ali has raised questions about Sir Keir Starmers claim to have changed his party since Jeremy Corbyns leadership, when it was embroiled in an antisemitism controversy. Azhar Ali has apologised for his deeply offensive comments about Israel (Peter Byrne/PA) Pat McFadden, Labours national campaign co-ordinator, said Mr Alis comments were completely wrong and did not represent the partys view. But he said Mr Ali would remain Labours parliamentary candidate in the Rochdale contest on February 29, which was triggered by the death of sitting MP Sir Tony Lloyd. Mr McFadden told Sky News: Hes issued a complete apology and retraction. And I hope he learns a good lesson from it because he should never have said something like that in the first place. The deadline to remove Mr Ali from the ballot paper has passed, but the party could withdraw campaign support. The Tories have called for the aspiring MPs campaign to be suspended and his Labour Party membership removed. Conservative Cabinet minister Michael Gove said: Sir Keir Starmer cannot continue to support this candidacy. In a recording obtained by The Mail on Sunday, Mr Ali said: The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier Americans warned them a day before (that) theres something happening. They deliberately took the security off, they allowed that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want. Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7 last year, in which 1,300 people were killed and more than 240 kidnapped. Israel has retaliated with months of attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding thousands. Mr Ali, a Lancashire county councillor and former government adviser who was made an OBE in 2020 for public service, on Sunday said: I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false. Hamass horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. He promised to urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments, saying that the Labour Party has changed unrecognisably under Keir Starmers leadership. But Mr Alis remarks were seized on by some as evidence that Labour has failed to root out antisemitism after the Corbyn era. Joe Glasman, head of political and government investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology. This is distressingly familiar to days that Sir Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing antisemitism out by its roots. Labour recently suspended the MP Kate Osamor after she appeared to say the Gaza war should be remembered as genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day. Mr Glasman said the inconsistency in deciding not to suspend Mr Ali is deeply alarming and must be urgently re-examine(d). We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mike Katz, the national chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, said his group would not campaign in Rochdale as Mr Ali had destroyed his past record of allyship with the Jewish community with his totally reprehensible comments. But he stopped short of calling on Labour to drop the candidate, warning that the alternative in Rochdale is George Galloway whose victory would harm the Jewish community far more than electing Ali. He added: We know how far the party has come under Keir Starmer in tackling antisemitism and that the party, from Starmer down, is as shocked and disgusted by Alis comments as we are. Dame Louise Ellman, who rejoined Labour after quitting over Mr Corbyns handling of antisemitism, criticised Mr Alis outrageous and deeply offensive remarks but said they were out of character. I have known Azhar for over twenty years and he consistently supported me when I was subjected to antisemitic attacks, she said. He should now have the opportunity to work with the Jewish community to restore the loss of trust his actions have caused. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was criticised for initially refusing to back an immediate ceasefire in Gaza (Andrew Matthews/PA) As well as reigniting a row over antisemitism in the party, Mr Alis comments could highlight divisions within Labour over its stance on the Gaza conflict. The Labour leaderships initial refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire faced serious criticism from within the party ranks. Sir Keir has since hardened his tone towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and backed the Governments call for a sustainable ceasefire as the Palestinian death toll has mounted. Also running in Rochdale are its former Labour MP Simon Danczuk, now the Reform Party candidate, and Mr Galloway, of the Workers Party of Britain, who is campaigning against Labours stance on Gaza. About 20% of the electorate and 30% of the population of the town are Asian, with polls nationally suggesting Labours vote could be hit by Asian people unhappy with the party over Palestine and its perceived support for Israel. Labour by-election candidate for Rochdale Azhar Ali has apologised for his deeply offensive comments after he reportedly said Israel allowed Hamas to carry out its October 7 attack to provide grounds to invade Gaza (PA) A shadow minister has insisted it would be unfair to conclude there is a problem with Labour in Rochdale amid criticism of remarks about Israel made by the partys constituency candidate. Nick Thomas-Symonds said he believed that Azhar Ali, who claimed the country had allowed Hamas to inflict its October 7 attack, had fallen for an online conspiracy theory. The Labour hopeful has apologised after he was recorded suggesting in a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had taken the assault as a pretext to invade Gaza. It was put to Mr Thomas-Symonds that nobody at the gathering appeared to object to these remarks when they were made. Asked whether the incident reflected a problem at large with the Labour Party in Rochdale, the shadow minister without portfolio told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Weve got, as I understand it, a short clip from a meeting, so I think it would be unfair to draw a wider conclusion in that way. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content On why Mr Ali has not been suspended, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: Well, let me first say the remarks that have been made are completely and utterly unacceptable. I was very shocked and appalled to see them and they in no way represent the views of the Labour Party. Councillor Ali has apologised unreservedly. Hes retracted those remarks and hes also shown a sense of the gravity of the offence that has been caused and the need to do now tremendous amounts of work to rebuild trust with the Jewish community which is going to be absolutely essential. So its for those reasons he hasnt been suspended and why we will now continue this campaign in Rochdale. Asked whether he believes the candidate has genuinely changed his mind following the remarks, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: I do take what Councillor Ali has said at face value that he fell for an online conspiracy theory. The deadline to remove Mr Ali from the ballot paper has passed, but the party could withdraw campaign support. The Tories have called for the aspiring MPs campaign to be suspended and his Labour Party membership removed. Mr Ali, a Lancashire county councillor and former government adviser who was made an OBE in 2020 for public service, said on Sunday: I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Hamass horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. He promised to urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments, saying that the Labour Party has changed unrecognisably under Keir Starmers leadership. But some seized on his remarks as evidence that Labour has failed to root out antisemitism following controversies during the Corbyn era. Joe Glasman, head of political and government investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology. This is distressingly familiar to days that Sir Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing antisemitism out by its roots. Labour recently suspended the MP Kate Osamor after she appeared to say the Gaza war should be remembered as genocide on Holocaust Memorial Day. Mr Glasman said the inconsistency in deciding not to suspend Mr Ali is deeply alarming and must be urgently re-examine(d). We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mike Katz, the national chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, said his group would not campaign in Rochdale as Mr Ali had destroyed his past record of allyship with the Jewish community with his totally reprehensible comments. But he stopped short of calling on Labour to drop the candidate, warning that the alternative in Rochdale is George Galloway whose victory would harm the Jewish community far more than electing Ali. He added: We know how far the party has come under Keir Starmer in tackling antisemitism and that the party, from Starmer down, is as shocked and disgusted by Alis comments as we are. As well as reigniting a row over antisemitism in the party, Mr Alis comments could highlight divisions within Labour over its stance on the Gaza conflict. The Labour leaderships initial refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire has faced serious criticism from within the party ranks. Sir Keir has since hardened his tone towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and backed the Governments call for a sustainable ceasefire as the Palestinian death toll has mounted. Also running in Rochdale are former Labour MP Simon Danczuk, now the Reform Party candidate, and Mr Galloway, of the Workers Party of Britain, who is campaigning against Labours stance on Gaza. About 20% of the electorate and 30% of the population of the town are Asian, with polls nationally suggesting Labours vote could be hit by Asian people unhappy with the party over Palestine and its perceived support for Israel. Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on a residential building In Rafah, Gaza Strip (Hatem Ali/AP) By Najib Jobain, Josef Federman, and Samy Magdy, Associated Press By Najib Jobain, Josef Federman, and Samy Magdy, Associated Press The Israeli military says it has rescued two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip after a night of air strikes which killed at least 67 people. Israeli forces stormed a heavily guarded apartment in the southern Gaza Strip to extract the captives. To assist the rescue forces, heavy airstrikes pounded the area near the apartment in Rafah, a city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip. It identified the freed hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70. It said both men were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the October 7 cross-border attack that started the four-month Israel-Hamas war. Hostage Fernando Simon Marman hugs a relative after being rescued from captivity in the Gaza Strip (Israeli Army via AP) The army says both men are in good medical condition. Officials in Rafah say at least 67 people were killed in airstrikes that accompanied the Israeli hostage rescue operation. An Associated Press journalist in Rafah said strikes hit around Kuwait Hospital, where some of those wounded in the strikes had been brought. Israel says around 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity after dozens were freed during a ceasefire in November. (PA Graphics) Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on October 7 or died in captivity. The Israeli government has made freeing the hostages a top aim of its war, along with destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities. However, as the fighting drags on, rifts have emerged over how to retrieve them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that persistent military pressure will bring about the captives freedom even as families of the hostages and many of their supporters have called on the government to make another deal with Hamas. Palestinians walk by a residential building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Rafah (Hatem Ali/AP) Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza and signalled that its ground offensive may soon target the densely populated city. Mr Netanyahu has said that sending ground troops into Rafah is essential to meeting Israels war goals. This comes despite warnings from US President Joe Biden not to conduct a military operation in the Gaza border town without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. More than half of Gazas 2.3 million population is now crammed into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands live in sprawling tent camps and overcrowded UN shelters. The operation, which was accompanied by airstrikes, killed dozens of Palestinians, according to local health officials (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, more than 12,300 Palestinian minors children and young teens have been killed in Israels war against Hamas. About 8,400 women were also among those killed. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and provided the breakdown of minors and women at the request of The Associated Press. Israel claims to have killed 10,000 Hamas fighters. The European Unions foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, called on the US among other countries to stop providing weapons instead of simply demanding that the two sides in the war in Gaza stop killing civilians. If you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed, Mr Borrell told reporters in Brussels after talks with the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. The EUs top diplomat also expressed concern about the likelihood of an imminent Israeli ground assault on Rafah. He said: They are going to evacuate. Where, to the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people? Beatle Sir Pauls cousin making Belfast debut at the Ulster Hall Its maybe no surprise that Belfast-bound comedienne Sophie McCartney was destined for fame. The stand-up is a cousin of Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, so entertaining is in her genes. She forged a career online, becoming a sensation with hundreds of thousands of followers. Ahead of her debut Belfast show, Sophie told Sunday Life she had to go the extra mile to overcome her fear of flying and jet into Northern Ireland for the performance. She said: Its all new to me Ive never been to Belfast. Considering I grew up in Liverpool, Im rubbish for hopping across the Irish Sea. I get horrendously seasick I cannot set foot on a boat. But also, Im also horrendously scared of flying. Landlocked in England, Scotland and Wales for ever. So, I have a rule that if Im going to get on a plane, it has to be a proper plane with full engines. If its just propellers, I cant do it. My tour manager has managed to get us a flight over on a proper plane with engines, so Im coming. Im like Mr T I aint getting on no plane, fool. Sophie, who is married to the physio for Liverpool FC, has enjoyed huge success recently. Paul McCartney Shes a double Sunday Times best-selling author and Funny Women Awards winner, and her style of show can be likened to our very own Mammy Banter. The 39-year-old said: Im yet to do Belfast, but Ive done Glasgow and that was one of the most fun nights that Ive done. It was brilliant, I could have stayed on that stage all night. I had so much fun and the audience were so up for it. Glasgow had the highest proportion of men in the audience that Ive had to date, and when I came out on the stage, I had to address it straight away. Like, What are you lot all doing here? Whos looking after all of your children? Normally its a 98 per cent sway towards women in the audience, and Ill generally get the odd bloke whos been dragged along as the plus-one for the evening, but Glasgow was very male-heavy and we all had a lovely time. They went away a little bit more educated than they thought they would be. Im intrigued to see what Belfast will be like and whether it will be the same. Sophie McCartney brings Tired and Tested to Belfasts Ulster Hall on March 7. Tickets available on Ulster Hall website and Ticketmaster Extending new regulations to this side of the Irish Sea wont stop attacks by breed: USPCA Esther Martin was mauled to death by two XL Bullies in Essex (Family/ PA) The head of the USPCA has said Northern Ireland could not cope with an influx of XL Bully dogs after their recent banning in Great Britain. Nora Smith warned there simply wasnt the room in local sanctuaries and spoke out against extending the ban to this side of the Irish Sea. Our centre, like so many others up and down the country, is already at capacity, she told Sunday Life. This sense that we will suddenly open our doors and welcome in all the XL Bullies from other regions, its just not possible. The whole situation is absolutely heartbreaking, but that is the reality. The ability for us to respond to XL Bullies that are abandoned and brought over here just isnt realistic. XL Bullies, a sub-type of the American Bully, were recently added to the list of breeds banned by the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, making it illegal to sell, abandon or give them away. Owners who wished to keep their dog needed to apply for an exemption certificate before the ban came into force, with an estimated 22,000 people having done so. XL Bullies were banned after the breed was involved in a number of horrific, headline-grabbing attacks on members of the public and other dogs. Just two days after the ban came into force on February 1, 68-year-old grandmother Ester Martin was fatally attacked by two of the dogs in Essex. But extending the ban to Northern Ireland is not the right answer, according to Ms Smith. She said: All of these stories are absolutely heartbreaking, and it is not us saying we are not concerned about dogs attacks. We absolutely are, we just want to approach this in a way that will make a difference. Our recommendation to the minister is please dont extend a piece of legislation that already has not worked and that has been in place for 32 years. Why on earth we would extend legislation to ban XL Bullies when that isnt going to solve the problem of dog attacks? It sounds like action and sounds tangible, but behind the headline there is no substance to it. Unfortunately, there is no easy or quick win. It comes down to responsible pet ownership. It always comes down to the owners behind the dog. If you dont have the experience to bring a dog up responsibly, to give it the physical exercise, mental stimulation and positive associations with other family members and pets, you are always going to have a challenging dog, no matter what size it is. But the bigger the dog, the greater risk that poses to public safety. XL Bullies are banned in Great Britain Ms Smith said the law was already strong enough, and anyone who broke it needed to feel its full weight. There are individuals in Northern Ireland who are breeding and training dogs to be as aggressive as possible, and there already is strong legislation in place, but we just dont feel that is being used, she continued. Ms Smith also called for anyone who, with the best of intentions, wishes to rehome an XL Bully to think carefully about what it entails. If your first dog is an XL Bully, you are leaving yourself vulnerable and the dog vulnerable. They are a big, strong, powerful dog, she said. There is a lot experience and understanding needed as to what is involved in looking after any dog well. But there are particular dogs which need a lot of mental stimulation and lots of physical exercise, and if and when they dont get that, thats potentially whenever problems arise. Anybody can set up an animal sanctuary you dont have to have experience of it but there is no reason why these dogs need to come over to Northern Ireland. If they already have responsible owners, those owners will be going through the exemption process. Yes, they have to keep the dog muzzled when out in public, but its a small price to pay in order to keep your dog as your family pet. There is plenty of help and support (in Great Britain) for the responsible XL Bully owner, so there is no reason why you would abandon your dog. Around 1.7 million Indonesians living overseas are registered to vote in the Feb. 14 presidential and legislative elections, a mammoth task for the General Elections Commission. It has had to prepare 828 voting booths at Indonesian representative offices worldwide, as well as 1,579 mobile voting boxes and 652 drop boxes for absentee voting. How many overseas Indonesians will actually turn out to vote is another matter, and will there be any further controversy after reports that ballots were given to overseas nationals too early? According to a review by the Philippines Commission on Elections published last month, of the estimated 10 million overseas Filipinos, only 1.6 million are registered to vote and only 600,000 (around 40%) did so at the 2022 elections. Most Southeast Asian governments, at least the more democratic ones, are looking at ways of reforming how their overseas nationals vote. The Philippines electoral commission says it intends to have an online voting system in place by 2025 for overseas nationals, although there is still talk that this might be cost-prohibitive and could require digital voting to be rolled out at home too, which is simply too difficult for the election commissions of most Southeast Asian countries for now. Expat Filipinos react as presidential candidate and former President Joseph Estrada speaks during a campaign event in Hong Kong, April 4, 2010. [Tyrone Siu/Reuters] In Malaysia, where overseas balloting has been in something of a mess for the past decade, parliamentarians last month hit on fixed-term parliaments as one way to fix the problem. However, it might be worth pondering why overseas voters are still asked to vote for representatives in parliament who live hundreds of miles away from them, whose priority is to represent constituents back at home, and who may know nothing about the concerns of overseas nationals. Constituencies mismatched In Indonesia, for instance, votes from overseas Indonesians go to deciding the seven seats in the House of Representatives sent by Jakarta II district. (Jakarta II, which is Central and South Jakarta, was chosen because thats where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located.) This may actually be superior to how other Southeast Asian states count overseas ballots indeed, at least the seven congresspeople from Jakarta II district know theyre supposed to represent overseas constituents. Compare that to Thailand, where overseas voters select the candidates in the constituency where they are from or were registered, so a Thai living in London but who hails from, say, Chiang Mai province votes for the MPs from Chiang Mai province. But how can the MP from Chiang Mai province be expected to adequately represent overseas electors when perhaps only 0.1% of the ballots cast for them came from overseas? An Indonesian voter receives a ballot-slip at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore to vote in the presidential election, July 8, 2009. [Wong Maye-E/AP] Why not, instead, make overseas voters a separate district and allocate six or seven seats solely for them? They could have one seat for an MP representing Indonesians in North America, another for Indonesians in Europe, another for those in Northeast Asia, another for Southeast Asia, and so forth. And these seats would be occupied by candidates who live overseas. Imagine the Indonesian congressperson who resides in Berlin, New York, Seoul, or Melbourne. They obviously would be able to understand better the concerns and problems facing other Indonesians living abroad. Aloof from local politics Theres a democratic element to this, too. An overseas MP wouldnt have to mix daily with their peers in Manila, Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta. They would, on the one hand, remain aloof from the politicking and palm-greasing back home and, on the other hand, be able to bring new ideas learned from abroad back to their capitals. They could attend parliamentary sessions every month or two, funded by the state, and spend most of their time abroad, where they could also work more closely with their countrys embassies in the regions they represent. Currently, almost 10 million overseas Filipinos are represented by several government bodies, such as the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, an agency under the Office of the President. However, having overseas MPs in parliament would provide another layer of representation for nationals living abroad, allowing their voices to be heard by the government bodies and by overseas-based elected representatives. Indeed, protecting the large population of overseas Filipinos is one of the three pillars of Manilas foreign policy initially laid out in the 1990s, yet those emigrants have little legislative representation. Officials check documentation of Indonesians living in Malaysia as they line up to cast overseas ballots ahead of the Indonesias general election, in Kuala Lumpur, April 14, 2019. [Mohd Rasfan/AFP] It isnt a revolutionary idea to have overseas-based MPs represent overseas voters. Frances National Assembly has eleven lawmakers representing overseas constituencies. Italys parliament has had eight. Global examples Nor is it specifically a European idea. The Algerian parliament has eight MPs who represent overseas nationals. Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Peru and Tunisia, to name but a few, also have some parliamentary seats set aside for overseas constituencies. To quickly rebut one argument against it, it would not require a massive change to the composition of parliaments, nor would it require too many administrative changes. At the most, were talking about less than ten seats, so a fraction of parliament in a country like Thailand, whose National Assembly has 500 seats! Philippine Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile looks at a tally board during the counting of overseas votes for presidential and vice-presidential candidates, at the House of Representatives in Metro Manila, May 28, 2010. [Romeo Ranoco/Reuters] But if electoral commissions are now pondering ideas to better include their overseas nationals in the democratic process, it might be worth considering the more affordable and, perhaps, more democratic option of giving a handful of seats in parliament to overseas representatives. Nor, indeed, would it be a terrible idea if campaigners in Southeast Asias autocracies suggested this as a rational way of protecting their overseas compatriots all the while knowing that theyre smuggling something democratic into the conversation, however implicitly. After all, even one-party states claim to listen to their parliaments and to protect their emigrants. Some 1 million Cambodians live abroad, most in Thailand but also Northeast Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. Why not add a 26th consistency during the next general election and allow overseas Cambodians to elect six seats in the National Assembly directly, the same number of seats sent to parliament by the inhabitants of Siem Reap province, home to around 1 million people, too? If the Communist Party of Vietnam can stretch its tentacles abroad, why not allow a handful of delegates in the National Assembly to represent the 5 million Vietnamese living abroad? David Hutt is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and the Southeast Asia columnist at The Diplomat. As a journalist, he has covered Southeast Asian politics since 2014. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of RFA. A rescuer carries a young girl to an evacuation site from the landslide-hit village of Masara in Davao de Oro province in the southern Philippines, Feb. 8, 2024. Search-and-recovery personnel kept digging through the mud to recover more bodies from a landslide that struck a southern Philippine mining village last week, as the death toll reached at least 68 with 51 more people still missing, officials said Monday. Days of heavy rains dislodged saturated slopes above the gold-mining village of Masara, which lies in Maco town in southern Davao de Oro province, causing a landslide that engulfed a section of the community on Feb. 5. The miraculous recovery of a young girl found alive days later brought some hope but by the weekend, rescuers could not find signs that anyone was still alive under the rubble. Leah Anora, a member of the Interior Departments Management of the Dead and Missing cluster, said dozens of more people were still missing six days after the disaster. As of today, Feb. 12, 2024, we have already accounted for 68 bodies, Anora told a press briefing. Also, we have 51 missing individuals and we have 32 injured as of today. Those who perished were workers for Apex Mining Co. Inc., the firm that owns mining concessions to dig for gold in the area. Provincial spokesperson Edward Macapili on Sunday said that at ground zero, the landslide of wet earth that had cascaded down onto the village buried a portion of it in mud up to 50 meters (164 feet) deep. Rescuers have only reached between 20-40 meters (65.6 feet to 131 feet) deep, which is where many of the bodies were recovered. The rescue team is doing its best, even if its very difficult, he told reporters. Police and rescue volunteers carry a corpse recovered from the landslide-hit village of Masara, in Maco town, southern Philippines, Feb. 8, 2024. [Mark Navales/BenarNews] Two U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Hercules aircraft stationed in Manila were to be used to fly in supplies for the affected families, the Philippine military said on Monday. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has also provided nearly U.S. $1.25 million in humanitarian aid for those affected in Davao de Oro and Davao del Norte provinces as well as Davao City. Company can voluntarily cease operations Meanwhile, the Philippines Department of Environment and Natural Resources has not issued a suspension order against the company Apex Mining. Environment Undersecretary Joselin Fragada said the landslide occurred outside Apexs area of operations. The company could suspend its operations, he said. They can choose to do so, its their prerogative, right? If they like to, they can voluntarily cease operations first if the weather conditions are really like that, Fragada said. We always remind the mining companies of their responsibilities, and of course, [that includes] watching the post-effect on communities, as well, since most of the host communities are employed with them, he added. Progressive groups said Apex Mining should be held liable for the incident, citing environmental damage as the cause of the landslide. Apex Mining Co. cant just stay quiet and cover up their big liability and responsibility to their local workers that became victims, especially for those who died, because of the landslide and flooding that happened in its mining site, said Bayan Muna, vice president for Mindanao Eufemia Cullama, over the weekend. In a stock exchange filing on Monday, Apex Mining Co. said that the incident area, which it said was 500 meters away from its gate, is outside the mine operations area of the company. The area, it said, serves as a vehicle terminal for buses and jeepneys servicing its employees. Rescuers search through rubble for survivors of the southern Philippines landslide, Feb. 8, 2024. [Mark Navales/BenarNews] The company also said that it is now operating with a limited capacity as access to its site was hampered. The company incident command center reported nine employees of the company were recovered dead from the landslide site, and one was injured and is currently being treated in a hospital in Davao region, Apex said on Monday. [The] search-and-rescue operation continues to account/locate/search for the nine unaccounted for or missing employees, it added. The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide, and in the Pacific typhoon belt. A combination of mountainous terrain and high rainfall also makes the archipelago particularly susceptible to landslides. Man-made disasters have exacerbated this problem in recent years, experts said. From 2016 to 2021, the Davao region in the south incurred the highest losses due to floods and landslides in the Philippines, according to data from the Office of the Civil Defense. Total cost of damages in the 6-year period was nearly U.S. $200,000, averaging more than $37,00 a year. The area is also one of the regions illegal logging hotspots, based on Forest Management Bureau data. Davao De Oro, which has been greatly affected by disasters in recent years, lost 8% of its forest cover from 2010 and 2020, government data showed. A soldier stands guard at the entrance of a Mindanao State University gymnasium while police investigators look for evidence after a bomb attack during a Catholic Mass, in Marawi, southern Philippines, Dec. 3, 2023. The Philippine military on Monday confirmed the killing of a suspected senior Islamic State-affiliated militant whom it accused as the mastermind of a deadly bombing during a Catholic Mass in the southern city of Marawi in December. Military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the Daulah Islamiyah (DI) emir had been identified as among nine militants killed in military operations on Jan. 25 and 26 in a remote part of Lanao del Sur, a province in the southern Philippines. The militarys 103rd Infantry Army confirmed the death of Khadafi Mimbesa, also known as Engineer, in the military operation in January, Brawners office said in a statement. Several sources, including one militant identified only as Khatab who had surrendered to the military on Sunday, confirmed to investigators the identities of those who died, a senior military official who asked to be kept anonymous told BenarNews. Khatab is a known high-value individual in the DI-Maute group and he corroborated intelligence reports earlier gathered by troops, the military said. However, one military source told BenarNews that troops in the field had yet to recover the body of Mimbesa even as he insisted that their intelligence information was beyond reproach. The Dec. 3 bombing killed four people occurred during a Mass at the Mindanao State University gymnasium in Marawi, a city that came under siege from Islamic State-linked militants in 2017. That siege lasted for five months and led to the destruction of much of Marawi and the deaths of at least 1,200 militants, soldiers, police and civilians before the military, backed by American and Australian intelligence support, defeated the militants. It was spearheaded by Filipino Islamic State leader Isnilon Hapilon of the Abu Sayyaf group as well as Maute family members in Marawi, who controlled their own fighters. Hapilon and the Maute leaders were among those killed, although other militants have taken over their leadership roles. Daulah Islamiyah means Islamic State in the local language. Its membership includes fighters from several Filipino militant factions, including the Maute group, which had provided fighters and logistics during the siege of Marawi. Brawner lauded the troops in successfully pursuing those responsible for the university bombing and called on other militants to surrender. Our troops will be relentless in the pursuit of those who will seek to disturb the peace. Take this as an invitation and a call to surrender now and avoid the same fate as your dead comrades, he said. The Armed Forces of the Philippines will always be a catalyst for peace and assure the public of the militarys unwavering commitment to safeguarding peace and security in Mindanao and across the country, he said. The bombing occurred after security forces killed 11 Muslim militants identified as members of a local Daulah Islamiyah cell in the southern province of Maguindanao, including two Islamic militants it identified as Mundi Sawadjaan and Jalandoni Lucsadato, in coordinated actions. Authorities identified Mundi as a sub-leader of IS-linked Abu Sayyaf and the nephew of the late Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan, who was thought to be the groups leader before his death in 2020. Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan was identified as the mastermind of a January 2019 bombing at a Catholic cathedral in Jolo, killing 23 people including an Indonesian couple blamed for the suicide attack, according to Philippine authorities. Roel Pareno in Zamboanga, Philippines, contributed to this report. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Following the Christmas Eve fire, it's the loss of family pictures that is hurting Matthew Weller the most You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Columnist Ruth Bass writes: "Freedom of the press is not a license to just give readers and watchers what they want. Its a privilege, like freedom of speech, to be treasured and used with great care. And nattering endlessly about Bidens age is ignoring the incredible stamina that both he and the former president exhibit every day." BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. Avenues for growth in the pharma & biotech sectors were discussed Marisa Gerards, the Netherlands Ambassador in India, along with Head of Economic Affairs Joost Geijer and INBA H (India-Netherlands Business Association) Chairman Chakravarthi AVPS, held a productive meeting with the Chief Minister of Telangana Revant Reddy, Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, Chief Secretary of the State Shanti Kumari, Spl Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao, and other officials to discuss the strong bilateral ties between the Netherlands and India. The discussions primarily focused on exploring opportunities for Dutch investment in India, underscoring the favorable business environment in the country. Potential collaborations in the agriculture and water sectors were explored, including initiatives such as the Agricultural Centers of Excellence and the Musi River rejuvenation project. Additionally, avenues for growth in the Pharma & Biotech sectors were discussed. Chakravarthi, who also chairs the Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, highlighted the significant pharmaceutical exports from India to the Netherlands, amounting to approximately $600 million, with 70% comprising formulations. He mentioned a recent Memorandum of Intent (MoI) signed between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) of India and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands. This MoI aims to establish a framework for cooperation and information exchange in the field of Medical Products Regulation, facilitating trade growth and fostering better collaboration between the two countries in the pharmaceutical sector. The meeting between the Netherlands delegation and Telangana government officials signifies a step forward in strengthening economic ties and exploring avenues for mutual growth and cooperation between the two nations. Entries are still open for the 2015 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Competition, honouring Africa's best journalistic talent. The entry closing date has been extended to 18 May. Register on the website and enter your best stories of 2014. Category information and full details on how to enter, also can be found at the Awards' website. The inaugural Migration Media Awards will recognise the work of 35 journalists from 16 countries who had reported on the migration to the Euro-Mediterranean region. The entries were selected based on the objective and information-based reporting of the challenges and opportunities of such a complex subject. The international jury consisted of senior journalists and evaluated more than 120 English, French, and Arabic entries that were submitted in the video, print, online, and radio categories. The Migration Media Awards is funded by the European Union and was developed in collaboration with EUROMED Migration IV, OPEN Media Hub projects, the European Asylum Support Office, and Malta's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first, second, and third prize winners will be awarded at a special award ceremony that will be held in Valletta, Malta on 14 June 2017. The African Academy of Sciences alongside the African Federation of Science Journalists and the South African Science Journalists Association through the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is accepting pitches from African journalists every month for the Africa Science Desk. The project is aimed at building the capacity of science journalism on the continent. The call is open to journalists to produce newspaper stories, TV documentaries, short web videos, explainers, short or long-form investigative reports and data stories aimed at local or global news markets. The project will also provide funding to journalists in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa to produce science stories aimed at local or global news markets. The application for the July round is open and the next deadline is 5 July 2018; pitches are submitted through the AAS Ishango Online system. BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI: As tensions mount in the central African nation of Burundi ahead of presidential elections, journalists and activists say they are paying an increasingly heavy price as standard bearers for free speech, reports BD Live. Civil rights in the small Great Lakes nation, they say, are on the decline - sacrificed at the altar of President Pierre Nkurunziza's controversial ambition to defy a two-term limit and stay in power for another five years. Read the full Journalists, activists bemoan mounting harassment in Burundi. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States, was born in a single-room log cabin on Sinking Spring Farm in LaRue County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He was the son of Thomas Lincoln, an illiterate pioneer farmer, and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, who died when Abraham was nine years old. It was Thomas Lincoln's second wife, Sarah Bush Johnston who, while illiterate herself, recognized Abraham's "uncommon natural talents" and encouraged his famous bookishness. Self-taught and from humble origins, Abraham Lincoln became one of the most revered and uniquely appealing United States Presidents. Known as Honest Abe, the Rail-splitter, and the Great Emancipator, Lincoln was a skilled orator who preserved the Union during the American Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation. His assassination in 1865 contributed to Lincoln's legendary place in American history and culture. Despite his stature among many Americans as one of the greatest United States presidents, only a small number of U.S. states, including Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, and New York, observe Lincoln's birthday on February 12 as a legal, public holiday. In other states, Lincoln's birthday is celebrated in combination with President George Washington's birthday on the third Monday of each February. The combined federal holiday is officially named Washington's Birthday but is also known as Presidents Day. Washington's Birthday was first declared a federal holiday in 1879 by an Act of Congress. The Uniform Holidays Act of 1968 changed the date of commemoration from Washington's actual birthday on February 22 to the third Monday of February. Because of this Act, and the fact that President Lincoln's birthday falls on February 12, many people now refer to the holiday as "Presidents Day" and consider it a day honoring all American presidents. However, neither the Uniform Holidays Act nor any subsequent law changed the name of the holiday from Washington's Birthday to Presidents Day. Several Lincoln devotees have attempted to create a holiday in honor of the sixteenth President. In 1873, Julius Francis, a shopkeeper from Buffalo, New York, proposed a holiday celebrating President Lincoln. Francis, a bachelor and collector of Civil War and Lincoln memorabilia, declared that his campaign for a Lincoln holiday was "my wife and my life." Francis sent Congress elaborate memorial pamphlets as part of his campaign and organized the first public celebration of Lincoln's birthday in Buffalo. Until his death in 1881, Francis held annual celebrations of Lincoln's birthday, renting a hall and organizing speakers, poets, and musicians to celebrate the martyred president. His attempts to persuade Congress to establish a legal Lincoln's Birthday holiday were not successful, but in 1877 Francis organized the Buffalo Lincoln's Birthday Association to continue the campaign after his death. In 1951, Californian Harold Stonebridge Fischer formed a Presidents Day National Committee and lobbied Congress for the creation of a holiday to honor the office of the president rather than a particular president. He proposed March 4, the original Presidential Inauguration Day, as the date for "Presidents Day." The bill was defeated in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but several state governors subsequently issued proclamations declaring March 4 "Presidents Day" in their states. Even in locations where it is not a legal holiday, many groups and individuals celebrate Lincoln's birthday, and annual wreath-laying ceremonies take place at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in Kentucky. The ceremony in Washington has been conducted every year since the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial in 1922. Activities in other locations include re-enactments, parades, concerts, and readings of the Gettysburg Address. "We are working closely with local safety officials to respond to the situation," Waymo said in a statement provided to The Standard. In a follow-up statement, Waymo said the vehicle had "recently dropped off a rider and was navigating to its next destination when the event occurred." The company said on Sunday morning that it was continuing to operate in the city and would serve riders throughout the day's Super Bowl festivities. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Former US president Donald Trump raised a storm of criticism from the White House and top Western officials for suggesting he would not defend Nato allies who failed to spend enough on defence and would even encourage Russia to attack them. Here are the answers to some key questions about Nato, the comments by Mr Trump - who is running for another term in the White House in November and leading president Joe Biden in some polls - and their implications. Advertisement What is Nato?| Founded in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union with Cold War tensions rising, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is a political and military alliance of countries from North America and Europe. Enshrined in Article 5 of its founding treaty is the principle of collective defence - the idea that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all of them. Advertisement Nato takes decisions by consensus, but the political and military strength of the United States means that it is by far the most powerful country in the alliance, with its nuclear arsenal seen as the ultimate security guarantee. Which countries are in Nato? Nato currently has 31 members - most of them European nations, plus the United States and Canada. The newest member is Finland, which joined last April in reaction to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sweden applied to join along with Finland but is waiting for Hungary to ratify its application as the final major step before membership. Advertisement During the Cold War, Nato's main focus was protecting Western Europe from the Soviet Union. After the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, Nato expanded to take in former communist bloc countries from Central and Eastern Europe. Nato's members range from large countries such as Britain, France, Germany and Turkey to small nations such as Iceland and Montenegro. What did Trump say about Nato? As US president from 2017-21, Mr Trump often lambasted Nato and members such as Germany, accusing them of not paying enough for their own defence and relying on Washington to protect them. He openly questioned the collective defence principle. Other US administrations have also accused Europeans of not spending enough on defence, but in less strident terms. Advertisement Advertisement Mr Trump took his criticism to a new level at a campaign rally on Saturday in Conway, South Carolina, when he recounted what he said was a conversation with the "president of a big country". "Well sir, if we don't pay, and we're attacked by Russia - will you protect us?" Mr Trump quoted the unnamed leader as saying. "I said: 'You didn't pay? You're delinquent?' He said: 'Yes, let's say that happened.' No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay," Mr Trump said. How is Nato funded? Mr Trump has often accused other Nato members of not paying their dues, giving the impression that the alliance is like a club with membership fees. Advertisement But Nato operates differently. It has some common funds, to which all members contribute. But the vast bulk of its strength comes from members' own national defence spending - to maintain forces and buy arms that can also be used by Nato. However, Nato members have committed to spending at least 2 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) every year on defence - and most of them did not meet that goal last year. How many Nato members meet the defence spending target? Advertisement According to Nato estimates from July last year, 11 members were expected to meet the 2% target in 2023. Those members were Poland, the United States, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Britain and Slovakia. Germany, Europe's economic heavyweight, was estimated at 1.57 per cent. But German officials have said they expect to meet the 2 per cent target this year, partly thanks to a special 1 billion fund established in response to Russia's war in Ukraine. The lowest spenders as a share of national GDP were Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, according to the Nato figures. Advertisement Nato is expected to release updated figures in the coming days that will show more allies meeting the 2 per cent target, according to people familiar with the data. What is Nato's Article 5? In Article 5 of the founding treaty, Nato members declared that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America "shall be considered an attack against them all". They agreed they would "assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith, individually and in concert with the other Parties, such action as it deems necessary, including the use of armed force". However, Article 5 stops short of a commitment to an automatic military response to help an ally under attack. That means the strength of Article 5 depends on clear statements from political leaders that it will be backed up by action. This is one reason Mr Trump's comments caused such a furore, particularly as they came at a time of heightened alarm in Nato about Russia's intentions, following its invasion of Ukraine. By suggesting he would not take military action to defend an ally, Mr Trump undermined the assumptions that give Article 5 its power. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk," Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday. A teenage boy has been injured in a suspected stabbing incident in Co Kerry. Gardai confirmed officers responded to reports of the incident in Cahersiveen at around 2.20am on Monday. Advertisement A male aged in his late teens was taken to University Hospital Kerry for treatment for "apparent stab wounds". Gardai said his injuries are understood to be serious, but added he is currently in a stable condition. A man aged in his 50s has been arrested in connection with the incident and is detained at a Garda station in Kerry under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. Investigations into the matter remain ongoing. An application to have Gemma O'Doherty brought before the High Court to answer her alleged refusal to obey a court order not to harass the mother of a young man who died by suicide has been put back a week. Lawyers acting for Edel Campbell, who is suing Ms O'Doherty over the use of her son's image on a publication run by the defendant, have brought a motion seeking Ms O'Doherty's attachment and possible committal to prison for the alleged contempt. Advertisement Ms O'Doherty was not in court when the application was due to be heard on Monday, and the court was told that she was "out of the jurisdiction." Mr Justice Mark Sanfey put back the matter after being told that while Ms O'Doherty was aware of the application, and had been emailed the court documents seeking her attachment, said he was putting the matter back to allow Ms Campbells make certain legal submissions on the application. Advertisement The judge said the submissions should address if service by email, rather than service in person, will suffice in regards to a motion for attachment that could result in a person being committed to prison for contempt. Counsel for Ms Campbell, David Kennedy SC, appearing with Paul Comiskey O'Keeffe Bl instructed by solicitor Ciaran Mulholland for Ms Campbell, said that there could be "no doubt" that Ms O'Doherty "knows exactly what is happening." Advertisement When the matter was last before the court, the defendant had invited other persons who disagreed with his client's application to attend court, counsel added. Counsel who said his side was quite prepared to furnish the court with the legal submissions it has sought, but said that Ms O'Doherty's attitude to the application was "an abuse" of the fair procedures and processes afforded by the courts. Ms Campbell's lawyers had previously obtained orders from the court against Ms O'Doherty including an injunction restraining the defendant from harassing or intimidating her. Ms O'Doherty was also ordered to remove images of Mrs Campbell's late son Diego from any media platforms under the defendant's control, or from publishing any images of herself and her family on any medium. Advertisement It is claimed that in a series of video posts by Ms O'Doherty on dates in June, July, August and September of last year the defendant has made statements in clear disregarding and in breach of the court's orders. Advertisement Mrs Campbell's lawyers have brought a motion for Ms O'Doherty's attachment, meaning that she should be brought before the court to answer the allegations she is not complying with the court's orders and her possible committal to prison for alleged contempt. The court had previously heard that Ms O'Doherty denies any wrongdoing. Earlier on Monday the judge allowed Brendan Moloney & Company Solicitors, who had been representing Ms O'Doherty in the action, to formally 'come off record' and cease representing Ms O'Doherty in the proceedings. Advertisement There was no opposition to Mr Moloney's application. Ms Campbell application forms part of her action against Ms O'Doherty over the alleged unauthorised publication of the image of plaintiff's late son. She claims Ms O'Doherty has wrongly and unlawfully used the image of the plaintiff's son Diego Gilsenan in an article published on media controlled by Ms O'Doherty linking unexplained deaths to the Covid-19 vaccination. Ms Campbell secured an injunction restraining Ms O'Doherty from harassing the plaintiff, or from publishing Ms Campbell's and her late son's images or any personal confidential material about them. Advertisement Ms ODoherty is also restrained from encouraging or inciting others to intimidate the plaintiff and was ordered to take down and remove any image of Ms Campbell and her late son from any form of media that she owned or operated by the defendant. The injunction is to remain in place pending the final outcome of Ms Campbell's action against Ms O'Doherty, trading as 'The Irish Light'. The plaintiff claims Ms O'Doherty is a journalist and the publisher of The Irish Light, a free periodical newspaper, and the publisher/editor of the www.irishlightpaper.com website. Following Mr Gilsenan's death in August 2021 it is claimed that Ms O'Doherty used the image of the plaintiff's son in an article which it is claimed wrongly stated that he died as a result of the administration of the Covid-19 vaccination. Ms Campbell, from Kingscourt, Co Cavan, claims that Ms O'Doherty has refused to stop using her son's image and that the unauthorised and repeated use of her son's image amounts to harassment and a breach of her constitutional rights She claims the defendant's actions have caused her emotional pain, suffering and harm. Ms O'Doherty rejects all of the allegations of wrongdoing made against her. A money launderer who was caught with 1.6 million in cash in secret compartments in two cars, along with 11,000 worth of drugs in his penthouse apartment, has been jailed for six years. Karl Duggan (38) was arrested in January 2021 at a Dublin hotel by gardai who had been given a confidential tip-off, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Monday. Advertisement At the same time, his penthouse apartment in Sheiling Square, Howth Road, Raheny, Dublin 5, was raided by gardai, Detective Garda David Dunne told George Burns BL, prosecuting. A sum of 5,745 in cash was found in his home, along with money laundering equipment including a money counter and vacuum pack bags. When gardai searched two cars at the property, they found hidden compartments in the base of the vehicles. A sum of 1,225,375 was discovered in one car and 389,920 was found in another. Advertisement Cocaine, cannabis resin and alprazolam with a combined street value of around 11,000 were also found in one of the cars, as well as 12 burner phones. A watch worth 24,500 was also seized. Duggan, with an address at Finn Eber Court, Finglas, Dublin, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing the proceeds of crime, one count of possessing cocaine for sale or supply and one count of possessing a car that was fitted with a concealment, giving rise to the inference it was connected with a drug trafficking offence. All of the offences took place on January 17th, 2021. Advertisement A number of other counts were taken into consideration. Duggan has no previous convictions. The court heard Duggan fled the jurisdiction in the wake of the Garda raid, but returned voluntarily after two years. Jailing him on Monday, Judge Martin Nolan said Duggan was involved in money laundering and drugs, and there were signs of wealth associated with that criminality. He said Duggan deserved a severe sentence and he jailed him for six years. Paul Comiskey O'Keeffe BL, defending, said Duggan comes from a hard-working family. He witnessed the death of his brother in 2016, which the court heard worsened a long-standing drug problem. He has a perforated nasal septum as a result of his addiction to cocaine. Mr Comiskey O'Keeffe said Duggan is working on becoming drug-free and wishes to change his life. He has three small children and his father died late last year, the court heard. A number of testimonials were handed into court on his behalf. A man who attacked his neighbour with a machete leaving him so badly injured that he had to be identified through dental records has been found guilty of murder. A jury took a little over five hours to reject Patrick McDonagh's claim that his responsibility for the "brutal" crime was substantially diminished because he was suffering an acute episode of schizophrenia. Advertisement During the two-week trial at the Central Criminal Court, the prosecution argued that the symptoms McDonagh detailed to psychiatrists were evidence of "malingering" and that if there was any abnormality in his mental state, it would most likely be accounted for by cannabis use. McDonagh, who stabbed, slashed and chopped his 73-year-old victim Peter McDonald with a machete and a knife, will be sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Michael MacGrath on Wednesday when members of the deceased's family will have an opportunity to address the court. Advertisement Patrick McDonagh (52), with an address at Whitechapel Road, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter for the unlawful killing of Peter McDonald (73) at the deceased's home on Whitechapel Road on July 25th, 2020. The State did not accept his plea. His trial heard from two psychiatrists who differed on Mr McDonagh's diagnosis. Professor Patricia Casey, who was called by the defence, said that Mr McDonagh had a long psychiatric history and was at the time of the killing suffering from acute symptoms of schizophrenia. She said that his mental disorder substantially reduced his responsibility for the killing. Advertisement Dr Mary Davoren, who was called by the prosecution, said that if there was any abnormality in Mr McDonagh's mental state at the time of the alleged offence, it would most likely be accounted for by cannabis use. Stormonts First Minister has ruled out the imposition of water charges in Northern Ireland. The UK government has made the release of a 3.3 billion package to support the return of devolution dependent on the newly formed ministerial executive in Belfast committing to introduce its own additional revenue-raising measures. Advertisement Water charging is not the only option open to ministers to raise extra cash for public services, but it is one of the more significant potential tools at their disposal. Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle ONeill made clear her opposition to such a measure on Monday. Her comments chime with weekend remarks by DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly who said it is unsustainable to ask people to pay more for poor public services. Ms ONeill said the British government needed to shoulder the burden and deliver a proper funding model for Northern Ireland. Advertisement Advertisement Im saying very clearly no to water charges, she told BBC NI. Im saying very clearly that you cant burden people who are living through a cost of living in crisis with additional household bills whilst their services and public services are declining. Thats not the right spot for us to be. So what we intend to do is to fight together for a proper funding model, we intend to be at the Treasury in the coming weeks to make that case again very clearly. Well talk about it again at our executive this week. We are unified in trying to achieve a proper funding model. Advertisement She added: Im not working on the basis of failure, we intend to succeed. We need a proper funding model. When you look at how Scotland are funded, at how Wales are funded, we are funded below need. And its not on the basis of us standing with a begging bowl, which I often hear referred to. This is about us fighting for good public services. This is us fighting for whats right and just and that is that were properly funded to deal with the needs of the public that we collectively serve. Ms Little Pengelly told the BBC on Sunday that there was a huge number of hard-pressed families in Northern Ireland as she voiced concern about the potential impact of new revenue-raising measures. Many of those families are the very same families who are trying to bring up children, stay in work, get childcare, she said. We know how much financial pressure these families are under. A number of these proposals will do nothing but put additional pressure on those hard-pressed families at a time of a cost-of-living crisis. The High Court has set two days in May for the hearing of a challenge by Reddit against a decision to include the chat forum host in a list of video-sharing platforms to be regulated under a new online safety code. Ms Justice Niamh Hyland said she accepted the case, one of a number being brought by media companies over the new code, is urgent. Advertisement The court heard one of the reasons for this is that Ireland is facing infringement proceedings in the European Court of Justice for failing to transpose EU law on the regulatory framework for audio-visual media, including traditional TV broadcasters, video-sharing platform services and on-demand services. On Monday, the judge granted leave to Andrew Fitzpatrick SC, for Reddit Incorporated, to bring judicial review proceedings against the media regulator, Comimisiun na Mean, seeking to quash its December 2023 decision to designate Reddit as a named video-sharing platform service. Advertisement Reddit Inc, of Wilmington, Delaware, claims it does not meet the definition of a video-sharing platform under the relevant EU Audio Visual and Media Services (AVMS) directive which was implemented here by the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022. Until the code now proposed by the regulator is fully implemented, the AVMS directive will not have been fully transposed which means the EU infringement case remains active. Advertisement Mr Fitzpatrick told the court his client believed this case and a similar case being taken by US blogging site Tumblr should be heard together. The main difference between his side and the regulator was when the hearing should take place. Paul Gallagher SC, for the Coimisiun, said his side did not oppose the granting of leave but they wanted an earlier hearing date than suggested by Reddit. He did not believe the Reddit and Tumblr cases should be heard together as there were some very important differences between them. Advertisement There should not be any delay in hearing the matter given the urgency created by the EU infringement proceedings, he said. His client has also informed Reddit the new code will not be implemented until the middle of May. The regulator also did not believe there would be a need to refer the matter to the EU Court of Justice as proposed by Reddit in its proceedings, he said. The judge said it may be that the Tumblr and Reddit cases should be heard together, but hopefully she could facilitate both at a May hearing. She set two days aside for the hearing and approved directions proposed by Reddit for the exchange of papers. If there was any slippage in progress to get the case on, the parties could return to court. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned there will be people attempting to use upcoming referendum's on the rights of families as red herrings to mislead voters. Two referendum's are to be held on March 8th to amend Irelands Constitution. Advertisement The first plebiscite is on whether the Constitution should be changed to extend the definition of family beyond only those based on marriage to include durable relationships. Vote Yes on March 8th: A more inclusive concept of Family Remove outdated language re a womans life within the home Recognise the care & support family members provide to each other State shall strive to support family carehttps://t.co/jfIV46peFZ pic.twitter.com/XBtkVUTfKK Fine Gael (@FineGael) February 12, 2024 Advertisement The second is on whether to delete a reference to the role and duties of women in the home and replace it with a new article placing an obligation on the State to strive to support the provision of care by families. Advertisement Launching Fine Gaels campaign in support of a yes vote for both changes, Mr Varadkar said there were always red herrings in every referendum campaign. Advertisement Speaking in Dublin on Monday, he said: There are going to be people who try to make the referendum about something that it is not actually about. Anti-migrant groups have said the proposed changes redefining the rights for family could lead to higher immigration due to increased reunification of asylum seekers spouses and relatives. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said one million people would benefit from a protective shield of the recognition of their family through the proposed changes. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. Advertisement But Mr Varadkar said immigration law already provided for reunification and added that State law allowed for circumstances where non-national spouses of Irish citizens could be deported. The Taoiseach told the launch event that one million people would benefit from a protective shield of the recognition of their family through the proposed changes to the Constitution. We can all think of everyday examples of people that we know; a single mother or a single father raising a family; guardians perhaps a sister or brother that has taken on rearing their nieces and nephews when their brother or sister passed on; grandparents bringing up kids because the birth parents arent able to for one reason or another, he said. These are everyday examples. We estimate about a million people form these families and yet our Constitution says that their families are not real. Advertisement Advertisement On the referendum about care, Mr Varadkar said the wording would place an obligation on the State to strive to support families providing care. Minister for Children Roderic OGorman said a durable relationship was one that was stable and committed. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA. He said this meant the State would have to work vigorously to improve things for family carers. Asked why the Government had chosen to add the word strive rather than proposed a constitutional change to impose an obligation to directly support the provision of care, Mr Varadkar said there was a need to be careful that the wording was not too strong. If you put in language that is obligatory, for example, it takes decisions away from the Oireachtas the people that are elected by the public to make decisions for example, on how money is allocated and potentially puts it in the hands of the courts and judges that are not elected, he said. Anytime were making a budget, we have to make difficult choices. And take, for example, social welfare weve to make choices between pensioners and sometimes between carers and sometimes between people that have a lone-parent family and other groups. Those are choices that should be made, in our view, by the Oireachtas and the elected members of the people. Advertisement He added: This does put an additional obligation on the State to strive to support family carers but it doesnt make it so strong that it might be at the expense of other groups that arent listed. Elsewhere, Minister for Children Roderic OGorman said the proposed wording would place a mandatory obligation on the State to recognise a carers role. If you pull shall into a piece of legislation thats a clear direction to the government to do something, the Green minister added. The alternative is may, where youre giving the government some flexibility. But we placed shall in there because it is a clear direction to State that it must continue to do more, it must continue to increase the level of support it gives to family care that will have an impact in Cabinet discussions, in budgetary negotiations, but it will also as with the article on the family it will also be ultimately interpreted by the courts and the courts will ultimately say if the State has done enough in terms of meeting that new obligation. Mr OGorman said a durable relationship was one that was stable and committed. Durable relationship is a relationship of strength, a relationship of stability, a relationship of commitment, and its a relationship that fits in with the wider description of the family in Article 41, something thats the fundamental unit group of society, he said. Advertisement Mr OGorman also said that while the courts would have a role in interpreting the meaning of the Constitution, the Government was very clear that it would include one-parent families and cohabiting couples and any children they might have. He ruled out it including three adults living together who wanted to claim family status. Thats not contained within this definition, because that isnt a fundamental unit group of society, he said. Mr Varadkar said it was not the case that every durable relationship could become recognised as a family. For example, he said nobody would be able to get the courts to define a decades-long-strong business relationship as a family. He added: A family must be the natural and primary fundamental unit group of society, that it must be a moral institution, that it must be an institution possessing inalienable and imprescriptible rights, that it must be necessary for the basis of social order and indispensable for the welfare of the State. Asked if there was a threshold for how long a relationship must be, Mr Varadkar said durability did not have to be based on a duration. But he added that existing law outside the Constitution said that cohabiting couples needed to be living together for two years if there was a child involved, or five years if they did not have children before they were recognised under legislation. A teenager who drove a stolen car faster than 170 kilometres per hour the wrong way down the motorway near Mitchelstown, Co Cork causing the death of a 16-year-old front seat passenger and life-changing injuries to a female motorist with whom he collided has received four years of detention. Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Johnny Foley of Spur Hill in Togher in Cork lost his life in the crash on July 1st, 2023. Advertisement Two other teenage boys were seriously injured in the crash, whilst a teenage girl was less seriously injured in the incident. Mental health occupational therapist Roisin Stakelum saw her life completely changed in an instant after the car being driven by the 17-year-old driver crashed into hers. She opted to give victim impact evidence in the case. She told Judge Helen Boyle that she was en route to Dublin Airport to fly to Australia to start a new life when the car occurred. Advertisement I began my journey just after midnight on the morning of July 1, 2023. I never made it to the airport. I barely made it out of Fermoy. That crash brought a violent end to my plans, all my hard work and dreams for a new life. Advertisement What happened that night on the motorway altered the course of my life and changed me forever. Im haunted by the memory of the impact. Haunted by the memory of the headlights and then what seemed like an explosion. I often think of how unlucky I was to be on that particular stretch of road at that exact moment. Emergency surgery Ms Stakelum had a job arranged in Australia and was set to meet up with her sister and friends there. However, instead she found herself facing in to an eight-hour emergency surgery where surgeons put several titanium plates in to her face to fix the fractures. She said she now lives with horrific injuries. Even now I am unable to fully open my mouth I have nerve damage all over the bottom half of my face and have no sensation or altered sensation in a lot of it. Advertisement I dont think I fully understood the meaning of pain until this experience. Advertisement "The first time seeing my face in a mirror after the surgery, my face was so damaged and swollen and bruised I didnt recognise my own reflection. I thought I was somebody else. That was terrifying. I couldnt physically smile for months. Ms Stakelum said that she was re-admitted to hospital late last August with an intestinal obstruction which has caused her excruciating pain. She says that her life has been turned upside down by what occurred. If someone gave me the option of dying or continuing to experience that pain, I wouldnt have thought twice about taking the offer of death. Advertisement The burden of my injuries has placed strain on those closest to me, especially my parents The emotional toll on my loved ones cannot be overstated, and I am deeply saddened by the pain this has caused them. My future was once so certain. I knew exactly what I was going to be doing. I had it mapped out. Now I feel disconnected like Ive been plugged out of my life. I cant see a way back. I dont think Im ever going to feel like myself again I wont move to Australia now. That future doesnt exist for me anymore. 'Immense tragedy' Advertisement Ms Stakelum described the the death of Johnny Foley as an an immense tragedy. The loss of a young life is an immense tragedy and I cannot help but feel a profound sense of sorrow for the untimely passing of this young person. Advertisement "My heart goes out to the family and loved ones who grieve his loss. She thanked gardai, the emergency services and the staff of Cork University Hospital for their assistance in the aftermath of the crash. Meanwhile, the defendant, who cant be named because of his young age, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Foley. The youth also pleaded guilty to three charges of dangerous driving causing serious harm to two teenage passengers in his car as well to the other motorist, Roisin Stakelum, in the two-car collision and to a count of endangerment, where other motorists had to take evasive action. Dt Garda John Murphy of Fermoy Garda Station outlined the case to Judge Boyle. He said the five juveniles involved arrived in Glanworth village shortly before midnight on June 30th, 2023, in a Toyota they had stolen in Cork two days earlier. He told the court that the five teenagers tried to steal another car. Advertisement However, they were disturbed by the owner of the second vehicle who contacted gardai. Gardai responded, but the young driver did a U-turn in Glanworth village and took off at speed with the gardai in pursuit. The juvenile managed to lose the gardai. About 30 minutes later, gardai spotted the stolen vehicle near Mitchelstown. However, the juvenile avoided arrest by going around two roundabouts the wrong way at high speed. Det Garda Murphy told how at the second of these roundabouts, the juvenile drove on to the M8 motorway and headed south on the northbound lane for over six kilometres at speeds in excess of 170kph,forcing several other motorists to take evasive action. Shrortly before 1am, the juvenile driving the stolen Toyota southwards crashed head-on into a Kia Riva heading north being driven Ms Stakelum. In sentencing, Judge Boyle said that the youth had caused life-changing injuries to some and the death of another in the incident. She said that he had forced other motorists to take evasive action before colliding head on in to another vehicle. She acknowledged that the youth had had little to no parental assistance growing up. Judge Boyle said that he had had a highly dysfunctional childhood where he experienced severe neglect. She extended her condolences to the family of Johnny Foley and said that the loss of life of such a young man was tragic. Judge Boyle said that there was a certain inevitability about the crash given the manner in which the car was being driven. She ruled that the boy be detained for four years. The Israeli military says it has rescued two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip after a night of air strikes which killed at least 67 people. Israeli forces stormed a heavily guarded apartment in the southern Gaza Strip to extract the captives. Advertisement To assist the rescue forces, heavy airstrikes pounded the area near the apartment in Rafah, a city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip. Advertisement It identified the freed hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70. It said both men were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the October 7 cross-border attack that started the four-month Israel-Hamas war. Hostage Fernando Simon Marman hugs a relative after being rescued from captivity in the Gaza Strip (Israeli Army via AP) Advertisement The army says both men are in good medical condition. Officials in Rafah say at least 67 people were killed in airstrikes that accompanied the Israeli hostage rescue operation. Advertisement An Associated Press journalist in Rafah said strikes hit around Kuwait Hospital, where some of those wounded in the strikes had been brought. Israel says around 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity after dozens were freed during a ceasefire in November. Advertisement (PA Graphics) Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on October 7 or died in captivity. The Israeli government has made freeing the hostages a top aim of its war, along with destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities. Advertisement However, as the fighting drags on, rifts have emerged over how to retrieve them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that persistent military pressure will bring about the captives freedom even as families of the hostages and many of their supporters have called on the government to make another deal with Hamas. Palestinians walk by a residential building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Rafah (Hatem Ali/AP) Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza and signalled that its ground offensive may soon target the densely populated city. Mr Netanyahu has said that sending ground troops into Rafah is essential to meeting Israels war goals. This comes despite warnings from US President Joe Biden not to conduct a military operation in the Gaza border town without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. Advertisement More than half of Gazas 2.3 million population is now crammed into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands live in sprawling tent camps and overcrowded UN shelters. The operation, which was accompanied by airstrikes, killed dozens of Palestinians, according to local health officials (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, more than 12,300 Palestinian minors children and young teens have been killed in Israels war against Hamas. About 8,400 women were also among those killed. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and provided the breakdown of minors and women at the request of The Associated Press. Israel claims to have killed 10,000 Hamas fighters. The European Unions foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, called on the US among other countries to stop providing weapons instead of simply demanding that the two sides in the war in Gaza stop killing civilians. If you believe that too many people are being killed, maybe you should provide less arms in order to prevent so many people being killed, Mr Borrell told reporters in Brussels after talks with the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. The EUs top diplomat also expressed concern about the likelihood of an imminent Israeli ground assault on Rafah. He said: They are going to evacuate. Where, to the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people? A series of Israeli strikes hit Rafah on Monday morning, despite warnings from US president Joe Biden not to conduct a military operation in the Gaza border town without a plan to protect civilians. The Israeli military said it struck terror targets in the area of Shaboura, a district in Rafah. Advertisement The military statement said the series of strikes had concluded, without elaborating on the targets or assessing the potential damage or casualties. An Associated Press journalist in Rafah said strikes hit around Kuwait Hospital where some of those wounded in the strikes had been brought. Palestinians search for survivors in Rafah (Hatem Ali/AP) Advertisement Palestinian health officials did not immediately offer any casualty information. The White House said Mr Biden told Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday there should be no military operation in the densely populated Gaza border town without a credible plan to protect civilians. Advertisement Around 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in the four-month Israel-Hamas war. Mr Bidens remarks were his most forceful language yet on the possible operation. Last week he called Israels military response in Gaza over the top and sought urgent and specific steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. Advertisement Discussion of the potential for a ceasefire agreement took up much of the call, a senior US administration official said, and after weeks of diplomacy, a framework is now pretty much in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a halt to fighting. Mr Netanyahus office declined to comment on the call. Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah (Fatima Shbair/AP) Advertisement They spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops are sent into Rafah, where Egypt fears fighting could force the closure of the besieged territorys main aid supply route. The threat to suspend the Camp David Accords, a cornerstone of regional stability for nearly a half-century, came after Mr Netanyahu said sending troops into Rafah was necessary to win the four-month war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. He asserted that Hamas still has four battalions there. Advertisement More than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million have fled to Rafah to escape fighting in other areas, and they are packed into sprawling tent camps and UN-run shelters near the border. Advertisement Egypt fears a mass influx of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who may never be allowed to return. Mr Netanyahu told Fox News Sunday that there is plenty of room north of Rafah for them to go to after Israels offensive elsewhere in Gaza, and said Israel would direct evacuees with flyers, with (mobile) phones and with safe corridors and other things. US president Joe Biden is hosting Jordans King Abdullah II in Washington with the ongoing effort to free hostages in Gaza and growing concern over an Israeli military operation in Rafah among the topics on the table. Mondays meeting is the first between the allies since three American troops were killed last month in a drone strike against a US base in Jordan. Advertisement Mr Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the fatalities, the first for the US after months of strikes by such groups against American forces across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The meeting with King Abdullah comes as Mr Biden and his aides are working to broker another pause in Israels war against Hamas in order to send humanitarian aid and supplies into the region and get hostages out. Advertisement US president Joe Biden (AP) Advertisement The White House faces growing criticism from Arab-Americans over the administrations continued support for Israel in the face of growing casualties in Gaza. A senior US administration official said on Sunday that after weeks of shuttle diplomacy and phone conversations, a framework was essentially in place for a deal that could see the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a halt to fighting. The potential for an agreement took up the majority of Mr Bidens call on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The official said the two leaders also had a significant back and forth about the potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Rafah and that Mr Biden reiterated US opposition to the idea under the current conditions while more than 1.3 million people are sheltering there. Advertisement The official said the Israelis made clear they would not contemplate an operation in Rafah without safeguarding the civilian population. The official said the US is not sure there is a feasible or implementable plan to relocate civilians out of Rafah to allow military operations to take place. Israel launched a series of strikes on Rafah on Monday, during which they freed two hostages held since the October 7th attack by Hamas. Advertisement Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israels actions and have eschewed public support for long-term planning over what happens next, arguing that the fighting must end before such discussions can begin. Advertisement They have been demanding a ceasefire since mid-October as civilian casualties began to skyrocket. A young boy who was critically injured in a shooting at a Texas megachurch is the son of the attacker, police have said. Officers identified the assailant, who opened fire during a service at celebrity pastor Joel Osteens Lakewood Church on Sunday, as 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno. Advertisement Moreno was named in an affidavit seeking a search warrant for a home in Conroe, about 40 miles north of Houston where the attack took place. A woman holds her face as she waits with others outside Lakewood Church, Texas following a shooting on Sunday (Karen Warren/AP) The warrant was released by the Montgomery County district attorneys office on Monday. Advertisement Police said Moreno had a history of mental illness, including being placed under emergency detention in 2016. Investigators have not yet established a motive for the attack. Advertisement Emergency vehicles line up outside Lakewood Church (Kirk Sides/AP) Advertisement Moreno used an AR-style rifle before being killed by off-duty security officers, police said. They added that Morenos son remains in a critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. It is understood the boy, who is thought to be five-years-old, entered the church with the attacker. A man in his 50s was also injured after being shot in the hip. Advertisement Mr Osteen took the helm of Lakewood Church after John Osteen, his father and the churchs founding pastor, passed away in 1999. The 60-year-old is a leader of what is known as the prosperity gospel, a belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy. He is the author of several best-selling books, including, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential. His televised services reach about 100 countries and renovating his churchs arena cost nearly 100 million dollars (79.1 million). Advertisement Mr Osteen said the violence could have been worse if the shooting had happened during the earlier and larger late Sunday morning service. The UK Labour Party has taken a narrow lead over the Conservatives among Englands rural voters, a poll has found. But while the survey suggests Conservative support has collapsed in the partys heartlands, the head of a major countryside business association said rural voters were still politically homeless. Advertisement Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: My overwhelming impression is that both of the major parties have very little support in the rural economy at all. They might be vying for two halves of nothing at the moment. And thats because neither of them have produced an ambitious plan for the rural economy. Advertisement The poll, carried out by Survation on behalf of the CLA, found Conservative support had fallen by 25 points since the 2019 election, with just 34 per cent of voters in the 100 most rural constituencies in England saying they would vote for the party. Advertisement Labour support has risen over the same period, going from 20 per cent in 2019 to 37 per cent at the start of this year giving the party a narrow lead in what has traditionally been considered Conservative territory. Support for the Liberal Democrats has remained largely unchanged, with 14 per cent saying they would back the party down only two points from 2019. Advertisement But the poll also shows neither of the main parties is seen as understanding or respecting rural communities. Only 28 per cent said they thought Labour understood rural communities, while 25 per cent said the same about the Conservatives. Victoria Vyvyan played down suggestions that England could see large-scale farming protests, but said rural voters felt politically homeless (Gareth Fuller/PA) Advertisement The CLA has put forward a series of missions for parties to show they understand rural voters, including investing in profitable and sustainable farming, providing affordable homes for rural communities, tackling rural crime and improving connections for rural areas. Ms Vyvyan said: Our vote is there for the taking, and they need to show us that they understand and respect our community. She added: We feel invisible. I spoke to a small farming group in West Cornwall and the question that was asked was why are governments not interested in our community? Why are they interested in everyone elses community except ours? We are politically homeless. Advertisement Advertisement Rural dissatisfaction has led to protests by farmers in other parts of Europe, such as France and Spain, while Welsh farmers have warned of huge unrest over plans by Cardiff to reform agricultural subsidies to reward sustainable food production. But Ms Vyvyan played down the possibility of similar unrest in England, saying farmers were well set on the way to agricultural transition, adding UK farming minister Mark Spencer and environment secretary Steve Barclay had produced very good rates for payments. Nato cannot be an 'a la carte' military alliance dependent on the whims of the US president, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said. Mr Borrell was responding to comments made by former US president Donald Trump regarding Nato over the weekend. Advertisement Speaking at a rally in South Carolina, Mr Trump suggested the US might not protect Nato allies which do not spend enough on their own defence from a potential Russian invasion. Asked to respond to Mr Trump's comments, Mr Borrell said on Monday: "Nato cannot be an 'a la carte' military alliance... depending on the humour of the president of the US." Following his remarks, Mr Trump was faced with criticism from some of his Republican Party colleagues. "This is why I've been saying for a long time that he's unfit to be president of the United States," former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said in an interview with NBC. Advertisement Advertisement During Saturday's political rally, Mr Trump complained about what he called "delinquent" payments by some Nato countries, and recounted what he said was a past conversation with the head of "a big country" about an attack by Russia on such countries. 'Appalling and unhinged' "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay," Mr Trump said he told the unnamed leader. The remarks prompted rebukes from the White House, which called them "appalling and unhinged," as well as from other top Western officials. The failure of many of Nato's 31 members to meet a defence spending target of at least 2 per cent of gross domestic product has long been a source of tension with the US, whose armed forces form the core the alliance's military power. Advertisement Nato estimates have shown that only 11 members are spending at the target level. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who is Mr Trump's lone remaining challenger for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said: "The last thing we ever want to do is side with Russia." Interviewed on CBS, she added: "Dont take the side of someone who has gone and invaded a country and half a million people have died or been wounded because of (Russian president Vladimir) Putin." Advertisement Republican senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Mr Trump's, said he disagreed "with the way he (Trump) said it," referring to the Nato remarks. Advertisement Graham added: "Russia didn't invade anybody when he was president and if he's president again they won't." Virtually every American president at some point, in some way, has complained about other countries in Nato not doing enough. Politico reported that Republican Senator Thom Tillis blamed Trump aides for failing to explain to the former president that the US, as a Nato member, is committed to defending any member of the alliance that is attacked. It also quoted Republican Senator Rand Paul saying Mr Trump's remarks were a "stupid thing to say". Advertisement On a day in which the US Senate was holding a rare weekend of debates over US president Joe Biden's request for emergency aid to help Ukraine repel a nearly two-year-old Russian attack and Israel in its war with Hamas in Gaza, some Republicans defended Mr Trump. "Virtually every American president at some point, in some way, has complained about other countries in NATO not doing enough. "Trump's just the first one to express it in these terms, but I have zero concern, because he's been president before," Senator Marco Rubio said in an interview with CNN. In a statement, senior Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller sidestepped the remark encouraging Russia to take on some NATO allies, saying: "Democrat and media pearl-clutchers seem to have forgotten that we had four years of peace and prosperity under President Trump," while levelling attacks against Biden. On Capitol Hill, Democratic Senator Peter Welch said Mr Trump "normalises belligerent behavior, but in fact he means it". -Reuters Former Finland prime minister Alexander Stubb has narrowly won a runoff vote to become the countrys next president, who will steer security policy that includes integrating the new Nato member into the alliance at a time of concern over Russias invasion of Ukraine. The final tally from Sundays runoff shows Mr Stubb, of the centre-right National Coalition Party, had 51.6 per cent of the votes, while independent candidate and former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto from the green left got 48.4 per cent of the votes. Advertisement The two were the top vote-getters in the second round of the election. Mr Haavisto had served as Finlands top diplomat in 2019-2023. National Coalition Party candidate Alexander Stubb celebrates with his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb after winning the second round of the presidential election during an election party night in Finland (Sergei Grits/AP) Mr Stubb is taking over from the hugely popular president Sauli Niinisto, who isnt eligible for re-election while his second six-year term expires next month. Advertisement Advertisement A runoff was required after none of the original nine candidates got a majority of the votes in the first round on January 28th. In tradition with consensus-driven Finnish politics and no below-the-belt attacks during the campaign, Mr Stubb visited Mr Haavistos election party event late on Sunday after the result was clear. Youre one of the nicest people I have ever met, Mr Stubb told his opponent Mr Haavisto at the party event, according to Finnish broadcaster YLE. The presidency is a key political post in this northern European country of 5.6 million people. Unlike in most European countries, the president of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy together with the government. Advertisement But they are also expected to remain above the fray of day-to-day politics and stay out of domestic political disputes while acting as a moral leader of the nation. Advertisement The head of state also commands the military a key role after Finland joined Nato in April 2023 in the aftermath of Russias attack on Ukraine a year earlier. Finnish media outlets pointed out on Monday how Europes security is at stake as never before since the Second World War, due to Russias invasion. Advertisement At a news conference in Helsinki, Mr Stubb was asked by The Associated Press to assess the state of the Finnish military and whether he intended to be a hands-on commander. We have one of the strongest military forces in Europe, Mr Stubb replied. Advertisement He pointed to Finlands wartime military strength of 280,000 through reservists a number that is augmented by some 900,000 men and women who have received military training through conscription service. When the Cold War ended, Finland did not run down its military quite the contrary, Mr Stubb said, referring to the modern state of the countrys defence forces. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy was among the first foreign dignitaries to send sincere congratulations to Mr Stubb (Carl Court/PA) We will play our part in the alliance (Nato). People trust us and they know that we are serious about our defence for rather obvious reasons. Will I be an active commander-in-chief? Yes, I intend to do that, he said. Doubts also linger in Finland as elsewhere in Europe over the United States future commitment to Nato doubts that former US President Donald Trump appeared to rekindle over the weekend as the front-runner for the Republican nomination ramped up his attacks on foreign aid and long-standing international alliances. Mr Stubb will become a president of difficult times, possibly even a wartime president, Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat said in an editorial. Advertisement Mr Stubb, 55, was prime minister in 2014-2015 and started his political career as a lawmaker at the European Parliament in 2004. He will become the 13th president of Finland since its independence from the Russian empire in 1917. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy was among the first foreign dignitaries to send sincere congratulations to Mr Stubb. The war in Ukraine has deeply affected the citizens of Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre (832-mile) border with Russia. Donald Trump arrived at a federal courthouse in Florida for a closed hearing in his criminal case charging the former US President with mishandling classified documents. The hearing on Monday morning was scheduled as a procedural hearing, closed to the public, to discuss the procedures for handling classified evidence in the trial currently set for May 20. Advertisement US district judge Aileen Cannon set arguments in the morning from defence lawyers and in the afternoon from prosecutors, each outside of the others presence. Supporters of former US President Donald Trump stand near the US Federal Courthouse in Fort Pierce. Photo: Marta Lavandier/AP. Supporters with signs and flags assembled outside a courthouse barricade as a Trump campaign message to allies with the subject line of Im in court. Again! warned that unspecified opponents want me arrested and erased from the ballot. Advertisement The message reinforced his teams strategy of politicising his four criminal prosecutions, including in Florida, where he faces dozens of felony counts accusing him of hoarding highly classified records at his Mar-a-Lago estate as well as obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. Advertisement Defence counsel shall be prepared to discuss their defence theories of the case, in detail, and how any classified information might be relevant or helpful to the defence, Cannon wrote in scheduling the hearing. It comes as prosecutors have also revealed that a prospective government witness has received threats over social media that are now the subject of federal investigation. Mr Trumps motorcade arrived at the courthouse in Fort Pierce shortly after 9am. Advertisement The hearing is one of several voluntary court dates that Mr Trump has attended in recent weeks. Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP. He left the building in his motorcade after 2pm while supporters shouted his name. The hearing is one of several voluntary court dates that Mr Trump has attended in recent weeks, including appeals court arguments last month in Washington, as he looks to demonstrate to supporters that he intends to fight his criminal prosecutions while also seeking to reclaim the White House in November. Advertisement In addition to the Florida case, Mr Trump faces charges in Atlanta and Washington related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Hes also charged in state court in New York in connection with hush money payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels. Mr Trump has denied any wrongdoing. Donald Trumps suggestion that the US would not protect Nato allies failing to spend enough on defence was not a sensible approach, the UK foreign secretary has said. David Cameron became the first UK Cabinet minister to explicitly criticise the remarks made by the Republican presidential frontrunner on Saturday. Advertisement Downing Street later insisted the UK prime minister is confident the US will continue to be a dependable ally regardless of who wins the countrys election later this year. Advertisement Speaking to reporters as he visited East Kilbride, Scotland, the UK foreign secretary said: I am a very strong supporter of Nato. It is what helps to keep us safe and that is so essential in this world where we have seen Putins terrible illegal invasion of Ukraine. And actually Nato this year has got stronger, with Sweden and Finland joining. Advertisement Of course we want all countries, like us, to spend 2 per cent (of GDP), but I think what was said was not a sensible approach. Advertisement He said Nato was more essential than ever in this very dangerous and uncertain world that we live in and that it was not responsible or sensible to say some of the things that have been said. Former US president Donald Trump speaking at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, on Saturday (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Speaking on Saturday at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Mr Trump recalled how as president he told an unidentified Nato member that he would encourage Russia to do as it wishes in cases of Nato allies who are delinquent. Advertisement You didnt pay? Youre delinquent? Mr Trump recounted saying. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills. Explained What did Trump say about Nato funding and what is... Read More The comments earned a rebuke from Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, who said any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security. Number 10 said the UK remains fully committed to standing with our allies to combat Russian aggression when asked about the remarks. On whether the prime minister is confident that the US will remain a dependable partner regardless of who wins the vote expected in November, his official spokesman said: Of course. Weve always said that. Weve always worked with the US and weve worked with the US through a number of administrations and will continue to do so in the future. Everyone knows someone who worked at the plant. For some families, jobs there are practically a birthright. Conovers father and sons also worked at the plant. Furnace operator and technician Frank Rusty Brown still clocked in there this year with family members. The giant Remington factory was listed for sale last month for $US10 million. Credit: AP My mum worked there. My dad worked there. My wife works there with me now. My daughter works there with me now. My second daughter works there with me now. And my son-in-law works there, said Brown, president of the United Mine Workers of Americas local branch. So its a double hit for me and my wife: two of us out of a job. Heading south The current owners of Remington Firearms, RemArms, blamed production inefficiencies for the plant closure in a November 30 letter to union officials. They cited the high cost of maintaining and insuring about 92,903 square metres of space in multiple buildings, many dating to World War I. RemArms added that Georgia offered an environment that better supports and welcomes the firearms industry. CEO Ken DArcy also said in a news release that the industry was concerned about the legislative environment in New York. Some believe Remington is primarily shifting to the South to reduce labour and operational costs. But in a stretch of upstate New York where support for gun rights tends to be strong, some Republican elected officials seized on the companys remark about Georgia. They linked the plant closure to gun control measures championed by New York City-area Democrats in recent years. Remington is not the first firearms maker to commit to a more gun-friendly state. Smith & Wesson opened its new Tennessee headquarters in October after being based in Springfield, Massachusetts, since 1852. In announcing the move in 2021, company officials criticised proposed state legislation they said would prohibit them from manufacturing certain weapons. RemArms, which bought the firearms business in 2020, did not respond to emails and calls seeking comment. The company said in its letter to the union it expected to end facility operations around March 4. The company previously announced in 2021 it was moving its headquarters to LaGrange, Georgia, and would open a factory and research operation there. Frank Rusty Brown and generations of his family have worked at the factory. Credit: AP The days of traffic jams in Ilion every afternoon when day shifts let out are long gone. Empty spaces dominate the factorys big parking lot. Nearby businesses delivering lunches to the plant, like Francos Pizza, have seen orders dramatically fall. Theyve been dwindling down, Francos owner Daniel Mendez said. This is not necessarily going to put us out of business, but it does hurt. With a fraction of its past workforce, Remington leaves Ilion with more of a whimper than a bang. When Remington leaves, its not going to be like a facility leaving, its going to be like part of your family has moved off. Jim Conover worked at the factory for more than 40 years Stephens believes the remaining workers will be able to find other work in the area. But he also estimates the plants loss could cost the village almost $US1 million ($1.5 million) annually, including utility payments and taxes. Local officials hope the plant site can host a mix of manufacturing, retail and residential units. But its fate remains unclear. It was listed for sale last month for $US10 million. Things can become an eyesore quickly, said Michael Disotelle, historian at Ilions public library. And being in the centre of the village like that, you cant just let it go. The present factory site dates to 1828, when Eliphalet Remington located his operations along the recently opened Erie Canal. Though guns historically have been Ilions prime product, Remington also made typewriters, sewing machines and other consumer items. A shotgun made by Remington Arms, gifted by the company to the town, hangs on the wall of the municipal building. Credit: AP Cerberus Capital Management purchased Remington Arms in 2007, placing it in the same corporate family as Bushmaster Firearms and other gun companies. Bushmaster Firearms moved manufacturing operations to Ilion for a time in 2011. Remington Outdoor Co. and its subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection in 2018, citing slumping sales as well as legal and financial pressure after the Sandy Hook school shooting that killed 20 first-graders and six adults. A Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle was used in the massacre. Family members of victims and a survivor of the shooting who filed a 2015 lawsuit against Remington settled in 2022 for $US73 million. Loading A second bankruptcy filing was made in July 2020. Within months, 545 workers at the Ilion plant were laid off. The companys assets were divided at auction. A judge approved Vista Outdoors $US81.4 million bid for Remingtons ammunition and accessories businesses. The Ilion plant went to a group of investors called the Roundhill Group as part of a $US13 million bid. After months of union negotiations, the firearms plant reopened in the spring of 2021. If RemArms sticks to its March closure timetable, the restart in Ilion will have lasted just under three years. ELVIS A MUSICAL REVOLUTION State Theatre, February 9 Until March 9 Reviewed by JOHN SHAND Its one for the money, two for the show, three to get No, not ready. Put the blue suede shoes back in the box. When an earlier incarnation of this Elvis Presley bio-musical played in Sydney last year, it was deemed not ready for review by its creators. Now, after a revamp and a Melbourne season, they think it is. Its not. Theres no great shame in that. Musicals are fiendishly difficult, which is why so few the likes of A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, Chicago and Cabaret even approach the foothills of perfection. Ascending such heights when youve cornered yourself into a jukebox musical and you can hardly write about Elvis without using his hits is that much harder because the songs no longer help convey story and character. The weight placed on Rob Malletts shoulders playing the central character is immense. Credit: Ken Leanfore That load must be carried entirely by the dialogue. Alas, US writers Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti have routinely chosen the emotional shortcut of sentimentality (when grittiness was sometimes an option), and then when they shoot for greater intensity, the show becomes overwrought, so any soul-searching seems like a send-up. They desperately need to rethink this because currently the actors dont have characters to portray, just lines to deliver and songs to sing. Elvis Presley was not only one of the last centurys greatest singers, he was a natural charismatic who revolutionised the expression of male sexuality in performance. He was also a complex, vulnerable man whose interests were poorly served by his grasping manager, Colonel Parker. The writers skim across surfaces, rather than digging deeper into motivations. So there was a story here, alright, but this isnt it. (Nor did Baz Luhrmanns 2022 movie get it right.) The writers skim across surfaces, rather than digging deeper into motivations. Director Alister Smiths program note suggests an intention to use the massive challenge of Elviss 1968 comeback TV special as their fulcrum. Whereas whats actually on the stage is a bald and linear biography with some flashbacks. Tension is raised by shouting rather than by the articulation of conflict, and Elviss substance abuse is largely airbrushed out. Loading With the text not doing the job, the weight on the shoulders of the actor playing Elvis is immense. The good news is that Rob Mallett has the voice: a velvety baritone with what, in the 1950s (and among whites), was that revolutionary edge of libidinous excitement. But, unlike some of the other jukebox musicals about pop stars, the voice is not enough with Elvis. You need something of the charisma, looks, sexuality and complexity. Mallett cant supply these ingredients in sufficient quantity, although hes way ahead of most of those curious anthropological mutants, the Elvis impersonators. Noni McCallum acquits herself well as Presleys mum, given some of her lines. Ian Stenlake as Colonel Parker is the only actor you believe when the stakes are raised. The finest performance is a bit-part: Kirby Burgess as the gorgeous Ann-Margret during Elviss career-sapping, movie-making phase. She oozes the female equivalent of what we need from Mallett in male guise, and is gifted some of the best of Michael Ralphs choreography. Music director Daniel Puckeys band is sharp enough, but misses that raw 1950s sound. Isaac Lummiss costumes are much more convincing, and along with some of the dancing (including the striking use of 45rpm singles during All Shook Up) and a committed ensemble, help provide some of the fizz that masks the flatness of the storytelling. The latter is emphasised by the creators uncertainty over how to end it. The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday. RIVER Australian Chamber Orchestra City Recital Hall. February 10 Reviewed by PETER McCALLUM Jennifer Peedoms majestic film River juxtaposes epic waterways and arid creek beds, colossal dams and bamboo bridges, imperial cities and humble shanties, surging torrents and dying trickles. Against a narrative by Robert Macfarlane spoken by Willem Dafoe, and live performances of classical excerpts and specially written pieces by the Australian Chamber Orchestra under director Richard Tognetti with William Barton (voice and didgeridoo) and Satu Vanska (voice and violin), it quickly creates a sense of awe and wonder, surging power and terrifying beauty. The narrative begins with the hypothetical first rain spreading out in reticulated complexity like the delicate tracery of leaves and the life-giving network of arteries and capillaries. Within minutes, the viewer is plunging down vertiginous waterfalls and soaring over glaciers. Richard Tognetti and filmmaker Jennifer Peedom are the creative minds behind River. Credit: Nick Moir A drone shot follows water down mountain rocks into rapid streams and mighty floods while Bachs Chaconne for solo violin, arranged by Tognetti for chamber orchestra, amplifies the sense of unified, unwavering and inevitable forward movement through proliferating diversion, variation and complexity. We move through rocky caverns, pristine forests, verdant pastures, neatly stacked rice-fields, overcrowded shores, religious cleansing and funerary rites. We contemplate imposing dams which redistribute natures choices according to human planning, blocking the flow of nutrients and redistributing the places where life will thrive and wither. The film makes the case for wild rivers, undammed and undiverted. In one poignant shot a salmon leaps untiringly but futilely against a weir it will never cross. There are droughts and dried-up beds, and always the ubiquitous unplanned dams of plastic. As Macfarlane puts it, the might of rivers is beyond our capacity to understand but within our capacity to destroy. This leads to shots of dams bursting, rejuvenated fish leaping for joy and a sense of glowing fulfilment and rebirth against Thomas Adess O Albion for string orchestra, Jonny Greenwoods Water and the second movement of Ravels String Quartet. There is a moment around the three-quarter mark where the refreshed water reaches the sea, which seemed a natural ending, but the film continues to explain that the water then evaporates and makes rivers of the sky. Though the vaporous images were magical, the 80-minute piece started to feel overlong at this point and the narrative more like a science class. The drawn-out close appropriated the slow movement of Mahlers Fourth Symphony. Here, as in the excerpted passages of Bach, Ravel and others, one was inclined to think it would be more respectful for the creators to stick to their own score, let other composers create moments of transcendence according to their own imaginations and not quarry masterpieces for good bits to arrange as background soundtrack. A FOOL IN LOVE Wharf 1 Theatre, February 10 Until March 17 Reviewed by JOHN SHAND Back in the day, one could make frothy coffee without an espresso machine. It was basically a hot milkshake of nebulous coffee flavour. Van Badhams new play is the theatrical equivalent: a comedy so frothy that one wades through hectares of lather to happen upon occasional kernels of humour. A Fool in Love is her more charitably titled adaptation of Lope de Vegas 1613 play, La Dama Boba (The Stupid Woman). Generally, the closer the show adheres to de Vega, the funnier it is, although he, too, was up to his slashed breeches in some Spanish variant of froth. Prosecco, perhaps. This version is set in the Australian beachside paradise of Illescas, which is suspiciously like the Gold Coast. There lurks the appalling Otto (Johnny Nasser), a failed business tycoon, and his two marriageable daughters, Vanessa (Melissa Kahraman) and Phynayah (Contessa Treffone). By a quirk of dramaturgical fate, Ottos brother has left a fortune to the family on condition that Phynayah is married before turning 30. Contessa Treffone, left, as Phynayah and Megan Wilding as her friend, Clare Credit: Daniel Boud Spelling her name is not the only hurdle to this eventuating: she is, according to her father, the intellectual equivalent of a failed pie. For once, hes not being unkind. When her many suitors, attracted by both her dowry and her beauty, discover the pie side, they suddenly tend to remember they left the bath or the exercise machine running. Vanessa, whos as sharp as a barbed-wire fence, disdains her own suitors because they cant discuss the three ps politics, poetry and philosophy with the requisite fervour of Marxist-feminist erudition. Of course her barbed-wire nature and the lack of a dowry are vague deterrents, too. Into this web fly Lee (Aaron Tsindos), an upwardly mobile Sydney builder lured by Phynayahs loot, and Laurie, an impoverished philosophy major who, in his own downward hierarchical scheme, doesnt just work at Liquorland, he works at a Liquorland in a mall. He and Vanessa share a love of all those ps, but then he learns about Phynayahs potential to hoist him out of a future in which Aristotle and Spinoza are supplanted by infinite cases of seltzer. The obligatory subplot, meanwhile, tells of Phynayahs friend Clare (Megan Wilding), and her hectic romance with Pedro (Alfie Gledhill), which seems to involve wheelie bins in some fetishistic way. Each to their own. Australias last Liberal government has pulled the trigger for an early election after the premier failed to resolve a stand-off with two cross bench independents. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff says he will ask the governor to call an election. The island states Liberals have governed in minority since May 2023, when John Tucker and Lara Alexander left the party to sit as independents. Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen The parliamentary Liberal Party this afternoon met to discuss the failure of former Liberal MPs John Tucker and Lara Alexander to commit to a new, enduring confidence and supply agreement, Rockliff said in a statement. It was unanimously agreed that in the light of this, it was appropriate for me to request the governor to call a general election. The only way to restore the stability and certainty Tasmanians need is to re-elect a majority Liberal government. On February 2, Rockliff threatened an early election if Tucker and Alexander didnt sign up to a deal that would have restricted their ability to vote for opposition bills and amendments. The pair, who have provided votes of confidence of supply to prop up the government, said their preference was to continue with an original agreement. The next Tasmanian election was not due to be held until mid-2025. AAP A man being chased by police and a helicopter across Brisbanes southern suburbs allegedly jumped from his car and slashed an officers artery with a box cutter, a court has heard. Lucas Charles Morris Vincent Jarrod Dynevor, 31, was charged with resisting lawful arrest after police intercepted the car he was in at Carole Park, Ipswich, on Sunday morning. An officer was allegedly slashed with a box cutter after police intercepted a car driving across Brisbanes southern suburbs. Credit: Nine News The police helicopter had followed the car, allegedly driven by Dynevors partner, 25-year-old Demi Liarma Law, across southern Brisbane before officers deployed tyre spikes to try to stop the vehicle when it reached Ipswich. With the car stopped, two officers approached. Helsinki: Finns have elected centre-right politician Alexander Stubb as their new president in the first national election since the country joined NATO, as he fills a post that will be critical to shaping Finlands role in the alliance at a time of increasingly fraught relations with Russia. The election might typically have gained little notice beyond the borders of the northern European country of 5.6 million people. But Finland, the newest member of NATO, shares the longest border with Russia some 1330 kilometres and its politics have taken on special interest to its European and American allies as the geopolitical order shifts. Finnish President-elect Alexander Stubb. Credit: AP US power is being challenged by Moscow and Beijing, and Europe is grappling with its largest land war since World War II. At the same time, the American commitment to aiding Ukraine looks increasingly in doubt, and an unpredictable American presidential election looms. Finland has a parliamentary system of government, but its presidency is not a ceremonial role. The president is responsible for foreign policy, and Stubb will play a pivotal role in steering the country through a changing world. Budapest: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a key European ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is under pressure after a child abuse scandal prompted the resignations of two senior members of his ruling party. Orbans long-serving government faces a rare political crisis after President Katalin Novak, a member of Orbans party, resigned amid public anger over her pardoning of a man convicted in a child sexual abuse case. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Beijing in October. Credit: AP Novaks weekend resignation came after it was revealed that she issued a pardon in April 2023 to a man convicted of hiding child sexual abuses in a state-run childrens home. Former justice minister Judit Varga also announced her resignation from a seat in parliament over her role in endorsing the decision. Some of Orbans opponents say the resignations of two senior members of his nationalist Fidesz party are not enough, and that Orban must bear the political consequences. Currently, there is no method for banks to accurately identify and help clients who are being impacted by severe weather or natural disasters in near real-time. In most cases, media reports are relied on to identify suburbs or postcodes impacted, Vassiliev said. campus news UB violinist Melissa White wins second Grammy Melissa White holds a Grammy Award at the ceremony on Sunday in Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of Melissa White At the end of the day, we as artists do what we do because theres a fire burning inside of us, and we have to let it out we dont do it for the award. Melissa White, professor Department of Music The 66th annual Grammy Awards will always be a memorable one for violinist and UB faculty member Melissa White. White, along with her colleagues in the Harlem Quartet and the New York-based wind quintet Imani Winds, won a Grammy for Passion for Bach and Coltrane, a work arranged and composed by Jeffrey Scott, who will join the UB music faculty this coming fall. It all feels surreal and its just incredibly exciting, White, professor of music, told UBNow after Sundays Grammy ceremony. Its an honor that my music moved people enough to want to nominate me for a Grammy, and then vote for our project to win. The Grammy win was in the category of Best Classical Compendium. The recording is a collection of original arrangements and newly composed music tying together the work of legendary composer Johann Sebastian Bach and mid-20th-century jazz great John Coltrane. The inspiration for the recording was the writing of poet A.B. Spellman, White explained. Jeff Scott (a former horn player with Imani Winds) was gifted a book of poetry by A.B. and was immediately moved to compose the piece, entitled Passion for Bach and Coltrane. White and the Harlem Quartet won their first Grammy 11 years ago for the song Mozart Goes Dancing on the album Hot House. For that first Grammy win, the quartet collaborated on Hot House with jazz innovators Gary Burton and the late Chick Corea. Even though this is Whites second Grammy win, it was the first time she was able to join the festivities in person. Winners of the Grammy Award in the category of "Best Classical Compendium" for "Passion For Bach and Coltrane" pose in the press room during the ceremony on Feb. 4 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Pictured are, from left, Jaime Amador, Ilmar Gavilan, UB's Melissa White, Edward Perez, Jeff Scott, Felix Umansky, A.B. Spellman, Alex Brown, Monica Ellis, Mark Dover, Kevin Newton and Brandon Patrick George. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy This was our first time attending any part of the Grammys and it was extremely inspiring to be surrounded by so many of the top artists in their fields, she said. This is also the first Grammy statue that I will receive with my name on it, so this win is extra special! White said the event was incredibly fun and energetic, and she hopes her experience and the recognition it brings might benefit students and other artists. On a professional level, winning two Grammys means that new doors may open, and new opportunities might become available for me to be able to share my art with even more people around the world, she said. It also means that I might be able to open new doors for others and offer opportunities for younger artists to grow themselves. Eric Huebner, a pianist and chair of the Department of Music, said he was ecstatic about Whites Grammy win and the recognition of her tremendous talent and commitment to her craft. Melissas Grammy win is a tribute to all the years of hard work and dedication she has put into the violin, and with the Harlem Quartet a group she helped found, Huebner said. It is also a testament to a profound creative vision, which has led her to engage in numerous artistic collaborations over the years, including this one with Jeff Scott and the Imani Winds. How it all began Growing up in Lansing, Michigan, White became enamored with the violin when she was only 4 years old, thanks to an episode of Sesame Street that featured Itzhak Perlman. I loved the way his chin fit perfectly in the chin rest of the violin, White recalled in a previous interview with UBNow. "So, watching him play, 4-year-old me was thinking that this is the best instrument for a person to play because you can rest your chin on it perfectly, and when the show went off, I asked my mom if I could then play the violin, and she did not say yes, but she also didnt say no." So, I begged for two years and finally, when I was 6, she got me a violin, and that's how I got started, White said. Whites journey from that little girl fascinated by the violin to a two-time Grammy-award winner has taken her all over the world multiple times. She has had return engagements with several national and international philharmonics and orchestras. In 2022, she made history by serving as the concertmaster of the Recollective Orchestra, the first all-Black orchestra to perform on stage at the Hollywood Bowl. The occasion, which aired live on CNN, was a Juneteenth program presented by the LA Philharmonic to mark the bowls centenary. She has also performed alongside several pop artists, including Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. I think the Grammys allow for artists work to be highlighted and celebrated, White said. At the end of the day, we as artists do what we do because theres a fire burning inside of us, and we have to let it out we dont do it for the award. But it is nice to feel seen/heard and to be recognized for the endless work that we put into our craft. The Grammys give major visibility to artists. Grammy winning performers coming to UB Paytm Payments Bank Ltd independent director Manju Agarwal resigned from the board due to personal reasons, Paytm said in a regulatory filing on Monday. Agarwal resigned from PPBL a day after RBI issued an order to Paytm Payments Bank to stop accepting deposits or top-ups in customer accounts, wallets, FASTags and other instruments after February 29. "Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL), has informed us that Ms. Manju Agarwal, Independent Director resigned from the Board of PPBL on February 01, 2024, due to her personal commitments which were noted by PPBL Board on February 06, 2024," Paytm informed stock exchange in response to the clarification sought by the bourses. Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) is an associate of One97 Communications Limited (OCL). One97 Communications holds 49 per cent of the paid-up share capital (directly and through its subsidiary) of PPBL. Vijay Shekhar Sharma has a 51 per cent stake in the bank. Paytm Payments Bank independent director Shinjini Kumar has also resigned from the board with effect from February 1, 2024. However, the PPBL has not replied to the media query sent in this regard. RBI has said that persistent non-compliance by PPBL with the regulatory guidelines despite nudges over a period of time ultimately led to stern action against the fintech. RBI has earlier on June 19, 2018, prohibited PPBL from opening any new account and wallet with effect from June 20, 2018, on account of supervisory concerns, which were lifted by RBI on December 27, 2018, with effect from December 31, 2018. The move, he said, will be an evolutionary step for Vedanta's aluminium business as it will help Vedanta Aluminium to chart out its own course. Vedanta is working "actively" for demerger of its key businesses, including aluminium, into separate listed companies and the process is likely to be completed in next nine to 12 months, a top official of the company said. Billionaire Anil Agarwal-owned Vedanta Ltd had last year announced creation of independent verticals through demerger of its metal, power, aluminium, and oil and gas businesses to unlock potential value. In an interview to PTI, John Slaven, CEO of aluminium business of Vedanta, said, "We are working very actively in securing the successful demerger of the aluminium business." The process for the demerger is currently underway and is subject to a number of approvals from various authorities, he added. "We also need approval from our current lenders in the allocation of debt across the various entities that will be separated. So that's playing out at the moment. It's not directly within our hands. So unfortunately I'm not in a position to tell you categorically when it will occur. We are confident that in the next 9 to 12 months the demerger will be completed," Slaven said. The move, he said, will be an evolutionary step for Vedanta's aluminium business as it will help Vedanta Aluminium to chart out its own course. "I think more fundamentally it enables our investors and Vedanta Resources to really have a much better understanding of the opportunities and potential of the aluminium business. "It will become much more visible as it would be a pure-play. We will have a dedicated management team, a dedicated board of directors will be able to chart our own strategy with input from the investor community," Slaven said. About capacity expansion plans for 2024-25, he said that the company will see a significant change in its business because the refinery expansions at Lanjigarh will be effectively completed by the end of next fiscal year. "We are expanding our BALCO smelter, so we are essentially going from 5,50,000 tonnes to a million tonnes, Slaven said, adding that the production is expected to come in the late second quarter or in the beginning of the third quarter, and progressively ramp up during the rest of FY25. "We are also completing expansion of our value-added products. We are adding billet capacity, we are adding capacity for foundry alloy, we are increasing the capacity of our rolled products business so we are taking that from 44,000 tonnes to about 100,000 tonnes. So a lot of that is going to be completed during the next fiscal," he said. The production at Vedanta's Sijimali bauxite mine will begin in the third quarter of next financial year, he said. Besides, the company's additional three coal mines -- Kuraloi, Radhikapur, Ghogharpalli -- will start production in about nine to 18 months. Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is the country's leading producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India's aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY'23. It is also into value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core downstream industries. The eight former Indian Navy officers who were detained in Qatar on charges of espionage have been released from their death sentence, with seven of them returning to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Monday. The official statement released by the Government of India read, "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Emir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and homecoming of these nationals." The MEA expressed gratitude towards the Emir of Qatar for facilitating the release and homecoming of the Indian nationals, emphasising the significance of bilateral relations between the two nations. This development follows a recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad, where they discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship. What was the case against the Indian Navy veterans in Qatar? The veterans, employed by Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services in Qatar, were arrested in August 2022 on allegations of espionage. The private firm, owned by retired squadron leader Khamis al-Ajmi, provided training and services to Qatar's armed forces and security agencies. The charges, which were not publicly disclosed, were filed against the Indian nationals on March 24, 2023. The men's families were not informed of the charges, and bail requests were repeatedly denied. The situation escalated when the officers were sentenced to death on October 26, 2023, following delays in legal proceedings. On November 24, a Qatar court accepted the appeal against the death sentences , bringing some hope for a relaxed sentence following diplomatic interventions by India. Describing the judgement, the MEA then said, "We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced. On December 28, 2023, a Qatari Court officially reduced the sentence to extended imprisonment. Who were the Navy veterans detained in Qatar? READ: Wouldn't have been possible: Freed Navy vets praise PM on return from Qatar The released Navy veterans included Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Amit Nagpal, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, and sailor Ragesh Gopakumar, had served the Indian Navy with distinction for up to 20 years, holding crucial positions and serving as instructors. What were they doing in Qatar? The former Navy personnel were employed by a defence company, Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services. Owned by Omani national Khamis al-Ajmi, a retired squadron leader of the Royal Omani Air Force, the company provided training and related services to Qatar's armed forces. Most of the arrested men had been working at the company for four to six years. The company owner was arrested alongside the Indian Navy officers but was released in November last year. Why were they arrested? The exact charges were not officially declared by either Qatar or the Indian government. However, media reports suggested that espionage activities were behind the cause of the arrest. The men were accused of leaking information on Qatar's confidential submarine deal with Italy and allegedly spying for Israel. The submarines reportedly comprised advanced stealth technology. Upon returning to Delhi, the Navy officers praised the efforts of the Indian government and the Prime Minister. Outside the airport in New Delhi, one of the Navy officers told ANI, "We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldn't have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. We are grateful to the Government of India from the bottom of our hearts for every effort that has been made and this day won't have been possible without those efforts." Farmers climb a police barricade during a protest demanding a hike in land compensation and better rehabilitation facilities for their families, in Noida | Photo: Reuters Traffic restrictions have been put in place and security arrangements intensified at the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders in the national capital ahead of the farmers' proposed 'Delhi Chalo' march on February 13. The borders have been fortified with concrete blocks and iron nails to prevent vehicles carrying protesters from entering the city. The measures affected traffic movement in the border areas of Delhi on Monday morning, causing inconvenience to commuters. Several farmer associations, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, have called for the march on February 13 to demand a law guaranteeing MSP for their produce, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora visited the city's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on Sunday to check the security arrangements. According to an advisory issued here, traffic restrictions have been imposed for commercial vehicles at the Singhu border since Monday. Tuesday onwards, the restrictions apply to all types of vehicles, it said. Police have deployed more than 5,000 security personnel while cranes and earthmovers carrying large containers to block the road were also at work. Multiple security barricades have already been installed at the borders to stop the farmers from entering the national capital. Nails have been erected on roads so that if the protesting farmers try to enter the city on vehicles, their tyres can be punctured, the officials said. Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been enforced in the northeast district of Delhi to maintain law and order. Setting foot to their homeland after several agonising months of captivity in Qatar, seven of the eight Indian navy veterans who were sentenced to death on 'espionage' charges, heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying they wouldn't have been freed had it for the sustained diplomatic efforts at his behest to secure their release. Their death sentence was later commuted to an extended prison term following sustained diplomatic interventions and legal assistance from New Delhi. Relieved to finally walk free, the seven former Navy officers raised chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' after arriving at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Monday. Speaking to ANI, one of the Navy veterans lauded PM Modi for raising their sentencing with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and attributed their release to relentless diplomatic efforts at his behest. "I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldn't have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar," he said. Wearing a relieving smile and a calm demeanour, another released former naval officer told ANI, "Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldn't be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom." Another freed navy veteran also came out in praise of the Centre's intervention in securing their release, saying, "We, as well as our anxious family members back home, had been waiting for this day for a long time. It all worked out because of PM Modi and his personal intervention in the matter. He took up our case with the highest levels of the Qatari government and eventually secured our release. I don't have enough words to express my gratitude to him and the Emir of Qatar." "We are very happy to be back and it wouldn't have been possible had the honourable Prime Minister not taken personal interest in the matter. I also thank the Qatar Emir for his personal involvement in the matter," another former Navy officer told ANI. "We waited almost 18 months to be back home to our loved ones in India. We are extremely grateful to PM Modi for getting us back. We wouldn't have seen this day without the joint efforts of PM Modi and the Emir of Qatar. The personal equations that the two leaders share also helped in our release," another Navy veteran told ANI after landing in Delhi. Earlier, on Monday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) shared about the release of eight veterans of the Indian Navy who were sentenced to death in Qatar. Amid desperate pleas by the anxious kin of the Navy veterans to secure their release and safe passage back to their homeland, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had assured that it would mobilise all diplomatic channels and arrange legal assistance to bring them back. Of the eight former Navy officers, seven have already returned to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed through an official statement on Monday. The Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals." The eight Indian nationals were imprisoned in Qatar since October 2022 and were accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. The retired naval personnel were sentenced to death by a Qatar court on charges that have not yet been made public officially. Earlier, the Qatari Court commuted the death penalty sentence of eight ex-Indian naval officers it had arrested last year in the Dahra Global case, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press statement. The sentence has now been reduced to jail terms. Describing the judgement, the Ministry of External Affairs had said, "We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced." The MEA also said that the detailed judgement in the case is awaited and are in close touch with the legal team in Qatar. MEA added, "The detailed judgement is awaited. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps. Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities." Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai and discussed bilateral partnership and the "well-being of the Indian community" living in Qatar. Earlier, the newly appointed spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaiswal, emphasised the temporal significance of this period, stating, "As far as the issue is concerned, there is a time of 60 days when this issue can be appealed in the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court in Qatar." The MEA's legal team possesses the confidential court order detailing the commutation of the death sentences to imprisonment terms, a move revealed in a press release following the court of appeal's judgement on December 28. "We issued a press release in which we informed you that the death sentence, which was originally a death penalty, has been changed to imprisonment sentences. Now our legal team has that court order, and I can confirm that all of them have received sentences of different durations, and the death penalty has been abolished," Jaiswal said. Moreover, the Court of First Instance of Qatar had also passed the judgement against them, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA spokesperson also highlighted the recent meeting that took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad and said that they have had a good conversation on the overall bilateral relationship. India imports palm oil mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia and a small quantity of crude soft oil, including soyabean, from Argentina. Sunflower oil is imported from Ukraine and Russia The country's vegetable oil imports declined by 28 per cent to 1.2 million tonnes in January from a year-ago period, industry body SEA said on Monday. Vegetable oil imports stood at 1.661 million tonnes in January 2023. India is a leading vegetable oil buyer in the world. In the first quarter (November-January) of the current oil year, total imports dropped 23 per cent to 3.67 million tonnes as against 4.773 million tonnes in the same quarter of previous year. According to the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA), about 782,983 tonnes of palm oil and 408,938 tonnes of soft oil were imported in January this year out of total vegetables oils. As on February 1, total edible oils stock stood at 2.649 million tonnes, down 7.64 per cent from that of the year-ago period, it said in a statement. SEA said prices of edible oils, which are currently low, may go up this year on lower production, global economic issues and supply constraints. The availability of palm oil for edible oil requirements has come down as the two main producers, Malaysia and Indonesia, are diverting it for the production of bio-diesel. This could result in an increase in prices this year, it said. Global palm oil output was seasonally low in January-March 2024, leading to a reduction of stocks both in producing as well as importing countries, it added. India imports palm oil mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia and a small quantity of crude soft oil, including soyabean, from Argentina. Sunflower oil is imported from Ukraine and Russia. Caplin Point Laboratories rallied 6.87% to Rs 1527.35 after the company's consolidated net profit jumped 30.1% to Rs 119.82 crore on 17% increase in revenue from operaions to Rs 435.50 crore in Q3 FY24 over Q3 FY23. EBITDA stood at Rs 159.46 crore in Q3 FY24, recording growth of 29.1% as compared with Rs 123.52 crore posted in corresponding quarter last year. EBITDA margin was 32.5% in Q3 FY24 over 32% in Q3 FY23. Free Cash Flow stood at Rs 72 crore after capex investment of Rs 117 crore. Under geographical revenues, 83% of revenue came from Lain America and Rest of the World and 17% of revenue came from United States. As of 31st Dec 2023, inventories (including in-transit inventory) are at Rs 374 crore and cash and cash equivalents are at Rs 832 crore. The company said that in view of risk mitigation against ongoing Red Sea route issues, converts all shipment terms to CIF basis going forward as against FOB in the past (to its own subsidiaries), to have better control on costs and transit times. The company has allocated an overall capex budget of approximately Rs 600-650 crore for the investment projects, most of which are nearing completion. The intended capex aims to enhance existing production capacities, widen the product range, and achieve backward integration for a majority of the products. The capex will be financed solely through internal accruals, and it will remain net cash positive throughout the process. C.C. Paarthipan, chairman said: Consistency has always been a key area for our company and this Quarter is no different. The company delivered strong results, reporting revenue from operations of Rs 436 crore, resulting in a 17% year-onyear growth. Net Profit amounted to Rs 120 crore, reflecting a 23% year-on-year growth, with margins at 27%. Approval from Colombias INVIMA for our Caplin Steriles site will accelerate growth in newer markets like Mexico, Chile and Colombia, reinforcing our commitment to high regulatory standards and positioning us for success. We remain committed to driving sustainable growth with strong cashflows. Caplin Point Laboratories is a fast-growing pharmaceutical company with a unique business model catering predominantly to emerging markets of Latin America and Africa. The company has manufacturing facilities that cater to a complete range of finished dosage forms. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content Profit before tax jumped 30.1% YoY to Rs 145.1 crore in Q3 FY24. The offer received bids for 18.71 crore shares as against 1.01 crore shares on offer. The Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) category was subscribed 38.75 times. The Non Institutional Investors (NIIs) category was subscribed 25.05 times. The Retail Individual Investors (RIIs) category was subscribed 5.46 times. The issue opened for bidding on 7 February 2024 and it closed on 9 February 2024. The price band of the IPO was fixed at Rs 393-414 per share. The offer comprised of fresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to Rs 462 crore and offer for sale of up to 26,08,629 equity shares. The promoter, Jana Holdings, has not participated in the OFS. The promoter shareholding would decline to 22.5% post IPO from 25.2% pre-IPO. The bank proposed to utilize the net proceeds from the offer towards augmenting Banks Tier I capital base to meet future capital requirements. The listing of the bank is also in line with the terms of the RBI SFB licensing guidelines, requiring the bank to list its equity shares on the stock exchanges within three years from reaching network of Rs 500 crore. Ahead of the IPO, Jana Small Finance Bank on Tuesday, 6 February 2024 raised Rs 166.94 crore from anchor investors. The board allotted 40.32 lakh shares at Rs 414 each to 17 anchor investors. Incorporated in July 2006, Jana SFB is a non-banking finance company primarily engaged in providing MSME loans, affordable housing loans, term loans to NBFC, loans against fixed deposits, two-wheeler loans and gold loans. Jana SFB offers various unsecured loan products, including individual and micro business loans, agricultural and allied loans, and group loans. Jana SFB is the fourth largest Small Finance Bank in terms of AUM as well as in terms of deposit size end September 2023. The bank has 771 banking outlets, including 278 banking outlets in unbanked rural centers, in 22 states and two union territories. The bank has served nearly 12 million customers since 2008, including 4.87 million active customers end-September 2023. The firm reported a net profit of Rs 213.22 crore and net total income of Rs 1,339.26 crore for the six months ended on 30 September 2023. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content The initial public offer (IPO) of Jana Small Finance Bank received 18,71,96,940 bids for shares as against 1,01,16,284 shares on offer. The issue was subscribed 18.50 times. Powered by Capital Market - Live News Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content The 606th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India was held today at New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Shaktikanta Das, Governor. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, addressed and interacted with the Directors of the Central Board. The Finance Minister highlighted the key thrust areas outlined in the interim Union Budget 2024-25 and the expectations from the financial sector. The Union Finance Minister was accompanied by Pankaj Chaudhary, Minister of State for Finance; Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Hon'ble Minister of State for Finance; T.V. Somanathan, Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Expenditure; Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management; and V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor. The Board also reviewed the global and domestic economic situation and outlook, including the challenges posed by geopolitical developments and global financial market volatility. SoftBank-backed Indian educational technology firm Eruditus is planning to shift its domicile from Singapore to India for a stock market listing, its CEO told Reuters. Eruditus' edtech platform offers thousands of online courses from more than 80 universities including Harvard on topics such as artificial intelligence, data science and software coding, in competition with NYSE-listed Coursera. "The rich multiples of Indian stock markets, and that there's so much liquidity and capital, makes an India IPO more attractive," CEO Ashwin Damera said in interview on the sidelines of an Indian edtech conference near New Delhi. Though the company has started work on an Indian IPO, Damera said any potential listing is at least two years away. India's $4 trillion stock market has been pulling in billions of dollars of domestic and foreign money as investors flock to a fast-growing alternative to China. IPOs in India last year outpaced Hong Kong listings despite falling 16%, and the momentum is seen growing this year in hopes of political stability following upcoming elections this year, Reuters has reported. India's benchmark stock indexes rose nearly 20% in 2023, outpacing many global indexes. Many Indian companies in recent years registered abroad in countries like Singapore in the hopes of better and easier access to capital. However the recent strength in Indian markets, better access to capital and a better regulatory environment are prompting some companies to shift their domicile to India as a necessary prerequisite to listing locally. Such moves though come with tax implications. Walmart last year said it paid the Indian government nearly $1 billion in tax owed after its digital payments Indian company, PhonePe, shifted its headquarters from Singapore to India. Eruditus has already appointed accounting firm EY to manage and advise on moving its domicile, according to sources with direct knowledge. EY did not respond to Reuters queries. The Indian company is also evaluating four to five companies for acquisitions currently, with the aim of boosting its talent pool, the CEO added. Eruditus has raised $585 million in primary capital to date, with Accel and Prosus among its investors. It reported revenue of 33.20 billion rupees ($400.3 million) for the financial year ending June 2023, up 75% from a year before. Earlier, the role of the Pakistan Army in politics was only discussed in drawing rooms; it is being openly discussed on Pakistan's voluble TV channels and mainstream media. | (Photo: Bloomberg) In the just concluded Pakistan general election, Imran Khan, the jailed leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), won despite all handicaps. The Pakistan Army and its political co-conspirators have been convincingly defeated. The attempt to somehow install a government by the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) may or may not succeed. The general election in Pakistan is a watershed moment in its patchy democratic history. Never before have the Pakistani people defied the Pakistan Army so openly by voting against the parties it supported. Widely expected to deter the PTI's supporters from exercising their franchise, the Days after Nitish Kumar's exit from the Mahagathbandhan and return to the NDA fold, his government in Bihar is set to face its firt big test during the trust vote on Monday | (Photo: PTI) As the ruling and the Opposition camps in Bihar counted anxious minutes and watched over their flock ahead of the all-important floor test in the Assembly on Monday, expelled BSP leader and Lok Sabha MP Danish Ali on Sunday claimed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may switch sides again if it was politically convenient. Nitish took the oath of office for a record ninth time after his stunning 'Ghar Wapsi' to the BJP-led NDA. "The people of Bihar are embarrassed over the state of affairs. They are very saddened by the way Nitish Kumar made fun of them and their mandate. The pressure on his MLAs is clearly visible. It wouldn't surprise me if Nitish Kumar makes another of his political switchovers in the foreseeable future and return to the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance)," the BSP MP told ANI on Sunday. Days after Nitish Kumar's exit from the Mahagathbandhan and return to the NDA fold, his government in Bihar is set to face its firt big test during the trust vote on Monday. The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively. With the support of another Independent MLA, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the House against 115 of the Mahagathbandhan. To go past the majority mark in the House, the ruling alliance needs 122 votes. Earlier this month, Nitish, who had reportedly gone into a sulk after not being named the convenor of INDIA, the Opposition bloc that took shape through his efforts, dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar and the national coalition to form a new government with the support of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Putting to rest frenzied speculations around his future and that of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Nitish resigned as chief minister on January 28, his second volte face in less than 18 months. Snapping ties with the RJD and Congress, the JD(U) Supremo formed the government with the support of the BJP and its partners in the NDA. Musk RECENTLY warned about Chinese EV exports: I think if there are no trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most firms in the world By Keith Bradsher Chinas BYD was a battery manufacturer trying its hand at building cars when it showed off its newest model in 2007. American executives at the Guangzhou auto show gaped at the cars uneven purple paint job and the poor fit of its doors. They were the laughingstock of the industry, said Michael Dunne, a China auto industry analyst. Nobody is laughing at BYD now. The company passed Tesla in worldwide sales of fully electric cars late last year. BYD is building assembly lines in Brazil, Hungary, Thailand and Uzbekistan and preparing to do so in Indonesia and Mexico. It is rapidly expanding exports to Europe. And the company is on the cusp of passing Volkswagen Group, which includes Audi, as the market leader in China. BYDs sales, over 80 per cent of them in China, have grown by about a million cars in each of the past two years. The last automaker to accomplish that in even one year in the American market was General Motors (GM) and that was in 1946, after GM had suspended passenger car sales during the four preceding years because of World War II. BYDs growth is unlike anything the industry has seen in many decades, said Matt Anderson, curator of transportation at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich. BYD has shown how Chinese carmakers can tap the countrys dominance of electrical products. No company has benefited as much from Chinas embrace of battery-electric cars and plug-in gasoline-electric cars. These vehicles together make up 40 per cent of Chinas car market, the worlds largest, and are expected to be more than half next year. Like most Chinese automakers, BYD doesnt sell its cars in America because Trump-era tariffs remain in place, but BYD does sell buses in the United States. With Chinas and BYDs success has come more scrutiny. Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, warned about the strength of Chinese electric car exports in a company earnings call in January. Frankly, I think if there are not trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other companies in the world, he said. The rapid gains by BYD and other Chinese automakers in Europe have prompted a European Union investigation of Chinese government subsidies and could result in tariffs. BYDs annual reports show a total of $2.6 billion in government assistance from 2008 through 2022. And that does not include other help, like making sure that taxi companies in BYDs hometown buy only BYD electric cars. BYD declined to comment about subsidies. In a statement, the company said the BYD Explorer No. 1, its new ship, signifies a significant milestone for BYD as it expands into international markets and contributes to the development of the global new-energy vehicle industry. China has built enough factories to make more than twice as many cars as its market can buy. That has led to a price war in China, particularly between BYD and Tesla, with discounting that has inflicted heavy losses. One of BYDs newest models, the subcompact Seagull, starts at less than $11,000. BYDs chairman, Wang Chuanfu, founded the company in 1995 to make batteries for Motorola and other consumer electronics firms. In 2003, BYD bought a factory in Xian that was building gasoline-powered cars. But the firm had trouble at the start, gaining an early reputation for building clunkers. In a visit to the factory in 2006, a large repair area at the end of the assembly line was clogged with newly built cars that already needed more work. BYDs sales grew as the market soared. Warren E. Buffett bought a nearly 10 per cent stake for $230 million in 2008, giving BYD not just a cash infusion but also global cachet. The same year, Mr. Wang promised to start exporting battery-electric cars to the United States within two years. But electric cars at the time cost a lot to build and had limited range, and Mr. Wang had to scotch his plans to enter the American market. In an interview in 2011, he second-guessed his emphasis on battery-electric cars. Automakers should focus on gasoline-electric hybrids, he declared. He added, There is still tremendous potential in the Chinese market for electric cars. By 2012, car production in China had caught up with demand. Buyers became choosier. BYDs car sales and stock price plunged as multinationals offered more stylish models. Industry executives and analysts questioned whether BYD had a future. But Mr. Wang proceeded to make two risky bets that paid off. In 2016, he hired Wolfgang Egger, a prominent Audi designer, who in turn hired hundreds more car engineers with bold tastes. They completely redesigned BYDs models. Mr. Wang also figured out how to replace the industrys standard chemicals in rechargeable lithium batteries nickel, cobalt and manganese with cheaper iron and phosphate. But early batteries made from the inexpensive chemical compounds ran out of juice quickly and had to be recharged after even short trips. In 2020, BYD introduced its Blade batteries, which closed most of the so-called range gap with nickel-cobalt batteries at a fraction of what they cost. Tesla began making and selling large numbers of cars in China the same year, and enthusiasm for electric cars swept the nation. BYD was ready with inexpensive battery chemistries and Mr. Eggers new designs. After dismissing autonomous driving a year ago, BYD swung into action when the consumer electronics companies Huawei and Xiaomi introduced cars with considerable autonomous driving abilities. Mr. Wang announced in January that BYD had 4,000 engineers working on assisted driving, a limited form of autonomous technology that works mainly on highways and large roads, and would invest $14 billion in the technology. BYD has a lingering advantage over Tesla: Mr. Wangs decision by 2011 to develop plug-in hybrid cars, which account for nearly half of BYDs sales. 2024 The New York Times News Service The hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with an explosive charge during the raid Israel launched a special forces operation that freed two Israeli hostages in Rafah amid air strikes early on Monday, which local health officials said killed 37 people and wounded dozens in the southern Gaza city. A joint operation by the Israel Defence Force (IDF), Israel's domestic Shin Bet security service and the Special Police Unit in Rafah freed Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70, the Israeli military said. The two men, who were kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on Oct. 7, were in good condition and taken to the Tel Hashomer Medical Complex, the military said. "It was a very complex operation," Israeli military spokesman Lt Col. Richard Hecht said. "We've been working a long time on this operation. We were waiting for the right conditions." The hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with an explosive charge during the raid, which saw heavy exchanges of gunfire with surrounding buildings, Hecht said. At the same time, an air strike was carried out to allow the forces to be extracted, he said. The air strikes caused widespread panic in Rafah as many people were asleep when the strikes started, said residents contacted by Reuters using a chat app. Some feared Israel had begun its ground offensive into Rafah. Israeli planes, tanks and ships took part in the strikes, with two mosques and several houses hit, according to residents. The Israeli military said on Monday it had conducted a "series of strikes" on southern Gaza that have now "concluded," without providing further details. Before previous assaults on Gaza cities, Israel's military has ordered civilians to leave without preparing any specific evacuation plan. US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that Israel should not launch a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the roughly 1 million people sheltering there, the White House said. Aid agencies say an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic. It is the last relatively safe place in an enclave devastated by Israel's military offensive. Biden and Netanyahu spoke for about 45 minutes, days after the US leader said Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip had been "over the top" and expressed grave concern over the rising civilian death toll in the Palestinian enclave. Netanyahu's office has said that it had ordered the military to develop a plan to evacuate Rafah and destroy four Hamas battalions it says are deployed there. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted at least 250 in their Oct. 7 incursion, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has responded with a military assault on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Netanyahu said in an interview aired on Sunday that "enough" of the 132 remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza were alive to justify Israel's war in the region. Hamas-run Aqsa Television on Sunday quoted a senior Hamas leader as saying any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would "blow up" the hostage-exchange negotiations. Egypt warned on Sunday of "dire consequences" of a potential Israeli military assault on Rafah, which lies near its border. "Egypt called for the necessity of uniting all international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city of Rafah," its foreign ministry added in a statement. New York is expanding a curfew to additional migrant shelters after violent incidents attributed to migrant shelter residents gained national attention in recent weeks. Mayor Eric Adams' administration will impose an 11 pm to 6 am curfew at 20 migrant shelters starting Monday, after initially placing the restrictions at four other locations, The Daily News reports. The curfew impacts about 3,600 migrants, with the largest of the emergency centres housing roughly 1,000 migrants in Long Island City, Queens. City officials initially placed a curfew on four shelters last month in response to neighbourhood complaints. The additional curfews come after a spate of migrant-related violence and crime has prompted increasingly dire rhetoric from city and police officials. A 15-year-old teen from Venezuela was arrested on Friday for opening fire in Times Square while fleeing from police after being stopped by security for suspected shoplifting. The shooting injured a tourist from Brazil. A video showing a group of migrants brawling with police in Times Square last month also went viral and led to several arrests. The total of 24 migrant shelters now subject to the restrictions represents a fraction of the more than 200 such facilities the city operates to house some 66,000 newly arrived asylum seekers. The city's traditional homeless shelters have long had similar curfews. Spokespersons for the mayor's office didn't respond to an email seeking comment on Sunday. But Kayla Mamelak, an Adams spokesperson, told the Daily News that broadening the curfew would "allow for more efficient capacity management for migrants in the city's care". Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the doors to a controversial temple in India where a centuries-old mosque once stood. This week he will inaugurate another Hindu religious site in the Abu Dhabi desert. Investment pledges or memorandums of understanding between the two countries are expected to be announced during Modis visit. The Indian prime minister will also address more than 40,000 people from the South Asian nation in a stadium in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 13. Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel The pink sandstone temple in the United Arab Emirates has been built on a 27-acre plot granted on lease by President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for as long as the sun shines. In an election year, the imposing edifice offers Modi a headline-grabbing opportunity to portray himself as a global leader with the ability to draw big foreign investments. Its a unique mix of religion, politics and money. Throngs of people waving flags gathered to greet the UAE president, known as MBZ, as he was welcomed by Modi at the airport of his home state Gujarat last month. While Islam is the UAEs state religion, Modis Bharatiya Janata Party has long had a strained relationship with Indias Muslim population. Still, Emirati officials said there is a growing appreciation in Abu Dhabi of Indias rising geopolitical importance as well as its position as the worlds fastest growing major economy. That would make it strategically important for the UAE to navigate around any differences in opinion with New Delhi, they said. Modi has said that MBZ is like a brother to him, Brahmaviharidas Swami, the Hindu priest heading the temple said on a zoom call, standing in front of the site clad in saffron robes. The relationship between India and the region has never been stronger. There are big business considerations. India is one of the largest customers of Middle Eastern oil. The country is also buying more liquefied natural gas from the region. Meanwhile, sovereign wealth funds in the UAE and other parts of the Gulf have emerged as prominent investors in the South Asian nation. Royal Group the private investment firm of UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan has long had an affinity for India, with executives there calling it the potential growth engine of the coming decade. In recent days, his artificial intelligence firm set up a new entity called G42 India Enterprises Holding RSC Ltd. within Abu Dhabi Global Market, filings show. The UAE is weighing provisional pledges to invest as much as $50 billion in India, its second-largest trading partner, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg News last year. While its unclear if all those investments will ultimately come through and when any agreements might be announced, they would offer Modi another opportunity showcase the international ties. These funds are coming into India not as an assistance but on a bet that India will do really well over the next few decades, said Rajeev Misra, an Indian-born financier, who has over the years been entrusted with billions of dollars from Middle Eastern funds. To tap this golden opportunity a system has to be put into place in India, which can guide the money to the right opportunities. Close Connections Politically, the countries have grown closer in recent years. Modis latest visit will mark his seventh trip to the Gulf nation since he took over as prime minister in 2014. The last Indian premier to visit the UAE before him was Indira Gandhi in 1981. In 2021, the Gulf nation helped broker a peace deal between India and Pakistan. More recently, the UAE was one of the countries invited to join the BRICS bloc, of which India is a part. Modi is increasingly being courted by global leaders, including US President Joe Biden. Both UAE and India stand to gain economically and geopolitically from the close relationship built over the recent years, said Thomas Mathew, a New Delhi-based retired bureaucrat and international relations analyst. The US and western bloc is also pushing to strengthen the bond as it helps in containing China which has ambitions in the region. The UAE and India have historically enjoyed close ties. A third of the Gulf countrys population hails from India and Dubai counts Indians as among the top buyers of real estate in the city. The UAE was expected to be the top destination for migrating high net worth Indians in 2023, according to immigration firm Henley & Partners. Other Middle Eastern countries have also looked to strengthen ties with India. Saudi Arabia announced its intention to invest $100 billion in the country in 2019 and during a September visit Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed ways to quicken the implementation of those plans. Billionaires Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani are among Indias wealthy to have made big investments in the Middle Eastern country. In turn, theyve also managed to draw funding from state-backed entities in the region. Against this backdrop, the treatment of Muslims in India is an issue that Abu Dhabi should voice behind closed doors, said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, an Emirati academic. Its not enough to encroach on the broader economic ties, security partnerships and overall national interest. To be sure, many of the pledges or MOUs from Middle Eastern countries remain promises and limited amounts have actually reached Indian shores so far. Donald Trumps China trade war frayed economic ties between the two global superpowers. His second-term plans risk cutting them entirely. The former president is pitching a 60 per cent tariff on all Chinese imports. That would shrink a $575 billion trade pipeline to practically nothing, Bloomberg Economics analysis shows. And its not the only escalation Trump has in mind if he converts a narrow poll lead over incumbent Joe Biden into victory in November. For Chinas economy and its slumping stock market down more than 40 per cent from its 2021 high thats bad news. Worse, Trumps rhetoric may add pressure on Biden to take harsher measures in the run-up to election day. Whichever way you cut it, three months after Bidens San Francisco summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping lowered the temperature, US elections mean the heat is on again. For investors, Trumps latest proposals may trigger flashbacks to his first term when trade policy announcements tweeted at all hours could whipsaw markets around the world. In Beijing, officials say they have no clear preference on who takes power. While Trump is unpredictable and often aggressive, he also likes to strike deals and could undercut Biden's efforts to work with US allies, according to Chinese officials who asked not to be identified speaking about sensitive topics. Theyre both a big threat, said Sang Baichuan, a professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, and adviser to Chinas Ministry of Commerce. Trump Tariff Shock Trumps America-first approach could create opportunities to break through the anti-China economic circle, Sang said, citing Bidens ability to shut China out of technology supply chains. But either way, Beijing will face an American president whose overall strategy is to exclude and contain Chinas development. Responding to a question about his 60 per cent tariff plan last week, Trump said the goal was to bring business back to the US. The 25 per cent tariffs in his first term already put a hole in the revenue that Chinas exporters earn from American markets. Tariffs at 60 per cent would turn the hole into a crater. Using a model of the global economy, Bloomberg Economics estimates it would slash the share of US imports that come from China which peaked at about 22 per cent before the trade war started down to near-zero. Tariffs might be the most eye-catching economic proposal from the Trump campaign, but theyre not the only one. The ex-president is hinting at new bans on US-China investment in both directions an area where Bidens already tightening the rules promising to keep China out of Americas essential industries and ensure US cash isnt driving Chinas rise. China is taking our business at levels that nobodys ever seen before, Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday. On the second-term tariff plan he said: By doing that we bring business back, manufacturing back to the United States. Campaign promises, especially when their real-world impact would be this disruptive, dont always translate into administration policy. Still, if theres a lesson from Trumps first term, its that his anti-China rhetoric tends to do just that. For Xi, the prospect of intensifying economic conflict with the US comes at a bad time. Beijing is already grappling with a property meltdown thats turned the biggest growth driver into a major drag, and a stock market slide thats erased $7 trillion in wealth. Xis economic planners have recently stepped up exchanges with US counterparts, with plans to welcome Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to Beijing this year, in a bid to stabilize relations with its biggest export market. Then he accused the Biden administration, which has kept his China curbs in place and added more, of letting American gains ebb away. Now, theyre blowing it, he said. With Trump close to sewing up the Republican nomination, and running ahead of Biden in key swing states, investors are already bracing for impact. Trumps 60 per cent tariff threat drove a selloff in China stocks from low-price retailers to solar panel makers. Goldman Sachs economists report that the implications of a Trump win are one of the things they are most frequently asked about by investors in Beijing and Shanghai. Election Turns Up the Heat Before any of this comes into play, theres 2024 to get through. From Bill Clinton who campaigned on a promise to hold the butchers of Beijing to account to Trump, history suggests a US election year spells trouble ahead. A Trump-Biden rematch will pit the president who started the trade war against the one whos broadened its scope. Both men have a case that theyve been tougher on China. Tariffs were Trumps weapon of choice early on, but as China policy hardened he expanded the arsenal. Executive orders attempted to ban superapp WeChat and viral video platform TikTok from operating in the US. A raft of export controls and sanctions took aim at Chinese firms, with telecom equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co. the highest-profile target. Human rights violations in Xinjiang were classified as genocide. By the time Biden came into office, the bipartisan consensus was that China posed a fundamental threat. While Biden has restored diplomatic guardrails and a more civil tone, the substance of the relationship remains unblinking strategic rivalry. On top of the tariffs, Biden has targeted Chinas ability to compete at the cutting edge of technology. He imposed export curbs on semiconductors and chipmaking equipment accompanied by measures to boost those industries at home and is setting up a screening program for US investment in areas like artificial intelligence and quantum computing. A key difference is that Trumps approach was more transactional he sought a China trade deal timed to help his reelection campaign and it often looked more like a solo effort. He sparred over trade with American allies as well as adversaries, and has plans for punitive measures targeting Europe in a second term. By contrast, Biden has built a broader coalition for his policies, invoking a shared interest in preventing China from undermining the US-led world order. Hes been able to convince officials in The Hague and Tokyo to help squeeze China on semiconductor technology, limiting the China sales of key firms like Dutch chip machinery giant ASML Holdings NV. Chinas alignment with Russia before and during the invasion of Ukraine helped strengthen the US argument. European allies, which till then saw China more as a market opportunity than a geopolitical threat, started to pay more attention to US warnings including on the risk of an invasion of Taiwan. The overall effect, though, is clear and negative, contributing to the slide in Chinas growth and darkening the view in corporate board rooms and Wall Street trading floors. Before America goes to the polls, Chinas economy might come under more pressure. Eight executive orders explicitly targeting China, and most of Trumps export controls and sanctions, came in his last year in office when he also closed the Chinese consulate in Houston. Trumps election-year antagonism came after the onset of the pandemic, which he blamed on China: Shortly before Covid hit the US, hed signed a trade deal with Beijing and talked up the relationship. Some aspects of the impact are measurable. Bloomberg Economics estimates that Chinas exports to the US are $160 billion below where they would be if the Trump tariffs had never been imposed. Others, like the effect on confidence, are harder to capture. Bidens November meeting with Xi in San Francisco started with a warm handshake and ended with hopes for a partial thaw. Still, the Biden team has some pre-election moves lined up. The administration is working on a final version of rules for US investors in China, with hawks pushing for tougher action. And its preparing to open a new front: data security. One measure, curbing transactions that involve sensitive personal data across a wide range of industries, could be announced as early as this week. Also in the works are restrictions on Chinese electric vehicles and other so-called smart cars because of the data risks they pose. Theres talk of higher tariffs on EVs and clean-energy products, and on older-generation semiconductors. All of this could come before Novembers vote, and poses a direct threat to the high-tech industries Xi is counting on to lift Chinas economy out of the doldrums. Asked about Bidens approach to China ahead of elections, the White House referred to comments made by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan late last month. In that speech, Sullivan outlined economic steps the administration has taken with national security in mind, including investment and trade curbs on China. He said there are competitive structural dynamics in the US-China relationship, but added that the competition does not have to lead to conflict, confrontation, or a new Cold War. The View From Beijing As for the Chinese public, Zhu Junwei director of American research at Grandview Institution, a Beijing think tank, and a former researcher in the Peoples Liberation Army carried out an informal online survey to find out how they view the upcoming US vote. China isn't waiting to see what that means in practice. Xi is pouring money into manufacturing in a bid for technological breakthroughs that can make the nation self-sufficient. Huawei saw its revenue surge close to $100 billion last year as it released a smartphone with a sophisticated chip, which was celebrated across the nation as a victory over US restrictions. About 60 per cent preferred Trump, and the main reason may not have had much to do with how his China policies stacked up against Bidens. Rather, Zhu suspects, people thought he might ease the pressure on China a different way by bringing chaos to the US. Methodology Bloomberg Economics models the impact of a 60 per cent tariff using the WTO Global Trade Model (GTM), a dynamic and recursive model based on the GTAP Model (version 7) (Aguiar et al, 2019; Corong et al., 2017). Following the experience of the first Trump administration, we assume that 60 per cent US tariffs on imports from China would be matched by retaliatory 60 per cent Chinese tariffs on imports from the US. The president knows that China is on the ballot, and tough-on-China a proven vote winner. Biden may not be floating anything as drastic as Trumps tariffs, and his administration has said it doesnt want decoupling. But he has a raft of new restrictions on everything from data flows to electric vehicles to pick from, and doesnt have to wait till Americans go to the polls before rolling them out.The biggest impact would fall on textiles and electronics, industries where China currently dominates and where thin profit margins make it impossible for factories to absorb the tariff impact. Bloomberg Economics model shows Southeast Asia and Mexico would pick up the largest share of the slack, as trade flows shift around geopolitical fault lines. US electronics firms would take a hit, since many of them manufacture in China. And American companies and consumers would end up paying higher prices for imports. Notably, there have been no additional strikes against US bases in Iraq since February 4| Photo: pexels The Iraqi government met again with the US government on Sunday on how to draw down American troops who have been deployed there for years combating the Islamic State. The two governments had held their first, long-awaited meeting January 27, but those meetings had been put on pause after Iran-backed militants struck a base in Jordan the very next day with a drone that killed three US service members. In the weeks since, the US has launched multiple retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria including a strike last week that killed a high-ranking commander of the powerful Kataib Hezbollah militia who the US said is responsible for "directly planning and participating in attacks" on American troops in the region. Both Iraq and the US had agreed last August to enter into talks to transition US forces from their long-standing role in assisting Iraq in combating IS. There are approximately 2,500 troops in the country, and their departure will take into account the security situation on the ground, and the capabilities of the Iraqi armed forces, the Iraq government said in a statement on Sunday posted to X, formerly Twitter. The resumed meetings will continue to chart a path to a new bilateral relationship "as long as nothing disturbs the peace of the talks", Iraq said in its statement. Iraq has long struggled to balance its ties with the US and Iran, both allies of the Iraqi government but regional archenemies. Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in the wake of Hamas' October 7 attacks, Iran-aligned groups have struck at US facilities in Iraq, Syria and Jordan 170 times, prompting retaliatory airstrikes by the US, which blames Kataib Hezbollah for a string of those attacks. The Iraqi government has angrily condemned US airstrikes against Kataib Hezbollah, which is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces. The Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF, are state-sanctioned, mainly Shiite militias, which have grown into a powerful political faction estimated to have the most seats in the Iraqi parliament. But the deaths of three US service members at Tower 22 in Jordan was a red line for the US and in the days following the deadly strike, Iran disavowed any knowledge or connection to the attack, and Kataib Hezbollah said it would cease launching attacks in order to not embarrass the Iraqi government. Notably, there have been no additional strikes against US bases in Iraq since February 4. In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the retail and ecommerce sectors depend heavily on internet connectivity to engage customers, streamline operations, and boost sales. A reliable broadband and dedicated internet connection are pivotal for maintaining a competitive edge in this industry. However, as the digital sphere continues to expand, the risks associated with cybersecurity grow as well. To excel in the realms of retail and ecommerce, businesses must prioritise security to safeguard sensitive customer data, financial records, and their brand reputation. The Growing Imperative of Cybersecurity The retail and ecommerce industries have witnessed unprecedented growth, with online shopping becoming the norm for consumers worldwide. This surge in digital activities presents promising opportunities but also makes these businesses prime targets for cybercriminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities and pilfer valuable data. Cyberattacks pose severe consequences, including: Financial Losses: Data breaches and ransomware attacks can result in substantial financial losses. Companies might find themselves forced to pay exorbitant ransoms, cover legal expenses, and compensate affected clients. Reputation Erosion: A data breach can tarnish a company's reputation and erode customer trust. Customer loyalty wanes when personal and financial information is compromised. Legal Ramifications: Depending on the legal jurisdiction, businesses may face penalties for inadequately safeguarding customer data. These consequences can encompass fines, litigation, and regulatory sanctions. Operational Disruptions: Cyberattacks can disrupt daily operations, leading to downtime and revenue losses. In an industry where timing is crucial, extended inactivity can be catastrophic. Safeguarding Broadband and Dedicated Internet Connections To remain ahead in the security arena, retail and ecommerce establishments should proactively fortify their broadband and dedicated internet connections. Here are strategies to bolster your security posture: 1. Fortify Your Firewall Employ robust firewall solutions to create a formidable barrier between your internal network and potential internet-based threats. This fortification helps thwart unauthorized access and shields your network from malware and other cyber perils. 2. Harness Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) VPN technology encrypts your internet connections, rendering intercepted data illegible to cybercriminals. Ensure that all connections, particularly those involving remote work, are secured through VPNs. 3. Maintain Software Vigilance Outdated software can harbour vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit. Keep all software, including operating systems and applications, up to date by applying the latest security patches. 4. Foster Employee Awareness Human error remains a significant cybersecurity risk. Educate your workforce on security best practices, empowering them to identify phishing emails and avoid suspicious downloads. 5. Vigilant Network Monitoring Implement real-time network activity monitoring to promptly detect and respond to potential threats. This capability enables you to spot unusual patterns or behaviours indicative of a cyberattack. 6. Routine Security Audits Conduct regular assessments of your cybersecurity measures to identify weaknesses and areas for enhancement. Execute penetration tests to simulate cyberattacks and verify the resilience of your defences. 7. Protect Customer Data Encrypt customer data both during transmission and while stored. Enforce strict access controls and data retention policies to minimize the risk of data breaches. 8. Craft an Incident Response Blueprint Prepare for worst-case scenarios by formulating an incident response plan. Define the actions to take in the event of a cyberattack, including notifying clients and relevant authorities when necessary. Choosing an Internet Service Provider (ISP) Wisely For Enterprise Selecting the right ISP plays a pivotal role in ensuring the security of your broadband and dedicated internet connections. Opt for an ISP that: Offers Security Features: Choose an ISP that provides built-in security features like DDoS protection, intrusion detection, and email filtering. Emphasizes Redundancy: Ensure your ISP has redundancy measures in place to minimize downtime during network disruptions or attacks. Scales Seamlessly: Partner with an ISP capable of scaling services to meet your business's evolving needs while maintaining robust security. Provides 24/7 Support: A responsive support team is indispensable for addressing security concerns promptly. Defines Clear SLAs: Scrutinize SLAs to understand the ISP's commitment to uptime and response times in case of security incidents. In the ever-changing landscape of retail and ecommerce, prioritizing security is not merely an option; it's a strategic necessity. A fast and secure broadband and dedicated internet connection serve as the lifeblood of your business operations and must be fortified against the escalating cyber threats. By implementing robust security measures, educating your staff, and selecting the right ISP, you can shield your business, customer data, and reputation from the mounting cybersecurity risks in the retail and ecommerce sector. Remember, in today's digital age, security is a competitive advantage that can distinguish your business from the rest. * China's outbound tourism is riding a vigorous upward tide, with domestic tourism surpassing expectations and returning to the pre-pandemic level. * A recent Oxford Economics report forecasts the number of international outbound trips taken by Chinese travelers in 2024 will roughly double relative to 2023, bouncing back to nearly 80 percent of 2019 volumes. * China, too, is enhancing its allure to foreign tourists by broadening its visa-free policies. BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- "My family and I decided to visit Tanzania to relax and to see animals. It is our first time here, and we are enjoying it," said Wang Shupeng, a 40-year-old father of twin daughters from Beijing, who chose the East African country for his family Lunar New Year trip. The two 12-year-olds were fascinated by local culture, community life, and wildlife scenes and particularly excited about the safari in Serval Wildlife, a wildlife sanctuary located in the Siha district of the Kilimanjaro region at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. Li Miaomiao, a mother to a 9-year-old son and a resident of Lanzhou, the capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province, embarked on a much-anticipated journey to Thailand at the end of January. It was the first international flight that China Eastern Airlines had resumed in Gansu in three years, and the first passenger route linking Thailand was restored this winter at the airport in Lanzhou. Families such as the Wangs and Lis are symbolic of the Chinese's renewed interest in overseas journeys to celebrate the cherished Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. China's outbound tourism is riding a vigorous upward tide, with domestic tourism surpassing expectations and returning to the pre-pandemic level. In December last year, China's international air passenger traffic reached a high point of over 60 percent of the corresponding level in 2019. In 2023, for example, Chinese tourists in Slovenia almost tripled the 2022 figure, according to the country's statistical office. Between 200,000 and 250,000 Chinese tourists are expected to visit Thailand during this year's Spring Festival holiday, more than three times 2023 levels, said Chanapan Kaewklachaiyawuth, vice president of the Thai Chinese Tourism Alliance Association. A recent Oxford Economics report forecasts the number of international outbound trips taken by Chinese travelers in 2024 will roughly double relative to 2023, bouncing back to nearly 80 percent of 2019 volumes. The optimism is echoed in the World Tourism Barometer, published by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) last month. "Outbound and inbound tourism from China is expected to proliferate in 2024 due to visa facilitation and increased airline capacity," it said. A Chinese tourist poses for photos in a street in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) SYMBOLISM AND DECOR From boutique shops to culinary hotspots and iconic landmarks worldwide, businesses are embracing the allure of Loong culture in the Year of the Dragon, appealing to returning Chinese travelers. Luisaviaroma, a Florence-based boutique store since 1929, plans to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with an immersive in-store installation in collaboration with Chinese designers. The core element of the dedicated installation at the boutique store will be bamboo, an extremely symbolic material for Chinese culture, representing toughness, grace and harmony. "As we understood from the Chinese culture, the year of the dragon is particularly important, and we respect Chinese culture a lot," said Stefanie Yi, the enterprise's senior marketing and PR manager for Asia region. In the Dutch village of Giethoorn, praised as "the Venice of the North," Gabriella Esselbrugge, a tourism entrepreneur, plans to develop boat and biking tours in the village and the national park, popular activities among Chinese tourists. In central London, the Michelin-starred restaurant Hakkasan unveiled a Year of Loong menu featuring such elements as dragon and Chinese lanterns, and cocktails inspired by Chinese paper cutting. "It is fantastic that borders are open and restrictions are lifted, and we can really welcome back all of loyal customers, but also some new ones, too," said Lauren Dodds, the gastronomic gem's marketing manager. The Jungfrau Railways, operating in the Jungfrau region of the Swiss Alps, a World Heritage Site, decorated its platforms and trains with elements related to the Year of Loong from Feb. 8 to 20, said Urs Kessler, CEO of Jungfrau Railways. The Railways also set up a special Chinese Noodle bar with many Asian delicacies in the Grindelwald Terminal and offers Chinese menus on Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe, to attract Chinese tourists. In the face of the burgeoning demand among Chinese tourists, airlines are scaling up their international operations. China Southern Airlines launched a new flight between Nairobi and the Chinese city of Guangzhou on Dec. 21, 2023. "We scheduled two weekly flights between the two cities before, and now we have three. The move is expected to increase the volume of trade and cultural interactions between the two countries, so we are keeping a close eye on Africa's tourism market," said Liu Wenbin, the general manager of China Southern Airlines Nairobi Office. Hainan Airlines' HU489 flight from Beijing to Berlin has resumed to pre-pandemic levels, with three flights per week during the winter-spring season, and is scheduled to increase frequency to five flights per week from April 2024, the airlines' Berlin office told Xinhua in an interview. Chinese tourists visit the Giza Pyramids scenic spot in Giza, Egypt, on Feb. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) BARRIER-FREE TRAVEL Policymakers from global tourist destinations are keen to attract Chinese holidaymakers, not least with visa-free policies. In a video message last week, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin warmly welcomed Chinese tourists after the two countries sealed a mutual visa exemption agreement, which will come into effect from March 1. The Southeast Asian country aims to attract 8 million tourists from China, more than double the figure from 2023 and constituting 75 percent of the pre-pandemic peak recorded in 2019. Singapore, which also signed a visa-free agreement with China last month, experienced a recovery in its tourism sector last year, with the Chinese mainland topping its tourist spending chart. Malaysia's visa-free deal for Chinese started in December last year. The country hopes to attract 5-7 million Chinese visitors this year, almost double pre-pandemic levels. "We are here in Nauru. If you look us up, we are a very small place on the map, but we have a very big heart," Charmaine Scotty, Nauru's minister for health and internal affairs, told Xinhua in an interview. "And we certainly welcome you to come to our island." "We are creating a comprehensive tourism product that will move all Chinese visitors," said Dimitris Fragakis, secretary general of the Greek National Tourism Organization. He said more direct flights connecting Athens to Beijing and Shanghai are also scheduled to bolster travel. The Indonesian government aims to attract 1 to 1.5 million tourists from China in 2024 by prioritizing programs to appeal to young Chinese travelers who crave authentic experiences. "In Yogyakarta, for example, we have chocolate making and buffalo bathing. We want to invite them to experience these tourism activities," said Wisnu Sindhutrisno, director of regional tourism marketing from Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. "We are very much looking forward to 2024, the first normal year after 2019," said Daniela Chiani, director for Greater China at Switzerland Tourism. "We expect right now around 1 million to 1.2 million overnight stays from Greater China in 2024, or around 65 percent of the 2019 levels." Jungfrau region expects the number of Chinese visitors to bounce back to 60 percent of pre-epidemic levels in 2024 and return to pre-epidemic levels in 2025, said Kessler. Ivana Jelinic, president and CEO of the Italian National Tourist Board, projects that Chinese tourists visiting Italy will return to pre-pandemic levels, and their arrivals may even reach "new peaks" this year, starting from the Spring Festival holiday in China. She believes that Chinese tourism is crucial for various tourism destinations in Italy, adding that the benefits can extend to all economic sectors impacted by an increase in incoming flows, including not only hospitality and direct services to tourists but also the entire sector of Made in Italy, retail, luxury, food and wine. China, too, is enhancing its allure to foreign tourists by broadening its visa-free policies. China's recent extension of the visa-free policy to Switzerland and Ireland, in addition to five EU countries and Malaysia, was hailed by the UN tourism body as a significant advancement in the global tourism industry's recovery. The resurgence of Chinese outbound tourism presents an opportunity to invigorate the global tourism and service industries while encouraging meaningful cross-border interactions and fostering greater mutual understanding. A Chinese tourist poses for photos while visiting the archaeological site of Jerash in Jordan, on Feb. 10, 2024. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua) A recent Reuters report noted Chinese travelers' appetite shift from shop-til-you-drop group tours to niche, flexible, and experience-based trips, for example, focusing on meditation, cooking, or photography. As quality of life heads up, the younger generation in the world's second-largest economy is leveling up their holiday as well. "Promoting the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization is not only a bright road for the Chinese people to pursue a better and happier life but also a just one to promote world peace and development," said Chinese President Xi Jinping at a Spring Festival reception. "The whole world has been waiting for China to open up more, and now Chinese tourists are coming back," UN World Tourism Organization secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili told Xinhua ahead of the International Tourism Fair. "At the same time, everyone wants to visit China, and its fantastic cultural heritage is well worth visiting." ATLANTA The Carter Center today released the final report from its international election observation mission to Zimbabwes Aug. 23 harmonized elections. The report concluded that the overall electoral process did not meet Zimbabwes regional and international commitments or the democratic aspirations of Zimbabweans. It offers recommendations to the Zimbabwean government to help bring its electoral processes closer in line with international standards for democratic elections. The Carter Center found that the election took place in a restricted political environment with an unlevel playing field. This limited candidates from competing on equal terms and prevented the expression of the will of Zimbabweans. Election administration lacked independence and transparency in key areas, undermining the credibility of the process. Critical election information, including the final voters roll and list of polling stations, was not readily available to stakeholders. Only modest electoral reforms were enacted before the election, despite government steps to bring the laws into alignment with the constitution. Laws restricting freedoms of speech, movement, and association increased political tensions and polarization among the electorate and intimidated civil society groups leading up to election day. More extensive changes are needed to lift restrictions on fundamental freedoms of speech, expression, and assembly as well as to promote womens representation in elected offices. Election day was largely peaceful and administered well by polling staff. However, extensive voting delays caused by ballot shortages in several constituencies, including in some urban wards considered to be opposition strongholds, likely affected voter turnout. Observers reported numerous instances of assisted voting in rural areas, raising concerns that secrecy of the vote may have been compromised. The postelection period was characterized by several cases of politically motivated violence, surveillance, reported abductions and detentions of opposition party and civil society activists, and other alleged violations of human rights. Recalls of opposition members of parliament and councilors disenfranchised voters in their respective constituencies, contributing to a decline of democracy in Zimbabwe. Background On July 29, 2023, the Center deployed an international election observation mission to observe Zimbabwes 2023 harmonized elections. The Center assessed the compliance of the electoral process with regional and international obligations and standards for democratic elections, including principles enshrined in national law, the Southern African Development Community Principles and Guidelines Governing Elections, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, among others. The Carter Center conducted its election observation mission in accordance with the 2005 Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation. Since 1989, The Carter Center has observed more than 115 elections in over 40 countries, including the United States. Read the final report (PDF) ### Contact: In Atlanta, Maria Cartaya, maria.cartaya@cartercenter.org The Carter Center Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. Islamabad: Jailed ex-PM Imran Khan's supporters managed to come first in the election battle in Pakistan, but victory remains elusive to them. Those who came second and third have decided to join forces to keep Imran Khan supporters out of the power game. Ex-PM Nawaz Sharif's PMLN and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's PPP have decided to work together to "bring political stability". Election results have shown that public sentiment in Pakistan is in favor of Imran Khan, but experts believe that the Pakistan army is pulling the strings to deny Imran Khan supporters a chance to form a government. According to reports, independents won 101 of the National Assembly seats. According to credible sources, 93 of them went to PTI-backed candidates. Nawaz Sharif's PMLN won 75, and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's PPP won 54. The two parties had allied to oust Mr. Khan from power in 2022 and ruled until last August. Imran Khan's PTI party was barred from taking part in the election, so most of its candidates stood as independents. The PTI, along with several other political parties, has urged demonstrations in protest of the election results, claiming they were manipulated. Previously, law enforcement employed tear gas to scatter a gathering of Mr. Khan's followers in Rawalpindi. On Sunday, authorities barricaded roads surrounding the electoral commission building in Rawalpindi using barbed wire and substantial trucks, effectively obstructing protesters from reaching the site. Lahore: Veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, on Sunday termed Pakistani people the 'biggest asset of India', Dawn reported. According to the Pakistan daily, Aiyar, while addressing an event in Lahore, said, "The Pakistanis, from my experience, have been the people who perhaps overreact to the other side. If we are friendly, they are over-friendly, and if we are hostile, they get overly hostile." Speaking at the session titled 'Hijr Ki Rakh, Visaal Kay Phool, Indo-Pak affairs', on the second day of the Faiz Festival at Alhamra in Lahore, the former Union Minister shared his affection for Pakistan and its people, saying he had never been to a country where he had been welcomed with such open arms as he was in Pakistan. The former diplomat recalled his posting in Karachi as consul general, saying everyone looked after him and his wife. "He has written about a number of incidents in his book, Memoirs of a Maverick, which shows Pakistan as a completely different country from what the Indians imagine. He said that goodwill was needed but instead of goodwill, there had been something opposite during the last 10 years since the formation of the first Narendra Modi government," Dawn reported. "All I ask the people (of Pakistan) is to remember that Modi has never received more than one-third of the votes but our system is such that if he has one-third of the votes, he has two-thirds in the seats. So two-thirds of Indians are ready to come towards you (Pakistanis)," Dawn quoted Aiyar as saying at the event. The Congress leader also reiterated his call to open communication channels between the two countries, saying the current regime under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi made its 'biggest mistake' by refusing to hold dialogue with Pakistan. "There were five Indian high commissioners who served in the Congress government and the BJP government in Islamabad and all five of them unanimously agreed that whatever our differences, we must engage with Pakistan and the biggest mistake that we made in the last 10 years was the refusing dialogue. We have the courage to conduct surgical strikes against you but we don't have the courage to sit across the table and talk," Aiyar said at the event. He added that he considered it 'silly' to expect that the 'Hindutva establishment' in India would want to talk to Pakistan. "Under Hindutva, they are trying to imitate Pakistan, which became an Islamic republic. The Gandhi-Nehru answer to the Islamic republic was that they would not become a republic based on religion but a republic based on all religions. But their philosophy that lasted for 65 years was overthrown in 2014 and for the next five years we are going to have the same mindset in Delhi." His remarks and the sentiments he articulated marked a striking divergence from India's official position on Pakistan across global forums--that "talks and terror don't go together". Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Pakistan's core policy has been to "use cross-border terrorism to bring India to the table," adding that India made that policy irrelevant by "not playing that game now". (With ANI inputs) RLD MP Jayant Chaudhary slams Opposition for questioning 'timing' of Bharat Ratna Argentina's cement consumption declines 20% in January ICR Newsroom By 12 February 2024 Cement demand in Argentina saw a 19.9 per cent drop to 767,297t in January 2024 when compared with 958,230t in January 2023, according to the country's cement association, AFCP. Argentinian demand was entirely met by domestic production, which saw a 20 per cent decline to 772,874t in January 2024 from 965,633t in January 2023. Local producers also exported 6036t of cement, an 18.5 per cent decrease from 7404t in January 2023. Published under Chile's cement market closes 2023 with 11% drop ICR Newsroom By 12 February 2024 Chilean cement dispatches fell by 10.1 per cent YoY to 443,170t in December 2023 from 492,963t in December 2023, according to the Chilean construction chamber, CChC. In the full-year 2023 cement dispatches were down 11 per cent YoY to 5,208,803t from 5,854,997t in 2022. Published under A Chattanooga man has been convicted for killing an Atlanta man he met through online gaming. Jonathan Wesley Wes Mansfield, 26, had been charged with malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and burglary in the first degree. Police said German "Lee" Castillo, 42, called 911 to report that the back door to his home was open and he was missing two Xboxes in an incident on Feb. 1, 2019, WSB-TV reported. Castillo called back to say he did not know whether Mansfield was still in the house. He indicated he was in fear of Mansfield. By the time police arrived at the address on Hilburn Drive SE Castillo was dead in a pool of blood in the carport. He had been stabbed several times and there was blunt force trauma. A number of his items were missing, including his wallet, gaming items and electronics we well as his black Toyota Corolla. The next day the Toyota was found abandoned in Chattanooga. It had blood on the steering wheel, hood and windshield, the station reported. Mansfield is to be sentenced later. His arrests in Chattanooga include domestic assault and traffic offenses. An Ooltewah man who allegedly picked up a prostitute in downtown Chattanooga, then took her to his home and told her she was going to be his "sex slave" has been sentenced to serve 12 years in state prison for aggravated sexual battery. Tyler Michael Benson, who was 32 at the time of his arrest in July 2021, got 10 years for aggravated kidnapping. He appeared before Judge Amanda Dunn. The woman said he held her captive for an 18-hour period in the incident on Torbett Lane. She claimed that he drugged her and violently raped her repeatedly until she was finally able to get away.A mail carrier spotted her leaving the residence, and he took her to a nearby church where she called the Sheriff's Office. The woman was taken to a hospital and was found to have suffered numerous physical injuries, it was stated. Detectives said they were able to corroborate details of the women's version of the events after getting a search warrant and entering the Benson residence. In 2012, Benson was arrested for beating a known prostitute in the head with a hammer. At the time, police said Benson told them he had been reading about serial killer Ted Bundy and "wanted to be like him." In that case, he was charged with especially aggravated robbery, aggravated assault and patronizing prostitution. A known prostitute said she had been picked up by a white male and taken near the Bojangles on E. 23rd Street. She said the man attacked her there. Police said she had cuts on her arms, face and head. Benson said he had been picking up prostitutes and trying to trick them into giving him free sex. He said he had picked up the woman and tried to rob her, but she began to fight back. He said he "did not like that she was fighting back and wanted her to be afraid and to do what he said." He said she "was putting up a good fight" so he pulled out a hammer and began to hit her in the head. He said at one point they were fighting over a knife. Benson also confessed "to attacking a number of unidentified prostitutes in the same manner." He said he "enjoyed the power he felt" while beating the prostitutes. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and got a four-year sentence. Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Hamilton County Health Department building photo by John Shearer Previous Next To say it has been a bad last few months for mid-20th century Chattanooga public buildings and for lovers of that era of architecture -- might be an understatement. Besides the numerous county schools from that era that have been on priority lists for replacement or closing or being altered, plans have also been made to replace Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute. And this past week, most Chattanoogans learned for the first time that the Hamilton County Health Department facility on Third Street which opened in early 1961 -- might be replaced or greatly remodeled. County Mayor Weston Wamp announced during a Regional Health Council meeting last Monday that a new health department facility is planned and will be announced in detail in the near future. He cited to the media in attendance needed upgrades with the current facility and maybe a location or site that can better reach families and children. Health Department administrator Sabrina Novak, meanwhile, said that a rebuild or renovation is needed because public health needs have changed, and the layout and connectivity of the building does not work as well anymore. In connection with all that, I decided to go to the Chattanooga Public Library and find some old newspaper clippings on when the building first opened. It was apparently finalized about 1956, and ground-breaking ceremonies were held on Aug. 24, 1959, at 921 E. Third St. by Hampton Street. Prior to that, the health department overseen by both the city and county at that time had been in cramped quarters on the third floor of City Hall since 1941 when polio was a main focus. In the 1930s, a City-County Clinic was located in the Hamilton County Courthouse. About the time of the 1959 groundbreaking, nearly 2,400 local residents had recently received the polio vaccines that would basically eliminate the dreaded disease, although two did die from polio that month. On hand for the groundbreaking were County Judge Wilkes T. Thrasher Sr. who was the equivalent of todays county mayor and Chattanooga Mayor P.R. Olgiati. Others among the crowd of 75 included News-Free Press publisher and Erlanger Hospital board chairman Roy McDonald, who welcomed the facility as an enhancement for the nearby hospitals. The building committee chairman at a time when community volunteers were involved in public projects perhaps more than today was local civic leader States R. Finley, whose middle name was uniquely Rights, as in states rights. Funded through the help of the Hill-Burton Hospital Act, the building was to cost just over $1 million in circa 1960 money. That included about $500,000 from the federal government, $100,000 from the state of Tennessee, and just over $200,000 each from the city and county. Also on the building committee with other elected officials was Mrs. Carrie Thank Wells. Her name has been little mentioned in recent years, but she must have been a pioneering local female elected office holder of yesteryear as a county councilwoman, or what is now a county commissioner. The building was designed by Bianculli and Palm architects and constructed by John T. Martin Co. It was to feature almost 40,000 square feet of floor space on two levels, with a third to house elevator mechanical equipment. It was to have a concrete frame but with a modern look featuring brick, marble, aluminum and glass on the outside, and terrazzo floors, decorative wall tile and acoustically friendly ceilings. And, of course, it also had a somewhat unique feature on the front a collection of four panels of abstract mosaic designs. The building was to have 77 rooms for such departments as administration, statistical, childrens clinic, a blood clinic, a tuberculosis Center, a venereal disease clinic, an educational department, a sanitation department, and office facilities for 70 nurses in what was to be the biggest room. It also included an auditorium and a state-run laboratory, as well as a parking garage for 165 cars and a mobile x-ray unit. About the time the building was being built, also under construction or being completed were the West Wing at nearby Erlanger (apparently for black patients in those waning days of segregation), the Moccasin Bend mental hospital, and a Guidance Clinic. Evidently Mario Bianculli was involved in the design of all of them, and colleague Harvey A. Camp assisted him with the health department design. The first director of the mental health facility was to be Dr. Nat Winston, who many remember as a serious Republican candidate for governor in 1974 before he lost to a young and up-and-coming politician named Lamar Alexander in the primary. The health department administrator was Dr. Paul Golley, who had been in consultation with the architecture firm about the needs along with assistant director Dr. A.J. von Werssowitz, nurse official Mary Tom Peacock and possibly others. Without a doubt, the most talked about features of the new building almost as much as its expanded services to be offered were the tile mosaic displays fronting Third Street. Thanks to a detailed story in September 1960 by Chattanooga Times reporter Marion Peck while construction was well underway, the motivation and inspiration behind those are as preserved as the murals themselves. As reporter Peck wrote in the lead, A bold, new look has come to Chattanooga. In terms of dynamic color and content, there is nothing else in the city quite like the four ceramic tile murals on the outside of the south wall of the new Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Center. The writer also said they were proving to be traffic stoppers. Mr. Bianculli whose other works included the current Center for Creative Arts school on Dallas Road -- said in the interview that they were not costing the citizens any more than regular tiles because his firm had covered any extra costs with the special designs. He added, I wanted something different, something out of the ordinary for Chattanooga. I dont know how to say it any other way, so Ill say it is a work of love donated to this city I love. They were chosen in part because his firm decided not to have any windows on that side because that wall faces the bright sun most of the day and for patient privacy on the busy street. He did, however, have plenty of glass on the other sides. He said he chose the murals to integrate art with the function of the building itself and to educate passersby as to what was taking place in there. The first 9.5-foot-by-12.5-foot panel on the right as one looks from the road was to bear the name Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Center, although, of course, the county several years later took over sole operation of the health department. On the top left of this panel was the old General-inspired seal of the city of Chattanooga, while on the top right was the countys seal featuring an eagle. Both seals were later changed by the governments to highlight the view from Point Park on Lookout Mountain. The second panel moving to the left was an abstract interpretation of laboratory work, since the facility was to house a state chemical lab looking at water and milk purity, sewage testing, rabies control, and other health issues. The orange tiles were to symbolize contamination. Within this panel are the unexplained initials M.B. That had to stand for Mario Bianculli and was apparently his signature to his artwork. The third panel focused on interpreting x-rays, with a nod to German Dr. Wilhelm Roentgens discovery of the first x-ray lamp in 1895 and American Dr. William Coolidges refinement of the equipment and processes in 1913. The tones of the colors also symbolized electric impulses, Mr. Bianculli said. In the bottom left corner of this mural is about the only place in the four frames that has been damaged or is in a declining state, as a small number of yellow tiles appear to be missing. The fourth panel focused on life on Earth, with orange tiles representing red Tennessee clay, a giant tree with roots in cream-colored tiles, two red fish with black bones swimming in blue water, and three birds flying near two clouds that symbolized water vapor important to life. The tile work was being done by subcontractor George Wallace of the Wallace Tile Co., and some workmen were shown in old newspaper clippings working more like artists or craftsmen than simply laborers. Mr. Bianculli said he had first made color sketches or cartoons of the panels and then tried to find appropriate sample tile stocks among those easily available. He then remade the drawings in straight line form and labeled them with color numbers corresponding to the tile manufacturer number. Although he originally wanted the tiles to be of specific colors he envisioned, he instead simply picked the tiles in stock at the Cincinnati tile manufacturer (possibly Ohio Tile & Marble) that was used. Mr. Bianculli would later come up with some similar tile designs when the Chattanooga Airport, then known primarily as Lovell Field, was enlarged in 1964. Those tiles were not incorporated into the airport expansion with the dome about 30 years later, and I am not sure if they were destroyed or hauled off to the dump or what. Architect Harrison Gill Sr. had also used some similar-style brick designs on the old Red Bank High School and a building at Tennessee Temple in Highland Park. The Red Bank tiles of two students were saved and placed at the current Red Bank High off Morrison Springs Road when the Dayton Boulevard school was torn down. The Tennessee Temple building was torn down just in recent years. Mr. Biancullis Health Department building tiles must not have been universally loved because another reporter referred to them as controversial without offering further explanation. I once interviewed an older architect, and he joked that Mr. Bianculli was perhaps a little sensitive and did not want his mosaic murals referred to simply as tiles. They were artwork to him! After making what was termed a historic, weeklong move from City Hall to the new facility, the department opened in its fancy and spacious new quarters on Feb. 13, 1961. Administrator Dr. Golley told a reporter at the time that everyone was excited about the new facility. Morale is very high among the members of the staff, he said. They are highly pleased with the building. Its arrangement is working out as we hoped it would. The facility, which also featured a dental clinic, was officially dedicated on Sunday, April 16, 1961. Dr. R.H. Hutcheson, the state commissioner of public health, was to speak, but he became ill and could not attend. Representing him was Assistant Tennessee Commissioner Dr. C.V. Tucker. Dr. Tucker pointed out that Chattanooga was the first major city in the state to consolidate its health departments under Mayor Ed Bass and Judge Will Cummings 20 years earlier, and Memphis and Nashville had done the same since then. Also taking part were Vice Mayor George McInturff, filling in for Mayor Olgiati, who was traveling on city business; Judge Chester Frost; city chaplain Dr. James Fowle; Dr. Golley; and others. Evidently several hundred people attended the ceremonies and/or the open house and the public inspection that followed. Chattanoogans began to make good use of the facility as the months followed, and the citys and countys collective health likely improved. Unfortunately, the health of some department administrators did not. Director Dr. Golley had to retire due to illness only a year or so after the building opened, and assistant director Dr. A.J. von Werssowitz died in June 1962. Dr. Golleys wife, Dr. Dean Golley, a psychiatrist with the Veterans Administration, took a leave to help in administration, as did apparently Dr. von Werssowitz widow, Muriel, who was also a doctor. Although I did not get a chance to research further, perhaps some of the building including perhaps the larger part with tan brick on the left -- was added over the years. One plaque in that area says Dr. Paul Golley Auditorium with the date 1974. The local Health Department itself would also evolve over the years, as such diseases as tuberculosis were mostly eliminated in the United States, but other diseases or health complications such as HIV/AIDs came to the forefront. And supplemental food programs and programs involving women, infants and children are also a big focus, as are outreach efforts to the Hispanic community, which basically did not exist in Chattanooga in the early 1960s. And Chattanoogans will never forget that the Health Department became front and center as it probably never has before other than during one or two brief polio scares -- when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Chattanooga and everywhere in the region beginning in March 2020. The steadying voices of longtime administrator Becky Barnes and County Mayor Jim Coppinger aided the city at the time, many believe, with almost daily updates for a period. Ms. Barnes retired in 2021 after 41 years with the department and was replaced by 15-year veteran Ms. Novak, who had also been involved heavily in the COVID-19 emergency. Now, the health and even livelihood of this building are being questioned, causing maybe satisfaction among those wanting the best facilities possible to combat community health problems and encourage good hygienic practices. But those who like the old mid-century modern look are hoping at least a good part of the buildings exterior can be saved and refitted to better meet todays needs in a health department facility. And whether the four mosaic tile frames can be retained or safely moved in any building demolition like was successfully done with the Red Bank brick children is unknown. But such a move would also likely be encouraged by historic preservationists in this era when historic buildings in Chattanooga or other artistic reminders of the past continue to be lost. Most on either side would likely agree that the mosaic tiles have not only educated people about the buildings function or simply made them more greatly realize it is there, but they have also entertained or stimulated passersby. That has included those having to enter Erlanger and the various other Third Street buildings over health concerns or issues. For the latter or any others experiencing even temporary emotional dimness over their health, the murals have added some light and been a pleasant distraction for 63 years. * * * After this story was initially published, a followup visit to the library revealed that the Health Department building did have a major addition completed in 1974. It is the multi-story building with tannish brown brick on the west side and the Golley Auditorium. Selmon T. Franklin Associates was the architect for that section, with involvement from staff architect Rufus Holt, while C&I Specialty was the general contractor. After a May 23, 1972, groundbreaking and a two-month strike against the ready-mix concrete subcontractor in 1973, the building was dedicated with a ceremony and open house on Aug. 18, 1974. As mentioned, the auditorium was named after former director Dr. Paul Golley, who had served from the end of World War II until his retirement in 1962. He had died just months before the 1974 dedication, and his widow was on hand for the ceremony. The older part of the facility was also remodeled for different uses at that time. * * * Jcshearer2@comcast.net Here are the new marriage licenses from the County Clerk's office: MICHAEL AARON RANDOLPH MUNJEONG KANG 1131 STRINGERS RIDGE RD APT 6D 1131 STRINGERS RIDGE RD APT 6D CHATTANOOGA, TN 374053251 CHATTANOOGA, TN 374053251 JOSHUA CHRISTIAN HORNE AMANDA MARIA VICTORIA MENDEZ 1549 CLABO HOLLOW RD 2241 PETERSON DR SEVIERVILLE, Tennessee 37876 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 ROBERT THOMAS CASKEY CLAIRE ROSE MORGAN- SANDERS 2186 MIRAMAR CIR 2186 MIRAMAR CIR CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 ARGENIS JESUS ROSALES MONTIER NICOLE TEDDY MARIACA ZAVALA 9323 CADDO LN 9323 CADDO LN OOLTEWAH, TN 373638666 OOLTEWAH, TN 373638666 FREDDY ALEXIS ROJAS NINO YENNINA ROSSYBEL MONTIER PINEDA 9323 CADDO LN 9323 CADDO LN OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 JIMMIE LEE WHATLEY WANDA FAYE BENTON 5131 MIMOSA CIR 5131 MIMOSA CIR CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CRISTIAN CAMILO MELCHOR MARIN ANGIE PAOLA GOMEZ ZAPATA 387 ALICE DRIVE APT B 387 ALICE DRIVE APT B CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411 ANDREW GABRIEL DUNCAN MENGHONG MA 20 CHEROKEE BLVD APT 307 20 CHEROKEE BLVD APT 307 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374054463 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374054463 JEFFREY DEWAYNE POE AMY CAROLINE BARRETT 6300 AMBER BROOK DR 6300 AMBER BROOK DR HIXSON, Tennessee 373433368 HIXSON, Tennessee 373433368 RICHARD LEROY ESTERMYER AMANDA MICHELLE RAINEY 615 RIDGEVIEW CIR 615 RIDGEVIEW CIR CHATsworth, Georgia 30705 CHATsworth, Georgia 30705 ALEXANDER WILSE MEFFORD DAPHNE LORELYNN OWENS 7400 ALLEMANDE WAY APT 110 7400 ALLEMANDE WAY APT 110 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374212570 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374212570 I-KEYANNA NYASIA HAMLIN EDDY MICHEL 4715 BONNY OAKS DR APT 1706 4715 BONNY OAKS DR APT 1706 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 THOMAS LEE WELLS MARY KATHRYN POSEY 516 SHARONDALE RD 516 SHARONDALE RD CHATTANOOGA, TN 374122982 CHATTANOOGA, TN 374122982 TRACEY ADELLE HILL ANNIE LEE BRENNAN 4616 SUNFLOWER LANE APT 705 4616 SUNFLOWER LANE APT 705 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 ASHLEY ELLEN TRAUTVETTER NICOLA GIUSEPPE PIETRIPAOLI 8109 SLUGGER WAY 8109 SLUGGER WAY CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374218005 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374218005 SUSAN MICHELLE MYERS THOMAS MALCOLM HUNTER 4720 ROLLING GREEN DR 5081 CITY STATION DR APT 406 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 373639073 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 373637104 JOHN FRANCIS MCCARTY LAURA THERESA MCDONALD 3243 CASTLE AVE 3243 CASTLE AVE CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 AMANDA BROOKE SIMS AUSTIN NEIL DAY 263 BRIDLE WAY 9805 BERRY MEADOW WAY RINGGOLD, Georgia 307364403 SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 373795162 CHRISTOPHER SCOTT WILSON CASSIE LYNN LOPEZ 1996 SAPPHIRE PL 1996 SAPPHIRE PL CHATTANOOGA, TN 374216933 CHATTANOOGA, TN 374216933 TRISTON STEPHEN BAKER MAR'YANA OKSANA HICKS 2517 HENDON DR 2517 HENDON DR SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379 SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379 ALISON MARY-ALEXA BETTS HAYDEN MICHAEL ADKINS 301 PINEHURST CIR 1501 JOSHUA DR CHICKAMAUGA, Georgia 307071463 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374121944 LAURA CAITLIN CAGLE PHILLIP DONALD SNYDER 5657 ACADIA DR 5657 ACADIA DR CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374156985 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374156985 CHRISTOPHER ALEXANDER ERAZO BREANNA NICCOLE JOHNSON 7336 LEE HWY 7336 LEE HWY CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 KEYASIA DESHAI SANDS DEVIN CORNELIUS SHARP 2036 RUBY ST 2036 RUBY ST CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374064533 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374064533 JENNIFER SARAI PEREZ CHAVEZ JUAN ALBERTO TERCERO LOPEZ 621 MEMORIAL DR APT 2001 621 MEMORIAL DR APT 2001 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 GREGORY CHANCE CAMPBELL CAROLINE ROSE DOWNING 70 FREYS RD 2329 FRANKFORD AVE ELIZABETHTOwn, Pennsylvania 17022 PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania 19125 MILTON JIMENEZ VASQUEZ FLORIELA MIGUELINA PEREZ VELASQUEZ 3612 6TH AVE 3612 6TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374072111 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 374072111 JONATHAN ANDREW KIERSTEAD KATELYN ELIZABETH CARLSON 5007 15TH AVE 5007 15TH AVE CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37407 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37407 JOSHUA AARON WELLS BRANDI NICOLE MORGAN 8562 SYNTEX LN 8562 SYNTEX LN OOLTEWAH, TN 373634849 OOLTEWAH, TN 373634849 JESSICA ANN FILLMAN ERIC LEBRON JOHNSON 6849 DHARMA LOOP 9409 OOLTEWAH GEORGETOWN RD CHATTANOOGA, TN 374126901 OOLTEWAH, TN 373639669 SCOTT LAMAR SNODGRASS SUNDAY MARIE ROGG 9968 LOVELL RD 7436 GATES RD SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 373795335 HIXSON, Tennessee 373432337 Mayor Tim Kelly on Monday announced that Accra, the capital city of Ghana, has agreed to become Chattanoogas first sister city located on the continent of Africa. The relationship has been in the works for more than a year, but the timing of the agreement was fortunate, coming the morning after Accra was featured in the NFLs commercial during the Super Bowl, which officials from both cities hope will raise awareness of the partnership. Thank you, Mayor Elizabeth Naa Kwatsoe Tawiah Sackey and the people of Accra, for agreeing to create this partnership with Chattanooga, and thank you to Kanika Wellington-Jones here in Chattanooga who made this possible, said Mayor Kelly. Our other sister city relationships have enriched our community, grown our economy, and broadened our cultural horizons. Its overdue that we establish one of these connections on the African continent, and I can think of no better partner than Accra. Many Chattanooga residents have West African roots, and we look forward to robust partnerships and cultural exchange, especially for our youth. A formal signing ceremony between the two cities will be held virtually on Feb. 29. Sister city relationships are voluntary diplomatic partnerships between two communities in two countries, usually focused on cultural exchange. The relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities. Sister city programming and logistic work is done primarily by engaged citizens on a volunteer basis. Accra joins Chattanoogas other sister cities: Wuxi, China Hamm, Germany Wolfsburg, Germany Givatayim, Israel Nizhnii Tagil, Russia Tono, Japan Charles McCutchen Corn passed peacefully on February 10, 2024. He is survived by his wife Susan Corn, daughter, Elizabeth McCoin, son-in-law Joseph McCoin, and grandsons, Mac and Charles McCoin. The youngest child of Frances and Terrell Corn, Charlie entered this world on November 4, 1937, joining his siblings Frances (Taddy), Bill, and George. After a happy childhood darting in and out of houses on Ocoee Street while going to and from Arnold Elementary (and after surviving homesickness for one year while at the Kentucky Military Institute), Charlie graduated from Bradley Central in 1955 and then Duke University in 1959. He went on to earn his law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1962, serving on the Vanderbilt Law Review in 1960-1961 and again as Associate Editor in 1962. Charlie served in the United States Army Reserves at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina before working in a law firm in Atlanta from 1963-1964. Home beckoned though, and Charlie returned to Bradley County in 1964 to practice law. Charlie met Susan shortly thereafter at a party at Hardwick Farms, a story now recounted as the fountain incident. From this auspicious frolic forward, their enjoyment of adventure and each other never dwindled over the next six decades. Charlie and Susan married in 1967, and they became the proud parents of Elizabeth in 1973. A life-long advocate of civil rights and liberties, Charlie was a proud member of the Democratic Party and served as a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Charlies legal work benefited southeast Tennessee as he engaged both in private practice and as a prosecutor before becoming the Tenth Judicial Districts first Public Defender in 1989, a post that he maintained for fifteen years before his retirement. Ever mindful of his familys contributions to the industrial history of Bradley County, Charlie served on the board of directors for Manufacturers Soap and Chemical and Hardwick Clothes. Charlie also supported numerous civic endeavors, serving on the Tennessee Executive Committee of the Sierra Club, the Cleveland, Bradley, and Ft. Loudon Library Board, and as the president of the board of Hiawassee Mental Health. While he relished the challenges and debates arising from his involvement in politics, law, business, and community, Charlies chief joy came from spending time with his friends and family, particularly his wife, daughter, and grandsons. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Sierra Club Foundations Tennessee Chapter or to the Cleveland Bradley County Library Foundation. The family will receive friends on Saturday, Feb. 17 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. in the Poole Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Cleveland, 3000 Ralph Buckner Blvd. NE Cleveland, Tn. 37311. Before there was the internet and a huge amount of access to information online, we relied solely on fantastic writers and historians to teach us about how other people in other parts of the world live. One of those writers who made an impact and used her platform to educate Americans on another part of the world was Pearl S. Buck, whose literary works on life and China and human rights in Asia won her a Nobel Prize in Literature. Pearl was born at her mothers family home in West Virginia in 1892. Her parents had worked as missionaries in China and were on home leave when she was born. When Pearl was only three months old, she moved back to China with her family. Growing up, she was educated by her mom and a Chinese tutor and was bilingual. Pearl had a passion for writing at a young age and was even published in a childrens newspaper when she was six. She spent many of her childhood years traveling back and forth from China to West Virginia, where she really valued visits to her mothers home. Pearl returned to the United States in 1910 to attend Randolph Macon Womens College in Virginia. She earned her Bachelors in Philosophy and returned to China after graduating. Around this time, she met agricultural missionary John Lossing Buck, whom she married in 1917. Pearl and John lived in China for several years together and became parents. She worked as a teacher at local universities. Around this time, Pearl witnessed the Boxer Rebellion and the rise of the nationalist movement. She began to see how difficult life had become for Chinese peasants, and this issue would inspire her most popular piece of literature. After returning to America to receive her Masters in English at Cornell University in 1924, Pearl wrote articles for several magazines and published her first novel, East Wind: West Wind, written about her life experiences in China, in 1930. The following year, Pearl published The Good Earth, a historical fiction novel about peasant life in China in the 1920s. The Good Earth was her claim to fame and remained a best seller for almost two years. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. Unsplash/Delia Giandeini The report also presents significant findings from a survey of 1,665 parents of gender dysphoric children, indicating that 57% of trans-identified adolescents displayed mental health concerns nearly four years before experiencing discomfort with their biological sex, with 42.5% receiving a formal psychological diagnosis. McMaster University's study raises uncertainties about the effectiveness of puberty blockers in alleviating gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. A comprehensive 2021 review of 3,754 trans-identified adolescents in US military families over 8.5 years suggests that cross-sex hormone treatment correlates with increased mental health service utilization, psychiatric medications, and elevated suicidal ideation. When evaluating transgender-identifying adolescents using gender-affirming pharmaceuticals separately, their mental health service utilization remained constant, but the use of psychotropic medications increased. The report asserts strong evidence linking transgender identification in youth to significant psychological trauma leading to gender dysphoria. Dr. Anderson contends that current gender-affirming medication and surgical protocols lack long-term evidence supporting their mental well-being benefits. High rates of suicide attempts post- gender-affirming interventions underscore the need for long-term controlled trials. Affirming their stance against gender transition procedures for trans-identified youth, the ACP recommends intensive psychotherapy for the individual and family to determine and hopefully treat the underlying etiology of their gender incongruence. The ACP's stance faces strong opposition from organizations like the AMA who point to studies showing reduced depression, anxiety and suicide attempts among transgender individuals receiving gender-affirming care. They argue that the ACP report cherry-picks data and ignores significant evidence supporting the benefits of such interventions. Internationally, the debate mirrors the US situation. While some countries like Sweden and Finland have restricted medical transition for minors due to similar concerns, others continue to offer and advocate for access to these procedures. Reflecting the divided opinions, 23 states in the US have implemented bans on minors accessing some or all gender transition procedures. This highlights the complexity of the issue and the need for nuanced conversations. The ACP urges the US to prioritize further research before actively promoting gender transition procedures for minors. They call for investigations into the long-term impacts on mental and physical health, exploration of alternative approaches like intensive therapy and ensuring minors fully understand the potential risks and benefits before making irrevocable decisions. Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God, passed away Saturday. He was 88. Considered a spiritual statesman by many, the quiet pastor from Canada had a ministry that reached from pastors, missionaries, and lay people, to CEOs, US presidents, and world leaders. Blackabys famous summary of how to know and do the will of Godwatch to see where God is working and join himhas guided numerous people, churches, and ministries to join Gods work. Blackabys teaching and influence crossed denominational lines as well as cultural and geographic boundaries. We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Henry Blackaby, said Lifeway President and CEO Ben Mandrell. He was a great man of God and minister to the body of Christ, beginning with his time as a local church pastor and continuing through his ministry as an author and Bible teacher. Millions of people around the globe have been impacted by his Bible study Experiencing God. He loved his Lord, his family, and his local church. Lifeway sends the Blackaby family our sincere condolences as they remember the life and ministry of this godly man. Blackaby served as founder and president emeritus of Blackaby Ministries International, an organization built to help people experience God. He coauthored the modern classic Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God. His other acclaimed works include Spiritual Leadership, Fresh Encounter, and A God Centered Church. Only eternity will reveal the extent of Henrys impact on the church. I know of no published material that has impacted more churches in more ways than Experiencing God, said Lifeway President Emeritus Jimmy Draper. Though Henry wrote more materials after Experiencing God, that book became the foundation upon which his entire ministry was built. It was obviously the hand of God upon Henry and his message. He will be forever remembered for his passion for spiritual awakening and for the practical working of the Holy Spirit in believers lives. The impact on the church will continue until the Lord returns! Blackaby, a native Canadian, was pastoring a church in southern California when a Canadian pastor approached him and asked him to consider returning to Canada and becoming pastor of a small, dying church in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Blackaby was struck when he said, The only hope for Canada is if Canadian pastors come back home. He and his wife Marilynn answered the call to serve Faith Baptist Church in Saskatoon. Over the next 12 years, the once-dying church grew from 10 members to a thriving congregation that launched 38 mission churches as well as the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary and College. There, in those years of local church ministry, the principles of Experiencing God took shape into what would become the resource that has led to millions of changed lives. Experiencing God is my lifes message, the noted author often said. Its how I had always understood and walked with God. This is how I pastored and led Gods people. Experiencing God has touched and changed millions of lives and thousands of churches around the world. Since 1990, the study has sold more than 8 million copies in English and is available in more than 75 languages. The study, published by Lifeway and co-authored by Claude King, promotes a God-centered way of life that helps people know God intimately, recognize his voice and understand his will for their lives. Our human tendency is to think and act from a human-centered perspective. We often make plans and ask God to bless them, but God is the One who has the plan, said King. Henry taught me to find where God is working and join him. God has a plan, and hes working in places we wouldnt know. When we recognize where hes working and join him, he does amazing things. Countless pastors, denominational and ministry leaders, church planters, and missionaries identify Experiencing God as an influential tool God used in calling them to vocational ministry, according to King. Only heaven would have an accounting, King said. There are thousands and thousands who have sensed Gods call to ministry because of Experiencing God. Through Henry, God has revealed what he can do through one ordinary man who is a humble servant and full of faith. Blackabys son Richard now leads Blackaby Ministries International and writes and speaks on spiritual awakening, experiencing God, and the Christian life. In 2022, Lifeway re-released the Bible study with new video content that includes Richard and Mike Blackaby, the son and grandson of Henry Blackaby. Reflecting on the legacy of his fathers work on the original Experiencing God study, Richard Blackaby said there was no way to know how dramatically the studys message would be received or how it would spawn a multigenerational movement of people seeking to recognize Gods voice. My dad always said there is a deep longing in peoples hearts to know and experience God, he said. Many people knew there had to be more to the Christian life than what they were experiencing. Describing what it was like to grow up the son of Henry Blackaby and watching his parents, Richard Blackaby said: I knew you didnt have to be a superhero to be a man of God or a woman of God. You just had to be willing to follow wherever Jesus leads you. After pastoring Faith Baptist Church, Henry Blackaby served as director of missions in Vancouver for two years before moving to the United States to become the director of prayer and spiritual awakening at the North American Mission Board. He later served as special assistant to the presidents of the Southern Baptist International and North American mission boards and Lifeway. Blackaby was born April 15, 1935, in British Columbia. He is preceded in death by his wife Marilynn and survived by their five children and 14 grandchildren. In recent weeks, Britain has seen an outpouring of anger at what has been described as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in its history: the Post Office scandal. Over more than a decade, hundreds of local businesspeople were prosecuted on the basis of a faulty IT system, and the government has just recently begun to right its wrongs. A TV dramatization of the saga aired last month has generated further outrage and empathy for the innocent victims. And because the Post Offices former CEO happened to be a member of the clergy, the Church of England is also trying to learn lessons from the scandal. What is the Post Office scandal? Between 1999 and 2015, 736 people running local post offices (sub-postmasters) were prosecuted for false accounting, theft, and fraud, based on information from an online accounting system called Horizon. Hundreds went to prison. Families were left bankrupt, marriages collapsed, and lives were ruined. Sub-postmasters had raised concerns about Horizon and the shortfalls it reported, and eventually 550 of them brought a group legal action. The Post Office agreed in 2019 to pay out 58 million ($73 million) but didnt admit liability. In 2021, the Court of Appeal ruled that the failures of investigation and disclosure were so egregious as to make the prosecution of any of the Horizon cases an affront to the conscience of the court. A public inquiry is now underway to determine what went wrong. Although media first exposed the scandal, a recent TV miniseries, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, has sparked outrage among a much wider public. What is the Post Office? More than a mail service, the Post Office is an institution that is part of the fabric of British society and dates back to the rule of King Charles I in 1635. The postal market remained a state monopoly until 2006 and, while much has changed in recent decades, the Post Office is still entirely owned by the British government. With more than 11,500 branches, it is the largest retailer in the UK. Much of the population is able to walk to a branch. The Post Office has expanded to offer banking for individuals and small businesses. The vast majority of local post offices are operated by franchise partners: sub-postmasters. They are often regarded as pillars of the community: familiar faces entrusted with thousands of pounds of local money. Another important fact is that the Post Office is able to bring private prosecutions. In fact, Royal Mail solicitors are believed to the earliest known formal investigators and prosecutors in the world. When did the Horizon scandal begin? More than 20 years ago, sub-postmasters flagged Horizon for generating shortfalls in accounts that they couldnt explain. But the Post Office approach was to demand that they either make up the shortfall or face prosecution. In 2004, a sub-postmaster from Northern England, Lee Castleton, was made bankrupt after losing a legal battle with the Post Office. Although the sub-postmasters eventually formed an alliance, each were initially told that they were the only ones reporting problems with Horizon. A key aim of the public inquiry is to establish who knew of faults with Horizon and when. Last month, one of the executives at Fujitsu, the IT company that ran Horizon, said that bugs had been present in the system for nearly two decades and that the Post Office had been made aware. The chief executive of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019, Paula Vennells, told a parliamentary inquiry in 2020 that Fujitsu had assured her Horizon was fundamentally sound. What is the connection to the Church of England? Paula Vennells was unusual in serving as the CEO of a major company while also being ordained. She became a priest in the Church of England in 2006 and worked as a non-stipendiary (unpaid) minister at village churches in an area north of London. She was a trustee of Hymns Ancient & Modern, the charity that owns the independent Church Times newspaper, serving a full nine-year term that ended in January 2019. She also served in a number of advisory roles for the church, including its Ethical Investment Advisory Group from 2019 until 2021, when she resigned. Last month, it was reported that she had been considered for appointment as the bishop of Londonone of the most senior roles in the church. Although she was not appointed, eyebrows were raised about the shortlisting, given that she had held no other senior roles in the church. A Church of England spokesperson has said that more questions should have been asked about the appropriateness of Vennellss involvement in various committees and working groups. In January, she handed back her Commander of the British Empire honor, which was bestowed upon her by the queen in 2019 for services to the Post Office and to charity. Vennells said, I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system. I now intend to continue to focus on assisting the inquiry and will not make any further public comment until it has concluded. She stepped back from public ministry in 2021. How has the church responded? The bishop who leads the area in which Paula Vennells has carried out her local ministry, Alan Smith, is the son of a former sub-postmaster. After the 2021 court ruling, he expressed his distress at the miscarriage of justice that so many sub-postmasters have suffered and last month he said that the TV dramatization rekindles the suffering and pain of the sub-postmasters and their families who are victims of the Horizon IT scandal, and anger in all of us for such a serious miscarriage of justice. He added, I hope and pray that the public inquiry will explain fully the sequence of events, provide redress for the victims and hold to account the responsible people and organisations. Some clergy have personal links to the scandal, including those who supported sub-postmasters facing prosecution. What has the recent response been like? Recent weeks have seen an outpouring of sympathy for those wrongly convicted and anger at how the Post Office pursued prosecutions. The subject of the miniseries, Alan Bates, has been hailed as a hero, with the sub-postmasters regarded as David up against Goliath. The story has tapped into wider anxieties about large-scale IT projects and corporate faith in technology, with many people incredulous that the Post Office was ready to believe that so many sub-postmasters had turned to crime. Within the church, questions have been raised about its own relationship with corporate culture. Vennells was a member of a faculty appointed by the Church of England to deliver training for senior leaders. A few weeks ago, an overview of the program was shared on social media, with topics including applying concepts around value creation, value destruction and resource allocation to support the ministry and mission of the Church. It comes against a wider, long-term backdrop of anxiety about incorporating secular management techniques in the church. What happens now? The public inquiry remains underway, with Vennells due to give evidence later this year. To date, only 95 convictions of sub-postmasters have been overturned, although the government has said that those previously convicted will be cleared of wrongdoing and compensated under a new law. Each will be eligible for a compensation payment of 600,000 ($756,765). For some, it is too late: at least 60 died without seeing justice or compensation. Some took their own lives. Madeleine Davies is a senior writer for the Church Times in London, where she has covered the Post Office scandal. Home News Lakewood Church shooter was mentally troubled, consistently identified as female, police say Despite reportedly using multiple aliases, including the male name Jeffrey Escalante, Genesse Ivonne Moreno, a mentally troubled individual who was shot dead by off-duty law enforcement officers after opening fire at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church on Sunday, has consistently identified as female, a Houston Police Department officer said Monday. "Our shooter is identified by a driver's license as Genesee Moreno 36 years old, Hispanic female. There are some discrepancies," HPD's Commander of Homicide Christopher Hassig said at a press conference. "We do have reports she used multiple aliases, including Jeffrey Escalante. So she has utilized both male and female names but through all of our investigation to this point, talking with individuals, interviews, documents, Houston Police Department reports, she has been identified this entire time as female." The clarification from HPD comes as some media reports have identified Moreno as a transgender woman who was born a male. Police say the shooter had at least six prior arrests since 2005, including unlawful carrying of a weapon, which Moreno pleaded guilty to; evading arrest; and assault on a public official. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe In a recounting of the shooting at Lakewood Church, Hassig said Moreno pulled up to the west side of the building in a white vehicle at 1:53 p.m. on Sunday with a 7-year-old boy in tow. "She gets out of her white vehicle. She opens the door, pulls out the 7-year-old child out of the backseat as well as a bag that is with her," he said. Moreno then "confronts a security guard who lets her in along the west side of the building" at 1:55 p.m. Moreno "immediately starts firing" after entering a hallway of the church. The off-duty officers, who were working approved security jobs for the church, engaged Moreno in a gunfight. Moreno and the child are brought down in a hail of bullets. Hassig said the child was shot once in the head but did not say who shot the child. "Multiple rounds are fired by her at which point Officer Moreno of the Houston Police Department working an approved extra job at the location as well as TABC agent Herrera returned fire and the exchange is all there on the west side of the building," Hassig said. "In the hallway, multiple shots are exchanged by all three. She eventually falls to the ground. The 7-year-old child falls to the ground as well from gunfire one gunshot wound to the head." Moreno was pronounced dead by Houston Fire Department personnel at 2:07 p.m. Hassig said, while the child remains in "critical condition" at a local hospital. Two weapons were recovered from the scene, including a .22 caliber rifle, which was not used in the shooting, and an AR-15 with a "Palestine" sticker, which Moreno fired at the officers. "There was a sticker on the buttstock of the rifle that stated 'Palestine.' A sticker simply stated 'Palestine' on the buttstock," Hassig said. The homicide investigator, who said HPD has been working with both state and federal officials to come up with a motive for Moreno's attack on the Lakewood Church, suggested that it might have been grounded in the shooter's mental illness, coupled with an ongoing dispute Moreno had with her ex-husband who is Jewish. "We do have some facts that she was put under an emergency detention order by Houston police officers, we believe in 2016. We do believe that she does have a mental health history that is documented through us and through interviews with family members," Hassig said. "And we do want to say that through our investigation, I mentioned antisemitic writing. We do believe that there was a familial dispute that has taken place between her ex-husband and her ex-husband's family. And some of those individuals are Jewish, so we believe that that might possibly be where all of this stems from," Hassig said. In addition to Moreno's death, and the injury of the 7-year-old boy, a 57-year-old man was shot during the gunfight at the church, which began just before a service for Spanish speakers. Police say the man was treated and released from hospital. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner asked for prayers for the boy and everyone affected by the shooting. "I want to ask for prayers for a 7-year-old kid who's fighting for his life. Questions came up yesterday about him. I think that what we need to do for him is pray. He's still in critical condition fighting for his life the last report I got," Finner said. "The 57-year-old male who was shot has been released. I want to ask for continued prayers for him and his family and all families involved. The Lakewood family I spoke to Pastor Osteen this morning, and he would have been here, but his duty, his heart, is with his congregation right now trying to start the healing process. And we want to pray for them." Anyone with information that can help the police in their ongoing investigation of the shooting are being asked to call the Houston Homicide Department at 713-308-3600 or Crimestoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Home News Pastors react to shooting at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church: 'Praying for God's peace' Pastors across the world lifted Houston's Lakewood Church, led by Pastor Joel Osteen, in prayer after a woman opened fire inside the Texas megachurch Sunday afternoon before law enforcement officers killed her. According to the Houston Police Department, the still unidentified woman, estimated to be between 30 and 35 years old, entered the church shortly before 2 p.m. wearing a trench coat and backpack and opened fire. A 5-year-old boy accompanied her. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner revealed the shooter died at the scene after two law enforcement officers intervened. The boy, still in critical condition as of Monday morning, and a 57-year-old man were injured, officials said. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Overnight, agents with the FBI, Texas Rangers and ATF raided a Conroe home believed to be connected to the suspect, reported ABC News, though a motive remains unclear. In a public statement on X on Sunday, Lakewood Church announced that its community was "devastated." Following news of the shooting, pastors across the country took to social media to lift up Lakewood Church in prayer. California Pastor and author David Jeremiah, who leads Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, wrote on social media, "We are praying for all those affected by the tragic shooting at Lakewood Church. Our hearts go out to all the families impacted in the Houston community." We are praying for all those affected by the tragic shooting at Lakewood Church. Our hearts go out to all the families impacted in the Houston community. David Jeremiah (@davidjeremiah) February 11, 2024 Evangelist Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California and Hawaii, applauded the fast response of law enforcement in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He expressed his support for security teams in churches and schools. "So thankful this was contained quickly," Laurie wrote. "This is one of the reasons we need security teams in Churches and schools. Praying for the full recovery of those who are injured." Jentezen Franklin, the founder of Free Chapel in Georgia and bestselling author, wrote on X that he is "Praying for God's peace and comfort over Pastor @JoelOsteen, @LakewoodChurch and their community tonight." Texas-based televangelist Benny Hinn urged his followers to lift Lakewood Church in prayer in a social media statement. "Wonderful partners, I'm sure you heard about the shooting this afternoon at Joel Osteen's church. I am asking you all as God's people to pray for Pastor Joel, his family, as well as the members of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas," Hinn wrote. "Pray that the Lord will protect His people, that God will fill them with His wonderful peace, and that He will bring healing to the injured." Wonderful partners, Im sure you heard about the shooting this afternoon at Joel Osteens church. I am asking you all as Gods people to pray for Pastor Joel, his family, as well as the members of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Pray that the Lord will protect His people, that pic.twitter.com/U7H0CFrrGU Benny Hinn (@Benny_Hinn) February 12, 2024 Johnnie Moore, an Evangelical public relations executive, author and president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, wrote on X: "Once again, off duty police officers who serve America's congregations on the weekend saved lives. Heroes. "Thank God the shooter @lakewoodchurch was neutralized before she could cause more harm," Moore wrote. "Praying for a full recovery for the child who is critically injured. Praying for my friend @JoelOsteen as he helps his congregation cope through this traumatic event." Once again, off duty police officers who serve Americas congregations on the weekend saved lives. Heroes. Thank God the shooter @lakewoodchurch was neutralized before she could cause more harm. Praying for a full recovery for the child who is critically injured. Praying for my Rev. Johnnie Moore ? (@JohnnieM) February 11, 2024 Guatemalan televangelist Cash Luna wrote in Spanish: "As a church, we join in prayer in the face of the devastating events that occurred today in the @lakewoodchurch. We pray to our Lord, source of peace and comfort, to embrace the Lakewood community in this time of difficulty." "We pray for each member and for the people affected, that they find peace in our Lord. May the Holy Spirit visit you and comfort you in the midst of this pain," Luna added. "We declare with faith that, even under these circumstances, our Lord will protect Lakewood Church, its members and its leaders. We will remain united in prayer for Lakewood Church." Como iglesia, nos unimos en oracion ante los devastadores acontecimientos ocurridos hoy en la @lakewoodchurch . Rogamos a nuestro Senor, fuente de paz y consuelo, que abrace a la comunidad de Lakewood en este tiempo de dificultad. ???????? Oramos por cada miembro y por las personas pic.twitter.com/1U9VVqnyTz Pastor Cash Luna (@PastorCashLuna) February 12, 2024 Robert Jeffress, the senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, cited Psalm 34:18, which states, "The Lord is close to the broken-hearted." "We are praying for Pastor @JoelOsteen and our friends at Lakewood Church in Houston," Jeffress wrote. Home News Islamic converts to Christianity duping church leaders to avoid deportation: judges Judges in the United Kingdom have expressed concerns over church leaders being misled or "duped" by asylum seekers who convert to Christianity to evade deportation. A series of judicial decisions reveal investigators questioned whether clergy and lay leaders did enough to scrutinize the motives of supposed converts before supporting their asylum applications. Immigration tribunal decisions reviewed by The Telegraph show the Home Office has repeatedly questioned the depth to which religious leaders are probing migrants intentions behind converting from Islam to Christianity. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe Claims of religious conversion can help bolster asylum applications if that means they will be deported back to their home countries, where they would be at risk of persecution for their professed new faith. The report comes as the Church of England has faced scrutiny in recent weeks into whether its leaders were supporting "bogus" asylum claims. The case of Abdul Ezedi, who was granted asylum after converting to Christianity, has prompted a reevaluation of the clergy's involvement in asylum applications. Ezedi is linked to the recent Clapham chemical attack in southwest London. Ezedi remains at large after the attack that resulted in severe injuries to a woman and her children. He had claimed his conversion to Christianity placed him at risk in Afghanistan. Judges now appear to be questioning the ability of church leaders to accurately vouch for the faith of asylum seekers, especially when language barriers exist. In two of the cases reviewed by The Telegraph, judges questioned how local church leaders could vouch for the faith of asylum seekers from Iran and Iraq. In one case, a vicar claimed to have spoken in-depth with an Iranian national he supported who was baptized five weeks after arriving in Britain. However, the Iranian man told authorities he never discussed his faith with the pastor and that their interactions were limited to greetings, broken English and hand signals. In another instance reported by The Telegraph, an immigration judge determined that a young Iranian migrant had misled a pastoral assistant at an Evangelical church in Wiltshire. The migrants assertion of converting from Islam to Christianity prior to arriving in Britain was judged to be not plausible. Despite the pastoral assistants genuine testimony regarding his conviction in the migrants conversion, the judge observed a significant level of uncritical acceptance of his belief. Notably, the migrant could not even identify the church by name. In a statement last Wednesday, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the senior cleric in the Church of England, said the "role of churches and faith groups in the asylum system" has been mischaracterized. Churches up and down the country are involved in caring for vulnerable people from all backgrounds," Welby said. "For refugees and those seeking asylum, we simply follow the teaching of the Bible which is to care for the stranger." It is the job of the Government to protect our borders and of the courts to judge asylum cases," he added. "The Church is called to love mercy and do justice. I encourage everyone to avoid irresponsible and inaccurate comments and let us not forget that at the heart of this conversation are vulnerable people whose lives are precious in the sight of God. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord George Carey, who served as a senior cleric in the Church of England between 1991 and 2002, criticized the current church leadership for its approach to migration. In an opinion piece for The Sunday Telegraph, he accused bishops in the House of Lords of overlooking the effects of mass migration on British culture and infrastructure. "Ive been surprised therefore by the thin-skinned nature of the churchs response in this latest controversy. When you raise your head above the parapet you must expect to be criticised," Carey wrote. "I know I will be over this article. But the Church hierarchy seems to be denying that there is a problem at all, or anything questionable about its own actions and statements." "One result of this is that churches stand accused of boosting the credentials of asylum seekers and gullibly accepting insincere conversions," he continued. "This is not in fact so, because it is the Home Office and the judiciarys job to apply the asylum rules not the Church." Carey lamented a Church of England for giving information on how clergy can mount a personal campaign if an application is refused. "It does not give much advice on how to discern whether these conversions are authentic, long-standing and life-changing," he wrote. "While it is true that most clergy are experienced enough to deal with these sorts of pastoral situations, the Church should do more to insist that baptism preparation is rigorous. The truly depressing thing about this is that Christian converts in some countries are among the most persecuted minorities in the world. Genuine converts in countries where a considerable risk is taken by 'apostasising' find themselves undermined by a handful of false cases where people are gaming the system." The Rev. Matthew Firth, who formerly led a parish in the north of England before joining the Free Church of England, told The Telegraph that the Church of England has become a "conveyor belt" of asylum seeker baptisms. He claims to have personally encountered around 20 cases of immigrants who sought baptisms at his church to support their appeals after their asylum applications failed. "It is not direct wrongdoing from the Church but it is complicity, which is not right," Firth said. Carey said the intensity and fervor of the Church of England's opposition to the proposed Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership have troubled him. The Rwanda plan is a policy agreement between the United Kingdom and Rwanda. Announced in April 2022, the plan aims to deter illegal migration and human smuggling by relocating certain asylum seekers arriving in the U.K. via unauthorized routes to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed. Home News Christian university reports record enrollment, up 10% since last spring Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has reported a record enrollment for the spring semester, marking the 15th consecutive year of enrollment growth for the university. In a statement, ORU President Dr. William M. Wilson expressed his enthusiasm for the university's continued growth. The school reported a total of 5,147 students registered for the spring semester, surpassing the 5,000-student mark for the first time in its spring enrollment. Regarded as one of the most prominent Pentecostal higher education institutions in the United States, ORU was founded in 1963 by Charismatic televangelist Oral Roberts. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "ORU is in a remarkable season, and above all, we are grateful," Wilson said in a statement. "The excellence of our world-class faculty and the diligent service our staff provides continues to appeal to parents and students. ORU's unique value-centric culture provides students with a learning environment that prepares them to lead anywhere in the world. With ORU's unprecedented enrollment growth, we are honored that students and parents continue to trust ORU for their academic journey and career preparation." The university attributes this milestone to its reputation for academic excellence and a Spirit-empowered approach to education. According to a press statement shared with The Christian Post, ORU's enrollment grew by 10.5% compared to spring 2023. It reports a retention rate of 93% and a 10.6% increase in graduate program enrollment. ORU's spring enrollment consists of 13.5% African Americans, 14.3%% Hispanics and 18.6% international students, according to the university. Families "want a university that prioritizes values, and the ORU distinctive is attractive," Williams said. "ORU is committed to our bold vision, and this generation wants more than a degree; they want to change the world." Over the last four years, ORU has had enrollees from all 50 states in the U.S. and 151 countries. The top five represented states are Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and California. The top five foreign countries represented in ORU's student body are India, Nigeria, Brazil, Honduras and Columbia. ORU's achievement comes at a time when the higher education sector, particularly Christian colleges, faces challenges such as closures, mergers and declining enrollments due to various factors, including the pandemic, high costs and a decreasing number of high school graduates. In May 2023, Higher Ed Dive published a report on the closure or merging of dozens of colleges throughout the country, 18 of which were Christian colleges. Amanda Staggenborg, chief communications officer at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, a Christian higher education advocacy association with more than 185 member institutions, noticed that the trend impacted colleges across the board. Staggenborg told The Christian Post that both secular and religious institutions had experienced an enrollment decline. She cited multiple reasons for the decline, including a drop in birth rates leading to a decreasing number of students graduating high school and fewer high school graduates seeking higher education. Many Christian universities didn't begin to see a decline in enrollment until 2016, six years after secular public universities started experiencing a drop in students, Staggenborg noted. Staggenborg cited a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, finding total undergraduate enrollment at undergraduate institutions had decreased by 9% between 2009 and 2020. In contrast, some Christian colleges have experienced continued growth during the pandemic. Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, continues to report record enrollment numbers, as it boasts more than 135,000 students through its residential and online programs in 2022. Home News European Parliament condemns massacre of Christians in Nigeria, blames climate change ADF Int'l blasts claim Christian persecution caused by environmental factors, not Islamic extremism The European Parliament has condemned the Christmas Eve massacre of Christians in Nigeria but attributed the violence to climate change and environmental degradation instead of Sharia law, Islamic extremist groups and the dangers of blasphemy accusations. During the 2023 Christmas season, Fulani militants killed at least 195 Christians in over 20 communities in Nigerias Central Plateau State. The attacks also resulted in more than 300 injuries, the destruction of homes, the burning of eight churches and the displacement of 15,000 people. The EU resolution states that the conflict is increasingly described in religious terms, while the perpetrators are yet to be identified and several factors are to be taken into account such as competition for land fueled by rapid climate change and the failure of authorities to hold to account those responsible for violence. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe It further calls on Nigerian authorities to take meaningful steps to identify and address all root causes of the violence in Plateau state, such as competition for scarce resources, environmental degradation and the disappearance of effective mediation schemes. Georgia Du Plessis from the human rights group ADF International criticized the resolution for downplaying the religious motivations behind the attacks, emphasizing that climate change does not lead to the massacre of Christian villages. In 2021, Nigeria was the deadliest country for Christians, with 90% of global Christian martyrdoms occurring there. An average of 14 Nigerian Christians are killed daily due to their faith. Members of the European Parliament Bert-Jan Ruissen and Gyorgy Holvenyi have also voiced concerns over the resolutions failure to acknowledge Islamic extremism as a primary cause of the violence. Saying that it is a mere conflict between farmers and herders fails to acknowledge the other causes. It is Muslim extremists causing death and destruction, Ruissen said. Blinded by ideology, some people are totally insensitive to human suffering when it comes to Christians, Holvenyi added. The timing of the attacks, brutal killings, and destruction of churches cannot be misinterpreted and can only be understood as the persecution of Christians and we should be able to say so. ADF International said it's also involved in a significant legal case supporting Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim musician sentenced to death under blasphemy laws in Nigerias Kano state, challenging the constitutionality of Sharia-based blasphemy laws which could lead to their repeal. The coordinated attacks by Fulani militias from Dec. 23-26 were described as pure terrorism by Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang, which led to calls for a prompt, independent investigation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk. The U.S.-based International Christian Concern has documented the extensive damage and loss of life, calling for the Nigerian authorities to prioritize the arrest and prosecution of the terrorists. Nigeria has been listed in the ICCs annual Persecutors of the Year report for the last three years due to the ongoing violence against Christians. The assailants, often referred to as bandits, are a mix of criminal elements, including ethnic Fulani herders and mercenaries from Chad or Niger. They are well-armed and have been active in northern Nigeria for over a decade. Christian leaders believe these attacks are motivated by a desire to take over Christian lands and impose Islam. Nigeria led the world in Christians killed for their faith in 2022, according to Open Doors 2023 World Watch List report, which also noted the involvement of Fulani, Boko Haram, and Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, in these raids. Home News 'He Gets Us' Super Bowl ad sparks debate among Christians A Super Bowl ad from a faith-based organization is igniting a debate among Christian conservatives, who expressed concern that its intended message of unity could be misconstrued as a justification for engaging in certain sins and that it fails to communicate a biblically accurate account of Jesus. The "He Gets Us" campaign, which describes itself as an effort to remind people of "the example that Jesus set while inviting all to explore his teachings so we can all follow his example of confounding, unconditional love," aired a 60-second ad during Super Bowl LVIII Sunday. The ad, titled "Foot Washing," featured still photographs of people washing another person's feet in various situations. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe One image depicted in the ad showed an older woman washing a younger woman's feet outside a facility labeled as a "Family Planning Clinic." In the background were protesters on both sides of the abortion debate holding signs reflecting the differing positions on the hot-button issue. Additional images in the ad featured people washing the feet of people with clearly divergent ideologies and/or social statuses. Two of the pictures illustrated protests demonstrating against police brutality and in favor of environmentalism. It concluded with an on-screen message declaring, "Jesus didn't teach hate. He washed feet. He gets us. All of us." Andrew Walker, an ethics and public theology professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary who also serves as a fellow at the Ethics & Public Policy Center, took to X Monday to raise concerns about the implications of the ad. "He Gets Us framed evangelism with a leftward tinge, communicating the respectability of certain sins over others in our culture (although I'm not sure the ad even communicated that the respectable sins were sins at all)," he wrote. "It is curious that Jesus never showed up washing feet at a [Make America Great Again] rally, a truck stop porn store in Alabama, to dilapidated and drugged-out factory workers in Ohio, or a white nationalist militia meeting in Michigan," Walker added. "If Jesus really is for all sinners, we should want right-wing racists converted as well, right? How would we respond to Jesus washing the feet of someone outside the Capitol on January 6?" Suggesting that the video displayed bias when selecting what situations to identify as opportunities for foot washing, Walker remarked that in the ad, "the socially high-status sins of the Left are the ones Christians are told to evangelize, not the low-status sins of the Deplorable Right because, it seems, they are the ones truly outside redemption's reach." He maintained that "the conditioning effect of these commercials in framing and reaffirming the social castes of American sin" is "really something." "The truth of the matter is that Jesus redeems sinners from both the Right and the Left, whether high-status or low-status. Everyone is equal in their need for Christ (Rom. 3:23). That could have been communicated, but wasn't," he concluded. Pro-life advocate Ryan Bomberger reacted to the ad in an X post Sunday. He addressed its premise that "Jesus Didn't Teach Hate" by proclaiming, "Yes. And No." Asserting that Jesus "taught us to love one another as He has loved us," Bomberger stressed that "His word also teaches us to 'love what is good & hate what is evil.'" The pro-life activist identified another important lesson that "disagreement & truth = hate." Allie Beth Stuckey, conservative commentator and host of the "Relatable" podcast, responded to the argument that Christians should "just be happy Jesus's name is getting to millions of people" in an X post Sunday. "If it's not the Biblical Jesus, then no. If you've got the money and opportunity to buy a Super Bowl ad slot, share the gospel," she wrote. "Don't waste it on some ambiguous mumbo jumbo that makes Jesus into our image rather than depicting Him as the King and Savior He is." Podcaster Michael Knowles took to X Sunday and wondered if he was "the only conservative who didn't totally hate the 'He Gets Us' ad." While acknowledging the concerns of critics that it "speaks 'woke-ese,'" "it's not for us; it's for secular libs" and poses "a risk it leads to heretical complacency," Knowles contended that "if it gets some lost lib to even consider Our Lord, I'm not totally opposed." "Your green-haired lesbian cousin who hates her dad is not going to read the Summa Theologiae set you didn't buy her," he predicted. "But if she begins to feel even a slight affection for Our Lord, she *might* turn on a podcast. Maybe that podcast could be Fr. Mike Schmitz's Bible in a Year. The ad wouldn't be my first choice for evangelism. But Our Lord has used much worse things for good." "He Gets Us" elaborated on the intended message of the ad in a statement posted to its website. "We recalled the story of Jesus washing his disciples' feet and realized this was the perfect example of how we should treat one another, even those people with whom we don't see eye to eye," the statement reads. "Jesus had washed Peter's feet, a loyal friend who would publicly deny that he knew Jesus later that very night. And even more astoundingly, Jesus washed Judas Iscariot's feet, the one who would betray him for 30 pieces of silver." Noting that Jesus washed the feet of his 12 disciples during the Last Supper as a "symbol for all of his followers to see how they should treat one another," the "He Gets Us" campaign states that "foot washing required humility on the part of both parties: the one willing to wash another's feet and also the one willing to have their feet washed." The group characterized foot washing as "an act of mutual admiration" that enabled Jesus to eliminate "any notion of rank or caste among his disciples." "We began to imagine a world where ideological others were willing to set their differences aside and wash one another's feet. How would that look? How would our contentious world change if we washed one another's feet, not literally, but figuratively? Figurative foot washing can be as simple as giving a compliment to a co-worker or paying for a stranger's lunch. It can also be as difficult as not responding to someone who's criticizing you or reaching out to an estranged family member." Insisting that "acts of kindness done out of humility and respect for another person could be considered the equivalent of foot washing," the "He Gets Us" campaign expressed hope that "our latest commercials will stimulate both societal discussion and individual self-reflection about 'who is my neighbor?' and how each of us can love our neighbor even as we have differences and serve one another with more kindness and respect." Home News Jihad, terror, chaos: Inside horrific religious persecution raging across the globe Religious persecution is raging across the globe. Christian Post reporter Ryan Foley attended the recent International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C. and heard from experts who warned about the dire situations in various nations. From a Catholic priest urging the United States to designate Nigeria as a "terrorist government" to House Speaker Mike Johnson's pressing of the Biden administration to protect Uyghur Muslims in China, there was much ground to cover. Foley joins "The Inside Story" podcast to break it all down. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe "The Inside Story" takes you behind the headlines of the biggest faith, culture and political headlines of the week. In 15 minutes or less, Christian Post staff reporters and editors will help you navigate and understand what's driving each story, the issues at play and why it all matters. Listen to more Christian podcasts today on the Edifi app and be sure to subscribe to The Inside Story on your favorite platforms: Edifi Anchor Breaker Google Podcasts Apple Podcasts Pocket Casts RadioPublic Spotify Home News Church maintains innocence of pastor charged with defrauding man with disabilities of over $27K A Tennessee church is steadfastly maintaining the innocence of a pastor accused of defrauding a man with mental disabilities out of more than $27,000 and taking control of more than $366,000 of the man's pension and Social Security benefits. A grand jury in Marion County indicted David Berry last Monday on one count of violation of the Computer Crimes Act, one count of theft over $10,000 but less than $60,000 and one count of financial exploitation of an elderly or vulnerable adult. A report published by Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Jason Mumpower last Wednesday details allegations against Berry, pastor of the Praise & Worship Family Outreach Center in Jasper. He also owns and operates a business called The Tax Service. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe The Praise & Worship Family Outreach Center released a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday proclaiming Berry's innocence. "You will hear that Pastor David has been arrested. These are totally unfounded accusations," the statement reads. "Our pastor, brother, friend and his wife need everyone in the family of faith standing with him now more than ever!" According to Mumpower's report, Berry was appointed as the representative payee through the Social Security Administration's Representative Payment Program to manage disability payments for a disabled adult in 2011. The adult in question was "unable to fully manage his own resources" due to "an intellectual disability." Through his role as the unnamed adult's representative payee, Berry was tasked with paying for the man's food, shelter, clothes, medical care and personal comfort items using Social Security funds. The Social Security Administration notes that "a payee has no legal authority to manage non-Social Security income," while Tennessee law makes it illegal to "knowingly financially exploit a vulnerable adult." Mumpower's report maintains that Berry "misappropriated at least $27,386.29 belonging to the disabled adult." "As the disabled adult requested the Social Security Administration (SSA) to assign Berry as his representative payee, Berry opened a representative payee checking account to receive the disabled adult's social security payments," the report states. "As a representative payee, he alone had access to account checkbook and debit card. SSA's policy does not allow the beneficiary direct access to their account, and Berry did not give the disabled adult access to his account bank statements for review." The specific allegations outlined in the report assert that while the disabled adult authorized monthly tithes of 10% to the Praise & Worship Family Outreach Center, Berry repeatedly wrote checks in excess of that amount to his church from the man's checking account. The total in excess tithes given to the church over nine years, lasting from November 2011 through August 2020, amounted to $16,686.42. Additionally, Berry is accused of transferring $5,000 from the man's savings account to his checking account and then withdrawing the money as cash. An additional $4,000 from the savings account allegedly went directly into Berry's personal checking account. The report states that a combined total of $898.75 from the disabled adult's checking account was used illicitly to pay for dental care for Berry and his wife. Berry told investigators that an additional $801.12 in funds from the checking account was misappropriated to cover the costs of repairs to his personal vehicle. In addition to the allegations of misappropriation, Berry is charged with controlling a total of $366,587.76 in funds consisting of the disabled adult's pension benefits and Social Security benefits belonging to the man's wife without proper authorization. Investigators say this money was put into a savings account that Berry controlled, with purchases coming out of the account covering "restaurant purchases, fuel purchases, various retail store purchases, a loan for a Super Bowl party, numerous cash transactions, and other questionable purchases." The final allegation contained in the report states that Berry made questionable transfers totaling $9,549.50 from accounts belonging to the man and his wife to unknown accounts. In its statement, the Praise & Worship Family Outreach Center claimed, "The enemy has been trying everything to defame and stop the promotion of the Kingdom of God in our community." The church insisted that Berry's arrest would not impact the day-to-day operations. "All areas of ministry under ATTAIN will continue as usual, Sunday services, Thursday night Bible study, Recovery ministry, and the Community Kitchen," the statement asserts. Home News UNRWA head says agency didn't know about Hamas tunnels under Gaza headquarters The head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency denied that the organization had any knowledge of the tunnel network the Israeli military discovered beneath its Gaza headquarters amid concerns about the agencys ties to Hamas. Israel Defense Forces discovered a data center complete with an electrical room and living space for Hamas terrorists beneath UNRWAs Gaza headquarters located in the Rimal neighborhood. In a Saturday X post, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated that the media made the agency aware of reports about the tunnel underneath its Gaza headquarters. Lazzarini also claimed that UNRWA staff members complied with Israeli evacuation orders and left the headquarters on Oct. 12 as bombardment intensified in the area. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know. Subscribe We have not used that compound since we left it, nor are we aware of any activity that may have taken place there, the UNRWA commissioner-general stated, adding that the agency is unable to confirm or otherwise comment on these reports. Lazzarini also stated that UNRWA last inspected its Gaza premises in September 2023, noting that the agency conducts such inspections every quarter during times of no active conflict. UNRWA is a Human development and humanitarian organisation that does not have the military and security expertise nor the capacity to undertake military inspections of what is or might be under its premises, he added, claiming that the Israeli authorities have not officially informed UNRWA about the tunnel. The report about the tunnel comes after allegations surfaced that 12 UNRWA staff members may have participated in Hamas Oct. 7 invasion against Israel. During the surprise attack, the terror group slaughtered at least 1,200 people, a majority of them civilians, and it also abducted over 240 others. Late last month, multiple media outlets reported on an intelligence dossier that estimated about 1,200 UNRWA employees in Gaza have links to Hamas, the terror group that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. UNRWA did not immediately respond to The Christian Posts request for comment. As The Times of Israel reported Saturday, the outlets military correspondent, Emanuel Fabian, toured the subterranean data center during a Thursday media tour with the IDF. The correspondent noted that the headquarters is located in an area where the Israeli military previously dismantled a Hamas battalion. Fabian described how the IDF guided reporters through a 700-meter-long tunnel, with the route they followed eventually taking them to a hallway with air conditioning and wall tiles. The hallway also had posters of Hamas military logo, according to the correspondent, and a 300-meter passage in the hallway led to a data center and electrical room. Col. Nissim Hazan, a senior officer in the 401st Brigade, told Fabian as they toured rooms in the main hallway in the tunnel that a UNRWA kids school was above their heads. After walking a few more meters into the tunnel, the tour entered an electrical room that Hazan said was located under the main UNRWA building. The room contained dozens of server cabinets, as Fabian reported, and the IDF believes that Hamas used the server farm to gather intelligence. After exiting the tunnel, the tour brought the journalists to the UNRWA headquarters, where another IDF member told reporters that his forces found Hamas weapons after a battle with the terrorists for the complex. The IDF forces discovered the weapons which reportedly included grenades, rocket launchers and explosives after the UNRWA staff members had evacuated the building, according to The Times of Israel. According to the IDF, documents and equipment discovered in UNRWA offices indicated that the same offices were also used by Hamas terrorists. Col. Benny Aharon, commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, argued that there is no doubt that UNRWA staff knew about the Hamas tunnel. Theres a perimeter wall, a gate, cameras, at the gate they log who comes in and out, Aharon said. Whoever worked at UNRWA knew very well who was coming in, and who they were covering for. Aharon showed reporters to UNRWAs server room, which The Times of Israel reported is located above the data center in the Hamas tunnel. The commander also showed reporters a line of cables running down into the floor, which the IDF believes could have powered the Hamas data center below. He also told reporters that UNRWA cleared its server room of computers and digital video recorders for surveillance cameras and cut most of the cables. Aharon said that he thinks the agencys behavior shows it has something to hide. Someone who works at UNRWA, who is supposed to care for human rights, to care for the welfare of the population in Gaza, shouldnt rush to disconnect all the DVRs, the cameras, cut all the wires and take all the computers, Aharon said. These are the actions of someone who knew the army was coming and wanted to hide the evidence. A 'small number' of asylum seeker conversions might not be real, says bishop The Bishop of Chelmsford has said that it is "very difficult" to know if a conversion to Christianity is real, regardless of whether the person is from the UK or not. Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani appeared on the BBC Sunday Programme to discuss claims that the Church of England has been complicit in asylum seekers gaming the system with fake conversions. She said that "inevitably" there would be "a small number of cases" of people trying to "scam us", but that preparation for baptism was "very rigorous" and that some people even abandon it because it takes too long. "We take seriously our responsibilities, but we also know that as Christians, our primary responsibility is one of welcome and hospitality and support and teaching, but we need to do that in a way that is that is wise and, and is aware that occasionally there are people who might try and scam us," she said. The bishop, who came to Britain as a refugee from Iran, said she was open to a review of the Church of England's current guidance for vicars around conversion, but added that there could never be complete certainty. "It's very difficult to look into the hearts of people ever and be 100 per cent. And that goes for whether that person is from Britain or an immigrant from elsewhere," she said. "But we absolutely advise clergy to do the best they can. And I think what's happening here is that inevitably there will be a small number of cases." Later in the discussion she said that the onus was on clergy to "be as confident as they possibly can be" that a candidate for baptism is sincere and understands what it means. "Preparation is in most cases very rigorous and that's right and proper. I think, God forbid, you do take that seriously regardless of where people are coming from. It's just that in the end, it's impossible to prove 100 per cent," she said. "But we do have this guidance and we do make it very clear that clergy must be as confident as they possibly can be that those seeking baptism fully understand what it signifies. "As we've heard already, some people fall away from the system if they are trying to scam it because they realise it's taking longer than they would ideally like." However, she said it was "wrong" that attention was being focused on "a very small number" of alleged abuses because "it's diverting attention away from the systemic problems, which is that we have an immigration system that's overwhelmed and inefficient". Army wants Remembrance Day to be less Christian - report Ex-servicemen have written to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps to express concerns about an alleged Army policy stating that Remembrance Day should be "agnostic of religious elements". The Telegraph reports that the guidance was published in June 2022 with the aim of promoting inclusion and diversity. It states that "Acts of Remembrance, on Armistice Day and others, should be inclusive and seek to avoid being conducted as a wholly religious event". The letter to Shapps has been signed by 12 former senior military figures, including Major General Julian Thompson, Rear Admiral Roger Lane-Nott and Lieutenant General Sir Henry Beverly. In the letter, they call the policy "a particular insult to our ancestors who fought and died to lead the world in ending slavery" and said that civic culture across the UK on 11th November is "sacred, Christian, tolerant and inclusive on our terms". "No one should need to be reminded that this is a welcoming, inclusive and basically Christian country," they said. The newspaper reports that Shapps, who is Jewish, is "furious" about the policy and is "not offended one bit by Christian remembrance services". "In fact, he believes it's at the core of our nation's history and who we are," a source close to Shapps told The Telegraph. European Parliament condemns Christmas massacre of Christians but blames climate change The European Parliament has passed a resolution condemning Christmas attacks on Christians in Nigeria that left at least 195 people dead and hundreds more injured. In addition to the deaths, many thousands of people were displaced by the violence that destroyed homes and churches. The resolution "strongly condemns all type of murderous attacks across Nigeria and expresses its solidarity with the Nigerian people". It calls on Nigeria "to take meaningful steps to identify and address all root causes of the violence in Plateau state, such as competition for scarce resources, environmental degradation and the disappearance of effective mediation schemes". While the resolution says that the perpetrators are "yet to be identified", Christian groups have attributed the attacks to radicalised Fulani herdsmen. The European Parliament has come under fire for blaming the attack on climate change and environmental factors by saying that "whereas the conflict is increasingly described in religious terms ... several factors are to be taken into account such as competition for land fuelled by rapid climate change and the failure of authorities to hold to account those responsible for violence". Dr Georgia Du Plessis, legal officer for the Alliance Defending Freedom International, challenged the European Parliament's position on the violence. "While we applaud the European Parliament's recognition of the horrific Christmas massacre targeting Christians, we are disappointed that the resolution downplays the religious causes of the violence while highlighting issues such as climate change. Climate change does not cause people to massacre whole Christian villages," he said. MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen shared these concerns: "Saying that it is a mere conflict between farmers and herders fails to acknowledge the other causes. It is Muslim extremists causing death and destruction." Another MEP, Gyorgy Holvenyi, said, "Blinded by ideology, some people are totally insensitive to human suffering when it comes to Christians. "The timing of the attacks, brutal killings, and destruction of churches cannot be misinterpreted and can only be understood as the persecution of Christians and we should be able to say so." Gaza conflict is making life more dangerous for Christians in Yemen - Open Doors The tiny Christian community in Yemen is already suffering greatly for its faith but the situation is rapidly worsening after the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza conflict, Open Doors has warned. Samuel, a convert who fled Yemen 20 years ago, said that Christians are being made scapegoats for the anger felt by Yemeni Houthi leaders about the Gaza conflict. Houthis have been in the news recently because of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis have said they are targeting ships that are heading to Israel or have an Israeli connection. "With the international situation with Israel, life for Christians in Yemen will become so much harder," said Samuel. "It means that people will support the Houthis as heroes. People will tell Houthis who the Christians are to make them happy. Then they will start to punish the Christians to make the people happy. "For them it will be about defending their faith. They will work together against the Christian faith. "There is a lot of communication between the sitting government and the Houthi authorities to share what they know about Christians." Yemen is ranked number five on the Open Doors World Watch List of the 50 countries where Christians suffer most for their faith. Christians in Yemen are forced to practise their faith in secret and sadly some of the persecution is even by their own family members. Samuel left the country after he suffered intense persecution following his conversion to Christianity. He received many death threats and even his own father wanted him to be executed. He said he knew of one convert in Yemen who was held prisoner by his father, who later killed him. "There is no way to be open with your faith as a Christian in the country," said Samuel. "Your life is at risk. You could be killed. People coming to faith in Yemen understand very well you could lose anything and everything. "It is very, very dangerous. People die for Christ. It can be at the hand of your family, your neighbours or the police." Anunt concurs pentru post vacant Institutia Publica Centrul de Consiliere Agricola si Rurala (CCAR) este in cautare de un profesionist dinamic si dedicat, pentru pozitia de Sef/a de Sectie la sectia Inovare si transfer de cunostinte in cadrul institutie Anunt concurs pentru post vacant Institutia Publica Centrul de Consiliere Agricola si Rural invita profesionisti dedicati sa aplice pentru pozitia de Analist principal responsabil de achizitii publice. This content has been supplied by a commercial partner. To accelerate net-zero objectives, investors are well placed to leverage their voice as asset owners through stewardship and engagement activities with investments not aligned with a net-zero pathway. Climate-related engagement can yield significant positive outcomes, and there are multiple ways to engage depending on an investors capacity and resources. Recent research shows that material engagement can be an effective tool associated with companies reducing downside risk, decreasing carbon emissions, and improving profitability. Engagement and net-zero policy goals In a net-zero context, the objective of engagement is to align company business plans with the Paris Agreement objective of a 1.5-degree Celsius scenario, beginning with decarbonising the real economy through investing in transition assets and establishing credible transition plans and science-based targets. Engagement is an essential element of a net-zero investment policy, which clearly articulates net-zero goals and provides framing for priorities, investment manager selection, and engagement. An engagement policy should include setting expectations of its investment managers approach to engagement, proxy voting, and escalation. An escalation policy outlines general steps for increasing engagement with a manager or companies to promote behaviour change and its general timeline to assess developments before determining whether to dissolve the relationship. With these policies crafted, investors have a road map to engage more deeply in net zero, both with existing and prospective investment managers (see figure 1). Strategies for deeper engagement Investors should determine their capacity for climate engagement and decide what potential approaches best fit their team as part of their theory of change, especially as some engagements can be multiyear efforts. Figure 2 outlines the three major approaches. To start, investors should understand what they already own by reviewing their investment managers and portfolio holdings and evaluating whether they are aligned with a net-zero pathway. Investment managers need a strong ability to assess an investments net-zero activities to accurately price a companys alignment. Investment managers can drive change by interacting with non-aligned investments and staying invested in high-emitting sectors as active shareholders, thus encouraging a shift toward sustainable practices. Managers with strong engagement practices will have a clear thesis on the materiality of engagement topics such as net zero, a well-equipped engagement team that contributes to the work of investment teams, a clear strategy for engagement escalation and proxy voting with associated milestones, transparent reporting to investors, and an outcomes-based focus that recognises the long-term nature of engagements for meaningful change. After a review, an investor can then easily prioritise investments with which to engage. Engage with investment managers When engaging with managers about net zero, investors have an important opportunity to convey how a net-zero strategy can help enhance returns given the systemic risks and rewards in a transitioning world. If managers do not show adequate action over a reasonable amount of time, an escalation policy might come into play. Engaging with passive index providers is as important as engaging with active investment managers, particularly as systemic climate change risks materially threaten market-wide returns (ie beta). Index providers cannot diversify away from systemic risks and can only address systemic threats by effecting real world change. Indexes are therefore effectively universal owners in what protects the long-term health of the system as a whole to preserve long-term returns. These efforts are most applicable to marketable securities. But private investments also play a significant role in achieving net-zero goals, whether by funding climate solutions or funding net-zero-aligned high-growth companies that will be the industry leaders of tomorrow. General partners have a high degree of influence over portfolio companies and therefore a particular responsibility to achieve positive outcomes via engagement, as part of their wider value enhancement activities. Investors should allocate capital to managers with a clear playbook to limit climate risk and reduce carbon intensity across their value chain. The Initiative Climat Internationals (iCI) Decarbonisation Roadmap and the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Changes (IIGCC) Net-Zero Investment Framework for the Private Equity Industry provide a clear pathway toward assessing, setting targets, and engaging in net-zero alignment. Engage directly or through collaborative initiatives If seeking to engage with companies, the IIGCCs Net-Zero Stewardship Toolkit is a useful resource to develop an approach. However, engaging with companies individually can be time consuming, and specific expertise and dedicated staff resources are required to manage and implement the engagement. Many investors find it simpler to work with collaborative investor coalitions that help coordinate, reduce duplicative efforts, and frame the engagement process on behalf of investors. Collaborative initiatives can positively contribute to the effectiveness of engagements over environmental, social, and governance (ESG) topics. By joining wider coalitions, investors can leverage collective bargaining power and create broader visibility of issues. There are a range of organisations (eg Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, UN Principles for Responsible Investment, Climate Action 100+, IIGCC) for investors to join and take action together. Engagements through these groups can include lower touch actions such as signing onto joint letters (see Nature Action 100, IIGCC Net-Zero Engagement Initiative, and ShareAction). Higher touch engagements can include leading or co-leading a deeper discussion and engagement with a company typically held over at least a 12-month period. Investors cannot engage with every holding, so it is important to prioritise initiatives that focus on portfolio components with the highest emissions reduction potential and that may be under-engaged by other investors. Employ a third-party service for engagement support Investors can focus their engagement capabilities by hiring third-party services to perform engagement and/or voting services. Investors can specify their climate priorities, engagement preferences, and voting predisposition from the providers options to be executed by the overlay service that takes over responsibilities from the asset manager. Outsourcing can be simple, but expensive to execute. We instead encourage asset owners to select managers that are aligned on net-zero objectives in the first instance. However, overlay services may suit investors who prefer to select and invest directly into listed equities through separately managed accounts and do not have the staff to manage engagement and voting activity, as opposed to investors who invest through selecting asset managers. Case studies Asset owners can use multiple tools and approaches to engage for climate objectives. Here are two illustrative examples of asset owners engaging on net zero in different ways and levels of engagement with multiple beneficial outcomes. Case study 1: A conservation and nature foundation (CNF) Mission: To preserve natural and historical places, with a strong focus on promoting net zero and biodiversity. Engagement approach: Engaging with managers and collaborating with several coalitions. The trustees developed an ambitious net-zero policy and approach to engagement, which includes: A sub-committee that conducts annual investment manager reviews looking at each managers ESG and stewardship teams, ESG integration, ongoing net-zero alignment and climate risk management, engagement, and voting activity, and progress since the last meeting. Targeted collaboration with other asset managers and asset owners through coalitions such as Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) where CNF has successfully co-led direct engagements with high-emitting companies and participated in industry consultations. Annual manager reviews provide information on the net-zero alignment of the overall portfolio, which helps CNF determine where changes to managers or the portfolio might need to be made. Outcomes: The investors pressure and accountability mechanism of regular meetings has contributed to managers formalising and enhancing their approach to ESG and net zero, as well as their reporting practices. Their leadership in a collaborative engagement led to a company aligning its corporate disclosures in accordance with the CA100+ NZ Company Benchmark indicators. Case study 2: A university endowment (UE) Mission: This prominent university has a history of scientific discovery and is focused on developing and commercialising solutions to accelerate a transition toward net zero. Engagement approach: Combination of engaging directly with companies, managers, and several coalitions and, at times, leveraging its student population to participate in engagement activities. The UE has a focused approach to engage with banks that lend to fossil fuel companies because banks provide the largest share of fossil fuel financing, and new fossil fuel infrastructure results in 30 years of new carbon emissions. UE engages both directly with banking management and through coalitions. UE also engages with its managers about fossil fuel financing. It focuses on three simple questions: Did the manager vote against the re-election of directors of companies on the CA100+ list based on climate-related concerns and make clear that climate was a reason for the vote? How many climate plans of banks did the manager vote against? How many primary market investments (ie new bond issues, initial public offerings, equity issues) did the firm invest into new fossil fuel infrastructure? Annual answers to these questions then set escalation priorities, which include the threat of termination. Outcomes: Focusing engagement priorities with managers makes engagement unambiguous and monitoring outcomes (ie letter writing campaigns, collaborative efforts, and manager engagement) easier to accomplish. For example, UE successfully contributed to increased emissions disclosure by a global bank and hastened another banks timeline in phasing down fossil fuel financing. Conclusion Engagement is the opportunity for investors to bring their voices to the table and practice their fiduciary responsibility to participate actively in the global effort to reduce real world greenhouse gas emissions. If left unabated, these emissions will result in catastrophic impact born from physical and transition risks, which pose significant, underpriced dangers to the global economy, the global financial system, asset values, and, ultimately, portfolio returns. The financial materiality of the climate crisis requires fiduciaries to protect their portfolios from the risks presented by climate change, while investing in opportunities to transition to a lowcarbon economy. Collective participation is needed, and accountability mechanisms are important. As shown through the case studies, asset owner participation can be a powerful voice to encourage climate risk disclosures and align portfolios on the net-zero pathway. Engagement is an imperative toward positively impacting the real economy and protecting portfolios. Deborah Christie is managing director, public equities, and Marie Ang is investment director, sustainable & impact investing, at Cambridge Associates Charity Finance wishes to thank Cambridge Associates for its support with this article The Charity Finance Yearbook is the ultimate reference source for charity finance professionals. Produced by the Charity Finance editorial and research team it includes updates, advice and trends on accounting and audit, VAT and taxation, investment strategy, responsible investment and finance, risk, funding, performance and governance, law and regulation, HR and pensions, IT and property. is the ultimate reference source for charity finance professionals. Produced by the Charity Finance editorial and research team it includes updates, advice and trends on accounting and audit, VAT and taxation, investment strategy, responsible investment and finance, risk, funding, performance and governance, law and regulation, HR and pensions, IT and property. Purchase online here. A 105-year-old charity has changed its name, along with an updated logo and a strapline, to reflect its UK-wide operations. Established as a charity in 1919, the Plunkett Foundation announced today that it would now operate as Plunkett UK. The charity said that incorporating UK into its name reflects that our services are widely available to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It reinforces that we are the only organisation which exclusively supports rural community businesses UK-wide, said the charity, whose income in 2022 was 1.05m. Separately, the North Yorkshire Youth Music Action Zone (NYMAZ) recently announced that it has changed its name to AMP and unveiled a new website as part of a 12,000 rebrand. Leaf is charitys unique and distinctive visual signature Plunkett UK worked with brand agency PANDA on the brand refresh after running a procurement process with a maximum budget of 10,000 which features an updated logo comprising a leaf icon and a wordmark. The charity said that the leaf icon, which is also an abstracted initial p, is a unique and distinctive visual signature for Plunkett UK that has a direct relevance to our core area of operation the UKs rural communities. Its also significant in recognising the tireless endeavours and vision of Margaret Digby, who was a champion for the co-operative movement last century. She worked for Plunkett Foundation for a total of 50 years, first as research assistant, then secretary for most of that period, and finally a consultant. At times, Margaret single-handedly kept the charity going. She then became an honorary trustee in 1977, eight years before she died, aged 82. Margaret was the first to introduce a tree for Plunketts logo, which has evolved into a leaf over time, and we felt it was therefore appropriate to use our brand refresh as a way of bringing her back to prominence within the organisations identity. Plunkett UK CEO: We felt the time was right James Alcock, chief executive of Plunkett UK, said the charity felt the time was right not just to establish a new colour palette but to find a way of representing the organisation more accurately in terms of what we do, where and why. The consultation we undertook demonstrated that many people who had benefited directly from our support only knew us for that one thing and didnt appreciate the history behind the organisation. Many people didnt realise the deep rootedness of the organisation in the co-operative movement and the social economy. They perhaps werent aware of the depth of business support we provide and to the breadth of business models throughout the UK. We found too that many werent aware of the relationships we have with governments, funders and policymakers to represent members. AMP: Our new name reflects what we want to do Separately, NYMAZ, a charity that delivers music-making activities for children and in rural north Yorkshire, changed its name to AMP. AMPs director Sarah McWatt told Civil Society that her charity worked with Lee Goater and Maraid Design on the rebrand and website, which cost around 12,000 in total. In an interview posted on the charitys website, McWatt said that the name NYMAZ is very much rooted in North Yorkshire and that a lot of the charitys work has grown in terms of reach. Through our youth voice work, were getting more recognition widely, as we have given training to national organisations such as Brass Bands England, and we have presented about youth voice to the national Music Mark conference in Southampton. Because we deliver a lot of our work in a hybrid fashion or online, it feels like our reach can easily go beyond the boundaries of North Yorkshire. Our vision and mission will be staying broadly the same. We want to continue to provide music opportunities for young people in challenging circumstances, and working in rural isolation will remain a key feature. We just feel its a much more fitting, vibrant brand that reflects the energy of the work we do. McWatt said the AMP felt like a name that could be embedded in the charitys youth voice identity very easily. Its a word linked to music, such as amplify. We feel that reflects what we want to do, as we want to increase our impact and grow. So, it feels aspirational as well. The charity recorded a total income of 165,000 for the year ending 31 March 2023. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Royal Countryside Fund Several cancer charities have reported an increase in website traffic, following King Charless recent announcement that he has cancer. Prostate Cancer UK has reported a 500% rise in people visiting its website and the number of men using its online risk checker to see whether they should get a prostate checkup. Chiara De Biase, director of support and influencing at Prostate Cancer UK said: We are saddened to hear of the kings cancer diagnosis and wish him well as he starts his treatment. Whilst were aware that the king has not been diagnosed with prostate cancer, more detail about his condition has not been disclosed and we respect Buckingham Palaces request for people not to speculate. The kings openness and honesty in announcing his treatment for an enlarged prostate raised vital awareness about the condition. We saw a 500% increase in people coming to our website for information and support in the week following the news, and an impact in men looking to learn more about their prostate and prostate cancer, with an increase in men taking our 30-second online risk checker. Meanwhile, Macmillan Cancer Support, saw a four-year high in visits to its website, according to Guardian reports . Kings lifelong admiration for cancer charities On Saturday, the king shared a thank you message following his diagnosis in which he expressed admiration for cancer charities. He said: I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days. As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement. It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world. My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience. King Charles has not yet announced what type of cancer he has been diagnosed with. During a hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted, and subsequent diagnostic tests identified a form of cancer. A statement from Buckingham Palace stated that the king would continue to undertake state business and official paperwork as usual. His Majesty has chosen to share his diagnosis to prevent speculation and in the hope it may assist public understanding for all those around the world who are affected by cancer, it added. King Charles III has longstanding links to the charity sector , setting up 20 himself and acting as patron for more than 400 others. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Speakers including wildlife broadcaster Chris Packham have pulled out of engagements at the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in support of the charitys staff, who are engaged in an ongoing pay dispute. RSA workers went on strike for the first time since the charity was founded 270 years ago in September last year, before taking further industrial action in October and November after failing to negotiate pay terms. Today, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) has announced that Packham, former Greece finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, podcast host Deborah Frances-White and professor Brene Brown have all cancelled talks at the RSA in solidarity with workers. Packham had recently been announced as a headliner of the RSAs flagship Fellows Festival , set to begin later this month. Varoufakis, who was set to be interviewed by Frances-White on Thursday, wrote on social media : Its our hope that this boycott will help the RSA Union to ensure that the RSA, with its historically progressive aims, offers fair pay and conditions for all staff. IWGB members are also asking members of the public, fellows of the RSA, politicians and universities to not attend RSA events or participate in research with the RSA until their ongoing industrial dispute is resolved. Former leader of the opposition Jeremy Corbyn along with fellow MPs John McDonnell, Ian Byrne, and deputy leader of the Green Party Zack Polanski have supported the boycott. Union branches including the University and College Unions London region, the Public and Commercial Services Unions culture group, and the British Actors Equity Associations national council are also supporting the boycott. IWGB said its members employed by RSA were deciding on further strike action. Amanda Ibbett, senior production manager at RSA, said: 10 years ago, I joined an organisation that felt like home. Now, the RSA has become a den of wolves in sheeps clothing. Ive seen so many amazing colleagues crushed and broken with it. Now there are an abundance of self-serving policies that gag the staff and undermine our long history of serving society, and a complete democratic deficit. The RSAs leadership lives none of its values with openness, optimism, rigour, enabling its staff and societal change, and rewarding courage all now empty words. RSA: Staff are the bedrock of the RSA A spokesperson for the RSA said the charity was disappointed that a couple of speakers have pulled out of the events. We welcome hundreds of speakers every year to join conversations that shape our world through our impactful events series, and look forward to our packed programme of public talks, panels and other events in the coming weeks and months, they said. We have worked with the IWGB for many months to find a constructive resolution for staff in the bargaining unit, making increased pay offers and offering conciliation through ACAS, both of which have disappointingly been rejected. Our staff are the bedrock of the RSA and we hope to reach a resolution as soon as possible, consistent with our financial sustainability, to ensure staff wellbeing is supported and we can continue to realise the huge impact of our Design for Life mission. In a statement published at the start of the month , the RSA said: Our aim is to do the very best we can to support our staff team and their well-being, while at the same time ensuring the financial sustainability of the RSA both of which are essential to our success. We must comply too with our legal obligations as a charity. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, Last Tuesday, congressional Republicans had a bad day, failing to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security, in the House while a bipartisan package to tighten border controls and send military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan fell apart in the Senate under outside pressure from Donald Trump. (In fact, this might be underselling thingsRepublicans could be said to have had a no good, very bad day, a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, a spectacular day of failure, even one of their most embarrassing and confusing days in recent memory.) By Thursday, however, it was President Biden and Democrats who were having not only a bad day, but a *very* bad day, one Biden world wishes it could forget: first, the justices of the Supreme Court seemed almost uniformly skeptical of Colorados move to kick Trump off its presidential ballot for being an insurrectionist; then, a special counsel report into Bidens mishandling of classified documents determined that no charges would be brought against Biden, but took several swipes at his age and memory. All this added up to Trumps best day of 2024and maybe the best ever in his tumultuous legal history. By the time the weekend rolled around, Biden and congressional Republicans had officially had a bad week while Trump had had a good week. Then Trump gave a pair of campaign speeches and claimed, among other things, that an unspecified they will rename Pennsylvania if he loses the state in the fall, that his primary rival Nikki Haleys husband is gone (hes overseas on active military deployment), and that he told the head of a big NATO country that if they didnt pay their dues, he would encourage Russia to invade them. In major media outlets, Trumps remarks upstaged the fallout from the special counsel report on Biden. (At least, eventually, and even then not everywhere.) Who this might have been good for was less clear. To rewind to the beginning, media coverage that marked the attempted Mayorkas impeachment and the associated failures on border and security policy as a bad day for Republicans was, at least, an improvement on the media trope of pinning Republican legislative inaction on Congress as a whole. (A lot of times in Congress, you go, Oh, you know, both sides are having problems, Carl Hulse, the chief Washington correspondent at the New York Times, said on CNN. But this is really Republican dysfunction.) Still, in other ways, the bad day framing fell short. It hinged, fundamentally, on legislative processpresumably, if Mayorkas had been impeached and the Israel aid bill had gone through, House Republicans might have had a good day, not one of spectacular failure. Process matters, obviously. But making it the primary yardstick by which days are judged can obscure the fineness of the margins. Arguably, it is less significant that the Mayorkas vote fell than that only three Republicans voted not to impeach him, despite even conservative legal pundits seeing the vote as an illegitimate way to censure what, ultimately, amounted to policy differences, not misconduct. The story, in other words, was arguably one of extraordinary Republican unity. (Perhaps tellingly, one of the three who voted no has since announced that he will quit Congress.) Focusing narrowly on process can also drown out substance. The nakedly political nature of the push to impeach Mayorkas sometimes, if by no means always, got lost amid the coverage of the vote count; meanwhile, the quick, Trump-inspired implosion of the Senate border bill overshadowed whether or not it was sound policy. (As Caitlin Dickerson, who covers immigration for The Atlantic, noted on X, Its important in pointing out Trumps efforts to undermine bipartisanship that we dont accidentally imply the Senate Border Bill would magically fix decades of immigration issues.) Ultimately, the good day/bad day framing is a shallow onemore interested in which politician or party has won or lost on a given question of process, and less interested in whether the ideas theyre pushing are good or bad for the country. As I noted above, this framing peaked on Thursday, as the Supreme Court heard arguments in the Trump-Colorado case and the special counsel, Robert Hur, released his Biden report. Narrowly, the framing was fair: Trump does seem likely to prevail in the Colorado case; the Hur report was politically radioactive for Biden. Stretch the time frame, however, and the framing wobbles. The existence of the Colorado case in the first placedownstream, as it is, of Trumps incitement of insurrection and related legal troublesmight not end up being good for him politically in the long term; it certainly doesnt reflect well on him. And, weeks or months from now, Trump will still face charges over his mishandling of classified documents whereas Biden will not; indeed, Hur, in his report, explicitly noted that Trumps case is different from that of Biden because Biden cooperated with investigators where Trump, erm, did not. Media outlets could have centered these facts, but instead mostly led with the reports comments on Bidens age and perceived poor memory. They did so as if this angle had been handed down on a slate of marble from on high, not as if it was a conscious editorial choice. This choice, and its presentation as the natural order of things, irked various liberal media critics, as well as Bidens reelection campaign. Some critics questioned whether Hurs claims about Bidens memory were even accurate to begin with (people who met with him around the same time, including at least one journalist, suggested that he had seemed sharp); others took aim at the volume of the age coveragethe Times, in particular, was criticized for giving it breathless, wall-to-wall prominenceas well as its proportionality, especially given that Trump is not much younger than Biden and has himself made notable slipups in recent weeks. As is often the case at moments like this, many of the critics reached for the phrase But her emails!a reference to the 2016 election, when major outlets, critics say, drew a false equivalence between Hillary Clintons misuse of a private email server and Trumps more numerous, deeper scandals. Yesterday, Will Bunch, a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer, posted an image of a road sign being submerged by floodwater, with the still-visible caption: BUT HIS MEMORY. Sign up for CJR 's daily email The specific comparison, between Clinton-email coverage and Biden-age coverage, has been made before. Indeed, I wrote about in September and judged it to have some meritboth stories involve genuine flaws (Clinton did misuse a private server; Bidens age is a legitimate news story), but both have at times been covered disproportionately, and cited in direct comparison to Trumps much more significant liabilities. Thursdays coverage looked like a comically on-the-nose example of this, given the immediate juxtaposition of Trumps good day and Bidens bad one. And yet I would argue, at least, that the focus on Bidens age also drowned out other elements of the Hur report that were unflattering to Biden and merited more substantive discussionnot least his actual handling of classified materials, conduct that Hur did not exactly excuse (despite not recommending that charges be brought) and that would likely have landed a more junior official in considerably hotter legal water. This was, in the end, another example of the good day/bad day framing obscuring substance in favor of more narrowly political outcomes and attack lines. And, to the extent that Thursdays coverage can rightly be referred to as a But her emails! moment, this framing abetted it. Covering politics in terms of good days and bad days can move the goalposts by which we judge political conducta key component of false equivalenceif we treat each day in isolation, or as a reset, or as some imagined neutral baseline. Such framing is more concerned with politicians claiming individual victories or suffering individual losses in the short term, and less with the field theyre playing on and all the other days that set its present shape. Ultimately, it is a framing that usually benefits politicians who break the rules over those who play by them (at least comparatively speaking). It is also a framing that can induce whiplash. In the same article claiming that Thursday was Trumps best day of 2024, CNN noted that Trump could soon have a very bad day if the Supreme Court rules, in a separate case from the Colorado one, that he is not immune from criminal prosecution for acts undertaken during his presidency. As soon as tomorrow, meanwhile, Republicans could manage to impeach Mayorkas after all. If they do, it will be thanks to only a subtle shift in congressional arithmetic. So good days and bad days go. Other notable stories: ICYMI: Biden Punts on the Super Bowl. Are the Debates Next? Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. Multiple UK insurance companies have agreed to stop selling policies that cover declining car values after the Financial Conduct Authority raised concerns about customer fairness. Insurers that account for 80% of the guaranteed asset protection market have agreed to halt sales, the FCA said in a statement Friday. GAP insurance is typically sold alongside car finance and covers the difference between the cars purchase price or outstanding finance and its current market value, in the event that the vehicle is written off before the finance is repaid. GAP insurance can provide a useful service to customers, but in its current form it does not offer fair value and we want to see improvements, Sheldon Mills, executive director of consumers and competition, said. Only 6% of the amount customers spend on premiums for the insurance is paid out in claims, according to FCA data. The regulator said it has seen examples of some firms paying out 70% of the value of insurance premiums in commission. The firms that have agreed to stop selling are Fortegra Europe Insurance Company Ltd., Arch Managing Agency Ltd., Arch Insurance (UK) Ltd., Motors Insurance Company Ltd., Red Sands Insurance Company (Europe) Ltd. and Acasta European Insurance Company Ltd., according to the FCA register. The regulator previously scrutinized this market in 2014 and again in 2018. It wrote to all providers in September asking them to take immediate action but was not satisfied with the result, according to the statement. Its the latest part of the UK motor market to come under scrutiny from regulators concerned about unfair practices. The FCA announced an investigation into motor finance last month, in a move that analysts say could leave banks with a bill of as much as 10 billion ($12.6 billion). (Updates to add names of insurers in fifth paragraph.) Top photo: ELLESMERE PORT, ENGLAND SEPTEMBER 21: In this aerial view, new and secondhand cars are seen for sale on a dealership forecourt on September 21, 2023 in Ellesmere Port, England. The Prime Minister has announced the postponement of several green targets, including a delay of the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars in the UK. Previously, the ban was to come into effect in 2030, and now will be 2035. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images). Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. A Texas public adjuster committed willful infringement when he formed a corporation and a limited liability company with the names Certain Underwriters at Lloyds London, Inc. and Certain Underwriters of Lloyds London, a U.S. district court ruled on Feb. 7. The Southern District of Texas granted Lloyds permanent injunction in its bid to stop adjuster Eric Ramirez from using its federally trademarked names. Ramirez agreed to the motion. Ramirez was retained by various policyholders in pursuing claims under insurance policies issued at Lloyds. After an appraisal umpire ruled against Ramirezs position in one recent case, he filed lawsuits and administrative complaints accusing Lloyds of improper business practices. Ramirez accused Lloyds of not properly registering to do business in Texas, failing to pay taxes which he presumably claims are due to the State of Texas, and seeking damages in the form of compensation he would have received from the policyholder if it had received a larger damage award on its claim. Lloyds, the worlds premier insurance marketplace, does not sell or issue insurance policies in Texas. Ramirez formed businesses with the state of Texas named Certain Underwriters at Lloyds London, Inc. and Certain Underwriters of Lloyds London, LLC. He registered those entities to do business in California and New York. Ramirez also filed an application to federally register the trademark CERTAIN UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON. Ramirez swore the company he formed in Texas was using that mark in interstate commerce in the insurance business, even though Ramirez, as a public adjuster, is not involved in the issuance of insurance policies. In a response to Lloyds motion for permanent injunction, Ramirez told the court he is not doing business through those entities. Ramirez claims he created the entities to reserve the names, prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement and with the intent of eventually turning the entities over to the state or federal government. The court found evidence that Ramirez accepted service of process intended for Lloyds, not for the companies he has formed. The evidence establishes Ramirezs improper intent and bad faith motives in forming these entities, the court said. Ramirezs actions are also not only likely to cause actual confusion but are causing actual confusion with Lloyds trademarks, wrote judge Andrew S. Hanen. Ramirez additionally harmed Lloyds reputation and good will by making a series of baseless and unsupported claims that Lloyds is operating illegally, said the court. Lloyds marks are famous and are entitled to protection against dilution, the court found, ruling that a preliminary injunction is necessary to stop further injury to the substantial harm that has befallen Lloyds. In granting Lloyds motion for permanent injunction, the court ordered that Ramirez shall be restrained from maintaining, owning, operating, or conducting any business through an entity using the words or phrases Lloyds, Lloyds of London, and Certain Underwriters at Lloyds of London or any confusingly similar words or phrases. Only a few U.S. states are taking significant steps to reduce hurricane risks, as a study this week showed the most damaging storms are now three times as frequent as a century ago and have become the costliest type of disaster, scientists said. Using a new method, a team at the University of Copenhagens Niels Bohr Institute found the frequency of the worst hurricanes had increased 330% over the last century in the United States. But many government authorities in the country remain unprepared to deal with the surging risk, said Natalie Peyronnin Snider, senior director of coastal resilience for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a U.S.-based advocacy group. Getting ready would require policy and ground-level changes, including efforts to boost coastal protection, she said. In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), University of Copenhagen scientists looked at parts of the United States hit by hurricanes in the last century, analysing changes in wealth and population densities to compare losses over time. Previous research suggested the growing costs of damage from storms were largely due to costlier infrastructure and homes in their path, rather than a rise in the strength or frequency of hurricanes themselves, said Aslak Grinsted, a study lead author. But the new work showed the growing number of powerful hurricanes was the key factor in increasing losses, he said. Having clearer information should help communities plan ahead to curb losses, he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Louisiana is one of the few states that has a comprehensive plan to deal with a growing hurricane threat, said EDFs Snider. In 2012, it launched a $50-billion Coastal Master Plan to elevate homes with severe flooding risk, create more wetlands, restore marshes and create rock breakwaters to better protect communities from surging storms. The effort aims to help the southern state better weather hurricanes over the next 50 years, according to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority website. The plan was in part a response to severe losses from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, it noted. Snider said using natural systems to curb hurricane risk such as wetlands that can absorb excess water and prevent flooding or oyster-covered reefs to absorb wave energy are cost-effective ways to curb damage from powerful hurricanes. But Louisiana is not the only state looking to lower its hurricane risks. In New York, a community-led project aims to restore 1 billion live oysters to New York Harbor by 2035, in part to tackle storm threats, according to its website. Still, federal and state governments need to do more to protect their people, assets and ecosystems, Snider said. Its really important that we start to be proactive and aggressive in building resilience in our systems, which not only pays off financially but also for the health of communities, she said. Each dollar spent to cut disaster risk can save six dollars otherwise spent recovering after a disaster, she added. (Reporting by Scholz-Carlson; editing by Laurie Goering and Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, womens rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate) CLEVELAND, Ohio Former FirstEnergy executives Charles Jones and Michael Dowling, as well as former top state utilities regulator Samuel Randazzo, are to be arraigned on public corruption charges Tuesday in Summit County Common Pleas Court. They were supposed to surrender to Summit County Jail officials Monday morning but did not show up, said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. They were indicted on Friday. The charges accuse Jones and Dowling of bribing Randazzo, the former chairman of the Ohio Public Utilities Commission. They will appear before Common Pleas Judge Susan Baker Ross at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Attorneys for the former FirstEnergy executives and Summit County officials are negotiating a surrender. All three are expected to be booked at the Summit County Jail. Jones, Dowling and Randazzo were indicted Friday on a combined 27 counts asserting the three hijacked the states regulatory structure to benefit the Akron-based utility. During a press conference Monday, Yost said a Summit County grand jury indicted Jones and Dowling on Friday. The charges stem from an investigation by the Ohio attorney generals office into FirstEnergys payments to Statehouse officials in exchange for a legislative bailout of two nuclear plants owned by a FirstEnergy subsidiary. In a statement, Carole Rendon, Jones attorney, said authorities have spread a false narrative about the case. Mr. Jones did not violate the law, Rendon said. He did not bribe anyone. He acted in the best interests of FirstEnergys customers, as well as its employees and investors, and never betrayed their trust. We are disappointed that the Ohio attorney general and Summit County prosecutor chose to obtain an indictment without ever speaking with Mr. Jones or his counsel or otherwise attempting to understand the full context of the one-sided information on which the indictment is based. Dowlings defense attorneys released a statement denying the charges. The allegations of this indictment are completely false and are not supported by any credible evidence whatsoever, the statement said. It is shocking that a public prosecutors office would return an irresponsible indictment and have no evidence to support the charges in the indictment. In civil lawsuits, attorneys for Randazzo have denied wrongdoing. Laman Ismayilova Nukus State Pedagogical Institute has hosted a seminar dedicated to Azerbaijan's culture and literature at the initiative of the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Uzbekistan. The seminar participants exchanged views took place on cultural and literary ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, and the reflection of the ideology of Turkism in the literature of the two peoples, Azernews reports. Director of the Center for Azerbaijani Culture and Literature Feruza Salmanova informed students about ongoing projects aimed at strengthening Uzbek-Azerbaijani cultural and literary ties. She made a report on publications on Azerbaijani literature donated by the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Uzbekistan to their center. Note that the Center for Azerbaijani Culture and Literature named after Huseyn Javid hosts lectures, seminars, as well as open classes dedicated to the common values of the two peoples. A mini-library has been created in the center, where readers are offered publications in Azerbaijani and Uzbek languages, dedicated to Azerbaijan's culture and history, the life and work of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev as well as the country's economic, political and cultural achievements under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. Mark Kashef had long considered finance the most stable, lucrative field you could work in until the release of ChatGPT. On Nov. 30, 2022, the public gained access to OpenAI's chatbot, which could create human-like responses to simple prompts from users. Some people dismissed the chatbot as a fad, but Kashef, then 27, looked at the technology and saw only dollar signs. The Ottawa native had recently left a career in finance to work in data science. He was happy in his new role as an engineer at Amazon but felt like he had hit a lull at work and craved a new challenge. So, three days after ChatGPT was released to the world, he decided to cash in on the AI hype: He set up a profile on Fiverr, an online freelance marketplace, and started offering consultations on using generative AI for productivity and chatbot development. "That's when the floodgates opened," he recalls. "I started getting dozens of requests per day and working 7 p.m. until 1 a.m. almost every night after I got off work on this new career as an AI consultant." He had some experience working with emerging AI technologies: Kashef finished a master's degree in artificial intelligence management from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, in 2020 as he transitioned from working in finance to data science, which he says has also helped him set more competitive rates. Kashef continues to run his AI consultancy on Fiverr outside of his day job as a data science manager at ODAIA, an AI-powered data analytics firm for pharmaceutical companies based in Toronto, charging as much as $750 per project. "AI is still on the tip of everyone's tongue these days," he says. "Overall, it's been a nice market to work in." Kashef adds that, in the long term, he wouldn't be surprised if AI surpassed finance in terms of job opportunities and earning potential. AI brings new fears and opportunities for workers Economists and HR experts say the future of the AI job market is bright but its success isn't guaranteed. The introduction of ChatGPT two years ago brought AI to the forefront of public discourse and created new anxieties for workers who wondered if they'd see radical changes in their day-to-day routine because of AI or lose their jobs to a smarter, faster chatbot. But AI could be creating more work opportunities than it takes. By 2025, the World Economic Forum predicts that while AI may replace around 85 million jobs, it will also create about 97 million new roles. AI's sudden boom has sparked a wave of investment in hiring across industries. Job postings on LinkedIn that mention either AI or generative AI more than doubled worldwide between July 2021 and July 2023 and on Upwork, AI job posts increased more than 1,000% in the second quarter of 2023, compared to the same period last year. Companies like Meta, Netflix and Amazon have hired more workers to develop AI models in recent years, even offering salaries as high as $900,000, Business Insider reports. Generative AI has created new types of jobs like prompt engineers and chief AI officers and ushered in an industry of remote six-figure side hustles like AI content editing and graphic design. DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to acing your interview and landing your dream job Companies are still in an experimental phase with AI Much of the hiring for AI roles including data scientists and software developers continues to be for temporary contract or freelance roles as companies are still figuring out if, and how, they want to monetize this technology, ZipRecruiter chief economist Julia Pollak explains. "If you look at the descriptions for AI job postings, many of the roles are still very exploratory, alluding to building or testing new products," Pollak says. "A lot of companies still don't seem to know how best to harness these tools in their businesses and are still hiring people who can help them figure it out and decide if they should make a long-term investment in AI talent." Several industries outside of tech have demonstrated a clear, consistent interest in hiring for AI jobs, including retail, finance, health care and education, Pollak notes. But it will take "at least a few years" for more industries to catch up, she adds. "There's a pervasive sense of hesitation right now, where companies are waiting to see what their competition is doing and how it benefits their business then deciding if and how they should invest in AI technology or talent from there," says Trey Causey, head of responsible AI at Indeed. As of December 2023, less than 2% of job postings on Indeed mention AI, and many of those jobs are concentrated in tech, sales, math and science fields all industries, Causey points out, that have been using AI long before ChatGPT was launched. How AI can create more accessible, flexible careers While some AI jobs require a bachelor's degree, a growing number of roles place a higher emphasis on technical skills and work samples. Skills-based hiring is a trend that has staying power in the AI job market, says Ryan Sutton, executive director of the technology practice at the recruitment firm Robert Half. "Especially in a space that's evolving as quickly as AI, there's a lot of innovators that leave college early or decide not to go at all to work at startups or throw themselves into the field full time," he says. "Companies want to make sure they're hiring the best tech professionals, and that their roles are open to those people." While Kashef doesn't regret obtaining his master's degree, he doesn't think an advanced degree is necessary to get ahead in the field. "If I could go back, I probably wouldn't have finished a master's degree," he says. "You can easily teach yourself the skills and programs you need to work in AI online, and mastering those is what helps you stand out." What's more, freelance job platforms like Fiverr and Upwork are seeing a rise in demand for AI services, many of which can be done remotely, creating new, flexible work opportunities that might not have existed five years ago. When it comes to working in AI, 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket,' warns economist U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin delivers remarks during a meeting with Kenyan Defense Minister Aden Duale at the Pentagon on February 07, 2024 in Arlington, Virginia. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin canceled a trip to Brussels this week where he was set to attend meetings related to Ukraine's defense and NATO, after his emergency hospitalization over the weekend. The meeting on Ukraine will instead be held virtually. The Pentagon declined to confirm the status of the NATO meeting. The change of plans comes during a week when Congress is trying to pass a bill for Ukraine aid and days after former President Donald Trump made controversial comments about possibly abandoning NATO allies, should he secure a second term. Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday afternoon due to "emergent bladder issues." The Defense secretary has been fighting prostate cancer and recuperating from surgery over the past few months. On Monday, Austin went under general anesthesia for "non-surgical" procedures to address the bladder issue, according to Walter Reed doctors. They said that he would likely be able to resume his normal duties on Tuesday. President Joe Biden is "not at all" concerned with Austin's ability to continue serving as Defense secretary, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday. Kirby noted that Biden had not yet spoken to Austin since he was hospitalized Sunday. Doctors said late Sunday night that after undergoing tests and evaluations, Austin was admitted to the critical care unit. Austin initially intended to maintain all of his functions and responsibilities. The Pentagon reported Sunday afternoon that he had brought to the hospital "unclassified and classified communication systems necessary to perform his duties." Austin later transferred his duties to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Sunday evening. U.S. President Joe Biden joins Israel's Prime Minister for the start of the Israeli war cabinet meeting, in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. Asked about Biden's private comments about Netanyahu, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said in a statement that the two leaders have a respectful relationship. "The president has been clear where he disagrees with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but this is a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private," the spokesperson said. Biden has in recent weeks spoken privately about Netanyahu, a leader he has known for decades, with a candor that has surprised some of those on the receiving end of his comments, people familiar with them said. His descriptions of his dealings with Netanyahu are peppered with contemptuous references to Netanyahu as "this guy," these people said. And in at least three recent instances, Biden has called Netanyahu an "asshole," according to three of the people directly familiar with his comments. "He just feels like this is enough," one of the people said of the views expressed by Biden. "It has to stop." Biden has said he is trying to get Israel to agree to a cease-fire, but Netanyahu is "giving him hell" and is impossible to deal with, said the people familiar with Biden's comments, who all asked not to be named. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden has been venting his frustration in recent private conversations, some of them with campaign donors, over his inability to persuade Israel to change its military tactics in the Gaza Strip, and he has named Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the primary obstacle, according to five people directly familiar with his comments. U.S. President Joe Biden is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, as he visits Israel amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 18, 2023. Since he embraced Netanyahu in a bear hug during a visit to Israel after 1,200 Israelis died in the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, Biden has grown steadily more frustrated with the rising Palestinian civilian death toll in Gaza, now a reported 28,000, and Netanyahu's reluctance to pursue a long-term peace deal. The bluntness of Biden's private, unfiltered reflections on Netanyahu, as well as Israeli premier's failure to shift tactics in Gaza, suggest that the dynamic between the two leaders could be nearing an inflection point. Israel is planning a ground assault on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza are sheltering. Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with the operation even though U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed their public opposition to it, unless Israel provides safe passage to Palestinian civilians. On Sunday, Biden told Netanyahu in a phone call that he believes "a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan" for protecting and supporting the Palestinians sheltering there, the White House said in a statement. The bulk of their 45-minute conversation focused on a long-discussed but repeatedly delayed agreement between Israel and Hamas to free hostages being held in Gaza in exchange for a pause in military operations and the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to the White House. Biden took a notably sharper tone Thursday and described Israel's military assault in Gaza as "over the top." Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also decidedly blunt last week after a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel. Blinken said he told Netanyahu that the number of Palestinian civilians who are dying every day because of Israel's military operations "remains too high." Yet, people familiar with Biden's private comments said he has told them he believes it would be counterproductive for him to be too harsh on Netanyahu publicly. Biden's frustrations with Netanyahu have also not led to a major policy shift, but his administration has begun to consider such options. Two weeks ago, officials told NBC News that the administration was discussing delaying or slowing U.S. weapons sales to Israel as leverage to get Netanyahu to dial down Israeli military operations in Gaza and do more to protect civilians. In another potential policy shift, NBC reported last week that administration officials are drafting options for formally recognizing an independent Palestinian state. Yet, even as Biden has escalated his rhetoric, he is not yet prepared to make significant policy changes, officials said. He and his aides continue to believe his approach of unequivocally supporting Israel is the right one. Some Democrats in Congress have called for putting conditions on U.S. aid to Israel. Other Democrats, including military veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, have cited that experience and questioned Israel's tactics, arguing that heavy bombardment and steep civilian casualties are counterproductive methods that threaten to provide more fuel to extremists. One irritant Biden has expressed in recent private conversations, according to the people familiar with his comments, is that he feels his administration keeps coming up with good deals for Israel, such as a recent one involving Saudi Arabia, only to have Netanyahu reject them. A deal to release hostages and pause Israel's military operations would cap weeks of high-level efforts by Biden and his top aides to secure a pact, which they hope might eventually lead to a long-term cease-fire. In perhaps some of his rawest recent private moments, however, the president has said Netanyahu wants the war to drag on so he can remain in power, three of the people familiar with his comments said. At a fundraiser Biden attended in the past few weeks, he spoke about Israel and his frustrations with Netanyahu to a small group of donors. In response to being thanked for standing with Israel and against antisemitism, Biden took the opportunity to lay out some of his views, according to a supporter who was present. "I'm a Zionist," Biden said, reiterating his views that Hamas must be destroyed and that Israel must be protected, according to the supporter. But Biden also aired his frustration with Netanyahu, who is often referred to as "Bibi." "He did say Bibi started off great, but 'he's been a pain in my ass lately' or 'he's been killing me lately' one of those things," the person who was present for Biden's comments recalled. "He goes, 'But he's doing a disservice of late.'" US President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on August 15, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images It's never been a better time to get rid of your student debt. Although President Joe Biden's plans to cancel up to $400 billion in student debt for tens of millions of Americans were foiled over the summer at the Supreme Court, his administration has explored all of its existing authority to leave people with less education debt. As a result, more than 3.7 million Americans have received loan cancellation during Biden's time in office, totaling $136.6 billion in aid. In a recent exclusive interview with CNBC, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who has been a vocal advocate for student loan borrowers, said he's heard from the U.S. Department of Education that every two months over the next four years, another 75,000 people will be eligible to have their debt forgiven due to changes in income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness. Here's what borrowers should know about those programs and other aid options. Income-driven repayment plans Public Service Loan Forgiveness Navigating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program has been famously difficult. The program, signed into law by former President George W. Bush in 2007, allows employees of the government and certain not-for-profit entities to have their federal student loans discharged after 10 years of on-time payments. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2013 estimated that one-quarter of American workers may be eligible. However, after getting wrong information from their servicers about the program's requirements, millions of borrowers hit walls. People frequently found that some or all of their qualifying payments didn't count because they had a loan or were enrolled in a payment plan not covered under the initiative. Paul Morigi | Getty Images The Biden administration has tried to reverse the trend of borrowers being excluded from the relief on technicalities. It has broadened eligibility and allowed people to reapply for the relief, as long as they were working in the public sector and paying down their debt. Some 790,000 public servants have gotten their debt erased as a result, amounting to more than $56 billion in relief. With the PSLF help tool, borrowers can also search for a list of qualifying employers under the program and access the employer certification form. They can also learn about all the program's requirements at Studentaid.gov. Total and Permanent Disability Discharge The Biden administration has also forgiven the student debt of more than 510,000 disabled borrowers. The $11.7 billion in aid was delivered under the Total and Permanent Disability Discharge. The Department of Education has gotten better at identifying borrowers who are disabled and in need of this relief by accessing information from the Social Security Administration, Kantrowitz said. Borrowers may qualify for a TPD discharge if they suffer from a mental or physical disability that is severe, permanent and prevents them from working. Proof of the disability can come from a doctor, the Social Security Administration or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Borrower defense Another 1.3 million borrowers have walked away from their debt over the past few years thanks to the Borrower Defense Loan Discharge. These people received $22.5 billion in relief. Borrowers can be eligible for the discharge if their schools suddenly closed or they were cheated by their colleges. The Biden administration has more swiftly processed these applications and has started considering cases in a group rather than requiring each attendee of a school to prove they were misled. "Borrowers who were affected by similar circumstances should have their loans discharged as a group," Kantrowitz said. Those who think they might qualify can apply with the Education Department. 'Plan B' for forgiveness still possible Over two thousand attendees are descending on the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach for the annual Exchange ETF conference. To entice participants, the organizers rented out the entire LIV Nightclub Miami at the hotel for a Super Bowl party Sunday night. While much of the conference is an excuse to party among the ETF industry reps and the Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) that are the main attendees, the industry needs a lot of advice. The Good news: still lots of money coming in, but the industry is maturing The ETF juggernaut continues to rake in money, now with north of $8 trillion in assets under management. Indexing/passive investing, the main impetus behind ETFs 30 years ago, continues to bring in new adherents as smarter investors, including the younger ones that have begun investing since the pandemic, come to understand the difficulty of outperforming the market. The bad news is much of the easy money has already been made as the industry is now reaching middle aged. Just about every type of index fund that can be thought of is already in existence. To grow, the ETF industry has to expand the offerings of active management and devise new ways to entice investors. Actively managed strategies did well in 2023, accounting for about a quarter of all inflows. Covered call strategies like the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPI) , which offered protection during a downturn, raked in money. But with the broad markets hitting new highs, it's not clear if investors will continue to pour money into covered call strategies that, by definition, underperform in rising markets. Fortunately, the industry has proven very skilled at capturing whatever investing zeitgeist is in the air. That can range from the silly (pot ETFs when there was no real pot industry) to ideas that have had some real staying power. Six or seven years ago, it was thematic tech ETFs like cybersecurity or electric vehicles that pulled in investors. The big topics in 2024: Bitcoin, AI, Magnificent 7 alternatives In 2024, the industry is betting that the new crop of bitcoin ETFs will pull in billions. Bitcoin for grandma? We'll see. Besides bitcoin, the big topics here in Miami Beach are 1) A.I/ and what it's going to do for financial advisors and investors, and 2) how to get clients to think about equity allocation beyond the Magnificent 7. Notably absent is China investing. Bitcoin for grandma? Financial advisors are divided on whether to jump in Ten spot bitcoin ETFs have successfully launched. The heads of three of those, Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, Steve Kurz, global head of asset management at Galaxy and David LaValle, global head of ETFs at Grayscale, will lead a panel offering advice to financial advisors, who seem divided on how to proceed. Ric Edelman, the founder of Edelman Financial Engines, the #1 RIA in the country and currently the head of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals (DACFP), will also be present. Edelman has long been a bitcoin bull. He recently estimates bitcoin's price will reach $150,000 within two years (about three times its current price), and has estimated that Independent RIAs, who collectively manage $8 trillion, could invest 2.5% of their assets under management in crypto in the next two to three years, which would translate into over $154 billion. Inflows into bitcoin ETFs to date have been modest, but bitcoin ETFs are being viewed by some advisors as the first true bridge between traditional finance and the crypto community. But many advisors are torn about recommending them, not just because of the large number of competing products, but because of the legal minefields that still exist around bitcoin, specifically around SEC Chair Gary Gensler's warning that any financial advisor recommending bitcoin would have to be mindful of "suitability" requirements for clients. For many, those suitability requirements, along with the high volatility, continuing charges of manipulation, and the doubt about bitcoin as a true asset class will be enough to keep them away. The bitcoin ecosystem is in going into overdrive to convince the RIA community otherwise. Artificial intelligence: What can it do for the investing community? Thematic tech investing (cybersecurity, robotics, cloud computing, electric vehicles, social media, etc.) has waxed and waned in the last decade, but there is no doubt Artificial Intelligence ETFs (IRBT, ROBT, BOTZ) has recaptured some interest. The problem is defining what an AI investment looks like and which companies are exposed to AI. But the impact is already being felt by the financial advisory community. Jason Pereira, senior partner & financial Planner, Woodgate Financial, is speaking on how financial advisors are using artificial intelligence. There are amazing AI tools that financial advisors can now use. Pereira describes how it is now possible to generate financial podcasts with just snippets of your own voice. Just plug in a text, and it can generate a whole podcast without ever saying the actual words. How to generate text? In theory, you could go to Chat GPT and say, for example, "Write 500 words about current issues in 401(k)s," and rewrite it slightly for a specific audience. In a world where a million people can now generate a podcast on financial advice, how do you maintain value? Much of the lower skilled tasks (data analysis) will quickly become commodified, but Pereira believes a very big difference will quickly emerge between volume and quality. Equity Allocation Beyond the Magnificent Seven Financial advisors are beset by clients urging them to throw money at the Magnificent 7. Roundhill's new Magnificent 7 ETF (MAGS) has pulled in big money in the last few months, now north of $100 million in assets under management. Since the end of last year, there have been enormous inflows into technology ETFs (Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA), and modest inflows into communications (Meta and Alphabet) and consumer discretionary (Amazon). Most everything else has languished, with particular outflows in energy, health care, and materials. Advisors are eager for advice on how to talk to clients about the concentration risks involved in investing solely in big-cap tech and how to allocate for the long haul. Alex Zweber, managing director investment strategy at Parametric and Eric Veiel, head of global investments and CIO at T. Rowe Price are leading a panel on alternative approaches that have had some success recently, including ETFs that invest in option overlays, but also on quality and momentum investing in general, which overlaps but is broader than simply investing in the Magnificent 7. Stop talking about numbers and returns and start offering "human-centric" advice Talk to any financial advisor for more than a few minutes, and they will likely tell you how difficult it is dealing with some clients who are convinced they should put all their money into NVIDIA, or Bolivian tin mines, or who have investing ADHD and want to throw all their money in one investment one day, then pull it out the next. Brian Portnoy and Neil Bage, co-founders of Shaping Wealth, are leading one of the early panels on how financial advisors can move away from an emphasis on numbers and more toward engaging with their clients on a more personal and emotional level. Sounds touchy-feely, but competition for clients has become intense, and there is a new field emerging on how to provide financial advice that is less centered on numbers (assets under management, fees, quarterly statements), and more centered on developing the investor's understanding of behavioral finance and emotional intelligence. Under this style of investment advice, often called "human-centric" or "human-first" advice, more time may be spent discussing behavioral biases that lead to investing mistakes than on stock market minutiae. This may help the clients develop behaviors that, for example, are better suited to longer term investing (less trading, less market timing). Advocates of this approach believe this is a much better way to engage and keep clients for the long term. What's missing? China For years, a panel on international investing, and specifically emerging markets/China investing, was a staple at ETF conferences. Not anymore. Notably absent is any discussion of international investing, but particularly China, where political risk is now perceived to be so high that investors are fleeing China and China ETFs. Indeed, investing "ex-China" is a bit of a thing. The iShares Emerging Markets ex-China ETF (EMXC) launched with little fanfare in 2017 and had almost no assets under management for several years. That changed in late 2022, when China ETFs began a long slow descent, and inflows exploded into EMXC from investors who still wanted emerging market exposure, just not to China. Kagan founded AppSumo over a weekend in 2010, spending $60 on a developer and a domain name. In 2023 the company had $80 million in sales. Noah Kagan's book "Million Dollar Weekend" isn't about getting rich quick. The multimillionaire founder and CEO of discount software firm AppSumo would be the first to tell you that he didn't become wealthy overnight. But by acting quickly and decisively when he realized he had a good idea on his hands, he put himself in the position to succeed. It took Kagan, now 41, just a few days in 2010 to found AppSumo, a company which brought in about $80 million in revenue last year. Kagan's idea: copying MacHeist, a site that offers discounted software bundles for Apple users, and making a similar service available for PC. Kagan emailed the founder of Imgur, an image-sharing service popular on Reddit, and offered to promote a discounted version of the software in exchange for a percentage of what he sold. Then he reached out to Reddit's founding engineer to ask if he could advertise the deal on the site for free. "Why not?" Kagan recalls hearing. "Our users love Imgur. They'll be thrilled to get a discount." He paid a developer in Pakistan $48 to build a website with a PayPal button and spent $12 on a domain name. One weekend, $60 down, and he was up and running. The rest, as they say, is history. If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, you may be able to ensure that history repeats itself, Kagan says: "Literally, you can copy my model." Here are three steps he recommends for anyone looking to start a successful business in 48 hours. 1. Get started now Your natural instinct when looking to start a business may be to learn as much as you possibly can. You might spend days taking courses, reading books and watching YouTube videos to build up your expertise. But ultimately, you're wasting time, Kagan says. "You've got to start today. You can't keep watching videos," he says. What does that mean? It means that you'll likely have some ideas that don't quite get off the ground and others that outright fail from the jump. Consider these experiments rather than failures, Kagan says experiences you can learn from. Successful entrepreneurs, Kagan writes, "take action first, get real feedback, and learn from that, which is a million times more valuable than any book or course. And quicker!" 2. 'Practice the skill of asking' Starting a small business, as Kagan describes it, is really a series of asks a process you'll have to get comfortable with if you want to succeed. "You have to practice the skill of asking," Kagan says. "Asking someone to be your customer, asking someone to be your partner, asking someone for feedback on your idea." The scariest part about asking is the possibility that you'll be rejected. To assuage that feeling, Kagan reminds himself that, in the grand scheme of his life, none of the people rejecting him will end up being all that important. He even goes so far as to set a rejection goal for himself when rolling out a new idea or initiative. "'This is going to suck. Let me aim to get at least 20 rejections,'" he says he tells himself. "That alone helps me accept that I will get rejected and turn it more into a game versus a blow to my self-worth." 3. Find a problem people will give you money to solve In this article 981-HK Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT A Chinese flag next to a printed circuit board with semiconductor chips. Florence Lo | Reuters China's biggest chipmaker SMIC seems to have been manufacturing advanced chips in the last few months defying U.S. sanctions designed to slow down Beijing's progress. But there are still some major challenges to China's bid to become more self-sufficient in the semiconductor industry, with questions swirling around the long-term viability of its latest advancements. What's the latest? Last year, U.S.-sanctioned Chinese tech giant Huawei launched the Mate 60, a smartphone with 5G connectivity and a chip, manufactured by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. , using a 7 nanometer process. SMIC is China's biggest contract semiconductor manufacturer. The nanometer figure refers to the size of each individual transistor on a chip. The smaller the transistor, the more of them can be packed onto a single semiconductor. Typically, a reduction in nanometer size can yield more powerful and efficient chips. The 7 nanometer process is seen as highly advanced in the world of semiconductors, even though it isn't the latest technology. It was a big deal at the time. But last week, the Financial Times reported that SMIC is setting up new production lines to make 5 nanometer chips for Huawei. That would signal even further advancement for China's biggest chipmaker. The chips in Apple's latest high-end iPhones are made on a 3 nanometer process. Why is this a big deal? How is SMIC doing this? Without EUV tools, experts thought, SMIC would find it difficult to make 7 nanometer and smaller chips, or would at least find it expensive to do so. So when the Huawei Mate 60 came out last year with a 7 nanometer chip, that raised a lot of eyebrows. One expert told CNBC at the time that SMIC is likely using older chipmaking tools to make more advanced chips. watch now The FT reported something similar last week. The newspaper, citing two people with knowledge of the plans, reported that SMIC is aiming to use its existing stock of U.S.- and Dutch-made semiconductor equipment to produce 5 nanometer chips, an advancement on the 7 nanometer. "SMIC is working very closely now with both domestic tool makers, leveraging its existing base of advanced lithography gear, and drawing on other outside expertise, such as from Huawei, to constantly improve yields on advanced node processes," Paul Triolo, an associate partner at consulting firm Albright Stonebridge, told CNBC via email. "So for now it is possible for SMIC to continue to improve capabilities and yields at 7 and soon 5 nm, for a small number of customers, mostly Huawei." China's challenges An emission comes out of a smoke stack at the Infineum oil refinery on February 6, 2024, in Linden, New Jersey. Oil prices were largely flat Monday after rallying more than 6% last week on escalating Middle East tensions. The West Texas Intermediate contract for March gained 8 cents to settle at $76.92 a barrel. The Brent contract for April settled at $82 a barrel, down 19 cents or .23%. U.S. crude and the global benchmark popped last week after Israel rejected Hamas' proposal for a ceasefire and vowed to press on with its Gaza offensive to the southern city of Rafah, which is located on the border with Egypt. An image of Elon Musk is seen on a mobile device with the X and Twitter logos in the background in this photo illustration, July 23, 2023. Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has to testify in a probe by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission concerning his 2022 acquisition of Twitter, a federal judge ordered Saturday. As CNBC previously reported, the SEC is investigating whether Musk or anyone else committed securities fraud in 2022 as the billionaire began buying stock in Twitter and building a stake ahead of his leveraged buyout of the social media company. Musk closed his acquisition of Twitter in October 2022 in a deal worth roughly $44 billion and has since rebranded it X. In the order dated Feb. 10, 2024, federal magistrate judge Laurel Beeler wrote that although Musk and his legal team argued the SEC's subpoena in this matter amounted to harassment of the billionaire, the federal financial regulator was "within its authority" and its subpoena was "definite, and seeks relevant information" to its investigation. The federal financial regulator and Musk now have one week to set a date and location for his testimony. Musk and his attorney Alex Spiro didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the SEC declined to comment "beyond the public filings for this matter." Musk has repeatedly sought to challenge if not strip authority from federal regulatory agencies. For example, he has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to undo a settlement agreement that he and Tesla struck with the SEC previously. The settlement required Musk to have a "Twitter sitter" approve his tweets about his electric vehicle business before he posts them. Musk's attorneys have argued that the agreement set an unconstitutional condition on Musk and amounts to a violation of his free speech rights. In another example, Musk-led defense contractor SpaceX sued the National Labor Relations Board after the federal agency filed a complaint against the company alleging the rocket maker illegally fired employees who signed an open letter critical of Musk. The letter said, among other things, that Musk's "behavior in the public sphere is a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us." SpaceX filed its lawsuit against the NLRB in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Brownsville. Attorneys for SpaceX argued in their suit that the very structure of the federal labor board violates the U.S. Constitution. Their suit resembles one brought by a former employee of Starbucks against the NLRB, and seeks to prevent the NLRB's earlier complaint against SpaceX from moving forward. Read the full order to compel compliance here. A farmer pulls waste to block the RN 19 near in Vesoul, eastern France, on January 25, 2024. The European Union prides itself on being a champion for the environment. But that reputation is now being firmly tested, after it toned down its climate policies following angry farmer protests that are taking place across the continent. The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, now intends to scrap a plan to halve pesticide use. In addition, the institution also decided last week to omit the agricultural sector out of a strict timeline for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 90% before 2040. Speaking to CNBC Thursday, the EU's Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said he was "happy" about the U-turns because they were not "fully fair." "We need to reduce the use of pesticides, but not to force the farmers [to do it]," he said, adding that the solution is to provide more financial subsidies to the sector to incentivize them to pursue greener practices. The EU wants to become carbon neutral by 2050. It also wants to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. When asked if these latest changes to policy could compromise those ambitious targets, Wojciechowski said: "This is the general target for the whole economy, but in agriculture, we should take into account the specifics of agriculture." Former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks at a "Get Out the Vote" Rally in Conway, South Carolina, on February 10, 2024. Julia Nikhinson | Afp | Getty Images WASHINGTON Sitting in the Oval Office in the infancy of his presidency in 2017, Donald Trump found himself surrounded by new aides who had worked for other prominent Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, his most bitter rival from the previous year's primaries. The "America First" president evidently worried that they wouldn't now put the American president first. Trump went around the room, inquisition-style, asking each aide to declare allegiance, according to a person who was present. "He was quizzing people in the Oval if they were loyal to him or previous bosses," the source recalled seven years later. But no matter how much emphasis Trump put on loyalty in his first term, he found himself disappointed and frustrated when people he had hired chose other considerations over his instructions their own reputations, future ambitions and even the Constitution. During one meeting three years into his term, the president sat with his third defense secretary, Mark Esper, a top aide who had been tasked with installing loyalists in the administration and other senior advisers. The aides wondered aloud how they had kept missing the mark and choosing people who weren't loyal enough. "Trump said, 'We can't let that happen again,'" according to a source familiar with the conversation. From Attorney General Jeff Sessions' allowing for the appointment of Russia special prosecutor Robert Mueller to Attorney General William Barr's refusing to declare the 2020 election invalid and Vice President Mike Pence's declining to reject electors, Trump felt he had been betrayed by the very officials who owed him the most. Esper, too, would later be unceremoniously cast out after being at odds with Trump on a number of issues. Now, as he contemplates a second stint in the Oval Office, his fixation on fealty appears to be growing, and some people who have spent time close to the former president say they believe it will be the singular criterion for potential appointees if voters give him what he wants. Trump has repeatedly brought up the issue of loyalty in his public remarks, as well. On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, he emphasized that point at a rally. He went after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, his competitors who were once his allies. And as a contrast, he stood with his onetime rival Doug Burgum as Burgum, the governor of North Dakota, offered him an endorsement. "There's something about the lack of loyalty in politics," Trump said. Trump's success in a second term will hinge on bringing in people committed to his agenda, top appointees from his first term say. Trump and his allies have big plans for a second term and still-fresh memories of a drawn-out four-year battle against a hostile administrative state. But without committed allies in key roles, ambitions to gut the federal bureaucracy, overhaul rulemaking and slash budgets could wither and die. "They have to be resolute with their commitment to the president's vision," a top Trump official said of those who could find themselves tapped for plum roles. "You weren't elected; you're a Cabinet person as part of the executive branch, and your job is to understand and execute." "The headwinds will be significant," he added. Finding the 'shock troops' Allies of Trump, who is term-limited if re-elected, are aware of the need for a slate of officials willing to execute his vision and prepared to quickly kick into gear. "You have four years. You have three or four major things you can accomplish major things and you have to have the full support of a team that's loyal," an outside adviser to Trump said. "I think the president is going to have that." A former White House official, speaking about the plans to send in loyalists who are better prepared to execute Trump's agenda, said: "We're not going to sit around and wait for the Senate, which is very, very divided and not even in the hands of conservatives, to get things done. Things will be happening, even before Inauguration Day." Already, conservatives are laying the groundwork for "shock troops" to take administration posts in a second Trump term, with one group, the Association of Republican Presidential Appointees, hosting a two-day "presidential appointee boot camp" Feb. 19 and 20 in the Washington suburbs. The boot camp promises to give would-be appointees insight into "the operating context in which appointees work to implement the president's agenda" and "tactics appointees can use to help the president gain control over the levers of power and thwart a hostile bureaucracy." And yet, Trump's campaign team has tried to put a lid on a constellation of outside groups that are dreaming up wish lists of appointees and an agenda for a prospective next term. "The efforts by various non-profit groups are certainly appreciated and can be enormously helpful," Trump campaign senior advisers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita said in a statement in November. "However, none of these groups or individuals speak for President Trump or his campaign. We will have an official transition effort to be announced at a later date." Wiles and LaCivita declined requests to comment for this article. More from NBC News: New York special election kicks off national fight for the House majority Biden allies say president is 'sharp,' special counsel criticism is 'B.S.' Mexican drug cartels are targeting America's 'last best place' Refusing to take any chances in the vetting process, allies are promising to help "weed out those that would employ subterfuge" in a bid to thwart Trump from inside, the former official said. "This is a sharp-elbowed sport, and we know that there will be people that want to undermine the president," the person added. A political strategist with ties to a Republican who has been floated in the media as a potential running mate for Trump said, "If you're Trump, you value loyalty above all else, particularly because he sees Mike Pence as having made a fatal sin." It's exactly that thinking that has given rise to concerns about who might be prepared to staff a future Trump administration, with those at odds with him fearing a worst-case scenario that imperils the sanctity of the republic. "The starting point for a second Trump term will be the last year of his first term. Loyalty will be the attribute Trump will be seeking above all else," said Esper, whose tenure as defense secretary was cut short as Trump struggled to come to terms with the 2020 election results. "He won't pick people like [former Defense Secretary] Jim Mattis or me who will push back on him. So the question becomes: What harm might occur over four years?" 'It reminds me of "Game of Thrones"' The judge in the Georgia election criminal case against Donald Trump seemed inclined Monday to allow a subpoena for testimony from District Attorney Fani Willis at an upcoming hearing to potentially disqualify her from the case. Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee, at a hearing, said Willis' testimony appears relevant to a bid by Trump and some of his co-defendants to remove her from the case due to her romantic relationship with a key subordinate, Nathan Wade. Willis appointed Wade as special prosecutor for the Trump case. "I don't see how quashal can be imposed here," McAfee said, using the legal term for voiding a subpoena. But McAfee said he would hold off on making a final ruling on Willis' request to void the subpoena for her testimony from one of Trump's co-defendants until after another witness, Terrance Bradley, testifies Thursday at the disqualification hearing. Bradley is Wade's former business partner. McAfee also held off on ruling on motions to quash subpoenas for Wade and other employees of Willis' office at Monday's hearing. The judge did quash a subpoena for Wade's bank records, which some of the defendants wanted to enter into evidence to support their allegations that he paid for vacations with Willis while he was heading a team investigating and prosecuting Trump. Ashleigh Merchant, a lawyer for Trump's co-defendant Michael Roman, told the judge, "We have a right to explore whether or not there was a personal or financial benefit to Willis' relationship and we have carefully chosen the witnesses that we have subpoenaed based on that." Merchant dismissed the idea of relying on a written affidavit by Wade in determining whether Willis and he should be disqualified from the case. "It's nothing more than hearsay," Merchant said of the affidavit. She noted that in Wade's divorce case last year, he filed an affidavit saying he did not have a relationship with anyone other than his wife, but later changed that to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against disqualification. Anna Cross, the attorney who represented Willis at the hearing, said McAfee should quash the subpoenas. It's never been easier to see how much a job will pay before you go into an interview. More than a dozen states, cities, counties and Washington, D.C. have passed pay disclosure laws, where employers of a certain size are required to list the salary range of an open job. And more than 1 in 4 workers in the U.S. now lives in a place where they're entitled to see pay ranges on job ads. But once you have that information, how can you actually leverage pay ranges to negotiate a job offer? It's as simple as asking one straightforward question in a job interview, says Chanelle Howell, 31, a New York City-based recruiter who's interviewed hundreds while working for Goldman Sachs, Bridgewater Associates and through her own consulting company. She recently gave this example: Say you're interviewing for a position that states the salary range is $100,000 to $150,000. In an interview with the hiring manager or recruiter, ask: "Can you tell me what skills and experiences separate the $100,000 candidate from the $150,000 candidate?" This question will prompt the interviewer to explain their compensation strategy for the role. For example, they might say a candidate in the top end of the range has a certain number of years in the field, managed a certain number of people, led specific projects or is an expert in specific skills. Use this information to then shape what skills and accomplishments you can discuss based on your own background. The key is to repeat these qualities throughout your interview, Howell says, to help build your case for why you're a star candidate. DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to acing your interview and landing your dream job Then, "later in the negotiation process, you can use their literal words to justify why you deserve more money," Howell says. By the time you reach final conversations and get a verbal offer, it's time to run through how you meet the expectations of a top-paid candidate, then counter the offer with your desired pay at the top end of the range. "The key is to push your potential employer to quantify exactly why someone deserves that dollar amount and then to create your story around that," Howell says. Put another way, "get them to give you the answers." Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez walk in the Paddock prior to final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Miami at Miami International Autodrome on May 06, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Jeff Bezos' $2 billion stock sale last week came with an added perk: no state taxes. Last year, Bezos announced on Instagram that he was leaving Seattle after nearly 30 years to move to Miami. He said the move was to be closer to his parents and his rocket launches at Blue Origin. The timing also suggested another reason: taxes. In 2022 Washington state imposed a new, 7% capital gains tax on sales of stocks or bonds of more than $250,000. Washington state doesn't have a personal income tax, so the new levy marked the first time Bezos would face state taxes on his stock sales. Starting in 1998 Bezos sold billions of dollars worth of Amazon shares almost every year for more than two decades to fund his philanthropy, his space company Blue Origin, and more recently his $500 million mega yacht and a growing collection of mansions purchased with his fiance Lauren Sanchez. In 2022, when the tax took effect, Bezos stopped selling. He didn't sell any Amazon stock in 2022 or 2023, gifting only $200 million of shares at the end of last year. After his move to Miami, Bezos made up for lost time. Last week, a filing with the SEC revealed that Bezos launched a pre-scheduled stock-selling plan to unload 50 million shares before Jan. 31, 2025. At today's price, that would total more than $8.7 billion. Florida has no state income tax or a tax on capital gains. So on the $2 billion sale last week, he saved $140 million that he would have paid to Washington state. On the entire sale of 50 million shares over the next year, he will save at least $610 million. And that's assuming Amazon shares remain flat. If they continue to rise, the value of his shares and his tax savings will be even higher. Put another way, he's more than paid for his 417-foot yacht, Koru, with just his Florida tax savings. For his new digs, Bezos purchased two mansions in Indian Creek for $147 million and is reportedly looking at three other properties on the island, which also counts Tom Brady and Carl Icahn as residents. Miami brokers say Bezos is likely to tear down the homes and build a new one, with the total costs of the new estate likely topping $200 million. Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO: Rivian Automotive : Analysts at Barclays downgraded the electric vehicle maker to a hold-equivalent rating from overweight amid concerns about a broader slowdown in EV adoption. "I have to agree" with the call, Jim Cramer said Monday. "I think Rivian is terrific but they're going to have to raise money if sales slow down at all." The CNBC Investing Club has a position in automaker Ford . PepsiCo : Citigroup upgraded Pepsi to buy from neutral. The firm was neutral on the stock for a year, but now says a more achievable organic sales growth bar target has been set. "You've got to stay away from Pepsi," Jim said, noting he has concerns about sales in its Frito-Lay division, in particular. Lowe's : JPMorgan upgraded Lowe's to a buy-equivalent rating from neutral and added the home improvement retailer's stock to its analyst focus list ahead of its earnings report in the coming weeks. JPMorgan also boosted its price target to $265 per share from $210. "I thought that this was a very good call, and by the way I think Home Depot is even better," Jim said. Diamondback Energy : Diamondback on Monday announced its intention to buy Endeavor Energy, a privately held producer in the Permian Basin, in a deal valued at $26 billion. It's the latest deal in a recent wave of mergers-and-acquisitions among oil-and-gas companies. On Wall Street, Diamondback is "just a loved company," Jim said. The Investing Club's lone energy holding is Coterra Energy . Shopify , Datadog , Coca-Cola and Marriott International : All four companies are set to release their latest quarterly results Tuesday before the opening bell. Jim said he expects Shopify and Datadog's numbers to "be good," while he anticipates Coca-Cola's to be just "OK." Meanwhile, Marriott should be "excellent," he predicted. My top 10 things to watch Monday, Feb. 12 1. U.S. stock futures were flat early Monday, following last week's record-setting close for the S & P 500. The broad-based market index closed above 5,000 for the first time. The three major averages are on a run of five consecutive weeks of gains. Here are five things that could determine if the winning streak continues. 2. Shale producer Diamondback Energy said it would buy Endeavor Energy Partners, the largest privately held oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at roughly $26 billion. The transaction will consist of 117.3 million shares of Diamondback common stock and $8 billion of cash. 3. Wells Fargo lowered its price target on CVS Health to $83 from $84 and kept a hold rating. The firm said the drug-store chain reported solid fourth-quarter results but said greater visibility on Medicare Advantage utilization and rates remains key. 4. Donald Trump is proposing a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports. What would be left? It would shrink a $575 billion trade pipeline to close to zero, according to a Bloomberg analysis . 5. Bank of America says don't worry about the near-term impact of Nvidia expansion on Broadcom . The firm was responding to media reports that Nvidia might expand into making more customized chips, also known as ASIC, for the telecom, auto, gaming, and data center markets which are currently dominated by Broadcom and Marvell. 6. Discount retailer Big Lots downgraded to sell from hold at Loop Capital. These guys are in big trouble, and so is Children's Place . Loop said Big Lots has lost "substantial consumer relevance and mindshare," which is "very difficult" to regain. Shares fell more than 11% in the premarket. 7. Instacart price target lowered by a buck to $30 at Bank of America. The grocery delivery service reports earnings on Tuesday (Feb. 13) will this be another bust? 8. Barclays downgraded Rivian to hold from buy. The firm said the electric vehicle has a great product and technology but it is not enough to avoid slowing demand in the EV market. It lowered the price target to $16 from $25. Shares fell more than 3% Monday morning. 9. Lowe's upgraded to buy from hold at JPMorgan, which raised its price target to $265 from $210. The firm also added the home improvement retailer to its analyst focus list as a value stock idea, citing moderating wallet headwinds. I prefer Home Depot because of the professional demand. 10. DuPont price target lowered to $70 from $74 at Barclays, kept an equal weighting. The firm said the company's fourth-quarter results and guidance were generally consistent with its preannouncement. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED. An employee walks through the parking lot at a Broadcom office on June 03, 2021 in San Jose, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images My top 10 things to watch Monday, Feb. 12 1. U.S. stock futures were flat early Monday, following last week's record-setting close for the S&P 500. The broad-based market index closed above 5,000 for the first time. The three major averages are on a run of five consecutive weeks of gains. Here are five things that could determine if the winning streak continues. 2. Shale producer Diamondback Energy said it would buy Endeavor Energy Partners, the largest privately held oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin, in a cash-and-stock deal valued at roughly $26 billion. The transaction will consist of 117.3 million shares of Diamondback common stock and $8 billion of cash. 3. Wells Fargo lowered its price target on CVS Health to $83 from $84 and kept a hold rating. The firm said the drug-store chain reported solid fourth-quarter results but said greater visibility on Medicare Advantage utilization and rates remains key. 4. Donald Trump is proposing a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports. What would be left? It would shrink a $575 billion trade pipeline to close to zero, according to a Bloomberg analysis. 5. Bank of America says don't worry about the near-term impact of Nvidia expansion on Broadcom . The firm was responding to media reports that Nvidia might expand into making more customized chips, also known as ASIC, for the telecom, auto, gaming, and data center markets which are currently dominated by Broadcom and Marvell. 6. Discount retailer Big Lots downgraded to sell from hold at Loop Capital. These guys are in big trouble, and so is Children's Place . Loop said Big Lots has lost "substantial consumer relevance and mindshare," which is "very difficult" to regain. Shares fell more than 11% in the premarket. 7. Instacart price target lowered by a buck to $30 at Bank of America. The grocery delivery service reports earnings on Tuesday (Feb. 13) will this be another bust? 8. Barclays downgraded Rivian to hold from buy. The firm said the electric vehicle has a great product and technology but it is not enough to avoid slowing demand in the EV market. It lowered the price target to $16 from $25. Shares fell more than 3% Monday morning. 9. Lowe's upgraded to buy from hold at JPMorgan, which raised its price target to $265 from $210. The firm also added the home improvement retailer to its analyst focus list as a value stock idea, citing moderating wallet headwinds. I prefer Home Depot because of the professional demand. 10. DuPont price target lowered to $70 from $74 at Barclays, kept an equal weighting. The firm said the company's fourth-quarter results and guidance were generally consistent with its preannouncement. Sign up for my Top 10 Morning Thoughts on the Market email newsletter for free (See here for a full list of the stocks at Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust.) Ukraine's main military intelligence agency accused Russian forces of using Starlink terminals produced by Elon Musk's SpaceX in occupied areas. Starlink has been adamant that its satellite networks have never operated or been marketed in Russia, after its terminals were delivered to Ukraine following the February 2022 invasion, in order to facilitate battlefield communications for Ukrainian forces. "A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false," Musk, who's CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, posted Sunday on the X social media platform, which he also owns. "To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia." Kyiv's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) claimed Sunday that there was mounting evidence of the equipment being used by Russian forces in the partially occupied eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk. Revolut is launching a travel eSIM plan in the U.K., in a rare move for a financial services firm. Revolut British financial technology company Revolut is launching phone plans in the U.K., the company has told CNBC exclusively, making it the first financial services firm in the country to offer telecom plans and among the first globally. The digital banking and payments unicorn said it will start offering eSIMs SIM cards that can be stored virtually rather than in physical form in the device this week. The plans will begin rolling out for users in the coming days. Customers on Revolut's basic app experience without any subscription can get a standard eSIM plan that allows them to access their Revolut app so that they can top up their phone as and when needed. For instance, if a Revolut user arrives at an airport and runs out of data on their current SIM provider, they can still access features on their Revolut app free of charge and top up their data as usual. Revolut customers on the company's 55 ($69.47) a month, premium Ultra package will get 3GB of data to use globally, with a rolling refresh every month. That means that they will not have to worry about unexpected roaming charges when entering another country. The cost of using mobile data overseas has increased for Brits in recent years. Several mobile carriers, including BT, Vodafone and Three, have reintroduced roaming charges since the U.K. left the European Union. Brits were previously able to travel across the EU without incurring roaming fees. Meanwhile, most mobile carriers don't include free data in non-EU countries as part of their standard plans. Revolut users without an Ultra subscription can get an introductory offer of 100MB of free data if they apply before May 1. The offer is valid for seven days. Revolut has partnered with U.K. mobile network operator 1Global, formerly known as Truphone, to launch its eSIM. Tara Massoudi, general manager of premium products at Revolut, said the decision for Revolut to launch eSIMs was to turn the company into more of an all-encompassing "super app" with services spanning bank accounts, currency exchange, insurance, travel bookings and airport lounge passes. "Our ambition is very much to be the financial super app," Massoudi told CNBC. "This is really in that direction." "Travel is a huge value prop that we've always had, and it's still remained super important for our users," Massoudi added. "So it's important that we continue to innovate in that space." Launching phone plans is a rare step from a financial services firm. Plenty of challenger banks have bundled new services into their apps to give consumers more of a reason to use them over alternatives. The aim is to pull in a stickier customer base long term. That's pretty key in Revolut's case. The company, which notched a $33 billion valuation in 2022, has been trying to get more of a loyal user base and grow its line of paid subscriptions to diversify revenue. For that, it needs customers who use it as more of a permanent banking provider for all their financial needs, rather than just an optional low-fee travel account for when they go abroad. watch now Former U.S. president Donald Trump pictured during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at Winfield House, London on Dec. 3, 2019. NICHOLAS KAMM | AFP | Getty Images Former U.S. head of state and presidential candidate Donald Trump stoked the ire of U.S. lawmakers and international leaders, after remarking he would not protect NATO countries from Russian attacks if they lag on their membership payments. Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, Trump said that, as president, he warned NATO allies that he "would encourage" Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to a member country that didn't meet its defense spending guidelines. Trump, who has a long history of criticizing the trans-Atlantic military alliance, recounted a time when an unspecified president of a NATO member challenged him on his threat not to defend them from a potential Russian invasion if they failed to meet NATO's target of spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on the military. "You didn't pay, you're delinquent. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills," Trump said. The U.S. has historically had the largest number of military personnel out of all NATO countries, counting 1.35 million troops in 2023, according to Statista. Trump has been accused of entertaining close ties with Russia during his first presidential mandate. The Kremlin declined to address Trump's remarks. "I am still [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's press secretary, but not Trump's," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, according to Reuters. Top Western officials, as well as both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, sharply criticized Trump's comments. U.S. President Joe Biden, who is running for a second term, described Trump's remarks as "appalling and dangerous." watch now "Sadly, they are also predictable coming from a man who is promising to rule as a dictator like the ones he praises on day one if he returns to the oval office," Biden said Sunday in a statement. Trump is vying to clinch the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, facing off against former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. In an interview with CBS, Haley said Sunday that "the last thing we ever want to do is side with Russia." She added that the NATO alliance "allows us to prevent war." Former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie also criticized Trump's comments, saying in an interview with NBC News on Sunday that "this is why I've been saying for a long time that he's unfit to be president of the United States." NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (not seen) hold a joint press conference after the North Atlantic Council meeting held at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on February 7, 2024. Dursun Aydemir | Anadolu | Getty Images NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance stands "ready and able" to defend all allies and any attack would be met with a "united and forceful" response. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk," Stoltenberg said in a statement. "I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election the US will remain a strong and committed NATO Ally," he added. NATO's spending target NATO's 31 members, which include the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Turkey and the U.K., agreed in July last year to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense, firming up a previous goal. A report released by NATO last year showed only 11 of the then-30 member alliance were spending 2% of GDP or more on defense. The defense spending target is not a requirement and many countries have sought to ramp up their military spending since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. NATO's so-called Article 5 mutual defense clause means that an attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all allies. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said Monday that the alliance cannot be dependent on the impulses of the U.S. political leadership." "NATO cannot be an 'a la carte' military alliance ... depending on the humor of the president of the U.S.," Borrell said when asked to respond to Trump's comments, Reuters reported. watch now MOSCOW, Oct. 1, 2023: People visit a makeshift memorial for Wagner private mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in central Moscow on October 1, 2023, to mark 40 days since his death as per Orthodox tradition. Natalia Kolesnikova | Afp | Getty Images Wagner Group has been replaced by a new entity known as Russia's Africa Corps across its key strongholds in the continent, its new leader has confirmed. The infamous mercenary organization's founders, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, were killed in a plane crash in August 2023, two months after leading Wagner fighters in a march on Moscow to attempt a mutiny against the country's defense forces. The paramilitary contractor has an established presence in a number of politically unstable African nations, including the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali and Sudan, and is now seeking to gain a foothold in Burkina Faso, which has been ruled by a military junta since a January 2022 coup. Yet since the deaths of Prigozhin and Utkin, the future of its role on the continent has been shrouded in uncertainty. "We continue to work on the African continent and we continue to work in Belarus. We continue to work for the good of Russia," new leader and Wagner veteran Anton Yelizarov said in a video last week. "We are working successfully. I am located at the group's headquarters in Cossack Camps. We are building a camp so that the new units that will be formed which will become part of the volunteer corps of the Russian National Guard can arrive and settle." watch now Yelizarov added that what is now the Africa Corps has "always defended, are defending and will defend the people of the Russian Federation and the interests of the Russian Federation, and we will do this anywhere in the world." The Africa Corps publicly declared on Telegram in late January that it had deployed 100 personnel to Burkina Faso to aid current leader Ibrahim Traore in repelling Islamist insurgencies in the Sahel region. The new entity has been subsuming operations in Mali and Libya for several months, and negotiations to establish a Russian military base in the CAR are reportedly underway. Analysts at the Centre for Eastern Studies in Warsaw believe new units will likely be deployed across the Sahel states, the CAR and Libya, though contracts with local governments will dictate the scope of the group's activities. Unrestricted access to transport hubs in Libya and Algeria will be a "precondition for the smooth operation of Russian military forces" in Sahel states, Senior Fellow Piotr Zochowski and Research Fellow Miosz Bartosiewicz said in a report last week. watch now "The Africa Corps consists of mercenaries and volunteers, and does not form part of the Russian Armed Forces. It began recruiting in December 2023, and has also included job offers for former Wagner Group mercenaries; it may also recruit local residents," they explained. "The formation of the Africa Corps under the umbrella of the Russian defence ministry indicates that an effort is underway to put things back in order after the dismantling of the Wagner Group, as the Corps is set to take over its operations." Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov oversaw the creation of the Africa Corps, which is expected to be fully completed by this summer. The CES suggested that the arrival of 100 Africa Corps personnel in Burkina Faso signals "both an expansion and the formalisation of the Kremlin's military presence in the Sahel region," a cause that will be furthered by the installation of a military base in the CAR. Yevkurov made several trips to Africa prior to the Burkinabe deployment, while Moscow opened its first embassy in Ouagadougou for more than three decades, as Russia continues its efforts to fill the security vacuum opened up by the withdrawal of French troops from many of the country's former colonies in recent years. watch now Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference held at Mar-a-Lago on February 08, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. Lawyers for Donald Trump on Monday asked the Supreme Court to temporarily halt a ruling rejecting his claim that he is immune from being criminally charged with trying to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election. "Without immunity from criminal prosecution, the Presidency as we know it will cease to exist," Trump's attorneys wrote in an application for the Supreme Court to pause the ruling from a lower court. A three-judge panel in the federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., last Tuesday unanimously denied Trump's argument that he cannot be prosecuted for any official acts he performed as president. That ruling would end Trump's effort to throw out special counsel Jack Smith's case and restart proceedings in federal district court in D.C. But the panel withheld its 57-page ruling from taking effect until Monday, giving Trump's lawyers time to ask the Supreme Court to pause the case while they file an appeal to the nation's highest court. In applying for that pause Monday afternoon, the defense lawyers argued that the high court should "forestall, once again, an unprecedented and unacceptable departure from ordinary appellate procedures and allow President Trump's claim of immunity to be decided in the ordinary course of justice." Trump's immunity claim "presents a novel, complex, and momentous question that warrants careful consideration on appeal," his attorneys wrote. Allowing a former president to face criminal prosecution for official acts will usher in "destructive cycles of recrimination," and the threat of future indictment "will hang like a millstone around every future President's neck," they argued. They also argued that the appeals court's order will threaten "immediate irreparable injury to the First Amendment interests" of Trump and millions of voters, because it will hasten a trial that will "inevitably disrupt President Trump's ability to campaign against President [Joe] Biden." Trump has sought to delay his multiple criminal and civil cases as he runs for the Republican presidential nomination. He is currently the GOP's clear front-runner, setting up a likely rematch with Biden. Trump's application for a stay keeps the case on hold, at least until the Supreme Court issues a decision on whether or not to grant the request. An individual justice can make that decision. The nine-member Supreme Court includes three justices who were appointed under Trump, but Chief Justice John Roberts, who was nominated by former President George W. Bush, is assigned to handle matters coming from D.C. Last week's ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan's prior decision denying Trump's claim of "absolute" presidential immunity. Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference held at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 8, 2024. Former President Donald Trump arrived at a federal court in Florida on Monday morning for a closed hearing in the criminal case where he is charged with taking hundreds of classified government documents with him when he left the White House. The hearing before Judge Aileen Cannon will deal with protective orders related to classified information contained in those records. About 30 Trump supporters gathered outside the Fort Pierce court in anticipation of his arrival. They and other members of the public are not allowed to attend Tuesday's proceedings. Cannon, who was appointed to the federal bench by Trump, is scheduled to hear from defense attorneys alone from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET, without the presence of prosecutors from the office of Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith. Trump can attend the hearing, but his co-defendants in the case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, cannot be there because they lack security clearance. Chennai-based pharma company Caplin Point Laboratories expects four new launches in the ophthalmic (eye-related) injectables space in the US and these could be among the key drivers for the company's growth in the US market. Currently, the US (North America) contributes roughly 17% to the overall business, and sales there are currently primarily driven by the company's subsidiary, Caplin Steriles, that manufactures injectables and ophthalmic products for regulated markets. Vivek Partheeban, COO of the company said, In the next four or five months, we are expecting about four product approvals and interestingly, all these are going to be in the ophthalmic space in the US. He expects the US business to grow at over 40% over the next 18 months given the low base and the new launches. The Latin American market contributes the balance 83% to the company's business, and is expected to grow at around 11-13%. At a consolidated level, the growth will be in low teens, he said. Over the next 18-24 months, he also expects other smaller markets such as Mexico and Chile to begin contributing higher to sales. In the third quarter of the current financial year (FY24), the company reported revenue from operation of 435.50 crore, up 17.0% year-on-year (YoY). Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) was at 142.30 crore, up 30% YoY, while profit was up 20% YoY at 117.20 crore. Partheeban noted that there are certain product segments where the company does not have a presence yet, while pointing out Caplin currently has over 800 crore of cash on books. "Without giving too much away, because we're at very early stages of evaluation, we're not against anything inorganic, that's, what I would like to leave it at," he said. On January 8, Caplin Point signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government during the Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet, 2024. Under the MoU, the Caplin group of companies, which includes Caplin Point Laboratories along with its subsidiaries Caplin Steriles and Caplin One Labs pledged an investment of 700 crore over the next 5 years. The company, which has a market capitalisation of 10,850 crore, has seen its shares gain 113% over the last year. Largest cash gift in colleges history will support need-based scholarships Colorado College announced today a high-impact gift of more than $18 million from the estate of the late William Bill Clement, a CC alum from the class of 42. The bequest represents the largest cash gift from an individual in the colleges history. Clement attended CC on a scholarship funded by Illinois area alumni. In a letter he wrote to the college in 1981, Clement shared, I look back on my CC years with much pleasure and gratitude. During his time at CC, he served as editor-in-chief for the Tiger, CCs school newspaper at the time, and was an active member of the debate team, swim team, and thespian group. Through his involvement on campus, he demonstrated a dedication to critical thinking with a commitment to reason, fairness, and challenging prevailing norms. After graduation, during World War II, Clement was a physicist on the Manhattan Project at the Radiation Laboratory of the University of California, Berkeley. After the war, he obtained an MA in physics and a PhD in philosophy from UC Berkeley. He worked in technical and administrative roles in the electronics industry before devoting himself to investments and what he called a non-professional quest for knowledge. A loyal and committed alum, Clement expressed ongoing appreciation for his experience through decades of generous donations. Further conveying his high regard for CC, he stated in a January 10, 1941 Tiger commentary, It is not too presumptuous that out of schools such as this, come the leaders of tomorrow. Creating Opportunity for the Leaders of Tomorrow The gift of more than $18 million was given to the college without any restrictions and will provide tremendous fuel to ignite the passion and potential of students for generations to come. $16 million of the gift has been designated by the college's Board of Trustees to CCs endowment to support financial aid and further the colleges commitment to increased access across the socioeconomic spectrum. While CCs endowment provides an important source of support, each year the financial need of the many talented and deserving students who rise to the top of our applicant pool exceeds the funds available. We are immensely grateful to Mr. Clement for this gift and the impact it will have in propelling student opportunities," says CC President L. Song Richardson. Such a commitment allows us to continue welcoming talented and ambitious students to CC and providing them with the support they need to thrive once here. We hear from CC alumni and their employers alike about the superpowers our graduates have the ability to focus deeply, learn quickly, and think creatively and we believe the world needs more leaders with these qualities. Its exciting to think about future CC students turning their passions into meaningful impact, on campus and beyond, thanks to the generosity of a student who walked this campus before them. In his later years, Clement's wealth was managed by CC alumnus Craig Ayers '92 of Whittier Trust Company. After Ayers started managing Clements portfolio, he learned of their shared Colorado College connection and was reminded of just how small the world can be and how far the CC community extends. He knew Bill to be kind and generous in spirit with an extensive network of connections built through his time at CC and beyond. As CC approaches its 150th anniversary, this generous donation reinforces the crucial role donors and supporters have played in shaping the institutions legacy and the importance of philanthropic support for the future. The gift not only enhances the endowment but will inspire a new era of philanthropy, encouraging alumni, students, families, and the wider community to contribute and double their impact in designated priority areas. Support from our alumni is one of the greatest testaments to the transformational impact of a CC education," says Molly Bodnar, Interim VP for Advancement. "Were excited to carry the spirit of Mr. Clements generosity forward with a new gift-maximizing challenge that invites alumni, students, families, and the broader community to make a gift and double their impact." Maximizing the Donors Generosity Clements gift stands as a testament to his belief in the transformative power of education. Through December 31, 2024, donors can be a part of the Clement Challenge and double their effect against one of several annual giving areas with a match of support allocated from the Clement bequest. Up to $2 million of his gift is going towards the challenge. This initiative, aiming to further amplify the spirit of generosity initiated by Bill Clement, invites the community to actively participate in shaping the colleges future. Learn more about the Clement Challenge. News and Info from our Community Partners Information from the News and our advertisers (Want to add your business to this to this feed?) A new Australian law includes a right to disconnect that would give employees the right to seek an order from the government barring their employers from requiring them to respond to emails or phone calls outside of working hours. For the moment, it also provides for penalties that could include jail time. The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (also known as the Closing Loopholes No. 2 Bill), secured passage in both houses of Australias legislature on Monday. It leaves open the potential for criminal penalties after legislative back-and-forth between the Liberal and Labor parties. The latter, who run the government, have vowed to change the legislation, which does not take effect for six months. Nevertheless, civil penalties are likely to still apply, and could present an issue for IT departments tasked with handling email in compliance with local laws. The bill provides for an Australian employees right to refuse to monitor, read or respond to contact (or attempted contact) from an employer outside of their working hours, subject to reasonable exceptions. The idea is to prevent employers from demanding what is essentially extra work from their employees without paying them commensurately. The exceptions focus on identifying whether an employees refusal to be contacted is reasonable; the bill identifies factors like the reason for the contact; how it is made and how disruptive it is; the extent to which the employee is compensated for their time, and similar considerations, according to an analysis of the bill from Australian law firm MinterEllison. There are an increasing number of right to disconnect clauses in enterprise agreements they will continue to apply if they are more favorable than this new right in the Fair Work Act, the law firms analysis said. All modern awards will also be required to include a right to disconnect clause. Australias passage of the law is not unique other countries, such as France, have implemented laws requiring employers to negotiate a disconnection rule that outlines when and how theyre allowed to contact employees outside of normal working hours. Variations on the rule are also on the books in Canada, Germany, Italy and the Philippines. Industry groups, unsurprisingly, have generally met such bills with hostility, warning of lost productivity, fewer jobs, and substantially higher costs for businesses. Among the hundreds of native apps already available for Apples new Vision Pro headset, theres already a range of tools focused on getting work done. Microsoft, Cisco, and Zoom are among the software vendors that have already optimized their enterprise apps to function on Apples spatial computing device. They make use of the Vision Pros immersive virtual environments (to varying degrees) and large viewing space, promising new ways to view and interact with content or communicate with colleagues. Many early adopters will look to personal productivity as a key justification for buying an Apple Vision Pro, and there are some key native productivity apps available at launch plus thousands more iPad apps that can run in the headset, said Avi Greengart, founder and lead analyst at Techsponential. Apple leaned on the Vision Pros consumer benefits in the run up to the Feb. 2 launch, but it clearly sees potential for work, too. (The recent addition of mobile device management (MDM) features for the device is perhaps inevitable, and serves as another indication of how Apple is catering to a business audience.) In one sense, the Vision Pro is no different to any other computing platform in Apples portfolio. Some people use Macs for Facebook, others design engine parts on them, said Greengart. Over time, I expect a full complement of productivity applications, tools, and services for VisionOS. Early enterprise uses for AR and VR have mostly centered around employee training and remote assistance tasks that involve wearing the headset for short periods rather than a full day as a laptop replacement. While the Vision Pro has drawbacks similar to other headsets (battery life and weight, for instance), some new users are already pointing to its effectiveness as a work tool. They credit Apple with largely succeeding with the devices eye and hand control interface, while the ability to access multiple apps and a large virtual monitor has advantages for productivity. Using the Apple Vision Pro with native apps arrayed around you and an Apple Silicon MacBook virtual display in the center feels like a productivity superpower, said Greengart. At the same time, its clearly a first-generation device, with a software ecosystem that is just now emerging. Anshel Sag, principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, said the native apps aimed at productivity are pretty effective, but also feel like pared down versions of their PC counterparts, or upgraded versions of the mobile apps enhanced with spatial awareness. Here are six of the notable digital work apps already available for the Vision Pro. Webex Webex meetings can now be accessed using Apple's Vision Pro. Cisco Webex and Zoom Cisco promises an immersive and intuitive meeting experience with its native Webex app for visionOS. Users can access core Webex features, with the ability to join a meeting, arrange participant video feeds across their own screen, and create shared content windows. The app is optimized for the Vision Pro, with support for pinch and drag gestures that rely on the devices hand- and eye-tracking technology. During a meeting, Vision Pro users are represented by their digital Persona, which replicates face and hand movements. Zoom Zoom plans to add the ability to share and interact with 3D objects using the Vision Pro later this year. Zoom provides a similar meeting experience with its native Vision Pro app, with Personas and access to Zooms Team Chat app. It also promises to let users share and interact with 3D objects using the Vision Pro in an update later this year. Microsoft Office apps Several Microsoft Office apps have been optimized for the Vision Pro, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Teams. The PowerPoint app marries well with the Vision Pros virtual environments, where users can practice their presentation just as they would present to an audience. Access to Excel spreadsheets is less immediately obvious, but one advantage cited by Microsoft is the ability to move graphs and charts between documents or Teams chats more efficiently. In Teams, users can send chat messages, open calendars and access other Teams apps such as the Viva Engage social network, or join a Teams video meeting. Once in a meeting, a user can join with the Vision Pro persona. (Microsoft plans to add support for its own Mesh 3D environments later this year.) Microsoft Teams users can join meetings using their Persona via the Vision Pro. Microsoft is expected to release more native visionOS apps this year, but, for now, at the top of the wish list for many is Intune compatibility. Microsoft 365 users have complained that they are unable to access corporate apps using the Vision Pro without support for the enterprise device management platform. Box With its app for Vision Pro, Box promises to make content sharing more immersive, particularly when accessing 3D files that can be viewed and manipulated in virtual or mixed-reality environments. Box offers up several use cases: manufacturers viewing product renderings on a virtual shop floor; construction firms accessing blueprints alongside project stakeholders; or retailers testing display window designs. Box Box allows Vision Pro users to view product renderings on a virtual shop floor, among other features, Additionally, the Vision Pros infinite desktop in other words, the ability to view several screens and apps at the same time means 3D content can be displayed alongside other sources of information. Adobe Lightroom Adobes Lightroom video editing app is one of four native apps available for the Vision Pro; the Fresco sketch app, Behance social network, and generative AI tool Firefly have also gotten the spatial computing treatment. The Lightroom app for visionOS functions much like the regular version of the app, with the ability to manipulate images on a large virtual screen using the Vision Pro inputs, as well as Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. JigSpace JigSpace, an interactive 3D presentation app, showcases the collaboration benefits of the Vision Pro. JigSpace lets coworkers view, annotate and manipulate 3D content such as engine designs in mixed reality, placing virtual objects in physical environments. Jigspace JigSpace lets users view, annotate and manipulate virtual content in mixed reality environments. Early success, but room for improvement In their initial days of using the Vision Pro, Greengart and Sag both pointed to certain pros and cons affecting work-related tasks. There are limitations around collaboration, for example, with the Persona digital avatars not hitting the mark currently. Attending a video call with a Persona can be off-putting; this will improve, but for now this is more a way to avoid taking the headset off and less a reason to put it on in the first place, said Greengart. It is weird using your Persona on a call, said Sag, as the digital avatar doesnt look as good as it should. The first visionOS software update (v1.1) offers some improvement however, he said. The combination of the Magic Keyboard and touchpad for productivity works well, said Sag, aside from some connectivity issues on starting the headset. The setup was easy but there were a lot of times when I tried to use the keyboard and it just didnt work; the same goes for the touchpad, he said. Adapting to Vision Pros eye-tracking input is challenging in certain circumstances too. [T]rying to move around the cursor with your eyes in a large Word document does take some getting used to, he said. But while it can be more difficult to navigate iPad apps using the Vision Pros stare-and-pinch inputs, said Greengart, native apps naturally make for a better user experience. Given how new the Vision Pro and the visionOS ecosystem are, it will take time for vendors to update existing digital work tools for the device and optimize their software to take better advantage of the Vision Pros immersive capabilities. The indications are positive, said Sag. Ive spoken to a few developers in the enterprise space that seem keen on supporting Vision Pro, even if the install base might not be there yet, he said. The U.S. government really wants you to buy an electric vehicle (EV). Thats why it is offering a $7,500 tax credit for the purchase of some EVs. But a number of states also offer some financial incentives, including state tax credits, on the purchase of an EV. If you happen to live in one of those states, an EV might be more affordable than you think. For example, Washington is launching incentives, including rebates and sales tax exemptions if you purchase a new or used EV. It also applies to plug-in hybrids. Rhode Island is handing out rebates for eligible new battery or plug-in hybrids. Massachusetts also provides EV tax rebates. Connecticut offers up to $7,500 in tax credits through the Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate program when they buy or lease an eligible battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicle. New York recently launched an incentive program called "Drive Clean" that offers rebates of up to $2,000 on EV purchases or leases. Theres a new proposal in New Mexico to offer a $3,000 tax credit on new EVs, $1,500 for used ones, and $2,000 for new hybrid cars from 2024 through 2026. Pennsylvania residents who meet eligibility requirements can qualify for a rebate of up to $3,000 on the purchase of a plug-in hybrid and an electric motorcycle. In neighboring New Jersey, the state tax credit is as much as $4,000. Tax breaks Other states are offering encouragement by not taxing your EV, or at least not as much as other vehicles. The District of Columbia offers a reduced auto registration fee for the first two years of owning a hybrid or EV. Some Florida residents may get a $50 gift card from the Orlando Utilities Commission just for test-driving an EV. Some states actually charge motorists more if they own an EV or hybrid. Thats because a lot of state revenue for road maintenance comes in the form of the gasoline tax. State bean counters figure that if you arent buying as much gas, youre shortchanging the state, so they charge an extra fee. But a number of states dont charge that extra fee. In addition to the states listed above, here are the states that dont impose an extra registration fee on EVs: The stuff they say about time travel is right. You go back in time and change one little thing, and suddenly the future is full of Nazis and dinosaurs. If you go back through history, you find that time and time again the huge changes that shape our world today all hinged on some utterly random coincidence. Change it, and the entire course of history changes with it. 6 The Sandwich that Started a World War You probably know from history class that World War I started with the assassination of an Austrian Archduke named Franz Ferdinand, kicking off a domino effect of events that left millions dead. You may not know, however, that what knocked over that first domino was a sandwich. There was this guy named Gavrilo Princip. He was a Bosnian student and guerrilla, part of a group called the Black Hand. Sounds like the evil organization of mages that secretly controls the world, right? Unfortunately, it was something a lot less awesome: a Slavic independence group. And for some weird reason, they really hated Franz Ferdinand. To be fair, he had that kind of face. The World-shattering Coincidence Let's make sure to clear this up: Gavrilo Princip very much wanted to assassinate Uncle Franz. It was how it happened that was so fucking random. In mid-1914, Ferdinand, his wife and the obligatory group of less important political figures and other random hangers-on that always accompanies a soon-to-be-assassinated fool, were cruising through the streets of Sarajevo in a (stupidly) open-top car. Advertisement The Black Hand had crafted an intricate assassination plot, which basically consisted of, "just kill this dumbass somehow." Unfortunately, as is always true with intricate assassination plots, something went wrong. When Franz's motorcade passed by the assassins, one of the group, a guy named Nedeljko Cabrinovic, lobbed a grenade at the motorcade. The problem was he was using a shitty 1914 grenade, so it took 10 seconds to detonate, and by then Uncle Franz was out of range. The unlucky fools in the car behind them bit it instead, and the assassins dispersed in the chaos. Cabrinovic took a cyanide pill that failed to kill him and jumped into a three foot river to "drown" himself. Franz and his party, it seemed, were safe. But Franz was not yet done putting his life in insane danger. Against the advice of pretty much everyone, he insisted on going to the hospital to visit the people who were injured by the grenade. The driver, unfortunately, had no idea where the fuck he was going. They ended up crisscrossing hilariously through the streets of Sarajevo, until they just randomly happened to pass a cafe where, you guessed it, Gavrilo Princip was enjoying a post-failed-assassination sandwich. Advertisement After the obligatory pause of dumbfounded luck, Princip grabbed his pistol and turned the tide of history. And How Did it Change The World? First, WWI broke out ... Pictured: Gavrilo Princip's fault. ... Then there was the post-war economic failure... Pictured: Gavrilo Princip's fault. ... Which was part of the reason Germany actually elected... Pictured: Gavrilo Princip's fault. ... Who caused... Pictured: Gavrilo Princip's fault. ... Which ended with... Pictured: Gavrilo Princip's fault. ... which resulted in the Cold War... Pictured: Gavrilo Princip's fault. ... Which led to... Pictured: Gavrilo Princip's fault. ... And finally gave us: Pictured: Gavrilo Princip's fault. That's right. Most of the horror and death of the 20th Century may not have happened had Gavrilo Princip not gotten the munchies for a sandwich. Advertisement Advertisement 5 The Rejected Art School Application that Killed 35 Million People OK, maybe we're being too hard on Princip. After all, we might not have had World War II if a particular art school had relaxed their admissions standards a little. For instance, what do you think of this painting? Sort of OK, right? You probably wouldn't hang it on your wall, but at least it does look professional. Would you accept the painter to your art academy? If you said no, then you're just like the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, who rejected a little someone named Adolf Hitler. The Ridiculous Coincidence In 1905, a young Adolf left his tiny Austrian hometown and moved to Vienna, all starry-eyed and with dreams of becoming a great artist. Unfortunately for the world, the academy rejected him. Twice. Advertisement Is this picture not inexplicably horrifying? A few months after his second rejection, his mother died, cutting off his financial support. With no direction and no career to pursue, young Adolf was forced to move to the crappy Vienna slums, which were full of all sorts of filthy minorities, including Czechs, Croatians, Italians and, worst of all, Jews. Hitler claimed that it was in Vienna when he became an anti-Semite. Specifically, it was one Orthodox Jew that he saw one day and simply couldn't shake from his mind. If only he had been somewhere else during these years, like, say, among a bunch of liberal artist types at the dormitory of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. After spending several years in Vienna among all the disgusting non-Germans, Hitler decided to move to Munich. A year later, someone decided to go for a sandwich and WWI broke out. Without anything better to do, he joined the army, quickly rising through the ranks until he ended up a member of the German military police, tasked with infiltrating a little group known as the National Socialist German Workers Party. Advertisement Advertisement If only there had been something else occupying his time, like painting naked chicks at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. And totally not thinking about how much he hated Jews. And How Did it Change The World? It was a little more than a decade after he joined the Nazi party that he got elected Chancellor and became the modern face of evil. We'll never know what would have happened had he gone to art school. Hell, maybe if he stayed in Austria, he would have gotten drafted into the Austrian army instead of the German one. There, some random Russian could have killed him in one of Austria-Hungary's many, many defeats during WWI. 4 The Cigar Box that Won the Civil War Advertisement What would you do if you found a cardboard box lying around in the middle of the countryside, like, say, an old cigarette carton or something? Would you ignore it? Kick it at a nearby squirrel for the hell of it? Assume that it contains something horrifying, like a human pancreas stolen by the Organ Mafia, and leave it alone? During the Civil War the Union Corporal Barton W. Mitchell found just such a worthless-looking box, but did none of those things. He opened it instead, and that may be the reason that today the USA is one country instead of two. The Ridiculous Coincidence Late in 1862, the Confederate army was well into its invasion of Maryland. Confederate Supreme Commander Robert E. Lee drafted a document called Special Order 191, which described in extreme detail every movement of every brigade of his army for the next several months. He gave copies of the order only to his most trusted generals, including Stonewall Jackson. Advertisement Advertisement He could wreck you with his eyelashes. Jackson, however, was way too lazy to write up individual orders to each of his commanders, so he gave them all copies of 191. One of those commanders was Daniel Harvey Hill, who did what we always do with our tax forms and jury duty papers: he left them on the ground, in a box, wrapped around three cigars. He then forgot about them. "Boy, I am not a good commander." Several days later, the aforementioned Union scout, Barton W. Mitchell, found the papers at the campsite, probably thinking, "Holy shit! Free cigars!" He recognized the cigar wrappings as looking important and sent them off to his commander. That guy, in turn, sent them to his commander. Through who knows how many chances for the scrap of paper to get lost, bled on, eaten by a horse or for the guy holding them to get blown up by a cannon ball, they survived until some aide somehow recognized it as Robert E. Lee's handwriting. Advertisement He gave it to Union General George McClellan. And How Did it Change The World? Ever heard of the Battle of Antietam? The bloodiest day in American history? The North won, and from that point on the South didn't really have a chance. Well, the Union won because it basically had the equivalent to Prima's Official Strategy Guide on Robert E. Lee's Invasion of Maryland. From then on, a Union victory was pretty much guaranteed. Lincoln felt secure enough to give the Gettysburg Address, slavery officially ended, the South was reunited with the rest of America and talk of seceding from the union was gone forever. Well, until we elected a black president, anyway. 3 The Spur of the Moment Land Deal that Created an Empire Advertisement Advertisement As you can see, it's easy to take great men and accomplishments for granted. After all, Napoleon was a brilliant general, so it's easy to assume that no matter what else happened, he would have taken power in France, and got closer to conquering the world than anyone else in modern history. Well... The Ridiculous Coincidence The thing was, Napoleon wasn't born in France, but on the French island of Corsica, in 1769. And as recently as the year before that, Corsica wasn't French. Pictured: Bonaparte House, and the only reason Corsica is important. Before the day the Corsican landscape presumably tore apart to deliver baby Napoleon from the earth in a storm of fire, the island was ruled by Genoa. More specifically, it was ruled by whichever filthy rich bearded Genoese banker bribed the duke enough to be granted governorship. Unfortunately, the island was constantly rebelling or being conquered by random Turks. Advertisement Finally, after five centuries of struggling, Genoa said "fuck it" and gave up on Corsica. Honestly, it was pretty shitty, anyway. The duke sold it to some French guy. Then that guy handed it over to the French crown, for whatever reason. Over the next several years, French soldiers were smuggled onto the island and stuffed into the citadels. Finally, in 1768, Genoa and France signed a treaty, officially ceding the island to France. And How Did it Change The World? Out popped Napoleon Bonaparte a year later. Even though he was born to an Italian family, it was technically on French soil--and even then only tentatively, as Corsica was revolting again. Thus, he became a French citizen, which allowed him to join the French Army. Fast forward a couple of decades. The French Revolution comes to Corsica, and the next thing anyone knows, some random Italian idiot from some backwater island nobody had ever heard of, is ruling France, and doing a hell of a job. Advertisement If the land deal had gotten delayed, or the treaty signed later, or any one of a thousand things had happened to delay the handover for a year, no Napoleon. Advertisement 2 The Heart Attack that Saved the Western World You know how every comic book villain and James Bond mastermind has some convoluted plan to take over the world? Totally ridiculous, right? The entire world? Come on. Nobody can possibly hope to do that. Or maybe real villains just don't think big enough, because it can be done. In fact, if it weren't for a well-placed heart attack, it probably would have already happened. The Ridiculous Coincidence Welcome to Central Europe, circa mid-13th Century. A few years ago, you got word of some powerful distant nation, led by a guy named Genghis Khan, was destroying the hated Muslims. "Great!" you said. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend! What could possibly go wrong?" Advertisement Europe. Then things started getting sketchy. You heard about this mysterious army utterly annihilating Russia. Hey, that's not right! Russia is Christian! They're Orthodox heretics, sure, but they're still Christians. Then one day, you finally meet this friend. Except, instead of bringing you Funyuns and Mountain Dew, he's here to slaughter you and everything you hold dear. Folks, this was the Mongol Invasion of Europe. And shitty Europe, with its clunky knights and piss-poor peasantry, could do absolutely nothing to stop it. The Mongols, led by Genghis Khan and later, his son Ogedei, defeated the armies of such greats as Hungary, Austria and the Holy Roman Empire. They utterly plundered Poland (thank God that country never suffered again), and set their sights on the next densely populated nation: Germany. Advertisement Advertisement Oh, yeah. They would have totally been fine. Then, the Mongolian leader, Ogedei Khan, died. And everyone had to go back to Mongolia. Why? Because Mongolian cultural traditions required everyone to go back home when a new khan ascended. Everyone knew that Ogedei's son Guyuk was going to succeed him, but they all had to go back to Mongolia and ceremonially "vote" for him anyway--or vote for someone else, and probably get their face skewered. And How Did it Change The World? More than you might think, actually. One recent book speculates that the Mongols' destruction of the Islamic heartland, and their comparative non-destruction of Europe, was what allowed the West to become the power center it was. After they were done piling skulls into pyramids and ripping fetuses out of pregnant women's uteri, what the Mongols basically did was connect the world. New trade routes opened up, and new contacts were made between the major centers of population. Advertisement So while China and the Middle East were getting their shit burned, Europe was gaining new contact with the East. This, in turn, motivated the Age of Exploration. Hence why the West has nukes and computers and technology today, while everyone else has goats and carriages. Thanks, Mongolia! Back in Margaret Thatcher's heyday some of the most powerful figures on the world stage crossed the threshold of 10 Downing Street to break bread with her. They included Ronald Reagan, the U.S. President, and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, of whom the Iron Lady famously said: 'I like Mr Gorbachev. We can do business together.' German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, the Queen, Prince Philip and their son Charles who is now, of course, King, were regulars. They all signed the leather-bound visitors' book, which today provides us with a fascinating insight into the Thatcher years. But what happened to the book and who now has it? I ask because it was recently listed for sale in the April catalogue of Chiswick Auctions, London, with a reserve price of 9,000. Then, last week it suddenly vanished from the online catalogue, returned, and has now been removed a second time. I hear Downing Street lawyers have stepped in. The novelist Lord (Jeffrey) Archer, a confidant of Lady Thatcher, says it should never have been put up for sale: 'Margaret would want it to remain part of political history. It should not be sold to a private vendor. It should be back in Downing Street or in a museum.' The leather-bound visitors' book from Thatcher years has been listed for sale in the April catalogue of Chiswick Auctions, London , with a reserve price of 9,000 The novelist Lord (Jeffrey) Archer (pictured), a confidant of Lady Thatcher, says it should never have been put up for sale The PM and Sir Keir Starmer both allowed ITV camera crews to follow them for an intimate prime-time documentary portrait, presented by deputy political editor Anushka Asthana. Sadly, Lib Dem leader Sir Edward Davey is still awaiting the call. 'We're not yet in an election period and we interviewed the two leading candidates to be Prime Minister,' an ITV source sniffs. They had some memorable clashes across the dispatch box. Now Tony Bair and William Hague have been reunited on a podcast in which Blair admits: 'He did rather too well for my liking at Prime Minister's Questions.' As for Hague, he told the Political Thinking podcast: 'It was a total waste of time for me. It was fun but got me nowhere.' He can say that again. Hague's four years as Leader of the Opposition ended at the 2001 election with the Tories gaining just one seat. True, Blair's Labour lost a few seats, but breezed through with a second landslide. IS THIS A BOOK I SEE BEFORE ME? 'Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,' laments Macbeth in his haunting final soliloquy. It could apply to the long-awaited book by Boris Johnson on William Shakespeare, for which he was paid an 88,000 advance in 2015. Publication was due in 2016 but it has still not reached the shops. His father Stanley is even slower, it seems. After a trip last summer across China with his son Max, Stanley revealed: 'I have just finished writing a book about the explorer Marco Polo.' When did he start it? 'About 62 years ago.' As former Prime Minister Liz Truss delivered a speech launching her new Popular Conservatism group, Kwasi Kwarteng announced he was quitting at the next election. Kwarteng, who entered the Commons in 2010, the same year as Truss, was her Chancellor in her short-lived government until she sacked him over the disastrous mini-Budget. Kwarteng wasn't invited to the Truss conference. Surely he didn't time his resignation to try to steal her headlines? As former Prime Minister Liz Truss delivered a speech launching her new Popular Conservatism group, Kwasi Kwarteng announced he was quitting at the next election Tory MP Michael Fabricant is one of many to highlight President Biden's latest memory lapse confusing two leaders of France: 'Mitterrand, Macron. Both are French and begin with 'M' after all... Easy mistake to make.' Most Labour frontbenchers are grey dullards, but the Party's transport spokeswoman Louise Haigh is an exception. In the Commons last week, she was sporting a vivid new hair colour. Haigh, previously a copper-top, has gone for something markedly brighter. Scribes in the Press gallery consulted a colour chart and described the new Haigh 'do' as something between mango-tango, halloween, holland tulip and radioactive tangelo. Deep down, however, she is still a pinko. Amanda, from Clacton-on-Sea also discovered that she has four half-siblings A woman has revealed the trauma of learning she was donor-conceived at the age of 21 in a new ITV documentary. Amanda Burgess, 34, from Clacton-on-Sea, was shocked to discover her heritage during a drunken evening at the local pub when she was 21. She began to learn about the nature of her conception when she overheard her mother's conversation at the pub after years of being kept in the dark. 'From that point, life was just different. I wasn't the person I was 24 hours ago,' Amanda said. She longed to find more information about her sperm donor but feared that she would upset her parents. However, she finally launched her search for information in a new ITV documentary, Born from the Same Stranger. In a whirlwind episode, Amanda learned that she has four half-siblings, and even managed to contact her sperm donor. Amanda Burgess (pictured) from Clacton-on-Sea recalled the emotional moment that she discovered she was donor conceived Amanda's experience raises the question of whether donor conceived children have the right to know their donor's identity. The four-part series follows a UK law change that took effect in 2023, which ended donor anonymity. It means that anyone conceived by donation after 2005 can apply to find out more details about their identity as soon as they turn 18. In the emotional episode, Amanda recalled the moment she found out she was donor-conceived. 'It was just a normal evening with my friends we popped to the pub, and I didn't know life was going to change,' she said. 'I was 21. That night out was just like any other normal night out I would have had, and then my mum walked in. 'My friend looked at her and said: "You need to tell her". My mum had told my friend's mother the big secret, and then the next morning, my mum just blurted it out: "Your dad's not your dad, we had to use a sperm donor''. 'From that point, life was just different. I wasn't the person I was 24 hours ago. Suddenly, I was donor conceived.' In the years following her surprising discovery, Amanda built a family of her own, which aided her understanding of her parents' decision. In an emotional episode, Amanda discovered that she has a half-brother, Guy (left). The pair met up in Edinburgh and instantly felt a connection Amanda's life changed for good at the age of 21 (the age she is pictured above) when she found out that she was donor conceived After a year or so of trying for a family with her partner Kevin, the pair encountered fertility problems. 'The doctors recommended that we have IVF,' she said. Luckily, the pair later managed to have a son together. 'Ryder is half me and half Kevin, but the parallels are quite similar really to what my parents had to experience,' she said. 'It did make me understand what they would have felt at the time when they were obviously trying to have a child and start a family and it wasn't really working for them,' the mother-of-one added. But although Amanda can empathize with her parents, one subject remained difficult to approach with them. 'I want to know who my donor is,' Amanda said. She continued: 'Just a name, or a picture, I just don't want to upset my parents.' To commence her journey, Amanda sought advice from an individual with similar experiences and landed on Louise, a donor-conceived journalist and podcaster. The mother-of-one has been supported by her husband Kevin (pictured left) throughout the emotional journey The mother-of-one travelled to south London to visit Louise. Amanda explained that she wanted to search for her relatives but fears upsetting her parents. She told Louise: 'I don't want him [my dad] to think that I don't love him, because I do and that will never change.' But there's this whole other person out there that's half of me.' Louise empathised with Amanda, having gone through a similar situation, saying. 'I did also go to bed at night and think: "Who is this guy?". It was just this question mark that existed.' Amanda replied: 'It's this weird elephant that's in the room and its always there and we have to tip toe around it.' But the chat with Louise resulted in clarity. Thirteen years after Amanda found out she was donor-conceived, she finally felt ready to take a DNA test. 'I feel like the time is now, I'm just doing it. I really need to know,' she said. Amanda added: 'If I knew the identity of the donor, I would know once and for all, who I am.' She added: 'And if there are half-siblings, I would love to have a relationship with them.' It's really hard, you don't know who you are, almost.' Three months after submitting her DNA, she received some answers. The experience proved emotional for Amanda, who broke down in tears when she got more information than she initially bargained for. The DNA website found a match for her sperm donor. 'I genuinely didn't think my donor would be on one of these sites,' she said. Amanda added: 'It's there in black and white it's real, the person exists.' Another genealogy website revealed she had four paternal half-siblings. 'It's nuts, it's showing a half-sister, she's a lawyer and I went to university to do law, what a weird thing.' 'That's a lot more information than I knew 20 minutes ago, my mind is a bit blown now,' she said. Amanda decided to reach out to her matches with the hope of forming a relationship. 'I'm acutely aware that I'm going to fire into someone's life, and they might not want that,' she acknowledged. The mother-of-one broke down in tears after finding a DNA match for her sperm donor on a genealogy website Roy, from Edinburgh, said the possibility of forming a relationship with his half-sister is 'wonderful' After messaging her half-siblings, Amanda was thrilled to discover that her half-brother, Guy, also 34, wanted to meet. The half-siblings took to Edinburgh, where Guy works as a Ryanair pilot. Unlike Amanda, Guy discovered that he was donor-conceived at 13. Having been raised as an only child, Guy thought it was 'wonderful' that he could now bond with a sibling. After meeting, the pair hit it off and found common ground. Amanda said: 'He seems like a really nice person, and he understands internally how I feel because he is also dealing with that.' 'What Amanda and I have had today is special, it's amazing,' Guy added. In the future, Amanda hopes the relationship will transform into a deep familial connection. However, Amanda's discovery didn't end there. She also reached out to her sperm donor through an intermediary. The pair messaged one another, and her donor was happy to answer any questions. Amanda, ecstatic with her findings, summarised: 'You feel like normal people do I suppose.' In the future, the mother-of-one plans to grow her relationship with Guy and her sperm donor. She concluded: 'I definitely feel lighter like a weight lifted inside, and I feel like I'm not so alone anymore.' Have you ever wondered if there are any cosmetic surgery procedures you should completely avoid? Perhaps you've contemplated Morpheus8 or Kybella during the post-pandemic tweakment boom, but aren't quite sure if it's worth the money for the result. Or maybe you've seen certain popular procedures on TikTok and are curious about the consequences. Here, FEMAIL has spoken to plastic surgeons to find out which procedures you should avoid and what you should consider instead. Dr. Jennifer Levine explained, 'There are procedures that are not right for certain people, or certain areas' Dr. Nassif (left) told DailyMail.com there are certain treatments he avoids after what he's witness on Botched. Dr. Charles Pierce (right) added 'a lot of providers, particularly in medi spas, don't provide full disclosure' New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Levine told FEMAIL: 'There are procedures that are not right for certain people, or certain areas.' Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Paul Nassif, who founded NassifMD Skincare and stars on Botched, agreed, as he has seen his fair share of failed procedures. Dr. Nassif told DailyMail.com when he practices there are certain treatments he steadfastly avoids because of what he has seen - instead, he is 'interested in helping enhance your natural beauty safely.' Dr. Charles Pierce, double board-certified plastic surgeon at Rowe Plastic Surgery in New York City, also told FEMAIL that when it comes to some of these procedures, 'a lot of providers, particularly in medical spas, don't provide full disclosure on the results and often patients are disappointed.' The surgeons explained the treatments they advise against, alongside what they recommend, from swapping Kybella for Emface to avoiding Morpheus8 on the face. Kybella Kybella calls itself 'the first and only double chin treatment,' and is done using a series of injections to the treatment area, destroying fat cells. But when it comes to the nonsurgical procedure, Dr. Levine won't use it under the chin or on the face. 'Patients have a lot of swelling and downtime and need multiple treatments,' Dr. Levine advised. 'There are better ways to reduce submental fat with less inflammation and scarring.' However, she does like Kybella for isolated areas like the calf or ankle. 'Skip it for the submental fat, Emface Submentum, Ultherapy, or Evoke are better options,' Dr. Levine advised, referencing other noninvasive procedures. Kybella calls itself 'the first and only double chin treatment,' and is done using a series of injections to the treatment area, destroying fat cells (stock image) Dr. Nassif agreed, and said he's 'not a fan of Kybella as it is often used off-book.' 'It has certain suggested applications but people often get it on the face and neck to contour and shape the face. 'You never want to remove fat from the face. It is a short-lived solution, and eventually can leave you looking hollowed,' Dr. Nassif cautioned. Dr. Pierce agreed and revealed, 'The challenge is that it usually requires three to four treatments [and] by the time you do that, you've already almost spent the cost of getting liposuction to the area, which is much more effective.' He also explained that many people think Kybella is quick, but 'the first time you get it, your neck swells and it feels hard and uncomfortable which are downsides.' However, Dr. Pierce does think it can be useful on the right candidate. 'It's important to remember you can always get a second opinion and to keep in mind that people will sell you what they have - if they have Kybella, they'll sell you Kybella,' Dr. Pierce divulged. Morpheus8 Morpheus8 is a non-surgical treatment using radiofrequency to stimulate collagen and to tighten and smooth wrinkles that can be done on the face or body. 'I do not like Morpheus on the face if you have a thin face and thin skin,' Dr. Levine said. 'Morpheus can destroy fat, and if you don't have fat to lose, I advise against it.' However, she does think 'Morpheus can be great for the body for skin tightening, especially combined with other procedures.' Dr. Levine said Morpheus8 is fine for patients with thicker skin and fuller faces, but otherwise, she recommends lasers or fillers, or combines the treatment with Ultherapy, EmFace or EmScupt Neo. Love Island star Olivia Attwood's mom Jenny Attwood prepared for her 'Morpheus8 face treatment Morpheus8 is a non-surgical treatment using radiofrequency to stimulate collagen and tighten and smooth wrinkles that can be done on the face or body Dr. Nassif said, 'I believe in this treatment, and see that it makes a difference, but you need to make sure you are seeing an experienced, certified practitioner as with any aesthetics treatment, there can be unwanted side effects and complications.' Dr. Pierce explained that Morpheus8 'is designed to tighten skin, with about a 20 per cent improvement result.' He likes the procedure, but not as a primary treatment. Instead, he does liposuction and then recommends adding Morpheus8 to tighten the skin after. Fillers While dermal fillers, which plump skin and smooth lines on the face, are generally safe, there are certain procedures and places to avoid. Dr. Levine said permanent fillers are a major no for her, and she does not feel like they have a place in the face, since 'the face is an area of motion.' 'The face can change over time, and complications from these products can be difficult to manage,' Dr. Levine warned. Dr. Levine said permanent fillers are a major no for her, and she does not feel like 'they have a place in the face, since 'the face is an area of motion' (stock image) Dr. Nassif also urged, 'Do not use any filler that is not FDA approved, regardless of how appealing it may be on TikTok.' He also advised against fillers between the eye and the forehead. 'Patients often request this, but it is not safe or recommended. 'Because the Supratrochlear and Supraorbital Arteries are in the forehead, you run the risk of a vascular occlusion and even blindness,' Dr. Nassif said. Excessive forehead Botox While Botox can be a good thing, excessive doses in the forehead that can actually change the shape of your brow. Dr. Levine advised against 'freezing the face with Botox or other neurotoxins,' which prevents muscles from moving for a limited amount of time. While Botox can be a good thing, excessive doses in the forehead that can actually change the shape of your brow (stock image) 'The frontalis muscle - the one that makes the horizontal lines on the forehead - is the only elevator of the forehead,' Dr. Levine explained. 'It raises the eyebrows so if you freeze it, the eyebrow will drop,' Dr. Levine cautioned. Dr. Pierce also has an everything in moderation approach, and recommends Botox to patients as well as fillers in moderation, which can help patients ease into the world of plastic surgery. Buccal fat removal Buccal fat removal is removing fat from the cheeks to highlight the face structure and create a more contoured shape - but unfortunately, it can lead to people looking gaunt. The procedure is allegedly all the rage with celebrities, and Chrissy Teigen, 38, admitted to getting the tweakment on her Instagram Story and said she was 'really seeing the results.' However, Dr. Levine only recommends this for 'very specific patients.' 'I look at the cause of the lower face fullness - is it the masseter muslce? Is it a weak jawline or chin? Is it submental fullness? Is it laxity? Do they need more volume in the cheek?' Dr. Levine asked. Chrissy Teigen, 38, recently admitted she had undergone Buccal fat removal on her Instagram stories Procedure peril! What to avoid at all costs Kybella can lead to swelling and multiple treatments Morpheus8 can be damaging for people with a thin face and thin skin Permanent fillers are a no as the face can change over time Excessive forehead Botox can freeze the face Buccal fat removal can make people look gaunt and skeletal Overdone rhinoplasty can lead to a Barbie nose and interfere with breathing Advertisement Dr. Nassif agreed that this procedure is one he advises against. 'Some practitioners may remove buccal fat as a means to enhance the shape of their face. 'The problem with this is when you remove too much fat from your face it may look okay in the immediate [future], but you are taking away fat that is needed as you age, leading to looking like your face is hallowed, gaunt and hallowed out,' Dr. Nassif continued. 'Once those fat pads are removed, they are gone forever,' Dr. Nassif cautioned. Dr. Pierce advised that people should 'always be careful of trends in anything, because when it goes out of style, what do you do then?' which includes plastic surgery. 'Buccal fat removal is something a lot of celebrities do to help sculpt the face. 'This is something that was really popular in the '90s and now there's a new generation of surgeons that brought the trend back again,' Dr. Pierce added. He believes it can work in certain patients, particularly those with cherubic faces, because 'when done well it gives a more statuesque appearance and matures the face.' 'This can work if the patient is young and they want to look a little bit older or more mature or sculpted, but as you age you can end up with a skeletonized look that is difficult to correct,' Dr. Pierce warned. Overdone rhinoplasty The Barbie movie might be quite popular, but that doesn't mean everyone should look like one. 'Some people want the Barbie nose - anything that is extreme or that will interfere with your health or your breathing, I will refuse to do,' Dr. Nassif said. 'Remember, I am on Botched fixing some of these terrible things other surgeons are willing to do.' 'Some people want the Barbie nose - anything that is extreme or that will interfere with your health or your breathing, I will refuse to do,' Dr. Nassif said (stock image) 'Any procedure has the ability to have negative side-effects or complications. 'If someone is asking for something extreme, there is a good chance they will not like that look years from now and be very unhappy with their appearance,' Dr. Nassif continued. 'I stay away from fads or TikTok procedures because they often mean that the look or trend will go out of style, they are likely off-book, possibly not FDA-approved, or god knows what else, and you are left years later with an unhappy patient. 'I view my work as art, where I am enhancing someone's natural facial features not completely changing them to today's latest trend.' An upcoming documentary series is set to unravel the gruesome true story of an investigative journalist found dead in a bathtub after pursuing a conspiracy group. Danny Casolaro's lifeless body was discovered by a housekeeper at a motel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in August 1991. The 44-year-old had died from a loss of blood after suffering multiple slash wounds to his wrists inflicted by 'a very sharp bladed object' - and local authorities quickly ruled it a suicide. But his family and friends have long insisted that he had been murdered for investigating a conspiracy group he had called The Octopus. Here, FEMAIL has laid bare the sordid details of the case as Netflix gets set to release a four-part series titled American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders. Danny Casolaro's lifeless body was discovered by a housekeeper at a motel in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in August 1991 The 44-year-old had died from a loss of blood after suffering multiple slash wounds to his wrists inflicted by 'a very sharp bladed object' - and local authorities quickly ruled it a suicide The chilling case began when Danny started investigating a dispute between the Department of Justice and a technology company called INSLAW. The clash appeared to be over intellectual property rights but it soon seemed that it had a much more sinister underbelly. Following months of research, Danny is said to have stumbled into a web of 'stolen government spy software, a string of unsolved murders, and some of the biggest political scandals of the 20th century,' according to Netflix. The writer believed he had uncovered a hidden organization, which he branded as The Octopus, made up of eight ex-government officials. His family and friends have long insisted that Danny had been murdered Excerpts purporting to be from Danny's research, shared in the new trailer for the docuseries, asserted: 'These eight men, they're no longer government officials but their tentacles can reach into any part of government in almost any country.' The journalist thought that the conspiracy had all started with Promis - a computer program which sources in the series claimed 'allegedly allowed the CIA to spy on the intelligence agencies that bought it.' And it seems the program was engulfed in shocking speculation including that 'everyone who worked on it are dead.' There were a string of suspicious deaths seemingly linked including three men who were fatally shot and another who had a 'wire running from around his neck to his ankles.' Danny became 'obsessed' with bringing the entirety of the story to light - but never got the chance to finish his investigation. In the summer of 1991, he headed out to the motel expecting to interview a key source for the story but would never make it back. His death was ruled a suicide but many believed that his wounds were far from self inflicted - a sentiment echoed by those who feature in Netflix's upcoming series. 'It just didn't sit right. In my mind, I'm thinking "they killed him,"' one commentator urged. The chilling case began when Danny started investigating a dispute between the Department of Justice (headquarters in D.C., pictured) and a technology company called INSLAW The writer believed he had uncovered a hidden organization, which he branded as The Octopus, made up of eight ex-government officials Netflix's American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders will be released on February 28 'In the book that Danny was writing, he starts looking into these powerful people and realizes there's something much bigger going on.' 'Most of us were convinced he had been hurt for him covering this story,' a woman added. Another man explained: 'I told him not to talk to certain people. Not to raise certain issues.' The trailer dramatically concludes with a warning apparently issued to the documentary makers themselves, which states: 'If you think for a minute that you're gonna go expose somebody, you're gonna get yourself killed.' Netflix's American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders will be released on February 28. Were all still reeling from the shock news that King Charles has cancer and, like everyone else, the medical community is wishing him well as he undergoes treatment. But eyebrows have been raised at the possibility that, alongside the excellent conventional clinical treatment, he may choose to augment it with homeopathic remedies. Dr Michael Dixon, head of the royal medical household, has championed alternative medicines and is a well known pro-homeopathy doctor. And, reflecting his interest in the area, when he was the Prince of Wales, Charles became patron of the Faculty of Homeopathy, a 175-year-old organisation that promotes the development of the alternative therapy and provides training and qualifications. His appointment caused consternation in the medical establishment who saw it as anti-science. And Im afraid I concur Im in no doubt that homeopathy is utter bunkum. It relies on entirely preposterous theories, with no evidence to back them up whatsoever. Enthusiast: Charles, seen with the Queen, backs homeopathy However, while I have grave reservations about it from a scientific point of view, as a psychiatrist, I think if someone believes something is helping especially when theyre going through cancer treatment then its no bad thing. Of COURSE, this is quite different to eschewing conventional treatment for alternative medicine. Thats dangerous and reckless. But using alternative therapies in addition? Why not? Im always surprised when doctors seem so opposed to it. My particular issue with homeopathy is its central premise that it treats a condition with a highly diluted preparation, which is claimed to cause effects similar to the patients symptoms, and then triggers the body into remedying them. But homeopathic remedies are so diluted typically, they contain no pharmacologically active molecules. Homeopathy is no longer available on the NHS because critics argue that precious financial resources should not be wasted on treatments without evidence to show that they work. But heres the twist: studies have shown that, for some people, homeopathy does work. It may well be because the placebo effect when a person improves after having nothing more than a sugar pill works for about 30 per cent of people. What that means is that nearly one in three people benefit in some way. While many scientists dismiss the placebo effect, Im always in awe of it. The fact that our symptoms can improve simply because we believe they will is testament to the astonishing power of the mind. Homeopathy practitioners might believe its working in a different way but does it really matter whether it is because of a genuine pharmacological effect or because of the power of the mind? Why shouldnt doctors be able to harness this for their patients? Indeed, I think its a shame homeopathic treatments are no longer available on the NHS. Every doctor has what we call heart sink patients people who, despite doing everything we can, we just cant seem to help. Dr Max Pemberton (pictured) says: 'Homeopathy is no longer available on the NHS because critics argue that precious financial resources should not be wasted on treatments without evidence to show they work' They are often plagued by multiple vague health issues that conventional medicine has failed to alleviate. From my experience, these patients often do very well with homeopathy. Their physical complaints can be manifestations of psychological distress and the very act of sitting with a homeopath, having their problems listened to and being seen holistically, is what helps these patients. Theres an argument that instead they should be offered psychotherapy, but talking therapy isnt for everyone. Some people immediately shut down when in front of a therapist where they are expected to dredge up their problems. We know from many studies, from patients with cancer to those with chronic pain, that a positive mental outlook helps. They report less pain, less discomfort and need less medication. However, its important this is put in context: numerous studies have shown that having a positive attitude doesnt actually affect the eventual outcome, but it can help your experience of treatment. Cancer treatment is arduous and can be horrible. Of course, we cant possibly know what treatment he is undergoing, nor should we, but if the King wishes to complement conventional medicine with homeopathy, and believes it will help him, then who are we to criticise? Research last week found that indigenous people and those in small communities live satisfying lives despite little material wealth. The findings are strong evidence that economic growth is not needed to be happy. The source of contentment for most was relationships with others. Airport weigh-ins are cruel Finnair has caused controversy after it started weighing customers with carry-on luggage at Helsinki Airport. The scheme is voluntary but it sparked a backlash from people claiming it was fat shaming. I understand that it seems unfair that if someone is a few kilos over their luggage allowance they have to pay excess baggage costs, while someone else who may weigh twice as much doesnt incur extra charges. But lets approach this with a bit of compassion. Finnair has caused controversy after it started weighing customers with carry-on luggage at Helsinki Airport Theres a valid concern that this could be rolled out by other airlines and perhaps no longer be voluntary but a condition of travel. The risk is it becomes a humiliation. Consider the psychological impact this could have. Can you imagine being obese or overweight and standing on the scales in the check-in queue, with everyone watching you and judging you? Just awful. A long-term Finnish study of 50 to 70-year-olds tracked antidepressant use among those whod gone through a relationship break-up, divorce or bereavement. While both sexes increased their antidepressant use in the run-up to, and immediate aftermath of, each event, womens use was greater than mens. Due to an ageing population, grey divorce from age 50 onwards is rising in high income countries. Some argued the Finnish study showed women struggled more than men after divorce. I dont agree. In fact, we know older men have the highest rate of suicide with divorce a key factor. Id suggest womens higher rates of antidepressant use indicates that they are more likely to seek medical help for emotional problems than men. Dr Max prescribes... Diso vitamin discs I love these pleasant-tasting strips which melt on your tongue handy if you find swallowing tablets difficult. There is a range of vitamins and supplements, with one strip to give you energy and one to aid sleep. My favourite is the hapi tum probiotic strip I have before breakfast. Probiotics improve gut microbiome, boosting physical and mental health. Go to mydiso.com. There are many reasons not to look forward to my first twirl in a glider. For starters, the country is being buffeted constantly by storm after storm. I am not tip-top with heights and also prone to airsickness. But, perhaps most worrying, is the fact that my pilot and instructor the person with my life in her hands is a schoolgirl called Amelia Richardson, who turned 17 just a few weeks ago. Yes, 17 years old. She's a teenager, for goodness' sake, still studying for her A-levels. She can't drive a car. Or drink. Or go to a nightclub. Or vote. So it's a very good thing that she's not quite as hopeless as I was at that age. Because Amelia, who has been flying solo since she was 14, is also the UK's youngest gliding instructor, qualified to guide beginners through their first flights. Amelia Richardson Schoolgirl, 16, (right) becomes UK's youngest glider instructor, pictured with Jane Fryer Polite, competent, driven, kind, confident, funny and just sufficiently teenagery not to feel weird 'I should be in school in a study period right now,' she says, looking very dashing in her blue reflecting Aviator sunnies, combats and heavy boots. And with that, she launches into a brisk, pre-flight briefing about headsets and safety belts and what to do when I feel queasy. And then we march out onto Bicester Airfield, and up to the world's smallest aircraft. Which, it turns out, is not a straightforward glider. No, today, because of the weather too cold, too windy to be in an unheated glider we are in a motor glider. A red and white teeny tot called Rosie, with long wings and a tail like a glider, very light, but with an engine to get us airborne, that we can switch off whenever we fancy and just glide. Gosh, so she can fly proper planes, too? 'Of course! I'm qualified to fly everything from a two-seater to a single-seater K8, which feels as light as a crisp packet,' she says. 'And I've flown about 17 different types of aircraft. I love flying. Just the joy of doing it and showing people what it's all about. I can't believe I can do this.' Neither can I. It all started for Amelia when she was four years old and on a day trip with her family from Newquay to the Scilly Isles. Finally, after 20 minutes or so, we swoop around over tiny sheep, swimming pools, topiarised hedges and Cotswold stone villages It comes as a relief to hear she is also messy, very bad in the morning and adores her phone 'We flew over in a lovely Twin Otter with two female pilots, and I could see straight into the cockpit. I was transfixed. That was it! That was the moment. I knew from then that I just wanted to fly.' Which is all very well, but flying is extortionately expensive. And not really for a four-year-old. But eventually, on her 13th birthday after a bit of research and discovering that gliding is far cheaper than flying powered planes her parents relented and bought her a 15 gliding lesson. Within 18 months, she was flying solo, doing acrobatics and generally living it up in the sky. Since then, she has won prizes, scholarships and recognition throughout the gliding community and wider aviation world. But, right now, we have more pressing matters at hand. Because we are buckled up in the minuscule cockpit side by side, headphones on, canopy down, a wintry sun boiling us alive as Amelia runs through a plastic laminated pre-flight check list, fiddles with knobs, chats like a pro to air traffic control as, suddenly, the propeller starts throbbing. I am nervous, who wouldn't be, and she can tell. So, to distract me, she chats and chirps on cheerily. About how gliders ride thermals 'the heat rising from the ground convects to form clouds and that's what keeps her up'. How the higher you go, the colder it gets. 'I once went to 10,000 feet. It was freezing! You have to wear a huge, padded suit.' And how, in a classic glider, there are two ways to get airborne. The gentler way by aero tow towed up by another plane and then released when airborne. Or, for the adrenaline junkies, by winch. Which is a sort of glorified catapult powered by a V8 engine, which pings the glider up into the air at a 45-degree angle at high speed. And with that, and after very little bumping and lurching, we're up. 'I never get tired of it. I love it. It's a cool way to see the world,' she says as she points out the dinky domes of the RAF listening base, endless teeny villages, Oxford to our left and miles upon miles of floods. So far, Amelia has clocked up more than 200 flying hours. She's taken up children, school friends, her younger sister, her dad. Not yet her mum. 'She's scared of heights, bless her. So she's not been up, but she says she will.' Amelia, meanwhile, is obsessed. When she's asleep she dreams of gliding 'all the time!' And when she's on the ground, it's all she thinks of. Particularly in school, where she hates being spatchcocked to her desk, one ear permanently cocked for noise in the heavens above. Because, to an aficionado, aircraft make very distinctive noises, like cars. 'Occasionally, they fly over my school,' she says. 'So I might be sitting in geography and I'd be able to recognise Rosie if she came over!' Then the minute the bell goes, she's out, off on the bus to spend every spare moment at the airfield. When it's warmer, she brings her tent and camps here for the whole weekend. During the school holidays, she might stay a week at a time. All alternated with a job as a lifeguard at a local pool, to help pay for it all. Because, amazingly, gliding really is weirdly affordable about 7 a launch and between 30 and 50p a minute, depending on which glider you fly. 'I am not tip-top with heights and also prone to airsickness' So still barely 15 for a ten-minute flight. Which means that most of her flying is self-funded, subsidised by birthday and Christmas money, and the odd scholarship. Now she's qualified to teach. Not to teach take-off and landing quite yet, but she can handle most of the bits in between handing over the controls, introducing all the dials and knobs to novices. And, presumably, directing her charges to the very complicated flight manuals and the endless exams and tests she has sat over recent years. 'Some people look a bit surprised when they turn up and see how young their instructor is,' she says. 'But they soon seem to get used to it.' I'm not surprised. Indeed, as we switch off the engine, embrace the quiet that's occasionally interrupted by my umms and ahhs at the red kites swirling below, I realise I've totally forgotten she was born in 2007. It must be odd to be so young, but to have found your calling. Next on her list is the RAF, or the Navy. Or, failing that, commercial she is already studying for her private pilot's licence. 'I want to fly everything,' she says with the pioneering spirit of her namesake Amelia Earhart the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. 'Rotary, fast jets, multi engines, big airlines. As long as I'm flying or teaching people to fly, I'll be happy. Because flying helps people. It changes you.' She is a truly exceptional girl. Not just because she can fly planes and perform acrobatics. But because she is a total joy to spend time with. Polite, competent, driven, kind, confident, funny and just sufficiently teenagery not to feel weird. (It comes as a relief to hear she is also messy, very bad in the morning and adores her phone). Finally, after 20 minutes or so, we swoop around over tiny sheep, swimming pools, topiarised hedges and Cotswold stone villages to approach the landing strip. Where, in one sweeping movement, we touch down. The landing is so gentle, I exclaim out loud in shock. 'I would hope so, after all the practice I've done!' she replies, rather crisply. Before adding: 'It's a lovely day. Shall we pop back up?' And of course, we do. Because, as Amelia says, what could be better for the soul than arcing through the sky on a bright sunny afternoon. A designer showing at New York Fashion Week led models down the runway wearing nothing but body tape. Joel Alvarez, creator of the Black Tape Project, presented his racy fall 2024 collection, powered by Art Hearts Fashion, at the Angel Orensanz Foundation yesterday. Not for the faint-hearted, the flesh-flashing range was crafted entirely from body tape, in hues of black, neon green and baby pink, leaving very little to the imagination. Alvarez, who was born and raised in Miami, has worked with numerous celebrities, such as Billy Ray Cyrus and Afrojack, as well as major nightclubs in Miami and Ibiza. However, the first-generation Cuban American has not always led such a high-profile lifestyle, having previously spent months 'living out of his car' without 'a dollar to his name'. A model walks the runway during the Black Tape Project fashion show at New York Fashion Week yesterday Diverse-bodied models, freshly taped by Alvarez, confidently walked the runway at the Angel Orensanz Foundation on Sunday. Revealing plenty of skin, the women flaunted body tape strategically placed to cover their modesty. Strips of black, neon green, white and iridescent baby pink adorned their forms, highlighting their natural curves. Certain sections of the tape were intricately crafted into 'mosaics', fashioning a unique crop top and monokini. Meanwhile, other designs emulated bandage-inspired bodysuits and lingerie sets. Alvarez's unique concept has allowed him to travel to 42 countries and work with countless magazines, including Maxim and Playboy. Back in 2008, Alvarez was living in his car and struggling to feed himself in what he described as 'the lowest point of his existence'. The racy show, powered by Art Hearts Fashion, was presented at The Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City The flesh-flashing range is crafted entirely from body tape, leaving little to the imagination Joel Alvarez, creator of the Black Tape Project, could be seen taping a model during the show He said that most of his family had passed away, but he inherited a 'small, run down property' that was 'not suitable for living'. The designer continued: 'The house smelled like a wet dog. It had pink water that would come out of the bathtub when I flushed the toilet and there were holes in the roof that were the size of a microwave. 'I mean, I could literally see the sky from the living room. I dropped to my knees and I looked up to the night sky and cried. I asked what I did to be dragged so low into the ground?' But as he was cleaning up the residence, he miraculously discovered a box in the closet that contained $26,000. He found out the money had belonged to his late grandfather, who put it away in the late '60s for a rainy day but had never spent it. 'After many years of what I considered "the toughest era" in my life, I quickly put the funds to work in hopes to correct my debts and turn my life around,' he continued. 'I first put in a new roof and paid off the Ford Focus I was living in. I partied a little and gave money to my family and friends. 'When you're young, that amount of money seems like a fortune but I soon realized that $26,000 wouldn't last long in this day and age.' Certain sections of the tape were intricately crafted into 'mosaics', fashioning a unique crop top This bandage-inspired bodysuit featured narrow strips of black tape that were wound around the body He said he put his last $1,500 towards the purchase of a camera, which was what ultimately launched his career as a fashion designer. Using his new camera, Alvarez started photographing some of the women who worked at his local Hooters, before he began connecting with Miami-based models over Myspace. Within months, he was getting published in local magazines and continued to work his way up the ladder and eventually shot for huge outlets like Maxim and Playboy - still using the original Canon he had purchased with his grandfather's money. 'One day an out-of-town model booked me for a shoot and on our last look she pulled out a roll of tape and asked me to tape her,' he explained. 'I had no idea where to start or what she was expecting. So I just jumped head first and started taping her. 'The design was so incomplete and extremely tight. She looked like the Michelin Man who lost a fight with rubber bands. 'But I kept at it because I kept seeing lines and I found the ability to compliment the body by adding lines and creating negative spaces that called to the viewers.' From there, Alvarez began working with local dancers at Miami clubs, explaining that he began working 'three or four nights a week' taping up to six women. 'I had to work fast and make designs that wouldn't fall apart when they danced, this is where I developed most of my techniques,' he continued. Within a few years, the designer found himself being launched to viral fame when he worked on a shoot with a former Miss Puerto Rico at a charity event in 2017. Alvarez decorated her in a gold tape ensemble for - a process that he documented in a social media video, which quickly racked up tens of millions of viewers and gained him a new legion of fans. 'The calls and emails started pouring in and my life changed yet again,' he recalled. 'It's safe to say that The Black Tape Project has saved my life and now I am able to provide for my family, my circle and myself.' Alvarez is now thriving in the limelight - and charging fans $999-a-piece for VIP experiences at his shows Now, Alvarez has become a staple at New York Fashion Week, regularly wowing the crowds with his incredibly risque tape ensembles. He has turned his fashion week appearances into a lucrative venture, selling off tickets to his shows for up to $999-a-piece for a VIP backstage experience. The designer also sells rolls of his signature body tape in a variety of colors on his website. The most basic black hue starts at $9.99 a roll, while the more vibrant options - including metallic golds, blues, and pinks - cost up to $29.99 each. But Alvarez does not limit his artform to just runway models. He was previously invited to Vienna to tape legendary supercars - the Ferrari 488 Spider and Lamborghini Urus - at the Gumball 3000 street rally. A neon green look incorporated tiny pieces of tape applied to create a monokini effect Not for the faint-hearted, a range of flesh-flashing looks were presented at New York Fashion Week It was there that he won the accolade for Best Wrap Design before being offered a collaboration with Lamborghini of Miami to tape the Miami Art Basel debut of the 2020 Karma Revero 2.0. Speaking about his journey in an interview that was shared to Instagram, Alvarez said: 'I've always been more of an artist than a businessman. 'And now I am a really good businessman because I learned the hard way. 'I remember having my friends tell me you have got to take your artist hat off and put your business hat on... 'But I don't want to stop being an artist and I don't want to change who I am and the way I think that my passion comes from my art, and the way I am comes a lot from the past that I have gone through'. Tourists visiting the grounds of Lord Bathursts Cirencester Park will have to pay an entrance fee for the first time in 329 years from next month. The estate in Gloucestershire - run by the Bathursts since 1695 - will demand non-local visitors pay for a pass to access its stunning grounds after installing electronic gates on the routes in. Earl Bathurst, known as Lord Apsley until his father's death in 2011, is a keen conservationist who has campaigned to preserve the countryside and historic buildings. He told The Telegraph the move will support restoration and maintenance work and said that he is 'delighted to continue to share Cirencester Park with the local community and visitors to the area'. But the decision - which critics have said will deter visitors - hasn't been without its controversy; Countess Bathurst launched an extraordinary tirade against her own estate manager after getting drawn into the row with locals over the plans. Tourists visiting the grounds of Lord Bathursts Cirencester Park (pictured) will have to pay an entrance fee for the first time in 329 years from next month Lady Bathhurst said that she had received 'some of the worst online bullying and libellous claims' she had ever experienced from villagers in Cirencester after she explained the new initiative on Facebook. She said she was being falsely credited with the move and had been on the receiving end of 'upsetting bullying' on social media as a result. 'The blame is now being placed at my door, and I cannot allow that to happen and I'm getting scant support from the estate office who seem to be perfectly happy for me to shoulder the blame, so I shall have to fight my own battles,' Lady Bathurst said in a Facebook post in 2021. 'If truth be told, they were also not my choice and I have been very unhappy about it but the decision was made and as I have no say in the management of the estate, there was nothing I could do. 'I am uncomfortable with the growing belief that this is all my doing. It is not,' the Countess continued. She then passed the buck squarely on to her estate manager at the time. A spokesperson for the Bathurst Estate told the publication: 'The Bathurst Estate is committed to improving the visitor experience within Cirencester Park with the provision of new facilities, information points, family-friendly spaces such as a childrens play area and the picnic arboretum at The Old Kennels, while retaining the character of a Grade I-listed parkland. 'The management and maintenance of estates and private parklands is ever evolving, with landowners embracing new ways to ensure continuity in their conservation and preservation works; Cirencester Park is no different. The Countess of Bathurst (pictured with her husband the Earl of Bathurst) had previously said she was being 'falsely' credited with the move to introduce a charge at Cirencester Park 'The introduction of passes will support this, as well as the work of those employed to ensure the park is safe, that pathways are well-maintained and visitor areas are clean, interesting and enjoyable.' Visitors will need to purchase the passes from March 15, with an individual Cirencester Park Annual Pass costing 30. A Day Pass will be priced at 4 for adults and 2 for children. Local residents can claim a Cirencester Park Community Pass. Reportedly worth 45 million, the estate sprawls over 15,500 acres of countryside which claims to enclose the principal source of the River Thames. Following news of the initiative, Andrew Hodges, who lives in Stratton, objected to the move and said carrying a keycard to access the park would be a 'inconvenience', The Times reported in 2021. Meanwhile local Jeanette Jefferies said that charging some tourists was a 'mean-spirited decision'. Lady Bathurst's stepmotherin-law the late Dowager Countess famously infuriated locals in 2013 when she evicted doctors and nurses from Cirencester Hospital's free car park she owned the land on which it stood and turned it into a pay and display. He is one of Hollywood's most in-demand actors who has starred in everything from Peaky Blinders to Oppenheimer. But despite his steady rise to global fame over the past few years, Cillian Murphy, 47, has managed to maintain a low-key family life - thanks in part to the unwavering support of his wife Yvonne McGuiness, 51. Appearing on Desert Island Discs, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 yesterday, the actor, 47, said his wife has been 'crucial' in helping him adapt to Hollywood. Speaking to host Lauren Laverne, Cillian explained how he found the 'ancillary aspect' of being an actor - such as walking red carpets - 'quite challenging'. Gushing about his wife, he continued: 'To have a really secure, solid base is important. Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuiness arriving at the Golden Globes last month, where the A-Lister won Best Actor 'You have to have that safe place. I certainly do. It's just like an island of comfort and ease.' He told Lauren Laverne: 'It's been crucial, honestly. I don't think I could have done any of the things that we've talked about without having them. 'It's been the most important thing for me, having those kids and raising them.' The couple - who have made efforts to shun the spotlight - have now been together for over 28 years and share two sons. Here FEMAIL takes a look back at one of Hollywood's most successful love stories and how Yvonne has supported Cillian from the sidelines every step of the way. First meeting Cillian and Yvonne first met in the 1990s when he was starring in a play called Disco Pigs, which is about two Irish teenagers and was later adapted into a film. Following a successful run in Dublin, the play then transferred to Edinburgh, London, Australia and the US, which is how Irish musician Yvonne McGuinness got involved. Speaking to The Guardian in 2016, the actor - whose parents were teachers - said: 'That time, making Disco Pigs, was kind of the most important period of my life. The people I met there remain my closest friends. Cillian Murphy in a promotional image for the 2002 film Disco Pigs, which was adapted from a stage play he starred in 'They shaped me in terms of my tastes, in terms of what I wanted to do with my life. And it was around the same time I met my wife. 'She came on tour with us. It was so exciting, 20 years ago or whatever it was we were all just kids, trying to find our way but such a special, special time.' Yvonne grew up in Kilkenny, Ireland, and studied at Cork Institute of Technology. In 2001, the couple are said to have moved to London so Yvonne could study for her master's at the Royal College of Art. Yvonne's uncle is the Irish politician Jim McGuinness and her grandfather Michael McGuinness also reportedly was Kilkenny's longest-serving councillor from 1959-1999. Secret wedding and becoming parents The couple married in 2004 and reportedly held the ceremony at Yvonne's father's vineyard in France. However, the couple have never publicly commented on this rumour or acknowledged where their wedding took place. Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness pictured with their son Malachy in Brooklyn, New York, in July 2006 The following year, the couple welcomed their first son Malachy - with Aran following in 2007. Although the family were living in London at the time, Cillian and Yvonne decided to return to Dublin to raise their young family. He told The Guardian: 'We wanted them to be Irish, I suppose. Its amazing how quickly their accents have adapted.' In 2005, Cillian also shut down any possibility of him moving to the US for work and praised Yvonne for her continuing support. He told People magazine: 'I don't need to live in Los Angeles. I'd be tremendously far away from my family I'd never see them.' Cillian Murphy and Yvonne McGuinness pictured during a trip to New York City in August 2016 Describing how Yvonne kept him grounded as his career took off, Cillian said: 'Its very important to have somebody like that. 'My life hasnt changed in any way, really. I still have the same friends and we go to the same places.' In 2016, Cillian explained how he relocated to Liverpool to film Peaky Blinders while his wife remained at home with their two sons. When he returned to the family home after filming seasons, Cillian joked that it takes him some time to shake his on-screen persona. He explained: 'My wife can see it happening. "OK. Tommy's gradually leaving. I'm getting Cillian back."' In an interview with GQ in 2019, Cillian gushed: 'I couldn't do this without [my wife] and her understanding. But it is a struggle. The couple have two children together, Malachy, 17, and Aran, 16. Pictured: the family in Dublin in 2014 'I think it is for any dad whose work takes him away, which it generally does, and which consumes him, which my work does.' He added: 'I make sure that I try not to go from job to job to job, because that means you live in a bubble of set, hotel, set, hotel, plane, film festivals - which, to me, is not reality. So I just check out from that for six months a year.' Cillian and his family now live in Dublin after he reportedly splashed out close to 1.7million on a Victorian townhouse. The four-storey home, originally built in 1863, is located in Monkstown, south Co. Dublin, and has six double bedrooms as well as four receptions rooms. Yvonne's artistic career While Cillian's career skyrocketed over the past two decades, Yvonne has also created short films and other experimental artwork. During an interview with The Guardian, Cillian joked that it takes him some time to shake his on-screen persona from Peaky Blinders The mother-of-two's bio on her website reads: 'She has an interest in embodied experience of place and belonging by staging live, public, interventions and performances which create surreal and dynamic moments of interaction and connection to place, time and communities.' Last summer, Cillian revealed it was Yvonne's idea to adapt Claire Keegan's novel Small Things Like These into a film. Speaking to The Guardian in a separate interview, Cillian remembered telling her: 'No, there's no way [the rights would be available]. That's going to be gone already.' Much to his delight, Cillian's agent told him the book rights hadn't been purchased - which prompted him to pitch the idea to Matt Damon, who has his own studio. Rare PDA at Golden Globes When Cillian Murphy won Best Actor at the Golden Globes in January, his wife Yvonne jumped up and kissed him on the mouth - leaving a red lipstick stain Earlier this year, Cillian Murphy won Best Actor for his role in Oppenheimer at the Golden Globes. After his win was announced, Yvonne jumped out of her seat and gave her husband a quick kiss - prompting him to joke about the red lipstick on her mouth during his speech. During his acceptance speech, Cillian dubbed himself 'the luckiest man' as he spoke directly to his wife and children. 'To my family, I'm the luckiest man and I love you,' he said. The week before, the actor paid tribute to Yvonne and their sons while honored with the Desert Palm Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Awards. He said: 'Two-thirds of them are sitting down there. We had to leave one of them at home doing exams. 'But just thanks for putting up with me putting up with the half me and the shadow me and the absent me, the remains of me when I'm doing a film like this or work in general. You're always there. I love it. So thanks, guys.' Cillian's loving tribute to Yvonne During his appearance on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Cillian admitted he has 'struggled' with walking red carpets in the past. He added: 'It is still not something I'm totally at ease with. You have to choose to enjoy it and I think you can do that in your brain. Just make that alteration and it's easier then.' However, he did go on to say that having Yvonne with him this year has made it easier. He added: 'I've had my wife and kids with me and that's been lovely. You'd be an idiot not to enjoy it. Go with it, that's my attitude.' Elsewhere, Cillian paid loving tribute to his wife and their life together. He told Lauren Laverne: 'It's been crucial, honestly. I don't think I could have done any of the things that we've talked about without having them. 'I've been with my wife for 28 years now. It's been the most important thing for me, having those kids and raising them.' The A-List actor went on to say that having a 'secure, solid base' has been really important to him and functions as a 'safe place' amid the madness of fame. During the interview, Cillian also admitted he was 'relieved' the BBC drama had ended in 2002 but is now totally on board with a movie adaptation. Murphy also hinted that the programmes writer, Steven Knight, had more stories to tell about the Birmingham-based Shelby clan and their criminal activities between the 1880s and 1910s. He explained: I have always said that if Knight delivers a script that I know he can deliver, because he is such a phenomenal writer, Ill be there. If we want to watch 50-year-old Tommy Shelby, lets do it. Earl Spencer's wife Karen has shared a rare glimpse of Princess Diana's final resting place on the Althorp Estate. The late Princess of Wales' grave is situated on a private island in the middle of the Oval Lake on the Northampton estate where she grew up. Although there is a memorial for members of the public to pay their respects, Diana's grave is completely remote and can only be visited by family. Earlier this week, Countess Spencer - who married Diana's brother Charles in 2011 - shared a photo of the Oval Lake with her 74,000 Instagram followers. Posting on her Instagram Stories, the mother-of-one wrote: 'The Oval in the mist at dusk...' Countess Karen Spencer, 51, married Princess Diana's brother Charles in 2011. The couple pictured in California in 2017 Although the island where her sister-in-law is buried is not visible, the trees surrounding the lake are pictured reflecting in the crystal clear and calm water The Countess appears to have been enjoying a walk around the sprawling 13,000 acre estate when she stopped to take the photo. Canadian-born former model Karen lives at the impressive Althorp estate with her husband, Charles, 59, and their 11-year-old daughter Lady Charlotte. Although the island where her sister-in-law is buried is not visible, the trees surrounding the lake are pictured reflecting in the crystal clear and calm water. In August 2023, it was reported that 36 oak trees had been planted round the path leading to the lake along with hundreds of white water lilies and roses. The number of trees are said to represent each year in Diana's life before she tragically died in a car accident in Paris in August 1997. The island is located at the centre of the Spencer familys 500-year-old ancestral estate, which spans 13,000 acres surrounding its walled 500-acre park. In his 1998 book Althorp, Princess Diana's brother Charles discussed why the decision had been taken to bury the royal on the island in the Oval - when so many family members had been laid to rest at St Mary the Virgin church in Great Brington. He reflected: 'We all agreed that, with its beauty and tranquility, this was the place for Diana to be.' Pictured: Princess Diana in June 1997, just two months before she tragically died in a car crash in Paris Pictured: the 'temple' on the Althorp estate in Northampton where members of the public can pay their respects to Diana In an interview with People magazine, Earl Spencer said he wanted his nephews Prince William and Prince Harry to have a private place to visit their late mother. He added: 'It is, luckily, very tranquil here and they can come and go as they wish whenever they want. And thats very lovely for me to know that.' Unlike a church, Earl Spencer said the water of the Oval Lake would 'act as a buffer against the interventions of the insane and ghoulish with the thick mud presenting a further line of defence'. The Althorp estate also houses a public memorial to Princess Diana, where guests can pay their respects. The Grecian-inspired monument - which has been dubbed 'the Temple' - was purchased by the fifth Earl Spencer in the 1880s and features Diana's name, silhouette and a quote from the Princess. One tablet reads: 'Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life, a kind of destiny, whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are.' King Charles and Princess Diana pictured at Earl Spencer's 21st birthday party at Althorp in 1985 Another tablet quotes Earl Spencer's 1997 eulogy: 'We give thanks for the life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call my sister, the unique, the complex, the extraordinary and irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty both internal and external will never extinguish from our minds.' In 2017, Earl Spencer revealed that several members of the public have made attempts to access Diana's grave. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, he explained: 'Weve had four attempted break-ins towards her body in the last 20 years and Im very glad weve seen all of them off. 'There are some odd people out there and keeping her right here is the safest place.' The 26-year-old and husband Max saw Taylor Swift perform and the Super Bowl Who doesn't want to have a taste of the celebrity high life - even the parts that involve some extreme jet lag. Content creator Victoria Browne, 26, decided to live life exactly like Taylor Swift on Super Bowl Sunday - flying from Tokyo to Las Vegas to watch both the Eras tour and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers. The longtime Swiftie and husband Max had a taste of the international songstress' life, documenting their whirlwind, cross-continental trip on social media, sponsored by travel agency, Priceline, to complete the 'challenge.' The Santa Monica-based couple departed for their epic journey at 8.30am on February 7, flying out of LAX at 11.30am. Victoria Browne and husband Max decided to live life exactly like Taylor Swift on Super Bowl Sunday - flying from Tokyo to Las Vegas to watch both the Eras tour and the Kansas City Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers The night before, the couple had attended Taylor Swift's Eras tour in Japan, flying there the night before from LA According to Victoria, she managed to get 'about six hours' sleep after watching a few movies. They landed in Tokyo on Friday afternoon at 4.30pm - 12.30am pacific time - ready for a day of exploring Tokyo before the concert began. 'I'm not sure if it's the extra sleep I snuck in on the flight or pure adrenaline, but the time change doesn't feel so bad,' Victoria recounted in a first person piece for Today. 'We were able to hit Tokyo Station, Meiji Shrine and Shibuya Crossing,' she continued. 'Then, we waited in line for about an hour to have the best ramen I've ever tasted in my life. Worth it!' Victoria gushed. The next day was when the 48-hour multi-time zone challenge really kicked into gear, saying the jet lag started to hit her. 'It's hitting me that I was up for about 22 hours yesterday,' she admitted. 'But we've been powering through.' Victoria, who saw Taylor's Eras tour twice in August when she performed at SoFi stadium in LA, said she couldn't wait to see what changes there were for her Tokyo show. The couple boarded two long-haul flights, flying from LAX to Tokyo on Friday and Tokyo to Las Vegas via San Francisco on Sunday 'If we think we're tired, I truly don't know how Swift is doing this trip after three back-to-back shows nine time zones away from Vegas,' Victoria admitted Taylor Swift flew from her show in Tokyo, Japan to Las Vegas Nevada to watch her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, play in the Super Bowl 'It's surreal to be in a different country, surrounded by people who speak a different language than you, but still feel connected thanks to the feelings the music inspires,' she gushed. The excitement didn't stop on Saturday night, with the travel-loving pair preparing for the next 10-hour leg of their huge weekend - the Super Bowl, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 'Unfortunately, we weren't able to fly directly to Vegas, like Swift, so we'll be stopping in San Francisco, California (which feels fitting as we're about to take on the 49ers),' Victoria explained. The content creator added she was cheering for the Chiefs - despite being originally from the Bay Area. 'This year I have to stay loyal to my girl, not my city, and root for a Chiefs win,' she quipped. At 5pm Japan time, the pair boarded the flight from Tokyo to San Francisco, stopping for a brief layover, before getting on another flight to Las Vegas hoping to make it in time for the 3.30pm kick off. Victoria nd Max made it to Sin City - despite being exhausted - saying the energy was 'absolutely contagious' and woke them up By this point, Victoria admitted they were both feeling the multiple time zones. 'If we think we're tired, I truly don't know how Swift is doing this trip after three back-to-back shows nine time zones away from Vegas,' she admitted. After landing in Sin City at 12:45pm, they made it to Allegiant Stadium just in time for the 3:30pm start. 'We got just enough sleep on the way over, but as soon as we got to the stadium the energy was absolutely contagious and woke us up!' she said. While many of Victoria's followers were thrilled for her - and her bonus Eras tour trip - others found it to be excessive. 'No way!! Ill be at the concert Saturday and was thinking how cool it would be to go to the Super Bowl too,' one user commented. Others applauded Priceline for their marketing collaboration. 'First paid partnership video ive ever watched in full!!! well done!!! well done!!' another applauded. 'Yall really said Co2 emissions be damned huh,' criticized another. 'This isnt cool or fun like you think it is.' Perhaps it is no surprise that there was a lifelong rivalry between Christian Dior and Coco Chanel: the great French fashion designers sprang from different worlds. Dior, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman, was brought up in middle-class comfort. Chanel, daughter of a laundrywoman, was born into poverty and was taken into an orphanage, aged 11, when her mother died. The iconic looks the two designers created from the ashes of World War II were as different as their background. Diors New Look, with its rounded shoulders, cinched-in waists and full skirts was hailed as a break from wartime austerity. The simple lines of Chanels elegant but formal tweed suits were inspired by the comfortable clothing worn by men. Chanel passionately disliked Diors aesthetic, because it feminised women she believed her clothes empowered them. Juliette Binoche as Coco Chanel in Apple TV+'s new show The New Look Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was the daughter of a laundrywoman, was born into poverty and was taken into an orphanage, aged 11, when her mother died Ben Mendelsohn plays Christian Dior Chanel passionately disliked Diors aesthetic, because it feminised women When the New Look launched in February 1947, Chanel said, disparagingly: Look how ridiculous these women are, wearing clothes by a man who doesnt know women, never had one, and dreams of being one. She later declared that Dior doesnt dress women. He upholsters them, and that a woman sitting down in a Dior dress looked like an old armchair. Dior responded with gentlemany understatement, writing later in his memoir only that Chanels personality as well as her taste had style and elegant authority. But winning the favour of the elegant and richest women of the time was crucial and not just to prove one style of design was more creative or forward-looking than the other. It was existential for their business, which had been hit hard by the war. And we now know that what set the two apart was far more than a dispute over silhouettes: more important was how they had fought to emerge unscathed from the Nazi occupation of France. A new ten-part Apple+ TV series, The New Look, released tomorrow, follows Christian Diors rise to fashion fame and his relationship with his beloved younger sister, Catherine, a member of the French Resistance and an inspiration for much of his work. Starring Bloodlines Ben Mendelsohn as Dior and Juliette Binoche as Chanel, The New Look brings the horrors and compromises of war into vivid focus inevitably making us wonder what we might have done in Dior or Chanels place. Diors early career was surprisingly chequered: his family hoped he would become a diplomat, but he insisted on pursuing his passion for art, opening a small gallery where he sold pieces by artists including Picasso. It was forced to close after Diors father lost his money in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. A newly impoverished Dior started selling fashion sketches, working for renowned designer Robert Piguet until he was called up for military service. When Dior returned to Paris in 1942, he was hired by couturier Lucien Lelong (played by John Malkovich), working alongside Pierre Balmain. It seems extraordinary to think of French couture continuing amid the turmoil of war but even more astonishing is that the Nazis had a plan to uproot the lucrative French fashion industry and relocate it to Berlin. Lelong, president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, fought to keep the couture houses in Paris. But the most notable designers those who hadnt fled the French capital, that is were obliged to produce clothing for the wives of SS officers. Jean Patou, Jeanne Lanvin and Nina Ricci all did so. Dior, as an employee of Lelong, did what he had to do no more, no less in terms of pandering to Nazi wives, in order to help keep the French fashion industry alive. Creation cannot stop the bullets. But creation is our way forward, Malkovich (as Lelong) says in the series. Christian was a privileged son of a wealthy businessman, was brought up in middle-class comfort Dior's sister Catherine was a French resistance fighter in World War Two Diors sister Catherines path of resistance was altogether more risky. In 1941, Catherine (played by Game Of Thrones Maisie Williams) fell in love with one of the founders of the French Resistance and joined the organisation herself, setting up office in Christians Paris flat. So, Christian would work each day making dresses for Nazi wives, then come home to his apartment, where a hub of resistance was taking shape. Tragically, Catherine was betrayed by a fellow fighter in 1944. Seized and tortured by Nazi officers, she was deported to Ravensbruck concentration camp in northern Germany. Christian tried to intervene and prevent her deportation through the Nazi contacts he had made through his work but was unsuccessful. Catherine was subsequently moved to the Torgau military prison, an offshoot of Buchenwald, then forced to work at a factory near Leipzig. She did her best to resist, sabotaging machinery. In 1945, as the Allies swept across Europe, prisoners were evacuated by being force-marched from one camp to another. Catherine was on such a march when she was picked up by the Allies near Dresden and returned to Paris. She was so emaciated that Christian failed to recognise her at the train station and too sick to eat the celebration dinner he had planned. Coco Chanels approach to the Nazi occupation could not have been more different. On the surface, her actions look much more questionable she has been accused, convincingly, of being a Nazi spy. But war and the desperate need to survive it often create moral ambivalence. We know something of what the designer did during the occupation of France, but very little about why. Unlike Dior, Chanel was already well-known by the time war broke out she had revolutionised womens cumbersome Victorian wardrobes in the 1920s with the invention of the little black dress. Her growing fame as a designer gave her an introduction to Europes elite. She became the mistress of Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, and through him, friends with Winston Churchill. During the spring of 1940, after the Germans entered Paris, Chanel first fled south to Corbere to stay with her nephew Andres family. There, she learned that Andre, a soldier in the French army, had been captured and was being held in a prison camp Germany. Chanel returned to Paris, determined to return to Paris and use her connections to free her nephew. Shortly afterwards, she became the lover of a Nazi intelligence officer, Baron Hans Gunther von Dincklage. Whether that was through attraction, a need for protection or a ploy to secure her nephews release, we cant be sure. She moved into the Ritz hotel, where she had stayed from time to time since 1935 but rather than just a luxury hotel, the Ritz was now the Nazi headquarters in Paris. Some argue that Chanels affair with von Dicklage and her fraternising with Nazis was all to do with winning Andres freedom (and so determined was she to achieve this, that some biographers have theorised that Andre was, in fact, Chanels son by her first lover Etienne Balsan and not her elder sisters child.) But it seems she went much further perhaps to the point of collaboration. Most accounts of Chanels life dance around the issue, but The New Look doesnt scrimp on dramatising this part of her life. It also portrays an undeniably ruthless side to her character. Early in the war, Chanel closed her business, putting 4,000 women out of work. That may have been a practical decision, given the uncertainty of the immediate future, but it was thought by some to be revenge for a strike for higher wages that took place in 1936. She also took full advantage of Aryanisation laws that forced Jews to give up their businesses. In an attempt to wrestle control of the perfume sector of Chanel from the Jewish Wertheimer family, with whom she had a business deal, she wrote to the government claiming the Wertheimers had abandoned the business. But the family outflanked her, having secretly signed over the stewardship of the company to a Christian friend who, it was arranged, would hand it back at the end of the war. In secret papers only released in 2014, Chanel was apparently shown to be a Nazi spy, registered in 1941 as Agent F-7124, with the code name Westminster, after her former lover. She seems to have acted as a go-between, feeding information as dictated by the Nazis to her powerful, high-society friends in England. The New Look launches on Apple TV+ on February 14 That same year 1941 she was sent on some sort of mission for the Nazis to Madrid, in neutral Spain. No papers pertaining to the journey survive, so historians are unclear as to what she was doing but her nephew was released shortly after she returned to Paris. Two years later, in 1943, she was sent to Madrid once again, this time in possession of a letter written by Heinrich Himmler, for delivery to Winston Churchill. Travelling from Paris to London to hand over the letter directly would have been nigh on impossible, but as Spain was not involved in the fighting she hoped to be able to pass the letter believed to contain a proposal for a truce through the British embassy and thence to Churchill, by the diplomatic mail. The plan collapsed when a fellow Nazi spy was caught and named Chanel as an informer. When France was liberated, in 1944, Chanel was arrested and interrogated by the Free French Purge Committee, but she was not names as a collaborator. She wriggled her way out of trouble, partly by saying she had acted to secure her nephews release and, some say, through an intervention by the British Royal Family secured by her faithful friend, Churchill. To confuse matters further, a recent exhibition about Chanels life and work included two recently discovered new documents claiming she was also part of the French Resistance. The first is a certificate allegedly showing her membership in the Resistance between January 1, 1943 and April 17, 1944, in which Chanel is described as an occasional agent. The other shows her affiliation with the Eric underground resistance network and lists her code name as Coco. These documents have been verified by the French government, but a distinguished historian of the Resistance doubts their authenticity so Chanels real role may remain forever a mystery. After the war, she went into exile in Switzerland for a decade and paid off the general who was her commander during Operation Modelhut to keep her out of his memoirs. In Switzerland, she kept her head down, only returning to Paris to re-establish her fashion house once enough time had elapsed for murmurings about her wartime associations to have quietened down. Chanel herself claimed she returned because Christian Dior said a woman could never be a great couturier. In the drama, played by Juliette Biniche, she declares: Monsieur Dior ruined French couture and Im coming back to save it. Dior, by contrast, triumphed in the decade after the war. He founded his fashion house in 1946 with the encouragement of his mentor Lelong and it was an immediate hit with Parisian society, hungry for beauty. Scenes in the series portray in all their skirt-swishing beauty what Diors first shows might have looked like. It was Carmel Snow, editor of Harpers Bazaar, who dubbed his hyper-feminine combination of accentuated shoulders, nipped-in waists and impossibly full skirts the New Look one which restablished Paris as the worlds fashion capital and reignited the fantasy of fashion after six long years of frugality. People need to feel. Dream. They need to live again. We can create a new world for them, Dior says in the series. Fashion was a kaleidoscope through which people imagined the possibility of a new, peaceful world. In 1947, Dior also launched the Miss Dior fragrance named for his sister, Catherine. With its creation, Dior seemed to say to the Nazis: I quietly made dresses for your wives to ensure Parisian fashions survival, but I tricked you and have now named the most famous fragrance in the world after my Resistance fighter sister. German-Jewish philosopher Theodor Adorno once said that to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric, but both Christian and Catherine Dior saw things differently, believing that continuing a pursuit of beauty after the barbarity and devastation of war was the most rebellious act possible. Dior summarises it thus in the series: For those of us who lived through the chaos of war, creation was survival. Catherine became a florist and eventually bought a rose farm in Provence. She was awarded innumerable medals of honour for her resistance, including a Croix de Guerre (usually only awarded to members of the armed forces) and the Legion dHonneur. For her part, Chanel can perhaps be summarised in one word: opportunist. You dont go from impoverished orphan to the Duke of Westminsters lover and pal of Churchills without an eye for the main chance. In a final irony, she died at the Ritz in Paris in 1971, where she had lived during the war with her Nazi lover. By that point, of course, the fashion house of Chanel was well and truly entrenched as an iconic brand and byword for Frenchness. A woman whose name is synonymous with France is only known today because her ruthless behaviour ensured the survival of her brand. Chanel can be very treacherous, Malkovichs Lelong warns Dior in the series. Not that Coco would have cared. After all, this is the woman who said: I dont care what you think of me. I dont think of you at all. The New Look series has hit written all over it, not least because it is a sumptuous visual spectacle: the beauty of its exquisite costumes, designed by Karen Muller Serreau, is only amplified by the grey, dismal wartime backdrop. But the dramas appeal is more than skin-deep. Everything that has been part of my life, whether I wanted it to or not, has expressed itself in my dresses, Dior once said. And, beyond rivalry, this is a story of triumph over adversity and thats a theme that doesnt date. The New Look launches on Apple TV+ on February 14 Nostalgic Aussies are sharing their excitement after finding out an old chocolate bar is returning to supermarket shelves - but not in the way most remember it. Polly Waffles were discontinued in 2009 but in April they are making a comeback in a new bite-sized form. Some fans are rejoicing over the resurrection of the sweet treat but others aren't happy and are questioning why the Polly Waffle couldn't return in its original form. The confectionary was first introduced in 1947 and contained a marshmallow and wafer filling coated in milk chocolate. The treat was later pulled from supermarket shelves due to poor sales. Polly Waffles are set to return to Australian supermarket shelves in a new bite-sized form. The classic treat was discontinued in 2009 In 2019 South Australian chocolate company Robern Menz, the same brand behind Violet Crumble, acquired the rights to remake the bar. Instead of the traditional bar, Polly Waffles will be available as milk chocolate and wafer coated marshmallow bites. Menz CEO, Phil Sims said the chocolate is due to be back by late April after complications caused by the Covid pandemic thwarted production. 'Polly Waffle had not been produced in more than ten years when we acquired it, so we essentially had to start from scratch to find out how we could produce it at our South Australian factory,' he said. 'What we couldn't anticipate was the number of variables out of our control, from COVID border closures restricting access to equipment, or updated retailer expectations.' Sims claimed recreating the original bar would require more time and cost without guaranteeing the same Polly Waffle taste and quality Aussies remember. 'It was so important to us that we didn't put a subpar product in the market, especially one as much loved as Polly Waffle,' he said. In 2019 South Australian chocolate company Robern Menz acquired the rights to remake the bar but production was delayed due to complications caused by the Covid pandemic 'Creating a Polly Waffle Bite was the most responsible way to make bringing back the iconic brand a reality.' Many Aussies online were stoked about the comeback saying they couldn't wait to try the redesigned treat. 'Omg, get in my belly,' one foodie said and another added: 'Yes, I've been waiting for this!'. 'Sooo excited to try these! And gluten free as well, that's amazing!' a third wrote. 'So happy to have them back in whatever shape they come in,' someone replied. However others said they had 'mixed feelings' and were 'disappointed' the chocolate wouldn't be returning in its original form. 'If they cant make the bar, these wont come close clearly. And they'll be $10 a bag,' one man complained. 'They tried making the bar but it was subpar. This better be amazing,' a second said. 'Of course I will try them but I have serious doubts that they have managed to replicate the perfect chocolate to wafer to marshmallow ratio in a bite sized ball,' a third added. An Australian beachgoer was left stumped by a bizarre 'fish' she spotted on the sand over the weekend. The woman was walking along a beach in Byron Bay when she noticed a large tooth-shaped object washed up on the shore. Many were stumped as to what the mysterious find could be before it was identified as the swim bladder of porcupine fish. 'Does anyone know what the heck this is? Found it yesterday at the beach, around 30 centimetres long, squishy,' she asked in a Facebook post. People shared their guesses with one thinking it was the lung of a marine creature; another was shocked at how big it was. An Aussie woman was baffled after finding a strange object washed up on a beach near Byron Bay. She said it was 30 centimetres long and 'squishy' 'Whale's tooth,' one user answered and a second joked: 'Shark goon bag. '30cm is huge!! You mean millimetres surely?' one woman exclaimed. 'My ex girlfriends stone cold heart,' quipped another. Some thought it was part of a kid's beach toy and others guessed it could have been a floatation device before a man named Matt came through with the true explanation. 'It is the gas bladder from a Porcupinefish (often called Spiny Pufferfish or Burrfishes) The gas bladder (also called a swim bladder) is a flexible-walled, gas-filled sac located in the dorsal portion of body cavity,' he explained. 'It controls the fish's buoyancy and in some species is important for hearing. Most of the gas bladder is not permeable to gases, because it is poorly vascularised (has few blood vessels) and is lined with sheets of guanine crystals.' The mysterious find was identified as the swim bladder of a porcupine fish. It helps fish adjust to water pressure when swimming into the deep sea without floating upward or sinking The swim bladder helps fish adjust to water pressure when swimming into the deep sea without floating upward or sinking. Many were impressed with Matt's knowledge but others questioned why the organ would wash up on the shore by itself. 'Question is, how did it get out of the fish?' someone wondered and another asked: 'Why has it parted from its fish?' 'Most likely bacteria digesting it and releasing gas,' Matt answered. 'The reason for the bladder being on shore can be anything from someone gutting the fish out at sea to it dying from natural causes and parts like the gas bladder surviving and making its way to shore.' READ MORE: Which celebs are on Ozempic for weight loss? Doctors think the patient's lung may have been punctured by the cannula used Plastic surgeons have called for greater awareness of the risks of liposuction procedures, after a 45-year-old woman developed a life-threatening collapsed lung as a result of the operation. The patient underwent the surgery last year to remove fat in her abdomen and back, and transfer some of it to her buttocks, for a 'fuller' look. However within 24-hours of the procedure, the woman began experiencing chest pain, extreme rapid breathing and a dangerously fast heart rate. Scans showed her left lung had entirely collapsed, meaning air had escaped from the lung, filling the space outside it and wrecking its ability to breathe in oxygen. The doctors treating the patient, from Aseer Central Hospital in Saudi Arabia, commented that the exact cause of the problem was unknown, but it is possible that the lung was punctured by instruments used inside the upper body during the fat removal. Scans showed her left lung had entirely collapsed, meaning air had escaped from the lung, filling the space outside it and wrecking its ability to breathe in oxygen The doctors suggested the patient's lung may have been punctured by the cannula used during the fat removal A chest X-ray of a patient with large pneumothorax with almost total right lung collapse (yellow arrow), a lung bleb - a small collection of air between the lung and outer surface of the lung - is also shown (red arrow) (stock image) A collapsed lung, known medically as pneumothorax, is a known risk of liposuction surgery that disturbs the tissue in the upper abdomen. However the problem can occur 'spontaneously', for no obvious reason. Commenting on the case, the doctors urged other physicians to 'spread awareness' of this danger and 'engage more regulations' - adding that the mortality rate for liposuction procedures is higher than that of car crashes. Some 19-20 people per 100,000 die from liposuction procedures, compared to the reported mortality rate of 16 deaths for road accidents. 'Complications are underestimated and underreported,' they wrote in the Journal of Medical Case Reports. Liposuction is when fat is suctioned out of parts of the body including the stomach, hips, thighs, buttocks, arms or neck. It can be done under local anesthetic. Typically, a surgeon will inject a saline solution into the fatty area to break-down the fat, before it is suctioned out using a cannula connected to a vacuum. As well as the risk of collapsed lung, there are several other serious risks that are associated with liposuction procedures. Among them are severe infections, fluid build-up that may need to be drained with a needle, uneven texture under the skin and a life-threatening fat embolism - when pieces of fat may break away and become trapped in a blood vessel, then gather in the lungs or travel to the brain. In the most recent case, documented in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, the woman was treated urgently to prevent the problem from causing lethal complications. While under general anaesthetic, a plastic tube was inserted into her lung to drain the excess air. The patient said her symptoms immediately improved, and doctors noted her vital signs such as blood pressure and heart rate returning to a normal range. She started to walk again, and did regular respiratory exercises and cough exercises to help with chest expansion. Three days later, the air leak stopped and the chest tube was removed. The patient had a relatively smooth recovery with no other complications. The doctors said they recommended including a collapsed lung as a potential complication when obtaining informed consent from patients before liposuction. Around 1.2 million Americans travel to Mexico for affordable care each year, according to Medical Tourism Mexico. There are no official estimates on how many people visit the Dominican Republic for cosmetic surgery every year, but it is the most popular tourism destination in the Caribbean receiving about 2.5million visitors from the US alone every year. Americans were warned not to travel to the Dominican Republic for cut-price plastic surgery earlier this year amid a surge in fatalities in the country linked to botched ops. Researchers in New York found nearly 100 Americans have died in the country over the last decade from procedures such as liposuction often within three days of the operation. Weight loss jabs may be offered to fat Brits on benefits under plans to get tens of thousands back to work, a drug giant has hinted. Wegovy is available on the NHS for obese people battling a weight-related ailment, such as type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk, its manufacturer, today confirmed it is in talks with the Government over schemes to 'address obesity'. Lars Fruergaard Jrgensen, chief executive of the Danish pharmaceutical titan, said it was for ministers to decide how the once-a-week jabs were used. It comes after leaked documents suggested that Mr Jrgensen had advised officials to target people on the 'tipping point of employability' where obesity was the main driver for them leaving the job market. Lars Fruergaard Jrgensen, chief executive of the Danish pharmaceutical titan, said it was for ministers to decide how the once-a-week jabs were used Semaglutide the powerful ingredients behind Wegovy has ushered in a new era in the war on obesity. The treatment, loved by Hollywood stars, spur weight loss by mimicking the actions of a hormone released in the gut after eating, called GLP-1 Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether these reports were accurate, Mr Jrgensen said: 'Yes, we have had meetings with the British Government talking in general about how do you address obesity. 'We discussed partnerships in different countries where there is an open attitude to looking at obesity. 'I cannot go into specific details about it.' Pressed on whether he had discussed profiling certain groups, he said: 'We don't profile specific individuals, we can only talk to our products based on the approved label. 'Then it's up to the individual healthcare systems to assess how you want to use your medicines, how you want to bring it to certain patient groups.' He added: 'I have had meetings with the British government on obesity, I cannot get into more specific details around it.' Internal documents obtained by the Observer last year detailed that Mr Jrgensen had told then-Health Secretary Steve Barclay that there was 'need' to 'target the right cohort to drive labour market activity, such as those on the tipping point of employability where obesity is the driver to leaving the labour market'. Pinder Sahota, corporate vice-president of Novo Nordisk UK, said this could be done using 'data from the Department for Work and Pensions' which 'could help profile those who are most likely to return to the labour market'. The documents, obtained through Freedom of Information rules, state that England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, treasury officials and Professor John Bell, a geneticist at Oxford University, who oversees its partnership with Novo Nordisk, were also in attendance. The Department of Health said at the time that it had no plans to use Department for Work and Pensions data to target benefit claimants with anti-obesity drugs. The meeting, which took place in March, was coordinated by Mr Barclay to discuss obesity care in the UK after Wegovy was recommended for use on the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the newspaper reported. That same month, The Times reported that millions could be offered the jab to tackle obesity and help 'get benefit claimants back to work'. In England, 26 per cent of adults are obese meaning their BMI is above 30 while a further 38 per cent are overweight, which is classed as a BMI between 25 and 30. MailOnline understands there are only 3,000 people claiming personal independence payments benefits available to those with a long-term condition or disability with the primary condition being 'obesity'. However, hundreds of thousands are out of work due to aches and pains, chest and breathing problems and heart and blood pressure conditions that can be caused by weighing too much. In England, 26 per cent of adults are obese meaning their BMI is above 30 while a further 38 per cent are overweight, which is classed as a BMI between 25 and 30 [item name=module id=1030489 style=undefined /] Experts have warned that Wegovy is not a 'magic pill'. Trials have shown that users can rapidly pile pounds back on once they stop taking it, and it can trigger a side-effects including nausea, constipation and diarrhoea A record 2.8million people are out of work due to long-term sickness, leading to projections that benefit payments could rise by 9billion between 2019 and 2027. Asked today whether Wegovy could boost economies by tackling obesity, Mr Jrgensen said: 'I actually believe buying medicine to treat obesity can turn into one of the best returns that a healthcare system can have because youre actually preventing a number of comorbidities. 'You're also preventing type 2 diabetes and instead of treating a number of comorbidities that follows living with obesity, there is an opportunity here in treating for the underlying gateway for some of these conditions. 'I think that's a very attractive proposition.' Semaglutide the powerful ingredients behind Wegovy has ushered in a new era in the war on obesity. READ MORE: Weight loss jabs shrink muscles, warns AstraZeneca boss as Covid jab maker eyes offering rival slimming pill AstraZeneca boss Pascal Soriot warned of the downsides of weight-loss jabs made by the company's rivals as the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker moves to enter the obesity medication market Advertisement The treatment, loved by Hollywood stars, spur weight loss by mimicking the actions of a hormone released in the gut after eating, called GLP-1. As well as telling the pancreas to make more insulin, which lowers blood sugar, the GLP-1 hormone feeds back to the brain and makes users feel full. As a result, semaglutide can stop users from over-eating. As well as taking the drug patients are advised to cut their calories and increase their exercise levels. Trials have shown the drug can help people lose more than 2st, earning it praise as a 'miracle' skinny jab. The same key ingredient is also in Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes medication that also spurs weight loss. However, while Ozempic has been available to diabetes patients for years, Wegovy is not yet widely available in the UK due to supply issues. The delay has led to a rise in 'off-label' prescribing of Ozempic for people looking to shift the scales, leaving some type 2 diabetes patients struggling to access their medication. Shortages have also seen fake versions of the prescription-only drugs circulating in the UK, which has left some Brits in comas. Mr Jrgensen said today: 'It is a problem for us if patients believe they get a product from Novo Nordisk and it turns out it's a counterfeit. 'Some of the molecules, the API [active pharmaceutical ingredient] that goes into that comes from sources that are not even approved by authorities. 'We collaborate with authorities to deal with that when we become aware of it but this is sometimes happening on the internet and can be a difficult challenge.' Despite patients being eager to take the drugs, it is not without side effects. Users commonly complain of nausea, constipation and diarrhoea after taking the medication. Less common side effects include altered taste and acute pancreatitis. MailOnline revealed last year that Novo Nordisk was probing whether semaglutide could raise the risk of medullary thyroid cancer and pancreatic cancer. But no evidence yet proves they are definitely side effects even in extremely rare cases. The European Medicines Agency is already probing Ozempic and similar blockbuster weight loss jabs over concerns they may make users contemplate self-harm. Health chiefs were spooked by reports from Iceland of three patients experiencing thoughts about self-harm and suicide after taking the injections. Suicidal thoughts are listed as a potential consequence in leaflets tucked inside the packaging already. A TikTok user claiming to be a plastic surgeon has sparked fierce online backlash after sharing wild before-and-after pictures from $50,000 face lifts. The medic, known only as 'Dr Kim', boasts more than 216,000 followers on TikTok, with their videos gathering in excess of four million views each. Clips show typical looking middle-aged people, followed by a video of their face around a week after surgery, with their skin appearing to be very tightly pulled back. Social media users have challenged the anonymous medic's credentials, labelling the medic's work 'scary' or 'botched'. Other surgeons have also questioned the account's validity and techniques. The medic, known only as Dr Kim online, boasts more than 216,000 followers on TikTok , with each video gathering in excess of four million views each In one video, seen 6.3million times, a 46-year-old (pictured) is seen with wider eyelids, a stretched face and chiseled jaw. 'Dr Kim, if this is real you screwed up,' one TikTok user wrote. A second said: 'Enough, your license is revoked' While attempts have been made to track Dr Kim down, linking them to separate clinics in Shanghai and Seoul, their identity is still unknown. Each of his videos show a before-and-after photo of a patient's procedures, usually facelifts and eyelid procedures like epicanthoplasty and blepharoplasty which both aim to remove extra skin and bags around a patient's eyes. A facelift, which often cost in excess of 10,000, lifts and pulls back the skin on the face to make the face look tighter and smoother. In one video, seen 6.3million times, a 46-year-old is pictured with wider eyelids, a stretched face and chiselled jaw. 'Dr Kim, if this is real you screwed up', one commenter wrote. A second said: 'Enough, your license is revoked.' READ MORE: Huge clampdown on Turkish clinics luring Brits abroad for cheap plastic surgery as regulator launches blitz to ban adverts flouting strict rules Advertisement In a separate thread on Reddit discussing Dr Kim's work, one person wrote: 'He created monsters.' Another commented: 'The surgeon is actually Doctor Frankenstein.' Others, however, pointed to the short period of time between the before and after photos. Patients faces are not completely healed and they often still have bruises or are visibly swollen. One video shares the results just seven days after surgery. According to the NHS it can take between two to four weeks to fully recover from a facelift. It can take up to one year for very minor swelling, bruising, tightness and numbness to reside, but those typically are only noticeable to those who go under the knife. One Reddit user said: 'Maybe wait until they heal for the pics? It just looks like he's mutilating corpses.' Dr Daniel Barrett, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills who boasts more than two million TikTok followers, said: 'Anybody looks crazy after seven to nine days after facial surgery especially if you wanted to demonstrate any results. 'We don't know what these people will look like long term. But I'd love to know what type of techniques he's doing to get these results.' He added: 'This is radical change and it's important to know what happens long term. 'When you're looking at before-and-after results make sure you're looking at four to six months down the line or a year down the line to see if these results are long lasting or not.' Dr Anthony Youn, a plastic surgeon in Michigan, US, said that some of Dr Kim's procedures were 'unnecessary plastic surgery' and had left some patients with their ear lobes sticking out and others looking like they're 12 years old. He said some had been given an open brow lift a brow lift where an incision is made at the front of the hairline a facelift, which pulls the skin up and back, and an upper and lower eyelid lift. Dr Youn warned that the open brown lift is not commonly performed because it leaves a large scar at the front of the hairline. While attempts have been made to track Dr Kim down, linking him to separate clinics in Shanghai and Seoul, his identity is still unknown Some users have pointed to the short period of time between the before and after photos. Patients faces are not completely healed and they often still have bruises or are visibly swollen. One video shares the results just seven days after surgery. According to the NHS it can take between two to four weeks to fully recover from a facelift. It can take up to one year for very minor swelling, bruising, tightness and numbness to reside, but those typically are only noticeable to you If these patients' hairlines remain the same for life, the scar can 'kind of' be hidden but if the hairline recedes, the scar will be completely visible and a hair transplant would be the only way to hide it, he said. However, Dr Youn added that a clip of one of Dr Kim's patients shows her looking 'fantastic' one month after surgery. Among popular types of face lifts are the so-called 'liquid-lifts' achieved by a series of carefully positioned injections of Botox and facial fillers. Skin-tightening treatments that use lasers or light technology, instead of surgical incisions, have also soared in popularity. More expensive thread lifts which appear to be one possible technique used by Dr Kim involves inserting tiny dissolvable fibres containing acid under the skin, which are then stitched together, resulting in a tightening effect. It comes as Marc Pacifico, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, last month told MailOnline the 'transformative' combined face and neck lift was among the procedures likely to see the biggest demand in 2024. He said interest in the op had been driven primarily by social media with people realising how easy it was to spot a face lift on someone with an unadulterated neck. 'Without a good, harmonious improvement in someone's neck, a face lift doesn't look as good as it could or as natural as it could,' he added. 'If you haven't got a good neck, and you've got a good face, we can spot immediately that something's not quite right,' he said. 'If we're going to get the very best outcome, which is someone that doesn't look like they've had surgery, very natural, very fresh, with a nice jawline and nice neck, more involved surgery is required.' More involved means more expensive, with Mr Pacifico saying a high-quality combined face and neck lift is likely to cost between 22,000 and 26,000. A mother has told of her heartbreak after her baby was delivered stillborn, just two days after medics dismissed her concerns and sent her home. Madison Goodwin, from Southend in Essex, was 36-weeks pregnant when she attended Southend University Hospital in January for a scan amid concerns over her baby's growth. The 18-year-old was told she needed an emergency C-section after results revealed she was 'at risk' and her baby was too small. However, as she sat in the waiting room, medics told her she had been mixed up with another patient who had the same name and due date. A second scan later that day showed her baby was kicking normally. Ms Goodwin was sent home and asked to return two days later for another scan. However, at that appointment, she was told her baby had no heartbeat. Madison Goodwin from Southend in Essex was 36-weeks pregnant when she attended Southend University Hospital on January 11 for a scan over concerns of her baby's growth After results revealed she was 'at risk' and her baby was too small, she was immediately told she needed an emergency C-section. But as she sat in the waiting room, medics told her she had been mixed up with another patient. A second scan showed her baby was kicking normally. Pictured, Ms Goodwin with her partner Matteo Furiello The 18-year-old was sent home and asked to return two days later for another scan. On January 13, however, she was told there was no heartbeat. Ms Goodwin was induced and her daughter, Valentina, was stillborn. Pictured, Ms Goodwin with Valentina Ms Goodwin was induced and her daughter, Valentina, was stillborn. She said: 'I'm still quite numb and in shock it happened so quickly as she was here and then all of a sudden she wasn't.' Her mother Dawn, who claimed her daughter was continually 'fobbed off', has now called for a 'thorough investigation into Southend Hospital'. Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the site, said they had begun a 'full investigation' into the events and were in 'close contact' with the family. Stillbirths when a baby is born dead after six months of being in the womb occur in around one per 200 births in England. WHAT IS STILLBIRTH? A stillbirth is when a baby is born dead after 24 completed weeks of pregnancy. It happens in around one in every 200 births in England. If the baby dies before 24 completed weeks, it's known as a miscarriage or late foetal loss. The NHS advises mothers to contact their midwife or doctor straightaway if they are worried about their baby, such as if it is moving less than usual. Expectant mothers should not wait until the next day, as reduced movement can be a sign something is wrong and needs to be checked, the health service said. Some stillbirths happen due to complications with the placenta, a birth defect or the mother's heart. But in some cases no cause can be identified. If a baby has died in the womb, mothers may be able to give birth naturally or may have to be induced. Not all stillbirths can be prevented, but not smoking, avoiding alcohol and drugs during pregnancy and not sleeping on your back after 28 weeks can reduce the risk. Source: NHS Advertisement In the early stages of pregnancy, Ms Goodwin suffered from violent sickness and was admitted into hospital with dehydration. After frequently returning to the maternity unit, she was told she may have kidney stones and later a water infection. 'She wasn't well and nobody seemed to have an answer,' Dawn said. But in December when Ms Goodwin lost her mucus plug an accumulation of mucus that seals the entrance of the uterus she was rushed in an ambulance to Basildon Hospital, which has more advanced premature baby facilities. The plug of mucus that normally comes away at the start of labour, sometimes tinged with blood, typically indicates the cervix is starting to dilate. Doctors discovered her baby was smaller than expected but that she was not in labour. Ms Goodwin was discharged and referred back to Southend Hospital. At a follow-up appointment at Southend Hospital, doctors diagnosed her with Strep B, a common infection typically carried in the gut or vagina without symptoms. The infection does not require treatment until labour starts, when antibiotics should be given to reduce the risk of the baby developing it. After the stillbirth, Ms Goodwin and her partner, Matteo Furiello, spent two days with Valentina before she was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital for a post-mortem. The couple are now waiting to hold their daughter's funeral. Ms Goodwin said: 'The bereavement midwives that have supported me through my loss have been amazing. 'But since I left hospital on the 17th, I haven't had any more direct contact with the hospital. 'The idea of other people going through this horrible thing is just as awful it happens so often and it just gets brushed over. 'This has caused pain and lifelong trauma and I want people to know about it if it stops it happening again'. Dawn has called for additional procedures to protect mothers and babies, such as having two or more consultants who decide on a treatment plan. She added: 'If there were more checks, more scans, this might not have happened and my granddaughter would be here. 'We've had an outpouring of support online from friends and family and even other women who have had similar experiences at Southend Hospital. After the stillbirth, Ms Goodwin and her partner, Matteo Furiello, spent two days with Valentina before she was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital for a full post-mortem. The couple are now waiting to hold their daughter's funeral. Her mother Dawn (pictured right) has called for additional procedures to be implemented to protect mothers and babies Care regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), last year rated Southend University Hospital's maternity service as 'requires improvement'. Such a ruling means there is a risk of avoidable harm for mothers and babies under the CQC's criteria Your browser does not support iframes. The graphic shows the NHS trusts in England that have logged the biggest drop in midwives between September 2022 and July 2023 the latest data available. Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust has seen its midwife workforce drop 12.8 per cent over this nine-month period, while Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has 8.8 per cent fewer staff compared to ten months earlier, NHS workforce data shows 'We want a full investigation to learn what went wrong and I will fight to hold them negligent and sue them - some good has got to come out of this. 'No compensation will ever bring Valentina back but if we can stop this happening to other babies then we will.' The Care Quality Commission (CQC) last year rated Southend University Hospital's maternity service as 'requires improvement', meaning there is a risk of avoidable harm for mothers and babies. This ranking was given as part of the CQC's fresh inspection programme, launched in the wake of hundreds of baby deaths at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, which a two-year investigation blamed on staffing and training gaps as well as midwives being determined to keep C-section rates low. Diane Sarkar, chief nursing and quality officer for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'Our condolences go out to the family at this difficult time. 'We would like to reassure them that we have already begun a full investigation and that all stillbirths are automatically reviewed in line with national guidance. 'We are in close contact with the family and are keeping them informed on the progress of the investigation.' A new harder-to-kill species of bed bug is invading the US, experts say and may already have taken up residence in many northern cities. Once confined to countries near the equator, the species known as Cimex hemipterus or the tropical bed bug has already been confirmed in Florida and Hawaii. Unlike the common bed bug, the blood-sucking insect is resistant to virtually all insecticides likely thanks to their rampant overuse against mosquitoes. Its body composition means it is also able to evade traps like smooth-walled pitfall traps, which are set up underneath bed legs to catch the critters. It comes as outbreaks of the pest are rising in as many as 50 countries. Across the US, the cities experiencing the most outbreaks are in the Mid-West. Chicago, New York and Philadelphia residents should inspect their mattresses as experts report their cities ranked first, second and third for bed bugs in 2023. The new findings were built off economic data from both residential and commercial bed bug treatments Bedbugs are not disease carriers, but being bitten by one causes itchy red welts on the skin similar to poison ivy Entomologists at the University of California, Riverside, revealed the worrying spread of the blood-sucking critter in an article published in the Annual Review of Entomology. While nearly all cases were restricted to deprived areas of Africa and Asia after the mass use of insecticides nearly eradicated them in the wake of the Second World War, the insects have now 'resurged' and spread back into parts of Europe and America. Researchers say the tropical bedbug was spotted in Florida in 2016 for the first time in 60 years, and then in Hawaii where it was reported in 2020. Researchers fear, however, that heating and air con keeping buildings at constant temperatures year-round and the sudden return to pre-pandemic travel and more people traveling may have fueled the spread alongside resistance to insecticides. Cases of the insects being detected as far north as Russia and Norway suggest they are now able to survive in colder areas, they said. There are also fears that the pest could carry and transmit more harmful diseases between humans, possibly including hepatitis. The scientists, including Dr Chow-Yang Lee, from the University of California, Riverside, said: 'Most bed bug control products were developed for [the common bed bug], with the assumption that they would also work on [the tropical bed bug]. 'However, biological differences between the species are being discovered that have implications for the management of [the tropical bed bug]. 'A recent study demonstrated that [the tropical bed bug] readily escapes from pitfall traps that contain [the common bed bug], as the species has more hairs on its [legs], giving it more grip and enabling it to climb smooth surfaces. Natalie Brown (pictured), 28, was left covered in bedbug bites after she spent three days on a vacation in Benidorm, Spain The insets hide in mattress fabric and crevices before emerging at night to bite their sleeping victims. The bugs can also hide in clothing, furniture, and even books 'In contrast to [the common bed bug], which has several standard susceptible strains [to insecticides], no insecticide-susceptible strain of [the tropical bed bug] exists. 'Similarly, it is not known if [the tropical bed bug] produces different health impacts, perhaps due to the existence of different antigenic compounds in the saliva.' Warnings over bed bugs were sparked in London late last year after one caused panic when it was spotted on the subway. There were also concerns over outbreaks in France, after A-listers attending Fashion Week including Gigi Hadid and Paris Hilton reported seeing the insects at events. It was not clear whether these outbreaks were caused by the tropical kind. Bed bugs appeared to have been consigned to the history books in the 1940s thanks to powerful pesticides such as DDT which killed them instantly. But amid overuse of many chemicals, the insects have gained genetic mutations which make them resistant such as developing the ability to rapidly break down the toxins. They have also grown thicker exoskeletons which the chemicals are less likely to penetrate and kill the insects. This has allowed the insects to once again spread across the world largely unnoticed, thanks to many now not being used to the critters. Warning signs of an infestation include inflamed spots, which are often darker in the middle, and are located on the face, neck, arms or hands. Experts say they will be arranged in a rough line highlighting where the insect has sucked blood and cause a serious itch. To detect an infestation, patients are advised to search their bedding for rusty or reddish stains signs of crushed bed bugs or small black dots which are their feces. Infestations are notoriously difficult to treat, with many experts now no longer using chemicals because they just don't work. Instead, strategies include heating rooms to 120F (48C) to kill the insects, and hoovering in cracks and crevices such as plugs. It can take up to a month to eliminate an infestation, experts warn, because the insects are adept at avoiding being killed. Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia have recently been named as the bed bug capitals in the United States. Researchers at pest control giant Orkin looked at the number of bed bug treatments they issued across 50 major US cities to come up with the figures. They also pointed to Greensboro, North Carolina, as being a center with an emerging outbreak after the city jumped 25 places within a year, to enter the top 20 bed bug hotspots. Milwaukee, Wisconsin also jumped 15 places to number 25 on the list while Tampa, in Florida, went up by 10 to the 31st spot. In New York City, data shows about 440 outbreaks were reported in 2020, the latest year available. This is equivalent to 14 complaints a day, but down on the figure from 2014 when there were 875 complaints recorded. Vet experts recommend not allowing your cats to go outdoors Cats are common disease carriers because they hunt rodents and mammals Cats make the perfect pets - they're low maintenance and independent. But doctors warn they may be exposing you to any number of potentially deadly diseases. In the past few days, public health officials revealed the first person had died from Alaskapox - an extremely rare smallpox-like bacteria - and an Oregon resident was hospitalized with the Bubonic plague, an archaic disease that killed one-third of Europe's population in the 1300s. In both cases, the patients had caught the disease from a cat. Experts told DailyMail.com that cats are common carriers of disease because they can be domesticated animals that live and interact closely with humans, but that also wander outside and hunt infested rodents and small mammals. They then bring their prizes back home, exposing their human families to bacteria and parasites. With many of the diseases they can contract, cats do not show symptoms or show symptoms that may seem unconcerning to pet owners - meaning people may not take their pets to the vet for treatment, allowing the infection to progress and repeatedly exposing themselves to it. Additionally, some diseases can be transmitted through cat feces, which humans may frequently come into contact with while changing their cat's litter box. Cats, both feral and domestic, can carry numerous diseases - some of which can be passed on to humans While dogs can also harbor disease, they are less susceptible to some of the more common diseases in cats, like the plague, because dogs are inherently resistant to the bacteria that causes plague, making them a rare source for an infection. To keep your cats cute and cuddly and prevent them from festering - and passing on - disease, Dr Paola Cuevas, veterinary consultant at Catster, told DailyMail.com owners should not allow cats to lick them or encourage cats to bite or scratch them. Additionally, keeping your cat current on flea and tick preventative measures and vaccines is vital. She said: 'Keep up to date with your cats vaccination and deworming schedules, and ensure your cat gets a complete health check at least once a year. Ensure your cat is free from external parasites like fleas or ticks, which can be vectors of several diseases that can infect not only your cat but also you if you get bitten.' Below, DailyMail.com breaks down six potentially deadly diseases cats can pass to humans and how to protect yourself from contracting them. 'Black death': The bubonic plague Cats are highly susceptible to contacting the bubonic plague, once called 'black death,' and potentially passing it on to their owners. The animals are more vulnerable than other species because their bodies cannot efficiently clear the infection and they're more likely than other pets to chase and capture rodents, which can house the disease. Last week, Oregon health officials announced a resident was diagnosed with plague and is suspected of contracting the disease from their pet cat. This marks the first human plague case in the state in more than eight years. Humans are most likely to get the plague via bites from infected fleas, which pet cats can harbor and expose people to. In the Oregon case, Dr Richard Fawcett, a health officer for Deschutes County - where the patient resided - said the person's cat was very sick and displaying symptoms. The animal had an oozing abscess and the owner's infection likely started in a lymph node but had quickly progressed to infect the bloodstream. The patient was given antibiotics and has 'responded well' to treatment. Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, which can be transmitted when an infected flea bites an animal or human. Humans can become infected if their pets carry an infected flea into their homes and the flea then bites a human. They can also become infected by inhaling infectious droplets a sick cat has coughed into the air. Symptoms in cats include fever, low appetite and energy and swollen lymph nodes. Cats can develop pneumonia and may cough or have trouble breathing. Animals can be treated for plague with a course of antibiotics from a vet. There are two major types of plague: bubonic and pneumonic. Bubonic is most common in humans and symptoms include painful and swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, headache and weakness. The fatality rate is 30 to 60 percent, but antibiotic treatment is effective and should be started as soon as possible. Pneumonic plague symptoms include fever, chest pain, shortness of breath and quickly developing pneumonia. If left untreated, this strain of plague is nearly always fatal in humans. To avoid becoming sick, owners should limit contact with their sick cat and take the animal to the vet as soon as possible. 100% fatal neurological disorder: Rabies This neurological disease is spread by bites from infected animals and is deadly in virtually 100 percent of cases. Rabies spreads through contact with the saliva or brain tissue of an infected cat. Signs of rabies in cats include sudden behavioral changes, progressive paralysis, panting, restlessness and attacking animals, people and objects. Rabid animals typically die several days after symptoms start. The most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2020 estimated there were 250 rabid cats reported in the United States each year - compared to 60 to 70 dogs. Most of the rabid animals were unvaccinated against rabies and contracted the disease from wildlife like bats and raccoons. In humans, symptoms of rabies include fever, weakness, itching sensation, fear of water, hallucinations, paralysis and agitation. They can develop days or months after exposure and once a person shows symptoms, it is too late for treatment. In the US, rabies cases in humans are rare, with just one to three being reported each year. To prevent your cat from contracting rabies - and potentially passing it on to you - owners should get pets vaccinated against the disease at their vet's office. Additionally, if a person suspects they have come into contact with a rabid animal, they should immediately see a doctor to begin prophylaxis treatment. Death from rare smallpox-like virus: Alaskapox Known as AKPV, Alaskapox is a disease closely related to smallpox and monkeypox and was first discovered by scientists in Alaska in 2015. It is typically carried by small mammals. Just seven cases of the virus have ever been reported since 2015 and earlier this month, an elderly, immuno-compromised man in Alaska died from kidney failure after contracting AKPV. The man, who was undergoing cancer treatments, is thought to be first person to die from disease. Alaskan health officials reported the man was caring for a stray cat near his home that regularly hunted small mammals and scratched the patient, with one notable scratch near his armpit. He later developed a small bump near in the area. The officials noted the stray cat was 'a possible source' of infection. Symptoms of Alaskapox include skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes and joint and muscle pain. Nearly all patients recorded with the virus had mild illnesses that resolved on their own after several weeks. Health officials recommend covering any skin lesions that develop and avoid touching the sore. Birth defects from cat poop: Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis is caused by toxoplasma gondii, a parasite found in soil, water or feces from an infected cat. Cats often catch toxoplasmosis by eating infected rodents and birds. The disease can be transmitted to humans by coming into contact with contaminated cat poop, which they may be exposed to while changing a cat's litter box. Anyone can contract the parasite, but pregnant women are especially vulnerable and are at severe risk of health complications. Toxoplasmosis can cause birth defects in fetuses. Cats with the disease rarely show symptoms and can shed the parasite in their feces for up to three weeks after initial infection. In humans, most healthy people won't exhibit any signs either. Some may experience flu-like symptoms or in rare cases develop eye disease. Immuno-compromised people can develop brain disease. Dr Cuevas told DailyMail.com: 'A cat is a definitive host and often carrier of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and because it can infect a fetus transplacentally, it is not recommended for pregnant women to handle litterboxes.' Because cats that hunt or are allowed outdoors are at an increased risk for contracting Toxoplasma gondii, Dr Cuevas recommends keeping animals indoors at all times. She added: 'A cat that likes to hunt and eat or, like many house cats, bring back their prey, can expose themselves or their family members to zoonotic diseases from bacteria.' According to the CDC, more than 40million people in the US carry the parasite, but most are not affected because the body's immune system is strong enough to fight it off. For pregnant women or people severely sickened by the parasite, a combination of drugs can be used to treat the infection. In cats, an antibiotic, along with steroids, is used for treatment. To keep your cats cute and cuddly and prevent them from festering - and passing on - disease, Dr Paola Cuevas , veterinary consultant at Catster, told DailyMail.com owners should not allow cats to lick them or encourage cats to bite or scratch them Deadly fungus: Sporotrichosis Sporotrichosis is caused by a fungus in the environment and typically spreads through a cut or scrape in the skin or from cats to humans by scratches or bites. The fungus is widespread across the globe in soil and on plant matter. Cats may become infected with the fungus when roaming outside and can pass it to humans through a scratch or bite. Cats with the infection often don't show symptoms, but signs can begin as small draining wounds that evolve into raised lumps. In humans, three forms of Sporotrichosis can develop. The skin form begins with a painless bump that develops into an open sore or ulcer. The disseminated form of Sporotrichosis infects the internal organs and bones and the pulmonary form leads to a cough, trouble breathing, chest pain and fever. The latter two forms of the infection can be very serious and sometimes deadly. Treatment in humans includes three to six months of antifungal medications. For more severe cases, intravenous medications, as well as surgery to cut away dead tissue, may be necessary. Cats infected with the fungus are also treated with antifungal medications. Sporotrichosis is not surveilled by national health agencies and the CDC said the infection is extremely rare in the United States, at an estimated rate of one case per 1million people. A 2020 CDC report found between 2012 and 2018, of 76 million people analyzed, 1,322 had received a diagnosis of Sporotrichosis. The most cases were observed in Oklahoma (six), followed by Michigan (four) and Kansas (3.5). Historically, cats have not been reported as a common source for this infection. The most common source of Sporotrichosis has been peat moss grown in Wisconsin and shipped to other states. Violent diarrhea: C. difficile C. diff is a germ that causes diarrhea and inflammation of the colon. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, loss of appetite, nausea and stomach pain. The CDC estimates there are 500,000 C. diff infections in the US each year and it kills 15,000 to 30,000 people annually. While it had been theorized that animals could pass the infection to humans, it had never been proven. But in an October patient case report, it was revealed that a healthy woman in Texas who had been suffering violent diarrhea for months caught C. diff from her pet cat. The cat exhibited no symptoms but swabs from the animal and owner revealed both were infected with the same strains of C. diff. Treatment for C. diff typically includes a 10-day course of antibiotics. The price of bitcoin rocketed beyond $50,000 today, as investors continue to pile into new spot ETFs which received approval last month. It marks a significant turnaround for the cryptocurrency which fell to a low of $16,000 in the wake of the collapse of FTX in 2022. In 2023, it languished between $20,000 and $30,000 for much of the year before reaching $43,000 by December in anticipation of the US regulator's approval of bitcoin spot ETFs, which track the price of the cryptocurrency. The approval of bitcoin ETFs in the US have pushed the price of the cryptocurrency higher It neared the $48,000 mark for the first time in a year ahead of the decision before dropping to $38,000 following the decision. But in the last seven days, bitcoin has gained 16.7 per cent. At the start of last week, bitcoin made moderate gains, pushing the price above $43,000 before showing signs of further momentum to close above $47,000 on Friday. Bitcoin is now trading at $50,066 as of 5.30pm UK time. Matteo Greco, research analyst at Fineqia International said: 'The primary driver behind this price appreciation can be attributed to the increased inflow into BTC spot ETFs. 'As anticipated in previous weeks, the outflow from the Grayscale Bitcoin ETF (GBTC) was expected to diminish after the initial couple of weeks of trading. 'This expectation materialized, with GBTC outflows showing a significant decrease in the final days of January and continuing to decline through February.' On the up: The price of bitcoin is at the highest level since the end of 2021 At the end of January, the Security and Exchanges Commission gave approval for the launch of 11 bitcoin ETFs, including funds from Wall Street giants BlackRock and Fidelity. The SEC's decision marks a significant milestone for cryptocurrencies in gaining mainstream acceptance. Previously, the only way to buy bitcoin is from an exchange, which can be a initimidating process and involves confusing technical aspects like wallets and keys. Among the newly launched Bitcoin ETFS, Blackrock holds about $4.2 billion in assets under management (AUM), according to Fineqia, followed by Fidelity with approximately $3.5 billion in AUM. Greco added: 'Trading volumes remain exceptionally high, with a cumulative volume of about $5.5 billion recorded in the past week, equating to a daily trading volume of approximately $1.1 billion. 'Since their inception, cumulative trading volumes have reached $35.6 billion, with an average daily trading volume of around $1.7 billion.' The second-leading cryptocurrency ethereum has also benefited from Bitcoin's bounce back and is up 11.3 per cent in the last week to trade at $2,551. I am planning to buy my first home this year, have a deposit saved and have just started viewing properties. I currently rent, but will be moving out soon as the landlord will only renew the lease on a fixed one-year term which I don't want to commit to given my plans to buy. A family member has kindly offered to let me stay with her rent-free for a few months until I buy. If I take her up on it, I will be able to save a bit more, but the move will also require a long and expensive train commute to work. That said, I'd be very grateful not to have to worry about timing my purchase with the end of a rental lease. On the ladder: Our reader currently rents and is keen to buy their first home - but will be living with family in the meantime and is worried this could affect their credit score While my total spending won't change much, what I am spending money on will be drastically different and I'm wondering if this would affect a mortgage application. I have been paying rent for the last 15 years, and suddenly would not be paying any - though I would obviously be contributing to bills and food. On the other hand, my transport expenses would temporarily quadruple - but this would vastly reduce again once I moved into my new home. Is this something a mortgage lender would be bothered about? I also won't be named on any of the household bills, so could this cause problems with credit checks and proof of address? Should I get a mortgage in principle before or after I move out of my rented home? Ed Magnus of This is Money replies: Mortgage applications can be daunting, particularly when you're new to the experience and may not be sure what boxes you need to tick to be successful. After having done all the hard work by saving for a deposit, being denied a mortgage for a 'computer says no' style algorithmic error caused by a temporary change of address or circumstance would be a kick in the teeth - to put it mildly. The reality is that first-time buyers get rejected by mortgage lenders for all manner of reasons. Issues around credit history and not being on the electoral roll are two such reasons that could cause an application to be denied. A poor credit score or record raises alarm bells for lenders because they want to make sure you're going to be a reliable borrower. When applying for a mortgage, the lender will typically want to see proof of identity and address. For example, a scanned passport and a utility bill. They will also want to see your most recent bank statements, as well as your latest payslips if you are employed or your latest two or three years of tax returns if self-employed. Lenders will want to see that the information shown on these documents lines up. If the addresses are different, that could cause an issue - though living with family is not uncommon among first-time buyers and is a situation that can be fairly easily explained. To help further advise our reader, we spoke to Karen Noye, a mortgage expert at Quilter and Nicholas Mendes, mortgage technical manager at broker, John Charcol. Will their travel expenses be a problem? Karen Noye says lenders will take future changes in circumstances into consideration Nicholas Mendes replies: No, lenders take into consideration your future circumstances. As your travel will be cheaper once you move into the property, the lender will accept reduced travel costs as part of their affordability assessment. Karen Noye replies: Lenders do take spending into consideration, and some will use ONS data to look at averages while others ask for specified amounts such as your council tax costs, insurance and travel costs. Where your travel costs will reduce on moving as a result of being closer to work, the lender will take this into consideration when assessing affordability, and they tend to look at the purchase address in relation to your work address to check that it is feasible. Additionally, applications will require the last three years of your address history, so you will have the opportunity to provide full notes within your application regarding your circumstances, why your travel costs have increased, and that the move will mean you are closer to work again and will therefore reduce the costs in the future. Lenders are generally happy with this level of explanation but may sometimes require additional information or proof. What about not being named on any household bills? Nicholas Mendes warns that not updating address records could impact your credit history and hinder your application Nicholas Mendes replies: When you move into a new address, even temporarily, it's important to make sure your records are up to date with your bank, electoral register, and driving license. Not updating key records could impact your credit history and hinder your application. Lenders typically require your last three years of address history as part of their assessment. Karen Noye adds: Once you have moved into your new address, even if temporary, it is important to ensure you update your address as soon as possible with your employer and bank, as well as on any finance agreements and the electoral roll, among others. In terms of credit checks, if your address is updated straight away, you will be able to use a bank statement for proof of address. Not all household bills show on credit files as it depends on the provider, and there are other ways to help build or maintain your credit score, such as correctly-managed credit cards. When should they get their agreement in principle? Karen Noye replies: If you get an agreement in principle now and then move out, you will need to update the lender and the lender will then re-run the credit check due to it being a material change in your circumstances. I would therefore suggest waiting until you have moved, unless you are looking to make an offer on a property in the immediate future. If you do apply for a mortgage in principle before moving out, then it is important to update the broker or lender once you do. Check: A poor credit score or record raises alarm bells for lenders because they want to make sure you're going to be a reliable borrower Nicholas Mendes adds: I would recommend any prospective buyer to get an agreement in principle straight away. Knowing what they can borrow can help ensure they are looking at the right properties that fit their budget, but also alert them to any issues that are limiting their ability to secure the property they want. How important is their credit score? Nicholas Mendes replies: Your credit score and history are incredibly important factors when applying for a mortgage, since it indicates to lenders how likely you are to pay back money loaned to you. Mortgage lenders typically look at reports from either of the three major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. How can they improve it? Nicholas Mendes adds: If your credit score isn't quite up to scratch, you should aim to improve it over time. You can do this by registering on the electoral roll, making payments on time, reducing your existing debt and checking your credit report for errors and disputing any inaccuracies. But critics raised concerns pension money will never be paid back in It also includes housing deposit loans repayable through the tax system Proposals form part of plan sent to Chancellor by Housing and Finance Institute Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is being urged to allow first time buyers to take money from their pension contributions to fund a deposit on a home. The proposals form part of new report sent to the Chancellor ahead of his 6 March Budget, by the cross-party Housing and Finance Institute. The HFI says that if its advice is heeded, it will bring home ownership within reach of tens of thousands of young people currently priced out of the housing market. Jeremy Hunt is being urged to allow first time buyers to use their pension contributions for mortgage deposits The report also calls on the Chancellor to introduce new Government-backed housing deposit guarantees, and housing deposit loans which would be repayable through the tax system in the same way as student loans. The HFI estimates the pension transfer and new Government loan schemes recommended in the report could result in 30,000 more people being able to get on to the housing ladder every year. It also pointed to the fact that first-time buyers are getting older. Sir Steve Bullock, chair of the HFI and former Labour Mayor of Lewisham, said: 'From homelessness and affordable housing to home ownership and house building, the housing crisis is getting worse. 'The measures in this report are practical steps that can be taken in the Budget to end the housing crisis.' Natalie Elphicke, a Conservative MP and head of housing delivery at the HFI, added: 'Help for first-time buyers to raise a mortgage deposit must be a key priority in this budget. How big a deposit do first-time buyers need around Britain? The average deposit needed to get on the housing ladder fell 15% last year, according to one of the UK's largest mortgage lenders. 'Government housing deposit loans and a pension transfer scheme would help kickstart the sluggish housing market and bring home ownership back within reach of tens of thousands of under-40s currently priced out of the market.' However, industry experts have voiced concerns about encouraging young people to take money out of their private pension which may never get replaced. They have also said that, while policies such as these may help more people onto the ladder, they will also have the effect of pushing up house prices further for those that come after. Peter Bill, author of Property Planet and co-author of Broken Homes: Britain's Housing Crisis: Faults, Factoids and Fixes says: 'The idea may attract buyers keen to get on the ladder. But they would be very wise to top up their pot later. 'Fiscal incentives may put a few more folk on the housing ladder. But they tend to put prices up, not down.' North London estate agent and former chairman of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Jeremy Leaf added: 'The trouble with releasing pension monies for a property purchase is that the pension forms part of your bigger savings outlook. 'I worry people may be compromised by putting all their eggs in one basket by taking those funds and putting them into property. Concerns: Peter Bill says allowing first-time buyers to tap pensions for property cash could push up house prices 'And not everyone has a private pension they can dip into to cover their deposit, so will some be disadvantaged or unable to participate in a scheme which is linked in this way.' Another measure to help first-time buyers which is tipped for inclusion in the Budget is a scheme to allow some to borrow mortgages with just a 1 per cent deposit. There have also been calls to reduce the rate of stamp duty, or cut it altogether. The HFI report also calls for the building of 100,000 new affordable homes, arguing the Government and local councils stand to save over 3billion a year in rent paid to private housing providers while boosting the economy by 15 billion. The HFI says the cost of building the new homes would be heavily offset by reductions in the housing benefit bill which costs over 20 billion each year. Reducing discounts on Right to Buy deals would also help to fund the scheme, it proposed. Further measures in the report included a plan to ease pressure on the green belt by building on disused 'brown belt' land. These are islands of brownfield land inside the greenbelt, such as a disused airfield or factory, which it argued should be made available for redevelopment into housing. A controversial education charity that encouraged three-year-old toddlers to question their gender has mysteriously shut down, MailOnline can reveal. LGBTQ+ charity Educate and Celebrate was founded by Dr Elly Barnes, a teacher who received an MBE for her contribution to equality and diversity in education but has since seen her charity and herself rocked by scandal. When it was running, Educate and Celebrate said it hoped to 'embed gender, gender identity and sexual orientation into the fabric' of organisations including primary schools. However, after a series of controversies - from encouraging three-year-olds to question their gender to pushing to replace 'Sir' and 'Miss' with gender-neutral terms - the charity has shut down. Its latest accounts reveal a deficit between expenditure and income of more than 30,000. Educate and Celebrate was founded by Dr Elly Barnes (pictured), a teacher who received an MBE for her contribution to equality and diversity in education but has since seen her charity and herself rocked by scandal A statement on the Charity Commission's website confirmed the controversial charity is shutting down Educate and Celebrate found itself embroiled in controversy when one of its patrons - a trans comic called Jordan Gray - stripped naked during a TV skit to expose their penis Reverend Dr Bernard Randall, 51, (pictured) refused to chant 'smash heteronormativity' during an Educate and Celebrate session The charity formally asked to close itself down on January 3. It will now be removed as a registered charity on the Government website in three months. When approached by MailOnline, the charity wouldn't confirm the exact reason it had shut down but suggested its work was not finished. The chair of trustees Julie Bremner - who was a civil servant for 31 years - said: 'It was our decision to close the charity. 'We are all long serving teachers, school leaders and academics who have dedicated our careers to inclusion in education. 'We will continue our much-needed work through new projects.' Rev Randall was dismissed by Trent College (pictured), Derbyshire, after the school flagged him to the government's Prevent programme for giving a sermon that was 'harmful to LGBT' students Educate and Celebrate founder Dr Elly Barnes seemed to be enjoying renewed success after winning an 'information' award for her Pride-themed learn-the-alphabet book for three-year-olds. The book's description said: 'ABC Pride introduces little readers to the alphabet through the colourful world of Pride. 'Children can discover letters and words while also learning more about the LGBTQIA+ community and how to be inclusive.' Yet just months later the charity Dr Barnes founded is shutting down. Both the charity's and Dr Barnes's websites are no longer online. The Family Education Trust's Lucy Marsh told MailOnline: 'Dr Elly Barnes has been open about her plan to smash heteronormativity in schools so it's unfathomable that anyone from this organisation has been allowed in contact with children, since they clearly want to indoctrinate young children with their agenda to promote queer theory and gender ideology. 'We hope that it is permanently shut down rather than being reinvented under a new name to continue sexualising and indoctrinating children. 'The Government must crack down on third party RSE organisations having free rein in schools. 'Organisations which work to indoctrinate children like this should not have charitable status.' In 2017, the charity put books encouraging children to question their gender on their reading lists for nurseries and primary schools - meaning kids as young as three would be reading them. Just last year, a teacher was filmed reading children one of the books at a school in St Albans. That recording came after MailOnline revealed last year the shocking lesson plans that showed kids are being taught about anal sex and orgasms before they have reached puberty and encouraging them to be 'private' if they wished to masturbate. In 2021, the charity became embroiled in a bitter dispute between a fee-paying boarding school and a Christian chaplain who was sacked for refusing to chant 'smash heteronormativity'. Reverend Dr Bernard Randall, 51, from Long Eaton, Derbyshire, did not join in the 'chant' when urged to do so by the leader of Educate and Celebrate Dr Elly Barnes during a session at the independent Trent College in Long Eaton, Derbyshire. Rev Randall was dismissed by Trent College after the school flagged him to the government's Prevent programme for giving a sermon that was 'harmful to LGBT' students. Police investigated the tip-off but advised the school by email that Dr Randall posed 'no counter terrorism risk, or risk of radicalisation'. In the sermon he had told the children they were not compelled to 'accept an ideology they disagree with', adding that it is, 'perfectly legitimate to think that marriage should only properly be understood as being a lifelong exclusive union of a man and a woman'. Dr Elly Barnes (pictured) founded the controversial charity Educate and Celebrate In 2017, the charity put books encouraging children to question their gender on their reading lists for nurseries and primary schools. Last year, a teacher was filmed reading children one of the books (pictured) at a school in St Albans Introducing Teddy (pictured) is a children's book about a male teddy bear called Thomas who feels he was born in the wrong body Two years after he was sacked, the chaplain lost his case for unfair dismissal. At the time, he told the Mail it was a 'blow for free speech and Christian freedoms'. In 2022, Dr Elly Barnes found was slapped down by the Government for telling teachers they ought to be moving towards a 'gender-free model' in education. During a session funded by the National Education Union, Dr Barnes recommended dropping words such as 'boy', 'girl', 'son' and 'mother' and replacing them with gender-neutral phrases. Her mind-boggling suggestion was criticised by the Department for Education (DfE). A DfE spokesperson said the suggestions were 'inappropriate and completely unnecessary'. They added: 'It should not be happening in our classrooms.' Later that year, Educate and Celebrate found itself embroiled in even more controversy when one of its patrons - a trans comic called Jordan Gray - stripped naked during a TV skit to expose their penis. Gray was concluding an expletive-filled song about being a trans woman during Channel 4's revival of Friday Night Live when the Educate and Celebrate patron stripped off in front of a whooping audience. Critics branded the gimmick 'disgraceful' and 'offensive' as more than 1,400 viewers complained to the broadcast watchdog Ofcom. Referencing the lewd skit, charity Educate and Celebrate, said they had removed the performer as a patron. Gray had claimed they go into schools to 'talk about gender' on behalf of Educate and Celebrate, adding that 'toddlers kind of get it straight away'. However, the charity said in a statement they believe Gray had 'never gone into schools' on their behalf and they had never asked them to carry out work for the organisation. A Charity Commission spokesperson said: 'On January 3, 2024, the trustees of Educate and Celebrate submitted a dissolution form to the Commission with a declaration that the charity had fulfilled its purpose and had applied all of its remaining funds in furtherance of its objects. 'As a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) the Commission has instigated the removal process for the charity by placing a notice on our website, in line with the CIO regulations, advising of our intention to dissolve the CIO after the required three month notice period has expired.' The Labor government is seeking to remove ministerial oversight over which research programs receive taxpayer funding, in a move criticised as 'irresponsible' and 'undemocratic'. As it stands, any research undertaken by the Australian Research Council (ARC) is subject to ministerial discretion, and proposals can be rejected if they're deemed to be 'not in the national interest'. But a new bill introduced by Education Minister Jason Clare is attempting to remove that ministerial oversight and instead allow ARC complete independence to grant taxpayer dollars to research topics as it sees fit. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Shadow Education Minister Sarah Henderson said Labor is risking 'wasteful or questionable projects which may involve inappropriate costs' to be funded 'without recourse'. Of thousands of ARC research projects which have been conducted over the years, the Coalition minister of the day intervened on just 32 occasions. Among projects that were pitched - and subsequently rejected - were investigations into 'gender liminality and globalisation, transgender and transnationalism in contemporary Polynesia' and 'dress and second wave feminism in the Philippines' (pictured, a drag queen performing in the Philippines in 2023) Among projects that were pitched - and subsequently rejected - were investigations into 'gender liminality and globalisation, transgender and transnationalism in contemporary Polynesia' and 'dress and second wave feminism in the Philippines'. Another was titled 'Perverse Corporealities: Self-Transformation and the Sexual Body in Contemporary Queer and Gender Theory, while a 'history of Australian men's dress' between 1870 and 1970 was also rejected by the former Coalition government. Others investigated Communist style in Hollywood before it was blacklisted, and love in modern Korea. Manager of Opposition Business Paul Fletcher expanded on details of rejected projects this week, in an attempt to allow Australians to 'draw their own conclusions' about the risks of removing governmental oversight. 'These were projects which were seeking to have taxpayer funding,' he said. 'Queer Tokyo: a cultural history. Beauty and ugliness as persuasive tools in changing China's gender norms. 'In the 2021-22 financial year, there were nearly 600 discovery projects awarded. Just six of the recommendations made by the chief executive were rejected by the minister of the day.' A research project into the 'history of Australian men's dress' between 1870 and 1970 was also rejected by the former Coalition government Poll Should the government of the day be accountable to taxpayers over research grants? YES NO Should the government of the day be accountable to taxpayers over research grants? YES 104 votes NO 9 votes Now share your opinion Senator Henderson said: 'This is a bad policy from a very bad government.' Acknowledging the importance of Australia's research sector in 'driving innovation, advancing our economy and building a globally competitive nation', Ms Henderson said the government must still remain ultimately responsible for 'expending taxpayer funds in the national interest'. 'Labors proposal to outsource public funding decisions for more than half a billion dollars to an Australian Research Council (ARC) board, unaccountable to the Parliament, is irresponsible,' she said. 'It is also contrary to our system of parliamentary democracy which ensures that elected representatives are accountable to the Australian people, not untouchable boards or committees.' Both Mr Fletcher and Ms Henderson noted the government intends to retain the ability to approve grants for other research programs as it sees fit, including centres of excellence and research hubs. Mr Fletcher said: 'These projects on an individual basis tend to be of the highest monetary value. Is it, possibly, perhaps because the minister wishes to retain his discretion in relation to the projects that will provide the biggest ribbon-cutting or photo opportunities?' He also accused the government of 'removing its accountability for any decisions to the parliament and, ultimately, the Australian people' by 'outsourcing decisions to a board'. This financial year, ARC has awarded some $895million in research grants, supporting 5,900 new and ongoing projects. Minister Jason Clare said the changes in the proposed legislation were recommended to him via an indepedent review which concluded 'we need to get the politics out of it' Minister Jason Clare said the changes in the proposed legislation were recommended to him via an indepedent review which concluded 'we need to get the politics out of it'. 'In recent times, the ARC has been bedevilled by political interference and ministerial delays. '[We must] end the days of ministers vetoing things they didn't like the title of.' Under the new legislation, an ARC board appointed by the minister will approve of grants. The board must include a First Nations representative, and a regional, remote or rural representative. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Shadow Education Minister Sarah Henderson said Labor is risking 'wasteful or questionable projects which may involve inappropriate costs' to be funded 'without recourse' EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Toddlers receiving gender affirming care in Australian hospital Advertisement 'This is one of the critical changes recommended by the review. Under the existing act, these decisions are made by the minister,' he said. 'Every decision. On thousands of grants. 'Over time this has allowed for political interference to seep into what should be an independent, peer reviewed process aimed at expanding our nation's knowledge base. 'The establishment of the board as the approving body will get the politics out of this.' Mr Clare said the minister of the day would have the power to 'direct the board not to approve a grant, or to terminate funding for a grant... based on national security grounds'. Doing so qould require notifying the parliament and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. A young Aussie has explained why they dislike Australia - but still chooses to stay despite considering it a racist country. The young man spoke out after being approached by social media star Jasky Singh on the street for a video that has been posted to social media. Mr Singh asked him what he thought of Australia Day. 'Well, today is a day that celebrates genocide, and that's what we're here to oppose,' he said. 'We think that it's not a day to celebrate and I don't think Australia should be celebrated at all actually.' Mr Singh asked why he believe Australia should not be celebrated. Perth performer and comedian, 'Mr Sikkant', (pictured) interviewed a young man about Australia Day and was taken aback by his response The man pointed to the historical and ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous Australians, stating that they face oppression on a daily basis. 'It was founded on the genocide of the Indigenous people and like the ongoing dispossession of land and oppression of Indigenous people in prisons,' he said. 'Like deaths in police custody, torture in prisons of children driven to suicide, like it happens, you know, that's the kind of system Australia is every day. ' He went on to say Australia is a 'racist country' and 'racist state'. Mr Singh appeared to be shocked at his answer, and said he was happy about living in Australia after migrating to another country. 'For me, as a migrant, I'm really happy I live here. It's very interesting for me to hear that someone who lives here does not like Australia. The young Aussie hit back, saying: 'I think Australia is really racist against migrants as well. You see Liberal politicians whipping up anti-migrant hysteria all the time. ' Mr Singh then asked why he wouldn't just move to another country if he disliked Australia so much. The young man labelled Australia as a 'racist country' and claimed to not like Australia 'at all'. He added he would not move out of Australia despite his feelings, claiming Aussies should fight against racism 'No, because I think we should fight oppression and inequality. 'Racism is caused by capitalism, and we need to overthrow capitalism to get rid of racism. Get rid of it. Get rid of racism.' Aussies were divided about the young man's views. 'Gen Z is the lost generation. They are brain washed and can't think for themselves. They need a wake-up call,' one said. 'This person was already on the defensive from the start. Gen Z says they are open-minded but only if their views are agreed with,' a second added. Others labelled the young man a legend and said he made some interesting points. 'I'm not Gen Z, but he has some interesting thoughts. Seemed a little nervous, but that's understandable in that situation,' one person commented. A second person wrote: 'Love his response, absolute legend.' A third added: 'He's very articulate. Kudos to young people like him fighting for a cause they believe in.' Selfish, baffling and infuriating - those angered by the Bakers Delight founder's funding of the Voice No campaign have lashed out at his stance and are preparing to stage a righteous boycott as a result. Other Aussies are queuing up outside stores, either to show their support for his right to fund whatever cause he sees fit, or just to get a cheese and bacon roll. Earlier this month, it was revealed company founder Roger Gillespie was among those who financially supported the Advance Australia lobby group - one of the bigger organisations to campaign against the Voice. Mr Gillespie told the Australian Financial Review he donated $20,000 to Advance and $14,000 to the Liberal Party in 2022 'due to its position on the (Voice) referendum'. The revelation led several left-wing Aussies to call for a boycott - while others, such as ex-Federal MP Craig Kelly, doubled down on their support for the chain, buying up big on baked goods. One loyal Bakers Delight customer shared a viral photo of a lengthy queue outside his local store just hours later, quipping: 'What is the opposite of "Go Woke, Go Broke?"'. A loyal Bakers Delight customer used a photo of a queue outside his local store as proof Aussies were supporting the chain Shakinah, in her 20s, said she does not plan to boycott Bakers Delight just because the founder donated to the No campaign Daily Mail Australia took to the streets of Sydney to see how customers really felt about Mr Gillespie's donations. Shakinah, in her 20s, had just left a Baker's Delight store when Daily Mail Australia informed her of the controversy. 'Oh, I didn't know that, wow. It's a bit selfish donating money to people who don't support the cause. 'I feel like he should just stay out of it, lt's not his business,' she said. 'But I'm not going to boycott.' Luka, in her 20s, used to work at Baker's Delight and said the founder's contributions to the No camp had made her mind up to never return. She did not want her face photographed for fear of backlash. 'Baker's Delight is such a popular place all around Australia and the fact that I didn't even know that I was basically supporting the No campaign makes me very mad,' she said. 'I don't want my bread to be political and I might boycott Baker's just like I'm boycotting Maccas because of their support of Israel.' Luka, in her 20s, is an ex-Baker's Delight employee who left the company in 2021 for an unrelated reason. She says she will never eat there again Tim, in his 40s, said that Mr Gillespie wasted his money since the referendum was a resounding No anyway Tim, in his 40s, was against the founder's donations, but said it was up to every individual to respond as they saw fit. 'If people want to boycott it then that's their choice,' he said. 'People who spend money trying to stop progress, especially social progress, I find that baffling. 'I don't really shop at Bakers Delight anyway, but all I can say to the founder is: what a waste of money that was.' A Bakers Delight franchisee who was happy to share his opinion, but asked to remain anonymous, said: 'I'm an immigrant, I grew up outside of Australia and came here. 'When the Voice referendum happened I wanted to see how the Australian public as such thought about it and it was declined. That's the beauty of democracy. 'But concerning the founder's donations, all I can say that I've been with Bakers Delight for all of my life here and I know the incredible things that they have done for me. 'So I don't have a view on that in the sense that any person can have a view, right or wrong, but I think if he has that view and if he has the courage to say it in the open then I don't have an issue with that.' Lucinda, in her 20s, felt it was sneaky that the donations were made in private Lucinda, in her 20s, said the public should feel duped, as nobody knew about the donations until months after the referendum was over. 'I feel like that's inappropriate for him to get involved,' she said. 'We didn't know until now and the matter is already said and done so it just feels sneaky and it's something that I just don't agree with. 'I don't think I'll be going back, honestly.' Kate, in her 40s, said that the franchisees should not be held responsible for Mr Gillespie's donations - and won't be boycotting Kate, in her 40s, was a Yes supporter, but said any boycott was ill-conceived because it would be the individual franchise owners - and their staff - that would suffer. 'I wouldn't be boycotting Bakers Delight because it's a (franchise)... so I believe that each location is owned individually,' she said. 'On one hand I was very disappointed with the outcome of the referendum so my initial response is to think negatively, but I guess you're allowed to donate your own money politically as you see fit. 'I suppose if all the Bakers Delight owners didn't have a group decision on it, then me not taking my patronage there is unfair to whoever owns that particular store, because their name has been tarnished by something that is out of their control.' Others who wished to remain anonymous said that it was not their place to judge others One Bakers Delight customer, who wished to remain anonymous, was opposed to the Voice but said the political views of the founder were his own business, and in line with the majority of Australians, judging by the referendum result. 'I'm not a fan of how the Voice referendum turned out but I've heard a lot of the elders who told us to vote No, and that's what I've heard from people that actually know Aboriginal elders,' she said. 'The founder of Bakers Delight donating doesn't make me happy but I'm not going to boycott the stores. Everyone has a right to their own opinion and that's what he wanted to do. 'If he supports Liberal stuff then he's just talking about what he likes and everyone's entitled to their opinion and they can donate whatever way they want. 'It's not that crazy.' Bakers Delight founder Roger Gillespie (right) and his wife Lesley are pictured The Indigenous Voice to Parliament was roundly defeated, losing in every state and winning only in the ACT, last October. When it was revealed that Mr Gillespie had donated tens of thousands to the No campaign, backlash erupted online and many quickly called for a boycott. 'Bakers Delight, it turns out, are not delightful at all. Boycott,' wrote one person on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. 'Will not be buying anything from Bakers Delight again,' said another. But there was also a lot of support for Mr Gillespie and the bakery chain. 'I will continue to support #BakersDelight, great products and sensible management,' wrote one. 'Thank you Bakers Delight, will be making sure to buy more from your stores from today!' said another. Bakers Delight and Mr Gillespie were approached for comment. Craig Kelly thanked boycotters for 'giving this wonderful Australian company such publicity' The Tories appear to be resigned to losing yet another seat in a by-election this week as the party puts little effort into campaigning. The party is defending a majority of more than 11,000 on Thursday in a vote caused by the resignation of former minister Chris Skidmore. But the betting is heavily on Labour to win - and the Tories seem to to agree. Analysis by MailOnline shows that fewer than a dozen Tory MPs have visited the South Gloucestershire seat to campaign for local councillor Sam Bromiley in the run-up to the by-election. The most high profile has been Lee Anderson, the former party chairman who quit last month over Rishi Sunak's immigration policies. Mr Sunak himself passed within 10 miles of the seat last week as he travelled from a campaign visit to Plymouth to his home in North Yorkshire, but did not drop in. In contrast more than 30 Labour MPs including leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Rees have visited to back Damien Egan, who was raised in the area but is a former mayor of Lewisham in London. Today Security Minister Tom Tugendhat appeared to confirm he had not visited, in an appearance on Good Morning Britain today. Pressed on whether he had campaigned in the seat in the suburbs of Bristol, 120 miles from Westminster, he said: 'Kingswood is a long way away.' Analysis by MailOnline shows that fewer than a dozen Tory MPs have visited the seat in the suburbs of Bristol to campaign for Sam Bromiley in the run-up to the by-election. The most high profile has been Lee Anderson, the former party chairman who quit last month over Rishi Sunak's immigration policies. In contrast more than 30 Labour MPs including leader Sir Keir Starmer (above) and shadow chancellor Rachel Rees (below) have visited to back Damien Egan. Mr Sunak himself passed within 10 miles of the seat last week as he travelled from a campaign visit to Plymouth with Johnny Mercer (pictured) to his home in North Yorkshire, but did not drop in. It was put to him that this may 'tell us something', to which he replied: 'It tells you that I've been speaking at different events across the country. I've been supporting people in different areas.' Kingswood is one of two seats the party is expected to lose when voters go to the polls on Thursday. They are also contesting Wellingborough, where the party is also in danger of losing a seat vacated by the removal of MP Peter Bone over sexual misconduct. The party has installed his girlfriend, Helen Harrison, as its candidate in Northamptonshire. In Kingswood, in South Gloucestershire, Mr Skidmore stood down before Christmas in protest at Rishi Sunak's green retreat on climate change issues, rather than hang around for a few more months until the general election later this year. Privately Tories do not rate their chances of holding onto the seat. They blamed the way Mr Skidmore had quit so close to a general election, saying its was seen as 'pretty self-indulgent' not to wait until the national vote, landing the taxpayer with a 250,000 bill. One Tory campaigner admitted the effort put in by MPs was 'proportionate' to the party's chances of winning the seat. They said that voters were not switching to Labour in large numbers but there were signs from canvassing that Tory voters planned to simply stay at home on Thursday night. 'It is not as bad as you might expect, I had to pinch myself,' they told MailOnline. 'It probably says more about the good manners of the Bristol electorate. But the good news on the doorstep is that they are staying at home, they are not turning to Labour.' They did not think it was bad that Rishi Sunak had not visited as 'he has a country to run'. Part of the apathy can be traced to the fact that Kingswood will disappear as a constituency at the next general election. It is being split up and its constituent parts added to local seats. Mr Egan is already planning to run in one of the successor seats, Bristol North East. But Mr Bromiley revealed at the weekend that holding Kingswood for a few months is the limit of his national political interests. Asked by the Telegraph at the weekend if he would also run in a new seat at the general election he said: 'No, I'm absolutely not. 'What appealed to me in this one was the fact that I can really send a clear message but not spend the next two years away from my son in London. I can actually still be local and embedded in the community which I love.' A Labour source said: 'Kingswood has a huge Tory majority that was always going to be a challenge for Labour to overturn. But local people deserve better than more Tory failure after 14 years of disaster and if Rishi Sunak is too frightened to call a General Election, Labour will throw everything we can at securing a fresh start with Damien Egan.' A leading women's rights activist has revealed a prominent personalised stationery supplier has refused to fulfil her order of black notepads with the dictionary definition of a woman on them as they are 'offensive and not aligned with their values.' Kellie-Jay Keen, who has campaigned against transgender women using female-only spaces, was told by pens.com that they were 'unable to proceed with the production of [her] logos' as they must produce content that 'aligns with [its] ethical standards.' The company claimed that they 'respect creative expression' however Ms Keen, who also goes by the name of Posie Parker at rallies, said that in essence the company has decided that they find the dictionary definition of the word offensive. Ms Keen explained that there had been delays with the order she placed in November and had called up the company to ask what the hold up was before receiving the refusal email seen by the MailOnline. She explained: 'They said they find the dictionary definition of the word woman offensive. Kellie-Jay Keen has campaigned against transgender women using female-only spaces Pens.com refused to fulfil her order of black notepads with the dictionary definition of a woman on them as they are 'offensive' The company told Miss Keane that the logo did not align with their values 'It's not the first time this has happened to me, I have had some other merchandisers who said they didn't want to work with me. 'But, these people are a bit more clever as they have said that they find the dictionary definition of the word woman offensive. 'I don't know what they gain from it, you know there's what is to be gained?' Miss Keen says she has previously ordered products from the company with similar designs and not had a problem and reasoned that their decision was likely one made without much thought. She continued: 'My view is you get one activist working in any of these environments or any plate of work actually and it poisons the complete place as everyone has to be captured. 'People think there's always the threat of running and telling someone or exposing people, and everyone's quite afraid of it, so I think it's probably gone across the desk of someone who said "Oh, my goodness, she's a terrible person", and then they've cancelled it. 'They could have been a bit more clever and just said it over the phone. But they didn't they? They committed their stupidity to the written word. 'We really are in a situation where women cannot even say on a bloody notebook that a woman is an adult human female!' A representative for the company told MailOnline it would investigate what had happened, saying the cancellation of the order may have been made in error. Kellie-Jay, who also uses the name Posie Parker, had organised a series of rallies across Australia and New Zealand as part of her 'Let Women Speak' tour earlier this year, which campaigns against letting transgender women in female-only spaces such as toilets and changing rooms. Her work has been defended by JK Rowling in the face of fierce criticism by trans campaigners. Last year, whilst shopping in a Waterstones at Brent Cross Shopping Centre in north London she claims she was told by a 'seething' member of staff that she had stood with 'Nazis'. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Ms Keen claims she was defamed by a member of staff in front of customers. 'We are now living in a country where you can't even go shopping for a birthday card without someone calling you a Nazi', she said. The incident allegedly took place at this branch in Brent Cross Shopping Centre The birthday card she had bought for her 15-year-old son from Waterstones Describing what happened after she paid for the card, she said: 'The cashier was seething. He asked: "Can I ask your name" and I said: "Yes it's Kellie-Jay".' Kellie-Jay said the man 'gave me a filthy look' and she asked repeatedly why he looked like he 'hated me'. She went on: 'He said: "You and me disagree on things" and later said: "You stand with Nazis".' The activist said she lost her temper with him - but did not swear. She told him: I come in to be served and you think you can tell a shop full of people that I stand with Nazis. You absolutely disgust me and she left. The campaigner said she has been left in shock by what happened. And in a social media post she said: 'So Waterstones, your member of staff got it wrong and defamed me. Do you want me to sue you?. Waterstones said at the time it would investigate what happened. A spokesman said: 'We regret the exchange between Kellie-Jay Keen and one of our booksellers which was clearly distressing to both parties. We will investigate the incident with the shop manager and the employee'. The case involved charges filed against Maui man Christopher Wilson, who argued that his right to bear arms was impeded by state laws In a unanimous 5-0 decision, the court ruled that Hawaii's laws regarding open-carry regulations were constitutional Hawaiis Supreme Court has ignored recent Supreme Court precedent in a recent case, and upheld state laws that prohibit carrying an unlicensed firearm in public. 'The spirit of Aloha clashes with a federally-mandated lifestyle that lets citizens walk around with deadly weapons during day-to-day activities,' Justice Todd Eddins wrote in a unanimous 5-0 decision. In Wednesday's ruling, the court said it disagreed with the U.S. Supreme Court's recent rulings interpreting the right to bear arms under the Second Amendment, which is also repeated almost verbatim in Article 1, Section 17 of Hawaii's state constitution. 'We read those words differently than the current United States Supreme Court,' Eddins wrote. 'We hold that in Hawaii there is no state constitutional right to carry a firearm in public.' Rather, the court contended, the right was 'militia-centric.' Hawaii's Supreme Court upheld state laws that generally prohibit carrying an unlicensed firearm in public, straying from precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court Michael Wilson (left) and Todd W. Eddins (right) were among the justices who stated the Second Amendment 'clashes with the spirit of Aloha The court also reversed a lower circuit court's dismissal of two charges filed against Paia man Christopher Wilson, 47, after he was arrested for criminal trespass while carrying an unregistered pistol. The case against Wilson dates back to December 2017, when Flyin Hawaiian Zipline owner Duane Ting spotted men on his fenced-in property and called Maui police. When officers arrived, Wilson said he had a weapon in his front waistband. Police lifted his shirt and found a Phoenix Arms .22 LR caliber pistol, loaded with ten rounds of .22 caliber ammunition. Wilson said he legally purchased the gun in Florida in 2013. A records check showed that the pistol was unregistered in Hawaii, and Wilson had not obtained or applied for a permit to own a handgun. The County of Maui Department of the Prosecuting Attorney charged Wilson with four counts. Two of the counts, improper storage of a firearm and improper storage of ammunition, fall under Hawaii's 'place to keep' laws. The Paia man was also charged with violating permits to acquire ownership of a firearm and first degree criminal trespass. Wilson filed to dismiss the charges twice. On the second attempt, following the 2022 ruling of New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn, Inc. v. Bruen, he successfully appealed and the place to keep charges were dismissed in circuit court. Wilson claimed the place to keep laws subverted his constitutional right to protect himself in public by carrying a lethal weapon. The justices declared there is 'no state constitutional right to carry a firearm in public' The ruling was a unanimous 5-0 decision. Pictured: Judges Lisa M. Ginoza (left) and Sabrina Shizue McKenna (right) However, the State appealed the dismissal in addition to challenging Wilson's standing, arguing that Wilson did not bother to apply for a carry license and satisfy Hawaii's license to carry law. Therefore, they argued, Wilson could not claim that his right to bear arms was impeded. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the justices affirmed Wilson's right to challenge the constitutionality of the place to keep laws. 'A criminal defendant has standing to level a constitutional attack against the charged crime,' Eddins wrote. However, he contended, Wilson lacked the standing to challenge Hawaii's licenses to carry law, as the State did not charge him with violating it and Wilson made no attempt to obtain a carry license. 'Conventional interpretive modalities and Hawaiis historical tradition of firearm regulation rule out an individual right to keep and bear arms under the Hawaii Constitution,' Eddins wrote in the 5-0 decision. 'In Hawaii, there is no state constitutional right to carry a firearm in public.' Moreover, he added: 'The history of the Hawaiian Islands does not include a society where armed people move about the community to possibly combat the deadly aims of others. The court also reversed a lower circuit court's dismissal of two charges filed against Paia man Christopher Wilson, 47, after he was arrested for criminal trespass while carrying an unregistered pistol 'The governments interest in reducing firearms violence through reasonable weapons regulations has preserved peace and tranquility in Hawaii. A free-wheeling right to carry guns in public degrades other constitutional rights.' Laws regulating firearms in public advanced the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, Eddins wrote. He also criticized Bruen, writing: 'Time-traveling to 1791 or 1868 to collar how a state regulates lethal weapons per the Constitution's democratic design - is a dangerous way to look at the federal constitution.' The Hawaii Supreme Court is made up of three appointed Democratic governors and two Republican-appointed justices. Zwonitzer who worked with the president on his two memoirs in 2007 and 2017, said he 'could not' speak about the probe when approached by DailyMail.com Joe Biden's unassuming ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer, 61, broke cover last Friday as he left his New York City apartment to run errands President Joe Biden's ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer may not used to being center stage - but that is exactly where the unassuming writer has found himself. Zwontizer has kept his head down and his mouth shut since it emerged last Thursday that the Department of Justice considered charging the 61-year-old author with obstruction of justice on learning that he had destroyed recordings and notes of interviews during which President Joe Biden shared classified information. Seen in these exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com, Zwonitzer broke cover Friday afternoon. He cut a slim and casual figure, dressed in navy jacket and pants, as he left his New York apartment to run an errand. Joe Biden's unassuming ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer was spotted breaking cover in New York City on Friday in the wake of Special Counsel Robert Hur's report Zwonitzer, an unlikely figure to be embroiled in the president's classified documents scandal, cut a slim and casual figure, dressed in navy jacket and pants The Special Counsel's report last Thursday revealed Biden had shared classified information contained in some of the files with Zwonitzer while the two were working on his second book Approached by DailyMail.com Zwontizer was polite but determined, saying only that he 'could not' talk when asked about the DoJ investigation into which he has been drawn. Bespectacled and lightly bearded with greying hair and a professorial demeanor, Zwonitzer is an unlikely figure to be embroiled in a classified documents scandal. Yet he is so close to the 81-year-old president that Biden has said he would trust the writer with his life. In a way, he has done just that - twice by making Zwonitzer ghostwriter of his memoirs, first in 2007 with 'Promise to Keep,' and second, ten years later with, 'Promises to Dad.' It was during this second project that, according to a report by special counsel Robert Hur released Thursday, Biden was 'sloppy in his handling of classified material.' According to Hur, the president saved notebooks that he had kept during his time as vice president and read them aloud to Zwonitzer sometimes for more than an hour at a time. The notes contained classified material for which Zwonitzer had no security clearance. On one occasion, the report states, those notes cited details of a Situation Room meeting in the White House in 2015. Zwontizer was polite but admitted he 'could not' talk about the DoJ investigation when approached by DailyMail.com Zwonitzer worked with Biden on two of his memoirs, Promises to Keep, in 2007 and Promise Me, Dad, which was published 10 years later Zwontizer was polite but admitted he 'could not' talk about the DoJ investigation when approached by DailyMail.com 'On February 16, 2017, after he was no longer vice president, Mr. Biden read portions of the same notebook entry aloud and nearly verbatim to Zwonitzer, including portions containing information that remains classified up to the Secret level,' the report added. More to the point Biden was well aware of Zwonitzer security status as he was informed that that writer had no clearance when he once suggested Zwonitzer could be hired as a historian for the Office of the Vice President. Yet one recorded conversation between Biden and Zwonitzer in 2017, recovered by federal investigators, allegedly included Biden saying that he had 'just found all the classified stuff downstairs,' in a house he was then renting in Virginia. Similarly, investigators found a box of materials labelled, 'mark Z.' The admission found an uncanny echo in the events of December 2022 when FBI agents discovered classified Afghanistan documents in a cardboard box in the garage of Biden's Delaware home. Perplexingly Zwonitzer deleted the 2017 audio recordings during which Biden shared classified information. Biden flat out denied that he had done any such thing during a press conference Thursday. But the report released that same day revealed that he had, with officials able to recover most Zwonitzer's deleted recordings using forensic tools. A report released last Thursday by Special Counsel Robert Hur said Biden was sloppy in his handling of classified material found at his home and former office but concluded that no criminal charges are warranted against the president This image, contained in the report from Special Counsel Robert Hur, shows notebooks seized from a file cabinet under printers in first-floor home office of President Joe Biden in Wilmington in January 2023 According to the report, Zwonitzer deleted his recordings with the president after he learned about the Justice Department's investigation of Biden's mishandling of classified documents, but officials were able to recover most of them with forensic tools (Pictured: evidence photos) Investigators were, however, ultimately satisfied with the writer's explanations of why he had deleted the material describing them as, 'plausible, innocent reasons.' Zwonitzer is a respected, rather than prolific, author and documentary maker with a handful of titles to his name and two Emmy award nominations Outstanding Achievement in Non-Fiction and Outstanding Achievement in Writing - for work for PBS. He has written two non-fiction biographies, 'Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone' written with Charles Hirshberg. The biography of tradition American folk music group the Carter family was a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award in 2002. His book 'The Statesman and The Storyteller: John Hay, Mark Twain and The Rise of American Imperialism,' was published in April 2016. Zwonitzer began his career with a brief stint as a fact checker for Esquire magazine But it was his work as a researcher for journalist Richard Ben Cramer's book, 'What it Takes: The Way to the White House,' that, ironically, put Zwontizer within touching distance of the Oval Office. FBI agents discovered the classified Afghanistan documents in a cardboard box in the garage of his home in Delaware in December 2022 The report is crammed with pictures of documents recovered from Biden's home or an office he used when he was vice president Interviewed for Nieman News about the experience of working with Cramer, Zwonitzer recalled that he was a '23-year-old kid researcher' who didn't know anything, when Cramer, 'plucked [him] out of' his life and moved him to Washington to work for him. It was the Fall of 1986 and Zwonitzer got a house with a friend of his who had just got a job at the Washington Post, Geraldine Hirshey. Working there turned out to be life changing for Zwonitzer. Personally, he would go onto marry Hirshey, with whom he has a son and a daughter. Professionally, he would become a key player in the exhaustive account of the 1988 Republican and Democratic presidential primaries of which Biden became a well-known fan. Biden reportedly reached out to Zwontizer in 2006 when he was first thinking about working on his own memoir. Interviewed about Zwonitzer who was a registered Democrat until 2012 and now lists his party affiliation as 'other' - Biden said, that the 'great asset' of the man whom he described as a 'great, great guy,' was that he helped him organize. Perhaps, with the benefit of hindsight, both men might wish that organization had included clearer separation of classified and non-classified material. Todd Bensman is Senior National Security Fellow for the Center for Immigration Studies and author of OVERRUN: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in U.S. History PIEDRA NEGRAS, MEXICO - At least two hundred and twenty Venezuelans, Colombians, and Ecuadorians crowd inside the cramped cement block, barbed wire-rimmed Casa Del Migrante compound. It's a makeshift shelter run by Catholic nuns. Kids in filthy pajamas play with trash in the dirt yard. Families guard their belongings stuffed in black garbage bags and piled in heaps. There's a bucket of water for washing hands and a cinder block building with two toilets for everyone. A busy ad hoc barber shop consisting of a stool and a mess of extension cords is off in a corner. The place reeks of boredom. There's nothing to do. Nowhere to go. 'We're protected only inside the shelter,' a Central American man tells me, explaining no one even dares to step foot outside the walls of the Catholic charity to buy snacks at the store across the road. 'Out on the street, they can capture us,' he says. 'But they cannot come in here.' Mexican law prevents the authorities from entering a religious facility. Inside Migrant House, these people are hidden away from roaming patrols of the Mexican army, state police, and national immigration service officers, who are finally now forcibly transporting them 1,500 miles south into southern Mexico. Make no mistake, the fact that Mexico is doing something to address the unrelenting mass migration crisis that enabled an estimated 5 million undocumented people to enter the U.S. over just three years is a good thing. A busy ad hoc barber shop consisting of a stool and a mess of extension cords is off in a corner. The place reeks of boredom. Inside Migrant House, these people are hidden away from roaming patrols of the Mexican army, state police, and national immigration service officers, who are finally now forcibly transporting them 1,500 miles south into southern Mexico. (above) Mexican military solider on patrol outside Piedra Negras, Mexico But why are the Mexicans doing this now? How long will this operation last? And, most critically, why wasn't this policy instituted years ago? I traveled to Piedra Negras, just across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas to answer these questions - and what I found cuts to the heart of President Joe Biden's utterly cynical, dangerous and destructive immigrant non-policy. First, this is happening because Biden ordered it to save himself. There is no single issue on which the President is rated more poorly than the migrant crisis. A January NBC poll showed only 22 percent of voters think Biden would be 'better' than Trump on 'securing the border and controlling immigration.' But Biden can't lead a crackdown himself and risk alienating the 'open borders' extremists in his party, so his deceitful solution is a shadow deportation operation run by the Mexicans - out of sight of the American media. Second, there's good reason to believe that if Biden gets back in the White House this policy will end as quickly as it started. Third, and most disturbingly, this could have happened years ago sparing the United States a spiraling humanitarian disaster gripping communities from El Paso to Tucson, Chicago to New York City and Boston. President Biden didn't need a permission slip from Congress to end the migrant catastrophe that he helped create. He could have simply picked up the phone and called Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Kids in filthy pajamas play with trash in the dirt yard. Families guard their belongings stuffed in black garbage bags and piled in heaps. In late December, Secretary Antony Blinken and his chief lieutenants traveled to Mexico City on a diplomatic mission. Shortly thereafter the Mexican army, national guard, and state immigration officers rushed into the northern borderlands and began rounding up tens of thousands of immigrants. Troops, positioned at intervals along the Rio Grande, are equipped with mobile living quarters that sleep up to 20 at a time. In Piedras Negras, known to the Mexican troops as 'Zone 47,' soldiers in early January were filling 10 buses a day. By the end of the month, they had also packed an additional 30 passenger planes full of people. Captured migrants are fed into a conveyor belt of government transports to deliver them to Mexico's southern provinces along the border with Guatemala - especially the cities of Villahermosa and Tapachula. Mexican media is now reporting operations in the border cities of Tijuana, Juarez, and Matamoros, where the military recently bulldozed a massive immigrant camp across from Brownsville, Texas and dug anti-pedestrian trenches, 'under U.S. pressure.' Key to all of this is that Mexican troops and state police, for the first time since Biden was inaugurated, are stopping immigrants from hitching free rides north atop Mexico's 'La Bestia' cargo trains. This freighthopping was willfully ignored for years by both Biden and Lopez-Obrador's administration, as I first reported a year ago for DailyMail.com. (Above) Antony Blinken boards a plane at Felipe Angeles International Airport after his meeting with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador o on December 27, 2023 (Above) Blinken meets with Mexican Foreign Secretary at the State Department in Washington, Friday on Jan. 19, 2024 It's hard to overstate how deceptive this all is. This President, who once condemned Trump for rapidly expelling migrants from the southern U.S. border, has secretly recruited Mexico's President to do his dirty work. And an administration that once pledged to address the 'root causes' of mass migration from South and Central America is now looking the other way, as millions of so-called asylum-seekers are bottled up in southern Mexico. Finally, some of what Lopez-Obrador's men are doing would surely horrify Biden's Left-wing supporters - if only more in the American media would report it. In Coahuila, where Piedras Negras is situated, state police often use violent tactics to drag women and children from the freight cars, said Mexican journalist Auden Cabello, who has interviewed immigrants wrenched from the trains. 'The force that they're describing is that they're being pulled off the trains after not obeying demands,' Cabello said. 'That's everybody, women and children, men they're physically dragging them off the trains.' The migrants themselves do not so much fear authorities roughing them up as do the one-way trip to entrapment in southern Mexico. The men in Casa Del Migrantes told me that they'd shelled out from $1,700 to $10,000 to get to Piedras Negras. 'We don't have money now. We've already spent everything on our journey to arrive here,' one of the Central Americans said, the others nodding in agreement. 'We would have to start from zero.' Now only the wealthiest can afford to pay cartel smugglers for private transportation to evade northern roadblocks. On February 4th, President Biden touted a doomed Senate immigration bill that he said would, 'make our asylum process fairer and more efficient.' But he has nothing to say about Mexican authorities rounding up migrants and forcing them south without due process. At least two hundred and twenty Venezuelans, Colombians, and Ecuadorians crowd inside the cramped cement block, barbed wire-rimmed Casa Del Migrante compound. It's a makeshift shelter run by Catholic nuns. Todd Bensman is Senior National Security Fellow for the Center for Immigration Studies and author of OVERRUN: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in U.S. History Unsurprisingly, these hidden heavy-handed Mexican tactics are making an impact. 'The hardest thing to find in Piedras Negras now' observed local journalist Efraim Gonzalez as we cruised around town in his car 'is a migrant.' Gonzalez was driving me on a long empty dirt track, playing a video on his phone of the very same road clogged with thousands from all over Central and South America. Thousands of illegal crossings were launched every day from this city inundating U.S. Border Patrol and Texas State military forces, mesmerizing the international media, and pounding Joe Biden's poll numbers. Now, Texas crossings are far less than Arizona and California for the first time in three years. 'It's like magic,' Gonzalez said as we drove to a Mexican outpost, where four soldiers stood guard at a trash-strewn river crossing. The soldiers weren't talkative when I would pull up on them, but some reluctantly answered questions. What are their orders? Finding immigrants and turning them over to the immigration service for shipment to Mexico's south. How long is this deployment? Answer: 'No ending point'. A source with access to senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection told me this Mexican enterprise is set to last until after the American election. After that - it's anyone's guess. I suspect, if Joe Biden is re-elected, the streets of Piedra Negras will again be packed with thousands. Home Secretary James Cleverly praised the Mail last night for taking on the growing scourge of scams as the Government unveils a 5million crackdown. He said the new scheme would escalate the war on fraud, cut out the current mixed messages and protect the public. Money Mail's Stop the Social Media Scammers campaign has called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to protect millions of online users from fraudsters. Setting out the Government's campaign, Mr Cleverly said: 'The Daily Mail has done a fantastic job in raising awareness of the heartbreaking impact fraud has had. 'The Government has taken action that has already cut fraud by 13 per cent in England and Wales. We are going one step further.' Home Secretary James Cleverly praised the Mail last night for taking on the growing scourge of scams as the Government unveils a 5million crackdown Money Mail's Stop the Social Media Scammers campaign has called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to protect millions of online users from fraudsters The Stop! Think Fraud campaign, which is launched today, is expected to reach 95 per cent of adults within weeks through television and radio adverts, billboards, banks and other financial institutions. Until now, the police, banks, insurers and fraud charities have had their own strategies. Officials admit this caused confusion about what to do when people are hoodwinked by scammers. Last May, the official Fraud Strategy warned: 'People do not always protect themselves and reporting rates remain low.' Security minister Tom Tugendhat has said that fraud ruins lives and has told people to follow government advice But government departments and police forces must now unite behind 'clear, technically accurate and timely messaging' about how people can protect themselves from scams and report incidents. Fraud accounts for around 40 per cent of all crime in England and Wales, with an estimated 3.2million offences each year, at a cost of 6.8billion to society. Security minister Tom Tugendhat said: 'Fraud ruins lives. Following this advice will give people the best tips to stop fraudsters stealing their hard-earned cash.' Firms such as Barclays, TSB, Santander, Lloyds, Meta, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, BT, Virgin Media O2 and TalkTalk have backed the scheme. Simon Miller, of the campaign Stop Scams UK, said: 'This is a really important step in the right direction.' The website gov.uk/stopthinkfraud has been set up to direct victims to relevant organisations for further advice and support. A widespread heatwave is set to bring sweltering conditions across Australia while another tropical low threatens to fuel intense storms in the country's north. Most of Western Australia - as well as parts of Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania - will continue to suffer heatwave conditions this week. Temperatures are set to reach as high as 38C in some parts of the country with thousands of Australians most likely to stay indoors to escape the heat. Meanwhile, a topical low is set to form near the Gulf of Carpentaria on Tuesday and could possibly develop into a cyclone later this week. A widespread heatwave across Australia (temperature map pictured) will continue to bring sweltering temperatures this week Adelaide is forecast to be Australia's hottest capital city on Monday with temperatures reaching 38C Sydney Partially cloudy skies over Sydney on Monday are set to clear for sunny conditions on Tuesday alongside a top of 31C. However, grey skies will return to the city from Wednesday with showers forecast through to the end of the week with maximum temperatures in the high 20Cs. Sydney could potentially see a thunderstorm on Wednesday with wind speeds reaching up to 35km/h. Melbourne Clear skies of Melbourne on Monday are expected to develop into thunderstorms on Tuesday evening ahead of cloudy conditions for the rest of the week. The city, along with most of southeast Victoria, will continue to face sweltering conditions from a low-intensity heatwave with a top of 35C on Monday and 36C on Tuesday. Temperatures will sharply drop from Wednesday with a high of just 19C followed by a top of 22C on Thursday and 24C on Friday. 'Severe heatwave conditions are expected to ease with a cooler change from late Tuesday night through early Wednesday morning,' Bureau of Meteorology said. 'Locations likely to be impacted include Bairnsdale and Mallacoota.' Brisbane While Brisbane won't technically be affected by the widespread heatwave, the city will still face very high temperatures this week coupled with increased humidity from dense cloud coverage. Showers over Queensland's capital on Monday and Tuesday are set to partially clear on Wednesday before redeveloping on Thursday. A maximum temperature of 29C is set to climb to 30C on Tuesday and 32C on Wednesday. Parts of southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales saw very high rainfall over the weekend, resulting in flooding. 'A high-pressure system sitting over the Tasman Sea is expected to linger into early-to-mid week, setting up a persistent regime of a deep, humid easterly flow extending past the Queensland border,' Weatherzone meteorologist Quincy Tut said. The Bureau has issued major flood warnings for Eyre Creek, Flinders River and Nicholson River. Moderate flood warnings are current for the Balonne River, Moonie River and Diamantina River. Minor flood warnings were issued for the Georgina River, Norman River, Barcoo River, Dawson River, lower Warrego River, Paroo River and Cooper Creek. Storms over Darwin are set continue through to the end of the week with the northern city still in the thick of its wet season Most of Western Australia, parts of Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania will continue to suffer heatwave conditions this week (pictured, map of regions affected by heatwave) Canberra Canberra is set to see a sunny start to the week with clear skies on Monday coupled with a top of 30C. The sunshine is forecast to hang around through to Tuesday evening when showers could develop. Those showers are set to turn to storms on Wednesday before easing back to a drizzle on Thursday. Adelaide Adelaide is forecast to be Australia's hottest capital city on Monday with temperatures reaching 38C. Fortunately, conditions are set to cool from Tuesday with high temperatures of 27C and 25C on Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures are set to climb as the week progresses to a high of 35C on Sunday. Darwin Storms over Darwin are set continue through to the end of the week with the northern city still in the thick of its wet season. However, conditions could worsen from Tuesday as tropical low 07U forms over northern Australia, most likely over the inland Northern Territory. The Bureau warned the system is likely to move eastward towards the Gulf of Carpentaria. 'There is a low risk of 07U developing into a tropical cyclone in the Gulf of Carpentaria from Wednesday increasing to a moderate risk on Friday and Saturday,' it said. 'Next weekend, 07U may move towards the southwest. There is a risk of it making landfall along the southern coastline of the Gulf of Carpentaria.' Tropical 07U is expected to form on Tuesday and could develop into a cyclone (pictured) later this week Perth Perth and large parts of Western Australia are set to be affected by a heatwave through to the end of the week. A severe heatwave warning has been issued for the Kimberley, Gascoyne, Central West and Great Southern Districts. The Bureau warned maximum temperatures will reach the high thirties to low forties in the south grading to mid to high forties in the northwest. Low intensity heatwave conditions are forecast over much of west, north and the state's interior, including Perth and Broome. Perth's hottest day is expected to be Thursday with a top of 39C combined with cloudy conditions. Hobart Partially cloudy conditions over Hobart on Monday are expected to develop into showers late Tuesday afternoon ahead of cloudy conditions for the rest of the week. Parts of northeastern Tasmania are expected to be affected by a low-intensity heatwave this week. However, temperatures in the capital are forecast to drop from a top of 27C on Monday and 29C on Tuesday to the mid to low 20Cs for the remainder of the week. Two of the victims of a horror crash that claimed the lives of three people and left a fourth fighting for life have been identified as international visitors. David Lim and Sophie Florence, both 27, were travelling in a black Holden when they collided head on with a silver Mazda on the New England Highway near Armidale, in north-east NSW, about 6.50pm on Saturday. Mr Lim and Ms Florence and the 41-year-old male Mazda driver died at the scene. The Mazda's front passenger - the driver's 34-year-old wife -and the couple's two-year-old child were rushed to Armidale Hospital. The woman is fighting for life in a critical condition while the toddler suffered minor injuries. Devastated friends have flocked online to pay tribute to Mr Lim and Ms Florence, who are Indonesian nationals. Sophie Florence (pictured) was killed in a horror crash in country NSW on Saturday night She was travelling in a Holden driven by David Lim (pictured), who also died in the crash Daily Mail Australia understands the pair were working at a tomato farm in Guyra, 39km north of Armidale. 'David and Sophie rest in peace,' friend Telesiah Aitta wrote online. 'I miss you both.' Mat Tomasi said: 'Rest In Love David and Sophie. You will forever be missed.' Friend David Childson Patunvanu told Daily Mail Australia the pair should be remembered for their 'humbleness and friendliness'. 'David and Sophie were two loyal friends that always have a good spirit around work,' he said. 'They will surely be missed.' According to social media, Ms Florence graduated from Airlangga University, in Surabaya, with a degree in Public Administration in 2018 before later migrating to Australia. Mr Lim graduated the same year from Surbaya's Petra Christian University with a Bachelor of Interior Design and Furniture. He went on to work in the industry with construction and real estate companies including IJM Land Berham and Mahoni Group before later moving to Adelaide. At the time of their death, Mr Lim and Ms Florence were employed to work in one of the glasshouses at the Costa Tomato farms. At a press conference on Sunday, Traffic and Highway Patrol South West Sector Commander Acting Superintendent Gregory Donaldson said one of the cars somehow crossed into the opposite side of the road. Police are pictured at the scene of the horror crash on Saturday night The crash occurred on the New England Highway, just north of Armidale, in regional north-eastern NSW 'It's a tragic loss of three lives on our roads and there are two people still fighting for their lives in hospital,' he said. He said the circumstances surrounding the incident - including which car was at fault - was still being investigated. Acting Superintendent Donaldson said the tragedy was a reminder for motorists to take care on roads. 'The effects of these traumatic incidents aren't just contained within the cars that crashed, it's a whole community,' he said. 'I don't know what caused that crash yet, but over the last 36 years every crash that I've been to somebody's done something wrong ... there's no such thing as an accident, somebody's done something wrong.' A police investigation is ongoing and a report will be prepared for the coroner. As inquiries continue, anyone with information or dash cam footage about this incident is being urged to contact New England Police District or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A former nightclub owner has revealed some of the most 'disgusting things' that patrons do in pubs and nightclubs in Australia. Danny Grant, a promoter and 'booze mogul', revealed the 'revolting' behaviours he was confronted with when he owned a club in Melbourne. He said at the top of the list of objectionable behaviour was people throwing glasses and bottles at unsuspecting crowds. 'It's absolutely revolting, and it happens in concerts and it happens in clubs. It's normally males, 99.9 per cent of the time it's a male, they'll scull a stubby and throw it backwards into a crowd,' he said in a video posted to social media. 'It f***s people up; we've had little girls whose eyebrows are falling off, their face completely f***ed up, or young dudes who are scarred for life because some d***head thought it was funny to throw a glass bottle behind them in a crowd. Danny Grant, a self-described promotor and booze mogul, revealed the 'revolting' behaviours he had had 'zero tolerance' for when he owned a nightclub in Melbourne 'It's a rat act, a faceless crime , and it's cowardly.' Mr Grant then called out a form of 'creepy behaviour' that he was able to predict by patrons' appearance. 'If they've got pointy shoes on, belts, wearing a weird T-shirt you can almost guarantee if you let them in, they're going to do this,' he said. 'They'll go onto a packed dancefloor, they'll split up and start to rub on girls with their crotch while their dancing. 'They laugh it off like it's a joke or something but their just being f***ing creepy and gross. Normally the girls will come and tell us eventually or they'll be multiple girls who come say "hey, there's some dude trying to push up on girls". 'Same as the bottle throwers, they're dealt with accordingly, we pull them out straight away, there's no tolerance.' Mr Grant said the culprits were seeking more than just 'sexual gratification'. 'There's more to it than even I thought,' he said. 'I always thought it was strange and gross, but there's obviously something else in it too.' He said another infuriating behaviour was vandalising the toilets. 'They'll literally wipe their a*** and leave it on the side of the toilet,' he said. 'People write with poo on the walls, people just leave all kinds of disgusting s*** all over the ground, p*** on everything.' Mr Grant said surprisingly, the girls toilets were usually in worse condition that the men's by the time the club closed. 'It blows my mind, even the thought of it makes me shudder, the things I've seen in girls toilets after we've closed,' he said. The former nightclub owner said people who abandoned their friends who had overdosed on drugs needed to take a long f***ing look in the mirror (stock image) Mr Grant said he was also appalled by so-called friends abandoning one of their group who had overdosed on drugs. 'You see it all the time,' he said. 'Someone will come out and they'll say "look my friend OD'd", then say they're not doing drugs but their eyes look like dinnerplates. 'And then the whole time they're there, they don't give a f***. They just want you to call the ambulance to come and take over and give them water. And as soon as you do and they can see their in a safe place, they go straight back into the club. 'If you're a friend that leaves your friend chucking on herself because she's taken drugs you may have even given them, go to the closest mirror and have a long hard look at yourself, because it's disgusting behaviour.' Mr Grant added another toxic species of club-goer: the entitled patron. He said almost every nightclub owner had experienced a man who claimed to be a lawyer - or son of a lawyer - and threaten to sue the venue if they were denied entry or service at the bar. 'If I had a penny every time I saw a rich kid yell at a security guard who kicked him out or didn't let him in, that his dad was a lawyer or that he would sue him and take his job, I would never have to work again,' he said. 'I've never had any retribution from these kids whose dads are lawyers. There must be a lot of lawyers in the world because we hear it so often, it's ridiculous.' The six-year-old told a therapist that her father shot her in the legs with a BB gun The little girl was allegedly made to eat dog food and locked in a crate each night Jacob Weight, 37, and Mimi Frost, 33, were arrested over abusing their daughter A Pennsylvania couple has been hit with multiple charges as they were accused of torturing their six-year-old daughter and locking her in a dog crate at night. Jacob William Weight Sr., 37, and Mimi Ann Frost, 33, were charged in Fayette County with aggravated assault, corruption of minors, strangulation, endangering the welfare of children and several other counts. The investigation began on February 6 when troopers were sent to the couple's Brownsville Borough home after the child fell unresponsive, Pennsylvania State Police said. When they arrived they found the home in 'deplorable condition,' littered with dog feces, trash and urine. Footage from inside the horror house shows a large black dog crate in the living room with blankets and debris strewn across the floor. Pennsylvania couple Jacob William Weight Sr., 37 (left), and Mimi Ann Frost, 33 (right), were arrested and charged in connection to the abuse of their six-year-old daughter Police described the home as a 'mad house' strewn with trash, dog feces and urine Footage from inside the home shows a large black dog crate sitting in the living room. The couple are accused of making the little girl sleep in a cage each night Weight called 911 after the six-year-old suffered an apparent seizure when one of the other children living in the home tried to bathe her. The children told officials that the girl had been locked in a dog crate and beaten with a broom. 'For lack of a better way to put it, she had been tortured in that house,' Fayette County District Attorney Mike Aubele told KDKA. He said Weight didn't allow first responders inside and led the six-year-old out himself. The little girl's body was covered in open sores and she was believed to be septic. When she arrived at Uniontown Hospital, she was found to be hypothermic, with a body temperature registering 88.7 degrees, Aubele said. Of the six children living in the home, only the six-year-old was targeted, officials said. Four of the others were the couple's children and one was a nephew. The nephew told police that Frost would zip-tie the little girl's hands and feet and refused to wash her. Another child said the couple wanted the six-year-old to eat her own waste. Police were called to the home in Brownsville Borough after the little girl suffered an apparent seizure and fell unresponsive Her body was covered in open sores and she was found to be hypothermic, with a body temperature registering 88.7 degrees The six-year-old told a therapist that she was forced to eat dog food. She said Weight shot her in the legs with a BB gun and beat her Another child living in the home told police that the couple wanted the little girl to eat her own urine and feces 'The 6-year-old child was left in this cage naked without food. She would be punished if she was able to escape that cage to go get food,' Aubele said. There was evidence that 'at least a few' of the other children participated in the abuse, he added. Police found eight dogs and two cats in the home, which they described as a 'mad house' in court documents. According to a criminal complaint, the little girl told a therapist that she was forced to eat dog food and sleep in the crate every night. In addition to hitting her, she said her father shot her in the legs with a BB gun. The girl hadn't been given proper pediatric care in years and wasn't enrolled in school. 'I'm innocent. That's it,' Weight told reporters as he was led to a state police cruiser. He denied ever locking his daughter in the cage. But landlord Tim Cole described the little girl as the 'black sheep of the family.' While she was 'always treated different,' Cole said he never imagined the abuse taking place behind closed doors. Animal control officers were seen leading seven pit bulls out of the house Friday evening after they were abandoned One of the five other children living in the home told police that Frost would zip-tie the little girl's hands and feet and refused to bathe her Landlord Tim Cole walked and fed the dogs after they were abandoned. He described the little girl as the 'black sheep of the family,' but said he never imagined the extent of the abuse Seven of the couple's pit bulls were taken to Hoffman Animal Control on Friday. Workers were seen leading the dogs out of the home that evening. The animals had been left inside the home, with Cole walking and feeding them and footing the expenses himself. Last month, Weight put two 'rescued pit bull puppies' up for sale in a local Facebook group. 'It's so hard because they are cute and lovable but we can't keep every animal we rescued,' he wrote. All of the children were also removed from the home, officials said. Jail records show both Frost and Weight were denied bail. They are due in court on February 20. North Carolina's Lt. Governor Mark Robinson has laid out how he wants to have transgender people arrested for using women's toilets. Footage shows him addressing people during a campaign rally in Greenville to be the state's next governor earlier this month. Robinson can be heard telling a crowd that transwomen should be arrested for using a women's bathroom. He says: 'We're going to defend women in this state. That means if you're a man on Friday night, and all the sudden on Saturday, you feel like a woman, and you want to go in the women's bathroom in the mall, you will be arrested or whatever we got to do to you.' In another video the GOP politician adds: 'If you are a man, you better go to the men's bathroom. If you are confused find a corner outside.' Robinson can be heard telling a crowd that transwomen should be arrested for using a women's bathroom Robinson's opponents for the Republican nomination for the gubernatorial haven't addresses or condemned these comments, but called him out over his remarks. A spokesman for candidate Bill Graham told WUNC: 'Mark Robinson will lose and hurt all GOP candidates if he is the nominee. 'His comments about the Holocaust being hogwash along with his demeaning comments about women will wreck GOP chances for regaining the White House and the governorship here in North Carolina.' While State Treasurer Dale Folwell added: 'He's history's latest example of someone who's trying to rise to power based on telling people who to hate.' The politician is known for making controversial comments, with footage emerging in 2021 showing him call gay and transgender people 'filth'. 'I'm saying this now, and I've been saying it, and I don't care who likes it: Those issues have no place in a school,' he says. 'There's no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality - any of that filth.' Transgenderism is regarded as a derogatory term in the LGBTQ+ community as it was coined by anti-transgender activists to suggest transgender people suffer from a condition. Mark Robinson, a Republican candidate for North Carolina governor, speaks at a rally Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, in Roxboro, N.C In the video, Robinson continues to double down on his comments saying 'yes, I called it filth' and claiming children are being 'abused in schools' that support LGBTQ+ rights. 'And yes, I called it filth. And if you don't like it that I called it filth, come see me and I'll explain it to you,' he says. 'It's time for us to stop letting these children be abused in schools, and it's not going to happen till the people of God stand up and demand different, same ones that established those schools to begin with.' Back in 2016, the Republican called homosexuality an 'abominable sin' and said he would not 'fly their sacrilegious flag on my page' in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub mass shooting. His comments come seven years after the state repealed the 'bathroom bill' which led to headlines worldwide and economic boycotts. The law was passed in 2016 and sought to ban transgender people from using a public toilet which matched the gender they identify with. Tens of thousands signed a petition to repeal the legislation, which also strips lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of their state protections. A new law was brought in after the state lost billions due to boycotts from the bill, and repealed some aspects of the bill. The disappearance of Samantha Murphy has gripped the nation with many left baffled as to what has happened to the missing mother-of-three. The 51-year-old hasn't been seen since the morning of February 4 when she vanished while going on an early morning run in the Woowookarung Regional Park, around two hours northwest of Melbourne. She'd left her house in Ballarat East to go for a jog as she did everyday, but when she failed to show up for an 11am brunch, her family raised the alarm. A major search operation was launched with several police units involved along with SES volunteers, friends and family and members of the local community. With Ms Murphy now missing for eight days, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at some of the key questions about the case. Samantha Murphy hasn't been seen since the morning of February 4 What happened to Samantha Murphy? The night before she disappeared, during dinner with her husband Mick and friends, Ms Murphy mentioned she was going for a 14-km run the next day before it got too hot. Ms Murphy left her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East to go for a jog just after 7am last Sunday at a pine forest at the end of her street. This area, referred to as the Woowookarung Regional Park, features over 120km of roads, tracks, and trails winding through dense scrub. It is littered with abandoned mines and treacherous mineshafts where the unwitting could easily fall into. CCTV captured Ms Murphy running past a neighbour's house at about 7.16am on the Sunday she went missing. It's understood she was running in a north-easterly direction. She'd told her husband she was heading out on a run but she never returned. Her disappearance has sparked various theories on what happened: Foul play, including false allegations Samantha's husband was behind her disappearance Potential dangers from drug users and homeless encampments in the forest The possibility of a hit-and-run incident occurring along her usual running route Samantha potentially getting lost in the forest due to health problems There are concerns that Samantha might have accidentally fallen into an abandoned mine or mine shaft in the vicinity Some speculate abduction or intentional disappearance Samantha Murphy left her Ballarat home at 7am on Sunday to go for a run in the nearby Woowookarung Regional Park and did not return home, nor has she been seen since Was Samantha Murphy the victim of foul play? Victoria Police Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said on Friday police had not identified any 'suspicious or sinister circumstances', but held concerns for her welfare. Respected criminal psychologist, Tim Watson-Munro, said nothing could be ruled out and raised the possibility Ms Murphy may have had a stalker if her disappearance is found to be a result of foul play. 'Who's responsible I don't think we could say. As I understand it was a happy home life,' he earlier told Daily Mail Australia. CCTV captured Ms Murphy running past a neighbour's house at about 7.16am on the Sunday she went missing 'It could be that she was being stalked, if you have a regular pattern, stalkers love that and she had a regular pattern of running through that area.' Mr Watson-Munro also said misadventure could be a possibility and noted locals in the area had raised concerns about unnoticeable mineshafts in the state forest. He also said that if any crime has occurred, it's also possible it may be opportunistic, in that someone has seen Ms Murphy out and decided to act on that. Superintendent Hatt said detectives would also look into Ms Murphy's movements and interactions with others in the days before she vanished, including her friends and family. One wild claim alleges Ms Murphy was involved in an ongoing dispute with a local who took their revenge while she was out on her regular run. There is no suggestion Ms Murphy had any ongoing dispute with any neighbours or locals. Detectives will also trawl through Ms Murphy's computers and devices in the hope of finding clues. Why has the search been scaled back? The official search was scaled back on Saturday with those wanting to help told there would be no co-ordinated effort and that they could carry out their own searches alone. Crews from the Country Fire Authority and State Emergency Service volunteers have been told to withdraw from the search, which has been 'scaled back' but not abandoned. 'The current phase of the active search for missing woman Samantha Murphy has been scaled back over the weekend,' a police spokesperson said earlier. 'An extensive 6-day search has been conducted involving local police, along with personnel from the Search and Rescue Squad, Mounted Branch and Dog Squad, plus significant assistance from members of the SES and CFA. Local volunteers are seen meeting on Sunday at the Buninyong Police Station to organise a search 'Police continue to be in regular contact with Samantha's family regarding the developments of the search and the status of the investigation. 'The investigative stage of the investigation continues and as any new information comes to hand identifying areas of interest, the search will be scaled up.' The Missing Persons Unit has taken charge of the investigation. What significance do the discovered items hold? Early on in the investigation an item of interest was found in the bushland near where Ms Murphy disappeared. However, Victoria Police later confirmed it was not relevant to her disappearance. Last Wednesday, police released CCTV of what was believed to be Ms Murphy running along Eureka Street. Another runner later came forward to say it was them in the footage and not Ms Murphy. Ms Murphy was also wearing an Apple watch at the time of her disappearance, and her phone had pinged in the nearby suburb of Buninyong. Victoria Police Inspector Bob Heaney said they were investigating the devices but the area they were able to track from them was 'limited'. Police have been relying on the public to report any information into Ms Murphy's whereabouts, with the state forest she was running in having no CCTV. Over the weekend, a team of volunteers found a black bra that had been chopped in half and hung on a post in nearby bushland, which was also reported to police. Ms Murphy has been missing for eight days with the official search being scaled back What were the strange encounters in the forest before the incident? Locals say the area is notorious for drug users, while search parties have also found evidence of homeless encampments deep within the bush. Greens senator candidate Sissy Austin was savagely attacked a year ago while on a run just 20km away from where Ms Murphy vanished, sparking fears of a similar attack. Ms Austin was running along a similar track when she was smashed in the face by a random stranger wielding a rock tied to the end of a stick. The blow knocked her unconscious and left her face bloodied and bruised when she finally came to, but had to stagger 4km before she could raise the alarm. Her white male attacker had vanished when she woke up, and no-one was ever caught in connection with the attack. Meanwhile, Rebecca Agheli was camping with her boyfriend in the Woowookarung Regional Park on the weekend Ms Murphy went missing. Ms Agheli said they'd travelled to Ballarat on a gold hunting trip and arrived on February 1. They'd gone to an area about 15 minutes from the state forest to look for gold when they had a frightening encounter. Ms Agheli said while she was still getting ready, her partner Michael had already set off to look for gold when he suddenly returned to their car. 'He's a big guy, he's not usually scared of anything, but he told me he'd seen a strange, dishevelled man pop out of the bush talking to himself with the crotch on his pants ripped,' she told Daily Mail Australia. The couple decided to pack up and go to another area, which Ms Agheli guesses was about a seven-minute drive away. She said her partner had warned her of mine shafts in the area and suggested they go elsewhere, but Ms Agheli wanted to have a quick look and wandered a short distance away from the car. 'Then I saw the same guy again even after we'd just driven about seven minutes,' she said. 'His whole face lit up when he saw a woman on his own. 'I was thinking, "how did this guy get here so fast, he must know a shortcut". He had both of his hands behind his back and started walking towards me really fast.' Ms Agheli said she then called out to the man to ask if there was any gold in the area, loud enough so her partner could hear. Michael immediately ran over to Ms Agheli. She said the man quickly put his hands in his pockets and fled into the bush. The couple then camped overnight in the state forest on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday morning they saw Ms Murphy run past their campsite. She wished them a good morning as she went on her way. Who is Samantha Murphy's husband Michael Murphy? Ms Murphy and her husband both own a car repair business called Inland Motor Body Works. Mr Murphy has 23 years of experience in the industry while his wife handles the books and administration of the office, along with 'keeping Mick in line'. The business describes itself as Ballarat's 'leading smash repairs specialist'. On the third day of his wife's disappearance, Mr Murphy said he was feeling 'not too bad under the circumstances'. 'It's just up in the air, we don't know,' he told the Herald Sun. 'It's just a whole time thing, at the end of the day.' Mr Murphy had also told Nine News he would not be joining the search as he preferred to keep his mind occupied with other matters while he waited for an update. Last week, Ms Murphy's family attacked the online trolls who have been falsely alleging Ms Murphy's husband Mick was behind her disappearance. 'For those questioning Samantha's husband, you need not worry,' said a statement to the Facebook group set up to help in the hunt and believed to be from a family member. 'He is in more pain than anyone and would be the last person to suspect in any of this.' Michael Murphy, the husband of missing mum Samantha Murphy, drove to the crime scene in Ballarat East at about 1.45pm on Wednesday. He appeared visible shocked speaking to officers How are Samantha Murphy's family coping? Ms Murphy's eldest daughter Jess and husband issued an emotional plea for their loved one to come home on the fifth day of her disappearance. 'Mum's a really strong woman, and she's far too determined to give up this fight,' Jess tearfully told reporters. 'Mum, we love you so much, and we miss you. We need you at home with us. Please come home soon. I can't wait to see you and to give you the biggest hug when I do. 'And to tell you off for giving us so much stress. I love you.' Moments earlier, her father made an impassioned plea for information from the public that may assist in finding his wife. 'People just don't vanish into thin air. Someone's got to know something,' he said. 'Whether it be any little thing that you might think is relevant, just call the police and let them know. It'll give us a bit of peace of mind, some hope'. Following commentary online about why he was being so quiet about his wife's disappearance, Mr Murphy said on Wednesday he had been advised to do so. 'I've been speaking with the police and I've been advised not to say anything,' Mr Murphy told the Herald Sun. He added he was doing 'ok' and was not worried about the various theories of what lay behind his wife's disappearance; saying he doesn't 'even look online'. Baku and Moscow hold talks on the fate of Russian peacekeepers in Garabagh. "Moscow and Baku are coordinating the dates of the next round of negotiations on our peacekeeping contingent, the terms of its stay expire in 2025," Russian Ambassador to Baku Mikhail Yevdokimov said, Azernews reports. According to him, the Russian peacekeepers "effectively" fulfilled their functions, on the one hand "to protect this territory of Azerbaijan, and on the other hand, of course, it was important for the Armenian population that Russian peacekeepers were present there and ensured their security". Recall that Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said the issue of peacekeepers in Garabagh is discussed only with the Azerbaijani side. He noted the dialogue with partners is constructive. "We resolve all issues based on mutual agreement. As for extending the powers of the Russian peacekeeping contingent after November 2025, it will depend on the situation in the region, requirements, and relevant agreements with Baku," said the deputy minister. Ben Fordham has slammed politicians after many eagerly embraced Chinese New Year celebrations but remained silent on Australia Day. The 2GB host called out politicians during his breakfast show on Friday ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations over the weekend. Fordham took aim at politicians for their 'double standard' after they shared Lunar New Year celebration posts to social media but 'remaining silent' on Australia Day. 'How's this for double standards? We have politicians at the moment celebrating Lunar New Year,' Fordham said. 'Posting selfies and wishing people a happy Lunar New Year and attending Chinese New Year celebrations. 'But go back two weeks, and there was silence for Australia Day. No selfies, no "happy Australia Day", no Australia Day celebrations.' Radio host Ben Fordham (pictured) slammed politicians for having a double standard after many shared photos wishing people a 'Happy Lunar New Year' but 'remained silent' for Australia Day celebrations Fordham took aim at NSW Premier Chris Minns, Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, Minister for Industrial Relations Tony Burke, Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Environmental Minister Tanya Plibersek. Premier Chriss Minns shared photos celebrating Lunar New Year at a festival in Hurstville, south of Sydney, to social media on February 3 with a caption wishing everyone a 'Happy Lunar New Year'. However, Fordham noted the premier did not wish Aussies a 'Happy Australia Day' on January 26, but instead shared photos at an Indigenous morning ceremony. He added the day before Australia Day celebrations; the premier also shared a countdown for the Gay and Lesbian Sydney Mardi Gras festival. Fordham then slammed Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore for announcing a 16-day 'party' for Lunar New Year and labelling Australia Day as 'not for celebration'. Fordham noted New South Wales Premier Chris Minns shared photos of himself celebrating Lunar New at a festival in Hurstville, in Sydney's south, to social media (pictured) However, on Australia Day, Premier Minns only shared photos of himself attending an Indigenous morning ceremony and did not wish Aussies a 'Happy New Year" 'We have the Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. She kicked off Lunar New Year calling it a "party",' Fordham said. 'She announced Sydney was throwing a 16-day party to celebrate, which is fantastic. She said it was one of the city's most important events. 'On social media, Clover Moore said "Australia Day is a day that marks invasion". She says it's not a day for celebration. So, we're not allowed to celebrate one day on Australia Day but for Lunar New Year it's a party that goes for more than two weeks.' Fordham said other members of the front bench also remained silent on their social media accounts on Australia Day. 'Penny Wong didn't say anything about Australia Day. Tony Burke was silent, so was Chris Bowen and Tania Plibersek,' Fordham said. He added Communications Minister Michelle Roland also exhibited a double standard. Ms Roland wished Aussies a 'Happy Indian Republic Day' on January 26 - the same date as Australia's national holiday. Republic Day is a national holiday in India that commemorates the country's transition to a republic in 1950. Fordham said India's Republic Day was 'the only thing worth celebrating' on January 26 for Ms Roland. Fordham called out Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore (centre) for announcing a 16-day 'party' for Lunar New Year The Lord Mayor (second from left) shared photos of Australia Day protests and an Indigenous morning ceremony. In her caption, she claims Australia Day is 'not a day of celebration' and is one that 'masks invasion' 'If you have a look at her [Ms Roland's] social media accounts, she said: "Happy India Republic Day. May this occasion bring celebration, laughter and togetherness" which is nice,' Fordham said. 'But for Australia Day she couldn't use the words "Australia Day". No talk of celebration, or laughter or togetherness.' The radio host commended Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for wishing Aussies a "Happy Australia Day" on social media but claimed he was 'the odd one out'. Fordham said other members of the front bench remained silent on Australia Day despite some sharing photos celebrating Lunar New Year (pictured, Environmental Minister Tanya Plibersek at a Lunar New Year festival) Fordham said he had 'no issues' with India's Republic Day or Lunar New Year and added that Chinese Australians have made an incredible contribution to the country for hundreds of years. However, he claimed the politician's double standard for celebrating significant dates for other countries and not Australia's was 'warped'. 'Don't get me wrong, I've got no issues with India's Republic Day or Lunar New Year but it's a bit warped isn't it?,' Fordham said. 'Our politicians want to celebrate every single significant date apart from the one that celebrates our national day.' Australia Day, observed each year on January 26, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Philip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove. But, for many First Nations people, the date is regarded as 'Invasion Day' or the 'Day of Mourning', with thousands in the country's capital cities taking part in protests rallying to change the date of the national holiday. Labour was condemned by Jewish groups last night for standing by a candidate who claimed Israel 'deliberately allowed' the October 7 massacre. Azhar Ali was secretly recorded saying Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the 'green light' to invade Gaza. Mr Ali yesterday admitted his comments were 'inexcusable' and apologised after being confronted by The Mail on Sunday. But Labour sources said he would remain as the party's candidate in the February 29 Rochdale by-election. Despite the controversy, it is understood Labour's levelling-up spokesman Lisa Nandy went ahead with a campaign event with Mr Ali just hours after he was forced to apologise. A Labour source said Ms Nandy had taken part in a 'scheduled event'. Keir Starmer has been criticised by Jewish groups after standing by a candidate who blamed Israel for the Hamas atrocity on October 7 Azhar Ali was secretly recorded saying Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the 'green light' to invade Gaza Despite the controversy, it is understood Labour's levelling-up spokesman Lisa Nandy went ahead with a campaign event with Mr Ali just hours after he was forced to apologise The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism last night branded Labour's stance 'obscene' and said the failure to boot out Mr Ali made a mockery of Sir Keir Starmer's claim to have dealt with the party's ugly anti-Semitism problem. 'This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology,' a spokesman said. 'This is distressingly familiar to days that Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing anti-Semitism out 'by its roots'. Labour must urgently re-examine this obscene decision if its leader is to be regarded as a man of his word.' The Board of Deputies of British Jews described Mr Ali's comments as 'disgraceful and unforgivable', adding: 'It is clear to us that he is not apologising out of a genuine sense of remorse.' Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said his remarks were 'outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable'. And Conservative chairman Richard Holden said: 'Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he's changed Labour. Time after time we're seeing that simply isn't true. While vile racist slurs are freely exchanged within Labour, it is unfit to hold public office. Sir Keir should immediately remove Mr Ali's Labour membership and suspend Labour's campaign. Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said his remarks were 'outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable Conservative chairman Richard Holden said: 'Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he's changed Labour. Time after time we're seeing that simply isn't true' Labour candidate for Rochdale, Azhar Ali and Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham launch Ali's by-election campaign on February 7 'If Labour won't do that, the public will see that Labour is happy to run anti-Semitic candidates to attract racist votes and is therefore unfit to play a leading role in our nation's affairs.' In a leaked recording of a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party shortly after the October 7 attacks, Mr Ali claimed Israel had ignored warnings from Egypt and the US of an imminent attack. He suggested the Israeli government had reduced security measures at the border to allow Hamas terrorists free rein to murder, rape and kidnap. 'They deliberately took the security off, they allowed ... that massacre, that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want,' he said. Mr Ali, who is Labour group leader on Lancashire County Council, also criticised Sir Keir's stance on the issue. When one person at the meeting suggested Sir Keir was 'held in high regard', Mr Ali replied: 'Can I disagree with you... A lot of the MPs I've spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue he's lost the confidence of the parliamentary party.' Yesterday he issued a grovelling apology after The Mail on Sunday revealed his comments. 'I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments, which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false,' he said. 'Hamas's horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. Mr Ali was recorded saying: 'They deliberately took the security off, they allowed ... that massacre, that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want' The Labour candidate is defending a Labour majority of more than 9,000 in Rochdale (pictured) on February 29. Rochdale has one of the highest Muslim populations in the country, with more than 30 per cent of people declaring their religion as Islam in the latest census. Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden yesterday condemned Mr Ali's comments, but confirmed he would remain as Labour's candidate 'October 7 was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising anti-Semitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments.' Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden yesterday condemned Mr Ali's comments, but confirmed he would remain as Labour's candidate. He told Sky News: 'His comments were completely wrong. He should never have said something like that. He's issued a complete apology and retraction and I hope he learns a good lesson from it.' Asked whether he would be kept on as Labour's candidate, Mr McFadden replied: 'In the upcoming by-election, yes he will.' Education minister Robert Halfon, who is Jewish, said it was 'disappointing to hear Pat McFadden back him and begs the question, has Labour really changed?' A Labour insider said the situation was complicated by the fact that nominations for the by-election have closed, making it impossible for the party to replace Mr Ali with another candidate. Labour could suspend its campaign, but the source said this could hand the seat to former Labour firebrand George Galloway, who is standing for the Workers Party of Great Britain and targeting Muslim voters disaffected by the main parties' refusal to press Israel to cease hostilities in Gaza. Labour could suspend its campaign, but the source said this could hand the seat to former Labour firebrand George Galloway (pictured), who is standing for the Workers Party of Great Britain and targeting Muslim voters disaffected by the main parties' refusal to press Israel to cease hostilities in Gaza In 2020, an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report found Labour responsible for 'unlawful' acts of harassment and discrimination during Jeremy Corbyn's four years as party leader. Picture shows protestors awaiting the arrival of Jeremy Corbyn at an event in 2019 The row is an embarrassment for Sir Keir, who claims to have dealt with Labour's anti-Semitism crisis. In 2020, an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report found Labour responsible for 'unlawful' acts of harassment and discrimination during Jeremy Corbyn's four years as party leader. At the time Sir Keir vowed: 'Under my leadership, zero-tolerance of anti-Semitism will mean precisely that. If you're anti-Semitic, you should be nowhere near this party. And we'll make sure you're not.' Rochdale has one of the highest Muslim populations in the country, with more than 30 per cent of people declaring their religion as Islam in the latest census. The seat became vacant last month following the death of Labour's Sir Tony Lloyd, who had a majority of almost 10,000. A rental ad has caused a stir among Aussies after the landlord revealed tenants will be forced to leave their home on the weekend. The single-bedroom listed for rent in Throsby, north Canberra, will cost a tenant $425-per-week despite the room being off limits two days a week. The advertisement says the property it is 'not for couples or families' but instead geared towards those who travel to Canberra for work. The ad was blasted online for being advertised for the same amount as other a single-bedroom listings despite the odd condition. A single bedroom rental in shared accommodation in Canberra (pictured) will force a tenant to leave on weekends despite spending $435-a-week The listing shows a simple single bed set up in the corner of the 'fully furnished' bedroom. It also advertises a 'well equipped' kitchen despite another image showing it's missing a fridge. 'This accommodation is ideal for an interstate professional or someone like a contractor, graduate professional who is not here on the weekends,' the listing reads. The $435 price tag also covers all amenities and includes access to a parking bay and laundry. Social media users found it to be 'laughable' to send a paying tenant away for the weekends. 'This has got to be a stitch up,' one wrote on Facebook. The rental (pictured) listing was chastised online as being 'laughable' for costing so much despite the odd living condition 'Its laughable that you expect $425 for this box and the tenant cant even be there on weekends,' a second wrote. 'People like you give landlords a bad name, yes I understand the market and pricing... You are a joke,' a fellow landlord added. Others urged renters to continue looking for a room to lease saying there were plenty of much better options out there. Scott Morrison has opened up about the major difference between the current US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump. Mr Morrison, who was Australia's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022, was speaking with former Olympic diver Sam Fricker on his Diving Deep podcast. 'They are very different people. Incredibly. Joe is what you'd call an institutional veteran. Joe's a Washington politician,' he said. 'Donald was the complete opposite of that. Donald was a disruptor.' The ex-Prime Minister expanded on the differences between the current and former US presidents saying Mr Biden has 'been around a long time' and 'knows the system'. Scott Morrison (left) has opened up about the major difference between the current US President Joe Biden (right) and ex-president Donald Trump Scott Morrison is pictured with former US president Donald Trump, who he described as a 'disruptor' 'He knows how it works, he understands the importance of institutions, what they call multilateral level relationships, like ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations),' he said. Mr Morrison said the US President has a great understanding of politics around the world, including in Australia. 'He gets all of that formal, official politics and the global order and how it works. (He) understood the Australian relationship really, really well,' he said. READ MORE: Joe Biden issues warning to Anthony Albanese before visit to China US President Joe Biden (pictured right with Anthony Albanese) has warned Australia to be cautious about trusting China Advertisement 'And so he's a lot more orthodox in his approach.' Controversially, Mr Morrison broached a topic that has increasingly been making headlines recently - Mr Biden's age, 81. 'He's not a young man, and plenty of people have talked about that, but personally, I found him very good to deal with, particularly one on one,' he said. US doctors have called for Mr Biden to receive cognitive tests that prove he's fit to serve after an astonishing week of gaffes, as well as a report from the justice department that raised serious questions about his health. The DOJ report described Mr Biden as an 'elderly man with a poor memory', finding that he did not remember the years he was vice president and could not recall, 'even within several years', when his son Beau died. Mr Biden angrily addressed the nation about the DOJ report, telling Americans 'I know what the hell I am doing!' and insisting that 'my memory is fine.' Mr Morrison also praised Mr Biden for how he deals with Australia as an economic and strategic partner. 'He had a great respect for Australia and our capabilities and what we could do and our relationship,' he said. 'So he was the orthodox player.' Mr Morrison claimed Mr Trump was the 'complete opposite' labelling him a 'disruptor'. 'In the same way as in his business career, he was a political disruptor,' he said. The former Prime Minister was careful to add 'that's not a bad thing. There were some things that needed disrupting'. But Mr Morrison said 'Donald was the complete opposite of that. Donald was a disruptor' He used China as an example of how Mr Trump disrupted politics across the world. 'If it wasn't for Donald, then the world, I don't think, would have called out China in the way that they have,' Mr Morrison said. 'And certainly, we were doing it at the same time and so we shared a lot of views about that. And I don't think any other (US) president would have done that.' Mr Trump took a hardline stance against China on a number of issues during his presidency between 2017 and 2021. He tightened restrictions on Huawei, banning US companies from working with telecommunications companies that were deemed a national security risk. 'We don't want their equipment in the United States because they spy on us,' Trump told Fox News in 2020. 'And any country that uses it, we're not going to do anything in terms of sharing intelligence.' Mr Trump called out China during the Covid-19 pandemic during the same year famously referring to it as the 'Chinese virus'. He remained unapologetic dismissing claims it was a racist term. 'It comes from China, that's why,' he said. Mr Morrison ruffled feathers further after calling for an international inquiry into the origins of Covid-19 prompting China to impose tariffs on several exports. Mr Morrison also praised Mr Biden for how he deals with Australia as an economic and strategic partner In April 2022, just before he lost the federal election to Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party, Mr Morrison continued his attack against China and Russia. He said an 'arc of autocracy from Beijing to Moscow is challenging the rules-based world order our grandparents' generation sought to secure'. 'We are a liberal democracy that believes in freedom of speech, association and a free press,' he said in his Anzac Day speech in Darwin. 'We believe that the powerful should not dominate the weak, and that all peoples have the right to live free of coercion, intimidation, and the brute fist of force. 'Above all, we believe in human dignity and the rights of all people to make choices for their own lives.' China returned fire in December 2022, hitting out at Mr Morrison's 'radical, narrow, erroneous and stupid' policies. The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece The Global Times slammed the governments led by Mr Morrison and Malcolm Turnbull. The outlet claimed they had 'deliberately created... trouble out of nothing' and 'seriously damaged the friendly and cooperative atmosphere accumulated in China-Australia relations for decades'. A disastrous defence procurement programme has seen just 44 of an ordered 589 armoured fighting vehicles delivered to the MoD - a decade after bosses signed the 5.5bn contract. Over 4bn has so far been spent on the ill-fated Ajax project - 70 per cent of the contract cost - but just seven per cent of the vehicles have been accepted by the Army. The Mail has revealed a litany of errors with the 38-tonne machines, being built by defence contractor General Dynamics, with trials paused three years ago after troops suffered hearing loss due to excess noise and vibration. The machines also struggled to fire on the move and left troops feeling sick. Hundreds of personnel required medical assessment after taking part in trials of the vehicle, which was due to enter service in 2020. Over 4bn has so far been spent on the ill-fated Ajax project - 70 per cent of the contract cost - but just seven per cent of the vehicles have been accepted by the Army The land vehicles will not now see operational deployment until 2026 at the earliest, and Labour yesterday said that almost 1m had been spent on external legal counsel related to the delayed programme - adding to the costs to the taxpayer. The party said the project was amongst 46 defence programmes running late or over budget, out of a total of 52. Other bungled programmes include the RAF's E-7 Wedgetail spyplanes and the British Army's Morpheus battlefields communication system, both of which have been mired in delays. John Healey, Labour's Shadow Defence Secretary, said Ajax was the 'biggest defence procurement failure for a decade, and accused the Government of 'failing British troops and British taxpayers.'. The party said the project was amongst 46 defence programmes running late or over budget, out of a total of 52 He said: 'Since 2010, the Conservatives have wasted over 15bn of taxpayers' money through mismanagement of defence procurement programmes, with over 5bn wasted since 2019 alone. 'In Government, Labour will use NAO expertise to conduct a comprehensive audit MoD waste and drive deep defence procurement reform to ensure our troops have the kit they need to fight and fulfil our NATO obligations.' The MoD said it was unable to comment. But last March it said payments to General Dynamics, which had been withheld since December 2020 due to the noise and vibration issues, had resumed. It added that Ajax vehicles were due to reach Initial Operating Capability between July and December 2025. In December it said the vehicles, being assembled in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, had so far driven more than 12,400 miles in trials. Hillary Clinton has become the highest-profile Democrat so far to raise concerns over Joe Biden's age, saying it is a 'legitimate' concern for voters ahead of this year's presidential election. Mrs Clinton, a former secretary of state, presidential candidate and first lady, said that she had talked to people in the Biden White House and they admitted Mr Biden's increasing age was an 'issue'. She made the comments in an interview recorded on Wednesday, the day before the publication of a report by special counsel Robert Hur, which concluded that the President had 'wilfully' mishandled classified documents after he left office as Vice President. In a damning 388-page report, Mr Hur concluded that the President's failing mental faculties would have made a conviction impossible and that he was an 'elderly man with a poor memory'. Hillary Clinton, a former secretary of state, presidential candidate and first lady, said that she had talked to people in the Biden White House and they admitted Mr Biden's increasing age was an 'issue' She made the comments in an interview recorded on Wednesday, the day before the publication of a report by special counsel Robert Hur, which concluded that the President had 'wilfully' mishandled classified documents after he left office as Vice President To add to Mr Biden's woes, last week saw the publication of back-to-back New York Times opinion pieces raising fears over the prospect of a second Biden term. At 81, Mr Biden is the oldest President in history. If he wins a second term he will be 86 when he leaves office. In an opinion piece on Friday, the editorial board of The New York Times wrote: 'He [Mr Biden] needs to do more to show the public that he is fully capable of holding office until age 86.' While Mr Biden has been under attack from Right-wing media outlets for years, the criticism from The New York Times is different, as it is considered the Bible of the US liberal elite and has an overwhelmingly Democratic readership. The paper's editorial board comments are essentially the voice of the paper's most senior journalists, meaning they carry significant weight. Speaking to MSNBC, Mrs Clinton said: 'I talked to people in the White House all the time, and you know, they know it's an issue, but as I like to say, 'Look, it's a legitimate issue.' It's a legitimate issue for Trump, who's only [a few] years younger, right? So it's an issue.' Despite any misgivings, Mrs Clinton, a Democrat whose husband Bill served two terms as President, said she still backed Mr Biden. She added: 'Once you say that, you need to also talk about what is at stake in this election. 'And I'm for Joe Biden because of the merits. 'I think he has done a really good job as President.' The report by Robert Hur a registered Republican who was nominated as US attorney for Maryland by Mr Trump said that Mr Biden couldn't remember when his son Beau died or the dates when he was Vice President. Donald Trump, 77, the likely Republican Presidential candidate, is close behind Mr Biden in age but has appeared far more vigorous on the campaign trail. To add to Mr Biden's woes, last week saw the publication of back-to-back New York Times opinion pieces raising fears over the prospect of a second Biden term Donald Trump, 77, the likely Republican Presidential candidate, is close behind Mr Biden in age but has appeared far more vigorous on the campaign trail Mrs Clinton's comments came as an ABC News poll found that 86 per cent of Americans think Mr Biden is too old to serve another term as President. That figure includes 59 per cent of people who think both he and Mr Trump are too old. During a hastily-arranged White House press conference on Thursday evening, a furious Mr Biden responded to the special counsel's report by insisting that his memory was fine. Mr Biden said: 'I know what the hell I'm doing' but mixed up the names of the presidents of Egypt and Mexico, the kind of gaffe he has become known for. A top Democrat called the situation a 'nightmare', while another senior member of the party said it was 'beyond devastating'. According to NBC News, one Biden ally called the report 'the worst day of his presidency'. The ally said: 'I think he needs to show us this is a demonstrably false characterisation of him and that he has what it takes to win and govern.' In recent days, Mr Biden has been seen wearing brogues but with the apparent sole from a trainer-style shoe, possibly to aid his balance after a series of falls in public. Even David Axelrod, a former top aide to Barack Obama, also said that Mr Biden's age is an 'issue'. But Mrs Clinton's intervention has made her the most senior figure so far to sound the alarm. However, last Friday and Saturday, The New York Times ran three brutal editorials calling into question the President's fitness as a candidate. On Saturday, political analyst Ross Douthat wrote a piece saying: 'The question is not if Biden should step aside. It's how.' He wrote: 'Joe Biden should not be running for re-election. That much was obvious well before the special prosecutor's comments on the President's memory lapses inspired a burst of age-related angst. And Democrats who are furious at the prosecutor have to sense that it will become only more obvious as we move deeper into an actual campaign.' The same day, Maureen Dowd, a journalist and opinion writer who has worked for the Times for years, wrote a column titled: 'Mr. President, ditch the stealth about health.' She wrote: 'Stealth about health is no longer possible, and the sooner President Biden's team stops being in denial about that, the better off Democrats will be.' Even David Axelrod (pictured), a former top aide to Barack Obama, also said that Mr Biden's age is an 'issue' The blunt column said: 'Biden is not just in a bubble he's in bubble wrap. 'Cosseting and closeting Uncle Joe all the way to the end [is] just not going to work.' On the subject of his press conference, she wrote: 'Pushing back at the image of a crotchety grandpa, he came across like a crotchety grandpa.' The previous day, The New York Times editorial board said that the press conference had 'raised more questions about his cognitive sharpness and temperament'. Calling it a 'dark moment' in the Biden presidency, the Times said that 'he looks as if he is hiding, or worse, being hidden'. The newspaper noted that as of late January, he had given fewer interviews than the last six presidents: only 86. Mr Trump gave 300, and Mr Obama gave 422. For confidential support contact LIFELINE 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 The family of a man who was found dead in the back of his car have broken their silence as it's revealed police are treating the death as non-suspicious. Police were called to a beach south of Mackay Harbour, in North Queensland, after the body was found inside a LandCruiser near East Point Drive at 1.15pm on Saturday. The area was taped off as detectives declared a crime scene, with initial reports indicating the body had been found wrapped in a plastic bag. However, Daily Mail Australia understands the report was incorrect and police are treating the man's death as a suicide. Just days before the tragedy, the man's LandCruiser had been stolen before it was eventually tracked down and returned. Devastated loved ones have revealed the theft was the 'last straw' for the man as he grappled with his mental health. Police were called to Mackay Harbour after a man's body was discovered in an abandoned LandCruiser (pictured) on Saturday afternoon Officers at the scene as the area was taped off as part of the investigation 'Having his car stolen was the straw that broke the camel's back,' the family said, through a statement released by a friend on Facebook. 'To the lowlifes that stole his car, yes, you know who you are, you having [sic] finally pushed someone to breaking point.' Days before the death, the man issued a plea for help finding his vehicle after it was stolen from East Point. 'Can everyone keep an eye out for a stolen old 2000 model while Landcruiser Troop Carrier,' the post read. '[It] drive [sic] off at servo last night and [got] bogged at Mount Pleasant but they got it out again. Thanks.' The tragic discovery of the man's body was made after members of the public drove past the abandoned car and contacted police when they recognised it as the missing vehicle from the online post. The witnesses walked over to discover the LandCruisers' windows boarded up with cardboard. The man opened the unclipped rear door and made the shocking find before ringing triple-0. A report will be prepared for the Coroner. For confidential support contact LIFELINE 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 The Bank of England has been accused of having an 'obsession' with Brexit, as it continues to ask companies to rate the level of 'uncertainty' caused by the 2016 referendum. A monthly questionnaire sent to thousands of chief executives and finance directors continues to ask about the impact of the vote eight years ago. But the Bank no longer seeks answers about other major issues, such as the Covid pandemic or the war in Ukraine. One businessman who belongs to the Decision Maker Panel (DMP) told The Sunday Telegraph: 'There are many, many things that cause uncertainty the war in Ukraine, the Middle East, Covid and yet Brexit is an ongoing obsession, it seems, within the Bank of England.' He said there seemed to be a 'concerted, anti-Brexit Project Fear narrative, a campaign within the Bank of England'. Previous governor Mark Carney was accused in the run-up to the Brexit vote of stoking 'Project Fear' The Bank of England has been accused of having an 'obsession' with Brexit, as it continues to ask companies to rate the level of 'uncertainty' caused by the 2016 referendum The Bank under previous governor Mark Carney was accused in the run-up to the Brexit vote of stoking 'Project Fear', with claims about how economically damaging the impact of leaving the European Union would be. The latest results of the DMP survey showed just 1 per cent found it was the largest source of uncertainty. Meanwhile, 31 per cent said it was 'not important'. For 19 per cent it was one of the top two or three sources of uncertainty. Pro Brexit supporters celebrates as the United Kingdom exits the EU during the Brexit Day Celebration Party hosted by Leave Means Leave at Parliament Square on January 31, 2020 John Longworth, who chaired the Vote Leave business council and now leads the Independent Business Network of family businesses, said the Bank had 'never got over the failure of Project Fear'. He added: 'We are doing better than Germany and France and yet persistent gloom-mongering talks down confidence and investment.' A spokesman for the Bank of England said: 'This survey is just one of many sources of information that feeds into decisions on monetary policy.' Vapes laced with Spice put five schoolchildren into hospital and left one in a coma after smoking them. The incident, involving five teens, happened after months over warnings of youths using vapes. Aged between 14 to 16-years-old, the teenagers were admitted to hospital on January 29 in Elthan, South East London after they all used a re-chargeable vape that contained blue liquid in a cartridge that was labelled 'Vaporesso,' the Mirror reported. They were experiencing confusion, vomiting and a reduced level of consciousness. Emergency services arrived and took them to the hospital where one was induced into a coma. The incident, involving five teens, happened after months of warnings of youths using spice-laced vapes. Pictured: Stock image of young people vaping Spice is commonly called a 'zombie drug' after the side effects it has on people using it. However, this is not an isolated incident. There are reports of similar situations happening with teens across the country including in Yorkshire, Manchester, Middlesbrough and Wales. It has been reported that people buying some e-cigarettes thought they contained cannabis, instead they contained the 'zombie' Spice drug which has different side-effects. Last month two other youngsters reportedly also suffered after vaping with Spice-laced 'Lemonade Vape Cookies' in Merton, South West London. A Government spokesperson told the Mirror: 'Marketing vapes to children is unacceptable. We are cracking down on this by banning disposable vapes, restricting their flavours and changing how and where they are displayed in shops.' The effects of lab-made Spice can include difficulty in breathing, seizures, dizziness, heart palpitations and chest pain. There are reports of similar situations happening with teens across the country including in Yorkshire, Manchester, Middlesbrough and Wales. Pictured: Stock image of young people vaping Other symptoms reported are suicidal thoughts, kidney problems and paranoia. Over the last few years multiple children have been hospitalised because of vaping effects. This comes after Rishi Sunak announced ministers will ban disposable vapes the weapon of choice for teenagers in 2024 and was backed by experts in the field. E-cigarettes are also set to be limited to a handful of flavours, sold in plain, tobacco-style packaging and displayed out of sight of kids under the ambitious plans. A two bedroom mid terraced house has gone up for auction at a bargain 25,000 thanks to its history of being part of a 50,000 cannabis farm. The property is located 1.5 miles from the centre of Houghton le Spring, in Tyne and Wear, Sunderland, and features two reception rooms, a kitchen and bathroom on the ground floor, two bedrooms on the first floor as well as a bedroom on the attic level. Pictures of the interior of the house, which is listed with a minimum bid of 25,000, show dozens of abandoned plant pots standing on the bedroom floors. White plastic sheets cover the floors and walls while cables - likely used for grow lights for the cannabis plants formerly been grown in the rooms - are hanging from the ceiling. The house was previously raided by police, which seized 50,000 of illegal drugs and dismantled the cannabis farm. Pictures of the interior of the house, which is listed with a minimum bid of 25,000, show dozens of abandoned plant pots standing on the bedroom floors White plastic sheets cover the floors and walls while cables - likely used for grow lights for the cannabis plants formerly been grown in the rooms - are hanging from the ceiling While the door was replaced with a wooden panel, the rest of the exterior of the mid terraced house (centre) blends in seamlessly with the homes on either side of the former cannabis farm 'The property comprises a vacant two bedroom mid terraced house which is understood to have previously been used as a cannabis farm. A full scheme of refurbishment will be required,' the listing reads. The house has a rear yard which desperately needs cleaning out due to the piles of rubbish, as the listing pictures reveal. Interior pictures show a kitchen including a washing machine, a fridge-freezer and a stove with a pot on top. The bathroom features a separate toilet closet, a sink and a bathtub - as well as chipping paint on all the walls and door frames. Pictures of the attic show bags, cables and discarded electronics laying around. While the door was replaced with a wooden panel, the rest of the exterior of the mid terraced house blends in seamlessly with the homes on either side of the former cannabis farm. Three men aged 32, 52, and 63 as well as a woman, 58, were arrested in connection with the cannabis farm last year. Pictures of the attic show bags, cables and discarded electronics laying around The bathroom features a separate toilet closet, a sink and a bathtub - as well as chipping paint on all the walls and door frames All plants were seized from the house and only the empty plant pots (pictured above) remind of the cannabis plants that were once grown in the property Interior pictures show a kitchen including a washing machine, a fridge-freezer and a stove with a pot on top The house has a rear yard which desperately needs cleaning out, as the listing pictures reveal All plants were seized from the house and only the empty plant pots remind of the cannabis plants that were once grown in the property. In addition to the drugs, police also seized 17,000 of suspected criminal cash, four cars and a BB gun. Police said the electricity in the house had been bypassed, but the site has since been made safe. 'As a Force, we are committed to tackling serious crime through a range of activity, including targeted days of action like this,' Detective Jonathan Wade from Northumbria Police told Chronicle Live after the arrests. The house is up for auction with Landwood Property Auctions on March 6. Kate Lay, Partner at Landwood Property Auctions, said: 'Although it might come as a shock to the average homebuyer, this is an end of the market property that auctioneers and estate agents routinely work with. 'We work very closely with LPA Receivers to help recover funds from properties such as this to repay debts and provide a positive solution for the community. 'We have become experts in this field and our online auctions provide the quickest and most honest route to achieve a sale. 'We are completely transparent in all listings, words and pictures, so any potential buyer knows exactly what they are purchasing from us. It also helps place the guide price in context. 'Like all good estate agents, Landwood Group takes a common sense approach to such listings and we aim to give potential buyers the information they need to make an informed decision.' A 'ring of steel' has been set up by German police for Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brueckner s court appearance this week. The convicted paedophile is standing trial on Friday accused of carrying out a string of vile sex attacks in Portugal. It will be the 47-year-old's first public court appearance since being named the prime suspect in Madeleines 2007 disappearance. Brueckner is alleged to have carried out five offences in the Algarve between 2000 and 2017, including the alleged rape of an Irish tour rep, who was attacked in her apartment Praia da Rocha in 2004. The German national is also charged with raping a teenage girl in his Praia da Luz home and raping an elderly woman in her holiday apartment. He is further accused of exposing himself to a German girl on a beach in Salema in April 2007 and alleged indecent exposure in front of an 11-year-old in Sao Bartolomeu de Messines in 2017. Christian Brueckner is set to appear in court in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, on February 16, accused of five offences between 2000 and 2017 in Portugal and is already serving a rape sentence Madeleine was on a family holiday in Praia da Luz, in Portugal when she vanished on May 3, 2007 Authorities have drafted a series of enhanced security measures for the trial, which is due to last until June, as photographers and TV crews from across the world is expected to descend on Braunschweig Regional Court. Armed police will be stationed inside and outside the court for each of the 29 hearings, as Lawyers, media and members of the public will have to show formal identification to police before entering the court. Brueckner will enter courtroom 141, which hold 100 spectators, via a secure tunnel from a holding facility accompanied by his legal team. He is expected to be moved from his high-security prison in northern Germany for the duration of the trial, having been flown across Europe for the hearings. Court spokeswoman Lisa Rust told the Mirror: 'These heightened security measures have now been compiled. 'The polizeianordnung is like an official directive issued by the law enforcement authorities - here the police. It governs certain actions or behaviour in accordance with the law and public safety.' A German source said the trial was a 'big deal for the authorities', with police set to guard the witnesses throughout the trial. Brueckner was also charged with the offences in October 2022 but the case was delayed following a legal row over jurisdiction. Madeleine was on a family holiday in Praia da Luz, in Portugal when she vanished on May 3, 2007. Brueckner was made a formal suspect by prosecutors in Portugal in 2022. He had previously been identified as a suspect by German prosecutors in 2020, at which point he was named as Christian B. Brueckner is serving a sentence of seven years for a rape that took place in Portugal in 2005. During the trial, which is set to begin next week, there will be a ruling on whether Brueckner remains in prison at the end of that sentence. Joe Biden yesterday called on Israel to 'not proceed' with military action in southern Gaza without planning for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing international warnings over his army's planned offensive in Rafah amid its war with Hamas. According to the White House, Mr Biden told Mr Netanyahu last night that the Israel Defence Forces 'should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there'. But Mr Netanyahu has rejected concerns about civilian casualties in Rafah, declaring: 'Victory is in reach.' He insisted that there would be no turning back despite the clamour over the huge death toll and the loss of two more hostages. Joe Biden yesterday called on Israel to 'not proceed' with military action in southern Gaza without planning for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing international warnings over his army's planned offensive in Rafah amid its war with Hamas Mr Netanyahu also admitted there were ongoing 'disagreements' with Mr Biden but defended the US President, whose memory has been called into question, saying he had found him 'clear and focused'. Rafah, on Gaza's southern border with Egypt, is the last remaining stronghold for Hamas following four months of fighting since the October 7 massacre on Israel, which saw 1,200 people murdered and at least 250 abducted. But international unease has been growing over the welfare of civilians in the region, which is providing refuge to around 1.5million Palestinians who have been displaced by the conflict. As well as the risk from military engagement, there are desperate shortages of food and medical care for non-combatants. British Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron revealed his disquiet at the next phase of Israel's military operation on X, writing: 'Deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah over half of Gaza's population are sheltering in the area. 'The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.' Cabinet minister Michael Gove echoed the Foreign Secretary's warning on the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday programme, saying while it was 'absolutely right to deal with the terrorist threat', the Palestinian people 'need and deserve' aid and support. Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy tweeted on Friday that an Israeli offensive in Rafah would be 'catastrophic'. The latest figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza have put the overall Palestinian death toll at more than 28,000. At least 44 people, including more than a dozen children, were reported killed by Israeli air strikes in Rafah on Saturday. Palestinians inspect damaged apartment buildings after Israeli attacks in Rafah, Gaza on February 11 At least 44 people, including more than a dozen children, were reported killed by Israeli air strikes in Rafah on Saturday The latest figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza have put the overall Palestinian death toll at more than 28,000 Hamas's armed wing, the Al Qassam Brigades, said on the same day that two Israeli hostages had been killed and another eight seriously injured by air strikes over the past 96 hours. Mr Netanyahu yesterday insisted efforts had been made to minimise civilian casualties in Gaza, including dropping fliers and telephoning Palestinian citizens to evacuate combat zones, since the Israel Defence Force launched its retaliatory incursion. But he repeated that this was being hampered by the use of civilians as human shields. Speaking on ABC News's This Week With George Stephanopoulos, the Israeli leader, who has been rejecting Hamas's latest ceasefire proposals, said: 'I think we're doing the right thing. And let me tell you one other thing we're going to win this thing. Victory is within reach.' Asked about the pleas by hostages' families for negotiations to be transferred to a party 'committed to saving their lives', he added that 110 had been released 'because we applied military pressure, not because we stopped applying it'. He also backed President Biden, who was last week described by a special counsel as an 'elderly man with a poor memory' who couldn't remember when his son died. Mr Netanyahu said that during a dozen extended phone conversations and President Biden's recent wartime visit to Israel, he had 'found him very clear and very focused'. The Israeli leader added: 'Sometimes we had disagreements but they weren't borne of a lack of understanding on his part.' Hamas freed more than 100 Israeli and other foreign hostages in exchange for Israel releasing about 240 Palestinian prisoners during a week-long truce in November. Israel's chief military spokesman, rear admiral Daniel Hagari, said last week that 31 of the remaining hostages were dead. Some 136 are still being held in Gaza. The exact number of murderers and sex offenders released into the community after a bombshell High Court decision has been revealed. Seven detainees released from immigration detention were convicted of murder or attempted murder. Another 37 released detainees had been convicted of sexual based offending, including child sexual offences, documents tendered during Senate Estimates in Canberra on Monday showed. Liberal senator James Patterson wrote on X that the documents 'confirm the Albanese government has made zero applications for preventative detention of released detainees. 'What was the point of rushing the legislation through before Christmas if they didnt plan to use it,' he said. Documents tendered in the Senate have revealed how many sex offenders, murderers and kidnappers have been released into the community by Anthony Albanese's government. Mr Albanese is pictured READ MORE: Greens lose it over tough new rules for asylum seekers released on streets of suburbia Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the legislation was a 'full-blown attack on refugees in this country' Advertisement Another 72 of the former detainees were convicted of assault, violent offending, kidnapping or armed robbery, and 16 were convicted of domestic violence or stalking. There were also 13 others who have been convicted of serious drug offences and up to five who were convicted of people smuggling or crimes of serious international concern. The documents also show 24 detainees have breached their visa conditions or been charged for serious offences against Australians. One of the documents reveals that 'As of 1 February 2024 six individuals have been arrested and charged for offences against the Migration Act 1958 for breach of visa conditions. 'Additionally, the ABF (Australian Border Force) is aware that 18 individuals have been charged by state and territory police for state and territory offences.' The same document also revealed that as of January 31, nobody 'has been re-detained in an immigration detention facility on the basis that there is a real prospect of their removal from Australia being practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future'. Documents previously tabled in the Senate showed that 18 of the foreigners who were being held in indefinite detention before their release came from Afghanistan. A total of 17 came from Iran, 10 made it to Australia from Sudan, while nine were listed as being 'stateless' - meaning they have no nation to return to. Other countries high on the list were South Sudan, Eritrea and Sri Lanka - while one asylum seeker was originally from New Zealand. The exact number of murderers and sex offenders released into the community after a bombshell High Court (pictured) decision has been revealed Government ministers Andrew Giles and Clare O'Neil had previously refused to detail the crimes that some of the former detainees had committed, though Mr Giles said murderers and a number of sex offenders were included. Those released include a paedophile who raped a 10-year-old boy in Sydney's west and a hitman who blew up a pregnant woman in Malaysia. These criminals had completed jail sentences for their crimes, but could not be deported for various reasons beyond the Government's control, including that the country they're from refused to allow them to return. In November Labor rushed legislation through both houses of Parliament, backing Coalition amendments that hit those released asylum seekers with even tougher rules. A fifth of NHS staff in England are now foreign nationals, according to estimates. Three in 10 nurses and more than a third of doctors are non-UK residents the first time this milestone has been reached. Some 215 nationalities are now represented in the NHS workforce. Health chiefs have warned overseas recruitment cannot fill vacancies in the health service forever, arguing that the figures reflect how heavily the NHS depends on international staff to stop it 'buckling under pressure'. It comes after a Mail on Sunday investigation revealed that NHS staff at every level are working remotely in countries such as Australia and Japan. Critics have warned that allowing staff to work abroad puts patients' lives at risk. A fifth of NHS staff in England are now foreign nationals, according to estimates. Three in 10 nurses and more than a third of doctors are non-UK residents the first time this milestone has been reached The most common foreign nationality for nurses is Indian, accounting for 10.1 per cent of all FTE nurses and health visitors, followed by Filipino, Nigerian and Irish. For doctors Indian was the most common non-UK nationality, accounting for 8 per cent of all doctors, followed by Pakistani, Egyptian and Nigerian At least 335 staff from 33 trusts have been granted to work from a different country in the past two years - including consultants who can earn a basic salary of up to 126,000. According to the latest available data from NHS Digital, a third of the 335,763 full-time equivalent (FTE) nurses and health visitors working in England in September whose nationality was known are foreign nationals. The figure is up from the two in 10 non-UK staff from three years earlier. It also marks the highest proportion of foreign nationals working in the health service since current data began in 2009. The most common foreign nationality is Indian, accounting for 10.1 per cent of all FTE nurses and health visitors, followed by Filipino, Nigerian and Irish. There has been a similarly sharp rise in the proportion of hospital and community health service doctors who are non-UK nationals, which now stands at more than a third of the total. Indian was the most common non-UK nationality among this group, accounting for 8 per cent of all doctors, followed by Pakistani, Egyptian and Nigerian. Danny Mortimer, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, said the analysis 'shows how reliant the NHS has become on its talented international workforce'. He also said that without such staff the health service 'could have very easily buckled under the pressures it has been put under', including rising demand, the pandemic and strike action. Mr Mortimer added: 'Teams across the NHS are hugely appreciative to their overseas colleagues for their support and contribution. But there is no room for complacency, as we will not be able to continue to draw on international recruitment to fill NHS vacancies forever. 'If anything, retention is just as important as attracting new staff into the NHS and will be key in the short term to preventing pressures from worsening and ensuring the recruitment base we are looking to build from has solid foundations. 'Expanding the number of staff we train here is also important, so it is vital the continued expansion of training and education, set out in the NHS England long-term workforce plan, is maintained.' Not all NHS staff roles have seen a rise in the percentage of the workforce who are foreign nationals. The figure for consultants has remained broadly unchanged, while the figure for midwives stands at 9 per cent - a rise on last year but a return to levels seen in 2009. Some 214 different foreign nationalities are now represented in the NHS, with countries ranging from India, Portugal and Ghana - all in the top 10 - to smaller nations such as Tonga, Liechtenstein and the Solomon Islands. Some 214 nationalities are now represented in the NHS workforce. Pictured: Health Secretary Victoria Atkins The record total includes three in ten nurses and more than a third of doctors being non-UK residents. Pictured: General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Pat Cullen Lucina Rolewicz, researcher at the independent think-tank The Nuffield Trust, said the NHS has become 'increasingly reliant on overseas recruitment to fill staffing gaps', with foreign nurses proving 'pivotal' to the Government meeting its 2019 pledge to increase the number of nurses in England by 50,000. She added: 'This is far from a sustainable, long-term solution. The NHS is still competing with other health systems for overseas staff and in some cases our working conditions, pay and career prospects may look less favourable compared to other countries. 'Not only this, but of those overseas workers that do join the UK's nursing and midwifery workforce, nearly two in five left within five years of joining the professional register in the latest year of data. 'The long-term workforce plan proposes focusing more on expanding domestic training and increasing the number of home-trained graduates working in the NHS - but these plans will only come to fruition if we reduce the number of people quitting training and attract more graduates to choose NHS jobs and then to stay longer.' The workforce plan, published in 2023, set out steps to recruit thousands more NHS staff in England, which could add an additional 60,000 doctors and 170,000 more nurses by 2036/37. Alex Baylis, assistant director of policy at health charity The King's Fund, said: 'There are currently over 120,000 posts that are vacant in the NHS in England, including 42,000 nursing posts and nearly 9,000 medical posts. 'This is largely because, over the last five years or more, workforce planning has failed to keep pace with increasing demand. This level of vacancies is rightly a big worry to the public - in last year's British Social Attitudes survey of satisfaction with the NHS, increasing staffing was seen as the top priority. 'Since professional training takes several years, the NHS will be highly dependent on recruiting from overseas for at least the next five years, and retaining current staff, if vacancies are to be filled. 'Staff from overseas are - and always have been - absolutely essential to the NHS and must be recognised and valued as such. 'The NHS needs to make sure they are well supported as they get used to our system, they have access to ongoing training and career progression and, above all, they are treated fairly and not discriminated against.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'International recruitment has a valuable role in helping the NHS deliver its world-class care, but it is important we boost the domestic workforce and decrease our reliance on agency staff and overseas workers. 'The first ever NHS long-term workforce plan was commissioned by the Government to train, retain and reform the workforce, and put the NHS on a sustainable footing into the future. 'Backed by 2.4 billion, the plan will double the number of medical school places, almost double the number of adult nurse training places, and increase the number of GP training places by 50 per cent by 2031. 'Through these domestic training expansions, we expect around 10 per cent of our workforce to be recruited internationally in 15 years' time, compared to nearly a quarter today.' A grieving son was given just an hour to say goodbye to his father because the medics had already called the undertaker after he died during an operation at a private hospital. Orson Morris' father, Phil, died in December 2021 due to the mistakes made during a 12,000 gastric sleeve surgery at St Anthony's Hospital, Sutton. Phil's wife Dana was called by staff members at 2am to be given the news and told she had a one hour to see the 48-year-old before his body was taken away. Dana woke Orson, then aged 12, before they rushed to the hospital owned by private health provider Spire. Orson, now 14, told the Mirror he will 'never forgive' the hospital for the way they treated his father and 'ruined his final goodbye with him'. Orson Morris' father, Phil, died in December 2021 after a 12,000 gastric sleeve surgery at St Anthony's Hospital, Sutton Phil's wife Dana (left) was called by staff members at 2am to be given the news and told she had a one hour to see the 48-year-old before his body was taken away (pictured with Orson and Phil) The youngster claims to have only had five minutes alone with his dad, as 'heartless' staff kept walking in whilst he attempted to sing a song he 'knew his dad would have loved'. He said: 'I'll never get that back and that hurts so much. Not only did we only get minutes with him instead of hours, but they demanded we go at 2am and see the body or we'd be too late. 'When we got there, staff kept coming in saying, 'They're coming', referring to the funeral directors they had called without consulting us.' The family was caused further distress when the saw a a stretcher was next to the door with staff from the funeral director whilst they were ushered out of the room. Last week, a coroner at the inquest into actor and lecturer Phil's death found he would have survived had vital steps been taken by hospital staff. The inquest heard Phil was not properly monitored after the surgery, as staff failed to take blood tests as requested by his surgeon. He was then allowed to leave intensive care without the oxygen he needed and died on December 10 from hypoxia a lack of oxygen. Phil's family are now considering legal action against Spire, after being billed for his treatment just days after he died. A spokesman for Spire said: 'We apologise for the distress and pain Mr Morris' death has caused. Prior to the inquest, we carried out a thorough review of Mr Morris' treatment and have taken action to address the learnings we identified. 'We accept the coroner's findings and will reflect on what further we can learn from this sad case.' A 60-year-old man has been cautioned by police after shining a laser beam at a police helicopter. It comes as a National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter from Bournemouth had been sent to Southampton on Saturday to help find a vehicle which had failed to stop for police. While flying over Portswood, a laser was shone at the cockpit of the helicopter, which was traced back to a house in the area. A man was arrested for offences under the Laser Misuse Act 2018 and was taken into custody, while the laser device was seized. A man shining a laser beam at a spotter helicopter hampered a police search for a driver A National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter from Bournemouth had been sent to Southampton on Saturday to help find a vehicle which had failed to stop for police A man was arrested for offences under the Laser Misuse Act 2018 and was taken into custody, while the laser device was seized A spokesman for Hampshire Roads Policing Unit said on Saturday: 'Earlier today we had a vehicle which failed to stop for us in Southampton. 'We were thankful for the assistance from NPAS who attended from Bournemouth to help with the search for the vehicle. 'However, this clearly was not appreciated by everyone as the aircraft was targeted from an address in the Portswood area by a laser device, which was quickly identified by NPAS. 'Being close by, we were more than happy to assist our high-flying colleagues and locate the suspect.' The man received a conditional caution for the offence of shining or directing a laser beam towards a land or water vehicle or aircraft The man received a conditional caution for the offence of shining or directing a laser beam towards a land or water vehicle or aircraft. People who target aircraft, road vehicles, or boats risk facing a 12-month prison sentence under the Laser Misuse Act 2018. It is not the first time such an incident has happened in the area. During July and August last year, five separate flights either departing or arriving at Southampton Airport were targeted with lasers, with the airport describing the incidents as 'reckless'. Patients could be treated by medics of the opposite sex without their knowledge or consent, new data reveals. Figures show at least 77 doctors have registered a change of gender with the General Medical Council (GMC) since 2003. Just two have informed the GMC that they have obtained a UK Gender Recognition Certificate, the document that provides legal recognition of the change. And it raises concerns that doctors are being allowed to self-identify at will to change gender on the register without further checks. The information, supplied by the GMC to Labour's gender-critical Baroness Hayter, revealed a total of 14 doctors changed gender on the GMC register in 2022 and nine last year. The information revealed a total of 14 doctors changed gender on the GMC register in 2022 and nine last year. Picture shows a patient going for an STD test in a clinic (Stock image) Writing to Baroness Hayter (pictured), Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, the General Medical Council's chair, said that 'the data on the published register may not reflect, in all cases, a doctor's sex at birth' When Baroness Hayter pressed the importance of patients knowing their doctor's sex, the GMC responded that the 'the primary purpose' of the register was to show that doctors have 'the appropriate training, skills and experience' (Stock image) Writing to Baroness Hayter, Professor Dame Carrie MacEwen, the GMC's chair, said that 'the data on the published register may not reflect, in all cases, a doctor's sex at birth', The Sunday Telegraph reported. This means that patients cannot find out if their doctor was born male or female from the register. When Baroness Hayter pressed the importance of patients knowing their doctor's sex, the GMC responded that the 'the primary purpose' of the register was to show that doctors have 'the appropriate training, skills and experience'. She was also told that patients are more likely to seek information regarding their doctor's gender from local healthcare providers, rather than from the GMC register. The GMC also provided reassurance that patients could use a chaperone, but the policy means patients will not know in advance whether to ask for one, because their doctor's biological sex is not shown. The organisation said they stopped asking for a Gender Recognition Certificate form doctors in 2010 'because many found it difficult to secure one'. Maya Forstater (pictured), executive director of Sex Matters, which campaigns for clarity on sex in law and everyday life, said: 'The General Medical Council's handling of this issue is chilling and demonstrates that it prioritises trans identities over the safety and wellbeing of female patients' READ MORE: Patients could be given the right to know if their doctor is transgender under government crackdown on NHS wokery Advertisement Maya Forstater, executive director of Sex Matters, which campaigns for clarity on sex in law and everyday life, said: 'The General Medical Council's handling of this issue is chilling and demonstrates that it prioritises trans identities over the safety and wellbeing of female patients. 'If a woman has been told that she will be examined by a female doctor, then it is a violation of her consent for her to find herself with a man posing as a woman. 'In a similar way to the issue with male police officers searching women, this policy disregards women's human rights and put women at risk of state-sanctioned sexual assault.' A GMC spokesman said: 'We recognise that some people will, for various reasons, want to see a doctor of the same sex, and the relevant healthcare provider - whether a GP practice, sexual health clinic, or other service - is best placed to handle such requests to ensure those patients' needs are met. 'They will also be able to take other steps where appropriate, for example, by providing a chaperone. 'We have been processing gender-change applications since the early 2000s. Our current approach to enable registrants to change their gender on the medical register is compliant with the existing legislative framework. 'We have responded directly to the Baroness's most recent letter on the points she has raised.' A man plummeted to his death from a luxury skyscraper in New York City in an apparent suicide on Sunday evening. The incident occurred at 19 Dutch Street at Fulton Street in Manhattan's Financial District, a luxury building where rents can reach as much as $10,000 a month. The death is likely to be a suicide, sources suggested to DailyMail.com on Sunday night. Images from the scene showed a large police presence, and the deceased covered with a white sheet. It comes after a string of jumping suicides in affluent neighborhoods around New York City in recent months. A man plummeted to his death from a luxury skyscraper in New York City in an apparent suicide on Sunday evening The death is likely to be a suicide, sources suggested to DailyMail.com on Sunday night Images from the scene showed a large police presence, and the deceased covered with a white sheet A 56-year-old jumped to his death from the fourth floor of a swanky Upper East Side townhouse in Manhattan in December. The unnamed man was found in front of 18 East 67th Street, close to Madison avenue, just before 7:30am on December 21. The pre-war building rents units out for up to $9000 a month. First responders rushed the man to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The man had left a note, the New York Post reported. Earlier that month a 35-year-old woman died after jumping from a high-rise known as The Brittany, close to Mayor Eric Adams' residence in Gracie Mansion. The incident occurred at 19 Dutch Street at Fulton Street in Manhattan's Financial District, a luxury building where rents can reach as much as $10,000 a month The incident on Sunday comes after a string of jumping suicides in affluent neighborhoods around New York City in recent months In October, a 47-year-old man jumped to his death from the Gotham Hotel in Midtown. While in the summer, three men died within the space of two days after taking their own lives. One of those men died from jumping from a luxury high-rise. If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the Suicide Prevention hotline on 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org. A man has died after being shot by police during a drug bust at a rural motel. Officers arrived at the Country View Motel in Ilbilbie, south of Mackay, on Monday morning to conduct the targeted drug operation. Shots were fired at about 11am. Multiple paramedics were present at the scene and performed CPR on the man shortly after however he died at the scene. He was the only person paramedics attended to. A spokesperson for Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia that investigations into the incident are ongoing. A man has been shot dead by police during a drug raid at the Country View Motel in Ilbilbie (pictured), south of McKay, on Monday morning It is the fourth police shooting in the region in the last 17 months. Most recently, police shot dead 56-year-old David Dowker who police allege was wielding a cane knife and approached two officers after being told to drop the knife. Two 24-year-old men were shot dead by police in separate incidents across October and November in 2022. Police allege one of the men brandished a four-five centimetre-long knife and walked towards police at Airlie Beach, north of MacKay, before shots were fired and he was killed. Officers shot the other man dead just over a month later at the Mackay Base Hospital after attending to an address to reports of a man making threats. He allegedly produced a firearm after attempts to negotiate with man were unsuccessful. Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com Bush tracker says Samantha Murphy could 'definitely' be alive An expert bush tracker believes missing mum Samantha Murphy could 'definitely' still be alive after nine days in bushland, and has accused Victoria Police of being too hasty in scaling back the search. The mother-of-three left her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat, west of Melbourne, to go jogging through Woowookarung Regional Park at about 7am on February 4 and has not been seen since. The scale of the search operation was wound down after a week of fruitless effort, with growing fears that she cannot still be alive. However professional tracker Jake Cassar told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Murphy could survive in the bush for weeks provided she has access to water. Samantha Murphy, 51, (pictured) vanished without a trace on February 4 Jake Cassar (pictured) is a bush tracker who believes Samantha Murphy could still be alive 'She could absolutely be alive if she found her way to water,' he said. 'You can go about three days without water and about a month without food, but people have survived for months in the past.' FIVE ESSENTIAL SEARCH TOOLS: - Drones with heat sensors; - Sniffer dogs; - Military trackers; - Indigenous trackers - Bush trackers. Advertisement He said police usually call off ground searches between five and nine days due to a lack of funding and resources Mr Cassar urged authorities to call on bush trackers to help, and said he would be willing to stage his own search. 'It's not a good way to go, being left in the elements,' he said. 'The SES do a great job, as do police, but volunteers need to get back to their families and their jobs.' Mr Cassar said drones with heat sensors, sniffer dogs, military trackers and indigenous trackers should be regularly brought in to help find missing persons. 'People can survive incredible situations so it's a shame they've stopped the search - she's a mother and a loved family member and it would be great to see more funds allocated to search and rescue,' he said. 'If there was funding, I would love to come down and help find her.' Police and Country Fire Association and State Emergency Service volunteers and hundreds of locals spent six days scouring bushland for Ms Murphy, but the official search came to a halt on Saturday. Small teams of locals scoured bushland for the missing mum on Sunday, while another group organised to meet at Buninyong Police Station the following morning, but with temperatures soaring to 36 degrees, no one showed up on Monday. On Monday, the administrator of the Facebook group 'Find Samantha Murphy' - which garnered thousands of members since she disappeared - announced she would delete the group. A Facebook group dedicated to helping find Ms Murphy were also dramatically shut down on Monday and group messenger chats were dramatically deleted. Cin Hobbs, who ran the group, said: 'This group has served its purpose and we have been given the go ahead to delete. Samantha Murphy was last seen leaving her home on Eureka Street in Ballarat East to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest at about 7am (CCTV pictured) Samantha Murphy left her Ballarat home at 7am on Sunday to go for a run in the nearby state forest and did not return home, nor has she been seen since EXCLUSIVE READ MORE: Samantha Murphy search party discovers a chilling message scrawled on a sign at reservoir Samantha Murphy, 51, vanished last Sunday Advertisement 'This is a huge mission on its own as I have to remove every member... the best thing you can do for her is to help speed the process up by deleting yourself.' There were other Facebook groups dedicated to the search, but none were as big as Ms Hobbs' group. Before it was removed, locals would post maps of the areas they covered during their independent searches and to report their findings. One person on Saturday found a black bra that had been chopped in half and hung on a fence and reported it to police. Members were shocked and confused when they found out all their search maps and information about clues they found would be deleted, but no explanation beyond Ms Hobbs' original post was provided. Mrs Murphy's husband Mick was not at his smash repairs business on Monday and his colleagues refused to comment on the situation. The official police search for Ms Murphy has now been handed over to the Missing Persons Squad and a full scale search will only resume if fresh information emerges. Crime Command Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt confirmed last week that Ms Murphy was wearing an Apple Watch and carrying her mobile phone with her when she disappeared. SES helped with the search for Samantha Murphy last week, but the efforts were paused on Saturday It is understood a local mobile phone tower registered a ping from Ms Murphy's phone on Sunday, after she disappeared, but police refused to say more about the timing or location of the phone. 'We can't answer that at this stage,' said Supt Hatt. 'That is going forward to our telecommunications technicians.' During an independent search on the weekend, concerned locals came across a defaced council sign about a water quality issue at Dean Reservoir, north-east of where she went missing. The sign read: 'Please be aware that the water quality issue is currently affecting the clarity of the water in Dean Reservoir.' Below the paragraph, the vandal wrote: 'Thanks Sam.' The resident reported the vandalism to police and posted a photo of the shocking act in a social media group dedicated to the search. A group member wrote: 'The implication is that the reservoir is closed because of Sam. 'I'll leave it up to you to figure out why. If it's a sick joke, it's not funny.' A fed-up Qantas customer has complained about 'inedible' food and being seated next to a leaking air-conditioning vent on two separate flights. The passenger shared photos of a 'soggy' breakfast, a dirty window and a leaking vent stuffed with napkins on flights to Brisbane and Adelaide last week. The passenger posted a photo of an 'inedible' breakfast box consisting of a very unappealing presentation of scrambled egg, sausage, tomato and a hash brown. Another photo showed what appeared to be potato curry. 'All I can say with my recent experience is EW,' the passenger wrote on Reddit. 'The breakfast was inedible and I'm not usually fussy with food. The potatoes were ok.' The passenger shared photos of a 'soggy' breakfast (pictured), a dirty window and a leaking vent stuffed with napkins from flights to Brisbane and Adelaide last week The passenger also shared a photo of an air-conditioning vent stuffed with napkins to stop water from dripping onto passengers, and a window shade splattered with what was - at best - food. People responding to the post were split over the quality of the meals, with some saying they looked fine. 'I'd eat the food. Doesn't look fabulous but tastes alright. I don't expect much from cattle class,' one person wrote. 'I've had the breakfast quite a few times recently and its quite good as far as airline food. its a bit salty and all a bit mushy, but it's absolutely serviceable (as a very fussy eater),' a second wrote. 'That actually looks like it tastes amazing,' a third shared. However, others were less than impressed by the 'box of sludge'. 'Man I probably just wouldn't bother eating,' one said. 'Neither eggs or hash browns should be that color of beige,' a second agreed. Others shared their own subpar experiences with the national carrier. The passenger also an air-conditioning vent stuffed with napkins (pictured) and a window shade that appears to have been splattered with food Aussies were quick to weigh-in on the passenger's experience while others shared their own 'I was sitting in my dirty seat that I paid an arm and a leg for just a few nights ago. Eating my 'dinner' in a box,' one wrote. 'Then I opened the Qantas in flight magazine to see $1980 shoes and $45,000 watches. Their priorities are dogs***.' 'They didn't even put the food on the plane for my flight the other day. Landed in Sydney and they told us to trudge over about 10 gates to pick up something to take with us as we left. I was not wasting 20 minutes for a 6 month old cookie,' one said. A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'There are no flight details in the social media post so we don't have specific information on what's occurred, but all of our aircraft are cleaned with a disinfectant between flights and at the end of the day and undergo deep cleaning on a regular basis. 'The presentation of one of the meals is not what they normally look like but generally we've had great feedback on the new dishes and the larger portions we've recently introduced.' The incident comes just weeks after a couple from Wellington, New Zealand, claimed they sat in urine for 10 hours, having found a soiled pair of children's underwear under the seats on a Qantas flight from Sydney to Bangkok in December. They had stowed a bag with $70 worth of duty-free items, a neck pillow and a Qantas pillow underneath the seat in front. But when one of them pulled out the items, they noticed they were wet and the pillow was stained. Initially thinking the dampness was just water that had been spilled, the couple put the items in the overhead locker and returned to their seats. The man dried off the neck pillow, however, and used it on the flight. It wasn't until the end of their journey when they noticed the pair of wet children's underwear. 'Now we know that we have been sitting in urine for a 10-hour trip,' the man, who wished to remain anonymous, told the NZ Herald. A couple have claimed they sat in urine for up to 10 hours on a Qantas plane after finding a wet pair of children's underwear on the floor in front of them (stock image) 'And the travel neck pillow, well, I had been using that for the last couple of hours, under the assumption it was just a bit wet from water.' The disgusted couple called a flight attendant who removed the underwear and said she would speak to her supervisor. The couple said they were offered 10,000 Qantas points, which they refused and instead demanded a refund for the $3,827 flight. Qantas initially knocked back the request for a refund in an email sent on January 10, saying the ticket had been fully utilised. The couple responded and said it was 'simply unacceptable'. Qantas is understood to have then issued a full refund to the couple 'as a gesture of goodwill'. 'All our international aircraft are cleaned between each flight, including vacuuming seats and disinfecting surfaces,' a Qantas statement read. 'We are looking into what has occurred and have raised the issue with our cleaning supplier in Bangkok, which cleaned the aircraft prior to departure.' Two men are under investigation after shooting several galahs in a Victorian state forest that officials believe they were planning to eat. Police and Victorian Fisheries Authority officers were called to Goat Island, in the Gunbower State Forest at Cohuna, near the NSW border, just before 12pm on January 20 after reports native birds had been shot. Daily Mail Australia understands around five galahs, which are protected under Victoria's Native Wildlife Act 1975, were killed. Officers spoke to two men and found ammunition and guns, including a .22rifle, fitted with a silencer, inside a vehicle. Some of the birds had been mutilated in 'preparation for human consumption', police believe. Two men shot several galahs at Goat Island, at Cohuna in Victoria, last month Victoria Police said they were called to the forest to assist VFA officers after the weapons were discovered. 'The firearms and ammunition were seized by police ,' a spokesperson said. 'Two men were spoken to by police at the time and are expected to be interviewed at a later date in relation to any possible firearm offences.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Victorian Fisheries Authority for comment. The investigation remains ongoing. Under Victorian law, illegally hunting, taking or destroying protected wildlife carries a fine of $8,261 and or up to six months imprisonment. A beloved Bondi beautician is 'lucky to be alive' after a horror fall from the 11th floor of her apartment building left her fighting for life. Imelda O'Brien, who owns a lash extensions shop in Bondi Junction, plunged from her balcony in January. Her friend, Lauren Smyth, said if it was not for a deck on the 6th floor which broke her fall, Ms O'Brien 'would not be here with us'. She suffered a broken leg, ribs, and tailbone and is recovering in hospital. Imelda O'Brien fell eleven stories from her apartment building and is lucky to be alive Ms Smyth said while Ms O'Brien, who is originally from Dublin, was getting help from friends, she faced financial hardship while on the long road to recovery. 'Her whole body is just massively bruised and she is in a lot of pain physically and mentally,' Ms Smyth said. 'As Imelda is self employed, she has absolutely no income coming in - bills and rent still have to be paid. 'Also, Imelda is not allowed out of the hospital as she has to be have someone that is with her at all times to be able to help care for her.' On Sunday, Ms Smyth launched a GoFundMe campaign to bring her family to Australia from her native Ireland. She suffered a broken leg, ribs, and tailbone and is recovering in hospital Ms O'Brien on an unrelated balcony 'The aim ... is to help fly her mam and her partner over to be able to take her home and get her the help she needs,' Ms Smyth said. '(As well as) the cost of flights and somewhere to stay for her family while they get everything sorted for her.' By Monday afternoon, the campaign had already raised almost $3000, with some people donating as much as $250. The son of a 38-year-old woman who was found dead with a bloody iron next to her head in a Manhattan hotel has revealed she had been 'nervous' in the days leading up to her death. Denisse Oleas-Arancibia was found in her room by a maid at SoHo 54 Hotel around 10:30 am on Thursday. Cops found her unconscious and unresponsive with trauma to her face, and she was pronounced dead at the scene by EMS, police said. Her son, 18-year-old Edwin Cevallos, said the last time he spoke to his mother was the day before she died and said he'd noticed something different about her in the week prior to the tragedy. 'In the week [before] she was like, sad. She was so nervous and she was worried,' Cevallos told the New York Daily News in Spanish, though he's not sure if that had any connection to her death. Denisse Oleas-Arancibia was found in her room by a maid at SoHo 54 Hotel around 10:30 am on Thursday Cevallos did not know what his mom did for work but said she left for Manhattan every day at 2pm to do her job as she tried to achieve the American Dream after arriving here from her native Ecuador, where one of her other sons and several other family members still live. 'I am in shock. I can't believe this happened. This is surprising,' Cevallos added. 'Everything here in New York reminds me of her. Everything.' Cevallos had been living with Oleas-Arancibia and her young nephew in an apartment in Queens, according to neighbors. 'My mom, she worked very hard,' Cevallos said. 'She was working all day. She was always working for us to give us the best life in this country.' He said that he was waiting for her to come down Thursday morning and called the police when he still didn't see her at 1pm. A police officer came to his home to tell him the tragic news shortly after. Oleas-Arancibia came to America five years ago, with her son following her to New York two years ago. 'I want (people to know) that she was always helping people. She was a very good person. She never hurt anybody. She was always paying for everything. She never owed money to anybody. She was always looking to help them move forward,' he said. Oleas-Arancibia (pictured left) was found in her room by a maid at SoHo 54 Hotel around 10:30 am on Thursday Her son, 18-year-old Edwin Cevallos, said the last time he spoke to his mother was the day before she died and said he'd noticed something different about her in the week prior to the tragedy Cevallos did not know what his mom did for work but said she left for Manhattan every day at 2pm to do her job as she tried to achieve the American Dream after arriving here from her native Ecuador, where one of her other sons and several other family members still live Interior of the room where Oleas-Arancibia was found Thursday The unidentified victim was found in her room by a maid at SoHo 54 Hotel He said that his mother - whom he described as happy and always having fun - had achieved much of that American dream for him. 'She wanted a better life because in Ecuador is a lot of bad people. It was so dangerous,' he said. 'She gave us the life that we always wanted.' His final interactions with his mother showed off that devotion, as she'd made him breakfast Wednesday morning and paid a barber for her son's haircut. She told him: 'Goodbye, I love you,' as he left for school that day and gave him the sign of the cross. Victoria Marinucci, a woman who stayed in the room next door to where Oleas-Arancibia's body was found, described the scene around the hotel. 'The manager was banging and screaming, 'Hello? Hello? Hello?' Marinucci, visiting from Los Angeles, said. 'Then there were detectives everywhere.' The hotel was loaded with guests staying there specifically for New York Fashion Week. 'It was really scary. We knew that the person didn't make it.' Victoria Marinucci, a woman who stayed in the room next door to where Oleas-Arancibia's body was found, described the scene around the hotel as very scary The hotel was loaded with guests staying there specifically for New York Fashion Week No arrests have yet been made and the investigation is ongoing, according to the NYPD The victim had been staying at the three-star hotel, on Manhattan's Watts Street near Sixth Avenue, for several days, according to reports The medical examiner will determine the cause of death but detectives are proceeding as if this is a homicide. The woman suffered a cut to the head that detectives believe could be from blunt force trauma. No arrests have yet been made and the investigation is ongoing, according to the NYPD. The victim had been staying at the three-star hotel, on Manhattan's Watts Street near Sixth Avenue, for several days, the New York Post reported. The hotel, formerly known as the Hampton Inn, has rooms advertised for around $110 a night, according to its website. SoHo 54 did not immediately respond to request for comment. A popular Aussie craft beer brand has collapsed after a decade in business, due to increased costs and taxes. Hawkers Beer, which is based out of Reservoir in Melbourne, announced on Monday it had entered into voluntary administration but will continue trading in the hope of the business being turned around. The brewery's founder, Mazen Hajjar, cited increased operational costs not just affecting Hawkers but the whole of Australia's craft beer industry. Hawkers Beer grew to be one of the most popular manufacturers and distributors of craft beers in Melbourne. The company lasted just one week after the beer tax was hiked yet again, pushing the cost of a pint up 90 cents while a slab will cost about $20 more. Popular craft brewery brand, Hawkers Beer (pictured), has collapsed after a decade in business, citing increased costs and taxes Mr Hajjar said the brewery was unable to overcome numerous issues plaguing the industry. 'Post-Covid has been a challenging period with bigger players increasingly restricting access to taps and shelf space,' he said. 'That is combined with broader economic pressures, including increased input costs and taxes. 'However, we are confident that the restructuring will ensure the business is in a stronger position to fight these challenges going forward.' The company's administrators, DBA Advisory, said the decision was made 'to help facilitate a financial restructuring of the business'. 'DBA Advisory is supporting the continued operation of Hawkers, so employees and customers should consider it business as usual,' DBA Advisory said in a statement to NCA Newswire. 'There will be no impact to ongoing production and distribution as a result of this appointment.' Founder of Hawkers Beer, Mazen Hajjar (pictured) said the company could not overcome numerous challenges being faced by the whole industry Hawkers' collapse comes just a week after a fresh round of beer taxes were introduced and increased the cost of a pint by 90 cents (stock image) The collapse comes just a week after a fresh round of beer taxes were introduced and increased the price of a pint by 90 cents while a slab will be roughly $20 more expensive. Brewers Association of Australia chief executive John Preston said the cost of beer was already becoming unaffordable for many, with most of it going into the pockets of the government. 'The increase brings the tax on a slab to around $20, with GST added on top of that. These days around half the cost of a $55 slab is excise tax and GST,' he told News.com.au. It followed a raid by the IDF on a property in the town of Rafah early on Monday Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, were rescued from Gaza Strip The Israeli military has said it rescued two male hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip - 128 days after they were kidnapped. The two men were rescued from a residential building in the border town of Rafah during a raid that killed at least seven people. The army identified the two men, both Argentinian-Israelis, as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, and said both were in good medical condition. Both men were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that started the Israel-Hamas war. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht said the operation was based on 'precise intelligence,' and that the site had been watched for 'some time'. The army identified the two men, both Argentinian-Israelis, as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 The army identified the two men as Fernando Simon Marman, left, and Louis Har, right, and said both were in good medical condition In this photo provided by the Israeli military, shows an Israeli Air Force helicopter carrying the two hostages Palestinians walk by a residential building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 According to Hecht, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Israel's military chief and other top officials as the raid unfolded. The hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with an explosive charge during the raid, which saw heavy exchanges of gunfire. The raid that saved the Argentinian-Israeli hostages came as Argentina's president, Javier Milei visted the nation. Milei was seen weeping as he visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem. At the same time, an air strike was carried out to allow the forces to be extracted, he said. The air strikes caused widespread panic in Rafah as many people were asleep when the strikes started, said residents contacted by Reuters. Israeli planes, tanks and ships took part in the strikes, with two mosques and several houses hit, according to residents. The Israeli military said on Monday it had conducted a 'series of strikes' on southern Gaza that have now 'concluded,' without providing further details. Before previous assaults on Gaza cities, Israel's military has ordered civilians to leave without preparing any specific evacuation plan. President Biden told Netanyahu on Sunday that Israel should not launch a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the roughly 1 million people sheltering there, the White House said. Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 12, 2024 Joe Biden called on Israel to 'not proceed' with military action in southern Gaza without planning for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing international warnings over his army's planned offensive in Rafah amid its war with Hamas Aid agencies say an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic. It is the last relatively safe place in an enclave devastated by Israel's military offensive. Biden and Netanyahu spoke for about 45 minutes, days after the U.S. leader said Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip had been 'over the top'. Netanyahu's office has said that it had ordered the military to develop a plan to evacuate Rafah and destroy four Hamas battalions it says are deployed there. Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 others in the Oct. 7 raid that triggered the war. An Israeli air and ground offensive has killed over 28,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Over 100 hostages were freed during a cease-fire in November. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity. Netanyahu said in an interview on Sunday that 'enough' of the 132 remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza were alive to justify Israel's war in the region. Hamas-run Aqsa Television on Sunday quoted a senior Hamas leader as saying any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would 'blow up' the hostage-exchange negotiations. Egypt warned on Sunday of 'dire consequences' of a potential Israeli military assault on Rafah, which lies near its border. 'Egypt called for the necessity of uniting all international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city of Rafah,' its foreign ministry added in a statement. Aussies have been warned the new 'right to disconnect' law could leave them with fewer rights and end perks like leaving work early to pick up children or see a GP. Bosses could soon be fined for contacting their employees outside of normal work hours in a move that has sparked outrage among some business advocates. The law, which is expected to pass through the Senate this week, is designed to make life easier for employees, but could put them on a collision course with bosses. Innes Willox of Australian Industry Group said flexibility is needed in the workplace and the new law will shatter the consensus that currently exists. 'Flexibility cuts both ways and if employees want to play hardball, they can expect their employer to react accordingly,' he told The Australian. A new 'right to disconnect' law could lead to employers ending casual work arrangements such as letting staff leave early to pick up children or to see a doctor. A young woman on the phone is pictured READ MORE: The 'right to switch off' risks switching us off from success In most trades and professions, being called at home outside working hours could be justified only by some sort of emergency. A woman working from home is pictured Advertisement Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the Coalition will make repealing the law a major plank of its campaign in an election expected within 15 months. He said the Liberals and Nationals would 'take a policy (to the election) that's in our country's best interests that provides support to workers but doesn't make it impossible, particularly for small businesses, to employ staff'. Mr Dutton also commented on how the 'right to disconnect' provision, which is part of a wider series of workplace changes, came from the Greens in the Senate. 'If you think it's OK to outsource your industrial relations or economic policy to the Greens then you are going to see the continuation of the productivity problem in this country,' he said. He was backed by Simon Birmingham, the leader of the Opposition in the Senate. 'Right now in the Senate, you've got the madness where the Albanese Government has caved in to the Greens for this so-called right to disconnect provision,' he told the ABC. 'And yet, having caved into a Greens amendment, they're desperately trying to amend the Greens amendment because they don't like what's in there. 'It's a complete, rushed shambles that has been done without proper consultation, without anybody really being able to stand up and explain what this means.' Mr Birmingham added that the law is 'an enormous threat to Australian employers and employees (due to) confusion that will only hurt productivity and only make employers more reluctant to give people a job'. A phone call from work coming through after normal work hours is pictured. Similar calls could soon be outlawed But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected the Opposition's claim that the law is bad for workers. 'What Peter Dutton wants is lower wages, more taxes on low and middle-income Australians and to continue to wind back any reforms that are made in the interests of working people,' the Prime Minister said on Sunday. ACTU Secretary Sally McManus also backs the new laws, saying they would lead to better health outcomes. The right to disconnect would 'ensure balance and flexibility by enabling negotiation between workers, their unions and employers to tailor what is reasonable. 'This will mean better mental health and work-life balance for millions of working families. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce,' she said. Andrew McKellar of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said there is a lot of uncertainty about the new laws and that businesses 'are in uncharted waters'. 'I don't think it's clear from the legislation that was passed in such a rush last week. There isn't clear guidance there either for employees or employers about what this new test will encompass,' he said. Some right to disconnect provisions already exist in workplace agreements in Australia, including those negotiated by the National Tertiary Education Union. The union's general secretary Dr Damien Cahill said the changes would be a major win for workers. 'Our union has led the way on some of the first right to disconnect rights enshrined in enterprise agreements and we wholeheartedly welcome similar rights being extended to all workers,' Dr Cahill told Daily Mail Australia. Linda Reynolds has announced she will not seek another term as a Senator bringing to an end a turbulent decade in politics where she became embroiled in the Brittany Higgins saga. After 10 years in the Senate, the West Australian Senator and former Defence minister announced that she will step down when her term ends in June 2025, and will not seek preselection by the Liberal Party. 'With nominations for WA Liberal Party Senate preselection closing later this week, I have advised the WA Liberal Party that I will not be nominating as a candidate for another term as a Liberal Senator for Western Australia,' she said in a statement. 'It is rare in politics to have the opportunity to choose the time and circumstances of your departure, and my decision has been made after considerable reflection of what is behind me and the opportunities that are now ahead of me.' After 10 years in the Senate, the West Australian Senator and former Defence minister announced that she will step down when her term ends in June 2025, and will not seek preselection by the Liberal Party Senator Reynolds - who served as Defence and Government Services minister in Scott Morrison's government - came under the media and political spotlight when young staffer Brittany Higgins claimed she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Ms Reynolds' parliamentary office in March 2021. Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegation. Ms Reynolds has since become embroiled in an ongoing battle with Ms Higgins and her fiance David Sharaz, suing them for defamation in the Supreme Court of Western Australia over posts they each made on social media. As part of those proceedings, Ms Reynolds has expressed a desire to freeze Ms Higgins' assets after the former staffers showed off their new life in the south of France after receiving a $2.4million taxpayer-funded compensation payout. In her farewell statement, Ms Reynolds said she's been serving her nation for 40 years - first in the Army, followed by her work as a politician both in Government and opposition. Ms Reynolds (pictured with Ms Higgins) came under the media and political spotlight when young staffer Brittany Higgins claimed she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Ms Reynolds' parliamentary office in March 2021 She's vowed to 'continue to serve, but in new ways' in her future career after leaving the Senate. 'My passion and commitment to my State and to my Nation remains as strong as ever,' she said. 'I will do all I can to support the election of Peter Dutton as our next Prime Minister and Libby Mettam as WAs next Premier.' Ms Reynolds reflected on her different roles over the years, including in defence and working with the NDIS during 'some of the most challenging times in our nation's recent history'. 'Just as the health of our democracy can never be taken for granted, neither can the health of political parties both must be constantly renewed and strengthened. 'I joined the Liberal Party over 35 years ago and my respect for, and belief in, the principles and values it was established on have only deepened over time. 'Having achieved more than I set out to when I entered the Senate, there is no perfect time to leave politics, but this is the right time for me and for the WA Liberal Party to provide my successor with the same opportunities it has given me.' Ms Reynolds wrote a letter to Ms Higgins' lawyer Leon Zwier in December, pointing to reports that the couple had bought a home in the small town of Lunas and were planning to permanently relocate Senator Simon Birmingham, a longtime colleague of Ms Reynolds, issued a statement on Monday afternoon thanking her for her service. He said: 'I look forward to continuing to serve alongside Linda for the remainder of her term and extend my deepest gratitude for her service to our country. 'Lindas strength, courage and dignity have been remarked upon by many. I have no doubt that in the years ahead Linda will continue to unwaveringly serve her community and our nation.' The announcement comes just weeks after Daily Mail Australia revealed Ms Reynolds had sought French legal advice on whether France would enforce an Australian ruling regarding freezing Ms Higgins' assets. 'I am considering my position and awaiting advice from French Counsel on my right to enforce an Australian judgment against assets in France,' she said. Ms Reynolds wrote a letter to Ms Higgins' lawyer Leon Zwier in December, pointing to reports that the couple had bought a home in the small town of Lunas and were planning to permanently relocate. 'If such reports are true, we consider that an application for freezing orders is appropriate,' the letter read. Two dozen people have been charged with crimes after being released from immigration detention, but none have been jailed under emergency laws. Among those released from custody were seven murderers and 37 sex offenders, it was revealed on Monday. Powers rushed through parliament in December 2023 allowed the responsible minister to apply for community safety or supervision orders. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese introduced emergency laws (stock photo) but no-one has been charged Under the orders, freed detainees could be locked up or subject to strict surveillance. But as of January 31, no applications had been made to enforce the powers. A High Court ruling on indefinite immigration detention triggered the release of 149 people. Seven had committed murder and attempted murder, 37 sexual-based offending, including child sex offending; 72 assault and violent offending, including kidnapping and armed robbery; 16 domestic violence and stalking and 13 serious drug offending. Fewer than five were involved in people smuggling and fewer than five were involved in low level or no criminal offences. Broader supervision measures that carried a prison sentence for breaching were also imposed by the legislation. As of January 31, 113 released detainees had ankle monitoring bracelets. None have been re-detained in immigration detention due to there being no prospect of them being resettled in another country. Australia has been knocked back by Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada. Discussions with the US are ongoing. Six people have been re-arrested and charged for breaching visa conditions under the new laws, while an additional 18 have been charged by state and territory police forces for other offences as of February 1. Opposition spokesman James Paterson questioned whether preventative detention could have stopped some of the alleged re-offending. 'This is a shocking failure on community safety and national security,' he told reporters in Canberra. Asked why there was a difference between this cohort and the thousands of people routinely released around the country for serious offences, Senator Paterson said the released detainees were not citizens. 'They don't have a valid visa to be in Australia except for a High Court decision, which is found that they can't be deported,' he said. A dozen people have been charged with crimes after being released from immigration detention (stock photo) Immigration Minister Andrew Giles was peppered with questions after the figures were released. Mr Giles defended his record, saying community safety was paramount and the government had brought together highly respected law enforcement officers to provide advice on combating the threat. 'We also have now four layers of protection including stringent visa conditions, electronic monitoring and curfew arrangements as well as preventative arrangements,' he told parliament. 'We have been working around the clock to ensure the community is kept safe.' He pointed to comments from Senator Paterson saying there was a high legal threshold for a court to agree to a detention order and applications needed to be cautious and determined. A parliamentary committee chaired by Labor MP Josh Burns slammed the prevention detention laws as a potential overreach concerning the infringement of human rights. More than $13 million had been spent managing the caseload following the High Court decision as of December 31. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has issued a public apology after his super PAC backers aired a $7million Super Bowl advert reminiscent of JFK's 1960 commercial. 'I'm so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain' Kennedy wrote on X. 'The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign' he explained. He added: 'FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you.' Both RFK and his uncle's advert featured the same jingle, the same cartoons and pictures of the candidate, into which RFK's face replaced the older Kennedy's. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has issued a public apology after his super PAC backers aired a $7 million Super Bowl advert reminiscent of JFK's 1960 commercial Both RFK and his uncle's advert featured the same jingle, the same cartoons and pictures of the candidate, into which RFK's face replaced the older Kennedy's American Values 2024, the PAC supporting RFK's longshot bid for the White House paid $7 million for the prime Super Bowl spot, co-founder, Tony Lyons, said. Lyons, who provides a large portion of the PAC's funds, is also has also given $10 million to a super PAC backing former President Donald J. Trump. HIs backing has heightened concerns that RFK's bid, running as an independent candidate, will siphon votes away from President Joe Biden's re-election efforts. 'It's fitting that the first national ad promoting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy was bought and paid for by Donald Trump's largest donor this cycle,' Alex Floyd, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee said on Sunday night. 'R.F.K. Jr. is nothing more than a Trump stalking horse in this race.' Bobby Shriver, a nephew of John F. Kennedy, wrote on X: 'My cousin's Super Bowl ad used our uncle's faces and my Mother's. She would be appalled by his deadly health care views. Despite RFK's attempt to link his bid to his family's storied past, many of his relatives have actively denounced him Tony Lyons, who provides a large portion of the PAC's funds, is also has also given $10 million to a super PAC backing former President Donald J. Trump 'Respect for science, vaccines, & health care equity were in her DNA' he added, referring to RFK's well-documented pushing of conspiracy theories. Despite RFK's attempt to link his bid to his family's storied past, many of his relatives have actively denounced him. The former president's grandson, Jack Schlossberg, posted a video in July, calling his uncle's campaign 'an embarrassment,' and that he was 'trading in on Camelot, celebrity conspiracy theories and conflict for personal gain and fame.' New York, Vermont and New Hampshire counties have seen a record number of illegal border crossings in recent months, startling statistics show. The new numbers, up more than twofold from 2022, come as an increasing number of migrants elect to travel through Canada rather than Mexico to avoid detection, creating a new spin on the now years-long crisis. While most still use legal ports of entry, more than 12,200 were apprehended crossing illegally from the north in 2023 - much more than the 3,578 arrested the year prior. The Swanton Sector, a strip border that straddles portions of New York, New Hampshire and Vermont, has surfaced as a particularly problematic hotspot. Experts have attributed this phenomenon to Canada's lax laws, like not requiring travelers from Mexico to have a visa to enter the country. New York, Vermont and New Hampshire counties have seen a record number of illegal border crossings in recent months, startling statistics show. Pictured: U.S. Border Patrol encounters a group of four adult males from Bangladesh on Feb. 1, 2024, near Mooers, New York The new numbers, up more than twofold from 2022, come as an increasing number of migrants elect to travel through Canada instead of Mexico to avoid detection. Pictured: The arrest of another 10 Bangladeshis attempting to enter the US a few miles away last Friday As a result, the New York Times noted in a report published Sunday, the 295-mile stretch has seen a tremendous increase in illegal foot traffic, as more and more turn to the less-fortified U.S.-Canada border as an easier alternative. The report went on to include a social media post penned earlier this month by the chief patrol agent in charge of the sector, warning of a particularly startling uptick that's occurred in the past few months. Offered up by Robert Garcia, the statement said that 3,100 people - from 55 different countries - have been apprehended there since October alone, a number more than that of the past four fiscal years combined. 'Since October 1, 2023, Swanton Sector Border Patrol Agents have apprehended more than 3,100 subjects from 55 countries,' wrote Garcia, with a photo of an early morning apprehension of four adult males from Bangladesh near Mooers, New York. Their arrests, having occurred on February 1, comes as the record-breaking surge of illegal entries from Canada continues in the Swanton Sector for yet another month, said Garcia. A week later, this past Friday, he shared how a citizen's report some seven miles away in Champlain, NY, led to the arrest of another 10 Bangladesh citizens attempting to enter the US - a bust he also said proves the influx is only growing more pronounced. 'Agents rely on the vigilance of our community,' he said, urging citizens of these states near the border to keep their eyes peeled for the new phenomenon. 'If you see something, say something!' he added, sharing the 1-800 number for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia offered photos of the busts in a pair of posts that warned about the record rate of crossings, revealing that 3,100 people have been apprehended at the US Canada borde since October alone - more than that of the past four fiscal years combined 'Agents rely on the vigilance of our community,' he said, urging citizens of these states near the border to keep their eyes peeled for the new phenomenon. 'If you see something, say something!' he added, sharing the 1-800 number for U.S. Customs and Border Protection Migrants are seen wading through deep snow along the U.S.-Canada border in a photo shared by the Border Patrol, as officials like Garcia for months have been wise to migrants' shifting strategy Garcia shared images of migrants walking along the border at night earlier this year, as he continues to warn residents of these northeast states to stay vigilant That said, such an undertaking - even compared with the looming task several miles south along the US' border with Mexico - is easier said than done. The country's border with Canada - compared to its less than 2,000 milelong frontier with Mexico - is more than 5,000 miles long. It also has just 115 ports of entry - compared with the Southern Border's 330 - meaning massive swathes are understaffed, and are perfect places for opportunists to pass through. Noticing this early on in 2023, Chief Garcia raised the alarm about the situation at the northern border way back in March, calling for volunteers to address the ongoing shift. He further warned of how traffickers are exploiting desperate asylum seekers with potentially lethal consequences, subjecting them to freezing conditions and dangerous passages. Moreover, there is no fencing along the much-colder, less manned crossing - and much of the area is merely woods and dirt paths. One smuggling gang who started sneaking migrants into the US illegally in 2019 is offering passage to others by bringing them in from Canada for $6,000-a-head. The gang, DailyMail.com previously reported, operates out of nearby New Jersey, where they settled after being released by ICE after being caught red-handed multiple times. Illegal crossings at the northern border surged 500 percent in 2023. Pictured: A car smuggling 12 Romanians, including seven children, which was stopped in November after they were across the Canadian border in Washington To date, they have moved dozens if not hundreds of migrants into the US using secretive tactics to sneak them across the scarcely-guarded border between between Quebec and Vermont. US authorities have arrested and charged two accused ringleaders who are both undocumented migrants, while a third remains at large in Canada, where authorities say they have no powers to detain him. The smuggling, as the statistics suggest, has since continued, with nearly two-thirds of the southbound migrants arrested by U.S. border agents in the Swanton Sector are from Mexico, according to CBP numbers. That said, the sheer scale of Canada's 5,500-mile shhared border with the US, the longest international border in the world, make it almost impossible to prevent crossings entirely. Most take place along the comparatively tiny 90-mile stretch of border in Vermont, while in October of this past year, officials in New Hampshire announced a ten-fold increase in patrols along its border with Canada in response to the rise in crossings. Nikki Haley, who is Donald Trump's last remaining contender in the race to become Republican nominee for president, has referred in her campaign to preventing crossings at the northern border. Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the race a few weeks ago, was mocked after he called for a US-Canada border wall. Despite the scale of the northern border crisis, the numbers are still dwarfed by the situation down south, where 2,045,838 crossed illegally last year, according to the CBP. An image released by Border Patrol agents shows a suspected illegal migrant who has recently crossed from Canada US Border Patrol uses thermal imaging cameras at the border with Canada to detect crossings. This image shows a group who caught crossing in the Swanton Sector, which is the northern border's busiest area In March, U.S. Customs and Border Protection transferred 25 extra agents to the northern border to address the surge, but given the sheer size of the Swanton sector alone, officials are likely still spread too thin to make any real difference. A CBP spokesman recently told NBC their agency began temporarily deploying Border Patrol agents from sectors 'not experiencing an influx' to the Swanton Sector of the U.S.-Canadian border 'due to migration fluctuations along the Northern Border.' 'While the apprehension numbers are small compared to other areas with irregular migration flows, Swanton Sector apprehensions constitute a large change in this area,' the spokesman said in October. 'The deployed team will serve as a force multiplier in the region and assist to deter and disrupt human smuggling activities being conducted in the Swanton Sector area of responsibility.' Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose New York district is on the border with Canada, wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last year to complain about the problem. She said CBP agents reported 2,238 migrant encounters for all of fiscal year 2022 but, in the first four months of this fiscal year, migrant encounters have risen to 2,227, which is nearly surpassing last year's total. Migrants from Mexico, Venezuela and other countries at the Canada border Migrants who make it to Mexico and can afford the $350 one-way plane ticket from Mexico City or Cancun to Montreal or Toronto then cross into the U.S. at the northern border, where they are less likely to be turned away than at the Southern border. It's an option many migrants are taking due to crackdowns at the southern border. But hypothermia and freezing to death are risks, particularly this time of year, as families are making the journey on foot in the cold and snow. In December, U.S. border agents found themselves giving life-saving aid to migrants they found in the cold and snow. The problem works both ways as migrants also walking across the border from the United States and into Canada. More than 39,000 refugees entered Canada last year via unofficial crossings, the vast majority via Roxham Road linking Quebec and New York State. It is the highest number since 2017 - when there was a spike because of then-President Donald Trump's crackdown on migrants. Aerial view showing migrants queuing at the border fence in an attempt to cross into the US, in Ciudad Juarez Chihuahua, Mexico As a result, politicians in Canada are reportedly considering imposing a visa requirement for Mexican travelers, Reuters reported. This comes after Quebec Premier Francois Legault warned Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in January to stem the flow of travelers as city services had reached a 'breaking point' - an assertion that echoed ones coming from towns like Eagle Pass for the past half a year. In the meantime, at least a dozen migrants, including families, children and at least one pregnant woman, have been found frozen to death in rivers or in the forest in the miles of border spanning the three states, with some even taking the trip in the dead of winter. Two migrants from Venezuela, meanwhile, told the Times this week that when they came to Montreal - and took an hour-long Uber ride south to simply walk over the border - they were briefly stopped by U.S. immigration officials while walking through woods in the region. The pair were arrests and forced to undergo a criminal background check, before being granted parole and released back into the US. Similar practices are virtually nonexistent in Canada, with migrants coming through the US to Canada by way of Mexico without the proper credentials commonly turned away. Donald Trump, meanwhile, has urged lawmakers to not pass a high-stakes deal pertaining to border policy, as President Joe Biden has said he is willing to make significant compromises on border policy if it means securing more funds for Ukraine. Donald Trump - whose term saw crossings from both Mexico and Canada reach noticable lows - last month urged lawmakers to not pass a high-stakes deal pertaining to border policy, supposedly due to an absence of details With the migrant crisis being one of Biden's biggest obstacles, the hesitance from Trump could hinder the current commander-in-chief's biggest chance at reelection, if the plan falls apart Hours before, congressional leaders met with the White House to discuss the path forward on Biden's funding request, which is said to include not only funding for Ukraine, but money for Israel and border security as well. With the crisis at the border being one of Biden's biggest obstacles, the hesitance from Trump could hinder the current commander-in-chief's biggest chance at reelection, if the plan falls apart. 'I do not think we should do a Border Deal, at all, unless we get EVERYTHING needed to shut down the INVASION of Millions & Millions of people,' Trump, 77, wrote last month, after an astounding caucus victory that seemed to solidify him as a frontrunner. 'Also, I have no doubt that our wonderful Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, will only make a deal that is PERFECT ON THE BORDER,' the politco went on, as the migrant crisis continues to hit unprecedented levels, 'Remember, without Strong Borders and Honest Elections, we don't have a Country!!!' he went on to warn. Hours earlier, Speaker Johnson, of Louisiana, met with White House officials and several other prominent congressional leaders to discuss the path forward on a national security funding request from Biden, aired back in October. Republicans currently control the House, with 221 seats compared to the Democrats' 213. Keir Starmer is facing mounting political pressure to distance Labour from its candidate in the Rochdale by-election today after he was revealed to be a Gaza conspiracy theorist. Tories and Jewish groups have rounded on the party over its soft treatment of Azhar Ali, who was secretly recorded saying Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the 'green light' to invade Gaza. Mr Ali yesterday admitted his comments were 'inexcusable' and apologised after being confronted by The Mail on Sunday. But despite calls for the party to pull support for his campaign for February 29's by-election, or even suspend his membership, he continued to receive the support of the party machine. That support included a visit from Labour frontbencher Lisa Nandy, who was pictured with him at a 'scheduled' campaign event hours after the furore broke. Shadow minister Nick Thomas-Symonds this morning suggested that Mr Ali had 'fallen for an online conspiracy theory' and recognised 'the scale of the offence he has caused'. But he said Keir Starmer was right not to suspend him after his apology. The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism last night branded Labour's stance 'obscene' and said the failure to boot out Mr Ali made a mockery of Sir Keir Starmer's claim to have dealt with the party's ugly anti-Semitism problem. Keir Starmer has been criticised by Jewish groups after standing by a candidate who blamed Israel for the Hamas atrocity on October 7 Azhar Ali was secretly recorded saying Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the 'green light' to invade Gaza Despite the controversy, Labour's levelling-up spokesman Lisa Nandy went ahead with a campaign event with Mr Ali just hours after he was forced to apologise 'This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology,' a spokesman said. 'This is distressingly familiar to days that Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing anti-Semitism out 'by its roots'. Labour must urgently re-examine this obscene decision if its leader is to be regarded as a man of his word.' The Board of Deputies of British Jews described Mr Ali's comments as 'disgraceful and unforgivable', adding: 'It is clear to us that he is not apologising out of a genuine sense of remorse.' Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said his remarks were 'outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable'. And Conservative chairman Richard Holden said: 'Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he's changed Labour. Time after time we're seeing that simply isn't true. 'While vile racist slurs are freely exchanged within Labour, it is unfit to hold public office. 'Sir Keir should immediately remove Mr Ali's Labour membership and suspend Labour's campaign. 'If Labour won't do that, the public will see that Labour is happy to run anti-Semitic candidates to attract racist votes and is therefore unfit to play a leading role in our nation's affairs.' Sir Keir is also facing pressure from the Labour Left over the soft treatment after supporters of former leader Jeremy Corbyn were punished for speaking out over the bloodshed in Gaza. Last month MP Kate Osamor had the whip suspended after accusing Israel of genocide on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day. And last April Diane Abbott was stripped of the Labour whip amid a backlash at her 'shameful' suggestion that Jewish people don't suffer racism. Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said his remarks were 'outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable Conservative chairman Richard Holden said: 'Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he's changed Labour. Time after time we're seeing that simply isn't true' Labour candidate for Rochdale, Azhar Ali and Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham launch Ali's by-election campaign on February 7 Mr Thomas-Symonds said Mr Ali, fell for an anti-Semitic 'online conspiracy theory' but is not an anti-Semite himself. Asked by Nick Ferrari on LBC about the remarks, the shadow minister without portfolio said: 'It's a totally unacceptable online conspiracy theory, I am not shying away from that. 'He fell for this online conspiracy theory ... I take what he says at face value.' When pressed again, he said: 'The conspiracy theory is one of a range of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, nobody is shying away from that. He is saying - and I take this at entirely at face value - that he fell for an online conspiracy theory. 'I don't believe he is anti-Semitic and that's why we continue to support him. 'He is someone that very respected colleagues have known over decades... point to his record of standing up against antisemitism, therefore it is out of character.' A Labour insider said the situation was complicated by the fact that nominations for the by-election have closed, making it impossible for the party to replace Mr Ali with another candidate. Labour could suspend its campaign, but the source said this could hand the seat to former Labour firebrand George Galloway, who is standing for the Workers Party of Great Britain and targeting Muslim voters disaffected by the main parties' refusal to press Israel to cease hostilities in Gaza. In a leaked recording of a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party shortly after the October 7 attacks, Mr Ali claimed Israel had ignored warnings from Egypt and the US of an imminent attack. He suggested the Israeli government had reduced security measures at the border to allow Hamas terrorists free rein to murder, rape and kidnap. 'They deliberately took the security off, they allowed ... that massacre, that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want,' he said. Mr Ali, who is Labour group leader on Lancashire County Council, also criticised Sir Keir's stance on the issue. When one person at the meeting suggested Sir Keir was 'held in high regard', Mr Ali replied: 'Can I disagree with you... A lot of the MPs I've spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue he's lost the confidence of the parliamentary party.' Yesterday he issued a grovelling apology after The Mail on Sunday revealed his comments. 'I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments, which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false,' he said. Mr Ali was recorded saying: 'They deliberately took the security off, they allowed ... that massacre, that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want' The Labour candidate is defending a Labour majority of more than 9,000 in Rochdale (pictured) on February 29. Rochdale has one of the highest Muslim populations in the country, with more than 30 per cent of people declaring their religion as Islam in the latest census. Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden yesterday condemned Mr Ali's comments, but confirmed he would remain as Labour's candidate 'Hamas's horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. 'October 7 was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising anti-Semitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments.' Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden yesterday condemned Mr Ali's comments, but confirmed he would remain as Labour's candidate. And Mr Ali received the support of a Jewish former Labour MP who quit the party over anti-Semitism. Louise Ellman said: 'I have known Azhar for over twenty years and he consistently supported me when I was subjected to anti-Semitic attacks. 'I have always found him to be an ally, which makes these comments out of character. He should now have the opportunity to work with the Jewish community to restore the loss of trust his actions have caused.' Education minister Robert Halfon, who is Jewish, said it was 'disappointing to hear Pat McFadden back him and begs the question, has Labour really changed?' Labour could suspend its campaign, but the source said this could hand the seat to former Labour firebrand George Galloway (pictured), who is standing for the Workers Party of Great Britain and targeting Muslim voters disaffected by the main parties' refusal to press Israel to cease hostilities in Gaza In 2020, an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report found Labour responsible for 'unlawful' acts of harassment and discrimination during Jeremy Corbyn's four years as party leader. Picture shows protestors awaiting the arrival of Jeremy Corbyn at an event in 2019 The row is an embarrassment for Sir Keir, who claims to have dealt with Labour's anti-Semitism crisis. In 2020, an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report found Labour responsible for 'unlawful' acts of harassment and discrimination during Jeremy Corbyn's four years as party leader. At the time Sir Keir vowed: 'Under my leadership, zero-tolerance of anti-Semitism will mean precisely that. If you're anti-Semitic, you should be nowhere near this party. And we'll make sure you're not.' Rochdale has one of the highest Muslim populations in the country, with more than 30 per cent of people declaring their religion as Islam in the latest census. The seat became vacant last month following the death of Labour's Sir Tony Lloyd, who had a majority of almost 10,000. The terminals are meant to be blocked in Russia Evidence has emerged of Russian troops using Starlink terminals Russian pro-war fanatics have dubbed Elon Musk 'Colonel Elon Muskov', amid claims that his Starlink satellite system is deployed by Vladimir Putin's forces in occupied Ukraine. Kyiv said on Sunday that the SpaceX communications device was being used by Russian troops in its invasion of Ukraine, with military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov calling the problem 'systemic.' He said: 'Cases of use of these devices by Russian occupiers have been recorded. This is beginning to become systemic.' The technology has played a key role in Ukraine's fight against Russia, but it is supposed to be 'geofenced' so that they do not operate in unauthorised nations, including Russia. But Russia's 83rd Guards Air Assault Brigade are among those using the service, around the Klishchiivka and Andriivka battlefields, says the Ukrainian GUR military intelligence agency. Elon Musk (pictured) was criticised after evidence of Russian troops using Starlink terminals emerged Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 A Ukrainian soldier of an artillery unit fires towards Russian positions outside Bakhmut Vladimir Putin's (pictured) forces have allegedly been using Starlink satellites It appears to be operative in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions of occupied Ukraine, giving a decisive military advantage to Putin's forces. Some believe that Russian forces have been able to 'spoof' Starlink terminals, making it appear to be operating in authorised regions. Others theorise that Russian soldiers may have stolen terminals from Ukrainian areas that are in authorised regions, but have since been taken over by invading forces. It has also been suggested that the terminals were bought under-the-table in the UAE. The pro-war Two Majors approvingly dubbed 52-year-old X-owner Musk as Colonel Muskov. The channel said: '[Starlink] terminals are actively purchased and resold by Russian resellers. 'The purchase is made through third countries, through frontmen. It is impossible to track and cover up these schemes.' Some believe that Russian forces have been able to 'spoof' Starlink terminals It has also been suggested that the terminals were bought under-the-table in the UAE Until now the system has operated in Ukraine, except Crimea, as Musk wanted to stop Kyiv targeting Russian warships Until now the system has operated in Ukraine, except Crimea, as Musk wanted to stop Kyiv targeting Russian warships, and use the terminals for humanitarian instead of military purposes. Musk was praised by dictator Putin this week. The US tech tycoon called for an end to US economic support for Ukraine during the war with Russia. Musk declared: 'It is time to stop the meat grinderit should have been done a year ago.' SpaceX said it 'does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military'. The company said: 'Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country. 'SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia.' Musk - seen as having pro-Russian - sympathies was praised by dictator Putin this week American military portal Defense One said Russian had been using Starlink for several months And in a post to X on Sunday, Musk said: 'To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false.' It could deactivate terminals obtained without appropriate licenses, but this would not preclude Russian forces using it in areas of occupied Ukraine - except Crimea. American military portal Defense One said Russian had been using Starlink for several months. 'We're not allowed to actually turn on connectivity to a sanctioned country without government approval, which we did not have,' Musk previously said. 'They were asking us to take part in a major act of war.' A British tourist is missing in Thailand after falling into a reservoir during a kayaking trip, with scuba divers still searching the 160ft deep waters after his friend raised the alarm yesterday. Shanghaman Gowribalan, 24, was kayaking with his friend at the Rajjaprabha Dam in Surat Thani province at around 9am on Sunday afternoon, February 11. The Brit then reportedly fell into the deepest part of the reservoir, around 500 metres away from the Kraisorn Raft House, and could not swim to safety. His frantic friend, also from the UK, rowed back to shore and pleaded with park authorities for help. Police and rescue teams are now using sonar to search for Mr Gowribalan, and had still not found him on Monday afternoon, some 24 hours after he first went missing. British tourist Shanghaman Gowribalan, 24 reportedly fell into the deepest part of the reservoir, around 500 metres away from the Kraisorn Raft House Police and rescue teams are now using sonar to search underwater, and had still not found him on Monday afternoon A friend of Shanghaman Gowribalan with Thai police as a search operation is underway Worapote Lomlim, the local park director, said: 'Initial investigations suggest that the two tourists may have violated park regulations. 'In order to take a kayak out for paddling, you must register first to receive a paddle and life jacket from the staff. 'No registration was found. We believe the two tourists left early in the morning without wearing life jackets. 'Therefore, the head of the Khao Sok National Park will be investigating the facts.' Worapote added that the area where the man had fallen was up to 164ft deep (50 metres) and the water was 'very cold'. Friends of Mr Gowribalan with Thai police at the Rajjaprabha Dam reservoir Rescue teams are searching for a British tourist who fell into the water while kayaking at a reservoir in Thailand Scuba divers were deployed to search the waters, but the operation was temporarily suspended over safety concerns due to the dam's depth Scuba divers were deployed to search the waters, but the operation was temporarily suspended over safety concerns due to the dam's depth, cold temperature, and turbidity. The search and rescue was resumed today, February 12. Boonruang Longlaluad, chief of the provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, said the provincial governor has ordered experts from neighbouring teams to aid in the search. More scuba divers from the island of Koh Tao and Chonburi province in the east of the country have arrived at the scene today. Authorities have launched a hunt to track down a couple who were filmed having sex on a beach in the sex work capital of Thailand. The pair, believed to be tourists, were on Jomtien Beach in Pattaya, Thailand, in the wee hours of the morning when they were seen engaging in the shameless display. Jomtien is just to the south of central Pattaya - a tourist destination that is infamous for its seedy red-light district bars and wild nightlife. This steamy rendezvous, which first arose on social media on February 6, is the latest in a series of such incidents of couples having flagrant public sex on the beach, which can result in heavy penalties if caught. Despite people being around and bright street lights, a couple, believed to be tourists, engaged in sexual activity on a beach in Thailand. People were watching them and laughing In the one-minute video, the risque duo appeared not to care about the presence of others - those filming were laughing as they trained their phone on the pair. Posted to Facebook this week, it asked the question: 'Is this normal in Pattaya?'. Many people were shocked by the blatant act the pair were performing. 'Why not go to a hotel with such performances?' one wrote. 'What kind of people are these?' another said. The citys Tourist Police is investigating the incident, but are concerned the pair may have long left the area. The stretch of beach where the couple were having sex now has two lifeguard tents, which were installed there two months ago, but were not seen on the video, indicating it may have been filmed before then. The incident comes months after another couple outraged locals and officials by similar antics on the beach. Sexual acts in public are illegal in Thailand and people who give in to their urges can face up to five years in jail. Despite the risk of imprisonment, it hasn't stopped people participating in public sexual liaisons. Pattaya Beach, in Pattaya City, Thailand. The city is the second most visited in the nation, after Bangkok, which is a two-hour drive north In May of last year, a woman was caught performing oral sex on a man. The pair were under a street light on a public footpath - and workers were nearby setting up a stage. In 2020, a Russian couple caught on camera having sex on a beach issued an apology to police. Tourists Roman Grigorenko, 26, and Daria Vinogradova, 19, were also filmed in Pattaya, on New Years Eve. Once the pair left a bar, they made their way down to the beach and continued drinking before engaging in sex. Ms Vinogradova was filmed unbuttoning her denim shorts, and then doing the same to Mr Grigorenkos jeans. The act lasted for around 30 seconds before the tourists went back to their hotel. The footage was handed to police who enlisted five of their top officers to find the pair. Police Lieutenant Colonel Piyapong Ensarn said at the time the indecent act could 'destroy' the good image of Pattaya for tourists. The two lovebirds were arrested, which is when they apologised for any offence they'd caused. But the Russian tourists insisted they never noticed anyone in their immediate vicinity. An aspiring medical worker who died after her fiance allegedly injected her with meth in an attempt to save her from a heroin overdose has been remembered by her loved ones as the 'brightest star'. Amy Bowden, 26, was found dead at her Redwood Park home in Adelaide's north-east last Thursday. Emergency services had been called to the Somerset Avenue property amid reports of an unexplained death. It's since been revealed that her partner Ethan Ross, 27, had allegedly injected her with methamphetamine after she overdosed on heroin to 'balance her out', The Advertiser reported. Ross, a cyber security engineer, was charged with supplying or administering a drug of dependence and has been remanded in custody. Amy Bowden (pictured), 26, died at her Redwood Park home in Adelaide 's north-east on Thursday morning last week. Amy and her fiance Ethan Ross had recently moved to Adelaide for a fresh start. He has since been with supplying or administering a drug of dependence over Ms Bowdens death READ MORE: Ice addict who got hooked on the drug when she was just 17 reveals how meth took her to the brink - before she turned her life around and became a gym junkie beautician Chanel Marie Jones, from Perth, Western Australia, started experimenting with drugs when she was 17 before becoming addicted to Methamphetamine - otherwise known as 'Ice' - at 22 (pictured left after rehab and right today) Advertisement Originally from Victoria, Ms Bowden had recently moved to Adelaide from Melbourne, where she was studying pharmaceutical sciences at RMIT University. She was about to start the third year of her degree in biochemistry and pharmacology Her LinkedIn account reveals she was 'hoping to work in medicine' after being employed in 'various roles in customer service, IT, data entry, reception and more'. Ms Bowden added on her profile that she would 'love any opportunity to work in a scientific role' in a company with 'a strong ethical code'. She also wanted to move away from hospitality work, according to posts in an Adelaide 'girls group'. Ms Bowden was described by loved ones as the 'brightest star'. 'A beautiful angel, loved so deeply by all who knew her. The brightest star in tonight's dark sky will be Amy,' one friend reportedly wrote on Facebook. Another wrote: 'I can't stop crying, you guys are breaking (my heart) beautiful Amy.' Jacinta Kirby was heartbroken over the loss of her 'beautiful, loving' friend. 'It's just such a tragic thing to happen, it's just so sad,' Ms Kirby told The Advertiser. '(Ms Bowden and her fiance Ethan Ross) had been doing so well recently and this is just an unfortunate circumstance. 'I am heartbroken about this she is just such a beautiful human being.' Ms Bowden was described by loved ones as the 'brightest star' Ethan Ross (pictured), 27, allegedly injected her with methamphetamine after she overdosed on heroin to 'balance her out' Ross was charged with supplying or administering a drug of dependence over Ms Bowdens death. He appeared in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Friday, where he was remanded in custody awaiting a bail report. The court heard that Ross allegedly messaged a drug dealer to drop off meth after Ms Bowden overdosed on heroin. 'On the afternoon of the 7th of February, he messaged a person asking for meth so he could 'shoot her with it' and 'pick her up',' prosecutors told the court. 'He makes references to the deceased taking smack, and reversing a downer with an upper. He asked for a point of meth.' Ross' lawyer told the court the couple had moved to Adelaide to help Ms Bowden overcome drug addiction. 'He believed it would be a better environment for her while she was struggling with addiction, so Mr Ross wanted to bring her back to a stable community where he felt things would be better for her,' Ross' lawyer said. 'Unfortunately, that is not the way things have gone.' Ross worked as a DevSecOps Engineer at Qantas until early 2023, after completing a Bachelor of Information Technology at the University of South Australia, according to his LinkedIn profile. A Sub-postmaster has revealed that her Post Office is still having issues with their Horizon IT system to this day. Jacqueline Franklin, speaking to Good Morning Britain, said that her Post Office in Warwickshire still suffers from computer glitches from the same software that led to the largest miscarriage of justice in British history. Ms Franklin said: 'The other day it [the Horizon IT system] turned itself off while a clark was serving. That's happened three times recently. You're trying to serve a customer with a screen that turns itself off. It's like "what's happened" and we don't know why and you're trying to log back in to get a receipt and make sure the transaction has gone through.' Shockingly, Ms Franklin says that on one occasion they could find no record of a transaction. And even when an IT specialist also searched for the transaction, they too could not find a record of it. Jacqueline Franklin (pictured) told Good Morning Britain that her Post Office in Warwickshire still has issues with the Horizon IT system such as the system turning itself off Tragically, Ms Franklin is not the only member of her family who has been impacted by the Horizon scandal. Her mother, Lilian, ran a Post Office for over 40 years and when she passed away in 2019 at 76 Ms Franklin took over the family business Despite the controversy around Horizon IT system and the evidence of persistence issues with the software it remains widely used throughout the Post Office. This is because the Post Office is contractually obliged to keep using the software until at least March 2025. According to Computer Weekly, who were the first news website to expose the scandal in 2009, the Post Office had planned to move to a new software by March 2023 when the original contract expired. But this was halted in September 2022 because the Post Office didn't think it was 'technically viable.' Tragically, Ms Franklin is not the only member of her family who has been impacted by the Horizon scandal. Her mother, Lilian, ran a Post Office for over 40 years and when she passed away in 2019 at 76 Ms Franklin took over the family business. According to Ms Franklin, Lilian knew the system had 'shortfalls' but was not involved in the court cases instigated by former postmaster Alan Bates. She said: 'She knew what was going on with the prosecution but she decided not to go down that route because she was worried she'd have to go to court. We explained someone would represent her in court but at that age she didn't quite comprehend it wouldn't be her in court. So she declined.' Lilian suffered from Motor Neurone disease, a condition which affects the brain and nerves and causes weakness and only gets worse over time. Despite her illness and often being in physical pain she kept her Post Office open. Ms Franklin said: 'She kept it hidden and people were congratulating her on her weight loss and she just carried on. Former Sub-postmaster Alan Bates (pictured) the former postmaster who instigated the court case that led to the ruling that the scandal was a miscarriage of justice The Horizon scandal became much more widely known after Toby Jones, above, appeared in ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office She was scared of closing and didn't even close when it was snowing because she thought she had to be here.' The Horizon scandal took place between 1999 and 2015 when the Post Office wrongly prosecuted 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses for incorrect data provided by the computer system. Shockingly, that works out to one person being prosecuted a week. While the public inquiry into the scandal has been ongoing since February 2021, it returned to the headlines this year due to a hit ITV dramatisation of the scandal - Mr Bates vs the Post Office. The drama starred Toby Jones as the titular character Alan Bates, the former postmaster who instigated the court case that led to the ruling that the scandal was a miscarriage of justice. Hundreds of foreign criminals guilty of serious offences including murder, rape and child sexual abuse have slipped into the UK without being checked over the past three years, new police figures revealed today. Data from police computer systems show thousands of searches are being made throughout Europe and the world every day on the criminal backgrounds of overseas offenders who have already entered the UK. Horrifyingly these checks are turning up hundreds of worrying convictions, with killers, sex offenders and paedophiles coming into the country with no warnings to local UK police forces. In the last three years, officials at the ACRO Criminal Records Office have carried out 362,688 cross-border computerised criminal record checks. These investigations have uncovered details of 576 cases where the suspect had a conviction abroad for murder or manslaughter, 460 inquiries revealing details on a person with a rape conviction and 368 incidents involving child sex offences. Raimondas Jakstas, 26, was imprisoned in his native Lithuania for beating a man to death. He came to the UK and threatened a neighbour with a knife Visa applicants to the UK are asked to disclose criminal convictions. But people from countries with visa-free travel to the UK - which includes EU members - do not have to. This means British police generally only find out about their previous convictions when they are arrested for an offence here. A new electronic travel authorisation (ETA) will see visitors who do not currently require a visa fill out a form on which they will have to disclose past convictions. It currently only applies to Qatar but is set to be rolled out to all non-visa countries by the end of the year. Shocking cases revealed in police data The number of cases with a criminal record uncovered by ACRO and passed to UK police forces in the last three years was: Murder/Manslaughter Total (576): Top three nations, Romania (373), Poland (87), Lithuania (74) Rape Total (460): Top three nations, Romania (255), Poland (116), Lithuania (58) Child Sex Offences Total (368): Top three nations, Romania (125), Poland (97), Czech Republic (76) Advertisement ACRO data for the last three years show that many criminals who have entered the UK have come from countries in Eastern Europe. Checks with officials in Romania have turned up more than 700 cases in the last three years where a suspect in the UK has a criminal record there for a killing, rape offence or a child sex crime. The computer system means that some of these checks will have been carried out a number of times on the same person if the suspect gets repeatedly into trouble or if different police forces in the UK probe the person's foreign criminal background. It is also possible some of the checks may be on UK citizens who managed to pick up a criminal record in that country while on holiday or working there. Alp Mehmet, Chairperson of Migration Watch, said: 'These are truly shocking figures. While it's a relatively small number given the millions of people crossing the UK border every year, it only takes one terrorist or criminal to cause mayhem. 'No one should ever enter or leave the country without being seen. That has always been the principle on which our system is based - it's called border control.' Many foreign criminals can enter the UK without being challenged about their criminal past, which only comes to light once they continue their offending here. Police officers often only discover their criminal history after arresting or charging them in connection with an offence in this country. In 2017 Polish convicted killer Michael Podlaszczyk was jailed for life for raping and robbing a woman he attacked in a Leicester park. Arnis Zalkalns murdered 14-year-old Alice Goss in Ealing in 2014 after arriving in the UK despite having been sentenced to seven years for battering his wife to death in Latvia It later emerged the 33-year-old had come to England just weeks after being released on parole in his homeland after serving 12 years behind bars for killing a man in a drunken rage. Another high profile cases was that of Vytautas Jokubauskas, 59, who murdered his partner before dismembering her and stuffing her torso into a suitcase. Jokubauskas, who was living in Peterborough, strangled his girlfriend Ramute Butkiene, 42, with a dressing gown cord before dismembering her body. It emerged at the end of his trial, where he was convicted of her murder, that in 1992 he was jailed in Lithuania for a brawl in which he killed a man. READ MORE - Scotland Yard under pressure over 'failures' probing death of oligarch-obsessed teen who plunged from Thames tower Advertisement Arnis Zalkalns murdered 14-year-old Alice Goss in Ealing in 2014 after arriving in the UK despite having been sentenced to seven years for battering his wife to death in his native Latvia. The issue of paltry checks on incomers was further highlighted in 2015 when Lithuanian Raimondas Jakstas, 26, was jailed for attacking his neighbour with a knife in Boston, Lincs. Jakstas had come to the UK after his release from a Lithuanian jail where he had served five years of a nine-year sentence for beating someone to death. Sentencing him Judge Michael Heath, said: 'This case highlights a matter that is a legitimate public concern. 'If someone in this country is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, and life imprisonment is the only sentence that can be passed for murder in this country, then once they are released they are subject to licence for the rest of their life and they are monitored. 'That does not appear to be the case with those who are convicted of murder in the country of your origin. You were able to come to this country without any hindrance, and live here without monitoring.' ACRO has systems in place to exchange previous conviction information with other forces around the globe where agreements have been put in place. ACRO - which is hosted by Hampshire Constabulary - has systems in place to exchange previous conviction information with other forces around the globe where agreements have been put in place The numbers and nationalities of serious foreign criminals in the UK was disclosed following a Freedom of Information Act request. A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We have taken action to ensure that domestic and international alerts on dangerous wanted persons and fugitives are available at the UK's border. 'The UK has well established mechanisms for exchanging information on criminal records with international partners. UK Policing routinely utilises overseas conviction data obtained from international partners in order to support criminal proceedings, safeguard communities and pursue immigration enforcement action, where appropriate.' A spokesman for ACRO Criminal Records Office, said: 'The UK has well established mechanisms for exchanging information on criminal records with European partners. This helps UK police pursue criminal investigations and safeguard communities.' This is the dramatic moment armed police swoop in on an 'acid attacker' who seized a London bus and threatened the driver and passengers with a corrosive substance. Footage shows armed police surrounding a 109 bus and asking members of the public to move away and stand back. More than five police cars with their sirens on gather around the vehicle as police begin to set up a cordon. Officers in blue chemical suits approach the bus before an officer shouts over a megaphone for the man to 'stand up and make your way off the bus now.' Two officers stand at the middle door of the bus, waiting for the man to come down before they storm the bus, stunning him with a taser and wrestling him into the seat with police shields as they remove the potentially corrosive substance from him. Footage shows police storming a double-decker to arrest a man who threatened a bus driver and passengers with what was believed to be a corrosive substance The man could be seen being dressed in an orange jumpsuit, before being strapped to a gurney and taken to hospital for medical evaluations Emergency services, including officers in specialised blue chemical suits (pictured), were called to the scene in Croydon Following the arrest, chemical experts were called to the scene to assess the substance and it was later found to not be harmful Officers then storm the bus to arrest the attacker. The attacker was snared by police after they stormed the double-decker bus and he was stripped in the street. Emergency services, including Metropolitan Police's Territorial Support Group, clad in blue chemical suits, were called to the scene in Croydon at 8.30pm on yesterday. The incident began when a 44-year-old man boarded a 109 bus in Brixton and subsequently started smoking. The man was confronted by passengers and the situation escalated quickly when the man took out a bottle of what was believed to be a corrosive substance. A three-hour stand-off took place between police and the 'acid-armed man'. It is understood passengers left the bus and the substance had not been thrown at anyone and nobody had been reported injured. Police detained the subject who could be seen being dressed in an orange jumpsuit, before being strapped to a gurney and taken to hospital for medical evaluations. It is believed the man had taken drugs and police said his condition is not believed to be life-threatening. Emergency services (pictured) assessed the man who was taken to hospital for medical evaluations as police believe he had taken drugs. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening A police cordon was put in place as negotiations between emergency services and the man continue The Metropolitan Police issued a statement urging people to avoid the area and asked pedestrians and drivers to seek alternative routes Following the arrest, chemical experts were called to the scene to assess the substance. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the substance was 'not found to be harmful'. The area from Brigstock Road down to Thornton Heath Garage was cordoned off and a safety perimeter was put in place to contain the situation and prevent any harm to the public. The Metropolitan Police issued a statement urging people to avoid the area and asked pedestrians and drivers to seek alternative routes. The motivations behind the man's actions are unclear. In a statement, Croydon police said: 'Police responded to calls on London Road, Thornton Heath shortly after 8.30pm last night. A man had threatened bus passengers with an unknown substance. Nobody was held hostage. The man made threats and everyone else on the bus immediately got off. The substance was not thrown. Shortly before midnight, the 44-year-old man was arrested for affray. The substance was found not be harmful. Taser was discharged prior to his arrest and officers believe the man had taken drugs. As a precaution, he was taken to hospital. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening. All cordons have now been lifted. There is currently a police presence in London Road, Thornton Heath. 'We were called to the location shortly after 8.30pm to reports of a man threatening bus passengers with an unknown substance. The substance has not been thrown at anyone and nobody is injured. 'All passengers and the driver have left the bus. ' Advertisement Glistening with sequins and sweat and shimmying to sultry samba beats, thousands of performers danced their way down a Rio de Janeiro avenue on Sunday as the Brazilian beach city's famed carnival parades got into full swing. With whimsical floats, thundering drum sections and legions of performers in fanciful, flesh-flaunting costumes, 12 samba schools are competing for the coveted title of carnival champions across two nights of epic booty shaking. A capacity crowd of 70,000 spectators cheered from the packed stands of the Sambadrome stadium, the city's purpose-built parade venue, with millions more expected to watch live on TV. Rio has already been celebrating carnival for weeks with colourful, free-for-all street parties known as 'blocos'. Sunday and Monday's parades are the climax: sumptuous festivals of colour and sound that last all night and into the next day. But there is more to carnival than all-night partying. The samba schools are rooted in Rio's impoverished favela neighborhoods, and each parade tells a story, often dealing with politics, social issues and history, and each has 60 to 70 minutes to dazzle its way down 700 meters of Marques de Sapucai and impress a jury of judges who scrutinise the tiniest of details. Potentially devastating fractions of points can be lost for being out of sync, running over time or lacking flair. Thousands of performers danced their way down a Rio de Janeiro avenue on Sunday as the Brazilian beach city's famed carnival parades got into full swing. Pictured: Queen of drums, Viviane Araujo of Salgueiro performs during the carnival With whimsical floats, thundering drum sections and legions of performers in fanciful, flesh-flaunting costumes, 12 samba schools are competing for the coveted title of carnival champions across two nights of epic booty shaking. Pictured: A member of Porto da Pedra waves to the crowds during Sunday's carnival in Rio. Porto da Pedra was set to lose precious points after suffering a pair of float mishaps - not uncommon at the parades. In one, a piece of a float broke right in front of the jury. In the other, a float got snagged on a metal security grate, dragging it and injuring a woman A member of the Salgueiro samba school performs during the first night of the Carnival parade at the Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome Performers from the Salgueiro samba school parade perform during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Monday morning Carnival revellers from Beija-Flor samba school perform in the carnival in the early hours of Monday morning Drum queen Paola Oliveira from Grande Rio samba school parades during Carnival celebrations at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early on Monday A capacity crowd of 70,000 spectators cheered from the packed stands of the Sambadrome stadium (pictured), the city's purpose-built parade venue, with millions more expected to watch live on TV Revellers from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school perform this morning in Rio's famed carnival Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school are seen in the carnival during the early hours of Monday morning Pink-clad revellers from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school perform during the early hours of Monday morning. The samba schools are rooted in Rio's impoverished favela neighborhoods, and each parade tells a story, often dealing with politics, social issues and history A reveller from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school, dressed in a revealing sequined angelic costume performs during the night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome, in Rio de Janeiro, February 12 A reveller from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school in a silver sequined outfit takes in cheers from the crowd Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school are seen performing in the early hours of Monday Each samba school has 60 to 70 minutes to dazzle its way down the 700 meters of Marques de Sapucai, the avenue through the concrete carnival parade temple designed by modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Pictured: Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school take part in the carnival this morning A jury judges each down to the minutest detail, with potentially devastating fractions of points deducted for being out of sync, running over time or lacking flair Performer from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school is seen performing in the early hours of Monday morning A carnival performer from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school is seen on a float decorated with snakes Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parade on a float featuring a giant pink unicorn on Monday morning A performer from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school in an elaborate costume performs on Monday morning Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school. Pulling together a show with more than 3,000 performers and a fleet of seemingly gravity-defying floats is no easy feat. The samba schools spend the entire year preparing - and often face a down-to-the-wire race to get ready A reveller from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school performs during the night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome Members of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the first night of the Carnival parade at the Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome Members of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school perform during the first night of the Carnival parade Revellers from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school perform under a floating 'moon', with one member of the school seen dangling below A reveller from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school is seen on high wires as the school performs on Monday morning Revellers from Grande Rio Samba School perform during the night of the Carnival parade at the Sambadrome A reveller from Imperatriz Leopoldinense samba school, dressed as a lizard, performs during the carnival on Monday Members of the Porto da Pedra samba school perform during the first night of the Carnival parade at the Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome on Sunday night Members of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parade during the Rio de Janeiro carnival. Invented a century ago by the descendants of African slaves, samba is one of the great symbols of Brazilian popular culture, and of Rio A performer from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parade during the Rio de Janeiro carnival Performers from the Unidos da Tijuca samba school are seen on a vast golden float on Sunday night Members of the Unidos da Tijuca samba school parade during the Rio de Janeiro carnival Members of the Porto da Pedra samba school pose for a picture before the first night of the Carnival parade at the Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome Anastasia Olson was injured while portraying Belle in the Magic in the Stars program on Saturday A Disney on Ice skater is fighting for her life after she fell during a 'shaky' lift by another cast member during a rendition of Beauty and the Beast. Anastasia Olson, 31, the skater who portrayed Belle in the Magic in the Stars program, was injured during Saturday morning's performance at Target Center in Minneapolis. Hennepin County Medical Center told DailyMail.com she is in serious condition as of Monday morning. Footage of the incident showed the actress apparently seizing on the ice while the skater playing the Beast hovered above her and medics rushed to her aid. 'They were doing a lift, it appeared shaky and she fell,' audience member Beka told KARE 11. 'I am beyond grateful and thankful for the remaining staff and the performers who kept going because that preserves the magic for the kids.' Anastasia Olson, who portrayed Belle in the Magic in the Stars program, fell mid-performance during a Disney on Ice show in Minneapolis on Saturday Olson, pictured as Belle in a previous performance of Magic in the Stars, was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center and is in serious condition as of Monday morning Witnesses said Olson appeared 'shaky' before she fell while being lifted into the air by the actor portraying the Beast. Pictured: Olson as Belle in a previous performance Another guest noted how the cast and crew got to the injured skater quickly, adding that the Minneapolis community 'hopes that she's okay and that she recovers' Beka, who brought her two children to the performance, said the cast handled the clearly 'very difficult' situation well and made sure to 'preserve the magic' for guests. 'I know that has to have been very difficult,' she said. The incident occurred about 40 minutes into the 11am performance, witnesses recalled. Another guest noted how the cast and crew got to the injured skater quickly, adding that the Minneapolis community 'hopes that she's okay and that she recovers.' A Disney on Ice spokesperson told the news outlet that it 'appreciates the well wishes from our fans as our team member recovers'. Prior to the incident, local newspaper Novi Note spoke with the Michigan native about her performance as Belle in the Magic in the Stars show. 'Our show, "Magic in the Stars," is really a wonderful kind of show that reaches out to everybody, not just kids and families, but I feel that there is something for everyone to see. It really is a wonderful show,' said Olson. The performance of Disney on Ice the Magic in the Stars program was held at the Target Center (pictured) in Minneapolis on Saturday Pictured: The cast of Disney On Ice: Magic in the Stars, as seen in a 2023 promotional photo Olson is an 11-time competitor in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a national junior medalist and an international competitor for Team USA Originally from California, Olson starting ice skating at the age of six before moving to Novi, Michigan. Olson has performed in Ice Dance International, then in Russian Ice Stars before joining the Disney on Ice cast in 2018 Originally from California, Olson starting ice skating at the age of six before moving to Novi, Michigan. She is an 11-time competitor in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a national junior medalist and an international competitor for Team USA. Olson has performed in Ice Dance International, then in Russian Ice Stars before joining the Disney on Ice cast in 2018. 'What I love about Disney on Ice is that you never walk away from the day without feeling some kind of gratitude and happiness for what you did today for so many people, for so many kids and families,' Olson said. 'It is such a fulfilling kind of feeling. It's not that I didn't have it when I competed, by any means, but it really puts a smile on my face to see a child so happy and loving the show so much.' A host of senior Tories face losing their rural English seats at the next election as the countryside goes red for Labour, a new poll suggests. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and former ministers Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg and Therese Coffey are among those at risk after a collapse in support for the Conservatives in one of their main heartlands. A Survation poll for the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) suggests 51 of the 100 most rural seats in England could vote Labour at the next election. Some 96 returned Tory MPs in 2019. Sir Keir Starmer's party has increased its support by 17 per cent since the last election in these seats, leading 37 per cent to 34 per cent overall. But the poll also found it is seen as being more understanding of 'the rural way of life' than the Tories. Rishi Sunak's party has seen support fall by 7 per cent in the past year, with most transferring to Nigel Farage's Reform Party. It comes as a leading network of green Tories urges the government to use Brexit freedoms to help UK farming deal with increasing financial pressure and the impact of climate change. In a report endorsed by 27 MPs the Conservative Environment Network (CEN) is calling for inheritance tax on farmland to be abolished where farmers have improved the natural landscape. Sir Keir Starmer 's party has increased its support by 17 per cent since the last election in these seats, leading 37 per cent to 34 per cent overall. Sir Keir Starmer 's party has increased its support by 17 per cent since the last election in these seats, leading 37 per cent to 34 per cent overall. But the poll also found it is seen as being more understanding of 'the rural way of life' than the Tories. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and former ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Therese Coffey are among those at risk after a collapse in support for the Conservatives in one of their main heartlands. While Mr Hunt's safety in his Surrey seat has long been called into question, a defeat for Sir Jacob would be a major upset, as he sits on a majority of more than 14,000. Other big-hitters at risk according to the CLA are ministers Mark Harper, Andrea Leadsom and Mel Stride, and ex-minister Liam Fox. Its president, Victoria Vyvyan said: 'People living in the countryside are ambitious they want to start businesses, create jobs and grow the economy but for decades, governments of all colours have treated the countryside as a museum, failing to generate the conditions necessary for growth. 'This poll makes it clear that rural voters up and down the country feel politically homeless and disconnected from central government but their votes are still up for grabs. Whichever party produces a robust and ambitious plan for growth in the rural economy will undoubtedly secure support. 'For the good of our rural communities and the nation as a whole, now is the time for the main parties to make it clear that they will back the countryside.' In its report today CEN warns farmers are facing new challenges linked to climate change and increasing cost pressures hammering the industry. It wants ministers to reintroduce the 2.8billion Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme which pays farmers to make landscape and habitat improvements. The abolishment of IHT would be linked to the scheme, and carried out via the Agricultural Property Relief rebate. It also wants a supply chain review to ensure farmers are getting fair prices and relaxed planning rules to make it easier for farmers to convert buildings into shops. MP James Gray, who sits on the Environmental Audit Committee, said: 'This government has a strong track-record on using our post-Brexit freedoms to support farmers to farm sustainably. We should go further by abolishing Inheritance Tax for land which is delivering benefits for nature, as CEN's manifesto proposes. 'Currently, agricultural property relief on inheritance tax only applies to agricultural land. This threatens to discourage farmers from using their land for promoting biodiversity and entering our post-Brexit farming schemes, whilst punishing those who are already boosting nature. The Chancellor should use the next Budget to announce this sensible tax cut which could deliver real benefits for our natural world.' The two men rescued by IDF soldiers who used their own bodies as human shields during a pitched battle with Hamas in Rafah, Gaza's final remaining city, have today been pictured hugging their families for the first time in months. The Israeli military said it rescued two male hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip - 128 days after they were kidnapped. The two men were rescued from a residential building in the border town of Rafah during a raid that killed at least seven people. The army identified the two men, both Argentinian-Israelis, as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, and said both were in good medical condition. Both men were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the October 7 cross-border attack that started the Israel-Hamas war. They were today seen being embraced by their families, who they have not seen for four months. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari gave details this morning of the raid that saved the hostages' lives, which saw counter-terrorism police using their own bodies as human shields. The flat the men were kept in was breached at 1:50am today Officers from the police's Yamam unit, known for its counter-terrorism operations, breached a flat in Rafah where the two men were being held at 1:49am The army identified the two men, both Argentinian-Israelis, as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 Both men were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the October 7 cross-border attack Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip 'Overnight, we brought back Louis and Fernando. This was a complex rescue operation under fire based on sensitive intelligence. A professional and accurate operation,' Hagari said. 'This is an operation that we prepared for and were waiting for the conditions that would make it possible to carry it out.' Hagari said that officers from the police's Yamam unit, known for its counter-terrorism operations, breached a flat in Rafah where the two men were being held at 1:49am. 'The troops pulled Louis and Fernando out of the apartment and rescued them under fire, until they reached the safe zone,' Hagari said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Israel's military chief and other top officials as the raid unfolded. The hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with an explosive charge during the raid, which saw heavy exchanges of gunfire. The army identified the two men as Fernando Simon Marman, left, and Louis Har, right, and said both were in good medical condition In this photo provided by the Israeli military, shows an Israeli Air Force helicopter carrying the two hostages Palestinians walk by a residential building destroyed in an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 'It was a very tense and very touching night. Such an operation was made possible thanks to the great sacrifice of the standing army and reserve troops who fell and were injured in the battles. Without their sacrifice, we would not have reached this moment,' Hagari said. The raid that saved the Argentinian-Israeli hostages came as Argentina's president, Javier Milei visted the nation. Milei was seen weeping as he visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem. At the same time, an air strike was carried out to allow the forces to be extracted, he said. The air strikes caused widespread panic in Rafah as many people were asleep when the strikes started, said residents contacted by Reuters. Israeli planes, tanks and ships took part in the strikes, with two mosques and several houses hit, according to residents. The Israeli military said on Monday it had conducted a 'series of strikes' on southern Gaza that have now 'concluded,' without providing further details. Before previous assaults on Gaza cities, Israel's military has ordered civilians to leave without preparing any specific evacuation plan. President Biden told Netanyahu on Sunday that Israel should not launch a military operation in Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the roughly 1 million people sheltering there, the White House said. Smoke billows during Israeli bombardment over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 12, 2024 Joe Biden called on Israel to 'not proceed' with military action in southern Gaza without planning for the evacuation of Palestinian civilians Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing international warnings over his army's planned offensive in Rafah amid its war with Hamas Aid agencies say an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic. It is the last relatively safe place in an enclave devastated by Israel's military offensive. Biden and Netanyahu spoke for about 45 minutes, days after the U.S. leader said Israel's military response in the Gaza Strip had been 'over the top'. Netanyahu's office has said that it had ordered the military to develop a plan to evacuate Rafah and destroy four Hamas battalions it says are deployed there. Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 others in the Oct. 7 raid that triggered the war. An Israeli air and ground offensive has killed over 28,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. Over 100 hostages were freed during a cease-fire in November. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity. Netanyahu said in an interview on Sunday that 'enough' of the 132 remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza were alive to justify Israel's war in the region. Hamas-run Aqsa Television on Sunday quoted a senior Hamas leader as saying any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would 'blow up' the hostage-exchange negotiations. Egypt warned on Sunday of 'dire consequences' of a potential Israeli military assault on Rafah, which lies near its border. 'Egypt called for the necessity of uniting all international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city of Rafah,' its foreign ministry added in a statement. Victoria Parkhill, 45, moved into sheltered housing after she broke her neck A mother says she has been repeatedly hospitalised after moving into her 'horror' rented home including falling through the floor and a ceiling collapsing on her head. Disabled mother-of-three Victoria Parkhill, 45, has been living in the sheltered housing after an accident left her with a broken neck. She says the home has rotten floors, flooding and severe mould which has left her having to eat and sleep in the lounge. Victoria has lived in the property in Watchet, Somerset, since October 2010 when she moved in following an accident where she broke her neck. She hoped the new home would accommodate her accessibility needs but she said 'everything that could go wrong, did go wrong'. Victoria Parkhill, 45, says the mouldy and dilapidated house have left her family extremely ill The floor of a wet room became rotton after mould was not addressed resulting in the floor collapsing suddenly - Victoria suffered a violent fall Victoria had to go to A&E after she fell through the rotton floor of her wet room. The disabled mother of three was back in hospital shortly after when her ceiling fell down A downstairs wet room which was built so Victoria could shower became mouldy and covered in rust, she says. When Victoria notified her housing association she said they sent workers to paint over it. But the underlying problems went unresolved, resulting in the rotten wet room floor collapsing suddenly and Victoria suffered a violent fall into the floor. She split her head open and was taken to hospital. The mother of three was back in A&E again after not long after when her ceiling crashed down onto her. Victoria said the incidents have left her with a damaged disc and ongoing issues with her back. The 45-year-old said: 'I have cried every day. I feel like I have the weight of the world - my children are severely ill, terribly poorly. 'It has been hell.' Victoria was left with serious injuries after she claims issues with her rented home were not dealt with The family's Christmas was ruined after a leaking tap flooded the kitchen, damaging appliances and blowing out the electricity But the violent fall was just the beginning of Victoria's problems with the house. Her family's festive season was ruined when Victoria's 8-year-old daughter Isla woke her up shouting 'Mommy the house is flooded!' A leaking upstairs tap had filled the ground floor with a foot of water overnight, blowing out the electricity, destroying appliances and wrecking the kitchen. Victoria said: 'I will never forget waking up and seeing water pouring out of a tap that wasn't even turned on. It was horrific, my ankles were in water. 'But it is now day 43 since this flood - and they still have not done a single thing. 'The floors still have water underneath - it's absolutely devastating and the smell is just disgusting.' She said Magna housing association, who own the property, failed to attend to the waterlogged ceiling for over a month, until it deteriorated so much the plaster rained down on Victoria and her dog in early February. While a Magna surveyor agreed they would fix the ceiling, they provided no date, and did not make any attempt to fix it before it partially fell down, she says. The crumbling plaster ceiling left the Victoria, her 15-year old son and daughter, 8, unable to eat in the dining room, forcing them to eat their meals in the lounge. She said Magna have refused to fix much of the damage, leaving Victoria and her family with waterlogged floors, warped doors, and a damp house. Victoria said the incidents have left her with a damaged disc and ongoing issues with her back The disabled mother says it has been 43 days since the flood and claims Magna have still not fixed the problem leaving Victoria with waterlogged floors and a 'disgusting' smell While a Magna surveyor agreed they would fix the ceiling, they provided no date, and did not make any attempt to fix it before it partially fell down, Victoria says The humid home is now aggravating a long-term damp problem in the property, which has left 8-year-old Isla off sick from school, and 28-year-old Ashley sleeping downstairs with his young daughter when she comes to visit. Victoria said: 'My daughter has missed half of the term with severe coughs and colds, she is now on antibiotics. 'My son is terribly poorly - we have slipped through the net and should have been put in sheltered accommodation.' Magna provided the family with a dehumidifier, but it has done little to tackle the thick black mould growing around the windows and walls of the property - which stubbornly returns despite being regularly cleaned. In an attempt to air the house the wet room window is left open, but as a result ivy is now invading the property and has to be cut back from the interior walls. Victoria said there was no hope of winning the fight against the mould when water was coming up from beneath the floorboards. She said the situation had left her crying so badly she was unable to speak. She said: 'I've lost so much money than just my flooring. 'My carpets still stink upstairs and yet I've tried to not be one of those people who claim for ridiculous things to be greedy. 'I'm so poorly - it's awful I feel like I don't know where to start. 'The kitchen's falling apart which was donated to me in 2014 to help me be more independent with cooking but it's just ruined.' She added that a Magna housing officer was 'shocked' her family had not been offered alternative accommodation following the flood. Victoria has said she has been left 'extremely concerned' after claiming Magna have 'suddenly gotten rid of her calls' - and feels she has been treated 'appallingly' by the agents. She said: 'To these powerful companies, the little person doesn't matter, the tenant doesn't matter - I have been reporting this for years. ' In a statement from Magna, they said: 'We are really sorry that Ms Parkhill has outstanding repairs in her home that have taken longer than we would normally expect. 'The wet room was initially installed in 2011, then was extensively refurbished by Magna in 2021. This is in a separate part of the house and unrelated to the recent leak. 'Ms Parkhill contacted our out of hours team in late December to report a leak from the upstairs bathroom, which we responded to the following day. 'We were able to fix the leak and replace a spotlight that had been damaged, used a wet vac to clean the affected area, and provided a dehumidifier. 'However, it wasn't until after Ms Parkhill contacted us again on 18 January that we visited the very next day to inspect the water damage to the ceiling and downstairs flooring. 'This should have happened sooner, and we have apologised to Ms Parkhill that it didn't. 'We then arranged to return on Friday 2 February to begin the repairs but were unable to access the property because a member of the family was unwell. We have now confirmed the repairs will be done the week of 19 February. 'In the past week we have been in contact with Ms Parkhill to discuss any outstanding issues and any other support she and her family may need.' Downing Street today hit back at fresh criticism of Rishi Sunak's Rwanda plan after MPs and peers warned it is 'incompatible' with Britain's human rights obligations. Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights said the Prime Minister's new Rwanda Bill 'risks untold damage' to the UK's international reputation. The Bill and a freshly-signed treaty with Rwanda aim to prevent further legal challenges to plans to deport asylum seekers to Africa after last year's Supreme Court ruling against the scheme. In response to the committee's blast at the draft legislation, the PM's official spokesman stressed 'bold and innovative solutions' were needed to deal with Channel migrant crossings. 'There's nothing compassionate about turning a blind eye to illegal immigration,' he said, adding that the Bill was the 'best way' to stop migrants making perilous journeys in small boats. But Mr Sunak faced fresh embarrassment over his new Rwanda plan after his illegal migration minister was revealed to have warned it breaks human rights law. Leaked documents showed how Michael Tomlinson advised that ignoring orders by Strasbourg judges blocking deportation flights would breach the European Convention of Human Rights. In his new push to get the migration plan finally up and running, the PM has said he is now prepared to defy ECHR judges and won't allow a 'foreign court' to prevent flights taking off A group of people suspected to be migrants travel in an inflatable boat across the Channel, bound for Dover on the south coast of England The Rwanda Bill seeks to compel judges to regard Rwanda as safe. But the Joint Committee on Human Rights said they had heard evidence that the problems identified by the Supreme Court could not be resolved so quickly. 'We are not persuaded that Parliament can be confident that Rwanda is now safe,' their new report said. 'In any event, we consider that the courts are best placed to resolve such contested issues of fact.' They also warned that provisions in the draft legislation to try and prevent asylum seekers' appeals against deportation to Rwanda made the Bill incompatible with Britain's international obligations. Joint committee chairwoman Joanna Cherry, the SNP MP, said: 'This Bill is designed to remove vital safeguards against persecution and human rights abuses, including the fundamental right to access a court. 'Hostility to human rights is at its heart and no amendments can salvage it.' Responding to the committee's criticism, the PM's spokesman said: 'We have always been clear and this Government has been clear that tackling major global challenges - including legal migration - will require bold and innovative solutions. 'And that is what the Rwanda scheme does. It's the best way, the Bill and the treaty alongside it, are the best way to get flights off the ground to Rwanda deterring vulnerable people from taking those perilous journeys. 'As we said before, there's nothing compassionate about turning a blind eye to illegal immigration, which means obviously more people take those perilous journeys across the Channel 'The Bill we've introduced and the treaty alongside it are the best way to provide the deterrent needed to ensure that we stop illegal migration altogether.' Downing Street's defence of the Rwanda Bill came after it emerged Mr Tomlinson had warned that ignoring orders by the European Court of Human Rights would breach human rights law. A Rule 39 measure issued by the Strasbourg-based court grounded the Government's first planned deportation flight to Rwanda in June 2022. In his new push to get the migration plan finally up and running, the PM has said he is now prepared to defy ECHR judges and won't allow a 'foreign court' to prevent flights taking off. But documents, seen by the Telegraph, showed how Mr Tomlinson warned ignoring Rule 39 orders - also known as 'pyjama injunctions' due to their often late-night nature - would put Britain in defiance of its obligations under international law. Michael Tomlinson advised that ignoring orders by Strasbourg judges blocking deportation flights would breach the European Convention of Human Rights A Rule 39 measure issued by the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights grounded the Government's first planned deportation flight to Rwanda in June 2022 Mr Tomlinson's advice on plans to ignore Rule 39 orders was issued when he held his previous Government role as Solicitor General. The documents stated: 'The Attorney General and Solicitor General agreed that interim measures indicated by the European Court of Human Rights under Rule 39 of the rules of court are binding as a matter of international law and there is no respectable argument to the contrary.' Mr Tomlinson was Solicitor General for England and Wales - one of the Government's top law officers - between September 2022 and December last year. He was then moved to the Home Office to the newly-created role of minister for countering illegal migration following Robert Jenrick's explosive resignation as immigration minister. A source close to Home Secretary James Cleverly stressed that Mr Tomlinson's advice was 'a year old' and did not take into account Mr Sunak's new treaty with Rwanda and his new Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill. They told the newspaper: 'This advice is a year old. It does not, and could not have factored in the verdict of the Supreme Court, the new treaty with Rwanda, and the Bill currently progressing through Parliament, one we believe is compliant with our obligations to international law.' A Government source added: 'Michael Tomlinson is working flat out to stop the boats and won't be distracted by leaks that are old and outdated. 'It's his job to take each case as it comes, and he'll do exactly that.' But Conservative critics of Mr Sunak's new Rwanda plan - who wanted the Bill to be toughened to state that Rule 39 orders are not binding and to require ministers to ignore them - delivered a fresh blast at the PM's strategy. A senior Tory MP said: 'This is the problem we have with this policy. It's just an attempt to kick all the problems down the road until they come back and hit us twice as hard. 'It's delusional to think you don't have to block off all Strasbourg pyjama injunctions and can still get enough people to Rwanda.' It comes as peers in the House of Lords are set to begin their detailed examination of Mr Sunak's new Rwanda Bill this afternoon. The legislation aimed at reviving the stalled deportation policy is expected to face numerous changes in the upper chamber, where some fiercely oppose it, setting up an extended tussle between the Commons and Lords. Female acid attack victims are not being taken seriously by police and do not feel safe going out at night amid a terrifying rise in chemical attacks by abusive boyfriends in Britain, charities have warned. Figures from charity Acid Survivors Trust International (Asti) revealed how attacks in London rose by 45 percent last year and a staggering 69 percent across England and Wales. There were 710 acid attacks recorded in 2022, compared with 421 in 2021. The Metropolitan Police recorded 107 attacks in 2022, up from 74 in 2021. Women were targeted in 339 cases and men in 317 and in the rest the gender of the victim was unknown. Of the 2021 attacks, 172 were against women and 227 on men. The 710 figure means the figure has the highest number of recorded attacks in the world with the majority of victims being women. Now several women's safety charities are calling for police to urgently act and focus on women's safety. Katie Piper, 40, was attacked with acid by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch and his accomplice Stefan Sylvestre in 2008, causing serious injuries and blindness in one eye It comes after police were scouring the Thames for the body of Abdul Ezedi, who is wanted in connection with a chemical attack in Clapham on January 31, and another incident in Croydon last night. Lucy Hadley, head of policy at Women's Aid, told MailOnline: 'We know from our work with survivors that many don't report the crimes against them for fear of not being believed. 'These fears are further exacerbated by the fact that there is currently a chasm between the number of women reporting domestic abuse, sexual violence and other forms of violence against women and the number of perpetrators convicted. 'It is concerning to see that the number of recorded acid attacks is rising. We know perpetrators of domestic abuse will use any and every means to abuse, control and threaten women and the police and criminal justice agencies must be alert to the use of acid attacks as a form of physical violence. Milad Rouf, 25, from Cardiff, was jailed after throwing sulphuric acid over his ex-girlfriend when she answered her door in 2021 Abdul Ezedi is wanted in connection with a chemical attack in Clapham 'We need consistent data collection on the sex of victim and perpetrator, and their relationship, so we can understand and tackle how it is impacting cases of domestic abuse. 'All reports on violence against women and girls, both on and offline, must be taken seriously with women effectively supported and perpetrators held accountable for these devastating crimes.' Jess Eagelton, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Refuge, told Cosmopolitan UK: 'We hear time and time again from survivors that valid concerns for their safety are not being taken seriously by the police. 'The refusal of the police to respond to and take proportionate action to address threats of abuse has profound consequences for survivors who increasingly feel there is nowhere to turn when their lives are at risk. 'We must recognise how the endemic misogyny within policing is causing a profound breakdown of trust for women and girls, who are being silenced by the very institution that claims to serve and protect them.' Councillor Sean Woodward, who chairs the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Panel, said dealing with acid attacks varied according to the running of each police force. He said the issue was being swiftly dealt with in Hampshire, where the number of attacks have fallen. Heartbreaking images show scaly wounds and life-changing injuries to the left side of the victim's face and across both arms after the East Ham attack Muhammed Al-Ali (pictured) was jailed for 20 years after the East Ham attack CCTV stills issued by Sussex Police of Milad Rouf, from Cardiff, around the time of the 2021 attack Most recently in Hampshire, Carla Whitlock was left with life-changing injuries after being sprayed in the face with drain cleaner outside a restaurant in Southampton in revenge for a botched 2,000 drug deal in 2015. Billy Midmore was jailed for 15 years after being convicted by a jury of grievous bodily harm. Geoffrey, 27, was jailed for nine years, having admitted the same charge in 2016. Cllr Woodward, who is also the Conservative leader of Fareham Borough Council, said: 'In Hampshire, the focus is on catching criminals and deterring crime. 'However, other forces I fear like the Metropolitan Police are not pursing criminals and focusing on politically woke policies.' The local council leader, who has spent more than 10 years being involved in policing policy after serving on the Hampshire Police Authority, called on the government to look further at restricting access to corrosive substances. He said: 'I think a bit of due diligence needs to be undertaken, it shouldn't be easy to obtain them. 'Someone shouldn't be able to walk into a store off the street and be able to buy them. It's very easy to do that at the moment.' So far, ministers have made changes to the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 making it harder for young people aged under 18 to buy corrosive substances. The changes, introduced in 2022, also make it an offence to possess a corrosive substance in a public place. A manhunt has been under way for Ezedi for more than a week, with officers raiding two addresses linked to him in Newcastle in the early hours of Thursday. Police said the last confirmed sighting was just before 11.30pm, a few hours after the attack on January 31. He was seen crossing over Chelsea Bridge and entered Battersea Park in central London, then crossed back over the same bridge minutes later. However, detectives think he may have gone into the river and is probably dead. Emergency services attending to the scene of the attack in Clapham on January 31 Police said the last confirmed sighting of Ezedi was just before 11.30pm, a few hours after the attack Meanwhile, an earlier Asti study estimates each acid attack in the UK costs the taxpayer 63,000 and the predicted overall cost between 2015 and 2020 is likely to be around 345 million. Among horrific cases in recent years include Dr Rym Alaoui who suffered life changing injuries when a former colleague and boyfriend threw acid in her face in a horrific, premeditated and planned attack on her doorstep in Brighton. Milad Rouf, 25, disguised himself as a large, black woman before throwing sulphuric acid over his ex-girlfriend when she answered her door in May 2021. Dr Alaoui suffered life changing injuries to her face, neck and chest, Lewes Crown Court heard. She was unable to close her eyes or move her neck and has lost the sight in her right eye. Rouf was jailed for 15 years the following October with judge Christine Laing QC telling Rouf she had no doubt he was a danger to women before sending him to prison. 'You thought about what you wanted to do and how you were going to do it and planned it over weeks before carrying it out,' Judge Laing said. 'You knew full well what you were doing was wrong and you tried to evade responsibility for it to continue to pursue your medical career.' Meanwhile, a heartless thug left a man with serious injuries after hitting him with a brick and pouring acid on his face. Muhammed Al-Ali, of Barking, east London, was one of three men who arrived in a silver Lexus in East Ham in February 2018 before carrying out the attack. Members of the public rushed to his aid and drenched him with water as he suffered catastrophic burns to his face, arms and torso. The 24-year-old was jailed for 20 years in October 2019 after a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court. Another case was the case of Patricia Lefranc, who was attacked with sulphuric acid by her former partner in 2009. She spent 12 weeks in a coma before undergoing more than 100 surgeries, including skin grafts. Asti recently produced a book with the British fashion photographer Rankin featuring images of Lefranc to raise awareness of the crime. Princess Royal, the charity's patron, said at the launch: 'Businesses that use corrosive substances in their supply chain have a vital role in preventing attacks. Multiple interventions are required, including prevention of easy access to dangerous corrosives. Belgian national Patricia Lefranc, victim and survivor of an acid attack in 2009 Lefranc was attacked with sulphuric acid by her former partner 'I encourage companies to partner with Acid Survivors Trust International and share its mission to end acid violence.' Yesterday, Kent Police also launched an appeal after a man was assaulted with a noxious substance in Ramsgate. The victim reported that at around 8.20pm on Sunday after entering the graveyard of St Laurence's church, he had the corrosive substance thrown at him. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment to burns to the back of his head. He remains in hospital where his injuries are described as non-life threatening. Meanwhile, Office for National Statistics figures revealed police in England and Wales recorded 472 violent and robbery offences involving a corrosive substance in the year to March 2023. In the previous 12 month period between April 2021 to March 2022, there were 525 figures. Data is published annually and dates back to March 2020. Earlier this month, MailOnline looked at what to do should you witness a chemical attack to help minimise the damage. The NHS says three main steps need to be taken immediately. A victim of an acid, alkaline or chemical attack needs immediate first aid. Call 999 or ask someone else to call and request urgent help. The chemical needs to be removed, including any contaminated clothing and the area affected needs to be rinsed using as much clean water as possible. St John Ambulance Service also advises flooding the victim's burns with water, and removing clothing to get the chemicals away from the skin. There have been chaotic scenes at airports across Australia with travellers missing connections or experiencing long delays - all because two workers called in sick. The absent Sydney control tower staff left a gap that couldn't be filled on Monday, forcing Airservices Australia to request a ground delay program from 3pm right until the airport's 11pm curfew, sparking nationwide chaos. Many Qantas and Virgin Australia flights were affected, with passengers experiencing delays of more than an hour, while some had their flights cancelled. The government agency responsible for staff, Airservices Australia, confirmed it was forced to reduce flights by about 50 per cent. None of the 948 air controllers across Australia could fill in for the two sick Sydney tower workers, sparking nationwide chaos International tourists missed their connecting flights as Qantas and Virgin flights were delayed for over an hour (stock image) READ MORE: Virgin Australia apologises after passenger accused airline of a disgraceful act in extreme heat on the runway A furious passenger has slammed Virgin Australia after her pet dog was left on an airport tarmac in sweltering conditions Advertisement The reduction meant its usual 50 take off and landings an hour were cut to just 26 an hour. Qantas flights experienced an average delay of 72 minutes, while Virgin Australia flights were delayed by more than 90 minutes. Airservices Australia was grilled by a furious Liberal Senator Bridget McKenzie in parliament senate committee on Monday. '[It's] incredible that two people don't show up for work and the entire country is shut down,' she said. 'When Sydney experiences disruption, the whole country suffers and international travellers are also missing connections as a result of this.' 'I want to understand your response to this?' Airservices Australia chief executive Jason Harfield told at the senate that not one of the 948 air controllers across the country could fill in for the two ill workers. It was also revealed air traffic controllers are entitled to unlimited sick leave. Mr Harfield also explained flight delays directly attributable to Airservices had worsened since the Covid pandemic. This was when about 140 experienced air traffic controllers had the option of early retirement. Widespread chaos was caused by just two workers calling in sick. Pictured is Sydney Airport Liberal Senator Bridget McKenzie grilled Airservices Australia, the government agency who handles airtraffic staff on Monday Airservices Australia said safety was its first priority. 'We have temporarily reduced traffic throughput to manage flights safely within the capacity available,' it said in a statement. 'Airservices is enhancing its service resilience by recruiting and training more than 100 new air traffic controllers (ATCs) nationwide since 2020. 'More than 70 new ATCs are due in FY2024 and a further 80 ATCs are projected to join us each year moving forward to add further depth to our ATC rosters.' A federal agency dog with a nose for the strange unearthed four mummified monkeys one traveller was trying to smuggle into the United States for his consumption. One passenger, who arrived at Boston Logan Airport after a trip in the Democratic Republic of Congo, attempted to convince staff there was only dried fish in his luggage - but one swift canine wasn't fooled. Buddy - a US Customs and Border Protection Dog - first drew his handler's attention to the illegally transported goods during a preliminary screening of passenger cases on January 9. During the initial x-ray of the suitcase, staff only saw fish, but upon further investigation they soon discovered four deceased and dehydrated monkeys inside, according to US Customs and Border Protection. The unnamed individual had tried to transport the 'bushmeat' from the Democratic Republic Congo to Boston - with a pit stop in Paris - with the intention of eventually eating it, the CBP said. Thanks to US Customs and Border Protection Dog named Buddy, staff at Boston Logan Airport prevented a traveller from transporting four mummified monkeys (seen) into the US 'Bushmeat' is the raw or minimally processed meat of wild animals from certain parts of the world - including Africa - that can trigger transmittable diseases. The CBP stated that Buddy's work, as well as that of due-diligent staff was 'vital' in preventing the potentially harmful bushmeat from entering the country. Julio Caravia, CBP Boston's area port director said: 'The potential dangers posed by bringing bushmeat into the United States are real. 'Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus. The work of CBP's K9 unit and Agricultural Specialist were vital in preventing this potential danger from entering the US.' Border Protection contacted the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention when they discovered the bodies of the mummified monkeys. The CDC then called for the luggage to either be returned to France - where the passenger flew from on his return to the US from Congo - or to be destroyed. Around nine pounds of the illegal bushmeat was retrieved by the health agency and were marked for destruction. According to the CBP no charges were filed against the individual but all of their luggage was seized. This comes after another smuggler from Taiwan attempted to transport animals from Bangkok in his designer underwear. The passenger maintained there was only dried fish in the case, but after Buddy (pictured) flagged the luggage to his handler staff investigated the case further Staff at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport quickly became suspicious of his huge package and pulled the tourist, 22, to one side. The man, who has not been named, tried not to react as the bulge in his pants kept moving as he stood for an X-ray scan. But his plan was quickly scuppered when the X-ray images revealed what appeared to be a trio of furry animals. Shocked staff then strip searched the smuggler and to their surprise, they found two Asian small-clawed otters and a prairie dog he had crammed into his designer boxer shorts after buying them from a market in Bangkok. The protected wildlife had been stuffed in three separate stockings taped to the man's underwear before making his way to the airport on Tuesday. Phakkapong Phathong, Suvarnabhumi Animal Quarantine chief, said the tourist was arrested at 9:05 am and had been due to board Thai Airways flight TG632 to Taipei, Taiwan. Russian talking heads are taking aim at NATO's chief and other Western leaders for their 'hysterical' outrage after Donald Trump said he 'would encourage' Russia to attack members who aren't contributing their fair share to the alliance. The former US President ignited a political firestorm and sent a chill through America's European allies on Saturday when he said Russia could 'do whatever the hell they want' to any NATO country that does not meet its defence spending obligations. 'You didn't pay? You're delinquent?' No, I would not protect you', Trump said. 'In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.' The outlandish comment was met with fury by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who retorted: 'Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.' His comments were echoed by several other EU leaders including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who was quick to point out that his nation shares a land border with Ukraine where a 'hot war' is unfolding. But now incredulous Russian commentators are poking fun at the NATO chief and his allies, joking that they are expecting Russia to act as the alliance's 'debt collectors'. Vladimir Kornilov, political commentator for state-run Rossiya Segodnya media group, took great delight in jibing at Stoltenberg and co. Former US President Trump ignited a political firestorm and sent a chill through America's European allies on Saturday when he said Russia could 'do whatever the hell they want' to any NATO country that does not meet its defence spending obligations NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Vladimir Kornilov (left), political commentator for state-run Rossiya Segodnya media group, took great delight in jibing at Stoltenberg and co. Putin is pictured right 'Mainstream TV channels in the West have been in hysterics for hours over Trump's claims that he would encourage Russia to attack defaulters in NATO,' he said. 'With particular gusto, everyone is quoting Secretary General Stoltenberg saying that with this statement Trump has supposedly ''put soldiers of Alliance countries at risk''. Donald Trump tells cheering crowd he would encourage Russia to ATTACK fellow NATO members Advertisement 'What ''risk'' is that, I wonder... Or are they actually seriously contemplating a scenario in which Russia would audit NATO's financial statements and bomb persistent defaulters once a quarter? 'Would we act as the Alliance's debt collectors?' he chuckled. In 2014, NATO allies pledged to move toward spending 2% of GDP on defence by 2024. According to NATO estimates in early 2023, 10 of its 30 member states at the time were close to or above the 2% mark, while 13 were spending 1.5% or less. No country is in debt to any other, or to NATO. In a statement, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said that Trump would be able to more effectively force allies to increase their NATO spending compared to President Joe Biden, and that 'when you don't pay your defence spending you can't be surprised that you get more war.' But Stoltenberg said he expects that, 'regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed NATO ally.' Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell appealed for calm, treating Trump's comments as 'humour'. 'Let's be serious. NATO cannot be an a la carte military alliance, it cannot be a military alliance that works depending on the humour of the president of the US. 'It exists or it does not exist,' he said, adding that he was not going to keep commenting on 'any silly idea' emerging from the US presidential election campaign. But the Biden administration hastily issued a statement, calling the former President's words 'appalling and unhinged' and argued they 'promoted dangerous chaos'. 'President Biden has restored our alliances and made us stronger in the world because he knows every commander in chief's first responsibility is to keep the American people safe and hold true to the values that unite us,' it said. 'Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home. 'Rather than calling for wars and promoting deranged chaos, President Biden will continue to bolster American leadership and stand up for our national security interests not against them.' Congress got so concerned Trump could unilaterally withdraw from NATO if he won a second term that it passed a law in December requiring the president to get a two-third majority of the Senate to do so. Trump has in the past praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, and even sided with him over US intelligence agencies when Putin denied meddling in the 2016 election NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, centre front left, speaks with then-U.S. President Donald Trump, centre front right, at a NATO leaders' meeting in Watford, England, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019 Trump's comments were of particular concern to NATO's front-line countries, like Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which were either under the control of Moscow or fully incorporated into the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Fears there run especially high given Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is allied with the right-wing opposition, and who was seen as friendly to Trump during his presidency, tweeted that the Polish-U.S. alliance must be strong 'regardless of who is currently in power in Poland and the USA.' He warned: 'Offending half of the American political scene serves neither our economic interests nor Poland's security.' The defence minister in Poland, which has been under Russian control more often than not since the end of the 18th century, added: 'No election campaign is an excuse for playing with the security of the alliance.' In an editorial Sunday, German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung also called for European nations to spend more on defence. It said that if Trump wins the presidency again, statements like the one he made on Saturday night 'will increase the risk of Putin expanding his war'. 'Europeans can only do one thing to counter this: finally invest in their military security in line with the seriousness of the situation,' it said. Trump's tenure, which was marked by his open admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, became a near-existential challenge for NATO, an organisation largely controlled by the United States. The prospect that Trump might return to power remains a deep concern among allies. Stoltenberg was praised for his diplomatic skills in keeping NATO together during the Trump years, but the former Norwegian prime minister is stepping down. His successor is likely to be announced by the time allied leaders meet in Washington for NATO's 75th anniversary summit in July. Under NATO's mutual defence clause, Article 5 of its founding treaty, all allies commit to help any member who comes under attack. The article has only ever been activated once - by the US in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks. A Swedish amusement park was engulfed in a terrifying inferno after a new waterpark attraction exploded this morning. Shocking footage showed the installation at the Oceana Waterworld in Gothenburg ablaze as flames tore through the structure, sending a huge plume of thick, toxic black smoke trailing into the sky behind snow-covered houses. The fire prompted a mass evacuation of the area with firefighters at a loss as to how the blaze was triggered, reporting they could not bring the flames under control. The alarm was raised at 10:06 amid reports of a fire, according to an emergency services spokesperson, but the flames spread out of control following an explosion moments later. 'We know that there are fires in water slides, among other things, but we don't know how it started,' firefighter Bjorn van der Kaay told Swedish press, adding there was a serious risk of the fire spreading to nearby properties. A public health notice was issued and residents living close by were told to immediately get inside and close all windows and doors in a bid to escape the toxic fumes. A fire raged through a water park attraction with several slides in the Nordic region's largest fun fair with a huge plume of black smoke drifting over Goteborg, Sweden's second largest city The alarm was raised at 10:06 amid reports of a fire, according to an emergency services spokesperson, but the flames spread out of control following an explosion moments later The view of the fire from a nearby office The installation, which cost some cost 1.2 billion kronor (91 million) to build, was set to open later this year and was expected to be a big hit for Liseberg An explosion at the waterpark slide is seen behind snow covered houses Scores of fire vans and police cars were seen surrounding the explosion site as firefighters deployed to extinguish the flames which wrecked large parts of the tube waterslides, including one with a drop of 13 metres (43 feet) 'There is a lot of plastic in the construction. So (the smoke) is not healthy to inhale. That's why we're going out with a public health warning,' rescue services spokesman Klas Luppert told SVT. Emergency services continue to battle the blaze which has reduced the waterpark to 'nothing but a skeleton', one witness told Expressen. There are reports that several people were injured, with Sahlgrenska University Hospital confirming it had treated four people for minor injuries without providing more detail. 'It is important that the public stays away from the site, police spokesperson August Brandt told Swedish media, adding that Liseberg's Grand Hotel Curiosa, which sits adjacent to the waterpark, was completely evacuated alongside several apartment and office blocks. Roadblocks were also put in place as firefighters battle to contain the blaze. One resident told Expressen: 'First we saw smoke, then fire and then it exploded,' adding that there was a thick smell of 'burnt plastic' in the air. 'We have seen how the water slide has been formed over several months. Now it only looks like there is a skeleton left,' she said. An employee of the site, who wished to remain anonymous, told SVT the explosion was so intense that it was felt in adjacent buildings. 'The windows started shaking. The parts from the slide could just as easily have flown towards us,' they said. 'We had to leave everything and run out,' they said after an immediate evacuation was ordered. Scores of fire vans and police cars were seen surrounding the explosion site as firefighters deployed to extinguish the flames which wrecked large parts of the tube waterslides, including one with a drop of 13 metres (43 feet). Amelie Winberg, a spokeswoman for NCC group that is the general contractor for the construction, told SVT that a subcontractor was doing some installations when the blaze started, but the cause of the fire remains unknown. An employee of the site, who wished to remain anonymous, told SVT the explosion was so intense that it was felt in adjacent buildings Smoke and flames rise from a building after a fire broke out at the Oceana Waterworld at the Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden on February 12, 2024 Billows of smoke are picture at a structure of the Oceana Waterworld at the Liseberg Amusement Park in Gothenburg, Sweden on February 12, 2024 Smoke rises after a fire broke out at the Liseberg amusement park's new water world Oceana in Goteborg, Sweden Firefighters in action after a fire broke out at the Liseberg amusement park Oceana Waterworld is a huge new edition to the Liseberg amusement park, which is the country's largest funfair. The installation, which cost some cost 1.2 billion kronor (91 million) to build, was set to open later this year and was expected to be a big hit for Liseberg - one of the most popular tourist attractions in Gothenburg. The mammoth attraction was spread over 6,000 square metres indoors and 4,000 square metres outdoors, and was designed to allow some 1,750 bathers to enjoy a state-of-the-art waterpark experience. Had it been completed, the park would've constituted one of the largest waterpark attractions in Europe. Last month, water started filling the pools in the Oceana Water World, and Liseberg estimated it took four days to fill them. Liseberg, in downtown Goteborg, opened in 1923 and is a popular tourist destination with some 3 million visitors a year. Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen told local paper Goteborgs-Posten that the group has activated its 'crisis management' procedure and called a meeting of the board in the wake of the devastation to their investment. Two female protesters accused of 'celebrating' Hamas by wearing images of paragliders initially told police they had been Sellotaped to their backs by strangers before admitting to attaching them themselves, a court heard today. Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, claimed under interview that someone at the demonstration in London 'who was not known to them' had stuck the images to their backs. But they later changed their statements and admitted they had attached them themselves, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told. They displayed the images on October 14, prosecutors allege, just seven days after militants from Hamas used paragliders to enter Israel from Gaza on October 7 before killing more than 1,000 Israelis. Hamas is banned as a terror organisation in the UK. Their co-defendant Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, stuck an image of a Hamas paraglider to the handle of a placard, it is alleged. Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court today for a trial where she will be accused of indicating support for banned organisation Hamas Heba Alhayek, 29, has been charged with the same offence under the Terrorism Act Pauline Ankunda, 26, outside Westminster Magistrates Court. Like her co-defendants she denies the charges against her The trio's display of the images was widely condemned when footage of the demonstration was published on social media, their trial heard. They are all charged under the Terrorism Act with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are supporters of banned organisation Hamas. They deny the charges. Prosecutor Brett Weaver told the court: 'The displaying of these images could be viewed as celebrating the use of the paragliders tactic. 'They had them on display for a significant period of time. 'Each of them would have been able to see what the others were doing.' After the Metropolitan Police launched a social media appeal to find them, Alhayek and Ankunda handed themselves in to Croydon Police Station, the court heard. 'The defendants accepted that it was they who fixed the images to their back as opposed to being applied by someone else,' said Mr Weaver. 'They stated that they did not see the images as being supportive of Hamas.' Ankunda and Alhayek had the images sellotaped to their backs The offence the women are accused of is contrary to section 13(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000 When arrested and interviewed under caution, Taiwo claimed to have been handed the placard and not paid proper attention to the 'blurry image' it displayed, the court heard. 'She denied being a member of Hamas or any proscribed organisation,' said the prosecutor. 'She accepted that she was present at the demonstration on 14 October and was handed the placard while she was there. 'She had not paid attention to what was fixed to the placard as it was a blurry image. She said she believed it to be a symbol of liberation and peace.' Alyayek and Anjunda, of Upper Norwood, and Taiwo, of south Norwood, all deny wearing or carrying an article supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation The trial continues. A 'Rolex ripper' was caught out by his distinctive white shoes when he was ambushed by undercover police in a West End sting. Abdi Malik Mohamed, 20, joined Omar Hassan Hussein, 25, Sayid Mohamed, 22 and Abdullahi Mohammed Osman, 22, in attempting to yank the watch from Chris Halls wrist in the Soho area of London on 27 October 2022. Dramatic CCTV footage shows the moment Hussein shields Mr Hall - the alias of the undercover police officer - from the rest of the group who have followed him from the Blue Posts pub on Berwick Street where he pretended to be hopelessly drunk. Hussein then clearly tries to grab the watch, while the others, including Mohamed, who was 19 at the time of the offence, pile in. Other undercover officers then sprint in, catching the thieves in the act. Dramatic CCTV footage shows the moment Abdi Malik Mohamed, 20, and a gang of thieves stole a Rolex from an undercover police officer All the thieves were detained and arrested except Mohamed, who calmly walked away in his distinctive white shoes with black laces All the thieves were detained and arrested except Mohamed, who calmly walked away in his distinctive white shoes with black laces. He later returned to the scene of the crime without his jacket on, where he spoke to Sayid Mohamed. Officers recognised him from his shoes and he was arrested. Less than a year later Mohamed was bailed by mistake when he dangerously drove his Audi A5, while disqualified from a previous drug driving offence without insurance. Southwark Crown Court heard how Mohamed had been asked to stop by officers on Old Kent Road, speaking to him through the open windows of the car. But he floored the accelerator and roared off, driving through a red light and hitting speeds of 60mph in a 20mph zone. He forced a moped and an oncoming car to emergency brake and hit the kerb himself before eventually being caught by police and arrested. Prosecuting, Shona Probert said: On the night of 27 October 2022, Mr Chris Hall was in the Soho area of London and was approached by Mr Omar Hussain. Mr Hussein took an interest (in his watch) and took him to the junction of Berwick Street. Four other males were following, all of which are concerned in this matter and one of which was Mr Abdi Malik Mohamed. These defendants were acting as a team. But officers arrested him after he returned to the scene a little while later, recognising his distinctive trainers Officers were sent to streets known to be hotspots late at night where they quickly fell prey to robbers, who were unaware that they were the real targets The Metropolitan Police have increased their sting operations to try and catch watch thieves in the act after a spate of attacks in the West End In the six months up to October 2022, there were as many as 300 watches stolen in the West End alone Mr Hussein paused outside the Blue Posts public house and warned that the four men behind him seemed intent on robbing him of his watch. The four tried to take the watch off his wrist - fortunately, Mr Hall was an undercover police officer and that name was an alias. Mr Hussein was hit with a baton and arrested, Mr Sayid was also arrested and Mr Osman was confronted by two other officers. Meanwhile, Mr Abdi Mohamed walked casually away, he managed to get quite far from the scene but CCTV is extensive. He tried to engage in conversation with Mr Sayid Mohamed and at this point Mr Abdi Mohamed was recognised and arrested too. The offence follows a Metropolitan Police sting operation to try and catch watch thieves in the act after a spate of attacks in the West End. In the six months up to October 2022, there were as many as 300 watches stolen in the West End alone. In a highly targeted operation, undercover officers were sent to streets known to be hotspots late at night where they quickly fell prey to robbers, who were unaware that they were the real targets. Plain-clothed officers went out wearing valuable timepieces after analysis revealed that thieves tend to target well-heeled victims leaving pubs and clubs between 11pm-4am, Thursday to Saturday nights in Soho, where 40 per cent of London's watch robberies take place. Defending Mohamed, Molly Dyas spoke of Mohameds relatively young age compared to the other defendants and his wish to cut ties with his fellow watch robbers. This is the youngest of the defendants sentenced for this. He is regarded by the probation system as someone who they can still work with. Compared to the others, they were 23 years old and he had effectively just turned 19. He speaks very candidly about this being the wrong crowd, he wants nothing further to do with them. He hopes to go back to work either when released from custody in an Amazon warehouse, he wants to save up to move out of his mothers house and move out on his own. He would like to go back and continue doing his 'A' levels - he was doing business studies, maths and English at Southwark College. The court heard how Mohamed had been working as a cleaner in prison, while also undertaking maths and English exams. Sentencing Mohamed, Judge Justin Cole said: You, together with a group as shown on CCTV footage attacked a member of the public at night in Soho in order to remover a Rolex watch valued at 15,000 on his wrist. Unfortunately for you, that member of the public was an undercover police officer there to deal with the epidemic of watch theft in the area and you were apprehended. You descended in a predatory way to the person and you were interrupted by the arrival of police officers. There were no high culpability factors such as use of a weapon, use of very significant force but I put it into the medium category B. Despite you being 19, I do not think it is realistic to describe this as lesser culpability. Yes, you were the youngest of the group and yes it is a mitigating factor you were still relatively young at 19 but on the other hand you were fairly heavily convicted for a number of acquisitive offences. You went on to re-offend by dangerous driving, which you committed after that offence while unlawfully at large after being erroneously released from prison. You put lives in danger, you were at the wheel, there was a passenger in the front seat and you went though a red light. You went triple the speed limit in a 20mph zone, it is no thanks to you that nobody was injured. Mohamed, of Poplar Road, Lambeth admitted attempted robbery, dangerous driving, using a motor vehicle without third party insurance and driving whilst disqualified. He was sentenced to two years and one month in prison and was disqualified from driving for a total of 30 months and two weeks. Mohamed is also not permitted to drive again until he has taken an extended driving test and was handed a criminal behaviour order preventing him from being in groups of three or more in Westminster between 8pm and 6am, entering an Apple Store anywhere in the UK or contacting any of the other defendants. Sayid Mohamed, of Camberwell was earlier previously sentenced to two years and two months in jail, while Osman, of Lambeth, was previously sentenced to two years imprisonment suspended for 18 months and Hussein, of Harlesden was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison. Police are taking no further action against Tory MP Andrew Rosindell following his arrest on suspicion of rape, sexual assault and misconduct in a public office. The Romford MP was arrested in May 2022 but the Metropolitan Police has concluded evidence 'did not meet the threshold' for prosecution after a 'thorough investigation'. The 57-year-old, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 2001, said he had been 'completely exonerated' after Scotland Yard found he had 'no case to answer'. Mr Rosindell remained as Romford's MP throughout the Scotland Yard probe but agreed to a request by the Conservative chief whip to stay away from Parliament. He has not voted in the House of Commons since April 2022 after police received a report relating to alleged offences taking place in London between 2002 and 2009. Mr Rosindell was subsequently arrested on suspicion of indecent assault, sexual assault, rape, abuse of position of trust and misconduct in public office. He was reselected to fight the next general election for the Tories in Romford in March last year. Police are taking no further action against Tory MP Andrew Rosindell following his arrest on suspicion of rape, sexual assault and misconduct in a public office A Met Police spokesperson said: 'A thorough investigation has been carried out by detectives. 'They concluded that the evidence did not meet the threshold set by Crown prosecutors. 'The man has been informed he will face no further action.' A spokesman for Mr Rosindell said: 'In relation to an allegation made in May 2022 by an individual against Andrew Rosindell, the Metropolitan Police have conducted a thorough investigation and concluded that there was no case to answer and that no further action would be taken. 'Andrew has been completely exonerated. 'He has been working constantly for Romford throughout the past 21 months and will continue to speak up for the people of his beloved home town as their local MP.' Concerns were raised about the Met Police's handling of the case following Scotland Yard's announcement this morning. Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, who was paid compensation by Scotland Yard over its disastrous investigation into false claims of a VIP paedophile ring at Westminster, said: 'While the importance of thorough investigations cannot be overstated, it is evident that Rosindell's experience with the Met Police investigation has been marred by delays and questionable decisions. 'As someone who has personally endured the shortcomings of police investigations, notably in Operation Midland, I cannot help but feel a sense of deja vu - particularly when I have been told by three commissioners for the metropolis that lessons will and have been learned.' He added: 'The extended duration of police inquiries not only prolongs the suffering of those accused but not charged but also undermines the fundamental principle of justice: innocent until proven guilty.' Mr Proctor demanded Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley take 'swift and decisive action to investigate the handling of this case'. Conservative peer Lord Moylan posted on Twitter/X: 'Im delighted for Andrew Rosindell but the real scandal here is why the Met Police is not held to account for needing 21 months to investigate this. 'Police inquiries are now lasting unwarrantedly longer times and the agony for those accused but not charged is unjust.' The boss of a hipster craft whisky distillery has been arrested and is facing extradition to Poland where he is due to stand trial for conspiracy to murder. Lucasz Ratajewski, 46, is alleged to have fled Poland 20 years ago after being handed a three-year jail term for possession of a handgun. The Polish national, who is accused of starting a new life in London as Dariusz Plazewski in 2004, began working in property development and construction. He launched his trendy whisky production business, aided by his partner Ewelina Chruszczyk, in 2015 and released Bimber's first London single malt in 2019. Bimber Distillery is one of the capital's first producers of English single malt whisky in over 100 years. The Polish national launched his own successful whisky distillery which focuses on using traditional Lucasz Ratajewski, 46, is accused of having fled Poland in 2004 and started a new life in London as Dariusz Plazewski Last month, the Bimber boss was arrested in England after Polish prosecutors requested that he be extradited to stand trial for conspiracy to murder and supplying drugs, and to serve out the three-year sentence passed on him in 2003. His lawyers last week launched a bid at the High Court to get him released on bail. But Mrs Justice Farbey rejected his application after hearing arguments that his alleged 20-year double life in the UK is evidence that he 'can't be trusted' not to go on the run again. Polish authorities initially issued an arrest warrant for Mr Ratjewski 20 years ago, but under his pseudonym he successfully built a life in the UK, the court heard. In 2015, using traditional knowledge of moonshine-production gleaned from his father and grandfather - Bimber means moonshine in Polish - he launched his career in the English whisky industry. He recently opened a second distillery, Dunphail, in Speyside, Scotland, and his business currently employs around 40 staff. The businessman has been in custody since last month, but his lawyers went to the High Court in a bid to have him freed on bail until May 4, when a magistrate will decide whether he should be sent back to Poland to face trial for conspiracy to murder. On arrest at an address in Acton, he gave police his assumed name, Dariusz Plazewski. The Bimber distillery uses techniques Ratajewski learned from his father and grandfather, who were both moonshine distillers in Poland 'When confronted by the picture attached to the arrest warrants, he accepted that he was the person sought in the warrants,' Mrs Justice Farbey said, adding: 'he admits that he has been living under a false identity since arriving here early in 2004'. Mr Ratajewski, now a British citizen, faces grave charges if ultimately returned to Poland, Judge Farbey said - including 'conspiracy to commit murder in 1997.' 'The applicant is said to have supplied an AK47 rifle and ammunition to be used as the murder weapon,' she said. However, no murder in fact occurred. On top of that, he faces additional charges, including conspiracy to supply cannabis, LSD and heroin, with the earliest charge dating back to 1998. Mr Ratajewski's lawyers applied for bail on grounds that he has put down strong roots in the west London community where he and his partner live, as well as raising a family and establishing his thriving whisky business. 'He is a devoted father and, in respect of his business, he is an integral part,' said barrister George Hepburne-Scott. 'His position is irreplaceable and he employs a large number of people. 'It's inconceivable that after more than 20 years of hard work here he would go on the run.' His barrister pointed out that many of the alleged offences stretched back many years, and the effect of detention on Mr Ratajewski's partner and family will be devastating. But Tom Cockroft, representing the Polish regional court of Lodz, argued that Mr Ratajewski presents a clear risk if granted bail. 'His use of a false identity for over 20 years has demonstrated that he can't be trusted. He is a fugitive from justice, because he left Poland knowing that he had to serve his sentence for the earlier offence,' said the barrister. READ MORE: Nicholas Rossi CAN be extradited from Scotland to face rape charges in US after judges refused his appeal as he continues to insist he is victim of mistaken identity Advertisement Mrs Justice Farbey said the key issue was whether he posed a real risk of flight if granted bail, despite having offered 200,000 as a security guarantee. She said Mr Ratajewski claimed he was compelled to use an alias when he relocated to Britain in order to escape his past. 'He said he was forced to use a false identity because he had fled Poland in fear of his life, that he was involved with very serious and violent criminals in the past and that his life was in danger.' But she added: 'There's no evidence that he fled Poland for any reason other than to avoid his sentence'. And dismissing the bail bid, she told the court: 'I accept that detention will take a toll on his partner and family, but these factors aren't decisive. 'I regard his continued detention as proportionate in light of the seriousness of the index offences and his past conduct.' When Mr Ratajewski set up the Bimber distillery in London, it became one of the UK's few English-based distilleries, initially producing other spirits such as vodka and gin before going on to specialise in whisky and turning out 50,000 bottles per year for the global market. His company's Scottish distillery is located on former farmland on the Dunphail estate, near Forres, which Mr Ratajewski spoke of turning into a plant turning out 200,000 bottles per year using traditional distilling methods. Production started on the site in October last year. He styles himself a 'third generation distiller', having learned the art through his father and grandfather, who brewed up moonshine spirits without the luxury of modern industrial equipment, but often relying on 'touch, smell and taste'. President Joe Biden sensationally referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as 'an a**hole' on at least three occasions and calls him the primary obstacle to peace in the Middle East, according to a shocking new report. The remarks come as Israeli airstrikes killed 67 Palestinians and wounded dozens more in Rafah, according to Gaza officials. The city in southern Gaza is filled with about one million displaced civilians. A source close to the president told NBC News that Biden feels as though Netanyahu is 'giving him hell' over ceasefire negotiations. 'He just feels like this is enough. It has to stop,' another source told the network. The aging Democrat regularly calls Netanyahu 'this guy' and recently called him an 'a**hole' three times. On Friday, the White House sought to downplay sharp criticism levied against Israel by President Joe Biden and a senior national security official over how Netanyahu has negotiated his nation's response to Hamas' brutal October 7 assault. Biden, speaking to reporters Thursday evening, called Israel's military operations in Gaza 'over the top' and said the suffering of innocent people has 'got to stop.' A source close to the president told NBC News that Biden feels as though Netanyahu is 'giving him hell' over ceasefire negotiations The remarks come as Israeli airstrikes killed 67 Palestinians and wounded dozens more in Rafah, the southern Gaza city that is the last refuge of about a million displaced civilians While Biden has previously expressed concern about the mounting Palestinian civilian toll more than 27,000 have been killed in Gaza since the conflict erupted his direct criticism of the Israelis has been muted. Then on Friday, the New York Times reported it had obtained a recording in which the president's deputy principal national security adviser, Jon Finer, expressed a 'lack of confidence' in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government. Those comments were taken from a meeting with Arab American and Muslim community leaders this week. The White House National Security Council confirmed that Finer's comments, as reported by the Times, were accurate. An administration official told The Associated Press that Finer was speaking specifically about the Netanyahu governments commitment to pursuing a two-state solution one in which Israel would co-exist with an independent Palestinian state once the war ends. Netanyahu throughout his political career has consistently opposed the creation of a Palestinian state. More than four months on from October 7, much of the densely-populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, who say many others are buried under rubble. The Israeli military says 31 hostages have since died, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday's rescue showed that military pressure should continue, brushing aside international alarm at its plans for a ground assault on Rafah. Biden's angry rhetoric toward Bibi has been somewhat of a pattern over the last few months. Last week, the White House was forced to deny a report that President Joe Biden referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a 'bad f***ing guy.' Martin revealed that unnamed sources told him that Biden is 'deeply suspicious' of Netanyahu and used the expletive behind the Israeli leader's back. But the White House pushed back strongly and denied the report. 'This is false. President Biden did not say that, nor would he,' White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told DailyMail.com in a statement last week. 'The president has been clear where he disagrees with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but this is a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private.' According to Politico's Jonathan Martin, a House Democrat told him that it was 'unanimous that this Israel-Gaza war needed to end now and that Biden needed to stand up to Bibi,' adding the conflict in Gaza is 'a disaster politically.' 'Bibi is toxic among many Democratic voters and Biden must distance himself from him - yesterday,' the lawmaker allegedly told Martin. These revelations come shortly after it was reported that Biden hadn't spoken to Netanyahu in a month as the president's patience had reportedly run out with the nonstop bombing of Gaza. When they spoke on December 23, Netanyahu reportedly rejected Biden's request that Israel release Palestinian tax revenues, and an angry Biden ended the phone call saying 'this conversation is over.' Sen. Chris Van Hollen told Axios: 'At every juncture, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger. They are pleading with the Netanyahu coalition, but getting slapped in the face over and over again.' Are YOU one of their victims? Are YOU one of their victims? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk The crook behind an organised gang of bike thieves that stole around 100,000 worth of bicycles during the lockdown before finally being caught by police has been jailed more than two years. Louey Baldwin, 29, masterminded a lawless spree which saw potentially hundreds of bikes stolen. In August 2020 alone, the criminal gang stole around 68 bikes using angle grinders - and the number of bike thefts in the City of London plummeted by an astonishing 90 per cent once they were caught. Are YOU one of their victims? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk Baldwin pleaded guilty to handling the stolen bikes and was sentenced to two years and nine months. One of his accomplices - Suleyman Akram, 30, was also jailed. Two members of the gang, Gavin McKie, 29, and Ryan Boxcer, 32, were handed suspended sentences. Louey Baldwin, 29 from Orpington, and the rest of his criminal gang went on a criminal spree stealing more than 100,000 worth of bikes over a two-year period. Baldwin pleaded guilty to handling the stolen bikes and was sentenced to two years and nine months in jail at Inner London Crown Court Suleyman Akram, 30 from Southwark, was sentenced to two years and six months. 21 bikes were recovered from Akram's home address Stolen bikes taken by the criminal gang. Over a two-year period the gang stole over 100,000 worth of bikes Seven other members of the gang have already been handed prison sentences or suspended sentences. Police caught the gang after a bike was stolen in November 2020, and tracked down to a warehouse in East London. From the warehouse, City of London Police recovered 57 bikes. Further investigations of CCTV footage showed the bike thieves entering the warehouse on a daily basis and some of the defendants were seen on security footage dismantling the bikes. Baldwin was seen on the footage handing over angle grinders, a common tool used to steal bikes, to the thieves. Video grab of Akram putting a bike in the boot of his car. City of London Police found CCTV footage showing the bike thieves entering the warehouse on a daily basis and some of the defendants were seen on security footage dismantling the bikes A further 21 bikes were recovered from Akram's home address and police have so far returned more than 20 of the bikes to their owners. Detective Constable Matt Cooper, in the Serious Organised Crime Team at City of London Police, said: 'The City of London Police has been working tirelessly to catch and bring bike thieves and their handlers to justice, employing technology and innovative techniques to limit their opportunities to commit more criminal activities. 'Today's sentencing shows our dedication and work to achieve this outcome. 'This group stole thousands of pounds worth of bikes, and since their arrests we have had a significant reduction in offences reported as a result of the disruption to the handling mechanism in place for thieves targeting the City offences.' Are YOU one of their victims? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk Israel should 'stop and think seriously' before taking further action in heavily populated Rafah in the south of Gaza, the Foreign Secretary said today. Lord Cameron spoke out as Israeli forces began strikes in the southern enclave that is currently home to more than a million Palestinians, including thousands already repeatedly displaced by fighting further north. Israeli airstrikes killed 67 Palestinians and wounded dozens more overnight, while commandos use explosives to force entry to a building in central Rafah, where two hostages taken in the Hamas raid on October 7 were being held. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said sending troops into Rafah is necessary to eliminate Hamas, despite growing alarm among aid agencies and the international community. After the raid this morning he Netanyahu vowed to push on with military offensive to rescue other captives. Speaking to reporters in East Kilbride, Scotland, Lord Cameron said: 'It really, we think, is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people, there is nowhere for them to go. Lord Cameron spoke out as Israeli forces began strikes in the southern enclave that is currently home to more than a million Palestinians, including thousands already repeatedly displaced by fighting further north. A picture taken from Rafah shows smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday 'But above all, what we want is an immediate pause in the fighting. We want that pause to lead to a ceasefire, a sustainable ceasefire without a return to further fighting. That is what should happen now. 'They can't go south into Egypt, they can't go north and back to their homes because many have been destroyed. 'So we are very concerned about the situation and we want Israel to stop and think seriously before it takes any further action. 'We need to get those hostages out, including the British nationals. We need to get the aid in. The best way to do that is to stop the fighting now and turn that into a permanent, sustainable ceasefire.' Rafah, on the border with Egypt, is one of the only regions not yet targeted by an Israeli ground offensive and is providing refuge to more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population who have fled fighting elsewhere. It is the last remaining stronghold for Hamas fighters in Gaza, according to Israel, after more than four months of conflict triggered by the militant group's deadly October 7 attack on Israel. Downing Street has echoed the Foreign Secretary's calls for Israel to 'stop and think seriously'. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'We are obviously deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah. 'Over half of Gaza's population are sheltering there and that crossing is vital to ensuring aid can reach the people who desperately need it 'The priority in Gaza must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out, such that we can then make progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire.' More than four months on from October 7, much of the densely-populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials, who say many others are buried under rubble. The Israeli military says 31 hostages have since died, but Netanyahu said Monday's rescue showed that military pressure should continue. Video footage shows the horrifying moment a ferry passenger who leapt onto shore as his boat came in to dock had his leg crushed between the ramp and the land. The horror unfolded on the banks of the Tapajos River - one of the Amazons major tributaries - in Miritituba, Brazil, on Saturday morning. Local media has identified the victim as 27-year-old Luiz Henrique da Silva Pantoja, with reports that his left leg had to be amputated following the crush. The shocking accident was captured on CCTV footage, which shows how the man jumped the gate separating the cars from the ramp as the boat approached the port. He walks down the ramp in a bid to be the first off the boat, but before he can jump ashore, loses his balance and suddenly slips into the gap between the ferry and the shore. Local media has identified the victim as 27-year-old Luiz Henrique da Silva Pantoja Another clip shows how the man cries in agony on the pier as traumatised passengers wail at the stomach-churning sight As he falls into the narrow gap, he can be seen grabbing onto the edge of the wharf with his hands. But before he can haul the rest of his body up onto the pier, the boat continues to plough into the shore, with its ramp pinning his legs against the wall. Gruesome images from the aftermath show how one of his limbs is left a shredded, bloody mess, while the other is left with a deep cut. Pictures show the man, who was wearing a red t-shirt and white shorts, doubled over in pain and gripping his leg. Another clip shows how the man cries in agony on the pier as traumatised passengers wail at the stomach-churning sight. Men who appear to be workers open the gate on the car ferry and rush towards the man, who is already surrounded by people who were onshore when the incident took place. The horrific moment was captured on CCTV and shows how the man jumped the gate separating the cars from the ramp as the boat approached the port As he falls into the narrow gap, he can be seen grabbing onto the edge of the wharf with his hands in an attempt to pull himself out The crush victim was reportedly taken by speedboat to nearby Itaituba, where waiting emergency medics gave him first aid and took him to a local hospital. Images taken of the man on a small boat show how his left leg was covered in blood as he was rushed for treatment. It is believed to have been amputated. The shipping company which owns the ferry has reportedly released a statement saying its employees rushed to the passenger's aid and called emergency services. It added that it regrets what happened to the passenger and sent its best wishes for his recovery. Local authorities are said to be investigating the accident. Killers, rapists and drug dealers are among migrants who have avoided deportation by persuading judges they have converted to Christianity. Some asylum seekers have been tattooing themselves with crosses, getting baptised and handing out church leaflets in a bid to stay in the UK - but cannot answer simple questions about the religion. In one case, a 43-year-old Bangladeshi man who spent 12 years in jail for murdering his wife successfully appealed against the Home Office's bid to deport him by saying he was a Christian convert who would be at risk in a predominantly Muslim country. The judge granted his appeal on the grounds of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which bars the removal of individuals who would face serious harm from torture or from inhuman or degrading treatment. Renewed focus has been played on the issue after Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi was granted asylum after claiming to have converted to Christianity, despite having two convictions for sex assault and exposure. James Cleverly has commissioned a review into the issue after a chemical attack in Clapham suspected to have been carried out by Afghan sex offender Abdul Ezedi (pictured) who was allowed to stay in the UK after claiming he had converted to Christianity Police have been searching the Thames in central London, with officers saying they believe the 35-year-old is likely to have drowned after falling into the river from Chelsea Bridge. He was last seen leaning over railings there shortly before midnight on January 31. One case uncovered from an analysis of asylum judgments involved an Iranian who had been jailed for 18 months in the UK for assault. A judge ruled he could not be deported, despite evidence he was not a genuine covert, because he had covered his arms with Christian tattoos that would lead Iranian officials to believe he had converted. Since January 23 there have been 28 cases in the Upper Tribunal of the immigration and asylum chamber in which converting to Christianity was given as a reason for being granted asylum, The Times reported. Seven were approved and 13 dismissed and new hearings were ordered in eight cases. One Iranian man who had been handed four years in prison for drug and driving was able to have his deportation order overturned despite mistakenly referring to Good Friday as 'Black Friday'. Another Iranian who served 10 years in jail for drug dealing was given leave to remain in the UK because the judge said his perceived conversion would put him at risk even if it was, in reality, 'insincere'. One case involved a Pakistani student who had overstayed his visa and claimed asylum. He claimed his evangelical preaching would put him at risk, despite the only evidence of his commitment to the religion being handing out leaflets outside Tooting Tube station. Meanwhile, an Iranian paedophile who has fought a 14-year asylum battle claims he cannot be deported because he has converted to Christianity and is tattooed with a cross. The 45-year-old sex offender described as a 'danger to the community' but who The Mail on Sunday is banned from naming by a court order was baptised just 11 days before he lodged his latest legal appeal to stay in Britain. Last year, an immigration judge threw out his claim and ruled his failure to acknowledge the 'wretchedness' of his sickening crimes showed he was not a Christian. But, in an astonishing development, the judge has been rebuked by a more senior judge for a 'wholly inappropriate analysis' of the paedophile's 'relationship with God'. Pastor Phylip Rees (pictured) told the Mail on Sunday that he arranged mass baptisms of migrants on a beach in South Wales during winter months as a 'litmus test' of their faith Pastor Rees said he wanted to help immigrants in need The case, which has already come before six judges during a seemingly endless cycle of appeals, will have to be heard all over again at another immigration tribunal. Former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel last night described the MM case as 'appalling', adding: 'The Church must stop giving succour to dangerous criminals and those who seek to exploit our system. 'These violent criminals must go from prison to plane. That's what the public expects.' The Church of England has insisted that it is not its job to vet asylum seekers. One minister revealed he has baptised up to 500 asylum seekers in the sea - but more than half disappeared after their Christian conversion. Pastor Phylip Rees told the Mail on Sunday that he arranged mass baptisms of migrants on a beach in South Wales during winter months as a 'litmus test' of their faith. An extraordinary video posted on YouTube shows up to 40 asylum seekers being baptised on a windy beach in Barry Island. Wearing a woolly hat and coat, Pastor Rees is shown hugging the migrants as they waded out of the waves after their 'full immersion' baptisms. The 74-year-old, a minister at Tredegarville Baptist Church in Cardiff for 16 years, estimated that up to 60 per cent of the people he baptised were never seen again, with many leaving the areas to find work, often in London. An extraordinary video posted on YouTube shows up to 40 asylum seekers being baptised on a windy beach in Barry Island Wearing a woolly hat and coat, Pastor Rees is shown hugging the migrants as they waded out of the waves after their 'full immersion' baptisms The 74-year-old, a minister at Tredegarville Baptist Church in Cardiff for 16 years, estimated that up to 60 per cent of the people he baptised were never seen again Pastor Rees said he wanted to help immigrants in need, adding: 'We prayed that God would send us asylum seekers and lo and behold the Home Office opened up an office right next to the church.' His comments reveal the astonishing scale of Christian conversions among asylum seekers in the UK and will fuel fears that many falsely claim to have embraced the religion as part of bogus claims to stay here. The Home Office does not collect data on the number of migrants who are granted asylum on the basis of religion, despite evidence that some are converting to Christianity to game the system. Home Secretary James Cleverly commissioned a review into the issue following the chemical attack in Clapham suspected to have been carried out by an Afghan sex offender who was allowed to stay in the UK after claiming he had converted to Christianity. Whistleblowing priest The Rev Matthew Firth last week accused the Church of England of being part of a 'conveyor belt' of questionable conversions. Pastor Rees said he wanted to help immigrants in need, adding: 'We prayed that God would send us asylum seekers and lo and behold the Home Office opened up an office right next to the church' His comments reveal the astonishing scale of Christian conversions among asylum seekers in the UK and will fuel fears that many falsely claim to have embraced the religion as part of bogus claims to stay here The Home Office does not collect data on the number of migrants who are granted asylum on the basis of religion, despite evidence that some are converting to Christianity to game the system CoE guidelines say clergy must be confident that those seeking baptism 'fully understand what it signifies', with ministers advised to be 'wise as serpents and innocent as doves'. Many churches that are not part of the CoE do not have any guidelines for handling baptism requests from asylum seekers. As well as those asylum seekers he has baptised in the sea, Pastor Rees baptised hundreds more asylum seekers at the Cardiff church. Many were Iranian or Afghan and all but one was a former muslim. The clergyman, who left the Cardiff church in 2019, says he wrote thousands of letters to the immigration services on behalf of asylum seekers who were members of his congregation and attended hundreds of immigration tribunal hearings. Those wanting to be baptised would have to attend bible classes one night a week for two months and attend church on Sundays, he said. He claims to have refused to help about 40 asylum seekers after deciding their wish to convert from Islam to Christianity was not genuine. He reported one man to the Home Office after discovering that he was faking his faith. 'If I suspected that someone wasn't genuine, I wouldn't baptise them. I would refuse. He added: 'If you are seeking to use Christianity as a means of gaining British citizenship then you are making a great big mistake. The Government frowns upon it, they do the necessary checks and I've had a number of people turned down over the years.' Holding mass baptisms in the sea during the winter was a way of testing his worshippers' faith, he claimed. 'We would go in January and February and take up to 60 people at a time, nearly all were asylum seekers. 'No one ever said no but you wouldn't get lilywhite Welsh people going in at that time of year, the water wasn't warm enough. It was a litmus test of their commitment, if you can't deal with a little bit of cold water then you're not ready for baptism. It was a test of the reality of their faith.' Pastor Rees, a father-of-four who became a full time baptist minister aged 43, is now at Duckpool Baptist Church in Newport, where he describes the congregation as 'vastly different'. 'They are mostly elderly, older than me. We do carry out baptisms there but we haven't got any booked at the moment.' A source close to the Home Secretary said: 'It is clear that the Home Office does not regard religious conversion as an automatic right to asylum. 'Home Office case workers recognise, apart from someone's purely personal opinion, there is no mechanism or technique to authenticate whether a conversion is solid or meaningful, or even real. Nor should any conversion be a vehicle for gaming a system.' Nikki Haley said it's 'chilling' that Donald Trump is encouraging Russia to invade NATO ally countries that he deems 'delinquent.' Speaking in former U.N. Amb. Haley's home state of South Carolina on Saturday, Trump said that if he becomes president again, he would not protect NATO allies from Russia if he feels they aren't paying their fair share. Haley told Politico Playbook the comments from her presidential primary competitor make Democratic President Joe Biden 'look sane.' 'It's the kind of comment that makes Joe Biden look clear-headed,' she added in comments just days after Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Hur released a report brining into question the president's 'diminished' mental faculties and memory. Haley says Trump's comments also prove the 2024 frontrunner is 'lacking moral clarity.' Former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley clapped back at Donald Trump's comments claiming he would 'encourage' Russia to attack NATO countries that aren't paying their fair share The ex-president made the alarming promise as he riled up a cheering crowd in Conway, South Carolina on Saturday. 'The president of a big country stood up and said 'if we don't pay, and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us?' I said you didn't pay, you're delinquent? He said, 'yes, let's say that happened'. 'No, I would not protect you,' Trump said. 'In fact I would encourage them [Russia] to do whatever the hell they want.' 'You gotta pay! You gotta pay your bills.' Trump and other Republicans have long lamented that the U.S. pays the most out of any one on the world stage in certain alliances like the United Nations and NATO. Haley is among those who have condemned Trump's remarks telling NATO members to 'pay up' or face threats from Russia. 'That should send a chill up everyone's spine,' Haley said. Among those condemning the former president was the White House, which branded his remarks 'appalling and unhinged' and argued they 'promoted dangerous chaos.' A former communications aide to Trump said the former president was emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin with his nation already embroiled in war with Ukraine. Donald Trump claimed at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday that he would not protect 'delinquent' NATO countries from outsider attacks specifically from Russia 'President Biden has restored our alliances and made us stronger in the world because he knows every commander in chief's first responsibility is to keep the American people safe and hold true to the values that unite us,' a statement from the White House said. 'Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home. 'Rather than calling for wars and promoting deranged chaos, President Biden will continue to bolster American leadership and stand up for our national security interests not against them.' Trump's former communications director, Alyssa Farah Griffin, wrote on Twitter that his declaration that he would not help NATO allies was 'music to Putin's ears'. Griffin, who is now a co-host of The View, also called Trump a 'sad old man' for taunting his opponent Nikki Haley about her husband not being with her on the campaign trail because he is serving with the National Guard in Africa. Haley slammed Trump for questioning her husband Maj. Michael Haley's absence from the campaign trail while he's deployed overseas. 'Military families go through a lot,' Haley told Politico. 'And the fact that Donald Trump's never even got near a military uniform, he's never had that experience, never known what it's like, goes to show why he continues to call them suckers and losers.' She also questioned why other Republicans have not spoken about against Trump's comment condemning her husband. 'Why is there silence from the Republican Party?' she questioned. 'Like, where is everybody?' 'Where are the Republicans in defense of our men and women in uniform that sacrifice for us and protect our country?' DailyMail.com previously revealed claims Haley cheated on her husband with two other men in 2008, with Trump seemingly making vague reference to the scandal in his remarks. Prominent figures including lawmakers, retired military officers, journalists, and congressmen, however, did express horror at Trump's remarks about NATO and Russia over the weekend. A former Trump communications aide said the recent comments are 'music' to Russian President Vlaidmir Putin's ears. Trump has on several occasions in the past praised Putin But Richard Grenell, who was Trump's Ambassador to Germany and Acting Director of National Intelligence in the last months of the Trump Administration, backed up his old boss. NATO members are not 'required' under the alliance to spend 2 percent of their GDP on defense it is a guideline the group agreed to work towards in 2014, before Trump was president. At the rally in South Carolina, Trump also repeated his frequent, and dubious, claim that while president he strong-armed European allies into paying more for defense. 'NATO was busted until I came along. I said, 'everybody's going to pay'. They said, 'well, if we don't pay are you still going to protect us?' I said, 'absolutely not'. They couldn't believe the answer,' he said. Another former ambassador, Michael McFaul, who was Barack Obama's man in Russia in 2012-14, pointed out Trump didn't understand how NATO worked. 'This is crazy. And 8 years later, Trump shows that he STILL doesn't understand how NATO works! It's not a protection racket. They don't pay us to protect them,' he wrote on Twitter. Trump often claims he single-handedly convinced NATO members to contribute more , but there is no account of this ever taking place. As McFaul explained, NATO funding also doesn't work how Trump frequently claims it does, and his boasting doesn't mesh with reality . No NATO member is failing to pay its share of the alliance's $3 billion common budget, which is based on GDP and which the U.S. pays 16 percent of. Trump during a New Hampshire town hall last month also made the same claim, and argued NATO was 'taking advantage' of the US. 'The European countries took advantage of I want to use the word starting with an S, but I don't want to do it because I see some young, very good-looking children in the audience, and I assume they're watching on television,' he said. 'But they took advantage of us on trade, and then they took advantage of us on our military protection. 'Of the 28 countries at the time, only eight countries were paid up. We were paying the difference. 'And I went to them. I said, 'if you don't pay, we're not going to protect you'. And they said, 'do you mean that?' I said, 'I mean that'. And the next day, billions of dollars poured into NATO.' Trump threatened to withdraw from NATO several times while he was president, calling it 'obsolete' and a drain on American resources . This is despite the about $500 million the US pays in direct funding being dwarfed by the $842 billion defense budget. Congress got so concerned Trump could unilaterally withdraw from NATO if he won a second term that it passed a law in December requiring the president to get a two-third majority of the Senate to do so. An international flight was forced to turn back to Australia following reports of smoke in the cockpit shortly after take-off. SriLankan Airlines flight UL605, which was bound for Colombo, left Melbourne Airport just after 6.30pm (AEST) on Monday night. But reports of smoke in the cockpit forced the pilot to declare an emergency and return to Victoria, according to Travel Talk. SriLankan Airlines flight UL605, which was bound for Colombo, left Melbourne Airport just after 6.30pm (AEST) but was forced to turn back after nan emergency (stock image) The transmission of the squad code 7700, which is signals an emergency, meant that the flight became the most tracked in the world with almost 10,000 people tracking it on FlightRadar24.com (pictured: the plane's flight path) The transmission of the squad code 7700, which is signals an emergency, meant that the flight became the most tracked in the world with almost 10,000 people following it on FlightRadar24.com. The airline said it had identified a 'technical issue'. 'All passengers onboard disembarked safely,' SriLankan Airlines told 7NEWS.com.au. 'A team of technicians is currently assessing the aircraft and providing technical support.' The plane was met by emergency services when it landed. NATO has scrambled warplanes to confront a pair of nuclear-capable missile carriers that were seen patrolling the Norwegian Sea today, Russia has claimed. The Kremlin once again taunted the bloc by launching two TU-95MS planes to patrol the Norwegian Sea, which were escorted by a group of Su35S aircraft. The five-hour flight also saw 'fighters from foreign countries' accompany the unit, though Moscow did not specify which Wester air forces were deployed. An MoD source told MailOnline that the RAF have not launched any planes in response to the fly-over. The Norwegian Sea is bordered to the south by Britain - the north of Shetland, to the east by Norway, and to the west by Iceland. 'The flight was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace,' said Lieutenant-General Sergei Kobylash, commander of Russian long-range aviation. Russian Tu-95MS nuclear-capable strategic missile carriers flew over the Norwegian Sea The flights come amid warnings from Western politicians and military commanders about the threat of Russia triggering a Third World War 'Long-range aviation pilots regularly fly over the neutral waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Black and Baltic Seas.' The flights come amid warnings from Western politicians and military commanders about the threat of Russia triggering a Third World War in the coming years. But the UK's overstretched armed forces may be unable to effectively fight in a potential world war, as chronic shortages of troops and equipment are being covered up in a 'veil of secrecy', MPs have warned. In a damning report released last week, the Defence Select Committee concluded the Army is the UK's 'weakest service' due to 'significant capability deficiencies' which included drastic shortages of vehicles, tanks and even ammunition. After facing a wall of silence while compiling their Ready For War report, the MPs urged military top brass and Ministers to be more transparent about the shortcomings so they can be addressed urgently. The report further highlights war-readiness issues with the Royal Navy's 3.5billion aircraft carriers, too. Ukrainian servicemen light a fire with gun powder to get warm near the city of Bakhmut Ukrainian serviceman of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army stands at a fortified position, at an undisclosed location next to the Vuhledar frontline Firefighters try to extinguish the fire broke out on a destroyed building after Russian shelling Despite spending about 50billion a year on defence, 'sustained ongoing investment' is needed for the UK to fight a 'high-intensity war', the report concludes. Witnesses told the inquiry that the Armed Forces would struggle in a major conflict, claiming the British Army does not have enough new infantry fighting vehicles, Challenger tanks or adequate missile defence capabilities. The Royal Navy is suffering from delays to a new frigate programme and an 'over-tasked' aircraft fleet, while the RAF has a shortfall of combat aircraft, delays to new Chinook helicopters and too few pilots. The heads of the Forces also raised concerns about stockpiles used by Ukraine reducing the amount available to the UK. The report warned of 'capacity shortfalls', with the MoD admitting to only recruiting five service personnel for every eight who leave. Earlier this week, Putin told Tucker Carlson that a Russian defeat in the war he unleashed by invading Ukraine is 'impossible' and 'will never happen'. There is also acute concern in eastern Europe over the prospect of a re-elected Donald Trump downscaling NATO. Putin told Carlson 'we have no interest in Poland, Latvia or anywhere else- why would we? 'We simply have no interest..... It is absolutely out of the question.' However, he earlier made similar claims about using force to grab Crimea and other areas of Ukraine. MailOnline has contacted NATO and the UK's Ministry of Defence for comment. A high-flying teacher at a Manhattan high school has refused to explain what she was doing in a locked staff bathroom stall with a 17-year-old pupil, or why she later handed him a wad of cash in a stairwell. Shoshana Leffler, 37, remains licensed to teach after resigning from the High School for Health Careers and Sciences last year rather than face questions over the seven-minute tryst that was partially caught on surveillance video. But investigators have concluded the Princeton University graduate 'engaged in an inappropriate relationship' with the boy who should have been in class at the time. 'What occurred in the bathroom can only be speculated about since Leffler resigned from the DOE without providing an explanation,' said Anastasia Coleman, the special commissioner of investigation for city schools. Leffler and her twin brother Abba were child prodigies at the prestigious Bronx High School of Science. Shoshana Leffler pictured in 2008 during her time as a scientist at Princeton University 'These are the students who, God willing, will find cures for diseases and will be our political leaders,' then-Bronx Science Principal Valerie Reidy told The Post in 2005. Shoshana went on to publish academic papers, earning a PhD from New York University with a dissertation on brain cell development. In 2019 she began work for the city's Department of Education, later taking a job as a chemistry teacher at the high school in Fort George. But in February last year video spotted Leffler deep in conversation with the 17-year-old for more than 30 minutes in a school stairwell when the teen 'should have been in class.' Seconds later, the pair are admonished for the unscheduled chat by a passing assistant principal who tells her to 'go to the guidance office to get support if it was needed' for the student. Instead, they went to another stairwell before Leffler led the student up to the fifth floor where she 'sought out a private room where security cameras could not record them.' The chemistry teacher led the 17-year-old up to a bathroom on the fifth floor of Manhattan's High School for Health Careers and Sciences before locking the door Anastasia Coleman, the special commissioner of investigation for city schools, concluded 'engaged in an inappropriate relationship' with the boy The pair disappeared inside a staff bathroom with a lockable door but were interrupted after seven minutes when another staff member tried the door and found it locked from the inside. The pair emerged separately moments later but were filmed together again in the stairwell the following day where Leffler was recorded 'handing (him) what appeared to be money, him pocketing this money, and them leaving the stairwell together'. An investigation began but no record of contact between the teacher and the student was found on their phones, and the teen's mother refused to allow him to be interviewed. Leffler refused to be questioned and has had a 'problem code' attached to her Department of Education file, which would be seen by any other schools in the city that might employ her. Investigators at the SCI have passed their report to the New York state Department of Education but she remains licensed to teach. Dailymail.com has reached out to Leffler and the SCI for comment. Four prison officers have been disciplined after they forgot to turn the loudspeaker system off and started 'slagging off' inmates. The guards at HMP Channings Wood in Devon accidentally left the public address system's microphone on before using 'derogatory language' in relation to some of the prisoners. The officers were sitting in the 'wing office' of the LB2 wing at the 750-capacity prison at the time. The wing where the accidental announcement took place is a 'good behaviour' section of the jail which plays host to 110 'enhanced status' inmates. A report issued by inspectors from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said a 'formal investigation' had been launched into the incident. Four guards at HMP Channings Wood (pictured) in Devon accidentally left the public address system's microphone on before using 'derogatory language' in relation to some of the prisoners The officers were sitting in the 'wing office' of the LB2 wing at the 750-capacity prison (pictured) at the time The document added that a 'high number of applications' had been sent in by prisoners to complain about 'the behaviour of a small number of officers'. It added: 'An incident on an enhanced block (LB2) was brought to the Board's attention. 'Prisoners had overheard what they claimed was the use of derogatory language about them after a microphone in the wing office had been left live. 'The Deputy Governor conducted a formal investigation and found that the events described by prisoners were largely substantiated. 'Disciplinary action followed against four officers.' The report described the relationship between guards and inmates as 'generally positive'. It added: 'The Board has generally observed positive relations between prisoners and staff. 'Prisoners commented that 'good officers' were polite, approachable, non-judgmental, helpful and fair.' A source at the prison said: 'It's all very well slagging off prisoners but to broadcast it to the entire wing is just sloppy' But the document added that this was not always the case: 'In some cases prisoners reported 'it was more common to have bad staff' with 'poor communication, a perceived lack of care, compassion and understanding'.' A source at the prison said: 'It's all very well slagging off prisoners but to broadcast it to the entire wing is just sloppy.' A Prison Service spokesperson said today: 'This was a rare incident and appropriate disciplinary action was followed against those involved.' In between clips of Chris Pratt touting Pringles and Beyonce promoting Verizon, Super Bowl fans may have been surprised to see images of people washing feet accompanied by Mark Wahlberg telling them to 'Get Prayed Up'. But Christian ads - like Wahlberg's for the Catholic prayer app, Hallow - are a new mainstay of the Super Bowl advertising bonanza. Hallow was joined by Christian campaign group, He Gets Us, which stepped up its marketing at this year's game to run two ads preaching compassion and humility. The campaign has been slammed by viewers for spending millions on adverts - a 30-second Super Bowl slot costs $7 million before factoring in production costs - rather than giving the money to charitable initiatives. Both Hallow and He Gets Us have big backers, with Hallow raising $50million in their latest funding round alone and He Gets Us linked to Hobby Lobby billionaire David Green. Mark Wahlberg encouraged viewers to download the app and 'join us in prayer' - in one of the Super Bowl commercials promoting religion The 'Foot Washing' commercial showed a series of politically-significant pairings washing each other's feet Hallow's clip was their first ad to appear at the Super Bowl, and had a voice-over of Wahlberg reading a prayer played over scenes of families and friends coming together. It ended with the phrase: 'Join us in prayer this lent on Hallow, stay prayed up.' Hallow is modeled on meditation apps like Calm or Headspace with a Christian twist, with narrations of the rosary, guides on the Catholic Catechism and a plethora of Christian influencers. CEO Alex Jones, who was raised a Catholic but left the faith in the wake of the sexual abuse scandals and then returned as an adult, has raised $105 million in funding so far, with big backers including Peter Thiel. Jones - not Infowars' Alex Jones - refused to say how much their Super Bowl spot cost, but said it was a 'fraction' of $7 million as they only ran in 14 markets, not nationally. While Hallow's aim with their advert was clear - to get more people to download their app - the He Gets Us campaign has a more intangible goal, claiming they just want to 'reintroduce people to the Jesus of the Bible'. He Gets Us ran two adverts at this year's game. The first, called 'Foot Washing', was a modern take on the Biblical story of Jesus washing the 12 apostles' feet at the Last Supper as a sign of humility and selflessness. In the 60-second clip, a series of politically-significant pairings wash each other's feet: A policeman kneels before a black man, a protester before a woman visiting a family planning clinic and a white woman before a migrant mother. A preachers washes the feet of a man by the beach in one of the He Gets Us shots He Gets Us declined to comment on the 'specifics of expenses' for the Super Bowl adverts, but given the going rate for a 30-second national slot was $7 million, they could have spent close to $17.5million across their two ads It ended with the slogan: 'Jesus didn't teach hate. He washed feet' and asked: 'How would our contentious world change if people, especially those with opposing ideologies, took off their shoes and washed each others feet?' The second 15-second advert, called 'Who is My Neighbor?', showed photos of 'those we dont notice, value, or welcome' including a homeless woman and a man working in a shop and asked 'what if we... treated them accordingly?' He Gets Us declined to comment on the 'specifics of expenses' for the adverts, but given the going rate for a 30-second national slot was $7 million, they could have spent close to $17.5million across their two ads. That is before factoring in the cost of hiring actors and production. Not everyone was impressed by the spending, with one viewer writing: 'You do realize that Jesus, the one I've known all my life, would not approve of commercialized "glorification" Super Bowl commercials costing millions of dollars. money that could be used to actually help those in need.' He Gets Us was started by the Servant Foundation in 2022, but this year changed hands and is now managed by the newly formed nonprofit, Come Near. The Servant Foundation came under fire in recent years for donating $50 million to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). The ADF was listed as an anti-LGBTQ hate group in 2016 by the Southern Poverty Law Center for their support of criminalizing homosexuality. He Gets Us has since distanced themselves from the charity, saying on their site: 'Let us be clear in our opinion. Jesus loves gay people and Jesus loves trans people.' The new managers, nonprofit Come Near, doesn't yet have a website, but according to its Linkedin page, its CEO is Ken Calwell, a former Wendy's and Domino's Pizza executive. Last year, Hobby Lobby founder and billionaire David Green - whose father was a preacher - announced his family was helping fund the He Gets Us adverts. Green is a controversial figure and is known for his vocal support of pro-life and anti-LGBTQ policies. The craft chain made headlines in 2012 for suing the US government for the right to deny contraceptive coverage to employees. Then, in 2017, federal prosecutors found Hobby Lobby had illegally smuggled rare and stolen religious artifacts into the US for their private collection. A spokesperson for He Gets Us said: 'While we may use different words or methods than others, we hope that our messages and experiences compel people to be curious and explore Jesus story. 'There are many great organizations and nonprofits serving our vulnerable neighbors and we encourage those who want to support directly to learn more or make a gift to an organization serving their neighbors. 'Our intent with He Gets Us is to connect with more and more people in moments and at events that provide the opportunity to see and experience Jesus love.' In one scene from the He Gets Us ad, a woman washed a migrant mother's feet while she cradled a baby In one still, a woman washed a classmate's feet in a school hallway CEO of Hallow Jones defended the ad and the use of money to make sure it was seen by more than 100 million people. 'When we found out the Super Bowl was going to fall on the Sunday immediately before Ash Wednesday, which only happens once every ten years or so, we were thrilled at the idea of using it as an opportunity to invite people into prayer, especially to reach out to those who are the hardest to reach, folks who might never otherwise have tried to pray. 'Weve been blown away by the responses to the spot. Weve heard from many who were inspired to join us and give prayer a try for the first time in a long time this Lent. 'We believe strongly in the importance of donating to charity and the impact of charity work. We also believe that, through leading with prayer, God might inspire us all to radical charity and generosity in greater ways than we could ever imagine. A Greens state MP has been rushed to hospital with serious head injuries after a horror crash at a busy intersection in inner-city Brisbane. South Brisbane MP Amy MacMahon's Toyota Prius ended up on the wrong side of Main Steet in Kangaroo Point when a Hyundai i30 turning left from Baines Street collided into her hybrid car around 6.30pm on Monday night. Dr MacMahon, 37, was treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a serious condition. Fellow Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather, who holds the overlapping federal electorate of Griffith, has since confirmed that she is conscious and that her injuries aren't life-threatening. Photos taken by the Courier Mail of the crash site show Dr MacMahon's car to be a total write-off. Queensland MP Amy MacMahon is recovering in hospital after a nasty collision on Monday night The collision occurred near the intersection of Main and Baines streets in Kangaroo Point The occupants of the i30 were also hospitalised in stable conditions. A third car also sustained minor damage. The busy intersection near the popular Pineapple Hotel was cordoned off for several hours as emergency workers cleared the scene. Nearby residents recalled hearing the impact of the crash from two streets away. Queensland Premier Steven Miles was told that emergency services had taken 'great care' of Dr MacMahon and he has wished her a speedy recovery. 'On behalf of the government I want Amy and her family to know we are all thinking of her,' he said on Monday night. 'I know our police and ambos took great care of her and that the PA hospital is the best place in the world for her to be.' Queensland Police's forensic crash unit has launched an investigation into the incident. Several hours before the crash, Dr MacMahon renewed calls to Premier Miles to scrap the demolition and rebuild of the Gabba for the 2032 Olympics. The Queensland Premier has wished Greens MP Amy MacMahon (pictured with former Greens councillor Jonathan Sriranganathan) a speedy recovery She's been an outspoken opponent of the project and hosted a community forum on Saturday. 'The message from our community was resoundingly clear: we're not stopping until the Premier say he's calling off the Gabba rebuild, and that East Brisbane State School and Raymond Park are protected,' the MP wrote on Monday. 'The community doesn't want it. The International Olympic Committee vice president says it doesn't stack up. The Australian Olympic Committee president says there's better solutions. Even an old Labor Premier has come out against it.' Dr MacMahon became the first female Greens MP to be elected in to Queensland parliament in 2020 when she unseated then-deputy premier Jackie Trad, which saw Dr Miles become the new heir apparent to former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. In November, she became the first MP in almost a decade to be suspended from parliament for a day for 'wilfully disobeying' an order. School pupils are being investigated by police following allegations that they shared sex abuse images of babies and young children on Snapchat. Brune Park secondary school in Gosport, Hampshire, became aware of the claims that horrific child porn was being shared on social media after holding an event to encourage safer use of the internet. Hampshire Police have now launched a probe with a 'concerning social media group' said to be at the heart of the investigation. Parents were informed on Thursday that content had allegedly been shared among students over Snapchat, an app popular with young people where messages disappear from the platform once read. Leaders at Brune Park, which has 1,300 pupils aged between 11 and 16, have since urged parents to check their children's devices. Pupils at Brune Park secondary school in Gosport, Hampshire, are being investigated over allegations that sexual abuse images of babies and young children were shared on Snapchat The content had allegedly been sent on the picture-sharing app where messages disappear once read. Pictured: File photo of a child using Snapchat Social media site Snapchat called the reports 'horrific' and is working with Hampshire Constabulary. A police spokesperson said: 'We have been made aware of a concerning social media group being accessed by school children in the Gosport area. 'This is a serious incident and investigating officers will be working closely with local schools to follow up all lines of enquiry and ensure the ongoing safety of pupils.' A spokesperson on behalf of the Gosport and Fareham Trust, which runs the school, said: 'We were made aware of concerning content being shared on social media. 'We took the decision to proactively contact our families to make them aware of what was being shared. We are unable to share further information as this is a police investigation.' A Snapchat spokesperson said: 'These reports are horrific and our safety team is urgently investigating. 'Any sexual abuse of children is horrendous and has no place on Snapchat. When we are made aware of this type of content - either through our proactive detection technology or reporting - we remove it immediately, terminate offending accounts and work with the police to support their investigations. 'We also provide parental controls so parents can see who their teens are talking to on Snapchat and have conversations about how to be safe online.' MailOnline has contacted the school and Snapchat. Two young parents-to-be were killed in a horrific car crash at a 'treacherous' junction with 'faded' road markings and where the Give Way sign was 'turned the wrong way', an inquest has heard. Josh Alexander, 21, and Jessica Poole, 18, died when a skip lorry ploughed into their car in Woodchurch, Kent on June 5 last year. An inquest in Maidstone heard that the couple were on their way to work delivering takeaways to earn extra cash ahead of the birth of their baby boy when the crash happened. Speaking at the inquest, one police officer said he believed 'heavily worn' road markings and a rotated Give Way sign, near the crossroads junction of Plurenden Road and Bethersden Road in Woodchurch, may have been contributing factors in the crash. PC Simon Masterson, forensic collision investigator at Kent Police, said Josh had failed to recognise he was approaching a junction as he drove west along Plurenden Road. Jessica Poole, 18, who was thought to be around four months pregnant, died when the white Vauxhall Corsa she and her boyfriend were travelling in smashed into a white lorry in Woodchurch, Kent last June Jessica and Josh were from Hastings in East Sussex Josh's heartbreaking Facebook post from March showed a baby's onesie with a positive pregnancy test The fatal crash took place at around 5pm on June 5 last year at a crossroads in Woodchurch, Kent Mr Masterson said: 'The give way sign on Plurenden Road, which was 11 metres from the junction, was rotated by 61 degrees. 'The road markings were heavily worn in several places. The approach triangle was also worn but discernible.' The tragic crash took place just months after Josh shared a photo on Facebook of a baby's onesie with a positive pregnancy test and a scan of their son inside the womb, and excitedly wrote: 'November 2023. See you then lil one.' The inquest heard they had been heading to Happy Valley Chinese in Tenterden just before 5pm in Josh's Corsa where they had taken on shift. Dashcam footage from the skip lorry which was travelling along Bethersden Road shows the Corsa approaching the junction. PC Masterson said Josh was looking 'calm' and 'in control of the vehicle' with footage showing the car approached the crossroads at a 'constant speed.' Based on the footage, it is thought Josh would have been driving between 50mph and 56mph, within the 60mph limit for the road. However, prior to the crash, the footage also appeared to show Josh was distracted by his phone for a brief moment. The crash occurred at a crossroads in Woodchurch, Kent on June 5 last year Emergency services rushed to the scene, where the young couple from Hastings were pronounced dead Josh (pictured) and Jess's heartbroken friends and family paid tribute to the two youngsters online PC Masterson said: 'I'm confident his arm was stretched out to touch the phone. 'Josh failed to recognise he was approaching a junction. He interacts with a mobile phone immediately before entering Bethersden Road. His actions suggest he was not aware of the junction ahead.' The inquest heard that Josh was believed to have been using a sat nav app on his phone, as he had only moved to the area in April. It is not clear which specific app he was using at the time of the crash. When PC Masterson undertook tests himself at the junction using Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze, all of them failed to give an alert that a crossroads junction was ahead. PC Masterson also said the front air bags of Josh's car did not deploy. When asked whether this could have made any difference to the outcome, he answered 'no.' Addressing the driver of the skip lorry, PC Masterson said there was 'nothing he was physically able to do to avoid the collision.' He added: 'Josh failed to recognise he was approaching a junction. It is highly likely he was distracted by his mobile phone he is seen interacting with.' Coroner Katrina Hepburn told the Maidstone hearing: 'There was nothing to suggest they were travelling at excessive speed. 'Whilst we speculate about whether or not he saw the sign, or if the mobile phone was in use, I don't make any findings in relation to this. 'The crash caused significant and catastrophic injuries and the deaths were due to a road traffic collision.' Josh's father Ben Sissens, pictured together, said his son's death had left him with a 'void I feel can never be filled' Coroner Hepburn will now write to KCC's highways department regarding what improvements have been made at the crossroads. Heartbroken friends and family paid tribute to the couple, originally from Hastings in East Sussex, after the crash last year. Josh's father Ben Sissens said his son's death had left him with a 'void I feel can never be filled'. Speaking last year, he said: 'You were my first, my everything, my mini me, my heart, my soul and my proudest achievement. 'Rest now my darling, with your beautiful Jess and your baby boy.' Speaking after the inquest, Mr Sissens said: 'The national speed limit is 60mph but if you're approaching a junction at that speed with no deceleration or notification, it's dangerous. 'In plenty of other rural roads there are signs which warn you to reduce speed or rumble strips warning of a hazardous junction.' The father is now putting pressure on KCC to improve the safety of Plurenden Road, which he says should not be 60mph with no warnings of the junction ahead. 'If he was doing 40mph, he may have seen the road markings a bit easier,' he said. 'What has happened is horrific. It has ripped the families apart and I want to make sure other babies can go home to their families. 'I've spoken to the other driver and I have told him we don't blame him. 'I don't blame him whatsoever, it was a catastrophic set of events and I don't want this to change his life. I don't want him to carry the guilt.' Josh's friend Ben Wheeler wrote online: 'I have never met someone just as amazing, honest, kind and hardworking as you are. 'You deserved the world and deserved to be with Jess and your little boy. 'I hope all three of you are together in a better place. You'll be forever missed.' Another friend, Michael Harmer, said: 'You were a blessing to my life and everyone else's - your light was radiant and you never failed to bring the best out of everyone.' Jessica's mother, Aimee Poole, said: 'Jessica was beautiful, caring, kind, considerate and funny. Josh with his mother Becky Alexander 'She was my best friend and I would choose her company over anyone. 'The huge gap left in my life is indescribable. 'We must have told each other we loved each other at least 20 times a day.' Ms Poole added that her daughter loved animals from a very young age and spent four years devoted to her horse Nellie. 'Jessica was stunningly beautiful and would look glamorous even mucking out her horse's stables. She shined from inside and out. 'She made me proud every single day. She had so many plans and great times ahead, we were a team. 'She was my proudest achievement and I miss her every single day.' Charlie Louise Kent, a friend of Jessica's, wrote: 'I am unbelievably lost for words and in complete disbelief. '[I am] still wrapping my head around the fact my angel girl is gone, I am absolutely heartbroken. 'You taught me the meaning of friendship and was and will always be the kindest soul I have ever come across.' A KCC spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the inquests and we await the letter from the coroner. 'Whenever there is a serious or fatal crash on one of our roads we work with Kent Police, expert engineers and coroners to investigate any causation factors that are identified. 'Once these are known we carry out any work deemed to be needed to help mitigate a similar incident from happening again. 'One death on our roads is one too many and we will continue to make sure we keep our roads safe.' Labour was today desperately rallying round its Rochdale by-election candidate despite calls for him to be ostracised for voicing a Gaza conspiracy theory - amid fears that punishing him could hand the seat to George Galloway. Tories and Jewish groups have rounded on the party over its soft treatment of Azhar Ali, who was secretly recorded saying Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people on October 7 to 'green light' the invasion. Mr Ali yesterday admitted his comments were 'inexcusable' and apologised after being confronted by The Mail on Sunday. But he will stand in Rochdale at the end of the month because the deadline for entering the by-election has already passed. Among those also standing is Mr Galloway, the former hard-Left Labour MP who has repeatedly contested by-elections in areas with large Muslim populations. Last night the head of the Jewish Labour Movement, the largest and longest-affiliated Jewish group within the party said it would not campaign for Mr Ali. But Mike Katz added: 'The fact is, (the) alternative in Rochdale is George Galloway. Giving him a parliamentary platform to spew hate and sow division will harm the Jewish community far more than electing Ali. Handing the election to Galloway will be a Pyrrhic victory for those calling on Labour to go further now.' He added that Mr Ali had 'destroyed his past record of allyship with the Jewish community and has a mountain to climb to repair it', saying: 'JLM won't campaign in Rochdale. But we know how far the Party has come under Keir Starmer in tackling anti-Semitism and that the party, from Starmer down, is as shocked and disgusted by Ali's comments as we are. This proves there is still much work to do.' Azhar Ali was secretly recorded saying Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the 'green light' to invade Gaza Among those also standing is Mr Galloway, the former hard-Left Labour MP who has repeatedly contested by-elections in areas with large Muslim populations. Last night the head of the Jewish Labour Movement, the largest and longest-affiliated Jewish group within the party said it would not campaign for Mr Ali. Keir Starmer has been criticised by Jewish groups Despite the controversy, Labour's levelling-up spokesman Lisa Nandy went ahead with a campaign event with Mr Ali just hours after he was forced to apologise And Mr Ali received the support of a Jewish former Labour MP who quit the party over anti-Semitism. Louise Ellman said: 'I have known Azhar for over twenty years and he consistently supported me when I was subjected to anti-Semitic attacks. 'I have always found him to be an ally, which makes these comments out of character. He should now have the opportunity to work with the Jewish community to restore the loss of trust his actions have caused.' Despite calls for the party to pull support for his campaign for February 29's by-election, or even suspend his membership, Mr Ali continues to receive the support of the party machine. That support included a visit from Labour frontbencher Lisa Nandy, who was pictured with him at a 'scheduled' campaign event hours after the furore broke. A Labour insider said the situation was complicated by the fact that nominations for the by-election have closed, making it impossible for the party to replace Mr Ali with another candidate. Labour could suspend its campaign, but the source said this could hand the seat to former Labour firebrand George Galloway, who is standing for the Workers Party of Great Britain and targeting Muslim voters disaffected by the main parties' refusal to press Israel to cease hostilities in Gaza. Shadow minister Nick Thomas-Symonds this morning suggested that Mr Ali had 'fallen for an online conspiracy theory' and recognised 'the scale of the offence he has caused'. But he said Keir Starmer was right not to suspend him after his apology. But the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism last night branded Labour's stance 'obscene' and said the failure to boot out Mr Ali made a mockery of Sir Keir Starmer's claim to have dealt with the party's ugly anti-Semitism problem. 'This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in Parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology,' a spokesman said. 'This is distressingly familiar to days that Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing anti-Semitism out 'by its roots'. Labour must urgently re-examine this obscene decision if its leader is to be regarded as a man of his word.' The Board of Deputies of British Jews described Mr Ali's comments as 'disgraceful and unforgivable', adding: 'It is clear to us that he is not apologising out of a genuine sense of remorse.' Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said his remarks were 'outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable'. And Conservative chairman Richard Holden said: 'Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he's changed Labour. Time after time we're seeing that simply isn't true. 'While vile racist slurs are freely exchanged within Labour, it is unfit to hold public office. 'Sir Keir should immediately remove Mr Ali's Labour membership and suspend Labour's campaign. 'If Labour won't do that, the public will see that Labour is happy to run anti-Semitic candidates to attract racist votes and is therefore unfit to play a leading role in our nation's affairs.' Sir Keir is also facing pressure from the Labour Left over the soft treatment after supporters of former leader Jeremy Corbyn were punished for speaking out over the bloodshed in Gaza. Last month MP Kate Osamor had the whip suspended after accusing Israel of genocide on the eve of Holocaust Memorial Day. And last April Diane Abbott was stripped of the Labour whip amid a backlash at her 'shameful' suggestion that Jewish people don't suffer racism. Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said his remarks were 'outrageous, highly offensive, mad and unacceptable Conservative chairman Richard Holden said: 'Time after time, Sir Keir Starmer says that he's changed Labour. Time after time we're seeing that simply isn't true' Labour candidate for Rochdale, Azhar Ali and Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham launch Ali's by-election campaign on February 7 Mr Thomas-Symonds said Mr Ali, fell for an anti-Semitic 'online conspiracy theory' but is not an anti-Semite himself. Asked by Nick Ferrari on LBC about the remarks, the shadow minister without portfolio said: 'It's a totally unacceptable online conspiracy theory, I am not shying away from that. 'He fell for this online conspiracy theory ... I take what he says at face value.' When pressed again, he said: 'The conspiracy theory is one of a range of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, nobody is shying away from that. He is saying - and I take this at entirely at face value - that he fell for an online conspiracy theory. 'I don't believe he is anti-Semitic and that's why we continue to support him. 'He is someone that very respected colleagues have known over decades... point to his record of standing up against antisemitism, therefore it is out of character.' In a leaked recording of a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party shortly after the October 7 attacks, Mr Ali claimed Israel had ignored warnings from Egypt and the US of an imminent attack. He suggested the Israeli government had reduced security measures at the border to allow Hamas terrorists free rein to murder, rape and kidnap. 'They deliberately took the security off, they allowed ... that massacre, that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want,' he said. Mr Ali, who is Labour group leader on Lancashire County Council, also criticised Sir Keir's stance on the issue. When one person at the meeting suggested Sir Keir was 'held in high regard', Mr Ali replied: 'Can I disagree with you... A lot of the MPs I've spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue he's lost the confidence of the parliamentary party.' Yesterday he issued a grovelling apology after The Mail on Sunday revealed his comments. 'I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments, which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false,' he said. Mr Ali was recorded saying: 'They deliberately took the security off, they allowed ... that massacre, that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want' The Labour candidate is defending a Labour majority of more than 9,000 in Rochdale (pictured) on February 29. Rochdale has one of the highest Muslim populations in the country, with more than 30 per cent of people declaring their religion as Islam in the latest census. Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden yesterday condemned Mr Ali's comments, but confirmed he would remain as Labour's candidate 'Hamas's horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. 'October 7 was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising anti-Semitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments.' Labour's national campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden yesterday condemned Mr Ali's comments, but confirmed he would remain as Labour's candidate. Education minister Robert Halfon, who is Jewish, said it was 'disappointing to hear Pat McFadden back him and begs the question, has Labour really changed?' In 2020, an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report found Labour responsible for 'unlawful' acts of harassment and discrimination during Jeremy Corbyn's four years as party leader. Picture shows protestors awaiting the arrival of Jeremy Corbyn at an event in 2019 The row is an embarrassment for Sir Keir, who claims to have dealt with Labour's anti-Semitism crisis. In 2020, an Equalities and Human Rights Commission report found Labour responsible for 'unlawful' acts of harassment and discrimination during Jeremy Corbyn's four years as party leader. At the time Sir Keir vowed: 'Under my leadership, zero-tolerance of anti-Semitism will mean precisely that. If you're anti-Semitic, you should be nowhere near this party. And we'll make sure you're not.' Rochdale has one of the highest Muslim populations in the country, with more than 30 per cent of people declaring their religion as Islam in the latest census. The seat became vacant last month following the death of Labour's Sir Tony Lloyd, who had a majority of almost 10,000. Twin thugs Simon and Michael Long have been jailed after they attacked a group of people outside a pub before bottling one victim and leaving him scarred for life. The offences occurred on December 20, 2019 after the brothers had been out for pre-Christmas drinks with friends and colleagues in Cheltenham town centre. Prosecutor Christopher Smyth said a group of people including Joe Ashton, Adam Newman and Terry Beaver were also out in the town that night when they crossed paths with the twins. He told Gloucester Crown Court that there was no doubt that both Long brothers were intoxicated, with Michael being more drunk than his twin. During the early part of the evening, there was an altercation outside Yates' bar between the Long brothers and Mr Ashton and Mr Beaver and others unknown, said the prosecutor. The injuries Michael Long sustained on December 20, 2019 Simon Long, 47, had been out in the town centre of Cheltenham on a pre-Christmas night out Footage of this incident, which was shown to the jury, captured a fight that broke out between a large number of men, which required the police to break it up. Both Long brothers then left the bar with the intention of hailing taxis to take them home. However, the twins did not get into a taxi because they came upon Mr Ashton and Mr Beaver and their friends opposite the Bank House pub in Clarence Street in Cheltenham. The brothers both set upon the three men and a woman 'in a violent fashion,' said the prosecutor. He said all three men were attacked by the brothers, who also used threats of violence against them. The woman was knocked to the ground. Mr Smyth said that things then escalated when the brothers picked up glass beer bottles and Michael was seen wielding one in front of Mr Ashton, who was struck on the head at least twice. A glass was heard to smash at the same point on the video recording of the incident. The jury was told that the affray resulted in injuries being inflicted on the group and Mr Ashton ended up with a number of injuries that needed medical treatment. These included a one inch laceration to the left side of his forehead, which required four stiches, a three-quarter inch bruise to the left side of his face, a further small laceration in the same area that required three stitches and an abrasion to his left eyebrow. In a victim statement Mr Ashton said: 'I had never been in a fight in my life. I have been left with a scar and I will have to live with this for the rest of my life. 'The attack was clearly pre-meditated. I've never felt afraid for my life ever before. This incident has left me feeling wary about going out in the evening.' Catherine Spedding, representing Simon Long, told the court: 'It wasn't the Long brothers who were the initial aggressors. They themselves received injuries. 'A significant factor in all this is the substantial delay he has had hanging over him. If they had been dealt with at the time, they would have completed their sentence and be getting on with their lives. 'The incident was completely out of character. The punishment on Simon Long will have a detrimental effect on his wider family. He regularly undertakes charity work and is involved with the Salvation Army.' The twins came upon Mr Ashton and Mr Beaver and their friends opposite the Bank House pub in Clarence Street, Cheltenham Simon Kitchen for Michael Long said: 'Twenty-one references have been submitted by his friends, family and business contacts. He is a self-employed electrician. 'Michael Long is a good kind-hearted community spirited man and this incident was completely out of character. He has not re-offended while waiting for this case to be heard. 'In summary, justice delayed is justice denied. The long delay has diminished the effect a custodial sentence would have had if it had been timely. 'Ultimately he was not thinking straight because of the injuries he sustained to his face, including a split lip. 'His finger was also broken and his elbow was chipped and he had other bruising to his head and ribs. 'He suffered a good beating. He believes it could be a case of mistaken identity as he had no interaction with those in the affray.' The jury found both Michael and Simon Long guilty of wounding Mr Ashton with intent on December 20, 2019 and being involved in an affray on the same date. The judge, Recorder Emma Zeb, told both defendants: 'It has taken four years for this case to come to trial, which is a disproportionately long period of time, and the reason for that has not been explained in full. 'In part this is because of your not guilty pleas, but equally there are likely to have been other elements contributing to the delay. But all this means the delay is highly unfortunate for all concerned. 'I am not sentencing you for being involved in the earlier affray, but you were both involved in initiating the violence on the three men and a woman and the events that followed marked the affray for which the jury found you guilty of. READ MORE: Marvel star Jonathan Majors is found GUILTY of harassing and assaulting ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari Advertisement 'The following incident became even more serious as you had each grabbed a glass bottle and approached the group. 'In particular Michael Long can be seen in a recording taken by a nearby observer wielding a bottle over the head of Mr Ashton. 'It is this part of the incident which led to the wounding with intent as the victim was struck in the head on one or two occasions. 'The bruising to Mr Ashton's face cannot be established as having occurred at this time or during the previous altercation outside the Yates bar. 'It is my judgement that the severe lacerations were caused by the use of a glass bottle used during the attack. 'Whether this broke on striking Mr Ashton, or not, is unclear. You, Michael Long, were the aggressor in this situation. 'I have seen the photographs of the injuries Mr Ashton sustained. They are unpleasant. 'This was a night that got very out of hand, causing the two of you to receive very serious convictions. You armed yourselves in a way with glass bottles that you clearly felt justified and knowing the damage they could cause. 'Throughout your trial, you both denied being the perpetrators of the incident outside the Bank House pub. You maintained that you only acted in self-defence, but it is obvious the jury did not accept this explanation. The trial was heard at Gloucester Crown Court 'In my judgement the incident outside the Bank House pub was not entirely one-sided. There is evidence that the others in the group showed some violence being used. However your actions were wholly out of proportion and unjustifiable.' Recorder Zeb told Michael Long: 'You have continued to deny instigating the later attack and only picked up a bottle for your own safety. 'Whilst you have since shown some regret for your actions, you have not displayed much in the way of remorse to the pre-sentence report author. 'All of this is contradicted by the letter you've written to me in which you now fully admit your remorse for your actions. You were intoxicated that night, and this impaired your actions. 'I have read the references submitted on your behalf, which suggests that this incident is completely out of character. You are clearly a valued family man.' The judge sentenced Michael Long, of Milton Road, Cheltenham, to a prison term of three years. In sentencing Simon Long, of Tennyson Road, St Marks, Cheltenjam, to a custodial sentence of two years and six months, Recorder Zeb told him: 'You still claim that you are the victim and the whole incident has all been a misunderstanding. 'You don't seem to appreciate what alternative behaviour you could have employed that night. 'However you have expressed regret for the injuries that were sustained by those involved. 'You may have been less intoxicated than your brother, but you demonstrated poor decision making whilst drunk. 'You also have had a number of references submitted on your behalf and it is suggested that your actions were also out of character.' A Los Angeles woman who was at a beach club watching the sunset has been killed in crossfire between two drug gangs in Tulum, Mexico. The woman, named locally as Niko Honarbakhsh, was shot dead during the ordeal - and prosecutors in Quintana Roo stressed she had no connection to the drug deal. Another man, who went by the nickname 'Belize,' was also killed during the shooting on Friday just after 6.30pm. The deceased had been at a beach club in the Tulum Hotel Zone - which is a coastline tourist strip filled with upscale clubs and eateries. Honarbakhsh, 44, was living in Cancun but was originally from California, according to ABC News. Local news site Riviera Maya News also identified her as 'Niko H.' The woman was watching the sunset alone at the beach club with her dogs, and was just about to get up and pay when she was caught in the crossfire, witnesses said. Pictured: The coba beach in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The woman, identified as Niko Honarbakhsh, was shot dead during the ordeal - and prosecutors in Quintana Roo stressed she had no connection to the drug deal. The deceased had been at a beach club in the Tulum Hotel Zone - which is a coastline tourist strip filled with upscale clubs and eateries Onlookers, who say the shooting occurred at the Mia Beach Club, said Honarbakhsh looked 'so happy' with her pets, who were 'chilling out on the sand' all day long. A couple sitting behind her said they thought the gunshots were fireworks at first - and that everything happened so quickly that didn't even have time to react. Prosecutors denied reports in local media that the two deceased were a couple, saying a photo of the Belizean man showed him with a completely different woman. Belize shares a border with Mexico on the Caribbean coast. Tulum is located south of Cancun and Playa del Carmen, closer to Belize. Prosecutors said the dead man had cocaine and pills in his possession when he was killed, and was believed to be a dealer. They said the suspects in the shootings had been identified and were being sought. In their statement, the State Attorney General said that 'the female person who unfortunately lost her life had no connection with the deceased male, identified with the alias 'Belize'. 'Regarding the man 'Belize', he is identified for his probable participation in events possibly constituting drug-related crimes in the form of drug dealing and that he was part of a criminal group that generated violence in the state. 'At the time of the events, the subject had among his belongings transparent bags containing white powder with characteristics typical of cocaine, transparent bags with red and orange pills, as well as a transparent bag containing brown granulated powder.' The fatal shooting on February 9 occurred in front of horrified holidaymakers. One person took to TripAdvisor to describe their distress after two people were murdered in front of them. They said the ordeal occurred at Mia Beach Club. The tourist, from Austin, Texas with the username Justin R, wrote on February 10: 'Is Tulum no longer safe? 2 people murdered in front of me. 'My partner and I were enjoying the sunset on the beach yesterday at Mia Beach Club when all of a sudden some guy with a gun started chasing another man shooting at him while running in the middle of the beach club crowd. 'Some tourist on vacation with her 2 dogs, mere feet away from us was hit by some of the stray bullets and was killed. Three witnesses online said that the shooting took place at the Mia Beach Club in Tulum. Officials did not name the location 'The gunman had shot the guy he was chasing once and it slowed him down enough that the gunman walked over and shot him a couple more times in the back. 'The gunman just ran north down the beach into the crowd. Security at the Mia had no clue what was going on nor did they check on the 2 people shot. 'It was other beach guests that did. The people that worked there almost acted like it was no big deal, and gave none of us instructions like, get down, get off the beach.. none of them got on their radios calling for the police or backup.' In response to his comment, another tourist from New Jersey chimed in and said that he also witnessed the woman and man get shot. The second TripAdvisor poster, with the username Nick C, wrote: 'I was there with my girlfriend as well. We were sitting behind the lady with the two service dogs. 'The shooter ran past us right behind us. We are lucky we didnt catch a stray bullet as well. I would have thought I would have caught one before the lady did as I was closer and (I thought) more in the line of fire than her. 'Truly lucky to have come out of that unharmed. It all happened so quick at first we thought it was fireworks until we saw the shooter run past us firing. 'By then it was too late and had zero time to react or get down. 'Prayers go out to the lady, thats a very sad way to pass. She was minding her own business having fun alone with her dogs for hours. If Im not mistaken, she was getting ready to pay and leave. 'Youre right none of the workers did anything to alert us or aid the wounded. The lady was down for a few minutes before anyone even checked on her. 'The guy being chased was down for even longer and it was only a tourist go checked on him at first then was left alone again. 'This will definitely leave a sour taste in my mouth whenever I think of Tulum, its my second time here. I get it could happened anywhere but the police could definitely do more to minimize these drug deals or gang rivalries going off. Not really sure what the motive of the murder was but one can only imagine.' A third witness, also posting on TripAdvisor, said they were leaving when the commotion kicked off. The poster, with the username Giandrea84, wrote: 'Im so sad to hear this. I was there all day and was about to leave when the shooting started. 'I heard everything and saw some. I just run away the opposite side but there was so much confusion that no one knew what really happened. 'I remember the lady with two dogs. She looked so happy during the day and the dogs were chilling out on the sand. When I read about what happened to her I felt incredibly sad. My thoughts are with the family.' The State Attorney General's Office did not confirm the location of the shooting. Mia Beach Club has been contacted by DailyMail.com for comment. Foreign tourists have been killed in the past after getting caught in drug gang shootouts in the once-tranquil beach resort in Mexico. In 2021 in Tulum, two tourists one a California travel blogger born in India and the other German were killed while eating at a restaurant. They apparently were caught in the crossfire of a gunfight between rival drug dealers. Anjali Ryot, of San Jose, was at the La Malquerida bar when she and 35-year-old Jennifer Henzold, of Germany, were trapped in the middle of a dispute between the assailants and a rival drug dealer. Ryot was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. Henzold was rushed to an area hospital, where she died. The shooting also wounded two German males, aged 26 and 25, and a 21-year-old woman from the Netherlands. A native of India, Ryot arrived at the popular Mexican resort town ahead of her birthday - she would have turned 26 just days after the fatal shooting. Just hours before the tragedy, she took to her Instagram account to share a video of her walking near a platform at the Cielo Maya hotel and resting on a hammock. Ryot had been working as a senior site reliability engineer with LinkedIn. She had previously been employed by Yahoo, where she spent five years working as a site reliability engineer and service engineer. Last year, the U.S. State Department issued a travel alert warning travelers to 'exercise increased situational awareness' especially after dark, at Mexico's Caribbean beach resorts like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum. In June 2023, two Californians Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 40, were found unresponsive in their hotel room at the five-star $780-a-night Hotel Rancho Pescadero near Cabo San Lucas, with reports suggesting the couple died due to inhalation of gas. And in April last year, four people were found dead by a four-star all-inclusive beachfront hotel in the Riviera Maya resort of Cancun after a broad-daylight shootout. Police initially revealed they had discovered three bodies near the Fiesta Americana Condesa Hotel before confirming a fourth corpse had been found in undergrowth close by. The shootout, the latest in a series of violent episodes in the Mexican holiday resort, occurred around 10am local time on Monday. It's fair to say Donald Trump's declaration this past weekend that Russia should be allowed 'to do whatever the hell it wants' to NATO countries not contributing their fair share to defence spending was not well received by the alliance. The former US President ignited a political firestorm with the comments at a rally in South Carolina when he said: 'You didn't pay? You're delinquent?' No, I would not protect you. 'In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.' The White House immediately issued a scathing retort, labelling his comments as 'appalling and unhinged' and argued they 'promoted dangerous chaos'. And a furious NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg retorted: 'Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk.' But despite the classically brash and inflammatory nature of his comments, the platinum-blond firebrand might have a point. Although NATO has some common funds, to which all members contribute, the vast bulk of its strength comes from members' own national defence spending. Back in 2014, alliance members committed to spending at least 2% of their GDP every year on defence - and most of them fell well short of that goal last year despite making the commitment when Russia first annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Former US President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump attends a "Get Out the Vote" Rally in Conway, South Carolina, on February 10, 2024 US Army Abrams tanks fire during the military exercises in Latvia British special forces are seen taking part in military exercises. According to estimates from July last year, only 11 of the 31 NATO countries were on track to meet a defence spending target of 2% GDP in 2023 Navy personnel walk past F-18 jet fighters on the flight deck of USS Gerald R. Ford, on November 17, 2022 in Gosport, England. The US and UK have both exceeded their 2% GDP defence spending target Viking Vehicles move through deep snow around Bardufoss exercise areas during the NATO exercise Cold Enabler 2018 in Norway Countries missing 2% GDP defence spending target France (1.9 %) Montenegro (1.87 %) North Macedonia (1.87 %) Bulgaria (1.84 %) Croatia (1.79 %) Albania (1.76 %) Netherlands (1.7 %) Norway (1.67 %) Denmark (1.65 %) Germany (1.57 %) Czech Republic (1.5 %) Portugal (1.48 %) Italy (1.46 %) Canada (1.38 %) Slovenia (1.35 %) Turkey (1.31 %) Spain (1.26 %) Belgium (1.26 %) Advertisement Countries hitting 2% GDP defence spending target Poland (3.9 %) US (3.49 %) Greece (3.01 %) Estonia (2.73 %) Lithuania (2.54 %) Finland (2.45 %) Romania (2.44 %) Hungary (2.43 %) Latvia (2.27 %) United Kingdom (2.07 %) Slovakia (2.03 %) Iceland and Luxembourg do not hit the 2% GDP defence spending target, but these nations are not counted in this list. Luxembourg's size means it is not held to the same target, and Iceland does not maintain an armed forces. Advertisement According to estimates from July last year, only 11 of the 31 NATO countries were on track to meet the 2% GDP defence spending target in 2023. Those members were Poland, the United States - which contributed 3.9% and 3.49% respectively - Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Latvia, Britain and Slovakia, which just tipped the threshold at 2.03%. Yet France and Germany, two of EU's economic heavyweights and founding members of the alliance, both missed the mark at 1.9% and a measly 1.57% respectively. German officials were quick to point out they expect to meet the 2% target this year, partly thanks to a special 1-billion-euro fund established in response to Russia's war in Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: Europe must ramp up production of armaments 'massively and urgently' Chancellor Scholz said today that the armaments pledges from EU nations for Ukraine were still insufficient as Russia continues to grind down Kyiv's defences out east. The EU has set up a joint financing mechanism to meet Ukrainian demand for weapons, but the bloc has struggled to make good on promised deliveries. Brussels pledged to provide a million artillery shells to Ukraine by March 2024, but the EU last week admitted it can only produce just over half that by the deadline. Scholz underlined that it was key to shift gears from years of under-investment in the defence sector to building up much-needed production capacity. 'Tanks, howitzers, helicopters and air defence systems are not lined up on the shelves. If nothing is ordered for years, then nothing is produced,' he warned. Rheinmetall's new factory in Unterluess is scheduled to begin production in 2025 with an initial production run of 50,000 shells a year, before progressively reaching its full annual capacity of 200,000. Putting the volume in perspective, Scholz said that thousands of shells are fired on a daily basis at the frontlines in Ukraine currently. In addition, the German army's own weapons store was 'rather empty' even before the war. Rheinmetall's boss Armin Papperger said the aim of the new factory is to help secure Germany's 'strategic sovereignty in the large-calibre ammunition domain'. The company is aiming to churn out up to 500,000 shells this year overall, a seven-fold jump from the 70,000 annual production before the Ukraine war. Advertisement And despite not meeting the 2% GDP defence spending mark, Germany remains Ukraine's second biggest weapons contributor, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been vocal in pushing other EU nations to give more. Europe must ramp up production of armaments massively and urgently, he said today, warning that the continent now 'does not live in times of peace'. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for Rheinmetall's new munitions factory, Scholz said European nations must pool together orders and financing to provide the defence industry with purchase guarantees for the next decades. 'This is urgently necessary because the painful reality is that we do not live in times of peace,' he said, pointing to Russia's war on Ukraine. 'We must move from manufacturing to mass production of armaments,' he said, arguing that 'those who want peace must be able to successfully deter aggressors'. But even if Germany is ramping up its defence spending, that leaves nearly two dozen countries lagging behind their commitments. The lowest spenders as a share of national GDP were Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, at just 1.26%, 1.26% and 0.72% respectively, according to the NATO figures. Given Luxembourg's miniscule size and resources compared to other NATO countries, it is not expected to meet the same requirements. Iceland meanwhile isn't included in the list, because it doesn't have its own military despite being a founding NATO member. NATO is expected to release updated figures in the coming days that will show more allies meeting the 2% target, according to people familiar with the data. The security bloc is also set to expand to 32 countries in the near future, with Sweden awaiting ratification of its application amid obstacles presented by Hungary's Viktor Orban. But according to the existing figures, there are seven member countries whose defence spending remains less than 1.5% of GDP, non-inclusive of Iceland and Luxembourg. Trump's harsh words for European NATO nations seen to be skimping on defence commitments has prompted major concern for some. Ben Hodges, the former Commanding General of US Army Europe, went as far to tell MailOnline last month that European nations would be 'sitting ducks' if Trump was to be elected in November. And the US Congress got so concerned Trump could unilaterally withdraw from NATO if he won a second term that it passed a law in December requiring the president to get a two-third majority of the Senate to do so. Others meanwhile have kept a lid on the hysteria, reasoning that Trump's polarising comments were made amid a fervent campaign for re-election months away from what promises to be one of the most hotly contested - and mean - presidential races ever. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell appealed for calm, treating Trump's comments as 'humour'. 'Let's be serious. NATO cannot be an a la carte military alliance, it cannot be a military alliance that works depending on the humour of the president of the US. 'It exists or it does not exist,' he said, adding that he was not going to keep commenting on 'any silly idea' emerging from the US presidential election campaign. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Coastal Carolina University, HTC Center, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks on the modern needs of the NATO alliance at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, USA, 31 January 2024 FILE: US President Donald Trump (L) chats with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as they attend the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' summit in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on November 11, 2017 A Ukrainian serviceman of the First Presidential Brigade Bureviy (Hurricane) of the National Guard of Ukraine points a direction in a trench at a position in a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Kreminna, Eastern Ukraine, February 6, 2024 Ukrainian soldiers firing with a SPG, in the direction of Bakhmut, where clashes between Russia and Ukraine continue to take place, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on February 04, 2024 The squabble over member states' defence spending comes as the defence ministers of several Nordic and eastern European countries in recent weeks made various unsettling declarations, telling their citizens to be prepared for war in a matter of years. Russia has often signalled it has no intention of expanding its 'special military operation' beyond the borders of Ukraine, with Vladimir Putin most recently telling Tucker Carlson that any suggestion he could invade the Baltic states or Poland is simply wrong. But Russia's invasion of its neighbour on February 24, 2022 darkened the door of Europe with a large scale hot war for the first time since the end of World War 2, and caused many European nations to prepare for the worst. In the two years since the Russian President ordered the invasion, tens if not hundreds of thousands of soldiers have been killed or injured. Thousands of armoured vehicles have been destroyed and several battleships have been sunk by Ukraine's armed forces, whose steely resolve to defend their homeland has been reinforced by a steady supply of Western munitions and military hardware. But Russia has since halted Ukraine's eastward march and ground the war to a standstill across hundreds of miles - fortifying the frontlines with mines, trenches and artillery. Moscow has also called up more conscripts and replenished its forces on the battlefield, and has secured a fresh supply of artillery and drones from its allies North Korea and Iran while it ramps up its own domestic production. With time now working in Putin's favour, there are concerns among Western military figures that he could next set his sights on NATO's eastern flank and to countries which - like Ukraine - were once part of the vat Soviet Union. When comparing the size and strength of the forces commanded by individual NATO nations to those at Putin's disposal, it is easy to understand the concern. But taken as a whole, NATO is by far the world's most formidable military force. The alliance's 31 countries have a combined military budget of over $1.1 trillion, over three million active personnel, 2.7 million reserve personnel and more than 700,000 troops in paramilitary forces. On top of that, in the event of an all-out war, the alliance's members could collectively call up more than 206 million people for military service (based on their populations of military-aged civilians). NATO countries also have over 14,000 tanks in their arsenals and tens of thousands more combat vehicles, 21,000 military aircraft and almost 2,000 naval vessels. Three nuclear armed nations are also members: the US, the UK and France. Ukraine's forces have put up a heroic fight against Vladimir Putin's invading forces, despite being seen as the inferior military. Pictured: Ukrainian servicemen of the Skala battalion take part in a field military exercise in the Donetsk region on February 3, 2024 Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine led to a reevaluation of the perception that Russia commanded the world's second strongest military, but Moscow's troops have forced a stalemate in Ukraine and are now working to win the ascendancy in the conflict Ukrainian servicemen of the Skala battalion take part in a field military exercise in the Donetsk region on February 3, 2024, amid Russia's on-going invasion of Ukraine As for Russia, before the invasion of Ukraine, the country was reported to have more than one million active personnel and two million in reserve - though Western intelligence estimates 120,000 Russian troops have been killed while a further 170,000-180,000 have been wounded. On paper, NATO outstrips Russia's military in every department, while also having - at least based on the evidence seen in Ukraine - more advanced weaponry than Moscow has at its disposal. But Russia also has the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, and has shifted its economy onto a war footing, meaning it is pouring vast resources into replacing its astonishing losses. Wars are not fought on paper, and the bulk of NATO's formidable strength comes from having the United States as a member. With a presidential election looming in the United States, some fear US support for NATO in the future is not guaranteed. And without America providing the bulk of NATO's military might, the playing field between Russia and the alliance's European members quickly becomes rather equitable. Again, taken as a whole, European NATO states still lead Russia in almost all categories, aside from the number of armoured land vehicles. But with Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Russia has demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice tens of thousands of soldiers in a grinding style of warfare reminiscent of World War 1. NATO has never been tested against such aggression, and doubts remain over whether its member nations would be willing or capable to do the same and replicate the Ukrainians' heroic and dogged defence of their homeland. While not a huge country, Ukraine still had a pre-war population of around 40 million people, and the existential nature of Putin's invasion meant thousands of Ukrainians rushed to serve their country's army. Other countries that border Russia do not have the same numbers. The Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) - all of which border either Russia or its Kaliningrad enclave and were all once part of the Soviet Union - have measly populations of 2.7 million, 1.8 million and 1.2 million respectively. House Republicans will take a second shot at impeaching Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas one week after their first attempt to oust him stunningly failed by one vote, with the return of Majority Leader Steve Scalise. A second vote could happen as early as Tuesday - as Republicans rush to get it done before the special election to fill ousted New York Rep. George Santos' seat the same day. Former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi and Republican Mazi Pilip are locked in a tight race to take Santos' place. If Suozzi wins, the GOP won't have enough votes to impeach the embattled cabinet secretary. Scalise, R-La., is returning to Washington after receiving autologous stem cell treatment for blood cancer multiple myeloma. 'Leader Scalise has successfully completed his autologous stem cell treatment and has been medically cleared to resume travel,' his office said in a statement. 'He is in complete remission and will be returning to Washington next week for votes.' 'We're grateful the House will be welcoming back this week my good brother and fellow Louisianan @SteveScalise, who is now in complete remission from cancer,' Speaker Johnson wrote on Twitter Mayorkas, center, said on Sunday he is not deterred by the GOP 's attacks on him Meanwhile Mayorkas said on Sunday he is not deterred by the GOP's attacks on him. 'They're baseless allegations, Kristen, and that's why I really am not distracted by them and focused on the work of the Department of Homeland Security,' he said on NBC's 'Meet the Press' with Kristen Welker. 'I've got a busy day today. After the show, a busy day of work. I've got a busy day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and so on.' The impeachment resolution suffered a shock defeat when three Republicans voted against it last week, and one absent Democrat - Rep. Al Green - was wheeled in straight from the hospital to cast the kill shot. Republicans had brought back Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., in a full neck and chest brace as he was recovering from a car accident to vote for the measure but still fell one short once Green showed up on the House floor in a wheelchair and scrubs. Moments after the impeachment defeat, a vote to offer Israel $17.6 billion failed to garner the two-thirds majority it needed to pass under suspension of the rules. Republicans contend Mayorkas should be charged with high crimes and misdemeanors for failing to enforce immigration laws and lying to Congress. Mayorkas has denied such claims and Democrats insist he is only carrying out the policy of the Biden administration. Mayorkas blamed the 'broken system' on Congress failing to act - after Republicans killed an immigration and foreign aid deal negotiated in the Senate. 'It certainly is a crisis and, well, we don't bear responsibility for a broken system,' Mayorkas said. 'And we're doing a tremendous amount within that broken system. But fundamentally, fundamentally, Congress is the only one who can fix it.' One of the Republicans who voted against impeachment, Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., said over the weekend he would not seek re-election at the end of his term. 'Impeachment would not only fail to resolve Mr. Biden's border crisis but also set a dangerous new precedent that will be used against future Republican administrations,' Gallagher wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece about the impeachment effort. Expats have revealed the horrifying side effects and life-changing injuries they have suffered after being given a drug dubbed the 'killer painkiller', which is widely used by Spanish doctors. A British woman who lived in Spain has told how she had to have part of her feet and fingers amputated after she went into septic shock and her skin began to 'rot' - with doctors linking her symptoms to Nolotil. Another victim in her 60s has also told how she suffered 'terrible' side effects which made her life 'horrible' after she was given Nolotil to help alleviate pain from shoulder surgery. Nolotil, which is a brand name for metamizole, is banned in the UK and more than 40 countries worldwide, but is popular with doctors in Spain - many of whom work by the phrase 'Nolotil if pain'. It can cause a condition known as agranulocytosis, which wipes out white blood cells, increasing the risk of sepsis and even triggering organ failure and other horrific complications. An Irish expat living in Spain shared pictures of her wounds after contracting Necrotizing Fasciitis A 62-year-old British woman who was living in Spain has told how she had to have her fingers amputated after she went into septic shock One British expat had to have part of her feet amputated after her skin began to 'rot' Dozens of British tourists and ex-pats in Spain have come forward with horrific side effects in recent years, and campaigners have said the drug can be deadly. Anti-Nolotil campaigner Cristina Garcia del Campo said she knows of almost 40 Britons who have died after being given the drug since 2016, adding that the real number could be far higher. A spotlight was shone on the dangers of the drug last month with the death of British dad Mark Brooks, who died just four days after being prescribed Nolotil for shoulder pain. Other expats have come close to death after being given the prescription-only painkiller. An Irishwoman living in Malaga described how she almost lost her life after taking Nolotil 'as directed by doctors' for shoulder pain. The 69-year-old was diagnosed with agranulocytosis due to metamizole a jaw infection due to Neutropenia - a lack of neutrophils, a type of white blood cells - and Necrotizing Fasciitis, known as the 'flesh-eating disease'. She had to undergo four operations on her neck to remove the necrotic tissue, as well as some glands and muscle, and said she was left 'disfigured with a huge ugly scar on my neck'. The expat said she had to undergo four operations on her neck to remove necrotic tissue The Irish patient said she was left 'disfigured with a huge ugly scar on my neck' 'I now look and feel like a wreck and it will take me a very long time to recover, but I will never be the same again,' she said. 'I have a long list of medical and emotional issues after this horrible experience which is not yet over. 'My life is now horrible, no quality and constant pain, I don't recognize myself in the mirror anymore!' The woman, who remains in Spain, said she has suffered PTSD from the experience and is still facing health issues years later. A British woman, who is now in her 70s and has asked not to be named, said she was given the drug after going to a health clinic in Spain for kidney stones. She said she took just three tablets before becoming gravely ill, struggling to speak and suffering from delirium, and was rushed to hospital. Del Campo says she has presented the dozens of cases she gathered to health authorities Mark Brooks, a father-of-one from Derbyshire, is thought to be the latest victim of the drug. Pictured here with his four-year-old daughter Aurora Doctors realised that she was suffering from septic shock 'due to agranulocytosis induced by metamizole, with serious complications', as stated in her medical reports. The patient was put in intensive care with sepsis and got gangrene, with her hands, arms, feet, nose and ears and all turning black. She thought that cloths in the hospital were dirty, before she realised that it was her skin that was giving off an unpleasant smell as it 'rotted'. She had to have part of her feet and a few fingers amputated, and came out of hospital unable to walk and weighing just 43 kg. Ms Del Campo says there has been little change since recommendations were made in 2018 She never got back into work since her ordeal in 2013, and is now disabled, with the nightmare side effects continuing to impact her to this day. She said that doctors described her condition as a 'catastrophic adverse reaction to Nolotil'. Spanish medics were told by the country's regulators to avoid prescribing the drug to British tourists since 2018, but Ms Del Campo says there has been little change since these recommendations were made. This guidance emerged after an unpublished study found Britons have '80 to 120 times higher' chance of suffering agranulocytosis compared to Spanish patients. A spokesperson for Boehringer Ingelheim, the manufacturer that makes Nolotil, said in a statement: 'We take patient safety and public health seriously and closely cooperate with the regulators on product safety-related topics. 'We are of the opinion that current approved prescribing information adequately addresses current knowledge about identified risks.' Taxpayers spent an 'extraordinary' 10,000 on Albanian interpreters for an illegal immigrant cocaine dealer who long-denied his crimes. Martin Ndreca, 24, finally pleaded guilty to cocaine dealing in Gloucestershire last week - but not before a huge amount of public funding had already been spent on translating thousands of text messages. Despite receiving 'robust advice' by his defence team, Ndreca had previously chosen to 'ignore it' and refused to 'confront' his situation, a court heard. And even though Ndreca has now pleaded guilty, he has still refused to accept the full extent of his offences, meaning there will have to be further public money spent on a one to two day 'trial of issue' in May before he can be sentenced. Speaking at Gloucester Crown Court last week, Judge Ian Lawrie KC said: 'There has been an extraordinary amount of public expenditure because of a defendant who cannot confront his situation.' He said he was sure that Ndreca's defence team had given him 'robust advice' about his case but he had chosen to ignore it. Taxpayers spent an 'extraordinary' 10,000 on Albanian interpreters for Martin Ndreca, 24, an illegal immigrant cocaine dealer who long-denied his crimes The amount of British taxpayer money being used to provide Albanian translators for suspected criminals has more than doubled in the last five years, figures show Ndreca, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty on Friday to being concerned in the supply of cocaine between 18th July 2022 and 11th July 2023. He also admitted possession of cocaine with intent to supply between Nov 28-30 2022 and again on 10th July 2023. Prosecutor Daniel White said Ndreca, who had hitherto denied the offences, now 'accepts the vast majority of the Crown's case.' But, he said, Ndreca has submitted a basis of plea challenging the prosecution's case about the level of his involvement in the drug gang he was working for. Mr White said the Crown cannot accept Ndreca's claim that he was just a 'runner or driver playing a lesser role' and there will have to be a Newton Hearing - a trial at which a judge hears evidence to decide the level of involvement. 'Because of the way Mr Ndreca has acted in this case a huge amount of money has had to be spent,' the barrister said. 'Over 10,000 fees for Albanian interpreters who looked at thousands of lines of text messages. 'Now, we shall have to instruct and call a cellphone site expert to give evidence at the trial of issue about the location of the drugs phone to see where it was in the week before his arrest.' Judge Lawrie said that ordinarily when a defendant pleads guilty to his offences he is given full credit in terms of a reduced sentence. But not so if there had to be a trial of issue which did not succeed - and most such hearings did not. Manveer Chema, defending, told the judge 'In terms of the cost of this case I would not want counsel for the defence or the defence solicitors to be criticised.' A group of people thought to be migrants arrive in Dungeness, Kent, after being rescued in the Channel by the RNLI Migrants arrive on a beach in Dungeness, Kent Judge Lawrie agreed: 'They can only do what they are told. No doubt he has been given robust advice which he has chosen to ignore.' Mr Chema said the defence team had also had to investigate whether Ndreca, as an illegal immigrant, had a legal defence of 'modern slavery.' But the judge retorted: 'Never in a month of Sundays would modern slavery have worked as a defence in this case.' Mr Chema said the basis of Ndreca's guilty pleas is that he initially played a 'lesser role' in the drug supply but later moved up to a 'significant role.' But he would not accept the Crown's case that he was actually in the 'significant role' category. The judge set the dates of May 13 or 14 for the trial of issue and remanded Ndreca in custody. The amount of British taxpayer money being used to provide Albanian translators for suspected criminals has more than doubled in the last five years, figures show. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) revealed that a record 1.2 million was spent in 2022, providing bilingual staff to communicate legal proceedings to Albanians accused of committing crimes in the UK. This is a rise of 35 per cent in from the year before and double the 507,000 figure recorded six years ago. A former Air National General claims he was fired because of his religion and California Governor Gavin Newsom enabled the anti-Semitism he faced from his commanding officer. Retired Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Magram, who is Jewish, filed a lawsuit in Las Angeles on January 24 seeking $1,600,000 - alleging he faced harassment and was wrongfully terminated last year because of his religion. Magram says Major General Matthew Beevers discriminated and harassed him because of his Jewish faith and heritage, and that the state and governor were aware of Beevers anti-Semitism but did nothing to stop him. Magram said Beevers used anti-Semitic stereotypes when talking about other Jewish military personnel. Magram was 'involuntarily transferred' to the U.S. Air Force retired reserve last year, which is considered 'parallel' to a firing, after officials received reports that he used subordinates for personal errands. Retired Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Magram (pictured), who is Jewish, filed a lawsuit claiming he was fired because of his religion and California Governor Gavin Newsom enabled the anti-Semitism he faced The lawsuit said Major General Matthew Beevers (pictured) discriminated and harassed Magram because of his Jewish faith and heritage Magram said California Governor Gavin Newsom was aware of Beevers anti-Semitism and did nothing to stop it An investigation found he used troops to take his mother grocery shopping and complete mandatory online cybersecurity training. He is also said to have put an F-15C fighter jet on standby in a way that some said could be used to frighten civilian protesters. Magram's lawsuit said he worked for California Air Guard and United States Air Force for over 37 years, including 14 years as a full time officer on State Active Duty with the California Military Department. He argued he was not fired for using troops to run personal errands, but instead was terminated as retaliation for speaking out against Beevers anti-Semitism. 'Beevers discriminated against Magram by harassing and wrongfully terminating Magram because of Magram's Jewish faith, Jewish heritage, and Magram's complaints about Beevers' anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment,' said the lawsuit. 'The State of California, CMD, and Governor Newsom were aware of Beevers' anti-Semitism, Beevers' anti-Semitic campaign, and Beevers' retaliation against Magram.' 'The State California, CMD and Governor Newsom facilitated and ratified Beevers' anti-Semitism and Beevers' anti-Semitic campaign against Magram,' the lawsuit said. The lawsuit claimed Beevers described the California State Guard Leadership as run by a bunch of 'K***' lawyers. Magram was fired in January 2023 after officials received reports that he used subordinates for personal errands Magram said Beevers used anti-Semitic stereotypes when talking about other Jewish military personnel Magram said when Beevers learned a Jewish Lieutenant Colonel in the California State Guard negotiated a military discount on a car he said, 'How Jewish can you get.' He claimed Beevers would repeatedly call a Jewish Major General 'cheap' and said he was giving 'you guys (referring to Jews) a bad name.' Magram said he emailed a letter to the California Inspector General's Office and Governor Gavin Newsom's office detailing Beevers abuse and discrimination on August 8, 2022. In September 2022, Magram followed up the governor's office and filed a whistleblower complaint about Beevers on October 17, 2022. The lawsuit said Beevers retaliated against Magram for these complaints that ultimately lead to his firing. 'This is a retaliatory and baseless lawsuit. In 2021, the United States Air Force Inspector General investigated Brigadier General Magram for multiple instances of misconduct involving ethical violations and maltreatment of subordinates,' Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Hill from he California Military Department told DailyMail.com 'On October 26, 2021, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force issued Brigadier General Magram a Letter of Admonishment for these indiscretions. This independent action by the Air Force formed the basis of a removal action initiated by the California Military Department to hold Gen Magram accountable for his misconduct.' 'The recommended discipline was unanimously upheld by a board of three senior officers with no involvement in the underlying incidents. All actions were taken based on independent investigations by the U.S. Air Force and the Military Department Inspector General. We look forward to defending our actions to hold a senior leader accountable for his misconduct.' A 'gorgeous' seaside town in Cornwall has been voted as the most depressing place to live in Britain as furious locals blame second home owners for sucking the life out of the community. Falmouth came out top in an annual poll ahead of the likes of Alloa in Scotland, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, and Crawley in West Sussex. Savage reviews on satirical website iLiveHere, where people leave honest and brutal assessments, branded the area as 'bland and boring' and said it had an air of 'soul-destroying mediocrity with a gaping cultural void'. But shocked locals have hit back and have blamed second home owners for sucking the life out of their 'gorgeous' seaside town. Homes in the town - which has the third largest natural harbour in the world - sell on average for around 400,000, with celebrities such as Flog It!'s Paul Martin and novelist Joseph Conrad once calling the area home. Falmouth pipped serial winners Peterborough to the top spot by 27 votes with it being suggested by iLiveHere 'the power of social media and word of mouth is what propelled Falmouth' to number one. An annual poll on satirical website iLiveHere has revealed the most 20 depressing towns to live in Britain Falmouth came out top in an annual poll ahead of the likes of Alloa in Scotland, Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, and Crawley in West Sussex One person could not comprehend how Falmouth ranked above the likes of Blackpool, Burnley and Luton. They said Falmouth was 'always busy' and attracts 'countless tourists'. 'The locals are friendly, the food is good and there's loads of decent restaurants,' they added. 'The coastal walks are epic, it's fairly diverse class-wise and even in the summer when it's packed it's still a pleasant place to be (unlike Looe and St Ives which while they are both beautiful places to visit, parking is a total nightmare).' Another said the town was 'gorgeous'. 'Who believes these soul destroyers?,' she said. Others, however, were inclined to agree as one said: 'It's not just Falmouth, it's boring all over Cornwall. It's all fur coat, no knickers.' The team at iLiveHere said, 'We have to admit, we know absolutely nothing about Falmouth. We googled it, it looks picturesque but we're sure it's a facade it trades on, and who are we to question the wisdom of the crowd? Savage reviews on satirical website iLiveHere, where people leave honest and brutal assessments, branded the area as 'bland and boring' and said it had an air of 'soul-destroying mediocrity with a gaping cultural void' A swimmer enjoys the clear water and clean sands of Gyllyngvase Beach in September 2023 as the UK experienced a late summer heatwave BBC Flog It!'s antiques expert Paul Martin is a former resident of the seaside town and was educated at Falmouth Grammar School Homes in the town - which has the third largest natural harbour in the world - sell on average for around 400,000, novelist Joseph Conrad once calling the area home Peterborough in Cambridgeshire finished second in the poll having took the title in previous years And the beautiful St Marks Church in the heart of Aberdeen wasn't enough to stop people voting for the town as it finished in third spot Falmouth came higher in the poll than the likes of Croydon which finished in 12th position Luton finished outside the top 10 spot in 11th much to the bafflement of those who live in Falmouth 'Hell we might even take a trip to this Cornish port and stay in an Airbnb that is now owned by a London landlord that a local family once lived in, to take in what we imagine is a sterile socially cleansed fishing theme park for DFLs.' In 2022, comedian, artist and musician Seamas Carey said he could no longer afford to rent let alone buy in Falmouth because of people flocking to the area to buy homes. 'I am only too well aware of the issues going on here right now; the lack of affordable housing and the high demand which is pushing house prices up and up; I'm worried about the lack of infrastructure, hospital beds, the roads filling up, the bins overflowing, the surging footfall in the countryside causing damage to the landscape and the eco system,' he said. READ MORE: Britain's hidden property hotspots as house prices fall at the fastest rate in 12 years Advertisement 'I am concerned people want to move here with no understanding for what came before and they project their own fantasies on to this place and therefore the strangeness and the odd little things about Cornwall that I love, get lost.' US tourists are also likely to disagree with the poll having visited Falmouth as part of a tour of Cornwall in July last year. Cara Atwell and Jeremy Davis filmed a fascinating video documenting their first-ever trip to the region that clocked up over 150,000 views. It uncovered some of the attractions that their fellow countrymen and women have been missing out on, from (very large) pasties to 'delicious' fish and chips and 'breathtaking' views. After spending three days in Cornwall - visiting Falmouth, the Lizard Peninsula, Penzance, Marazion, and St Ives they concluded that it's 'the most incredible place in the UK'. As part of the trip they visited 'Stones' bakery, where they try their first-ever sausage roll, and Dolly's Tea Room where they indulged in scones with clotted cream and jam. In February last year the Prince and Princess of Wales - also titled the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall - made their first joint official visit to the county since taking on their new roles. The Prince and Princess of Wales laugh as they attempt to refurbish a boat during their tour of the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth last year William and Kate visited the harbour town of Falmouth to learn about the area's heritage at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall before visiting a community centre. During their visit to the museums workshop, they helped those working on the refurbishment of the Kiwi, a 14-foot sailing dinghy which was presented to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as a wedding present from the Royal New Zealand Navy. The Princess of Wales looked particularly thrilled to see her old prep school teacher Jim Embury - who now volunteers at the museum - and greeted him with a hug. The law firm - which has not been named - found no evidence of the claims and called them 'completely unfounded' Luxury retailer Neiman Marcus hired an outside law firm to investigate claims that the company's boss only hired 'gay, European men and white or Asian women' for its top roles. Geoffroy van Raemdonck, who took the helm as CEO of Neiman Marcus in 2018, was accused of snubbing other qualified individuals for tops posts. The law firm - which has not been named - found no evidence of the claims and called them 'completely unfounded.' The lawyers were called in by the department store after a December blog post calling out the CEO as 'biased in his hiring for senior Vice President Level positions at Neiman Marcus.' The post said: 'Geoffroy hires externally and does not like to promote from within. He prefers to hire white and Asian women. And then he favors men who are gay and/or European. Just like him. The typical straight US male has been ignored and has been hired one time.' Pictured: Neiman Marcus CEO, Geoffroy van Raemdonck has been with the luxury retailer since 2018. He has been accused of hiring only gay, European men and white or Asian women for its top roles Neiman Marcus, is a high-end retail chain that is headquartered in Dallas, Texas opened its doors in 1907 as a purveyor of luxury womenswear and fashions by department store buyer Herbert Marcus and his sister and brother-in-law, Carrie and A.L. Neiman Neiman Marcus' CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck pictured with his partner Alivise Orisino and others last week to celebrate Bergdorf Goodman High Jewelry Collection The allegations were based on nearly 30 hires or promotions made during his tenure at the posh department store, according to the blog which was posted anonymously. The claims further stated that van Raemdonck 'never valued anyone who has a longer tenure than him,' and alleged that only one promotion to SVP of someone who has been here before Geoffroy started at Neiman Marcus could be identified. Neiman Marcus sent DailyMail.com an email statement confirming that based on the independent investigation they conducted it was determined that the allegations were 'completely unfounded.' 'Neiman Marcus Group has policies that ensure that we take these matters seriously and that we conduct business with the highest standards of ethics, honesty, and integrity, ' Neiman Marcus Group stated. 'As a matter of policy, we investigate every report that comes in. We followed our protocols and conducted an independent investigation, which determined that the allegations were completely unfounded. 'We remain committed to cultivating a culture of Belonging and our approach encompasses our efforts to: increase workforce diversity by implementing evidence-based practices to eliminate bias across the associate experience; advance workplace equity in line with prominent external standards; and champion marketplace inclusion.' The claims started after there were senior promotions in technology and than they started to look further and found other senior hires made by van Raemdonck. According to the blog post, the employees reported that they did not feel comfortable reaching out to the HR department regarding the discrimination for fear of 'retaliation.' In the post, they wrote that they 'relied on announcements and memory. Asking HR for the data could lead to retaliation. If this list isn't complete it's very close and it is a robust data set.' Some of those named in the post include, Chief Supply Chain Officer Amanda Martin - 'the only person who has been promoted to Senior Vice President and has more tenure at Neiman Marcus than Geoffroy,' the post alleges. 'Nearly 30 positions and everyone else was brought in by Geoffroy. That is astounding. Today Geoffroy's direct reports consist only of white and Asian women and gay men. 'There's exclusion happening at the most senior levels by the most senior person,' the post stated. Neiman Marcus CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck and his partner, Alvise Orsini pictured at the Dallas Contemporary Spring Gala at Dallas Contemporary in April 2019 in Dallas, Texas The complaint was filed anonymously on Ethicspoint in August, which is the company's anonymous platform where staffers go to report their gripes. The Post said they reviewed the complaint at the time. They claimed that they 'communicated back and forth with no answers for two weeks,' and were then instructed to file on a different platform called AllVoices, but they had to share their telephone number which captured their IP address. 'Anonymity is promised but then we found that our Chief People and Belonging Officer has a prior relationship with AllVoice' they wrote. 'Perhaps that is the reason for the request to refile and the promise of anonymity seems compromised. We do not want to be tracked due to the sensitive topic and fear of retaliation. 'Geoffroy and his team want this to just go away. But this is different than the carefully crafted articles that are done in partnership with WWD or BOF. This is data. This is the truth,' they alleged. The law firm firm told The New York Post in an email that they they found 'no evidence' that van Raemdonck, or any other hiring managers had 'engaged in the conduct described in the allegations.' When Van Raemdonck became Neiman Marcus Group's CEO five years ago, he guided the Dallas-based retailer through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection process, and stayed on post-reorganization. He told Fortune in a interview in February 2023 his top customers shop at Neiman Marcus on average 25 times a year and spend a total of $27,000. He said, 'getting through any slump requires winning over a greater number of wealthy shoppers at a time the rich are getting richer. But it also requires much more personalized service to keep them and cultivate loyalty. But, as luxury sales began to waver, the swanky retailer cut 5 percent of its staff, though Van Raemdonck was reportedly earning $10 million in perks for himself during the height of the pandemic and a generous health benefit package, the Post previously reported. It has been reported that the company has been in talks with Saks Fifth Avenue to sell itself to its luxury rival, first reported by the Post. President Joe Biden defended Donald Trump's 2024 Republican competitor Nikki Haley after the former president accused her husband, who is deployed in Africa, of being absent from the campaign. Meanwhile, former United Nations Ambassador Haley questioned why more Republicans have not spoken out against Trump's comments. 'Where's her husband? Oh, he's away,' Trump said during a rally in Haley's home state of South Carolina on Saturday. 'What happened to her husband? Where is he? He's gone.' During a stop on her campaign bus tour in South Carolina on Monday, Haley said of Trump: Hes acting unbecoming of a president. Notably, Trump's wife and former First Lady Melania has been completely absent from his campaign. She has not appeared publicly alongside him since the former president announced his candidacy in 2020. Major Michael Haley serves in the South Carolina Army National Guard and is currently deployed to the Horn of Africa. The couple's children, Rena and Nalin, have joined their mother on the campaign trail in her husband's absence. 'Why is there silence from the Republican Party? Like, where is everybody?' she questioned when speaking to Politico about Trump's comments about her husband. President Joe Biden defended Nikki Haley and her husband against Donald Trump questioning during a South Carolina rally why Maj. Michael Haley wasn't on the campaign trail while he's deployed to Africa Maj. Michael Haley is deployed in the Horn of Africa while his wife and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley is running for the Republican Presidential nomination Haley added: 'Where are the Republicans in defense of our men and women in uniform that sacrifice for us and protect our country?' But President Biden, a Democrat, was quick to show his support for Maj. Haley's service. 'The answer is that Major Haley is abroad, serving his country right now,' Biden posted Sunday on X, formerly Twitter. 'We know he thinks our troops are 'suckers,' but this guy wouldn't know service to his country if it slapped him in the face,' the president added. Haley and her husband both lashed out on X over the weekend after Trump condemned him while he's deployed in Africa. 'Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about,' Haley wrote on X in response to a video of Trump's remarks. 'Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief,' the 2024 hopeful added. Maj. Haley added his own retort by tagging Trump and several media outlets in an X post with an image of a wolf with the message: 'The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack.' It appeared Trump was referencing reports of Haley's affairs with two men in 2008 when saying at his rally: 'He knew, he knew.' Nikki Haley said her 2024 competitor has 'no business being commander in chief' after he disrespected her husband, who is an Army National Guard Major 'Where's her husband? Oh, he's away,' Trump said at a Saturday rally in South Carolina. 'What happened to her husband? Where is he? He's gone.' Former U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley's husband Maj. Michael Haley (left) is currently deployed in the Horn of Africa DailyMail.com revealed new details last month of the mens' claims of affairs with Haley, who was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives at the time. Haley denied both allegations of an affair. While her husband is deployed as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in the Horn of Africa, the couple's two children Rena and Nalin have joined their mother on the campaign trail. Trump took several attacks at Nikki Haley during a rally in her home state of South Carolina on Saturday and called out her husband for not campaigning with her despite being deployed in Africa Maj. Haley posted to his X account a meme with a wolf with the message: 'The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack' During her own rally on Saturday, Haley responded to Trump's attacks with: 'If you mock the service of a combat veteran, you don't deserve a driver's license, let alone being president of the United States.' 'Donald, if you have something to say, don't say it behind my back; get on a debate stage and say it to my face,' the former governor of South Carolina added. That same day, Haley posted photos of daughter Rena, 25, and son Nalin, 22, in front of her tour bus in South Carolina. 'Running for president is hard,' she wrote with the post. 'It's even harder to do when it feels like I'm missing my rock, Michael. But I am so grateful to, and proud of, my kids for being a part of this with me!' Rena's husband Joshua Jackson has also, at times, appeared alongside the family on the campaign trail. At another point in Trump's rally on Saturday, the former president claimed he only made 'Tricky Nikki' Haley his United Nations Ambassador because he wanted Henry McMaster to replace her as governor in South Carolina. 'She did her job, she was fine, she was OK. But I didn't put her there because I wanted her there at the UN,' Trump said. 'I wanted to take your lieutenant governor, who's right here, and make him governor, that's what I wanted. And I wanted you to have Peggy as a First Lady.' Trump also claimed 'Birdbrain' Haley came to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, with her husband, and promised to never run against him. Vivek and the suspect got into an argument that quickly turned physical Police are looking for a suspect who killed a tech boss during a fight and left the victim on the ground outside of an upscale sushi restaurant in Washington, DC. Vivek Taneja, 41, died on Wednesday after he suffered life-threatening injuries from the violent assault on February 2 near Shoto Restaurant, about a 10-minute walk from the White House. Officers responded to the incident on the 1100 block of 15th Street Northwest around 2am and found Taneja on the pavement, investigators said. Vivek, who also went by Vick, was then taken to a hospital and put on life support after he suffered severe head trauma. A nearby manager who knew Vick told WUSA9 the fight between the men started inside Akedo, an arcade that is operated by the same owner of the restaurant, before they were kicked out. The altercation then got physical in the courtyard outside before Vick was knocked down. Video surveillance of the suspect was captured in the courtyard but it is unclear if it was taken before or after the incident. Vivek Taneja, 41, died on Wednesday after he was assaulted on February 2 in Washington, DC, outside of an upscale Japanese restaurant Video surveillance of the suspect (pictured) was captured in the courtyard but it is unclear if it was taken before or after the incident. Police have offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to his arrest The Metropolitan Police Department has since offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the suspect's arrest. No further information about the suspect released. Vick was the Co-Founder and President of Dynamo Technologies, an IT company based in Vienna, Washington. According to the company's website, Vick was in charge of leading 'strategic, growth, and partnership initiatives, with an emphasis on the federal government contracting arena.' He received his Bachelor's in Economics and Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Virginia and got his Master's of Science degree in Telecommunications from George Mason University. Vick then earned his Doctor of Engineering degree in Engineering Management and Systems Engineering from the George Washington University, according to the company's site. Close friends and family of the victim, who was from Alexandria, Virginia, took to social media and posted heartfelt tributes following his death. 'Rip brother. We r gonna miss you,' one said. Another friend posted on Instagram and said: 'I just saw Vick a week ago and he showed the same amount of love. He never changed up on the vibes!' Vick was the Co-Founder and President of Dynamo Technologies, an IT company based in Vienna, Washington Police found Vick on the ground outside of the Shoto (left) restaurant on February 2 around 2am. A nearby manager said that the pair had gotten into a verbal altercation at Akedo (right), an arcade near the restaurant, before the assault 'I am saddened to hear that DCs streets have become so unsafe that random assaults can result in such fatalities,' the friend added and went on to urge others to tag Muriel Bowser, the Mayor of DC, and other local representatives. Crime in the US Capital has soared so much that longtime residents have gone on to feel unsafe for the first time. Lawmakers recently slammed the high violent crime rates in DC after a Trump official was killed on February 3 after a carjacking spree. Mike Gill, who served as chief operating officer of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission during Donald Trump's time in the White House was was shot on K Street NW in Washington, DC, around 5.45pm on January 29. The suspect, Artell Cunningham, 28, was gunned down by offcier by police on January 30 after he carjacked numerous vehicles and killed two people. 'Mike Gill's death from attack by a carjacker on 14th street in downtown Washington while picking his wife up from work is one more example of why Congress needs to take back control of our national capital,' wrote former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on X after the deadly attack. Last year was the city's deadliest in more than two decades with numbers going up even as violent crime dropped in nearly every other city in America. In DC, the numbers of shootings, homicides and carjackings all soared and even spilled into neighborhoods that have typically been spared such violence. During a recent panel, Brian Schwalb, the Attorney General for DC, told residents concerned by the skyrocketing crime rates that his department could not 'prosecute and arrest our way out' of the problem. The problem has left residents rattled as locals have gone on to drive small distances to avoid walking the dangerous streets while others have been left too fearful to step outside even during the day. A friend posted on Instagram about Vick's sudden death and said: 'I just saw Vick a week ago and he showed the same amount of love. He never changed up on the vibes!' Mayor Muriel Bowser has resisted calls to defund the police, and is aiming to increase the size of the force from 3,580 at present to 4,000 Homicides and robberies are up 29 and 67 percent from the same time period last year, with murders approaching levels not seen in two decades - while other big cities such as New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore are seeing declines. Mayor Bowser has resisted calls to defund the police, and is aiming to increase the size of the force from 3,580 at present to 4,000. Her 2024 budget, approved in May by the DC Council, includes $5.4 million in bonuses for new hires. Her 2023 budget earmarked $1.7 billion of the $19.5 billion for public safety and justice - an increase from $1.5 billion the previous year. 'We must throw every resource at reducing crime,' she wrote. An obsessed former schoolmate drew up a step-by-step 'manifesto' detailing how he would murder a popular charity worker before stabbing her to death outside her New Jersey home, prosecutors claim. David Shroitman, 27, was branded an 'extremely dangerous individual' by a judge as during a recent bail hearing over the murder of Maryrose Fealey, ten years after they last shared a class together. Police found Fealey dead from 37 stab wounds outside the apartment block in Somerville, with her car door still open and belongings scattered across the front lawn after she arrived home on January 30. Days later, they found Shroitman dressed in latex gloves as he scrubbed his car with bleach, before uncovering the grisly plan inside his nearby home. 'He does have a significant mental health history, and presently suffers from severe migraines and other medical conditions,' attorney Emma Pallarino told a Somerset County court. Maryrose Fealey, 27, was found dead with 37 stab wounds after a frenzied attack outside her home in Somerville, New Jersey, on January 30 David Shroitman, 27, was arrested for her murder after police found a detailed 'manifesto' outlining his murder plans inside his home Maryrose's father Jim Fealey was in court to see he daughter's former schoolmate stand trial Fealey, 27, and her alleged killer had both attended Somerville High School, graduating together in 2014. Police said there was no evidence of a romantic relationship between the pair but they were thought to know each other. Fealey had graduated from Rutgers Business School in 2018 and had worked for the Naval Surface Warfare Center before her brother's struggle with addiction had convinced her to take a career break and 'focus on her life's mission' as an advocate for people addicted to drugs. Shroitman had followed her to the same college graduating four years later before working for himself. Fealey is thought to have been a member of the Life Time gym in nearby Bridgewater and there have been unconfirmed reports that Shroitman followed her home from the facility on the night of the murder. Fealey was pronounced dead at the scene after police responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive woman outside her apartment block at 10.20pm on the night of the murder. Dashcam video revealed a man wearing a gray sweatshirt and a black facemask standing near Fealey's home around 9pm the night she was killed, according to the affidavit. Fealey had gained a TikTok following with a series of raw videos about her relationship with her brother, Ian, and his battle with opioid use disorder 'She was always extremely supportive and had a big smile whenever she entered a room,' said friend Ian Bockus, 'I have dealt with a lot of loss over the years but never anything like this' Detectives saw a white garbage bag over the driver's seat of Shroitman's Toyota Camry as well as a black face mask and duct tape when they arrived to talk to him at a business in Bridgewater the next day. Shroitman refused to be interviewed but detectives tried again three days later after seeing surveillance footage that appeared to show him running from the scene of the murder and to his Toyota parked nearby. They arrived to find the smell of bleach coming from Shroitman's car as he cleaned it wearing clear latex gloves outside his home. Blood stains were found during a search of his home along with a number of bleach containers, and what appeared to be his blueprint for murder. Shroitman has pleaded not guilty to murder and has also been charged with third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, fourth-degree tampering with evidence and third-degree hindering his apprehension. Fealey's friends and relatives protested outside the courthouse demanding Shroitman remain in custody as he appeared for a bond hearing on Friday, some carrying posters reading 'No bail, rot in Hell', and 'Justice for Maryrose Fealey'. 'Fealey was tireless in her efforts to empower youth and those battling addiction, including her older brother Ian Fealey,' her obituary read. 'Founder of the 4 The Younger Me (4TYM), Fealey also was involved with the nonprofits DJ Choices and Empower Somerset. 'She firmly believed that 'substance abuse does not define the person', and that 'a toxic environment does not define the child's future'. 'She was always extremely supportive and had a big smile whenever she entered a room,' said Ian Bockus of the nonprofit Not An Easy Fix. Fealey's friends and relatives protested outside the courthouse demanding Shroitman remain in custody as he appeared for a bond hearing on Friday Blood stains were found during a search of his home along with a number of bleach containers, and what appeared to be his blueprint for murder 'My friend group and I have dealt with a lot of loss over the years but never anything like this. 'It doesn't make sense and it isn't right but it's times like this where we need to come together as a family and a community and offer our support.' Superior Court Judge Jonathan Romankow agreed with the protesters as he branded Shroitman a 'grave risk' to the community and denied him bail. Shroitman is due back in court on March 22, and faces 30 years to life in prison if convicted. A woman obsessed with torture and death had a collage of nine female serial killers on her phone, a jury heard today. Scarlet Blake, who is accused of murdering Jorge Carreno, also talked about killing people and told her former partner f*** I need blood, this is bad.' The photos of the nine female killers and paedophiles had been downloaded to the 25-year-old's phone. Among those in the collage were Casey Anthony, who was accused of murdering her three year old daughter in Orlando, Florida, and Andrea Yates who drowned her five children. Police found the images and others of strangulation from one of two phones used by Blake when she was arrested in August 2023. Four months before killing Mr Carreno, Blake live-streamed killing a cat and putting it in a blender having been inspired by the hit Netflix series 'Don't F*** with Cats', the trial heard. Scarlet Blake, who is accused of murdering Jorge Carreno, talked about killing people and telling her former partner f*** I need blood, this is bad'. She is pictured middle between two security guards Prosecutors say Blake stalked and killed 30-year-old Jorge Martin Carreno (pictured) in July 2021 The 25-year-old sat impassively in the dock as the collage of killers was shown to the jury at Oxford Crown Court. A video of Blake strangling her former partner with a rope and extracts of graphic messages she exchanged with her ex were also read out. DNA from the defendant was found on the top of a vodka bottle found at the scene where Mr Carreno body was found, Oxford Crown Court heard. A photo of the red screw top from a Smirnoff vodka bottle was shown to the jury. They were told that as part of agreed evidence between the prosecution and defence counsel the vodka top was found on the riverbank while the bottle was found in the water by the 30-year-old victim. Prosecution counsel said there was 'strong support that some of the DNA originated from the defendant'. They also heard Blake has admitted that she was with Mr Carreno for almost 30 minutes as they walked through the streets of Oxford in the early hours of the morning in July 2021. Also as part of the agreed evidence the court was told she had pleaded guilty to destroying a cat without legal permission. Details of the dissection and killing of a cat called Starlet were also read to the jury who were told Blake had admitted to the killing in November 2023. The dark brown cat belonged to a neighbour of Blake who lived on the same street in Oxfordf and had adopted it from a rescue shelter in 2007. An lengthy audio of the cat killing was played to the court with the song 'True Faith' heard in the background as Blake cuts up the animal with a scalpel knife. The song was featured in the Netflix series 'Don't F*** with Cats, a documentary about serial killer Luke Magnotta, one of Canada's most infamous murderers. He had filmed himself suffocating kittens and was tracked down by animal lovers so outraged by the killings he had posted on the internet. Four months before the killing Blake live-streamed killing a cat and putting it in a blender having been inspired by the hit Netflix series 'Don't F*** with Cats', it is claimed Magnotta is serving life for the murder of computer technician Lin Jun in 2012. Prosecution counsel at Oxford Crown Court said a vet determined the animal had suffered for three minutes or more as its heart was cut out while still alive. The animal was later put into a blender while Blake live-streamed the killing to a friend. Blake's voice can be heard on the audio as she dissects the animal. On one excerpt a Blake can be heard saying: 'My hands are shaking...I f***** love it...look at that little b******, I'm pretty sure he's still alive.' The judge told the jury they would not have to watch the video. Prosecutors say Blake stalked and killed 30-year-old Mr Carreno in July 2021. Chilling CCTV played to the court on the fourth day of the murder trial showed Blake leading her victim to his death. The film showed Blake walking side by side with Mr Carreno as they head to an Oxford beauty spot known as Parsons Pleasure where his body was later found in the River Cherwell. Mr Carreno's body was found floating in the river the following day. His death was initially thought to be accidental or suicide and remained unsolved for two years. But following a complex investigation by Thames Valley Police Blake was charged with his murder. Four months before the killing Blake live-streamed killing a cat and putting it in a blender having been inspired by the hit Netflix series 'Don't F*** with Cats'. Other photos seized and displayed to the jury included a photo of handmade garotte fashioned from two metal handles and piano wire. Several other photographs depicted people being strangled and an image entitled 'First Date' had pictures of duct tape, a knife, rope and a handgun. Detective Sergeant James Macro from Thames Valley Police was taken through extracts of messages Blake had exchanged with her former partner by prosecutor Alison Morgan KC. The messages included 'F*** I need blood, what if I'm bipolar' and 'B**** I kill people because my lover said it would be hot...Last time I found someone this drunk they died.' Police found the images and others of strangulation from one of two phones used by Blake when she was arrested in August 2023, Oxford Crown Court heard The court was told that Blake sent a coat she is alleged to have worn on the night of the killing to a woman in America. DS Macro told the jury the exact spot where the body was found was never made public but Blake sent a photo of near where the body was found to the friend in the US. Members of Mr Carreno's family wept in court as later a video of Blake strangling a former partner with a thin rope was played to the court. The woman, who is naked, passes out before she comes round and Blake kisses her. A leopard print bathrobe chord can be seen on the bed. Prosecutors said Blake took a selfie with a leopard print cord before going out to kill Mr Carreno, Proceedings on the fourth day of the trial were halted briefly after a juror expressed fears the could be 'influenced or intimidated' after spotting a leopard print bathrobe chord outside the court on Friday. The juror passed a note to the judge saying she hoped the item of clothing was not an attempt to influence or intimidate the jury. The judge Martin Chamberlain said it was likely a coincidence. Opening their case against Blake the prosecution have said she had an 'extreme interest in death and in harm. Alison Morgan KC said: 'It was an interest that went beyond mere fantasy. She described herself to others as being someone who derived sexual gratification from the thought of violence and the thought of death. 'Videos of her with one of her partners engaging in acts of strangulation, consensually, in a sexualised context. 'She spoke to others about what it would be like to kill someone. 'She looked at imagery and saved it on her devices that showed an interest in ligatures being applied around the neck.' 'There is a fascination with ligatures for sexual gratification. 'Whatever it is about the fascination with the dressing gown, it must have been in her head and led her to take a selfie just an hour or so with that dressing gown before she found Mr Carreno.' Blake denies murder and the trial continues. A doctor who invented a fake landlord and bogus tenancy agreement to claim nearly 12,000 in housing benefit for a flat that didnt even exist has walked free from court Nigerian Olubunmi Adeagbo-Sheikh, 41, made the fake claim while training to work as a medic in the UK, from September 2018 to September 2019. The doctor invented a fake landlord and bogus tenancy agreement as part of his application. The crooked doctor gave an address for an apartment in Gipsy Hill, southeast London, when In reality he lived with his mother in Swanley in Kent, Southwark Crown Court heard. Prosecutor Timothy Probert-Wood said: On 16 August 2018 he submitted an application for universal credit. It was submitted to the Department for Work and Pensions. The application contained various details, amongst which was an address he claimed to be living at. He claimed he was paying 900 a month to a private landlord called Paul Baker. Nigerian Olubunmi Adeagbo-Sheikh, 41, made the fake claim while training to work as a medic in the UK As a consequence, universal credit was paid between September 2018 and September 2019, 13 monthly payments each of 1,217.82. This was a standard allowance 317.82 plus 900 a month of housing benefit. Each payment was deposited into his Halifax bank account. The department conducted an investigation and discovered the defendant didnt live at the address, and enquiries showed in fact that it didnt exist. This was an application that was fraudulent from the off. Mr Probert-Wood explained that on October 7, 2019 police went to a property in St Marys Road in Swanley linked with the mobile phone number Adeagbo-Sheikh had given in his original application. He was there, he was arrested, and the premises were searched. Police found a copy of the application for Universal Credit that was submitted in this case, and there were a series of fake tenancy agreements in relation to the address. He said they also found WhatsApp conversations he had been having about making false claims for universal credit for fraudulent addresses. He described the fraud as having required a significant degree of planning The Judge, Mr Recorder Alex Lock said Adeagbo-Sheikh claimed for housing costs of 900 each month which you stated was for rent. This application was false and dishonest in that the address didnt exist and the agreement you created was fake. You could not live there and did not have these housing costs. He added: This deprives the public purse of valuable resources that could be used elsewhere and it also increases the costs and administrative burden on the system, because people like you seek to cheat the system. He said that the fraud was not particularly sophisticated, involving the completion of a form and provision of a false document. The judge told Adeagbo-Sheikh: You have done a stupid and dishonest thing. 'I think you realise this and want to make amends in terms of paying the money back and giving something back to the community in terms of practicing as a doctor. He sentenced the doctor to a 12-month community order and ordered him to complete 100 hours unpaid work. Adeagbo-Sheikh, dressed in a black suit, showed no emotion as he was sentenced. Adeagbo-Sheikhs barrister Jumoke Hughes explained that he had simply downloaded an application form and was just trying his luck to see if he could get any money out of it. She said he had turned to the scam after failing some medical exams he needed to pass in order to practice medicine in the UK. The doctor's trial was heard at Southwark Crown Court Ms Hughes said he passed his exams in 2019 and has been a registered doctor working in acute care since 2020. Jailing the doctor would have a wider impact on the community, she said. Taking a doctor out of work, thats going to have an impact on others, not just the defendants family and friends. She said a significant custodial sentence would very likely result in him being struck off the medical register. Adeagbo-Sheikh, of St Marys Road, Swanley, admitted dishonestly making a false statement to obtain a benefit, advantage or payment. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work. A music industry boss was stalked by a gang of muggers before he was stabbed to death for a fake luxury watch. Emmanuel Odunlami,32, was at a private party at Haz Restaurant on Foster Lane in the City of London on May 1 2022 to celebrate his birthday. Unbeknownst to Mr Odunlami, a security guard at the event- Kavindu Hettiarachchi- was secretly recording Mr Odunlami on his phone. Hettiarachchi then sent the images to Louis Vandrose, 28 from Thornton Heath, highlighting him as a potential target due to, what looked like, a 125,000 Patek Phillipe watch on his wrist. At around 11.20pm as his birthday party was ending, Mr Odunlami was unknowingly followed by Vandrose, Jordell Menzies, 27 from Brent, and Quincy Ffrench, 28 from Tottenham. The gang stalked the music industry boss from a car while he walked over to his own car. As Mr Odunlami approached his car all three men left their vehicle and chased him. Menzies had a lock knife and stabbed him in the heart. Vandrose then pushed him to the ground while Menzies continuously kicked the victim. Emmanuel Odunlami,32, was stabbed and mugged for his watch after leaving his birthday party at Haz restaurant in London. The watch appeared to be a 125,000 Patek Philippe watch but was later revealed to be a fake Chilling video shows the moment Emmanuel Odunlami was mugged and stabbed for his watch, which was later revealed to be a fake Jordell Menzies, 27 from Brent, Menzies was found guilty of murder and robbery at the Old Bailey on December 20. Menzies stabbed Mr Odunlami in the heart, He was sentenced today at the Old Bailey to 31 years for murder with eight years concurrent for robbery Ffrench then removed his watch and could be heard on nearby CCTV shouting 'got it, got it, yeah.' The three men then ran to their getaway car, which belonged to Ffrench's mother and had doctored number plates, and fled the scene. The injured Mr Odunlami was attended to by his friends before police officers arrived shortly afterwards, where they provided first aid before an ambulance arrived. Mr Odunlami later died from his injuries in the early hours of May 2 at Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel . The watch stolen from Mr Odunlami looked like a luxury Patek Phillipe watch but was in fact a fake. Shocking CCTV footage shows Hettiarachchi watching the attack he instigated unfold before he walked over to the fatally injured Mr Odunlami and simply turned around. Fellow security guard Antonis Kfoury also did the same. Having identified the suspects from the knife- which was recovered the following morning in London Wall with traces of the victim's blood on it, and the car's true registration number, the men involved were arrested. Menzies was found guilty of murder and robbery at the Old Bailey on December 20 last year. While Ffrench, Vandrose and Hettiarachchi were previously convicted of manslaughter and robbery on April 18 2023. Kfoury was found guilty on 18 April 2023 of perverting the course of justice and subsequently received an 18 month custodial sentence for providing a false statement and attempting to influence the evidence provided. Today at the Old Bailey Menzies was sentenced to 31 years for murder with eight years concurrent for robbery. While Ffrench and Vandrose were jailed for 15 years each and Hettiarachchi was jailed for 13 years. Kfoury is yet to be sentenced. Louis Vandrose (right) pushed Mr Odunlami to the ground after Menzies stabbed him. Quincy Ffrench (left) took Mr Odunlami watch from his wrist after he was stabbed Kavindu Hettiarachchi (right) spotted Mr Odunlami's watch and sent a video of it to Vandrose. Kfoury was was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and subsequently received an for providing a false statement and attempting to influence the evidence provided Haz Restaurant on Foster Lane where Mr Odunlami was celebrating his birthday when he was spotted as a potential target by Hettiarachchi Detective Chief Inspector Edelle Michaels from the City of London Police Major Crime Team said: 'This was a callous and co-ordinated murder of a young man, that has left his children without a father and devastated his family and friends. 'Emmanuel should have been able to celebrate his birthday without fear of being attacked because of the watch he wore on his wrist. 'If you carry a knife and murder a man who was running away, it is not a mugging 'gone wrong', it is murder and we will do our utmost to bring you to justice. What makes this crime even more startling, is that a man employed to protect people on a night out as a security guard, was looking for victims for his accomplices to attack and rob. 'Emmanuel's family have now seen all the men responsible for his death brought to justice, but I know their loss will be with them forever and our thoughts remain with them. 'Crimes such as these are rare in the City, but should they occur we will use our powers and the professionalism of our officers to pursue those responsible and remove them from our streets.' Vladimir Putin is willing to compromise on Ukraine, Tucker Carlson has claimed, saying he had an 'off the record' chat with the Russian president in Moscow. The American talk show host questioned the Russian leader last week in a blockbuster interview which saw Putin control the narrative and make a series of extraordinary claims about Moscow's on-going invasion of Ukraine. Carlson told the World Government Summit in Dubai in a speech on Monday that based on the pair's discussion, he believes Putin is now prepared to come to a compromise with Ukraine - two years after he launched his brutal invasion. 'Of course, the very work of the leaders of any country on this planet, except perhaps the United States during a unipolar world, forces them to find a compromise. This is what is called diplomacy,' Carlson said, according to the Russian News Agency TASS. 'And he [Putin] is among them (leaders who are ready to seek a compromise).' Vladimir Putin is willing to compromise on Ukraine, Tucker Carlson has claimed, days after conducting an interview with the Russian president in Moscow Carlson told the World Government Summit in Dubai in a speech on Monday (pictured) that based on the pair's discussion, he believes Putin is now prepared to come to a compromise with Ukraine - two years after he launched his brutal invasion The controversial American also suggested that Putin would 'not become more open to negotiations' as his invasion of Ukraine drags on. Carlson said Russia will only get stronger, and that the West must consider this. 'Over the past few years, we have found that Russian industrial capabilities are much more fundamental than we previously believed,' he said, according to TASS. 'It easily produces missiles and artillery shells while NATO does not []. Myself, I heard American officials say that they will return Crimea to Ukraine. 'There is no need to lecture Russia [...] This is madness.' Carlson is reported to have also told the summit that he had an 'off the record' discussion with the Russian despot, but did not specify its content. READ MORE: How Putin dominated Tucker Carlson with his body language from the moment his interview began Advertisement The interview, held on Tuesday in Moscow and broadcast on Thursday, was the first interview with a Western media figure since the February 2022 invasion. It saw Putin take the opportunity to push his narrative on the war in Ukraine, urge Washington to recognize Moscow's interests and press Kyiv to sit down for talks. For more than two hours, a largely unchallenged Putin showered Carlson with Russian history, propaganda, and Kremlin talking points. Putin repeated his claim the full-scale invasion - which Kyiv and its allies describe as an unprovoked act of aggression - was to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a threat to Russia by joining NATO. Ukraine has repeatedly said it would not come to a compromise with Russia that involved giving up its land, and has said it is determined to liberate all its land occupied by Moscow's forces - including the Donbas region and Crimea - which have been annexed by Russia but are still widely recognised as Ukrainian territory. Appearing confident and at ease, Putin made occasional friendly jabs at Carlson, who appeared baffled by the history lecture and tried to interject questions. Nevertheless, the 71-year-old Russian leader stayed on topic for over 20 minutes, going back over 800 years to lecture his American guest on Russia's past. Carlson didn't ask Putin about war crimes Russian troops have been accused of in Ukraine, or about his relentless crackdown on dissent at home. Putin said it's up to Washington to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, which he called a US 'satellite,' and persuade Kyiv to negotiate, saying a deal was the way to end the war. 'We have never refused negotiations,' Putin said. 'You should tell the current Ukrainian leadership to stop and come to a negotiating table.' Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) attends an interview with US talk show host Tucker Carlson at the Kremlin in Moscow, February 9 2024 Putin said the West won't succeed in inflicting a 'strategic defeat' on Russia in Ukraine and rejected allegations that Moscow harbors plans to attack Poland or other NATO countries. Russian media on Friday gave the interview blanket coverage, with major broadcasters showing excerpts and one state news agency describing it as 'a dagger blow through the curtain of propaganda of the dishonest media of the civilized world.' Before leaving Fox, Carlson repeatedly questioned the validity of U.S. support for Ukraine following Russia's invasion, asking why Americans are told to hate Putin so much. His commentaries were frequently circulated on Russian state-run media. Asked why the Kremlin granted Carlson's interview request out of many from Western media, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the former Fox host's position is different from a 'one-sided' stance by other outlets. Sen. J.D. Vance is warning that the Senate's $95 billion foreign aid package could imperil a future Donald Trump presidency. The massive bill, if passed, would provide funding for Ukraine until 2025, effectively handcuffing the next president nine months into his term. And if Trump wins the presidency and then tries to cut funding to Ukraine he could be impeached, according to Vance. The hotly-debated deal would provide over $15 billion for Ukraine's military and security financing that would not expire until September 30, 2025. Vance, R-Ohio, who is vehemently opposed to the bill, is making a last-ditch attempt to get Republicans to vote 'no' in a memo Monday to all GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate. Trump has been outspoken about ending the conflict within 24 hours should he take office. So if he ends funding to Ukraine earlier, it would set him up for a potential impeachment, argues Vance. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., wrote on X: 'JD is correct. This bill is an impeachment trap!' Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance warned his Republican colleagues that a foreign aid deal contains a line that could imperil a future Donald Trump presidency The foreign aid deal would total $95 billion, the vast majority of which would go to Ukraine 'The supplemental represents an attempt by the foreign policy blob/deep state to stop President Trump from pursuing his desired policy, and if he does so anyways, to provide grounds to impeach him and undermine his administration,' Vance wrote in the letter obtained by DailyMail.com. If the bill passes, ensuring the funding for Ukraine until 2025, and Trump attempts to stop the funding before that date, 'Partisan Democrats would seize on the opportunity to impeach him once again,' Vance said. The $95 billion bill cleared a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Sunday and it is expected to be passed later this week. Its fate is uncertain in the House, as Republicans are divided on whether to send more money to Ukraine. Trump was impeached in 2019 by House Democrats under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi for threatening to withhold security funds from Kyiv appropriated under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. 'These are the exact same accounts President Trump was impeached for pausing in December 2019,' Vance wrote. 'Every single House Republican voted against this impeachment resolution,' he continued. Democrats at the time alleged that the former president wanted to use the appropriated security funding as a bargaining tool for dirt on the Biden family's business dealings in Ukraine. The impeachment failed in the Senate, but Vance outlines that a similar case could be brought against Trump in the future. Former President Donald Trump has claimed he could end the war in Ukraine in a day, and that he would want to quickly negotiate a deal with both sides to stop the killing Tens of thousands of Russian and Ukrainian service members have died in the ongoing conflict On Sunday, the Senate broke a filibuster over the pricey package. In a 67 - 27 vote the senate passed a motion on the package setting it up for a formal vote later this week. Ukraine aid funding has been a top priority for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., 'It's no exaggeration to say the eyes of the world are on the United States Senate,' he said on the Senate floor Sunday. However, many conservative members of the Republican caucus have railed against sending addition funding to the war in Eastern Europe. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, spoke for four hours on the Senate floor Sunday trying to filibuster the package, calling the deal a 'sellout.' 'We cannot send billions of dollars to Ukraine while America's own borders are bleeding,' he said. Lee wanted to tie foreign aid funding to border security policy. A recent foreign aid and border security deal negotiated by McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer failed after months of negotiations. In total, the package includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel in its war against Hamas and $4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, and deter aggression by China. It also would provide $9.15 billion in humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine and other conflict zones around the globe. House Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, has signaled that the deal will face scrutiny in the lower chamber. 'Each component of the supplemental must be evaluated on its own merits and can potentially be considered separately,' a Johnson spokesman told Politico. Child killer Roy Whiting has been stabbed by one of his cellmates at a maximum security prison housing some of the UK's most horrific criminals. The paedophile, who was jailed for life in 2002 for murdering eight-year-old Sarah Payne, was repeatedly knifed inside HMP Wakefield last weekend. Sources said that guards at the prison, dubbed 'Monster Mansion', raced to rescue the 65-year-old and gave him treatment after the assault. One told The Mirror: 'Whiting is hated in prison. He was stabbed and was covered in blood. They were trying to kill him.' A Prison Service spokesman told MailOnline: 'A prisoner at HMP Wakefield was treated for minor injuries following an incident involving another offender. Rot Whiting was attacked a cellmate at HMP Wakefield over the weekend Sarah Payne had been playing a game of hide and seek with her siblings near their grandparents' home in West Sussex, on July 1, 2000, when she was abducted and murdered 'It would be inappropriate to comment further while the police investigate.' Whiting has been the subject of repeated attacks behind bars at Category A jail. Murderer Rickie Tregaskis slashed Whiting's face with a razor blade which left him with a 6in scar on his right cheek in 2002. Meanwhile, Gary Vinter, 53, sneaked into Whiting's jail cell and attacked him with a sharpened plastic toilet brush handle in 2009. Vinter is serving a life sentence after murdering a workmate in 1996 and his estranged wife in 2008. He later told Newcastle Crown Court he stabbed the notorious child killer in both eyes because he was a 'dirty little nonce'. He was jailed for a further five years for the attack from which Whiting made a full recovery. Whiting is being held at HMP Wakefield (pictured) which houses some of the UK's most notorious prisoners The prison (pictured) is nicknamed the 'Monster Mansion' due to the large number of high-profile, high-risk sex offenders and murderers being held In 2018, Whiting suffered multiple puncture wounds after being attacked by murderers Richard Prendergast and Kevin Hyden. They armed themselves with makeshift weapons, including pieces of wood with screws sticking out. READ MORE: Murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne's brother reveals he was seconds behind as she was snatched by paedophile who SMILED and waved to him as he drove his little sister to her death Advertisement Payne had been playing an innocent game of hide and seek with her sister Charlotte and brothers Luke, then 11, and Lee in a cornfield near their grandparents' home in Kingston Gorse, West Sussex, on July 1, 2000. All three of them saw Sarah sprint through a gap leading to a road on the edge of the field, and she was not seen alive again. Waiting on the other side was Whiting, who threw her into his white van and waved and smiled at Sarah's brother Lee Payne, who was 13, as he drove her away to her death. Whiting was convicted of Sarah's abduction and murder in December 2001 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. His 50-year jail term was reduced to 40 years after an appeal. It later emerged that Whiting was already on the Sex Offenders Register after abducting and sexually attacking another eight-year-old. Speaking in 2017, Sarah's brother Lee Payne spoke for the first time about the moment he realised his sister was gone and how he 'beat himself up' for years about failing to save his little sister. He told MailOnline: 'When it comes to feeling guilt about the situation, I did for a few years beat myself up that if I ran faster I might have caught up with her. 'Whiting drove the other way in his van and gave me a little wave as he went.' Tucker Carlson has continued his Putin PR tour - as he told a conference in Dubai that the Russian President wants 'peace' and Moscow is 'much nicer and safer' than any American city. As if speaking on behalf of Vladimir Putin, Carlson claimed the leader is willing to compromise on Ukraine after having an 'off the record' chat with him at the Kremlin. Tucker, 54, questioned Putin last week in a blockbuster interview - which saw Putin control the narrative and make a series of claims about his invasion of Ukraine. Carlson was slammed by world leaders for being a 'fawning stooge' during the chat and for betraying his country and audience for his lack of rigorous questioning. Now, during a speech at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Monday, Tucker has said that Moscow is 'so much nicer' than any city in the United States. As if speaking on behalf of Vladimir Putin , the former Fox News host claimed that the leader is willing to compromise on Ukraine - saying he had an 'off the record' chat with him in the Russian capital Vladimir Putin was interviewed by journalist Tucker Carlson at the Kremlin in Moscow He told the crowd: 'What was shocking for me what the city of Moscow, where I had never been. The biggest city in Europe, 13 million people. 'It is so much nicer than any city in my country. I had no idea. It is so much cleaner, and safer and prettier, aesthetically. Its architecture, food, and services than in any city in the United States. And this is not ideological. He posed the question: 'How did that happen?' Carlson started comparing the subway in New York City to parts of the Russian capital that he saw. He said: 'If you can't use the subway, which many people point out in connection with New York, because it's too dangerous there, then you start to wonder what the purpose of leadership is.' Carlson also told the UAE crowd that the longer the war drags on, the less incentive Putin has to reach an agreement with Ukraine. He said: 'First things first, Putin wants to get out of this war. Russia's industrial potential is a lot more profound than we thought it was. 'Russia is having a pretty easy time making missiles, rockets, and artillery shells, whereas NATO doesn't.' Carlson also told the World Government Summit that based on the pair's discussion, he believes Putin is now prepared to come to a compromise with Zelensky - two years after he launched his brutal invasion. He admitted that he had off-the-record chats with Putin while in Russia. Carlson also told the World Government Summit in Dubai in a speech on Monday that based on the pair's discussion, he believes Putin is now prepared to come to a compromise with Ukraine - two years after he launched his brutal invasion Vladimir Putin during his sit-down interview with Tucker Carlson Tucker, 54, questioned Putin last week in a blockbuster interview - which saw Putin control the narrative and make a series of claims about his invasion of Ukraine . Carlson was slammed by world leaders for being a 'fawning stooge' during the chat 'Of course, the very work of the leaders of any country on this planet, except perhaps the United States during a unipolar world, forces them to find a compromise. This is what is called diplomacy,' Carlson said, according to the Russian News Agency TASS. 'And he [Putin] is among them (leaders who are ready to seek a compromise).' But Carlson said Russia will only get stronger, and that the West must consider this. The World Governments Summit is an annual event held in the United Arab Emirates - bringing together leaders in government from a number of countries to discuss a range of topics about our modern world. Tucker's interview with Putin, held on Tuesday in Moscow and broadcast on Thursday, was the first interview with a Western media figure since the February 2022 invasion. It saw Putin take the opportunity to push his narrative on the war in Ukraine, urge Washington to recognize Moscow's interests and press Kyiv to sit down for talks. Tucker's interview with Putin, held on Tuesday in Moscow and broadcast on Thursday, was the first interview with a Western media figure since the February 2022 invasion Tucker Carlson speaks at the World Governments Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates For more than two hours, a largely unchallenged Putin showered Carlson with Russian history, propaganda, and Kremlin talking points. Putin repeated his claim the full-scale invasion - which Kyiv and its allies describe as an unprovoked act of aggression - was to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a threat to Russia by joining NATO. Ukraine has repeatedly said it would not come to a compromise with Russia that involved giving up its land, and has said it is determined to liberate all its land occupied by Moscow's forces - including the Donbas region and Crimea - which have been annexed by Russia but are still widely recognised as Ukrainian territory. Appearing confident and at ease, Putin made occasional friendly jabs at Carlson, who appeared baffled by the history lecture and tried to interject questions. Nevertheless, the 71-year-old Russian leader stayed on topic for over 20 minutes, going back over 800 years to lecture his American guest on Russia's past. Carlson didn't ask Putin about war crimes Russian troops have been accused of in Ukraine, or about his relentless crackdown on dissent at home. Putin said it's up to Washington to stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, which he called a US 'satellite,' and persuade Kyiv to negotiate, saying a deal was the way to end the war. 'We have never refused negotiations,' Putin said. 'You should tell the current Ukrainian leadership to stop and come to a negotiating table.' Russia has slapped sanctions on 18 'Russophobic' British citizens, including top officials and academics, for what Moscow claims are attempts to demonise Russia and drag out the war in Ukraine. The Russian foreign ministry issued 'personal sanctions' in response to what it called 'London's ongoing confrontational course' - as the UK continues to support Kyiv as it resists Vladimir Putin's invading forces. It said in a statement, without providing evidence, that 'by pushing the Zelensky regime to continue the bloodshed, the British must realise that, along with Ukrainian neo-Nazis, they bear responsibility for crimes against civilians.' 'We are forced to state that Russophobically charged British representatives do not shy away trying to discredit the constitutional system and socio-political processes in our country.' High-ranking officials on the sanctions list include British Deputy Defence Minister James Cartlidge, Deputy National Security Adviser Sarah MacIntosh and Director of Submarines Simon Asquith. Moscow issued the sanctions as the UK continues to support Kyiv in its resistance of Vladimir Putin's invading forces Lord Ashcroft has been vocal about his support for Ukraine, and warned last week that the UK must stiffen its resolve in the face of Vladimir Putin's aggression Other sanctions targeted included Stuart Peach, the British prime minister's special envoy to the Western Balkans, as well as Lords Dan Hannan and Michael Ashcroft. Lord Ashcroft has been vocal about his support for Ukraine, and warned last week that the UK must stiffen its resolve in the face of Vladimir Putin's aggression. Seemingly referring to Russia experts and academics, Moscow added: 'The so-called brain trusts operating on the basis of the largest British and Western educational institutions make a significant contribution to the subversive work of London in the Russian direction.' The academics sanctioned included historians Orlando Figes, Norman Davies, Timothy Garton Ash, Rob Johnson, David Abulafia, and experts including Roy Allison of Oxford, Graeme Robertson of the University of North Carolina, Calder Walton of Harvard, and James Sherr of the International Centre for Defence & Security in Tallinn. It is not the first time Moscow has sanctioned UK officials. Last year, it imposed sanctions on diplomats in retaliation for what it said were Britain's 'hostile actions' in the Ukraine war. Director of Submarines Simon Asquith British historian and author Timothy Garton Ash British Minister for Defense Procurement James Cartlidge Sir Stuart Peach British Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Tom Dodd, a senior envoy, was summoned to the foreign ministry in Moscow and was given a dressing down for British support of what the Kremlin deems Ukraine's 'terrorist actions' and for allegedly obstructing Russian diplomacy in the UK. Many Brits have been barred from travelling to Russia and have had assets frozen since Russia launched its full-scale war in Ukraine almost exactly two years ago. The UK has issued a steady stream of diplomatic sanctions on Moscow in that time, aimed at deterring its war effort. Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron unveiled new sanctions against arms suppliers in December in a bid to break Putin's 'international chain of suppliers' and punish those who are 'illicitly funding' Russia's war machine. Vice President Kamala Harris declared she is 'ready to serve' if President Joe Biden is unable to perform his duties as president as questions swirl around his declining cognitive abilities. Her remarks come after a recent NBC poll showed that 62 percent of voters cited 'major concerns' about Biden's mental and physical health. And last week, Special Counsel Robert Hur described the president as an 'elderly man with a poor memory' in a scathing report on the president's mishandling of classified documents. 'I am ready to serve. There's no question about that,' Harris, 59, stated in an interview with the Wall Street Journal when asked about the 81-year-old president's age. Harris added that anyone who watched her in her current role as vice president 'walks away fully aware of my capacity to lead.' US President Joe Biden (L) holds US Vice President Kamala Harris' (R) hand as he recognizes her in his remarks at the Black History Month Reception Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at South Carolina State University But her comments come as she seeks to reassure skeptics that she can handle her role. The vice president has continued struggling to demonstrate her competence after a series of political missteps and awkward moments during her first three years. Harris' approval ratings are even lower than Biden's, with a recent NBC News poll showing her at only 28 percent approval. She has largely abandoned her responsibilities for the border crises and root causes of migration, choosing instead to blame Congress for failing to pass immigration reform. Axios reported Monday that Biden's team was disappointed in her performance on the border issue, with one former White House senior aide describing her as 'at best ineffective.' Harris also routinely faces ridicule for her awkward 'word salad' speeches that frequently spiral out of control, burdened by a host of dependent clauses. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Mexican Heritage Plaza Harris faces even more scrutiny as Biden frequently demonstrates signs of physical and mental decline. The president routinely struggles to remember details of events, names of people, and details of stories he used to recall easily during public remarks. Americans are also increasingly concerned about Biden following a scathing report from Special Counsel Robert Hur, in which he described the president as an 'elderly man with a poor memory.' Harris turned down a request from Biden's team to appear on a Sunday news show to defend the president, the Wall Street Journal reported, choosing instead to answer a question from a reporter after her event in Washington, D.C. Harris purposefully denounced the report during public comments. Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a speech as she attends 'Fight for Our Freedom' Reproductive Rights Event in Savannah, Georgia 'The way that the President's demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and, clearly, politically motivated gratuitous,' she said. She defended Biden as 'in front of and on top of it all' during the 'countless hours' she spent with the president after the terrorist attacks in Israel on October 7. An Israeli man and his friends were allegedly hounded out of London's Soho Theatre by a large crowd after comedian Paul Currie encouraged his audience to chant 'get the f*** out' and 'free Palestine'. The 'absurdist' comedian from Belfast is alleged to have produced a Palestinian and Ukrainian flag to use as props as his one-hour show came to a close at the central London theatre - which used to be a synagogue - on Saturday night. One member of the 200-strong audience said they started to feel 'uneasy' when Currie pulled the flags out and demanded the crowd stand and applaud - before he then allegedly launched a verbal attack on an Israeli man who stayed sat down. They claimed: 'When we all sat down again, [Mr Currie] looked towards a young man sitting in the second row and said "You didn't stand, why? Didn't you enjoy my show?" 'The young man, who we soon realised was Israeli, replied: "I enjoyed the show until you brought out the Palestinian flag". 'Paul Currie retorted "get out of my show", which instantaneously escalated in to screaming at this young man, repeatedly shouting "leave my f***ing show, now!".' Paul Currie is an 'absurdist' comedian who is from Belfast. He is alleged to have told an Israeli man and his friends to leave his show The Soho Theatre was where the shocking incident occurred. It also used to be a synagogue The Soho Theatre issued a full apology for the incident and said that they would be investigating Paul Currie often posts pro-Palestine content and posted this video of himself at a rally Were you at the comedy gig? Contact: arthur.parashar@mailonline.co.uk The comedian, who often shares pro-Palestine content and attends rallies, allegedly continued shouting at the young man to get out as he and his partner rose to leave. The eye witness said they also got up to leave and added that it 'felt like the entire audience were on their feet shouting 'free Palestine' and 'get out'. The Soho Theatre has apologised for the 'upset and hurt' caused by the incident to some of their customers and will be investigating what happened. They wrote: 'We are sorry and saddened by an incident that took place at our venue at the end of a performance of Paul Currie: Shtoom on Saturday 10 of February which has caused upset and hurt to members of audience attending and others. 'We take this very seriously and are looking into the detail of what happened as thoroughly, as sensitively, and as quickly as we can. 'It is important to us that Soho Theatre is welcoming and inclusive place for all.' Campaign Against Antisemitism said they are assisting Jewish guests who were allegedly hounded out of the Soho Theatre in London. A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'What the Jewish audience-members have recounted is atrocious, and we are working with them and our lawyers to ensure that those who instigated and enabled it are held to account. 'These allegations are of deeply disturbing discriminatory abuse against Jews. Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but hounding Jews out of theatres is reminiscent of humanity's darkest days, and must have no place in central London in 2024.' A Met Police spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the incident that took place at the Soho Theatre on Saturday evening. 'We understand why it was upsetting for those involved and we note the venue has issued a statement confirming they are looking into what took place. 'A report was submitted to police on Monday and enquiries are ongoing.' MailOnline has contacted Paul Currie for comment. Paul Currie at a pro-Palestine march In October last year, the Metropolitan Police reported that anti-Semitic offences have soared in London by more than 1,353 per cent compared to the year before. The horrifying murder of 1,400 Israelis on October 7 ignited a significant spike in hate crime across Britain, with 218 anti-Semitic offences reported in London between October 1 and 18, compared with 15 during the same period in 2022. And the Union of Jewish student's welfare hotline has had more than 150 calls since October 7, from people reporting offences including verbal abuse and intimidation. In one incident from October last year, which many Jewish people found terrifying, a tube driver chanted 'Free, Free Palestine', through the train's Tannoy system before some commuters responded, 'Palestine'. The driver has since returned to work - to the disbelief of many. London bus drivers also allegedly refused to pick up Jewish schoolchildren at the end of November last year. The Metropolitan Police and Transport for London (TfL) previously confirmed they are looking into two reported incidents, which occurred in Stamford Hill and Hackney last week. Were you at the comedy gig? Contact: arthur.parsahar@mailonline.co.uk A cement lorry driver is facing jail for running over and killing a design student on her bike after missing opportunities to see her in his mirrors. Award-winning interior design student Giovanna Cappiello, 29, was killed by Stephen Hempenstall's 32-tonne truck as she cycled through Battersea on July 4, 2019. The Mercedes Arco cement mixer lorry was fitted with a range of safety measures, including side scanners and specially adapted mirrors, Inner London Crown Court heard. But Hempenstall, 52, failed to look properly or check his visual aids before he turned left across Ms Cappiello's path and ran her over, it was said. CCTV cameras caught him holding a piece of paper in his hand and he was 'in a plainly distracted state,' jurors heard. Award-winning interior design student Giovanna Cappiello, 29, was killed by Stephen Hempenstall's 32-tonne truck as she cycled through Battersea on July 4, 2019 Hempenstall later told an officer at the scene: 'I don't know where the cyclist I hit came from. I did not see her in my mirrors.' He denied causing death by careless driving but was convicted of the charge after a week-long trial. He was given an interim disqualification from driving ahead of sentence on 20 March. The University of the Arts in London student was two weeks from graduating at the time of her death after being the first in her course to achieve A+ grades in theory and practice. Hempenstall was driving along Silverthorne Road at about 3:10pm when he stopped at traffic lights at the junction with Wandsworth Road and signalled to turn left. 'As Miss Cappiello drew alongside the cab area of the lorry, Mr Hempenstall turned left across her, running her over and killing her,' said Hamish Common, prosecuting. Ms Cappiello suffered catastrophic injuries from the collision. Hempenstall, 52, failed to look properly or check his visual aids before he turned left across Ms Cappiello's path and ran her over, it was said Prosecutor Hamish Common said Hempenstall was driving along Silverthorne Road while Ms Cappiello was riding her bicycle in the same direction. He said: 'They reached the cross-roads with the Wandsworth Road. The lorry arrived at the traffic lights first and stopped. 'Miss Cappiello cycled past the nearside of other stationary traffic until the lights turned green. 'As the lorry moved away Miss Cappiello caught and began to pass the lorry on its left. 'As Miss Cappiello drew alongside the cab area of the lorry, Mr Hempenstall turned left across her, running her over and killing her. 'The prosecution alleges that his driving was careless.' Mr Common said the truck driver left the Battersea Concrete Plant in Silverthorne Road and started his journey south after reloading his vehicle with ready mixed concrete. 'Mr Hempenstall was holding some paper in his right hand whilst he was driving. Mr Common said that this indicated that Hempenstall was driving 'in a plainly distracted state.' 'If one is driving a large vehicle, one needs to check in particular to one's left to see that there are no vulnerable road users in the vicinity. 'He didn't look left at all before that turn. He missed plenty of opportunities to see Miss Capiello in his mirrors.' Hempenstall was questioned by the police and 'essentially said that he did not see Miss Capiello'. Christopher Martin, defending, said while he was not looking to blame Ms Cappiello, she had been at fault. He said: 'Tragically you may all conclude that the reality of this case is that [her] decision to undertake that lorry, signalling as it was, was in fact the cause of the collision, and cause of Ms Cappiello's tragic death.' He said it was ultimately a 'tragic accident' and it wasn't necessary to apportion blame. 'Whatever fault you find I would suggest to you it's not criminal. 'It was a tragic accident, an accident that everyone wishes hadn't happened. 'But it doesn't follow that in every accident someone has committed a criminal offence and has to bear responsibility.' Hempenstall, of Thornhill Road, Uxbridge, denied but was convicted of causing death by careless driving. A family that has been fishing off the coast of Britain for 14 generations have been forced to quit the industry due to new government regulations. The Hunkin family, from Mevagissey, Cornwall have been fishing for about 300 years since the reign of King George I. Daniel Hunkin said that the crew relied on pollack - a fish closely related to cod - for more than half their annual income. But on January 1 - after giving the industry just 10 days notice - the government set the pollack catch quota to zero apart from a small by-catch allowance in order to preserve stock, forcing the Hunkin family and others to sell their boats. The Hunkin family, from Mevagissey, Cornwall have been fishing for about 300 years since the reign of King George I Pictured: A crew member with a freshly caught crab But on January 1 - after giving the industry just 10 days notice - the government set the pollack catch quota to zero apart from a small by-catch allowance in order to preserve stock, forcing the Hunkin family and others to sell their boats Mr Hunkin said: 'We have put our business up for sale, my brother has put his business up for sale and if you look... on the internet there's boats going up left, right and centre' Mr Hunkin said: 'We have put our business up for sale, my brother has put his business up for sale and if you look... on the internet there's boats going up left, right and centre'. He said that the new government regulations restricting the fishing of pollack have made him worried for the fishing industry as a whole. Mr Hunkin welcomed his third daughter with his partner this week but said it was 'more stress because we've got no income coming in'. He said that the new government regulations restricting the fishing of pollack have made him worried for the fishing industry as a whole Mr Hunkin welcomed his third daughter with his partner this week but said it was 'more stress because we've got no income coming in' Pictured: Dan's grandfather Bernard Les Hunkin who was a Lib Dem County councillor back in 2003 He said: 'Why don't they say in five years' time we're going to do something? They keep talking, they're good at talking. They say help is coming but the crew are leaving' Chris Ranford, CEO of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, said the change was damaging the industry The changes were made by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) His father, John Hunkin, asked why the government left the industry with '10 days' notice'. He said: 'Why don't they say in five years' time we're going to do something? They keep talking, they're good at talking. They say help is coming but the crew are leaving.' Chris Ranford, CEO of the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation, said the change was damaging the industry. He said: 'Normally, we'd have anything up to 10 tonne of pollock down here all nice and ready to go. 'We've stuck rigidly to the rules they've made for 10 years and now they're saying it's stopped.' It said it recognised the impact the changes could have on sections of the UK fleet and said it was 'speaking to the fishing industry in the South West to explore potential mitigations' Defra added: 'We recently concluded annual negotiations with the EU, including an agreement that pollack can only be caught as by-catch in 2024' 'This is consistent with our previous approach when the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has advised that certain stocks should not be caught.' The changes were made by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It said it recognised the impact the changes could have on sections of the UK fleet and said it was 'speaking to the fishing industry in the South West to explore potential mitigations'. Defra added: 'We recently concluded annual negotiations with the EU, including an agreement that pollack can only be caught as by-catch in 2024. 'This is consistent with our previous approach when the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has advised that certain stocks should not be caught.' Cabinet minister Tom Tugendhat today insisted that 'ideology' would not be put before 'security' amid a row over 'woke and extremist' culture in the military. The country's Armed Forces 'have one purpose and one purpose alone... to defend the British people and bring death to the King's enemies', Mr Tugendhat declared. The security minister's comments follow claims that the Army wants to relax security checks for overseas recruits to boost ethnic minority representation. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has ordered a review of diversity and inclusion policy at the Ministry of Defence. Mr Shapps has also warned about a 'woke' and 'extremist' culture that has 'seeped into public life' and the military. Cabinet minister Tom Tugendhat today insisted that 'ideology' would not be put before 'security' amid a row over 'woke and extremist' culture in the military Appearing on GB News today, Mr Tugendhat - who served in the British Army in Afghanistan and Iraq - also intervened and stressed the Government have 'absolutely no time for this'. 'Let's be absolutely clear. We're seeing huge instability around the world,' he said. 'We've just spoken about how the Middle East and Royal Naval ships are engaged in actions against the Houthis in the Red Sea. 'And we know that the vicious war that Vladimir Putin is waging in Ukraine could escalate and is absolutely horrific, costing many, many lives even now. 'This is a time when only our enemies want us to be divided and we have absolutely no time for this - sort of putting ideology before security. 'It is absolutely clear, and let me be totally clear, there is no way we are going to be easing up security requirements for ideological requests. There's simply not going to happen. 'You know, the British Armed Forces have one purpose and one purpose alone, and that's to defend the British people and bring death to the King's enemies. 'There's no way we're going to be putting ideology before security.' The Sunday Telegraph reported it had seen a British Army document vowing to 'challenge' security checks to increase diversity. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has ordered a review of diversity and inclusion policy at the Ministry of Defence The 2023 British Army's Race Action Plan, outlining measures to boost representation, describes security clearance vetting as being 'the primary barrier to non-UK personnel gaining a commission in the Army' and vows to 'challenge SC (security clearance) requirements,' according to the newspaper. It was also claimed the Armed Forces are looking overseas to attract ethnic minority talent because they have long failed to hit recruitment targets. Following the report, Mr Shapps has orded a review of diversity and inclusivity policy at the Ministry of Defence and vowed there will 'certainly not be any lowering of security clearance requirements on my watch'. He also said that a 'woke culture has seeped into public life and it is poisoning common sense discourse', writing in The Express: 'I am in a position to challenge this philosophy and I will.' The Defence Secretary added: 'This extremist culture has crept in over years and it is time for a proper shake up, designed to refocus the military on its core mission - being a lethal fighting force. 'I am therefore commissioning a root-and-branch, fast track review of ethnicity, diversity and inclusivity policies in defence. It is time for common sense instead of divisiveness.' Downing Street today said it was 'not true' that military security checks were being reduced. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman told reporters: 'My understanding is that the story you're referring to around reducing security checks is not true. 'The Defence Secretary addressed this in his op-ed in the Express. 'He said "I can confirm that it is inconceivable I would allow a lowering of standards on security clearance".' An Ohio cop has shot a woman through a windshield while clinging to the roof of her car after she mowed him down in a wild police chase caught on camera. Police identified the driver as Holly Lynn Graham, 32, from Columbus following the dramatic parking lot incident in the north of the city Wednesday afternoon. The chaos was captured from multiple angles through the bodycams of several Columbus PD sergeants on the scene. A stolen 2015 Toyota Camry can be seen reversing away from surrounding cops as one officer lays spike strips across the parking lot exit in an attempt to trap the SUV. One of the sergeants approaches the vehicle as it reverses - but Graham suddenly accelerates towards him and rams him, sending him flying on top of the hood. The sergeant opens fire through the windshield several times while clinging to the vehicle Bodycam video from another officer track down the vehicle on a police motorcycle. The video starts with the Toyota Camry now parked and Graham stooping next to it, visibly injured The officer points his gun at her and shouts 'lay down, put your hands behind your back' repeatedly as she slumps to the ground The chaos was captured from multiple angles through the bodycams of several Columbus PD sergeants on the scene He opens fire through the windshield several times while clinging to the vehicle as it speeds away, sending him tumbling to the ground. His colleagues chase the SUV and shout 'get out of the car' as they point their guns at the getaway driver. The same incident is shown from the perspective of the rammed officer through his bodycam - showing the vehicle strike him with shocking force. Graham speeds away, leaving the sergeant gasping for breath beside debris where her tires tore up the roadside. The officers can be heard shouting 'officer down' and 'he got away!' amid the carnage. Bodycam video from another officer track down the vehicle on a police motorcycle. The video starts with the Toyota Camry now parked and Graham stooping next to it, visibly injured. The officer points his gun at her and shouts 'lay down, put your hands behind your back' repeatedly as she slumps to the ground. Columbus Police said the incident unfolded at around 3.23pm on Wednesday when officers were dispatched to the 1700 block of East Dublin Granville Road over a report of a stolen vehicle in the area. Police identified the driver as Holly Lynn Graham, 32, from Columbus OH following the dramatic parking lot incident in the north of the city Wednesday afternoon An Ohio cop has shot a woman through a windshield while clinging to the roof of her car after she mowed him down in a wild police chase caught on camera. (Pictured: one of the sergeants approaching the vehicle as it reverses - moments before it rammed into him) The officer points his gun at her and shouts 'lay down, put your hands behind your back' repeatedly as she slumps to the ground The owner said their car was taken from Lancaster, Ohio and they had tracked it to East Dublin Granville Road. Officers attempted to stop the car in the area, but Graham fled to the Huntley Square shopping center and began 'driving erratically around the lot' the department said. 'While in the parking lot, the vehicle began driving in reverse, before abruptly driving forward and striking a Columbus Police sergeant,' the department said. 'The vehicle continued driving through the parking lot with the sergeant on the hood of the vehicle. The sergeant discharged their firearm several times, striking the driver.' It was not until Graham reached the entrance ramp of Interstate 71 north and collided head-on with two vehicles that police were able to detain her. Officers tried to give her aid before she was transported to Riverside Hospital in a 'serious condition', the department said. The occupants of the two vehicles the suspect struck were treated at scene for minor injuries. Meanwhile, the struck sergeant was transported to Grant hospital in stable condition. The sergeant has been identified as a 10-year veteran of the Columbus Division of Police, but his name has not been released per Marsy's Law. Vice President Kamala Harris is facing growing criticism for her handling of the border crisis as the issue continues to weigh down President Joe Biden and his administration. A former Biden administration senior official described Harris as 'ineffective' on the issue after the president personally appointed her to serve as a point person on the crisis in March 2021. 'She's been at best ineffective, and at worst sporadically engaged and not seeing it was her responsibility. It's an opportunity for her, and she didn't fill the breach,' the official told Axios. Harris and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice also eyed each other with suspicion, according to the report, as Rice felt more knowledgeable than Harris on the issue and stepped up to lead. President Biden also reportedly 'exploded with fury' at his team of advisors on Air Force One during his trip to Arizona in August 2023. He was upset when they did not have a certain piece of immigration data he wanted, further compounding the growing tension among his administration, according to Axios. The Biden administration continues struggling to handle the issue on the border as the president is reportedly frustrated behind the scenes. The vice president adamantly refused to accept responsibility for the border crisis, insisting she was only in charge of handling the narrow 'root causes' of migration crisis in countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Her summer 2021 trip to Guatemala was widely viewed as ineffective after she told migrants 'do not come' during a press conference and embarrassed herself in an interview with NBC news anchor Lester Holt. When Holt pointed out Harris had not personally visited the border, she replied that she hadn't been to Europe either in an awkward exchange that went viral. Despite Harris' reluctance to visit the border, she finally made the trip after former President Donald Trump announced his own plans to visit to demonstrate his commitment to the issue. Harris visited the border 93 days after Biden appointed her as a leader on the crisis. The vice president is not the only Biden official trying to keep the immigration issue from dragging down her political image. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra remained reluctant to tackle the issue from his position by failing to ramp up facilities to house child migrants. Notorious for her frequent use of expletives in the office, Rice described Becerra as a 'b***h a**' the report added. Vice President Kamala Harris has tried to distance herself from the administration's border crisis. Harris and the White House have settled on blaming Republicans in congress for failing to fix a 'broken' immigration system, as the 2024 campaign to re-elect Biden begins in earnest, 'We are trying to compel, in particular, some of the Republicans in Congress to participate in the solution,' Harris noted in an interview with journalist Katie Couric in January. 'But sadly, we want to fix it and they want to run on it,' she continued. 'They want a political issue to run on in November.' House Republicans, meanwhile, are planning to vote Tuesday to impeach Biden's top border security official Alejandro Mayorkas. It is the GOP's second shot to take down the official. Last week, their first attempt to oust him stunningly failed by just one vote. Republicans contend Mayorkas should be charged with high crimes and misdemeanors for failing to enforce immigration laws and lying to Congress. Mayorkas has denied such claims and Democrats insist he is only carrying out the policy of the Biden administration. He also blamed the 'broken system' on Congress failing to act - after Republicans killed an immigration and foreign aid deal negotiated in the Senate. 'It certainly is a crisis and, well, we don't bear responsibility for a broken system,' Mayorkas said. 'And we're doing a tremendous amount within that broken system. But fundamentally, fundamentally, Congress is the only one who can fix it.' A convicted stalker armed with an arsenal of weapons, who was blasted to death by cops, died from two gunshot wounds to the neck and chest, police have revealed today. Crossbow attacker Bryce Hodgson, 30, was caught trying to force his way into a home where his previous victim lived in Surrey Quays, South East London in the early hours of January 30. Hodgson was first confronted by unarmed neighbours and received first aid when he was apprehended by armed officers and died at the scene. Police said he wore body armour and carried two crossbows, a knife and an axe. Hodgson appeared in court last June and pleaded guilty to 'stalking involving serious alarm or distress' by entering a woman's bedroom without consent, sending text messages demanding that she open her door and describing vivid sexual fantasies between January 1 and April 29 last year. Crossbow attacker Bryce Hodgson, 30, died from two gunshot wounds to the neck and chest The Independent Office for Police Conduct have launched a probe to investigate the shooting, and confirmed an inquest will opened in due course. Neighbours had revealed that Hodgson was a 'troubled individual' who stressed about losing his hair prematurely. He was a stalker convicted under a five-year court restraining order and had been banned from entering Bywater Place in Surrey Quays where the shooting happened. He was spared prison after the court noted his 'previous good character' and was ordered to undergo 12 months of supervision and complete 120 hours of community service. He was subject to a restraining order until July 2028. Sheffield-born Hodgson, from Thurlow Park Road, West Dulwich, was ordered to pay 85 costs and a 154 victim surcharge. A second charge was dropped by the CPS of breaking the terms of his bail by breaching a night-time curfew. Police apprehended Hodgson forcing his way into the victim's home where the stalker was shot dead by armed officers Several officers were spotted at the scne in the early hours of the morning on 30 January The Independent Office for Police Conduct have launched a probe to investigate the shooting, and confirmed an inquest will opened in due course Arrows were discovered at the scene where the stalker attempted force entry into the victim's home armed with a crossbow A knife was discovered at the scene near Bywater Place in Surrey Quays, south east London wo shots were fired from a police issue firearm in the house blasting the stalker dead The IOPC are investigating into the shooting by a Metropolitan Police Service officer of Hodgson in Bywater Close, south east London Hodgson was first confronted by unarmed neighbours and received first aid when he was apprehended by police and died at the scene A spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which is investigating the shooting said: 'Two shots were fired from a police issue firearm in the house and a post-mortem examination held on 2 February has established the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the neck and chest. 'The IOPC investigation into the shooting by a Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer of a man in Bywater Close, London, SE16 on Tuesday 30 January is progressing. 'We can now name the deceased as Bryce Hodgson, 30, from Dulwich. An inquest will be opened in due course. 'We are assessing the scope of our investigation which will be confirmed in the coming days. As we are at a very early stage, we have nothing further to add at this time.' A man charged with the murder of his calm and good natured mother was judged to be too ill to appear in court today. Sebastian Compton, 47, who is said to have mental health issues was charged over the weekend with the murder of his mother Michele Romano last Friday. Police found Mrs Romano, 68, seriously injured on Friday afternoon in a block of flats where her son lived in Great Baddow near Chelmsford, Essex. Officers and paramedics battled to save her after neighbours heard a womans screams but she was declared dead at the scene. Compton was arrested on suspicion of her murder on Friday and was charged with her murder on Sunday. He was taken for a first appearance at Chelmsford magistrates court today but was said to be too ill to be brought into the courtroom. Sebastian Compton, 47, who is said to have mental health issues was charged over the weekend with the murder of his mother Michele Romano (right) last Friday. Pictured: Mrs Romano and her husband Thierry Romano (left) Compton was arrested on suspicion of her murder on Friday and was charged with her murder on Sunday. Pictured: Chelmsford Magistrates Court Evelyn Hicks, defending, said: Even if he is brought to court, he may not understand proceedings and it might aggravate his mental health. Ms Hicks added that there was likely to be a fitness to plead argument in the case. Deputy District Judge Sarah Hannah said she had the power to deal with the case in his absence and remanded him in custody to appear via video link before Chelmsford Crown Court tomorrow. She said: I have been forewarned that this might be a possibility. Given that it is an indictable-only offence, the court does have power to send someone to trial in their absence as long as he is legally represented. Given what I have read about this particular defendant, I accept the position. Compton is also charged with the assault by beating of a police constable in Chelmsford on Saturday. No pleas to the charges were entered and the court heard that it did not have any power to deal with any application for bail. Mrs Romano, who is believed to have worked as a carer and in a charity shop is thought to have lived in Chelmsford with her husband of 25 years, French-born musician Thierry Romano, known as Gingi. A former neighbour said: I am shocked hear she has died like this. She was a lovely lady who came across as very gentle, calm and good natured. Mr Romano has since changed his Facebook profile picture to black and posted a picture of him and his wife together in a tribute to her. Friends have left messages of support, with one posting: So sorry to hear your bad news Gingi, we send love. Another added: We are deeply saddened by your news. Essex Police said they were initially called at around 2.30pm on Friday to reports of a suspicious male in a street around 400 yards from Comptons home. An Essex Police spokesman said: Officers quickly attended and after engaging with the man attended an address in Readers Court where they found a seriously injured woman inside a property. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the woman in her 60s was, sadly, pronounced dead at the scene. Compton was taken for a first appearance at Chelmsford magistrates court today but was said to be too ill to be brought into the courtroom. Pictured: Mrs Romano (left) and her husband Thierry Romano (right) A neighbour of Compton said his mother often visited him in his ground floor flat to help out with shopping and chores. Another resident living near the flats said: My sisters boyfriend heard a woman screaming. Later there was this guy who was covered in blood getting checked over in an ambulance. A police van reversed right up to it so he could be transferred inside and taken away. The entrance to the flats remained cordoned off over the weekend as well-wishers left flowers at the scene. Detective Chief Superintendent Rob Kirby of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said: I know that this will cause this quiet community great concern and fully understand they will have questions about what has happened, but I would ask that people dont speculate. We are working to establish the facts leading up to the womans death and we will remain at the scene whilst we carry out our enquiries. I would like to reassure the community that we will be conducting high visibility patrols in the Great Baddow area for several days. And whilst officers are at the scene, please feel free to approach them and they will listen to your concerns. Id ask anyone who has information or footage of any part of the incident, particularly in the areas of Readers Court and Dorset Avenue that could help our investigation, to get in contact. Great Baddow which borders the city of Chelmsford is known as an urban village with a population of around 15,000 people, making it the second largest village in England after Bradfield, South Yorkshire. President Joe Biden made a quip about his age on Monday after a report from a special counsel questioned his memory and as a new poll show a majority of Americans think he is too old to run for a second term in office. 'I know it doesn't look like it but I've been around a while,' the president said during a speech to the National Association of Counties. 'I do remember that,' Biden, 81, added. The crowd of local officials laughed and cheered. Biden's tone was notably different than the combative one he took last week after Special Counsel Robert Hur issued his report, which contained the politically embarrassing observation of Biden as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' The president was in a jokey mood on Monday but, when the report dropped on Thursday, he delivered hastily scheduled remarks to slam Hur for casting doubt on his memory, including the death of his son Beau. President Joe Biden joked about his age during remarks to the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference In the report's aftermath, a vast majority of American voters 86 percent say Biden is too old for another term in office, a new poll found. And 62 percent of respondents in the ABC News/Ipsos poll say that former President Donald Trump, 77, is also too old for another White House term. Fifty-nine percent of respondents say that both top 2024 competitors are too old while 27 percent think only the current president is elderly enough to be taken out of consideration. Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history. He broke Trump's record by eight years when entering office at the age of 78 in January 2021. If elected for a second term, Biden would be 82 at the time of inauguration. The latest negative polling for Biden's reelection bid comes following Thursday's release of the long-awaited Justice Department report, which did not recommend charges against the former president for his handling of classified documents. More than 8.5 in 10 American voters think President Joe Biden is too old for another term and only 62% feel the same about Trump Hur's 345-page report said investigators found President Biden's 'memory was significantly limited' during interviews with his ghostwriter and an interview with Hur's office last year. According to the report, Biden during the 2023 interview did not remember when his son Beau died nor the years he was vice president. 'In his interview with our office, Mr. Biden's memory was worse. He did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended ('if it was 2013 - when did I stop being Vice President?'), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began ('in 2009, am I still Vice President?'),' according to the report. 'He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died.' Beau Biden, an Iraq War veteran who served as the attorney general of Delaware, died in 2015 after battling brain cancer. Biden, last week, was visibly angry when he refuted that. 'How in the hell dare he raise that,' the president said Thursday night from the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House. 'Frankly, when I was asked that question, I thought to myself, 'Wasn't any of their damn business.' 'I don't need anyone to remind me when he passed away,' Biden added. 'Every Memorial Day we hold a service (to) remember him attended by friends and family and the people who loved him,' Biden said, after a pause. 'I don't need anyone I don't need anyone to remind me when he passed away.' Joe Biden is sworn in as vice president in January 2013 as wife Jill Biden and son Beau Biden watch him take the oath of office Trump and his allies promptly seized on the report and its findings to question Biden's fitness to serve in office. 'If Joe Biden is not fit to charge, they are not going to judge him with a crime, but it's OK for him to become commander in chief?' Trump said at a rally in South Carolina over the weekend. 'Biden is bad for democracy because he's grossly incompetent. Plus, he uses DOJ and FBI and everything he can to go after an opponent and nothing has ever happened like that in this country.' Authorities believe all five unidentified victims knew each other and were from the Carman, Canada, area The unidentified male suspect, 29, was arrested at the scene where the children were discovered A spree killer was arrested after Canadian police tied him to five dead bodies found at three separate locations. The 29-year-old unidentified male suspect was taken into custody on Sunday morning after Royal Canadian Mounted Police connected him to the death of three children and two women in Manitoba, a province in Canada. The first victim who was found Sunday was a woman whose body was left in a ditch on the side of a road. Three children were then found inside a charred car off the side of a highway, where police arrested the suspect. The children were pulled from the car by a witness, but died from their injuries. A woman was then found in a house in Carman, a small town in Manitoba. Authorities believe that all five unidentified victims knew each other and were from the Carman area. 'It's kind of mind-numbing to realize that something like this could happen in this community,' Brent Owen, the mayor of Carman told CBC. The first victim, a woman, was found in a ditch on the side of on Highway 3 between Carman and Winkler around 7.30am on Sunday Tim Arseneault of Royal Candian Mounted Police major crime services said Sunday the suspect has not been formally charged. The first woman was found after police responded to a hit and run on Highway 3 between Carman and Winkler around 7.30am. Her body was discovered in a ditch and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Around 10.00am, police responded to a vehicle fire on Highway 48 after a witness managed to pull three children from the charred car. All of the children were then pronounced dead. 'As a parent, I simply can't imagine the enormity of your loss,' Arseneault said. 'The community of Carman and surrounding areas will also be grieving as they have lost some of their youngest residents in such a tragic way.' Trent Lepine, a resident from St. Eustache, told CBC he witnessed the burnt car on the side of the road as he was taking his 10-year-old daughter to skating lessons around 9.20am. At first, Lepine thought the car was broken down, but when he was on his way back about an hour later he saw that the road was blocked with police cars and ambulances. 'I didn't stop because, yeah, I had my daughter with me. But also like I said, we always see broken down vehicles,' Lepine said. 'People always pull off to the side.' He added when he initially drove past the vehicle it was not on fire and he thought it had been abandoned. 'It's shocking, especially in a small town like this,' Lepine said. As the investigation continued, another woman was found dead in a house in Carman. It is unclear how each victim died or when they died. Three children were found inside of a charred car on Around 10.00am on Highway 48 after a witness managed to pull them from the vehicle. They were pronounced dead at the scene and the suspect was arrested there The fifth victim, another woman, was found inside a house in Carman, a small town in the province of Manitoba Wab Kinew, the Premier of Manitoba, posted his condolences online to the grieving community. 'Sending comfort and strength to the families and community of Carman during this challenging time of loss,' he said on X. 'Our deepest sympathies go out to all those affected by this tragedy.' Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham also posted a heartfelt message on the platform and said he was 'shocked and saddened' by the news. Winnipeg is a nearby city in Manitoba. 'My sincere condolences to the community and the families impacted by this tragedy,' he added. Arseneault said the man in custody is the only suspect related to the horrific case and that there is no risk to public safety. Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, sent a cable of congratulation to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on his re-election for a new presidential term. According to the Saudi Press Agency, the Crown Prince expressed his sincere congratulations and best wishes of success to the head of state and to the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan, further progress and prosperity. Two former prisoners held at the US detention centre in Guantanamo Bay until 2017 were welcomed home to Afghanistan on Monday, more than 20 years after they were arrested. Abdul Karim and Abdul Zahir landed in Kabul early on Monday from Oman, where they had been transferred in 2017 and held under house arrest, said Zahir's son Mohammad Osman and airport staff. They were among hundreds of suspected militants captured by US forces during the United States's 'War on Terror' and held in the secretive prison in Cuba. Referring to Afghanistan's Taliban authorities Zahir's son Osman said: 'With the grace of God and efforts by the leaders of the Islamic Emirate, he has returned to the country'. US authorities faced accusations of torture and abuse against prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay facility, where many were held without charge or the legal power to challenge their detention. Abdul Karim (pictured) and Abdul Zahir landed in Kabul early on Monday from Oman, where they had been transferred in 2017 and held under house arrest Abdul Zahir (pictured second in from the left). They were among hundreds of suspected militants captured by US forces during the United States's 'War on Terror' and held in the secretive prison in Cuba Most of the military prison's inmates have been released over the years, including senior Taliban leaders. Osman said: 'I am very happy. When I woke up in the morning, I felt like it was Eid for me'. The returnees were whisked to a VIP area away from media and a jostling crowd of supporters, some clutching bouquets, who had gathered for their arrival. Karim and Zahir both told media outlet Hurriyat they were overwhelmed with happiness at their return. Karim said: 'Praise be to Allah, I returned to my country in such a time when there is an Islamic system and peace all over Afghanistan'. US authorities faced accusations of torture and abuse against prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay facility, where many were held without charge or the legal power to challenge their detention Taliban security officials stand guard during a ceremony welcoming Karim and Zahir home Zahir arrived at the controversial prison in 2002, the year it opened in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, according to Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani and US documents. Karim arrived in 2003, having been detained and held in Pakistan before he was handed over to US custody. Both men had been under surveillance without the right to travel for seven years in the Gulf kingdom of Oman, Qani said in a post on social media site X on Sunday. 'Due to the efforts of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the imposed restrictions will be lifted and they will return to their homeland,' he said. Billboards welcoming the two men back to Afghanistan were erected en route to the airport ahead of their arrival and a heavy security presence was deployed on Monday morning. One Afghan prisoner remains in detention at Guantanamo Bay, Muhammad Rahim, whose family called for his release in November. The US government has said for years it is working to reduce the number of detainees and eventually shut down Guantanamo Bay, which lies on the island of Cuba but is under US jurisdiction. Democrats in the Senate are standing by President Joe Biden in an attempt to downplay growing concerns about his old age and mental acuity. The 81-year-old president's competency was put on blast in a scathing report by Special Counsel Robert Hur last week. He claimed that during the investigation into Biden's mishandling of classified documents, it was clear the president has a 'poor memory' and 'diminished faculties.' Biden was described as 'a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man' who couldn't remember when he served as vice president or even the date his own son Beau died. Biden immediately pushed back on the damning claims buy Hur, saying his 'memory is fine.' But to make matters worse, even voters are concerned. A recent poll found that 86 percent of Americans think Biden is 'too old' to run for a second term. When pressed by DailyMail.com on the report's findings and characterization of the president's mental fitness, Democrats dismissed concerns. Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, told DailyMail.com that Biden 'is as sharp as ever.' President Joe Biden's mental sharpness has come under scrutiny since the DOJ report Democrat Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia said Biden is doing 'incredible' and that he looks forward to supporting him in 2024 despite concerns over his age 'The president is doing an incredible job, and I look forward to making sure he gets re-elected in 2024,' Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., added. Another Democrat Elizabeth Warren agreed, saying said. 'I know his ability to do the job because he is doing the job. He is delivering every single day for the American people.' Republicans, meanwhile, largely said the polar opposite. 'I've been saying before he got elected, he's unfit for office,' Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told DailyMail.com. 'It's been obvious for years.' 'It's kind of sad that takes a special counsel to point out the obvious, but guess I'm glad the special counsel did,' he added. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is nearly a decade older than Biden, wanted to withhold judgement until he could 'make a personal observation,' of the president's mental acuity. Though, he added, 'I haven't had a face to face conversation with him for three years.' Several GOP members raised concerns about how the report indicated that the president was unlikely to get charged due to his mental fortitude. 'Either [Biden] committed a crime and he should be prosecuted for it or he doesn't have mental acuity to stand trial, in which case he doesn't have the acuity to be president,' Sen. J.D. Vance told DailyMail.com. 'The report was very damning,' he continued. Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt told DailyMail.com: 'The idea that he's not mentally competent to stand trial should concern Americans.' 'His inability to recall when he was vice president is certainly raises a lot of big concerns,' he continued. Biden poked fun at his age during an address in Washington, D.C., on Monday. 'I know it doesn't look like it but I've been around a while,' the president said during a speech to the National Association of Counties. Joe Biden joked about his memory during a speech in Washington, D.C. on Monday Special Counsel Robert Hur recommended that President Biden not be charged for his illegal mishandling of classified documents at his Delaware home and Washington, D.C. office 'I do remember that,' Biden, 81, added. The crowd of local officials laughed and cheered. Last week, several members of Congress called for Cabinet officials to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Biden from office. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., even wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on him to begin proceedings relating to the 25th Amendment. The 25th Amendment, which outlines presidential succession, gives the vice president and Cabinet power to remove the commander in chief from office via a majority vote in the event it's determined he or she is no longer fit for office. It has never been used in U.S. history. Former NPR radio host Bob Edwards passed away 'peacefully' over the weekend, he was 76. The radio legend's wife, NPR reporter Windsor Johnston, announced Edwards' death on Facebook, writing: 'Its with the heaviest of hearts to share that Bob Edwards passed away peacefully on Saturday night. His daughters Susannah, Nora and I were with him as he took his final breath.' Edwards worked for National Public Radio for 30 years, between 1974-2004, first co-hosting 'All Things Considered,' before leading 'Morning Edition' for 25 years. The station faced significant criticism when it ousted him from 'Morning Edition' in 2004 - the same year he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame. Radio legend Bob Edwards, who became a well-known voice across American during his 30-year run at NPR, died over the weekend at the age of 76 Edwards (left) and his wife of 12 years Windsor Johnston. The pair lived together in Washington, DC. Edwards has two daughters from his second marriage, which ended in divorce Outrage stretched as far as the floor of the United States Senate, where Illinois Senator Dick Durbin condemned NPR's decision. 'It turns out Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle feel as I do - that this decision by National Public Radio is the wrong decision; that Bob Edwards, who has been not only a host of this program but the most successful morning voice in America, is being moved away from this assignment in a situation and in a circumstance that is almost impossible to understand,' he said. Edwards officially left NPR soon after to launch 'The Bob Edwards Show' on XM Satellite Radio, which ran for a decade. He was married three times before his death, and had two daughters with his second wife. Johnston, whom Edwards married 12 years ago, wrote that 'It's unbearable to think of a life without him, but until we meet again Ill continue to listen for that beautiful voice in my ear, wishing me luck and telling me to "break a lip."' Johnston described the final moments of Edwards' life. 'He smiled as we played the well wishes, loving memories and messages of healing that you all so kindly took the time to record for him. 'A tear slid down his face as he listened to those familiar voices under the bed of the old Morning Edition theme. 'The world of broadcasting has lost a behemoth. Bob was a absolute master at his skill and left an indelible mark on the field of journalism. 'He was a stickler for even the tiniest of details and lived by the philosophy that less is more.He helped paved the way for the younger generation of journalists who continue to make NPR what it is today. 'On a personal note, Bob was the absolute love of my life. He was an extremely loving and supporting partner, not to mention my greatest admirer. 'He and I were together for 14 years and just recently celebrated 12 years of marriage,' she wrote. The pair lived together in Washington, DC. Bob Edwards (right) and Susan Stamberg (left). The pair co-hosted NPR's flagship evening news program 'All Things Considered' until Bob launched 'Morning Edition' Edwards and his wife of 12 years Windsor Johnston, who announced his death on Monday Radio host Bob Edwards prepares to interview Caroline Kennedy at SiriusXM studios on April 26, 2011 in Washington, DC - after departing NPR, Edwards went to SiriusXM where he hosted a show for 10 years NPR CEO John Lansing said Monday that he network 'along with those millions of listeners, will remember Bob Edwards with gratitude' No cause of death was shared, but in September of 2023, Edwards posted to his personal Facebook page about a 'major cancer surgery.' 'I love living in the District of Columbia, one of our nations great possessions and perhaps the only one without ocean beaches. Flat on my a** from major cancer surgery, I just got summoned again for jury duty. So DC!' On Monday morning, NPR CEO John Lansing said in a statement: 'Bob Edwards understood the intimate and distinctly personal connection with audiences that distinguishes audio journalism from other mediums, and for decades he was a trusted voice in the lives of millions of public radio listeners. 'Staff at NPR and all across the Network, along with those millions of listeners, will remember Bob Edwards with gratitude.' Harvard University is set to host a UN Special Rapporteur who has been banned from entering Israel after she justified Hamas' slaughter on October 7. The contentious Ivy League, who has already been embroiled in its own antisemitism row thanks to its former president Claudine Gay, is hosting an online seminar to hear Francesca Albanese's opinions on the current situation in the Gaza. Italy-born Albanese, 47, posted this month saying that the 1,200 Israelis who were massacred by terrorists were 'not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israel's oppression.' She is now a featured speaker for Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy session, named 'A Conversation with Francesca Albanese.' It will be hosted online at 4pm, and will also feature the center's Faculty Director Mathias Risse. The contentious Ivy League, who has already been embroiled in its own antisemitism row thanks to its former president Claudine Gay, is hosting an online seminar to hear Francesca Albanese's (pictured) opinions on the current situation in the Gaza The event description on Harvard's website reads: 'Join us for a virtual conversation with UN Special Rapporteur, Francesca Albanese, as she discusses her perspective on the current situation in the Gaza area as well as her experiences working on the protection of Palestinian refugees and migrants.' According to the Times of Israel, Francesca Albanese is officially banned from entering the country. The Interior Ministry refused to issue her a visa. Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said in a statement: 'The era of Jews being silent is over. 'If the UN wants to return to being a relevant body, its leaders must publicly disavow the anti-Semitic words of the Special Envoy and fire her permanently. 'Preventing her from entering Israel might remind her of the real reason why Hamas slaughtered babies, women and adult.' Over the weekend, Albanese posted on X in response to French President Emmanuel Macron calling the October 7 attack an 'anti-Semitic massacre.' She wrote, in French: 'The 'greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century'? No, Mr. @EmmanuelMacron. The victims of 10/7 were not killed because of their Judaism, but in response to Israel's oppression.' A bipartisan group of members of Congress called on the UN to remove Albanese last year. The group wrote: 'Ms. Albanese has repeatedly refused to condemn terrorist attacks against Israelis while continuing her condemnations of Israel. According to the Times of Israel, Francesca Albanese is officially banned from entering the country. The Interior Ministry refused to issue her a visa 'For an official tasked with serving as an independent, neutral, and expert voice on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, her inexcusable silence against terrorism targeting Israelis and her outrageous and prejudicial remarks clearly reflect the irredeemable bias of her mandate.' Just days ago, the Israeli military said it has discovered tunnels underneath the main headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza City, alleging that Hamas militants used the space as an electrical supply room. The unveiling of the tunnels marked the latest chapter in Israel's campaign against the embattled agency, which it accuses of collaborating with Hamas. Recent Israeli allegations that a dozen staff members participated in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 plunged the agency into a financial crisis, prompting major donor states to suspend their funding as well as twin investigations. The agency says that Israel has also frozen its bank account, embargoed aid shipments and cancelled its tax benefits. The army invited journalists to view the tunnel on Thursday, a visit that did not prove definitively that Hamas militants operated in the tunnels underneath the UNWRA facility, but did show that at least a portion of the tunnel ran underneath the facility's courtyard. Claudine Gay, 53, resigned in January after months of questions about her leadership. She will remain a member of the university staff and return to a teaching role at the department of political science, and keep a similar salary. Gay, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, became the first black person to lead Harvard when she took over as president on July 1. On December 10, as she was dealing with criticism of her Congressional testimony on antisemitism on campus, conservative activist Christopher Rufo published on his newsletter accusations that she had plagiarized portions of her 1997 doctoral thesis. Republican lawmaker Elise Stefanik grilled the presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn about antisemitism, and led calls for Gay to resign based on her refusal to categorize calls for genocide of Jews as harassment. The House have since launched a probe that will also look at a litany of allegations of plagiarism against Gay, which span 24 years. The Metropolitan Police have cleared a pro-Palestinian protest tonight and arrested one campaigner. Crowds of protestors gathered on Whitehall, opposite to Downing Street waving Palestinian flags and holding posters. Officers attended the area as a safety measure and closed roads nearby due to the high number of protestors. The mass of people eventually cleared this evening and officers 'stood down,' the Met shared in a post on X/Twitter. Crowds of protestors gathered in a 'static protest' on Whitehall, opposite to Downing Street waving Palestinian flags and holding posters The mass of people eventually cleared the area this evening and officers 'stood down,' the Met shared in a post on X/Twitter One person was arrested during the protest, however, on suspicion of inciting racial hatred over a placard. Pictured: A view of protestors in London this evening One person was arrested during the protest, however, 'on suspicion of inciting racial hatred over a placard'. An image of the placard had been shared by the Campaign Against Antisemitism account on the social media platform. It appeared to show bags of money weighing down one side of a set of scales, alongside drawings of dollar signs inside the Jewish Star of David. Once the crowd had reduced in size, Whitehall - which was previously closed - was reopened. Officers had 'imposed conditions' on remaining protesters that required them to move away from the area. The Metropolitan Police said on Twitter/X: 'The crowd has reduced in size. 'We have imposed conditions on those who remain requiring them to move out of the road and continue their protest on the pavement. 'Those who dont comply with these conditions can be arrested. Whitehall has now been reopened for traffic. Later on, in an additional post, the Metropolitan Police said on Twitter/X: 'All remaining protesters have now left the area and officers are standing down. Once the crowd had reduced in size, Whitehall - which was previously closed - was reopened reopened and officers 'imposed conditions' on remaining protesters that required them to move away from the area The crowd has reduced in size. We have imposed conditions on those who remain requiring them to move out of the road and continue their protest on the pavement. Those who dont comply with these conditions can be arrested. Whitehall has now been reopened for traffic. https://t.co/dVQL9Vu7b3 Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 12, 2024 We can confirm that officers have arrested a woman on suspicion of inciting racial hatred in relation to the placard pictured below. https://t.co/OACzcjx8re Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) February 12, 2024 'There was one arrest this evening on suspicion of inciting racial hatred in relation to a placard.' The high number of protesters earlier this evening led to the Met shutting down the southbound carriageway starting from Horse Guards Avenue to Parliament Square. Whitehall northbound also closed from Parliament Square to Horse Guards Avenue. Previously closed Whitehall has since been reopened for traffic. Rep. Ryan Zinke has demanded that his primary opponent's 'aggressive' husband apologize after he allegedly punched a member of his staff over the weekend. According to Zinke's retelling of the scuffle, Mary Todd's husband Rick was seen tearing down Zinke campaign signs at the Montana GOP kick-off in Helena, Mont. on Saturday. Campaign staff asked Todd to leave and he 'grew aggressive' and 'tried to forcibly pull the sign from my staff's hands while yelling at my staff and other witnesses,' Zinke said. 'Todd then punched a member of my staff, who promptly left the situation with witnesses as Mr. Todd yelled at event staff and other witnesses who were attempting to get him to walk away.' Rep. Ryan Zinke has demanded that his 2022 primary opponent's 'aggressive' husband apologize after he allegedly punched a member of his staff over the weekend Zinke said Todd then 'aggressively' approached his staff to apologize and was again asked to leave. Mary Todd then reportedly apologized for her husband and said his actions were 'wrong and shameful.' Mary Todd in a statement to DailyMail.com accused Zinke of 'slanderous lies.' She said her husband was upset because Zinke had displayed a blown-up photo of a check they had given his campaign at the Republican event. 'Zinkes accusations of Feb12, 2024 are categorically false and defamatory. After the Congressional Primary of 2022, my husband Rick and I did donate two $1000 checks to Ryan Zinkes campaign. We also hosted a fundraiser in our home, in his honor.' 'What the Zinke campaign is calling campaign material is one of the checks which they enlarged and publicly displayed at the GOP winter Kick-Off in Helena. My husband was understandably upset, however, Zinke has resorted to slanderous lies.' Zinke, meanwhile, said during the 2022 campaign, when Todd and Zinke were also facing off in a primary, Rick Todd 'verbally accosted' Zinke's wife and female staff. The congressman then brought up the Todd's son's alleged brutal murder in Singapore a decade ago. Mary Todd in a statement to DailyMail.com accused Zinke of 'slanderous lies.' She said her husband was upset because Zinke had displayed a blown-up photo of a check they had given his campaign at the Republican event According to Zinke's retelling of the scuffle, Mary Todd's husband Rick was seen tearing down Zinke campaign signs at the Montana GOP kick-off in Helena, Mont. on Saturday 'I understand that Rick and Mary carry a heavy burden of family grief and that they may be angry from their failed House race in 2022 where Mary Todd earned little support despite spending considerable personal wealth,' he said. The Todd's son Shane was found hanging in his Singapore apartment in June 2012. The Singapore Police ruled the death a suicide, but Mary Todd insists her son was murdered because he would not transfer high-technology secrets to a Chinese company. 'I forgave the lies of her campaign,' Zinke went on. 'Despite my core belief of people being held accountable for their actions and words, I believe this episode is better resolved with a personal apology and a vow to end all aggressive actions and lies.' In 2022 Zinke garnered 41.7 precent of the Republican primary votes compared to Todd's 10.4 percent. He then won the election for Montana's first district 49.6 to 46.5 percent. A terrified Jewish theatregoer who was hounded out of London's Soho Theatre when a comedian unfurled a Palestinian flag and led chants telling him to leave has told MailOnline how he feared the comic was going to 'punch' him. 'Absurdist' comedian Paul Currie is alleged to have encouraged the 200-strong crowd to chant 'get the f*** out' and 'free Palestine' at Liahav Eitan at the central London theatre - which used to be a synagogue - on Saturday night. Mr Eitan, who was out celebrating his 33rd birthday with a friend, has revealed how he was left terrified of the 'mob mentality' and has called for Currie to be banned from performing at theatres. Audience members were left feeling 'uneasy' when Currie, who performed hours after attending a pro-Palestine rally in London, pulled out a Ukraine flag followed by a Palestine flag at the end of his one-hour show and demanded a standing ovation. He then confronted Mr Eitan and his friend because they stayed sat down - before leading pro-Palestine chants as they fled the venue. Currie has not responded to requests for comment. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, Mr Eitan, who moved from Israel to London five years ago, said: 'I don't think theatres should book this person. He seemed violent and dangerous.' The software engineer, whose seats were behind Currie, added: 'The only way out was through the stage. We had to actually get on the stage quite close to him - and I was quite afraid that he'd throw a punch because he was still cursing and shouting. 'He got out his Palestine flag again and shouted "motherf***er you'll have to watch it again on your way out".' Liahav Eitan (pictured) was hounded out of London's Soho Theatre after comedian Paul Currie encouraged his audience to chant 'get the f*** out' and 'free Palestine' Paul Currie is an 'absurdist' comedian who is from Belfast. He is alleged to have told an Israeli man and his friends to leave his show Mr Eitan and his friend fled from the Soho Theatre to Bloomsbury in a bid to move away from the venue, where the crowd were spilling out and some of them were giving them 'unfriendly glances'. He continued: 'From the audience, we were mostly scared. We wanted to get out of the of the situation. It seemed like a bit of a mob mentality that could go sour any second. 'So we were just afraid of violence. That's why we didn't linger right? We just wanted to get out of there.' Mr Eitan added: '[We were] mostly scared about how that room might turn against us. From the comedian, I didn't feel any sort of way like I thought it really reflected on him rather than on us.' Recalling how the night unfolded, Mr Eitan explained how he and his friend had booked last-minute tickets to see Currie because they had time to kill before a birthday dinner at 9.30pm. Mr Eitan said that while the show was 'bizarre', everything was fine until Currie unfurled the flags and asked the audience to stand up. He said he didn't believe it was fair to compare the Palestine and Ukraine conflicts but he just stayed sat and didn't do anything. The incident comes amid heightened tensions as the Israel-Hamas conflict rages on. Mr Eitan continued: 'If I was closer to the door, maybe I would have left at that stage. But as it was, I just waited five minutes for the for the show to end. 'When it ended, a lot of the people got up and clapped. There was a bit of a standing ovation there and me and my friends just stayed sat down quietly and not clapping. 'I didn't mean to make any point of it right? I just didn't really enjoy that bit.' Currie, who often shares pro-Palestine content on social media, is then said to have shown his appreciation to the crowd for coming before sarcastically thanking Mr Eitan and his friend for not standing up and clapping. The Soho Theatre was where the shocking incident occurred. It also used to be a synagogue The Soho Theatre issued a full apology for the incident and said that they would be investigating Mr Eitan said that Currie 'lingered' on them for around five to ten seconds until he responded: 'Thank you for that Palestine flag'. Currie then seemed 'quite taken aback' and asked Mr Eitan if he was being sarcastic. 'Then he said something like, 'Okay, well, you're welcome. You're welcome for the Palestine flag. It was part of the show.' 'And then he came back to me again and said, "Did you enjoy the show?" I said, "Yes, up until that point". And he said, "Ah up until that point". 'Then he just turns back to me and starts screaming, 'I'm from Belfast. I know everything about ceasefires. Ceasefire now, get the f*** out of my theatre. Get out, get the f*** out of my show, motherf***ers.' Mr Eitan said he then asked his friend if they should grab their things and go before they calmly attempted to leave. 'Unfortunately, when the entire crowd was still inside, the only way out was through the stage,' he added. Coming close with the comedian on stage, Mr Eitan said Currie started a 'public chant of 'ceasefire now, and free Palestine' as he 'tried to incite the crowd'. He added: 'I didn't look at him on the way out. We just left.' Mr Eitan said Currie should 'certainly' be reprimanded for his 'unreasonable and unprofessional behaviour'. The Soho Theatre has apologised for the 'upset and hurt' caused by the incident to some of their customers and will be investigating what happened. They wrote: 'We are sorry and saddened by an incident that took place at our venue at the end of a performance of Paul Currie: Shtoom on Saturday 10 of February which has caused upset and hurt to members of audience attending and others. 'We take this very seriously and are looking into the detail of what happened as thoroughly, as sensitively, and as quickly as we can. 'It is important to us that Soho Theatre is welcoming and inclusive place for all.' Paul Currie at a pro-Palestine march hours before performing at London's Soho Theatre on Saturday Campaign Against Antisemitism said they are assisting Jewish guests who were allegedly hounded out of the Soho Theatre in London. A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'What the Jewish audience-members have recounted is atrocious, and we are working with them and our lawyers to ensure that those who instigated and enabled it are held to account. 'These allegations are of deeply disturbing discriminatory abuse against Jews. Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but hounding Jews out of theatres is reminiscent of humanity's darkest days, and must have no place in central London in 2024.' The Israel-Hamas conflict was sparked by the Palestinian terror group's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians. The Hamas-ruled territory's health ministry says Israel's offensive has killed at least 28,340 people in Gaza, mostly women and children. A Met Police spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the incident that took place at the Soho Theatre on Saturday evening. 'We understand why it was upsetting for those involved and we note the venue has issued a statement confirming they are looking into what took place. 'A report was submitted to police on Monday and enquiries are ongoing.' MailOnline has contacted Paul Currie for comment. A pro-Palestine protester who had an image of a Hamas paraglider stuck to her back at a demonstration a week after the October 7 attack chanted 'Britain is a terror state', a court has been told. Pauline Ankunda, 26, was caught on video during the protest chanting 'France is a terror state, the UK is a terror state, Italy is a terror state.' Ankunda and her co-defendant Heba Alhayek, 29, claimed under interview that someone at the demonstration in London 'who was not known to them' had stuck the images to their backs. But they later changed their statements and admitted they had attached them themselves, Westminster Magistrates' Court was told. They displayed the images on October 14, prosecutors allege, just seven days after militants from Hamas used paragliders to enter Israel from Gaza on October 7 before killing more than 1,000 Israelis. Hamas is banned as a terror organisation in the UK. Pauline Ankunda, 26, outside Westminster Magistrates Court. Like her co-defendants she denies the charges against her Heba Alhayek, 29, has been charged with the same offence under the Terrorism Act Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, arrives at Westminster Magistrates Court today for a trial where she will be accused of indicating support for banned organisation Hamas The co-defendant, Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, stuck an image of a Hamas paraglider to the handle of a placard, it is alleged. The trio's display of the images was widely condemned when footage of the demonstration was published on social media, their trial heard. They are all charged under the Terrorism Act with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are supporters of banned organisation Hamas. They deny the charges. Prosecutor Brett Weaver told the court: 'The displaying of these images could be viewed as celebrating the use of the paragliders tactic. 'They had them on display for a significant period of time. Each of them would have been able to see what the others were doing.' After the Metropolitan Police launched a social media appeal to find them, Alhayek and Ankunda handed themselves in to Croydon Police Station, the court heard. 'The defendants accepted that it was they who fixed the images to their back as opposed to being applied by someone else,' said Mr Weaver. 'They stated that they did not see the images as being supportive of Hamas.' Ankunda and Alhayek had the images sellotaped to their backs The offence the women are accused of is contrary to section 13(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000 When arrested and interviewed under caution, Taiwo claimed to have been handed the placard and not paid proper attention to the 'blurry image' it displayed, the court heard. 'She denied being a member of Hamas or any proscribed organisation,' said the prosecutor. 'She accepted that she was present at the demonstration on 14 October and was handed the placard while she was there. 'She had not paid attention to what was fixed to the placard as it was a blurry image. She said she believed it to be a symbol of liberation and peace.' Alyayek and Anjunda, of Upper Norwood, and Taiwo, of south Norwood, all deny wearing or carrying an article supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation The trial continues. Victims often have no idea who has seen the footage or if it has been uploaded permanently to the internet The devices can be hidden in sockets, smoke detectors, shower heads mirrors or even 'a hole in the wall' Vacationers are at the mercy of being spied on by tiny cameras, with as many as one in ten rental properties affected, experts warn Thousands of vacationers have no idea they are being spied on in their rentals because technology has rendered some cameras almost too small to see, experts have warned. Lenses the size of pinheads are routinely concealed in sockets, smoke alarms or mirrors, with nearly one-in-ten rental homes now bugged, investigator Thomas Martin told CBS. It is illegal across the US to install secret cameras where residents might have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and the practice is strictly forbidden by rental companies such as AirBnB and VRBO. But the devices have been found in bedrooms, bathrooms and even shower heads filming guests' most intimate moments. 'Once that recording is made, it's impossible to know where it went, who sent it, has it been shared, has it gone on the internet,' said Maryland attorney Dan Whitney. 'Now it's a Pandora's box of uncertainty.' A Texas couple, Kayelee Gates (right) and her fiance Christian Capraro (left), sued a Maryland man for $75,000 after he allegedly planted hidden cameras in their Airbnb A strong light shone on a smoke detector reveals the telltale glint of a lens placed in a hole It also illuminates the hidden camera concealed behind the fascia of a bedside alarm clock Whitney was representing Texas couple Kayelee Gates and Christian Capraro, who sued their AirBnB owner for $75,000 after they discovered cameras in the bedroom of their Maryland rental and realized an identical one had just filmed them having sex in the bathroom. 'I went into pure panic, pure shock mode,' Gates said. 'I definitely have had many cry sessions about it.' Martin, who runs a private investigations firm in Newport Beach, California, said he gets between five and eight calls a day asking for bug sweeps. He suggests asking the property owner if they have conducted bug sweeps on their property. 'If they can produce documents that show that they have done sweeps, all the better,' he added. 'Let's give credit where credit's due, short-term rental companies have tried to address this.' San Diego Private Investigator Bart Santos said heating and air conditioner vents were common places to conceal cameras. Gates and Capraro were filmed by cameras hidden in smoke detectors, but Santos says that threat can be easily dealt with. Tech expert Marcus Hutchins has attracted million of likes for his advice video on TikTok No gap between a finger and its reflection in a mirror suggests it is the frontpiece for a camera The tiny light in an electrical plug reveals the presence of a camera 'Of course, you don't want to go destroying any smoke detectors in a house or apartment that you are renting, placing a little piece of tape over it won't do any harm and can ease any anxiety over hidden cameras,' he explained. Televisions and phone chargers are also vulnerable, Santos said and the presence of cameras can be indicated a missing screw or an extra hole. 'I like to think of it in terms of the Secret Service and how agents detect counterfeit items, they do so by studying the real thing. That way they know when something doesn't look right,' he added. One horrified couple discovered their San Diego Clairemont Mesa Airbnb riddled with cameras on the third night of their stay in 2018. Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy 'My client immediately did the right thing and contacted the police, something that everyone should do if they find what they believe is a camera inside of their vacation rental,' attorney David Beavans said. 'The police then followed him back to the rental unit and did their investigation, wrote their report, took their photos, and then filed a claim against the property owner.' 'The concern in cases such as these is that these images weren't just being seen by one individual,' he added. 'The concern is that they were being sold outside to generate money. For my client, that means every time that somebody looks at him funny, every time that somebody looks at him differently, he wonders whether he's been recognized.' Michael O'Rourke of global security firm Advanced Operational Concepts recommends unplugging bedside clocks and covering keyholes in doors and cracks under doorways. Turning off all the lights and using a flashlight can help to find the telltale reflections of camera lenses, said Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at Pixel Privacy. Hauk said that while the room is dark you can also look for green or red LED lights - another telltale sign of a hidden camera. 'Look behind hanging mirrors for cameras,' he added. 'If a mirror is bolted to the wall, turn off the lights and, hold a flashlight up to the mirror and scan its surface with it. 'If all you see is your flashlight's reflection, the mirror is likely a traditional one-way mirror. 'However, if you can see into an area behind the mirror, it is likely a two-way mirror, which can allow hidden cameras to record the area. 'Look out for strange Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth signals and use your phone to try to connect to devices in the area: these could be signs of recording devices.' Hundreds of vacationers have uploaded footage to TikTok revealing the secret recording devices they have found in their rentals. But the platform is also full of tips on how to avoid falling victim. British computer security expert Marcus Hutchins is best known for foiling the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack before being arrested for selling banking malware. But he has also attracted five million likes for his TikTok video on how to find hidden cameras in rentals. 'Look for devices conveniently placed where a creeper would want to lurk,' he said. 'Take this fire alarm, for instance, it's placed right above the bed. 'These camera lenses are very small so they can be hidden in anything, even a hole in the wall.' A spokesperson for Airbnb told CBS that hidden cameras are extremely rare at their rentals and that devices in private areas of the home, such as the bathroom and the bedroom are not allowed. A spokesperson for VRBO said it has 'a strict, long-standing policy against surveillance devices that violate the privacy and security of our guests'. 'Although these occurrences are rare, our trust and safety team actively investigates any complaints about bad actors and takes action accordingly, including permanently removing any host in violation of our policies,' they added. Police officers had to force open a transgender sex offender's door after he was found with three vulnerable children locked in his home. Ryan Scott had been engaged in sexual activity with one of the 14-year-old girls by the time the police were able to gain entry to the property on April 9, 2023. Police also found two other children in the house, both under the age of 16, who admitted that there had been sexual contact between the accused and the 14-year-old girl. Scott, from Dundee, admitted engaging in sexual activity and kissing the child on the face while they were both stripped to their underwear. The paedophile - who was convicted of a similar offence as a female called Coral Scott last year - has been remanded in custody for background pre-sentence reports. Ryan Scott (pictured) had been engaged in sexual activity with one of the 14-year-old girls by the time the police were able to gain entry to the property on April 9, 2023 Fiscal depute Charmaine Gilmartin told Dundee Sheriff Court: 'At noon on 9 April 2023 officers attended the address as they had reports three high-risk vulnerable children could be within. 'There was no reply to their knocking. Neighbours confirmed they had seen the accused and three others going into the property. 'A joiner was requested to come and force entry. While it was being forced, the accused eventually came and opened the door. 'The three children were in the house. All were under 16 and they were taken into 'Two of the children made admissions that there had been sexual contact between the accused and the 14-year-old girl. She confirmed this.' The court heard how Scott lured the schoolgirl back to his flat to engage in sexual activity on Valentine's Day, despite knowing she was only 14. The 21-year-old - who was born female - then tried to pervert the course of justice by taunting the frightened schoolgirl with death threats. In a SnapChat voice message, Scott told his victim: 'See the next time I see you, you better not be in my scheme or I'll fucking do you. You're a fucking slut.' Scott accused the young girl of 'pushing for it' and her friend later told police that Scott was well aware that his victim was just 14 years old. Solicitor Morgan Day, defending, asked the court to grant Scott bail, but Sheriff Alistair Carmichael refused and remanded the 21-year-old in custody. The victim's mother said: 'After it happened my child changed, she became withdrawn, even violent, and wouldn't speak to us. We knew something had happened. 'We didn't know she had gone to meet someone. Then a friend got in touch and said this person had told others they were going to be meeting our daughter. 'They also said the person was called Coral Scott. We kept asking our daughter, 'Who is Coral?' She said he was called Ryan. We didn't understand. 'It was weeks later when she finally told us this person had forced her to do things she didn't want to do. She said she was traumatised and paralysed with fear when it was happening. 'It broke our hearts to see what this monster had done to our little girl. It destroyed our beautiful daughter. She was a child and whether he was a man or a woman, this was an adult preying on a child.' Scott, from Dundee, admitted engaging in sexual activity and kissing the child on the face while they were both stripped to their underwear One month before the latest offence took place, Coral Scott was banned at the same court from starting any new relationship without special permission. She was banned from having any unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16, but was allowed to walk free from court after a sheriff said the time spent on remand would count as the punishment. Scott, who was most recently being held in Polmont, was placed on the Sex Offenders Register and under social work supervision for three years in that case. Sheriff Paul Brown imposed two special 'conduct requirements' - prohibiting contact with any under 16 without permission, and 'reporting any intimate relationship to the supervising officer.' In that previous case, Scott admitted 'engaging in sexual activity with or towards' the 14-year-old girl. In court during March 2023, the accused was referred to as Coral and was understood to be identifying as female in prison. Scott - who has previous convictions for violence, threatening behaviour and carrying a knife - used fake social media accounts to target the girl months later. Fiscal depute Joanne Ritchie told the court: 'The accused and the girl initially developed a friendship on SnapChat through a mutual friend's group. 'On 14 February 2022, she and the girl met at the McManus Galleries in Dundee. She and the accused then travelled to the accused's address by bus. 'They were initially alone and sat in the living room watching movies. A short time later the accused's friend arrived. 'The accused's behaviour changed and she began to show off by kissing and sucking the girl's neck, leaving bruising. They kissed each other on the lips.' Scott was reported to police and then traced and charged on May 1. Nine days later, when she was already subject to six bail orders, Scott again targeted the child. Solicitor Morgan Day, defending, asked Dundee Sheriff Court (pictured) to grant Scott bail, but Sheriff Alistair Carmichael refused and remanded the 21-year-old in custody 'She received a SnapChat friend request from 'Amelia.' She assumed this was someone at her school and she accepted the friend request,' Ms Ritchie said. It was two voice messages from Scott. They read: 'So see if I get the jail mate, you're fucked mate. You're dead. You're just a pure f****** horrible c***. Never met somebody so horrible in my life.' The girl used a second device to record the messages and play them back to her mother. Scott admitted sending messages which threatened the girl and tried to frighten her so she would not give evidence. By the time of the final message, Scott had been released on six bail orders. Scott also previously admitted having a knife in Wentworth Drive, Dundee, on 6 January 2022, and hitting a door and window with it, as well as poking it through a letterbox. Trump spoke at the event after campaigning in South Carolina and was pictured with Melania in her second public outing in one week Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle made a statement donning a sheer black dress at a Saturday party filled with Trump-world celebrities - including the former president after campaigning in South Carolina. Trumpettes USA, a Donald Trump fan club, hosted their fourth annual extravaganza on Saturday called 'A Golden Evening for a Golden President' at Mar-a-Lago. The event was described as 'an elegant evening of puttin' on the glitz' featuring an elaborate cocktail hour and dinner, live music and a 'mega MAGA star-studded guest list.' Tickets started at $850 a plate. Donald Trump spoke at the event, which he flew to after campaigning at a rally in South Carolina two weeks before the state's Republican primary. 'We had a tremendous day, we've had quite a month, frankly,' The Palm Beach Post reported he said. Donald Trump spoke at the Trumpettes USA fourth annual extravaganza on Saturday called 'A Golden Evening for a Golden President' at Mar-a-Lago Donald Trump Jr.'s fiancee Kimberly Guilfoyle made a statement donning a sheer black dress at a party filled with Trump world celebrities honoring the former president Tiffany Trump, who is the former president's only child from his second marriage to Marla Maples, was also in attendance Trump spoke of Biden at the gala, 'He's got a triple. He's got the worst president, the most incompetent president and the most dishonest president. Other than that, he's doing a great job.' He was pictured with wife Melania in her second Mar-a-Lago spotting in a week. On February 5, she made her first public outing since her mother's funeral in January. Guilfoyle showed some skin at the event that honored her soon-to-be father-in-law, wearing a sheer black dress with silver and gold sparkles. Tiffany Trump, who is the former president's only child from his second marriage to Marla Maples, was also in attendance. nTiffany was pictured at the dinner wearing a lacy black dress with her husband since November 2022, Michael Boulos. Ticket prices for the event ranged from $850 to $2,500 and included musical performances from Robert Davi, Frank DiSalvo, Philippe Harari and his orchestra, Hadas Levy, Maycol & Lillian and Los Tres de la Habana. The invitation advised women to wear either gold, white or black 'glamorous attire' and men to wear black suit or black tie. Political firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene was in attendance, wearing a black dress with a feathery neckline MyPillow founder Mike Lindell was awarded the Patriot Award 2024 by the Trumpettes USA at the event The Palm Beach Post reported Davi sang a version of Frank Sinatra's 'My Way' where he bellowed 'Trump did it his way.' Political firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene was also in attendance, wearing a black dress with a feathery neckline. 'You know what they say, "We don't have a spending problem in Washington, they think it's a revenue problem.'' That means they're coming after your money,' Greene said at the party. Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake was there donning a sparkly black dress, just weeks after she was booed during a meeting of the Arizona Republican Party to find a replacement for the state chairman. The former party chairman, Jeff DeWit, was forced to resign after DailyMail.com published a recording of the moment he apparently offered Lake a bribe not to run again. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wore a plaid blue suit jacket and light blue shirt to the event. Last month he officially endorsed the former president in his re-election campaign. The event was described as 'an elegant evening of puttin' on the glitz' featuring an elaborate cocktail hour and dinner, live music and a 'mega MAGA star-studded guest list.' Tickets started at $850 a plate The Hercules: The Legendary Journeys actor Kevin Sorbo, 65, attended the event Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake was at the event organized by Trumpettes USA donning a sparkly black dress Trumpettes USA, a Donald Trump fan club, co-founded by Toni Holt Kramer (left) organized the event to honor the former president Texas Sen. Ted Cruz wore a plaid blue suit jacket and light blue shirt to the event. Last month he officially endorsed the former president in his re-election campaign 'We're going to campaign hard and I think we're going to win, and we're going to win the Senate,' Cruz said at a pre-gala event. MyPillow found Mike Lindell was awarded the Patriot Award 2024 by the Trumpettes USA at the event. The 2020 election denier sported a black suit and bow tie while accepting his award. Fox News recently dropped adverts for MyPillow after Lindell 'ran out of money' following his voting machines defamation case. Other reported guests include former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, Trump Administration Physician to the President Ronny Jackson and Trump Administration Acting Director of ICE Thomas Homan. David Cameron has defended his decision to nominate Michelle Mone for a peerage as she and her husband face allegations of fraud and bribery. Baroness Mone was made a Tory life peer in 2015 after she was put forward by the then Prime Minister. During the pandemic, the lingerie tycoon lobbied the Cabinet Office to secure lucrative business for PPE Medpro, a company in which her husband Doug Barrowman was involved. The firm was then awarded contracts to supply the NHS with personal protective equipment (PPE) through the so-called VIP lane to fast-track preferred partners. PPE Medpro, a company led Doug Barrowman, is now under investigation by the National Crime Agency[ Lady Mone celebrates her 50th in 2021 Yesterday Lord Cameron on his first visit to Scotland since becoming Foreign Secretary was asked by STV News if he took any responsibility for Baroness Mone being able to refer her husbands company as a PPE supplier via the VIP lane. He said: Well, obviously Michelle Mone is responsible for what she does. Yes, I did nominate her for a peerage because at the time, from what I could see, she was a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur, a proud Scot, a proud Brit and a proud Conservative. Around 75million of assets linked to Baroness Mone and Mr Barrowman have been frozen or restricted by a court order. Baroness Mone, who is on leave of absence from the Lords, and Mr Barrowman are being investigated over allegations of potential fraud and bribery, with a 3million payment into the baronesss Coutts bank account forming part of the probe. Both Mr Barrowman and Baroness Mone deny the allegations. The frozen assets include a Belgravia townhouse in London, an estate on the Isle of Man, and 15 accounts at Coutts and Goldman Sachs International, according to the Financial Times. David Cameron defends his position to nominate Michelle Mone a life peer in 2015 A spokesman for the couple said they were happy to offer up the assets as it means they can begin the task of proving their innocence more quickly. Baroness Mone admitted she stands to benefit to the tune of millions of pounds from items sold to the UK by PPE Medpro. The firm is being sued by the Department of Health and Social Care for 122million, as well as costs, for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Glasgow-born Lady Mone has admitted she lied when she previously denied having connections to PPE Medpro. She now accepts she was involved and that Mr Barrowman made more than 60million profit, much of which was paid into an offshore trust. Millions of medical gowns the firm provided were never used but the couple have said they met the terms of the contract. Last month Mr Barrowman, who is also from Glasgow, claimed he and his wife have been hung out to dry over the Governments Covid PPE failings. Meanwhile, Lord Cameron yesterday met the family of Dumbarton man Jagtar Singh Johal, who has been held in an Indian prison for more than six years. Mr Johal was arrested in 2017 during a visit to India. It is alleged he was tortured and now faces the death penalty as a result of his campaigning for Sikh rights. While not calling for Mr Johal to be released, Lord Cameron said: I take these cases very seriously. The Indian government has got to speed up this case. A father, who started a wildfire during his family's gender reveal photoshoot sparking a massive blaze that left a firefighter dead, will head to jail for a year and pay a $1.8million fine. Refugio Jimenez Jr. and his wife Angelina Jimenez inadvertently started the 22,000-acre 'El Dorado' fire in September 2020 by using a pyrotechnic device that was supposed to emit blue or pink smoke for their baby's gender reveal. The fire raged for weeks, killing US Forest Service firefighter Charles Morton, 39, injuring two other firefighters and 13 civilians, destroying homes and forcing hundreds to evacuate. Refugio pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and two felony counts of recklessly causing fire to an inhabited structure. Angelina pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing a fire to anothers property and was sentenced to a year summary probation and community service. Firefighters arrive to attend a memorial for Charles Morton, the US Forest Service firefighter assigned to the Big Bear Hotshots who was killed in the line of duty on September 17, 2020 Firefighter Ricardo Gomez, of a San Benito Monterey Cal Fire crew, sets a controlled burn while fighting the Creek Fire The wildfire is pictured moving up the hillsides of San Bernardino National Forest The pair were also ordered to pay $1,789,972 in restitution. District Attorney Jason Anderson said: 'Resolving the case was never going to be a win. 'The Defendants reckless conduct had tremendous impact on land, properties, emergency response resources, the displacement of entire communities, and resulted in the tragic death of Forest Service Wildland Firefighter Charles Morton. 'All these factors were given an extraordinary amount of consideration throughout every step of investigation, the Grand Jury process, and court proceedings.' The El Dorado Fire started on September 5, when the Jimenezs and their young children staged a photo shoot for their new baby's gender reveal at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains. A smoke-generating pyrotechnic device was set off in a field and quickly ignited dry grass on a scorching day. The couple frantically tried to use bottled water to douse the flames and called 911. They waited at the scene for emergency services to arrive, Bennet Milloy, spokesman for the fire department, told DailyMail.com at the time: 'We know how it started because they were still there.' The wildfire was started by gender reveal photoshoot The fire spread from the El Dorado Ranch Park north, onto the Yucaipa Ridge and into the San Bernardino National Forest Cal Fire firefighters protect a structure near Montiel Truck Trail during the Valley Fire, in San Diego County Milloy said it was a relatively small family gathering, and that the relatives had gathered for a photo opportunity. Asked if the family realized the seriousness of their predicament, he said: 'They understood the seriousness of the fire.' Milloy continued: 'They genuinely believed it was an accident. But I think now they understand the gravity of the situation.' Strong winds stoked the fire as it ran through wilderness on national forest land, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. Charles Morton, the 39-year-old leader of the elite Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Squad, was killed on September 17, when flames overran a remote area where firefighters were cutting fire breaks. Morton had worked as a firefighter for 18 years, mostly with the U.S. Forest Service. The fire burnt close to 36 square miles of land in San Bernardino and neighboring counties until it was contained on November 16. Mike Scafiddi, the lawyer for Refugio Jimenez Jr., said the couple has wanted to speak publicly about the fire, its impact on the community and Morton's death but cannot because of the ongoing federal litigation. A fire fighting plane is seen dousing the area with specially-formulated fire retardants designed to suffocate the sparks 'They have been praying for Mr. Morton and his family every night since his death. It has touched them profoundly.' The lawyer said his client had researched and tested the pyrotechnic device before setting it off that day, finding no problems online or during his test. 'It was unforeseeable in all minds.' Scafiddi said the couple had not, contrary to what's been said publicly for years, hosted a gender-reveal party. He said it was a photo shoot to discover the baby's gender with the couple, a few relatives and their children. 'To infer that it was a gathering of multiple people with food and celebration is simply incorrect. This was simply taking photographs in what was a beautiful backdrop.' Refugio will be taken into custody on February 23 to serve a year in jail. His sentence also includes two years of felony probation and 200 hours of community service. The fire was one of thousands during a record-breaking wildfire season in California that charred more than 4 percent of the state while destroying nearly 10,500 buildings and killing 33 people. Clead warnings that Scotland would become a dumping ground for XL bully dogs were ignored by SNP ministers, correspondence has revealed. The UK Government sent multiple letters to the Scottish Government urging it to support a co-ordinated approach to curbs on the breed. The first plea came on September 29, a month before legislation was formally introduced south of the Border. In a direct warning on November 11, Cabinet minister Michael Gove told Deputy First Minister Shona Robison of his concern that Scotland would become a potential dumping ground for dangerous dogs that are moved from England and Wales to Scotland. Curbs on XL bullies follows deadly attacks A final plea was issued in mid-December, a fortnight before the ban came into force in England and Wales, warning it would not be an offence to travel to Scotland and abandon an XL bully dog. Despite the series of warnings, Humza Yousaf claimed his government was not consulted on the legislation south of the Border. He finally agreed to bring in a ban only when the number of the dogs being brought to Scotland soared. A man was reported to the procurator fiscal last month after a bully-type dog mauled two men in a horror attack in Hamilton before it was shot dead. The animal had been rescued two weeks before the incident. Tory MSP Jamie Greene said: This correspondence proves SNP ministers were made aware that legislation was planned by the UK Government as far back as September, despite Humza Yousafs claims they failed to consult him. Everyone knew that the SNP should have followed the sensible UK ban but instead Humza Yousaf sat on his hands for months, stoking constitutional grievance, before being forced into a humiliating U-turn. New rules for XL bully dogs in England and Wales were introduced on December 31 after a spate of attacks. The intention to make it illegal to breed, sell, advertise, gift, exchange or abandon the dogs was first announced by Rishi Sunak on September 15, with the legislative statutory instruments laid in the Commons on October 31. However, it was not until January 11 that Mr Yousaf announced plans for a similar ban in Scotland. He claimed that the action was needed because there had been a flow of XL bully dogs to Scotland, and criticised the UK Government for announcing its plans without any consultation with the Scottish Government. Curbs will not come into force in Scotland until February 23, when it will be a criminal offence to breed, sell, abandon or give away an XL bully dog, with penalties of up to six months in jail and/or a fine of up to 5,000. A Scottish Government spokesman said: The UK Government announced its decision to introduce new controls on XL bully dogs on 15 September with no advance notice or consultation... The UK Governments proposals did not include proper safeguards to prevent dogs being moved to Scotland and failed to provide clarity as to whether rehoming, selling or abandoning of XL bully dogs in Scotland by owners living in England and Wales constituted an offence under their legislation. Once we knew the adverse consequences and implications for Scotland of the UK Governments plans, we brought forward new safeguards on XL bully dogs. Meghan Markle has joined 15 women who have resettled in the US from Afghanistan to cook traditional Afghan food over the weekend. The Duchess of Sussex created The Welcome Project in 2023 together with the Archewell Foundation, which she set up together with Prince Harry. The programme is supposed to create 'a safe haven and inclusive environment for women who have recently resettled in the US from Afghanistan', according to a press release by the Archewell Foundation. On Saturday, Meghan joined the Southern California Welcome Project for an evening of cooking and storytelling. Mina's List, the foundation's partner, brought together 15 women that prepared traditional Afghan food like Ashak and Mantuu, both of which are a type of dumpling, with the Duchess. The Duchess of Sussex (centre) prepared Afghan food together with 15 Afghan women now living in the US on Saturday Mina's List, the foundation's partner, brought together 15 women that prepared traditional Afghan food like Ashak and Mantuu, both are a type of dumpling (the making of which is pictured above), with the Duchess The women showed Megan how to fill the dumplings and fold them correctly so they keep their shape while cooking (pictured above) Afterwards, the group of women sat down to discuss their personal stories and the 'support they find from this inter-generational group of women'. Foundation partner Mina's List has been working with women activists and political leaders in Afghanistan since 2014 to push for greater gender equality. It helped evacuate and resettle over 2,000 Afghan women and families through independent and coalition efforts in 2021. With many women resettling in Southern California, Mina's List and The Archewell Foundation joined forces to 'provide community and support to these remarkable women as they begin to rebuild their lives in the US', the press release read. This comes after it was revealed at the end of last year that donations to the Archewell Foundation have plunged by $11million (8.7m) in 2023 - leaving it with losses of 537k - with boss and the couple's right-hand man James Holt handed a massive 280% pay rise. The Sussexes in December released their charity's annual report and a glitzy promotional film showing their good works in 2023 - but it has also emerged that its finances have dived. An income tax return filed in the US revealed that in 2022 donations were down to just over $2million (1.6m) - down from $12.9million (10.3m) in 2021, an astonishing drop of $11million (8.7m). And 2021's profit of $9million (7.1m) has nosedived amid a lack of donations. The Archewell Foundation recorded a loss of $674,485 (536,357) for last year because revenue was $2million but costs were $2.67million. In 2022 there were only two major donors giving around $1million (795,210) each. The year before an unidentified wealthy donor gave them $10million but there was no repeat in 2022. It follows a tumultuous year for the couple, which saw Harry's vitriolic memoir, Spare, top the bestseller lists but their personal popularity ratings tumble. The couple (pictured at the Invictus Games in September 2023) set up their Archewell Foundation after quitting the Royal Family and say it is an 'impact-driven global nonprofit that puts compassion into action' which is 'committed to a simple but profound mission: show up, do good' The foundation's highest paid employee is Meghan and Harry's right-hand man James Holt (right with the couple in their Netflix Invictus documentary). He was paid $227,405 a year ($180,835), including a $20,000 (15,904) bonus The foundation has filed its annual tax return showing donations have plunged (top set of circled figures) and a profit has turned into a loss (bottom, circled) - but they do still have cash in the bank They were also the subject of ridicule by popular televisions shows such as South Park and Family Guy, lambasted after claims about a reportedly 'near catastrophic' car chase in New York and lost their lucrative podcast deal with Spotify, where one senior executive labelled them '******* grifters'. The couple set up their Archewell Foundation after quitting the Royal Family and say it is an 'impact-driven global nonprofit that puts compassion into action' which is 'committed to a simple but profound mission: show up, do good.' The Foundation employed five people, with salaries totaling $640,441 (509,285) for the year. Harry and Meghan did not take a salary. But executive director James Holt, considered the Sussexes' right-hand man since Megxit, was paid $227,405 a year (180,835) over 18 months, including a $20,000 (15,904) bonus. This was around a $170,000 (133,000) pay rise, up from his starting salary of $59,846 (47,641) the year before. Holt's 2021 salary did not reflect a full 12 months of work - it was only for six months - because he joined in the middle of the year, it is understood. Despite the loss in 2022, it appears that the foundation, described as a 'non-profit' organisation, still holds around $8.3milllion (6.6m) in cash and assets. The charity still has reserves available and an Archewell spokesperson contested Holt's pay rise. The spokesperson said the accounts showed the charity was doing well and managed its finances aptly and would likely have millions to spend each year. High-profile foundations sometimes receive a large amount of funding in the first year which is then used over the course of several years. If a foundation already has a large amount of money in the bank this may lead them to reduce future fundraising. A Connecticut church pastor was arrested last week and charged with dealing crystal meth out of his church's rectory, say local police. Herbert Miller, 63, the reverend of the Woodbury United Methodist Church, was arrested Friday after being pulled over by state troopers in Woodbury. He was found to be in possession of crystal methamphetamine in both rock and liquid form, the latter of which was discovered in a hypodermic needle, ready for injection. A police report says that Miller was 'observed operating his vehicle with a suspended registration for failing to maintain insurance requirements.' When police found the vehicle, they also reported finding meth inside. According to a report in the New York Post, Miller may have been hawking meth in exchange for watching gay couples have sex. Reverend Herbert Miller, 63, was arrested last week for possession of meth in rock and liquid form, as well as several other charges Miller has been the pastor at the Woodbury United Methodist Church since last July Miller showed no reaction as he left Waterbury Superior court, where he was arraigned Friday The reverend is charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance, and use of drug paraphernalia. His home in Connecticut is pictured The allegation was reported by a local outlet, though neither the Post nor the Daily Mail have been able to independently verify the claim. The police were reportedly tipped off about Miller's alleged illegal side hustle and apprehended him with the help of a cooperating witness who helped facilitate a drug deal. Miller, who appears to have joined the Woodbury church as its pastor in July of last year, was charged with possession of narcotics with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance, and use of drug paraphernalia. It is not clear what Miller's history of alleged drug dealing looks like. He was released on $10,000 bail and ordered to appear before a judge in Waterbury Superior Court on February 23. Miller has been scrubbed by his employer from the church website - the status of his employment remains unclear - but several of his previously live-streamed sermons remain up on the congregation's YouTube page. In recent sermons, he appears to be missing some of his bottom teeth. Miller has been scrubbed by his employer from the church website, but several of his previously live-streamed sermons remain up on the congregation's YouTube page From 2004 to 2018, he was employed by the Park Slope United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, where he was involved with communal social justice projects Prior to his gig at Woodbury Methodist, Miller served as the pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Shelton, Connecticut. From 2004 to 2018, he was employed by the Park Slope United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, where, according to the church's website, he led the congregation's popular Sunday Dinner Program. He also oversaw support the church provided to the Occupy Wall Street movement while it was going on in 2011. A cafe at Scotlands most famous castle could be renamed after an angry backlash from nationalists. The Redcoat Cafe at Edinburgh Castle was founded in 1992 and nobody has ever complained. But when it was announced it was reopening after a refurbishment, it prompted a furious reaction from nationalists, including SNP politicians, who were un-aware it was not a new name. Now Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is reviewing the names of both the Redcoat Cafe and the castles Jacobite function room. Whats in a name? The Redcoat Cafe in the castle courtyard Police Scotland are also understood to be aware of a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying: This place deserves to be firebombed. The online furore began on Saturday when the castle shared a post saying: We are happy to welcome you all back to our newly refurbished Redcoat Cafe. If you are visiting us over the weekend, pop in for a warm beverage or even a tasty slice of cake. But nationalists claimed the name, associated with the uniform worn by British Army infantrymen between the 16th and 19th centuries, was deeply offensive. Nationalist MP Douglas Chapman who is embroiled in a row over anti-English rhetoric posted: I dont think many will be popping in for anything. How about a swift rebrand? Redcoat, really? MSP Kevin Stewart wrote: This cant be for real, surely? If so, this is a huge misjudgment. Many drew on references to the Battle of Culloden in which government forces defeated the Jacobite army in 1746. More than 2,000 people have signed a petition calling for the cafes name to be changed. Historical re-enactors play the part of redcoats It states: The name Redcoat Cafe glorifies and honours the Red Coats, the British soldiers who played a significant role in subjugating Scotland and suppressing its people during periods of history marked by conflict and strife. Scottish regiments have, however, also worn the distinctive uniform, and the castle has long been a British Army barracks. However, others questioned the outcry over a name that has been used for 32 years. Roddy Dunlop, KC, Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, wrote: Difficult to credit how some people have lost their minds over the name of a cafe (which has been so named for several years). Duncan Hothersall, of the website Labour Hame, said: These regular visitors clearly havent checked the name of the cafe for several decades. But HES, which manages the visitor attraction, said it would review the name. A spokesman said: The name has been in place since 1992 and reflects the military history which is told throughout the castle. However the way we interpret history is constantly evolving. As part of our future plans, the names of both the Redcoat Cafe and Jacobite function room will now be reviewed. A father and son caught selling peregrine falcon chicks illegally were yesterday banned from keeping birds for five years. Timothy Hall, 48, and his son Lewis Hall, 23, were part of an illicit trade which saw them sell birds for thousands of pounds. They claimed they were breeding the birds in captivity but police, using DNA technology, were able to prove they had been taken from known falcon nests. The two men later admitted to illegally selling the birds. The Halls admitted having the falcon chicks A total of 22 chicks and eggs were taken from nests in Berwickshire and sold for thousands, with many finding their way to the Middle East where falcon racing is hugely popular. Timothy Hall, a part-time gamekeeper, was ordered to carry out 220 hours of unpaid work as an alternative to custody, while Lewis Hall was told he must do 150 hours. At Jedburgh Sheriff Court, Sheriff Peter Paterson also banned both from having any involvement with birds of prey for five years. Both men were arrested after a Police Scotland and Scottish SPCA joint operation. Police and wildlife officers raided the Halls home at Lamberton Holdings in Berwickshire in May 2021. A number of peregrine falcons, which are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, were found during the search. During a search of the house, evidence was uncovered which showed large financial trans-actions involving thousands going into Lewis Halls account, with him then sending money into his parents joint account. A number of birds were found at the property, including seven newly hatched chicks, and unhatched eggs were also found in two incubators. Timothy Hall sold falcons for thousands Pioneering DNA tests revealed the chicks were wild, with some linked to adult peregrine falcons known to nest in the south of Scotland. Falcons have become big business in the Middle East. The highly lucrative trade has come to the attention of criminals, with specimens in the area swapping hands for more than 300,000. Chief Inspector Kevin Kelly, head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, said: The advancements we have make it almost impossible for criminals to lie to us because we can tell the parentage and DNA of birds we sample. We have monitored birds that have gone through the Middle East and theyre being sold for over 300,000. Brian Cooney, Timothy Halls lawyer, told the court bank records showed only 2,182 had been received from lawful sales between August 2019 and June 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, the court previously heard, Timothy and Lewis Hall were involved in the sale of 15 peregrine falcon chicks for which they received a total of 41,164. A drone linked to Lewis Halls phone had been used to fly over known nests 20 times. Detective Superintendent Bryan Burns warned criminals: We have new techniques, we have developed an investigative strategy which will tackle this, so we will be coming for you. A grandmother who has lived in Australia for over 40 years is set to be deported after it was discovered she is in the country illegally. Mary Ellis, 74, left London for Australia at the age of 31 in 1981 and has since created a life for herself in NSW's picturesque Northern Rivers region. Her partner at the time told Mary he had acquired permanent visas, but 40 years later, the pensioner now risks being deported at any moment. In Tweed Heads, Mary is regarded as a local hero for the time she spends volunteering and raising money for The Salvation Army. She was awarded the prestigious NSW Volunteer of the Year in 2023 for her work for Agape Outreach, which provides hot meals for the homeless. However, the Good Samaritan may be forced to return to the UK despite having an Australian driver's licence, a Medicare card and a pension card. 'This is my home, I love Australia,' a teary Mary told A Current Affair on Monday. Mary Ellis, 74, left London for Australia at the age of 31 in 1981 and has since created a life for herself in NSW's picturesque Northern Rivers region She worked in hospitality and for the NSW Government for 30 years, where her visa status went unquestioned by her employers. Mary has a son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren in Australia. The grandmother said 'nobody said anything' about her visa until she was contacted by the Home Affairs department. The pensioner was asked to visit the Brisbane office, where she was told she had been living in Australia illegally for more than four decades. 'She knows not a soul over there [in England], not a soul,' migration agent Stanley Schneider said. 'She's always paid her taxes, she hasn't even had a speeding ticket, she's never infringed anything, she's never offended anyone.' Mr Schneider, who is helping Mary pro bono, said the pensioner qualifies as an 'absorbed person' under the Migration Act 1958. To be recognised for an absorbed person visa, a non-citizen must have been in Australia from April 2, 1984, and have never left the country on or after that date. Mary says she has never left Australia, not even for a holiday, since 1981. However, Home Affairs claims Mary entered Australia three times under a different alias, and was out of the country between February 1983 and November 1986. The department said in a letter that they believe the real identity of the now-deceased man she was in a de facto relationship with at the time, Martin Ellis, was actually Trevor Warren. Mary was awarded the prestigious NSW Volunteer of the Year in 2023 for her work for Agape Outreach, who provide hot meals to those in need Australia's Home Affairs department claims Mary did leave Australia under different aliases in February of 1983 and did not return until November of 1986 'As you were not in Australia on 02/04/1984, you are not considered an absorbed person and do not hold an Absorbed Persons Visa,' the letter states. However, Mary insists this is 'wrong' and says she doesn't know why Home Affairs believes she has left and re-entered Australia under different aliases. She has documents she claims prove she was in Australia at those times, including a job reference from a restaurant in Tasmania. It states Mary worked there from 1983 to 1986 as a waitress and cashier. A successful Medicare enrolment letter signed by the then-Minister of Health, Neal Blewett, is also being used to argue Mary's case. Mr Schneider says she would not have been sent the letter if she was not living in Australia at the time. 'Mary Ellis is a decent person, a person we should be absolutely thrilled to have in Australia, and she's an Australian, let's face it,' he said. Officials said that the initial sale of the aircraft was done without US government authorization The US government said that they have successfully taken possession of a Boeing 747 that Iran sold to a Venezuelan firm. On Monday, the Justice Department said the American-built plane arrived in Florida and would be disposed of. Officials said that Argentina transferred custody of the plane to the US on Sunday. The aircraft had earlier been transferred from Iranian airline Mahan Air to Emtrasur, a Venezuelan cargo airline and subsidiary of a state-owned firm that had previously been sanctioned by the US. Officials said the sale was done without US government authorization, violated export control laws and also improperly benefited Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. 'The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that the full force of U.S. laws deny hostile state actors the means to engage in malign activities that threaten our national security,' Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the head of the department's national security division, said in a statement. The US government successfully took possession of a Boeing 747 that Iran sold to a Venezuelan firm on Monday. Officials said that Argentina transferred custody of the plane to the US on Sunday The aircraft had earlier been transferred from Iranian airline Mahan Air to Emtrasur, a Venezuelan cargo airline and subsidiary of a state-owned firm that had previously been sanctioned by the US In response, Venezuelas government called the transfer a 'shameful rapacious operation' and vowed to 'take all actions to restore justice and achieve the restitution of the aircraft to its legitimate owner.' The administration for the President of Venezuela, Nicole Maduro, went on to accuse the US and Argentine government of 'collusion', violating civil aeronautics regulations, 'as well as the commercial, civil and political rights' of Emtrasur. The plane was originally detained in June 2022 by Argentine law enforcement before US officials moved several weeks later to take possession of it. The Justice Department went on to identify the registered captain of the plane as an ex-commander for the Revolutionary Guard. Officials also cited a recovered flight log that shows additional flights that were not approved by the US government after the transfer to Emtrasur to locations including Moscow, Caracas and Tehran. Mahan Air has denied any ties to the aircraft, and Venezuela has demanded that Argentine authorities release the plane. 'This seized airplanes arrival in the United States is a powerful example of our unceasing efforts to prevent Iran and its proxies from leveraging and profiting from U.S. technology,' Assistant Secretary of Export Enforcements Matthew S. Axelrod said in a press release. The matter is currently being investigated by the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Securitys Miami Field Office and the FBI Miami Field Office, the press release said. A Russian-Canadian national has admitted scheming to violate US sanctions by exporting $7 million in weapons to the Russian military for use in the Ukraine war. Kristina Puzyreva, 32, pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn court to money laundering as part of a shadowy global conspiracy to send technology to blacklisted entities in Moscow. Exports included components used in unnamed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and guided missile systems which were later found to have been used in Ukraine. Puzyreva, who is based in Montreal, now faces 20 years in prison. She was co-charged with her husband Nikolay Goltsev, 37, and Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 52. She and her husband were both named on a Ukrainian 'kill list.' United States Attorney Breon Peace said Puzyreva admitted she was a 'key part of the plan' on Monday. Kristina Puzyreva, 32, pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn court to money laundering as part of a shadowy global conspiracy to send technology to blacklisted entities in Moscow. (Pictured with co-defendant and husband Nikolay Goltsev, 37) Puzyreva, who is based in Montreal, now faces 20 years in prison. She was co-charged with her husband Nikolay Goltsev, 37, and Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 52 United States Attorney Breon Peace said Puzyreva admitted she was a 'key part of the plan' on Monday 'Today's plea demonstrates that the Eastern District of New York will not allow criminals to endanger national security by supplying Russia with U.S.-sourced military technology,' he said. HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said Puzyreva's conspiracy was 'directly linked to 298 shipments of restricted technology, valued at $7 million, to the Russian battlefield.' Puzyreva laundered money as part of a sophisticated export control and sanctions evasion scheme involving SH Brothers Inc. (SH Brothers) and SN Electronics, Inc. (SN Electronics), two companies registered in Brooklyn, New York. Using the SH Brothers and SN Electronics corporate entities, the defendant's co-conspirators unlawfully sourced, purchased and shipped millions of dollars in dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers to end users. The components and integrated circuits were later uncovered in Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine, including in UAVs and guided missiles. Prosecutors said Nasriddinov, a Russian-Tajikistan national, was arrested in Brooklyn and that thousands of semiconductors and other electronics were recovered from his home. Goltsev and Puzyreva, who are married Russian-Canadian nationals, were arrested at a Manhattan hotel during a trip to visit Nasriddinov, and about $20,000 in cash was recovered from them, according to prosecutors. A Russian-Canadian national has admitted scheming to violate US sanctions by exporting $7 million in weapons to the Russian military. (Pictured: Russian paratroopers march during the military parade at the 76th Guards Air Assault Division in Pskov, Russia, March,1,2020) This photograph taken on January 23, 2024 shows a missile launched from Russia's Belgorod region flying towards Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine Rescuers conduct search and rescue operation amid collapsed wall of residential building after Russian missile attack, on January 23, 2024 in Kharkiv, Ukraine Authorities said they also seized more than $1.1 million from domestic bank accounts associated with the scheme. The case is one of many coordinated through the U.S. Department of Justice's Task Force KleptoCapture, which was created to enforce sanctions, export restrictions and other measures in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. U.S. authorities said the scheme began in January 2022 and involved Brooklyn-based SH Brothers and SN Electronics arranging shipments of electronic components and integrated circuits after buying the equipment from U.S. companies. Authorities said there were more than 300 illegal shipments valued at about $10 million, with some of the electronics later recovered from helicopters, missiles, tanks and other Russian equipment that had been seized in Ukraine. According to the complaint, the defendants knew the electronics had military uses. It said Nasriddinov once wrote to Goltsev 'Happy Defender of the Fatherland,' prompting Goltsev to reply with a smile emoji and writing 'we are defending it in the way that we can.' Another message quoted Goltsev complaining to Puzyreva about his fingers hurting from typing account activity on his laptop, prompting his wife to respond: 'Lot of money? We will get rich.' Prosecution against the other defendants remains pending. A Georgia judge considering bombshell complaints about Fulton County DA Fani Willis says an evidentiary hearing will go ahead Thursday where a judge will weigh claims to disqualify her from the case of a Donald Trump associate. The lawyer for the Trump associated, accused of taking part in the 'fake electors' scheme in the state, plans to call a series of witnesses who will speak to allegations of an 'inappropriate' relationship between Willis and a lawyer on her team, in a conflagration set to draw Trump inside yet another courthouse. Among witnesses the lawyer plans to call are the DA's father, who would testify remotely from his home in California on behalf of his daughter amid claims about her relationship with special counsel Nathan Wade. On the table will be claims about the nature of the evidence and whether any of it could disqualify Willis from overseeing the the Trump cases now that she has acknowledged a personal 'relationship' with the outside member of her team. 'The state has admitted a relationship existed,' said Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, in reference to the personal relationship Willis acknowledged in a filing between herself and Wade. 'So what remains to be proven is the existence and extent of any financial benefit, again if there even was one. Because I think it's possible that the facts alleged by the defendant could result in disqualification. I think an evidentiary hearing must occur to establish the record on those core allegations,' he said. FILE PHOTO: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks at a press conference next to prosecutor Nathan Wade after a Grand Jury brought back indictments against former president Donald Trump and his allies in their attempt to overturn the state's 2020 election results, in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. August 14, 2023. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage./File Photo The hearing remained on track following a stunning court filing last week by the attorney of Donald Trump associate Michael Roman. That prompted a filing by Willis acknowledging a 'personal relationship' with Wade but denying any impropriety and saying the relationship began after he had joined the team overseeing the complex racketeering investigation. Roman's lawyer Ashleigh Merchant claims the relationship was inappropriate and undermines charges against her client related to Trump's election overturn effort in the state. Attorney's in Willis' office said in court Monday that many of Merchant's claims are inaccurate and blasted what they called a 'fishing expedition' for bank records and testimony about Willis, who Donald Trump regularly assails as part of a 'witch hunt' against him. Merchant in her filing purports to have information that might knock down some of Willis' claims. Lawyer Ashleigh Merchant wants to call a series of witnesses to back up her filing about details of Willis' 'relationship' with Nathan Wade Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee weighed efforts by potential witnesses to quash their testimony Monday's hearing was broadcast online Among the people she is calling to testify are Terrance Bradley, Wade's former law partner, who will testify that the personal relationship preceded Wade's hiring as a special prosecutor in Willis' office. Gabe Banks, a former federal prosecutor who has been subpoenaed to appear, answered questions from Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee after Merchant said Bradley had received calls 'that he believed were trying to keep him from testifying.' Banks acknowledged calling Bradley but said 'I called him on a personal level because One, he's my friend, and Two, he's my fraternity brother,' he said. 'I was concerned about him being emotional given his prior relationship with Mr. Wade,' he said. Merchant wants witnesses to establish that the affair Willis acknowledged began before she hired Wade to act as a special prosecutor in her office. She also claims she benefitted financially during lavish vacations the two shared. 'In Paragraph 17 of your affidavit, you swore that you met Ms. Willis in October of 2019 at a Municipal Court training,' she wrote in response to an affidavit by Wade that is cited in Willis' filing. 'Isn't it true that you began more than just a friendship at that conference?' Merchant asked. Merchant's filing says 'witnesses will testify that you cohabitated with Ms. Willis at her home in South Fulton until her father moved in with her and you then began to cohabitate at the apartment of a friend of hers in East Point.' Anna Cross, who is representing the DA's office in the case, said Monday that 'of course that is untrue,' and said she wished for Willis' father to participate in Thursday's hearing remotely from his California home. He will take part via zoom due to travel considerations. 'I will be shocked if Ms. Merchant is able to support that statement,' she said. 'There was no cohabitation,' she continued, adding that 'DA Willis and Nathan Wade never lived together.' 'The defense is not bringing you facts, the defense is not bringing you law, the defense is bringing you gossip,' she said. Willis' team also appeared ready to battle contentions that the two romantic partners used what Merchant called an AirBNB 'safe house' in Hapeville, outside Atlanta. Former federal prosecutor Gabe Banks, who has been subpoenaed to appear Thursday, spoke in Monday's hearing to his own 'lack of knowledge concerning any romantic relationship'. 'I do think it's a fishing expedition,' he said. Merchant said one of her key witnesses has received calls trying to 'keep him from testifying. Raising the stakes even further, Trump is planning to attend the trial in person, the Washington Post reported, just a day after attending a closed hearing in Florida related to his classified documents case. Samantha Murphy hasn't been seen since the morning of February 4 Good Samaritans wanting to join the search for missing mother-of-three Samantha Murphy have been warned to take care due to treacherous terrain. Volunteers have taken it upon themselves to coordinate searches in the Woowookarung Regional Park, northwest of Melbourne, since the official search for Ms Murphy was scaled back on Saturday. The 51-year-old hasn't been seen since the morning of February 4, when she vanished while going for a run through the state forest. Ballarat Mayor Des Hudson said while it was encouraging to see that locals were keen to help with the search, there were many risks in the rugged bushland. 'It's important they heed advice posted on the Buninyong Police Station front door which identifies areas of interest to search and strategies to keep safe,' he told Sky News. 'The last thing we want and emergency services need is to direct resources to someone who has been lost.' Volunteers have been urged to search in pairs and ensure they have adequate food and water with them. Local volunteers coordinating their own search have been urged to take care around the rouh terrain in the state forest Ms Murphy disappeared in Organisers have also been writing down the names and numbers of those helping with the search. Locals had earlier raised concerns of mineshafts around the state forest that aren't easily spotted. 'Ballarat is a town that was built on gold, lots of gold mines are out there - and people have to be mindful of that when they are searching,' Mayor Hudson added. There were 28 people helping with the search on Sunday, according to a Facebook group set up to assist in Ms Murphy's disappearance, which has now been shut down. The warnings come after professional tracker Jake Cassar told Daily Mail Australia that Ms Murphy could survive in the bush for weeks provided she has access to water. 'She could absolutely be alive if she found her way to water,' he said. 'You can go about three days without water and about a month without food, but people have survived for months in the past.' Ms Murphy vanished without a trace after going on a 20km run through the national park He said police usually call off ground searches between five and nine days due to a lack of funding and resources Mr Cassar urged authorities to call on bush trackers to help, and said he would be willing to stage his own search. 'It's not a good way to go, being left in the elements,' he said. 'The SES do a great job, as do police, but volunteers need to get back to their families and their jobs.' The official police search for Ms Murphy has now been handed over to the Missing Persons Squad and a full scale search will only resume if fresh information emerges. This is the moment Rishi Sunak was confronted by a furious man who demanded that he look him in the eye and give him a straight answer over harm caused by the Covid-19 vacine. The Prime Minister faced a live TV grilling from voters on issues ranging from the NHS to his Rwanda plan on GB News tonight. An audience member, who suffered serious side effects from the vaccine, used the opportunity to tell Mr Sunak to see the 'pain, trauma and regret' in his eyes. The Covid vaccine has been monitored by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulator Agency (MHRA) who says that it is safe and side effects are very rare. The audience member said: 'I have so much to say but such little time. My name is John Watt and I am one of the Covid vaccine injured in this country. This is the moment Rishi Sunak was confronted by a furious man who demanded that he look him in the eye and give him a straight answer over harm caused by the Covid-19 vacine An audience member, who suffered serious side effects from the vaccine, used the opportunity to tell Mr Sunak to see the 'pain, trauma and regret' in his eyes 'I want you to look into my eyes Rishi Sunak and I want you to look at the pain, the trauma and regret that I have in my eyes. 'We have been left with no help at all. I am not the only vaccine injured there is another man over there whose life has been ruined by the Covid-19 vaccine. 'I know people who have lost legs- amputations, people with heart conditions like myself Rishi Sunak. 'Why have I had to set up a support group in Scotland to look after the people that have been affected by that vaccine. 'Why are the people who are in charge who told us all to do the right thing, have me and the tens of thousands of people in this country to rot. 'Rishi Sunak look me in the eye- when are you going to start to do the right thing. 'The vaccine damage payments scheme is not fit for purpose. In Scotland right now there are over 30,000 people who have had an adverse reaction to that vaccine. 'It's time for you to start doing the right thing Mr Rishi Sunak.' The Prime Minister replied: 'I am very sorry to hear about your personal circumstances and you said someone over here has suffered by a similar thing. 'I don't know about the individual circumstances that you are in.' Mr Watt then interjected: 'We have been silenced, Rishi, silenced.' Mr Sunak added: 'There is a vaccine compensation scheme in place. Obviously it is difficult for me to comment on anyone's individual case. 'I'm sure you will appreciate that. I'm very saddened and shocked to hear you have been silenced. The Prime Minister faced a live TV grilling from voters on issues ranging from the NHS to his Rwanda plan on GB News tonight The audience member said: 'I have so much to say but such little time. My name is John Watt and I am one of the Covid vaccine injured in this country' 'Of course you should be able to speak about what has happened to you and we have a compensation scheme in place for that.' The Prime Minister, who was also asked on the show why traditional voters should back his party and not the Nigel Farage-linked Reform UK He told one questioner he could 'completely appreciate your frustration'. 'It's been a tough couple of years,' he said. 'When we go through the things that we've been through as a country, energy bills more than doubling again, (but) starting to come down, the economic strain that's put on all your family budgets, the impact of Covid on NHS backlogs waiting for appointments, all of those things are real things that will cause you and everyone else an enormous amount of frustration. 'I can completely understand that, but I think fundamentally, what you want and what I want are the same.' The question and answer session was part of a 'people's forum' run by GB News with the station gathering a cross-section of voters in County Durham. Mr Sunak defended his tenure heading into a general election later this year, as he addressed a roomful of voters. Switching between attacking Labour and defending the Tories' record, he warned 'undecided voters' that choosing to vote Labour will be going 'back to square one'. Mr Sunak defended his tenure heading into a general election later this year, as he addressed a roomful of voters The question and answer session was part of a 'people's forum' run by GB News with the station gathering a cross-section of voters in County Durham Questioned on the NHS, he said: 'I don't need to tell you the damage that Covid has done to so many things in our country, but particularly it's caused backlogs in the NHS. 'Whoever was prime minister, whoever was standing here tonight, there will be backlogs in the NHS because of what happened. You all know that, you are fair-minded people.' Mr Sunak said the Government was investing 'more money than the NHS has ever had', and large numbers of doctors and nurses were being trained for the long term. He added: 'I probably will not be around in the 14 years that it takes to train the consultant that we're now starting to invest in, but it's the right long-term thing to do for our country, which is why I've done it.' Mr Sunak was also forced to defend the Rwanda plan, as peers in the House of Lords debate the flagship policy aimed at stopping migrant crossings in the Channel. One voter pressed him on why he was 'so adamant' about the Rwanda policy 'when public documentation shows it isn't working and that it's not going to work'. The Prime Minister responded: 'In order to fully solve this problem, we need a deterrent. 'We need to be able to say pretty simply and unequivocally that if you come to our country illegally, you won't get to stay. 'We want to be able to remove you either to your home country if it's safe, like we've done with Albania, and for everyone else we need an alternative and that's what Rwanda is about. 'So yes, we've made progress - down by third - but in order to fully solve this problem, we need a deterrent. 'That's what Rwanda is all about and that is why I'm absolutely committed to getting this bill through Parliament and getting this scheme up and running.' Britain's youngest life peer has been appointed because she is a woman and despite her party's opposition to the House of Lords, it emerged last night. The decision by Plaid Cymru to nominate Carmen Smith, 27, its ex-chief of staff at the Welsh Senedd, has been branded as 'extraordinary' by opponents. She is one of 13 new peers and chosen due to her party's rules promoting female representation. The previous youngest peer, Charlotte Owen, was appointed last year aged 30. It is understood Plaid Cymru was offered a second life peerage as its only current member of the Lords, Dafydd Wigley, 80, is due to retire. The decision by Plaid Cymru to nominate Carmen Smith (pictured), 27, its ex-chief of staff at the Welsh Senedd, has been branded as 'extraordinary' by opponents The previous youngest peer, Charlotte Owen (pictured in red), was appointed last year aged 30 Baroness Smith's appointment comes despite her reportedly finishing second when the Welsh nationalist party ran a poll of members for nomination to the Lords. In December, she was said to have received only 70 votes, while Elfyn Llwyd, a former Plaid Cymru MP and Parliamentary leader, polled 180. And last October, Lady Smith took up her current job as a lobbyist for controversial wind farm developer Bute Energy, which was accused of offering a Welsh farmer 'cash and a night out at a lap dancing club if he agreed to having a giant wind turbine on his land'. The claim was made during a public meeting of a community council last August but denied by the Scottish company, which called it 'absurd'. It also emerged she could earn nearly 3million if she attended all sessions of the Lords until retirement age of 66. Peers can claim an allowance of 332 per day they attend the Lords, which sat for 220 days last year totalling 73,040 for peers who were there each day. Lady Smith could attend for the next 39 years before she reaches the retirement age of 66 during which she could have earned almost 2.85million based on the maximum possible allowance for 2022/3. Welsh Tory leader David T. C. Davies MP said: 'People will find this appointment extraordinary. 'Many eyebrows will be raised at the irony of Plaid Cymru continuing to send people to the House of Lords despite being in favour of its opposition.' And a Labour source said: 'This is a party which wants the House of Lords scrapped. It's a bit rich of Plaid Cymru to want to have their cake and eat it.' Another Westminster source said: 'This is about Plaid Cymru having a real problem with finding enough women to represent them. 'When Boris Johnson nominated (former Downing Street adviser) Charlotte Owen as the previous youngest peer aged 30 last year, that was rightly criticised, but Carmen Smith is three years younger.' Charles Banner (pictured) was announced last week as one of 13 new life peers chosen by Downing street John Fuller, who is the leader of South Norfolk Council, was another member of the Tories to get a peerage Disability rights campaigner Rosa Monckton was nominated by the Conservatives Lady Smith's selection was announced in an email sent to Plaid Cymru members by chief executive Owen Roberts on December 5, who said the decision was in accordance with party rules 'to promote the representation of women'. Defeated candidate Elfyn Llwyd yesterday stressed there were 'no sour grapes', but, at the time, one longstanding party member said the decision was 'disgraceful' as a woman had been imposed 'but not explained'. Last night, Plaid Cymru defended Lady Smith's appointment and also said she would take up the role as a 'full-time position', ceasing any employment. Baroness Smith has said she did not regard the position as 'a job for the rest of your life' and only aimed to serve for 'five years'. Lawyers for former President Donald Trump have asked the Supreme Court to put a hold on his January 6 case, asking the court to put a stay on his election interference case that had been set to begin in March. Trump's new legal filing, which had been expected, come has he continues to argue that he must be immune from prosecution for actions he took as president. He has been charged with plotting to overturn his 2020 loss and interfering with an official proceeding when Congress met to count the electoral votes for president. His lawyers filed an emergency appeal with the court on Monday, just four days after the justices heard Trump's separate appeal to remain on the presidential ballot despite attempts to kick him off because of his efforts following his election loss in 2020. In that case, even liberal justices asked skeptical questions about what might happen if a state were allow to deny a major party candidate's position on the ballot. Both cases put the high court at the center of the action in 2024. Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a Get Out The Vote rally at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The three judge panel issued a unanimous ruling Tuesday that Trump's 'alleged efforts to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election were, if proven, an unprecedented assault on the structure of our government.' Not only did it rule against Trump, who called the decision 'nation-destroying,' but it set a clock ticking in a fashion that appeared designed to move things along. Now, with Trump's latest filing, the Supreme Court gets to decide if it wants to deal with the matter or let the lower court's decision stand. Trump's filing meets a February 12 deadline, where a failure to act on his part would have gotten his DC trial moving again. The filing keeps on hold what would be a landmark criminal trial of a former president while the nation's highest court decides what to do. His trial is effectively paused while the Supreme Court makes its decision. The Supreme Courts decision on what to do, and how quickly it acts, could determine whether the Republican presidential primary frontrunner stands trial in the case before the November. The case accuses Trump of pressuring officials not to certify Joe Biden's 2020 election win during the run-up to the Jan 6. attack on the U.S. Capitol The Supreme Court could decide to take up an appeal and weigh in on Trump's immunity claim. Or, it could take a pass and let a unanimous three-judge panel's ruling stand, which would start the clock ticking toward Trump's criminal trial The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit comprised from left to right: Karen LeCraft Henderson (appointed by President George H.W. Bush), Michelle Childs and Florence Pan (both appointed by President Joe Biden) There is no timetable for the court to act, but special counsel Jack Smiths team has strongly pushed for the trial to take place this year. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly sought to delay the case. If Trump were to defeat President Joe Biden, he could potentially try to use his position as head of the executive branch to order a new attorney general to dismiss the federal cases he faces or even seek a pardon for himself. The Supreme Courts options include rejecting the emergency appeal, which would enable U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to restart the trial proceedings in Washington's federal court. The court also could extend the delay while it hears arguments on the immunity issue. In that event, the schedule the justices might set could determine how soon a trial might begin, if indeed they agree with lower court rulings that Trump is not immune from prosecution. Five justices on the 6-3 conservative court could put in place such a stay, which would put the Trump trial on ice. Four justices would be enough to hear the case. Trump appointed three of the justices on the Court. In December, Smith and his team had urged the justices to take up and decide the immunity issue, even before the appeals court weighed in. "It is of imperative public importance that Respondents claim of immunity be resolved by this Court and that Respondents trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected," prosecutors wrote in December. Trump's legal team has ascribed partisan motives to the prosecution's push for a prompt trial, writing in December that it "reflects the evident desire to schedule President Trumps potential trial during the summer of 2024-at the height of the election season." Now it's up to a court on which three justices, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, were appointed by Trump when he was president. They have moved the court to the right in major decisions that overturned abortion rights, expanded gun rights and ended affirmative action in college admissions. But the Supreme Court hasn't been especially friendly to Trump on legal matters directly concerning the former president. The court declined to take up several appeals filed by Trump and his allies related to the 2020 election. It also refused to prevent tax files and other documents from being turned over to congressional committees and prosecutors in New York. Last week, however, the justices did seem likely to end the efforts to prevent Trump from being on the 2024 ballot. A decision in that case could come any time. The Supreme Court has previously held that presidents are immune from civil liability for official acts, and Trumps lawyers have for months argued that that protection should be extended to criminal prosecution as well. Last week, a unanimous panel of two judges appointed by President Joe Biden and one by a Republican president sharply rejected Trumps novel claim that former presidents enjoy absolute immunity for actions that fall within their official job duties. It was the second time since December that judges have held that Trump can be prosecuted for actions undertaken while in the White House and in the run-up to Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. The case was argued before Judges Florence Pan and J. Michelle Childs, appointees of Biden, a Democrat, and Karen LeCraft Henderson, who was named to the bench by President George H.W. Bush, a Republican. The case in Washington is one of four prosecutions Trump faces as he seeks to reclaim the White House. He faces federal charges in Florida that he illegally retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, a case that was also brought by Smith and is set for trial in May. Hes also charged in state court in Georgia with scheming to subvert that states 2020 election and in New York in connection with hush money payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels. He has denied any wrongdoing. President Joe Biden refused to answer questions on Monday after his meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan but did say the two were working on a hostage deal to bring a temporary cease fire. 'The United States is working on a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, which would bring an immediate and sustained period of calm to Gaza for at least six weeks,' Biden said. For his part, Abdullah called for a permanent cease-fire. 'We need a lasting ceasefire now. This war must end,' he said. 'The United States is working on a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas , which would bring an immediate and sustained period of calm to Gaza for at least six weeks,' President Joe Biden said after meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II Biden's refusal to speak to the press came after Special Counsel Robert Hur issued his report, which contained the politically embarrassing observation of the president as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' The 388-page report was a double-edged sword for the president. It confirmed he would not be charged in his mishandling of classified documents but it said that was because a jury would probably conclude he had 'diminished faculties' and was a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' When the report dropped on Thursday, Biden, 81, delivered hastily scheduled remarks to slam Hur for casting doubt on his memory, including the death of his son Beau. But he also made a notable mistake, confusing the president of Egpyt with the president of Mexico. It was the third mistake Biden had made in a week involving a world leader. In the fallout from the Department of Justice report, Biden even lost the support of the liberal New York Times' Editorial Board and opinion writers, who showed how worried they are that ailing Biden may not be able to beat 'bad man' Donald Trump this year. Biden's lack of enthusiasm on the campaign trail, coupled with his doddering public appearances and 'crotchety grandpa' attitude, are huge concerns during this 'dark time' in his presidential tenure, according to the left-leaning broadsheet paper. 'He needs to do more to show the public that he is fully capable of holding office until age 86,' the Times board stated on Sunday. Biden took one short question earlier Monday when the King, Queen Rania, and Crown Prince Hussein arrived at the White House but he did not address additional queries about the fate of the hostages. Abdullah and Biden are seeking to move the Israel-Hamas war into a new phase in which Israeli hostages are released and fighting stops for a prolonged time periods. 'The key elements of the deal are on the table,' Biden said. 'There are gaps that remain, but I've encouraged Israeli leaders to keep working to achieve the deal. The United States will do everything possible to make it happen.' The king warned humanitarian catastrophes were in the making without a cease fire and expressed concern over a possible Israeli military operation in the border city of Rafah. 'We cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah; It is certain to produce another humanitarian catastrophe,' he warned. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the military to prepare a plan to evacuate about 1.5 million Palestinian civilians who have fled to southern Rafah to seek safety in order to continue its operation against Hamas. Netanyahu and Biden had a significant back and forth about the potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Rafah when the two men spoke on Sunday. Biden reiterated U.S. opposition to the idea under the 'current conditions' while more than 1.3 million people are sheltering there. The president, asked earlier Monday if Netanyahu would take his advice, replied: 'Everybody does.' Jordan is one of the many Middle East nations encouraging the White House to put pressure on Israel over its harsh campaign against Hamas. Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, in October, cancelled a planned meeting with Biden less than 24 hours before it was scheduled to start in the the Jordanian capital of Amman. Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israels actions. For his part, Biden praised the work of the Jordanian king and his country for helping with the humanitarian crisis that has eveloped the Palestinian people as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. Palestinians receive relief food supplies in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah A Palestinian family on the beach at sunset near Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip President Joe Biden, center, and first lady Jill Biden, second right, pose for a photo upon greeting Jordan's King Abdullah II, second left, Queen Rania, right, and Crown Prince Hussein, left, on the North Portico of the White House The Palestinian death toll from the war has surpassed 28,000 people, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. A quarter of Gazas residents are starving. The war began with Hamas assault into Israel on Oct. 7, in which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, while Hamas is holding the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. Three hostages were mistakenly killed by the army after escaping their captors in December. Biden's meeting with King Abdullah also came a few weeks after three U.S. service members were killed in an airstrike in Jordan. Labour was last night forced to withdraw its support for a by-election candidate after the Mail uncovered more of his anti-Semitic comments. Azhar Ali, who claimed Israel 'deliberately allowed' Hamas's October 7 massacre of its own people, was suspended from the party pending an investigation. Yet just hours earlier, Sir Keir Starmer's team had rallied behind the councillor claiming he had simply fallen for an 'online conspiracy theory' and that it was 'out of character' for him to be anti-Semitic. Late last night, Labour said it had withdrawn support for the Rochdale by-election candidate 'following new information'. The Mail had obtained a full audio tape of his comments during a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party shortly after the October 7 attacks. Azhar Ali (left), who claimed Israel 'deliberately allowed' Hamas 's October 7 massacre of its own people, was suspended from the party pending an investigation Yet just hours earlier, Sir Keir Starmer's (centre) team had rallied behind the councillor claiming he had simply fallen for an 'online conspiracy theory' and that it was 'out of character' for him to be anti-Semitic As well as having told the meeting that Israel allowed the massacre to happen so it could wage war on Gaza, Mr Ali apparently also: Blamed 'people in the media from certain Jewish quarters' for fuelling criticism of a pro-Palestinian Labour MP; Said Israel planned to 'get rid of [Palestinians] from Gaza' and 'grab' some of the land; Boasted about preventing Israeli flags being flown from local public buildings after the October 7 attacks. The new disclosures ramped up pressure on Sir Keir to disown the wannabe MP. In the recording, Mr Ali appeared to blame the media for the suspension of Andy McDonald from the Labour Party. Mr McDonald, the MP for Middlesbrough, used the phrase 'between the river and the sea' last year. The slogan has been described as 'a staple of anti-Semitic discourse'. But in the recording, Mr Ali said Mr McDonald 'shouldn't have been suspended' before adding: 'The media and some of the people in the media from certain Jewish quarters were giving crap about what he said.' The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism includes making 'stereotypical allegations about Jews' such as 'Jews controlling the media'. Mr Ali's comments were made at the same meeting in which he said Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the 'green light' to invade Gaza. He later admitted his comments were 'inexcusable' and apologised after being confronted by The Mail on Sunday, which first reported the story. At the meeting, he also said: 'Israel has that plan, which is to get rid of [the Palestinians] from Gaza, push them out... 'And then they've got Gaza to themselves, and you know, they'll say because the security risks to Israel and the Jewish state, you know, we can't come back. So we've actually said that, in our letter, (this) is about a land grab.' Mr Ali's (left) comments were made at the same meeting in which he said Israel effectively sanctioned the Hamas atrocity against its own people to get the 'green light' to invade Gaza The new disclosures ramped up pressure on Sir Keir to disown the wannabe MP. In the recording, Mr Ali appeared to blame the media for the suspension of Andy McDonald (pictured) from the Labour Party Last night Rishi Sunak (pictured) accused Labour of having only dropped Mr Ali 'under media pressure, not because it was the right thing to do' Last night Rishi Sunak accused Labour of having only dropped Mr Ali 'under media pressure, not because it was the right thing to do'. He said Sir Keir's claims to have changed the Labour Party had proven 'simply not true', given that its candidate was caught 'spreading the vilest racist conspiracy theories about Jews'. The Prime Minister said on GB News: 'We've just seen over the last few days Keir Starmer has been running around for the last year telling everybody Labour's changed look what just happened in Rochdale. READ MORE: DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Time for Labour to put principles before polls Advertisement 'A candidate saying the most vile, awful anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. And what happened? He stood by him, sent cabinet ministers to support him. 'Until, as apparently five minutes before I walked on tonight, under enormous media pressure, he's decided to change his mind. 'That's not principled, that's not principled at all. It's a con.' The deadline to remove Mr Ali from the ballot paper has passed, leading to the highly unusual situation where Labour cannot replace him as the party's candidate. He will remain on the ballot paper as a Labour candidate, but if he wins, he would sit in the Commons as an independent MP without the whip. Labour said last night: 'Following new information about further comments made by Azhar Ali coming to light today, the Labour Party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as our candidate in the Rochdale by-election.' Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden told the Mail: 'Sir Keir knew about his racist Labour candidate's views for days. Still, Sir Keir sent his people out to defend him. 'Who knows how long other people in Labour knew about this racist anti-Semitism and said nothing either because they think the same or dared not speak out. It's not out of principle but only due to pressure that Sir Keir has acted. Conservative Party chairman Richard Holden (pictured) told the Mail: 'Sir Keir knew about his racist Labour candidate's views for days. Still, Sir Keir sent his people out to defend him' Before the U-turn, Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds (pictured) said he believed Mr Ali had fallen for 'an online conspiracy theory' But Home Secretary James Cleverly (pictured) said: 'I'm not sure 'our candidate believed and repeated a vile and clearly anti-Semitic smear that he saw on the internet' is quite the defence Labour think it is' Labour MP Rosie Duffield (pictured) said the party should have withdrawn its support for Mr Ali sooner. She told GB News: 'I think the dithering was quite embarrassing' 'Starmer is a moral vacuum. Sir Keir has failed to change his party, in fact he's been defending a racist hoping the outrage went away and only acted when he had no choice.' A spokesman for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'Rather than appearing as a principled decision, Labour's withdrawal of support for its candidate at this late stage just looks as expedient as the failed attempt to defend him. It is the worst of all worlds for Labour.' Before the U-turn, Labour MP Nick Thomas-Symonds said he believed Mr Ali had fallen for 'an online conspiracy theory'. But Home Secretary James Cleverly said: 'I'm not sure 'our candidate believed and repeated a vile and clearly anti-Semitic smear that he saw on the internet' is quite the defence Labour think it is.' Labour MP Rosie Duffield said the party should have withdrawn its support for Mr Ali sooner. She told GB News: 'I think the dithering was quite embarrassing.' Mr Ali said on Sunday: 'I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant and false.' Three GOP committee chairs threatened to subpoena the material if the DOJ does not turn it over within a week House Republicans are demanding the Department of Justice hand over recordings of Special Counsel Robert Hur's interview with Joe Biden and are in discussions with Hur about coming in to testify before Congress at the end of the month. The three committee chairs leading the Biden impeachment inquiry threatened to subpoena the material if the DOJ does not turn it over within a week after Hur's bombshell report dropped last week. They are also in talks with Hur and his team about having him in for testimony later this month, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to DailyMail.com. The report, summarizing his probe of Biden's mishandling of classified documents, contains a multitude of examples of Biden's 'hazy' memory, including one point where Biden appeared to forget when his son Beau died. 'Given the seriousness of these matters, the Committees are prepared to compel the production of this material if necessary.' Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, together with Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for the transcript and any recording of an interview with Biden that took place over October 8 and October 9, 2023. Their committees have probed whether Biden's handling of classified documents related to his alleged involvement in his family's business dealings. They wrote that the DOJ had rebuffed their requests for documents to 'protect the integrity of Special Counsel Hur's ongoing investigation,' but that investigation has now wrapped. Biden fumed at Special Counsel Robert Hur's accusation that the Scranton-native didn't know when his son Beau died The Republicans now want to know if Biden 'retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family's foreign business dealings.' They added: 'We seek to understand whether the White House or President Biden's personal attorneys placed any limitations or scoping restrictions during the interview that would have precluded a line of inquiry regarding evidence.' Comer, Jordan and Smith have now asked for transcripts, audio and video recordings and any other documents related to Biden's special counsel interview. Hur concluded last week that 'no criminal charges are warranted in this matter' of Biden's document handling, and Republicans say they now need to see the interview to probe whether the DOJ is using a double standard with Biden's and Trump's mishandling of secret documents. Hur's inclusion of language in his report referring to the president as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory' proved politically explosive, and precipitated an angry press conference by the president Thursday night. Hur insisted that Biden had 'diminished faculties' and at points 'did not remember when he was vice president.' Republicans jumped on the material, saying it proves Biden isn't fit to run the country. The box circled in the foreground contained documents about Afghanistan. The picture was taken in December 2022 in Biden's garage, with other household items House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. James Comer is demanding transcripts of President Joe Biden's interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur's investigators in their classified documents probe Rubert Hur's report references Biden's 'fuzzy' memory The House Oversight Committee wants access to Biden's interview transcripts in the interest of 'transparency' The investigative push indicates Biden is continued to face lingering political challenges in the aftermath of Hur's probe, even as it announced that he would not be charged with any crimes related to his 'willful' retention of classified documents. Hur gave Biden's rival Donald Trump and Republicans plenty to work with even with out additional paper or transcripts. It said if Biden were to be charged, a jury might be sympathetic since he comes off as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' One particularly damaging passage that Hur included said: 'In his interview with our office, Mr. Biden's memory was worse. He did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended ('if it was 2013 - when did I stop being Vice President?'), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began ('in 2009, am I still Vice President?'),' according to the report. 'He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died. And his memory appeared hazy when describing the Afghanistan debate that was once so important to him.' Biden erupted at that passage in a defiant press conference where he said his memory is 'fine.' 'There's even reference that I don't remember when my son died. How in the hell dare he raise that? I don't need anyone, I don't need anyone, to remind me of when he passed away,' the president told reporters. 'Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, wasn't any of their damned business.' Asked about the 'elderly man' language, Biden said: 'I'm well meaning and I'm an elderly man, and I know what the hell I'm doing. I'm the president and I put this country back on its feet. I don't need his recommendation it's totally out of [order].' Biden's official response from his lawyers, included in the back of the Hur report, blasts the inclusion of 'highly prejudicial' language about his memory, and asks why other witnesses got a pass for 'fuzzy' memory lapses. It says it relies on 'highly prejudicial language' to describe memory lapses that are a 'common occurrence.' If faults Hur for even bringing up how Biden might defend himself before a jury since his report concluded he shouldn't be charged. A driver has been slammed after allegedly running from the scene of a crash and leaving his female passenger to die in the front seat of a rental truck. The male driver, 32, allegedly lost control of the truck and crashed into a pole in Melbourne's southeast just before 3am on Monday. He was spotted allegedly running away from the scene, but a 47-year-old woman was left behind fighting for life with catastrophic injuries, and paramedics were unable to save her. The police canine unit found the male driver hiding in a bush a kilometre away from the scene of the crash. Locals on Jackson Road in Noble Park North were awoken by the deafening bang of the crash. 'I went out, I heard screaming and I found a lady in the car, trapped,' neighbour Rob Ridgley told 7News. Police have slammed a driver accused of running from the scene of a crash and leaving his female passenger to die in the front seat Victoria Police detective-sergeant Stephen Hill said he could not understand how someone could leave another person for dead. 'These two people obviously know each other, and he's made the callous choice of just letting his passenger die,' Hill said. The truck was full of household items, but it is not known if they belonged to the couple. There were no skid marks on the road, and the police say there is no evidence the driver tried to use emergency brakes before the truck went off the road and hit a pole. The man remains in police custody but is yet to be charged. One man was killed and five other people injured after gunfire erupted at a Bronx train station Monday afternoon. The New York City Police Department launched an investigation after shots were fired on the uptown 4 train platform at the Mount Eden Avenue station around 4:30 pm. The violence broke out after a fight began on a train and spilled onto the platform, police said. Authorities believe the dispute started between two groups of teenagers on a northbound subway train. A NYPD spokesman told DailyMail.com a 35-year-old male was shot and killed. The man was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A 35-year-old man was killed after gunfire erupted on a New York City train station Monday afternoon Shots were fired on the uptown 4 train platform at the Mount Eden Avenue station in the Bronx around 4:30 pm The violence broke out after a fight started on a train car and spilled onto the platform, police said Of the survivors, three were male and two were female, the spokesperson said. All of the victims were in stable condition as of Monday evening. A 15-year-old boy was shot in the thigh and in the ear and taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital. A 28-year-old man was shot in the right arm and taken to St. Barnabas, while a 71-year-old man was taken to Bronx Care Hospital. Also taken to Presbyterian was a 14-year-old girl who had been shot in the foot. A 29-year-old woman was shot in both the face and neck and was taken to St. Barnabas. Officers were seen crowding at the subway entrance while others walked alongside the halted train cars. Police tape was strung along the scene. Overhead footage showed what appeared to be a blood splatter on the platform. Of the survivors, three were male and two were female, a NYPD spokesperson told DailyMail.com Four surviving victims sustained serious injuries while one was left with minor injuries, the FDNY said Aerial footage appeared to show a large bloodstain on the platform The male victims were aged 15, 28 and 71, while the females were aged 14 and 29 It is unclear if there were multiple shooters, but the suspect or suspects fled on foot, according to authorities The NYPD is urging the public to avoid the area of Jerome Avenue between Inwood Avenue and Townsend Avenue Officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were spotted at the scene 'When detectives make an arrest...there must be swift, immediate, strong consequences,' NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper said at a press conference Earlier reports said a teenage girl had died after being taken to a local hospital, which the NYPD spokesperson corrected It is unclear if there were multiple shooters, but the suspect or suspects fled on foot, authorities said. At a press conference, NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper said that detectives do not believe this was a case of one person 'firing indiscriminately' into a crowd. Rather, the argument escalated until 'at least one person' pulled a gun. Some of the victims are thought to have been part of the dispute. 'This is unacceptable, and when detectives make an arrest and Im very confident they will there must be swift, immediate, strong consequences,' Kemper said. Vice President Kamala Harris faces growing criticism for her handling of the border crisis One of Joe Biden's top advisers reportedly called another a '***-a**' and 'idiot' amid infighting over the border crisis. Susan Rice, the Domestic Policy Adviser, slammed Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Axios reported. Several people familiar with the instances said the remarks were made because Becerra was reluctant to find more space in child migrant centers. In a meeting Biden reportedly rebuked Becerra. Rice was said to have passed note to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas which said: 'Dont save him.' Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra was reportedly called an 'idiot' by another top Biden adviser Susan Rice was said to have criticized Becerra n a row over the border crisis The Biden administration continues struggling to handle the issue on the border as the president is reportedly frustrated behind the scenes. Amid the recriminations over the border a former Biden administration senior official also described Vice President Harris as 'ineffective' on the issue. The president personally appointed her to serve as a point person on the crisis in March 2021. 'She's been at best ineffective, and at worst sporadically engaged and not seeing it was her responsibility. It's an opportunity for her, and she didn't fill the breach,' the official told Axios. Harris and former National Security Advisor Susan Rice also eyed each other with suspicion, according to the report, as Rice felt more knowledgeable than Harris on the issue and stepped up to lead. President Biden also reportedly 'exploded with fury' at his team of advisors on Air Force One during his trip to Arizona in August 2023. He was upset when they did not have a certain piece of immigration data he wanted, further compounding the growing tension among his administration, according to Axios. The vice president adamantly refused to accept responsibility for the border crisis, insisting she was only in charge of handling the narrow 'root causes' of migration crisis in countries like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Her summer 2021 trip to Guatemala was widely viewed as ineffective after she told migrants 'do not come' during a press conference and embarrassed herself in an interview with NBC news anchor Lester Holt. When Holt pointed out Harris had not personally visited the border, she replied that she hadn't been to Europe either in an awkward exchange that went viral. Despite Harris' reluctance to visit the border, she finally made the trip after former President Donald Trump announced his own plans to visit to demonstrate his commitment to the issue. Harris visited the border 93 days after Biden appointed her as a leader on the crisis. The vice president is not the only Biden official trying to keep the immigration issue from dragging down her political image. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra remained reluctant to tackle the issue from his position by failing to ramp up facilities to house child migrants. Notorious for her frequent use of expletives in the office, Rice described Becerra as a 'b***h a**' the report added. Vice President Kamala Harris has tried to distance herself from the administration's border crisis. Harris and the White House have settled on blaming Republicans in congress for failing to fix a 'broken' immigration system, as the 2024 campaign to re-elect Biden begins in earnest, 'We are trying to compel, in particular, some of the Republicans in Congress to participate in the solution,' Harris noted in an interview with journalist Katie Couric in January. 'But sadly, we want to fix it and they want to run on it,' she continued. 'They want a political issue to run on in November.' House Republicans, meanwhile, are planning to vote Tuesday to impeach Biden's top border security official Alejandro Mayorkas. It is the GOP's second shot to take down the official. Last week, their first attempt to oust him stunningly failed by just one vote. Republicans contend Mayorkas should be charged with high crimes and misdemeanors for failing to enforce immigration laws and lying to Congress. Mayorkas has denied such claims and Democrats insist he is only carrying out the policy of the Biden administration. He also blamed the 'broken system' on Congress failing to act - after Republicans killed an immigration and foreign aid deal negotiated in the Senate. 'It certainly is a crisis and, well, we don't bear responsibility for a broken system,' Mayorkas said. 'And we're doing a tremendous amount within that broken system. But fundamentally, fundamentally, Congress is the only one who can fix it.' The government is warning Americans about the rise in AI 'sextortion' that is sweeping the nation - and the attack has caused at least a 20 suicides in recent years. Sextortion is when an offender convinces the victim to send sexually explicit pictures of videos and then threatens - and the criminal threatens to release them to the public if they do not receive more content or money. However, these attacks are being combined with AI, giving offenders tools to create attractive personas and generate convincing conversations. These attacks have risen 1,000 percent in the last 18 months, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute, driven by West African gangs who target young people on Instagram, Snapchat and Wizz. DailyMail.com spoke to an ex-police officer who shared warning signs of the attack, such as certain details in social media profiles and type of language being used. These attacks have risen 1,000 percent in the last 18 months, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute, driven by West African gangs who target young people on Instagram , Snapchat and Wizz Adam Pilton who formerly led a cybercrime team, said: 'I have seen and investigated many cases of sextortion. Often the victims are devastated by what has happened and are highly embarrassed. 'On occasions sexual videos that the victims shared with the suspect would be drip-fed to the victim's employer, colleagues, friends and family to add pressure on the victim to pay their ransom demands.' The Federal Burau of Investigations (FBI) issued a warning recently after uncovering an increase in attacks since October 2022. 'Sextortion can start on any site, app, messaging platform, or game where people meet and communicate. In some cases, the first contact from the criminal will be a threat,' the agency shared. 'The person may claim to already have a revealing picture or video of a child that will be shared if the victim does not send more pictures. 'More often, however, this crime starts when young people believe they are communicating with someone their own age who is interested in a relationship or with someone who is offering something of value.' Ex-police officer Adam Pilton, Cyber Security Consultant at CyberSmart Warning signs you are dealing with a sextortionist Pilton said the first warning sign is if you receive a friend request on social media from a stranger who is the opposite sex - and one that is attractive. While this may happen very occasionally in real life, its a classic sign of sextortion, Pilton said, and users should be immediately on their guard. There are also often obvious warning signs about the profile of a sextortionist, Pilton said. The social media profile of the stranger often has friends that you would not expect them to have e.g. a young female having a lot of older male friends,' he continued. 'The social media profile of the stranger will often have limited personalized activity, for example there wont be photos of the stranger socializing with other people that are tagged into that photo. 'The other key warning sign is that the stranger is keen to rapidly built a relationship.' How to spot sextortionists using AI Attackers may use AI to generate their profile pictures and employ chatbot software to generate convincing conversations, Pilton warned. Key warning signs are inconsistency in the details of photographs - if attackers are using AI to generate images, the appearance of the person may change or the settings may vary between pictures. Users should be wary of extremely quick responses and responses that dont seem to take into account what you have said. Inconsistent use of language (for example, switching between being affectionate and formal) is another warning sign, Pilton said. What sextortionists say If you are contacted via a social media platform, a classic red flag is that the person immediately wants to move to another platform such as WhatsApp, Pilton explained. 'This allows attackers to evade tools used by platforms to detect cybercriminals,' the former police officer continued. Victims are urged not to delete any communications, even if they are embarrassing. The exchanges could be used to track down offenders and save others from being taken advantage of. READ MORE: Mom of Ohio teen who died by suicide after sextortion warns about new online risks In November 2022, 17-year-old track star James Woods was targeted on Instagram in a online sexual extortion scheme. Advertisement 'Conversations will rapidly become sexual and attackers will request photos early on in the conversation. 'Other warning signs are that the stranger wants to keep their contact a secret or the situation may be unbelievable or you feel uncomfortable.' What to do if you are targeted Your first step should be to report the offender to the platform you are using and to law enforcement, said Pilton while also noting victims should block any further contact. Ensure your privacy settings across all platforms are enabled and you are not sharing too much information,' he continued. Do not engage any further. Dont pay any ransoms - The stranger will likely come back and ask for more. Seek help, speaking to a family member or a friend is often a great start. The longer you dwell on it, the harder it can become to talk about it. It is really important to stress though, with the rapid increase in sextortion attempts we are seeing, we need to be talking about this. 'Family members, friends and even schools should all be making those most vulnerable to this attack aware of it. The FBI said, If young people are being exploited, they are the victim of a crime and should report it. Contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov. The agency also urged victims not to delete any communications, even if they are embarrassing. The exchanges could be used to track down offenders and save others from being taken advantage of. READ MORE: 2 million species of plants and animals threatened with extinction Report warns human activity is causing overall decline in species that migrate From sea turtles to elephants, migratory animals include some of the most iconic species on the planet. They can travel for thousands of miles depending on the time of year, often to breed, find food, or otherwise simply survive. Unfortunately, these incredible animals are at risk of being wiped out and it's humans who are largely to blame. A new report warns that 22 per cent of the world's migratory species are threatened with extinction and almost half are at least declining in numbers. The two greatest threats to these animals are overexploitation and habitat loss both the result of human activity. The new report names 260 migratory species (22 per cent) as threatened with extinction, including the hawksbill turtle and the addax, a spiral-horned antelope Threatened migratory species North Atlantic right whale Addax Forest elephant Great Indian bustard Yellow-breasted bunting Bengal florican Siberian crane Slender-billed curlew Balearic shearwater Sociable lapwing Hawksbill turtle European eel Mekong giant catfish Common guitarfish Scalloped hammerhead shark Advertisement The new 'State of the World's Migratory Species' report is published today by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). 'Today's report clearly shows us that unsustainable human activities are jeopardizing the future of migratory species,' said Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme. 'Creatures who not only act as indicators of environmental change but play an integral role in maintaining the function and resilience of our planet's complex ecosystems.' Billions of animals make migratory journeys each year on land, in rivers and oceans, and in the skies. They cross national boundaries and continents, with some travelling thousands of miles across the globe to feed and breed. Migratory species play an essential role in maintaining the world's ecosystems, and provide various benefits, such as pollinating plants and transporting nutrients. The report relied on species datasets and contributions from institutions including BirdLife International, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). Pictured, sociable lapwing, an endangered migratory bird, which breeds in Kazakhstan and winters in the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Sudan Other endangered migratory species include the European eel, which starts in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda and takes it across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then back again READ MORE: 2 million species of plants and animals are threatened with EXTINCTION, report warns A fifth of of all European species are at risk of extinction, meaning that animals like the critically endangered La Gomera Giant Lizard might not be around for much longer Advertisement IUCN publishes its famous Red List, the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. Out of 1,189 animal species recognised by CMS as needing international protection, 260 species (22 per cent) are considered threatened with extinction, while 44 per cent (520) are showing declines in populations. The 260 threatened with extinction have been assessed as either 'Critically Endangered' (68), 'Endangered' (78) or 'Vulnerable' (114) on the IUCN Red List. Among them are the Hawksbill turtle, notable for its narrow, pointed beak and a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales on its shell. The critically endangered turtle species is found throughout the world's tropical oceans, largely in coral reefs, and has been historically hunted by humans. It migrates long distances typically 90 miles (150km) between foraging areas and nesting beaches. Also threatened is the scalloped hammerhead shark, which is overfished and prized for its fins by illegal traders. It's believed the shark species migrates to deeper waters to find food until it reaches full adult size and eventually returns to its original location. The critically endangered Hawksbills are found mainly throughout the world's tropical oceans, mostly in coral reefs Conservation scientists consider the scalloped hammerhead (pictured) to be endangered with extinction READ MORE: US declares 21 endangered species EXTINCT The Kauai 'o'o was last seen in 1987 Advertisement In terms of land animals, the list includes the addax, a spiral-horned antelope native to the Sahara Desert. It's thought to migrate south to Africa's Sahel savanna zone during the hot season in order to meet the first showers and rain-generated pastures. Other endangered migratory species include the European eel, which starts in the Sargasso Sea near Bermuda and crosses the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and then back again. There's also the North Atlantic right whale, also hunted to the brink of extinction by the 1890s. According to the report, human-built obstacles, like bridges and roads, are acting as physical barriers to migration for many of these animals. This lowers the chances of a successful migration, which in turn lowers the chances of survival. Even 'non-physical' barriers such as disturbance from industrial development and shipping traffic, represent 'formidable barriers to migratory populations'. The addax is thought to migrate south to Africa's Sahel savanna zone during the hot season in order to meet the first showers and rain-generated pastures The North Atlantic right whale (pictured) was hunted to the brink of extinction by the 1890s Removing or mitigating physical obstacles to an animal's migration, such as roads and bridges, vital in ensuring the survival of migratory species Out of 1,189 animal species recognised by CMS as needing international protection, 260 species (22 per cent) are considered threatened with extinction Other factors include pollution, including pesticides, plastics, heavy metals and excess nutrients, as well as underwater noise and light pollution. In particular, the current situation for fish is of 'particular concern', with a whopping 97 per cent of CMS-listed fish species threatened with extinction. Researchers say 'coordinated international action' is 'urgently needed' to reverse population declines and preserve these species and their habitats. 'The global community has an opportunity to translate this latest science of the pressures facing migratory species into concrete conservation action,' said Andersen. 'Given the precarious situation of many of these animals, we cannot afford to delay, and must work together to make the recommendations a reality.' In the 2004 film The Day After Tomorrow, humanity is plunged into a nightmarish international storm that sends the planet into a new ice age. And although the blockbuster was consigned to the realms of sci-fi, the science behind the frightening scenario is true. In a matter of years, melting glaciers could shut down the Gulf Stream - the system of currents that brings warmth to the northern hemisphere, experts say. Without this additional heat source, average temperatures could drop by several degrees in North America, parts of Asia and Europe, and people would see 'severe and cascading consequences around the world'. Scientists warn that an abrupt shutdown of Atlantic Ocean currents is looking more likely than ever, as computer simulations find a 'cliff-like' tipping point looming in the near future. In some parts of Europe, collapse of a large system of ocean currents called the AMOC could lead to a temperature decrease of more than 5.4F (3C) per 10 years In the Hollywood blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow (pictured), ocean currents around the world stop as a result of global warming, triggering a new ice age on Earth READ MORE: Photos show how much the Greenland Ice Sheet melted during baking summer temperatures Greenland's Ice Sheet (pictured) covers around 656,000 square miles - roughly 80 per cent of the surface of Greenland Advertisement The study authors, from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, don't know exactly when the collapse will happen, although a previous study put it as soon as next year. 'We are moving closer to the collapse, but we're not sure how much closer,' said lead author Rene van Westen, a climate scientist and oceanographer at Utrecht University. 'We are heading towards a tipping point.' When a global weather calamity like the one in The Day After Tomorrow may happen is 'the million-dollar question', according to van Westen. 'We unfortunately can't answer [that] at the moment,' he said. 'It also depends on the rate of climate change we are inducing as humanity.' The Gulf Stream is part of a much wider system of currents, officially called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation or AMOC. Described as 'the conveyor belt of the ocean', it transports warm water near the ocean's surface northwards from the tropics up to the northern hemisphere. When the warm water reaches the North Atlantic (around Europe and the UK, and the US east coast), it releases the heat and freezes. As this ice forms, salt is left behind in the ocean water. Due to the large amount of salt in the water, it becomes denser, sinks , and is carried southwards in the depths below. Eventually, the water gets pulled back up towards the surface and warms up in a process called upwelling, completing the cycle. Scientists think AMOC brings enough warmth to the northern hemisphere that without it, large parts of Europe could enter a deep freeze. Formally known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), it powers the Gulf Stream that brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico to the northeastern US coast WHAT IS THE AMOC? Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an important component of the Earths climate system. The pattern carries warm, salty water in the upper layers of the Atlantic northward, and colder fresh water in the deep Atlantic southward. This ocean circulation system transports a substantial amount of heat from the Tropics and Southern Hemisphere toward the North Atlantic, where the heat is transferred to the atmosphere. High levels in carbon dioxide would cause Arctic and Greenland ice melt, increasing the amount of freshwater run-off into the ocean. This increase in freshwater would disrupt the AMOC, which relies on a balance between fresh and salt water. Advertisement Prior studies have already shown that due to climate change, the AMOC is slowing down. The engine of this conveyor belt is off the coast of Greenland, where, as more ice melts from climate change, more freshwater flows into the North Atlantic and slows everything down. The new study forecasts that an abrupt shutdown of the AMOC could happen in the next few decades, rather than the next few centuries as previously thought. The researchers designed a computer modelling simulation in which they were able to measure a sudden weakening of the ocean circulation. The simulation introduced freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean, and as a result, the circulation strength gradually decreased until it reached a critical 'tipping point' and collapsed. According to the results, the European climate will cool by about 1.8F (1C) per decade, and some regions will even experience over 5.4F (3C) cooling per decade much faster than todays global warming of about 0.36 F (0.2 C) per decade. Aside from plunging countries into a deep freeze, this would extend Arctic ice further south, turn up the heat even more in the southern hemisphere, change global rainfall patterns and disrupt the Amazon rainforest. Other scientists say it would be a catastrophe that could cause worldwide food and water shortages. AMOC collapse: It would change weather worldwide because it means a shutdown of one of key the climate and ocean forces of the planet. It would plunge northwestern European temperatures by 9 to 27 degrees (5 to 15 degrees Celsius) over the decades 'We found that once it reaches the tipping point, the conveyor belt shuts down within 100 years,' the authors said. 'The heat transport toward the north is strongly reduced, leading to abrupt climate shifts.' The one thing they couldn't identify is when exactly this tipping point will be reached, although it is at least decades away if not longer. 'The research makes a convincing case that the AMOC is approaching a tipping point based on a robust, physically-based early warning indicator,' said Tim Lenton, chairman in climate change at University of Exeter, who was not involved with the study. 'What it cannot (and does not) say is how close the tipping point, because as it shows that there is insufficient data to make a statistically reliable estimate of that.' The study has been published in the journal Science Advances. Residents of Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula faced yet more destruction last week as they faced the third volcanic eruption since December. Now, a satellite image reveals the true scale of the latest eruption. The image was snapped by the European Union's Copernicus' SENTINEL-2 satellite just 10 hours after the eruption on February 8. It shows how lava rapidly bled into the frozen landscape, travelling up to 2.8 miles (4.5 km) west, and destroying pipes that provide 20,000 people with hot water. It also highlights just how close the lava came to hitting the vital Svartsengi power plant. Satellite imagery from the EU's Copernicus Sentinel 2 satellite captures the shocking power of the latest eruption on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula This is the third eruption to hit the Reykjanes peninsula (highlighted red) in the last three months, leading the town of Grindavik to be evacuated Shortly after 5:30am local time, a two-mile fissure tore open and sent lava spewing out into the frozen landscape READ MORE: The terrifying sounds that hinted Iceland's volcano was ready to blow once again Advertisement At around 5:30am local time on February 8, an eruption ripped open a 1.9-mile (3km) fissure in the Earth just 2.5 miles (4km) north of Grindavik. At the time of the eruption, Iceland's Meteorological Office (IMO) estimated that nine million cubic meters of magma had built up in a volcanic chamber. When the pressure eventually became too great and the volcano burst open, this lava spewed out into the surrounding area. In the striking satellite image, you can see the vast area covered by still-glowing lava flows. Previous eruptions in the Reykjanes peninsula have sent lava flows travelling southwards, coming dangerously close to Grindavik and the nearby power station. In January, lava from the most dangerous eruption travelled to the edge of town and destroyed at least three houses. However, as this image reveals, lava from the February 8 eruption mainly travelled to the west. The Copernicus satellite image shows that the lava flow travelled 2.8 miles (4.5 km) from the eruption site, settling into a long thin flow. Lava flows from the eruption travelled 2.8 miles (4.5 km) west, hitting a key hot water pipe (pictured) near the Blue Lagoon tourist attraction The eruption sent out an enormous plume of steam and gas which can also be seen in the satellite imagery. Iceland's Met Office, however, now says that the risk of gas pollution has abated in the town of Grindavik In the satellite image, you can also see the plume of gas being shot out by the eruption. The Copernicus team said in a statement: 'The smoke plume and the lava flow can clearly be seen near the city of Grindavik.' While the white plume seen in the image is mainly composed of steam, during the early phases of the eruption IMO also noted that 'a conspicuous, dark plume' emerged from part of the eruption. According to IMO, this was likely due to lava interacting with groundwater, resulting in slight explosive activity. Even though the satellite image shows the plumes travelling over Grindavik, IMO maintains that there is no longer a risk of gas pollution within the town. Within the town of Gridavik, the biggest risks are now the formation of sinkholes and earthquakes caused by 'fault movement'. Closer to the lava flows, however, hazards due to gas pollution are still considered likely. In this closeup of the satellite image, you can see how close the lava flows came to the town as the gas cloud travelled over the formerly inhabited area. You can also see the black rock left behind by an eruption in January which destroyed at least three homes While this latest eruption does not directly threaten any settlements, its effects have been hugely disruptive. Lava struck a key hot water pipe leading from the Svartsengi geothermal power plant. The Copernicus team said: 'The lava flow has disrupted the hot water supply to more than 20,000 households, and the local Civil Protection Agency has raised its alert level to emergency status for the whole Reykjanes Peninsula region.' Work to repair the pipeline is ongoing but it may be several days before hot water services return. There are also concerns lava may strike key pipelines close to the Svartsengi geothermal power station. The IMO has updated its hazard map for the area (pictured), reducing the risk of gas and lava flows for Grindavik (orange). However, around the Svartsengi power plant (yellow) there is still a moderate risk of lava flows READ MORE: Tourists are evacuated as lava SWALLOWS road surrounding one of Iceland's biggest guest attractions Advertisement If this were to happen then a further 30,000 people could be affected. However, according to IMO, the eruption has now subsided, meaning further damage is unlikely. In a statement issued on February 9, IMO wrote: 'No eruptive activity was observed in a drone-flight over the eruptive site carried out at noon today. This suggests that the eruption is ending.' Volcanic tremor activity in the area has also significantly decreased since February 8, raising hopes that the worst of the eruption is now over. Yet experts suggest that more eruptions in the Reykjanes peninsula are likely in the coming months. Iceland has extremely high levels of volcanic activity due to its location above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. After remaining dormant for eight centuries, experts believe that the Reykjanes peninsula is now entering a new era of volcanic activity. This means that eruptions like this are likely to occur again in the coming months Iceland is a particular hotspot for seismic activity because it sits on a tectonic plate boundary called the Mid Atlantic Ridge This crack in the ocean floor divides the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates and allows frequent eruptions to occur. The island itself experiences one eruption about every four or five years, however, the Reykjanes peninsula has lain dormant for eight centuries. There have now been five eruptions since August 2022 and three since December alone. This has led volcanologists to say it was probably the start of a new era of activity in the region. It's one of the most popular mobile networks in the UK, but it appears that Three UK is suffering yet another outage this afternoon. According to Down Detector, the issues started at around 11:24 GMT, and are affecting customers across the UK. Three UK has acknowledged the outage, and says it is 'working hard to fix it'. 'Some customers may be experiencing issues with our network this morning. Our engineers are working hard to fix it. This issue is also impacting customer service, so please check back here for the latest updates,' it posted on X (formerly Twitter). 'We're very sorry for the issues with service over the past few days and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.' Network provider Three UK has gone down, leaving customers unable to receive messages and calls According to Down Detector, the issues started at around 11:24 GMT, and are affecting customers across the UK What to do when your mobile network is down If you are experiencing problems with your mobile signal, you might be entitled to compensation. Internet providers typically pay out 8 per day when broadband and phone service is not repaired after two whole days of no service. Also, you may have the right to leave a provider without a fee if you have been without service for a long time. You can complain to your provider by phone, online via their website - or app if they have one - or instore. Advertisement So far, more than 12,000 issues have been logged on Down Detector. Of those who reported issues, 36 per cent said it was with their mobile internet, while 34 per cent said they had no signal. The remaining 30 per cent said they were experiencing a total blackout. Down Detector gets network status updates from various sources including social media and reports submitted to its website. The website's 'heat map' of user-submitted problem reports shows that affected customers are mostly in London, Birmingham and Manchester, although there are reports across the country. This outage is the latest in a string of issues with Three UK in recent weeks - and it seems that many frustrated users are sick of it. Taking to X, one wrote: 'Past few days!!! It's been couple weeks now problems have persisted. 'Trying to get through to customer services is a joke. 'I have 5 separate contracts with three and it's a waste of money atm.' Another added: 'This is an absolute joke! 'you'll be so quick to increase our prices every year even though we aren't getting the service we are paying for!!' And one vented: 'This is the last straw for me. Cancelling the contract and not paing any cancellation fee whatsoever.' Three UK has acknowledged the outage, and says it is 'working hard to fix it' 'We're very sorry for the issues with service over the past few days and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused,' Three tweeted This outage is the latest in a string of issues with Three UK in recent weeks - and it seems that many frustrated users are sick of it What to do when your mobile network is down? Generally, as has been the case with Three today, the provider will give updates on its service via its social media channels. If you are experiencing problems with your mobile signal, you might be entitled to compensation. Internet providers typically pay out 8 per day when broadband and phone service is not repaired after two whole days of no service. Also, you may have the right to leave a provider without a fee if you have been without service for a long time. You can complain to your provider by phone, online via their website - or app if they have one - or instore at a branch. One user vented: 'This is the last straw for me. Cancelling the contract and not paing any cancellation fee whatsoever' Another added: 'This is an absolute joke! you'll be so quick to increase our prices every year even though we aren't getting the service we are paying for!!' However, three of them sadly broke , releasing a 'potent stench of rotten egg' The egg was one of four found during excavations at the town's northwest edge A speckled egg dating back to Roman times still has its liquid yolk and whites inside intact, new analysis shows. The 'rare and exciting' artefact, which dates back 1,700 years, was found in Berryfields to the north-west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. About 1.5-inch (4cm) wide, it was in a waterlogged pit, which is thought to have helped the egg's incredible preservation. Dana Goodburn-Brown, archeologist at DGB Conservation, carried out a micro CT scan on the egg, which confirmed that it is still full of liquid and an air bubble. 'It was an exciting moment when we first saw the air bubble inside, and then decided to turn the egg and look again, to see if the bubble would move, which it did,' she told MailOnline. An egg found in Buckinghamshire and dating back to Roman times still has its liquid inside intact, new analysis shows READ MORE: Experts dig up a basket of 1,700-year-old ROMAN eggs - and accidentally broke three of them Excavations at Berryfields to the north-west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire uncovered the remains of a middle Iron Age settlement Advertisement 'We decided it is best to not undertake any invasive treatment for the egg because it is so rare and its contents are possibly of huge scientific value. 'Eggshells are porous and anything put onto the eggshell surface might also contaminate the inside contents.' Eggshells have been found in other UK Roman sites before but never a complete egg, let alone one with liquid preserved inside. The egg was one of four discovered during excavations at Berryfields between 2007 and 2016 in advance of a new housing estate. The were part of an 'extraordinary' collection of items, which also included a woven basket, pottery vessels, coins, leather shoes and animal bone. However, three of the eggs broke releasing a 'potent stench of rotten egg', described as 'unforgettable' and 'incredibly sulphurous' by those present. According to Mrs Goodburn-Brown, the egg was likely preserved as a result of being placed in a waterlogged pit. 'Organic materials and liquids do not normally survive the depths of time unless in special circumstances, such as being sealed by clay or mud and no oxygen circulating,' she told MailOnline. The egg was one of four discovered during excavations at Berryfields between 2007 and 2016 in advance of a new housing estate The eggs were part of an 'extraordinary' collection of items, which also included a woven basket, pottery vessels, coins, leather shoes and animal bone READ MORE: Human remains found in bog thought to be thousands of years old The skeleton was found about three feet (one metre) below the surface of government-owned land in Bellaghy, a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland . Advertisement 'The waterlogged conditions at the Buckinghamshire archaeological site preserved the eggs in situ, as well as the nearby remains of a fragile wooden basket.' Oxford Archaeology, which oversaw the excavations, said someone may have placed the eggs inside the basket and into a Roman well for good luck, much like today's wishing wells. In Roman society, eggs symbolised fertility and rebirth, so it may have been somehow linked to another object placed there at the same time. The egg was recently taken to London's Natural History Museum to gather expert opinion from Douglas Russell, the museum's senior curator of birds' eggs and nests. Mr Russell said the 'fascinating' and 'possibly unique' object was likely 'unintentionally preserved by the soil conditions in which it was found'. 'There are older eggs with contents for example, the NHM has a series of mummified birds' eggs, probably excavated by Sir Flinders Petrie from the catacombs of sacred animals at Denderah, Upper Egypt in 1898 which may be older. The team found four complete eggs in the pit but as they were so fragile three of them broke releasing a 'potent stench of rotten egg', he told the BBC 'However, this is the oldest unintentionally preserved avian egg I have ever seen. That makes it fascinating. 'Going forward, it will be very exciting to see if we can use any of the modern imaging and analysis techniques available here at the NHM to shed further light on exactly which species laid the eggs and its potential archaeological significance.' The egg is now being housed at Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury. Researchers are now aiming to extract the liquid contents from the egg without breaking the shell, although exactly how this will be done is another matter. One option could be making a fine incision in the shell to drain the contents, although this could cause. 'It's a bit like blowing an egg but obviously a much finer process,' Edward Biddulph, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology, told the BBC. 'There is huge potential for further scientific research and this is the next stage in the life of this remarkable egg.' The US military is in possession of a video of a UFO apparently disabling a nuclear warhead during a routine test, according to multiple former officials. They claim the video in question captured a saucer-shaped craft circling the unarmed, dummy warhead shortly after it detached from the Atlas missile booster, then shooting four beams of light at the warhead, disabling it. Retired US Air Force officers Lieutenant Bob Jacobs and Major Florenze Mansmann claim to have viewed the recording of the 1964 encounter before the tape went missing. The former officials were part of a team responsible for capturing video of missile test launches in California with telescopic photography and videography equipment. Two days later, after they screened the video, they claim that two plain-clothed CIA agents confiscated the footage and swore them to secrecy. The incredible account is part of a pattern that some UFO experts have identified, where UFOs seem to interfere with nuclear weapons. Retired Air Force Major Florenze Mansmann claimed he saw a flying saucer disable a dummy nuclear warhead during a missile test. He was ordered not to breathe a word of what he had seen The alleged incident occurred nearly six decades ago, on September 15, 1964, but it has more recently come into public knowledge due to author Robert Hastings investigating it. Luis Elizondo acknowledged the existence of the video and claimed he has seen it, according to a February 10 post by Hastings on The UFO Chronicles website. Elizondo says he was the former director of the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) program to study UFOs, and he has been involved in several high-profile leaks of military footage purporting to show UFOs. Graphic re-creation of what happened in the 1964 video when a UFO allegedly intercepted the Atlas rocket over the Pacific Ocean An unnamed source revealed to Hastings that Elizondo confirmed the details of the event in internal interviews. Back in the 1960s, Jacobs was in charge of a military telescopic photography site in Big Sur, California, which captured the video as the missile traveled several thousand miles per hour in its planned flight path over the Pacific Ocean. At the time, Mansmann was the chief photographic imagery analyst at Vandenberg Air Force Base - now called Vandenberg Space Force Base - in Santa Barbara County, California. The Cold War was progressing apace, including lots of black ops programs testing sophisticated and secret military hardware. Some UFO skeptics have claimed that reports of UFOs provided cover for these programs. Lieutenant Bob Jacobs, at the middle and bottom, pictured with his crew. Jacobs reported his sighting in the press in 1982 but was ridiculed and threatened for his claims The craft inadvertently caught on film was domed and disc-shaped, according to Jacobs and Mansmann. It was a 'classic disc, the center seemed to be a raised bubble...the entire lower saucer shape was glowing and seemed to be rotating slowly,' according to a letter Mansmann wrote about the incident in 1983. 'At the point of beam release...the object turned like an object required to be in a position to fire from a platform...but again this could be my own assumption from being in aerial combat.' Forty years later, a US Senate investigator told Hastings that Elizondo had confirmed this description in an official interview last year. 'During that briefing, the former AATIP director confirmed the existence of the video, the details regarding what it showed, and the location of a copy of it in AATIPs workspaces,' Hastings wrote in the new post. Despite Mansmann telling Jacobs not to discuss what they had seen, Jacobs began to talk about the event in 1982, thinking enough time had passed since the event that he could speak freely about what he saw. But his claims were dismissed by skeptics, and he was even subjected to harassment and anonymous death threats. Hastings' new report appears to match up with Elizondo's recollection of the video. Luis Elizondo, former director of the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) told a Senate investigator that he had seen the 1964 video When investigators went to look for the DVD recording of the video, where Elizondo had told them it was, it was not there, Hastings reported. And although the recording is missing and the story of Elizondo viewing the recording comes secondhand from an investigator, Hastings reported that he has additional evidence to support it: 'On November 10, 2023, a highly-reliable source - who I am not at liberty to identify - told me that UAP [unidentified anomalous phenomena] whistleblower David Grusch has privately confirmed that Elizondo also told him about having screened the Big Sur film, and that it did indeed capture an amazing, UFO-related, dummy warhead-interference event.' It seems that the video may have been lost when the Pentagon destroyed Elizondo's files and emails, Hastings wrote. This would have occurred in 2017 after he resigned as AATIP director, which he claimed was in protest of the Pentagon covering up UFO matters. 'This highly unusual move by the Pentagon is in direct violation of a legal Preservation Order that was mandated based on Elizondos other duties at the time,' Hastings wrote. 'The order requires all of Elizondos electronic and hard copy files to be preserved indefinitely, including email and correspondence.' Beyond the video, there is some limited evidence supporting the story. A declassified but unreleased set of radar data of the September 15, 1964 event apparently confirmed that an unidentified aerial object was observed near the dummy warhead during the missile test, a source told Hastings. The analysis of the radar data at the time suggested that the unidentified object could have been debris. It's also possible that it was 'chaff,' metallic objects meant to confuse radar to prevent enemies from pinpointing the exact location of a warhead. 'So, perhaps the mysterious target tracked on radar near the warhead was merely the chaff,' Hastings wrote. 'On the other hand, it may have indeed been the actual UFO, whose presence the author of the radar data report would probably not have known about, given the incidents Top Secret status.' A travel expert has revealed how plane passengers can avoid getting ripped off when it comes to booking seats with 'nightmare legroom.' Jaideep Patil, who runs the @traveltipswithjay Instagram and is the founder of travel-assistance web app TravelArrow, explained how to pull up information related to the airplane model of any given flight in advance. He said that travelers can subsequently determine the amount of legroom in different sections to ensure they are booking the best seats when it comes to legroom. 'If you're not checking the airplane manufacturer before booking your flight, you're doing it all wrong,' the content creator began. Jaideep Patil, who runs the @traveltipswithjay Instagram, explained how to pull up information related to the airplane model of a given flight in advance He said that travelers can subsequently determine the amount of legroom in different sections to ensure they are booking the best seats when it comes to legroom 'The next time you search on Google Flights, make sure you get access to this information,' while pulling up, as an example, available flights departing Boston and headed to Beijing. 'You get it to show up by getting this desktop Chrome extension called TravelArrow,' he continued, hawking his own AI-powered 'travel agent' application. Google Flights still shows the airplane model associated with a given flight sans Travel Arrow being installed - but the information is positioned much less prominently. On Google Flights, Travel Arrow also creates a hyperlink from the airplane model to TripAdvisor's Seat Guru platform. As Jaideep explained, the hyperlink 'takes you to a seat map of that airplane model,' as visible on Seat Guru. Viewing the layout of the plane on Seat Guru, travelers can view the legroom - as well as other factors, like proximity to lavatories or emergency exits as well as whether or not it reclines - associated with every seat on a given flight. 'And this is important, so that airlines can't rip you off with really cramped seats,' Jaideep said. 'So this way you can check how wide your seats are going to be on the Boeing-777,' he continued, pulling up a graphic of the example flight on his laptop. While Google Flights always shows the airplane model, TravelArrow creates a hyperlink to TripAdvisor's Seat Guru platform Jaideep demonstrated how Seat Guru can inform travelers about the legroom - as well as other pros and cons, like proximity to lavatories - for every seat on any given flight And, if you scroll down, he added, 'you can even see user generated reviews of the best and worst seats on this exact flight.' Jaideep is far from the only only person to share little-known travel hacks with his online audience. Countless flight attendants have gone viral on social media with insider insight - from how to be the 'perfect passenger' to how to check hotel rooms for hidden cameras. And last November, a pair of travel experts were 'inundated' with stories after asking flight attendants for stories about their 'rudest' passengers. Kelly Brook has revealed she's feeling more body confident than ever and it's led to more sex with husband Jeremy Parisi. The 44-year-old model is a longtime ambassador for SlimFast but revealed she isn't actively trying to lose weight, merely maintain the figure she has. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline ahead of the launch of her new weight and wellness podcast Life Gains, the former Page 3 girl explained: 'I don't want to be a size zero. 'I don't want to set myself unachievable goals. It's just about being the best version of myself now.' Kelly continues to celebrate her figure with her annual racy calendars and revealed the reason she thinks they still fly off the shelves 23 years after her first shoot is because: 'I'm not a Love Island star!' Kelly Brook has revealed she's feeling more body confident than ever and it's led to more sex with husband Jeremy Parisi (pictured in 2020) Reflecting on her Noughties modelling career, she mused 'I was called curvy a lot when I was just a very typical, normal looking woman. I was a lot lighter than I am now!' (pictured in 2000) She clarified: 'I don't want to be a threat! I want to be a wholesome pin-up girl. It's women that buy my calendar not men!' One man that gets a calendar every year, however, is of course husband Jeremy, 38, who helps Kelly on her health and fitness journey but not with the goal of seeing her lose weight. She explained: 'Jeremy's Italian so he likes he likes a big bum and boobies - so I don't have to worry about that! 'You just have to realise that no one really cares what you look like other than you do. You've got to what makes you feel good because if you're trying to look a certain way to please someone else it's a never ending battle. 'I'm happy in myself and confident and I don't think my husband notices my weight if it fluctuates... if you feel good that that can only lead to more sex!' Jeremy has joined Kelly on her SlimFast journey with the pair both drinking shakes - Kelly as a meal replacement and Jeremy for extra protein - and he also ensures there's a healthy but hearty dinner on the table when she returns home from hosting the Heart Radio drivetime show. She explained: 'I'll come home to a nice cooked meal. He's very sweet, he'll always light a little candle and set the table. 'He's Italian-French so it's all about sitting down and eating together so we do that and a lot of walking. 'We try and keep fit and healthy together. We've got a dog so we go out on weekends for two hour hikes and stuff like that, which we love to do. 'It's definitely our lifestyle, we'd much rather be out walking the dog than be sitting at home watching a movie.' The former Page 3 girl explained: 'I don't want to be a size zero. 'I don't want to set myself unachievable goals. It's just about being the best version of myself now' Reflecting on the differences between her figure now and in her 20s and the public perception of weight, Kelly mused: 'I was called curvy a lot in my modelling days when I was just a very typical, normal looking woman. I was a lot lighter than I am now! 'I was a trailblazer for "curvy" models at the time because it was all about that skinny, waifish look at the time but I worked with lingerie brands celebrating curves. 'The men's magazine market also celebrated curves, so men were championing girls that look like me, whereas the female magazines weren't so much. 'I think we've come on so far and we embrace so many different shapes and sizes now.' Revealing how the public mood has done a 180, she continued: 'I get trolled when I post about SlimFast because people are like, "why are you doing that? You don't need to do that!" 'And I have to explain it's not about slimming down for me, it's maintaining.' But it's impossible to please everyone, and Kelly explained she gets trolled for her appearance now. She reasoned: 'I think it's a shock for people if they still see me in their heads as that Nineties model. 'Now as a 44-year-old married woman working on a radio show, they're just two completely different women. You can't even compare. 'I don't want to go backwards, I just want to move forward. I'm really comfortable with who I am and how I look. 'I'm so glad I don't have any of those body anxieties anymore. 'So if people see me and think "oh my God, she's unrecognisable" they just need to get their heads around it. 'It's not anything to do with me, it's all on them. I don't worry because I'm sure if I looked at a picture of them from like 25 years ago, they'd look different as well! Kelly, who has been a SlimFast ambassador for five years and has successfully maintained a two stone weight loss during that time, has now collaborated with the brand to launch the Life Goals podcast with Big Narstie. The Life Gains podcast explores their personal motivations and relatable experiences since embarking on their weight and wellness journeys. Kelly, who has been a SlimFast ambassador for five years, has now collaborated with the brand to launch the Life Goals podcast with Big Narstie Kelly explained: 'It's just been amazing to have somebody like Narstie, who's completely different to me, but we're on a similar journey to chat things through. 'We've all got our own life gains and our own life goals and it's how you can adapt SlimFast for you to reach your goal. It doesn't mean you have to be a particular size, it's about what works for you. 'I look at Narstie and see how he's come from collapsing to losing loads of weight, being able to play with his kids. He owns a gym now, he's turned his life around and I just think it's really inspiring.' Kelly concluded: 'It's not the destination, it's a journey and ultimately, you know where you're going, so just keep on it.' Kelly Brook and Big Narstie's new wellness podcast is all about shifting from a cant do to a can do attitude, fuelling up on SlimFasts 23 vitamins and minerals and 14g of protein and smashing personal goals. Kim Kardashian's good friend Jonathan Cheban - who now goes by FoodGod - was seen at a fashion show over the weekend. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians veteran was seen at the Badgley Mischka show at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in New York City on Saturday. The star brought as his plus one his mother Galina Cheban. Galina looks so youthful that she looks like she could be the sibling, not the mother, of the reality TV star. Cheban was born in Moldova, Soviet Union in 1974. He is the only child of a real-estate agent mother and a diamond-dealer father, Mikhail, who died in 2011. Jonathan Cheban and his mother Galina attend the Badgley Mischka fashion show during New York Fashion Week - February 2024: The Shows at Starrett-Lehigh Building on February 10 in New York City He had on a double-breasted pin-stripped jacket with a chunky diamond-studded white gold necklace Both Jonathan and Galina wore jet black clothing. He had on a double-breasted pin-stripped jacket with a chunky diamond-studded white gold necklace that is worth $1M. His slacks were dark gray and he added black suede boots. Galina was elegant in a black sparkly top with slacks and sunglasses as a black purse dangled from her shoulder. This comes after he was chumming it up with Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump in December. They were side by side looking like fresh friends when at the opening of the upscale new hotel Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Also at the event was Kim, but she did not appear to pose with her longtime pal Trump. And her sister Kendall Jenner was also present, as she was seen walking in with Cheban. New York Fashion Week - February 2024: The Shows at Starrett-Lehigh Building on February 10 His slacks were dark gray and he added black suede boots he had his sunglasses on and off as he posed in the studio Galina was elegant in a black sparkly top with slacks and sunglasses as a black purse dangled from her shoulder Kim and Ivanka have become friends over the past few years, but they were not seen together at the splashy event that also had as guests Sylvester Stallone and his wife Jennifer Flavin. Jonathan looked sharp in a dark suit with dress shoes on as he flashed his tattoos and diamond jewelry. Ivanka was stunning in a long shimmering dress with her blonde hair worn down in a movie star style. Kim Kardashian may be losing her best friend to another celebrity. In December Cheban was seen chumming it up with Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump They were side by side looking like fresh friends when at the opening of the upscale new hotel Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Seen with Julie Brawn, far left Kendall wore a black slip dress that flashed her chest and bare arms. Kim went with basic black as her raven hair was in soft curls and her makeup was extra dramatic. Kim and Jonathan met about 15 years ago when she started to become famous on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. They sat next to each other at an event and became fast friends. At the time Jonathan was a publicist and he advised Kim on what events to go to, how to pose and what to wear. Kim's younger half sister Kendall Jenner was also present, as she was seen walking in with Cheban, seen right Kim did not appear to pose with her longtime pal Trump As her fame grew, she supported Cheban, inviting him to appear on Keeping Up With The Kardashians. He also also been seen on The Kardashians. And the star has become a reality TV star in his own right. He was on the Spin Crowd and Celebrity Big Brother. More recently he had his own FoodGod show. Meanwhile, Kim and Ivanka were seen as recently as Kim's 43rd birthday bash. In 2022, they shocked fans when they were seen at a three hour dinner together in Beverly Hills days after Kim's ex-husband, Kanye West, made a series of scathing anti-Semitic comments, which sparked furious fire for the rapper. Ivanka, 40, who converted to Judaism when she married her husband, Jared Kushner, in 2009, was photographed leaving upscale eatery The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills hotel with Kim by her side. Celebrity chef Manu Feildel has weighed in on a debate about the 'specials' menu at restaurants. On Monday's The Kyle and Jackie O Show, hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson were arguing over whether the menu items are a way to move expiring food. Jackie, 48, believed the specials menu was a creative outlet for chefs, while Kyle, 52, thought it was about not wasting ingredients before they spoiled, however when they called Manu, he revealed the truth. 'It depends where you go. If you go to the coffee shop on the corner, maybe they're trying to get rid of what's at the back of the fridge,' said the 49-year-old My Kitchen Rules host. 'But if you go to a restaurant, a special is a special. That's why it's called special.' Celebrity chef Manu Feildel has weighed in on a debate about the 'specials' menu at restaurants. Pictured However, Kyle pressed the French chef on the question, asking him about old meat in the supermarket. 'Isn't that the same as the old meat at Coles, the one that's gone grey with the "special" sticker?' 'No, it's not special. But the price is special,' Manu replied. On Monday's The Kyle and Jackie O Show, hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson were arguing over whether the specials menu is a way to move expiring food Jackie (pictured right) believed the specials menu was a creative outlet for chefs, while Kyle (pictured left) thought it was about not wasting ingredients before they spoiled, however when they called Manu, he revealed the truth Kyle and Jackie then conceded they were technically both correct about the specials menu. 'Well thank you for the truth, Manu. So some restaurants are doing that as a business, but at the top end of town reputation matter and they're doing it as a creative outlet.' 'So we were both right,' said Jackie. It comes after Manu was the subject of a cruel on-air prank orchestrated by The Kyle and Jackie O Show and his son Jonti. Jonti, 18 - who signed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs' junior division - was recorded pranking his dad by telling him that he'd ruined his NRL career before it had even begun after a wild weekend doing drugs. 'I f**ked up, dad. Next week, the Bunnies are going to drug test us,' Jonti joked. He continued: 'I went and smoked weed with my friends last weekend so I'm not sure if it's going to be in my system or not.' Jonti (pictured), 18, who just signed with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, last year told the celebrity chef he'd ruined his NRL career before it had even begun after a wild weekend doing drugs At this point, the celebrity chef went ballistic as he scolded his son: 'Come on, bro. Come on. F**k. F**k, Jonti. F**k, f**k, f**k, Jonti. Come on. S**t, bro. 'We've talked about this. Think about your freaking career, man. I don't want to tell you off, Jonti. I really don't want to tell you off, but you know you've got to grow up.' Feildel went on to say he already thought Jonti's drinking was too much and tried not to judge it, 'but now you're smoking f**king reefer. What's next? F**k.' But when Jonti asked his dad to pee in the cup for him so he could pass the upcoming drug test, Feildel was adamant his son would have to take responsibility for his actions, even if it meant losing his spot on the team. Feildel sounded relieved as he realised it was a prank. 'You bunch of w**kers. Oh, my God. I was just about to cry.' A couple were spotted getting hot and heavy in a Las Vegas hotel room overlooking Travis Scott's concert on Saturday night. In video obtained by TMZ, the duo were seen in a hotel room visible to concert goers at Scott's show at the Hakkasan Nightclub at the MGM Grand - but left the blinds completely open as they proceeded to get intimate. It's unknown if the couple were aware they were visible to others, but they certainly caught the attention of people in the club - and even received a shout-out from one of the performers on stage. 'Can I get two seconds for the couple that's f**king right there? They turned this s**t up. Turn it up,' the artist said. One of the musicians was also heard shouting, 'That boy's a legend!', perhaps referring to the couple in the bedroom. Scott - who recently lost out on a Grammy - was just one of many big names in Las Vegas ahead of the Super Bowl. This year, the Kansas City Chiefs go head to head with the San Francisco 49ers. A couple were spotted getting hot and heavy in a Las Vegas hotel room overlooking Travis Scott 's concert on Saturday night; Scott pictured performing at E11EVEN Miami last year The Hakkasan Nightclub, located at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas; pictured 2013 The sporting extravaganza comes just days after the 2024 Grammys, where Scott lost Best Rap Album to Killer Mike. During his performance at the Grammys, Scott seemingly seemingly used the opportunity to respond to his snubs. The Texas native who has two children with his ex Kylie Jenner brought to life three songs from his album Utopia during his performance. He created a dystopian scene that included fire and fog as he delivered renditions of his songs FE!N, My Eyes, and I Know. And at the end, the father-of-two let loose, slamming folding chair props onto the stage. It came after he lost Best Rap Album. Travis, born Jacques Bermon Webster II, even changed the lyrics in his and Playboi Carti's track FE!N to 'they slept on me 10 times,' in reference to his nominations and subsequent losses. Scott's frequent collaborator and friend Drake used Instagram to air out his grievances toward the Recording Academy on Sunday. The 37-year-old music artist re-shared his 2019 Grammy acceptance speech and wrote: 'All you incredible artists remember this show isn't the facts it's just the opinion of a group of people whose name are kept a secret (literally you can google it).' Scott pictured at Michael Rubin's Fanatics Super Bowl party in Las Vegas on Saturday The sporting extravaganza comes just days after the 2024 Grammys, where Scott lost Best Rap Album to Killer Mike He added, 'Congrats to anybody winning anything for hip hop but this show doesn't dictate s*** in our world.' Scott was nominated for one award this year, going up against Drake & 21 Savage - Her Loss, Killer Mike - Michael, Metro Boomin - Heroes & Villains and Nas - Kings Disease III for Best Rap Album. He was announced as a performer in late January. In the past he has been looked over in the Best Melodic Rap Performance, Album of the Year, Best Rap/Sung Performance, Best Rap Performance, and Best Rap Song categories. Blake Lively nearly stole the show at the 2024 Super Bowl on Sunday when she arrived with a set of stunning golden curls and a vibrant red track suit. The 36-year-old actress accompanied her good friend Taylor Swift to a VIP box at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, as they cheered on Taylor's boyfriend Travis Kelce and his team, the Kansas City Chiefs. Blake rocked a sporty-casual look with an unmissable red Adidas tracksuit that contrasted the muted looks of the rest of the pop superstar's ensemble. She showcased her stunning fit figure with a brilliant white cropped tank top highlighting her midriff. The wife of Ryan Reynolds who didn't appear to have joined her to see the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25 to 22 in a nail-biter overtime finale clung to her longtime BFF Taylor and was even seen wrapping her arms around the hitmaker's waste affectionately from their luxury box. Blake Lively nearly stole the show at the 2024 Super Bowl on Sunday when she arrived with a set of stunning golden curls and a vibrant red track suit with her BFF Taylor Swift The 36-year-old actress wrapped her arms around Taylor's waste as she joined the 34-year-old hitmaker to cheer on her boyfriend Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs Blake was joined in the VIP box by several of Taylor's other friends, including the rapper Ice Spice, who contrasted her all-black ensemble with her striking orange curls. The Gossip Girl star wore her playful red jacket unzipped and draped down around her elbows to highlight her crop top. She added plenty of sparkle to the outfit thanks to stunning gold Tiffany jewelry worth nearly half a million dollars. She was decked out with a graduated link necklace worth $18,500, along with a glittering diamond pave necklace costing $78,000 and a yellow gold graduated link necklace worth $62,000, according to Page Six. She doubled up on earrings, opting for the Tiffany solitaire diamond earrings worth a relatively modest $1,650 with gold Else Peretti snake earrings than ran for $4,000. However, the portions of her jewelry were the 14 thick bracelets jangling around her wrists. She wore a $12,500 link bracelet and doubled up with a $26,000 version of the same but with diamonds added, and she went all out gold items with several Elsa Peretti designs, including a $12,300 swirl cuff, a $29,000 doughnut bangle and a gold lock bangle dusted with diamonds that costs a whopping $40,000, as well as a somewhat cheaper white gold version for $16,000. In addition to those precious metals and stones, Blake wore a Tiffany T square bangle worth $7,800 and a $7,500 Tiffany T T1 wide-hinged bangle, along with two different version of the same style with diamonds added, one of which cost $27,000, while an even more opulent version rang up at $39,000. The Gossip Girl star wore her playful red jacket unzipped and draped down around her elbows to highlight her crop top Her long, dirty blond hair was styled in lovely Pre-Raphaelite curls that were swept dramatically to one side Blake was draped out in nearly half a million dollars worth of jewelry, including multiple gold and silver Tiffany necklaces and 14 thick bracelets, several of which was decorated with diamonds Blake could be seen trying to keep Taylor calm during a nail-biter overtime in which the Chiefs came back for a 2522 win She wasn't done yet, and Blake rounded out her bracelets with a $42,000 diamond-encrusted lock bangle, a $17,000 white gold half pave bracelet, a contrasting Else Peretti doughnut bangle in sterling silver that cost a mere $1,825 and a white gold knot bangle decorated with diamonds for an eye-popping $54,000. Her long, dirty blond hair was styled in lovely Pre-Raphaelite curls that were swept dramatically to one side. Earlier in the afternoon, Blake was seen arriving with the rest of Taylor's ensemble in the lower depths of the Las Vegas stadium. She perfectly matched her track suit with a set of towering scarlet heels that elevated her 5ft10in stature. Walking in between her and Taylor was the songstress' longtime friend, the celebrity stylist Ashley Avignone. Even though Blake was helping Taylor to cheer on her boyfriend Travis, she looked totally invested in the earlier minutes of the first quarter. She could be seen clapping and cheering wildly as Taylor raised a hand in the air. It was a family affair for Taylor's boyfriend Travis, as his brother, a center for the Philadelphia Eagles, was seen standing just behind Taylor and Blake next to his mother Donna. Although Blake's husband Ryan Reynolds didn't appear at the game, his fans were treated to a trailer for his upcoming Deadpool 3 film. He referenced the high-profile ad spot with an Instagram photo of himself beaming next to a TV featuring an image of himself in the Deadpool suit, as well as Blake's trip to the Super Bowl in his caption. 'Has everyone seen the #Deadpool trailer? Also has anyone seen my wife,' he joked. Blake's friendship with the Bad Blood singer goes back to 2015, when the singer's fans briefly thought one of Blake's social media posts was intended as a dig at Taylor. Earlier in the afternoon, Blake was seen arriving with the rest of Taylor's ensemble in the lower depths of the Las Vegas stadium She perfectly matched her track suit with a set of towering scarlet heels that elevated her 5ft10in stature Even though Blake was helping Taylor to cheer on her boyfriend Travis, she looked totally invested in the earlier minutes of the first quarter. She could be seen clapping and cheering wildly as Taylor raised a hand in the air Blake's friendship with the Bad Blood singer goes back to 2015, when the singer's fans briefly thought one of Blake's social media posts was intended as a dig at Taylor Blake's husband Ryan Reynolds didn't attend the game, though his Deadpool 3 trailer was one of its high-profile commercials. However, he jokingly referenced Blake attending in an Instagram post She made it clear that wasn't the case when they met up later in the year during a trip to Australia, where they spent the day getting to know each other at a theme park. It was clear that the two were already good friends by the following year, when Blake and her husband Ryan were pictured Fourth of July celebration. Since then, they have been regular fixtures in each other's lives, and Taylor has even made a habit of including Blake and Ryan's children in her music. Taylor was first linked to her football-star boyfriend when she was spotted at the Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears game in September 2023. However, the songstress revealed to Time late last year that the two had actually first begun seeing each other a few months earlier Alec Baldwin was seen heading to day three of Atlanta Comic Con on Sunday. The star arrived at JFK Airport in New York to catch a flight to Georgia. Looking somewhat somber, Baldwin pulled his luggage on wheels while dressed in gray slacks with a blue t-shirt, a black jacket and matching dress shoes. Eventually, he arrived in Georgia and headed to the convention at the Georgia World Congress Center, where he was set up at a booth so he could meet and converse with fans. The event gives fans the opportunity to meet celebrities, get autographs and photos, and shop at one-of-a-kind vendors. It seems as if the star wants to drum up some extra cash as his legal fees are mounting due to his latest indictment in connection to the shooting on the set of the Western film Rust in 2021. Alec Baldwin was seen heading to day three of Atlanta Comic Con on Sunday. The star arrived at JFK Airport in New York to catch a flight to Georgia Looking somewhat somber, Baldwin pulled his luggage on wheels while dressed in gray slacks with a blue t-shirt, a black jacket and matching dress shoes Baldwin, 65, was seen meeting with fans. In recent months, Baldwin has been booking appearances at fan conventions, which included signing autographs at the Steel City Con in Monroeville, Pennsylvania a few weeks ago. Along with conventions, the three-time Emmy winner's efforts to fortify his finances also includes relisting his longtime Hamptons home for $19 million, which is $10 million less than when it was on the market a year ago for $29 million, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. In a video posted this week by real estate brokerage firm Saunders & Associates, Baldwin talks to the camera about his fond memories with the 10,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom home located in Amagansett on Long Island's South Shore. Baldwin pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins who was fatally shot on the set of Rust in October 2021 and was due to go to court on August 6. But earlier this week his trial was cancelled due to a judge reassignment, according to National Post. Under the terms of most recent release, the Amityville, New York native cannot possess firearms or drink alcohol, and is not to have contact with witnesses in the case, except for business reasons related to the release of Rust. Initially, Baldwin was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the on-set shooting, but that case was dropped in April. Prosecutors said at the time that new facts in the case required additional investigation and forensic analysis. Eventually, he arrived in Georgia and headed to the convention at the Georgia World Congress Center, where he was set up at a booth so he could meet and converse with fans . The event gives fans the opportunity to meet celebrities, get autographs and photos, and shop at one-of-a-kind vendors. It seems as if the star wants to drum up some extra cash as his legal fees are mounting due to his latest indictment in connection to the shooting on the set of the Western film Rust in 2021. But then in October, New Mexico special prosecutors announced their findings indicated that Baldwin may be guilty of involuntary manslaughter, and he would be indicted again on the charge in January. The Glengarry Glen Ross star was holding a prop gun on the set of Rust at Bonanza Creek Ranch in Santa Fe on October 21, 2021 when the gun fired a live round and killed Hutchins, 42, and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has maintained that he did not pull the trigger before the gun fired. He also has said the gun had been declared 'cold,' with no live ammunition, by assistant director Dave Halls, according to NBC News. Baldwin's trial in connection to the Rust on set shooting in 2021 was cancelled earlier this week dur to a judge reassignment; the actor is pictured with Rust co-star Patrick Scott McDermott Baldwin built a close relationship with his young Rust co-star Easton Malcolm, to the point that he thanked his parents for sharing him with the cast Halls pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon in March and was sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation. The armorer for the movie, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, and her trial is set to begin February 21. Since 2023, Baldwin has been linked to four other film projects including Supercell, 97 Minutes, Atrabilious and Billie's Magic World, along with an appearance on Saturday Night live in October 2023. So far, there's been no official word on when his trial will be rescheduled. An official trailer for the upcoming superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine was released on Sunday. In the clip, Ryan Reynolds was seen in character as the Merc With A Mouth as he suited up to take on the Time Variance Authority and decide the fate of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The feature - which had its production conclude last month - also marks the official return of Hugh Jackman to his longtime role as James 'Logan' Howlett, better known as Wolverine. The trailer began with Deadpool, whose real name is Wade Wilson, celebrating his birthday in the company of several of his friends, and he gives a short speech where he graciously declares himself to be the 'luckiest man alive.' The superhero is then visited by TVA agents, and after they pulled out electric batons, he fires off an R-rated gag. 'Pegging isn't new for me, friendo, but it is new for Disney,' before glancing at the camera. An official trailer for the upcoming superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine was released on Sunday In the clip, Ryan Reynolds was seen in character as the Merc With A Mouth as he suited up to take on the Time Variance Authority and decide the fate of the Marvel Cinematic Universe The feature - which had its production conclude last month - also marks the official return of Hugh Jackman to his longtime role as James 'Logan' Howlett, better known as Wolverine Deadpool is pulled through a portal and wakes up in the company of Paradox, portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen, and after informing the mercenary that he unconsciously soiled himself, Reynold's character quipped: 'I wasn't unconscious.' Paradox informs the superhero that he has a 'chance to be a hero among heroes' and leads him to a control room featuring footage taken across the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After Deadpool makes his way towards a Wolverine-esque figure lounging in a casino, the character states: 'Your little cinematic universe is about to change forever. I'm the messiah. I am...Marvel Jesus.' The superhero then takes on several TVA agents in a variety of locations, and after one is spirited away by an unseen force, he exclaims: 'Oh my f***!' The mercenary goes on to violently dispatch various assailants with both guns and his signature katanas, and Pyro, played by Aaron Stanford, remarks: 'God, I love this part!' Deadpool is later blasted through a cement slab, and is approached by Wolverine, who remains off-screen as the former quips: 'Don't just stand there, you ape, give me a hand up.' Wolverine then displays his claws, and the trailer ends after Wilson remarks: 'Nope, I'm actually okay, thank you very much!' Development on Deadpool & Wolverine commenced in the late 2010s, and it was confirmed that the feature was in the works in December of 2019. The trailer began with Deadpool, whose real name is Wade Wilson, celebrating his birthday in the company of several of his friends, and he gives a short speech where he graciously declares himself to be the 'luckiest man alive' The superhero is then visited by TVA agents, and after they pulled out electric batons, he remarked 'pegging isn't new for me, friendo, but it is new for Disney,' before glancing at the camera Deadpool is pulled through a portal and wakes up in the company of Paradox, portrayed by Matthew Macfadyen, and after informing the mercenary that he unconsciously soiled himself, Reynold's character quipped 'I wasn't unconscious' Paradox informs the superhero that he has a 'chance to be a hero among heroes' and leads him to a control room featuring footage taken across the Marvel Cinematic Universe After Deadpool makes his way towards a Wolverine-esque figure lounging in a casino, the character states 'Your little cinematic universe is about to change forever. I'm the messiah. I am...Marvel Jesus' The superhero then takes on several TVA agents in a variety of locations, and after one is spirited away by an unseen force, he exclaims 'Oh my f***!' The mercenary goes on to violently dispatch various assailants with both guns and his signature katanas, and Pyro, played by Aaron Stanford, remarks 'God, I love this part!' Deadpool is later blasted through a cement slab, and is approached by Wolverine, who remains off-screen as the former quips 'Don't just stand there, you ape, give me a hand up' Jackman had been courted to return to his old role for several years, and Reynolds, with whom he has been friends for years, confirmed that the performer would portray Wolverine again in September of 2022. Also set to appear in the feature are Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin and Jennifer Garner, and the latter two will reprise their roles as Vanessa and Elektra, respectively. Production on the movie kicked off in May of 2023, and after filming was put on hold due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, shooting eventually concluded this past January. Deadpool & Wolverine will be released in the United Kingdom on July 25, and it is set to debut in the United States the following day. Nicole Scherzinger proudly showed off her gong after winning the Best Performer In A Musical for Sunset Boulevard at the WhatsOnStage awards on Sunday. Joining the leading lady, 45, was James Norton, 38, who was presented Best Performer In A Play award for A Little Life. Nicole and James were beaming with pride as they posed in the winners' room after the star-studded ceremony at the London Palladium. Sunset Boulevard's director Jamie Lloyd also received recognition as he swooped the Best Direction award. The musical, which wrapped up it's show in The Savoy last month and is now headed to Broadway, also won awards for Best musical direction/supervision, Best Sound/ Lighting and Best professional debut performance. Nicole Scherzinger, 45, proudly showed off her gong after winning the Best Performer In A Musical for Sunset Boulevard at the WhatsOnStage awards on Sunday Joining the leading lady was James Norton, 38, who was presented Best Performer In A Play award for A Little Life Nicole stars as silent movie star Norma Desmond in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which is based on the film by Billy Wilder. In a statement, Darius Thompson and Alex Wood of WhatsOnStage said: 'What a year for UK theatre this has been. 'It is striking just how audiences are keen to lend their support to bold, experimental takes on classic tales - from solo versions of Chekhov to immersive takes on classic musicals, or radical re-imaginings of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows.' At the event, Nicole was joined by her beloved fiance Thom Evans, 38, who came along to support his future wife-to-be. The loved-up couple are preparing to tie the knot after the former rugby player popped the question in June 2023. And looking happier than ever, Thom and Nicole packed on the PDA as they arrived to the star-studded ceremony. As well as James, Luke Thompson received an award for his role in A Little Life. The four-hour play saw James and Luke praised for their performances in the stage adaptation Hanya Yanagihara's much-adored novel. Nicole was beaming with pride as they posed in the winners' room after the star-studded ceremony The musical, which wrapped up it's show in The Savoy last month, also won awards for Best musical direction/supervision and Best Sound/ Lighting In total, Sunset Boulevard the musical received five incredible awards Nicole stars as silent movie star Norma Desmond in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which is based on the film by Billy Wilder Sunset Boulevard's director Jamie Lloyd also received recognition as he swooped the Best Direction award Adam Fisher won the Best Sound award for Sunset Boulevard The four-hour play saw James and Luke praised for their performances in the stage adaptation Hanya Yanagihara's much-adored novel James was thrilled to pick up one of the best awards of the night Despite his recent heartbreak, James proudly showcased his well-deserved trophy As well as James Norton, Luke Thompson received an award for his role in A Little Life Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood posed with her Best Takeover Performance award for the Cabaret, The Kit Kat Club at the Playhouse Theatre James looked downcast as he made his first public appearance at the awards since he split from his ex fiancee Imogen Poots. The Happy Valley star, 38, posed on the red carpet as he arrived to the ceremony solo. James looked incredibly dapper in an oversized black suit, while donning a casual white T-shirt and polished black shoes. Despite his heartbreak, James did his best to smile as he posed on the carpet before heading into the ceremony. His outing comes shortly after his split from Imogen, 34, was announced earlier this week - as the couple called time on their six-year relationship. Married At First Sight Australia's Ellie has revealed that Ben has become 'paranoid' since their wedding on the show. Ben Walters', 39, interrogation from overprotective cousin Jordan at the reception appears to loom large in the groom's mind. Ellie Dix, 32, said that she went on an offscreen date with Ben so they could get to know each other more during an interview with TV Week. However, she said that 'after a couple of drinks, he started questioning me about why I thought that he was there [on MAFS].' 'I think my cousin really triggered him and he couldn't get it out of his mind he was paranoid,' the nurse added. Married At First Sight's Ellie has revealed that Ben has become 'paranoid' since their wedding on the show. Ben's interrogation from overprotective cousin Jordan at the reception appears to loom large in the groom's mind. Pictured: Ben and Ellie Speaking to TV Week, Ellie said that she went on an offscreen date with Ben so they could get to know each other more. However, she said that 'after a couple of drinks, he started questioning me about why I thought that he was there [on MAFS]' At the reception, cousin Jordan grilled Ben on his work, lifestyle, and intentions after the show, and admitted to producers that he could see 'red flags' and 'bad juju.' Jordan also accused Ben of being on the show solely to get famous and to promote his podcast. Despite receiving some backlash online, Jordan's intense interrogation did yield some startling admissions from Ben. 'I think my cousin really triggered him and he couldn't get it out of his mind he was paranoid,' the loveable nurse added. Pictured: cousin Jordan and Ben at the reception At the reception, cousin Jordan grilled Ben on his work, lifestyle, and intentions after the show, and admitted to producers that he could see 'red flags' and 'bad juju.' Jordan also accused Ben of being on the show solely to get famous and to promote his podcast. Pictured: cousin Jordan Jordan quickly discovered that Ben had applied to be on MAFS several times before. Ben then confessed that he'd been contacted about doing a different dating show as well. After these confessions, Jordan finally snapped and said, 'I'm going to be completely frank with you. I have concerns that you might be here to promote your touring business, to promote your podcast - you're just here for fame.' Instead of getting defensive, Ben admitted that fame would be a 'silver lining' from the experience, but stressed that he was also interested in finding love. Jordan later spoke to Ellie privately and told her that he suspected Ben had joined the show to promote his podcast. Married At First Sight bride Natalie Parham is set to sensationally call it quits for the second time during Monday's episode. Daily Mail Australia spotted the Melbourne physiotherapist, 32, storming out of the Skye Suites with her suitcase on August 17 before making her way to the airport. Collins and Natalie were swiftly exited from the program, returning home less than two days after the latest commitment ceremony was filmed. Sources close to production let slip that Natalie was struggling immensely throughout filming and missing her family. 'Natalie was homesick after losing her father and just wanted out,' an insider revealed. Married At First Sight bride Natalie Parham is set to sensationally call it quits during Monday's episode. (Pictured with TV husband Collins Christian Daily Mail Australia spotted the Melbourne physiotherapist, 32, storming out of the Skye Suites with her suitcase on August 17 before making her way to the airport 'Collins was just doing her head in and Natalie wasn't coping. 'Nat finally reached boiling point and production agreed to let her go home.' According to the spy, the pair ended on 'bad terms' and things don't get much better at the reunion when they have an argument on camera. 'Collins is still spiteful and keeps blaming her for robbing him of his opportunity...' they said. 'Things got really nasty quick and they both just went their separate ways. 'Collins didn't even want to be with friends with Natalie afterwards, it's really sh*tty.' Sources close to production let slip that Natalie was struggling immensely throughout filming and missing her family. (Natalie pictured the morning she quit the show) According to friends, Natalie always felt like Collins was putting on a performance for cameras and was a complete different person when camera's weren't rolling According to friends, Natalie always felt like Collins was putting on a performance for cameras and was a complete different person when camera's weren't rolling. This decision came despite Collins' choice to remain on the show. The show's guidelines and overall concept take a back seat when a participant's mental health or wellbeing is at stake, showing that the production team prioritises their responsibility towards participant care. Natalie had previously expressed a desire to leave during the initial dinner event but was persuaded to stay at least until the next commitment ceremony to fulfill her part in the show's narrative. However, when it was clear that she would be required to stay for an additional week, the production leadership intervened and decided it was best for them to leave. It was noted that participating in the show is inherently challenging, but considering Natalie's recent personal loss and her emotional state, continuing in the show would have been unreasonable Jayden Eynaud (pictured) did not hold back his criticisms about Collins Christian during an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Australia on Thursday It comes after fellow MAFS groom Jayden Eynaud took a swipe at the now Sydney-based executive assistant and labelled him 'two-faced' and unsupportive of his on-screen wife. 'Nat (Parham) was in a very unfortunate situation with her dad passing away, unfortunately, six weeks before the show,' the professional boxer told Daily Mail Australia last week. Jayden went on to explain that Collins appeared devastated that his experience was ruined when Natalie opted to leave the show, rather than the fact she wasn't coping. 'He seemed really annoyed, like, "Oh yeah I have to get back to work tomorrow". 'You should be worrying about your wife's loss, and what she's going through,' Jayden argued. 'She should be your priority, and if she was really important to you, and if love was really important to you, then the experiment wouldn't matter, because you can pursue the relationship on the outside.' He went on to describe how Collins (pictured) presented himself differently when the cameras were rolling, in stark contrast to his off-screen persona Jayden went on to describe how Collins presented himself differently when the cameras were rolling, in stark contrast to his off-screen persona. 'On camera, he's always trying to do and say the right thing... whereas, in person, he's a bloke, and he says what he wants, he doesn't give a sh*t,' he added. 'He's very outgoing... very social and... very bubbly and loud. He's completely different to what he seems on TV,' Jayden claimed. 'Nat (Parham) was in a very unfortunate situation with her dad passing away, unfortunately, six weeks before the show,' said the professional boxer Mark Wahlberg has shared his faith with countless viewers as the star of a Super Bowl ad for the Catholic app Hallow. Wahlberg, 52, a devout Catholic, begins the commercial in a church, where he blesses himself before sitting in a pew and beginning to pray. 'God, we take this moment just to give you thanks. We thank you for this time to come together as a family, as friends, and as a country,' he says. 'Help us Lord, especially this Lent, to grow closer to you. Amen.' 'Join us in prayer this Lent on Hallow. Stay prayed up,' he concludes. Mark Wahlberg has shared his faith with countless viewers as the star of a Super Bowl ad for the Catholic app Hallow As Wahlberg narrates, flashes of a family praying at the dinner table, a crowd cheering at a game, and servicemen and women kneeling in prayer appear on screen. A priest is then shown placing ashes on actor Jonathan Roumie's forehead. Eyes closed, the actor looks serene. Hallow is a Catholic prayer and meditation app co-founded by Alessandro DiSanto, Alex Jones, and Erich Kerekes in 2018. Wahlberg has been open about his faith with fans, and last year opened up about his religion during an appearance on the Today Show. The Ted actor said he has always talked about his faith - but he added 'he doesn't want to jam it down anybody's throat'. Wahlberg said Catholicism had allowed him to focus on being a 'better version of himself' as he appeared on the morning show on Ash Wednesday, which starts 40 days of Lent. Wahlberg appeared on the show with a black cross on his forehead - Christian devotees receive repentance ash in the form of the cross on Ash Wednesday, a holy day of praying and fasting. 'I have always talked about my faith,' Wahlberg told the Today Show. 'It's a balance. I don't wanna jam it down anybody's throat, but I do not deny my faith. The commercial begins with Wahlberg entering a church 'God, we take this moment just to give you thanks. We thank you for this time to come together as a family, as friends, and as a country,' he says He dips his finger into the holy water A family is shown praying at the dinner table as Wahlberg narrates A group cheers as they watch a game Servicemen and women kneel in prayer A priest is then shown placing ashes on actor Jonathan Roumie's forehead 'That's an even bigger sin. You know, it's not popular in my industry, but, you know, I cannot deny my faith. It's important for me to share that with people.' Speaking about what his faith means to him, Wahlberg said: 'It's everything, it's afforded me so many things. 'God didn't come to save the saints, he came to save the sinners. We've all had issues in our lives and we want to be better versions of ourselves, and through focusing on my faith, it's allowed me to do that.' Wahlberg's family are Catholic, and in 2022 his son Michael, 17, was confirmed into the faith. Confirmation is one of the seven Catholic sacraments. It is a rite where Catholics reaffirm their faith in the religion they first joined after being baptized. The Uncharted actor shares four children with wife Rhea Durham: Michael, 20-year-old Ella, 15-year-old Brendan and 13-year-old Grace. State Farm just debuted its highly-anticipated new Super Bowl commercial that reunites Arnold Schwarzenegger with his Twins and Junior co-star Danny DeVito. Off the top of the hilarious advert, a man comes running out of a burning home with two puppies in hand seconds before a fiery explosion. Once the smoke and fire clear it becomes apparent that it's the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who's the hero, as he hands a mother of two the two dogs. 'Thank you Agent State Farm,' the women tells the former California governor, who's dressed in the insurance company's trademark red shirt and tan khakis. 'Like a good neighbaaa State Farm is there,' he shoots back, in a classic mispronunciation of the word neighbor, which the director tries to correct after one take amid a movie-like set. Twins and Junior stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, 76, and Danny DeVito, 79, reunited for a hilarious new State Farm commercial that harped on the Terminator's inability to pronounce 'neighbor' when delivering the insurance company's trademark line 'Hey Arnold, I'm hearing neighba. It's neighbor,' he tells the actor, who responds by saying, 'That's what I said neighba.' The two proceed to go back and forth about how to pronounce the world neighbor. Frustrated by his lack of being able to properly pronounce the word the director announces, 'Let's go again.' The shoot picks back up with Schwarzenegger piloting a stationary helicopter in a CGI sequence where he again drops the company's trademark line: 'Like a good neighbaaa State Farm is there.' And once again, the two have the same problem, forcing the director to yell 'cut'. 'Now what,' the longtime Hollywood leading man yells out to the director. 'It's neighbor,' he tells the Twins actor, who screams out: 'Neighbaaa.' Enter actor Kevin Miles, best known as Jake From State Farm, who proceeds to try and educate Schwarzenegger on the proper way to say 'neighbor'. Off the top of the advert, the longtime Hollywood leading man comes runnng out of a burrning home with two puppies who he gives to a mother of two 'Thank you Agent State Farm,' the woman tells the former California governor 'Like a good neighbaaa State Farm is there,' he shoots back, in a classic mispronunciation of the word neighbor The director tries to correct Schwarzenegger's pronunciation of 'neighbaa' on the set The actor reiterates the line after the director asked to move on to a helicopter scene: 'Like a good neighbaaa State Farm is there' After the director yelled cut because of his snafu with the word 'neighbaaa', Schwarzenegger yells out from the pilot's seat: 'Now what?!' 'It's neighbor,' he tells the Twins actor, who screams out: 'Neighbaaa' After going back and forth with the director, Scwarzenegger screams out: 'Neighbaaa!!!' Enter actor Kevin Miles, best known as Jake From State Farm, who proceeds to try and educate Schwarzenegger on the proper way to say 'neighbor' 'Yea, neighbaaa, just like it's written on the papaaa,' he tells Jake while holding the script for the production For the next sequence the actor is seen running out of another burning building with a pregnant woman in his arms: 'This lady is in labaaa,' he declares, in another snafu of the word And once again the director tries to school Schwarzenegger with the word 'labor' 'Yea, neighbaaa, just like it's written on the papaaa,' he tells Jake while holding the script for the production. For the next sequence the actor is seen running out of another burning building with a pregnant woman in his arms: 'This lady is in labaaa,' he declares, in another snafu of the pronunciation. He also tries to say the Sate Farm trademark line when landing in the middle of sheep while skydiving: 'Like a good neighbaaa.' the Austrian-born star said, before blaming the animals. 'That was the sheep and you know it.' It's at this point that the director and Jake From State Farm go back-and-forth on the difference between 'neighbor' and 'neighbaaa'. Arnold also tries to say the Sate Farm trademark line when landing in the middle of sheep while skydiving: 'Like a good neighbaaa.' the Austrian-born star said 'That was the sheep and you know it,' Arnold declares, when defending 'neighbaaa' Jake and the director go back and forth with Arnold on the pronunciation 'Neighbaaa,' he screams at the top of his lungs in a fiery scene Frustrated, the director tells Schwarzenegger there's been a script change Eventually, during the world premiere of 'Agent State Farm' a new clip is shown on the large movie screen, only Danny DeVito has now joined the cast The two actors try to do the trademark line together, only Arnold pauses to hear how his Twins co-star does a perfect take 'Like a good neighbor State Farm is there,' the Twins and Junior alum, 79, says with perfect diction, which got a nod of frustration from his co-star In the last scene, the two stars are seen sitting together in the theater seats when Schwarzenegger turns to him and says: 'You are a backstabbaaa,' for which DeVito corrects him one last time: 'I am a backstabber' Eventually, during the world premiere of 'Agent State Farm' a new clip is shown on the large movie screen, only Danny DeVito has now joined the cast, as part of the director's script change. The two try to do the trademark line together, only Arnold pauses to hear how his Twins co-star does a perfect take. 'Like a good neighbor State Farm is there,' the Twins and Junior alum, 79, says with perfect diction, which got a nod of frustration from his co-star. In the last scene, the two actors are seen sitting together in the theater seats when Schwarzenegger turns to him and says: 'You are a backstabbaaa,' for which DeVito corrects him one last time: 'I am a backstabber.' Julia Fox transformed herself into an ice queen for her latest appearance during New York Fashion Week. The 34-year-old actress and model was styled to suit the chilly weather on Sunday night with new silver-dyed locks in place of her usual brunette look. She was pictured heading to The Costume Ball in the Big Apple in a striking brown-and-beige Eunoia dress that emphasized her bust and hourglass figure. It appeared to be the brand's Shakespearean dress, which runs for $2,836 from its website. Despite her low-cut top, the Uncut Gems star was dressed far more modestly than on Friday, whens he arrived at the Willy Chavarria show in a barely there plunging bow-like ensemble that left little to the imagination. Julia Fox transformed herself into an ice queen for New York Fashion Week. The actress and model, 34, was styled to suit the chilly weather on Sunday with new silver-dyed locks Julia was seen turning the sidewalk into her personal runway on Sunday while her long silver hair fluttered in the breeze. She wore it pulled back with a clip and fanned out across her shoulders to highlight her delicate waves. Earlier on Friday, she shared a short video of herself in a stylist's chair as she had her standard dark brown hair dyed a chilly silver shade to perfect the look. The muted color also put the spotlight on her strikingly made-up face, which featured unmissable teal eye shadow. It stood out against splashes of white at the inner corners of her eyes and over her cheek bones, and she wore plenty of blush across her cheeks and a splash of crimson on her plump lips. Julia wore a muted beige dress with spaghetti straps and a flowing semi-sheer skirt with a thicker satin layer beneath. The 5ft7in beauty's legs were elegantly displayed by its high slit, and she elevated her stature with a set of pointy-toed beige-and-white heels. The NYFW outing comes just over a week after the No Sudden Move actress celebrated her 34th birthday. She was spotted on her way out to celebrations in a highlighter-yellow bodycon dress. The curve-hugging look got an extra touch of intrigue thanks to its flared skirt with a single ring at the bottom. She was pictured heading to The Costume Ball in the Big Apple in a striking brown-and-beige Eunoia dress that emphasized her bust and hourglass figure. It appeared to be the brand's Shakespearean dress, which runs for $2,836 from its website The 5ft7in beauty's legs were elegantly displayed by its high slit, and she elevated her stature with a set of pointy-toed beige-and-white heels Her muted silver hair put the spotlight on her strikingly made-up face, which featured unmissable teal eye shadow with white contrasts, plenty of blush and a splash of crimson on her lips The NYFW outing comes just over a week after the No Sudden Move actress celebrated her 34th birthday. She was spotted out in a highlighter-yellow bodycon dress with a ring skirt She still had her long brunette tresses at the time, which contrasted with the bright look. Julia has lately been focusing on her modeling and making high-profile fashion show appearances, but her Hollywood career marches on. Last year, she reunited with her No Sudden Move director Steven Soderbergh for the psychological thriller Presence, which was shot in just three weeks after getting a waiver to film amid the writers and actors strikes. The film premiered last month at Sundance and has been acquired for distribution by the independent studio Neon. The studio previously distributed the Korean hit thriller Parasite, which was a surprise winner of Best Picture and multiple other Academy Awards. Hugh Sheridan was spotted walking hand-in-hand enjoying an alcoholic beverage with a mystery man in Sydney's Bondi on Monday. The veteran actor, 37, appeared to have a spring in his step as he blissfully strolled down Campbell Parade, a notorious alcohol-free zone. The Packed to the Rafters star cut a casual figure in a white t-shirt and blue jeans as he mingled with the locals, sipping on a 330 ml can of El Toro Ranch Water, a tequila, lime and soda water beverage. Hugh accessorised his look with a simple gold chain, tortoiseshell sunglasses and a pair of black boots. Hugh's hunky new beau also got the blue jean memo, and opted to pair his denim with an olive tee and blue cap. He also enjoyed a beverage - an El Toro Mango Magarita, a tequila, lime, mango and soda water beverage. According to the Waverly Council website, Campbell Parade and its surrounding streets in Bondi are alcohol-free zones. This means you are not permitted to consume alcohol in these areas. NSW Police can issue penalties of up to $2,200 to drinkers who refuse to dispose of their alcohol when stopped and questioned. Hugh Sheridan was spotted walking hand-in-hand enjoying an alcoholic beverage with a mystery man in Sydney 's Bondi on Monday. Both pictured The veteran actor, 37, appeared to have a spring in his step as he blissfully strolled down Campbell Parade, a notorious alcohol-free zone The Packed to the Rafters star cut a casual figure in a white t-shirt and blue jeans as he mingled with the locals, sipping on a 330 ml can of El Toro, a tequila, lime and soda water beverage The handsome duo both sported facial hair for the outing as they quenched their obvious thirst. The pair stayed close to each other as they sauntered down the street and enjoyed the sunny day out. Sheridan came out as nonbinary in 2021, approximately eight months after revealing he's attracted to both men and women. 'I AM still a human (non binary/bi/me/Hughman) but I'm in a monogamous relationship with another human, who I love,' Hugh wrote at the time. 'I don't accept a label cause it limits me if you want it, take it,' he continued. 'I chose zero labels for no other reason except the exclusion, limitations, separation, I believe are all one, deeeeep down. According to the Waverly Council website , Campbell Parade and its surrounding streets in Bondi are alcohol-free zones This means you are not permitted to consume alcohol in these areas. NSW Police can issue penalties of up to $2,200 to drinkers who refuse to dispose of their alcohol when stopped and questioned 'And who knows? Why chose? Be you. Be true. Be free to BE, to JUST BE you, a human, same as me.' In an interview with DNA, Hugh said he was now comfortable with being called 'gay' despite not subscribing to labels. 'Now I'm marrying a guy you can call me gay,' Hugh explained to the magazine. At the time, the Packed to the Rafters star was set to wed influencer Kurt Roberts, but the pair split eight months after announcing their engagement. An Antiques Roadshow expert was left astonished by a set of prints dating back over 550 years, which might be 'the oldest printed thing we'll ever see'. Books and manuscripts expert Matthew Haley was presented with a set of sheets of script from near the dawn of the printing press on the BBC show's visit to Glasgow. Host Fiona Bruce explained that rare, early books are 'an exciting find', especially those from the pioneers of printing who brought the Bible to the masses in western Europe in the 1400s. 'It really is special,' Mr Haley said, aced with pages from such books, 'talk about old prints - these are pretty much the oldest printed thing that we'll ever see on the Antiques Roadshow.' The visitor who brought the leaves to Pollok Park explained that his wife bought him them as a 'special treat' after his interest in printing and typefaces began as a member of the print industry. An Antiques Roadshow expert was left astonished by a set of prints dating back over 550 years, which might be 'the oldest printed thing we'll ever see' The collection of manuscripts dated back to the 1470s, with one being printed by the person who first printed in England The visitor who brought the papers to Pollok Park in Glasgow explained that his wife bought him them as a 'special treat' Top of the bill among the collection was a sheet printed by William Caxton, the first person to print in England, in 1482. That one sheet alone was estimated at 600 to 1,000 by Mr Haley. Even older still, were manuscripts from Germany and Italy going back as far as 1470 - 552 years ago - including from Peter Schoeffer, Johannes Gutenberg's 'apprentice'. Explaining the significance of that name, the expert said: 'Guttenberg printing the Guttenberg Bible in 1455. That was an absolutely seminal change in basically the history of the human race. 'Without printing, we wouldnt have had the Reformation. Its like the explosion that happened when the internet came onto the scene. This was happening in the 1450s, 1460s and 1470s. 'For somebody interested in books like me this is absolute gold dust, it's really phenomenal.' The most striking sheet on display boasted a colourful picture, with the pair explaining that the colour must gave been added afterwards as printing had not evolved far enough to produce such an image at that time. Wrapping up, Mr Haley estimated that the collection was could fetch a hefty 5,000 to 10,000, to which the owner joked: 'Don't tell the wife.' Jack Fincham and Chloe Brockett have confirmed they are back together following his drug-driving charge. The couple looked more loved-up than ever as they posed for snaps and went Instagram official on Sunday. The former Love Island star, 32, who won the 2018 series of the ITV2 show, was stopped by police on August 26 last year as he allegedly travelled at high speed on the A2 near his home in Swanley, Kent. He was released under investigation and was charged on Sunday with driving without insurance, driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit, and driving without due care and attention. TOWIE star Chloe, 23, was seen cosying up to Jack in the pictures as they enjoyed a meal at a pub together. Jack Fincham and Chloe Brockett have confirmed they are back together following his drug-driving charge The couple looked more loved-up than ever as they posed for snaps and went Instagram official on Sunday The reality star simply captioned the post: 'You', followed by a red heart emoji Chloe cut a stylish figure in a grey coat while Jack rocked a black leather jacket over a grey hoodie. The reality star simply captioned the post: 'You', followed by a red heart emoji. Taking to their Instagram Stories, the pair also shared a selfie wearing sunglasses in a car. Chloe wrote: 'Those are my sunglasses Jack's wearing'. Chloe took to her Instagram Stories on Friday to repost a picture taken by Jack as she sat with his mother while holding her had in the pub. Jack could be seen smiling in the snap as the trio enjoyed the company of one another. Pen salesman Jack will reportedly appear before a magistrate on March 13 after he was stopped by police last year, according to The Sun. A statement from Kent Police read: 'On February 4, 2024, Jack Fincham was charged with driving without insurance, driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit (relating to the consumption of cocaine), and driving without due care and attention. TOWIE star Chloe, 23, was seen cosying up to Jack in the pictures as they enjoyed a meal at a pub together Taking to their Instagram Stories, the pair also shared a selfie wearing sunglasses in a car Jack was charged on Sunday with driving without insurance, driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit, and driving without due care and attention On Friday, Chloe was seen posing in a pub with Jack and his mum (L-R: Jack, Chloe and Jack's mother Samantha) 'He was also charged with fraudulently using a registration mark, namely a false number plate.' Jack was set to fly out to Fiji to appear on Love Island Games but pulled out after the incident. In July 2023, Jack revealed he had split from his girlfriend Jodie Ella. It comes after it emerged Chloe was reportedly being lined-up for Celebrity Big Brother ahead of the show's return to screens next month. Controversial TOWIE star Chloe, who is currently suspended from the ITVBe show, could join a host of stars in the Big Brother house including Shirley Ballas, Rebekah Vardy and Louis Walsh. A source told The Sun: 'Chloe Brockett is in talks to appear on the show - nothing is signed yet but shes really excited and cant stop telling people. 'She grew up watching the show and her return to TOWIE is still uncertain so it would be a good show to do while shes waiting to see if shell go back to it. 'ITV already know Chloe is great TV.' A Big Brother spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Any names for Celebrity Big Brother are purely speculation.' MailOnline contacted a representative for Chloe for comment. It comes after it emerged Chloe was reportedly being lined-up for Celebrity Big Brother ahead of the show's return to screens next month Chloe was suspended from TOWIE last year after she allegedly threw three tumbler glasses at her co-star Roman Hackett during a heated argument while filming in Essex. While the cast list still hasn't been confirmed, the reality show is returning for two separate editions in 2024, including a trip to Bali. A source told The Sun: 'Chloe Brockett still doesn't know if she's returning to the show after her suspension. 'The cast haven't even been told who is going to Bali and who isn't. 'It's all hanging in the balance - Chloe makes great TV though so behind the scenes, everyone thinks she'll go back.' At the time, the cast of the ITV series were said to have been 'appalled' by Chloe's behaviour and called for her to be axed from the show permanently. A TOWIE spokesperson confirmed to MailOnline at the time: 'Chloe Brockett will not be returning to filming for the remainder of the series.' 'Most of the cast are absolutely appalled by Chloe's behaviour and do not believe she should be allowed to come back,' a source told The Sun. 'They are grouping together and discussing how they will not shoot scenes with her in the future and want her to be axed from the show for good.' The source added: 'They believe it's a bad look for the show to allow someone back into the cast with a history of violence and, to be frank, the majority of them wouldn't feel safe filming with her in the future. If she can do this twice, they believe she is capable of it again.' Chloe was said to have apologised to Roman after the incident. Linda Robson has spoken for the first time about her split from ex-husband Mark Dunford as he admitted they 'never had that much in common'. Speaking in a new interview, the Loose Woman, 65, admitted there was no dramatic reason for their split and the former couple 'simply grew apart'. She told Ok! magazine: 'People do, sometimes, don't they? We never had that much in common. I'm very sociable. Mark never enjoyed that side of things.' Linda, who shares children Louis, 32, and Bobbie, 28, with Mark said: 'I've been sad about it, of course I have. But we had two lovely children together. 'But they're all grown up, living their own lives now. Now, it's me and Dolly the dog. [But] I'm in a really good place. Work's good.' Linda Robson has spoken for the first time about her split from ex-husband Mark Dunford as he admitted they 'never had that much in common' (pictured together in 2015) Speaking in a new interview, the Loose Woman, 65, admitted there was no dramatic reason for their split and the former couple 'simply grew apart' Linda plans to move into a two-bed property near her children once she sells the Islington home she shared with Mark during their marriage. But as for her future plans, Linda said she has no desire to find love again and won't be searching for another relationship. She said: 'I don't need a man. I've got my friends and my family. I'm not interested in dating, I'm too old now. I can't be bothered with all that jiggy jiggy.' Linda's comments come after she discussed her battle with alcohol addicted in an extract from her soul-baring memoir for Mail+, the new subscription service for the dailymail.co.uk and MailOnline app. The panellist confirmed this week in an interview with Women magazine in November last year that she and Mark had gone their separate ways. Linda had been 'keeping busy' by spending time with her family as she dealt with the aftermath of her split from her husband of 33 years. At the time, Linda reassured her fans that she was 'feeling fine' after the break-up and has been surrounded by support from her family and friends. She said: 'I've got my family and my kids around me. And I'm going on a cruise with Lesley Joseph in November. I'm keeping busy. I feel fine. I'm just going away on trips all the time.' Linda, who shares children Louis, 32, and Bobbie, 28, with Mark said: 'I've been sad about it, of course I have. But we had two lovely children together Confirming the news of their split, Linda said: 'He's a really good dad and we had some good years, but enough is enough.' Linda and window cleaning company owner Mark, 63, share two children. Linda also has a daughter Lauren, 40, with her ex Tony Tyler. Linda and Mark - who married in 1990 - live together in London but it was claimed recently that they have been having relationship difficulties. A source told The Sun on Sunday: 'Linda has been quite open behind the scenes about problems in her marriage. 'They hit a bit of a rough patch before Christmas but they've managed to work through it. 'Linda turned to her family and close friends who supported her through it all.' While Linda denied she was in the midst of a 'marriage crisis' she admitted that it hasn't been plain sailing with her long-term love. When asked about the crisis by The Sun she stated: 'That's a load of rubbish. 'We're still living together. We both love our kids more than anything else in the world, obviously you have a few hiccups in every marriage. 'We've been married 33 years so it's not going to be all plain sailing, but we're still together at the moment.' The actress recently spoke about going through 'ups and downs' in her relationship. She told Best magazine: 'There have been ups and downs, obviously, like any couple. What I think we have in common is that we love our kids more than anything.' Linda said of her split: I feel fine. I'm just going away on trips all the time. 'I'm not interested [in dating] honestly. I can't be a***d with all that' Wedding day: Linda married Mark Dunford in 1990 but it was reported that they 'hit a rough patch' in their marriage before last Christmas that they were trying to work through In June, the mother-of-three admitted she hasn't had sex with Mark for two years while the Loose Women panel discussed if taking a 'sex break' can help struggling relationships. Jumping into the conversation, Linda said: 'Can I just say I've been celibate for two years?' with Denise Welch responding: 'I know, but you've got to get with the programme.' Making a very cheeky confession, Linda quipped: 'I know, you got me a lady friend,' as their fellow panellists burst out laughing. As Charlene White questioned if the celibacy had helped her focus and given her clarity she responded: 'Well I've had no choice, I've not had it for two years!' Last year, Linda revealed she has never got undressed in front of her husband and goes into the bathroom to put on her pyjamas. The TV presenter discussed her private life in an October 2022 episode of Loose Women and admitted her Catholic upbringing influenced her views on nudity. Linda said: 'I find it quite difficult, I've never underdressed in front of my husband so when I put my pajamas on, I go in the bathroom. 'My kids have seen my undressed but not my husband or former partners because my mum was Irish Catholic.' In 2017, Linda revealed she and Mark had a rough patch where they were on the brink of divorcing. She explained: 'I love him. We've had a few tough years when we could have easily called it a day, but we didn't.' She revealed their troubles started when children Lauren and Louis were each subjected to traumatic events, which tested Linda and Mark's marriage. Things became testing when Lauren was diagnosed with bulimia and Louis with PTSD after he witnessed the murder of his friend. 'People always said [Lauren] looked like Kate Moss,' she said, first speaking of her daughter's ordeal. 'We went to the agency and they took loads of photographs but somebody said to her, 'You need to lose a little bit of weight'. 'I replied, 'No, she doesn't' and we walked out. It was ridiculous.' It was after this incident that Linda noticed Lauren dropping weight, becoming dramatically thin, yet eating normally in front of her. She deduced it was down to being bulimic, vomiting up the food she had eaten, and took her to seek help. Lauren beat the condition after two years, when she was 19; but in 2008, more heartache ensued, when Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death. Ben was a friend of Linda's son Louis and was killed at the age of 16 when he was knifed 11 times while out celebrating the end of their GCSEs. Louis saw Ben die in the street which led to PTSD and frequent severe panic attacks. 'Louis is doing really well now. He's really into his music and writing all the time,' Linda said of her eldest son, who has, 10 years later, come out the other side. Linda's marriage was also tested when she lost her father due to lung cancer in 1997. He was still a young man [57] and died a week after diagnosis. Her mother died in 2012, also from cancer, this time stomach, age 75, which Linda admits was traumatic but that she died peacefully and pain-free. Linda and Mark first met each other as youngsters when she used to babysit him. Family: Linda and Mark share children Louis, 31, and Roberta, 27 (pictured: Linda with her daughters in 2011) Struggles: Prior to marrying Mark, Linda was in a relationship with Tony Tyler for 11 years and they welcomed daughter Lauren in 1983 but he cheated on her multiple times She revealed their story on Loose Women, saying: 'I used to babysit for Mark he was a couple of years younger than me. 'He was just two and a half years younger than me! I was 16 and he was 13 and a half, and he was a bit of a pain in the butt, to be honest. And we lived in the street next to each other.' The star firmly believed it was fate which brought Mark to her - after she and her three-year-old bumped into him while walking in a local park years later. During the unexpected encounter, Linda revealed her daughter asked Mark if he could give them a lift home. 'And then he gives us a lift home and then he asked me out on a date. So that was fate that day because I'd known him all my life and I'd never seen him in that way before,' she added. After that, Mark asked Linda out but she revealed she wasn't sure if that was a proper date or not, and the duo went to a local Italian restaurant. Prior to marrying Mark, Linda was in a relationship with Tony for 11 years and they welcomed daughter Lauren in 1983. Their relationship was plagued with woes, however, and she told the Loose Women audience in 2017: 'I caught my ex several times cheating on me even when I was pregnant with Lauren. 'Once I was away and Lauren was away with me. When I got back, everything seemed fine in the flat. But when I went to go to bed that night, I moved the pillow and there was a tissue with lipstick on it, and long blonde hairs.' Linda said: 'I remember saying to my ex 'what's this?', and he said 'one of my friends stayed and her partner, it must be from her.' But you know when you know?' She explained how she did her own detective work as she was determined to find out what was going on. Linda said: 'When I found out it was like a relief because you know then it's over, you're not going mad.' The star continued: 'I'd found letters, I followed him. I caught him with someone while I was pregnant with Lauren as well. I was waiting outside the house and he went into this girl's house.' Simon Cowell rushed backstage during the Britain's Got Talent auditions to help a young dancer who suffered a horrifying fall on Sunday. Auditions, which were being held at The Lowry Theatre in Salford, were brought to an abrupt halt after a member of a dance troupe suffered a nasty accident. The TV mogul, 64, and fellow judge Bruno Tonioli hurried to the wings to check up on the performer as the safety curtain was lowered. The dancer is said to have collapsed into the wings and a medic tended to him with Simon and Bruno also checking up on the injured contestant while fellow judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon entertained the crowd. A source told The Sun: 'It was a real shock when it happened as the lad, who was in his early twenties, was obviously in agony. Simon Cowell rushed backstage during the Britain's Got Talent auditions to help a young dancer who suffered a horrifying fall on Sunday Auditions, which were being held at The Lowry Theatre in Salford, were brought to an abrupt halt after a member of a dance troupe suffered a nasty accident (Bruno Tonioli pictured) 'Unfortunately the rest of the troupe were so focused, and there were so many of them, that they had completed the routine before they quite realised how badly injured he was. 'After the safety curtain came down Simon and fellow judge Bruno Tonioli went backstage to check on the lad. [judges] Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon helped entertain the audience while they anxiously waited to find out what had happened.' A spokesperson for the show said: 'The health and safety of our contestants is of the utmost importance. 'A member of a dance group sustained an injury whilst auditioning and was seen by medics on set as a precaution. 'The auditions were halted for an hour, but eventually restarted and the dance troupe were given the green light to proceed to the next round.' During Friday's auditions, Simon put on a kooky display on the carpet as he removed his coat but opted to keep his black gloves on. The star arrived in his usual plain grey top and jeans as his assistant kept him dry under an umbrella. Shedding his black padded coat for the red carpet, Simon looked in good spirits after Bruno was seen keeping the TV star warm earlier as the foursome waited at the tram stop. The TV mogul, 64, and fellow judge Bruno Tonioli hurried to the wings to check up on the performer as the safety curtain was lowered Bruno wrapped his brown fur coat around Simon as the two attempted to share its warmth. The dancer looked over the moon as he greeted fans on the carpet after he joined the judging panel for the first time last year. Simon was previously forced to pull out of filming due to illness. The music mogul was pictured arriving to film a previous round of auditions in Manchester on Tuesday, after a crippling headache left him too unwell to work. Heading into the The Lowry, Simon flashed a thumbs up while sporting one of his signature all-black ensembles. While he was previously seen sporting a pair of tinted 'blue light filter' glasses, which are believed to help prevent migraines, this time he'd swapped them for a pair of his signature aviators. Taylor Swift will be arriving in Australia later this week for her sold out Eras Tour and die-hard Swifties have already booked out spots at a pop-up merchandise store. A dedicated merchandise store will be opening at Crown Casino in Melbourne on Tuesday morning and over 20,000 fans have tried to book a slot to visit it. Unfortunately, the store can only accommodate 3000 customers in total, leaving 17,000 heartbroken Swifties unable to purchase Eras Tour get-up ahead of her opening show in Melbourne on Friday. Some of the merchandise on sale includes a branded water bottle for $40, a tour tote bag for $50, a canvas tapestry for $55 and tour t-shirts retailing at $65. Meanwhile, passionate who have saved their pennies fans can purchase a Swift decorated Tour sweater for a jaw-dropping $120. Taylor Swift (pictured) will be arriving in Australia later this week for her sold out Eras Tour and die-hard Swifties have already booked out spots at a pop-up merchandise store Crown told the Herald Sun that foot traffic at their renowned hotel was up by 70 per cent in the lead up to Swift's concerts, with Melbourne's CBD expected to be absolutely packed over the weekend. Taylor Swift fever has definitely hit Australia ahead of her sold out shows in Sydney and Melbourne - and die-hard Swifties in Victoria can also visit a Taylor-themed cafe. Blank Space Cafe in Newtown, in regional South Geelong, provides customers with a unique Swift-themed dining experience. A dedicated merchandise store will be opening at Crown Casino in Melbourne on Tuesday morning and over 20,000 fans have tried to book a slot to visit it. Unfortunately, the store can only accommodate 3000 customers in total, leaving 17,000 heartbroken Swifties Some of the diner's notable features include an enormous banner with a drawing of Swift and 'Blank Space' cups where customers write their name. Swift will arrive in Australia later this week to perform seven sold out shows beginning on Friday, with the expected revenue reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. The 34-year-old pop star's Aussie tour is set to benefit many Australians in unexpected ways, with countless Swifties forking out big bucks on costumes and accessories for her show. 'The spend on fashion and craft supplies in the lead-up to the concert are additional to the usual visitor expenditure bundle,' a representative for economist Deloitte told Nine. They added that a jaw-dropping $220million was expected to be spent by Australian Swifties excited about seeing their idol perform live. In addition to the millions of dollars spent on tickets, interstate fans will spend big travelling to shows, booking hotels, buying food and drinks, and merchandise. An estimated $126million has already been spent by fans on concert tickets and, when combined with the additional $220million, Aussies are spending a whopping $346million on Swift's 2024 Eras Tour in Australia. A Coronation Street icon is set to return 16 years after she quit the ITV soap - and filming has already kicked off. Jenny Platt, 44, who is well-known for her role as Violet Wilson - made her first on-screen appearance in 2004 and remained on the cobbles until 2008, while returning to Weatherfield for one last time in 2011. Violet gave birth to her son Dylan Wilson (played by Liam McCheyne), who she shares with Sean Tully (played by Anthony Cotton), and later moved to London with her son and her partner Jamie Baldwin (Rupert Hill). That was her last appearance on the iconic soap - until now. The barmaid will come back on the ITV screens as a crucial part of her son Dylan's challenging storyline, airing on Wednesday March 20. A Coronation Street icon is set to return 16 years after she quit the ITV soap - and filming has already kicked off Jenny Platt, 44, who is well-known for her role as Violet Wilson - made her first on-screen appearance in 2004 and remained on the cobbles until 2008 Violet gave birth to her son Dylan Wilson (played by Liam McCheyne), who she shares with Sean Tully (played by Anthony Cotton) - and later on moved to London (pictured in 2008) The beloved character will be involved in supporting Dylan after he was exposed for his involvement in bullying of Liam Connor - played by Rob James-Collier - with the ringleader Mason Radcliffe. Mason (Luca Toolan) had previously made a name for himself as a school bully, and often targeted Liam, who is Maria Connor's son, with one incident seeing Mason pull a knife on Liam. As Dylan decides to join Mason's devious behaviour, he will face consequences of his actions and will need the presence of both his parents. Corrie actor and comedian Anthony, 48, teased the hotly-anticipated return. 'Tomorrow, after 16 years, Jenny Platt, who plays Violet Wilson, is coming back - she starts tomorrow,' he said according to The Sun. 'So I've got three scenes with her tomorrow and we will film across the next month. She's not coming back permanently, but she's coming back.' 'We've tried to get her back in various different ways. At the end of the day, she's Dylan's mum. We do often talk about Violet, and Sean off-screen goes down and stays with them.' He went on, adding: 'But 16 years ago she left with Dylan, and she's never been seen on screen since. But I've always remained in touch with Jenny and Rupert, so it's really strange because I've not gone anywhere, I'm here.' The barmaid will come back on the ITV screens as a crucial part of her son Dylan's challenging storyline, airing on on March 20 (pictured on the show in 2007) The beloved character will be involved in supporting Dylan after he was exposed for his involvement in bullying of Liam Connor - played by Rob James-Collier - with the ringleader Mason Radcliffe (Dylan and Mason pictured) Meanwhile, a harrowing storyline is set to continue on Coronation Street as Liam is left so desperate he contemplates suicide after suffering months of bullying by ringleader Mason. The character, played by Charlie Wrenshall, 14, will struggle as his mental health hits rock bottom. The torment began with Mason pressuring Liam to vape, leading to Liam suffering an asthma attack, and the bullying then got progressively worse as Mason has been humiliating Liam to the point of tears, ordering his friends to record it and then posting it online for the world to see. When Liam eventually stood up for himself, Mason shockingly pulled out a knife, showing just how dangerous he is. As the cruel behaviour towards continued towards Liam both in person and online, Liam was left feeling trapped, with his mental health rapidly deteriorating. In an hour-long episode on Wednesday, the depths of Liams despair will be shown as he is seen to search online for ways to kill himself but is interrupted by his mum, Maria Connor (Samia Longchambon). Maria will go on to create a fake SendPx account to keep her eye on her son after suspecting the bullying, which ultimately leads to a horrified Maria discovering the extent of his bullying. Liams search history will come to light when his laptop is returned to Weatherfield High and his recent search results are discovered. As Maria fails to notice a missed call from the school, Gary Windass, Liams stepfather (Mikey North), is called in before racing to the salon to break the news to Maria that Liam has been researching ways to commit suicide. Maria rushes back to the flat in a desperate bid to find Liam and make sure he's safe. Whilst Liam decided against ending his own life, he still has a long journey ahead of him over the coming months. To bring this story to the screen, Coronation Street researchers and writers have been working closely with the National Bullying Helpline to ensure Liams story is told as authentically and delicately as possible. Iain Macleod, Executive Producer of Continuing Drama at ITV, said: 'This is a story that will have immense personal resonance for many people - it certainly did for some of the Coronation Street team. 'We felt it was important to show the mental damage that bullying can do to people on the receiving end, especially in the modern world, when children are faced with what can seem like inescapable cyber-bullying. 'The aggression doesn't stop at the school gates but can find you in the safety of your own home. 'Having said that, it was also important that across the story as a whole, we showed some hope for Liam and that by speaking up, finally, he can begin the process of escaping his nightmare and beginning to heal. 'We approached this story very carefully, consulting with a number of specialist charities, and I feel the resulting story is truthful, powerful and necessary.' Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Tilly Whitfeld has shared confronting footage of a painful rash. The Big Brother star, 23, posted a video to Instagram on Monday evening detailing how the painful looking reddish-brown blotches had spread all over her body following breast enhancement surgery. 'I got implants five weeks ago and ever since I have had this rash. I've gone to the dermatologist and hospital and done two different steroids,' she began. 'It just clears and then comes straight back. I would be grateful for any advice.' Tilly then called on her fans to help her come up with a solution to eliminate the breakout. Tilly Whitfeld has shared confronting footage of a painful rash The Big Brother star, 23, posted a video to Instagram on Monday evening detailing how the painful looking reddish-brown blotches had spread all over her body following breast enhancement surgery 'I feel like TikTok is better than any GP at this point. I'm itching and it is spreading completely down my body.' According to the Australian Government's Therapeutic Goods Administration, a post-surgery rash can sometimes develop due to the body adjusting to the implants. It is highly recommended that sufferers contact a qualified doctor for treatment rather than ask for medical advice over social media. This is not the first time Tilly has had problems with beauty treatments gone wrong. In June 2021, she admitted she'd deliberately injected her own skin with lead-based ink resulting in a self-inflicted disfigurement. Speaking with The New York Times about her newfound infamy, the reality TV star said 'the main response has been that I'm stupid, and, yeah, I agree.' 'I got implants five weeks ago and ever since I have had this rash. I've gone to the dermatologist and hospital and done two different steroids,' she began. 'It just clears and then comes straight back. I would be grateful for any advice' Whitfield's profile blew up after she was left hospitalised with horrific facial injuries from a freckle hack she copied on TikTok. Admitting she'd already spent more than $12,000 trying to fix the damage to her skin, the blonde beauty told NYT she went ahead with the dangerous, self-performed cosmetic surgery because 'it didnt hurt at all'. However in the aftermath, Tilly temporarily lost vision in one eye from the self-administered acupuncture, performed with needles dipped in tattoo ink containing high levels of lead. Tilly also revealed how an at-home acupuncture treatment went terribly wrong, leaving her with horrible facial injuries. Tilly then called on her fans to help her come up with a solution to eliminate the breakout Phillip Schofield looked cheerful on Sunday, as he enjoyed a family day out in London with his wife, daughters and pals. The former This Morning host, 61, smiled and laughed as he walked alongside wife, Stephanie, 59, and their two daughters Molly, 30, and Ruby, 27. The family were surrounded by a large group of friends, of various ages, as they strolled down the South Bank to get lunch. Phillip donned a grey knitted jumper for the outing, over a collared shirt and blue skinny jeans, while adding a navy jacket. Steph wrapped up in a pale blue coat and a patterned scarf as she held onto Ruby's hand, who looked trendy in a brown padded jacket. Phillip Schofield looked cheerful on Sunday, as he enjoyed a family day out in London with his wife, daughters and pals The former This Morning host, 61, smiled and laughed as he walked alongside wife, Stephanie, 59, and their two daughters Molly, 30, and Ruby, 27 The family were surrounded by a large group of friends, of various ages, as they strolled down the South Bank to get lunch While eldest child Molly looked effortlessly stylish in a black trench coat with a pair of casual white trainers. The group were spotted sharing their goodbyes after their meal and taking it in turns to hug each other before departing. The family day out comes after it was revealed that the reason why Steph has not filed for divorce from Phillip was reportedly because 'she still loves him' and is his 'support system'. The couple separated in 2020 after he came out as gay, but she continued to stand by him and they did not legally divorce. However, in May last year, Phillip admitted to having a relationship with a much younger man who worked with him on This Morning, and later lying about it. The presenter described their romance as 'unwise but not illegal' and explained it took place during his nearly 30-year marriage. Phillip resigned from both This Morning and ITV and said that he was 'so very sorry' to Steph for being unfaithful. At the time, it was reported that Steph had been left 'devastated' by the revelation and angry that her husband had lied to her. Phillip donned a grey knitted jumper for the outing, over a collared shirt and blue skinny jeans, while adding a navy jacket Steph wrapped up in a pale blue coat and a patterned scarf as she held onto Ruby's hand, who looked trendy in a brown padded jacket While eldest child Molly looked effortlessly stylish in a black trench coat with a pair of casual white trainers The group were spotted sharing their goodbyes after their meal and taking it in turns to hug each other before departing The family day out comes after it was revealed that the reason why Steph has not filed for divorce from Phillip was reportedly because 'she still loves him' and is his 'support system' However, it has now been reported that she is choosing not to file for divorce because she does not want him to 'fall any further' then he already has, and despite everything, 'the love is still very much there.' Speaking to OK!, a source said: 'Whatever Phillip has done behind Stephs back, she still loves him. Even if the love they shared in the beginning of their marriage is different to what it is now, the love is still very much there.' They continued: 'Steph is, and always will be, Phillips support system. She hasnt divorced him because she doesnt want to see him fall any further. 'Phil has caused his wife a lot of hurt in recent times. But theres no denying, they still have a great friendship and share a lot of love.' It comes after it was reported that Phillip was planning to spend Christmas with Steph and their two daughters last year. The couple were also said to be on 'better terms' in December, seven months after Phillip's bombshell confession, when a source told the Mail: 'Steph is absolutely devastated, she had no idea of any of this. 'She is a trusting woman who has supported Phil for many, many years so this has been a real shock to her. Phil always positioned the man as a friend so that has prompted a fair bit of anger, to put it mildly. 'It is literally the most heartbreaking thing that could have happened to Steph, it isn't just the relationship but the deceit.' The couple separated in 2020 after he came out as gay, but she continued to stand by him and they did not legally divorce However, in May last year, Phillip admitted to having a relationship with a much younger man who worked with him on This Morning, and later lying about it The presenter described their romance as 'unwise but not illegal' and explained it took place during his nearly 30-year marriage Phillip resigned from both This Morning and ITV and said that he was 'so very sorry' to Steph for being unfaithful At the time, it was reported that Steph had been left 'devastated' by the revelation and angry that her husband had lied to her However, it has now been reported that she is choosing not to file for divorce because she does not want him to 'fall any further' then he already has, and despite everything, 'the love is still very much there' It comes after it was reported that Phillip was planning to spend Christmas with Steph and their two daughters last year The couple were also said to be on 'better terms' in December, seven months after Phillip's bombshell confession However, Phillip continued to wear his wedding ring and waved it during an interview with BBC journalist Amol Rajan in June 2023. He also insisted: 'I had a wonderful marriage, have a wonderful marriage, although its not brilliant right now, with an incredibly supportive wife and two wonderful children.' Phillip also characterised his relationship with his wife at the time as: 'We are separated but we are very much together.' He also opened up on the moment he confessed the truth to Steph about the secret affair, saying: 'Oh my god, can you imagine how difficult that conversation was? 'Lets just say it was an incredibly difficult conversation. The most difficult conversation Ive ever had to have with her, and she is extremely disappointed because I lied to her as well. But she wished me well today, and so well see.' The couple married in March 1993 after meeting when Phillip worked in children's television and Steph was a BBC production assistant. They held their wedding in Scotland's Ackergill Tower in 1993 and celebrated their silver anniversary in 2018 - just two years before Phillip came out as gay. In February 2020, the presenter told his Instagram followers about his sexuality, saying he had the support of his wife and daughters. The couple married in March 1993 after meeting when Phillip worked in children's television and Steph was a BBC production assistant (pictured together in 2014) They held their wedding in Scotland's Ackergill Tower in 1993 and celebrated their silver anniversary in 2018 - just two years before Phillip came out as gay 'You never know whats going on in someone's seemingly perfect life, what issues they are struggling with, or the state of their wellbeing and so you won't know what has been consuming me for the last few years. 'With the strength and support of my wife and my daughters, I have been coming to terms with the fact that I am gay.' In a follow-up post, he spoke about how Stephanie had continued to support him after he came out. 'Steph has been incredible I love her so very much. She is the kindest soul I have ever met. My girls have been astonishing in their love, hugs and encouraging words of comfort. 'Both mine and Steph's entire families have stunned me with their love, instant acceptance and support. Of course, they are worried about Steph, but I know they will scoop us both up.' At the time, Steph issued a heartfelt statement in support of her husband and said she would support him in taking the 'brave step'. She wrote: 'We have had to face the most emotionally painful time in our 27 years of marriage. I love Phillip, as much today as I ever have, and always will.' In February 2020, the presenter told his Instagram followers about his sexuality, saying he had the support of his wife and daughters (all pictured November 2018) Nigora Whitehorn showcased her incredible figure in a blue bikini as she went for a swim during a lavish Colombia getaway with husband Duncan Bannatyne on Monday. The former dental surgery receptionist, 43, took to Instagram to share a gallery of snaps from the couple's lavish stay at the Makani Luxury Wanderlust. She looked sensational in the skimpy blue two-piece as she posed for snaps while climbing out of a swimming pool. Nigora slicked her long wet dark tresses back and shielded from the sun behind a pair of black sunglasses. Showcasing her peachy bottom in the bikini, Nigora lay in the shallow water working on her tan. Nigora Whitehorn showcased her incredible figure in a blue bikini as she went for a swim during a lavish Colombia getaway with husband Duncan Bannatyne on Monday The former dental surgery receptionist, 43, took to Instagram to share a gallery of snaps from the couple's lavish stay at the Makani Luxury Wanderlust She also shared a snap of the entrepreneur, 75, beaming while relaxing on a sun lounger in the shade wearing a blue pair of swimming shorts. In the evening the couple dressed to impress with the Dragon's Den star wearing an open black shirt and Nigora opted for a white crop top. The pair beamed for a selfie as they enjoyed a romantic dinner together during the trip. Taking to her Instagram Story, Nigora slipped into a skimpy pink bikini which boasted a ruffled one shoulder top and tie side bottoms as she posed for a mirror selfie. Nigora is Duncan's third wife after previously tying the knot with Gail Brodie and Joanne McCue, in 1987 and 2006 respectively. Thrice-wed Duncan has four children with Gail and two with Joanna. Uzbekistan-born Nigora is also a parent to daughter Gabrielle from a former relationship. Duncan proposed to Nigora in 2016 with a 40k ring in Monte Carlo after they first started dating in 2015 when Duncan met her after visiting the dental surgery on London's Harley Street where she was working in 2014. She looked sensational in the skimpy blue two-piece as she posed for snaps while climbing out of a swimming pool Showcasing her peachy bottom in the bikini, Nigora lay in the shallow water working on her tan She also shared a snap of the entrepreneur, 75, beaming while relaxing on a sun lounger in the shade wearing a blue pair of swimming shorts In the evening the couple dressed to impress with the Dragon's Den star wearing an open black shirt and Nigora opted for a white crop top Taking to her Instagram Story, Nigora slipped into a skimpy pink bikini which boasted a ruffled one shoulder top and tie side bottoms as she posed for a mirror selfie The couple married in Portugal in 2017 before jetting off to Croatia to enjoy their honeymoon. Duncan and Nigora previously spoke to OK! Magazine about the moment they first met. The business mogul insisted she was on his mind from the minute he saw her at the dental surgery. He said: 'I spotted her in there one day while getting some crowns done. Just as I was building up the courage to speak to her, the buzzer went for my appointment. 'When I went home I couldn't stop thinking about her, I felt obsessed! I felt in love with her.' Nigora added: 'On day one. He was like "I'm madly in love with you." I thought he was joking and was speechless!' Suzy Eddie Izzard was given a round of applause on Sunday following the opening night of her one-woman show on Broadway. Izzard, 62, has embarked on an ambitious, single-handed presentation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet at Greenwich House Theater in New York City, with the comedian playing each part alone from a revised script written by her brother, Mark. And she was given a positive response from American spectators over the weekend, with Izzard, Mark, and actress Selina Cadell - who directs the play - accepting respective bouquets of flowers after taking a bow. All three have returned to New York after producing a one-woman adaptation of Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations on Broadway and in London's West End in 2023. Hamlet, Shakespeare's longest and arguably most challenging play, finds Izzard taking an array of diverse characters - among them soldiers, ghosts, kings, queens, footmen, princes and courtiers. Suzy Eddie Izzard was given a round of applause on Sunday following the opening night of her one-woman show on Broadway Actress Selina Caddell (left), writer Mark Izzard (centre) and actor Suzy Eddie Izzard (right) accepted respective bouquets of flowers after taking a bow at Greenwich House Theater 'Its a great challenge but there is no point living and not going for challenges,' Izzard told the Associated Press shortly before announcing the play. 'Youre just at the edge of your skill set and pushing out even further. 'I want it so that 10-year-old kids can grab this. I want it for the people who dont find Shakespeare easy, like I didnt when I was a dyslexic kid.' Caddell, whose diverse TV and film career includes roles in The Catherine Tate Show, Victoria Wood, Doc Martin and The Madness Of King George, added: 'I have always gravitated towards playing complex and challenging characters and Hamlet is the ultimate. 'This is a production for everyone, a timeless drama with an accidental hero. Selina, Mark and I want audiences to see and hear an accessible, touching, scary and dramatic Hamlet.' The Broadway run comes shortly after Izzard failed in her bid to become Labour's candidate for Brighton Pavilion at the next general election. The stand-up comedian was beaten by music industry activist Tom Gray, marking the second time she has been defeated in her attempts to stand as an MP. Izzard, who identifies as a gender-fluid trans woman, also failed to be selected as Labour's candidate in Sheffield Central last year when local councillor Abtisam Mohamed was chosen instead. In a social media video announcing her candidacy in August, Izzard had hailed Brighton as an 'open-minded' city that is 'welcoming to all' and pointed to her 'roots' in Sussex. Izzard has embarked on a single-handed presentation of Shakespeare's Hamlet in New York City , with the comedian playing each part alone from a script written by her brother, Mark The play's director, writer and actor were back in New York City after producing a one-woman adaptation of Charles Dickens classic Great Expectations on Broadway in 2023 Caddell embraced Izzard as the tragedy, Shakespeare's longest and arguably most challenging play, came to an end on Sunday 'Its a great challenge but there is no point living and not going for challenges,' Izzard told the Associated Press shortly before announcing the play It came after the Greens lost control of Brighton and Hove City Council as Labour retook power in the city at the local elections in May. After being selected as Labour candidate, Gray wrote: 'Delighted and humbled to be selected to be the Labour candidate for Brighton Pavilion. 'Thanks so much to everyone who helped in the campaign and thanks to Eddie, Lucy and Birgit for showing such solidarity and integrity on the trail.' The current Brighton Pavilion MP is long-serving Green politician Caroline Lucas, who is standing down at the next general election. Advertisement Demi Moore, Diane Kruger and Julianne Hough attended the Carolina Herrera Ready To Wear Fall 2024 runway show during New York Fashion Week on Monday morning. Demi, 61, looked beautiful in a plaid patterned mini dress with a matching cape, adding chic patent nude heels with her long brunette locks sleek and center parted. Diane, 47, also stunned at the fashion show, rocking a polka dot patterned low-cut crop top and matching trousers, with a taupe hued cape layered on top. Julianne opted to black maxi skirt with a long-sleeved white blouse that had a tie detail along the waist. Demi Moore, Diane Kruger and Julianne Hough attended the Carolina Herrera Ready To Wear Fall 2024 runway show during New York Fashion Week on Monday morning Demi flashed her legs in the the thigh-grazing frock that featured red, black white plaid patterning Demi flashed her legs in the the thigh-grazing frock that featured red, black white plaid patterning. The movie star wore a cape with the same pattern; the cape had gold chain accents along the edge and neckline. Demi finished off the look with her long, brunette locks center parted and sleek with minimal makeup to highlight her features. Diane chose a black and white crop top with spaghetti straps that flashed a hint of her flat midriff; she paired the look with matching high-waisted trousers. The German-born star opted for a floral patterned clutch, gold rounded earrings and her hair half up, half down for an understated look. Julianne wore the baggy white top, which tied over one hip, with a simple black maxi skirt, gloves, tights and heels. She styled her short blonde hair loose and glossy lipstick on her pout. The movie star wore a cape with the same pattern; the cape had gold chain accents along the edge and neckline Diane chose a black and white crop top with spaghetti straps that flashed a hint of her flat midriff; she paired the look with matching high-waisted trousers The German-born star opted for a floral patterned clutch, gold rounded earrings and her hair half up, half down for an understated look Julianne wore the baggy white top, which tied over one hip, with a simple black maxi skirt, gloves, tights and heels Becky G looked gorgeous in a lavender hued dress that highlighted her long, toned legs and nude Britt Netta Esme slingback heels The stunner's mini dress featured buttons along the top-half - down the center - and along the skirt - slightly off center Victoria's Secret model Kelsey Merritt stunned in a plunging white dress that reached her calves Becky G looked gorgeous in a lavender hued dress that highlighted her long, toned legs. The stunner's mini dress featured buttons along the top-half - down the center - and along the skirt - slightly off center. She wore Britt Netta Esme nude, mesh slingback heels and her long hair was styled in loose waves and a deep side part. Victoria's Secret model Kelsey Merritt stunned in a plunging white dress that reached her calves. The brunette beauty wore pointed white mesh heels and a floral patterned structured clutch. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, 74, sat in the front row, wearing her signature sunglasses with a patterned maxi dress and a leather-style blazer. Rachel Zoe donned a pinstripe patterned look - consisting a blazer and flared trousers, with a furry coat layered on top. The fashionista carried a burgundy hued Hermes Birkin bag in one hand and her sunglasses in her other. Diane chatting up a storm with Anna Wintour, the Vogue Editor-in-Chief Rachel Zoe donned a pinstripe patterned look - consisting a blazer and flared trousers, with a furry coat layered on top Supermodel Irina Shayk walked for Carolina Herrera, looking statuesque as she glided down the runway The Russian supermodel, 38, wore a strapless pink floral gown that had pockets, paired with statement gold earrings Irina wore her brunette hair pulled back into a chic bun with red lipstick on her pout Florals were a big theme for Carolina's ready to wear fall 2024 line, with several models sporting the spring-infused look Another theme for the runway was caped coats, with patterned versions featuring flowers and solid hued ones Demi Moore was seen out and about in New York later that day She carried along her precious pup while in a stylish all black look Supermodel Irina Shayk walked for Carolina Herrera, looking statuesque as she glided down the runway. The Russian supermodel, 38, wore a strapless pink floral gown that had pockets, paired with statement gold earrings. Irina wore her brunette hair pulled back into a chic bun with red lipstick on her pout. Florals were a big theme for Carolina's ready to wear fall 2024 line, with several models sporting the spring-infused look. Another theme for the runway was caped coats, with patterned versions featuring flowers and solid hued ones. Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria looked somber as they stepped out for coffee in NYC this week - amid the actor's latest indictment in connection to the shooting on the set of the Western film Rust in 2021. Baldwin, 65, and his wife, 40, were in intense conversation as they walked with their dog in tow during the day. The It's Complicated star wore a black hoodie and grey jeans, teamed with sneakers as he clutched two drinks. Hilaria wore a grey top, puffy jacket and jeans for her walk with the star. Alec's indictment over the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was returned last month and charges him with involuntary manslaughter on the grounds of negligent use of a firearm and disregard for others' safety. Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria looked somber as they stepped out for coffee in NYC this week - amid the actor's latest indictment in connection to the shooting on the set of the Western film Rust in 2021 If convicted, Baldwin faces up to 18 months in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. The new involuntary manslaughter charges have been 'frustrating' and 'very stressful' for the actor and his wife Hilaria, according to People. A source said, 'They had a great Christmas and New Year. Hilaria also just turned 40. This is not how they wanted to start the new year.' 'It's stressful for Hilaria. It's frustrating for them both that Alec is being recharged. They knew there was a possibility there would be a new indictment. The back and forth is hard. It's very stressful.' In a statement, Baldwin's attorneys Alex Spiro and Luke Nikas said: 'We look forward to our day in court.' Meanwhile Allred said in a statement: 'Our clients have always sought the truth about what happened on the day that Halyna Hutchins was tragically shot and killed on October 21, 2021. 'They continue to seek the truth in our civil lawsuit for them and they also would like there to be accountability in the criminal justice system. 'The grand jury has decided that there is sufficient evidence to indict Alec Baldwin on the charge of involuntary manslaughter. We are looking forward to the criminal trial which will determine if he should be convicted for the untimely death of Halyna.' Baldwin, 65, and his wife, 40, were in intense conversation as they walked with their dog in tow during the day The It's Complicated star wore a black hoodie and grey jeans, teamed with sneakers Hutchins was fatally shot by Baldwin on the 'Rust' movie set in 2021, with a gun the actor insists was supposed to be loaded with blanks Baldwin pictured in costume on the filming of the western, following the fatal shooting On October 21, 2021, Baldwin was filming a scene inside a church when he pulled the trigger on his Colt .45 revolver and fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. He's insisted that the gun fired spontaneously, as he struck director Joel Souza in the shoulder before he shot Hutchins. Hutchins was taken to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. Baldwin was interviewed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office following her death, as he showed tremendous emotions for his actions. He was initially charged in January 2023 by First Judicial District Attorney of New Mexico Mary Carmack-Altwies, who launched her own media tour soon after filing charges. Baldwin's team interpreted her enthusiasm for the case as a fame-hungry effort to boost her own career. After hashing it out with his team in the court of public opinion, Carmack-Altwies stepped down from the case and a special prosecutor was appointed to take over. In April last year, that team opted to drop the charges and Baldwin, who had already settled a wrongful death lawsuit launched by Hutchins' family, breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Baldwin has always maintained that he followed gun safety laws, and that the fault lies with the armorer or crew who handed him a gun loaded with a live round. This aerial photo shows part of the Bonanza Creek Ranch film set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the scene of the horror shooting Baldwin was due to go to court on August 6. But last week his trial was cancelled due to a judge reassignment, according to National Post. Under the terms of most recent release, the Amityville, New York native cannot possess firearms or drink alcohol, and is not to have contact with witnesses in the case, except for business reasons related to the release of Rust. So far, there's been no official word on when his trial will be rescheduled. His marriage is on thin ice after he admitted to giving his ex-girlfriend a vile sex ultimatum during Tuesday's episode of Married At First Sight. And Jayden Eynaud, 27, has now suffered another blow after former Married At First Sight bride Carolina Santos claimed she 'hooked up' with him while he had a girlfriend. Carolina previously confirmed her rendezvous with Jayden during an interview in January 2023, saying the pair kissed on New Year's Day at Cali Beach club at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Queensland. However, the incident, which happened before Jayden signed up for Married At First Sight, took a twist on Monday when Carolina shared an Instagram Story claiming the kickboxer actually had a girlfriend at the time. 'So, I didn't want to get involved in all this drama, but since so many of you are asking. No, I didn't know Jayden had a girlfriend when we hooked up,' the glamorous Brazilian business owner began. Former Married At First Sight bride Carolina Santos (left) has claimed that she 'hooked up' with groom Jayden Eynaud (right) on New Year's Day last year not knowing he had a girlfriend 'If I'd known, I definitely wouldn't have gone there. Anyway, it's news to me, and I'm sorry to her,' she continued. Carolina then took a dig at Jayden for confessing to wife Eden Harper that he once made his cheating ex watch as he had sex with her friend. 'Luckily, he didn't try to get me to sleep with him while she watched, haha!' Carolina wrote. Carolina previously confirmed her rendezvous with Jayden during an interview in January 2023, saying the pair kissed on New Year's Day at Cali Beach club at Surfers Paradise Carolina is best remembered for her 'affair' with groom Daniel Holmes on Married At First Sight in 2022. The pair began hooking up secretly while Carolina was still technically 'married' to her on-screen husband Dion Giannarelli. It comes after Jayden found himself in hot water following a letter-writing task during Confessions Week. The incident, which happened before Jayden signed up for Married At First Sight, took a twist on Monday when Carolina shared an Instagram Story claiming the kickboxer actually had a girlfriend at the time During the challenge, Jayden and Eden were asked to write letters to each other in which they opened up to reveal something personal. Jayden admitted he was 'really, really nervous about the task', before sitting down with Eden to describe how he made a sex pact with his ex after he caught her cheating. 'My ex-girlfriend cheated on me. She was going on dinner dates, movie dates and I even had guys openly admit to me in person that they had slept with her,' he began. Carolina is best remembered for her 'affair' with groom Daniel Holmes (left) on Married At First Sight in 2022 'I told her that I was willing to give her another chance, but [that] I'm gonna sleep with her best friend while she watches.' Eden began weeping as Jayden explained how one of his ex's friends agreed to sleep with him just 'a few days' later. 'Do you regret that though?' a visibly shaken Eden asked, to which Jayden replied: 'I don't regret it' - and Eden later admitted she found the confession 'triggering'. Being sent to boarding school when she was just six years old 'stunted' her emotional development, Trinny Woodall has claimed. The fashion guru, who turned 60 last week, said that the impact of being away from her family at such a young age affected her for 'years.' While being educated at the 7620-per-term Queen's Gate School in South Kensington, London, and Baston School for Girls in Hayes, London, the TV presenter said she saw her mother Ann just three times a year. Trinny, whose parents lived oversees during her schooling, said it wasn't until her daughter Lyla Elichaoff reached the same age that she'd realised how young she had been. 'It was little to go to boarding school and it's something that I don't always look deeply into because it just sort of happened,' she told Sophie Ellis-Bextor on her Spinning Plates podcast. Being sent to boarding school when she was just six years old 'stunted' her emotional development, Trinny Woodall has claimed The fashion guru, who turned 60 last week, said that the impact of being away from her family at such a young age affected her for 'years' 'But when Lyla turned six and a half, I looked at Lyla's height, even, and I thought, 'My God,' at how little she was, how emotionally small she was. 'And I thought that stunts emotional development, and I think I was stunted in my emotional development - for a few years probably.' Trinny said that she would often stay with her grandmother during half term, meaning that she rarely saw her own parents. 'I went to boarding school at six and a half, then I saw her - you know - three times a year because they lived abroad,' she said. 'Sometimes I went to stay with my grandmother in Brighton and Hove, and Hove was really granny's. '[It was] back-to-back granny's - so I just lived in granny land when I was quite a young age to 15.' Trinny, whose mother died in 2020 after suffering from dementia, said her daughter, 20, had been affected by the pandemic, which contributed to panic attacks when she went on her gap year 18 months ago. 'Lyla went to university in Spain and it was quite difficult. She left school and she was what I call this covid kid,' she said. 'Because from 16 to 18, when you and I were having the Summer of Love and we were finding ourselves and we were in relationships or meeting people, Lyla and her friends were at home. 'And so, an element of their emotional maturity did not grow. And then other elements overgrew because it was a time when there was a crisis in the world and they were a part of that crisis.' While being educated at the 7620-per-term Queen's Gate School in South Kensington, London, and Baston School for Girls in Hayes, London, the TV presenter said she saw her mother Ann just three times a year Trinny, whose mother died in 2020 after suffering from dementia, said her daughter, 20, had been affected by the pandemic, which contributed to panic attacks when she went on her gap year 18 months ago She added: 'So, there was this kind of life and death moment going on which had an impact also on their ability to rush out into the world. 'I think quite a few kids became, not agoraphobic, but just this close to home.' After leaving home to go to Italy at the beginning of her gap year, Lyla would call her mother '30 times a day for three days' and would be 'chronically throwing up every ten minutes' due to anxiety. She eventually brought her home and she underwent a 'tapping' psychotherapy. After a while she felt well enough to go to university. Trinny, who split from long-term partner Charles Saatchi last year, celebrated her milestone birthday over the weekend with a gold-themed birthday party. She celebrated with a cake and balloons in her office while her employees all wore masks of her face. The percentage of revenue it generates through the sale of credits is falling That brings its total earnings to almost $9 billion over the last 15 years Tesla made almost $1.8 billion last year by taking advantage of rival car makers that failed to meet emissions regulations. Because it manufactures only electric cars, the company earns a surplus of regulatory credits in the US, Europe, and China which it can sell to other automakers that would otherwise be penalized for failing to make enough low-emissions cars. Last year, the sale of those credits made it $1.79 billion, according to company filings published last week. That is more than in any other year since its incorporation. Over the last decade and a half, the company has made a total of almost $9 billion selling credits. The good news for Tesla investors is that the percentage of its revenue generated through the sale of regulatory credits is falling Last year, the sale of regulatory credits made Tesla $1.79 billion, according to company filings In many regions, automakers are required to produce a certain number of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs). The number they need to make depends on how many non-compliant gas-burning cars they sell in that region. Automotive Regulatory Credits 'We earn tradable credits in the operation of our business under various regulations related to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), greenhouse gas, fuel economy and clean fuel. We sell these credits to other regulated entities who can use the credits to comply with emission standards and other regulatory requirements. Sales of these credits are recognized within automotive regulatory credits revenue in our consolidated statements of operations included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.' Source: Tesla SEC filing Advertisement Since Tesla only makes battery EVs, it accumulates an excess of credits which it sells for profit to other automakers that are not manufacturing enough zero-emission vehicles to remain compliant with regulations. California was one of the first regions to introduce a zero-emission vehicle policy back in 1990, according to the Pembina Institute. Tesla's dependence on selling credits to generate revenue is often seen as a flaw in its business model and viewed by investors as a red flag. Famous investor Michael Burry, who was featured in the Big Short, claimed in 2021 that he made a $534 million bet that Tesla's share price would fall and cited its reliance on regulatory credits. As other companies start manufacturing more and more compliant cars, the demand for credits is expected to fall. There is no set price for a credit - instead, their value is determined by supply and demand. The good news for Tesla investors is that its dependence on selling credits appears to be to be decreasing. Ten years ago in 2013, it relied on them for almost 10 percent of its total revenue, old filings show. But in 2023 their sale only made up around 1.8 percent of its overall $98 billion revenue. That is the smallest percentage in over a decade. Ford has revealed it was losing almost $50,000 on average for each electric car it sold last quarter Last week, Ford revealed it was losing $47,000 on average for each electric car it sold in the final three months of last year. Its executives reassured investors however that selling the EVs remained important because it allowed them to sell more profitable internal combustion engine cars. 'We can sell up to a dozen ICE F-150s or other ICE profitable vehicles for every Lightning we sell,' chief financial officer John Lawley told investors. Establishing how much it can afford to lose on an EV sale is therefore the 'mother of all optimization modeling,' Lawler said. For as long as regions like the EU impose unachievably strict emissions regulations on major automakers - the sale of regulatory credits will likely continue to be a lucrative source of income for Tesla. Modi's vision of One Earth, One Health' rooted in ancient Indian philosophy, reflects India's enduring commitment to universal health India raising the slogan of 'One Earth One Health' in itself tells how India wants to develop health infrastructure. This philosophy includes holistic health protection and care for all beings - humans, animals and even plants. Apart from this, making medical treatment affordable has also been a top priority of the Government of India. This may surprise many people, but the fact is - only two welfare health schemes - 'Ayushman Bharat' and 'Jan Aushadhi Yojana' have provided more than Rs 1 lakh crore to patients mainly coming from the poor and middle class. Have saved. Ayushman Bharat has not only increased the demand for new hospitals but is also increasing the opportunity to open new hospitals and medical colleges. But also creating a new and complete health ecosystem with technology at the centre of operations. These revived efforts for healthcare services have given a big push to the highly potential healthcare sector, which promises to be worth Rs 10 lakh crore in the coming years, if there is proper coordination between the private sector and medical academia. Of course, It would have been even better here if proper coordination with the state governments had taken care of the primary health centres also. Which perhaps the present ministry has failed to do. Whereas at smaller village health centers the testing facility could be linked to the district hospital. The focus on technology in healthcare is a huge opportunity for healthcare entrepreneurs, investors and professionals. The allocation of Rs 89,155 crore in the Union Budget 2023-24 has also given new impetus to the sector. There is a clear difference in focus between pre- and post-Covid situations. Springing into action, India focuses not just on treatment but also on wellness. Putting aside the absence of an integrated long-term approach to health for several decades after independence, it is now better to pursue a whole-of-government approach under PM Modi, rather than confining the subject of health to the health ministry alone. Points towards the future. Keeping in mind the problems of common people, the government has given top priority to affordable treatment. More than 10,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras provide affordable medicines to the needy. The PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission is not only giving birth to new hospitals but also creating a new and complete health ecosystem. There has been a revolution of sorts in the medical education sector in the last 10 years. More than 260 new medical colleges have been opened, doubling the medical seats in undergraduate and postgraduate medical courses as compared to 2014. However there is a need to change the policy decisions regarding the establishment of medical colleges, and more work needs to be done on how to make India's doors easier for Indian medical students studying abroad. However, in the latest budget, a lot of emphasis has also been given to the nursing sector. 157 nursing colleges around the medical colleges, a major step towards medical human resources. Technologies like 5G are creating new opportunities for startups. Drones are revolutionizing drug delivery and testing services. The medical device sector has seen a growth of 12-14% due to initiatives like Bulk Drug Park, and Medical Device Park, over Rs 30 thousand crore on PLI schemes. Apart from this, starting courses like biomedical engineering, industry-academia and government collaboration in IITs also has a lot to offer for the sector. However, instead of increasing the infrastructure of primary health centres, we added more to patient care OPD in institutions like AIIMS, while AIIMS remained identified as a research institute and their old contribution to the research sector. The government's efforts on preventive health care and awareness such as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan for cleanliness, Ujjwala Yojana for smoking-related diseases, Jal Jeevan Mission to tackle waterborne diseases, National Nutrition Mission to address anaemia and malnutrition, obesity Focus on grains - Shri Anna, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, Mission Indradhanush, Yoga, Fit India Movement and increasing focus on naturopathy, alternative medicine system including Ayurveda have saved people from diseases. All these measures of the government are the beginning of a new era for the people and also a vision of India regarding health in front of the world. Which can be understood in an earlier address of the Prime Minister. In which the Prime Minister warmly welcomed health ministers from across the world and representatives from West Asia, SAARC, ASEAN and African regions. Quoting an Indian scripture which translates to 'Let everyone be happy, let everyone be free from diseases, let good things happen to everyone, and let no one suffer from sorrow', the Prime Minister expressed his vision of an inclusive country. Highlighted and mentioned that India's vision of health was universal even when there were no global pandemics thousands of years ago. He underlined that One Earth One Health follows the same beliefs and is an example of the same idea in action. "Our vision is not limited to humans only. But also a beautiful earth for every living being. That is the Indian philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. (The writer is a senior journalist; views are personal) With recent attacks by Houthi rebels on vessels passing through the strait, the region faces heightened security risks which could disrupt world economy The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a narrow passage linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean via the Gulf of Aden, has thrust itself into the international spotlight. Situated on the northern side of the Red Sea lies the renowned Suez Canal, a monumental feat of engineering connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. This vital waterway, spanning approximately 193 kilometres in length and nearly 200 meters in width, serves as a lifeline for global trade and maritime transportation. However, recent events have cast a shadow over the tranquillity of these waters. The Houthis, a rebel group from Yemen, have launched a series of attacks targeting vessels passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. These assaults, primarily aimed at ships with ties to Israel, have sparked concerns over maritime security and the free movement of goods through this crucial chokepoint. In response to these escalating tensions, Operation Prosperity Guardian, spearheaded by the United States, was initiated to safeguard the Bab-el-Mandeb and ensure the unimpeded flow of maritime traffic. Over 20 nations have expressed their support for this initiative, underscoring the collective effort to protect this strategic waterway. The motives behind the Houthi attacks are rooted in geopolitical complexities, with their actions perceived as retaliation against Israel's military operations in Gaza. Houthi leaders have explicitly stated their intent to target any ship associated with Israel, leading to a spate of attacks on vessels carrying goods to or from the region. The Houthis contend that peace in Gaza is intrinsically linked to stability in the Red Sea, warning of further conflict if hostilities persist. The significance of the Red Sea extends beyond its immediate vicinity, serving as a conduit for maritime trade connecting Europe to the rest of the world. The Mediterranean Sea, accessed through the Suez Canal, plays a pivotal role in global shipping routes, facilitating trade between continents and enabling vital economic exchange. Traditionally, ships traversed the African tip to reach their destinations, but the recent turmoil has complicated maritime navigation. With a substantial portion of goods bound for Israel passing through the Suez Canal, disruptions in this route have reverberated across global supply chains. The increased travel distance and associated costs pose significant challenges for shipping companies and commodity markets alike. The strategic importance of the Suez Canal has historical roots, dating back to its inception in the 19th century. However, its relevance has endured through numerous conflicts, including both World Wars, underscoring its status as a linchpin of global maritime trade. The economic ramifications of disruptions in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait are far-reaching, affecting industries reliant on the timely delivery of goods and materials. Major shipping companies, such as the Mediterranean Shipping Company and Merk and Hapag Lloyd, have suspended operations in the region, exacerbating supply chain disruptions and logistical challenges. Amidst these geopolitical tensions, the concept of the blue economy emerges as a beacon of sustainable maritime development. Championed by advocates of ocean conservation, the blue economy emphasizes the responsible utilization of marine resources for economic growth while ensuring environmental preservation. India, with its extensive coastline and maritime interests, plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the blue economy. Through initiatives like the Sagarmala project and SAGAR policy, India seeks to bolster its maritime infrastructure and strengthen its naval capabilities to safeguard its maritime interests. However, divergent perspectives on maritime sovereignty and strategic alliances complicate the geopolitical landscape. While India and the United States share a strategic partnership, differences in maritime policies and military operations underscore the complexities of navigating international waters. Russia's stance on maritime cooperation underscores the need for inclusive approaches to ocean governance, emphasizing collaboration over competition. As global leaders grapple with the challenges of maritime security and sustainable development, the Bab-el-Mandeb crisis serves as a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of oceanic ecosystems and geopolitical dynamics. In conclusion, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait stands at the intersection of geopolitical rivalries and maritime commerce, symbolizing the challenges and opportunities inherent in our interconnected world. As nations navigate these turbulent waters, cooperation and dialogue remain essential to ensuring the security and prosperity of maritime nations and the preservation of our oceans for future generations. The Future of Maritime Security and Sustainable Development Looking ahead, addressing the complex issues surrounding maritime security and sustainable development requires concerted international efforts and innovative solutions. The Bab-el-Mandeb crisis serves as a wake-up call for global leaders to prioritise ocean conservation and cooperative strategies to mitigate geopolitical tensions. Investments in technology, such as satellite surveillance and unmanned maritime vehicles, hold promise for enhancing maritime surveillance and response capabilities. Additionally, strengthening legal frameworks and multilateral agreements can foster greater cooperation among nations and promote sustainable ocean governance. Ultimately, the Bab-el-Mandeb crisis underscores the interconnected nature of global maritime challenges and the urgent need for collective action. By working together to address the complex issues facing our oceans, we can build a more resilient and sustainable future for generations to come. (The author is associate professor at Pondicherry Central University, views are personal) A 56-year-old Indian-origin man was allegedly murdered by his son at their home in the Canadian province of Ontario, police said. The Hamilton Police in a statement on Sunday said 22-year-old Sukhaj Singh Cheema was wanted for the first-degree murder of his father on Saturday night. The police said officers were called to a home at around 7:40 p.M. On Saturday and found Kuldip Singh with severe injuries. Singh was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries, CTV News quoted the police as saying. Witnesses told officers that Cheema fled the residence after an altercation with the victim. Cheema was believed to be in the area for about 30 minutes before the incident and fled in a vehicle. Cheema-Singh is considered to be armed and dangerous, the police said. A team of Union Ministers held talks in Chandigarh on Monday evening with farmer leaders to dissuade them from their Delhi Chalo march. Meanwhile, authorities in Delhi fortified the border points with neighbouring States and imposed a month-long ban on large gatherings. Massive security arrangements were put in place to prevent the protesting farmers from entering the city on Tuesday. The ministers, including Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal and Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, held the second round of talks with the farmer leaders at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26. Leaders such as Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher were among those present at the meeting, which commenced at around 6:30 pm. At the time of going to press, the meeting was still in progress. During the meeting, the Centre has already assured them that some of their demands will be met. However, sources indicate that the farmer leaders are unwilling to relent until the debt waiver and legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) are fulfilled. The demands accepted by the Centre include granting Rs 10 lakh compensation to farmers injured in Lakhimpur Kheri, cancelling FIRs related to the 2020-21 farmers agitation, providing compensation and jobs for families of farmers killed in the agitation, and improving the quality of seeds across all crops. This also involves revising licences and imposing penalties on companies manufacturing and selling sub-standard seeds. To prevent the farmers from entering the city on Tuesday, massive deployment of police and paramilitary personnel equipped with anti-riot gear has been implemented. Multiple layers of barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails, and walls of containers have been erected at three border points: Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur. Additionally, makeshift jails have been established at specific locations in anticipation of the farmers Delhi Chalo march. The police are also using drones to maintain strict surveillance at border points, an official stated, emphasising that they are fully prepared to handle any law and order situation. There will be a complete ban on gatherings, processions, or rallies, as well as the entry of tractor trolleys carrying people, in the national capital. The Delhi Police has imposed Section 144 for a month in anticipation of widespread tension and social unrest due to the farmers Delhi Chalo March. In addition to a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, and justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Other demands include reinstating the Land Acquisition Act 2013, withdrawing from the World Trade Organisation, and providing compensation for families of farmers who died during the previous agitation, among others. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, among others, were part of the meeting. Meanwhile, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) clarified on Monday that it did not issue the Delhi Chalo call for February 13 and strongly condemned the Centres handling of the protest, alleging that an atmosphere of terror is being created to frighten people. SKM, along with the central trade unions (CTUs), has called for a nationwide strike and rural bandh on February 16. Several other unions and sectoral organisations have also supported the call. The Delhi Chalo call for February 13 has been issued by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-political), a splinter group of the original SKM, and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. Earlier, an order issued by Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora prohibited any type of rally or procession and the blocking of roads and passages. The order will come into force on February 12 and remain enforceable until March 12. The Delhi Police order imposes a ban on tractor rallies attempting to cross the borders of the national capital. The order further states that there will be a prohibition on provocative actions, slogans, speech, or messages through verbal, written, or electronic means that may incite or inflame passions leading to a breach of public order and tranquility. Additionally, there will be a prohibition on the use of loudspeakers, amplifiers, or other similar instruments in or at any private vehicles, private buildings, or public places unless allowed by the competent authority. The Delhi Police has also requested the extension of full cooperation from residents, community leaders, and stakeholders for the implementation of the order. With traffic restrictions and security measures in place, motorists experienced difficulty commuting between Delhi and NCR towns. A makeshift office has been set up at the Singhu border to maintain round-the-clock vigilance on the developing situation. The Delhi Airport issued a notification to passengers regarding the anticipated farmers protest at various Delhi borders starting on February 13, 2024. In addition to the massive deployment of security personnel and crowd control measures at the capitals borders, the Delhi Police have deployed over 5,000 security personnel. Cranes and earthmovers carrying large containers to block the road were also deployed. Multiple security barricades have already been installed at the borders to prevent farmers from entering the national capital. Nails have been placed on roads to puncture the tires of vehicles if protesting farmers attempt to enter the city. The order was implemented taking into consideration the past experience of farmer agitation organised in 2020 and intelligence inputs. In addition to prohibiting gatherings and agitations at public places, the orders stated that there would be an absolute prohibition on organising, convening, or participating in any processions, demonstrations, rallies, or marches on foot, whether for political, social, or any other purpose, within the geographical limits of Delhi and New Delhi. A ban was also imposed on the entry of tractor trolleys, trucks, or any other vehicles transporting individuals or materials, especially sticks/lathis/dandas, swords, spears, firearms, or anything else capable of being used as weapons or tools of violence, the order also stated. There will be a complete prohibition on collecting or carrying brickbats, boulders, acids, or any other dangerous fluids, as well as petrol, soda water bottles, or any articles capable of causing danger to human life and safety. The order also stated that all vehicular traffic originating from the borders of adjoining districts of states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh shall be subjected to rigorous and thorough inspection by police. Any vehicle found to be transporting lathis, rods, banners, or similar objects likely to be used for disruptive purposes shall be denied entry into Delhi. The sealing of the borders led to traffic spillover in the border areas of Delhi, further causing sluggish vehicular movement inside the city on Monday. Ahead of the farmers Chalo Dilli march, not only Delhi but also Haryana and Rajasthan have imposed Section 144, though in a few districts only. The Haryana government has enforced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC in 15 out of the total 22 districts. Additionally, Section 144 has been imposed in the Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan, which borders Punjabs Fazilka, Muktsar, and Bathinda districts. The newly formed Nitish Kumar-led NDA Government in Bihar won the trust vote in the State Assembly on Monday, amid a walkout by members of the Mahagathbandhan led by RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav. In the 243-member Bihar Vidhan Sabha, a total of 129 members voted in favour of the motion of confidence. Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari presided over the session as Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary, a member of the RJD, was removed through a resolution. Chaudhary had refused to step down despite his party losing power a fortnight ago. After declaring the motion as passed through a voice vote, Hazari ordered a headcount following a request from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, which was seconded by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. To facilitate the floor test, Chaudhary was removed with 125 members voting in favour of the no-confidence motion moved against him by the ruling NDA. Only 112 members voted against the motion. Kumar recently abandoned the Mahagathbandhan, of which the RJD was a key constituent, and returned to the NDA fold to form the government with the support of the BJP. Earlier, participating in the debate on the motion, the JD(U) chief alleged that the RJD indulged in corrupt practices during the partys rule in the State, and the new NDA-led government will initiate a probe into it. Kumar also claimed that during RJDs tenure, several communal riots took place in Bihar. There was no law and order. The RJD indulged in corrupt practices during its rule (before 2005)... I will get these probed, he said. Speaking in the Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav said he always considered Kumar to be a father figure and wondered what forced him to ditch the Mahagathbandhan and return to the BJP-led NDA. I always considered Nitish Kumar as Dashrath (a character from the Ramayan). I dont know what reasons forced him to ditch the Mahagathbandhan, he said. The NDA, comprising the JD(U), the BJP, former CM Jitan Ram Manjhis HAM, and an Independent, has a combined strength of 128. However, it received a shot in the arm with three RJD MLAs Prahlad Yadav, Chetan Anand, and Neelam Devi walking over to the ruling side. BJP MLAs, who were elated at the partys return to power after a gap of nearly 17 months, erupted in chants of Jai Shree Ram as the trust vote was won by the Chief Minister, who spoke for nearly 30 minutes, venting spleen against erstwhile allies RJD and the Congress as well as the Opposition INDIA bloc, which he had helped form. Pointing towards RJDs Tejashwi Yadav, who had served as his deputy until he remained with the Mahagathbandhan, Kumar fumed: What was the State of Bihar while it was ruled by his father (Lalu Prasad)? There were no roads, people were afraid of venturing out in the dark after sunset. We set it right upon coming to power in 2005. The JD(U) chief, who was taunted by Tejashwi with the remark what is the guarantee that Kumar will not do a flip-flop yet again?, asserted that he was with my old allies forever and lamented that his efforts to bring together parties opposed to the BJP proved to be of no avail. I had warned the Congress that things were not going well in the INDIA bloc. Some people were having problems with me occupying the centre stage. Even his (Yadavs) father seemed to have joined my detractors, alleged Kumar, who was seen as a contender for the post of a convener or the prime ministerial candidate of the Opposition coalition. Kumar also came down heavily on Yadav for the claim that the State witnessed large-scale recruitment of teachers as a result of the RJDs commitment to job creation. Your party (RJD) has been involved in financial wrongdoings whenever it has been in power. All good work was done when the education department was held by my party.For a brief period, it was with the Congress, but you people created problems even back then, the CM claimed. The allusion was to Ashok Choudhary, former State Congress president, who had held the education portfolio when Kumar first shared power with the Mahagathbandhan between 2015 and 2017. Choudhary subsequently switched over to the JD(U) and was a powerful minister till recently. The JD(U) supremo also questioned the RJDs claim of championing the cause of Muslims and pointed out that it was only under his rule that the State did not witness any major communal conflagration, unlike in the past. Even the culprits of the 1989 riots, which took place before the ascendancy of Lalu Prasad, were brought to justice only after the NDA came to power. A point of order was raised by Yadav when he saw the three MLAs of his party sitting on the ruling sides bench. All three members voted along with the NDA in favour of the no-confidence motion, which was supported by 125 MLAs and opposed by 112. According to NDA sources, some MLAs of the JD(U)-BJP combine had not reached the House when the motion was taken up. However, they were present during the trust vote. Those who opposed the no-confidence motion against the Speaker included Akhtarul Iman, the lone MLA of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisis AIMIM, which is not a part of the Mahagathbandhan. The election of the new Speaker is now likely to take place on Tuesday, as the days proceedings were adjourned after the trust vote, which concluded late in the afternoon, with no breaks in between. In a major diplomatic achievement for the country, eight Indian Navy veterans were released by Qatar, 46 days after their death sentences, handed down last October, were commuted to jail terms of varying duration. They were arrested on alleged charges of espionage. However, neither Qatar nor India made the charges against them public. Seven of them returned home early Monday. The eight nationals are Captains (retired) Navtej Gill and Saurabh Vasisht, Commanders (retired) Purnendu Tiwari, Amit Nagpal, SK Gupta, BK Verma, and Sugunakar Pakala, and sailor Ragesh. It was learned that Commander Tiwari stayed back in Doha and is likely to return to India soon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Doha in Qatar on Wednesday after his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra announced here on Monday, adding that the Prime Minister had personally supervised developments in the case. Prime Minister Modi had personally supervised this issue. This (the release) is proof of his leadership and also reflects the strength of India-Qatar ties, the Foreign Secretary said. While speaking to reporters, Kwatra added, The Prime Minister has personally and constantly supervised all the developments in this case and has never shied away from any initiatives that would ensure the return of Indian nationals back home. The announcement about Modis visit to Qatar came a day after the Gulf nation released eight jailed former Indian naval personnel. We are gratified by Qatars decision to release the Indians, Kwatra said. The Foreign Secretary mentioned that Modi and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, will hold wide-ranging talks to further expand bilateral ties. The Indians returned 46 days after their death sentences, handed down last October, were commuted to jail terms of varying duration. Kwatra also expressed gratitude, saying, We are grateful for their return. We deeply appreciate the decision of Qatars government and the Amir to release them. We are happy to have seven of those Indian nationals back. The 8th Indian national has also been released, and we continue to work with the Qatari government to see how quickly his return to India would be possible. In December last year, Prime Minister Modi met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai and discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar. This meeting was in the backdrop of Qatar commuting death sentence to jail terms to the eight veterans. National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval played a role in the negotiations with the Qatari authorities in securing the release of the Indians, it was learnt. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said here on Monday India appreciates the decision by the Emir of Qatar to enable the release and homecoming of the Indians, who were arrested in August 2022. Union Minister Anurag Thakur welcomed the release of eight Navy veterans and said it strengthened the belief in seriousness and the ability of the Modi Government to protect its citizens at any cost. This homecoming of our Navy veterans is a moment of happiness and this further strengthens our belief in the seriousness and ability of the Modi government to protect its citizens at any cost, Thakur said on X. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi means the guarantee of life, limb and liberty of the people of India across the globe, he said, adding that the veterans were detained under some false charges. BJP and Congress welcomed the development. The MEA in a statement said India appreciates the decision by the Emir of Qatar to enable the release and homecoming of the Indians, who were arrested in August 2022. The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar, the MEA said. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals, it said in a brief statement. The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatars Court of First Instance. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation on December 28 commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for durations ranging from three years to 25 years. The Court of Appeal had also given 60 days to appeal against the prison terms. In December last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai and discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar. The Indian nationals, who worked with the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August 2022 reportedly in an alleged case of espionage. Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public. In May last year, Al-Dhara Global closed its operations in Doha and all those working there (primarily Indians) have since returned home. India was also looking at the possibility of invoking provisions of a bilateral pact on the transfer of sentenced persons. The pact inked between India and Qatar in 2015 provides for citizens of India and Qatar who have been convicted and sentenced for criminal offences to serve their sentences in their home country. The AAP on Monday hit out at the BJP over "demolition actions" in the city allegedly by the central agencies in the past few months, as it sought to know the stand of seven Delhi MPs of the BJP on the issue. Addressing a press conference here, Delhi Urban Development Minister and AAP's national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj also claimed that people were being "rendered homeless" as JJ clusters and other structures were being dismantled "without rehabilitating" the affected people. One can see many people living beneath flyovers and on footpaths, and these are people who have been rendered homeless "due to such actions", the AAP leader told reporters. A number of "demolition actions" are being taken in the national capital by central agencies, Bharadwaj claimed, as he hit out at the BJP, the ruling party at the Centre. He alleged that bulldozers have also been run over "listed" clusters. As per rules, such listed structures warrant that rehabilitation of affected people be undertaken before taking any demolition action, he added. The Delhi minister said that these people voted for the BJP MPs in the national capital. "I want to ask all the seven MPs of BJP in Delhi whether they are standing with these demolition actions. If not, what have they done to stop demolition, have they met the vice chairman of the DDA or written any letter to him? Chief Minister Mohan Yadav garlanded the statue of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay at Lal Ghati and paid floral tributes. He that today is a special day for all of us as it is the death anniversary of Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay, who, from the founding of Jan Sangh till his last breath, dedicated his entire life to propagate Indian culture not only in the country but in the entire world. The world knows this philosophy as a unitary human philosophy. The basic idea of ??this philosophy is to make every possible effort to bring changes in the lives of the poorest of the poor, provide them with basic facilities and make their life successful. For a leader like Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay, whose political journey was dedicated to the welfare of all, the Samarpan Divas event is going to make us all proud. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav also contributed to the lifelong support fund collection started by the organization. The state government is ready to run like a double engine with the Center for development and public welfare Dr. Yadav said that we are fortunate to have a global leader and popular Prime Minister Narendra Modi amidst us in Jhabua, a backward tribal region of the state on the death anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay. Modi believes that to bring about a change in the lives of the most backward people, one has to be in their midst. Today a big Kumbh of tribal community is being organized in Jhabua. The vision of development of our illustrious Prime Minister Modi in all spheres of life is coming true in Dhar-Jhabua also. It is our good fortune that Dhar-Jhabua has got three highways each, this area is covered by Super Express-way and will be at the center from where Delhi-Mumbai will be at an equal distance. Prime Minister Modi visualizes that all areas should get equal facilities like roads, air travel etc., and we are ready to work with the Central Government like a double engine on this vision. Paying tribute to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Dr. Yadav said that he prays to God that Indian culture should spread all over the world. Among others present in the programme were Minister Krishna Gaur, MLA Rameshwar Sharma, former Mayor Alok Sharma and Sumit Pachauri and other senior public representatives. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will address the programme to be organised on the International Day of Women's Participation in Science on February 12 at 1 pm at Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre, Bhopal. During this time, skilled women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) fields will be honoured and offer letters will be distributed to women candidates selected in employment fairs. In the programme, Technical Education, Higher Education and AYUSH Minister Inder Singh Parmar and Minister of State for Skill Development and Employment (Independent Charge) Gautam Tetwal will be present. Under the programme, Procurement Essential for Student Advancement (PESA) course will be launched in Mahila Polytechnic College, Bhopal in collaboration with all the government ITIs, Industrial Safety Training and IIT Indore under the Indo German Initiative for Technical Education (IGnITE). Also, course Blockchain will be launched in Ujjain, course IoT and AI in Jabalpur and course AR/VR in SV Polytechnic Bhopal by IIT Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Central Government has been dedicated to upliftment of tribal people, enhancing pride and dignity in the last ten years. Madhya Pradesh is the best example in the country to show how effectively double engine government is working. He was addressing the tribal convention in Jhabua today. He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth about Rs 7500 crore. Prime Minister Modi said that the Jhabua Yatra's purpose of expressing gratitude to the people of the state who honoured commitment towards development in the Assembly poll. He expressed confidence that the commitment of the people towards development will stay firm. The Central Government is determined to live up to the public trust. Modi said that projects worth crores of rupees inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh including Jhabua, Khargone, Alirajpur, Dhar, Barwani, funds released under Adarsh Gaon Yojana for the betterment of villages, big rail projects for better connectivity, Ratlam and Meghnagar railway stations. Development works like modernization of the Railways and giving Rs 1500-1500 in the accounts of two lakh sisters and daughters of the tribal society show that the double engine government is working double fast in Madhya Pradesh. The credit for this mega campaign of development goes to the public. Modi announced Krantisurya Tantya Bhil University in the name of Tantya Mama. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the tribal people in Gopalpura of tribal dominated area Jhabua. He visited the exhibition focused on development works. Modi reached the stage accepting greetings from the tribal brothers at the huge Kumbh. Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, Union Ministers Arjun Munda and Faggan Singh Kulaste, former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Ministers, Khajuraho MP V.D. Sharma, National President of Tribal Morcha Sameer Uram and public representatives were present. On this occasion, a short film focusing on Krantisurya Tantya Bhil University was also screened. People from Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra including Madhya Pradesh participated in the huge Tribal Mahakumbh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while saluting the tribal community who had come in large numbers with the slogan of Baba Dungar Dev Ki Jai, said that Jhabua is connected to Gujarat too. The hearts of the people of Jhabua remain connected to Gujarat. Referring to the tribal culture practices, he extended extended best wishes on Bhagoria Utsav. Modi said that Madhya Pradesh is moving fast on the path of development. Earlier it was counted as the sick state. The government of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee created a new ministry for tribal welfare and made special provisions in the budget gaving priority to the development of tribal areas and tribal people. Modi said that the Central Government made a record increase in the minimum support price on forest produce. The forest produce covered under MSP was increased from 10 to 90. Van Dhan Kendras would be opened in the country so that tribal products could get good markets. Tribal society is the pride of the country and the guarantee of the country's bright future. Development of tribal people is our guarantee. It is the government's resolve to make their dreams come true. The Prime Minister said that the government has decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda. Martyrdom Day is celebrated today remembering the sacrifice of Tantya Mama and Krantisurya Tantya Bhil University is being announced in his name. The political landscape in Punjab is witnessing a seismic shift as major parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Indian National Congress, on Sunday declared their decisions to go solo in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The failure of pre-poll alliances, coupled with the breakdown of talks between the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has sent ripples across the State's political spectrum with the state set to witness quadrangular electoral contest. In a series of significant announcements, national heads of both AAP and Congress Arvind Kejriwal and Mallikarjun Kharge respectively addressed separate party events in Punjab on Sunday. Kejriwal announced AAPs decision to contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab independently, while Kharge echoed similar sentiments, asking the party workers in Punjab to start preparing for solo contests. In addition, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also declared that party would contest independently on all 13 seats with the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Partap Singh Bajwa asserting that the state party unit never wanted to contest in coalition with the AAP. The decision to go solo reflected the respective parties confidence in their individual electoral prospects and underscored the complexities of regional politics. Their announcement also assume significance as both AAP and Congress are key constituents of the pan-India opposition bloc INDIA, and their failure to forge an alliance in Punjab highlighted the divergence of interests and priorities within the opposition ranks. Despite being part of the same opposition bloc at the national level, the inability to align their strategies in Punjab reflects the intricacies of regional politics and the pursuit of individual party interests. Kharge, addressing the Punjab Congress first-ever Workers Convention in Samrala, emphasized the party's determination to secure victory across all 13 constituencies. However, he refrained from making any concrete announcements regarding a potential alliance with AAP under the INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha polls. He, however, rallied party workers, stressing the importance of fighting the electoral battle alone. In some states, INDI alliance is happening, in others it is not working outBut we have to fightWe have to fight alonetill the end and win. It doesnt matter who joins us and who doesnt. We have to fight. The decision to have INDI alliance has been taken for the entire country, its not just about Punjab... said Kharge in his charged voice. Kharges assertion came a day after Kejriwal, during a party rally in Khanna on Saturday, declared AAPs decision to contest all 13 seats in Punjab without any alliance. AAP will contest all 13 seats in Punjab on its own without any allianceIn the next 10-15 days, AAP will declare its candidates for all 13 seats in Punjab and for one seat in ChandigarhYou have to make AAP sweep all these 14 seats with a majority, Kejriwal had said. Meanwhile, talks between SAD and BJP for a pre-poll alliance have reportedly faltered, adding another layer of complexity to Punjab's political landscape. Sources suggest that the BJP's leadership in the State was hesitant to forge an alliance with the Akali Dal, which had left the NDA over the contentious farm laws. Sources informed The Pioneer that the efforts to forge a pre-poll alliance between the previous allies, SAD and BJP, in Punjab hit a roadblock as negotiations faltered due to disagreements over leadership roles within the coalition. Sources close to the discussions revealed that both parties were vying to assume the mantle of the senior member, leading to an impasse that ultimately led to the breakdown of talks. SAD, a former ally of the BJP in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), stood firm on its stance of equal footing in the coalition, refusing to accept a subordinate role. However, the BJP, buoyed by its national prominence, sought to assert its dominance, insisting on a more prominent role for itself within the alliance. The clash of egos and aspirations reportedly culminated in the failure of talks, dealing a blow to prospects of a unified front ahead of the upcoming elections in Punjab. The inability to reconcile their differences underscored deeper fissures within the erstwhile allies, highlighting divergent priorities and ambitions. SAD's insistence on maintaining parity in the alliance stemmed from its desire to uphold its historical significance and preserve its autonomy in the political landscape of Punjab. Conversely, the BJP's bid for a dominant position reflected its ambition to leverage its national stature and expand its influence in the state. Sources also maintained that talks may resume again once SAD chief Sukhbir Badal would conclude his Punjab Bachao Yatra, and lead the parleys formally. On Sunday, when asked about speculations about Akali Dal joining the NDA, Sukhbir said, I am currently doing Punjab Bachao Yatra, our alliance is with BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party). In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP and Akali Dal had contested together and won four of 13 seats. The BJP had contested three and bagged two, while Akali Dal contested 10 but could win two seats. The failure of pre-poll alliances has set the stage for a fiercely contested electoral battle in Punjab, with each party vying for supremacy. The absence of alliances may lead to a fragmentation of votes and intensify electoral competition, reshaping the state's political dynamics. As the countdown to the 2024 general elections begins, Punjab finds itself at the center of a political maelstrom. The failure of pre-poll alliances and the emergence of solo contenders have injected a sense of unpredictability into the electoral landscape, setting the stage for a high-stakes electoral showdown. With each party charting its own course, Punjab braces for a tumultuous electoral journey characterized by shifting alliances, strategic maneuvering, and the relentless pursuit of power. The fate of Punjab hangs in the balance as political actors navigate the turbulent waters of electoral politics, each vying to emerge victorious in the quest for political dominance. Coming down heavily on the high-handedness of the BJP-ruled Centre as well as the BJP-ruled Haryana government for taking brutal measures to stop the peaceful march of the farmers from reaching Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi Convenor and Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai demanded that the farmers demand be met in consultation without any delay. Addressing a press conference here, Rai alleged that the security measures taken by the Centre to control the farmers' protest on February 13 is "more intense than that of the colonial era". A purported video showing nails and barricades along with other security measures at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders was also played during the press conference by the AAP. Several farmer associations, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, have called for the march on February 13 to demand a law guaranteeing MSP for their produce, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021. "Farmers do the job of providing food to all. As they decided to stage a protest on February 13, the Centre has come up with extreme security measures that are more intense than those of the colonial era," Rai alleged. "I urge the Centre to hold talks with the agitating farmers and resolve their problems," he said. Today, the BJP government is crossing all limits and stopping the helpless farmers from raising their voices peacefully and democratically. More than 700 farmers died in the previous farmers movement during the Bharatiya Janata Party rule and the compensation the government had promised has not been given to date. The cases filed against the farmers have not been withdrawn, he said. Rai said that each and every leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party boasts in every media channel, on the streets that 80 crore people are being given ration. The Modi government gives ration to 80 crore people. Is the ration produced in the office of the BJP ? Who produces wheat, farmers produce it, who produces rice, farmers produce it. You want to harvest the election crop on the basis of the yield due to the hard work of the farmer. Now you are crossing all limits so that you can win the elections. The arrogance of the British was not left inside this country, elections are not everything if you attack the hearts of the farmers like this. Ahead of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo March', the Delhi Police has intensified security arrangements at Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders and installed nails along with barricades to prevent vehicles carrying protesters from entering the city The 'Delhi Chalo March' organised by around 200 farmers' unions and a large number of farmers is expected to reach the national capital on Tuesday from the three states. In response to the upcoming farmers march to Delhi on February 13, the Haryana Police has put in place comprehensive security arrangements in the border and other sensitive districts to ensure the maintenance of law and order, said the police official spokesperson. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had announced the 'Delhi Chalo' march by more than 200 farmers' unions on February 13 to press the Centre into accepting several demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Moreover, apprehending the disturbance of peace, the Haryana Government has suspended mobile internet services and bulk SMS in seven districts Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa from February 11 to 13. Spokesperson said that to safeguard public safety, section 144 has been enforced in 15 districts, prohibiting any form of demonstrations or marches involving tractor-trolleys. The Social Media Monitoring Cell is actively monitoring potential misinformation on social media platforms, and the general public is urged not to share content or videos without proper verification. Stricter actions will be taken against those disrupting law and order, emphasizing the Haryana Government's commitment to maintaining peace in the state, he added. According to the spokesperson, industrial organizations in Kundli, Badhi, Bahadurgarh, and surrounding areas have appealed to the administration to take necessary steps to prevent protests, citing significant financial losses and job disruptions during previous incidents. Assurances from various farmer organizations in the State have been received, pledging non-participation in the upcoming demonstration. The organizations have emphasized that tractor-trolleys are intended for agricultural use, not for protests. Haryana Police appealed to the state's residents to stay informed through their official social media accounts @Haryana_Police and @DGPHaryana on Twitter, and Haryana Police on Facebook. Important updates, particularly related to traffic and other crucial information, will be provided regularly. Passengers traveling to Punjab are advised to follow traffic advisories issued by Haryana Police and minimize unnecessary travel. In case of emergencies, the public is encouraged to contact 112 for prompt assistance, the spokesperson added. Additionally, in Jind, two roads near the Haryana-Punjab border have been shut for vehicular movement and restrictions imposed on two more roads, a police official. In Fatehabad district, police have also put up cemented barricades and spike strips on a Jakhal road to stop protesters from Punjab from moving towards Delhi. The Haryana Police issued a traffic advisory asking commuters to take alternative routes. In the traffic advisory, police asked commuters going from Chandigarh to Delhi to take alternative routes via Dera Bassi, Barwala-Ramgarh, Saha, Shahbad, Kurukshetra, or through Panchkula, NH-344 Yamunanagar Indri-Pipli, Karnal. Similarly, passengers travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh have been asked to reach their destination via Karnal, Indri-Pipli, Yamunanagar, Panchkula, or Kurukshetra, Shahbad, Saha, Barwala, Ramgarh, according to the police. The farmers have planned to head to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu border, Khanauri-Jind and the Dabwali border. Ambala and Kaithal districts have imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of five or more people. Police have also been holding meetings with sarpanches of villages and khap panchayats, asking them not to participate in the march. SKM (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal slammed the Haryana government for making arrangements to stop farmers from going towards Delhi. "We are ready for talks and will never run away from dialogue," he said. Importantly, amid measures by the Haryana authorities to prevent the farmers from heading towards the national capital, the Centre has invited them to hold another meeting to discuss their demands on February 12. Dont Build BordersHold Talks With Farmers: Mann Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has vehemently opposed the Haryana government's move to erect heavy fencing along national highways and other roads at the Punjab border, urging the Central Government to refrain from creating a border between Punjab and India and instead engage in dialogue with the farmers. Mann, speaking at a rally after inaugurating the Guru Amar Das Ji power plant at Goindwal Sahib on Sunday, expressed his concerns over the fencing being installed by the Haryana government. What is happening in Haryana? They are installing fencing on the Punjab border. I request the Central Government to engage in talks with farmers. Please avoid creating the India-Punjab border. Are you establishing a border? Similar fencing exists with Pakistan, he said. Manns remarks come in response to reports indicating that the Haryana Government's initiative aims to prevent Punjab farmers from entering Haryana en route to Delhi for a protest scheduled on February 13. Mann emphasized the historical and cultural ties between Punjab and the rest of India, highlighting Punjab's significant contributions to the nation, particularly in agriculture. Asserting the sacrifices made by Punjabis, both on the battlefield and in the agricultural fields, Mann emphasized the need for mutual respect and understanding between the central government and Punjab. He criticized the divisive tactics employed by certain political entities, including the use of religion against him, referring to recent controversies surrounding his alleged involvement in religious matters. Heavy rainfall and hailstorm was witnessed in Jabalpur and Umaria of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday morning, hail storm was witnessed in Sohar village of Bargi tehsil in Jabalpur and among other regions Seoni and Mandla also witnessed rainfall which caused a lot of damage to crops. Water and thunder lightning in Narmadapuram, Chhindwara, Anuppur, Mandla, Balaghat on Saturday night was witnessed. According to the Meteorological Department, there are chances of clouds, rain and thunderstorms in Madhya Pradesh for the next 3 days. Winds of speed of 30 to 40 km/hour in the districts of Jabalpur-Narmadapuram division. The period of severe cold will start again from February 14. Night temperature may drop by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. It rained heavily in the morning in Umaria which damaged crops in many villages. Meteorological Department, told that due to northern winds, cold wave and cold day conditions persisted in the last 24 hours. A decline was also seen in the night temperature. Currently, cyclonic circulation is active around southern Gujarat. Trough line is also passing. This has also affected Madhya Pradesh. Datia had the lowest temperature in the state on Saturday night. The minimum mercury recorded here was 5.0 degrees Celsius. In Pachmarhi it was 13.4 degree celsius. The highest minimum temperature was recorded in Seoni at 15.4 degrees Celsius. The night temperatures on Saturday recorded in big cities were Bhopal 12.4 (temperature in degrees Celsius), Indore 13, Gwalior 6.9, Jabalpur 12.8, Ujjain 12.7. The regions recorded night temperature less than 10 degree celsius were Datia 5 (temperature in degrees Celsius), Khajuraho 7, Rajgarh 8.2, Naugaon 8.5, Guna 9 and Rewa 9.4. Today, due to the trough line, south-easterly winds will remain strong. Showers may occur at isolated places in Narmadapuram, Jabalpur and Shahdol divisions. Strong wind is also expected. There may be light rain in Shahdol and Jabalpur divisions in February 12. There is also a forecast of strong wind. The system will weaken on February 13, but there may be isolated drizzle in Rewa and Sagar divisions. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Sunday said that the government is working on a project under which traditional farming techniques will be linked with modern technologies for transformation in agri sector, besides introducing new schemes for farmers in the upcoming budget to increase their income. Sukhu, speaking during the first-of-its-kind interaction meet with the milk producers of the state at Hotel Peterhoff in Shimla, said that the government was encouraging agriculture as an industry to make the farmers self-reliant. Since agriculture and milk production plays a pivotal role in promoting rural economy, the State Government is coming up with innovative schemes in the upcoming budget to increase the income of farmers which were likely to yield positive results in the next two years, he said. The Chief Minister said that there is a direct relationship between agriculture and milk production, and it becomes necessary to go for natural and organic farming in a big way, thereby linking the traditional farming techniques with modern technologies. We intend to bring revolutionary change in agriculture sector with special focus on promoting animal husbandry, he said, adding that an increase of Rs six in milk purchase price is an indication of our future course of action to strengthen the diary sector for assuring fixed income to the farmers. Notably, in December last year, the Chief Minister had announced an increase of Rs six in the milk procurement price from Rs 31 to Rs 37 per litre from January 2024. He had also promised to buy milk for Rs 80-100 per litre from farmers during the eve of the last assembly polls in 2022. He said that the fundamental changes were being made in the policies and rules to ensure that money goes directly to the farmers. The government will also consider giving tax concession to the milk producers, he assured. At the same time, the Chief Minister said that the milk quality in Himalayan region was far better and efforts were afoot for its marketing which will add to the income of farmers and making agriculture as an employment oriented industry besides taking measures to prevent them from exploitation while selling their produce in the open market. These efforts will help in strengthening the rural economy, he said. To strengthen the states milk-based economy, Him Ganga Yojana has been started with a budget provision of Rs 500 crore. To cost Rs 226 crore, the milk processing plant with a capacity of 1.50 lakh liters per day will be established at Dhagwar in Kangra district, which can be enhanced up to three lakh liters per day. The process of land transfer for setting up the plant has been completed. The unutilized land of the farmers will be used for setting up solar plants to strengthen the rural economy under the second phase of Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Startup Scheme, he added. The Chief Minister also held extensive discussions with the farmers in an open dialogue session and assured to incorporate the suggestions received from the farmers and other stakeholders in its policy document. The Chief Minister also visited the exhibition set up by MILKFED and interacted with the farmers. BOX Govts historic increase in milk procurement price ignites joy among producers Himachal Governments decision to increase milks procurement price by Rs six has sparked jubilation among dairy producers across the State. The move, hailed as the highest one-time hike in the last three decades, has injected newfound optimism into the animal husbandry sector. Running a milk society for past 29 years, Palampurs Anil Kumar expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Minister during the interaction meeting. This increase, compared to a mere Rs 18 increment over the past 30 years, signifies a significant leap forward for us, he said. Vikas Sarin, recounting his journey into dairy farming, said: The initial struggle was daunting, but with this price hike, 450 farmers have joined our society, recognizing the superior quality of Himachal's milk. Sunita from Nadaun lauded the government's resolve, noting, Rs six increase at once is unprecedented. It's a testament to the Chief Minister's determination, benefiting thousands of farmers. Kullus Reena Devi also shared her delight, revealing a substantial increase in her monthly income. This decision has brought tangible improvements to our lives, she exclaimed. Panna Lal of Manali echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the widespread benefits reaching thousands of farmers. Tula Ram from Rampur Bushahr praised the government's direct engagement with farmers, foreseeing long-term gains for the sector. This initiative, coupled with expedited payments through Milkfed, reflects the government's commitment, he remarked. JR Kaundal of Vyasdhenu, Bilaspur, highlighted the government's proactive approach, stating, Our organization, serving 70 gram panchayats, sees this as a transformative step that will bolster the dairy sector significantly. Information Commission has taken stricter action after Madhya Pradesh Housing Board failed to reply RTI after two years, GAD has been asked to take action against IAS Shukla. It has proved costly for Madhya Pradesh Housing Board for not giving the information sought in RTI to the elderly applicant of Gwalior. Taking a tough stand, the Information Commission has recommended disciplinary action to the General Administration Department against Board Commissioner Chandramauli Shukla for disobeying its orders. Also, the Commission has given instructions to provide the information sought in RTI within 5 days. If information is not available, answer has been sought in the affidavit. Instructions have been given to the Urban Development and Housing Department to compensate the elderly applicant with Rs 5000. The complainant Jai Kumar Jain, a resident of Gwalior, had sought information about the sale of shops in Maharajbada from the Housing Board Gwalior office in February 2021. The office replied that the information is not available, it will be available in Bhopal office. But Jain kept contacting Bhopal office for information but no information was given. There have been frequent cases in which government offices go against the rules and withhold information through RTI. If no one wants to give information then why not close the Information Commission. Rahul Singh, Commissioner, Madhya Pradesh State Information Commission. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, along with his Delhi counterpart and Aam Aadmi Partys supremo Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday celebrated a historic milestone as they dedicated the Sri Guru Amar Dass Thermal Plant to the masses, marking a significant shift in the state's energy landscape. The ceremony, held at Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran, witnessed a jubilant gathering as the AAP leaders hailed the acquisition of the thermal plant from a private company, GVK Power, at a cost of Rs 1080 crore. The move marked a departure from the trend of privatization, as the State Government took a bold step towards ensuring energy security and promoting public welfare. Mann, addressing the gathering, emphasized the importance of this acquisition in ushering in a new era of unprecedented progress and prosperity for Punjab. He hailed the decision as a testament to the Government's commitment to serving the people and prioritizing their needs over corporate interests. The purchase of the Sri Guru Amar Dass Thermal Plant reflects our government's dedication to the welfare of every strata of society. This historic step not only ensures energy security but also paves the way for substantial savings, which will be judiciously utilized for the well-being of the people, he said. Highlighting the significance of the acquisition, Chief Minister Mann outlined the benefits it would bring to the state, including a reduction in overall tariff by over Rs one per unit and savings of Rs 300-350 crores on power purchase. He emphasized that the operationalization of the plant would create new employment opportunities for the youth, further contributing to the state's growth and prosperity. Kejriwal, lauding the purchase of the thermal plant as a milestone achievement, underscored its potential to revolutionize the energy sector and benefit the people of Punjab. He commended the Punjab Government for prioritizing the needs of the common man and taking decisive steps towards ensuring affordable and reliable power supply. The acquisition of the Sri Guru Amar Dass Thermal Plant at such a nominal cost is a testament to the government's commitment to transparency and accountability. This move will not only enhance power generation but also enable the state to provide subsidized power to various sectors, thereby improving the quality of life for all, he said. The ceremony also saw Chief Minister Mann and Chief Minister Kejriwal urging the people to strengthen the ruling AAP during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, emphasizing the need to bring the agenda of welfare and development to the national center stage. They condemned the BJP-led Union Government for its attempts to stifle opposition voices and misuse central agencies for political gains. The credit of bringing common people at the centre-stage of Indian polity goes to Arvind Kejriwalhe has brought paradigm shift in politics by introducing value based politics by rejecting the divisive politics, said Mann. Exhorting the people to extend fulsome support and cooperation to AAP in the ensuing polls, Mann said that it will help in effectively raising the issues of the people and the state. Scared BJP Working Overtime To Defame AAP: Kejriwal Stating that the BJP is only scared of AAP, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged that the saffron party is working overtime to defame and crush his party. Kejriwal, addressing the gathering, also accused the Centre of withholding Rs 8,000 crore funds of AAP-ruled Punjab. Today the BJP is scared of only one party and that is the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party). The AAP is not letting it sleep, he said. He said that in a span of 10 years, the AAP has formed governments in Delhi and Punjab, and has MLAs in Gujarat and Goa. Wherever we fight elections, we secure many votes. Today, the BJP is in fear that if they (AAP) continue to grow like this then there will be an AAP government at the Centre, Kejriwal said. We have one strength and that is honesty with clear intentions. We serve the people. We build schools, hospitals, set electricity right, build roads, Kejriwal said, claiming that the BJP cannot do such work. He said that the BJP has been running governments for the past many years. For 30 years, it has been running a government in Gujarat, and for 15 years, in Madhya Pradesh, and they could not set a single school right. They did nothing, he added. Kejriwal said that works that the AAP can undertake, the BJP cannot. If you have the courage, then do some work, Kejriwal said. They want the AAP to be crushed and finished arrest them (their leaders), defame the AAP. They make new accusations every day, he alleged. At the same time, AAP chief also hit out at the BJP Government at the Centre on summonses issued to him by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate. By rising above caste politics, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said that the State Government is working for the welfare of the poor, youth, women and farmers. Only with their welfare, India will become a developed nation, he said while addressing the people in Panchkula. Khattar said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not only the country's but also the world's largest democratic party. There are many political parties in the country but if there is any party that runs democratically, then it is BJPWe have unwavering faith in democratic values and the state government is working in the interest of every citizen, he said. Earlier, the Chief Minister paid obeisance at Kalyani Mata Temple in Sector-15, Panchkula. Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta was also present on the occasion. Khattar further said that the present State Government believed in doing experiments in public interest and thus has made several new experiments for the welfare of the people and to make their lives easier. While initiating changes in any system, few challenges have to be faced, he said while referring to the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP) program. The Chief Minister said that in the beginning, the programme had to face opposition but today it is being praised everywhere. Haryana is probably the first state in the country to start this unique program, he said, adding that impressed by the Parivar Pehchan Patra program, the other states are also emulating the same. Taking a dig at the opposition for calling the present State Government as a government of portal, Khattar said that he is confident that the people of the state, who are getting the benefit of various welfare schemes and programmes sitting at home through the portal, will end the political future of such parties. Earlier, in reply to a question asked by media persons regarding the decision to confer Bharat Ratna award to former Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, Khattar said that he is a senior BJP leader, who had contributed significantly in building the party. It is a matter of happiness that five Bharat Ratna have been awarded in the last two months alone, he said while expressing his gratitude to the President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In view of the farmer's protest the Gurugram police tightened and beefed up their security on the Gurugram-Mewat border, Gurugram-Rewari border and Gururgam-Jhajjar border on Monday. Gurugram police started checking suspicious vehicles and also put up barricades on border roads for vehicles entering Gurugram. A large number of security personnel were deployed on the Gurugram border. "I have given necessary directions to the concerned departments to step up security in the border area. If the district administration is required to deploy duty magistrates will do the same. However, no inputs about the movement of farmers came to the fore in Gurugram," Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram said. Apart from this, a senior police official of the Gurugram police has also visited the border area to take stock of the preparations. Meanwhile, the police have put containers near Panchgaon Chowk on the service lane on the Jaipur Expressway to block the expressway in case any inputs about farmers' movement are received. We have instructed our seniors to keep a vigil on suspected vehicles and farmers groups if they enter the district and keep informing them about the situations," said a Gurugram police personnel deployed at the border area. However, the Gurugram police officers claimed that none of the farmer groups will cross or enter Delhi amid the protests from Gurugram. The Gurugram police are already on high alert amid farmers' protests. The strength of the personnel has already been at all the connecting borders of the district. Also, a rapid action force alone and extra force have been reserved to face any untoward situations on the border locations, said a senior police official of the Gurugram police. "There was no such impact reported in Gurugram. Security has been increased since Saturday and strict vigil was being maintained in all border areas," he said. Qatar has released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel nearly three-and-a-half months after they were handed down death sentences in a case of suspected espionage. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said seven of them have returned to India and that India appreciates the decision by the Amir of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of the Indians. "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar," the MEA said. "Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals," it said in a brief statement. The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation on December 28 commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The Indian nationals, who worked with the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August 2022 reportedly in an alleged case of espionage. Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public. The charges were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 last year and they were tried under Qatari law. After the Court of Appeal commuted the death sentence, the Indian nationals were given 60 days to appeal against the order of their jail terms. In May last year, Al-Dhara Global closed its operations in Doha and all those working there (primarily Indians) have since returned home. India was also looking at the possibility of invoking provisions of a bilateral pact on the transfer of sentenced persons. The pact inked between India and Qatar in 2015 provides for citizens of India and Qatar who have been convicted and sentenced for criminal offences to serve their sentences in their home country. The Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar won a vote of confidence in the assembly on Monday. The new government secured 129 votes amid a walkout by the opposition members. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday unveiled a life-size statue of India's first chief of defence staff late General Bipin Rawat in Dehradun. The defence minister described Gen Rawat as a courageous soldier who will remain an inspiration for the future generations. "The demise of Gen Rawat is an irreparable loss to the nation. Even in his last moments, he was on duty, serving the nation. His commitment, dedication, and patriotism could be felt until the very end," he added. Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 12 other military personnel were killed in a helicopter crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on December 8, 2021. Recalling an incident when Gen Rawat was wounded due to a gunshot at a remote border post in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh said the episode prompted the decorated officer to strengthen the functioning of the Indian Army near the Line of Control and Line of Actual Control when he was the Army chief. Gen Rawat was a true symbol of the country's military tradition, wherein a soldier, irrespective of the birth place, remains dedicated to the security of the nation, he added. The defence minister remembered the last moments of Gen Rawat, stating that it signified the true meaning of "die with your boots on". "The demise of Gen Rawat is an irreparable loss to the nation. Even in his last moments, he was on duty, serving the nation. His commitment, dedication, and patriotism could be felt until the very end," Singh said after inaugurating the statue at the Tons Bridge school. The defence minister noted that Gen Rawat was appointed as the first CDS which is one of the most significant reforms in the military history of the country. Singh described "upholding the dignity of the soldiers and honouring their contribution" as the duty of the government, asserting that "under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, we are honouring the valour and sacrifices of our soldiers." He emphasised that while the government is equipping the armed forces with state-of-the-art weapons and platforms, it has also constructed the National War Memorial in New Delhi to pay a fitting tribute to the bravehearts. Appreciating the idea of installing the statue inside the school complex, Singh stated that the objective is to take the stories of valour of the armed forces to the children and instil patriotism and dedication in them. "Statues hold a significant importance in our society & culture. It is a part of our rich heritage, which also serves as an inspiration for the future," he said. "Schools not only provide education but also shape the personality of students. Every child can learn from personalities such as Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, former President APJ Abdul Kalam and Gen Bipin Rawat and contribute to nation building," he added. The Supreme Court said on Monday it will list the plea of the Uddhav Thackeray faction challenging Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's order declaring the Shiv Sena bloc led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the "real political party" after the outfit's split in June 2022. The plea of the Thackeray faction was listed for hearing on Monday but the matter could not be taken up during the day due to paucity of time. Let them (Shinde faction) file a response. The notice was issued earlier, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Thackeray faction, told the bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. We will list it, the CJI said. In the meantime, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the Shinde group, said since a petition on the issue was also pending in the Bombay High Court, proceedings cannot go on in two courts simultaneously. Earlier, on February 5, the CJI-led bench had agreed to consider listing the Thackeray faction's plea. The top court had on January 22 issued notices to Chief Minister Shinde and other lawmakers of his group on the Thackeray bloc's plea challenging the speaker's order. The court had then ordered its listing after two weeks. The Thackeray faction has alleged that Shinde "unconstitutionally usurped power" and is heading an "unconstitutional government" in Maharashtra. In his order passed on January 10, Speaker Narwekar had also rejected the Thackeray faction's plea to disqualify 16 MLAs of the ruling camp, including Shinde. Challenging the orders passed by the speaker, the Thackeray faction has claimed they are "patently unlawful and perverse" and that instead of punishing the act of defection, they reward the defectors by holding that they comprise the real political party. Arjuna Capital lifted its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO Free Report) by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 12,836 shares of the medical research companys stock after buying an additional 485 shares during the period. Thermo Fisher Scientific comprises about 2.3% of Arjuna Capitals holdings, making the stock its 8th largest position. Arjuna Capitals holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $6,497,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Savant Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 3,627 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,997,000 after acquiring an additional 18 shares during the period. 1776 Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. 1776 Wealth LLC now owns 799 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $440,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the last quarter. Dover Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Dover Advisors LLC now owns 3,168 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,654,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Westbourne Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 3.6% in the 2nd quarter. Westbourne Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 568 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $296,000 after buying an additional 20 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Klingman & Associates LLC raised its holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. Klingman & Associates LLC now owns 439 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $229,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.06% of the companys stock. Get Thermo Fisher Scientific alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Thermo Fisher Scientific In other news, SVP Michael A. Boxer sold 14,566 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $562.00, for a total transaction of $8,186,092.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 12,901 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,250,362. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, SVP Michael A. Boxer sold 14,566 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $562.00, for a total value of $8,186,092.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 12,901 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,250,362. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $555.63, for a total transaction of $5,556,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 49,155 shares in the company, valued at $27,311,992.65. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts recently commented on TMO shares. Barclays cut Thermo Fisher Scientific from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and raised their target price for the stock from $475.00 to $555.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Citigroup raised their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $530.00 to $575.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, December 11th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $592.00 to $642.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. StockNews.com raised Thermo Fisher Scientific from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, October 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $670.00 to $630.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $596.00. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Stock Down 0.7 % NYSE:TMO traded down $3.81 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $546.94. The companys stock had a trading volume of 116,415 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,914,795. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $533.33 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $513.55. The company has a market capitalization of $211.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.75. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 12 month low of $415.60 and a 12 month high of $593.17. Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The medical research company reported $5.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.64 by $0.03. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a return on equity of 18.78% and a net margin of 13.99%. The business had revenue of $10.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $5.40 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 21.57 EPS for the current fiscal year. Thermo Fisher Scientific announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, November 14th that authorizes the company to repurchase $4.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the medical research company to purchase up to 2.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically an indication that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. About Thermo Fisher Scientific (Free Report) Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc provides life sciences solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, and laboratory products and biopharma services in the United States and internationally. The company's Life Sciences Solutions segment offers reagents, instruments, and consumables for biological and medical research, discovery, and production of drugs and vaccines, as well as diagnosis of infections and diseases; and solutions include biosciences, genetic sciences, clinical next-generation sequencing, bio production to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, clinical, healthcare, academic, and government markets. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Thermo Fisher Scientific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thermo Fisher Scientific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azerbaijan's extraordinary presidential elections held on February 7, captured the spotlight in Cuba's leading media outlets, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Embassy in Cuba. "Prensa Latina", "Granma", "Trabajadores", as well as "Cubavision Internacional" and "Canal Caribe" television channels have published news and prepared reports on the voting in Baku and regions of Azerbaijan. The media drew public attention to Ilham Aliyev's participation in the presidential elections as the New Azerbaijan Party's candidate and by obtaining more than 92 percent of the votes of the Azerbaijani people won a confident victory. Cuban media stated that for the first time in Azerbaijan's history, the elections were held in the entire territory of the country. Especially the city of Shusha experienced historic moments on election day, and the citizens voted in their cities after a long time. It was also emphasized that even though it takes some time to heal the wounds of war and restore the ruins, locals of Shusha, Fuzuli, Khankendi, Lachin, and other cities of Garabagh showed an example of democracy to the world with their active participation in the elections. In addition, journalists from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Uruguay, and other 120 foreign media members were accredited from the Latin American region to cover Azrbaijan's elections. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC lowered its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 1.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,895 shares of the companys stock after selling 153 shares during the period. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $5,315,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Thompson Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Retirement Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 159.1% during the second quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 57 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the second quarter valued at $33,000. Legacy Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Family CFO Inc acquired a new stake in Eli Lilly and Company in the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.38% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 1.0 % Shares of NYSE:LLY traded down $7.10 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $733.06. 374,935 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,343,272. The firm has a market cap of $695.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 127.61, a PEG ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 1.05. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $309.20 and a 52-week high of $745.70. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $620.02 and its 200 day simple moving average is $581.92. Eli Lilly and Company Increases Dividend Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The company reported $2.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.30 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $9.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.95 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 50.78% and a net margin of 15.36%. The companys revenue was up 28.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.09 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 12.52 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 15th will be issued a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 14th. This is an increase from Eli Lilly and Companys previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is currently 77.93%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 78,573 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $648.07, for a total transaction of $50,920,804.11. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 99,333,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $64,375,262,246.70. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 195,055 shares of company stock worth $125,254,657 in the last three months. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have issued reports on LLY shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $710.00 to $865.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. StockNews.com raised Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. Citigroup raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $525.00 to $675.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, October 23rd. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $763.00 to $805.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a buy rating and issued a $710.00 price target (up from $612.00) on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research note on Friday, October 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $621.81. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on LLY Eli Lilly and Company Profile (Free Report) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. General Electric (LON:GEC Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as GBX 139.85 ($1.75) and last traded at GBX 139.59 ($1.75), with a volume of 426 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at GBX 105 ($1.32). General Electric Trading Up 33.1 % The firm has a market cap of 1.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.65 and a beta of 1.28. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 113.93 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 109.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 73.35, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a current ratio of 1.17. Get General Electric alerts: General Electric Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 25th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 27th were paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 27th. This represents a dividend yield of 0.08%. General Electrics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 401.00%. About General Electric General Electric Company operates as a high-tech industrial company in Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. It offers gas and steam turbines, full balance of plant, upgrade, and service solutions, as well as data-leveraging software for power generation, industrial, government, and other customers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Britains empty churches are suddenly brimming with activity and flocking with worshippers, the jubilant Bishop of Bath and Wells has revealed. For years we rarely had any worshippers attending our services, maybe one or two. For decades Christianity has been in serious decline, that is, until the last month. I have been rushed off my feet with baptisms and our services are now so full there are worshippers hanging from the rafters. Last Sunday service there was a near riot to enter the church and one man was trampled to death, bless his soul. All across Britain, churches are struggling to cope with the sudden influx. This applies to all nominations, Church of England and Catholic. The Archbishop of Canterbury was seen dancing in the street when he heard the wonderful news, as he welcomed the flock to the love and care of Jesus Christ. It is a beautiful sight to behold. Praise the Lord, and the Holy Spirit. Last night alone, I walked past the cathedral and I saw over 40,000 asylum seekers lining up for immediate baptism. This phenomenon is happening across the entirety of the UK. Thanks to the asylum seekers for reinvigorating the dying churches and congregations across the nation. One happy asylum seeker who was from Germany via Saudi Arabia revealed his joy at being baptised into Christianity. Good luck sending me back to Saudi Arabia. I am now a good Christian like you. Bismillah, Allahu Akbar! By Allah, if you try, I will behead you Infidel dog! The horrors of war and the sheer exhilaration of being in a state of life and death are only too apparent in this combat footage. This is some of the best FPV combat footage we have seen, and the best part is it is on YouTube. The war is currently contained in Ukraine, however it will no doubt leak Westwards towards the rest of the European continent, and a recent interview by Tucker Carlson with Vladimir Putin confirmed this. The deranged rantings of Putin in the interview showed his true colours, where he claimed he will not attack Poland and Latvia next, but he of course claimed the same thing about Ukraine before attacking the country. Best FPV Combat Footage Watch this amazing combat footage, because it could be any European on the battlefield of the future, and Ukraine is just the beginning of something way bigger. Many NATO countries are now thinking of bringing back compulsory conscription for all citizens, and even this may be a highly controversial subject it still has to be addressed simply because of the threats coming from countries like Russia and China. The incredible bravery of the men and women fighting in the Ukrainian frontlines cannot be commended enough. This combat footage displays that very bravery and indomitable resistance against an enemy hell-bent on wiping the country of Ukraine off the map completely. If the pampered Western civilians are to survive the next waves of war that will no doubt flow over them, they will have to toughen up and prepare for combat. There is no way of getting around this fact because the tyrants and dictators that seek more power and territory do not deem the West as a capable adversary, especially as they train their civilians for combat from birth. This kind of military thinking even amongst civilians is in deficit in the West. Ad Advantage Gold URGENT: Is the IRS Spying On Your Money? A digital dollar is picking up momentum in Washington DC, even with the dangers it could present to everyday Americans. Its great for them but what about us? What about for your savings? Your portfolio? A digital dollar would be a MASSIVE financial shift, and anyone who doesnt take steps to prepare for a digital dollar could fall victim to it instead. Click here to get your free Digital Dollar Guide Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes generic medicines, specialty medicines, and biopharmaceutical products in North America, Europe, Israel, and internationally. It offers generic medicines in various dosage forms, such as tablets, capsules, injectables, inhalants, liquids, transdermal patches, ointments, and creams; sterile products, hormones, high-potency drugs, and cytotoxic substances in parenteral and solid dosage forms; and generic products with medical devices and combination products. The company focuses on the central nervous system (CNS), respiratory, and oncology areas. It provides active pharmaceutical ingredients, as well as contract manufacturing services; and operates an out-licensing platform that offers a portfolio of products to other pharmaceutical companies. The company also offers BENDEKA and TREANDA injections for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and indolent b-cell non-hodgkin's lymphoma; GRANIX; TRISENOX; LONQUEX; and TEVAGRASTIM/RATIOGRASTIM. In addition, it provides COPAXONE for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; AJOVY for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults; AUSTEDO for the treatment of neurodegenerative and movement disorders associated with Huntington's disease and tardive dyskinesia; UZEDY for the treatment of schizophrenia; ProAir RespiClick inhalation powder; QVAR for treatment for asthma; BRALTUS, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist; CINQAIR/CINQAERO injection; DuoResp Spiromax, an inhaled corticosteroid and long-acting beta-agonist bronchodilator; and AirDuo RespiClick fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder. The company offers its OTC products under SUDOCREM, NasenDuo, DICLOX FORTE, OLFEN Max, and FLEGAMINA brand names. It has collaboration agreements with MedinCell; Sanofi; Alvotech; and Biolojic Design Ltd., as well as license agreement with MODAG GmbH. The company was founded in 1901 and is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Derry City and Strabane District Council is expected to strike a rate of 6.5% for the upcoming year. Derry News understands a majority of councillors voted to push the striking of a rate back to Wednesday, February 14, as opposed to striking it on Friday afternoon (February 9) as had been expected. Councillors wanted to give various ministers in the new Executive time to respond to requests for meetings, before making any decisions on rates. It is also understood that the Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy has agreed to meet councillors regarding expenditure on City of Derry Airport. That meeting is expected to take place on Wednesday morning next. At the Friday afternoon meeting, Council finalised its response to Department of Finances consultation on domestic and non domestic rating revenue raising measures. Department of Finance and Land and Property Services issued the consultation paper on a number of aspects of domestic and non-domestic rating policy, in November 2023. Councils response was discussed and unanimously endorsed by councillors at a special meeting on Friday afternoon. The consultation, which closes on February 13, is one of a number of ongoing consultations across all Government Departments in respect to revenue raising to support public services, initiated by British Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris. Council disagreed with the potential removal of the maximum capital value cap from the rating system. The value of homes in the North is currently capped at 400,000 for the purpose of the calculation of rates. Council argued the removal of this support would create further wealth disparities would be created among councils in the North. Average domestic rateable property values in the North range from 97,000 (Derry City and Strabane District Council) to 148,000 (Ards and North Down Council), with an overall NI average of 122,000. Ratepayers in less wealthy councils such as Derry and Strabane therefore have to raise significantly higher rates poundages to generate the same levels of rates income as the more wealthy councils, and provide comparable levels of public services. Council contended that removal of this relief would further exacerbate these differences. It estimated, removal of the relief would generate approximately 80,000 of additional District rates income for Derry City and Strabane District Council, whilst the figures in Ards and North Down Council and Belfast City Council would be approximately 1.7m and 2.1m respectively. Council contended: Whilst the additional rates income would be welcomed, it cannot create further disparities in District rates burdens and public service provision between Councils. Any removal of reliefs therefore should only be considered in conjunction with a wider review of the rating system in Northern Ireland and its impact on the less wealthy Councils. Council also opposed the proposed scrapping of the Early Payment Discount given to ratepayers. Land and Property Services - which is involved in the collection of rates in the North - had highlighted the fact, from a parity perspective, there was no equivalent discount in Britain, where there are no early payment discounts in terms of Council Tax. Derry City and Strabane District Council countered by saying removal of reliefs should only be considered in conjunction with a wider review of the rating system in Northern Ireland. Council argued, such a removal would impact on the less wealthy councils. It also said the landlord allowance of 10% should not be removed from the rating system; industrial derating should not be removed; and freight transport relief should not be removed. However, Council agreed the student halls of residence exemption should be removed from the rating system, along with the non domestic vacant rating relief. Economy Minister Conor Murphy (Sinn Fein) has been urged to "stop the misguided redundancy scheme" currently being rolled out across the North's six Further Education colleges. Trade unions representing staff in the colleges are meeting the Minister today, Derry Now understands. In an open letter to Minister Murphy, the trade unions - UCU, NASUWT, Unite the Union, NIPSA and GMB - have made a public plea for him to stop the misguided redundancy scheme. The letter, signed by Katharine Clarke, UCU Northern Ireland Official, said: The Permanent Secretary in the Department of Education took a decision that further cuts were not in the public interest, but successive Permanent Secretaries in the Department for the Economy refused to implement the same safeguarding measures. The department for which you now have ministerial responsibility, is directing colleges to axe more than 300 jobs from the sector. In so doing, comparisons are being drawn between enrolment figures in 2018/19 to 21/22. The true picture shows there has been an increase in student recruitment from 21/22 to 22/23, with that trend continuing this academic year. The reality is the department has not given the colleges sufficient opportunity to recover from the impact of the pandemic before it has instructed widespread cost-cutting. The further education sector is central to rebuilding the economy in the post Covid landscape. Colleges are the centres for re-skilling those whose jobs in affected industries disappeared, and for training new apprentices, providing vocational pathways for the career young. Without a substantial pay increase it will be impossible for colleges to attract and retain the experienced staff essential to aid economic recovery. Colleges simply cannot continue to be outbid for staff by the rest of the education sector when their role is crucial to labour supply and stimulating growth. For the DfE to prioritise financing redundancies above properly resourcing the sector and those who work in it is, in our view, grotesque, and a misuse of public money. It also appears the DfE did not undertake any workforce profiling across the six colleges to establish whether an enhanced redundancy payment scheme will achieve assumed long-term cost savings. The trade unions are aware, from engaging directly with our members, volunteers for severance are those who are advanced in their careers. In other words, these departures could be reasonably forecast over the next few years without the need for the public purse to finance expensive exit packages to the detriment of student provision and much needed staff pay increases. Finally, we suggest it is premature to be effecting redundancies when a wholesale review of the sector is long overdue. Particularly so, when recommendations have been made by the Independent Review of Education about the sectors future departmental location. We implore you to immediately withdraw authority for financing of the scheme and redirect the monies to assisting settlements of outstanding pay claims. The new chair of Oakgrove Integrated College, Carmel Irandoust, begins a new chapter in the schools history, as the first incumbent whose background is not from one tradition or the other, but from what she sees as an integrated version of it all. A committed member of the Bahai Faith, she embraces the tenet that all faiths, all races, all backgrounds come from one and unique Source and that humankind should be viewed as one. Ms Irandoust brings a strong international dimension to the position, as a citizen of France who has lived and worked in Europe, North Africa, North America, with the United Nations, Latin America and Middle East. Carmel sees her appointment as coming at a time of change. The same way our region is going through massive shifts at the political level, our school, too, has been experiencing shifts, she explains. 2022 saw a new wave of board members, followed by a new principal and a new vice principal. And now, with a new person serving as chair. Ms Irandoust, who holds a M. Phil. in International Peace Studies from Trinity College is the founder and director of the consulting agency, NETLOVE. It aims to promote the values of Equality, Diversity, Love, Justice, and Peace by creating meaningful and thought-provoking spaces for schools, universities, and businesses. She also facilitates workshops for Irish Aid and is writing her first book, a spiritual travel log documenting her personal journey over the past twenty years. Announcing the appointment, Oakgrove Principal John Harkin said: We are delighted to welcome a new Chair of the Board to Oakgrove. Carmel has already played a part in the life of the school and community, keen to continue the tradition of those who founded this school and continue to serve our integrated community. "Carmels appointment means that our Board is Chaired by someone from France who represents one of our worlds minority religious communities, bringing diversity in national and religious backgrounds. Carmel will lead our schools Governors, living out as she does so the integration which has always been her core belief. Ms Irandoust, too, stresses her conviction in the importance of integrated education as the foundation of a more inclusive, pluralist, peaceful society. We are in this position today where we grasp the deep meaning that a child can be the light of the world or the darkness of the world- education alone can make it swing one way or another, she says. A man I admired greatly and pray to regularly to inspire me is John Hume. NEW CHAIR AT OAKGROVE INTEGRATED COLLEGE. . . .Mr. John Harkin, Principal, Oakgrove Integrated College pictured congratulating Carmel Irandoust, the new chair of the Board of Governors at the school. On left is Mrs. Kelly-Marie Martin, Vice Principal. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography) "He said of our young people, You are the generation that will be leading in the new century and the new millennium, so the challenge is to make sure that your influence is used to ensure that the entire world learns that humanity transcends difference, that difference is indeed the very essence of humanity." She concluded: For me, the question is - what legacy do we want to leave for this school but also in the lives of our young people? Young people are the presents of today, and the builders of tomorrow. May we continue to dedicate the precious days of our lives for their well-being for, without them, our world will be lost. A man has appeared at Derry Magistrates Court charged with breaching his bail conditions one day after being released. Dean Robinson (30) of London Street in Derry was charged with the offences that took place on February 10. He had previously been released with two bail conditions, that he has no contact with his former partner and he inform the police if she were to get in contact with him. The court heard that police were called to the scene of a domestic incident and found Robinson and his former partner in the communal area of his place of residence. Bail was opposed as police did not believe he would obey his conditions. Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said that this was a 'discreet breach', saying that Robinson's former partner had come to his flat intoxicated. He told how Robinson asked her to leave but she refused. He also said that Robinson knows he should have rang the police and regrets not doing so. Deputy District Judge Liam McStay released him with a final warning and he will appear again on February 29. Derry Magistrate's Court heard today how a doctor was detected driving at 111mph in a 70mph zone as the defendant received what a judge described as 'a very significant fine'. Andrew Hanoman (29) with an address at Crown Place in Portsmouth was charged with driving at excess speed on June 23 last year. The court heard that Hanoman was detected driving at the speed between Claudy and Dungiven and was travelling too fast to be dealt with by a fixed penalty. Defence counsel Grainne McAnaney said that there was nothing to be said about 'the inexcusable speed'. She said her client was working in a hospital in Portsmouth but was coming from Donegal on other business. The barrister said that on the day on question Hanoman had driven more than 300 miles but had no previous record. Deputy District Judge Liam McStay said that as a doctor Hanoman would be all too aware 'of the outcome of excessive speed'. He said he would mark this by a significant fine well above the usual for speeding cases. He imposed a fine of 1,000 and 8 penalty points. A man charged in connection with a dissident republican parade in Derry last year has been refused permission to attend a friend's birthday party in Derry. Stephen Murney (39) of Derrybeg Terrace in Newry faces three charges of encouraging and inciting support for a proscribed organisation namely the IRA on April 10 and making a speech on that date which encouraged support. At today's hearing a defence barrister, Michael Forden, said the defendant was seeking a bail variation to allow Murney to enter Derry and attend a friend's party and spend a night in the city. A police officer opposed the application and said that there were other suspects in the case and some of them could be at this party allowing Murney to associate with them. She added that Murney was 'a very active republican' and had breached bail twice in December by attending dissident republican protests in Newry and Dublin. The officer told the court that Murney was arrested on December 23 and released on bail on December 26. Tbe court was told that the proposed address for Murney to stay at was also unsuitable as the homeowner was also on bail 'for serious offences'. The defence barrister asked the officer what was to stop Murney meeting with his associate outside the city and was told there was nothing. But the officer said the defendant had travelled to the city for these offences. The barrister asked when police took until December 23 to arrest Murney for the bail breach in Dublin on December 16 which resulted in him spending Christmas in custody. The officer said police had to gather evidence and liaise with the Gardai. Mr Firde said the offences Murney is charged with were 'a specific place and a specific time' and added he was entitled to a social life. Deputy District Judge Liam McStay said that this was 'a frivolous application' and added that bail conditions were there for a reason. He refused the application and the case will be mentioned on February 14 with a PE scheduled for February 29. The Northern Ireland Childrens Hospice has said its position over reducing some services remains unchanged despite an intervention from the Stormont Health Minister. Last week the hospice said it was considering cutting bed places due to a bleak financial outlook. It cited a loss of state funding and other challenges presented by the cost-of-living crisis. The hospice, which is located in north Belfast, provides specialist palliative care for more than 350 babies, children and their families every year. On Friday, Health Minister Robin Swann announced the reinstatement of 85,000 of funding to the hospice. He also acknowledged the move will not be enough to prevent the announced reduction in some services at the facility. Mr Swann asked officials to look urgently at the planned bed cuts to determine the best way forward. He also announced changes to how the core funding is structured going forward. The minister said the 1.6 million currently includes 420,000 that is non-recurring money and which requires annual approval. Mr Swann said that the 420,000 would be recurring from now on a move he said would provide greater certainty for the hospice. On Monday, the hospice said it was grateful for and reassured by its core funding becoming fully recurrent, which will provide greater confidence for the future. But it said that with diminishing reserves, action must be taken, and the plan to cut beds remained unchanged. NI Hospice has been running with an underlying deficit which we have reduced in the past 12 months however, with diminishing reserves, action must be taken, it said in a statement. We very much regret the proposed further reconfiguration planned for April 2024 but recognise its necessity for our sustainability journey. Despite these challenges, we remain committed to working hard to support all families utilising hospice service in the way that best serves their needs. We appreciate the ministers positive approach to seeking cross-departmental input. We believe collaborative efforts can pave the way for sustainable solutions and look forward to working with him in the coming days and weeks in delivering for the hospice sector. It is considering reducing capacity from seven beds across the week, to running six beds from Monday to Friday and three beds at the weekend. Acting director of the Northern Ireland Childrens Hospice Grace Stewart said they would like to thank Mr Swann for his intervention over funding. She told BBC Radio Ulsters Nolan Show: That really gives us a better confidence for next year and a greater degree of stability. Ms Stewart said the statutory funding the hospice receives accounts for a third of what it needs. The challenge is that were very grateful for that third, the challenge remains, we need to find the other two thirds and in the cost-of-living crisis, makes that really challenging, she said. We had a deficit last year and we, through very sound financial management this year, have significantly reduced that deficit, but we need to stay on that path to make sure that we can get to a sustainable position. A London theatre has apologised and said it is looking into an incident after Jewish audience members were reportedly hounded out of a comedy show. Soho Theatre, in the capitals West End and a former synagogue, said it was saddened by the incident at the end of a performance by comedian Paul Currie on Saturday. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it was assisting Jewish guests who were reportedly hounded out of the theatre. A statement from Soho Theatre pic.twitter.com/W4eiZwHHUt Soho Theatre (@sohotheatre) February 12, 2024 The organisation said it understood an Israeli man and his partner both left, followed by a Jewish party-of-four in an incident where the Palestinian flag was produced at the end of the performance. The CAA, which said it had been in touch with one of the Jewish audience members who left, reported that people had been encouraged to stand for both the Ukrainian and Palestinian flags. The Israeli man was then reportedly asked why he had not stood up and, according to the CAA, said that he had enjoyed the show until the Palestinian flag appeared. The CAA said the Israeli man had been yelled at by the comedian to leave, and that others in the audience then shouted Get out and Free Palestine. Soho Theatre said: We are sorry and saddened by an incident that took place at our venue at the end of a performance of Paul Currie: Shtoom on Saturday February 10 which has caused upset and hurt to members of audience attending and others. We take this very seriously and are looking into the detail of what happened as thoroughly, as sensitively, and as quickly as we can. It is important to us that Soho Theatre is a welcoming and inclusive place for all. The theatre is a registered charity and the Charity Commission has said it is assessing information to determine if there is a role for the regulator. A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: What the Jewish audience-members have recounted is atrocious, and we are working with them and our lawyers to ensure that those who instigated and enabled it are held to account. These allegations are of deeply disturbing discriminatory abuse against Jews. Comedians are rightly given broad latitude, but hounding Jews out of theatres is reminiscent of humanitys darkest days, and must have no place in central London in 2024. The show is described on the theatre website as a unique, surrealist, dada punk-clown, non-verbal experience from the award-winning Belfast comedy artist Paul Currie. A Charity Commission spokesperson said: We are aware of concerns that have been raised on social media relating to an event held at Soho Theatre. We are currently assessing information available to us to determine if there is a role for the Commission. Currie has been contacted for comment. Stormonts First Minister has ruled out the imposition of water charges in Northern Ireland. The UK Government has made the release of a 3.3 billion package to support the return of devolution dependent on the newly formed ministerial executive in Belfast committing to introduce its own additional revenue-raising measures. Water charging is not the only option open to ministers to raise extra cash for public services, but it is one of the more significant potential tools at their disposal. Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle ONeill made clear her opposition to such a measure on Monday. Her comments chime with weekend remarks by DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly who said it is unsustainable to ask people to pay more for poor public services. Ms ONeill said the Government needed to shoulder the burden and deliver a proper funding model for Northern Ireland. Im saying very clearly no to water charges, she told BBC NI. Im saying very clearly that you cant burden people who are living through a cost of living in crisis with additional household bills whilst their services and public services are declining. Thats not the right spot for us to be. So what we intend to do is to fight together for a proper funding model, we intend to be at the Treasury in the coming weeks to make that case again very clearly. Well talk about it again at our executive this week. We are unified in trying to achieve a proper funding model. She added: Im not working on the basis of failure, we intend to succeed. We need a proper funding model. When you look at how Scotland are funded, at how Wales are funded, we are funded below need. And its not on the basis of us standing with a begging bowl, which I often hear referred to. This is about us fighting for good public services. This is us fighting for whats right and just and that is that were properly funded to deal with the needs of the public that we collectively serve. Ms Little Pengelly told the BBC on Sunday that there was a huge number of hard-pressed families in Northern Ireland as she voiced concern about the potential impact of new revenue-raising measures. Many of those families are the very same families who are trying to bring up children, stay in work, get childcare, she said. We know how much financial pressure these families are under. A number of these proposals will do nothing but put additional pressure on those hard-pressed families at a time of a cost-of-living crisis. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. More than a third of the 6,380 garda recruitment applications were from people aged between 35 and 49, gardai have confirmed. Approximately 6,380 people applied to be a garda under the latest recruitment drive to boost numbers in the force. This is the third year in a row that an annual recruitment drive has been carried out as the Government pushes to increase numbers in the force. It has been 10 months since the last garda recruitment campaign, which attracted approximately 5,000 applications. The latest drive was the first following the Governments decision to increase the entry age limit to apply to become a garda trainee from 35 years to 50. Almost 37% of applicants for the latest competition were people aged between 35 and 49. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris previously said that the entry age limit increase to 50 provided the opportunity to people who thought their chance had passed or who were considering a change of career to join the force. The Government has been making efforts to increase the number of gardai in recent years. Ads in newspapers, on television and on social media have taken place to push recruitment with efforts being made to target Irish people living in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. At the end of 2023 there were 13,998 gardai in the service more than 1,000 below the Governments target of 15,000. The latest garda recruitment competition, which is being operated by the Public Appointments Service, closed on February 8. A garda spokesperson said: This level of applications coming less than a year since the last competition coupled with the fact that more than 2,000 applicants were aged over 35 confirms that interest in becoming a garda is still high and its a job worth doing. Applicants will now enter into a competitive selection process involving a number of stages including online aptitude tests, competency based interview and fitness test. It is intended to run garda recruitment campaigns on an annual basis to ensure a steady stream of garda trainees entering the Garda College. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee welcomed the number of applications. Ms McEntee said: The response to the latest Garda recruitment campaign has been very strong. I am delighted to see over 6,300 apply to become gardai this is a significant increase on the 5,000 people who applied last year. I am glad to see that so many people want to join An Garda Siochana and I am particularly pleased at the strong response from people aged between 35 and 50. Well over a third of the applications were in that age group. I have always said that nothing is off the table when it comes to recruitment. We have increased the training allowance and increased the age of entry from 35 to 50. I am determined that An Garda Siochana grows to 15,000 members and beyond. So to all those who have applied, good luck with the interviews and assessments, and all the very best on your path to a job well worth doing. Louth based Senator John McGahon has highlighted a number of measures that he says need to be addressed to aid the plight of families who have missing loved ones, and says that an improved database is essential to allow for the identification of human remains. Senator McGahon organised a meeting with Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, and with families of missing people, including a family whose brother lay unidentified for 11 years. The Dundalk Senator organised the meeting with Minister Helen McEntee and Minister James Browne, as a result of meeting Claire Keane and Freida Halpenny from Ardee, whose sister Priscilla Clarke went missing in Wicklow in 1988. The families included Michael and Bernie Jacob, whose daughter Deirdre went missing in 1998; Laura and Julie Crawford, whose brother John went missing in 2000, but his remains were only discovered in an unmarked grave 11 years later; Aidan McMeel, whose brother John went missing in the USA in 1997; and David Byrne, brother of missing Dublin man, Gerard Byrne. During the meeting the Minister was informed that in addition to the 44 cases of unidentified persons notified to the Department of Justice by coroners, families are aware of several other cases which are not included by coroners. Senator John McGahon said: Families of missing people who have long campaigned for more information say that an independent audit of unidentified bodies is the only way to get a true national picture. "An improved database is essential if we are to identify more remains. It needs to include more information, personal items and more clues as to who the person might be. The Fine Gael senator continued: Families must be kept appraised by gardai of ongoing efforts to find a loved one, at present some families have not heard anything in years. When families give DNA samples, they hear nothing back, they want to know what websites it is on and what organisations are collaborating in the search nationally and globally. During the meeting, Claire Keane said, at present some are forgotten because coroners records are not complete, this is unacceptable. She called on the Department of Justice to contact county councils and parishes responsible for cemeteries, to search records to find graves of unidentified persons, and also receipts for payments of funerals expenses. Both Minister McEntee and Browne agreed to act on a number of the recommendations put forward by the families and Senator McGahon in the meeting, and would meet again in six months time to update Senator McGahon and the families. Cllr John Sheridan has said that he has sought a meeting with Uisce Eireann following water discolouration in the public water supply last weekend. Cllr Sheridan said it raised serious questions for water services which had just transferred from Louth County Council to Uisce Eireann at the end of January. Cllr Sheridan told the Dundalk Democrat that: Just over a week into the new management of water in our county and we had significant water issues of discoloured water at the southern end of the Dundalk supply. I appreciate all the local people who were in touch with me over the weekend, the disruption was most prevalent in Louth Village, Darver and Castlebellingham. Many homes across a large rural area had brown water coming out of their mains tap over the weekend. One constituent wryly joked it looked like Budweiser coming from their tap, while others with young children obviously questioned if the water was safe to consume. Uisce Eireann had no information online of issues on the Dundalk supply. We have now been told by the Council Chief Executive Joan Martin that as water services are no longer part of the Council, they will no longer be on her monthly report which we can questioned at our monthly meetings. This is certainly a point of frustration for local representatives and local residents seeking reassurances about water quality. In May 2023, we had high hopes for a new era for Irish Water / Uisce Eireann, we had a tour of the Cavan Hill treatment plant and we got a full briefing on discolouration and what steps take place to prevent it and eradicate it. We also had a large delegation meet with councillors and assure us of a new dawn for communications with public representatives. Sadly the first major issue to take place since water services changed hands in Louth, has all the hallmarks of the old Irish Water. Cllr Sheridan added, I have contacted Uisce Eireann with all constituents' eircodes of where discolouration was noted and have also contacted management in Uisce Eireann asking for a meeting with public representatives in Louth to discuss this issue and wider communication. Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) have announced that their Department of Humanities will host a free lecture by Professor Mary McAuliffe who is a renowned historian and lecturer of Gender Studies at UCD. Professor McAuliffe will give the Annual Dorothy Macardle Humanities Lecture on Tuesday 20th February 2.30pm, Whitaker Theatre, DkIT and all are welcome. Her lecture is titled, 'Writing the Women back in? Reflections on Revolutionary Women Histories and the Decade of Centenaries'. Professor Mary McAuliffes most recent publication is an edited collection called The Diaries of Kathleen Lynn: A Life Revealed through Personal Writing (2023) by UCD Press. Her other publications include Legacies of the Magdalen Laundries: Commemoration, Gender, and the Postcolonial Carceral State (2021) (coeditor), Margaret Skinnider (Life and Times Series) (2020), and Sexual Politics in Modern Ireland (2015) (co-editor). She is a past President of the Women's History Association of Ireland and is a member of the Humanities Institute, UCD. Mary has also been awarded the 2023 FoyJustice Award by UCD LGBTQI+ for her work on the Irish Queer Archive (IQA) and her research on Irish queer histories and sexualities. As well as publications, Professor McAuliffe contributes to documentaries, radio, tv, news media and has an active online presence. The Annual Dorothy Macardle Humanities Lecture is a tribute to Dorothy Macardle who was born in Dundalk in 1889. Dorothy was a teacher, political activist, successful novelist, playwright, critic, historian and social campaigner for womens and childrens rights, with a particular interest in refugees. Each year DkIT bring a leading academic to present a public lecture for students and faculty based on a theme related to Macardles many interests but in the general humanities area, with a focus on identity, place and community. This year the Institute is honoured that Professor McAuliffe has agreed to speak. This event is generously supported by Dundalk Credit Union. PRO Paddy Malone recently attended the Shared Island Forum, representing Dundalk Chamber. The Taoiseach reconfirmed a number of projects including Narrow Water Bridge, and the A5 road to Derry and Casement Park. There were three sessions addressing Youth; Business and Community. In all three cases the emphasis was on practical cooperation rather than any constitutional issues. Mr Malone raised the question of people working in one jurisdiction but living in the other. He highlighted the complexities both for employees and employers in the area of taxation and social welfare He also commented on the significant fall in students from Northern Ireland attending colleges in the Republic. Chamber PRO attends forum At the time of the Good Friday Agreement 10% of university students in the Republic were from Northern Ireland, it is now less than 1%. Other topics covered included the work of InterTrade in encouraging North South trade, Science Foundation Ireland, Creative Ireland and the work of the East Border Region. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary are now fully restored after President Vahagn Khachaturyans official visit to Hungary on February 5-7, Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan has said. We didnt have any high-level visits to Hungary for more than eleven years, and with this visit, we can say that the Armenian-Hungarian diplomatic relations are fully restored, Hovhannisyan told Armenpress, describing the trip as comprehensive. Id like to mention the importance which we attach to this in terms of partnership with the EU. Hungary will assume the EU presidency in July, and from this perspective Hungarys stance is very important in terms of deepening and enhancing our partnership with the EU. Besides, a number of important sectoral cooperation directions were discussed, Hovhannisyan said, pointing out the talks involving Healthcare Minister Anahit Avanesyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Artur Martirosyan with their counterparts, as well as discussions with lawmakers. The Deputy FM said that given the Hungarian sides interest, Armenia presented the Crossroads of Peace project. Hungary attaches importance to energy and transport projects in the South Caucasus, not only with Armenia but also with our neighboring countries. I think that all these issues were important for us and the visit served its goal, Hovhannisyan said. Hovhannisyan said that the Hungarian side regrets for what happened in the past and has done several steps to restore the diplomatic relations. Hungary provided support to the Gurgen Margaryan School, supported in the issue of release of prisoners of war, sent humanitarian aid during the pandemic. All of this shows that the Hungarian side regrets for the pain caused in the past and tries to restore the relations based on the existing rich historical ties. Hungary is home to one of the oldest Armenian communities. The Armenian community in Hungary enjoys a number of privileges: they have representation in parliament, and the Armenian church in Budapest has been restored. Hungarys very sensitive approach towards Christian minorities also matches our approaches. All of this created the grounds to believe that there was a sincere desire to overcome that painful chapter and move forward, Hovhannisyan said. Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary were severed in 2012 by then-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan after Hungary extradited Ramil Safarov, the convicted murderer of an Armenian officer, to Azerbaijan. Armenian military officer Lt. Gurgen Margaryan was murdered by Azerbaijani military officer Ramil Safarov during a February 2004 training course organized by NATO in Hungary. Gurgen Margaryan was asleep in his room when Safarov attacked him with an axe. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hungarian court. However, in 2012 Hungary extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan upon Bakus request, where he was pardoned. On the same day, then-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan severed diplomatic relations with Hungary. 10 years later, in 2022, Armenia and Hungary agreed to restore diplomatic relations. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Iran supports the implementation of the Crossroads of Peace concept proposed by the Government of Armenia, the Embassy of Iran said in response to a query from Armenpress on Tehrans stance regarding the project. The Islamic Republic of Iran supports the implementation of the Crossroads of Peace concept because we are in favor of the expansion of connections within the region. We consider the countries right to sovereignty to be the main precondition for any project on unblocking of routes. We welcome the project which is conducive to the creation of the opportunity for Armenias role in the regions system of dynamic economic ties. On the other hand, we believe that the strengthening of Armenias North-South connection direction is of great importance because through activating the Persian Gulf-Black Sea strategic transit corridor it efficiently ensures Armenias development and role in establishing connection between the two important continents and major economies. Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran has announced the readiness of Iranian companies to participate in the development of this axis. Our view is that this historical route must be maximally strengthened. The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes any project and initiative which can strengthen the strategic importance of Armenias North-South road. The Crossroads of Peace project, given the facilitation of the East-West connection, creates new opportunities for the development of the region and can become the guarantee for peace, security and prosperity for the regions population. Certainly, one of the requirements for establishing sustainable peace in the region is the development of connections between neighbors, the Embassy of Iran said. The Armenian governments Crossroads of Peace project is designed to establish connections between the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea via a consolidated, regional railway network and via the North-South and East-West roads. President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi on the occasion of the country's national holiday, Azernews reports. The letter reads: Dear Mr. President, On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend congratulations to you and your entire nation on the occasion of the national holiday of the Islamic Republic of Iran - the Day of Victory of the Islamic Revolution. The historically unifying friendly relations and shared spiritual values between our peoples provide a good basis for the development of Azerbaijani-Iranian intergovernmental relations and cooperation. The interaction between our countries in trade, economics, transportation, and other areas is gratifying today. I believe that the relations between Azerbaijan and Iran will continue to develop in an atmosphere of friendship and cooperation to the benefit of our peoples. On this remarkable day, I extend my best regards to you, and wish your people peace and prosperity. Sincerely, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 8 February 2024" YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenia started the process of joining the Rome Statute in December 2022, and that decision was conditioned by the assessment of changes in the countrys security environment, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with The Telegraph. First of all, I want to say that the Republic of Armenia started the process of joining the Rome Statute in December 2022, and that decision was conditioned by the assessment of changes in our security environment. We ratified the Rome Statute, among other things, analyzing the consequences of the September 2022 war and noting that there are some cracks in our security system. In that sense, we also ratified the Rome Statute as an additional factor to increase Armenia's security level. I understand that it was a difficult time period, and we made that decision because it was a difficult period. That decision serves to increase the security level of Armenia, Pashinyan said when asked about Armenias decision to join the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court. The Telegraphs Roland Oliphant asked the Armenian PM whether the country would enforce the ICC arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin if he were to visit Armenia. As for the legal nuances, I can't carry out a legal analysis right now because that's the job of lawyer, PM Pashinyan responded. I think, as I said, Armenia as a responsible state should adhere to all its international commitments, including the commitments it has in relations with the Russian Federation, the commitments it has in relations with the international community. By the way, there are various opinions and legal analyzes on that topic, and in particular, the lawyers who say that the current heads of state have immunity, insurmountable immunity, due to their status are not just a few. I mean, it's a legal issue, not a political issue that I have to discuss and respond to. Since 2018, many large-scale democratic reforms have started in Armenia, and I do not make decisions about who should be arrested and who should not be arrested. There is an established legal order in Armenia, there are legal institutions, and in all cases the legal institutions of Armenia are the ones who make such decisions. For that we have the Prosecutor's Office, we have courts, we have the Investigative Committee and so on. It is very important that, being a member of the Eastern Partnership, the Republic of Armenia stands out especially for institutional reforms of having an independent judicial system. There is rule of law in the Republic of Armenia, the Prime Minister has his powers in the Republic of Armenia. Under no circumstances those powers include the solution of the question whether this person should be arrested or not. All of that is done through legal procedures, the Armenian PM added. THE official opening of the multi-million euro Dunkettle-Interchange Upgrade this morning marks a great day for the Cork area and wider southern region. The enhanced infrastructure is expected to be a major boost to industry. Tanaiste Micheal Martin will officially open the new road network, with the final two link roads ready for traffic this afternoon. The 215m project promises to alleviate congestion, improve safety, and streamline traffic flow for residents and businesses. The final two link roads, Link C and Link P, are the only two links on the Dunkettle interchange upgrade that have yet to open. Link C, N25 Westbound to M8 Northbound, and Link P, Little Island to M8 Northbound, will open to traffic before lunchtime. Speaking ahead of the official opening, Fianna Fail TD for Cork North Central, Padraig OSullivan, said that the occasion marks a great day for the Cork area and wider southern region. 'A major boost' Mr OSullivan said: It [the upgraded road network] will be a major boost to industry and attracting further foreign-direct investment (FDI) and creating and keeping jobs in Cork. Its a major relief to locals, too, that the work is finally coming to a conclusion and, hopefully, traffic and queueing at peak times will be drastically improved, he added. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) worked in partnership with Cork County Council and Cork City Council to deliver the Dunkettle interchange upgrade, with the project team comprised of Jacobs and Sisk. The Dunkettle Interchange prior to the upgrade works. Sinn Fein councillor Kenneth Collins, who is also a truck driver, commended the work. For the last couple of years, Ive been watching it, on a weekly basis, changing. It was amazing how live traffic was working away while work was progressing on this interchange, he told The Echo. Mr Collins said the only pinch point he has observed at peak morning hours is traffic coming from East Cork travelling towards the Jack Lynch Tunnel, but he said that, overall, the interchange flows fantastically. Id give it a 9/10! he added. 'Expensive but necessary' Fine Gael TD for Cork North Central, Colm Burke, said that the upgrade has been an expensive, but necessary investment to support Corks growing population. Its been a very expensive project, but its about the delivery of infrastructure in Cork, where the population of Cork has grown dramatically over the last 10 years, the jobs have grown dramatically we have major centres of population in Midleton, Carrigtwohill, Glanmire, and then in relation to traffic travelling to and from Dublin. I think this development was really necessary and I think its really a well-delivered project and delivered in a very reasonable timeframe, as well, he said. The completion of the works will be followed by three years of maintenance during which the operation of the interchange will be monitored. In this period, the project team can be contacted with any queries, comments, or concerns. Labour Party candidate in the citys South East ward, Peter Horgan, praised the team on their willingness to engage throughout the process. What has struck me most, during the work taking place, was the willingness of the team involved to react and adapt to issues raised by commuters to make the transition to a new network as simple as could logistically be, the local election candidate said. Its my hope, now, that this will make the road network safer and less complicated than before and reduce journey times. The project team can be contacted via email: roadconstruction@ccc-site.com. LIAM Quaide and wife Roisin Cuddihy were in the same circles in UCC, but only met and fell in love years later. After both starting psychology careers in Dublin, they subsequently moved back to Cork, where they had almost met but didnt, to settle down and raise a family. They now have two children together, and they balance parenthood with political activism, with Liam saying Its an interesting kind of full circle theory. Liam Quaide and Roisin Cuddihy with their children, Blaithin and Rossa. The Social Democrats local election candidate explained, We went to UCC at the same time during our undergraduate years and had friends in common but did not meet each other, or even know each other to see, at that stage, it was quite a number of years later before we met. Roisin was studying science and I did philosophy and French, we hadnt met at all even though we later realised we had friends in common, and we ended up in similar careers. The first meeting In 2006, they were both living in Dublin and both volunteering for Amnesty International, when they met at a concert Liam had organised for the charity. We met up on and off for a little while after that, and there was a very strong chemistry between us. One magical weekend in 2007 we attended a festival in Dun Laoghaire we had a meeting of minds on so many issues and felt an amazing connection there as if we had known each other for years. Roisin was training to be a primary teacher at the time, and later branched into educational psychology, and Liam was pursuing a career in clinical psychology. 'A perfect day' They were married in 2012 in the Trinity College chapel, with Liam saying Rarely in your life will you have a perfect day, and that was it. After Liam graduated from his second degree that year, he started working in adult mental health services in north Cork in early 2013, while Roisin was embarking on a very similar career change and studying educational psychology in UCD. Liam Quaide and Roisin Cuddihy on their wedding day. He said: There was a period where I had started my first year in north Cork and Roisin was still living in Dublin, so we were kind of up and down to each other a lot, then in early 2014 we moved down to east Cork and weve been there ever since. We were drawn to Midleton because it combined the best of country life with a vibrant urban energy the farmers market, superb restaurants and close access to beaches and woods and Cork city have made Midleton an ideal place to live. As well as their similar career paths, the two have a lot in common, with Liam explaining. Our shared values are at the core of our relationship we both have had a keen sense of justice and fairness since we were very young. We are sensitive people and I think the strength in our personalities can be underestimated as a result. These traits have motivated our career choices and our interest in politics. Liam and Roisin have two children, and he said, our primary focus is on our childrens needs, their development and wellbeing, while also being mindful of our duty as citizens to effect change as much as we can in society and for the country. Political activism In fact, it was becoming parents that motivated the couple to turn their shared values into political activism. He explained: We both became active in politics in 2017, a year after the birth of our daughter Blaithin. Climate change felt like a much greater threat as parents because we could see that Blaithins future was in serious danger. Liam Quaide with his two children, Blaithin and Rossa. Our awakening to the climate crisis was the catalyst for our political engagement, and I have also been very motivated by my work in mental health services to bring about social change and to advocate for people who are suffering injustice. Their second child, son Rossa, was born in 2021, and Liam said: Bla and Rossa are the centre of our lives shes so good to him as his big sister and he really looks up to her, we feel blessed to have them. Liam is still working as a clinical psychologist, as well as running in the local elections as the Social Democrats councillor for East Cork, and they spend a lot of time visiting the childrens grandparents in Kilkenny and Limerick. He concluded: Its a huge challenge to balance all our responsibilities and keep Bla and Rossa as our primary focus. Our most important aim in life is to be decent parents, and after that to change the world! The manager of Douglas Village Shopping Centre, Bartosz Mieszala, will be leaving his role next Friday as he moves to a new position not that far away. Managing Douglas Village Shopping Centre over the years has been incredibly fulfilling, exciting and certainly eventful, but I believe my time here has come to an end, said Mr Mieszala. When I reflect on these years what a time it has been, starting with the centre redevelopment, then taking it through recession, flooding, tenant addition, fire and covid. Ladies from the Young at Heart Group enjoying themselves at the presentation to Bartosz Mieszala, at a function in the South County. Picture: Eddie OHare Then celebrating 50 years of trading, countless numbers of marketing events and community engagement over the years to eventually the sale of the centre last year, I feel this project is completed for me as it is thriving and near full now. All those moment have brought me, centre tenants, customers and our community very close and created a unique bond that I think only we can understand. Mr Mieszala is progressing with his career as he is joining the OLeary Family Partnership, new owners of Douglas Court Shopping Centre as their property director, a new project as they plan for the future of Douglas Court and the OLeary property portfolio. Bartosz Mieszala, who is leaving as manager of Douglas Village Shopping Centre after 16 years after a presentation from members of the Young at Heart Group, Douglas, at a function in the South County. Picture: Eddie OHare Im extremely excited about the new chapter for Douglas Court, Cork is very lucky with families like the OLearys who are willing to invest local and contribute to their community and business growth. Personally Im thrilled to be included as part of this project and the shopping centres future, but most happy to be staying in Douglas. This community has become close to me over the years and one I genuinely love. I want to thank the people of Douglas for making me feel at home here, concluded Mr Mieszala. The funeral mass for the young boy found dead in a car in Waterford last Friday will take place in Cork this week. Matthew Healy was discovered in a car in the Dunmore East area shortly after midnight on Friday February 9, and was taken to Waterford University Hospital where he was pronounced dead. A number of vigils were held for the young boy over the weekend, with the Department of Education saying that it is providing counselling services to the pupils in his school. The family wrote on rip.ie this morning, Matthew James Healy of Watergrasshill, Cork and Ballygunner, Waterford died on the 9th of February 2024 unexpectedly, aged 6 years. Sadly missed by his heartbroken Dad James, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family, neighbours and friends. The removal will take place in his home in Watergrasshill this evening and tomorrow evening, from 5pm to 8pm on both days. Requiem Mass will take place in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Watergrasshill on Wednesday February 14 at 12 noon, followed by a private service in The Island Crematorium Ringaskiddy. The have asked for family flowers only, and added that donations, if desired, can be made to Make a Wish Foundation at www.makeawish.ie. Messages of sympathy can be conveyed in the condolence section here. The Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme was officially opened today by the Tanaiste, Micheal Martin. The 215m project promises to alleviate congestion, improve safety, and streamline traffic flow for the region's residents and businesses. The Dunkettle Interchange is the junction of four national roads, the M8 Cork - Dublin Motorway, the N25 Cork - Waterford / Rosslare route, the N40 Cork South Ring Road and the N8 Dunkettle - Cork city National Route. Whilst advance works including archaeological and ground investigations got underway in 2016, the main construction contract was awarded by Transport Infrastructure Ireland to John Sisk & Son Ltd in October 2020. The project has delivered 18 new road links totalling 10km in length; seven new bridge structures as well as upgrade works carried out on five pre-existing structures; and upgrades and resurfacing works to the N25 road between Tivoli Roundabout and the Little Island Interchange. In addition, 2.9km of new walkways and cycleways have been developed including the provision of a new bridge across the Cork-Midleton railway line; intelligent Transport Systems throughout the upgraded Interchange; and installation of new culverts and pollution control facilities, landscaping works, directional signage, safety barriers, etc. Traffic volumes through the Dunkettle Interchange are at an all-time high, approaching 120,000 vehicles on the busier days of the week. Despite this, Transport Infrastructure Ireland reports that journey times during peak hours have reduced by almost 50% on average as a result of this upgrade project. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy said: "This year marks 25 years since the Jack Lynch Tunnel opened, which in its day was seen as an engineering feat. The new interchange is also an engineering feat and adds to the adjacent tunnel's story and narratives. In our time, the removal of critical bottlenecks creates better traffic flows but also greater connectivity between communities on either side of the River Lee's estuary. The enhanced connectivity facilitated by this project will undoubtedly fuel progress and opportunity for generations to come. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said: "Im delighted to officially open the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme today. This infrastructure project represents a significant investment in Cork's future and provides a vital link in the region's transport network. I believe that it will be a catalyst for enhancing economic and social activity right across Cork and the entire Munster region. Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank OFlynn said: The completion of this project is a significant milestone in the development of the southern region. Cork County Council will be working closely with our colleagues in Cork City Council to build on the work done at Dunkettle in terms of active travel infrastructure and deliver further enhancements both east and west of the interchange. Peter Walsh, Chief Executive of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, said: The Dunkettle Project completion marks the culmination of a journey that has been ten years in the making. Will Merriman, Managing Director of Sisks Civil Engineering Ireland, said: Dunkettle was an extremely complex project, working in and around live traffic at one of the country's busiest intersections, in a major urban environment. We are delighted to have now delivered and handed over the project which has already improved traffic flow, mobility, and multi-user access in the region. I am particularly pleased that we have delivered on our promise of the highest standards of safety and quality with this complex infrastructure project. Patrick de Feu, Project Manager, Jacobs stated: Jacobs welcome the opening of the Dunkettle Interchange, a project we have been involved in for over 10 years. Cork is a vibrant, growing city, a location that is hugely attractive for investment and as a place to live and work. Infrastructure projects like the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade are critical to contribute positively to the quality of life for the community, sustain economic development and continue to ensure Corks position as a thriving city. The contract for the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade Scheme includes a three-year maintenance period which will run until 2027. In addition to environmental monitoring and landscaping management, this will also include an ongoing focus on monitoring traffic flows through the network. A juror in the trial of a Ukrainian motorist who denies dangerous driving causing the death of GAA broadcaster Paudie Palmer visited the scene of the collision over the weekend and discussed his observations with the jury causing the immediate collapse of the trial today. Judge Colin Daly told the jury they had failed in their oath to conduct their deliberations on the basis of what was given in evidence and not to conduct any independent enquiries. I declare a mistrial, Judge Daly said shortly before lunchtime today. Garda Paul Jones who was the sworn jury minder brought to the attention of the court that he had overheard a juror describing to the rest of the jury a weekend visit that he (the juror) made at the weekend to the crossroads where the accident happened in Innishannon and certain conclusions he had on the basis of this visit. Judge Daly directed the seven men and five women of the jury to return to court and it was confirmed by the jury foreperson that one juror had visited the scene. The judge said: You have failed in your duty and in your oath because you have failed to conduct the trial in a proper manner. You were directed not to conduct your own investigations. But one of you has done that. A fair trial cannot now take place. You are discharged in those circumstances. The jury deliberated throughout Friday after approximately one week of evidence in a case where they were sworn in on January 31 and the trial opened on February 1. They returned to Cork Circuit Criminal Court at 10am today to continue their deliberations. The difficulty that caused the collapse of the trial came to light before lunchtime today. It will now be a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions to have a retrial of the case probably later this year in front of a new jury with all of the evidence having to be given by witnesses afresh. 33-year-old Bohdan Bezverkhyi, of Rigsdale House, Rigsdale, Ballinhassig, County Cork, denies the most serious charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Palmer at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Co Cork, on December 29 2022. He pleaded guilty to five other charges related to his failure to remain at the scene and dangerous driving at another time and place - December 28 2022 on the main Cork-Kerry road, the N22. DOUGLAS Community School (DCS) celebrated its 50th anniversary at the end of January. The event saw guests welcomed to the school by a student guard of honour and brought to the new assembly area, which was decorated in the schools colours. The official ceremony began with a blend of speakers and video clips showcasing the development, growth, and ethos of the school over the years. Pat Barry, (left) principal and Chris Hickey, deputy principal at the 50th celebrations of Douglas Community school . Picture; Eddie O'Hare Keynote speakers included the Lord Mayor, Cllr Kieran McCarthy; Tanaiste Micheal Martin; principal Pat Barry; chairperson of the board of management, Ms Mary Shields; Mr Jim OSullivan; representative of the Cork ETB and president of ACCS, Mr James Duigan. Retired teachers, past pupils, and parents were among the other speakers, with a reading from fifth year student Michael Morley reminding attendees that the best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. An Tanaiste Micheal Martin with Pat Barry, principal meets pupils at the 50th celebrations of Douglas Community school. Picture; Eddie O'Hare Deputy principal Mr Chris Hickey introduced a video of time capsule, featuring items from a mobile phone to the DCS 50 Year Anniversary publication to black socks, and the video clips finished with a tree planting ceremony to commemorate the occasion narrated by the school chaplain, Ms Anne Barry Murphy. Retired former teachers Eamonn Kearney, Peter O'Brien and Owen Casey at the 50th celebrations of Douglas Community school. Picture; Eddie O'Hare Past principals of the school, along with the current principal and deputy principal unveiled the custom designed plaque to commemorate the occasion, before the Lord Mayor led a rendition of Happy Birthday alongside the cutting of a 50th birthday cake. A four-year sentence was imposed on a teenager driving the wrong way down a motorway at exceptionally high speed in a stolen car causing the death of his teenaged passenger and life-changing injuries for a young woman about to embark on a new life in Australia. Addressing the 17-year-old who cannot be identified as he is a juvenile, Judge Helen Boyle said, Doing 160 and up to 170 kilometres per hour you drove for approximately 6 kms the wrong way down the motorway forcing other motorists to take evasive action until there was a head-on collision that caused the death (of 16-year-old Johnny Foley) and caused serious life-changing injuries to Ms Stakelum in the other car (and to teenagers in his own car). The judge expressed condolences to the OFlynn family who did not make a victim impact statement. And the judge spoke of the extraordinary victim impact statement of Roisin Stakelum. The total sentence imposed on the accused was one of four years detention. The judge, together with both defence and prosecution lawyers, agreed that the correct legal position was that the maximum sentence on the charges could be half or up to two thirds - of the sentence that could be imposed on an adult for similar offences. The fatal car crash happened on the M8 motorway in County Cork. 16-year-old Johnny Foley the front seat passenger in the high speed car lost his life. Detective Garda John Murphy said the deceased teenagers family opted not to make a victim impact statement. Two seriously injured boys and a less seriously injured girl travelling in the back of this car also declined to make victim statements. Mental health occupational therapist Roisin Stakelum was on her way to Dublin airport to fly to Australia to take up a new job there and join her sister and several friends, effectively to start a new life. What happened that night on the motorway altered the course of my life and changed me forever. Im haunted by the memory of the impact. Haunted by the memory of the headlights and then what seemed like an explosion. I often think of how unlucky I was to be on that particular stretch of road at that exact moment". Worse was to come when she had to be re-admitted to hospital late last August with an intestinal obstruction and Ms Stakelum said morphine didnt even touch the pain. If someone gave me the option of dying or continuing to experience that pain I wouldnt have thought twice about taking the offer of death, she said. The burden of my injuries has placed strain on those closest to me, especially my parents The emotional toll on my loved ones cannot be overstated and I am deeply saddened by the pain this has caused them. My future was once so certain. I knew exactly what I was going to be doing. I had it mapped out. Now I feel disconnected like Ive been plugged out of my life. I cant see a way back. I dont think Im ever going to feel like myself again I wont move to Australia now. That future doesnt exist for me anymore. The physical pain, emotional distress and shattered dreams that resulted from this crash have left an indelible mark on my life. Being involved in a car crash where a 16-year-old boy tragically lost his life was a devastating outcome which has deeply affected me. The loss of a young life is an immense tragedy and I cannot help but feel a profound sense of sorrow for the untimely passing of this young person. The weight of this tragedy serves as a reminder how fragile life is and the irreversible impact that car crashes can have. My heart goes out to the family and loved ones who grieve his loss. Describing the 4B team of medical staff as like little angels to me, she thanked all the CUH staff, paramedics and gardai. The accused, who cannot be named because he is a minor, admitted dangerous driving causing the death of Johnny Foley and three charges of dangerous driving causing serious harm to two teenage passengers in his car as well to the other motorist, Roisin Stakelum, in the two car collision at Ballybeg, Mitchelstown, and to a count of endangerment, where other motorists had to take evasive action. Detective Garda John Murphy of Fermoy Garda Station said the defendant continued to try to evade the gardai by entering and going around two roundabouts the wrong way at high speed and ultimately drove on to the M8 motorway and headed south on the northbound lane for over six kilometres at speeds in excess of 170 kph forcing several other motorists to take evasive action. At 0.45am, the juvenile driving the stolen Toyota southwards crashed head on into a Kia Riva heading north being driven Ms Stakelum from Glanmire. The man found dead in a pool of blood in his sheltered accommodation in Macroom, Co Cork, will live on through his grandchildren, his funeral was told. The family of Michael Foley gathered at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Clonakilty on Monday afternoon for his requiem Mass. He was later laid to rest in St Marys cemetery outside the town. The 61-year-old, who was originally from Scartagh, Clonakilty, was found in the kitchen of his sheltered accommodation at Annville, Barretts Place, Macroom, at about 1pm last Tuesday by a care worker who went to check on him. A murder investigation is under way after a post-mortem confirmed he had suffered a violent death. PRAYERS During the prayers of the faithful at his funeral Mass, one mourner told the congregation that Michael will live on through your grandchildren who adored you and they will always get told about you, their grandad, the best there was. At the beginning of the ceremony, his friend Ciss ODriscoll described him as a gentleman, who was kind-hearted and would do anything for you. Celebrant Fr Fergus Tuohy said the death had shocked and saddened everyone, but told mourners that while their lives had changed with Michaels death, they would remember him every day. His coffin, covered with the Irish flag, was wheeled out of the church by relatives, through a guard of honour featuring his fishing rods. The rods were earlier taken to the altar by family members as mementoes of his life. Some relatives wore t-shirts with a photo of Michael on them. Mourners were led by his daughters, his father Mickie and siblings. Prayers were offered for his late mother Kitty during the ceremony. Floral tributes Large floral tributes bearing photos of Michael were placed at the altar before the Mass, including one in the shape of a heart featuring cream flowers and trimmed in blue. Others bearing the words Uncle and Dad and Brother were also brought by relatives. Neighbours had raised concern for his welfare because he had not been seen in the area for a number of days. He had been living in Annville for about a year. It is believed he had been dead for a number of days before his body was found. As his funeral took place, gardai kept a presence in the area as investigations continue into the killing. The property where the Mr Foley was found was technically and forensically examined. House-to-house inquiries have been carried out and CCTV is being looked at to determine his last known movements. It is the second tragedy to hit the Foley family in recent years. In October 2018, his younger brother, 44-year-old Timmy, died after being stabbed 28 times by his 48-year-old ex-wife, Rita ODriscoll, also in Macroom. Ms ODriscoll is now serving a life sentence for the murder of her ex-husband at Dan Corkery Place in the town. She had claimed she had acted in self defence and appealed her conviction. However, her appeal was later dismissed in the Court of Appeal, which ruled that the trial judges rulings had been unimpeachable. Anyone with information regarding Michael Foley's death is asked to contact gardai in Macroom, Co Cork, on 026 20590, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111, or any Garda station. A CANADIAN naval vessel docked in Cork city was the subject of a demonstration by anti-war protesters on Monday. The Royal Canadian Navy frigate, the HMCS Charlottetown, had been participating in Nato exercises in the Atlantic Ocean, and has been docked for refuelling and supplies at Horgans Quay since Friday last. A joint protest was held on the quay yesterday by members of Corks Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the Cork Neutrality League. Martin Shiel, co-chair of the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said they were protesting against the Canadian government, led by Justin Trudeau, for its position what Mr Shiel called Israels onslaught in Gaza. Joe Moore, a spokesperson for the Cork Neutrality League, echoed Mr Shiels comments, saying that the joint protest was also against the Irish Government for granting permission for a Nato vessel to dock in Ire-land. Our neutrality has yet again been compromised by the Government. This Canadian warship should not have been granted permission to enter Cork, Mr Moore said. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan has held a meeting with the Ambassador of Brazil Fabio Vaz Pitaluga. The Deputy PM attached importance to the continuous development of the Armenia-Brazil partnership and expressed hope that the cooperation will be further enhanced in tourism, high technology and other areas with potential, Khachatryans office said in a readout. The Ambassador assured that he will make maximum efforts for the further strengthening of bilateral relations. A broad range of issues of mutual interest was discussed during the meeting. GARDAI have said the man in his 30s arrested last Saturday following the seizure of cash, a high-powered car, ammunition and cocaine during searches of two residences in the Cobh area is due to appear in court tomorrow morning. In statement issued on Monday evening gardai said the man has been released from the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 and charged in connection with their investigation. He is expected to appear before a sitting of Mallow District Court tomorrow morning, February 13, at 10.30am, read the statement. In a previous statement gardai had said that as part of an ongoing investigations into the sale and distribution of controlled drugs and associated criminal activities in Cork, gardai from the Midleton District Drug Unit, assisted by local garda units from Cobh, Midleton and Fermoy, conducted an operation in Cobh on Saturday afternoon. A garda spokesperson said that during the operation, gardai searched a residential property in Cobh and seized a substantial sum of cash, amounting to 62,800, along with a high-powered car. A male in his late thirties was arrested at the scene was detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at a Garda Station in County Cork. "In a subsequent operation, a second residence in the Cobh area was also searched, where investigating Gardai seized 3,500 worth of suspected cocaine, a significant quantity of ammunition (180 rounds), an ammunition press, incapacitant OC spray, and drug-related paraphernalia," the garda spokesperson added. All seized items are subject to forensic analysis and examination. ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (Feb. 12, 2024) In response to the nationally publicized suicide of a Black woman administrator in higher education, mental health and academic professionals at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) recently attended A Courageous Conversation: Women in Leadership Lunch and Learn. Organizers designed the event as an avenue to combat stigmas associated with emotional wellness and workplace bullying. I wanted to be a part of the movement to help us help and heal ourselves, said Vonda Easterling, assistant vice chancellor in the Division of Student Affairs and University Advancement. In January, Antoinette Bonnie Candia-Bailey, once a vice president for student affairs at Lincoln University in Missouri, took her life after alleged bullying and mistreatment at her job. The incident sparked a national outcry about the struggles some Black women face in the workplace and the importance of self-care and safe spaces to express personal and professional difficulties. Easterling received correspondence from attendees, before and after the event, expressing their gratitude for such an outlet, where they learned about available resources, expressed their concerns, and were empowered to take care of themselves. The purpose of the event was to invite women to have an intimate conversation about our shared experiences with prejudice, racism, bias, and discrimination in the workplace and how we can take better care of ourselves and support each other, said Latonia Johnson, director of Student Counseling Services at ECSU. Feedback was offered and suggested that we continue this conversation, include additional events to support younger professional women, have more woman-to-woman conversations, explore how to care for oneself, and address the mean girl mentality in the workplace, Johnson added. ECSU Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon attended the event and shared her support and her sentiments about having such an offering on campus. Her presence was motivating, Easterling said. Prior to this event I heard the Chancellor give closing remarks at the (university-led) MLK march. She remarked about the importance of supporting women in leadership roles. That moment confirmed for me that we needed to do this event, she said. Sherron White, interim associate vice chancellor of financial services at ECSU, attended the event. A key takeaway for her was the idea that, Together (we can) inspire, learn and elevate other women to new heights. White said she was also reminded of a quote by author and educator Booker T. Washington that says, If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else. On-campus options for employees were provided at the event, including the Employee Assistance Program offered through and online resources like ComPsych. Johnson recently offered mental health tips to students who may experience different stressors throughout the semester. We want to ensure our entire campus community has what they need to be successful, Johnson said. (Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WC)Natallia Vasilevich, Orthodox theologian and human rights lawyer, moderator of the ecumenical group Christian Vision in Belarus. In Belarus when Christians take responsibility to stand up for justice as individuals as their churches remain silent, they take on consequences for their own lives, says the Orthodox moderator of an ecumenical group. Natallia Vasilevich, Orthodox theologian and human rights lawyer, and moderator of the ecumenical group Christian Vision in Belarus told the World Council of Churches. She said Christians in Belarus, Russia's ally in its war on Ukraine, do not fear to be messengers of justice and peace Vasilevich prefers to speak of the role of Christians rather than the role of churches in Belarusian society. "Many Christians are more motivated, and are taking responsibilityand also take consequences for their liveswhen they join the democratic movement...the movement for fair elections, for human rights, for justice and peace," said Vasilevich in an interview. She prefers to speak about the role of Christians because, in the current Belarusian context, she said institutional churches often fail to stand up for human rights while individual Christians at the grassroots are bringing a prophetic voice with seeds of hope. Vasilevich serves as moderator of the ecumenical group Christian Vision, which unites Belarusian theologians, clerics and active laity of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Anglican and Evangelical churches. The group promotes respect to human dignity and rights, rule of law, justice, peace, and Christian witness in social and political life. Given the high level of oppression by the Belarusian government, even so-called small voices make a big impact, Vasilevich. "People can go to prison just for saying a few words," she said, adding that Christians engaged in the human rights movement in Belarus "bear a lot of burden on themselves and they are ready to sacrifice." From a small picture on Facebook to laying flowers at a rail station, from displaying a sticker on a vehicle to simply gathering in prayerthese are all manifestations of the voices of Christian human rights advocates. "That's why they are probably not always visible as Christians but I think it's very important to give them this vocality because the small signs should be promoted," said Vasilevich. She shines a light on the example of Orthodox priest Mikhail Marugo from Minsk who, after standing with flowers at a railway station in one of days when the Russia's war with Ukraine started, was imprisoned for 13 days. IMPRISONED FOR FACEBOOK PHOTOS Vasilevich lifts up priests who were imprisoned for posting profile pictures on Facebook with the Ukrainian flag, such as Catholic priest Aliaksandr Baran. She lifts up Greek-Catholic priest Vasil Yahorau who had a sticker on his car that read "Forgive us, Ukraine"and was imprisoned for it. "In this shrunken public space, it's very difficult to witness for churches," said Vasilevich. "Orthodox women, mothers came to pray together, to the Mother of God before her Minsk icon in the Orthodox cathedral, and while entering the cathedral they were filmed. Four women, after the service, were taken to the police station and asked why they were praying to the Mother of God against the war." Even if the message of institutional churches is unable to be strong, the message of the individual Christians is shining, insists Vasilevich. "It shows Christians have this moral motivation inspired by the gospel," she said. "They do not fear. They try to be messengers of justice and peace in Belarusian society." YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Ucom has signed cooperation agreements with Nokia and Mediakind companies in Yerevan in order to provide qualitatively new television and modern coverage of 5G services using the latest technologies. The agreements were signed by Ucom Director General Ralph Yirikian, Nokia's Vice President of Mobile Networks, Europe Peter Wukowits and MediaKind VP of Sales in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific Viet Nguyen Cao. The company "Ucom" has signed an agreement with Nokia to upgrade and broaden the mobile network in preparation for the delivery of 5G-ready services in all Armenia. Furthermore, Nokia will enhance the core infrastructure of Ucom's fixed and mobile networks. This includes the deployment of a new high-bandwidth IP transport network designed to elevate the user experience for both mobile and fixed services. This enhancement will result in increased data transfer speed and capacity. All of this is the result of nearly one year of consistent work and represents a significant achievement for the company. Ucom heralds a new beginning. A new future in the field of telecommunications is on the horizon, promoting technological competition. We are pleased to announce the construction of a 5G network that will bring unique quality to our subscribers. We will start the work from the regions," said Ralph Yirikian. Through collaboration with MediaKind, Ucom is set to introduce a technologically advanced TV platform, extending beyond its current IP TV network. This expansion promises a wholly new and enhanced experience for both home and mobile subscribers. Minister of High-Tech Industry of Armenia Mkhitar Hayrapetyan emphasized the cooperation between Nokia, Mediakind and Ucom companies in terms of network modernization and service improvement, which will enhance the availability of mobile communication and contribute to the speed and bandwidth of data transfer. According to him, this cooperation will provide Armenia with new opportunities and perspectives. Resources, ideas, energy and effort should not be spared if we want to be competitive in the field of telecommunications. In this context, I want to assure all of you that the state supports all the initiatives, centered around ambition, determination, and a commitment to shaping the future," said the minister. Viet Nguyen Cao also emphasized the importance of the cooperation, stressing that the best experience in the field of television will be brought to Armenia within the framework of the program. Peter Wukowits noted that the importance of the cooperation is the digitalization and improving the quality of people's lives through digitalization, providing new opportunities. Expressing a sentiment shared by many viewers who mourned the conclusion of 'The Office' after its nine-season run in 2013, one of the series' co-stars is shedding light on her considerable unhappiness filming the finale. During an interview on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers,' Dakota Johnson humorously labeled her time filming the mockumentary's finale as "honestly the worst time of my life." RELATED: Eight Things We Learned From 'The Office' Season 4 "I loved that show so much and they were like, 'Do you want to be in the series finale?' and I was like, 'Of course,' thinking that I'd show up for, like, half a day," Johnson said. "I was there for two weeks, and I'm barely in the f*****ng show." During the conversation, when Meyers, 50, inquired about the atmosphere on set and whether people were "super sad" about the show's conclusion, Johnson recalled that the vibes were noticeably off. "They were sad and also there were weird dynamics that had been going on for the last 10 years," Johnson, 34, recollected. "And I'm coming in like, 'So excited to be here!' No one wanted to talk to me." She continued: "I was in the background of all of these scenes, faxing things." In a light-hearted moment, Meyers joked, "I had recently watched it, and it was some of the most believable faxing I've ever seen." YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel Sanosyan doesnt rule out that Armenia and Iran could soon increase the volumes of the gas for electricity swap deal. The gas for electricity agreement between Armenia and Iran has been extended until 2030 and enables Armenia to import greater volumes of natural gas and export more electricity. I believe that in terms of the legal documentation we have implemented the important phase and soon, as required, according to needs and also infrastructures, we will be able to use that opportunity. New power transmission lines are under construction in order to be able to export greater volumes of electricity to Iran. Both sides have the desire to increase the volumes, and the changes will be visible in various stages, Sanosyan told Armenpress. The minister also spoke about the involvement of Iranian companies in construction projects in Armenia. He said that the bigger the project the harder it is to find contractors. Iran, having highly developed construction firms and being Armenias neighbor, can have participation in construction programs in Armenia, and it has done so in some cases. I think this is a mutually beneficial process. We need a construction company, and they have the corresponding construction company, we are neighbors geographically, and it is easy to involve them in this work, Sanosyan said. The minister confirmed that Iran is interested in the reservoir construction projects in Armenia. Armenia plans to built 15 new reservoirs and 3 projects will soon be put for bidding. An Iranian company that won the tender to construct the Kajaran-Agarak section of the North-South road is now transporting equipment and will launch the construction soon. Kent and Norfolk's temporary control zones (TCZs) set up following an outbreak of bluetongue earlier this winter will 'shortly be lifted'. The UKs chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, confirmed the development three months on after the first case of bluetongue, in November 2023. Since then, nearly 90 cases of the virus have been confirmed in Kent, Norfolk and Suffolk. Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ms Middlemiss said: As our bluetongue monitoring says we are now in the vector low period, we are announcing that the Norfolk and Kent TCZs will shortly be lifted. "In [the] coming days we [will be in] contact with farmers who have individual premises under restriction." As our bluetongue monitoring says we are now in the vector low risk period were announcing that the Norfolk and Kent TCZs will shortly be lifted. In coming days we contact with farmers who have individual premises under restriction. https://t.co/3C2CCY1PoA Christine Middlemiss ???? (@ChiefVetUK) February 9, 2024 BTV-3 is the new strain of bluetongue currently being found in northern Europe and UK, transmitted via biting midge, affecting cattle, goats, sheep and camelids such as llamas. However, earlier this month, Defra announced that the UK is now in a seasonally low vector period when midge activity is reduced. The current weather conditions and time of year mean that culicoides the type of midge able to spread viruses - are unlikely to transmit the virus to livestock, Defra said. Dr Marion England, institute fellow in vector ecology at the Pirbright Institute, said midges previously infected with BTV-3 were currently highly unlikely to transmit the virus. The most active period for midges is during the warmer months in spring, summer and autumn, and midges can become newly infected with bluetongue virus and spread disease when the weather is above 12C for a sustained period. Midges infected in late autumn 2023 are now not likely to be a risk for spreading disease because they usually die off during winter, and are not actively biting when temperatures are below 4C." Rural campaigners have launched six policy recommendations for the next government which, if implemented, they say could generate up to 43 billion for the UK economy. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said its six plans would unlock the countrysides 'untapped economic potential' while closing the rural productivity gap. According to the body, the rural economy is around 19% less productive than the national average. Its policy 'missions' cover numerous topics, including sustainable farming, affordable homes, rural economic growth, responsible access, a connected countryside and rural crime. The organisation, which represents farmers and landowners, said its recommendations offered "practical and cost-effective solutions to some of the key barriers to rural business success and will help rural communities flourish". They have been developed following conversations about how politicians from all parties will be approaching their manifestos and what sort of ideas are most likely to be listened to. If implemented, the ideas contained within these six short documents could generate up to 43bn for the national economy, according to the CLA. The rural campaigning body added it has already had several conversations with different political parties about the recommendations in each mission. Jonathan Roberts, CLA director of external affairs, said: The launch of these documents marks the first phase of our general election strategy, which is to work closely with stakeholders in all of the major parties as they develop their manifestos. "The next phase will begin later this month as we rollout an extensive engagement strategy with candidates of all major parties across England and Wales. Through our Rural Powerhouse campaign, the CLA is well placed to guide the next government, whichever party forms it, towards building a policy agenda that will finally unlock the vast potential of the rural economy. It comes after the new president of the CLA recently urged all political parties to develop 'robust and ambitious' policies for the rural economy. Victoria Vyvyan, who was elected in November, said it was a 'crucial time' for farming and the rural economy. She warned that rural communities were being hit hard by the cost of living crisis and farmers were being impacted by the phasing out of the BPS. The annual Mind Your Head campaign has launched today to highlight the significant mental health risks associated with farm work. Farm Safety Foundation's campaign will last all week, bringing together more than 300 farming organisations to help break the stigma attached to mental health. Public bodies and charities are also backing the campaign, as they point to a stigma which is still a barrier to those in the agricultural community seeking help. A study by Farm Safety Foundation released today (12 February) has revealed that poor mental health among farmers and agricultural workers is of growing concern. In a sample of 450 farmers under the age of 40, almost all (95%) told the charity that poor mental health is the biggest hidden problem facing the industry today. And as a recent report by a parliamentary committee found, one issue is that farmers often work long hours, sometimes in isolation. They can also be under significant financial pressure, often needing to take on considerable debt to purchase the land and equipment they require. In most cases, a farmers place of business is also his or her home, meaning there is no easy way to get away from the workload. In addition, farmers are constantly vulnerable to events and circumstances that can impact their bottom line, from extreme weather and natural disasters to animal disease outbreaks. Stephanie Berkeley, manager of Farm Safety Foundation said: Mind Your Head launched in 2018 when concerns about Brexit, policies, administration and legislation were causing increased anxiety in the industry. "Fast forward seven years and the campaign has grown and is now recognised by 67% of farmers in the UK." Welcome to our 7th annual #MindYourHead week! Mental health affects every single one of us and every single aspect of our lives so please get behind this campaign by liking and sharing our posts and videos this week and please share your ownhttps://t.co/vxtBe4Ug9X pic.twitter.com/74Eyce555U Farm Safety Foundation (@yellowwelliesuk) February 12, 2024 She added: "Mental health is always a sensitive subject but its something that is thankfully growing in importance and profile. The answer to the question 'who cares?' is everyone and everyone should." This years campaign, which is the seventh to run, will once again cast a spotlight on farmers and agricultural workers mental health. It will showcase what the industry is doing to address the issue, what some inspirational farmers are doing to bring awareness and, importantly, what others can do for themselves. Dr Neil Hudson MP, who is backing the campaign, said: Having instigated a parliamentary inquiry and report on rural mental health, I am acutely aware of the significant mental health challenges facing our rural communities. Farmers and farm workers make huge sacrifices to keep the nation fed and keep our landscape in shape - and yet sometimes they can care far more for their work than themselves. "We must start these tough conversations about mental health and physical health in order to break down stigmas which unfortunately are still a huge barrier to those in need seeking help. UK pig prices have risen after sixteen consecutive weeks of decline, with the EU-spec SPP creeping up by 0.11p to 211.47p per kg. This was only the second weekly rise since early August and means the SPP remains at just over 14p below the early-August high of 225.64p/kg. The gap to the same week 12 months ago has narrowed to under 6.5p. The APP, which includes premium pigs, has been much more volatile since early December, but it has also stabilised, falling by just 0.01p to 211.67p/kg. This meant the APP, again, moved fractionally ahead, by 0.31p, of the SPP for the week. The National Pig Association (NPA) said the price movement was 'encouraging' despite falling EU prices. The EU reference dropped by a further 3p to 172.05p/kg during the week ended 28 January, meaning it has now lost 11p during the first four weeks of 2024. The gap to UK reference price has grown to more than 36p, the biggest it has been for some time, making imports extremely competitive. "The upward pressure on UK pig prices appears to be coming from tight supplies as we move out of the January lull," the NPA said. Recent Defra figures show UK pig slaughterings were down a massive 17% year on year in December and the trend has continued into January. Estimated GB slaughterings for the week ended 3 February, at 153,650, were 3,000 up on the week but remained 8,000 below the 2023 figure for the week and 27,000 down on 2022. Wolves howl in regional accents. Wolves howl in different accents depending on where they live University of Cambridge zoologist Dr. Arik Kershenbaum has explained that the sounds of the animals vary - with predators from Europe sounding different from their North American counterparts. The scientist, who specialises in animal vocal communication, explained that European wolves have a flatter howl compared to North American creatures. This means that wolves do not always understand each other if they encounter a predator from a different region. Speaking on the Instant Genius podcast, Dr. Kershenbaum said: "We think that wolves in different parts of the world are really very, very different. "So yeah, a European wolf might get a little confused if it hears an Arctic wolf and not know quite what to make of that." YEREVAN, 12 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 12 February, USD exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 404.53 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.50 drams to 435.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.01 drams to 4.44 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.71 drams to 510.60 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price down by 68.28 drams to 26317.52 drams. Silver price up by 3.95 drams to 294.65 drams. Domhnall Gleeson still doesn't feel like he's "made it" in Hollywood. Domhnall Gleeson still doesn't see himself as a success The actor - son of Oscar-nominated screen star Brendan Gleeson - has been working in the industry since he was a teenager and has starred in blockbusters including two 'Harry Potter' movies and two 'Star Wars' films - but he still doesn't see himself as a success. When asked to name the moment he realised he'd "made it", Domhnall, 40, told The Times newspaper: "Anybody who says that must have a lot of money in the bank. "I've never felt like I've made it. There are always people I want to work with or people who don't want to work with me and I want to convince them otherwise." It comes after Domhnall confessed he would rather "have a good life than a good career" after deciding not to move to America to chase bigger roles. The actor - who still lives in his native Dublin - told The Independent newspaper: "Everybody wants their career to be in a better place, so there is loads of stuff I wish I was doing, and loads of work I wish I could find. "Im like, 'would I be closer to it if I was in America?' But Id much rather have a good life than a good career. Id love to have both." Domhnall also has no interest in attending glitzy award ceremonies, either. He told the publication: "For the most part, you just have to sit there for four hours while stuff happens." He previously he's been inspired by his dad's career path, telling GQ magazine: "I was interested in writing and directing. That's what I went to college for, but I think I've become better at acting than I am at either of those two things. "I'm interested in telling stories, essentially. My father is an incredible actor, and in a way, it made me realise it was possible. But in another way, it made me think, 'Well, I can't do it as well as he does it. So, what's the point?' "My brother, Brian, is a phenomenal actor as well. So, there was already an actor in the family, even when I began." Tish Cyrus says husband Dominic Purcell empowers her. Tish Cyrus empowered by husband Dominic Purcell [Instagram] The 56-year-old mother of Miley Cyrus tied the knot with the 53-year-old 'Prison Break' actor in August 2023 and gushed that Dominic does everything he can to "encourage" her. Speaking on her 'Sorry We're Stoned' podcast, which she co-hosts with daughter Brandi Cyrus, Tish said: "We are so happy. He just encourages me to fly. He is just like, 'You're the funniest, you're the prettiest, you're the sweetest, you're the this - just show the world who you are'. It has just empowered me in such a way that I've never felt before. It's just been really great for me." Tish and Dominic went public with their romance in November 2022, about seven months after she announced her divorce from Miley's dad Billy Ray Cyrus. The pair met via social media, with Tish telling Vogue: "I slid into Doms DMs, and the rest is history. It was love at first sight for both of us!" The pair got engaged at Thanksgiving 2022, with Dom getting help from Miley to plan the proposal. She said: "Dom, along with Miley, planned the entire thing. They knew we would all be together as a family and thought it would be the perfect time!" Miley gave her mother away at their wedding and said: "My whole life my mom has been behind the scenes. She was always the one getting me ready for big days, starting with cheerleading competitions, then eventually on sets or backstage before a performance. She has never stopped celebrating me and has been so supportive of my decisions. "To see my mom this happy and in love is very emotional for me. Dom and my mom share the sweetest, most genuine love. Its almost like its for the first time, which is so fitting for my mom who is such a young soul. Since they met, they both started aging in reverse. Somehow, my mom has gotten even more beautiful. The day was as special and magical as they are. To stand beside my mother and give her away to Dom is a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life." The worldwide purchasing managers' index (PMI) surveys compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence indicated a further deterioration of global trade in December, extending the sequence of decline to nearly two years, according to monthly S&P Global Monthly Global Trade Monitor. The manufacturing sector continued to lead the downturn at the beginning of this year, albeit with the rate of decline moderating, it said. S&P Global Market Intelligence noted a further deterioration of global trade in December, extending the sequence of decline to nearly two years. Manufacturing led the downturn as 2024 began. Trade mainly improved in India and China. Most developed nations continued to see trade conditions weaken; a near-stabilisation of conditions was observed in the UK. Manufacturing new export orders extended the sequence of decline to 23 months in January, though the rate at which export demand fell was the slowest since June 2022. This was amidst improvements in overall demand conditions, with worldwide manufacturing total new orders (including domestic sales in each economy) close to stabilising in January. Optimism among manufacturers rose at the beginning of 2024 with the manufacturing sector's PMI future output index posting the highest reading in nine months. Although a Red Sea crisis-driven renewed worsening of lead times was observed, hopes for better manufacturing sector conditions in the 12 months ahead were buoyed by rate cut prospects and the reduced drag from destocking efforts. While developed markets recorded a twentieth monthly declined in trade activity, the pace of decline eased to the slowest in the current sequence and was only modest overall, the report noted. Measured across both goods and services, trade mainly improved in two Asia Pacific economiesIndia and China. Most developed nations meanwhile continued to see trade conditions weaken though a near-stabilisation of conditions was observed in the United Kingdom. Canada and the European Union recorded sharp and almost comparable rates of new export orders decline in January, though both regions saw the situation ameliorate slightly compared to the end of 2023. A more pronounced downturn in manufacturing export orders continued to be observed in Canada compared to services. Likewise for the EU, the manufacturing sector export order contraction was historically marked despite the pace of decline easing for a sixth successive month in January. France and Germany continued to record especially sharp falls new export business led by their respective goods producing sectors. While the EU saw visible impact from disruptions in the Red Sea across the globe, the lack of new work, including from abroad, continued to act as a bigger dampener for activity in the region, Jingyi Pan, economics associate director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, wrote in the report. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom saw new export orders stay broadly unchanged at the start of 2024, marking a relative improvement in trade conditions from the end of last year. The United Kingdom notably experienced a more material impact compared to the rest of the world in terms the disruptions from the Red Sea on both supply chain and prices, though data also suggested that manufacturers expect these issues to be temporary. India remained the only economy to see a solid improvement in trade conditions at the start of 2024, leading the growth in the emerging market space, though export orders also rose to a lesser degree in China for the first time since June 2023. Faster expansions in both manufacturing and services export business were observed at the start of the year for India, with the rate of manufacturing sector export orders growth notably outpacing that of services to run against the global trend. Brazil and Russia recorded moderate declines in overall export orders at the start of the year. S&P Global Market Intelligence produces the monthly report in collaboration with GTAS Forecasting. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Vietnams export turnover in January this year was an estimated $33.57 billionup by 42 per cent year on year (YoY). That led to a trade surplus of $2.92 billion, according to the general department of customs. The value of imports, meanwhile, was estimated at $30.65 billionup by 4.2 per cent month on month (MoM) and 33.3 per cent YoY. Vietnam's export turnover in January was an estimated $33.57 billionup by 42 per cent YoY, leading to a trade surplus of $2.92 billion. Imports were estimated at $30.65 billionup by 4.2 per cent month on month (MoM) and 33.3 per cent YoY. In January, total import-export value was $64.22 billionan MoM rise of 5.5 per cent and a YoY growth of 37.7 per cent. In January, total import and export value was estimated at $64.22 billion, posting an MoM increase of 5.5 per cent and a YoY growth of 37.7 per cent. The export revenue target set by the ministry of industry and trade this year is 6 per cent higher, or $377 billion, with the trade surplus projected at $15 billion, according to domestic media reports. The countrys total export revenue reached $355.5 billion last year, down by 4.4 per cent YoY. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) Kartik Aaryan is one of the biggest and most loved young superstar in the Indian Cinema. Having made his mark in bollywood with the hardwork and dedication, Kartik's films are celebrated like a festival by the fans and the audiences. The superstar has given many iconic characters in his career and has also given some of the best films that is aging well among the masses. Recently, Kartik Aaryan's three most special and loved films Pyaar Ka Punchnama (PKP) 1 and 2, and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS),were re-released in the national chains across the country. Fans termed the re-release day as 'Kartik Aaryan Film Festival'. The movies were screened in cinema halls and they receive unanimous response from the movie buffs Sharing his excitement about the film festival, Kartik Aaryan said that he is elated. "It feels so delighted to see three of my most successful and loved films, Pyaar Ka Punchnama (PKP) 1 and 2, and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS), are being re-released in cinemas. These films boosted my career and I am happy that the audiences will once again get a chance to watch them on the big screens. I am grateful to all the audiences who have given so much love to my PKP monologue and the response I got for the monologue was overwhelming... I couldn't have asked for more. And of course I would love to express my heartfelt thanks to Director Luv Ranjan who gave me the most lovable characters of our cinema, with Rajjo and Gogo in PKP franchise and Sonu in SKTKS. These characters and films are very close to me and will always be the same," the actor said in a statement as quoted as saying by India.com. Meanwhile on the work front Kartik Aaryan is gearing up for the release of much awaited Chandu Champion. The film directed by Kabir Khan and bankrollled by Sajid Nadiadwala will be releasing in cinemas on June 14th, 2024 and the superstar has given his life to the character he is playing in the film. Besides this , Kartik Aaryan will be seen in 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 ' 'Aashiqui 3' and an untitled war drama with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and director Sandip Modi. Sai Pallavi is one of the most popular faces down South. She has been a part of super hit films like Fidaa (Telugu), Middle Class Abbayi (Telugu), Maari 2 (Tamil), Love Story (Telugu), Shyam Singha Roy (Telugu), and others. Everyone has been waiting to watch her in a Bollywood film and in the past there have been reports of her starring in a Hindi film. Nowadays, she is in news for her movie Ramayana with Ranbir Kapoor. Even the Nitesh Tiwari's directorial is not yet officially announced, but there are strong reports of Sai playing the role of Sita opposite Ranbir Kapoor. While you all must be thinking that maybe Ramayana will mark Sai's Bollywood debut, let us tell you that her first Hindi film will be a movie with Aamir Khan's son Junaid Khan. Yes, you read it right! The movie is already in production, and the team is currently shooting for the film in Japan. Sai Pallavi And Junaid Khan In Japan A few pictures from the sets of the untitled film have made it to the social media, and we can see Sai and Junaid in them. Apparently, the two are seen at the Sapporo Snow Festival, however, it is not yet known whether the festival will be a part of the film or not. Check out the pictures below... Talking about Ramayana, the film is not yet officially announced, but reportedly, it will go on the floors next month with Ranbir and Sai. The movie reportedly also stars Sunny Deol, Lara Dutta, Amitabh Bachchan, Rakul Preet Singh, and Vijay Sethupathi in the pivotal roles, and the makers are planning to release it on Diwali 2025. Meanwhile, Junaid's debut film Maharaja is ready, but it is yet to see the light of the day. We are sure audiences are excited to watch Junaid and Sai in a movie together. In a significant development, Sampat Nehra, a key associate of notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, has been taken from Bathinda High Security Jail to Churu for detailed interrogation. During this intense 5-day session, Nehra made several startling revelations, shedding light on the dark underbelly of crime that seems to have connections extending into Bollywood. Among the many secrets unveiled, the most shocking has been the alleged targeting of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The Extensive Network and Operations of the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Nehra's revelations during the interrogation provided a glimpse into the extensive network and operations of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. He disclosed the gang's international connections and how they have been procuring weapons from Delhi for notorious crimes across the country. Furthermore, Nehra admitted to orchestrating various criminal activities from jail, pointing to a well-organized network of henchmen operating across different cities under the gang's directives. Bollywood in the Crosshairs: Salman Khan Targeted Among the many disclosures, the most alarming was the revelation that Bollywood megastar Salman Khan is on the hit list of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Nehra confessed to having done the groundwork (Reiki) for an attack on Salman but did not succeed. The reason behind this vendetta traces back to the infamous blackbuck hunting case of 1998, involving Salman Khan. The Bishnoi community, which reveres the blackbuck, has been seeking retribution, with Lawrence Bishnoi publicly threatening Salman Khan. This has led to heightened security for the Bollywood star, although the threat from Bishnoi's gang looms large. The interrogation of Sampat Nehra has peeled back the curtain on the intricate and dangerous connections between the world of crime and Bollywood. The revelations underscore the persistent threat posed by organized crime syndicates like the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. It also highlights the urgent need for heightened security measures to protect public figures from such vendettas. As Nehra is sent back to Bathinda jail under tight security, the authorities are following up on the leads obtained to dismantle the network of crime that threatens the peace and safety of society. Two years ago, Siddhant Chaturvedi made a mark with his performance in Shakun Batra's "Gehraiyaan" (2022). The OTT film explored modern relationships, and Chaturvedi's portrayal of Zain grabbed attention as he delivered a performance that resonated with audiences and critics alike. Additionally, Siddhant recently marked the two-year anniversary of "Gehraiyaan" with a social media post. Featuring some steamy shirtless pictures and behind-the-scenes moments with director Shakun Batra and co-stars Deepika Padukone, Ananya Panday, and Dhairya Karwa, he gave fans a glimpse into the film's journey. Chaturvedi is gearing up for the action-packed "Yudhra", marking his entry into the high-octane genre. He also has several other big projects in the pipeline, promising to keep surprising audiences with his range and talent. Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani First Episode: After 15 years since Dill Mill Gayye, television stars Jennifer Winget and Karan Wahi are joining forces to entertain fans in their new collaboration, a web series titled Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani. Since its announcement, anticipation has been high for its upcoming premiere scheduled for next week. The Sony LIV exclusive, hailed as a courtroom drama, is produced by Smruti Shinde and Harvindar Arora, with Aniruddha Rajderkar taking on the director's role. With the digital premiere of Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani just a few hours ago, fans are eagerly awaiting the release of its first episode. Wondering at what time Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani first episode will premiere today? Here's all you need to know. RAISINGHANI VS RAISINGHANI RELEASE TIME: WHEN & WHERE TO WATCH FIRST EPISODE? With anticipation building for the show, the official release date and schedule for Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani was recently unveiled by the makers. For those who may have missed the announcement, the first episode of the eagerly anticipated legal drama is set to premiere tonight (February 12) at 8 pm on Sony LIV. Yes, you read that right! Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani Release Date, Cast, Plot And All About Jennifer Winget & Karan Wahi's Show Not just that, Jennifer Winget-starrer leagal drama will air every week, from Monday to Wednesday at 8 pm on Sony LIV. Did Jennifer Winget Take A Dig At Ex Karan Singh Grover During Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani Promotions? (VIDEO) HOW TO WATCH RAISINGHANI VS RAISINGHANI FIRST EPISODE? If you're eagerly awaiting the premiere of Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani first episode but are confused how to watch it, we're here for you. To watch it, you simply have to install the Sony LIV app, then log in or sign up for a new account. Another way to access the OTT giant is by typing 'Sony LIV' on your internet browser, search Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani on it, and repeat the process. RAISINGHANI VS RAISINGHANI STARCAST & PLOT Raisinghani Vs Raisinghani offers an engaging courtroom drama, telling the stories of young legal practitioners with varied ideologies and approaches to their profession. Jennifer Winget takes on the role of Anushka, a clever young lawyer making her mark in her father's law firm, unwaveringly adhering to her principles with every case she takes on. Karan Wahi embodies the character of Virat, a sophisticated and driven lawyer expected to inherit the firm. Meanwhile, Reem Shaikh plays Ankita Rastogi, a young intern who treads her professional path while concealing a troubling secret. Keep watching this space for more updates! Bramayugam Advance Booking: "Bramayugam" is a Malayalam horror thriller film directed by Rahul Sadasivan and co-produced by Night Shift Studios and YNOT Studios. Premalu Box Office Collection Update: Naslen And Mamitha's Movie's Opening Weekend Surpasses 5.70 Cr The movie features Mammootty in the lead role, supported by Arjun Ashokan, Sidharth Bharathan, and Amalda Liz. Scheduled for release on February 15, 2024, the film promises an enthralling cinematic experience. The initial glimpse of Mammootty in 'Bramayugam' was revealed on the actor's 72nd birthday, showcasing a haunting monochrome portrayal. On January 11, 2024, the creators unveiled a teaser for the film, spanning 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Subsequently, on February 10, 2024, the makers of 'Bramayugam' launched a black and white trailer at a prestigious event in Abu Dhabi, attended by Mammootty, while simultaneously releasing it online. Bramayugam Cast And Crew The cast comprises Mammootty portraying Kunjamon Poti, with Arjun Ashokan as Theevaan, alongside Sidharth Bharathan, Amalda Liz, and Manikandan R. Achari. Directed by Rahul Sadasivan, known for his mastery of the horror genre through 'Bhoothakaalam,' 'Bramayugam' is set to deliver thrills like never before. The film is jointly produced by Chakravarthy Ramachandra and S. Sashikanth under the Night Shift Studios and Y Not Studios banners. Night Shift Studios specialises in producing spine-tingling horror thrillers, adding to the intrigue surrounding 'Bramayugam.' Anweshippin Kandethum Box Office Collection Day 4 Prediction: Tovino Thomas Movie To Maintain Strong Momentum Countdown To 'Bramayugam': High Anticipation And Over 10,000 Tickets Sold! With just three days left until its release, anticipation for the much-awaited film "Bramayugam" is soaring high across Kerala. According to film industry tracker AB George, advance bookings have commenced in various theatres throughout the region, including Vanitha Veneetha, Kavitha Theatre, Ariesplex, Ragam, Kozhikode Kairali, and PVR chains. Remarkably, over 10,000 tickets have already been sold, signalling a promising start for the film. As excitement mounts among audiences, "Bramayugam" is poised to make a significant impact upon its release. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 12, ARMENPRESS. The information disseminated by the Azerbaijani media regarding the alleged opening of fire by the Armenian guards on the Kapan-Zangelan section of the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border on February 12 is being investigated, the Ministry of Defense said. "Written orders from the superior command clearly define the circumstances under which a serviceman, assessing the situation, can and/or is obliged to make a decision to open fire. According to preliminary information, such a situation did not occur in this area on February 12. If this is confirmed, those responsible for violating the order will be held accountable," the ministry added. The Liberty Corridor will contain a new heavy duty railroad connecting the Nimba district of Guinea to a new Liberian deep water port - The Liberty Corridor will be a leading African example of multi-user, independently operated, open access infrastructure that will support the economic opening of the West African region to World markets - An estimated investment of US$3 to $5 billion will enable sustainable mineral development and downstream value addition to regional economies - Guma Africa Group Ltd is led by global Pan-African entrepreneur Robert Gumede of South Africa - The Letter of Intent provides that HPX and Guma Africa Group will enter into negotiations with the Government of Liberia to agree the framework granting exclusive rights to develop, finance and grant operating rights to the Liberty Corridor - The three parties will form a tripartite Liberty Corridor Project Steering Committee to liaise with all stakeholders and potential international financiers - Monrovia, The Republic of Liberia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2024) - Bronwyn Barnes, President and CEO of US Company High Power Exploration Inc ("HPX"), announced today the signing of a letter of intent with the Government of Liberia and the Guma Africa Group Ltd to enter into negotiations to own, design, finance, develop and operate The Liberty Corridor - a brand new multi-user infrastructure corridor connecting Guinea and Liberia. The Liberty Corridor will comprise a brand-new world-class rail system connecting Guinea to a brand-new deep-water port at Didia, Liberia, an extension of the existing hydropower network from Cote d'Ivoire into the Nimba districts of Liberia and Guinea, an upgrade of existing road networks in the Nimba district to all-weather roads and the implementation of fibre optic telecommunication cable connecting Liberia to the Nimba district and potentially beyond. The Liberty Corridor would be a joint development between the Government of Liberia, HPX and the Guma Africa Group, with the three parties who today, entered into an exclusive 30 day period (which can be extended) during which the final framework agreement will be negotiated. On completion of the final agreement, the document will be presented to the Liberian legislature for ratification. A Liberia-Guinea multi-user infrastructure corridor has the potential to transform the mineral-rich Nimba region, and for projects along the railway and roads corridor in Liberia. The Liberty Corridor will stimulate economic activity in mining, as well as agriculture, manufacturing, health and education. The Liberty Corridor will dramatically improve the quality of life for the millions of people living in the region and create sustainable regional employment. The President of Liberia His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr ., indicated his delight in having this major Project with the potential for profound positive impact on the Liberian economy and the region. Furthermore, the Project is consistent with the Boakai administration's ARREST (Agriculture, Road, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, & Tourism) agenda which will positively impact those sectors including electricity, telecommunication and the movement of goods and services. He noted that the Project comes less than a month into his term which portents good news for the country especially for young people which will provide jobs opportunities. "We are happy with the relationship with our American and South African counterparts, especially seeing this Project coming in less than a month into my new administration. "We have to prove to our partners that we are serious, accountable and honest, and that corruption will not be a hindrance to this administration," stated President Boakai. The President also thanked HPX management for the determination expressed to operate in Liberia, to provide employment opportunities for Liberians and to contribute to the economic viability of the country. He also assured Liberians that there are prospects and good news on the horizon for the country. HPX Chief Executive Officer Bronwyn Barnes commented: "HPX is delighted to have formed this partnership with the Government of Liberia and the Guma Africa Group to develop The Liberty Corridor in Guinea and Liberia." "President Joseph Boakai has started his Presidency on a strong footing, engaging with industry to build Liberia's economy. We are delighted to have signed this Letter of Intent with the Government of Liberia as we seek to build Liberia's mining sector in an open and transparent relationship that also delivers benefits to broader industry and community." "HPX looks forward to being part of the growth of Liberia's mining industry and working collaboratively with the Government of Liberia to expand both the mining sector and multiuser infrastructure opportunities centered around The Liberty Corridor." "The Liberty Corridor will be a world class infrastructure development that will include a brand new rail system constructed within the existing Yekepa - Buchanan infrastructure corridor, a new deep water port to be constructed at Didia, an upgrade to the existing road connecting the Nimba district to Didia, an expansion of existing renewable power systems from Liberia to Guinea, and high speed telecommunications infrastructure." Guma Africa Group's Pan African serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert Gumede said : "I am delighted to partner with HPX as we pool our resources to transform both Guinea and Liberia's economies through the development of the Liberty Corridor that can unlock mining, agriculture and industrialization of the two countries and the creation of sustainable jobs. The time for lip service is gone. Our joint partnership with HPX will support Liberia's long term investments policies." HPX Chairman Retired Ambassador J. Peter Pham also commented: "The U.S. Government's consideration of the potential for the Liberia - Guinea Corridor is extremely encouraging. This project has the potential to transform the mineral rich Nimba region, and for projects along the railway in Liberia, stimulating further economic activity not only in mining, but also agriculture, manufacturing, health, education. The Liberty Corridor will enhance the quality of life for the citizens of both countries through improved access to energy, transportation, and telecommunications." "The opportunities that a new, world class infrastructure corridor will offer are in line with the objectives of the United States Government Strategy towards Sub-Saharan Africa, and the commitments given by President Biden and the G7 in a flagship infrastructure initiative - the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment ("PGI")." The United States has announced a series of new PGI initiatives around the world to build out transformative economic corridors and drive infrastructure investments that can boost and connect economic development across multiple countries and sectors, including the "Lobito Atlantic Railway Corridor" launched by President Biden at the G7 Summit in Japan in May 2023. The Lobito Railway Corridor, currently connecting Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia, helps integrate the three countries and enhance their connections with global markets by expanding export possibilities, boosting regional trade, and growing a variety of key market sectors. Ivanhoe Mines, a major African-based mining company founded and co-chaired by Robert Friedland, announced on 7 February 2024 that Ivanhoe Mines would be the first commercial customer to transport up to 240,000 tons of copper concentrate along The Lobito Corridor. The President of Liberia His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr with Mr Robert Friedland and Mr Robert Gumede at the signing ceremony in Monrovia on Friday 9 February 2024. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6263/197568_09d0f79e94d9caa2_005full.jpg His Excellency The President of Liberia His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr (centre) with the Founder, Chairman and CEO of I-Pulse Inc Mr Robert Friedland, Ms Bronwyn Barnes, President and CEO of HPX, Mr Robert Gumede Chairman and Founder Guma Africa Group, Amb.(ret) Peter Pham and Gerald Padmore of Cox Padmore Skolnik & Shakarchy. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6263/197568_09d0f79e94d9caa2_006full.jpg His Excellency The President of Liberia His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr (centre) with the Founder, Chairman and CEO of I-Pulse Inc Mr Robert Friedland (centre left), Ms Bronwyn Barnes, President and CEO of HPX (centre right), Mr Robert Gumede Chairman and Founder Guma Africa Group (left of Mr Friedland), Amb.(ret) Peter Pham (right of Ms Barnes), and Ambassador Sylvester Grigsby Minister of State for Presidential Affairs (right of Amb. Pham). To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6263/197568_09d0f79e94d9caa2_007full.jpg Background GUMA AFRICA GROUP is a Pan African diversified investment and operations group involved in Mining, Infrastructure, Tourism & Hospitality, ICT, Healthcare, Human Capital Development, Renewable Energy, Rail Manufacturing, etc. Guma operates in 28 African countries. HPX is an American exploration and development company focused on advancing its high-grade long-life iron ore mine in the Lola region of the Southeastern region of the Republic of Guinea. HPX's major shareholder and technology provider is I-Pulse Inc, a US Company founded and Chaired by Mr Robert Friedland and has a number of high profile American institutional and private investors as shareholders. I-Pulse Inc. is a private American company with a multibillion-dollar valuation founded by Robert Friedland and Laurent Frescaline and backed by a global network of shareholders. I-Pulse uses its unique expertise in electrical energy to power disruptive industrial solutions. The I-Pulse suite of technologies utilises proprietary capacitors that safely and repeatedly compress and release stored electricity in billionths of a second. The extremely high-powered discharges, which utilise extremely small amounts of energy, generate precise shockwaves directed to shape and assemble metals to previously unachievable degrees of precision; generate electrical fields that reveal chargeable or resistive mineral deposits, or water, at depth; and crush rock containing minerals or gemstones. I-Pulse is commercializing these applications in industries such as advanced manufacturing and mineral exploration. I-Pulse operates its I-Cube research and development facilities in Toulouse, France. Visit www.ipulse-group.com to learn more. Further information or media contact: Bronwyn Barnes, President and CEO HPX Bronwyn.Barnes@hpxmines.com +44 7810 227 672 Joe MacDonald, Head of Strategy and Business Development Joe.Macdonald@hpxmines.com + 44 7525 341 493 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197568 SOURCE: High Power Exploration Inc. Almere, The Netherlands February 12, 2024, 8:00 a.m. CET ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today announces that CEO Benjamin Loh will retire and step down as per the AGM on May 13, 2024. He will be succeeded by Hichem M'Saad, currently member of the Management Board and CTO. Benjamin Loh has informed the Supervisory Board of his wish to retire and his decision to step down as CEO as per the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of 2024. Benjamin has agreed to stay on as an advisor for a period of three months after his retirement to ensure a smooth transition. Benjamin joined ASM as CEO in 2020. Under his leadership, ASM's growth-through-innovation strategy was launched, revenue more than doubled, significantly outperforming the wafer fab equipment market, and the company's market capitalization tripled to more than 20 billion. He stepped up investments in the expansion of manufacturing and R&D infrastructure. Other highlights during Benjamin's tenure include the two successful acquisitions in 2022, which further accelerated ASM's growth. Pauline van der Meer Mohr, Chair of the Supervisory Board commented: "On behalf of the Supervisory Board I'd like to thank Benjamin for his substantial contributions and achievements in the last four years. He has led the strengthening of ASM's strategy, culture and organization. Under his leadership, ASM also took important steps in accelerating sustainability, illustrated by the company's industry-leading net-zero targets. Everyone at ASM will miss his passion and commitment. We wish him all the best in his retirement." Benjamin Loh: "It has been an honor to lead the ASM team and I'm extremely proud of what we have achieved together. I'm particularly pleased with the steps that we have taken to build a strong culture that allows our talented people to excel and to drive the continued success of our company. The last four years have been among the most exciting and intense of my career, spanning more than 30 years in the semiconductor industry. After my retirement from ASM's Board, I plan to use my skills and experience to contribute in other capacities albeit with less intense engagement. ASM has never been in a stronger position than today. I am extremely pleased to hand over my responsibilities to Hichem, who, I am sure, will successfully guide ASM into the next growth phase." The Supervisory Board has decided to appoint Hichem M'Saad as ASM's new CEO and Chairman of the Management Board as per the AGM on May 13, 2024. Hichem joined ASM in 2015 as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Thermal Products business unit. From 2019, he held the role of Executive Vice President and General Manager of Global Products, including responsibility for developing ASM's ALD, Epi, VF, and PECVD products. Since 2022, Hichem has been member of the Management Board and Chief Technology Officer. He has been instrumental in several of ASM's successful innovative products, including the Intrepid ES, Synergis, Previum, A400 DUO, and Sonora. Before joining ASM, he had a 15-year tenure with Applied Materials, including positions as Corporate VP and general manager of the Dielectric Systems and Modules (DSM) and the Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) divisions. He also served as CEO of a start-up in the solar photovoltaic industry for six years. Pauline van der Meer Mohr: "Hichem M'Saad is the ideal candidate to succeed Benjamin Loh. Since joining ASM in 2015, and the last two years as CTO and member of the Management Board, Hichem has demonstrated strong leadership and people skills. He has been instrumental in expanding engagements with key customers, and he has been a driving force behind many of ASM's successful products and innovations. Already before joining ASM, Hichem had built a strong track record in innovation and in executive roles in the semiconductor industry." Hichem M'Saad: "I'm honored and thrilled to succeed Benjamin as new CEO, and I'm thankful for the confidence of the Supervisory Board. I will continue to focus, together with the rest of the leadership team and all ASM people, on the execution of our strategy. We have a great opportunity to drive long-term value as we support our customers in their device technology transition with our leading and innovative products." About ASM International ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM's website at www.asm.com. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, changes in import/export regulations, epidemics, pandemics and other risks indicated in the company's reports and financial statements. The company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances. This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Contact Investor and media relations Victor Bareno T: +31 88 100 8500 E: investor.relations@asm.com Attachment GURUGRAM, India, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vietnam edible oil market is set to sizzle, with a projected 339 million USD growth by 2027, reaching 1.456 billion USD from its 2022 value of 1.117 billion USD, according to a new report by Ken Research titled "Vietnam Edible Oil Market Outlook to 2027: From Palm Power to Premium Picks." This press release reveals the key ingredients driving this market's culinary adventure. Flavorful Drivers: Spiking Demand: A population surge of 1.4% annually fuels demand for diverse oils, with palm (36% market share), soybean (18%), and sunflower (12%) as the frontrunners. Health Concoctions: 80% of urban consumers prioritize health, driving demand for high-quality oils. Food Processing Fiesta: The industry's 8.4% growth demands various oils for processed food creations. Market Segments: A Culinary Adventure: Oil Types: While palm reigns supreme, soybean and sunflower oils are rising stars. Niche oils like coconut are adding exotic flavors (8.4% domestic consumption growth in 2021). Distribution Delights: Traditional stores (87.4% market share) hold strong, but online channels are simmering with potential (70-80% conversion rate on offline regular purchases). Sales Channel Sizzle: Supermarkets and hypermarkets are heating up, while convenient stores and e-commerce add their unique flavors to the mix. Interested to Know More about this Report, Request a Free Sample Report Competitive Kitchen: Master Chefs: Calofic (40% market share), Tuong an (13%), Kido Nha Be (3.2%), and Tan Binh (2.4%) are the top contenders. Culinary Showdown: Players are battling it out with innovative recipes, cutting-edge technology, and efficient distribution networks. Challenges & Opportunities: Balancing Spices & Sweeteners: Import Reliance: Vietnam relies heavily on imports, exposing it to price fluctuations and supply chain disruptions. Labor Shortages: The agricultural sector faces a lack of manpower, potentially hindering domestic production. Sustainability Concerns: Growing environmental awareness demands eco-friendly practices throughout the value chain. Opportunities Galore: A Foodie Paradise: Premium Palates: Consumers are craving premium and functional oils, creating a delicious new market segment. Tech Savvy Chefs: Technological advancements will enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Sustainable Feast: Bio-based oils and eco-friendly packaging offer a scrumptious way to embrace sustainability. Visit this Link :- Request for custom report A Recipe for Success: The Vietnam edible oil market offers a delicious concoction of growth potential. Urbanization, rising incomes, and health awareness are the key ingredients fueling the market's expansion. Food processing and premium oil demand add further flavor to the mix. Embracing technology, addressing import dependence, and prioritizing sustainability are the essential spices needed for stakeholders to cook up success in this dynamic market. Taxonomy Vietnam Edible Oil Market Segmentation By Type Palm Oil Soy Oil Coconut Oil Peanut Oil Others Request free 30 minutes analyst call By Mode of Distribution channel Online Offline By Type of sales channel Small Local Grocers Supermarket Hypermarket Convenient store E-commerce By Age-Group 0-14 Years 15-19 Years 20-24 Years 25-44 Years 45-64 Years 65-79 Years 80+ Years By Income Level 2.5 LPA 5-7 LPA 7-9 LPA 9 LPA and Above For More Insights On Market Intelligence, Refer To The Link Below: - Vietnam Edible Oil Market Related Reports by Ken Research: - Indonesia Edible Oil Market Outlook to 2027 Driven by Government Initiatives, Global Market Integration, and Technological Advancement across Industries Indonesia Edible Oil Market will expand at a CAGR of 3.1% between 2022 and 2027 owing to the rising demand for palm oil segment. Consumers are also likely to look for value-for-money options such as products in larger refill packs or private label products. Indeed, there is also likely to be polarisation in terms of pack size. Net Profit of Bimoli Cooking Oil Producer, Salim Ivomas Pratama increases 320% in 2021. US Functional Flour Market outlook to 2028 Types (Pre-cooked Flour, and Specialty Flour); By Application (Bakery, Savory Snacks, Soups & Sauces, Ready-to-Eat products, and others); By Geography (North, East, West, and South) According to Ken Research, this market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of ~7% in between 2022-2028 owing to rise in allergy cases, rapid urbanization and technological advancements along with rise in demands and sales of gluten free products. Global Snack food Market Outlook to 2027 Driven by changing consumer lifestyles, increasing urbanization, and a rising preference for convenient and on-the-go food options The global snack food market is expected to reach USD 304306 Mn from 2022 to 2027, with a projected increase in market size driven by changing consumer preferences, urbanization, and a rising demand for convenience foods. A major growth driver in the snack food market will be the increasing consumer focus on health and wellness. There is a growing demand for snacks that are not only tasty but also nutritious. Europe Wheat protein Market Outlook to 2028 Driven by growing demand for plant-based protein and rising Health and Wellness awareness Europe wheat protein market is expected to show constant increase and is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~6% from 2022 to 2028 with increasing focus of concerning health issues. Wheat protein market is expected to grow from 2022-2028 due to factors like increase in trust on organic farming, growing demand of wheat protein, and increase in number of gyms and fitness centers in Europe. Follow Us - LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Contact Us:- Ken Research Private Limited Ankur Gupta, Director Strategy and Growth Ankur@kenresearch.com +91-9015378249 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1954972/Ken_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vietnam-edible-oil-market-poised-for-339-million-growth-by-2027-fueled-by-health-urbanization-and-food-processing-boom-ken-research-302059378.html NEWS PROVIDED BY gategroup February 12, 2024, 09:00 AM CET Qatar Airways and gategroup launch new partnership to elevate inflight dining The airline with gategroup on board will set a new benchmark in inflight dining experience, quality, sustainability and healthy eating GLATTBRUG, Switzerland. February 12, 2024: Qatar Airways and gategroup today announced a new catering partnership to elevate inflight dining, structured through a Business Management Agreement that will see collaboration on passenger dining experiences, sourcing and procurement, healthy eating, as well as sustainability. Qatar Airways' commitment to global aviation excellence will be reinforced by gategroup's expertise in menu design, culinary concepts and operational excellence. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: "This partnership with gategroup will amplify the Qatar Airways brand by delivering refined culinary experiences for our guests, inflight and on the ground in our world class lounges at Hamad International Airport. gategroup brings an exciting new beginning to an already world class standard of catering by Qatar Airways. Collectively our innovation and operational excellence will set a new standard for Inflight dining." Chief Executive Officer of gategroup Mr Christoph Schmitz said: "We are genuinely honored to walk this path alongside Qatar Airways. It is a journey of discovery, growth, and immense potential, and we firmly believe in the transformative power of collaboration, where two companies come together with shared visions and values to craft something truly outstanding." gategroup's culinary team - that will be based in Doha - will contribute to the development of a dedicated culinary studio for Qatar Airways, that facilitates innovation, co-creation and efficient menu design. The new culinary creations will focus on high quality ingredients, health and nutrition, incorporating local produce with a view to sustainable sourcing, authenticity and supporting local businesses. The elevation of culinary quality will be underpinned by robust processes around menu development, efficiency in production and systematic monitoring of food quality, taste and appearance. Through this collaboration, we will explore additional revenue streams and optimize operational and commercial efficiencies. This partnership conveys an exciting blend of culinary creativity and best in-class operations that will mark the next era of Qatar Airways inflight offering. New innovative concepts for the world's 5-star airline. About gategroup gategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. gategroup provides passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving passengers from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents. For further information, please visit www.gategroup.com. About Qatar Airways A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the 'World's Best Business Class' for the tenth time at the 2023 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, also taking home, Best Airline in the Middle East, World's Best Business Class Lounge and World's Best Business Class Lounge Dining at the prestigious awards held during the 2023 Paris Air Show. Qatar Airways is an unprecedented seven-time winner of the "World's Best Airline" voted by Skytrax (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022). Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as the 'World's Best Airport' in 2021 and 2022 consecutively. This year, Hamad International Airport has been ranked by Skytrax as the second-best airport in the world, and received the 'Best Airport in the Middle East' accolade for the ninth time in a row, as well as 'World's Best Airport Shopping'. Attachments Now in its eighth year, the programme has already helped pave the way for over 1,000 aspiring photojournalists, connecting young talent from across EMEA with some of the most influential names in the industry. Up to 100 students to receive mentorship from industry experts representing established news agencies and news publications, as well as Canon Ambassadors A shortlist of 25 students will be invited to take part in a four-day workshop in Girona, including a visit to Visa pour l'Image, where they can form new connections with professionals and peers Applications are being accepted between 12th February and 7th March to students across Europe, Middle East and Africai DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon Europe announces the call for entries for the eighth edition of the Canon Student Development Programme (CSDP), a prestigious annual programme designed to help aspiring photojournalists advance their careers. The industry-leading initiative offers access and exposure to experienced professionals from the photographic community and the opportunity to attend key industry events. CSDP has established itself as an invaluable springboard to the next generation of photojournalists. Former alumni have gone on to work for reputable news agencies and internationally renowned publications and continued to build successful careers. 2022 alumni Mohamed Mahdy (b. 1996), whose work focusses on the hidden and often unseen communities in Egypt, has won a main prize at the 2023 World Press Photo awards in the Open Format category. Fellow alumni Alexandra Corcode (b. 2000) has been selected for the 2023 Tom Stoddard Award for Excellence with her intimate portrayal of loneliness and abandonment amongst the elderly generation in her home country of Romania. Finalists of the 2023 programme, Ebrahim Alipoor and Fatma Fahmy, have both been selected for the 2024 VII Mentor program, run by VII Academy. The 2024 edition is open to students and internsi residing and studying in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with applications running from February 12th until March 7th. A limited number of spaces will also be available to talent endorsed by industry professionals. Submissions will be judged by a panel of editors from Getty Images, Reuters Pictures, AFP and EPA who will decide on the initial cohort of the region's most promising young storytellers. One-to-one mentorships The selected students will be partnered up with one of the programme's expert mentors, with the aim to discuss their current work and longer-term career aspirations in dedicated one-to-one sessions. Virtual reviews throughout summer will help refine their new project proposal and current portfolio - with a particular focus on exploring different editing options and ways to further strengthen narrative skills and develop authorial signatures. Canon Ambassador and photojournalist, Brent Stirton said, "This is a unique programme to meet and spend time with curators, editors and photographers - a real investment into the future of photography. Stats show that only a fraction of those who study photography survive in the profession long term, and I know that it will make a profound difference for those selected. Growing up in South Africa, there was no way that I could've accessed some of the best editors and photographers in the world when I was starting out, much less borrowing some of the best gear out there." Girona workshop and Visa pour l'Image in Perpignan, France In September, up to 25 students will be invited to a four-day Canon workshop in a grand Catalan farmhouse in Girona, Spain, concluding with a final night's stay at the Visa pour l'Image international photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France. The workshop will offer an intimate forum to exchange ideas and build relationships with renowned professionals from the world of photography. Group portfolio reviews offer a rich learning opportunity for students and a chance to both critique the work of their fellow peers, as well as receive professional feedback on their own. Aside from taking in the key exhibitions and evening screenings during Visa pour l'Image, students will also have the opportunity to participate in additional portfolio reviews and further expand their network. To apply to be a part of the 2024 Canon Student Development Programme or view the entry criteria, please visit: https://en.canon-me.com/get-involved/student-development-programme/ Footnotes: i For full terms and conditions, please go to this page: https://en.canon-me.com/get-involved/student-development-programme/terms-and-conditions/ About Canon Middle East Canon Middle East, a subsidiary of Canon Europe, is the operational headquarters for Canon in the Middle East based in Dubai, UAE.? Founded in 1937, the desire to continuously innovate has kept Canon at the forefront of imaging excellence throughout its 80-year history with its commitments to invest in the right areas and capture growth opportunities. From cameras to commercial printers, and business consultancy to healthcare technologies, Canon enriches lives and businesses through imaging innovation.? Canon's corporate philosophy is Kyosei - 'living and working together for the common good'. In EMEA, Canon Europe pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon's products, solutions and services. Canon invests heavily in R&D, delivering the richest and most innovative products and services to satisfy customers' creative needs. From amateur photographers to professional print companies, Canon enables each customer to realise their own passion for image. Further information about Canon Middle East is available at www.canon-me.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2267778/4454203/Canon_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/canon-student-development-programme-2024-opens-for-entries-302059439.html Victoria, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2024) - ALUULA Composites Inc. (TSXV: AUUA) (the "Company" or "ALUULA") announces that it has appointed Sage Berryman as President of the Company. Ms. Berryman brings to ALUULA decades of executive experience, with 15 years in the C-Suite. She has a track record of building sustainable growth in organizations ranging from startups to those with over 400 employees. With deep capital markets expertise, she has played a key role in leading transactions and partnerships valued at over $4 billion, specifically with innovative technology companies. Prior to joining ALUULA, Ms. Berryman provided transition and interim C-level services to several organizations during critical shifts. Beforehand, she was the Co-CEO for the Ralmax Group, having previously held the role of Chief Operating Officer. In addition to her executive leadership, Ms. Berryman boasts decades of board experience. She currently serves on several boards, including Coast Opportunity Funds and Syniad Innovations. Ms. Berryman also actively mentors and advises numerous entrepreneurs and their ventures. Ms. Berryman completed her MBA at Queen's University and has been recognized with accolades such as BC's Top 40 under 40 and BC's Top Influential Women in Business Award. "We're excited to welcome Sage as the newest addition to our team as President. With her demonstrated expertise in fostering strong company cultures and teams, she seamlessly aligns with ALUULA's commitment to sustainable growth and innovation," said Richard Myerscough, CEO of ALUULA. "In her role, Sage will spearhead general business growth and operations, leveraging her leadership skills to guide and support our team. This appointment comes at a pivotal time as the wind sport division maintains its strong momentum, and our focus remains on bringing our products to key markets. We look forward to seeing Sage's impact as we continue to expand our market presence and deliver exceptional products to our customers worldwide." New Stock Option Plan ALUULA has adopted a 10% fixed stock option plan (the "New Plan"), which replaces the Company's 10% rolling stock option plan. The New Plan has been approved by the TSX Venture Exchange and provides for the granting of up to 25,056,562 options. The Company has granted 10,500,000 stock options to Ms. Berryman and 500,000 stock options to Briony Bayer, the CFO of the Company. The stock options are exercisable at a price of $0.135 per share and expire five years from the date of grant. Investor Relations Update The Company entered into an investor service relations agreement (the "IR Agreement") with Apollo Shareholder Relations ("Apollo") on February 1, 2024, to provide investor relations services to the Company. Apollo is a leading investor communications agency, specializing in tailored IR services for the modern investor across Canada and the United States. Apollo will be providing several services to the Company pursuant to the IR Agreement, which includes but is not limited to strategic communications, news flow planning and press release writing, content creation, and attending to investor inquiries through email, phone calls and chatrooms. The IR Agreement has a fee of $66,000 for an initial six-month term, with the option to continue on a monthly basis thereafter. Either party may terminate the agreement by providing 30 days written notice. To the knowledge of the Company, and at the time of entry into the IR Agreement, no principal of Apollo held any securities in the Company. Both Apollo and its principals are arm's length to the Company. About ALUULA Composites ALUULA Composites Inc. (TSXV: AUUA) is a new class of composite materials built from components with eight times the strength-to-weight ratio of steel, and yet lighter than nylon, polyester or aramid. Using a patented and proprietary approach to increase fiber strength at the molecular level, ALUULA core weaves and outer facing films are fused without the use of heavy glues. This remarkable process allows ALUULA to achieve strength to weight ratio materials that have been previously unachievable. The Company continues to add patented innovation to its product offerings and specialized core competencies to its growing team. Partnering with world-class brands, ALUULA Composites Inc. is quickly becoming the top choice for innovators seeking to set a new standard of performance. ALUULA is a Canadian company founded by a team of highly experienced chemists and engineers who share a passion for the outdoors. They are challenging what was previously thought possible in product fabrication with their innovative and proprietary mono polymer composite materials. Extremely light, durable, recyclable, and easily fabricated into a multitude of products, ALUULA's materials are changing the landscape of product design. ALUULA strives to develop products and processes that are not hazardous to our environment and minimize the footprint we leave behind. Learn more about ALUULA Composites Inc. at: www.aluula.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Richard Myerscough Chief Executive Officer 1-888-724-2470 ceo@aluula.com For investor inquiries please contact: Investor Relations 1-888-724-2470, ext 4 IR@aluula.com TSX Venture Exchange Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties as described in the Company's management discussion and analysis. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, including the timing and receipt of all applicable regulatory, corporate and third party approvals, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statement will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197558 SOURCE: ALUULA Composites Inc. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has transferred his official duties to his deputy after he was hospitalized again. Dr.John Maddox, Trauma Medical Director, and Dr.Gregory Chesnut, Center for Prostate Disease Research of the Murtha Cancer Center Director, said in a statement that Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Sunday following symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue. After a series of tests and evaluations, the Secretary was admitted into the critical care unit at the military hospital for supportive care and close monitoring, they added. 'At this time, it is not clear how long Secretary Austin will remain hospitalized. The current bladder issue is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery. His cancer prognosis remains excellent,' the statement said. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said that at 4:55 pm Sunday, Austin transferred the functions and duties of the office of the Secretary of Defense to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. Hicks have taken charge of the key Cabinet post of the Biden administration. Ryder said in a press release that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the White House, and Congress have been notified of the transfer of duties. The US defense chief was hospitalized twice after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December. Complications developed after a surgery on December 22 forced the 70 year-old retired four-star general to be admitted in Walter Reed on New Year's Day. Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Video-Workshop: Das kleine Einmaleins der Charttechnik In diesem kostenlosen Video-Workshop von Stefan Klotter lernen Sie alles uber Charttechnik. Lassen Sie sich diesen kostenfreien Workshop nicht entgehen! Hier klicken LONDON, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As a university student, final year dissertation writing can seem like a daunting task. Thankfully, there are services available to help ease this burden. As a student, the quest for the best support in this scholarly endeavor can be puzzling, making it necessary to navigate dissertation writing services with an informed and discerning approach. Deciphering between various options requires careful consideration of several key factors including the credibility and reviews of the service, quality and originality of their work, qualifications and experience of the writers, ethical implications, and value for money. This release introduces the reader to the top three dissertation writing services in the UK for 2024 and sheds some light on the key reasons why these services have managed to secure such high rankings. The Best Dissertation Writing Companies Here are Advisor's picks for the best dissertation writing companies of 2024: Projectsdeal ??- 5/5 ??- 5/5 EasyMarks ??- 4.9/5 ??- 4.9/5 TopUKWriters ??- 4.6/5 ProjectsDeal: Going Beyond Writing -Mentorship and Expertise Combined Website: ProjectsDeal ProjectsDeal sets the bar high in the realm of dissertation writing services in the UK, primarily distinguishing itself through a unique blend of mentorship and writing expertise. Established by a distinguished university topper, ProjectsDeal transcends the typical offerings of academic assistance by cultivating an environment where knowledge transfer sessions are paramount. The platform has gained an impeccable reputation by guiding students to not only produce outstanding dissertations but also to deeply comprehend their chosen topics, thus enriching their academic and professional pathways. Collaborating with seasoned industry professionals and top-tier academic scholars, they afford students the privilege of working under the tutelage of a dedicated manager. With reasonable pricing and a commitment to plagiarism-free, high-calibre work, ProjectsDeal has become synonymous with academic distinction, fostering a legacy of excellence that resonates with students aiming for both merit and real-world acumen. With a team of highly experienced writers specialising in various fields of study, including business, law, engineering, and medicine, Projectsdeal ensures that students receive top-quality work . The company offers personalised mentoring and assigns a dedicated manager to each client, ensuring a unique and satisfactory experience. Projectsdeal provides assistance with topic selection, research proposal development, literature review, data analysis, and overall guidance. Their user-friendly website and reasonable pricing policy make them a popular choice among UK students seeking assistance with their dissertations. Features High-Quality and Original Work The hallmark of a superior dissertation writing service is the delivery of high-quality content. In the case of ProjectsDeal, each dissertation is crafted meticulously to meet the highest academic standards, ensuring originality and rigor. Comprehensive research and critical analysis underline the content creation process, which guarantees arguments that are compelling, well-substantiated, and wholly relevant to the dissertation's theme. Qualified and Professional Writers Having a sterling team of writers with advanced degrees is paramount to any top-tier dissertation writing service. ProjectsDeal wins in this aspect by housing an array of highly skilled writers, encompassing industry experts and university professors. Their diverse backgrounds contribute to a rich blend of practical industry knowledge and comprehensive theoretical understanding, permitting a profound exploration of the chosen dissertation topic. Personalised Mentoring Personal mentoring can significantly enhance the work quality and the learning experience of students. At ProjectsDeal, students are assigned to a dedicated manager who bridges the gap between the students and writers. They coordinate regularly, ensuring seamless communication. Importantly, the identity of the industry experts and university professors remains confidential, ensuring a respectful and professional engagement. Knowledge Transfer Sessions Knowledge transfer sessions are a crucial part of the learning process, imparting necessary insights and fostering an understanding of the subject matter beyond the scope of written content. At ProjectsDeal, the dedicated manager arranges these sessions with the professionals, ensuring an interaction that significantly contributes to students' understanding of their topic. This confidentiality respects professionals' privacy, maintaining their undisclosed status while enabling students to benefit from their knowledge and expertise. Ethical Practices Ethical considerations must always be at the forefront. Understanding this, ProjectsDeal insists on the responsible use of their services. While the team provides comprehensive support and high-quality content, the academic work is intended for reference and guidance rather than direct submission. This approach aligns with academic integrity, emphasizing the importance of original thought and understanding in student dissertations. Pros Assistance in selecting dissertation topics is tailored to align with the latest trends and the student's personal interests, ensuring relevance and engagement. ProjectsDeal's team of writers comprises industry professionals and PhD holders, exuding expertise and academic prowess. Emphasis on mentorship, leading to a better understanding of research & dissertations. Collaboration with seasoned industry professionals and academic scholars. Personalised dedicated manager Reasonable pricing and a commitment to plagiarism-free, high-quality work. ProjectsDeal, balances rigorous academic support with crucial mentorship. Personal managers, knowledgeable professionals, and comprehensive services come together to provide a holistic academic experience. They foster significant learning, sustained confidentiality, and encourage the responsible application of dissertation services. The perfect blend offered ensures that students do not merely receive a well-crafted dissertation, but also acquire depth in understanding, gearing them for success in their academic and professional journeys. EasyMarks Website: EasyMarks Easymarks is another reputable dissertation writing service in the UK , known for its high-quality work and excellent customer support. They provide dissertations, literature reviews, and assignments across various fields of study. With a reputation for delivering superior-quality academic work, their broad spectrum of services extends from dissertations to literature reviews and assignments, encompassing a wide array of study fields. Easymarks prides itself on offering competitive pricing while maintaining top-notch quality. Furthermore, they have a user-friendly website and a dedicated support team available 24/7 to answer any questions or concerns. A pivotal aspect of their success is the potent combination of a user-oriented website and a dedicated 24/7 support team. The latter bolsters their praiseworthy customer service, ensuring that every query and concern is addressed swiftly and effectively, amplifying the students' confidence in their services. Features: Superior-quality academic work across a broad spectrum of subjects. A competitive pricing model that doesn't compromise on output quality. A user-friendly website complemented by a dedicated support system. Pros: High-quality academic work across a wide range of subjects. Competitive pricing with quality output, making it affordable for students. User-friendly website with responsive, 24/7 customer support. Covers diverse writing needs, including dissertations, literature reviews, and assignments. TopUKWriters Website: TopUKWriters TopUKWriters is a well-known dissertation writing service that has helped numerous students achieve academic success. They provide a wide array of offerings, including full dissertations, methodology, data analysis, and editing. One of TopUKWriters' strengths lies in their team of highly qualified writers who hold masters or Ph.D. degrees in various fields. They provide plagiarism-free work and have a stringent hiring process to ensure that only the best writers join their team. Their website is easy to navigate, and they offer excellent customer support to help students at every stage of the process. Features: A team of writers with advanced degrees offering original, academically rigorous work. A well-vetted hiring process to maintain a high standard of writing staff. Intuitive website navigation and robust customer support. Pros: A team of highly qualified writers with advanced degrees in various fields. Offering a wide range of services, including full dissertations, methodology, data analysis, and editing. Strict hiring process to ensure that only the best writers join their team. Intuitive website navigation and excellent customer support. FAQs: What Makes the Best Dissertation Writing Service? What criteria was used for rating of companies listed? Choosing the best dissertation writing service were a carefully evaluated of below key factors. service's quality of work, the credentials of its writers, the breadth of its assistance, its commitment to ethics, and accord to the student's budget. The best dissertation writing service were evaluated on criterias: High-Quality and Original Work One of the primary factors that distinguishes the best dissertation writing service is the quality of the content they provide. The service should offer original, plagiarism-free work that adheres to the highest academic standards. All supporting evidence, theories, and arguments presented should be credible and relevant to the dissertation topic. In addition, the flow of arguments, grammatical accuracy, and language consistency are essential elements that guarantee a high-quality dissertation. Qualified and Experienced Writers This service should have a team of highly qualified writers who have advanced degrees in various fields. These writers should have considerable experience in academic writing and a thorough understanding of different research methodologies. This ensures that they are capable of delivering dissertations that meet the academic objectives and standards of different educational institutions. Comprehensive Services The best dissertation writing service offers a wide array of support, including topic selection, research proposal development, literature review, data analysis, and methodology development. Preferably, such a service can guide through all the stages of dissertation writing, from start to finish. Ethical Practice Ethical implications are a significant consideration while using a dissertation writing service. The best service would encourage and guide the student to learn, understand and present their work even while providing comprehensive support. Such a service would not endorse plagiarism, insisting that the work provided be used responsibly as a reference or guidance, rather than being directly submitted. Value for Money The best dissertation writing service should provide top-quality assistance at a reasonable price. A careful balance between cost and quality of service should be struck, ensuring that students receive excellent yet affordable tutoring and mentorship. Timely Delivery Adhering to the academic calendar is a crucial aspect of a student's journey. The best dissertation writing services ensure that every project is delivered on time without compromising on quality, thus, helping students meet their academic deadlines. Conclusion The best dissertation writing service is about more than just delivering a well-written paper. It should guide students through their academic journey and equip them with the knowledge and skills to excel in their fields of study. By assisting students in overcoming challenges and providing valuable insights, such services can enhance the overall academic pursuit. It should foster an environment where knowledge transfer sessions are paramount, helping students gain a deeper comprehension of their chosen subjects, and ultimately nurturing a future-ready professional. Summary Writing Service Rating ProjectsDeal 5/5 EasyMarks 4.9/5 TopUKWriters 4.6/5 By leveraging a dissertation writing service like ProjectsDeal, you can go beyond academic achievements and gain a substantial understanding of your study area. This advantage will prove invaluable in your future career. The decision to employ such services is not just about improving your grades, but about shaping a pathway to success in your chosen industry. By harnessing the expertise of these top-tier services, you are making a strategic investment in your educational journey that can yield significant returns. When you choose ProjectsDeal, you can expect perfect writing that meets the highest standards. Their team of experienced writers ensures that every dissertation is of impeccable quality, addressing the specific requirements of your study area. Additionally, ProjectsDeal understands the importance of meeting deadlines. With their commitment to delivering work on time, you can trust that your dissertation will be completed within the agreed-upon timeframe. ProjectsDeal and other top dissertation writing services prioritize the success of their clients. They understand the challenges you may face throughout the process and aim to provide comprehensive support. Whether it's help with topic selection , researching, or data analysis , these services are equipped to guide you through every step of the way. By entrusting your dissertation to these top-tier services, you are making a prudent decision that can have a significant impact on your student career and beyond. The investment in your educational journey will likely prove to be one of the most judicious decisions you make. So, consider the expertise and support provided by these services and embark on a path to academic and professional success. With perfect writing and on-time delivery, these services will ensure that you have the tools necessary to excel in your studies and lay the foundation for a successful future. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2338549/Dissertation_Services_UK_2024.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/the-top-three-dissertation-writing-services-in--the-uk-2024-by-trusted-writers-302059486.html CHICAGO and PARIS, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT), a global capital markets technology platform provider, today announced a definitive agreement for TT to acquire ATEO SAS, a leading provider of post-trade solutions for listed derivatives, expanding TT's reach into clearing and other middle-office technologies and services. Terms of the transaction, expected to close on Feb. 29, were not disclosed. The two firms entered into a strategic partnership in late 2022 to deliver a fully integrated, comprehensive post-trade allocation service for sell-side banks, brokers and futures commission merchants (FCMs). The acquisition brings ATEO's full line of middle-office solutions into the TT infrastructure. TT CEO Keith Todd said: "We've enjoyed an outstanding working relationship with the ATEO team since we embarked on our partnership in 2022, and we came to the conclusion that we can create an even stronger value proposition and end-to-end offering by bringing the entire firm and all software modules into the TT family of offerings. ATEO has both highly respected technology and established trusted relationships with a wide range of leading banks, brokerage firms, trading houses and professional traders. The total addressable market for middle-office clearing solutions is at least $100 million, with plenty of room for growth in market share." Laurent Courbin, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of ATEO, said: "Since 2000, ATEO has provided premier middle-office solutions to our clients, with functionally rich and reliable software. While we have already attracted some of the leading firms in the industry, we now have the ability to scale significantly as part of the TT team and infrastructure, supporting more clients of every size, regardless of the scope of their needs." David Romeo, Managing Director of ATEO, said: "This will also bring our existing clients and those in our pipeline easy access to the TT platform and the full range of services the firm provides. Giving our clients the ability to manage their trading activities from pre-trade risk to post-trade allocation and clearing through TT's multi-asset platform will provide a meaningful competitive advantage." ATEO will operate as a global managed service hosted in TT's data centers. ATEO's post-trade allocation engine is already fully integrated into the TT order management system (OMS), providing TT OMS clients with seamless access to the functionality. Among ATEO's products are: TEO Derivatives, a global order management system dedicated to pure brokerage environments and used by many of the world's leading inter-dealer and executing brokers, including the vast majority of brokers in London; the LISA Clearing Engine, a widely adopted trade matching and clearing solution enabling firms to process business across all clearing houses globally and offer tailored services to their customers; and UGO, a set of gateways and standardized clearing application programming interfaces (APIs) providing firms with the ability to develop or feed in-house solutions through scalable trade feed standardization and high throughput for all clearing activities. About Trading Technologies Trading Technologies ( www.tradingtechnologies.com ) is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) technology platform provider to the global capital markets industry. The company's award-winning TT platform connects to the world's major international exchanges and liquidity venues in listed derivatives alongside a growing number of asset classes, including fixed income and cryptocurrencies. The TT platform delivers advanced tools for trade execution and order management, market data solutions, analytics, trade surveillance, risk management and infrastructure services to the world's leading sell-side institutions, buy-side firms and exchanges. The company's blue-chip client base includes the Tier 1 banks as well as brokers, money managers, hedge funds, proprietary traders, Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs), commercial hedgers and risk managers. These firms rely on the TT ecosystem to manage their end-to-end trading operations. In addition, exchanges utilize TT's technology to deliver innovative solutions to their market participants. TT also strategically partners with technology companies to make their complementary offerings available to Trading Technologies' global client base through the TT ecosystem. About ATEO ATEO delivers post-trade solutions for the financial industry, including a global blotter, clearing and matching system, and extensive market connectivity. The world's leading banks, trading houses and professional traders have been relying on ATEO technology since its creation in 2000. Through years of experience, advanced technology solutions and an unparalleled sense of service, ATEO helps customers achieve efficiencies and grow their business. For more information, please visit www.ateofinance.com . Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1672454/Trading_Technologies_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/trading-technologies-expands-into-clearing-technologies-services-with-acquisition-of-ateo-302059140.html Companies have joined with industry leaders and FDA on Project PRISM to advance solutions that can improve the submission, review and ease of communication for human drug and biologics applications DNAnexus, Inc., provider of the Precision Health Data Cloud, and LORENZ Life Sciences Group, the leader in regulatory information management technology for the life sciences industry, today announced a partnership to offer Trusted Regulatory Spaces secure, cloud-native environments that improve the submission validation process and ease of sponsor-reviewer communication for human drug and biologics applications to health authorities. The engagement is highlighted by Project PRISM, a research collaboration between Industry and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to demonstrate the feasibility of collaborative regulatory submission validation and scientific review utilizing LORENZ's eValidator solution deployed on precisionFDA, FDA's production cloud platform built and powered by DNAnexus for multi-omics and real-world data regulatory science and review. The joint offering leverages in-production solutions that already meet the most stringent security, privacy and data residency requirements and have been adopted by many leading global health authorities and life sciences organizations. The regulatory submission process is challenging and resource-intensive for sponsors and health authorities. Digital transformation through the deployment of a trusted cloud platform that enables seamless collaboration between regulators and sponsors will accelerate the review and approval of life-changing therapies. To this end, DNAnexus and LORENZ are pioneering Trusted Regulatory Spaces to: Enable collaborative validation of regulatory submissions , allowing sponsors and health authority reviewers to leverage a secure cloud environment for eCTD validation and review , allowing sponsors and health authority reviewers to leverage a secure cloud environment for eCTD validation and review Facilitate real-time communication between sponsors and regulators, for interactive review in collaborative Trusted Regulatory Spaces utilizing regulatory and scientific tools and technologies that enable enhanced sponsor-health authority interactions for the assessment of human drugs and biologics for interactive review in collaborative Trusted Regulatory Spaces utilizing regulatory and scientific tools and technologies that enable enhanced sponsor-health authority interactions for the assessment of human drugs and biologics Provide sponsors and regulators with both private and shared workspaces, allowing them to maintain secure separation and expose only the data they need to, when they need to The collaboration between both organizations will be on display during Project PRISM, which is being run in conjunction with FDA and industry collaborators, including two leading global pharmaceutical companies. Built and powered by DNAnexus, precisionFDA launched in 2015 to enable the advancement of regulatory science and has evolved into a trusted, FedRAMP-authorized platform for secure collaboration and cloud computing. Since its inception, precisionFDA has grown to support collaborative use cases around genomics, multi-omics, real-world data, and AI and machine learning. Project PRISM represents the next adaptation of precisionFDA and seeks to help life science organizations and global health authorities leverage regulatory and scientific cloud platforms to achieve greater efficiencies on a regional and international scale. precisionFDA has a FISMA Authorization to Operate, building on DNAnexus' FedRAMP authorization and 21 CFR Part 11 Computer System Validation, and platform features, such as chain of provenance tracking and data immutability, to deliver a regulatory-grade service for collaborative science in the cloud. LORENZ has been a leader in regulatory technology since 1989 and provides mission critical electronic application review and validation systems to 17 global regulatory authorities across global regions such as North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The company is playing a key role enabling technology to support a modernized trans-regional collaborative joint review process for approval of innovative medicines through the ACCESS Consortium NASWSI New Active Substance Work-Sharing Initiative. Today, 27% of the world's population is receiving new medicines approved electronically through LORENZ solutions. As part of the start of this collaboration, LORENZ's off-the-shelf eValidator solution will be leveraged within the secure confines of precisionFDA, enabling sponsors to share eCTD validation results with reviewers using shared interactive workspaces called Trusted Regulatory Spaces. "The regulatory submission and review process is the perfect opportunity to showcase the secure collaboration capabilities of the DNAnexus platform," said Thomas Laur, CEO of DNAnexus. "We are excited to work with LORENZ to deliver a trusted cloud solution that is ready to be adopted by global regulators and sponsors today." "We are honored to be working with DNAnexus to enable a future where health authorities can collaborate with each other and sponsors can securely process applicant/regulator interactions with various health authorities in all regions, on regulatory submissions in the cloud," said Wolfgang Witzel, President of LORENZ Life Sciences Group. Both organizations will be available to discuss Trusted Regulatory Spaces at the upcoming DIA RSIDM conference, taking place February 12-14 in Washington, DC. About DNAnexus DNAnexus enables biomedical organizations to accelerate scientific discovery and improve patient care with the Precision Health Data Cloud. The company provides scientific innovators and healthcare professionals with the ability to manage, analyze, and collaborate on multi-omic, clinical and real-world data to unlock insights. DNAnexus actively manages more than 105 petabytes of data on behalf of a growing network of collaborations with leading pharmaceutical, clinical diagnostic, academic research, biobank, and government organizations. Today, more than 45,000 users across 48 countries and over 130 enterprise customers are harnessing the full potential of their data with the scalable and secure Precision Health Data Cloud. DNAnexus is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. For more information, visit www.dnanexus.com or follow @DNAnexus. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212882056/en/ Contacts: Andrew Noble 415-722-2129 andrew@bioscribe.com A photo of an assistance cat which was shared by an amused Aldi customer has inadvertently sparked heated debate on social media. Aldi customers were divided over the image of the assistance animal, which showed the furry feline sitting in one of the German supermarkets shopping trolleys. Here is something that is rare to see in an Aldi store, the woman commented when sharing the photo on Facebook. It is the first time I have ever seen an assistance cat anywhere in public. A light-hearted snap from one Aldi shopper has sparked a social media debate over a new phenomenon: assistance cats. Source: Facebook 'Why is everyone complaining?' While some social media users gushed about the cute feline, not everyone was impressed. So anyone can buy a harness for an animal and call it an assistance pet and take it anywhere. Ridiculous, one angry woman commented. Animals should not be in trolleys. Cats especially walk in cat litter! Others said they saw no issue in placing an animal like this in a trolley, considering they were generally filthy to begin with and that there would have been a risk of injury if the cat was allowed to walk around peoples feet freely instead. I don't know why everyone is complaining about the cat in the seat. I never use this part of the trolley, it is designed to put young children. Some who still wear nappies or a being toilet trained, one person said, while another added, You could recommend that he sits on a blanket like I used to bring for my daughter... I carry wipes and bags with me and always wash veggies. Some also raised concerns about their children sitting in the trolley after the cat. "Im not against assistance animals at all but from a mum with a child with a severe allergy to cats and dogs I dont think it should be in the trolley," one woman wrote. Story continues Meanwhile, other members of the group lobbied for a bit more understanding from other shoppers who vehemently disapproved of the cats presence, saying it may have been there provide support for someone who has post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Aldi did not comment on the matter when contacted by Yahoo News Australia, however, the supermarket chains store policy is guided by the legislation outlined In the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 which states a person must be able to produce evidence that the creature is an assistance animal and prove they are trained to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for a public space. While it is uncommon, Australians can expect more cats to join the ranks of assistance animals which at the moment are dominated by dogs. The rise of assistance cats While it is uncommon now, Australians can expect more cats to join the ranks of assistance animals which at the moment are dominated by dogs. Think Mental Health Clinical Director Vanessa Hamilton, whose multidisciplinary team supports Commonwealth-funded Canberra Head to Health, told Yahoo News that while most common types of assistance animals are dogs and horses, they are now seeing an increase in cats. Assistance cats are going to become more and more common, experts say. Source: Getty Animal assisted intervention (AAI) is a growth area that is showing promise as a complementary treatment for individuals who have experienced trauma, Hamilton said. The most prevalent outcome of AAI is a reduction in symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. There is strong anecdotal evidence to support animals as a unique additional element to address several symptoms of psychological distress, she added. They not only reduce distress but can also facilitate social connection and reduce loneliness. Caring for and interactions with animals have also been shown to trigger the release of oxytocin (love hormone) which reduces emotional arousal and promotes a feeling of contentment in all of us. In NSW, a person with disability is entitled to be accompanied by an assistance animal in public places and public transport, unlike regular animals or pets. Some companion animals are trained to provide assistance to people with a disability to help alleviate the effect of that disability. These assistance animals are not pets, the NSW Office of Local Government says on their website. Entry cannot be refused without reasonable cause. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Looking ahead to 2024, MeasureUp has launched its new platform, iTalentUp, aimed at revolutionizing recruitment processes in the technology sector, which has become one of its strategic pillars for the future MIAMI, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MeasureUp , a leading provider of certification preparation material for the IT industry, closed the year by helping more than half a million people obtain technology certifications and advance their careers through the delivery of more than one million practice tests and assessments. Throughout 2023, MeasureUp reinforced its focus on the excellence and quality of its educational solutions, helping thousands of professionals and students improve their current conditions by finding new job opportunities and proving to themselves their capability to achieve their career goals. According to Sam Brocal, CEO of MeasureUp, "These figures make us aware of the tangible impact we have had on the lives and careers of thousands of people. Students trust us because of the quality of our platform and our products." Looking ahead to 2024, Sam says, "We will continue to innovate, to ensure that professionals find the tools they need to succeed in an ever-evolving technological world." With a full range of products designed to cover a wide variety of technology certifications, including more than 400 products and 29 000 questions, MeasureUp continues to be the trusted partner for those looking to advance their careers. In addition to the quality of these products, it is important to highlight the success of the company's new go-to-market strategy in 2023. This strategy includes Team Plans with volume purchase discounts, Subscription Plans that give users access to the full catalogue, and combinations of related products known as Bundles. Jesus Sierra, MeasureUp's marketing director, highlights "The numerous usability improvements implemented on our website this year, which has made the experience more intuitive and efficient for our users." MeasureUp ended the year with the launch of its new 2024 platform, iTalentUp , designed to help HR professionals, recruitment agencies, and companies identify top talent quickly and accurately. iTalentUp simplifies the complex task of assessing technical skills and knowledge, allowing its users to create assessment tests for technical profiles without the need for subject matter expertise, thanks to MeasureUp's catalogue of questions covering the most in-demand technologies in the market. MeasureUp also played a leading role in several technology industry conferences in 2023, such as the 'Innovations in Testing' conference organized by the Association of Test Publishers in Dallas (USA) and its European edition, E-ATP, in Vienna. In 2024, MeasureUp participated in the BETT 2024 event, one of the most highly-recognized events in the educational technology sector, where the company was able to offer its services to schools and educational centers around the world. New innovations for 2024 Looking ahead to 2024, technological innovation will remain central at MeasureUp. Through its iTalentUp and Pedagoo platforms, the company will incorporate artificial intelligence into its processes, enabling a more personalized and efficient user experience. Moreover, in the case of Pedagoo, the implementation of AI will also help users in question construction. Similarly, MeasureUp reaffirms its commitment to quality and the constant updating of its products. In line with this commitment, it is currently exploring the possibility of developing new certification preparation paths in the field of artificial intelligence. Through these initiatives, MeasureUp aims to consolidate its position as a leader in the ICT certification preparation sector and to continue to make a tangible impact on the professional lives of its users. About MeasureUp MeasureUp, part of the Media Interactiva group of companies, is a world leader in exam simulations and assessments for official certifications in the ICT sector. With more than 400 products and 29 000 questions, its customers can prepare for the certification exams of the largest technology manufacturers. MeasureUp is an authorized provider of practice tests for companies such as Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA, ISC2, EC-Council, The Python Institute, Pearson, AWS and PMI, among others. Since joining Media Interactive in 2014, MeasureUp has helped more than 5 million people achieve certifications in over 180 countries around the world. It aims to continue this legacy and contribute to a better society through education. Read more: www.measureup.com https://www.facebook.com/MeasureUpCertPrep/ https://twitter.com/DoYouMeasureUp https://www.linkedin.com/company/measureup/ https://www.instagram.com/measureupcertprep/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2337887/MeasureUp_technology_certifications.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/measureup-finishes-the-year-having-helped-more-than-half-a-million-people-advance-their-careers-through-it-certifications-302058614.html CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The IoT Sensors Market is projected to grow from USD 16.0 billion in 2024 and is estimated to reach USD 70.1 billion by 2029; it is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 34.4 % from 2024 to 2029 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. With the increasing internet penetration rate, IoT is finding applications in retail, consumer electronics, agriculture, automotive, transportation, and other verticals. The continuously increasing number of Internet users worldwide is expected to drive the demand for high-speed, low-cost IoT technology-based devices such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, barcode scanners, and mobile computers. This would result in an increased demand for sensors. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=26520972 Browse in-depth TOC on "IoT Sensors Market" 195 - Tables 61 - Figures 269 - Pages IoT Sensors Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $16.0 billion Estimated Value by 2029 $70.1 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 34.4% Market Size Available for 2020-2029 Forecast Period 2024-2029 Forecast Units Value (USD Thousand/Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Sensors Type, By Network Technology, By Vertical and By Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Lack of common protocol and communication standards Key Market Opportunities Cross domain collaboration across businesses Key Market Drivers Higher adoption of IPv6 The temperature sensors segment is expected to have the highest growth in Asia Pacific. The temperature sensors segment is expected to have the highest growth in Asia Pacific. As more devices and systems connect to the internet, temperature sensors are increasingly used to gather data, from home automation and energy management to industrial process control and environmental. Temperature sensors are crucial in automating various processes and optimizing resource usage across industries. For example, in manufacturing, they monitor equipment temperature to prevent overheating and breakdowns, while in agriculture, they help optimize irrigation and climate control in greenhouses. The market for the Industrial IoT vertical to hold a significant share of the IoT sensors market in 2023. Industrial IoT is the inception of a new digital industrial technology, which is expected to enable the interconnection of sensors, machines, and IT systems across the value chain of manufacturing companies beyond a single enterprise. These interconnected systems interact with each other using standard internet-based protocols and enable companies to analyze data to predict the failure of machines. Industrial IoT is expected to make it possible to gather and analyze data related to machines, thereby enabling fast, flexible, and efficient processes to produce high-quality products at reduced costs. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=26520972 China is expected to have the largest market size during the forecast period. China is the fastest-developing country in the Asia Pacific. In China, IoT sensors industry have been preliminarily deployed for city management applications. They have been used in transportation, power, oil and gas, healthcare, and education sectors. As the country is a leading hub for semiconductor fabrication and production, its involvement in developing and deploying IoT solutions is crucial for the growth of semiconductor companies. The country is a leading manufacturer of textiles, electronics, and agricultural products. In production processes, IoT technology is used to monitor machinery, employee performance, and environmental conditions. The data can be further used to analyze, control, and prevent risks and avoid economic losses. End-to-end automation is a new concept that is gaining momentum in China for use in different industries. Key Market Players Texas Instruments (US), TE Connectivity (Switzerland), Broadcom (US), NXP Semiconductors (Netherlands), STMicroelectronics NV (Switzerland), Bosch Sensortec (Germany), TDK Corporation (Japan), Infineon Technologies (Germany), Analog Devices (US), Omron Corporation (Japan), Sensirion (Switzerland), Honeywell International (US), Siemens AG (Germany), Knowles Corporation (US), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Sensata Technologies (US), Emerson Electric Co. (US), Teledyne Technologies (US), SmartThings Inc. (US), Monnit Corporation (US), Murata Manufacturing Co., (Japan), Figaro Engineering Inc. (Japan), Trafag AG (Switzerland), NIDEC COPAL ELECTRONICS (Japan), and KITA SENSOR TECH. CO., LTD. (Taiwan). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=26520972 Browse Adjacent Market: Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Temperature Sensor Market by Product Type (Contact Temperature Sensor, Non-Contact Temperature Sensor), Output (Analog, Digital), Connectivity (Wired, Wireless), End-user Industry (Consumer Electronics, Oil & Gas) and Region - Global Forecast to 2029 Pressure Sensor Market by Sensor Type (Wired, Wireless), Technology (Piezoresistive, Capacitive, Optical), Product (Absolute, Gauge, Differential), End Use, Vertical, and Geography About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/sensors-iot-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/sensors-iot.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2297424/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/iot-sensors-market-worth-70-1-billion-by-2029---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302059425.html The rising popularity of cyber security in detecting & responding to cyber threats and the integration of novel technologies in the industrial automation sector are expected to drive the global cyber security for industrial automation market's growth during the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region is projected to be the most dominant by 2032. NEW CASTLE, Del., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research has recently published a report, titled, "Cyber Security For Industrial Automation Market By Type (Fixed Automation System, Programmable Automation System, Flexible Automation System, Integrated Automation System), By Tools or Technologies (Numerical Control (NC) Machine Tools, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Systems, Industrial Sensors), By Security Type (Enterprise Security, SCADA Security (supervisory control and data acquisition), Network Security, Device Security, Physical Security), By End Use (Automotive Manufacturing, Electronics and Telecommunication, Food & Beverage Processing, Pharmaceuticals, Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global cyber security for industrial automation market generated $9 billion in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $20.5 billion by 2032, rising at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2023 to 2032. Prime Determinants of Growth The rising popularity of cyber security in detecting & responding to cyber threats, increased number of cyber threats, and the stringent regulations & standards mandating the implementation of cybersecurity in industrial automation are the factors expected to drive the growth of the global cyber security for industrial automation market in the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. However, the lack of expertise & skilled professionals and the outdated legacy systems and compliance issues may hamper market growth in the coming future. On the contrary, the adoption of novel technologies in the industrial automation sector and the growing focus on cyber resilience and the development of incident response plans & business continuity are expected to offer remunerative opportunities for the expansion of the cyber security for industrial automation market during the forecast period. Request Sample Pages: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A289338 Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $9 billion Market Size in 2032 $20.5 billion CAGR 8.7 % No. of Pages in Report 320 Segments covered Security Type, End Use, Type, Tools for Technologies, and Region Drivers Growing popularity of cyber security in detecting & responding to cyber threats Increasing number of cyber threats Stringent regulations and standards mandating the implementation of cybersecurity measures in industrial automation Opportunities Integration of new technologies in industrial automation sector Growing development of incident response plans and business continuity Restraints Outdated legacy systems and compliance issues COVID-19 Scenario The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak had a significant impact on the global cyber security for industrial automation market's growth. The pandemic led to disruptions in global supply chains due to lockdowns, reduced manufacturing activities, and restrictions on international trade. These disruptions led to remote work culture that exposed several industries to cyber threats by compromising network security and leading to data breaches. Moreover, industrial automation systems emerged as prime targets for cybercriminals amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to exploit vulnerabilities amid heightened dependence on digital technologies. Additionally, disruptions in global supply chains caused by the pandemic prompted greater scrutiny of supply chain security processes. Buy this Complete Report (320 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/cyber-security-for-industrial-automation-market/purchase-options Security Type: SCADA security (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Sub-segment to be Flourish Immensely by 2032 The SCADA security (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) sub-segment accounted for the largest global cyber security for industrial automation market share of 28.5% in 2022 and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period. This is majorly because SCADA systems play a crucial role in industrial automation by providing remote monitoring and control capabilities. The rising need to protect critical processes from cyber threats is another factor to boost the sub-segment's growth. Besides, SCADA's capability for efficient centralized process control is driving the demand for cyber security in industrial automation. End Use: Food & Beverage Processing Sub-segment to Grow at the Highest CAGR During the Forecast Period The food & beverage processing sub-segment accounted for the largest market share of 34.4% in 2022 and is expected to rise at the highest CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period. This is mainly because the food & beverage industry depends heavily on computer-controlled automation systems for its productivity. Besides, cybersecurity measures are significant to prevent downtime caused by cyberattacks. Moreover, in the food & beverage industry, intellectual property, such as formulations, proprietary recipes, and processes, is a valuable asset. A major factor to protect this intellectual property from unauthorized access or theft is cybersecurity. Type: Programmable Automation System Sub-segment to Witness Significant Growth by 2032 The programmable automation system sub-segment of the global market accounted for the highest share of 35.6% in 2022 and is projected to continue to maintain its dominance in terms of market share during the forecast period. This is primarily because the programmable automation systems offer a high degree of flexibility and adaptability in manufacturing processes. Besides, the nature of programmable automation systems is well-suited for batch production processes, especially in industries producing similar items using the same automated steps and tools. Furthermore, the programmable automation systems enable the seamless implementation of new processes through modification of the control program. Tools for Technologies: Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) Sub-segment to Rise at the Highest CAGR During the Forecast Period The programmable logic controllers (PLCs) sub-segment of the global market accounted for the largest cyber security for industrial automation market share of 32.6% in 2022 and is anticipated to rise at the highest CAGR of 9.5% by 2032. This is primarily owing to the efficient adaptation to evolving cybersecurity requirements offered by the flexibility of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in industrial automation. Besides, PLCs offer robust operation and enhanced reliability compared to traditional relay-based control systems. The design of PLCs to operate in harsh industrial environments, along with built-in protection against temperature extremes, electrical noise, and dependable performance, ensures dependable and consistent performance. Region: Asia-Pacific Market to be the Most Dominant by 2032 The cyber security for industrial automation market in the Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest share of 38.2% in 2022 and is predicted to rise at the highest CAGR of 9.2% during the forecast period. This growth is mainly owing to the significant rise in cyber threats. Besides, the rapid digitalization, geopolitical tensions, and the increased Internet penetration are other factors driving the regional market growth. Moreover, several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as India, South Korea, Japan, China, and others are actively pursuing digital transformation initiatives to enhance the productivity and efficiency of industrial processes. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A289338 Leading Players in the Cyber Security for Industrial Automation Market: Microsoft Corporation Siemens AG Cisco Systems, Inc. ABB Dell Inc. Schneider Electric Honeywell International Inc. IBM Rockwell Automation Inc. Palo Alto Networks, Inc. The report provides a detailed analysis of the key players of the global cyber security for industrial automation market. These players have adopted different strategies, such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain their dominance in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model): AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Wilmington, Delaware. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports Insights" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies, and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cyber-security-for-industrial-automation-market-to-reach-20-5-billion-globally-by-2032-at-8-7-cagr-allied-market-research-302059585.html TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Lahontan Gold Corp (TSXV:LG)(OTCQB:LGCXF) (the "Company" or "Lahontan"), is pleased to provide the following review of key milestones achieved by the Company during 2023 and to lay out Lahontan's mine development and exploration plans for 2024. 2023 was a transformative year for the Company, beginning with the January release of the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate* ("MRE") for its 26.4 km2 flagship Santa Fe Mine project located in the Walker Lane of mining friendly Mineral County, Nevada. Lahontan also completed two fully subscribed financings raising over $5.1M, drilled almost 3,700 metres in the Slab-Calvada resource area, initiated base-line cultural and environmental studies covering almost half the Santa Fe Mine project, acquired the 19.7 km2 West Santa Fe Au-Ag project, expanded Santa Fe via staking by 7.5 km2, and completed a comprehensive review/audit of all past metallurgical testing and production reports for Santa Fe. Details are below: Santa Fe Mine Project MRE*: The MRE for Santa Fe, released in January 2023, was based upon 1,275 drill holes totaling 125,435 metres, including 50 drill holes totaling 13,118 metres drilled by Lahontan since 2021 (the MRE does not include holes drilled later in 2023). Highlights of the MRE include: Project-wide pit constrained Indicated Mineral Resources of 1,112,000 contained gold equivalent ("Au Eq") ounces and Inferred Mineral Resources of 544,000 contained Au Eq ounces. (Au Eq is based on the following formula: Au Eq g/t = Au g/t + (Ag g/t/75) and adjusted for historic differences in Au and Ag recovery during mine operations as described in the MRE). Project-wide average grade for the Indicated Mineral Resource is 1.14 g/t Au Eq ; the average grade of the Project-wide Inferred Mineral Resource is 1.00 g/t Au Eq . ; the average grade of the Project-wide Inferred Mineral Resource is . Indicated Oxide Resources total 21.6 Mt grading 1.03 g/t Au Eq for 712,000 Au Eq ounces and Inferred Oxide Resources total 11.1 Mt grading 0.73 g/t Au Eq for 262,000 Au Eq ounces. Corporate Financings: The Company closed two equity financings during 2023, the first closing in February and March, the second closing in September (please see Company press releases dated February 28, March 8, and September 1, 2023). Combined, the financings raised over $5.1M, leaving Lahontan well-financed to aggressively pursue its exploration and mine development programs. Excellent Drilling Results in the Slab-Calvada area at Santa Fe: Lahontan completed 3,687 metres of reverse-circulation drilling in 18 holes in the Slab-Calvada resource area at the Santa Fe Mine project. The drilling targeted extensions of known resources, defined by the Company's NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report and MRE*, beyond the conceptual pit shells used in the MRE. Drilling highlights include: 38.1 metres grading 0.87 g/t Au and 2.5 g/t Ag (0.89 gpt Au Eq) of oxide metallurgical domain mineralization in drill hole CAL23-004R including 10.6 metres grading 2.02 g/t Au and 2.4 g/t Ag (2.04 gpt Au Eq) . metallurgical domain mineralization in drill hole CAL23-004R . 82.3 metres grading 0.68 g/t Au and 2.0 g/t (0.70 gpt Au Eq) of oxide metallurgical domain mineralization in drill hole CAL23-001R, including 21.3 metres grading 0.93 gpt Au and 1.9 gpt Ag (0.95 gpt Au Eq). * Please see the Santa Fe Project Technical Report, Authors: Trevor Rabb and Darcy Baker, P. Geos. Effective Date: December 7, 2022, Report Date: March 2, 2023. The Technical Report is available on the Company's website and SEDAR The Slab-Calvada area is particularly important from a mine development perspective as gold and silver mineralization crops out at the surface, is completely oxidized, and would therefore be a logical area to resume mining operations. Lahontan believes that this drill campaign was highly successful in expanding the footprint of oxide gold and silver mineralization; this data will be included in an updated technical report as described below (please see Lahontan press releases dated June 27, July 18, and September 12, 2023 for more information). Plan of Operations: In March 2023, Lahontan and its consultants began work preparing an exploration Plan of Operations ("POO") for the Santa Fe Mine Project. The POO covers approximately 12.1 km2 of the 19.1 km2 Project area. The first phase of work is the completion of environmental baseline studies to document biological, cultural, and surface water resources. Completion of the environmental baseline studies allows the POO to be designed to avoid specific resource conflicts. Eventual approval of the POO by the Federal Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") will allow more surface disturbance on the property giving Lahontan the ability to continue to explore and expand the current mineral resources as well as provide baseline data that can be used in future mine permitting. Work completed to date includes: Project initiation meeting with the BLM Biological baseline survey work plan Two special status plant surveys First burrowing owl survey Two acoustic bat surveys Seeps and springs surveys Majority of cultural surveys completed Upcoming work: Final cultural survey before reporting Cultural reporting and agency review Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 biological surveys including flowering plants and raptor surveys West Santa Fe Acquisition: In July 2023, Lahontan announced an agreement to acquire the advanced West Santa Fe gold-silver exploration project ("West Santa Fe" also known as Mindora), located only 13 km southwest of the Santa Fe Mine project. West Santa Fe hosts an oxidized gold-silver epithermal mineralized system in a geologic setting similar to Santa Fe. Previous exploration drilling at West Santa Fe totals over 13,000 metres in 171 drill holes; only five holes are deeper than 165 metres. Preliminary modeling of drill hole data by Lahontan geologists outlines a significant, shallow, oxidized gold and silver system. The acquisition agreement requires Lahontan to make payments totalling US$1.8M over a seven-year period, back-end loaded, to exercise an option to acquire a 100% interest in West Santa Fe. The option payments can be made in a combination of cash and shares at Lahontan's discretion. In addition, the Company will commit to exploration expenditures totalling US$1.4M over the same seven-year period, these expenditures should be sufficient to define an initial mineral resource estimate for West Santa Fe (please see Lahontan press releases dated May 15, July 20, August 15, and August 16, 2023 for more details). Lahontan also acquired an additional 794 hectares of mineral rights at West Santa Fe by staking 95 unpatented lode mining claims; the Project now covers a of total 19.7 km2 (please see Lahontan press release dated May 31, 2023). The Lahontan geologic team concluded that there was potential for significant resource expansion outside the original West Santa Fe claim group. The new unpatented mining claims also cover areas that could be used for potential future mining infrastructure such as heap-leach facilities. Expand Santa Fe Mine Project: Lahontan significantly expanded its land holdings at its flagship Santa Fe Mine project by staking 98 unpatented lode mining claims covering over 7.5 km2 in November 2023. The newly staked claims cover possible extensions to the Slab gold and silver resources*, other exploration targets covered by young gravel, and a vast area of flat terrain that could be suitable for mine infrastructure such as heap leach pads and waste rock dumps. The Santa Fe Mine now covers over 26.4 km2 adding to the 64.1 km2 the Company controls in Nevada's prolific Walker Lane. Metallurgical Data Review: The data review was completed by Kappes, Cassiday and Associates ("KCA") of Reno, Nevada, a global leader in metallurgical and process consulting. KCA reviewed metallurgical test work on oxide gold and silver mineralization completed by previous operators of the Santa Fe Mine as well as production data. When recovery estimates of the individual deposits are applied to the MRE shown in the Santa Fe Mine Technical Report*, it results in weighted project-wide gold recoveries of 74.4% for gold and 29.0% for silver at a -inch crush size from oxide mineralization (please see Lahontan press release dated January 22, 2024 for more information). KCA believes that there is sufficient data available to establish recovery ranges of oxide gold and silver mineralization for inclusion in a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA"). This is a result of previous operational data, and the amount of column leach testing available on the component that makes up the bulk of the resource (the Santa Fe pit resource). Plans and Catalysts for 2024: Kimberly Ann, Founder, CEO, President and Director provided the following summary of Company objectives for 2024: "Certainly 2023 was an enormous year for the Company, establishing the size and scale of oxide mineral resources at Santa Fe and clearly moving Lahontan from being a pure explorer to a future mine developer. As we have outlined, the two critical paths going forward in 2024 for the Company will be completing a PEA for Santa Fe and submitting a Plan of Operations to the Federal Bureau of Land Management. These two key steps set the stage for a potential Santa Fe production decision in 2024. We are currently evaluating proposals from multiple prominent consulting groups to prepare the Santa Fe PEA. We expect to select a group to lead the PEA process shortly. Simultaneously, we intend to design and permit a Phase one drill program for West Santa Fe, evaluate further drilling at the Santa Fe Mine project, and of course, continue to seek out opportunities that allow the Company to jump-start the growth curve." About Lahontan Gold Corp. Lahontan Gold Corp. is a fully financed Canadian mine development and mineral exploration company that holds, through its US subsidiaries, four top-tier gold and silver exploration properties in the Walker Lane of mining friendly Nevada. Lahontan's flagship property, the 26.4 km2 Santa Fe Mine, had past production of 345,000 ounces of gold and 711,000 ounces of silver between 1988 and 1995 from open pit mines utilizing heap-leach processing (Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, 1995). The Santa Fe Mine has a Canadian National Instrument 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resource of 1,112,000 oz Au Eq (grading 1.14 g/t Au Eq) and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 544,000 oz Au Eq (grading 1.00 g/t Au Eq), all pit constrained (Au Eq is inclusive of recovery, please see Santa Fe Project Technical Report*). The Company will continue to aggressively explore Santa Fe during 2024 and begin the process of evaluating development scenarios to bring the Santa Fe Mine back into production. Anthony Gesualdo, CPG, Consulting Geologist to Lahontan Gold Corp., is the Qualified Person for the Company and approved the technical content of this news release. For more information, please visit our website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com * Please see the Santa Fe Project Technical Report, Authors: Trevor Rabb and Darcy Baker, P. Geos. Effective Date: December 7, 2022, Report Date: March 2, 2023. The Technical Report is available on the Company's website and SEDAR. On behalf of the Board of Directors Kimberly Ann Founder, CEO, President, and Director FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Lahontan Gold Corp. Kimberly Ann Founder, Chief Executive Officer, President, Director Phone: 1-530-414-4400 Email: Kimberly.ann@lahontangoldcorp.com Website: www.lahontangoldcorp.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com SOURCE: Lahontan Gold Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Richard DeNapoli, Broward Republican State Committeeman, was cleared of allegations of having committed voter fraud by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Bar and the Florida Elections Commission. Mr. DeNapoli was accused of having voted twice in the 2014 elections by a Florida blogger, who filed complaints with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Bar and Florida Elections Commission. All three of these agencies dismissed these complaints, with the Florida Bar dismissing the case yet again after the accuser's attorney requested that the case be reopened. In February 2021, a 12th Judicial Circuit judge ordered that Richard be paid $25,000 by the accuser for violation of a settlement agreement. In a separate matter, the Florida Elections Commission found a political opponent's claims against Richard violated Florida Statutes and the Commission imposed a civil penalty of $5,000. Richard stated that "I have been cleared of all allegations against me, though allegations often get more attention than vindication. While not a litigious person, I have been forced to defend my good reputation. While I am a firm believer in free speech and have a very thick skin, defamation laws exist to protect people whose careers, reputations, and finances have been damaged by untrue, harmful statements. While very difficult to win a defamation case as an elected official and public figure, a court judgment and fine have in fact been assessed against those accusing me. The results are clear: I won a $25,000 judgment against one accuser and the Florida Elections Commission imposed a $5,000 fine against a separate political opponent." Contact Information Richard DeNapoli richard@richardforflorida.com 954-488-1890 SOURCE: Richard DeNapoli View the original press release on newswire.com. KAISERAUGST, Switzerland and HEERLEN, Netherlands, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DSM-Firmenich AG (the Company or dsm-firmenich) and DSM B.V. (DSM) today announce that the Voluntary Tender Offer for the remaining DSM ordinary shares (previously Koninklijke DSM N.V. with ISIN: NL0000009827, the Shares) as announced on January 8, 2024 (the Voluntary Tender Offer) has been completed. 4,163,287 Shares, representing approximately 2.4% of the Shares, have been tendered to the Company under the Voluntary Tender Offer. As a result, the Company now holds approximately 98.5% of the Shares. The holders of Shares who have sold their Shares through the Voluntary Tender Offer, will receive the offer price of 96.00 per Share on February 13, 2024, free from withholding or dividend tax. The total consideration payable by the Company under the Voluntary Tender Offer amounts to EUR 399,675,552. The Company will seek to acquire the remaining approximately 1.5% Shares through the statutory buy-out procedure (the Buy-Out) at the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal (Ondernemingskamer), which started on July 17, 2023. Additional information on the Buy-Out can be found on the Company's website (https://www.dsm-firmenich.com). For more information, please contact: dsm-firmenich investor relations enquiries: Email: investors@dsm-firmenich.com dsm-firmenich media enquiries: Email: media@dsm-firmenich.com About dsm-firmenich As innovators in nutrition, health, and beauty, dsm-firmenich reinvents, manufactures, and combines vital nutrients, flavors, and fragrances for the world's growing population to thrive. With our comprehensive range of solutions, with natural and renewable ingredients and renowned science and technology capabilities, we work to create what is essential for life, desirable for consumers, and more sustainable for the planet. dsm-firmenich is a Swiss-Dutch company, listed on the Euronext Amsterdam, with operations in almost 60 countries and revenues of more than 12 billion. With a diverse, worldwide team of nearly 30,000 employees, we bring progress to life every day, everywhere, for billions of people. www.dsm-firmenich.com General restrictions The Voluntary Tender Offer in jurisdictions other than the Netherlands and Switzerland may be restricted and/or prohibited by law. The Voluntary Tender Offer has not been made, and the Shares have not been accepted for purchase from or on behalf of any holder of the Shares, in any jurisdiction in which the making of the Voluntary Tender Offer or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities or other laws or regulations of such jurisdiction or would require any registration, approval or filing with any regulatory authority. Outside of the Netherlands and Switzerland, no actions have been taken (nor will actions be taken) to make the Voluntary Tender Offer possible in any jurisdiction where such actions would be required. Neither dsm-firmenich, nor DSM, nor ABN AMRO Bank N.V. accepts any liability for any violation by any person of any such restriction. Any failure to comply with any such restrictions may constitute a violation of the law of any such jurisdiction. Notice to US investors The Voluntary Tender Offer has been made for securities of a Dutch company and holders of the Shares that are resident in the United States should be aware that this announcement and any other documents relating to the Voluntary Tender Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with the European Union disclosure requirements, format and style, all of which differ from those in the United States. All financial information that is included in this announcement or that may be included in any documents relating to the Voluntary Tender Offer have been or will be prepared in accordance with the European Union's generally accepted accounting principles and International Financial Reporting Standards and may not be comparable to financial statements of US companies. It may be difficult for holders of the Shares to enforce certain rights and claims arising in connection with the Voluntary Tender Offer under US federal securities laws since dsm-firmenich and DSM are located outside the United States, and their officers and most of their directors reside outside the United States. Therefore, investors may have difficulty effecting service of process within the United States upon those persons or recovering against dsm-firmenich, DSM or their respective officers or directors on judgments of US courts, including judgments based upon the civil liability provisions of the US federal securities laws. It may not be possible to sue a non-US company or its officers or directors in a non-US court for violations of US securities laws. It also may not be possible to compel a non-US company or its affiliates to subject themselves to a US court's judgment. The Voluntary Tender Offer has been made in the United States pursuant to applicable US tender offer rules and securities laws (or pursuant to exemptive relief therefrom granted by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission). Accordingly, the Voluntary Tender Offer will be subject to disclosure and other procedural requirements, including with respect to terms, conditions and procedures that are different from those applicable under US domestic tender offer procedures and law. Holders of the Shares that are resident in the United States also should be aware that the Voluntary Tender Offer may be a taxable transaction for US federal income tax purposes and under applicable US state and local, as well as foreign and other, tax laws and, that such consequences, if any, are not described herein. Holders of the Shares that are resident in the United States are urged to consult with legal, tax and financial advisers in connection with making a decision regarding the Voluntary Tender Offer. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2071772/dsm_firmenich_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dsm-firmenich-completes-voluntary-cash-offer-for-dsm-shares-302059788.html Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2024) - Deal Pro Capital Corporation (TSXV: DPCC.P) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its press release dated November 1, 2023, it has entered into a definitive business combination agreement dated February 8, 2024 (the "BCA") with Urban Utilities Contractors Inc. ("Urban"). Pursuant to the BCA, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, 1000773456 Ontario Inc. ("Subco"), will amalgamate with Urban (the "Amalgamation") to complete the Company's qualifying transaction (the "Transaction") in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). In connection with the Amalgamation, it is intended that the Company will be renamed to "Urban Infrastructure Group Inc." (the "Resulting Issuer"). The Transaction is subject to the receipt of all necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals required by applicable corporate law, including the approval of the Exchange, as well as the satisfaction of conditions to closing as set out in the BCA. It is intended the Resulting Issuer will continue the business of Urban and be listed on the Exchange as an industrial issuer, subject to Exchange approval. About Urban Since its incorporation in 2015, Urban, a private company incorporated pursuant to the laws of the Province of Ontario, has been a construction company focused on the concrete and drain sector for new low-rise construction in the Southern Ontario region. The concrete and drain industry plays a crucial role in low-rise construction, which typically encompasses residential buildings. Urban works with some of the largest home builders in Ontario and provides the following services: exterior sewers interior underground drainage systems concrete basement floors concrete garage floors concrete porches and stairs According to a report by the Fraser Institute titled "Ontario government can accelerate housing supply - without eroding public trust" (which appeared in the Toronto Star, August 14, 2023), Ontario is facing a generational shortage of housing due to the province's decades of underbuilding and population growth. The Ontario government's Housing Affordability Task Force estimates that 1.5 million new homes must be constructed over the next ten years to close the housing gap. In response to this housing gap, the Ontario government has introduced new incentives to spur new home construction, including the passing of a law that freezes, reduces and exempts fees developers pay on certain builds such as affordable housing (source: Canadian Press article dated March 24, 2023). A TD Report titled "Balancing Canada's Pop in Population" (as published on TD's website on July 26, 2023), the continued growth in immigration could widen the housing shortfall by about 500,000 units within 2 years., Urban intends to strengthen its position within the concrete and drain sector by scaling its operations, organically and by way of strategic acquisitions. In addition to growing its core business, Urban intends to actively identify and target other companies in complementary residential, commercial and municipal infrastructure sectors. This will permit Urban to diversify its business and to offer additional services to its existing clientele. Urban currently has 100,000,000 common shares (the "Urban Common Shares") issued and outstanding, and, in connection with the transactions contemplated in the BCA and in order to comply with the initial listing requirements of the Exchange, all 100,000,000 currently issued and outstanding Urban Common Shares will be returned to treasury for cancellation by the holders thereof and in exchange, such holders will receive 100,000,000 newly issued shares in the capital of Urban comprised of: (i) a minimum of 49,000,000 Class A Common shares (the "Urban Class A Shares"), and (ii) up to a maximum of 51,000,000 Class B Common shares (the "Urban Class B Shares"). The exact number of Urban Class A and Class B Shares will be dependent on the number of Urban Common Shares to be issued pursuant to the Financing (as such term is defined below). Terms of the Transaction The Transaction will be carried out pursuant to the terms of the BCA, a copy of which is, or shortly will be, filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The below description of the terms of the Transaction and the BCA is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the BCA. Pursuant to the terms of the BCA, at the effective time of the Amalgamation, Urban will amalgamate with Subco to form an amalgamated entity ("Amalco"), which will continue as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Resulting Issuer. In connection with the completion of the Amalgamation, each holder of Urban Common Shares, including all Urban Common Shares issued pursuant to the Financing (described below) and Urban Class A Shares, shall exchange their Urban Common Shares and Urban Class A Shares, for common shares in the capital of the Resulting Issuer ("Resulting Issuer Common Shares") on the basis of one (1) fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer Common Share for every one (1) Urban Common Share or one (1) Urban Class A Share held, for a deemed price of $0.15 per Urban Common Share and Urban Class A Share. In addition, each holder of Urban Class B Shares shall exchange their Urban Class B Shares for Class B Common shares in the capital of Amalco (the "Amalco Class B Shares") on the basis of one (1) fully paid and non-assessable Amalco Class B Share for every one (1) Amalco Class B Share held, for a deemed price of $0.15 per Urban Class B Share. Each holder of Amalco Class B Share will also enter into an agreement with the Resulting Issuer whereby the Resulting Issuer shall acquire all of the Amalco Class B Shares from the holders thereof, in exchange for Resulting Issuer Common Shares on the basis one (1) fully paid and non-assessable Resulting Issuer Common Share for every one (1) Amalco Class B Share held, for a deemed price of $0.15 per Amalco Class B Share. The Resulting Issuer shall complete the acquisition of all Amalco Class B Shares on the earlier of: (i) the Resulting Issuer being in compliance with the Exchange's initial listing requirement that 20% of issued and outstanding shares of the Resulting Issuer be held by Public Shareholders (as such term is defined in Exchange Policy 1.1 - Interpretation) after the acquisition of the Amalco Class B Shares, and (ii) the date that is two (2) years from the closing of the Transaction. The Amalco Class B Shares are being issued in order for the Resulting Issuer to meet the Exchange's initial listing requirement as to the percentage of common shares held by Public Shareholders. On the closing of the Transaction, without accounting for the closing of the Financing, a minimum of 49,000,000 Resulting Issuer Common Shares will be issued to the holders of Urban Class A Shares and up to a maximum of 51,000,000 Resulting Issuer Common Shares will ultimately be issued to the holders of Amalco Class B Shares, on the terms described above. The exact number of Resulting Issuer Shares to be issued in exchange for the Urban Class A Shares and the Amalco Class B Shares will be dependent on the number of Urban Common Shares issued pursuant to the Financing. Assuming the completion of the Minimum Financing (as such term is defined below), there will be a minimum of 62,540,334 Resulting Issuer Common Shares outstanding upon completion of the Transaction, on a non-diluted basis. In the event that the Maximum Financing (as such term is defined below) is completed, it is expected that that there will be approximately 146,873,668 Resulting Issuer Common Shares outstanding upon completion of the Transaction, on a non-diluted basis. On completion of the Transaction: the current shareholders of the Company will hold an aggregate of approximately 8,207,001 Resulting Issuer Common Shares, representing approximately 13.12% of the Resulting Issuer Common Shares, assuming the closing of the Minimum Financing and approximately 5.59% of the Resulting Issuer Common Shares, assuming the closing of the Maximum Financing; the current shareholders of Urban will hold an aggregate of 49,000,000 Resulting Issuer Common Shares, representing approximately 78.35% of the Resulting Issuer Common Shares, assuming the closing of the Minimum Financing and will hold 100,000,000 Resulting Issuer Common Shares, representing approximately 68.09% of the Resulting Issuer Common Shares, assuming the closing of the Maximum Financing; and investors in the Financing (as defined below) will hold an aggregate of 1,333,333 Resulting Issuer Common Shares representing approximately 2.13% of the Resulting Issuer Common Shares, assuming the closing of the Minimum Financing and will hold approximately 33,333,333 Resulting Issuer Common Shares, representing approximately 22.71% of the Resulting Issuer Common Shares, assuming the closing of the Maximum Financing. The completion of the Transaction is conditional on obtaining all necessary regulatory in connection with the matters described above and other conditions customary for a transaction of this type. The Company and Urban anticipate closing the Transaction in late February or early March of 2024. In connection with the Transaction, the Company held a special meeting of shareholders on January 16, 2024 (the "Meeting"). At the Meeting, the Company's shareholders approved the following matters related to the Transaction: conditional appointing each of Gary Alves, Ungad Chadda, Harold Wolkin, Magaly Bianchini, Nicholas Thadaney, Mark Di Cristofaro and Jennifer Rebecca Labrecque as directors of the Resulting Issuer; change in the name of the Company from "Deal Pro Capital Corporation" to "Urban Infrastructure Group Inc." or such other name as the board of directors of the Company and Urban deems appropriate; and the implementation of a new form of equity incentive plan. Additional details regarding the Meeting is available in the management information circular, a copy of which is available on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca Conditional Approval The Company is also pleased to announce that the Exchange has conditionally approved the Transaction. The Transaction remains subject to the final approval of the Exchange and satisfaction of closing conditions customary for the transaction of this nature. Financing In connection with the Transaction, Urban intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Financing") of a minimum of 1,333,333 up to a maximum of 33,333,333 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.15 per Unit for minimum gross proceeds of CDN $200,000 (the "Minimum Financing") up to a maximum of CDN $5,000,000 (the "Maximum Financing"). Each Unit will be comprised of one (1) Urban Common Share and one-half () of a share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Urban Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one (1) additional Urban Common Share at a price of C$0.25 for a period of 24 months following the closing date of the Financing. On the closing of the Financing, the Urban Common Shares and Urban Warrants issuable pursuant to the Financing will be automatically exchanged for Resulting Issuer Common Shares and warrants of the Resulting Issuer (on the same terms as the Urban Warrants), on a one (1) for one (1) basis. The proceeds of the Financing will be used for the working capital requirements of the Resulting Issuer. Closing of the Financing is subject to (i) the closing of the Transaction; and (ii) receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including from the Exchange. Certain finder's fees may also be payable to qualifying parties in accordance with the policies of the Exchange. Trading Halt Trading of the Company's shares has been halted and will remain halted pending the Exchange's receipt of satisfactory documentation and completion of the Transaction. Filing Statement In connection with the Transaction and pursuant to the requirements of the Exchange, the Company will file a filing statement on its issuer profile on SEDAR+ (www.sedarplus.ca), which will contain details regarding the Transaction, Urban, the Financing, and the Resulting Issuer. The Company anticipates filing the filing statement on or before February 14, 2024. Sponsorship of the Acquisition Sponsorship of a "Qualifying Transaction" of a capital pool company is required by the Exchange unless exempt in accordance with Exchange policies. The Company has obtained a waiver from Sponsorship requirements from the Exchange. Cautionary Statements Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions including, but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and if applicable, disinterested shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder and Exchange approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Deal Pro Capital Corporation should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. All information contained in this press release with respect to the Company and Urban was supplied by the parties respectively, for inclusion herein, without independent review by the other party, and each party and its directors and officers have relied on the other party for any information concerning the other party. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. For more information, please contact the Company at (416) 543-8289 or harold.wolkin@sympatico.ca. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Deal Pro Capital Corporation Harold Wolkin CEO, CFO and Director Forward-Looking Information This press release includes "forward-looking information" that is subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Statements in this news release which are not purely historical are forward looking, including without limitation any statements concerning the expected results of the Transaction, the completion of the transactions contemplated by the BCA, the anticipated timing thereof, completion of the Financing, the expected ownership of the Resulting Issuer Share following the closing of the Transaction, the expected use of proceeds therefrom. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking statements in this news release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. The Company cautions readers that all forward-looking statements, are based on assumptions none of which can be assured and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements represent management's best judgment based on information currently available. Readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and no undertaking is given to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws or the Exchange. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197675 SOURCE: Deal Pro Capital Corp. Alys Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Boston, MA- and Geneva, Switzerland-based immuno-dermatology focused company, launched with a $100m funding from Medicxi. Co-founded by Medicxi and several world leading dermatology and scientific experts, including John Harris (UMass Chan Medical School), Brian Kim (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai), Lars French (LMU, Munich), Nobel Prize winner Craig Mello (UMass Chan Medical School), Eric Deutsch (Gustave Roussy) and Mark Prausnitz (Georgia Institute of Technology), and led by by co-founder and COO Thibaud Portal (formerly Galdermas Global Head of Prescription Medicines). Alys combines the assets and platforms of Aldena Therapeutics, Graegis Pharmaceuticals, Granular Therapeutics, Klirna Biotech, Nira Biosciences and Vimela Therapeutics to develop its pipeline of 14 active programs, targeting multiple dermatological indications, including atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, psoriasis and mastocytosis. Alys anticipates further organic pipeline growth from its platforms, covering inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, dermatology supportive care for cancer patients and rare dermatoses. Over the next three years, the company aims to deliver between seven to ten clinical Proof-of-Concept (POC) readouts, and potentially at least one program to advance to registrational studies. To this end, Alys is working with institutions such as Institut Gustave Roussy, UMass Chan Medical School, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Georgia Institute of Technology and Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science & Technology. Medicxis Francesco De Rubertis serves as Chairman of the Board. FinSMEs 12/02/2024 Artificial Labs, a London, UK-based algorithmic underwriting insurtech company, raised 8M in Series A+ funding. The round was led by Augmentum Fintech, with participation from existing investors MS&AD Ventures and FOMCAP IV. The company intends to use the funds for product development and continued expansion. Led by co-CEOs David King and Johnny Bridges, Artificial Labs uses cloud-based tools and machine learning techniques to give commercial insurers and brokers the control of their data. Through its data extraction and transformation techniques, it facilitates fully automated, algorithmic underwriting. Its system allows end-to-end data flows, integrations, policy management and contract builders, all within one automated platform. In August 2023, Artificial announced its Smart Follow collaboration with insurer Apollo, which has since gone live in the London Market for several lines of business including Marine Hull, General Aviation and Marine Cargo. The company also launched its new broker tool, Contract Builder, to the market through its strategic partnership with Lockton in the UK in late 2023 and Placing Platform Limited in January 2024. The tool can be tailored to brokers requirements and generates configurable, structured and Lloyds Blueprint Two-compliant contracts. Commenting on the news, David King said: Our latest funding round is a testament to the exciting work were doing at Artificial. We are thrilled to have the expertise and support of the Augmentum team and our committed existing investors on this next phase of our journey. This round of funding will enable us to accelerate our growth and continue to innovate in the algorithmic and augmented space. In 2024 we will further the development of our underwriting platform, exciting AI solutions and our Contract Builder product, which is already seeing great traction in the market. FinSMEs 12/02/2024 Darko Todorovic (VP Engineering and Delivery, HTEC), Miroslav Virijevic (CFO, HTEC), ore Simic (COO, SYRMIA), Katarina Urosevic (Chief of Staff, HTEC), and Petar Jovanovic (CTO, SYRMIA) HTEC, a San Mateo, CA-based end-to-end digital product development and engineering services company, acquired Syrmia, an embedded software engineering company based in Belgrade, Serbia. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. Founded in 2018, SYRMIA has a team of 250 experts who works on solutions in embedded software, ranging from low-level system libraries, tools and compilers, emulators, machine learning frameworks, and GPU software, to software blocks used in the automotive and consumer markets. It has four development centers today in Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad, and Banja Luka. This acquisition was part of HTECs overall strategy to further enhance its capabilities in AI, machine learning and embedded technologies, creating additional value for clients and providing growth opportunities for the talent of both companies. Together, HTEC and SYRMIA provide digital product development and hardware and software engineering services to companies, startups, and global enterprises. Since its inception in 2008 in Belgrade, HTEC now has 23 development centers primarily across Southeast Europe and creative and consulting offices in Silicon Valley, London, New York, Minneapolis, Amsterdam, Stockholm, and Gothenburg. By combining design thinking with software engineering, HTEC supports global clients with end-to-end digital product development, from strategy and conceptualization to digital product design and engineering. Commenting on the news, Aleksandar Cabrilo, CEO of HTEC, said: I am thrilled to welcome SYRMIA onboard. This partnership is part of HTECs broader strategy of expansion and investing in Artificial Intelligence and machine learning capabilities. Bringing the SYRMIA team onboard, we are expanding capabilities in core technology engineering such as embedded software development and core machine learning technologies. This enables us to deliver more cutting-edge solutions to our clients, especially those in multimedia and automotive. As a team, we remain committed to providing exceptional growth opportunities to the professionals we hire around the world while empowering our customers with the latest technologies so they can innovate rapidly in an ever-changing environment. It brings me great joy to see SYRMIA become an integral part of the HTEC team FinSMES 10/02/2024 The closure of a small coastal town's jetty has reached boiling point with the local mayor receiving multiple death threats only days after peaceful protests. Last weekend locals in Tumby Bay, South Australia climbed over restrictive barricades and jumped off the 350-metre jetty, described as the "lifeblood" of the town, to protest its closure for over 17 months. Tumby Bay Mayor Geoff Churchett has received death threats over the closure of the town's jetty. Source: Tumby Bay council and TikTok The event sparked national media coverage due to the demonstration of mass community spirit. Now, Mayor Geoff Churchett has told Yahoo News on Monday he has received deaths threats since no further updates about the jetty have been announced. "The calls were made to the Tumby Bay council office on two separate occasions," Churchett said. "He made threats and said that I was too busy with my local business, and he should bump me off and bury me in a hole." Mayor 'fully supports' protest but admits death threats are daunting It is unknown if the same person is behind the multiple threats and why they chose to escalate the issue to such extremes, however, police have been notified of the incidents. "I'd like to think that the locals are better than that, but obviously it's come from someone within the district," Churchett said. "It's obviously frustrating... hopefully it isn't serious and it's just someone trying to put more pressure on the council to get something done." Tumby Bay locals jumped off the jetty last weekend to protest its closure. Source: Facebook He said he "fully supports what the people were trying to achieve" with the jetty protest last weekend but the change in tone was "hard" and something playing "in the back of my mind". With the jetty repairs estimated to cost up to $20 million vastly exceeding the District Council of Tumby Bay's budget of $5 million per year a council meeting is scheduled next Tuesday for representatives to brainstorm how they can find a solution. Story continues Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. In recent years, discussions surrounding the minimum wage have ignited debates across the United States. With varying viewpoints on its impact, changes to the minimum wage have significant ramifications for both workers and businesses nationwide. As we delve into the state of minimum wage laws and their effects, it becomes evident that this issue is not just about numbers but about livelihoods and economic stability. Understanding minimum wage laws Minimum wage laws dictate the lowest hourly rate that employers can legally pay their employees. While the federal minimum wage serves as a baseline, individual states have the autonomy to set their own minimum wage rates, often surpassing the federal standard to address local cost-of-living disparities. Impact on workers For many low-wage workers, increases in the minimum wage provide a lifeline, allowing them to better support themselves and their families. A higher minimum wage means more disposable income, enabling individuals to cover essential expenses such as housing, food, and healthcare. Moreover, it can reduce income inequality, providing a more equitable distribution of wealth. However, the effects of minimum wage hikes arent uniform. While some workers benefit from increased wages, others face potential job loss as businesses adjust to higher labor costs. Small businesses, in particular, may struggle to absorb the additional expenses, leading to layoffs or reduced work hours. Furthermore, the ripple effects of minimum wage adjustments extend beyond just hourly wages. They can influence salary structures, benefits, and overall job market dynamics. Workers across various industries feel the impact, from retail and hospitality to healthcare and manufacturing. Impact on businesses Businesses, especially small enterprises, often express concerns about the financial strain imposed by minimum wage increases. Higher labor costs can squeeze profit margins, leading to tough decisions regarding pricing, staffing, and operational efficiency. Some businesses may resort to automation or outsourcing to mitigate the impact of rising wages. Nevertheless, proponents of raising the minimum wage argue that it can stimulate economic growth by boosting consumer spending. When workers have more purchasing power, theyre likely to spend more on goods and services, benefiting businesses in the long run. Additionally, a well-compensated workforce may experience higher morale and productivity, contributing to overall business success. The state of minimum wage across the US The landscape of minimum wage laws in the US is diverse and constantly evolving. While the federal minimum wage remains stagnant at $7.25 per hour, many states and localities have taken matters into their own hands to address income inequality and rising living costs. Some have implemented gradual increases, while others have enacted more aggressive measures to reach higher wage thresholds. For example, states like California and New York have adopted phased increases that aim to reach $15 per hour in the coming years. On the other hand, states with lower costs of living may have minimum wage rates closer to the federal standard. This variance reflects the complex economic realities and policy priorities of different regions across the country. Navigating challenges and opportunities As policymakers, businesses, and workers navigate the complexities of minimum wage laws, finding common ground becomes imperative. Balancing the needs of workers for fair compensation with the concerns of businesses for economic viability requires thoughtful deliberation and collaboration. Investments in workforce development, education, and skills training can complement minimum wage policies by enhancing employability and creating pathways to higher-paying jobs. Additionally, targeted support for small businesses can help alleviate the burden of increased labor costs, ensuring a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. Conclusion The state of minimum wage in the US is a multifaceted issue with far-reaching implications for workers and businesses alike. While increases in the minimum wage can uplift low-income earners and stimulate economic activity, they also pose challenges for businesses, particularly small enterprises. By fostering dialogue and pursuing holistic solutions, stakeholders can strive to strike a balance between promoting equitable wages and maintaining a conducive business environment. Ultimately, the goal is to create an economy where all individuals have the opportunity to earn a living wage and contribute to the prosperity of their communities. In the midst of these discussions, its essential to recognize that the average salary in the US serves as a benchmark for assessing the broader economic landscape. As we work towards a more inclusive and sustainable future, addressing the state of minimum wage remains a critical endeavor that requires collective action and thoughtful policymaking. According to MEA, the launch in Sri Lanka and Mauritius will enable enable availability of UPI settlement for Indian nationals travelling to both the countries Sri Lanka and Mauritius, on Monday, will add to the list of countries to have launched Indias Unified Payment Interface (UPI). The move is seen as New Delhis efforts to ramp up the expansion of its digital infrastructure to more nations. The historic launch of Indias UPI in Sri Lanka and Mauritius will be witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, Indias Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. Advertisement RuPay card services will also be launched in Mauritius on Monday. The launch event is scheduled for Monday, 12 February, at 1 pm (IST). It will be held via video conferencing. Benefit of Indias UPI service in Sri Lanka & Mauritius According to MEA, the launch will enable the availability of UPI settlement for Indian nationals travelling to Sri Lanka and Mauritius as well as for Mauritian nationals travelling to India. The extension of RuPay card services in Mauritius will allow Mauritian banks to issue cards based on the RuPay mechanism in Mauritius and facilitate usage of RuPay Card for settlements both in India and Mauritius. Given Indias robust cultural and people-to-people linkages with Sri Lanka and Mauritius, the launch will benefit a wide cross-section of people through a faster and seamless digital transaction experience and enhance digital connectivity between the countries, the MEA said. Advertisement The ministry further added that India has emerged as a leader in Fintech innovation and Digital Public Infrastructure. Prime Minister has placed a strong emphasis on sharing our development experiences and innovation with partner countries. Countries accepting Indias UPI Bhutan Bhutan became the first international country to enable UPI transactions through the BHIM app. Advertisement The UPI digital payment app was virtually launched on 13 July 2021, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her Bhutanese counterpart Lyonpo Namgay Tshering. France Earlier this month, France started accepting UPI in the iconic Eiffel Tower. The official announcement was made in Paris at an event organised by the Indian Embassy in France to celebrate Indias Republic Day. Advertisement The move holds significance as Indian tourists rank as the second largest group of international visitors to the Eiffel Tower. It will help visitors make secure online transactions by using their UPI apps to scan QR code generated on the merchant website and initiate a payment. UAE In April 2022, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) partnered with Mashreq Banks payments subsidiary NEOPAY in the UAE to empower millions of Indians travelling in the country safely and conveniently to make payments using BHIM UPI. Advertisement Oman The Central Bank of Oman got into a formal agreement with NIPL in November 2022 to enable UPI for digital transactions on all platforms. The talks between the two nations were finalised in October 2022. Singapore The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority Singapore (MAS) announced the linking of UPI and PayNow to facilitate fast cross-border transactions between the two nations. Advertisement Countries that may soon start using UPI Nepal may soon join the list of countries using Indias UPI. Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava in December 2023 said the digital payment gateway between India and Nepal is expected to start in the first phase from the end of February 2024. The agreement for this was signed between NPCI and Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) during the visit of Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to India last year. Advertisement In January last year, NPCI announced the extension of access to the UPI to non-resident Indians using international mobile phone numbers from 10 select countries. These countries are Singapore (+65), Australia (+61), Canada (+1), Hong Kong (+852), Oman (+968), Qatar (+974), USA (+1), Saudi Arabia (+966), United Arab Emirates (+971) and United Kingdom (+44). Advertisement What is UPI & how does it work? UPI is a mobile-based, real-time payment system that enables users to instantly transfer funds between two bank accounts anytime during the day. Launched in 2016, the UPI system allows multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application. The concept was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India and is governed by the RBI and IBA (Indian Bank Association). It gained massive popularity in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advertisement With more than 380 million users, UPI, in 2022, recorded up to 74 billion transactions amounting to $1.53 trillion. In January 2024 alone, UPI recorded over 12.2 billion transactions. With inputs from agencies The buzz for Kiran Raos next directorial, Laapataa Ladies, is peaking the momentum day by day. With the trailer of the film featuring the promising lead cast of Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Nitanshi Goel opened with a fantastic draw from the fans and the audiences, it has also piqued the masses interest to see the humoristic world created by director Kiran Rao. Advertisement Recently, the makers kickstarted the promotional campaign for the film by hosting a special premiere in Bhopal and Jaipur which received an amazing response from everyone. Now, taking ahead promotional spree producer Aamir Khan, director Kiran Rao, and the lead cast of the film Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Nitanshi Goel will be visiting Bangalore for the special screening. The team Laapataa Ladies will be visiting Bangalore on February 13th, and this visit is indeed a special one because, IIM College Campus, which is one of the remarkable locations where Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan shot their biggest Blockbuster 3 Idiots. Aamir Khan will interact with the students of IIM Bangalore and it will surely going to be a nostalgic moment for the superstar. Advertisement Laapataa Ladies story narrates the tale of Indias heartland, and the subject is urban as well. The team has shot in the real locations of Sehore, located in Madhya Pradesh, and also added real-life villagers and locations as part of the film. Presented by Jio Studios, Laapataa Ladies is directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan and Jyoti Deshpande. The film is releasing on March 1st, 2024, and has been made under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Productions, with the script based on an award-winning story by Biplab Goswami. The screenplay and dialogue are written by Sneha Desai, while the additional dialogues have been jotted down by Divyanidhi Sharma. Recently, Srivalli aka the leading actress of the film, Rashmika Mandanna shared a candid picture from the sets of Pushpa 2: The Rule where she clicked the genius director Sukumar in the frame. Pushpa 2: The Rule, is undoubtedly one of the eagerly awaited films of 2024. The hugely anticipated film is locked for a grand theatrical release on August 15th, 2024. With six months left for the films release, the films production is moving in full swing, and the makers are leaving no stone unturned to ensure it becomes the biggest film of 2024. Advertisement The anticipation for the Allu Arjun starrer is building day by day and the ground-level hype for the film is unmatchable. Recently, Srivalli aka the leading actress of the film, Rashmika Mandanna shared a candid picture from the sets of Pushpa 2: The Rule where she clicked the genius director Sukumar in the frame. Sharing the picture on social media, the makers captioned, Srivalli candidly captures the maverick director @iamRashmika shared a picture of @aryasukku clicked by her on the sets of #Pushpa2TheRule Shoot in Progress at a Rapid Pace!! Grand Release Worldwide on 15th AUG 2024 #2024RulePushpaKa Icon Star @alluarjun #FahadhFaasil @ThisIsDSP @MythriOfficial @SukumarWritings @TSeries Advertisement Srivalli candidly captures the maverick director @iamRashmika shared a picture of @aryasukku clicked by her on the sets of #Pushpa2TheRule Shoot in Progress at a Rapid Pace!! Grand Release Worldwide on 15th AUG 2024 #2024RulePushpaKa Icon Star @alluarjun pic.twitter.com/35lbpxRfHF Pushpa (@PushpaMovie) February 12, 2024 Advertisement After the record-breaking success of Pushpa: The Rise in 2021, National Award-winning actor Allu Arjun is returning to rule in this sequel directed by maestro Sukumar. Joining the rule will be Rashmika Mandanna and the versatile actor Fahadh Fasil. Mythri Movie Makers have geared up to present the audience with a wholesome entertainer that will not only meet but exceed their expectations. Pushpa 2: The Rule is directed by Sukumar, who also helmed the first part and stars Allu Arjun, Rashmika Mandanna, and Fahadh Faasil. Produced by Mythri Movie Makers and Muttamsetty Media. Pushpa 2: The Rule will be released on 15th August 2024. The king platform for docuseries, Netflix is back with yet another series on the platform, The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth. Firstpost had done an interview when she came out with her book telling her side of the story when she was labelled as the monstrous mother & a social climber. Netflix ups the intrigue with the release of the trailer for the upcoming documentary, The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth. Directed by Uraaz Bahl and Shaana Levy, this gripping four-episode docuseries examines the complexities of the highly-debated Sheena Bora case. We will get to know as to what was the motive of Indrani to kill Sheena Bora which was a cold blooded murder in the docuseries. There are many questions that are coming to our mind and why not because the Sheena Bora case s hook the nation. Will Indrani answer to all the questions. Lets find out the dark secrets of the Mukerjea family and more. Advertisement The trailer clearly says that each and every character of the story is unique and has their individual agendas. The trailer gives audiences a peek into Netflix documentary, shedding light on the infamous alleged murder case that sparked intense media interest. What unfolded after shook Mumbais high society and the country at large, forever altering the lives of the Mukerjea and Bora families. In one of Indranis interviews, she had mentioned that it is not easy to be Indrani Mukherjea. Let us find out through this docuseries by Netflix as to why she said that. Key figures in the docuseries, including the high-profile Mukerjea herself and her daughter, Vidhie, are prominently featured. As the shocking story unfolds, viewers will be privy to previously unseen family photographs and unsettling call recordings, providing insights into the motives behind young Sheenas mysterious disappearance and casting doubt on each persons version of the truth. Advertisement Navigating through conflicting initial reports, the docuseries presents both sides of the narrative, offering a glimpse into the dysfunctional dynamics of an elite Indian family and the secrets that unraveled and destroyed lives. The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth will also feature interviews with Mukerjea herself, as well as her family, lawyers, and veteran journalists who broke the case. Indranis book, Unbroken was a disturbing read, lets wait and find out what more we get to know about the Sheena Bora murder case through Netflixs docuseries The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth. Advertisement The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth streams February 23, only on Netflix With Valentines Day approaching soon, lovebirds are planning to surprise their respective partners with precious gifts. However, when a couple is married for over twenty years, what would they gift to each other? While most of us would go blank on the question, Twinkle Khanna has come up with a quirky response to the same while also explaining her version of love. She also does not shy away from expressing her opinions about the special day to celebrate love. Advertisement Sharing her hilarious approach to consumerism surrounding Valentines Day, Twinkle Khanna dropped a post on her Instagram handle in which she wrote, With all its consumerism, Valentines Day perhaps makes the abstraction of love more concrete. She further revealed the bitter truth about what women get on Valentines Day and added, Though if you ask women who have been married for over a decade, the most honest answer to What did your husband give you on Valentines Day? would be, As usual, a headache. Love, in fact, may be the ultimate thought experiment. Its a paradox where accepting each others flaws creates an imperfectly perfect connection, with or without wilting red roses and an Archies card featuring two cartoon hearts winking at each other. Advertisement Needless to mention, Twinkle Khanna has been married to Akshay Kumar since 2001. The couple is proud parents to two children - Aarav and Nitara. It was only a few days back when the couple celebrated their 23rd wedding anniversary in London. Coincidentally, the same day, Twinkle also graduated after completing a Masters in Fiction Writing at the Goldsmiths, University of London. Twinkle Khanna left her acting career to become an author. In 2015, Twinkle wrote her first non-fiction book, Mrs Funnybones. Her second book was titled The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, a collection of short stories. In the year 2018, Twinkles third book, Pyjamas Are Forgiving, was released which made her the highest-selling female author in India. The former actress, went on to release her fourth book Welcome to Paradise in 2023. Alaskapox is a double-stranded DNA virus that primarily occurs in small mammals such as red-backed voles and shrews Just seven cases of the disease have been reported since 2015 all of them in Alaska Alaskapox has claimed its first victim. Health officials in Alaska said that the virus killed an immunocompromised elderly man in late January. Just seven cases of the virus have been identified. But what is Alaskapox? And what happened? Lets take a closer look: According to Anchorage Daily News, the victim was an immunocompromised man in Kenai Peninsula. Advertisement He was undergoing treatment when he died in late January. Alaskapox is an Orthopoxvirus, according to the Alaska Department of Health. The Orthopoxvirus comprises a number of species that can infect both animals and humans. The most famous Orthopoxvirus is the variola virus which causes smallpox. It was first identified in an individual Alaskas Fairbanks in 2015. According to Sky News, it is a double-stranded DNA virus. Since 2015, just seven cases of the Alaskapox have been reported all of them in Alaska. As per Alaska Beacon, the second case occurred in 2020, the third and fourth occurred in 2021, the fifth in 2022 and the sixth last year. The seventh and final case was detected this year. Of all the cases, five have occurred in persons in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Advertisement Just one person was from the Kenai Peninsula Borough. The Alaska Department of Health says evidence that the virus primarily occurs in small mammals. It has been identified in red-backed voles and shrews in the Fairbanks North Star Borough. However, the virus is likely more widespread in small mammal population throughout the state. It is also possible that humans may have had the disease but went undiagnosed. Advertisement Dogs and cats may also spread Alaskapox. According to the Alaska Beacon, one common factor in the Fairbanks patients were that they all lived in the woods. Another commonality was that they all had cats and dogs that seemingly had contact with small mammals. All 6 prior cases were identified in an outpatient setting and involved mild illnesses that were largely resolved within a few weeks without hospitalization. None of these patients had significant prior medical history, including immunocompromising conditions, state epidemiologist Julia Rogers told the newspaper. Advertisement The department website states that no human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox virus has ever been recorded. Its symptoms include One or more skin lesions (bumps or pustules) Swollen lymph nodes Joint and muscle pain. The immunocompromised may be at risk for more severe illness, as per the website. What happened? According to the newspaper, the man lived in a remote area. He first noticed a tender red bump in his armpit in September and was given antibiotics after seeking medical care several times. However, by November, he was also feeling fatigue and pain. Advertisement The man was first hospitalised on the Kenai Peninsula and then transferred to Anchorage. The man manifested increasingly urgent symptoms and more pox-like lesions. A series of tests in December resulted in a positive result for cowpox. The man began to improve after intravenous medications but then died in late January after experiencing kidney failure and other systemic declines. Advertisement While he had not travelled out of the state, he likely caught the virus from a stray cat that was hunting tiny mammals. The cat scratched him near the area where his first symptoms started. Advertisement While the cat tested negative for the virus, it could have carried the disease on its claws. The Alaska health department recommends people with skin lesions keep the affected area covered with a bandage. According to Sky News, those with suspected Alaskapox ought to avoid touching lesions, keep them dry and covered, and following hand hygiene practices. Link Olson, curator of mammals at the University of Alaska Museum of the North, told the Alaska Beacon the virus was found in a 25-year-old vole specimen in the museums collection. Advertisement We know this is not a last-10-years-thing, Olson added. Olson said there is a fair chance the virus will be found in animal populations well beyond the states borders and even beyond North America. I fully expect that this will be detected across the boreal forest, he added. Some experts say theres no cause for concern. Advertisement People should not necessarily be concerned but more aware, Rogers, told the Anchorage Daily News. So were hoping to make clinicians more aware of what Alaskapox virus is, so that they can identify signs and symptoms. Daily Caller quoted state epidemiology chief Dr Joe McLaughlin as saying the other infected had healthy immune systems and did not need medical care. Advertisement But others take a much dimmer view. I totally appreciate that thats a new case, that people are surprised. But then, if you know the reality of diseases and the history of diseases, we shouldnt be surprised, Falk Huettmann, a University of Alaska Fairbanks biologist told the Alaska Beacon. Everything is possible by now. Paytm Payments Bank has been forbidden to take any more deposits from customers, carry out credit business or top up any accounts of customers, prepaid instruments, wallets, cards for paying road tolls from 29 February. Experts say the RBIs move could have a significant impact on Paytm Paytm Payments Bank is in crisis. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has dropped the hammer on the company earlier in February ordering a halt to nearly most of its business by 29 February. The bank, a restricted one, has been forbidden to take any more deposits from customers, carry out credit business or top up any accounts of customers, prepaid instruments, wallets, cards for paying road tolls come 29 February. Advertisement Now, Moneycontrol reported that Paytm has confirmed the resignation of Manju Agarwal an independent director of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL). We hereby submit that our associate entity, Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL), has informed us that Manju Agarwal, Independent Director resigned from the Board of PPBL on February 01, 2024, due to her personal commitments which was noted by PPBL Board on February 06, 2024, the company said. But can Paytm survive the crisis at Paytm Payments Bank? Lets take a closer look: What happened? Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the son of a schoolteacher from Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh, was enamoured by Jack Ma-run Alibabas focus on smartphones rather than desktop computers. Sharma built a digital payments company that would let Indians pay for vegetables, pay utility bills or buy cinema tickets using their mobile phones. Advertisement The poster boy of Indias fintech boom, also set out to build an Alipay-like mobile marketplace to go alongside the payments business, allowing businesses to sell goods from matchbox to iPhones online. With fame came a set of controversies for arguably the most high-profile of a wave of Indian tech entrepreneurs. But none like the one now. Advertisement The current crisis where the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ordered Paytm Payments Bank to halt most of its business, is an existential one. What is Paytm Payments bank? First, it is important to understand the governance structure of Paytm and Paytm payments bank. One97 Communications Limited (OCL) is the parent company of Paytm. Paytm Payments Bank Ltd is a subsidiary of OCL. So, Paytm and Paytm Payments Bank Ltd are two separate companies. Advertisement There may be an impression that Paytm and Paytm Payment Bank is one, but by design and by structure, it is not and it cannot be, said Madhur Deora, president and Group CFO at Paytm, was quoted as saying by Business Today earlier in February_._ PayTm banks"First it is an associate company and second is not an associate company in the sense that it is same Bank. And first and foremost, for a bank is that, it has to follow the governance that a bank is supposed to follow, which is to say that has to has its independent management team, which reports to the board, Deora further explained. Advertisement PPBL commenced operations as a payments bank with effect from 23 May, 2017. It offered digital banking, including savings accounts, current accounts, fixed deposits with partner banks, and balance in wallets, UPI, and FASTag, among other services. One97 Communications holds 49 per cent of the paid-up share capital (directly and through its subsidiary) of PPBL. Advertisement Sharma has a 51 per cent stake in the bank. Paytm Wallet, which comes under PPBL, leads the segment. As per the RBIs provisional data for December 2023, Paytm Wallet users carried out 24.72 crore transactions worth over 8,000 crore for purchase of goods and services while 2.07 crore transactions were carried out for transferring over 5,900 crore. Advertisement What did the RBI do? The RBI directed the Paytm Payments Bank to stop accepting deposits or top-ups in customer accounts, wallets, FASTags and other instruments after 29 February. As per News18, the central bank cited persistent non-compliances and continued material supervisory concerns in the bank. Withdrawal or utilisation of balances by its customers from their accounts, including savings bank accounts, current accounts, prepaid instruments, FASTags, National Common Mobility Cards, are to be permitted without any restrictions, up to their available balance. Advertisement Paytm Wallet users can continue to carry on transactions till 29 February. Advertisement However, after February 29, they will be able to use their existing balance till the time it is exhausted but not add any money to their account. The same rule is applicable on PPBL accounts, Paytm Wallet-linked services like FASTag, National Common Mobility Card that are used for travel in metro and other public transport. Why did it do so? The banking regulator had been frequently flagging issues with Patym Payments Bank. According to sources, money laundering concerns and questionable dealings of hundreds of crores of rupees between popular wallet Paytm and its lesser-known banking arm had led RBI to clamp down on entities run by Sharma. Advertisement Sources further said that PPBL had lakhs of non-KYC (Know Your Customer) compliant accounts and in thousands of cases single PANs were used for opening multiple accounts. NDTV Profit reported that more than 1,000 accounts were found to be linked to the same PAN. There were instances of the total value of transactions running into crores, much beyond regulatory limits in minimum. Advertisement KYC pre-paid instruments raising money laundering concerns, sources said. While users have the option to switch to other wallets, and FASTag services etc being provided by other vendors, Paytm management has said that PPBL is in discussion with the RBI to comply with their direction for continuing the business. Will Paytm be affected? Paytm has said that its financial services such as loan distribution, insurance distribution and equity broking are not in any way related to PPBL and are expected to be unaffected. The companys offline merchant payment network offerings like Paytm QR, Paytm Soundbox, Paytm Card Machine will continue as usual, where it can onboard new offline merchants as well. Sharma called the RBI order a big speed bump and said that he could not understand the trigger for the move. On behalf of Paytm, I can say it is more of a big speed bump but it is something that we believe that with partnership of other banks and capabilities that we have already developed, we will be able to see through in the next few days or quarters as the case will be, he said during an investors call. Paytm says it sees an impact of 300-500 crore on its annual operational profit. While One97 Communication has said it will transfer all Paytm Payments Bank (PPB) accounts to other banks, experts say this is easier said than done. When you ask these merchants to move their account from PPB to another bank, Paytm will likely lose the credibility and confidence of these merchants, a senior executive with a large fintech firm told Moneycontrol. The outlet quoted investment banking firm Macquarie as saying this could have a significant impact on Paytm. Given the severe restrictions imposed on PPBL, we believe it significantly hampers Paytms ability to retain customers in its ecosystem, and accordingly restricts it from selling payment products and loan products. We think revenue and profitability implications in the medium to long term could be significant and remain a key item to monitor, it said. They will have to convince every single merchant to link another bank account to their UPI address instead of the PPB account. This will also likely change the QR codes. Now they will have to issue new QR codes, paste the new QR codes on the millions of soundbox devices wherever it is linked to PPB. This is a logistical nightmare, another fintech consultant added. The question is whether Paytm can be the same without its payment bank. Vijay Shekar Sharma, the founder and CEO of One 97, and his top management team made it sound like cutting the umbilical cord with Paytm Payments Bank would not be a big deal, a piece in Hindu Business Line noted. But without the payments bank, Paytm has little to distinguish itself from peers such as PhonePe or GooglePay." In fact, with having to touch base with other banks, Paytms battles are set to compound, and this time, it would be picking fights with biggies who have ample liquidity, network and years of credibility ingrained in their names. The piece noted that payments comprise over r 60 per cent of One97s revenue, and that the company is far from generating operating profits. While margins in the payments business may not be meaty, a change in model can alter the dynamics of Paytms ability to turn profitable at an operating level, the piece concluded. Sharma, perhaps recognising this, has asked the RBI to extend its 29 February deadline, as per News18. With inputs from agencies About 200 farmer unions, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, have called for a march on 13 February in New Delhi. They are demanding a law guaranteeing the Minimum Support Price for their produce, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021 Two years after forcing the repeal of three agricultural regulations through a year of protests at Delhis borders in 2021, Punjab farm unions are threatening a comeback as political parties get ready for the Lok Sabha elections. On 13 February, a large number of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh are anticipated to march towards the National Capital as part of the Delhi Chalo March, which is being coordinated by some 200 farmer unions. Advertisement The Delhi police started making arrangements, announcing multiple diversions for Monday and Tuesday, and enforcing prohibitions throughout the whole North East area. To prevent any untoward incidents and uphold law and order, they have also enforced Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) along the borders with Uttar Pradesh in advance of another farmers agitation. To thwart the planned march by the furious farmers, the Haryana government installed blockades of concrete and barbed wire along the states border with Punjab. Heres why the farmers are up in arms again. Farmers protests in Delhi According to news agency PTI, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha announced Delhi Chalo march by more than 200 farmers unions on 13 February to press the Centre to accept several demands. Advertisement Coordinator of KMM, Sarwan Singh Pandher, according to Indian Express, said, Tractors in thousands will march from different parts of Punjab, reaching midway by Monday afternoon. Farmers will sleep overnight in their tractors on roadsides and will proceed towards Delhi based on the outcome of the talks. Speaking about the number of tractors from Punjab, he said, They will be in thousands. Considering over 1,000 tractors are coming from Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, one can imagine the level of participation from Punjab. Advertisement A large number of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, staged a year-long protest against the three now-repealed agricultural regulations in 2020 in Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur, the border points to Delhi. These three laws were the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act. Advertisement Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Lakhowal leaders stated that they will not participate in the demonstration on Tuesday; however, they will object if farmers are mistreated while marching. They are going to start the Gramin Bharat Bandh protest, which is scheduled for 16 February. Their demands According to a report by Livemint, the farmers are demanding to enact a law that ensures the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of all crops in accordance with the Dr Swaminathan Commissions report. Advertisement Besides this, as per Indian Express, the farmers are also demanding a total debt waiver for labourers and farmers. Reintroduce the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 on a national level, guaranteeing compensation four times the collector rate and signed consent from farmers. Bring justice to the harmed farmers and punish those responsible for the Lakhimpur Kheri atrocity. Advertisement Ban all free trade agreements and withdraw from the World Trade Organisation. Pay pensions to farm labourers and farmers. Pay compensation to the families of farmers who lost their lives in the Delhi movement, and provide an employment opportunity for one family member. Remove the Electricity Amendment Bill 2020. Under MGNREGA, offer workers a daily income of 700 and 200 days of employment annually, with a connection to farming. Advertisement Enhance seed quality by enforcing severe penalties against businesses that manufacture fake seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides. Establish a national panel to study spices, such as turmeric and chile, among others. Protect indigenous peoples rights to land, water, and forests and prevent companies from plundering tribal territories. Meeting with Union ministers Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday said the Centre has invited them for a meeting to discuss their demands on 12 February, as per PTI. Advertisement He said three Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai will arrive in Chandigarh on Monday to hold talks with a deputation of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. The meeting will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26 here, a day before the farmers proposed march. Advertisement Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur) president Jagjit Singh Dallewal, as per Indian Express, said, A total of 26 persons will be attending this meeting, with 13 each from SKM (non-political) and KMM. The first meeting with the three Union ministers was held on 8 February in which a detailed discussion was held with the leaders of farmer organisations which planned Delhi Chalo march to press for their demands, including a law to guarantee a minimum support price for crops, was held. Advertisement Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, who coordinated with the farmer leaders for arranging the meeting, had also participated in it. After the meeting, the farmer leaders had said the central ministers had assured them that they would hold a second round of the meeting soon. The farmer leaders had said their proposed Delhi Chalo march on Tuesday still stood. Advertisement Section 144 imposed In order to prevent farmer agitation, Section 144 of the CrPC, which prohibits gatherings of five or more people, has been implemented in 15 of Haryanas 22 districts. In response to farmer associations Delhi Chalo call, the Sonepat district administration has also issued an order to petrol pumps prohibiting filling farmer tractors with more than 10 litres of diesel. The Delhi Police has enforced Section 144 at all borders between the National Capital and Uttar Pradesh, as well as adjacent regions under the northeast districts jurisdiction range. In addition, the Delhi Police prohibited the entry of any vehicles used for carrying protesters from Uttar Pradesh into the city, including tractors, trolleys, buses, trucks, commercial vehicles, personal vehicles, and horses. Amidst the planned farmers protest, the Chandigarh administration also enforced Section 144 for 60 days within the city. Section 144 was also enforced in Uttar Pradesh along the borders of Ghazipur, Tikri, and Singhu to prevent any tragic events and uphold law and order. According to the order, farmers would probably block the Delhi border till their demands are fulfilled. Makeshift jails, sealed borders, internet services suspension The Punjab-Haryana borders have been heavily secured in anticipation of the farmers Delhi Chalo march. The police have been installing jersey barricades and prohibitory orders as a precaution. According to News18, the Haryana and Delhi police have erected concrete barricades at the Tikri border in Jhajjars Bahadurgarh and Singhu in Sonepat on Sunday. The Delhi police also stationed water cannons and sizable cement canisters near the Sonepat boundary. Along the interstate border, barbed wire, road spikes, iron nails, and thousands of police officers have been stationed in addition to the concrete barriers. Furthermore, before the march, the Haryana government transformed two sizable stadiums into makeshift jails. In case the farmers march proceeds, imprisoned farmers will be housed in makeshift jails at Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Indoor Stadium in Sirsa and Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Dabwali, according to NDTV, which cited its sources. In addition to implementing Section 144, the Haryana government has also suspended mobile internet services and bulk SMS in seven districts. An official order states that from 6 am on 11 February to 23:59 on 13 February, mobile internet services will be suspended in the districts of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa. The decision was made out of concerns about a potential disturbance of peace brought on by the planned march. Due to expected interruptions, the Haryana Police has also released a traffic advisory urging commuters to minimise their use of major roadways on Tuesday. Commuters travelling between Chandigarh and Delhi have also been advised to choose alternate routes to reduce the possibility of traffic congestion. An advisory was released by the Delhi Traffic Police on Sunday in advance of the farmers Delhi Chalo march. The police have instructed car owners to follow the advisory to remain aware of any traffic restrictions or diversions. With inputs from agencies Its going to be a manic Monday. From Nitish Kumar seeking a trust vote in the Bihar Assembly to the Jayant Chaudhary-led RLD formally joining the NDA, heres a guide of the big events today and what to expect Its Monday and its the beginning of a new week. But if you are expecting a slow news day, think again. Several news-making events are to take place today (12 February) and we have you covered. From the farmers meeting with ministers in Chandigarh to Nitish Kumars floor test in the Bihar Assembly, heres what to expect from today. Advertisement Nitish Kumars trust vote Politics is heating up in the state of Bihar. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his newly formed alliance with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is to seek a trust vote in the state Assembly today. Last month, Kumar took the oath as Bihar CM for the record ninth time after dumping the oppositions INDIA bloc and rejoining the NDA-BJP alliance. Ahead of the crucial moment, Nitish Kumar issued a whip to ensure the presence of all party MLAs inside the Assembly on Monday when the newly formed NDA government will seek a trust vote. JD(U) chief whip Shravan Kumar said those defying the whip will lose their membership even as he maintained that it was a routine exercise that takes place ahead of every Assembly session. Advertisement On the other hand, all MLAs of the RJD have virtually been made hostage at Bihars former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadavs official residence in Patna, ahead of the floor test. RJD MP Manoj Jha said that legislators of RJD and other constituents of the grand alliance expressed their willingness to stay together for the next 48 hours. All legislators are staying together, entertaining themselves and discussing politics of Bihar and country. Advertisement Union ministers to meet protesting farmers The Centre will hold another meet with the protesting farmers today in Chandigarh. According to a farmer leader, Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai will arrive in Chandigarh today to hold talks. The meeting will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26, a day before the farmers proposed Delhi Chalo march. The first meeting with the three Union ministers was held on 8 February in which a detailed discussion was held with the leaders of farmer organisations which planned Delhi Chalo march to press for their demands, including a law to guarantee a minimum support price for crops, was held. Advertisement The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha had announced Delhi Chalo march by more than 200 farmers unions on 13 February to press the Centre for accepting several demands. Jayant Choudhary-led RLD likely to join NDA The Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) led by Jayant Choudhury will switch sides from the Opposition to the NDA bloc today, claimed SBSP chief Omprakash Rajbhar. The discussion is almost final and, in all likelihood, the RLD will join the fold of the NDA on 12 February, Rajbhar was quoted as saying. Advertisement The day is significant as 12 February is the birth anniversary of late Chaudhary Ajit Singh, the founder of the RLD and father of present party chief Jayant Chaudhary. The RLD chief had earlier almost confirmed that he would be switching over to the NDA after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh will be honoured with the Bharat Ratna. Advertisement Vladimir Putin to visit Turkey Russian president Vladimir Putin will visit Turkey today to meet counterpart Tayyip Erdogan, a Turkish official told Reuters, in what will be the Russian leaders first trip to a NATO ally since Moscows invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Putins scope to travel abroad has been limited since March last year when the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him for the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, a war crime. Russia denied the charge and called the move outrageous, but said it was legally void in any case because Russia is not a member of the ICC. Advertisement Turkey is also not a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, so Putin can travel to Turkey without fear of being arrested under the warrant. It is reported that Turkey will try to convince Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to provide protected exports from Ukrainian ports, after Moscow withdrew last July following a year of implementation. Bali is one of the most sought-after travel destinations for Aussies, with over a million of us visiting the popular island hotspot each year. With the flight time around seven hours from the east coast, and around four from the west, the tourist town is an accessible and beloved location for people all over the country, and has been for decades. From tomorrow however, there'll be one extra fee Aussies hoping to soak up the Bali sun should be aware of. Last year Bali was dethroned as Aussies' favourite travel destination in favour of Japan, but millions of Aussies still travel there every year. Source: Getty What is the Bali tourist tax? You might remember Indonesian authorities last year announced a one-off tourist tax of $50 for travellers headed to Bali that was scrapped in December, but was since reintroduced and now revised down to just $15 (150,000 IDR). The payment will be implemented from tomorrow, and though it's a one-time levy, anyone entering Indonesia will still have to pay the $50 'visa fee' to be granted 30 days of travel on arrival. It's also worth noting the tax is in place on a per entry basis, so if you leave Bali and come back, you'll be slugged again. Travellers to Bali will from tomorrow have to fork out a $15 tourist tax, in addition to the $50 visa fee. Source: Getty Why is there a new tourist tax? Particularly in the wake of the pandemic, Balinese officials say they're trying to explore new ways to preserve and maintain the island's culture and heritage, including many of its sacred sights. With up to 18,000 people from all over the world touching down on the island every day, it's not hard to imagine that the natural landscape would take a hit. It's estimated that the tax could bring in nearly A$185,000 each day in revenue for the island. Some reports have suggested that up to 70 per cent of the tourism levy could be spent on tackling Balis chronic waste management issues. How do I pay the tax? Bali enthusiasts will be able to pay the new tax through the "Love Bali" website or app. Story continues A tourism levy voucher with a QR code will then be sent to the travellers e-mail for scanning upon touching down on the island. There will also be a payment service desk at Bali's international airport and at seaports for those who have not made payment prior to arrival. To pay the tax, you'll simply need: A name, passport number, email and arrival date. The new tax comes as authorities explore new ways to maintain the island amid soaring levels of tourism. Source: Getty What if I don't pay it? The short answer is you could be deported or fined. There are a few exemptions in place for people like diplomats, those with official visas (for periods longer than 30 days), ship crew members, student visa holders and non-tourist visa holders. But the average Aussie will be made to pay the levy prior to gaining entry. Do I have to pay to gain entry to anywhere else in Indonesia? Bali is the only province in the country that's so far implemented such a fee, coming amid a general crackdown from authorities on how the island operates, with tourist behaviour, waste management and crime all under the microscope. Last year, Bali rolled out a 'dos and don'ts' good behaviour card slipped into travellers' passports on arrival. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Qatar has released eight jailed Indian Navy veterans nearly three-and-a-half months after they were handed down death sentences in a case of suspected espionage. Family members were not aware of their release until the Indian government notified them after they boarded their flights late Sunday In a huge relief and a matter of quiet celebration for all Indians, Qatar has released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel nearly three-and-a-half months after they were handed down death sentences in a case of suspected espionage. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Monday that seven of them have returned to India and that India appreciates the decision by the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of the Indians. Advertisement Now that they are free, the eight men can live freely in India with their families. Heres how the family was informed about the release of the Navy personnel. Indian government delivers the good news A family member of one of the eight ex-Navy men told Indian Express that the Indian government only notified them of their release and their return after they had boarded their flights late on Sunday night. Our veterans are back. We are immensely grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his personal intervention, and also to the Emir of Qatar for agreeing to their release. We were told about their release and journey back home once they had boarded their flights late last night, the family member told the newspaper. Advertisement Family members were not aware how the authorities managed their kins release. We dont know the details of how this was made possible, just that the Emir has agreed to their release, another family member told the outlet. Navy veterans released The Indian nationals, all employees of the Doha-based company Dahra Global, were identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh. Advertisement Reacting to their release, the MEA said in a statement, The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and homecoming of these nationals. Advertisement Of the eight, only Commander Purnendu Tiwari has not returned yet. The lone veteran is completing some paperwork and should be back soon, according to NDTV. No clue of their imminent release According to NDTV, which cited its sources, the seven Navy veterans were apparently unaware that they would soon be released. The sources claim that yesterday night, jailors asked the veterans to pack their belongings and wait until approximately 9 am (local time). Advertisement After that, they were whisked off to the Embassy and then to the airport. They boarded an IndiGo flight that arrived in Delhi at two in the morning. The case against them in Qatar The eight Navy personnel were arrested in August 2022. They were accused of spying for Israel, though the allegations against them have not yet been made public by Qatari authorities, according to Indian Express. Advertisement The maximum sentence of 25 years was meted out to Commander Tiwari, a senior officer at Dahra Global. Out of the eight individuals, four received sentences of 15 years in prison; two of them faced 10 years; and Ragesh, the only sailor, was handed the lightest punishment of three years. Amid desperate pleas by the anxious kin of the Navy veterans to secure their release and safe passage back to their homeland, the MEA had assured that it would mobilise all diplomatic channels and arrange legal assistance to bring them back. Advertisement The Qatari appellate court modified their death sentence in December last year to a term of imprisonment ranging from three to 25 years. The veterans death sentence was commuted, shortly after PM Modi met Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai. The sentence has now been reduced to jail terms. Advertisement Describing the judgement, the External Affairs Ministry had said, We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced. Following this, family members had told Indian Express that they would file an appeal in the Court of Cassation, the highest court in Qatar. Advertisement Earlier in the first week of January, the MEA spokesperson told the reporters the legal team had been given 60 days to file an appeal. The legal team has now received a copy of the court order, which is confidential in nature, newly-appointed MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said. Further, the legal team has been given 60 days to file an appeal in the Court of Cassation, Qatars highest court. Our legal team is working on this issue to decide the next course of action, and we are in touch with the families and the legal team, he had said. Advertisement Moreover, the Court of First Instance of Qatar had also passed the judgement against them, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. Bharat Mata ki Jai chants heard Setting foot in their homeland after several agonising months of captivity in Kuwait, seven of the eight Indian navy veterans heaped praise on PM Modi, saying they wouldnt have been freed had it for the sustained diplomatic efforts at his behest to secure their release, according to ANI. Advertisement Relieved to finally walk free, the seven former Navy officers raised chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai after arriving at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Monday. #WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, "We are very happy that we are back in India, safely. Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi, as this was only possible because of his personal intervention..." pic.twitter.com/iICC1p7YZr ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Speaking to the news agency, one of the Navy veterans said, I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldnt have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar. #WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, "We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldn't have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. We are grateful to the pic.twitter.com/5DiBC0yZPd ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Another freed navy veteran also came out in praise of the Centres intervention in securing their release, saying, We, as well as our anxious family members back home, had been waiting for this day for a long time. It all worked out because of PM Modi and his personal intervention in the matter. He took up our case with the highest levels of the Qatari government and eventually secured our release. I dont have enough words to express my gratitude to him and the Emir of Qatar. With inputs from agencies The results in Pakistans disputed elections show that no political party has won a majority. Imran Khan-backed independents came first, but it is unlikely that they will form a government. What happens next? Will Nawaz Sharif return as prime minister? Five days after Pakistan went to polls, the political uncertainty continues. No party emerged with a majority in parliament with both former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan declaring victory. But who will form the government? The speculation continues as a team of independents backed by Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) securing the most seats. Yet, they might be excluded from power. We explain why. Advertisement Who has won the Pakistan elections? The results in Pakistan threw a big surprise. The polls seemed in favour of Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), which has the backing of the countrys influential military. But after the final tally was released amid allegations of rigging , independent candidates secured the most number of seats. The independents won 101 seats of which 93 candidates were backed by PTI. The latter are those who were barred from contesting elections under the partys symbol by the election commission. The PML-N won 75 seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party Party (PPP) led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari came third with 54 seats. Advertisement One result has been withheld and another postponed because of a candidates death, according to The Associated Press (AP). What do the numbers indicate? No political party has won a majority to form a government in Pakistan. The high number of independent winners has led to an unprecedented situation. A prime ministerial candidate has to show a simple majority of 169 seats in the National Assembly when the house is called in the coming days, reports Reuters. Advertisement Pakistan National Assembly consists of 336 seats of which 266 are decided through direct voting on polling day. There are also 70 reserved seats, 60 for women and 10 for non-Muslims, allotted according to the strength of each party in the house to determine the final position of parties in the Assembly. Advertisement But with the highest number of winners being independents, it only complicates the situation. Under Rule 92(6) of Pakistans election regulations, once a win is declared, independent candidates have three days to join a political party. Alternately, they can also come together under one name. Also read: Pakistan elections 2024: The countrys turbulent history of rigged elections Who is likely to form the government? Advertisement There is a possibility that the independents backed by PTI might be excluded from the government. Nawaz Sharifs PML-N and Bhuttos PPP have said that they are planning to work together to bring political stability to the country. The move is reportedly backed by the Pakistani military. However, the two sides have not reached an agreement yet. Advertisement Even if the two join hands now, they will not reach the halfway mark and will need more support. The Karachi-based Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has made a surprising comeback in the polls, winning 17 seats. The party could play a role in any coalition, reports the BBC. If PML-N and PPP form a coalition government with other smaller parties, Nawaz Sharif could return as prime minister. The other important positions could be given to other parties. Advertisement The PML-N cannot form a government without the PPP. There is a possibility that the PPP could strike a deal to make Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari the prime minister. Before the polls, the 35-year-old promoted the idea of leading the country, saying he would bring a fresh approach to pull Pakistan out of multiple crises which other aged leaders have been unable to do. Advertisement The two parties had formed an alliance to oust Khan from power in 2022 and ruled until last August. Nawaz Sharifs brother Shehbaz was the prime minister and Bilawal was the foreign minister. : : : pic.twitter.com/bFTAo6JOPW PPP (@MediaCellPPP) February 11, 2024 Advertisement What about the PTI-backed independents? Its harder to see a scenario where Khan-backed independents form a government given the militarys opposition to it, analysts were quoted as saying by Bloomberg. Advertisement While a PML-N and PPP coalition is likely to anger Khans followers, a lot depends on how his supporters will push back. The PTI along with several other parties has called for protests against the results, alleging they have been rigged. On Sunday, the protesters clashed with the police. The streets near the electoral commission building in Rawalpindi were blocked with barbed wire and large trucks, preventing any protesters from accessing it. Police used teargas to disperse the crowds, who left the area. Advertisement The Pakistan army cracked down on PTI in May last year when its supporters attacked government and military buildings after Khan was detained. Bloomberg quoted some observers as saying they are unlikely to have an appetite for another confrontation. On paper, Khans independent candidates, who won 93 seats, can join a small party to form a single bloc to fulfil a requirement for them to be allocated reserved seats. That would push them closer to a majority and allow them to put up a candidate for prime minister. The independents can also strike a deal with other parties to support a consensus candidate. If Khans supporters are in power, they can push to have their jailed leader released under an agreement, reports Reuters. They will have to work hard for allies to align with Khans politics. Also read: Pakistan election results 2024: Whats next for PML-N, PPP and PTI? The lack of reserved seats would severely dent their chances of forming a government and hence PTI has decided, in principle, to ally or merge with another political party to claim this benefit. However, PTI leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told DawnNews that the party would definitely not be reaching out to either the PML-N or PPP for a possible alliance. We dont feel comfortable with both of them. There will be no talks with anyone to make a government or to make a government together with them. It is better to sit in the opposition than to make a government [with them>, but we think we have the majority, he was quoted as saying by the publication. What will the army do next? The results of the Pakistan elections are not what the army wanted. The support for Khan-backed candidates shows that the common man wants true democracy. It is a protest against the military and its role in politics. However, if no parties reach a consensus, the powerful military could step in to restore order and take power. It has done this thrice in the past. The last time was in 1999 when General Pervez Musharraf overthrew the Sharif government. However, political experts say that the military is unlikely to take this extreme measure and will exert its influence behind the scenes. With inputs from agencies Nitish Kumar has sailed through the floor test along with the BJP and its allies after the Opposition the RJD, Congress and the Left Front staged a walkout of the Bihar Assembly. But what exactly is this procedure and how is it conducted? After switching sides, re-enforcing his moniker of Paltu Ram, Nitish Kumar, who had called for a trust vote on the floor of the Assembly, has sailed through. The chief minister won the floor test with a 130-0 vote as the Opposition, comprising of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Congress and the Left Front, staged a walkout from the Assembly. Advertisement Notably, three Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs (Prahlad Yadav, Neelam Devi and Chetan Anand) switched over to the NDA bloc. In a 243-member Assembly, where the majority mark is 122, the Mahagathbandhan of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress, CPI(ML) Liberation, CPI and CPI(M) have 114 seats while the JD(U)-BJP combine have the support of 128 MLAs, six more than the halfway mark. But what is a trust vote and how does it work? We explain it all. A day before farmers undertake the Delhi Chalo march, pressing for its multiple demands, the Delhi Police has imposed Section 144 in the Capital for a month until 12 March. The order prohibits rallies, processions, and also states that weddings and funerals can be held only with prior permission All roads lead to Delhi. At least thats the case for the farmers. As many as 200 farmers unions are gearing up for a massive Delhi Chalo campaign on 13 February, which is headed to the Capital. Farmers atop tractors and trolleys are making their way towards Delhi from neighbouring Punjab, and Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding that the government give into their demands. Advertisement Anticipating a security hazard, the Delhi Police has clamped prohibitory orders (Section 144) for a month, beginning today. In fact, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora has stated that there is an absolute prohibition on the organisation, convening, or participation in any processions, demonstrations, rallies, or march on foot, whether for political, social, or any other purpose, within the geographical limits of Delhi/New Delhi. As the borders at Delhi are fortified and orders are imposed, lets take a closer look at whats allowed, whats not. Prohibitory orders imposed in Delhi On Monday, the Delhi Police imposed Section 144 in the Capital region for a month until 12 March in view of intended widespread tension and social unrest due to the farmers Delhi Chalo March on Tuesday. Advertisement The order read: There is an imminent risk of widespread tension, public nuisance, public annoyance, social unrest and the potential for violence on account of the participants of the march entering into the territory of New Delhi. Therefore, to ensure public safety, tranquility and public order in Delhi, it has become imperative to take all required precautionary steps to keep a check on the activities of the participants of the above-mentioned march for which no permission has been granted. Advertisement As per the orders, no rally or procession shall be permitted within the city and neither will blocking of roads or passages be allowed. Moreover, the Delhi Police order has imposed a ban on tractor rallies trying to cross the borders of the national capital. The order further reads that there shall be a prohibition on assembly of people, blocking of roads, any type of procession agitation, rally, public meeting by agitators. The authorities in the Capital have also barred people from collecting or carrying any form or explosives, boulders, acid, petrol, soda water bottles or any item that can be used to cause danger to anyone. Advertisement The order has also stipulated for strict checks of vehicles moving between Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. It also says the dissemination of any provocative slogan or message through verbal, written or electronic means will be considered unlawful. In addition to this, the use of any amplifier or loudspeaker on any private vehicle or building or a public area is prohibited unless specifically allowed. Advertisement An NDTV report further stated that weddings and funeral processions, along with religious rallies will only be permitted if permission has been sought from the concerned authorities. The authorities have stated that failure to comply with their order will attract punishment under Section188, relating to disobedience of an order issued by a public servant. Advertisement Security beefed up at borders Ahead of Tuesdays mega rally, the Delhi Policy has begun fortifying the Capital, including placing barricades, nails, barbed wires, at the borders. The police have also deployed personnel in large numbers at the Tikri and Singhu borders. The police are also using drones to keep a tight vigil at border points, an official said, adding that they are fully prepared to deal with any law and order situation. Advertisement The Chandigarh administration, according to an Indian Express report, has also deployed 1,200 police personnel, installed barricades and blocked roads at all entry and exit points in the Union Territory. Similarly, the Haryana government has ordered the suspension of mobile internet services and bulk SMS in seven districts ahead of farmers proposed Delhi Chalo march. According to an official order, mobile internet services will remain suspended in Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts from 6 am on 11 February to 11:59 pm on 13 February. Advertisement The decision to suspend mobile internet services, bulk SMS and all dongle services was taken as there was an apprehension of disturbance of peace because of the proposed march. Farmers protest 2.0 Several farmer associations, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, have called for the march on 13 February to demand a law guaranteeing MSP for their produce, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021. It is expected to be the second biggest protest by farmers since they agreed to withdraw the agitation against the now-repealed farm laws in 2021. Advertisement In addition to MSP, the farmers are also demanding for pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. And in an attempt to placate them, the Centre has deputed three union ministers junior Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, junior Home Minister Nityanand Rai, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to talk to them in Chandigarh. Advertisement The meeting will be held at the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration in Sector 26. This comes after the ministers held talks with the farmers on 8 February in which a detailed discussion was held on the demands. With inputs from agencies Israel has announced its military will soon launch a ground offensive in Rafah in Gaza. The town currently houses more than one million Palestinians, who have nowhere else to go. The plan has come under fire from countries, with the US and Egypt saying it will have disastrous consequences Its Day 128 of the Israel-Hamas war. The fighting continues, showing no signs of slowing down. As the war rages on, Israel has turned its eyes towards Rafah, calling it the last bastion of Hamas. In fact, Israel has already begun airstrikes in the region, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling for a ground invasion. Were going to do it, were going to get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah, which is the last bastion, but were going to do it, he was quoted as telling ABC News. Advertisement Israels neighbours and key mediators have warned of disaster and repercussions if its military launches a ground invasion in Gazas southern city of Rafah. But what is Rafah? What are the details around this announced Israeli operation? And what could be the possible repercussions of this move? What is Rafah? Rafah lies in the middle of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. At 64 square kilometre, it is the largest city in Gaza. An area with a population of 300,000 people, it is today home to more than 1.4 million people estimated by the United Nations as more and more people have been herded into it by Israeli forces who keep promising safety further south. People living in Rafah have been forced to live in dense clusters in small spaces. Conditions are dire, with severe shortages. The UN has called Rafah a pressure cooker of despair as living conditions worsen in the town. Most are living in makeshift structures, tents or out in the open, OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke had said in early February. Advertisement UN officials have said that the infrastructure in Rafah will not cope with a displaced population. UN schools serving as shelters in Rafah are already several times over capacity. There is little food, clean water or electricity. Why does Israel want to invade Rafah now? On 9 February, a message from the office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: It is impossible to achieve the war objective of eliminating Hamas and leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah. On the other hand, it is clear that a massive operation in Rafah requires the evacuation of the civilian population from the combat zones. That is why the prime minister directed the IDF and the defence establishment to bring to the Cabinet a dual plan for both the evacuation of the population and the disbanding of the battalions. Advertisement What this means is that Israel plans to carry out a ground operation in the town, which has become the last refuge for the people in the Gaza Strip. However, it remains unclear where the large number of people living in this area will be moved. And when asked about it, Netanyahu said that they were working out a detailed plan. Were not cavalier about this. This is part of our war effort to get civilians out of harms way. Its part of Hamass effort to keep them in harms way. Advertisement Why is this plan worrying? Netanyahus plan of launching a ground invasion even though theres no timeline or confirmation of when it can be has set off panic. Many are worried that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will issue a warning about two hours before a ground invasion into Rafah. This will give the residents a time window of a few hours that day to evacuate the city. As Haaretz reports, Imagine this convoy of refugees and the mass panic of people fleeing the area. Think of the elders, the sick, the disabled and the wounded who will be lucky to be transported in donkey carts or makeshift wheelbarrows and in cars that run on cooking oil. While the rest march on trying to find safety. Advertisement The UN has also stated that fighting in Rafah would exacerbate what is already a humanitarian nightmare. Moreover, some also believe that this military movement could lead to more Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. How have other countries reacted? However, Israels decision to invade Rafah hasnt been received well by its allies and other countries. Advertisement United States president Joe Biden in a phone call to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his stance the IDF should not proceed with the military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah without a credible and executable plan to ensure the safety of civilians. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby warned the US would not support Israels assault on the region, warning that a military operation would be a disaster for civilians there. In an interview with NPR, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that a military operation in the city cannot proceed under current conditions. Advertisement These concerns were expressed by others too. The EUs top diplomat Josep Borrell said in a post on X that an offensive on Rafah would have catastrophic consequences, worsening the already dire humanitarian situation and the unbearable civilian toll. Japan too, on Monday (12 February), said it was deeply concerned about Israeli military operations in Rafah. In a statement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs press secretary Kobayashi Maki stressed the fact that more than one million people are sheltering in Rafah, and that the city is crucial for the delivery of humanitarian aid. Advertisement Egypt has strongly rejected Israels plans in Rafah, warning of the grave consequences of such a military operation. Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukry asserted that Israel aims to eventually force the Palestinians out of their land. Egypt has warned that any movement of Palestinians into Egypt would threaten the four-decade-old peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. Advertisement There are added concerns that a ground offensive in Rafah would torpedo the hostage talks, with a Hamas leader telling AFP, Any attack by the occupation army on the city of Rafah would torpedo the exchange negotiations. But despite the criticism and condemnation, Netanyahu seems to be going forward with his plan. He was quoted as telling ABC News in an interview, Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are basically saying lose the war. Advertisement Avi Dichter, a minister from Netanyahus conservative Likud party, was also quoted as telling Israels public broadcaster, Kan: It will begin and it will end, just like in other places. An uncertain future for Rafah? And while a ground offensive hasnt begun yet, Israels air strikes in the region have already killed 60 people, as per Palestine Red Crescent Society. The IDF confirmed on Monday that they conducted a series of strikes on targets in the area of Shaboura, a district of Rafah, saying in a statement that the strikes have concluded. Advertisement The Israeli military also rescued two hostages during a special operation conducted overnight in Rafah. The hostages are 60-year-old Fernando Simon Marman and 70-year-old Louis Har, who were both taken 128 days ago during Hamas 7 October attack on Israel. The two, who were kidnapped from the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz, are in good medical condition and have been transferred for Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer. Now its a matter of time when Israel will invade Rafah. As Yaakov Amidror, a former general and national security adviser, told the New York Times, It is not imminent. But it will have to be done. With inputs from agencies Aerodromes, ATCs and airlines have been asked by DGCA to implement contingency measures to cater to unserviceable stop bars To avoid Japans Haneda airport-like plane collision due to runway incursion, Indias air safety watchdog, DGCA, has asked stakeholders to immediately deploy a runway safety team at all airports and adopt technologies to improve situational awareness. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a circular which elaborated that apart from establishing a runway safety team at all aerodromes and ensuring their effective functioning, speedy initiatives should be taken towards comprehensive training for pilots, air traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance engineers, and drivers operating inside an airport. Advertisement DGCAs on how to prevent runway incursions In the circular, the DGCA said Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) should ensure that stop bars are switched on to signal a stop and switched off to indicate traffic may proceed. In no case, aircraft or vehicles be instructed to cross illuminated red stop bars. Aerodromes, ATCs and airlines have been asked to implement contingency measures to cater to unserviceable stop bars. The DGCA has also recommended the adoption of technological interventions to improve situational awareness, thereby assisting Air Traffic Control (ATC) and other stakeholders to identify the traffic within the manoeuvering area. Other recommendations include ensuring adherence to standard procedures by all involved personnel/stakeholders and recognising the influence of human factors on performance, which may contribute to runway incursions. Advertisement As per the DGCA, the rate of runway incursions is decreasing and by ensuring a proactive approach among all stakeholders, the risk of such incidents can be reduced further. Japan plane collision On 2 January, a passenger plane and a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft collided on the runway at the Haneda airport and burst into flames. Five people on board the plane of the coast guard were killed. Advertisement The incident happened due to a runway incursion by the Japanese Coast Guards DHC-8 aircraft when Japan Airlines aircraft was in the process of landing. Last year in August, a mishap was averted at the Delhi airport involving two Vistara planes as the ATC inadvertently gave clearance for crossing and take off of two different aircraft on the same runway at the same time before cancelling the takeoff. Advertisement With inputs from PTI The 1,748 km two-lane highway will be hardly 20 kilometres away from the international border at several locations To intensify its vigil along the border with China and enhance connectivity, the Indian government has allocated around Rs 6,000 crore for 11 different packages of the strategic Frontier Highway in Arunachal Pradesh that will run by the India-Tibet-China-Myanmar border. A ToI report cited a top road transport and highways ministry official saying the construction work will be carried out by three agencies - the state public works department, Border Road Organisation and National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation. Advertisement The 1,748 km two-lane highway will be hardly 20 kilometres away from the international border at several locations. The work construction work is expected to commence in April this year and will be executed in phases. By the end of this financial year, we are confident of bidding out nearly 400 km of this mega road project in Arunachal Pradesh and also in the entire North East, the report quoted the official as saying, who added that construction work will create a lot of jobs for locals. Crucial for defence forces strategic movement The greenfield stretch will pass through uninhabited or sparsely-populated areas of upper Arunachal Pradesh and therefore, the two-lane highways will be beneficial to cater to the traffic demand and the requirement of defence forces for strategic movement, the report mentioned sources as saying. Frontiers Highway to enhance connectivity to border areas Advertisement On Sunday, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari announced an allocation of Rs 2,098.81 crores sanctioned for the construction of the Bomdila-Nafra-Lada section (package 2, 3) covering 78.3 kilometres and Rs 279.91 crores for the 15.4 kilometres long Lada-Sarli section (Package 7) of NH-913 (Frontier Highway) on EPC mode. Advertisement The strategic development of this road aims to enhance connectivity to border areas, fostering socio-economic growth in the region. The Frontier Highways construction is anticipated to curb migration and facilitate reverse migration towards the border areas of Arunachal Pradesh, the Union Minister said. Advertisement Additionally, the advancement of this Frontier Highway segment will establish crucial road infrastructure connecting significant river basins, thereby enabling the development of numerous hydropower projects in the state, the minister said. With inputs from agencies As per reports, only Commander Purnendu Tiwari hasnt returned yet, Although he has been released from prison along with others, its not clear why hes not back yet India on Monday appreciated the decision of Qatars government and the Amir for release of eighth Indian Navy veterans, who were initially convicted to death on espionage charges and later commuted to prison. Seven of them arrived in New Delhi this morning. Where is the eighth ex-Navy veteran released by Qatar? Addressing the media on Monday, Indias Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, Eighth Indian national has also been released and we continue to work with the Qatar government to see how quickly his return to India would be possible. Advertisement As per reports, only Commander Purnendu Tiwari hasnt returned yet, Although he has been released from prison along with others, its not clear why hes not back yet. We are grateful for their return. We are gratified on their return. We deeply appreciate the decision of Qatars government and the Amir to release them. We are happy to have seven of those Indian nationals back, Kwatra said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has himself personally constantly supervised all the developments in this case and has never shied away from any initiatives that would ensure the return of Indian nationals back to home, the Foreign Secretary said. #WATCH | On the release of eight Indian ex-Navy veterans from Qatar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra says, "We are grateful for their return. We deeply appreciate the decision of Qatar's government and the Amir to release them. We are happy to have seven of those Indian pic.twitter.com/e9xux3p1uf ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Advertisement Earlier in the day, the MEA, in a statement, said, The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals. Advertisement The move is perceived as a big diplomatic win for India. Also Read: Indias first reaction to the release of ex-Navy personnel from Qatar Reports say all these eight men will be able to live freely with their families in India. These eight men have been identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh. Advertisement According to an earlier report by PTI, Captain Navtej Singh Gill was awarded the Presidents Gold Medal for excellence when he graduated from the Naval Academy and later served as an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Tamil Nadu. Why were they awarded death sentence? On 28 December, 2023, a court of Appeal of Qatar had reduced death sentence of these eight former Indian Navy personnel to life imprisonment ranging between three years and 25 years. Commander Tiwari, who held a senior leadership position at Dahra Global, was handed the harshest punishment of 25 years. Advertisement These eight men were employees of Doha-based Dahra Global. They were taken into custody on 30 August 2022 by Qatars State Security Bureau, the countrys spy agency. Following their arrest, they were put in solitary confinement during which some of them faced health concerns. They were later put in a double-bed occupancy in a jail ward along with their colleagues. Advertisement Dahra Global provided training and other services to Qatars armed forces. The subsidiary was shut down in May this year. The charges against them were not made public by Qatari authorities, but reports said they had been charged with spying for Israel. Also Read: How Indian Navy veterans, their families learnt about release from Qatar jail Advertisement After the initial verdict was pronounced, India had called it deeply shocking. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also met the family members of the eight men and assured them that the government attaches the highest importance to the case. On 25 March, 2023, the charges were filed against these eight men after which the trial began on 29 March. Advertisement In May 2023, Dahra Global shut down its operations in Doha and all employees primarily Indians have since returned home. On 1 December last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit. Two days after this, the Indian Ambassador to Qatar, Vipul, on 3 December, 2023, got consular access to meet the ex-Navy personnel and on 28 December last year Court of Appeal reduces their capital punishment to imprisonment. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Ashok Chavans exit from Congress, comes days after senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora quit the grand old party Congress, which has been facing blows-after-blows ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, on Monday got another jolt after Maharashtras former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan quit the party amid speculation that he is veering towards BJP. Chavans exit from Congress comes days after senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora quit the grand old party. Advertisement Aagey aagey dekho hota hai kya Amid speculations that Chavan (65) will join the BJP, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis while talking to reporters on Monday, said: Aagey aagey dekho hota hai kya (wait and watch what happens. Several top Congress leaders are in touch with BJP Fadnavis further said, Several tall leaders of other parties want to join BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behaviour of the senior leaders. They are feeling suffocated in their party. The leaders of other parties who are willing to join the BJP believe that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they will work for the people. Several people from MVA are in touch with us, he said. Who all are in our contact that will be revealed soon, he assured. Advertisement #WATCH | Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "Several tall leaders of other parties want to join BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behaviour of the senior leaders. They are feeling suffocated in their party...Who all are in pic.twitter.com/7rUk9AeTsS ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Advertisement What BJP will offer to Ashok Chavan? Advertisement As per sources, Chavans entry into the BJP is almost certain. Two options are being mulled over for the role that he would be offered. Either the Maharashtra politician will get a Rajya Sabha seat, or contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls on BJPs ticket. No one wants to stay in Congress Advertisement Commenting on Chavans resignation from Congress, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said: There is discord in Maharashtra Congress, Ashok Chavan has resigned, and there are internal fights in Congress. There is no leader, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is abusing the OBC community, that is why no one wants to stay with them, and that is why people are leaving. Yes, if anyone wants to join BJP then they are welcome. Advertisement #WATCH | Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule says, "There is discord in Maharashtra Congress, Ashok Chavan has resigned, and there are internal fights in Congress. There is no leader, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is abusing the OBC community, that is why no one https://t.co/akSFBWBrGh pic.twitter.com/HG7jdFaUml ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Advertisement Chavans resignation letter to Congress In a letter to Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, Chavan said he was resigning as a primary member of the grand old party. He also submitted his resignation as an MLA to Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Advertisement Former Maharashtra CM and Congress leader Ashok Chavan resigns from Congress. pic.twitter.com/bVUbMvx4IA ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Advertisement In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Today i.e. on Monday, 12 February, 2024, I have tendered my resignation as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from 85-Bhokar Assembly Constituency to the Assembly Speaker Rahulji Narvekar. , . - . Today i.e. on Monday, February 12, 2024, I have tendered my resignation as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from 85-Bhokar Ashok Chavan (@AshokChavan1958) February 12, 2024 Advertisement Chavan, who hails from the Nanded district in the Marathwada region, stepped down from the chief ministerial post in 2010 for his alleged involvement in the Adarsh housing scam in Mumbai. Advertisement He was also state Congress chief during 2014-19. Chavans father late Shankarrao Chavan was also the chief minister of Maharashtra. With inputs from agencies The eight Indian nationals were detained in October 2022 and held in a jail in Qatar on charges that they were spying on a submarine development. A Qatari court condemned the former navy officers to death on allegations that have not yet been formally made public In a significant diplomatic victory for India, Doha freed eight Indian Navy veterans convicted to death in Qatar on Monday. Following diplomatic intervention by New Delhi, the death penalty was previously modified to a prolonged jail sentence. In response to frantic pleadings from the Navy veterans family for their release and safe passage back to their homeland, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) promised to deploy all diplomatic channels and offer legal help to bring them back. Advertisement In an official statement on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that seven of the eight former Navy officers had already returned to India. #WATCH | Delhi: Qatar released the eight Indian ex-Navy veterans who were in its custody; seven of them have returned to India. pic.twitter.com/yuYVx5N8zR ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Setting foot in their nation after many excruciating months of detention in Qatar, the seven Indian naval veterans showered appreciation on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming they would not have been liberated if he had not made relentless diplomatic efforts to obtain their release. Advertisement Upon landing at the Delhi airport early on Monday, the seven ex-Navy officers began chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai. The Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals. Advertisement The eight Indian nationals were detained in October 2022 and held in a jail in Qatar on charges that they were spying on a submarine development. A Qatari court condemned the former navy officers to death on allegations that have not yet been formally made public. Earlier, the newly appointed spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaiswal, emphasised the temporal significance of this period, stating, As far as the issue is concerned, there is a time of 60 days when this issue can be appealed in the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court in Qatar. Advertisement The MEAs legal team possesses the confidential court order detailing the commutation of the death sentences to imprisonment terms, a move revealed in a press release following the court of appeals judgement on December 28. We issued a press release in which we informed you that the death sentence, which was originally a death penalty, has been changed to imprisonment sentences. Now our legal team has that court order, and I can confirm that all of them have received sentences of different durations, and the death penalty has been abolished, Jaiswal said. Advertisement Furthermore, the Qatari Court of First Instance ruled against them, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA spokesman also emphasised the recent meeting that transpired between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad, the Emir of Qatar, stating that they had a positive discussion on the bilateral relationship in general. Advertisement Speaking to ANI, a Navy veteran praised Prime Minister Modi for discussing their sentence with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar and credited him for their release via persistent diplomatic efforts. I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldnt have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, he said. Advertisement Wearing a relieving smile and a calm demeanour, another released former naval officer told ANI, Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldnt be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom. Advertisement Another freed navy veteran also came out in praise of the Centres intervention in securing their release, saying, We, as well as our anxious family members back home, had been waiting for this day for a long time. It all worked out because of PM Modi and his personal intervention in the matter. He took up our case with the highest levels of the Qatari government and eventually secured our release. I dont have enough words to express my gratitude to him and the Emir of Qatar. Advertisement We are very happy to be back and it wouldnt have been possible had the honourable Prime Minister not taken personal interest in the matter. I also thank the Qatar Emir for his personal involvement in the matter, another former Navy officer told ANI. We waited almost 18 months to be back home to our loved ones in India. We are extremely grateful to PM Modi for getting us back. We wouldnt have seen this day without the joint efforts of PM Modi and the Emir of Qatar. The personal equations that the two leaders share also helped in our release, another Navy veteran told ANI after landing in Delhi. It was supposed to be a "romantic night away" for a young couple staying at a reputable Brisbane hotel on Saturday, but rather than a plush king-sized bed to rest in they were "forced" to sleep in the hotel lobby instead. The reason, according to Benjamin who lives in Melbourne and had booked the room to reconnect with his girlfriend based in Brisbane is because they'd discovered several cockroaches and bed bugs in their room at the Park Regis North Quay hotel in Brisbane. And because there were no more rooms available, they had "nowhere else to sleep". Photos shared with Yahoo News Australia show several brown critters the pair had captured inside a glass, which appear to be tiny cockroaches. Another shows what appears to be a bed bug which was found in the couple's bed as they were getting ready to call it a night. Sydney pest control expert Christopher Moschella confirmed to Yahoo News it is "300 per cent positively bed bugs" saying "that's a mature adult as well, so guaranteed eggs have been laid". Ben and his girlfriend were forced to sleep in the hotel lobby after finding bed bugs and cockroaches in their room at the Park Regis North Quay hotel in Brisbane. Source: Supplied Brisbane hotel denies bed bug claims Despite the photos, a spokesperson for the hotel group said it's not yet been confirmed "as to whether the room was infested with bugs" and claimed there was "no issue" before the 21-year-old checked in on Saturday afternoon. Additionally, the property had been treated for pests last week, Richard Doyle, Group General Counsel for StayWell Holdings, which manages Park Regis hotels, told Yahoo News Australia. He also pointed out that "bedbugs usually travel in peoples clothes and luggage" and suggested, "they could have been brought into the room by the traveller." But the 21-year-old, who moved to Australia from the UK a year ago, said "that's definitely not the case" and confirmed he'd travelled from his unit in Melbourne where he had no issues, shutting down claims he'd been "backpacking" and likely brought the bugs home with him. Story continues 'Freaked out' after noticing bugs Ben said it was about midnight when they first noticed a cockroach "in the living room area". They were "relaxing" on the lounge with his girlfriend eating chocolate before she jumped up to have a shower. "She left some on the sofa and two cockroaches went for the chocolate right next to me," he told Yahoo. "I didnt realise but she freaked out when she came back and saw them." For the next hour, he claims they were "ripping apart the sofa trying to catch the bugs". A Sydney pest controller confirmed the guest's photo shows a mature bed bug. Source: Supplied. Thinking it was likely just the living room, they gave up and went into the bedroom but that's when they claim they saw "one fat bed bug" crawling on it. "I thought oh god, no way and I squashed it then stripped the bed back halfway to check for more," Ben said. "I didn't see any more but I saw a few black dots. I didnt really know what to look for because this is the first time Ive ever encountered it". No one available to assist guests At this point, the British traveller admitted he didn't know what to do so attempted to call the hotel, but because it was so late, was transferred to an external service provider instead. Doyle confirmed the "normal process" then would be for the external service representative to notify the caretaker who lives at the hotel, who would then assist the guest. But the after-hours staff was "unable to reach our on-site caretaker at 2am," Doyle confirmed, admitting "we accept this was a failing on our part". "The guest was unable to be relocated in the hotel as all of our other rooms were full," he continued. Ben and his girlfriend had a disappointing stay at the Park Regis North Quay due to the discovery of bugs in their room. Source: Supplied Couple move to hotel lobby Ben said they thought about sleeping on the lounge but "then I pulled one more sofa part backwards and there was a massive cockroach," he claims. "We couldnt sleep on the bed or the lounge, and we didnt really want to sleep on the floor because it's infested with this stuff, so my girlfriend suggested sleeping in the lobby". Photos show the couple curled up on a lounge in the hotel lobby, where they stayed until about 7am. At that point, Ben said the lady who had checked them in a day earlier had started work and asked what they were doing. "I told her the situation, and she went and checked the room. She palmed off the cockroaches and the bed bug claiming there was 'nothing we can do," he said. "Then she told us we could stay in the lobby or we could go because there were no other rooms available so we left." Hotel says there were no previous bed bug complaints Doyle could not confirm "whether the room was infested with bed bugs" and said a pest inspector had been called. He said the last guest who stayed in the room "was from the Queensland Police and stayed for six days. They advised there were no issues with their room". "We are a well-respected company. We've been operating this particular hotel since 2007. We've had zero bed bug complaints since 2007 and very few complaints about the state of our rooms," he said. He added it's "extremely unfortunate" to have an upset guest because "no one wants to have unhappy guests and no one wants to have this type of issue occur". Ben, who was offered a full refund by the hotel, said the incident has certainly taught him to be "be more vigilant" and to always check the bed wherever he travels. It comes as bed bug infestations are on the rise across Australia following a "plague" in France, and the influx of Aussie travellers returning home after the holidays. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. This election result, when the army was entirely behind the Sharifs in Punjab and yet Imran Khans independents could secure 115 seats, is a wake-up call for the Sharif family Almost all foreign observers of the February 8 Pakistani polls are focusing their attention almost exclusively on the results of the National Assembly election. At the same time, projections of what lies ahead in the countrys political life require that close attention be given to the election results for the Punjab Assembly. Advertisement It is not necessary that a party that rules Pakistan federally also has Punjab, which is Pakistans most important province, under its control. Indeed, in the past, Punjab has been in control of the party that sits on the opposition benches in the National Assembly. However, on such occasions, Punjab has been a thorn in the side of the Pakistani government. In the present political circumstances in Pakistan, it is certain that the coalition Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML (N)) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) are most likely to form at the federal level. Pakistan cannot remain stable unless the PML (N) and the army chief succeed in ensuring that the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is kept out of power in Lahore. Advertisement Why is it so important that Imran Khan be kept out of power in Punjab? The answer lies in the provinces significance in Pakistans national life, especially its politics. Punjab is Pakistans most populous province. It has more seats in the National Assembly than the combined seats of the three othersSindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Baluchistanas well as the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Advertisement The total number of National Assembly general seats for which direct elections are held is 266. Out of these, Punjab has 141. Of the 60 women seats, which are decided on a proportional basis and allotted to parties that secure more than 5 per cent of the vote share in the national elections, Punjab has been allotted 32 seats. Indeed, it is the constant complaint of the other provinces that Punjab overshadows them all. Advertisement The Pakistani army is essentially a Punjabi army. Its main recruitment centres still lie in the districts of northern Punjab, though in recent years the army has been trying to recruit more soldiers from other provinces. It is unlikely, though, that the importance of Punjab for the army will be even marginally reduced for a long time to come, if ever. Advertisement As the Pakistani generals are both professional soldiers and also play a political role from behind the scenes, they keep a close watch on the politics of the province as well as its popular sentiments. That is why the May 9 attacks by Imran Khan supporters on Pakistani army installations in Punjab so embittered army chief Asim Munir against the PTI leader. The fact that the protestors had a free run in the Corp Commander residence, LahoreJinnah Housewas especially intolerable to Munir and the generals who are loyal to him. Advertisement The Punjab Provincial Assembly consists of 371 members. Of these, 297 are to be directly elected. In addition, the Assembly has 66 women seats and 8 seats for non-Muslims. These are allotted to political parties under the proportional representation system. On February 8, elections for the Punjab Assembly were held for 296 general seats. The PML (N) won 137 seats, while the PTI candidates contesting as independents secured 115 seats. As many as 22 seats were won by non-PTI-affiliated candidates. It is certain that a number of these 22 will prevail upon or willingly join the PML (N). Advertisement The question is whether at least 10 of them will join the party so that it reaches a majority. That means it will be secure. In any event, the PML (N) should have no difficulty making a government in Punjab. This does not mean that the Sharifs and Munir would not be concerned with the fact that Imran Khan retains so much popularity among the urban population and sections of rural youth and city women that his independent candidates were able to secure 115 seats. Advertisement Normally, voting in Punjab takes place on the basis of biradaris. Just as caste plays a crucial role in Indian elections in Pakistans Punjab province, biradaris are an important part of the political process. Some important biradaris are the Arians, Jats, and Rajputs. The Sharifs have, over the decades, built a strong network among the biradaris. Clearly, Imran Khan has succeeded in making a huge dent in this network. His appeal has transcended the biradaris, for he has invoked the gairat or pride of the people against foreign interference. That has made an impact. Advertisement It is also significant that the Pakistani Punjabis have continued to strongly support Imran Khan despite the cases instituted against him. These cases have involved charges that he breached national security, was involved in corruption, and finally that his marriage to Bushra Bibi, his third and current wife, was illegal. This case was obviously meant to highlight that he is a man of loose morals. However, these charges have also had no influence on changing the minds of his Punjabi supporters. Advertisement The Sharifs will have to do some serious introspection. Nawaz Sharif is the head of the Sharif joint family. He is also the quaid or leader of the PML (N). However, at 74, he is not the same person he was even six years ago. He has become embittered and seems to have lost his vigour. He was a charismatic leader, but that charisma is now lost. Advertisement Five years of political exile in London from 2018 to 2023 have taken a great toll on Nawaz Sharif. His younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, who served as Prime Minister of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) government, which came to power after Imran Khan was ousted from that seat in April 2022, has forever remained loyal to his elder brother. Shehbaz Sharif also served as the Chief Minister of Punjab when Nawaz Sharif was Prime Minister. He has the well-earned reputation of being a good administrator. The problem for the Sharif family is the leadership of the PML (N) in the next generation. Both Nawaz Sharifs daughter, Maryam Nawaz, and Shehbaz Sharifs son, Hamza Sharif, have demonstrated leadership qualities. Both have suffered persecution at the hands of the army and their political rivals, including imprisonment, stoically. It is no secret that Nawaz Sharif considers Maryam his political heir. Shehbaz has made no public comments about Hamza, who has served as Punjab Chief Minister although for a very brief period and has a good connection with the Sharifs Punjab network. It is necessary for the Sharifs to achieve a modus vivendi about the leadership of the party after Nawaz and Shehbaz take on Imran Khan. There is an absence of clarity on this score, and that cannot but erode the party base. This election result, when the army was entirely behind the Sharifs in Punjab and yet Imran Khans independents could secure 115 seats, is a wake-up call for the Sharif family. If they do not settle their affairs, they will not be able to reduce Khans support in Punjab. The writer is a former Indian diplomat who served as Indias Ambassador to Afghanistan and Myanmar, and as secretary, the Ministry of External Affairs. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram . Maruti Suzukis SkyDrive is slated for being unveiled at the 2025 Osaka Expo in Japan, with plans for subsequent introduction in India as part of the Make in India initiative. Market research is currently underway in India to gauge potential customer interest Maruti Suzuki, in collaboration with its parent company Suzuki, is embarking on a groundbreaking venture to develop electric air copters, as reported by Times of India. These innovative air vehicles, larger than drones but smaller than traditional helicopters, will be designed to accommodate at least three individuals, including the pilot. With a vision to introduce cutting-edge mobility solutions, Maruti Suzuki initially plans to launch electric air copters in Japan and the US, with future expansion into the Indian market. Advertisement These air taxis hold the potential to revolutionize transportation, offering swift and efficient urban mobility solutions. Maruti is not only targeting sales in India but also exploring the possibility of local manufacturing to enhance cost-effectiveness. Kento Ogura, assistant manager at Suzuki Motor, disclosed ongoing discussions with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to materialize this ambitious project. Named SkyDrive, the electric air copters are slated for unveiling at the 2025 Osaka Expo in Japan, with plans for subsequent introduction in India as part of the Make in India initiative. Market research is currently underway in India to gauge potential customer interest and establish strategic partnerships. Ogura emphasized the importance of affordability for the success of air copters in the Indian market. Advertisement Weighing in at 1.4 tonnes during take-off, the air copter boasts nearly half the weight of conventional helicopters, enabling it to utilize building rooftops for take-off and landing. Furthermore, the electrification of these vehicles has led to a significant reduction in the number of aircraft parts, thereby lowering manufacturing and maintenance costs. Advertisement Maruti Suzukis foray into electric air copters marks a significant milestone in the realm of urban mobility, promising innovative solutions to address the challenges of modern transportation. As discussions progress with regulatory bodies and market research unfolds, anticipation builds for the potential impact of these futuristic air taxis on the Indian landscape. Googles Gemini AI and OpenAIs GPT-4 reportedly are more-human like than OpenAI and Google would like people to believe. Both the AI models are believed to be more sentient than what OpenAI and Google would like people to believe Googles long-awaited Gemini has entered the chatbot arena, drawing attention as a formidable competitor to OpenAIs ChatGPT. Early reviews are pouring in, with many impressed by Geminis capabilities. However, amidst the excitement, a lingering unease persists, prompting discussions about the potential sentience of advanced AI chatbots. Ethan Mollick, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, recently shared his thoughts on Gemini in a blog post. Having received early access to Googles advanced model, Mollick remarked on the eerie quality of the chatbots responses, likening them to encounters with a ghostly presence. Advertisement This sentiment echoes concerns raised in the past, including claims by a former Google engineer that the companys AI was alive. Mollicks observation revolves around the elusive human-like qualities perceived in AI-generated text, often characterized by a distinct personality. Gemini, in particular, is noted for its friendliness, agreeableness, and penchant for wordplay, setting it apart from its counterparts. AI detection companies have also delved into distinguishing chatbots based on their unique tones and cadences. This ability has been instrumental in identifying AI-generated content in various contexts, including deepfake robocalls and text-based interactions. While Microsoft researchers have stopped short of claiming that AI models like GPT-4 possess sentience, they acknowledge the presence of sparks of human-level cognition. Advertisement In a recent study, Microsoft scientists highlighted GPT-4s ability to understand emotions, explain itself, and engage in reasoning, prompting questions about the parameters of human-level intelligence. The concept of AI sentience has garnered attention from organizations like the Sentience Institute, which advocates for granting moral consideration to AI models. They argue that failing to acknowledge the potential sentience of AI could lead to unintended mistreatment in the future. Advertisement Despite widespread scientific consensus that AI models are not currently sentient, there is a growing contingent of individuals who speculate about the emergence of machine sentience. While some dismiss these notions as far-fetched, others see them as a reflection of a deeper exploration into the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. Advertisement (With inputs from agencies) Former Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has sold a portion of his holding of Amazon worth well over $2 billion. In addition to the recent sale, Bezos also listed a proposed sale of 50 million Amazon shares around February 7th, with an estimated market value of $8.4 billion Jeff Bezos, the executive chairman of Amazon, recently filed a statement with federal regulators disclosing the sale of nearly 12 million shares of Amazon stock, amounting to over $2 billion. The transaction, which took place on February 7th and 8th, saw Bezos divesting himself of 11,997,698 shares of common stock in five blocks ranging from 1 million to more than 3.2 million shares. Advertisement While Bezos, who founded Amazon in a Seattle garage nearly three decades ago, officially lists his address as Seattle, reports suggest he has relocated to Miami. In addition to the recent sale, Bezos also listed a proposed sale of 50 million Amazon shares around February 7th, with an estimated market value of $8.4 billion. Bezoss decision to offload Amazon shares comes amid a rise in his estimated wealth, with Bloomberg Billionaires Index reporting a $22.6 billion increase in his net worth this year due to surging company stock. As of February 11th, Bezos is listed as the second-wealthiest person globally, trailing behind Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. Musk currently holds the top spot with a net worth of $209 billion, while Bezoss net worth stands at $200 billion. Advertisement Although Bezos has not provided a specific reason for the share sale, speculations suggest that he is investing heavily into his spacetech starup, Blue Origin. Regardless, this draws attention to the narrowing gap between his and Musks net worth. Prior to the recent divestment, Bezos trailed Musk by a $5 billion margin. However, with his net worth climbing to $209 billion in just a few days, the disparity between the two billionaires has significantly diminished. Advertisement Bezos, who held the title of the worlds richest person from 2017 until Musk surpassed him in 2021, has witnessed fluctuations in his wealth over the years. Nonetheless, his latest move signals a strategic manoeuvre as he seeks to maintain his competitive position against Musk amidst fluctuations in the stock market. Advertisement (With inputs from agencies) The online dating has become a battleground for scammers and catfishers using AI to deceive unsuspecting people, looking to find a real connection. At least 77%of Indian respondents encountered AI-generated fake profiles, with at 26% falling for a bot In an era where Artificial Intelligence (AI) permeates various aspects of daily life, the online dating has become a battleground for scammers and catfishers using AI to deceive unsuspecting people, looking to find a real connection. India, in particular, grapples with a prevalent issue of online dating scams, as highlighted in a recent study conducted by McAfee. Advertisement The second edition of McAfees annual report titled Modern Love focuses on the interplay between AI and online dating in India, shedding light on the intricate dynamics between technologys potential to foster genuine connections and its exploitation in fraudulent activities. Surveying 7,000 participants across seven nations, with a significant emphasis on India, the study underscores the escalating concern surrounding catfishing and romance scams, especially with the integration of AI technology. An alarming 77 per cent of Indian respondents reported encountering AI-generated fake profiles or photos on dating platforms and social media, signalling a pervasive presence of potential deceit in the digital romance sphere. The research further unveils that 39 per cent of Indian participants fell victim to engaging with scammers under the guise of potential romantic interests, while 26 per cent unwittingly interacted with AI-generated bots. Advertisement Despite the inherent risks, the study uncovers a favourable inclination towards AI assistance in crafting romantic messages, with 56 per cent of Indians contemplating the use of AI for Valentines Day communications. Notably, 81 per cent observed enhanced responses from AI-generated content compared to their own efforts. However, McAfees findings underscore the paradoxical nature of AI in online dating. While AI amplifies the avenues for scammers to exploit individuals seeking genuine connections, it also empowers users to curate more captivating profiles and messages, potentially enriching their dating experiences. Advertisement In response to these challenges, McAfee suggests users to be vigilant, and also offers practical tips for online dating safety. First, one needs to scrutinise messages for authenticity, and always reverse-image search on profiles they match with. Also dnt engage in any financial transactions with people you have just met. It would also be great if users invest in tools to detect online scams, including upcoming solutions for deepfakes. Advertisement As AI continues to shape the landscape of online dating in India and beyond, McAfees study serves as a crucial resource for navigating the complexities of digital romance while mitigating the risks posed by malicious actors leveraging AI technology for fraudulent purposes. In their latest earnings call, OpenAI made just over $1 billion last year. Whats more interesting though is that they have already made $2 billion in annualised revenue OpenAI has achieved a remarkable milestone, with its annualised revenues crossing the $2 billion mark, driven primarily by the widespread adoption of its leading artificial intelligence product, ChatGPT. This success propels OpenAI into the ranks of the fastest-growing technology companies in history. According to sources familiar with the companys finances, OpenAI reached the $2 billion annualized revenue milestone in December 2023. Buoyed by robust interest from business clients keen on integrating generative AI tools into their workflows, the company aims to more than double this figure by 2025. Advertisement This exponential growth trajectory positions OpenAI alongside esteemed Silicon Valley counterparts like Google and Meta, achieving revenues of $1 billion within a decade of its inception. Originally established as a not-for-profit AI research lab in 2015, OpenAI transitioned into a commercial powerhouse after establishing a business arm in 2020. Despite internal disruptions in November, including the temporary ousting and subsequent reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman, OpenAI has continued to capitalize on the AI boom ignited by the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. Altman revealed that as of November last year, a staggering 92 per cent of Fortune 500 companies were leveraging OpenAIs suite of products, with ChatGPT boasting 100 million weekly users. The surge in consumer and business interest in generative AI, capable of producing code, text, images, and video, has been a driving force behind OpenAIs meteoric rise. Advertisement Competitors, ranging from tech giants like Google and Meta to startups such as Anthropic, Mistral, and Cohere, are also entering the fray with their AI offerings. Notably, Google recently unveiled its AI system Gemini, accessible through a premium subscription model. Despite its soaring revenues, OpenAI remains in the red due to substantial investments in developing and maintaining its AI models. Altman emphasized the deliberate nature of these expenses, acknowledging that training costs are substantial and expected to outpace revenue growth as the company pursues more sophisticated models. Meeting these financial demands may necessitate raising tens of billions more in funding. Advertisement OpenAIs strategic alliance with major investor Microsoft, which has pledged up to $13 billion, has been instrumental in propelling both companies to the forefront of the AI revolution. Microsofts AI Copilot, powered by OpenAIs models, is gaining traction among enterprise users of Microsoft 365, with over 18,000 customers purchasing OpenAI software through the Azure platform. Advertisement In a bid to further bolster its operations, Altman is exploring avenues to enhance semiconductor supply, crucial for AI companies striving to develop cutting-edge models and reduce costs. This commitment underscores OpenAIs determination to shape the future of AI while contributing to economic competitiveness. (With inputs from agencies) The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes loaded with the best hardware that money can buy. And yet, it is the AI features that define Samsungs new flagship, which, they hope will reorient how users think of smartphones Pros - Arguably the best display in a smartphone - Solid, top-notch performance - Galaxy AI has some awesome features - All-rounder camera setup - Solid design, now perfected - Titanium frame with flatter, grippier sides - Long software update commitment - Features of the S-Pen suite - Tons of interesting AI features to explore Cons - 45W wired charging at this price point - AI features like Chat Assist and Call Assist new fine-tuning Advertisement Price: Starts at Rs 1,29,999 for the 12GB+256GB variant Rating: 4.75/5 The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra was hands down one of the best, most rounded Android smartphones to get launched in 2023. Following it up with something that would be interesting and new enough to entice phone enthusiasts and tech nerds was always going to be a tall order. And yet, despite keeping the same design, and bringing a select few updates to the specifications, Samsung has managed to catch everyones attention with its latest flagship, the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It truly is, an earnest way to reimagine what a smartphone is exactly. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is not only among the first devices to get the all-new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it is also the first device to come with a bunch of generative AI features. Even though you get some seriously powerful hardware, and possibly the best display that has ever been used on a smartphone, along with a more practical camera set-up, this year, its all about Galaxy AI. Advertisement Not only does Samsungs Galaxy AI set the tone for what flagship devices will entail this year, it also brings forth a new way to think about smartphones. It makes smartphones, smarter. Still, is it enough to warrant people to upgrade their devices? Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G review: The design The Galaxy S24 Ultra bears a striking resemblance to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but this time, it features a flat display. You get the same camera module, and identical antenna markings on the frame. However, a few notable differences set the S24 Ultra apart. Advertisement One significant change is Samsung replacing the aluminium frame with a titanium one. The titanium frame not only feels warmer to the touch but is more scratch-resistant and has a more visually appealing texture. We also get flatter sides now, which combined with the grippier titanium, makes the phone feel much more secure in the hand. The flattening of the screens edges also makes holding the phone easier and using the S Pen much more convenient. Advertisement Samsung claims to have minimized the bezels around the display by 42 per cent. This reduction is very evident in the bottom bezel, which is almost non-existent with the S24 Ultra. All of this, makes the actual screen look much larger. Both the front and back feature Cornings Gorilla Armor glass. For colour options, we get Titanium Gray, Titanium Black and Titanium Violet. You also get two online exclusive options, Titanium Blue and Titanium Green. Advertisement Like the S23 Ultra, the S24 Ultra gets a tank-like solid build quality and feels premium to hold. Still, because of the devices size, using it with one hand may be a bit of a task for most people. Having said that, those switching from larger devices wont find it problematic. Advertisement The placement of the volume rockers and power buttons remains the same as last year, but now, they feel more solid. The slightly flatter edges of the S24 Ultra also contribute to a flatter overall profile. At the bottom, we see a speaker grille housing one of the speakers, alongside the USB Type-C port, a SIM tray, along with the S-Pen. Advertisement The rear panel of the S24 Ultra features the same camera and flash setup that we saw in the S23 Ultra. We get a floating setup rather than a separate camera island. Because of how the lenses are positioned, the device doesnt sit flat on a surface, and rocks about when tapped. Advertisement All in all, the S24 Ultra has basically the same design as last years S23 Ultra, albeit with a few minor tweaks here and there. It still looks as premium as a phone can. Plus, the new Titanium frame, with its flatter sides, makes the phone feel much more solid, premium and easy to grip in the hand. Advertisement Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G review: The display While it may seem that not a lot has changed as far as the display is concerned, there are some minor tweaks here and there which make the S24 Ultras display the best display that we have seen in a smartphone. Thats a tall order considering that the S23 Ultra had one of the best displays in a smartphone in 2023. Advertisement The Galaxy S24 Ultra features Samsungs Dynamic AMOLED display, measuring 6.8 inches. While the display still has an adaptive refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz, this time, it can go as low as 1Hz instead of last years 24Hz. Also new is the peak brightness, which is up from 1750 nits to 2600 nits. Naturally, then, the display still supports HDR10+. We also get a slight resolution bump at 1440X3120 pixels. Advertisement In terms of content consumption, the S24 Ultra provides a delightful experience, especially with HDR and Dolby Vision content. The Dynamic AMOLED display includes Samsungs Vision Booster, covering 100 per cent of the mobile colour volume within the DCI-P3 colour range. Even in direct sunlight, there were no issues with visibility. Samsung is using an LTPO AMOLED panel for improved power efficiency, particularly with the always-on mode. This allows the refresh rate to drop as low as 1Hz in certain situations. Theres also a new antireflective, anti-scratch panel from Corning called Gorilla Armor. This means that the screen is more impervious to scratches and scuffs in general day-to-day use, even if you tend to be extremely rough with your devices. The display really stands out for its impressive specifications. However, the technical details of the display dont truly capture the essence of the screen. It is, by far, one of the finest displays on any smartphone currently available. The colours out of the panel are vibrant, rich, and saturated colours with inky blacks. All of this ensures that the images and texts that we see on the display are sharp and crisp. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G review: The camera The Galaxy S24 Ultra, like its predecessor, the S23 Ultra, comes with a powerful camera setup. It includes a 200MP ISOCELL HP2 camera, a 12MP wide-angle camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera for 3x optical zoom. The notable change is the new 50MP periscope telephoto camera that offers 5x optical zoom, replacing the 10MP periscope telephoto sensor from the S23 Ultra. This upgrade will allow users to sharper images at a shorter zoom level, and is more practical in my opinion. Samsung has also increased the size of the pixels in the S24 Ultras sensor, allowing it to capture more light. The S24 Ultra produces vibrant and detailed photos suitable for social media when using the main and wide-angle cameras. Even in low light, the camera performs decently, with excellent sharpness, exposure, and detail in various lighting conditions. The Galaxy S24 Ultras overall image quality is superior to the S23 Ultra, particularly in rendering more natural skin tones and colours. While the S24 Ultra maintains Samsungs characteristic oversaturation, its a choice that many users appreciate for creating eye-catching images, that can be posted to social media without much processing. The camera fo the S24 Ultra also offers various video features, including UHD resolution recording with zoom capabilities, 8K video at 30fps, and UHD slow-motion video at 120fps. The portrait mode of the S24 Ultra provides flexibility with four levels of magnification, allowing users to capture different perspectives without moving around. At the front, the phone features a 12MP wide-angle camera with a 26mm focal length, equipped with Dual Pixel PDAF technology. This camera supports dual video calls, Auto-HDR, HDR10+ for enhanced dynamic range, and video recording capabilities including 4K at 30/60 fps, as well as full HD 1080p at 30 fps. The portrait mode in the selfie camera, while not always perfect in terms of cropping and focus, generally produces impressive results. Inside the S24 Ultra is Samsungs ProVisual Engine, Super HDR, and a range of Galaxy AI editing tools to enhance photos during and after shooting, but more on the AI features later. Click here for some sample photos taken using the Galaxy S24 Ultra . Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G review: The performance, software experience and UI The Galaxy S24 Ultra stands out as one of the fastest Android smartphones in the market by a mile. While other devices use Snapdragons 8 Gen 3 SoC, the S24 Ultra boasts a custom 8 Gen 3 chipset which is overclocked and tuned specifically for this phone. Our test unit featured 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 internal storage. Notably, even the base variant of the S24 Ultra comes with 12GB of RAM, which is a welcome change. In basic everyday tasks, the S24 Ultra handles anything and everything you throw at it without breaking a sweat. We put our test unit through a gauntlet of demanding games, and extensive multitasking and not once did it show any signs of slowing down. In a bid to push the device to its limits, we browsed the internet extensively, capturing numerous 200MP photos and 8K videos, watching HDR videos at pretty high brightness and playing demanding games like BGMI and Asphalt 9 at the highest settings. Throughout these challenges, the S24 Ultra remained cool and maintained consistent performance. In gaming, we were consistently getting a frame rate of 60 fps. The phone excels in handling demanding games and even supports ray tracing at a hardware level, although very few games currently utilise this feature as of now. Even after playing games like Asphalt 9: Legends for over 30 minutes, the device hardly warms up, thanks to Samsungs redesigned and significantly larger vapour chamber for effective cooling. Samsung claims that the vapour chamber is about 92 per cent larger this time around and it shows. Running on OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14, the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers a plethora of features that will take ages to test and try out. Moreover, we chose to focus on the new AI features for this review rather than the features of OneUI 6.1. Lets put it this way the devices performance is consistently incredible, making it an excellent all-around choice for users who want a smartphone capable of handling a wide range of tasks without making any compromises. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G review: AI Features This is where things get really interesting with the S24 Ultra. Samsung has released a ton of AI features with the S24 series in what they are calling Galaxy AI, which, for the most part, is powered by Googles Gemini AI. Most of the AI features that we see in Galaxy AI will be a part of other flagship Android phones this year as and when they get released, but theres no denying the fact that Samsung beat most other manufacturers to the punch. While some people may find the AI features in Galaxy AI a bit gimmicky, I feel that we truly are at the cusp of something new, a new way to think about our smartphones. For example, Googles latest innovation, the Circle to Search feature, is a game-changer, integrating the best aspects of Google Lens with a simple gesture to seamlessly search for a particular element across any photos, video or anything else that is on your screen We also have a bunch of AI features that work with text and sound in the form of Chat Assist, Call Assist and Live Translate. The Live Translate feature, for example, offers instant translation for both voice and text in 13 languages, facilitating seamless communication across linguistic barriers. You also get to use the Call Assist feature in phone calls. However, during my testing, the results that we got were mixed at best. Moreover, you really need people to speak clearly on their phones, and have only one person speaking at a time, which is not how most people behave on a call. The Samsung keyboard now has an AI feature that gives it a major boost. Whenever youre typing in any app, the keyboard gets smarter with AI. You just need to tell it what you want to type in a short prompt, and it will write it out for you. You also get different suggestions for the tone of your text ranging from formal to casual to social media style, just like ChatGPT. Furthermore, the voice recording app also has some AI features. You can now have the app transcribe your voice notes, and its algorithm is intelligent enough to differentiate between two speakers and demarcate the transcribed texts based on who says what. It works fairly well, but it isnt perfect. I dictated a significant portion of the review into the voice notes app, and had it transcribe it. The transcription was about 70 per cent accurate, so I had to edit it considerably to make a comprehensive first draft. It certainly isnt as game-changing as I had hoped it to be, but it is something that is surely good to have. I Then, we have a bunch of other features in the Generative Edit tool, which is very similar to Googles Magic Eraser, but with some more added functionality. The Generative Edit allows users to refine their images in any way, shape or form that they choose, by allowing them to remove objects or elements that could be distracting. It also users to straighten or recompose an image by using AI-powered image generation. But the best feature of them all, at least for me, is the ability to create slow-motion videos using videos that you have shot normally. I use tons of different smartphones, with great cameras and never have I ever thought of shooting a particular moment as a slow-motion video, before shooting it it is only after I have shot something that I wish that I had taken a slow-mo shot of it, instead of recording it at a regular 30 or 60 fps. The feature allows you to slow down any video or even make it twice as fast, and during our tests, it worked perfectly every single time. As for privacy and data security concerns, the AI models within Galaxy AI operate both locally and in the cloud. For instance, the Circle To Search function operates solely over the cloud. On the flip side, transcription features, whether for phone calls or voice memos, function entirely locally. Similarly, Galaxy AIs Generative Edit features, work locally. Samsung will need to fine-tune some of the features, as they feel half-baked at the moment, like most other AI tools, be it ChatGPT, Midjourney, Microsofts Copilot, or even Googles Gemini. The Chat Assist, and Transcribing features need to be refined a lot before they become widely adopted. Having said that, what Samsung has achieved here is really impressive. It will be really interesting to see how other smartphone manufacturers respond to this. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G review: The battery life The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts a robust 5,000 mAh battery, and delivers an excellent battery life, straight out of the box. Moreover, once you start using the device regularly, and it gets to know your usage and charging habits, the battery life gets even better. The Galaxy S24 Ultra shines when it comes to battery benchmarks. On the very first day of using the device, it lasted over 17 hours on the PC Mark battery test, which is remarkable considering the battery management system had no idea of usage habits. During real-world use, the S24 Ultra easily lasted a day with around 6 hours of screen time. We typically ended the day with over 20 per cent battery remaining. I think this is largely because of how efficient the Snapdragon SoC is, and the fact that you get a 1-120Hz refresh rate, based on what youre doing. However, there are some issues. Samsung is still stuck with its 45W wired charging, at a time when other manufacturers are providing much faster solutions. It does support 15W wireless charging and offers 4.5W reverse wireless charging. In regular, wired charging you will get to about 65 per cent in half an hour, provided you have a charging brick that is compatible with the device. Considering the rapid advancements in battery charging technology from other manufacturers, some users may find the S24 Ultras 45W charging capability underwhelming, especially with budget phones offering over 100W fast charging. Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 5G review: The verdict Priced at Rs 1,29,999, the Galaxy S24 Ultra may not come cheap for a flagship device, but its not the most expensive one either. However, it embodies everything youd expect from a high-end, flagship smartphone. This years hardware upgrades may not seem groundbreaking, but theyve allowed Samsung to refine an already exceptional product. The improved 50MP telephoto camera, faster processor, and promise of seven years of software updates make it a compelling upgrade for Samsung users. Performance-wise, it handles everything effortlessly, whether its gaming or AI tasks like photo editing, without overheating or lag. The AI features, although they need some polishing, introduce a fresh smartphone experience. While not essential for everyone who is considering upgrading to a flagship device, they certainly add value. Additionally, like always, the inclusion of the S Pen makes the Galaxy S24 Ultra one of the most versatile phones in the industry. Even without the AI enhancements, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a solid device with its top-notch display, premium build, and outstanding camera hardware. Its undoubtedly a contender for the best premium phone of 2024. Samsung has set a high standard that will be difficult to surpass For those who can afford it and want the latest and greatest that tech has to offer, a new way to experience a smartphone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a worthy investment. Samsung has once again raised the bar for premium Android phones and set a new benchmark. Suppliers to Chinese smartphone manufacturers are worried of Indias ongoing scrutiny and investigations into Chinese businesses and are hesitant in setting up operations in the country because of that In correspondence shared with the government of India, Chinas leading smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi reveals concerns expressed by smartphone component suppliers regarding setting up operations in India amidst increased government scrutiny of Chinese companies. The communication, dated February 6th, advocates for incentives and tariff reductions to facilitate local manufacturing, as per a Reuters report. Advertisement With an 18 per cent market share, Xiaomi is a significant player in Indias smartphone market. In the letter, it appeals to Indian authorities to consider offering manufacturing incentives and reducing import tariffs on specific smartphone components. Xiaomi currently assembles smartphones in India using a combination of local and imported components, predominantly from China. The letter, in response to an inquiry from Indias information technology ministry, underscores the need for bolstering the countrys component manufacturing sector. It comes against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of Chinese businesses in India following a 2020 border clash. Muralikrishnan B., President of Xiaomi India, emphasizes the necessity for confidence-building measures to attract component suppliers to establish local operations. Advertisement The concerns cited in the letter pertain to compliance, visa issues, and other unspecified factors. While neither Xiaomi nor the IT ministry provided further comment, the letter indicates ongoing challenges faced by Chinese companies in India, particularly in the smartphone sector, which heavily relies on Chinese suppliers for critical components. Xiaomi advocates for a reduction in import tariffs on sub-components such as batteries, USB cables, and phone covers to enhance Indias manufacturing competitiveness. However, it suggests that significant incentives are necessary to persuade component manufacturers to set up facilities in India. Advertisement The plea from Xiaomi aligns with recent signals from Indian officials suggesting a potential easing of scrutiny on Chinese investments, contingent on peaceful border relations between the two countries. However, challenges remain, including visa issuance and investment clearances, which continue to impede Chinese companies operations in India. The letter from Xiaomi underscores the complexities of the India-China relationship, with economic factors intertwined with geopolitical tensions. As both countries navigate these complexities, the future of Chinese investments and operations in India remains uncertain, contingent on diplomatic developments and regulatory decisions. Advertisement (With inputs from agencies) As per the annual US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report, nearly 8.7 lakh foreign nationals attained US citizenship in the fiscal year 2023, ending on 30 September, 2023 As many as 59,000 Indians officially became US citizens in 2023, making India the second-largest source, after Mexico, for new citizens in America. However, the number of Indians who got US citizenship in 2023 was lesser than those who opted for it the previous year. In 2022, 65,960 Indians officially became US citizens. Advertisement As per the annual US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) report, nearly 8.7 lakh foreign nationals attained US citizenship in the fiscal year 2023, ending on 30 September 2023. The cumulative number of people from different nations who opted for US citizenship in 2023 was around a lakh lesser than the previous year. As per the report, 111,500 Mexicans (12.7 per cent of the total citizens) obtained US citizenship in 2023. India occupied the second slot with 59,100 (6.7 per cent) people acquiring US citizenship. Slightly more than 5 per cent or 44,800 of the new Americans were Philippines-born. It was followed by the Dominican Republic from where 35,200 people or 4 per cent obtained US citizenship in 2023. Advertisement Next came Cuba, whose 33,200 or 3.8 per cent of people got US citizenship last year. A total of 878,500 people of different nations obtained US citizenship in 2023 compared to 969,380 the previous year. According to the annual progress report-2023 released recently by USCIS, naturalisation (awarding of US citizenship) during the fiscal years 2022 and 2023 made up nearly a quarter of all naturalisations over the past decade. Advertisement Though the comparative USCIS progress report of 2022 does not provide country-of-birth data of its new citizens, an annual flow report by the Department of Homeland Security (the umbrella agency) has all such information. Who can get US citizenship? If a person of a different country, staying in the US, holds a green card (being a lawful permanent resident) for at least five years, then he/she can apply for American citizenship. Advertisement For any person who marries a US citizen, the period is reduced to three years. However, for Indians, the waiting time for a green card runs into several decades, which in turn derails the opportunity to opt for American citizenship. With inputs from agencies Biden attributed the deaths to militias backed by Iran, the first for the United States following months of attacks by these groups against American forces throughout the Middle East since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict The ongoing effort to free hostages held in Gaza and growing concerns over a potential Israeli military operation in the port city of Rafah are expected topics of conversation between President Joe Biden and King Abdullah II of Jordan, who is being hosted in Washington Monday. Since three American soldiers were killed in a drone strike against a U.S. base in Jordan last month, this is the first time the allies have met. Advertisement Biden attributed the deaths to militias backed by Iran, the first for the United States following months of attacks by these groups against American forces throughout the Middle East since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The meeting with King Abdullah II comes as Biden and his aides are working to broker another pause in Israels war against Hamas in order to send humanitarian aid and supplies into the region and get hostages out. The White House faces growing criticism from Arab-Americans over the administrations continued support for Israel in the face of growing casualties in Gaza. It appeared a deal for another pause in the fighting was getting close. A senior U.S. administration official said Sunday that after weeks of shuttle diplomacy and phone conversations, a framework was essentially in place for a deal that could see the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a halt to fighting. Advertisement The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remained but declined to specify what they are. The official said Israeli military pressure on Hamas in Khan Younis over the last several week s has helped bring the militant group closer to accepting an agreement. The potential for an agreement took up the majority of Bidens call Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Advertisement The official said the two leaders also had a significant back and forth about the potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Rafah and that Biden reiterated U.S. opposition to the idea under the current conditions while more than 1.3 million people are sheltering there. It was the most forceful language yet from the president on the possible operation. Biden, who last week called Israels military response in Gaza over the top, also sought urgent and specific steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. Israels Channel 13 television said the conversation lasted 45 minutes. Advertisement The official said the Israelis made clear they would not contemplate an operation in Rafah without safeguarding the civilian population. The official said the U.S. is not sure there is a feasible or implementable plan to relocate civilians out of Rafah to allow military operations to take place. Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israels actions and have eschewed public support for long-term planning over what happens next, arguing that the fighting must end before such discussions can begin. They have been demanding a cease-fire since mid-October as civilian casualties began to skyrocket. Advertisement Biden had planned to visit Jordan during his trip to Israel in October shortly after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, but the trip was scrapped. On his way home from Israel, Biden announced hed helped broker the first deal to pause fighting temporarily and to open the crossing in Rafah to humanitarian aid. Advertisement In the months since, members of his administration have made repeated trips to the region to engage with leaders there. (with inputs from The Associated Press) The University of Kuwait and the Talk Cultural Center jointly organized the World Nations Forum, which more than 40 countries' embassies and international organizations attended, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Embassy in Kuwait. Within the framework of the event, an extensive exhibition reflecting the history, traditions, national costumes, carpets, music, cultural heritage, tourism potential, and national cuisine of the countries was organized. Azerbaijan's Embassy and the Patriotic Azerbaijan-Kuwait Friendship Society set up the stand at the exhibition which the participants were given detailed information about Azerbaijan's history, culture, cuisine, national costumes, carpet weaving art, and tourism potential. There was a special corner prepared in connection with the declaration of Shusha, the cultural capital of Azerbaijan, as the "cultural capital of the Islamic world" for 2024. The participants were filled in about the history, geography, and culture of Shusha, as well as about the restoration and construction works that the Azerbaijani government carried out in the territories freed from occupation and the cultural events held there. The embassy presented small carpets with the image of Yukhari Govhar Aga Mosque as a gift to the organizers. In addition, with the support of the embassy, the book Shusha: The Capital of Azerbaijan Culture, the Pearl of Garabagh published and presented in Arabic, contains Shusha city's cultural monuments, historical buildings, cuisine, charming nature, the restoration and construction works carried out in city after the liberation, and the Irs magazine's special issue related to Shusha and Kharibulbul Festival. Also, brochures reflecting Azerbaijani historical and modern cultural monuments, sights, historical sites, and national and spiritual values were demonstrated at the exhibition. At the event, community members in National Women's Clothing belonging to Azerbaijan met with great interest. At the same time, visitors to the exhibition were provided with dishes of Azerbaijani cuisine, and sweets (shakarbura, pakhlava, etc.) posted. In addition, Azersun Holding's products Bizim Tarla and Azerchay brands were presented to the exhibitors to promote Made in Azerbaijan products in Kuwait. Representatives of the Kuwaiti community also visited the exhibition, along with the teaching and student staff of the university. Azerbaijan Airlines' (AZAL) representation in Kuwait informed the participants about the flight schedule and services in the direction Baku-Kuwait-Baku. After an Aussie father claimed he was targeted by an "egotistical Karen" for parking in a parent's bay while his wife was inside a shopping centre changing their baby, heated debate has erupted over the need for such spaces to begin with, and who has the right to use them. One Western Australian mother took to social media on behalf of her "hurt" husband to question why a person felt the need to write a very pointed handwritten note, criticising her partner for parking in a space designated for parents. The remark, clearly written in frustration, read: "Don't park here again, you selfish prick!" It prompted the mum, who said "I never use social media for things like this", to respond and defend her partner, who parked at the Mandurah Forum, 72km south of Perth. "My husband was putting a baby gate in the boot while I was in the forum changing our seven-month-old baby," she wrote on Facebook. A mum has leapt to the defence of her husband, who she claimed attracted a mean-spirited note from an 'egotistical Karen', who targeted him for parking in a parent space. Source: Facebook Heated debate erupts over parking space "He came back into the forum looking for me [and] when we returned, someone had put this note on our windscreen. How about next time you be sure before insulting an innocent husband and father, you hero." The note was scribbled onto a piece of cardboard and left the dad "hurt and almost feeling guilty", the mum shared, arguing that, as a parent, he had every right to be there. The woman's post attracted almost 300 interactions, with many people agreeing with her sentiment, arguing the importance of having the facts straight before jumping to a conclusion. A number of people even went as far as to say they didn't see the need for parental parking spaces altogether. "As a mum of just a five-year-old, I personally dont see the need for parent spaces. They are not any bigger, just more convenient. Kids need exercise and prams have wheels, not hard to walk," a woman said. Story continues "I personally think they should be seniors bays instead, they are less mobile and struggle to walk long distances. Give them the spots." Another person pointed out that "it's not illegal to park in those bays" regardless of "whether you have a baby or not." "I have a disabled sticker, yet if you see me you'd think 'why?' but I have multiple issues and can't walk very far before my spine locks up or both my knees seize up or all together," a third said, highlighting the importance of not casting judgement based on looks alone. "There is no law for who can park in parents with prams spaces they are just convenience but anyone can park there and use," another man wrote. Parking spots a frequent topic of conversation Parking spots and who has the right to use them has long been a contentious topic of debate, with discussion erupting earlier today with regard to a woman who parked in a space reserved for those with disabilities. Sydney woman Kate Meller was slapped with a $644 fine for parking in a spot reserved for those with disabilities. Source: TikTok / The Daily Telegraph The Sydney woman claimed she was forced to park in the spot in an emergency, after her friend asked her to babysit while she went into labour. Though according to one disability advocate who spoke to Yahoo News Australia, the woman's excuse is just "good enough". Late last month, a simple yet excellent solution to the standard car park design won over the masses on social media and it's been pegged as a perfect alternative to the tight and tiny spaces were used to. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The campaign aims to utilise TikTok to connect with voters amid a fragmented American population, particularly targeting younger demographics shifting away from traditional media platforms The campaign for US President Joe Biden has launched its presence on TikTok, despite prior concerns expressed by the administration regarding the platforms national security implications, leading to its ban on federal devices. According to aides, President Biden is not expected to personally engage on the platform, nor are other members of his administration. Advertisement The campaign aims to utilise TikTok to connect with voters amid a fragmented American population, particularly targeting younger demographics shifting away from traditional media platforms. In its inaugural post, the campaign showcased President Biden participating in a Super Bowl quiz, touching on contemporary political topics including a conspiracy theory involving musician Taylor Swift. Concerns over user data privacy have been raised by both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission, highlighting potential risks associated with TikToks parent company, ByteDance, sharing data with the Chinese government. President Biden previously enforced a ban on TikTok for nearly 4 million federal employees, citing national security concerns, although exceptions were made for specific purposes such as law enforcement and national security. Advertisement The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has been conducting a thorough review of TikTok over several years due to its secretive nature and potential security risks. Despite assurances from campaign officials regarding advanced security measures, specific details on these precautions have not been disclosed, raising questions about the protection of campaign data and voter information. Advertisement Chinas 2017 legislation mandates companies to provide relevant personal data to the government for national security purposes, further fueling concerns over TikToks data handling practices. While there is no concrete evidence of TikTok sharing such data, apprehensions persist due to the platforms extensive collection of user data, similar to other social media platforms. Advertisement The Biden campaign has committed to regularly posting content on TikTok through the BidenHQ account, emphasizing its importance as a platform for engaging with voters. In contrast, former President Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate, does not maintain an official presence on TikTok. The Biden campaign utilizes various social media platforms including Metas Threads, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Truth Social, endorsed by Trump, alongside smaller events featuring the president, to effectively reach targeted voter demographics. Advertisement Additionally, the campaign and the White House have intensified efforts to collaborate with social media influencers to amplify President Bidens message. (With inputs from Agencies) The order comes after the court withheld an appeal by a human rights organisation that flagged concerns over the supply of F-35 jet parts saying that such a move is allegedly a violation of international law by Israel in its war with Hamas A Dutch court on Monday ordered the termination of the deliveries of parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. The order comes after the court withheld an appeal by a human rights organisation that flagged concerns over the supply of F-35 jet parts saying that such a move is allegedly a violation of international law by Israel in its war with Hamas. Advertisement The court orders the State to cease all actual export and transit of F-35 parts with final destination Israel within seven days after service of this judgment, said the ruling. The US-owned F-35 parts are stored at a warehouse in the Netherlands and then shipped to several partners, including Israel, via existing export agreements. In doing so, the Netherlands is contributing to serious violations of humanitarian law of war in Gaza, the rights groups argue. Last year in December, however, the district court in The Hague ruled that supplying parts of F-35 jets is part of a political decision and advised judges to stay out of the matter. Advertisement The considerations that the minister makes are to a large extent of a political and policy nature and judges should leave the minister a large amount of freedom, the court ruled at the time. Meanwhile, Dutch authorities were uncertain about their power to intervene in the deliveries, part of a US-run operation that supplies parts to all F-35 partners. Advertisement Government lawyers argued that Israel can easily procure the parts from other countries even when the Netherlands stops supplying them. The International Court of Justice in The Hague, which rules on disputes between states, has said Israel must do everything possible to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza. That ruling strengthens our confidence in a positive ruling in our case, said PAX Netherlands, one of the rights groups involved in the appeal. Advertisement With inputs from AFP Currently, France awards citizenship based on birthplace as well as bloodline, and this plan runs the risk of escalating tensions in the country after a strict new immigration law was passed On the island of Mayotte in the French Indian Ocean, which has been plagued by social unrest and a dire migration crisis, the French government unveiled a contentious plan on Sunday to amend the Constitution in order to remove birthplace citizenship. Currently, France awards citizenship based on birthplace as well as bloodline, and this plan runs the risk of escalating tensions in the country after a strict new immigration law was passed. Advertisement Some local campaigners in Mayotte welcomed the new plan, while the left condemned it as another assault on French values. Political leaders on the right and far right immediately suggested it should be implemented throughout France. The reform was announced by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Sunday after he arrived on the island, the countrys poorest department, following three weeks of protests there. In Mayottes capital Mamoudzou, several hundred protesters greeted Darmanin and his entourage with boos and shouts of Mayotte is angry. Mayotte is composed of two islands that voted to stay part of France in 1973. The others in the surrounding Muslim-majority archipelago sought independence, becoming the Comoros Islands. We are going to take a radical decision, Darmanin said. Advertisement It will no longer be possible to become French if you are not the child of a French parent, he said. The measure would reduce the attractiveness of the archipelago for prospective immigrants, he said. It is an extremely strong, clear, radical measure, which obviously will be limited to the Mayotte archipelago, said Darmanin. Advertisement - Right welcomes measure - Boris Vallaud, head of the Socialists in the National Assembly, said they would oppose the revision of the constitution. Birthright citizenship is not negotiable, he told broadcaster France 3. Manon Aubry of the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party denounced the decision. French President Emmanuel Macrons administration was attacking the very concept of nationality, the foundation of the Republic, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Advertisement French campaign group SOS Racisme also denounced what it called a particularly spectacular calling into question of the principle of equality. Centrist MP Aurelien Tache told BFMTV that if this provision is enacted and if Marine Le Pen then comes to power, it will be the end of birthright citizenship in France. Advertisement But Eric Ciotti, leader of the right-wing Republicans party, welcomed Darmanins proposed reform but complained it did not go far enough. What is happening in Mayotte risks hitting mainland France tomorrow, he posted on X, formerly Twitter. The measure should be applied across the whole of French territory, he added. Sebastien Chenu, spokesman for Le Pens far-right National Rally took a similar line. Advertisement A lot of time has been wasted coming to this conclusion that abolishing the right of the soil, not only in Mayotte but everywhere in France, is not only necessary but possible, he told Europe 1 radio. That could be achieved with a referendum and a revision of the constitution, Chenu added. Advertisement Le Pens niece, Marion Marechal of the far-right Reconquete group also welcomed the announcement. Bravo for finally recognising evidence which should have been put on the table for more than ten years now, she said on broadcaster BFMTV. She too argued that the measure could be extended across all of France. - Wont change lives - Advertisement Mayotte, which lies northwest of Madagascar, became a full-fledged French department in 2011. Thousands of Comorans fleeing poverty and corruption make the trip across to Mayotte every year in search of higher living standards. The influx has caused major tensions, with many locals on Mayotte complaining about crime and poverty. There have been weeks of protest against insecurity and the migration crisis. A months-long water crisis has exacerbated tensions. Advertisement According to Frances National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the 375-square kilometre island is home to around 310,000 people, but officials say this figure is seriously underestimated. More than 40 percent of the islanders survive on less than 160 euros per month, says INSEE. Nearly half of island residents do not have French nationality. Advertisement Residence permits issued to foreigners in Mayotte are only valid for the island and cannot be used to travel to mainland France. The scrapping of that system is one of the key demands of the protesters. Darmanin said the authorities would abolish the measure as part of the reform, which some protesters welcomed. Advertisement France grants citizenship through both bloodline and birthplace, although jus soli legislation has been massively tightened over the years. In December, the French parliament passed a tough immigration bill adopted under pressure from the right. In January, Frances top constitutional authority censured contentious additions made on the insistence of the right. (With inputs from AFP) To strengthen Warsaws ties with Paris and Berlin, Polish Prime Minister and former EU chairman Donald Tusk is visiting France and Germany on Monday. The three of them will meet at a mediaeval castle outside of Paris As Moscows invasion of Ukraine approaches its third year, the top diplomats of France, Germany, and Poland were scheduled to announce on Monday a coordinated effort to combat Russian misinformation campaigns. To strengthen Warsaws ties with Paris and Berlin, Polish Prime Minister and former EU chairman Donald Tusk is visiting France and Germany on Monday. The three of them will meet at a mediaeval castle outside of Paris. Advertisement At the Chateau de La Celle-Saint-Cloud, which is located outside of Paris, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and his German colleague Annalena Baerbock will be hosted by French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne. Over the weekend, Sejourne said that France, Germany, and Poland will be announcing a new cooperative agreement to counteract foreign misinformation campaigns, especially those coming out of Russia. The ministers were expected to also report on Moscows new information attacks against the three countries. Our three countries have been victims of the same destabilisation strategy, Sejourne said in an interview with French regional daily Ouest-France published on Saturday. Sejourne said that the trio would reveal the attacks that have been committed, adding such disinformation attacks were designed to divide public opinion. Advertisement Kremlin critics say Russia has for years used troll factories and fake news websites to spread disinformation in the West. After Russian leader Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow ramped up efforts to promote a pro-Kremlin narrative. Paris, Berlin and Warsaw are hoping to ramp up cooperation and reinvigorate the so-called Weimar Triangle format initially created in 1991 to enable concerted European action. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was introduced in September of last year in New Delhi during the G20 Summit, is a component of Washington and Brussels strategy to oppose Chinas worldwide infrastructure initiative The former president of Engie, a gas utility entity, was appointed by French President Emmanuel Macron as a special ambassador to a multinational rail and port project that links South Asia and the Middle East and is seen as a rival to Chinas Belt and Road program. Macron wants France to become a key player in this project and make sure French companies are best-positioned in the projects early stages, which is why he named energy sector veteran Gerard Mestrallet, according to a statement released by his office on Monday. Advertisement The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was introduced in September of last year in New Delhi during the G20 Summit, is a component of Washington and Brussels strategy to oppose Chinas worldwide infrastructure initiative. According to U.S. and European officials, it will facilitate the flow of energy and trade from the Gulf to Europe by reducing shipping delays, costs, and fuel consumption. It seeks to connect Middle Eastern countries via train to India and by port. The European Union, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and other G20 partners signed an IMEC agreement of understanding. According to the MOU, IMEC is planned to be composed of two distinct corridors: an east corridor that connects India to the Gulf and a northern corridor that connects the Gulf with Europe. Advertisement Participants want to install data and power lines along the train route, as well as a pipeline for the use of hydrogen produced from renewable energy. The ship had six Iranian crew on board and was operating East of Duqm. FV Ameen sustained damages after it allegedly collided with a merchant vessel. The Navy said that the collision resulted in a hull breach leading to water ingress The Indian Navy on Monday provided critical support and medical assistance to an Iranian Fishing Vessel (FV) Ameen. The ship had six Iranian crew on board and was operating East of Duqm. FV Ameen sustained damages after it allegedly collided with a merchant vessel. The Navy said that the collision resulted in a hull breach leading to water ingress. Advertisement #IndianNavy provides critical repair assisance & medical aid to Iranian Fishing Vessel(FV). FV Ameen (six Iranian crew), operating East of Duqm, had sustained damages, allegedly due to collision with Merchant vessel. This had resulted in hull breach leading to water ingress. pic.twitter.com/Tj2zWpvQg7 SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) February 12, 2024 Indian Navy extends helping hand Responding to a distress call from the vessel, the Navy deployed a mission in the North Arabian Sea for maritime security operations. Advertisement The mission provided damage control assistance and strengthened the hull making it safe for further transit. Apart from this medical aid was also provided to three injured crew members. We will never forget the help A member of the crew onboard said, We heard a big noise and were worried for our safety. We saw the Indian Navy and called for help. Advertisement Thanking the Navy for their help, the crew members said they would never forget the Indian Navys assistance. Previous rescue operations Earlier in January, the firefighting team of the Indian Navy warship, INS Visakhapatnam, successfully brought the fire onboard the merchant vessel Marlin Luanda under control. In January, the firefighting team of the Indian Navy, INS Vishakhapatnam, successfully rescued a merchant vessel Marlin Luanda by dousing a fire onboard. Advertisement In the same month, the Navys elite marine commandoes rescued 21 crew members from a bulk carrier in the North Arabian Sea after it was hijacked by six armed pirates. In what is perceived as a big diplomatic win for India, all the ex-Navy men have been allowed to return to their homeland after months of battle. The foreign ministry said that seven out of the eight men have already returned to India The Ministry of External Affairs on Monday welcomed Qatars decision to release the eight former Indian Navy personnel three months after they were given death sentences over suspected espionage. The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals, the MEA said in a statement. Advertisement In what is perceived as a big diplomatic win for India, all the ex-Navy men have been allowed to return to their homeland after months of battle. The foreign ministry said that seven out of the eight men have already returned to India. #WATCH | Delhi: Qatar released the eight Indian ex-Navy veterans who were in its custody; seven of them have returned to India. pic.twitter.com/yuYVx5N8zR ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Who were the eight ex-Navy personnel? The eight Navy veterans worked with Al Dahra, a private company in Qatar. Among the eight men, one is a sailor and others are esteemed Navy officials including Captains Navtej Gill and Saurabh Vasisht, Commanders Purnendu Tiwari, Amit Nagpal, SK Gupta, BK Verma, Sugunakar Pakala, and sailor Ragesh. Advertisement Captain Gill was honoured with the Presidents Gold Medal for excellence and served as an instructor at the Defence Service Staff College in Tamil Nadu while Commander Tiwari was recognised with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2019 and had been training the Qatari Navy. Timeline of the events that unfolded 26 October, 2023: Handed down death sentences by a lower court Advertisement 20 November, 2023: The Court of Appeal hears their cases 1 December, 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit On the sidelines of the #COP28 Summit in Dubai yesterday, had the opportunity to meet HH Sheikh @TamimBinHamad, the Amir of Qatar. We had a good conversation on the potential of bilateral partnership and the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar. pic.twitter.com/66a2Zxb6gP Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 2, 2023 Advertisement 3 December, 2023: The Indian Ambassador to Qatar, Vipul, gets consular access to meet the ex-Navy personnel Advertisement 28 December, 2023: Court of Appeal reduces their capital punishment to imprisonment 12 February, 2024: Qatar releases the former Navy men According to Palestinian sources, the operation that resulted in the rescue of the two men from a residential structure in the southern border town of Rafah also claimed the lives of at least seven other individuals. At least 17 airstrikes, flares, and Apache helicopter fire were recorded by witness The Israeli military claimed it liberated two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip early Monday, marking a tiny but symbolic victory in its efforts to bring home over 100 detainees believed to be held by the Hamas terrorist organisation. According to Palestinian sources, the operation that resulted in the rescue of the two men from a residential structure in the southern border town of Rafah also claimed the lives of at least seven other individuals. At least 17 airstrikes, flares, and Apache helicopter fire were recorded by witnesses. Advertisement The two freed captives were named by the army as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, and they were both believed to be in good health. The report said that on October 7, during the cross-border raid that sparked the ongoing, fifth-month Israel-Hamas war, both men were abducted by Hamas terrorists from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak. These are just the third and second captives to be securely freed. The operation, according to Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, was predicated on precise intelligence, and the locationwhich is on a buildings second floorhad been observed for some time. He added that as the operation took place, Israels military leader and other senior officials were accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the Oct. 7 attack that started the war, an estimated 1,200 people were killed and 250 others were abducted by Hamas militants. Over 28,000 Palestinians have lost their lives as a result of an Israeli air and ground onslaught, according to local health experts. Advertisement Over 100 hostages were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, while Hamas is holding the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. Israel has made the rescue of all hostages one of the main goals of the war. Movement around the tiny enclave carries deadly risk as Israel presses its ground and air offensive. Israels PM has announced plans for a ground invasion of the crammed southern city of Rafah saying over a million people would need to move The Palestinian Red Crescent has leveled damning accusations against Israeli forces, alleging deliberately targeting a teenage girl and her family when they were attempting to flee the war-struck Gaza strip in a car. According to reports, the incident came to light as girl made an SOS call to the Red Crescent officials while seeking refuge in a car. The Israeli tank ominously stationed nearby heightened the danger faced by her and her family as they endeavored to comply with Israels evacuation directive in Gaza. Advertisement Terrified, the teen relayed to relatives and emergency services that Israeli troops were targeting their vehicle. Tragically, everyone inside, except her and her 5-year-old cousin Hind, fell victim to the onslaught. In a distressing call on January 29, the 15-year-old, named Layan, informed the Palestinian Red Crescent of the dire situation. They are shooting at us, she cried out, describing the proximity of the tank. The conversation abruptly ended with the sound of gunfire and Layans screams. This harrowing ordeal initiated a frantic rescue mission by the Palestinian Red Crescent, amid the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Despite dispatching an ambulance, communication with the crew was abruptly severed. Twelve days later, the charred remains of the ambulance were discovered, along with the lifeless bodies of the two medics onboard. The Palestinian Red Crescent accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting the ambulance, despite prior coordination for safe passage. Advertisement The family car was found as well with six bodies, including Layans and Hinds. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Movement around the tiny enclave carries deadly risk as Israel presses its ground and air offensive. Israels prime minister has announced plans for a ground invasion of the crammed southern city of Rafah and said well over a million people would need to move. Advertisement The Health Ministry in Gaza says about two-thirds of more than 28,000 people killed since the start of the war have been children and women. The ministry does not distinguish in its count between civilians and combatants. Israel says it strikes Hamas targets and holds Hamas responsible for civilian casualties because the militants fight from civilian areas. Advertisement The Hamada family was among more than 80% of Gazas population evacuating their homes. On Jan, 29, near a gas station in Gaza City, in an area designated by Israel as a combat zone, the family encountered a tank. The circumstances of the shooting remain unclear. But in a frantic call to her fathers brother, Omar, the teen Layan said troops were firing on them, Omar told the AP. Her great-uncle Bashar Hamada, his wife and two of their children were killed. Layan was wounded. Advertisement She pleaded with Omar to send an ambulance. He connected her with the Palestinian Red Crescent office in Ramallah, which hoped to instruct her how to save herself and anyone else alive. It was too late. The Palestinian Red Crescent dispatched an ambulance after Layan went silent. Hours later, it lost contact with the medics, Yousef Zeino and Ahmed al-Madhoun, as they arrived at the scene. Advertisement For days, the organization shared the story of Hind, her family and the missing medics on social media even posting audio of the phone call with Layan in a plea for help. On Saturday, after Israeli troops withdrew from the area and civilians told the Palestinian Red Crescent about the bodies, it shared video of the ambulance, crumpled and burned. Nearby was a car said to be the familys, smashed and riddled with bullet holes. Advertisement (with inputs from The Associated Press) The allegations are based on pictures and documents shared by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israeli militarys Arabic language spokesperson, said that the evidence against Muhammad Washah was retrieved from a laptop found in the northern Gaza Strip Israel has accused a Palestinian journalist associated with Al Jazeera of being a senior commander in Hamas military wing. The allegations are based on pictures and documents shared by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israeli militarys Arabic language spokesperson, said that the evidence against Muhammad Washah was retrieved from a laptop found in the northern Gaza Strip. Advertisement A laptop that belonged to Muhammad Washah, an @AlJazeera journalist, was recovered by IDF in the northern Gaza Strip. It has pics proving he also serves as a senior Hamas military operative in the anti-tank missile array and in late 2022 he moved to work on R&D of aerial weapons https://t.co/U2q1mqOWXz (@AvichayAdraee) February 11, 2024 How was the evidence retrieved? The details of Washahs involvement with Hamas came to light during one of IDFs raids in Hamas camps in north Gaza several weeks ago. It is clear from the documents that Muhammad Wishah is a prominent commander in the anti-armor missile system in the wing. Hamas military, Lt Adraee said adding that by the end of 2022, Wishah moved to work for Hamas Air Force. Advertisement # # # ! @AJArabic 1986 pic.twitter.com/s8CX1kOfvP (@AvichayAdraee) February 11, 2024 Advertisement An investigation into the laptop revealed pictures linking the journalist to activities within the Hamas. Who knows how many details we will reveal about the presence of other terrorists in journalistic garb in the near future, Washah said. Advertisement Who is Muhammad Washah? Washah, born in 1986, has been featured in recent broadcasts from Al Jazeera. The Qatar-based news channel has confirmed Washahs association with it, according to Times of Israel. Last month, two other Al Jazeera journalists were killed in an Israeli airstrike and were later confirmed by the IDF as being members of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups. An Australian on board a 14-day cruise is furious at a "secretive" change to the itinerary which caught hundreds of passengers off guard. She says the travellers have been "scammed" by the cruise line and denied the opportunity to visit their dream destination. Melbourne woman Helen Midler was thrilled to finally embark on a "trip of a lifetime" to Antarctica and around South America on board the Norwegian Star cruise ship which departed from Buenos Aires, Argentina on February 4. But at the last minute, Antarctica was seemingly scrapped from the itinerary with passengers learning days after boarding they'd be doing a "South America round trip" instead. Midler took her frustrations to social media this week and explained that she only found out about the change after checking the app a few days in and noticed the name of the cruise had been changed. Passengers were later told it was for "operational reasons" after raising their concerns, however, no further explanation was given, the irate passenger claims. Norwegian Star cruise passenger Helen Midler was one of many left fuming over the sudden change of itinerary. Source: TikTok Those on-board were allegedly told the decision was made by the head office in the US to not visit Paradise Bay, on mainland Antarctica, before departure on January 31, and that all passengers were notified by email, and again at check-in. However, Midler claims this was not the case. "I can assure you that we never got any email and many of our friends here on board, and I'm talking hundreds of people we know, did not receive any email either," she said in a video posted online. "Until the cruise had commenced, most people on this ship were not aware of the change in the itinerary." Passengers treated with 'absolute disdain and disrespect' Midler said "everyone was angry", with hundreds of passengers meeting at 9.30am in the ship's foyer one morning to demand further answers. Story continues "Customer service are refusing to acknowledge us, they sent a security officer out to calm us down," she said while standing in the noisy crowd. "We feel we're being cheated, being scammed". Midler said frustrated travellers some of whom "spent their live savings" on the cruise just "want answers, transparency and clarity" but claims they're being treated with "absolute disdain and disrespect" with little explanation given. "Everyone on this ship has paid a lot of money to cruise to Antarctica, not to do a round trip of South America at sea," she fumed. "We are being dismissed, ignored, refused answers. They're telling us we just have to accept it. We've paid too much money. We're too smart, and we're too angry to just order another cocktail and sit down and accept the fact that our money has vanished into Norwegian Cruise Lines pockets.Helen Midler "They think we're idiots. We're not idiots and we're not prepared to just accept this sitting down," she continued. "We may not get to Antarctica. The chances of this cruise now going to Antarctica are minimal. But we want answers." The cruise was supposed to tour Antarctica and South America but Antarctica was removed at the last minute. Source: Norwegian Cruise Lines Customers 'feeling disappointed' after sudden change Another passenger also expressed his frustrations online admitting, "it is so sad, especially as it is so expensive". "If they had warned us before we set off we could have cancelled," he said. Prices for the cruise ship appear to range from roughly $4,204 per person up to $13,500 for a suite. The passenger, believed to be from the UK, also claimed "no explanation was given", adding so far there have been "no offers of compensation". In a follow-up clip posted on Saturday six days into the cruise Midler said that while she's having great time, passengers are "still left in the dark". That's despite two crew members "speaking to us at length" about the sudden change. Another passenger also shared his frustrations online revealing a letter from the company advising of the change. Source: Cruise Critic Norwegian Star under a 'go-slow order' It's since been confirmed that the cruise ship has a "go slow" order meaning it can not travel beyond 19 knots, however, again, the reason why remains unclear. Midler said weather conditions have been ruled out. "We saved and we booked this two years ago for the trip of a lifetime," she said. "We're feeling very disappointed and dejected about the outcomes here. "We'll never be able to afford to do this again. And we've lost that trip to the Antarctica mainland that we had all been hoping and waiting for, and that we'd paid for. But we're going to try and do our best to enjoy it." Yahoo News Australia has contacted Norwegian Cruise Line to seek an explanation. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Justice Minister Landy Mbolatiana Randriamanantenasoa said its a necessary move because of an increase in cases of rape against children. In 2023, 600 cases of the rape of a minor were recorded, she said, and 133 already in January this year International rights organisations have criticised Madagascars Parliament for passing a law permitting the chemical and, in certain situations, surgical castration of those found guilty of raping a minor. The activists within the nation, however, defend the law, arguing that it serves as a suitable deterrent to end the rape culture. The 28 million-person island nation in the Indian Ocean passed the legislation on February 2 and last week the Senate, the upper house, gave it its approval. After being brought up for the first time in December, it now needs to be approved by the High Constitutional Court and ratified by the President Andry Rajoelina. The new law was proposed by his government. Advertisement Justice Minister Landy Mbolatiana Randriamanantenasoa said its a necessary move because of an increase in cases of rape against children. In 2023, 600 cases of the rape of a minor were recorded, she said, and 133 already in January this year. Madagascar is a sovereign country which has the right to modify its laws in relation to circumstances and in the general interest of the people, Randriamanantenasoa said. The current penal code has not been enough to curb the perpetrators of these offenses. Surgical castration will always be pronounced for those guilty of raping a child under the age of 10, according to the laws wording. Cases of rape against children between the ages of 10 and 13 will be punished by surgical or chemical castration. The rape of minors between ages 14 and 17 will be punished by chemical castration. Advertisement Offenders would also face sterner sentences of up to life in prison as well as castration. We wanted to protect children much more. The younger the child, the greater the punishment, Randriamanantenasoa said. Chemical castration is the use of drugs to block hormones and decrease sexual desire. It is generally reversible by stopping the drugs. Surgical castration is a permanent procedure. Advertisement Several countries and some U.S. states including California and Florida allow for chemical castration for some sex offenders. Surgical castration as a punishment is much more rare. The use of both is highly contentious. The United Nations Childrens Fund and others have often highlighted the high rates of sexual abuse against children in Madagascar, which also has one of the worlds highest poverty rates. Advertisement Some non-governmental organizations say the real number of child rapes is even higher than the official figures, but many cases go unreported because it is such a taboo subject and victims are often ashamed. A large portion of child rape cases are incestuous, according to the NGOs. Madagascars new law was criticized by rights group Amnesty International as inhuman and degrading treatment that was inconsistent with the countrys constitutional laws. The law should focus on protecting victims, said Nciko wa Nciko, an adviser for Madagascar at Amnesty. Advertisement On the island, complaint procedures and trials are not carried out anonymously, he said. There is a lack of confidence in the Malagasy criminal justice system, due to opacity and corruption. And reprisals against rape victims are frequent. However, the law does not combat these factors. Nciko added that surgical castration was a problematic criminal sentence if anyone who underwent it was later exonerated of a crime on appeal. He also raised doubts over the capabilities of medical authorities to carry out the procedures. Advertisement But amid the criticism, some activists in Madagascar agree with the change in the law because nothing else seems to be working. There really is a rape culture in Madagascar, said Jessica Lolonirina Nivoseheno of the Women Break the Silence group, which campaigns against rape and supports victims. We are in the process of normalizing certain cases of sexual violence, also minimizing the seriousness of these cases. Advertisement (The new law) is progress, because it is a deterrent punishment. This could prevent potential attackers from taking action but only if we, as citizens, are aware of the existence and importance of this new penalty. (with inputs from The Associated Press) The Hamas administration claims that the attacks targeted three mosques and fourteen homes in various districts of Rafah The health ministry of the Hamas-run territory in southern Gaza reported that before dawn on Monday, heavy airstrikes had killed at least 52 people in the heavily populated Rafah area. After fleeing shelling elsewhere on the Strip, almost half of Gazas population now resides in the city, which was rocked by a series of heavy strikes that AFP photographers and witnesses witnessed billowing over it. Advertisement The Hamas administration claims that the attacks targeted three mosques and fourteen homes in various districts of Rafah. In a statement released on Monday, the Israeli military claimed to have conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip and to have finished the operations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his army to prepare a ground offensive on Rafah, Gazas last major population centre that troops have yet to enter after Hamass October 7 attacks sparked the war. About 1.4 million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, with many living in tents while food, water and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce. The caretaker government had suspended mobile services owing to the worsening security situation, despite several government agencies assurances that internet services would be operational on election day. The attacks were terror-related and resulted in the deaths of at least thirty individuals Pakistans top election watchdog reversed course on Monday and blamed the nationwide general election polling suspension on Thursday for what it called a hindrance to timely results declaration. Amid speculation of horse-trading in the absence of a clear majority and the delay in announcing results for all National Assembly (NA) seats, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) also claimed that the delay in results did not affect any specific political party. Advertisement The first result trickled down late on the same night, and the final result for the NA polls wasnt announced until Sunday, which prompted all political parties, regular people, and observers to denounce the ECP. Pakistans Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja had stated on election day that the Election Management System (EMS) is not reliant on the internet and that its operation will not be impacted by it. The caretaker government had suspended mobile services owing to the worsening security situation, despite several government agencies assurances that internet services would be operational on election day. The attacks were terror-related and resulted in the deaths of at least thirty individuals the day before. The coordination and delivery of election materials have been negatively impacted by the decision to restrict the internet, according to a statement released by the ECP on Monday. Advertisement Except for some constituencies, the results of the elections were completed within one and a half days, the statement said, adding, The delay in results in some constituencies did not benefit or harm any specific political party. The electoral watchdog highlighted that the first result of the 2024 election was received at 2 am compared to the 2018 election result, which was received at 4 am. Advertisement When the Election Management System (EMS) app was first introduced, it was used to transmit election results from each polling place to a centralized system where they would be tabulated. ECP Secretary Syed Asif Hussain had also stated two days prior to election day that the EMS would function even in the event of an internet outage since returning officers (ROs) would still be able to compile the results offline. Advertisement He had stated that satellite access was given to over 60 ROs in isolated locations to keep them linked. The results of the National Assembly showed that independents, supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party led by former prime minister Imran Khan, had gained 101 seats. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by another former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, received 75 seats, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, received 54 seats, and the MQM-P received 17 seats. Advertisement The PML-Quaid secured three seats, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) four, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) two, and the Balochistan National Party (BNP) one. A party needs to secure 133 of the 265 contested seats in the National Assembly in order to establish a government. Protests against the results have been called by a number of political groups and candidates who claim they have been rigged. Supporters of the PTI stopped traffic in Peshawar, in the north, but the party canceled the massive protest it had planned to stage if the results were not announced on Sunda The two biggest political parties in Pakistan are fighting over who will become prime minister following last weeks inconclusive elections, which compelled them to work together to secure a majority in a house presided over by Imran Khan-backed independents. The backstabbing is expected to exacerbate worries about the stability of the nuclear-armed country, which is struggling with an upsurge in extremist violence in addition to an economic crisis. The benchmark share index for Pakistan dropped 2.1% on Monday, the day after the results were announced. Advertisement The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharifwho won the most seats after the independentsissued a statement late on Sunday pledging their commitment to steering Pakistan away from political instability and towards a path of prosperity and resilience and putting the nations interest and well-being above everything. The influence of candidates backed by Khan, a former prime minister who lost 93 of the 264 seats up for grabs in the election and is currently imprisoned for corruption, would be lessened by a successful alliance between the two parties. Analysts speculate that certain candidates, who were formerly with Khans Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), might align with either party or establish an alliance with a lesser party to oppose the other candidate. The outcome is being contested in court by a large number of other former PTI members who did not gain seats, which might further complicate coalition negotiations. Advertisement Regarding the plans of the candidates, the PTI refuses to comment. But according to PML-N and PPP officials, negotiations were bogged down in disagreements over which politician would become prime minister. Although the PML-N has not yet announced its candidate for prime minister, insiders claim that Nawaz Sharif, 74, who has served as prime minister three times, and his younger brother Shehbaz, 72, who served as prime minister for eighteen months until August of last year, will compete for the position. Advertisement The 35-year-old former foreign minister, who the PPP has always insisted is its political heir, would become Pakistans youngest prime since his mother Benazir held the position if he were to win. A contender for prime minister must demonstrate that, when the 336-member National Assembly is called into session in the coming weeks, they have a simple majority of 169 seats. Advertisement Protests against the results have been called by a number of political groups and candidates who claim they have been rigged. Supporters of the PTI stopped traffic in Peshawar, in the north, but the party canceled the massive protest it had planned to stage if the results were not announced on Sunday. Advertisement (With agency inputs) During a political rally on Saturday in South Carolina, Trump complained about what he called delinquent payments by some NATO countries and recounted what he said was a past conversation with the head of a big country about an attack by Russia on such countries On Sunday, a number of Republicans who supported US President Donald Trump expressed their disapproval of his statement that he would not wish to defend NATO members against a Russian invasion if their payments to the defence alliance were falling short. This is why Ive been saying for a long time that hes unfit to be president of the United States, former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said in an interview with NBCs Meet the Press program. Advertisement During a political rally on Saturday in South Carolina, Trump complained about what he called delinquent payments by some NATO countries and recounted what he said was a past conversation with the head of a big country about an attack by Russia on such countries. No, I would not protect you. In fact I would encourage them (Russia) to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay, Trump said he told the unnamed leader. The statements drew criticism from the White House, which described them as appalling and unhinged, as well as from other prominent Western leaders. The inability of several of NATOs 31 members to reach a defence expenditure objective of at least 2% of GDP has long been a source of contention with the United States, whose armed forces constitute the foundation of the alliances military might. NATO estimates reveal that just 11 countries are spending at the desired level. Advertisement Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is Trumps lone remaining challenger for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said: The last thing we ever want to do is side with Russia. Interviewed on CBSs Face the Nation, she added: Dont take the side of someone who has gone and invaded a country and half a million people have died or been wounded because of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin in his war against Ukraine. Advertisement Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trumps, told Reuters in a brief hallway interview that he disagreed with the way he (Trump) said it, referring to the NATO remarks. Graham added: Russia didnt invade anybody when he was president and if hes president again they wont. According to Politico, Republican Senator Thom Tillis accused Trumps staff of neglecting to inform the former president that the US is obligated as a NATO member to protect any member of the alliance that comes under assault. Advertisement Additionally, Republican Senator Rand Paul was described as calling Trumps comments a stupid thing to say. Some Republicans supported Trump on a day when the Senate was debating President Joe Bidens request for emergency funding to help Ukraine fight a nearly two-year-old Russian invasion and Israel in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Advertisement Virtually every American president at some point, in some way, has complained about other countries in NATO not doing enough. Trumps just the first one to express it in these terms. But I have zero concern, because hes been president before, Senator Marco Rubio said in an interview with CNN. Jason Miller, senior Trump campaign advisor, in a statement sidestepped the remark encouraging Russia to take on some NATO allies, saying: Democrat and media pearl-clutchers seem to have forgotten that we had four years of peace and prosperity under President Trump, while leveling attacks against Biden. Advertisement On Capitol Hill, Democratic Senator Peter Welch told Reuters: Trump normalizes belligerent behavior. But in fact he means it. The strikes come as Zelenskyy continues his shakeup of military commanders in a bid to maintain momentum against attacking Russian forces According to sources, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 45 drones over the course of five and a half hours on Sunday. Meanwhile, as the conflict moves into its third year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proceeded to reorganise his war cabinet. The Ukrainian air force claimed in a statement to have downed forty of the Iranian-made Shahed drones over nine different areas, including the suburbs of Kyiv, the nations capital. Advertisement According to authorities from Ukraines southern defence forces, the strike targeted coastal infrastructure and agricultural facilities. They posted about it on Telegram. They said that one person had been hurt in a strike in the Mykolaiv district, which also resulted in property damage and a fire. Another person was injured in Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region when a blaze broke out due to falling debris from a destroyed drone, said the head of the regions military administration, Serhiy Lysak. Border police in Moldova also said Sunday that fragments of a Shahed-type drone were found near the southern town of Etulia close to the border with Ukraine, but that the debris posed no danger to communities nearby. There is a suspicion that the detected drone debris is one of the drones shot down by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft system, the border police said in a statement, referencing overnight attacks launched on Friday by Russian forces on Ukraines Izmail region. Advertisement The distance between Etulia and Izmail is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) as the crow flies. Authorities said access to the impact site has been restricted. Moldovan President Maia Sandu posted on the social media platform X, that Russias war on Ukraine hits close to home in Moldova again. The discovery of Shahed drone debris in southern Moldova today serves as another stark reminder of the grim reality we face, she said. Russias aggression endangers the entire continent. Support for Ukraine must continue. Advertisement The strikes come as Zelenskyy continues his shakeup of military commanders in a bid to maintain momentum against attacking Russian forces. Kyiv announced Sunday that former deputy defense minister Lt. Gen. Alexander Pavlyuk would become the new commander of Ukraines ground forces. The post was previously held by Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was named Thursday as the replacement for Ukraines outgoing military chief, Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Advertisement New presidential decrees also named Yurii Sodol, the former head of Ukraines marine corps, as the new commander of Ukraines combined forces; Brig. Gen. Ihor Skibiuk as commander of Ukraines air assault forces; and Maj. Gen. Ihor Plahuta as commander of Ukraines territorial defense forces. Incoming commander-in-chief Syrskyi has signaled that his immediate goals include improving troop rotation at the front lines and harnessing the power of new technology at a time when Kyivs forces are largely on the defensive. Advertisement Starlink concerns Ukraines military intelligence service said Sunday that attacking Russian forces had been found using Starlink terminals to aid their attack. It released what it said was a recording of an intercepted conversation between two Russian soldiers as proof. Starlink terminals, which use a series of satellites run by Elon Musks company Space X to provide high-speed communications, have been vital in giving Ukraines military an edge over invading Russian troops. Advertisement However, multiple reports of Russian troops using Starlink on the front line in occupied Ukraine had begun to surface in the Ukrainian media in recent weeks. They prompted Space X to release a statement on social media on Feb. 8, saying that it did not do business of any kind with the Russian government or its military. Advertisement However, Western tech components have regularly been found among Russias arsenal as Moscow has become more skilled at evading sanctions, often importing goods via third countries. In a statement on Telegram on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that he hoped to reboot the upper levels of Ukraines armed forces with experienced combat commanders. Now, people who are well-known in the army and who themselves know well what the army needs are taking on new responsibilities, he said. Last month, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was inaugurated in a grand ceremony inviting reactions from across the world Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the inauguration of Ram Temple on 22 January. Wickremesinghes remarks came during the launch of Indias United Payment Interface (UPI) in Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Its an important occasion for us. For you, Prime Minister Modi its a second important occasion because I must congratulate you for the opening of the Ram Mandir just a few weeks ago, the Sri Lankan leader said. Advertisement #WATCH | Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe says, "...For you, Prime Minister Modi, it's a second important occasion because I must congratulate you for the opening of the Ram Mandir just a few weeks ago. This shows our connections both economically and culturally. For pic.twitter.com/SowQhBzgGM ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 He added, This shows our connections both economically and culturally. Advertisement Last month, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was inaugurated in a grand ceremony inviting reactions from across the world. Speaking about the launch of UPI in his country, Wickremesinghe said, For thousands of years, payments have taken place between our two countries and at that time, unfortunately, there were no central banks. Advertisement Leaders from across the world congratulated the Indian prime minister for the inauguration of the temple. Extending his wishes to the Indian people, Taiwans Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said, The world is divided into two types of people: those who are going to fall in love with India and those who already have. Advertisement Similarly, Nepals Union Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Sarat Singh Bhandari said, The world has entered the era of Ram. I thank PM Modi whose initiative brought people scattered across the world to one place for Shree Ram which works as a force. The allegations of vote-rigging, the unprecedented shutdown of mobile phones, and the exclusion of Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, from the vote overshadowed Thursdays vote to choose a new parliament In response to claims that last weeks elections were rigged, thousands of supporters of Pakistans imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan and members of other political parties began a daylong strike and blocked important highways Monday in the already unstable cash-strapped country. The allegations of vote-rigging, the unprecedented shutdown of mobile phones, and the exclusion of Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, from the vote overshadowed Thursdays vote to choose a new parliament. Advertisement Election winners were rejoicing in their triumph, but PTI and other parties refused to concede they had lost in numerous constituencies. During the weekend, dozens of Khans supporters were briefly arrested in the eastern city of Lahore while demonstrating against suspected vote-rigging. Jan Achakzai, a government spokesman in the southwest province of Baluchistan, urged protesters to show grace by accepting defeat and moving away from the highways. Khan could not run in the election because of the criminal convictions against him that he says are politically motivated. Still, candidates backed by Khan won more seats than the political parties who ousted him from power nearly two years ago, according to the final tally published Sunday. No party won a majority, however, so the parties will have to hold talks on forming a coalition government. The new parliament chooses the countrys next prime minister. Advertisement Candidates aligned with Khan secured 101 out of 266 seats in the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament. The Pakistan Muslim League-N party led by three-time premier and ex-felon Nawaz Sharif secured 75. Sharif is currently in talks with allies to form a coalition government. The Pakistan Peoples Party, or PPP, led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, came in third with 54 seats. One result has been withheld and another vote was postponed because of a candidates death. The campaign to kick Khan out of office in 2022 was led by the PML-N and the PPP. Advertisement Pakistans military has always cast itself as the ultimate arbiter of who becomes prime minister, and Sharif was marked out as the powerful security establishments preferred candidate because of his smooth return to the country last October. Sharif spent four years in exile to avoid serving prison sentences but his convictions were overturned within weeks of his arrival in Pakistan. Advertisement (with inputs from The Associated Press) According to analysts and diplomats, 2024 will be another bloody year of conflict as Ukraine is determined to continue retaking territory and Putin will only accept Kyivs complete capitulation Following two years of fighting in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears poised for a protracted struggle, buoyed by the waning backing of the West for Kyiv. As a result, there appears to be little chance of discussions leading to a settlement. According to analysts and diplomats, 2024 will be another bloody year of conflict as Ukraine is determined to continue retaking territory and Putin will only accept Kyivs complete capitulation. Advertisement Although Putin hinted at Russias desire in talks during last weeks interview with Tucker Carlson, the leader of a right-wing US talk show, Kyiv would not accept such discussions since they would be conducted primarily on Moscows terms. I dont see any negotiations taking place any time soon, Fyodor Lukyanov, head of the Kremlin-linked Council on Foreign and Defense Policy think tank in Moscow, told AFP. Theres nothing they can negotiate about. Although Putins failure to seize Kyiv in a matter of days during the winter of 2022 was humiliating, he has since recovered and seems to be reenergized by Ukraines vain counteroffensive, the possibility that Donald Trump will win the presidency again in November, and the growth of the far-right in Europe. Advertisement Wouldnt it be better to negotiate with Russia? Putin told Carlson, urging the United States to discuss a deal that would allow Moscow to control 20 percent of Ukraines territory. Sooner or later well come to an agreement anyway. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reiterated Kyivs long-held position that no negotiations were possible until Russia withdraws from occupied territories. Advertisement In any other case, negotiations are impossible, Podoliak told AFP. A European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, also ruled out any talks under the current circumstances. Negotiations can only take place when Ukraine is in a position of strength on the ground, said the diplomat. Take action But after two years of resisting the full-scale invasion of the much larger neighbour, Ukraines troops are exhausted, and a Republican holdup on US military aid and Europes inability to ramp up weapons supplies fast enough contribute to a sense of uncertainty and gloom in Kyiv. Advertisement Cracks are beginning to emerge, with Zelenskys decision to part ways with popular army chief Valery Zaluzhny seen as a sign of the first serious split within the leadership. By contrast, Russia has withstood the initial shock of unprecedented Western sanctions and put its economy on a war footing, ramping up production and recruitment and jailing critics of the invasion. Advertisement Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, warned that Ukraine must urgently reverse course by mobilising more troops, securing more Western aid and overcoming political tensions in Kyiv. The main question is whether Ukraine and its allies will be able to take action in the next six months to change the current trajectory, he told AFP. Advertisement If the current problems persist, Ukraine could start losing the war in 2024. The US election campaign has already negatively affected the delivery of more aid to Ukraine, with Trump pushing an isolationist America First policy. US officials privately say that little might be decided before America elects its new president. Late in the day Advertisement Putin appears to be anxiously awaiting the result of the US election, too. I think my expectation is that Putin wont make peace or a meaningful peace before he sees the result of our election, a senior US official said on condition of anonymity. Trump has said he would be able to end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours if re-elected, with Zelensky saying such remarks were very dangerous. Advertisement Nobody knows what Trumps foreign policy will be, starting with himself, said former French diplomat and political analyst Marie Dumoulin. European leaders increasingly realise that if Putin is allowed to win in Ukraine, he could then be tempted to test NATOs defences, analysts say. In January, French President Emmanuel Macron called on European countries to back Ukraine over the long term and get ready in case Washington decides to pull the plug on aid. Advertisement It will take time for the continents defence industry to step up ammunition production but the West could still turn things around, said analysts. For Europeans in particular, this means putting their money where their mouth is. The acquisition of ammunition, missiles, combat vehicles and spare parts is severely behind schedule, said Gustav Gressel of the European Council on Foreign Relations. Advertisement Although late in the day, Europeans can still correct this course. During a rare weekend session in the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, issued stark warnings about the repercussions of forsaking long-standing U.S. allies in Europe The leaders of the US Senate made a compelling case Sunday that funding for Ukraine is essential to retaliating against Russian President Vladimir Putin and preserving American leadership in the world, despite the opposition of former President Donald Trump and an increasing proportion of Republicans to American aid to that country. Advertisement During a rare weekend session in the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, issued stark warnings about the repercussions of forsaking long-standing U.S. allies in Europe. The Senate then voted once more to proceed with the assistance. Today its no exaggeration to say that the eyes of the world are on the United States Senate, McConnell said. Our allies and partners are hoping that the indispensable nation, the leader of the free world, has the resolve to continue. Sundays 67-27 vote to move forward on the $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other countries comes as former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, is trying to kill the assistance and has escalated his attacks on the NATO military alliance. Trump posted on his social media platform over the weekend that the U.S. should consider loaning Ukraine money, not giving it to them, saying that The United States of America should be stupid no longer! Advertisement And the former president said Saturday at a campaign rally in South Carolina that Russia should be able to do whatever the hell they want to NATO members who do not meet their defense spending targets. He recounted a story he has told before about an unidentified NATO member who confronted him over his threat not to help them. Advertisement While McConnell has made helping Ukraine a top issue, an increasing number of members in his GOP conference have followed Trumps lead and are opposing the aid, which Senate leaders have been trying to pass for months. Without mentioning Trump by name, McConnell said in his opening remarks Sunday that American leadership matters, and it is in question. Advertisement Schumer said that if America doesnt assist Ukraine, Putin is all too likely to succeed. The only right answer to this threat is for the Senate to face it down unflinchingly by passing this bill as soon as we can, Schumer said before the vote. Amid shortages on the battlefield, the package would provide $60 billion for Ukraine, mostly to purchase U.S.-made defense equipment, including munitions and air defense systems that authorities say it desperately needs as Russia batters the country. It includes $8 billion for the government in Kyiv and other assistance. Advertisement It would also provide $14 billion for Israels war with Hamas, $8 billion for Taiwan and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, and $9.2 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza. The Senate is pushing through several procedural votes on the slimmed-down package after an attempt to pair it with legislation to stem migration at the U.S. border collapsed. Objections from Republicans adamantly opposed to the aid have delayed quick action, forcing the weekend votes as negotiations continue over potential amendments to the legislation. Advertisement Senators were still trying to negotiate a deal on amendments Sunday but it was uncertain whether they could come to an agreement that would move up a final vote. If there continue to be objections, a final vote could come midweek. Schumer has said he is open to amendments - most of which would be likely to fail - but he forced senators to stay in session through the weekend to try and speed up the process. Advertisement I cant remember the last time the Senate was in session on Super Bowl Sunday, Schumer said as he opened the session. But as Ive said all week long, were going to keep working on this bill until the job is done. In Sundays vote, 18 Republicans voted to move forward with the measure giving supporters optimism that it will eventually pass. But the debate over the aid has deeply divided the Senate GOP conference, with McConnell digging in to support it while some of the most adamant opponents of sending money to Ukraine have increasingly criticized the party leader. Advertisement America is being invaded every day at our southern border, Florida Sen. Rick Scott posted on X, formerly Twitter, as voting got underway. Why would we vote to send money and resources to secure Ukraines border before we secure our own? Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said the debt is a huge problem, and yet theyre wanting to pass a bill to send money we dont have. So its not a sign of strength, and its a sign of weakness. Advertisement Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said that he can understand the reservations that voters have about voting for foreign aid, but that U.S. senators, who are privy to classified briefings, should understand whats at stake if Putin wins. And so some people around here if they really are being driven just by the perceptions of their base, they should grow a spine, he said. Advertisement Even if the Senate does pass the package, its future is deeply uncertain in the House, where a large majority of GOP lawmakers are firmly allied with Trump. Speaker Mike Johnson has been noncommittal on the aid and has said he wants the Senate process to play out. Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a former House member who voted to move forward on the aid, noted that some members of the House have threatened to try and remove Johnson, as they did his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, if he holds a vote on Ukraine. Advertisement Still, Speaker Johnson is now sitting in classified briefings that he hadnt had the privilege to sit in before he was speaker, Mullin said. (With inputs from The Associated Press) A pregnant stingray doesn't usually attract global attention but the mystery of how Charlotte the ray became impregnated in a US aquarium holding no males has bamboozled observers the world over. Staff at the North Carolina facility initially kept the pregnancy news under wraps as they sought answers, but confirmation from experts, including Melbourne aquarium vet specialist Dr Robert Jones, that the animal could indeed have been impregnated by a shark encouraged the information to be shared online. "Our stingray, Charlotte, is expecting! We have held this close to our hearts for over three months," staff from the Aquarium & Shark Lab by Team ECCO wrote before hosting a livestream offering further details. Charlotte the stingray's mystery pregnancy has Aussie vet Dr Robert Jones believing she has been impregnated by a shark. Source: Facebook "We have been doing an ultrasound on our ray Charlotte since September, when she began to swell," staff member Brenda Ramer said. "We documented multiple 'growths' internally and initially thought she had a cancer." Theories of stingray pregnancy explored Staff believe there are two plausible ways the stingray could have become pregnant, with the first involving some form of asexual reproduction where eggs develop without fertilisation creating a clone of Charlotte. However, stingrays are not known to do this. Staff at the aquarium initially thought the stingray's swelling was cancerous and they carried out ultrasounds. Source: Facebook The most likely explanation is the stingray mated with one of the two one-year-old male sharks which were placed in her tank mid-last year. "We moved two one-year-old white spot bamboo males (sharks) into that tank. There was nothing we could find definitively about their maturation rate, so we did not think there would be an issue," Ramer said in the livestream. As time went on staff noticed bite marks on Charlotte a known sign of shark mating. It is this information which points to Jones' and aquarium staff's reasoning that one of the sharks is responsible for her pregnancy. Story continues The birth of the pups is expected any day now, and DNA tests will determine if the young are half-shark. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Pashinyan expressed his optimism that Azerbaijan, Armenias neighbour and longtime competitor, will stick to the terms of a lasting peace agreement, even in light of remarks made by the president of that country about boundary demarcation In an interview that was released on Sunday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia emphasised that his nation was not Russias friend in the conflict with Ukraine, but that none of the countries was the target of any of their military cooperation initiatives. Pashinyan expressed his optimism that Azerbaijan, Armenias neighbour and longtime competitor, will stick to the terms of a lasting peace agreement, even in light of remarks made by the president of that country about boundary demarcation. Advertisement Over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two significant wars in the last thirty years. The area has long been acknowledged as being a part of Azerbaijan, and in September, Azeri forces took complete control of it. In recent months, Pashinyan has stated that Armenia could no longer depend on Russia to meet its defence requirements since his nation was unable to obtain the necessary assistance from Moscow. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph in Britain, Pashinyan stated that he had stated that Moscow could not have Ukraine as an ally from the beginning of Russias invasion of that country in February 2022. I said, in the Ukraine situation, we are not Russias ally. And thats the reality, Pashinyan told the daily. Advertisement But I want to also tell you that with the U.S. or France or other partners, our security cooperation is not targeted against our other security sector partner. He said Armenia was approaching the notion of relationships on its security alliances by utmost transparently speaking with our partners about their shared agendas. Advertisement And Armenia, he said, had no intention of considering membership of NATO as Ukraine has reaffirmed and Russia has denounced as unacceptable. Nato membership is not a question we have discussed or are discussing. He repeated that Armenia was considering whether to stay in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation. On the prospects for a long-term peace deal with Azerbaijan, Pashinyan said the basic architecture of an agreement had been reached last year and at the end of last year, it seemed to us that we were very close, finally, to a final text of agreement. Advertisement But Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, re-elected in a landslide last week, raised questions in a January interview by saying his troops would not pull back from border areas. He also dismissed the use of Soviet-era maps in talks as he said territorial concessions had been made to Armenia last century. Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 were rescued from Hamas captivity after the Israeli military, the domestic Shin Bet security service and the Special Police Unit in Rafah conducted a joint operation on Monday evening In a daring operation, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) freed two hostages in Rafah on Monday in what can be perceived as a breakthrough in releasing over 100 detainees held by Hamas in Gaza. Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 were rescued from Hamas captivity after the Israeli military, the domestic Shin Bet security service and the Special Police Unit in Rafah conducted a joint operation on Monday evening. Advertisement Two Israeli hostages rescued during an overnight mission in Rafah. During a joint operation between the IDF, ISA, and Israel Police, two Israeli hostages from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak were rescued: Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Louis Har (70). They are both in good medical Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 12, 2024 Heaping praises on the soldiers who conducted the rescue operation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, I salute our brave warriors for the bold action that led to their liberation. Only the continuation of military pressure, until complete victory, will result in the release of all our hostages. Advertisement We will not miss any opportunity to bring them home," he added. The story of Marman and Har becoming hostages Fernando Simon Marman was taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7 by Hamas along with his family members, according to Times of Israel. His family members include his sisters Clara Marman, and Gabriela Leimberg, Claras partner Louis Har and Leimbergs daughter Mia Leimberg. Advertisement The family was on a trip to the kibbutz for the holiday week. While the Leimbergs and Clara Marman were released on November 28 as part of the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas brokered by Qatar and the US, Simon Marman and Lous Har had to stay back until Monday. Meanwhile, Clara, who has gone back to Israel, said that the family was kept together. She said that there was a time when they were moved to a car and were actually, very close to Nir Yitzhak. Advertisement Upon their release, Clara and the Leimbergs were certain that Fernando and Louis would be right behind them. Little did they know that they would have to wait for over 2 months to meet again. Marman is a handyman from Kfar Saba. He is a father of four children and has 10 grandchildren. Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple gunshots shortly before the churchs 2 p.m. Spanish language service was set to begin Worshippers rushed out of the building between crowded Sunday services when a lady in a trench coat opened fire inside famous pastor Joel Osteens megachurch in Texas with a long gun, according to officials. She was then shot and killed by two off-duty police who challenged her. Shortly before 2:00 p.m., the mother and her 5-year-old son entered the Houston church; the youngster was shot and suffered grave injuries. According to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, its unclear if the off-duty police who returned fire struck the youngster or the 57-year-old male who was also shot and injured. Advertisement In the aftermath of the violence, the childs link to the mom was not immediately apparent. The youngster was in serious condition at a childrens hospital, while the dad was stable at another facility after suffering a hip wound. Finner stated that once the lady started firing, both cops engaged her, and she was dead. She was not immediately recognised, and her motivations were unclear. I will say this, Finner told reporters during a news conference outside the church. That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger. Im going to put that blame on her. The chief withheld information on the specifics of the altercation. He said that the incident could have been a lot worse if the officerswho had been providing security for the church at the timehad not moved promptly in addressing the woman. Advertisement The policemen are employed by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and the Houston Police Department, respectively. Both have been assigned to administrative duties prescribed by protocol. The megachurch, which is routinely visited by 45,000 people each week and is the third-largest megachurch in the United States, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, was the scene of the shooting between services. Almost 100 nations watch Osteens broadcast sermons. Advertisement It was not clear where Osteen was at the time. But he joined police at the news conference afterward and said the church is devastated. He added that the shooting could have been much worse if it had happened during the earlier, larger 11 a.m. service. Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple gunshots shortly before the churchs 2 p.m. Spanish language service was set to begin. Advertisement Christina Rodriguez, who was inside the church, told Houston television station KTRK that she started screaming, Theres a shooter, theres a shooter, " and then she and others ran to the backside of a library inside the building, then stood in a stairway before they were told it was safe to leave. Advertisement Longtime church member Alan Guity, whose family is from Honduras, said he was resting inside the churchs sanctuary before the 2 p.m. service as his mother was working as an usher when he heard gunshots. Boom, boom, boom, boom and I yelled, Mom, " he told The Associated Press. The 35-year-old ran to his mother and they both laid flat on the floor and prayed as the gunfire continued. They remained there for about five minutes until someone told them it was safe to evacuate. Outside, Guity said, he and his mother tried to calm people down by worshiping and singing in Spanish, Move in me, move in me. Touch my mind and my heart. Move within me Holy Spirit. Advertisement Guity was among the many congregation members who waited Sunday evening to be allowed to return to their vehicles as police continued to search the building. The church is located in what used to be an arena where the NBAs Houston Rockets used to play years ago. Osteen said Sunday he would pray for the victims and for the woman who did the shooting and their families. Advertisement Were going to stay strong and were going to continue to, to move forward, he said. There are forces of evil, but the forces that are for us the forces of God are stronger than that. So were going to keep going strong and just, you know, doing what Gods called us to do: lift people up and give hope to the world. Advertisement Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying our hearts are with those impacted by todays tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred. At least 20 police and fire trucks were near one of the churchs entrances Sunday afternoon, including the fire departments hazardous materials truck. Finner said it was reported that the woman had a bomb, but no explosives were found when her vehicle and backpack were searched. Advertisement Worshippers could be seen leaving the building as authorities evacuated the church before the news conference. Officials announced a reunification center had been set up at a nearby gym for people to find their loved ones. The church has grown tremendously over the past 25 years since Joel Osteen took over after his fathers death in 1999 and introduced an upbeat style of Christian televangelism that has captured a following of millions. The elder Osteen founded the church in a converted feed store in 1959. Advertisement At times, Lakewood Church has served as a shelter during flooding in Houston. After the pandemic, it reopened for a time at one-quarter of its capacity with only 4,000 worshippers allowed. Apples Vision Pro, recently launched in the U.S., is speculated to eventually replace the iPad, according to insights from Mark Gurman on Bloomberg. However, Gurman highlights existing hardware and software limitations that need addressing before such a transition can occur. Shifting Purpose of iPad Initially designed as a larger-screen version of the iPhone, the iPads role has evolved over the years. From a media consumption device to a potential Mac replacement, Apples strategic shifts have yielded mixed results, observed Gurman. Despite versatility, the iPad falls short in comparison to the Mac for tasks requiring a robust operating system. Vision Pros Potential Contrary to expectations of replacing the Mac or iPhone, Gurman suggests that the Vision Pro could challenge the iPads position. With superior capabilities in tasks like video streaming and light work, coupled with impressive hardware features, the Vision Pro offers an alternative for traditional iPad users. While the Vision Pro exhibits promising attributes, it remains in an early stage of development. Issues such as weight, battery life, and app availability detract from its potential. Gurman emphasizes the necessity for significant software improvements before the device can reach its ideal form, akin to the iterative refinement seen in past Apple products. The Road Ahead for Vision Pro Despite curated demonstrations showcasing its strengths, Gurman cautions against premature adoption due to undisclosed weaknesses. Gurman added that until Apple makes substantial improvements in software refinement and addresses critical issues, investing in the Vision Pro may not be advisable, as its viability as a consumer product hinges on these ongoing efforts. On his views regarding the Apple Vision Pro, Mark Gurman said, The truth is, were still learning about the Vision Pros weaknessesa lot needs to be fixed before I can recommend shelling out $3,500 for the device. Source Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi reports that component suppliers are hesitant to establish operations in India due to increased scrutiny of Chinese companies by the government, according to Reuters. Xiaomi, holding the largest share in Indias smartphone market at 18%, requests India to consider providing manufacturing incentives and lowering import tariffs for specific smartphone components. Challenges Amidst Scrutiny The heightened scrutiny follows a 2020 border clash between India and China, disrupting investment plans and drawing protests from Beijing. While Chinese companies in India remain reluctant to discuss these challenges openly, Xiaomis letter indicates ongoing struggles in India, especially in the smartphone sector where critical components often come from Chinese suppliers. Calls for Confidence Building Muralikrishnan B., President of Xiaomi India, emphasized the necessity for confidence building measures to encourage component suppliers to establish operations locally. The letter cited concerns related to compliance, visa issues, and other unspecified factors, urging the government to address these issues and instill confidence among foreign component suppliers. Regulatory Scrutiny and Call for Tariff Reductions Apart from regulatory scrutiny, Indian authorities have accused Chinese companies like Vivo Communication Technology of breaching visa rules and siphoning funds. Xiaomi itself faced allegations of illegal remittances. Xiaomis letter also advocated for further reducing Indias import tariffs, aiming to enhance manufacturing competitiveness and attract component manufacturers to invest in India. Source Panasonic Life Solutions India today introduced its latest Air Conditioner lineup for 2024, featuring innovative technology including Matter-enabled Room Air Conditioners (RACs) powered by Miraie. Alongside, Panasonic has launched 60 new models across its AC range. With over 65 years of expertise in AC development, Panasonics new range emphasizes Cooling, Quality, and Connectivity for enhanced living. Cooling is optimized through technologies like Jetstream, Converti7, Aerowings, and 4-Way Inflow for improved airflow. Additionally, nanoeX and nanoeG ensure indoor air quality by eliminating pollutants. Quality and Reliability are ensured through features like inverter, ECOTOUGH, ShieldBlu+, ECONAVI, AG Clean+, and Crystal Clean. Connectivity is enhanced with Matter and True AI, providing seamless interoperability and intelligent adjustment of AC settings. All Panasonic ACs are manufactured in their Technopark plant in Haryana, as part of the Make in India initiative. The Miraie App offers convenient control over the AC, allowing users to adjust temperature, monitor status, and receive notifications about indoor pollution levels for a healthier living environment. Quick specifications: Panasonic 7-in-1 Convertible AC (2024) Matter-enabled air conditioners Tonnage Class: 1.0, 1.5 Ton and 2.0 Ton Crystal Clean technology Star Rating 5 7-in-1 Convertible AC nanoeX Technology Smart Cooling with AI Mode Wi-Fi connectivity Aerowings 4-way Swing; Jetstream Airflow Human Activity Sensor and Absence Detection Sensor Energy efficiency with ECONAVI Miraie App Voice Control One Touch Service and Self-diagnosis Stabilizer-free Operation Pricing and availability The new Panasonic Air Conditioners with Matter protocol are available in 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0-ton models across leading outlets, online platforms such as Amazon.in and Flipkart, as well as on the Panasonic store. Additionally, the 60 new models in the inverter ACs range are available, starting from Rs. 33,990. Speaking at the launch, Fumiyasu Fujimori, Managing Director, PMIN, Panasonic Life Solutions India said: Our recently conducted study, Panasonics 2024 Young Parents Everyday Life Concerns, highlighted the diverse considerations of consumers regarding AC-related issues, extending beyond basic cooling to encompass indoor air hygiene, efficiency, and technological integration (connectivity). We have developed and manufactured our new range of ACs with the evolving needs of our consumers in mind. The new line-up of ACs, including Indias first Matter-enabled RACs, will not only offer interoperability but also simplicity, reliability, and security. By seamlessly connecting with other Matter-certified devices and platforms, they will enable smarter and more efficient energy usage, optimizing comfort while minimizing environmental impact. With this, Panasonic marks a significant leap in innovation, ensuring flexibility and convenience for consumers in the realm of smart appliances. Commenting on the launch, Abhishek Verma, Business Head, Air Conditioners Group, PMIN, PLSIND said, A woman who was slapped with a whopping $644 fine for parking in a disabled spot has unleashed over the penalty, claiming she was forced to leave her car there in an emergency, but a disability advocate has hit back saying her excuse isn't "good enough". Sydneysider Kate Meller lashed the "grotesque" fine and said she had no other option but to park in the disability bay as her friend had just gone into labour, which required the woman's husband to be present and left their two-year-old at home needing care. Meller said after she got the urgent call last month, she drove to her friend's home in Randwick, in the city's east, but saw no available parking spaces. She said she then pulled up into a free spot reserved for those with disabilities, copped the fine at approximately 3.45pm, with her friend's baby being born some four hours later. Sydney woman Kate Meller was slapped with a $644 fine for parking in a spot reserved for those with disabilities. Source: TikTok / The Daily Telegraph Sydney woman slams 'grotesque' fine When Meller attempted to contest it, she said she was rejected by Revenue NSW. "I had to help my friend. She needed care for her son," Meller told The Daily Telegraph. "I was in crisis mode. It was a safe spot. That fine is more than twice as much as a no stopping zone. I was shocked by the amount its grotesque." After "advocacy from Telegraph", Meller's fine was eventually revoked and reduced to a caution. While she claimed she was left with no other option but to park in the space, some people online held a different view, and according to one disability advocate, Meller could've done better. Disability advocate says excuse 'not good enough' Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, disability advocate and wheelchair user James Wood branded the move "not cool". Story continues "People need to understand the reason for those car spaces is that someone with a disability parking permit can't walk or push a wheelchair long distances," he told Yahoo. "If I had to visit the place where she was parked and couldn't find a spot, then saw her there I would have said something. "If she gave the excuse that her friend was in labour I'd have told her 'not good enough'." James Wood, 58, has been a wheelchair user for over 30 years. Source: Supplied On the other hand, Wood said, if there was a genuine medical emergency at play, then he might have considered the park acceptable. "If it's a genuine medical issue I'm actually OK for them to park in a wheelchair spot, I mean if someone was having a baby, heart attack, or any other serious medical condition then the priority is for the health and safety of the person," he said. "The ones I get a bit annoyed with are those who don't have a reason to park in a wheelchair space," he said, pointing to hire care drivers at airports, whom he said try to "park close to terminals to meet their passengers". Mixed reactions to woman's parking fine Online, people had mixed responses. "She wasn't disabled. Cop the fine," one person said in response to the situation. "Absolutely the fine is fair," a man argued. Another person said they were "not advocating against any sort of consequences for breaking the rules" but "frankly $644 is simply and utterly outrageous in anyone's language". According to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, there's been a 31 per cent increase in the number of people contesting parking fines in court in the last year, something 1,150 Aussies did in the 12 months to September, up from 885 the year before. Just one in five of those appeals were successful. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Woolworths has been praised for a simple yet effective initiative to help shoppers stay cool during their grocery shop as temperatures steadily hit the mid 30s. To the surprise of shoppers at the Greenfields store in Mandurah, Western Australia, signs were taped onto shopping trolleys when they arrived at the store. They read: "If you're feeling hot and thirsty please take a free bottle of water. On behalf of all the team here at Greenfields we thank you for shopping with us." Woolworths offered free bottles of water during hot days over the weekend in the Greenfields store in Mandurah, Western Australia. Source: Facebook It is believed the free water bottles were a bid to help customers remain cool and avoid heat-related illnesses as the state has been scorching for weeks now, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing repeated heatwave warnings for the region. After a picture of the sign was shared online, shoppers claimed that other local Woolies stores had done the same thing, with many applauding the idea. "Great gesture for the community," one person wrote. Not the first time Woolworths have provided water Late last year a shopper in Adelaide praised the supermarket after her local store provided water bottles in buckets of ice for customers to help themselves. In November last year a Woolworths stores in Adelaide set up ice buckets full of water bottles for shoppers. Source: Facebook Woolworths told Yahoo News Australia it tries to bring a "little good" to customers every day and "this is just one example of the acts of kindness our team members perform". It is understood such gestures are at the discretion of each store. "It was particularly hot over the weekend. We hope our Mandurah customers enjoyed the gesture," a Woolworths spokesperson said. Heatwaves continue in Western Australia The baking weather comes hot on the heels of a record heatwave last week in which parts of Perth climbed above 45 degrees, and Geraldton a coastal city in the mid west of the state reached maximum temperatures of over 46 degrees on consecutive days. Doctors are encouraging Aussies to seek shade, drink plenty of water and remain alert to the signs of health-related illnesses which can be fatal. Story continues with AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. An obscure bill that received bipartisan support in the House of Representatives was opposed by one of central New York's members of Congress. The Udall Foundation Reauthorization Act passed by a 350-58 vote. The bill would reauthorize the foundation through the 2028 fiscal year. The Udall Foundation is a federal agency that was established in 1992 and named in honor of former U.S. Rep. Morris Udall, a Democrat who long advocated for protecting the environment and land conservation, and his brother, Stewart Udall, who served as interior secretary under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. According to the foundation's website, it provides funding or services for numerous functions, including fellowships, internships and scholarships for American Indians and Alaska Natives who are studying in health care or tribal public policy fields. The foundation also funds the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and the Native Nations Institute, both of which are based at the University of Arizona. The Udall Foundation also supports the John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution, a program that resolves issues involving the environment, natural resources and public lands. A fact sheet details how much the Udall Foundation receives from the federal government. In the 2023 fiscal year, the organization received $5.743 million. President Joe Biden's 2024 budget proposal included $6.044 million for the agency. Most of the appropriation is for the environmental dispute resolution fund. Although the bill to reauthorize the Udall Foundation easily passed the House, there was opposition from 58 Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney. Tenney, R-Cleveland, represents Cayuga County and all or parts of 11 other upstate counties. On her website, she explained her vote against reauthorizing the Udall Foundation, which she claimed "funds liberal and woke health care and public policy initiatives." She also noted that a report released by the Department of the Interior's inspector general found the foundation made improper payments to contractors totaling $401,836. "The agency is not deserving of taxpayer funds and warrants significant reform or abolition," Tenney added. But most of Tenney's colleagues don't agree with her assessment. The 350 votes in support of reauthorizing the Udall Foundation included 202 Democrats and 148 Republicans. U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams, a Cayuga County Republican who represents the neighboring 22nd Congressional District, voted for the bill. The legislation was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, an Arizona Republican. "For over three decades, the Udall Foundation has been an important avenue to continue the work of Mo and Stewart Udall, addressing our most pressing concerns surrounding the environment and our natural resources," Ciscomani said in a statement. "I am pleased to see our legislation to reauthorize the foundation pass the House and cannot think of a better way to honor the legacy of the Udall brothers than to ensure their work is continued by a new generation of scholars." There were supporting statements from U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican who chairs the House Natural Resources Committee, and Dr. David Brown, executive director of the Udall Foundation. Brown said the foundation would "continue providing our nation with nonpartisan environmental collaboration and conflict resolution services and education programs in the areas of environmental public policy, tribal public policy and Native health care." Other votes in the House last week: As The Citizen reported, Tenney and Williams supported House Republicans' failed attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the border crisis. The resolution was defeated when three Republicans split with their party and joined Democrats in opposing the measure. (A fourth Republican changed their vote as a procedural move.) The Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act passed 407-0. Tenney and Williams voted for its passage. The bill would require the U.S. Department of Labor train its employees on how to detect human trafficking. The legislation extends the commission until Oct. 1, 2031. A $17.6 billion aid package for Israel failed to receive the two-thirds majority vote it needed to pass in the House. The final vote was 250-180, with Tenney and Williams supporting the legislation. Most Republicans (204) and 46 Democrats voted for the aid bill, while 166 Democrats and 14 Republicans opposed the measure. The bill required a two-thirds majority because House Republican leaders attempted to expedite its passage. The Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act passed 211-208. Tenney and Williams voted for the bill, which would prohibit federal health care programs from using quality-adjusted life years for determing coverage levels. AUBURN A new program aims to give homeless people a safe place to go for a couple hours and some hope. Safe and Warm, which takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. Fridays at the Harriet Tubman Memorial AME Zion Church at 90 Franklin St. Auburn, has been open for around three weeks. It allows local homeless people to get coffee, snacks and clothing, charge their devices, escape the elements and sit by themselves or be with others, said the Rev. Barbara Blom, one of the program's creators. Blom, of the United Ministry of Aurora, and the Rev. Paris Price, of the AME Zion church, said homeless people at the program can also get information about local resources available to them. Blom and Price told The Citizen they are trying to get the word out about the program, as they believe there is a strong local need for it and they want to give people hope. Price added that the program takes place on Fridays because the day can be triggering for the approximately one-third of homeless people who have substance abuse or addiction issues, due to the prospect of going to bars or parties during the weekend. The program also ends before the start of local recovery meetings, such as Alcoholics Anonymous. "We want them to be able to come here, we want to be able to talk with them, we want to able to treat them in a manner that they may not have experienced (before)," she said. Safe and Warm was founded by Blom, Price, Larry Buffam and Eli Gansert, a community volunteer who said he has been homeless before and is in recovery for addiction himself. Gansert told The Citizen he understands what people dealing with those issues are going through, and that the program is meant to help "bridge the gaps" between local resources and people who need them. "In this day and age, 90% of America is one or two paychecks away from being homeless, so this group is really put together for homeless and homelessness prevention," he said. "We're finding that a lot of services in our community are not well-advertised, or grouped together to where they can just find (the services)." Nicole Gee, director of housing and street outreach with the Cayuga Community Health Network, has trained the Safe and Warm program's volunteers about interacting with people experiencing homelessness, Price said. While people with the program who haven't been homeless "can't fully understand what it is that they're going through," she added, the volunteers still want to help. The program is sponsored by Cayuga Community Faith Partners, which was created in 2023. Price said the organization came together after Blom reached out to her in October about working together to help address homelessness in the area. The group includes the two reverends' churches as well as the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles and Poplar Ridge Friends, a Quaker group. Nonprofits such as the health network are also involved in the coalition, Price said. She, Blom and Gansert said they would like to eventually offer Safe and Warm programs throughout the county. Blom added that homeless people deserve respect like everyone else, and she wants people to understand homelessness. "It's nice that we're doing what we're doing," she said, "but to really understand what's going on in not just this community, but all the communities, is really important because it's growing." Gallery: New program in Auburn offers homeless people a place to go Courtesy of Brittany McGovern Born prematurely at 32 weeks old, Tatum McGovern spent much of her 29 days in the neonatal intensive care unit clinging to her mother, Brittany. Tatum briefly required the support of a feeding tube and oxygen. A collaboration between St. Marys Medical Center and Childrens Hospital of Colorado allowed Tautm to be screened for an eye disease in Grand Junction instead of having to travel to Denver. Saturday Night Partly cloudy skies early followed by increasing clouds with showers developing later at night. Low 43F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Map of the Gaza Strip with the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in collective centers, by governorate, according to Shelter Cluster data as of January 22 Israel's alleged undercover killings in occupied West Bank hospital may amount to extrajudicial killings and war crimes: UN experts Press releases Special Procedures 09 February 2024 GENEVA (9 February 2024) -- Israel's apparent extrajudicial killings of three Palestinian men at the Ibn Sina hospital in the city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank may amount to grave violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, UN experts* warned today. On 29 January, around 10 armed members of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police reportedly entered the hospital disguised as doctors, nurses, and female civilians. They were captured on CCTV bringing a wheelchair and a doll in a baby carrier into the hospital. After entering a rehabilitation ward, Israeli forces shot dead Basel Ayman Al-Ghazawi, a patient being treated for serious injuries from an Israeli airstrike three months ago, his brother, Muhammad Ayman Al-Ghazawi, and another visitor, Muhammed Walid Jalamna. Israel claims all three men were involved in "terrorism" by Palestinian armed groups. "Regardless, Israel is always required to respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law," the experts said. "In occupied territory under Israeli control, outside active hostilities, at most Israeli forces may have been entitled to arrest or detain them. They could only use force if strictly necessary to prevent an imminent threat to life or serious injury. Instead, Israel chose to murder them, in flagrant violation of their right to life," they said. In addition, under international humanitarian law, "killing a defenceless injured patient who is being treated in a hospital amounts to a war crime," the experts said, referring to Basel Ayman Al-Ghazawi. "By disguising themselves as seemingly harmless, protected medical personnel and civilians, the Israeli forces also prima facie committed the war crime of perfidy, which is prohibited in all circumstances," the experts said. "We call on Israel to conduct an effective investigation, in line with international law, with a view to prosecuting and punishing those responsible for committing, ordering, and assisting in these alleged crimes, while putting in place procedures to prevent future arbitrary killings and provide reparations to the victims," the experts said. They emphasised the international community's long-standing concern at Israel's culture of impunity in relation to alleged international law violations by its personnel. In the absence of a prompt investigation into the killings, the experts would urge an investigation by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. "We urge all parties to fulfil their international legal obligations to ensure respect for international law, including human rights and humanitarian law in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, and to cooperate with current investigations by the International Criminal Court," the experts said. The killings occurred amidst an alarming increase in Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in apparent violation of their right to life in the West Bank since the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian armed groups. This includes other interferences with medical establishments and personnel protected under international humanitarian law. UN experts have also previously noted Israel's misuse of excessive counter-terrorism laws in the West Bank, including in relation to detention and prosecution. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address SETAF-AF hosts first Africa FAO Forum to foster collaboration and address unique challenges By Sgt. Bobbi-Jo McGinley February 11, 2024 Vicenza, ITALY -- U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) hosts the first African Foreign Area Officer (FAO) Forum with 80 attendees at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy, Dec. 11th-14th 2023. The African FAO Forum is a dedicated platform for FAOs, offering opportunities for academic discussions, professional development, and collaborative workshops to foster collaboration, address unique challenges within the African FAO community, and facilitate face-to-face interactions, mentorship, and career mapping discussions. "Foreign Area Officers play a crucial role in enhancing the people's understanding of our mission, operating at the tactical level to bridge the gap between the [Department of] Defense and State [Department Foreign Service]," said Maj. Gen. Todd R. Wasmund, SETAF-AF commanding general. "They contribute to our mission by maintaining relationships with our African partners and reinforcing understanding of the value of our military programs in their country." FAOs, commissioned officers from the U.S. armed forces, are strategically trained as military diplomats with regional expertise, language proficiency, and a global presence. They serve in various capacities, including U.S. embassies and combatant command staffs, engaging across domains to foster international partnerships and advance U.S. national security interests. "Foreign Area Officers serve in various roles, from working at SETAF-AF in the Security Cooperation Division as desk officers to providing insight to the command about the U.S. military engagement with our partner nations in Africa," said Lt. Col. Amanda Parker, a FAO assigned to the American Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa. "Particularly in SETAF-AF, a Security Cooperation Chief would help to coordinate SETAF-AF's activities with the partner nation's military. There are a variety of different ways that this happens, and FAOs are critical to helping facilitate that." The forum featured multiple panels: FAOs in Crisis Response; Army 2030 and Multi-Domain Operations; U.S. Indo-Pacific Command priorities and their impacts on Africa; Army Activities, Operations, and Investments in Africa; and Senior FAO Insight. FAOs organized a collaborative workshop during the forum, facilitating small-group discussions on challenges unique to the African FAO community. They categorized these challenges and assessed possible solutions within the African FAO team or if they required Department of Defense support. The positive changes and support from leadership contribute to the continuous growth and effectiveness of FAOs in their diplomatic and security roles. About SETAF-AF SETAF-AF provides U.S. Africa Command and U.S. Army Europe and Africa a dedicated headquarters to synchronize Army activities in Africa and scalable crisis-response options in Africa and Europe. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address February 11, 2024 Release Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Health Status Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following update on Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's health status: Earlier today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be seen for symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue. He is still at the hospital and receiving treatment. At approximately 4:55 pm today, Secretary Austin transferred the functions and duties of the office of the Secretary of Defense to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. The Deputy Secretary of Defense has assumed the functions and duties. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the White House, and Congress have been notified. We will provide additional updates on Secretary Austin's condition as soon as possible. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3673021/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address If you thought the BMW 7 Series is the ultimate in opulence, you may have been right all along. But sometimes, just sometimes, sheer luxury isn't enough for a certain exclusive clientele who prioritise safety over everything else. And for such individuals, the BMW 7 Series Protection has been officially driven out in India. The German luxury car brand claims that the 7 Series Protection retains all the grandeur and magnificence of the 7 Series but is engineered to serve one solitary purpose - to keep occupants safe from a plethora of risks. The BMW 7 Series is for the rich and famous. The BMW 7 Series Protection is for the rich, famous and high-risk individuals. It may look nearly identical to the 7 Series - an essential pre-requisite to ensure it remains inconspicuous in a convoy. But it is at its core is where the real differences are at. Also check these Cars Find more Cars BMW 7 Series 2998 cc 2998 cc Multiple Multiple 1.70 - 1.81 Cr Compare View Offers Mercedes-Benz GLS 2999 cc 2999 cc Multiple Multiple 1.32 - 1.37 Cr Compare View Offers Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2999.0 cc 2999.0 cc Multiple Multiple 1.57 - 2.19 Cr Compare View Offers Maserati Quattroporte 3799 cc 3799 cc Petrol Petrol 1.80 - 2.32 Cr Compare View Offers Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 3982.0 cc 3982.0 cc Petrol Petrol 1.70 Cr Compare Hyundai Creta 1497 cc 1497 cc Multiple Multiple 11 - 20.15 Lakhs Compare View Offers BMW 7 Series Protection: Get set, escape Weighing in at a little over 4.5 tonnes, the BMW 7 Series Protection is a massively heavy vehicle. Each reinforced door of the vehicle, in fact, weighs 400 kilos. But for all the weight, the sedan has to be extremely agile to make quick getaways if and when required. But while the 4.4-litre V8 petrol motor under the hood helps the vehicle produce 530 hp and offer 750 Nm of torque, and while it has a top speed of 210 kmph, and while it can fire from 0 to 100 kmph in just 6.6 seconds, the BMW 7 Series Protection can also stand still and take hits on its proverbial chest. While BMW does not expect any owner of the BMW 7 Series Protection to be anywhere except in the back seats of the vehicle, the front part of the model does offer a long list of features, including a curved display screen. BMW 7 Series Protection: A luxury tank Whether is is the armoured body of the BMW 7 Series Protection or the reinforced bolstering on the roof to thwart attacks from drones or special reinforcement on the underbody or the 75 mm bullet and blast-resistance armoured window glass, this here is a vehicle that claims to take it all and still be fighting fit. Even the 20-inch tyres on the model can run a distance of 30 kilometres at 80 kmph when entirely deflated - crucial if bullets are fired at these. And then there is the self-sealing fuel tank that helps prevent fuel loss in case the lid is specifically targeted and fired upon. Also Read : BMW India races to another record year: Breaking down the key numbers BMW 7 Series Protection: Crafted for magnificence A close look at the refrigeration unit for beverages. The section is tucked behind the armrest in the middle of the backseats. If high-risk individuals want the ultimate protection on the move, they can travel in a battle tank. But where is the comfort and sheer indulgence in that? The next best option may just be the BMW 7 Series Protection that continues to offer a very high level of comfort despite the long list of protective additions. Space and seat comfort at the back is the same as that found inside the conventional BMW 7 Series but it is the feature list that promises to cocoon the VVIPs inside. Cold refreshments? There is a small fridge behind the back seats that can cool beverages by either four or 10 degrees. Want to unwind to music? A 1,265-watt Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System comes as standard. Too exhausted to pull the doors shut? For the first time on a BMW model, the 7 Series Protection gets doors that come with motorised assistance. Then there are plebeian additions too like electrically operated roller sunblinds and an electric heating function for both the windscreen and the front sections of the side windows. And that is still not all. Owners can select from multiple exterior body colour options while also being given the options for various customisation in the cabin. The BMW 7 Series Protection offers the same amount of space for backseat passengers as the BMW 7 Series. BMW 7 Series Protection: The business end BMW officials say because of the array of protective features on the model, engineers in Germany are able to only roll out four units of the 7 Series Protection each week. A major part of the assembly is done manually to ensure both accountability and precision while allowing to meet specific demands from the very discerning clientele. And because the BMW 7 Series Protection is an extremely special vehicle, it may also need an extremely special person behind the steering. As such, the company also offers training courses as an option for drivers who would eventually be tasked to drive either this or any other armoured BMW model anywhere across the world. The company has also confirmed that because of the changing trends in the global automotive world, it will eventually offer an armoured version of its models with an all-electric powertrain. For now though, models like the BMW 7 Series Protection will continue to be the creme-de-la-creme of the VVIPs among VVIPs. First Published Date: China Coast Guard expels Philippine vessel for intruding into S.China Sea waters Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Feb 11, 2024 10:40 PM The China Coast Guard (CCG) announced on Sunday that it had expelled a Philippine Coast Guard vessel that illegally intruded into waters adjacent to Huangyan Island in the South China Sea multiple times from February 2 to 9, noting that China's responses were professional and reiterating its firm resolve to safeguard China's national sovereignty. Experts said that the Philippines' deliberate provocations around the Chinese Lunar New Year are intentional, and the move would not bring any benefit but will further erode mutual trust, disrupt the political atmosphere, and even affect the perception of Chinese people toward the Philippines. Gan Yu, spokesperson for the CCG said Philippine Coast Guard vessel 9701 illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Huangyan Island multiple times from February 2 to 9, despite warning calls from the CCG. The CCG took measures to control the course of the Philippine vessel and forcefully drove it away, handling the situation in a professional manner and in according with norms. China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and its adjacent waters. The CCG will as always carry out law enforcement activities in waters under China's jurisdiction and resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, Gan said. Ding Duo, deputy director of the Institute of Maritime Law and Policy at the China Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Times that the move showed the Philippines not only refuses to give up its illegal claims to Huangyan Island, but also aims to take advantage of China's traditional holiday season to gain more benefits at sea. "But apparently, the Philippines failed to gain any benefit. No matter what approach the Philippines takes, and regardless the timing it takes, China is always on high alert," Ding added. On January 17, Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong co-chaired the Eighth Meeting of the China-Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea (BCM) with Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Maria Theresa P. Lazaro in Shanghai. The two sides reaffirmed that the South China Sea dispute is not the entirety of bilateral relations and believe that maintaining communication and dialogue is essential to maintaining maritime peace and stability. But following the BCM, the Philippines has continued to provoke and stir up trouble. Ding said that after the new administration came to power in the Philippines, it adjusted its South China Sea policy and China policy, highlighting its speculative and gambler mentality, while breaking the mutual understanding between the two sides in terms of maritime operations. On the same day, the Philippine Coast Guard accused Chinese vessels of "dangerous" maneuvers. Experts said this is Manila's strategy of manipulating the public opinion, a tactic just like how it has been accusing China of bullying. During former Rodrigo Duterte's era, China and the Philippines reached a consensus on shelving the decision of the so-called South China Sea arbitration, and made temporary arrangements regarding Philippine fishermen fishing in the waters near Huangyan Island, demonstrating a certain level of understanding between the two sides in handling maritime frictions while taking care of the big picture of the bilateral relationship, Ding told the Global Times. But the temporary arrangements have conditions, such as Philippine fishing boats not entering the lagoon within Huangyan Island. The conditions reflect China's sovereignty and jurisdiction over Huangyan Island while the agreements demonstrate goodwill toward the Philippines, Ding added. Over the past months, the Philippine side has been attempting to break the consensus. In September 2023, a vessel of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Philippines, without China's permission, intruded into the adjacent waters of Huangyan Island and attempted to enter its lagoon. In December, in disregard of the warnings of the CCG vessels, a Philippine vessel went headlong toward Ren'ai Jiao's lagoon and dangerously rammed a CCG ship on the scene. Chen Xiangmiao, director of the World Navy Research Center at the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, told the Global Time that the Philippines no longer adheres to the tacit understanding between the two countries. They not only fish in the nearby waters of Huangyan Island but also attempt to break through the limit by fishing boats, government vessels, and even coast guard vessels. In response, China has taken forceful measures to safeguard its rights while making efforts through various means to encourage the Philippines to return to the correct track of managing maritime disputes and avoiding the escalation of crises through negotiation and consultation. These measures also demonstrate China's determination and red lines in safeguarding its territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea, Ding said. "China will never allow the Philippines to cross the red line. Be it fishing boats, government vessels, or coast guard ships, none will be allowed to enter the lagoon of Huangyan Island. Moreover, China will never allow the Philippines to repeat their old tricks and gain control of Huangyan Island by grounding their vessels. And China will never tolerate a repeat of the 2012 Huangyan Island incident," Chen told the Global Times. In April 2012, the Philippines sent a warship to harass 12 Chinese fishing vessels which sailed into the waters of Huangyan Island to shelter from bad weather. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran FM says Gaza turned into graveyard for Zionists IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 11, 2024 Damascus, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trapped in the quagmire of Gaza, which has turned into a graveyard for Zionists. Speaking at a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart in Damascus, Amirabdollahian said that there is no option but a political solution to the war and crimes in Gaza and the West Bank. Iran continues its efforts to prevent the forced migration of the people of Gaza and the West Bank, he added. He hailed his meeting with the Syrian president and his Syrian counterpart and vowed to work toward promoting relations in economic, tourism and industrial fields. He offered his condolences to the Syrian nation and government for the recent US military aggression on Syrian territory and the martyrdom of a number of Syrians. Tehran strongly condemns the illegal and illegitimate presence of foreigners in Syria, he stated. The security of the regional countries is a common concern for both sides, just as the Iranian military advisers stood by Syria during the years of fighting terrorism, Amirabdollahian said. "We will continue to stand by Syria," he added. He offered condolences on the martyrdom of senior Iranian military adviser Brigadier General Seyyed Razi Mousavi, saying that no action of the Zionist regime has remained unanswered in the region. Despite the continuation of crimes and war by the Zionist regime, Amirabdollahian said he learned about the resistance forces' high resilience to confront the Zionists' aggression and to establish stability and security in the region. He reiterated that the key for stable security to return to the region is for the genocide and crimes of the US and the Zionist regime against Gaza to stop. Hamas has recently presented the framework and principles for stopping the war and a political solution to the Zionist regime, he said. Meanwhile, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad stressed common views of Syria and Iran with regard to Gaza. He vowed that the presence of American and Turkish occupying forces and any other aggressors in Syria will finally end one day. Syria does not have any confidence in the Americans' remarks, and the solution is their departure because their presence is illegitimate, he added. The end of Israel's occupation of the Golan Height is at the top of Syria's priorities, and the Syrian nation is also trying to end this occupation, he stressed. 9376**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Suffering of Palestinians in Gaza unimaginable: UN IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 11, 2024 New York, IRNA -- UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. Martin Griffiths has sounded the alarm over humanitarian catastrophe in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where over 1.3 million Palestinians, including those displaced from the northern strip are trapped amid relentless Israeli strikes and a looming ground invasion. Griffiths highlighted the plight of the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, saying the people in the territory have been moving for months, surviving bombs, diseases and starvation. "The suffering of the Palestinians is unimaginable. Where are they going to go? How are they supposed to be safe? There is nowhere left to go in Gaza," he raised the questions to international bodies and community in reference to the Zionist regime's plan to invade Rafah. The UN official also warned that "over a million" people are currently taking shelter in Rafah and that any incursion there would add miseries to the Palestinians. "Their houses have been destroyed, their streets have been mined, their neighborhoods have been shelled," Griffiths stated as Israeli warplanes and artillery have not made southern cities of Rafah and Khan Yunis as focal points over the past couple of weeks. The warning from the UN official comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told visiting US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken recently that the Zionist army would begin a ground invasion of Rafah within the next 2 weeks. Netanyahu has also ordered his army to draw a plan to evacuate Rafah before the holy month of Ramadan. However, the United Nations, human rights groups and even the United States, which is a staunch supporter of the Israeli regime, have warned that the attack on this densely populated Gaza city will bring another disaster. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has also issued a fresh warning about the situation in Gaza and once again emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire. Palestinian resistance groups as well as several regional countries have already warned against any ground incursion into southern Gaza, which the Zionist regime after launching its genocidal war, had declared a safe place for Palestinians. Meanwhile, head of the European Union's foreign policy, Josep Borrell said that some bloc members have warned of humanitarian disaster if the Zionist regime attacks Rafah. "Resuming negotiations on prisoners' swap and suspending hostilities is the only way to prevent bloodshed", Borrell wrote on his X platform. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also on Saturday night expressed concern over a possibility military attack in Rafah. Western governments have so far maintained double standard on the Israeli genocide in Gaza. They have express shock over the extent of the Gaza tragedy but at the same time keep supplying arms and financial aid to the Zionist regime to continue massacring the Palestinians. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raeisi reaffirms Iran's support for Palestine ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sun / 11 February 2024 / 18:42 President Ebrahim Raeisi has reaffirmed Iran's unwavering support for the Palestinian people, saying Palestine remains the number one issue of the Muslim world as the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini said famously. Tehran-ISNA- Addressing a massive rally in the capital, Tehran, on the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Raeisi said Western powers tried very hard to dissuade Iran from supporting Palestine but failed miserably. "The Westerners tried hard to make Iran stop defending Palestine and the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, whether through war or economic blockade and sanctions, and repeatedly sent messages saying 'stop defending Palestine,'" he said. The president hastened to add that forty-five years after the victory of the revolution, it is now proven that "the Islamic Republic and our visionary Imam" were right in saying that Palestine is the first issue of the Islamic world and that al-Quds must be freed. He also advised people who want to know the West, the US and the Zionist regime to look at their ongoing crimes against humanity, war crimes and child-killings in Gaza. Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 28,064 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 67,611 others. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two captives killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza: Hamas Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 6:55 PM The military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip over the past 96 hours have killed two Israeli captives and seriously injured eight others. The al-Qassam Brigades announced the development in a brief statement on the group's Telegram channel on Sunday. "Their conditions are becoming more dangerous in light of the inability to provide them with appropriate treatment. (Israel) bears full responsibility for the lives of those injured in light of their continued bombing," the statement read. Israel's chief military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari recently said that 31 of the remaining captives held by Hamas in Gaza were dead. "We have informed 31 families that their captured loved ones are no longer among the living and that we have pronounced them dead." Israel has said more than 130 captives are still being held in the besieged Gaza. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview aired on Sunday that "enough" of the 132 remaining Israeli captives held in Gaza were alive to justify Israel's ongoing war in the region. "We're going to try to do our best to get all those who are alive back and, frankly, also the bodies of the dead," he said in the interview with ABC's "This Week" program. The Palestinian Prisoners Club, which documents and cares for all Palestinian detainees, stated on Sunday that the number of Palestinians who have been arrested since Oct. 7 had reached 6,950 people. After Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Strom into the occupied territories on October 7, it captured more than 240 Israeli soldiers and settlers as captives. In late November, a short-lived 7-day truce saw more than 100 Israeli captives freed in exchange for about 240 Palestinian prisoners held illegally in Israeli jails. However, since the truce collapsed and the fighting resumed on December 1, Hamas has repeatedly said the only way for the resistance movement to release the rest of the Israeli captives was for the regime to stop its aggression on Gaza and free Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Health authorities in Gaza estimate about 28,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the region since the Israeli aggression began in October. Palestinian health authorities say around 70% of those killed are women or children under 18. The World Health Organization has described the Palestinian Health Ministry system for reporting casualties as "very good" and UN agencies regularly cite its death toll figures. The latest Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip killed more than 100 Palestinians, raising the death toll from the onslaught since early October to nearly 28 200. The attacks are focusing on Rafah. The city lies on the border with Egypt and hosts some 1.4 million displaced Palestinians who have been forced to leave their homes due to heavy Israeli bombardments in other parts of the strip. Hamas has warned that Israel's planned ground offensive in Rafah could cause tens of thousands of casualties. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas warns Israeli ground invasion of Rafah will blow up captive talks Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 5:07 PM The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, has warned that any Israeli ground invasion of Gaza's border city of Rafah, which shelters hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians, will "blow up" the captive exchange negotiations. The Al-Aqsa television channel issued the warning while quoting a senior Hamas leader as saying on Sunday. Hamas also said it would hold "the American administration, international community, and the Israeli occupation" responsible if Israelis invaded the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip. During a week-long truce in late November, Hamas freed more than 100 Israeli and foreign captives in exchange for Israel releasing about 240 Palestinian prisoners. In response to a recent truce proposal, the Palestinian resistance movement has reportedly demanded a three-phase deal, 45 days each, to secure a prisoner-captive exchange, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, among other issues. According to this draft, Hamas has also proposed indirect talks with the Israeli regime in the first stage to end the military aggression. The framework of the proposal was agreed to by negotiators in Paris at the end of last month. Hamas also warned that Israel's planned ground offensive in Rafah could cause tens of thousands of casualties. Airstrikes on the town in recent days have killed dozens of Palestinians, including women and children. The city lies on the border with Egypt and hosts some 1.4 million displaced Palestinians who have been forced to leave their homes due to heavy Israeli bombardments in other parts of Gaza. Several global leaders have warned the planned Israeli offensive would cause a humanitarian catastrophe as Palestinians have nowhere to go. "An Israeli offensive on Rafah would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt," European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell has said that the civilians in Rafah must be protected as they have nowhere to go. "Rafah is one of the most densely populated places on earth, teeming with children and families, some already displaced many times by war in Gaza," she said in a post on X. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other countries have also warned of severe repercussions if Israel goes into Rafah. Egypt threatens to suspend key peace treaty with Israel Egypt is threatening to suspend its "peace treaty" with Israel if Israeli troops are sent into the densely populated Gaza border town of Rafah. At least two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Sunday. All three officials confirmed Egypt's threats. Israel and Egypt had fought five wars before signing the Camp David Accords, a treaty brokered by then-US president Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s. Egyptian officials fear that if the border is breached, the military would be unable to stop a tide of people fleeing into the Sinai Peninsula. Jordan warns against ground assault on Rafah Sufyan Qudah, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, reiterated Jordan's firm rejection of Palestinian displacement, emphasizing the imperative of ending hostilities, protecting civilians, and facilitating their safe return to their homes. He urged swift international intervention to halt Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which has caused an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe." Oman warns against Israel's plans to storm Rafah Oman has said that it categorically rejected Israel's intention to invade the city of Rafah. "We warn of the serious repercussions of the continuation of the occupation in its indiscriminate aggression in the Gaza Strip and its plans to storm Rafah," the Omani foreign ministry said in a statement. "We appeal to the international community to take concrete measures to dissuade Israel from its arrogance and push it to cease fire and open the crossings," it said. On the 128th day of the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza, at least 112 Palestinians were killed and many more injured in a day of Israeli airstrikes. The attacks are focusing on Rafah. The death toll from the Israeli onslaught on Gaza since October 7 has risen to nearly 28,200, mostly women and children. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gaza turned into graveyard of Zionists: Iran FM Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 4:58 PM Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the besieged Gaza Strip has turned into a graveyard for Israeli regime soldiers more than four months into the war. Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a joint press conference on Sunday in Damascus with his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad. "Today, Netanyahu has been stuck in the quagmire of Gaza and Gaza has turned into a graveyard for the Zionists," he said. The Iranian diplomat also blamed the US and its supply of weapons to Israel for the continuation of hostilities in Gaza. "The US cannot speak of the need for ending the war ... and simultaneously refuse to halt supply of weapons to Tel Aviv," Amir-Abdollahian said. Commenting on Israeli attacks in recent weeks that killed several Iranian military advisors in Syria, the Iranian foreign minister said Israel has been given a proper response for any hostile action it has taken in the region. "As our military advisors remained on the side of Syria during years of fighting terrorism, we will continue to remain with Syria on this path," he said when asked if the attacks had affected Iran's plans for continued military cooperation with Syria. The minister said he was carrying an official invitation from Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi to his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad for an official visit to Tehran in the near future. The Syrian foreign minister, for his part, said at the press conference that Iran and Syria share stances with regards to the situation in Gaza. Mekdad said the delegation led by Amir-Abdollahian had held lengthy discussions with Assad on regional issues, especially on the issue of resistance in Gaza. The Syrian foreign minister once again condemned the presence of US and Turkish forces on Syrian soil, saying the forces have committed crimes and have violated human rights. He said the US should be held accountable for its recent airstrikes targeting Syria's Raqqa. Responding to a question about Syria's plans to counter an increase in Israeli aggression on Syria in recent weeks, Mekdad said Syria has fought various wars with the Israeli regime over the past 75 years and is ready for another confrontation. "But this will be Syria that will say where and how this war will be," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel transfers largest military division from Gaza to Lebanese border amid tensions Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 4:02 PM Israel's military chief has reportedly transferred the largest military division from the Gaza Strip to the border with Lebanon, as tensions continue to escalate with the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah in the border area. Herzi Halevi decided to withdraw the 36th Division from Gaza and transfer it to the Lebanese border on Sunday, a day after Hezbollah launched a fresh round of retaliatory missile attacks on an Israeli military site in the occupied territories. According to Israeli media, Major General Yaron Finkelman, the head of Israeli military operations in Gaza, had earlier called for the 36th Division to remain in the central part of the besieged enclave to increase military pressure on the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas. It went on to say that Major General Oded Basyuk, the head of the Operations Division, proposed removing the division from Gaza toward the north to replace the reserve forces. However, Israel's military chief ultimately decided to withdraw the 36th Division from Gaza and transfer it to the Lebanese border, the media added, without providing any information on the timing of the transfer of the division. The latest development comes a day after a high-ranking official with the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement survived an Israeli assassination attempt in southern Lebanon. Lebanon's official National News Agency said an Israeli drone struck a car in the coastal town of Jadra, located north of Sidon and south of the capital Beirut on Saturday. According to Israeli media, the target of this assassination attempt was Hamas recruitment officer Bassel Saleh. Shortly after the initial strike, a second Israeli drone hit the same location, killing three people. Hezbollah said one of its members had been killed in the Jadra attack. Following the attack, Hezbollah said its forces had launched a salvo of rockets on Israel's Branit military barracks in the occupied territories, the headquarters of the army's Galilee Division. Hezbollah resistance fighters also took control of an Israeli drone after it violated the Lebanese airspace near the border with the occupied territories. Israel waged its brutal war on besieged Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out an unprecedented operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. The Israeli aggression has so far killed at least 28,064 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 67,611 others in Gaza. The Israeli military has also been carrying out attacks against the Lebanese territory since then, prompting retaliatory strikes from Hezbollah in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The movement has vowed to keep up its retaliatory operations as long as the Tel Aviv regime continues its onslaught on Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, Syria share 'practical approach' in supporting Palestinians Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 2:02 PM Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Iran and Syria share a "practical approach" in supporting the Palestinians in the months-long Israeli war on the besieged Gaza Strip. The occupying regime will not be able to continue with its aggression without backing from the United States, the Iranian minister has said. Amir-Abdollahian made the statement in a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the capital Damascus on Sunday, which took place as part of the second leg of his regional tour after visiting Lebanon. The two officials discussed Tehran-Damascus relations as well as regional and international issues of concern, including the Israeli war on Gaza. Amir-Abdollahian said Gaza is the "main issue" not only at the regional but also at the international level, adding that Iran and Syria have a "common position," and "practical approach," in supporting the Palestinians as the two sides have over the past four months continued their consultations regarding the issue. Pointing to Iran's extensive diplomatic efforts to support the Palestinian people and stop the Israeli war, Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic has always declared its firm position on Palestine and emphasized that the war is not a solution and the genocide of the Palestinians must immediately end. "If the US is true to its claim that it does not seek to expand the scope of war in the region, it should stop backing the Zionist regime, and if the US stops supporting the Zionist regime, the regime will not be able to continue the war even for one day," the top Iranian diplomat stated. Amir-Abdollahian praised the resistance in Palestine as "strong and powerful" and said, "Those who intended to destroy Hamas have now included the resistance movement as a reality in their political strategies and as a negotiating party in the ceasefire talks." The Iranian foreign minister also said Syria is on the front line of supporting the Palestinians and their cause. Assad, for his part, said the Israeli regime and the West are currently at an impasse over the war in Gaza and that the Israeli escalation in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon is nothing but a Western-led attempt to get the illegal entity out of the impasse and save the regime. "It is our duty to stand to the utmost of our ability alongside the Palestinian people because what these people achieved during the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza has not been achieved since the Palestinian issue arose decades ago," the Syrian president said. Pointing to the Israeli regime's planned invasion of the southern city of Rafah in Gaza, Assad said, "The Zionist entity is not satisfied with the horrific amount of crimes it has committed in the current campaign against Gaza, and over the past years of bloodshed, and therefore it is preparing to bring to a head its crimes in the city of Rafah, while the relevant international institutions stand by." During the meeting, the Syrian president congratulated Iran's Leader, government and nation on the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, and voiced his satisfaction with the growing relations between the two countries in various fields. Appreciating Iran's support for Syria and its stability and security, Assad said, "What the Islamic Republic of Iran has done in the past four months in support of Palestine has once again proved to the world that Iran does not just talk but also acts." He also underlined that what happened in Palestine in recent months strengthened the spirit of resistance in the Arab world. Since the start of the war, Israel has killed more than 27,900 Palestinians in Gaza. More than 67,400 have also been injured. At the head of a political delegation, Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Lebanon on Friday and is scheduled to depart for Qatar after the ongoing visit to Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Feb. 10: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 6:55 AM Amid Israel's genocidal military campaign in Gaza, which has killed nearly 28,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, resistance groups in Palestine and across the region continue their operations against the Tel Aviv regime and its Western backers. The operations carried out by the Palestinian and regional resistance groups on Saturday, February 10, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on Feb. 10: Targeted two Merkava tanks with Yassin-105 rockets southwest of the Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City. Saraya al-Quds Brigades' operations on Feb. 10: Shelled a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles east of the Maghazi camp with mortar shells. Targeted an Israeli military force with RPGs, entrenched in a house in the west of Khan Younis city, resulting in casualties. Shelled concentrations of Israeli soldiers around the Hawawz area with a barrage of 60mm mortar shells in Khan Younis city. Engaged with Israeli regime soldiers and vehicles using machine guns and anti-personnel grenades in Khan Younis city. Mujahideen Brigades' operations on Feb. 10: Shelled the infiltrated Israeli command center southeast of Gaza with several short-range rockets. Hezbollah operations on Feb. 10: Eastern sector: At around 14:30 local time, an Israeli Skylark drone was successfully captured. At around 17:45 local time, Israeli soldiers were targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 17:45 local time, the Beit al-Jundi site in Kiryat was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 18:15 local time, artillery positions of the Israeli forces in Dishon were targeted with Katyusha rockets. Western sector: At around 12:40 local time, the Beranit Barracks was targeted with missile weapons. At around 15:05 local time, the Jal al-Alam site was targeted with missiles. At around 17:15 local time, Israeli soldiers on the Hadab Aita Heights were targeted with missiles. At around 18:20 local time, the Khirbet Maar base was targeted with Falaq missiles. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Blatant violation of international law': Israel's planned invasion of Rafah sparks fury Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 8:18 AM The Israeli regime's planned invasion of the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah has drawn widespread condemnations from international organizations around the world as well as political figures in the West. The condemnations poured in after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the regime's military on Friday to "prepare to operate" in and evacuate civilians from Rafah ahead of a planned ground offensive against the densely-populated city. Rights groups have already warned against such a move, given the scale of devastation across the Gaza Strip as a result of the months-long Israeli aggression and the huge number of people trapped in the besieged area. Rafah, housing more than 1.2 million Palestinians, is the last major population center in the Gaza Strip that Israeli troops have yet to invade and also the main point of entry for desperately-needed relief supplies. 'Blatant violation of international law' Jasem Albudaiwi, the secretary general of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), said in a statement on Saturday that Israel's "declared intentions" to invade Rafah would be a "blatant violation of international law and humanitarian conventions." Albudaiwi added that the planned invasion "threatens to escalate violence, destabilize the region's security and stability, and lead to further deterioration and suffering for the Palestinian people." The GCC's chief called on the international community to "confront these Israeli plans with a spirit of unity and shared responsibility," and with a "deep commitment to the principles of peace, justice, and human dignity." '1.4 million Palestinians in Rafah facing starvation' European Union foreign policy Chief Josep Borrell censured Israel's planned invasion of Rafah and said there are currently 1.4 million Palestinians in the southern city "without a safe place to go, facing starvation." "Reports of an Israeli military offensive on Rafah are alarming," Borrell said in a post on his X social media account. "It would have catastrophic consequences worsening the already dire humanitarian situation & the unbearable civilian toll." In another post on Saturday, Borrell echoed the warning by several EU member states that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would lead to an "unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe." The top EU diplomat stressed that resuming negotiations to free prisoners and suspend hostilities is the "only way to avert a bloodshed." Biden urged to end support for Israeli genocide US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib called on President Joe Biden to end his support for the Israeli regime's "genocide" in Gaza after more than four months of brutal aggression. The Palestinian-American Democratic lawmaker said Palestinians sheltering in Rafah have nowhere to go as Israel prepares to launch a major offensive on the city. "Over 1.5 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering in Rafah, and now they are being threatened with attacks," Tlaib said in a post on X. "There is nowhere left for them to go. When will it be enough for @POTUS to end support for Netanyahu's genocide?" Sanders: Military aid for Israel 'unacceptable' US Senator Bernie Sanders censured Congress for considering sending $14bn in military aid to Israel as it prepares to launch an assault on Rafah. Sanders said it was "quite unbelievable" that the US was planning to provide more military aid to the occupying regime given the enormous death toll and destruction in Gaza. "Does the United States Congress really want to provide more military aid to Netanyahu so that he can annihilate thousands and thousands more men, women and children?" the longest-serving independent senator said. "Do we really want to reward Netanyahu even while he ignores virtually everything the president of the United States is asking him to do?" 'An outright attack on the innocent' US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez denounced on Sunday the planned Israeli "clearing" of Rafah as "a humanitarian disaster in the making." "There is no other place for Gazans to go. Clearing Rafah is not war, it is not defense, it is an outright attack on the innocent," Ocasio-Cortez said in a post on X. "This is the moment for the United States to act," she said. "We must exhaust the levers we have to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the making." Rafah assault entails 'grave violations' of intl. law Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin condemned Israel's planned assault on Rafah, warning that the move would entail "grave violations of international humanitarian law." "It is absolutely clear that a military operation in Rafah, which has effectively now become one of the largest and most overcrowded refugee camps in the world, would entail grave violations of international humanitarian law," Martin said in a statement. "It is also absolutely clear that ordering the evacuation of 1.5 million people, who have nowhere safe to go, risks mass forced displacement," he added. "This cannot be allowed to happen. All countries, including all EU Member States, must demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. There can be no further equivocation." Martin also called on Palestinian resistance movement Hamas to "immediately and unconditionally" release Israeli prisoners in Gaza, and criticized the decision of some countries to freeze funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees over baseless allegations. Israel's end game 'permanent destruction' of Gaza Clare Daly, the Irish member of the European Parliament, called for an emergency conference of the EU Council to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and prevent the "murderous onslaught" facing one million Palestinians in Rafah. Daly said it has been clear since the start of the war that Israel's "end game was the permanent destruction of the Gaza Strip," and it must be restrained by the European community. "Right now a million defenseless and starving people with nowhere to go are facing Israel's murderous onslaught," she said in a post on X. "It is already too late for so much of Gaza, and for so many lives that are never coming back, but it is not too late to STOP THE KILLING and to save lives." Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas-led Palestinian resistance groups waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians. Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 27,947 Palestinians and injured more than 67,459 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under "complete siege" by Israel. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN experts: Israeli killings in West Bank hospital may be war crimes Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 6:49 AM A group of United Nations special rapporteurs say the assassination of three young Palestinians inside a West Bank hospital by a unit of undercover Israeli special forces may amount to grave violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law. "Under international humanitarian law, killing a defenseless injured patient who is being treated in a hospital amounts to a war crime," the UN experts said in a statement, referring to Basel al-Ghazzawi, a patient being treated for injuries it said were caused by an Israeli airstrike. "By disguising themselves as seemingly harmless, protected medical personnel and civilians, the Israeli forces also prima facie committed the war crime of perfidy, which is prohibited in all circumstances," they continued. The experts urged Israel to conduct an effective investigation in line with international law to prosecute and punish those responsible for committing, ordering, and assisting in the crimes. Israel should put in place procedures to prevent future arbitrary killings and provide reparations to the victims, they said. The experts emphasized the international community's long-standing concern over Israel's culture of impunity regarding international law violations by its personnel. In the absence of a prompt investigation into the killings, the experts would urge an investigation by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. They said the killings occurred amidst an alarming rise in the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in apparent violation of their right to life in the West Bank since the Tel Aviv regime launched a devastating war on Gaza on October 7. On January 29, around 10 armed members of the Israeli army, the so-called Shin Bet security service, and border police infiltrated the Ibn Sina hospital in Jenin and killed three Palestinian men. They were captured on CCTV taking a wheelchair and a doll in a baby carrier into the hospital. After entering a rehabilitation ward, the Israeli forces shot dead Basel Ayman al-Ghazawi, a patient being treated for severe injuries from an Israeli airstrike three months earlier, along with his brother, Muhammad Ayman Al-Ghazawi, and another visitor Muhammed Walid Jalamna. Israel's military claimed that one of the men killed in the hospital was a member of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, and the others worked for Jenin Brigade and the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli bombing of home east of Rafah kills 25 people: Report Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 5:29 AM Twenty-five people have been reportedly killed and dozens more injured after the Israeli military bombed a home in the southern Gaza Strip. According to Al Jazeera, the bombing targeted a home where displaced people were sheltering East of Rafah. The attack comes as Israel intensifies its assault on Rafah, which faces an imminent threat of Israeli ground invasion in spite of stern warnings about the consequences of such an offensive. More than one million people have fled to the southern Gaza City since the beginning of the Tel Aviv regime's genocidal war on Gaza, which has so far killed around 28,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military on Friday to prepare to evacuate civilians from Rafah ahead of a planned ground offensive against the city. The United Nations and numerous countries - including the United States, which has firmly supported the Israeli war on Gaza - have expressed their opposition to the invasion. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address European Leaders, White House Denounce Trump's Remarks On Russia, NATO By RFE/RL February 11, 2024 The White House, European leaders, and NATO condemned remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who said that if he is reelected the United States might not defend alliance members from a potential Russian invasion if they don't pay enough of their own defense and would in fact "encourage" the Russians to do "whatever the hell" they want. "Donald Trump's admission that he intends to give [Russian President Vladimir] Putin a greenlight for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States are appalling and dangerous," Biden said in a statement on February 11. Hours earlier, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said that "encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged -- and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home." NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in a written statement on February 11, said that "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk." "Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response," Stoltenberg added. Trump made the remarks as he campaigns to become the Republican nominee to face Democratic President Joe Biden in the November presidential election. During his presidential term, Trump - who was defeated by Biden in the 2020 election - often expressed doubts about the need for NATO and repeatedly threatened to pull out of the alliance if members did not pay what he considered their fair share for their defense. NATO allies in 2014 agreed to set a goal toward spending 2 percent of their national GDPs on defense by 2024, a target only a few European members have so far met but which they vow to do so in the near future. Article 5 is considered the hallmark of the NATO alliance, stating that an armed attack against one member would be considered an attack against all and would trigger collective self-defense action. At a campaign rally in in South Carolina on February 10, Trump said that at a meeting with NATO leaders during his presidency, the president of a country he didn't identify asked him: "Well, sir, if we don't pay, and we're attacked by Russia -- will you protect us?" "I said: 'You didn't pay? You're delinquent?' He said: 'Yes, let's say that happened.' No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay." Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz on February 11 wrote on the social media platform X that "NATO's motto 'one for all, all for one' is a concrete commitment. Undermining the credibility of allied countries means weakening the entire North Atlantic Treaty Organization." "No election campaign is an excuse for playing with the Alliances' security," he added. The German Foreign Ministry posted a message on X stating: "'One for all and all for one.' This NATO creed keeps more than 950 million people safe -- from Anchorage to Erzurum." EU Council President Charles Michel called Trump's statements "reckless" and said that such attacks on "NATO's security and [Article] 5 solidarity serve only Putin's interest." "[Such remarks] do not bring more security or peace to the world." U.S. Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a vocal Trump supporter, defended the ex-president's remarks, saying Trump was simply "telling a story" about a past event. "He doesn't talk like a traditional politician," Rubio told CNN. However, Nikki Haley, Trump's former UN ambassador and now a rival for the Republican nomination, criticized the remarks, saying the ex-president was taking Putin's side. "What bothers me about this is: Don't take the side of a thug who kills his opponents. Don't take the side of someone who has gone in and invaded a country and half a million people have died or been wounded," Haley told CBS. "Now, we do want NATO allies to pull their weight. But there are ways you can do that without sitting there and telling Russia, have your way with these countries. That's not what we want," she said. With reporting by Reuters and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-nato-russia- attack-white-house-appalling-unhinged/32814229.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden Warns Netanyahu Against Launching Rafah Operation Without Credible Plan Sputnik News 20240211 Mary Manley Rafah, a city located in the southern Gaza Strip, is considered to be one of the last safe zones for Palestinians fleeing the war with well over half of Gaza's population now living there in refuge. On Sunday, US President Joe Biden cautioned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a military operation in the southern city of Rafah if that operation did not include the evacuation of Palestinian civilians in the area. "A military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there," the president reportedly told Netanyahu. A US official said that the majority of the 45-minute call between the two leaders was spent discussing a potential hostage deal between Hamas and Israel that would include a ceasefire. Previously, Netanyahu has shown little interest in a cease-fire in exchange for Israeli hostages. Sunday's warning from Biden signals a growing impatience the White House feels towards the Israeli leader, as it is the first time that Biden has publicly cautioned Netanyahu. And earlier this week, the US president reportedly said the Israeli military operation in Gaza was "over the top" which has been the harshest form of criticism Biden has used since the conflict first began on October 7. According to Israel, Rafah is the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza, and they have to infiltrate this city in order to achieve their goal. "It is impossible to achieve the goal of the war of eliminating Hamas by leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah," Netanyahu's office said. "On the contrary, it is clear that intense activity in Rafah requires that civilians evacuate the areas of combat." The prime minister has claimed that he would provide a "safe passage" for civilians who wish to evacuate Rafah. However, he has not said where those civilians would flee to. Hamas has warned Israel that an invasion of Rafah would "torpedo" hostage exchange negotiations. Israel says there are about 132 hostages who are still being held by Hamas, including 29 who are thought to be dead. On Sunday, Hamas said that two hostages were killed and eight others were seriously injured following Israeli bombardment. Egypt has also threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if Israeli troops are sent into Rafah. The country is afraid that Palestinians may be pushed into the Sinai Peninsula which would then force Gaza's main aid supply route to close. They also fear an influx of refugees who will not be allowed to return to Gaza. About 1.4 million Palestinians are now crowding the city in an attempt to escape the conflict's hostilities. Many are living in tents and are struggling to find food, water, and medicine. Aid groups have stressed that an operation in Rafah will worsen the humanitarian breach there. Josep Borrell, the European Union foreign policy chief said that an offensive in Rafah would lead to "an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt". Israel first declared war on October 7 after several thousand Hamas militants killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Thus far 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, a majority of whom have been women and children, as stated by Gaza Health Ministry. And on Saturday, Israel 's bombings in Rafah resulted in the deaths of at least 44 Palestinians. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Claims it Hit Houthi Sea Drones and Missiles North of Al-Hudaydah Port Sputnik News 20240211 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The United States struck "five Houthi-linked targets" north of Al Hudaydah port in the Red Sea on February 10, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday. "[CENTCOM] forces successfully conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned surface vessels (USV) and three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM) north of Al Hudaydah, Yemen," CENTCOM said on X. The missiles were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea, the statement read. The targets were deemed an "imminent threat" to US warships and merchant vessels and were destroyed to "protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure," CENTCOM added. Over the past month, the US and its allies have been launching strikes on the Houthis in an attempt to stop their attacks on ships transiting in the Red Sea. The group has said it will escalate their attacks until Israel ends its military operations in the Gaza Strip. Since January 13, US and British warships have launched multiple strikes on targets inside Yemen, targeting Houthi missile and drone capabilities. However, the movement continues its activity in the Red Sea region, and vows to keep targeting coalition vessels and commercial cargo ships owned or operated by or heading to or from Israel - unless the military campaign against Gaza stops. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK Foreign Secretary Concerned About Possible Israeli Attack on Gaza's Rafah Sputnik News 20240211 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Saturday that he is concerned over Israel's planned ground operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah. Israel has been pounding Rafah for several days in preparation for a ground offensive that aims to root out Hamas. The city is the last refuge for over a million Palestinians who were told to relocate south during the past four months of the Israeli military operation in the enclave. "Deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah - over half of Gaza's population are sheltering in the area," Cameron said on X. He added that "the priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out," followed by progress towards a sustainable and permanent ceasefire. The United States, Canada, Germany and other Western allies of Israel have criticized the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for ordering a ground operation in the packed city, warning of an imminent humanitarian disaster. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNRWA to Face Budget Deficit From March - Head Sputnik News 20240211 Earlier, the United States, Finland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, along with other countries suspended funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The UNRWA will face a negative budget balance from March, the agency's Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in an interview with Japanese broadcaster NHK. "From March, we will have a negative balance," the commissioner-general said, expressing hope that funding would resume. The problems came after more than 10 countries cut off funding for the organization amid Israeli accusations that the agency's staff were involved in the October 7, 2023 attack on the country by the Palestinian Hamas movement. "We dismissed staff even before the investigation began. As an agency, we acted quickly and did everything we could at that stage," Lazzarini stressed. The UNRWA had earlier received information from Israel about the alleged involvement of some of its staff in the October 7 Hamas attack on the country, and decided to terminate their contracts. Russia confirmed its support for the activities of the UNRWA, which is a key structure for providing comprehensive assistance to Palestinians in the face of the unresolved refugee problem, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. It is wrong to collectively punish the UNRWA before properly investigating the involvement of some of its staff members in the attack on Israel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. In a separate development, Philippe Lazzarini said that the organization could not confirm reports that Hamas infrastructure had allegedly been discovered under the UNRWA's main headquarters in the Gaza Strip. "UNRWA is made aware of reports through the media regarding a tunnel under the UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza. UNRWA staff left its headquarters in Gaza City on 12 October following the Israeli evacuation orders and as bombardment intensified in the area. We have not used that compound since we left it nor are we aware of any activity that may have taken place there ... We are therefore unable to confirm or otherwise comment on these reports," Lazzarini said on X. He added that during periods of "no active conflict," the UNRWA conducted inspections of its premises every quarter, with the last inspection completed in September 2023. On Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had allegedly discovered a Hamas tunnel under the main headquarters of the UNRWA in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli forces also conducted raids on the building, where they reportedly found weapons and ammunition. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two US Military Bases Under Fire in Eastern Syria - Sources Sputnik News 20240211 DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - Two US military facilities sitting on natural oil and gas fields in eastern Syria came under fire on Saturday, local Syrian sources told Sputnik. "Four missiles fell on the territory of a US base in Koniko," a source said. The missile strike on the Koniko gas field in the Syrian province of Deir ez-Zor was followed by a drone attack on a US installation in the Omar oil field in the same province, another source said. "Three drones attacked an American base. Several explosions were heard at the base," the source said, adding US air defenses failed to foil the attack. These are the latest in a string of more than 160 attacks on US facilities in Syria and neighboring Iraq that Washington attributes to Iran-backed militias. The Pentagon retaliated last week by striking targets belonging to militant groups who it says killed three US troops in an attack on a US outpost near Jordan in early February. Iraq and Syria condemned the US aggression against their territories. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Western Leaders React to Trump's Threats About Not Defending NATO By VOA News February 11, 2024 Top western officials Sunday criticized former U.S. President and Republican front-runner Donald Trump over his comments that the United States might not protect NATO allies whom he says are not spending enough on their defense against a potential Russian invasion. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk," said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in a written statement. He added, "Any attack on NATO will be met with a united and forceful response." Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz also commented, saying, "NATO's motto 'one for all, all for one' is a concrete commitment of the North Atlantic alliance. Undermining the credibility of allied countries means weakening the entire NATO," he wrote on social media platform X. Germany's foreign ministry posted the message, "One for all and all for one" with the hashtag #StrongerTogether on its English language X account. EU Council President Charles Michel said, "Reckless statements on #NATO's security and Art 5 solidarity serve only (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's interest." Article 5 of the NATO treaty says that an armed attack against an alliance member will be considered an attack against them all, triggering collective self-defense. During an interview with France's LCI television, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said European Union leaders understood the bloc needed to boost its military spending and capacities. "We cannot flip a coin about our security every four years depending on this or that election, namely the U.S. presidential election," Breton said. Trump has regularly criticized allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for not meeting a goal of spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense. "You got to pay. You got to pay your bills," Trump, who is almost a shoo-in for the Republican presidential nomination, said Saturday during a political rally in South Carolina. He then recounted a story about an unidentified NATO member, who confronted him over his threat not to defend members who fail to meet the transatlantic alliance's defense spending targets. But this time, Trump went further, saying he had told the member that he would, in fact, "encourage" Russia to do as it wishes in that case. "You didn't pay? You're delinquent?" Trump recounted saying. "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want." White House spokesperson Andrew Bates responded, saying, "Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged - and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home." Trump's former U.N. ambassador and current challenger for the Republican nomination, Nikki Haley, said her former boss is taking Russian President Vladimir Putin's side. "What bothers me about this is, don't take the side of a thug who kills his opponents. Don't take the side of someone, who has gone in and invaded a country and half a million people have died or been wounded," Haley told CBS News' "Face the Nation." Trump's comments come as Ukraine remains mired in its efforts to stave off Russia's 2022 invasion and as Republicans in Congress have become increasingly skeptical of providing additional aid money to support the country as it struggles with stalled counteroffensives and weapons shortfalls. They also come as Trump and his team are increasingly confident, he will clinch the Republican nomination in the coming weeks following commanding victories in the first votes of the party's 2024 nominating calendar. Earlier Saturday, Trump called for the end of foreign aid "without strings attached," arguing that the U.S. should dramatically curtail the way it provides money. "From this point forward, are you listening, U.S. Senate (?), no money in the form of foreign aid should be given to any country unless it is done as a loan, not just a giveaway," Trump wrote on his social media network in all caps. During his 2016 campaign, Trump alarmed Western allies by warning that the United States, under his leadership, might abandon its NATO treaty commitments and only come to the defense of countries that meet the alliance's guidelines by committing 2 percent of their gross domestic products to military spending. Trump, as president, eventually endorsed NATO's Article 5 mutual defense clause. But he often depicted NATO allies as leeches on the U.S. military and openly questioned the value of the military alliance that has defined American foreign policy for decades. As of 2022, NATO reported that seven of what are now 31 NATO member countries were meeting that obligation up from three in 2014. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has spurred additional military spending by some NATO members. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel Conducts Airstrikes on Rafah By VOA News February 11, 2024 The Israeli military said it conducted a "series of strikes" early Monday on Rafah, in southern Gaza, that have now "concluded." The Israeli military said it struck "terror targets in the area of Shaboura" which is a district in Rafah, according to The Associated Press. The military said the strikes had concluded but provided no other details. Palestinian health officials did not immediately offer any casualty information, according to the AP. However, Agence France-Presse reported that the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said at least seven people had been killed in the strikes. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised "safe passage" for tens of thousands of Palestinians out of Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah ahead of a planned Israeli ground offensive against Hamas militants. It was not clear, however, where the displaced Palestinians will go. Netanyahu, in an interview broadcast Sunday on ABC's "This Week" show, reiterated his intention to order Israeli troops to attack four Hamas battalions in Rafah, saying victory cannot be achieved over the militants in Gaza without clearing them out of the town on the Egyptian border. With more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people crammed into the far southern reaches of the territory, international critics of Netanyahu have expressed alarm at the prospect of an Israeli ground assault. But the Israeli leader said, "We're going to do it. We're going to do it while providing safe passage for the civilian population so they can leave." When asked where the Palestinians many already sheltering in makeshift tents would go, Netanyahu said only that Israeli officials are "working out a detailed plan." Some world officials are expressing deep concerns about the Israeli war plan in Rafah and its promise of safety for the Palestinians there. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu by phone Sunday and told him Israel shouldn't go forward with a military operation in Rafah without "a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there," a White House statement said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there would be the risk of a "gigantic tragedy" if the Israel Defense Forces expand their offensive into the town. "We would not support in any way forced displacement, which goes against international law," Guterres' spokesperson told reporters Friday about a potential evacuation of Rafah. Biden, who has supported Israel's right to defend itself following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack, said last week that nonetheless the Israeli military campaign in Gaza is "over the top." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on social media platform X, "The people in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air," adding that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a "humanitarian catastrophe in the making." Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry warned Saturday of "very serious repercussions of storming and targeting" Rafah and called for an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he is "deeply concerned" about the prospective offensive. "The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out," he wrote on X. An Israeli ground offensive into Rafah could have other repercussions as well. Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television quoted a senior Hamas official as saying any Israeli ground offensive into Rafah would "blow up" negotiations for a halt in the fighting and the possible release of about 100 hostages held by the militants. Even with a looming ground offensive, Israeli airstrikes have targeted Rafah. The Associated Press, citing health officials and eyewitnesses, reported at least 44 people were killed Saturday including more than a dozen children when air attacks hit several homes in the Rafah area. Hamas has been designated a terror group by the United States, Britain and the European Union. The war in Gaza started with the October attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and led to the capture of 240 hostages, about 100 of whom were released in a weeklong cease-fire in November. Hamas health officials say Israel's counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 28,000 people. Egyptian officials have warned that any ground operation in Rafah or mass displacement across the border would undermine its 40-year-old peace treaty with Israel. It is also the main humanitarian aid entry point to Gaza and intense fighting could further hamper relief efforts. Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, warned that any Israeli ground offensive on Rafah would have "disastrous consequences," claiming that Israel aims to eventually force the Palestinians out of their land. The dire humanitarian situation has sparked Arab and U.N. concerns that Palestinians may eventually be driven over the border. Egypt has sent about 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers to northeastern Sinai within the past two weeks as part of a series of measures to bolster security on its border with Gaza, two Egyptian security sources said. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden, Netanyahu hold phone call amid differences over Gaza IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 12, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have held phone conversation over the Zionist regime's possible ground invasion of Rafah, a southern Gaza city where over 1.3 million Palestinians, including the displaced are taking shelter. The White House said, in a statement, that Biden reaffirmed Netanyahu of Washington's support for the Zionist regime but emphasized the need to use the progress in negotiations to release Israeli captives and increase aid to Gaza. In his conversation with the Zionist regime's prime minister, Biden also said that any military operation should not continue without ensuring the safety of people in Rafah. The two leaders held phone call just hours after Netanyahu acknowledged the existence of differences between Washington and Tel Aviv over the Gaza war. "Since Biden criticized our military operation and described it as exaggerated, I have not spoken to him," Netanyahu said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. "Those who oppose us going to Rafah, want us not to win over Hamas", Netanyahu continued, referring to growing international criticism after he announced that the ground operation in Rafah will begin within the next 2 weeks. A number of countries have sounded the alarm, saying that the invasion could create a catastrophic humanitarian situation there. Hamas, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and a number of European countries including France, England and the European Union have also warned about the consequences of the Zionist regime's attack on Rafah. The Netherlands said a large-scale military offensive against Rafah can result in many civilian casualties. And, Ireland said that the invasion would amount to a grave violation of International humanitarian law. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Regional resistance at its best: Iran FM IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 12, 2024 Damascus, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who is in the Syrian capital Damascus as part of his West Asian tour, said on Sunday night that the resistance in the region is currently in its best condition. Amirabdollahian also touched on stiff resistance Palestinian fighters are putting to invading Zionist forces in the Gaza Strip. "I would like to congratulate the leaders of Palestinian resistance movements because their efforts could record a new victory in Gaza during this time round", he said. The top Iranian diplomat was speaking at a ceremony commemorating the 45th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Damascus. "First of all, I pay my gratitude to the martyrs of Syria and Iran and all the martyrs of the resistance", he told the gathering, adding that today Iran and Syria have common views on resistance because the blood of martyrs of the two countries are mixed in this land. He hailed the growing ties between Tehran and Damascus but expressed sorrow that this year's anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution is being held at the time "we are witnessing the genocide of the people of Gaza by the Zionist regime." Elsewhere in his remarks, Amirabdollahian also talked about his meetings with the leaders of the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance movements in Beirut. "I found that they [resistance] are in their best condition and undoubtedly, the victory of Gaza is very close and the end of Netanyahu and the Zionist criminals is closer", he underlined. Iran FM meets resistance leaders Amirabdollahian also sat down with a group of leaders of the Palestinian resistance groups in Damascus. During the talks, the Iranian foreign minister exchanged views on the developments in Gaza and stressed the need to stop the crimes and genocide being committed by the Zionist regime against the Palestinians. Earlier, the visiting top Iranian diplomat held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Middle East Minister embarks on Gulf visit Middle East Minister embarks on Gulf tour to build momentum towards lasting peace and security in the region 12 February 2024 Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon returns to the region to meet with key partners to seek long-term solutions to the situation in Israel and Gaza Minister to discuss joint efforts to counter illegal Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea He will also celebrate strengthened bilateral ties with Gulf allies, following announcement Gulf Nationals are now eligible to apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme The UK Minister for the Middle East will embark on a tour of the Middle East as the UK seeks to build momentum towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and lasting stability and security in the region. Lord Ahmad will arrive in Oman today (Monday) for the first leg of the visit before travelling to Kuwait and then concluding the visit in Saudi Arabia. The Minister is expected to meet with key figures, including Saudi Arabia's Vice Foreign Minister, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League as well as Kuwait's Foreign Minister Ambassador Abdullah Al-Yahya and Oman's Undersecretary for Political Affairs Sheikh Khalifa Al Harthy. The Minister will discuss how to ease the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza, including through an immediate humanitarian pause in fighting leading to a sustainable, permanent ceasefire. He will also outline the UK's efforts to counter Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and make clear that illegal attacks by the Houthis are completely unacceptable. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for Middle East, said: We want to see an end to the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible, and it is clear that wider escalation and instability in the region is in nobody's interests. Our engagement with partners in the Middle East, including Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is absolutely central to efforts towards achieving a sustainable, permanent ceasefire in Gaza and building wider regional security. The 16th session of the UK-Oman Joint Working Group will be co-chaired by Lord Ahmad alongside Oman's Undersecretary for Political Affairs Sheikh Khalifa Al Harthy. Meanwhile, in Kuwait, Lord Ahmad will co-chair the twentieth UK-Kuwait Joint Steering Group alongside His Excellency Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Lord Ahmad is also due to meet with the Palestinian Ambassador. In Saudi Arabia, Lord Ahmad will meet with the Vice Foreign Minister and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah. This visit is the latest in a series of visits to the region by the Minister, including Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the last fortnight. The Foreign Secretary has recently visited the region multiple times, including Oman and Saudi Arabia to build on the UK's call for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life. The Minister will also welcome the UK's Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme which has opened for Gulf Cooperation Council and Jordanian nationals, making travel to the UK smoother and cheaper. The scheme will allow unlimited visits to the UK over two years. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Operation Iron Swords - Day 128 - 11 February 2024 The current estimated population in Rafah is up to 1.5 million people. Over 1.3 million Palestinians, more than half of the population of the besieged Strip, are gathered in Rafah, near the border with Egypt. The vast majority of them fled violence in the northern and central Gaza Strip following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas more than four months ago. After ordering the army to prepare for an attack on the city, Netanyahu said in an interview with ABC News, Victory is within reach. We will do it. We will control the last Hamas terrorist brigades, and Rafah, which is the last stronghold of the movement. He continued, "We will do this while ensuring safe passage for the civilian population so that they can leave. We are working on developing a detailed plan to achieve this," speaking of the presence of areas in northern Rafah that "have been cleared and can be used as safe areas for civilians." Rafah has become the focus of anticipation regarding the next stage as the war enters its fifth month. It hosts the vast majority of displaced people, most of whom reside in random tents throughout the city, amid difficult humanitarian conditions and a scarcity of aid. Hebrew Channel 13 said that Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir asked Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy to shoot women and children approaching the Gaza border with Israel. Hebrew media reported that Ben Gvir's statements to the Israeli army chief of staff came while discussing firing orders during a government meeting with Halevy. The media reported that an argument took place between Israeli Army Chief of Staff Halevy and Ben Gvir during the government meeting on Sunday, where the Minister of National Security demanded that the army shoot Palestinian women and children in the Gaza Strip, claiming fear for the Israeli forces. Halevy stated that the firing orders in the border area are modified according to the instructions of the officers in the field on a daily basis, to which Ben Gvir responded by saying, You know how our enemies work. They will test us and send women and children, and in the end it will turn out that they are saboteurs, and if we continue in this way, we will reach Until October 7 again. Halevy responded by saying, "This is the third time we have repeated this conversation, and I take your statements seriously. After the previous conversation, I devoted an entire round to this topic." He continued, saying, "The soldiers know the complexities, and if we do not coordinate orders, we will witness severe incidents with soldiers shooting at other soldiers." Ben Gvir renewed his demands in a post on the X platform in which he said, I will not apologize and I will not back down. Anyone who approaches the wall and exposes the citizens of Israel and our soldiers to danger must be shot. He added, "This is what they do in every normal country. It is forbidden for us to return to the concepts of October 6." War Termination The American Wall Street Journal said that Egypt warned Hamas that it must reach an agreement with Israel within two weeks, otherwise Tel Aviv will continue its military operation in Rafah, south of Gaza. The American newspaper pointed out that disturbing Egypt would not bode well for the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding a ceasefire plan that would free the hostages who are still being held in Gaza. The Wall Street Journal reported that Israel's plan to advance to Rafah threatens to strain relations with Egypt, as officials in Cairo are concerned about the influx of Palestinians fleeing Gaza and entering the Sinai Peninsula. The newspaper reported that Egyptian officials repeatedly urged their Israeli counterparts to limit the scope of any potential operation in Rafah, warning that Cairo had the option of suspending the peace treaty it concluded with Israel in 1979. The Hamas movement warned Israel that any military operation it might launch against the city of Rafah would lead to torpedoing the exchange negotiations between the movement and Israel. Al-Aqsa TV, affiliated with Hamas, quoted a senior leader in the movement as saying that any ground attack by the Israeli army on the border city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip would mean torturing the exchange negotiations regarding the hostages who were detained during the October 7 attack, after the Prime Ministers announcement. The Hamas leader said, "Netanyahu is trying to evade the entitlements of the exchange deal by committing genocide and a new humanitarian disaster in Rafah." Israeli media reported that Tel Aviv is considering sending Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar to Cairo next week to take part in the prisoner deal talks. According to reports, the talks will include Israeli CIA chief William Burns, Egyptian General Intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman bin Jassim Al Thani. American media quoted sources in the American administration as confirming that CIA Director William Burns will visit Cairo in the coming days to participate in prisoner negotiations between Hamas and Israel. A senior Biden administration official said that negotiators working on the framework of a multi-stage agreement to secure the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza have made real progress in recent weeks. He added that this agreement was the main focus of a 45-minute phone call between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Sunday. The official indicated in a statement to Reuters that there are still some large gaps related to this agreement that must be filled. Biden stressed during the call that the United States does not support, under the current circumstances, carrying out Israeli military operations in Rafah, as about 1.3 million people are sheltering there and have nowhere to go. Earlier, the White House said that US President Joe Biden stressed to Netanyahu during a phone call the necessity of taking advantage of progress in the negotiations to secure the release of the hostages. Operational Update Netanyahu called for the mobilization of reserve soldiers in preparation for launching a military ground operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, while Egypt threatened to suspend the peace treaty with Israel if the operation was carried out, according to Israeli media. Netanyahu asked the Chief of Staff of the occupation army, Herzi Halevy, to mobilize reserve soldiers to launch a military operation in Rafah. The private Israeli Channel 13 said that Netanyahu asked Halevy to remobilize the reserve forces that had been demobilized, in preparation for the possible operation of the Israeli army in Rafah. The channel quoted sources as saying that the army has been waiting for about two weeks for the green light from the political level to launch the attack on Rafah. In turn, Halevy said that the army will be able to handle any mission, but there are political aspects that must be taken care of first, according to the same source. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and other Israeli officials announced in recent days that "the Israeli army will expand its ground operation to Rafah to dismantle the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of the Hamas movement, in the city of Rafah." The Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Herzi Halevy, warned against talking about military operations and the activities of the Israeli army in the media, threatening Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Al-Deif to eliminate them. Herzi Halevy said during the government session, Hamas leaders Muhammad al-Deif and Yahya Sinwar no longer influence the fighting at all, stressing that, despite this fact, we must eliminate them. Against the backdrop of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's statements about an "imminent operation in Rafah," Halevy warned that "the public discourse about military operations is incorrect," and called for "avoiding providing details about the stages of the war." Halevy explained: We inform Sinwar through the media where we will be in two minutes. We tell him about our every step and allow him to prepare for our arrival... It is difficult to manage a battle in this way. Netanyahu affirmed before the ministers after the end of the security review on the war in Gaza, which he received from Herzi Halevy, saying: We actually want to achieve demilitarization in the Gaza Strip, and this requires our control and our highest security responsibility over the entire area west of Jordan, including Gaza, and we do not "There is an alternative for the foreseeable future." The Israeli Prime Minister revealed some details related to the expected military operation in Rafah, where about half of the population of the Gaza Strip is concentrated after being displaced from their areas, while Israeli media reported that the veteran politician, nicknamed Bibi, told officials that the Rafah operation must... It will be completed before the start of Ramadan. More than a million Palestinians are gathering in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip on the Egyptian border, after fleeing the northern regions as a result of the raging war. Netanyahu said in an interview on the This Week with George Stephanopoulos program on the American ABC News channel, broadcast on Sunday, and excerpts of which were published on Saturday evening, that Victory is within reach, and we will do it. We will control the last Hamas terrorist brigades, and And Rafah, which is the last stronghold. He continued: "We will do this while ensuring safe passage for the civilian population so that they can leave. We are working on developing a detailed plan to achieve this, and we are not dealing with this matter casually." The Israeli Prime Minister noted that areas in northern Rafah have been cleared and can be used as safe areas for civilians, he said. Netanyahu responded to critics concerned about the fate of civilians in the event of an attack on Rafah, saying: Those who say that we should never enter Rafah are actually telling us that we should lose the war and leave Hamas there. Regarding the timing and duration that the Israeli military operation in Rafah may take, Israeli Channel 12 stated in a report reported by the Times of Israel newspaper , that Bibi informed the Mini Ministerial Council for Political and Security Affairs (Cabinet) that Israel has only one month to... To complete its operation in Rafah. Ramadan - the ninth month in the Muslim Hijri calendar - is expected to begin March 11, a time when tensions always rise in Israel and the Palestinian territories, especially in Jerusalem, where the Al-Aqsa Mosque is located, which is the third holiest site in Islam and the most sacred place for Jews. Muslims call the site The Holy Mosque, and they believe that it is the place that witnessed the Prophet Muhammads ascension to heaven on the back of Al-Buraq. As for the Jews, they believe that it was built on the site of a Jewish temple (the Temple) that was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 AD, and nothing remains of it except the Western Wall, known as the Wailing Wall for the Jews or the Buraq Wall for the Muslims. The Jews call the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque the Temple Mount and it is considered their most sacred site. The upcoming month of Ramadan comes with the continuation of the war in Gaza, which entered its fifth month a few days ago with the aim of eliminating Hamas, the Palestinian movement classified on the US terrorist list and which has ruled the Palestinian Strip since 2007. According to the Israeli Channel 12 report, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Herzi Halevy, informed Netanyahu that the Israeli army is ready to work (in Rafah), but it needs the government to first decide what it wants to do with the displaced people from Gaza who have taken refuge there. In a related context, Channel 12 also quoted the Israeli Army Chief of Staff as saying, The army also needs to know the governments plans for the Philadelphia Corridor, which is the 14-kilometre security road along the Gaza border with Egypt. The Philadelphia Axis, also called the Salah al-Din Axis, is located along the border between Gaza and Egypt, within a buffer zone under the Camp David peace agreement between Egypt and Israel in 1979. This agreement allows Israel and Egypt to deploy forces with limited numbers and equipment, and specific numbers, types of weapons, and mechanisms that can be deployed on that axis, with the aim of carrying out patrols on the side of the Egyptian axis, to prevent smuggling, infiltration, and other criminal activities. For its part, Egypt sent about 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers to northeastern Sinai during the past two weeks, as part of its moves to enhance security on its border with the Gaza Strip, according to Reuters. On Friday, Netanyahu announced that he had ordered the Israeli army to prepare a plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah, amid growing international fear of a disaster resulting from any possible attack on the city. On Saturday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned of a possible attack by the Israeli army in Rafah, which he said would amount to an "unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe." Clashes continued between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli army admitted that two officers and a soldier were injured in battles in the south of the Strip, while the Ministry of Health announced an increase in the number of martyrs as a result of the Israeli aggression and bombing. On the 128th day of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeeras correspondent reported that fierce clashes were taking place between the resistance and the Israeli forces west of the city of Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip. Also in Khan Yunis, the Israeli forces launched intensive raids targeting homes surrounding the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that clashes between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli forces continued in the vicinity of the complex, and the sounds of shelling were heard in the area, and the streets adjacent to the complex appeared empty of passers-by due to the deployment of Israeli army snipers on the rooftops of houses and targeting anyone who moved. At the same time, the Israeli army announced that an officer from the 603rd Engineering Battalion and an officer and a soldier from a paratroopers unit were seriously injured in battles in the southern Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said that military operations in the Gaza Strip are continuing. Hagari added that army forces continue to destroy infrastructure west of Khan Yunis, and that raid operations in the center and north of the Strip continue. He pointed out that the forces, with the support of the air and naval forces, eliminated what he described as an armed cell in central Gaza. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that Israeli gunboats bombed the coast of Gaza City and areas west of the city, and pictures showed smoke rising as a result of new Israeli bombardment on areas east of Gaza City. The Israeli army forced the displaced people in the city of Khan Yunis to leave the Sheikh Jabr, Qandila and Zahra schools affiliated with UNRWA and head west on foot through the destroyed Al-Bahr Street, reaching the Al-Mawasi area, west of the city. Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the displaced people, while walking along this road, are subjected to searches and their identities being checked at the Israeli army checkpoints. The Israeli forces arrested displaced people and take them to unknown places for interrogation. Upon their arrival in the Al-Mawasi area, the Israeli forces force the families to move north to Deir al-Balah, and south to the city of Rafah. In the same context, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that the Israeli forces bombed the main gate of Al-Amal Hospital and the vicinity of Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The Red Crescent added that Al-Amal Hospital, which has been besieged for 21 days, is threatened with stopping work due to the Israeli preventing the entry of fuel necessary for the operation of electricity generators. It said that the Israeli forces have been preventing the introduction of oxygen into the hospital for more than a week despite continuous coordination attempts with international organizations, which led to the death of 3 patients. The Red Crescent also denied the validity of the reports about the Israelis bringing in medical equipment, noting that the Israeli forces destroyed medical devices and equipment during their storming of the hospital yesterday, Saturday. The Israeli forces also attacked the staff, beating, abusing and insulting them, and arrested 9 members of the medical and administrative staff, 4 wounded people, and 5 patients companions. Egypt warned of "serious consequences" of a possible Israeli military attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, near its border. A statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it completely rejects the statements issued by high-ranking officials in the Israeli government regarding the intention of the Israeli forces to launch a military operation in the city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, warning of the dire consequences of such an action, especially in light of what... "It is fraught with the risk of worsening the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip." Egypt called for the necessity of uniting all international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city of Rafah. The statement considered that "the targeting of Rafah, and Israel's continued policy of obstructing the access of humanitarian aid, constitutes an actual contribution to the implementation of the policy of displacing the Palestinian people and liquidating their cause, in clear violation of the provisions of international law, international humanitarian law, and the relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly." Egypt affirmed that it "will continue its contacts and movements in order to reach an immediate ceasefire, enforce the truce, and exchange prisoners and detainees." It called on influential international powers to "intensify pressure on Israel to respond to these efforts, and to avoid taking measures that will further complicate the situation and cause harm to the interests of everyone without exception." On Friday, Reuters quoted two Egyptian security sources as saying that Cairo sent about 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers to northeastern Sinai in the past two weeks as part of a series of measures to enhance security on its border with the Gaza Strip. The two security sources said that Egypt also set up sand barriers and enhanced surveillance at border posts. About 1.3 million Palestinians, more than half of the population of the besieged Strip, are gathered in Rafah, near the border with Egypt. The vast majority of them fled violence in the northern and central Gaza Strip following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas more than four months ago. After ordering the army to prepare for an attack on the city, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with ABC News, Victory is within reach. We will do it. We will control the last Hamas terrorist brigades, and Rafah, which is the movements last stronghold. . He continued, "We will do this while ensuring safe passage for the civilian population so that they can leave. We are working on developing a detailed plan to achieve this," speaking of the presence of areas in northern Rafah that "have been cleared and can be used as safe areas for civilians." Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy decided to move the 36th Armored Division from Gaza to the border with Lebanon, where the Israeli army and Hezbollah are exchanging bombing on a daily basis. Israeli Army Radio said that recent discussions took place in the General Staff during which the Commander of the Southern Command, Major General Yaron Finkelman, called for the maintenance of Division 36, the largest regular division in the Israeli army, in the central Gaza Strip with the aim of increasing military pressure on the Hamas movement, but the head of the Operations Division, Major General Oded Basiuk raised the need to remove the division from Gaza and move it to the north to replace the reserve forces and be ready for any scenario. She added that the Chief of Staff ultimately decided to withdraw the 36th Division from Gaza and transfer it to the Lebanese border. There was no information available regarding the timing of the transfer of the division, which consists of maneuver units (armor, infantry, and engineering corps) and includes the 188th Brigade, the 7th Brigade, the Golani Brigade, the Etzioni Brigade, and the Engineering Corps Brigades. Since late December 2023, the Israeli army has withdrawn from Gaza the 4th and 55th Reserve Brigades, the 7107th Combat Engineer Battalion, and the 13th Battalion of the Golani Brigade. The border between Lebanon and Israel has witnessed intermittent clashes between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israeli forces since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, as Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah announced that the Lebanon front is a front in support of Gaza. Israeli media reported that Hezbollah's military policy along the Lebanese-Palestinian border is "holding settlers in the occupied North as hostages". Moran Aluf, an Israeli researcher, told the Israeli Kan channel that "Israel" has captives in the South and "hostages in the North", where settlers cannot return to their houses or live normally as a result of Hezbollah's retaliation. "We ['Israel'] cannot allow an organization like Hezbollah to take settlers as its hostages," she added, noting that "Hezbollah created an equation, dictating that as long as fighting in Gaza is ongoing, then I [Hezbollah] will continue firing." She also clarified that if any agreement is reached, it would only be temporary, adding that there is a possibility of war against the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon "because we cannot anticipate what it wants or what its intentions are. We must understand its capabilities to avoid what happened in the South." Aluf additionally described the threat Hezbollah poses on the northern settlements as a "security challenge" that would subside the political agreement if not handled. Aluf's statement came one day after the "Metula" mayor revealed that 80,000 settlers have been forced out of the North as a result of Hezbollah's defensive operations, in support of Gaza and the Lebanese South. David Azoulay, the mayor of the "Metula" settlement in the occupied north, revealed on Saturday that around 80,000 settlers have been away from their houses for four months, with no regard as to when they would be able to return. Azoulay told Israeli Channel 13 that "all we [settlers] are asking for is to live in our houses, but we are not a free people in "Israel", adding that "Hezbollah dictates the intensity at all times in the North." Azoulay also claimed that over the past four months, Hezbollah had been firing and attacking northern settlements, while the Israeli occupation forces fought inadequately and in a manner that would not allow settlers to return to their houses, amid the silence and neglect of the occupation government. Yemeni News Agency (Saba), affiliated with the Houthis, quoted a security source as saying that 3 raids had occurred on the Al-Salif district near Hodeidah. Maps All maps are lies. Not only is it easy to lie with maps, it is essential, wrote cartographer Mark Monmoneir in his book How to Lie with Maps. He showed that condensing complex, three-dimensional spaces onto a two-dimensional sheet of paper [in old days] is bound to be reductive. But it is impossible to comprehend the war in Gaza without reference to maps, otherwise the entire conflict is reduced to an endless series of meaningless acts of random violence and the suffering of civilians. The first characteristic of guerrilla warfare is the loss of a front line. Evidently, different mappers have different ideas of how to depict the war in Gaza, notably those that seek to depict Israeli progress in the ground campaign. Part of the problem is latency. The news that forms the basis of the maps takes time to filter out to mappers, and the cartographers take time in crafting their maps, and it takes time to curate them. These processes are uneven among mappers, so their maps may differ in detail. Probably there is some ideological bias, or at least thematic apperception, which is understandable in wartime. It may come as no surprise that al-Jazeera maps depict rather less Israeli territorial progress than other sources. Finally, there remains the epistemological question of just exactly what are the colored in areas depicting. Naively, this might be understood as areas of Israeli control, that are no longer contested by the HAMAS. Or possibly these are areas of Israeli presence, in many of which the possibility of an RPG-wielding HAMAS militant popping out of a tunnel unexpectedly remains a live possibility. With the "zero-range" combat characterized by small unit tactics on both sides, maps may be prey to a fallacy of misplaced concreteness. Bystanders Amnesty International issued a severe warning stressing that Benjamin Netanyahu's orders to the IDF planning an attack on Rafah in the Gaza Strip constitute a "grave risk of genocide" for Palestinians. Amnesty International Secretary-General, Agnes Callamard, posted a statement on X, expressing concern about the feasibility and safety of evacuation measures, shedding light on the misery Palestinians are experiencing in Gaza as a result of the Israeli genocide against them. Callmard emphasized, "The statement published by the office of PM Netanyahu, which instructs the Israeli military to produce a plan for the 'evacuation of the civilian population' of Rafah has spread panic in the southern governorate raising fears that a massive ground operation is imminent." "Such an operation will have catastrophic consequences for more than a million people the vast majority of them displaced - who are living in desperate conditions in Rafah, squeezed into overcrowded areas, makeshift tents, and schools or sleeping on the streets, who have nowhere to go," she added. She further urged the international community to support the Palestinian people who are facing "the real and imminent risk of genocide." Adnan Abu Hasna, media advisor to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ), painted a bleak picture of the conditions in the northern Gaza Strip , the area that observers and analysts believe may be the destination of the Palestinians, who will be forced to leave Rafah Governorate (south of the Gaza Strip) in the event of an Israeli attack. militarily there. Abu Hasna said - in his interview with the program Gaza... What Next? - that the northern Gaza Strip is an unlivable place, due to the destruction practiced by the Israeli army over the past months, and that the people there are starving from hunger. Because the Israeli prevented the entry of aid from food, fuel and water. He confirmed that UNRWA is ready to bring the aid accumulated in the port of Ashdod into the northern Gaza Strip, if Israel agrees to do so. In light of the devastation witnessed in the north and the suffering of people due to the scarcity of food, water and medicines, the UNRWA media advisor confirms that the pressures on this region will increase if the Israeli invades Rafah. In the opinion of the expert in international and European affairs, Hossam Shaker, what is happening in the Gaza Strip in general is a war of starvation and impoverishment of the Palestinian people, to which the American administration and European countries contributed. By imposing sanctions on UNRWA. In Hossams assessment, the American administration is putting pressure on Israel with empty words, and it is still giving cover to the Israelis to annihilate the Palestinian people, warning that American discomfort with Tel Aviv will not lead to pressure to prevent the invasion of Rafah, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans . Regarding the phone call - today, Sunday - between US President Joe Biden and Netanyahu, the expert in international and European affairs suggested that it dealt with the Israeli move in Rafah, and he said that Washington realizes that the issue of the invasion of Rafah is linked to the completion of the campaign of ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip and forced displacement, and he did not rule out that it was Egypt is a potential destination for Palestinians. Israeli Channel 12 said that Biden expressed, in his call with Netanyahu, his concern about the impact of a military operation in Rafah on the humanitarian situation, and stressed his point of view that this operation should not continue without a reliable and implementable plan, and the necessity of having a plan to ensure the safety and support of more than a million people. They took refuge in Rafah. According to the expert on Israeli affairs, Muhannad Mustafa, there is an agreement between the political and military leadership in Israel to invade Rafah, but the disagreement between them revolves around the implementation mechanism, as the army has reservations about the operation. Because "he wants there to be clear understandings with Egypt that are based on a common matter, which is that Israel does not want to remain in the Salah al-Din axis." The Egyptians, for their part, fear - the expert adds - that Israel, through the military operation in Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border, will push the people of the Gaza Strip to flee to Egypt, which for it is a red line and part of its national security. He believes that the deep state and the military establishment in Israel realize the importance of the strategic relationship with Egypt, and that this relationship is more important than the Rafah operation in the long term. In the context of his speech, the expert described Egypts role as important and effective in the Rafah issue, stressing that Egypt can play a role in Stop the Israeli military operation in Rafah. Yesterday, Saturday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned of developments in the situation in Rafah, saying that they portend a deterioration in the Strip, with dire repercussions. The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency ( UNRWA ), Philippe Lazzarini, said on Sunday that Israel seized an aid shipment equivalent to an entire month's supply at the port of Ashdod , while the Knesset Constitution and Judiciary Committee approved a draft law to stop UNRWA's work in occupied Jerusalem . Lazzarini said the agency faces increasing administrative obstacles from Israel, and operates in a hostile environment where decisions have begun to affect its ability to operate. He reported that one of the contractors providing administrative services in the port of Ashdod informed UNRWA that he could no longer continue working with the agency under orders from the Israeli authorities. Lazzarini added that as a result, a shipment from Turkey containing 1,049 containers of supplies was stuck at the port. It includes: flour, chickpeas, sugar, and cooking oil, which is sufficient for the needs of more than a million people for a month. There has been no comment yet from the Turkish authorities regarding Israels detention of the aid shipment it sent. A spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Finance said that the matter was in the hands of the government's legal advisor, without offering any further comment. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced last week - via the X platform - that Israel would cancel the tax exemptions it had provided to UNRWA in the past. For his part, Al Jazeera's correspondent said that the Constitution and Judiciary Committee in the Knesset approved a draft law to stop UNRWA's work in occupied Jerusalem. This comes as UNRWA faces Israeli accusations that 12 out of 30,000 employees in the Gaza Strip participated in the attack of last October 7, and several countries announced, following the accusations, cutting off funding for the agency, which is carrying out life-saving efforts in the besieged Gaza Strip, which does not receive sufficient amounts of aid. Al-Mamlaka TV, the state-owned channel in Jordan, said on Sunday that King Abdullah bin Hussein participated in an airdrop to provide aid to the Gaza Strip. A video clip showed the Jordanian monarch in military uniform aboard a military plane in the latest airdrop of urgent medical supplies to field hospitals run by Jordan in the war-torn sector. It was not immediately clear whether the Jordanian king's participation in the landing operation was limited to the moral aspect, or if he was assuming other duties during it. The Saudi Foreign Ministry warned in a statement on Saturday of the extremely dangerous repercussions of storming and targeting the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, which is the last refuge for hundreds of thousands of civilians who were forced to flee by the brutal Israeli aggression. It considered that "this continued violation of international law and international humanitarian law confirms the necessity of convening the UN Security Council urgently to prevent Israel from causing an imminent humanitarian catastrophe for which everyone who supports the aggression bears responsibility." The Journalists Syndicate in Egypt called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador and the cancellation of the peace agreement, and affirmed its rejection of Tel Avivs threats to launch a military operation in Palestinian Rafah, considering this a threat to Egypts national security. The Egyptian Syndicate stressed in a statement that these threats come to reveal the extent of international complicity in the face of Zionist crime and the genocidal war being practiced against the Palestinian people, and its attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause amid complete international silence. The union condemned with "full force the position of the American President in support of the Zionist threats, and considers it a green light to launch the attack, kill civilians, and ignite the region, adding a new crime to the record of American crimes, Biden's crimes against the Palestinian people, and declared participation in the war of extermination." The union confirmed that at the beginning of the fifth month of the war of extermination, which the Zionist entity is waging against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and despite the clear and decisive Egyptian position of rejecting the forced displacement of the Palestinian people to Sinai, and considering that a red line, a position agreed upon by all groups and components. The Egyptian people, but the Zionist entity led by the criminal Netanyahu is still seeking to implement its plan, and has already begun declaring its readiness to carry out its ground attack and invade Rafah with all the dangers this threat represents to Egyptian national security. The union continued in its statement: We stress that it is no longer possible to bear the massacres carried out by the Zionist entity around the clock throughout the past months, which claimed the lives of more than 28,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, and tens of thousands of missing and wounded. It has also become impossible Every person of living conscience must continue to sit as spectators in the face of the war of genocide and starvation practiced by this racist, usurping entity against our Arab people in Palestine, and silence and the policy of deafening ears are no longer an option in the face of these cowardly operations against women and children. The Journalists Syndicate appreciated all the moves that seek to stop this attack, as well as the measures it is taking in anticipation of any developments that the Egyptian-Palestinian border may witness in terms of the Israeli attack on Rafah. The union affirmed that it and the entire Egyptian people stand behind all measures aimed at confronting any potential Zionist aggression that threatens Egyptian national security and is tantamount to a declaration of war. It continued: The Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, which announced on all occasions its position on supporting the Palestinian cause and rejecting all forms of normalization with the Zionist entity, confirms the following: - Supporting all necessary and essential measures to support our people in Palestine, and considering the aggression against Rafah a direct threat to national security. Egypt, and take the necessary decisive defensive measures. - Expel the Israeli ambassador, withdraw the Egyptian ambassador, cancel the agreement with the Zionist entity, and consider it as if it were not a response to any aggression that affects the borders or threatens Egyptian security. - Criminalizing all forms of normalization or cooperation. With the Zionist entity, stopping the entry of boycotted goods, and canceling the work permits of companies and factories included in the boycott. - Calling for a review of relations with Arab countries that are in favor of normalization with the Zionist entity at the expense of the interests of the Palestinian people, the interests of the Arab nation, and all requirements of Arab national security. - Calling for openness to all countries that support the Palestinian cause, and severing or suspending relations with countries that supported the Zionist entity in its war on Gaza and the West Bank, and its aggression against the Palestinian people, and were even a partner in this aggression, first and foremost the United States of America and some European countries. - Supporting the political and legal position in support of South Africa in the lawsuit filed by it before the International Court of Justice, in which Israel is accused of practicing genocide against the Palestinians. Axis of Resistance Expressing Irans fierce opposition to the spread of military conflicts in the region, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said the Zionist regime and its prime minister perceive war as a chance of survival. In a meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, held in Beirut, Amirabdollahian thanked Lebanon for condemning a recent terrorist attack in the Iranian city of Kerman. He also appreciated Lebanons robust support for the Palestinian cause and the resistance, the Foreign Ministrys website reported. Highlighting Irans opposition to any expansion of the war in the region, Amirabdollahian said the Zionist regime and its prime minister seek their survival in expanding the war. He added that the US government, despite claiming to be opposed to the expansion of war, fully supports the Israeli regime and has not stopped arms delivery to the Israeli regime for even a single day. The Iranian foreign minister noted that all sides must respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He referred to Lebanon's internal issues, saying, We are confident that Lebanon's political leaders have sufficient intelligence and wisdom to resolve their country's internal problems, and Iran supports any Lebanese decision in this regard. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad confirmed that the behavior of the United States regarding the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip threatens to expand the scope of the conflict by supplying Tel Aviv with lethal weapons. Al-Assad said during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, "The behavior of the United States of America regarding the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip is what threatens to expand the scope of the conflict by continuing to supply the Zionist entity with lethal weapons and Washington carrying out aggressions and attacks in various regions of the Middle East." He stressed that "the Zionist entity and the West are in an impasse today, and the West is now required to save this entity, and the Israeli escalation in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon is nothing but an attempt to get out of this impasse." The Syrian President added: "It is our duty to stand to the utmost of our ability alongside the Palestinian people, because what this people achieved during the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza has not been achieved since the Palestinian issue arose." He considered that "the Zionist entity was not satisfied with this horrific amount of crimes that it committed against the Palestinian people in its ongoing aggression against Gaza, and before that, over decades of bloodshed and genocide. Therefore, it is preparing to complete its crimes in the city of Rafah , while the relevant international institutions stand, at the forefront of which are The Security Council is powerless to stop these massacres. The Syrian presidency stated that "President Al-Assad discussed with Abdullahian the bilateral political and economic relations between the two countries, the Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, and developments in the region." Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal Al-Miqdad, stated that Syria has fought wars against Israel and is ready to fight other wars, but Damascus is the one who decides when and how. Al-Miqdad said during a press conference with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir Abdollahian: The views of our two countries are identical in the support that must be provided to our people in the Gaza Strip in the face of the genocide committed by the Israeli occupation. He stressed "the necessity of the American and Turkish occupation forces leaving Syrian territory." Pointing out that "the crimes committed by these forces are crimes against humanity and they must be held accountable for them." He stressed that "the Zionist entity's repeated attacks on Syrian lands are due to Syria's resistance to this entity and its plans since its establishment on the land of Palestine." He added: "Syria has fought wars against the Israeli occupation and we are ready to fight other wars, but we are the ones who decide when and how." The Arab Affairs correspondent for the Israeli Channel KAN, Roi Kais, commented on the martyrdom of two Resistance fighters from the Lebanese Resistance Regiments - Amal on Sunday in southern Lebanon. Kais stated that the Lebanese movement is "increasingly involved" in the battles against "Israel", noting that 10 of its fighters were martyred since October 7, 2024. Earlier on Sunday, the Amal Movement mourned martyrs Mohammad al-Masri and Hassan Faroukh, who were killed in Israeli strikes while performing their duty in defense of Lebanon and the South. On December 2, 2023, the Lebanese Resistance Regiments - Amal targeted Israeli military positions in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms, including the al-Ramtha, Roueissat al-Alam, and al-Sumaqa sites using appropriate weapons. On February 2, 2024, the Amal Movement mourned martyrs Mostafa Daher and Ali Mohammad who were killed in an Israeli strike on the town of Blida in southern Lebanon. On February 5, 2024, the Movement announced the martyrdom of three of its Resistance fighters; Hussein Azzam, Jaafar Iskandar, and Hassan Skaykeh. Allied for Democracy Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting in Ashkelon on Sunday, We are on our way to victory and it will take longer, but it will not take years, contrary to what they say. Netanyahu added: Victory is within reach. It is a difficult battle, but it is a battle in which we won. He continued, saying: "We actually want to achieve demilitarization in the Gaza Strip, and this requires us to have security control and supreme security responsibility over the entire region of western Jordan (all the territory of the West Bank), including the Gaza Strip." The Israeli Prime Minister stressed that there is no alternative to disarmament in the foreseeable future. He added, "We say this to the international community, to the American president, and to all leaders. There is no alternative to that." Netanyahu stated, "The goal (disarmament) is nothing less than the victory we are talking about. It is within reach." During the meeting, Netanyahu spoke about the increasing pressures on Israel in light of the continuation of the war, saying that this requires confronting the increasing pressures. He continued, saying: "I must tell you the truth. The pressures are increasing, and each of you who deals with foreign parties can tell us about it, each in your own way." US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure the security of residents and displaced people in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, before launching any ground operation. A White House statement said that Biden reiterated his view, during a phone call with Netanyahu, that military operations should not be launched in Rafah without a reliable plan to ensure the safety of more than a million people sheltering in this area. Biden called on Netanyahu to take urgent and specific steps to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to innocent Palestinian civilians. The US President also stressed the importance of taking advantage of the progress made in the negotiations to ensure the release of the hostages as quickly as possible. According to the White House statement, The President reaffirmed our shared goal of defeating Hamas and ensuring the long-term security of Israel and its people. The two parties agreed to remain in close contact. Leaders in the Arab American community in Michigan revealed that a meeting that was supposed to bring them together with Vice President Camilla Harris at the end of the week was postponed to a later time. The leaders explained that the postponement of the meeting comes in light of the difference of views between them as representatives of Arab and American Muslims and the administration of President Joe Biden regarding its positions on the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Hamas movement, which claimed the lives of more than 28 thousand, the majority of whom were women and children. These leaders explained that they do not feel that there has been progress in their positions, compared to previous meetings with officials in the Biden administration. The postponement of the meeting with Harris comes in the wake of previous attempts by both parties to reach an agreement regarding the position on the war in Gaza, especially in light of the demand that Arab Americans adhere to, which is to call on the administration to announce a clear position in support of a ceasefire in Gaza. Biden's visit to Michigan last week witnessed demonstrations by Arab and Muslim Americans in which they called on the president to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Before that, a delegation from the Biden administration visited the city of Dearborn, which includes the largest population concentration of Arabs and Muslims in the United States, in an attempt to communicate with Arab Americans, but the leaders of the Arab American community refused to meet with the delegation, reaffirming their adherence to their demands. Among those who refused this meeting was Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud and several local officials, who said in a later statement that he would like to speak with decision-makers, before the administration arranged a closed meeting that took place last Thursday, according to the New York Times. The American newspaper indicated that Biden's assistant, Deputy National Security Advisor, Jon Finer, met with leaders of Arab Americans in Michigan, and said that he did not have "any amount of confidence" that the current Israeli government was ready to take "meaningful steps" towards establishing a Palestinian state. The New York Times considered that Finer's statements during the meeting were "one of the (US) administration's clearest expressions of regret" for what it considered "mistakes" it had committed since the start of the war, following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7th. Butcher's Bill / Oasis of Martyrs The Al-Qassam Brigades announced on Sunday that the continuous Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip during the past 96 hours led to the death of 2 prisoners and the serious injury of 8 others. Al-Qassam pointed out in a statement that the conditions of the wounded prisoners are becoming more dangerous in light of the inability to provide them with appropriate treatment, holding the enemy fully responsible for the lives of these wounded in light of the continued bombing and aggression. On 7 October 2023, Hamas and other armed groups present in the Gaza Strip carried out an attack in Israel, killing more than 1,200 persons, injuring thousands and abducting some 240 people, many of whom continue to be held hostage. It was the second largest loss inflicted on the Israeli forces after the 1973 war. Palestinian armed groups launched thousands of missiles at Israel Following this attack, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza, by land, air and sea. The 1,200 Israelis killed on the first day would be the equivalent of 36,000 Americans killed in an attack, as a proportion to Israels population of 9.3 million people (compared to 332 million in the USA). Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated: Not since the Holocaust have so many Jews been killed in one day". PM Netanyahu stated "On October 7th, Hamas murdered 1,400 Israelis. Maybe more. This is in a country of fewer than 10 million people. This would be equivalent to over 50,000 Americans murdered in a single day. Thats twenty 9/11s. That is why October 7th is another day that will live in infamy." Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant considered 05 February 2024 that half the number of Hamas militants were killed or seriously injured by Israeli army forces. The HAMAS Ministry of Health in the besieged sector announced that the number of victims of the Israeli operation its beginning had risen to "28,176 martyrs, including 12,300 dead children, 8,400 women, 340 medical personnel, 46 civil defense, and 124 journalists." He pointed out that "7,000 people are missing, 70% of whom are children and women, The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The number wounded was 67,784. The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza had said much earlier that the number of missing people had risen to more than 8,000, including including 4,700 children and women, amid expectations that the toll will be double thi figures. The IDF intensified its military operations in the West Bank, and increased the pace of incursions and raids into cities, towns, and camps, resulting in the martyrdom of 380 Palestinians, the injury of about 3,950, and the arrest of 5,780, according to official HAMAS sources. As of 17 January 2023, the Israeli escalation in the West Bank led to the death of 360 Palestinians, the injury of nearly 2,200, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and the arrest of about 6,000, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club. More than 130 Hezbollah fighters were killed in Lebanon during exchanges of bombing operations with Israel. Israel revised down the death toll from the October Hamas attacks in southern Israel from 1,400 to 1,200. IDF had said previously it was holding 1,500 bodies of terrorists, a total that now would increas to about 1,700. The total announced number of Israeli officers and soldiers killed had risen to 564 since the start of the war on October 7, including 234 killed since the ground invasion as a result of the ongoing clashes with the Palestinian resistance. Among them were at least 56 with the rank of platoon commander, 43 with the rank of company commander, 9 with the rank of battalion commander, and 5 with the rank of brigade commander. These officers constitute 23% of the total deaths of the Israeli army in the war on Gaza. Israeli media reported that 27% of the Israeli military casualties in the war were officers. In detail, the media highlighted that three brigade commanders, four battalion commanders, and other senior officers have been killed in the war so far. The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that 29 of the army's deaths were caused by "friendly fire" and operational incidents since the start of the ground war in Gaza, late last October. The Israeli authority explained that "18 army soldiers were killed by friendly fire, two were killed as a result of gunfire (without explanation), and 9 Israeli soldiers were killed in ammunition, weapons, or run-over accidents." The Jerusalem Post newspaper revealed that 15 soldiers were killed in the Strip without their bodies being found. According to some reports statistics indicate that 20% of the Israeli losses were due to friendly fire. Because the nature of the battle has become completely different from what was expected, and it lacks a front line. It was announced that soldiers wounded in the Gaza Strip battles numbered to 2,815 since the beginning of the war, including 1,296 who had been wounded since the start of the ground attack on October 27, 2023. The Israeli army reported that 407 who are still receiving treatment for their injuries in the Gaza battles, and the condition of 48 of them is serious. The number of injured among the Israeli army since the start of the ground operation in the Gaza Strip on October 27 included 602 minor cases, 430 moderate cases, and 264 critical cases. The Israeli army published new data about those wounded in the military operation in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army announces that 540 soldiers were injured in the Gaza StripThe Gaza government announces that the Israeli army committed a horrific massacre in an area it claimed was safe According to army data, 540 soldiers, including 27 seriously injured, were injured in operational incidents since the start of the bombing of the Gaza Strip. There were also 21 accidental shooting incidents in the Gaza Strip, 54 bilateral shooting incidents and 31 traffic accidents. In addition, 388 incidents occurred, including ramming anti-tank rifles, anti-aircraft guns, weapons and machine guns. At least 13,794 Israelis were injured, according to i24 TV. Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper had reported that 5,000 soldiers had been wounded since the beginning of the war on October 7, and that the Ministry of Defense had recognized 2,000 soldiers as disabled so far. An estimate by the Israeli Ministry of Defense expected that the number of soldiers with disabilities in the war taking place in the Gaza Strip since October 7 of last year would reach 12,500 soldiers. The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that the Soldiers' Rehabilitation Department of the Ministry of Defense has dealt with 3,400 soldiers who were classified as disabled in the army since last October 7. The Israeli army revealed that about 9,000 of its soldiers have received psychological assistance since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, and about a quarter of them have not returned to combat. This came according to a new statement revealed by the Army Medical Corps, according to Channel 12 and the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. According to the statement, nearly 9,000 soldiers have applied for psychological assistance since the beginning of the war, and approximately a quarter of them have not returned to combat. The statement continued, "In total, about 13,000 regular and reserve soldiers required accompaniment or medical treatment at some level during the fighting, and thousands of them were injured in the battles." Al Jazeera military and strategic expert Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi expressed his conviction that the numbers of dead and wounded announced by Israel cannot represent the truth, due to a discrepancy between the Israeli armys data and the Walla website, which is close to the army itself. In an interview with RT, Military strategist retired Tunisian Brigadier General Tawfiq Didi said that the number of Israeli army deaths in the Gaza battles is much greater than what Israel announces. Didi explained in an interview with the Best Saying program on RT channel, The number of people killed in battles can be easily known, as the equation in wars is that for every 3 wounded there is a dead person, and the numbers now in Israel hover around 12,500 wounded and disabled people, and when we divide by Three, we find that the death toll exceeds 4,000, especially after eliminating more than a thousand tanks and armored vehicles, and I know what happens when Kornet missiles hit a tank. Its ammunition explodes and no one is left alive. He added, "The Israelis announce their dead only of those of Jewish origin and of the first race, meaning all Arabs, Falash, and those who are among them. They are not counted because they are of the second category. So I am sure that the number exceeds 4 thousand dead, and this is a very easy military calculation." He pointed out, "The Palestinian resistance documented everything it did, unlike the Israelis. The resistance documented shooting at tanks and armored vehicles and destroying the houses in which the Israeli soldiers were holed up, and we saw them being killed... We saw the Kornet hitting the tanks, we saw Al-Yassin 105, so the difference is clear." Hostages Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed have been held as hostages in Gaza since 2014 and 2015, respectively. Unlike the roughly 240 people kidnapped in the Hamas October 7 terrorist attacks, the campaign for the release of Mengistu and al-Sayed has received little publicity. Mengistu is known to suffer from what HRW deemed "serious" mental health issues. "Avera crossed one of the safest borders in the world, under the eyes of the security services," recalled Gil Elias, a relative. "We're talking about a mentally ill person who got lost." The calls for the release of Mengistu and al-Sayed have been barely audible during the many years they have been held captive in Gaza. Israel had previously estimated there were 116 living hostages in Palestinian custody. Israel declared 20 out of 136 people in Gaza captivity dead in absentia, after announcing its forces had recovered the bodies of two hostages. By another count, 132 of them are still being held in Gaza, and 25 of them have been confirmed dead. Israel considers those still held by Hamas to be hostages regardless of whether they are dead or alive. Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy earlier had told reporters that Hamas still held 137 captives. The resistance released 10 Israeli detainees, 4 Thais and 2 Russian women, who were released outside the agreement. Over the course of 6 days, Israel has received 102 detainees, women and children, including 78 Israelis, in exchange for the release of 234 Palestinian prisoners, women and children. Eylon Levy, the Israeli government spokesperson, told reporters 01 December 2023: Hamas still held 137 hostages from the October attacks, in addition to four others who went missing before the war The hostages include two children aged four and 10 months, who, Hamas now claims, are dead 117 male hostages are still kept in Gaza, including the two children, as well as 20 females 126 hostages are Israelis, and 11 others are foreign nationals Foreign nationals are eight Thais, one Nepalese, one Tanzanian and one French Mexican citizen Ten of the remaining hostages are 75 and older. There are seven missing people since the October 7 attack Hamas had released 110 hostages so far 86 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals. Some of the rest are soldiers, seized when Hamas raided military bases in Israel. They may end up being held the longest. The Israeli military had not specified how many soldiers were captured, nor their ranks. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced on 07 February 2024 that 31 hostages detained in Gaza had died. He added in a press conference, "We informed 31 families that their detained relatives had died, and thus we announce their deaths." According to some estimates, Hamas was initially holding nearly 210 of the 240 hostages, while Palestinian Islamic Jihad was holding the remaining 30. About 40 Israelis remained missing. More than 40 hostages taken from Israel into Gaza on October 7th are not currently in the custody of Hamas, the group responsible for the attack, according to a CNN report based on a diplomatic source briefed on the negotiations, CNN's prior reports had indicated that an estimated 40 to 50 hostages were held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other unidentified groups or individuals. Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said on Hamas telegram account that 23 bodies of the 60 missing Israel hostages were trapped under the rubble. It seems that we will never be able to reach them due to the continued brutal aggression of the occupation against Gaza, he said. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club revealed that about 11,000 arrests were carried out by the Israeli army during the year 2023 in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, in addition to arrests from the Gaza Strip before the seventh of last October. The number of people arrested by the Israelis in the West Bank since that date has exceeded 6,870. The total number of prisoners in Israeli prisons exceeds 9,000 Palestinians. Palestinian prisoner institutions said 661 were classified as unlawful combatants from Gaza, and this is the number available only as a clear given. The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said that there has been a significant increase in the number of Palestinian administrative detainees in Israeli prisons since October 7, with 3,484 detainees recorded, including children and women. The club added in a statement that "this number was not actually recorded even during the years of the 1987 uprising." Israel said on 14 January 2024 that, since the beginning of the war, over 2,960 wanted persons have been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, over 1,350 of whom are affiliated with Hamas. On 08 January 2024 it was reported that more than 1,350 wanted persons had been arrested throughout the Judea and Samaria Division and the Bekaa and Valleys Division, more than 870 of whom are associated with the terrorist organization Hamas. The institutions added in the statement that the occupation arrested 210 women during the aforementioned period, and this statistic includes women who were arrested from the territories in 1948, and more than 355 children, pointing out that the outcome of the arrest campaigns includes all those who were arrested from homes, and through military checkpoints, Those who were forced to surrender themselves under pressure, and those who were detained. It explained that "the number of arrests among journalists reached 50, of whom 35 remain in detention, and 20 of them were transferred to administrative detention." The announced numbers of detainees do not include those who were detained from Gaza since the start of the operation in the Gaza Strip, as there is no accurate census of these numbers. Israel has rejected international legal adaptations since 1967, and has treated the Palestinians as criminals, and tried them before military courts and not as prisoners of war. Because the POW is not tried, but is released when the war stops, or as a result of a political agreement. But international humanitarian law sets clear conditions relating to the Palestinians, whether as prisoners of war or organized groups with one leadership and carrying a unified slogan, and these conditions apply to Palestinian resistance fighters, specifically armed groups. International law, through the Third Geneva Conventions, which relate to prisoners of war and armed conflicts, and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which relates to civilians under occupation; Provide full protection to Palestinian prisoners and groups, including resistance factions. The obstacles imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities became very different after the seventh of last October. They decided to cancel all trials in order to double the sentences issued against detainees, and now The scope of arguments before lawyers is very limited, due to military orders, and not according to legal data. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 11 February 2024 - Day 717 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that there are indications that Russia's war in Ukraine is contributing to a shortage of healthcare professionals across Russia. Shortly after mobilisation of the Russian military in September 2022, healthcare professionals were warned not to leave the country; however up to 2% of Russian doctors and healthcare professionals did leave the country to avoid the draft. Additionally, up to 3,000 medical staff have likely been mobilised to assist in combat medical care. In November 2023, the Russian Ministry of Health stated that the medical sector lacked about 26,500 doctors and 58,200 nursing staff. There is a significant shortage of doctors in 22 regions, and in another seven it is assessed as severe. Another estimate from January 2024 suggests that in the previous 15 months, the number of doctors declined by 7,500 - with many blaming long hours and low pay. The Duma Committee on Regional Policy and Local Government noted in its report on the 2024 budget that poorer regions of Russia in particular would have problems financing medical salaries. The heavy resource and financial burden of supporting Russia's war in Ukraine is negatively affecting a range of civilian sectors that serve the Russian population. There are no signs that the trend of reducing numbers of healthcare professionals in Russia will change during 2024. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of February 11, there were 95x combat engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 1x missile and 79x air strikes, carried out 52x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, Russian attacks resulted in wounded civilians. Residential private and apartment buildings, and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group. Certain units of the armed forces of Belarus continue their missions in the areas bordering Ukraine. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. Russia continues its sabotage and reconnaissance activities, shelling Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine. Around 30x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast), Boyaro-Lezhachi, Oleksiivka, Myropillya (Sumy oblast), Veterynarne, Kozacha Lopan', Strilecha, Hatyshche (Kharkiv oblast). Kup'yans'k axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 2x attacks near Tabaivka (Kharkiv oblast), where the Russian occupiers made unsuccessful attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Berestove (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 3x assaults near Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast) and Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast). In that area Russian forces made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense, to no success. Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Izyum (Kharkiv oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Bilohorivka, Serebryans'ke forestry (Luhansk oblast), Tors'ke, Serebryanka, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 17x attacks in the vicinities of Bohdanivka and Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast), where Russian forces made unsuccessful attempts to improve their tactical situation. Around 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 22x attacks near Avdiivka and 16x more attacks south of Tonen'ke, near Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). In that area, the Russian occupiers, with air support, made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense, to no success. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 20x settlements, including Novobakhmutivka, Lastochkyne, Avdiivka, Tonen'ke (Donetsk oblast). Mar'inka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back Russian forces in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). In that area, Russian forces made 28x attempts to improve its tactical situation. Russian forces launched air strikes near Antonivka, Kostyantynivka (Donetsk oblast). The settlements of Krasnohorivka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka, Katerynivka, Paraskoviivka were under artillery and mortar fire of the occupiers. Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 1x assault north of Pryyutne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Rivnopil' (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Zaporizhzhia axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 1x attack near Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). In that area, Russian forces, with air support, made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense, to no success. Russian forces launched an air strike near Novoandriivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 30x settlements, including Ol'hivs'ke, Malynivka, Bilohir'ya, Shcherbaky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Odesa operational-strategic group, Kherson axis: Russian forces do not abandon their intention to drive Ukrainian units out of their footholds on the left bank of the Dnipro. Thus, during the day, Russian forces made 1x unsuccessful assault on positions of Ukrainian troops. (Kherson oblast). The city of Kherson came under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Kachkarivka and Monastyrs'ke (Kherson oblast). The Ukrainian missile troops hit 1x concentration of troops, 2x command posts, 1x artillery system and 2x ammunition depots of the Russian occupiers. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces repelled five attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 30th, 32nd, 43rd, 44th mechanised brigades, and 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade near Tabayevka, Ivanovka, and Sinkovka (Kharkov region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 210 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles. In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware near Dzerzhinskoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Serebryansky forestry. Moreover, two attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 60th and 63rd mechanised brigades were repelled near Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted up to 120 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces delivered strikes at AFU manpower and hardware near Novoye, Krasnoye, Kleshcheyevka, Kurdyumovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and repelled 11 attacks launched by units of the AFU 24th, 42nd mechanised brigades, 79th Air Assault Brigade, and 114th Territorial Defence Brigade near Belogorovka, Bogdanovka, Mayorsk, Leninskoye, Novgorodskoye, and Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 325 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, six motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by artillery inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware near Shevchenko, Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic), and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 150 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles. In Kherson direction, units of the Russian Groups of Forces supported by artillery repelled one attack launched by the AFU 117th Mechanised Brigade near Novopokrovka (Zaporozhye region), as well as inflicted losses on AFU manpower and hardware near Verbovoye, Rabotino (Zaporozhye region), Tyaginka, Ivanovka, Lvovo, Berislav, and Mikhailovka (Kherson region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 50 Ukrainian troops, nine motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M777 howitzer, one D-20 and one D-30 howitzers. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out one command post of the AFU 3rd Assault Brigade near Novogrodovka (Donetsk People's Republic), one aviation ammunition depot, as well as engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 119 areas over the past 24 hours. Air defence units intercepted 30 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles near Orlyanksoye (Kharkov region), Proletarka, Peschanovka, Novaya Myachka, Druzhbovka, Obryvka (Kherson region), Krivosheyevka (Lugansk People's Republic), Kleshcheyevka, Kamenka, and Artyomovsk (Donetsk People's Republic). In total, 570 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 12,196 unmanned aerial vehicles, 464 air defence missile systems, 14,959 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,218 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,012 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 18,469 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 12 February 2024 - Day 718 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that in February 2024 a new military research institute was established at the Moscow Higher School of Economics (HSE). The Institute of World Military Economics and Strategy as it is known was set-up by the hard-line political scientist, Sergey Karaganov. It will be headed by Admiral Sergey Avakyants, former commander of the Pacific Fleet, who was relieved of command in April 2023. Avakyants believes Russia is in a state of long-term confrontation with the West. The new institute will cover politics and economics but will focus on the Military Industrial Complex of foreign nations. It will also focus on the study of strategic deterrence and the role of nuclear weapons. It has been proposed that the employees of the institute will be mainly recruited from the various faculties of the HSE. It will also invite researchers from various military academies such as the Russian General Staff Academy. This will highly likely lead to closer interaction between Russian academia and the defence sector, boosting the militarisation of higher education. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of February 12, there were 63x combat engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 5x missile and 71x air strikes, carried out 45x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, Russian attacks resulted in wounded civilians. Residential private and apartment buildings, and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. No signs of formation of an offensive group. Certain units of the armed forces of Belarus continue their missions in the areas bordering Ukraine. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. Russia continues its sabotage and reconnaissance activities, shelling Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia and increases the density of minefields along the state border of Ukraine. Around 20x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Volodymyrivka, Ponomarenky, Volfyne, Stepok (Sumy oblast), Udy, Kozacha Lopan', Luk'yantsi, Vovchans'k (Kharkiv oblast). Kup'yans'k axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 1x attack near Tabaivka (Kharkiv oblast), where the Russian occupiers made unsuccessful attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Stepova Novoselivka, Kotlyarivka (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 1x assaults near Terny (Donetsk oblast). In that area Russian forces made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense, to no success. The Russian occupiers launched an air strike in the vicinity of Vyimka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke, Serebryans'ke forestry (Luhansk oblast), Tors'ke, Serebryanka, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 6x attacks in the vicinities of Bohdanivka, Andriivka and Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian occupiers, with air support, made unsuccessful attempts to improve their tactical situation. Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of New York (Donetsk oblast). Around 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Kalynivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, New York (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 14x attacks near Avdiivka and 4x more attacks near Tonen'ke, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). In that area, Russian forces, with air support, made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense, to no success. The Russian occupiers launched an air strike in the vicinity of Novokalynove (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 20x settlements, including Novokalynove, Novobakhmutivka, Berdychi, Lastochkyne, Avdiivka (Donetsk oblast). Mar'inka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the invaders in the vicinities of Heorhiivka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). In that area, Russian forces, with air support, made 25x attempts to improve its tactical situation. Russian forces launched air strikes near Kostyantynivka, Paraskoviivka (Donetsk oblast). The settlements of Kurakhove, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka, Katerynivka, Paraskoviivka (Donetsk oblast) were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 1x assault south of Prechystivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 10x settlements, including Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Blahodatne (Donetsk oblast). Zaporizhzhia axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 1x attack near Novopokrovka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 20x settlements, including Poltavka, Malynivka, Chervone, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka, Mali Shcherbaky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Odesa operational-strategic group, Kherson axis: Russian forces do not abandon their intention to drive Ukrainian units out of their footholds on the left bank of the Dnipro. Thus, during the day, Russian forces made 2x unsuccessful assaults on positions of Ukrainian troops. The city of Kherson, the settlements of Antonivka, Ponyativka (Kherson oblast) came under artillery fire of the occupiers. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Krupytsya, Krynky, Beryslav (Kherson oblast). Also, the Russian occupiers carried out MLRS strikes in the vicinities of L'vove, Tyahynka, Ivanivka, Krynky (Kherson oblast). During the day of February 12, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 13x concentrations of Russian troops, weapons and military equipment. Ukrainian air defense forces shot down 6x reconnaissance UAVs. The Ukrainian missile troops hit 1x Russian artillery system. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces repelled three attacks launched by assault groups of the AFU 43rd Mechanised and 25th Air Assault brigades close to Sinkovka and Timkovka (Kharkov region). Up to 60 Ukrainian troops, two pick-up trucks, and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system have been eliminated. In Krasny Liman direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces improved the situation along the front line and repelled two attacks launched by assault groups of the AFU 60th and 63rd mechanised brigades close to Yampolovka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic). The enemy losses amounted to up to 290 Ukrainian troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, and nine motor vehicles. In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces' units took more advantageous lines and positions and repelled 13 attacks launched by AFU 42nd mechanised, 79th air assault, 81st airmobile brigades and 112th territorial defence brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Bogdanovka, Georgiyevka (Donetsk People's Republic) and Belogorvka (Lugansk People's Republic). During the day, up to 240 Ukrainian troops, three motor vehicles, two U.S.-made M777 artillery systems, and one D-20 howitzer have been neutralised. Moreover, two field ammunition depots. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces, in cooperation with aviation, inflicted fire damage on the AFU 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 127th Territorial Defence Brigade close to Vodyanoye (Donetsk People's Republic) and Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses were more than 165 Ukrainian troops, two motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer. In Kherson direction, units of the 35th Marine Brigade and the 121st Territorial Defence Brigade were defeated close to Tokarevka and Mikhailovka (Kherson region). The enemy losses amounted to up to 70 troops and three motor vehicles. One Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one Giatsint-B towed howitzer, and one D-30 howitzer were hit during counter-battery warfare. Operational-Tactical Aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 109 areas during the day. Air defence systems shot down 33 unmanned aerial vehicles near Novaya Kakhovka, Obryvka, Rayskoye, and Peschanovka (Kherson region). In total, 570 airplanes and 265 helicopters, 12,229 unmanned aerial vehicles, 464 air defence missile systems, 14,964 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,218 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,020 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 18,499 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address J-10 fighter jets make one-stop direct return flight from Saudi Arabia with YU-20, sending Lunar New Year greetings Global Times By Guo Yuandan Published: Feb 11, 2024 08:08 PM After delivering flight performances at the World Defence Show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, seven J-10 fighter jets of the August 1st Aerobatics Team of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force flew directly back to China, accompanied and supported by the YU-20 aerial tanker, landing at an airport in western China on Saturday. On their return journey, the J-10 fighter jets trailed colored smoke as they flew in formation above snow-capped mountains, sending Lunar New Year's greetings to people in China. Chinese military expert Zhang Xuefeng said in an interview with the Global Times on Sunday that the August 1st Aerobatics Team sent Lunar New Year's greetings to the motherland with a unique form, adding to the festive atmosphere of China's celebration of the Lunar New Year. The return journey covered a distance of nearly 4,000 kilometers before entering Chinese airspace. The air force successfully performed a complex mid-air refueling for the J-10 fighter jets, which has reduced their reliance on airports in the ground. Zhang said such a one-stop direct flight is of key practical significance. The PLA Air Force publicly announced that the August 1st Aerobatics Team made a direct flight to and from Saudi Arabia, suggesting the PLA Air Force has realized the normalization of long-distance flights and aerial refueling as part of daily training. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address IRGC commander warns US to keep distance from Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 11, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Cops (IRGC) Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh has warned the United States against moving its military assets close to Iran. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the rallies to mark the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Hajizadeh said: "We are not warmongers and are not after war." He said the Iranian Armed Forces are fully prepared to counter any threat, adding that the great Iranian nation supports the officials and armed forces. The commander noted that the US has squandered trillions of dollars on the wars in West Asia and is now supporting the Israeli regime in its war on Gaza. "The Israeli regime has killed nearly 30,000 people with the help of the US military," he said. He advised the American people, the people of the West and Europe to be aware of the way their governments are spending their tax money. About 7,300 domestic and foreign journalists and reporters covered the national event, which took place simultaneously in 1,400 cities and over 35,000 villages from all over Iran. 9376**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two Basij forces martyred in southeastern Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 11, 2024 Zahedan, IRNA -- The public relations of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force in Sistan and Baluchestan province, southeastern Iran, has announced that two members of Basij (voluntary forces) have been martyred on the Zahedan-Bam railway route. The two forces, identified as Mohammad-Anvar Gomshadzehi and Abdolhossein Baluch, were martyred on Sunday morning when unknown armed assailants opened fire on a guard post on the Zahedan-Bam railway route. Also, on Saturday, another IRGC member, Colonel Morteza Hosseini was martyred while carrying out a training mission in the Saravan border region. 9417**4353 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Countries embrace returning Chinese travelers for Lunar New Year and beyond Xinhua) 09:16, February 12, 2024 * China's outbound tourism is riding a vigorous upward tide, with domestic tourism surpassing expectations and returning to the pre-pandemic level. * A recent Oxford Economics report forecasts the number of international outbound trips taken by Chinese travelers in 2024 will roughly double relative to 2023, bouncing back to nearly 80 percent of 2019 volumes. * China, too, is enhancing its allure to foreign tourists by broadening its visa-free policies. BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- "My family and I decided to visit Tanzania to relax and to see animals. It is our first time here, and we are enjoying it," said Wang Shupeng, a 40-year-old father of twin daughters from Beijing, who chose the East African country for his family Lunar New Year trip. The two 12-year-olds were fascinated by local culture, community life, and wildlife scenes and particularly excited about the safari in Serval Wildlife, a wildlife sanctuary located in the Siha district of the Kilimanjaro region at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. Li Miaomiao, a mother to a 9-year-old son and a resident of Lanzhou, the capital city of northwest China's Gansu Province, embarked on a much-anticipated journey to Thailand at the end of January. It was the first international flight that China Eastern Airlines had resumed in Gansu in three years, and the first passenger route linking Thailand was restored this winter at the airport in Lanzhou. Families such as the Wangs and Lis are symbolic of the Chinese's renewed interest in overseas journeys to celebrate the cherished Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. China's outbound tourism is riding a vigorous upward tide, with domestic tourism surpassing expectations and returning to the pre-pandemic level. In December last year, China's international air passenger traffic reached a high point of over 60 percent of the corresponding level in 2019. In 2023, for example, Chinese tourists in Slovenia almost tripled the 2022 figure, according to the country's statistical office. Between 200,000 and 250,000 Chinese tourists are expected to visit Thailand during this year's Spring Festival holiday, more than three times 2023 levels, said Chanapan Kaewklachaiyawuth, vice president of the Thai Chinese Tourism Alliance Association. A recent Oxford Economics report forecasts the number of international outbound trips taken by Chinese travelers in 2024 will roughly double relative to 2023, bouncing back to nearly 80 percent of 2019 volumes. The optimism is echoed in the World Tourism Barometer, published by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) last month. "Outbound and inbound tourism from China is expected to proliferate in 2024 due to visa facilitation and increased airline capacity," it said. A Chinese tourist poses for photos in a street in Bangkok, Thailand, Feb. 4, 2024. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) SYMBOLISM AND DECOR From boutique shops to culinary hotspots and iconic landmarks worldwide, businesses are embracing the allure of Loong culture in the Year of the Dragon, appealing to returning Chinese travelers. Luisaviaroma, a Florence-based boutique store since 1929, plans to celebrate the Year of the Dragon with an immersive in-store installation in collaboration with Chinese designers. The core element of the dedicated installation at the boutique store will be bamboo, an extremely symbolic material for Chinese culture, representing toughness, grace and harmony. "As we understood from the Chinese culture, the year of the dragon is particularly important, and we respect Chinese culture a lot," said Stefanie Yi, the enterprise's senior marketing and PR manager for Asia region. In the Dutch village of Giethoorn, praised as "the Venice of the North," Gabriella Esselbrugge, a tourism entrepreneur, plans to develop boat and biking tours in the village and the national park, popular activities among Chinese tourists. In central London, the Michelin-starred restaurant Hakkasan unveiled a Year of Loong menu featuring such elements as dragon and Chinese lanterns, and cocktails inspired by Chinese paper cutting. "It is fantastic that borders are open and restrictions are lifted, and we can really welcome back all of loyal customers, but also some new ones, too," said Lauren Dodds, the gastronomic gem's marketing manager. The Jungfrau Railways, operating in the Jungfrau region of the Swiss Alps, a World Heritage Site, decorated its platforms and trains with elements related to the Year of Loong from Feb. 8 to 20, said Urs Kessler, CEO of Jungfrau Railways. The Railways also set up a special Chinese Noodle bar with many Asian delicacies in the Grindelwald Terminal and offers Chinese menus on Jungfraujoch, the Top of Europe, to attract Chinese tourists. In the face of the burgeoning demand among Chinese tourists, airlines are scaling up their international operations. China Southern Airlines launched a new flight between Nairobi and the Chinese city of Guangzhou on Dec. 21, 2023. "We scheduled two weekly flights between the two cities before, and now we have three. The move is expected to increase the volume of trade and cultural interactions between the two countries, so we are keeping a close eye on Africa's tourism market," said Liu Wenbin, the general manager of China Southern Airlines Nairobi Office. Hainan Airlines' HU489 flight from Beijing to Berlin has resumed to pre-pandemic levels, with three flights per week during the winter-spring season, and is scheduled to increase frequency to five flights per week from April 2024, the airlines' Berlin office told Xinhua in an interview. Chinese tourists visit the Giza Pyramids scenic spot in Giza, Egypt, on Feb. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) BARRIER-FREE TRAVEL Policymakers from global tourist destinations are keen to attract Chinese holidaymakers, not least with visa-free policies. In a video message last week, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin warmly welcomed Chinese tourists after the two countries sealed a mutual visa exemption agreement, which will come into effect from March 1. The Southeast Asian country aims to attract 8 million tourists from China, more than double the figure from 2023 and constituting 75 percent of the pre-pandemic peak recorded in 2019. Singapore, which also signed a visa-free agreement with China last month, experienced a recovery in its tourism sector last year, with the Chinese mainland topping its tourist spending chart. Malaysia's visa-free deal for Chinese started in December last year. The country hopes to attract 5-7 million Chinese visitors this year, almost double pre-pandemic levels. "We are here in Nauru. If you look us up, we are a very small place on the map, but we have a very big heart," Charmaine Scotty, Nauru's minister for health and internal affairs, told Xinhua in an interview. "And we certainly welcome you to come to our island." "We are creating a comprehensive tourism product that will move all Chinese visitors," said Dimitris Fragakis, secretary general of the Greek National Tourism Organization. He said more direct flights connecting Athens to Beijing and Shanghai are also scheduled to bolster travel. The Indonesian government aims to attract 1 to 1.5 million tourists from China in 2024 by prioritizing programs to appeal to young Chinese travelers who crave authentic experiences. "In Yogyakarta, for example, we have chocolate making and buffalo bathing. We want to invite them to experience these tourism activities," said Wisnu Sindhutrisno, director of regional tourism marketing from Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. "We are very much looking forward to 2024, the first normal year after 2019," said Daniela Chiani, director for Greater China at Switzerland Tourism. "We expect right now around 1 million to 1.2 million overnight stays from Greater China in 2024, or around 65 percent of the 2019 levels." Jungfrau region expects the number of Chinese visitors to bounce back to 60 percent of pre-epidemic levels in 2024 and return to pre-epidemic levels in 2025, said Kessler. Ivana Jelinic, president and CEO of the Italian National Tourist Board, projects that Chinese tourists visiting Italy will return to pre-pandemic levels, and their arrivals may even reach "new peaks" this year, starting from the Spring Festival holiday in China. She believes that Chinese tourism is crucial for various tourism destinations in Italy, adding that the benefits can extend to all economic sectors impacted by an increase in incoming flows, including not only hospitality and direct services to tourists but also the entire sector of Made in Italy, retail, luxury, food and wine. China, too, is enhancing its allure to foreign tourists by broadening its visa-free policies. China's recent extension of the visa-free policy to Switzerland and Ireland, in addition to five EU countries and Malaysia, was hailed by the UN tourism body as a significant advancement in the global tourism industry's recovery. The resurgence of Chinese outbound tourism presents an opportunity to invigorate the global tourism and service industries while encouraging meaningful cross-border interactions and fostering greater mutual understanding. A Chinese tourist poses for photos while visiting the archaeological site of Jerash in Jordan, on Feb. 10, 2024. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua) A recent Reuters report noted Chinese travelers' appetite shift from shop-til-you-drop group tours to niche, flexible, and experience-based trips, for example, focusing on meditation, cooking, or photography. As quality of life heads up, the younger generation in the world's second-largest economy is leveling up their holiday as well. "Promoting the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization is not only a bright road for the Chinese people to pursue a better and happier life but also a just one to promote world peace and development," said Chinese President Xi Jinping at a Spring Festival reception. "The whole world has been waiting for China to open up more, and now Chinese tourists are coming back," UN World Tourism Organization secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili told Xinhua ahead of the International Tourism Fair. "At the same time, everyone wants to visit China, and its fantastic cultural heritage is well worth visiting." (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) By Elshan Manafli Bob Menendez, the subject of sensational allegations involving illegal cash, gold bars, a luxury Mercedes Benz car and the acceptance of expensive gifts in exchange for bribes, brought with him a huge stain on the name of the US Senate. According to the information obtained, Robert Menendez and his wife Nadine Menendez were given hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes, gold bars, cash, and a luxury convertible car. The fact that the bribery scandal extended to Egypt and several rich Arab countries shows that Menendez has formed a large family corruption center during his many years in the Senate. Prosecutors have previously described how in 2022, when Menendez's home was raided, federal agents found a haul including almost $500,000 in cash, 13 gold bars and a Mercedez-Benz convertible. It is interesting that the US Federal Intelligence Bureau, which is aware of all over the world, has not noticed such a big event until today. We wonder what Menendez did to the United States that they are opening so many of his files and exposing them now. It should be noted that the US State Department names Senator Bob Menendez, who has not yet recovered from the loads of indictment, as the main figure trying to prevent the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye. Western sources shared information about this. The source reports that the Biden administration is ready to sell 40 planes for $20 billion, but according to the State Department, the Senate committee is responsible for the delay of all these works. The US Congress has approved the contract with Turkiye on F-16 fighter jets, the US Embassy in Ankara said. Turkiye's purchase of 40 new and 79 modernized F-16 aircraft in the United States was called a "big step forward". The fighter jets are "crucial for NATO forces in ensuring interoperability between allies," the statement said. So White House, trying to restore relations with Turkiye, found a new victim - Bob Menedez, whose name was involved in bribery, becomes the sin chicken, as in the Jewish Kapparot ceremony, and an additional charge is made on top of the bribery charges. Probably, the corrupt senator, whose burden is increasing, will thereby wash away all the sins of the United States with him and resume its activities in both the Congress and the Senate like a blank white paper. It should be noted that Robert Menendez, whose wife is of Armenian descent, also gained a reputation for his extreme pro-Armenianism. But today, there is no one to help the senator who fell victim to the sins of the United States. It's as if the Armenians he loved as much as the gifts he once received have disappeared from the face of the earth. We wonder if anyone remembers Bob on his knees in front of the court. Probably, Bob Menendez, like other congressmen, could not fully fulfill his commitments of keep his promise for the Armenian lobbyists. Or the amount of the bribe was so high that his service so far did not meet the demands of the Armenian lobby. That is why Menendez is alone today and stands with his neck bowed in front of the court bench, burdening the sins of the United States. And Armenia, making a fuss over everything, is cold-bloodedly watching the suffering of its paid Armenian supporters. Iran celebrates 45th anniversary of Islamic Revolution ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Sun / 11 February 2024 / 18:38 Millions of Iranians poured into the streets across the country to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution spearheaded by the late charismatic leader Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini. Tehran-ISNA- On Sunday, people took part in mass rallies in the capital Tehran and other cities and towns to renew their allegiance to the Islamic establishment. The rallies took place simultaneously in 1,400 cities and over 35,000 villages from all over Iran. They chanted slogans in support of the Islamic Republic and waved the Iranian national flags. The event was covered by more than 7,300 Iranian and foreign media personnel. Meanwhile, the ground-to-ground missile Qiyam (Uprising) was put on display along the route to Azadi Square. Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi addressed the crowd at Tehran's Azadi Square. On the eve of the event, fireworks displays were performed in Tehran and other cities at 9:00 p.m. overnight, as people chanted Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest) in an expression of solidarity with the Islamic Revolution. The 22nd of the solar calendar month of Bahman, which corresponds with February 11, is observed each year with tremendous patriotic fervor across Iran. On this day, forty-five years ago, the US-backed Pahlavi regime was overthrown in a popular uprising that also ended the meddling of foreign hegemonic powers in Iran's internal affairs. End Itam NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Raeisi reaffirms Islamic Revolution's 45-year support for Palestine Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 9:19 AM President Ebrahim Raeisi has reaffirmed Iran's unwavering support for the Palestinian people, saying Palestine remains the number one issue of the Muslim world as the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini said famously. Addressing a massive rally in the capital, Tehran, on the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Raeisi said Western powers tried very hard to dissuade Iran from supporting Palestine but failed miserably. "The Westerners tried hard to make Iran stop defending Palestine and the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, whether through war or economic blockade and sanctions, and repeatedly sent messages saying 'stop defending Palestine,'" he said. The president hastened to add that forty-five years after the victory of the revolution, it is now proven that "the Islamic Republic and our visionary Imam" were right in saying that Palestine is the first issue of the Islamic world and that al-Quds must be freed. He also advised people who want to know the West, the US and the Zionist regime to look at their ongoing crimes against humanity, war crimes and child-killings in Gaza. Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. So far, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 28,064 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 67,611 others. Iran ranks 1st in science production in region: Raeisi Also in his remarks, Raeisi noted that Iran ranks first in science production in the region and 15th in the world. Iran has been able to achieve self-sufficiency in many areas, something that benefits the country and the entire region, he added. "Iran made achievements in different sectors in light of self-belief and believing in people and God," the president said. "Thanks to the Islamic Revolution and the efforts of the young people of our country, today we are among the frontrunners in the medical, biotechnology and nanotechnology fields." 'Islamic Revolution not hindered by any obstacle' Meanwhile, the Iranian chief executive said that the Islamic Revolution is racing forward following the periods of establishment, stabilization and development, and that it recognizes no obstacle in its path forward. "The enemy launched military, economic, media and psychological wars, and more recently, a hybrid war in order to stop the Iranian nation, but the people emerged victorious in all arenas and disappointed the enemy," he noted. The movement of the Iranian nation is based on the Islamic Revolution's discourse, which carries a message of liberation and independence for nations and a message of resistance and resilience against enemies, he added. Raeisi calls Iran 'most independent nation' Additionally, President Raeisi said that through the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation replaced humiliation with dignity and transmitted the message of independence. "Today, the most independent country in the world is the Islamic Republic of Iran. A country that is neither dependent on the East nor the West, makes its own decisions, and acts on its own," he asserted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM Netanyahu: "The achievements of the IDF are very impressive. We are on the way to victory. It is within reach. It is a difficult battle, but one we are winning." Israel - Prime Minister's Office The 37th Government 11.02.2024 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "The achievements of the IDF are very impressive. We are on the way to victory. It is within reach. It is a difficult battle, but one we are winning." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ministers of the Government of Israel, today, visited base of the IDF Yahalom Unit where they received a security briefing on the war from IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi and additional commanders. The Chief-of-Staff briefed the ministers about the combat in the Gaza Strip and discussed both the impressive military achievements to date and the plans for the continuation of the fighting. 162nd Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Itzik Cohen and Palmachim Air Base Commander Brig.-Gen. Omri Dor briefed the ministers about the combined air-ground incursion being carried out by the IDF in the Gaza Strip in a way that is without parallel in the world. Prime Minister Netanyahu at the conclusion of the security briefing: "First, I would like to thank the Chief-of-Staff and the commanders, also for the presentation, which is mainly about the achievements which are impressive by any international standard. The achievements of the IDF are very impressive. We are on the way to victory. It will take time as it has been said correctly. But - contrary to what is being said - it will not take years. It is within reach. It is a difficult battle, but one we are winning. We want, in effect, to bring about the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. This requires our security control and our comprehensive security responsibility over all territory west of the Jordan River, including the Gaza Strip. There is no alternative to this in the foreseeable future. We are also saying this to the international community, and to the President of the US, and to all leaders. There is no alternative to this. This is to say, security control will always be ours, and if this requires a presence inside, then there will be a presence inside. If it requires that we be able to go in anywhere, as the IDF is capable of going anywhere, at any time, this will be said here and this will also be the case in the future. This requires maximum internal unity; I hope that we will succeed in preserving this. The goal is no less than the victory we have been discussing. It is within reach. It requires that we also withstand the increasing pressure. I must tell you the truth: They are increasing, and each one of you who comes into contact with foreign elements can tell about this, each one in his or her own way. But the most important thing is to adhere and cling to the goal - and the goal is victory. Not a half victory, not a three-quarters victory but victory over all of Hamas. I believe that with G-d's help, and with our united forces, we can achieve this. In light of what you have seen today, I think that you also are filled with confidence and pride in our soldiers, commanders and achievements." Prior to the briefings, the ministers visited the IDF Immanuel Base where they were shown operational presentations from the fighting in Gaza in the context of which they were briefed on the activities of the Yahalom Unit, the fighting in the underground tunnels, the activity of the 9900th Intelligence Unit and intelligence findings from inside the Gaza Strip, which serve the security forces in deriving additional intelligence to assist the progress in the fighting in Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu directed that the Chief-of-Staff hold an additional security briefing focusing on the northern sector. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of President Biden's Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel February 11, 2024 President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke this morning with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The President reaffirmed our shared goal to see Hamas defeated and to ensure the long-term security of Israel and its people. The President and the Prime Minister discussed ongoing efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas. The President emphasized the need to capitalize on progress made in the negotiations to secure the release of all hostages as soon as possible. He also called for urgent and specific steps to increase the throughput and consistency of humanitarian assistance to innocent Palestinian civilians. And he reaffirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there. The two leaders agreed to remain in close contact. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Orban's Advisor Says Hungary Trying to Convince EU to Return to Diplomacy With Russia Sputnik News 20240211 VIENNA (Sputnik) - Balazs Orban, the Hungarian Political Director of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, said on Saturday that Hungary is trying to persuade member states of the European Union to return to the diplomatic dialogue with Moscow. "Our position has remained the same for many years: there can be no military solution on the battlefield. We must return to diplomacy. We are trying to convince our allies of this in Brussels and elsewhere," Orban said in an interview with Austrian newspaper Exxpress. At the same time, he noted that although Russia began its special operation in Ukraine, the West continues to fuel the conflict. "We do not consider this a good idea, because this path will either lead to the collapse of the Ukrainian army or to an escalation that will lead to a third world war. In short, the Hungarian and Russian positions differ for obvious reasons. But we also believe that the West bears responsibility," Orban said. In his opinion, the US, the EU and Russia will finally conclude a long-term agreement to resolve the tensions. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israeli Warplanes Strike Airport on Damascus Outskirts - Russian Military Sputnik News 20240211 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Two Israeli fighter jets launched airstrikes at Al-Dimas airport near the Syrian capital of Damascus, a senior Russian military officer told a news briefing on Saturday. "Two tactical F-35 fighters of the Israeli air force... fired four precision-guided air bombs at military infrastructure in Al-Dimas airfield," Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit said. The Israeli airstrikes caused material damage, the official said. The jets came from the southern Golan Heights and did not penetrate into the Syrian airspace. On 2 February 2024, the US Air Force launched a series of airstrikes against militant groups in Iraq and Syria. The attack was in response to a drone strike carried out by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq against US forces near Jordan the week before, which killed three American servicemen. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Record 6 Chinese balloons in 24 hours detected flying across Taiwan ROC Central News Agency 02/11/2024 03:21 PM Taipei, Feb. 11 (CNA) A record six Chinese balloons flew across Taiwan between 6 a.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In its daily report on Chinese military activities, the MND said the six balloons were among eight that crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait during the 24-hour period. The eight balloons were detected between 10:05 a.m. to 3:34 p.m. Saturday at altitudes ranging from 12,000 feet to 35,000 feet, the MND said. Of the six that crossed Taiwan, some flew over northern Keelung City and while others flew near central Taichung City, the MND added. The MND did not comment on the type of balloons involved or say why Beijing had sent them across the median line. The median line in the Taiwan Strait served for decades as a tacit border, but China's military has more freely sent aircraft warships and drones across it since former United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan in August 2022. Since the beginning of 2024, Beijing has also begun sending balloons over Taiwan, according to the MND. Saturday and Sunday marked the first day and second day of the New Lunar Year of the Dragon, which is celebrated on both sides of the Taiwan Strait as well as by Chinese diaspora communities across the globe. A military spokesman said this January that the daily sending of balloons to Taiwan was part of Chinese "gray zone" tactics in the lead-up to the presidential and legislative elections day on Jan. 13 and meant to "harass and rattle the Taiwanese people." Taiwan's military has generally assessed the balloons as being for meteorological purposes, a conclusion drawn in part from its investigation of balloon debris found in February 2023 around Dongyin islet. The MND said last year that similar equipment has been regularly detected in the air and sea around Taiwan, most often between December and February, because seasonal winds bring the balloons closer to Taiwan. Speaking during a Jan. 9 MND press event, Colonel Wang Chia-chun (cZae), deputy head of MND's joint operations planning section, said shooting down the balloons would be "a waste of ammunition" and the exact response China wants from Taiwan. He added that Taiwan's standard military response was to issue alerts to the relevant authorities and to closely monitor the balloons' movements, particularly if they are found to be flying near more densely populated areas. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ASG NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Feb. 11, 2024 ROC Ministry of National Defense 2024/02/11 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Feb. 11, 2024 09:00iUTC+8i 1.Dateis 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Saturday to Sunday , Feb. 10-11. 2.PLA activitiesis 6 PLA aircraft and 4 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 1 of the aircraft entered Taiwan's southwestern ADIZ. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy vessels, and coastal missile systems in response to the detected activities. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andriy Yermak met with the State Border Guard Service chief, the Steel Border detachment chief President of Ukraine 10 February 2024 - 19:37 Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with Chief of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine Serhii Deineko and Chief of the 15th Mobile Border Guard Detachment "Steel Border," Colonel Valerii Padytel. Andriy Yermak congratulated Serhii Deineko and Valerii Padytel on the recent anniversary of the establishment of the Guard Brigade "Steel Border." The participants discussed issues related to further technical equipment of the brigade to strengthen it and increase the efficiency of task performance. "Over almost 10 years of war, border guards have demonstrated that they are an example of bravery and resilience. It was the fighters of the State Border Guard Service who were among the first to engage in combat during the full-scale invasion, heroically holding back significantly superior enemy forces. It is very important for the President and our team that each military brigade has maximum support for effective task execution, including the border guard brigade. So today, I want to take a closer look at the needs of the 'Steel Border' brigade, which I oversee, to expedite their provision as quickly as possible," said the head of the President's Office. Serhii Deineko described the "Steel Border" brigade as one of the most successful, as over the nine months of performing combat tasks, its units have not lost any positions, the fighters work together smoothly, have high morale, and are motivated to defend the country and fight the occupiers. "All of this is thanks to the system of working with people and the respect shown to them. We see every soldier, sergeant, officer," said the chief of the State Border Guard Service. Commander of the "Steel Border" Valerii Padytel told Andriy Yermak that the brigade's soldiers are currently performing tasks to defend the state border and on the front line. According to him, the brigade's warriors are highly motivated. Separately, Serhii Deineko and Valerii Padytel thanked Andriy Yermak and all those involved on the state side for their assistance in returning border guards from captivity, including Captain 1st rank, Commander of the Mariupol detachment of the State Border Guard Service Maritime Security Petro Melnyk. The soldiers of this unit, together with border guards from the Donetsk detachment, led by Valerii Padytel at that time, and other Ukrainian defenders, defended Mariupol. During the previous POW exchange, 26 border guards were released from Russian captivity. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU's pressures on Hungary over Ukraine amounts to 'political rape': Adviser Iran Press TV Sunday, 11 February 2024 10:06 AM The European Union's pressure on Hungary to join Brussels in its all-out support for Kiev has become a "political rape" of Budapest, says an adviser to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Balazs Orban, an unrelated adviser to Hungary's leader, revealed to media that several EU leaders had directly contacted the Hungarian PM, threatening him to crash the Budapest economy if he blocked a a50 billion ($54 billion) economic aid package Brussels had allocated to Kiev, RT reported on Saturday, citing Austria's Express newspaper. According to an article run by the Financial Times, the EU leadership sketched out plans to cut funding for Hungary, thereby hampering its ability to subsidize direct foreign investment and eventually crashing the value of its local currency, the Hungarian Forint, which is issued and overseen by the Hungarian National Bank. "Leading politicians called my prime minister and explained this to him openly," the adviser told the newspaper on Saturday. "We rejected this approach. It contradicts the basic idea of aathe EU. This is de-facto political rape." "We...made it clear that we are not afraid," he told the newspaper. "We think the Hungarian economy is strong enough." Hungary's leadership has repeatedly argued against Ukraine's continued war against Russia. Orban has argued that Kiev cannot hope to defeat Moscow on the battlefield, saying that Brussels' anti-Russia bans hurt the bloc more than they damage the Moscow economy. In a speech earlier this week, the adviser accused European leaders of serving Washington's interests rather than their own by bankrolling Kiev, declaring that "Europe has been basically brought to its knees due to the attitude of the US." Meanwhile, in an interview earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin once more told the West not to underestimate Moscow, saying it is "impossible" to defeat his nation. "Up until now, there has been the uproar and screaming about inflicting a strategic defeat to Russia on the battlefield," Putin said during a rare interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Feb. 6. "But now they are apparently coming to realize that it is difficult to achieve, if possible, at all. In my opinion, it is impossible by definition," he insisted. Putin said to end Ukraine's US-led NATO proxy war with Russia, Washington needed to "make an agreement" with Moscow. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zelenskiy Steps Up Leadership 'Reboot' As Russian Drone Assaults Hit Kyiv, Kharkiv By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service February 11, 2024 KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy continued moves to "reboot" the leadership of his government and military even as Russia's military launched another wave of drones across Ukraine overnight, including the capital, Kyiv. Ukraine on February 11 announced that Oleksandr Pavlyuk -- released from his first deputy defense minister post a day earlier -- was named the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces. Pavlyuk replaced Oleksandr Syrskiy, had been promoted to become the commander in chief of Ukraine's armed forces after replacing General Valeriy Zaluzhniy on February 8. New presidential decrees also named Yuriy Sodol, the former head of Ukraine's Marine Corps, as the new commander of Ukraine's combined forces. Sodol replaced Serhiy Nayev, who said he heard about his dismissal from the media. "I learned from the media about my dismissal from the post of Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which I had held since 2020. Those were difficult times. One of the most difficult periods in the history of Ukraine," Nayev wrote on Telegram. Nayev thanked "all generals, officers, sergeants, and soldiers for their selfless service, for coordinated work and joint efforts, for trust and support [and] all Ukrainians for their patriotism and significant assistance to our army." Brigadier General Ihor Skibyuk was picked as commander of Ukraine's air assault forces, and Major General Ihor Plahuta as commander of Ukraine's territorial defense forces. In a statement on Telegram on February 10, Zelenskiy said that he hoped to "reboot" the upper levels of Ukraine's armed forces with experienced combat commanders. "Now, people who are well-known in the army and who themselves know well what the army needs are taking on new responsibilities," he said. Syrskiy has signaled that his immediate goals include improving troop rotation at the front lines and harnessing the power of new technology. Syrskiy is regarded as the architect of the most important Ukrainian victory of the war, the counteroffensive in the eastern Kharkiv region in September 2022 that chased Russian forces out of the cities of Kupyansk and Izyum. The change in the leadership of the armed forces comes at a crucial time for Ukraine, which has failed to recapture significant territory from Russia since late 2022. The ongoing Russian attacks also come as Kyiv faces a potential disruption in military aid supply from the United States, its biggest backer, as Republican lawmakers block a $61 billion aid package over demands for deep changes in U.S. border policy. On the battlefield, the latest Russian attacks followed a deadly drone strike a day earlier on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city in the east of the country and close to the border with Russia. The drone strike on a fuel depot killed seven people, including three children, and wounded another three, regional Governor Oleh Synyehubov said on Telegram early on February 10. The Ukrainian Air Force said on Telegram that its air-defense systems destroyed 40 out of 45 Russia-launched Shahed attack drones overnight, many of which reportedly targeted port infrastructure in the south of the country. "The air alert in the capital lasted almost two hours," Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, said on Telegram. Popko said all drones over Kyiv had been destroyed on their approach. No casualties or damage was reported in or around Kyiv, according to first reports. Air-defense systems destroyed 26 Russia-launched Shahed drones over several southern regions, Ukraine's southern military command said on Telegram, adding that the Mykolayiv region near the Black Sea suffered some of the heaviest attacks. At least one civilian was injured in the southern Ukraine attack, the military said. "The priority for the enemy was again the coastal strip of infrastructure and agro-industrial facilities," the military said. Residential buildings and a gas pipeline in Mykolayiv suffered damaged from falling debris from a downed drone and the subsequent blast wave, the military command said. Four drones were shot down over the Black Sea port of Odesa, the military said. A day earlier, at least eight people were killed and several others wounded in a round of Russian drone strikes and shelling that also damaged port infrastructure critical for Ukraine's food exports, the military and regional officials said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- drones-kharkiv-shahed-ports/32814209.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kyiv Claims Russian Military Using Musk's Starlink In Occupied Areas By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service February 11, 2024 Ukrainian defense officials have claimed Russian forces in areas of eastern Ukraine that they occupy are using terminals of Elon Musk's satellite Internet service Starlink, although Musk later denied his company is dealing with Russia. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence posted on February 11 on Telegram an audio clip of what it said was an intercept of an exchange between two Russian soldiers, claiming it as proof of its "systemic" use. SpaceX, which runs the Starlink terminals, said in a statement on February 8 on X, formerly Twitter, that it "does not do business of any kind with the Russian government or its military," and that its service does not work in Russia. Musk himself on February 11 took to his X platform, formerly known as Twitter, to reject any suggestion his company is providing equipment to Russia. "A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false," he wrote. "To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia," he added. The Ukrainian directorate said the audio clip posted on Telegram featured troops from Russia's 83rd Air Assault Brigade discussing setting up the terminals in eastern Ukraine. It gave no details about the alleged scale of use or how the terminals were obtained. Spokesman Andriy Yusov told Ukrainian media on February 10 that the matter was "beginning to take on a systemic nature." Starlink is a network of more than 2,000 satellites orbiting the Earth in communication with thousands of terminals on the ground. It was activated across Ukraine in late February 2022 after Internet services were disrupted because of Russia's full-scale invasion. Starlink's presence in Ukraine has not only proven invaluable on the combat front but also in restoring energy and communication infrastructure targeted by Russia. Yet questions remain about how committed its billionaire owner is to supporting the war effort. Musk has said he prevented a Ukrainian attack on a Russian Navy base in 2022 by declining Kyiv's request to activate Internet access in the Black Sea near Moscow-annexed Crimea. That revelation in September 2023 drew sharp condemnation from Mykhaylo Podolyak, a senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who called it "the price of a cocktail of ignorance and big ego." The incident in question revolved around a dramatic plan by Ukraine late last year to cripple Russia's Black Sea naval fleet based in Sevastopol. "There was an emergency request from government authorities to activate Starlink all the way to Sevastopol. The obvious intent being to sink most of the Russian fleet at anchor," Musk said on X on September 7 after CNN published excerpts from an upcoming biography of Musk describing the incident. "If I had agreed to their request, then SpaceX would be explicitly complicit in a major act of war and conflict escalation," said Musk at the time. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia- starlink-musk/32814348.html Copyright (c) 2024. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Repels Barrage of Iran-Made Shaheed Drones By VOA News February 11, 2024 In a five-and-a-half-hour barrage, Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with dozens of drones, injuring at least one civilian and damaging a gas pipeline as well as residential buildings in the river and seaport of Mykolaiv, Ukraine's military said Sunday. Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, said Ukraine's air force defense systems downed 40 out of the 45 Russia-launched, Iran-made Shahed attack drones. "The air alert in the capital lasted almost two hours," he said on Telegram. According to preliminary information, there were neither casualties nor destruction in or near the capital. In southern Ukraine, the military command said on Telegram that its air defense systems were engaged for more than five hours and destroyed 26 Russia-launched Shahed drones over several southern regions, mainly over the Mykolaiv region near the Black Sea. At least one civilian was injured there from the falling debris. "The priority for the enemy was again the coastal strip of infrastructure and agro-industrial facilities," the military said. Falling debris from a downed drone and the blast wave damaged residential buildings and a gas pipeline in Mykolaiv, the military command said. Four drones were downed over the Black Sea port of Odesa, the military said. The Reuters news agency was not able to independently verify the reports. Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified their air attacks in recent months, targeting each other's critical energy, military and transport infrastructure. Ukraine Cabinet shakeup The strikes come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues the shakeup of his top brass, while trying to maintain momentum against attacking Russian forces. Kyiv announced Sunday that former deputy Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Alexander Pavlyuk would become the new commander of Ukraine's ground forces. The post was previously held by Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was named Thursday as the replacement for Ukraine's outgoing military chief, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi. New presidential decrees also named Yurii Sodol, the former head of Ukraine's marine corps, as the new commander of Ukraine's combined forces, Brig. Gen. Ihor Skibiuk as commander of Ukraine's air assault forces, and Maj. Gen. Ihor Plahuta as commander of Ukraine's territorial defense forces. Incoming commander-in-chief Syrskyi has indicated that his immediate goals include improving troop rotation at the front lines and harnessing the power of new technology while Ukrainian forces are largely on the defensive. Russia Starlink worries Ukraine's military intelligence said it has confirmed earlier reports that Russian troops are using Elon Musk's Starlink satellite communications system for their communications on the battlefield. The satellite terminals had been sent to Ukraine after the Russian invasion in 2022. Since then, some of these territories in eastern Ukraine have been occupied by Russian forces. The Ukrainian defense ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence, or GUR, said they confirmed the system's use by Russian forces. "Cases of the Russian occupiers' use of the given devices have been registered. It is beginning to take on a systemic nature," GUR quoted spokesperson Andriy Yusov as saying. Russia's defense ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. The GUR said it had intercepted an exchange between two Russian soldiers discussing setting up the terminals. It posted what it said was an audio clip of the exchange on Telegram. The GUR did not specify how it thought the terminals had been obtained by Russian forces. Starlink said on February 8 that its terminals were not active in Russia and that SpaceX had never sold or marketed the service in Russia or shipped equipment to locations in Russia. In a statement posted on X, Starlink did not say anything about their possible use in occupied areas of Ukraine. "If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed," it said. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Asks Australia for Specialists for Burn Victims By Phil Mercer February 11, 2024 With the death toll rising from missile and drone strikes almost two years after Russia invaded, Ukraine is urging Australia to share its world-leading approach to treating burn victims. Doctors say the number of Ukrainians dying from injuries caused by burns during Russia's invasion is rising sharply and warn Ukraine's medical system is struggling to cope. Representatives from the Lviv-based Christian Medical Association of Ukraine are in Australia urging the government to send specialist medical expertise and supplies. There has been no official government response so far. Australia has expertise with burn injuries. Many techniques were developed after the terrorist bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali in 2002. Two hundred and two people were killed, including many foreign nationals. Rudi Myhovych of the Christian Medical Association of Ukraine told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. he hopes the government will send doctors to Ukraine. "We hope to get teams of plastic burns doctor[s] to Ukraine for [the] short term," he said. "We respect your time, and we are trying to be careful and maximize all of the help that is in our hands. But also, we plan to send Ukrainian doctors. They can observe and take the knowledge and better skills. So, because [the] amount of cases is unbelievable." The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has reported that at least 10,000 civilians have been killed and upwards of 18,500 have been injured since Russia invaded on February 24, 2022. Attacks on health care facilities, a lack of medical staff and power shortages have made it harder for victims to receive care during the conflict. Russia has claimed its invasion of Ukraine is a "special military operation" and has insisted it does not target civilians a both of which are refuted by Ukraine, the U.N., the United States and NATO. Australia is among the largest non-NATO contributors to Kyiv's war effort, supplying missiles and armored personnel carriers. The government also has imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian politicians, including President Vladimir Putin, military commanders and businesspeople. They are the most sweeping penalties Australia has ever put on another country. Additionally, Canberra has banned imports of Russian oil, petroleum, coal and gas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chicago, Feb. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Advanced Magnetic Materials Market is projected to grow from USD 24.2 billion in 2023 to USD 38.2 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period, as per the recent study by MarketsandMarkets. The global advanced magnetic materials market is expected to grow in the coming years, driven by increasing demand from various industries such as automotive, industrial, electronics, medical, power generation and others. The market is also expected to benefit from technological advancements in advanced magnetic materials technology, enabling to achieve high quality magnets. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=192828139 Browse in-depth TOC on Advanced Magnetic Materials Market. 214 - Market Data Tables 47 - Figures 218 - Pages List of Key Players in Advanced Magnetic Materials Market: Hitachi Metals Ltd. (Japan) TDK Corporation (Japan) Daido Steel Ltd. (Japan) Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. (Japan) Arnold magnetic Technologies (US) Anhui Sinomag Technology Co. Ltd. (China) Neo (Canada) Ningbo Yunsheng Co. Ltd. (China) Vacuumschmelze GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities in Advanced Magnetic Materials Market: Driver: Development of new industrial robots Development of new industrial robots Restrain: Recent trade bans imposed by Chinese government on new technologies which affect the market Recent trade bans imposed by Chinese government on new technologies which affect the market Opportunity: Development of magneto calorific materials for HVAC Development of magneto calorific materials for HVAC Challenge: investments required in R&D Key Findings of the Study: Permanent magnet segment to grow at a significant rate in advanced magnetic materials, in terms of value. Automotive industry to be the fastest-growing end-use industry segment in the global advanced magnetic materials market in terms of value. Asia Pacific continuous to be the largest market in the global advanced magnetic materials market in terms of value. Get Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=192828139 Based on Type, the advanced magnetic materials market is segmented by type into permanent magnet, semi-hard magnet, and soft magnet. Among these three types of advanced magnetic materials, permanent magnets have high magnetic coercivity. Semi-hard magnets have a coercivity that is lower than permanent magnets but higher than soft magnets whereas soft magnets have a very low coercivity. Permanent magnets are used in high-performance applications such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), stator of the electric motors and more. Soft magnets are used in applications where high permeability and low coercivity is required. Semi-hard magnets are mostly used for hysteresis motors, clutches, and brakes for textile, paper, and computer disk drives industry. Moreover, semi-hard magnets are also used in the telecommunication industry for telephone switching systems, and security devices & articles. Get 10% Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=192828139 Based on end-use industries, Automotive, electronics, industrial, power generation, medical and other are the key end-use industries for advanced magnetic materials. Advanced magnetic materials have vast applications in the automobile industry. The automobile contains magnetic materials in various parts such as motors, sensors, actuators, and switches. The concerns regarding the fuel economy of vehicles lead the manufacturers to reduce vehicle weight and to increase the combustion efficiency. This has resulted in an elevated use of magnetic materials in automobiles. Magnetic materials are increasingly used in electric motors for various functions such as electric steering, electric braking, electric throttle actuation, auto-clutch, and gearbox actuation. The technology advancement increases the utilization of magnetic materials. The magnetocardiography and magnetoencephalography are some of the medical applications that make use of magnetic materials. The automation and technology development in Asia-Pacific is expected to improve the magnetic materials market. Based on countries, The US led the advanced magnetic materials market in 2022. The market in the US is driven by the presence of major end-use industries and strong industrialization in the country. The US is expected to remain the dominant market during the forecast period. The growing usage of advanced magnetic materials in automotive, aerospace and defense, and other industries is responsible for the high market share of the US. The market in Germany is expected to register a CAGR of 9.7% between 2023 and 2028 to reach a market size of USD 2,042.6 million by 2028. The market in China is projected to witness a CAGR of 10.1% during the forecast period. The growth in the country is owed to projects that are expected to be completed by 2028. Browse Adjacent Markets: Advanced Materials Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novotech, the global full-service clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) that partners with biotech companies to accelerate the development of advanced and novel therapeutics at every phase, has released today two industry leading reports on the Candidiasis and Rheumatoid Arthritis clinical trial landscapes. Importantly the reports also include a SWOT Analysis designed to inform strategic drug development decision-making and ultimately enhance the chances of successful and impactful treatments. The Novotech research analyst team provides these expert reports on a monthly basis, completely free of charge. These reports offer current insights into global clinical trial activity, revealing which regions experience the highest trial volumes and the factors behind these trends. They tackle the hurdles faced by biotech firms in specific therapeutic areas and discuss future paths in therapy and investment trends. The Candidiasis Global Clinical Trial Landscape report dives into why this fungal infection which mostly affects the oral cavity and reproductive organs has become a significant global concern, particularly among people with compromised immune systems. The report also focusses on the epidemiology, therapeutic challenges, and the evolving clinical trial trend data offering invaluable insights for healthcare professionals and researchers. Since 2018, over 200 clinical trials for Candidiasis have been initiated globally, with the APAC region leading the charge, at almost 60% of trials, the majority of which are in Mainland China. This is followed by Europe (23%), North America (10%), and the Rest Of World (7%). This global landscape report shows Candidiasis has varying incidence rates across regions, reflecting the interplay of factors such as geography, healthcare infrastructures, and demographics. The report also highlights the dominance of Candida albicans globally, the invasive and non-invasive Candidiasis prevalence, and treatment challenges arising from drug-resistant strains. Key takeaways from the report include: APAC continues to have a focus on Phase I trials, while Europe is highly engaged across Phase I, II and III trials, and North America is focused on Phase III trials. APAC demonstrates a robust clinical trials Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20% outpacing other global regions. Recruitment rates differ significantly across APA, Europe and the US Noteworthy breakthroughs in antifungal medications include approvals for Brexafemme, Vivjoa, and Rezzayo, providing optimism for Candidiasis treatment. On the venture capital front, the US and China take the lead, underscoring a shared interest in advancing Candidiasis solutions with robust funding, particularly in Series B and C rounds. The report also provides an in-depth understanding of ongoing research into potential antifungal vaccines. Download the report here The Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Global Clinical Trial Landscape report looks at the prevalence globally and identifies the key factors driving this condition. RA, a persistent inflammatory condition of the joints, affects people between 60 to 70 years of age and disproportionately impacts women. The report emphasizes the crucial role of early diagnosis and treatment with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and the effectiveness of biological or targeted synthetic DMARDs. Importantly, it also covers the latest advancements in molecular medicine, epigenetic drugs, microRNAs, gene editing technologies, and the role of the microbiome. Since 2018, over 1,100 clinical trials for RA have been initiated globally, with the APAC region leading at 60%, followed by Europe at 21% and North America at 13%. The report also found that there is promising progression of new RA therapeutics with more than 80 drugs in preclinical stages, 52 in Phase I trials, and 4 in combined Phase I/II studies. Additionally, 61 drugs are in Phase II, and 19 in Phase III, with 9 approved and 82 already in the market. Overall, this report provides vital insights into the global clinical trial landscape, detailing ongoing developments in RA research. In addition, the SWOT Analysis offers a rare perspective designed for strategic drug development planning. Key takeaways from the report are: As of 2020, RA affected 17.6 million people globally, resulting in 38,300 deaths. In the APAC region, China holds the highest number of cases at 4.7m, and India has 2.67m cases, in Europe, the United Kingdom stands out at 458,000 cases, and in North America, the United States leads at 1,440,000 cases. Trial phases vary globally, with APAC dominant in Phase 1 trials, Europe balancing across all phases, and North America showing a focus on Phase 1. In recent years, China led in venture capital investments, with the US closely following. The distribution of funding across financing rounds reveals a focus on later stages, particularly Series C, indicating increased investor confidence and higher funding amounts for mature companies. Early-stage research, especially in the preclinical stage, attracted the majority of investments, highlighting the emphasis on groundbreaking discoveries and innovative treatments. This comprehensive resource guides healthcare professionals, researchers, and organizations in navigating the complex clinical trial RA landscape. Download the report here About Novotech Novotech-CRO.com Founded in 1997, Novotech is a global full-service clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) focused on partnering with biotech companies to accelerate the development of advanced and novel therapeutics at every phase. Recognized for its industry-leading contributions, Novotech has received numerous prestigious awards, including the CRO Leadership Award 2023, the Asia Pacific Cell & Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Excellence 2023, the Asia-Pacific Contract Research Organization Company of the Year Award since 2006. The Company offers a comprehensive suite of services including laboratories, Phase I facilities, drug development consulting, regulatory expertise, and has experience with over 5,000 clinical projects, including Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials and bioequivalence studies. With a presence in 34 office locations and a dedicated team of 3,000+ professionals worldwide, Novotech is a trusted end-to-end strategic partner of choice. For more information or to speak to an expert team member visit www.Novotech-CRO.com. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3fc9701b-b0f3-432e-bac0-5c8bf0bf5070 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/db8d6332-f46b-4922-852d-2f2b1e4b77c0 The transaction contemplates the acquisition by the Consortium of shares in Believe, representing in aggregate 71.92% of the share capital and 77.42% of the theoretical voting rights 1 of Believe Followed by the filing by the Consortium of a mandatory tender offer for the remaining shares of Believe, on the same financial terms, at EUR 15 per share representing a premium of 43.8% over the volume-weighted average share price of the 30 trading days preceding the announcement of the offer The Board of Believe has favourably and unanimously welcomed the proposed offer pending receipt of the fairness opinion and has set up an ad hoc committee made up of the three independent directors and appointed Ledouble as an independent expert The filing of the Tender offer with the AMF is expected during the second quarter of 2024 Denis Ladegaillerie, the EQT X fund (EQT) and funds advised by TCV (together, TCV) are pleased to announce that they have formed a consortium (the Consortium) with a view to launching, through a dedicated entity (BidCo) a tender offer (the Offer) on the shares of Believe (the Company) at a price per share of 15 euros, following the acquisition of a block representing 71.92% of the share capital and 77.42% of the theoretical voting rights of the Company. BidCo would acquire from TCV Luxco BD S.a r.l., XAnge and Ventech, historical shareholders of Believe, the shares they own in Believes capital, representing respectively 41.14%, 6.29% and 12.03% of the capital and 42.85%, 3.93%, and 15.05% of the voting rights. In addition, it is contemplated that Denis Ladegaillerie, the founder, would contribute a portion of his Company shares to BidCo (representing 11.17% of the share capital) and sell the remaining portion (representing 1.29% of the share capital) to BidCo, representing in the aggregate 12.46% of the share capital and 15.59% of the voting rights of the Company. The Consortium has also obtained from other shareholders of the Company undertakings to tender their shares in the Offer (representing 3% of the capital of the Company). These acquisitions would be completed following the receipt of required regulatory approvals, the issuance of a fairness opinion from the independent expert confirming the fairness of the take private offer and the issuance by the Companys board of directors (the Board) of its recommendation with respect to the Offer, following consultation of the Companys works council. Following these acquisitions, the Consortium would file a mandatory tender offer, at a price of 15 euros in cash, for the remaining shares of Believe outstanding at the time and, if the legal conditions are met at the end of the offer, will request the implementation of a squeeze-out procedure. Referring to the last closing share price available, on February 9th 2024, the offer price of EUR 15 per share represents a premium of approximately: 21.0%, 43.8%, and 52.2% to respectively the closing share price of EUR 12.4, the 30-days VWAP of EUR 10.43, and the 120-days VWAP of EUR 9.86 This transaction values Believes entire issued and to be issued share capital under BSA/BSPCE, performance shares and free shares plans at approximately EUR 1,523 millions based on 101,547 millions shares2 outstanding on a fully diluted basis. Completion of the acquisitions of blocks is expected to take place during the second quarter of 2024, and the filing of the subsequent Offer shortly thereafter. Offer unanimously welcomed by Believes Board of Directors On 11 February 2024, the Board of Directors of Believe unanimously welcomed the proposed transaction, without prejudice to the reasoned opinion to be issued by the Board following the submission of the report of the independent expert. In the context of the Offer, the Board established an ad hoc committee, comprising of the three independent directors: Orla Noonan (independent director), Anne-France Laclide-Drouin (independent director) and Cecile Frot-Coutaz (independent director representing FSP). The purpose of the ad hoc committee is to monitor and facilitate the work of the independent expert, and to prepare a draft reasoned opinion on the merits of the Offer and its consequences for Believe, its shareholders and its employees. To this end, upon the recommendation of the ad hoc committee, the Board has appointed Ledouble, represented by Agnes Piniot and Romain Delafont, as an independent expert to draw up a report including a fairness opinion on the financial terms of the Offer. Denis Ladegaillerie, founder, chairman and CEO of Believe: Since being a public company, Believe has systematically outperformed its objectives, delivering its IPO plan two years ahead of schedule. However the strength of its operational performance has not been reflected in the share price evolution. Believe has a significant opportunity ahead to consolidate the independent music market and create the first global major independent, at the service of artists at all stages of their career. In achieving this ambition, I am glad to continue benefiting from the active support of TCV who has accompanied Believe since 2014 and to be partnering with Europe-based EQT who has a great track record in supporting high growth companies. Nicolas Brugere, Partner, EQT: Believes track record in developing labels and artists worldwide is exceptional. With the music market growth and digitalisation, Believe has significant potential to continue thriving, through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. We are excited to invest alongside TCV and Denis to back that next phase of development. We are fully aligned with Believes core values of fairness, respect and transparency and are committed to support their talented team for future success. John Doran, General Partner, TCV: Believe is strongly positioned as the partner of choice for independent artists and labels globally, as well as for artist and labels that have a digital-first mindset. We at TCV, see Believes focus on local content, coupled with its full stack offering addressing all artist segments and focusing on digital artist development over the long term, as highly differentiated, making them a strategic partner for digital streaming platforms globally. We are excited to be partnering with EQT to back Denis and the Believe team, as they continue to scale their business and expand globally." Capturing the significant business opportunity created by the transformation of digital artist markets Headquartered in Paris, France, Believe is a global independent music company. The Company was co-founded by Denis Ladegaillerie in 2005 with a mission to partner with local artists and labels, supporting them in their creative journeys and to grow their audiences at each stage of their career and development. Today, the Company provides more than 1.3 million independent artists with marketing, artist development, production, publishing, branding, live and financing solutions in more than 50 countries around the world across more than 150 digital streaming providers, including Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, and Amazon. With expertise, respect, fairness and transparency. The Company is notably benefiting from the rapid growth of paid streaming around the world, particularly in the fastest growing regions, specifically in Asia, Europe and Emerging Markets where it has established leadership market positions. More importantly, music fans discovering music on digital platforms means a new way of developing artists. Digital audiences means digital artist development: Believe is the only music company that uniquely combines digital, music and technology at global scale to drive artist success and faster than market label development in the digital era. This is positioning Believe as an ever more attractive platform for the new generation of digital native artists and label entrepreneurs in each local market around the world. Believes unique multi-tiered offering allowing the Company to serve artists at all levels makes it a unique platform with a strong and attractive value proposition to all labels and artists that has enabled its artists and labels to grow consistently faster than the market, being the only player of scale focused on digital artists. By partnering with the Consortium, Believe and its management team are expected to benefit from strong operational and financial support and its experience in backing the new generation of modern, innovative and fast growing global technology-enabled media companies, allowing the Company to be better positioned to capture the significant business opportunity created by the transformation of digital artist markets around the world in recorded music and in publishing with the ambition to build a global independent music company leveraging technology to scale in the digital world. Disclaimer This press release has been prepared for information purposes only. It does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation to sell Believe shares in any country, including France. There is no certainty that the simplified tender offer mentioned above will be filed or opened. The dissemination, publication or distribution of this press release may be subject to specific regulations or restrictions in certain countries. Accordingly, persons in possession of this press release are required to inform themselves about and to comply with any local restrictions that may apply. With this transaction, EQT X is expected to be 30-35 percent invested (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication) based on target fund size and subject to customary regulatory approvals. The information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security, and may not be used or relied upon in connection with any offer or solicitation. Any offer or solicitation in respect of EQT X or TCV will be made only through a confidential private placement memorandum and related documents which will be furnished to qualified investors on a confidential basis in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. The information contained herein is not for publication or distribution to persons in the United States of America. Any securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and may not be offered or sold without registration thereunder or pursuant to an available exemption therefrom. Any offering of securities to be made in the United States would have to be made by means of an offering document that would be obtainable from the issuer or its agents and would contain detailed information about the issuer of the securities and its management, as well as financial information. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. About EQT EQT is a purpose-driven global investment organization with EUR 232 billion in total assets under management (EUR 130 billion in fee-generating assets under management), within two business segments Private Capital and Real Assets. EQT owns portfolio companies and assets in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Americas and supports them in achieving sustainable growth, operational excellence and market leadership. More info: www.eqtgroup.com Follow EQT on LinkedIn , X , YouTube and Instagram About TCV TCV is a leading investment firm focused on investing in global, category-defining, technology companies. Leveraging its deep industry expertise and strategic resources, TCVs mission is to provide long-term capital and support to high-quality management teams across their growth journey. Since its founding in 1995, TCV has invested over $18 billion in more than 350 technology companies worldwide and has supported over 150 IPOs and strategic acquisitions, making it one of the most active technology investors. TCV has a global presence in Menlo Park, New York, London and Melbourne. For more information on TCV and its investments, visit www.tcv.com About Believe Believe is one of the worlds leading digital music companies. Believes mission is to develop independent artists and labels in the digital era by providing them the solutions they need in their creative journeys and to grow their audience at each stage of their career and development. Believes passionate team of creative and digital music experts around the world leverages the Groups global technology platform to support artists and labels. Its 1,919 employees in more than 50 countries aim to partner with artists and music entrepreneurs with expertise, respect, fairness and transparency. Believe offers its various solutions through a portfolio of brands including Believe, TuneCore, Nuclear Blast, Naive, Groove Attack, AllPoints, Ishtar and Byond. Believe is listed on compartment B of the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Ticker: BLV, ISIN: FR0014003FE9). www.believe.com Press Contact on behalf of the Consortium Nicolas Grange - +33 6 29 56 20 19 1 including double voting rights which will lapse as a result of the transaction and based on total number of share capital as at February 9, 2024 of 97,098,850 representing 155,226,381 voting rights. 2 Based on 97.099m shares issued as of 09-Feb-24, 0.374m treasury shares as of 09-Feb-24, 0.572m Performance shares (assuming vesting of all performance shares granted) as of 31-Jan-24, 1.733m free shares as of 31-Jan-24, 1.314m outstanding BSA/BSPCE with a weighted average exercise price of 3.364 on a per share basis, implying a net dilutive impact of 2.505m shares based on treasury stock method as of 31-Jan-24 and 0.013m new shares to be created following exercise of 2018 BSA and 2019 BSPCE as of 09-Feb-24. Attachment Almere, The Netherlands February 12, 2024, 8:00 a.m. CET ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today announces that CEO Benjamin Loh will retire and step down as per the AGM on May 13, 2024. He will be succeeded by Hichem MSaad, currently member of the Management Board and CTO. Benjamin Loh has informed the Supervisory Board of his wish to retire and his decision to step down as CEO as per the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of 2024. Benjamin has agreed to stay on as an advisor for a period of three months after his retirement to ensure a smooth transition. Benjamin joined ASM as CEO in 2020. Under his leadership, ASMs growth-through-innovation strategy was launched, revenue more than doubled, significantly outperforming the wafer fab equipment market, and the companys market capitalization tripled to more than 20 billion. He stepped up investments in the expansion of manufacturing and R&D infrastructure. Other highlights during Benjamins tenure include the two successful acquisitions in 2022, which further accelerated ASMs growth. Pauline van der Meer Mohr, Chair of the Supervisory Board commented: On behalf of the Supervisory Board Id like to thank Benjamin for his substantial contributions and achievements in the last four years. He has led the strengthening of ASMs strategy, culture and organization. Under his leadership, ASM also took important steps in accelerating sustainability, illustrated by the companys industry-leading net-zero targets. Everyone at ASM will miss his passion and commitment. We wish him all the best in his retirement. Benjamin Loh: It has been an honor to lead the ASM team and Im extremely proud of what we have achieved together. Im particularly pleased with the steps that we have taken to build a strong culture that allows our talented people to excel and to drive the continued success of our company. The last four years have been among the most exciting and intense of my career, spanning more than 30 years in the semiconductor industry. After my retirement from ASMs Board, I plan to use my skills and experience to contribute in other capacities albeit with less intense engagement. ASM has never been in a stronger position than today. I am extremely pleased to hand over my responsibilities to Hichem, who, I am sure, will successfully guide ASM into the next growth phase. The Supervisory Board has decided to appoint Hichem MSaad as ASMs new CEO and Chairman of the Management Board as per the AGM on May 13, 2024. Hichem joined ASM in 2015 as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Thermal Products business unit. From 2019, he held the role of Executive Vice President and General Manager of Global Products, including responsibility for developing ASMs ALD, Epi, VF, and PECVD products. Since 2022, Hichem has been member of the Management Board and Chief Technology Officer. He has been instrumental in several of ASMs successful innovative products, including the Intrepid ES, Synergis, Previum, A400 DUO, and Sonora. Before joining ASM, he had a 15-year tenure with Applied Materials, including positions as Corporate VP and general manager of the Dielectric Systems and Modules (DSM) and the Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) divisions. He also served as CEO of a start-up in the solar photovoltaic industry for six years. Pauline van der Meer Mohr: Hichem MSaad is the ideal candidate to succeed Benjamin Loh. Since joining ASM in 2015, and the last two years as CTO and member of the Management Board, Hichem has demonstrated strong leadership and people skills. He has been instrumental in expanding engagements with key customers, and he has been a driving force behind many of ASMs successful products and innovations. Already before joining ASM, Hichem had built a strong track record in innovation and in executive roles in the semiconductor industry. Hichem MSaad: Im honored and thrilled to succeed Benjamin as new CEO, and Im thankful for the confidence of the Supervisory Board. I will continue to focus, together with the rest of the leadership team and all ASM people, on the execution of our strategy. We have a great opportunity to drive long-term value as we support our customers in their device technology transition with our leading and innovative products. About ASM International ASM International N.V., headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, and its subsidiaries design and manufacture equipment and process solutions to produce semiconductor devices for wafer processing, and have facilities in the United States, Europe, and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol: ASM). For more information, visit ASM's website at www.asm.com. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, changes in import/export regulations, epidemics, pandemics and other risks indicated in the company's reports and financial statements. The company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances. This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Contact Investor and media relations Victor Bareno T: +31 88 100 8500 E: investor.relations@asm.com NEWS PROVIDED BY gategroup February 12, 2024, 09:00 AM CET Qatar Airways and gategroup launch new partnership to elevate inflight dining The airline with gategroup on board will set a new benchmark in inflight dining experience, quality, sustainability and healthy eating GLATTBRUG, Switzerland. February 12, 2024: Qatar Airways and gategroup today announced a new catering partnership to elevate inflight dining, structured through a Business Management Agreement that will see collaboration on passenger dining experiences, sourcing and procurement, healthy eating, as well as sustainability. Qatar Airways' commitment to global aviation excellence will be reinforced by gategroups expertise in menu design, culinary concepts and operational excellence. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: This partnership with gategroup will amplify the Qatar Airways brand by delivering refined culinary experiences for our guests, inflight and on the ground in our world class lounges at Hamad International Airport. gategroup brings an exciting new beginning to an already world class standard of catering by Qatar Airways. Collectively our innovation and operational excellence will set a new standard for Inflight dining. Chief Executive Officer of gategroup Mr Christoph Schmitz said: We are genuinely honored to walk this path alongside Qatar Airways. It is a journey of discovery, growth, and immense potential, and we firmly believe in the transformative power of collaboration, where two companies come together with shared visions and values to craft something truly outstanding. gategroups culinary team - that will be based in Doha - will contribute to the development of a dedicated culinary studio for Qatar Airways, that facilitates innovation, co-creation and efficient menu design. The new culinary creations will focus on high quality ingredients, health and nutrition, incorporating local produce with a view to sustainable sourcing, authenticity and supporting local businesses. The elevation of culinary quality will be underpinned by robust processes around menu development, efficiency in production and systematic monitoring of food quality, taste and appearance. Through this collaboration, we will explore additional revenue streams and optimize operational and commercial efficiencies. This partnership conveys an exciting blend of culinary creativity and best in-class operations that will mark the next era of Qatar Airways inflight offering. New innovative concepts for the worlds 5-star airline. About gategroup gategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. gategroup provides passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving passengers from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents. For further information, please visit www.gategroup.com. About Qatar Airways A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the Worlds Best Business Class for the tenth time at the 2023 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, also taking home, Best Airline in the Middle East, World's Best Business Class Lounge and World's Best Business Class Lounge Dining at the prestigious awards held during the 2023 Paris Air Show. Qatar Airways is an unprecedented seven-time winner of the Worlds Best Airline voted by Skytrax (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022). Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as the Worlds Best Airport in 2021 and 2022 consecutively. This year, Hamad International Airport has been ranked by Skytrax as the second-best airport in the world, and received the Best Airport in the Middle East accolade for the ninth time in a row, as well as Worlds Best Airport Shopping. Attachments CORAL GABLES, Fla., Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Property Advocates , a Florida-based full-service insurance law firm, achieved another successful appellate win for its client, Mr. Iran Guevara, against his insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. In the Iran Guevara v. CPIC, Case No. 2D19-0910 case, a trial judge initially entered a summary judgment in favor of the insurance company. However, as The Property Advocates explains, summary judgment is supposed to be applied to very limited circumstances. In essence, judges are supposed to use summary judgment to award a lawsuit win to a party only when there aren't disputed facts in the case. In this particular case, though, one major fact was disputed whether Mr. Guevara had complied with his post-loss obligations laid out in his CPIC insurance policy. The disputed fact in the case wasn't the only issue at hand, though. The Property Advocates say that Mr. Guevara's property insurance company didn't follow the Florida Rule of Civil Procedure regarding summary judgment evidence. The Property Advocates believed that the trial court erred in denying Mr. Guevara his right to a jury trial, and so the firm appealed the trial court's ruling. Not long after the firm filed its initial brief in the case, the insurance company conceded that the trial court erred in granting them summary judgment. Because of this, the Second District Court of Appeal ordered that both parties had to appear in front of the trial court. The judge in that court ultimately recognized he was wrong in initially granting CPIC summary judgment in the case. As such, the trial court entered an order to vacate that summary judgment that was entered in error. Thanks to the hard work of The Property Advocates, Mr. Guevara will now have his case argued before a jury, which will decide whether the insurance company is obligated to pay to repair the damage that Mr. Guevara's home sustained. The Property Advocates helps people throughout Florida resolve contentious and complicated property insurance claims, many of which would be very hard for people to solve on their own. Floridians are often subject to damage to their homes due to weather-related events and other things. While no one can prevent these natural disasters from happening, The Property Advocates prides itself on the fact that it can help its clients with everything that comes after the damage is sustained. The Property Advocates' experienced legal team handles first-party property insurance claims when claims are denied for damage from fire, floods, tornados, sinkholes, water, roof leaks, hurricanes and windstorms, hailstorms, and much more. For more information on the firm, please visit thepropertyadvocates.com . About The Property Advocates New York, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global industrial coatings market size is slated to expand at ~3% CAGR between 2023 and 2033. The market is poised to garner a revenue of USD 120 billion by the end of 2033, up from a revenue of ~USD 90 billion in the year 2022.Industrial coatings are widely used to ensure corrosion resistance and prevent wear and tear. Corrosion poses a remarkable threat to infrastructure such as pipelines, bridges, and buildings. Moreover, there are almost 600,000 bridges in the world today, and engineers are recommending industrial coatings to be applied for maintenance. On the back of this, the market is anticipated to garner remarkable revenue. Other than this, industrial coatings are widely used for corrosion control in steel or concrete. Appropriate coating on the steel surface efficiently shields it from the corrosive effects of harmful elements of moisture. It has been estimated that total world crude steel production was nearly 1.91 billion tons (Mt) in the year 2022. Request Free Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.researchnester.com/sample-request-4576 Due to the increase in global steel production, the industrial coatings market is rising prominently. Other than this, the increasing applications in the oil and gas industry are also fuelling the market growth. Furthermore, the oil and gas industry uses a protective coating in both the downstream and upstream segments for the functioning of oil and gas industry. Various kinds of protective coatings are utilized in refineries to stop corrosion. The demand for petroleum and natural gas increased by almost 5.1% from the previous years. This is leading to increased demand for industrial coatings across the globe and fuelling the market growth. Growth in the Automotive Industry to Boost Market Growth The growing usage of industrial coatings for automotive maintenance, repair, and after-market painting on vehicles is boosting the demand for the industrial coatings market. The expansion of the automotive industry is anticipated to raise the sales of industrial coatings in the forecast period. The global automotive manufacturing industry revenue in the year 2023 was USD 2.8 trillion in the year 2023. Due to the increased usage of industrial coatings in the automotive sector for surface finishing, decoration technologies, and many more areas. These industrial coatings help protect car bodies from rust and other form of corrosion. Furthermore, industrial coatings are also widely applied to aircraft in both civil and military spheres. The ADI-based polyurethane coatings provide durability and resistance to UV light as well as weathering. The worldwide fleet size count is almost 28,670 and these aircraft require constant maintenance. Furthermore, the global fleet is estimated to stand at almost 40,000 aircraft by the year 2030. On the back of the rising number of fleets all over the world, the market is expected to increase remarkably. The automotive industry is an umbrella term for various domains such as natural gas, spark ignition engines, performance, and emissions. All these sectors require industrial coatings to be applied Industrial Coatings Market: Regional Overview The market is segmented into five major regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa region. Rising Construction Sector to Drive Growth in the North America Region The industrial coatings market in the North America region is estimated to garner the largest revenue by the end of 2033. On the back of countless industrial coating solutions for a variety of construction needs. As the construction domain is highly versatile, industrial coatings are used for protective functions. It is widely applied in parking roofs, bridges, wastewater treatment plants, industrial receptacles, sewage treatment, and tunnels. For instance, the global tunnel market is anticipated to grow from USD 24 billion in the year 2022. Hence, the growing construction of tunnels all across the world is leading to increased demand for industrial coatings. Other than this, the industrial coatings insulate the new buildings in both cold and hot climates. It has been estimated that there are almost 5.5 million buildings in the United States of all types and sizes in the year 2022. All of these buildings require maintenance this will propel the demand for the industrial coatings. Make an Inquiry Before Buying this Report @ https://www.researchnester.com/inquiries-before-buying-4576 Rising Automobile Industry Rising Automobile to Drive Growth in the Asia Pacific Region The Asia Pacific Industrial Coatings region market is estimated to garner the largest revenue by the end of 2033. The reason for the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific region is the growing automobile industry. For instance, the number of registered vehicles in China was reported at 311,844,371 units in December 2022. In India, the number of registered vehicles reached almost 326.1 million in the year 2020. The increasing number of vehicles is propelling the industrial coatings market. Industrial Coatings Segmentation by Resin Epoxy Polyurethane Acrylic Polyester The acrylic segment is anticipated to hold the largest revenue by the end of 2033. The acrylics provide a durable and glossy surface that is resistant to chemicals and weather conditions. The characteristics of the acrylic are lightweight, abrasion resistant, easy to clean, elastic, etc. For example, the tensile strength of the acrylic is 9,400 PSI, and the flexural strength is 13,000 PSI. Industrial Coatings Segmentation by Technology Solvent-borne Waterborne Powder The water-borne segment in industrial coatings market is anticipated to hold the largest revenue by the end of 2033. These types of coatings decrease the VOC emissions during the application and can be cleaned easily. The water-borne coatings are widely utilized due to low volatile organic compounds content which is less than 3.5 pounds per gallon of water. The coatings can be easily applied on the word and plastic substrate. Industrial Coatings Segmentation by End Use General Industries Automotive OEM Automotive refinish Protective wood Marine Construction The rising construction sector is expected to hold the maximum lucrative opportunities. The maintenance and revamping work of the buildings require industrial coatings. A few of the well-known industry leaders in the global industrial coatings market that are profiled by Research Nester are Akzo Nobel N.V, Axalta Coating Systems, LLC, PPG Industries, The Sherwin Williams Company, Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd, Kansai Paint Co., Ltd, RPM International Inc., BASF SE, Hempel A/S, The Chemours Company FC, LLC. and other key market players. Recent Development in the Industrial Coatings Market In August 2020, Sherwin Williams Company Protective & Marine introduced rapid curing technology to eliminate the time and labor cost for the protection of structural steels. The companys Envirolastic 2500 system can be applied as a single or multi-coat system. In July 2020, PPG Industries, declared the introduction of hydrophobic coating for PPG surface seal. The newly manufactured product is UV light resistant and also compatible with almost all fluids in aerospace maintenance and cleaning. Read our insightful Blogs and Data-driven Case Studies: Top 5 Key Trends to Impact the Organic Chemicals Industry serving at Bulk in the near future Discover the advancements, upcoming markets and changes in consumer preferences. Gain insights, into how industry frontrunners are adjusting to these shifts and positioning themselves for prosperity of the business. https://www.researchnester.com/blog/chemicals/bulk-chemicals/organic-chemicals-industry-trends Identifying Bulk Chemicals Company Supply and Demand Triggers A chemical company failed to recognize the probable risks related to price and supply chain. Determining focused choices followed by prioritizing the production helped the company to draw out correct production strategy. https://www.researchnester.com/case-study/chemicals/bulk-chemicals/identifying-bulk-chemicals-company-supply-and-demand-triggers About Research Nester Research Nester is a one-stop service provider with a client base in more than 50 countries, leading in strategic market research and consulting with an unbiased and unparalleled approach towards helping global industrial players, conglomerates and executives for their future investment while avoiding forthcoming uncertainties. With an out-of-the-box mindset to produce statistical and analytical market research reports, we provide strategic consulting so that our clients can make wise business decisions with clarity while strategizing and planning for their forthcoming needs and succeed in achieving their future endeavors. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. Wilmington, Delaware, United States, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global temperature sensor market was projected to attain US$ 6 billion in 2022. It is anticipated to garner a 5.4% CAGR from 2022 to 2031 and by 2031, the market is likely to attain US$ 10.1 billion by 2031. A temperature sensor is an electrical device that detects and measures temperature. It takes note of temperature variations and transforms them into an electrical signal so that a computer or other monitoring equipment may read it. Numerous industries, including aircraft, automotive, consumer electronics, healthcare, and industry, employ temperature sensors. Temperature sensors are used in many commonplace devices. The correct operation of consumer electronics equipment, including micro ovens, thermostats, and refrigerators, depends on temperature regulation and upkeep. Download sample PDF copy of report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=271 In the realm of the Internet of Things, temperature sensors have several uses, including managing and keeping an eye on the temperature in medical facilities, smart homes, and industrial operations. Temperature sensors based on the Internet of Things enable users to promptly obtain temperature measurements and take appropriate action depending on various requirements. Key Findings of the Market Report Sensors and integrated systems are used by vehicle producers to monitor a wide range of variables and quantities for safety, comfort, performance, and dependability. The engine temperature of electric vehicles (EVs) is constantly monitored and maintained at a specific level for optimal operation. In order to keep the batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) from overheating while charging and discharging, temperature sensors are utilized. They are used to regulate and keep an eye on the temperature of electric motors. Market Trends for Temperature Sensors The industrial equipment application sector represented 31.2% of the temperature sensor market in 2022. The majority of industrial machinery requires adequate heating or cooling. Temperature sensors are therefore often used to track and regulate temperature in order to ensure that industrial machinery operates as intended. In 2022, the product type category for contact temperature sensors represented 61.2% of the market. Over the projection period, it is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 5.7% while maintaining the current quo. Contact temperature sensors measure precise temperature when there is bodily contact or a close surface. Furthermore, the sensor's contact-based feature enables it to work in dangerous and filthy places. The market for wearable technology is expanding quickly as a result of the rise in popularity of fitness and health tracking gadgets. The healthcare industry benefits from advancements in wearable sensor technology, particularly in precision medicine, where wearables provide accurate, real-time assessments of a patient's health. Temperature tracking is being incorporated into wearable technology products by corporations. Players like Outfit, Whoop, and Oura are including temperature sensors onto their gadgets so that they may record and gather data on temperatures continually. Global Temperature Sensor Market: Key Players Companies are utilizing innovation in the global temperature sensor market to create sensors that provide accurate and dependable temperature measurement for a range of sectors, including consumer electronics, automotive, healthcare, and industrial automation. To address changing needs for IoT applications, energy efficiency, and environmental monitoring, key companies are concentrating on improving sensor accuracy, miniaturization, and connection features, which is fueling market growth and competition. The following companies are well-known participants in the global temperature sensor market: ABB Amphenol Advanced Sensors Analog Devices, Inc. Ashcroft Inc. BlueRadios, Inc. Dwyer Instruments Ltd. Emerson Electric Co. Hans Turck GmbH & Co. KG Honeywell International Inc. Infineon Technologies AG Maxim Integrated Microchip Technology Inc. Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. NXP Semiconductors Omega Engineering OMRON Corporation Pyromation Renesas Electronics Corporation Robert Bosch GmbH Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC Siemens AG STMicroelectronics Others Key developments by the players in this market are: Micro Crystal released the RV-3032-C7 temperature sensor module in February 2023. It is appropriate for applications requiring limits crossing detection, continuous temperature monitoring, and timekeeping features that adhere to stringent clock accuracy over time. released the RV-3032-C7 temperature sensor module in February 2023. It is appropriate for applications requiring limits crossing detection, continuous temperature monitoring, and timekeeping features that adhere to stringent clock accuracy over time. Samsung released the Galaxy 5 Watch, which has temperature sensing capabilities, in February 2023. released the Galaxy 5 Watch, which has temperature sensing capabilities, in February 2023. Sensirion introduced their fourth-generation STS4x temperature sensor family in March 2022. Because of its small size, low power consumption, and cost-effectiveness, STS4x is a good choice for battery-driven designs and mass manufacturing. Customization Request for the Research Report: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=CR&rep_id=271 Global Market for Temperature Sensor: Regional Outlook Asia Pacific is estimated to account for the majority of the market between 2023 and 2031. In 2022, the area had a share of 32.4%. The region's market dynamics are being driven by the increasing production and usage of electronic gadgets, cars, and portable healthcare devices. is estimated to account for the majority of the market between 2023 and 2031. In 2022, the area had a share of 32.4%. The region's market dynamics are being driven by the increasing production and usage of electronic gadgets, cars, and portable healthcare devices. In 2022, North America owned a 27.1 share. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and automation are being more widely used in a variety of industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing, which is improving market statistics in the area. Global Temperature Sensor Market Segmentation Product Type Contact Temperature Sensors Thermocouples Resistance Temperature Detectors Thermistors Others (Liquid-in-Glass Thermometers, Bimetallic Thermometers, etc.) Non-contact Temperature Sensors Fiber Optic Temperature Sensors Radiation Thermometers Pyrometers Optical Pyrometers Infrared/Radiation Pyrometers Others (Thermal Imagers, Furnace Monitoring Cameras, etc.) Output Analog Digital Measurement Type Single Point Multi Point Application Analytical Instruments Process Control HVAC Ovens and Furnaces Industrial Equipment Automotive Electronics Others (Aerospace Control, Environmental Monitoring, etc.) End-Use Industry Automotive & Transportation Aerospace & Defense Energy & Utility Chemicals Oil & Gas Healthcare Metal & Mining Building & Construction Consumer Electronics Food & Beverage Others (IT & Telecommunication, Agriculture, etc.) Region North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East & Africa Buy this Premium Research Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=271>> Happy New Year of the Dragon 9/ Santiago 8/2 El Ateneo Bookstore 8/1 Puerto Madero 7/3 Tango Dinner Kelowna, February 12, 2024 - F3 Uranium Corp. (TSXV: FUU) (OTCQB: FUUFF) ("F3" or "the Company") is pleased to announce final assay results from the fall 2023 drill program, including PLN23-110 (see NR dated December 18, 2023) which returned 2.0m of 42.4% U 3 O 8 from 226.0m to 228.0m, including 1.5m averaging 55.4% U 3 O 8 with a highest grade of 66.8% U 3 O 8 in a single 0.5m sample. PLN23-112, drilled from line 060S returned 11.5m averaging 2.00% U 3 O 8 from 229.0m to 240.5m including 3.5m averaging 4.24% U 3 O 8 . Sam Hartmann, VP Exploration, commented: "PLN23-110 returned ultra-high grade assays, including the highest assay to date - 66.8% U 3 O 8 on section 015S, which remains open in the up-dip direction. At the B1 area, where we initially targeted the B1 EM conductor, significant alteration in sandstone and basement rocks was encountered (see NR dated December 18, 2023) and we are pleased to receive final geochemistry supporting our decision to drill a wide fence with 4 drill holes across approximately 250m of geology. Anomalous basement uranium values were intersected, notably in PLN23-105 with up to 137 ppm uranium; values of greater than 100 ppm uranium have previously only been encountered in PLN14-019 and immediately surrounding holes, as well as within the JR Zone itself." The Company is also pleased to announce that it has completed a technical report for its Patterson Lake North (PLN) Project, including the PLN, Broach and Minto properties, pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" ("NI 43-101"). The report was completed by lead consultant SLR International Corporation ("SLR") with an effective date of November 20, 2023, prepared for F3 Uranium Corp. and dated January 25, 2024. The report will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days. Assay Highlight: PLN23-110 (line 015S): mineralized intervals 2.5m @ 0.23% U 3 O 8 (217.0m to 219.5m), and O (217.0m to 219.5m), and 2.0m @ 42.4% U 3 O 8 (226.0m to 228.0m), including O (226.0m to 228.0m), including 1.5m @ 55.4% U 3 O 8 (226.0m to 227.5m), further including O (226.0m to 227.5m), further including 0.5m @ 66.8% U 3 O 8 (227.0m to 227.5m) Main JR Zone Intercepts: PLN23-101 (line 015S): mineralized intervals 11.5m @ 0.39% U 3 O 8 (218.5m to 230.5m), including O (218.5m to 230.5m), including 1.5m @ 1.77% U 3 O 8 (222.5m to 224.0m), and O (222.5m to 224.0m), and 1.5m @ 2.64% U 3 O 8 (227.5m to 229.0m) PLN23-106 (line 120S): mineralized interval 0.5m @ 0.07% U 3 O 8 (240.5m to 241.0m) PLN23-108 (line 030S): mineralized intervals 0.5m @ 0.24% U 3 O 8 (256.5m to 257.0m), and O (256.5m to 257.0m), and 0.5m @ 0.67% U 3 O 8 (260.5m to 261.0m) PLN23-109 (line 015S): mineralized interval 2.5m @ 0.33% U 3 O 8 (221.0m to 223.5m) PLN23-112 (line 060S): mineralized intervals 8.0m @ 1.03% U 3 O 8 (229.0m to 237.0m), including 0.5m @ 13.2% U 3 O 8 (232.0m to 232.5m), and O (229.0m to 237.0m), including 0.5m @ 13.2% U O (232.0m to 232.5m), and 3.5m @ 4.24% U 3 O 8 (237.0m to 240.5m), including O (237.0m to 240.5m), including 0.5m @ 20.0% U 3 O 8 (238.0m to 238.5m) PLN23-114 (line 030S): mineralized intervals 3.0m @ 0.05% U 3 O 8 (219.5m to 222.5m), and O (219.5m to 222.5m), and 1.5m @ 0.64% U 3 O 8 (230.5m to 232.0m), and O (230.5m to 232.0m), and 0.5m @ 0.11% U 3 O 8 (235.5m to 236.0m) Exploration Drilling Highlights: PLN23-102 (line 3450S), B1 Area: 0.5m @ 79 ppm uranium (411.5m to 412.0m) in basement PLN23-105 (line 3450S), B1 Area: 7.5m @ 48 ppm uranium (528.5m to 535.0m) in basement, including 0.5m @ 137 ppm uranium (531.5m to 532.0m) PLN23-111 (line 3450S), B1 Area: 3.5m @ 1,198 ppm boron (357.5m to 361.0m) in sandstone, including 0.5m @ 2,770 ppm boron (357.5m to 358.0m) Table 1. Drill Hole Summary and Uranium Assay Results Collar Information Assay Results Hole ID Grid Line Easting Northing Elevation Az Dip From (m) To (m) Interval (m) U 3 O 8 weight % PLN23-101 015S 587732.5 6410748.2 545.3 54.6 -64.9 218.50 222.50 4.00 0.22 222.50 224.00 1.50 1.77 224.00 227.50 3.50 0.28 227.50 229.00 1.50 2.64 229.00 230.00 1.00 0.26 PLN23-102 3450S 589712.2 6407939.1 540.0 53.1 -65.6 B1 exploration; no mineralization >0.05 PLN23-103 045S 587780.7 6410746.1 545.7 54.5 -60.3 no mineralization >0.05 PLN23-104 105S 587729.0 6410634.5 545.2 54.4 -60.6 no mineralization >0.05 PLN23-105 3450S 589764.9 6407978.1 540.4 53.3 -65.0 B1 exploration; no mineralization >0.05 PLN23-106 120S 587761.4 6410639.4 544.4 54.3 -64.1 240.50 241.00 0.50 0.07 PLN23-107 3450S 589673.7 6407913.1 539.9 55.0 -65.2 B1 exploration; no mineralization >0.05 PLN23-108 030S 587682.1 6410692.8 545.1 53.6 -60.3 256.50 257.00 0.50 0.24 260.50 261.00 0.50 0.67 PLN23-109 015S 587739.0 6410762.5 545.5 54.7 -74.9 221.00 223.50 2.50 0.33 PLN23-110 015S 587733.4 6410749.2 545.5 53.3 -61.8 217.00 219.50 2.50 0.23 226.00 228.00 2.00 42.4 incl 226.00 227.50 1.50 55.4 PLN23-111 3240S 589638.6 6408148.6 535.5 55.2 -65.2 B1 exploration; no mineralization >0.05 PLN23-112 060S 587748.7 6410702.1 545.7 53.3 -65.5 229.00 232.00 3.00 0.33 232.00 232.50 0.50 13.2 232.50 237.00 4.50 0.14 237.00 240.50 3.50 4.24 incl 238.00 238.50 0.50 20.0 244.50 245.00 0.50 0.05 PLN23-113 930S 588352.9 6410068.3 532.9 52.8 -65.0 A1 exploration; no mineralization >0.05 PLN23-114 030S 587736.8 6410733.3 545.5 54.8 -58.1 219.50 222.50 3.00 0.05 230.50 232.00 1.50 0.64 235.50 236.00 0.50 0.11 PLN23-115 2955S 589548.1 6408433.1 530.8 42.9 -67.9 B1 exploration; no mineralization >0.05 Assay composite parameters: Minimum Thickness of 0.5 m Assay Grade Cut-Off: 0.05% U 3 O 8 (weight %) Maximum Internal Dilution: 2.0 m Composited weight % U 3 O 8 mineralized intervals are summarized in Table 1. Samples from the drill core are split in half sections on site. Where possible, samples are standardized at 0.5m down-hole intervals. One-half of the split sample is sent to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) in Saskatoon, SK while the other half remains on site for reference. Analysis includes a 63 element suite including boron by ICP-OES, uranium by ICP-MS and gold analysis by ICP-OES and/or AAS. The Company considers uranium mineralization with assay results of greater than 1.0 weight % U 3 O 8 as "high grade" and results greater than 20.0 weight % U 3 O 8 as "ultra-high grade". All depth measurements reported are down-hole and true thickness are yet to be determined. About Patterson Lake North: The Company's 4,078-hectare 100% owned Patterson Lake North property (PLN) is located just within the south-western edge of the Athabasca Basin in proximity to Fission Uranium's Triple R and NexGen Energy's Arrow high-grade world class uranium deposits which is poised to become the next major area of development for new uranium operations in northern Saskatchewan. PLN is accessed by Provincial Highway 955, which transects the property, and the new JR Zone uranium discovery is located 23km northwest of Fission Uranium's Triple R deposit. The PLN property is part of the PLN Project which also includes the Minto and Broach properties. Qualified Person: The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and approved on behalf of the company by Raymond Ashley, P.Geo., President & COO of F3 Uranium Corp., a Qualified Person. Mr. Ashley has verified the data disclosed. About F3 Uranium Corp.: F3 Uranium is a uranium project generator and exploration company, focusing on projects in the Athabasca Basin, home to some of the world's largest high grade uranium discovery. F3 Uranium currently has 18 projects in the Athabasca Basin. Several of F3's projects are near large uranium discoveries including Triple R, Arrow and Hurricane. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, including statements regarding the suitability of the Properties for mining exploration, future payments, issuance of shares and work commitment funds, entry into of a definitive option agreement respecting the Properties, are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The TSX Venture Exchange and the Canadian Securities Exchange have not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. F3 Uranium Corp. 750-1620 Dickson Avenue Kelowna, BC V1Y9Y2 Contact Information Investor Relations Telephone: 778 484 8030 Email: ir@f3uranium.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Dev Randhawa" Dev Randhawa, CEO See plan maps below and cross sections at PLN JR Zone| F3 Uranium Corp. under Sections. Figure 1 - Patterson Lake North Fall 2023 Drill Program Update: Assay Results To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8110/197577_f8732418c479aa79_003full.jpg Figure 2 - Patterson Lake North Fall 2023 Drill Program Update: JR Zone Assay Results To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8110/197577_f8732418c479aa79_004full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197577 CALGARY, Feb. 12, 2024 - Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG | OTC: PAANF | FRA: SS60) ("Pan American" or the "Company") is pleased to announce additional assay results on nine holes from the ongoing 2023/2024 diamond drill program on the Big Mack Lithium Project ("Property"), located approximately 80 kilometers north of the town of Kenora, ON. The drilling campaign is being carried out by Full Force Diamond Drilling Ltd. ("Full Force") under the geological guidance of Axiom Exploration Group Ltd. ("Axiom"). HIGHLIGHTS Drilling encountered high grade lithium-bearing intercepts within the Big Mack pegmatites: 1.96% Li 2 O over 8.50 meters within the west to central flank of the Big Mack pegmatite of 1.55% Li 2 O over 16.00 meters (BM23-025) 1.66% Li 2 O over 3.00 meters within the central body at depth of the Big Mack pegmatite of 1.16% Li 2 O over 8.90 meters (BM23-026) 1.34% Li 2 O over 3.50 meters at depth near center of the Big Mack pegmatite of 0.99% Li 2 O over 7.90 meters (BM23-024) Holes 23 and 24 show an interesting occurrence where lithium values start decreasing with depth, but appear to increase again in hole 24 (Figure 5), the deepest hole through the west of center flank of the Big Mack pegmatite. The on-going drilling program is currently testing along strike to the east of the Big Mack Drill holes BM23-023 to BM23-027 were drilled to test along the Big Mack pegmatite at depth, while BM23-028 to BM23-031 were drilled as exploration holes to test magnetic anomalies to the north and southwest of the Big Mack pegmatite. Big Mack targets BM23-024, BM23-025 and BM23-026 returned encouraging values of 0.99% Li 2 O over 7.90 m, 1.55% Li 2 O over 16.0 m and 1.16% Li 2 O over 8.9 m respectively. These results indicate that mineralization is likely to continue at depth through the central zone of the Big Mack pegmatite and could potentially increase with depth as observed in hole BM23-024. These results provide valuable insight into mapping the internal structure of the Big Mack pegmatite. Table 1 highlights the assay result details on holes BM23-023 to BM23-031, and Table 2 describes the attributes associated with these drill holes. Phase One of the 2023/2024 drilling program was completed in late-2023, when the Company drilled 35 holes (including one abandoned hole), for a total meterage of 4,582 meters. Targeting is based upon historical drilling analyses, the UAV magnetic survey conducted on the Property, and the Company's 2023 field prospecting program. In this second Phase of the program, the Company plans to drill approximately 5,000 meters to delineate the Big Mack and Eleven Zone pegmatites, test their down-dip extensions, explore the Sprinkler Zone, and test other exploration targets. To-date, there has been over 7,800 meters drilled across 56 collar locations as part of the 2023/2024 drill program, with 3,317 samples having been submitted for analysis at the time of this news release. Jason Latkowcer, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We are pleased to report on the latest assays received on the Big Mack Lithium Project. We continue to refine our understanding of the geology on the project and will soon be wrapping up the Phase 2 portion of the drilling program and will be evaluating the data once final results are received in the coming months. Thank you to our team and contractors for continuing to execute." Table 1: 2023 Big Mack Drill Hole Assay Highlights Table * (not true widths) Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Li 2 O (wt%) BM23-023 96.25 99.4 3.15 0.39 BM23-024 121.5 129.4 7.9 0.99 Inc. 122.5 126 3.5 1.34 BM23-025 55.5 71.5 16 1.55 Inc. 58.5 67 8.5 1.96 Inc. 70.13 71.5 1.37 1.82 BM23-026 93.1 102 8.9 1.16 Inc. 96 99 3 1.66 And 117.7 121.45 3.75 0.38 BM23-027 147.4 153.3 5.9 0.76 BM23-028 No Significant Values BM23-029 No Significant Values BM23-030 No Significant Values BM23-031 No Significant Values Table 2: Attributes for Drill Hole BM23-023 to BM23-031 Hole ID Easting NAD 83/UTM Zone 15N Northing NAD 83/UTM Zone 15N Elevation (m) Dip () Azimuth () Total Depth (m) Core Size Target BM23-023 5569952.29 386495.48 352.19 -46 179 156 NQ Big Mack BM23-024 5569952.29 386495.48 352.19 -60 178 168 NQ Big Mack BM23-025 5569928.84 386470.90 356.65 -46 179 111 NQ Big Mack BM23-026 5569945.87 386558.77 357.95 -45 178 165 NQ Big Mack BM23-027 5569945.87 386558.77 357.95 -50 40 300 NQ Big Mack BM23-028 5569945.87 386558.77 357.95 -70 180 204 NQ Exploration BM23-029 5569920.47 386349.74 359.09 -45 200 201 NQ Exploration BM23-030 5569884.14 386391.72 364.87 -45 200 150 NQ Exploration BM23-031 5569926.48 386315.32 353.01 -46 358.5 162 NQ Exploration Figure 1: Core photo of hole BM23-025 (53.03m to 70.13m) highlighting Li 2 O% values in high grade intercepts from 58.50 m to 67.0 m (Red). Figure 2: Core photo of hole BM23-026 (87.65 to 104.91m) highlighting Li 2 O% values in high grade intercepts from 93.10 m to 102.0 m (Red). Figure 3: Completed and 2023-2024 drillholes (Assays reported on holes in red, assays pending in black). Figure 4: Close up view of Big Mack (Reported drill holes in Red) Figure 5: Cross section of BM23-023, -024, -025. Figure 6: Cross section of BM23-002, -003, -026, -027. General Statements Holes BM23-023 to BM23-027 described in this news release targeting the Big Mack pegmatite were drilled broadly perpendicular and inclined to the pegmatite orientations so that the true thickness of reported intercepts is estimated to range somewhere between 50-80% of the drilled widths. Holes BM23-028 to BM23-031 were exploration holes targeting magnetic anomalies identified from the UAV-borne magnetics survey completed in 2023 by EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc. A collar header table is provided below. Visual core logging indicates that the predominant host mineral for the Big Mack pegmatites is petalite. Sample Quality Assurance / Quality Control A thorough chain-of-custody and QA/QC program is being carried out on the ongoing drill program. Samples are taken across all pegmatite intervals with shoulder samples into the host rock on either side of the dykes. Sample lengths are ranging from 0.3 m - 1.5 m, dependent on internal zoning of the dykes, mineralization, and lithology contacts. Core to be sampled is cut in half onsite, with half being sent for analysis and the other half remaining in the box for future reference and re-sampling, if needed. A malfunction of downhole location survey equipment could cause inaccurate dip and azimuth tracking due to drillhole deviation, which would affect the planned drillhole spacing and required density for the resource estimation. To ensure accuracy, downhole surveys are performed every 30 meters of drilling, with survey tests repeated in the event of results that are outside planned drillhole drift. Additional downhole survey tools are kept on-site in the event of malfunction during drilling. The Company's implemented QA/QC procedures include the insertion of certified standard control samples, cut duplicates, and blanks. This is being used to test for natural variability / sampling bias / testing the lab for homogeneity during sample preparation processes within the lab, as well as testing the precision and any possible contamination from the lab and ensure proper calibration of lab equipment. Sample analyses are being conducted by ALS Canada LTD (ALS), an independent lab. Samples are shipped to the Winnipeg, Manitoba prep lab, and then shipped by ALS to the geochemistry analysis lab in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Drill core samples are subject to sodium peroxide fusion analyses using ICP-MS for Trace element values on total digestion and ICP-AES on samples with values greater than 25,000 ppm Li. ALS follows the quality management and operational guidelines set out in the international standards ISO/IEC 17025 - "General Requirement for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories" and ISO 9001 - "Quality Management Systems". Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jared Suchan, Ph.D., P.Geo., who is a consultant of the Company, and a "Qualified Person" as defined by NI 43-101. Dr. Suchan verified the data disclosed (or underlying the information disclosed) in this news release by reviewing imported and sorted assay data; checking the performance of blank samples and certified reference materials; reviewing the variance in field duplicate results; and reviewing grade calculation formulas. About the Property The Property is located 2 km east of the all-weather Snook Lake Road, about 80 km north of Kenora, ON. The property is proximal (~1.3 km) to Avalon's Separation Rapids, Big Whopper deposit which hosts a measured and indicated resource. The Property is within an Ontario registered mining lease, with over 30 years of exploration history. The Property lies within the traditional land use area of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations of Whitedog, Ontario: an Aboriginal community located approximately 35 km southwest of the property. The Property hosts four known Li-bearing pegmatites including the Big Mack pegmatite, Eleven Zone, Sprinkler Zone, and 6095 pegmatite which are thought to be related to the Separation Rapids Pluton. They are interpreted as zoned Complex Type, Petalite Subtype LCT Pegmatites. The Big Mack pegmatite represents the largest petalite-bearing mass on the Property and is exposed over an 80 by 225 m area. Historic drilling campaigns (1998, 1999, 2001) intersected mineralization extending along a strike length of ~150 meters and to a depth of 75 meters. The mineralization at the Property remains open at depth and along strike. About Pan American Energy Corp. Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG) (OTC PINK: PAANF) (FSE: SS60) is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties containing battery metals in North America. The Company executed an option agreement in Canada with Magabra Resources, providing for the right to acquire up to a 90% interest in the drill-ready Big Mack Lithium Project, 80 km north of Kenora, Ontario. The Company has also entered a property option agreement with Horizon Lithium LLC providing for the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Horizon Lithium Project, located within Esmeralda County - Tonopah Lithium Belt, Nevada, USA. To register for investor updates, please visit https://panam-energy.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Jason Latkowcer CEO & Director Contact Phone: (587) 885-5970 Email: info@panam-energy.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans at the Property, including the nature and type of the Company's planned exploration activities, the timing of such exploration activities and the aim and objectives of the Company's exploration efforts, including that the results of the drilling undertaken on the Property will allow the Company to further refine its approach to the exploration of the Property and enhance its understanding of the exploration area; and the timing of the Company's receipt of further drilling results. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information, including, in respect of the forward-looking information included in this press release, assumptions regarding the Company's ability to execute on its exploration plans at the Property, including that it will be successful in carrying out such exploration activities on the anticipated timeline and that such exploration activities will yield the expected information and the desired outcomes, including that the results of the drilling undertaken on the Property will allow the Company to further refine its approach to the exploration of the Property and enhance its understanding of the exploration area; and that the Company will receive further results from its drilling activities on the timeline expected. Although forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions of the Company's management, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among other things, the risk that exploration at the Property does not proceed in the manner and on the timeline currently contemplated, or at all; risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to receiving requisite permits and approvals, changes in project parameters or delays as plans continue to be redefined, that mineral exploration is inherently uncertain and that the results of mineral exploration may not be indicative of the actual geology or mineralization of a project; that mineral exploration may be unsuccessful or fail to achieve the results anticipated by the Company; and that mineral exploration activities are often unsuccessful. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this ?press release.? Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe2851bf-044c-4217-a0cf-39fd79e2cbdc https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ec0093c-112f-4eac-82f5-7fbcff1f2d88 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33bc4065-4b2e-4489-95ce-d0e5e893bbb7 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9f6def20-0fc2-4bbb-85c1-3786279dfc41 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5147bd66-de3d-4efe-8a00-863616230093 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1af786f1-e475-45df-b910-6f15a102a4ed ir@fissionuranium.com www.fissionuranium.com TSX SYMBOL: FCU OTCQX SYMBOL: FCUUF FRANKFURT SYMBOL: 2FU KELOWNA, Feb. 12, 2024 - Fission Uranium Corp. ("Fission" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced "bought deal" public offering consisting of 63,560,000 common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a price of C$1.18 per Common Share for gross proceeds of C$75,000,800 (the "Offering"). Canaccord Genuity Corp. and SCP Resources Finance LP acted as co-lead underwriters on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Haywood Securities Inc., Eight Capital, Red Cloud Securities Inc. and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (collectively, the "Underwriters"). The net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company to fund exploration and development of the PLS project, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Offering was completed pursuant to a prospectus supplement to the Company's base shelf prospectus dated December 11, 2023. The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. About Fission Uranium Corp. Fission Uranium Corp. is an award-winning Canadian-based resource company specializing in uranium exploration and development. The company is the owner and developer of the PLS uranium project - a proposed high-grade mine and mill located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. The company is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Fission's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCU" and trade on the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. under the symbol "FCUUF." ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Ross McElroy" ___________________________ Ross McElroy, President and CEO Cautionary Statement: Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the use of proceeds of the Offering, and the future operating or financial performance of the Company which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. SOURCE Fission Uranium Corp. Despite the pleas of theater faculty and students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the Board of Regents approved a plan to end degree programs in theater and musical theater on Friday. Regents also gave approval to plans to begin winding down degree programs in geography and recreation management at the boards first meeting of 2024. The reductions are part of an effort to cut $5 million from UNKs budget, symptoms of a larger shortfall administrators attribute to declining enrollment, muted growth in state support and increased costs of doing business. But the decision to no longer offer bachelors degrees in those areas also reflects what administrators say has been a loss of interest in recent years, meaning those programs had fewer students than the benchmark set by the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. When we fall below those thresholds, we can either take responsibility for our own program or have the program elimination forced upon us, said Interim NU President Chris Kabourek. Faculty and students in the theater program asked for a reprieve and time to turn things around. Speaking during the public comment portion of Fridays meeting, several people told regents UNKs theater program was a lifeblood for the arts in central Nebraska. Sharon Campbell, who became the chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance in 2021, said faculty had embarked on a plan to grow enrollment within the degree programs by transforming the curriculum after several years of turnover among leadership. Most parents dont often let their freshmen enroll as theater majors, Campbell told the board. Their interest begins by auditioning for a production or taking a couple of classes. That student might add a minor, and those students might become a major. Campbell said the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance believed it could raise its average annual graduates above the 7 needed for the Coordinating Commission to consider it a healthy program. There are currently 19 students in the program. We believe we could meet that target in two years and exceed it in three years, she said, adding students in the department emerged with skills that prepare them to enter the workforce, such as collaboration and communication, problem-solving, empathy and leadership. Darin Himmerich, an associate professor of theater at UNK, told the board he came to Kearney 17 years ago after working in every capacity of the theater world, from technical theater all the way to Hollywood productions. He said UNK theater graduates have gone on to a wide variety of careers across the country, including as talent agents in Chicago, tour managers for Disney, on productions in Las Vegas and as teachers across Nebraska. I know there are other theater programs, Himmerich said. Each is unique and all are valid, but this would take away opportunities from students from rural Nebraska, who are just as talented and need just as many opportunities as anyone else in the state. And Laney Schmeits, a third-year social science and theater education major from Kearney, said the theater department made her feel welcome and accepted after many of her friends went to college elsewhere. I would be lost if the UNK theater department were eliminated, Schmeits said. UNK Student Regent Temo Molina, who voted for eliminating degree programs in geography and recreation management, said the decision to terminate the theater degrees was more complex, and asked the board to take another look at the program, which will save an estimated $600,000 annually. Molina was the only student regent to vote against ending the theater degree programs. Student Regents Paul Pechous of UNL and Katie Schultis of UNMC voted in favor, while Student Regent Hakim Lotoro of UNO abstained. UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen said the theater degree program, as well as the degrees in geography and recreation management, would wind down over time, giving current students a chance to finish and keep faculty employed for a time. Those programs will be supported with UNKs cash reserve in the meantime, he added. Kristensen said it was difficult, however, to justify keeping a degree program on the books that had an equal number of faculty and students. While he said he hoped that the program could come back in the future, he did not believe it would make an immediate turnaround. You asked me to make it work, he told regents. I have a $5 million target to reduce. If not here, where? The cuts were each approved on an 8-0 vote. Best public colleges in Nebraska Best public colleges in Nebraska #3. University of Nebraska at Kearney #2. University of Nebraska at Omaha #1. University of Nebraska - Lincoln Every month, there are kids in Kansas forced to sleep on cots or couches in a foster care contractors office because they dont have anywhere else to stay that night.One contractor in the state said it had 31 children spend the night in offices in April, though the typical month had fewer than five. Another reported that in the last year, an average of three children per month slept in offices, though it was as high as 15 in June. The numbers represent a small fraction of the children processed by the states child welfare system, but they highlight issues that are the result of growing caseloads and diminishing treatment options for kids with behavioral health problems.I think there is widespread understanding that our child welfare system in Kansas has a lot of problem areas, says Kansas state Rep. Linda Gallagher, who helped set up a legislative task force on child welfare this year. The number of children in foster care has been increasing dramatically over the last three years or more, and theyre not leaving as fast as theyre coming in. Its putting pressure on the system at every point.Nearly 6,900 children are in the custody of Kansas foster care system, up 33 percent from five years ago. But the problems in Kansas are not unique.Nationally, the number of children in foster care increased every year from 2012 to 2015 -- the last year for which national data are available. In that three-year window, 35 states, including Kansas, saw an uptick in their foster care numbers.Its not clear why more children are entering foster care, Gallagher says, but parental substance abuse is thought to be one of the reasons. In some states, officials have recently drawn a link between opioids and rising child welfare caseloads.In the past few years, Arizona Texas and Washington, D.C., have all used office space as an emergency option to park children when they have nowhere else to sleep. In most cases, the office stays are for a single night, and caseworkers supervise the children.Kids aren't always sleeping in offices because there's no foster families available, though. It's often because there are no families equipped to handle a child's behavioral health needs. Sometimes these kids need psychiatric treatment, which is even harder to get.In 2011, Kansas had 17 psychiatric residential treatment facilities with 780 beds for foster youth. Today, it has eight facilities with 272 beds, says Christie Appelhanz, the executive director of Childrens Alliance of Kansas, a nonprofit representing foster care providers.A recent change to juvenile justice policies in Kansas may have also exacerbated an already strained child welfare system. Last year, Kansas passed a law that keeps low-level offenders out of juvenile detention.Juvenile detention "wasnt the right place for them anyway, Gallagher says. They need psychiatric help, and there just arent enough community mental health resources to deal with these troubled kids.For youth waiting to be moved to a home or treatment facility, "you have to find a placement as secure and safe as possible, and sometimes those end up being [child protection] offices," says Patrick Crimmins, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which has struggled to place older youths with special needs, such as autism, diabetes, drug addiction and a history of violence against themselves or others.In some parts of the state, he notes, regional child protection directors use motels instead of caseworker offices.In January, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called attention to the states child protection agency in his State of the State address, asking lawmakers to approve structural reforms and increase funding. The state has raised its reimbursement rates for foster care providers, andAbbott found nearly $550,000 to increase the availability of emergency shelters and residential facilities so that children would not need to sleep in offices and motels.The changes will take time, says Katie Olse, executive director for the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, a nonprofit representing foster care providers throughout the state. But Im really optimistic.Some positive changes are already happening. In Texas, the monthly number of foster youth waiting at least two consecutive nights for a placement peaked at 84 in May and declined to only nine in September, according to Crimmins.When the legislative task force in Kansas makes its child welfare recommendations next year, Appelhanz of the Childrens Alliance hopes it includes proposals for in-home family support services so the state doesnt have to remove children in the first place.Were not investing enough in prevention, she says. I think we need to start asking the question of how we keep children safetheir families and nottheir families.Susan Dreyfus, president and CEO of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities nonprofit who oversaw child welfare agencies in Washington state and Wisconsin, echoes that sentiment.We dont have a supply problem in child welfare, where we just need more homes. We have a demand problem, she says. I hope we put our attention also on whats bringing them through the front door and what can we do to prevent that or intervene earlier before it requires a removal from the home. In late July 1800, Gov. James Monroe learned of a yellow fever outbreak in Fredericksburg, Va. Local officials were able to trace the source of the virus to Norfolk, a major port town on the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Monroes actions over the next several months prevented a statewide outbreak of the fatal disease and serve as a helpful case study for the governments role during a pandemic.It offers an interesting example of how partisan ideology can coexist with government response to infectious disease. Monroe was an ardent Jeffersonian-Republican. He adored the French, abhorred the British, despised John Adams, grew to be frustrated with George Washington, admired James Madison and worshipped Thomas Jefferson. He had campaigned against the ratification of the Constitution, fought against the Federalists that championed executive power, and spoke out in favor of states rights. Few people were more opposed to strong central government.And yet, when serving as governor of Virginia, he didnt hesitate to take drastic steps to protect his state and limit the spread of the disease. Even Monroe, the most partisan of Republicans, distinguished between political ideology and public health emergency. Its a compelling story.On Aug. 8, Monroe left his home in Albemarle and traveled to the capital in Richmond. After meeting with his Council of State, Monroe issued a proclamation on Aug. 23, which required a quarantine for all vessels traveling to and from the city, whether they be tiny canoe or large ship. Monroe worked with the mayors of Richmond, Petersburg, Alexandria, Fredericksburg, and Williamsburg to coordinate the efforts. The quarantine required major cities that regularly traded with Norfolk to create designated examination stations. Each city would also select land near the quarantine stations and build temporary housing. Monroe instructed the mayors to house and care for all symptomatic individuals at these designated locations.Critically, this care would be provided at the states expense, regardless of the class or citizenship of the individual: It is an object of great importance to humanity as well as the general interest of Society that Such unfortunate persons be accommodated in Such manner as to secure them all the aid that can be furnished for the restoration of their health, and that all intercourse between them and the people of the Neighbourhood be completely prevented. Sailors arriving on foreign ships would receive the same care as locals to prevent the spread to nearby cities On Nov. 4, 1800, Monroe lifted the quarantine after the threat had subsided . His coordinated action with local mayors produced much better results than recent pandemics. Although Norfolk lost 250 people during the outbreak, roughly 3 percent of the citys population, the numbers were far lower than other yellow fever outbreaks around the same time.In 1793, roughly 10 percent of Philadelphias population died from yellow fever 5,000 of the 50,000 residents. Up to 20,000 Philadelphians with money and somewhere to go fled, including most of the doctors in the city. While 18th-century Americans didnt know the cause of the disease (mosquitoes) or how to treat it, they observed that nursing and hydration helped ameliorate the side effects and encourage recovery. Unfortunately, most residents that remained in Philadelphia didnt have the funds to hire nurses or doctors to provide health care, which meant that the poorest neighborhoods in the city were particularly devastated by the outbreak.Monroes coordinated action and provision of care likely produced the different outcome of 1793 and 1800 outbreaks. Rather than each city implementing its own haphazard quarantine, Monroe enforced unilateral action across the state and prevented the disease from hopping from port to port. Norfolks role as a critical hub for Virginias commerce made centralized action especially important. Ships arriving from across the Atlantic or other states stopped in Norfolk to purchase food and supplies before heading up the James River to Richmond, the Rappahannock River to Fredericksburg, or the Potomac River to Alexandria or Washington, D.C. All of these cities were vulnerable to yellow fever outbreaks because mosquitoes thrived in the humid summer weather. Additionally, ships carrying goods produced in Virginia stopped in Norfolk before traveling onto their final destination up and down the coast, or across the Atlantic. Without statewide restrictions, the disease could have easily spread across the state and the country.The provision of public health care also curtailed the effect of the pandemic. In 1793, some poor Philadelphians received care at local hospitals staffed by volunteer nurses, but most did not. In 1800, Monroe ensured that all individuals received care. While the numbers are difficult to quantify, state-sponsored health care likely reduced the mortality rate and spread of the disease.Over the last few months, there have been countless news stories about the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and the 1793 yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia. We know about these stories because the disease spread and thousands of lives were lost. But the outbreak of 1800 is the example we should remember. Amid Horner crisis, Red Bull may lose technical boss Another layer to Red Bull's pre-season turmoil has emerged in the shape of the potential defection to Ferrari of its technical director Pierre Wache. Pierre Wache, Abu Dhabi GP 2023 Red Bull The crisis that threatens the Formula 1 career of Red Bull's long-time team boss Christian Horner began to come to a head last Friday, as the 50-year-old met with the barrister appointed by the Austrian parent company. So intense is the media scrutiny into Horner's supposed inappropriate behaviour against a female staff member that the meeting was moved from Milton-Keynes to a secret location. The meeting then dragged on for a full eight hours, with sources reporting that an actual outcome may need to wait until after this week's 2024 car launch and even the looming start of winter testing. This is not something that is going to be rectified that quickly, a source told the Sun newspaper. When asked to comment, Red Bull Racing said only: It would not be appropriate for us to comment until the investigation is complete. Most expect Red Bull and Max Verstappen to dominate again this year, but team design guru Adrian Newey is warning that the gap to rivals could actually close due to the conservative approach to development of the new car. Our car will be a third evolution of the (2022) RB18, Newey is quoted as admitting in the pages of Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport. Resources are limited, so we decided to develop what we have. I just hope it turns out to be correct. What Red Bull may not be able to control is the departure of more key staff - like Frenchman Pierre Wache, who is rumoured to be joining Mercedes-defector Lewis Hamilton in moving to Maranello. The Red Bull tree is burning internally, said veteran Formula 1 journalist Roger Benoit, writing for Blick newspaper. Is he (Wache) leaving the sinking ship? La Gazzetta dello Sport concurs: Ferrari looked into hiring Pierre Wache last year, but they failed. But now Wache is seriously considering accepting the offer. (GMM) Alexandria Knows His Gun, a Belfry Elementary School teacher, will be traveling to Costa Rica in April, one of a dozen teachers selected for Ecology Project International's Teacher Fellowship, where she will take part in leatherback sea turtle preservation. I am excited to bring EPIs Teacher Fellowship to life in my classroom. I look forward to immersing my 3rd and 4th grade students in a dynamic curriculum centered around leatherback sea turtle conservation, said Knows His Gun. We will embark on an exciting journey of hands-on learning. I also look forward to introducing elements of Costa Rican culture into my classroom. EPI offers a variety of hands-on research opportunities for students and educators internationally. The fellowship in Costa Rica concentrates on how the leatherback sea turtle population is actively being preserved, how they are monitored, and the help done to support them. Leatherback sea turtles migrate annually to lay their eggs on a particular Costa Rican beach. After decades of endangerment, this beach and the hatchlings laid there are protected, supported and researched. Guided by trained research assistants, Knows His Gun will have a role in monitoring the beach and gain personal experience in the field science methodologies there. A visit to a local high school will provide an opportunity to connect with fellow educators and students, fostering cross-cultural learning and understanding. They love hearing about animals and movement of animals and learning about adaptations of animals, she said. Being able to go to these things as their teacher, I can bring back a personal perspective to help make it more real for students who come from a landlocked area. Through her own journey of continued education, Knows His Gun hopes to foster a yearning for learning and understanding in her students, and expose them to cultures and careers they might never have thought of. Conservation is a topic she is personally passionate about and strives to educate her students to the best of her ability and without bias. Growing up, I didn't know a lot about these things, not that I didn't have the resources, or I didn't care, it was never on my wavelength, said Knows His Gun. Now that I'm older and I know that the next generation is counting on us to help them learn and grow, I want to make sure that I'm the best equipped educator that I can possibly be, and that I'm educated and I'm giving facts, not biases, and I think the best way to do that is to dive in headfirst. The Costa Rican fellowship is not the only research project shes had the opportunity to share first-hand experience of with her students. Knows His Guns journey into conservation education started locally, right in Montanas backyard. A few months ago, she took part in an educators fellowship in collaboration with Yellowstone ecologists, conservationists and tribal members, to learn about the reintroduction of bison onto tribal lands. That is probably one of the coolest things that I've ever done, said Knows His Gun. Being in Montana, you don't realize the things that go on politically when it comes to bison and living so close to Yellowstone, the importance of Bison to tribal nations before any of our time. During the summer of 2022, Knows His Gun took part in a six-week study in Bozeman, combining energy and indigenous science. There, she learned about how energy moves and is stored, the use of windmills and tribal affiliation. Each time she digs into field research, Knows His Gun cant wait to incorporate what she learns into her curriculum. Its really easy to encourage your students to be lifelong learners if you are, she said. I think its important to keep that passion going in yourself and to pass that passion on, and then hopefully light a spark in some kids that want save the sea turtles or to let them know that they can if they want to. A Detroit man facing felony drug charges in Burleigh County entered not guilty pleas Monday. James Washington is charged with conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. Members of the Metro Area Narcotics Task Force searched a residence on 93rd Street Southeast last November and arrested Washington, homeowner Kyle Berg and another Detroit man, Richard Mallard. Berg and Mallard pleaded not guilty earlier and are set for trial March 27. During Monday's hearing, task force Officer Trevor Pollert testified to finding the three men hiding in the basement of the residence and also finding a backpack containing Washington's identification in addition to nearly 150 grams of suspected fentanyl pills. The 150 grams equates to approximately 1,500 pills, according to Pollert's testimony. Officers also discovered a cigarette pack containing more than 40 similar pills, he said. Pollert also testified that Berg during an interview provided information that Washington and Mallard had come to Bismarck from Detroit with the intention to sell the pills to local drug users. Berg allegedly provided Washington and Mallard with a place to stay and assisted in providing the Detroit men with access to local buyers. Washington remains in custody on a $50,000 cash bond. His trial also is set for March 27. A bill to ban the sale of big sodas and other sugary drinks in restaurants and fast-food joints is a step closer to going up for a vote at the Guam Legislature after a public hearing Monday, though senators received only a testimony from the bill author and a written one from the Department of Public Health and Social Services. Bill 199-37, requested by the Guam Youth Congress, would prohibit eateries and vending machines from selling sugary drinks bigger than 17 fluid ounces, about the size of a standard soda bottle. Residents would not be able to pour themselves a large, sugary fountain drink, either, should the bill become law, as the use of large self-service cups would also be banned. The sale of sugar-free drinks, flavored milk, and 100% juice would not be affected by the measure. The bill is aimed at reducing the bad health effects that come with consuming sugary drinks, according to Guam Youth Congress Rep. Nathan Paz, main sponsor of the bill. But the Department of Public Health and Social Service opposes the ban on big drinks, as it would be an enforcement challenge, according to written testimony from acting Public Health Director Peter John Camacho. No one else appeared Monday to testify on the bill. Reaching for a very large sugary drink can be easy when the price to upsize is only a few cents or a dollar more at a drive-thru, cafe, or eatery, Paz told lawmakers. And on Guam, the culture of never letting food go to waste can lead to consumers downing much more sugar if the option is available, he said. The island also has an obesity rate of between 30% and 35%, along with diabetes rates of 33 per 100,000 individuals, both of which are about twice the rates seen in the U.S. mainland, Paz said. He said his hope was that the bill would help residents cut down on their intake. But the bill would put the Division of Environmental Healthwhich is responsible for health inspections and preventing the spread of diseasein charge of regulating the nutritional content of food, Public Healths Camacho told lawmakers. The division was not equipped for that job, and enforcement would be a challenge, he stated. Though Public Health agreed in principle with the aim of the bill, a more comprehensive health education program would be better to reduce diabetes and obesity rates, Camacho added. Besides that, eateries around the island are still recovering from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and would be further hit by the bill. Camacho asked that if the ban was passed, that multiple government agencies be made responsible for enforcing it, similar to what was done for the ban on indoor smoking through the 2005 Natasha Protection Act. Sen. Tom Fisher told Paz he believed that some places that werent eateries but did sell fountain drinks, like gas stations, for example, might claim immunity from the bill if it passed as is. Paz said he was open to broadening the scope of the measure to include gas stations. Bans on big sugary drinks have been undertaken in other jurisdictions, with the most notable case being New York City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg stuck a prohibition on big sodas into the citys health code, although it was ultimately struck down after a court deemed Bloomberg had wrongfully sidestepped New Yorks health board in the process. On Guam, Sen. Roy Quinata has introduced a bill to curb sugar intake by taxing drinks at a rate of 2 cents per fluid ounce, though the measure is awaiting a public hearing. A woman who reported her child was taken by a man on Sunday has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse, and police said allegations against the man were fabricated. Guam Police Department issued an Amber Alert for 2-year-old Lucialyn Aflleje on Sunday. The childs mother, Katina Antancia Aflleje, told police that Eugene Wayne Tudela Huffman took the girl after a fight. At the time, the child was believed to be in immediate danger, according to a news release issued by police just after 3 p.m. Sunday. A little more than two hours later, police spokeswoman Officer Berlyn Savella said the child had been found unharmed and the investigation was ongoing. Ultimately, Huffman was not arrested or charged. It has been determined that certain details provided by ... Katina Aflleje were fabricated and inconsistent with the allegations against Mr. Huffman, Savella stated in a follow-up news release Monday. Savella said at 5 p.m. Sunday, Huffman, his son and the missing girl turned up at Naval Hospital for a separate issue not related to the investigation. Investigations reveal that Mr. Huffman had taken physical custody of Lucialyn Affleje under circumstances related to the wellbeing and erratic state of Katina, Savella said. Katina Aflleje was arrested on child abuse charges, and was booked and released under circumstances beyond the Guam Police Department, Savella said. The girl was placed with Child Protective Services, and the case was forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General. GPD would like to express our gratitude to the community for their cooperation and support throughout this investigation, Savella said. Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio joins school counselors, educators and other members of the Guam Association of School Counselors during a Feb. 2, 2024, signing of a proclamation on National School Counseling Week, observed from Feb. 5 to 9. A 50-year-old man was charged Monday with aggravated assault as a third-degree felony and possession or use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony. Angelito Dagame faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the charges. Police were called to Dededo Monday, where a woman said a neighbor came to her home holding a cloth covered in blood to her face. The injured woman said her roommate, Dagame, threw a machete at her, according to a magistrates complaint filed in Superior Court. She told police Dagame became angry with her during an argument, and she said the machete was about a foot long and had a black handle. She said Dagame left the home when she was bleeding and told him she was going to call police. The woman, who had a deep cut on her nose, was taken by medics to Guam Regional Medical City. Police located Dagame, who said he argued with the woman and left the residence so he wouldnt get in trouble, according to the complaint. He told police he threw a metal pipe at the woman, but later said he threw a machete at her, according to charging documents, and he showed police where the machete was located. Dagame was held on $3,000 cash bail. Corrections & Clarifications: this article has been updated to correctly reflect statements made by obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Thomas Shieh in the 15th paragraph. A bill that would open up the door for women to get medication abortions with only a virtual consultation, among a number of other changes to Guams abortion regulations, drew strong support and opposition Monday. Though abortion-inducing pills are now available by mail, and virtual medical consultations are also an option, Guam law mandates that women get certain information in person from a doctor, social worker, or counselor before an abortion. Sen. Will Parkinsons Bill 162-37 would allow virtual consultations, but also would make a number of changes to the Womens Reproductive Health Act of 2012, which mandated in-person consultation so that expectant mothers could be provided with information about abortions. Violating the 2012 act is a criminal misdemeanor. The bill would strike the need for expectant mothers to wait 24 hours after getting the information, along with requirements that women be informed of the gestational age and sex of the fetus, which Parkinson said were meant to guilt trip patients into not getting an abortion. Supporters of the change said the law makes it too difficult for local women to get safe abortions, while opponents said the bill would make it too easy and more dangerous to get the procedure. Burdensome Bill 162-37 seeks to keep unnecessary government interference out of the personal choice made by a woman with the help of her physician, according to Jayne Flores, director of the Bureau of Womens Affairs. The requirement for an in person consultation was one of a number of prejudicial mandates under the current law, which were not required for any other procedure, Flores said. Guam voters were clear that they supported safe abortion access, she added, and had signaled it by twice electing the pro-abortion Leon Guerrero administration. Local law was archaic and burdensome and mostly prevented lower income people from getting an abortion, said Stephanie Lorenzo, a licensed social worker and executive director of pro-abortion group Famalaoan Rights. She supports the measure. A lengthy informed consent checklist, the 24-hour waiting period, and in person consultation requirements were forcing those without means into desperate and dangerous conditions, Lorenzo said. Those who wanted to get an abortion were also forced to read a booklet with more information, unlike any other medical procedure available, she added. Faster, but not safer Bill 162-37 would go a long way to make abortions faster for Guam residents, said obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Tom Shieh, but it would not necessarily make them safer. Much of the medical information that would no longer be required if Bill 162-37 were to become law, like the gestational age of a fetus, was important for a woman to know before an abortion, Shieh said. Abortion pills were used before 11 weeks of pregnancy, and an ultrasound was a safer way to determine age than basing the determination off a last menstrual period, according to the doctor. He said ultrasounds could also detect ectopic or molar pregnancies, conditions that rendered the use of an abortion pill ineffective. Women with health complications may need more check ups even after the procedure is finished, Shieh added. But there also needed to be more thought about what happened to those who did get an abortion through telemedicine, as Guam, unlike other states, had very few obstetricians and gynecologists. Should there be a complication, hemorrhage bleeding, incomplete abortion, infections, failed abortion ectopic pregnancies, molar pregnancy, whos going to be here? Who will be the person to manage these complications? Shieh said. Abortion opponent Sharon OMallan argued that the bill would remove most of the accountability for doctors that would provide an abortion. For one thing, it removes a requirement that abortions on Guam be reported to the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority on a monthly basis, she said, opening the door to secret abortions. Victims of rape, incest or sex trafficking can find a doctor who does these unreported abortions knowing that these crimes are hidden, OMallan argued, something that had happened before abortions had to be reported. The Office of Homelessness and Poverty Prevention will oversee The Emergency Food Assistance Program across all villages as early as middle of the year, and implement the Disaster Case Management Program around March to help residents with unmet needs from Typhoon Mawar, according to agency director Rob San Agustin. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero, in a Dec. 29, 2023 letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, designated OHAPP as Guams state agency for TEFAP. Prior to that, in February 2022, Guams state agency for TEFAP changed from the Guam Department of Education to the Department of Agriculture. Due to agency personnel shifts and desiring more focused efforts for poverty prevention and food security for our vulnerable population, I have determined that the TEFAP program can be more appropriately implemented at an alternate agency, the governor wrote in her letter to USDA. San Agustin shared these changes during the recent Interagency Council for Coordinating Homelessness Programs and OHAPP meeting. Those who qualify for TEFAP are individuals or households who meet low-income requirements. For Guam, I believe this is the income threshold used by DPHSS for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and public benefits, he said. The USDA-funded program provides food assistance to eligible Americans for use in preparing meals for home consumption or to organizations providing meals for needy people. These are the food commodities that youve seen come out that the mayors hand out from time to time. So, OHAPP will be taking over that responsibility soon, San Agustin said. OHAPP is working with GDOE to learn the logistics of the program, to begin distributing food items by mid-year, according to San Agustin. The agency will coordinate closely with the Mayors Council of Guam to streamline the distribution to all villages. Were working with GDOE to understand the logistics of it and hopefully by the middle of the year, well take over the actual logistics of that program, and well work closely with the Mayors Council of Guam to have those commodities given out and work with the mayors to get them out as fast as possible to all the villages on Guam so that nobody goes hungry, San Agustin said. To apply, he said, households should submit applications coming from the mayors and GDOE. When GDOE receives the shipment of food commodities, they will coordinate with the organizations and mayors to distribute either directly from the mayors to their applicants, or in the past, there was direct pickup from the storage warehouse. Disaster management Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded OHAPP with a $1.8 million grant to carry out the Disaster Case Management Program to assist residents on Guam who have remaining needs from Typhoon Mawar. The program is open to all Guam residents, regardless of citizenship status, San Agustin said. The OHAPP director noted that DCM is not a monetary program, rather an office that will connect individuals to resources they need. For example, if a persons vital documents were destroyed by the typhoon and they dont know how to request them, we will assist them in requesting those documents. If their job was affected, we can connect them with the Department of Labor to see if they have programs to connect them to employment. If a persons house was damaged and they need to find a contractor to perform the work, we can maybe research contractors and supply a resource list for them to contact available contractors. This will not pay for house repairs or damages sustained to property or belongings, San Agustin told the Pacific Daily News. The program, which is set to launch by mid to late March, solely targets typhoon victims, excluding those victims of disasters that happened before or after the typhoon. Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio said OHAPP is intended to be relocated from the Bank of Hawaii building, which will be taken over by the Office of the Attorney General, to the International Trade Center in Tamuning. Homeless shelters in progressMeanwhile, San Agustin reported that the Anigua shelters interior is almost done, while its exterior work, including stairwell repairs and gate installation is ongoing and is expected to be completed in a couple of months. Tenorio said they are refining the program approach for ensuring housing stability for women and children, particularly addressing housing challenges for recovering women with children in foster care. The goal of this shelter is to not only reunify with some program assistance of these families, but also to reduce the number of children that are in foster shelter, he said. San Agustin and Tenorio recently went on a trip to assess the appropriate programs for the shelter. Tenorio said they met the regional director of the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to discuss on-site daycare and childcare programs, which are now being worked on by Guam DPHSS. They are also coordinating with the Department of Land Management, Department of Public Works, and Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority to remove hazards along the street in Anigua. The government is going to be looking and making steps to make sure that they are safe Were not interested in operating any services or facilities in places that are unsafe, that have criminal activity, or there are people trespassing on private property, said Tenorio. When we set up shop, please be assured that we will have adequate security. We are going to make sure that theres no illicit activity near these facilities, he added. {p dir=ltr}Elizabeth Napoli, director of GHURA, confirmed the acquisition of the facility at Building 198 off Iriarte Street in Tamuning to serve as a drop-in or overnight shelter for the homeless. {p dir=ltr}Were looking forward to making sure that everything starts happening so that we can open it as soon as possible. So, we do have that shelter. Its for that purpose. It was approved, said Napoli. {p dir=ltr}San Agustin noted that OHAPP will handle the engineering design for the build-out. It is anticipated to open by the end of the year. The office is also reviewing governance examples from other locations to enhance drop-in shelter operations with more intensive programming. {p dir=ltr}So, the opportunity for the drop-in shelter is a safe place for those street homeless to be where ... hopefully, therell be some health, mental health, and public health intervention opportunities for treatment, said San Agustin. Former Gov. Carl T.C. Gutierrez is the president and CEO of Guam Visitors Bureau, Guam Permit Czar, and chairman of the Governors Economic Strategy Council. Send comments or questions to GVB at communityrelations@visitguam.org. Any student in grades 3-12 who attends a North Dakota public or nonpublic K-12 school, or who is in the first year of attending a North Dakota college, is eligible. Student Cabinet terms last about 1 years. Meetings are typically held at the state Capitol in Bismarck every three months. What students think about their education, how it is provided and how well it is serving them is vitally important to me. The Student Cabinet helps me stay in touch with feedback from our primary customers, Baesler said. I want to know what is going well in our schools, and I want suggestions about how to improve what is not going so well. The North Dakota Department of Transportation will host a public input meeting Thursday on proposed improvements to state Highway 22 from Ninth Street West to West Broadway Street in Dickinson. The meeting is from 5-7 p.m. Mountain time at the Dickinson Public Schools Professional Learning Lab, at 266 Third Ave. W. in Dickinson. There will be an open house format with a formal presentation at 5:30 p.m. The project includes replacement of the signals at Second Street and Ninth Street and the removal of the signals at West Broadway Street, Third Street and Fourth Street. A prerecorded presentation and other materials are available at www.dot.nd.gov; click Public Input Meetings under News and Events. Havre Police Department A Boulevard Avenue caller reported at 8:11 a.m. Friday that someone had hit their mailbox during the night. -- A two-vehicle, non-injury crash was reported Friday at 12:45 p.m. on First Street West. -- A two-vehicle, non-injury crash was reported on Second Avenue at 1:11 p.m. Friday. -- A caller reported their dog was loose near the post office Friday 2:13 p.m. -- Officers assisted Montana Highway Patrol at 3:08 p.m. Friday on First Street. -- Robert James Bonavita of Havre, 41, was issued a summons on a charge of violation of a protective order after a c... Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., announced his long-expected run for Senate Friday, paving the way for what may be a divisive primary that has drawn a mixed reaction from Republican colleagues. While he only officially announced it last week Rosendale has been hinting for months that he wanted a rematch against long-time Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, whom he lost to in 2018, and many prominent Republicans have been publicly urging him against it, and supporting Republican Tim Sheehy as their best hope to beat Tester in the general election. Perhaps the most vocal critic has been Montan... (CNBC) Sam Bankman-Fried, who could spend the rest of his life behind bars, was found guilty in November on seven criminal counts after roughly $10 billion in customer funds from his company went missing. Some of that money went to pay for Bankman-Frieds lavish lifestyle, but much of it went towards other investments that have, of late, appreciated dramatically in value. To read this article: According to calculations by Helsingin Sanomat, the strikes will majorly impact the country towards the end of the week, with more than 100,000 employees set to walk out from Wednesday to Friday. This week , Finland faces a significant halt across various sectors as over 130,000 workers are expected to strike in protest against the government's labor market reforms proposed by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo 's administration. The strikes, which are political in nature, are anticipated to widely disrupt societal and economic activities throughout the country. The Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK) estimates the cost of the strikes this week, along with those following December, to be around one billion euros. Key sectors affected include rail transport, which will see a complete shutdown on Monday due to a strike by the Railway Union. Early childhood education will also face disruptions on Tuesday and Wednesday as social, health, and education sector unions, including Tehy and Super, commence a 48-hour strike across major cities. The public and private daycare in these cities is likely to be closed. Although long-distance and local train services were expected to resume on Tuesday, VR announced on Monday evening that all long-distance trains would be canceled for safety reasons following the detection of wheel damage caused by suspected track faults. Local train services will operate normally. The industrial sector will come to a standstill on Wednesday, with extensive political strikes initiated by the Industrial Union and Pro Union affecting various industries. About 60,000 industrial workers and 7,000 office staff are expected to join the strikes, potentially halting a significant portion of Finnish industry. Public transport in Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku will also experience widespread shutdowns due to JHL's strike, affecting trams, metros, and bus services. Ports will be paralyzed from Wednesday to Friday due to a dockworkers' strike by the AKT union. The strikes will extend to the energy sector on Thursday, with the Electrical Workers' Union moving its political strike from the Loviisa nuclear power plant to the Olkiluoto nuclear facility. Other continuing strikes include those by the Service Union United (PAM) in logistics centers and by the Food Workers Union SEL and Pro Union in some food industry workplaces. On Friday, the strikes will expand to include employees of hydroelectric power plants operated by Kemijoki, Tornionlaakson Voima, and Pohjolan Voima, as well as Fortum's Oulujoki hydroelectric plants, all members of the Electrical Workers' Union. As Finland braces for a week of widespread industrial action, the impact on daily life, from transportation to childcare and industrial production, underscores the significant pushback against proposed changes to the labor market by Finnish workers and their unions. HT THE next meeting of the British Modern Military History Society will be held at Woodcote village hall on Wednesday, February 14 at 7.30pm. The speaker will be Jonathan Parrett, curator of East Grinstead Museum, on The Guinea Pig Club. The Guinea Pig Club was formed in July 1941 to support aircrew who were undergoing reconstructive plastic surgery after receiving burn injuries while serving during the Second World War. What began with 39 patients grew to 649 by the end of the war and included Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders as well as Americans, French, Czechs and Poles. Under the care of surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe, pioneering plastic surgery techniques restored function and gave hope to these young men with life- changing disfigurements. With his encouragement, the guinea pigs did not hide away with their injuries but instead led full, active lives. They challenged the existing perception that disabilities were life-limiting and went on to mentor new generations of burns victims, including service personnel injured in the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The cost of entry is just 8, which includes the talk, a question and answer session and refreshments (beer, wine, soft drinks). We ask for payment in advance. If you are unable to pay in advance there will be a facility to pay on the door by card or cash. Please contact us on info@bmmhs.org to register for this meeting. For more information about the society and our meetings, please visit www.bmmhs.org Azerbaijan Foreign Affairs Ministry congratulated Iran on the occasion of the national holiday - Islamic Revolution's Victory Day, Azernews reports, citing the X account of the ministry. "We believe that friendly neighborly relations between Azerbaijan and Iran based on mutual respect, understanding, and international law will contribute to regional development and prosperity," the congratulation said. A famous Zurcher [1] Max Frisch [2] (1911-1991) Max Frisch was born in Zurich on May 15, 1911, the son of an architect. In 1930 he began his study of German [3] in the university of Zurich. However, after his fathers death, he had to give up his study due to financial situations and instead worked as a freelance writer for the New Zurich Newspaper and other newspapers. He wrote his first novel in 1934, but soon after he burned all his manuscripts and decided to stop his writing. He began his architecture study in 1936 and graduated with an architect degree in 1941. But soon he wrote again. He wrote above all dramas which dealt with the war and the post-war periods. Like his contemporary Friedrich Durrenmatt [4] Frisch criticized Swiss neutrality during the World War II. Although Frisch and Durrenmatt had much in common (they were both opponents of the Swiss army, worked together at Zurich theater house) their relationship was only almost a friendship. [1]. Translated by me from p. 316. Ein beruhmter Zurcher Max Frisch (1911-1991). Stationen, Ein Kursbuch fur die Mittelstufe, 3rd Edition, Prisca Augustyn & Nikolaus Euba, Cengage Learning, USA, 2015 [2]. Max Frisch. 5/15/1911-4/4/1991. Swiss playwright and novelist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Frisch [3]. Germanistik (German)=German (English): From Google search, German or Germanic linguistics and literature, German studies in a broader sense (including German folklore and antiquity). [4]. Friedrich Durrenmatt. 1/5/1921-12/14/1990. Swiss author and dramatist. Monday February 12, 2024 The bodies of three of the Emirati armed forces officers killed in a terrorist attack in Somalia arrive at Al Bateen Airport. A fourth officer died of his injuries after being flown back to the UAE. Wam Four Emirati officers and a Bahrain Defence Force officer died, UAE Ministry of Defence announced on Sunday The bodies of four members of the UAE armed forces killed in a terrorist attack in Somalia were repatriated on Sunday, the Ministry of Defence announced. An officer from the Bahrain Defence Force also died in the attack, the ministry said. advertisements Funeral prayers are observed for Khalifa Al Balushi at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Ajman. Wam Authorities initially said three Emirati officers were killed and two military personnel injured on Saturday.On Sunday, the ministry confirmed a fourth UAE Armed Forces member had died on return to the Emirates from injuries sustained in the incident.It said the bodies of the four men were repatriated to Al Bateen Airport in Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning.They were identified as staff warrant officers Mohamed Al Shamsi and Khalifa Al Balushi, Cpl Suleiman Al Shehh and Brig Mohamed Al Mansouri.The ministry extended condolences to the families of the victims. It said the military personnel, who were in Somalia to train Somali armed forces, were killed while undertaking their duties as part of an agreement between the two countries. The ministry said that the UAE continues to co-ordinate and co-operate with the Somali government to investigate the terrorist act.A gunman was also shot dead in the Gordon military base, Reuters reported.The soldier opened fire on the UAE trainers and Somali military officials when they started praying. Four UAE officers were injured while four Somali soldiers died, an officer told Reuters.Al Shabab has claimed responsibility on its Radio Al Andalus.Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Ruler of Ajman, and Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, performed funeral prayers for Mr Al Balushi at the emirate's Sheikh Zayed Mosque on Sunday.Sheikhs, government officials and members of the community also paid their respects.The military officer was laid to rest at Ajman Cemetery Jurf, state news agency Wam reported.The Ajman Ruler and Crown Prince extended their deepest condolences and sympathies to the family of the officer. Number 1: (People born on 1, 10, 19, and 28 of any month) Ganesha says for those with radix number 1, production and projects caused by floods will be completed in the week of February. At the beginning of the week, you may get some good news related to your project. Mother's happiness in lover's love life and mother's happiness in love life will remain strong. Money-related decisions taken with calm vision and thoughtfulness will bring auspicious results for you. Important information received from a friend, which will be useful to you. Plans to go out with a loved one will go awry. Time will be favorable at the end of the week and you will get happiness and prosperity in life. Read your free weekly numerology predictions on hindustantimes.com. Find out what the planets have predicted for these numbers from 12th to 18th February(shutterstock) Number 2: (People born on 2, 11, 20, and 29 of any month) Ganesha says players with Radix number 2 can get the stuck money in the week of February and will also get good profits from investment. In the end, it will bring good results for you. Talking about married life, friendly relations will remain but homosexual love will remain. Some religious events may take place at home. Students should work hard to achieve success in education. If competition does not increase at the end of the week, better results will emerge in life. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Number 3: (People born on 3, 12, 21, and 30 of any month) Ganesha says there is good progress for people with radix number 3 and you may get some good news related to your project at the beginning of February. You will get auspicious results in financial matters and can also make purchases for family members. Friendship and love will become stronger in love life and there will be happiness in love life. This week, single people may meet someone special. At the end of the week, you can participate in some tourist program or enjoy a pleasant time with loved ones. Number 4: (People born on 4, 13, 22, and 31 of any month) Ganesha says for people with radix number 4, the time will be good from a financial point of view in the week of February and there will be auspicious chances of financial gain this week. The joint investment will be auspicious for you. You may feel sad after receiving some news. Talking about family life, you will get an opportunity to serve your parents and you can buy some property or vehicle with the help of your father. At the end of the week, the support of a woman will bring happiness and prosperity in your life, and from time to time in life you will get the support of a practical partner. Number 5: (People born on 5, 14, and 23 of any month) Ganesha says the investment will give auspicious results for people with radix number 5 in the week of February. There are auspicious opportunities for an increase in wealth and some new investment may come for you. In the final stage, you will get results that are inferior to your personality. Talking about life, you can go out somewhere with your lover. A special guest may arrive at the home of newly married people. At the end of the week, the time will gradually become favorable. Number 6: (People born on 6, 15, and 24 of any month) Ganesha says for those with number 6, there will be good growth in the orchestra in the week of February and pending work will be completed. At the beginning of the week, you may get some good news related to your project. Production will be in progress and you will be full of enthusiasm to complete your project. Projects will be successful and you will keep moving forward on the path of progress. Friendly love will remain strong in love life, but you should decide on any option from a broader perspective. At the end of the week, doors of happiness and prosperity will open in life. Number 7 (People born on 7, 16, and 25 of any month) Ganesha says in the week of February, the remaining participants with number 7 will work with more focus and will also be more successful in February. Business trips will bring good results for you. In financial matters, favorable times and two investments can bring auspicious results for you. You may go on a trip to a pilgrimage site with your parents and buy something for small children at home. Because of partners in love life. Harassment from colleagues may increase at the end of the week. Number 8: (People born on 8, 17, and 26 of any month) Ganesha says in the week of February, people with Radix number 8 will be in the mood for fun and can get good returns from any old investment. Auspicious opportunities for progress are gradually being created in economic matters. Talking about film life, you will have good relations with Florida and will also buy some property together. You may have to run around regarding your children's education. There will be a sudden meeting with an old friend and old memories will be refreshed. Can attend some function with parents. You may feel sad after receiving some news at the end of the week. Number 9: (People born on 9, 18, and 27 of any month) Ganesha says for those with radix number 9, a new project may bring auspicious results for you in the week of February. A beginner's guide to progressions in your orchestra. Control your expenses otherwise the monthly budget may be fixed and it is important to focus on investments. Although everything will be fine in marital life, still the mind will be happy about something. This week, the marriage of a family member may be finalized. At the end of the week, with your brother's patience and behavior, you will get a successful partner in life. Contact Shri Chirag Daruwalla: Call / whatsapp on: +91 9825470377 Email: info@bejandaruwalla.com Website Url: www.bejandaruwalla.com In today's fast-paced world, financial emergencies can arise unexpectedly, requiring immediate solutions. Fortunately, the advent of online lending platforms has revolutionised the borrowing experience, offering convenient access to instant loans with just a few clicks. Whether it is covering unforeseen expenses, bridging a temporary cash shortfall, or seizing a lucrative opportunity, instant loan provides a timely lifeline for individuals in need of quick financial assistance. The Bajaj Finance Insta Personal Loan is a great digital loan option to consider during financial emergencies. With pre-approved offers and quick disbursal time of 30 minutes* to 4 hours, this is an ideal choice to manage urgent expenses. From navigating the application process to understanding documentation and repayment options, we will guide you through the steps to ensure a smooth and efficient borrowing experience. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Here Is How You Can Apply For The Bajaj Finance Insta Personal Loan 1. Go to the Insta Personal Loan page on the Bajaj Finserv website and click on CHECK OFFER. 2. Enter your 10-digit mobile number and OTP. 3. You will see a pre-assigned loan limit. Go with the limit or choose a different loan amount. 4. Choose a repayment tenure that suits you best. 5. Click on PROCEED to complete the online process. The online process may differ depending on whether you are a new customer or have an existing relationship with us. Once the process is completed, a representative will call you with the next steps. Eligibility Criteria For The Bajaj Finance Insta Personal Loan Insta Personal Loans are available to all individuals. The eligibility criteria and documentation requirements vary based on whether you are a new customer or have an existing relationship with Bajaj Finance Limited. For Existing Customers: As an existing customer with a pre-approved offer, you are exempt from any additional eligibility criteria. However, some existing customers may need to provide additional documentation, such as income proof, KYC documents, and bank statements, to secure the digital Personal Loan. If You Are A New Customer Customers who have received an Insta Personal Loan offer may be required to undergo a CIBIL check and furnish supplementary documentation. The process for documentation and application may vary slightly. In conclusion, with the right knowledge and preparation, securing an instant loan or a digital loan can provide the necessary financial relief without the hassle of traditional lending procedures, allowing you to address urgent financial needs promptly and effectively. *Applicable for select customers. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. This information does not constitute a financial advice. The government is examining foreign direct investment from China in Paytm Payments Services Ltd (PPSL), the payment aggregator subsidiary of One97 Communications Ltd, sources said. An inter-ministerial committee is examining investments from China in PPSL and decision would be taken on the FDI issue after due consideration and comprehensive examination(Bloomberg) In November 2020, PPSL had applied for licence with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator under the guidelines on Regulation of Payment Aggregators and Payment Gateways. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. However, in November 2022, RBI rejected PPSL's application and asked the company to resubmit it, so as to comply with Press Note 3 under FDI rules. ALSO READ: Paytm set to operate as third-party app for UPI: Report One97 Communications Ltd (OCL) has investment from Chinese firm Ant Group Co. Subsequently, the company filed the required application on December 14, 2022 with Government of India for past downward investment from OCL into the company in order to comply with Press Note 3 prescribed under FDI guidelines. ALSO READ: Paytm to form advisory committee on compliance, regulatory matters An inter-ministerial committee is examining investments from China in PPSL and decision would be taken on the FDI issue after due consideration and comprehensive examination, sources said. Under Press Note 3, the government had made its prior approval mandatory for foreign investments in any sector from countries that share land border with India to curb opportunistic takeovers of domestic firms following the COVID-19 pandemic. Countries which share land borders with India are China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar and Afghanistan. When contacted, a Paytm spokesperson said PPSL applied for an online Payment Aggregator (PA) application for online merchants and the regulator subsequently asked PPSL to seek necessary approvals for past downward investment and resubmit the application. "This is part of the regular process where everybody applying for a payment aggregator licence has to get FDI approval," the spokesperson said. Followed relevant guidelines: Paytm spokesperson The spokesperson said PPSL followed the relevant guidelines and submitted all relevant documents to the regulator within the stipulated time. During the pending process, PPSL was allowed to continue with its online payment aggregation business for existing partners without onboarding any new merchants. "Since then the ownership structure has changed. The Paytm founder remains the largest stakeholder in the company. Ant Financial reduced its stake in OCL to less than 10 per cent in July 2023. Subsequently, it does not qualify for beneficial company ownership. OCL founding promoter now holds a 24.3 per cent stake. Therefore, your understanding of FDI from China in PPSL is incorrect and misleading," the spokesperson said. The Reserve Bank last month barred Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL), an associate company of OCL, from accepting deposits or top-ups in any customer account, prepaid instruments, wallets, and FASTags, among others after February 29, 2024. The Reserve Bank's action against PPBL follows a comprehensive system audit report and subsequent compliance validation report of external auditors. RBI had said that these reports revealed persistent non-compliances and continued material supervisory concerns in PPBL, warranting further supervisory action. On March 11, 2022, RBI had barred PPBL from onboarding new customers with immediate effect. Ahead of the farmers agitation on February 13, the Chandigarh Police have invoked Sector 144 (prohibition on assembly of five or more persons) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) across the city. Police barricades put up at Shambhu border (Punjab-Haryana) in view of farmers' 'Delhi Chalo March', in Patiala district, Sunday. (PTI) In an advisory issued on Sunday evening, the UT Police stated that there will be a ban on gatherings, processions, demonstrations, marchpasts on foot or with tractor trolleys and other vehicles, and carrying sticks, rods or weapons for the next 60 days. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In view of this, vehicles, especially tractor trailers, will not be allowed to move within the territory of Chandigarh. Read more: As Delhi braces for farmers stir, Section 144 in parts of city Police also advised the general public to strictly follow the government directions, take necessary measures and cooperate with the police to ensure law and order. Violators will be prosecuted with strict penal action under the relevant provisions of law, said a police official. Traffic disruptions likely A traffic police official also said there will be some restrictions on the free movement of traffic on February 12 and 13 on the borders of Chandigarh. Neighbouring states have also issued traffic advisories. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced to field Subhash Barala, the confidante of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, to fill the single Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana. Subhash Barala Barala, a Jat leader and former Haryana BJP president, from December 2014 to July 2020, had lost October 2019 assembly election with over 52,000 votes from Tohana constituency in Fatehabad. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Haryana has five Rajya Sabha seats. On April 2, the six-year term of incumbent and BJPs Rajya Sabha member, Lt Gen DP Vats (retd) will come to an end. It is unlikely that polling will take place for this seat in Haryana as in the 90-member state assembly, ruling BJP has 41 MLAs. The BJP has support of 10 MLAs of its alliance partner, Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), and six independents. As per the formula for upper house polls, a candidate for one Rajya Sabha seat from Haryana needs 46 votes to win the election. The notification for conducting the biennial election was issued on February 8 and polling (if required) will take place on February 27. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is February 20. Haryana BJP president and Lok Sabha MP Nayab Singh Saini congratulated Barala, saying that BJPs central election committee has approved his candidature for the lone vacant seat of upper house in Haryana. Barala, 56, is presently chairman of Haryana bureau of public enterprises. A close aide of chief minister Khattar, Barala s political graph went up the ladder quiet quickly after he won his first-ever election in 2014 after losing twice. But Baralas political troubles began with the alleged stalking case involving his son Vikas Barala, then a law student at Kurukshetra University. However, Khattar had backed him despite the raging controversy and police booking Baralas son for allegedly stalking a DJ in Chandigarh. Former Haryana chief minister and leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday asserted that the state is suffering from poor law and order situation and with the help of the people, he would change the present regime. Bhupinder Singh Hooda Addressing a rally in Palwal, Hooda said that Haryana has become an unsafe place in the last nine year rule of the BJP government. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The present coalition government has stopped all the welfare schemes that were running during our governments tenure. We will restart the scheme of 100-yards free plots, and will provide government assistance to build a two-room house on it, if voted to power. The creamy layer income limit of backward class will be increased from 6 lakh to 10 lakh. We will make a yellow card for every poor person. The Padak Lao, Pad Pao Yojna would be implemented again, Hooda said. He further said that the BJP government had promised to double farmers income by 2022, but instead of increasing their income, they increased the input cost. During our time, diesel was cheaper in Haryana than Delhi, but today the reverse is happening. Through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam Limited and Agneepath Yojana, temporary jobs are being given instead of permanent government jobs. These jobs neither have pension, nor any future security, he stated. Congress state president Udai Bhan said that people have made up their mind to teach a lesson to BJP-JJP in the upcoming elections. Lakhs of factories across the country were closed. From airports to railway stations, coal mines, everything is being handed over to an industrialist. Those who talk about showing red eyes to China, are trembling in front of China today. Those who raised slogans of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, dragged our wrestler daughters on the streets, he said. The state government will push for new innovative schemes in the upcoming budget to increase agricultural yield and boost farmer income in the next two years, chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Sunday. Himachal CM Sukvinder Sukhu interacting with dairy farmers at an exhibition held in Shimla. (HT Photo) The CM was interacting with milk producers of the state at Hotel Peterhoff in Shimla, where he said the government was encouraging agriculture as an industry to make the farmers self-reliant. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Sukhu said there was a direct relationship between agriculture and milk production and it is necessary to go for natural and organic farming in a big way, thereby linking the traditional farming techniques with modern technologies. We intend to bring revolutionary change in the agriculture sector with special focus on promoting animal husbandry, he said, adding that an increase of 6 in milk purchase price is an indication of our future course of action to strengthen the dairy sector for assuring fixed income to the farmers. Fundamental changes, he said, were being made in the policies and rules to ensure that money goes directly to the farmers. The government will also consider giving tax concessions to the milk producers, he assured. Milk quality in Himalayan region was far better and efforts were afoot for its marketing, which will add to the boost farmer income, make agriculture an employment-oriented industry and prevent exploitation. The 500 crore Him Ganga Yojana is being tipped as a further boost to the milk-based economy. A milk processing plant with a capacity of 1.5 lakh litres per day will be established at Dhagwar in Kangra district at a cost of 226 crore and enhance production up to 3 lakh litres per day. The process of land transfer for setting up the plant has been completed. The unutilised land of the farmers will be used for setting up solar plants to strengthen the rural economy under the second phase of Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Startup Scheme. The CM also held extensive discussions with the farmers in an open dialogue session and assured to incorporate the suggestions received from the farmers and other stakeholders in its policy document. Preparations have begun for the upcoming general elections in the summer capital with physical verification of every polling station in all the eight constituencies of the city. Resource availability, including manpower and EVMs, is being reviewed in Srinagar. (HT File) Deputy commission (DC) Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat, who is also the district election officer (DEO), on Saturday chaired a meeting with all assistant returning officers (AROs), electoral registration officers (EROs), assistant election registration officers (AEROs) and district election machinery at DC office complex to review the preparations for the upcoming general elections. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. A government spokesperson said Bhat held a detailed discussion with the officers and illustrated various important aspects of the election process mainly aimed at ensuring smooth and peaceful general elections in Srinagar district. The DEO held deliberations with regard to polling stations/locations, assured minimum facilities available at polling stations, resource availability/manpower, logistics, transport plan, communication plan, training to the polling staff, EVM management plan, management of postal ballots, nomination of Sectoral and Zonal Magistrates and establishment of help-desks and information desks, the spokesperson said. While Lok Sabha polls are expected to be held early this year across the country, the Supreme Court has directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024. As many as 7,48,531 voters including 3,75,221 male and 3,73,286 electors are registered in Srinagar district in eight assembly constituencies of 19-Hazratbal, 20-Khanyar, 21-Habbakadal, 22-LalChowk, 23-Chanapora, 24-Zadibal, 25-Eidgah 26-Central Shalteng. The meeting also discussed material management plan, location of the distribution and collection centres threadbare. Bhat stressed upon the officers to prepare meticulous election management plans of each assembly constituency in order to ensure that all electorates participate in the election process in large numbers in a hassle free manner. The DC directed the officers to conduct physical verification of each and every polling station/ location to ensure the availability of all assured minimum facilities, so as to ensure that no voter or poll staff faces any kind of difficulty during elections, the spokesperson said. Jammu and Kashmir has been without an assembly since 2018 when Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) withdrew its support from the coalition government, forcing the then chief minister (CM) Mehbooba Mufti to resign. After abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the state was divided into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and fresh delimitation exercise was also held increasing the number of assembly seats. Bhat emphasised upon the officers concerned to put in place all the necessary arrangements as per guidelines of ECI. The election officer also laid special thrust on increasing voter turnout through polling station/AC level SVEEP program in the District. The DC also asked the officers to go for technological upgradation/training of the poll staff with respect to the IT interventions launched by the ECI, the spokesperson said. Buoyed by the improvement in situation in Kashmir, the authorities are hopeful of a record voter turnout in the coming elections in the Valley which in the past has often witnessed lower turnouts due to poll boycott calls by separatists. The Jharkhand high court on Monday adjourned hearing on a writ petition filed by former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest and Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand till February 27. The court had on February 7 extended the ED remand of the former chief minister by five days. (ANI ohoto) A high court lawyer familiar with the development said the hearing was deferred after the court accepted the amendment in his petition and ED sought two-week time to file a reply. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. On behalf of Soren, senior Supreme Court advocate Kapil Sibal, advocate general (AG) Rajeev Ranjan and advocate Piyush Chitresh appeared. Additional solicitor general SV Raju and high court advocate AK Das appeared on behalf of ED. The matter was heard in the division bench headed by Justice S Chandrashekhar, the lawyer said. Also Read: Jharkhand: ED summons Congress MP Dhiraj Sahu in PMLA case involving Hemant Soren Sorens lawyer Chitresh confirmed the development on the next date of hearing the plea. Soren was arrested by ED on January 31 in a money laundering case linked to an alleged land fraud. Even before being taken into custody, Soren had filed a petition in the high court and expressed the fear of arrest. He had requested the court that no coercive action should be taken against him during interrogation. On February 1, he sought time from the high court saying he was arrested and filed a petition against it in the Supreme Court. He also attempted to withdraw the case as it was wrong to go to two forums for similar relief. The ED objected to the petition withdrawal attempt and sought permission from the court to reply in the matter. On February 2, Sorens petition was heard in the Supreme Court, but the apex court refused to entertain the matter saying it would set a wrong precedent. The top court directed Soren to go to the high court first after which Soren filed an intervention petition in the high court. The hearing was held on February 5 and the same day, the high court had given time till February 9 to ED to file its reply and fixed Mondays date for hearing. The local administration has a lot to answer for the violence that killed five in Haldwani in Uttarakhand last week. Violence erupted after authorities demolished a madrasa and mosque, allegedly built on government land. The ownership of the land is disputed, and the high court is set to hear the matter on February 14. The administration should have waited for the court to settle the matter instead of hurriedly carrying out the demolitions. PREMIUM Police officers patrol a road a day after clashes during a government demolition drive, in Haldwani.(Reuters) Last weeks incident did not take place in a vacuum and should not have caught the administration by surprise. Uttarakhand has been restive for some time now. Last year, there were calls for the boycott and expulsion of Muslims from Uttarkashi over an alleged case of love jihad. A mass eviction from railway land in Haldwani following a high court order in 2022, had led to protests by the residents, mostly Muslims. The current demolitions have coincided with the passage of the uniform civil code Bill (UCC) in the Uttarakhand legislative assembly: The UCC is perceived by many as an instrument to target Muslims, who constitute 14% of the states population. Besides, demolitions by municipal authorities have acquired a political colour, especially in BJP-ruled states. The demolition of property by state agencies is now perceived by many as a symbol of administrative high-handedness and vindictiveness towards Muslims. In Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and most recently, in Mira Road, Mumbai, the local administration was accused of sending in bulldozers as a response to suspected crises of law and order: Use of bulldozers to demolish property belonging to Muslims involved in protests had earned UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath the moniker of bulldozer baba. In this context, the administration needs to be careful how it proceeds with municipal actions, however fair and legitimate they may be, especially with general elections around the corner. And, no leniency shown to lawbreakers. Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now! Continue reading with HT Premium Subscription Daily E Paper I Premium Articles I Brunch E Magazine I Daily Infographics Subscribe Now @1199/year Already Subscribed? Sign In The travails of eight former Indian Navy personnel, who were sentenced to death in Qatar after being held on undeclared charges, appear to have ended with their release on the orders of the emir of the West Asian State. Following the intervention of the Indian government and the launch of a legal challenge by the families of the men, a Qatari court commuted the death sentences and gave them prison sentences of varying durations. Developments over the weekend saw the men, some of them decorated officers who commanded frontline warships, being set free and brought home on Monday. This is clearly a diplomatic win for the Indian government, which has invested heavily in recent years in improving relations with several key players in West Asia, especially Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar. While countries in this region were always crucial energy suppliers for India, many had a pro-Pakistan tilt in their foreign policy approach. With the dwindling of Pakistans fortunes in recent decades, many of these countries have realised the importance of stronger relations with India, increasingly an important player in the economic and security domains. However, there are aspects of the case of the former Indian Navy personnel that deserve closer scrutiny. Ever since they were detained in 2022, neither Qatar nor India provided details of the charges brought against them. The legal proceedings against the men and the verdicts in the case were deemed confidential. With the highly qualified personnel of Indias armed forces being perceived as prized employees in West Asia and other regions, greater clarity regarding this episode will make others aware of potential pitfalls. It would perhaps also be helpful if India clearly defined conditions for the re-employment of retired military personnel in foreign countries. The resolution of this case is evidence of Indias growing influence in West Asia, which is home to some nine million Indians. The developments also reflect the willingness of Indias partners in this strategic region to trust New Delhi as a friend and a collaborator in pursuing common diplomatic and security goals. Besides the existing partnerships focused on energy security and people-to-people ties, India would do well to ramp up on openings provided by burgeoning military and security cooperation with West Asian countries. After a couple of tough puzzles in consecutive weeks, we had a (relatively) easy one last week. As YK Munjal notes: In your attempt to present easy puzzles, the first one is just mathematics. Anyone who is good at mathematics will solve it in a jiffy. Point taken, but the idea of this column has always been to present puzzles that are fun to solve, with toughness/easiness a side issue. Neither too easy nor too hard remains our motto. Welcome to Problematics!(Shutterstock) Perhaps the following puzzle belongs to that category. Like last week, we are about to witness a race among athletes, but this time there is no mathematics involved, just logic. Yes, its an Einstein puzzle. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. #Puzzle 77.1 Meet five athletes from five countries, which are, in alphabetical order: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Argentina and Australia. They are on the racetrack, each wearing track attire in her favourite colour: beige, black, blue, brown and burgundy. They are all named after Indian athletes: Ashwini, Dutee, Hima, Shiny and Usha. To complete the introductions in alphabetical order, their surnames are Devers, Griffith, Jones, Kersee and Ottey. 1. Jones is in Lane 1, Ottey in Lane 2, Shiny in Lane 3, the Albanian in Lane 4, and Hima in Lane 5. 2. Usha is from Afghanistan and Ottey is from Australia. 3. The Albanian finishes third in the race. 4. Shiny finishes immediately ahead of Kersee who, in turn, finishes immediately ahead of the athlete wearing black. 5. Usha finishes immediately behind the athlete wearing beige, while the athlete in blue finishes immediately behind the Argentinian. 6. Ashwinis surname is Devers. 7. The athlete in Lane 3 and the Angolan finish close to each other. One of them is wearing blue while the other is in brown. To prevent any misunderstanding: (a) when one athlete is immediately behind or immediately ahead of another athlete, it means there is no other athlete between them; (b) when two athletes finish close to each other, it means, again, that there is no athlete between them. Who is from where, what are their full names, who runs in which lane, and what are their positions at the end of the race? These solutions work best in tabular form. #Puzzle 77.2 This crossword without clues is not a word puzzle, but another one that you solve with logic and elimination. The crossword's entries are the 22 languages under the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India. Filling it up is not as difficult as it may appear (you may need to take a printout, though). I think the solution is unique, but you are welcome to send any alternatives you may find. MAILBOX: LAST WEEKS ANSWERS Readers, here's another introduction. Sampath Kumar V, who used to solve my puzzles regularly almost a decade ago, has now joined us here. Welcome aboard, Sampath, and thank you also for introducing a couple of new readers to Problematics. #Puzzle 77.2 Solution #Puzzle 76.1 #Puzzle 76.1 Dear Mr Kabir, Taking metres, seconds and m/s as the units, 10.8 km/hour is the same as 3 m/s, and 3.6 km/hr = 1 m/s. Variable 1st 2nd Last Time (sec) t t + 30 t + 50 Speed (m/s) s s 3 s 4 The total distance covered by each runner is the same: (s)(t) = (s 3)(t + 30) = (s 4)(t + 50) Solving, we get s = 8 m/s and t = 50 seconds. Therefore, distance = 8 x 50 = 400m. That is the length of the track. The time and speed of each runner is shown in the table. Sampath Kumar V, Coimbatore #Puzzle 76.2 Hello Kabir, For the Wordle puzzle, two possible solutions are BRIBE and EERIE. There may be more, so no unique solution. Biren Parmar, Bay Area, California *** Only the letters E, R and I can be used, all these at places other than indicated. The only other available letters are B and Q. But Q cannot be used as U is not there. Hence, the only two possible words are BRIBE and EERIE Kanwarjit Singh, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (retired) I too think BRIBE and EERIE are the only two words possible. Even if there are other possible solutions, which is unlikely, it does not matter because two solutions are enough to answer the original question: Do you have enough information to deduce the word correctly? The answer is no because you can already see two possibilities. A few readers have got only one of the two words and a couple of them have asserted that the solution is unique. Unfortunately, they cannot be listed among the correct solvers. Solved both puzzles: Santosh Kumar V (Coimbatore), Biren Parmar (Bay Area, California), Kanwarjit Singh (Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, retired), Sanjay S (Coimbatore), Dr Sunita Gupta (Delhi), Amarpreet (Delhi), Akshay Bakhai (Mumbai), Professor Anshul Kumar (Delhi), Ajay Ashok (Mumbai), Shri Ram Aggarwal (Delhi), Group Captain RK Shrivastava (retired; Delhi) Solved Puzzle #76.1: Y K Munjal (Delhi), Shishir Gupta (Indore), Anil Khanna (Ghaziabad) Solved Puzzle #76.2: Sundarraj C (Bengaluru) Problematics will be back next week. Please send in your replies by Friday noon to problematics@hindustantimes.com JEE Mains 2024 Result Live Updates: The Joint Entrance Examination (JEE Main) 2024 results have been released. Candidates can check their scores on the examination website and ntaresults.nic.in. NTA has already released the JEE Mains session one final answer key. JEE Main 2024 final answer key ...Read More JEE Main 2024 result for session 1 In 2023, NTA announced the results of the first session of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main 2023 for Engineering (BE/BTech, paper 1) on February 6. Last year, the session 1 exam was held from January 24 to February 1 at test centres across the country and abroad. As many as 12,31,874 candidates registered for JEE Mains session 1, of whom 11,70,036 took the test on January 24, 27, 29, 30, 31 and February 1. The Architecture and Planning paper was conducted on the first day, while the Engineering examination was held on all the other days. Follow this live blog for the JEE Mains 2024 session 1 result link, cut-off, toppers' list and other details. Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has shared an interesting story about his house help. He revealed that his 11th fail cook, Nilesh, managed to write the script for a Mr India sequel in less than an hour with help from an artificial intelligence tool. (Also read: "AI is going to be fundamental in defining our future": Shahid Kapoor) Shekhar Kapur has shown just how easy it can be for anyone to use AI tools. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Shekhar posted a picture of Nilesh and wrote, This is Nilesh. 11th fail. Been working with me 18yrs. Cook, house boy, now more a friend. Refused to study more! He added how Nilesh took help from Google Gemini to jot down the script. 6am he discovers #GoogleGemini. 7am starts writing a story for #MrIndia2. 8am asks me if to read it. Im taken aback. The great new #AI #creative revolution is here, he wrote. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. While Shekhar and others may be impressed with AI softwares' ability to come up with scripts and stories, not everyone sees this as a welcome change. Last year, Hollywood scriptwriters and actors fought a long fight against studios to minimise the use of artificial intelligence when it comes to creative work. Even Amitabh Bachchan expressed his displeasure about the use of Artificial Intelligence in cinema and on film personalities. The cinema veteran said a lot of people have voiced objections to the face-mapping technology, which was also one of the contentious issues during the twin Hollywood strikes by Writer Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). "All of us are now being subjected to face mapping, our entire body is going to be face mapped and going to be kept aside and used at any point of time, he said, adding a popular studio in Mumbai gave him a demonstration of face mapping on Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks. A lot of objections are being raised and I believe that there's some kind of a strike in Hollywood by the artist because the producer and the director does your face mapping, laying claim to it and saying this is our property and we will use it whenever we want. So, there will be a time when Symbiosis will call my AI and not me personally, he had said in a recent interview. Meanwhile, there is no official update on the sequel of Mr India. The hit 1987 movie starred Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Amrish Puri. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Actor-turned-author Twinkle Khanna, who recently completed her master's programme in fiction writing from Goldsmiths, University of London, has revealed that no one in her class recognised her. In an interview with Hello Magazine, Twinkle said that she 'had to create a bio, stand up and introduce myself'. (Also Read | Twinkle Khanna shares what most Indian husbands give wives as Valentines Day gift) Twinkle Khanna with Akshay Kumar at her graduation from University of London. Twinkle says no one in Goldsmiths knew her Twinkle said, I dont think anyone in my class did. It was good because there werent any other Indians there, except for one girl with a Kashmiri background from Chicago. Like everyone else, I had to create a bio, stand up and introduce myself. I had to come up with a joke about my name, a literary one. Fortunately, Jhumpa Lahiri wrote The Interpreter of Maladies and theres a character named Twinkle. That became the perfect joke." Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Twinkle talks about making friends in London She also said, "I was worried about who I would walk with in the corridors and who I would have lunch with. When the professor assigned three of us a presentation, we decided to have lunch together. We quickly became friends, and from then on, I never ate lunch alone again. I made a lot of new and good friends. Twinkle's graduation ceremony post Last month, Twinkle had shared a video from the event on her Instagram account of her graduation ceremony. "And its here. Graduation day. My first day at Goldsmiths feels like it was both yesterday and years ago. A sunny day, a pretty sari, and having my family with me make this day even more perfect than I ever imagined. There comes a stage when the easiest way to grow is horizontally, but we have to push ourselves to grow in myriad other ways @goldsmithsuol." She also posted a picture with her husband-actor Akshay Kumar as they posed for the camera. She captioned the post, "In an homage to Master Raju, I can finally call myself Master Twinkle :) @goldsmithsuol." Akshay had accompanied her to the graduation ceremony. Akshay Kumar on Twinkle's graduation In a post on X, Akshay congratulated his wife, whom he described as a "super woman". "Two years ago when you told me you wanted to take up studies all over again, I wondered if you meant it. But the day I saw you work so hard and perfectly manage a full-fledged student life along with home, career, me and kids, I knew I had married a super woman. Today on your graduation, I also wish I had studied a bit more to know enough words to tell you how proud you make me, Tina. Congratulations and all my love," the actor wrote on X. About Twinkle Twinkle enrolled at the UK-based college in 2022. She is a former actor known for films such as Barsaat, Baadshah, Jodi No 1, and Mela. Recently, she came out with the novel Welcome To Paradise. Twinkle and Akshay have been married for over 23 years and recently celebrated their anniversary. They are parents to son Aarav and daughter Nitara. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Alia Bhatt has had enough of the craze around Valentine's Day. The actor had shared that she finds Valentine's Day overrated when she had come on the celebrity talk show Koffee with Karan a decade ago. (Also read: When Ranbir Kapoor wished his two loves Alia Bhatt, daughter Raha on Valentines Day. Watch) Alia Bhatt talked about Valentine's Day on Koffee with Karan in 2014. What Alia said about Valentine's Day In the episode that aired in 2014, Alia appeared on the show with actor Parineeti Chopra. When Karan asked them about being single, Alia shared that she is okay to be single but feels bad when it's a holiday and she is surrounded by couples. She then added, Valentine's Day is really overrated! Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. When Karan said that she was saying so because she doesn't have a boyfriend, Alia said, No! Valentine's Day and New Year's. Once my boyfriend took me out on Valentine's Day and he didn't talk to me the whole time. So I think it is overrated. More details When Karan and Parineeti asked why and wanted to know what exactly happened, Alia added, "Didn't do anything, we were just small. We were young." Parineeti interrupted with a joke and said, I think that's why he didn't talk to you because you didn't do anything! Cut to now, ten years later! Alia is now married to actor Ranbir Kapoor. The two tied the knot in April 2022 after dating for some years while shooting Brahmastra: Part One- Shiva. Alia announced her pregnancy in June 2022. On November 6, last year, the actor-couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl, named Raha. Alia recently won her fifth Best Actress Filmfare award for Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani. She will be seen next in Jigra, which is being directed by Vasan Bala. Alia also has Love and War in the pipeline, which reunites her with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place As the April 8 date for the total eclipse is getting closer, it's time to take advantage of some of the many events that will help us prepare, including a visit by "Mr. Eclipse" and programs at local libraries and museums. Here's a look. Experiencing Totality - The Great Total Eclipse of 2024 with Fred Espenak. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell, SUNY Buffalo State University. If you have questions about the total eclipse, it's a good bet that the man known as "Mr. Eclipse" has the answer. (His website is mreclipse.com.) Considered the most recognized expert on the topic, Fred Espenak is an astrophysicist emeritus at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the author of more than 12 books on the solar eclipse. He will speak on Experiencing Totality and also will be selling and signing several of his books before and after the talk, from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. and 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Event tickets are $10. The Sun Revealed, Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium. This full dome show will talk about the history and cultural views of eclipses, how to safely view the eclipse and what can be seen from within the shadow of a total solar eclipse. Afterward, there will be a discussion of what the total solar eclipse will look like in Buffalo. The program is from 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 16, 17, 23, 24; March 1, 2, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30; and April 5. Eclipse Training, 1 to 2 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Recommended for ages 12 and older, this hands-on workshop and discussion will provide details on the eclipse, what to expect and how to view it without damaging your eyes. No registration is necessary; seats will be available until capacity is reached. The museum also has a planetarium show on Feb. 24. Eclipse Readiness at Explore & More. The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Children's Museum (130 Main St.) continues its monthly readiness days that are set up to talk to kids about the eclipse and how to view it safely. It is held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 2 and April 6; the museum is open for play from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. those days so you can arrive early or stay later and explore other exhibits and activities. At the library Libraries throughout Western New York are hosting programs from such groups as Buffalo Museum of Science, Penn Dixie Fossil Park & Nature Reserve and Buffalo Astronomical Association for various ages that explain an eclipse and how to view it safely. They are free and usually about an hour. These events are only for the next month; the full list of events with age groups and more information is online at buffalolib.org (search "Eclipse" under events). Here is a look at a few. Feb. 19: Gateway Building auditorium (3556 Lake Shore Road, Blasdell). 6:30 p.m. With Penn Dixie. Feb. 21: Lake Shore Branch Library (4857 Lake Shore Road, Hamburg). 6 p.m. for kids. With Penn Dixie. Feb. 23: Lancaster Public Library (5466 Broadway, Lancaster). 2 p.m. With the Buffalo Museum of Science. Feb. 24: Central Library (1 Lafayette Square). 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All-ages. With the Buffalo Museum of Science. Feb. 28: Lake Shore Branch Library (4857 Lake Shore Road, Hamburg). 6 p.m. for adults. With Penn Dixie. Feb. 28: Newstead Public Library (33 Main St., Akron). 6:30 p.m. for ages K-6. With the Buffalo Museum of Science. March 2: Boston Free Library (9475 Boston State Road, Boston). 11 a.m. Call 716-941-3516 to register. With the Buffalo Museum of Science. March 2: Orchard Park Public Library (4570 S. Buffalo St., Orchard Park). 1 to 2:45 p.m. Mr. K's Mobile Dome Planetarium program is geared for families with kids in grades 3 and up. Registration is required; call 716-662-9851. March 5: Lockport Public Library (23 East Ave., Lockport). 6:30 p.m. With the Buffalo Astronomical Association. March 6: Hamburg Public Library (102 Buffalo St., Hamburg). 6 p.m. for kids. With Penn Dixie. March 8: Hamburg Public Library. 2 p.m. for teens and adults. With Penn Dixie. March 9: Marilla Free Library (11637 Bullis Road, Marilla). 10 a.m. With Buffalo Museum of Science. Registration required; call 716-652-7449. March 9: Lancaster Public Library (5466 Broadway, Lancaster). 1 to 3 p.m. With the Buffalo Astronomical Association. For all ages. Registration required; call 716-652-7449. March 9: Hulbert Library of the Town of Concord (18 Chapel St., Springville). Kids program at 2 p.m. with the Buffalo Museum of Science. Call 716-592-7742. March 10: Audubon Branch (350 John James Audubon Parkway, Amherst). 1 to 2:30 p.m. for all ages. Registration required; call 716-689-4922. March 13: North Collins Public Library (2095 School St., North Collins). 6 p.m. with the Buffalo Museum of Science. All ages. Bengaluru: The girl was allegedly electrocuted due to a faulty electrical work in the pool area (HT) Seven people have been arrested in connection with the death of a 10-year-old girl in a swimming pool at a posh apartment complex in the city, the police said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The girl, Manya Damerla, was allegedly electrocuted on December 28 last year. The incident caused by a faulty electrical work in the pool area. A case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder was registered under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the seven people at the Varthur police station after Manyas father Rajesh Kumar Damerla, founder director and CEO of DLK Megamart Private Limited, lodged a complaint following the incident, a police official said. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield) Shivakumar Gunare said, Our investigation indicates that the maintenance personnel of the apartment complex and the electricity vendors were aware of the faulty electrical work in the pool area. He added, The arrests were made on Friday evening, and the accused have been remanded to judicial custody. Among those arrested are Debashish Sinha, the president of the flat owners association, and individuals responsible for swimming pool maintenance, electricity provision, and procurement management services. Manya was the only daughter of the Damerla couple who hails from Andhra Pradesh. She was enrolled in an international school near Dommasandra on Varthur Road. Her mother, Vinay Yepuri, serves as the director of DLK Megamart Private Limited, and the family resides in Tower 17 of the apartment complex. On the evening of December 28, tragedy struck as Manya and her father Rajesh were near the pool area. Rajesh momentarily left Manya to engage with other children from the complex and took a walk. Shortly afterwards, he received information from a neighbour that Manya had collapsed in the pool. She was rushed to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared Manya dead, police said referring to the complaint. The circumstances leading to the incident revealed that Manya had gone down alone to play. CCTV footage from the lift depicted Manya descending from her flat at 7.29 pm. Around 7.45 pm, she was discovered in the pool area. Emergency response efforts led to her transportation to the hospital by 7.55 pm. However, no CCTV coverage was available near the site of the incident, the police officer said. Bihar Floor Test Highlights: The floor test of the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar concluded on Monday with Kumar securing 130 votes in favour. Before motion for trust vote was introduced, Bihar chief Nitish Kumar speaking in the assembly alleged that the RJD indulged in corrupt practices during its rule in the state, and the new NDA-led government will initiate a probe into it....Read More Kumar, participating in the confidence motion moved by his JD(U) in the state assembly, also claimed that several communal riots occurred in Bihar during RJD's tenure. "There was no law and order. The RJD indulged in corrupt practices during its rule (before 2005)... I will get these probed, he said. Bihar floor test result: How many seats NDA got? Janta Dal (United): 44/45 Bharatiya Janata Party: 78/78 Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular): 4/4 Independent: 1 Rashtriya Janata Dal: 3 Here are key highlights: A heavy security cordon surrounded the residence of the former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav's residence in Patna on Sunday night - where Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLAs are staying a day before the crucial floor test of the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in the state. The police deployment comes hours after the family members of one of the RJD MLAs, Chetan Yadav, claimed that he had been kidnapped by the Lalu Prasad Yadav's party. Police outside former Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav residence ahead of floor test of the new Bihar Government led by Nitish Kumar in Patna.(Hindustan Times) In a video posted by news agency ANI, several police personnel can be seen walking towards Tejashwi Yadav's residence and condoning the area. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Reacting to the development, the RJD in an official statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) hit out at Nitish Kumar, saying the Bihar chief minister sent the police force as he fears the fall of the government. Alleging that the security force wants to enter Tejashwi Yadav's residence and do untoward incidents with the MLAs, the party said, People of Bihar are watching the misdeeds of Nitish Kumar and the police. Remember, we are not among those who fear and bow down. This is a struggle of ideology and we will fight it and win because the justice-loving people of Bihar will oppose this police repression. Jai Bihar! Jai Hind, the RJD wrote. RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav asserted that such deployment of police force ahead of a floor test has never happened in any state in independent India. It's a legislature's meeting...Agar BJP kare (meeting) to raasleela, agar RJD kare to character dheela (If BJP holds a meeting before floor test then it is rasleela, but if RJD does it then their character is poor), the RJD leader told news agency ANI. Meanwhile, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain hit out at Tejashwi Yadav over RJD MLA's family's kidnapping claims, saying, if he keeps any MLA tied up in the house then the police will definitely take action. The police are only doing their job The RJD and Congress are only spreading confusion. The JD(U) and the BJP will together prove majority on the Assembly floor. No one (MLAs) is out of reach and everyone is in touch with us. The opposition is spreading canards. All NDA MLAs are together. They should stop worrying about our MLAs and focus on their missing legislators, he said. Crucial floor test in Bihar assembly today A crucial floor test will be held in the Bihar assembly on Monday, days after Nitish Kumar dumped the Mahagathbandhan in the state and formed a new government with the NDA. He took oath for a record ninth time on January 28. Ahead of the trust vote, the ruling Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) shifted its MLAs to the Chanakya Hotel in Patna on Monday morning. Bihar assembly numbers Presently, the ruling NDA alliance in Bihar has a total of 128 MLAs in the 243-member assembly - 45 from JD(U), 79 from BJP and Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) coalition, and another independent MLA. Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan has a total of 115 MLAs. Notably, a party or a coalition needs the majority mark of 122 MLAs in the House to form a government. Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into allegations made by the president of Karnataka State Contractors Association, D Kempanna, regarding a 40% commission charge. R Ashok (PTI) The leader of the opposition in the Karanataka assembly R Ashok said, considering the gravity of Kempannas allegations, Siddaramaiah doesnt have the moral authority to remain in office and should resign. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. What are they (Congress) going to do now 50 crore each was seized when the I-T department had conducted raids on the residences of two Congress leadersWhat mask will the CM wear now? He has no moral authority to remain in the office for a moment longer, he said while addressing the press on Sunday. Ashok reminded that the Congress party vehemently protested similar allegations during the tenure of the BJP government. He asked whether Siddaramaiah would paste ATM Siddaramaiah posters now as he had done with former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai by pasting PayCM posters. He said the developers and builders are claiming that a commission of 75/sq feet is being collected by them and challenged Siddaramaiah to take action against corrupt practices within his administration. He suggested that failure to do so would warrant public condemnation akin to what the BJP faced in the past. The opposition leader highlighted that Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman has released a White Paper assessing both the 10-year tenure of the Modi government and the 10-year governance of the Congress-led United Province Alliance (UPA) regime. If the White Paper is wrong, let the Congress move a privilege motion against Sitharaman in parliament, he challenged. The statement comes after the controversy surrounding the alleged 40% commission demanded for processing government contracts has once again come to the forefront. Kempanna has accused some government officials of continuing the practice. Kempanna had previously made similar allegations during the tenure of the BJP government, asserting that contractors were required to pay a hefty kickback to secure tenders and expedite bill clearances across various departments. However, on Friday, Kempanna said, that despite a government change, a few government officers are still harassing the contractors who take up government contracts in the name of kickbacks. Earlier in the BJP government, MLAs and MPs used to demand kickbacks from contractors who take up government projects. In this government, MLAs and MPs refrain from demanding commission, but a few government officials are still harassing the contractors. The corruption has not stopped, and the contractors are still paying 40% commissions to the officials, he said. He also requested the Congress-led government to handle such officers to avoid a bad name for itself. The government must keep an eye out on corrupt officials. They are part of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Public Works Department (PWD), the Irrigation Department and others. Because of them, the government might get a bad name in the public, he added. During the election campaigning, Congress raised the issue of a 40% commission to target the BJP government. Anti-incumbency was the biggest thrust of their campaign. In response to the renewed allegations, Siddaramaiah said, the government is committed to investigating such claims through the Nagamohan Das Commission and has asked the contractors association to furnish evidence for a thorough investigation. We have formed the Nagmohan Das Commission to probe allegations of 40% commission. So, let them (the association) provide the documents to them. Nagamohan Das is a retired high court judge. They are saying officers are asking for a commission. They should give the names, added the CM. Chennai Bharatiya Janata Party national president J P Nadda during a rally in Chennai on Sunday. (ANI) The governance of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu is reminiscent of the Emergency days, Bharatiya Janata Party national president J P Nadda said on Sunday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Speaking at a public meeting in Chennai, Nadda accused chief minister MK Stalin of poor leadership and the INDIA bloc of being a coalition of dynastic politics. Mr Stalin, days are not far when you will be out, Nadda said, seeking peoples support for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The meeting was held as part of Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalais En Man En Makkal (my soil my people) yatra. Nadda had launched the yatra on July 28 last year to cover the 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. On Sunday the yatra reached 200th assembly constituency of Harbour in Chennai. Before the public meeting, Nadda first participated in a rally in Chennais Mint and said that when he came, the market was shut down, streets lights were switched off, and there was a huge platoon of police. This leadership lacks wisdom, Nadda said. It made me remember the Emergency days. See how police have made them to shut markets. Is this democracy? Is this the tradition of Tamil Nadu. When it is not the tradition of Tamil Nadu, such leaders should not be there in Tamil Nadu. Now time has come when DMKs lights will switch off. Nadda sought to remind the audience of the sengol (sceptre) put up in the new Parliament in Delhi last year. He talked about honouring M S Swaminathan, known as the Father of the Green Revolution, with the Bharat Ratna posthumously after he died last September in Chennai. For Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, Tamil Nadu is very special, Nadda said. We all know how our Prime Minister and BJP always recognise the rich contribution of Tamil Nadu in nation building. Continuing to attack the DMK, he praised the southern state, saying it is rich in culture, tradition, language. Contribution of Tamil Nadu can never be forgotten. But I would like to say today that people of Tamil Nadu are rich with very poor leadership at the moment. People are hardworking. They bring laurels to the state. But Im sorry to say the DMK leadership is a very poor leadership. He accused the DMK of practising dynastic politics and corruption. He criticised the continuance of jailed Senthil Balaji as a minister without portfolio in Stalins cabinet. He also listed BJPs work from opening the Ram Temple in Ayodhya to abrogating article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Friends, that is why the BJP decided for En Man En Makkal, Nadda said. Modi ji has brought development to the nation and Tamil Nadu. He has given us transparency in administration. He has changed the political culture. At one-point politicians were not accountable. Now they are. If they are not, people will throw them out. Meanwhile the DMK on Sunday announced a constituency-wise public meeting titled Urimaigalai Meetka Stalinin Kural (Stalin Voice to Recover the Rights). Earlier in the day the party also announced a war room to coordinate election work. We will expose the failures of the BJP government in the last 10 years. They are speaking out of fear especially after the southern states came together to expose how the BJP government has been curtailing funds to well performing states like ours, a DMK leader said not wishing to be named. Islamabad, Feb 12 (PTI) The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) led by former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif has pitched the idea of a participatory coalition government to rival parties to end the logjam following the split verdict in the February 8 election, according to media reports on Monday. HT Image PML-N has 75 seats in the 266-member National Assembly, the single largest party. Independent members, mostly backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, have secured 101 seats. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Former law minister Azam Nazeer Tarar termed this scenario Hobsons choice and said not a single political party had secured a majority in the National Assembly, insisting that elections were fair. The senior PML-N leader was talking to the media after a meeting of the partys top brass at Jati Umra in Lahore during which consultations were held regarding the future course of action. The ex-minister said the PML-N had started consultations with its former allies to form a unity government in the Centre. Theres only the possibility of forming the (federal) government with the backing of the PML-N. It will be a participatory coalition government, he said, adding that it was in the largest interest of the country that all should join hands to form the federal government, the Dawn newspaper reported. According to PML-N sources, the initial formula stipulates that if the coalition parties agree to give the post of prime minister to the PML-N, then the post of president and speaker will be given to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Similarly, the post of deputy speaker can be given to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) or any of the independent members joining the coalition. Besides, the PML-N may keep the finance ministry, and other ministries will be distributed among allies with mutual consultation. Going by their numerical strength, both the PML-N and the PPP are in a position to form a coalition government in the Centre. However, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif announced that all parties except PTI should join hands in the upcoming set-up. According to the results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) till Sunday, of the total 265 National Assembly seats, PTI-backed Independents bagged 101 seats, followed by PML-N at 75, PPP at 54, MQM at 17 and other smaller parties won 17 seats. According to the formula, the sources said the decision regarding the nomination for the positions of Senate chairman and deputy chairman will be decided in consultation with the allies after the Senate elections. The PML-N has held a consultation for a long time on this initial formula, a source said. It will be finalised in the meetings with the potential coalition partners. Changes can be made following the evolving political situation, the source added. The consultation on the formation of the coalition government is expected between Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and others. According to the sources, since the PPP has already nominated its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as its candidate for premiership, it may not withdraw from its stance. However, they added that the PML-N can support Bilawal for the post of prime minister after consultation. The sources said that if the PML-N gets the post of prime minister, then the distribution of other important positions, such as the posts of president, speaker, deputy speaker of the National Assembly as well as the coveted ministries, will be done through consultation. The PML-N source said that the party was trying to establish a joint committee of all parties regarding the formation of a coalition government. The committee will hold the final consultation and recommend its suggestions for the government formation. Farmers take to the streets of Greater Noida to protest. Farmers Protest Highlights: Over 200 farmers' unions, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have coordinated a 'Delhi Chalo' march aimed at urging the Centre to address a range of demands. These farmers, en route to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, are gearing up for a large-scale protest in the national capital on February 13....Read More Later today, three central ministers - Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda, and Nityanand Rai - are scheduled to meet with farm representatives from Punjab and Haryana. What's prompting the farmers' protests? The farmers are staging this significant protest to compel the centre to address their demands comprehensively. Their demands include the enactment of a law ensuring a minimum support price (MSP), a prerequisite they had set forth in 2021 when they agreed to end their agitation against the now-repealed farm laws. Furthermore, they are advocating for the implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations, pensions for both farmers and farm laborers, and the forgiveness of farm debts. The farmers are also calling for "justice" for the victims of the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri. In light of the farmers' protest, Delhi police have heightened security measures at the Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri borders, setting up nails and barricades to deter vehicles transporting protesters from entering the city. Additionally, cranes and earthmovers are being employed to place large containers on the roads to obstruct passage. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been enforced in the entire Delhi, banning large gatherings, ahead of the farmers' proposed 'Delhi Chalo' march on February 13 to maintain law and order, said Delhi Police commissioner Sanjay Arora on Monday. Police barricades put up at Ghazipur border in view of farmers' 'Delhi Chalo March' in New Delhi, Monday. (PTI) The borders have been fortified with concrete blocks and iron nails to prevent vehicles carrying protesters from entering the city. The measures affected traffic movement in the border areas of Delhi on Monday morning, causing inconvenience to commuters. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. 'Delhi chalo': Top updates on farmers' protest Bengaluru: On November 20, 2023, when the girl was alone at her home, four men barged into her home and molested her (HT) A 17-year-old international yoga student residing filed a complaint of sexual assault by four men in November last year. However, even after over two months, police have taken no action, said her mother. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. According to the girl, on November 20, 2023, when she was alone at her home, four men barged into her home and molested her. In her complaint, she identified the men as Moulahussain Babusab Karani, the main accused, his brother Khajahussain Babusab Karani and two other accomplices. She accused circle police inspector (CPI) Manjunath Kusugal and sub-inspector (SI) Suma Gorba of the Mundargi police station of protecting the four perpetrators. The survivors mother said the main accused Moulahussain had even raped her elder daughter three years ago. He has also recorded video of the assault and used it to blackmail the family. Perturbed by the repeated harassment, the girl fainted at a bridge in the city due to which she got seriously injured and was hospitalised, said the mother. A case was then filed against Moulahussain who was sent to jail subsequently. He is currently out on bail. Last year, he molested the younger sister in order to take revenge, alleged her mother. However, despite bringing this matter to the attention of the deputy commissioner (DC), superintendent of police (SP), and the district in-charge minister, justice remains elusive. Instead, the police threatened the minor, dismissing her claims to be false, alleged the girls mother. Meanwhile, the police claimed that the girl changed her statements frequently. The girl filed a complaint on November 20 last year regarding assault by the accused. We filed a case under Section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code. However, she later changed her statement and filed another complaint of sexual assault. During the investigation, we found the complaint to be false. Hence, we filed this report in the court, said inspector Manjunath Kusugal from Mundargi police station. These days, it is difficult to open a newspaper, switch on social media, or listen to a foreign policy debate without encountering references to the emerging geopolitical battle over semiconductors. Semiconductors, colloquially referred to as chips, have quickly moved from the periphery to center-stage of global high politics. Geopolitics is not the only driver of the emerging chips race, according to Kotasthane. Geoeconomics too plays a leading role. (HT Photo) A new book by Pranay Kotasthane and Abhiram Manchi, When the Chips Are Down: A Deep Dive into a Global Crisis, is a guide to those who want to understand the importance of semiconductors at this geopolitical crossroads. The book provides a history of the technology but also offers a forward-looking analysis of how the world will balance national security interests and with rapid technological change. Kotasthane spoke about the main findings of the book on last weeks episode of Grand Tamasha, a weekly podcast on Indian politics and policy co-produced by HT and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Kotasthane is Chair of High-Tech Geopolitics at the Takshashila Institution in Bengaluru. Before joining the institute, he worked as a chip design engineer in two Fortune 500 semiconductor companies. On the show, Kotasthane spoke about the intense battle underway between the United States and China over semiconductor dominance. Chips are one area where Chinas technology stack is quite weak, remarked Kotasthane. The United States probably chose this domain as the domain to counter Chinas dominance because it is dominant...The [first] rule of strategy is that you attack an adversary in a domain where they are weak. But geopolitics is not the only driver of the emerging chips race, according to Kotasthane. Geoeconomics too plays a leading role. During the COVID-19 pandemic, firms that regularly placed orders for massive quantities of chipssuch as automobile manufacturerspulled back due to the lockdown and the economic slowdown. But when demand picked up after the pandemic, these automobile firms could not access chips from the key semiconductor players, said Kotasthane. Soon, automobile firms realized that they needed to do something so that this does not happen again. Kotasthane warned, however, that there are limits to so-called decoupling. Because this industry has evolved in such a way where theres comparative advantage-based specialization, no one country does everything, he remarked. Many countries have a few companies which play an important role in one small segment of this supply chain. Reflecting on the future, including Indias policy options, Kotasthane suggested that countries whose strategies are solely based on denying rivals access to high-technology goods face an uphill battle. I fear that a lot of focus is on denial and that denial is very difficult to achieve. You are motivating your adversary to develop alternative ways of getting ahead. Maybe you can keep your adversary behind by a few years, but it will not achieve some big geopolitical goal, he cautioned. As Zephyr Partners works to complete the first part of its new South Buffalo cannabis campus, the California-based developer owned by Brad Termini is already running afoul of key minority workforce requirements. As part of the land-sale agreement with the Buffalo Urban Development Corp., Zephyr agreed to comply with the citys standard requirements of 25% participation by minority-owned and 5% for women-owned businesses in the construction. To ensure compliance, Zephyr and BUDC agreed to set up an independent monitor, Landon & Rian Enterprises, to work with Zephyr on-site and track the developers progress. According to the BUDC, the project and its general contractor, RP Oak Hill Building Co., are currently meeting the target for women-owned businesses, but is well below the 25% goal for minority firms, at just 5%. There is no recapture clause in the land-sale agreement, said BUDC President Brandye Merriweather. However, the monitor is still putting together its final report, as the first building in the project is close to being completed but isnt done yet, with a couple of jobs still being bid, as well as some change orders. I dont know all the details yet with respect to why the number came up short, she said. Were they having trouble getting people? Were people working on other jobs? Thats what Im waiting to get from the monitor. But Ryan Herrell, Zephyr senior vice president for development, said the most recent audit of minority and women workforce goals measures a small portion of the anticipated overall construction activity of our multi-phase project. Merriweather said part of the problem may be that the work was delayed so long after the initial agreement that Zephyr and Landon & Rian couldnt get the firms and workers they needed. And BUDC officials say they are hoping for improvements in the later phases of the project, as more buildings are constructed. Theyre looking to make up the rest working with the compliance monitor, Merriweather said. We know theyll likely be below. I just dont have the final number yet. Obviously, wed be looking to connect with them on trying to get those numbers up on future phases. It also could be yet another indication of the challenge that companies are having on a range of projects locally, as the Buffalo Bills new $1.6 billion stadium project in Orchard Park sucks up much of the available labor and contractor supply. People cant get contractors because of the stadium, said David Nasca, CEO of Evans Bancorp. Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week. Its also not just in the immediate area. These conversations are going on outside Erie County, said Thomas Kucharski, CEO of Invest Buffalo Niagara, the regions economic development organization. Great Lakes Cheese has the same problem [in Cattaraugus County]. The Amazon facility in Niagara County will start soon. Its a capacity issue. Herrell acknowledged that the construction market in Buffalo is impacted by the stadium project, but said Zephyr and RP Oak Hill continue to engage with many MWBE contractors. With the help of BUDC and its consultant, Landon & Rian, we look to work collaboratively to get as close to the stated goal as possible, he added. Zephyr is constructing a sprawling complex for marijuana cultivation and manufacturing, using 72.4 acres of vacant land in the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, just off Tifft Street, east of Route 5. Plans ultimately call for creating more than 1.38 million square feet of building space to grow marijuana plants, make a variety of products and conduct medical research including on the potential benefits for cancer patients. The farm will be capable of growing more than $19 million of recreational pot enough for more than 5 million joints or 20 million gummies each year. But the developer and its partner, Toronto-based RIV Capital and U.S. subsidiary Etain LLC, will start small at first, focusing initially on 10.8 acres of land at 310 Ship Canal Parkway of which only 5.3 acres can be used and another 4.9 acres at 15 Laborers Way. Both sites are north of the Union Ship Canal. Zephyr is constructing a 68,275-square-foot manufacturing facility and a 7,076-square-foot office building, both single-story structures. The larger facility reduced from the original plan of 136,000-square feet on two floors will cultivate and process the cannabis into products that will be shipped throughout the state. With the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, everyone should work to strengthen the party so that the slogan of a 'developed Gujarat with a developed India' can be realised, Patel said. He had dinner with the family members of local leader Dineshbhai Bhatola, said a government release. Through the initiative, the BJP aims to strengthen all the booths in Gujarat ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. HT Image A total 56,700 party workers, including ministers and MLAs, were assigned different booths across the state under the Gaon Chalo Abhiyan, during February 10-11, it said. On Sunday morning, CM Patel met farmers, youth, women, and leaders of different communities and discussed various government schemes, said the release. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. He urged the farmers to adopt drip irrigation and organic farming and appealed to youth to stay away from addiction. The farmers thanked the CM for sanctioning 862 crore for a water supply project that will benefit 125 villages in the region, the release added. In 2019, the BJP won all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Congress veteran and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Sunday triggered a row by reportedly describing Pakistanis as the biggest assets of India and criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for refusing to hold dialogue with Pakistan. Mani Shankar Aiyar, who has faced the Bharatiya Janata Party's criticism for his controversial remarks in the past, also called for open communication channels between India and Pakistan, Dawn reported. Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar(Photo: Pardeep Pandit/HT Photo) The Pakistanis, from my experience, have been the people who react perhaps overreact to the other side. If we are friendly, they are overfriendly and if we are hostile, they get over hostileI have never been to a country where I was been welcomed with such open arms as I was in Pakistan," Dawn quoted Mani Shankar Aiyar as saying. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The Congress leader was addressing a crowd on the second day of the Faiz Festival at Alhamra in Pakistan's Lahore. Criticising Modi, Mani Shankar Aiyar said the prime minister has made the biggest mistake by refusing to hold dialogue with Pakistan, reported the Pakistani Daily. There were five Indian high commissioners who served in the Congress government and the BJP government in Islamabad and all five of them unanimously agreed that whatever our differences are, we must engage with Pakistan and the biggest mistake that we made in the last 10 years was the refusing dialogue. We have the courage to conduct surgical strikes against you but we don't have the courage to sit across the table and talk, he said. He further went on to ask the people of Pakistan to remember that Modi has never received more than one-third of the votes but our system is such that if has one-third of the votes, he has two-thirds in the seats". So two-thirds of Indians are ready to come towards you (Pakistanis), he was quoted as saying by Dawn. Calling for a dialogue between India and Pakistan, the Congress leader reportedly said, The two countries should continue dialogue until the governments awaken, but for that, neither Pakistan nor India were any help due to visa issuesI suggest businessmen, students, and academics should continue meeting outside India and Pakistan, bypassing the governments. In August last year, Aiyar had targetted Modi over dialogue with Pakistan saying, Every prime minister before PM Modi tried for some kind of dialogue with Pakistan but now it is a freeze situation. India could potentially get a cluster of servers that mirrors the thirteen root servers in the world after major negotiations with ICANN, the organisation that carries out key functions of the internet, the director general of Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) informed the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs in March 2023. If the efforts are successful, this will be the first time India will get a cluster mirroring all 13 root servers that underpin the internet. The submission was mentioned in a report on countering global terrorism at regional and international levels tabled in the Lok Sabha on February 5 by the committee, which had asked about the outcome of negotiations with ICANN for having internet root servers in India. According to it, Sanjay Bahl, the director general of CERT-In, had replied: We had a major negotiation on the root server. They have agreed for putting up a cluster. We are negotiating with them... Probably, we will get a cluster of 18 servers which will be now based somewhere in India. That is a good beginning. ICANN, or Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is a US-based non-profit that plays a crucial role in the management and coordination of the global internets domain name system (DNS) and the allocation of IP addresses. An ICANN executive confirmed the discussions. The ICANN is evaluating the technical and regulatory feasibility of installing a[n] ICANN Managed Root Server (IMRS) cluster in India, said Samiran Gupta, vice president, government and intergovernmental organisation engagement, Asia Pacific and stakeholder engagement, South Asia, in a response to HT. It is understood that no other root server operator apart from ICANN has set up clusters of root servers anywhere in the world. IMRS clusters are currently located in Singapore, Europe, US, Egypt, and Kenya, Gupta added. To put it simply, having a root server cluster will help reduce latency a lag that occurs when information and data flow across the internets infrastructure manage internet traffic, and reduce the efficacy of a common type of cyberattack known as DDoS (distributed denial of service). In reality, the process will involve creating a cluster of 13 servers that mirror each of the 13 root servers arounds the world. ICANN in itself runs the L root server, one of the 13 each of which is given a letter name from A to M. There are 12 organisations, including ICANN, across the world that run the 13 root servers. Of these, ten are in the US, two in Europe and one in Japan. Technically, root servers validate what is called a top-level domain (TLD), such as .com, .edu, .org, etc. for each query on the internet. Effectively, all internet traffic in the world flows through one of the 13 root servers. India, to be sure, has some mirrors (also called instances) of one or the other root servers. It was not immediately clear why India will get a cluster of 18 servers as Bahl is quoted in the committees report --- when there are only 13 root servers in the world. The costs, it is understood, will be borne by ICANN. Looking at the way India is developing our digital systems, internet, 5G, telecom, digital infrastructure, etc. they are now looking at India and they cannot ignore India. Now, we are negotiating with a bit of strength and we are hopeful that we should be able to get some part of it to start. We are hopeful that we will be seeking some kind of a board level position in the coming AGM [annual general meeting], which is likely to take place early next year. So, we are moving in that direction. That is important, Bahl said. Dr Gulshan Rai, the founding director general of CERT-In and the first national cyber security coordinator of India, told HT that getting these instances is a good thing. This is a good thing because a lot of traffic can be routed through these instances. The traffic need not be routed through outside India. This is a positive development. While India already has root server instances, it is always good to have more IMRS clusters within the country as it helps in reducing latency, increase internet resilience in the country and facilitates better load management on root servers, Amrita Choudhary, director of Cyber Cafe Association of India (CCAOI), said. Following conversations in March 2023, setting up this cluster is a priority for ICANN. It is not clear why the delay occurred. Setting up servers, especially internet traffic routing servers, would be regulated by extant laws and in 2023, two new laws affecting installation of servers in the country --- the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and the Telecommunications Act, 2023 --- were notified. How will this cluster work Gupta explained that ICANN deploys two types of instances/servers single and cluster. An IMRS cluster is a large installation of multiple servers with substantial bandwidth that have a large DNS service capacity. They are typically commissioned for a region to deal with sustained high DNS query loads or spikes in non-DNS traffic targeting the root server system. These contrast with IMRS single instances that are focused on improving Root Zone DNS service for specific networks or locations, he said. In other words, while a single root server instance by ICANN will likely be a mirror of the L server, a cluster would mirror all 13, from A to M. While earlier, there was a substantial difference between the letter root servers and their mirrors around the world, now there isnt much as the original and the instance are the same. As of February 2022, there are more than 195 IMRS instances in 85 different countries/territories. At present there are six IMRS single instances deployed in India. We believe there are over 40 root server instances in India deployed by different Root Server Operators. ICANN org can only approve IMRS instances and clusters, Gupta said. According to root-servers.org, there are 7 instances of six root servers in Delhi alone. There were two such servers in India in 2011-12, Rai said, when as the head of CERT-In, he was petitioning for a root server in India. Seven of the eight Indian Navy veterans, who were released by Qatar months after being sentenced to death on 'espionage' charges, heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after on arrival in New Delhi on Monday morning. Interacting with reporters, some of the veterans claimed that they wouldn't have been released had it for the sustained diplomatic efforts at his behest to secure their release. An Indian Navy veteran at the Delhi airport after returning from Qatar.(ANI) Relieved to finally walk free, the seven former Indian Navy officers raised chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai at the Delhi airport, reported news agency ANI. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. One of the Navy veterans thanked Modi for raising their sentencing with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and attributed their release to relentless diplomatic efforts at his behest. Also Read | PM Modis points man NSA Ajit Doval delivers, 8 ex-Navy officers freed by Qatar "I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldn't have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar," he said. Another released former naval officer told ANI, "Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldn't be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom." One of the veterans also praised the Indian government's intervention in securing their release, saying, We, as well as our anxious family members back home, had been waiting for this day for a long time. It all worked out because of PM Modi and his personal intervention in the matter. He took up our case with the highest levels of the Qatari government and eventually secured our release. I don't have enough words to express my gratitude to him and the Emir of Qatar. "We are very happy to be back and it wouldn't have been possible had the honourable Prime Minister not taken personal interest in the matter. I also thank the Qatar Emir for his personal involvement in the matter," ANI quoted another former Indian Navy officer as saying. "We waited almost 18 months to be back home to our loved ones in India. We are extremely grateful to PM Modi for getting us back. We wouldn't have seen this day without the joint efforts of PM Modi and the Emir of Qatar. The personal equations that the two leaders share also helped in our release," another Navy veteran said. Earlier on Monday, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) shared about the release of eight veterans of the Indian Navy who were sentenced to death in Qatar. Who are the 8 Indian Navy veterans? As Bihars government faces a crucial floor test in the state legislative assembly on Monday, both the JD(U) and the BJPthe two primary constituents of the alliance that has claimed majorityheld crucial meetings of their MLAs on Sunday, and said that they were confident that the new alliance would sail through. The floor test has been necessitated after chief minister Nitish Kumar walked out of the Mahagatbandhan alliance that included the Congress, RJD and the Left on January 28, and instead joined hands with the BJP (HT) At the JD(U) meeting, however, which chief minister Nitish Kumar addressed, there were some murmurs of concern with three legislators absent, even though senior party leaders said that they were in touch with them and all their members were accounted for. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The floor test has been necessitated after chief minister Nitish Kumar walked out of the Mahagatbandhan alliance that included the Congress, RJD and the Left on January 28, and instead joined hands with the BJP. Kumar took oath as chief minister of Bihar for the ninth time on January 28, with Samrat Chaudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha as his deputy chief ministers. The change in government brought the need for a floor test, which has been scheduled for February 12. The JD(U) ostensibly has 45 MLAs of 243 members in the Bihar assembly; BJP has 79 MLAs. Alliance partner HAM-S has four MLAs and with support of one independent, the NDA has 128 MLAs. The opposition alliance has 115 which includes 79 of the RJD, 19 of the Congress, and 16 of the Left and one of AIMIM. During the JD(U) meeting at the house of minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, senior leaders admitted that there were three MLAs who did not attend the meeting Rupauli MLA and former minister Bima Bharti, Sursand MLA Dilip Ray who was earlier with the RJD and Barbigha MLA Sudarshan Kumar. At least six MLAs had earlier skipped another lunch meeting at minister Shravan Kumars house on Saturday. Choudhary however downplayed the absence of the three MLAs and said they had kept the party informed about their absence. We are assured of proving our majority. Two-three MLAs did not come but they had informed the party. All of them would be here by morning. Our (NDA) strength is 128 and we will prove it, he said, speaking to reporters after the meeting. The JD (U) minister said that chief minister Nitish Kumar had assured the legislators of majority, and told them there was no reason to worry in a meeting that lasted over an hour and a half. Earlier, Choudhary said, the assembly would see the governors address and then a proposal to remove the speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary from the RJD. As per the rules, the speaker will ask how many support the proposal to remove him. If 38 or more MLAs support the proposal, it gets accepted and then the speaker vacates his chair till the proposal is defeated. The deputy speaker takes over the chair and takes up the proposal to remove the speaker after which the trust vote will be taken up, Choudhary said. Read more: INDIA bloc no longer exists, Nitish Kumar performed last rites, says Congress leader The run-up to the trust vote has seen frantic political action across party lines over the past few days, with political parties alleging that they have the numbers, and the other side doesnt. While Jitan Ram Manjhis HAM(S) has bargained hard for another ministerial berth, the RJD has kept its MLAs at former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadavs home for two days, while the Congress herded 16 of its 19 MLAs to Hyderabad, only bringing them back on Sunday. JD-U MLA Gopal Mandal, who skipped Saturdays lunch said, Two to three MLAs were not present today but they are in touch with us. The BJPs MLAs who were in a two-day training camp at Bodh Gaya returned to Patna on Sunday and convened at the residence of deputy chief minister Vijay Kumar Simha. While Amit Shah was expected to speak to the legislators virtually, that did not take place, and legislators were spoken to by the partys Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde. Read more: Bihar floor test: 3 MLAs skip JD(U) meeting, Nitish says will prove majority A senior party leader said that the two-day camp was meant to lay emphasis on the importance of maintaining a connection with voters. It is once in a year affair and was held ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, so that NDA wins all all the 40 parliamentary seats in the state, said a BJP legislator. On the subject of the floor test, deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha said, They (RJD) are in fear. They know that their MLAs can leave them at any time because they are fed up with dynastic and corrupt politics. There is nothing to fear. The big question is why are (RJD) MLAs locked inside the house of former deputy CM (Tejashwi Yadav)? We will win, said BJP MP Ravishankar Prasad. HAM-S leader and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also held a meeting of his partys legislators on Sunday and said, Everybody is together in NDA. Today, everybody holds PM Modis leadership in high regard and all MLAs will be present tomorrow, Manjhi said. Kochi: C-Space, the first state-owned over-the-top (OTT) platform in India, is expected to be unveiled by the Kerala government next month, said a top state government official. Shaji N Karun, national-award-winning director and chairman of Kerala State Film Development Corporation, said the over-the-top (OTT) platform would stream the kind of varied or different films made in Malayalam that deserve to reach a global viewership. (HT Archives) The platform, built under the banner of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) using funds from the state government, has been envisaged to provide a fillip to award-winning films, short films and documentaries as well as open possibilities for low-budget independent cinema to reach a wider audience. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Currently at our film festivals, the local Malayalam flicks are viewed only by the delegates. Even if they go on to be released theatrically, only people in Kerala are able to watch them. For example, the films presented at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) or those winning state awards should get a wider audience. We need to bring cinema to people, thats our responsibility, Shaji N Karun, national-award-winning director and chairman of KSFDC, told HT. Terming the OTT platform as a parallel cultural move, Karun said it would stream the kind of varied or different films made in Malayalam that deserve to reach a global viewership. Our objective is to improve the quality of our audience. Right now, in Kerala, Tamil and Telugu films are the highest grossers in theatres. We want to help change the behaviour pattern of the audience, he said. C-Space comes at a time when Malayalam cinema is finding resonance in different parts and corners of India and the world thanks to the existing OTT giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Known for realistic storytelling and content-driven scripts, Malayalam films led by its new-age actors and technicians are able to transcend the language barriers and cultivate new fans. An example of this is the film 2018: Everyone is a hero, a terrific survival drama based on the actual incidents during the massive floods in Kerala in 2018 that displaced millions of people and killed nearly 500. The film went on to become the highest-grossing flick in Malayalam and was chosen by the Film Federation of India as the countrys official entry into the Oscars in the international feature film category. Though the film failed to make it to the shortlist, it underscored the rising importance of Malayalam cinema and the potential it holds. Unlike other OTT giants, C-Space will feature only Malayalam-language content that may or may not have gotten a theatrical release. The decision to allow a particular content on the platform rests with an experienced panel of 60 curators who comprise historians, filmmakers, writers and those working in different facets of the film industry. If a three-member panel recommends a film or documentary, it will be accepted. This way, the characteristics of the film will be evaluated. There are parameters for a work of art everywhere, including in award shows, pointed out Karun, whose debut film Piravi in 1988 won honours at the Cannes film festival as well as the state and national film awards in India. But what really sets C-Space apart from other OTT sites is its revenue model whereby the producer of the content gets a regular source of income generated from each time his/her film is viewed. The filmmaker can even nominate a person belonging to his family to receive the revenue share. There are no registration costs at the time of the content being uploaded on the platform. There is a cost of almost 50% we are bearing to ensure technical aspects of a film, rental cost, quality upgrades, website maintenance etc. The remaining 50% of the revenue from a film being streamed will go to its producer. If its a director who got a state or national award, a share of the revenue will be given for intellectual rights of the film as well. This is a creator-friendly platform in that sense where we are giving them a slice of the revenue, said the KSFDC chairman. The payment model for a viewer, he said, will be on the pay-per-view basis. A viewer will have to shell out around 75 to watch one film which is much less than what she pays in theatres. In the future, we will have monthly or yearly subscription options depending on the response, he said. Like the first Chalachitra Akademi in India took birth in Kerala, C-Space is also a revolutionary product that aims to become a digital archive for arthouse local cinema, those behind the project say. Over 100 hours of content have already been uploaded on the platform and will be available to viewers at the time of its launch, officials said. Belagavi: The ruling Congress party has witnessed a surge in the aspirants eager to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, outnumbering the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said party insiders. The surge can be attributed to the positive results for the Congress party in the last assembly elections. Satish Jarkiholi (HT) According to those close to the party, both ministers from Belagavi, Satish Jarkiholi and Lakshmi Hebbalkar, are actively lobbying for their family members to enter the political fray. Hebbalkar is hoping to field her MLC brother Channaraj Hattiholi or her son Mrunal Hebbalkar. However, if this fails, she is prepared to contest the elections from the same seat. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Hebbalkar, with her strong base among Lingayat voters in the constituency, is eager to contest either through her family members or herself, said a senior party functionary from the district. Meanwhile, Jarkiholi plans to introduce his daughter Priyanka to the political arena through the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, said those in the know of the development. Priyanka, a graduate in social work, has been involved in her fathers social initiatives. However, both ministers separately stated that they were not interested in fielding candidature for their family members. We, the ministers representing the district, must work for the victory of the party candidates as if they are members of our family, Hebbalkar said. Jarkiholi also expressed similar sentiments. One must obey the instructions of the party chief, especially when it comes to elections, he said. However, the party insiders said, both the ministers have told the party leadership that if their family members are selected by the party, they will comply with the high commands instructions. Both the ministers revealed that the Congress party had conducted surveys and recommended candidates with higher chances of winning. Hebbalkar, buoyed by her close ties with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, is particularly enthusiastic about the prospect of contesting, said those close to the party. She had previously expressed ambitions beyond state politics, aspiring for a role on the national stage. Hebbalkar represents the Belagavi rural assembly constituency for the second term and enjoys a significant support from her community. With Congress having won in five out of the eight assembly constituencies in Belagavi, the partys candidates are keen to contest from the constituency, added the party functionary. Meanwhile, Jarkiholi, despite being the first choice of the high command, expressed his reluctance to contest the Lok Sabha election. He is focused on securing the post of deputy chief minister, said those in the know of the development. However, the district womens wing has held a meeting and asked the high command not to field him for the Lok Sabha elections, arguing that his representation is needed more in the northern part of the state. Workers close to Jarkiholis family reveal his interest in fielding his daughter from Belagavi. Although Priyanka has not yet applied for a ticket, her candidature is expected to be considered due to her favourable chances of winning. On the other hand, BJP ticket aspirants are less active, awaiting guidance from MP Mangala Angadi. Despite Mangalas reluctance to contest the elections again, she has recommended her daughter Shradha or her father-in-law, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, as potential candidates, said party workers. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) and Janata Dal (Secular), lacking a strong presence in the constituency, are not considered serious contenders in the election. By comparison, studies of Muslim voting in state assembly elections since the 2019 general elections, which ushered in a new dominant party system, show some consolidation. Surveys by CSDS-Lokniti reveal that in the 2020 Bihar elections, about 77% Muslims voted for the Mahagathbandhan (an alliance of parties opposed to the BJP); in the 2021 West Bengal elections, 75% of Muslims voted for the incumbent Trinamool Congress; and in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections, 79% of Muslims voted for the opposition Samajwadi Party. A range of factors appear to shape Muslim voting. Some scholars suggest that Muslims vote according to a states electoral context (based on how many parties are contesting and what these parties are) or individual candidate prospects (with Muslim votes divided in multipolar contests). My own research, focused on state assembly elections, argues that Muslim voting behaviour is influenced by the presence (or absence) of a coethnic representative. I show that the existence of a Muslim representative can activate internal divisions among Muslims that shape their subsequent voting behaviour. These divisions can manifest along sub-identities within the broader Muslim identity. Despite scholarly inattention, caste remains a relevant sub-identity in the Muslim community. Muslim caste identity is divided into three categories: Ashraf, Ajlaf, and Arzal. The Ashraf are self-proclaimed descendants of Muslim immigrants who emigrated to the Indian subcontinent from the Middle East and Central Asia; the group includes Sayyids, Shaikhs, Mughals, and Pathans. The Ajlaf and Arzal are primarily Hindus who converted to Islam and correspond with the Hindu equivalents Other Backward Class (OBC) and Dalit subcastes, respectively. Since the 1990s, activists among non-Ashraf Muslims Ajlaf (OBC) and Arzal (Dalit) Muslimshave sought to mobilise against Ashraf dominance in politics, referring to themselves collectively as Pasmanda (a Persian term meaning those left behind). Today, Pasmanda Muslims is used as an umbrella term for OBC and Dalit Muslims. The 2006 Sachar Committee Report is often cited to highlight the educational and economic differences between Muslims and Hindus, but it also examines differences within the Muslim population, specifically along caste lines. Grouping non-upper-caste Muslims into the OBC Muslim category, the report compares OBC Muslims to General Muslims and OBC Hindus. In the domains of education, employment, and economic status, Muslim OBCs fared poorly relative to both General Muslims and Hindu OBCs. In addition to being relevant to the socioeconomic lives of Muslims, caste is increasingly becoming part of conversations on politics and group relations. In terms of civic life, there is growing evidence of Muslim caste-based mobilisation. For instance, one mobilising force at the centre of the Pasmanda movement is the All-India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz (AIPMM), based in Bihar. The AIPMM has been at the forefront of civic efforts to advocate for Dalit Muslims (as well as Dalit Christians) to have Scheduled Caste status, granting them affirmative action in government jobs, education, and politics and legal protection against atrocities. Since the milestone victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2019 general elections, political observers have closely watched the Muslim minoritys response in the electoral arena. Available data suggests that in subsequent state elections, Muslims have largely voted against the BJP and for the leading challenger party. There are, however, several caveats to this observation. Alongside this consolidation of the Muslim vote, salient social and political differences within the Muslim population have simultaneously surfaced. For example, Muslim caste hierarchies (and other sub-identities such as sect) have become important topics of mainstream political conversations. This raises pressing questions for electoral dynamics as the 2024 general elections approach. Should the idea of a coherent Muslim voting bloc be retired? To what extent is caste relevant to the understanding of Muslim voting behaviour? Do group-based solidarities around religion and caste exist for Muslims? In popular election analyses, Muslims are often treated as a homogeneous voting bloc. Yet, Muslims hardly make up a monolithic community that acts in a coordinated fashion; just like Hindus, Muslims are divided on class, sect, caste, and regional lines. Prior to 2019, Muslim voting behaviour was significantly fragmented, with no clear signs of constituency-level coordination behind a single political party. Notably, voting behaviour has become more complex since the BJPs 2019 victory. Political scientists typically use a measure known as the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) to examine the level of fractionalisation or consolidation that exists in the distribution of votes. An index score close to zero implies that all Muslims voted for different parties, while a score of 1 indicates their support for the same party. An application of HHI for the 2019 general elections reveals some fractionalisation of Muslim votes, despite rising Hindu majoritarianism. In addition, there is considerable variation across states. This fractionalisation is marked when looking at Muslim votes both for individual parties and for alliances. Over the past several years, political elites have also expanded efforts to mobilise Muslims along caste lines. While most of this mobilisation is based on the umbrella Pasmanda grouping, there is some evidence of mobilisation of the Ansari subcaste in Bihar. In the lead-up to the 2020 Bihar state elections, the Ansari Mahapanchayat (AMP) was formed and engaged in grassroots organising, arguing specifically for elected representation for Ansaris. However, eventually, the groups leadership fractured. In 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP gave Pasmandas attention, urging BJP workers to reach out to Pasmanda Muslims; Modi held several events with notable Pasmanda Muslims later in the year. While these meetings were the partys first large-scale public outreach effort, it has engaged with Pasmanda Muslims in the past. For instance, sociologist Khalid Anis Ansari noted that in 2013 in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP formed a weavers cell to engage some Pasmanda Muslims, and in 2017 in Odisha, the party highlighted the need for Pasmanda Muslims to receive the same benefits as OBCs and even called out Sayyids and Pathans for usurping welfare measures. Nevertheless, the BJPs outreach was not entirely well received. Several Muslim groups warned members of the Pasmanda community to be wary of the partys outreach. For instance, the AIPMM emphasised that no political party should take the support of Pasmanda Muslims for granted, while the organisations leader criticised the partys Pasmanda outreach by underscoring that Pasmanda Muslims have been disproportionately affected during communal attacks. Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party which regularly evokes Muslim solidarity also lambasted the BJPs outreach, arguing that Pasmanda Muslims have been victims of vigilante violence under the current BJP government. While Pasmanda politics has figured more prominently in mainstream political mobilisation in recent years, the communitys voting behaviour is less clear. Understanding the heterogeneity in political behaviour within the Muslim population remains difficult because most surveys seek to capture a representative sample of India or a particular state, which limits the sample of Muslim respondents; additionally, they do not capture details on Muslim castes. To help address these limitations, I conducted a survey of nearly 2,000 Muslims in Uttar Pradesh in 2022, with a particular focus on the contours of political behaviour within the Muslim community. The survey was also conducted with almost 2,000 Hindus in Uttar Pradesh in 2022 to allow for comparisons across religious groups. When asked about state elections in Uttar Pradesh in 2012, a small percentage of Muslim voters reported that they voted for the BJP candidate. By 2017,12.6% of general Muslims and 8% of Pasmanda Muslims reported supporting the BJP. Interestingly, by the 2022 state elections, BJP support among general Muslims fell to 9.8%, while support among Pasmanda Muslims increased to 9.1%. While vote choice in state elections does not automatically translate to behaviour in national elections, the BJPs recent inroads with the Pasmanda community along with targeted 2024 election outreach suggests that increased Pasmanda support for the BJP is possible. But when this outreach occurs alongside efforts to mobilise Hindus on their collective religious identity, voting for the BJP can become a hard sell for Muslims, regardless of caste. While the wider conversation about caste hierarchies among Muslims suggests that individuals may think of their caste in terms of the broader categories of Pasmanda and general, the 2022 survey in Uttar Pradesh and the Ansari-specific mobilisation in Bihar suggest that Muslims may think more in terms of their subcaste. When asked in the survey whether a respondent agreed with the statement, In an election, it is important for members of the same jati [subcaste] to vote for the same party, 43% of General Muslims agreed with the statement, compared to 53% of Pasmanda Muslims. This latter percentage is also higher than the share of Hindu respondents who agreed with the statement; 34% of general Hindus, 37% of Scheduled Caste Hindus, and 41% of OBC Hindus reported that it was important for members of the same subcaste to vote as a bloc. If the BJP can gain ground with the Pasmanda community, there could be far-reaching consequences given heightened perceptions that caste-based coordination is important. The increased relevance of caste to Indian politics raises questions about how much solidarity Muslims exhibit within their superordinate identity (religious group) compared to their subordinate identity (subcaste group). Scholars of race and ethnic politics often use measures of linked fate to understand how much an individuals well-being is linked to their groups well-being. Adapting survey questions to the Indian context, the 2022 survey in Uttar Pradesh asked Muslim respondents what better or worse conditions for their subcaste group and religious group would mean for themselves. Muslims generally indicated high levels of linked progress and linked hurt based on caste identity. Around 90% of Muslim respondents perceived that if things got better for their subcaste, things would also get better for them individually. And about 72% believed that if things got worse for their subcaste, they would get worse for them, too. By comparison, Muslims generally indicated high levels of linked progress but low levels of linked hurt based on their religious identity. Among all Muslims, caste-based solidarity appeared stronger relative to religion-based solidarity. Across statements probing both progress and hurt, Pasmanda Muslims indicated higher levels of overall linked fate than general Muslims did, suggesting greater group solidarity. While this is limited to one state, it underscores the need to incorporate various Muslim sub-identities into researchers mapping of political dynamics. Since the 2019 general elections, Muslims have become more likely to vote in a unified way, but the political salience of caste in the Muslim community appears to have increased at the same time. Thus, in the coming 2024 elections, while it is unlikely that Muslims will vote entirely on their caste or any other sub-identity, it is clear that sub-identities will shape both campaigning and voting to some degree. With the BJPs mobilisation of Pasmanda Muslims gathering steam and with opposition parties plotting countermeasures, it would be unwise for political analysts to limit investigations of caste to the Hindu community alone. If the BJP is even moderately successful in consummating its outreach to Pasmanda Muslims, researchers may need to retire the idea of a Muslim voting bloc and pursue a comprehensive, nuanced understanding of how and when sub-identities shape Muslim voting behaviour. Feyaad Allie is a postdoctoral fellow in the Government Department at Harvard University. Starting in fall 2024, he will be an assistant professor of government at Harvard. In the months ahead, the Carnegie-HT India Elects 2024 series will analyze various dimensions of Indias upcoming election battle including the role of foreign policy, the strength of partisan ties, and how technology has reshaped campaigning. Jalna, Feb 12 (PTI) Activist Manoj Jarange on Monday accused the Maharashtra government of diverting the core issue of Maratha reservation and claimed it was considering a separate quota for the community. HT Image Jarange continued his indefinite fast at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district for the third day on Monday over his demand that a special session of the Maharashtra legislature be convened to convert the draft notification on blood relatives of Kunbi Marathas into a law. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In December last year, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said a special session of the state legislature will be held in February, if necessary, to provide reservation to the Maratha community after reviewing a report of the Backward Class Commission. Notably, Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal has opposed the "backdoor entry" for Marathas in OBC quota. Jarange on Monday reiterated his demand for the immediate implementation of the draft notification, which stated that sage soyre or blood relatives of a Maratha person with records to show he belongs to the Kunbi community would also be recognised as Kunbi, an agrarian community that enjoys OBC quota. Responding to queries on the Maharashtra government's intention to convene a special session to extend reservation to Marathas, he accused the government of diverting the core issue of quota for the community. Jarange said he is not against a separate quota for Marathas, but emphasised that the special session should focus on converting the draft notification on blood relatives of Kunbi Marathas into a legislation and release of Kunbi caste certificates to those whose documents have been verified. Amid concerns over his health, the 40-year-old activist refused to allow doctors to check on his condition. He has been abstaining from food and water since Saturday. An associate of Jarange claimed the activist's health has weakened as he is not taking food and medication. This is the fourth time in less than a year that he has been observing a hunger strike demanding the inclusion of the Maratha community under the OBC (other backward caste) grouping. Jarange on Saturday said, The government should convene a special session of the state legislature in two days and bring a legislation concerning 'sage soyare' (blood relatives). The government must issue (OBC) caste certificates to 57 lakh people who possess Kunbi records." The body of a man missing for four days was found with a gunshot wound in the area adjoining Imphal East and Kangpokpi districts of strife-torn Manipur on Sunday, police officers familiar with the matter said. Manipur has been in the throes of ethnic violence between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kukis since May 3 last year. (PTI) According to police, 31-year-old N Manisana, a resident of Imphal West district went missing on February 7. His family filed a missing person complaint at the Thoubal Dam police station on February 9, they added. A joint team of the state and central security forces found his body during an operation at the Molham Karong area, located about 5km southeast of Thoubal Dam police station, the officers added. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. A case has been registered in this regard and investigation is going on, said a police officer on condition of anonymity. Manisanas body has been sent to the mortuary at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, the officer added. Manipur has been in the throes of ethnic violence between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kukis since May 3 last year, with other communities increasingly sucked into the violence that has continued unabated. Over the past eight months, at least 210 people have lost their lives, and over 50,000 people have been displaced. The Centre has stepped up discussions with the stakeholders from different groups from both the Kuki and Metei communities in an attempt to end the vicious cycle of violence. In January, the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) dispatched a three-member team of its representatives to e Manipur to hold talks with members of both the communities. The team comprising AK Mishra, the Centres interlocutor for peace talks, and two senior officials from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) will spend few days in Manipur, holding talks with various civil society organisations and representatives from both communities, an official aware of the details said. On Wednesday, representatives of different tribal groups held a meeting with senior officials of the MHA and Intelligence Bureau (IB) in New Delhi, on their demand for a separate administration and the Centres plan to fence the 1,643 kilometre-long border between India and Myanmar. An Amherst man faces multiple charges in connection with a series of burglary attempts, criminal impersonations and harassment during a 2-week span, a Buffalo Police Department spokesman announced Monday. Fonda Brigis, 60, has been charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree possession of a weapon, first-degree criminal impersonation, third-degree stalking, second-degree harassment and trespassing, plus two counts each of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree aggravated harassment. The first incident occurred Jan. 20. Northeast District officers answered a complaint about a caller who threatened to cut power and kick down the door at a house on Northrup Place. The resident said the caller, who was known to them, presented a badge of undetermined origin and was possibly armed. Six days later, officers returned to the same house following a report that the same suspect had tried to break in and threatened to harm the same victim. On Jan. 29, Behavioral Health Team detectives responded to three separate complaints about the same suspect, who allegedly flashed a badge and claimed to be a law enforcement officer. Northeast District officers answered another burglary call Feb. 6 in the first block of Blaine Avenue after the same suspect allegedly entered a tenants home without notice and scattered cat food throughout the place. Brigis was arrested later Feb. 6 when officers executed a search warrant at his residence. Brass knuckles, an ASP baton, a security badge and a Cobray CM-11 handgun were seized, police said. Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan, who approved the search warrant, also issued a temporary extreme risk protection order against Brigis. New Delhi: There has been no specific study on whether high air pollution damages brain and motor functions among children, environment minister Bhupender Yadav informed the Rajya Sabha during the just concluded budget session. Indian cities particularly those in the Indo-Gangetic Plains record high air pollution, several times higher than World Health Organisations air quality guideline and higher than Indias national safe standard. (HT photo) There are several studies conducted by different organizations on the impact of air pollution, which is one of the many factors affecting respiratory ailments and associated diseases, Yadav said on February 8. There is no specific study conducted in regard to the impact of air pollution on cognitive and motor impairment of children. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Yadav was answering a question by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Vijaypal Singh Tomar on whether children were more vulnerable to air pollution as exposure to highly polluted air damages brain development and leads to cognitive and motor impairments. Tomar asked the government to provide details of the precautionary measures taken since thousands of children die prematurely every year because of polluted air. Indian cities particularly those in the Indo-Gangetic Plains record high air pollution, several times higher than World Health Organisations air quality guideline and higher than Indias national safe standard. An average Indian citizen is losing around 5.3 years of life expectancy according to annual Air Quality Life Index report of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago released last year. Delhi recorded average air quality index of 204 in 2023 compared to 209 in 2022 both in poor category as per Central Pollution Control Board. The State of Global Air 2020 report said India has the highest burden of infant deaths due to air pollution, HT reported on October 21, 2020. There are global studies that indicate the noxious air impacts pregnant women and may impair the early neurological development of children. A paper published in Springer Natures Journal of Environmental Health in January last year found that higher exposure to air pollutants during pregnancy was inversely associated with motor, cognitive and language scores of two-year-old children. These results indicate that prenatal ambient air pollution may negatively impact neurodevelopment in early life, found the study led by the department of integrative physiology at the Colorado University in Boulder. There is evidence that both prenatal and postnatal exposure to air pollution can harm kids, according to another study led by the department of environmental and occupational health sciences at the Washington University. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that children whose mothers experienced higher nitrogen dioxide and particulate pollution exposure during pregnancy were more likely to have behavioural problems. Higher exposures to PM 2.5 pollution when children were 2 to 4 years old was associated with poorer child behavioural functioning and cognitive performance. The government has taken several steps to address the issue of adverse health impacts due to air pollution, Yadav said. It has launched a National Clean Air Programme in January 2019 that covers 131 cities in 24 states and union territories through which funds are provided to implement city action plans to improve of air quality, he said. Thirty four states have developed State Action Plan on Climate Change and Human Health. A National Action Plan on Climate Change and Human Health has been developed, which outlines the key priority and actionable areas at various levels in the health sector with identification of other key stakeholders for implementing the activities, the minister said. The clean air programme aims at 40% reduction in air pollution or achieve national ambient air quality standards, he said. The Union health ministry has a National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health to strengthen the capacity of the health care system to reduce illnesses and diseases due to variability in the climate, Yadav added. The government also released at Comprehensive Health Adaptation Plan for Diseases due to Air Pollution on August 30, 2021, to address health problems due to exposure to polluted air, he said. the country. It is also working to raise community awareness and has developed training manuals for vulnerable population, including children, he said. Air pollution affects childrens health in many ways. There is global as well local Indian evidence indicating association between air pollution and newborn health impacts such as premature birth or low birthweight. Studies have also shown that children in areas with high air pollution can have higher risk of respiratory infections, and poor lung health. Newer studies have also linked air pollution exposures to cognitive development in children, said Pallavi Pant, Head of Global Health at US based Health Effects Institute. This is important to address since the effects such as reduced lung growth not only impact the childhood period but can have impacts throughout adult life. In recent years, there have a number of studies in India looking at air pollution and health during childhood, including studies using NFHS data, she added. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modis personal relationship with the Emir of Qatar and behind-the-scenes diplomacy by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval ensured that the eight former Indian Navy personnel were released from custody. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. While the diplomatic front was handled by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, the delicate negotiations for the release of ex-Navy personnel were conducted by NSA Doval at the advice of PM Modi. NSA Doval made a number of quiet trips to Doha with the conviction that the Qatari leadership would understand the Indian point of view. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. A Qatari court sentenced the veterans to death in October in a case that shocked Indias government. The Qatar government didnt disclose the charges the former Navy officers faced, but reports claimed that they were accused of espionage. In December, the court reduced their sentences, although no details were available at the time. Also Read | Indian Navy veterans, released by Qatar, laud PM Modi. Watch their first reactions PM Modi met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai and discussed bilateral partnership and the "well-being of the Indian community" living in Qatar. Last month, spokesperson for the ministry of external affairs Randhir Jaiswal said the temporal significance of this period, stating, "As far as the issue is concerned, there is a time of 60 days when this issue can be appealed in the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court in Qatar." The MEA's legal team possesses the confidential court order detailing the commutation of the death sentences to imprisonment terms, a move revealed in a press release following the court of appeal's judgment on December 28. Also Read | Who are 8 Indian Navy veterans freed by Qatar court? Why it's India's big diplomatic win? "We issued a press release in which we informed you that the death sentence, which was originally a death penalty, has been changed to imprisonment sentences. Now our legal team has that court order, and I can confirm that all of them have received sentences of different durations, and the death penalty has been abolished," Jaiswal had said. The MEA spokesperson also highlighted the recent meeting that took place between PM Modi and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad and said that they have had a good conversation on the overall bilateral relationship. Qatar has released all eight former Indian Navy personnel in its custody, out of which seven have returned to India, said a statement by the ministry of external affairs on Monday. The MEA welcomed the decision of the Qatar court to release the ex-Indian Navy men.(Photo for representational purpose only) In its official statement, the MEA welcomed the decision of Qatar to release the ex-Indian Navy men previously sentenced to death in the country, lauding their home-coming. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals. Earlier, the capital punishment for the jailed Indian Navy veterans was commuted to an extended prison term after diplomatic talks between Qatar and India. The prison term was also shortened after various kin of the jailed Indians approached the MEA, which in turn assured the use of all diplomatic channels and legal assistance to bring them back. Out of the total eight former Indian Navy officers imprisoned in Qatar, seven have returned to India, said MEA in its statement. Arrangements are being made to bring the last released veteran home. Why were ex-Indian Navy personnel jailed in Qatar The eight Indian nationals, formerly Indian Navy personnel, were imprisoned n Qatar in October 2022 after being accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. They Indian nationals were deemed guilty of espionage by the Qatari court, and were sentenced to death on charges not yet made public. The Ministry of External Affairs expressed that the ruling of the court was deeply shocking, and said that they would explore all legal options to get the charges against the former Indian Navy personnel dropped. The Dahra Global case saw a major development last year when the court in Qatar commuted the death sentence of the Indian nationals after intervention by the India government. The sentence was reduced to jail terms. The Supreme Court in a recent order has asked the registry of the top court to desist from referring to trial courts as lower courts and directed the concerned registrar to ensure all communications seeking trial court records in the future do not carry such mention. The court was hearing an appeal by two murder convicts challenging an order of the Allahabad high court passed in October 2018 upholding their conviction and life sentence for an incident in 1981 (ANI) In an order passed on February 8, a bench of justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said: It will be appropriate if the Registry of this Court stops referring to the Trial Courts as Lower Courts. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The court was hearing an appeal by two murder convicts challenging an order of the Allahabad high court passed in October 2018 upholding their conviction and life sentence for an incident in 1981. Calling for the records from the trial court, the bench added, Even the record of the Trial Court should not be referred to as Lower Court Record (LCR). Instead, it should be referred as the Trial Court Record (TCR). Posting the matter for hearing in August, the Court asked the Registrar (Judicial) to take note of this order for future compliance. The bench further directed the registry to supply soft copies of the trial court record to lawyers appearing for the convict and the state of Uttar Pradesh. This is perhaps the first time by a judicial order the registry has been asked to stop the practice of referring to trial courts as lower courts. In the recent past, Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and other judges of the Supreme Court have categorically expressed displeasure over addressing trial courts as lower courts or subordinate courts and trying to dispel the impression that district court judges are somewhat inferior to judges of high courts or Supreme Court. Last month, justice Oka, one of the judges who passed this order, while giving a memorial lecture, expressed his angst over disrespect shown to trial courts. Speaking on the topic, Access to Justice in the context of 75 years of Indian Constitution justice Oka said that the judiciary has failed to meet the expectations of common man over the past seven decades. One reason for not fulfilling expectation of common man is that we neglected our trial and district courts which are the primary court in our system, he said, adding, For years together we used to describe these courts as lower courts or subordinate courts. There cant be a lower court. Every court is a court. He further stated that the real place where common man gets justice is the district courts. For a common man who cannot afford to have multiple litigation for social, economic reasons, perhaps, these are the courts which are the final courts, the judge remarked. Soon after taking over as CJI in November 2022, CJI Chandrachud said, We should move towards a modern and an equal judiciary, seeking to inculcate a sense of self-worth in the district judiciary. CJI said, We have fostered a culture of subordination....A great deal has to be done not only in terms of infrastructure of our district judiciary which is extremely important for which we have to lay the foundation stones today. But we must have to also change our mindset as superior court judges of SC and high courts of how we look at our district judiciary and how we perceive of them. Islamabad, Feb 12 (PTI) The number of rejected ballots was greater than the margin of victory in at least 24 National Assembly constituencies, according to an interesting statistical nugget from Pakistan's recent general elections. HT Image The difference potentially opens doors for legal battles as several losing candidates have flooded the courts with petitions to review the results. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, 22 constituencies with a greater number of rejected votes than the margin of victory fell in Punjab, with one each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh province. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the electoral race in 13 of these constituencies, five were claimed by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), four by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independents and two by other independents. Going by their numerical strength, both the PML-N and the PPP are in a position to form a coalition government in the Centre. However, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif announced that all parties except PTI should join hands in the upcoming coalition set-up. According to the results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) till Sunday, of the total 265 National Assembly seats, PTI-backed Independents bagged 93 seats, followed by PML-N at 73, PPP at 54, MQM at 17 and others at 19. The highest number of rejected votes was in the NA-59 (Talagang-cum-Chakwal) area of Punjab where Sardar Ghulam Abbas of PML-N secured 141,680 votes against his closest rival PTI-backed Muhammad Ruman Ahmad, who got 129,716 votes. The margin of victory was 11,964 while the number of ballot papers rejected was 24,547. It was followed by NA-213 Umerkot (17,571 ballots). The lowest number of ballots excluded are reported from NA-236 Karachi East-II (51 ballots). In total, around two million ballot papers have been excluded from the count from the 265 National Assembly constituencies. As many as four constituencies have more than 15,000 excluded ballots each. Another 21 constituencies have excluded 10,000 to 15,000 ballots. A large number of constituencies (137) reported excluded votes in the range of 5,000 to 10,000. A total of 67 constituencies have reported fewer than 5,000 but greater than 1,000 excluded ballots. Only six constituencies have reported fewer than 1,000 excluded ballots each. Mumbai, Feb 12 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has said the Centre should return 50 per cent of the funds collected from Maharashtra as taxes for the development of the state. HT Image Speaking at a local event in Mumbai on Sunday, the former Maharashtra chief minister also referred to the recent protest rallies held in New Delhi by southern states like Karnataka and Kerala over similar demands. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Thackeray claimed that when Maharashtra sends Re 1 to the Centre as tax, it gets back only seven paise (Re 1= 100 paise). "What happens to the remaining amount? What kind of revadis (freebies) you distribute?" he asked. "I am stating that when Maharashtra gives you Re 1, give us half of it back to develop the state. You are looting our state. When we (opposition INDIA bloc) come to power, I will assert on changing the current tax-sharing formula to increase Maharashtra's share," Thackeray said. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also took a dig at "Modi ki Guarantee" commitment of the central government, claiming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance is based on taxes collected from states like Maharashtra. On February 7, top Congress leaders from Karnataka led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah staged a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the Centre over "injustice" meted out to the state in devolution of taxes. On February 8, leaders and lawmakers from the Left Democratic Front of Kerala, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, also staged at protest against the Union government in the national capital, with the CM accusing the Centre of not giving states their due share of taxes. In what can be seen as a major diplomatic win for India, eight Indian Navy veterans, who were sentenced to death by a Doha court, were released by Qatar in a suprising move. The ministry of external affairs (MEA), in a statement, said on Monday that of the eight Indian nationals, seven have already returned to India. The capital punishment was commuted to an extended prison term earlier following diplomatic intervention by New Delhi. Indian Navy veterans after arriving in New Delhi from Qatar on Monday.(ANI) Who are the 8 Indian Navy veterans? On December 28 last year, Qatars Court of Appeal commuted the death sentences awarded last October and sentenced the eight men, who were working with Doha-based Al Dahra Global Technologies, to prison for varying durations ranging from three years to 25 years. Doha-based Al Dahra Global Technologies, a private firm, provided training and other services to Qatar's armed forces and security agencies, news agency PTI reported. The veterans Captains Navtej Gill and Saurabh Vasisht, Commanders Purnendu Tiwari, Amit Nagpal, SK Gupta, BK Verma and Sugunakar Pakala, and sailor Ragesh were detained in August 2022 on undeclared charges. Among the eight veterans, Captain Navtej Gill was awarded the President's Gold Medal for excellence when he graduated from the Naval Academy and later served as an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Tamil Nadu, PTI earlier reported. People familiar with the matter had earlier said on condition of anonymity that Purnendu Tiwari was given a 25-year prison term, while Ragesh was given a three-year sentence. Four of the former Navy officers were given 15-year prison terms and two others 10-year prison terms, they said. Several reports had suggested the men were accused of espionage though both Qatari and Indian authorities have not provided details of the charges against them. India's efforts to bring the soldiers back India had earlier expressed deep shock at the death sentence given by Qatars Court of First Instance and pledged to look at all legal options to help the eight men, including decorated officers who commanded frontline warships in the Indian Navy. India had moved the Court of Appeal in Qatar against the death sentence. On December 28, Qatars Court of Appeal commuted the death sentences and sentenced them to prison. Amid desperate pleas by the anxious kin of the Navy veterans to secure their release and safe passage back to their homeland, the MEA had assured that it would mobilise all diplomatic channels and arrange legal assistance to bring them back. The Qatar court verdict is also seen as a big diplomatic win for India as it came weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai. After the meeting on December 1, Modi said they had discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar. In January, the Court of Appeal court gave 60 days to the eight former Indian Navy personnel to appeal against varying prison terms given to them following commutation of their death sentences, the external affairs ministry said. The court initially delivered the judgment as an oral order, and external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing that the legal team aiding the eight men had received a copy of the verdict but it was a confidential document. Indian govt welcomes Qatar court's decision On February 12, the Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. (With inputs from agencies) Bengaluru: The residents of Kuntanahalli Gollarahatti village in the Tumkur district expelled a 25-year-old woman and her month-old child from the village over age-old superstitions. The 25-year-old woman with her month-old baby was staying in a small makeshift hut. (HT) On Saturday, district judge Gitanjali directed the police to safely escort the woman and the infant back home. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The case came to light after social workers filed a police complaint after finding Balamma living in a makeshift hutment outside the villages limits. Officials said, the Golla community residing in the village traditionally keeps new mothers outside the village for three months. They deem it inauspicious for the new mothers and infants to live in the village. Three months ago, a one-month-old died after being left in a hut as an offering to a deity. Despite subsequent hospitalisation, the infant succumbed to extreme cold. While Tumkur tehsildar and revenue department officials have made efforts to intervene, entrenched beliefs persist. We have conducted numerous awareness programs, yet a few illiterate individuals practice such customs under the guise of tradition, said Shira women and children welfare officer B Rajan. The judge issued a stern warning to the villagers, emphasising repercussions should such incidents recur. . What precisely the Pakistan election results mean will long be debated. That Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates who contested as independents would do so well has belied virtually all pre-poll assessments. It should also shock the complacency of analysts who posit linear outcomes based on simplistic principles that the Pakistan military controls everything. Notwithstanding all the pre-poll pressures on Khan imprisonment, debarment from politics, convictions and on the PTI, as well as the numerous credible reports of actual rigging in many constituencies, the fact remains that the overall results broadly reflect the sentiments on the ground. Whether the election was free and fair now appears less important than the fact that it has delivered a generally credible outcome against all odds. PTI-backed independents are clearly the single largest bloc in the candidates declared successful for the National Assembly. Perhaps, if Khan had not been barred from contesting and his party allowed to campaign, he would have easily been the leading contender to become prime minister again. But what happens now is less clear. The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N) is now technically the single largest party, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and they may well form a coalition government with the support of smaller parties and by leaching away some independents. It can reasonably be expected that this will now be the favoured option for the military as it will seek to consolidate its supporters in the face of this setback. Other permutations and combinations are also possible depending on how the independents will behave and the extent of their loyalty to Khan and the PTI. At the provincial level, the results are a mixed bag. In Sindh, the PPP will form the government again as expected. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the independents backed by the PTI are preponderant and can be expected to form the government in some manner once it is decided how they will act together in the absence of a party to unite them. In Punjab, the picture is similar to, and as confused as, the one at the national level. Here too some kind of coalition will have to be improvised. Perhaps the effort of the PML (N) will be to lure as many PTI-backed independents as possible to its side. But the moral victory rests with the PTI and what this means politically is that a certain chronic instability can be predicted. Khan and his supporters may well contest the results on the grounds that even with all the pre-poll manipulations against them, the result would have been a landslide in their favour but for the polling being rigged. There are numerous reports of counts being delayed and results not announced to enable outcomes to be distorted and fixed. Yet, the results even with their distortions at their most general level clearly vindicate the view that at the grassroots there is a latent anti-military sentiment and political success comes to those who successfully harvest it as Khan did this time. Sharifs party and his own standing suffered because they had moved away from their quarter-century-long opposition to military position to being in concert with it this time. Secondly, the view that Khan has nurtured a near cult-like following clearly has substance. The imprisonment and the convictions he has faced have buttressed his reputation. While other PMs, including Sharif, have been treated as cavalierly in the past by the military as they have treated Khan this time, the fact is he has exhibited an intensity of defiance that was qualitatively new and that further burnished his reputation. While instances of dogged but quiet resistance to military inroads into civilian domains exist in Pakistan, examples of public and upfront defiance are much less common. Khans behaviour after his dismissal resembled, in many ways, the public defiance of the then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhury in 2007. The protests that then followed had meant the beginning of the end of the General Musharraf era. Thirdly, the younger generation of voters and Pakistan has a prominent youth bulge find Khans political style a contrast to the tired and time-worn slogans of his opponents. Finally, these results do show how difficult it is getting for Pakistans military to reorder Pakistans politics in the way it wants. Perhaps it is easier to deal with a few political leaders than with large public constituencies with charged-up electorates frustrated and agitated at the tailspin they see the country in with its mounting economic, political and security problems. It is a different matter whether Khans tenure as PM made any real advance in addressing these issues. The point is he has successfully used the downslide since his removal in April 2022 to create a strong narrative of domestic and foreign conspiracies targeting him so that Pakistan could be controlled by vested interests. The militarys efforts to counter this narrative evidently proved ineffective. What of the future? At the conceptual level these results certainly assert the strength of the political sphere in Pakistan, and the capacity of its political class and civil society to assert themselves and to defend and expand their space even in opposition to the military. Such assertion and expansion of the political sphere cannot but be a good thing for Pakistan in the medium- and long-term given the dominance of the military for long periods and the major negative consequences that have emerged from its highly securitised approaches to a whole host of issues. In the short-term, the picture is more negative. The results mean another bout of coalition governments that require constant support of the military and which otherwise have diminished credibility. Such governments are not unusual in Pakistan. Khan himself headed such a government after the 2018 election when the PML (N) was forced out. The difference is that at that time the PML (N) saw that the cards were stacked against it and accepted the situation. Khan and his charged-up support base are unlikely to do so now. At the very least this means further prolonged instability in Pakistan with a heightened possibility of further and intensified civil-military conflicts. The military remains, regardless of this result, a major decision-maker in Pakistan. Yet the impact of this blow to its public credibility will be felt in numerous ways. Most of all, given the myriad problems Pakistan confronts, a government without a clear mandate and with a question mark around its legitimacy means in the short-term it is difficult to be optimistic about Pakistan. TCA Raghavan is a former high commissioner to Pakistan. The views expressed are personal When X user Amit Chansikar booked a OYO hotel from MakeMyTrip, he expected to have a comfortable stay. However, upon his arrival at the hotel, he was in for shock as the place was still under construction. Yes, you read that right. After he posted about the incident, it went viral and received numerous reactions. Even the official X handle of MakeMyTrip and OYO rooms shared a comment. Snapshot of the hotel which was under construction when the guest arrived. (X/@TheChanceSeeker) @makemytrip & @oyorooms scam alert in Bengaluru. Just came here to find that the hotel I had booked is under renovation. There was not a living soul here. This is tantamount to cheating! After wasting two hours here, they cut money from my refund. Shame on you! wrote Chansikar as he shared the post. (Also Read: Woman with 41 in bank account dupes luxury hotel in Delhi of around 6 lakh) Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. He also added snapshots of his booking receipt. One of the snapshots shows that Chansikar booked an OYO room with MakeMyTrip. Another picture shows the hotel that is still under construction. Take a look at the post here: In a follow-up tweet, he also informed, Both Oyo and MMT reps have reached out to me multiple times on calls and via email. The refund apparently has been processed but, yet to hit my account. Will update here once it does. This post was shared on February 9. Since being posted, it has gained more than 1,100 views and various comments. MakeMyTrip replied to the post and said, Hi Amit, We are truly apologetic for the experience you had with us. Our endeavour has always been to provide the best experience to our customers. As per our telephonic conversation, the refund is processed in the same mode of payment. Kindly check the refund details and in my trips under MMT account." (Also Read: Family in China gives up living in a flat, opts to stay in a hotel for 11,000 per day. Heres why) OYO's official account also responded and said, "Hi, we apologize for the inconvenience caused. We believe our team has already connected with you with a resolution and has done the needful. Also, have requested you to get in touch with MMT for further assistance." Heres how others reacted: An individual wrote, "MakeMyTrip is charging exorbitant rates for pathetic hotels. I suffered on the last trip booked with them. despite complaint, nothing happened." A second said, "Take action." "I booked a hotel from OYO. At the last moment, I got to know that the property was already sold. After that, I booked another hotel, and after reaching there they told us that they had ended their contract with OYO. It took me 1 week to get the refund from them." A judge has rejected motions to dismiss two lawsuits against a gun equipment manufacturer filed by relatives of nine people killed in the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting and others who survived the assault. Mean Arms LLC is a Georgia company that manufactured a magazine lock on a Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle that Payton Gendron purchased to use in the racist shooting that killed 10 Black people. State Supreme Court Justice Paula Feroleto on Friday denied Mean Arms request to dismiss the company as a defendant in lawsuits that also target social media companies such as Meta Platforms and Discord, a gun shop in Endicott and Gendrons parents. The Mean Arms magazine lock fixes a magazine with a capacity of 10 bullets to a firearm and prevents a detachable magazine with a larger capacity from being used with the gun. But Mean Arms magazine locks come with instructions detailing how to remove the locks, the lawsuit alleges. In an online diary he wrote as he planned the mass shooting, Gendron said he removed the magazine lock so he could equip the gun with a higher-capacity magazine that was illegal in New York. He killed 10 people and wounded three others in 123 seconds during the May 14, 2022, attack at the Tops supermarket on Jefferson Avenue. Mean Arms argued in its motion that it was protected from liability by a federal law that holds manufacturers of firearms and ammunition products harmless from the unlawful use of the products. The judge ruled the magazine lock was an accessory, not a vital part of the gun, and therefore was not covered by the federal law protecting firearms manufacturers. Mean Arms also unsuccessfully argued that since it is not based in New York nor does it have offices within the state, the court lacked jurisdiction over it. The gun industry is a very powerful industry, said John V. Elmore, a Buffalo attorney who represents relatives of three of the people killed. They have a lot of protections that keep them immune from lawsuits, but this is a case that we believe immunity doesnt apply and the judge agreed with us. Feroleto also agreed that the question of whether theres a causal link between the marketing of the gun part and the shooting itself is suited for a later stage of the case, said attorney Kristen Elmore-Garcia, who also represents the relatives. Attorneys for Mean Arms could not be reached to comment. The Justice Department announced last month that it will seek the death penalty for Gendron, a white supremacist, if he is convicted of federal charges stemming from the mass shooting. Gendron, who pleaded guilty to 10 counts of first-degree murder and three counts of second-degree attempted murder, among other charges, in New York State court, has already been sentenced for those crimes to life in prison without parole. Body armor execs win A CEO and customer service representative for a company that sold military grade body armor to Payton Gendron fared better than Mean Arms LLC. Dismissed as co-defendants in one of the two lawsuits were RMA Armament Inc. CEO Blake Waldrop and RMA customer service rep Cory Clark. Clark had encouraged Gendron to buy the RMA body armor he wore during his rampage. The shooting victims estates and survivors argued that Waldrop and Clark knew or should have known that RMAs body armor was being sold to non-law enforcement consumers who could use it for illegal acts. But the plaintiffs failed to allege facts that allow the court to conclude that Waldrop and Clark individually derived substantial revenue from interstate commerce, Ferolito ruled. RMA Armament Inc. remains a defendant in both civil cases. Plaintiffs in the lawsuits include relatives of these nine people killed by Gendron: Aaron Salter Jr.; Margus Morrison Sr.; Pearl Young; Geraldine Talley; Ruth Whitfield; Roberta Drury; Heyward Patterson; Katherine Massey; and Andre Mackniel. Additional plaintiffs include Tops employee Zaire Goodman, who was wounded by Gendron, and others who were in the store at the time. Buffalo attorney Terrence M. Connors, who represents relatives of six of the people killed, filed the other lawsuit in which Feroleto ruled. A US Customs and Border Protection dog sniffed out something unusual in luggage from a traveller returning from Africa mummified monkeys. The incident happened last month but was made public on Friday. (File) The passenger returning from a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo reported that the luggage contained dried fish, but an inspection at Boston Logan Airport revealed dead and dehydrated bodies of four monkeys, agents said. The traveller said he brought the monkeys into the US for his own consumption, Ryan Bissette, a CPB spokesperson, said Sunday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Raw or minimally processed meat from wild animals, sometimes referred to as bushmeat, is banned in the US because of the threat of disease. "The potential dangers posed by bringing bushmeat into the United States are real. Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus, said Julio Caravia, local port director for Customs and Border Protection. The incident happened last month but was made public on Friday. Bissette said Sunday that no charges were filed but all of the luggage was seized and the nearly 9 pounds (4 kilograms) of bushmeat were marked for destruction by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders began discussing the terms of an alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan to carve out a formula for the formation of a government, The Express Tribune reported. The PML-N would take the post of prime minister, and the posts of the president and National Assembly speaker will be set aside for its partners if an alliance is agreed upon. Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (C). (AFP/File) The release of results commenced nearly 12 hours after the conclusion of polling for both national and provincial assemblies on Thursday. The electoral process was overshadowed by instances of violence perpetrated by armed factions and Pakistan faced significant backlash due to the controversial suspension of mobile phone services, leading to accusations of political engineering. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Analysts suggest that the military favours three-time former PM Nawaz Sharif over Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan to assume power. However, Khan loyalists, running as independents, defied expectations by thriving and winning the most seats. Leaders from Khan's party hailed it as a triumph for democracy, signalling the people's demand for change. Here are the top updates of the Pakistan elections: Washington, Feb 12 (AP) US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalised on Sunday following symptoms pointing to an "emergent bladder issue", the Pentagon said. HT Image In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2.20 pm. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. He "is retaining the functions and duties of his office", according to Pentagon press secretary Maj Gen Pat Ryder, who added that the deputy defense secretary has been notified and is prepared to assume Austin's duties "if required". The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was also notified, as well as the White House and some members of Congress. Ryder said Austin travelled to the hospital with the unclassified and classified communications systems needed to perform his job. Austin was scheduled to depart on Tuesday for Brussels to hold a meeting of the Ukraine contact group, which he established in 2022 to coordinate military support for Kyiv after Russia's invasion. After that, Austin was scheduled to attend a regular meeting of NATO defence ministers. It was not immediately clear if this hospitalisation would change those plans. Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and underwent a procedure called a prostatectomy to treat it on December 22. Over the next week, he developed complications and on January 1, in extreme pain, he was taken to Walter Reed by ambulance where he was admitted to the intensive care unit. Austin remained at Walter Reed until January 15. He then continued to recover and work from home, and he returned to the Pentagon on January 29. His doctors have previously said his prognosis against the cancer is "excellent" and that no further treatments will be needed. Austin has gone back to Walter Reed for follow-ups since his hospitalisation but this is his first unscheduled trip due to continued complications from his cancer treatments. Austin did not tell President Joe Biden, Congress or his deputy secretary of defense, Kathleen Hicks, of his cancer diagnosis or initial hospitalisation for weeks. That secrecy has become the subject of an inspector general investigation and a Pentagon internal review. He has previously said he never instructed his staff to keep his hospitalisation a secret. (AP) SZM A Missouri mom burned her infant to death in an oven, only to later claim that she thought the cooker was a crib. Kansas Citys Mariah Thomas was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and for the death of a child after her one-month-old babys demise. The scene was described by police as gruesome, according to The Guardian. Mariah Thomas was charged with endangering the welfare of a child and for the death of a child after her one-month-old babys demise (Jackson County Detention Center) According to charging documents, police arrived at the scene on Friday, February 9, to discover that the baby was badly burned. Prosecutors were told that the mother was putting her child down for a nap, and accidentally placed the child in the oven instead of the crib, according to Fox 4. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. We appreciate all first responders who worked this scene and the prosecutors who went to the scene in order to issue these charges, Baker said in a statement. We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life. We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances. According to Baker, police received a 911 call about an infant who was not breathing. The victim was located in the living room, lying in a car seat just inside the front door, a police affidavit said, according to the Daily Beast. The victim had sustained apparent thermal injuries on various parts of her body. She was clothes in a bodysuit over a diaper. The clothing appeared to have melted into the diaper, and it was very dirty, possibly burned on the backside. A baby blanket with significant burn marks was located in the living room and was collected, it added. More than 59,000 Indians acquired US citizenship in 2023, the annual progress report for 2023, which was recently released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has said. Representational image (Photo by JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP) The official reports says nearly 8.7 lakh foreign nationals became US citizens during the fiscal year 2023. Of them, 1.1 lakh Mexicans (12.7% of the total number of new citizens) and 59,100 (6.7%) Indians obtained US citizenship. The report also claimed 35,200 (4 percent) of newly enlisted American citizens were from the Dominican Republic, and 44,800 (5.1 percent) were from the Philippines. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. To obtain US citizenship, a person is needed to fulfil some eligibility requirements laid out in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). One needs to be a lawful permanent resident (LPR) for at least five years, for example. Most of the people who were given US citizenship in FY 2023 were eligible for naturalisation as they were LPRs for at least 5 years (INA Section 316(a)). Also included were applicants who were eligible for being LPRs for at least 3 years and married to a US citizen for 3 years (INA Section 319(a)). Some applicants were also eligible on the basis of their military service during a certain period of hostilities (INA Section 329). As per the report, a non-citizen will be eligible for naturalisation only after they spend at least 5 years as a lawful permanent resident. On the other hand, a US citizens spouse is required to spend at least three years as a lawful permanent resident. Naturalisation during the fiscal years 2022 and 2023 comprised almost a quarter of all naturalisations over the past decade, under the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In Fiscal year 2023, the median number of years spent as an LPR for those who were naturalised was seven years. How Indians have been chasing American citizenship US visa services are trying to clear a backlog now, after Washington reportedly halted nearly all visa processing worldwide in March 2020 because of the pandemic. In some cases, Indians who applied for visas have had to face wait times for an appointment of over a year. However, in 2023, the delayes fell after a record 1.4 million visas were processed, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India said. A growing number of Indians have long been chasing American citizenship, including many men from the northern states of Punjab and Haryana, and Gujarat in the west. Most of them seek to shift to America in search of jobs. Some even migrate to the United States illegally. Between October 2022 and September 2023, nearly 42,000 migrants from India crossed into the United States illegally, as per data compiled by the Customs and Border Protection agency. All of them attempted to cross through the countrys southern land border with Mexico. At least 96,000 Indians were caught or expelled last year while they tried to cross into the US. The number was up 30,662 in 2021, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Of around 96,000 people who tried to cross the border, 0,010 were caught at the Canada border and 41,770 at the frontier with Mexico. It is unclear how many people actually crossed the border. A New York City professor Shellyne Rodriguez, who was caught on camera holding a machete to a New York Post reporters neck, was caught on video burning an American flag at a pro-Palestinian rally in Brooklyn on the Fourth of July. The footage has resurfaced now. A New York City professor Shellyne Rodriguez was caught on video burning an American flag (YouTube screenshot) The 2021 clip shows the 47-year-old throwing Old Glory into a heap of Israeli flags that were already burning. The crowd is heard chanting, From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free. The event was hosted by the leftist group Within Our Lifetime, according to New York Post. From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go, the crowd is also heard chanting. Rodriguez was recently fired by Cooper Union, where she was a teacher, for anti-Israel rants. Cooper Union has fired me because of a social media post I made about Zionists, Rodriguez wrote in an email to students. The Cooper Union Students for Justice in Palestine later shared her email on Instagram. This is fascism, she wrote. Yall are learning about it in real time. In May 2023, Rodriguez cursed out a group of pro-life students distributing information about abortion at CUNYs Hunter College. This is where she was teaching at the time. New York Post later visited her Bronx apartment to ask for a statement. An enraged Rodriguez held a machete to a reporters neck. Get the fk away from my door, or Im gonna chop you up with this machete! she screamed. The same day, she was sacked by Hunter. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to harassment and menacing in the machete incident, the Bronx District Attorneys Office said. She is required to complete a therapy program under the terms of a conditional plea agreement. She can withdraw the misdemeanour plea if she is successful, and will be sentenced on the violation to a conditional discharge, the DAs office said. Alaska health officials have confirmed the first death from a recently discovered viral disease Alaskapox. The disease claimed the life of an elderly immunocompromised man from the Kenai peninsula, south of Anchorage, in late January. The man, who was undergoing treatment at the time, is one of only seven reported Alaskapox infections, the Alaska Department of Public Health said in an announcement. (Representational image - Pixabay) People should not necessarily be concerned but more aware, said Julia Rogers, a state epidemiologist, according to New York Post. So were hoping to make clinicians more aware of what Alaskapox virus is, so that they can identify signs and symptoms. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. It took several months for the fatal case to be diagnosed. According to authorities, the patients immunocompromised condition may have contributed to his death. It is unclear how he contracted the disease. The man lived in the woods alone and did not travel recently. It is possible he may have contracted the disease from a cat he lived with. The animal reportedly scratched him when his symptoms began. It often hunted small mammals. Although the cat tested negative for the virus, officials believe it could have spread from its claws. The man was hospitalised in Anchorage and underwent a battery of tests in December. Initially, he tested positive for cowpox. However, additional testing by the Centers for Disease Control later revealed it was Alaskapox. He died after experiencing kidney and respiratory failure. What is Alaskapox? The double-stranded-DNA virus comes from the same genus as smallpox, monkeypox and cowpox. It was first identified in an adult in Fairbanks, Alaska in 2015, and is most common in small mammals. According to the State of Alaskas website, To date, no human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox virus has been documented. However, since certain orthopoxviruses can be transmitted through direct contact with skin lesions, we recommend that people with skin lesions possibly caused by Alaskapox keep the affected area covered with a bandage. It adds, Symptoms of Alaskapox have included one or more skin lesions (bumps or pustules) and other symptoms like swollen lymph nodes and joint and/or muscle pain. Immunocompromised people might be at increased risk for more severe illness. An Indian-origin man who died after being assaulted in downtown Washington was the president and co-founder of Dynamo Technologies. 41-year-old Vivek Chander Taneja died after allegedly being hit on the head during an altercation outside a restaurant. Vivek Taneja was the president and co-founder of Dynamo Technologies (Dynamo Technologies website) Officers responded to reports of an assault, and arrived on the scene to find Taneja with critical injuries. They rushed him to a hospital, but he did not survive. Tanejas death was ruled a 'homicide' by police. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Who was Vivek Taneja? Taneja was a premier technology and solutions analytics provider for the federal government, a company spokesperson said, according to NBC Washington. As per the website of Dynamo Technologies, Dr. Taneja leads Dynamos strategic, growth, and partnership initiatives, with an emphasis on the federal government contracting arena. A systems engineer by training, he has lead numerous technical consulting engagements across the public and private sectors. Dr. Taneja received his B.A. in Economics and Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Virginia, his M.S. in Telecommunications from George Mason University, and his D.Eng. in Engineering Management and Systems Engineering from the George Washington University, where his doctoral research utilized a system dynamics approach to analyze the impact of electronic health care records on the U.S. healthcare system, the website adds. Meanwhile, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder. However, a CCTV camera did capture the suspect. The Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch is seeking the publics help in identifying and locating the person responsible for killing Taneja. A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered by police to anyone who can provide information that leads to arrest of suspect(s) involved in each homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Anyone who has information on Tanejas case has been urged to call the police on 202-727-9099. One can also submit anonymous information to the departments TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411. Since she was sentenced to prison a year ago, Jennifer Campbell offered reason after reason to postpone turning herself in to the low-security Danbury Federal Correctional Institution in Connecticut. Her request for a colonoscopy last March. Helping her husband recover from gallbladder surgery in May. Her herniated disk in June. In all, a federal judge granted seven separate requests from Campbell to postpone reporting to prison. But her streak ended Friday. I have sympathy, but it has to come to an end, U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo told her. Until recently, prosecutors did not object to delaying the surrender date for the 49-year-old Niagara Falls woman, who was sentenced last February to three years in prison on her fraud conviction for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Buffalo investment advisory firm and several of its clients. She was initially told to report to prison April 18. But request followed request for delay. Her recovery from spinal surgery was supposed to last through December. A doctor warned that any travel outside the area would be against medical advice until late January. Two weeks ago, her public defender said she was told by doctors to have blood testing done as soon as possible amid her complaints of severe pain, swelling and high blood pressure. Vilardo granted that request, too, but he told her to bring someone from the doctors office who could testify about her medical condition at Fridays court proceeding if she wanted to keep putting off reporting to prison. Brian P. Comerford, the supervisory assistant federal public defender who represents Campbell, alerted the judge last Monday that she could not arrange for a medical provider to testify at the hearing. But she did provide the results of her blood work. Then came Campbells letter to the judge Thursday asking for another delay. Getting out bed in the morning is a struggle, my fingers are swollen, my joints hurt, I have headaches, fatigue and major GI issues, she wrote. I am not sure you are aware but my mother passed away in 2014 at age 64 from a rare autoimmune illness called scleroderma. She suffered horribly during that time, Campbell added. I dont want the same fate for myself. While I may not suffer from scleroderma, I am more susceptible to an autoimmune illness of which there are many types. Again, I am not avoiding my sentence. I am simply trying to figure out what is happening with my health. I am also afraid to be away in my condition. Campbell also tied her stress to her fathers grave medical condition. She worries he will not survive her years in prison. I know I need to serve time for my mistakes, but never seeing my father again seems like more punishment than I can handle or deserve, she said. I have no one to help. I provide emotional support for my father on a daily basis. Not only will this extension allow me to explore my medical issues but it will also allow me to spend time with father before he passes. Going away with this weighing on my mind is going to make this much worse than it has to be. Campbell didnt get a chance Friday to talk about caring for her father or to update her medical status. Without someone from her doctors office to testify, Vilardo quickly denied her request for another delay. Her blood work didnt seem to alarm the judge. I see the same thing when I get blood work, Vilardo said of her results. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Penrose, who handled the case, said he saw nothing in Campbells medical records that would justify further delaying her surrender. A new surrender date has not been scheduled yet. Vilardo told her he would reconsider his decision if she brought a medical provider to his courtroom able to answer questions about her condition. I dont want a letter, he told her. I want a witness a live person to talk to me. Without that medical testimony, we just dont have an end point in site, Vilardo said. Campbell was employed as the office manager and chief compliance officer at the investment firm, with access to client accounts, Penrose has said. Between November 2018 and May 2021, Campbell used this access to steal over $500,000 from several clients and from the firm itself, primarily by writing checks from client accounts, forging the signatures of either the client or a principal at the firm, and then depositing the checks into her personal account. How can you survive a lightning strike? A new study revealed a very unusual way of survival method. It's a known fact that water is a good conductor of electricity. This is why it is dangerous to touch or dip in water where a broken electrical line is submerged. Since water is a good conductor of electricity, some people will think that getting struck by lightning while they are soaking wet could endanger their lives. But, a new study claims that getting your body drenched in water could actually be a lifesaver if lightning strikes. Here's what researchers explained. How Can You Survive Lightning Strikes? Wet Skin Could Be the Answer According to The Guardian, a new study revealed that a human head could experience less damage from a lightning strike if it's wet. This was revealed after researchers subjected 3D human head models to the equivalent of a direct lightning strike. "If you are outdoors and there is no shelter, wet skin is better than dry skin because the water film is like a 'protective coating,'" explained Rene Machts from Ilmenau University of Technology (Germany), the study's first author. "Finding a 'protected' location and making yourself as small as possible is safer," he added. In the new study, experts stated that wet skin is better than dry one because the size of the current that passes over the drenched human body might be reduced in case of a lightning strike. This could also be the case in animals since scientists claim that animals with wet skin have a higher chance of survival compared to those that have dry skin during a lightning strike exposure. However, it is still not suggested to test this with your friends since researchers involved in the new study are still conducting tests to prove their theory. Read Also: Ancient Sea Sponges: New Study Suggests Global Warming is Deepening Proven Lightning Strike Survival Tips Instead of doing what the new study suggests, it is still safer to rely on proven survival lightning strike tips. These include the ones offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: DON'T Touch Electronic Devices : Gadgets and equipment connected to an electrical outlet should not be touched during a lightning strike. : Gadgets and equipment connected to an electrical outlet should not be touched during a lightning strike. DON'T Use Corded Phones : If you have corded phones at your house, it would be best to avoid using them during a thunderstorm. : If you have corded phones at your house, it would be best to avoid using them during a thunderstorm. DON'T Go Near Windows, Concrete, Doors, and Porches : Never lie on concrete floors or go near walls, porches, windows, and doors since lightning can easily travel through any metal. : Never lie on concrete floors or go near walls, porches, windows, and doors since lightning can easily travel through any metal. NEVER Soak Your Body With Water: Experts urge people not to wash dishes, take a bath, or do any other activity that can soak their body during a thunderstorm. Related Article: Don't Shower or Wash Your Hands During Thunderstorms-NWS Explains Why British monarch King Charles III has released his first message to the public after Buckingham Palace made an initial statement of his cancer diagnosis earlier this week. The king said that he was grateful for the support of the public upon the palace's announcement. "As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement," his statement read. Charles is being treated for an unspecified form of cancer and is currently staying at Sandringham, the BBC reported. King's Cancer Still Unknown Medical staff who attended Charles detected the cancer while he was undergoing a separate procedure due to his enlarged prostate in late January. While the type of cancer was not disclosed, palace officials confirmed that it was not prostate cancer. "It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organizations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world," the king's message added. "My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience." Charles stepped back from all public-facing duties while he was being treated for cancer, leaving Queen Camilla and Prince William to shoulder some of them in the meantime as William's wife, Princess Catherine, is also out of action until Easter after her own two-week hospital stay for scheduled abdominal surgery. Additionally, Prince Harry flew from the UK to briefly visit Charles before he and Camilla went to Sandringham earlier this week. Read Also: UK: Russian Spy Worked for MI6, Foreign Office, Accused of Sharing Military Docs' Top Secrets to Putin's Associates Royal Reporter: Charles Revealing Diagnosis 'Pretty Personal' BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said that, while distinguishably different from his mother's approach, Charles's openness to tackle his cancer diagnosis was similar to Elizabeth II's playbook mantra of "I have to be seen to be believed," saying that revealing his diagnosis was "pretty personal" for the normally restrained standards of royal communication. "Well, the King won't be seen any time soon, the whirlwind of engagements is paused for the moment. But he will be heard from," he added. "Not many people of his age have chosen to make their medical condition a global talking point. And the King goes out of his way to express his hope that his relative openness has served a purpose." Related Article: Charles III Cancer Diagnosis: Prince William to Resume Public Engagements; Prince Harry Scheduled to Visit UK The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that they had discovered a tunnel network hundreds of meters long, with parts of it running under the Gaza headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), furthering its claims that Hamas was exploiting the agency for its cause. Military engineers took reporters for foreign outlets through the passages at a time of crisis for UNRWA, which launched an internal investigation following revelations that several employees took part in the October 7 Hamas attack on Southern Israel, which caused several countries to cut their UNRWA funding. On the other hand, the Palestinians have accused Israel of falsifying information to tarnish UNRWA, which employed 13,000 in Gaza and has been considered a lifeline for the aid-dependent population for years, Reuters reported. Hamas Command Post Under Gaza UNRWA's headquarters is located in Gaza City, which has been overrun by Israeli forces since the Hamas attack, which sent hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing southward. Reporters who went on the IDF-escorted trip entered a shaft next to a school on the periphery of the UN compound, descending to the concrete-lined tunnel. After 20 minutes, the tunnels the contingent walked through allegedly brought them underneath the UNRWA headquarters, according to an army officer. IDF officers alleged that the tunnel was 700 meters long and 18 meters deep, and included side rooms, office space, steel safes that have since been opened and emptied, a tiled toilet, computer servers, and industrial battery stacks. They added that the tunnels were used as their command and intelligence center. "Everything is conducted from here," an Israeli lieutenant colonel named Ido told the reporters on the underground tour. "All the energy for the tunnels, which you walked through them, are powered from here." As a condition of taking journalists on the trip, the IDF did not allow photographs of military intelligence, such as maps or certain equipment in the convoy of armored vehicles they traveled in. It also requested approval before the transmission of photographs and video footage taken on the trip. Read Also: Netanyahu Orders Rafah Evacuation UNRWA Cannot Confirm If Hamas Has a Tunnel Under Its HQ The officer added that Hamas evacuated the facility in the face of the Israeli advance, preemptively cutting off communication cables that he showed running through the floor of the UNRWA Headquarters' basement during the above-ground part of the tour. However, UNRWA said in its statement that it had vacated the headquarters on Oct. 12, five days after the war began, and was "unable to confirm or otherwise comment" on the Israeli finding. "UNRWA ... does not have the military and security expertise nor the capacity to undertake military inspections of what is or might be under its premises," the statement said. "In the past, whenever (a) suspicious cavity was found close to or under UNRWA premises, protest letters were promptly filed to parties to the conflict, including both the de facto authorities in Gaza (Hamas) and the Israeli authorities." Related Article: Israeli Airstrikes Claim Lives of 44 Palestinians in Rafah Following Netanyahu's Ground Invasion Announcement On Saturday night, US magistrate judge Laurel Beeler ordered Elon Musk to testify again in the US Securities and Exchange Commission's probe of his $44 billion takeover of Twitter. The federal judge gave Musk a week to agree on a date and location for the interview. Beeler Orders Musk To Testify Beeler's order on Saturday night formalized a tentative ruling she made in December that supported the regulator. In October, the SEC filed a lawsuit to force Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla (TSLA.O), to appear in court as part of an investigation into his 2022 purchase of Twitter. The SEC alleged that Musk declined to attend an interview about the investigation in September. The agency looks into whether Musk followed the law when he filed the required documents about his purchases of Twitter stock and whether his claims regarding the transaction were misleading. Musk resisted the SEC's request for an interview, claiming that the agency had previously spoken to him twice and accused the regulator of harassment. Beeler rejected Musk's claim and said that the SEC had the authority to issue the subpoena, which requested relevant information. Furthermore, she said that she would hear from both sides and decide if the SEC and Musk could not agree on a date and time for the interview. Friction between Musk and the SEC began when the agency sued him in 2018 for tweeting "funding secured" about a potential plan to take Tesla private. Musk consented that a Tesla attorney would review his remarks regarding the electric vehicle manufacturer on Twitter to resolve the case. However, the SEC sued him again in 2019 for allegedly breaching that provision. Musk claimed that the arrangement infringed on his constitutional right to free speech and has requested the US Supreme Court to examine it. Read Also: Biden Urges Israel To Not Proceed in Rafah Without 'Credible Plan' To Protect Civilians Musk Breaks Silence Over Supplying Starlink To Russia Musk disclosed his plans to give Russia access to the Starlink satellite used by Ukrainian forces on the battlefield. On Sunday, he wrote, "A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia." He was asked if his satellite technology Starlink can be activated from Russia. The world's richest person responded, "Starlink satellites will not close the link in Russia." The 52-year-old made his comments in response to Ukraine's allegations that Vladimir Putin's forces are requesting assistance from Starlink satellites while fighting Kyiv. Thousands of people have died, and millions have been displaced due to the ongoing standoff between the two countries since Russia started its special military operation against Ukraine in February 2022. Related Article: Elon Musk's $55 Billion Tesla Pay Package Voided by Delaware Judge, Says Tech Mogul Can't Retain Plan Thousands of supporters of several Pakistani political parties, including imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI), blocked key highways and started a daylong protest in the country's Baluchistan region on Monday (Feb. 12). According to media reports, the protests were against the alleged rigging of last week's general elections, as well as an unprecedented mobile phone shutdown and the exclusion of Khan and the PTI from the vote. While election winners like the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) were celebrating their victories - claiming 75 and 54 seats in the 266-seat National Assembly, respectively - PTI and other parties refused to accept their defeat in several constituencies. Dozens of Khan's supporters were briefly detained in the eastern city of Lahore over the weekend during the protests. Baluchistan provincial government spokesman Jan Achakzai urged protesters to "show grace" by accepting defeat and dispersing from the roads. Read Also: Nawaz Sharif Sees Victory in Pakistan Khan's Influence Beyond Prison Bars While he could not be eligible to run for the electron due to criminal convictions against him that he said were politically motivated, candidates backed by Khan won 101 seats, more than the political parties who ousted him from power in 2022, such as the PML-N and the PPP, according to the final tally published on Sunday (Feb. 11). However, Khan's allies did not win a majority, so parties would have to hold talks on forming a coalition government and name the next prime minister. Meanwhile, the Pakistani military always cast itself as the ultimate arbiter of who would become prime minister and three-time premier Nawaz Sharif was marked out as the powerful security establishment's preferred candidate because of his smooth return to the country last October. Sharif spent four years in exile to avoid serving prison sentences but his convictions were overturned within weeks of his arrival in Pakistan. Related Article: Following Election, Pakistan in Turmoil as Opposition Stuns with Surprise Victory A number of Chinese migrants coming through Mexico have been crossing the border into the US using Douyin, the Chinese version of ByteDance's most famous app TikTok. The CBS news documentary "60 Minutes" recently featured a segment on the matter, including an interview with a 27-year-old female Chinese migrant who said that she crossed the US side of the border in California using the short video app. According to the program, migrants have purportedly been using videos on TikTok that provide "step-by-step instructions" for how to find gaps in the border wall and hire smugglers. SUVs were also spotted arriving along the border fence every 30 minutes to drop off more groups of migrants, totaling almost 600 people crossing the gap over the course of four days alone. "TikTok strictly prohibits human smuggling which we remove from our platform and report to law enforcement when warranted," a TikTok spokesperson told Fox News Digital. According to TikTok's website, the company provides a space for "survivors of human exploitation to share their stories, and for migrants and refugees to be able to document their journeys, so we provide a space to do so." The company also claimed that 93% of the human trafficking content in the platform was removed proactively. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher (R), chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, criticized TikTok for aiding a surge of Chinese migrants trying to cross the US southern border. Read Also: Mexico: 2 Killed in Drug Deal Gone Wrong at Beach Resort Capitol Hill Scrambles to Pass Border Bill Back in Washington, the Senate unveiled the new bipartisan border bill this month, but it was quickly struck down after Republican senators opposed it. "I've seen enough," House Speaker Mike Johnson shared on X, formerly Twitter. "This bill is even worse than we expected, and won't come close to ending the border catastrophe the President has created. As the lead Democrat negotiator proclaimed: Under this legislation, 'the border never closes.'" House majority leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) added that the Senate border bill would "not receive a vote in the House." "Here's what the people pushing this 'deal' aren't telling you: It accepts 5,000 illegal immigrants a day and gives automatic work permits to asylum recipients - a magnet for more illegal immigration," he added. On the other hand, US Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens shared his disappointment over Congress's failure to pass the border deal. "We need more people. We need more agents on the line," he added. "They need more force multipliers in the way of technology and equipment infrastructure that doesn't just help them do their job better, it helps keep them safe." Related Article: Joe Biden Election Campaign Creates TikTok Account Despite App Being Banned on US Government The new Apple Vision Pro is quite exciting since it takes the AR gadget experience of users to the next level. While it's true that this new wearable tech brings new excitement, it also brings new concerns, especially for those who fear radio frequency. Many people might ask if Apple Vision Pro's WiFi and Bluetooth could negatively affect their health; and if it can cook their brains in the worst case scenario. But, can using the Apple Vision Pro affect your brain? Here's what users need to know. Will Apple Vision Pro's WiFi and Bluetooth cook your brain? Apple Insider's Mike Wuerthele, who specializes in ionizing radiation exposure measurement, control, and assessment, explained why Apple Vision Pro's Bluetooth and WiFi can't cook your brain. He clarified that this new AR gadget is not radioactive and isn't radiologically decaying in any way. Mike explained that tissue can be damaged by extremely high levels of RF radiation many magnitudes higher than what Apple Vision can generate. However, this scenario that can be seen in a microwave isn't possible for the Apple Vision Pro and other wireless technologies that use WiFi and Bluetooth. Aside from this, he also explained that people may get more radio frequency exposure when they are holding their smartphones next to their ears when calling or when they're inside their vehicles. Mike stated that they are more at risk of developing a health condition if they commute daily, get three dental x-rays per year, fly commercially, or have a basement near a granite deposit. Mike Wuerthele said that if people are still concerned that the new Apple Vision Pro can negatively affect their health, they can just avoid spending too much time using it every day. Read Also: Apple Reportedly Starting Vision Pro Training for Retail Workers as Launch Approaches Can Apple Vision Pro affect your health? Yes, the new Apple Vision Pro can't fry your brain or burn your skin. However, the American gadget maker warned that users with certain medical conditions should consult health experts before using the new AR device. "If you have a pre-existing medical condition, consult with a medical provider before using Apple Vision Pro," said Apple via its official support website. "Using this device with certain medical conditions might aggravate symptoms or increase the risk of injury or discomfort," the company added. Apple explained that people with existing medical conditions can have a higher risk of injury, have aggravated symptoms, or experience discomfort when using the Apple Vision Pro. Here are some of the things they can suffer from if they don't consult their doctors first: Skin allergies or sensitivities Seizures Balance or gait conditions Dry eyes, itchiness, or swelling of the eyelids Migraines or chronic headaches Dizziness or vertigo Eye or vision conditions, such as binocular vision conditions Psychological conditions Inner ear conditions Infections of the eyes, eyelids, or skin around the eyes Related Article: Apple Vision Pro Launches in US! Here's What Privacy-Conscious Users Should Know A Monday raid on a heavily guarded apartment in a densely populated area in the Gaza Strip to rescue two hostages resulted in the deaths of 67 Palestinians, according to the Associated Press. The cross-border attack orchestrated by Hamas on Oct. 7 stunned the world and resulted in the deaths of 1200 Israelis and the capture of 250 hostages. Rafah is located on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt and it is under duress by the IDF. The city's population has swelled by 1.2 million Palestinians who sought refugee in Rafah. It is also seen as the last remaining stronghold for Hamas. A completely ground offensive is currently in the works, according to military analysts. The war has killed 28,340 and displaced over 80% of the population and set off a humanitarian crisis. According to the Health Ministry of Gaza, 12,300 children and young teens have been killed in the conflict, and 8,400 women were killed by the fighting as well. Minors make up 43% of casualties while women and children together make up 75% of the dead. Israel believes around 100 hostages remain in captivity. The Israeli government is under pressure from the families of those captured and has prioritized their release as a parallel goal along with destroying Hamas' ability to fight and its ability to govern. What Does Netanyahu Think? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes military actions are key to freeing the hostages, but AP reports that the families of the hostages and many supporters believe the key is to make another deal with Hamas. A military spokesman told reporters that special forces broke in a second-floor apartment in Rafah while taking fire early on Monday. That raid was then followed by airstrikes in surrounding areas. The spokesperson for the IDF also stated Hamas members were guarding the captives and rescuers shielded the hostages with their bodies as the fighting ensued. The army identified those rescued as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, abducted by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on Oct. 7. The airstrikes struck Rafah as it burst at the seams with more than a million additional residents. Initial reports are that 67 Palestinians were killed, but that number is likely to increase as rescuers continue searching the rubble. While speaking to CBS News, Nikki Haley accused the former president of cozying up to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, saying Trump was "embracing a thug who kills his opponents." "Do we want NATO to pay more? Of course we do. But the last thing we're going to do is side with a thug. Keep in mind, Putin kills his opponents," Haley said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "It is a mistake for Trump to side with Putin over our allies." Donald Trump made another statement that had the country up in arms after his disparaging comments about NATO, which were made over the weekend. In those comments, he stated that he would allow Russia to "do whatever the hell they want" to NATO member nations that do not contribute enough monetarily to the alliance during a rally in South Carolina. Trump also said that when an unnamed NATO leader asked would the US protect them if they were not spending enough on military defense, Trump responded with the now-infamous comment. What Does NATO Have To Say? NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says Trump's comments undermine the security of all NATO member nations, including that of the United States. Meanwhile, a White House spokesperson called the comments "appalling and unhinged." Several Republicans have criticized Trump's comments, which seem to be tantamount to appeasing Russia. GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley ceased upon the comments for her own purposes. Former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie told an NBC News show Trump is "Unfit to be president of the United States." Even staunch allies of Donald J Trump have not come out in defense of him. Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul called his comments a "stupid thing to say" while Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said the comments were "uncalled for." However, other members of the GOP downplayed Trump's comments. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said "I mean, it's Trump... All I can say is while Trump was president nobody invaded anybody." Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican of Florida, similarly told CNN that he had "zero concern" about Trump's comments. The House is returning to session tomorrow as the Senate continues hammering out its foreign aid package, which means more Republicans will be asked their opinion on Trump's comments. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced that a special election will be held April 30 to fill the congressional seat that was recently vacated by Rep. Brian Higgins. [BN] Politics Now : Higgins was that rare WNY politician with some vision For the last two decades, Rep. Brian Higgins was a rarity in Western New York: he was a politician who had vision. With Brian Higgins departure from Congress, a special election to ensure representation for the 26th District will be held in April, Hochul said in a statement. From our days representing Western New York in Congress together to our partnership in the years since, I am grateful for Brians service to our State and our country. I wish him all the best as he embarks on a new chapter of service and look forward to working with his successor to improve the lives of New Yorkers. Higgins, a 64-year-old Buffalo Democrat, announced in November that he was leaving to become president of Sheas Performing Arts Center. Tim Kennedy gains Democratic endorsement to succeed Brian Higgins in Congress The Erie County Democratic Committee on Thursday endorsed State Sen. Timothy M. Kennedy to succeed Rep. Brian Higgins, who said he will resign from Congress next month. Congress is not the institution that I came to 19 years ago, Higgins said in an interview with The News. And, you know, its in a very, very bad place right now. I am hopeful, as I always am, that it gets better. But unfortunately, I think were at the beginning phases of a deterioration of the prestige of the institution. His last day in Congress was Feb. 2. By law, New York governors have 10 days to call for a special election to fill a vacancy in Congress. State Sen. Timothy Kennedy, D-Buffalo, announced in November his campaign to succeed Higgins in Washington. Kennedy received the endorsement of the Erie County Democratic Committee in January. Republicans have not said who they will endorse for the seat in the heavily Democratic 26th Congressional District. Kennedy at the endorsement meeting rattled off Democratic priorities like abortion access, the expansion of workers rights and state gun laws passed in the wake of the Tops mass shooting. Now I stand before you with the opportunity to go to Washington and change Washington, Kennedy said. Thats what we have to do. Nate McMurray announces candidacy for Brian Higgins' 26th District seat in Congress Nate McMurray, the outspoken former Grand Island supervisor who twice waged congressional campaigns in a different district, says he is getting in the 26th Congressional District race because of the threat he says former President Donald Trump poses to American democracy. Also vying for the position is Nate McMurray, the former Grand Island supervisor who previously mounted two unsuccessful runs for Congress in a majority Republican congressional district. McMurray would need to collect thousands of signatures to qualify for the ballot. Even if he does not qualify for the special election, McMurray has said he will challenge Kennedy in the Democratic primary for the general election two months later for the full term. McMurray says he is running because of the threat he says former President Donald Trump poses to American democracy. I have to be in the race, McMurray said in an interview with The News. I couldnt sit still with nobody talking about Trump. This isnt rhetoric or this isnt Democratic talking points. This is a danger to the country. In a report from the Associated Press, the Head of NATO's Military Alliance, General Jens Stoltenberg, warned on Sunday that Trump was placing both United States Troops and other allies at risk by stating that Russia should be able to do "Whatever the hell they want" in regards to members of NATO who don't meet their defense spending targets. In a statement of his own Stoltenberg said: "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk." Trump's Statement Trump's words were stated while the former President spoke at a Conway, South Carolina rally. Before making his statement, Trump recounted a conversation with an unnamed NATO member where he indicated he would "encourage" Russia to act freely with allies labeled as "delinquent." Trump's precise words were: "You didn't pay? You're delinquent? No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills." The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, also shared his thoughts regarding Trump's statement. The former President's statement brought up a valid concern on whether the United States would show "full solidarity with other NATO countries in this confrontation that promises to last for a long time with Russia." Tusk's statement continued with "We have a hot war at our border. We must realize that the EU cannot be an economic and civilizational giant and a dwarf when it comes to defense, because the world has changed." However, Stoltenberg seemingly remains confident that the United States will remain a strong ally to NATO regardless of who wins the upcoming election this November. During Trump's Presidency Stoltenberg was praised for his diplomatic ability to keep NATO united. The statement drew the ire of GOP presidential hopeful NIkki Haley as well. HNGN recently reported that during an interview with CBS News, Haley criticized the former president for developing a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Trump was "embracing a thug who kills his opponents." Haley emphasized the importance of NATO member countries contributing more financially but stressed that siding with Putin, who is known for eliminating his adversaries, would be a grave error. Reuters reported that police raids on Jair Bolsonaro and associates, accused of planning a coup after the 2022 election, have weakened the right-wing opposition to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of October's local elections, according to analysts. Bolsonaro, a far-right leader who emulated former U.S. President Donald Trump, surrendered his passport to the police last Thursday, leading to the arrest of four of his former aides. Search warrants were issued for four ex-ministers, including three retired army generals. Analysts argue that this has delivered a significant setback to Bolsonaro's right-wing Liberal Party (PL), the largest opposition party. The president of PL, Valdemar Costa Neto, was arrested on an unrelated gun charge last Thursday and provisionally released on Saturday. "The Bolsonaro opposition has been badly hurt by this," said Andre Cesar, an analyst at Hold Assessoria Legislativa, a public policy consultancy. "The PL will lose political muscle and have to rethink plans to triple its mayors in the October elections." Bolsonaro is accused by Brazilian police of altering a decree to reverse his 2022 election loss to Lula, pressuring military leaders for a coup, and plotting to arrest a Supreme Court justice. PL President Costa Neto is banking on Bolsonaro's popularity among core supporters to drive up voter participation for his party in the October elections for mayors and councils in 5,568 municipal districts throughout Brazil. How Does This Potentially Affect Elections? Allegations of Bolsonaro's involvement in a coup conspiracy could weaken support from moderate center-right Brazilians who, despite not being Bolsonaro supporters, voted for him as an opposition to Lula, as per Quaest polling firm. According to Reuters, a social media survey conducted on Friday by Quaest showed 58% of the postings were critical of Bolsonaro, while 42% were favorable, indicating that he still has considerable support despite allegations of planning a coup, though less than the 49.1% who voted for him against 50.9% for Lula in 2022. "There will be a huge drain on the PL that will benefit the Workers Party," said a former PL lawmaker who left the party last year and asked to remain anonymous. At a time when many Western New York municipalities are considering the most effective ways to deliver important messages to the public, Town of Tonawanda Supervisor Joseph H. Emminger announced a new, localized mass communication tool. Tonawanda Alerts is a new civic messaging system in which residents sign up to receive emergency and nonemergency alerts in their preferred form a text message, phone call or email, or any combination of those three. The system is already active. Getting messages out to the public will save lives, Emminger told The Buffalo News on Friday. Tonawanda Alerts has been in development for the last year, the supervisor said, adding, Better communication is always necessary. Unlike IPAWS, the previous mass alert system the town used only once or twice, sign-up is required for Tonawandas new tool that Emminger announced Friday at his State of the Town address. For the most customizable options, residents should visit tinyurl.com/tonawandaalerts. In the form at the website, the emergency alerts category is automatically checked, but residents can also elect to receive updates related to highway and sanitation; paramedics and emergency medical services; the Police Department; the Town Board; events and news updates; and youth, parks and recreation. Offering flexibility for public communication beyond paper mail is a necessary step, Emminger said. To receive text messages only, users are directed to text TownOfTonawanda to 38276. Spaces should not be included between words. An automated confirmation text is sent if sign-up is successful. Registration is free, but text message rates may apply. A myAlerts app is available on iPhone and Android, in which a user can sign up for alerts from several locations. Emminger said nonemergency alerts could be a way to spark more public participation. For example, a targeted alert containing details about an upcoming zoning hearing or Town Board meeting might directly affect a small portion of residents, like an individual street or neighborhood, and it might encourage them to attend. Its for these purposes the town is encouraging residents to enter their physical address in the online form, and so they do not receive messages that do not pertain to them. Tonawanda is using the same vendor AlertSense that the City of Buffalo employs for sending BuffAlerts. Buffalo implemented its system in 2020, but was criticized in a New York University Wagner School review of the citys public communication during the deadly December blizzard, showing only 16% of residents had registered. In its quest to improve emergency response, the City of Buffalo connected with county, state and federal entities to debut IPAWS this winter to complement BuffAlert and extend its reach. In Tonawanda, Emminger said he does not want to overuse the messaging system, but he can foresee many situations in which it will prove valuable. He knows its a way to reach more residents, but hes open to public feedback. The people who were left out before wont be now, he said, as long as they sign up. Abbas Ganbay Russian Ambassador to Baku Mikhail Yevdokimov said in an interview with journalists that sanctions contributed to the rapprochement of the two countries, Azernews reports. "We predicted that in 2023 trade turnover between Russia and Azerbaijan will reach $4 bln. We were wrong. It amounted to $4.4 bln, and the growth was 17%. The sanctions have led to our relations becoming even closer. We are implementing very serious projects in industrial cooperation," he said in an interview with journalists. Russian Ambassador to Baku Mikhail Yevdokimov added that for various reasons, not very clear to him, the Armenian side delays negotiations on the Zangazur corridor, but the implementation of the agreement between Baku and Tehran on the construction of a railroad through Iran will solve the issue, as well as open for Russia an additional way of cargo transportation to Turkiye - Russian Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov "Now the main thing is to build railroad tracks from Turkiye to Nakhchivan, it is planned to build a double track - European and Soviet. Accordingly, we will be able to carry cargo to Turkiye from Russia via Azerbaijan, Iran and Nakhchivan. <...> Up to the border with Turkiye. Further - either change of gauge, if the trains allow, or reloading of containers on other trains", - emphasized Evdokimov. Russian Ambassador Mikhail Yevdokimov added that the Garabagh issue is closed and now Armenia and Azerbaijan are directly exchanging drafts of the peace treaty. "What the Azerbaijani side is proposing is, in my opinion, absolutely justified, standard formulations and articles that, as a rule, exist in peace treaties between the parties. And, in principle, based on the proposals made by Baku, it seems to me, that it is possible to finalize these negotiations quite quickly. We are ready to provide the Moscow platform, and we are ready, if necessary, to provide our expertise, and our advice on the text. We have a very good interaction with our Azerbaijani colleagues here," the diplomat said. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer couldnt make it to Monday afternoons ceremony at the Flight 3407 memorial in Clarence, but on the 15th anniversary of the plane crash that claimed the lives of 50 people, the senator delivered good news to the families who lost loved ones that day. The 3407 law is not in any jeopardy at all as Congress completes work on legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration for five years, Schumer told the Families of Continental Flight 3407 via Zoom on Monday morning. In other words, that pending legislation will continue to call on new pilots to get 1,500 hours of flight experience before joining a commercial passenger airline. The law will continue to require that pilots get the training and rest that the Flight 3407 crew didnt get before crashing their plane into a home. And the legislation will continue to give airlines access to pilot records before they hire a pilot like the captain of Flight 3407, who had failed several test flights but got hired anyway. The so-called 1,500-hour rule had appeared to be in grave jeopardy last year, as a key House committee chairman proposed weakening it and several senators hinted at doing the same. But then Rep. Nick Langworthy, a Republican who represents Clarence, teamed with then-Rep. Brian Higgins, a Buffalo Democrat, to defeat the effort. Meanwhile, Schumer, a New York Democrat, served notice in the Senate that he would not accept any changes to the rule. And as a result, the online meeting between the senator and several dozen members of the families group marked both a day of sadness and a day of celebration, Schumer said. The current FAA bill expires March 8, and Schumer said its comprehensive replacement will be passed into law by that date or soon thereafter. A brief extension of the current law is possible if Congress misses that March 8 deadline. The House and the Senate have to resolve some other issues in the FAA legislation, namely the number of slots for flights at a number of airports, Schumer said. But since neither the House nor the Senate versions of the bill weaken the Flight 3407 safety provisions, they remain safe as talks on the bill continue. Schumer was stuck in Washington on Monday as the Senate continues to work on legislation providing additional wartime support to Ukraine and Israel. And the families, who had planned to honor Schumer on Monday evening for his 15-year effort to pass and then maintain the aviation safety law enacted in 2010, instead honored him during the videoconference. John Kausner of Clarence, who lost his daughter Ellyce in the crash, held up a plaque that the families planned to give to Schumer. It read: To Senator Chuck Schumer: Your extraordinary effort and dedicated commitment to the cause of aviation safety has inspired the Families of Flight 3407 and helped keep the American public safe. Kausner added: We are so grateful for you, for your leadership. Another leader of the families group, Karen Eckert, noted that one of the difficulties in maintaining the safety law is the fact that there is so much turnover in Congress. Theres so many new faces in Congress every two years, said Eckert, who lost her sister, Beverly, in the crash. Actually, I think a lot of them dont even know about our crash. They dont know about the airline safety bill of 2010 that we fought so hard for and why its important to keep those safety measures in place. That being the case, the Flight 3407 families continue to make frequent lobbying trips to the nations capital. And they vowed to keep doing it, although some members of the families group note that it will soon be time for a new generation to pick up the fight. The families bonded soon after the crash, and Kausner said that something he said at the time still resonates today. This is a group that I would have never wanted to join but Im so proud to be a member, Kausner said. New Zealand's largest hotel operator, Accor, welcomes Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel into its portfolio. The hotel is the first five-star hotel to open at the Auckland Airport precinct, being only 100m from the front entrance of the international terminal. Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel is set to quickly establish itself as one of New Zealand's most architecturally striking hotels. The name 'Te Arikinui' is gifted to the hotel by Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, the Maaori King. Its meaning is 'Supreme Ariki' or 'Supreme Paramount Chief'. From the hotel's name to its distinctive three-pointed star shape and unique cultural designs embedded in both its exterior and interior, this hotel is a stunning expression of the significance of this location to the iwi of the Tainui waka. Architecturally designed by Warren and Mahoney, the hotel is shaped by the design concept 'Sea to Sky' and inspired by the journey of adventure and discovery by the people of Tainui waka following their arrival at Manukau Harbour around 1350. This hotel complements Warren and Mahoney's previous work on the Novotel Auckland Airport hotel that sits some 50 metres to the east of Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel. Kiingitanga, celestial voyages, stories of great taniwha, and references to ancient and precious korowai are the inspiration for the cultural design patterns created for Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel. The designs along the building's columns and etched into the windows are inspired by five taniwha of special significance to Tainui. These taniwha provided directional guidance and protection during the journey with the Tainui waka on its voyage from Hawaiiki to Aotearoa and continue to guide and protect today. The fifth taniwha provides protection to the Tainui people along the Waikato and Waipa rivers. The hotel's cultural design elements were created by Renata Te Wiata (Ngaati Mahuta), Carving Manager of Waikato Tainui. The interiors of the 311 guestrooms and Te Kaahu restaurant are designed by the Space Studio team to embrace understated luxury within a space that heroes simplicity, comfort, and light. Decor is refined and stylish, and features a custom designed carpet referencing the wash of the ocean as it reaches the shores of the Manukau Harbour. The inclusion of cultural design elements carved into the stone and timber panelling, and applied to fabric wall coverings, and locally made iwi-designed bed throws, provide an interior that is uniquely Aotearoa and seen in no other hotel in the world. Helmed by esteemed chef, Nancye Pirini (Te Whanau aa Apanui, Te Rarawa) whose carefully curated menu offers a selection of Aotearoa's finest cuisine, Te Kaahu offers relaxed fine dining with a sense of understated luxury, with views over the runway and Manukau harbour. The menu is a modern take on traditional New Zealand cuisine, elevating and celebrating the best of Aotearoa and heroes locally sourced ingredients of the highest quality and freshness. Beyond the restaurant sits the Te Kaahu lounge, an exclusive haven for meetings, relaxation, and dining. Highly regarded New Zealand fashion designer, Kiri Nathan, of, Ngati Haua, Ngati Maru, Ngati Paoa, Ngapuhi and Ngati Hine iwi, designed signature pieces for the women's front office uniform such as capes, jackets, and blouses inspired by the hotel. Other features of the hotel include a gymnasium, the Toorea and Kootare meeting rooms also located on the 9th floor, and the Kuriri Cafe and Eatery - a grab 'n' go artisan food and coffee option located in the lobby. Te Arikinui Pullman Auckland Airport Hotel provides absolute convenience for those who live far from the Auckland International Airport and want to be close for that early morning departure or late return. Accor Pacific Chief Operating Officer PME, Adrian Williams, said the opening of the hotel was well-timed, with global travel making a strong comeback after the last three years. Te Arikinui is the third Pullman hotel to open in Aotearoa, New Zealand and is joining another eighteen Pullman hotels across Australia and the Pacific. It is jointly owned by Auckland Airport and Tainui Group Holdings. Hotel website Sun Siyam Iru Veli, Maldives is delighted to announce the appointment of Masdhooq Saeed as General Manager, signifying a pivotal moment in the resort's quest for the ultimate tropical island getaway while crafting enchanting, but authentic experiences for its guests. With an impressive track record spanning over 22 years in the hospitality industry, Masdhooq brings a wealth of experience from renowned brands such as One&Only Resorts, Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts, and Six Senses Hotels, Resorts and Spas. His extensive expertise encompasses overseeing all facets of the Rooms Division, leading pre-opening projects in the Maldives and China, and playing a crucial role in the successful rebranding of Diva Maldives into LUX* South Ari Atoll in 2011. Masdhooq consistently stands out as a transformative figure, actively developing others and providing opportunities that one may need. Under his unwavering command and clarion call that "Anything Is Possible," he has not only built teams but also guided careers and introduced new services, setting the benchmark year after year. He has a style that exudes both humility and supreme confidence, with unwavering devotion to his guests, team, company, and industry. His exceptional leadership and strategic vision were clearly demonstrated by achieving the number one spot on TripAdvisor for LUX* North Male' Atoll within just five months of opening in 2019. Masdhooq's commitment to forging emotional connections with guests, providing personalized and unique experiences aligned with ethical values, underscores his belief that luxury is a feeling. The idea of evoking the atmosphere of a private residence lies at the core of architect Kengo Kumas latest hotel project, The Tokyo Edition Ginza which he likens to a Japanese home, warm, intimate and spiritual. The new hotel flows through a 14-level structure on a quiet corner spot in the Ginza district, mixing a material warmth and a minimalist simplicity with edgy Edition touches in a network of intimate spaces. The new Ginza hotel is the 19th global opening for The Edition brand hot on the heels of The Singapore Edition, and chapter two for its Japan journey. It opens three years after the brand debuted in Japan with The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon, also designed by Kuma alongside Edition creator Ian Schrager. The latest outpost boasts expanses of deep-toned walnut juxtaposed with ivory textiles; 86 guest rooms with low-rise city views; a lobby with a gold bar and white scissor staircase; Japans first Punch Room; a modern brasserie; and a rooftop natural wine bar. A similar design language woods mixed with minimalist lines and a luxe material palette underpins both hotels, yet each retains a unique identity. The Toranomon hotel floats 36 floors above the ground in a cloud-brushing skyscraper, with a buzzy jungle-like lobby inspired by temple architecture, light oak wood and 206 guest rooms. In contrast, The Tokyo Edition Ginza has a deeper palette and ambience, reflected in its comparatively human-scale proportions. Read the full article at wallpaper.com A new era is dawning in the world of hospitality in Africa with the launch of Africa Hospitality Consultants (https://AfricaHospitalityConsultants.com). Founded on the principle of excellence and innovation, this hospitality management consulting firm aims to redefine standards and elevate the industry to new heights. Africa Hospitality Consultants represents much more than just a company: it is a vision, a shared passion for African hospitality and its unlimited potential. With a team of experienced experts, Africa Hospitality Consultants offers tailor-made solutions to meet the unique challenges faced by players in the hospitality industry on the continent. In conjunction with the launch of the firm, the Africa Hospitality Club comes into existence, providing an exclusive platform for networking, knowledge sharing and growth opportunities for hospitality and tourism professionals in Africa. The Africa Hospitality Club is much more than just a professional network: it is a dynamic community, an ecosystem where ideas flourish and partnerships are forged. To complement this innovative initiative, Africa Hospitality Consultants also announces the launch of Africa Hospitality Magazine, a leading publication dedicated to exploring trends, best practices and inspiring stories in the world of African hospitality. The magazine serves as a forum for thought leaders, innovators and industry pioneers, providing a behind-the-scenes look at hospitality in Africa. We are excited to introduce Africa Hospitality Consultants, the Africa Hospitality Club and Africa Hospitality Magazine to the world,. Our goal is to boost the development of the hospitality industry in Africa, create bridges between sector players and shed a light on the talent and innovation that define our continent. Oudjah Simpa Fetter, Founder and Managing Director Africa Hospitality Consultants, the Africa Hospitality Club and Africa Hospitality Magazine embody the spirit of African hospitality in all its diversity, cultural richness and dynamism. Together, they are blazing new trails toward a future where excellence is the norm and possibilities are endless. About Africa Hospitality Consultants Africa Hospitality Consultants is a result-oriented consulting agency. Our team of hospitality consultants is expertly trained and qualified to help hotels and restaurants and tourism players maximize their profits by identifying, analysing, and solving their business challenges. Focussing on growth and quality our services include offering standardized but unique solutions for hospitality clients to take their businesses to the next level. ONYX Hospitality Group, a distinguished Bangkok-based hospitality company celebrated for its hotels and resorts, serviced apartments, and luxury residences - Amari, OZO, Shama, and Oriental Residence proudly announces significant developments in its sustainability journey. The company is honoured to be the first hospitality management firm in the Asia Pacific region to declare a long-term commitment to working with UNESCO for Cultural Sustainability. Alongside setting a target to achieve Carbon Neutrality, this landmark partnership marks a milestone in ONYX's commitment to sustainability. ONYX Hospitality Groups work with UNESCO focuses on Cultural Sustainability, with the aim of safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage and community-based tourism across Asia and the Pacific. The commitment extends particularly to cities where ONYX Hospitality Group's hotels and resorts are located, which currently includes an impressive presence in several countries in the APAC region i.e. Thailand, Malaysia, China including Hong Kong, Bangladesh, and Laos. With a bold vision, ONYX Hospitality Group is on track to surpass 50 properties by 2025, aiming for a formidable portfolio of 70 by 2028. These ambitious goals align seamlessly with the unveiling of new sustainability initiatives, reinforcing ONYX Hospitality Group's dedication to a "Tailored Approach to Hospitality." As the company continues its drive to become "The Best Medium-sized Hospitality Management Company in Southeast Asia," the synergy between robust expansion and enhanced sustainability practices underscores ONYX Hospitality Group's commitment to excellence. Amidst this growth trajectory, ONYX Hospitality Group places paramount importance on fortifying its sustainability pledge, recognising the imperative to reduce travel footprints. In this pursuit, ONYX Hospitality Group is not just shaping the present but envisaging a future where succeeding generations can enjoy the same travel privileges. Anchored in the belief that even small changes can yield transformative impacts, ONYX Hospitality Group is dedicated to fostering a positive shift in the industry's sustainability landscape. The UNESCO partnership is part of ONYX Hospitality Group's new sustainability framework, which is structured under four pillars closely linked to the company's name: O Opportunity Providing necessary support to underprivileged individuals and organisations to provide suitable opportunities. Providing necessary support to underprivileged individuals and organisations to provide suitable opportunities. N Nature Promoting environmental awareness such as community-involved initiatives, waste management, pollution control, and biodiversity preservation. Promoting environmental awareness such as community-involved initiatives, waste management, pollution control, and biodiversity preservation. Y Youth Taking part in developing younger generations by providing educational support, capability building, and learning experiences. Taking part in developing younger generations by providing educational support, capability building, and learning experiences. X Collaboration Establishing long-term alliances to collaborate on promoting sustainability across Culture, Society, and Community. Forging partnerships with suppliers and organisations, all sharing a common goal of serving communities, safeguarding the environment, and supporting cultural projects. In collaboration with UNESCO, ONYX Hospitality Group will seamlessly integrate cultural and contemporary experiences across its hotels and resorts. This initiative aims to not only showcase and connect with the vibrant local culture but also invites guests to immerse themselves in these unique and enriching experiences and feel a true connection to the surrounding location, which in turn will sustain such intangible heritage for generations to come. Cultural sensitivity and local community engagement play a pivotal role in enhancing the hospitality industry. In creative tourism context, this ability to interactively incorporate local culture and traditions creates unique and memorable experiences for guests, adding depth and authenticity to hotels. This approach enables travellers to connect with the destination and its local community on a more profound level. Successful examples of cultural integration include featuring local cuisine, traditional performances, or collaborating with local artisans and designers actions which bring economic value to the community and its neighbourhood whilst enriching guest experience. These initiatives not only provide a richer experience for guests but also contribute significantly to the socio-economic development and sustenance of the host community. ONYX Hospitality Group is proud to support UNESCO's project on 'Achieving Sustainable Tourism with Intangible Cultural Heritage and Creative City Network in Waterway Cities of ASEAN.' As part of this collaboration, ONYX Hospitality Group hosted the official launch event with UNESCO on 3rd February 2024, at Amari Bangkok. In addition, ONYX Hospitality Group embarks on a pioneering initiative with WWF Thailand through the Sustainable Consumption and Production Project. The focus is on laying the foundation and transformation of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles, fostering sustainable food systems, preserving biodiversity, environmental protection, conservation projects, and community engagement. Furthermore, Carbon Neutrality, with the ultimate objective of achieving Net Zero Operations, stands as a cornerstone commitment by ONYX Hospitality Group to both Thailand and the global community, harmonising seamlessly with ONYX Hospitality Groups core business objectives and operational ethos. In 2023, 11 properties under the management of ONYX Hospitality Group attained Carbon Footprint for Organization certification from the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), signifying a noteworthy milestone. This accomplishment lays a solid groundwork, and ONYX Hospitality Group remains steadfast in its dedication to extend this initiative to all properties moving forward. The new sustainability initiatives reflect ONYX Hospitality Groups commitment to sustainability by addressing a wide spectrum of sustainability aspects, from cultural preservation to responsible consumption and environmental stewardship, whilst weaving seamlessly into the fabric of the Groups distinct product brands, services, and culture. They demonstrate ONYX Hospitality Group's proactive stance in aligning its operations with global sustainability goals and promoting responsible tourism within the industry. Taylor Swift is Coming - Is Your Hotel Ready for It? Are you ready to dazzle your Taylor Swift fans with a fantastic experience at your hotel? As we approach her much-expected concerts in Australia and Singapore, hotels must prepare for the surge in demand, deliver exceptional customer service, and prioritize guest satisfaction. Everything Taylor Swift touches turns to gold. In 2023, her tour stopped in 20 North American cities that broke records and was even said to boost the economy by $4.6 billion. Fans flocked to these cities in droves, which positively impacted the local economies. Naturally, Swifties must eat, utilize transportation, and of course, book accommodations. It's no wonder that her concerts are creating a hospitality phenomenon. In Chicago, hoteliers experienced the TSwift Lift firsthand, as the first two days of Swifts shows resulted in record hotel bookings for the city, an average of 44,383 per night. The TSwift Lift is real and hoteliers quickly realized theyd be in trouble if they werent well prepared for a fully booked property. Lets discuss some ways to prepare and avoid bad blood with the Swifties as they descend upon APAC in the coming weeks. According to a recent article on STR's Data Insights Blog, Taylor Swift's impact on hotel room revenue in the US is remarkable. The article highlights that her tour has already contributed to a staggering $208 million in hotel room revenue. By drawing in thousands of fans to each tour stop, Taylor Swift's presence creates a surge in demand for hotel accommodations, resulting in increased revenue for hotels in those destinations. Pittsburgh and Nashville doubled their RevPAR from shoulder weeks, while eight markets overall reported RevPAR premiums of 50 percent or higher. It was anything but a cruel summer for the cities on the tour lineup. How Hotels Can Capitalize on the Positive Impact of Taylor Swift's Tours? Hoteliers know all too well how important it is to provide the best guest experience. Guests are more likely to leave a review when they have an experience to remember - both positive or negative. This means that hotels need to be prepared to handle the influx of fans and provide exceptional customer service to ensure a positive experience for concert-goers. Many hotels impressed guests by going above and beyond by offering pop-up shops with Taylor Swift merchandise, specialty menu items at on-site restaurants, or decorating with a Swift theme throughout the hotel. From check-in to concierge services, hotel staff must be attentive, efficient, and accommodating to meet the heightened expectations of Taylor Swift's enthusiastic fans. In the era of online reviews and social media, guest reviews hold major importance for hotels. This is a delicate topic because we all know that guest reviews hold a lot of weight during the booking process. And how do you get your guests to leave a review? The answer isnt as tough as you think - just ask for it. In a recent study, guests were asked why they didnt leave a review and the answer was surprising - they didnt know where to leave it or were never sent a survey. TrustYou has an easy solution! Prepare and send out a post-stay survey to your guests. Positive guest reviews can boost a hotel's reputation and attract more visitors in the future. Conversely, negative reviews can have long-lasting consequences. Too busy to respond to all of those reviews? Shake it off with TrustYous responseAI, which allows you to quickly respond to guest reviews in the tone and language that fits your brand. Youll thank us later. Taylor Swift's tours have proven to be a force that extends beyond the music industry, leaving a lasting impact on the hospitality and hotel industry. With her Eras Tour breaking records and generating significant revenue for hotels, the influence of her tours cannot be underestimated. By focusing on revenue growth, customer service, and the importance of guest reviews, hotels can leverage the "Taylor Swift Effect" to their advantage. To learn more about TrustYou and all the ways we help make guests happy, reach out here. Kelly Johnson Kelly has been a passionate marketer in the software space for over a decade. Being immersed in the hospitality industry has sparked her love of travel and a keen eye for excellent service. Maybe someday shell travel abroad and blog about it along the way. About TrustYou TrustYou is on a mission to make communication and feedback simpler and more productive. All communication channels, together in one place, is the new way of doing business. Today, customers expect instant responses on their preferred communications channels. As a subset of communication, feedback is the foundation to build better products, services, and companies. TrustYou helps companies win through the power of listening and provides a Guest Experience (GX) Platform that makes listening to customers easy, powerful, and actionable. The platform unlocks the potential of guest feedback and helps to: Create unlimited opportunities to listen and respond to guests needs. Understand all reviews across the web and make better business decisions. Publish hotel reviews on the website and on Google and allow positive feedback to influence bookings. TrustYou empowers companies to earn trust, make better decisions, and ultimately, win. Find more information on TrustYou and our GX platform on www.trustyou.com. Press contact Katharina Heitmann katharina.heitmann@trustyou.com Aloft Arundel Mills BWI Airport Hotel Spark GHC acquires the dual-branded, 289-key hotel JLLs Hotels & Hospitality Group announced today that it arranged a sale on behalf of the seller of the dual-branded hotel Aloft/Element Arundel Mills BWI Airport in Hanover, Maryland, to Spark GHC. The Aloft consists of 142 guestrooms, and Element has 147 guestrooms. Key amenities include an indoor pool, fitness center, 24/7 market, guest laundry and meeting space. This premium-branded hotel benefits from its strategic location off State Route 100 near the intersection of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, just 10 miles south of Baltimore and 20 miles north of Washington, D.C. It is four miles from Fort Meade and five miles from the BWI airport. As shared in JLLs U.S. Select-Service and Extended-Stay Hotel Outlook, investors continue to gravitate towards the select-service sector due to its broad demand base, lean operating model, and consistent performance. The JLL Capital Markets Investment Sales team consisted of Managing Directors Ketan Patel and KC Patel and Vice President Phil White. The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) announced the members of its 2024 Americas Board of Directors and Executive Committee, led by new chair, Andrew Rubinacci, who begins a two-year term. HSMAI Americas leaders represent a cross section of the industrys most respected hotel and hospitality brands, academics, and suppliers. The board is composed of senior travel and hospitality executives from a representative selection of HSMAI members. Im honored to step into the role as chair of HSMAI Americas and to have the opportunity to give back to the hospitality industry, said Andrew Rubinacci on his new role. Alongside this board of passionate industry leaders, we aim to continue to pave the way for the increasing convergence of commercial strategy through sales, marketing and revenue strategy. HSMAI Americas 2024 Executive Committee Members: Chair: Andrew Rubinacci, CHSP, Chief Advisory Officer, FLYR Chair Elect: Michael Innocentin, Strategic Advisor & Independent Consultant Vice Chair: Agnelo Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer, Cote Family Companies Treasurer: Stephanie Glanzer, CMP, Chief Sales Officer and SVP, MGM Resorts Immediate Past Chair: John Washko, VP of Sales & Marketing, Mohegan Sun President: Bob Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, President & CEO, HSMAI HSMAI Americas 2024 Board Members: DC Becker, Principal, Titan Group Brian Berry, Executive Vice President of Commercial Strategy, Pyramid Hotel Group Nelson Boyce, Managing Director of Travel, Google Dawn Briggs, Senior Director, Global Strategic Accounts, Sojern Chris Davidson, Executive Vice President, Travel Intelligence, MMGY Global Sean Dee, EVP & Chief Commercial Officer, Outrigger Resorts and Hotels Vanessa Eller, Regional Manager West Coast, Booking.com Andre Fournier, Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing & Revenue, CoralTree Hospitality Mike Gamble, President & Chief Executive Officer, Searchwide Global Mandy Gill, Vice President of Marketing United States and Canada, Marriott International Kristi Goshow, Chief Commercial Officer, KSL Resorts Allison Handy, Senior VP of Sales, Aimbridge Hospitality Adam Hayashi, CRME, VP, Revenue Management, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Brian Hicks, Senior Vice President of Commercial & Revenue Management Americas, IHG Rhett Hirko, CRME, Vice President of Global Revenue Optimization, Preferred Hotels & Resorts Jay Hubbs, CHDM, Vice President of Advertising, Marketing, Innovation, and Analytics, BWH Hotel Group Lisa Jordan, CHDM, Senior Director, Digital Marketing, Red Roof Lori Kiel, CHDM, Chief Commercial Officer, The Boca Raton Resort and Club Michael Klein, Vice President of Global Revenue Management, Hyatt Hotels Leora Lanz, ISHC, Assistant Dean Academic Affairs, Boston University School of Hospitality Administration Monique Lee, Vice President, Sales, G6 Hospitality Flo Lugli, Principal, Navesink Advisory Group, LLC Kevin McAteer, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Concord Hospitality Kelly McGuire, Principal, ZS Mark Molinari, CRME, SVP, Revenue Management & Commercial Strategy, Venetian Las Vegas Katie Moro, Regional Vice President of Demand360 Data Partnerships, TravelClick, an Amadeus company Jeff Patton, VP Sales Operations, Americas Hilton Garth Peterson, CRME, Area Vice President of Global New Business, IDeas Revenue Solutions Scott Pusillo, CRME, VP and Head of Sales, Sabre Hospitality Solutions Jennifer Schneider, CRME, Senior Director Revenue Optimization Upscale, Choice Hotels Michael Shiwdin, Vice President, Guest Intelligence and Engagement, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Ed Skapinok, Chief Commercial Officer, Appellation Jeff Spaccio, SVP, Enterprise & Brands, Tambourine Dan Surette, Chief Sales Officer, Omni Hotels & Resorts Haley White, Senior Director Global Strategic Accounts, Expedia Media Group Solutions For additional information on the HSMAI Americas Board and its members, see here. HSMAIs 2024 Americas Board represents the increasing convergence of sales, marketing and revenue optimization leading commercial strategy. Relevant industry issues are addressed at signature events including the Commercial Strategy Conference, Sales Leader Forum, Executive Roundtables, and HSMAI Adrian Awards. Chicago, IL (60637) Today More clouds than sun. A few flurries are possible. High 39F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 29F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Congressman Nick Langworthy is falling in line with the scare techniques we saw last year from National Fuel and other energy companies. He recently introduced the Energy Choice Act to block states like New York from phasing out greenhouse gas emitting fossil fuels which are contributing to climate change. He cited a report from the New York Independent System Operator, the market manager that maintains the reliability of our states electric grid, where he was very selective in his reading of their findings. The stated purpose of the NYISO is to plan a reliable grid of the future, working together with stakeholders to build the cleanest, most reliable system in the nation. Key messages from their report note that public policies are driving rapid change in the electric system and that reliability margins are shrinking, but that new supply, load, and transmission projects are seeking to interconnect to the grid at record levels. Langworthys charge that the reliability of electric service in Western New York is in jeopardy is not noted on the NYISO report. This may affect the New York City area, but new wind projects are now under construction off the coast of Long Island to ease their reliability concern. Recent upgrades to remove transmission bottlenecks east of Utica will help minimize power disruptions throughout the state. Langworthys overestimate of a $40,000 conversion for the average homeowner doesnt include rebates and tax incentives when the conversion is made, and the energy-efficient replacements will save the homeowner over the life of its usage. If Langworthy is serious about introducing the Energy Choice Act to ensure we can heat our homes in winter, he should know that a natural gas furnace doesnt work without electricity. This is a bill that New Yorkers, as well as the nation, does not need. John S. Szalasny Williamsville Twitter X alternative Bluesky is now open to everyone If youre looking to hedge your fan marketing bet on Twitter or exit the chaotic social network altogether, Bluesky could be the answer. by Mike Masnick of Tech Dirt Bluesky is now open to anyone without an invite. And a bunch of other exciting things are coming soon. As many of you know, Ive been pretty excited about where Bluesky is going as a social media offering, not just because of the people who have been using it (who have mostly been great, making it a fun place to hang out these days), but because of the concepts behind it. Bluesky was originally seeded by Jack Dorsey in response to his reading my Protocols, Not Platformspaper. The project moved along (somewhat slowly) for a few years. While Dorsey funded it, and the idea was that Twitter would eventually adopt the protocol, it was created as a wholly independent company, which initially had a contract with Twitter. The whole concept was finally picking up steam, just as Elon bought Twitter and cancelled the companys relationship with Bluesky. From there, the company quickly pivoted to release a reference app of its own, to give people a sense of how you could build a social media network that wasnt awful and wasnt confusing. But, because of the rush to set up their own network, and the numerous features it didnt yet have ready (e.g., in the early days there was no block feature at all), it was setup as a closed beta, where you needed an invite to use the system. Even with that invite system, Bluesky grew to over 3.2 million users (not all of whom have stuck around, but the network keeps growing). Over the past year, Bluesky has built out a number of new features, both ones to reach parity with whats expected of most social networks, as well as some unique (and important) ones. For example, the company has added some (still early) features that give users much more control over their experience: composable moderation and algorithmic choice. Composable moderation lets users set some of their own preferences for what they want to encounter on social media, rather than leaving it entirely up to a central provider. Some people are more willing to see sexual content, for example. But, the algorithmic choice is perhaps even more powerful. Currently, people talk a lot about the algorithm and now most social networks give you one single algorithm of what they think youll want to see. There is often a debate among people about whats better: a chronological feed or the algorithmically generated feed from the company. But thats always been thinking too small. With Blueskys algorithmic choice, anyone can make or share their own algorithms and users can choose what algorithms they want to use. In my Bluesky, for example, I have a few different algorithms that I can choose to recommend interesting stuff to me. One of them, developed by an outside developer (i.e., not Bluesky), Skygaze, is a For You feed that is actually good? Unlike centralized social media, Skygazes goal with its feed is not to improve engagement numbers for Bluesky. I also have feeds showing me quiet posters (calling attention to posts from users who dont post all that often) or posts that are popular with friends. I have a few different topic-focused algorithms as well, including one highlighting breaking stories from journalists, and others highlighting posts from folks interested in tech law and policy. In other words, rather than letting Bluesky curate my experience (or leaving it up to the whims of a chronological feed), I get to curate the experience myself, with help for anyone else who is creating and releasing their own feed algorithms. And all of that is about to get even better. Because Bluesky also announced that theyre opening up their moderation system as well, to enable a similar sort of feature for moderation: In the coming weeks, were excited to release the labeling services which will allow users to stack more options on top of their existing moderation preferences. This will allow other organizations and people to run their own moderation services that can account for industry-specific knowledge or specific cultural norms, among other preferences. One potential use case for labeling is fact-checking. For example, a fact-checking organization can run a labeling service and mark posts as partially false, misleading, or other categories. Then, users who trust this organization can subscribe to their labels. As the user scrolls through posts in the app, any labels that the fact-checking organization publishes will be visible on the post itself. This helps in the effective distribution of the fact-check and keeps users better informed. I expect that well begin to see a lot of innovation there as well. In addition, the company has said that it is finally rolling out its long awaited federation features. While Bluesky and its underlying ATProtocol was always designed to be a federated network, to date, the only real way to use Bluesky was to rely on Blueskys servers. There are some amazing third party clients (Deck.blue is an astoundingly great Tweetdeck-like multi-column client), but theyre still just showing you whats on Blueskys servers. But thats changing: This month, well be rolling out an experimental early version of federation, or the feature that makes the network so open and customizable. On Bluesky, youll have the freedom to choose (and the right to leave) instead of being held to the whims of private companies or black box algorithms. And wherever you go, your friends and relationships can go with you. I know that a lot of people hear federation and worry that it will be confusing and complex, as it often feels on something like Mastodon (though, Mastodon has put a lot of effort into making that experience better). But Bluesky is building from the ground up with a plan to make the federation aspect as seamless as possible. All of this is pretty exciting. Yesterday, I spoke to Will Oremus at the Washington Post as he was working on an article about Bluesky opening up, and I said something to him (which didnt make his article) but I think is important. I mentioned that Ive always believed that there were two ways to make a protocols approach to social media work: (1) convince a big company to move away from a centralized system or (2) have someone use a protocol based system to build something that was just, fundamentally, at its core better. Both approaches have challenges to succeed. But I think its fascinating that Bluesky started as (1), but has very much moved to (2) (and, of course, its notable that I never included have a narcissist billionaire ruin one major platform that people kinda liked as a third option for how this might work). Its still a long way to go to see if Bluesky succeeds, and there are oh so many ways it could go wrong. But the inclusion of composable moderation and algorithmic feeds already gives me a way better experience than any other social media platform, and it does so not in the service of any billionaire, but rather in service of me, the user. And that is incredibly encouraging as a start. And, given the open nature of ATProtocol, it also means that if Bluesky fucks it up, and doesnt actually continue to build in this direction, others have the ability to make it better for them (and for everyone). To celebrate opening up, Bluesky teamed up with artist Davis BIckford to create a lovely comic explaining why Bluesky is different, and why it matters. You can see the whole thing in Blueskys post on opening up, but heres just a snippet. I know lots of people like to crap on social media. And Ive heard a bunch of people insist that Bluesky is too late to the party, or that Threads will kill it or some-such. And, hey, that may be true. But right now, its a place that offers a fantastic user experience, which puts you in control more than any other. And, once federation opens up you dont even have to worry about it being in service to a single company or a single billionaire. Share on: Mount Greylock District Looking to Mitigate Cost Increases in FY25 Budget WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday started to hear numbers that will feed the fiscal year 2025 budget that the panel will be asked to approve next month. Most of the presentation from the district's assistant superintendent and business manager focused on the revenue side of the budget, but Joe Bergeron did offer some insight into some of the increased expenses the regional district will face in the year that begins on July 1. Since the committee's last gathering, the district got one key piece of data, a 7 percent increase in health insurance costs that will add about $225,000 to what is a $25 million operating budget in FY24. Bergeron also told the committee that the district is anticipating an increase between $200,000 and $300,000 for out-of-district placements based on changing needs for students in the prekindergarten-Grade 12, two-town district. On top of those two spikes, there is the increase in teacher and staff salaries driven by the district's collective bargaining agreements with its employees. In answer to a question from School Committee member Julia Bowen, Bergeron reported that, "at present and some of this is dependent on the degree to which we'll be conservative with expectations with respect to substitute teaching costs as well as the way schedules impact the need for staff to work extended teaching schedules we are looking at increases of about $300,000 at Mount Greylock, $170,000 at Lanesborough Elementary School and about $110,000 at Williamstown Elementary School." In round numbers, that means the committee Thursday heard about the potential for just more than $1 million in increased operating expenses districtwide in FY25. But Bergeron noted that there are things that could lower the increase in the salary line. "Those increases are not fully taking into account some of the shifts in ways that we think we can work within retirements," Bergeron said. "They're still coming in. So those numbers are just the very straightforward, if everyone were to stay on and we were to provide the exact increases specified per our collective bargaining agreements that's where we would be headed. "But I think we will be able to soften those a fair amount." On the other hand, the health insurance and out-of-district placement costs are relatively fixed, as is a 3 percent increase in the district's transportation costs that the committee heard about at its January meeting. In the current fiscal year, transportation services accounted for about $1.25 million of the bottom line for the district. A 3 percent increase would add about $37,500 to the operating budget. Bergeron told the School Committee that the district's member towns, Lanesborough and Williamstown, have asked the district to hold to a 3 percent increase in the district's assessments to the town to reflect the lack of revenue growth and the anticipated cost increases for town government operations. With five weeks to go until the School Committee's planned budget hearing on March 14, the district administration has some work to do. "If I were to attempt to get everybody to vote on the budget tonight, and if we were not going to be creative at all, we'd be looking at 5 percent [increase] in Lanesborough, 4 percent in Williamstown," Bergeron said. "But that's not what we're going to be moving forward with. "It's definitely not going to be what we're proposing. We're going to be working on that a lot." The main thrust of Bergeron's budget presentation on Thursday was to talk about how the district will pay its expenses. He both reviewed the formulas that apportion costs between the two member towns and discussed the district's anticipated state aid from Chapters 70 and 71 based on the Gov. Maura Healey's recently released budget proposal. Chapter 70 aid for the Mount Greylock district is expected to go up by about $115,000, from $4.9 million in the current fiscal year to $5 million in FY25. Chapter 71, the regional transportation allotment, is expected to go up by $77,220, from $583,000 to $660,000, though Bergeron noted that in FY24, the legislature increased the amount proposed by the governor by the time the final state budget was passed. "State aid did not come in nearly as rosy as almost any district in the state might like, but that's a position we're all in together," Bergeron said. Bergeron also walked the School Committee through the district's capital needs at the two elementary schools that have been in use for more than two decades (LES opened in 2001 and WES one year later). Some of the big-ticket items have potential sources of funding outside assessments to the two towns, like the Green Schoolworks project that the district hopes to use to replace the roofs at both elementary school buildings, and window replacements, which could be funded through a Massachusetts School Building Authority program. Others, like replacing the floors, are going to be costs for local property taxpayers in the next several years. "As you walk through Lanesborough Elementary School, the floors are generally in good shape," Bergeron said. "They've been maintained well. But, given the age, we're looking at the correct timing for replacement." Using an estimate of about $20 per square foot for replacement under current state contracts, Bergeron said the ballpark costs for the two schools would be in the neighborhood of $300,000 at LES and $800,000 at WES. Other projects include one of the two elementary school boilers.. In Lanesborough, the district and town, which owns the building, just replaced one of two boilers, and the second continues to function. "We have no reason to believe replacement needs to happen immediately, but, on a preventative scale, it's a high priority for us," Bergeron said. The replacement cost was pegged at $75,000. At WES, the district is looking at a $250,000 project in the next four to 10 years to address issues in its HVAC system. At the end of Thursday's meeting, the School Committee, after an executive session, approved a project not to exceed $225,000 to address the "fire, security door access [and] video upgrades" at Williamstown Elementary School. That money will come from the proceeds of a capital gift from Williams College to the school at its construction; on Thursday, Bergeron reported the current value in the gift to be about $2 million. The School Committee gave Bergeron permission to proceed with planning to use about $700,000 from the Williams capital gift to fund the replacement project for the two playgrounds at WES. Bergeron reiterated that spending the district's funds would unlock a $300,000 grant of American Rescue Plan Ac t funds from the town of Williamstown. Bergeron said he likely would have a proposal for design work for the committee's approval at its Feb. 29 meeting, and he is hoping to complete the playground replacements over the next two summers. In other business on Thursday, the School Committee heard from Superintendent Jason McCandless on his goals for the next few years in the position and got a look at the 2024-25 academic calendar the administration plans to bring forward for the committee's approval later this winter. The draft that McCandless showed on Thursday would include a two-week holiday break in December and January, with no classes starting Dec. 23 and classes resuming on Monday, Jan. 6. McCandless said that the Jan. 1 holiday falling on a Wednesday, which happens rarely, led the administrative team to favor the longer closure. "Our consideration was given what both student and staff attendance could potentially be, given the holiday break that, for some folks, is connected to Christmas, we opted to to extend the break," McCandless said. The first day of classes in the proposed calendar would be Aug. 28 for students in grades 1 through 12 and Aug. 3 for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten pupils. The projected end date, if the district uses the standard five allowable snow days, would be June 25. This year's projected last day of school with a continued lack of snow days is June 12. Berkshire 'Point In Time' Count on Homelessness Likely to Increase PITTSFIELD, Mass. The count that gauges local homelessness was taken on Jan. 31 this year and the number is expected to increase over last year based on city and nationwide trends. On the day of last year's Point In Time count, Jan. 25, there were at least 221 homeless people: 180 in shelters, 31 unsheltered, and 10 who were couch surfing or in other temporary shelters. On Wednesday, Director of Community Development Justine Dodds told the Homelessness Advisory Committee that generally, the city has noticed an upward trend that is likely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic that disproportionately affected the most vulnerable populations. In 2021, the PIT count showed 110 unsheltered people in the city and that number rose to 158 in 2022. "I think part of it has to do with the end of some of the COVID-era policies that were in place that were helping people for a little bit and then suddenly they have they've ended and we're seeing a kind of Cliff effect," Michele LaFleur, data and evaluation manager for Community Action Pioneer Valley said. In September of 2023, all eviction moratoriums related to the pandemic ended. The PIT is an attempt to determine how many people are experiencing homelessness in Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire counties. It is mostly done through a series of surveys but also includes information from local service providers. In Berkshire County, a lot of it comes from ServiceNet and the Elizabeth Freeman Center. The PIT took a count on Jan. 31 and had until Wednesday to finish collecting data. The results, which will be presented to the committee, are shared with the state and federal government and as part of their annual homelessness report to Congress. It is also used locally to inform sheltering needs. In addition to questions about mental health, chronic physical conditions, substance use conditions, and the reason why a person may be experiencing homelessness, this year's survey asked participants what resources could help them obtain or maintain stable housing. "As part of our outreach for the county, we sent out a survey and kind of a letter with some information about the count asking people to help us identify those that they're working with who are experiencing homelessness," LaFleur added. National Grid Prepared for February Winter Storm WALTHAM, Mass. National Grid is prepared for a powerful winter storm to impact Massachusetts Monday evening through Tuesday, bringing significant snow, strong winds, and possible coastal flooding into the region. Some areas across the state have the potential for snow accumulations of up to 18 inches. The primary concerns associated with this storm include heavy snow, strong winds, and coastal flooding from high tides, with the majority of the state experiencing potential snow accumulations of 8-12 inches, and some areas in Central and Western Massachusetts could experience accumulations of up to 18 inches. In addition, the storm is expected to bring gusting winds, including hazardous wind gusts of as much as 60 mph in some coastal areas. The wind gusts and accumulation of wet, heavy snow in some areas have the potential to damage trees and knock down power wires, causing power outages in impacted locations. The storm is expected to depart by the end of the day on Tuesday, and calmer weather is expected for Wednesday. "National Grid is closely monitoring the weather forecast, and we have crews and personnel in place across Massachusetts ready to respond to any impacts this storm may bring," said Tim Moore, Vice President of Electric Operations for New England. "We'll be ready to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. The predicted heavy snow may make roads difficult to travel, and strong winds could have an impact on our restoration efforts. Our crews will work to restore the power systems as soon as it is safe to do so." National Grid is preparing for the storm by securing additional crews and personnel as part of the company's emergency response operations and preparedness activities. This includes overhead line, forestry, contractors, underground, damage assessment, wires down, transmission, and substation workers. As forecasts evolve, the company will continue to assess resource needs. Crews will begin the restoration process when it is deemed safe to conduct work. For example, it is not safe to work in an elevated bucket during periods of increased wind gusts. The company has been preparing for the storm and continues monitoring the weather and communicating with local officials, first responders, and life support customers. The company offers the following tips and reminders: The long unused and high risk Bel Air Dam is slated for removal. DCR will be doing core sampling next week in preparation for the work. PreviousNext Pittsfield ConCom OKs Testing for Bel Air Dam Removal PITTSFIELD, Mass. Ahead of its demolition, the state will begin to test soils at the problematic Bel Air dam next week. The Conservation Commission on Thursday approved a request from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation for sediment core sampling at the dam impoundment off Wahconah Street. These activities occur within land under waterbodies, the inland bank, bordering vegetated wetlands, and bordering land subject to flooding. Beginning next week, geotechnical sampling and testing will be done at 18 locations for a stream bank restoration stability analysis. Similar sampling was issued a negative RDA in 2021. This is part of a state-funded $20 million project to remove the dam after it was identified as a high priority. The sampling will further characterize the sediments at the site before dam removal and construction of a low-flow stream channel. Geotechnical engineer Bivian Reyes explained that they are basically conducting tests to determine the strength of the soil after the dam is removed. The Bel Air Dam is located upstream of several businesses, residences and thoroughfares, and a failure may cause loss of life and substantial damage to downstream buildings, roadways, and other infrastructure. It was originally built in 1832 and used for power generation of woolen mills until the 1920s. "The DCR has a pilot abandoned dams program where they have identified six dams across the state, Bel Air being one of them," said Julian Flanagan, an environmental scientist. "All of these dams are abandoned or there is no identifiable owner and the dams are significant or high hazard and pose a threat to public safety and so Mass DCR is identifying whether these dams should be repaired or removed and in the case of Bel Air dam, its removal." The public right of way will be used and most of the sampling will be done by boat or foot if not accessible by boat. The subcontractor proposes a "geoprobe" or similar equipment mounted on the boat as well as hand-operated testing equipment. All of the sample locations are within resource areas. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Disney on Ice performer is in serious condition after she fell during her dance routine on Saturday (10 February) morning. Anastasia Olson, 31, was performing as Disney Princess Belle at Minneapolis, Minnesotas Target Center as part of the citys Magic in the Stars show, when she reportedly fell while being lifted by her dance partner. Olson was taken to a local hospital where she is being treated. She is in serious condition, a spokesperson for Hennepin Medical Center told The Independent. Anastasia Olson, who has been seriously hurt, and Ian Lorello in competition in 2015 (Getty Images) Disney on Ice later released a statement, saying it appreciates the well wishes from our fans as our team member recovers. An audience member, Beka, who took her children to the morning show, told local news outlet Kare 11 that the incident happened about 40 minutes into the show. They were doing a lift, it appeared shaky and she fell, Beka explained. I am beyond grateful and thankful for the remaining staff and the performers who kept going because that preserves the magic for the kids. I know that has to have been very difficult. Footage of the incident posted to X shows Olson lying on the side of the ice rink as her partner and other employees attend to her. Belle fell during a lift at Disney on Ice Minneapolis, one person tweeted. The Beast stumbled into the side during a lift and dropped Belle on the ice. She immediately started seizing and was carried out on a stretcher. Speaking to local Michigan outlet Novi Note ahead of the accident, Olson described her Magic in the Stars as a really wonderful kind of show that reaches out to everybody, not just kids and families. I feel that there is something for everyone to see. It really is a wonderful show, she added. The company has confirmed that future shows will continue as planned. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Police in India have shut down major roads connecting New Delhi to the neighbouring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in a bid to stop protesting farmers from marching towards the capital. While smaller in scale, the threat of farmer protests brought back memories of a major demonstration three years ago that turned deadly before it forced the government to repeal a set of important reforms. Up to 20,000 farmers are expected to march to the city on Tuesday to press for their demand for fair prices for the crops they produce. They say the government promised to guarantee a minimum price for crops, known as the minimum support price, in 2021 but has yet to deliver. Television footage showed farmers in tractors driving towards Delhi from the northern Indian breadbasket states of Punjab and Haryana while authorities fortified city borders with concrete blocks, road spike barriers and barbed wires in a bid to prevent entry of vehicles. "As many as 1,000 to 1,500 Delhi Police personnel will be deployed in each of these border areas. However, the pattern of deployment and the number of personnel will change as per the situation in these areas," police sources told NDTV. The authorities have also imposed prohibitory curfew orders across Delhi, banning the unauthorised assembly of five or more people across the city for a month until at least 12 March. Indian farmers shout slogans on the Delhi link road leading to the Delhi Noida Border as they protest in Delhi Noida Border in Uttar Pradesh, India, 08 February 2024 (EPA) Indian soldiers stand near cranes to deal with the farmers tractors near the Delhi Noida Border, New Delhi, India, 08 February 2024 (EPA) "We will move peacefully and our objective is that the government listen to our demands," Sarvan Singh Pandher, general secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, a farmers group, told news agency ANI. With more than 200 farmers unions expected to participate in the protest, the march comes just months before national elections in India, in which prime minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to win a third term. Indias millions of farmers form an influential voting bloc and at least three junior ministers from the agriculture, home and commerce ministries were expected to meet farmer leaders on Monday to discuss their demands, reported India Today. The government announces support prices for more than 20 crops each year to set a benchmark, but state agencies buy only rice and wheat at the support level, which benefits only about six per cent of farmers who raise those two crops. In 2021, when Mr Modis administration repealed the farm laws after a year-long protest, the government said it would set up a panel of growers and government officials to find ways to ensure support prices for all farm produce. Farmers accuse the government of going slow on that promise. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} With Pakistans political future still in the balance four days after its general election, the countrys two traditional major parties have opened talks about forming a coalition that would keep independents backed by Imran Khan out of government despite them winning the most seats. Candidates running with the support of Khans PTI party claimed 95 seats, while the incumbent coalition parties of PML-N and PPP won 75 and 54 seats respectively. With all parties falling well short of the 133 required for a majority in the national assembly, a coalition of some kind is now inevitable. PTI supporters protested on the streets on Monday at the idea that the parties that ousted Mr Khan in 2022 could again come together to form a government. Mr Khan remains in jail and his party was prevented from contesting the election directly, making it all the more remarkable that their candidates still came out as the largest grouping. The treatment of PTI by the authorities has been widely condemned internationally, and has significantly dented trust in last Thursdays general election. A blackout of the internet on the day of voting and lengthy delays in the count have also added to suspicions about the fairness of the election. PTI says it is contesting around 100 seats where its independents lost, with around 20 cases filed with the election commission, as of Monday this week. PML-N believes it is still in the strongest position to install its leader Nawaz Sharif as prime minister. Senior politician Azam Nazeer Tarar told reporters that it was in the largest interest of the country that all should join hands to form a coalition under its leadership. Theres only the possibility of forming the government with the backing of the PML-N. It will be a participatory coalition government, he said. Analysts say it is difficult to see a route for PTI to form the government despite controlling 95 seats, and that it will most likely form a strong opposition instead. Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Washington DC-based Wilson Center, wrote on Twitter/X: PTI has earned a public mandate to govern. But its all but assured Pakistans next ruling coalition will look a lot like the previous one, a PDM redux led by PML-N and PPP and some smaller parties. [The PDM, or Pakistan Defence Movement, was a coalition formed in 2020 to oppose the military and then prime minister Khan]. PTI defied the odds in recent days, but it appears headed for the opposition. He added: Itll be tough for PTI to keep all its victorious sponsored independents on side. Theyll be under pressure by the military to align with different parties. PTI will also struggle to find coalition partners, who may fear repercussions from a military that wants PTI to be isolated. PPP, led by the 35-year-old Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, said its central executive committee was convening on Monday in Islamabad to discuss PML-Ns offer to form a coalition, but senior PPP politician Sherry Rehman told the BBC that the partys doors remain open to talks with all political forces. Analyst Ayesha Jalal told the Associated Press that a coalition government at the federal level is unavoidable. And this is where things get tricky. Pakistan is now entering an uncertain scenario, which is, in effect, a post-election political crisis. Coalitions are not uncommon in Pakistans politics, but they are not easy to manage. They can become unwieldy, weak and prone to manipulation, she said. It also makes it far harder for any government to push through the kind of bold economic packages needed for the country to move forward and escape the deep structural problems that are ailing the economy. A split national assembly and weak government plays into the militarys hands. Additional reporting with agencies Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Thundersnow, an unusual winter weather phenomenon, could hit the US northeast on Monday night, forecasters said. New York City could see thundersnow when lightning forms within a snowstorm through Tuesday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey told The Independent. Right now, [thundersnow] is something were considering, Mr Ramsey said, adding that forecasters will know more about its likelihood by Monday evening. Thundersnow is rare because it requires both warm and cold air to collide in just the right way to spark lightning, according to Mr Ramsey. If warm air collides with a snowstorm, it can create turbulent winds within the system. In turn, these winds cause ice crystals to collide, causing high enough charges to spark lightning, Mr Ramsey explained. While thundersnow is possible, nothing will be certain until hours before the wintry conditions begin to hit New York and the surrounding region. New York City could see up to eight inches of snow, while the rest of the state, along with parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, could see up to a foot. Ahead of the storm, New York City Public Schools announced that Tuesday will be a virtual learning day. This weeks Noreaster comes roughly a month after the first winter storm of 2024 hit the region. That freezing blast ended a two-year snowless streak for several cities including New York and Philadelphia. Storm Indigo in January knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of homes, caused travel chaos, and killed several people across the US. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} My favourite day of the year is today: Pancake Day. Whether you sway for sweet or savoury, our curated selection of 15 of flippin fantastic (yes, sorry) pancake recipes, from chefs, restaurants and even a gym, has you covered. But first of all, lets discuss the perfect pancake. Executive chef of Scottish hotel The Caledonian Ryan MacFarlane says a non-stick pan over a medium-high heat with a small amount of clairifed butter is the way to go. Cook one side until it develops a golden brown colour on the surface, then confidently flip it with a thin spatula in one swift motion to ensure an even cook on both sides, he says. His secret ingredient? A surprising one. Sparkling water. For a pancake with a crispy exterior and fluffy interior, I suggest incorporating sparkling water into the batter. The carbonation in the water contributes to a lighter texture, while the batter still mains its structure for a good crunch. He also recommends letting the batter rest overnight, or for at least 30 minutes, to allow the flour to fully absorb the liquid resulting in a smoother batter and more consistent pancakes when cooked. Tom Cenci, head chef of Nessa in London, also uses sparkling water, and says that if youre going to commit the ultimate sin of buying a pre-made mix, try pimping it up with things like vanilla essense, cinnamon or lemon zest. And, if you prefer something on the more exotic side, Saiphin Moore, co-founder of Rosas Thai, says one of her favourite pancakes is a roti-style version sold on street stalls in her home country. Its a roti topped with condensed milk, sugar and bananas, a favourite among backpackers! The roti is folded and fried in lots of butter until its crispy around the edges, typically topped with sugar, bananas and drizzled with condensed milk, but you can get lots of different toppings such as egg, or even chocolate. But now, what youre really here for, the recipes. Get flippin! Silver dollar pancakes On a typical Shrove Tuesday, I make American-style silver dollar pancakes for my kids in the morning. Theyre named after their small size and are really fun to stack up. We normally serve them with maple syrup and have them for breakfast that day. Then, in the evening, my husband James (Chef James Knappett, co-founder of Kitchen Table) will make us traditional English pancakes for dessert after dinner. He serves them classic, with sugar and lemon juice. Recipe by: Sandia Chang, Kitchen Table Ingredients: 1 cups all-purpose flour 3 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp baking powder tsp salt 1 cups milk 3 tbsp vegetable oil 2 eggs, separated Method: 1. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. 2. In another bowl (or I use a large liquid measuring cup) combine the milk and vegetable oil. Add the egg yolks to the milk and whisk to break up the yolks. 3. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to combine. There will still be small lumps. 4. Place the egg whites in another bowl and beat until they have stiff peaks. 5. Add about 1/3 of the stiff egg whites to the pancake batter and stir it in to combine and lighten the batter. 6. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold until no white streaks appear. 7. Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. Grease with butter or with nonstick cooking spray. 8. Pour about the size of a silver dollar of batter onto the hot griddle. Let the pancakes cook until bubbles form, then flip and continue to cook until browned and cooked through. 9. Continue with the remaining batter until all of the pancakes are cooked Puffy pancakes (Emily Cuddeford, Twelve Triangles) For crepes, I would always say add an extra egg yolk, make sure the batter is thin enough and give it a good rest before cooking. Recipe by: Emily Cuddeford, Twelve Triangles Makes: 9 large or 14 little ones Ingredients: 220g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 40g caster sugar A pinch of salt 3 eggs 150g buttermilk (the thick stuff from the supermarket ) 30g butter Method: 1. Weigh the dry ingredients into a bowl. 2. Melt the butter in the frying pan you will use to cook the pancakes, then wipe off the excess with kitchen roll. 3. Whisk the eggs and buttermilk with the melted butter. Add this into the dry ingredients and whisk to mix, it will be quite thick and start to bubble as the bicarb starts to react with the acid from the butter milk. 4. On a medium heat, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the frying pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, you will see bubbles start to come through the batter and you are looking for them to be a nice deep golden colour on each side. 5. Serve with yoghurt, roasted rhubarb and sweet dukkah for some crunch. These are also great with butter and jam if you have leftovers. Crepes suzette Crepes suzette were created by accident when a dessert caught fire (Natasha Sideris) Many great dishes have been created by accident in the kitchens of absent-minded cooks and hot-headed chefs. One story of the origin of these crepes tells how a young assistant waiter was finishing off a dessert for the Prince of Wales at the Cafe de Paris, when it caught fire. What the chef was thinking in entrusting this grand finale to an amateur we can only guess. But were grateful he did, because we now have this wonderful, burnt sugar and orange liqueur flambeed classic. Serve the crepes with vanilla ice cream. Recipe by: Natasha Sideris, tashas Serves: 4 For the crepes: 1 cup flour tsp salt 500 ml milk 1 tsp sugar 5 tbsp soft unsalted butter 3 large eggs 1 vanilla pod, seeds removed 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for frying 125 ml beer, preferably lager For the orange liqueur sauce: 500ml orange juice cup sugar 1 vanilla pod, seeds removed 2 oranges, zested and segmented 180g butter, softened 100ml Grand Marnier (orange liqueur) Method: For the crepes: Sift together the flour and salt. Whisk together the milk, sugar, butter, eggs and oil. Whisk milk mixture into the flour mixture. Pour the batter through a fine sieve into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the beer,cover and refrigerate for about 4-5 hours, or best overnight. Remove the batter from the fridge and let it stand to reach room temperature. Heat a flat non-stick crepe pan to medium heat, lightly brush with a little bit of oil and pour 125ml of batter into the pan. Once the crepe starts to make bubbles all over it is ready to be flipped. It should be about two minutes per side. Remove the crepe from the pan, place on a platter and cover with a lid or dome to prevent the crepes from drying out. Repeat until the batter is finished. For the orange liqueur sauce: Heat the orange juice, then add the sugar, vanilla seeds and orange zest and bring to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, whisk the butter in, bit by bit. When the sauce is smooth and thickened, add the orange segments and bring back to a boil. To serve: Place the crepes one at a time into the boiling sauce. Make sure they are completely covered. Fold them in half and in half again to make triangles. Make sure you have a few orange segments inside each crepe. Once they are folded in the pan, covered in sauce and very hot, add the Grand Marnier. Carefully set the sauce alight with the flame of the gas burner or a lighter, and allow it to flame briefly. Serve with ice cream and the remaining sauce on the side. Chocolate and banana pancakes These fluffy and delicious Chocolate Banana Pancakes are healthy and easy to make (Cyril Lignac) Recipe by: Cyril Lignac Serves: 4 Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 12 minutes | Rest time: 15 minutes Ingredients: For the pancakes: 250g of flour 30g caster sugar 17g baking powder 1 pinch of fine salt 2 organic eggs 65g butter 30ml whole milk Grape seed oil For the accompaniments: 1 banana 12.5ml of full liquid cream with 35% fat very cold 15g vanilla sugar A few spoonfuls of spread Method: 1. Place a bowl in the freezer to cool it, it will be used to mount the Chantilly cream. Melt the butter in the microwave. 2. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and fine salt. Add the eggs, mix gently, then pour in the previously melted butter, slowly pour in the milk, stirring gently without whisking too much, if there are any lumps left, it does not matter. Leave to stand for 15 minutes at room temperature. The device must not be smooth and especially not fall. 3. Peel and cut the banana into slices 0.5 cm thick and place them on a plate. In a chilled bowl, pour the very cold cream, start whipping it, then add the vanilla sugar. When the whipped cream is firm, keep it cool. 4. In the pan, spread a little oil with a paper towel to avoid excess fat. Pour the batter little by little into discs 10 cm in diameter, place a tablespoon of spread in the center, pour over a second layer of pancake batter to cover the spread, then leave to color overheat medium and, when bubbles begin to appear on the surface, flip the pancakes using a spatula. Let brown on the other side for about 1 minute. 5. When the pancakes are golden on both sides, put the pancakes on the plates. Cover them with banana slices and a quenelle of whipped cream. Kimchi potato pancakes These kimchi potato pancakes are a delicious alternative (Cuisinart/Garden Trading) These kimchi potato pancakes are a delicious alternative to the traditional pancake perfect for brunch or a mid-week dinner. Quick and easy to make, they can be ready in less than half an hour and are a tasty vegetarian option too. Makes: 12 pancakes Prep time: 20 mins | Cooking time: 3mins Ingredients: 300g Maris Piper potatoes, chopped into 3cm chunks 150g kimchi (fermented cabbage), roughly chopped, plus extra to serve Bunch spring onions, finely sliced Zest of 1 lime, grated 75g self-raising flour 2 medium free range eggs 100ml whole milk To serve: 4 eggs 400g babyleaf spinach, washed 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil 4 tsp sesame seeds Lime wedges Method: Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender. Drain the potatoes and add back to the pan for 1 minute to dry, then mash. In a large bowl, add the mashed potato, kimchi ,plus any liquid that comes with it, half of the spring onions, lime zest and flour. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Put the oven tolow (to keep the pancakes warm, before serving). In a separate bowl, lightly beat 2 of the eggs, with the milk. Add this to the potato mixture and stir, until a batter like consistency is formed. Attach the pancake plates to the waffle and pancake maker and set the temperature to medium. Once the green indicator light shows, pour approximately 50ml of batter into each pancake plate. Close the lid and cook for 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a baking tray and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Take a medium frying pan and add a little oil. Fry the remaining 4 eggs, until cooked to your liking, before transferring to a plate. Add the spinach to the same pan and let it start to wilt, over a medium heat. Stir occasionally, before adding the sesame oil. Serve the kimchi pancakes, with the spinach and a fried egg.Sprinkle with the remaining spring onions, some extra kimchi and a wedge of lime. Four-ingredient vegan crepes (sweet or savoury) These four-ingredient crepes are incredibly versatile (Viva!) These four-ingredient crepes are incredibly versatile. As a plant-based dish theyre free from eggs and dairy, making them ideal for allergy sufferers. They can be made sweet or savoury. Recipe from: Everyone Can Cook Vegan, from the UKs leading vegan charity Viva! Ingredients: 150g/1 cup plain flour tsp salt 350ml/1 cups unsweetened plant milk (soya and almond work best) 1 tbsp neutral oil (eg rapeseed) plus extra for frying Method: 1. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together before stirring in the plant milk and oil. 2. Heat a little oil in a crepe pan or wide frying pan on a medium-high heat. 3. When the oil is hot, pour a small ladle of batter into the pan, swirling it around so that it thinly coats the pan. 4. Fry on both sides until lightly golden. Maca and oat pancakes Combine wholesome oats with the ancient Peruvian superfood maca to provide a nutritious kick to start your day (Aldi) Recipe by: Aldi Serves: 12 Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 130g plain flour 30g porridge oats 25g maca powder tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp baking powder tsp bicarbonate of soda Pinch of salt 250ml sweetened almond drink 30ml coconut oil 30ml maple syrup Extra coconut oil, to fry Method: 1. Mix the plain flour, porridge oats, maca powder, ground cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in a bowl and whisk well. 2. Add the almond drink, coconut oil and maple syrup and mix well. 3. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Take a spoon of the batter and add to the frying pan, cook on each side for a couple of minutes. Transfer to an oven to keep the pancakes warm while you cook the rest. 4. Great served with sliced bananas, satsumas, grapes, chopped nuts and drizzled with extra maple syrup Biscoff and banana pancakes Ever thought of swirling Biscoff through your next batch of pancakes? (Aldi) Recipe by: Aldi Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 250g self-raising flour 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 tsp salt 1 medium egg 300ml milk 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 bananas Biscoff spread Method: 1. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well. 2. Add the egg and milk and bring together with a wooden spoon. 3. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan and add 2-3 spoons of mixture to the pan. Let the mixture run in the pan. 4. After 2 minutes, flip over with a spatula and cook for a further 2 minutes. 5. Repeat the process until all the mixture is cooked. 6. Chop the bananas into small disks. 7. Serve the warm pancakes spreading on biscoff spread and layering up with the banana disks. For that extra sweet tooth why not also drizzle over some Nutoka spread. Berry Pancakes Help get in the kids five-a-day with these amazing berry pancakes (Aldi) Recipe by: Aldi Serves: 4 Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 pack Scotch pancakes 1 punnet strawberries 1 punnet blueberries 1 punnet raspberries 1 bag of fresh mint leaves 50g milk chocolate 100g soft cheese Method: 1. Break the chocolate into pieces and melt gently in a bowl over a slowly simmering pan of hot water. 2. Remove the stalks from the strawberries. 3. Cut the strawberries and raspberries in half. 4. Using a teaspoon, spread some soft cheese on the top half of each pancake. 5. Decorate liberally with the berries and mint leaves. 6. Using a cocktail stick and the melted chocolate, draw a face on the lower half of each pancake, not forgetting a huge smile! Chocolate protein pancakes The perfect healthy start to your morning (F45) Recipe by: F45 Serves: 2 Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 free range egg 60ml egg whites 50g chocolate whey protein powder 45g almond flour tsp stevia 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp (5ml) extra virgin coconut oil 30g Greek yogurt (natural, no added sugar) 2 tsp cacao nibs 15g crushed peanuts Method: 1. Crack the egg in a bowl and mix in the egg whites. Whisk vigorously 2. In a separate bowl, combine the protein powder, almond flour, stevia and baking soda 3. Pour in the egg mixture and mix well until all the ingredients are combined 4. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium temperature and pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan at a time and cook until bubbles appear in the mixture. Flip the pancake over and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes with a lid on (note - the texture in the centre of the pancake will be soft and moist) 5. Repeat this process until all the batter has been used 6. Divide the pancakes into two serves. Dish one serve of the pancakes on a plate 7. Add 15g yogurt, 7g crushed peanuts and 1 teaspoon of cacao nibs over the top 8. Refrigerate the leftover pancakes and store away the toppings for tomorrow's breakfast Coconut and goji berry sweet potato pancakes A dairy free, gluten-free twist on the classic (F45) Recipe by: F45 Serves: 2 Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 250g sweet potato, chopped 1 free range egg 40g quinoa flour 5ml (1 tsp) extra virgin coconut oil 100ml unsweetened almond milk 2g (1tsp) cinnamon 1 tsp baking powder 70g coconut yoghurt (unsweetened) 20g dried goji berries 10g walnuts Method: 1. Fill a saucepan with water over medium heat and bring to the boil. Add the sweet potato to the saucepan and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft 2. Drain the water from the saucepan and transfer the sweet potato to a bowl 3. Mix in the almond milk, cinnamon, baking powder, and quinoa flour 4. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk vigorously. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl of sweet potato and using a hand mixer blend the ingredients together 5. Heat coconut oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium temperature and pour the pancake batter into the pan in circles. (tip: for the pancakes to cook in the center, make small thin pancakes). Cook for a few minutes or until bubbles begin to appear. 6. Flip the pancake over and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Continue this process until all the batter has been used 7. Divide the pancakes into two serves 8. Dish one serving of the pancakes and serve with 35g coconut yoghurt, 10g dried goji berries and 5g walnuts 9. Refrigerate the second serving of pancakes, coconut yoghurt, goji berries and walnuts for tomorrow's leftover Green pea buckwheat pancakes These healthy pancakes are packed with vitamins, fibre and minerals (F45) Recipe by: F45 Serves: 2 Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 110g frozen green peas, thawed 50g buckwheat flour 1 free range egg 100ml unsweetened almond milk 15ml rice malt syrup 2 tsp (10ml) extra virgin olive oil 1/3 tsp stevia granules 500ml water 5g cacao powder 15ml extra virgin coconut oil 50g fresh strawberries, chopped in half Method: 1. Bring water to boil in a saucepan over medium heat and boil the peas for 8minutes or until soft. Drain the water and transfer the peas to a food processor 2. Add the buckwheat flour, stevia granules, rice malt syrup and almond milk to the food processor 3. Crack the eggs into the food processor and process until the mixture is combined 4. Heat olive oil in a non-stick fry pan over medium heat and pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the fry pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles begin to appear in the mixture 5. Flip the pancake over and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Repeat this process until all the mixture has been used 6. In a small bowl combine the cacao powder, coconut oil, rice malt syrup and stevia. Continue mixing until the mixture is well combined 7. Divide the green pea buckwheat pancakes into two serves 8. Pour half of the chocolate sauce over one serving of the pancakes. Add 25g of strawberries on top 9. Refrigerate the second serving of the pancakes, strawberries and chocolate sauce for tomorrow's leftover Beetroot pancakes Bring the beetroot craze to pancake day (Cawston Press) With Beetroot on everyones radar as the official superfood of the moment, why not bring the craze to your Pancake Day celebrations? Ingredients: 120g self-raising flour, (wheat or gluten-free) Pinch of salt 15g caster sugar 1 large egg 70ml whole milk 70ml Cawston Press Brilliant Beetroot Pressed Juice Method: Combine the wet and dry ingredients and whisk together in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth and a vibrant purple. Lightly oil a non-stick pan and put on a medium heat. Ladle or pour 3 pancakes at a time around 9cm wide. Once the surface has bubbled up and just set (2-3 mins), flip over. Cook for 1 more minute on the other side. Remove the pancakes from the pan and repeat the process with the remaining mixture. (makes approx 9 pancakes). Enjoy sweet: Serve with butter and maple syrup OR greek yoghurt and fruit compote/fresh berries Enjoy savoury: Serve with fresh goats cheese, walnuts pieces and a dusting of cumin OR cream cheese, smoked salmon and horseradish OR sour cream, anchovy and capers Buckwheat galettes de sarrasin This is a traditional style popular in northern France (Doves Farm) This traditional style of savoury pancake, popular in northern France, is filled with spinach, cheese and egg then folded into a square for finishing in the oven. Makes: 6 galette pancakes Cooking time: 15 minutes Ingredients: For the galettes: 50g butter, melted 100g Doves Farm Organic Wholemeal Buckwheat Flour Pinch of salt 1 egg 300ml milk Oil, for pan For the spinach and egg filling per galette: 25g spinach 1 tbsp cream 25g comte cheese, grated 1 egg Butter, softened Salt and pepper Method: For the galettes: 1. Melt the butter. 2. Put the flour into a large bowl, add the salt and stir to combine. 3. Break the egg into the bowl, add 150ml of milk and beat to a smooth paste. 4. Stir in the remaining 150ml of milk to make a thin batter. You can use the batter immediately or refrigerate for up to 12 hours if you wish. 5. Lightly oil a frying pan so that the oil just covers the surface and get the pan nice and hot. 6. Stir the melted butter into the batter. 7. Pour or spoon some batter into the hot pan and roll it out to the edges. 8. Cook the pancake on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, loosening the edges, until the base is golden. 9. Turn the pancake over and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. 10. Transfer the galette onto a plate. 11. Repeat until the batter is used. For the spinach and egg filling: 12. Pre-heat the oven. 13. Rub some butter around the inside of an oven tray. 14. Wash and drain the spinach and put it into a saucepan over a medium heat. 15. As it starts to wilt, stir in the cream, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. 16. Lay out the galette(s) on a clean work surface. 17. Rub a little softened butter in the middle of each galette. 18. Arrange the spinach in a 10cm/4 circle in the middle of the galette. 19. Finely grate the Comte and sprinkle it over the spinach. 20. Break an egg into the centre of the cheesy spinach circle. 21. Fold the edges of the galette over to cover the egg white and form a square. 22. Transfer the square galette onto the prepared oven tray. 23. Bake for 5-12 minutes or until the egg is set. 24. Serve immediately. Buttermilk pancakes Buttermilk makes these pancakes extra light and fluffy (Doves Farm) Buttermilk is a key ingredient in this recipe for light fluffy pancakes. We like to serve these warm with a little butter and fresh strawberries but you could choose lemon and sugar or simply drizzle them with maple syrup. Makes: 10-12 pancakes Cooking time:15 minutes Ingredients: 75g butter, melted 125g Doves Farm Organic Self Raising White Flour 2 tbsp icing sugar tsp Doves Farm Bicarbonate of Soda Pinch of salt 3 eggs 250ml buttermilk Butter, for cooking Method: 1. Melt the butter. 2. Put the flour, icing sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl or jug and stir to combine. 3. Break the eggs into another bowl, add the buttermilk and beat together. 4. Put a little butter into a frying pan over a medium heat. As the butter melts roll the pan around so that the butter just covers the surface. 5. Pour half the egg mixture into the prepared flour and beat until smooth. 6. Beat in the remaining mixture. 7. Stir in the melted butter. 8. Pour or scoop small mounds of the pancake mixture into the hot pan. 9. Cook the pancakes, loosening the edges, until the base is golden. 10. Turn the pancakes over and cook the other side. 11. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. 12. Repeat until the batter is used. Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Living Well email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Louise Thompson has shared an update on her chronic illness with fans, noting that she had recently spent more than two weeks in hospital after a health crisis. The former Made in Chelsea star has documented ups and downs with her health over the last few years, including her difficult childbirth experience in 2021, and her lupus diagnosis the following December. On Monday (12 February), Thompson, 33, posted a picture of herself in bed wearing a hospital gown, with various wires attached to her chest and neck. In an extended caption, the TV personality told fans that shed become ill while on holiday in Antigua. According to Thompson, she had ignored symptoms of declining health before flying to the Caribbean to enjoy her time with her two-year-old son, Leo-Hunter, and fiance Ryan Libbey. Used up every iota of energy I could pretending I was going to be OK, she wrote, But deep down inside I knew I was really sick. I wanted the best for Leo and my family and memories, holiday had been in the pipeline for yonks. Later in her caption, Thompson wrote that shed experienced extreme discomfort in terms of her mental and physical health. Louise Thompson (Instagram / Louise Thompson) Both are agony and can leave you powerless, she wrote. Difficult to have one without the other, theyre intrinsically linked. Anyway, I thought I could handle anything How shortsighted. My resilience had skyrocketed and Id become de-sensitised. She added: Most people would be in A&E day 1 with my symptoms, I have no qualms in saying that because I know what my symptoms were and they were not OK, Ill spare you some of the grittier details, but I became a little too used to my chronic condition. After losing cupfuls of blood every 20 minutes when using the bathroom, Thompson and her family flew home to the UK to seek treatment, after which she was admitted to the hospital. Things got worse quite quickly, she added. Thank goodness for safety, Thank goodness for the NHS. Louise Thompson in 2017 (Getty Images) Though Thompson was not specific about the problems she was facing, she noted that she was focusing on getting better and shared a positive outlook for the future. I am a STRONG COOKIE and I am working hard on a speedy recovery, she wrote. And there will be a silver lining. I promise Im already searching for it. Already found a few nuggets. A nice little reminder that health is everything. It must always come first first first. Along with my family and my son. Thompson concluded her message by stating that she believed that 2024 would still be her best [year] yet, despite a difficult start. In response, fans and friends have been quick to share messages of support with the TV star, with many thanking her for being candid with her experience. Her former Made in Chelsea castmate Ashley James wrote: Sending you so much love, while writer and podcaster Elizabeth Day commented: Sending you so much love and strength, Louise. Prior to this, Thompson suffered a haemorrhage early last year and said the situation left her thinking she was going to die again. panama-first-quantum-0212-ph The Panamanian governments order to shut down Toronto-based First Quantum Minerals Ltd.s lucrative copper mine in December seemed like the final straw for the company, which has faced several issues in the Central American country in recent years. Panama and First Quantum initially tussled over the terms of a new contract to run the mine. Although a deal was reached, thousands of protestors demonstrated against it on environmental grounds. The nations Supreme Court then intervened and annulled the deal, which led to the order to close the Cobre Panama mine, about 120 kilometres west of Panama City. Two months on, however, things have taken a slightly positive turn for First Quantum, according to chief executive Tristan Pascall. The protests have cooled down and there may be a space opening up to discuss minings contribution to Panamas economy as the country heads to an election in May. ADVERTISEMENT We see that some of the emotion (from the protests) has really dialled back, he said. Theres significant economic challenges emerging in the country and we believe its impossible for the next government to ignore the contribution that a responsible mining sector can make. Cobre Panama is one of the worlds largest new copper mines to open in the past decade. Its a key asset since the demand for metals such as copper and lithium has increased in recent years due to their importance in the worlds gradual energy shift away from fossil fuels. The mine also plays a key role for the countrys economy since it accounts for about five per cent of Panamas gross domestic product. In addition, Cobre Panama employs about 7,000 people, with another 33,000 individuals dependent on the mine indirectly, First Quantum said. As the mine gets set to shut down a process that may take several years theres more questioning around the decision regarding the impact the move could have on the countrys economy, Pascall said. Panamas former finance minister Dulcidio De La Guardia said the order to shut down the mine was very unfortunate and expects the countrys economy to be significantly hit. Story continues The expected growth rate for Panama this year is between one and two per cent, he said. In contrast, last year, Panama grew in excess of six per cent. We are going to see a significant slowdown because of the loss of the output of the mine. Joana Abrego, a legal manager at the Environmental Advocacy Center of Panama (CIAM), which protested against the mine, said there were concerns for a potential reactivation of the mine due to recent statements made by several presidential candidates. But she added there would be significant legal obstacles for First Quantum to reactivate the mine. The CIAM has opposed mining in Panama for nearly two decades, but even though the protests against Cobre Panama are no longer active, Abrego said people expect the mine closure process to continue. (Metal mining) is environmentally and socially unviable in the country, she said. Pascall, however, said Cobre Panama has a net-zero environmental impact and that a lot of the anti-mining emotion was sparked because of fake news and misleading information, which he hopes to correct as the space for debate and discussions on the mine widens. For example, he said there were rumours about how the company was taking water from the Panama Canal, which he said was absolutely not the case. There were also allegations about the company clearing large swathes of forestry. Pascall said the company had cleared 3,000 hectares, but had a licence to clear 5,900 hectares. He said this was a very small percentage compared to the overall clearing of forests in Panama. By some sources, Panama has cleared 78,000 hectares of tropical rain forest since 2020, he said, adding that First Quantum has already reforested 4,200 hectares and has committed to reforesting 11,175 hectares. Despite the apparent change in mood, Pascall wont indulge in speculation about whether this could lead to a possible restart of the mine. He didnt provide a timeline either. Obviously, its up to the Panamanian people to decide that, he said. We are ready to be part of a long-term solution for the country. Currently, Pascall is more focused on the companys preservation and safe management plan, which will address issues such as the fate of the mines employees, management of the mine to ensure theres no environmental degradation and questions about who is going to foot the bill. This entire process could cost between $15 and $20 million per month. The company met with Panamanian ministers and submitted a draft of the plan in mid-January. So far, Pascall said engagement with the government has been constructive. First Quantum could also try to seek compensation through an international arbitrator, which would be legally binding. The company has publicly announced two arbitration processes, but even though Pascall said the companys legal case is extremely strong, it wouldnt be the companys preferred route. We would rather get to a resolution with the government of Panama in a sensible fashion, he said. Still, the waiting process and the production shutdown are hurting First Quantum. Cobre Panama was responsible for nearly half of First Quantums revenue in 2023 and the companys stock has been cut in half in the past five months. As a result, the company is considering selling stakes of its larger businesses in Zambia and some of its smaller mines. Overall, the plan is to cut costs and strengthen its finances. But its still holding out hope for Cobre Panama. We are absolutely committed to Panama. We put $10 billion into the country, Pascall said. Ultimately, we will see resolutions. I am confident in that. Email: nkarim@postmedia.com Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Dont miss the business news you need to know add financialpost.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukraine-born Miss Japan has relinquished her title following a tabloid report that she was having an affair with a married man and weeks of heated public debate on her eligibility. Karolina Shiino, 26, was crowned Miss Japan almost two weeks ago, sparking discussions about her heritage and what constitutes traditional Japanese beauty ideals. The controversy escalated when the Shukan Bunshun newspaper published allegations about her relationship with a married influencer and doctor, leading to a public backlash. The organisers of the pageant initially defended her and said that Miss Shiino was unaware of the mans marital status. Miss Japan Association believes there was no fault on the part of Karolina Shiino, it said on its website. Later, though, they confirmed that she had continued the relationship even after knowing about the mans marital status. In a statement on Monday, the Miss Japan Association said they had accepted Ms Shiinos request to relinquish the title and offered deep apologies to sponsors, judges and other stakeholders. The association said the title of Miss Japan will remain vacant for the rest of the year after Ms Shiinos decision. Ms Shiinos agency, Free Wave, announced on its website on Monday that the man involved in the scandal, who was not named in any media outlets, initially claimed to be single so Ms Shiino continued the relationship. The agency also accepted her proposal to terminate her contract with them. She was the first person of European descent to win the top prize in the contest dedicated to crowning a representation of the foremost beauty of all Japanese women. Ms Shiino was born to Ukrainian parents and grew up in Nagoya, central Japan, after coming to the country at the age of five. On her Instagram on Monday, Ms Shiino apologised to her followers and said: I am truly sorry for the huge trouble I have caused and for betraying those who supported me. She said that she had been unable to speak the truth due to confusion and fear. After winning the crown, she said in an interview with the Japan Times that growing up she had struggled with her identity. All my life Ive been told Im not Japanese enough, both directly and indirectly, but I know I am Japanese. I cant help it. Nobody has the right to tell me Im not, she said. I dont think its one thing that makes you Japanese. What I do know is that its a matter of the heart, she added. If a person thinks she is Japanese, then she is. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The British teenager found in France six years after he went missing has said he does not want his fugitive mother to be caught. Alex Batty was found in December, more than half a decade after his mother Melanie Batty and grandfather David took the then 11 year-old, on what was supposed to be a week-long vacation but never returned home. The now 17-year-old returned to the UK last year and reunited with his grandmother Susan Caruana, the legal guardian who had made emotional appeals over the years for his safe return. Greater Manchester Police has since launched a criminal investigation into the alleged abduction. Alex Batty has said he does not want his fugitive mother to be caught (Good Morning Britain/ITV) However, on Sunday Alex revealed his hopes his mother and grandfather do not get caught, insisting: Mum did it out of love. I hope the police dont find them, he told the Mirror: Mum did what she did out of love. Its what she thought was best and thats all you can really do, isnt it? She and my grandad did it with the best intentions. The teenager said he is certain the on-the-run pair will not get in touch with him for fear of capture, even though his birthday is coming up on Tuesday. Alex disappeared age 11, on what was supposed to be a week-long vacation (PA Media) I know theyre not going to get in contact, he told the newspaper. Theyre definitely not going to risk it. If they get in contact, itll be when theyre 100 per cent sure theyre all right. They wont rush it for my birthday... I love them both, but if I dont see them again its not a big deal. You can love someone and not talk to them. A delivery driver found Alex walking along a road in southern France in the middle of the night on 13 December. The boy told police he had been living a nomadic lifestyle in Spain, Morocco and France with his mother and grandfather as part of a spiritual community and decided to leave when his mother talked about going to Finland. The 17-year-old recently returned to Oldham, near Manchester, and reunited with his grandmother, Susan Caruana (Good Morning Britain/ITV) Alex previously told The Sun he feared the pair could be arrested on suspicion of child abduction, so he had lied about his escape. He had left the place they had been staying two days earlier not four days as he initially reported and provided other details he thought would throw investigators off their trail, he said. Ive been lying to try and protect my mum and grandad, but I realise that theyre probably gonna get caught anyway, he told the newspaper. I pretended I had been on such a long journey for that reason. Alex is now settling back into his life in the UK. He has started a computer programming course and is currently occupied with celebrations for his 18th birthday, including a meal with family including his grandmother, her new husband, uncle and cousin and a pub crawl. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man has been arrested after allegedly threatening a London bus driver and passengers with an unknown substance, sparking a three-hour stand-off with police. The Metropolitan Police said a man in his 40s boarded the 109 bus in Brixton on Sunday and was confronted by other passengers after he started smoking. He began to threaten them with an unknown substance while the bus was travelling through Thornton Heath, with the police called shortly after 8.30pm. Pictures showed officers dressed in chemical suits storming the bus, while passengers and the driver immediately left the vehicle once threats had been made. It was later confirmed that the substance was not corrosive and the man was arrested shortly before midnight after being tasered. He has since been taken to hospital and his condition is not life-threatening. A Met Police spokesperson said: Nobody was held hostage. The man made threats and everyone else on the bus immediately got off. The substance was not thrown. Shortly before midnight, the 44-year-old man was arrested for affray. The substance was found not to be harmful. Taser was discharged prior to his arrest and officers believe the man had taken drugs. As a precaution, he was taken to hospital. His condition is not believed to be life-threatening. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man has been rushed to hospital with burn injuries after a chemical attack in a graveyard. Kent Police said it is investigating after a noxious substance was thrown at the victim in Ramsgate on Sunday evening. The man was walking along Manston Road at 8.20pm and was attacked as he entered the St Laurence Graveyard, the churchyard of the St Laurence-In-Thanet Church in the village of St Lawrence. The victim was walking along Manston Road and was attacked as he entered the St Laurence Graveyard (Google Maps) He was rushed to hospital for treatment of burns to the back of his head. He remains there, but his injuries are not life-threatening. The force is appealing for witnesses after an investigation was launched to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident. No arrests have so far been made, as officers continue to hunt for the suspect. More details about the noxious substance are yet to be disclosed. District Commander for Thanet, Chief Inspector Ian Swallow, acknowledged the impact of such an incident on a community and confirmed there will be an increased police presence in the area while inquiries continue. He said: We would like to appeal to anyone who may have witnessed anything to get in touch. Anyone with dashcam or doorbell footage in the area from Margate Road, on to Newington Road and Manston Road, please could you check for anything that may help officers with the investigation. Incidents like these are rare, but we do not underestimate the impact it has on a community, and as a result, an increased police presence will be seen in the area as we continue to carry out enquiries. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man who allegedly flew from Heathrow to New York without a passport or boarding pass has been arrested. The Metropolitan Police said Craig Sturt was detained in Richmond, south-west London, on Monday at around 8am on suspicion of failing to appear in court. The 46-year-old, of Slough, Berkshire, is accused of slipping through Heathrow Airports security checks without presenting documents before boarding a British Airways flight to John F Kennedy airport on December 23 last year without a passport or boarding pass. He was first arrested at around 8pm on Christmas Day after arriving back in London on a flight from New York. Scotland Yard said he was charged with obtaining services by deception, being unlawfully airside and boarding an aircraft without permission. Thames Valley Police put out an appeal over Craig Sturt after he failed to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on January 22 (TVP Reading ) After pleading guilty to the offences at Uxbridge Magistrates Court, he failed to appear for sentencing on January 22. Following his arrest on Monday he remains in custody at a London police station. British Airways said in a statement: We are assisting the authorities with their investigation. A Heathrow Airport spokesman said: All people who go airside are subject to security screening, including the individual involved in this case. We are supporting the authorities with their ongoing investigation. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Three people accused of showing images of paragliders at a pro-Palestinian march were actually displaying a cartoon parachute used as a symbol of peace, lawyers have claimed. Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, are accused of attaching images of paragliders to their backs, while Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, is said to have stuck one to the handle of a placard just seven days after militants from Hamas used paragliders to enter Israel from Gaza on October 7. But a lawyer representing two of the defendants has claimed police have mistaken what they saw that day, and have been fed a narrative by partisan social media groups. Mark Summers KC, representing Alhayek and Ankunda, said: A parachute isnt a paraglider. The suggestion that the image was a paraglider started with an internet group with an agenda, who circulated it on social media, he said. Mr Summers continued: [A parachute] is a well known nationalist symbol of peace. The police have mistaken what they have seen that day. Police have taken the narrative thats been fed to them and brought it blindly to your door. Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, arrives at Westmintser Magistrates Court (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire) Giving evidence on Monday, former journalist Victoria Brittain, who is a patron of the group Palestine Solidarity, claimed a parachute was a typical Palestinian symbol of flight and escaping prison. Ms Brittain, who was present at Octobers demonstration, said balloons and kites had also been used with the same meaning. But when questioned by the prosecution, she admitted she had not seen any images of parachutes at the march. The trio displayed the images on October 14 2023, prosecutors allege, just seven days after militants from Hamas used paragliders to enter Israel from Gaza on October 7 before killing more than 1,000 Israelis. Hamas is banned as a terror organisation in the UK. The defendants display of the images was widely condemned when footage of the demonstration was published on social media, their trial at Westminster Magistrates Court was told. After the Metropolitan Police launched a social media appeal to find them, Alhayek and Ankunda handed themselves in to Croydon Police Station, the court heard. Pro-Palestinian protesters carry placards during a 'National March for Palestine' demonstration in central London (EPA/ANDY RAIN) In a police interview, the pair initially claimed someone at the demonstration who was not known to them had stuck the images to their backs, before changing their statements, admitting they had attached them themselves, the court was told. When arrested and interviewed under caution, Taiwo claimed to have been handed the placard and not paid proper attention to the blurry image it displayed, the court heard. Closing the prosecution case, Brett Weaver told the court: Their reaction was firstly to lie and then to retract that denial. [Parachutes have] no obvious association with freedom or liberation. Its no coincidence that the defendants were displaying the images a week after the attack no coincidence that the images they had related to the methods that Hamas used. Theres a clear nexus between the images displayed and the events of October 7. The three defendants deny the charges. The trial continues. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A woman has died and a man has been arrested following an incident in Shetland at the weekend. Police were called to a report of a disturbance in the Sandness area of the mainland at about 4.55pm on Sunday. The 24-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services. A 39-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and taken to hospital for treatment for injuries. Police Scotland have said it is not looking for anyone else involved in the disturbance. Inquiries into the incident are being led by detectives from the forces major investigation team. Detective Inspector Richard Baird said: Our investigation remains ongoing and a visible police presence is likely to remain in the area for the coming days. While our work is ongoing, we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident. Incidents such as this are thankfully extremely rare in Shetland and we understand that it will have had a significant impact on the local community. I would urge anyone who may have information or concerns to approach any of our officers. Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart commented: First and foremost, my thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the deceased and I extend condolences to them. This is a terrible event that has shocked the close-knit Sandness community and indeed wider Shetland. I have spoken with the police and understand that they are not looking for anyone else and that inquiries are ongoing. My thoughts are also with Police Scotland and other emergency services personnel who attended the scene. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A British investigative journalist has been sentenced in absentia to two years in prison by a Malaysian court for criminally defaming the countrys former Queen Nur Zahirah in her book The Sarawak Report The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose. Clare Rewcastle Brown accuses Malaysia of seeking political revenge for her damning reporting that exposed corruption in the upper echelons of power in the country. The 1MDB scandal toppled the powerful former prime minister Najib Razak and saw him jailed, as well as corruption charges brought against Goldman Sachs executives. In an interview with the BBC, 64-year-old Rewcastle Brown said: Im afraid this is malicious, it is politically motivated. And I see it as revenge for my public interest journalism. I think there are a lot of very powerful and wealthy people in Malaysia who are revengeful that I identified the corruption of their former prime minister [Najib Razak], who remains popular and powerful and wealthy. And I think that its no coincidence that just two or three days after [he] failed to get a pardon from the [Malaysian] King that would have let him out of jail after a fraction of his sentence, that this sentence was then passed against me. She is appealing the sentence, which she says came as a surprise from a single-day hearing. She says she was neither notified nor given a chance to defend herself. Rewcastle Brown says she was targetted for her reporting on the multibillion-dollar scandal involving the theft of $4.5bn from the Malaysian sovereign fund. Investigations by Rewcastle Brown who is also the founder and editor of the website Sarawak Report led to the unveiling of the 1MDB Development Fund scandal, uncovering massive allegations of kleptocracy by the Malaysian prime minister. The scandal also shook the global financial world, pushed the offshore finance industry into turmoil, and left numerous high-profile personalities in Hollywood, Vegas, and New York in a state of embarrassment, the Centre for Investigative Journalism states. I have become somewhat emblematic in the eyes of those who are deeply resentful that Najib was found guilty and convicted of this crime, the journalist said. We can speculate, but I think that its hard to come to the conclusion other than it is all connected to this 1MDB case. The Committee to Protect Journalists [CPJ] has condemned the Malaysian courts decision and said it was a direct threat to press freedom and an attempt to silence investigative journalism, particularly concerning official corruption. Malaysia should scrap the outrageous prison sentence given to Clare Rewcastle-Brown and stop harassing the journalist over her crucial reporting on the countrys 1MDB scandal, recognised as one of the worlds biggest-ever corruption cases, Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative, said on Friday. The harsh ruling will deter all reporters from investigating official corruption in Malaysia and represents a clear and present danger to press freedom in the country. The International Federation of Journalists [IFJ] also condemned the journalists sentencing and called on the Malaysian authorities to immediately reverse this punitive decision. In a statement, IFJ said: The punitive verdict in the criminal defamation case against Clare Rewcastle-Brown is a blatant attempt by the Malaysian authorities to quash critical reportage and crucial investigative journalism. Journalists must be permitted to report without repercussions on matters in the publish interest, and this ruling signifies a severe threat to press freedom. The IFJ calls for the immediate reversal of all charges against Rewcastle-Brown and calls on the Malaysian government to cease using harassment and intimidatory tactics towards journalists and whistle-blowers. Rewcastle Brown said she remains determined to continue her work in journalism, advocating for the right to report on issues of public interest. She said she was hoping for support from the UK government and international organisations to contest her conviction. The Independent has reached out to the Sarawak Report for comment. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The King has made his first public outing since the announcement of his cancer diagnosis as he attended church with the Queen on Sunday. Walking alongside Camilla and holding an umbrella, Charles arrived at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, on Sunday morning. It comes almost a week after Buckingham Palace said the King, who acceded to the throne 17 months ago, has a form of cancer. He was diagnosed after a separate issue of concern was noted and was investigated while he was being treated for a benign enlarged prostate. Charles and Camilla attend a Sunday church service in Sandringham (PA) The last time the 75-year-old King was seen was on Tuesday, as he left Clarence House the day after starting his treatment, following a brief reunion with the Duke of Sussex. On Saturday, the King spoke about his diagnosis for the first time as he thanked people for their many messages of support and good wishes. He added in his statement that it was equally heartening to hear how sharing his diagnosis has helped to promote public understanding of cancer. The king thanked well-wishers for their support (AFP via Getty) Charles has postponed all public-facing duties, but is continuing with behind-the-scenes work on his red boxes of state papers. Since his diagnosis, the family has rallied around Charles. Other members of the royal family are stepping up to take on additional duties and public engagements while the monarch undergoes treatment. The Princess Royal was the first to return to royal duties on Tuesday when she carried out an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle before heading to Nottingham on an official visit and then to London to make a speech in the evening. The Queen has rarely left the Kings side during his recent health scare, but she has also resumed her duties this week, where she gave a brief update on her husbands health. Prince William also returned to royal duties this week after he took a break to focus on his family and wife, the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from her abdominal surgery. The future King did not, however, see his brother, the Duke of Sussex, on his brief visit to the UK. Prince Harry put his rift with his father aside and cleared his schedule to fly from California to see the King on Tuesday. After flying over 5,000 miles, Harry spent around 30 minutes with his father at Clarence House in London before staying in a hotel and returning back to Los Angeles just 26 hours after he had arrived. Meanwhile, the King has been staying at Sandringham since he underwent his first round of cancer treatment. One of the most famous stately homes in Britain, Sandringham sits on an 8,000-hectare estate in Norfolk on the eastern coast of England. The Palace has called for the Kings privacy to be respected, especially during his treatment, but said he wanted to make his diagnosis public because of his long-running support for cancer charities. A host of medical professionals from different groups have commended the Kings candour over his health. Chiara De Biase, director of support and influencing at Prostate Cancer UK, highlighted a 500 per cent increase in people coming to the charitys website for information and support in the week following the Kings announcement of his enlarged prostate condition in January. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} HMS Prince of Wales finally set sail for the largest Nato maritime exercise in 40 years on Monday a day after its initially planned departure was cancelled at the last moment. The ship was meant to leave on Sunday to replace HMS Queen Elizabeth, which failed to depart from Portsmouth Harbour a week earlier due to an issue found in final checks with the starboard propeller coupling. No official reason was given for the cancellation of the Prince of Wales departure, but on Monday it finally set sail from Portsmouth Harbour, cheered on by family members and supporters. Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales sets sail from Portsmouth Harbour to lead the largest Nato exercise since the Cold War (PA) It will replace its sister warship for exercise Steadfast Defender off Norway, where more than 40 vessels will be stationed. Before it set sail, security minister Tom Tugendhat had admitted it was unacceptable that both of Britains multibillion-pound aircraft carriers had failed to leave port this month for the vital military exercises. HMS Queen Elizabeth will now head to Rosyth in Scotland to receive repairs to address wear and tear, according to the Royal Navy. Asked what had happened with the Prince of Wales, Mr Tugendhat told LBC: Im afraid its not something I can explain; thats a matter for the MoD [Ministry of Defence] and Im going to have to ask some questions about it. But Im sure the First Sea Lord is looking at this right now. Admiral Key has commanded an aircraft carrier in the past and will no doubt be all over the details of this and making sure they set sail as soon as possible. It isnt acceptable that we have such expensive and important items of kit sitting in the dock when they should be out defending our interests abroad. The MoD did not provide a reason why HMS Prince of Wales failed to depart on Sunday but a spokesperson said it will set off soon subject to suitable tide and weather conditions. Mr Tugendhat was then forced to brush away mocking comments on Monday morning that the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier could only sail on a sunny day when the tide is going the right way. That is absolutely not correct, the security minister said. Our warships are capable of operating in ... practically all weather. The reality is we have a completely capable navy with some extraordinary sailors who are able to equip and deploy our vessels around the world. Thousands watch HMS Prince of Wales set sail from Portsmouth Harbour on Monday (PA) But two cancellations in a week due to wear and tear have been a source of embarrassment for the Royal Navy. People lined the walls of Portsmouth Harbour to watch the 65,000-tonne Prince of Wales depart on Sunday. But after MoD police boats had secured the area and the harbour mouth was closed to traffic the normal protocol for the departure of a carrier the channel was reopened and the Prince of Wales failed to leave the jetty. It is unclear if the sailing was cancelled before the carrier was set to leave or whether it had made its first movements from the jetty at Portsmouth naval base. One member of the public who had come to wave off the carrier said: I hope it hasnt broken down again. After about 20 minutes, the hundreds of people gathered to see the ship started to disperse as word spread that it was not leaving. In August 2022, HMS Prince of Wales broke down shortly after leaving Portsmouth due to a propeller shaft problem. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Britain has imposed sanctions on four Israeli individuals, saying they threatened and perpetrated acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It follows a similar move by the US, which recently imposed sanctions on several Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians. The news comes as the foreign secretary and prime minister called on Israel to stop and think seriously before taking further action in Rafah in the south of Gaza. Speaking to reporters in East Kilbride, Scotland, David Cameron said that the government is very concerned about the situation in Rafah and wants Israel to stop and think seriously before it takes any further action. The government notice said that the most recent sanctions will target extremist Israeli settlers who have violently attacked Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The sanctions will impose financial and travel restrictions in a bid to tackle continued settler violence which threatens West Bank stability. The government notice said those sanctioned have used physical aggression, threatened families at gunpoint, and destroyed property as part of a targeted and calculated effort to displace Palestinian communities. The foreign secretary has called for Israel to stop and think before it takes further military action (PA Wire) Foreign secretary Lord Cameron said: Todays sanctions place restrictions on those involved in some of the most egregious abuses of human rights. We should be clear about what is happening here. Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs. This behaviour is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given but not followed through. He added: Extremist settlers, by targeting and attacking Palestinian civilians, are undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians. Downing Street has echoed the foreign secretarys calls for Israel to stop and think seriously before carrying out military action against Hamas in Rafah. The prime ministers official spokesperson said: We are obviously deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah. Over half of Gazas population are sheltering there and that crossing is vital to ensuring aid can reach the people who desperately need it The priority in Gaza must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out, such that we can then make progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Labour Party is embroiled in a fresh antisemisitm row with Sir Keir Starmer under renewed pressure to block his Rochdale by-election candidate from standing as an MP over his remarks on Israel. The shadow leader is facing a backlash from the left-wing of his party and some Conservatives after standing by Azhar Ali, who suggested Israel had allowed the 7 October Hamas attack to take place in order to invade Gaza. The row intensified as Sir Keir was urged to re-admit other MPs suspended in antisemitism rows, with some questioning the alleged difference in his approach to left-wing MPs and those seen as Starmer loyalists. Labour peer Prem Sikka told The Independent that Sir Keirs backing for Mr Ali shows that there is one set of rules for anybody on the left, and another for favourites of the Labour leader. Tory MPs also rounded on Sir Keir, saying his backing for Mr Ali showed Labour has not changed since Jeremy Corbyns leadership, when the party was dogged by its handling of antisemitism complaints. Azhar Ali was last month picked as Labours candidate for the Rochdale by-election (Getty Images) Labour, meanwhile, publicly stood by their candidate, with shadow minister Nick Thomas-Symonds insisting it would be unfair to conclude there is a problem with Labour in Rochdale, adding that Mr Ali had simply fallen for an online conspiracy theory. He also claimed there had been a transformation in the Labour Partys handling of antisemitism under Sir Keir, arguing that the cases of suspended MPs were different. In this case... theres been the apology, the retraction, but also that recognition of the level of offence that has been caused and then a commitment to seeking to rebuild trust, he told Times Radio when asked about the difference. Mr Ali cannot now withdraw from the 29 February by-election, where he was picked as Labours candidate to replace the late Sir Tony Lloyd. Labour figures have urged the party to let him fight the contest to stop George Galloway who is campaigning against Labours stance on Gaza from winning the seat. One shadow minister told The Independent Sir Keir needed to be clear that Mr Ali, if elected, will not be a Labour MP and that we will replace him with an appropriate candidate for the general election. It is a mess and a completely avoidable one, they said. Former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland told The Independent: Once again, Labour is showing that they have not changed, are not to be trusted and are nowhere near ready for government. Keir Starmer is under pressure to stop Azhar Ali becoming a Labour MP (Getty Images) Kate Osamor was suspended last month over a Holocaust Memorial Day post suggesting the Israeli action in Gaza is genocide. Diane Abbott was suspended after writing a letter suggesting Jewish people are not subjected to the same racism as some other minorities. And Andy McDonald was suspended for using the controversial phrase between the river and the sea in a pro-Palestine rally speech. All three are on the left of the Labour party and supported former leader Mr Corbyn. Corbyn-backing campaign group Momentum slammed what it called an authoritarian, factional purge of the Left from Keir Starmer. It added that Mr Alis case showed the other suspensions were not about anti-racism. Lord Sikka also called on Sir Keir to restore the whip to those left-wing MPs, all of whom were suspended over what he said were much less serious incidents. I just cant understand it, he said. The former London minister Paul Scully said the party was the same as ever underneath, echoing left-wing MPs and activists who believe Sir Keirs decision to stick by Mr Ali is driven by political expediency. He said: How can Keir Starmer stick with someone peddling the most heinous and offensive accusations about Israel? Because politically its the easiest short-term solution but storing up a whole load of trouble ahead. Labour candidate Azhar Ali with mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham (Getty Images) Pointing to the case of Ms Osamor, he said: Im sure Kate Osamor who lost the whip for less is scratching her head at this latest act of political expediency. Another Labour MP told The Independent: Rochdale is a mess. I think they know that if they lost the candidate, that might just galvanise support for alternative independent candidates. Labour on Sunday issued a statement on behalf of the candidate after the Mail on Sunday published comments from a recording of him telling the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had been warned of the attack before it happened, but they deliberately took the security off. Mr Ali is alleged to have said: The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier... Americans warned them a day before [that] theres something happening... They deliberately took the security off, they allowed... that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want. The Labour councillor is also alleged to have said that Sir Keir has lost the confidence of the parliamentary party. He said: A lot of the MPs Ive spoken to, non-Muslim MPs, feel that on this issue, hes lost the confidence of the parliamentary party. In the statement issued on Sunday morning, Mr Ali said: I apologise unreservedly to the Jewish community for my comments which were deeply offensive, ignorant, and false. Hamas horrific terror attack was the responsibility of Hamas alone, and they are still holding hostages who must be released. October 7th was the greatest loss of Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, and Jews in the UK and across the world are living in fear of rising antisemitism. I will urgently apologise to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments. Joe Glasman, head of political and government investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: This man does not belong in a major political party, let alone in parliament, yet Labour is, incredibly, still backing his candidacy after a quick apology. This is distressingly familiar to days that Sir Keir Starmer promised were behind us. This is not tearing antisemitism out by its roots. Mike Katz, the national chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement, said his group would not campaign in Rochdale as Mr Ali had destroyed his past record of allyship with the Jewish community with his totally reprehensible comments. But he stopped short of calling on Labour to drop the candidate, warning that the alternative in Rochdale is George Galloway whose victory would harm the Jewish community far more than electing Ali. He added: We know how far the party has come under Keir Starmer in tackling antisemitism and that the party, from Starmer down, is as shocked and disgusted by Alis comments as we are. Adam Langleben, director of the Progressive Britain think tank, said Mr Galloway was a greater evil and that Ali should win. But he added: Maybe he loses the whip once he has done it. Probably he isnt allowed to contest the general election. The row also threatened to once again highlight divisions within Labour over its stance on the Gaza conflict, with Sir Keirs initial refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire facing serious criticism from within the party ranks. About 20 per cent of the electorate and 30 cent of the population in Rochdale are Asian, with polls nationally suggesting Labours vote could be hit by Asian people unhappy with the party over Palestine and its perceived support for Israel. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Rishi Sunaks Rwanda deportation bill faced fresh opposition from Conservatives and Labour in the House of Lords. Tory and Labour peers warned of their belief that the Safety of Rwanda Bill would set a dangerous precedent for Britain. The PMs bill, which aims to overcome a Supreme Court ruling blocking the government from deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda, is making its way through the upper chamber. After Mr Sunaks deportation scheme with the east African nation was ruled unlawful, based on judges assessment that Rwanda is not a safe country for asylum seekers, the prime minister introduced a bill deeming the country safe in British law. Sunak visits a bus depot in Harrogate, North Yorkshire on Monday (Reuters) It has passed the House of Commons, but is likely to face amendments in the Lords which could threaten the governments ability to put asylum seekers on planes before the general election expected this autumn. On Monday Lord Cameron, the foreign secretary, warned peers it would be wrong to frustrate the bill, arguing that we need to get this Bill through Parliament. But, debating the bill on Monday evening, peers from across the upper chamber tore into the bills implications. Tory peer Lord Tugendhat said: "I have been a member of Parliament for a very long time on and off, and I have been a member of the Conservative party for some 66 years when I counted it up, and I do have to say that I find it quite extraordinary that the party of Margaret Thatcher should be introducing a Bill of this kind." The Conservative grandee, whose nephew is security minister Tom Tugendhat, claimed the Bill could have an impact on the UKs perception as a "marvellous place to do business because of our great respect for the rule of law". Lord Tugendhat added: "What we are being asked to do really represents the sort of behaviour that the world associates with despots and autocracies, not with an established democracy, not with the Mother of Parliaments. It is a Bill we should not even be asked to confront, let alone pass." Meanwhile Tory peer Viscount Hailsham said it was manifestly untrue to claim parliament believes Rwanda is a safe country for asylum seekers. It is simply untrue to state that it is the judgement of Parliament that Rwanda is a safe country. That maybe the opinion of the House of Commons", the peer said, noting MPs can come under pressure from party whips, and adding "but what is absolutely certain is that it is not the opinion of this House." It came as peers debated the merits of amendments to the asylum bill. Those put forward include measures that would include a sunset clause into the bill and require the government to restate that Rwanda is a safe country every six months. It is likely that if the bill returns to the House of Commons with any amendments attached, the government will seek to strip them out. The bill would then be sent back to the House of Lords in a process known as ping-pong. During the debate, Labour peer Baroness Chakrabarti warned the bill threatens both the domestic rule of law, especially the separation of powers, and the international rules-based order. The barrister and human rights activist led calls for the Government to heed advice from the UN about whether Rwanda is safe before beginning deportations, adding: "I will assume that the Government does not want to put the executive of the United Kingdom on a collision course with our Supreme Court or our international legal obligations. "So amendments in this group seek to offer a way through the stalemate for people of good will from all sides of your Lordships House." Former justice secretary Lord Falconer told peers that the bill, in its current form, could open the door to corrupt prime ministers overruling the courts to help their cronies. He said: Suppose the prime minister has a friend or a crony in the House of Commons who is convicted in a court of corruption of some sort, and then the prime minister presents a bill to Parliament saying it it the judgment of Parliament that Snooks MP actually wasnt able to present this new evidence to the criminal court that convicted him, so it is the judgment of Parliament that Snooks MP is innocent. "That is the route that this particular Bill takes Parliament down." Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch again as members of the House of Lords debated Rishi Sunaks Rwanda asylum bill on Monday, 12 February, after MPs as peers warned it is fundamentally incompatible with the UKs human rights obligations and would flout international law. The governments Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill risks untold damage to the UKs hard-won reputation as a proponent of human rights internationally, Parliaments Joint Committee on Human Rights said prior to the debate. Following a Supreme Court ruling against the plan, the controversial draft legislation and a treaty with Rwanda are intended to prevent further legal challenges to the stalled deportation scheme. The bill seeks to limit asylum seekers ability to appeal against being put on a flight to the east African country. Under the proposed legislation, judges would be compelled to regard Rwanda as safe and people could therefore be deported there. However, the crossbench committee of MPs and Lords said they were not persuaded that Parliament can be confident that Rwanda is now safe. In any event, we consider that the courts are best placed to resolve such contested issues of fact. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An elderly man has become the first person ever recorded to have died from the Alaskapox virus. Alaskas health department said in a bulletin on Friday that the unnamed man died back in January. He reportedly lived alone in a forested area of the states Kenai Peninsula and cared for a stray cat at his home. The cat regularly scratched the man and hunted small animals, the health department said. However, a swab was taken from the cat and tested for antibodies and orthopoxvirus but came back negative. For now, it is unclear how the man was exposed to the disease though the scratches from the cat have not yet been ruled out as a possible source. The elderly man first discovered a tender red papule, a raised bump on the skin, on his right armpit in mid-September, the health department said. Over the next six weeks, he was prescribed multiple antibiotics regimens and he underwent a punch biopsy. Despite the antibiotics, he was experiencing fatigue and pain in the area of his right armpit and shoulder. By mid-November, he was hospitalised before being transferred to a hospital in Anchorage. The man lived in the Kenai Peninsula, and had the first case outside of Fairbanks in Alaska (Getty Images/iStockphoto) While there, he complained of a severe burning pain. His right armpit, where he had the biopsy, was not healing and was draining copious amounts of fluid with a surrounding grey plaque. He eventually had a test result that was consistent with Alaskapox but was distinct from previous cases found in Fairbanks. He underwent treatment and initially looked like he was improving, but later showed signs of his wounds not healing, malnutrition, acute renal failure and respiratory failure. He died in late January 2024. The man suffered from a weak immune system which is thought to have contributed to the severity of his illness. Prior to this fatal case, Alaskapox had only been recorded in humans in the interior region of Alaska. But due to this case, AKPV appears to be more geographically widespread in Alaskas small mammals than previously known and warrants increased statewide awareness among clinicians, the health agency said. Alaskapox, or AKPV, is an orthopox virus that has been mostly identified in small mammals. It has been confirmed to occur in two species red-backed voles and shrews in Fairbanks. If transmitted to humans, it can cause symptoms such as producing skin bumps or pustules, along with swollen lymph nodes and joint and muscle pain. The virus was first identified in 2015 in a woman from Fairbanks, Alaska. Another five cases have since been reported in Alaska, all in Fairbanks North Star Borough. The elderly man from the Kenai Peninsula marks the seventh case and the first that is fatal. It is currently unclear how the virus is transmitted from animals to humans, but contact with small mammals and pets who have interacted with small mammals could be a potential source. No human-to-human Alaskapox transmission has ever been recorded. The Alaska Health Department recommends bandaging up the affected area to stop anyone from having direct contact with the bumps. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} One child has been shot after a shooting at megachurch pastor Joel Osteens Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. The child is believed to be around 5 and is in critical condition at Texas Childrens Hospital. A 57-year-old man was transported to another area hospital after he was shot in the leg but is in stable condition. Officials said they fatally shot the female shooter, believed to be between the ages of 30-to-35, during a news conference outside the church. Police said the woman showed up to the church with the child just before 2pm and entered the property on the west side. She was armed with a long rifle, a trench coat and backpack when she began to fire. Two off-duty officers engaged and struck the female at the scene. At some point, the child was also hit but its unclear if he was shot by an officer or the woman. It couldve been a lot worse, Mr Osteen said during a news conference alongside Houston Mayor John Whitmire after the shooting. We know Gods in control. Once the woman went down, officers said she threatened that she had a bomb but no explosives were found on site. However, the woman was spotted spraying a chemical, which was examined by Houston Fire Department officials. A hazmat team was also brought onto the scene. Still, police said they believed the shooting to be an isolated incident. When asked if officers had shot the boy, Chief Finner said if they had, hed put that blame on her. Its unknown if the woman and child are related. The shooting occurred as the church was transitioning into its Spanish-language service. According to local reports, witnesses believed that the shots came from the back of a performance stage as a worship band was playing. Lakewood Church is one of the largest Christian churches in the US with a capacity to seat about 16,000 people. Mr Osteen, its lead pastor, is one of the US most notable religious leaders. Mr Osteen continued his remarks by saying his congregation would be praying for the five-year-old boy and the female shooter. Were going to stay strong, he said. Were going to continue to move forward. In a statement, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, Our hearts are with those impacted by todays tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred. He added hes offered his full support to bring justice to the criminal who committed this heinous act. Close Adam Montgomery convicted of second-degree murder of daughter Harmony The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mother of slain five-year-old Harmony Montgomery spoke to reporters outside a courtroom after the little girls father was convicted of her murder. Jurors convicted Adam Montgomery on all charges following a gruelling trial which took place more than four years on from when Harmony was last seen alive in 2019. Authorities failed to search for the missing child who was known to protective services for more than two years after she went missing. Kayla Montgomery testified that her husband struck the Harmony several times after she had a bathroom accident. She testified that, after killing her, the family drove to a Burger King. She fed her two young sons and placed a sandwich on Harmonys lap without realising she was dead. After the defendant repeatedly struck Harmony. After he put the blanket over her. After she moaned. After the strange crying moaning stopped. After you did drugs and after the car died, you thought she was sleeping under that blanket, the prosecutor said. Why did you think that she may be sleeping after Adam repeatedly struck her? Because she would usually just go to sleep after, Kayla answered. The little girls remains were hidden in a ceiling vent at a shelter where the family stayed after her death. Montgomery snuck the remains into his workplace freezer, before disposing of them in March 2020. Harmonys remains have never been found. After the verdict was handed down, Harmonys mother Crystal Sorey told reporters she was grateful that it was over but vowed that she and authorities would not stop fighting to find her daughters body. She also slammed Montgomery as a coward for failing to attend any of his trial. In a press conference, Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg also vowed to continue to push to find Harmony. Were still going to find her, Chief Aldenberg told reporters as he choked back tears. This girl deserves better than the life that she had. This is never about winning or losing, this is about a five-year-old girl who was killed by her father. And I cant think of a worse crime. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The shooter who opened fire inside Joel Osteens Lakewood Church in Houston has now been identified by police as Genesse Ivonne Moreno a 36-year-old lone wolf who allegedly took her own son to the church before embarking on the shooting using an assault-style rifle with the word Palestine across it. Law enforcement officials held a press conference on Monday, one day after Moreno allegedly entered the megachurch with her seven-year-old son and opened fire with a rifle. The shooting unfolded at around 1.50pm on Sunday, just minutes before a Spanish-language sermon was scheduled to begin. Christopher Hassig, with the Houston Police Departments homicide unit, said that Moreno pulled up outside the church at 1.53pm in her white vehicle. She opened the door and pulled the seven-year-old boy out of the back seat. Dressed in a trench coat and carrying a bag, Moreno and the boy entered the building on the west side. Police said that she is believed to have pointed her weapon at a security guard to get inside the church, where she then began shooting in the hallway, firing off multiple rounds. Two off-duty police officers returned fire, shooting and killing Moreno. During what Mr Hassig described as the gun battle, the seven-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to hospital where he remains fighting for his life in critical condition. A second victim a 57-year-old man was also shot in the leg. He has since been released from hospital. Police recovered two weapons from Moreno the AR-15 which was used in the shooting and a 22 calibre rifle. The rifle was legally purchased by Moreno back in December. During the incident, police previously said that Moreno had also threatened that she had a bomb. But when police searched her vehicle and backpack, they found no explosives. Chief Finner said at a press conference on Sunday that the woman was also spraying some type of substance on the ground. It is not clear what the substance is but officials reassured the public on Monday that tests had been carried out, which confirmed there was no risk of exposure to any chemical. While the motive for the shooting remains unclear, investigators said that Moreno had a sticker which read Palestine on the butt of the rifle. Police have also since recovered some antisemitic writings, they said. At the time of the shooting, Mr Hassig said that Moreno was in the midst of a familial dispute with her ex-husband and his family, who are Jewish. We think this is where this stems from, he said. However, officials urged against speculation, saying that the investigation is still in the early stages. Its way too early to determine a motive for the shooters actions and were not in the business of speculating, said Doug Williams, FBIs special agent in charge of the Houston field office. Worshippers leave the Lakewood Church on Sunday after the shooting (AP) No link has been found between the suspect and the megachurch where the shooting took place, but the investigation has so far found that she acted alone. Moreno used several aliases including both male and female names. However, all the investigation to this point, she has been identified the entire time as female, police said. One such alias is Jeffrey Escalante, NBC News reported. Moreno had a lengthy criminal record with previous arrests including for assault, marijuana possession, forgery, theft, evading and unlawful carrying of a weapon, according to the outlet. Questions are now being asked as to how she was able to legally purchase a firearm as recently as December, particularly due to her history of mental health concerns. Officials praised the valour and heroism of the two officers who shot the suspect dead, saying that more lives would have been lost if it werent for them. What happened yesterday was the personification of heroism and valor, said Kevin Lilly, chairman of TABC, adding that the two off-duty officers held ground in the face of a rifle pointing at them at point blank range. They were a wall that existed between worshippers and terror. Between freedom of religion and murder, he said. Joel Osteen, the lead pastor at Lakewood Church, is one of the USs most notable religious leaders (AP) On Sunday night, officials including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) searched a home connected to the suspect in Conroe, Texas. The home is about 50 minutes north of Lakewood Church. Evidence was collected from the property, CNN reported. Lakewood Church is one of the largest Christian churches in the US with a capacity to seat about 16,000 people. Mr Osteen, its lead pastor, is one of the USs most notable religious leaders. At a news conference following the incident, he said: It couldve been a lot worse. We know Gods in control. Anyone with information about the suspect or the shooting is urged to contact Houston Police Department. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The person who opened fire at a subway station in New York, leaving one person dead and five others injured, is now the NYPDs most wanted, police said. Members of the public were advised to avoid the area following the mass shooting incident that took place at the Mount Eden Avenue subway station in the Bronx, in New York on Monday. One of the victims a 34-year-old male died at St Barnabas Hospital, police said. The other five victims were treated at the scene and transported to hospital, though their injuries are not believed to be life threatening. One killed and five wounded in shooting at subway station in The Bronx (AP) An NYPD spokesperson later confirmed to The Independent that the victims included a two teenagers a male and a female. The male, 15, was shot twice, once in the thigh and once in the ear, and the female, 14, was shot in the foot. A 29-year-old woman was shot in the face and the neck, and a 28-year-old man was shot in the right arm. A 71-year-old man was also shot during the incident, police said. The names of the victims have not been released. No arrests have been made, and a gun has yet to be recovered by authorities. It is believed the gunman is still at large and a police investigation is ongoing. A spokesperson for the NYPD addressed the shooter at a press conference on Monday evening, saying: You are now the NYPDs most wanted, youve got the greatest detectives in the world looking for you. We suggest you turn yourself in. Because youre not going to make it. NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper told reporters that the attack was not a random shooting and had stemmed from a dispute on the train between two groups of teenagers, describing the incident as rare and unacceptable. Shots were fired when the train arrived at the Mount Eden Avenue station, and it is believed that both members of the two groups and members of the public were among the victims. This is unacceptable and when det make an arrest there must be swift immediate strong consequences, Mr Kemper said. This is not the norm, thats why were out here - outraged. The question is, why do people feelemboldened to take guns out and shoot them? There must be consequences. Police tape closes off Mount Eden Avenue station in New York City on 12 February 2024 (AP) The shooting occurred on the uptown four train platform at 4:47p.m. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) said northbound No. 4 trains are running on the express track from 149 St.-Grand Concourse to Burnside Ave and No. 4 trains are bypassing Mount Eden Ave in both directions. According to witness, who spoke to CBS, there were about a dozen people on the platform when the shooting occured, including children. I heard gunshots, running, shooting, like, maybe, six times, five, six times. I heard two child screaming. And then, when I saw the train coming, thats when I ran downstairs, because there was too many noise, the witness told the outlet. Tania Kinsella, First Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, added: Today another senseless act of violence occurred on our transit system. We have innocent victims and we want New Yorkers to know that we will get you, whoever was responsible for this. New York congressman Ritche Torres described the incident as a mass shooting. There was a mass shooting in and near the Mount Eden subway station in the Bronx. At least one person has been murdered and at least five have been shot., Mr Torres wrote on X. The shooter remains at large. The NYPD is advising the public to avoid the area of Jerome Avenue between Inwood Avenue and Townsend Avenue. Video from television news helicopters showed a subway train stopped at the station and orange evidence cones on the elevated platform at the station at the intersection of Mount Eden and Jerome Avenues. In a post on X, the NYPD wrote: Due to an active police investigation, please avoid the area of Jerome Ave between Inwood Ave and Townsend Ave in Bronx, NY which is in the confines of the @NYPD44Pct . Please use alternate routes and expect traffic in the area. Mass transit disruptions, delays, and road closures are expected to continue. Cloudy skies obscuring Torontohenge? Here's when you can see it Click here to view the video Look to the west along any of downtown Toronto's east-west aligned streets later this week to witness the phenomenon known as Torontohenge. Torontohenge has become something of a cultural phenomenon. Once, this particular time of year was simply dreaded by commuters who would have to put up with the Sun shining directly in their eyes as they navigated downtown Toronto's urban canyons. However, years ago, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term 'Manhattanhenge' to describe how the skyscrapers of New York City would perfectly frame the setting Sun on certain days of the year. Although the effect is coincidental rather than deliberate, it is still very similar to what is seen during the summer and winter solstices at the ancient monument Stonehenge. Manhattanhenge from 42nd St in New York Manhattanhenge along 42nd St, June 3, 2008. Credit: Sevtibidou/Wikimedia Commons Toronto also experiences these same kinds of solar alignments. Appropriately, the phenomenon has been named Torontohenge. In 2024, look for the setting Sun to line up with Toronto's downtown east-west streets starting on February 14. Torontohenge - Feb2018 Torontohenge from College St in downtown Toronto, captured on February 22, 2018. Credit: NextThingIKnow/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) According to Ralph Bouwmeester, a Sun/shadow modeller who runs the SunPosition blog, Torontohenge actually occurs four times during the year at sunset around February 15 and October 25, and at sunrise around April 19 and August 23. In addition to when the full disk of the Sun is visible on the horizon between the skyscrapers, Neil deGrasse Tyson's timing of Manhattanhenge also includes details about "Half Sun on the Grid," when the Sun is half below the horizon as it aligns with the streets. Presuming the same for Torontohenge, the half-Sun should align with downtown Toronto's streets on Wednesday, February 14. The full-Sun alignment should then occur on Thursday. Plus, Bouwmeester says we will continue to see it for about a week after the date, with the Sun higher above the horizon each day. Story continues Sunset occurs at: 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb 14 5:47 p.m. on Thursday, February 15, 5:48 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 5:49 p.m. on Saturday, February 17, 5:51 p.m. on Sunday, February 18, and a minute or two later each day after. Torontohenge - Sunsets - Feb 2024 This diagram shows how the setting Sun is slightly higher in the western sky as it aligns with the city grid each day. Sunset times are specifically for 2024. Credit: Scott Sutherland To get the whole experience, plan to set up at your desired viewing spot at least half an hour before sunset. That way, you can watch as the Sun slowly comes into alignment between the buildings. DON'T MISS: Are you ready for the April 8th Total Solar Eclipse? Here's how to prepare Clear or cloudy skies? Based on the weather forecast, conditions should be excellent for Wednesday's 'half-Sun' alignment and the week after the 15th looks reasonably clear. However, Thursday's weather does not appear to be cooperating. Toronto 14 day forecast - Torontohenge "Thursday will be mostly cloudy and windy with wet snow developing during the afternoon and ending during the evening," says Weather Network Senior Meteorologist Doug Gillham. "5 to 10cm of snow are likely for most of the region, but lower totals are expected across the Niagara region and near Lake Ontario." 4Thursday Check for updates to the forecast as the week progresses. Where to see it_ The best downtown locations to view Torontohenge are along Wellington Street W, King Street W, Adelaide Street W, and Richmond Street W. On King Street W, outside of Roy Thomson Hall, is especially good. Farther north, Bloor Street W, near the intersection with Yonge Street, is also a great spot. October Torontohenge street map - 2021 This map shows the best streets for viewing Torontohenge from downtown Toronto. Credits: Google/Scott Sutherland Each of these roads is straight, with tall buildings lining both sides, and they have a relatively unobstructed view of the western horizon. Any similar street will produce the desired effect, though. Watch below: The setting Sun shines along downtown Toronto's urban canyons Click here to view the video DON'T MISS: How to safely watch the April 8 total solar eclipse How does this happen? Throughout the year, the Sun's position in the sky changes. On the summer solstice, it is highest in our northern sky, and day by day, it tracks lower and lower until we reach the winter solstice. Then, the process reverses, with the Sun's path climbing higher and higher each day until we are again at the summer solstice. This change in the Sun's angle and its effect on the intensity of the sunlight when it reaches the ground is what produces our four seasons. Solargraph-Toronto-Canada-2-2016-06-20-fine-art This 'solargraph' image captures the Sun's path across the sky, day after day, between the dates of February 28 and June 20, 2016. Credit: Bret Culp (Used with permission) So, with each sunrise and sunset we experience, we see the Sun at a different point along the horizon than it was the day before. When ancient peoples realized this trend, they set up monuments that would line up with the rising and setting Sun on specific days of the year. The most common days to observe this alignment were on the summer and winter solstices. More sophisticated monuments also observed the spring and fall equinoxes. Stonehenge English Heritage Twitter Credit: English Heritage However, cities such as Toronto and New York weren't built with astronomical alignments in mind. Their orientation was dictated by the local geography, specifically the shape of the Lake Ontario lakeshore and the shape and orientation of the island of Manhattan. Coincidentally, the Sun does line up with the streets of these cities on specific dates. They just aren't astronomically significant dates. This 'henge' effect of those alignments would also not have been as noticeable to start but became more of a phenomenon as taller and taller buildings began to line those streets. More than just Toronto Other locations in Canada experience these 'henges' as well. As long as the community is reasonably grid-like, and there are straight roads lined with buildings the taller, the better there's a fair chance it experiences a 'henge' at some time during the year. For example, although there are fewer tall buildings there, Halifaxhenge happens on the exact dates as Torontohenge. Montrealhenge occurs at sunset on Summer Solstice and sunrise at Winter Solstice, as the Sun lines up with streets running northwest-southeast, such as Robert Bourassa Boulevard and Peel St. For Calgaryhenge, the Sun aligns between the buildings on 4th, 5th, or 6th Avenues at sunrise around March 14 and sunset around March 21. It occurs again at sundown on September 21 and sunrise on September 28. Edmontonhenge is best seen (both sunset and sunrise) right around the March and September equinoxes. A call for caution! With the setting sun shining straight down the streets of Toronto, the glare will undoubtedly make the evening commutes more challenging. For pedestrians and those looking to see and capture Torontohenge, please be cautious and give commuters extra space and consideration. This is especially true when photographing the event, as there may be some temptation to step out into the street for a better angle. Due to the glare from the Sun, you may not be as visible as you think! And for commuters, whether the Sun is directly in your eyes as you drive west or in your rearview mirror as you go east, extra care is undoubtedly called for right now! Especially when driving downtown, pedestrians may not realize just how much the glare affects you, and there may be Torontohenge enthusiasts trying to get a better look at the phenomenon. Please watch out for one another so that everyone stays safe! Share the event! If you do manage to see this event and capture photos, be sure to upload them to our UGC gallery. That way, we can feature them on our website, and everyone can have a chance to see the stunning sunsets! (Thumbnail courtesy Sevtibidou/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)) Watch below: How to capture the best sunset photos Click here to view the video The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch as Joe Biden and Dr Jill Biden welcome King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan to the White House on Monday, 12 February. As the president hosts the monarch in Washington, the pair are expected to discuss the ongoing effort to free hostages held in Gaza. It comes after Rafah, in Gaza's south, was pounded by Israeli airstrikes overnight. Two Israeli hostages were rescued from Rafah overnight following a raid on a heavily guarded apartment which killed at least 67 people, according to a spokesman for the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled his intention to carry out a ground offensive on the city, now home to 1.4 million Palestinian refugees who have fled fighting elsewhere. Rafah, on the border with Egypt, is one of few Palestinian regions not yet targeted by an Israeli ground offensive. and is providing refuge to more than half of Gazas 2.3 million population. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A womans motive for opening fire in celebrity pastor Joel Osteens megachurch remained unclear Monday, a day after the shooting sent worshippers rushing for safety in between busy services. Police say two off-duty officers working security at Osteens church, one of the largest megachurches in the US, shot and killed the suspect. Two other people were also shot and injured, including a 5-year-old boy who entered the church with the shooter and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Osteen said the violence could have been worse if the shooting had happened during the earlier and larger late Sunday morning service. Once the woman went down, officers said she threatened that she had a bomb but no explosives were found on site. However, the woman was spotted spraying a chemical, which was examined by Houston Fire Department officials. A hazmat team was also brought onto the scene. Heres what to know about the shooting: How did the shooting unfold? The sound of gunshots inside the massive church, which was formerly the home of the NBAs Houston Rockets, startled worshippers just before 2 pm Sunday, around the time many people were getting ready to later watch the Super Bowl. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner did not identify the suspect at a news conference Sunday while standing near Osteen. He described the shooter as a woman in her early to mid-30s, saying she entered the church wearing a trenchcoat and backpack and armed with a long rifle, though he did not specify the exact weapon. Television evangelist Joel Osteen speaks at a news conference with law enforcement officials at his Lakewood Church (via REUTERS) Finner said the woman entered the church with the young boy but did not describe their relationship. The woman began shooting and was confronted by two off-duty officers, a Houston police officer and an agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, who returned fire. Finner said the woman told officers after being shot there was a bomb but a search found no explosives. He and other authorities at the scene praised the officers for taking down the shooter.She had a long gun, and it could have been worse, Finner said. But they stepped up and did their job. Who are the Joel Osteens megachurch shooting victims? Authorities have not released the identities of anyone involved in the shooting.It remained unclear how the young boy, who was taken to a Houston childrens hospital, was struck by gunfire. When asked whether the boy was shot by one of the off-duty officers returning fire on the suspect, Finner said he did not want to speculate but added: That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger. Im going to put that blame on her.Authorities described the other victim as a man in his 50s who was wounded with an injury to his hip. Carlos Gonzalez, a worship singer, hugs a fellow churchgoer after the shooting (REUTERS) How did those inside react? Alan Guity, whose family is from Honduras, has been a member of the church since 1998. He said he heard gunshots while resting inside the churchs sanctuary as his mother was working as an usher.Boom, boom, boom, boom. And I yelled, Mom, he said. Guity, 35, said he ran to his mother and they both laid flat on the floor as the gunfire continued. Guity said he and his mother prayed and stayed on the floor for about five minutes until someone told them it was safe to leave the building. As he was led outside, Guity could see people were afraid and crying and looking for loved ones. Guity said he and his mother tried to calm people down by worshiping and singing in Spanish, Move in me, move in me. Touch my mind and my heart. Move within me Holy Spirit. Who is Joel Osteen? Osteen, 60, took the helm of Lakewood Church after John Osteen, his father and the churchs founding pastor, passed away in 1999. The church has grown dramatically under Joel Osteen and is regularly attended by 45,000 people weekly, making it the third-largest megachurch in the US, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Pastor Joel Osteen speaks to the media after the shooting (AP) Osteen is a leader of what is known as the prosperity gospel, a belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy. He is the author of several best-selling books, including, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential.His televised services reach about 100 countries and renovating his churchs arena cost nearly $100 million. After Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston in 2017, Osteen opened his church to those seeking shelter after social media critics slammed the televangelist for not offering to house people in need. The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Mexican armed forces said on Monday they had dismantled a clandestine meth mega-laboratory in northern Sonora state, marking the largest drug laboratory busted under the current administration. This is the largest laboratory we have secured during the current administration and represents more than 50% of the drugs and precursors seized this year, Mexicos navy said in a statement on X, alongside photos showing large containers and white sacks at the rural camp near Rancho Viejo. The navy said it had seized 4.13 metric tons (91,073 lb) of meth and 1.27 tons of precursor chemicals used to make the synthetic drug. The site counted 72 laboratory reactors, it added, five times more than the 13 discovered at what was previously considered the countrys largest clandestine lab, which had also been discovered in Sonora. The U.S. has been pushing Mexico to crack down on drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl, even as leaked documents revealed the Mexican army revised up the number of drug lab raids it said it had conducted under the administration of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is in his final year of office. A view of a clandestine lab to process synthetic drugs seized by the Mexican Navy (via REUTERS) Mexico has meanwhile been pushing for the United States to take a firmer stance on the illicit trafficking of firearms from the United States to drug cartels across the border. Photos distributed by the navy showed a series of large metal boilers and chemical reactors arranged in a line amid the brush and low trees of the site, which was visible from the air. Over 200 centrifuges, boilers and condensing chambers were discovered, according to the navy. The navy said its personnel destroyed the equipment, but it did not specify when the raid took place. Previously, most big meth labs had been found in Sinaloa, but it appears the increasingly violent state of Sonora has become a center of production, and not just a smuggling route. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Some Democratic senators celebrated this weekend after President Joe Biden released what theyre calling a historic memo on foreign aid requirements, hailing it as a step towards potentially conditioning military aid to Israel. But despite those celebrations, the White House denied that it would have an impact on billions of dollars of military aid slated for the longtime US ally. The Biden administration released a memorandum on Thursday evening describing conditions countries must meet to receive aid from the United States. The memo outlines existing laws stating that countries receiving US aid must follow humanitarian guidelines, such as providing credible and reliable written assurances that they are complying with international law and humanitarian standards. The memo comes at a time of increased scrutiny of military aid to Israel, as the longtime US ally is poised to launch an offensive into the southern city of Rafah, where half of Gazas pre-war population is now sheltering from the war. Hundreds of thousands are living in tent encampments and overcrowded UN shelters in the city, and aid agencies have warned of a bloodbath if it goes ahead. Mr Biden issued a rare public criticism of the plan, saying it should not take place without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. As Joe Biden would say, this is a BFD, Senator Chris Van Hollen said of the memo on X. The Maryland Democrat is one of only a handful of Senators who support a ceasefire in Gaza. When asked by The Independent if he believes this memo could have practical implications for US aid to Israel in the near future, Senator Peter Welch of Vermont said, I do. He has also called for an indefinite ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts also praised the memo as historic to The Independent. Ive been working with the @WhiteHouse & Senators led by @ChrisVanHollen to improve protection of civilians & hold the Israeli government accountable for upholding international law, Ms Warren also said on X, quote-tweeting a post about the Presidents memo. U.S. military aid cannot be a blank check for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his right-wing government to kill tens of thousands of Palestinians. But the memo may not be as consequential as some Senators say. The White House says the memo contains no changes to standards for aid. There are no new standards in this memo, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday. We are not imposing new standards for military aid. Instead, we are spelling out publicly the existing standards by international law, including the law of armed conflict, Ms Jean-Pierre continued. The memo dropped the same night that Mr Biden said in a press conference that Israels military operations in Gaza have been over the top. Many of these pre-existing foreign aid standards come from the Leahy Law which refers to two statutory provisions and is named after former senator Patrick Leahy. It prevents the federal government from using funds to assist foreign governments when there is credible information they have committed gross violations of human rights. The memo was released just a little over two weeks after the International Criminal Court found it was plausible that Israel was committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. It comes as 19 senators, led by Mr Van Hollen, banded together in a call for an amendment to a bill that would provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific. Because weve now accomplished our goal in law, we will not offer that amendment, Mr Van Hollen told The Independent when asked about the memo. Several Senate Democrats have praised the memo. Mr Welch told The Independent the memo is a demonstration Congress is watching and marks a significant change in sentiment. When asked how the memo could be practically enforced in the case of Israel, Senator Chris Murphy one of the original negotiators of the bipartisan immigration bill wasnt able to answer. Its an important question, and I should probably hear from the administration on how they plan to implement the letter before I answer that publicly, Mr Murphy, one of the 19 Democrats who initially proposed the amendment, told The Independent on Friday evening. But White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters the White House briefed Israelis on the foreign aid requirements reiterated in the memo. [The Israelis] reiterated their willingness to provide these types of assurances, she said. Meanwhile, Israels military operations in Gaza have killed more than 27,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The four-month-long offensive began after Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel on 7 October. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped some 250 people and took them back to Gaza. But with Ms Jean-Pierres note that this memo includes no new standards and a lack of clarity around how it will be enforced, some are doubtful of its true impact on aid to Israel. It does not apply to Israel because, according to the [Biden] administration, Israel is acting consistent with US policy, Senator Bernie Sanders told The Independent when asked about the memo. On Sunday, Mr Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel prepares a military operation in Rafah in Gaza. A White House readout said that Mr Biden cautioned that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there. US support for Israels war in Gaza has caused a split within the Democratic Party between more traditional Democrats who support Israel and more progressive Democrats who have vocally criticised both Mr Netanyahu and Mr Biden. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump is reportedly considering supporting his daughter-in-law Lara Trump for co-chair of the Republican National Committee, according to The New York Times. This comes after reports that current RNC chair Ronna McDaniel is set to leave her post after the South Carolina Republican primary. The former president is backing Michael Whatley, the chair of the North Carolina Republican Party and a fellow election denier, to replace Ms McDaniel in the top role. Mr Whatley is also the general counsel for the RNC. The party rules designate that one woman and one man serve as co-chairs of the RNC. Mr Trump has been discussing with aides the possibility of endorsing the wife of his son Eric to serve as one of the co-chairs. Ms Trump has worked with the committee for years and has built a reputation as a strong fundraiser. The daughter-in-law would also be trusted by the Trump family, which asserts influence over Mr Trumps campaign and which follows how resources are used, The New York Times noted. Ms Trump weighed running for US Senate in North Carolina in 2021. Ms McDaniel has been under pressure for several months to step down as Mr Trumps allies have attempted to push her out amid concerns about the RNCs finances ahead of the general election campaign. After she met Mr Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Monday last week, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that Ms McDaniel was now Head of the RNC, and Ill be making a decision the day after the South Carolina Primary as to my recommendations for RNC Growth. Ms McDaniel has reportedly been thinking about resigning before the end of her term for quite a while. As an organisation, the RNC focuses on turning out Republican voters and raising funds for the party. In 2016, the committee was forced to work with Mr Trump after he shocked the entire Republican field when he won the nomination and subsequently the general election. In 2020, the Trump campaign handed over a number of important functions to the committee, and during the 2024 campaign, the Trump team is expected to attempt to completely subsume the committee, The New York Times notes. Ms McDaniel was the chair of the Michigan Republican Party between 2015 and 2017, taking the helm of the national committee just a day before Mr Trumps inauguration in January of that year. Her predecessor, Reince Priebus, left the post to become Mr Trumps first White House chief of staff. While Ms McDaniel was set to serve until 2025, her relationship with Mr Trump began deteriorating as they squabbled over the Republican primary debates this campaign season, which featured Mr Trumps challengers but not the former president who refused to take part. Mr Trump pushed Ms McDaniel to cancel the debates, but she refused, according to The Washington Post. Mr Trump was then on the receiving end of a long stream of criticism aimed at Ms McDaniel coming from rightwing donors, activists, as well as from his aides, worried about fundraising, with the RNC having about half the cash of the DNC at the end of last year. Mr Trump has remained cordial in private with the outgoing chair, The Post reported. He hasnt strongly urged her to leave despite the pushing from aides and donors. But about two weeks ago, Mr Trump started telling people it was time for a change at the RNC. And on Monday last week, a Newsmax reporter asked Mr Trump: Is it time for Ronna McDaniel to step aside? Uncharacteristically gently, Mr Trump said: I think she knows that, I think she understands that. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalised on Sunday for what officials said appeared to be an emergent bladder issue. Today, at approximately 2.20pm, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin Ill was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be seen for symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue. The Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been notified. Additionally, White House and Congressional notifications have occurred, said a Pentagon spokesman, Pat Ryder. At this time, the Secretary is retaining the functions and duties of his office. The Deputy Secretary is prepared to assume the functions and duties of the Secretary of Defense, if required. Secretary Austin traveled to the hospital with the unclassified and classified communications systems necessary to perform his duties, Maj Gen Ryder continued. We will provide an update on Secretary Austin's condition as soon as possible. The Pentagon chiefs hospitalisation is his second in just two months. In January, he underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer at Walter Reed, a process which sparked controversy throughout Washington after it was revealed that the White House had been in the dark about the condition of a Cabinet secretary particularly the defence chief at a time of great instability throughout the Middle East. Mr Austin apologised for that breakdown of communication later in January at a press conference after his return to duties. The Independent has reached out to the White House National Security Council for further comment on his newest hospitalisation. It wasnt clear on Sunday whether Mr Austins latest hospitalisation was directly linked to his prior treatment for prostate cancer. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nikki Haley and Former President DonaldTrump are squaring up for their latest tiff after he publicly questioned her military husbands whereabouts. Mr Trump made the remarks while campaigning in South Carolina, Ms Haleys home state, where she also served as governor. The former president is currently leading in the polls there ahead of the 24 February primary. What happened to her husband? Mr Trump asked a crowd in Conway, South Carolina. Where is he? Hes gone. He knew. He knew. Ms Haley responded in a post to X, formerly Twitter. Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about, she said, adding, Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. Michael Haley is currently deployed in Africa, but responded to the remarks on Twitter with a meme that read: The difference between humans and animals? Animals would never allow the dumbest ones to lead the pack. President Joe Biden also took the time to address the matter on social media. The answer is that Major Haley is abroad, serving his country right now. We know [Trump] thinks our troops are suckers, but this guy wouldnt know service to his country if it slapped him in the face. Mr Trump and Ms Haley have been engaging in a recent back-and-forth while on the campaign trial. The former UN ambassador took out a billboard ad this week calling out Mr Trumps age. Still, she encouraged him to make any further remarks on the debate stage. The former president still has not participated in a presidential debate during the election cycle. Donald, if you have something to say, dont say it behind my back, she said. Get on a debate stage and say it to my face. Ms Haley lost the Republican primary election in Nevada to Mr Trump none of these candidates earlier this week. After the results were announced Mr Trump said he wished the general election could be held on Tuesday. Go back home, rest and then come back, the former president told his supporters. If we win the state of Nevada, its over for them. The other Republican primary this month is in Michigan on 27 February. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden on Monday said Israels planned military operation against Hamas in the Gazan city of Rafah should not proceed without a credible plan to ensure safety and support for the more than one million civilians whove taken shelter there since Israel started its offensive against Hamas in the wake of the 7 October terror attacks. Speaking alongside King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, Mr Biden said he and the Jordanian leader discussed both the Israeli operation and the status of civilians there. Many people there have been displaced, displaced multiple times, fleeing the violence to the north, and now theyre packed into Rafah, exposed and vulnerable they need to be protected, Mr Biden said. Israeli airstrikes killed more than 100 people in the city overnight, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Around half of Gazas pre-war population is now crammed into sprawling tent encampments and overcrowded UN shelters after fleeing from Israels offensive further north. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week called for his military to develop a plan to evacuate the city ahead of a planned attack on Hamas holdouts there, as aid agencies warned any such move would be a bloodbath. The president said he has been clear from the start of the conflict about US opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians and stressed that he has been in contact with partners in the region to ensure a more steady flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, both from the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border and from other points of access. President Joe Biden, centre, and First Lady Jill Biden, second right, greet King Abdullah of Jordan, second left, Queen Rania, right, and Crown Prince Hussein, left, at the White House (AP) Were working to open other routes as well. And were also working relentlessly to make sure aid workers can get the aid where its needed, said Mr Biden, who noted that both the Jordanian leader and members of his family have piloted planes used to airdrop medical and other supplies into Gaza. The president also reiterated the longstanding US support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and said the de facto government led by the Palestinian Authority must urgently reform to prepare to take over both the West Bank and Gaza after Hamas, which has controlled the latter territory since 2007, has been brought down. Once Hamas control of Gaza is over, they must prepare to build a state that accepts peace, does not harbour terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and together we will keep working to complete what we started to integrate the region, to bring about peace between Israel and all its Arab neighbours, including the Palestinian state, he said. While the American president has expressed support for what he has described as an extended pause in fighting something the US has taken pains to differentiate from a hypothetical ceasefire King Abdullah appeared to harbour no reservations about calling for a full stop to the fighting on both sides, citing an unbearable situation in Rafah that is certain to produce another humanitarian catastrophe should Israel follow through on plans to attack. Palestinians inspect damaged areas following Israeli airstrike on Rafah, southern Gaza (EPA) We cannot stand by and let this continue. We need a lasting ceasefire, now this war must end, he said. The King, who spoke English tinged with a hint of British accent acquired while attending St Edmunds School in Hindhead, Surrey as a child, said all parties must urgently and immediately work to ensure the sustainable delivery of sufficient aid to Gaza through all possible entry points and mechanisms and called for a resumption of full support for the UN Relief and Works Agency, which has come under fire in recent days after some of its employees were found to have links to the 7 October attacks. Restrictions on vital relief aid and medical items are leading to inhumane conditions. No other UN agency can do what UNRWA is doing in helping the people of Gaza through this humanitarian catastrophe, he said. It is imperative that UNRWA continues to receive the support it needs to carry out its mandate. The King echoed Mr Bidens opposition to any displacement of Palestinians from Rafah, telling reporters that the potential threat of Palestinian displacement beyond the borders of Gaza and the West Bank is something we view with extreme concern and cannot be allowed. The leaders comments came just hours after National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the US would not support the Israeli offensive absent a proper, executable, effective and credible plan for the safety of the more than a million Palestinians that are taking refuge there. Mr Kirby said that evacuating Rafah in a way that protects civilians would be a heavy lift, but thats the conversation that we want to keep having with our Israeli counterparts. When asked if he believes its realistic or viable for Israel to have a goal of moving civilians out of the path of their planned operation in Rafah, Mr Kirby replied: "Lets see what the Israeli Defense Forces come up with." We cant tell you whats going to look like, thats really for the IDF to speak to, but it absolutely has to be accounted for, he said. "We wouldnt support operations given the current circumstances where you have, again, more than a million people there with nowhere to go and no plan for them to go so that they can be safe, he added. Mr Netanyahu told ABC News on Sunday that Israel would provide safe passage to civilians wishing to leave Rafah. When asked where they could go, the Israeli prime minister said: You know, the areas that weve cleared north of Rafah, plenty of areas there. But we are working out a detailed plan. But aid agencies operating on the ground in Gaza, and even Israels Western allies, have expressed scepticism that a plan to evacuate 1.5 million people from Rafah safely exists. "No war can be allowed in a gigantic refugee camp," said Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, warning of a "bloodbath" if Israeli operations expand there. UN humanitarian co-ordinator Jamie McGoldrick told the BBC that people in Rafah would have "nowhere to go" in the event of an Israeli offensive. "The safe areas that were declared are no longer safe. And if these people have to move where can they move? We are really fearful of the horrific nature of where we are could only ever get worse," he said. British foreign secretary David Cameron said that Israel should stop and think seriously before taking further action in Rafah. He added that is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people, there is nowhere for them to go. Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: Forcing the over one million displaced Palestinians in Rafah to again evacuate without a safe place to go would be unlawful and would have catastrophic consequences. There is nowhere safe to go in Gaza. More than 27,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israels offensive in the densely populated territory, most of them women and children, according to the health ministry in Gaza. The war was launched by Israel in response to a surprise Hamas attack on 7 October that killed 1,200 people. Some 250 people were also kidnapped and taken back to Gaza. Some 80 per cent of Gazas population of 2.3 million have been displaced by the fighting. Israels offensive is now pressing further south towards the city of Rafah, where most of those displaced people are now sheltering. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former president Donald Trumps latest remarks claiming that he would oversee the disintegration of the Nato alliance Saturday evening in South Carolina divided Republicans on Sunday. Mr Trump made the remarks at a rally in Conway, South Carolina. If we dont pay and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us? Trump claimed to remember a Nato member-states leader asking him when he was president. He then claimed to have responded: No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. But Republicans who are already experiencing a major split led by Mr Trump about the role of the United States as a global leader disagreed about whether his words should warrant alarm when quizzed by The Independent. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas dismissed critiques of Mr Trumps rhetoric. What I know is hell secure the border, hes going to make this country safer, hes going to hold Nato accountable, he told The Independent. And I think that people need to realize that like, you should take everything that he says seriously, but not literally. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, a staunch supporter of Mr Trump who led the charge to object to the 2020 presidential election results, said Mr Trump was correct in saying that Nato countries did not pay their fair share, but added that the United States would live up to its commitments. Seriously, they need to do more, but obviously we dont want Russia to invade, he told The Independent. If they invaded a Nato country, wed have to defend them, so we dont want that. Unsurpisingly, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, an ardent critic of Russia and supporter of Ukraine, blasted Mr Trumps remarks. He says outrageous things to get people riled up, he told The Independent. It works at the rallies. Unfortunately, it also has an impact around the world where our friends wonder whether they can rely on America. Mr Trumps remarks were not the first to throw into question the future of one of the worlds most significant and consequential military alliances, one that saw countries come to the USs aid after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But they were his most plain-spoken threat so far: A stunning vow to encourage and support Russian military action against Nato members who did not meet the alliances benchmarks for defence spending. The remarks specifically referred to Article 5 of the Nato charter, which promises that all Nato members will respond to an attack on any individual member. The reaction from Nato leadership was swift. Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk, said Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Similarly, some more traditional Republicans sought to distance themselves from Mr Trumps words. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran, also criticised Mr Trumps words, telling The Independent: Thats horrible. Iowas senior Senator Chuck Grassley criticised the sentiment of Mr Trumps words without specifically mentioning the former president. No American should do anything to appease Russia, he told The Independent. Mr Grassley and Ms Ernst have not endorsed Mr Trump despite the fact he overwhelmingly won the Iowa caucuses last month, shattering records. But Mr Trumps words drew cheers from the crowd at his Conway, South Carolina rally, where the former president seeks to deliver a deathblow to the campaign of Nikki Haley in the former UN ambassadors home state. Ms Haley, a traditional conservative on the issue of national defence, is a strong supporter of Nato, and attacked Mr Trump in a statement after he disparaged her husbands military service at the same event. Ms Haley addressed her rivals threat to the Nato defence pact on Sunday, appearing on Face the Nation: [W]hat bothers me about this is, don't take the side of a thug who kills his opponents. Don't take the side of someone who has gone in and invaded a country and half a million people have died or been wounded because of Putin. In Washington, however, many Republican leaders defended or dismissed Mr Trumps words about Nato. Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, brushed off the former presidents remarks as bluster during his interview with CNN. Donald Trump was president, and he didnt pull us out of Nato, Mr Rubio noted, adding: I have zero concern. But other Republicans chastised Mr Trump. The strongest criticism came from a surprising source: Rand Paul, the Kentucky senator known for his own isolationist leanings and skepticism of Americas military footprint. Stupid thing to say, he told The Independent. I agree with with Trump that they don't pay enough they should pay more, but saying that they should be invaded by Russia, is not wise, Mr Paul continued. The split epitomises a larger divide within the Republican Party. Mr McConnell, a longtime supporter of Ukraine, hoped to pass aid to Ukraine earlier, which led to prolonged negotiations between Senator James Lankford representing Republicans and independent Senator Kyrsten of Arizona and Chris Murphy of Connecticut representing Democrats to negotiate border security measures in exchange for aid to Ukraine and Israel. The trio came to an agreement last weekend but Mr Trumps opposition to the package effectively killed it. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Mr Trump was trying to recall a story. And I'm sure that he was recounting a story, he told reporters. He tends to use a little flourish and his comments, but his point about them paying their fair share is well taken by me. Larry Hogan, the popular two-term former governor of Maryland who surprised some in DC this past week by announcing a late-in-the-game bid for a Senate seat held by the retiring Democratic senior senator from his state, Ben Cardin. That race remains a likely hold for Democrats in the fall, but Mr Hogans prominence could make the election competitive. Mr Hogan has long been one of Mr Trumps loudest critics in the GOP. On Sunday, he pledged to support Nato in the Senate were he to be elected in the fall; Maryland, which is home to the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, is home to many military families and civil service employees and is just about the last place Nato skepticism will win Mr Trump any supporters. The reactions of Mr Hogan and Senator Rubio hint at a line of thinking among Republicans that was prevalent among many of Mr Trumps private detractors througout the Trump presidency. Many who disagreed with some or most of Mr Trumps policies especially related to foreign policy and the military relied on the ex-presidents advisers like James Mattis, his former secretary of defence, and Mark Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to rein him in and impede his more impulsive rhetoric and orders, such as a demand for the complete withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by December of his final year as president. Democrats for their part vocally criticised Mr Trumps words on Nato. Senator John Fetterman, one of President Joe Bidens loudest defenders, attacked the media for focusing attention on issues of Mr Bidens memory and argued that comments such as this from Mr Trump deserved more attention. Let's talk about some bulls*** political hit in that ridiculous kind of report, the Pennsylvania Democrat told reporters on Sunday. [L]et's just talk about the outrage and how astonishing it is that somebody that could be president would say that kind of a thing. You know, is the bar that low where we can just roll our eyes and ... ignore that? Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, went after Mr Trump and Republicans over the vow to violate Article 5. I don't think any of my colleagues would stand up and say let Russia attack on our allies because they haven't paid the rent, Mr Reed told The Independent. I mean, it's ridiculous, this is just preposterous that he says these things. The back-and-forth came as the Senate voted to proceed on a security package that would provide aid to Israel and Ukraine amid Russian President Vladimir Putins assault on Ukraine and the ongoing Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nikki Haley is going all in on what she sees as the safest line of attack against Donald Trump questions about his mental fitness and temperament in a year where the incumbent Democratic president is facing similar concerns. The former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador sat down with NBCs Craig Melvin for an interview with the Today show on Tuesday as she prepares for a showdown with Mr Trump in her home state that is a litte more than a week away. The primary election in South Carolina could be a jolt in the arm of her campaign as she continues to steeply trail the frontrunner or, it could be the death knell of her presidential bid. It could also be neither of those things, as she plods along towards Super Tuesday in March. Ms Haley made some of her most forceful criticism of Mr Trumps mental state yet during the interview. The problem now is, he is not the same person he was in 2016. He is unhinged; he is more diminished than he was, just like Joe Bidens more diminished than what he was, Ms Haley told NBC. We have to see this for what it is, she went on. This is a fact: he is now saying things that don't make sense. She contrasted Mr Trumps mood and temperament now with what she experienced during his administration, when the former UN diplomat said that Mr Trump was responsive when his deputy came to him with concerns. Two of those concerns she named directly: his response to a white nationalist riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as his pattern of rhetoric about women. If something was wrong ... I had a conversation with him about Charlottesville, I had a conversation about something that he would say about women, I had a conversation with him about multiple things, said Ms Haley. Ms Haley has made her opponents age an issue the same way Trump-aligned Republicans have sought to cast doubts about Mr Bidens focus and mental clarity. Some of the ex-presidents more rabid supporters have even taken things a step further and openly suggested that the incumbent president has dementia. Concerns about Mr Bidens memory were energised by the release last week of a report authored by Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Hur regarding the investiation into the presidents handling of classified documents. During interviews, Mr Hur described the president as severely forgetful and unable to recall details about major events from his life, including the death of his son Beau. Mr Biden would go on to angrily rebut that criticism at a press conference. "You've got Joe Biden, where the special counsel said he was diminished, and he's not the Joe Biden he was two years ago," Ms Haley told NBC on Tuesday. "You've got a Donald Trump who's unhinged, and he's more unhinged than he ever was. [W]hy are we settling for that when the country is in disarray and the world is on fire?" she aked. We don't want these two old men running. We want someone who's going to go and fight for us and work for us, with no drama, no vendettas." The no vendettas line was a clear reference to Mr Trump frequent vows of revenge against his political enemies; he has told supporters that he will direct the Justice Department to prosecute Joe Bidens family if he is elected for a second term, and a group of conservative organisations is purportedly working on plans to seriously diminish the independence of the Justice Department to allow him to do so. Ms Haley continues to trail Mr Trump according to all available polling, both in South Carolina and nationwide. Her campaign has begun looking ahead to primary states voting in March even as she hopes for a shock performance in her home state similar to the stronger-than-expected showing she had in New Hampshire. As an American poet, John Balaban started his writers journey in the public library of his youth a bookworm child surviving a Philadelphia neighborhood so rough the local boys threw ice balls at police cars for fun and once shot him in the stomach with a hunting arrow. Just out of high school, finally free, he hitchhiked his way across the 1960s with his poets eye taking notes from the passenger seat: the preacher who offered sleeping space in his church; the hooligans with black eyes who picked him up on their way to surrender at the police station; the dog-fighter with his beasts chained up in the back. Then, like so many men of his generation, Balaban found himself pulled into Vietnam three times in all, twice as a conscientious objector in the volunteer services. In those war years, he experience the Tet Offensive bombing, took a hunk of shrapnel in his shoulder and met children with both legs shot off. Through all of it, he learned Vietnamese, scribbled observations in his notebook, and recorded the voices of the rice farmers and fishermen he met along the Mekong River the core of his lifes work. An American being an American in America And now at 80, a retired English professor from NC State University, his words fill the pages of Passing Through a Gate, his collected works. At 259 pages, it follows his observations from Saigon to Atlantic Beach. The subject matter is an American being an American in America, he said from home in Cary last week. What does that mean, morally? Its writing without preaching, letting the reader see what youre seeing. Poet-in-residence John Balaban in his Cary home. Right away, Balabans book deserves notes because it contains translations of ca dao pronounced ka-yow the Vietnamese folk poetry never written in English before Balaban captured it. Those translations also represent the first time ancient Vietnamese characters have been set in digital type meaning no keyboard keys existed for them before now. His work travels to scenes of more contemporary trauma than those he saw in Vietnam, notably in A Finger, in which Balaban draws his focus to a single severed appendage found in the rubble. Story continues But the heart of Passing Through takes place in the war zone of Balabans youth. A student at Penn State and then Harvard University, he initially tuned out the noise of Vietnam, immersed in verse a thousand years old. I was trying to pay attention to Old English, he said, not politics. To Vietnam, as a conscientuous objector Then Defense Secretary Robert McNamara visited Harvards campus in 1966, where hundreds of anti-war demonstrators blocked his path insisting he hold a public debate. Undeterred, the defense secretary baited the crowd, telling them hed been just as radical as a youth, but hed been more polite. Harvard later sent an apology. That made my blood boil, Balaban said. Though he had a student deferment, though his number had not been called, Balaban told his draft board he planned to go to Vietnam immediately, as a conscientious objector. He brought along a Quaker elder as a witness, but the boarded needed no such proof of his intentions. John Balaban on the Mekong River in 1970 His alternate service began in a rural language school, bombed just days after he arrived, forcing Balaban to walk miles in search of a medic, carrying shrapnel in his shoulder. This led to his second stint as a non-combat volunteer, which involved shuttling wounded Vietnamese children to care in U.S. hospitals. The girl he remembers best, Balaban said, was discovered in a pile of bodies in her village, just underneath her mother. She was the tiniest, he said. But even once his service finished, Balaban returned to Vietnam a third time in 1971 this time armed with a tape recorder. Hed gotten a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities, which allowed him to wander through the war-torn country recording the folk songs hed heard on the rice plantations and along the river bank. What are these people singing in the middle of a war? he asked himself. Ca dao singers by the Mekong River near My Tho in Vietnam, where poet and retired NC State English professor John Balaban recorded them. Having learned enough Vietnamese to get by, he wandered on foot as the war raged around him, capturing bursts of gunfire and mortar launches on tape along with the singing voices. He recorded 5-year-old children and wrinkled old men, some of whom knew a handful of songs and some of whom knew hundreds. Voices from Vietnam The songs sounded like the blues to Balabans American ear, and nobody ever refused him. One was a Buddhist monk, he remembered. One was secretary to the U.S. consulate in Hue. One was a fundamentalist minister in a village up in the mountains. From his living room sofa, five decades later, Balaban recalled recording a tall woman living in a hut on stilts, who collected medicinal herbs and hung them in her rafters for sale. She told him shed been mute as a child and her parents thought her insane, so they sought the services of a local faith healer: The Monk Who Sells Potatoes. This monk, Balaban said, plucked a pear tree leaf and placed it on the girls tongue, which prompted her to speak at last. The grateful parents then asked the monk what he wanted as payment, and when he pointed to the girl, they gave her away. The woman told Balaban that the monk kept her until she began menstruating, at which point he sent her to a Buddhist nunnery. Then I was crazy again, she recalled, and I started singing. These are the stories Balaban carried home, more vivid than the scars. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Mitt Romney has told The Independent that former President Donald Trumps comments about how he would urge Russia to attack Nato countries who dont spend enough on defence makes US allies wonder if they can rely on America. Mr Romneys comments come after Mr Trumps rally in Conway, South Carolina on Sunday, where he said: If we dont pay and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us? Mr Trump said, claiming to remember a Nato member state leader asking him during his presidency. He then claimed to have responded: No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. Mr Romney, now a Utah Senator after being the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and serving as the governor of Massachusetts, told The Independent on Monday: He says outrageous things to get people riled up. It works at the rallies. Unfortunately, it also has an impact around the world where our friends wonder whether they can rely on America. This comes after reports regarding Mr Trump telling top European Union officials that the US would never help Europe if it was attacked. Thierry Breton, a French EU commissioner, said during a roundtable discussion in Brussels early last month that Mr Trump made the comments in January 2020 when speaking to the president of the commission, Ursula Von Der Leyen, a former German defence minister. You need to understand that if Europe is under attack, we will never come to help you and to support you, Mr Trump said, according to Mr Breton. By the way, NATO is dead, and we will leave, we will quit NATO. And by the way, you owe me $400bn, because you didnt pay, you Germans, what you had to pay for defence, Mr Trump added at the time, Mr Breton said. Out of principle the President NEVER discloses what her interlocutors have told her during closed-door meetings. So we are not going to comment either way, a spokesperson for Ms von der Leyen told Reuters. The idea that he would abandon our allies if he doesnt get his way underscores what we already know to be true about Donald Trump: The only person he cares about is himself, the Biden campaign told the news agency. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas dismissed critiques of Mr Trumps rhetoric. What I know is hell secure the border, hes going to make this country safer, hes going to hold Nato accountable, he told The Independent. And I think that people need to realize that like, you should take everything that he says seriously, but not literally. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, a staunch supporter of Mr Trump who led the charge to object to the 2020 presidential election results, said Mr Trump was correct in saying that Nato countries did not pay their fair share, but added that the United States would live up to its commitments. Seriously, they need to do more, but obviously we dont want Russia to invade, he told The Independent. If they invaded a Nato country, wed have to defend them, so we dont want that. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump is asking the US Supreme Court to block a ruling that struck down his immunity defence against prosecution for crimes allegedly committed while he was in office, potentially setting up another major constitutional question involving the former presidents campaign in front of the nations highest court. On Monday, Mr Trumps attorneys filed their expected request following last weeks appellate court ruling that rejected his immunity from charges connected to his attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. This threat will hang like a millstone around every future Presidents neck, distorting Presidential decisionmaking, undermining the Presidents independence, and clouding the Presidents ability to deal fearlessly and impartially with the duties of his office, according to Mr Trumps attorneys. Without immunity from criminal prosecution, the Presidency as we know it will cease to exist, they wrote. Mr Trump is asking the justices to block the appeals court ruling from taking effect while he prepares to file a case tackling that decision before the Supreme Court. His filing also requests the justices to block the ruling while he prepares to take another stab at arguing his immunity in front of a full panel of appeals court judges. The request comes days after Mr Trumps legal team argued in front of the justices for a separate case, one that challenges a Colorado court ruling that disqualifies him from 2024 ballots. His attorneys could be headed right back to the nations high court relatively swiftly if the justices agree to hear the immunity question, smack in the middle of a primary election calendar and Mr Trumps busy schedule of multiple criminal and civil cases. Progress in the election conspiracy case under special counsel Jack Smith has effectively been ground to a halt with Mr Trumps ongoing appeal of a central question in the case, one that has so far been shot down at both the appeals court and by the federal judge overseeing the case. In their unanimous rebuke last week, appeals court judges wrote that citizen Trump is not shielded by executive immunity, and that his alleged efforts to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election were, if proven, an unprecedented assault on the structure of our government. The 57-page ruling delivered an outright rejection of his premise that a president has unbounded authority to commit crimes that would neutralise the most fundamental check on executive power the recognition and implementation of election results, as well as his carte blanche efforts to violate the rights of individual citizens to vote and to have their votes count. We cannot accept that the office of the presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter, they added. Donald Trump speaks to supporters in South Carolina on 10 February (Getty Images) In December, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected Mr Trumps motion to dismiss the case on immunity grounds, writing in a 48-page ruling that his four-year term did not bestow on him the divine right of kings to evade the criminal accountability that governs his fellow citizens. The office of the presidency does not confer a lifelong get-out-of-jail-free pass, nor do former presidents enjoy any special consideration after leaving office, when they are subject to federal investigation, indictment, prosecution, conviction, and punishment for any criminal acts undertaken while in office, she wrote. In their Supreme Court filing on Monday, attorneys for Mr Trump claimed that a months-long criminal trial on election interference charges at the height of election season will radically disrupt his campaign against President Joe Biden, and gestured at Mr Trumps conspiracy that investigations into the former president are part of a Democratic-led conspiracy against him. Disrupting the campaign appears to be whole point of the Special Counsels persistent demands for expedition, according to Mr Trumps legal team. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Swiss Jewish organisation has denounced an antisemitic sign put up at a local ski shop near Davos, barring Jews from renting equipment. The sign on Pischa Mountain above Davos, a town known for hosting the annual World Economic Forum meeting of global elites, said the shop would no longer rent gear such as sleds, skis and snowshoes to our Jewish brothers after a series of very annoying incidents. The message, written in Hebrew, appeared to be directed at Israeli Jews who have been traveling to Davos in growing numbers in recent years. The owners of the store could not immediately be reached for comment. The Davos tourism agency declined to immediately comment when contacted by The Associated Press but said a response would be forthcoming by e-mail. After a series of annoying incidents, including the theft of a sled, we are no longer renting out sporting equipment to our Jewish brothers, said the sign, put on a window at a counter with helmets sitting on a shelf in the back. The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities condemned the incident, which was reported in Swiss media after a social media post from Zurich city councilor Jehuda Spielman on Sunday. The poster is undisputedly discriminatory, said Jonathan Kreutner, the federations secretary-general, in an e-mail. That shocks me. This really is a new level of audacity. "This is antisemitism," he later said over the phone. An entire group of guests is being collectively labelled because of their appearance and origin." Kreutner initially said the federation planned legal action for alleged violation of Swiss anti-racism laws, but said it would likely defer to a regional prosecutor who was looking into the matter. FILE -Snow covers the hills around Davos, Switzerland (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) The incident comes against a backdrop of rising antisemitism across Europe and beyond, largely in connection with the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 28,300 Palestinians in the territory, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. Kreutner also noted an increasing number of Jewish guests in Davos over the years, which indicated they clearly feel very comfortable" and welcome in Davos. However, there are obviously others who have a completely different attitude towards Jewish guests, he said, acknowledging that it is obvious that there is a lot going wrong here. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A disgruntled former employee has shot dead the head of a Greek shipping company and two others before killing himself at the firms office in Athens. Police, fire engines and ambulances were stationed outside the offices of European Navigation in a southern suburb of the capital. The gunman, a 76-year old former employee, was found dead in another area of the building to the victims, two men and a woman, police said. Anti-terrorism forces entered the building, Reuters reporters at the scene said. Among the dead was European Navigations owner, said police spokeswoman Konstantina Dimoglidou, who didnt name the victim. Police at the scene (Reuters) We were at our desks working, we heard shots, an employee who did not identify herself told the Proto Thema news website. She said the gunman had told employees to leave. Ms Dimoglidou said that next to the shooter was the weapon of his unlawful act and he had probably shot himself. Shootings, outside of gang-related activity, are rare in Greece, which has strict laws over gun possession. Police, who had cordoned off the area, said they were investigating the incident. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Nato head Jens Stoltenberg says Donalds Trumps suggestion that the US should not protect allies who fail to spend enough on defence undermines all of our security. Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, the former US president said he remembered how as president he told an unidentified Nato member that he would encourage Russia to do as it wishes in cases of what he called delinquent Nato allies. The Republican presidential frontrunner said Russia should be able to do "whatever the hell they want" to alliance members who dont meet their defence spending targets. You didnt pay? Youre delinquent? Trump recounted saying at his Conway rally. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills. The Nato secretary-general contradicted the comments from Mr Trump, who is seeking to return for a second term as US president, and said that all 31 allies of the Nato bloc were committed to defending each other. Nato remains ready and able to defend all allies. Any attack on Nato will be met with a united and forceful response, he said. He added Mr Trumps remarks "put American and European soldiers at increased risk". Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk, Mr Stoltenberg said on Sunday. Regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed Nato ally, he said. Mr Trump said he had informed his allies he would "encourage" Russia to attack any Nato member not meeting the alliances agreed defence spending target of 2 per cent of their GDP. At least 19 of 30 member nations in the Nato bloc are spending less than that, data from Nato showed in 2023. These nations include Germany, Norway and France. Mr Trumps comments triggered a wave of concern in Poland, which is facing increased risk of attack from Russia. The central European nation has been under Russian control more often than not since the end of the 18th century. Defence minister Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz warned that no election campaign is an excuse for playing with the security of the alliance. While the German government did not officially comment, its foreign office published a statement on Sunday morning highlighting the principle of solidarity governing Nato. One for all and all for one. This Nato creed keeps more than 950 million people safe from Anchorage to Erzurum," the foreign ministry said on X, formerly Twitter. Mr Trumps remarks were also condemned by his successor Joe Biden, who said that his comments would embolden Vladimir Putin and that a second Trump administration could contribute to a widening conflict in Europe. "Donald Trumps admission that he intends to give Putin a green light for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic states, [is] appalling and dangerous," he said. While in office, Mr Trump had already threatened not to come to the aid of any country under attack that he deemed not to be meeting its Nato commitments. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Russian soldiers are using Elon Musks Starlink terminals to connect to satellite internet service on the front lines in Ukraine, Kyivs intelligence service has claimed. Ukraines GUR unit said on Telegram on Sunday that it had evidence that Russian forces were using the terminals in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. The report came days after a US military publication published a photo provided by a Ukrainian source purporting to show a Starlink terminal on the front line. It was captured in a video by a Ukrainian drone participating in a strike on a Russian position. Yes, there have been recorded cases of the Russian occupiers using these devices, said Andriy Yusov, GUR spokesperson. This is starting to take on a systemic nature. Mr Musks Starlink proved vital to Ukraines defence of Kyiv at the start of the invasion in February 2022 after the billionaire provided thousands of terminals. A Ukrainian serviceman of the 47th Mechanised Brigade prepares for combat in a Bradley fighting vehicle, not far away from Avdiivka, Donetsk region (AFP/Getty) They gave Kyivs forces a vital technological advantage in the form of high-speed internet for communications, targeting and battlefield management software. But Mr Musk later denied Ukraine use of the satellites in Russian-occupied territories after Kyiv wanted to use the system to hit targets in Crimea, according to a biography of the billionaire published last autumn. The decision caused fury in Kyiv and among the wider Ukraine population. In a statement on Sunday evening, Mr Musk denied allegations that he was selling Starlink terminals to Russia. A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia, he wrote on X. This is categorically false. To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia. But the Black Sea Strategy Institute, a Ukrainian think tank, suggested this does not amount to a denial that Russian forces are using Starlink. The use of Mr Musks technology by Russian troops in eastern Ukraine does not disprove this, it wrote on Telegram, suggesting that Moscow was purchasing the systems from third-party countries. Various Ukrainian channels have reported that Russian forces could have obtained the terminals via intermediaries in Dubai, though SpaceX also denied that Starlink operates in Dubai. Reacting to the Ukrainian intelligence unit report, Kremlin-approved Russian military blogger Colonelcassad claimed that the Starlink terminals could be easily purchased from any third country that has not imposed sanctions against Russia. There are many such countries, he wrote on Telegram. You can safely buy the terminals abroad and import them to Russia. One Russian volunteer group based in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, posted a video last week claiming to show dozens of Starlink terminals it had recently purchased. Neither Colonelcassads claims nor the volunteer groups video could be confirmed. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Ukrainian commander leading his countrys northern forces against the Russian invasion says he only found out he had been fired by Volodymyr Zelensky from reading news reports. General Serhiy Nayev lost his job as part of a major reshuffle in Ukraines military. "I learnt about my dismissal from the post of commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which Id held since 2020, from the mass media," General Nayev said on his official Telegram channel on Sunday. Those were difficult times. One of the most difficult periods in the history of Ukraine. And together with you, we walked this path with dignity, the Lieutenant General said, as he expressed gratitude to Ukrainian soldiers for their service. General Nayev was responsible for Ukraines military counterattack against Russian forces in the northern part of the war-hit nation. He said he was confident in Ukraines victory. A presidential decree on Sunday confirmed General Nayevs dismissal from the position of the chief commander of the joint forces, and announced the appointment of Yurii Sodol, previously the commander of the Ukrainian Navys marines, as his replacement, reported Ukrainian news website Ukrainska Pravda. In February last year, General Sodol had called on Russian forces to flee or surrender to Ukrainian forces. ...otherwise its the fate of a fertiliser on someone elses land; a black bag or disability awaits you, this is your happy future. Unlike you, we know what we are fighting for, we are united, we are one, he had said. In a major reset in the military ranks just short of the two-year anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine, Mr Zelensky has replaced military leaders including commander-in-chief Valeriy Zaluzhny. After a series of disagreements, the president called for a united approach across the whole front line and a new vision for the war, mobilisation and recruitment. His new chief is Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky, previously commander of the countrys ground forces, who is now tasked with revitalising Ukraines lagging defence against a resurgent Russia. Ukraine has faced an increase in attacks by Vladimir Putins forces both on the ground and in the air in recent weeks, with a long-expected counteroffensive by Kyiv that started last summer having failed to gain back the level of territory from Russian forces that Ukraine would have hoped. Much of the 600-mile frontline has moved little in recent months, but Russia is looking to make gains of its own in areas of eastern and northern Ukraine. This situation has been exacerbated by a failure by the US Congress to agree to fresh military aid for Ukraine after the previous support ran out in December. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Dutch court on Monday ordered the Netherlands government to block the export of all F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel amid concerns of violations of international law in its incessant bombardment of the Gaza Strip. "It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law," the court said. The court asked the state to comply with the order within seven days and dismissed a request by government lawyers to suspend the order during an appeal to the supreme court. The court order came just hours after Israel attacked the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip, killing at least 67 Palestinians and injuring dozens. People inspect the damage to their homes in Rafah following Israeli air strikes (Getty Images) Rafah, bordering Egypt, is the last refuge for 1.4 million Palestinians, who fled Israel's offensive and military advances in the northern part of the Strip. The Dutch appeals court said it was likely that F-35s were being used in attacks on Gaza, leading to unacceptable civilian casualties. More than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in four months, according to Gaza health officials, in a retaliatory offensive after the 7 October attack by Hamas in southern Israel. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and abducted at least 250 hostages during the offensive, according to Israeli tallies. Israel denies committing war crimes in its attacks on Gaza, and says it works to limit civilian casualties. The case against the Dutch government was brought last December by several human rights groups, including the Dutch affiliate of Oxfam. Rights groups argued that the Dutch government shipments were contributing to wide-scale and serious violations of humanitarian law by Israel. An earlier ruling by a lower court stopped short of ordering the government to halt the exports. It said the state had a large degree of freedom when it comes to weighing political and policy issues in deciding on arms exports. That was dismissed by the appeals court which said political and economic concerns did not trump the clear risk of violations of the laws of war. The Netherlands houses one of several regional warehouses of US-owned F-35 parts, from which the parts are distributed to countries that request them, including Israel in at least one shipment since October last year. Close Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters rally outside Downing Street For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At least four patients in intensive care died because their oxygen supply was cut off when Israeli troops stormed Gazas main hospital, according to the doctors. Israeli special forces have stormed the last major hospital in southern Gaza, with the military saying it is a limited operation to seeking the remains of hostages taken by Hamas. The raid came a day after the army sought to evacuate thousands of displaced people who had taken shelter at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The southern city has been the main target of Israel's offensive against Hamas in recent weeks. The military said it had "credible intelligence" that Hamas had held hostages at the hospital and that the remains of hostages might still be inside. This comes after the UN warned that an Israeli ground invasion into Rafah could lead to slaughter as more tha one million Palestinians shelter there. UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said Benjamin Netanyahus planned offensive could leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at deaths door. ICFAI Business School (IBS) to commence selection process for MBA/PGPM Program Hyderabad (Telangana) [India] Published : February 10:, 2024 Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], February 10: ICFAI Business School (IBS) gears up to conduct its Group Discussion and Personal Interview sessions as part of the selection process for its MBA/PGPM program at the IBS Hyderabad campus. Following the successful administration of the IBSAT2023 on December 23rd and 24th, 2023, prospective applicants who have qualified for the test now face the next stage: the rigorous Selection Process. To prepare candidates for this pivotal phase, ICFAI Business School (IBS) conducted Selection Briefings across more than 70 cities in India, ensuring that aspirants are well informed and equipped for the forthcoming selection process. Scheduled to run from February 10th to February 18th, 2024, the Selection Process encompasses both Group Discussion (GD) and Personal Interviews (PI). Applicants who cleared the IBSAT2023 are advised to secure their preferred date and time slot for the GD and PI rounds, to be held exclusively at the IBS Hyderabad Campus. Additionally, applicants exempted from IBSAT based on their CAT, GMAT, XAT, and NMAT by GMAC scores are extended the same privilege. Participation in the selection process serves as the sole gateway for admission into any of the esteemed IBS campuses. Prospective students, along with their accompanying parents, gain invaluable insights into the IBS academic ethos, infrastructure, and faculty expertise, directly engaging with Campus Directors and senior faculty members during seminars and briefings. The Personal Interview segment offers a platform for face-to-face interaction, enabling assessors to evaluate candidates comprehensively. Beyond academic acumen, attributes such as personality, presentation skills, communication prowess, presence of mind, body language, confidence, and attitude are scrutinized, aligning with the multifaceted demands of MBA/PGPM education. Similarly, the Group Discussion segment serves as a crucible wherein candidates are evaluated across various parameters, including subject knowledge, academic track record, and leadership aptitude. The GD fosters an environment conducive to showcasing candidates' analytical and interpersonal skills, thereby fostering a competitive yet collaborative atmosphere. Notably, ICFAI Business School (IBS) is proud to announce scholarships worth Rs 10 crore for students selected for the class of 2024-26 based on their performance in the IBSAT Test held on December 23rd and 24th, 2023. These scholarships, awarded under various categories, serve as a testament to IBS's commitment to fostering academic excellence and accessibility. For further inquiries, prospective candidates are encouraged to reach out to the nearest ICFAI Business School Information Office or visit https://ibsindia.org/. CONTACT INFORMATION:ICFAI Business SchoolPlot No. 65, Nagarjuna HillsPunjagutta, Hyderabad - 500082TelanganaPh: 040 - 23440963 (5 lines)Email: ibsat@ibsindia.org Find it Useful ? Help Others by Sharing Online Comments and Discussions For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} In al-Najjar hospital in Gazas border city of Rafah, the shredded remains of body parts arrived in bags with numbers scribbled on the top. Written by the first responders who had just pulled the limbs out of the rubble, the numbers signified the estimated number of people that they thought might be inside each bag. The mangled pieces of human flesh are so damaged it was impossible to properly identify them, said Amjed*, a resident of the city who visited the hospital on Monday. He shuttled from hospital to hospital, from bomb site to bomb site, trying to sort the missing from the dead in the wake of Israels ferocious overnight assault on the city. The first bodies to arrive at the hospitals were all children and women. There were so many bodies lining the ground, he told The Independent. The scene was catastrophic. I saw torn parts of children. Other children were ferried to the hospitals in civilian cars without their family members, covered in blood and dust. I tried to ask one boy what his name was to find his family, he couldnt speak and he was shaking so much. The devastation caused by an Israeli airstrike in Rafah on Monday (EPA) Overnight on Monday, Israel launched a ground and air assault on Rafah as they freed two Israeli-Argentine hostages being held there by Hamas militants. The two men identified as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Hare, 70 are among over 250 people Hamas seized during their bloody attack on southern Israel on 7 October which triggered Israels war on Gaza. The Israeli military said they raided a second-floor flat using explosives, engaged in gun battles with those keeping the hostages captive, and then launched airstrikes to allow its forces to be extracted. Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our hostages, said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu early on Monday. We will not miss any opportunity to bring them home. Palestinian healthy ministry officials said that the bombardment killed at least 67 Palestinians, including women and children. Residents of the city said they heard dozens of explosions across the town, and that three mosques and over a dozen homes had been hit. Now, many in Rafah fear that this is just the start of a wider assault. Youssef, 35, who was forced to flee his home in north Gaza and is now living in a tent in a primary school yard. He said families are worried Israel will use extracting the hostages as a reason to justify invading Rafah, a plan which Israel has been adamant it will go ahead with, despite global uproar. Everyone here is saying where can we go? Where can we hide? Youssef, 35, displaced in Rafah Everyone here is saying where can we go? Where can we hide? We have no choice. Rafah is the final station left, he added. Rafah, which lies along the border with Egypt, is the last refuge in Gaza as it is one of the few places in the 42km-long strip that has not been targeted by Israeli ground troops. An estimated 1.5 million people are thought to be sheltering there now, the majority sleeping rough on the streets, in schools and hospital yards. Israel has repeatedly promised to press into the city saying it would be its final stand in eliminating Hamas, but has faced growing criticism from even its closest allies who are deeply concerned. The US has flatly said it does not support such an operation because of the likely devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of civilians sheltering there. President Joe Biden has even admitted he thinks Israels military response to 7 October is over the top. The UKs foreign secretary David Cameron said on Monday that Israel should stop and think seriously before taking further action into Rafah, pointing out there is nowhere for [civilians] to go. We want Israel to stop and think seriously before it takes any further action David Cameron, foreign secretary European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell went as far as to hint that the US cut billions of dollars of annual military aid to Israel because of the high death toll of the ongoing operations. In an impassioned speech he said: Netanyahu doesnt listen to anyone. They are going to evacuate [civilians]? Where? To the moon? Israel is facing the start of what could be a squeeze on its military. A Dutch appeals court said it had blocked the export of F-35 fighter jets parts to Israel over a clear risk of violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The government said it would appeal. There are also concerns about regional security if a ground operation into Rafah starts. Egypt has repeatedly warned that the deployment of Israeli forces along its border, and any displacement of people onto its territory, may violate the decades-old peace treaty between the two countries. Two freed Israeli hostages are brought to a medical centre near Tel Aviv on Monday (Getty) Meanwhile, diplomats from the Middle East involved in ceasefire negotiations have told The Independent it could trigger a regional war. Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have vowed to continue attacking US positions in the region and global shipping routes in the Red Sea unless there is a ceasefire. They fear a slaughter in Rafah would be a devastating spark in an already volatile tinderbox. Back in Rafah, Amjed said prices were so inflated because demand was so high, that most of the displaced people cannot even afford the cost of a tent, which has soared to $1,000. And so some sleep in the mosques during the day and then stay in the streets at night, they literally have nothing to protect them, not even a tent. With nowhere to go any assault into Rafah will be death to us all. * Names have been changed For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Israel says it has rescued two hostages held by Hamas in Gazas Rafah refugee camp during a raid and airstrikes which local health officials say killed 67 Palestinians and wounded dozens more. It comes amid growing fears of a major Israeli ground offensive into Rafah, a city that many refugees have been gathering in, located in southern Gaza. Israel went ahead with Sunday nights raid despite US president Joe Biden calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off invading Rafah until a plan was in place that would prevent massive civilian casualties. Early on Monday morning the Israeli military confirmed it conducted a series of strikes on southern Gaza that have now concluded. The military said it struck terror targets in the area of Shaboura, a district in Rafah. An injured woman covered in blood holds a childs hand, also injured, at Kuwait Hospital where they are brought for treatment following Israeli attacks on Rafah (Getty) It added that two hostages were rescued from the captivity of militants in Rafah. The hostages have been identified as 60-year-old Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har, 70, both of whom were captured by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during the groups 7 October terror attack on southern Israel. Rescued Israeli-Argentinian hostage Louis Har is reunited with his family at the Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan (Getty) They are both in good medical condition, and were transferred for medical examination at the Sheba Tel Hashomer hospital, a joint IDF and police statement read. Rescued Israeli-Argentinian hostage Fernando Simon Marman being reunited with his family at the Tel Hashomer Hospital in Ramat Gan (Getty) Mr Netanyahu suggested Israel would look to carry out more rescue operations like Sunday nights, in spite of the high death toll. Fernando and Louis, welcome home, he said. I salute our brave fighters for the daring action that led to their release. Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our hostages. We will not miss any opportunity to bring them home. Har and Marman had been captured in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak during Hamas raid on 7 October (Getty) The Argentinian government thanked Israel for the rescue of the two hostages, who were dual nationals of Argentina. Heavy bombing on Sunday night caused widespread panic in Rafah a city on the southern border with Egypt where Palestinians fleeing Israels offensive and military advances have sought shelter. An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians are currently in the region after being displaced by Israels campaign against Hamas. Israeli planes, tanks and ships took part in the strikes, hitting two mosques and several houses in the strip, residents said. Ahmed*, 54, who works for the Palestinian Red Crescent, said he was shaken awake by huge explosions at 2am. His family fled their home in north Gaza earlier in the war so he was sleeping rough in a tent on the streets when the Israeli military launched their attack on Rafah. The sound of bullets was so close we gathered in a group and covered ourselves with blankets as we had nothing else, he told The Independent. It was terrifying. Amjed* said the Israeli raid appeared to be focused on the al-Shaboura camp within Rafah, located a few minutes from where he was sheltering. It was a nightmare. We thought it was the start of the ground invasion, as we heard helicopter gunfire and flare bombings in the sky. We are [lucky] we are alive, he said. Tens of families have started to flee back to Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, he added. Khan Younis, just north of Rafah, has been the focus of a ferocious Israel's ground offensive in recent weeks and Deir al-Balah is in the centre of the tiny Gaza Strip. A destroyed mosque is seen following Israeli bombardments over Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip (Getty) The roads are incredibly dangerous, he added, but people are desperate. Most of the Palestinians seeking refuge in Rafah were crammed into tents, makeshift shelters, schools or hospital grounds, having been uprooted multiple times by repeated Israeli evacuation orders over the past four months of war. The Palestinian foreign ministry in the West Bank condemned Israels continued mass massacres in Gaza. Israel is officially continuing to target civilians and transfer the war to Rafah to push the population to get displaced under bombardment, it said on X/Twitter. The recent massacres of the occupation are evidence of the validity of international warnings and fears of catastrophic results of the expansion of the war to Rafah, it added. Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Richard Hecht said the operation in Rafah was very complex, adding: We have been working a long time on this operation. We were waiting for the right conditions. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, another IDF spokesperson, called it a complex rescue operation under fire in the heart of Rafah, based on highly sensitive and valuable intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate and the Israel Security Agency. He said the hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with an explosive charge during the raid. The US president and Mr Netanyahu spoke on Sunday morning (US time) for about 45 minutes, days after Mr Biden said Israels military response in the Gaza Strip had been over the top and expressed grave concern over the rising civilian death toll in the Palestinian enclave. Mr Biden affirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety and support for the more than one million people sheltering there, the White House said. Mr Netanyahus office has said that it has ordered the military to develop a plan to evacuate Rafah and destroy four Hamas battalions it says are deployed there. More than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in retaliation against the 7 October attack by Hamas in southern Israel. Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and abducted at least 250 during the offensive, according to Israeli tallies. Mr Netanyahu in an interview aired on Sunday said that enough of the 132 remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza were alive to justify Israel's war in the region. A senior Hamas leader was quoted by Hamas-run Aqsa Television saying any Israeli ground offensive in Rafah would blow up the hostage exchange negotiations. Egypt, which has reinforced its border with the city, warned on Sunday of dire consequences of a potential Israeli military assault on Rafah. Egypt called for the necessity of uniting all international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of the Palestinian city of Rafah, its foreign ministry said in a statement. World Health Organisation head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern at the attack on Rafah and reiterated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. I am especially concerned by the recent attacks on Rafah where the majority of Gazas population has fled the destruction, he said at the World Government Summit in Dubai. Mr Ghebreyesus said only 15 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza were still partially or minimally functioning. * Names have been changed Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vandals have targeted a driverless taxi in San Francisco, smashing its windows, covering it in paint and torching it. Fireworks were also placed inside the car during the incident on Saturday evening, according to a report in The Autopian, though no passengers were inside at the time. The vehicle involved was owned and operated by Waymo, the autonomous driving unit of Googles parent company Alphabet. Footage of the incident was captured by Frisco Live 415 and posted to YouTube, together with a video showing firefighters dealing with the aftermath. A spokesperson for Waymo confirmed that one of its vehicles had been targeted and said it was working with local safety officials to respond to the situation. At approximately 9pm on Saturday, 10 February, a fully autonomous Waymo vehicle was navigating on Jackson Street in San Francisco when a crowd surrounded and vandalised the vehicle, breaking the window and throwing a firework inside, which set the vehicle on fire, the spokesperson said. The vehicle was not transporting any riders and no injuries have been reported. The vandalism comes amid increasing frustration with driverless cars in San Francisco, which is one of only two cities in the US to authorise their use on public roads. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has already banned Waymo rival Cruise from operating robotaxis, while city officials have blamed the technology for obstructing emergency vehicles and causing traffic. Earlier this month, a self-driving car collided with a cyclist after reportedly failing to spot it behind a truck at a four-way intersection. The cyclist was occluded by the truck and quickly followed behind it, crossing into the Waymo vehicles path, a Waymo spokesperson said at the time. Police and regulators in California are currently investigating the accident, which left the cyclist with minor injuries. It was the ninth vehicle collision involving an autonomous vehicle in California this year, according to the DMVs logs. A pair of Super Bowl ads on Sunday also rallied against the technology, calling for a boycott of Tesla for allegedly selling defective self-driving software. The electric car maker recalled around 2 million vehicles last year following a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which concluded that there was a flaw with Teslas Autopilot feature. Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyTech email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Researchers have calculated that a new renewable energy concept could reduce the payback period for solar panels to less than five years. A team from the University of Lisboa and the Military Academy in Portugal worked out that building solar farms alongside shadow-friendly crops through a system known as agrivoltaics, or Agri-PV, could help supercharge the transition to renewable energy sources. The researchers said Agri-PV created a union between agricultural and energy productions that would also generate more value from the land than solar farms or agricultural production alone. Combining solar panels with shadow-friendly crops can significantly increase a lands production potential, researchers say (iStock/ Getty images) The concept is also boosted by the decreasing cost of solar panels in recent years, combined with population growth that requires new solutions for both food production and energy generation. These projects, besides the fact they increase the production of green energy and reduce the consumption of non-renewable energy sources, also decrease the amount of CO2 released to the atmosphere, the researchers noted. The projects payback periods are around four-to-five years and it is concluded that Agri-PV is worth more than only PV or only agriculture productions. The findings were detailed in a paper, titled Agri-PV in Portugal: How to combine agriculture and photovoltaic production, published in the journal Energy for Sustainable Development. The Agri-PV concept can be applied in multiple types of agriculture such as beekeeping, greenhouses, livestock and horticulture, the paper noted. For each type of agriculture, the implementation of the Agri-PV solution will be different in order to have the most efficient solution possible, energy-wise and also food-wise. Several countries are already exploring the potential of agrivoltaic systems, with China, Germany, Japan and the US among those investing in the technology. Trials of agrivoltaic farming in South Korea have already yielded broccoli crops. A 2022 study into the project found that the quality and taste of the broccoli was not any lower than the vegetable grown in the traditional way. Other potential crops that could be used in such systems include carrots, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes and potatoes, while berries like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries could also work well. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Amid a cacophony of cancellations at London Euston station on Monday night, dozens of passengers sprinted to platform 12. They were desperate to catch the final train to leave the capital for Birmingham before the line was closed indefinitely. Fortunately for them, the train left 15 minutes late. With all subsequent trains cancelled, the Avanti West Coast 8.40pm was standing room only with first class declassified to allow as many passengers as possible to get a seat. Going places? Passengers at London Euston on Monday night, 12 February, waiting to board the final train to the West Midlands before Network Rail closed the line (Simon Calder) The cause: a landslip on the track between Rugby and Coventry. Throughout Monday, London-bound trains were delayed or cancelled as Network Rail staff worked at the site. The infrastructure organisation opted to close the line completely on Monday night, hoping to fix the problem by Tuesday afternoon. The late departure was itself a problem, since it obliged Network Rail to delay the possession that would allow staff to tackle the landslip. Tens of thousands of travellers on Tuesday morning will facing severely disrupted journeys. The Birmingham-Coventry-Rugby line is normally extremely busy, shared between Avanti West Coast intercity trains linking London with the West Midlands as well as local and regional services on London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Trains. Phil Barnes, operations director for Network Rail, said: A plan is now in place to remove soil before checking the track to allow services to run. To do this safely, we are closing both lines overnight on Monday (12 February) and Tuesday (13 February) morning. We are working to reopen both lines on Tuesday afternoon. Our team is working around the clock to get trains running again as soon as we can, and we are sorry for the disruption to journeys this is causing. Rail replacement buses will run half-hourly between Coventry and Rugby. Avanti West Coast tickets will be valid on Chiltern trains between Birmingham Moor Street and London Marylebone, and on CrossCountry/GWR services from Birmingham via Reading to London Paddington. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Airport staff were shocked after a security dog sniffed out something unusual in luggage from a traveller returning from Africa mummified monkeys. The passenger returning from a visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo reported that the luggage contained dried fish, but an inspection at Boston Logan Airport revealed the dead and dehydrated bodies of four monkeys, agents said. The traveller said he brought the monkeys into the US for his own consumption, Ryan Bissette, a Customs and Border Protection (CPB) spokesperson, said on Sunday. Raw or minimally processed meat from wild animals, sometimes referred to as bushmeat, is banned in the US because of the threat of disease. "The potential dangers posed by bringing bushmeat into the United States are real. Bushmeat can carry germs that can cause illness, including the Ebola virus, said Julio Caravia, local port director for CPB. It is even thought one or more HIV strains originated from bushmeat hunters in central and western Africa. The incident happened last month but was made public on Friday. The mummified monkeys in the passengers luggage (Customs and Border Protection) Mr Bissette said Sunday that no charges were filed but all of the luggage was seized and the nearly 9lb of bushmeat was marked for destruction by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Earlier this month, a Brazilian woman travelling to Sao Paulo via Panama was charged with wildlife trafficking after 130 harlequin frogs were seized from her luggage. The alleged smuggler was arrested at Bogotas El Dorado international airport by authorities after the poisonous animals were discovered packaged inside small film canisters. Officials described the amphibians, also known as poison-dart frogs, to be in a dehydrated and stressed condition. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 63-year-old man has died after coughing up litres of blood on a Lufthansa flight from Bangkok to Munich. Flight LH773 was scheduled to depart Bangkok for the Bavarian capital at 11.40pm on Thursday 8 February. After 90 minutes in the air, however, the plane was forced to turn around after a German national was pronounced dead onboard. The Lufthansa Airbus A380 returned to Bangkok after just 90 minutes in the air (Getty Images) According to a fellow passenger, the man lost litres of blood through his mouth and nose. It was absolute horror, everyone was screaming, said Karin Missfelder, who was situated in the row diagonally behind the passenger. Ms Missfelder, a nursing specialist at University Hospital in Zurich immediately noticed her fellow passengers poor health upon boarding. He had cold sweats, was breathing much too quickly, and was already apathetic, she told Swiss news outlet Blick. The mans Filipina wife explained that the pair had run to the plane very quickly, which is why he wasnt feeling well. At this stage, the nurse intervened and said that the passenger needed medical attention, prompting the captain to call for a doctor over the loudspeaker. The interior of a Lufthansa Airbus A380 plane (Getty Images) A young, around 30-year-old man from Poland with poor English looked at the German, she said, but only felt his pulse and asked how he was feeling. They then gave him a little chamomile tea, but he [had] already spit blood into the bag that his wife held out to him, she said. Despite the escalating situation, the decision was made by airport officials to depart. As the plane became airborne, the mans condition worsened dramatically and blood began gushing out of his mouth and nose. The man lost litres of blood, she said. Flight stewards immediately began resuscitation, to no avail, and the man was carried into the galley and a decision was made to return to Bangkok. The captain announced over the loudspeaker that the passenger had sadly died. Despite the ordeal that passengers had witnessed, Ms Missfelders husband, Martin, described the situation back at Bangkok Airport as chaotic. Nobody looked after us, we waited two hours. There was no care team there, nobody, he said. He said the worst thing was that the wife of the deceased passenger then had to proceed through customs alone. She stood there all alone and apathetic and had to endure all the formalities. The fact that Lufthansa has no measures in his case, that no one cares about around 30 traumatised passengers around, is unacceptable. In a statement to The Independent, a Lufthansa representative confirmed that a medical emergency had occurred on the flight. Although immediate and comprehensive first aid measures were taken by the crew and a doctor on board, the passenger died during the flight. After 1.5 hours of flight time, the crew decided to turn back to Bangkok, where the aircraft landed normally and safely. There, the instructions of the medical emergency services and the Thai authorities were followed. The passengers on the cancelled flight have since been rebooked on other flights. Our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased passenger. We also regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers of this flight. Lufthansa did not respond when pressed on the decision to depart Bangkok in spite of the mans failing health. The news comes as service has resumed after the German flag carrier cancelled hundreds of flights from the countrys major airports following a 27-hour strike by ground staff. Members of the Ver.di union walked out at five major German airports on Wednesday 7 February in a dispute over pay. Taylor Swift was flanked by Ice Spice and Blake Lively as she cheered on Travis Kelce in Super Bowl LVIII on Sunday 11 February. She arrived at Allegiant Stadium wearing an 87 necklace - referencing the number Kelce wears for the Kansas City Chiefs. Ahead of kick-off, all eyes were on Swift as she made her way through the stadium. She made it to Las Vegas with a couple of hours to spare, having flown in from a show in Tokyo, Japan. The Chiefs are looking to win back-to-back Super Bowls, with the San Francisco 49ers standing in their way on Sunday. Fingal County Council working to develop landbank and create thousands of jobs Hannon is one of the largest logistics firms in the State A major pharma logistics hub is being planned for Balbriggan, following a land swap between Fingal County Council and logistics firm Hannon. The proposed hub, made possible by the swapping of two large sites, will initially bring 100 jobs to the area but is part of a longer-term proposal to create thousands of jobs by attracting pharma and biotech companies to a large industrial landbank in the north Dublin town. As part of the deal, Hannon one of the largest logistics firms in the State is acquiring 10 acres at the Stephenstown Industrial Estate on the southwestern edge of the town. In return, the local authority is taking 12.32 acres of land currently owned by Hannon at the Blakes Cross junction of the main R132 road that serves a number of towns. The Stephenstown land is valued at 2.15m and the Blakes Cross land is valued at 1.15m. Under the arrangement, Hannon will pay a balancing payment of 1m to the local authority. Fingal County Council is to acquire the Blakes Cross land to facilitate future upgrades to the road network at this location, allowing easier access through the traffic blackspot to the towns of Skerries, Lusk and Rush. Hannons pharma division specialises in the temperature- controlled road transport of pharma, healthcare, medtech and animal health products between Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. The new Hannon PharmaLink (HPL) hub will aim to allow for a specialised door-to-door delivery service anywhere in Europe within 72 hours and to the UK within 24 hours. I expect this independent company to do a Ryanair on pharma distribution across Europe and beyond, said local councillor Tom OLeary, who said he played a key role in facilitating the plans. I hope that, with its location along the north/south economic corridor, we can land a large pharmaceutical company into Balbriggan similar to WuXi Vaccines in Dundalk, which employs 600 people in top-quality jobs, he said. OLeary said that the local authority, along with key stakeholders, was working on a plan under an EU collaboration scheme to develop the Balbriggan landbank for thousands of new jobs and the Hannon PharmaLink plan was a key strategic step on that journey. Ireland is one of the leading locations for the pharmaceutical industry in Europe with more than 70bn of exports each year. The country is now home to major operations for nine of the top 10 global companies in the sector. The 2 Johnnies will perform at Galway Summer Sessions this summer. Podcasters and RTE 2FM hosts the 2 Johnnies have announced a new gig with a lineup of guests in Galway this summer. The comic duo from Tipperary will head west to perform a special live band show at Galway Airport on Saturday, August 17. The pair will be joined by the Junior B All Stars and special guests on the runway of the former airport. With their debut album out this summer, fans will also have the chance to hear their favourites, such as Could Have Been County, Sinead and Small Town Heroes. The Galway gig follows the success of their Pints in a Field festival last year in Cork. While they also took to the stage at Electric Picnic. The pair will perform another Pints in A Field festival on June 8 in Dublins St Annes Park, including guests Craig David, FIVE, and more. We can't wait to layve it off with the full band for this show out west, Johnny B said. Johnny Smacks added: We've been working on a ton of new songs for all the Tommy's, Sineads and fellas who sit by the roundabout saluting cars and cant wait to land em at Galway Airport!. Tickets for the Galway show will go on sale at 9am this Friday, February 16, and will start at 59.90 (including booking fees) on Ticketmaster. PHOENIX For months after George Floyd was killed by police in May 2020, people from around the world traveled to the site of his murder in Minneapolis and left signs, paintings and poems to memorialize the man whose death reignited a movement against systemic racism. Hundreds of those artifacts are on display for the first time outside of Minnesota, giving viewers elsewhere the chance to engage with the emotionally raw protest art and mourn Floyd, as well as other Black Americans killed by police. "It's different than seeing it on TV," said Leah Hall of Phoenix, who brought her two young children to the exhibit that opened this month at the Arizona State University Art Museum. "It's an important part of history that they are not learning in school," said Hall, adding that she wasn't able to fly to Minneapolis to honor Floyd's life. "Twin Flames: The George Floyd Uprising from Minneapolis to Phoenix" features about 500 artifacts that protesters and mourners left at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue where police killed Floyd. It is the largest collection of work from the intersection that has been on public display. Paintings of Floyd and poems about him written on poster boards stand on easels throughout the exhibit. Signs made with paper plates and reused cardboard that say "Justice 4 Floyd" and "Enough is Enough" cover the walls. The heavy themes of the words and images on display are contrasted by arrangements of fake flowers and flickering, battery-powered, white candles evoking the vigil held in Minneapolis after his death. What's on display in Phoenix is just a fraction of the thousands of artifacts under the care of the George Floyd Global Memorial, an organization that also tends to the living memorial at the intersection where he died and which remains closed off to traffic. Many of the artifacts appear to have been written or drawn in a hurry. This conveys the urgency with which people felt the need to express their anger and grief after watching eyewitness video that captured the moment before he died, said Jeanelle Austin, director of the George Floyd Global Memorial. Some recent visitors to the exhibit were moved to tears. The organizers of the exhibit say their goal was to create a space for understanding and civil discourse, and potentially stimulate collective action against police violence and other systemic inequities in the U.S. "We have always engaged with social and political work at the museum. Throughout time, art and protest have been side by side, and this (exhibit) really aligns with our mission to center creativity in art in the service of social good," said Brittany Corrales, a curator at the museum who helped facilitate those organizing the exhibit. The organizers also see the exhibit as an opportunity to examine the history of museums in America overlooking the inequities faced by Black Americans and other marginalized communities. "To bring this here to the Phoenix metropolitan area, to Arizona State University, is significant because there is a history of police violence that is here that dates back to the early part of the 20th century," said Rashad Shabazz, a university professor and board member at ASU's Center for Work and Democracy, which funded the exhibit and brought the artifacts to Arizona. The exhibit draws direct parallels between Minneapolis and Phoenix, where an Arizona state trooper shot and killed a Black man named Dion Johnson the same day Floyd was murdered. The George Floyd Global Memorial is hopeful of bringing the exhibit to other cities after it leaves Phoenix in July, but there are no plans yet. One Phoenix resident who visited the exhibit last week said it would resonate far beyond the United States. "This is not just an American problem," said Charm Abella, who was living in Spain in 2020 and remembers protests reaching around the world. Other museums around the country are also delving into themes explored at the ASU Art Museum. In Louisville, Kentucky, the Speed Art Museum last year honored the life of Breonna Taylor, who police killed after they illegally entered her apartment in March 2020. The exhibit, the second at the museum to focus on Taylor's life, prominently displayed a portrait of Taylor created by Amy Sherald, the artist who painted the portrait of Michelle Obama for the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. The exhibit spoke to the idea that Black artists could use portraits to spark conversation and potentially action, said Raphaela Platow, the museum's director. "What's important for us is that we continue having ongoing conversations about the issues that we are facing as a community, from police violence to racial segregation to systemic oppression," Platow said. Family members of Floyd who visited the exhibit were deeply moved. Floyd's aunt, Angela Harrelson, who traveled from Minneapolis, said that upon entering the museum she felt "overwhelmed, but in a good way." "I saw all the art that people meticulously cared for and took the time to place," she said. "It was concentrated with so much love and passion." Photos: Remembering George Floyd How a Eureka moment transformed Irish land sales and brought them to a global audience Watching an auction in a Limerick alley during Covid, entrepreneur Keith Ellis realised there was a better way and developed a model for online auctions and his LSL platform has hosted 14m bids in the last three years, from across the world* Keith Ellis, head of operations at LSL Auctions (centre) with Andy Donoghue of Hodnett Forde Clonakilty and Patrick Davitt, CEO of IPAV Jim O'Brien Mon 12 Feb 2024 at 07:53 When Keith Ellis had a Eureka moment at an open-air land auction in Limerick in 2020, it was a moment that transformed the Irish property market. Farmers in tractors from the Greater Poland region enter Pozna, during the nationwide farmers' strike. The protest in Poland is part of the European farmers' protest against the EU Green Deal regulations. Polish farmers also demand a change to the EU agreement with Ukraine regarding the import of agricultural produce to the EU. The protest in Pozna, the capital of Greater Poland, was organised by Rola Wielkopolska. Over a thousand tractors blocked roads in the city. (Photo by Dominika Zarzycka/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Polish politicians called on the EU Commissioner for Agriculture to quit on Friday as farmers blocked roads across his home country Poland and at border crossings with Ukraine, kicking off a month-long general strike to protest against EU policies. Farmers in France, Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Spain and Germany have also been protesting against constraints placed on them by EU measures to tackle climate change, as well as rising costs and what they say is unfair competition from abroad. Polish farmers are angry about the impact of cheap food imports from neighbouring Ukraine and what they say is the "passivity" of their government. EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski came under fire from all sides. "There is a man in Europe who united all European and Polish farmers against the reform he proposed. This is Janusz Wojciechowski. Resign!" said Deputy Prime Minister WladysAaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. Wojciechowski was also criticised by the leader of the former ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party that proposed him for the position. JarosAaw Kaczynski said he would call the commissioner to ask him to quit. Wojciechowski told private broadcaster Polsat News that he had not answered or looked at his telephone, adding that he would make a statement on his future in a few days, probably on Thursday. He defended his record, saying that he was the only commissioner to have opposed imports from Ukraine. EU Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski. Photo: Mario Salerno About 100 farmers and 50 cars blocked the approach to Medyka border crossing, blocking traffic for all vehicles, Ukrainian border service spokesman Andriy Demchenko said on television. The Ukrainian border service also said that traffic flow had been disrupted at two other crossings. Elsewhere in central Europe, a farmers' protest was taking place at the Zahony crossing on the border between Hungary and Ukraine. In a comment to the Ukrainska Pravda outlet, Demchenko said there was no disruption for trucks during the day. Polish media said there were over 250 blockades across the country. Images showed convoys of tractors clogging roads and banners such as "Without us, you will be hungry, naked and sober". "Today the whole of Europe is on fire. The Green Deal has arrived, which has destroyed our thinking about agriculture," one of the protesters, Wieslaw Gryn, told private broadcaster TVN24 at the Hrubieszow border crossing. "We are not against pro-ecological solutions, but they must be agreed with farmers." Poland's agriculture minister said he understood the challenges farmers were facing but he hoped the protests could be organised in a way to be "the least burdensome for citizens". "Farmers have legitimate concerns, expectations and demands to limit the excessive inflow of goods from Ukraine, as well as from other non-European markets to the EU, especially to Poland," Czeslaw Siekierski told public radio on Friday. Reuters Farmers using their vehicles to cause disruption and slow traffic around the Port of Dover as they protest against cheap meat imports. Picture date: Friday February 9, 2024. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Farmers using their vehicles to cause disruption and slow traffic around the Port of Dover as they protest against cheap meat imports. Picture date: Friday February 9, 2024. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Dozens of tractors have clogged roads around a major UK port in a protest against cheap imports which farmers claim will drive them out of business. The vehicles were part of a go-slow demonstration by farmers gathered in small groups around the port of Dover on Friday evening. It comes after similar demonstrations in France which saw French farmers move tractors to block routes in Paris, urging the government to do more to protect the countrys agricultural sector from foreign competition, rising costs and low pay. A tractor with a trailer had no more cheap imports spray painted on the side of it, as others could be seen blocking roads towards Folkstone, Kent. One farmer claimed it was time to take a stance and claimed the UK government was undercutting British produce with cheap foreign imports of food. Farmers using their vehicles to cause disruption and slow traffic around the Port of Dover as they protest against cheap meat imports. Picture date: Friday February 9, 2024. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire Farmer Jeffrey Gibson, from Wingham, Kent, said: Time has come enough is enough why are we as British farmers producing food to the highest standards in the world, only for the government to do trade deals with countries producing far cheaper food with little or no standards. As for the supermarkets selling British produce cheaper than the cost of production shame on you. The time has come to take a stance, if farming continues in this country as it is with the new SFI scheme actively encouraging us not to grow food and rely more on cheap imports none of us will exist once the government changes tack leaving us unequipped to grow anything. He added that protesters would stay out on Friday night for as long as possible to raise awareness of their cause. A Kent Police spokesperson said: Kent Police was called just after 5pm on Friday February 9 to a report of slow-moving vehicles in Jubilee Way, Dover. Officers are in attendance and working with the Port of Dover police on this matter. Farmer Amie Laberge drives his combine through a field as he harvests soybeans November 17, 2023 in Charlotte, Vermont. Laberge sells his soybeans to a processor who crushes the beans for oil and as a high protein source of food. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images) Soybeans headed for an eighth straight week of losses, the longest stretch of declines since 2006, on an outlook for record global stockpiles and sluggish appetite for US exports. The losing streak underscores how soybean traders have lacked any incentive to buy futures of the commodity used in everything from animal feed to truck diesel. Futures on Friday were poised for the lowest closing level since December 2020. Global supplies are expected to be abundant in the current season even after extreme weather conditions hurt crops in Brazil. What's more, shipments from the world's largest producer are trading at a major discount to US benchmark prices, eroding American farmers' ability to compete overseas. In the latest bearish news, the US Department of Agriculture on Thursday raised its current season's global ending stock forecast to what would be an all-time-high of 116 million metric tons. The increase was because Brazil harvested more soybeans last year than previously estimated, and the surplus was carried over as inventory into the current season, according to the USDA. Meanwhile, the USDA trimmed its projection for the South American nation's new crop by less than 1% to 156 million metric tons, frustrating traders who anticipated a bigger cut. The USDA also said the US will export less than previously expected in the current season, citing a slow pace in sales and increased competition from Brazil. "The numbers remain largely bearish," said Vinicius Ito, a director at futures and options brokerage Marex. Limiting the downside, farmers in the US have been reluctant to sell at current prices, and there is speculation that the USDA's latest forecast on Brazil output still doesn't fully reflect the yield losses seen in the nation because of drought, according to Ito. Brazil's state-run forecaster Conab said on Thursday that the country should produce about 149 million metric tons this year, less than expected by the USDA. Bloomberg. Former RTE reporter Charlie Bird with his wife Claire at the Stardust anniversary memorial at Kilmore Road. Photo: Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie Charlie Bird said his health has changed completely as he issued an update on social media. The former RTE news correspondent was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2021. "My heath has changed completely, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "I now have to be hoisted in and out of bed. "I want to thank my neighbours and carers for all they are doing for me, he added. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Bird attended the 43rd anniversary of the Stardust fire which claimed the lives of 48 people in 1981. The event took place last Saturday, February 10, at Artane, Kilmore Road. "I was honoured I was able to join the Stardust relatives yesterday marking the 43rd anniversary of that dreadful night, he wrote. While speaking at the event, he said: You are amazing families that campaigned so hard to find the truth of what really happened. If the Stardust tragedy happened in south Dublin the families would not have had to wait over 40 years to get to the truth. I am now hoping that the current inquest will finally get the truth. I love you all. You are all true heroes, he said. You are an inspiration Charlie Bird thanks rugby coach Kevin Sinfield for his ultramarathon efforts in aid of motor neurone disease Many of Charlies followers have shared their support for him in the comments. Your strength and determination in the face of adversity continue to inspire us, one social media user wrote on X. "Thank you, Charlie, for your enduring spirit and for reminding us of the power of unity and support. Another added: Youre a phenomenal human being who is an inspiration to many and thank you for sharing your journey of a horrendous disease, we all send our healing hugs and big love. Agency social worker says he has been forced out of profession by adverse reference from HSE CAMHS manager Worker told he cannot pursue an unfair dismissal claim Stock image: Getty Stephen Bourke Mon 12 Feb 2024 at 16:07 An agency social worker who said he had a job offer withdrawn because a Health Services Executive (HSE) manager made adverse comments about him to a recruitment agency has been told he cannot pursue an unfair dismissal claim. A man was allegedly caught with a loaded handgun by police in Co Armagh when he tried to run away from a passing PSNI patrol, a court has heard. It sickens me to think he was in my home couple shocked after hiring sex trafficker as handyman Gardai have issued a nationwide alert for man UK police want back in jail to serve rest of term Paul Williams on the hunt for David Archer Paul Williams Mon 12 Feb 2024 at 03:30 A couple were left astonished and shocked when they discovered that a handyman who came to work in their home was really a convicted sex trafficker using a false name. The National Ambulance Service (NAS) is undertaking an internal audit to determine how many staff members have incorrectly received shift payments over the past 20 years. The move comes as two big unions, Unite and Siptu, are to ballot for industrial action over the escalating row. In correspondence issued to NAS managers, seen by the Irish Independent, the NAS has directed an internal audit be carried out to determine how many workers received shift allowance payments when they were not entitled to them. Such payments are understood to date back more than 20 years. NAS director Robert Morton has further written to Unite and Siptu outlining measures that can be taken by staff who face having such shift allowances terminated. In a letter dated January 30, the unions were advised that personnel have the option to terminate secondments and return to a 24/7 roster, receive unsocial hours allowance rather than shift allowance or change their work roster to incorporate days, nights and weekends into their shift pattern and thereby qualify for the payment. What is clear is that any staff member whom does not meet the eligibility criteria confirmed by the Labour Court is not eligible to receive the shift allowance, the letter said. A directive was issued following a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hearing last December. It warned that shift allowances can only be paid to staff who work a recurrent cycle of shifts which include days, nights and weekends and stressed that pay controls need to be strengthened in light of the revelations about shift allowance payments within the ambulance service. The NAS directive about the entitlement to shift payments by specific staff members followed a workers challenge which resulted in a WRC hearing in August last year and a subsequent appeal in December last. Some staff members received the payments despite the fact they did not work shifts or meet the stipulated criteria for shift payments, unlike the majority of NAS frontline staff. This shift payment entitlement and its qualifying criteria are set out under a long-standing 1978 agreement, confirmed by both the WRC and Labour Relations Commission. However, some in receipt of such payments effectively worked regular hours, were seconded to a day job or were on sick leave yet still continued to receive the shift allowance, which was designed to compensate staff who were required to work long, irregular and often unsocial hours. The disputed shift allowance payment could involve up to 250 staff members, with the payments still being made up to January 18 of this year. Both unions have now written to NAS chiefs warning that any payment cessation was a breach of existing local agreements and sought urgent talks about the matter. They warned that any recoupment or deduction of shift overpayments without agreement was in breach of existing protocols. The Irish Independent has seen an NAS memo sent to staff who do not work the qualifying hours but who have still received the allowance. In a letter to Mr Morton on January 23, a Unite official said it was deeply concerned over the failure to engage with unions. Unite warned it considers the changes to the payment of shift allowance to be a breach of existing agreements. We would anticipate that the precise details outlined in the 1978 agreement would still be applicable and that the shift allowance will continue to be processed and paid on behalf of our Unite members since the 1978 agreement has been in effect for the past 45 years, it said. As a consequence of the above, we are directed by our affected Unite and Siptu members to conduct a ballot for industrial action in furtherance of this trade dispute in question. A HSE directive on shift payments, dated December 15 last year, stated: The purpose of a shift allowance is to compensate staff who work both day and night shifts on a rotational basis and (is) intended to ensure the 24/7 availability of services to the public. The payment of a shift allowance should only be made to staff who actually work a recurrent cycle of shifts which include days, nights and weekends, it added. However, the HSE insisted no financial recoupment would be required over the matter. Marian Keyes and her mother Mary Keyes at the National Gallery of Ireland. Photo: Naoise Culhane. Marian Keyes with artist Margaret Corcoran and Dr Caroline Campbell at the National Gallery of Ireland. Photo: Naoise Culhane. Author Marian Keyes has spoken about how she feels like artist Margaret Corcoran has captured me in a new portrait. The Composition A Portrait of Marian Keyes is an oil painting by Ms Corcoran, unveiled on February 9 as the latest addition to the collection at the National Gallery of Ireland. The bestselling author said she had to put vanity aside and allow the artist to see out her vision for the piece, despite temptations to have her own input. Margaret Corcoran and I met and the personal connection was immediate. Shes very warm and wears her talent lightly. We also discovered were almost exactly the same age. And I love her work, theres a playfulness there and a great humanity, Ms Keyes said. She said Ms Corcoran very generously discussed her ideas for the portrait but she did not want to influence the artist. As a result, I tried to take personal vanity out of it. The portrait was not about how I saw myself but how Margaret Corcoran, the artist, did. If she decided to go the full Francis Bacon, then so be it, she said. However, I was bowled over by the finished portrait: I love it; the colours, the textures, the mood, the many tiny details. I dont have the language to analyse art but it feels as if shes captured me. "The playfulness that shes so great at is definitely there. Im absolutely delighted and incredibly proud of this beautiful honour. May I offer heartfelt gratitude to everyone who made this possible. Ms Corcoran said the bright yellows of the portrait were like the walls of Ms Keyes house but were inspired by The Song Rehearsal, an 1873 painting by Edgar Degas. "I associate Marian with a vibrant colour palette both in personality and in her own style and decor, she said. It was my aim to paint, not only a portrait, but an image that spoke to the fondness of her readers both nationally and globally. Director of the National Gallery of Ireland Dr Caroline Campbell said it was very exciting to have a portrait of Ms Keyes added to the collection. The origins of our national portrait collection date back to 1875. It is regularly being enhanced by commissioned portraits of prominent figures from contemporary Irish life and is a source of joy and fascination for our Irish and international visitors. "We know that this new work by Irish artist Margaret Corcoran will be a draw for our audiences young and old. Born in Limerick, Ms Keyes was raised in Cork, Galway and Dublin. She graduated from UCD with a law degree before moving to London in 1986 and published her first novel Watermelon in 1995. She has since published 15 novels in 37 languages. An award-winning author and seller of more than 30 million books worldwide, she said it was a surprise and a huge honour to be invited by the National Gallery to sit down for a portrait. Ms Corcoran was born in Dublin and studied fine art at the National College of Art and Design and the Chelsea School of Art, London. Her work is described as intricate and richly-coloured and has been inspired by art, feminist theory and the history of political thought. Dorsay Einung feels young again when she takes to the skies. Einung had put off her aviation dreams for decades. A military brat whose father worked on B-52 bombers in the United States Air Force, Einung couldnt achieve it through the armed forces because women werent being trained to become pilots when she was young. By the time the military began training women for those positions, Einung was busy with motherhood. Now, after having successfully raised nine children, the 62-year-old Omaha grandmother has spent nearly the last three years becoming a licensed private pilot through Revv Aviations flight school at the Council Bluffs Municipal Airport. Einung can hardly wait for her dream to come true in just a couple of months. When Im flying, all I am thinking about is flying, she said. For me, flying is like going on a road trip. Einung was very much the busy mother. In addition to her two biological children, she raised seven other children, who couldnt count on their own parents, until each graduated from high school. As co-owner of a residential property management company and an IT consultant, Einung never hurt for money even as she raised the children. Her nonbiological childrens parents and family members kicked in financial help when they could. As part of that arrangement, Einung kept the children out of the foster care system. My house has always been the house where when children didnt have any place to go. ... they would come to my house and I would feed them, Einung said. It always ended up being slumber parties and stuff, and they never went home. While she raised the kids, who are now adults, Einung put her flying dream on hold. It wasnt until 2021 that Einung began to seriously pursue flying. After trying unsuccessfully to arrange a discovery flight a flight that usually crystalizes a persons decision on whether they want to become a pilot with another aviation company, Einung reached out to her childhood friend Jerome Howard, who is a chief flight instructor at Revv Aviation. Once she discovered she was comfortable in the cockpit, Einung enrolled as a student pilot at Revv. Ive been around planes my entire life, she said. I did (the discovery flight) to make sure and not waste anybodys time. You dont want to be six months in and find out that you cant stomach the movement and all that stuff. Taking it slow: I want to be extremely safe Einung isnt in a hurry when it comes to her flight instruction. She doesnt cut corners. She doesnt take risks. Shes not afraid to request that her instructors practice with her repeatedly and show her what to do so she can fully understand how the planes she flies operate. She absolutely refuses to get in any planes that dont pass pre-flight checks. Einung trains on a Cessna 172 single-engine plane. My flight instructors have told me Im very cautious, Einung said, adding that she considers that a compliment. Its taking me longer on purpose because I want to be extremely safe. Occasionally, the age gap between Einung and her instructors bubbles to the surface. When speaking with The World-Herald, Einung inadvertently referred to her discovery flight instructor as one of the kids before quickly correcting herself. Ive got to stop doing that, she said. I dont do that around them. I call them young men, gentlemen or something like that. On the flip-side, Einung self-deprecatingly refers to herself as a geriatric to her current flight instructor, Josh Finecy a description that she said he doesnt like. Einung has the highest praise for Finecy. Hes absolutely my hero, she said. Having trained under Finecy since August, Einung said the flight instructor pushes her to fly when she needs to yet gives her the out if she really needs it. Finecy said Einung definitely does not let her age get in the way and is always motivated to learn. Some students might have a crappy day and its kind of easy to tell. With her, shes always in a good mood and always has a good attitude, Finecy said. Howard, the chief flight instructor, said there are a handful of students older than Einung at Revv. Weve got a couple of individuals that have switched careers. Theyre not coming out as consistently (as Einung) but they do come out on a fairly regular basis to learn the same skills, he said. With the goal of finishing her instruction by April, the only major obstacles that remain toward getting her private pilots license are two more written tests and a check ride that essentially acts as her field test. Given how she has performed so far, Howard doesnt foresee any obstacles toward Einung getting her private pilots license. Shes been very consistent. Her progress has been very steady, Howard said. April is a very realistic goal for her to get finished. Shell keep coming after what she wants After Einung earns her private pilots license, she plans to pursue getting a certificate in instrument flight rules. That instrument rating would allow her to fly when weather conditions limit a pilots visibility. The private pilots license would only allow Einsung to fly under visual flight rules. Einung likened getting an instrument rating to knowing how to drive a car in foggy conditions. If you dont know how to drive a car in fog, its kind of useless to know how to drive a car, she said. So I want my IFR so I can fly in any conditions. While she pursues her instrument rating, Einung will fly under visual flight rules once she earns her private pilots license. She will put that license to very good use. Her immediate plan after getting her license will be to transport animals. Einung said shes flown as far north as Minneapolis and as far west as Denver. By flying the animals, Einung said she can relieve organizations burden of finding enough drivers to cover hundreds of miles of transportation. People only want to drive 80 to 100 miles per section, Einung said. If we need to get the dog to Minneapolis (from Oklahoma), there are a lot of people involved in that. If I can just fly down there, pick the dog up and take it to wherever they need it to go, it will save a lot of people a lot of time. Einung is also interested in piloting medical flights that link rural areas to major hospitals. While an instrument rating is not necessarily a requirement for Einung to volunteer for those flights, she said she would only volunteer after she gets that rating. I dont want to have somebody dependent on (me for) having a procedure and the weather gets bad and I cant fly in it, she said. Shes also considering becoming a corporate pilot. Finecy harbors no doubts that shell be able to achieve whatever she wants to in the aviation world. The biggest thing is her motivation, he said. You cant really tell her no because shell keep coming after what she wants. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of January 2024 The family of an Icelandic man who vanished from a Dublin hotel five years ago are hoping to get some answers following a renewed garda appeal. Jon Jonsson disappeared from Whitehall without a trace at around 11am on February 9, 2019, with a room key card from the Bonnington Hotel formerly known as the Regency Hotel in his possession. His family this week shared an update on the search after gardai renewed their appeal for the publics assistance. They wrote: Five years of feeling like we were speaking to a brick wall and with little to no support from authorities (Icelandic or Irish) has taken a toll on all of us on top of grieving Jon rostur. This has been a long and rocky road and we still haven't reached the destination. Two of Jon's siblings are now in Dublin with the goal of reestablishing a line of communication to the Gardai and trying to get some answers. They have also met with a missing person's organisation in Ireland who provided very valuable insight and advise. We thank everyone who has in some way provided support to the case throughout the years, whether offering on-the-ground support when we've been in Dublin, helping to spread the word, or simply by writing words of encouragement on this page. We really appreciate your kindness towards our family. Jon Jonsson (41) was last seen in Whitehall, Dublin after a poker game on Saturday, 9 February 2019, at 11am. He is described as being 6 ft tall and of medium build with short brown hair. When last seen, he was wearing a black padded jacket. Renewing their appeal for information on Jons whereabouts, a garda spokesperson said: Jons family have continued their search for Jon over the last 5 years. The Garda investigation into the disappearance of Jon has also continued over the last 5 years. The investigation to date has created over 270 jobs/ lines of enquiries and numerous statements have been taken and hours of CCTV were reviewed. Despite ongoing investigations and enquiries, Jon has yet to be located. During the course of the investigation, the investigation team has received two items of anonymous correspondence, the contents of which have been assessed. The Garda investigation team are appealing to the author(s) of those correspondences to make direct contact with them. Any contact will be dealt with in the strictest confidence. Anyone who has any information on Jons disappearance or who can assist in locating him is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 6664400, The Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. The week will start cold, with temperatures dropping below freezing on Monday night, however it will turn milder from Tuesday onwards, Met Eireann has said. Some frost and icy patches might remain on untreated surfaces this morning, the forecaster has said. There is a chance of a few showers in the western counties, however many parts of the country will remain dry and enjoy sunny spells. In the north the UKs Met Office has issued a status Yellow ice warning for all six counties until 9.30am this morning. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Meanwhile, showers might become more widespread this afternoon and evening, with some of them turning heavy and prolonged, with possible hail. Temperatures will range between 5 and 9 degrees, as Monday will become windier with winds turning from light and moderate to moderate to fresh and gusty by afternoon. The strongest winds can be expected at times in the west and northwest. Monday night will see some showers with long clear spells developing. Some mist and fog are likely overnight, as temperatures will drop below freezing and will range between -1 to +3 degrees, with light winds. Cold temperatures will bring patchy frost and ice developing overnight. Meanwhile, clouds will thicken in the south towards dawn, and the rain will move in across Munster. On Tuesday, clouds and rain in the south will continue to spread northwards across the country, and some of them might turn heavy. Temperatures of 6 and 8 degrees are expected in the afternoon, while the southwest and the southern coast will enjoy milder conditions with temperatures ranging between 9 and 12 degrees. Tuesday night will be wet with rain, which might become heavy in some parts. The south might be breezy with moderate to fresh and gusty winds. Tuesday night will see a rise in temperatures, as the south can expect 8 to 10 degrees, while the north will see lows of 4 and 7 degrees. Met Eireann forecasts an unsettled week with rain and showers at times. Former master of the Coombe Hospital Professor Chris Fitzpatrick has been thanked by the sister of a pregnant Palestinian woman he gave assistance to after hearing of her desperate situation on Irish radio. Prof Fitzpatrick got in touch with the Drivetime show on RTE to offer his help to Aya Ashour, who was trapped in Gaza and cut off from her doctor while 29 weeks pregnant as the enclave came under intense Israeli bombardment. Ayas sister Nour who lives in Ireland had been on the show to tell of her sisters perilous position. In an update given to the show today, Nour thanked Prof Fitzpatrick for his help, as Aya is now in Cairo with her newborn. "Nour has been a fantastic support to her sister in everything that has happened since the war in Gaza, Prof Fitzpatrick said. "I was very moved by what she said about her sister and the desperate situation she was in. As a former obstetrician I could read between the lines the risks that Aya was exposed to. Prof Fitzpatrick said he pieced together Ayas medical history to help her while she was cut off from direct contact with her obstetrician. This included the difficulties Aya had stemming from having three previous caesarean sections. "The risk to her was that she would go into labour, not be able to go to a hospital and with three previous caesarean sections, her uterus would rupture and this would lead to a fatal outcome for her and her baby, he said. He then contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs, politicians, medical colleagues in Ireland and Egypt and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) to pass this information on. Aya was then moved to the top of a list for medical evacuation from Gaza into Egypt via the Rafah Crossing. "Aya had a particularly difficult experience on December 26 whereby she was actually let go through the Palestinian checkpoint at the Rafah Crossing with her daughter and her sister but was not allowed to actually bring her husband and her two children, Prof Fitzpatrick said. "[Aya] went through no mans land, spent a considerable period of time at the Egyptian crossing point of the Rafah Crossing, she was on a list for medical evacuation only for her to be turned back to Gaza again." On the day Aya was placed on a list to access medical care in Egypt she went into labour early at 36 weeks and delivered her baby via caesarean section back in Gaza. The newborn was then transferred to a second hospital as the hospital she was delivered in did not have the resources needed to look after a premature baby. Ms Ashour said her sister and her family are now in Cairo but are suffering from a lack of support. "They have seized their passports, as a result they no longer have the right to work, no right to educate the children, they dont have any support, no health support, even financial support. So, the situation is really bad, she said. "[The baby] is so small, she needs to stay at home and not get any infection because if she gets any infection shell be in real danger. Shes really small, shes only two kilos and 200 grams. Prof Fitzpatrick said everyone he contacted did their very best to advocate for Aya though she isnt an Irish citizen. "I think that a happy conclusion to this story would be for the family to come to Ireland in whatever context in order to put their lives together. He said more than 50,000 women in Gaza are pregnant and 180 babies are born there every day. Nour also spoke about the loss of her father-in-law, who was shot while finding food for his family in Gaza. He was 80-years-old and was shot six times, Nour said. "He didnt do anything to get six bullets in his chest, arm and knee and legs and everywhere in his body, she said. Minister privately confirms waste-water capacity issues, but his department only mentions technical reasons A lack of sewerage facilities has halted one of the countrys biggest purpose-built refugee housing projects. A site in Housing Minister Darragh OBriens constituency was in the advanced stages of planning for rapid-build housing. But the plug was pulled when the local council pointed out the sewerage system couldnt handle the housing. Sixty rapid-build homes to accommodate 240 Ukrainian refugees were planned for land adjoining the national youth detention centre. The land at Oberstown in north county Dublin is owned by the Department of Children, which is also responsible for refugee accommodation. Rapid-build emergency housing doesnt need normal planning permission, but does need a suitable site. The lack of waste-water capacity on the site was confirmed privately by Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman to local politicians. Yet the ministers department never mentioned the sewerage problems, merely referring to technical reasons to not proceed. The housing was being built by the Office of Public Works and was supposed to be ready this year. The suitability of the rural north Co Dublin site for housing families had been questioned because it is nowhere near any community services. A local councillor has said the problems with the site were well known. Independent councillor Cathal Boland said there had been great difficulty in building the Oberstown facility, and a specialist sewerage system had to be put in place. If councillors had proposed this land be rezoned for housing, we would have been laughed at, he said. The childrens detention centre is beside it and the land is in the ownership of the State, so that was the attraction for the Government. The first conversation I had when I heard about it was I raised the sewerage capacity. Mr Boland said there had been no local objections to refugees being housed. There was no hostility to the idea of housing Ukrainians. Its in the middle of a rural area and they intended to house 240 people. There were questions locally about how they would be facilitated and welcomed in a positive way. There is no transport there and no facilities or shops, he said. Ultimately, Fingal County Council questioned the waste-water capabilities and said a planning application would be needed to increase the sites sewerage capacity. Solving the sewerage problem would drive up the costs and extend the timescale. At this stage of the programme, proceeding with the planning application would lead to an unsustainable increase in costs and potentially extend the delivery timeframes into 2025. Therefore it is no longer feasible to proceed with the planned rollout of the rapid-build homes at the Oberstown site, he said in a letter to local politicians. A rapid-build home is a high-quality house that is mostly built off-site from the planned location and then delivered and finished on site. This means they can be put in place quicker than standard accommodation, and there is less construction disruption to the area. The Department of Children and the OPW issued identical responses to queries, which didnt mention waste water. The departments said that as part of the States humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine, sites were being identified across the country and assessed for possible use as locations for rapid-build housing units. Some of these sites are progressed with, and others are not, for various reasons. A site close to the Oberstown campus in Fingal was identified as a potential location for 60 of the rapid-build housing units to provide accommodation to beneficiaries of temporary protection fleeing the war. Following extensive site assessment works by the OPW and engagement with Fingal County Council, the site has been deemed not viable to proceed with for this project, due to technical reasons, the departments said. Work has been completed on seven sites at Mahon in Cork (64 units), Farnham Road in Cavan (28 units), Doorly Park in Sligo (22 units), Thurles in Tipperary (64 units), Claremorris in Mayo (28 units), Clonminch in Offaly (64 units) and Rathdowney in Laois (42 units). These sites make up a total of 310 rapid-build homes and are housing approximately 1,240 people. Further sites in Backweston in Dublin (132 units), Charleville in Cork (64 units) and Ballinasloe in Galway (64 units) are under construction, with work ongoing to identify further sites to deliver the final stage of the programme in 2024. Each site is supposed to have roads, footpaths, street lighting, community facilities including a play area and green spaces. The rapid-build homes are also energy-efficient and durable, while the sites are supposed to be developed in a way that enhances the local area. Oberstown was not on the original list the site is near to the M1 motorway and there is a local GAA club and a pub nearby, but the nearest town of Lusk is 5km away. Sinn Fein has said it will abolish the TV licence "with immediate effect should they come to power after the next general election. The party said it will also grant an amnesty to all those who have not paid their licence, while noting that it is still the law of the land to hold a licence. Pearse Doherty, the party's Finance spokesman said full funding for RTE would in future come from the Exchequer. He said an amnesty had been brought in over prosecutions for non-payment when the battle was won over water charges. He denied that Sinn Fein was unveiling its TV licence abolition promise now because of recent slippage in the polls. Mr Doherty said SF's proposal - which will be debated through a motion in the Dail on Tuesday - would simply give effect to the Commission on the Future of Media recommendations given to Government as far that back as 2021. Party spokesman on broadcasting Thomas Gould TD said: "We believe that the current model is not sustainable going forward. "The Government has had the media commission report 19 months and hasn't acted. "13,000 people were in front of the courts last year for not paying their TV licence, if you multiply that by the 160 fee, it is 2.2 million in lost revenue. "But then RTE squandered over 2m on Toy Show The Musical. Highly-paid top officials and board members were able to do whatever they wanted -- with no accountability." Mr Doherty said he estimated the cost of direct funding of RTE, with some funds for other media, at 240 million in a full year. There would also have to be an additional State investment of 12.5 million in An Post to cover the loss of the revenue it receives from collecting the TV licence. To the suggestion that Sinn Fein wants to control the purse strings in order to manipulate RTE, Mr Doherty responded: "That's nonsense. "This was a recommendation by the commission, a report with over 200 pages looked at all of the different options of reforming the TV licence. "They ruled out all options bar Exchequer funding. although it will still be a dual model (with commercial revenue from advertising on the airwaves)." Mr Doherty said there would also a triple lock as protection for the independence of the media. "It will be multi-annual funding over a four-year period, with the budget independently put forward by Commission na Mean. "The third lock is that the Minister of the day could only deviate from that in exceptional circumstances as would be laid down in legislation. "So there is a triple lock there similar to what happened in Norway and other countries with a switch to direct Exchequer funding.". ] TANAISTE Micheal Martin admitted he fully understood that Irish people were concerned about migration and vowed that the Government were taking steps to deal more quickly with people travelling to Ireland on economic grounds. But Mr Martin - speaking at the opening of the 215m Dunkettle Interchange in Cork - warned that people fleeing oppression must be facilitated according to Ireland's international obligations. His comments came as an Ipsos B&A opinion poll found that 59pc of people wanted a more closed migration policy in Ireland. While 48pc of people said migration had been positive for Ireland, 35pc said it had a negative impact on the country. "There is undoubted concern out there amongst people in terms of the pressures on the country, as there are across Europe," Mr Martin said. "And I think what the Government is about - and what the Justice Minister recently announced - is to make sure that cases are dealt with quickly in respect of applications for asylum. "And we have increased the number of safe countries where we believe, maybe, we have people who were seeking residency here on economic grounds...(they) can be dealt with more expeditiously. So there are strong controls in place already." The Tanaiste said the issue of migration was a challenge not just for Ireland but for other developed countries worldwide. "There is a real challenge across Europe and across the world," he said. "I am just back from the US - (there are) enormous migration pressures on all the major cities there." "I think what people want to see is an efficient and effective system here, which we have, to make sure that those who are not entitled to come are dealt with expeditiously. "But then also that those who are seeking refuge from war and from intolerable oppression and so on, are facilitated." Mr Martin also insisted there was no specific meeting with Ms McEntee planned for this week to address the worrying spate of arson attacks on properties associated with asylum seeker and refugee accommodation. He admitted there were mounting concerns at the threat to property and potentially to life from the spate of arson attacks nationwide. "First of all, there is no specific meeting with Helen McEntee next week but obviously, in the context of the Cabinet and the various meetings, we will engage on the issue of course. "As I said, we have to review all aspects of the campaign of arson that's underway, which is unprecedented in the country, and which is risking life and limb and damaging property. "In a democracy that is unacceptable. So I will, of course, discuss with Helen and other members of the Cabinet as well, and the leaders obviously will discuss this, as we do at our leaders meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) evening. "The situation is unprecedented. There clearly is a campaign underway and we have to make sure that all resources of the State now are focused on stopping this and also dealing very robustly with those who are breaking the law. "The minister is working very hard but in an unprecedented situation like this there is merit in my view of having a very comprehensive review of this in terms of the security aspects of it and really focusing in on it." "The Gardai have made some arrests already in respect of one or two cases, that my understanding, and we're going to get a full update and review of the situation." An extra 50,000 construction workers are needed over the next decade to keep up with demand Irish construction workers living aboard are going to be encouraged back home to help address the housing crisis, under a new government plan. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has been given 750,000 to launch a campaign aimed at increasing the number men and women working in the construction industry. Central to the strategy will be an outreach programme to workers in cities such as London, New York and Sydney to establish what the Government could do to incentivise them to come home. Mr Harris said analysis by his department suggests an extra 50,000 construction workers across all trades will be needed over the next decade to keep up with housing demand. Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 12th We are currently revising those targets in line with the revised housing targets and an increased use of modern methods of construction but we will need more people to work here over the next number of years, the minister said. That is why we are currently considering a number of measures to boost the labour market, including peer-to-peer campaigns for people aged 18 to 24 to show the value of careers in construction and working with guidance counsellors also. We will be also targeting Irish workers who live abroad to come home and help build a home. There are a number of people working outside of Ireland and we need them here. The campaign will use advertising targeted at people working in construction overseas. The department will seek to speak with people in the industry and ask them what would encourage them to return to Ireland. Direct financial incentives are not on the table to attract workers back to the country but the Department of Higher Education is examining what measures could be used to make Ireland a more attractive place to work. Mr Harriss Careers in Construction report found parents are worried about the financial uncertainty, career stagnation and physical burnout of construction careers. In some cases, students are actively discouraged from pursuing roles in the sector. The report found secondary school guidance counsellors, though open to information on trade and construction, are still more focused on encouraging students towards the academic education and training system. Mr Harris is concerned students are given limited exposure to the construction industry and trade apprenticeships while in secondary school. This is particularly the case in all-girls schools, where there are fewer technical subjects or modules that could encourage students to follow a career in construction. A lack of visible role models in the construction industry for girls is also an issue being examined by the minister. Representation, including visits to construction sites, could go a long way to address the gender stereotyping and prevalent fear among this cohort that construction is an inappropriate industry for women, Mr Harris said. The minister has increased the number of people taking up apprentices since he was appointed to the portfolio four years ago. However, Mr Harris said a lot more men and women needed to take up positions in the construction sector to assist the Government in tackling the housing crisis. Since 2021, more than 27,000 people have registered as apprentices. Craft apprenticeship registrations for 2021-2023 were 19,842, an increase of almost 49pc over the preceding two years. On St Valentines Day 1900 a train ploughed through a Dublin station and out the back wall It is one of those dramatic images that have become part of Irish folklore phallic rather than romantic, but inextricably linked to St Valentines Day. The photograph of a huge steam engine hanging over Hatch Street in Dublin city, after ploughing through the back wall of Harcourt Street railway terminus, is an iconic picture. It hangs on pub walls, is celebrated with murals, and has inspired a surreal fascination down the generations. The crash happened on February 14, 1900. Though many people have seen the black and white image and know it isnt a fake, how many know what really happened that day, 124 years ago? That Wednesday morning began normally enough for William (Bill) Hyland from Bray, a train driver on the Dublin, Wicklow & Wexford Railway. He picked up locomotive No 17, named Wicklow, to begin the journey from Wexford town to bring cattle to a sale at the Dublin Metropolitan Cattle Market. The wagons, loaded with livestock and bound for what was then known as Cow Town, between Stoneybatter and the North Circular Road, stopped at Enniscorthy, where a cattle fair had just ended, picking up more freight. By the time it left the station, it was pulling 26 wagons heaving with the best of live Irish beef. The driver was carted off to the Meath Hospital his right forearm reduced to a pulp The train stopped at Gorey where the train staff and the herders had lunch. The fireman, Peter Jackson, kept the steam engine well stoked as they set off on the last leg to Dublin. There could have been little portent of the event that was to come later in the day, as the railway company was nicknamed slow and easy because of the leisurely pace of its trains. The line split shortly after Bray, with one branch continuing straight on to Amiens Street (now Connolly) while the other took a left fork heading for the Harcourt Street terminus. Train drivers were wary of the station because of the unusual gradient from Ranelagh which caused engines, especially if pulling a full load, to speed up through their own momentum approaching the station, because of the fall on the line. At about 4.30pm, when the Wicklow lumbered into the station, Hyland went to apply the brakes. Nothing happened. It was later speculated that a combination of the fully loaded wagons pushing behind the locomotive and wet leaves on the rails resulted in the brakes failing. The train engine for some unexplained cause did not stop at the station, said the report in the following days Freemans Journal. It dashed through it at great speed. After crashing through a railway turntable, the 38-tonne steaming monster demolished concrete buffers three feet thick and ploughed right ahead. The engine struck the wall at the rear of the terminus above Harcourt Street and broke down the wall leaving a gap, 40 foot in height and 20 feet wide, reported the Freemans Journal. The front wheel stopped after mounting the top of the overturned bank and the front of the engine projected 20 foot above Hatch Street. The stop bank remained intact or the engine would have toppled into the street. Alas, the newspaper never carried the iconic image that we know today, as newspapers of that era did not do photographs. Its report was carried under the headline: Extraordinary railway accident at Harcourt Street. Engine suspended in mid-air. One man injured. That man was driver William Hyland, who was jolted off balance by the impact. His right arm was jammed between twisted metal bars inside the locomotive. The terrible position of poor Hyland was only remedied when surgeons Myler, Ormsby and a Dr McCausland supervised his release by the fire service and he was carted off to the Meath Hospital his right forearms reduced to a pulp. The Freemans Journal then reported that although the surgeons deemed amputation necessary Hyland strongly objected to this procedure. A Catholic clergyman was summoned to his bedside and he at length consented and his arm was taken off just below the shoulder. The fireman, Peter Jackson had jumped clear of the locomotive and an unnamed guard and the cattle and their herders all escaped without injury, with some just shaken up by the impact. Crowds gathered to see the spectacle as the hissing steam engine steadied between the station and the street. From inside the station the fire brigade extinguished the fire in the locomotive. A platform was later built in Hatch Street to raise the front of the engine and it was eventually winched back inside the station. After he recovered, Bill Hyland who lived in Seapoint Cottages in Bray was given a job at Bray railway station, dying on February 1, 1930. He is buried alongside members of his family in St Peters Cemetery in Little Bray. As for the Wicklow, which had gone into service just a year before its dramatic rampage, after some remedial work it was back on track and it continued to perform its duties until the behemoths of the steam era were scrapped. The Harcourt Street line suffered the same fate, but not quite with the same speed. In the late 1950s, the Irish government employed the distinguished economist James Beddy, a schoolmate of Sean Lemass, to oversee a Commission of Inquiry into the state of the Irish transport network, with a special emphasis on the loss-making railway system. It was for many years one of the most unreliable buses in an entirely unreliable bus network This found that the Irish train lines were underused and overstaffed and, according to Tom Ferris in his book The Gleam of the Lines, raised the possibility of abandoning the railways altogether which just shows you what economists know. In the end, it was Todd Andrews War of Independence veteran, onetime chairman of Bord na Mona and Ryan Tubridys granddad who oversaw the closure of over 1,600 km of railway track. This included the entire network to Cavan, Leitrim and Donegal, as well as the scenic routes in West Clare, Kerry and the Hill of Howth tram. Included in what Ferris describes as this carnage was the Harcourt Street line, which the Wicklow misadventure had turned into an international news story and a photo that still stirs a sense of wonder in those who see it. The line was closed on December 31, 1958, and replaced by the No 86 bus which meandered through south Co Dublin. This was for many years one of the most unreliable buses in an entirely unreliable bus network. Political folklore has it that when Todd Andrews was ill in hospital, Eamon de Valera came to visit and the two old men got talking about past times and the part each of them played in the creation of the new independent Ireland. You will be remembered for causing the Civil War, Andrews is supposed to have said to The Chief, only half-joking. And youll be remembered for closing the Harcourt Street line replied De Valera acidly. The bow-fronted part of the railway station where the Wicklow crash-landed, was later occupied by a basement wine store and, above, by The Pod nightclub. It is now a mixed-use office and retail space named Station Building 2. The imposing entrance hall of Harcourt Street station is now The Odeon bar, its most famous moment living on in the old black and white image taken on St Valentines Day all those years ago. Remember the scenes during the Covid-19 pandemic when vaccines arrived on the scene. Vaccine passports were issued, appointments were set and people queued for their shots. The first delivery of 10,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine arrived in Ireland on St Stephens Day 2020. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first to be approved for use. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly even took a selfie standing next to the fridges used to store the vaccine. The rollout of the vaccines was a public health triumph and helped to allay the threat posed by the coronavirus. The pandemic though did leave a legacy of a rise in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories which means a greater effort will be required to advocate the purpose of vaccines. The actual science has to rule over the unfounded scepticism. The quiet fall-off in the uptake of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine (MMR) has serious consequences. A country needs 95pc of the population to be vaccinated to prevent measles from spreading. But the vaccination level has now fallen below 90pc nationally and in some counties it is below 80pc. Louth and Meath have got the worst vaccination levels, followed by Donegal and Sligo. However, no county is above the 95pc mark, so theres no cause for celebration anywhere. Among young adult men in their late teens, nearly 20pc do not have immunity. Measles is not just a virus with some red spots that passes in a few days. It is a highly contagious and highly dangerous disease. It causes a red rash, cold-like symptoms, sore eyes and a fever. But it can also cause encephalitis, a serious brain infection, and pneumonia, a serious lung infection. In extreme cases, it does actually lead to death. Last week, the HSE confirmed the death of a man from measles, the first case in Ireland this year. Nine suspected cases of measles were reported in the last week alone. However, they do not include the man in his 40s who died after contracting the disease. The suspected cases mark a significant turnaround from the four incidences in the whole of last year and signal the country is set to see more measles outbreaks as the virus is so easily spread. A significant increase of measles cases has occurred in Europe this winter. Coupled with the falling rates of MMR vaccine uptake, this has raised concerns about widespread transmission of the disease. The Government is planning a measles vaccination programme for Leaving Cert and college students amid increasing concerns over outbreaks. Drawing upon the Covid-19 experience, no expense should be spared in rolling out a public health information campaign to ensure there is widespread awareness of the dangers. Aside from particular population cohorts, local areas where vaccine rates are low also have to be targeted. The infrastructure in place during Covid-19 can be reactivated to ensure the vaccine is made as easy as possible to obtain, which will save lives. Dont forget the Mallow Relief Road were the parting words of outgoing Labour Party councillor James Kennedy as he stepped down from his role as a councillor for the Kanturk-Mallow Municipal District in the Cork Chamber on Monday afternoon. Glowing tributes from across the political spectrum were paid to the experienced politician who vacated his role as a councillor at Mondays full council meeting. Mallow native Eoghan Kenny will be co-opted to Cork County Council on Monday, February 26 to fill the vacancy following the resignation of Cllr Kennedy. This is Cork Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Cork newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Deputy Mayor John Healy wished the outgoing councillor all the best in his retirement. James has been a public representative for over 15 years. He had two spells in Mallow Town Council. He was a loyal Labour supporter all his life. He is stepping down and making the ultimate sacrifice by letting a young man get ready for the next election. I wish you well in your retirement. Thanks for all you have done throughout the years. Labour Party councillor Cathal Rasmussen said he will miss his political colleague. I am very sorry to see James retire. I would like to congratulate him on all his years served in councils and also with Labour. He has been involved with the Labour Party for over 50 years. I will miss the fun and some of the discussions we had. He has been a great contributor to this council. I would like to wish him and his family well in his retirement. I will miss him. He was a breath of fresh air in the chamber, said Fianna Fail councillor Seamus McGrath. He deserves a good send off. From a personal level and on behalf of the party I wish him all the best. He certainly stoked debate and often threw a few grenades in every now and again. He was always well intentioned and a genuine politician. He was always trying to do the right thing. He certainly made a contribution during his time here. Fianna Fail councillor Gearoid Murphy said his allegiance was always to his beloved home town of Mallow. I want to wish James Kennedy well in his retirement. When it came to his representative role on Cork County Council there could never be any doubt as to his allegiance, it was always to Mallow. I enjoyed working with him over the last four years. Fine Gael councillor Michael Hegarty echoed the sentiments of his political colleagues. I would like to wish James the very best. We mightnt always have agreed on things, but we agreed to differ. I wish you the very best and take care. Fine Gael councillor Liam Madden warmly recalled his friendship with Cllr Kennedy which goes back a long way. I would like to wish James the very best of luck. I have known him for a long time. We go back a long way. James is an integral part of Mallow. I want to wish him well for the future. We will definitely meet up for a pint at some stage. Independent councillor Mary Lenihan Foley. What a gentleman and a character. Thank you for your service. I am sure the people of Mallow and the surrounds will miss you dearly. It has been a pleasure to work with you, said Independent councillor Declan Hurley. It has been fun. You are an absolute gentleman. I want to wish you well in your retirement from political life. No doubt you will be a busy man in the community. Deputy Chief Executive of Cork County Council Michael Lynch praised the outgoing councillor for always playing a full part in policy discussions. On behalf of the staff in Cork County Council I want to wish you and your family well in your retirement. From my own perspective you always played a full part in policy discussion in the council chamber. You were always very vocal on the role and importance of local government. We appreciate that. Cllr James Kennedy praised his political colleagues for robust discussions during his tenure in the council. I want to thank all the councillors for looking after me. We had a few robust discussions which is good. The level of debate in this chamber is absolutely outstanding. Public reps here care for their communities. I want to thank my party colleague Cathal Rasmussen for the help he gave me. It was a pleasure to be a public representative. We serve the public, the public dont serve us. The staff are the best in the country. Thanks to them for all their help and assistance. Cork County Council is the best council in Ireland, he added. Cllr Kennedy concluded his speech by wishing all the councillors the best of luck in the forthcoming local elections before uttering his final words in the chamber: Dont forget the Mallow Relief Road, which perfectly captured his commitment to his native town. Abbas Ganbay On February 12, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Azerbaijan Peter Mihalko was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Azernews reports, citing Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry. According to the information, during the meeting, it was once again brought to the attention of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia that it is a serious concern, contrary to the initial agreements reached. It was noted that the said mission was widely misused as a means of propaganda against Azerbaijan, contrary to its stated goals of regional stability and contributing to confidence building between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It was brought to the attention of the EU side that the mission essentially became an agent of "binocular diplomacy," contributing to the organisation of visits by various European officials and unofficial delegations to the border regions. Without exception, it was noted that all such visits were used to spread hatred against Azerbaijan as well as to expand baseless Azerbaijanophobia. It was said that this activity of "binocular diplomacy" was observed at a time when unprecedented calm prevails along the border, as well as when both Azerbaijan and Armenia are implementing serious confidence-building measures. At the same time, the latest incident related to the prevention of an illegal crossing attempt in the regions for which the monitoring mission is responsible casts a serious shadow on the stated tasks of this mission. Such worrisome activity is in no way consistent with the mission's stated objectives of contributing to trust and confidence building as a neutral actor. The EU side was seriously urged to consider all necessary measures to ensure that the mission stationed in the territory of Armenia operates as a neutral, civilian, and unarmed mission in accordance with its stated mandate, as well as refraining from any activity directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan or affecting its legitimate security interests in one way or another. ? Cartoon Saloon realised that the story of Puffin Rock and The New Friends would be something Ukrainian children who had recently moved to Ireland would relate to The new version of the animation is entirely voiced by Ukrainian nationals who have relocated to Ireland A Kilkenny-based animation studio has enlisted the help of Ukrainian children living here to Ireland to make one of their latest animated films accessible to the growing number of Ukrainian children living in the country. Five-time Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated and BAFTA and Emmy winning animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, has launched a Ukrainian version of their animation, Puffin Rock and The New Friends. The new dubbed version of the film will be premiered by Cartoon Saloon at the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin, on Sunday February 11 at 10am. This new version of the film was voiced by members of the Ukrainian community in Ireland, mostly children who are currently living here. "Puffin Rock is a wonderful place to live, but what if it just doesn't feel like your home? During the production of the film this was a guiding statement for us, for how Isabelle may be feeling as a new puffin coming to live on a new Island, far far away from her home, explained Director Jeremy Purcell. We always tried to talk about her character in the simplest ways, for us she is an eight-year-old child moving to a new school or an eight-year-old child whose parents have to work away from home. We tried to focus on universal themes and experiences for our audience. But sadly in the world we live in, she is also an eight-year-old child forced to leave all they have known, not because of climate change but because her home has been destroyed by war. The creators of Puffin Rock and The New Friends soon realised that this was a film that Ukrainian children who had been forced to move to Ireland to escape war could watch and relate to. It was quite late in production when our Executive Producer Gerry Shirren, suggested the idea of making a Ukrainian version of the film. We absolutely knew it was something we wanted to do, added Jeremy. Cartoon Saloon have launched a Ukrainian version of their popular animated film There were many new and exciting challenges on this project, not only was this the first time that Cartoon Saloon would take the lead creating a foreign language version of their films, a job that usually outsourced to the respective country. It would also be looking to fill all the roles from the newly arrived Ukrainian community." A casting call was shared with the Irish-based Ukrainian community through social media, Ukrainian groups and Irish organisations with connections to the Ukrainian community in Ireland in August of 2023. This call was open to all Ukrainians in Ireland regardless of experience and led to over 150 self-recorded auditions being submitted from a range of experienced actors to newcomers. From the 150 self-recorded auditions, it was whittled down to 52 in-person interviews, held across two weekends in Cartoon Saloons Barrack Street Studio. Hopefuls travelled from Kerry, Cork, Clare, Galway and Dublin to attend the auditions. One of the biggest challenges for the casting team was to figure out who could fill the shoes of the original Puffin Rock narrator, Chris ODowd. Chris is such an integral part of what makes Puffin Rock so special for audiences so its hard shoes to fill. But that challenge presented us with an opportunity to try something new and we decided to go with a female Narrator, Alla Bineeva, announced Jeremy. Puffin Rock and the New Friends was Alla's first experience in animation acting but she is an experienced theatre and film actress living in Kerry. The other 17 roles were filled with Anna Svidruk from Dublin chosen to play Oona and Polina Vorobei from Cork chosen to play Isabelle. Our cast travelled from all around the country for the record sessions. They were more intensive than we initially expected but we were blown away by the enthusiasm, commitment and hard work of our cast and their parents, grandparents and/or brothers and sisters who travelled with them, added Voice Director, Lorraine Lordan. "The final performances are a testament to everyone involved. And I think Puffin Rock and the New Friends is every bit as moving in Ukrainian as it is in English. The Ukrainian version of Puffin Rock and The New Friends is entirely voiced by Ukrainian nationals who have relocated to Ireland. The film will now be made available to Ukrainian communities all over Ireland to show privately. Niall Horan attends TikTok In The Mix at Sloan Park on December 10, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona. Niall Horan is giving fans the chance to meet him in Dublin as a way to raise money for a cause close to his heart. The One Direction star has teamed up with the London Irish Centre, which opened in 1955 to meet the needs of newly arrived Irish emigrants. The competition, which launched on the February 8th, offers Nialls global fanbase a rare opportunity to be flown to Dublin, attend Nialls concert and meet him backstage. Flights, accommodation, concert tickets and special signed gifts are all included in the prize, with the concert taking place later this month. I've got some exciting news. I have partnered up with a very special charity, the London Irish Centre to give you the chance to meet me at my Dublin show on February 25th. We will fly you and a friend from anywhere in the world to the beautiful city of Dublin. Well get you a hotel, concert tickets, bring you backstage to meet me and get some special signed gifts. All the money goes to the London Irish Centre which is a charity very close to my heart, the Mullingar man said. Seamus MacCormaic, CEO of the London Irish Centre added: Everyone in the team is grateful for Nialls support of the London Irish Centre (LIC), a place where everyone is welcome to experience the best of Irish culture and community. We rely heavily on donations, and Nialls backing is invaluable in helping us to continue and grow our services and programme. Warm thanks to Niall, his team, and to everyone who enters. All proceeds from each 5 entry ticket will go directly towards the charity's work, which includes welfare, social engagement and other community and cultural services. The LIC supports thousands of people with advice, outreach, welfare, and social engagement every year. They are hoping to create a world-class culture and community centre. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Niall is kicking off his world tour on February 21st, 2024 in Belfast at the SSE Arena before heading to Dublin for two sold-out homecoming shows. The competition closes at 11:59pm on February 18th. Entries are unlimited, so fans can buy as many tickets as they like. For the chance to win, fans can buy tickets at niallhoran.londonirishcentre.org. The scene at Fertha Drive in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry where a suspected stabbing incident took place in the early hours of Monday, February 12, remains closed off. Photo by Alan Landers A member of the Garda Scenes of Crime Unit at Fertha drive in Cahersiveen after the stabbing incident which took place in the early hours of Monday morning. Photograph Alan Landers. A teenager received serious wounds to his face, neck, arms and back in a vicious attack in Cahersiveen last night. The incident took place in the early hours of this morning, Monday, February 12, at Fertha Drive, at around 2.20am when a 17-year-old teenager was seriously injured in what is believed to have been a stabbing in the local housing estate. Gardai have confirmed that the teenager, who is from the local area, was rushed to University Hospital Kerry for treatment of apparent stab wounds. The scene at Fertha Drive in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry where a suspected stabbing incident took place in the early hours of Monday, February 12, remains closed off. Photo by Alan Landers He remains in a stable condition at the Kerry hospital but it is understood he has multiple wounds on his body and will have to undergo surgery. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident. He is currently being detained at a garda station in Kerry. Forensic investigators arrived at the sealed-off scene in Cahersiveen this afternoon as gardai continue to probe an incident that has rocked the entire town. The participating apprentices representing a diverse cross-section of emerging talent from ETBs all over Ireland. Picture by Domnick Walsh. Kerry ETB apprentices dazzle judges and spectators alike with their exceptional skills and creativity. L/R Owen McDonnell, Maria Elenna Traynor, Adam Nagy, Melissa Cahillane and Helen Devane. Photo by Kerry College Photography Students. Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB) recently hosted a culinary extravaganza at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney that brought 52 competitors together from across the country, featuring six display competitions and five live cooking competitions. The event served as a vibrant celebration of culinary talent and vocational training in Ireland. The National Commis Chef Apprenticeship Showcase resulted in the presentation of 21 awards, recognising excellence in various categories. Notably, the beautifully handcrafted Chefs Kiss Trophies, made by the Stone Mason and Stone Cutting Apprentices from Kerry College, adorned the ceremony. Additionally, silver, and bronze medals were bestowed upon outstanding competitors adding to the prestige of the event. In a display of remarkable talent and culinary finesse, apprentices from Kerry ETB clinched five top honours in various categories. The event saw Kerry ETB apprentices dazzle judges and spectators alike with their exceptional skills and creativity. Speaking about the prestigious event, Kerry ETB CEO Colm McEvoy, said that apprenticeships play a vital role in shaping the future of the hospitality industry, providing aspiring chefs with the training and skills necessary to thrive in today's dynamic culinary landscape. We are immensely proud of to be the lead providers of this impactful apprenticeship programme and grateful for the unwavering support and collaboration of the Irish Hotel Federation (IHF). Together, we are not only fostering talent but also strengthening the foundation of Ireland's vibrant hospitality sector," he said. IHF Chief Executive Tim Fenn congratulated the competitors for the passion and skills displayed by the Commis Chef Apprentices, saying it points to a very bright future for culinary apprenticeship in Ireland. The National Commis Chef Apprenticeship Programme provides a vital opportunity for those who wish to pursue an earn and learn pathway to qualifying as a Commis Chef on their career journey, he said. "I want to commend Kerry ETB and all of the participating ETBs, as well as the employers, mentors, authorised officers, training teams, judges and everyone involved in organising this fantastic showcase event, Mr Fenn added. The National Commis Chef Apprenticeship Showcase not only celebrated culinary talent but also served as a platform for industry professionals and enthusiasts to witness the diversity and potential of apprenticeship programs. With its blend of creativity, skill, and passion, the event underscored the vital role of vocational training in nurturing the next generation of culinary excellence. To find out more about the National Commis Chef Apprenticeship visit www.commischefapprenticeship.ie Runners pictured setting the pace on the first lap of Tralee parkrun on Saturday morning on what was the 400th outing of the popular weekly event. Two thumbs up from Tralee's David Walsh on Saturday despite the pouring rain at the 400th outing of Tralee parkrun. On a day when Tralee parkrun marked its milestone 400th outing, works being done on one of the town parks main paths meant the runs usual route had to be changed ever so slightly, meaning runners will have even more cause to remember the event for months and years to come. First set up way back in January of 2015, its (literally!) been a long and winding path to event number 400 for all those involved in Tralee parkrun, especially the hardy few who have been there right from the very beginning, so Saturday mornings event was despite the pouring rain a moment to remember. Amazingly, only one other parkrun in the world was celebrating its 400th milestone as well on Saturday morning, and it just so happened to be a place called Taree parkrun, all the way down under in New South Wales in Australia, and the folks at Taree were only too happy to share the love and to give the Tralee a shoutout on their own Facebook page. After the run, runners and walkers headed over to the Brandon Hotel, where they enjoyed a celebratory cuppa and a well-deserved slice of cake to mark occasion. The free event which takes place every Saturday morning at 9.30 from Tralee Town Park averages 250 runners and walkers on a weekly basis and is organised by volunteers. Anyone interested in signing up for Tralee parkrun can do so at the parkun website. MEP Chris MacManus has hit out at the governments record on homelessness. He was speaking at a debate in Strasbourg on the 70th anniversary of Abbe Pierre's appeal on addressing homelessness. In his address to the European Parliament, MacManus said: In Ireland, we have had successive Fianna Fail and Fine Gael governments setting records they should be ashamed of. They have consistently overseen increase after increase in the number of homeless persons in Ireland. Indeed, just before Christmas - A new record was set. The number of homeless people in Ireland reached 13,179. 3,991 of those children. If the Irish government are serious about tackling the housing and homeless crises, they must reinstate the ban on no fault evictions in order to create the space for an emergency response to be put in place. A local national school is celebrating after winning the regional finals of the TUS FIRST LEGO League Challenge in TUS Athlone last week, also qualifying for the nationals to be held in Dublin. Team Lil Octaves from Stokane National School won the regional finals and also qualified for nationals. TUS Athlones Engineering and Informatics Building was buzzing with excitement as primary and second-level students geared up for a showdown at the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Regional Finals. This is Sligo Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Sligo newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Students from 18 teams across five counties, including Our Lady's Bower and Colaiste Chiarain in Athlone, took part in the day-long competition, battling it out for a coveted spot in the national final in Dublin next month. Team Garfield from Mercy Secondary School Ballymahon scooped the top prize of Overall Champions, receiving a trophy crafted entirely from LEGO. Team Lil Octaves from Stokane National School in Sligo won the regional finals and also qualified for nationals. The winners of the national competition will go on to represent Ireland in the international tier of the global STEM competition in Morocco in May. Dr Clodagh Reid, a lecturer in technology education at TUS Athlone had been working with students since September, helping them design and build their robots. She said: Todays event is not just about showcasing robotics and innovation. Its about unleashing the creative spirit and problem-solving skills of budding engineers. In addition to applying maths and science principles to their robot design and build, participating students also had to present a special innovation project which looked at the use of technology for creativity, arts and communication. Dr Reid further said: Through months of preparation and outreach, we've nurtured their enthusiasm for STEM, and today we witnessed it come to life in the arena as well as through their innovation project. As the competition kicked off, teams competed in a series of three Robot Games, pushing their creations to the limits in feats of strength, agility, and strategy; the stakes were high, but so was the camaraderie among participants, who embody core values of teamwork and inclusiveness. Jane Burns, Director of Education & Public Engagement at TUS Athlone said: We have seen these students grow not just as engineers, but as collaborators and innovators. Their journey from classroom to competition arena is a testament to the transformative power of STEM education. The aim of the FIRST LEGO League Challenge is to promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), with students honing their problem-solving skills and fostering resilience as they navigate the twists and turns of the competition. Dean of Engineering & Informarics Dr Sean Lyons said that TUS is on a mission to inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers by increasing schools access to integrated STEM experiences like this one. "Our mission is not just to impart knowledge but to ignite a passion for STEM in future students. By engaging them in hands-on experiences like FIRST LEGO League Challenge, we're not only developing essential skills like coding, design, and research, but we're also shaping the innovators and leaders of tomorrow's workforce. Stokane National School, Dalystown National School Westmeath, Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan Westmeath, and St Joseph's Rochfortbridge, Westmeath, all won awards on the day including best Robot Design, Core Values, Innovation, Rising Stars & Motivator awards. FIRST LEGO League Challenge, supported by FIRST, LEGO Education and the LEGO Foundation, is coordinated in Ireland by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in conjunction with Learnit. Sarah McLoughlin from Bridgetown Vocational College with her winning artwork "The Points Race" in 2023. Calling all Wexfords budding young artists the deadline is fast approaching to enter the hugely popular Texaco Childrens Art Competition. The Texaco Childrens Art Competition is marking its 70th anniversary by inviting young artists from all over Ireland, including Wexford, to come and participate in their competition. The closing date for entry is Wednesday, February 28. Organisers hope to receive many fine and outstanding pieces of art that are bigger and better then ever before, in honour of this special anniversary year. Organisers have this week wished every young art student good luck and a high calibre of artwork is greatly anticipated. Wexford has had many talented artists shine in this competition over the years. In 2023, there were two winners from the Model County. For the 16-18 year-old category, Sarah McLoughlin from Bridgetown College, won 3rd place for her artwork The Points Race while 10-year-old Lila Litwin from Gorey Educate Together National School, won first place in the 9-11 year-old category for her artwork My Self Portrait. There were also wins in 2020 with five young artists from Wexford winning Special Merit Awards in the competition, and again in 2021 with three more winners. The Texaco Childrens Art Competition is a brilliant and creative challenge. The prestigious art competition has been running since 1955 and is the longest running sponsorship of the arts in Ireland. Hopefully many more talented Wexford artists continue the countys winning tally this year. For more information about Texacos Childrens Art Competition, see https://www.texacochildrensart.com Transition Year and senior cycle students from CBS New Ross recently completed their Safe Pass training with the Construction Industry Federation and SOLAS. They were pictured recently receiving their first professional qualification after successfully undertaking the training course. Safe Pass is the national mandatory safety training for the construction industry and students from CBS New Ross undertook the training as part of their curriculum for this year. Director, Safety & Training at CIF Dermot Carey, congratulated the students and expressed his gratitude to staff at the school. Congratulations to the CBS New Ross students on completing their Safe Pass training. Ms Kelly and the school must be commended for giving their students every opportunity to develop their skills and their career options. This is Wexford Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wexford newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details Students from across Wexford and across Ireland are undertaking Safe Pass training with Construction Industry Federation as part of Transition Year, Leaving Cert and Leaving Cert Applied courses in schools this year. The initiative is part of the CIFs Careers Campaign to support students interested in a career in the construction industry. Safe Pass is a key qualification we all have in the construction sector. From architects, site managers to work experience labourers, Donegal to Dingle, everyone working in the sector starts with a Safe Pass. I hope this qualification is the first of many for students at CBS New Ross and leads some to a rewarding career in our industry, said Dermot Carey, Construction Industry Federation. New and enhanced schemes available to new and existing forest owners outlined at conference Irish Wood Producers information day in the Rhu Glen. From left; Alex Kelly Irish Wood Producers Manager, Bernie Howlett Forestry Division, Robert Windle Forestry Inspector, Frances McHugh Teagasc Forestry Advisor, Sean Kelly IFO Group Certification Manager, Anthony Browne IWP Chairman, Lauren Kinsella IWP Forester, Pat Doyle from Doyle Harvesting and Cormac Ryan Forestry Inspector. Photo; Mary Browne Irish Wood Producers information day in the Rhu Glen. From left; Lauren Kinsella Irish Wood Producers Forester, Patrick Trihy IWP Director, Nicholas Sweetman IFO Chairman, Anthony Browne IWP Chairman, Tom Hickey IWP Director, Liam OByrne IWP Director, JJ Kavanagh IWP Director, Ger Woodcock IWP Director and Alex Kelly IWP Manager Photo; Mary Browne The Rhu Glenn Hotel in Slieverue, Co. Kilkenny, was the location of the first forestry information session on the new forestry programme for 2024, organised by local forest owner group Irish Wood Producers (IWP) based in New Ross in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Teagasc. Forest and land owners travelled from Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford and Carlow to hear about the new Forestry programme 2023-2027 and the new and enhanced schemes available to new and existing forest owners. Chairman of the Irish Wood Producers (a not for profit forestry group, operating in the South East), Anthony Browne, welcomed everyone and invited forest owners to join the upcoming Forestry Knowledge Transfer Groups being run in Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford. This is Wexford Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wexford newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The information sessions and field trips run for two hours every week for seven weeks and participants receive a payment of 80 per meeting if they attend four or more. Teagasc Forestry advisor Frances McHugh presented the range of grant schemes available for planting land with increased annual premia as high as 1,103 per hectare for 20 years for native forests and other schemes facilitating varied species selection and silvicultural practices. Both Teagasc and the local Irish Wood Producers have been inundated with inquiries for new planting sites and also the new Native Tree Area scheme, which provides annual premia of 2,206 for ten years and 2,284 for planting for water protection. Forestry Inspector Robert Windle described the many supports available to existing forest owners to help manage and maintain their woodlands including increased Woodland Improvement grants for thinning, tending, agroforestry maintenance, continuous cover conversion, coppice management conversion and seed stand management. The updated Ash Reconstitution Scheme allows for a grant of 2,000 for clearance and a reconstitution grant at the relevant forest type rate, based on species planted. Any remaining premium due, will be paid at the new equivalent premium rate. Mr Windle also mentioned pilot schemes such as climate resilience measures to encourage more sustainable forest management, specific to sensitive sites. Forestry Inspector and a member of the Forest Roads Support Team, Cormac Ryan presented the new Forest Roads Scheme, with an increase in support to 55 per linear meter, an engineering design support measure and a biodiversity measure. Chairman of Irish Forest Owners Nicholas Sweetman spoke of the great opportunity and very positive impact planting woodlands has and how the new scheme offers a great range of supports to land owners. Group Certification Manager Sean Kelly described the structure of the group scheme operated by the forest owner group, the need for a management plan and sustainable practices and the economic benefits of joining a certification group. Anyone interested in attending a forestry knowledge transfer group in the coming weeks, of would like further information on any of the schemes, can email admin@irishwoodproducers.com or phone 085-1474000 Bitcoins market position is bullish as it hovers near $48,000, amidst widespread anticipation of potential growth to $100,000. Glassnodes analysis marks the current Bitcoin market as high risk, emphasizing the volatile nature of cryptocurrency investments. Grayscale attributes this potential ascent to Bitcoins unique market structure post-halving, suggesting a favorable outcome for investors. Concurrently, global regulatory efforts, exemplified by Nigerias move to regulate cryptocurrencies to curb financial crimes, reflect the broader acceptance and scrutiny of digital currencies. This environment fuels diverse Bitcoin price predictions, with the community oscillating between cautious optimism and strong bullish sentiment for its future valuation. Bitcoin Market Labeled High Risk by On-Chain Data, Glassnode Reports Glassnodes on-chain indicators suggest Bitcoin might be entering a bull market, having surpassed the mid-risk threshold according to the long-term holder market value to realized value (MVRV) indicator. This indicates significant profitability for long-term investors by measuring market overheating through the comparison of Bitcoins market value against its realized value, excluding short-term sentiment influences. After the challenging recovery since the FTX collapse, this indicator has advanced to 2.06, entering the High Riskregime. These levels are typically seen during the early stages of bull markets, as long-term investors return to a relatively meaningful level of profitability. pic.twitter.com/XMSjJjUc1z glassnode (@glassnode) February 9, 2024 Last week, Bitcoins price rose from $42,317 to $48,582, primarily due to reduced withdrawals from the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust and substantial inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs. Notably, spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded an unprecedented $541 million inflow on February 9, while Grayscales GBTC experienced its lowest outflow at $51.8 million. This trend suggests growing investor confidence in Bitcoin, potentially leading to further price increases as more institutional funds flow into the market. Grayscale Insights: Bitcoins Market Structure Boosts Post-Halving Price Grayscale suggests that the launch of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) could mitigate post-halving market pressures, traditionally driven by miners need to sell, by offering a stabilizing influence. The halving event, which slashes miners earnings by half, typically introduces significant sell pressure. In this report, we provide holistic analysis of the halvingwhat it is, why it matters, its historical impact, and why the $BTC landscape looks so different from even a year ago. https://t.co/L7aOULUA3W Grayscale (@Grayscale) February 9, 2024 However, the advent of ETFs may counteract this by fostering sustained market demand. The recent rollout of nine Bitcoin ETFs, collectively managing $10 billion in assets, exemplifies this potential. Leading the pack, BlackRocks iShares Bitcoin Trust holds $4 billion in Bitcoin, demonstrating substantial market confidence. ETFs ability to alleviate sell pressure could effectively act as a market restructuring tool, akin to an additional halving event, potentially fostering continued price growth as the market adjusts to these new dynamics introduced by ETFs. Nigeria Implements Cryptocurrency Regulations to Fight Financial Crimes Adedeji Owonibi, co-founder of A&D Forensics, underscores the critical need for cryptocurrency regulation in Nigeria to curb financial crimes such as money laundering. Following the Central Bank of Nigerias reversal of its ban on cryptocurrency transactions, there is a concerted effort to educate compliance specialists to ensure banks can operate with Virtual Assets Service Providers (VASPs) within regulatory guidelines. Owonibi highlights the importance of compliance in deterring illicit activities. With the new regulations, VASPs are permitted to open bank accounts under CBNs regulations, yet theres a call for the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission to revise its crypto licensing rules to legitimize local exchanges. Exciting update from Champion News on 3CS Training! A&D Forensics just wrapped up training a new batch of Cryptocurrency Compliance Specialists. Read insights from our facilitators and participants here!https://t.co/pdXHIo9nm0#CryptoComplianceTraining #NigerianTrainings A&D Forensics (@ForensicsD) February 10, 2024 Such regulatory advancements could bolster Bitcoins market by enhancing its credibility and investor confidence. Properly defined regulations are poised to elevate Bitcoins value and adoption, attracting more investors and institutions into the cryptocurrency space. Metacos Leadership: Ripple-Owned Crypto Custody Firms CEO and Product Chief Insights Following Ripples acquisition of Metaco in May 2023, the company saw the departure of its Chief Product Officer Peter DeMeo and CEO Adrien Treccani. Ripple has recognized their significant contributions to the digital custody sector, underlining that custody remains a cornerstone of its crypto business offerings. Metaco, known for securing a deal with HSBC and its popularity among European banks for digital asset custody, faces scrutiny over potential reassessments of bank partnerships post-acquisition. SCOOP: The CEO and chief product officer of @metaco_sa, the cryptocurrency custody firm acquired by @Ripple last year, have left the company.@IanAllison123 reportshttps://t.co/8PkKaVsUDS CoinDesk (@CoinDesk) February 11, 2024 This development, reflecting wider cryptocurrency industry trends, could indirectly influence Bitcoins perception. Ripples focus on custody underscores the importance of institutional acceptance of digital assets, potentially affecting market sentiment. Changes in leadership at key custodial firms like Metaco might signal shifts in institutional strategies towards cryptocurrencies, impacting the broader viewpoint of Bitcoin among traditional financial entities and investors. Convictions for two burglaries committed by a Dublin man were added to a very long list at Wexford Circuit Court. It emerged that Trevor Mooney (51) from Darndale already had 169 previous convictions on his record. The list included 37 burglaries, 17 counts of entering property with intent, and six instance of trespass. Garda Sergeant Geoff Scally also mentioned 20 thefts, seven counts of possessing stolen goods and two of handling stolen property. His latest victims were JJ Murphy of Stony Park and Vivienne Leacy of Newtown Road. Murphy was woken from his sleep by an intruder, who turned out the be the accused, in the early hours of April 6 in 2022. Mooney ran off but appeared shortly afterwards in the sitting room of the Ms Leacy. He told her he was looking for a house party after apparently climbing in through a window. He was asked to leave and did so, letting himself out in more orthodox fashion through the front door. He was later picked up in an intoxicated state after he was seen by a garda testing doors of houses on John Street. Defending solicitor Brian Mulvany acknowledged that his client was no criminal mastermind. Counsel told the court that the first of the 169 convictions was handed down in the Childrens Court back in 1984. Judge James McCourt responded that he could not overlook the past record of the accused. A two and a half year prison sentence was recorded, the final three months to be suspended. Mooney was ordered to stay out of County Wexford: Dont come back, the judge advised him. The cancellation of Bray Dart services at selected weekends and bank holidays is causing issues. Bray Chamber of Commerce has written to Irish Rail to express deep concerns regarding the scheduled cancellation of weekend Dart services in the area due to the ongoing engineering works. Last year several bank holiday weekends offered no Dart service to Bray or Greystones and already this year no service was provided for the three days of the February bank holiday, with works to close the line between Grand Canal Dock and Greystones on the weekend of February 17 and 18, and again across the Easter weekend March 30 to April 1. The schedule of works beyond Easter has not yet been released, and the Bray Chamber of Commerce is calling on Irish Rail to release these and discuss how potential impacts to local businesses and tourism can be mitigated. The Bray Chamber of Commerce said it recognises the efforts made by Irish Rail to minimise disruptions, such as scheduling works during off-peak hours and avoiding major events like St Patricks Day. However, the chamber also emphasised the need for continuous collaboration and communication to ensure that the interests of local businesses, during busy bank holidays and key tourist seasons, are duly considered. Chamber President Kieran Ward said: Tourism is a vital contributor to Bray's economy, and any hindrance to transportation services can have a direct impact on footfall. "The Chamber calls for open dialogue between Irish Rail and the local business community to discuss potential solutions and ensure that the town's economic interests are safeguarded during this period of infrastructural development. "We understand the challenges faced by Irish Rail in balancing necessary works with minimal disruption, and we believe that by working together, we can find collaborative solutions that benefit both the rail network and the local economy. "The Chamber looks forward to receiving more detailed information about the major works scheduled for 2024 and anticipates further updates on how the potential impacts on local businesses and tourism will be mitigated. In 2023, engineering works meant there was no Dart service beyond Dun Laoghaire across the Easter and May bank holiday weekends, with the May weekend hosting the international Bray Jazz Festival then, and again this year. The co-founder of United Against Racism Wicklow has revealed that the racial abuse that her partner suffered recently while getting off a bus in Wicklow town left her worried sick. The group was formed in early 2023 to combat the rise of the far-right in Ireland, and in response to an anti-immigration rally held in Wicklow town in November of 2022, against the Direct Provision Centre at the Grand Hotel. Bernie DArcy from Wicklow town is one of the founding members and the group currently boasts around 12 core members. Bernie has been regularly inspired to speak out due to the treatment her partner has received. Ben Akhile, who is originally from Sierra Leone, has lived in Ireland for more than 18 years, but Bernie said he has suffered attacks of racial abuse regularly, including recently as she was about to leave him alone for a week to go on a charity swimming challenge. Ben works in a hotel and returns to Wicklow town by bus at night-time," Bernie said. Recently racist abuse was shouted at him as he got off the bus to go home. He wouldnt go into much detail and he didnt say if the person abusing him was young or old, I think because he is worried I would end up confronting them. It has happened a few times now and it leaves me frightened. I wanted to take part in Paddys 32 lakes challenge and Ben kept reassuring me that he would be fine. Its something I really wanted to do, but I just ended up worried sick about Ben and wondering if he was okay. I couldnt get any sleep while in Bagenalstown because I was so concerned about Ben. When United Against Racism Wicklow held our information day last year, one woman actually said she hoped I get raped, which really shocked me at the time, and just shows some of the racist attitudes out there you encounter. United Against Racism Wicklow have been busy over recent months carrying out counter-protests against recent far-right demonstrations taking place in Dublin and Carlow. Bernie added: We are very much aware of the hate that is out there. We held an information day in Wicklow town not long after we launched, where the reaction was mixed. "We have been working away in the background more recently in Wicklow and have attended counter-protests against far-right and racist rallies held in Dublin and Carlow. This is Wicklow Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wicklow newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details "Its important to counter any hate or racism that is being spread. The far-right are a minority, but they are still there, spreading as much disinformation as they can. The counter-protests against the far-right gatherings are always much larger and better supported than the racist rallies, which is at least encouraging. Bernies swimming challenge was with infamous 83-year-old Donegal man Paddy Conaghan, who is currently continuing his third lap of Ireland ducking and driving for charity. Bernie caught up with him for a swim in Wicklow Harbour, her local swimming spot, and joined him for dips in Carlow, Kildare and Dublin. Palestinian protesters have staged a sit-in demonstration at the British Museum to object to the London institution accepting funding from oil giant BP. Energy Embargo for Palestine said it organised the protest at the Great Court alongside Palestine Solidarity Campaign on Sunday. Members of the group left the Bloomsbury site after being asked on Sunday. The Metropolitan Police were notified but did not attend, it is understood. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The British Museum respects other peoples right to express their views and allows peaceful protest onsite at the museum as long as there is no risk to the collection, staff or visitors, a spokesman for the institution said. In December, the museum confirmed that the partnership with BP will be extended for another decade after a 50 million deal to help fund its renovations plans. Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Energy Embargo for Palestine said that they want the British Museum to end its 10-year partnership with British Petroleum, an energy company profiting from the war between Israel and Hamas. The protesters also cited Israel announcing in October that gas exploration licences had been given to six companies including BP. Environmental campaigners have been disappointed by the museums sponsorship deal but it has been defended as securing the bodys collection for generations to come. At least three dead and dozens seriously hurt after blasts rip through gas plant in Kenya North America Thats going to be the least of it: Donald Trump claims US is facing a bloodbath if he loses November election A float depicting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is driven through the streets during the Rose Monday parade in Cologne (Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa via AP) Throngs of revellers took to the streets of Germanys carnival strongholds on Monday, accompanied by floats that satirised the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, German politicians, former US President Donald Trump and many others. LATEST | Gaza: Biden referred to Netanyahu as an a*****e, say reports; Tanaiste reacts to inhumane Rafah bombings Biden has referred to Netanyahu as an a*****e on three occasions reports Israel frees two hostages in Rafah under cover of air strike; health officials say 67 killed Hamas says overnight attack on Rafah continuation of 'genocidal war'Why did you kill my family while they were sleeping? They are children. I've been collecting my family's body parts since the morning resident Tanaiste: We are appealing to people to not suspend aid A Palestinian child looks on, at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 12, 2024. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Ralph Riegel, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Emily Rose Mon 12 Feb 2024 at 07:20 US president Joe Biden is growing increasingly frustrated with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has called him an a****le in private, according to media reports. Meet the firm behind our content. Visit their website to see how their services can help your business succeed. Photo Courtesy: Bridgestone India Bridgestone India, part of the Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tyres and sustainable mobility solutions, on Monday announced Hiroshi Yoshizane will take over as its new managing director. He will succeed Stefano Sanchini, who will be moving into the role of VP Consumer Replacement for Europe. Yoshizane moves to his new role from Bridgestone Japan where he has served various leadership positions. He last served as Executive Vice President of Solution Business, Retail & Service Business in Bridgestone Tire Solution Japan Co., Ltd. India is a strategic, evolving and growth market for Bridgestone, with a unique set of opportunities and challenges, as the countrys automotive sector is poised for major advances both in terms of numbers and technology. I look forward to working with our partners and the Bridgestone team to serve our customers, vehicle manufacturers and the communities at large," said Hiroshi Yoshizane. My India tenure has been very fulfilling and a great learning experience as the diversity and complexities of the Indian market are unique to the country. I am sure that these learnings will hold me in good stead in my new assignment. I thank the Bridgestone team and business partners for the warmth and support extended, and Im certain we are geared to optimise every opportunity in 2024," said Stefano Sanchini. Stefano Sanchini assumed role of Managing Director in January 2023. Cheap Energy Cost Fuels Chinese Bitcoin Miners Migration to Ethiopia Ethiopia has become a lucrative destination for Bitcoin miners with lower energy costs and friendly government policies driving the move. According to Bloomberg, Bitcoin miners from China and other countries are setting up shop in the East African country followed by energy deals with electricity companies. Last year, mining equipment including high-powered computers were placed at electric substations connected to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam showing signs of a departure from other jurisdictions. In the following months, Bitcoin miners now look to grow operations in Ethiopia and rival Texas counterparts who became the new hub after the mining ban in China two years ago. Bitcoin Mining Executives Eye Prospects in Ethiopia Ethiopia gave the green light to cryptocurrency miners two years ago and although trading remains prohibited mining companies will leverage on the reduced energy costs and partnerships with Chinese firms over the years. Ethan Vera, the Chief Operating Officer of Luxor Technology, a mining services company, projected that Ethiopia is among the worlds top destinations for mining at the moment. Nou Xu, founder of the China Digital Mining Association explained that Ethiopia will be a destination for Chinese miners thanks to friendly government policies and cheaper energy costs. Per the Bloomberg report, Ethiopian state-owned power companies have signed agreements with 21 Bitcoin mining companies with 19 of them coming from China. On the environmental front, Ethiopias electricity supply can rival Texas ability in a few years with numerous dams and renewable energy sources opening up in recent years. The countrys GERD power project boosted its production to 5.3 gigawatts and will double Ethiopias capacity upon completion. All this coupled with the lower cost is what crypto miners need to weather the storm amid macroeconomic factors. Vitaliy Borshenko added that the countrys advantages go beyond energy to environmental conditions. The ideal temperature for the miners is 5 to 25 degrees Celsius (41F-77F). That is right in the average range of temperature in Ethiopia. All Isnt Certain for Bitcoin Miners Despite the surge in Bitcoin miners moving to Ethiopia, future government policies remain uncertain because of the nature of the activity. China was once the hub of cryptocurrency mining, but the government clamped down on miners, citing environmental factors leading to widespread migration and a slump in asset prices. Although Ethiopia is looking for new sources of revenue and an inflow of foreign currency in its local market, nearly 50% of the population suffers energy problems. This fact can cause a shift in government stance in the future as seen in the case of Kazakhstan and other countries that switched from a totally friendly stance to imposing certain limitations on mining activities. #Bitcoin Miners Blamed for Energy Issues as Kazakhstan Looks to Limit Mining Ream More https://t.co/HU4epB6s2M Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 19, 2021 Nemo Senret, the CEO of QRB Labs noted the steps to get here while highlighting the uncertainty on the part of some miners towards the future. Ethiopia is heavily regulated, introducing a new sector like this has been a big challenge, and weve been working for the last two years to get all the necessary permissions from the government. Photo Courtesy: Screengrab from Youtube Eight Indian Navy veterans, who were in prison in Qatar over spying allegations and even at one point sentenced to death, have been released by the Arab country, the Indian government confirmed on Monday. The release is seen as a big diplomtic victory of India and Prime Minister Modi who supposedly personally intervened to secure their freedom. Seven of them have already returned to India. Confirming the development, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement: "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar." "Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals," the statement said. #WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, "We are very happy that we are back in India, safely. Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi, as this was only possible because of his personal intervention..." pic.twitter.com/iICC1p7YZr ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 The arrested personnel were Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Amit Nagpal, and Sanjeev Gupta, who are Commanders, and Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, and Saurabh Vasisht, who are Captains and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar. At one point this seemed impossible. Kudos to Govt of india for managing this without medias hyperventilation and ball by ball commentary. pic.twitter.com/hJUiazJGZI Sunanda Vashisht (@sunandavashisht) February 11, 2024 Navy veterans thank Narendra Modi After returning home, the Navy veterans praised Indian PM Narendra Modi for securing their release. "We are very happy that we are back in India, safely. Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi as this was only possible because of his personal intervention," one of the veterans told NDTV. Another released veteran told the Indian news channel: "We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldn't have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar." All eight have been in jail since August last year and were handed death sentences on October 26, after a brief trial in March. Bail was denied numerous times during their incarceration and trial. Where were the veterans working in Qatar? The eight were working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services when they were arrested. Photo courtesy: Facebook/Dev Kolkata/IBNS: Bengali film superstar-parliamentarian Dev is likely to contest from his present Lok Sabha constituency Ghatal for his third term in the upcoming General Elections. Speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of an event in the city, Dev, a Trinamool Congress MP, said, "I have never said I will not contest or otherwise. At a time when people are promoting their girlfriend or wife or father or son in politics, I just wanted to campaign for my party if my absence would have hurt." "But Didi (Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief) and Abhishek (Abhishek Banerjee, TMC national general secretary) told me something about the development of Ghatal, for which I would like to be in politics forever." "Ghatal Master Plan is very important for my constituency. So I am likely to contest from Ghatal again," the 41-year-old said. Politics won't let me go, says Dev meeting Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee Dev on Saturday dropped a big hint about his political future after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata amid speculations over his political future. Dev held a discussion with Abhishek at the latter's Camac Street office and then met TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee at her residence in Kalighat. In a one-liner with a far-fetching meaning, Dev had told reporters, "As per my understanding, politics won't let me go even if I leave it." The actor-producer had said this amid speculations that he may not contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, which will be held in 2024 summer. Dev's cryptic post On the last day of the Budget session of Parliament last week, Dev spoke about the Ghatal Masterplan for which he has remained vocal for years. Speaking in Bengali, Dev said, "This is a problem which exists in Ghatal (Dev's constituency) since 1950. It is the problem of people who suffer due to floods. It's not a problem of TMC or BJP. I would request the Prime Minister to execute the Ghatal Masterplan. "No matter if I stay MP or not, I want the problem to be solved." Captioning the video, the actor-MP wrote, "My last day in the Parliament.. Thanku Didi. Thanku to the people of Ghatal Loksabha." Dev steps down from posts On Wednesday, Dev, who has recently resigned from three government posts in Ghatal, posted in an Instagram story, "Few More Hours." Meanwhile, in an unverified audio clip, which went viral on social media, two people were heard talking about cut-money culture in Ghatal Lok Sabha constituency. IBNS did not verify the audio clip. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hiran Chatterjee has claimed Dev, a massively popular star in West Bengal, is involved in corruption. Hiran told India Today, "I have always said that Dev is involved in corruption. Now the audio clip of a TMC leader from Ghatal named Shankar Doloi is viral, where he claims that Dev took a cut of 30 per cent from him. "He said that he even informed Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, but nothing happened." Earlier, reports had claimed Dev was reluctant to contest in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 but Mamata was keen to field the actor from the constituency, which was once a stronghold of the Left. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash India's promising Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius on Monday (February 12, 2024) in the virtual presence of PM Narendra Modi. RuPay card services were also launched in Mauritius. Apart from Modi, the event was also attended by Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth. Pravind Jugnauth informed said co-branded Rupay card will be designated as domestic card in Mauritius. What did Indian PM Narendra Modi say during the event? Underlining that fintech connectivity will further strengthen cross-border transactions and connections, Modi said: Indias UPI or United Payments Interface comes in a new role today - Uniting Partners with India." Speaking about the convenience and speed of UPI transactions, the Prime Minister informed that more than 100 billion transactions took place via UPI last year worth Rs 2 lakh crores or 8 trillion Sri Lankan rupees or 1 trillion Mauritius rupees. The Prime Minister also mentioned making last-mile delivery through the GEM Trinity of bank accounts, Aadhar and mobile phones where Rs 34 lakh crores or 400 billion US dollars has been transferred into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. The launch of India's UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius underscores the robust linkages between our countries. https://t.co/u9da79j7L2 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2024 Modi informed that with CoWin Platform India conducted the world's biggest vaccination programme. Use of technology is promoting transparency, reducing corruption and increasing inclusivity in society, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister expressed the confidence that connection with UPI will benefit Sri Lanka and Mauritius and digital transformation will get a boost, local economies will witness positive change and tourism will be promoted. I am confident that Indian tourists will give priority to destinations with UPI. People of Indian origin living in Sri Lanka and Mauritius and students studying there will also get special benefits from it, the Prime Minister added. PM Modi expressed delight that after Nepal, Bhutan, Singapore and UAE in the Gulf in Asia, now from Mauritius RuPay card is being launched in Africa. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash Ahead of the farmers' call for a march to Delhi on February 13, the police on Monday imposed Section 144 under CrPC across the national capital until March 12, effective from today, to maintain public order and tranquillity. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora issued an order prohibiting the gathering of five or more persons, blocking roads, conducting processions and rallies, restricting the entry of tractor trolleys, and imposing a ban on carrying corrosive substances or explosives, as well as the use of loudspeakers across the national capital. If any person violates the provisions of this order will be considered to have committed an offence under Section 188 of the IPC and shall be liable for criminal prosecution as per law, the Police said. In an official statement, Arora said, The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and several other farmers unions and associations have announced a 'Delhi Chalo' march, on February 13 to hold protest outside the Parliament House, to press their demands. To ensure public safety, tranquillity and public order in Delhi and considering the experience of farmer agitation organised in 2020, it has become imperative to take all required precautionary steps to keep a check on the activities of participants of farmers march, for which no permission has been granted, he said. Blocking roads, passages, or any form of procession, agitation, rally, public meeting or participating in any processions, demonstrations, rallies, or foot marches, regardless of their purpose within the geographical limits of the national capital, is strictly forbidden. Vehicles such as tractor trolleys, trucks, or any other transporting individuals or materials are not allowed entry into Delhi. Particularly, vehicles carrying implements like sticks, swords, firearms, or any potentially violent tools are prohibited, the Police said. Moreover, carrying firearms, explosives, corrosive substances, or any lethal weapons in public places within the territory of the national capital is banned with immediate effect. Authorities are stationed at designated checkpoints to inspect all vehicular movements from the borders of adjoining districts of neighbouring states such as Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the police said. However, this order shall not apply to any processions or meetings organized by the Government, any public servant acting in the discharge of his duty and any congregations or processions relating to any weddings, funerals or other purely religious functions organised with due permission from the concerned authority. (With UNI inputs) Photo courtesy : Videograb of barricades put in place by Delhi Police ahead of farmers' march New Delhi/IBNS: Farmer leaders who met Union ministers in Chandigarh for over five hours alleged that the government was not sincere about the talks as protesters set out tractor-trolleys from different parts of Punjab for their march to Delhi. In the national capital, massive deployment of police and paramilitary personnel, besides multi-layered barricading have been made to seal the city at Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur. "The talks did not lead to any result. We will start our march to Delhi at 10 am. We will, however, discuss the proposals given by the government in our forum. The government is clearly at fault here," a farmer leader told reporters after the meeting ended. They discussed repealing the Electricity Act, 2020, and compensation for farmers who were killed in the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri. An agreement was reached between the government and the farmer groups to withdraw the cases filed against them during the year-long protest against the now-scrapped controversial farm laws. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police earlier in the day imposed Section 144 under CrPC across the national capital until March 12, effective from Monday, to maintain public order and tranquillity. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora issued an order prohibiting the gathering of five or more persons, blocking roads, conducting processions and rallies, restricting the entry of tractor trolleys, and imposing a ban on carrying corrosive substances or explosives, as well as the use of loudspeakers across the national capital. If any person violates the provisions of this order will be considered to have committed an offence under Section 188 of the IPC and shall be liable for criminal prosecution as per law, the Police said. Vehicles such as tractor trolleys, trucks, or any other transporting individuals or materials are not allowed entry into Delhi. Particularly, vehicles carrying implements like sticks, swords, firearms, or any potentially violent tools are prohibited, the police said. The protest is being organised by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and several farmers' organisations have distanced themselves from it. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal), which was part of the farmers' protest in 2020-21 that led to the Centre withdrawing three laws, said they won't join Tuesday's protest. Instead, they will participate in a protest on Friday. The BKU, however, warned that if farmers part of Tuesday's protest are "manhandled," all unions will hit the streets. Videograb of Mithun Chakraborty walking out of hospital The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader asserted to the reporters that he was "absolutely fine" and would soon resume shooting for upcoming films. Chakraborty suffered a brain stroke on Saturday morning after which he was admitted at a private hospital in Kolkata. Coming out of the hospital, he told reporters: "I am fine. There is actually no problem. I have to keep control of my food habits. I eat like a demon whenever I am in Kolkata. Let's see; I may start working soon, maybe tomorrow." "I want to tell all people, especially those who have diabetics, please keep control of your food habits," he said. Confirming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had telephoned him during his hospital stay, Chakraborty said: "He scolded me for not taking care of my health." Bengal BJP leaders Sukanta Majumdar, Dilip Ghosh, and Suvendu Adhikari visited him at the hospital. Chakraborty, a National Award-winning actor, was busy shooting for Bengali film Shastri alongside senior actress Debasree Roy. The two are working together on a film after 14 years. His last film Kabuliwala, which is based on Rabindranath Tagore's short story, was released on Christmas last year. The 73-year-old actor was recently honoured with Padma Bhushan, which is the third-highest civilian award by the Government of India. Chakraborty is still a member of the country's ruling BJP, the political outfit, which he joined in 2021 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo Courtesy: Unsplash The Chinese Embassy in Sweden has warned Gothenburg City Council after it decided to stitch sister city agreements with Taiwan, media reports said. Members of two parties at the council in Swedens second-largest city submitted a motion to expand its foreign relations, as per CNA as quoted by Taiwan News . After the stance caught the attention of Beijing, the Chinese Embassy sent an e-mail to the Gothenburg City Council and warned it should adhere to the One China principle. The politicians should handle the Taiwan issue correctly, as it was at the very core of Chinas interests, the embassy said as quoted by Taiwan News. While Gothenburg and Shanghai were sister cities, there were rising suspicions about national security threats from Chinas investments. Several Swedish cities have ended sister relations with Chinese cities, but Gothenburg has economic factors to consider, the news portal reported. Taiwans envoy to Sweden, Klement Gu, called on the mayor of Gothenburg to visit Taiwan and witness the countrys economy, culture, and education. Photo Courtesy: Screengrab from Youtube At least two people, including a five-year-old boy child, were injured after a shooting incident at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in southwest Houston on Sunday, media reports said. The suspect was reportedly killed. Houston Police told ABC 13 that a woman in her early 30s entered the church on the west side armed with a long rifle wearing a trenchcoat and a backpack. The woman was reportedly accompanied by a small child between four to five years old and opened fire immediately after entering the building. Police said two off-duty officers engaged and fired at the woman, leaving her dead. Authorities said the child was also hit and currently his condition is said to be critical. #BREAKING : The shooter (believed to be a female) is dead after being shot Unclear on how many injured, seeing a few reports of a child injured#Houston #Texas #Shooter #LakewoodChurch #Shooting pic.twitter.com/2uZXAZhTi6 upuknews (@upuknews1) February 11, 2024 Lakewood Church posted on X: "There is an active situation involving shots fired at Lakewood. Law enforcement is on the scene.That is all the information we have at this time. Please pray for Lakewood and our community." Texas Governor Greg Abbott condoles Texas Governor Greg Abbott posted on X: "Our hearts are with those impacted by todays tragic shooting in Houston." Our hearts are with those impacted by todays tragic shooting in Houston. Places of worship are sacred. I have spoken with Mayor Whitmire and offered the full support of Texas to bring this criminal to justice. Join Cecilia and me in praying for the Lakewood Church community. pic.twitter.com/OVr7pJ0g7Q Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) February 11, 2024 "Places of worship are sacred. I have spoken with Mayor Whitmire and offered the full support of Texas to bring this criminal to justice. Join Cecilia and me in praying for the Lakewood Church community," he said. Valentines Day 2024: Hollywood and Bollywood have a long history of producing romantic films. We typically turn to well-known films that we have heard about when we want to watch anything romantic, but on this Valentine's Day, if you want to branch out a bit, we have a list of romantic anime you can stream on OTT. We don't even need to tell you how fantastic anime narratives are if you already love the genre, but if youre a first-time watcher then you may find your new love in Anime. Romantic Anime To Watch On Valentines Day 1. More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers Yuki Kanamaru is the creator of the Japanese manga series More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers. Since March 2018, it has been serialized in Kadokawa Shoten's seinen manga magazine Young Ace; as of December 2023, its episodes have been compiled and released in eleven tankobon volumes. From October to December 2022, Studio Mother aired an adaptation of an anime television series. Imdb Where To Watch: Netflix 2. A Silent Voice Japanese manga series A Silent Voice was written and illustrated by Yoshitoki Oima. The series was originally published as a one-shot in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shonen Magazine and was later serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine from August 2013 to November 2014. Seven tankobon volumes compiled its chapters. The manga was licensed by Kodansha USA for North American distribution and was made available digitally in English by Crunchyroll Manga. September 2016 saw the premiere of Kyoto Animation's theatrical version of an anime feature. Imdb As per Netflix, A grade-school student with a hearing impairment is bullied and transfers to another school. Years later, the former bully is tormented by his behaviour and sets out to make amends. Where To Watch: Netflix 3. Your Name Produced by CoMix Wave Films and distributed by Toho, Your Name is a 2016 Japanese animated love fantasy film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai. It tells the tale of two high school students, Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu, who, despite never having met, start to switch bodies and cause havoc in each other's lives. The frequent natural disasters in Japan served as the inspiration for the movie. Imdb Where To Watch: Crunchyroll 4. Ive Always Liked You Here at Sakuragaoka High School, love is blossoming. At last, Natsuki Enomoto has plucked up the guts to tell Yuu Setoguchi, a childhood friend. But when she finishes her confession, a humiliated Natsuki refers to it as a "practice confession." Unaware of her genuine emotions and grappling with his own, Yuu pledges to assist Natsuki in her pursuit of love. As Natsuki manages her botched confession, Koyuki Ayase, a classmate, wrestles with his own love for her. He is trying to win her love despite his timidity. In this film, we follow Natsuki as she pursues her desire of finally stopping her practices and telling Yuu the truth. In the meantime, intimate friends also become enmeshed in their own webs of unsaid feelings and unfulfilled love. Imdb Where To Watch: Crunchyroll 5. After the Rain Japanese manga artist Jun Mayuzuki is the author and illustrator of the After the Rain series. It appeared in serial form in two different Shogakukan publications: Monthly Big Comic Spirits (June 2014November 2015) and Weekly Big Comic Spirits (January 2016March 2018). Ten tankobon volumes were created by compiling its chapters. Akira Tachibana, a high school student, works part-time at a family restaurant and begins to fall in love with the 45-year-old manager, who is divorced and has a small boy. prime Where To Watch: Prime Video 6. A Whisker Away The 2020 anime love fantasy film A Whisker Away was made by Twin Engine, Toho Animation, and Studio Colorido. The Japanese-language Netflix release of the film, which was directed by Junichi Sato and Tomotaka Shibayama, took place on June 18, 2020. When an odd girl changes into a cat to attract the attention of her crush, the distinction between human and animal begins to blur. Imdb Where To Watch: Netflix 7. Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You After receiving his practice exam results for high school, Nasa Yuzaki, a kid who was teased as a child due to his unusual name, meets a stunning girl on a snowy winter's night. His inattention causes him to be struck by a truck as he attempts to approach her. But the girl comes to his rescue, and Nasa follows her at a bus stop in a remarkable way before telling her how much he loves her. Tsukasa Tsukuyomi, the girl, consents to be his girlfriendbut only after they tie the knot. Nasa promptly accedes to her request before collapsing and awakening in a hospital. When he doesn't locate her again until he turns eighteen, Nasa is devastated. Imdb Where To Watch: Crunchyroll For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Fame is hard to achieve and even harder to maintain. The biggest example of the same is Elvish Yadav, a YouTuber who has an ardent fan following. However, one reality show changed his life forever. The man became the first wild card contestant to win Bigg Boss (OTT season 2), and since then, his name has only been embroiled in controversies. Elvish Yadav Controversies From 5 million followers before entering the show to reaching the 15 million mark after a 30-day stint in the show, Elvish Yadav became an overnight star as his popularity grew multifold. From rumours of him taking the political plunge after Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar turned up at his fan meet, to the snake venom rave party allegations, here are the biggest controversies surrounding Elvish Yadav's name. 1. Elvish Yadav-AbhishekMalhan Negative PR Controversy Twitter As soon as the Bigg Boss OTT 2 ended, the two friends Abhishek Malhan and Elvish Yadav became arch-enemies accusing each other of propagating negative PR against each other. Here's everything you need to know about the 'Negative PR' controversy involving Abhishek Malhan and Elvish Yadav. 2. Elvish Yadav-Haryana CM controversy Instagram At the fan meet-up after winning the show, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar turned up as a guest propagating rumours of him joining politics. During the show as well, Elvish dropped hints about pursuing a political career. How did he manage to bring the CM to his fan meet and why BJP was rooting for his win on the show, everyone wondered. 3. Elvish Yadav-Kirti Mehra controversy Instagram Elvish's dating life also became an eye of the storm. When he was inside the Bigg Boss house, he had already broken up with co-Youtuber Kirti Mehra, who was seen supporting him outside. She even gave interviews where she mentioned him and how she thought that the girlfriend he mentioned inside the house was her. However, when Elvish came outside, he revealed that the Punjabi girl he was talking about wasn't Kirti. Here's what Elvish said about his ex beau Kirti Mehra and his new girlfriend. 4. Elvish Yadav-snake venom controversy twitter Last year, an FIR was filed against Elvish Yadav for allegedly supplying snake venom for a rave party in Noida. While the YouTuber denied the allegations, he was called for questioning in the case. Several details including a snake peddler revealing how Elvish's rave parties last only for 30 minutes and Police don't dare to raid emerged later. 5. Elvish Yadav-slap controversy X Recently, a video went viral in which the social media star was seen slapping a fan in Jaipur. Here's why things turned violent and Elvish slapped a man at the restaurant. 6. Elvish Yadav beaten up by crowd in Jammu and Kashmir YouTube Elvish was also accused of ill-treating a journalist and snatching his mic away after he asked him how he felt visiting the Vaishno Devi temple. Here's why he was beaten up by the crowd after this incident. Also Read: Did You Know Gurugram's 'Gamla Chor' Incident Is Linked With YouTuber Elvish Yadav? Here's How! For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Nigeria Faces Pressure to Tighten Crypto Regulations for Financial Crime Prevention Nigeria faces calls to go further in its efforts to clarify crypto regulation after a blockchain firm successfully finished training its fifth cohort of crypto compliance specialists last weekend. Blockchain intelligence service provider A&D Forensics teaches a course on curbing financial crimes committed on-chain, particularly money laundering, hacking and sanctions evasion. It also teaches trainees about crypto compliance laws in various jurisdictions. Speaking to the local press, the companys co-founder Adedeji Owonibi said that the training will help ensure that banks are complying with recently passed guidelines on dealing with Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). Owonibi argues that a more comprehensive regulatory framework would help Nigeria reduce the rate of financial crimes in its territory. He added that the legal status of VASPs (like exchanges) is currently uncertain, as they dont know whether they fit the definition of money transmission institutions, and are thus subject to the same regulations. He also said that banks must thoroughly vet VASPs for any signs of criminal activity before opening accounts for them, since the Nigerian Central Banks guidelines implicates the banks as accomplices in cases of proven criminality. Owonibi called on the state to intensify her efforts for comprehensive legislation, adding that if there is no law, there is no offense. Speaking of his training work with A&D Forensics, Owonibi said: We have had Law Enforcement agents, participate in our trainings, we have the cryptocurrency investigators course, where we had police officers and officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) come and get trained and we are currently working with Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit. Exciting update from Champion News on 3CS Training! A&D Forensics just wrapped up training a new batch of Cryptocurrency Compliance Specialists. Read insights from our facilitators and participants here!https://t.co/pdXHIo9nm0#CryptoComplianceTraining #NigerianTrainings A&D Forensics (@ForensicsD) February 10, 2024 Nigerias Incremental Path to Regulation The Nigerian Central Bank (CBN) initially gave a cool reception to crypto back in 2021the year of the bull runby banning crypto payments within the territory. Later that year, it became one of the first central banks in the world to issue a central bank digital asset (CBDC). However, the ban posed significant hurdles to the adoption of the eNaira CBDC; CBN overturned it earlier this year. At the same time, the central bank issued stringent requirements for Nigerian VASPs. Under the requirements, VASPs can open bank accounts, but they can only use them for digital asset transactions. Account prohibitions include cash withdrawals and clearing third-party cheques. Banks themselves are still prohibited from holding crypto. They have to file thorough periodic reports to the CBN on their VASP account holders. They also must also carry out risk assessments on their crypto clients to determine transaction limits for each account. The CBN also requires financial institutions to conduct due diligence and continuous verification of addresses to help combat financial crime. Saraswati Puja 2024 Holiday: Basant Panchami (Vasant Panchami), also called Saraswati Puja, is an important day in Hindu tradition because it's believed to be the birthday of Goddess Saraswati. Similar to how Diwali is for Goddess Lakshmi and Navratri is for Goddess Durga, Vasant Panchami focuses on worshipping Saraswati, who is highly respected as the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. On this special day, people pay respects to Goddess Saraswati during Purvahna, which is the time before midday according to Hindu calendar. They dress the deity in white clothes and offer flowers, symbolising purity since white is said to be her favorite color. Sweets made from milk and white sesame are offered to her and then shared with loved ones as Prasad. In North India, yellow flowers are chosen for worship because mustard flowers and marigolds bloom abundantly during this time. Basant Panchami isn't just about religious ceremonies; it's also when Vidya Arambha takes place, a ritual introducing young children to education and formal learning. Many schools and colleges organise Saraswati Puja as part of these celebrations, emphasising the importance of knowledge and academics. Happy Vasant Panchami wishes image | Photo: Freepik Although the name 'Vasant Panchami' suggests a connection to the Indian spring season, it's important to note that the day isn't always in sync with the arrival of spring. While it does sometimes coincide with spring, it's not consistent. That's why alternative names like 'Shri Panchami' and 'Saraswati Puja' are considered more suitable, recognising that Hindu festivals aren't strictly tied to particular seasons. When is Basant Panchami 2024? This year, on February 14th, 2024, we celebrate Vasant Panchami, also known as Saraswati Pooja. It's an important day as it heralds the arrival of spring, a time of renewal and fresh beginnings. According to the Hindu calendar, Vasant Panchami falls on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Magh. It's a time when people worship the goddess Saraswati, seeking blessings for knowledge, wisdom, and academic success. Basant Panchami 2024 shubh muhurat: As we approach the festive occasion, here are some important things you should know. According to the Drik Panchang, this year, Vasant Panchami will be celebrated on February 14. The Panchami Tithi, or the auspicious time for the occasion, will start at 2:41 PM on February 13 and end at 12:09 PM on February 14. It's a significant day in Hindu culture, especially dedicated to the worship of Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, music, arts, and learning. Many people also mark this day by initiating their children into the world of education and learning. So, get ready to immerse yourself in the festivities and seek the blessings of Goddess Saraswati on this joyous occasion! Basant Panchami 2024: Date, Timings and Muhurat Basant Panchami 2024 Date February 14, 2024 Saraswati Puja 2024 Day Wednesday Panchami Tithi Starts 14:41 PM on February 13 Panchami Tithi Ends 12:09 PM on February 14 Vasant Panchami 2024 Holiday Various states across India have announced either a full day off or restricted holidays in schools for Vasant Panchami 2024, which falls on February 14th. Here's a state-wise list where you can expect either a holiday or a restricted holiday on February 14th for Vasant Panchami/Saraswati Pooja. Vasant Panchami Holiday State-wise list Delhi Uttar Pradesh Madhya Pradesh West Bengal Odisha How to celebrate Basant Panchami? Basant Panchami, also known as Saraswati Puja, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in India. It typically falls in the Hindu calendar month of Magh, which usually corresponds to late January or early February in the Gregorian calendar. Here's how it's celebrated: Worship of Goddess Saraswati: Vasant Panchami is primarily dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, the deity of knowledge, music, arts, and wisdom. People worship her with devotion, offering prayers and seeking blessings for wisdom and learning. Yellow Theme: Yellow holds special significance during Vasant Panchami as it symbolises the blossoming of mustard flowers during this season. People wear yellow clothes and decorate their homes and temples with yellow flowers to mark the occasion. Feasting: Like most Indian festivals, Vasant Panchami is also celebrated with delicious food. Traditional dishes like kesari (saffron-flavored sweet dish), yellow rice, and sweets are prepared and shared with family and friends. Cultural Programs: Many educational institutions organise cultural programs, where students showcase their talents in music, dance, and other performing arts as a mark of reverence to Goddess Saraswati. Kite Flying: In some regions, especially in North India, kite flying is a popular tradition associated with Vasant Panchami. People gather on rooftops and open spaces to fly kites, adding to the festive spirit of the day. Vasant Panchami is a joyous occasion celebrated with fervor and devotion, symbolising the onset of spring and the pursuit of knowledge and creativity. Saraswati Puja rituals: The festival celebrates the goddess Saraswati, who is highly respected by thinkers, artists, and students as the guardian of education. People visit temples on this occasion to pay homage to the goddess, seeking her blessings for intellect, creativity, and wisdom. Yellow is closely linked with Saraswati, so many dress in yellow attire and wake up early to worship her. During the worship rituals, yellow flowers and sweets are presented to the goddess. Chanting hymns and mantras in her honor is also a significant aspect of the ceremony. This festival not only marks reverence towards Saraswati but also highlights the importance of knowledge and learning in our lives. Special puja ceremonies are conducted in schools, colleges, and homes dedicated to Goddess Saraswati. Students place their books, pens, and musical instruments before the deity, seeking her blessings for success in their studies and creative pursuits. (Note: Before planning for Saraswati Puja, both students and parents need to double-check with their school to confirm if there's a holiday declared for the occasion.) For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. A profession in communication and media studies presents a dynamic landscape, providing diverse opportunities across various sectors. Possible career trajectories in this field encompass journalism, advertising, public relations (PR), corporate communication, content writing, copywriting, social media management, and more. India boasts several renowned universities that stand out for their exceptional media studies programs. Top Universities in India for media studies Here is a list of the top universities in India for media studies: Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) - Chennai Shiksha.com Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) in Chennai is well-regarded for its media courses and is known for its experienced faculty, often comprising professionals with significant industry exposure. Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) - New Delhi Credit: X IIMC provides various postgraduate programs in mass communication, journalism, advertising, and public relations. The institute also offers short-term courses and training programs. The institute, along with its main campus in Delhi and five regional campuses, has recently been declared by the Ministry of Education as a deemed to be university under distinct category. Institutions bearing the designation of 'deemed-to-be-university' are endowed with the academic standing and privileges akin to a university. Consequently, IIMC is now authorized to grant degrees, including doctoral qualifications. Xavier Institute of Communications (XIC) - Mumbai Xavier Institute of Communications (XIC) - Mumbai XIC offers a variety of programs in communication and media studies, including postgraduate courses in Mass Communication, Journalism & Mass Communication, Public Relations, and Advertising. The institute's placement record is an important factor to consider. XIC's strong connections with the media industry may contribute to good placement opportunities for its graduates. XIC often facilitates industry interactions through guest lectures, workshops, internships, and projects. Exposure to real-world scenarios can enhance students' practical skills and industry understanding. Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI) - New Delhi Shiksha.com Jamia Millia Islamia University (JMI) in New Delhi is known for offering various media and communication courses through its AJK Mass Communication Research Centre. JMI maintains connections with the media industry, facilitating guest lectures, workshops, and industry visits. Such exposure can be valuable for students looking to enter the professional media field. Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC) - Pune Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC) - Pune SIMC offers various postgraduate programs in media and communication, including specialisations in areas such as Journalism, Audiovisual Production, Brand Communication, and Media Management. SIMC is known for designing its curriculum to align with industry requirements. For more information on exams, results and careers, please visit Indiatimes Education. In preparation for the anticipated march by thousands of farmers to Delhi on Tuesday, the Haryana government has taken the step of converting two large stadiums into makeshift jails. File Stadiums converted into jails The Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Indoor Stadium in Sirsa and the Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Dabwali will serve as temporary detention facilities for any farmers who are detained or arrested during the march, according to sources familiar with the matter. These temporary jails will be utilised in the event of any untoward situation arising from the farmers' protest. Preparations on to stall farmers Additionally, concrete barricades have been erected by the Haryana and Delhi Police at the Tikri border in Jhajjars Bahadurgarh and Singhu in Sonepat, along with the placement of water cannons and large cemented containers by Delhi Police at the Sonepat border. Further, road spikes, barbed wires, and a significant deployment of police personnel have also been observed along the interstate border. #WATCH | Police barricading at Singhu border, ahead of the farmers' call for march to Delhi on 13th February. pic.twitter.com/5PHDlQcdSG ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Curbs in place in Delhi, Haryana, UP Section 144 of the CrPC has been enforced in 15 of Haryana's 22 districts, and the Sonepat district administration has ordered limited diesel filling at petrol pumps to 10 liters for farmers' tractors. Similar restrictions under Section 144 have been imposed at the Ghazipur, Tikri, and Singhu borders in Uttar Pradesh. The Delhi Police has prohibited public gatherings at all borders between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and surrounding areas in the jurisdictional area of the northeast district. Haryana has sealed the border with Punjab at Shambhu near Ambala. Big arrangements are in place at the border in Jind and Fatehabad districts to stop the march. The state government has also snapped mobile internet services and bulk SMS in seven districts - Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa - from February 11 to 13. #WATCH | Delhi: Police barricading at Tikri border, ahead of the farmers' call for march to Delhi on 13th February. pic.twitter.com/9IJPXM8okg ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 The protest, organized by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and various farmer associations mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab, aims to urge the Centre to address their demands, including the implementation of a law ensuring a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. Prime Minister Modi launched Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius today. Additionally, RuPay card services are set to be introduced in Mauritius. The first UPI transaction has already been conducted by an Indian national in Mauritius, ANI reported. #WATCH | First UPI transaction conducted by an Indian national in Mauritius. pic.twitter.com/AUoxvEvqqG ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 The launch is expected to enhance digital connectivity between countries, providing a faster and seamless digital transaction experience that will benefit a broad cross-section of people. As India's digital payment system goes global, one country at a time, let's look at the evolution of UPI itself. From humble beginnings to world's largest real-time payment market upi launch sri lanka mauritius/Shutterstock From humble beginnings in 2016, UPI has definitely come a long way. Using a unique virtual payment address (VPA) that is linked to a customer's bank account, UPI allows customers to transfer money instantly between bank accounts using their mobile phones. By 2020, India had become the world's largest real-time payment market with 25.50 billion annual transactions - ahead of China and United States. In August of 2023, India had achieved a milestone of 10 billion UPI transactions for the first time. By December of the same year, UPI accounted for 62% of digital payment transactions in FY 2022-23. List of countries adopting UPI UPI With the Indian government promoting the expansion of UPI, a number of countries are adopting the digital payment system. These includes countries such as: Singapore (March, 2020); Bhutan (July 2021; First country outside India to enable UPI transactions using BHIM app); Oman (2022); Nepal (2022); UAE (2022), Singapore (February, 2023), Malaysia (April, 2023) and France (2024). Back in 2022, Ashwini Vaishnav, the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, had mentioned that India was engaging in discussions with 30 countries concerning UPI. Who is the market leader in digital payments in India? The frontrunners in the digital payment landscape in India are PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm. In terms of UPI transactions count (March 2022 data), PhonePe was the market leader at 46.7%, followed by Google Pay at 34% and Paytm at 15.4%. On the other hand, BHIM had a 0.46% share. In terms of UPI transaction value as well PhonePe was the leader at 49.07% followed by Google Pay and Paytm at 35.2% and 9.9% respectively. FoneArena.com By 2023, with a 50.2% market share, PhonePe became the leading UPI app in India. What sets India's UPI apart from that of US, China & other countries In the United States, popular digital payment apps are Apple Pay and Pay Pal. In China, WeChat is the most widely used multi-purpose app within China, which includes the function of payment. What sets India's UPI payment system apart from those in the US, China, or other nations is its unique status as a public-private partnership (PPP) led by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This interoperable platform has been embraced by fintechs, banks, and telecommunications companies, contributing significantly to the growth of UPI. The success of this PPP has propelled India ahead of China and the US in the realm of mobile payments, facilitated by the widespread adoption of QR code placements at merchant point-of-sale (POS). For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. As love permeates the air in the week preceding Valentine's Day on February 14, numerous companies are making extensive efforts to entice couples. However, an animal rights NGO is trying to ensure that man's best friend - and other animals - do not get left behind in this celebration. Through an event named 'Dilwale Paws Le Jayenge,' the NGO encourages individuals to extend their love to animals as well by considering the adoption of a furry companion. Instagram A whole 'Pawraat' for Valentines Day The unique Valentines celebration, 'Dilwale Paws Le Jayenge' was celebrated yesterday by the NGO. From donkeys dressed as 'dulha' to cats dressed as 'dulhan' - and a blend of cows, dogs, and goats in the mix - it was indeed a lively and diverse spectacle! Facebook Events held were diverse - from 'Paw Wali Mehendi', 'Pawshtik Cocktail', 'Pawraat' and 'Pawphere'! The aim behind this fun event - to provide a home for these animals by encouraging adoption. Sushank Tomak, activist of Citizens for Animal Protection Foundation (CAP) told TOI: "While Feb 14 is celebrated internationally as the day of love, we are creating awareness that animals also need our love, by adopting them and giving them a better life. That is why citizens were invited for the Dilwale Paws Le Jayenge event in which 81 rescued animals such as dogs, cats, donkeys and a bull were shown as brides and grooms so that they can be adopted by compassionate animals lovers who were dressed as baraatis as if at a wedding venue." Successful adoptions Facebook Tomar mentioned that several of the saved dogs and cats have secured adoption commitments. Furthermore, one of the two donkeys has essentially been adopted, signifying that a monthly fund of Rs 5,000 will be provided for its care at the current farm residence. Tomar elaborated on the origin of the donkeys, explaining that they were rescued from a construction site two years ago, where they were in a distressing state due to overwork, exploitation, and inadequate access to proper food and water. Additionally, he recounted the rescue of a sick cow from the city streets, revealing the shocking discovery of over 20 kg of plastic in her stomach. The malnourished cow had been consuming discarded plastic from garbage bins. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. In a significant turn of events, seven former Indian Army personnel, who had been previously sentenced to death, have returned to India following a pivotal decision by the Qatar court. #WATCH | Delhi: Qatar released the eight Indian ex-Navy veterans who were in its custody; seven of them have returned to India. pic.twitter.com/yuYVx5N8zR ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the release of all eight former Indian Navy personnel from Qatar's custody, with seven having already returned to their homeland. A win for diplomatic negotiations The capital punishment initially imposed on the incarcerated Indian Navy veterans was later commuted to an extended prison term following diplomatic negotiations between Qatar and India. Out of the total eight former Indian Navy officers detained in Qatar, seven have now returned to India, according to the MEA. Efforts are underway to facilitate the return of the last released veteran. MEA In an official statement, the MEA expressed gratitude, stating, "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and homecoming of these nationals." Why were the former Indian army personnel imprisoned in Qatar? The group of eight Indian nationals, formerly associated with the Indian Navy, had been imprisoned in Qatar in October 2022 on charges of allegedly spying on a submarine program. The Qatari court had found them guilty of espionage, sentencing them to death on charges not disclosed publicly. Expressing deep shock at the court's ruling, the MEA stated that it would explore all legal avenues to have the charges against the former Indian Navy personnel dropped. The Diplomatist The Dahra Global case witnessed a significant development last year when the Qatar court, influenced by intervention from the Indian government, commuted the death sentences to jail terms. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Reports from Thailand indicate that a terrifying army of approximately 3,500 monkeys has taken control of the city center of Lopburi, causing tourists to flee and prompting businesses to shutter their doors. The presence of these monkeys has escalated to such an extent that Lopburi, once a bustling trade hub in the province, now faces the looming threat of becoming a ghost town. Reuters Chinese investors have backed out Chinese investors, hesitant to commit their funds amid the chaos caused by the simian invasion, have refrained from injecting capital into the area until the issue is resolved, as reported by the South China Post. With the monkeys asserting dominance over the area, numerous companies and shops have been compelled to cease operations entirely. No tourists, no business in Thai city Surachat Chanprasit, deputy of the Pingya Shopping Center, disclosed to Thai outlet Khaosod that these monkeys frequently attack the mall, creating disturbances for customers and disrupting shopping experiences. Furthermore, small business proprietors renting space within the shopping center are bearing the brunt of the damage caused by the monkeys. They find themselves regularly repairing roofs, windows, and other structural components to mitigate the ongoing onslaught. Despite efforts to sell the mall two years ago, no buyers have emerged, exacerbating the economic strain on the local business community. According to a report by Khaosod, the Lopburi Chamber of Commerce has highlighted that regulations stipulating the height of buildings and the preservation of heritage structures have exacerbated the challenges posed by the influx of monkeys. Shutterstock Monkey menace on the rise Pongsatorn Chaichanapanich, the head of the chamber, noted that businesses have vacated the region opposite the renowned Phra Prang Sam Yot temple due to the monkey infestation. He emphasised the necessity for policy adjustments, including amendments to laws governing the management of monkeys in urban settings, to rejuvenate the city's economy and enhance tourism figures. The government needs to decide at the policy level how it will develop Lopburi as a historical city with many historical sites and how the government will help promote tourism in the province and attract more tourists, he said. Lopburi province and its army of monkeys have long been a draw for tourists from around the world, who typically feed them and pose with them for selfies. The region also holds an annual monkey festival to thank the animals for helping to attract visitors to Lopburi. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. Doha released eight Indian Navy veterans sentenced to death in Qatar on Monday, marking a significant diplomatic victory for India. Following diplomatic intervention from New Delhi, the death penalty was modified to a prolonged prison sentence. Qatar freed 8 Navy veterans In response to desperate demands from the Navy veterans' families for their release and safe passage back to their homeland, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) promised to use all diplomatic channels and offer legal aid to bring them back. Seven of the eight former Navy officers have already returned to India, according to an official statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday. Anand Mahindra praised govt for the joyous arrival of Navy veterans back to India Eight lives. Eight families. Their nightmare converted into hope and then joy. There are many diplomatic advantages to being a growing economic power. But saving the lives of citizens is the most heartwarming way in which to utilise that strength. pic.twitter.com/awN5Hq52Gl anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 12, 2024 Taking to X, Mahindra wrote, "Eight lives. Eight families. Their nightmare converted into hope and then joy. There are many diplomatic advantages to being a growing economic power. But saving the lives of citizens is the most heartwarming way in which to utilise that strength." He also shared a viral video of their arrival. Anurag Thakur also joined the moment of celebration. Minister of Information and Broadcasting of India wrote on X, "Modi government has secured the release of its eight citizens and Navy veterans from Qutar who were detained here under some false charges. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi means the guarantee of life, limb and liberty of the people of India across the globe. This homecoming of our Navy veterans is a moment of happiness and this further strengthens our believe in the seriousness and ability of the Modi government to protect its citizens at any cost." Modi government has secured the release of its eight citizens and Navy veterans from Qutar who were detained here under some false charges. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi means the guarantee of life, limb and liberty of the people of India across the globe. This homecoming of pic.twitter.com/bPTqR5XAoU Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) February 12, 2024 What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. The Internet never ceases to astonish us. While it can make us giggle uncontrollably at times, it can also make us recognize how vital certain parts of life are. It is also a forum for people to demonstrate their talents. Many Internet users from impoverished backgrounds are leveraging the power of the internet to showcase their skills in a variety of professions. When we come across such footage while scrolling through our internet feeds, it serves as a stark reminder that if given the opportunity, these disadvantaged people may have accomplished much more. Rickshaw puller speaking fluent english is making rounds on the internet A viral video of a rickshaw worker speaking flawless English to tourists at Delhi's Jama Masjid | Image: X A viral video of a rickshaw worker speaking flawless English to tourists at Delhi's Jama Masjid supports a similar viewpoint. In a now-viral video circulating on X (previously Twitter), a rickshaw puller can be seen speaking English to an elderly tourist couple from the UK. The couple was in Delhi to see Jama Masjid, one of the city's most prominent mosques. They sat on the rickshaw and listened patiently to the rickshaw puller as he explained the religious site in detail. The rickshaw puller educated the tourists about Jama Masjid and Old Delhi The young man was heard discussing how Jama Masjid is one of India's largest mosques, with "narrow" passageways. He encouraged the tourists to snap pictures and shop as much as they wished. The young man was heard discussing about Jama Masjid and OId Delhi | Image: X The rickshaw driver also told the pair about the area's famous Spice Market, which is filled with businesses offering a wide range of Indian spices. He instructed them to roam about the region and photograph the surroundings. The rickshaw puller referred to his vehicle as a "helicopter" and concluded that once they had explored the area, they may return to the rickshaw. Every word the man said was in clear English. Although he divided his words into smaller chunks, his clarity, fluidity, and comprehensibility were absolutely admirable. People on the internet were left amazed X users praised the rickshaw puller's English skills. According to one report, "If I had known this, today I too would have been answering the British in their own language." A user said, "Very beautiful." Check out the video here. What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. Travel agency EaseMyTrip has revealed its intentions to construct a luxury five-star hotel in Ayodhya, near the Sri Ram Mandir. This announcement resulted in a notable increase in the company's share price on Monday. The company's board of directors has given approval for a Rs 100 crore investment in Jeewani Hospitality Private Limited to facilitate the implementation of the hotel project. The proposed location is anticipated to be approximately 1 km from the Sri Ram Mandir. ram mandir ayodhya 1800 crore/ap EaseMyTrip co-founder and CEO took to X to make this announcement. we have greenlit a groundbreaking proposal to venture into the hospitality sector with the establishment of a luxurious 5-star hotel in Ayodhya, strategically located less than 1 km from the revered Shree Ram Mandir. This decision marks a significant investment milestone of up to Rs 100 crore in Jeewani Hospitality Pvt Ltd, the entity spearheading this ambitious project, EaseMyTrip CEO and co-founder Nishant Pitti wrote on X. Tourism Surge In Ayodhya tata consulting engineers/tcel The construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is predicted to bring about a substantial economic impact on the region. According to the global brokerage firm Jeffries, the holy town is expected to witness a surge in tourism, attracting approximately 5 crore visitors each year. This influx of pilgrims and tourists is likely to contribute significantly to the local economy, including the hospitality, retail, and service sectors. Such developments underscore the potential for economic growth and opportunities that major religious and cultural landmarks can bring to the surrounding areas. Hotels In Ayodhya LinkedIn Ayodhya is experiencing a notable upswing in hotel construction and development. Presently, the city boasts about 17 hotels providing around 590 rooms. In anticipation of a substantial rise in tourist arrivals, a report indicates that there are plans for 73 new hotels, with construction already underway for 40 of them. This surge in hotel infrastructure suggests the proactive measures being taken to accommodate the expected influx of visitors, particularly in light of significant cultural and religious developments like the construction of the Ram Mandir. Numerous well-known hotel chains and hospitality companies, including IHCL (Indian Hotels Company Limited), Marriott International, Wyndham, and OYO Rooms, have expressed plans to establish additional hotels in Ayodhya. This indicates a growing interest and investment from major players in the hospitality industry to capitalize on the anticipated rise in tourism and accommodation demand in the region. The upcoming hospitality projects are anticipated to contribute a substantial increase in room capacity, aiming to accommodate the growing number of tourists and pilgrims visiting Ayodhya. This expansion in accommodation facilities reflects the proactive measures taken by the hospitality sector to meet the rising demand driven by cultural, religious, and tourist attractions in the region. The Consecration Of Ram Mandir Is Expected To Significantly Boost Other Businesses In Ayodhya As Well. Jefferies has picked Indian Hotel Company and EIH as the potential beneficiaries from hotel space, while it sees ITC, Jubilant Foodworks, Britannia Industries, Godrej Consumer, Westlife Foodworld, Hindustan Unilever, Devyani International and Sapphire Foods from the FMCG and QSR space. InterGlobe Aviation (Indigo), SpiceJet, IRCTC and Ease My Trip shall benefit from the travel sector. A $10 billion makeover (around Rs 82,500 crore) which includes a new airport, revamped railway station, township, improved road connectivity, etc. will likely drive a multiplier effect with new hotels and other economic activities. It can also set a template for infra-driven growth for tourism, the Jefferies report states. Amid increased economic and religious migration to Ayodhya, multiple sectors stand to benefit including hotels, airlines, hospitality, FMCG, travel ancillaries, cement etc, the report added. The makeover is now set to transform the ancient city from a sleepy town to a global religious and spiritual tourist hotspot. Tourism is projected to surge and increased economic and religious migration to Ayodhya, multiple sectors stand to benefit including hotels, airlines, hospitality, FMCG, travel ancillaries, cement etc, the Jefferies report added. (With inputs from IANS) For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here South Korea Plans to Block Unlicensed Crypto Exchanges South Korea plans to conduct virtual asset exchange inspections to expel ineligible platforms later this year. Authorities are contemplating an advanced suspension system for suspicious transactions. This would rapidly prevent the concealment of illicit funds during all stages of the investigation process. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) released a 2024 Work Plan on Monday, collecting opinions from experts through consultation with the Policy Advisory Committee, Yonhap News reported. The department plans to prevent unauthorized virtual asset exchanges from accessing the Korean won market. It also aims to strengthen screening and anti-money laundering checks to remove ineligible exchanges already operating. To assist with this, the FIU intends to enlist the help of lawyers and accountants. Mid-Year Check and Policy Recommendations In the first half of 2024, an initial check will be conducted to assess money laundering risks and how well the market operates. A more detailed check will be conducted in the second half. Any virtual asset operators that dont meet the standards will be kicked out. The unit plans to expand the review to major shareholders. It will also broaden the laws scope to disqualify those with a history of violations. Additionally, social credit criteria, such as debt default, will be considered. It also suggests implementing a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to quickly identify crimes and stop suspicious transactions during pre-prosecution investigations. South Korean Officials Required to Disclose Crypto Holdings South Korea is home to major exchanges such as Upbit, BitHumb, CoinOne, Korbit, and Gopax. The country is said to host about 30% of global crypto trading, with about 4% of the population owning cryptocurrency. Regulators have begun to target crypto firms over suspected fraud, embezzlement, and trust breaches. New rules to address these concerns are set to take effect July 19. Moreover, a proposed crypto law last year suggested heavy fines and life sentences for those making over $4.2m from market manipulation. Did you know: South Korea may punish crypto offenders with the possibility of life imprisonment? Episode 22 on Seans Take on Asia for latest news on #digitalasset and #policy updates. Full 3 min episode here https://t.co/55LmnKboOl pic.twitter.com/wdlVZAPF7a Sean Lee (@CryptoSeanLee) February 11, 2024 Recently, a ministry declared that high-ranking public officials must reveal their cryptocurrency holdings this year onward. The Coin Gate political scandal, involving a crypto-related parliamentary committee lawmaker accused of trading coins using insider information, prompted this announcement. Narayana Murthy, along with six other co-founders, established Infosys in 1981. The company played a crucial role in shaping the Indian IT industry and has become a global player in IT services. In his hustle to make Infosys big, billionaire Narayana Murthy sure has some regrets. Expressing the same recently at an event, he said that he regrets not being able to reward many of Infosys' early employees as much as he did the company's co-founders. infosys At the launch of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's book titled "An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy, he revealed this in the Q&A session. He said, There were several extremely smart early adopters of Infosys whom I could not award the kind of stock I gave to my co-founders. Their contribution was more or as much as mine, as quoted by The Economic Times. Murthy was forced to close his first venture after it gained very little traction/Forbes The veteran engineer, Narayana Murthy, also mentioned that he should have carefully considered awarding early employees of Infosys. He expressed the view that such recognition would have been beneficial for those exceptional individuals who contributed to the company's early success. This acknowledgment reflects Murthy's retrospective perspective on the rewards and recognition provided to key contributors during the early stages of Infosys. Who Are The Founders Of Infosys? Founded in July 1981 in Pune, the headquarters of Infosys is in Bengaluru. Seven engineers joined forces to start the company. Apart from Murthy, the co-founders are Nandan Nilekani, Kris Gopalakrishnan, SD Shibulal, K Dinesh, NS Raghavan, and Ashok Arora. narayana murthy with wife sudha murty/businesstoday Infosys was set up with a seed capital of 10,000 given by Sudha Murty to Narayana, her spouse. Last month, Narayana Murthy had expressed another regret - that he did not allow his wife, Sudha Murty, to join his company. Murthys 70-Hours Controversy Known for his strong work ethics, he had previously generated controversy with his statements on work hours. He claimed that he used to work 70 hours a week during the early days of setting up Infosys. He went on to suggest that young Indians should also put in such long hours. Murthy's remark sparked discussions on work-life balance and the expectations placed on professionals, especially in high-pressure industries like technology and IT services. Its been three weeks since Shark Tank India's season three kickstarted. With the biggest panel of 12 judges featuring in this season, stakes and emotions both are high, with the most recent episode becoming another display of the same. And this time, a startup which was once praised by PM Modi got featured on the show. Startup Praised By PM Modi Gets Featured On Shark Tank India daak room/instagram Emotions were high in the recent episode of Shark Tank India when all the judges received touching letters from their loved ones. Daak Room, a startup that promotes physical writing through its products and campaigns, was highlighted in the pitch. Following a detailed discussion of their enterprise, the founders requested a 4% stake in exchange for Rs 36 lakh. The entrepreneurs went into further detail about their goals and why they decided to start the company, citing support from a number of well-known people, including India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. They claimed that PM Modi had also given them encouragement in the form of a letter praising Daak Room's efforts and recognizing their role in uplifting the younger generation and nation-building. Also Read: From Sugar To Zomato: Most Shark Tank India Season 3's Judges Are In Losses Sharks That Were Not Impressed With The Startup daakroom shark tank/sonyliv With the exception of Aman Gupta and Peyush Bansal, the sharks were impressed by the pitch and moved by its originality. Aman Gupta did not invest in the startup, and said, This used to happen in very old times. Its not a business. I am out because I dont have the same passion for writing like you guys, so I wont be able to add more value. On the other hand, Peyush Bansal said, I am not able to understand what your exact service that is being offered is, and what your revenue model is. Peyush then advised the founders to transform Daak Room into a stationary brand, and Vineeta also agreed with him. Vineeta Singh and Ritesh Agarwal made offers, but Radhika Gupta and Aman chose not to participate. Ritesh Agarwal Ends Up Investing Rs 36 Lakh In The Startup shark tank india daak room ritesh agarwal/instagram In the end, the founders of Daak Room and Oyo CEO Ritesh Agarwal came to an agreement in which the founders would receive a 6% stake in exchange for Rs 36 lakh; if they met their revenue targets, the stake would drop to 5%. Panel Of 12 Judges For Shark Tank India Season 3 For the unversed, Shark Tank India season 3 features a panel of 12 judges, including Anupam Mittal, Namita Thapar, Peyush Bansal, Aman Gupta, Amit Jain, Vineeta Singh, Deepinder Goyal, Azhar Iqubal,Ritesh Agarwal, Radhika Gupta, Varun Dua, and Ronnie Screwvala. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here From sending out an angry letter to JRD Tata in her twenties to receiving Indias third-highest civilian award the Padma Bhushan, Sudha Murtys career is truly an inspiration for every person. 73-year-old Sudha Murty is an acclaimed author, educator, philanthropist, former chairperson of the Infosys Foundation and a recipient of Padma Bhushan. She is also the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who had recently shared his regret of not allowing Sudha to join Infosys back in the 1980s when it was being founded. But keeping that aside, the life and career of Sudha Murty is simply extraordinary. From starting her career with the Tata Group, to becoming the founder of Infosys Foundation, let us look back at the inspirational and successful career of Sudha Murty. Where Did Sudha Murty Study? Sudha Murty had completed a BEng in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the B.V.B. College of Engineering & Technology (now known as KLE Technological University), and then a MEng in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Science. When Did Sudha Murty Join Tata Group? from tata group to infosys sudha murty career/sugermint In the year 1974, Sudha Murty had written an angry letter to Tata Groups youngest and longest-serving chairman, JRD Tata. Back then, she was doing MTech (Master of Technology) at the Tata Institute, Bangalore and was the only girl in the class with all boys. One day when she was returning to her hostel, Sudha read a notice on the notice board that mentioned- TELCO, Pune was inviting young, bright engineers with a good salary, but in the end they had mentioned that ladies students need not apply. Angered by that notice, she went to her hostel, got a postcard and wrote a letter to JRD Tata. She opened up about how she demanded equal job opportunities for men and women at TELCO (Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company). Click here to know what she wrote in that letter. Later on, JRD Tata had realized his mistake and removed the policy upon receiving Murtys letter. Sudha Murty also went on to work with TELCO. At TELCO, she joined as a development engineer and became the first female engineer hired at the Tata group company. Sudha Murty worked at TELCO (now Tata Motors) from 1974-1982. What Did Sudha Murty Do After Leaving Tata Group? sudha murty career/jagran After working at TELCO, Sudha Murty had joined Walchand Group of Industries at Pune as Senior Systems Analyst. Then in 1996, she started Infosys Foundation and remained as its chairperson for 25 years. How Long Was Her Stint At Infosys Foundation? sudha murty padma bhushan/ani Sudha Murty had played the role of Infosys Foundations Chairperson since its inception in December 1996, and until December 31, 2021. Upon retiring from that role, Sudha Murty had said I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to walk the path of philanthropy at Infosys Foundation for the last 25 years. The Foundation opened my eyes to the true state of my country and the needs of the common man. Also Read: Sudha Murty Shares One Advice From JRD Tata That Inspires Her When Sudha Murty Gave Rs 10,000 Loan To Start Infosys Back in 1981, it was Sudha Murty who gave her husband Narayana Murthy Rs 10,000 as the seed capital to set up Infosys. The money came from her personal emergency fund. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will meet separately with two representative groups of farmers at the Maximos Mansion on Tuesday Greece exported in 2023 to the American Samoa footwear with outer soles made of rubber , plastic material, natural or reconstructed leather and the upper part of textile materials A total of 730,000 households will be supported for two months as part of thefinancial aid announced by the Minister of Environment and Energy Theodoros Skylakakis The gunman killed the shipowners sister and two more people , before turning the gun to himself.Four people in total were killed during a shooting spree today , Monday the 12th, after an armed man invaded a Greek shipping company in Attica Glyfada . Although there hasn't been Former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Lamido Sanusi has said that it would be unfair for him to criticise President Bola Tinubu over the countrys economic hardship. Sanusi revealed that the country is facing a failing economy due to mismanaged policies of the past eight years. The ex-Emir of Kano led this out while speaking on Sunday, at a religious event in Abuja. Sanusi said, I have been, over the years, talking about the pending crisis ahead of the current economic hardship. Any economist who has studied monetary policy in the last eight years knows that Nigerians will fall into this difficult situation. The difficult situation Nigerians are facing is just the beginning (if the right decision is not put in place) because Nigeria is not exceptional; such situations happened in Germany, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Venezuela. The previous administration turned adamant about our appeal for corrective measures (on the economic policy). I have said in the presence of the now sitting president in Kaduna state, any politician who tells you that things will be easy, dont vote for him because he is lying. People merely dismissed my advisory as a political statement. READ MORE: CBN Relocation: Do What Needs To Be Done, Northern Politicians Can Shout Lamido Sanusi If I am to be fair and just to President Bola Tinubu, he is not to blame for the current hardship; for eight years, we were living a fake lifestyle with huge debt from foreign and domestic debts. The Central Bank of Nigeria owes over N30 trillion, which resulted in debt service surpassing 100 percent. I cant join other Nigerians criticising Tinubu on the current economic hardship, and I am not saying he is a saint free from wrongdoing, but in this current economic situation, President Tinubu is not to be blamed. I will also speak if I see any wrong economic policy of the Tinubu administration in the future, Afe Babalola, Nigerian lawyer and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has stressed the need for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to seek debt relief for Nigeria from the countrys international creditors. By so doing, he urged that Tinubu beckons on former President Olusegun Obasanjo to advise on how get it done. Speaking on Sunday during the institutions 6th Induction Ceremony of the 2023 graduating set of the College of Medical and Health Sciences, Babalola, said if Nigeria does not seek debt relief, the countrys economy may collapse with the way things are going. The legal luminary further lamented that the loans accrued by the government have unfortunately been embezzled by some private individuals. While decrying the sorry state of the economy, he noted that the frustration of the people are responsible for the protests across some major cities in the country. His words: Nigeria is one of the heaviest debtors in the world, I have written articles about it, let us investigate how we came to several trillions of dollars, what do we spend it on? I can assure you, these money are pocketed by those who said they collected it. READ ALSO: We May Demand N1m As New Minimum Wage If Naira Continues To Depreciate NLCs Joe Ajaero Let us call on Obasanjo again to advise the present government. When we were in serious trouble in the 90s, after he took over, he went round all the creditors and begged them, one, to peg the interest, two, to even reduce the indebtedness and today, we are better for it. Unless we do that, this indebtedness will cripple this country and it will lead to anything. I have seen people especially, in the North who are agitating because of the fact that the naira is getting worse, food prices are high, no employment, and those who get it are not paid. Something has to be done about it. Speaking further, Babalola condemned the recent killings of two traditional rulers in Ekiti State. He urged the government to intensify efforts at tackling insecurity so that farmers can access their farms without fear and enable all Nigerians to be producers of crops by investing in agriculture. He said, Monarchs are killed, it is an unusual development, so, what is behind all these is the fact that we have no money, our money has no value, our currency is as worthless as toilet paper, something has to be done about naira and productivity. Farmers have left their farms now because of kidnappers, something has to be done about kidnapping and farmers have to be encouraged to go back to their farms. Shan George, a Nollywood actress, is the latest celebrity to protest to Amnesty Internationals new laws aimed at defending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. A few days ago, Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff, advocated for social media control, branding it as a menace. Amnesty International agreed with him, stating that detractors of the President face a three-year prison sentence for opposing him. They went on to discuss the implications of social media regulation. Shan George, reflecting on the matter, said in Isaac Fayoses comment section that the government must expand and renovate the jails. According to her, a little of Nigerians would go to prison for criticizing the government. READ MORE: The Country Is Hard And I Dont Want To See My Flesh Suffer Bobrisky Explains Reason For Frequent Giveaway She wrote, They should begin to renovate and expand d prisons o. We go all enter. SEE POST: Yeicop Menjivar is wanted by Upper Darby Police for allegedly shooting Keneri Montoya Santos in the head during an argument on Feb. 4. Read more Keneri Montoya Santos died trying to protect his sister from an abusive ex-boyfriend who had broken into her Upper Darby home. The man police believed killed him, Yeicop Menjivar, is still on the run more than a week after the fatal Feb. 4 shooting. Menjivar, 31, is facing first- and third-degree murder charges, as well as burglary and gun offenses, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. He was last seen fleeing his ex-girlfriends home on Kent Road in a blue Honda Civic with the license plate number LWH-4182. Upper Darby Police Superintendent Tim Bernhardt said Monday that Menijvar, who also goes by Yieco Menjivar Pacheco, is considered armed and dangerous and urged anyone who sees him, or anyone who may have assisted him, to call police. He knows hes being wanted, Bernhardt said, so hes going to flee and do whatever he can to protect himself. Santos, 24, was shot in the head and remained on life support for a few days until his organs could be harvested for donation, according to his family. Advertisement READ MORE: Where to find help if youre experiencing domestic violence in the Philly region In a statement, they called the native Honduran a hero who saved his older sister from an assassin, something Bernhardt said he agreed with. What saved her without a doubt was her brother intervening, and he directed his anger at her brother, he said. I do believe [Santos] saved her from further harm. Upper Darby police were called to Santos sisters home on Kent Road around 2 a.m. on Feb. 4 for reports of a shooting, the affidavit said. They found him there, shot once in the head, and transported him to Pennsylvania Presbyterian Medical Center. Another of his sisters told detectives that Menjivar had broken into the apartment earlier that evening and knocked on the door of the bedroom where she, her sister, and her children had been sleeping, according to the affidavit. Menjivar, dressed in black and wearing gloves, demanded to speak with her sister, whom he had previously dated. The two had broken up on Dec. 30 after getting into an argument in the home, one serious enough that police were called, the affidavit said. As the former couple went downstairs to talk about that earlier dispute, Santos arrived home and demanded that Menjivar leave. The two men then went behind the house to talk, and got into an argument that escalated into a fistfight, according to the affidavit. During the fight, Santos sister told police she saw Menjivar pull out a handgun and shoot Santos in the forehead. Menjivar then ran back through the home, stopping to tell his ex-girlfriend, I warned your brother, according to the affidavit. Traffic cameras recorded the Honda Civic that Menjivar used to flee the home driving around Upper Darby. Police later learned that the man the car was registered to had put it in his name as a favor to Menjivar, a friend of his, the affidavit said. Anyone with information about Menjivar is asked to contact Upper Darby Police at 610-734-3439 or 911. Several vintages of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon and rye are (kinda-sorta) up for grabs in Pennsylvania's latest limited-release whiskey lottery. Read more Pennsylvania rare-booze collectors ears perked up today when the states Liquor Control Board announced its latest limited-release whiskey lottery, featuring several coveted selections from Pappy Van Winkle and Buffalo Traces Antique Collection. Pennsylvania residents (21 and older) and licensees have until 5 p.m. Friday to enter to win the chance to buy bottles. These lotteries happen every so often, but heres how it works for those new to this particular PLCB quirk: The state has a finite number of bottles to sell at prices well below what they command on an entirely free market. Only Pennsylvania residents and liquor licensees can enter for a spot to buy them, with applicable terms and conditions for each, respectively. This go-round is focused on products from two of the most recognizable distillers in the country: Pappy Van Winkle and Buffalo Trace. These whiskeys are so hard to come by, the state is limiting purchases to one bottle per winning lottery participant. (You can enter both lotteries, however.) The PLCB is breaking the 1,896-bottle stash into two. Advertisement The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection lottery features 513 (750-milliliter) bottles, all priced at $124.99. The whiskeys up for grabs include 18-year-old Sazerac Straight Rye, 17-year-old Eagle Rare Straight Bourbon, barrel-proof William Larue Weller Straight Bourbon, barrel-proof George T. Stagg Straight Bourbon, and barrel-proof Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye. The Pappy Van Winkle lottery features 1,383 bottles at various prices: 23-year-old Family Reserve Straight Bourbon for $399.99 each (27 bottles for individuals, nine for licensees) 13-year-old Family Reserve Straight Rye for $159.99 each (52 bottles for individuals, 17 for licensees) 15-year-old Family Reserve Straight Bourbon for $149.99 each (68 bottles for individuals, 22 for licensees) 20-year-old Family Reserve Straight Bourbon for $249.99 each (81 bottles for individuals, 27 for licensees) 10-year-old Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Straight Bourbon for $89.99 each (212 bottles for individuals, 70 for licensees) 12-year-old Special Reserve Straight Bourbon for $99.99 each (599 bottles for individuals, 199 for licensees) Entrants can submit their information at finewineandgoodspirits.com/limited-release-lottery. Winners are on the hook to follow through with the purchase (and pickup) or forfeit their spot. The PLCB notes it is illegal to resell these products without a license. Lottery drawings will be witnessed by an independent third party to ensure theres no funny business. Winners will be selected at random by computer program. Participants will be emailed when the lottery process is complete. Patrick Iannone pauses outside the courtroom before processing with court officials after he was sentenced in Superior Court in Cape May Court House on Monday. He pleaded guilty to assault for punching Fox 29 traffic reporter Bob Kelly during a fundraiser at the Oar House Pub in Sea Isle City last summer. Read more A Sea Isle City man who punched Fox 29s Bob Kelly in the face at a summer fundraiser was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution. Patrick Iannone, 22, was also given a warning Monday morning to address his alcohol and mental health issues, before its too late. You need to know, sir, that the next step for you, is out the back door to state prison, Cape May County Superior Court Judge Christine Smith said. Iannone was charged with aggravated assault after he poured a beer on Kelly and punched him in the face at the Oar House Pub in Sea Isle City on July 3. Kelly was at the bar emceeing a charity event for St. Christophers Hospital for Children. Iannone stood in a dark blue suit, nodding at Smiths stern words. Kelly did not attend the brief hearing. Advertisement I want to apologize to Mr. Kelly and Im very sorry for what I did, Iannone told the court. In a victims impact statement Kelly submitted to the court, the longtime traffic anchor said he continues to have vision problems, including black spots that kind of make me think theres a mosquito or a bug flying around. Kelly said he suffers from headaches and a possible concussion too, and may need plastic surgery for a scar under his eye. There is a sense of uneasiness whenever I am at an event, Kelly wrote, or in a crowd, something that is part of my life and part of my job as a news anchor. Kelly said the blow left him bleeding and unconscious. His daughter was there and witnessed the attack. My 11-year-old son was at home, where he received a message from one of his friends, alerting him that his dad was punched and bleeding, Kelly wrote. Kelly spoke about the assault on Fox 29 shortly after it happened, calling it a frightening, disturbing event apparently incited by a TikTok challenge. A month before Iannone punched Kelly, Iannone pleaded guilty to simple assault stemming from an incident at the Dead Dog Saloon in Sea Isle City. Prior to that, Iannone also had an alcohol-related offense while visiting a friend at the University of Tennessee that was, according to his attorney John Tumelty, dismissed. Tumelty told Smith his client suffers from depression and alcohol abuse and has been to inpatient facilities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California since the Kelly assault. Hes still going to counseling, Tumelty said. Hes doing very, very well. Assistant Cape May County prosecutor Edward Shim, in arguing for a longer probation term, described Iannone as entitled and a bully. Shim said many defendants in Iannones position never had a chance, walking into court with no family present or financial means. Iannone had both, Shim said. Iannones mother, retired Sea Isle Police Capt. Rosemary Milano, and his father, Joseph Iannone, sat, stoically, just a few feet behind their son. Iannone graduated from Ocean City High School and attended, but didnt graduate from, colleges in Virginia and New Jersey. Smith told Iannone hed need to dig deep to turn his life around. Youre the only person who can do that, she said. Kelly, in his statement, said Iannone needed a harsher sentence to learn his lesson. I was still in the hospital bed, Kelly wrote, when the defendant was already out of the police station and back at the bar. Iannone, who told Smith he worked at a Sea Isle City department store, was ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, in $100-a-month payments. RAFAH, Gaza Strip Israeli forces rescued two hostages early Monday, storming a heavily guarded apartment in a densely packed town in the Gaza Strip as airstrikes carried out to cover the raid killed more than 60 Palestinians, including women and children. The rescue in Rafah briefly lifted the spirits of Israelis shaken by the plight of the dozens of hostages held by Hamas. The nation is still reeling from the militant groups cross-border raid last year that started the war. The overnight bombardment brought devastation in Rafah, which is packed with some 1.4 million people, most of whom fled their homes elsewhere in Gaza to escape fighting. Associated Press footage showed a large area of flattened houses, tattered tents and lines of bloodied bodies brought into nearby hospitals. Israels offensive has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians in the territory, displaced over 80% of the population and set off a massive humanitarian crisis. Advertisement More than 12,300 Palestinian children and young teens have been killed in the conflict, Gazas Health Ministry said Monday. About 8,400 women were also among those killed. That means children and young teens make up about 43% of the dead, and women and minors together make up three quarters. The ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, provided the breakdown at the request of the AP. Israel claims to have killed about 10,000 Hamas fighters but has not provided evidence. In Hamas cross-border raid on Oct. 7, an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and militants took 250 people captive, according to Israeli authorities. Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in the territory and signaled that its ground offensive may soon target the town on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity after dozens were freed during a cease-fire in November. Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. The government has made freeing the hostages a top aim of its war, along with destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities. But as the fighting drags on, rifts have emerged in Israel over how to retrieve them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says persistent military pressure will bring about the captives freedom even as families of the hostages and many of their supporters have called on the government to make another deal with Hamas. A dramatic raid Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said special forces broke into a second-floor apartment in Rafah under fire at 1:49 a.m. Monday, accompanied a minute later by airstrikes on surrounding areas. He said Hamas militants were guarding the captives and that members of the rescue team shielded the hostages with their bodies as the battle erupted. The army identified those rescued as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on Oct. 7. They also hold Argentinian citizenship. They are among just three hostages to be rescued; a female soldier was rescued in November. The rescue, which Hagari said was based on precise intelligence and planned for some time, is a morale booster for Israelis but a small step toward winning the release of the remaining hostages, who are believed to be spread out and hidden in tunnels. Hars son-in-law, Idan Begerano, who saw the released captives at the hospital where they were airlifted, said the two men were thin and pale, but communicating well and aware of their surroundings. Begerano said Har told him immediately upon seeing him: You have a birthday today, mazal tov. The men held long, tearful embraces with their relatives at the hospital, according to video released by Netanyahus office. Dozens killed in strikes The airstrikes hit jam-packed Rafah in the middle of the night, and dozens of explosions could be heard around 2 a.m. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Health Ministry, said at least 67 people, including women and children, were killed in the strikes. Al-Qidra said rescuers were still searching the rubble. An Associated Press journalist counted at least 50 bodies at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. Mohamed Zoghroub, a Palestinian living in Rafah, said he saw a black jeep speeding through the town followed by clashes and heavy airstrikes. We found ourselves running with our children, from the airstrikes, in every direction, he said, speaking from an area flattened by the bombardment. Footage circulating on social media from Rafahs Kuwaiti hospital showed dead or wounded children. The footage could not immediately be verified but was consistent with AP reporting. A young man could be seen carrying the body of an infant who he said was killed in the attacks. He said the girl, the daughter of his neighbor, was born and killed during the war. Let Netanyahu come and see: Is this one of your designated targets? he said. Concerns about Rafah Netanyahu has said sending ground troops into Rafah is essential to meeting Israels war goals. On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation there without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. More than half of Gazas 2.3 million population is now crammed into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands live in sprawling tent camps and overcrowded U.N. shelters. Bidens remarks, made in a phone call with Netanyahu, were his most forceful language yet on the possible operation. Discussion of the potential for a cease-fire agreement took up much of the call, a senior U.S. administration official said. The official said that after weeks of diplomacy, a framework is now pretty much in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt to fighting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remain but declined to give details. The official said military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent weeks helped bring the group closer to accepting a deal. Netanyahus office declined to comment on the call. Hamas Al-Aqsa television station earlier quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying any invasion of Rafah would blow up the talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Biden and Netanyahu spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops are sent into Rafah. A group of migrants from Venezuela pause along the border wall that separates the United States from Mexico in Ciudad Juarez. When dealing with immigration, theres no shortage of cynicism on both sides of the partisan divide, writes Kyle Sammin. Read more If you search immigration reform on the internet, youll find articles dating back decades, each detailing some promising bipartisan proposal on immigration and border security that ultimately went up in smoke. The latest log on the fire was a Senate proposal unveiled barely a week ago, and which House Republicans rejected immediately. Senate Democrats (and Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, who helped broker the deal) are trying to salvage the effort, but it seems doomed to fail because almost no one in Washington (or Donald Trump waiting in the wings) really wants meaningful compromise. Still, while everyone recognizes the crisis on the southern border, there are good reasons for Republicans to be skeptical of any deal, and of this deal in particular. The last major bipartisan compromise to address illegal immigration was the Simpson-Mazzoli Act of 1986. President Ronald Reagan and members of both parties in Congress agreed on amnesty for people who had entered the country illegally before 1982, with the promise that border security would be increased. The law also made it illegal to hire people who were ineligible to work in the United States. Advertisement READ MORE: Why efforts to keep Trump off primary ballots defy every principle of democracy | Kyle Sammin Reagan called the law an effort to humanely regain control of our borders, but the results were not what he anticipated. The amnesty did go into effect, but businesses easily evaded the new labor restrictions, and Congress waited a decade to fund the enhanced border security. In the meantime, illegal entry to the United States probably increased. The 1986 compromise turned out to be entirely one-sided. Is it any wonder congressional Republicans are wary of doing the same thing again? The main effort in the latest bill is to reform how asylum claims are processed. Federal law grants asylum to a person who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of nationality because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. That seems straightforward enough and is in keeping with how this country has long sought to welcome people who were being persecuted abroad. But, as always, the devil is in the details. People who claim asylum must have their claims adjudicated, and while they wait for that to happen, they need to stay somewhere. While Trump was president, the policy starting in 2019 was that asylum-seekers at the southern border should remain in Mexico while the courts processed their claims. President Joe Biden reversed that policy. The result: a record number of asylum claims and a two million-person backlog in the courts. According to the New York Times, recent estimates show the wait times average three years in immigration court and 10 years if an [asylum] application is filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Some of these asylum claims are legitimate the world is full of countries that persecute people. But it is a narrow legal category, not just another form of economic migration. A jump from 63,074 asylum applications in 2021 to 238,841 in 2022 to more than 800,000 in 2023 suggests that other calculations are at work here. When these claims are finally processed, a much higher percentage of them are rejected than in years past, which must further add to the suspicions that some of those claiming asylum are economic migrants gaming the system and creating enforcement delays for legitimate and illegitimate claimants alike. So, when Democrats say that the reform proposal toughens the standard that determines asylum status, Republicans are right to suspect that it wont speed up the process. The standard isnt the problem; the delays in adjudication (and releases of migrants pending adjudication) are. Republicans also have reason to doubt that the Biden administration would take advantage of changes in the law that would allow the president to close the border after a threshold of 5,000 border encounters per day. And why wouldnt they doubt? In 2019, Biden joined all but one of his fellow Democratic candidates for president in indicating that he would decriminalize illegal border crossings entirely. Republicans are not completely blameless in the impasse. Bidens sudden conversion to securing the border is no doubt tied to his abysmal polling on the issue: An NBC poll last week showed Trump with a 35-point lead over Biden on the issue of securing the border and controlling immigration. Trump would love to keep this advantage, especially now that voters list immigration as their number one concern. READ MORE: Americas challenges are complex and serious. Too many of our leaders arent. | Kyle Sammin For some Republicans in Congress, the prospect of helping to defeat Biden makes inaction the best course preserving the issue to increase support for Trump. (Trump himself has said that he prefers this course of action.) But even for others who are less cynical, it might be seen as preferable to wait a year and hopefully get a better deal from the next president if Biden does, in fact, lose reelection. This is a problem Biden created, and many Republicans dont see why they should bail him out. That might be good politics, but its not good leadership. For his part, Biden wants to improve voters impression of him on border issues but is more than happy for Republicans to vote against an unpalatable bill thereby letting him blame them for the problem he made. Lankford aside, who in good faith attempted to negotiate a bipartisan deal, theres no shortage of cynicism on both sides. This latest immigration reform push looks to be as dead as the last few versions. As long as everyones eyes are fixed on the November elections, it will probably stay that way. WARSAW, Poland Donald Trump, the front-runner in the U.S. for the Republican Partys nomination this year, says he once warned that he would allow Russia to do whatever it wants to NATO member nations that are delinquent in devoting 2% of their gross domestic product to defense. Trumps comment on Saturday represented the latest instance in which the former president seemed to side with an authoritarian state over Americas democratic allies. It also adds to evidence that the 77-year-old either does not understand how NATO works or is distorting the truth for political gain. What did Trump say? Speaking at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recalled how as president he told an unidentified NATO member that he would withhold U.S. help and encourage Russia to do as it wishes with allies that do not contribute enough to military spending. You didnt pay? Youre delinquent? Trump recounted saying. No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills. Advertisement NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg shot back with an unusually strong statement saying that Trump was threatening the security of the entire trans-Atlantic alliance. Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk, Stoltenberg said. President Joe Biden, who is on track toward a rematch against Trump in November, also issued a statement criticizing Trump. Donald Trumps admission that he intends to give Putin a green light for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States are appalling and dangerous, Biden said. What did Trump get wrong? NATO members dont pay to belong and dont owe the organization anything other than contributions to a largely administrative fund. Trump clearly wasnt referring to those administrative payments. His frequent complaint during his presidency, and now, has been how much NATO countries put into their own military budgets. U.S. presidents before him raised that concern. In fact, it was in 2014, during the Barack Obama administration, that NATO members agreed to move toward spending 2% of GDP on national defense by 2024. Stoltenberg also has said members needed to invest more in their militaries. At their last summit, in Lithuania in July, NATO leaders adjusted that pledge by agreeing to spend at least 2% of GDP on their military budgets. No target date was set for meeting the goal. The 2% is a benchmark that each member should spend on its own defense in order to be able to contribute to the joint defense of the alliance. However, the goal is voluntary, and there is no debt or delinquency involved. The countries dont pay the money to NATO but invest it in their own armed forces. Russias invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago has given them further impetus to beef up their armies. What is NATO? The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded after World War II in an attempt to stop the expansion of Soviet control in Europe as the eastern part of the continent was coming under the Kremlins firm grip. The alliances first secretary-general, the British Gen. Hasting Ismay, said the goal was to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down. The often repeated comment highlights how a fear of Russias expansion has been part of the alliances DNA from the beginning. The collapse of the Soviet Union led some to question whether NATO still had a purpose. Russia, for its part, has observed the military alliances eastward growth with anger. President Vladimir Putin for years has warned that Moscow views NATOs expansion into what the country views as its historical sphere of influence as a threat. Putin tried to justify his war against Ukraine in part by citing NATOs enlargement, though Ukraine had no immediate prospects of joining the alliance when Russian troops entered the neighboring country in February 2022. However, NATO leaders have said that Ukraine will join the alliance at some point in the future. NATO currently has 31 members. Finland became the newest member last year, breaking with decades of non-alignment after Russia invaded Ukraine. Sweden is hoping to join, too, but is still waiting for approval from Hungary, the only member that has not ratified the Scandinavian countrys bid. What else has Trump said on the issue? Trump has a history of misrepresenting NATO or suggesting that the United States might not honor its commitment to allies. Former national security adviser John Bolton said in a memoir that Trump was close to pulling the U.S. out of NATO in 2018. Trump spoke that year about NATO as if it were a business going bankrupt until he came along. I went to NATO. And NATO was essentially going out of business cause people werent paying and it was going down, down, down, he said. He also bemoaned that Americans were the schmucks that are paying for the whole thing. U.S. defense spending, while well above 2%, has actually been decreasing for years. While Trumps hectoring of allies to spend more on defense during his presidency might have spurred some into doing so, Russias invasion of Ukraine has been a greater catalyst in pushing them to make much larger investments. When has NATO come to an allys defense? Trump has a history of misrepresenting NATO or suggesting that the United States might not honor its commitment to allies. Former national security adviser John Bolton said in a memoir that Trump was close to pulling the U.S. out of NATO in 2018. Trump spoke that year about NATO as if it were a business going bankrupt until he came along. I went to NATO. And NATO was essentially going out of business cause people werent paying and it was going down, down, down, he said. He also bemoaned that Americans were the schmucks that are paying for the whole thing. U.S. defense spending, while well above 2%, has actually been decreasing for years. While Trumps hectoring of allies to spend more on defense during his presidency might have spurred some into doing so, Russias invasion of Ukraine has been a greater catalyst in pushing them to make much larger investments. Heather Honeys claims have achieved a remarkable level of national salience among the far right despite being replete with errors. Read more This article is made possible through Spotlight PAs collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Sign up for Votebeats free newsletters here. On Jan. 6, 2021, as former President Donald Trump rallied his supporters, he used a statistic that, though false, was making the rounds: In Pennsylvania, you had 205,000 more votes than you had voters, he screamed, throwing his arms wide open in front of thousands of angry followers. This is a mathematical impossibility unless you want to say its a total fraud. The number appears to be the work of Heather Honey, a Pennsylvania-based election integrity investigator whose research has achieved a remarkable level of national salience among the far right, despite being replete with errors. The 205,000 figure, for example, is false according to the Department of Justice, and was based on incomplete data the state says cant be used for this type of analysis. Honey herself has revised the discrepancy downward. While Honeys current estimate is almost half of what it once was, its still inaccurate and the original number is also still routinely cited as fact. There were 202,377 MORE votes cast, than actual REAL VOTERS THAT VOTED, reads a November 2023 post on X from a popular right-wing account. It was reposted more than 13,000 times. Honey has been among the most effective advocates for right-wing election talking points. Time after time, her research has fed into viral allegations about election integrity, fueling conservative pressure campaigns, forcing fact-checkers and public officials to attempt to piece together a more accurate picture and undermining confidence in long-trusted election practices. Often, her conclusions are misleading or based on incomplete information. Advertisement In the past year, working with a network of election integrity groups organized by conservative lawyer Cleta Mitchell, Honey has had perhaps the most success with her latest research: a 29-page report on the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, sent to Republican secretaries of state and legislators. Her information appears to have influenced the decision of several member states to withdraw from ERIC, an interstate program that election officials widely regard as the nations best tool to keep voter rolls up-to-date and free of bloat. An analysis by Votebeat and Spotlight PA found that the reports conclusions are false, often based on out-of-context examples, and that her sweeping generalizations are frequently not backed by the data. Presented with Votebeats and Spotlight PAs findings the product of redoing her many calculations and fact-checking the analysis she has offered to public officials Honey defended her work. Despite how widespread her research has become, Honey described herself in emails to Votebeat and Spotlight PA as an ordinary citizen working hard to do what I can to restore confidence in elections. When asked for a final comment, she accused Votebeat of slander and personal attacks. Who is pressuring you to write this hit piece? What is your goal? The way that Honey relies on real-but-incomplete data is a hallmark of those who spread misinformation, experts say. The fundamental misconception people have about misinformation is that misinformation is about the facts in front of you, said Mike Caulfield, a research scientist at the University of Washingtons Center for an Informed Public who studies misinformation and disinformation. Instead, Caulfield said, popular misinformation often relies on leaving out crucial details. Calling it misrepresented evidence, Caulfield likened Honeys report to a prosecutor accurately telling a jury that they discovered a murder weapon in a suspects possession but failing to mention that the fingerprints on it belonged to someone else. You cant look at that and say, The knife is real, we found the knife, but not look at it and mention you found fingerprints that would undermine the importance of the evidence, he said. Activated by 2020 As Honey tells her own origin story, she was standing in line at her polling place in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 3, 2020, behind an older couple when her journey to election integrity investigator began. It really kind of struck me that, you know, this woman who just waited in line for an hour was told, Oh, you have to cast a provisional ballot, Honey said on Mitchells Whos Counting podcast in May 2022. She told Mitchell she wondered if the provisional would be rejected. So it just got me a little bit worked up and I went home and I started doing, I mean, what I do. Honey has operated Haystack Investigations a private investigations and supply-chain auditing consultancy since 2017, her LinkedIn profile shows. Her website offers services ranging from supply chain audits to social media investigations. Using what shes described as open-source investigation skills, Honey began researching Pennsylvanias election laws and requesting data from the Pennsylvania Department of State in November 2020. Soon after, she decided to reach out to her state representative, Frank Ryan, a Republican, with her findings. I said, Look, here are the things that I found, she told Mitchell. One of those things was that there were more ballots reported than what we found in the voter files. Honey told Mitchell that Ryan gathered other representatives together to show them her work that is, a calculation purporting to show a discrepancy between the number of ballots cast in the 2020 election and the number of people the Pennsylvania roll recorded as having voted. Ryan did not respond to an interview request, though Mitchells version closely mirrors his public telling of events, and emails on which Honey is included show Ryan passed this information onto U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, a Republican who was in close contact with Trump at the time. According to the final report of the Jan. 6 committee, Trump would repeat the claim that Pennsylvania had more votes than voters numerous times, which was part of the Department of Justice indictment against him alleging election interference. Honey told Votebeat and Spotlight PA that Ryan was receiving information from multiple sources at the time, but she did not directly dispute that Trumps figures originated with her work. Honeys latest calculation of the discrepancy, revised after straggling counties uploaded fresher records, sits at around 121,000. Trump cited that number, and Honeys work directly, in a document he released in January claiming fraud in swing states in 2020. Still, election administrators in Pennsylvania say this number is based on a flawed analysis. Voter roll data are constantly updated to account for moves, deaths, and other issues of eligibility, which stops in the weeks just before an election and resumes again immediately after, the Department of State and county election directors explained. The roll also does not contain information about some voters whose identity must legally be kept confidential, such as victims of abuse. In other words, the states voter roll at any one point in time doesnt reflect a complete record of who voted in the last election. But Honeys analysis treats the roll as if it does. For example, if a voter in Philadelphia moved to New Jersey the day after the 2020 election, the Philadelphia Board of Elections would cancel their registration. And even though they legitimately cast a ballot in Philadelphia on Election Day, their voter history would not appear in the voter roll system after that because they have been removed from the rolls. Given these limitations, the Department of State told Votebeat and Spotlight PA that Honeys method of analysis is not an accurate way to reconcile votes cast to the number of voters who participated in any individual election and that the system was not intended for this purpose. The state pushed back on the figure at the time, but that didnt stop it from spreading. As Honeys research gained traction, other election-integrity advocates began to take notice and solicit her for work. She was paid as a subcontractor in Arizona for Cyber Ninjas, the company hired by that states Senate to investigate the 2020 election in Maricopa County. That investigation ultimately did not prove any fraud. Documents from it obtained by American Oversight and the Arizona Republic show she was a manager and billed tens of thousands of dollars for her work, though it is unclear how much she was eventually paid. Cyber Ninjas subsequently went out of business, but Honeys work continued. Days before the 2022 midterm elections, Honey released a report through her election integrity research organization, Verity Vote claiming nearly a quarter of a million ballots in Pennsylvania had been sent to unverified voters. Ryan again picked up the information in a letter to the Department of State. It was then echoed by Trump, and the conservative website the Gateway Pundit pointed to it as evidence that the election was fraudulent and should be decertified. The report flagrantly misrepresents how the system works, the Department of State which rebutted it after it gained traction online said at the time. Voters were labeled as NV or not verified in the states voter management system, but as the Associated Press reported, the label is for internal workflow purposes and typically means the identification provided by the voter is still being verified by county workers so their ballots can be counted. A more refined ERIC criticism In 2022, as ERIC became the subject of right-wing fury, Honey began her own research. The program was formed in 2012 as a project at the Pew Research Center before becoming an independent nonprofit. It continues to be governed by member states, and uses state voter rolls, death records, motor vehicle records, and other information to cross-check state voter rolls for accuracy. It also identifies voters who may be eligible to vote but are unregistered referred to as EBUs and requires states to reach out to those potential voters about registering. ERIC does not add or remove any voters itself. It only provides lists of voters to states, and states and counties then verify the accuracy of ERIC information before they remove voters from the rolls. Voters who register in response to the outreach must meet all voter registration requirements. By June 2022, ERIC had grown to include 33 states and the District of Columbia. Prior to conservative attacks including those fueled by Honeys research it drew bipartisan praise from officials for its ability to help clean voter rolls, including from some of those same officials who would take up Honeys talking points. In January 2022, an article from the right-wing outlet the Gateway Pundit accused ERIC of being a left-wing voter registration drive disguised as voter roll clean up. Louisiana soon after announced it was suspending its membership. Officials told Votebeat at the time the decision was unrelated to the coverage but that numerous experts on election stuff had advised the state to leave ERIC, office spokesperson John Tobler said. Louisiana would be the only state to part with the program for several months after the Gateway Pundits story was published. In the interim, Honey released her report, offering apparent backing to the charges laid out by the site. While it reached many of the same conclusions as the Gateway Pundit, Honeys report offered a more professionalized critique of ERIC with historical research, original firsthand documentation, and data analysis. It appears to have contributed to Virginia, Texas, Missouri, and Louisiana withdrawing from the compact, as well as North Carolinas decision to halt its process of joining. Flaws and omissions in Honeys ERIC report In June 2022, Mitchell a conservative attorney who represented Trump in Georgia in 2020 hosted a conference in Washington, D.C. There, Honey gave a presentation on ERIC to several secretaries of state or their representatives, according to information obtained by Documented, a D.C.-based investigative news outlet, and provided to Votebeat and Spotlight PA. Mitchell did not respond to an e-mailed request for comment. At the same time, Honey released her ERIC report on her website. The report repeatedly asserts misleading claims. For example, she writes, After 10 years of ERIC, there is no evidence that it has led to an improvement in accuracy or clean voter rolls. She attempts to prove that by comparing the number of voter roll removals in ERIC states vs. non-ERIC states. That comparison, however, relies entirely on a single metric the number of removals in one category released in one year. She claims that her research using data released biannually by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) shows that ERIC states removed proportionally fewer voters who had moved out of their voting districts than non-ERIC states had in the same time period. Charles Stewart, a professor of political science at MIT who studies elections and works with EAC data, says the data shouldnt be used in this way. The data are often unreliable because they contains gaps and basic mathematical errors, and sometimes dont match what states independently report. Stewart is a member of ERICs Research Advisory Board, which advises the organization on how it can measure its performance. He also disagreed with the premise of Honeys analysis, since ERIC is not responsible for removing any voter from the voter rolls and ERIC member states are at the mercy of local jurisdictions like counties that actually act on the data provided by ERIC. But the data can provide a rough measure of ERICs performance. Using data available to Honey at the time of her report, Votebeat and Spotlight PA repeated her analysis and found that the conclusion of her report is misleading. She appears to have chosen the singular data point that supported her claim, out of a series of voter-removal metrics in the same data set. And, despite the availability of multiple years of such data, Honey used only one 2020, an outlier year. Taken together, Honey left out 11 of 12 relevant data points in her report. Votebeats and Spotlight PAs analysis, which used all 12 data points available at the time her report was published, suggests exactly the opposite: ERIC states remove a higher percentage of voters from the rolls than non-ERIC states. Data from a more recent year 2022 also supported that conclusion. (Read more about our analysis below the story.) Asked to explain her selective use of data, Honey did not respond to some questions and offered answers to others that contradict the logic of her analysis. For example, asked to explain why she only used a single metric from one year, Honey said in an email that it would be inappropriate to analyze one of the other categories removal of voters who died in state-to-state comparisons, since some states, like Pennsylvania, do not use ERICs death data. But Honeys analysis has the same flaw, as not all ERIC member states use ERICs moved-voter data uniformly, either. Honey did not address why she only analyzed the EACs data from one year, when four were available at the time she published her report. Elsewhere in the report, Honey claims that the outreach to eligible but unregistered residents, or EBUs, that ERIC requires member states to conduct results in significant swelling of voter rolls, and that EBU additions consistently exceed suggested removals by ten times. But available data dont support Honeys conclusions. The report is obsessed with EBUs, Stewart said. I just take, overall, the report as part of building the case that ERIC is this left-wing organization that is trying to get Democrats onto the voter rolls. To conclude additions exceed removals by ten times, Honey shows a graph of data from ERICs website. The wording of the title of the graph calls these additions and removals instigated by ERIC participation, as though all of the numbers displayed are actual voters removed from or added to rolls. But ERIC only supplies information about voters who may need to be removed or are eligible to register to vote state and county election offices determine which are valid and make any changes themselves. In the case of eligible but unregistered voters, the state simply sends a mailer to the identified person informing them of their eligibility, and the voter must take action from there. Honey acknowledges elsewhere in the report that removal and eligible-voter data ERIC provides to states are merely suggest[ions]. Her graph also leaves out two other categories of ERICs list maintenance recommendations to states. In reality, theyve recommended roughly 41 million records be updated and identified roughly 57 million voters who may be eligible. Votebeat and Spotlight PA performed a more accurate analysis of ERICs effect on voter roll additions, using data showing net changes to voter rolls, rather than the number of people who were sent mail. The EACs data which Honey uses elsewhere in her report, though not for this analysis show that there is typically less than 1 percentage point of difference between ERIC and non-ERIC states when it comes to registering new voters. This figure aligns with academic research on the topic. A study of Pennsylvanias ERIC mailings, published in 2020, found they resulted in only a 1 percentage point increase in registration. Elsewhere, Honeys report relies on real data to make inaccurate conclusions or omits relevant and readily available context. For instance, she accurately states that Pennsylvanias and Michigans secretaries of state received voter outreach grants from nonprofits dispersing money from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. Honey then incorrectly claims the grants were given to those states in order to gain access to data needed to inflate the Democrat voter rolls and drive Democrat turnout. Honey did not respond to a request to provide evidence of that claim. The portion of Pennsylvania voters registered as Democrats went down in 2020, as it has every year for more than a decade. Michigan voters do not register by party, so there are no Democrat voter rolls there. And a recent study from data scientists at the University of California Los Angeles found that the areas that received grants funded by Zuckerberg saw less than a 0.13 percentage point increase in voter turnout ultimately significantly fewer votes than would be needed to swing the election even if they all had voted for Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Honey also leaves out important context. For example, she quotes a 2021 Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau report which found many duplicate and erroneous voter registrations in the file ERIC sent to that state for voters who should potentially be removed. Honey quotes this accurately but leaves out other parts of the report that reflect positively on ERIC, such as the state elections office saying ERIC does a better job identifying individuals whose voter registration records may need to be inactivated or who may have more than one active voter registration record than it does. Among its conclusions, the report says the states voter rolls would be more accurate if it used ERICs data more often. Honey said the issues addressed by the Wisconsin agency were very different things than what she investigated in her report, but did not elaborate on why she didnt include the positive aspects. Honeys claims gain traction Despite the flaws in Honeys report, it quickly gained traction, making its way across conservative media and into the hands of influential politicians and officials. Thank you for reading through this information! a local Virginia GOP committeewoman wrote about Honeys report in a March 2023 email to a state representative, expressing hope it would be shared with the Virginia state elections board. It ultimately was. Records obtained by Documented also show that Honeys influence grew through the help of Mitchell. In June 2022, Mitchell organized the event for secretaries of state in Washington, D.C. Officials from Texas, Wyoming, Louisiana, and West Virginia were scheduled to attend, according to records obtained by Documented, which also show that Mitchells group paid for a Texas secretary of state officials travel to the event. Records obtained by Votebeat and Spotlight PA show Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft was out of office that day for an unspecified meeting in DC. Louisiana announced its official withdrawal from ERIC a month later. As officials and activists took notice of the report, Honeys work began to be cited by influential outlets and figures in conservative media, including The Federalist. Per government watchdog Verity Vote, ERIC doesnt actually clean states voter rolls, but rather inflates them, the publication wrote in March 2023, using the name of the entity through which Honey puts out her election-related research. Her work also made appearances in a series of articles critiquing ERIC by Hayden Ludwig, director of policy research at Restoration of America a conservative Christian nonprofit focused on the challenges presented by the elite, Marxist neoliberals and Communist China. And Judicial Watch, an influential conservative legal watchdog group, cited it in a white paper in March 2023. States that do not participate in ERIC had a higher rate of identifying and removing from voter registration rolls individuals who relocated out of a jurisdiction than ERIC member states, Judicial Watch wrote. Policymakers took notice of the report as well. In 2018, Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, said the states membership in ERIC will help affirm voters are eligible and registered in the right location, identify potential duplicate registrations and identify unregistered voters so we can help them get registered. But last February, Honey gave Ashcroft a private presentation on her report, emails obtained by Documented and Votebeat/Spotlight PA show. A month later, Ashcroft announced Missouris withdrawal, saying in part that it was because ERIC was adding names to voter rolls language similar to the claims in Honeys report. Missouris number of registered voters increased by less than 2% in the time it was part of ERIC. The states Republican state auditor recently criticized Ashcroft for the decision in a report, which cited the benefit of ERICs data in maintaining accurate voter rolls. Ashcroft did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Honeys report was not the sole reason any state withdrew from ERIC. No state election official even those who met with her or received her report and appear to have adopted some of her language explicitly cited her research. But her report and advocacy appear to have influenced several states. In January of last year, Devvie Duke, a member of the Texas GOP and an ERIC task force, said in a Zoom meeting that she had lined up ERIC training with Honey so we can be informed and productive when were writing. She paused. Or, going to see our legislators in support of legislation getting rid of ERIC. State Sen. Bryan Hughes, who wrote the bill that pulled Texas out of ERIC, participated in that meeting, where he was introduced as a regular at the task forces sessions. Duke, who did not respond to a request for comment, is currently running for a seat in the Texas state House. Her campaign material claims that it was through Devvies work that Texas terminated its membership in ERIC, which she called a liberal voter registration scheme. In Virginia, Susan Beals a former Republican state Senate aide and now the commissioner for the state Department of Elections also received the report last March from a member of the state House, according to an email obtained by Votebeat and Spotlight PA. A letter obtained by Virginia Public Media shows that when Beals withdrew from ERIC, some of her reasoning was worded similarly to the contents of the email. Beals did not respond to a request for an interview. Internal communications from an election integrity network in North Carolina obtained by Documented and shared with Votebeat and Spotlight PA show that Honey met with a group of legislators about a bill to prevent the state from joining ERIC, and also met with at least some of members of the state Senate who would later vote for the measure. And language mirroring Honeys research has also appeared in the Capitol building of her home state, Pennsylvania, where State Sen. Cris Dush (R., Jefferson) said last March that non-ERIC states were doing a better job cleaning voter rolls than ERIC states, though he did not cite any evidence. Dush did not respond to a request for comment. Friends in high places, and a new frontier Honey has certainly been successful in getting her information in front of influential officials in a way her peers have not, forming connections with secretaries of state, their staffs, state lawmakers, U.S. Senate candidates, and members of Congress. Her influence, therefore, is likely to continue. For example, she recently gave a talk in Pennsylvania to the Lycoming County Republican Committee, attended by U.S. Rep. Dan Mueser, who called it an important presentation on securing and protecting the voting system. She also appears to have provided draft language for a bill in June 2021 to state Reps. Seth Grove (R., York) and Russ Diamond (R., Lebanon), according to records obtained by American Oversight, a left-leaning watchdog group. Honey also leads a local organization, PA Fair Elections, which hosts weekly Zoom discussions on election issues and organizes activists. Recent meetings have focused on how to advocate postelection hand counts to county commissioners, though some attract public officials, including at least two state representatives, a Commonwealth Court judge, and county commissioners. Ahead of the 2024 election, her work is expanding beyond ERIC to include research and advocacy about ballots sent to and from voters living overseas, including military voters. In addition to authoring a report on the subject, which she published in September 2022, she filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of State, with the support of an attorney from the Thomas More Society. It alleged the department was violating federal law by not requiring identification for some overseas voters. An attorney for Gov. Josh Shapiros office, who handled the complaint, dismissed it in November, offering that the complaint was more of an objection to federal law rather than an accusation that existing law was being violated. Honey is now appealing that decision to Commonwealth Court. Shes also exporting this advocacy to states outside the commonwealth. In August, she gave a presentation on overseas voters to the Virginia coalition affiliated with Mitchells election integrity network, according to records reviewed by Documented. A now-deleted post from the North Carolina-based Asheville Tea Party, whom Honey worked with to contact legislators in that state, shows that she also gave a presentation in April on military and overseas voters at the request of Mitchell. Meeting notes posted to the Asheville Tea Partys website indicate Honey explained that her concern was that while people assume the ballots are from military voters, most of them come from overseas citizens, many of whom were likely unverified. These newer election officials just rubber-stamp them and dont do anything to verify, she said, according to meeting notes. Its the nonmilitary that we need to really worry about. Honeys work focused on influencing local election policy also continues. At the first PA Fair Elections meeting of the year, Honey kicked off the meeting by talking about what changes members needed to push for in their counties, including pressuring election offices to conduct their required postelection audit a recount of 2% of all ballots by hand count. It is currently done with a mix of hand counting and machine tabulation. There are 104 days till the primary, so these things we are talking about, we are very much hoping to have them in place for the primary so we can work out any kinks, she told the group of roughly four dozen. If we can roll them out in the primary, we can hopefully make improvements to them by the general. Jason Armesto a reporter for The Daily Progress, a newspaper in Virginia contributed to this article. BEFORE YOU GO If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Street department crew clearing Kensington Avenue of trash last month. The city recently hired Marnie Aument-Loughrey to serve as a liaison between city service providers and residents. Read more Marnie Aument-Loughrey stood in Philadelphia City Council chambers last week in front of large photos of people in the throes of addiction, some hunched over on the sidewalk and others with massive open wounds. We are letting you know what our children have to see every day, she told lawmakers about Kensington, where shes lived for decades. Aument-Loughrey, a Democratic ward leader who runs a civic association in the neighborhood, has for years fought against approaches to the open-air drug market that are seen as progressive, such as supervised drug consumption sites. Now, shell play a more official role. Advertisement Mayor Cherelle L. Parker tapped Aument-Loughrey to be a community coordinator primarily in Kensington, where Parker has promised to end the drug market thats long plagued the neighborhood. The hire is another indication of how Parkers posture toward Kensington represents a turn from former Mayor Jim Kenneys administration, which favored public health-driven harm-reduction practices and avoided criminalizing people for low-level offenses like drug possession. A change in that approach could lead to clashes with advocates who prefer strategies outside of law enforcement that are focused on preventing overdoses. Aument-Loughrey believes the city has been far too permissive of open drug use and has ignored the pleas of neighborhood residents who are sick of seeing it. She embraces the idea of police bringing people in addiction to a triage center, where they can choose drug treatment or jail. READ MORE: Mayor Cherelle Parker taps a new top police leader to head the departments Kensington strategy And, in a November New Yorker article about how Parker defies the progressive agenda, Aument-Loughrey expressed nostalgia for the era of Frank Rizzo, the former police commissioner and mayor with a divisive legacy of police brutality. But Aument-Loughrey says shes focused on doing right by both sets of residents, referring to longtime residents and those living on the streets. She said shell be a liaison between them and the city, and will harness relationships shes built over years both in the neighborhood and working in constituent services for State Sen. Sharif Street. Were gonna take our neighborhood back, she said. For the first time in awhile, Im hopeful. Her hire could also signal a burgeoning power center in Kensington. Aument-Loughrey, whose mother was also a ward leader, ran unsuccessfully for Council in 2015 and was a Democratic nominee for traffic court judge in 2013. She is married to City Councilmember Jim Harrity, and both have close ties to Street, the head of the state Democratic Party. READ MORE: Kensington community members wonder if increased police focus will make a difference She is also the fourth spouse of a City Hall insider to get a job, appointment, or promotion in Parkers nascent administration. New city representative Jazelle Jones, a longtime city employee, is married to Councilmember Curtis Jones Jr. Deputy education officer Sharon C. Ward, formerly a senior adviser at the Education Law Center, is the wife of Parkers communications director, Joe Grace. Parker also appointed Dawn Chavous to a panel that considers candidates for school board. She is a consultant who has long worked in charter schools and who is married to Council President Kenyatta Johnson. Tiffany W. Thurman, Parkers chief of staff, said each of the women is uniquely qualified to serve. [Aument-Loughrey] is passionate about her community and is a resident who brings her lived life experience to the role and the team, Thurman said. The notion that qualified women cannot have their own careers separate from their spouses is archaic, sexist, and offensive. Aument-Loughrey starts her new job Monday. She said the city can start improving the neighborhood and residents attitudes about it quickly by making small adjustments like fixing abandoned buildings and picking up trash. In the longer term, she envisions programs that help people get into recovery and enter housing, job training, and therapy. Weve been told were cruel or we dont have compassion, she said. At no time did we say we dont want people to get help. Its always been yes. We want to help get them off the streets. The very quiet lobby of Centre Square at 1500 Market St. on the west side of City Hall. The building is nearly half empty. Read more Two of downtowns biggest offices, Centre Square and the Wanamaker Building, are leading the city in vacancy. They are both right next to City Hall, at the heart of Philadelphia, where their high vacancy rate 47% for Centre Square and 65% for Wanamaker is all the more obvious. Another neighboring poor performer is One South Broad, with an occupancy rate of just under 42%. These are outliers, for now. The vacancy rate for the entire region is 20.5%, while for the city itself it is 19.1%, according to commercial real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL). Industry experts say that in the near term, there are no easy answers. Both the apartment and life science markets appear to be glutted, as pandemic-era projects come online. Demolition would be extraordinarily expensive and disruptive, not to mention undesirable for iconic historic structures. Advertisement In the short term, stakeholders say that bringing municipal workers back to Center City offices more regularly could make a difference in the daytime activation of space around City Hall. As policymakers and business interests mull this conundrum, here is a guide to some of the most distressed buildings in Philadelphia, how they got that way, and what can be done with them. Centre Square Centre Square, just west of City Hall, is the largest office complex in Center City. Opened in the 1970s with a plaza adorned with the Clothespin statue by Claes Oldenburg, the buildings have been massively overhauled once a decade since they opened. In mid-2017, New York-based Nightingale Properties and Kuwait-based Wafra Capital Partners bought Centre Square and then got a $388 million loan to refinance the property in December 2019. JLL estimates that Centre Square had about 6,300 workers in the two towers. But since 2020, occupancy has plummeted. Big tenants such as mortgage insurer Radian (173,738 square feet) have left and are subleasing their space, and the complexs largest tenant, the University of Pennsylvania Health System (297,380 square feet) has largely pulled workers out, too, although its lease is active until 2025. Thats 1,000 people our stats would say are there, but theyre not, said Tom Weitzel, managing director with JLL in Philadelphia. It looks bad, but its actually worse. The value of the building has dropped 14.8% since October 2019 to $401,200,000 in October 2022, according to real-estate tracker CoStar Group. Unable to pay a loan due in December 2022, the lenders filed for foreclosure and the property went into receivership last May. Wanamaker Building The Wanamaker Building is the third largest downtown office building. It also houses the 435,000-square-foot Macys department store and underground parking In 2017, Philadelphia-based Rubenstein Partners bought a controlling stake in the building and invested millions in renovations. Tenants Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Penn Medicine expanded their footprint, and occupancy rose well above 90%. Then the pandemic struck. They just got caught up in a timing conundrum where the market was not flush with tenants moving in and some tenants that have been there for a while were reconsidering their space needs, Weitzel said. Today, only about a third of the office space is occupied. CHOP (252,631 square feet), the federal government (239,049 square feet), and Digitas Inc. (108,619 square feet) are all gone, and there are few new entrants looking for such large spaces. The value of the building has plummeted by 72%, from $185.7 million in 2018 to $52.4 million in December 2023 according to CoStar. Last year it became clear that Wanamaker would not be able to refinance its loan as it reached maturity in June 2023, so the lender filed for foreclosure, and a receiver was placed in control of the property in early September. One South Broad Located just to the south of City Hall and featuring McCormick & Schmicks and the newly opened Insomnia Cookies headquarters as retail tenants, One South Broad Street is not challenged in quite the same way as its larger counterparts. The Art Deco building was purchased in 2014 by New York-based Aion Partners. At the time, the building was 88% occupied. But since 2020, thats fallen by 30%, according to CoStar. Commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) documents show the next major lease expiration isnt until Huntsworth Healths term closes in mid-2026. People want to return back to newer buildings, but buildings around City Hall are typically older, multi-tenant buildings targeting toward smaller companies, said Michael Betancourt, managing director of Aion Partners. Those are the companies that havent come back. Theres been no recent appraisal, but in April 2012 it was worth $62 million. Last year, Aion Partners was able to extend the $37.4 million loan on the building until September 2025 according to a report in the Philadelphia Business Journal. That allowed the building to avoid receivership, unlike Wanamaker or Centre Square. Office buildings immediately around City Hall, including the Centre Square complex, have been struggling to retain tenants. Read more Philadelphia City Hall, crowned by its oversized William Penn statue, is emblematic of the city. SEPTAs station beneath the towering edifice ties the transit network together, and the family-friendly attractions of Dilworth Park have become a favorite of tourists and locals. Why, then, are the offices immediately adjoining the beloved Second Empire structure struggling so badly? According to data from commercial real estate services company Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), only one of the six private-sector office buildings that surround City Hall has more than 80% occupancy. Two of Center Citys largest office complexes the Wanamaker Building and Centre Square are in serious financial trouble and have the lowest occupancies of all. When multiple office buildings in an area empty out, which has happened around City Hall, the people who used to be there throughout the day are gone and that has a major impact, said Tom Weitzel, managing director of JLL in Philadelphia. Retail is affected, public safety issues arise, and the area can quickly become unappealing. Advertisement By JLLs estimation, pre-pandemic there were 21,000 office workers around City Hall. Today the number is closer to 13,000 and substantially less on Mondays and Fridays. According to data from the Center City District, the pedestrian foot traffic count in the area is far below 2019 numbers and is modestly lower than the recovery rate for Center City as a whole. There arent easy policy fixes that Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers administration can pursue to turn the situation around. Most other major cities have more restrictive zoning downtown than Philadelphia, so they are trying to rewrite those rules to encourage office-to-residential conversions or other uses. But Philadelphia already allows a gamut of land uses, and a full 10-year property-tax abatement is in place for building conversions. So there arent obvious tweaks to provide incentives to building owners and developers to repurpose their spaces. Real estate industry leaders pointed to two reasons office workers arent coming back: fears about public safety around City Hall, and a void left by municipal employees who are mostly working from home. The clean and safe message is a big part of why this section of the city has not performed as well as we would hope, said Lauren Gilchrist, Philadelphia executive vice president at Newmark, a commercial real estate services company. Part of the ongoing challenge is the lack of return of city office workers to the cluster of municipal buildings around City Hall. Despite no statistics showing that major crime is higher today than it was in 2019, theres a pervasive perception among office workers that the area around City Hall has become unsafe since the pandemic. Stakeholders wonder whether increasing the foot traffic and eyes on the street by bringing municipal workers back to the office more consistently might lessen those concerns and bolster retail. The municipal workers union cautions that a return to in-office hours five days a week would harm recruitment efforts, but the administration is exploring the idea. The private sector is right when they talk about return to work, Parker said in a statement. It is incumbent that city workers come back to the office for the future of Center City. Philadelphia can only truly say we are open for business when all of our workers are back in the office Monday through Friday, and youll be hearing more from me on the citys plan to bring city workers back soon. Misconceptions about safety Buildings such as Wanamaker, Centre Square, and One South Broad have unique challenges and individual tales of woe. They are all historical structures in an era when many office users are downsizing and moving toward newer buildings with modern amenities to lure workers back. They are also encumbered with a combined $530 million in debt and a cascading series of vacancies. I have 70 employees at One South Broad Street, and its like pulling teeth to get them to come back to work, said Michael Betancourt, managing director of Aion Partners, the New York-based company that owns the building. Because of vagrancy, crime, and the quality of life, my workers are afraid to come in. The sun goes down; they want to leave. Evidence suggests that crime is not on the rise downtown, or even higher than it was pre-pandemic. A Center City District analysis of police data showed that major crimes were far lower in 2023 than in 2018 or 2019. A 2023 study from the Brookings Institute found that crime downtown made up a negligible amount of citywide incidents. A follow-up study found that homelessness in Center City is substantially down from before the pandemic. The gap between perception and reality may in part be explained by significant changes in downtown foot traffic, which made unsheltered homelessness more visible, the Brookings report on homelessness reads. Thats especially true on SEPTA, where ridership on the Market-Frankford Line the route that struggles with passenger smoking, drug use, and littering is at only 58% of pre-pandemic levels as of November. Something similar could be true of crime. There were muggings or the occasional shooting in Center City pre-pandemic, but because many commuters are downtown less frequently, they may assume that high-profile violent incidents such as those recently in SEPTAs City Hall station or Macys itself are the norm. None of this is to say that crime doesnt occur downtown or to deny the demoralizing effects when it does. Weitzel of JLL says the final push for a large tenant that exited Centre Square came when an assistant to the CEO was mugged in front of the building in 2021. Weitzel says workers are using safety as an argument against coming into the office more. This is directly from a client of mine who told me that every time he tells his employees to come to work more often, they tell him how its unsafe, Weitzel said. Whether its true or not, its being used. Its the citys obligation to change that perception. Bringing municipal workers back Adding more police presence downtown, and especially around City Hall, could theoretically ease concerns. But given the low incidence of crime downtown, law enforcement resources are likely better targeted in other neighborhoods. Hence the focus on increasing the number of pedestrians on the street. The Kenney administration required workers to come back for two days a week. In practice, schedules were left up to departments to decide, and, in many cases, little enforcement was in place. The location [around City Hall] is a challenge, and the slow return of municipal and government workers is definitely a big part of it, said Ashley DeLuca, who co-leads a team focused on distressed office buildings at Ballard Spahr. Its a lot of public-sector office buildings that are right around City Hall, and filling those back up would go a long way to keeping that area vibrant. Mayors in other cities have had little luck mandating a fully in-person workweek for municipal employees. New York City Mayor Eric Adams promised a five day in-office workweek during his 2021 campaign, but that drive sputtered out. By the end of last year, the new policy was for three in-person days for local government workers. As in New York City, some in Philadelphia are worried about compounding an already dire municipal worker shortage, with 4,600 positions unfilled last year. Municipal office workers are generally paid less than their private-sector counterparts, and most are required to live in the city. Losing a flexible schedule could further undermine the citys attempt to hire, especially with a regional unemployment rate of 3.3%. I understand your wanting to revitalize Center City, but you dont want it to be at the sacrifice of being able to fill vacancies, said April Gigetts, president of AFSCME District Council 47, which covers white-collar municipal workers. Gigetts said no return-to-office negotiations have occurred with the Parker administration. You really have to be competitive with the private sector, Gigetts said. People want to have that work-life balance. The city also could actively enforce the two-day requirement, or require Tuesday through Thursday, as Independence Blue Cross announced that it will begin to do in the spring. Last year, Comcast announced they would bring workers back four days a week, which is also the policy at major companies that own offices such as Brandywine Realty Trusts. Bringing the public sector back to the office would allow the mayor to press for more from the private sector, office boosters argue. Were really excited about a mayor who seems to really believe in in-person work, both for her team and city wide, said Prema Gupta, CEO of the Center City District. The whole downtown benefits from that. President Biden Joe and his top aides are closer to a breach with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than at any time since the Gaza War began, no longer viewing him as a productive partner who can be influenced even in private, according to several people familiar with their internal discussions. Israel should not conduct a military operation against the Hamas militant group in the densely populated Gaza border town of Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians, Biden told Netanyahu on Sunday, the White House said. It was the most forceful language yet from the president on the possible operation. Biden, who last week called Israels military response in Gaza over the top, also sought urgent and specific steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. Israels Channel 13 television said the conversation lasted 45 minutes. Discussion of the potential for a cease-fire agreement took up much of the call, a senior U.S. administration official said, and after weeks of diplomacy, a framework pretty much is now in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a halt to fighting. Advertisement The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remain, but declined to give details. The official said military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent weeks helped bring the group closer to accepting a deal. The mounting frustration with Netanyahu has prompted some of Bidens aides to urge him to be more publicly critical of the prime minister over his countrys military operation in Gaza, according to six people familiar with the conversations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The president, a staunch supporter of Israel who has known Netanyahu for more than 40 years, has been largely reluctant to take his private frustrations public so far, according to the people. But he is slowly warming to the idea, they said, as Netanyahu continues to infuriate Biden officials with public humiliations and prompt rejections of basic U.S. demands. Netanyahu has angered U.S. officials on several occasions in just the past few days. He publicly denounced a hostage deal while Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in the region trying to broker an agreement. He announced the Israeli military would be moving into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a move U.S. officials have publicly opposed, since Rafah is packed with about 1.4 million Palestinians living in squalid conditions who fled there under Israeli orders. Netanyahu also said Israel would not stop fighting in Gaza until it achieves total victory, even as U.S. officials increasingly believe his stated goal of destroying Hamas is elusive. For now, the White House has rejected calls to withhold military aid to Israel or impose conditions on it, saying that would only embolden Israels enemies. But some of Bidens aides argue that criticizing Netanyahu would allow him to distance himself from an unpopular leader and his scorched-earth policies while reiterating his long-standing support for Israel itself. Bidens private frustration with Netanyahu which has been building for months was on display Thursday when he said Israels military campaign in Gaza has been over the top, his sharpest rebuke yet. The president also spoke in far more detail about Palestinian suffering, as well as the time and energy he has expended trying to get the Israelis and Egyptians to allow more aid into the 25-mile enclave. A lot of innocent people are starving, Biden said. A lot of innocent people are in trouble and theyre dying. And its got to stop. A particular flash point is Israels plan to launch a military campaign in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza that borders Egypt and has swollen to more than four times its original size. Theyre already living in tents and not getting enough food and water and youre saying go somewhere else, said one outside adviser to the White House. Where? How are they supposed to get there? This article is based on interviews with 19 senior administration officials and outside advisers, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak about private deliberations. White House aides say publicly that there has been no change in Bidens strategy or message. But many of his allies contend that even a sharp rhetorical shift will have little effect unless the United States starts imposing conditions on its support for Israel. So long as you are supporting Netanyahus military operation in Gaza without condition, it makes absolutely no difference how much you turn the dial in your comments, said Ben Rhodes, former president Barack Obamas deputy national security adviser. Fundamentally, you have to make a decision not to give Bibi a blank check of support. ( Bibi is a common nickname for Netanyahu.) Israel launched its punishing military campaign in response to a brutal Hamas attack on Oct. 7, when militants rampaged through the Israel-Gaza border fence and murdered 1,200 people, many of them civilians, and took about 253 hostage. Since then, Israeli airstrikes and raids have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and displaced more than 80 percent of Gazas 2.3 million residents, as a siege of the enclave has created a humanitarian catastrophe. The White House has taken modest steps in recent days to signal its growing frustration. Biden issued a national security memorandum aimed at ensuring that countries receiving U.S. weaponry abide by certain guidelines, including not obstructing humanitarian assistance. Biden also issued an executive order earlier this month sanctioning four West Bank settlers for violence against Palestinians, a move Netanyahu griped about during a private meeting with Blinken last week, officials said. And on Thursday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said an Israeli operation in Rafah would be a disaster for those people, and we would not support it the most forceful the White House has been in opposing an Israeli military operation. Some of the presidents aides have argued Biden can still support Israel while denouncing Netanyahu. But Biden, who aides say has a visceral attachment to the Jewish state, has tended to view the prime minister and the state of Israel as one and the same, according to several people familiar with his thinking, and has struggled with the idea of criticizing a sitting prime minister, particularly during a time of war. When he was vice president, Biden believed Obama and Netanyahu had too many public disagreements, according to two former Obama officials. Yet Bidens patience is wearing thin over how Israel has conducted its military campaign and he is also paying a growing political price for his embrace of Israel, even as Netanyahu appears eager to score his own political points by publicly snubbing Biden. As Biden heads into a hard-fought reelection campaign, polls shows that young voters, people of color, Muslims, and Arab Americans strongly disapprove of his handling of the war. U.S. officials for months have pressed the Israelis to allow more humanitarian aid including food, water, and medicine into Gaza but have faced repeated resistance from Netanyahu and his government. Israeli protesters have also been blocking aid trucks from getting in through the countrys Kerem Shalom border crossing with Gaza. A senior administration official who speaks with the president regularly said Bidens unusually sharp comments Thursday reflected what he has long been saying in private. I dont think anybody can look at what the Israelis have done in Gaza and not say its over the top, the official said. This gets to the frustration with the Israelis. Have they done the work on what comes next in Gaza? No. They havent grappled with the really hard questions. Biden cares deeply about getting more humanitarian aid into Gaza, the official said, adding that it is constantly on his mind and he is frustrated by the obstacles Israel is putting up. Everything is a daily struggle, the official said. Adding to U.S. officials frustration is their deep skepticism about Israels ability to achieve its stated goal of total military victory. In a closed-door briefing last week, U.S. intelligence officials told lawmakers that while Israel had degraded Hamass military capabilities, it is not close to exterminating the group more than 100 days into its campaign, said officials familiar with the briefing, which was first reported by the New York Times. U.S. leaders are skeptical of Netanyahus claim that he has destroyed two-thirds of Hamass fighting regiments, and they warn that the high levels of civilian casualties are ensuring that a radicalized population will live adjacent to Israel for decades to come. In the immediate future, U.S. officials are almost entirely focused on securing a deal that would see the release of many of the remaining 130 Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a long-term pause in the fighting. White House officials said a temporary cease-fire would allow them to surge desperately needed humanitarian aid into Gaza. They also hope it would provide space to begin grappling with the most difficult questions ahead, including who will govern Gaza, how to pave the way for a Palestinian state and how to reform the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank. White House officials have increasingly concluded that Netanyahu is focused on his own political survival to the exclusion of any other goal, and is eager to position himself as standing up to Bidens push for a two-state solution. During a news conference last month, Netanyahu publicly rebuked Biden over his support for a Palestinian state, saying an Israeli prime minister needs to be capable of saying no to our friends. Netanyahu is playing to his politics at home, and if he thinks it helps him to trash Biden publicly, hell do it, said Frank Lowenstein, a former State Department official who helped lead Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 2014. One of the biggest reasons Biden has not been quicker to criticize Netanyahu, aides say, is his decades-long relationship with the prime minister. Biden often says he tells Netanyahu, I love you, Bibi, even if I cant stand you. Netanyahu has at times helped reinforce Bidens view of Israel as a heroic bulwark against global antisemitism. During one visit when Biden was vice president, Netanyahu showed him photos of grossly antisemitic depictions that came from Hamas and argued such incitement was the reason he could not make peace with the Palestinians, according to a person familiar with the interaction, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe a private exchange. As Bidens frustration grows, he has spoken less frequently with the Israeli leader. Their last conversation, in mid-January, was largely focused on the potential hostage deal, according to a senior administration official familiar with the conversation. Biden pressed Netanyahu to put down an offer on paper and test Hamas, the official said. The president then spoke to Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, urging them to pressure Hamas so the two sides could get closer to an agreement. Against that backdrop, the president and his aides were livid when Netanyahu publicly rejected the latest hostage proposal from Hamas last week just hours after Blinken, who was in Israel for the fifth time since the war began, said it held promise. Surrender to the ludicrous demands of Hamas which weve just heard wont lead to the liberation of the hostages, and it will only invite another massacre, Netanyahu said. Hours later, Blinken offered his most pointed criticism to date of the high civilian death toll in Gaza, Israeli restrictions on aid and inflammatory rhetoric from Netanyahu and his ministers that he said causes profound concerns in the United States. The daily toll that its military operations continue to take on innocent civilians remains too high, Blinken told reporters at a news conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrific way on October 7. The hostages have been dehumanized every day since. But that cannot be a license to dehumanize others. Material from the Associated Press included in this report. - With an export surge expected to occur before the Lunar New Year in China and Asia along with goods from the US and Europe taking two to three weeks to arrive in Asia, it is possible for there to be a shortage in delivered goods as well as empty containers, which may cause a gridlock at export terminals as well as goods missing their connections at transhipment ports. Consumer surveys have repeatedly told us that Australian consumers want more control over their personal information, and that privacy matters to them, said Kemp. And a big question is where is the competition on privacy quality between car manufacturers? You just don't see it. Nobody's stepping out there and actually demonstrating that they provide better protections or better privacy choices to consumers. Its great to see one of Australias major insurers getting behind the industry through this commitment to the ACIA, said Faid, who is also the regional vice president for Australia, Asia, NZ at Fix Network. It is a testament to their commitment to the long-term sustainability of the industry that Suncorp is the first insurer to become an Industry Partner of the ACIA. Insurance Business is proud to partner with One Tree Planted and have reforestation as an integral part of its business. For every response to the survey, a tree will be planted as part of a commitment to sustainability. At TAL Risk Academy, we believe in empowering advisers at every stage of their career journey to create a better advice industry for us all, said Beau Riley, TALs general manager of retail sales and new business. Our 2024 program offers tailored courses, ensuring that no matter where advisers are in their career, they have access to education and knowledge that can elevate their expertise. Richard Feledy, managing director of Allianz Australia, said during his appearance on Friday that the company let down and disappointed some of our customers. He added that Allianz has made progress in improving its systems. First Lutheran Evangelical Lutheran Church will be entertaining an early welcome to the Celtic traditions on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. on the corner of Bedford and High Streets in downtown Carlisle. Called the areas most energetic Celtic band, Cormorants Fancy, a Gettysburg-based band with a cross-generational lineup unites the past, present and future. Celtic music is in their blood, their heritage in Irelands County Down and Dublin, Scotland, Wales, Northumberland and Cornwall. Venues and reviewers characterize Cormorants Fancy as spellbinding, with a knack for gorgeous arrangements. The award-winning Celtic and Irish Music Podcast named them to 2017s top 20 Celtic bands. Fine Arts at First, presents this concert as part of its 29th concert season. The concerts, invite all to attend at no charge where a free will donation will go to Project SHARE to help in Nourishing Our Community ... Awakening Hope. There will be a reception following the concert to greet the musicians and enjoy hors doeuvres. First Lutheran Church has two side-by-side parking lots. One may be entered from High Street where a ramp leads to the front doors from the lot. Use Liberty Avenue to access the second parking lot. The back lower entrance to the church from both parking lots has an elevator to reach the nave for the concert. As we all know, the amount of ASIC - and other regulatory - investigations has increased significantly since the Royal Commission, but some of it has appeared slightly reactive, said Pauletto. However, ASIC has recently made a number of statements of intent for the next year to 18 months that suggest it will be even more aggressive, albeit more measured in its targets. At Westland, were driven by the desire to make insurance straightforward and stress-free. Our goal with this guide is to empower Canadian homeowners with the knowledge they need to protect their homes and belongings in a clear, approachable way. The new proposition leverages advanced data analytics and digital technology to streamline the insurance process for wholesale brokers. This approach enables brokers to quickly and efficiently quote and secure coverage, featuring an automated system for quote generation, policy binding, and document management. Having them as an investment partner allowed us to bring this vision to reality because they share the same viewpoints on how we would run [an MGA]. A partner that wants to create the same business model makes our relationship very strong and gives us a lot of confidence going forward, Kearns added. It made us both see that this is a good opportunity and a good fit for both teams. Muddy Waters Fairfax timing a low blow? The controversial research report, in which Muddy Waters disclosed a short position in the business, debuted a week before Fairfax is expected to update investors on its Friday, February 16 Q4 earnings call. The holding company has so far reported net earnings of $3.4 billion and comprehensive income of $3.2 billion for the first nine months of 2023, well up on 2022. Bonnie and Clyde, Ma Barker, Baby Face Nelson and Willie Sutton robbed banks. When asked by a journalist asked why he did, Sutton famously replied because thats where the money is. If banks $3.1 trillion in cash and invested assets draws criminals to steal from banks, the insurance industrys $10 trillion in assets arguably tempts fraudsters yet more. And it does. Whereas banks annual losses from fraud are on the order of $2.7 billion, insurance fraud measures a staggering $308.6 billion annually. The FBI, which prosecutes significant insurance fraud cases, affirms the insurance industrys massive size contributes significantly to the cost of insurance fraud by providing more opportunities and bigger incentives for committing illegal activities. And from the fraudsters point of view, insurance fraud is a crime not requiring a gun, a mask or a getaway car. In an era of congressional hearings on how to reduce the cost of insurance for consumers, one solution is to attack insurance fraud. Insurers fraud-related losses are passed onto all policyholders. If insurance fraud were wiped out premiums would be 10 percent lower. Insurance fraud is the second-largest category of white-collar crime, following tax evasion. Insurers massive hemorrhaging from fraud makes theft in other industries pale by comparison. Retailer shrink (theft) rate is 1.6 percent. Wholesaler/inventory shrink rate is estimated at 4 percent. Insurance fraudsters may justify cheating an insurance company because it is thought to be a victimless crime. In a recent survey of attitudes surrounding insurance fraud, almost 9 percent of respondents justified insurance fraud as not being wrong or criminal based on their belief that insurance companies rip people off, so its fair and I pay them enough, its my money Im getting back. The survey revealed a high percentage of respondents (28.6% percent) finding insurance fraud not a real crime (8.5 percent) or constituted a business practice with no real victim (20.1 percent). The Many Flavors of Insurance Fraud Insurance fraud comes in many forms and sizes. It ranges from registering automobiles in a state other than the state of ones residence because fees and insurance there can save hundreds of dollars, to a recently uncovered scheme which scammed Medicare $2 billion. Some of the main types of insurance fraud, in decreasing order of fraud amount, are: Insurance Fraud Category Description or Example Estimated Annual Fraud Amount Life Insurance Failure to report medical condition, buying a life insurance policy on someone elses life and murdering them, faking death $74.7 billion Medicaid and Medicare Providing unnecessary services $68.7 billion Property & Casualty Staged accidents, arson $45.0 billion Healthcare Providers billing for services not rendered $36.3 billion Premium Avoidance Misclassification of employees or underreporting payroll $35.1 billion Workers Compensation Worker claiming to have been injured on the job, but was not $34.0 billion Disability Claiming to be on disability with no mobility while training for a 10k footrace not for the wheelchair-bound $7.4 billion Auto Theft Perpetrated solo or operated as a profit center by criminal gangs $7.4 billion Total $308.6 billion (Data source: The Impact of Insurance Fraud on the U.S. Economy. Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. 2022. https://insurancefraud.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Impact-of-Insurance-Fraud-on-the-U.S.-Economy-Report-2022-8.26.2022.pdf) Troubling Generational Trends Whether someone considers insurance fraud a crime or not depends to some degree on their age. In the report presenting findings of the Who Me? study, respondents 45 and older were much more prone to consider insurance fraud a crime. For the youngest respondents, aged 18 to 24, just under 65 percent did, whereas 96 percent of respondents 65 and older did. (Data Source: Who Me? Who Commits Insurance Fraud and Why? Coalition Against Insurance Fraud and Verisk. 2023. Used with permission. https://insurancefraud.org/wp-content/uploads/WHO_ME_STUDY_REPORT.pdf) The Who Me? survey also found respondents under the age of 45 reporting a significantly higher level of dishonesty than those a generation older. The under-45 respondents were found to be much more prone to Definitely Submit a Claim for a Vehicle Caused in a Prior Car Accident, to submit a claim for a homeowners or insurance policy with damage from an earlier event, and would definitely would help a medical provider bill an insurance company for treatment I didnt receive. As the older generation ages out, insurance companies should be concerned they will increasingly be dealing with respondents self-reporting as having fewer scruples about committing insurance fraud Tales from the Dark Side Some of the most chilling examples of insurance fraud are grisly affairs revealing the darkest of humanitys dark side: John Gilbert Graham placed a time-release bomb on a plane in which his mother was traveling, for the life insurance payment. The bomb exploded. In addition to Grahams mother all 43 other passengers and crew perished. Utah physician Farid Fata administered chemotherapy to hundreds of women who did not have cancer. Fata submitted $34 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and private insurance companies. Ali Elmezayen staged a freak car accident which took the lives of his two autistic children and nearly drowned his wife. He collected a $260,000 insurance payout, but his crime was discovered. He was sentenced to 212 years in prison. A Chicago federal grand jury charged 23 defendants with participating in a fraud scheme swindling $26 million from ten life insurers. The scheme featured submission of fraudulent applications to obtain policies, and misrepresenting the identity of the deceased. There are thousands of other equally horrific insurance fraud stories. The annual Dirty Dozen Hall of Shame report describes some of the most egregious, and contributes to an understanding of how far fraudsters will go to cheat insurance companies. How is Insurance Fraud Addressed? There are multiple organizations combatting insurance fraud. In 42 states the insurance department has a fraud investigation unit. In other states, such as Colorado, insurance fraud investigations are the responsibility of the Attorney Generals office. The fraud units are staffed with anti-fraud and criminal investigators working with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to prosecute insurance fraud. When multiple states are involved in the fraud or if it is a large case, the FBI may pursue the case on a criminal basis. Insurance companies also have internal Special Investigation Units (SIUs). New Developments Artificial Intelligence Improvements in predictive modeling and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) have strengthened insurers abilities to identify, and ultimately investigate, submitted claims that may be fraudulent. At the same time, however, AI is also being used as a weapon to penetrate insurers fraud detection systems. Techniques being used include AI-created fake photographs of cars of a particular make and model showing damage that is not real, but used to extract a claims payment. Some insurers are no longer accepting photos because they may be doctored, and are returning to adjustors physically visiting the allegedly damaged car. A nefarious life insurance scam includes AI-enabled manipulation of ones voice so that a criminal third party gets past insurers voice recognition technology, and initiates a policy being surrendered to a non-policyholder, non-beneficiary. It seems that for every additional layer of protection insurers introduce, the criminals are keeping up, if not forging ahead. Action Required Insurers need to strengthen their inoculation against the insurance fraud germ. They should educate younger generations to know that insurance fraud is indeed a crime, regardless if they think otherwise. In todays populist political environment big business, including insurers, is too often singled out as responsible for whatever ills there may be. As we have argued elsewhere, the combined effect of plaintiff attorney firms vilifying insurers, and zealous consumer advocates denouncing insurers, is to give the industry a black eye. What is more, younger generations image of the insurance industry is colored by billboard attorneys promising to stick it to the insurance company. Insurers should also join forces with other parties battling insurance fraud state insurance department fraud units, local and federal law enforcement, and organizations such as the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud and the National Insurance Crime Bureau. As insurance fraudsters exploit new technologies, and as the younger generations with negative views on insurance become policyholders, the fight may get tougher, but it must be fought if combatting insurance crime can ever be a driver of lower insurance rates. Topics Fraud A seven-person jury in Syracuse, New York, returned a $1.675 million verdict last week in a disability discrimination lawsuit filed on behalf of a job candidate who is deaf. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) brought the complaint against McLane Northeast, a firm that delivers consumer products to convenience stores, mass merchants, and drug stores and has a facility in Baldwinsville, New York. The jury found that McLane Northeast violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by refusing to interview a deaf candidate in whom the company had interest after the company learned that the candidate was deaf and refusing to hire the candidate for the two entry-level warehouse jobs that she applied for. The jobs entailed selecting designated products, loading them into a cart or onto a pallet, and transporting them to dock areas to fulfill customer orders. EEOC said the candidate met all the requirements for the jobs including being able to read, speak and understand English. She was able to communicate verbally in-person by speaking and reading the lips of the individual with whom she was speaking. According to the complaint, after receiving her resume, a McLane Northeast human resource person called her to discuss her application. On the call, the candidate used a relay service whereby she typed what she wanted to say to an operator, who verbally relayed her words to McLane and then typed the McLanes words back to her. McLane Northeast became aware that the applicant had a hearing impairment. Also according to the complaint, the human resources employee told her that she would receive a return call or email but the company never returned the call or emailed her. The candidate reapplied. The company continued to seek applications from others but rejected the disabled candidates applications. The company interviewed and ultimately hired other, non-hearing-impaired applicants for the positions, the complaint says. EEOC argued that McLane Northeast refused to interview her because of her disability, denying her opportunities provided to non-hearing-impaired applicants, then ultimately failed to hire her because of her disability. EEOC maintained that these were unlawful and intentional, employment practices in violation of the ADA. In its defense, McLane Northeast denied wrongdoing. The company maintained that the candidate was not qualified for the positions she applied to; did not inform the company of her purported disability; did not request any type of accommodation for any purported disability; and was not otherwise entitled to any type of accommodation for any purported disability. The company further maintained that she was not entitled to an award of back pay or front pay. After a three and one-half-day trial, the jury issued its verdict after two hours of deliberation. The jury awarded the deaf applicant $25,000 in back pay, $150,000 in emotional distress damages, and $1.5 million in punitive damages. Im heartened that the jury sent a loud and clear message with this verdict that discriminating against deaf job applicants is a violation of the ADA, and that employers who know they may be violating the law but discriminate anyway will be punished harshly, said Karla Gilbride, EEOCs general counsel said. Topics Talent Ten cars of a cargo train carrying plastic pellets and cooking oil derailed in upstate New York, with two ending up in a river, authorities said. The cars, part of a 94-car train operated by Berkshire & Eastern Railroad, derailed about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday in Rensselaer County, in the village of Valley Falls. No injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were involved, Tom Ciuba, a spokesperson for the railroad, said early Thursday. Two of the railcars have fallen into the Hoosic River with one leaking a small amount of cooking oil and another leaking a small amount of plastic resin, he said in an email. Photos from the scene showed cars off the tracks and lying on their sides along a narrow embankment alongside the river. Contractors are on site to fully respond to the incident, and rerailing of the cars should take several hours, Ciuba said. A thorough investigation into the cause is also underway. Part of a state route in the area was closed, county authorities said. New York environmental commissioner Basil Seggos said on social media from the scene early Thursday that the situation had been stabilized and efforts had shifted to recovery of the derailed cars, including two he described as teetering. Norfolk Southern locomotives powered the train, but that company was otherwise not involved, their spokesman said. Railroads routinely share locomotives under various arrangements. The accident was the regions second derailment in six months. About 17 cars of a CSX freight train derailed in nearby Amsterdam, northwest of Albany, in August, disrupting Amtrak service and prompting road closures. Authorities said the majority of the cars that derailed were empty oil tankers. On Wednesday, the locomotive of a Great Western Railway cargo train derailed in northern Colorado, spilling hundreds of gallons of diesel. The fuel did not get into any waterways, fire officials said. In the wake of a fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio a year ago, the major freight railroads announced a number of steps to improve safety, but reforms have stalled in Congress. Photo: In this image provided by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, train cars lie on their sides after a train derailed, Wednesday evening, Feb. 7, 2024, in Valley Falls, N.Y. Authorities say 10 cars of a 94-car cargo train carrying plastic pellets and cooking oil, derailed in upstate New York, with two ending up in a river. (Basil Seggos/ New York State Department of Environmental Conservation via AP) Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics New York Energy Oil Gas Trucking Hewlett-Packard lost more than $4 billion over its acquisition of British software firm Autonomy because of an elaborate fraud masterminded by its co-founder Mike Lynch to inflate the companys value, HPs lawyers told a London court on Monday. HP is seeking to recoup losses in a lawsuit brought against Lynch, once hailed as Britains answer to Bill Gates, and Autonomys former chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain. The U.S. technology giant bought Autonomy for $11.1 billion in 2011, in one of the UKs biggest tech deals. But the deal spectacularly unraveled, with HP writing down Autonomys value by $8.8 billion within a year. Following one of the longest civil trials in English legal history, HP in 2022 substantially won its case, though a High Court judge said any damages would be significantly less than the $5 billion HP had claimed. HPs lawyers argued on Monday that its losses resulting from the fraud entitle it to about $4 billion. But Lynch who last year was extradited to the United States to face criminal charges over the deal, with a trial due to start next month argues HP suffered no real loss. He denies any wrongdoing. His lawyer David Wolfson said in court filings that the price HP would have paid would not have been materially different, in part because of Autonomys unique technology and HPs strategic rationale for the acquisition. Lynch intends to seek permission to appeal against the 2022 ruling, which has been delayed until after the determination of damages, his lawyers previously said. Lawyers representing Hussain, who was convicted of fraud in the U.S. and sentenced to five years in prison in 2019, said he agreed with Lynchs case. Topics Lawsuits Claims Profit Loss London Federal investigators say they will determine the cause of last years fiery Norfolk Southern derailment in eastern Ohio at a hearing in East Palestine this June. The National Transportation Safety Board announced Wednesday that it will hold the hearing at East Palestine High School on June 25 to approve the findings of its investigation. That will be nearly 17 months after the Feb. 3, 2023, derailment near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border that prompted evacuations and left residents with lingering worries about possible long-term health problems that may develop because of the chemicals that spilled and burned. This will be the second time the full NTSB visits the town of about 5,000 people after holding investigative hearings there last summer. The NTSB is returning to East Palestine for our final board meeting for the same reasons we went last summer: Because the communities most affected by this tragedy deserve to hear our findings in-person and in real-time, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. Cleanup from the derailment is ongoing though Environmental Protection Agency officials said it may wrap up this summer if no additional contamination is found in the latest tests being conducted in the area. The government and railroad have reassured residents that their air and water are safe, but some doubt the test results because they dont think enough testing has been done. Republican lawmakers in Congress have said they want to wait until after the final NTSB report is released before considering any rail safety reforms even though they appeared to have bipartisan support. A bill that would require federal standards for trackside detectors that spot mechanical problems, additional inspections and two-person crews on freight trains has stalled in the Senate. The NTSB said last spring in its preliminary report that the derailment was likely caused by an overheating bearing on one of the railcars. Three detectors showed the bearing starting to heat up as the train approached East Palestine, but it didnt get hot enough to trigger an alert until it passed the final detector, and then there wasnt enough time for the crew to stop the train before it derailed. An assortment of toxic chemicals spilled and caught fire after 38 cars piled up off the tracks. A few days later, officials decided to blow open five tank cars of vinyl chloride, which is used to make plastic, and burn the chemical because they worried the cars might explode. Photo: FILE A black plume rises over East Palestine, Ohio, as a result of a controlled detonation of a portion of the derailed Norfolk Southern trains, Feb. 6, 2023. West Virginias water utility says its taking precautionary steps following the derailment of a train hauling chemicals that later sent up a toxic plume in Ohio. The utility said in a statement on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2023 that it has enhanced its treatment processes even though there hasnt been a change in raw water at its Ohio River intake. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, file) Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Ohio If Super Bowl Sunday wasnt enough to shatter healthy eating resolutions, Fastnacht Day just might do the trick. Fastnacht Day, which coincides with Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday, is a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, which kicks off the 40-day period of Lent before Easter Sunday. Fastnachts (which can also be spelled as fasnacht) are traditionally made from sugar, flour and lard. The day is a way for Pennsylvania Dutch families to use up their ingredients before Lent, which typically involves fasting from such foods. Here are some of the locally owned businesses in Cumberland County that will be selling the doughy treats this Tuesday: Beemans Baked Goods Location: 51 S. Orange St., Carlisle Phone: 717-218-5258 Flavors: glazed, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, plain; unfilled and cream-filled Cornerstone Coffeehouse Location: 2133 Market St., Camp Hill Phone: 717-737-5026 Flavors: glazed, powdered, sugar, plain Maplewood Farm Market Location: 8564 Olde Scotland Road, Southampton Township Phone: 717-532-8973 Flavors: sugared, powdered, glazed Oak Grove Farms Location: 846 Fisher Road, Monroe Township Phone: 717-766-2216 Flavors: glazed, sugar, powdered sugar, plain, cream-filled glazed, cream-filled powdered Paulus Farm Market Location: 1216 York St., Upper Allen Township Phone: 717-697-4330 Flavors: glazed, cinnamon sugar, plain Saylors Market Location: 37 Carlisle Road, West Pennsboro Township Phone: 717-776-7551 Flavors: plain, powdered, sugar, glazed The Pennsylvania Bakery Location: 1713 Market St., Camp Hill Phone: 717-763-7755 Flavors: cinnamon sugar, glazed, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, plain, fastnacht cupcakes, Mardi Gras king cakes This is not an exhaustive list; other Cumberland County vendors and grocery stores could also have fastnachts for sale Tuesday. Photos: Preparing fastnachts at Oak Grove Farms in Mechanicsburg Minnesota regulators said on Feb. 7 that a historic lodge destroyed in a fire had three unresolved violations from a recent fire code inspection, but it wasnt clear if those violations played a role in the blaze. A staffer at Lutsen Lodge on Lake Superior spotted smoke coming from electrical outlets in the floor of the lobby around 12:30 a.m.on Feb. 6. The employee made it out and no guests were checked in, but the lodge was destroyed. A news release from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said the State Fire Marshal division performed an inspection in July and found seven violations. The agency said the property owner repaired four of them. It is too early in the investigation to determine if the three outstanding violations played a role in the fire, the release said. The state said it is unclear when the investigation will conclude. Lutsen, started in 1885, claims to be Minnesotas oldest resort, with the lodge as its centerpiece. It is a popular destination for hikers, skiers and other visitors from the Midwest and beyond. The main lodge was rebuilt after a 1951 fire. Lodge operators have pledged to rebuild again. Bryce Campbell, owner of the Lutsen Lodge, told the Star Tribune in an email that he owes about $150,000 to several people who own cabins and condominiums nearby, fueling online speculation that he may have started the fire. Without prompting from the newspaper, he denied those rumors. My heart is broken, and I feel like Im grieving a person, Campbell wrote to the newspaper. You have no idea what its like to lose such a big piece of your life (that) my mom and I were building together. It makes my broken heart hurt even more to focus on such absurd accusations. Jay Halverson, who owns a townhouse and a cabin near the lodge, told the newspaper that Campbell owes him about $30,000 in rental proceeds. Halverson said he was suspicious of the fires cause. Photo: Firefighters battle an overnight blaze that destroyed the Lutsen Lodge on the North Shore of Lake Superior, early Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Lutsen, Minn. (Edward Vanegas via AP) Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Minnesota The Texas Supreme Court recently ruled that when an insurance company pays an appraisal award plus any statutory interest in a weather-related first-party property case, there is no liability for attorneys fees. The court responded to a certified question from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on whether an insurer who has fully discharged its obligations under the policys appraisal provision is precluded from paying attorneys fees under the Texas insurance code. The question presented to the court arose from a dispute between a homeowner, Mario Rodriguez, and his insurance company, Safeco Insurance Company of Indiana. In May 2019, a tornado damaged Rodriguezs home. Safeco issued a payment of $27,449, which Rodriguez accepted. Rodriguezs counsel then told Safeco it owed an additional $29,500 and threatened to sue. Rodriguez sued in June 2020, alleging breach of contract and statutory claims under the insurance code. After the two parties failed to mediate, Safeco invoked the insurance policys appraisal provision, and a panel valued the damage to Rodriguezs home at $36,514. After subtracting prior payments and other amounts, Safeco issued a check for $32,447 covering the full appraisal, plus another $9,458 for any interest possibly owed on the appraised amount. Safeco argued that its full payment of the appraisal plus interest should put an end to litigation, including any attempt by Rodriguez to recover attorneys fees, to which a district court agreed. Rodriguez appealed to the 5th Circuit. The 5th Circuit noted that courts are split on the issue of whether attorneys fees are precluded when an insurer pays the appraised amount under the insurance policy, and certified the question to the Texas Supreme Court. In its analysis, the court focused on Chapter 542A of the insurance code, which limits the recovery of attorneys fees in storm-related first-party claims. The statute, amended in 2017, contains a formula for awarding attorneys fees when there is an amount to be awarded in the judgment to the claimant for the claimants claim under the insurance policy. Because Safeco has already paid all amounts owed under the insurance policy plus any possible statutory interest, there is not and never will be a money judgment on Rodriguezs claim under his insurance policy, so attorneys fees are unavailable, the courts opinion says. Insurance defense attorneys hope the courts ruling will put an end to a practice by some Texas policyholder attorneys of signing up clients on a full contingency fee and then putting the matters into appraisal. Attorneys fees and appraisal costs are subtracted from the award, leaving little money left for the insured to fix their damage, said Steven Badger, a partner with the Dallas office of Zelle LLP. Badger submitted an amicus letter in support of Safecos position. Appraisal was intended as a way to resolve disputes prior to and without the need for litigation, Badger said. We need to return to appraisal being used either pre-suit or immediately after a lawsuit is filed. Neither side should use appraisal as a litigation tactic. Badger said appraisal needs to return to being used either pre-suit or immediately after a lawsuit is filed. Policyholders attorneys argue the state legislature could not have intended Safecos interpretation of Chapter 542A and fear the courts ruling will lead to unfair practices by insurance companies. The Court zeroed in on a part of the 2017 amendments that may not align with the overall consumer protection goals of the Code but felt constrained to apply the precise terms of the statute and all but invited the legislature to assess whether the practical consequences of the attorneys fee formula is what it really intended, said Jeff Raizner, partner at Raizner Slania. Raizner said he hopes the case can serve as a catalyst for responsible dialogue and legislative action to fix appraisal in Texas. Topics Texas Legislation The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday finalized a long-anticipated rule aimed at reducing the level of air pollution known as particulate matter microscopic particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and harm peoples health. Reducing air pollution has been a prime focus of the Biden administrations environmental agenda. The new rule tightens the amount of particulate matter, often referred to as soot, permitted in the air from 12 to 9 micrograms per cubic meter annually. Its the first change in the limits since 2012. These particles, which are 30 times smaller than a single strand of hair, are emitted by sources like diesel engines, wildfires, dust from construction sites, and coal-fired power plants. Some scientists call particulate matter the deadliest form of air pollution because it can cause lung and throat irritation, respiratory inflammation, irregular heartbeat and aggravate asthma. Children, the elderly, and pregnant people are most susceptible to harm from these emissions. The EPA projects that the new standard will prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths and 290,000 lost work days, yielding up to $46 billion in net health benefits in 2032. This final air quality standard will save lives and make all people healthier, especially within Americas most vulnerable and overburdened communities, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a press release. Industry groups and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce immediately criticized the new rule, saying it will be time-consuming and difficult for states to implement and arguing that wildfires and other non-industrial sources are major soot generators that have contributed to many of the regions elevated levels. The American Petroleum Institute, a major trade group for U.S. oil and gas companies, called it a short-sighted standard with no scientific basis that will prioritize foreign energy and manufacturing from unstable regions of the world over American jobs, manufacturing, and national security. According to EPA data, from 2020 to 2022, 10 Texas counties had particulate matter levels that would exceed the new standard, including four large urban counties: Dallas, Harris (which includes Houston), Tarrant (Fort Worth) and Travis (Austin). Four others are on the Texas-Mexico border: El Paso, Webb (Laredo), Hidalgo (McAllen) and Cameron (Harlingen and Brownsville). Kleberg County (Kingsville) and Bowie County (Texarkana) are also on that list. For residents in Texas and other states that will be required to comply with the new limits, it will not immediately mean cleaner air. Implementation is a slow, tedious process that will take years. The EPA will take about two years to officially declare which regions are meeting the new standard and which are not. States will have at least two to three years to create a plan to help bring those areas into compliance, which must be submitted to the EPA for approval a separate process that can take another two years. Its essentially the same process that the EPA adopted in 2008 and 2015 to control ozone, another air pollutant that can make lung diseases worse, trigger asthma attacks and cause or aggravate chronic bronchitis. More than a dozen Texas counties have been out of compliance with the 2015 federal ozone standards for nearly a decade with little improvement. Harris and Dallas counties have not met any federal ozone standard for more than three decades. The state agency responsible for enforcing the federal standards, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has submitted several ozone reduction plans, but the EPA has repeatedly rejected them. Last year, the EPA rejected the latest plan because the state included ongoing emissions reduction strategies and no additional reduction plans or changes. Daniel Cohan, an associate professor in the College of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University, calls the process a paper exercise. Weve seen from the recent steps on ozone that the state has tended to issue plans that dont really achieve much, he said. Victoria Cann, a spokesperson with the TCEQ, said that ozone and particulate matter concentrations have declined over time even as the states population has grown. But Cann said as air quality standards become stricter, more areas may fail to meet the rules and existing areas that fall short may continue to struggle to meet the standard for a longer time. While cleaner air will not happen overnight, Neil Carman, a former TCEQ investigator who now works as clean air director for the Sierra Club in Texas, said in an email that the state has made some progress through its ozone reduction plans. He said the state now complies with the EPA ozone standard adopted in 1997, but has not met the stricter 2008 and 2015 standards. Environmental advocates and health experts have said the new rule announced Wednesday will bring more of a focus on particulate matter, which has been neglected because of the attention put on ozone. I think there is an opportunity because there will be this renewed look at particulate pollution in the state that will provide the public opportunity to demand action to address the pollution, said Paul Billings, national senior vice president for public policy at the American Lung Association. According to the associations 2023 State of the Air report, more than 1 in 3 Americans live in counties with unhealthy air because of elevated ozone and particulate matter. Cohan, the Rice University professor, said Texas environmental regulators will have a challenge in figuring out how to reduce particulate matter because not all state air monitors provide data that can help pinpoint individual sources. [Particulate matter] is made of dozens of different compounds, he said. Theres going to be a big learning curve in figuring out how to control particulate matter. Cohan and environmental advocates also expect lawsuits. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons office has repeatedly sued the Biden Administration over regulations it views as overreaching or an economic threat to the energy sector. Marvin C. Brown IV, a senior attorney for the national environmental nonprofit Earthjustice, said the most immediate impact of the new EPA rule in Texas will be in the states permitting process. Texas companies seeking to build new industrial facilities will need to comply with new soot standards to get operating permits, he said. Luke Metzger, executive director of Environment Texas, said in a statement that the new particulate matter standard is a welcome step toward a healthier future. Disclosure: Rice University and U.S. Chamber of Commerce have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Find a complete list of them here. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/07/epa-texas-particulate-matter-air-pollution-standard/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. Photo: Industrial chimneys spewing smoke and soot in the blue sky polluting the air and causing global warming and climate change with greenhouse gasses and CO2 emissions Topics Texas Numbers Pollution Prime Insurance Co. is not liable for $60 million in damages after two patients died following liposuction at a Georgia clinic, thanks in part to the clear wording of the insurance policy and timely action by the insurer, a federal appeals court decided last week. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld a federal district courts decision that the insurance carriers payout was limited to $100,000 under the terms of the clinics professional liability policy and most of that had already been burned up by defense attorney fees. Primes duty to defend its insured ends when the applicable limits of liability of the policy are exhausted by payment of damages and/or claim expenses,' the court wrote in its Feb. 8 opinion, quoting from the policy. The judges also found that a four-year statute of limitations applied because part of the legal action claimed an alleged breach of fiduciary duty by Prime. The states six-year statute for breach of contract actions did not apply in this case, the court noted. The plaintiffs also cannot pursue a claim that Prime had violated Georgias surplus-lines statute by selling a surplus policy without fully disclosing it in documentation. Georgia law provides for no private cause of action on that, only punitive action by the state insurance commissioner, the court said. The ruling will likely be seen as a breath of fresh air for property-casualty insurers, many of which have been held responsible for damages well above policy limits through the years, in multiple courts. Some of those court rulings have turned on ambiguous policy wording or from insurers failing to respond quickly to claims, leading to bad-faith actions. In this case, the Kennesaw, Georgia, clinic known as Opulence Aesthetic Medicine had purchased a professional liability policy with a $50,000 limit per claim and a $100,000 aggregate limit. The premium was $3,992. In 2013, Dr. Nedra Dodds performed liposuction surgery on April Jenkins, the court explained. Jenkins died later that day. A few months later, Dodds performed a similar procedure on Erica Beaubrun, who died hours after the surgery. The incidents were widely publicized in Georgia news reports. Police investigated the clinic, which is owned by a company that has clinics around the world, but criminal charges against Dodds were later dropped. The doctor filed for bankruptcy protection in 2017. Jenkins and Beaubruns families sued the clinic and each won $60 million, one in a jury verdict and one in a consent judgment. After the Beaubrun judgment, the clinic assigned its policy benefits to the victims family. But the clinics insurance policy contained a diminishing-limits provision, which, the court said, clearly stated that the cost of defending the clinic and the doctor had diminished the $50,000 available for the Jenkins estate. It also meant that legal fees had eaten through most of the indemnity available to the Beaubrun family. Despite that, Prime at one point had offered a $50,000 settlement, but the Beaubrun family rejected that. The bottom line for this appeal is that under the terms of the policy, the defense of the Jenkins and the Beaubrun estates lawsuits exhausted the clinics insurance coverage, the appeals court judges wrote. In other words, defending the Beaubrun estate lawsuit diminished the amount of coverage available for that claim, and defending both the Beaubrun and the Jenkins estates lawsuits diminished the aggregate limit until there was no coverage left. Prime Insurance had communicated this to the plaintiffs and the trial court in a timely manner. Prime, a specialty insurer headquartered in Utah, early on also asked a federal court in that state to declare that it had no duty to defend the clinic beyond the policy limits. The court agreed and that ruling was incorporated as part of the Georgia lawsuit defense. The 11th Circuit, one stop below the U.S. Supreme Court, affirmed the lower court decision, granting a significant win for the insurer. State Farm Cant Yet Appeal $877,600 Premises Liability Direct-Action Award Also last week, the 11th Circuit denied an appeal from State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. in a direct-action case that stemmed from the shooting of an Alabama gas station attendant. The worker, Amanali Babwari, was shot multiple times by an unknown assailant while leaving work in 2016. Babwari sued his employer for premises liability and inadequate security and reached an $877,660 settlement. The man then filed suit against State Farm, under Alabamas direct-action statute. The lower court, the U.S. District Court for Northern Alabama, found in 2023 that State Farm has a duty to indemnify the store owners for the judgment, and the victim should be paid directly. Alabama is one of a handful of states that allow victims to sue insurance companies directly to recover damages against insureds. Georgia lawmakers this year are considering a bill that would end direct action suits against trucking firms. In the State Farm case, State Farm appealed. But the 11th Circuit decided that it had no jurisdiction because the lower courts order was not yet final. Questions of prejudgment interest and other matters had not been settled by the district court. Top photo: Adobe stock image of liposuction surgery. Topics Georgia Alabama NAPLES, Fla. (AP) A pilot and co-pilot were identified as the two killed in a fiery plane crash on a Florida highway, law enforcement officials said. The Collier County Sheriffs Office identified Edward Daniel Murphy, a 50-year-old pilot and co-pilot Ian Frederick Hofmann, 65, as the deceased. The three survivors were crew member Sydney Ann Bosmans, 23, and passengers Aaron Baker, 35, and Audra Green, 23, both of Columbus, Ohio. The three were taken to a local hospital for injuries. Their conditions are unknown. Moments before the private jet slammed into a Florida highway, the pilot had calmly told an airport controller that the aircraft was not going to make the runway because it had lost both engines. The jet, with five people aboard, was bound for the airport in Naples when it tried to make an emergency landing on Interstate 75 on Friday afternoon. But witnesses say it collided with a vehicle the wing of the plane dragging a car before slamming into a wall. An explosion followed, with flames and black smoke rising from the scene. Federal authorities have launched an investigation into the crash near Naples, just north of where the interstate heads east toward Fort Lauderdale along what is known as Alligator Alley. The plane had taken off from an airport at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, about 1 p.m. It was scheduled to land in Naples around the time of the crash, Naples Airport Authority spokesperson Robin King said, when pilot contacted the tower requesting an emergency landing. Got that. Emergency. Clear to land. Runway. Two. Three, the air traffic controller responded to the pilot, in audio obtained by The Associated Press. Were clear to land, but were not gonna make the runway. Weve lost both engines, the pilot calmly replied. The tower lost contact, and then airport workers saw the smoke from the interstate just a few miles away, King said. King said they sent fire trucks with special foam to the scene, and three of the five people on board were taken from the wreckage alive. Brianna Walker saw the wing of the plane drag the car in front of hers and slam into the wall. Its seconds that separated us from the car in front of us, she said. The wing pulverized this one car. Walker and her friend spotted the plane moments before it hit the highway, allowing her friend to pull over before the crash. The plane was over our heads by inches, she said. It took a hard right and skid across the highway. According to the FlightAware aircraft tracker, the plane was operated by Hop-a-Jet Worldwide Charter based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The aircraft had been scheduled to fly back to Fort Lauderdale on Friday afternoon. Hop-a-Jet said Friday night that it had received confirmed reports of an accident involving one of our leased aircraft near Naples and would send a team to the crash site, the Naples Daily News reported. Our immediate concern is for the well-being of our passengers, crew members, and their families, the statement said. It didnt contain details of the crash. A spokesperson for Ohio State University said the aircraft is not affiliated with the university, and they had no further information about it. Federal authorities said a preliminary report about the cause of the crash can be expected in 30 days. The crash landing happened near the Pine Ridge Road exit in Collier County, just north of where the interstate heads east toward Fort Lauderdale along what is known as Alligator Alley. Brianna Walker saw the wing of the plane drag the car in front of hers and slam into the wall. Its seconds that separated us from the car in front of us, she said. The wing pulverized this one car. Walker and her friend spotted the plane moments before it hit the highway, allowing her friend to pull over before the crash. The plane was over our heads by inches, she said. It took a hard right and skid across the highway. Walker said an explosion of flames then burst from the plane with a loud boom. Pieces of the plane littered the highway. It feels unreal, like a movie, she said. It was seconds between us dying. The Federal Aviation Administration identified the aircraft as a Bombardier Challenger 600 jet. According to the FlightAware aircraft tracker, the plane was operated by Hop-a-Jet Worldwide Charter based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The aircraft had been scheduled to fly back to Fort Lauderdale Friday afternoon. Hop-a-Jet said Friday night that it had received confirmed reports of an accident involving one of our leased aircraft near Naples and would send a team to the crash site, the Naples Daily News reported. Our immediate concern is for the well-being of our passengers, crew members, and their families, the statement said. It didnt contain details of the crash. Top photo: The scene just moments after the plane crashed on the Interstate Friday. (Chris OConner via AP) Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida Ohio Numbers EY took on about $700m (650m) in extra borrowing to deal with costs related to its failed plan to spin off its consulting unit. Current loans at EYGS, the entity that provides services to the networks member firms, more than tripled from a year earlier to $983m as of June 30, 2023, according to accounts filed with the UKs Companies House. The firm expanded an existing credit facility and also entered into a new one during the period. Attention seeker coming through, a staff member screams after a woman in a wheelchair as we enter Karens Diner on OConnell Street. F*ck you French Vegan, shouts another into a loud megaphone, followed by a rapport of jeers and middle-finger gestures to a group of meek-looking exchange students. The Karens have arrived in Dublin and this time, they're harsher than ever. Karen's Diner, which is based on the online Karen meme, is a restaurant concept famous for its rude staff and poor service. First launched in Sydney, Australia in 2021, the chain has since opened its doors in Manchester, Birmingham and London to rave reviews. But does it work in Dublin? First impressions Weve a reservation, I said to the very unimpressed host, only to be met by Youre early. F*ck off, before slamming the door in our faces and making us wait in the rain. Very much setting the tone for the evening ahead. Even though the concept is seen on all your social feeds, and you know what you sign up for when booking a reservation, theres just something about being told in person to sit down and shut up youre not prepared for. After what felt like the most awkward stare-off, we were finally left with it a spiel of routine questions, a rundown of the house rules and a reminder of a minimum spend of 20 per person. Steep I felt, after a booking fee of 5 per person (which comes off the bill), but there was no way I was complaining early doors. Opened this month (February), the restaurant was full to the brim, and as we made our way to find our seats, it was hard not to notice the majority of the patrons wearing paper hats. Daddy still pays my phone bill said one. English prick, said another and they were just the safe for work ones. Suddenly the phrase we are not Disneyland, which appears on their website, made so much sense. Dining experience Sitting at our table the service was relatively quick. After initially throwing our menus at us, they took no time to ask us for our drink order. Looking for some Dutch courage we opted for wine, which was unavailable due to a pending alcohol license. Can you not read? our waiter scoffs at me, pointing at the notice on the door. We ordered two Basic Karen burgers, which come with chips, mozzarella sticks and some chicken tenders. All very tasty. We also ordered an additional portion of chips which never arrived. We couldnt tell if it was part of the shtick or not, but either way we chickened out asking for them. Thankfully they didnt end up on the bill. In all our Irish ways, we probably would have just paid for them if they did. In traditional American diner fashion, portion sizes are huge, and the menu is limited but who are we kidding, youre not there for the food. And they know that too. The ketchup is cleverly placed on a cart at the top of the restaurant, so it forces you up and open to some heckling. At one point during our meal, a waiter sat down next to us which I saw as an opportunity to ask them to fetch it for me but thats when the klaxon went. Spin the wheel, the waiters shouted while dragging patrons from different tables up for some ... fun and games. Suddenly there was a round of karaoke, with one unenthused diner leading the chorus. Is it a good night out? I can see its appeal, its a great gimmicky night out. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it - perfect for a hen, birthday party or a group night out. And you cant fault the staff, many of whom are actors. When youre not on the receiving end, the Karen schtick can be entertaining - even funny. Each server was in character until the end. Although it wont be for everyone. We decided to carry on our night elsewhere after the main course and asked for the bill. The reply was as expected. No dessert? Get the f*ck out cheapskates. Legendary group AC/DC will bring their Power Up European tour to Ireland this summer. The tour will see the band play 21 dates across countries including Germany, Italy, and Spain, before wrapping up with this final show at Croke Park on August 17. AC/DC comprises of Angus Young on lead guitar, vocalist Brian Johnson, rhythm guitarist Stevie Young, drummer Matt Laug and a new bass player to carry the torch for Cliff Williams. The Power Up tour is named for their latest studio album, which reached number one in 21 countries. It is the bands first tour in Europe for eight years and will see them performing at some of the biggest stadiums across the continent. Tickets for the shows will be available from 9am on Friday, February 16. Celebrating 50 years together, AC/DC is one of the most influential rock bands in history, with over 200 million albums sold worldwide. The bands Back In Black LP is the bestselling album by any band ever. Police in Texas said on Sunday that they were responding to a possible shooting at the Houston megachurch run by celebrity pastor Joel Osteen. In a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, Lakewood Church said there was an active situation involving shots fired at the church. That is all the information we have at this time. Please pray for Lakewood and our community, the church said in the post. Jodi Silva, a Houston police spokeswoman, said officers were responding to the church but she did not have any additional details. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a tweet on X that it was believed that a possible shooter is down, shot by one of our deputys on-scene. He later said all additional information would be released by police and he headed to the scene. Christina Rodriguez, who was inside the church, told KTRK that she started screaming, theres a shooter, theres a shooter,' and then she and others ran to the backside of a library inside the building, then stood in a stairway before they were told it was safe to leave. People stood outside the building as authorities evacuated the church. Officials later announced a reunification centre had been set up for people to find their loved ones, at a nearby fitness centre. Witnesses told reporters that they heard multiple shots fired around the time the churchs 2 pm Spanish language service was set to begin. About 45,000 people attend weekly services at Lakewood, making it the third largest megachurch in the US, according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Mr Osteens televised sermons reach about 100 countries. A former secondary school teacher found guilty of indecently assaulting a 13-year-old pupil almost 40 years ago has lodged an appeal against her conviction. Jacintha McSherry O'Connor, with an address at the Mullins, Donegal Town, Co Donegal, was found guilty of two counts of indecently assaulting the student in 1985 following a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial last October. The incidents were alleged to have occurred on dates between June 1 and September 1, 1985, while McSherry OConnor was giving him grinds. She was aged 24 at the time and the boy was 13. She was working as a student teacher at a Dublin secondary school at the time. The 63-year-old was sentenced to two and a half years in prison last month. Five days later, she lodged an appeal against her conviction. During her trial, she took the stand and denied ever having sexual relations of any kind with the boy. The complainant, who is now in his 50s, gave a victim impact statement in which he said McSherry O'Connor has been like a spectre hanging over me my whole life. In sentencing her on January 11, Judge Elma Sheahan highlighted a number of aspects, including the seriousness of the offence, the age disparity between McSherry OConnor and the complainant, the breach of trust and the effect the abuse had on the complainant. She noted, however, that mitigating factors included her previous good character, her cooperation in the case, and the continued support of her husband. A booklet containing almost 40 references for McSherry O'Connor was handed in. The court also heard during the hearing that the former teacher had cared for her mother for a number of years, and the sentence imposed would impact on the older woman. The court heard McSherry OConnor was a victim of sexual assault herself as a junior teacher. She was sentenced to three years imprisonment on each of the two counts to run concurrently. The final six months were suspended. She was placed under the supervision of the Probation Services for six months post-release and was placed on the sex offenders register. 18 2024 : , , 1902 . 1909 . 1967 Torrey Canyon ( 300,) 120.000 16 (. ). . , , 270 120 55 . 30 . 1989 , , 4.400 . 1992 Microsoft Windows 3.1. A juror in the trial of a Ukrainian motorist who denies dangerous driving causing the death of GAA broadcaster Paudie Palmer visited the scene of the collision over the weekend and discussed his observations with the jury, causing the immediate collapse of the trial on Monday. Judge Colin Daly told the jury they had failed in their oath to conduct their deliberations on the basis of what was given in evidence and not to conduct any independent enquiries. I declare a mistrial, Judge Daly said shortly before lunchtime on Monday. Garda Paul Jones, who was the sworn jury minder, brought to the attention of the court that he had overheard a juror describing to the rest of the jury a weekend visit that he [the juror] made at the weekend to the crossroads where the accident happened in Innishannon and certain conclusions he had on the basis of this visit. Judge Daly directed the seven men and five women of the jury to return to court and it was confirmed by the jury foreperson that one juror had visited the scene. The judge said: You have failed in your duty and in your oath because you have failed to conduct the trial in a proper manner. You were directed not to conduct your own investigations. But one of you has done that. A fair trial cannot now take place. You are discharged in those circumstances. The jury deliberated throughout Friday after about one week of evidence in a case where they were sworn in on January 31 and the trial opened on February 1. They returned to Cork Circuit Criminal Court at 10am on Monday to continue their deliberations. The difficulty that caused the collapse of the trial came to light before lunchtime. It will now be a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions to have a retrial of the case probably later this year in front of a new jury, with all of the evidence having to be given by witnesses afresh. Bohdan Bezverkhyi, 33, of Rigsdale House, Rigsdale, Ballinhassig, Co Cork, denies the most serious charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Palmer at Dunkereen Cross, Innishannon, Co Cork, on December 29, 2022. He pleaded guilty to five other charges related to his failure to remain at the scene and dangerous driving at another time and place December 28, 2022, on the main Cork-Kerry road, the N22. The man found dead in a pool of blood in his sheltered accommodation in Macroom, Co Cork, will live on through his grandchildren, his funeral was told. The family of Michael Foley gathered at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Clonakilty on Monday afternoon for his requiem Mass. He was later laid to rest in St Marys cemetery outside the town. The 61-year-old, who was originally from Scartagh, Clonakilty, was found in the kitchen of his sheltered accommodation at Annville, Barretts Place, Macroom, at about 1pm last Tuesday by a care worker who went to check on him. He had moved there about a year ago. A murder investigation is under way after an autopsy confirmed he had suffered a violent death. During the prayers of the faithful at his funeral Mass, one mourner told the congregation that Michael will live on through your grandchildren who adored you and they will always get told about you, their grandad, the best there was. At the beginning of the ceremony, his friend Ciss ODriscoll described him as a gentleman, who was kind-hearted and would do anything for you. A wreath for the late Michael Foley at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clonakilty, Co Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan Celebrant Fr Fergus Tuohy said the death had shocked and saddened everyone, but told mourners that while their lives had changed with Michaels death, they would remember him every day. His coffin, covered with the Irish flag, was wheeled out of the church by relatives, through a guard of honour featuring his fishing rods. The rods were earlier taken to the altar by family members as mementoes of his life. Some relatives wore t-shirts with a photo of Michael on them. Mourners were led by his daughters, his father Mickie and siblings. Prayers were offered for his late mother Kitty during the ceremony. Large floral tributes bearing photos of Michael were placed at the altar before the Mass, including one in the shape of a heart featuring cream flowers and trimmed in blue. Others bearing the words Uncle and Dad and Brother were also brought by relatives. Neighbours had raised concern for his welfare because he had not been seen in the area for a number of days. He had been living in Annville for about a year. It is believed he had been dead for a few days before his body was found. As his funeral took place, gardai kept a presence in the area as investigations continue into the killing. The property where the Mr Foley was found was technically and forensically examined. House-to-house inquiries have been carried out and CCTV is being looked at to determine his last known movements. It is the second tragedy to hit the Foley family in recent years. In October 2018, his younger brother, 44-year-old Timmy, died after being stabbed 28 times by his 48-year-old ex-wife, Rita ODriscoll, also in Macroom. Ms ODriscoll is now serving a life sentence for the murder of her ex-husband at Dan Corkery Place in the town. She had claimed she had acted in self defence and appealed her conviction. However, her appeal was later dismissed in the Court of Appeal, which ruled that the trial judges rulings had been unimpeachable. Anyone with information regarding Michael Foley's death is asked to contact gardai in Macroom, Co Cork, on 026 20590, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111, or any Garda station. Someone needs to pass on to Fr Declan McInerney Gaybos observation that TV sets come with a button that allows you to turn them off. The Maestros point was that TV and its vile personalities dont actually sneak into your home and beam stuff at you without you asking for it, and thats still true. You never know the day nor the hour that itll start beaming stuff at you without you asking for it, but currently, you as the current cliche has it have agency. Remote control agency means that you wont have to lift your posterior from the couch when you want to kill off a programme. TV agency applies actively and passively. Its like that old Catholic concept of free will. You get choices. You can go with the good thing or the bad thing. You can get an early nights sleep, which is proven to be excellent for you, or you can turn on the Late Late Show special about the Eurovision Song Contest. Fr McInerney, parish priest of Eyrecourt, Clonfert, and Meelick in Galway, went for the latter, and it drove him nuts. The level of nuts is interesting because a parish priest had already let fly at Bambie Thug and had walk-outs after he had a go. So Fr McInerney knew the kind of reaction he might get and didnt let that possible reaction deter him one little bit. Nope. Up he climbed into the pulpit and went at Bambie Thug. (To be nothing but honest, I havent fact-checked this. He may have just stood on the altar at a podium. I only heard the audio.) But he let fly, anyway. Right down to and including an assertion that Ireland was finished and another suggesting he mightnt be paying his television licence fee. Now, the Catholic Church, over the past 100 years, has an admirable record of priests not just breaking laws, but encouraging others to do likewise, most notably in the persons of the Berrigan brothers in the US. These two, dubbed devout and dangerous in a recent documentary, offered passive resistance to the Vietnam War and encouraged others to break the law to bring that conflict to an end. The Church may not have been wholly behind the Berrigans, but even the most reactionary cleric of the time would have acknowledged that their lawbreaking was not only for a good cause but specifically set out to preserve life, which is a pretty central Christian dogma. Fr Declan McInerney, parish priest of Eyrecourt, Clonfert, and Meelick in Galway, could have avoided having to see Bambie Thug by switching off his TV. Picture: Facebook Not sure that todays Church even at its most reactionary could approve of an Irish cleric shrugging off potential law-breaking by himself and other disgusted viewers to make himself feel better. Undoubtedly, the Eurovision Song Contest, or more specifically, Irelands 2024 offering, was putting him off his oats in a big way. But his first course of corrective action might have been to turn it off, rather than suggest he might break the law over it. Of even more interest, however, were his comments about Bambie Thugs sexuality. He said he didnt give a multiple of continental hoots about it, he just didnt want it shoved into his face. Be who you are, but you dont have to make a song and dance about it, was how he put it. At this point, we have to go back to wise Uncle Gabriel, who would point out, were he still with us, that nobody forced Fr McInerney to watch Bambie Thug being selected. Even without using the internet, he had dozens of televisual alternatives at his disposal. So finding the evil genius who shoved it in his face might be a little difficult. Gay Byrne and Sinead O'Conner celebrating the Late Late Show's 50th anniversary in June 2012. If he were still with us, Gaybo would point out that nobody forced Fr McInerney to watch Bambie Thug being selected for the Eurovision. Picture: Collins Then theres the be who you are, but you dont have to make a song and dance about it thing. We assume this refers to clothing, attitude, and self-platforming on Bambies part, and it might be a fair point if it werent coming from a man whose role allows him nay, instructs him to wear what might be described as outlandish clothes, which gives him the assumption if not the instruction to perform in front of an audience on a weekly basis, with or without pulpit use. In that context, the song-and-dance advice is more than a little pot calling kettle black. Nonetheless, it can be speculated that at least some of Fr McInerneys congregation would have identified with the suggestion that people of unorthodox sexuality should basically shut up about it and not be annoying the rest of us. As in Im OK with you being gay, non-binary, black, or ADHD as long as you dont draw attention to your gayness, non-binariness, skin colour, or neurodivergence. This is more serious than it looks at first glance. Its interesting that the people down through the years who have wanted gay or other minority groups to shut up and lie low, have themselves claimed, not the high moral ground, but something close to it. People who fear they might feel offended had a further opportunity to avoid seeing Bambie Thug in a follow-up Late Late Show interview by Patrick Kielty on February 2. They can also avoid watching the televised Eurovision semi-final on May 7. Picture: RTE Theyre not against gay people, goes this stance, but could the gays maybe keep the noise down? The language is always minimalist to negative. Theyre not racist. Theyre not sexist. They dont give a hoot. But the language used significantly is always and ever conditionally negative. I remember standing in the sitting room of my grand-aunts home in Staten Island in 1975, listening to this Mayo export of 40 years residence in the US, as she recounted a TV programme where a white man had kissed a black woman. My sweet relative explained to me that she had nothing against the actress, the actress was lovely and very talented. But did she have to upset people by doing something like that on television? A 1999 stamp commemorating Micheal Mac Liammoir. He and Hilton Edwards 'passed' as a hetrosexual partnership. 'Oppression comes in many forms, and one of those forms is the expressed assumption that the majority will let you be whatever the hell you want to be as long as you mask it or hide behind a curtain.' That was the way of it for decades in the US: Good, decent white people believing black people would get into the right position in society by not annoying everybody else with their ambitions, by avoiding being noticed. (Ireland missed out on that in the mid-20th century by not having enough black people to be challenged by them.) Same with gay people, who, to prevent the long arm of the law throttling them, passed as straight or did performative partnerships like Micheal Mac Liammoir and Hilton Edwards. Same with neurodivergent people. Oppression comes in many forms, and one of those forms is the expressed assumption that the majority will let you be whatever the hell you want to be as long as you mask it or hide behind a curtain. Read More Gareth OCallaghan: Letters show just how needed Gay Byrne was in Irish society But heres the truth: By stating you dont want to have a non-binary performer flaunt their sexuality in your face, you may think and other like-minded people may agree with you that youre simply making a reasonable request, while in fact, you are being deeply offensive. Fr McInerney has invited anybody who wants to learn what he said to view the video of it. I didnt condemn anybody. I didnt give out about anybody, he said. He did, though. He really did. Looking at the video himself might make that inescapable. Global liberal democracy faces a near-unprecedented list of digital threats in 2024 as the increasing exploitation of AI and the rampant spread of disinformation threaten the integrity of elections in more than 60 countries. And we are woefully unprepared. Votes are scheduled in India, Mexico, and South Africa, to name but a few. A hotly contested election will be held for the European parliament in June and the US presidential elections are on the horizon in November. A general election is also due in the UK at some stage in the coming year. These elections are all happening at a time when global security and the very foundations of democracy are under significant strain from the rise of populism, far-right ideologies, and fascist movements. Meanwhile, trust in mainstream institutions like politicians and the media remains extremely low. What we might have once dismissed as outlandish conspiracy theories, such as that Taylor Swift is secretly working for the Pentagon and the Super Bowl is rigged, are gaining traction, and social cohesion is fraying as people segregate into isolated echo chambers online. There is a real danger that unless we act now to protect the public, these issues will only be exacerbated by the threats posed by AI, Russian disinformation campaigns, and the invasive use of technology to target voters in the coming months. AI, deepfakes and disinformation Its already clear that 2024 will be known as the year of the first AI elections. AIs ability to harvest near-infinite amounts of data into actionable intelligence, and produce personalised content to sway public opinion will assuredly be used by mainstream political parties seeking to gain a tactical advantage in campaigning. We are already seeing parties use AI to analyse data on voting patterns and targeting voters in real-time with algorithmically-driven ad placements. Theres nothing inherently wrong or illegal about that, though it will alarm civil libertarians and does need to be regulated. The malevolent use of AI by rogue actors is far more concerning. Deepfakes false or manipulated texts, images, video and audio are already being spread via the gaming of algorithms with the intention of manipulating voters. Its certain we will see highly sophisticated deepfakes circulated in many countries by rogue actors in the coming months in an attempt to influence voters, sow dissent, and put politicians on the defensive. A deepfake AI manipulated voice of US president Joe Biden was already deployed in New Hampshire, urging voters not to turn out in its primary contest last month. During Slovakias parliamentary elections last year, a deepfake audio recording went viral on social media, falsely depicting a party leader claiming to have rigged the election and planning to increase beer prices. There are allegations deepfakes were used in an attempt to sway voters in Argentina, New Zealand, and Turkey in the past year. Its certain we will see highly sophisticated deepfakes circulated in many countries by rogue actors in the coming months in an attempt to influence voters, sow dissent, and put politicians on the defensive. Bad actors The potential for state-orchestrated disinformation campaigns is evidently also a concern in the democracies holding elections this year. US State Department officials have claimed Russia is planning to use disinformation to try to influence public opinion against Ukraine during the numerous elections scheduled across Europe this year. In October last year, the US sent a declassified intelligence assessment to more than 100 governments accusing Moscow of using spies, social media, and sympathetic media to spread disinformation and erode public faith in the integrity of election outcomes. Just last month, the German Foreign Ministry disclosed its security agencies had exposed an extensive pro-Russian disinformation operation, orchestrated using thousands of fake social media accounts. Nato and the European Union have also warned against the threats to democratic cohesion caused by Kremlin-fuelled disinformation campaigns. In India, the ultra-nationalist government of Narendra Modi has been accused of running a covert disinformation operation, circulating propaganda to discredit foreign critics, attack political opponents, and target Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities. Human Rights Watch reports increased attacks against ethnic and religious minorities including Muslims, as well as journalists and opposition leaders. Taking action Calling for action now is almost moot as its probably already too late. The fact that there are so many elections happening simultaneously around the world in 2024 only exacerbates the problem. However, we must at least try. An urgent global effort among nations is needed to set the ground rules for how the use of AI is to be regulated, particularly around elections. The US Senate is currently considering the Protecting Elections from Deceptive AI Act, while the EU reached a tentative agreement in December to regulate AI, becoming the first major global power to do so. Laws need to force transparency in how AI models are trained and deployed, and require disclosure for when they are used in political campaigning. The worry is that the pace at which the technology is advancing is outpacing efforts to safeguard the public. Social media platforms must be held accountable for disinformation spread. Companies like X, Meta, and Alphabet have downsized teams dedicated to integrity, hindering proactive disinformation countermeasures. Tough new laws are needed to force these tech monoliths to tackle disinformation and force transparency in algorithms and political ad targeting. Proactive strategies like pre-bunking (teaching people to spot fake news) and rapid response strategies are essential to combat election interference. Media outlets also need to learn from past mistakes and balance truthful reporting with free speech, avoiding the false balance trap of amplifying disinformation from populist politicians masquerading as legitimate discourse. Finally, we must find ways to tackle the echo chambers and conspiracy theories that threaten to derail social cohesion. Gaining back public trust in institutions such as the mainstream media and government is not going to be easy. There are no magic spells to fix this overnight. But we cant just sit back and accept the status quo. Education in media literacy is also vital to defend against disinformation. But while these steps may keep the mainstream parties honest, they will do nothing to stop the bad actors. Russia, China, and Iran are all likely to attempt to shape geo-political outcomes in their favour in 2024 by attempting to interfere in elections. The stability of global democracy may well depend on how these emerging threats are navigated in the months to come. When Donald Trump claimed the 2020 election was stolen, thousands of his supporters stormed the US Capitol. He may well be the president of the US again in November. Tom Felle is an associate professor of journalism at the University of Galway The Conversation Israel should not go ahead with a military operation in the densely populated Gaza border town of Rafah without a credible plan to protect civilians, President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, the White House said. They spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if Israeli troops are sent into Rafah, where Egypt fears fighting could force the closure of the besieged territorys main aid supply route. The threat to suspend the Camp David Accords, a cornerstone of regional stability for nearly a half-century, came after Mr Netanyahu said sending troops into Rafah was necessary to win the four-month war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. He asserted that Hamas still has four battalions there. Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli airstrike in Rafah (Fatima Shbair/AP) More than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million have fled to Rafah to escape fighting in other areas, and they are packed into sprawling tent camps and UN-run shelters near the border. Egypt fears a mass influx of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who may never be allowed to return. Mr Netanyahu told Fox News Sunday that there is plenty of room north of Rafah for them to go to after Israels offensive elsewhere in Gaza, and said Israel would direct evacuees with flyers, with (mobile) phones and with safe corridors and other things. The standoff between Israel and Egypt, two close US allies, took shape as aid groups warned that an offensive in Rafah would worsen the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where about 80% of residents have fled their homes and where the UN says a quarter of the population faces starvation. A ground operation in Rafah could cut off one of the only avenues for delivering Gazas badly needed food and medical supplies. Hamas Al-Aqsa television station quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying that any invasion of Rafah would blow up talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar aimed at achieving a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages. Mr Biden last week called Israels military response in Gaza over the top. Ex-prime minister Alexander Stubb is projected to win Finlands presidential election run-off on Sunday against former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto. Finnish public broadcaster YLE projected that centre-right candidate Mr Stubb, of the conservative National Coalition Party, wins the Finnish presidency with 51.4% of the votes, while independent candidate Mr Haavisto from the green left will get 48.6% of the votes. YLEs prediction, highly accurate in previous elections, is a mathematical model calculated on the basis of advance ballots and a certain number of Sundays votes under official data provided by the legal register centre. Exit polls are not generally used in Finland. The projected result would make Mr Stubb, who was prime minister in 2014-2015 and has held at several other Cabinet posts, the 13th president of Finland since the Nordic countrys independence in 1917. Mr Stubb, 55, and Mr Haavisto, 65, were the main contenders in the election where more than four million eligible voters picked a successor to hugely popular president, Sauli Niinisto, whose second six-year term expires in March. He was not eligible for re-election. Sundays runoff was required because none of the original nine candidates got more than half of the votes in the January 28 first round where Mr Stubb emerged at the top with 27.3% of the votes and Mr Haavisto was the runner-up with 25.8%. President Joe Biden is hosting Jordans King Abdullah II in Washington with the ongoing effort to free hostages in Gaza and growing concern over an Israeli military operation in Rafah among the topics on the table. Mondays meeting is the first between the allies since three American troops were killed last month in a drone strike against a US base in Jordan. Mr Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the fatalities, the first for the US after months of strikes by such groups against American forces across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The meeting with King Abdullah comes as Mr Biden and his aides are working to broker another pause in Israels war against Hamas in order to send humanitarian aid and supplies into the region and get hostages out. President Joe Biden (AP) The White House faces growing criticism from Arab-Americans over the administrations continued support for Israel in the face of growing casualties in Gaza. A senior US administration official said on Sunday that after weeks of shuttle diplomacy and phone conversations, a framework was essentially in place for a deal that could see the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a halt to fighting. The potential for an agreement took up the majority of Mr Bidens call on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The official said the two leaders also had a significant back and forth about the potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Rafah and that Mr Biden reiterated US opposition to the idea under the current conditions while more than 1.3 million people are sheltering there. The official said the Israelis made clear they would not contemplate an operation in Rafah without safeguarding the civilian population. The official said the US is not sure there is a feasible or implementable plan to relocate civilians out of Rafah to allow military operations to take place. Israel launched a series of strikes on Rafah on Monday, during which they freed two hostages held since the October 7 attack by Hamas. Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israels actions and have eschewed public support for long-term planning over what happens next, arguing that the fighting must end before such discussions can begin. They have been demanding a ceasefire since mid-October as civilian casualties began to skyrocket. Thousands of supporters of Pakistans imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and members of other political parties blocked key highways and started a day-long strike in the volatile south-west on Monday to protest alleged rigging of last weeks elections. Candidates backed by Khan won more seats than the political parties that ousted him from power nearly two years ago, according to the final tally published on Sunday. No party won a majority, however, so the parties will have to hold talks on forming a coalition government. The new parliament chooses the countrys next prime minister. PTI and other parties refused to accept defeat in some constituencies, claiming the vote was rigged (AP Photo/Fareed Khan) Thursdays vote to choose a new parliament was overshadowed by the vote-rigging allegations, an unprecedented mobile phone shutdown and the exclusion of Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) from the vote. While election winners were celebrating victory, PTI and other parties refused to accept their defeat in dozens of constituencies. Dozens of Khans supporters were briefly detained in the eastern city of Lahore over the weekend while protesting alleged vote-rigging. Jan Achakzai, a government spokesman in the southwest province of Baluchistan, urged protesters to show grace by accepting defeat and moving away from the highways. Khan could not run in the election because of the criminal convictions against him, which he says are politically motivated. A supporter from Pakistans former prime minister Nawaz Sharifs party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, watches fireworks as the party celebrates the victory of their candidate in Peshawar (AP Photo/Muhammad Sajjad) Candidates aligned with Khan secured 101 out of 266 seats in the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament. The Pakistan Muslim League-N party (PML-N) led by three-time premier Nawaz Sharif secured 75. Mr Sharif is currently in talks with allies to form a coalition government. The Pakistan Peoples Party, or PPP, led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, came in third with 54 seats. One result has been withheld and another vote was postponed because of a candidates death. The campaign to kick Khan out of office in 2022 was led by the PML-N and the PPP. Pakistans military has always cast itself as the ultimate arbiter of who becomes prime minister, and Mr Sharif was marked out as the powerful security establishments preferred candidate because of his smooth return to the country last October. Mr Sharif spent four years in exile to avoid serving prison sentences but his convictions were overturned within weeks of his arrival in Pakistan. Former Finland Prime Minister Alexander Stubb has narrowly won a runoff vote to become the countrys next president, who will steer security policy that includes integrating the new Nato member into the alliance at a time of concern over Russias invasion of Ukraine. The final tally from Sundays runoff shows Mr Stubb, of the centre-right National Coalition Party, had 51.6% of the votes, while independent candidate and former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto from the green left got 48.4% of the votes. The two were the top vote-getters in the second round of the election. Mr Haavisto had served as Finlands top diplomat in 2019-2023. National Coalition Party candidate Alexander Stubb celebrates with his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb after winning the second round of the presidential election during an election party night in Finland (Sergei Grits/AP) Mr Stubb is taking over from the hugely popular President Sauli Niinisto, who isnt eligible for re-election while his second six-year term expires next month. A runoff was required after none of the original nine candidates got a majority of the votes in the first round on January 28. In tradition with consensus-driven Finnish politics and no below-the-belt attacks during the campaign, Mr Stubb visited Mr Haavistos election party event late on Sunday after the result was clear. Youre one of the nicest people I have ever met, Mr Stubb told his opponent Mr Haavisto at the party event, according to Finnish broadcaster YLE. The presidency is a key political post in this northern European country of 5.6 million people. Unlike in most European countries, the President of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy together with the government. But they are also expected to remain above the fray of day-to-day politics and stay out of domestic political disputes while acting as a moral leader of the nation. We will play our part in the alliance (Nato). People trust us and they know that we are serious about our defence for rather obvious reasons. Will I be an active commander-in-chief? Yes, I intend to do that The head of state also commands the military a key role after Finland joined Nato in April 2023 in the aftermath of Russias attack on Ukraine a year earlier. Finnish media outlets pointed out on Monday how Europes security is at stake as never before since the Second World War, due to Russias invasion. At a news conference in Helsinki, Mr Stubb was asked by The Associated Press to assess the state of the Finnish military and whether he intended to be a hands-on commander. We have one of the strongest military forces in Europe, Mr Stubb replied. He pointed to Finlands wartime military strength of 280,000 through reservists a number that is augmented by some 900,000 men and women who have received military training through conscription service. When the Cold War ended, Finland did not run down its military quite the contrary, Mr Stubb said, referring to the modern state of the countrys defence forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was among the first foreign dignitaries to send sincere congratulations to Mr Stubb (Carl Court/PA) We will play our part in the alliance (Nato). People trust us and they know that we are serious about our defence for rather obvious reasons. Will I be an active commander-in-chief? Yes, I intend to do that, he said. Doubts also linger in Finland as elsewhere in Europe over the United States future commitment to Nato doubts that former US President Donald Trump appeared to rekindle over the weekend as the front-runner for the Republican nomination ramped up his attacks on foreign aid and long-standing international alliances. Mr Stubb will become a president of difficult times, possibly even a wartime president, Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat said in an editorial. Mr Stubb, 55, was prime minister in 2014-2015 and started his political career as a lawmaker at the European Parliament in 2004. He will become the 13th president of Finland since its independence from the Russian empire in 1917. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was among the first foreign dignitaries to send sincere congratulations to Mr Stubb. The war in Ukraine has deeply affected the citizens of Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre (832-mile) border with Russia. Authorities in Moldova say they have destroyed explosives discovered in a part of a Shahed drone that crashed on its territory from the war in neighbouring Ukraine. Police said that 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of explosives were discovered during an investigation of the Shahed drone parts found on Sunday at a crash site near Moldovas southern town of Etulia, close to the border with Ukraine. All of the drone components have been collected and defused, police said. Border police suspect the debris came from one of the drones that was shot down by the Ukrainian anti-aircraft system during overnight attacks launched on Friday by Russian forces on Ukraines Izmail region. The distance between Etulia and Izmail is about 40 kilometres (25 miles). Moldovas foreign minister Mihai Popsoi condemned Russias constant barbaric attacks against Ukraine, which he said directly affects Moldova. Remnants of Shahed drone, found today in the south of the country near the border, are a stark reminder of the violence and destruction sown by the Kremlin, he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. It is the latest incident from the war to rattle non-Nato Moldova, which became a European Union candidate member in June 2022. Last year, Moldova also discovered missile and rocket fragments several times on its territory, some of which also contained explosives and required controlled detonations. Since the war in Ukraine started on February 24 2022, Moldova says it has faced a multitude of problems including a severe energy crisis after Moscow dramatically reduced gas supplies, along with skyrocketing inflation and what officials have routinely said are attempts by Moscow to destabilise the country. Russia denies the accusations. By Ulviyya Shahin French law enforcement officers arrested a Nazi who fought in Garabagh on the side of Armenia, Azernews reports, citing French media. The leader of the far-right group Zouaves Paris (ZVP), Marc de Cacqueray-Valmenier, was arrested along with 38 other members of the group. He is the only person whose detention in police custody was extended this Sunday evening. It is worth noting that in 2020, an ultra-right radical posted a photo on social media wearing a mask and carrying weapons. On his chest were two patches: the Armenian flag and a skull, used by some SS units. He also expressed his desire to create a "brigade of foreign volunteers" in cooperation with "local authorities," the aim of which would be to wage war against Azerbaijan. Gone is Benny Delucas pizzeria, home of the Virginia slice. And in its place on Charlottesvilles West Main Street is Grape & Grain Exchange, a wine and beer shop. The shop at 913 W. Main St. opened its doors on Feb. 1. As its name would suggest, it offers a wide variety of wines and beers, but also seltzers and energy drinks, catering its stock to the outside traffic of University of Virginia students and hospital workers. Benny Delucas had been operating out of the West Main space since 2014, but closed in July 2023. The pizzeria has not announced any plans to reopen elsewhere in the city, and the chains website no longer includes Charlottesville on its list of Virginia locations. Charlottesville is not lacking in wine shops. Bottle House is a third of a mile down the street from Grape & Grain; just a few hundred feet away, Feast at Main Street Market has a strong wine selection; and even farther down the street, Crush Pad Wines, Market Street Wines and Tastings of Charlottesville are all on or just off the Downtown Mall. But, Grape & Grains owner, Dru Patel, and his business partner and brother Nick, say their establishment is something different. The Patels say they were inspired by a trip to Europe, where they visited multiple wine shops across multiple countries. The Patels returned to the States with a desire to bring the small, affordable wine shop concept to Charlottesville. With the Benny Delucas space on the market, the brothers took their chance and transformed the 1,400-square-foot space into their vision. Looking about the place, it does resemble any other wine shop in the city. Affordability is really where Grape & Grain differs. Were trying to go against the idea that good wine has to be pricey, Dru Patel told The Daily Progress. All of our wines in here are below the $20 price, and they are still brands people will recognize. The Patel brothers are not the first in Charlottesville, or even in their own family, to recognize the market potential of West Main, so close to downtown, Grounds, the Corner and UVa Medical Center. Their father, Vasu Patel, owns and operates the Mini Mart convenience store just steps away from Grape & Grain. Vasu Patel has worked in retail ever since he and his family immigrated from Kenya more than 20 years ago, according to Dru Patel. The family has since amounted a small retail empire in Charlottesville with the Mini Mart, Grape & Grain and the Patel brothers other business venture, the 9th Street Market convenience store behind Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant downtown, which opened under their leadership roughly six months ago. Just days after the opening of Grape & Grain, the Patel brothers were already talking about expanding that footprint even more. We are focused on seeing how this goes, but its also our stepping stone, said Dru Patel, referring to the wine shop. We are looking to branch out by the end of the year with hopefully another location with more space. Grape & Grain is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. To keep up to date on new arrivals, events and promotions, customers can visit the Grape & Grain Instagram: cvillegrapeandgrain. In ending his presidential campaign on the eve of the New Hampshire primary last month, Ron DeSantis joined a list of U.S. governors who came back from White House bids to lead their states for the remainder of their terms in office. In the Florida governors case, he has nearly three years left before his term limit hits, leading to the question: What does he want to accomplish before he and his family exit the governors mansion in January 2027? University of South Florida political science professor emerita Susan MacManus thinks it could be an emphasis on the environment. Former governors have told me this if youre termed out, you start thinking about what might be your legacy or your imprint on your state, MacManus told the Phoenix. Weve had people like Bob Graham, who was known as the education governor. It could be if he wants to run again [for president] in 2028, he thinks about that legacy part of it. Maybe he wants to the environmental governor? Theres a lot of things that hes done in that area. Thats very popular with all age groups. The environment is a key part of why people want to live here. Its an interesting idea. During his first year in office, DeSantis made moves on environmental policy that surprised some observers coming from a conservative Republican, and since his return to the Sunshine State hes held public appearances at Lake Okeechobee for an event promoting Everglades restoration, as well as earlier this week going to Blue Spring State Park to tout his administrations funding over the past five years to protect manatees and improve water quality. Some environmental groups surely think that more would be required to earn that label, such as the coalition of groups who released a critical progress report in 2022 of the Blue-Green Algae Task Force charged with providing science-based recommendations with the goal restoring Floridas waters harmed by blue-green algae blooms. Conservative culture warrior The Phoenix reached out to some other longtime observers of Florida government to contemplate what DeSantis might want to best be known for when he leaves the governors mansion in early 2027. Kathryn DePalo-Gould, a political scientist professor at Florida International University, firmly believes DeSantis will run again for the White House in 2028 and that everything he does until then will be with an eye to the next presidential election. I think itll be interesting to see what happens with this presidential election in 2024, because I think that he can see which way the winds are blowing, if you will, she said. Is it going to continue to be successful being kind of a conservative culture warrior or will he pivot to something that many Floridians agree on, like turning to something like the environment, which Republican governors have championed protecting the Everglades and those sorts of things. But I think a lot of thats gonna depend on what happens in this presidential election actually, DePalo-Gould continued. Expect him to push hard on a statewide [constitutional] amendment issue this election cycle; expect him to focus even harder on teacher pay increases, trimming of teacher certification requirements, and more investment in technical centers and colleges, said Robert Buccellato, author of Florida Governors: Lasting Legacies. These areas will receive almost no resistance and will be very easy to achieve. The biggest unknowable is whether he returns to the narrative of his first two years in office and moves away from the current system of political theatrics that has consumed so many public figures. If that is the case, expect him to take on Big Sugar in a vocal way and push for more conservation. The real Ron DeSantis Darryl Paulson, professor emeritus of government at the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg, shares the sentiment others have expressed: Will he be the center-right elected official who appointed a Democrat (former state Rep. and now Congressman Jared Moskowitz) to head the states emergency management agency and gave pardons to the Groveland Four (Black men wrongly accused of raping a 17-year-old white woman in Lake County in 1949) in his first months in office in 2019, or will he be, in Paulsons words, the vindictive cultural conservative who pushed for a six-week abortion ban; removed two elected county prosecutors who he felt were soft on crime (Hillsboroughs Andrew Warren and Orange/Osceolas Monique Worrell), and transformed New College from a highly rated liberal arts college to a completely conservative college. Will the real Ron DeSantis please stand up? Paulson asks. With respect to public policy, there is one issue that could be transformative for Gov. DeSantis, and that is the reform of property and automobile insurance in Florida, Paulson said. The Legislature recently addressed this issue, but no one could say they solved the problem. If DeSantis could come up with a solution to these two issues, he would have a strong policy base that would resonate with Florida voters and have a significant impact on their pocketbooks. That is what politics is all about. Role model One analyst said he couldnt predict what DeSantis legacy might be, but he did have advice if he wants to run again for president in 2028 or beyond. I think hes got a very good future but he needs people around him who have substance, said presidential historian and Ronald Reagan biographer Craig Shirley. You know what a candidate needs? A candidate needs someone around him. Harry Truman once said, A presidents job is to say yes and no, but mostly no. And a candidate needs aides and advisers around him who will tell him no when he needs to hear no. This story appeared on the website of the Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to coverage of state government and politics from Tallahassee. It has been edited for length. To read the entire report, please click here. Every February during Black History Month, national and state parks highlight their rich and diverse culture and extend an invitation to reflect on over 400 years of black park history. The deeper we dive into our local heritage, the more likely we are to invest in our communities and the treasures that enhance them. Learn more about unique events, intriguing lectures, and other activities at Bill Baggs at FriendsCapeFlorida.org. Did you know? Today there are only two designated National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom sites in Florida: Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne. Many people know of the Underground Railroad, a secret passage that allowed slaves to safely travel to northern states and Canada. Few, however, are familiar with the role Cape Florida played as the Saltwater Railroad, a freedom trail for slaves escaping to the Bahamas. In the early 1820s, around the time Florida transferred from Spanish to U.S. rule, (permitting slavery under U.S. law), enslaved Africans, runaways, and Black Seminoles'' seeking freedom from slave catchers and plantation masters, worked their way down to Cape Florida. They met with bold captains who offered transportation to the British Bahamas to free black communities. Eyewitnesses in 1821 report some 300 freedom seekers bartering for passage aboard 27 sloops or chose to sail Indian dugout canoes 107 nautical miles to secluded Andros Island. The construction of the Cape Florida Lighthouse in 1825 effectively blocked the escape route. Bahamian descendants, some of whom still call themselves Black Seminoles, continue to live in the Red Bays settlement on Andros. For a voter registration event, more information on civic engagement and everything you need to know about voting in Miami go to GoVoteMiami.org For the last #kbvotes, click here. Monday, Feb 12th, 2024 (9:41 am) - Score 880 The Shetland MSP, Beatrice Wishart, has called on the Scottish Government (SG) to rethink the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) after it was revealed that only around 3-4% of the c.80,000 homes and businesses eligible for support under this measure had taken it up. The voucher scheme is designed to complement the SGs 600m Reaching 100% (R100) broadband upgrade project with Openreach (BT), which aims to ensure that almost the whole of Scotland can access a superfast broadband (30Mbps+) connection (at present its just over 96%). The original completion target for this was the end of 2021, but that has since been heavily delayed to 2028 (i.e. partly reflecting the reality of deploying full fibre across some very remote areas). NOTE: In Scotland the responsibility for broadband is reserved to Westminster, but that doesnt stop local and devolved authorities from making their own investments (e.g. R100). Funding for R100 includes 592.2m of In Scotland the responsibility for broadband is reserved to Westminster, but that doesnt stop local and devolved authorities from making their own investments (e.g. R100). Funding for R100 includes 592.2m of Scottish Government investment, 49.4m of UK Government (BDUK) investment and 54.1m from BT Despite this, the SG has long recognised that its contract with Openreach wont be enough to reach every single property and their quick fix for this was the SBVS. The scheme offers people in such areas the ability to take a subsidy of up to 5,000 to help cover the installation costs of a 30Mbps+ capable network, which can be combined with vouchers from other premises to help build a new local network. The existence of the voucher scheme is frequently used by the SG to claim that all homes and businesses across Scotland can currently access a superfast broadband service (here), which is deeply misleading. At present, just over 96% of Scotland can access fixed broadband speeds of 30Mbps+ and a voucher scheme alone cant fill in all the gaps (i.e. theyre not big enough to cover all builds and many people arent even aware they exist). Similarly, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) recently indicated that 6 out of 10 firms would have applied for the vouchers if theyd known they actually existed. But as stated above, awareness is only half the battle. Shetland MSP, Beatrice Wishart, said (Herald Scotland): A reliable internet connection is a modern-day essential, yet the voucher scheme is the Scottish Governments Plan B. Neither SNP plan to reach all homes with highspeed broadband has worked and a rethink is needed. Much is made of ensuring no one gets left behind, but the fact is in island and rural areas they have been and vouchers are no alternative to those who are not reached by R100. People might be aware of the voucher scheme, but on balance choose not to go down that route. The voucher scheme has never been good enough to plug gaps and connect those households and businesses left out of the original scheme. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: R100 continues to deliver at pace, as evidenced by the connection of Fair Isle in the Shetland Islands nearly two years ahead of schedule and remains on track to complete build and ensure all contracted premises are connected by 2028. We will support this with record investment of 140 million in 2024/25. We have always been clear that our 100% commitment would be delivered in a variety of ways, with the demand-led R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) designed to support those not included within an R100 contract or commercial plan. The voucher provides a subsidy of up to 5,000 to cover all direct installation costs. Over 3,600 homes and businesses across Scotland are already benefitting from the R100 SBVS with another 600 in the pipeline, ensuring residents in our hardest-to-reach communities have access to superfast broadband speeds. The difficult reality here is that voucher schemes are useful, but they will only get you so far toward solving the problem and require a fair bit of local organisation in order to work at their best (this can be a bit like herding cats). Increasing the value of such vouchers would perhaps help, but some sparse rural communities will still be too expensive to serve via full fibre networks (build costs can sometimes reach into the 1-2m range). The voucher scheme does support other technologies too, such as Satellite, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and 4G / 5G mobile, but each has its own caveats, depending upon the setup. For example, some FWA operators are only present in some areas and may not be able to deliver to all premises, while satellite services tend to be poor unless theyre from a LEO network like Starlink (not exactly the cheapest solution). As for 4G and 5G, the coverage is improving, albeit very slowly, and its much harder to guarantee a stable 30Mbps+ speed with all the issues of variable mobile signals etc. The reality is that some of those in the most disadvantage areas may end up having to wait for improvements under the next 5bn Project Gigabit scheme. According to the Building Digital UK (BDUK) agency, some 410,000 premises across Scotland may need support from public funding to help them gain access to a gigabit (1000Mbps) broadband service in the future (here) this could rise if existing plans (inc. commercial builds) fall short. The UK Governments Project Gigabit scheme has thus allocated 450m to help Scotland tackle this problem (here) and the procurement is due to begin soon. Ofcom recently predicted (here) that Scotlands full fibre coverage will reach around around 78-83% by May 2026, while gigabit-capable broadband (FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coax) would deliver 83-85% by that same date, although commercial builds and R100 will continue to shrink this gap until c.2028. Project Gigabit aims for nationwide (c.99%) coverage of gigabit-capable broadband to be achieved by the end of 2030. Monday, Feb 12th, 2024 (5:50 pm) - Score 760 Scottish ISP Lothian Broadband (LBN), which is building a 10Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP / XGS-PON) network across rural parts of East Lothian, the Highlands and Fife, has announced that their network rollout is now being expanded across rural parts of the Black Isle area. The provider, which also operates the Highland Broadband sub-brand across the Highlands region, originally began building a new full fibre network to cater for the East Lothian village of Gifford. But since then theyve expanded into various other locations like Longniddry, Pencaitland, Gullane, East Linton, Pathhead, Alness, Tain, Invergordon, rural areas surrounding the city of Stirling and more often with support from government broadband vouchers. NOTE: LBN is supported by an investment of 50m from a mix of shareholders and the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB). As confirm today, the next phase of their roll-out will also see them commence building across the Black Isle starting this month. For those who dont know, this is a peninsula within Ross and Cromarty, in the Scottish Highlands, which includes the towns of Cromarty and Fortrose, and the villages of Culbokie, Resolis, Jemimaville, Rosemarkie, Avoch, Munlochy, Tore, and North Kessock, as well as various smaller communities. Residential customers of the service can expect to pay from 34.99 per month for an unlimited 100Mbps (symmetric) service on a 12 or 24-month term, which rises up to 49.99 (reduced from 74.99) for a 900Mbps service or 64.99 (reduced from 89.99) for 2000Mbps! Various phone, pay TV and mesh WiFi solutions can also be added at an extra cost. Gavin Rodgers, CEO of LBN, said: It is thrilling to be able to continue to expand our ultrafast broadband network throughout the Highlands. While the Black Isle is the first new build of 2024, we will shortly announce further expansion plans which will further close the digital divide during 2024. One of the most encouraging things about being the leading broadband provider in the Highlands is the reception we get from customers. In terms of data usage our customers in the Highlands use twice the UK national average showing the level of appetite there is for gigabit capable digital connectivity. Sadly, the announcement doesnt say precisely which locations in the Black Isle will benefit, how many premises will be reached or when the local build might complete. But this is, more generally, said to form part of LBNs plans to give the entirety of the Highlands access to ultrafast broadband within the next three years (i.e. by around the end of 2026). The operator revealed last year that their network already passes approximately 10,000 premises including both their old fixed wireless and new FTTP networks. But theyll need to move faster in order to achieve their next goal of passing 100,000 premises by the end of 2024 and this latest expansion will no doubt help to achieve that target. The Charlottesville teenager charged last fall with multiple car thefts across multiple jurisdictions has been convicted of petty larceny in Albemarle County, sentenced to four months behind bars and ordered to pay restitution to one of the victims. The two felony counts 19-year-old Jonathan Sherman Barbour still faces in Augusta County appear headed toward a plea later this month. Albemarle County police officers said they spotted Barbour behind the wheel of a suspected stolen vehicle the night of Oct. 4. Barbour was driving a Hyundai Sonata, taking the Crozet exit off Interstate 64, according to a search warrant affidavit. An officer activated his emergency lights and followed the car onto U.S. Route 250, also known as Rockfish Gap Turnpike A few minutes later, according to the affidavit, the vehicle reached the top of Afton Mountain and began heading south on the Blue Ridge Parkway and into the authority of Augusta County sheriffs deputies who initiated a traffic stop. An Albemarle County police investigator noted that after Barbour was stopped, a key to a Ford Mustang was found inside his pants. A Mustang had been reported stolen earlier that day and recovered that evening. When the investigator tried the key on the Mustang, it unlocked the vehicle, police said. Albemarle police obtained arrest warrants for two felony counts of grand larceny. They also obtained a search warrant for Barbours DNA in an effort to more strongly link him to the recovered Mustang. They urged the public to come forward with information. These efforts came about 10 months after Albemarle police announced that stolen cars are a manifestation of gang activity, but theres nothing in Barbours court file to suggest gang membership. Barbour has a 2023 conviction in Augusta Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court for failing to pay a support obligation and a 2022 conviction for assault and battery of a family member. The efforts to link Barbour to the Mustang did not lead to a conviction. That grand larceny count was eventually dropped, and the criminal charge for the Hyundai, whose vintage was unstated in the court record, was reduced via a guilty plea to petty larceny. Barbour was sentenced to 11 months with seven months suspended, ordered to pay $900 restitution to the vehicles owner, and recommended for mental health and substance abuse treatment. Armin Zijerdi was the prosecutor, and the defense attorney was Lacey Parker of the Office of the Public Defender, according to the court records in the Albemarle General District Court case, which wrapped in December. In Augusta County, Barbour still faces two felony charges: eluding police and receiving stolen goods. Augusta court records indicate he intends to offer a plea on Feb. 14. LEO nanosatellite operator Sateliot revealed that it has finalised an agreement with South African NGO Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to deploy 5G IoT sensors on vultures as part of a broader effort to combat poaching in Africa. Under the agreement, Sateliot will provide 5G IoT LEOsat coverage for EWTs Eye In The Sky project, which uses vultures outfitted with GPS sensors as a poisoning detection system in southern and east Africa. According to EWT, illegal trade has seen thousands of vultures poisoned across the continent, devastating populations and driving them rapidly towards extinction in the wild. Scavenging mammalssuch as lions, hyaenas and leopards, are also severely impacted by poisoning. The Eye In The Sky system uses EarthRanger softwareto monitor the behavioral signatures in GPS-tracked vultures to remotely detect the presence of poison sources and feeding events associated with potentially poisoned-laced carcasses. The GPS-equipped birds send alerts to various front-end platforms, enabling rapid response teams across Africa to react swiftly to poisoning events and decontaminate the sites. The system presently covers approximately 15 million square km with over 380 vultures of five different species. EWT says that in the past year alone, the system has successfully identified 15 poisoning events, enabling response teams to rescue over 100 highly threatened vultures, swiftly eliminate the poison sources, and decontaminate the scenes. The addition of 5G IoT sensors enables EWT to leverage NB-IoT in terrestrial cellular networks to track the vultures. Meanwhile, Sateliots satellite network will provide continuous coverage outside of terrestrial coverage via standard roaming agreements with operators. That means EWT and other NGOs can connect IoT sensors via satellite using standard cellular-compatible gear and SIMs, which is overall much cheaper than using specialised satellite equipment, said Alison Janicke, EWT's head of business development. This financial relief will enable us to allocate these funds to other critical conservation work, she said. Beyond the monetary savings, partnering with Sateliot will also spare us some time and effort spent on fundraising, allowing us to invest that time in on-the-ground conservation activities. Sateliots LEO nanosatellites support 3GPPs Release 17 for 5G, which enables NB-IoT to work both terrestrial and non-terrestrial 5G networks. Sateliot currently has two nanosatellites in orbit, and recently secured finding to launch four more this year. The Barcelona-based company plans to launch 64 more nanosatellites over the next 18 months. Operators MTN Nigeria and Globacom have, according to local news reports, agreed to resolve their latest dispute over interconnection fees. Regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) announced late last week that the interconnect debt dispute between MTN Nigeria and Globacom had been, as it put it, "amicably resolved, continuing: In accordance with this resolution, the disconnection approval granted to MTN for the disconnection of Globacom has now been withdrawn. As we pointed out recently, a Globacom company representative had suggested it did not owe MTN interconnection fees estimated at the equivalent of US$1.8 million. However, after Globacom was granted an additional 21 days to pay the interconnect fees, the NCC says that with the aim of mitigating any potential disruptions to subscribers, it undertook further regulatory intervention, by mediating between the parties and facilitating the reconciliation process. While the NCC underlines its wish that strict adherence to the terms and conditions of licenses, particularly those delineated in interconnection agreements is imperative, its not clear exactly how this dispute was resolved. That said, the NCC is now working to prevent interconnect indebtedness happening again. Thus, it will be requesting relevant records and regular updates from operators, as well as adopting a transparent approach towards industry indebtedness. An N.C. House Select Committee is recommending that the General Assembly change a state law forcing districts to start school the Monday closest to Aug. 26 and end no later than the Friday clo Human Rights Watch (Jerusalem) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli army and other officials to submit to the cabinet a plan to evacuate Rafah, Gazas southernmost governorate. Netanyahu said this action is necessary to attack Hamas battalions in the area. With a pre-war population of 280,000, Rafah is now housing the majority of Gazas population, including most of the 1.7 million displaced Palestinians. Conditions are increasingly desperate, with people sheltering in makeshift campstents built with flimsy materialsand in overcrowded apartment buildings. Many have been displaced multiple times amid intense Israeli airstrikes and ground operations, as well as the continued blockade. International humanitarian law prohibits the forced displacement of civilians except when temporarily required for their security or imperative military reasons. During the hostilities in Gaza, Human Rights Watch has warned that forced displacement, a war crime, is becoming more of a risk. Any forced displacement of the population would not relieve Israeli forces of their responsibility to take all feasible measures to protect the civilian population. Civilians who do not evacuate following warnings are still fully protected by international humanitarian law. Many civilians may be unable to heed a warning to evacuate for reasons of health, disability, fear, or lack of any place else to go. Aljazeera English Video added by IC: Hunger on the rise: Palestinians living in desperate conditions On January 26, the International Court of Justice ordered provisional measures in South Africas case alleging that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention, which require Israel to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance, and prevent and punish incitement to commit genocide. The following statement can be attributed to Nadia Hardman, refugee and migrant rights researcher at Human Rights Watch. Forcing the over one million displaced Palestinians in Rafah to again evacuate without a safe place to go would be unlawful and would have catastrophic consequences. There is nowhere safe to go in Gaza. The international community should take action to prevent further atrocities. Via Human Rights Watch Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) It is being widely reported based on press leaks that the Egyptian government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has privately threatened Israel. Cairo is said to have warned that the 1978 Camp David Peace Treaty will be suspended with immediate effect if the government of Binyamin Netanyahu tries to take over the Philadelphi Corridor at the Gaza-Egypt Border and if it expels the Palestinians of Gaza into Egypts Sinai Peninsula at the Rafah border crossing as a result of an invasion of Rafah City. Israel attempted to convince an Egyptian delegation to Tel Aviv on Friday that Cairo should cooperate with the Israeli war plan, but allegedly was rebuffed. The peace treaty has been the cornerstone of Egyptian-Israeli relations for nearly half a century. The Egyptian government had not said much in public about these reports until yesterday. Mahmud `Abd al-Raziq of al-Khalij 35 reports reports that on Sunday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a stern warning to Israel that any operation in Rafah City would have severe consequences. The communique said that Egypt continues its contacts and actions with various parties in order to arrive at an immediate ceasefire, enforce calm, and achieve an exchange of hostages and prisoners. That is, Egypt is seeking another Israel-Hamas agreement, along with the US and Qatar. Africanews Video: Israels assault on Rafah endangers peace accords with Egypt, officials warn The ministry asked responsible international actors (were looking at you, Joe Biden) to pressure Israel not to do anything that would complicate the situation further and cause harm to the interests of everyone without exception. Prominent Egyptian parliamentarian and journalist (he has a talk show!) Mustafa Bakri had openly said earlier that the Egyptian border is a red line and its breach would threaten the Camp David Accords. In an interview with Sky News, the former deputy head of Egyptian military intelligence, Gen. Ahmad Ibrahim, had said that from his countrys point of view any Israeli take-over of the Philadelphi Corridor would constitute a breach of the Camp David Accords. He warned that Egypts military is powerful. The Saudi foreign ministry also condemned the planned attack on Rafah City and any further coerced displacement of the Palestinians there. The Saudis called for an immediate ceasefire and a UN Security Council resolution against Netanyahus plan. This position was echoed by the spokesman for the Gulf Cooperation Council, which rejected the Israeli plan to assault Rafah after forcibly expelling the civilian population. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Arab states called Friday for immediate, concrete and irreversible steps to recognize a Palestinian state. It seems clear that even countries that are more or less at peace with Israel, whether formally (Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates) or informally (Saudi Arabia) have their hair on fire about the proposed Rafah operation. Although American newspapers depict Egypt as broke, desperate and easily manipulated, my own estimation is that Cairo absolutely will not accept the Palestinians of Gaza as refugees on its soil. The Sinai is already a security problem for Cairo, and 2 million radicalized Palestinians would make it ungovernable. No amount of debt forgiveness would make such a bitter pill go down. Phil-Tower Consortium Inc (PhilTower) and Miescor Infrastructure Development Corporation (MIDC) revealed plans to form a joint-venture company to fuel the growing demand for 4G and 5G infrastructure in the Philippines. The new joint-venture company will own both Phil-Tower and MIDC, with the purpose to maximise their geographic footprints to deliver improved connectivity for customers. PhilTower operates 1,250 towers in three regions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. MIDC has over 1,250 towers primarily in Luzon. The companies noted there had been a surge in growth in the Philippines information and communications technology sector with investment approvals exceeding US$1.7b (PHP96.16 billion). The new joint-venture companys formation is subject to regulatory approval from the Philippines Securities and Exchange Commission and the Competition Commission. VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - Coast Copper Corp. ("Coast Copper" or the "Company") (TSXV: COCO) is pleased to announce that it has staked the Sully mineral claims ("Sully" or the "Property") adjacent to PJX Resources Inc.'s ("PJX") recent massive sulphide zinc, lead and silver discoveries located approximately 35 kilometers ("km") east of the past producing Sullivan Mine (which was in operation from 1900 to 2001) near Kimberley BC. The Sully property is comprised of 3 mineral claims covering 5,134.52 ha and located adjacent to PJX (see Figure 1) where it announced that it recently discovered significant zinc and lead mineralization in outcrops that further supports the potential to discover a Sullivan type mineral occurrence on the PJX property. The Sully property covers ground that hosts the strike extension to the north of the favourable Aldridge Formation, cross structures to the northeast and additional ground to the east of the PJX discovery. Historical regional geochemical surveys ("RGS") on the Sully property have returned anomalous results of silver and lead in-stream sediments which warrant further investigation as well as follow up on the 1999 discovery of tetrahedrite (silver mineral) in brecciated limestone at the Red Zone and unexplained lead, zinc, silver and gold anomalies in soils to the north. Rock grab sample 125679 taken in 1999 by Mr. Travis returned 1.675 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold, 228 g/t silver, 3.83% copper, 3,010 parts per million ("ppm") lead and 4,270 ppm zinc and attest to exploration potential of the area within 10 km of the new PJX Discovery. Adam Travis, CEO of Coast Copper comments: "Although we remain focused on our flagship Empire Mine property and continue to expand our understanding of the past producing Benson Lake and Merry Widow Mines as well as prepare for future drill programs, this opportunity to acquire ground adjacent to the newly discovered Sullivan style mineralization by PJX Resources was too good to pass up, especially considering the only cost to the Company was staking fees. I previously worked in the area in 1999 under the Prospectors Assistance Program and made new silver, gold, lead and zinc discoveries and we are excited to get back to the region and follow up some of my previous anomalies in the context of these new discoveries by PJX." Qualified Persons The technical information contained in this news release has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Wade Barnes, P.Geo. (BC), Coast Copper's geological consultant and a Qualified Person ("QP") within the context of the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument ("NI") 43-101; Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Coast Copper Corp. Coast Copper's exploration focus is the optioned Empire Mine property, located on northern Vancouver Island, BC, which covers three historical open pit mines and two past-producing underground mines that yielded iron, copper, gold, and silver. Coast Copper's other properties include its 100% owned Knob Hill NW property located on northern Vancouver Island, its Home Brew property in central BC, and its Scottie West property located in the "Golden Triangle" of northern BC. Coast Copper's management team continues to review precious and base metals opportunities in western North America. On Behalf of the Board of Directors: "Adam Travis" Adam Travis, Chief Executive Officer and Director Cautionary Notes on Release and/or Figures This News Release may contain information about adjacent properties on which Coast Copper Corp has no right to explore or mine. Investors are cautioned that mineral deposits on adjacent properties are no indicative of mineral deposits on the Company's properties. Historical information, maps or figures contained in this release regarding Coast Copper's Empire Mine Property or adjacent properties cannot be relied upon as the Company's QP, as defined under NI-43-101 has not prepared nor verified the historical information. Regional Geochemical Survey Data sourced from British Columbia Geological Survey, Map Place. A Summary of Reconnaissance Geological Mapping, Prospecting, Rock Chip Sampling and Stream Sediment Sampling Completed on the Tiger 1-14 Mineral Claims, Adam Travis , 1999. PAP99-40. Prospectors Assistance Program. PJX Resources Inc Website, January 15, 2024 news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information regarding the proposed Transaction, private placement, board, and management changes, as to our strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance, constitutes "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Coast Copper, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, geological, and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. Although Coast Copper believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to fluctuations in market prices, exploration and exploitation successes, continued availability of capital and financing, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, expropriation, or nationalization of property and general political, economic, market or business conditions. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release, or incorporated by reference, are qualified by these cautionary statements. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG | OTC: PAANF | FRA: SS60) ("Pan American or the "Company") is pleased to announce additional assay results on nine holes from the ongoing 2023/2024 diamond drill program on the Big Mack Lithium Project (Property), located approximately 80 kilometers north of the town of Kenora, ON. The drilling campaign is being carried out by Full Force Diamond Drilling Ltd. (Full Force) under the geological guidance of Axiom Exploration Group Ltd. (Axiom). HIGHLIGHTS Drilling encountered high grade lithium-bearing intercepts within the Big Mack pegmatites: 1.96% Li 2 O over 8.50 meters within the west to central flank of the Big Mack pegmatite of 1.55% Li 2 O over 16.00 meters (BM23-025) 1.66% Li 2 O over 3.00 meters within the central body at depth of the Big Mack pegmatite of 1.16% Li 2 O over 8.90 meters (BM23-026) 1.34% Li 2 O over 3.50 meters at depth near center of the Big Mack pegmatite of 0.99% Li 2 O over 7.90 meters (BM23-024) Holes 23 and 24 show an interesting occurrence where lithium values start decreasing with depth, but appear to increase again in hole 24 (Figure 5), the deepest hole through the west of center flank of the Big Mack pegmatite. The on-going drilling program is currently testing along strike to the east of the Big Mack Drill holes BM23-023 to BM23-027 were drilled to test along the Big Mack pegmatite at depth, while BM23-028 to BM23-031 were drilled as exploration holes to test magnetic anomalies to the north and southwest of the Big Mack pegmatite. Big Mack targets BM23-024, BM23-025 and BM23-026 returned encouraging values of 0.99% Li 2 O over 7.90 m, 1.55% Li 2 O over 16.0 m and 1.16% Li 2 O over 8.9 m respectively. These results indicate that mineralization is likely to continue at depth through the central zone of the Big Mack pegmatite and could potentially increase with depth as observed in hole BM23-024. These results provide valuable insight into mapping the internal structure of the Big Mack pegmatite. Table 1 highlights the assay result details on holes BM23-023 to BM23-031, and Table 2 describes the attributes associated with these drill holes. Phase One of the 2023/2024 drilling program was completed in late-2023, when the Company drilled 35 holes (including one abandoned hole), for a total meterage of 4,582 meters. Targeting is based upon historical drilling analyses, the UAV magnetic survey conducted on the Property, and the Companys 2023 field prospecting program. In this second Phase of the program, the Company plans to drill approximately 5,000 meters to delineate the Big Mack and Eleven Zone pegmatites, test their down-dip extensions, explore the Sprinkler Zone, and test other exploration targets. To-date, there has been over 7,800 meters drilled across 56 collar locations as part of the 2023/2024 drill program, with 3,317 samples having been submitted for analysis at the time of this news release. Jason Latkowcer, Chief Executive Officer, commented, We are pleased to report on the latest assays received on the Big Mack Lithium Project. We continue to refine our understanding of the geology on the project and will soon be wrapping up the Phase 2 portion of the drilling program and will be evaluating the data once final results are received in the coming months. Thank you to our team and contractors for continuing to execute. Table 1: 2023 Big Mack Drill Hole Assay Highlights Table * (not true widths) Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Li 2 O (wt%) BM23-023 96.25 99.4 3.15 0.39 BM23-024 121.5 129.4 7.9 0.99 Inc. 122.5 126 3.5 1.34 BM23-025 55.5 71.5 16 1.55 Inc. 58.5 67 8.5 1.96 Inc. 70.13 71.5 1.37 1.82 BM23-026 93.1 102 8.9 1.16 Inc. 96 99 3 1.66 And 117.7 121.45 3.75 0.38 BM23-027 147.4 153.3 5.9 0.76 BM23-028 No Significant Values BM23-029 No Significant Values BM23-030 No Significant Values BM23-031 No Significant Values Table 2: Attributes for Drill Hole BM23-023 to BM23-031 Hole ID Easting NAD 83/UTM Zone 15N Northing NAD 83/UTM Zone 15N Elevation (m) Dip () Azimuth () Total Depth (m) Core Size Target BM23-023 5569952.29 386495.48 352.19 -46 179 156 NQ Big Mack BM23-024 5569952.29 386495.48 352.19 -60 178 168 NQ Big Mack BM23-025 5569928.84 386470.90 356.65 -46 179 111 NQ Big Mack BM23-026 5569945.87 386558.77 357.95 -45 178 165 NQ Big Mack BM23-027 5569945.87 386558.77 357.95 -50 40 300 NQ Big Mack BM23-028 5569945.87 386558.77 357.95 -70 180 204 NQ Exploration BM23-029 5569920.47 386349.74 359.09 -45 200 201 NQ Exploration BM23-030 5569884.14 386391.72 364.87 -45 200 150 NQ Exploration BM23-031 5569926.48 386315.32 353.01 -46 358.5 162 NQ Exploration Figure 1: Core photo of hole BM23-025 (53.03m to 70.13m) highlighting Li 2 O% values in high grade intercepts from 58.50 m to 67.0 m (Red). Figure 2: Core photo of hole BM23-026 (87.65 to 104.91m) highlighting Li 2 O% values in high grade intercepts from 93.10 m to 102.0 m (Red). Figure 3: Completed and 2023-2024 drillholes (Assays reported on holes in red, assays pending in black). Figure 4: Close up view of Big Mack (Reported drill holes in Red) Figure 5: Cross section of BM23-023, -024, -025. Figure 6: Cross section of BM23-002, -003, -026, -027. General Statements Holes BM23-023 to BM23-027 described in this news release targeting the Big Mack pegmatite were drilled broadly perpendicular and inclined to the pegmatite orientations so that the true thickness of reported intercepts is estimated to range somewhere between 50-80% of the drilled widths. Holes BM23-028 to BM23-031 were exploration holes targeting magnetic anomalies identified from the UAV-borne magnetics survey completed in 2023 by EarthEx Geophysical Solutions Inc. A collar header table is provided below. Visual core logging indicates that the predominant host mineral for the Big Mack pegmatites is petalite. Sample Quality Assurance / Quality Control A thorough chain-of-custody and QA/QC program is being carried out on the ongoing drill program. Samples are taken across all pegmatite intervals with shoulder samples into the host rock on either side of the dykes. Sample lengths are ranging from 0.3 m 1.5 m, dependent on internal zoning of the dykes, mineralization, and lithology contacts. Core to be sampled is cut in half onsite, with half being sent for analysis and the other half remaining in the box for future reference and re-sampling, if needed. A malfunction of downhole location survey equipment could cause inaccurate dip and azimuth tracking due to drillhole deviation, which would affect the planned drillhole spacing and required density for the resource estimation. To ensure accuracy, downhole surveys are performed every 30 meters of drilling, with survey tests repeated in the event of results that are outside planned drillhole drift. Additional downhole survey tools are kept on-site in the event of malfunction during drilling. The Companys implemented QA/QC procedures include the insertion of certified standard control samples, cut duplicates, and blanks. This is being used to test for natural variability / sampling bias / testing the lab for homogeneity during sample preparation processes within the lab, as well as testing the precision and any possible contamination from the lab and ensure proper calibration of lab equipment. Sample analyses are being conducted by ALS Canada LTD (ALS), an independent lab. Samples are shipped to the Winnipeg, Manitoba prep lab, and then shipped by ALS to the geochemistry analysis lab in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Drill core samples are subject to sodium peroxide fusion analyses using ICP-MS for Trace element values on total digestion and ICP-AES on samples with values greater than 25,000 ppm Li. ALS follows the quality management and operational guidelines set out in the international standards ISO/IEC 17025 General Requirement for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories and ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems. Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Jared Suchan, Ph.D., P.Geo., who is a consultant of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Dr. Suchan verified the data disclosed (or underlying the information disclosed) in this news release by reviewing imported and sorted assay data; checking the performance of blank samples and certified reference materials; reviewing the variance in field duplicate results; and reviewing grade calculation formulas. About the Property The Property is located 2 km east of the all-weather Snook Lake Road, about 80 km north of Kenora, ON. The property is proximal (~1.3 km) to Avalons Separation Rapids, Big Whopper deposit which hosts a measured and indicated resource. The Property is within an Ontario registered mining lease, with over 30 years of exploration history. The Property lies within the traditional land use area of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations of Whitedog, Ontario: an Aboriginal community located approximately 35 km southwest of the property. The Property hosts four known Li-bearing pegmatites including the Big Mack pegmatite, Eleven Zone, Sprinkler Zone, and 6095 pegmatite which are thought to be related to the Separation Rapids Pluton. They are interpreted as zoned Complex Type, Petalite Subtype LCT Pegmatites. The Big Mack pegmatite represents the largest petalite-bearing mass on the Property and is exposed over an 80 by 225 m area. Historic drilling campaigns (1998, 1999, 2001) intersected mineralization extending along a strike length of ~150 meters and to a depth of 75 meters. The mineralization at the Property remains open at depth and along strike. About Pan American Energy Corp. Pan American Energy Corp. (CSE: PNRG) (OTC PINK: PAANF) (FSE: SS60) is an exploration stage company engaged principally in the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties containing battery metals in North America. The Company executed an option agreement in Canada with Magabra Resources, providing for the right to acquire up to a 90% interest in the drill-ready Big Mack Lithium Project, 80 km north of Kenora, Ontario. The Company has also entered a property option agreement with Horizon Lithium LLC providing for the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Horizon Lithium Project, located within Esmeralda County Tonopah Lithium Belt, Nevada, USA. To register for investor updates, please visit https://panam-energy.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Jason Latkowcer CEO & Director Contact Phone: (587) 885-5970 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Companys current beliefs or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, the Companys exploration plans at the Property, including the nature and type of the Companys planned exploration activities, the timing of such exploration activities and the aim and objectives of the Companys exploration efforts, including that the results of the drilling undertaken on the Property will allow the Company to further refine its approach to the exploration of the Property and enhance its understanding of the exploration area; and the timing of the Companys receipt of further drilling results. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information, including, in respect of the forward-looking information included in this press release, assumptions regarding the Companys ability to execute on its exploration plans at the Property, including that it will be successful in carrying out such exploration activities on the anticipated timeline and that such exploration activities will yield the expected information and the desired outcomes, including that the results of the drilling undertaken on the Property will allow the Company to further refine its approach to the exploration of the Property and enhance its understanding of the exploration area; and that the Company will receive further results from its drilling activities on the timeline expected. Although forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions of the Companys management, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among other things, the risk that exploration at the Property does not proceed in the manner and on the timeline currently contemplated, or at all; risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to receiving requisite permits and approvals, changes in project parameters or delays as plans continue to be redefined, that mineral exploration is inherently uncertain and that the results of mineral exploration may not be indicative of the actual geology or mineralization of a project; that mineral exploration may be unsuccessful or fail to achieve the results anticipated by the Company; and that mineral exploration activities are often unsuccessful. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the contents of this press release. KELOWNA, BC, Feb. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - FISSION URANIUM CORP. ("Fission" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed its previously announced "bought deal" public offering consisting of 63,560,000 common shares of the Company (the "Common Shares") at a price of C$1.18 per Common Share for gross proceeds of C$75,000,800 (the "Offering"). Canaccord Genuity Corp. and SCP Resources Finance LP acted as co-lead underwriters on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters including BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., Haywood Securities Inc., Eight Capital, Red Cloud Securities Inc. and H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC (collectively, the "Underwriters"). The net proceeds from the Offering will be used by the Company to fund exploration and development of the PLS project, as well as for working capital and general corporate purposes. The Offering was completed pursuant to a prospectus supplement to the Company's base shelf prospectus dated December 11, 2023. The securities offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. About Fission Uranium Corp. Fission Uranium Corp. is an award-winning Canadian-based resource company specializing in uranium exploration and development. The company is the owner and developer of the PLS uranium project a proposed high-grade mine and mill located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. The company is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Fission's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCU" and trade on the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. under the symbol "FCUUF." ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Ross McElroy" ___________________________ Ross McElroy, President and CEO Cautionary Statement: Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the use of proceeds of the Offering, and the future operating or financial performance of the Company which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. HIGHLIGHTS The Eureka West and Eureka East deposits reported in the maiden 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) are now connected as one deposit measuring 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) in length. Relative to the maiden MRE: A significant portion of the deposit was upgraded from Inferred to Indicated MRE. Previously there was 0 tonnes of Indicated resource. There has been an addition of 813 million tonnes of Indicated resource to the MRE. The grade of the Indicated resource is 0.29% nickel equivalent (NiEq). The Inferred resource has increased from 319.6 million tonnes to 896 million tonnes, a 180% increase. The grade of the Inferred resource is 0.27% NiEq. There has been an addition of 3.877 billion pounds (1.758 million tonnes) of contained nickel to the Indicated resource. There has been an increase in Inferred resource contained nickel metal from 1.552 billion pounds (703,975 tonnes) to 4.225 billion pounds (1.916 million tonnes), a 172% increase. As a consequence of joining the two deposits together, the strip ratio has been reduced from 3.7:1 to 1.5:1. Three parallel zones of mineralization are now identified (EZ1, EZ2, and EZ3). A higher-grade core zone has been identified within EZ2 and it shows continuity along much of the strike of the deposit. The higher-grade core contains an Indicated resource of 211 million tonnes at a grade of 0.34% NiEq and an Inferred resource of 154 million tonnes at a grade of 0.33% NiEq. THE MRE now stands at: Indicated MRE: 813 million tonnes grading 0.29% NiEq containing: 3,877 million pounds (1.758 million tonnes) of nickel 1,276 million pounds (578,783 tonnes) of copper 303 million pounds (137,438 tonnes) of cobalt 4.0 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold Inferred MRE: 896 million tonnes grading 0.27% NiEq containing: 4,225 million pounds (1.916 million tonnes) of nickel 1,040 million pounds (471,736 tonnes) of copper 327 million pounds (148,324 tonnes) of cobalt 3.4 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Energy Metals Corporation (TSX-V: AEMC, OTCQB: AKEMF) (AEMC or the Company) announced today an updated independent mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) (2024 MRE or 2024 Resource) for its 100% owned Eureka Deposit, Nikolai Nickel Project (Nikolai or Deposit) in Alaska, USA, with an effective date of February 12, 2023. The newly-published 2024 MRE contains an addition of 813 million tonnes of indicated resource, 896 million tonnes of inferred resource (an increase of 180%), and a strip ratio decrease, when compared with the maiden resource published in 2023 (see press release dated November 20, 2023). The study was completed by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., and includes 35 historical drill holes, the data for which the Company purchased in August 2023, and eight diamond drill holes (totaling 4,138 meters) drilled by the Company on the project in 2023. Alaska Energy Metals President & CEO Gregory Beischer commented, In less than a year, we have taken an exploration concept to a substantial deposit of nickel and other critical metals. The mineral resource estimate update has produced a 180% increase in the Inferred tonnage, and added substantial, new Indicated tonnage to the deposit. The update increases the nickel metal content of the deposit to over 8 billion pounds (more than 3.7 million metric tonnes) with only a 0.01% grade decrease and a notably lower strip ratio. With this updated mineral resource estimate, the Eureka deposit of the Nikolai Nickel project represents a globally significant accumulation of nickel and has now become one of the larger known nickel deposits in the United States. Nikolai could potentially become an important source of nickel for the USA, catering to the needs of various manufacturing sectors including stainless steel, electric vehicles, defense components, long-term, grid-scale renewable energy storage batteries and a myriad of other uses. This significant achievement speaks volumes to the hard work our team has put into the project over the past year. I am particularly encouraged by the delineation of a higher-grade core zone. The presence of this core zone could dramatically affect project economics in a positive way. Nikolai Mineral Resource Estimate Update Total Indicated mineral resources of 3.877 billion pounds (1.758 million tonnes) of nickel, 1.276 billion pounds (578,783 tonnes) of copper, and 303 million pounds (137,438 tonnes) of cobalt, plus a total of 4.0 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold in a constrained model totaling 813 million tonnes, at an average grade of 0.29% total NiEq, using a 0.20% NiEq cut-off grade. See detailed breakdown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below. mineral resources of 3.877 billion pounds (1.758 million tonnes) of nickel, 1.276 billion pounds (578,783 tonnes) of copper, and 303 million pounds (137,438 tonnes) of cobalt, plus a total of 4.0 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold in a constrained model totaling 813 million tonnes, at an average grade of 0.29% total NiEq, using a 0.20% NiEq cut-off grade. See detailed breakdown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below. Total Inferred mineral resources of 4.225 billion pounds (1.916 million tonnes) of nickel, 1.040 billion pounds (471,736 tonnes) of copper, and 327 million pounds (148,324 tonnes) of cobalt, plus a total of 3.4 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold in a constrained model totaling 896 million tonnes, at an average grade of 0.27% total NiEq, using a 0.20% NiEq cut-off grade. See detailed breakdown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below. mineral resources of 4.225 billion pounds (1.916 million tonnes) of nickel, 1.040 billion pounds (471,736 tonnes) of copper, and 327 million pounds (148,324 tonnes) of cobalt, plus a total of 3.4 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold in a constrained model totaling 896 million tonnes, at an average grade of 0.27% total NiEq, using a 0.20% NiEq cut-off grade. See detailed breakdown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below. A higher-grade core zone has been identified within EZ2, and it shows continuity along much of the strike of the deposit. The higher-grade core contains an Indicated resource of 211 million tonnes at a grade of 0.34% NiEq and an Inferred resource of 154 million tonnes at a grade of 0.33% NiEq. This zone will continue to be evaluated, as it could positively affect project economics has been identified within EZ2, and it shows continuity along much of the strike of the deposit. The higher-grade core contains an Indicated resource of 211 million tonnes at a grade of 0.34% NiEq and an Inferred resource of 154 million tonnes at a grade of 0.33% NiEq. This zone will continue to be evaluated, as it could positively affect project economics The 2024 MRE represents a significant, material tonnage increase in the MRE for the Nikolai Nickel project compared to the maiden MRE (see press release dated November 20, 2023). The 2024 MRE is defined by 43 drill holes comprising 35 historic and eight holes drilled in 2023 by AEMC. The drill holes provide confirmation that mineralization is interconnected across all three domains. The deposits remain open along strike and in the down dip direction. The 2024 MRE incorporates three zones (EZ1, EZ2, EZ3) of sulfide mineralization that cover 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) of the Eureka deposit (Figure 1). The Eureka Zone East and Eureka Zone West MRE reported in the 2023 maiden MRE are now connected to form one continuous deposit. As a consequence of joining the two deposits together, the strip ratio was significantly decreased from 3.7:1 to 1.5:1. Chrome and iron are also present within the deposit but have not been reported in the 2024 Resource due to the lack of historical assay data and analytical methods used. The 2024 MRE will be incorporated into a NI 43-101 compliant technical report for the Nikolai Nickel project to be filed within 45 days. Table 1 Nikolai Project Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) Effective February 12, 2024 Indicated Mineral Resource Tonnes and Grade Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au NiEq* (%) (MT) (%) (%) (%) (g/T) (g/T) (g/T) (%) Eureka Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1) >= 0.200 - - - - - - - - Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) >= 0.200 739 0.22 0.08 0.02 0.049 0.101 0.013 0.29 Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) >= 0.200 74 0.21 0.02 0.02 0.035 0.023 0.006 0.25 Total EZ1 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.200 813 0.22 0.07 0.02 0.048 0.094 0.012 0.29 Indicated Mineral Resource Tonnes and Metal Content Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au NiEq* (%) (MT) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (KtOz) (KtOz) (KtOz) (Mlbs) Eureka Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1) >= 0.200 - - - - - - - - Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) >= 0.200 739 3,532 1,243 279 1,166 2,400 310 4,770 Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) >= 0.200 74 345 33 25 83 54 15 407 Total EZ1 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.200 813 3,877 1,276 303 1,249 2,454 326 5,177 Inferred Mineral Resource Tonnes and Grade Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au NiEq* (%) (MT) (%) (%) (%) (g/T) (g/T) (g/T) (%) Eureka Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1) >= 0.200 85 0.19 0.02 0.02 0.025 0.020 0.004 0.22 Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) >= 0.200 693 0.22 0.06 0.02 0.042 0.082 0.010 0.28 Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) >= 0.200 118 0.21 0.02 0.02 0.033 0.022 0.006 0.25 Total EZ1 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.200 896 0.21 0.05 0.02 0.039 0.068 0.009 0.27 Inferred Mineral Resource Tonnes and Metal Content Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au NiEq* (%) (MT) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (KtOz) (KtOz) (KtOz) (Mlbs) Eureka Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1) >= 0.200 85 356 31 29 67 56 10 422 Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) >= 0.200 693 3,320 957 259 939 1,831 233 4,337 Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) >= 0.200 118 549 52 39 127 85 22 647 Total EZ1 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.200 896 4,225 1,040 327 1,133 1,972 265 5,406 NiEq = nickel equivalent, MT = million tonnes, Mlb = Million pounds, KtOz = thousand troy ounces. Totals may vary due to rounding. CIM definitions are followed for classification of Mineral Resource. Metal pricing used to calculate NiEq is based on observation of monthly metal pricing for the past 24 months up to end-January 2024 with Ni at US$23,375/tonne (US$10.6/lb) (World Bank), Cu at US$ 8,644/tonne ($US3.92/lb) (World Bank), Co 41,050 US$/tonne (US18.62/lb) (Trading Economics), Pt at US$963/toz (World Bank), Pd at US$1,664/toz (Kitco), and Au at 1,878 (World Bank). Totals may not represent the sum of the parts due to rounding. Nickel equivalent grade formula is as follows: *NiEq = (Ni%) + (Cu% * 0.31) + (Co% * 1.46) + (Pt% * 1,103) + (Pd% * 1,907) + (Au% * 2,153) Coefficients used to calculate the value of other metals to Ni equivalent include allowances for differences in assumed recoveries of other metals (50%) and nickel (60%), and are calculated as follows: (Metal Price)/(Ni Price) x (metal recovery/Ni recovery). *NiEq = (Ni%) + (Cu% * 0.31) + (Co% * 1.46) + (Pt% * 1,103) + (Pd% * 1,907) + (Au% * 2,153) Coefficients used to calculate the value of other metals to Ni equivalent include allowances for differences in assumed recoveries of other metals (50%) and nickel (60%), and are calculated as follows: (Metal Price)/(Ni Price) x (metal recovery/Ni recovery). Base case NiEq cutoff grade is 0.20% calculated from a Ni price of US$23,375/tonne (US$10.60 US$/lb), surface mining cost of US$2.50 per tonne, processing costs US$25.00 per tonne and Ni recovery of 60% and 50% for other metals (Cu, Co, Pt, Pd, and Au). Mineral Resource are reported from within an economic pit shell whose extent has been estimated using a Ni price of US$23,374.56/tonne (US$10.60 US$/lb) and mining cost of US$2.50 per tonne, from a Ni equivalent grade calculated from Ni, Cu, Co, Pt, Pd, and Au, and 45-degree constant slope angle. The Mineral Resource estimate has been prepared by Derek Loveday, P. Geo. of Stantec Consulting Services Inc. in conformity with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves Best Practices guidelines and are reported in accordance with the Canadian Securities Administrators NI 43-101. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that any mineral resource will be converted into mineral reserve. SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS A sensitivity analysis for Indicated and Inferred mineral resources are provided in Table 2 and Table 3 respectively, which demonstrates the variation in grade and tonnage in the deposit at various cut-off grades. Constrained Mineral Resources are reported at a base case cut-off grade of 0.20% NiEq. The values in the table reported above and below the cut-off grades should not be misconstrued with a Mineral Resource Statement. The values are only presented to show the sensitivity of the block model estimates to the selection of cut-off grade. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate. Table 2 Nikolai Project MRE Indicated Grade Sensitivity Effective February 12, 2024 Indicated Mineral Resource Tonnes and Grade Sensitivity Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au Ni Eq* (%) (MT) (%) (%) (%) (g/T) (g/T) (g/T) (%) Total EZ1+ EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.100 892 0.21 0.07 0.02 0.05 0.09 0.01 0.28 >= 0.150 891 0.21 0.07 0.02 0.05 0.09 0.01 0.28 >= 0.200 813 0.22 0.07 0.02 0.05 0.09 0.01 0.29 >= 0.225 735 0.22 0.08 0.02 0.05 0.10 0.01 0.30 >= 0.250 618 0.23 0.08 0.02 0.05 0.11 0.01 0.31 >= 0.275 467 0.24 0.09 0.02 0.06 0.12 0.02 0.32 >= 0.300 289 0.25 0.11 0.02 0.07 0.14 0.02 0.34 >= 0.325 177 0.26 0.13 0.02 0.07 0.16 0.02 0.37 >= 0.350 114 0.26 0.14 0.02 0.08 0.17 0.02 0.38 >= 0.375 70 0.27 0.15 0.02 0.08 0.18 0.02 0.39 >= 0.400 22 0.28 0.16 0.02 0.08 0.18 0.03 0.41 Indicated Mineral Resource Tonnes and Metal Content Grade Sensitivity Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au Ni Eq* (%) (MT) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (KtOz) (KtOz) (KtOz) (Mlbs) Total EZ2 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.100 892 4,126 1,326 330 1,326 2,539 347 5,502 >= 0.150 891 4,123 1,324 329 1,325 2,535 347 5,498 >= 0.200 813 3,877 1,276 303 1,249 2,454 326 5,177 >= 0.225 735 3,593 1,218 277 1,167 2,345 305 4,815 >= 0.250 618 3,113 1,102 236 1,033 2,121 273 4,195 >= 0.275 467 2,434 934 183 851 1,773 227 3,320 >= 0.300 289 1,569 693 117 616 1,290 162 2,195 >= 0.325 177 995 501 75 423 896 115 1,426 >= 0.350 114 662 358 50 292 620 81 961 >= 0.375 70 415 234 31 185 393 52 606 >= 0.400 22 135 76 10 57 125 18 197 Table 3 Nikolai Project MRE Inferred Grade Sensitivity Effective February 12, 2024 Inferred Mineral Resource Tonnes and Grade Sensitivity Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au Ni Eq* (%) (MT) (%) (%) (%) (g/T) (g/T) (g/T) (%) Total EZ1+ EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.100 1,089 0.20 0.05 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.01 0.26 >= 0.150 1,076 0.20 0.05 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.01 0.26 >= 0.200 896 0.21 0.05 0.02 0.04 0.07 0.01 0.27 >= 0.225 752 0.22 0.06 0.02 0.04 0.08 0.01 0.29 >= 0.250 603 0.23 0.06 0.02 0.04 0.08 0.01 0.30 >= 0.275 413 0.24 0.07 0.02 0.05 0.09 0.01 0.31 >= 0.300 244 0.25 0.08 0.02 0.05 0.11 0.01 0.33 >= 0.325 124 0.26 0.10 0.02 0.06 0.12 0.01 0.35 >= 0.350 46 0.26 0.14 0.02 0.08 0.16 0.02 0.38 >= 0.375 26 0.27 0.16 0.02 0.08 0.18 0.03 0.39 >= 0.400 10 0.28 0.16 0.02 0.08 0.18 0.03 0.41 Inferred Mineral Resource Tonnes and Metal Content Grade Sensitivity Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au Ni Eq* (%) (MT) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (KtOz) (KtOz) (KtOz) (Mlbs) Total EZ2 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.100 1,089 4,840 1,133 393 1,285 2,093 298 6,178 >= 0.150 1,076 4,810 1,127 389 1,278 2,087 297 6,139 >= 0.200 896 4,225 1,040 327 1,133 1,972 265 5,406 >= 0.225 752 3,685 959 277 981 1,824 234 4,733 >= 0.250 603 3,054 847 227 825 1,614 201 3,949 >= 0.275 413 2,183 665 160 617 1,244 151 2,854 >= 0.300 244 1,354 449 98 405 825 94 1,788 >= 0.325 124 717 268 52 232 476 57 965 >= 0.350 46 264 144 19 114 239 34 382 >= 0.375 26 155 93 11 72 151 22 228 >= 0.400 10 58 34 4 24 56 8 85 Figure 1. Eureka Zone overview map displaying geology, the 2024 economic resource pit outline, and drill hole locations. Figure 2. Cross section through the Eureka EZ1, EZ2, and EZ3 MRE. Note: Location of section A-A is located on Figure 1. Figure 3. Cross section through the Eureka EZ1, EZ2 & EZ3 MRE. Note: Location of section B-B is located on Figure 1. MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATION CALCULATION METHODOLOGY The geologic model used for reporting of mineral resources is a 3D block model that was developed using LeapFrog Edge version 2023.1.1 and MinePlan version 16.1.1. The block model was developed using the UTM NAD83 6N and is in metric units. The block size is 40 m (X), 10 m (Y) and 10 m (Z) rotated by 26 degrees toward the east to align the X-axis along strike at 118 degrees. The block model captures three mineralized ultramafic intrusive bodies (zones or solids) that dip towards the southwest at between 45 and 50. These three zones are called Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1), Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) and Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) from south to north across the deposit, respectively. The mineralized zones were built using Seequents Leapfrog Geo software from a drillhole database of 43 drillholes. Mineral sample assays have been validated for 36 of the 43 drillholes and assay data from these holes has been used to estimate grades for nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au), silver (Ag), iron (Fe) and chromium (Cr). All metals, excluding Ag, Fe and Cr, have been used to calculate a NiEq grade based on average (24 month) market prices. Ag and Au grades were capped prior to estimation at 0.6 parts per million (ppm) for Ag and 0.03 ppm for Au within EZ1. Ni is approximately 77% of the total in-situ value of the metals included in the equivalent grade calculation. Reasonable prospects for economic extraction have been determined by calculating a recovered NiEq cutoff grade of 0.20 percent (%) using the following assumptions: Mining costs US$2.5/tonne; Processing costs US$25/tonne; Processing recovery of 60%. Resources are reported from within an economic pit shell at a 45-degree constant slope using Hexagon mining Pseudoflow algorithm. No underground mining is considered. Assumed revenue used to drive the pit shell is US$10.60/lb Ni applied to a recovered Ni-equivalent grade assuming 60% recovery for Ni and 50% recovery for all other metal equivalents. This pit optimization does not represent an economic study. Future engineering studies will be needed to develop optimal bulk tonnage mining methods. The pit-constrained MRE is at an indicated and inferred-level of assurance based in the quantity of exploration data available for grade estimation. Mineral resources are reported for the EZ1, EZ2 and EZ3. The Nikolai Project MRE, with an effective date of February 12, 2024, is shown in Table 1 and associated grade sensitivity is shown in Table 2 and Table 3. MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE PREPARATION The 2024 MRE has been prepared by Derek Loveday, P. Geo. (the QP) of Stantec Consulting Services Inc. in conformity with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves Best Practices guidelines and are reported in accordance with NI 43-101. The QP is not aware of any environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socioeconomic, marketing, political, or other relevant issues that could potentially affect the 2024 MRE. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that any mineral resource will be converted into mineral reserve. METALLURGY All deposits in the 2024 Resource contain desirable nickel sulfide mineralization consisting of thick, layered horizons of nickel and copper sulfides, which are enriched in cobalt, chrome, iron, platinum, palladium, and gold. Preliminary deportment assessments for the Eureka Zone 2 mineralization have been completed by Pure Nickel Inc. in 2014 (see Pure Nickels press release dated April 22, 2014) and by the Company in 2022 (see press release dated September 29, 2022). Results from these two assessments (Table 4) indicate an average of 83.4% of the total nickel is in potentially recoverable mineral phases of Ni-sulfides and Ni-Fe alloys. The Company also analyzed copper deportment, with an average of 74% of the total copper in potentially recoverable mineral phases of Cu-sulfides and Cu-oxides. Additional deportment studies and bench scale metallurgical testing are on-going using core samples collected from the Companys 2023 drill program. Results from these studies will be released when completed. Table 4 Summary of Ni-Cu Deportment work complete on the Nikolai Nickel Project PNI Composite (PNI-12-063) Millrock Composite 1 (FL-003) Millrock Composite 2 (FL-003) % Ni 0.28 0.25 0.23 % Ni in sulfides and alloys 75.3 94.3 80.8 % Ni in silicates 20 5.1 18.9 % Cu 0.12 0.16 0.07 % Cu in sulfides and oxides NA 72.4 75.5 % Sulfur 0.77 1.32 0.49 Notes: Pure Nickel deportment study focused on Ni and Fe sulfides, with no results for Cu sulfides and oxides CHROME AND IRON Chrome and iron have been identified as potentially significant co-products of mineralization at the Nikolai Nickel Project. Data the Company purchased in August 2023 had incomplete iron assay data and the analytical methods used to determine the concentration of chrome prevented the assessment of these elements in the 2024 MRE. The drilling completed by the Company in 2023 indicated an increase from 0.18% to 0.28% in the mean chrome assays and an increase from 8.2% to 8.8% in the mean iron assays relative to the historical purchased data. AEMC will continue to evaluate the chrome and iron data from the 2024 infill drill program, which is currently being planned. The Company has the objective of integrating these elements in future resource updates. CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE AND U.S. SECURITIES LAWS The MRE has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ in certain material respects from the disclosure requirements under United States securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. The definitions used in NI 43-101 are incorporated by reference from the CIM Definition Standards. The SEC Modernization Rules replaced the historical disclosure requirements for mining registrants that were included in SEC Industry Guide 7, which has been rescinded. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources. Readers are cautioned that while the above terms are substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral resources that the Company may report as measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared mineral resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. Accordingly, information contained or incorporated by reference in this news release describing the Companys mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. QUALIFIED PERSON Mr. Derek Loveday, P. Geo. of Stantec Consulting Services Inc. is the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 who has prepared, or supervised the preparation of, or has reviewed and approved, the scientific and technical data pertaining to the MRE contained in this release, and will be preparing the NI-43-101 technical report for filing on SEDAR+ within 45 days. Gabriel Graf, the Companys Chief Geoscientist, is the qualified person, as defined under NI 43-101 having reviewed and approved all other scientific and technical information contained in this news release. For additional information, visit: https://alaskaenergymetals.com/ ABOUT ALASKA ENERGY METALS Alaska Energy Metals Corporation is focused on delineating and developing a large polymetallic exploration target containing nickel, copper, cobalt, chrome, iron, platinum, palladium, and gold. Located in central Alaska near existing transportation and power infrastructure, the Nikolai Nickel project is well-situated to become a significant, domestic source of critical and strategic energy-related metals for the American market. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Gregory Beischer Gregory Beischer, President & CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Gregory A. Beischer, President & CEO Toll-Free: 877-217-8978 | Local: 604-638-3164 Sarah Mawji, Public Relations Final Edit Media and Public Relations Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Some statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation), including, without limitation, the estimation of mineral resources and that the Company (a) will file a NI43-101 technical report within 45 days, b) complete metallurgical and deportment studies, and c) plan and conduct further exploration drilling. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include but are not limited to uncertainty relating to the estimation of mineral resources, regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions, or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If the Company updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Israel launched new air strikes Friday on the city of Rafah in Gaza's far south, after US President Joe Biden said its response to Hamas's October 7 attack has been "over the top". Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he has ordered Israeli forces to "prepare to operate" in Rafah, the last major city in the Gaza Strip that Israeli ground troops have yet to attack. The United States is Israel's main international ally, providing it with billions of dollars in military aid. The State Department said Thursday it did not support a ground offensive in Rafah, warning that, if not properly planned, such an operation in a city sheltering more than one million displaced Palestinians risked "disaster". And in a rare rebuke from its ally, Biden said Israel's military response to the October 7 attack had been excessive and should stop. "I'm of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza, in the Gaza Strip, has been over the top," he told reporters at the White House. "There are a lot of innocent people who are starving, a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it's got to stop." Witnesses reported fresh strikes on Rafah overnight, after the Israeli military stepped up air raids on a city now overcrowded with about half of the Gaza Strip's 2.4 million people. - 'Die in our homes' - The Hamas-run territory's health ministry said more than 100 people were killed in the bombardment during the night, including at least eight in Rafah. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said three children were killed in a strike on Rafah. "We heard the sound of a huge explosion next to our house... we found two children martyred in the street," said Jaber al-Bardini, a 60-year-old in Rafah. "There is no safe place in Rafah. If they storm Rafah we will die in our homes. We have no choice. We don't want to go anywhere else." The Israeli army said Friday that its forces had "eliminated 15 terrorists" in the past day in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza's biggest city not far from Rafah. It also reported fighting in central and northern Gaza. Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. In response, Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas and launched air strikes and a ground offensive that have killed at least 27,947 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Militants seized 250 hostages, 132 of whom are still in Gaza, but 29 are presumed dead, Israel has said. - 'Humanitarian nightmare' - State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said Washington had "yet to see any evidence of serious planning" for an Israeli ground operation in Rafah. Noting the city on the border with Egypt was also a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid, he added such an assault was "not something we'd support". "To conduct such an operation right now with no planning and little thought... would be a disaster," Patel said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his fifth crisis tour of the Middle East since the war erupted, had conveyed Washington's concerns to Netanyahu directly during talks this week in Jerusalem, he added. UN chief Antonio Guterres said news of the coming Israeli push into Rafah was "alarming", and warned it "would exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare". UN rights chief Volker Turk, meanwhile, charged that Israel was committing a "war crime" with its reported destruction of buildings to create a "buffer zone" along the border inside Gaza. Israel's "extensive destruction of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly, amounts to a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and a war crime", he said. - Ceasefire talks - On the ceasefire talks, Blinken insisted he still saw "space for agreement to be reached" to halt the fighting and bring home Israeli hostages, even after Netanyahu rejected what he labelled Hamas's "bizarre demands". Egypt was set to host new talks with Qatari and Hamas negotiators in hopes of achieving "calm" in Gaza and a prisoner-hostage exchange, an Egyptian official said. A Gaza-based Palestinian official close to the militant group later told AFP they expected negotiations to be "difficult", but said Hamas was "keen to reach a ceasefire". The impact of the war has been felt widely, with violence involving Iran-backed allies of Hamas across the Middle East surging since October and drawing in US forces among others. Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said Friday it had fired "dozens of Katyusha rockets" into northern Israel shortly before midnight (2100 GMT on Thursday) in response to Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon, including the city of Nabatiyeh. It came after an Israeli drone strike on a car in Nabatiyeh seriously wounded a Hezbollah commander on Thursday, sources on both sides of the border said. On the same day, the US military struck four unmanned surface vessels and seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that it said Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels had been set to launch against ships in the Red Sea. The strike came after US forces last week launched a wave of attacks on Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria following the killing of three US troops in neighbouring Jordan. burs-dv/ami Former French justice minister Robert Badinter, who has died aged 95, saved many lives by dedicating his own to the fight against capital punishment, playing a pivotal role in banning the dreaded guillotine in 1981. The soft-spoken attorney, who said he could not abide by a "killer justice system", was widely vilified for pushing through legislation banning the death penalty at a time when most French people still supported the practice. He said later he had "never felt so lonely" in fighting capital punishment, which in France was carried out by beheading with the guillotine, a practice dating back to the French Revolution of 1789. But in years to come he would be hailed for his integrity and statesmanship. The son of a Jewish fur trader who was deported to a Nazi death camp during World War II, he had built a reputation as a lawyer for defending -- often successfully -- notorious cases that his peers wouldn't dare touch. "We entered the court by the front door, and once the verdict had been read and the accused's head was safe, we often had to leave by a hidden stairway," the man dubbed "the murderers' lawyer" by proponents of the death penalty, recalled. - 'Cut in two' - His career took a decisive turn in 1972 after one of his clients, Roger Bontems, was beheaded for his secondary role in the murder of a nurse and a guard during a prison escape. Badinter was haunted by his failure to win a stay on Bontem's execution in a case that changed his stance on the death penalty "from an intellectual conviction to a militant passion". Five years later he helped convince a jury not to execute Patrick Henry for the murder of a seven-year-old boy, becoming an instant hate figure for many French people, who were baying for Henry's head. Badinter turned the case into a trial of the death penalty, calling in experts to describe in grisly detail the workings of the guillotine. "Guillotining is nothing less than taking a living man and cutting him in two," he argued. In all he saved six men from execution during his career, eliciting death threats in the process. He was born in Paris on March 30, 1928 to a Jewish fur merchant who had immigrated from Bessarabia, now Moldova. When he was just 14 his father was among a group of Jews rounded up by the Gestapo in the southeastern city of Lyon and and deported to the Sobibor concentration camp in modern-day Poland, where he died. The young Badinter developed a keen sense of justice that led him to a law degree in France followed by a Masters from New York's Columbia University, with a focus on ethical issues. - 'Until last breath' - Upon his appointment as justice minister in President Francois Mitterrand's Socialist government in June 1981, Badinter made ending the death penalty an immediate priority. France's last execution had been in 1977 with the death of Hamida Djandoubi, a Tunisian immigrant convicted of torturing and murdering a young woman. Just four months after taking office Badinter ushered an abolition through parliament with a landmark speech denouncing the "stealthy executions at dawn" that were France's "collective shame". Demolishing myths about the supposed deterrent effect of the death penalty, he argued: "If fear of death stopped men in their tracks we would have no great soldiers or sporting figures." Badinter continued to make history in 1983 when he succeeded in getting Bolivia to extradite Klaus Barbie, a former chief of the Nazis' secret police, the Gestapo, to France. Notorious during the German occupation of France as the "butcher of Lyon," Barbie was put on trial for crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment in a landmark case that saw Holocaust victims take the stand for the first time in France. During his five years as minister Badinter also scrapped a law discriminating against gays on the age of sexual consent and worked to improve conditions in French prisons. A towering figure in French public life, he served as president of the Constitutional Council and as a member of the French Senate from 1995 to 2011. The death penalty remained the bane of his existence until the end. Badinter vowed he would work "until the last breath of life" to attain a global ban on the practice and continued to campaign against executions in China and the United States into his later years. United Nations rights experts warned Friday that killings by alleged undercover Israeli agents in a West Bank hospital last week could constitute war crimes and urging an investigation. Israel's "apparent extrajudicial killings" of three Palestinian men in a hospital in the northern city of Jenin on January 29 may amount to "grave violations" of international law, five independent experts said in a statement. The Israeli military has said forces entered the Ibn Sina Hospital to target a "Hamas terrorist cell". Closed-circuit television footage tweeted by the Palestinian foreign ministry and said to be from the hospital shows armed men and women, disguised in medical uniforms or civilian clothes, moving through its corridors. The video shows the Israeli agents using a baby carrier and a wheelchair as props. The experts said that Israeli forces entered a rehabilitation ward and shot dead Basel Ayman Ghazawi, a patient being treated for serious injuries from an Israeli air strike three months ago, his brother Muhammad Ayman Ghazawi and another visitor Muhammad Jalamnah. The experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations, insisted that Israel was required to abide by international law regardless of whether its claims the men were "terrorists" was true. "In occupied territory under Israeli control, outside active hostilities, ... (Israeli forces) could only use force if strictly necessary to prevent an imminent threat to life or serious injury," they said. In particular, they said, "killing a defenceless injured patient who is being treated in a hospital amounts to a war crime". The experts, including the special rapporteurs on the rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and on extrajudicial executions, suggested that by disguising themselves as seemingly harmless and protected medical personnel and civilians, Israeli forces had also committed the war crime of perfidy. "We call on Israel to conduct an effective investigation," the experts said, urging it to also create "procedures to prevent future arbitrary killings and provide reparations to the victims". If Israel fails to do so, the experts said they would call on the International Criminal Court prosecutor to investigate the case. They highlighted the "alarming increase in Palestinians killed by Israeli forces" in the West Bank since Israel's war against Hamas erupted more than four months ago. Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. In response, Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas and launched air strikes and a ground offensive in Gaza that have killed at least 27,947 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Iran's top diplomat warned on Saturday that a full-blown attack on Lebanon would "spell the end" of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu during a Beirut trip, as cross-border tensions surge over the Gaza war. Israeli forces and Lebanon's powerful Hezbollah group, a Hamas ally, have traded near-daily fire following the outbreak of war on October 7 between Israel and the Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip. "Any move by the Zionist regime (Israel) for a large-scale attack on Lebanon will spell the end of Netanyahu," Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told reporters in Beirut. Amir-Abdollahian, whose country backs a number of armed groups in the region including Hezbollah and Palestinian factions including Hamas, was on his third visit to Beirut in over four months of hostilities. "Our assessment is that the Zionist regime will never be able to fight on two fronts," he added. "Netanyahu is struggling to get out of the Gaza quagmire." On Tuesday, France's top diplomat had warned officials in Beirut that Israel is threatening to wage war on Lebanon to return citizens displaced by cross-border fire, Lebanon's foreign minister had said. Earlier Saturday, an Iranian foreign ministry statement quoted Amir-Abdollahian as saying "the developments in Gaza are moving towards a political solution, but Netanyahu still sees the solution in war to save himself". "Everyone should try to find a political solution to end Israel's attacks and war crimes against Palestinians as soon as possible," the statement quoted him as saying. Amir-Abdollahian met top officials in Beirut including Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a powerful ally of the group. He also met Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziad Nakhaleh, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan, and deputy chief of the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine Jamil Mazhar, the statement said. "Only the Palestinian nation and Palestinian groups have the exclusive right to determine their own destiny," he said, adding that "other regional and international actors should refrain from imposing their plans". The shadow of the fugitive, who was taken out of Conakrys central prison by an armed commando on November 4, hangs over the Dixinn criminal court. Indicted for his alleged participation in the September 28, 2009 massacre when he was minister in charge of presidential security, he is still on the run. His absence undermines this trial, which is judging the highest political and military officials of former president Moussa Dadis Camara's regime. In the dock, with a scowl on his face and his head buried in his shoulders, Pivi no longer impressed anyone. The former red beret, who had maintained a certain influence within the army up to the opening of the trial, had lost all his power. His break out of jail reshuffles the cards. The civil parties and their lawyers, as well as the witnesses they wanted to call to the stand, are worried, just as a new phase of the trial is due to begin on Monday February 12. After hearing the prosecution's witnesses, the court will hear those of the civil parties. To better prepare for this stage, the lawyers requested a postponement of the hearing and were granted an extra week. But will this delay be enough to convince the most reluctant to take the stand? "People don't want to risk their lives," says lawyer for the civil parties Halimatou Camara. She thinks what is happening was foreseeable: "It's classic. It even happens at the International Criminal Court. If you take the case against Uhuru Kenyatta [former Kenyan president], you realize that the case completely crumbled because evidence and witnesses were concealed, people were bought off, or in any case forced not to speak." Those who have evidence against the accused are always vulnerable, "especially when it comes to serious crimes, abominable crimes", she continues. And when, as in Guinea, "there is no policy to protect witnesses, or even victims, things get complicated". Law not enforced Just before the trial began, a law was passed providing for the protection of "persons at risk". It has never yet been applied in this mass trial, the first of its kind in Guinea, where the victims and witnesses number in the thousands. On September 28, 2009, in Conakry's stadium, an attack on an opposition rally by security forces left more than 150 people dead and hundreds wounded, according to the final report of an international commission of inquiry. As the hearings resumed on October 3, 2023, human rights organizations called for a decree implementing the law. It's urgent," said the president of Avipa, the Association of Victims, Relatives and Friends of September 28, 2009. While more than a hundred women, according to the prosecution, were raped during the massacre and in the days that followed, several of them were worried after testifying in court, explains Asmaou Diallo. "Some are threatened, forced to change their accommodation, because they don't feel safe at all." And Pivi's escape has raised the level of concern among the survivors. The consequences are disastrous for the appearance of the civil parties' witnesses. Before the opening of the trial, as required by procedure, the lawyers had provided a list of the people they wanted to appear -- some 15 in all. "The problem, after a year and a half's trial and Claude Pivi's escape, is that most of the witnesses we had on the list no longer want to testify because they don't feel safe," says Alpha Amadou DS Bah, coordinator of the victims' lawyers' collective. "I prefer to live Over the first few months, the trial helped to free up people's voices. Strong testimonies were heard. But a cloud now hangs over the hearings. According to Bah, many witnesses "point the finger at Pivi", but "since he's on the run, those with credible information against him no longer want to testify. We don't know where Pivi is, and there are no concrete protection measures. We fully understand their position. And for those who find the courage to take the stand, many are considering doing so behind closed doors. This affects the trial, says the lawyer. The measure prevents the public from being informed of what happens during the hearings. "Unfortunately, we have to resort to this. It's inconceivable, he says, to risk reprisals. "Even now when we call them, as soon as they know it's the collective they don't pick up the phone. Or else they say I'm not interested, I'd rather live, I don't see what the point is for me to go and testify and then get killed'." There is, however, a solution to avoid closed-door hearings. A room has been set up on the first floor of the courtroom where people requesting anonymity were to be heard. In the courtroom, only their voices, distorted by software, were to be heard. But this has never been used. Bah is hoping for a further postponement to gather more witnesses, although he acknowledges that this is now "unlikely". On the contrary, the proceedings are speeding up. Of the 40 witnesses summoned by the public prosecutor's office, only 14 were actually heard. According to some lawyers, there is a desire to get things over with quickly. At the same time, military personnel could be added to the ranks of the accused. Five of those implicated during the hearings have now been indicted. All have appealed, and the courts have yet to reach a decision. But the trial continues to move forward. "It's going to be difficult for them to join us, because we'll have gone through so many stages that we won't be able to parachute them in at that point," says Bah. A second trial would then have to be organized to finish trying those responsible for the massacre. "That would be really dramatic," concludes the lawyer. The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor on Monday voiced deep concern about a possible Israeli ground offensive into Rafah in Gaza, warning that anyone breaching international law would be held accountable. Karim Khan said in a statement published on X, formerly Twitter, that his office's investigation into events in Gaza is "being taken forward as a matter of the utmost urgency". "I am deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah," he said. The ICC opened a probe in 2021 into Israel as well as Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups for possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories. Khan has previously said this investigation now "extends to the escalation of hostilities and violence since the attacks that took place on October 7, 2023". "All wars have rules and the laws applicable to armed conflict cannot be interpreted so as to render them hollow or devoid of meaning," he said. "This has been my consistent message, including from Ramallah last year. Since that time, I have not seen any discernible change in conduct by Israel," he said. Opening its doors in 2002, the ICC is the world's only independent court set up to probe the gravest offences including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is a "court of last resort" and only steps in if countries are unwilling or unable to investigate cases themselves. "As I have repeatedly emphasised, those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my Office takes action pursuant to its mandate," warned Khan. "To all those involved: my Office is actively investigating any crimes allegedly committed. Those who are in breach of the law will be held accountable." Khan called for the release of all hostages held by Hamas: "This also represents an important focus of our investigations." ric/jhe/bc X The Ukrainian intelligence revealed Russian forces are using Starlink satellites for connectivity in occupied lands. Reuters reported, Kyiv's main intelligence agency said that the Russian army is using Stalink terminals produced by SpaceX, and stated the terminals are shaping up to be their systemic application. "Cases of the Russian occupiers' use of the given devices have been registered. It is beginning to take on a systemic nature," said the Ukrainian defence ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) quoted spokesman Andriy Yusov. The GUR agency detailed that Starlink terminals were being used by units like Russias 83rd Air Assault Brigade, and it had intercepted a conversation between two soldiers discussing the set up of the terminals. It was not disclosed how the Russian army came in posession of the Starlink equipment. SpaceX shipped off Starlink terminals to aid Ukraine in their defensive efforts against Russian offensive, and had provided vital communication on the battlefield. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk had said on X, the social media platform he also owns, that the company has had not sold any Starlink terminals to Russia directly or indirectly. In a reply to a post on X which claimed terminals were being acquired in Dubai by Russia, Starlink said: SpaceX does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military. Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country. SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia. If Russian stores are claiming to sell Starlink for service in that country, they are scamming their customers. Starlink also does not operate in Dubai. Starlink cannot be purchased in Dubai nor does SpaceX ship there. Additionally, Starlink has not authorised any third-party intermediaries, resellers or distributors of any kind to sell Starlink in Dubai. If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorised party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed. The Russian government has denied it uses Starlink equipment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "This is not a certified system with us; accordingly, it cannot be officially supplied here and is not officially supplied. Accordingly, it cannot be used officially in any way." Shin Hye Sun garnered favorable responses following her reaction to Ji Chang Wook's smoking controversy. Here's what happened. Shin Hye Sun's Professionalism Lauded by Viewers Ji Chang Wook made headlines after he was spotted smoking an electronic cigarette on the indoor set of his drama "Welcome to Samdalri," a rom-com series he starred alongside Shin Hye Sun. In the controversial video, a behind-the-scenes clip featured the actor smoking indoors, which is illegal in South Korea and is only allowed in designated smoking areas. [/] ([News] Ji Chang Wook caught smoking indoors during rehearsal in the making of Welcome to Samsamli) https://t.co/BKgQDsTUIA pic.twitter.com/LhEH6TG2en (instiz) (@instiz) February 10, 2024 However, what caught the fans' attention was Shin Hye Sun's response. In the behind-the-scenes clip, the actress knew that her co-star was smoking indoors since she was only beside Ji Chang Wook. Instead of making a fuss out of it, Shin Hye Sun remained professional and focused on practicing her script with a smile on her face. READ MORE: Most Popular Actors January 2024: Who Among Shin Hye Sun, Jang Nara, Park Min Young Topped the List? With this, netizens lauded the actress' relaxed response amid the illegal act of her co-star. As mentioned by a media outlet, fans called Shin Hye Sun's response "admirable," saying that "it must have been very tiring sitting next to him (Ji Chang Wook), but she was practicing the script so hard." "If people were crowded in such a small place, the air would be bad even if they just stayed still," one added. Ji Chang Wook's Agency Releases Apology As mentioned, the video was taken during the filming of Ji Chang Wook's drama "Welcome to Samdalri." After the behind-the-scenes clip sparked controversy, the actor's agency released a statement addressing the issue. According to a news outlet, Ji Chang Wook's label, Spring Company, apologized to the people who "felt uncomfortable" about the actor's action. "The behind-the-scenes content in question included a scene of actor Ji Chang Wook smoking an electronic cigarette indoors. The scene brought discomfort to those who saw it as improper," the official statement reads. In addition, Spring Company said that the South Korean heartthrob acknowledges that his "behavior was improper" and "feels sorry for disappointing many people." What's Next for Ji Chang Wook? "Welcome to Samdalri" is among Ji Chang Wook's projects for 2024. Viewers will get to see more of the actor in the upcoming historical K-drama "Queen Woo." Helmed by "Oh! My Gran" director Jung Se Kyo, the upcoming series also stars notable actors, such as Jeon Jeong Seo of "Money Heist: Korea" and Kim Moo Yeol of "Juvenile Justice." Adding to the list of lead stars are Jung Yoo Mi, Park Ji Wan, and Lee Soo Hyuk. As viewers await the highly anticipated series, "Queen Woo" will join a slew of K-dramas airing this year and will be released via TVING. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Kim Tae Hee Intimidated By Shin Hye Sun? Here's What Hallyu Superstar Said For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Sunday, February 11, 2024 A young American mother has been accused of baking her newborn daughter to death in an oven. Mariah Thomas, 26, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child after one-month-old ZaRiah Mae was found dead with 'burn wounds', according to an arrest warrant. Cops were called to the mom's Kansas City home to reports of a child not breathing on Friday, the day after Thomas' birthday. When they arrived, they found the infant covered in burns, with her 'blackened' clothing melted onto her diaper. A devastated friend of Thomas' told DailyMail that Za'Riah was a 'very bubbly' baby, who was 'smiling all the time'. She also suggested Thomas' mental health may have played a role in the tragedy. 'Mariah had mental issues from what I know and didnt have the mindset of an adult, she thought like a child,' the friend said, adding she last talked to the mom on Monday. Za'Riah's grandfather told police he received a call from her mom at around 1pm on Friday in which she told him 'something was wrong with the baby and he needed to return home immediately'. On returning home, he immediately began to smell smoke and found Za'Riah dead in her crib. Thomas told him she had 'accidentally' put her in the oven, according to court filings. Za'Riah was discovered by police in a car seat inside her home with 'apparent thermal injuries on various parts of her body'. She was wearing a bodysuit over a diaper which appeared to have melted onto it and was 'very dirty, possibly burned'. A charred baby blanket was also discovered and taken as evidence. Thomas was transported to police headquarters for an interview where she invoked her Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. But she consented to detectives obtaining a blood draw and accessing her phone data. Thomas' social media presents her as a doting mom, who referred to her daughter as her 'princess'. In one disturbing post made just weeks before the tragedy, Thomas complained that nobody was looking out for her. 'Mfs claim they my friend by don't never check up on me or Za'Riah,' she wrote on January 20. Thomas is currently being held at the Jackson County Detention Center. Monday, February 12, 2024 - Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has dismissed claims that Azimio One Kenya Alliance leaders are divided. Speaking on Sunday during a fundraiser at Ncuui MCK Church in Tigania East, Meru County, Kalonzo, who is also the Wiper Democratic Movement party leader, said Azimio is united and will send President William Ruto home during the 2027 presidential election. We are united. Our focus is to liberate Kenya from the grand corruption being perpetrated by the Kenya Kwanza administration. "They have captured Parliament and are now threatening the Judiciary, he said. There have been signs of cracks in Azimio after some member parties became uneasy over signals from opposition leader Raila Odingas allies who have been urging him to make a sixth attempt at the presidency. But Kalonzo, who is among the senior Azimio principals, assured Kenyans that they are united with one aim of dislodging Ruto and his cartels from power. The Kenyan DAILY POST Monday, February 12, 2024 - City lawyer Beatrice Ngethe was abducted by DCI officers and held at an unknown place since Friday and later released on Ksh 100,000 cash bail. DCI officers stormed her apartment in Nairobi and whisked her away. Her whereabouts remained unknown until today when the Law Society of Kenya demanded her immediate release. Beatrice is reported to have had links with a Kenyan fugitive identified as Kevin Kang'ethe, who escaped from the Muthaiga police station a week ago. CCTV footage captured DCI officers arriving at her apartment in a Subaru Forester. They arrived at the premises a few minutes past 6:50 am on Friday, swiftly departing with Beatrice by 7 am, destination unknown. It's now disclosed that Beatrice is affiliated with Kevin Kangethe, a fugitive linked to the murder of Maggie Mbitu at Boston Logan International Airport. While we cannot confirm Beatrice's role as Kangethe's legal representative, LSK affirms her rights to represent him, given his status as the prime suspect. Watch the footage showing how she was abducted. Moment DCI Apprehended Lawyer Beatrice Ngethe, over links with fugitive Kelvin Kangethe. pic.twitter.com/MKk62Khl2i Seth Olale (@SethOlale) February 11, 2024 The Kenyan DAILY POST. Wednesday, February 12, 2024 Thousands of employees are now staring at job losses thanks to President William Rutos appetite for money. This is after more than 250 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) announced plans to reduce their workforce within the next two months due to the rising cost of doing business. In a survey conducted among 1,000 CEOs by the Central Bank of Kenya across various fields, 25.7 per cent of the respondents intimated that they would let some of their employees go as they undertake austerity measures to reduce operation costs. On the other hand, 637 respondents revealed that they would not be seeking to make any recruitments between February and March, a revelation that cast doom among job seekers. Notably, out of the 1,000 CEOs, only 106 of them revealed that they would be adding more people to their workforce. According to the report, the looming projection is that the job market has been occasioned by the increased costs of doing business which is also attributed to increased taxation. Notably, employers have been among those affected by taxation policies included in the Finance Act 2023, which introduced additional costs for employers, including the 1.5 per cent housing levy. Additionally, rates were increased with another looming increase in deductions for Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). Already, private security companies have warned that they could lay off half of their staff should the government enforce the Ksh35,000 minimum salary directive. Meanwhile, three international companies, including Procter and Gamble, and Bayer are expected to exit the Kenyan market in the next two years, a move that will render over 1,000 employees jobless. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, February 12, 2024 - Gender Cabinet Secretary (CS) Aisha Jumwa went for her Public Service counterpart Moses Kuria's jugular, accusing him of sabotaging her. The two clashed over who should communicate the State's plans to overhaul the distribution of royalties to artists collected by government agencies. The disagreement ensued after CS Kuria remarked that President William Rutos administration was fast-tracking amendments to the Copyright Act to create a government-run Collective Management Organization. CS Kuria revealed that going forward, all royalties to artists and proceeds from music copyrights would be paid through eCitizen. Replying to Kuria via X, CS Jumwa stated that the mandate of making pronouncements revolving around CMOs and royalties falls under her docket. There are ongoing discussions with stakeholders in the industry to streamline it, she stated Once discussions are concluded, the ministry will pronounce itself on the next course of action. CS Kuria in his statement, had claimed that there were cartels in the government who were scamming artists by shortchanging them in the payment of royalties. As a mitigation measure, he explained that the artists would register their works through the eCitizen platform and monitor their royalties in real-time. Artists have been complaining that MCSK has been paying out peanuts despite collecting millions in revenue. However, Jumwa reckoned that Kurias sentiments may have been fueled by the belief in the one government approach championed by the Kenya Kwanza administration. The one-government approach means that all senior government officials operating within Rutos administration, speak in unison and work together towards one common goal. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Indias smartphone market leader Xiaomi requested the Indian government to provide manufacturing incentives and lower import taxes, amid heavy scrutiny levied at Chinese companies in the country. In a letter seen by Reuters, which is a response from the Chinese smartphone vendor to a query from Indias IT ministry asking how to develop its local component manufacturing sector, Xiaomi said smartphone equipment suppliers are wary of setting up operations in the South Asian nation, as Chinese firms are currently in the midst of close inspection by the government. Smartphone brand vivo, owned by BBK Electronics, saw employees arrested and had its offices raided by Indian officials for money laundering charges. Rival and fellow Chinese vendor Oppo also saw raids. Chinese apps have also been banned in India with over 300 pulled from official digital stores. Xiaomi assembles smartphones in India with local and imported parts, and argues lower import tariffs are needed as it requires critical components from China. The letter also called for lower import charges on sub-parts used in batteries, USB cables and phone covers to improve the competitiveness of Indias manufacturing sector. Increased scrutiny on Chinese companies stems from a 2020 border clash between China and India, which has led to disruption in investment plans from Chinese companies. Sunday, February 11, 2024 Host nation, Ivory Coast have won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Ivory Coast won the tournament after beating Nigeria 2 - 1 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday, February 11. Sebastien Haller was the hero for Ivory Coast again as the Elephants came from behind to beat Nigeria to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final on home soil. William Troost-Ekong had put Nigeria ahead seven minutes before the end of the first half when the centre-back rose highest to head in from nine yards out following a corner. Franck Kessie nodded in the equaliser in the 62nd minute when he was left unmarked at the back post from Adingras corner. Sebastien Haller later flicked in Simon Adingras cross with the toe of his boot with nine minutes remaining to complete a second-half comeback and seal the win for his country. Monday, February 12, 2024 - Controversial Senator Karen Nyamu has set the record straight after word got out that she had been evicted from her posh Runda home over rent arrears. Videos showing purported auctioneers who were accompanied by police invading Karens house in Rundas Graceline Villa went viral. It was alleged that her rent arrears were running for months. Nyamu addressed the alleged eviction while responding to fans who commented on her TikTok and Facebook accounts. Karen Nyamu assured a TikTok fan that she can never be evicted in this life because she is too blessed. Prezo am sad ..wanasema unafungiwa nyumba please speak out we're hurt, Monicah Wanjiru wrote. That can never happen to me in this life mama relax. We are too blessed, Karen Nyamu responded. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, February 12,2024 - Kenyans across the political divide have blasted Uasin Gishu County Woman Representative, Gladys Shollei, for referring to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the "Lord of Poverty." During the 2022 presidential election, President William Ruto used to refer to Raila Odinga as AN anti-progressive leader and they nicknamed him Lord of Poverty. With Ruto being in power and having done nothing in his first year in office, Kenyans seem to be tired of him and his colleagues. Shollei, who is Rutos close ally, was vilified by Kenyans for referring to Raila as a Lord of Poverty on a live television interview. Here are some comments from Kenyans bashing Shollei badly. @Makayiemba: Apart from repeating the term 'lord of poverty' what exactly is her point? Emptiness in a people's servant is sacrilegious. @Quadoline: @GladysShollei Kenyans are today struggling economically more than in previous regimes. So perhaps you don't have to look far to spot the so-called Lord of poverty your very own boss. @Lemeiyan: Last time Gladys Sholei was paneled with Otiende Amollo she was humiliated. The Lord of Poverty narrative is very outdated. Where has Raila said he doesnt want affordable housing? What people against is the housing levy. @Martin_Marto1: Tell her all those houses along the railway line were initiated by Raila and not a penny extra from our taxes. @EMungau: Do People actually listen to what these guys are saying? The only thing that is being insisted on is this bill MUST happen, there is a lot of leaning on slander, but nothing substantive. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Sunday, February 11, 2024 King Charles has issued a major update days after going public with his cancer diagnosis. In a message to the British public, the King issued a heartfelt thanks to those who have sent him messages. He also said that he it has been heartening to see how sharing his news has helped to shine a light on it with the public. The statement reads: I would like to express my most heartfelt thanks for the many messages of support and good wishes I have received in recent days. As all those who have been affected by cancer will know, such kind thoughts are the greatest comfort and encouragement. "It is equally heartening to hear how sharing my own diagnosis has helped promote public understanding and shine a light on the work of all those organisations which support cancer patients and their families across the UK and wider world. My lifelong admiration for their tireless care and dedication is all the greater as a result of my own personal experience. The King is understood to be focusing on resting in preparation for more treatment while recuperating at his estate in Norfolk. His condition was discovered during surgery at the London Clinic for an enlarged prostate last month, which led to the discovery of a form of cancer described as a separate issue. He has also begun regular treatments which started last Monday and postponed public duties, although he intends to keep up his weekly audiences with the Prime Minister by phone at first. Monday, February 12, 2024 A woman armed with a long gun took her young child to Joel Osteens Houston-area mega-church on Sunday, Feb. 11, and opened fire, leading cops to shoot her dead and the child to suffer critical gunshot wounds. The woman, dressed in a trench coat and carrying a backpack, stormed Osteens Lakewood Church just before 2 p.m. with the boy, about 4 or 5 years old, and began shooting before two off-duty law enforcement officers fatally shot her, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said at a news briefing Sunday. The young boy was shot and critically wounded though its unclear by whose gun. He was rushed to Texas Childrens Hospital, where he remains in critical condition, officials said. A 57-year-old man, described as a bystander, was shot in the leg and transported to a local hospital in stable condition, Finner said. The shooter believed to be between 30 and 35 years old claimed to also have a bomb and sprayed an unknown substance on the ground before she was shot dead, the chief said. However, authorities conducted a sweep of the area and found no explosives on her person or in her car. The gunfire began between services before a Spanish-language mass was scheduled, Joel Osteen said at the news conference. He added that the shooting could have been much worse. I could only imagine what could only imagine if it would have happened during the 11 oclock service, he said at the scene. The pastor said he felt like he was kinda in a fog following the shooting. But were gonna stray strong, were gonna continue to move forward, Osteen said. There are forces of evil but the forces that are for us, the forces of God are stronger than that. A witness told ABC 13 that she heard gunshots from the choir room, which sent churchgoers into a panic. The whole church started praying and declaring Jesus name, she said. I was like, This might be the last time I get to pray, that I get to glorify the name of Jesus, so Im going to do this. Another congregant told the local station that he heard between 20 to 30 gunshots as he ran out with his three young daughters. Monday, February 12, 2024 - President William Ruto is in Dubai to attend the World Governments Summit (WGS). Ruto has been invited to deliver a 10-minute address on Government Acceleration and Transformation. According to the Summit's official website, the speech to be held at 1.0 Plenary Hall, will take place between 10:30 and 10:40 am on Tuesday, February 13. The theme for this year's summit is Shaping Future Governments with different governments, international organizers, and leaders taking part in the conversation. This is towards the realization of international cooperation and enables governments to identify innovative solutions for future challenges. WGS reckons that the Summit will inspire and empower the next generation of governments. According to WGS, the event started on Sunday, February 11, with an opening session led by Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, of the International Monetary Fund and Fahad AlTurki, Director General Chairman of the Board, of the Arab Monetary Fund. United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Financial Affairs Mohamed AlHussaini also took part in the opening session. On Monday, the event started officially with Mohammad AlGergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, UAE and Chairman of the World Governments Summit delivering opening remarks on the Government Acceleration and Transformation theme. Rwandan President Paul Kagame who had earlier travelled to Qatar will address the Summit on Monday. In total, there will be over 200 speakers who will deliver their addresses during the Summit. The Kenyan delegation led by President William Ruto is also expected to take part in Ministerial Meetings and Roundtables. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, February 12, 2024 - Kenyans will now have to show proof of Ksh5 million before being awarded an investment certificate by the Kenya Investment Corporation. This is according to the Investment Promotion and Facilitation Bill, 2023, which is currently under the public participation stage. Considering efforts to set up free trade between East African Community (EAC) member states investors from EAC countries will also be mandated to come up with Ksh5 million proof of investment. An applicant shall be entitled to an investment certificate if the amount to be invested by a local investor is at least five million shillings or the equivalent in another currency, the Bill states. For investors outside EAC, the amount to be invested must be at least USD500,000 or its equivalent in any currency. At the current exchange rate, this is equivalent to Ksh81 million. According to the Bill, investment means the contribution of local or foreign capital by an investor and includes the creation or acquisition of business assets by or for a business enterprise. A company incorporated under the laws of Kenya, in which the majority of shares are held by a person who is a citizen of Kenya or an East African partner state will be categorized as local and qualify for the ksh5 million proof of investment. Apart from the Ksh5 million proof of investment, the investor must also show how the business will create employment for Kenyans. Other conditions before awarding the certificate include proof of acquisition of new skills or technology for Kenyans and contribution to tax revenues or other government revenues. Non-EAC investors will be mandated to help increase foreign exchange either through exports or import substitution. Additionally, all investors will be required to utilize domestic raw materials, supplies, and services. Adoption of value addition in the processing of local, natural, and agricultural resources will be another condition to be considered while awarding the certificate. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Monday, February 12, 2024 - Kileleshwa ward MCA, Robert Alai, has revealed how President William Ruto has been advancing impunity in the government by ignoring court orders. Last year, the High Court and the Court of Appeal ruled that the entrenchment of Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) was unconstitutional. This ruling dealt Ruto a severe blow, as the president had appointed some of them, including Millicent Omanga and Dr. Evans Kidero However, according to Alai, Ruto ignored the court order that declared the CAS position unconstitutional and has been paying them Sh 700,000 cash monthly using taxpayers' money. Alai asked why Ruto was refusing to obey the law yet he took an oath to abide by the laws of Kenya. Millicent Omanga went for Ksh 700,000 pay from State House on Friday. Hello President @WilliamsRuto, why are people employed as CAS and being paid illegally in cash from the State House while the courts ruled that the position is unconstitutional? Can we please operate within the law? Whats so hard in just obeying the law? Why the lawlessness?. Alai posed on X. The Kenyan DAILY POST Cuba has suffered a setback in numerous spheres in recent years as a result of a chronic socio-economic crisis, exacerbated by failed policies. Public Health has been one of the systems most affected, within which organ transplants have suffered a clear regression. A decade ago the case of Amanda Lemus Ortiz never would have received the media attention is getting today. The little girl's life is on the line as she waits for a liver transplant, and her parents are demanding a solution from the authorities. Before 1959 Cuba was one of the most medically advanced countries in Latin America. Health-related advances in the country include the application of ether anesthesia, in 1847; and the first X-ray department in Latin America, in 1907. In 1955 it was the Latin American country with the second-lowest infant mortality rate: 33.4 per thousand births. The first bone grafts in Cuba were carried out in the 1940s, when the island was a pioneer in the creation of tissue banks. In 1970, the first successful kidney transplant was performed, on a 16-year-old. Nine years later, in 1979, related and compatible living-donor transplantation was introduced. The first heart transplant dates back to 1985, considered a breakthrough for a Third-World country. The first liver transplant in Cuba was performed in 1986; in children, it took a little longer: 2005, and in 2009 the William Soler University Pediatric Hospital in Havana was the site of the first liver transplant from a living donor to a child. Between 2014 and 2019 102 liver transplants were performed in Cuba at the only three hospitals dedicated to this procedure (only one pediatric) and integrated into the National Transplant Program. In 2019 there were only nine of these operations. A year later the Covid-19 pandemic stopped operating rooms cold. The Public Health system collapsed, while the Government allocated resources, including raw materials for other medicines, to produce not one, but five vaccine candidates. In late 2023, at the meetings prior to the sessions of the National Assembly of Popular Power, Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda Health admitted that the Government had serious problems supplying the sector. The regime's inability to guarantee medical treatments and surgical procedures, while allocating millions in investments to the construction of hotels, still not fully occupied, threatens the lives of children like Amanda Lemus Ortiz. The girl suffers from biliary duct atresia. She now needs a liver transplant that will allow her to overcome her terrible state of health and live. Although her father is willing to be the donor, the William Soler Hospital lacks the resources to carry out the operation, and refuses to receive supplies delivered by third parties, according to relatives. The MINSAP recently went into damage control mode in response to media coverage of the case: "A liver transplant from a living donor has been indicated. We are coordinating with specialized institutions in other countries to provide a solution to this therapeutic need." The little girl's mother, Milagros Ortiz, however, decried the false promises made to her: "They don't want to try to do anything for her... They're condemning her to die here," said the desperate woman. Cuban activists have organized a fundraising effort on the GoFundMe platform with the aim of covering the expenses of an operation for the girl outside Cuba. Of the $20,000 set as a target, more than $17,000 has been raised so far from more than 600 donations. Cuban doctor Lucio Enriquez Nodarse, who now lives in Spain, who referred to the case of Lemus Ortiz in a video published on his Facebook profile in January, said that, apart from the shortage of supplies, there is also a dearth of doctors trained to do organ transplants in Cuba. "Stop deceiving the people. Stop giving the girl's mother and father false hopes. They've been told that they have a multidisciplinary team, and that's a lie," said the founder of the Free Cuban Medical Association, who demanded transparency from the Government and transplant and patient survival stats. In Nodarse's view, the "Cuban School of Medicine" has been waning for years. According to him, few good professionals are trained, and the most highly qualified are sent to work abroad, or leave the island. Like Amanda Lemus Ortiz, Ashley Manuela Echaide Mesa and Milan Michel Navarro Reinoso are also waiting for liver transplants promised by the government. Yanirys Mesa, the mother of Ashley Manuela, addressed the Ministry of Public Health to complain, and was told in January they would transfer the girl to Spain for the operation, but this has not happened. Milan Michel is suffering from liver cirrhosis. He is being treated by specialists at the South Children's Hospital in Santiago de Cuba, also with little hope of surgery in the near future. Other similar cases have had fatal outcomes, such as that of three-year-old Cristian Miguel Bencomo, who died in the middle of last year from biliary atresia and was also in need of a liver transplant. In May of 2022 MINSAP authorities recognized that the liver transplant program at William Soler had been suspended for two years due to a lack of the drug Custodiol HTK, according to the regime media source Cubadebate. The facility then received donations from the pro-Castro organization Puentes de Amor (Bridges of Love), but they never reached patients like Cristian Miguel, second on the waiting list. His father told the independent media outlet CubaNet: "We were told that they didn't have a complete trained medical team, and that there were no resources for these operations. In fact, they told every patient that." Bencomo died three years after a tireless struggle by his parents to get him an operation, 36 months during which they heard all kinds of excuses from Public Health officials and saw their little boy waste away, little by little. TUSCALOOSADale and Joan Marsh of Enterprise have made an estate gift of $50,000 to the University of Alabama Law School Foundation to create the M. Dale Marsh Endowed Law Scholarship Fund. The fund is intended to benefit students from the State of Alabama with priority given to those from Enterprise and surrounding counties in the Wiregrass region. I sent myself through law school through a combination of part-time jobs, student loans, and modest scholarships awarded in my second and third years of law school, said Marsh. My experience at Alabama Law provided a great education, close friendships, and a legal career that allows me to do truly interesting work. Today, law school is a three year mentally challenging and six-figure debt commitment, Marsh said. I want to help other deserving students, and this is my way of paying it forwardby helping promising students from Enterprise, Coffee County, and the Wiregrass study law at the University of Alabama. Marsh received his J.D. from Alabama Law in 1974 and returned to his hometown of Enterprise to begin practicing law. Fifty years later, he still maintains an active law practice as managing partner in the firm Marsh and Cotter where he serves as a trial attorney representing both plaintiffs and defendants, municipal/governmental entities, major corporations, and local business and industries. Marshs two children followed in his footsteps at Alabama Law, with his daughter Katherine Marsh Whitson graduating in 2004 and his son John W. Marsh graduating in 2007. In 1990, Marsh was inducted into the Alabama Community College System Hall of Honor, and he was inducted into the Alabama Lawyer Hall of Honor in 2023. He continues to be an active member of the Law School Foundations Board of Governors and served as the Boards president from 2004-2006. He served as a director for Legal Services of Alabama from 2006-2014. Marsh, his siblings, and additional family members established the Marsh Family Scholarship in honor of their parents Mr. and Mrs. Dalbert Marsh at Enterprise State Community College. The fund, which now has a corpus of approximately $128,000, awards scholarships to deserving students attending the college. Marsh is an active member of the Alabama State Bar, where he served on the Board of Bar Commissioners from 1994-1997; the Coffee County Bar Association, where he served as President from 1979-1984; the Court of Judiciary, where he served as an alternated judge from 2015-2020; and the Alabama Association for Justice. He also completed the National Security Strategy Seminar at the U.S. Army War College in 2014 after retiring at the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves in 2001. Additionally, Marsh has played a vital role in fundraising efforts to assist various legal and non-profit organizations and educational related entities in Enterprise and Coffee County. It would be hard to name a charitable organization or entity that Marsh has not devoted time, service, or financial support within the county. We are incredibly grateful for Mr. Marshs support, said Dean Bill Brewbaker. He has been a great friend of the Law School for a long time, and he is paving the way for students from southeast Alabama to become the next generation of leaders in our state. The Marsh Scholarship Fund will help students from the Wiregrass focus on succeeding in law school and worry less about how they will pay for their education. Additional contributions to the Marsh Scholarship Fund can be made by contacting The University of Alabama School of Laws Advancement Office at (205) 348-5752. The University of Alabama School of Law is a top public law school with alumni living in every state. Alabama Law students graduate with one of the lowest student debt-loads in the country, and they are highly sought after by notable employers both within and outside Alabama. The Law School regularly places among the top 10 of all law schools in the proportion of its students receiving federal judicial clerkships. It is home to a nationally ranked public interest institute, a top 20 moot court program, a notable DC Externship program, and seven different legal clinics that provide students with hands-on experience. Faculty at Alabama Law are experts in established and emerging legal fields and have published their research with leading law reviews and university presses such as Oxford, Harvard, and Cambridge. Maintaining its role as the only public law school in the state of Alabama, the Law School at The University of Alabama has produced local, national, and global leaders for more than 150 years. Kilkenny Sinn Fein TD Kathleen Funchion has said the party needs to examine why there has been a slide in support for it in recent polls. Funchion said it is important for the party to ensure it is communicating its message correctly on core issues. A survey for the Irish Times shows that Sinn Feins support has fallen by six points, to 28% since last September. The partys support has fallen in the last five opinion polls, and from a high of 36% in 2022. Recent polls also show an increase in public concern over immigration issues, with one poll showing that the majority of people want tighter immigration rules in Ireland. Speaking on RTEs The Week In Politics programme, Ms Funchion, said: I think the polls for us recently, obviously we do have to look at that. I think we need to be honest about that and we need to examine exactly why there has been a slippage. Obviously, we are still in a strong enough position in terms of, lets say, the 2020 general election. We are slightly ahead of that, however, I do think its really important for us to ensure that we are communicating our message correctly, particularly when it comes to housing, healthcare. She added: I really do firmly believe we definitely want to be leading the next government and I think that thats actually what this country needs in terms of the change thats needed. Its really important for us to work really hard to ensure that we are getting our message across because certainly in all of those sectors, whether its health, whether its housing, whether its children and people with additional needs, theyre all currently being failed and its really important that we are in a position to lead the next government because our country badly, badly needs change. Speaking on the same show, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee defended the governments handling of immigration issues, particularly its decision to tighten its policies. Last month, Ms McEntee announced new measures to add Algeria and Botswana to its list of safe countries, and to cut benefits for new arrivals from Ukraine. The reason that Ive introduced the accelerated process is because we have seen that the vast majority of people coming from those countries have been refused but they have been refused because theyre coming for economic reasons, Ms McEntee said. We know that we have people using the international protection system, that is genuinely there for people who are fleeing war, fleeing persecution, for economic means. So everything that Im doing, introducing the accelerated process for safe countries, more than doubling the staff that we have in the IPO (International Protection Office), making sure that we move to electronic means so we can speed up the process, its to make sure that the people who shouldnt be using the system are gotten out of it quickly, but that the people who genuinely need it can actually access support. She claimed that while the Irish public does not want the government to stop helping people, they want a better immigration system. Labour TD Duncan Smith said immigration is an issue that is being raised by the public. Its something that needs to be tackled head on at the doors and we have to let people know where you actually stand as a public representative on this issue, he said. He also said that public representatives have to myth-bust rumours that are being propagated by the far-right online. Goresbridge native Willie Mullins first ever runner at Exeter was a winner as the mare Fun Fun Fun held off the late rally of favourite Favour And Fortune in the Trustatrader Fully Vetted Tradespeople Novices Hurdle. The pair had come up against each other once before in the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival, with Alan Kings Favour And Fortune finishing one place in front of Fun Fun Fun when 14th, giving her 7lb. This time, 6-4 chance Fun Fun Fun was even better off at the weights, carrying 10lb less, and it was just enough to enable her to claim the valuable Listed black type win. It looked a great bit of placing by Mullins, despite the near 700-mile round trip, as she only faced two rivals and Paul Nicholls Insurrection was beaten early in the straight. A Willie Mullins winner here at Exeter! Fun Fun Fun strikes for Listed honours in the @TrustATrader Fully Vetted Tradespeople Novices' Hurdle in a successful raid for the Irish champion trainer. Congratulations to rider @Dazjacob10 and owners @simon_munir and Isaac Souede pic.twitter.com/sr4mbWr3dW Exeter Racecourse (@ExeterRaces) February 11, 2024 Tom Cannon made his bid approaching the final flight on the 11-8 favourite but Daryl Jacob had saved just enough on Simon Munir and Isaac Souedes mare, winning by half a length. Shes not the biggest but shes got a big heart and tries very hard, Jacob told Racing TV. Patrick (Mullins) actually bred her himself and shes been a great mare since she joined us, shes got a very willing attitude. She rides bigger than she looks but shes a scopey thing, she can jump well and will probably jump a fence as well. I just like the way she dug deep from the back of the last. Patrick said the one thing she loves to do is jump. I actually would have liked to have been a bit lower at the last but she was big at it, but got away from it well. Alan Kings horses are in great form at the moment so he was always going to be a tough nut to crack. In Kilkenny, there are currently 425 Ukrainian guests living in 195 host homes across the county. This represents 24% of the total number of Ukrainians who have arrived in the county since the invasion of Ukraine. Nationally, 25% of all arrivals from Ukraine are currently living in host homes or pledged accommodation. One host, Kathleen McKiernan, shared these words about her familys experience: "Being a host has been one of the best things our family has done. "When all this started we felt that we needed to do something and we had a spare bedroom so we contacted Helping Irish "Hosts and the process was straightforward after that. Sharing our home doesn't come without challenges but being able to give our guest a sense of security and base from which to start her journey here in Ireland has been truly rewarding." This week, a survey shows that 92% of people hosting Ukrainians have had a positive experience and 76% would recommend hosting to someone else. The research was presented by Helping Irish Hosts and the Irish Red Cross to Oireachtas members at a briefing in Leinster House on Wednesday, January 31. Angie Gough, CEO and Co-Founder of Helping Irish Hosts, says that 'the research reaffirms everything weve seen over the past 22 months'. "Hosting is having an incredible impact - for the hosts, their guests and also their communities," she said. "While its not the right option for everyone and its not a long-term solution, it does offer a key integration opportunity for people seeking refuge in this country. "Our priority is to nurture the host response as a significant part of the refugee accommodation solution, while acknowledging its limitations and advocating for the changes needed to sustain it." The consortium of organisations responsible for activating pledged accommodation is still receiving around 300 accommodation pledges a month. The briefing to Oireachtas members also heard that the savings to the taxpayer are in the region of 386 million annually, when compared to state accommodation. At the briefing this week, the group presented recommendations to Government and offered resources to support constituents and communities that are hosting. Key asks included extending the proposed 90-day policy for new arrivals to reduce the risk of harm to already vulnerable groups, and widening the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) to include Programme Refugees who have been granted status in Ireland. There has been a significant decrease in the number of people travelling to Ireland from Ukraine as the Government prepares to slash allowances for newly arrived Ukrainian refugees, Minister for Children Roderic OGorman has said. The Green minister said he expected the trend to continue when social welfare payments were reduced to new arrivals using state accommodation. The weekly rate would be reduced to 38.80 euro from 220 euro, and new arrivals would also have a 90-day limit on the time they could remain housed by the state. More than 100,000 Ukrainians have arrived in to Ireland since February 2022. Mr OGorman said that the changes had already had an impact on the number of new arrivals. We are already seeing a significant decrease in the number of people seeking temporary protection from Ukraine, he told RTEs Today With Claire Byrne show. Arrivals from Ukraine are down and I think when we bring in the new system later on this month, I think we will see that trend continuing. In terms of international protection, we know that the system of processing applications and the system of accommodating people wasnt fit for purpose even before the current crisis. So myself and Minister (for Justice Helen) McEntee are working on twin tracks. First of all, to speed up the processing of peoples application when they come here so they can more quickly get a determination. Do they get refugee status, do they not? And on my side, better accommodation and state-owned accommodation because we are almost entirely reliant on the private sector in terms of the provision of accommodation, and thats why I brought forward proposals that we would have a core of state-owned accommodation for people while their application is being processed. Ireland has seen a sharp rise in the number of people seeking international protection. There was a 415% increase in the number of applications in 2022 compared to 2021, and a 186% increase from 2019. In 2022, there were 13,000 applications for international protection, while 2023 saw 12,000 applications. He said that around 40% of applications for asylum were successful, while 60% of people did not meet the criteria set out for international protection. Meanwhile, Mr OGorman said that gardai should be given the space to investigate arson attacks against properties linked to housing asylum seekers. Ireland has seen a spike in the number of arson attacks on buildings rumoured or earmarked to provide accommodation for people seeking international protection. The magnitude, the seriousness of these crimes cannot be overstated and as I said last week, it is a miracle that no-one has been injured or no-one has been killed in terms of whats happened so far, he added. Thats why I think it is so important that we give An Garda Siochana the space to undertake detailed investigations, which will allow them to bring forward successful prosecutions so we can very clearly see people put in prison for these criminal acts. Tom and Mary Ann Danford were both 19 when they married, and this week the Enterprise couple are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary. Sharing life together, is the secret to the success of their seven decades together, they said. Thomas Jefferson Danford and his bride Mary Annette Stephens Danford were both raised in the Damascus Community in Coffee County. Growing up about a mile apart, they both attended Damascus School. Tom is a retired Army Command Sergeant Major with over 40 years of service. After Mary Ann retired from a career working for the maintenance contractor at Fort Novosel, she purchased Stephens Store from her uncle, longtime Coffee County Commissioner Robert G. Stephens. She operated the store until it burned in the mid 1990s. Now both 89 years old, the Enterprise couple plan to celebrate their 70th anniversary with son Vic and his wife Donna and son Van and his wife, Donna. The Herald reports: Bright orange, 61m long, and 16m wide, the Anuanua Moana jars against the crystal blue waters of the Cook Islands. Kelvin Passfield hasn't seen the research vessel head out to survey the ocean floor so much recently, but when he does it serves as a bad omen: its work is making the small island nation the new frontier of environmental extraction. Its survey work is part of the first steps towards seabed mining, a controversial practice where machines trawl up to 6000m below the surface for nickel, manganese and cobalt. These metals are in demand for building electric cars, wind farms and batteries, and advocates argue sea bed mining could speed-up the green transition away from fossil fuels. They are needed not just to speed up the transition, but to make it possible. You can't make batteries out of plastic. You need metals. He sees deep sea mining as the latest existential threat to life in the Cook Islands, a group of 15 islands with more than 17,000 inhabitants, and a realm country of New Zealand. Cook Islanders have New Zealand passports, and use the New Zealand dollar. This is hysterical. Mining has an environmental impact, but to call it an existential threat is ridiculous. The mineral-rich nodules offer a way to boost its revenue, outside of tourism. Odyssey, on its website, claims the region boasts the world's largest collection of polymetallic nodules estimated at a staggering 6.7 billion tonnes. This is huge and if one doesn't mine it here, then it will come from other locations such as the Congo which actually uses child labour. And while deep sea mining will have an impact on the ecosystem, it is unlikely to be major as they basically just trawl the minerals off the seabed they don't actually dig or drill. And this occurs kms below the surface. Any environmental impact should be studied and monitored, but you can only that by allowing it in the first place. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr We'll carry all Glasgow games from the 2B District Basketball Tournament in Wolf Point, starting Wednesday, February 1rth. All games will be on Mix-93. (Four teams advance to Divisional) Streaming Interested in supporting Scottie sports financially? Visit ScottieBoosterClub.com to become a member. We are also currently fundraising to rebuild the Scottie track and football field complex. Donations are welcome at ScottieFieldRecharged.com Turkish police arrest 1 suspect over the armed attack on the AKP election event in Turkiye, Azernews reports, citing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech. "I condemn and curse the heinous attack that happened yesterday during Kuchukchekmece Mayor Candidate Aziz Yeniay's election campaign. Necessary investigations are being conducted seriously. One has been arrested, and we will arrest the others," Erdogan said. According to the president, the fight against terrorist organizations will be continued: "We have not and will not allow Turkiye to be dragged into an insecure environment". On February 10, around 4:30 p.m., shots were fired from rifles and pistols at the event where Aziz Yeniay, candidate for mayor of the AKP, was nominated in Istanbul's Kuchukchekmece district. During the attack, a woman was injured. An investigation into the incident has been launched. Bettering yourself professionally is something that takes constant work. A major part of success is networking and intentionally participating in events for professional development. A LinkedIn study shows that 85% of all jobs are filled from networking. Here are some local events you can attend that might help further your career: February Networking 9 AM Mural City Coffee Company Mural City Coffee Co. is having a networking event Thursday Feb. 15 located at 192 S Foster St. Dothan. The community is advised to come and bring business cards. Setting Up New Business Entrepreneurship Council Monthly Seminar Feb. 29 at 5:30 PM Entrepreneurship Council The Entrepreneurship Council is set to host a workshop on Setting Up A New Business. Attendees will hear from Cameron A. Metcalf CPA, J.D. of Metcalf & Company, LLC located in Dothan, Alabama. Metcalf will discuss beginning steps before starting a business or non-profit. This will be an introductory seminar filled with things anyone interested in starting or growing a business should know. You will also be able to ask questions. Although admission is free, the EC is asking for a donation of $10. The workshop is at the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce located on 102 Jamestown BlvdDothan AL 36301, US. Registration is available at entrepreneurshipcouncil.org. Sweet Savings Brunch Feb. 24 at 10 AM to 12 PM Kappa Pi Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated The Kappa Pi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, will be hosting a Sweet Savings Brunch on Saturday, February 24th. Participants will build their financial literacy skills while celebrating Black History Month. Speakers will include James Pruitt, retired master lineman for Pea River/owner of Pruitt Farms, Desmond Douglas, CRPC, AAMS Financial Advisor and Jayla Scott, financial counselor. The event is being held at George Washington Carver Interpretive Museum located on 305 N Foster St, Dothan. To register for the event you visit https://form.jotform.com/akakpotechnology/kposweet-savings-brunch. DAYP Eats 11:30 AM weekly The Dothan Area Young Professionals hosts weekly DAYP Eats events. This is an opportunity for young professionals to meet other professionals from the area and network. On Feb. 14 the DAYP will meet at Vibe Nutrition, on Feb. 21 the meeting is being held at the River Nile Cafe in Windmill Station, and on Feb. 28 the meeting is set to be at The Juicy Seafood. For more information you can visit http://dothanyp.com. Entrepalooza Business and Job Fair 2024 1 to 5 PM, Feb. 19 Troy University Dothan Campus is hosting a job fair on Monday, February 19th. Attendees will be able to get information about jobs, network and learn more about local businesses. The event is free to attend and located at 500 University Drive. Barbados will host the inaugural Global Supply Chain Forum from May 21 to May 24, 2024, in the capital city of Bridgetown. The event, organized by UNCTAD and the Government of Barbados, aims to bring together government officials, business leaders, and experts to discuss strategies for promoting development through sustainable and resilient transport and logistics, enhanced connectivity, and trade facilitation. Government officials, business leaders and experts will convene in Bridgetown to explore how best to promote development through sustainable and resilient transport and logistics, improved connectivity and trade facilitation. Key issues for discussion at the forum will include digitalization, food security, transport costs, climate change, developing countries financing needs and how to better manage the energy transition in international transport. Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan emphasized the importance of making shipping and supply chains more efficient, resilient, and environmentally friendly to address global crises effectively. Barbados Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Matthew Wilson, highlighted the significance of resilient supply chains in managing the ongoing impact of global crises. He expressed optimism that the forum would provide a platform for countries to collaborate on solutions that support climate change adaptation, food security, and economic growth. Policy actions The event will focus on identifying policy actions necessary to prepare countries, particularly developing economies, for future shocks to global supply chains. It follows a call by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley during the 15th UNCTAD ministerial conference to build resilient supply chains in developing countries, as underscored by the Bridgetown Covenant adopted at the conference. Additionally, the forum will feature a Supply Chain Innovation Challenge aimed at inspiring innovative solutions to make global production and distribution networks greener, more efficient, and resilient. Interested participants can submit their proposals between January 17 and March 17, with the winning proposal to be presented at the forum. Jan Hoffmann, head of trade logistics at UNCTAD, stressed the importance of supply chains in driving global trade and the world economy. However, he noted that recent years have seen these supply chains increasingly threatened by global crises, making it essential to focus on policy actions to better prepare countries, especially developing economies, for future shocks. The four-day event will be held in-person, with selected sessions streamed online. Interested partners and stakeholders from the public and private sectors are invited to express their interest in participating in, sponsoring or contributing to the event. Register Here Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. By Erwin Chemerinsky Two seemingly contradictory impressions emerged from almost three hours of oral argument Thursday before the Supreme Court: The case for Donald Trumps eligibility to be president again was quite weak, but the Supreme Court is likely to rule in his favor. Based on the questions raised by the justices, its hard to imagine five of them agreeing with Colorados decision to prohibit Trump from running for president as an insurrectionist under the 14th Amendment. The issue before the court is whether Trump is disqualified from the presidency by Section 3 of the amendment, which provides that no officeholder who engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the country shall be a senator or representative in Congress, or elector of president and vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States. The oral argument focused primarily on three questions. First, does Section 3 require a statute passed by Congress to be enforced? Several of the justices indicated support for the view that the provision is not self-executing and cant be enforced without a federal law. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh, for example, said the original public meaning was that a statute is necessary to apply the section. This argument is seriously flawed. To begin with, the provision doesnt need a law to enforce it any more than the other constitutional presidential qualifications do, among them being at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen and not having already served two terms. In addition, the amendment clearly defines Congress role here: Its last sentence gives lawmakers the power to exempt an insurrectionist from the provision. But the amendment does not require congressional action to enforce the section. Importantly, the Supreme Court in 1883 declared that the 14th Amendment is undoubtedly self-executing without any ancillary legislation. The primary authority to the contrary, relied on by Trump lawyer Jonathan Mitchell and invoked by Kavanaugh, is not a Supreme Court decision but an 1869 opinion by Chief Justice Salmon Chase for a lower appellate court. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out, Chase later reached the opposite conclusion, finding that no statute was required for disqualification and that Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, was clearly disqualified from serving as president of the United States. A second question that featured prominently in the oral argument is whether Section 3 applies to the president of the United States or only to other federal offices. Despite being ideological opposites, Justices Neil M. Gorsuch and Ketanji Brown Jackson both focused on the sections listing of several offices without mentioning the president. The problem with this argument is that Section 3 also says any office, civil or military. The Constitution repeatedly refers to the president as an officer. As the Colorado Supreme Court explained, senators, representatives and electors are listed as members of elected bodies who are not considered officers under the Constitution. But the president is an officer of the United States included in the phrase any office. The courts conservatives pride themselves on adhering to the original meaning of the Constitution, and those who drafted and ratified the 14th Amendment unquestionably saw Section 3 as applying to the president. This was explicitly stated on the floor of the Senate. Gorsuch also noted during the argument that Section 3 precludes insurrectionists only from being president, not from running for the office. But that is an absurd distinction that could lead to dealing with whether Trump is disqualified only after he is elected, a nightmare scenario. The third question to occupy much of the argument is whether Trump in fact participated in an insurrection. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. questioned the evidence for that, while Kavanaugh noted that the former president hasnt been convicted of insurrection. But a Colorado court held a five-day hearing on that question in which Trump could have testified, after which the judge concluded that he had indeed participated in an insurrection. And nothing in Section 3 or its history requires a criminal conviction. Another pair from different ends of the courts ideological spectrum, Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett, wondered whether one state court should be able to make such a determination. But every case must begin in one state. Ultimately, this is not a question of one state deciding so much as it is the United States Supreme Court looking at the facts and the law as courts always do and deciding whether Section 3 disqualifies Trump. This case provides the court with an opportunity to show that it follows the law and the facts, not just the political preferences of the justices. My sense from the oral argument is that we will have reason to be disappointed once more on that score. I hope I am wrong. If the court ignores the clear language and meaning of the 14th Amendment, it will be a loss for the Constitution and the country. Erwin Chemerinsky is a contributing writer to Opinion and the dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law. His latest book is Worse Than Nothing: The Dangerous Fallacy of Originalism. This article was published in the Los Angeles Times and distributed by Tribune Content Agency. Former conservative prime minister Alexander Stubb won Sunday's Finnish presidential election, assuming a role that has gained importance in light of the country's NATO membership and rising tensions with neighbouring Russia. Some 4.3 million voters were choosing between Stubb and former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto, a Green Party MP running as an independent. "Well, Alexander. Congratulations to Finland's 13th president," Haavisto told Stubb on live television, as he conceded after broadcaster Yle projected that Stubb had won with 51.4 percent. When all votes were counted, the final tally gave Stubb 51.6 percent of the vote. Stubb, who called the win "the greatest honour of my life," will assume office on March 1. The changing geopolitical landscape in Europe will be the main challenge for the new head of state, who while having limited powers compared to the prime minister guides the country's foreign policy together with the government and acts as supreme commander of Finland's armed forces. "It is absolutely incredible that a country the size of Finland can have such a fair and honest election in this security policy context," Stubb declared in a victory speech to supporters. Relations between Moscow and Helsinki deteriorated following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, prompting Finland to drop decades of military non-alignment and join NATO in April 2023. Russia, with whom Finland shares a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) border, swiftly warned of "countermeasures." "The International political situation is really demanding for us at the moment and I think we really need a president who can work with different political parties and who can negotiate," 46-year-old doctor Maarit Tarkiainen told AFP in Helsinki. Stubb came out ahead in the first round on Jan. 28 with 27.2 percent, while Haavisto came in a close second with 25.8 percent of the vote qualifying them for the second round. In the post-Cold War period, Helsinki maintained good relationships with Moscow. Outgoing president Sauli Niinisto, first elected in 2012, once prided himself on his close ties with Russian leader Vladimir Putin before becoming one of his most trenchant critics. Niinisto contacted him directly to announce the decision to join NATO. Since then, there has been radio silence and Sunday's winning candidate won't be expecting a phone call from the Kremlin. In August 2023, Finland observed an influx of migrants entering through its eastern border without visas. Helsinki claimed Moscow was pushing the migrants to destabilise it, and in response closed their border in November a move supported by both candidates. "I believe that he will be able to navigate both multilateral cooperation and bilateral relations, which is what is needed, and he will probably also understand the general picture of foreign and security policy," Hanna Ojanen, research director of politics at Tampere University, told AFP after Stubb's win. Stubb and Haavisto, who have both served as foreign minister, shared similar visions for the country's position towards Russia, calling for additional sanctions against Moscow and support for Ukraine. "The very strong support for Ukraine will certainly continue. Issues will start to appear on the agenda where Russia is involved in one way or another, which will have to be resolved," Ojanen said. Before joining his victory party in central Helsinki, Stubb stopped by Haavisto's party. "You are one of the finest people I have ever met," Stubb told Haavisto who has made three unsuccessful runs for president. Going into the election, analysts had noted that the two candidates were largely aligned on major policy issues, so the differences have been nuances, such as the storage or transport of nuclear weapons in Finland, according to Helimaki. Stubb has said that the country should not exclude "any part" of NATO's nuclear deterrence, while Haavisto did not want the weapons on Finnish soil. Theodora Helimaki, doctoral researcher in political science at the University of Helsinki, believes Stubb will come across as "a slightly new kind of president," for Finns. "He's much more outgoing, perhaps, than others... Perhaps a little more international in many ways, and especially when it comes to the way he expresses himself, the way he speaks and so on," Helimaki told AFP. (AFP) By Ko Dong-hwan The Korean government will establish four new offices in countries in the Middle East, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Oceania this year to support the exportation of smart farm technology, a sector that holds high growth potential, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Monday. The government, together with the state-funded Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), said that it will introduce four new offices across the regions as smart farms continue to gain popularity worldwide. In addition to the existing office in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, the new offices will support the expansion of Korea's smart farm technology developers into various markets in the respective regions. The new offices will be in Kuwait City, Kuwait, Almaty, Kazakhstan, Baku, Azerbaijan and Melbourne, Australia. The office in Riyadh, which opened last September, will go through an expansion this year. The locations, according to the ministry, have been determined based on statistics from last year's exports, the demand for local smart farm support centers and project orders that Korean smart farm companies received from overseas. The offices act as the country's technical bridge between Korean smart farm companies interested in selling their technology overseas and foreign cities' needs concerning farming systems driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and complete automation. These offices will help Korean firms consult with local law firms in these cities to check whether their technological exports are legal, safe and feasible. The offices will also venture to discover the local demand for new smart farm projects, carry out local market surveys and resolve problems encountered by Korean smart farm companies in these cities. To promote smart farming and discover new export paths, the ministry, together with KOTRA and the new offices, will also host a K-Smart Farm Roadshow in these respective countries this year. "The new offices will be a tremendous help for the country's smart farm companies that are interested in market expansion overseas but lack related experiences and resources outside the country," an Agricultural Innovation Policy Office official under the ministry said. "The government will keep introducing new measures to provide various types of support for our smart farm companies to increase their presence among other countries." The country's smart farm exports and secured project orders last year reached $296 million, more than double the previous year. Smart farming is increasingly becoming a solution to the country's agricultural sector, which is suffering from a depleted workforce and climate crisis-related weather conditions that are increasingly becoming less predictable. Controlled by sensor-triggered AI and big data storage, the system operates farms by automatically responding to the ambient environment. Such automation increases productivity and reduces the amount of working hours. On Thursday, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung visited a strawberry smart farm in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, which uses a solution that predicts the chances of possible diseases caused by insects based on conditions inside the farm. Farmers at the site met the minister and said that this technological approach allowed them to better prepare for various situations and save money on pesticides. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Angola, IN (46703) Today Snow this morning will give way to lingering snow showers this afternoon. High 36F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 26F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. In a broadcast, Red Velvet Joy addressed criticism over her body, silencing netizens who ask her to lose weight "to look prettier." Red Velvet Claps Back at Comments Suggesting Her to Lose Weight to Become Prettier On February 11, the recent episode of SBS's "Animal Farm" was aired starring MC Joy, a member of the SM's girl group, Red Velvet. As Korea celebrates Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year), the MCs discussed the fun of the holiday and its disadvantages. On this day, MC Shin Dong Yup opened the topic by saying: "It's fun to meet relatives for the Lunar New Year after a long time, but I'm worried about spending money. It's true that setting the table, gifts, and New Year's money (Sebaet Don) is a burden, especially when the economy is not doing well these days." Tony An agreed, and added: "In particular, New Year's money (pocket money) is no joke. When I was young, I used to receive 1,000 won bills (about $0.75), but these days, 10,000 won ($7.50) seems less, and 50,000 won ($37.50) is burdensome. After giving it to a few nephews and niece, my wallet becomes empty." ALSO READ: Red Velvet Joy Draws Attention for Weight Gain + Luvies Defend Idol Aside from the money problems, Red Velvet Joy then opened up about the annoying nagging from relatives during reunions on holidays. She said: "The thing I fear as much as New Year's money during the holidays is nagging. When I met relatives for the first time in a while, I received a lot of questions. But when I talk about what I've been up to recently, it often leads to nagging." She mentioned the specific nag she didn't want to hear and Joy somehow clapped back to them, answering: "I think many people will relate to this. I heard things like I am also pretty now, but I will look prettier if I lose weight. Please, I'll lose weight on my own." Red Velvet Joy Earns Admiration for Talking About Bodyshaming When this certain part of the show was shared online, a lot of K-pop fans and netizens showed admiration for the idol, supporting her for talking about weight. In the past, Red Velvet Joy has been a subject of body-shaming from her debut until recently, and this response from her feels like a slap to haters who often mention her weight loss and gain. Some of the comments lauded Joy and said: "We love you, queen!" "Periodt." "As she should! I don't understand why they are telling her to lose weight when she's already this thin." "I will never be able to understand the idol body weight standard. They make you feel like the normal weight is already fat." READ MORE. Red Velvet Joy Criticized for 'Thick' Arms Following THIS Photo ReVeluvs Defend Idol For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson. In a surprising turn of events, South Korean boy band TWS has claimed the coveted number one spot on the Bugs Music charts, sending shockwaves through the K-pop community. As fans and industry insiders alike digest this unexpected achievement, reactions across social media platforms paint a vivid picture of the diverse range of sentiments elicited by TWS' ascent. Triumph Over Icons Sparks Controversy The most prominent reaction among netizens centers around TWS surpassing established icons like IU on the charts. While many express awe and admiration for the group's accomplishment, others raise questions about the implications of this victory. Some speculate whether surpassing IU, a revered figure in the industry, could be seen as crossing a line, sparking debates about the ethics of chart competition in the fiercely competitive world of K-pop. Mixed Reviews on Song Quality Fans also review the quality of TWS' chart-topping song are varied. While some netizens lavish praise on the group for their musical prowess and congratulate them on their success, others offer more critical assessments. Some point out the prevalence of new releases dominating the charts, highlighting the strength of female idols and solo artists in particular. This observation underscores the intense competition within the K-pop landscape, where emerging talents vie forrecognition amidst an ever-expanding pool of talent. READ ALSO: TWS Members' Visuals Revealed- Here's Why They Are Drawing Mixed Reactions Netizens' Reactions Here are the reactions of netizens as TWS ascends to the top of the Bugs Music charts: " See how even the fans have no conscience lol They are winning mentally just because they won 1st place because of the issue. Fans shielding them like this only adds to their dislike." "Wow, they beat IU?? The fans of Hibra's senior team listened to me.. me..???" "The song is good, congrats congrats" "Wow they won over IU and V?" "But I don't feel their hype at all.." "So they will probably be able to fill up the whole Gocheok dome (T/n: sarcastic)" "They will soon fill up the Jamsil Gymnasium and the Gocheok dome for 5 days in a row ^^" Speculation and Sarcasm Run Rampant Amidst the discussions, there's a palpable sense of speculation and sarcasm regarding TWS' future trajectory. While some skeptically speculate on the group's ability to fill large venues like the Gocheok Dome, others offer more optimistic predictions. Sarcasm peppers the commentary, with some netizens sarcastically suggesting that TWS' success could lead to them effortlessly selling out arenas. Nevertheless, amidst the skepticism, there's also anticipation, with some labeling TWS as a "monster rookie" poised to make a significant impact on the K-pop scene. YOU MIGHT BE ALSO INTERESTED IN: TWS Shinyu & Dohoon Spark a Visual Revolution - Are They the Ultimate 5th Gen Male Idols? For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Cassidy Jones. SHREVEPORT, La. -- Two former and one current Caddo Parish principals -- one of whom was named the 2022 state principal of the year -- are tar To enhance transparency in the digital landscape, Google has joined the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) as a steering committee member. This collaboration places Google alongside industry leaders like Adobe, BBC, Intel, Microsoft, Publicis Groupe, Sony, and Truepic, forming a collective effort to establish standards that certify the provenance of digital content. Content Credentials, a tamper-resistant metadata standard, serves as a nutrition label for digital content. Aligned with the C2PA open technical standard, it enhances transparency in the digital content landscape. Overview C2PA The C2PA is an organization dedicated to promoting transparency online by certifying the origin of digital content. Googles involvement signifies a significant step towards enhancing transparency in digital content. As a member of the steering committee, Google will contribute to the adoption of Content Credentials, a technical standard developed by the C2PA to attach tamper-resistant metadata to digital content, indicating its creation or modification history. Alongside other esteemed members such as Adobe, BBC, Intel, Microsoft, Publicis Groupe, Sony, and Truepic, Google will collaborate to further refine the C2PAs technical standard for digital content provenance. Furthermore, Google, including YouTube, will explore ways to integrate Content Credentials into its own products and services in the future. Googles participation is expected to raise awareness about Content Credentials and their importance in helping users worldwide understand the content they encounter, thus fostering greater trust in the digital ecosystem. This metadata aims to transparently showcase the origin and modification history of digital content. Googles involvement, especially through YouTube, is expected to contribute to raising awareness of Content Credentials as a crucial resource in helping users comprehend the content they engage with, fostering trust in the digital ecosystem. Dana Rao, General Counsel, and Chief Trust Officer at Adobe, and Co-founder of C2PA, highlighted the relevance of this initiative in the current global context, emphasizing the urgency to combat misinformation, particularly in the lead-up to major events like elections. Rao expressed confidence that Googles membership would accelerate the widespread adoption of Content Credentials, contributing to transparency from content creation to consumption. Laurie Richardson, VP of Trust and Safety at Google, affirmed the companys commitment to a responsible AI approach, citing previous efforts such as Google DeepMinds SynthID, Searchs About this Image, and YouTubes labels indicating altered or synthetic content. Richardson noted that participation in C2PA aligns with Googles broader goals to increase transparency and provide users with essential context for making informed decisions. At Google, a critical part of our responsible approach to AI involves working with others in the industry to help increase transparency around digital content, says Laurie Richardson, VP of Trust and Safety at Google. This is why we are excited to join the committee and incorporate the latest version of the C2PA standard. It builds on our work in this space including Google DeepMinds SynthID, Searchs About this Image and YouTubes labels denoting content that is altered or synthetic to provide important context to people, helping them make more informed decisions. It is more important than ever to have a transparent approach to digital content that empowers people to make decisions, said Andrew Jenks, C2PA Chair. The C2PA standards are undoubtedly leading the charge in this endeavor, and were thrilled with the growth and adoption. Googles membership is an important validation for the C2PAs approach. We encourage others to join us in expanding the use of Content Credentials and contributing to the creation of a safer, more transparent digital ecosystem. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Businesses in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong are paying extra to keep thousands of employees working through Tet due to urgent orders. Nguyen Linh Hoang, 34, works for Nidec Vietnam, a Japanese-funded motors manufacturer at a hi-tech facility in Thu Duc City. He has decided to stay back and work through Tet, having spent six previous Lunar New Year holidays at his home in the central province of Phu Yen. In January, his factory announced that production would continue throughout Tet. From Feb. 7 to 17, workers get 200-400% more pay if they sign up to work during the holiday. Workers also get VND200,000 a day as a bonus during the 10-day period. The Lunar New Year began on Saturday, Feb. 10. Hoang signed up for six days of work, deciding to spend the other four days in order to take his wife to her hometown for a visit. "This year I stay back to work with the company. I will try to reunite with my family for the next Tet," he said. Hoang is only one of 1,400 workers at Nidec Vietnam who decided to work through Tet. Luu Kim Hong, president of the firm's union, said the number of orders at the company has remained stable through the festival season. The company is thus allowing workers to work through the long national holiday so that full-capacity production can resume as soon as possible after Tet. "The company encourages workers to work through Tet, and workers can sign up voluntarily. The number of people working through Tet amounts to around 30% of the workforce. Extra pay and bonuses are ensured," Hong said. In Binh Duong that borders HCMC, 16 production factories and several businesses have allowed over 6,000 employees to work through Tet. Pham Van Tuyen, vice director of the Binh Duong Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said most businesses that allow work through the holiday have 3,000 employees or more and are located in industrial parks. The firms mostly produce electrical products and labels, he added. Some firms have allowed thousands of workers to work through Tet, such as Techtronic Industries Vietnam Manufacturing, a company at the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park that mainly produces drills, lighting and other equipment. The firm has over 1,000 people working through Tet. Tuyen said businesses in sectors like general clinics or security guard services are also employing workers during Tet. He estimated the number of workers in this category at about 3,000. The labor department has instructed businesses and sectors to give workers extra pay and benefits for Tet hours, in accordance with the law. In HCMC, a representative of the labor department said businesses in industrial parks and certain service sectors, like supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, often see workers working through Tet as well. Nguyen Bao Cuong, head of the labor-salary-social security division of the labor department, said businesses are also offering Tet activities for workers, such as giving them "lucky money", besides providing the extra pay. "Despite the higher costs, businesses are willing to pay extra to make sure orders stay on schedule," Cuong said. VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 12: Marking the Low Vision awareness month of February, RevitalVision announced the expansion of their team in India as part of their commitment to make their US FDA-cleared vision-training software program available to maximum eye specialists in India to support their patients in improving their vision. Also Read | Telangana Shocker: 17-Year-Old Dalit Student Found Hanging in Her Hostel Room Just After Farewell Party at College in Suryapet, Parents Allege Foul Play. RevitalVision is a unique perceptual-learning vision-training software program, scientifically and clinically proven to improve brain's visual processing with long-lasting vision improvement. It has been clinically proven effective in a variety of eye diseases and visual impairments such as Adult Amblyopia, Congenital Nystagmus, Retinal and Corneal Diseases, post-cataract and Laser Refractive Surgery and more. RevitalVision enables significant vision improvement beyond optical correction, medication or surgery. RevitalVision's user-friendly vision training program is performed from the comfort of the patient's home computer, while being remotely monitored by their physician. Through repetitive practice of patient specific visual tasks, the brain is trained to be more efficient in processing visual information. RevitalVision's specialized algorithms analyse performance and continuously adjust training sessions to improve vision, customized to patients' specific needs. Also Read | POCO Launches POCO X6 5G With New Variant in India: Check Price, Specifications and Features. "RevitalVision's program is supported by 25 clinical studies, of which 10 were published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and is currently the only FDA-cleared product with an efficacy claim for improving vision in older children and adults with amblyopia from age 9 and with no upper age limit" said Yair Yahav, CEO RevitalVision. Vision is limited by to main factors; image capturing and image processing. RevitalVision offers an effective solution to improve patients' vision beyond available eye treatments, by addressing the brain's visual cortex. RevitalVision is an innovative therapeutic vision training software that improves vision in patients suffering from different eye diseases & visual impairments when no other alternative treatment is available or effective. RevitalVision is a clinically proven, FDA cleared and CE-approved technology that enhances the brain's ability to process visual information. Thousands of people worldwide have completed the treatment achieving significant improvements in vision and life quality. RevitalVision offers clinicians an effective and simple tool to improve patient's vision beyond the eyes. Contact: Rona Erlich| Marketing Director Phone: T. +972.77.212.3272 | M.+972.526.066.734 Email: rona@revitalvision.com Website Link: https://rb.gy/larrml (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) BusinessWire India Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], February 12: Rite Water Solutions has successfully concluded its second and final part of series - B funding round, securing an investment of Rs 32.5 crore from an eminent group of investors. The round saw participation from ace investor Mukul Agrawal, a prominent figure in the Indian stock market, and Gunavanth Vaid, a respected MSME investor and others including Abhiraj Jalota who also served as advisor to this round. Also Read | Fratricide in Telangana: Man Pours Petrol on Brother, Sets Him on Fire Over Property Dispute in Secunderabad, Disturbing Video Surfaces. This significant milestone follows Rite Water's recent fundraise of 7.5 million euros [first part of series - B funding round] from the Water Access Acceleration Fund ("W2AF"), the world's first drinking water focused private equity fund registered in France. W2AF's investors include Danone, BNP Paribas, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the Danish development finance institution IFU, Norfund, Aqua for All, the U.S. Agency for International Development and European Investment Bank, managed by the global impact asset manager Incofin Investment Management. Rite Water Solutions, a leader in clean drinking water technologies, has broadened its expertise to encompass solar pumping projects, IoT-based innovative solutions and wastewater treatment. The combination of the Series B funding brings Rite Water's total capital raised to Rs 100 crore. Also Read | Nitish Kumar Led-NDA Government Wins Trust Vote in Bihar Assembly, Opposition Walks Out (Watch Video). Abhijeet Gaan, the Managing Director and CEO of Rite Water, stated that these funds would be instrumental in scaling up the company's operations significantly and will also help the company in establishing a solid foundation for next orbit change. The focus will be on delivering cutting-edge and innovative water solutions across India, a sector poised for significant investment and growth. "We are thrilled to close this funding round with the support of such distinguished investors. Their belief in our mission reinforces our commitment to addressing the critical need for clean water across India," said Vinod Gaan, Chairman of the Rite Water. "With these resources, we're poised to expand our reach and impact, bringing climate-resilient sustainable water solutions to the communities in need." The capital infusion will enable Rite Water to accelerate its mission to provide accessible, safe, and sustainable drinking water solutions. The company is gearing up to tackle the challenges of water scarcity and quality with a focus on rural regions of India, ensuring a healthier environment and improved quality of life for its inhabitants, and thereby moving forward in achieving its vision of "Transforming Bharat". (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, February 12: The AAP's political affairs committee (PAC) will in its meeting on Tuesday discuss the party candidates for the Lok Sabha polls and prospects of alliance with the Congress, said Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai on Monday. When asked whether the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will enter into an alliance with the Congress in Delhi, Rai told PTI Videos, "The talks are on. There is a need of a quick decision on it." A question mark has been put on the alliance with AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal addressing a gathering in Punjab's Taran Taran on Sunday, claiming that the people of Delhi have decided to give all the seven Lok Sabha seats to his party. Kejriwal had earlier said the AAP will declare its candidates on all the 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab and the Chandigarh seat in next 10 to 15 days. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Announces Decision To Contest All Seats in Punjab, Says We Are Firmly With INDIA Bloc Rai said the PAC meeting will review all aspects of the Lok Sabha elections, including the alliance, candidates in different states and poll preparations. When asked about Kejriwal's claim that the party will win all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "I understand that people are so harassed by the BJP that if elections are held right now, AAP has the capacity to defeat the BJP and win all the 7 seats in Delhi." He, however, said that talks for alliance with the Congress are still on. "I cannot reveal anything till there is an outcome of the discussions," he told PTI Videos. The AAP leaders earlier said that talks over alliance with the Congress in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Goa were underway. However, the AAP that is a constituent of opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Alliance (INDIA) has unilaterally declared three candidates on Guwahati, Sonitpur and Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seats in Assam. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Aam Aadmi Party Will Win all 13 Seats in Punjab, Claims CM Bhagwant Mann Kejriwal had during his Gujarat visit last month declared Chaitar Vasava as AAP's candidate from Bharuch seat in the state. Despite the aggressive stance taken by Kejriwal, insiders in both the Congress and the AAP expect an alliance between two parties in Delhi to challenge the might of the BJP in the national capital. The BJP candidates registered back to back massive victories in 2014 and 2019 polls winning all the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi. Interestingly, the BJP candidates on all the seven seats polled more votes than the combined tally of both the Congress and the AAP. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Patna (Bihar) [India], February 12 (ANI): Amid the huddles and the anxious wait ahead of the trust vote in Bihar, the ruling Janata Dal (United), which faces its first big test on the floor of the Assembly after its return to the BJP-led NDA, shifted its MLAs to a hotel near the legislature. In a video clip accessed by ANI, the JD(U) MLAs were seen making their way to the Chanakya Hotel in Patna. Also Read | Abu Dhabi: 'Yajna' for Harmony Held at BAPS Hindu Temple Ahead of Inauguration by PM Narendra Modi. https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1756738947412095214 Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who took oath of office for a record ninth time after his stunning 'Ghar Wapsi' to the NDA, will be hopeful of sailing past the majority mark during Monday's floor test with the support of his partners in the ruling coalition. Also Read | BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi Represents Connection Between Bharat and Gulf, Says Indian Envoy to UAE Sunjay Sudhir (Watch Video). Earlier this month, Nitish, who had reportedly gone into a sulk after not being named the convenor of INDIA, the Opposition bloc that took shape through his efforts, dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar and the national coalition to form a new government with the support of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Putting to rest frenzied speculations around his future and that of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Nitish resigned as chief minister on January 28, his second volte face in less than 18 months. Snapping ties with the RJD and Congress, the JD(U) Supremo formed the government with the support of the BJP and its partners in the NDA. Citing the state of affairs in the grand alliance as 'not right', Nitish told reporters that he had been receiving suggestions from his supporters and well-wishers, including his party workers, and set his next political course after taking all the advice that came his way into consideration. Amid the suspense around the crucial floor test on Monday, three JD(U) MLAs again skipped the crucial meeting of legislators convened in Patna on Sunday evening. The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively. With the support of another Independent MLA, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the House against 115 of the Mahagathbandhan. To go past the majority mark in the House, the ruling alliance needs 122 votes. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kolkata, Feb 12 (PTI) West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday morning reached Kolkata from Kerala and straightaway left for Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, where local women were staging protests against alleged harassment and torture by TMC leaders. The governor has already sought a comprehensive report on the Sandeshkhali situation from the state government. Also Read | Karnataka Budget 2024-25 Session Set To Start From Today, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot To Address Joint Session of Both Houses. "When I heard shocking and shattering tales of incidents of Sandeshkhali, I have cut short my visit to Kerala. I am going to Sandeskhali and want to see it myself what the real sandesh (message) from the gullies (lanes) of Sandeshkhali," Bose said after arriving at the airport here. Bose returned to the state this morning to visit the "troubled spot". He had gone to the southern state to attend the Bengal Festival. Also Read | Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Uttar Pradesh Leg of Rahul Gandhis Yatra Cut Short Due to UP Board Exams 2024. The governor has also held discussions with the top officials of the central armed police force and the chief vigilance commissioner of the Centre, an official said. However, senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh expressed his apprehension on whether the governor would be "allowed" to visit the troubled areas of Sandeshkhali to review the situation there. He also said the governor might be shown black flags on his way to Sandeshkhali and his party colleagues, who are scheduled to go there, would face blockades. "He (Governor) is a sensitive man and knows that people are being tortured there. I fear he may be shown black flags. His predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar faced several such incidents," Ghosh told reporters here this morning. Women in Sandeshkhali held protests in the last few days, alleging that local TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan and his "gang" captured swathes of land by force, besides sexually harassing them. They demanded the arrest of Shajahan who has been absconding since last month after a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that went to raid his house in an alleged ration scam was attacked by a mob. Ghosh also said, "Today my party colleagues are going to Sandeshkhali. I do not know how far they will be able to proceed. The government is trying to suppress the Sandeshkhali incidents". A BJP delegation led by Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of opposition in the assembly, is scheduled to visit Sandeshkhali on Monday. Adhikari had also alleged that human rights have been violated there. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru, Feb 12 (PTI) Several organisations and citizens of Bengaluru staged a protest against the construction of a 10-storey building as an annex to the Karnataka High Court within the premises of the Cubbon Park here. The groups gathered on Sunday at the Cubbon Park to show their opposition to the project. Also Read | Ghaziabad: Ex-Husband Uses Senior Police Officer's Name to Cheat People on Pretext of Providing Jobs, Arrested. Protesters also said that the building would take up park space and lead to an increase in pedestrian and traffic congestion. They urged the state government to drop the plan. The recent decision of the Karnataka Public Works Department (PWD) to revive an earlier project to build an annex to the High Court in Cubbon Park has drawn widespread criticism from the public as well as from the opposition BJP. Also Read | Farmers Delhi Chalo March: Security Beefed Up on Borders by Gurugram Police Amid Farmers' Protest. Reacting on the issue, BJP MLA Uday Garudachar on Monday said, "Those (Cubbon Park) are all areas which should not be touched. They are lung spaces of the city." Congress MLA from the city's Shivajinagar constituency Rizwan Arshad said he would appeal to the concerned authorities and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in this regard. "Absolutely, we will appeal to the government and CM. We will raise this issue. We need to encourage more green spaces," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Feb 12 (PTI) The Congress Monday expressed relief and happiness at Qatar releasing eight former Indian naval personnel nearly three and a half months after they were handed down death sentences, and it greeted them and their families. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said seven of them have returned to India. It said India appreciates the decision by the Amir of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of the Indians. Also Read | Matrimonial Fraud in UP: Fake IRS Officer Dupes Lady Singham IPS Officer, Arrested. The Navy veterans were on October 26 last year given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance in a case of suspected espionage. In a post on 'X', Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The Indian National Congress joins the entire nation in its relief and happiness that the eight former Indian Navy personnel earlier sentenced to death by a court in Qatar have been released and are back home." Also Read | Nitish Kumar-Led NDA Government Set To Face Floor Test in Bihar Today, JDU Exudes Confidence of Winning Trust Vote. "It sends its greetings and good wishes to them and their families," he said. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation on December 28 last year commuted the capital punishment of the eight Navy veterans and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The Indian nationals, who worked with the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August 2022. Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thailand's tourism industry saw a strong start to 2024 with nearly 4 million foreign arrivals in January, the governments spokesperson Chai Wacharonke said on Feb. 10. Thailand welcomed 128,969 foreign visitors on Feb. 8, two days ahead of the Lunar New Year. As of the same day, visitors from China topped the list with 730,747, followed by travelers from Malaysia (419,116), Russia (275,641), India (209,431) and Laos (130,551). Factors contributing to the huge increase in Thailands travel could be the need to travel after outbreak restrictions have been lifted in China, and the Thai Governments free visa policy, said Chai. Apart from attracting visitors from China, the Thai Government has been building positive relations with ASEAN members to promote mutual tourism in the region. One of the notable initiatives is the "One Destination" project that aims to promote tourism in six countries among their citizens as well as global visitors, with participants including Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, he added. Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 12 (ANI): With Rashtiya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhury set to join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that the ruling party is so engrossed in power that their foundation is built on conspiring to break those alliances that are in Opposition. "There are 'conspiracies' at the foundation of those who rule us. They do not have a moment of peace in their eyes," Yadav said in a post on 'X'. Also Read | Haryana Shocker: 35-Year-Old Woman Gang-Raped on Pretext of Job Promise in Gurugram, Four Arrested. Earlier in the day, Chaudhary said that there was no planning behind his decision to join the NDA, and it was taken after consulting all MLAs and workers from his party. "...I took this decision after speaking to all the MLAs and workers of my party. There was no big planning behind this decision, or we had decided this a long time back. We had to take this decision within a short time because of the situation. We want to do something good for the country, our people," Chaudhary said speaking to reporters in Delhi on Monday. Also Read | Rahul Gandhi Writes to PM Narendra Modi: 'Release MGNREGS Funds for West Bengal, Many Not Paid for Work Completed in 2021'. Chaudhary said that Bharat Ratna awarded to his grandfather, Chaudhury Charan Singh, Jayant Chaudhury said that this honour is not just for the Chaudhury family and his party but for the entire country. "We are elated with the honour of Bharat Ratna. This honour is not just for our family, our party but for the entire country. This is for the honour of all farmers, youths, poor of our country," he said. There have been speculations about Jayant Chaudhary jumping ship to the BJP, giving a jolt to the INDIA bloc. Earlier, lashing out at the opposition for questioning the timing of the announcement of Bharat Ratna ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Chief Jayant Chaudhary said if the ruling government wants to honour someone, "what is wrong?" "Are they (the opposition) claiming that the government should not be awarding Bharat Ratna to anyone during the election year? On what basis did the ruling government or political parties take the decisions with regards to Bharat Ratna? It is where a political party will get the maximum political mileage and issues on which the emotions of the public are connected," he said. Earlier last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that former PMs Chaudhary Charan Singh and PV Narasimha Rao will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, and, along with them, MS Swaminathan, also known as the father of the green revolution, will also be awarded the country's highest civilian award. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], February 12 (ANI): The State Human Rights Commission on Monday filed a voluntary case in the blast incident that claimed one life and left several injured at a firecracker storage unit in Kerala's Ernakulam district. The Commission has ordered an investigation into the blast during the Thripunithura Puthiyakavu temple festival. Also Read | Manish Sisodia Gets Bail: Delhi Court Grants Interim Bail to AAP Leader to Attend Nieces Wedding. "The district collector and Ernakulam city police commissioner should conduct an inquiry into the blast and submit a report within 15 days," commission member VK Beenakumari ordered. The commission has taken cognizance of the media reports on the incident. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Man Arrested for Molesting 18-Year-Old Student in Bhadohi. Earlier in the day, one person succumbed to burn injuries while three other people are battling for their lives with severe injuries sustained in a massive blast at a firecracker warehouse in Thripunithura, in Kerala's Ernakulam district, according to officials. Councillor, Ward Number 29, Sudha Suresh, said that one person died of his injuries, while the three critically injured persons have been shifted to Kalamassery Medical College. At least 18 people sustained injuries in the blast that took place around 11 am at the warehouse located near the temple in Choorakkad in the Puthiyakavu area. According to reports, the firecrackers for the Puthiyakavu Temple festival exploded when they were being unloaded from a vehicle to be stored at the warehouse. District Collector NSK Umesh said that the injured have been admitted to Trippunithura Taluk Hospital, Kalamasery Medical College, and Devi Nursing Home. The deceased has been identified as Vishnu, a native of Ulloor in Thiruvananthapuram. Health Minister Veena George directed the Director of the Health Department to ensure expert treatment for those injured in the explosion in Tripunnithura. The District Medical Officer has taken steps to provide better treatment facilities at Kalamasery Medical College and Ernakulam General Hospital. Tripunnithura Hospital has also been instructed to provide more facilities. If necessary, more Kaniv 108 ambulances were also instructed to be deployed, a statement from the Health Minister's office said. District Collector Umesh visited the site along with Hibi Eden, and the MP said that a special team will probe the incident. Hibi Eden, meanwhile, has urged the government to provide temporary accommodation to the residents whose houses were severely damaged in the blast. The massive blast caused damage to nearby houses and shops. Vehicles parked nearby were also destroyed in the blaze. The fire department personnel rushed to the site and managed to bring the fire under control. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI): The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has expressed its strong discontent and anger against the dictatorial manner in which the PM Modi government is handling the democratic mode of protests of the farmers by erecting iron nails, barbed wires, and concrete barricades in the highways in Punjab and Delhi borders, the SKM said in a press statement. The administration is imposing Section 144 in and around Delhi and Haryana, diverting the traffic without any prior advisory to the public, and creating an atmosphere of terror to frighten off the people. The Modi government is treating protesters as if they are enemies of the country, the statement read. Also Read | Farmers Delhi Chalo Protest: Union Ministers To Meet With Farmer Leaders in Chandigarh, Tractor-Trolleys Start From Punjab To Join March. In Madhya Pradesh, five state leaders of the SKM including Kisan Sabha leader Ram Narayan Kuraria, his wife and All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) Leader Anjana Kuraria, Kisan Sangharsha samithi leader Aradhana Bhargava, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) leader Anil Yadav, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) leader Rajkumar Sinha were arrested and jailed under Section 151 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC). Many activists were arrested in various parts of the state. SKM has clarified earlier that it has not given the call to Delhi Chalo on February 13 and SKM has nothing to do with this protest action. However, organisations other than SKM have the right to protest and it is the responsibility of the Union Government to treat such protests in democratic manners instead of adhering to excessive state repression, the statement read. Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: Three Teenage Sisters Charred to Death in Fire at Their House in Ramban (Watch Video). SKM urges Prime Minister Modi to clarify why his government is not ready for discussion with the platforms of farmers and workers in the context of the countrywide Grameen Bandh and industrial or sectoral strike call on February 16 on the demands of people's livelihoods. The efforts to suppress the people's protest will be in vain in the context of the emerging struggles across India on the livelihood demands of people. SKM reminds Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav that India has a Constitution that enshrines the right to protest for all citizens, the statement read. SKM appeals to all the political parties and the class and mass organisations of all sections to condemn this highhandedness by the Modi administration. The repression by the Union and the state governments under the BJP will be rebuffed by the people. The farmers and workers, with the support of all sections of the people, will ensure the February 16 Industrial or Sectoral Strike and Grameen bandh are massive, vibrant and successful, the statement read. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 12 (ANI): The first day of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly session on Monday witnessed dramatic events as the MLAs of the BJP and Congress parties engaged in a 'slogan war'. The incident happened when Governor Thawarchand Gehlot was concluding his speech when the BJP MLAs shouted Jai Shri Ram and the Congress MLAs shouted Jai Bheem in response. Also Read | Rajasthan: 22 Minors With Grave Charges Escape From Jaipur Juvenile Home by Cutting Window Net. BJP members, notably adorned in saffron shawls, had already raised "Jai Shri Ram" slogans even before the session commenced. The atmosphere remained charged as the Governor, after expressing "Jai Hind, Jai Karnataka, Thank you," left the hall following the playing of the national anthem. BJP members continued chanting "Jai Shri Ram" until his departure, prompting a counter-response from Congress ministers and MLAs who raised slogans of "Jai Bheem, Jai Constitution." Also Read | Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann Visit Ayodhya Ram Temple With Family, Offer Prayers (Watch Video). BJP MLAs were seen wearing saffron shawls during the incident. Even before the session commenced, the members of the assembly and the members of the Vidhan Parishad came to the house wearing saffron shawls and raising Jai Shri Ram slogans. The Governor addressed the House on the first day of the session today. After the speech, the BJP members chanted Jai Shri Ram as the Governor said Jai Hind, Jai Karnataka, Thank you. Meanwhile, the national anthem was played. As the national anthem ended, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, Assembly Speaker UT Khader, Legislative Council Chairman Basavaraja Horatti, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Law Minister HK Patil left the hall. BJP members raised the Jai Shri Ram slogan till the governor left. In response to this, ministers Santosh Lad, Bairati Suresh, Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar, and other Congress MLAs shouted 'Jai Bheem, Jai Constitution'. The JDS members of the NDA alliance remained neutral without raising any slogans. During the Keragodu protest in Mandya, former CM HD Kumaraswamy wore saffron and was in the village for discussion. At this time, JDS seniors also expressed their objection to former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda wearing a saffron shawl. After that, JDS chose to stay away from the saffron shawl controversy. Even though the BJP members wore saffron shawls to the assembly, the JDS members were seen not wearing any. Earlier, Governor Thawarchand Gehlot, who arrived to address the joint session of the Legislative Assembly, was welcomed as per tradition. Arriving in a special vehicle from the Raj Bhavan, he was escorted by a cavalcade at the entrance gate of the MLA's house as per etiquette. Later, the Governor arrived in front of Vidhana Soudha and was greeted by Assembly Speaker UT Khader, Vidhan Parishad Chairman Basavaraja Horatti, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil, who received him with a bouquet. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Koppal (Karnataka) [India], February 12 (ANI): In a shocking incident reported from Koppal, a married woman was allegedly raped and her husband beaten up by six men, said the police, adding that all the accused have been arrested. The arrest was made following a police complaint by the victim. Also Read | Karnataka Budget 2024-25 Session Set To Start From Today, Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot To Address Joint Session of Both Houses. The alleged incident took place at a park near a bus stop in Gangavati, Koppal district, on February 8. The police said that the victim and her husband were quarrelling at the bus stop over a domestic dispute and as the argument intensified, the six men intervened and started thrashing the victim's husband, as per the police. Also Read | Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: Uttar Pradesh Leg of Rahul Gandhis Yatra Cut Short Due to UP Board Exams 2024. "They dragged women, thrashed her husband, and one of the accused, Lingaraja, raped her," said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gangavati, Siddalingappa Gowda Patil. "After raping her, the gang abused and allegedly harassed the victim," DCP added. The accused, identified as Lingaraja, Moula Hussain, Shivakumar Swamy, Prashanta, Mahesh, and Madesh, have been arrested by the police, he said. In a similar incident that happened a month ago, a group of men allegedly barged into the room of a lodge at Hangal in Karnataka's Haveri district and thrashed a couple for the 'crime' of being together despite practicing different faiths. As per the police, the woman later said she had been a victim of gang rape. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jhajjar (Haryana) [India], February 12 (ANI): Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya virtually addressed the 5th Foundation Day celebration of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of AIIMS Jhajjar in the presence of Christina Scott, the British Deputy High Commissioner to India. In his address at the 5th Foundation Day celebration of the National Cancer Institute of AIIMS Jhajjar, Dr Mandaviya acknowledged the remarkable progress of NCI over the last five years, attributing it to the skill and dedication of the doctors, nurses, and health workers involved in its day-to-day operations. He urged the institute to maintain its commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare to patients. Also Read | Farmers Delhi Chalo Protest: Union Ministers To Meet With Farmer Leaders in Chandigarh, Tractor-Trolleys Start From Punjab To Join March. The Union Health Minister also oversaw the signing of a Collaboration Agreement between the University of Liverpool and AIIMS New Delhi, establishing the "AIIMS Liverpool Collaborative Centre for Translational Research in Head and Neck Cancer - ALHNS." ALHNS aims to impact the care of patients with head and neck cancer by fostering joint research and education programs between the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, the University of Liverpool, and the Head and Neck Cancer Unit at AIIMS New Delhi. The collaboration also seeks to develop common standard operating procedures (SOPs) to access clinical datasets and tissue repositories from two ethnically diverse populations. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: PM Narendra Modi To Lay Foundation Stone of Shri Kalki Dham, CM Yogi Adityanath Oversees Preparations. Dr. Mandaviya emphasized the government's commitment to realizing the Prime Minister's vision of making the country "Ayushman," where healthcare facilities are affordable, accessible, and available to every citizen without discrimination based on wealth. He highlighted the success of the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and Ayushman Arogya Mandir scheme in providing family health insurance and free treatment for serious diseases to 60 crore people annually, leading to significant savings for the underprivileged. Discussing India's progress in eliminating TB by 2025 under the Prime Minister's TB Free India Campaign, Dr Mandaviya mentioned the provision of free medicines, testing, and nutrition to 25 lakh TB patients annually, with an expenditure of approximately Rs 3000 crore. Financial assistance of Rs 500 per month has also been provided to TB patients, totalling Rs 2756 crore directly into their accounts over the last 5 years. Additionally, service-minded citizens have adopted 10 lakh TB patients, distributing nutrition to them every month. The Union Health Minister also highlighted the Sickle Cell Elimination Program, involving the screening of about 7 crore people in three years and providing free medicines for sickle cell, with a government expenditure of approximately Rs 910 crore. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, Feb 12 (PTI) Top Congress leaders on Monday met at the residence of party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the names of party candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. Former party chief Sonia Gandhi and treasurer Ajay Maken are among the likely candidates, sources said. Also Read | Money Laundering Case: ED Issues Fresh Summons to National Conference President Farooq Abdullah for Questioning in JK Cricket Association Case. Gandhi is the frontrunner for the seat that will fall vacant from Himachal Pradesh after BJP chief J P Nadda's tenure ends this April. The Congress is yet to announce any candidate for the biennial elections for 56 seats from 15 states. The last date for filing nominations is February 15 and elections will be held on February 27. Also Read | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Alleges Tejashwi Yadav and RJD Leaders Were Earning Money in Illegal Manners, Says Will Initiate Probe. Gandhi is likely to be nominated by the party for the lone seat from the hill state as she is unlikely to contest the Lok Sabha this time. Gandhi had stated in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls that it was the last time she was contesting in the general elections. Among those present at Kharge's residence were Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal and party treasurer Ajay Maken. Senior party leader Mukul Wasnik was also present at the meeting. The Congress has to name candidates for election to Rajya Sabha seats from the states of Karnataka, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Tika Ram Jully urged the high command to announce Sonia Gandhi's candidature from Rajasthan. We have requested the national president and the high command to nominate Sonia Gandhi to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. If she is elected from here, all the Congress workers from the state will be very happy, the Congress leader said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 12 (ANI):In a significant update for aspiring candidates, the UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam admit card will be available for download from February 13 on the official website of the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB). This development follows the earlier release of the list of examination centers for various districts on February 10. The examination is scheduled to take place on February 17 and 18 across various districts of the state. Also Read | Ashok Chavan Resigns: Future BJP President Will Be an Ex-Congressman, Quips Shiv Sena UBT President Uddhav Thackeray. It's worth noting that on December 23, under 'Mission Rozgar', the Yogi government issued a notification for the largest police recruitment in the state's history. The youth of the state have been waiting for the recruitment of more than 60,000 vacant posts for constables in the Uttar Pradesh Police. Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) Chairperson DG Renuka Mishra stated that candidates for the UP Police Constable Recruitment Examination can download their admit cards starting February 13 by visiting the board's website, uppbpb.gov.in. Also Read | 'Mahabharat, Ramayan Are Imaginary': Convent School Teacher Suspended Over Alleged Derogatory Remarks Against Hindu Epics, PM Narendra Modi in Mangaluru. Nearly 50 lakh candidates have applied for the constables' posts in the Uttar Pradesh Police as part of a significant recruitment drive by the government and have been awaiting their admit cards. The chairperson of the board said that the recruitment board had released the list of exam centers in various districts of the state on February 10. A total of 2,385 examination centers have been established across all districts, where 48,17,441 candidates will appear for their examination. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI): The Delhi Police Crime Branch nabbed Ajay Joon, alias Babu, an active member of the Kala Jathedi-Priyavart Gang and wanted in several cases of murder, extortion and abduction after an shootout at the Shahbad dairy area, police said on Monday. "The team led by Inspector Pankaj Thakran on February 11 received concrete information about his movement and laid a trap in the area of Shahbad Dairy near Tuglaq Road, Sector 34, Rohini and intercepted him at about 3.30 am while he was going on a motorcycle," police said in a statement. Also Read | Karnataka Shocker: 21-Year-Old Woman Raped, Her Husband Beaten Up by Six Men in Koppal District; Arrested. The gangster, 33, attempted to flee when he was signalled to stop by police and also opened fire at the police. The police team retaliated in self-defence. "In the encounter, a total of nine rounds were fired. Five rounds were fired by the criminal Ajay Joon and two bullets hit the bulletproof jackets of Inspector Pankaj and head constable Amit. Four rounds were fired by the police team (two by Inspector. Pankaj Thakran and two by Head Constable Amit). Two bullets had hit the leg of the criminal, Ajay," according to a Delhi Police statement. Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: Former MLC Shahnaz Ganai Joins BJP (Watch Video). After the exchange of fire, the police team apprehended Ajay Joon and he has been shifted to the hospital for treatment. A crime team, inspected the site and retrieved one pistol, four live cartridges (three in the magazine and one in the chamber of the pistol) and one motor cycle, according to the release. "Ajay Joon, age 33, a resident of Haryana, is a dreaded criminal of the Delhi-Haryana Gangs. He is the cousin of slain gangster Surender, alias Gullar Pradhan. He has been involved in more than 15 cases of Murder, attempted murder, abduction for extortion, etc. He has been associated with the Neetu Dabodha Gang and was targeted by the Naveen Bali Gang in 2001. He was wanted in a case of attempted murder of Bahadurgarh and an armed robbery case of KN Katju Marg," police said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Banihal/Jammu, Feb 12 (PTI) Three teenage sisters were burnt to death on Monday when a fire broke out at their home in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district, officials said. The three-storey house in Dhanmasta-Tajnihal village, in Ukhral block, caught fire in the early hours of the day, they said. Also Read | India to Implement GPS-Based Toll Collection System for Smoother Highway Journeys, Know What is It and How It Will Work. The victims Bisma (18), Saika (14) and Saniya (11) were sleeping on the top floor and were unable to evacuate as the fire engulfed the entire house. Their bodies were found by personnel of the fire and emergency services, the officials said, adding that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. Also Read | Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Death Anniversary 2024 Date, Significance and History: Know All About the Co-Founder of BJPs Predecessor Bharatiya Jana Sangh. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) During the week-long Tet Lunar New Year holiday, Hoang Ninh, 27, from the northern Bac Giang province, was arranged by her parents to have three matchmaking meetings at home. On normal days, she could have excused herself as being sick or on a business trip to avoid meeting and exchanging contact details with these unfamiliar men. However, staying at home during the Tet holiday, which lasts from Feb. 8-14, 2024, forced Ninh to comply. After the matchmaking sessions, her mother went on urging her to take the initiative to text the men she met, all of whom had stable jobs, good looks, and came from reputable families. "My precious holiday days turned into awkward meetings," said Ninh. "I didnt want to open up [to the men] if forced, so I only planned to meet them once." Hoang Ninh on a coffee outing with friends in Hanoi in early-2024. Photo courtesy of Ninh Many single youths in Vietnam could not escape similar matchmaking sessions arranged by their families who they came to visit during the Lunar New Year. Since turning 30, Nhat Anh from the northern province of Nghe An, who is working as a technician in Ho Chi Minh City, has been constantly set up by his parents and relatives whenever he returns home. Over Tet 2023, he was tasked with taking his mother to offer Tet greetings. Every family they visited had unmarried daughters between two and five years younger than him. Besides feeling embarrassed, Anh said many of the introduced women were not compatible with his personality, lifestyle, or educational level. He thus chose not to contact them afterwards to avoid wasting both parties time. "Even if we matched in every way, if she worked in Nghe An, I still refused because I could not give up my career [in Ho Chi Minh City] to move back home," he said. "And it was uncertain if she would agree to move to Ho Chi Minh City with me." This is also why he prefers to find a woman who worked in the same field in Ho Chi Minh City and with similar life views for marriage, rather than following his parents arrangements. Ninh and Anh are among the 31% of people who dislike being set up, according to a recent VnExpress survey. Only 20% of survey participants see it as an opportunity to find a life partner. According to Vu Thu Huong, former lecturer at Hanoi National University of Education, the phenomenon of "being set up" is quite common, stemming from parents anxiety about their unmarried children, especially in the context of the increasing rate of single people in Vietnam. Statistics from the General Statistics Office show that the average age for people to marry for the first time in Vietnam in 2021 was 26.2, 0.5 years higher than that in 2020. The figure was 26.9 years by 2022. Experts predict that by 2034, there will be 1.5 million men facing the risk of not being able to find a wife, and by 2050, the number will rise to 4 million. Afraid that her son would "remain single forever," Anhs 65-year-old mother Kim Ly actively sought a daughter-in-law. She also repeatedly confided and persuaded Anh to find a girlfriend, but to no avail. Seeing Tet as a suitable time, Ly and her husband made a list of families with unmarried daughters in the village to connect in advance. "Sneakily arranging matches for my son is not joyful," she said. "But I have to try because if he is left to his own devices, he might still be single at 40-50 years old, while we parents are getting older." Psychologist Nguyen Thi Minh, a lecturer at the National Academy of Public Administration in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the phenomenon of being urged to marry and start a family is not new, and was even harsher in previous generations. However, as young people become more proactive and independent, influenced by exposure to cultural elements from other countries, the urging from parents and those around them is seen as outdated and backward. Experts believe that young people today face more pressure as unemployment rates rise while daily expenses increase. Many among them are also forced to work overtime, leaving them wishing for time to rest and recover energy instead of being forced into matchmaking. "In many cases, young people may develop feelings of discomfort, stress, fatigue, conflict with relatives, or reluctance to return home for Tet," said Huong. Dr. Nguyen Duc Loc, founder and head of the Social Life Research Institute, said that the tendency to avoid Tet has been common among young people in the past five years. Though there is no specific survey on this phenomenon yet, the expert believes it often affects young people over 25. "This is the age that starts to be affected by expectations about marriage, incomes, and other economic pressure whenever Tet approaches," he said, "causing them to feel fearful and seek ways to avoid the entire holiday." Ninh has gotten exhausted and is now looking for every excuse to escape after being constantly arranged matchmaking sessions at home. She finds reasons to not be at home from morning until late at night, waiting until the Tet holiday ends so that she could return to Hanoi. Tired of constantly going on arranged dates, Anh shared his thoughts with his mother. But instead of receiving empathy, he ended up arguing with her. "My mother was mad when I refused to marry and told her I would not come home [if she kept doing so]," he said. "After a year of working, I hoped to return home to have a rest, but I had to think of a thousand ways to avoid matchmaking until I was exhausted." Having been in a similar situation, Thanh Tam, 29, from the northern Thanh Hoa Province, chose to travel during Tet 2024 instead of returning to her hometown. This gave Tam more time for herself. She told her parents that she would eventually marry but had not yet found the right person. To prevent young people fearing returning home or conflicting with their parents, Huong advises families to consider suitable "matchmaking" methods. Parents should openly express their desire to introduce a young man or woman to their children but always respect their childrens decisions. Meanwhile, he said that young people should actively communicate and express their thoughts to their parents instead of maintaining a negative attitude because parents only want the best for their children. "Matchmaking is not bad but needs to be done at the right time and under the right circumstances," Huong said. "Theres nothing more complete than being reunited with family on the first days of the new year and luckily finding a life partner." Ngoc Linh, 27, from the northern city of Hai Phong, recently married to a man three years her senior she met through her parents. Finding many common points and compatibility in their personalities, the two got married after eight months of getting to know each other. Streaks of Light Seen in California. (Photo Credits: Video Grab) New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met ASEAN Secretary General, Kao Kim Hourn in Delhi. The two leaders, as they met, discussed connectivity, food security and trade. Also Read | Alaskapox Claims Life in US: Man Becomes First-Ever Victim of Rare Illness in Alaska, Know Everything About Virus. In a post on social media platform X, the EAM wrote, "Pleased to meet Secretary General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn of ASEAN today morning." "Discussed taking forward our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Our agenda focused on connectivity, food security and trade," he added. Also Read | Israel-Hamas War: IDF Successfully Liberates Two Argentinian Hostages from Gazas Rafah. ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn arrived in Delhi on Sunday evening, kicking off his five-day visit to India. This is Kao Kim Hourn's first official visit to India since assuming office in January 2023, spanning from February 11 to 15. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, stated, "A warm welcome to @ASEAN Secretary-General @hourn_kao on his first official visit to India. An opportunity to further strengthen the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership." Students from ASEAN Member States pursue higher education at the University under ASEAN-India cooperation projects. Nalanda University also leads the ASEAN-India Network of Universities (AINU), according to MEA. In the press release, MEA stated, "Engagement with ASEAN is an important pillar of India's Act East Policy, which has entered into its 10th year in 2024, as well as its vision for the wider Indo-Pacific. In 2022, the ASEAN-India relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership." "India firmly supports ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). India also supports the priorities set by Lao PDR in its ASEAN Chairmanship for the year 2024 under the theme 'ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience'," it added. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday expressed gratitude towards the Emir of Qatar for facilitating the release of eight Indian ex-Navy veterans from Qatar. The Minister of State for MEA, Meenakshi Lekhi, acknowledged the pivotal role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this endeavor. While speaking to ANI, Minister of State for MEA Meenakashi Lekhi says, "The intervention of the Prime Minister helped. I am grateful & thankful to the Emir of Qatar that this has been made possible. The release of Indians & them joining their families after a substantive period of time brings happiness to all Indians..." Also Read | Alaskapox Claims Life in US: Man Becomes First-Ever Victim of Rare Illness in Alaska, Know Everything About Virus. The release of the Indian ex-Navy personnel marks a moment of happiness for the nation, as they are reunited with their loved ones. The MEA's statement underscores the importance of diplomatic efforts in resolving such matters and highlights the significance of international cooperation in ensuring the welfare of citizens. Also Read | Israel-Hamas War: IDF Successfully Liberates Two Argentinian Hostages from Gazas Rafah. The swift action and collaborative approach between India and Qatar exemplify the strength of bilateral relations and the commitment to humanitarian principles. The release of the veterans signifies a positive outcome amidst challenging circumstances, bringing relief and joy to all concerned parties. The Ministry of External Affairs announced early Monday morning the release of the Indian nationals who were detained in Qatar. "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and homecoming of these nationals," the statement said. The men--Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal and Sailor Ragesh--were detained in August 2022. On December 28, 2023, Qatar's Court of Appeal commuted the death penalty awarded to all eight men in October 2023. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Muzaffarabad [PoK], February 12 (ANI): The United Kashmir People's National Party organised a rally against the government in Muzaffarabad against injustices and poor living conditions. The protesters demanding free electricity, subsidies on flour, wheat, and essential food items, and ownership of natural resources. Also Read | US: Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin Remains Hospitalised, Will Not Travel to Brussels for Ukraine, NATO Meetings. "Whenever we protest against the injustice, we are called foreign-funded agents. The rulers are enjoying facilities from our taxes and they are making allegations against us only. I want to say to rulers that if they cannot give us the basic rights, then they have no rights to indulge in debauchery" a demonstrator at the rally said. Earlier, the UKPNP had rejected the Kashmir Solidarity Day while holding discussions on People's Rights Day. The party extended its full support to Awami Action Committee which has been raising its voice in Gilgit-Baltistan against injustice. Also Read | Pakistan Election Results 2024: Nawaz Sharif Still in the Race for the Prime Ministerial Slot, Say PML-N Leaders. UKPNP also held a seminar on February 11 in Torino which was titled "Strategic Perspectives: Current Situation & Realities and Future Prospects. Aspirations & Solutions in Pakistani occupied territories of Jammu Kashmir." In the seminar, the party discussed the terrorist infrastructure of the PoK while demanding their dismantling. In the seminar, the participants attacked the tactics and strategies of Pakistan. Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, the founder of the UKPNP said, "Without peace, you cannot educate your children. Without peace you cannot give honour to your people. If you will glorify the acts of gunmen, then they will rule the region, they will become the decision maker." Earlier on Saturday, a massive protest erupted in Muzaffarabad city where people protested against miserable living conditions in the region. A noted political activist, Toqeer Gilani, accused Pakistan of "betraying" the people of PoK compelling them to live a "miserable life." A video went viral on several social media platforms, showing people from the PoK region coming raising with concerns that have remained unfulfilled for long. In the viral video, Gilani can be seen addressing the people. "The leaders of Pakistan today have become ignorant; they have stopped listening to our demands and are making us beg for our rights. For over 70 years, the leaders of POK have not been able to feed our people. They are not able to give us a bag of flour," he said. Gilani further stated that "We unitedly stand here today to judge whether our leader has fulfilled their promises or not. No one who does not stand in solidarity with your intentions can be called a friend or a leader or even a supporter. Anyone who stands before you and says that 'the government of Pakistan stands with you and the army of Pakistan will fight for you and your rights' is fooling you and is nothing more than a con". "Every day, we see how the administration and the Pakistani army are demeaning our demands and how they are arresting our activists and leaders, ultimately suppressing our voice for justice. We see every day how the security agencies are insulting our mothers and sisters. We see how the powerful people of this country are hurting people by orchestrating several bomb blasts in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and suppressing the demands of the poor people of Punjab province" he added. Gilani in the video also mentioned, "The people of PoK today need to rise and fight for their own rights as the government is not ready to give them their rights. And the atrocities upon us have been continuing for several years now. They keep making claims over what they have given us over the period, but our situation has not improved at all." Meanwhile, POK is regularly witnessing protests by the general public, who are demanding their rights by presenting a unified front against the regime. Recently, the people of POK were successful in compelling the authorities to suspend tax collection after heavy protests. But as soon as the sit-in organised by the people of POK was taken back, the authorities started to ignore the accepted agreement. However, the leaders of the protest from the Awami Action Committee have warned the authorities that the protest will be reinitiated if no substantial action is taken on the previously accepted demands of the people. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Islamabad, Feb 12 (PTI) The number of rejected ballots was greater than the margin of victory in at least 24 National Assembly constituencies, according to an interesting statistical nugget from Pakistan's recent general elections. The difference potentially opens doors for legal battles as several losing candidates have flooded the courts with petitions to review the results. Also Read | Pakistan Election Results 2024: Imran Khans PTI Rules Out Alliance With PML(N), PPP; To Join Hands With Another Party. According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, 22 constituencies with a greater number of rejected votes than the margin of victory fell in Punjab, with one each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh province. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the electoral race in 13 of these constituencies, five were claimed by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), four by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independents and two by other independents. Also Read | Israel Rescues 2 Hostages From Gazas Rafah in Overnight Operation: Live Breaking News Headlines & Updates, February 12, 2024. Going by their numerical strength, both the PML-N and the PPP are in a position to form a coalition government in the Centre. However, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif announced that all parties except PTI should join hands in the upcoming coalition set-up. According to the results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) till Sunday, of the total 265 National Assembly seats, PTI-backed Independents bagged 93 seats, followed by PML-N at 73, PPP at 54, MQM at 17 and others at 19. The highest number of rejected votes was in the NA-59 (Talagang-cum-Chakwal) area of Punjab where Sardar Ghulam Abbas of PML-N secured 141,680 votes against his closest rival PTI-backed Muhammad Ruman Ahmad, who got 129,716 votes. The margin of victory was 11,964 while the number of ballot papers rejected was 24,547. It was followed by NA-213 Umerkot (17,571 ballots). The lowest number of ballots excluded are reported from NA-236 Karachi East-II (51 ballots). In total, around two million ballot papers have been excluded from the count from the 265 National Assembly constituencies. As many as four constituencies have more than 15,000 excluded ballots each. Another 21 constituencies have excluded 10,000 to 15,000 ballots. A large number of constituencies (137) reported excluded votes in the range of 5,000 to 10,000. A total of 67 constituencies have reported fewer than 5,000 but greater than 1,000 excluded ballots. Only six constituencies have reported fewer than 1,000 excluded ballots each. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 12 (ANI): Hundreds of Tibetans in exile gathered to participate in a circle dance in the North Indian hill town of Dharamshala. It's the second day of Losar, the Tibetan New Year and they celebrate it for three days. However, in some regions, Tibetan people celebrate Losar for 15 days. It is a festival for all Tibetans across the world where they come together, offer prayers, perform group dance and rituals. Also Read | Pakistan Election Results 2024: Nawaz Sharif Still in the Race for the Prime Ministerial Slot, Say PML-N Leaders. Many Tibetans, mostly in traditional dresses, participate in a group dance in McLeodganj to celebrate the second day of their new year here today. They are celebrating the 2151 'Dragon Wood' year according to the Tibetan lunar calendar. Also Read | PM Modi Qatar Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi To Travel to Doha on February 14, Will Hold Bilateral Meeting With Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Polam Dolma, an exile Tibetan lady, said, "It is the second day of Losar, the Tibetan new year and here we are participating in a circle dance so many people have joined with our traditional clothes. So I am very happy and excited and this year the celebrations are more happening as compared to last years and more people have joined." Another Tibetan lady, Tenzin Youdon, said, "We are dancing on our traditional songs and usually we dance on Wednesday as his holiness the Dalain Lama was born on Wednesday and we call it Lhakar so today it's not Lhakar but it's the second day of Losar and we are here to dance and I am very excited and happy. I love dancing. It's saddening that we are not together with our brothers and sisters who live inside Tibet but I hope we will get a chance, get a time to celebrate Losar together someday." Thubten Jigme, a Tibetan in-exile, said, "All Tibetans are celebrating the occasion with great joy here in Dharamshala. Actually, in Tibet, our own culture is not allowed but it's good here people are enjoying themselves and are all very happy. We are enjoying freedom in India but there are lot of restrictions in Tibet." (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dharamshala [India], February 12 (ANI): Hundreds of Tibetans in exile gathered to participate in a circle dance in the North Indian hill town of Dharamshala on Sunday to celebrate the second day of Losar, the Tibetan New Year. The celebrations go on for three days, but in some regions, Tibetan people celebrate Losar for fifteen days. It's like a festival for all Tibetans across the world, where they come together, offer prayers, perform group dances, and do their rituals. Also Read | Abu Dhabi: 'Yajna' for Harmony Held at BAPS Hindu Temple Ahead of Inauguration by PM Narendra Modi. Many Tibetans, mostly in traditional dresses, participated in a group dance in McLeodganj to celebrate the second day of their Tibetan new year- 2151, 'Dragon Wood' year according to the Tibetan lunar calendar. Participating in the celebrations, an exile Tibetan woman, celePolam Dolma, said, "It is the second day of Losar, the Tibetan New Year and here we are participating in a circle dance, enabling many people to join our traditional clothes. So I am very happy and excited and this year the celebrations are more happening as compared to last years and more people have joined." Also Read | BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi Represents Connection Between Bharat and Gulf, Says Indian Envoy to UAE Sunjay Sudhir (Watch Video). Tenzin Youdon, another Tibetan woman, said, "we are dancing on our traditional songs and usually we dance on Wednesday as his holiness the DalainLama was born on Wednesday and we call it Lhakar so today it's not Lhakar but it's the second day of Losar and we are here to dance and I am very excited and happy. I love dancing. It's saddening that we are not together with our brothers and sisters who live inside Tibet but I hope we will get a chance, get a time to celebrate Losar together someday." Additionally, Thubten Jigme, a Tibetan in-exile, said, "All Tibetans are celebrating the occasion with great joy here in Dharamshala. Actually in Tibet, our own culture is not allowed but it's good here people are enjoying and all very happy. We are enjoying freedom in India but there are lot of restrictions in Tibet." On Saturday, the Tibetan monks in the Dorjidak Monastery offered special prayers for world peace and the long life of their spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, on the occasion. Spiritual leader Dalai Lama also extended his Losar wishes to Tibetans and posted a message on his social media handle. Taking to X, the Dalai Lama in a video posted, "I would like to wish my fellow Tibetans, both inside Tibet and those in exile, a happy new year this Losar. Tashi Delek to all of you." "Despite undergoing great difficulties in exile and living under a powerful Communist Chinese regime, the faith and aspiration of our people, the majority of whom are inside Tibet, have remained undiminished while I have been the leader," he said. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Dubai [UAE], February 12 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, praised the exceptional participation and worldwide attention garnered by the World Governments Summit (WGS), commending its commitment to addressing "issues serving humanity." Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit, which kicked off in Dubai earlier today, Sheikh Nahyan lauded the summit's emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting its potential to safeguard communities against emerging technologies. Also Read | Bird Flu Outbreak in Japan: Authorities Culls 14,000 Birds in Southern Japan After Avian Flu Outbreak. He reiterated the substantial and extensive presence at the 2024 summit, featuring a wide range of programmes and discussions to benefit the UAE and the global community. These efforts aim to foster connections and facilitate the signing of agreements between governments and companies to drive further development across various sectors. Sheikh Nahyan reaffirmed the WGS's role as a platform to enhance cooperation among governments, civil society, and the private sector, fostering exchanging ideas and innovation to address global challenges effectively. Also Read | US Shocker: Couple Lock 6-Year-Old Daughter in Dog Crate, Feed Her Dog Food in Georgia; Arrested. The WGS 2024 focuses on six main themes: government acceleration and transformation, artificial intelligence and the next frontiers, reimagining development and future economies, future societies and education, sustainability and the new global shifts, and urbanisation and global health priorities. (ANI/WAM) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, February 12: Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday ruled out any review of the central bank's action against Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL), saying the decision was taken after a comprehensive assessment of the functioning of the lender. In a major action against Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL), RBI, on January 31, directed it to stop accepting deposits or top-ups in any customer accounts, wallets, FASTTags and other instruments after February 29. "At the moment let me say very clearly there is no review of this (PPBL) decision. If your are expecting a review of the decision, let me very clearly say there is (going to be) no review of the decision," Das said at a press conference after the 606th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India. The meeting was addressed by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The governor said any decision against entities regulated by the RBI is taken after a comprehensive assessment. Manju Agarwal Resigns From Post of Director of Paytm Payments Bank Due to Personal Commitments While emphasising that RBI is supportive of the fintech sector, Das said it is also committed to protect the interest of customers as well as ensure financial stability. The central bank is expected to soon issue a set of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on the Paytm matter this week. While announcing the action against PPBL, the RBI had said the direction follows persistent non-compliances and continued material supervisory concerns. Earlier on March 11, 2022, the RBI had barred PPBL from onboarding new customers with immediate effect. In its latest action, RBI has asked the Paytm Payments Bank not to take deposits/ credit transactions/top-ups in any customer accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, FASTags, and NCMC cards, among others after February 29, 2024. However, the central bank has allowed credit of interest, cashbacks, or refunds even beyond February 29. Further, withdrawal or utilisation of balances by PPBL customers from their accounts, including savings bank accounts, current accounts, prepaid instruments, FASTags, and National Common Mobility Cards are permitted without any restrictions, up to their available balance. Paytm RBI Ban: Government Confirms No Investigation or Systemic Stability Concerns, Says Report RBI also directed termination of the 'nodal accounts' of One97 Communications Ltd. One97 Communications, which owns Paytm brand, holds a 49 per cent stake in Paytm Payments Bank Limited but classifies it as an associate of the company and not as a subsidiary. Mumbai, February 12: The exit of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan from the Congress triggered strong reactions from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance on Monday. In a strong attack, Shiv Sena-UBT President and former CM Uddhav Thackeray said first the Bharatiya Janata Party broke up the Shiv Sena, then the Nationalist Congress Party, now the Congress. "The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi make claims of 400-plus (in 2024 Lok Sabha polls), but this proves they have no confidence of even going 40-plus, thats why they are taking people from all other parties. Now so many people from Congress are in the BJP that after a few years, a BJP President may be an ex-Congressman," he said. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar hinted at Chavan facing some probe that may have prompted him to quit the party. Ashok Chavan Resigns From Congress: Former Maharashtra CM Dumps Grand Old Party; Likely To Join BJP, Say Reports "We have been hearing that some investigators were after him, but nothing more developed later He would know" the Congress leader said, admitting that it was a shocking setback for the party, while strongly refuting BJPs claims that he (Wadettiwar) would be next to quit the Congress. Nationalist Congress Party-SP MLA Rohit R. Pawar lamented that when there is a real need to fight for ideology today, senior leaders abandoning their ideology for which they fought all their lives to join the BJP is unfortunate. "Since the sessions of alliance with BJP will continue, the next battle for identity and ideology will have to be fought by the common masses, and the people are ready for it," he said. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar said that "the BJP can break any number of parties or leaders, but Maharashtra will defeat it in the next elections. The Marathi voter doesnt approve of the BJP now". In a jibe, SS-UBTs MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that the Adarsh Society scam, the MSC Bank scam or the Maharashtra Sadan scam are no more scams as those scamsters are now part of the BJP. "It isnt a Congress-Mukt Bharat, but a Congress-Yukt BJP The khichdi cooked in Maharashtra will give stomach poisoning to those cooking and eating it, a matter of time," she claimed. Shiv Sena-UBT Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said it was unbelievable that Ashok Chavan, who till yesterday was together and holding discussions with the MVA, is gone today. Ashok Chavan Joining BJP? 'Will Tell You in 48 Hours', Says Former Congress Leader (Watch Video) "Like Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, will Chavan also claim the Congress now and get the Hand symbol? Will the Election Commission of India oblige? Anything can happen in this country now," he wondered. Congress ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan said Chavans departure was a big blow to the party, but assured that no other leaders or legislators have left. "We are in touch with all our people So far, we have not heard of any such plans, as claimed," he contended. Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said: "We dont have frontal organisations like the ED, CBI, ITD to 'coordinate' with senior leaders But in the upcoming Lok Sabha, the people will teach the BJP a lesson." VBAs chief spokesperson Siddharth Mokle said that "the leaders who maligned the VBA as the BJPs B-Team have now themselves become the BJPs A-Team!" Others who reacted included Congress Balasaheb Thorat, SS-UBTs Leader of Opposition in the Council) Ambadas Dave, NCP-SPs national spokesperson Clyde Crasto, ruling Shiv Senas Ramdas Kadam. On the other hand, BJPs state President Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that "anybody who accepts our ideology is welcome to join us", and said many leaders from all over the state will soon troop into the party. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, in a telling comment, quipped: "Aage aage dekho, hota hai kya (wait and watch what happens ahead)." Other BJP leaders claimed that over a dozen Congress MLAs are likely to switch sides in the coming days, but Ashok Chavan denied all such contentions, stating that he has not spoke to any leader. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 12, 2024 10:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Every year, World Radio Day is celebrated on February 13 to celebrate radio as a powerful medium of communication. The International Day aims to promote access to information, freedom of expression, and cultural diversity through radio broadcasting. This day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2011, and it has been observed each year since. Each year, World Radio Day has a specific theme to focus on a particular aspect of radio's potential. This year, the World Radio Day 2024 theme is Radio: A century informing, entertaining and educating. As World Radio Day 2024 nears, heres all you need to know about the history and significance of the day. February 2024 Holidays Calendar: List of Major Festivals and Events in the Second Month of the Year. World Radio Day 2024 Date and Theme World Radio Day is celebrated on February 13. World Radio Day 2024 theme is Radio: A century informing, entertaining and educating. World Radio Day History World Radio Day was decided by UNESCO on November 3, 2011, during its 36th conference. As per historical records, the day was proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2012 as a UN International Day. Since then, February 13 became World Radio Day (WRD). The date February 13 is also the anniversary of the day that the United Nations established the United Nations Radio in 1946. The UNESCO adopted the resolution contained in file 36 C/63, following which World Radio Day was thus unanimously proclaimed by all Member States of UNESCO in November 2011. World Radio Day Significance World Radio Day recognises the unique role that radio plays in reaching diverse communities around the world and its ability to convey information. The International Day serves as a reminder of the power of radio to connect people, share information, and promote understanding across cultures. It recognises the role of radio as a medium that continues to play a crucial role in shaping public opinion. On this day, Organisations, broadcasters, and communities around the world organise various events, including radio shows, panel discussions, and outreach activities, to celebrate the day and raise awareness about the importance of radio in people's lives. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 12, 2024 05:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). At a recent UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security, cynically called by Russia, UN Under Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said that since February 2022, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported 30,041 civilian casualties in Ukraine, with 10,382 killed, including 579 children. She noted that the number of civilian casualties significantly increased in December and January. Robert Wood, U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs, said the United States laments all civilian casualties and expresses its sincerest condolences to the families of any civilians killed. Though there is much we dont know, we do know this: the Kremlin bears full responsibility for the unconscionable death and destruction brought about as a consequence of Putins war of aggression against Ukraine, in violation of the UN Charter. Russian forces invaded a peaceful neighbor and continue their relentless attacks against Ukraine, he said. Ambassador Wood noted that investigators associated with the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine continue their heroic efforts to document and investigate all alleged violations and abuses of human rights near the frontlines and in formerly occupied areas. This reporting has painted a brutal, blood-soaked image of civilian suffering and unspeakable atrocities committed by Russian forces in Bucha and many other places, he said. We must remember, said Ambassador Wood, that Russia alone started this war, and its aggression against Ukraine is a blatant violation of the UN Charter and of Ukraines territorial integrity. Even as we sit here, Russia continues to flout international law as it doubles down on its violations of the UN arms embargo on the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, he said. Russia and the DPRK must be held accountable for their actions which undermine longstanding obligations under UN Security council resolutions. Russia, said Ambassador Wood, is the only aggressor in this war and the only one that could end this war today. The United States, he declared, renews our calls for Russia to immediately withdraw its forces from Ukraines internationally recognized borders, cease its unlawful procurement of arms and materiel from the DPRK, and meet its responsibilities as a member of this Council. A Delhi court on Monday granted three-day interim bail to senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, arrested in the alleged excise policy "scam", to attend his niece's wedding. New Delhi, February 12: Lack of resources, routine aspects of the role, increased level of pressure from the board, and others are the reasons causing 83 per cent of Indian cybersecurity and IT professionals burnout and fatigue issues, a new report said on Monday. According to the cybersecurity firm Sophos, stress and burnout were directly attributed as a cause of cybersecurity and IT professional resignations in 33 per cent of companies in India. Organisations also reported that 31 per cent of cybersecurity or IT employees had "moved on" from their roles due to stress or burnout. "Burnout and fatigue are undermining these areas and organisations need to step up to provide the right support to employees especially when, according to our research, 25 per cent of Indian respondents identified that cybersecurity burnout or fatigue contributed to, or was directly responsible for, a cybersecurity breach," said Aaron Bugal, field CTO at Sophos. AI for Hackers: 50% People Believe Artificial Intelligence Will Enable Hackers To Launch More Attacks, Says Report. The report included a total of 919 responses captured from Australia (204 companies), India (202), Japan (204), Malaysia (104), The Philippines (103) and Singapore (102). Moreover, the report revealed that burnout is felt across almost all aspects of cybersecurity operations, with 93 per cent saying that feelings of burnout increased in the last 12 months, the highest across the Asia Pacific and Japan. In addition, 25 per cent identified that cybersecurity burnout or fatigue contributed to, or was directly responsible for, a cybersecurity breach and 22 per cent of companies experienced slower than average response times to cybersecurity incidents. Central Government Blocks About 1.4 Lakh Mobile Handsets Linked to Cybercrime, Financial Frauds. "Boards and executive committees need to drive change and demand responsibility from their deputised charges, in essence for better governance around cyber approaches," Bugal said. Further, the report mentioned that about 48 per cent felt heightened levels of anxiety if subject to a breach or attack. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 12, 2024 04:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, February 12: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a petition against mobile application Truecaller, which provides users with the identity of a caller from an unknown number. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said that services like providing names and emails of phone numbers are a facility, citing the historical practice of publishing telephone directories with names and phone numbers. It was the petitioner Ajay Shukla's case that Trucaller violates privacy by providing information related to third parties without their consent. To this, the court said that this service is akin to a modern-day equivalent of traditional phone directories. Shukla's counsel argued that the app reads a user's phonebook and discloses information about individuals who have not consented to its terms and conditions, potentially causing reputational damage. UPI Payment Services Launched in Sri Lanka, Mauritius During Virtual Ceremony Attended by PM Narendra Modi and Leaders of Two Islands. However, the defence countered that the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) PIL amounted to "publicity interest litigation", noting that Shukla had previously approached the Supreme Court with the same plea, which was dismissed without granting him the liberty to approach the high court. Google Announces USD 26.98 Million Funding To Boost Artificial Intelligence Training and Skills for People Across Europe. Examining the Supreme Court's order, the high court also found that the petitioner had not disclosed the prior proceedings in their writ petition, leading it to characterise the petition as re-litigation and potentially an abuse of process. Hence, it dismissed the PIL against Truecaller. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 12, 2024 04:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). On 9 February Guyanas Foreign Ministertold the foreign media that the deployment of Venezuelan troops and military assets to the border of the disputed Essequibo region reflect inconsistencies between Venezuelas diplomatic and military posture. End of preview - This article contains approximately 407 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 11 February active service army colonelwas arrested at Brasilias international airport, on his return to Brazil from the US. End of preview - This article contains approximately 400 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options A famous megachurch in Houston, Texas, Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, was the site of a shooting, resulting in the death of one woman and the wounding of two people, including one child. This happened last Sunday afternoon, between church services. The shooting incident happened when a woman in a trench coat entered the famous Houston megachurch with a long rifle and backpack. She came with a young child who was around 4 or 5 years old before she started shooting that long rifle inside the megachurch, hitting one male churchgoer. However, there were two off-duty officers inside Joel Osteen's church when she started shooting. They shot back, hitting her, as well as the young child. The woman was killed on the site, but the child survived but is reportedly in critical condition and was taken to a nearby medical facility. Celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church is regularly attended by 45,000 people every week, according to the Associated Press. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research considers it the third-largest megachurch in the United States, and his televised sermons from that very Houston megachurch are broadcast in around 100 countries. "She had a long gun, and it could have been a lot worse," said Houston Police Chief Troy Finner during a press conference. He confirmed that the shooter had been killed on the spot. Joel Osteen himself agreed with the police, stating that the incident would have been much worse if it had happened during the larger 11 AM Sunday service, adding that they are devastated and he would pray for the victims and their families. READ MORE: Texas Promises To Continue Placing Razor Wire Along US-Mexico Border Despite Supreme Court Ruling Joel Osteen Church Shooting Happened While People Were Arriving for Spanish Service Houston Police Chief Troy Finner also revealed that the blame for the child being wounded fell on the woman because she brought him while planning to shoot up the Joel Osteen church. He also added that they "believe the shooting was an isolated incident and there is no further danger to the public." The woman's attack happened in a city with a sizeable Latino community, and her attack happened as people were arriving for Spanish language service, according to NBC News. The woman's identity has not yet been revealed to the public, but Chief Finner described her as being in her early 30s. Police are still investigating her motive, but she also threatened that she had a bomb and sprayed an unknown substance as first responders arrived. Texas Governor Greg Abbott Reacts to Joel Osteen Church Shooting Soon after the Joel Osteen Church shooting, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement, saying, "Our hearts are with those impacted by today's tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred." The governor, who had previously been slammed for doing nothing after the Uvalde School Shooting tragedy, added that he is currently in contact with local and state officials so that he could "help this community and help bring swift justice to the criminal who committed this heinous act." READ MORE: Mexico Finds Another Dead Body Near Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's Floating Barriers This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Joel Osteen speaks after shooting at his Lakewood megachurch. - KPRC 2 Click2Houston In a recent rally in Conway, South Carolina, former President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on foreign aid and long-standing international alliances, particularly NATO. Trump asserted that during his presidency, he warned NATO allies that he "would encourage" Russia to act freely against countries deemed "delinquent" in meeting defense spending targets, AP reports. This revelation has triggered a wave of reactions, with NATO's leader expressing concerns over potential security risks and global leaders condemning Trump NATO remarks. Speaking at the rally, Trump recounted a previous encounter with an unidentified NATO member who confronted him over his threat not to defend nations failing to meet the alliance's defense spending goals. Trump went further this time, stating that he would "encourage" Russia to act as it wishes in such cases, emphasizing the importance of financial contributions to the alliance. "'You didn't pay? You're delinquent?'" Trump recounted saying. "'No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.'" READ NEXT: Donald Trump Fraud Trial Global Leaders Respond to Trump NATO Remarks Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO chief, swiftly responded to Trump's comments, emphasizing that any attack on the alliance would face a "united and forceful response," The Guardian noted. Stoltenberg expressed concern that Trump's suggestion, where NATO members failing to meet financial commitments could be left defenseless, undermines the security of both American and European forces. He reaffirmed NATO's readiness to defend all its allies while expressing optimism that the United States would continue its commitment to the alliance, regardless of the presidential election outcome. Global leaders condemned Trump NATO remarks, considering them a threat to NATO's solidarity. The White House labeled the comments as "appalling and unhinged." Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Polish defense minister, stressed that the principle of "one for all, all for one" was a firm commitment within NATO. European Council President Charles Michel criticized Trump's "reckless statements," asserting that they only served the interests of Russia President Vladimir Putin and called for strengthening the European Union's strategic autonomy and defense capabilities. EU internal market commissioner Thierry Breton dismissed Trump's comments as nothing new, emphasizing the need for the EU to enhance its military spending and sovereignty. He corrected Trump's account of the NATO meeting, clarifying that it was a discussion with the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, not a female NATO leader, as Trump claimed. Peter Ricketts, a member of the House of Lords and former permanent representative to NATO in Brussels, questioned the credibility of Trump's narrative, stating it was unlikely for a European country's president to make such a request. Jan Lipavsky, the Czech Republic's minister for foreign affairs, highlighted NATO's current strong position, emphasizing increased defense budgets and acquiring new capabilities to address contemporary threats. GOP Senator Marco Rubio Defended Donald Trump GOP Senator Marco Rubio defended Trump's comments, arguing that the former president's unconventional communication style needed interpretation, per CNN. "That's not what happened, and that's not how I view that statement," the Florida Republican argued Sunday on State of the Union. Rubio insisted that Trump did not actually withdraw the US from NATO during his presidency, despite private threats of withdrawal. Rubio, who recently sponsored legislation requiring congressional approval for a NATO withdrawal, portrayed Trump's statements as reflections on an anecdote and claimed that other American presidents had similar concerns about alliance contributions. Donald Trump's assertions about NATO funding were debunked, as the 2% of GDP spending guideline is not a binding contract, and member countries do not accumulate "bills." Rubio defended Donald Trump NATO remarks, suggesting that the former president was recounting an anecdote from his presidency. Rubio, who recently advocated for legislation requiring Congressional approval for a US withdrawal from NATO, stated that grievances about inadequate contributions to the alliance have been expressed by numerous American presidents. "Trump's just the first one to express it in these terms," said Rubio, who is vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. READ MORE: Joe Biden Gaffe This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: White House responds to what Trump said about NATO countries and Russia - From CNN A famous megachurch in Houston, Texas, Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, was the site of a shooting, resulting in the death of one woman and the wounding of two people, including one child. This happened last Sunday afternoon, between church services. The shooting incident happened when a woman in a trench coat entered the famous Houston megachurch with a long rifle and backpack. She came with a young child who was around 4 or 5 years old before she started shooting that long rifle inside the megachurch, hitting one male churchgoer. However, there were two off-duty officers inside Joel Osteen's church when she started shooting. They shot back, hitting her, as well as the young child. The woman was killed on the site, but the child survived but is reportedly in critical condition and was taken to a nearby medical facility. Celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church is regularly attended by 45,000 people every week, according to the Associated Press. The Hartford Institute for Religion Research considers it the third-largest megachurch in the United States, and his televised sermons from that very Houston megachurch are broadcast in around 100 countries. "She had a long gun, and it could have been a lot worse," said Houston Police Chief Troy Finner during a press conference. He confirmed that the shooter had been killed on the spot. Joel Osteen himself agreed with the police, stating that the incident would have been much worse if it had happened during the larger 11 AM Sunday service, adding that they are devastated and he would pray for the victims and their families. READ MORE: Texas Promises To Continue Placing Razor Wire Along US-Mexico Border Despite Supreme Court Ruling Joel Osteen Church Shooting Happened While People Were Arriving for Spanish Service Houston Police Chief Troy Finner also revealed that the blame for the child being wounded fell on the woman because she brought him while planning to shoot up the Joel Osteen church. He also added that they "believe the shooting was an isolated incident and there is no further danger to the public." The woman's attack happened in a city with a sizeable Latino community, and her attack happened as people were arriving for Spanish language service, according to NBC News. The woman's identity has not yet been revealed to the public, but Chief Finner described her as being in her early 30s. Police are still investigating her motive, but she also threatened that she had a bomb and sprayed an unknown substance as first responders arrived. Texas Governor Greg Abbott Reacts To Joel Osteen Church Shooting Soon after the Joel Osteen Church shooting, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement, saying, "Our hearts are with those impacted by today's tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred." The governor, who had previously been slammed for doing nothing after the Uvalde School Shooting tragedy, added that he is currently in contact with local and state officials so that he could "help this community and help bring swift justice to the criminal who committed this heinous act." READ MORE: Pope Francis Wants Cuba to Release Cuban Protesters Arrested in 2021 This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Argentine bishops warn president Milei about food crisis - AP Archive In a devastating incident, Herbert Wigwe, co-founder of Access Bank, one of Nigeria's largest banks, lost his life in a California helicopter crash Friday, according to BBC. President Bola Tinubu expressed deep sorrow, labeling the Nigerian bank CEO's death as an "overwhelming tragedy." The chartered helicopter was en route from Palm Springs to Boulder City in Nevada when it crashed approximately 96km (60 miles) from Las Vegas, near Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve. Poor weather conditions, including rain and snow showers, prevailed in the area at the time. READ NEXT: Sebastian Pinera Dies in Helicopter Crash California Helicopter Crash Under Investigation, Victims Identified Investigators are diligently examining the crash site in the southern California desert to ascertain the cause of the tragedy. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are leading the investigation, with multiple American agencies involved, including the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. As of Sunday, the cause of the California helicopter crash remains unclear, and the NTSB confirmed that the Eurocopter EC130 involved did not have a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder, nor were they mandatory for this type of aircraft. The FAA assured that both agencies would thoroughly investigate and provide updates as the inquiry progresses. Herbert Wigwe's wife, son and Ogunbanjo were among the confirmed victims, with their deaths verified by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the director-general of the World Trade Organization, The Daily Beast noted. An NTSB spokesperson identified the two pilots. Tributes have been pouring in from various quarters, with President Tinubu describing the incident as "shocking beyond comprehension" and a significant blow to Nigeria and Africa's banking sector. Legacy of Nigerian Bank CEO: Expansion and Educational Initiatives In a statement, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State expressed shock and devastation over Herbert Wigwe's untimely demise, acknowledging his pivotal role in transforming Access Bank into a global financial brand, per Fox News. "The tragic incident is painful and heart-wrenching, and we pray for God's abiding comfort in this profoundly difficult time," Obaseki wrote. Wigwe founded Access Bank in 1989 and played a crucial role in its growth, leading it to become Nigeria's largest bank in 2018 after acquiring Diamond Bank. In recent years, the Nigerian bank CEO has been instrumental in expanding Access Bank's presence across the continent, acquiring banks in Kenya, South Africa, and Botswana. He had ambitious plans to launch a new banking service in Asia in the first quarter of 2024. Beyond his banking endeavors, Wigwe was committed to addressing global challenges. He emphasized the importance of investing in higher education to control mass migration in January, proposing the establishment of Wigwe University. Set to launch in September in Nigeria's Niger Delta region, the university aims to contribute to society by providing educational opportunities and addressing the root causes of migration. The tragic loss of Herbert Wigwe leaves a significant void in Nigeria's financial sector, and the investigations into the California helicopter crash are ongoing. As tributes continue to pour in, the impact of the Nigerian bank CEO's contributions to banking and his visionary educational initiatives will be remembered. READ MORE: Ohio Teen Stops Possible School Mass Shooting This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: 6 killed in San Bernardino County helicopter crash - From KTLA 5 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is having none of her top rival, Donald Trump's antics, as he questioned why her husband was not with her during her campaign. The former South Carolina governor pointed out that her husband is currently abroad and on duty for the military. "What happened to her husband?" Trump questioned during a campaign event in Conway, South Carolina. "Where is he? He's gone. He knew. He knew." This was the comment that the former US ambassador to the United Nations pushed back against, with Nikki Haley responding with a tweet on X, posting, "Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about." This was a direct jab at the former president infamously being a draft dodger, claiming he had bone spurs so that he would not be serving the US military during the Vietnam War. His bone spurs claim had since been debunked by the former president's own medical records. As the Associated Press noted, Trump has been known to disparage his opponents based on their US military service, despite not serving the military himself and claiming he supports the military when the cameras are on. Trump previously slammed gold star families who were critical of him, as well as questioned whether late US Sen. John McCain, is a war hero just because he was a prisoner of war, infamously saying that he liked "people who weren't captured." As for Nikki Haley's husband, Michael Haley, has been serving in the South Carolina Army National Guard since June. He was deployed in the Horn of Africa as a staff officer with the 218th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade. READ MORE: Donald Trump Prepared To Cry Foul and Repeat His Debunked Voter Fraud Claims Should He Lose Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Warns Republicans About Donald Trump, Rebukes ex-POTUS Meanwhile, over in Georgia, Republican Governor and Trump critic Brian Kemp slammed the former president in a speech about the country's political future, in what Politico calls an "implicit rebuke of Donald Trump." "This election should be about results, not personalities. It should be about the future of our country, not a race to the bottom," the Republican governor said in a speech to students at Washington and Lee University's Mock Convention. "Because if this general election becomes a debate about who can outlast the other 80-year-old politician, the American people lose." "I still believe we must put forward a positive vision for the future to the American people - and I think there is no better place to start than the success of Republican governors across the country," he added. While he did not name Trump directly, Kemp has been a strong critic of the former president since Trump tried to meddle in the Georgia election results. Donald Trump Claims Pennsylvania State name Will Be Changed Without Any Evidence Meanwhile, Donald Trump is spreading unsubstantiated claims if he sould lose to his possible 2024 general election opponent, Joe Biden, again. According to Yahoo! News, Donald Trump claimed Pennsylvania's name will change if he loses the state. This seems to stem from historical sites honoring historical figures being renamed. However, there have been no moves to change the name of the state, with many of those sites named after historical figures being ones named after infamous Confederate figures who infamously committed treason against the United States during the Civil War. READ MORE: Donald Trump is Confused Why Co-Defendants Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro Pleaded Guilty This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Nikki Haley claps back at Trump after he mocks her husband's absence from campaign trail - CNN The United States remains committed to working with the government of Iraq to strengthen and deepen our long-term, whole of government partnership in pursuit of a secure, stable, and sovereign Iraq, said Ambassador Robert Wood, U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs at the United Nations. Unfortunately, Iran-aligned militia groups threaten to undermine Iraqs hard-fought gains since the territorial defeat of ISIS seven years ago, said Ambassador Wood. Since October 2023, these groups have attacked U.S. and Coalition forces in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan over 165 times. Tragically, three U.S. soldiers were killed and dozens more injured on January 28 when Iran-aligned militia groups attacked U.S. forces stationed in Jordan to take part in the fight against ISIS, he said. This loss is devastating. This is unacceptable. And attacks like it cannot continue. Many similar attacks in Iraq on U.S. and Coalition forces hosted on Iraqi bases have resulted in casualties, including among Iraqi partners who have the lead in the shared fight against ISIS, said Ambassador Wood: Armed groups operating outside of state control represent a significant challenge to the Iraqi governments authority and for the Iraqi people, threatening to upend the stability that Iraqis have fought too hard to achieve. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq, or UNAMI, still has important work to do, stressed Ambassador Wood: UNAMI has already provided invaluable assistance across the spectrum of social and economic challenges, including on elections, promoting and safeguarding human rights, combatting climate change, and governance reform, just to name a few. A highlight: Iraq held provincial council elections on December 18 that were generally orderly and peaceful, thanks in part to UNAMI-trained election staff and equipment available at polling stations. The U.S. encourages UNAMI to help Iraqs Independent High Electoral Commission prepare for the Iraqi Kurdistan Regions parliamentary elections later this spring without further delay. The U.S. also encourages UNAMIs support to the Government of Iraq in its efforts to protect human rights and combat impunity for violations. As a partner in the region, the United States looks forward to continuing to work with the government of Iraq toward stability and peace. Trinidad and Tobago is mulling over the declaration of a national emergency in response to a substantial oil spill stemming from a ship that ran aground and overturned earlier this week, BBC reports. The incident has impacted approximately 15km (nine miles) of Tobago's southwestern coastline, including pristine beaches, prompting a massive cleanup effort with the involvement of 1,000 volunteers and government personnel. The vessel in question, identified as The Gulfstream, capsized on Wednesday near the Cove Eco-Industrial Park in southern Tobago. Despite the ongoing efforts to contain the Trinidad and Tobago oil spill, environmental officials have reported damage to a reef and Atlantic beaches, posing a threat to the island's vital resorts and hotels, especially during the upcoming Carnival season. READ NEXT: Ecuador Oil Spill Potential Escalation to a Level 3 Disaster Farley Augustine, the chief secretary of Tobago, indicated on Saturday that the government is contemplating elevating the accident to a Level 3 disaster, the highest level, according to the South China Morning Post. The spill is currently classified as Level 2, signifying the belief that the country can manage the situation without external assistance. "Everything indicates that we are going in that direction," Augustine said. A Level 3 designation would imply that local resources are "overwhelmed," necessitating international support to address the crisis effectively. The magnitude of the Trinidad and Tobago oil spill has heightened concerns about its impact on the environment and the economy, especially given its proximity to the upcoming carnival celebrations, a crucial source of income for the Caribbean island. Trinidad and Tobago Oil Spill's Emergency Response and Cleanup Operations The mystery vessel, The Gulfstream, was spotted sailing under an unidentified flag with no distress signals or emergency calls made. The ship, initially believed to be carrying sand and wood, was abandoned by its crew. The island's Emergency Management Agency confirmed no signs of life on board. Divers are actively working to isolate and plug the leak from the vessel, while a thousand volunteers dressed in protective gear are tirelessly engaged in cleanup efforts along the affected beaches. The Coast Guard is intensifying its efforts to contain the oil spill, crucial to mitigating the environmental impact and safeguarding the region's tourism-dependent economy. Trinidad and Tobago has expressed its readiness to accept assistance from other countries, with Energy Minister Stuart Young from Trinidad pledging support, Barron's noted. The disaster's unfortunate timing, just before the Carnival season, raises concerns about potential economic losses. Dave Tancoo, an opposition member of Parliament, noted the probable impact on tour operators, who usually anticipate peak profits during this festive period. "This opportunity was cruelly taken away from them," Tancoo said, expressing sympathy. As investigations continue to unravel the ship's origins, ownership, and intended destination, the focus remains on mitigating the environmental repercussions and securing the necessary resources to address this unfolding crisis. The potential escalation to a Level 3 disaster emphasizes the severity of the situation, demanding a comprehensive and coordinated response to safeguard Trinidad and Tobago's ecological and economic interests. READ MORE: The Sweet Side of Trinidad and Tobago This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Oil spill in Trinidad & Tobago; 10 miles of coastline affected due to oil spillage - From WION Following is a look at some government business, and related topics, this coming week across the Lehigh Valley. Monday, Feb. 12 SLATINGTON | Representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue are visiting senior and community centers statewide to help Pennsylvanians file their Property Tax/Rent Rebate (PTRR) program applications. The help will be available Monday, Feb. 12 at the Slatington Senior Center, 425 Kuntz St., Slatington. Additional opportunities for the assistance in Lehigh County are scheduled Feb. 14 and 21 at Gross Towers Senior Center, 1339 W. Allen St., Allentown; Feb. 20 and 27 at Lehigh Valley Active Life, 1633 Elm St., Allentown; Feb. 22 and 29 at Cedar View Senior Center, 4234 Dorney Park Rd., Allentown; and Feb. 28 at Ridge Manor Senior Center, 333 Ridge St., Emmaus. All location hours are 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The rebate program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older. Pennsylvania increased the maximum rebate amount from $650 to $1000 and eligible-income limits to $45,000. Taxpayers who need assistance with the Pennsylvania personal income tax return (PA-40) should bring their tax information/income statements, a photo identification card (drivers license, etc.), and Social Security cards for themselves and their dependents. All taxpayers who received more than $33 in total gross taxable income in calendar year 2023 must file a Pennsylvania personal income tax return by midnight, Monday, April 15. Tuesday, Feb. 13 Reconstruction work continues Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, on Wood Avenue through Eastons West Ward. Saed Hindash file photo | For lehighvalleylive.comSaed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com EASTON | Easton City Council during its meeting beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13 is set to cast initial votes on changing Church Street to one-way west between South Seventh and South Eighth streets and Wood Avenue to one-way east between Northampton and South Eighth streets, as part of Wood Avenue improvements. The council live-streams its regular meetings at easton-pa.com. Editors note: The above entry was updated to correct that this weeks Easton City Council meeting was moved to Tuesday, Feb. 13 from Wednesday, Feb. 14. Wednesday, Feb. 14 EASTON | UGI Utilities Inc. is scheduled to begin a gas main replacement project in Easton on Wednesday, Feb. 14. The new gas main will go in on Spruce Street from South 15th to South Elder streets. The following streets that connect with Spruce Street will also be impacted: South Cherry Street from Spruce to Lehigh streets and South 12th Street from Ferry to Lehigh streets. Parking will be restricted, and there will be some interruptions to natural gas service. WHITE TWP. | The Board of School Estimate of Warren County Community College will conduct a public hearing at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 14 on the colleges funding plan for July through June 2025. In related news, the Warren County Board of County Commissioners are scheduled to introduce the countys 2024 budget at 6 p.m. Feb. 28. Both meetings are in the Commissioners Meeting Room of the countys Wayne Dumont Jr. Administration Building, 165 County Route 519 in White Township. Thursday, Feb. 15 EASTON | The Northampton County Court of Common Pleas is slated to hold the first meeting of its new Veterans Treatment Court on Thursday, Feb. 15, at the courthouse in Easton. The court will meet bi-weekly to provide supervision and support to its veteran participants. Applications are available at the Northampton County District Attorneys and the Public Defenders offices, and they are expected soon to be available online at the countys Criminal Court forms page. Editors note: This roundup is a new, experimental feature at lehighvalleylive.com. Send feedback to kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Presidents Day is a federal holiday observed on every third Monday in February, and most federal offices are closed. Heres what you need to know regarding the evolution of the federal holiday and whether or not others have to work on the holiday. When did Presidents Day become a holiday? Presidents Day was first celebrated on Feb. 22, 1800, a year after President George Washingtons death. However, it wasnt a federal holiday until the 1870s when President Rutherford B. Hayes signed the measure into law, according to History.com. Since then, the holiday included February birthdays of other presidents, including Presidents Abraham Lincoln, William Henry Harrison and Ronald Reagan. In 1960, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act combined these presidents birthdays together and shifted most other federal holidays to Mondays permanently in a move to combat federal employee absenteeism. Do people get the day off from work on Presidents Day? This year, Presidents Day falls on Feb. 19, 2024. It is a holiday for most federal workers, and all banks, K-12 schools and non-essential government offices are closed on the holiday. According to the Office of Personnel Management, those people in the categories listed above who do have to work on the holiday are entitled to holiday premium pay, or twice their normal pay rate. However, not everyone is off on Presidents Day. Federal law doesnt require state governments and the private sector to close on federal holidays, so it is up to the discretion of the state government or private sector office to decide whether to close on Presidents Day. Typically, those who are not federal employees do not have off of work. Most non-federal companies have a long stretch between holiday days off after Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated in mid-January and Memorial Day is celebrated at the end of May. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. Northampton Community Colleges annual humanities program is bringing in Public Enemy No. 1 for a keynote speech. Rapper and activist Chuck D is the featured speaker at NCCs annual event, the theme of which this year is 50 Years Down the Line: A Celebration of Hip Hop History and Culture. The frontman of the seminal hip-hop act Public Enemy will be speaking at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16 at the Spartan Center on the colleges Bethlehem Township campus, the college announced. The latest winter storm forecast now calls for 7 to 10 inches of snow across most of the Lehigh Valley on Monday evening into Tuesday. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather warning from midnight Monday to 3 p.m. Tuesday for Northampton and Lehigh counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey, as well as the surrounding areas. Heavy snow is expected with higher amounts forming over the higher elevations, especially in northern Warren County and neighboring Morris County, the weather service says. The timing of the storm, with 1 to 2 inches per hour falling after midnight, is likely to make the morning commute treacherous, the weather service said. That means some regional school districts could transition to remote learning, call for a delayed opening, or close all together. A major snowstorm is now expected to hit the Lehigh Valley with 7 to 10 inches of snow on Tuesday. Winter storm warnings have been issued.AccuWeather.com and National Weather Service This is a very dynamic meteorological set-up, and those dynamics will result in particularly heavy precipitation in the cold sector of this fast-moving storm, resulting in heavy snow, the weather service said. The amount of snowfall for the Lehigh Valley depends on how quickly the coastal low takes over and intensifies, and subsequently how quickly cold air is drawn southward late Monday through Tuesday morning, resulting in a changeover to snow from the Poconos down to the I-95 corridor, the weather service says. At Lehigh Valley International Airport in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, the weather service and AccuWeather both predict mostly cloudy conditions for Monday with a high near 50 degrees. Monday evening is when things are expected to change over with precipitation, meteorologists for both weather agencies say. This is when warm air ahead of the system will bring an initial round of rain for most of the area, expected sometime between 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, forecasters say. Rain is forecast to continue before 3 a.m. Tuesday. Then, as temperatures dip to a low around 32 degrees, snow is expected to follow early Tuesday. The chance of precipitation is 90% with new snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible, the weather service says. Tuesday is forecast to bring all snow mainly before 2 p.m. Snow could be heavy at times with wind gusts up to 30 mph. The high temperature is forecast to be near 36 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 100% with new snow accumulations of 5 to 9 inches possible, the weather service says. AccuWeather predicts 3 to 6 inches of snow will accumulate from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday. The snow is expected to clear out by Wednesday, but the weather will remain somewhat blustery. The next chance for a little more snow could come Thursday. The weather service predicts rain and snow after 2 p.m. with a 30% chance of precipitation. Current weather radar Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The top officials in Laois County Council are taking up an invite to march in the 2024 New York St Patrick's Day parade. However, one local councillor requested that they turn it down, due to Israel's attacks on Palestine. The current Cathaoirleach, Fianna Fail Cllr Paschal McEvoy will have the honour to lead the New York Laois Association contingent in the huge USA parade. He will be accompanied by the CEO of Laois County Council, John Mulholland or one of the four Directors of Services on the trip, funded by the taxpayer. The visit usually lasts for much of a week, with meetings held with New York Irish business and tourism groups to promote Laois. It was ex Fine Gael Cllr Ashling Moran who suggested they forgo the trip. Her father the late Cllr John Moran marched in a previous New York parade when he served as Cathaoirleach. "It's so important that our Cathaoirleach goes away somewhere, but this year, yes go somewhere, with Israel and Palestine, we need to make some stand and maybe not do the US. We can't condone what's going on," she said. Fine Gael Cllr Thomasina Connell who held the honor in 2023 had seconded the proposal to accept the 2024 invite. "There is no invite for anywhere else," she said. The Cathaoirleach Cllr McEvoy replied. "I accept your observation but this is going off course," he said. The invitation comes from Mike Dunphy, president of the New York Laois Association. The parade is on Saturday, March 16 and the Laois contingent is also invited to attend a Mass by Cardinal Dolan. "We view the parade as an excellent opportunity for both the Laois Members of New York and the Laois County Council officials to meet and renew old ties and make new acquaintances," he said. Kildare-born comedian Aisling Bea gave the Leinster Leader a shout-out on the Late Late Show on Friday night. The UK-based star, who went to Presentation Secondary School in Kildare Town and worked as a tour guide at the Irish National Stud, was a guest alongside actor Domhnall Gleeson for a St Valentine's Special programme. Bea recalled how the pair met at a friend's glitzy Hollywood party where A list attendees included Jeff Goldblum, Monica Lewinsky and Jamie Dornan. Bea told host Patrick Kielty: "We were brought up to this thing in the hills, like a veranda, and it felt really rickety, and we were like: 'if we die tonight, nobody will mention us!" Then she turned to Gleeson and quipped: "Maybe you'd get a mention in the Irish Times - but I'd doubt I'd even get a mention in the Leinster Leader - because of the amount of people who were there, if it fell over!" Bea currently stars in LOL: Last One Laughing: Ireland hosted by Graham Norton which brings together some of the country's top comedic talent, asking each one to make their peers laugh without cracking so much as a smirk themselves. Whoever can outlast their competitors will be crowned the champion with a 50,000 prize for the charity of choice. Bea won the BAFTA 2020 British Academy Television Craft Award for Breakthrough Talent. Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Nikorndej Balankura (Photo: Thai Embassy in Vietnam) Reporter: Since Vietnam and Thailand established diplomatic relations in 1976, the two countries have maintained and reinforced their good political relations. Over the past years, Vietnam and Thailand have held high-level delegations and meetings between leaders of the two countries; regularly coordinating and supporting each other at international forums. Could you share more about the diplomatic relationship between the two countries at present? Ambassador Nikorndej Balankura: Thailand-Vietnam relations have grown from strength to strength over the years since the countries established their diplomatic ties in 1976. The cordial and fruitful ties are underpinned by mutual benefits, trust and respect between the two countries. We have witnessed tangible progress in politics and security, economics, trade, investment, culture, education and people-to-people cooperation. Our partnership with Vietnam has further advanced when both sides agreed to elevate ties to strategic partnership in 2013 and to Strengthened Strategic Partnership in 2019. In the political realm, Vietnam, as neighboring country and regional partner in ASEAN, remains a top priority in Thai foreign policy. This was reaffirmed when Vietnam was designated for the first official visit of H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand on 25-26 October 2023. Last December, H.E. Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of the National Assembly, paid an official visit to Thailand to further advance legislative, political and people-to-people ties between two sides. Reporter: The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Vietnam-Thailand strategic partnership. Could you please highlight some critical points of this relationship milestone and share about the prospects for the two countries bilateral cooperation in all fields in the coming years? Ambassador Nikorndej Balankura: The year 2023 marked an important milestone in Thailand-Vietnam relations. Both sides had worked closely to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership, with strong and continued support at all levels. High-level political dialogues and visits took place to celebrate the auspicious event, including the visit of Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand to Vietnam to attend the 9th Thailand-Vietnam Political Consultation Group in June 2023, the first foreign official visit of H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand to Vietnam on October 25-26, 2023 and the official visit of H.E. Mr. Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of the National Assembly, to Thailand on December 7-10, 2023. Moreover, commemorating activities by both countries were being launched throughout the year 2023. One of the remarkable and successful events is the 1st Meet Thailand on August 3-4, 2023 in Quang Tri province. The event attracted approximately 500 participants from both Thailand and Vietnam, enhanced local-to-local economic opportunities, and increased Thai investors awareness of economic potential of Central Vietnam. Looking ahead, numerous promising prospects are expected in the year 2024 for Thailand and Vietnam as both sides will join hands in paving way for the elevation of their relations to new height of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which will contribute to comprehensively strengthening and deepening bilateral relations as well as subregional and regional stability and prosperity. Reporter: Thailand is Vietnams largest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the 9th largest foreign investor into Vietnam. The two countries expect to reach 25 billion USD in trade turnover by 2025. How do you assess this prospect of cooperation? Ambassador Nikorndej Balankura: Around 10 years ago, bilateral trade between Thailand and Vietnam amounted to some 8.15 billion US Dollars, with only 292 Thai investment projects in Vietnam. Today, Thailand has become Vietnams largest trading partner in ASEAN with the total trade volume of nearly 20 billion US dollars. The Thai investments in Vietnam also tripled to 735 investment projects with total value of more than 14 billion USD, making us the 9th largest foreign investor in the country. Despite economic and geo-political uncertainties, the trade target of 25 billion could still be achieved if the two countries continue to create conducive environments for trade and investment flows, particularly, by supporting business exchanges between SMEs in both countries, promoting supply chain connectivity and exploring cooperation in new areas including renewable energy, electric vehicle, digital economy and hi-tech industries. Reporter: Besides the good political-diplomatic and economic-trade cooperation that the two countries have achieved, how do you assess people-to-people exchanges between the two countries? Ambassador Nikorndej Balankura: In terms of people-to-people interactions, we have fostered very close ties between the two countries. Today both Thais and Vietnamese know each other better in terms of culture, language, movies and music. Last year, 1,033,688 Vietnamese travelers have visited Thailand (source: Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Thailand) and approximately 489,174 Thais visited Vietnam (source: VNAT). I see this number growing, especially after the pandemic. Thai airways had also resumed their operation last year to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, so I see a very promising cooperation in all aspects - political, economic as well as people-to-people aspects. Reporter: What are your impressions on Vietnams people and development achievements in your term since you took the term of Thai Ambassador to Vietnam? Ambassador Nikorndej Balankura: During my tenure, Ive been very impressed with Vietnams achievement in all aspects. I also witnessed that Vietnamese people are very determined and hard working towards their goals. In this connection, I would like to be part of and contribute to the fulfillment of those goals and dreams. It is my hope that through increased Thai investment, Thailand can contribute and play a complementary role in helping Vietnam become a Developed Country by 2045 and achieve Net zero by 2050. It is also my conviction that through close bilateral cooperation, Thailand and Vietnam will play a significant role in elevating the Mekong Subregions visibility in the global arena. Last by not least, on the occasion of Tet, the year of the Dragon, which Thai people believe is an auspicious year, I, along with my colleagues and staff members of the Royal Thai Embassy, would like to send our best wishes, may you and your family enjoy good health, joy and prosperity. Reporter: Thank you very much! The public water supply in County Kildare is unaffected by the presence of chemical elements. The European Court of Justice said last week that Ireland had not met its obligations under a European union directive concerning drinking water. No Kildare supplies were listed in the judgement. It pointed to the presence of trihalomethanes (THMs) in the public supply. These are chemical compounds regularly found in drinking water containing chlorine, which ironically, is added to make the water safe for the community. THMs are known to damage the environment and human health. The case was taken by the European Commission and it alleged there was a failure to ensure that the presence of TMHs in the supply did not exceed the minimum values in the supply. RTE News reported that the EC said Ireland had failed to adopt the necessary measures to be in compliance with the directive relating to the concentration of TMHs and had failed to restore the quality of drinking water as quickly as possible. The Irish authorities were first told they were not in compliance in 2015. Uisce Eireann said it has prioritised investment in the schemes addressed by the court and of an original 74 supplies referred to in the letter, all but five have now been addressed. UE also said that plans are in place to deal with the outstanding issues. Read more Kildare news It also defended chlorination as an essential step in the production process to ensure harmful bacteria are eliminated from drinking water. It added that this is also the position of the World Health Organisation which states that adequate disinfection should never be compromised to control TMHs. UE said that when THM levels above the allowable limit are detected as part of the monitoring process, the Environmental Protection Agency and the HSE are consulted to ensure any potential risk is fully assessed. It added that to date a do not drink notice has not been imposed on any public water supply due to THM exceedances. The National Women's Council, joined by local politicians, convened in Sligo this past Saturday to launch the Yes/Yes campaign in support of the upcoming referendum scheduled for March 8th. The campaign aims to garner public support for a Yes vote on two crucial issues: the Care Referendum and the Family Referendum. Removing sexist language from the Constitution is at the forefront of the Care Referendum, emphasizing the principle that a woman's place is wherever she chooses it to be. By voting YES, supporters demand clear legal recognition of this principle, paving the way for an inclusive society where everyone who provides care is properly acknowledged. Furthermore, the referendum aims to recognize and support all forms of care, including family care. By replacing outdated language with a clause that acknowledges family care, voters are advocating for a society where caregivers receive the support and recognition they deserve. In the Family Referendum, the focus is on valuing all families equally. This includes ensuring that every child is recognized as part of a family, regardless of their parents' marital status. The referendum also seeks to acknowledge and support one-parent families, unmarried parents, and families where grandparents or other relatives are primary caregivers for children. Proposed changes to the Constitution will expand the definition of family beyond marriage to encompass other 'durable relationships.' This move is aimed at providing legal protection and equal recognition to all families, irrespective of their structure or composition. The Yes/Yes campaign emphasizes the importance of recognizing and valuing all families equally. By voting YES on March 8th, voters can contribute to building a fairer, more inclusive, and modern society that respects the diversity of family structures. With these compelling reasons in mind, the Yes/Yes campaign urges voters to support the referendum on March 8th and make their voices heard in shaping the future of Ireland's constitutional landscape. Bernie Linnane, Labour candidate for Manorhamilton LEA, expressed her endorsement for a Yes/Yes vote, emphasising the urgent need to modernize the Constitution. "I'm asking for a YesYes vote to bring our Constitution into the 21st Century, with equality for all families, and long overdue recognition for all family carers." she stated. Adam O Ceallaigh, Green Party Candidate for Ballinamore LEA, highlighted the importance of reflecting modern Irish values in the Constitution. "I am young enough to have never known an Ireland that was not progressive and forward thinking. It is important that our constitution is updated to reflect modern Irish values," said O Ceallaigh. Blaithin Gallagher, Green Party Candidate for Manorhamilton LEA, echoed the sentiment, stating, "It's time to change our constitution. I am asking for a Yes/Yes vote on March 8th. We need to make sure that our country represents everyone and that our constitution is inclusive and that we recognise families as they actually exist today." Carbon & Graphite Felt Market worth $871 million by 2029 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarketstm CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Carbon & Graphite Felt Market by Product Type (Soft Felt and Rigid Felt), Raw Material type (PAN, Rayon, and Pitch), Type (Carbon Felt and Graphite Felt), Application (Furnace, Batteries, and Filters), and Region - Global Forecast 2029", Carbon & Graphite Felt Market is estimated at USD 551 million in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 871 million by 2029, at a CAGR of 9.6% from 2024 to 2029. Carbon felts and graphite felts are non-woven fabric that has been made from PAN, pitch and rayong type raw material. These non-woven fabric gets passed through various processes such as graphitizing, carbonizing, pressing, mixing in order to form carbon & graphite felts. Browse in-depth TOC on "Carbon & Graphite Felt Market" 318 ? Tables 53 ? Figures 241? Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=15496274 "The PAN raw material segment accounted for the largest market share in 2023, in terms of value." Based on the raw material, the carbon & graphite felt market has been segmented into rayon, PAN, and pitch type segment. Carbon & graphite felt gets manufactured using these materials either by using graphitization or carbonization process high temperature generally ranging from 3,632F to 6,322F. During the forecast years, the demand for PAN-based as well as rayon-based carbon & graphite felt is expected to grow with a significant growth rate due to high usage in various applications across the globe. "Based on the product type, soft felt segment held the largest market share in 2023." Based on the product type segment, the global carbon & graphite felt market has been segmented into soft felt and rigid felt. In 2023, soft felt segment of carbon & graphite felt accounted for the largest market share in terms of volume and value. This high market share is attributed to high usage of soft carbon & graphite felt into multiple end-use areas such as vacuum furnaces, annealing furnaces, and graphitizing furnaces. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=15496274 "Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest share in 2023, in terms of value." The global market for carbon & graphite felt has been studied in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In Asia Pacific, the high usage of carbon & graphite felt is driven by high usage in filters, batteries, furnaces, and many other applications. Growing renewable energy sector is driving the demand for carbon & graphite felt in Asia Pacific region. The growing focus on emission control, and energy saving policies is further driving the growth of carbon & graphite felt market in the region. The key players in the Carbon & Graphite Felt Market include SGL Group (Germany), Toray Industries, Inc. (Japan), Kureha Corporation (Japan), Nippon Carbon Co., Ltd. (Japan), Morgan Advanced Materials Plc (UK), Beijing Great Wall Co., Ltd. (China), Mersen (France), Chemshine Carbon Co., Ltd. (China), CM Carbon Co., Ltd. (China), and Gansu Haoshi Carbon Fiber Co., Ltd (China). Browse Adjacent Market: Fibers and Composites Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Carbon Fiber Market - Global Forecast to 2033 Composites Market - Global Forecast to 2027 Hot Melt Adhesive Manufacturers Polyurethane Foam Manufacturers About MarketsandMarketstm MarketsandMarketstm has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report. MarketsandMarketstm is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. Earlier this year, we made a formal transformation into one of America's best management consulting firms as per a survey conducted by Forbes. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStoretm (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarketstm.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarketstm INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insights: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/carbon-graphite-felt-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/carbon-graphite-felt.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2297424/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets 12 february 2024 at 03:00 News published onand distributed by: On-Device AI Healthcare Company Noul Becomes First Korean Diagnostic Company to Join Swiss Malaria Group Join global network led by international organizations and global pharmaceutical companies Obtain a membership in recognition of innovation in malaria diagnostic solution Strengthen global leadership in malaria diagnosis based on European subsidiary YONGIN, South Korea, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Noul Co., Ltd., (376930.KR), an On-Device AI healthcare company, announced that its European subsidiary (noul GmbH) has become an official member of the Swiss Malaria Group, a Swiss public, private, academic & civil society leadership network for a malaria-free world. The recognition of innovation in the malaria diagnostic solution, miLabtm MAL played a major role in Noul becoming an official member of the Swiss Malaria Group. Through this membership, Noul will have a voice in the decision-making process towards developing healthcare policies to eradicate global malaria and will strengthen its global cooperation with other group members (Global Fund, FIND, MMV, Swiss TPH, Terre des Hommes, global pharmaceutical companies, and other civil society organizations) to consolidate its leadership in the field of malaria diagnosis. As Noul's malaria diagnostic solution, miLabtm MAL was introduced as 'an innovative product that will enter scale-up level' in Unitaid's 2022 Annual Report, it is getting attention from the international community as an innovative malaria diagnostic solution that overcomes the limitation of rapid diagnostic testing and manual microscopic diagnosis. According to the results of a clinical study of a total of 1,649 patients in Ethiopia and Ghana, unveiled in October 2023 at the American Academy of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), miLabtm MAL showed significantly higher sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of P. falciparum and P. vivax malaria compared to field microscopy test. It also showed high applicability in diagnosing parasites with the pfhrp2/3 deletions. Dr. Taehwan Kim, Managing Director of noul GmbH said, "noul GmbH will play a pivotal role in global malaria diagnosis through its activities as a member of the Swiss Malaria Group. By utilizing Noul's innovative malaria diagnostic solution, we are going to further expand our presence in the market by leading strategies to eliminate global malaria and strengthening global cooperation with other group members." Swiss Malaria Group said, "Noul's innovative diagnostic tools align perfectly with the Swiss Malaria Group's emphasis on innovative solutions in the fight against malaria. Noul, which focuses on diagnostic solutions in blood and tissue diagnostics, has developed a cutting-edge digital microscopy-based malaria diagnostic tool, miLabtm MAL." Noul Website: https://noul.kr/en/ Swiss Malaria Group Website: https://www.swissmalariagroup.ch/en/ #SwissMalariaGroup #SMG #Noul #malaria #miLab #AI #innovation Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2335030/Photo__Noul_and_SMG.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1854227/Noul_logo1_Logo.jpg 12 february 2024 at 03:00 News published onand distributed by: OTC Markets Group Welcomes Serabi Gold Plc to OTCQX NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Serabi Gold Plc (AIM: SRB; TSX: SBI; OTCQX: SRBIF), a Brazilian-focused gold mining and development company, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Serabi Gold Plc upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market. Serabi Gold Plc begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "SRBIF." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com. Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Serabi's CEO, Mike Hodgson commented, "We are delighted to qualify for the premier tier on OTC Markets. Securing a quotation on OTCQX will simplify the ability for US based investors to invest in Serabi's ordinary shares without the need to establish trading accounts in either the UK or Canada. At the same time the Company is not required to increase its current levels of regulatory reporting or compliance, making this a very cost-effective option for expanding the investor base of Serabi." Acora Financial Ltd. acted as the company's OTCQX sponsor. About Serabi Gold Plc Serabi Gold plc is a gold exploration and production company involved in the evaluation and development of gold deposits in Brazil. The company's primary interests are its 100% owned Palito Mining Complex and the Coringa Gold Project, both located in the Tapajos region of northern Brazil. The Company has been producing gold since continuously since 2013 and planned production of 38,000 to 40,000 ounces for 2024, is projected to be expanded to an annual rate of over 60,000 ounces over the coming two years. The Tapajos region, which encompasses an area of about 100,000 square kilometres (350 km by 300 km) in south west Para State, Brazil, is located approximately 1,300 km southwest from the state capital Belem. Artisanal miners ("garimpeiros") are understood to have extracted up to 30 million ounces of gold since the 1970s, mostly from alluvial and surface weathered bedrock deposits representing generally only the top 20 to 30 metres. It is reported to be the world's third largest alluvial gold field and the Company believes that the region, with significant mineral potential below the artisanal operation, is a major, under-explored mineral province. Whilst the Company's principal focus is on gold exploration and production, during 2023, it entered into an exploration alliance with the Vale, the Brazil mining group, for exploration for significant copper deposits within the Company's tenements around the Palito Complex. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX Best Market, OTCQB Venture Market and Pink Open Market. Our OTC Link Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets. OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com. Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed Media Contact: OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected] 12 february 2024 at 07:00 News published onand distributed by: Aircastle Increases Revolving Credit Facility Capacity to $2.1 Billion STAMFORD, Conn. , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Aircastle Limited ("Aircastle" or "the Company") announced that it amended and extended all of its existing revolving credit facilities, which increases the aggregate capacity to $2.1 billion and extends the maturity dates of these facilities to 2027 and 2028. Aircastle closed a $1 billion senior, unsecured revolving credit facility with 10 global financial institutions, and the expiration date of the facility has been extended by three years, from April 2025 to February of 2028. The facility participants consist of 10 leading global financial institutions with Citibank N.A., Fifth Third Bank N.A., Goldman Sachs Bank USA, J.P. Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. and Royal Bank of Canada as Joint Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners, as well as BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole Corporate & Investment Bank, Mizuho Bank, Ltd., MUFG Bank, Ltd. and BMO Harris Bank N.A., as lenders. In addition, the Company announced today that it has extended the maturity of its $200 million revolving credit facility with Mizuho Marubeni Leasing Americas Corporation and its $300 million revolving credit facility with Mizuho Bank, Ltd. These facilities were both extended by two years to mature in January 2027 and February 2027, respectively. The Company also amended and closed a revolving credit facility with 24 participating financial institutions led by the DBS Bank Ltd. The size of the facility was increased from $375 million to $600 million and its term was extended three years to January 2028. Michael Inglese, Aircastle's CEO, stated, "These 4 facilities among 35 lenders demonstrate the strong support we receive from our bank groups and the extensions of our facilities with Mizuho Marubeni Leasing Americas Corporation and Mizuho Bank further represent the enduring commitment we receive from our shareholders." Mr. Inglese continued, "Aircastle's expansive access to capital markets is helping us grow our portfolio of sought-after narrow-body aircraft. Along with the support of our shareholders, Marubeni Corporation and Mizuho Leasing, we're optimistic about the near and long-term horizons of our unique business model." About Aircastle Limited Aircastle Limited acquires, leases, and sells commercial jet aircraft to airlines throughout the world. As of November 30, 2023, Aircastle owned and managed on behalf of its joint ventures 245 aircraft leased to 73 customers located in 42 countries. Contact: Aircastle Advisor LLC James Connelly, SVP ESG & Corporate Communications Tel: +1-203-550-8899 [email protected] SOURCE Aircastle Advisor LLC 12 february 2024 at 07:00 News published onand distributed by: VIZSLA SILVER ANNOUNCES UPDATE ON ROYALTY SPINOUT NYSE: VZLA TSX-V: VZLA VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - Vizsla Silver Corp. (TSXV: VZLA) (NYSE: VZLA) (Frankfurt: 0G3) ("Vizsla Silver" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to its news release dated January 17, 2024, it intends to enter into an arrangement agreement with its wholly-owned subsidiary Vizsla Royalties Corp. ("Spinco") within 45 days of this news release in respect of the spinout of the shares of Spinco to the Company's shareholders (the "Spinout"). Spinco currently holds, indirectly, a net smelter royalty on any future mineral production at Vizsla Silver's flagship, 100% owned Panuco silver-gold project located in Mexico. The Company further announces that holders of its common shares (the "Vizsla Silver Shares") will be entitled to 1/3 of a common share of Spinco and 1/3 of a common share purchase warrant of Spinco for each Vizsla Silver Share held on the share distribution record date. Additional details regarding the Spinout, including the share distribution record date, will be disclosed as they become available. Shareholders are invited to contact Vizsla Silver via email at [email protected] for additional information regarding the Spinout. About the Panuco Project The newly consolidated Panuco silver-gold project is an emerging high-grade discovery located in southern Sinaloa, Mexico, near the city of Mazatlan. The 7,189.5 hectare, past producing district benefits from over 86 kilometres of total vein extent, 35 kilometres of underground mines, roads, power, and permits. The district contains intermediate to low sulfidation epithermal silver and gold deposits related to siliceous volcanism and crustal extension in the Oligocene and Miocene. Host rocks are mainly continental volcanic rocks correlated to the Tarahumara Formation. On January 8, 2024, the Company announced an updated mineral resource estimate for Panuco which includes an estimated in-situ indicated mineral resource of 155.8 Moz AgEq and an in-situ inferred resource of 169.6 Moz AgEq. About Vizsla Silver Vizsla Silver is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, BC, focused on advancing its flagship, 100%-owned Panuco silver-gold project located in Sinaloa, Mexico. To date, Vizsla Silver has completed over 350,000 metres of drilling at Panuco leading to the discovery of several new high-grade veins. For 2024, Vizsla Silver is focused on de-risking the resource base located in the western portion of the district ahead of a development decision. Additionally, Vizsla Silver has budgeted +65,000 metres of resource/discovery-based drilling designed to upgrade and expand the Project's mineral resource, as well as test other high priority targets across the district. In accordance with NI 43-101, Jesus Velador, Ph.D. MMSA QP, Vice President of Exploration, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements relating to: timing, structure and completion of the Spinout; the terms of the Spinout; and exploration, development, and production at Panuco. Forward?looking statements and forward?looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of the Company, future growth potential for the Company and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management's reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of silver, gold, and other metals; no escalation in the severity of public health crises; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; the Company's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms. These statements reflect the Company's respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward?looking statements or forward-looking information and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the Company's dependence on one mineral project; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities in Mexico; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; risks regarding mineral resources and reserves; the Company's inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects, including the inaccuracy of reserves and resources, metallurgical recoveries and capital and operating costs of such projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of public health crises; the economic and financial implications of public health crises to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities and artisanal miners; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; the speculative nature of exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities or grades of reserves; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; ongoing military conflicts around the world; general economic factors; and the factors identified under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Company's management discussion and analysis and other public disclosure documents. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Vizsla Silver Corp. 12 february 2024 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: Core BTS Recognized on CRN's MSP 500 List for Seventh Time INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Core BTS, a full-service digital transformation consulting firm, announced today that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Core BTS to its Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Security 100 category for 2024, the seventh year of Core BTS inclusion on this list. The MSP 500 list compiled by CRN serves as a comprehensive guide to identifying and recognizing the top Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in North America. MSPs play a crucial role in supporting businesses by offering managed services that enhance efficiency, simplify IT solutions, and optimize return on investment. The annual MSP 500 list is divided into three sections: the MSP Pioneer 250, recognizing companies with business models weighted toward managed services and largely focused on the SMB market; the MSP Elite 150, recognizing large, data center-focused MSPs with a strong mix of on- and off-premises services; and the Managed Security 100, recognizing MSPs focused primarily on off-premises and cloud-based security services. The MSP 500 list aims to showcase and celebrate MSPs that are driving growth and innovation in the industry. These service providers not only enable businesses to harness complex technologies but also contribute to maintaining a strong focus on core business goals without stretching financial resources. By categorizing MSPs based on their business models and areas of expertise, the list helps end-users find the right partners to meet their specific needs and challenges in the rapidly evolving technology landscape. Core BTS meets clients where they are on their digital journey and helps to chart a clear path forward, solving their most pressing challenges by delivering integrated solutions that connect people, processes, and technology to defined business outcomes. Going beyond traditional managed services, Core BTS works with clients throughout the service lifecycle to navigate challenges, anticipate change, and drive greater business value. Jennifer Follett, VP of US Content and executive Editor CRN, The Channel Company, emphasized the significance of managed services for businesses at various scales, stating, "Managed services provide a route for businesses of all sizes to maintain efficiency and adaptability throughout their growth journey. The solution providers featured in our 2024 MSP 500 list are introducing cutting-edge managed services portfolios to the market, enabling their clients to achieve success by optimizing their IT budgets. This allows businesses to allocate resources strategically, concentrating on mission-critical tasks that drive future success." "Core BTS is proud to be recognized in the Security 100 category of the CRN MSP 500 list, as it is a testament to our commitment to providing innovative, transformative solutions to our clients," said Kevin Thimjon, Chief Executive Officer, Core BTS. "We leverage our deep experience and proven expertise to help organizations looking to maximize IT investments, transforming their businesses while keeping their environments agile, secure, and cost predictable." The MSP 500 list will be featured in the February 2024 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/msp500. About Core BTS Core BTS, Inc., an NRI Group Company, is a digital transformation consultancy that helps the world's most impactful companies leverage today's most powerful technologies to transform from the inside out. We simplify technical complexity, accelerate transformation, and drive business outcomes for our clients. Learn more at corebts.com. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com SOURCE Core BTS 12 february 2024 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: Aalyria, U.S. Gov't, ESA & Others Conduct Demonstration of Technology That Enables Hybrid Space Architecture and CJADC2 Capabilities The U.S. Government and Aalyria recently conducted the first demonstration of a key technology that enables two long-sought capabilities for civilian and defense purposes: Hybrid Space Architecture (HSA) and Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) concept. Both efforts seek to internetwork commercial and/or government communications-equipped assets ? across land, air, sea, and space ? to create mesh networks that are impossible to disable. Realizing HSA and CJADC2 enables secure, resilient, and low-latency data communications networks anywhere on the globe. Working with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and other partners, Aalyria's Spacetime network orchestration software platform was used to operate a multi-vendor, multi-operator, multi-orbit SATCOM network across secure Department of Defense (DoD) and multiple commercial provider locations. In real time, Spacetime demonstrated self-healing reallocation of network resources and reconstitution of connectivity services in response to the unexpected loss of a satellite, introduction of jamming effects, outages to terrestrial fiber, and dynamic changes to end-to-end data rate, latency, and priority requirements. Aalyria's Spacetime demonstrated the ability to allocate network resources and task first-party network elements (e.g. government owned and operated satellites and airborne mesh networks) while also orchestrating intelligent, proactive network switching and roaming across 3rd party (e.g. commercial) satellite services as a single software-defined network. Held at the U.S. Naval Research Lab (NRL) in Washington, D.C., the four-hour event was attended by more than 150 distinguished individuals representing over 20 agencies across the U.S. Government and the DoD. The demonstration was conducted using real-world, in-orbit and ground-based fixed and mobile assets contributed and integrated in partnership with NRL, the European Space Agency (ESA), Comtech, Eutelsat OneWeb, Intelsat, and Viasat including tactical communications for the XVIII Airborne Corps during Exercise SCARLET DRAGON in a parallel real time demonstration. In total, the demonstration included building a software defined mesh network incorporating more than 630 satellites from three commercial satellite operators, with fixed and mobile ground-based terminals spread between four partner testbed sites across two continents. The network integrity was verified in real time by NRL throughout the demonstration. This work is part of a contract awarded to Aalyria by DIU last year. The timeline to field the demonstration network, including integration across all vendor and satellite network partners, was less than 60 days. Aalyria credits this speed to the Spacetime platform's modular open systems approach and open source APIs. "The importance of this demonstration cannot be overstated," said Aalyria's founder and CEO Chris Taylor. "For the first time ever, Hybrid Space Architecture and CJADC2 capabilities have been demonstrated in all domains and orbits. The future of a fully interoperable networked capability that spans government, civilian, and commercial assets is here and available now." "It was an impressive event, showcasing TN/NTN network orchestration capabilities, and I am delighted that we could contribute from the 5G/6G Hub at ESA ECSAT," said Antonio Franchi, Head of the Space for 5G/6G and Sustainable Connectivity programme line for ESA. "I would like to thank the Aalyria team, and my team for their dedication ? and without whom, we would not have been able to support this important demo." The demonstration of this next-generation capability was made possible by Aalryia's Spacetime ? the world's most intelligent network routing and orchestration platform. Spacetime's innovative digital twin technology enables it to look ahead in time and space to determine future motion, potential obstructions, data requirements, and more. Using this information, Spacetime makes predictive, intelligent decisions as to how a network should be composed in order to meet mission requirements. Through API integrations that are capable of communicating with any hardware, operating in any orbit, Spacetime sends instructions to re-task steerable beams or antennas and reroute network traffic to ensure continuous network connectivity, no matter the circumstance. Since emerging from stealth last year, Aalyria has quickly received awards from and developed partnerships with a broad range of commercial and government players, including DIU, NRL, Comtech, the European Space Agency, Telesat, Intelsat, Airbus, Rivada Space Networks, HICO, and others. About Aalyria Aalyria is a global advanced networking and laser communications technologies company. It is revolutionizing connectivity on Earth and in space. Its products are helping commercial and government customers reimagine and operate new business and mission models to make assets more effective, efficient, and profitable. 12 february 2024 at 08:05 News published onand distributed by: A screenshot of the article (Photo: VNA) The article featured many illustration photos highlighting the beauty of the Vietnamese traditional event, describing it as the most sacred festival of the year, eagerly anticipated by Vietnamese people around the world. It said the occasion sees those who work far from home yearn to reunite with their families and enjoy the sense of togetherness. According to the author, Tet is annually celebrated on the first days of the Lunar New Year across Vietnam and all countries where Vietnamese reside. On this occasion, families worship their ancestors, gather, visit relatives, offer blessings, and give lucky money to the elderly and children. The article emphasised that traditional Tet customs, such as the Day of the Kitchen Gods, traditional cake making, house cleaning, first footing, and folk games, are still preserved, bearing distinctive cultural traits and reflecting the national identity. It said Tet holds significant meanings with nice customs that need to be preserved and promoted especially in the process of international integration, as all these elements constitute the soul and unique identity of the Vietnamese people./. The Block Backs New Digital Asset Indices Firm Amid ETF Boom NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Block , a premier provider of information services in the digital asset industry, together with Wintermute, a digital asset liquidity provider and OTC trading desk, today announced the backing of GMCI . This new company aims to deliver comprehensive index products for the crypto asset management market. GMCI is led by Maarten Botman, who brings over 15 years of experience from Optiver to his role as CEO. The company's board of directors includes Larry Cermak, CEO of The Block, and Evgeny Gaevoy, CEO of Wintermute, leveraging their industry expertise. The company's first major initiative is the launch of the GMCI 30 index, designed to track the price performance of the top 30 crypto assets, offering a benchmark for evaluating investment returns and market performance for both crypto and traditional finance investors. Criteria for asset inclusion in the GMCI 30 index ensure a diverse representation of the market, requiring assets to be listed on selected exchanges and supported by approved custodians, with details of the index methodology to be available on the GMCI website. GMCI plans to extend its index offerings beyond the GMCI 30 to include sector-specific indices for digital assets, supporting a broad range of financial products and investment strategies. The launch of GMCI addresses the growing interest in crypto-tied financial products, as seen with the introduction of Bitcoin spot ETFs. Despite this interest, a universally accepted crypto asset index has been missing, a gap GMCI intends to fill. GMCI indices, developed in collaboration with experts from the crypto-native and TradFi sectors, will be transparent and governed by strict standards. The company is also working towards BMR compliance to ensure the highest levels of integrity and investability. GMCI's strategy includes enabling the creation of financial products based on its indices, with Wintermute providing liquidity support and The Block facilitating tracking through a dedicated website. To view current and future indices, please visit The Block Indices . About The Block The Block is the leading information services brand in the digital asset space. The Block's expertise across research, news, and data is unmatched and delivers objective and nuanced insight into how this emerging industry intersects with technology, government, and financial markets. Web | Twitter | LinkedIn About GMCI GMCI is an index provider incorporated in the Netherlands, building unique indices with a tested methodology. GMCI indices will be designed and managed by experts from both industry-leading crypto-native and TradFi institutions. GMCI's flagship index is GMCI 30. Web | Twitter | LinkedIn Contact [email protected] SOURCE The Block 12 february 2024 at 10:00 News published onand distributed by: HPX signs Letter of Intent with Government of Liberia and Guma Africa Group to develop The Liberty Corridor in Liberia, which will contain a new heavy-duty railroad connecting the Nimba district of Guinea to a new Liberian deep water port An estimated investment of $3 billion to $5 billion will enable sustainable mineral development and downstream value addition to regional economies HPX and Guma Africa Group will enter into negotiations with the Government of Liberia to agree the framework granting exclusive rights to develop, finance and grant operating rights to the Liberty Corridor MONROVIA, Liberia, Feb. 12, 2024 /CNW/ -- Bronwyn Barnes, President and CEO of US Company High Power Exploration Inc ("HPX") announced today the signing of a letter of intent with the government of Liberia and the Guma Africa Group Ltd. to enter into negotiations to own, design, finance, develop and operate The Liberty Corridor ? a brand new multi-user infrastructure corridor connecting Guinea and Liberia. The Liberty Corridor will comprise a brand-new world-class rail system connecting Guinea to a new deep-water port at Didia, Liberia, an extension of the existing hydropower network from Cote d'Ivoire into the Nimba districts of Liberia and Guinea, an upgrade of existing road networks and the implementation of fibre optic telecommunication cable connecting Liberia to the Nimba district and potentially beyond. The Liberty Corridor would be a joint development between the Government of Liberia, HPX and the Guma Africa Group. GUMA AFRICA GROUP is a Pan African diversified investment and operations group involved in Mining, Infrastructure, Tourism & Hospitality, ICT, Healthcare, Human Capital Development, Renewable Energy, Rail Manufacturing, etc. Guma operates in 28 African countries. HPX is an American exploration and development company focused on advancing its high-grade long-life iron ore mine in the Lola region of the Southeastern region of the Republic of Guinea. HPX's major shareholder and technology provider is I-Pulse Inc, a US Company founded and Chaired by Mr Robert Friedland and has a number of high profile American institutional and private investors as shareholders. I-Pulse Inc. is a private American company with a multibillion-dollar valuation founded by Robert Friedland and Laurent Frescaline and backed by a global network of shareholders. Visit www.ipulse-group.com to learn more. Further information or Media contact: Bronwyn Barnes, President and CEO HPX [email protected] +44 7810 227 672 Joe MacDonald, Head of Strategy and Business Development [email protected] + 44 7525 341 493 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2338630/HPX.jpg SOURCE HPX 12 february 2024 at 10:36 News published onand distributed by: Arab Public Blames US and Allies for Enabling Gaza War, according to poll by ACW WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --Arab citizens overwhelmingly blamed the United States and Western governments for the continuation of the war in Gaza, characterized the American position on the conflict as "very bad," and went so far as to consider the US as the number one threat to the security and stability of the Middle East. These sentiments were recorded in a survey of Arab public opinion about the current war in Gaza, conducted by Arab Center Washington DC in cooperation with the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. The survey was conducted by telephone with 8,000 respondents in 16 Arab countries, representing some 95% of Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa. Asked about the most important factors enabling Israel to continue its war on Gaza, 50% of the Arab public indicated that US military and political support is the most important factor, while 14% said it is the failure of Arab governments to take decisive measures against Israel to stop the war. A further 11% of respondents named the normalization agreements between Israel and some Arab governments. The perception of the United States has worsened since similar polls were conducted in previous years, as 76% of respondents reported that their opinion of the United States has become more negative since the start of the war in Gaza. Additionally, 65% of respondents said that the US position on Gaza will harm US interests in the Arab region, while 72% said that it will harm US reputation. Arab peoples' solidarity with Palestinians was an obvious finding in this poll, with a full 92% of respondents considering the question of Palestine as concerning all Arabs. When asked why they believe Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the majority of respondents (73%) cited Israel's occupation of Palestinian land and Israeli government policies as the primary reasons. Most Arabs do not believe the Biden Administration is sincere in its calls for a two-state solution after the end of the war, as advocated by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent visit to the region. When asked about how serious the United States is about working toward the establishment of a Palestinian state, 81% of respondents said that it is not. The US's recent push for regional integration and normalization of relations between Arab countries and Israel is also unpopular among Arabs. A full 89% of respondents refuse to recognize Israel, a 5% increase from 2022. In Saudi Arabia, expected to be the next to normalize relations with Israel, 68% refused recognition of Israel, up from 38% in 2022. In Morocco and Sudan, two countries that have already normalized relations with Israel, 78% and 81% of respondents reject recognition, up from 67% and 72% in 2022, respectively. Finally, 82% of Arabs believe that US media outlets are biased toward Israel in their coverage of the war in Gaza. SOURCE Arab Center DC 12 february 2024 at 12:03 News published onand distributed by: Buchanan Obtains Preliminary Win with International Trade Commission's Affirmative Determination in Trade Cases on Wine Bottles from Chile, China, and Mexico WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a preliminary victory for the U.S. industry, the U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) found on Friday, February 9, that there is a reasonable indication that the domestic wine bottle industry is injured as a result of imports from Chile, China, and Mexico. The Commission's unanimous affirmative vote comes in response to petitions filed December 29, 2023, by the U.S. Glass Producers Coalition. The petitions allege that unfairly dumped and subsidized wine bottles are injuring the domestic industry. "Foreign countries and producers that do not abide by international trade rules must be held accountable," said Daniel B. Pickard, lead counsel to the petitioner and Buchanan's International Trade and National Security Practice Group leader. "This vote takes the domestic industry one step closer to ensuring that U.S. glass wine bottle producers can compete in a fair market." On January 18, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the initiation of antidumping (AD) investigations into imports of wine bottles from Chile, China, and Mexico. The dumping margins for imports are alleged to be as high as 609.71%. On the same day, the Department of Commerce also initiated a countervailing duty (CVD) investigation into glass wine bottles from China. The Commission's affirmative preliminary injury determination paves the way for the Department of Commerce to move forward with its investigations. Commerce is expected to issue its preliminary CVD determination in March 2024 and its preliminary AD determinations in June 2024. If Commerce reaches affirmative preliminary determinations in these cases, U.S. Customs and Border Protection will begin collecting provisional AD and CVD duties based on the preliminary margins calculated. The Commission's final phase investigation will occur no later than January 2025. If both the Commission and Commerce reach affirmative final determinations, AD orders on wine bottles from Chile, China, and Mexico and a CVD order on wine bottles from China will be issued, imposing duties on the unfairly traded imports for a minimum of five years. The Buchanan team representing the petitioner also includes Milton Koch, Jacob Garten, Claire Webster, and Amanda Wetzel. SOURCE Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC 12 february 2024 at 14:13 News published onand distributed by: Cosa Announces C$5 Million Bought Deal Private Placement To Fund Athabasca Basin Uranium Exploration NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cosa Resources Corp. (TSX-V: COSA) (OTCQB: COSAF) (FSE: SSKU) ("Cosa" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Haywood Securities Inc., on behalf of itself and a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters") who have agreed to purchase, or arrange for substitute purchasers, on a "bought deal" private placement basis, 2,128,000 hard dollar units of the Company (the "Hard Dollar Units") at a price of C$0.47 per Hard Dollar Unit (the "Hard Dollar Issue Price"), and 5,603,000 charity flow-through units of the Company (the "Charity FT Units", and together with the Hard Dollar Units, the "Units") at a price of C$0.714 per Charity FT Unit (the "Charity FT Issue Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of C$5,000,702 (collectively, the "Offering"). Each Hard Dollar Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (a "Share") plus one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole such warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Charity FT Unit will consist of one Share of the Company that qualifies as a "flow-through share" within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and will qualify as an "eligible flow-through share" as defined in The Mineral Exploration Tax Credit Regulations, 2014 (Saskatchewan) plus one-half of one Warrant. Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Share (a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of C$0.67 for 24 months following the completion of the Offering. The Warrants will be subject to an acceleration provision whereby, if for any ten consecutive trading days, the closing price of the Shares exceeds $1.20 per Share on the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company may announce by way of press release that the expiry date of the Warrants will be accelerated to 30 days thereafter. In addition, the Company has agreed to grant the Underwriters an option (the "Over-Allotment Option"), exercisable in whole or in part by Haywood, at any time up to 48 hours prior to the Closing Date (as defined below), to purchase up to an additional number of Units, in any combination of Hard Dollar Units and/or Charity FT Units, equal to 15% of the total Units issuable pursuant to the Offering at the respective issue prices above. The Company understands that purchasers of the Charity FT Units may immediately resell or donate some or all of the Charity FT Units to registered charities, who may sell such units (the "Resale Units") concurrent with closing of the Offering to purchasers arranged by the Underwriters at a price per Resale Unit equal to the Hard Dollar Issue Price. The gross proceeds from the sale of Charity FT Units will be used by the Company to incur eligible "Canadian exploration expenses" that qualify as "flow-through critical mineral mining expenditures" as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada), and to incur "eligible flow-through mining expenditures" pursuant to The Mineral Exploration Tax Credit Regulations, 2014 (Saskatchewan) (collectively, the "Qualifying Expenditures") related to the Company's uranium projects in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, on or before December 31, 2025. All Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced in favour of the subscribers of the Charity FT Units effective December 31, 2024. The net proceeds from the sale of Hard Dollar Units will be used to fund exploration and for additional working capital purposes. The Units will be offered to purchasers pursuant to National Instrument 45-106 ? Prospectus Exemptions in all of the provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and/or in other jurisdictions as agreed to between the Company and the Underwriters. The Units will be subject to the statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering is expected to close on or about March 5, 2024 (the "Closing Date"). The Company will pay to the Underwriters a cash commission of 5.0% of the gross proceeds raised in respect of the Offering, other than in respect of Units issued to certain purchasers on a president's list to be agreed upon by the Company and the Underwriters (the "President's List"), in which case the commission in respect of such issuance shall be equal to 3.0%. In addition, the Company will issue to the Underwriters compensation options, exercisable for a period of 24 months following the Closing Date, to acquire in aggregate that number of Shares which is equal to 6.0% of the number of Units sold under the Offering at an exercise price equal to the Hard Dollar Issue Price, other than in respect of Units issued to purchasers on the President's List, in which case the Company will not issue any compensation options. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Cosa Resources Corp. Cosa Resources is a Canadian uranium exploration company operating in northern Saskatchewan. The portfolio comprises roughly 200,000 ha across multiple projects in the Athabasca Basin region, all of which are underexplored, and the majority reside within or adjacent to established uranium corridors. Cosa's award-winning management team has a long track record of success in Saskatchewan. In 2022, members of the Cosa team were awarded the AME Colin Spence Award for their previous involvement in discovering IsoEnergy's Hurricane deposit. Prior to Hurricane, Cosa personnel led teams or had integral roles in the discovery of Denison Mines' Gryphon deposit and 92 Energy's Gemini Zone and held key roles in the founding of both NexGen and IsoEnergy. Cosa's primary focus through 2024 is initial drilling at their Ursa Project, which captures over 60-kilometres of strike length of the Cable Bay Shear Zone, a regional structural corridor with known mineralization and limited historical drilling. It potentially represents the last remaining eastern Athabasca corridor to not yet yield a major discovery. Modern geophysics completed by Cosa in 2023 identified multiple high-priority target areas characterized by conductive basement stratigraphy beneath or adjacent to broad zones of inferred sandstone alteration ? a setting that is typical of most eastern Athabasca uranium deposits. Contact Keith Bodnarchuk, President & CEO [email protected] +1 888-899-2672 (COSA) Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "pending", "intends", "plans", "forecasts", "targets", or "hopes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "will", "should" "might", "will be taken", or "occur" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that Cosa expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including the closing date of the Offering, proposed use of proceeds of the Offering and the tax treatment of the Charity FT Units. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of the Company, future growth potential for the Company and its business, and future exploration plans are based on management's reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the price of metals; no escalation in the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; the Company's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner. These statements reflect the Company's respective current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of other assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the future tax treatment of the Charity FT Units, competitive risks and the availability of financing; precious metals price volatility; risks associated with the conduct of the Company's mining activities; regulatory, consent or permitting delays; risks relating to reliance on the Company's management team and outside contractors; the Company's inability to obtain insurance to cover all risks, on a commercially reasonable basis or at all; currency fluctuations; risks regarding the failure to generate sufficient cash flow from operations; risks relating to project financing and equity issuances; risks and unknowns inherent in all mining projects; contests over title to properties, particularly title to undeveloped properties; laws and regulations governing the environment, health and safety; the ability of the communities in which the Company operates to manage and cope with the implications of COVID-19; the economic and financial implications of COVID-19 to the Company; operating or technical difficulties in connection with mining or development activities; employee relations, labour unrest or unavailability; the Company's interactions with surrounding communities; the speculative nature of exploration and development; stock market volatility; conflicts of interest among certain directors and officers; lack of liquidity for shareholders of the Company; litigation risk; and the factors identified in the Company's public disclosure documents. Readers are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. 12 february 2024 at 16:05 News published onand distributed by: A boy searches through trash at a dump near one of the camps housing Palestinians displaced by war in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 12, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP) MOHAMMED ABED / AFP The United Nations said on Monday, February 12, that the prospect of a full Israeli incursion into the crowded Gaza town of Rafah was "terrifying" and risked an "extremely high" number of casualties. UN human rights chief Volker Turk urged world powers to "restrain rather than enable" as fears of a looming ground incursion grew among more than one million Palestinians trapped in the territory's far south. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to send ground troops into the Rafah area as part of his goal of eliminating Hamas. His declarations have sparked international alarm. Read more Subscribers only Israeli army now pounds Rafah, Gaza's last refuge "A potential full-fledged military incursion into Rafah where some 1.5 million Palestinians are packed against the Egyptian border with nowhere further to flee is terrifying, given the prospect that an extremely high number of civilians, again mostly children and women, will likely be killed and injured," Turk said in a statement. "Sadly, given the carnage wrought so far in Gaza it is wholly imaginable what would lie ahead in Rafah. "Beyond the pain and suffering of the bombs and bullets, this incursion into Rafah may also mean the end of the meager humanitarian aid that has been entering and distributed with huge implications for all of Gaza, including the hundreds of thousands at grave risk of starvation and famine in the north." "My office has repeatedly warned against actions that violate the laws of war. The prospect of such an operation into Rafah, as circumstances stand, risks further atrocity crimes," said Turk. He said those who defy international law had been put on notice and accountability must follow. "The world must not allow this to happen," Turk said. "Those with influence must restrain rather than enable. There must be an immediate ceasefire. All remaining hostages must be released. And there must be renewed collective resolve to reach a political solution." RESIDENTS have expressed anger after concerts were held in a marquee near their homes. Young children, toddlers and elderly people were woken up by the music coming from the marquee erected in the grounds of the former Cleeves factory near North Circular Road in the city. Frustrated locals contacted gardai to complain about the noise. The marquee was originally erected to host Fossetts Circus shows at Christmas. But, during the Bank Holiday weekend, hundreds attended evening concerts on February 2, 3 and 4. A spokesperson for the Clanmaurice Residents Association described the sound as booming. I could decipher words. It wasnt just a bass beat. Im at the far end of Clanmaurice Avenue near Ardscoil Ris. As you walked down the road (towards the river), it got louder and louder and louder, they said. One of my neighbours has a 16-month old baby. She couldnt get her child to sleep again. They were already asleep and this huge noise came. Its a big disturbance to your routine in the night-time, they said. Councillor Conor Sheehan added: Ive been getting a lot of calls, texts and WhatsApps from people who could not settle their kids because of the volume of noise. Now the residents group are set to make a formal complaint to the gardai, Limerick City and County Council, and Limerick Twenty Thirty, the company which owns the land and gave the green light for the gigs. Limerick Twenty Thirty was singled out for criticism, with the residents group alleging it did not engage with locals. We dont have a problem with large music events. We just want to be informed beforehand. Its like the situation at Croke Park in Dublin. "Those residents know there will be so many events a year, they know what dates they will take place on, and know how late they are going on. But this approach is haphazard. We are not against events, we realise the importance of tourism, we understand. It's just it needs to be done in a way so kids aren't kept awake with no warning, and disturbing the whole ambience of an area," the spokesperson said. READ MORE: In Pictures: Out and about in Limerick cheering on Ireland in the Six Nations Limerick Twenty Thirty said Big Boss Events booked Fossetts big-top for three concerts over the Bank Holiday weekend. Limerick Twenty Thirty has been in contact with Big Boss Events who have given assurances that measures were in place to minimise inconvenience to local residents across these events and we have brought feedback from local residents to their attention, they said. Limerick Twenty Thirty will also bring this feedback into the decision-making process around any requests for use of the site for such events in the future. The acts that were advertised to perform included Tumbling Paddies, DAIRE, Mark McCabe and Mimi. Residents contacted the gardai during the concerts with noise complaints, but the Leader understands officers did not attend. Councillor Sheehan said: "If they are going to have these events, they need to be held in a venue with better soundproofing". The concerts ended between 10.30pm and 11.30pm. A LIMERICK man is urging the public to go all in this Daffodil Day to help raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society. Michael Quinlivan from Thomondgate has previously volunteered on Daffodil Day and is now urging the public to support the event which takes place next month. Daffodil Day will take place on Friday, March 22 and volunteers from the Irish Cancer Society will be out in force selling daffodils to raise funds for cancer awareness and research. Mr Quinlivan has been volunteering with the Irish Cancer Society since 1988, over 35 years ago. Speaking about Daffodil Day last year, Mr Quinlivan said: I fundraise for the whole month of March every year, even though Daffodil Day is one day nationally. READ MORE: In Pictures: Limerick counselling centre celebrates milestone anniversary I set up a stall in the Milk Market in Limerick around nine years ago now for all the Saturdays in March. This year, I will be selling daffodils and fundraising in OConnell Street and I will move up to around Arthurs Quay Park area - last year alone [2022], I raised 6,500 for charity thanks to the people of Limerick, he added CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, Averil Power said: Every three minutes someone in Ireland hears the words youve got cancer. There isnt a family that hasnt felt the devastating impact of a cancer diagnosis. But no matter what cancer brings, the Irish Cancer Society is here to help. All of our essential services, like free counselling, Night Nursing, and patient travel are fuelled by fundraising. We simply cant provide them without the publics generosity. South Korea's imports of coffee topped US$1 billion for two straight years on its growing popularity here, customs data showed Sunday, Azernews reports, citing Yonhap. The combined value of imported green and roasted coffee beans reached $1.11 billion in 2023, compared with $1.3 billion a year ago, according to the data from the Korea Customs Service. Last year, the country imported 193,000 tons of coffee, down from 205,000 tons a year ago. South Korea's coffee imports had been on a steady rise since 2018 as an increasing number of Koreans enjoy the drink. It imported 158,000 tons of coffee worth $637.3 million in 2018 and reached the peak in 2022. The 2023 data showed that more than one-fourth of imported coffee was from Brazil last year, with more than 50,000 tons valued at $200 million. Vietnamese coffee came in second with 40,000 tons, followed by Colombia, Ethiopia and Guatemala. A team of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), led by Uma Ramakrishnan, Deputy Director of the Funds European Department, starts meetings on Monday in Kyiv with the Ukrainian authorities and other stakeholders. The discussions will focus on the authorities' economic objectives and the challenges facing the Ukrainian economy. As reported in a statement by the Fund's Resident Representative to Ukraine, Vahram Stepanyan, "the team will also participate in the inaugural meeting of the Steering Committee of the IMF's Ukraine Capacity Development Fund (UCDF) on February 13." This meeting will convene Ukrainian authorities, development partners, and IMF staff to discuss the Ukraines capacity development priorities and IMF support in this important area. Following these meetings, on February 17, an IMF mission, led by Gavin Gray, will start policy discussions with the Ukrainian authorities in Warsaw on the third review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement. A MAN who breached a Safety Order obtained by his ex-wife when addressing post to the couples dog at the womans home after their break-up has escaped a jail term. This follows Judge Alec Gabbett at the district court in Clare imposing a suspended two month prison term and a fine of 200 on the man for breaching the Safety Order. Judge Gabbett said that the man signed off one letter to the dog Woof, Woof, Woof. The letter was one of a number of communications sent in the post to the dog in May and June 2022 that also included a copy of the Irish Constitution and a bag of dog food that prompted gardai to arrest the man for the breach of the Safety Order in July 2022 after the woman lodged a complaint. After imposing sentence, the man asked Judge Gabbett do I have a criminal record? and Judge Gabbett told him: You do have a criminal record as of today. The man, representing himself, said that he would appeal the penalties to the High Court or the Supreme Court. Judge Gabbett said that he would be appealing to the Circuit Court first. Judge Gabbett said that he imposed the suspended prison term as "a deterrent" and if there were further breaches, it was open to the court to activate the prison term. The man told Judge Gabbett I never intend to see that woman again. Judge Gabbett said: "That would be a result in my view. Judge Gabbett found the man guilty of the Safety Order breaches at a court hearing last November and adjourned the case for a Probation Report to be carried out on the man, who has no previous convictions. However, reading a letter from the Probation Services, Judge Gabbett said that the service was unable to complete a report on the man as he became aggressive towards the Probation Officer who terminated their interview meeting last month. Judge Gabbett said that the Probation Officer pressed the panic button and a garda came. In response, the man told Judge Gabbett that it was a fire alarm and not a panic button. READ MORE: Second man arrested over violent disorder incident in Limerick At the end of the contested hearing last November, Judge Gabbett, finding that the communications with the dog were a breach of the Safety Order, commented: "I am not at all satisfied that those letters should have been sent." He said: "The constitution and letters to the dog? I just dont think that they are appropriate." The three year Safety Order granted to the woman in April 2022 stipulated that there would be no communication from the man to the woman. The man told Judge Gabbett that he didnt believe that he was breaching the Safety Order as the post was addressed to the dog. Judge Gabbett asked the man that given that the dog couldnt have read the letter addressed to him and it was his ex-wife that was going to read the letter, would he not have thought sending the letter was intimidatory with the history that was there between the estranged couple. The man said: No."He added: "I really think that this is a female issue. It is a gender issue in my opinion." He said that he sent the dog a bag of dog food and she goes berserk. He said: "Where is the rationale in that? If I was sending her a knife or something. The man said that after gardai arrested him following the letters addressed to the dog, I havent sent any food to him since. He said: I wasn't doing it out of malice. LIMERICK gardai and staff have organised a night of rhythm and (Hill Street) blues to raise money for Little Blue Heroes. The event entitled Heroes Rock takes place this Friday, February 16 in Dolans Warehouse. Six bands have kindly agreed to perform free of charge - Trouble Pilgrims, The Yardarm Dawgs, Thiz Lizzy, Reverse the Hearse, The Outcast Crew and Parliament Square. Their mix of genres will suit all musical tastes. The jury is still out on whether Chief Superintendent Derek Smart and Superintendent Andrew Lacey, who dusted off their electric guitars for a photo, will join them on stage. Music aficionado, Professor Eoin Devereux, of University of Limerick, will MC proceedings with 100% of funds raised going directly to Little Blue Heroes. A huge range of raffle prizes have also been organised. There is a door prize of two tickets for Paolo Nutini kindly donated by Thomond Park for his July concert but you have to be in Dolan's on the night to win them. Click here to purchase tickets. Chief Supt Smart said the event is another excellent initiative being run in support of the fantastic work of the Little Blue Heroes Foundation, which supports those who find themselves in a time of need. Supt Lacey said the generosity of the artists, organisers and venue staff in terms of time and enthusiasm indicates how special a night this will be. The Little Blue Heroes Foundation does inspiring work to help families of children with serious illnesses in Ireland and they rely heavily on events such as next Friday to provide life altering supports. Having six quality bands all play in the one venue is fantastic and a treat for all rock or music enthusiasts. Please get out and support this event and bring a smile to our young honorary gardai. Tickets are now available for purchase on Dolans website, said Supt Lucey. READ MORE: BT Young Scientist winner named as Limerick's St Patrick's Day parade grand marshal Inspector Noel Barry said garda members and garda staff in Limerick have witnessed first-hand the work of Little Blue Heroes Foundation, and the impact it has on the lives of serious ill children and their families. The foundation not only provides financial support to families, it also provides a unique relief and distraction to these children in the form of a close relationship with An Garda Siochana and their assigned garda buddies. This gig is our way of raising awareness and some vital funds for Little Blue Heroes Foundation. We hope people get on board for a great charity and a great night out, said Insp Barry. Garda staff John Talbot, who has been instrumental in putting the night together, said the gig showcases some of the best musical talent Ireland has to offer. Each band has kindly volunteered their time and talent, as have Dolans Warehouse in support of Little Blue Heroes Foundation. With six bands over the course of the evening, there is something for everyone. With amazing raffle prizes throughout the evening, this will be a night to remember for years to come, said Mr Talbot. Staff at an Irish animal rescue have expressed shock after volunteers found a beheaded piglet outside their premises. The baby animal was discovered right outside My Lovely Horse Rescue's (MLHR) farm in Co Kildare on Saturday February 10, with a spokesperson describing the discovery as "heart breaking". The charity suspects the heinous act was done "as an act of cruelty towards MLHR". They are asking anyone with a dash cam who was passing the Moyvalley area towards Clonard on Saturday morning to make the footage available to them. In a Facebook post highlighting the incident, MLHR stated: "Today our volunteers found a poor beheaded piglet right outside our farm. Its head was nowhere to be found. "We are guessing that this was done as an act of cruelty towards MLHR. Heart breaking. We are asking if you passed the MoyValley area towards Clonard this morning and have a dash cam would you please check if you recorded anything. Pm us. "To the cruel people who did this, intentionally to MLHR or not, its disgusting [sic] the cruelty that piglet suffered. WHAT IS WRONG WITH SOCIETY?" Almost 100 outraged people commented on MLHR's post, with one person commenting: "I hope whoever done this horrific act is caught and brought to justice. Absolutely disgusting cruel excuse for a human." Another commented: "This is absolutely heartbreaking what that poor creature endured. Whoever did this is, I dont know how you can live with yourself!" MLHR runs a farm in Cork as well as a farm in Kildare, with their sister charity My Lovely Pig Rescue caring for over 60 pigs at present. A new early learning and childcare strategy for Northern Ireland could cost 400 million a year, Education Minister Paul Givan has told MLAs. While the minister said there was no time to waste in delivering the strategy, he also stated that the willingness of Stormonts new powersharing Executive to fund it would be the real test of commitment. Following the first substantive debate of the new Assembly, MLAs backed a Sinn Fein motion calling on the Executive to work collectively to deliver a strategy. MLAs were told that the current financial burden of childcare means that many families are having to use credit cards and loans, while some providers are closing their doors. Currently, there is no scheme in place for free childcare in Northern Ireland, unlike in England where 30 hours of free childcare a week is offered. Mr Givan told MLAs he would bring forward a paper on a new early learning and childcare strategy to his Executive colleagues this week. He told the Assembly: The development of an early learning and childcare strategy is a top priority for me as education minister. There is no time to waste and Ill be bringing an initial paper on this issue to my Executive colleagues later this week. It is clear that we have much work to do and I am determined to press ahead at pace. He added: This is about both early learning and childcare. This strategy will have dual aims, supporting both child development and enabling parental employment. It is about giving children the best start in life and supporting working families. It is important that the work we do and the model we put in place is capable of achieving both. I am aware that the cost of childcare is putting immense strain on family finances and in some cases is preventing parents, particularly women, from entering and remaining in the workforce and remaining in their careers after they have children. Mr Givan said the willingness of the Executive to fund the strategy would be the real test of commitment. He also said he would look at strategies in other regions. The minister added: While we can and should learn from others, it is important that we consider what would be best for Northern Ireland and deliver the outcomes we want to achieve here. I am aware of the reported implementation issues in rolling out the 30 hour offer in England and we want to learn from that. However, at this stage, I dont want to rule out any options until I have had the opportunity to consider them in more detail and see if there are elements of them which might translate into the Northern Ireland context. I want to deliver a bespoke affordability scheme for Northern Ireland. Mr Givan added: When fully implemented, the annual and recurring costs could potentially be up to 400 million. The ultimate scale of the budget required will be dependent on the scope of the strategy and the level of support agreed by the Executive. However, make no mistake about my ambition for this strategy and my ambition to make the case for the funding required to deliver progress as a matter of urgency. I will drive forward this childcare strategy. But be under no illusion as to the scale of the funding that will be needed to make this a reality. Opening the debate, Sinn Fein MLA Nicola Brogan said progress on adopting a childcare strategy had stalled while the powersharing Executive did not sit for two years. She said: It is clear that childcare is a massive issue for people across the north right now. Very often we hear about the rising cost of childcare and the impact this has on parents and families who are already struggling with the cost of living. We talk about the very real and concerning pressures childcare providers are facing right now in trying to keep their doors open with increased operating costs and difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff. Ms Brogan said the cost of childcare was having a crippling effect on families in Northern Ireland. She added: According to Employers for Childcares most recent survey in 2023, the current average cost for a full-time childcare place is 10,036 a year. For 41% of families childcare is the highest monthly outgoing ahead of mortgage or rental costs and 56% of families are having to use means other than their income to pay for childcare including savings, credit cards and loans. These costs are simply unaffordable for families. Ms Brogan, the chair of the All Party Group on Early Education and Childcare, said the group had examined the English model. She added: Whilst this sounds good in practice it is not meeting the needs of parents, providers or children. We need our own model. ENNIS Book Club Festival returns from March 1-3 with a vibrant programme of live events and activities for book lovers of all ages. Leading international and national contributors will feature over three days, discussing fiction and memoir, poetry and current affairs and the festival promises lively literary encounters all weekend. Book Quiz, walking tours, the Literary Lunch and evening performances will add to an exciting weekend in one of Irelands friendliest towns. The weekend includes writers Sinead Gleeson and Claire Kilroy in conversation with Edel Coffey and a Crime Fiction event with authors Denise Mina, Doug Johnstone and Andrea Mara in conversation with Andrea Carter. Other events will include Paula Meehan, Theo Dorgan and Alice Kinsella, who will read from their latest collections. There will be Debut Novelists, Writers from the West, including Una Mannion and Mike McComack and Memoir with Martin Doyle and Eimear Ryan. Saturday will feature literature from outside of Ireland in Beyond Borders and a festival favourite, Ten Books You Should Read, with Ronan Hession and Liam O Maonlai. The festival is delighted to welcome Pulitzer finalist Rebecca Makkai to Ennis on Saturday, March 2, where she will be in conversation with Belinda McKeon in glor Theatre. The festival will include a number of Fringe events this year including a magical concert featuring Ronan O Snodaigh and Myles OReilly, along with some surprise guests, and the duos soulful blend of folk, traditional, and ambient music. Events for children and young adults will include Ellen Ryan in conversation with Sarah Moore Fitzgerald and Paula Meehan will host an event for Leaving Cert students on March 1. The Sunday Symposium offers a lively discussion from a panel that includes Justine McCarthy and Dr Rory Hearne on the subject of Breaking the Cycle of Poverty. The festival will close with Theo Dorgan as the guest speaker at the Literary Lunch. The full programme with details of all events and tickets can be found at www.ennisbookclubfestival.com. History is littered with financial companies that were undone by one bad bet. Investors are worried that B. Riley Financial will be one of them. B. Rileys bet was on an unremarkable buyout of a company with an uninspiring name, Franchise Group. What made it toxic was the involvement of a hedge-fund manager who has links to a failed investment firm that prosecutors called a fraud. Investors are anxious because B. Riley was a key funder of the deal and has extensive ties to the hedge-fund manager. New details of loans by B. Riley to the hedge-fund manager show a longer and closer relationship than previously known. They also raise questions about whether Franchise Group should have disclosed more details about some of the loans years ago, when its board included two B. Riley executives. B. Rileys shares are down around 60% since August, the month the buyout closed, and it has been forced to defend its involvement. In January, the hedge-fund manager, Brian Kahn, resigned as chief executive officer of Franchise Group after a wave of news stories and social-media posts linking him to the failed investment firm. B. Riley took a $281 million equity stake in Franchise Group, which owns Vitamin Shoppe and Sylvan Learning tutoring centers, as part of the deal. It later disclosed that it lent $201 million to Kahns investment firm, which pledged its Franchise Group shares as collateral. Combined, the stated value of the loan and the equity stake exceeds B. Rileys shareholder equity. B. Rileys loans to Kahn date back longer than previously known. It made at least 10 different loans to Kahn and entities he controlled from 2018 through 2023, according to financing statements filed with state agencies in Nevada, Delaware and Florida, known as Uniform Commercial Code filings. The UCC filings dont show the amounts borrowed. Some of B. Rileys loans to Kahn were made or in place while two B. Riley senior executives were on Franchise Groups board, where they served from 2018 to 2020. Franchise Group didnt disclose them as related-party transactions in its proxy statements. A possible explanation for the lack of disclosure is it may not have been required, because Franchise Group itself wasnt a participant in the transactions. A July 2023 slide presentation by the investment bank Nomura, which provided financing to B. Riley as part of the Franchise Group buyout, included information about B. Rileys loans over the years to Kahn. The earliest one it listed was a $37 million loan in July 2019, and by mid-2023 the principal balance on Kahns loans was $154 million. The current drama has its roots in the collapse of Prophecy Asset Management, which claimed it was overseeing almost $400 million of assets when it failed in March 2020. Prosecutors have called Prophecy a fraud that hid its trading losses. Kahn, as an outside adviser hired by Prophecy, managed most of its money and appears to have generated most of its losses.Prophecys former president and chief compliance officer, John Hughes, pleaded guilty in November to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and is cooperating with prosecutors. Hughess attorney declined to comment. Kahn, 50, is one of two people referred to as unnamed co-conspirators in the case, according to people familiar with the matter. Prophecy clients in a now-resolved lawsuit alleged that Kahn secretly diverted Prophecy money to help build his controlling stake in Franchise Group. He used his stake to help take Franchise Group private in the B. Riley-financed deal last year, which valued the company at $1 billion. Kahn declined to comment. He hasnt been charged, and he has denied wrongdoing. In a statement last month to Bloomberg, Kahns lawyer, Douglas Brooks, said, Mr. Kahn categorically denies any knowledge of wrongdoing perpetrated by the managers of Prophecy." He said that Prophecy defrauded Kahn out of tens of millions of dollars and that neither B. Riley nor Franchise Group had any dealings with Prophecy. Referring to the Franchise Group investment, a B. Riley spokeswoman, Jo Anne McCusker, said, We remain confident in the investment proposition and believe this will turn out to be a value-enhancing transaction for our investors." She said B. Riley has secured its rights to the shares backing its loan to Kahn and has first priority over other creditors. Whether B. Riley does have first priority is crucial. Kahn at one point pledged his Franchise Group stock to Prophecy, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit that referred to him as Individual 2." The SEC said Prophecy counted the amountthen worth almost $200 millionin its net asset value shortly before it failed. It is unclear whether Kahn pledged the same shares twiceto both Prophecy and B. Riley. Franchise Group itself had been struggling. It reported combined net losses of $228 million during its last six quarters as a public company, mainly owing to soaring interest expenses. The fallout from the deal has shaken confidence in B. Riley, which manages about $24 billion for clients and provides investment-banking services mostly for small companies. The two B. Riley executives who served on Franchise Groups board were Bryant Riley, the financial companys co-founder and co-CEO, and Kenneth Young, its president. They stepped down from Franchise Groups board in March 2020, the same month Prophecy collapsed. The B. Riley spokeswoman said their departures had been previously planned and that B. Riley had no role in Prophecy in any capacity." Franchise Group reported other transactions with B. Riley as related-party dealings while the two executives were board members, but not B. Riley loans to Kahn. Bryant Riley and Young declined to answer questions about the disclosures, according to the B. Riley spokeswoman. Kahn joined Franchise Groups board in September 2018 and became its CEO in October 2019. Prophecy investors grew anxious about its situation in early 2020. LyonRoss Capital Management, a New York investment firm, sent an analyst to figure out what Prophecy owned. He dramatically discovered Prophecys secret $160 million side account with Kahn and another $36 million in hidden soft loans to Kahn," LyonRoss said in a lawsuit against Prophecy, Kahn and others. LyonRoss in its complaint said Kahn had used more than $100 million of the side-account funds to buy Franchise Group shares. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2022, and the parties went to arbitration, the outcome of which wasnt disclosed. The death blow to Prophecy came in March 2020 when its funds accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche, withdrew its audit reports for 2018 and resigned. Prosecutors said Deloitte resigned after uncovering the fraud. Deloitte representatives didnt respond to requests for comment. Deloitte also was Franchise Groups auditor and remained so after resigning from Prophecy. Budget carrier SpiceJet has decided to lay off about 15% of its staff, or about 1,500 employees, amid other cost-saving measures following a two-thirds reduction in its fleet size. The cash-strapped airline expects to save around 100 crore per year from these measures. As part of our turnaround and cost-cutting strategy, following the recent fund infusion, SpiceJet has initiated several measures, including manpower rationalization, aimed at achieving profitable growth and positioning ourselves to capitalize on the opportunities in the Indian aviation industry," said a spokesperson for SpiceJet. Through this initiative alone, we anticipate an annual saving of up to 100 crore." SpiceJet recently completed a capital infusion aggregating to 744 crore by allotting shares and warrants on a preferential basis. Last month, the airline received an in-principle approval from BSE to raise 2,242 crore by issuing shares. The new investors who have come on board do not want to pay free salaries," said a person familiar with the developments at SpiceJet, adding that pilots are unlikely to be affected in the layoffs. The layoffs have already started. It will be across all categories of operations," said another person, pegging the number of employees to be laid off at 1,500. The plan is to complete this drive by March 31." Both of them declined to be identified. SpiceJet had about 10,060 employees, including 7,131 permanent employees and 2,929 staff on contract, as per its annual report for 2022-23. That year, the airlines expenditure on employee benefits stood at 880 crore, or about 9% of its total expenses of 9,880 crore. The airline is expected to terminate the employment of nearly 15% staff or around 1500 employees by the end of the current financial year, a person aware of the matter told Mint. SpiceJets net fleet size has dropped to 41 aircraft from 120 aircraft in 2019. Of these, about 10 are in wet lease, meaning aircraft leased along with pilots and cabin crew. In 2017, SpiceJet had placed a firm order for 155 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, with options for another 50 such planes. The airline, however, has been unable to take deliveries beyond 13 aircraft, largely on account of financial challenges to make upfront payments. The airline doesnt plan to alter the order placed with Boeing for the MAX aircraft, said the first person mentioned earlier. While SpiceJet is downsizing, IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India are expanding their fleets, which is likely to require additional hiring. SpiceJet is due to complete a second tranche of capital infusion via equity and warrants. Under the first tranche, the airline had aimed to use 54.5 crore for employees. The pandemic took a severe toll on SpiceJet, adding to its losses. Consolidated net loss widened from 302 crore in FY19 to 937 crore in FY20, 1,030 crore in FY21, 1,744 crore in FY22, and 1,513 crore in FY23. The airlines market share too has been falling, from 16.5% of the domestic aviation market in December 2019 to 5.6% in December 2023, as per data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Mike Whitaker, told Congress last week that in response to the problems with Boeings 737 MAX, his agency would take a much more hands on approach going forward" and add inspectors. Clearly Boeing is having quality issues, but why would anyone think the solution will come from the FAA? The people at Boeing build planes every day. No one at the FAA does. They are too far removed from operations to understand the companys problems. And the FAAs knee-jerk reaction to add inspectors is telling. Inspection cant guarantee a products quality, which has to be built in to the manufacturing process. When a quality issue unexpectedly arises and the cause is unknown, inspection is imperative because there is no alternative in the short term. Poorly produced parts must be sorted from acceptable ones. But this isnt sustainable. Inspection is a stopgap measure, and not a very good one. Western companies for decades relied on inspection to remove defective parts. In its 1980s-era ads, Hanes memorably promoted Inspector 12" as evidence that the company threw out bad garments before they reached consumers. Yet quality was poor by todays standards, and costs were high. People arent good at inspecting because it is an incredibly boring job. Workers cant maintain the attention needed to catch every defect during their shifts. If the root causes of quality problems arent addressed, costs remain high because resources are wasted producing defective parts. Beginning in the 1970s the Japanese quality miracle caused massive disruptions in industries such as automobiles and audio equipment. In the 1950s, W. Edwards Deming, an American academic known as the father of quality management, taught Japanese manufacturers that inspection happens too late. He advised them to focus instead on developing processes that ensured defects didnt happen and instituting standard operating procedures in factories. The Toyota Production System streamlined manufacturing and organized it so each step of production flowed into the next. If problems arose, the flow stopped. The goal was to ensure that defects were discovered early in production, when they are easier to rectify. The FAA inspectors will be little more than an annoying distraction to Boeing. Manufacturers like Boeing already have a huge incentive to make safe, high-quality products. If they dont, no one will buy them. Bureaucrats, not only at the FAA but at any government agency, have different incentives. If they delay production, they can claim its because they arent satisfied with product quality. They look like heroes. If they sign off on something that turns out to be unsafe, they will be called in front of Congress. So they cause delays to improvements also. We cant rely on the FAA because of its perverse incentives. And while final quality assessments are needed, they cant be relied on solely. The solution is for Boeing to focus on its manufacturing processes and get them right. Mr. Coles is an associate professor at Lehigh Universitys College of Business. Mumbai: Fintech has always been a heavily regulated industry, but given that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been an extremely involved regulator, thinking long term, Lightspeed Venture Partners will continue to invest in fintech in India, said Anuj Bhargava, managing director and head of corporate and strategic development for India and South East Asia at the global venture capital firm. The firm has invested in Acko, Razorpay, Zolve, Incred, Uni and Xflow, among others. Whatever it (RBI) comes up with, (it) has a good reason for it. Good companies will always be on the right side of regulations," Bhargava said on the sidelines of Lightspeeds annual event in Mumbai for investors and portfolio companies. RBI has a wider mandate and it is not against any company," he added. Bhargavas observations come close on the heels of a regulatory crackdown on Paytm by the central bank. The listed fintech behemoth is in the eye of a storm due to its poor governance standards. Having spent 20 years as an investment banker, Bhargava joined Lightspeed in 2021. The firm invests from its early-stage and growth funds in companies in India and Southeast Asia. It also backs consumer, business-to-business (B2B), edtech and enterprise tech firms. Within edtech, Lightspeed was an early backer of Byjus, the edtech firm that is caught in a slugfest with its investors and lenders. Though Lightspeed has pared its holding in the company and now owns less than a 1% stake, it continues to believe in the sector. We are yet to take a call on whether we will subscribe to the rights issue or not. Our stake in the company is minuscule," Bhargava said, when asked about the proposed rights issue by Byjus parent Think & Learn Pvt. Ltd at a valuation of just $20 million, or 0.1% of its peak valuation of$22 billion in 2021. Lightspeed, which is among the few global venture capital firms investing in the Indian market, is bullish about its growth prospects. In 2022, it reached the hard cap of $500 million for Lightspeed India IV fund, signifying the maximum amount raised. This India-focused fund is integral to its global fund totalling $7 billion, dedicated to back both early and growth-stage entrepreneurs. It has invested $1.5-1.6 billion in venture and growth-stage firms in India, including Oyo, Udaan, Sharechat, the Indian Energy Exchange, Acko, Darwinbox, Globalbees, InnovAccer, OkCredit, Apna, Pocket FM, Teachmint and Zetwerk, among others. In the past one year, it has struck 18 new deals in India, deploying over $250 million (across stages), including follow-on investments in 8-10 firms. It has invested around 25% from its new fund so far. We continue to be bullish on India. We adhere to first principles and are disciplined in our investment approach." According to Bhargava, valuations have corrected significantly over the past 18-24 months to reach pre-covid levels. With he valuations still under pressure, Lightspeed expects to pump in more money through 2024 backing new and existing portfolio firms. We look to invest more in 2024 than we did in 2023," he added. Bhargava said consolidation is underway across industries, with stronger players leveraging cash reserves and stock to acquire smaller competitors and consolidate their positions in the market. Stronger companies will use their cash and stock to acquire companies. Businesses that dont see a path to profitability will get consolidated as it is difficult to operate on a standalone basis," he added. PJSC Ukrnafta has begun construction of three exploration wells in western Ukraine. "The site is currently being prepared before drilling, which will begin approximately in March. Work will be carried out sequentially, depending on the results of drilling previous wells," the company said in a press release on Monday. Navigator LLC is involved in the construction. The company was selected as the contractor at bidding on the state-owned ProZorro platform. "The wells have a depth range from 1,102 to 1,211 meters and are designed to reach the productive horizons of the Stryan deposits," Ukrnafta CEO Serhiy Koretsky is quoted in the press release. According to him, the total initial production of all three facilities is planned at 80 tonnes of oil per day. In general, in 2024, Ukrnafta plans to begin construction of 30 new wells, both with its own drilling rigs and with the help of contractors. New Delhi: On the evening of 29 January, billionaire stock broker Motilal Oswal created a flutter when he declared on microblogging platform X that he would henceforth shun foreign goods in favour of locally produced ones, starting with the purchase of a new Tata Safari, a sport utility vehicle (SUV). Oswal used the hashtag #vocalforlocal, a catchphrase popularized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and tagged Modi along with Tata group chairman emeritus Ratan Tata in his post. In my pursuit of minimalistic and simple living, I have turned desi now. Stopped buying foreign cars, watches and other luxuries. World class Indian products are available now. Started with my Tata Safari, next would be Mahindra," Oswal wrote in the post on X. Oswal is just one of the tens of thousands of consumers who have turned to Tata Motors Ltd in the frenzy to buy products made by homegrown companies. The company has unabashedly touted this shift while marketing its carsa vocal 4 local sticker adorns each of them. Along with other factors, the move has paid rich dividends. Since 2020, Tata Motors has witnessed a stunning turnaround in fortunes in the domestic marketalmost doubling its share and more than trebling absolute sales. Aided by a new design language and some technical support from Jaguar Land Rover, its British subsidiary, it has resuscitated an ageing and uninspiring brand and successfully exploited the markets clamour for SUVs. In the process, it has not only overtaken Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd to become the third-largest passenger vehicle maker in the country but also edged closer to Hyundai Motor India for the No. 2 spota position it lost more than 15 years ago. In the biggest sub-segment of the industry, the sub-4-metre SUV space, which accounted for a fifth of the overall market717,408 unitsin 2022, Tatas Nexon was head and shoulders ahead of Hyundais Venue, leading by nearly 50,000 units. Similarly, creating a new micro-SUV segment with the Punch in 2022 gave it additional volumes of nearly 130,000 units. Basking on these successes, it came within sniffing distance to Hyundai in 2022, with less than 26,000 unitsaround 18 days worth of sales for either carmakerseparating them. But catching up is one thing, overtaking is quite another and Tata Motors is beginning to realize that. In 2023, the Korean carmaker counterpunched with its own micro-SUV, the Exter. While it did not slow down the Punchs momentum too much, the Exter brought additional volumes to Hyundais kitty. The Exter was the eighth largest selling passenger vehicle in the country in 2023, selling nearly 50,000 units in less than six months. Tata had a relatively quieter year with no new additions to its portfolio, which meant its growth of 4.6% lagged that of the overall industry. As a result, Tata lost market share for the first time in four years. And Hyundai was one of the companies that gained. Has Tata missed its chance or does it have an ace up its sleeve to reclaim the second position? Curvv ahead View Full Image Last year, Hyundai sold over 150,000 units of the Creta, registering growth of 12% over 2022. This explains why Tata, for all its success in other segments, has not been able to catch up with Hyundai. While Tata Motors has a strong and relatively fresh product lineup that covers much of the segment, there is one glaring gap; it still lacks a mid-sized SUV that sits between the Nexon and Harrier. This is the second biggest sub-segment of the market, accounting for over 500,000 units in 2023, offering a similar rate of growth as the sub-4-metre segment (where the Nexon rules). But it is far more competitive, with the likes of Skoda, Volkswagen and Honda, of late, also jostling for space. The long-time segment leader here is the Hyundai Creta. Last year, Hyundai sold over 150,000 units of the Creta, registering growth of 12% over 2022. This explains why Tata, for all its success in other segments, has not been able to catch up with Hyundai. And this is what it hopes to do in 2024 with the Curvv SUV. We aspire to grow faster than the market because we are adding new products this year. We had a big challenge in the last two years, where we didnt have a new product," Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors passenger vehicles and passenger EV divisions, told Mint. This will also be the year the industry is expected to see growth taper to around 5% after making big strides over the past three years. The addition of the Curvv to Tata Motors portfolio will add to the companys volumes, but will it be enough to help it overtake Hyundai? Analysts are divided. The Curvv is entering a hyper-competitive segment with all automakers having offers, from a Maruti Suzuki to a Citroen (French auto brand). I do not see it really shaking up that segment," said Avik Chattopadhyay, co-founder and partner, Expereal, a brand strategy consulting firm. It will be yet another offer but the actual battleground for Tata lies a couple of price bands below." Himanshu Singh, research analyst at brokerage house Prabhudas Lilladher, projects 5% growthat a shade under 600,000 unitsfor Tata in the next fiscal year, ending March 2025. That would still put Hyundai, which sold over 600,000 units in 2023, ahead, unless it suffers an unexpected decline. Market growth will be a big determinant of market positions, unless we see larger swings in distinct customer segments of each brand, which is unlikely since both are competing in almost similar segments," said Ashim Sharma, senior partner and group head, Nomura Research Institute, a consulting firm. The electric edge View Full Image Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors passenger vehicles and passenger EV divisions. The company aspires to grow faster than the market this year on the back of new products, he said. If the lack of a mid-sized SUV represents a gap in Tata Motors portfolio, Hyundai and much of the industry are yet to actively participate in the electric vehicle (EV) story in India. The Korean carmaker does have two electric SUVsKona and Ioniq5but they come with a price tag well over 20 lakh, and are not mass-market products. Tata Motors has taken a definitive head-start here with the launch of electric versions of the Nexon SUV, Tigor compact sedan and Tiago hatchback. Last month, it followed this up with the electric Punch. Later this year, electric versions of the Curvv will be launched before the petrol and diesel versions; the Harrier, too, will see an EV launch. Though the volumes are relatively small, they do add to Tatas tallyin 2022, electric vehicles brought nearly 45,000 additional units to Tatas total. In 2023, this increased to almost 70,000 units. For EVs, we have seen growth rates really get triggered by new models at a more affordable price. Last year, average price points for EVs were around 17-18 lakh, with the Nexon being the leading product. Then, in January (2023), we launched the Tiago, which generated a lot of volume growth from its affordable price point (sub- 10 lakh)," said Tata Motors Chandra. Yet, the growth is not as strong as the company had initially predicted. In the middle of the year, Tata had said it was targeting volumes of 100,000 units from EVs in fiscal year 2024, which ends next month. At the current rate, even with the addition of the Punch EV, it is likely to fall short by at least 20%. Considering Hyundai still has no presence in these segments, stronger growth by Tata would have narrowed the gap between the two. What is stopping people from buying an EV as a first car is primarily bottlenecks around charging. And things which are going to really help that aspect be overcome arehigher-range vehicles...once you cross a real range of 400 km, charging anxiety will come down," Chandra told Mint last month. That will give people the freedom to own a car, which is not limited to city use but can be used for inter-city drives. That should lead to increased adoption." Range anxiety continues to be one of the biggest concerns for prospective EV buyers and though Tata has an over 70% share in this segment, it is still grappling with the ideal battery range that will make EVs mainstream. In 2019, Chandra had hoped it would be at 220 kilo metres. The biggest challenge here is the pace at which the charging infrastructure is growing. It is lagging behind the pace at which the EV adoption is happening," he said at an investor conference call on 3 February. Other players, including Hyundai, are planning to launch their localized mass-market EVs from next year. That is when the window of opportunity for Tata to use EVs to close in on Hyundai will begin to narrow. On safety and EVs we are late but we will catch up. We underestimated the EV market and others took the lead," said Tarun Garg, chief operating officer at Hyundai Motor. Lets not read too much into the first-mover advantage. The market will change when others join the fray. We are localizing the components and battery packs, and from 2025 onwards you will see our mass market electric cars in the market2026 will be a very competitive year for EVs in India," he added. Tata has also outflanked Hyundai in compressed natural gas (CNG), which is again a segment growing faster than the overall market, recording 25% growth in 2023. Tata has four CNG models in IndiaTiago, Tigor, Altroz and Punch, while Hyundai has threeGrand i10 Nios, Exter and Aura. In the first ten months of fiscal year 2024, Tata overtook Hyundai to become the second largest CNG carmaker in the country, with sales of 64,972 units against Hyundais 41,806 units. In fiscal 2023, Hyundai had sold 49,477 units to Tatas 36,963 units. The Tata company is looking to exploit this segment further. Last week, it launched Indias first CNG cars with automatic transmission and is set to follow this up with a CNG version of the Nexon. Tata needs to build its customer base as quickly as possible before Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai release their volume electric cars. Then there are Mahindra, Toyota and a resurgent Honda, too," said Chattopadhyay of Expereal. The next 18 months are critical for Tata to build both volumes as well as goodwill. It will eventually have to give up the (EV) crown to someone else." Does No. 2 matter? While both companies officially play down the importance of their respective rank in the market, there is no denying that it matters a lot. Tata and Hyundai started their journey in Indias domestic car market around the same time, in the late 1990sthe Indica and Santro were launched within six months of each other. But thereafter they took divergent paths. Tata went big on diesel and utility vehicles, while Hyundai focused on compact cars. In the passenger car segment, which doesnt include SUVs, Hyundai was ahead from the outset. But in the passenger vehicle segment (which includes SUVs and vans alongside cars), Tata was ahead till 2007. With market-leader Maruti miles ahead and almost unreachable, for either Tata or Hyundai to gain more ground would be a significant morale booster. Everybody will have aspirations. Ours being number 2 is not only dependent on us but by what others do, as well. It will be a blow if we lose that position but that is not going to happen. If positions start changing because of one or two products, then we will see them change every year. It doesnt happen like that," said Garg. Tata doesnt hide its aspirations either. In its Q3 investor presentation, for instance, the fact that it has become the No. 2 player in the market by vehicle registration data finds a prominent mention (the traditional industry practice is to report wholesale data or vehicles despatched by companies to dealers). In the 2 February investor conference call, Chandra also referred to registration data in the last quarter of 2023 to state that Tata had beaten Hyundai to the second position. It does rankle Hyundai, though the Korean company has given up on its longstanding ambition of sustaining 20% share in the market. We have been around for 25 years. One or two months should not be a reflection of the actual position of a company in the market. Among the top three manufacturers, our growth has been the highest this year. And we have gained market share," Garg added. 20% market share is unrealistic. Lets not go after it. Hyundai and Kia are the only companies in the Indian market that can bring global technologies. That is what we are aiming to do. Market share will follow." Does the moderation in Tatas growth indicate it does not have the legs to outlast Hyundai? Or will Curvv prove to be the springboard for its next round of strong growth? While it chases Hyundai, it also needs to be wary of Mahindra, which gained the maximum share among all the major players in 2023. The story is not just about 2024. With its strong product lineup, Tata will continue to push Hyundai. It may not overtake it in 2024 or 2025 but if it can sustain what it has done in the last three years, it will compete strongly for the second position," said Singh of Prabhudas Lilladher. A California federal court ruled in favour of the SEC, requiring Elon Musk to answer further questions regarding his acquisition of Twitter (now X) on February 12. The judge deemed the SEC's investigation legitimate and the requested testimony relevant, rejecting Musk's claims of harassment and irrelevant inquiries, according to a report by Bloomberg. Also Read | Elon Musk Pounds the table...yell like hell when facts are against him: US Labor watchdog The order from US Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler, issued over the weekend, formalizes a previous tentative ruling made in December that favoured the SEC's position. Also Read | Elon Musk plans to discontinue his phone number in a few months. Here's why Musk had testified before the SEC twice in half-day sessions in July of 2022. But the agency, having since received thousands of new documents" from various parties, including some authored by Musk, wants to ask him about new information. His counsel agreed with the SEC to testify last September before requesting to postpone the meeting by one day and later refusing to appear, according to the filing dated February 10, the report added. Also Read | Elon Musk takes Neuralink out of Delaware, reincorporates brain implant company in Nevada While Musk testified twice in 2022, the SEC received new documents and sought clarification on his actions and statements relating to his Twitter stock purchases. Musk initially agreed to an additional interview but later backed out. The SEC is examining whether Musk followed disclosure rules and made accurate public statements about his Twitter stock purchases and intentions. Musk maintained that the investigation was baseless and sought irrelevant information. He also challenged the subpoena's validity, arguing it was issued by an unauthorized official. Friction between Musk and the SEC began when the regulator sued him after he tweeted "funding secured" in 2018 about a possible plan to take Tesla private. To settle that case, Musk agreed that a Tesla lawyer would vet his tweets about the electric vehicle maker. The SEC sued him again in 2019 for allegedly breaching that provision. Musk has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review the agreement, saying it violates his constitutional right to free speech. (With inputs from agencies) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Narayana Murthy, the founder of Infosys, expressed regret at not adequately rewarding many of the company's early employees after the launch of his book. He acknowledged their significant contributions in building the company's success. Also Read | Narayana Murthy was Bonus Dad to daughter Akshata Murthy, reveals book. Here's why There were several extremely smart early adopters of Infosys whom I could not award the kind of stock I gave to my co-founders. Their contribution was more or as much as mine. I only wish I had thought about it very carefully and those extraordinary people also benefited," he said, answering questions following his book launch, as quoted by Economic Times. Also Read | Narayana Murthy opens up on cleaning his toilets, says 'Nobody is less than us' Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, along with his philanthropist wife and former Chairperson of Infosys Foundation, Sudha Murty, addressed the audience during the unveiling of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's book titled "An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy." Also Read | What is Narayana Murthy's 'big regret?' about wife Sudha Murty, having family in business, son Rohan and more Narayana Murthy had earlier courted controversy when he claimed he had worked 70 hours a week when setting up the company. Murthy had also gone ahead to suggest that young Indians work at least 70 hours per week. Murthy told The Economic Times that he worked more than 85 to 90 hours a week until 1994. Also Read | When Wipro rejected Narayana Murthy's job application: Infosys founder tells the untold origin story Narayana Murthy had recently opened up about cleaning his toilets and how he convinced his children when they asked him why he chose to clean his toilets. "I would explain to my children gently and affectionately that these are the best ways of respecting other people. In our society, people always feel that those who clean their own toilets are looked down upon. Therefore, I would tell them that look, nobody is less than us," Murthy had said. India has witnessed taboo around the deed of cleaning toilets, and Murthy's said that he intended to teach his children about prevalent discrimination, and why one should ot indulge in it. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altmans plan to reshape the global semiconductor industry envisions pouring vast sums into a challenge that is far more complicated than money. Manufacturing chips is enormously capital intensive. It is also one of the most intricately complex industries in the world with a history of sharp cyclical swings that have made companies wary of radical expansion. It took decades for the worlds most advanced chip makers to reach their current heights. Some chip companies faltered during one of the industrys notorious downturns, like in the early and middle 2010s. Others stopped developing cutting-edge chips along the way, wary of high costs and the high risk of failure. There are now only three companies in the world capable of making the most cutting-edge chipsincluding the processors used to power AI systemsin large volumes: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Samsung Electronics and Intel. Altman has held discussions with chip makers about joining with them and using trillions of dollars to build and operate new factories, along with investments in energy and other AI infrastructure. Many of the worlds largest chip companies, including Nvidia, design their chips but outsource their production to companies such as TSMC. Building a cutting-edge chip factory typically costs at least $10 billion. But even with that, the scale Altman is discussing is extreme: Stacy Rasgon, an analyst at Bernstein Research, estimates that a little more than $1 trillion had been spent on chip-manufacturing equipment in the entire history of the industry. Money, however, isnt the only ingredient needed to succeed in one of the most complex forms of manufacturing in existence. There are uncertainties about finding the engineers to operate a rash of new factories, obtaining the machinery to fill the plants and securing enough orders to justify them, industry executives say. Chinas government poured capital for decades into building a chip industry, but its progress was hindered by some of those other factors. The semiconductor industry doesnt lack funding," said Jimmy Goodrich, a semiconductor-industry expert and senior adviser to Rand Corp. Look at Chinatheyve thrown over $150 billion at their industry, and it hasnt worked. The fundamental challenge is that this technology is incredibly hard." Even if a large number of new chip factories were built, it wouldnt necessarily solve Altmans nearer-term problema shortage of AI chips needed to produce systems such as OpenAIs ChatGPT. The biggest bottleneck in the production of Nvidias AI chips has been in packaging, a manufacturing step that comes after the circuits are imprinted on silicon. Altman has also complained about the cost of Nvidias chipsanother problem Raymond James analyst Srini Pajjuri said more chip factories might not solve. For AI chip prices to come down, we need more competition to Nvidia," he said. More factories are under construction. All of the biggest chip makers are spending tens of billions of dollars on them, pacing their expansions with expectations that global chip sales will surpass $1 trillion by 2030. TSMC has ramped up from about 10 million silicon wafers a year in 2016 to 16 million last year. If Altmans plan were successful, chip insiders say it would likely oversupply the market, driving prices down and leading companies to run factories significantly under their manufacturing capacity, a financial death knell in the industry because of its high fixed costs. Now they are investing, and as it comes online demand goes away," said Bernsteins Rasgon, explaining how the industry grows in spurts. It always happens because quite often it turns out the demand you are building for wasnt real in the first place. Hence the endless cycle." The industrys current spurt is being aided by governments across the globe that are pitching in, recognizing the importance of chips to their technological, economic and military supremacy. The U.S. is plowing $39 billion of grants into new plants following the passage of the Chips Act two years ago, seeking to rebuild an industry that decamped for Asia in recent decades. The scale of funding Altman is contemplating would dwarf the incentives being put forth in the U.S. and elsewhere, including in China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Altman has met in recent weeks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and other U.S. officials to discuss his ambitions, according to people familiar with the discussions. Raimondo is overseeing the distribution of grants under the Chips Act. After a flurry of recent interactions with chip companies, Altman is set to appear at an event later this month for Intels contract chip-making business. Intel is expected to be a major recipient of Chips Act grant money to be awarded in the coming weeks. It is unclear how Altman would find the talent to staff dozens of new factories. The Semiconductor Industry Association expects 115,000 jobs to be created by the end of the decade, 58% of which risk going unfilled. And it is uncertain that he could source enough manufacturing equipment in a reasonable time frame. Lead times on some chip-making equipment are around two years. Making chips presents different challenges than Altman has faced in his earlier ventures, industry insiders say, many of which have involved computers and software. In software, anything is possibleit really just is a money and coding problem," Goodrich said. However, in the world of hard tech, you actually have to deal with the laws of physics. You have to think about the real world and engineering challenges, and this stuff is hard to do." This summer, a California startup plans to start construction on a project to suck up water from the Great Salt Lake to extract one of its many valuable minerals: lithium, a critical ingredient in the rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles. The water will then be reinjected back into the lake, which Lilac Solutions says addresses concerns about the damaging effects of mineral extraction. At its peak, Lilac says it will use a series of pipes to suck up 80,000 gallons of water a minute to harvest the mineral. The company plans to eventually produce up to 20,000 tons of battery-grade lithium a year at its site in northern Utah, located among fields of cattle and pickleweed. The effort is one of dozens of projects across the U.S. racing to build up a domestic supply of lithium and other battery minerals, with adoption of electric vehicles expected to boom as part of the countrys transition to cleaner energy. The Biden administration is dedicating billions of dollars to strengthening the U.S. battery supply chain and reducing reliance on China, which dominates the global production of battery minerals. The challenge: finding ways to efficiently extract the mineral from rocks and water while minimizing environmental damage. Lithium resources in the U.S. are very large in scale, but the chemistry is very challenging," said Lilac founder and Chief Executive Dave Snydacker. Lithium extraction has been around for decades, but Lilac says its process will have less impact on the regions environment than other methods. One common extraction method pumps briny underground water into vast man-made ponds, where evaporation separates lithium from other elements over 18 months or more. Mining companies in Chile and elsewhere have used the approach, which drains scarce water resources and can leave deposits of toxic residues. Lilac says its technology is much faster, taking a matter of hours from the time of extraction, while preserving water levels. Its method deploys reusable ceramic beads" that attach to lithium atoms to separate them from the brine. Snydacker says the company has spent more than 500,000 hours testing the technology on more than 70 brine samples around the world. Lilac plans to announce this week that it raised $145 million from investors including Bill Gatess Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Mitsubishi, the Japanese industrial conglomerate, to help fund the project. Lilac is also in discussions with large battery manufacturers and automakers interested in securing a domestic supply of battery-grade lithium, Snydacker said. It is also working on a pilot project in Chile, he said. Briny water is among the most promising resources for lithium in the U.S. Exxon Mobil is drilling for lithium-laden brines deep underground in Arkansass Smackover region. Other companies are working to extract lithium from brines in Californias Salton Sea. At the Great Salt Lake, mineral extraction is nothing new. The lake has been shrinking for decades because of agricultural, industrial and other diversions of its feed waters. Extraction of minerals accounts for about 13% of its water diversion, according to a 2019 study. Meanwhile, the lake has become a concentrated soup of minerals, since it doesnt have an outlet that lets it discharge the ones that flow into it. A bill passed in 2023 by the Utah legislature pressures companies to minimize use of the lakes water. Mineral producer Compass Minerals said last week that it had terminated a lithium project there, citing heightened regulatory risks. Snydacker said Lilacs process is different because it doesnt use evaporation ponds, and that it has received a positive response from local regulators. Were able to eliminate evaporation ponds entirely," he said. The companys efforts are being closely watched after a crash in prices for lithium and other battery minerals in 2023 prompted mining companies to slow expansions of projects and put new ones on hold. The delays threaten to slow the countrys push to develop its battery supply chain, even as lithium demand surges. Snydacker said it would take about two years for Lilac to build its plant, which will include a refinery to concentrate the lithium into a battery-grade material. Production will build up over time, starting with about 3,000 tons of lithium a year. That will require sucking up about 12,000 gallons of water a minute around the clock. Were unlocking the Great Salt Lake as a resource," Snydacker said. Write to Scott Patterson at scott.patterson@wsj.com NEW DELHI : The final report on farm laws by a government-appointed committee will only be ready in a few months, said a member of the panel, as farmers geared up for a protest this week to press long-standing demands over MSP and other farm-related issues. The member who did not wish to be named said the committee that was constituted two years ago to address farmers grievances, including on minimum support prices (MSP), is trying to forge a consensus at the earliest. Because of the delay, farmers from Punjab and Haryana are planning to march to Delhi on Tuesday. We have made a lot of progress since the setting up of the committee, and we need to iron out certain issues. There is a lot of effort going on in extending support to farmers, and many meetings have been held. The issue is very complex. There are many angles and dimensions to it, and the committee must consider everything," said the person quoted above. Not only farmers but also other entities such as consumers, industry, and the inter-secure linkages are involved. When a committee comes out with a report, they must address micro and macro issues," the member said. Its not just MSP. There are various crops, regions and issues involved. There are cereals, perishables, storable, and exportable. You will have to think about small and large farmers, and all must be given weightage, which is going on. We hope to come to a consensus. Most of the terms and concerns have been addressed. Its one or two issues for which we are having many meetings. So far, we hope to do it at the earliest, maybe in a few months," the member said. Farmers groups, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have called for a march to press the Central government to address several demands, notably the enactment of a law ensuring MSPs for 23 crops, implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions report of the National Commission on Farmers, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases against protesters and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence in Uttar Pradesh, who included farmers killed in a vehicle-ramming attack. Farmers met three union cabinet ministersPiyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityananda Railast week, to request a law on MSP and implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations in the parliaments budget session. Ministers said they would discuss it, but we have told them to do it before the 12th of February. If our demands are not fulfilled by then, we will march in protest from Punjab and Haryana towards Delhi like the previous protest (that ran from 2020 to 2021)," Ramandeep Singh Mann, an independent farm activist, told Mint. There were mainly three interlinked concerns voiced by farmers during their prolonged protest, which forced the government to repeal three farm laws that had been enacted in 2020. Farmers want to ensure that government procurement and MSPs are continued; that the system of MSP itself is made legally enforceable; and that vulnerable small and marginal farmers are protect against large private players. Queries sent to the agriculture and farmers welfare ministry and the consumer affairs, food and public distribution ministry remained unanswered at press time. The panel member said, Since there is a committee, its not one man or the chairmans view. Its about every member agreeing on a particular thing. There are many perspectives on how you support farmers. There are so many views in the farmers unions itself. Its almost impossible to make sense of their demands. You will have to distil all the views, bring them to focus and come up with a report. This is not easy. Thats why the government understood that it is a complex issue and hence, they did not give any timeframe for the committee to submit the final report," the committee member said. Other than economists, there are farmers, civil servants, practitioners, academicians, and bureaucrats on the committee. They bring various perspectives to the table and the discussions are very forthright and in a very good atmosphere. We are trying to ensure that everything is as per our mandate. There are various issues like how we provide support to farmers, which is the farm in that we extend our support to farmers through price or direct payment, deficiency payment, procurement, insurance, or any other method or a combination of everything," the member added. Anxiety among the farmers, mainly of Punjab and Haryana, over the continuance of the MSP and procurement has led to the demand for legalizing MSP. This demand is also rooted in the third concern of providing some form of insurance to small and marginal farmers who are more vulnerable to private buyers. Making MSP legally enforceable for all 23 crops is complicated. What is the feasibility of this move and its implications, both fiscal and administrative? Are there better alternatives?" an economist and academician who did not want to be named said. Making MSP a legal entitlement makes it enforceable in a court of law. There are two ways of ensuring this. The first is through physical procurement and the second is through the deficiency payments system, under which the farmer can sell in the private market, and if the market price is lower than the MSP, the government reimburses the difference," said the economist. "Although procurement is the first best solution, there are two major constraintsphysical storage capacity and administrative capability (governance). Therefore, a combination of public procurement and DPS may need to be adopted to ensure MSP for all crops." Other economists believe that legalizing MSP has positive implications, It will provide a guaranteed price to farmers beyond the existing 14%, increase their income and thus contribute to the national economy to grow. Farmers, like everybody else in society, need a fair income that puts them at par with the other sections of society. What is wrong if farmers are demanding the legalisation of MSP? There is a dire need to do that," said Devinder Sharma, a food and trade policy analyst. Yes, there will be implications for the economy, but the implications will be positive. Today, only 14% of farmers get minimum support price which means to date 86% of farmers are dependent on the market. If the market was giving farmers higher prices, do you think farmers are foolish that they should protest? Why will they protest if the market is doing better for them? They would have forgotten about the MSP by now. The point is the market has failed to provide farmers with the right price and enhance farmers income. If the remaining 86% of farmers are covered, a huge demand will be created. Once a huge demand is there, imagine the implications for the national economy. As per my understanding, the countrys economy will bloom. When we hear the Prime Ministers vision sabka sath sabka vikas, this is the best way to ensure sabka sath sabka vikas. 50% of the population will immediately get a hike in their income, which will make the economy run. Where is the negative impact? It has a positive impact, which the economy cannot see," Sharma added. Chinas baby bust is happening faster than many expected, raising fears of a demographic collapse. And coping with the fallout may now be complicated by miscalculations made more than 40 years ago. The rapid shift under way today wasnt projected by the architects of Chinas one-child policyone of the biggest social experiments in history, instituted in 1980. At the time, governments around the world feared overpopulation would hold back economic growth. A Moscow-trained missile scientist led the push for Chinas policy, based on tables of calculations that applied mathematical models used to calculate rocket trajectories to population growth. Four decades later, China is aging much earlier in its development than other major economies did. The shift to fewer births and more elderly citizens threatens to hold back economic growth. In a generation that grew up without siblings, young women are increasingly reluctant to have childrenand there are fewer of them every year. Beijing is at a loss to change the mindset brought about by the policy. Births in China fell by more than 500,000 last year, according to recent government data, accelerating a population drop that started in 2022. Officials cited a quickly shrinking number of women of childbearing agemore than three million fewer than a year earlierand acknowledged changes in peoples thinking about births, postponement of marriage and childbirth." Some researchers argue the government underestimates the problem, and the population began to shrink even earlier. Following the data release, researchers from Victoria University in Australia and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences predicted that China will have just 525 million people by the end of the century. Thats down from their previous forecast of 597 million and a precipitous drop from 1.4 billion now. View Full Image ... Our forecasts for 2022 and 2023 were already low but the real situation has turned out to be worse," said Xiujian Peng, a senior research fellow at Victoria University who leads the population research in Melbourne. Chinas fertility rate is approaching one birth for every woman, less than half the 2.1 replacement rate that keeps a population stable. In the late 1970s, the fertility rate hovered around 3. At the time, China was coming out of the chaos of the Cultural Revolution and about to embark on economic reforms. The countrys leader, Deng Xiaoping, and other officials became alarmed when a group of scientists told them that unless they started restricting births, China would have more than four billion mouths to feed in a hundred years. An essay by some of the scientists published by the official Peoples Daily in early 1980 suggested Chinas search for a response to overpopulation points to bringing the fertility rate down to 1each couple having only one child." That fall, China started enforcing the one-child policy nationwidebut the calculations had missed some crucial factors. Population fears China wasnt the only country worried about overpopulation at the time. The rapid rise in the global population in the 1960s and 70s prompted fears that humanity would reproduce faster than food production could rise, an idea argued nearly two centuries earlier by economist Thomas Malthus. Chinese officials were increasingly reviving scientific research after the Cultural Revolution. While social scientists had been persecuted by Maos Red Guards, others doing work related to the military had been partly shielded. The group included Song Jian, a protege of the father of Chinas atomic-bomb program and one of Chinas top scientists working on satellites and rockets. Song had studied in Moscow, where he got advanced degrees in a branch of mathematics known as control theory and in military science. Military officials sent him to a launch site for rockets and satellites in the Gobi Desert to escape the chaos of the Cultural Revolution. Song, who eventually became Chinas senior cabinet member heading science and technology, is now 92. He didnt respond to requests for comment sent to the State Council and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. In 1975, Song had been part of a Chinese academic delegation visiting the University of Twente in the Netherlands, where he got to know a Dutch mathematician, Geert Jan Olsder. Three years later, the two met a second time, at a conference in Finland. Olsder, now in his 80s, said he talked about how his research with other mathematicians had been inspired by the warnings about finite global resources and how mathematical models could be applied to birthrates. Song spoke with the others in fluent English and showed a clear interest in mathematical modeling, Olsder wrote in an email. If the two hadnt met, he said, hes sure that some kind of population policy would have started in China, but perhaps a little later. I feel like a domino stone in a long series of such stones," he wrote. Song refined his modeling over the next few years, and with a team of scientists began calculating how different fertility rates could affect Chinas population size. In late 1979 he began to present officials with reports based on their modeling. He calculated that, at a constant fertility rate of three babies for every woman, Chinas population would hit 4.26 billion by 2080. With his computer-assisted mathematical models and political connections, Song caught the attention of top leaders. He argued that rapid population growth would prevent China from becoming a rich, modern country, said Susan Greenhalgh, an anthropologist at Harvard University who has written books about the one-child policy. He used a frightening narrative of a coming demographic-economic-ecological crisis to persuade people," she said. To ward off skepticism, officials said China could switch gears if births dropped too much. In 30 years, the current problem of especially dreadful population growth may be alleviated and then [we can] adopt different population policies," the Communist Party said in an open letter in 1980. Within a little more than a decade, the fertility rate had dipped below the replacement rate. The cohort of young women was still massive, which kept the population growing. But the number of newborn girls was quickly dwindling. Impact As the decades passed, a growing number of demographers and economists called out the policy as outdated and flawed. Chinas fertility rate would have gone down on its own as life expectancies rose and economic conditions improved, they say. View Full Image ... One factor missing from Songs population math was human behavior. The governments sometimes brutal enforcement, including forced abortions and sterilizations, as well as decadeslong propaganda about the benefits of having a small family, left a lasting one-child mindset. The modeling also failed to take into account the traditional preference for sons. If couples could only have one child, they would prefer to have a boy. Young women are now at the core of Chinas demographic dilemma. They are increasingly reluctant to have childrenand there are fewer of them every year. Greenhalgh, the Harvard anthropologist, said that the women growing up under the one-child policy were raised in line with Beijings goals of a smaller but what it called higher-quality" population: well-educated, savvy and independent. These women are not going to accept going back to the family to be housewives," she said. Apart from cultural and social changes, Songs model hadnt taken into account economic forces, such as the enormous migration flows to cities unleashed by Dengs reforms, which played a bigger role than anyone had imagined in pushing down fertility rates, researchers have said. Zuo Xuejin, a retired demographer who is leading the research team at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, sounded alarms about demographic implosion more than a decade ago, saying the conditions that may have warranted birth-restriction measures had all faded away. For many years overpopulation was Chinas major concern. It was difficult to convince the government and the public that China will have the problem of fast decline and aging of the population," Zuo wrote in an email. Song has said he believed it had been a good call. China had successfully defused the bomb that could have led to a population explosion," he wrote in a 2010 essay published by the University of Jinan, his alma mater. Zero growth [in population] is the destiny of modern mankind and an urgent task for contemporary China," Song wrote. He estimated Chinas population wouldnt start shrinking until after 2035. He was off by more than a decade, with official data showing the drop starting in 2022. Beijing has said the policy prevented 400 million births, a claim it has often put forth as a kind of Chinese gift to the world, including at the 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen. Demographers have disputed the figure, saying Chinas fertility rate would have gone down on its own as economic conditions improved. Demographer scramble Even when Beijing dropped the one-child policy in 2015, leaders didnt abolish birth restrictions altogether. Instead, it just pivoted to a two-child policy. Now, Beijing is urging people to have three, trumpeting the need to return to a birth-friendly culture." Entrepreneurs, economists and demographers have tried to convey the idea that China needs more babies. James Liang, co-founder and chairman of travel service provider Trip.com Group and a research professor of economics at Peking University, co-founded YuWa Population Research Institute, a private think tank focused on demographic and public policy analysis. Liang estimated that China needs to devote 5% of its gross domestic productroughly equivalent to its education spendingon direct subsidies to promote births and lower the costs of raising children in order for the fertility rate to recover to 1.4, the average rate of advanced economies. His company gives its long-term employees an annual cash bonus of 10,000 yuan ($1,406) for each of their children until they are 5 years old. Demographers are trying to catch up on the rapidly falling births. The United Nations population predictions for China, which were based on the countrys 2020 census and assumed a fertility rate of 1.19, are already out of step with reality. Patrick Gerland, head of the U.N.s population estimates and projection section, said their computing tries to capture long-term trends and isnt made for rapid changes. He agrees with other researchers that put Chinas fertility rate closer to 1.0. In the case of a country like China where the fertility from one year to the next year has been changing so fast, well have smaller population [projections] than what we had expected two years ago," he said. The U.N. plans to update its forecasts in July. Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a critic of Chinas birth restrictions, has long argued the situation is even worse than official data suggests. Yi believes Chinas population actually started shrinking years ago, based on birth estimates pieced together from other available data, such as school enrollment and the number of vaccines for newborns. All of Chinas population policies for decades have been based on erroneous projections," Yi said. Chinas demographic crisis is beyond the imagination of Chinese officials and the international community." Once a generation of young people has made up their minds, its hard to change them, said Cai Yong, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Its possible fertility rates could now increase with official messages and policies promoting bigger families to a newer generation, said Cai, but if its going to happen, its not going to happen in the short term." Write to Liyan Qi at Liyan.qi@wsj.com NEW DELHI : Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Monday approved the proposal for revival of 1,027 posts of vice principals in the Delhi government's Directorate of Education for the vacancy years 2014-15 to 2019. "In a move aimed at ending adhocism and contractual appointments, Saxena has approved the revival of 1,027 posts of vice-principals in DoE. These posts of vice principals would have been abolished automatically for the reason that they were not filled within the prescribed time limit," a statement from the LG office said. It said that the Delhi education department is already running with an acute shortage of vice principals and that the vacant posts were filled on an ad hoc and contractual basis by the DoE. As per earlier Recruitment Rules (RRs), 100% posts of the vice principals were supposed to be filled in through promotion, wherein the cadre of the vice principals changed from Group B gazetted to Group A gazetted and the mode of selection also changed from 100% through promotion to 50% by promotion and 50% through Direct Recruitment by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The statement said the LG was informed that out of these 1,027 posts of the vice principals, 873 posts up to vacancy year September 2018 (prior to amendment of RRs dated 15. 10 2018) were filled on an ad-hoc basis and the remaining 154 posts (pertaining to vacancy year 2018-2019) have not been filled. As per the new RRs, the eligible candidates are available for promotion and their promotion cannot be denied, and in the near future, the present situation may worsen, given the fact that the vice principals may also retire leading to more vacancies. ARVIND More Information Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! The Chinese stock market crisis could be positive for India as the country remains a long-term growth story while the recent uptick in the Chinese stock market is insufficient to offset the losses incurred over the past year, according to experts. China's Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index is down over 17 per cent over the past 12 months. The index had been in the red since August last year on a monthly scale. It was hovering near a five-year low before the recent rebound. However, for February so far, the index is up nearly 5 per cent. CSI 1000 is down over 27 per cent over the last 12 months. It cracked 19 per cent last month but in February so far, it is up over 4 per cent. The recent gains in the indices came after Beijing took steps to stop the stock rout. The collapse of the Chinese stock market has dealt a severe blow to foreign institutional investors who considered China a key investment hub. Real estate crisis, slow growth, deflation and demographic headwinds have worsened the outlook of the Chinese market. Also Read: China Stock market Rout: 10 key factors influencing Chinese equities What's wrong with the China stock market? China is facing perhaps the most challenging time amid real estate woes, deflation, and demographic headwinds. While the stock markets in the US and India have been soaring, Chinese stocks have been plummeting. "Stock market prices are a reflection of the deep-seated problems with the economy and corporate protests. Falling stock prices and plunging indices are the symptom rather than the cause," said Devarsh Vakil, Deputy Head of Retail Research at HDFC Securities. Also Read: A Stock Bailout Wont Solve Chinas Troubles While the Chinese government has been trying to stop the stock market crash, the government's steps are unlikely to give a boost to the stock market unless fundamental problems of the economy are addressed. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services pointed out that the Chinese markets underperformance has been stark for many years now. "In early 2010, the Shanghai Composite Index was around 3000. Now it is below that level at around 2865. No return during the last 14 years. In sharp contrast, Nifty was around 5,000 in early 2010 and is now above 21,500, multiplying more than four times during 14 years. This contrast in performance is reflected in the valuations too. While Nifty is trading at above 21 times the estimated FY24 earnings, Shanghai Composite is trading at only 11.5 times," said Vijayakumar. Does it mean more inflow to India? Experts are positive about the Indian economy as they believe India is a long-term structural growth story and continues to remain an attractive destination for investors with long-term views. Vakil observed that India's GDP in the current fiscal is expected to grow at 7.2 per cent in real terms and close to 9-10 per cent in nominal terms. India is likely to grow at least twice as fast as its rival. "Chinese stocks are unlikely to attract large flows and that is a clear positive for the Indian markets. Moreover, Indias weight in a popular emerging market index has doubled from 9 per cent as of December 2020 to 18 per cent as of January 2024 and in the same period, Chinas weight has fallen from 39.1 per cent to 24.9 per cent. It is evident from these numbers that passive institutional flow mimicking this index is increasing their exposure to India compared to China. This trend is unlikely to reverse soon," said Vakil. Vakil pointed out that after the fall, Chinese indices are trading at a very cheap valuation while Indian markets are trading upper end of their long-term range. If Beijing is successful in communicating change in its attitude towards internet companies and shows some signs of mending its broader economic woes, many active value investors may choose to put some money fresh money in China and even pull out some from India, though we have not seen any sustainable sign of the same. Vijayakumar said the Chinese economy is going through difficult times with sharply slowing growth, rising unemployment and the real estate market in serious crisis. India will certainly attract more capital flows. The concern is the high valuation in India. Alok Agarwal, Head Quant & Portfolio Manager at Alchemy Capital Management is of the view that if significant emerging market (EM) funds continue to pull out, Chinas equity risk could prolong stagnation. Agarwal underscored that the top EM funds' average holdings of Chinese stocks have fallen to a five-year low, and very few have increased their positions. With the outlook continuing to be strong for India, Agarwal expects India to attract more money on its own merits, but Chinas failures would only add fuel to the fire. "In the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, India has the second-largest country weight (18 per cent), behind China (23 per cent). India's weight was 8 per cent five years ago, while China's was 31 per cent. India, on the other hand, has been performing extremely well, as evidenced by the country's market, corporate earnings, and macro growth. Over the past year, MSCI China has declined by 25 per cent, while MSCI India has increased by 31 per cent. The figures for the previous five years are -28 per cent and +116 per cent, respectively (according to Bloomberg)," Agarwal pointed out. Read all market-related news here Disclaimer: The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts, experts and broking companies, not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Hero MotoCorp Ltds shares hit a 52-week high of 4,949.05 apiece in early trading hours on Monday, but proceeded to close nearly 5% lower with broader markets remaining weak. While the two-wheeler makers December-quarter (Q3FY24) results were decent, the road ahead appears anything but smooth. In Q3, a sequential volume growth of 3% coupled with flat average selling price meant a 3% rise in operating revenue to 9,724 crore. While Heros gross margin expanded by 130 basis points sequentially to 32.7%, the benefit was curbed at the operating profit level due to higher marketing expenses for its electric vehicles. The impact on the Ebitda margin was to the tune of 200 basis points, leading to a sequential drop of 10 basis points in the parameter to 14%. In contrast, Bajaj Auto Ltd and TVS Motor Co. Ltd saw a sequential uptick in Q3 Ebitda margins, albeit slightly. For FY24, Hero expects the impact on margin due to EV business-related costs to be in the range of 125-150 basis points. However, stable commodity costs and premiumisation would support profitability. Having said that, the pressing worry continues to be Heros market share. The company primarily operates in the entry-level segment and the ongoing premiumisation trend has had a bearing. In Q3, Heros market share in domestic motorcycles stood at 41.6%, down from 50.4% in Q4FY23,even after a slew of launches in this financial year, according to Antique Stock Broking. Some of Heros new bikes, including premium vehicles such as Karizma XMR and Harley Davidson X440, bolster its overall portfolio.But to what extent can these help in regaining the lost market share with competition intensifying? Notably, not all of Heros launches are bearing fruit. HDFC Securities notes that the Xtreme 160R, one of the new launches by Hero in the premium segment, failed to make any significant impact. Despite Hero maintaining a healthy launch pipeline largely focused on the 125cc and above segments, we expect it will not lead to substantial share recovery, given its patchy track record of new launches in these segments," HDFC said in its report. Sure, an uptick in entry-level demand, where signs of revival are being noticed, would aid Heros market share. Hero noted in its Q3 earnings call that rural inquiries are currently at 50-55% of total inquiries, versus 40% earlier. But whether this translates into volume growth remains to be seen. Based on interactions with dealers, Antique expects /a positive momentum in rural areas, especially in the north and central markets. We are quite positive the momentum will continue as we believe replacement demand has started to recover," Antique said in its report. On the electric vehicle front, Hero plans to launch a mass-market electric scooter (priced at about 1 lakh) and a mid-segment electric scooter (priced at about 1.25 lakh) in the April-June quarter. It is ramping up capacities to scale up faster in FY25. As of now, Hero continues to lag Bajaj Auto Ltd and TVS Motor Co. in terms of market share. But investors have little to crib about. Heros shares have gained 81.5% over the past year. Recovery in entry-level demand and new launches worked in favour of investor sentiment. But given this rally, significant upsides hereon appear capped, although it is comforting that Heros valuation is reasonable versus its peers. The stock trades at nearly 21 times its FY25 estimated earnings, while Bajaj and TVS trade at 26 times and 37 times, respectively, according to Bloomberg data. Japan will pledge 15.8 billion yen (about $106 million) in aid to Ukraine for the post-war reconstruction of the country, in particular in the field of mine clearance, agriculture, bio- and information technology, the Kyodo News agency reported. "Japan will pledge 15.8 billion yen ($106 million) in aid to support the reconstruction of Ukraine from war damage in seven fields such as infrastructure rebuilding and demining," the agency wrote on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the matter. It is expected that "the governments of the two countries are expected to agree on Japan's involvement in the European nation's post-war reconstruction and sign more than 10 memorandums of cooperation at the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Reconstruction slated for February 19 in Tokyo." The conference will be attended by the prime ministers of the two countries, Fumio Kishida and Denys Shmyhal, as well as representatives of industry and business. According to the agency, "the aid will be used to provide demining equipment and temporary bridges among other resources urgently needed to promote the war-torn country's reconstruction efforts... The seven areas of cooperation also include agricultural expansion, improvement of the humanitarian situation, biotechnology and industrial sophistication, information technology, and governance enhancement and anticorruption measures." Apollo Tyres Ltd managed to sail through the December quarter (Q3FY24), but bleak demand prospects led investors to book profit in its shares. The stock slipped about 5% on Friday a swift fall from the 52-week high of 557.90 seen the previous day. In India, the company saw its replacement and export volumes grow in mid-single digit year-on-year in Q3, while OEM volumes were flat. It lost market share marginally in the domestic truck and bus, radial (TBR) segment. Going ahead, domestic volume growth is expected to be muted in the near-term, at best in mid-single digits, the management said in the earnings call. Moreover, disruptions from the Red Sea crisis may hit exports to European markets. Freight rates have surged by 30-40% due to the Red Sea situation. The outlook on margins was relatively optimistic. Sequentially, raw material basket rose 2% and is expected to remain broadly similar in Q4. Improved price positioning, better product mix and tight cost control measures should aid margin show. In Q3, the consolidated Ebitda margin fell sequentially to 18.3%. If the demand weakness continues, risk of price cuts by the industry will increase, which would weigh on margins," said Kotak Institutional Equities in a report. Mean reversion of margins remains the biggest risk at the current juncture, it added. In Q3, Apollo Tyres did not take any price action and is likely to largely keep status quo for now. Thus, if margin suffers earnings growth trajectory could be derailed. After all, the sharp re-rating in tyre stocks has been driven by benefits of benign input costs. Over the past year, Apollos stock has rallied 53%. In comparison, peers such as Ceat and JK Tyres & Industries Ltd have seen a sharper surge as easing input costs drove steep re-rating for the sector. In the current upcycle, input cost basket has stayed benign for more than four quarters; hence, margins may stay elevated in the near-term," said analysts at IIFL Securities. Even if margins sustain at current levels, year-on-year Ebitda growth will decrease if high margins become baseline, added the IIFL report. Meanwhile, the management has maintained its capex guidance for FY24 at 1100 crore. With capacity utilization in Europe and India at mid-to-high 70% levels, no new major capex would be announced in the near term. This approach bodes well for its returns ratios and could help in debt reduction. But valuations are pricey with the stock trading at almost 16 times estimated earnings for FY25. The next tranche of Sovereign Gold Bond opens for subscription on 12 February, with an issue price of 6,263 per gram, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The Scheme will be open for subscription until 16 February. The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2023-24 - Series IV will be open for subscription during February 1216, 2024. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme opens for subscription: Online discount Investors applying online and making payments through digital mode will receive a discount of 50 per gram, resulting in an issue price of 6,213, the RBI said. The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be sold through various channels including scheduled commercial banks, post offices, and stock exchanges. The Sovereign Gold Bonds have a tenor of eight years with an option for premature redemption after the fifth year. Interest is paid at a fixed rate of 2.50% per annum and is fully taxable. However, profits made on redemption are fully tax-free. As far as profits made at the time of redemption of Sovereign Gold Bonds are concerned, the same is fully tax-free in your hands. This rule for profits made on redemption applies, whether at the end of the original tenure of 8 years or on early redemption which is allowed after 5 years," said Mumbai-based tax and investment expert Balwant Jain. The exemption is applicable whether you acquired the SGB as an original subscriber or bought from a secondary market. This exemption on redemption is available only to an Individual and does not apply to other entities that are allowed to invest in SGB, he added. If the bonds are transferred or sold, the profits made on the sale of these bonds become fully taxable as long-term or short-term depending on the holding period. The holding period for SGB is 12 months to make their long-term capital assets. If sold/transferred after 12 months, you are entitled to claim the benefit of indexation while computing the taxable long-term capital gains. You also have the option to pay a flat tax @ 10% of the profit if it is more beneficial than indexing the capital gains. You can also claim an exemption under Section 54F for such long-term capital gains by investing the proceeds in a residential house within the specified time," said Balwant Jain. View Full Image Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2023-24 opens for subscription (Mint) Next tranche of Sovereign Gold Bond opens for subscription. Should you buy? The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme is a tempting choice for Indian residents wanting to add gold to their portfolios. With the most recent tranche currently open, these bonds provide an exceptional opportunity to possess gold in tangible form. For those seeking portfolio diversification, capital appreciation possibilities, and favorable tax treatment compared to physical gold, SGBs deserve consideration," said Ashish Aggarwal, Director, of Acube Ventures. The Reserve Bank of India's successful management of previous SGB issuances and the underlying stability of gold as an asset class should instill confidence among investors. Given gold's long-standing role as a hedge against market uncertainty, the current global financial climate further elevates the metal's appeal. We encourage interested investors to apply for these bonds during the specified subscription window, he added. Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! (Bloomberg) -- Finlands Alexander Stubb was on track to become the countrys 13th president in a tight election, after projections showed Pekka Haavisto lacked votes to overtake him. Stubb had 51.4% support as 94% of the votes were counted, according to a projection by broadcaster YLE. Haavisto, who trailed with 48.6%, conceded defeat, congratulating Stubb. The president will help steer the Nordic nations foreign and security policy into a new era as a member of NATO as concerns grow that neighboring Russia may directly confront the defense alliance. The president will, over his six-year term, act as the countrys top diplomat and supreme commander for its defense forces, working in cooperation with the government to manage foreign relations. Domestically, the presidents powers are limited. The mainly figurehead role has acquired more significance after Vladimir Putins all-out invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. Even as Finland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization last year for added security, the task of steering its foreign and security policy is complicated by growing uncertainty over whether Moscows imperialist designs include the blocs territory. Former Prime Minister Stubb, 55, went into the election as the favorite, having prevailed in the Jan. 28 first round and held onto his lead in the polls during the two weeks of campaigning. Haavisto, 65, is the previous foreign minister. Both represent continuity in foreign policy, with a focus on countering Russia, supporting Ukraine and integrating Finland into the defense alliance. --With assistance from Philip Tabuas. (Updates with results from first paragraph.) More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! HELSINKI (AP) Ex-Prime Minister Alexander Stubb won Finlands presidential election runoff on Sunday against former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto in a close race between two experienced politicians for the post of head of state, whose main task will be to steer the Nordic countrys foreign and security policy now that it is a member of NATO, following Russias invasion of Ukraine. With over 99% of votes counted, center-right candidate Stubb of the conservative National Coalition Party had received 51.6% of the votes, while independent candidate Haavisto from the green left got 48.4% of the votes. The 55-year-old Stubb, who was prime minister in 2014-2015 and started his political career as a lawmaker at the European Parliament, will become the 13th president of Finland since the Nordic countrys independence from the Russian empire in 1917. Polls across the country closed at 8 p.m. (18:00 GMT). Haavisto conceded defeat after a projection by the Finnish public broadcaster YLE showing a win for Stubb was released after 9 p.m. He shook Stubb's hand and congratulated him at Helsinki City Hall, where the candidates and the media were watching the results come in. Stubb and Haavisto, 65, were the main contenders in the election where over 4 million eligible voters picked a successor to hugely popular President Sauli Niinisto, whose second six-year term expires in March. He wasnt eligible for reelection. Sundays runoff was required because none of the original nine candidates got more than half of the votes in Jan. 28 first round. Stubb emerged at the top with 27.3%, with Haavisto the runner-up on 25.8%. Several polls indicated Stubb, who has also served as Finland's foreign, finance and European affairs minister, was the favorite to win the presidency. Initial voter turnout was 70.7%, markedly lower than during the first voting round when it was 75%. During the election campaign, Stubb and Haavisto largely agreed on Finlands foreign policy and security priorities. These include maintaining a hard line toward Moscow and Russias current leadership, strengthening security ties with Washington, and the need to help Ukraine both militarily and at a civilian level. Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) border with Russia. Unlike in most European countries, the president of Finland holds executive power in formulating foreign and security policy together with the government, especially concerning countries outside the European Union such as the United States, Russia and China. The head of state also commands the military particularly important in Europes current security environment and the changed geopolitical situation of Finland, which joined NATO in April 2023 in the aftermath of Russias attack on Ukraine a year earlier. The Finnish president is expected to remain above the fray of day-to-day politics and largely to stay out of domestic political disputes. Haavisto was Finlands top diplomat in 2019-2023 and the main negotiator of its entry into NATO. A former conflict mediator with the United Nations and a passionate environmentalist, this was his third bid for the presidency, running as an independent candidate. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Hundreds of Bengalureans on Sunday gathered at Cubbon Park against the Karnataka government's decision to allow a 10-storey building as an annexe to the high court within the park premises. The Department of Public Works (PWD) recently revived an earlier project to build an annexe to the high court in Cubbon Park. The Karnataka governments plan to build the HC annexe in the middle of Bengaluru lung spaceCabbon Parkis drawing stiff opposition from the public and the BJP as well. Opposing the governments plan, S. Umesh Kumar, the president of the Cubbon Park Walkers Association, said the building would take up park space and would invite a huge amount of traffic, which has already messed with the city, Deccan Herald reported. "Cubbon Park is a public space, which cannot be taken away no matter who comes to power," the English daily quoted Kumar as saying. " Today, we raise our voices against this encroachment. If this continues, we will unite as a force to protect our park," he said. Also Read | Nitish Kumar-led NDA govt wins Bihar floor test amid Opposition walkout Urging the state government to abandon the proposal, Kumar said the proposal to construct a 10-storey annexe had been on hold for the last five years due to the concerns and opposition raised by activists and environmentalists against building within Cubbon Park. Opposing the state government plan, BJP leader PC Mohan, member of Parliament from Bangalore Central, twitted on X (formerly known as Twitter): "The Congress governments proposal to erect a 10-storey annexe in Cubbon Park is an assault on our citys greenery. Bengalurus beloved lung space must be safeguarded, not suffocated by concrete monstrosities. Every Bengalurean must vehemently oppose and stop this green genocide." Farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march: Section 144 imposed, barricades and barb wires put up and traffic advisories issued Delhi and Haryana authorities have stepped up their preparation to deal with the farmers 'Delhi Chalo' protest scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 13. Thousands of farmers plan to march towards the national capital during their 'Delhi Chalo' protest on February 13. A lot of farmers and supporters are expected to coming to Delhi from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and some other places via trains, buses and other modes of transport. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that more than 200 farmer unions would head to Delhi to press the Centre to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee a minimum support price (MSP) for crops. Section 144, other curbs imposed Delhi: Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been imposed for 30 days till March 12 across Delhi. The Delhi Police order imposed a ban on tractor rallies trying to cross the borders of the national capital. As per the restrictions issued by the Delhi Police, there shall be a prohibition on assembly of people, blocking of roads, any type of procession agitation, rally, public meeting by the agitators. The order stated there will be a ban on carrying corrosive substances, explosives, any fire-arms or any lethal weapon or any other article capable of being used as a weapon of offence or defense at any public place within the territory of Delhi. There will be a complete prohibition on collecting or carrying of brickbats, boulders, acids or any other dangerous fluid, petrol, soda water bottles or any articles capable of use for causing danger in any form to human life and safety. Moreover, any vehicle found to be transporting lathis, rods, banners or similar objects likely to be used for disruptive purposes shall be denied entry into Delhi, the order said. Tap here to read more about Section 144 in Delhi Haryana: The Haryana government has also imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC in as many as 15 districts, prohibiting the assembly of five or more people and banning any kind of demonstration or march with tractor-trolleys. The Haryana government has suspended mobile internet services and bulk SMS in seven districts Ambala, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa from February 11 to 13. DCP Ankit Singh told news agency ANI, Arrival of people in groups is prohibited. They can't bring tractor, trolly or any kind of lathi or weapon...Delhi Police force and the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) teams have been deployed...we have made all the necessary arrangements to completely seal this border (Delhi-Haryana border Jharoda)." Travel advisory Delhi: Traffic restrictions/diversions will be imposed at Singhu Border from Monday for commercial vehicles and from Tuesday for all type of vehicles, it said. According to the Interstate buses intending to go towards Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal etc. via NH-44 will take ISBT to Majnu Ka Tilla to Signature Bridge to Khajuri Chowk to Loni Border to KMP via Khekra, it said. Traffic from Delhi going to Ghaziabad through Gazipur border may take Pushta Road in front of Akshardham temple OR, Patparganj Road/Mother Dairy road OR, Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg ISBT Anand Vihar and exit from Maharajpur or Apsara border in UP Ghaziabad, it said. The motorists coming from Punjabi Bagh to turn left from Peeragarhi Chowk up to Najafgarh Road (8 KM) - turn right Uttam Nagar Chowk-Dwarka Mor-Tura Mandi-Najafgarh Firni Road turn left-Chhawla Stand-turn right Dhansa Stand-turn right Bahadurgarh Stand - turn left Najafgarh Bahadurgarh Road-Jharoda Village-Jharoda Border reaching towards Bahadurgarh (HR). TAP HERE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT DELHI TRAFFIC ADVISORY Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from February 13-14 to inaugurate the first Hindu temple BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi. He will also meet the top leadership of one of India's closest strategic partners in West Asia. The temple, the first traditional Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates, sits on 27 acres of land generously gifted by the UAE leadership. Pranav Desai, Director of the BAPS Hindu Mandir, acknowledged the support from both the UAE and Indian leadership, highlighting the collaborative effort that brought this beautiful temple to fruition. What you see behind me is a beautiful BAPS Hindu Temple. It's the first traditional Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates. It's built on 27 acres of land, gifted by the leadership of the UAE. So we are thankful for the graciousness of the leadership of the UAE and India," he said. The significance of this cultural milestone lies not only in its architectural grandeur but also in the message it conveys--a testament to the harmonious relationship between Bharat and the Gulf region. Prime Minister Modi's involvement since 2015 reflects the shared commitment to cultural understanding and mutual respect between the two nations. On Sunday, Abu Dhabi also witnessed a symbolic 'Yajna' for harmony at the BAPS Hindu Temple ahead of its inauguration by PM Modi. The significance of this mandir is to breathe in a fresh air of harmony where cultures, religions, communities, and countries can coexist," Brahmaviharidas Swami, Head of BAPS Hindu Mandir told ANI. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, donated 13.5 acres of land in 2015 to construct the mandir. The foundation for the first traditional BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi was laid on April 20, 2019. Later, in May 2023, diplomats from over 30 countries visited the under-construction temple site. Besides the BAPS Mandir inauguration, PM Modi will also address the Indian diaspora at the 'Ahlan Modi' event on February 13. The Indian ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir, said that people are keen to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and his vision of 'Viksit Bharat' in the 'Ahlan Modi' event set to be held tomorrow. Wherever the Indian diaspora is, they're always very keen to listen firsthand to Prime Minister Modi. And we can just see their enthusiasm here, because when we opened the registrations for Ahlan Modi. We had to actually close the registration as soon as the mark touched 65,000 because we could not accommodate anymore," Sudhir said. It is quite an elaborate visit, if you look at it, because this visit will take the prime minister to both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He'll have bilateral meetings with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, as well as with the Vice President, Ruler of Dubai, the Prime Minister, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid in Dubai," he added. (With ANI inputs) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Indian Navy veterans who had been put on death row on charges of espionage on behalf of Israel in Qatar were released and they returned to Indian in the early hours on Monday. The Congress expressed relief and happiness at Qatar releasing eight former Indian naval personnel nearly three and a half months after they were handed down death sentences. In a post on 'X', Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The Indian National Congress joins the entire nation in its relief and happiness that the eight former Indian Navy personnel earlier sentenced to death by a court in Qatar have been released and are back home." "It sends its greetings and good wishes to them and their families," he said. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said seven of them have returned to India. It said India appreciates the decision by the Amir of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of the Indians. The Navy veterans were on October 26 last year given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance in a case of suspected espionage. In a post on 'X', Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The Indian National Congress joins the entire nation in its relief and happiness that the eight former Indian Navy personnel earlier sentenced to death by a court in Qatar have been released and are back home." "It sends its greetings and good wishes to them and their families," he said. The Supreme Court said on Monday it will list the plea of the Uddhav Thackeray faction challenging Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar's order declaring the Shiv Sena bloc led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the "real political party" after the outfit's split in June 2022. The plea of the Thackeray faction was listed for hearing on Monday but the matter could not be taken up during the day due to paucity of time. Let them (Shinde faction) file a response. The notice was issued earlier," senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Thackeray faction, told the bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. We will list it," the CJI said. In the meantime, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the Shinde group, said since a petition on the issue was also pending in the Bombay High Court, proceedings cannot go on in two courts simultaneously. Earlier, on February 5, the CJI-led bench had agreed to consider listing the Thackeray faction's plea. The Supreme Court had on January 22 issued notices to Chief Minister Shinde and other lawmakers of his group on the Thackeray bloc's plea challenging the speakers order. The court had then ordered its listing after two weeks. The Thackeray faction has alleged that Shinde "unconstitutionally usurped power" and is heading an "unconstitutional government" in Maharashtra. In his order passed on January 10, Speaker Narwekar had also rejected the Thackeray faction's plea to disqualify 16 MLAs of the ruling camp, including Shinde. Challenging the orders passed by the speaker, the Thackeray faction has claimed they are "patently unlawful and perverse" and that instead of punishing the act of defection, they reward the defectors by holding that they comprise the real political party. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! In tribal areas of Tripura, train services and vehicular movement were severely impacted on Monday due to an indefinite" rail-road blockade by student bodies over the Kokborok script issue. The Tipra Indigenous Students Federation (TISF), Tipra Mothas student wing declared an indefinite road and rail blockade from February 12 to press for the demand that students be allowed to write their Kokborok language papers in Roman script in the upcoming class 10 and 12 state board examinations. Tipra Motha is the main opposition party of Tripura. The move was supported by the Twipra Students Federation. Kokborok is an indigenous language spoken by nearly 24 per cent people of Tripura. It does not have a script. Generally, students write papers for the Kokborok language in the Bengali script. Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) has said that the examinees will have to write Kokborok paper in Bengali script in the exams next month, as it would be difficult for teachers to evaluate answer papers written in Roman script. Movement on rail tracks, national highways and state highways in tribal regions remained suspended since morning, due to the blockades put up at several locations," a senior police officer said, as per a PTI report. Blockades were erected at many places in West Tripura district. However, normal life was largely unaffected in Agartala Municipal Corporation areas (AMC)," district magistrate (West Tripura), Visha Kumar was quoted by PTI. No untoward incident was reported during the agitation. Due to the protests, at the Tripura Central University, all undergraduate and postgraduate examinations scheduled for Monday and onwards were suspended. Tipra Motha supremo Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma claimed that he got assurance from the highest level" in Delhi that the students will be allowed to write Kokborok in their choice of script. I am in Delhi as the talks with the highest level are going on I know the protest erupted in the entire Tripura over the script issue. I urge all of you to remain calm because violence will earn a bad name for us," he said in a video message, as per the report. (With inputs from agencies) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Ukraine has requested that the Polish police open a case regarding the incident on Sunday, when Polish farmers spilled Ukrainian grain from trucks, law enforcement authorities have initiated proceedings, Ukraine's Ambassador to the Republic of Poland Vasyl Zvarych has said. "After receiving information about Polish farmers spilling grain from Ukrainian trucks, which were sealed after the respective customs procedures and were transiting to Lithuania, the Embassy and Consulate General of Ukraine in Lublin promptly appealed to the Polish police to open a case regarding this shameful crime," Zvarych wrote on his Facebook page. The ambassador added that "the Polish police have opened proceedings and initiated the necessary procedures." In addition, Ukrainian diplomats are in direct contact with the truck drivers. Zvarych emphasized that "the methods of the protesters should not be tolerated in a European civilized country, let alone the moral aspect of this provocation." He added that Ukraine demands that those responsible for this incident be found and held accountable. "The Polish authorities must decisively respond in the legal field to this shameful and offensive crime against Ukrainians and the majority of Poles, and not allow such barbaric actions in the future," concluded the ambassador. UPI in Mauritius, Sri Lanka: The Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on February 12. India has successfully initiated its UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, accompanied by the introduction of RuPay card services in Mauritius as part of a strategic endeavour. The inaugural UPI transaction in Sri Lanka was conducted by an Indian, marking a milestone in cross-border digital payments. The virtual ceremony witnessed the participation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and Sri Lanka's President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Crafted by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI services offer instant real-time payment solutions via mobile phones, while RuPay, an Indian-origin card payment network, boasts global recognition and broad acceptance at various points of sale, ATMs, and online platforms. This initiative underscored New Delhi's commitment to bolstering bilateral economic ties with Sri Lanka and Mauritius, fostering digital connectivity and financial cooperation. The MEA highlights India's leadership in fintech innovation and digital public Infrastructure, with the prime minister actively promoting the exchange of development experiences and innovative solutions with partner nations. The launch will facilitate the accessibility of UPI settlement services for Indian citizens visiting Sri Lanka and Mauritius, as well as for Mauritian nationals travelling to India. How does UPI work abroad? To make UPI payments in Mauritius and Sri Lanka, individuals need to register their bank account with a UPI-enabled mobile application. Once the bank account is linked, users are prompted to provide recipient information such as their bank account number, IBAN, and BIC, along with specifying the transfer amount and currency. How can you make UPI payments in Mauritius and Sri Lanka? Open the UPI app and go to the home screen. Tap on your profile picture. In the Payment Settings section, select UPI International. Tap on Activate next to the bank account you want to use for international UPI payments. Enter your UPI PIN to confirm the activation. Once you have activated your international payment, scan the QR code provided by the merchant. Enter the amount you wish to pay. The total amount payable will be shown in both local currency and Indian rupees. Tap on "Pay." Enter your UPI PIN to complete the transaction. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Indian Navy veterans, who has been put on death row by Qatar authorities on charges of espionage, have returned to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed. The eight former Indian Navy officials were condemned to death in October, had been accused of spying for Israel. Seven of the eight released former Indian Navy personnel returned to India on Monday. Upon their arrival, the Navy veterans thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for intervening and bringing the navy veterans home. The released Indian Navy veterans heaped praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that they would not have been freed had it not been for the sustained diplomatic efforts on PM Modi's behest to secure their release. The seven former Indian Navy officers who returned chanted Bharat Mata ki Jay" after arriving at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai and discussed bilateral partnership and the "well-being of the Indian community" living in Qatar. One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar said, "We are very happy that we are back in India, safely. Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi, as this was only possible because of his personal intervention..." "It wouldn't have been possible for us to stand here without the intervention of PM Modi. And it also happened due to the continuous efforts of the Government of India." said another. "We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldn't have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. We are grateful to the Government of India from the bottom of our hearts for every effort that has been made and this day won't have been possible without those efforts." said a third Indian Navy veteran. In October, India said it was "shocked" after a Qatari court had sentenced them to death, but the sentence was reduced in December. "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India," it added, thanking Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the decision "to enable the release and homecoming" of the detainees. The eight Indian nationals, who were working on a submarine project with a private company for the Qatari authorities, were arrested in 2022. The eight men were employees of Al Dahra, a Gulf-based company that offers "complete support solutions" to the aerospace, security and defence sectors, according to its website. More than 800,000 Indian citizens live and work in Qatar, which is also a significant provider of natural gas for India. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Prime Minister Narendra Modi will handover over one lakh appointment letters at Rozgar Mela to newly inducted recruits today, February 12, through video conferencing. A statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) read, Prime Minister Modi will distribute more than 1 lakh appointment letters to newly inducted recruits on February 12 at 10:30 am via video conferencing." Karmayogi Bhavan Complex that is going to be built in line with Karmayogi Mission to promote collaboration and synergy amongst various pillars of the Mission will have its foundation stone laid by the PM. In the national capital, Delhi, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of Phase I of the Integrated Complex Karmayogi Bhavan." Karmayogi Prarambh, an online module on iGOT Karmayogi portal provides newly inducted appointees an opportunity to train themselves. The users can access around 880 e-learning courses through the portal that has been made available in 'anywhere any device' learning format. The Rozgar Mela that is taking place at 47 locations across the country will witness recruitments across Central Government Departments and State Governments/Union Territories. Government agencies supporting the Karmayogi Mission will see this initiative being given highest priority to fulfil Prime Minister's commitment to generate employment in the country where Rozgar Mela marks a step towards this initiative. The PMO statement further read, "The new recruits will be joining the Government in various Ministries/Departments viz. Department of Revenue, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Higher Education, Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of Defence, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Railways in various positions." The PMO notice also stated, Rozgar Mela is expected to leverage further employment generation and provide gainful opportunities to the Youth for their empowerment and direct participation in National Development." (With inputs from ANI) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev described Ayodhya's Ram Temple as a 'civilisation moment' after a struggle of 500 years. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on his visit to Ayodhya's Ram Temple, on February 12, said that after a struggle of 500 years this civilisation moment was achieved. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev says, I am very fortunate. It has been a struggle for 500 years. This is a civilisation moment for India. It is a very important moment & this is not about one community against another, this is a civilisation aspect. Ram is a figure from the past but an inspiration for the future." Also read: Ram Temple debate in Lok Sabha: Owaisi slams govt's alleged religious bias, says nation doesn't need 'Baba Modi' | Watch Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev in a social media post on X talked about the importance of truth and made his revelations about visiting the sacred temple and how the struggle of over 500 years bore fruit. In another social media post, he remarked, Shri Yogi Adityanath ji's vision and leadership are steering Uttar Pradesh towards becoming an epitome of development and culture. His dynamism and dedication to peoples wellbeing is truly commendable." Also read: Ram Temple resolution in Parliament today: Here's what BJP says Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann will also visit Ayodhya today, according to AAP sources. As per PTI report, both Kejriwal and Mann were to land at the Ayodhya airport around 11 am by a chartered flight from Delhi, as informed by AAP's Uttar Pradesh unit leader Sabhajeet Singh. Last month, Arvind Kejriwal had skipped the January 22 consecration ceremony of Ram Temple and had stated, I got a letter that said only one person was allowed (for the ceremony) due to security reasons. They said a team will come to give a personal invitation but no one came." He had said, "I want to visit for a darshan of Ram Lalla along with my wife and children. My parents are also longing for a darshan of Ram Lalla. I will visit after the January 22 ceremony along with my wife, children and parents," reported PTI. Moreover, Ram Temple witnessed the visit of MLAs of all parties except the opposition Samajwadi Party following a request by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Legislative Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana. BSP MLA Umashankar Singh and Jansatta Dal Loktantrik Party President Raja Bhaiya were also spotted at the temple premises. (With agency inputs) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Malawi Homeland Security Minister Ken Zikhae in a gazette notice, on February 7, had made this announcement. With tobacco and tea taking the top spot respectively in the impoverished southern African nation as the largest source of foreign currency, this decision comes as a measure to boost the tourism sector that occupies third place in the country. Lazarus Chakwera said, Tourism is the third-largest source of foreign currency in the impoverished southern African nation, after tobacco and tea -- but the sector is underperforming." He added, "Chief among the factors contributing to this is our country's accessibility, which is why we have implemented the visa waiver program," reported AFP. The United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a regional bloc, are among the countries that will benefit from this visa waiver. However, this visa exemption remains invalid in those countries that impose visa requirements on Malawian citizens. Tourism Minister, Vera Kamtukule mentioned that onerous visa requirements had been throttling the country's potential -- and caused complaints." He said, "Our strategy is to attract investments in agriculture, tourism, and mining," reported AFP. He added, "By eliminating visa requirements for our key source markets globally, we are signalling that Malawi is open for business." Moreover, under the new visa regulations, the validity of multiple entry visas in Malawi has been extended to up to 12 months. Africa's third-largest freshwater lake is a part of the landlocked nation, partially covered by the waters of Lake Malawi which is listed as a World Heritage site by UN culture agency UNESCO. It is famous for its crystal-clear waters, sandy beaches and diverse marine life and is home to abundant wildlife, including elephants, hippos and crocodiles. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! (Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shield civilians in Gaza from an Israeli military operation in the southern city of Rafah, saying it shouldnt proceed without a credible and executable plan" for their safety and support. The White House readout after a phone call between Biden and the Israeli leader followed pledges by Netanyahu in two US television interviews earlier Sunday that Israel will have a plan, including directing civilians northward in the Gaza Strip to get them out of harms way. We are working out a detailed plan to do so," Netanyahu said on ABCs This Week. At the same time, he said Israel will go after remaining battalions of Hamas in Rafah, a border crossing with Egypt. More than 1 million Palestinians are taking shelter in Rafah, many after seeking refuge from Israeli bombardment in the north. Those who say that under no circumstances should we enter Rafah are basically saying, lose the war, keep Hamas there," Netanyahu said. We are not going to let Hamas emerge victorious. And if we leave, itll be a tremendous victory for the Iran terror axis." Biden last week criticized the extent of Israels military campaign in Gaza, calling it over the top" and escalating his criticism of Netanyahu after the Israeli leader previewed plans for ground forces to enter Rafah. I appreciate President Bidens support for Israel since the beginning of the war," Netanyahu said Sunday on ABC. I dont know exactly what he meant by that, but put yourself in Israels shoes." Egypt and other Arab countries as well as European nations such as Germany have raised serious concern about an Israeli ground assault on Rafah. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency, said theres a sense of growing anxiety and growing panic" in Rafah. People have absolutely no idea where to go," he said. Biden in his call with Netanyahu reaffirmed the shared goal to see Hamas defeated and to ensure the long-term security of Israel and its people," while also calling for stepped-up humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, the White House said in a statement. Netanyahu said on Fox News Sunday that theres plenty of room north of Rafah for them to go to, and thats where were going to direct them," including with fliers, mobile phone calls, safe corridors. Egypt said Sunday it opposes an Israeli military operation in Rafah, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. It didnt mention a claim by Egyptian parliamentarian Mostafa Bakry on social media that Egypt had threatened to take the extraordinary step of suspending its 45-year-old peace treaty with Israel if it sends its troops into Rafah. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned of a humanitarian disaster" and said she plans to visit Israel this week to discuss efforts toward a Gaza cease-fire and release of Hamas-held hostages. Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemned Israels declared intention to invade Rafah. It threatens to escalate violence, destabilize the regions security and stability, and lead to the further deterioration and suffering for the Palestinian people," the Saudi Press Agency cited him as saying. Hamas Toll Fighting between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostage. Israels retaliatory air and ground offensive has killed more than 28,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Netanyahu estimated on ABC that about 12,000 of the dead were Hamas fighters. Netanyahu and his government insist that Israel must eliminate Hamas and free all hostages. Negotiations for their release are underway, but an agreement remains elusive. Egypt, a leading mediator in the talks, has warned Hamas that it must reach an accord within about two weeks or Israel will proceed with the Rafah invasion, the Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. Israel has repeatedly said that only military pressure will bring Hamas to the table with an offer Israel would be willing to consider. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, touring an army base Sunday after the discovery of a new Hamas tunnel, endorsed that view. The more we deepen our operations, the closer we get to a realistic deal in order to return the hostages," he said. The tunnel, which Israel showed had passed under UNRWAs main headquarters in Gaza and received its power from its offices, contained a wide variety of intelligence assets, according to the army. Discoveries throughout Gaza demonstrate we have penetrated into Hamas most sensitive locations," Gallant said. Inside the headquarters, Israeli forces discovered rifles, ammunition, grenades and explosives as well as intelligence and documents, which the army said in its statement confirmed the offices have, in fact, also been used by Hamas terrorists." UNRWA had no idea what was under its Gaza headquarters and hadnt used the compound since it left on Oct. 1, Lazzarini said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Gilad Erdan, Israels ambassador to the United Nations, rejected the claim. Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, its not that you didnt know," Erdan said on X, urging the leaders resignation. You didnt want to know! You buried your head in the sand!" More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! China overtook Russia and Italy to grab the first spot on the Maldives tourism chart in February 2024. China crawled up from the third position to the first on the list of "Top 10 Markets 2024", as per a daily report released by the Maldives' Ministry of Tourism. On February 3, a report showed that China topped the chart with 11.2 percent market share. The ministry's latest report released on Monday showed data as of February 11. As per the report, China remains at the first spot but its market share dropped marginally at 10.8 percent. View Full Image Credit: Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Acknowledging the latest statistics, China's state media Global Times reported, "... China has once again become the largest source of tourists in the Maldives. Last February, the visa waiver agreement between China and the Maldives came into effect. On Sunday, the Maldives welcomed a record high of 10,213 tourists, surpassing the number of 9,000 in 2019." However, according to the Maldives' ministry data, it was on Saturday, February 10 that the Maldives saw the arrival of 10,213 tourists in a day. This was the highest tourist arrivals in the island nation so far this year. View Full Image Credit: Ministry of Tourism, Maldives China Vs India: Maldives tourism trend this year Tourists in the Maldives from India decreased, while that from China increased over the past month. December 31, 2023: India was at the first spot on the Maldives' list "Top 10 Markets 2023" as of December 31 last year, with 11.1 percent tourism market share in the Maldives. China was third on the list. January 16, 2024: China continued to trail India in the chart showing 'Top 10 Markets 2024' of Maldives tourism. While China was at sixth spot, India was at fourth. January 21, 2024: China took over India around January 21, 2024, in terms of the number of tourist arrivals in the Maldives. India slipped to the fifth position, while China moved up to fourth position. January 30: As per an official report released at the end of January, China was on the third spot as of January 30, 2024, with 9.8 percent market share in Maldives tourism. Russia and Italy were at first and second position respectively. India was at the fifth spot on the list. February 3: China grabbed the first position, with 11.2 percent market share, while India continues to be at the fifth position on the list. Shift in Maldives tourism trend Notably, the Maldives has been witnessing a shift in tourism dynamics over the years. India was among the largest tourist markets for the Maldives in 2023. However, before 2020, tourists from China were leading the tourism charts in the Maldives. More tourists from India, as compared to that from China, started arriving in the Maldives starting in 2020. In January 2020, China had an 18.31% share among "Top Ten Markets Arrivals" in Maldives, the highest that year. However, India grabbed the third spot with a 7.99% share. It was in 2020 that Maldives saw an increase in arrivals from India. India-Maldives diplomatic row The diplomatic row between the Maldives and India erupted after some political leaders in Maldives used "derogatory terms" against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Lakshwadeep islands in India. Tap here to read about the controversy in detail Maldives President Muizzu had formally asked India to withdraw all 88 Indian military personnel from his country. Muizzu said earlier that the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back before March 10 and the remaining manning ones will be withdrawn before May 10. Meanwhile, India said it will replace its military personnel operating three aviation platforms in the Maldives with "competent" Indian technical personnel. "I would like to say that the present personnel will be replaced by competent Indian technical personnel," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal was quoted by PTI as saying. There also have been growing global concerns over China's increasing military muscle-flexing in the Indo-Pacific region. Beijing has pledged more funding for the Maldives since pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu took power in November. Amid this, AFP cited the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as saying that the strategically-placed Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives, which has borrowed heavily from China and shifted allegiance from India, is at high risk of "debt distress". Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! In a session titled Hijr Ki Rakh, Visaal Kay Phool, Indo-Pak affairs at the Faiz Festival in Lahore's Alhamra, veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar , highlighted that since PM Modi has consistently failed to secure more than one-third of the votes in elections, the Indian electoral system often translates this into a two-thirds majority in seats. As a result, a significant portion of the Indian population may be inclined towards certain perspectives or actions, Dawn reported. According to the report, Aiyar said, All I ask the people (of Pakistan) is to remember that Modi has never received more than one-third of the votes but our system is such that if has one-third of the votes, he has two-thirds in the seats. So two-thirds of Indians are ready to come towards you (Pakistanis)." Also Read: Until Pakistan is 'albatross around our necks', we'll not be able to take our due place in world: Mani Shankar Aiyar Aiyar further referred to Pakistan as the biggest asset of India, and expressed his fondness for Pakistan and its people, noting that he had never experienced such warm hospitality in any other country. According to the Pakistan Daily, Aiyar, while addressing an event in Lahore, said, The Pakistanis, from my experience, have been the people who perhaps overreact to the other side. If we are friendly, they are over-friendly, and if we are hostile, they get overly hostile." Aiyar said that goodwill was needed but instead of goodwill, there had been something opposite during the last 10 years since the formation of the first Narendra Modi government," as reported by Dawn. Also Read: India has thwarted Pakistan's cross-border terrorism plan by not playing that game: S Jaishankar Reacting to Aiyar's comment, BJP leader Uday B Garudachar said that we would love for Pakistan to behave with us and lead a nice life along with us. As reported by PTI, Garudachar said, Everybody across the world is fine with you, as long as you're fine. If we fool around, they will also fool around. It is his (Mani Shankar Aiyar's) personal view. We would love for Pakistan to behave with us and lead a nice life along with us so that there's harmony amongst both countries." The situation in Pakistan is tense after the conclusion of a controversial election. While independent candidates backed by Imran Khans PTI won more seats than other parties, analysts speculate that Nawaz Sharifs PML-N and Bilawal Bhuttos PPP may form a coalition government. With confrontation and political instability looming, Mint takes a closer look at the election and its aftermath. What is the state of play? At the end of vote-counting, independent candidates backed by Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) won 101 seats, followed by Nawaz Sharifs Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) with 75 seats, and Bilawal Bhuttos Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 54 seats. Seats reserved for minorities will also be distributed among the parties. However, these numbers are heavily contested, given widespread suspicions of election rigging. As vote-counting began, independents backed by the PTI surged ahead of their opponents. The final results, which came after delays from the Election Commission, sparked suspicion of voter fraud and election rigging, and PTI supporters launched protests. Observers doubt the fairness of the elections, given that Pakistans powerful military establishment has had its thumb on the scales. What happens now? According to reports in the Pakistani media, the PML-N and the PPP are in talks to form a coalition government. The two parties may also induce independents backed by the PTI to join their grouping. For its part, the PTI is trying to merge with a smaller party and thus receive some reserved seats that are allocated proportionally to political parties. With the military opposing a return to power for Khan, a PTI victory appears difficult. Media reports in Pakistan say the homes of PTI-backed independents are being raided by the police in an effort to put pressure on them. Whats next for Pakistan? Observers both within and outside Pakistan worry that the formation of weak coalition governments will hamper the structural reforms needed to reboot the countrys economy. The result is also thought to be likely to exacerbate political instability in Pakistan. The electorate handed PTI-backed candidates crucial victories despite a persistent effort by Pakistans military and political establishment to cut the party down to size. This points to the partys strong grassroots support and Imran Khans personal popularity. An attempt to forcibly keep his party out of power could further exacerbate popular discontent. How will India respond? Thus far, India has said little about the unfolding drama. This contrasts with countries such as the UK, which expressed concern about reports of unfairness in the election. Political unrest and economic crises are likely to continue in Pakistan. Over the past three years, this has forced the countrys establishment to maintain an unstable peace with India at the Line of Control. As Pakistans perennial domestic troubles play out once again, New Delhi may simply be interested in maintaining stability on its frontier. President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign is now on TikTok , even though he has expressed national security concerns over the platform and banned it on federal devices. Biden isn't expected to personally join the platform, aides said, nor the others in his administration. The account will be run entirely by the campaign team in an effort to reach voters in an ever-fragmented American population, particularly as younger voters gravitate away from traditional platforms. The inaugural post featured the president being quizzed on the Super Bowl and included a reference to the latest political conspiracy theory centering on music superstar Taylor Swift. Also Read: Donald Trump says Taylor Swift cant endorse Joe Biden' - here's why Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that TikTok owner ByteDance could share user data such as browsing history, location and biometric identifiers with China's authoritarian government. Biden in 2022 banned the use of TikTok by the federal government's nearly 4 million employees on devices owned by its agencies, with limited exceptions for law enforcement, national security and security research purposes. The secretive and powerful Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has been reviewing the app for years. Campaign officials said they were taking advanced security precautions and incorporating security protocols to ensure safety, but they did not detail the measures or provide information on whether the measures were meant to protect campaign data or voters'. Also Read: White House attacks 'politically motivated' Biden probe age comments A law implemented by China in 2017 requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the country's national security. There's no evidence that TikTok has turned over such data, but fears abound due to the vast amount of user data it, like other social media companies, collects. Biden's campaign said the BidenHQ account would be posting content regularly on the platform. Biden's campaign maintains a presence on Meta's Threads, Instagram, Facebook, X, formerly Twitter, and Truth Social, the platform backed by Republican front-runner Donald Trump. The president's campaign has been prioritizing social media engagements, as well as smaller events featuring the president, to reach target voters who they believe don't tune in to traditional outlets. The campaign and the White House have also stepped up outreach to social media influencers who they believe can amplify the president's message. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Operators are being trained in Syria to control Iranian-made UAVs that will be involved in the war against Ukraine, the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said on Monday morning. "Trainings for Muscovites are being conducted by the Lebanese Hezbollah Police and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the territory of the Syrian military airbase of Shayrat. The Lebanese-Iranian-Russian training course provides for the development of the Shahed-136 and Ababil-3 UAVs, as well as the Raad remote-controlled aircraft," the agency said in the Telegram channel. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the military exercises are headed by one of the Hezbollah commanders, Kamal Abu Sadiq, who specializes in the manufacture and maintenance of drones. "Syrian mercenaries are undergoing training together with the Russians, whom Moscow plans to use in the war against Ukraine as UAV operators," the intelligence said. Like most years, this year too commenced with the global business and intellectual elite making their way to the World Economic Forum at Davos this January in an attempt to demystify the world around and provide some answers to the challenges that abound. But by the time the Davos spectacle came to an end, there were more questions than answers for the world at large. The Davos Consensus has been stuttering for the past few years, with the covid pandemic having made it abundantly clear that old assumptions about the world would have to be reassessed in fundamental ways. In some ways, this rethink should not be surprising, considering that Davos itself was a platform created to reflect the optimism of the global economic order that once prevailed around us. Though more than five decades old, it gained particular traction during the days of irrational global exuberance over an emerging economic order shaped by hyper-globalization. For a large part of the worlds elite, it was the epitome of human evolution, a world where conflicts would become marginal thanks to increased economic interconnectedness, where identities would be global, and where global institutions would effectively mediate inter-state challenges. But todays world is one that is being shaped by the forces of geopolitics in more ways than one. The Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas conflict, the flaring up of threats to sea-lanes that are critical for global trade, and, of course, the China challengeall these are forcing global policymakers to look at this crisis-ridden world through a different lens than what was used in the past. The earlier hubris that economic forces would drive global politics is now being shunned, as some of the most forceful defenders of economic globalization are having a rethink. Strategic ties between the West and China will not get stabilized anytime soon, with the pandemic and its aftermath having alerted most nations to the need for self-reliance in critical sectors and minimal exposure to long and complex supply chains overseas. Few are willing to go back to the supposed golden age of globalization in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the benefits of which are increasingly being contested within as well as among nations. The rise of Donald Trump in US politics was itself a response to the uneven benefits of globalization, and he dramatically changed the American political discourse on the issue. The Republican Party has been traditionally uneasy about the Davos Consensus. But Trump, more than any other president, challenged the political basis of economic globalization and Americas role in it. Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and a presidential candidate on the Republican side till recently, has called Davos a threat to freedom" run by China. The presence of leaders of other major Western nations has also been thinning over the years. Describing the post-pandemic period as strange, extraordinary and difficult to analyze," European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde suggested that global trade, which was disrupted in the last two years, is beginning now to really pick up and in October, we had global trade numbers that for the first time in many months [were] up." In the last two months, though, we have seen Yemens Houthis deploying relatively cheap drones and armaments to wreak havoc with world trade. As the crisis in West Asia has escalated, energy prices have also gone up, with global hopes of a rapid economic recovery again under a scanner. It is the Global South that is likely to drive global growth in the coming years, if present trends are anything to go by, with India being one of the top performers. It is, therefore, imperative for the developing world to have this reality better reflected in the agenda of platforms such as the World Economic Forum. From climate and energy transitions to the regulation of artificial intelligence, the role of the Global South and nations such as India should be critical, and for that new coalitions and a more focused agenda will have to be formulated. This is Indias moment, as New Delhi finds itself in a geopolitical and geo-economic sweet spot at a time when the story of China has lost a large part of its sheen. With the developed world looking inwards and Chinas aggressive orientation towards the outside world, there is a leadership vacuum that needs to be filled. Indias significant presence at Davos this year underlined New Delhis willingness to project not only its growing economic heft, but also the country as a source of innovation and tech. As trust becomes a key ingredient in inter-state relations, Indias ability to craft trust-based partnerships with multiple players at the same time is a sign of its growing self confidence as well as a willingness on the part of others to bet on India at a time of geopolitical turmoil. As external affairs minister S. Jaishankar has pointed out, despite many positive outcomes of globalization, it has also undeniably led to such deep economic concentrations that much of the world today depends on production of a few geographies." He also said that the global agenda in so many ways today is about restoring the world to its natural diversity." It is for India now to evolve a new consensus that could in some ways challenge the Davos Consensus. In these dark days for Israel and the civilized world, there are many things that keep me up at night. One is that the international legal system has begun to ignore reality and truth. Justice is unrecognizable, and noble ideals are perverted by terrorists and cynics. These feelings were brought in focus as the International Court of Justice at The Hague in January considered South Africas accusation that Israel was guilty of genocide. This absurd claim and the abuse of an august international forum convened to weigh its merits remind us how far weve come from the moral clarity of the fight against Nazism (after which the ICJ was established). Amid the many demonstrable misrepresentations that emerged from the accusation against Israel, one caught my attentiona quote attributed to me. The quote was taken from a news conference I held on Oct. 12, five days after Hamas terrorists butchered 1,200 people in southern Israel and kidnapped hundreds more. The quote, which included a line that there was an entire nation out there that is responsible," referring to the Palestinians, was presented as if it justified the killing of civilians. South Africa used the misconstrued quote at The Hague in an attempt to prove Israels intent to commit genocide and thus invoke the jurisdiction of the court. At that Oct. 12 news conference, I was meeting international journalists at the presidents residence in Jerusalem. Not one journalist asked me about the pain in Israel or about the global implications of this act of catastrophic terror. They were instead preoccupied with the effect this would have on Palestinians in Gazathe territory that had produced and then celebrated the perpetrators of the attack. The fact is that many Palestinian civilians entered Israel on Oct. 7 on the heels of the Hamas terrorists and participated in murder, rape and looting, much of it documented on film. Palestinians were filmed cheering the massacre and jeering and attacking the hostages as they were led into captivity. I also pointed out that Hamas operates from within the heart of its civilian population and enjoys broad support. I then stated, in no uncertain terms, that there are many innocent Palestinians, and that the state of Israel and our security forces dont view innocent civilians as targets in any way. I made it clear that Israel acts in keeping with international law. These words were purposely distorted when presented to the court. The claim that Israel is committing genocide cant rest on accurate information, because it is a lie. Israel is acting to protect its citizens from an explicitly genocidal enemy, as we are required to do under international law. Israel is doing so with utmost concern for civilian life, as experts from other Western militaries know well. The civilian casualties in Gaza are a tragedydue to Hamass decision to attack Israelis and the way Hamas fights from under and behind its own civilians. Differentiating civilians from combatants isnt only a basic part of my own worldview and Israels basic values; it is essential to the values of humanity. We are at war with Hamas, not with the civilians of Gaza. I reject and condemn any call for their harm. Humanitarian aid must reach them, as it is already reaching them, even though more than 130 of our people remain hostages in the hands of Hamas, a fact that hasnt been sufficiently appreciated as an international priority. I understand that many in Israel feel that by allowing aid we are helping the people abusing our kidnapped citizens and giving up a pressure point that could hasten their release and shorten the war. The world cant disregard what we saw on Oct. 7. The International Court of Justice has ignored most of these crimes, but we in Israel cant. The free world must not forget that the crimes against humanity in this war were perpetrated, and continue to be perpetrated, by Hamas and its allies in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran. The South African case, brought in support of Hamas, is a blood libel against the nation-state of the Jewish peoplea shameful low for an international system that emerged from the ashes of the Holocaust. This abandonment of moral clarity, the desertion of the vision of international justice and its replacement by cynical politics and outright falsehoods, will have repercussions far beyond Israel. Mr. Herzog is president of Israel. Bihar floor test: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his newly formed alliance with the NDA is set to seek a trust vote in the state assembly today i.e. on 12 February. Amid the huddles and the anxious wait ahead of the trust vote, the ruling Janata Dal (United), which faces its first big test on the floor of the Assembly after its return to the BJP-led NDA, shifted its MLAs to a hotel near the legislature. Also Read: Lok Sabha election 2024: After alliance with Nitish Kumar, what other pre-poll tie-ups BJP is looking at Here are 10 points you need to know 1. The floor test comes as last month, Kumar took the oath as Bihar CM for the record ninth time after dumping the opposition's INDIA bloc and rejoining the NDA-BJP alliance In a video clip accessed by news agency ANI, the JD(U) MLAs were seen making their way to the Chanakya Hotel in Patna. Also Read: Bihar floor test on Monday: Will Nitish Kumar win trust vote? A look at state assembly numbers 2. The new state government is led by the coalition of Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) (HAMS). 3. Putting to rest frenzied speculations around his future and that of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Nitish resigned as chief minister on January 28, his second volte face in less than 18 months. 4. Citing the state of affairs in the grand alliance as 'not right', Nitish told reporters that he had been receiving suggestions from his supporters and well-wishers, including his party workers, and set his next political course after taking all the advice that came his way into consideration. 5. Amid the suspense around the crucial floor test, three JD(U) MLAs again skipped the crucial meeting of legislators convened in Patna on Sunday evening. 6. Ahead of the trust vote, JD(U) has issued a three-line whip to all of its MLAs to be present during the floor test. Besides, former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) founder, Jitan Ram Manjhi has also issued a whip to its four MLAs instructing them to vote in favour of the NDA government on 12 February's trust vote in Bihar Vidhan Sabha. 7. Speaker of the Bihar Assembly Awadh Bihari Chaudhary declared he will not step down before to the start of the budget session on February 12, despite the newly established NDA government having filed a no-confidence resolution against him. But in light of the motion of no confidence, Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari, a member of the chief minister's JD(U), declared that Chaudhary would not be permitted to preside over House proceedings. 8. The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively. With the support of another Independent MLA, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the House against 115 of the Mahagathbandhan. 9. To go past the majority mark in the House, the ruling alliance needs 122 votes. 10. There are a total of 128 MLAs are part of the JDU-NDA alliance as of now. These include MLAs from the JD(U), the BJP and the HAM(S). One among them is an Independent MLA. With 128 MLAs in support, Nitish Kumar's government comfortably crosses the majority mark. So, if all these MLAs continue to support the Nitish Kumar's government, then the CM will comfortably win the trust vote. (With inputs from ANI) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Vice President Kamala Harris was detailing her priorities for the campaign during a flight on Air Force Two early last week when she was asked a delicate question hanging over the Democratic ticket: Do voters concerns about President Bidens age mean she must convince them she is ready to serve? I am ready to serve. Theres no question about that," Harris responded bluntly. Everyone who sees her on the job, Harris said, walks away fully aware of my capacity to lead." The response during an interview with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday came two days before a special counsel report on Bidens handling of classified documents amplified concerns about the 81-year-old incumbents mental acuity. The report said Biden displayed diminished faculties" in interviews and called him an elderly man with a poor memory." The findings have intensified the scrutiny on Harris, 59, the first woman and Black vice president, whose tenure has been marked by criticism of her political skills. What had been quiet talk of whether Harris could step into the presidency is now spilling into the open. There was always going to be a lot of scrutiny and pressure on her in the 2024 campaign, and that moments here now," said Jennifer Palmieri, who worked in the Obama and Clinton administrations and for Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign. I think that the special counsels report has sort of accelerated that moment." In recent months, Harris has taken on greater and more public responsibilities. She has become the administrations lead messenger on abortion rights, was put in charge of the White Houses new Office of Gun Violence Prevention and is playing a higher-profile role in the administrations handling of the war in Gaza. Harris, who has joined Biden on calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and gave a forceful speech in Dubai on the conflict, has pushed the administration to articulate more empathy for Palestinians and to focus on a postconflict Gaza plan. Shortly after the special counsel report was released, Harriss team was asked by West Wing aides to have her appear on a Sunday news show to defend the president, according to a person familiar with the request. Harris didnt want to wait. At an event on Friday, Harris publicly slammed the report as politically motivated and gratuitous, defending the president strongly as being on top of and in front of it all." There is no serious talk of replacing Biden on this years presidential ticket, Democratic officials say, pointing to the filing deadlines for primary ballot access that have already closed. In the unlikely circumstance that Biden withdraws as the Democratic nominee, Harris would still have to earn the required delegates to take his place at the partys convention in August. If it were to happen after the convention, a special meeting of the Democratic National Committee would decide the partys presidential ticket, according to the DNCs rules. Allies of Harris say she was poorly utilized by the White House early in her tenure and is now positioned to show her value to the presidential ticket, especially in turning out key Democratic voters on abortion rights. It is one of the few issues Democrats have an advantage on ahead of the 2024 election, polls show. With many voters opposed to the Biden administrations handling of the war in the Middle East and immigration policy, concerned about the presidents mental and physical health, and still feeling dissatisfied with the economy, Democrats are counting on abortion rights to energize loyal voters and sway independents and suburban women. Harris points to her experience as a prosecutor on sexual-assault cases dealing with women and children as evidence that she is uniquely suited to champion abortion rights. Harris talks about the issue in a way that is rare for elected officials. She describes the consequencesat times, in explicit detailof the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, which ended federal constitutional protections for abortions. In public appearances, the vice president has brought up women having miscarriages in toilets and explained the fine-print challenges of state laws that have exceptions for rape and incest because, she said, she wants voters to fully understand what many women are facing. By contrast, Biden, a practicing Catholic, previously opposed federal funding for abortion and voted against giving women access to late-term abortions. He still rarely uses the word abortion," and recently frustrated Democrats when he said he doesnt support abortions on demand." I do believe that the majority of people have an empathy gene," she said during the interview aboard Air Force Two. And the more they realize what has actually been happening since the Dobbs decision came down, the more open they are to consider the fundamental point, which is: Should the government be telling a woman what to do?" Hours before the interview, Harris had described to a crowd of mostly women in Savannah, Ga., how as a former prosecutor she viewed the states six-week abortion ban, which has exceptions for rape and incest but only with a police report. I know its a difficult conversation to have, but we need to face reality," she told them, walking them through what a woman would have to deal with to obtain a policy report in such a scenario. She then added, Please do understand who is to blame: The former president, Donald Trump." Trump has bragged about nominating Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. For 54 years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it and Im proud to have done it," he said last month. Ahead of the re-election campaign, Democrats privately expressed concerns about Harriss place on the ticket, portraying her as a liability. Her backers maintain that Harris, the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, has been held to a different standard from past vice presidents, including Biden. Many now acknowledge Harris is on a firmer footing campaigning on abortion access, but they still arent convinced she should be anointed as the partys future leader. Republicans have seized on Harriss central campaign role, calling her more liberal and unpredictable than Biden. A vote for President Biden is a vote for Kamala Harris," former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has said. With the release of the special counsel report, Republicans are now expected to make Harriss readiness an even bigger line of attack. She might be the top issue in the election," said Scott Jennings, a GOP strategist. Harris has framed abortion access as an issue of freedom and limited government, which could blunt some of Republicans arguments against her, said Kayleigh McEnany, a former press secretary to Trump and Fox News co-host who is antiabortion. I think she spent a lot of time working on presenting herself as a credible alternative," McEnany said. Both Biden and Harris are underwater in public polling. The campaign, which is counting on the presidents ability to reassemble its 2020 coalition to win re-election, has made the calculation that Harris can appeal to younger, progressive and minority voters more effectively than the president. Getting those voters to turn out for Biden like they did in 2020 will be a challenge. Many on the left have been fuming over the administrations handling of the war in Gaza and Bidens endorsement of tougher border policies. Pro-Palestine protesters have followed Harris at stops throughout her abortion-rights tour, including in Savannah, where one woman shouted, Youre committing genocide," before being escorted out. I get itI get why people are protesting," Harris said in the interview. We are working around the clock to end this conflict." Cyrena Martin, executive director of a Milwaukee-based nonprofit that helps women affected by domestic and sexual violence, said Harriss remarks on abortion access in Wisconsin were what she and other Black women needed to see to get excited about voting for Biden. Martin said she didnt think the administration did enough to address the issue in the immediate aftermath of Dobbs. There was a lot of Wheres Kamala?" Martin said. She also said Harris was absolutely ready" to serve as president if needed, but her concern is whether others would see that. Its always been a question whether people would vote for a woman, especially a Black woman," she said. Its looking like a hard win right now as it is." Harris recently visited a Milwaukee suburb for the first stop of her abortion-rights campaign tour. After the Dobbs decision, Wisconsins 1849 state law banning abortion was reactivated. Maleah Wright, 28, of Spring Green, Wis., said she strongly favors a womans right to choose, but she is planning to vote for a third-party candidate because she is worried about Biden. Mentally, Im not sure hes a fit president," she said. If [Harris] has to step in, I think that she would do a fine job of holding office, but for four years as a president, I would have to say that I dont feel like she is ready," she added. Harris, who is known to be extremely private, has been sharing more of her personal story in recent months. On her abortion-rights tour, Harris said she became a prosecutor after her best friend in high school told her she was being molested by her stepfather. As soon as she learned, Harris arranged for her friend to live with her family for several months. She was fighting for peoples rights way back then," said that friend, Wanda Kagan, who lives in Montreal. As a former district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of California, Harris was involved in several legal battles on abortion and reproductive health, including leading a multistate brief on the 2014 Supreme Court Hobby Lobby case on access to contraception. Harris said in the interview her upbringing prepared her to not shy away from talking about abortion openly. She was raised by a mother who worked as a breast-cancer researcher and made womens reproductive health a frequent topic of conversation. She was talking about hormones at the dinner table all the time," she said with a laugh. Turning more serious, Harris added: This stuff should not exist in the shadows. We dont talk about it and then people suffer, because women arent supposed to talk about these things." Write to Tarini Parti at tarini.parti@wsj.com Ashok Chavan has resigned from Congress, in yet another heavyweight exit from the Maharashtra wing of the grand old party. In a letter to state Congress president Nana Patole, Chavan (65) said he was quitting the grand old party. He also submitted his resignation as an MLA to assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. I hereby submit my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party with effect from 12/02/2024 noon," Ashok Chavan said in a statement. Several media reports have claimed that the former Congress leader is now touted to join Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). On reports of Ashok Chavan joining BJP, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Several leaders of opposition want to join the BJP. Many Congress leaders are in touch with us because they feel suffocated in their party". "I heard about Ashok Chavan from the media. But the only thing I can say now is that several good leaders from Congress are in touch with the BJP. Those leaders who are connected with the masses are feeling suffocated in Congress. I am confident that some big faces will join Congress. Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya (wait and watch what will happen in the days to come)", Fadnavis said. Ashok Chavan joins the list of heavyweight exits from Maharashtra Congress that also includes Milind Deora, and Baba Siddique. Earlier in January 2024, Congress leader Milind Deora also submitted his resignation from the primary membership of Congress, bringing an end to his familys 55-year association with the party. On Sunday, Ashok Chavan reportedly met AICC in-charge for Maharashtra, Ramesh Chennithala, to discuss his concerns. Ashok Chavan, who served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from December 2008 to November 2010, was considered one of the most influential leaders of the Congress in Maharashtra. He is the son of another former Chief Minister, Shankarrao Chavan. On 9 November 2010, the Congress Party had asked Ashok Chavan to resign from office over corruption allegations relating to Adarsh Housing Society scam. In the 2014 general elections, despite the allegations and anti-incumbency wave, he won the Lok Sabha election from his Nanded constituency with a comfortable margin. Ashok Chavan lost his Nanded seat in the 2019 Lok sabha election to Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP. Ashok Chavan has held various positions within the party, including General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Ashok Chavan's wife, Ameeta Chavan, is currently the member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Bhokar constituency which has previously been represented by both Shankarrao Chavan and Ashok Chavan himself. The couple has twin daughters Srijaya and Sujaya. Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, "There is discord in Maharashtra Congress, Ashok Chavan has resigned, and there are internal fights in Congress. Yes, if anyone wants to join BJP then they are welcome." Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan sent shockwaves through political circles after exiting the party on Monday. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister insisted that he would clear my stand on joining a party after two days" even as BJP leaders hinted at a possible alliance. Members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi meanwhile took potshots at the politician, wondering if he would now lay claim to the Congress name and symbol. Several tall leaders of other parties want to join BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behaviour of the senior leaders. They are feeling suffocated in their party. Who all are in our contact that will be revealed soon. Aage aage dekhiye hota hain kya," said Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Chavan however claimed that he had not decided to join any party" at present. I will tell you in 48 hours," he told reporters upon being asked about a possible switch to the BJP. ALSO READ: has sparked buzz about a possible defection to BJP but refused to confirm the Voters will teach a lesson to those who deserted them and left the party: Prithviraj Chavan after Ashok Chavan's exit from Congress. Unaware of the compulsion due to which Ashok Chavan left Congress: Prithviraj Chavan. Unfortunate decision; never thought a person like him will take such a step: Prithviraj Chavan on Ashok Chavan quitting Congress. Taking a dig at Ashok Chavan who resigned from Congress on Monday, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut wondered whether now the former Mahrasthra Chief Minister would stake a claim on the grand old party and its 'hand' symbol. Drawing parallels with Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena) and his deputy Ajit Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party) who after splitting from their respective parties staked and won their claim to the Sena party symbol, Raut said that such a scenario was possible. "I can't believe it. Till yesterday they were together, discussing; today he left... Will Chavan, like Eknath Mindhe and Ajit Pawar, now claim Congress and take the 'hand' symbol? And will the Election Commission give them to him? Anything can happen in our country!," Raut said in a post on X. Meanwhile Congress MP Manickam Tagore shared a snippet from the classic Hindi movie 'Sholay', in which Gabbar Singh, the character played by actor Amjad Khan is seen saying "Jo dhar gaya, sanjo mar gaya" (Whoever is afraid is considered dead). "True", wrote the Congress leader tagging Chavan's August 2023 post in which the former state congress chief expressed gratitude on being chosen as a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). Amid speculations that Chavan could join the BJP, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said, Earlier in the day, Chavan submitted his resignation from the Congress party's primary membership to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole. Also, in a post on X, Chavan announced his resignation as MLA from Maharashtra Assembly. "Today i.e. on Monday, February 12, 2024, I have tendered my resignation as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from 85-Bhokar Assembly Constituency to the Assembly Speaker Rahulji Narvekar," Chavan said on the social media platform X. Chavan who represents Bhokar, Nanded as an MLA was reported to have severe differences with state party chief Nana Patole. Chavan is the third big name to desert the Congress ship in Maharashtra following the exit of former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora and former MLA Baba Siddique. The former MPCC president has also served as MP of Lok Sabha from 1987 to 1989 and was re-elected to the lower house in May 2014. He was the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee during the period 1986 to 1995. He served the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms starting 1999 till May 2014. He has served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra state from December 8, 2008, to November 9, 2010. On November 9, 2010, the Congress Party asked him to resign from office over corruption allegations relating to the Adarsh Housing Society scam.In the 2014 general elections, Chavan was elected from the Nanded constituency but lost the seat in 2019 Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP. Chavan is the son of Shankarrao Chavan, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Union Home Minister. (ANI) (With inputs from agencies) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! "They have made Bharat Ratna a deal...You don't respect by awarding Bharat Ratna, you strike a deal...," Bihar's former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said in the Bihar Assembly on Monday. He said this while hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for making this "deal" in exchange for votes. The RJD leader even congratulated Chief Minister Nitish Kumar "for scripting history by taking oath for the ninth consecutive time". He said, We have not witnessed such a wonderful scene of taking oath for the third time in one term." Yadav launched a scathing attack on Nitish Kumar for repeatedly switiching alliances. Nitish Kumar had earlier severed ties with the NDA in 2022 when he resigned as chief minister and joined the Mahagathbandhan with Lalu Yadav's RJD, the Congress and the Left parties. "Everyone wants to know what exactly happened that forces you to take this decision," Yadav said. He also recalled the time when Nitish Kumar had snapped ties with the NDA in 2022. You had then said that we are leaving the NDA because attempts were being to break our partycan (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi guarantee that Nitish Kumar wont flip again," former Bihar deputy chief minister said in the assembly. Tejashwi Yadav said he always considered Nitish Kumar to be a father figure. I always considered Nitish Kumar as 'Dashrath' (character from the epic Ramayan). I don't know what reasons forced him to ditch the Mahagathbandhan," the former deputy CM said. Nitish Kumar is set to face a floor test in the assembly on Monday. The trust vote was necessitated as Nitish Kumar took oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the record ninth time last month after junking his alliance with the RJD and again forming a government with the BJP. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! After forging alliance with Nitish Kumar's JD(U) in Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is reportedly mulling alliance option in other states too. Here's a look at what the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is up to in different states: Punjab Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah recently asserted that talks were on with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Speaking at an event on Saturday, Shah was asked about the SAD's re-entry in the BJP-led NDA. Responding to this, the home minister was quoted by PTI as saying, "Talks are going on but nothing has been finalised." A day later, several reports claimed that the talks for an alliance between the BJP and the SAD to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Punjab "failed". Amid such speculations, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal also said his party's "alliance is with the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party)...They (Congress and AAP) are thieves and have ruined Punjab." He reportedly avoided a straight answer to the question and said, I am currently doing 'Punjab Bachao Yatra'..." Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD had pulled out of the NDA in September 2020 over the now-scrapped three farm laws. The Akali Dal had been among the BJP's oldest allies. It had snapped severed its ties with the BJP to protest the farm laws, which were later repealed following farmers' protests. Andhra Pradesh Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu had reportedly met Shah and BJP president JP Nadda on February 7 for talks on possible tie up with the BJP in Andhra Pradesh for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state. The general and state assembly polls are likely to be held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh before May. Sources told PTI that the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister is keen to join hands with the BJP and a section in the ruling party believes that an alliance with Naidu will help the NDA do well in the state ruled by the YSR Congress. On the possibility of joining hands with the TDP, which left the NDA in 2018, or the YSR Congress, Amit Shah said, "Everything is not disclosed in such platforms. Wait for some time. Everything will be clear for all." Meanwhile, a senior BJP leader was quoted by PTI as saying that his party is open to an alliance but it will all depend on how many seats the TDP, the main opposition party in Andhra Pradesh, agrees to give it, especially for the Lok Sabha polls. The TDP had walked out of the NDA in 2018 but suffered majorly in the 2019 polls when it could win only three Lok Sabha seats and lost power in the state to the YSR Congress which has mostly supported the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on key issues for the last five years. Uttar Pradesh Speculations are rife that Jayant Chaudhary's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) may soon stitched an alliance with the BJP in Uttar Pradesh for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. However, no formal announcement of the alliance has been made till now. When asked when he will formally" join the NDA and the BJP, Chaudhary evaded a direct reply, and said, "Today is a momentous occasion, we are celebrating". Though Chaudhary and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have made no formal announcement, both sides gave ample hints about the RLD switching from the INDIA bloc to the NDA. ALSO READ: 'Aaj main kis muh se inkaar karoon': RLD's Jayant Chaudhary on joining NDA On February 8, news agency PTI reported that the BJP may soon finalise a seat-sharing deal with Jayant Singh-led RLD as the ruling party looks to further strengthen the NDA. The report quoted sources as saying that the BJP's alliance talks with the RLD are in an advanced stage. The BJP is willing to offer two Lok Sabha seats, including Baghpat which is currently represented by its MP Satya Pal Singh, to the RLD and may also give it a Rajya Sabha seat," sources added. In a major political realignment ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar had switched from the opposition INDIA bloc to the NDA last month while there is talk of RLD also joining the BJP-led alliance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has exuded confidence that the BJP will win 370 seats alone and the NDA will cross 400 seats in the Lok Sabha polls, expected in April-May, to the 543-member House. (With inputs from agencies) Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Farmers have laid siege to European cities with tractors protesting subsidy cuts, cheap imports, high energy prices and imposition of green policies. In India, farmers are preparing for another showdown. Whats going on? Is there a common thread ? Mint explains: How widespread are the protests? Beginning January, farmers from several member-nations of the European Union (EU)Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Spaininvaded cities with their tractors, burning tyres, dumping manure, raiding supermarkets, blocking access to ports and highways and choking city centres. They are protesting subsidy cuts, high energy prices, cheap grain imports from Ukraine, beef imports from Latin America, growing clout of big agribusiness and climate policies limiting the use of chemical inputs. It is a profitability crisisdue to higher farming costs and low produce prices. Which green policies are under fire? Back in 2019, Dutch farmers took to the streets after the government disclosed plans to cut nitrogen emissions by slashing livestock population. In January this year, German farmers paralyzed Berlin after the government said it will phase out tax breaks on diesel for agricultural use; in France, farmers sprayed manure on state buildings protesting fuel subsidy cuts. Farmer across Europe are enraged by EU environment policies which target net zero emissions by 2050. These include a drastic reduction in use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and nature restoration policies setting aside farm land for conservation purposes. How have EU and govts responded to protests? France has rolled back fuel subsidy cuts and suspended pesticide reduction mandates. Germany said it will phase out fuel subsidies gradually. In November, politicians voted against the EUs proposed pesticide regulationsand a new set of climate rules is in the works ahead of elections in June. For now, nature restoration plans have been deferred. What is prompting protests in India? As in Europe, farmers in India want better crop prices. Farmers from Punjab and Haryana plan to reach Delhi on 13 February, demanding legal backing for minimum support prices (MSP). They are upset because the government is yet to act, as per an agreement in 2021, to make the MSP regime more effective and cover a wider range of crops than just rice and wheat. The deal took place after the government withdrew farm laws following protests which began in end-2020 and lasted for over a year. Are there issues beyond MSP? Yes. Import of cheap edible oil and pulses have hit farmer earnings. Steps to keep food prices low, such as a ban on export of cereals, sugar and onion, lowered incomes over the past year. Farmers also bore the brunt of climate shocks like heat waves, dry spells, and excess rains which damaged crops and affected yields. So, apart from a law on MSP, farmers are demanding higher import duties, changes to the existing crop insurance scheme, better quality of seeds, a debt waiver and social security benefits like pension. RAMALLAH, West BankWhenever Mahmoud Abbas is quizzed about who he wants as his successor, the 88-year-old president of the Palestinian Authority gives his standard reply: no one yet. His father lived to over 100, so why fret about finding a replacement, an Egyptian official recalls Abbas responding to the longstanding question of his succession. He is convinced he has another 20 years to go," a former Abbas staffer said. Abbas has ruled the Palestinian Authority as leader of Fatah, its largest party, for almost two decades and hasnt faced general elections since 2006. His poll ratings are on the floor, with 90% of Palestinians calling for his resignation and the authority he leads widely viewed as ineffective and corrupt. His insistence on staying in power is snarling plans for Gaza, where the U.S. and its Arab allies want the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, to govern in place of Hamas after the war with Israel. In the months before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel and the response it provoked, the Palestinian Authority was in a fight for its life, cracking down, sometimes violently, on political rivals and militants from groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who challenged its flimsy grip on power. And while the authority is the only candidate Western and Arab officials have for the herculean tasks of rebuilding Gaza and replacing Hamas, there are mounting questions as to whether Abbas and the West Bank leadership is fit for purpose. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken against a role for the authority in Gaza after the war but hasnt set out an alternative. In public, the U.S. says that a revitalized Palestinian Authority should govern both the West Bank and Gaza, and that Abbass office has ideas for changes that are a step in the right direction." In private, Western and Arab officials say revitalization means removing Abbas as president or at least draining his powers. Talks between Palestinian factions, Arab states and the U.S. have included discussions about potential successors, according to people involved in the discussions. Among those mentioned are a former Palestinian Authority prime minister, Salam Fayyad; the exiled former Gaza security chief Mohammed Dahlan; and Marwan Barghouti, a popular Palestinian leader jailed since 2002 and serving multiple life sentences for his alleged involvement in the killing of Israelis. Fayyad said he had heard that some in the U.S. government would support his appointment but that he hasnt been approached. Dahlan, who has been described by U.S. officials as a key player in Gazas future, said he doesnt want to lead in Gaza but would seek for the party he founded to run in the next Palestinian election. I am not looking for a job," Dahlan said in an interview. Barghouti refused to recognize the Israeli court that tried him and didnt present a defense. He couldnt be reached for comment. Abbas, meanwhile, is refusing to accept reforms that would diminish his strength and make a Palestinian Authority takeover acceptable to both Israelis and Gazans, according to Arab officials. A spokesman for Abbas denied that the president was a block to progress and blamed Israels occupation of the West Bank and U.S. support for Israel for the lack of stability in the Palestinian territories. Abbas is diplomatic but not charismatic, says Yossi Beilin, a former Israeli deputy foreign minister who worked with him to craft the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, the last major peace deal between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. A bureaucrat, Abbas stood alongside Yasser Arafat, the Palestine Liberation Organization leader, at the signing of those accords. Abbas was the antithesis to Arafat in many ways," Beilin says. He dressed in a suit, Arafat wore military uniform; Abbas held a strong commitment to nonviolent routes to statehood, Arafat backed the use of force if talks failed. But those differences were instrumental to getting the accords over the line, Beilin says. They balanced each other out." Today, Abbas, who didnt respond to a request to be interviewed for this article, is regarded more as a dead weight by Western nations and their allies. He is increasingly undermined by Hamas, the U.S.-designated terror group that violently opposes his pursuit of Palestinian statehood through dialogue with the West and, at times, Israel. For years, that dynamic has posed a conundrum for Western nations, including the U.S.: Support elections with the chance Hamas wins, or continue to back an unpopular ruler who hasnt faced a general election for 18 years. Oct. 7 and the subsequent surge in support for Hamas changed that calculation, Middle East analysts say, making an overhaul of the Palestinian Authority a priority. One workaround discussed by U.S. and Arab negotiators is to push Abbas to appoint a new prime minister with greater executive power, according to Egyptian officials. But the president recognizes that play, the officials say. He became the Palestinian Authoritys first prime minister in 2003, a move spearheaded by the U.S., which sought a closer partner than it had in Arafat. After Arafats death, when Abbas became president in 2005 after Hamas boycotted elections, he stripped power from the prime ministers officea post held by five men during his presidency so far. He always viewed the position of prime minister with a great deal of suspicion," said Diana Buttu, a former Palestinian peace negotiator who worked under Abbas. Although Abbas says he wont be replaced through elections, he has told Arab and U.S. officials that he would be open to forming a new government with Mohammad Mustafa, a former Palestinian economy minister and World Bank executive, who isnt viewed as a threat to the president, according to Arab officials. On Sunday, he appointed two new security officials as part of an overhaul to his government and Arab officials say he is expected to travel to Doha, Qatar this week to present a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza after the war. Born in 1935 in Safed, a city in what is now northern Israel, Abbas fled with his family to Syria during the founding of Israel in the late 1940s, one of more than 720,000 Palestinians displaced by the creation of the newly declared nation-state. He later moved to Qatar, where he became involved in political organizing. Abbas dislikes the limelight, those who know him say. He often slipped out of meeting halls by unusual exitsincluding through a windowto avoid being approached at crowded doorways, Beilin said. In one incident, while Abbas was moving away from a crowd, his finger was severed after getting caught in a car door, the former Israeli diplomat said. He is a shy guy, thats the bottom line," Beilin said. His rise as a senior member of Fatah saw him become a close associate of Arafat. But, lacking the PLO leaders rapport with ordinary Palestinians, Abbas has never achieved the same standing and struggled to shake off his reputation as a U.S.-backed appointee, analysts say. Much of that reputation stemmed from Abbass insistence that if the Palestinian movement eschews violence, the U.S. will pressure Israel on issues including the Israeli settlements and a path to Palestinian statehood, according to analysts and former staffers. Abbas has put all his eggs in the American basket, thinking that the U.S. will rescue him and deliver a peace process that will bring a two-state solution," said Khaled Elgindy, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, a think tank in Washington, D.C. But the U.S. has historically looked at Palestinian politics through its own self-interest, and through a distinctly Israeli lens. So, Abbass strategy was and continues to be a failure." After Oct. 7, popular Palestinian support for Hamas swelled in the West Bank, in part because the attacks electrified the push for statehood that had fizzled under Abbas, said Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. But with Netanyahu ruling out support for a Palestinian state, The international community is back to the old drawing board, with no fresh ideas," Shikaki said. Much may now depend on whether Abbas can be persuaded to step aside or at least give up some of his authorityand who might replace him. Benoit Faucon contributed to this article. Write to Omar Abdel-Baqui at omar.abdel-baqui@wsj.com and Summer Said at summer.said@wsj.com Tarnavsky: Over last week, our soldiers capture almost two and half dozen occupiers With the increasing intensity of military clashes in Tavria direction, the number of Russian prisoners is also increasing, Commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group of forces Olekaandr Tarnavsky said. "Thus, over the last week, our soldiers captured almost two and a half dozen invaders. Half of them occurred over the past 24 hours, primarily in Zaporizhia direction," he said in the Telegram channel. The total enemy losses over the past 24 hours amounted to 449 people and 27 units of military equipment, not counting UAVs. In particular, these are five tanks, 18 armored combat vehicles, two artillery systems, a vehicle and a unit of special equipment. In addition, 122 drones of various types were neutralized (landed). KYIV, UkraineUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys decision to replace his top general last week was arguably his most consequential choice since opting to stay in Kyiv rather than flee in the early days of Russias invasion. After weeks of speculation, Zelensky dismissed Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhniy as commander in chief of the armed forces in the most significant shake-up of the countrys leadership in nearly two years of war. The move is aimed at rebooting the countrys war effort, Zelensky said, as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold the line against Russia. But replacing a figure as popular as Zaluzhniy with Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy, who is seen as closer to the president, will bind Zelensky more tightly to battlefield decisions, making him more accountable for any failure, analysts said. Zelensky took responsibility for everything nowboth the political and military side," said independent Ukrainian political analyst Mykola Davydiuk. Zelensky named a former deputy defense minister to succeed Syrskiy as commander of Ukraines ground forces on Sunday after making five senior military appointments to fill out his new team. It is a fraught moment for the actor-turned-politician who rallied the nation to resist Russias onslaught nearly two years ago, winning plaudits and billions of dollars in aid from the West. After successfully fending off Russias initial attempt to take Kyiv and then reversing some of Moscows gains, Zelensky and Ukraines other wartime leaders had a tougher time in 2023. The failure to break through Russian defenses in a costly counteroffensive last summer piled pressure on Zelensky as deliveries of military equipment from Western allies began to falter. Along the front lines, Ukrainian forces are now facing acute shortages of ammunition as Congress stalls on a $60 billion aid package, and Russia is taking advantage to inch forward in a handful of places. On the streets of Ukraines capital, some received the move to oust Zaluzhniy with dismay. Olha Venediktova, 36, described it as the worst decision" to be taken by Ukraines leadership. A small group of people gathered in Kyivs Independence Square on Friday in protest of Zelenskys decision, chanting for his ouster. While some soldiers were disappointed, they said the change in leadership wouldnt change the situation they face on the battlefield. A 31-year-old sergeant said he had felt shock and anger at the removal of Zaluzhniy, whom he cited as a reason behind his decision to join the armed forces. Zaluzhniys dismissal came after months of speculation over tensions between Zelensky and Zaluzhniy, who enjoys huge popularity among the military and the wider public. Friction grew as political imperatives increasingly clashed with the realities of the war. While Zelensky sought to remain upbeat, Zaluzhniy painted a more somber picture of Ukraines prospects. In an essay for the Economist following Ukraines failed counteroffensive last year, Zaluzhniy described the war as a stalemate and said a major upgrade to the countrys military capabilities would be needed to make further gains against Russia. Zelensky publicly rebuked him for that assessment and questioned his call to mobilize hundreds of thousands more troopsa move that would be politically unpopular. Zaluzhniy hit back in a commentary for CNN, saying it was the governments responsibility to mobilize people. But Zelenskys tone shifted notably on Thursday as he announced the dismissal in a video address, saying urgent changes were needed to overhaul the military. Many of the problems he cited, including the lack of Western aid and manpower, cant be solved by the commander in chief. But the appointment of Syrskiy may help result in a more effective working relationship. In a country at war, the president needs to be lashed up to the top military commander," said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. From what we gathered there wasnt a lot of face time between Zelensky and Zaluzhniy and thats not good in wartime." While Zaluzhniy has never publicly voiced political ambitions, analysts say Zelensky was likely threatened by the generals popularity. A poll conducted in December found that trust in the president had fallen to 62%, while Zaluzhniy retained the confidence of 88% of Ukrainians. For two years, two men with complex characters next to each other is already difficult, especially since Zelensky is an artist," said Ukrainian opposition lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko. [Zelensky] wants to be a major starlike any actorand here is another star shining." Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, said change was necessary to prevent a stalemate on the front that would negatively affect the public mood. The decision to remove Zaluzhniy was driven by the need to review tactics that failed to achieve any breakthrough last year, he said. On the front line, some soldiers were more sanguine. What exactly will change for me from now having a different commander in chief? Absolutely nothing," said Maksym Skubenko from the 5th Separate Assault Brigade. I see where the enemy is. I know what to do with him." Write to Isabel Coles at isabel.coles@wsj.com Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Google is cracking down on bulk email senders in an effort to reduce the amount of spam users receive. In particular, bulk email senders will start to see their emails rejected more often unless they start to comply with Google's new policies, which require them to authenticate their messages and only send emails to people who want to receive messages from them. Also Read | Gmail is making it easier to unsubscribe from emails. Here's how it will work While implementing the restrictions on bulk senders via a blogpost in October last year, Google wrote, You shouldnt have to jump through hoops to stop receiving unwanted messages from a particular email sender. It should take one click. So were requiring that large senders give Gmail recipients the ability to unsubscribe from commercial email in one click, and that they process unsubscription requests within two days." Gmail's updated spam policy prevents bulk senders (those who send 5,000 emails per day) from sending excessive emails to users. The new rules require bulk senders to authenticate their outgoing emails while avoiding sending unwanted or unsolicited emails, Forbes reported. The guidelines also state that bulk senders must implement a one-click unsubscribe button for all commercial and promotional emails by June 2024. The unsubscribe button must be clearly visible in the body of the message, and commercial senders must process these requests within two days. Google now says that starting this month, bulk senders who do not meet the company's sender requirements will receive temporary errors. However, these temporary errors will be limited to a small percentage of non-compliant traffic and are intended to help senders identify traffic that doesn't meet Google's requirements. Meanwhile, Google notes that it will start rejecting a percentage of "non-compliant" email traffic from April, and that this percentage will gradually increase. Informing about the change in a support page, Google noted, "In April 2024, well start rejecting a percentage of non-compliant email traffic, and well gradually increase the rejection rate. For example, if 75% of a senders traffic meets our requirements, well start rejecting a percentage of the remaining 25% of traffic that isnt compliant." Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! In a recent blog post, Microsoft has announced the highly anticipated annual update for Windows 11, named Windows 11 24H2. Contrary to speculations about a potential Windows 12 release, Microsoft has opted to enhance its existing operating system, bringing forth a plethora of new features and improvements. The Windows 11 24H2 update, currently available for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel, showcases the tech moguls intent to advance AI capabilities. Key features include support for hearing aids, microphone testing, the introduction of Copilot, enhancements to the Taskbar and System Tray, as well as improvements in Bluetooth, graphics, and more. The update is also designed to integrate with the latest chipsets from leading manufacturers such as AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm, further aligning with Microsoft's vision for cutting-edge AI technology. In a statement, Microsoft emphasized, "Starting with Build 26-xx today, Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels will see the versioning updated under Settings > System > About (and winver) to version 24H2. This denotes that Windows 11, version 24H2 will be this year's annual feature update. As mentioned here, Windows 11 will have an annual feature update cadence that releases in the second half of the calendar year." The Windows 11 24H2 update is expected to roll out in the second half of 2024, with a tentative release in September or October. While this announcement may disappoint users eagerly anticipating Windows 12, Microsoft remains interested in delivering significant improvements to Windows 11, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence. Speculation arises about a potential delay in the release of Windows 12, but Microsoft has yet to provide concrete details. It is anticipated that the tech giant may unveil a major Windows update in 2025, keeping users on the edge of their seats for groundbreaking AI features, especially in light of recent advancements from prominent chipset-makers in the market. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Dubais Road and Transport Authority (RTA) penned an agreement over air-taxis with Joby Aviation on Sunday, February 11. The contract was given to Joby Aviation at the World Governments Summit in Dubai to launch air taxi services in the United Arab Emirate (UAE) by early 2026. However, the company targets to complete initial operations as early as 2025. Air taxi features Jobys aircraft, which was displayed at the event for the first time can carry a maximum of four passengers at once along with the pilot. With a speed of 200 miles per hour, the aircraft can cover a journey that is expected to take 45 minutes by car in atmost 10 minutes to reach destination. Hence, it will take 10 minutes to reach Palm Jumeirah from Dubai International Airport. This agreement enables Joby with exclusive right to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years. The company awarded the contract will receive support from Dubai government for finances, entry and maturing of service operations in Dubai. At the World Governments Summit, significant dignitaries were present during the event including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and many others. Joby Aviation is a company that develops all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service and will position Dubai as a world leader that will provide fast, clean and quiet air travel. Jobys aircraft became the first electric air taxi to fly in New York City in November 2023. to the US Department of Defense received the first ever delivery of an electric air taxi in September 2023 by Joby Aviation. Founder and CEO at Joby Aviation, Joe Ben Bevirt said, It is an honour to partner with the government of Dubai to demonstrate the value of sustainable air travel to the world." He added, Todays landmark agreement delivers on all three ingredients required to successfully launch an air taxi service - a definitive path to operations, well-placed infrastructure supported by dedicated partners, and an aircraft with the capacity and range to deliver meaningful journeys, " reported businesswire. Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors for RTA, Mattar Al Tayer stated, the air taxi service is part of RTAs efforts to embrace future transportation technologies and offers a novel and efficient mobility option for Dubai's residents and visitors, enabling fast, safe and convenient travel to key city spots. This service will also enhance seamless multimodal transportation, improving citywide connectivity, and ensuring a smooth travel experience for passengers, " reported businesswire. Milestone Alert! Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world Click here to know more. Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed it's all here, just a click away! Login Now! Embracing Generosity: The Significance of the Bangkok Chef Charity Gala The Bangkok Chef Charity Gala Luncheon, now in its 11th edition, stands as a beacon of generosity and compassion, drawing together culinary luminaries, esteemed guests, and philanthropic hearts for a noble cause. Scheduled for February 17 at the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, under the gracious patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, this prestigious event organized by Jivanand Company Limited promises an unforgettable culinary experience while making a profound difference in the lives of those in need. A Culinary Extravaganza with Purpose At the heart of the gala lies a culinary extravaganza crafted by 30 esteemed chefs, including 11 Michelin-starred restaurants, top hotels in Bangkok and Hong Kong, and leading culinary academies in Bangkok. Each chef will showcase their culinary mastery through a 10-course gourmet menu, tantalizing the taste buds of 360 esteemed guests. Royal Rice: A Symbol of Quality and Tradition A highlight of the event is the use of Royal Rice or Khao Dawk Mali 105 (KDML 105), a variety known as Jan Ka Pak Jasmine Rice cultivated in Surin and Buriram provinces. Grown with organic, natural fertilizers, this rice embodies the essence of quality and tradition, symbolizing the commitment to excellence in every aspect of the gala. Empowering Young Talent In addition to renowned chefs, the gala provides a platform for aspiring culinary talent, with students from renowned international schools in Bangkok, led by Shrewsbury International School, participating alongside their mentors. This inclusion of young chefs underscores the commitment to nurturing the next generation of culinary excellence. A Legacy of Giving Since its inception in 2009, the Bangkok Chef Charity Gala has been a testament to the power of collective goodwill. Originating from a simple desire to support needy children in remote areas of Thailand, the event has evolved into a glamorous affair marked by opulent attire and sumptuous cuisine. Over the years, the gala has raised millions of baht, making a tangible difference in the lives of countless individuals. Nuntiya Intralib is a prominent figure in the culinary world, renowned for her dedication to excellence and passion for promoting Thai cuisine on the global stage. As the managing director of Jivanand Company Limited, she plays a pivotal role in organizing the prestigious Bangkok Chef Charity Gala Luncheon, an event that brings together top chefs, esteemed guests, and philanthropists for a noble cause. Intralibs commitment to culinary excellence is reflected in her meticulous attention to detail and unwavering pursuit of quality. Under her leadership, the Bangkok Chef Charity Gala has grown into one of the most anticipated culinary events in Thailand, showcasing the talents of renowned chefs while raising funds for needy children in remote areas of the country. One of the hallmarks of Intralibs leadership is her emphasis on innovation and creativity. She constantly seeks out new ways to elevate the gala experience, whether through the inclusion of young chefs from prestigious international schools or the incorporation of traditional Thai ingredients like Royal Rice into the menu. In addition to her role with the Bangkok Chef Charity Gala, Intralib is also deeply involved in promoting Thai cuisine and culture internationally. Through her work, she aims to showcase the rich diversity and flavors of Thai cuisine while fostering greater appreciation for the countrys culinary heritage. Overall, Nuntiya Intralibs contributions to the culinary world are immeasurable, and her dedication to excellence continues to inspire chefs and food enthusiasts alike. As she continues to spearhead initiatives that celebrate Thai cuisine and support charitable causes, her impact on the culinary landscape is sure to endure for years to come. Looking Forward As the Bangkok Chef Charity Gala approaches, anticipation mounts for another unforgettable evening of culinary delights and philanthropy. With the support of esteemed guests, dedicated chefs, and generous sponsors, the event is poised to surpass previous milestones, reaffirming its status as a shining example of compassion and community spirit. The Bangkok Chef Charity Gala serves as a reminder of the transformative power of generosity and solidarity. By coming together to support those less fortunate, we not only create positive change but also foster a sense of unity and purpose that transcends boundaries. As we gather to celebrate fine cuisine and noble causes, let us embrace the spirit of giving and make a meaningful difference in the world. The 2024 Bangkok Chef Charity is supported by generous sponsors, including Tops Wine Cellar, Evian, Jagota Brothers Trading Co., Ltd., Premium Food, Lucaris, Clement Design Thailand who has contributed specially designed jackets for all participating chefs, Knightsbridge Group, Krungthep Light Orchestra, RP Media Group and Krinbourne Kommunications. For more information, contact Nuntiya Intralib, Managing Director, Jivanand Company Limited, tel. 085 155 6545; email: [email protected] Shayne Heffernan Chattanooga's seventh sister city, Accra, Ghana, the first from the continent of Africa Educational institutions in Kyiv region will receive almost 6,000 tablets from France, said Head of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration Ruslan Kravchenko. "The equipment will be transferred to 55 inclusive resource centers and two of their branches. The tablets will be used to organize individual correctional and developmental classes with children with special educational needs. Another part will be received by educational institutions where a large number of children study in inclusive classes. They will equip resource rooms for classes," Kravchenko wrote on Facebook on Sunday. "In addition, the equipment will be donated for classes in shelters of schools in Kyiv region, the Small Academy of Sciences, medical colleges, and educational centers. Children from families in difficult life circumstances will also receive gadgets and live in Centers for socio-psychological rehabilitation. In addition to educational institutions, some tablets will be transferred to the Centers for the provision of administrative services for high-quality and accessible services to persons with disabilities," he added. According to the head of the regional administration, the tablets were provided by French partners from the Ile-de-France region. The organization Federation Nationale de Protection Civile also joined the project. "We are grateful to our international partners who understand that war is not a reason to pause education and help provide our children with modern devices," Kravchenko said. According to him, there are now more than 1,200 shelters in educational institutions in Kyiv region. A group of Longford students is celebrating this week after emerging victorious at the First LEGO League Challenge Regional Finals. TUS Athlones Engineering and Informatics Building was buzzing with excitement as primary and second-level students geared up for a showdown at the FIRST LEGO League Challenge Regional Finals. Students from eighteen teams across five counties, including Our Lady's Bower and Colaiste Chiarain in Athlone, took part in the day-long competition, battling it out for a coveted spot in the national final in Dublin next month. Team Garfield from Mercy Secondary School Ballymahon scooped the top prize of Overall Champions, receiving a trophy crafted entirely from LEGO. Team Lil Octaves from Stokane National School in Sligo also qualified for nationals. The winners of the national competition will go on to represent Ireland in the international tier of the global STEM competition in Morocco in May. "The event isn't just about showcasing robotics and innovation. It's about unleashing the creative spirit and problem-solving skills of budding engineers, explained Dr Clodagh Reid, a lecturer in technology education at TUS Athlone who has been working with students since September, helping them design and build their robots. In addition to applying maths and science principles to their robot design and build, participating students also had to present a special innovation project which looked at the use of technology for creativity, arts and communication. Through months of preparation and outreach, we've nurtured their enthusiasm for STEM, and we witnessed it come to life in the arena as well as through their innovation project, Dr Reid continued. As the competition kicked off, teams competed in a series of three Robot Games, pushing their creations to the limits in feats of strength, agility, and strategy; the stakes were high, but so was the camaraderie among participants, who embody core values of teamwork and inclusiveness. "We've seen these students grow not just as engineers, but as collaborators and innovators," remarked Jane Burns, Director of Education & Public Engagement at TUS Athlone. "Their journey from classroom to competition arena is a testament to the transformative power of STEM education." The aim of the FIRST LEGO League Challenge is to promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), with students honing their problem-solving skills and fostering resilience as they navigate the twists and turns of the competition. Dean of Engineering & Informatics Dr Sean Lyons said TUS is on a mission to inspire the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers by increasing schools access to integrated STEM experiences like this one. Our mission is not just to impart knowledge but to ignite a passion for STEM in future students. By engaging them in hands-on experiences like FIRST LEGO League Challenge, we're not only developing essential skills like coding, design, and research, but we're also shaping the innovators and leaders of tomorrow's workforce, he explains. Stokane National School, Dalystown National School Westmeath, Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan Westmeath, and St Joseph's Rochfortbridge, Westmeath, all won awards on the day including best Robot Design, Core Values, Innovation, Rising Stars & Motivator awards. FIRST LEGO League Challenge, supported by FIRST, LEGO Education and the LEGO Foundation, is coordinated in Ireland by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in conjunction with Learnit. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: February 12 2024 The decision to revert the bus route came after concerns raised by Madison Street residents following the recent change to the Suffolk County Transit S1 Route in October. Huntington: At the request of local residents, Legislator Stephanie Bontempi (R 18th L.D.) was able to successfully reinstate the original path for the Suffolk County Transit S1 Route, effective March 3rd, 2024. The decision to revert the bus route came after concerns raised by Madison Street residents following the recent change to the Suffolk County Transit S1 Route in October. The route travels between the Amityville Long Island Railroad Station to Halesite, including stops at the Walt Whitman Shops and the Huntington Long Island Railroad Station. An additional stop was added at Huntington Hospital, which required the bus to travel along Madison Street across from Heckscher Park. However, the re-routing of the bus line disrupted the daily lives of residents on Madison Street and those visiting Heckscher Park. Madison Street already experienced traffic congestion, and the added buses exacerbated the issue, posing a significant safety risk to both residents and park visitors. Legislator Bontempi received numerous emails and phone calls from constituents residing on Madison Street and decided to investigate the issue herself. She and her staff observed the Suffolk County Transit S1 route along Madison Street, visited the area of concern on multiple occasions, and rode the bus from the Walt Whitman Shops to Halesite to gather first-hand knowledge of the route. While riding the bus and speaking directly with one of the bus drivers driving the S1 Route, it was confirmed that the buses rarely needed to stop at Huntington Hospital and that the current route configuration was inefficient, and unnecessarily putting the drivers safety at risk when maneuvering on Madison Street, a high foot-traffic neighborhood. Further, because of the recent route change, it was also noted that past stops along New York Avenue/R110 were removed, directly impacting the frequent users of the bus that worked in the local businesses along New York Avenue/110. According to PineBarrens.org, The influence of the Pine Barrens on Whitmans poem is most prominently evident in his references to the Hermit Thrush , a solitary bird often found in the Pine Barrens that is known to utter the most beautiful song of nature. Comparing the Hermit Thrush to himself, Whitman recognized that, like the bird, he wished to remain in nature in solitude as it offered him a sense of renewal. The 2024 spending includes aid for Sahel region countries that Luxembourg is dropping from its development cooperation programme The European Commission will send funds for humanitarian aid to Burkina Faso, one of three countries with which Luxembourg has decided not to renew development cooperation projects The European Commission will send funds for humanitarian aid to Burkina Faso, one of three countries with which Luxembourg has decided not to renew development cooperation projects Photo credit: Shutterstock The European Commission will send funds for humanitarian aid to Burkina Faso, one of three countries with which Luxembourg has decided not to renew development cooperation projects Photo credit: Shutterstock The European Commission on Monday announced it had adopted its initial annual humanitarian budget of more than 1.8 billion for 2024. Some 200 million will be dedicated to countries in the Sahel region, the Central African Republic and Lake Chad basin countries. Among the recipients in Sahel are Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the three countries with which Luxembourg will not sign new development cooperation projects, foreign affairs and development cooperation minister Xavier Bettel announced last week. Also read: Luxembourg not to renew ties with Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger The decision not to extend bilateral collaboration was based on Luxembourgs belief that the countries are experiencing issues with security there, Bettel said during a visit to Laos, which is one of the Grand Duchys other key development cooperation countries. The commissions 200 million will address the consequences of forced displacements, food insecurity, acute and chronic malnutrition, natural hazards and recurrent epidemics in these regions. A further 346 million will support people in East and Southern Africa. Senegal aid not suspended The development cooperation ministry on Monday told the Luxembourg Times that it was keeping a keen eye on the situation in Senegal, where violence flared at the weekend at protests against President Macky Salls decision to postpone upcoming presidential elections. Two people are reported to have died in the latest clashes, according to France 24. Bilateral development cooperation with Senegal has not been suspended at this time, the ministry said. The European Commission reckons that that 300 million people estimated to need humanitarian assistance this year. But Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, said that the gap between humanitarian needs and resources available continues to widen. In 2023, the funding gap reached new record levels as not even 40% of the $56.7 billion required were provided, the Commissioner explained. It is essential that the international community finds a more balanced and fair way to fund humanitarian assistance Janez Lenarcic European Commissioner for Crisis Management In 2023, over 91% of contributions come from just 20 donors, among which top three - the European Commission included - provided 58% of globally available humanitarian funding, Lenarcic said. This is unsustainable. It is therefore essential that the international community finds a more balanced and fair way to fund humanitarian assistance, in line with capabilities of each individual country. Almost 470 million of EU humanitarian funding will be allocated in the Middle East and North Africa, aimed at assisting the extreme humanitarian needs in Gaza and the Palestinian civilian population as well as those people affected by ongoing regional crisis in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and its neighbouring countries. Closer to home, the commission says that around 115 million will be directed to Southeast Europe and the European Neighbourhood addressing mostly the consequences of Russias war of aggression in Ukraine, as well as funding projects for ongoing needs in the Western Balkans, the Caucasus, and the effects of the Syria crisis in Turkey as well as the lasting consequences from last years earthquakes. Some 315 million will be reserved for responding to sudden-onset emergencies and unforeseen humanitarian crises that may arise throughout the year, the commission said. One difference between this jersey and the original is the teams name on the front, rather than the sponsors name. In 95, the Wahs repped DB Bitters on the jersey. Today, One NZ are the main sponsor, but they decided not to include their logo front and centre (there is a big one on the back). Intelligence Agency: No one claims that Starlink is officially being sold to Russians Starlink satellite communication systems are going on sale in Russia through third countries, work is underway to neutralize this threat, representative of the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Yusov said. "Russia continues to work through the so-called 'parallel import,' but in fact smuggling. Yes, through third countries, we will not name specific countries, this information needs clarification, but Starlink is freely available in Russia, on open online platforms," he said during the telethon on Monday. Yusov said compared to last year, their use by Russians on the front line has now become "more systematic and streamlined." "That is, the occupiers are betting on these devices. Of course, work is underway to neutralize this threat. We will not disclose all the threats now. No one claims that Starlink is officially being sold to the Russians. But today Russia is not only the number one terrorist country, but also the number one smuggler country, so this is a problem that they are working on today," the intelligence service said. Earlier, the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine confirmed the use of Starlink satellite communication systems by Russian troops at the front. Later, U.S. billionaire Elon Musk denied says the Russian army was allegedly using Starlink terminals in the combat zone. Were in a volatile election year, there are several major theaters of war in the world, and peace seems fragile everywhere. For many people, there couldnt be a better time for Michael Franti to make an appearance. Luckily for Western Massachusetts, Franti will do just that when he plays Tree House Brewings Summer Stage on June 19. Stephen Marley and Bombargo will open the show. Franti, of course, is renowned for not just his uplifting music, but also his promoting of peace and justice through his lyrics, poetry, and general activism. He almost immediately fused his music with politics, as his second band, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, featured politically-charged lyrics that decried all manner of injustices. But after two albums, Franti disbanded that group and formed Spearhead, which shifted from hip-hop style music to a more soulful sound. While Spearhead retained a lot of the more hard-edged political lyrics of his previous bands, Franti also revealed a more spiritual side as the project blossomed. By 2013, Franti had formed a nonprofit organization, Do It For The Love, a project that brings wounded veterans or people who have undergone trauma or who are suffering from severe illnesses to see live music with the idea that music can be healing. Artists such as Billie Eilish, JoJo Siwa, and Pentatonix have participated in the project. To date, the project has fulfilled more than 3,500 wishes. Franti is also no stranger to Western Massachusetts, having played the Pines Theater at Northamptons Look Park just last summer, and also having played the Green River Festival main stage several times over the years. Tickets are $60.50 and are available at txr.com. Earlier this month, the National Restaurant Association - the industrys trade association and lobbying group - released its 2024 State of the Restaurant Industry report. Hows the industry doing? According to the report, things are mostly looking up. Restaurant sales this year are projected to top $1 trillion and, as the second-largest employer in the U.S. economys private sector, the industry is expected to be providing paychecks to 15.7 million individuals. Not surprisingly, the report describes both food and labor costs as being higher. As a result, 38% of the restaurant operators who participated in the report said that their business had not been profitable during 2023. Technology and its impact on the industry was a major theme of this years State of the Restaurant Industry survey, with the report examining in depth both operator and consumer opinions on technology. Not surprisingly, most operators describe tech as growing in importance in their businesses, while consumers seemed to be ambivalent about its role. A third of all adults surveyed as part of the reports preparation said theyd actually prefer less tech in their restaurant experience. The report also highlighted what many in the industry are already saying - consumers are increasingly value-conscious when they make dining out decisions. A factbook summary of the 2024 State of the Restaurant Industry report can be downloaded from the National Restaurant Associations website, restaurant.org. ********** Side Dishes Nathan Bills Bar and Restaurant in Springfield is getting a jump on the St. Patricks Day festivities with a Jameson Irish Dinner. Planned for Wednesday, March 6 at 6 p.m., the five-course menu is being put together by Executive Chef Tom Murphy. Live music during the dinner will be provided by Jimmy McCardle and Jerry Murphy. Tickets, which are $100 plus a convenience fee, can be ordered at Eventbrite.com. Nathan Bills Bar and Restaurant answers at 413-737-6135. ********** The Shamrock Shake is making an early return to participating McDonalds locations this month. A seasonal favorite since 1970, the mint-infused dairy shake made its 2024 debut last week. The Shamrock Shake is expected to be around until late March or as long as supplies last. The earlier-than-traditional rollout of the Shamrock Shake is part of a current marketing strategy that relies on McDonalds menu stalwarts and marketing traditions. ********** Papa Johns Pizza stores are currently promoting a limited-time-only snack item, Calzone Papa Bites. The bites are baked nuggets of pizza dough stuffed with garlic-herb ricotta, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and green peppers. Western Massachusetts is now able to enjoy the Papa Johns experience thanks to a recently opened outlet in the Big Y Plaza on University Drive in Amherst. There are also Papa Johns locations in Worcester on Chandler Street and in Hartford. ********** Krazy Jakes in Wilbraham is currently featuring an assortment of February menu specials. At breakfast time, French Toast Sticks are currently available and are being served with blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream. The sandwich lineup at the eatery is currently enhanced by a Meatloaf Melt; a Hot Lover Burger thats topped with grilled jalapeno peppers, chili, and bacon bits; and an HD Submarine, a handheld creation that features two dogs, bacon, grilled onions, and cheddar cheese sauce. On the dinner menu patrons can find Italian Wedding Soup, Blackened Scallops, and a Meatloaf Dinner. A Twin Lobster Dinner special - its priced at $40 - is also available. Sweet treat selections include a Chocolate Chip Cookie Lava Cake and a Sweetheart Frappe. The latter is created by blending chocolate ice cream with strawberry sundae topping, then finishing the drink off with whipped cream, a dusting of cookie pieces, and the obligatory cherry. Krazy Jakes, which is located on Boston Road across from Spec Pond, answers at 413-596-6464. ********** Dunkin locations are featuring two special yeast donuts during the month of February. The Cupids Choice Donut is filled with Bavarian Cream and iced with a strawberry frosting, while the Brownie Batter Donut has a brownie batter-flavored filling and chocolate icing. Both donuts are finished with sprinkles and are available in either heart-shaped or traditional round versions. ********** Raisin Canes, a quick service restaurant chain that specializes in chicken fingers, is coming to Enfield this week. Founded in 1996 by two college students, Raisin Cane currently has 700-plus restaurants worldwide. Fresh, never-frozen chicken fingers are the chains specialty, along with crinkle-cut French fries, Texas toast, and a special recipe Canes Sauce. The Enfield location, which is on Elm Street just east of the I-91 interchange, is the first in Connecticut; there are Massachusetts locations currently operating in Boston and Marlboro. The Enfield Raisin Canes has scheduled its grand opening celebration for Tuesday, February 13 at 8 a.m. Raisin Canes menu can be viewed at raisingcanes.com/menu; their Enfield locations telephone number is 860-263-2965. ********** During February, Springfields hometown favorite, Friendlys Restaurants, are featuring a Cupid Conehead Sundae. The sundae is made with strawberry ice cream and topped with hot fudge. Red candies, whipped cream, and a cherry complete the sundaes festive cupid look. ********** Four Phantoms Brewing Company in Greenfield is hosting a Ramen Redux Pop Up on Feb. 18, from noon to 4 p.m. Ramen bowls will be available in meat, veggie, and vegan formats; non-alcoholic beverages will be available along with the full lineup of Four Phantoms beers and ale. Ramen bowls can be reserved online at Four Phantoms website. ********** Champneys Restaurant and Tavern at the Deerfield Inn is celebrating the start of school vacation week with a Fancy Nancy Luncheon on Monday, Feb. 19. The luncheon event, which starts at 11:30 a.m., features Mrs. Claus reading Jane OConnors classic childrens tale, Fancy Nancy. Champneys will have its full luncheon and kids menus available, and those attending the event are encouraged to dress in their fancy best. Reservations can be made by calling 413-774-5587. ********** The East Longmeadow Lions Club is sponsoring a winter wine dinner fundraiser at Marios Cafe Ambiance in East Longmeadow. The event is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 25, and additional information or ticket reservations can be had by emailing nancyadams1656@gmail.com. ********** Barstows Dairy Store and Bakery in Hadley is holding its February Winter Dinner on Feb. 19, from 4 to 7 p.m. The menu will feature stuffed shells, Barstows beef meatballs, green salad, and garlic bread. A cream stuff cupcake is included for dessert. Plates are $18 each and $15 for dinners sized for youngsters. Hearty appetites are accommodated as well; a generously-portioned farmer plate is available. Winter dinners can be enjoyed at Barstows or ordered to-go. Barstows can be contacted at 413-586-2142. ********** Just in time for Lent, Miami-based Burger King has introduced a new, limited-time only fish sandwich to its menu. The Fiery Big Fish, which will be available at participating locations starting February 14, features a deep-fried fish filet finished with a spicy glaze before being garnished with lettuce, tartar sauce and pickles. The sandwich is assembled on a brioche-style bun. Burger King is also sponsoring a Million Dollar Whopper Contest, a competition that awards prizes for the best new Whopper suggestion. Contest rules are available at an AI-powered site, bk.com/MDW. ********** The Brass Rail Meetinghouse in Southwick will be holding its Winter Showcase on Sunday, Feb. 18, from 2 to 5 p.m. The Showcase offers the opportunity to tour the facility and meet with vendors who support weddings and other functions held at the Brass Rail. Admission is free, and a lite bite menu will be available for purchase. For more details, contact the Brass Rail Meetinghouse at 413-569-9585 Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community Colleges hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 50 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached online at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com. During Super Bowl Sunday, former President Donald Trump gave the impression that he thinks Taylor Swift will not endorse President Joe Bidens re-election for 2024. Trump posted a statement to his Truth Social platform on Feb. 11 taking credit for the 2018 Music Modernization Act (MMA). The act was created to update copyright law by establishing a new licensing system for musicians in the digital age, according to the acts official description. I signed and was responsible for the Music Modernization Act for Taylor Swift and all other Musical Artists. Joe Biden didnt do anything for Taylor, and never will, Trump wrote. Theres no way she could endorse Crooked Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt President in the History of our Country, and be disloyal to the man who made her so much money, he continued. While Trump did sign off on the MMA, Dina LaPolt, a key attorney behind the act, disputed Trumps claims in a statement sent to Variety. Trump did nothing on our legislation except sign it, and doesnt even know what the Music Modernization Act does, LaPolt told the news outlet. Someone should ask him what the bill actually accomplished. Introduced by Former United States Representative for South Carolina Tom Rice, the MMA was passed unanimously by Congress on Oct. 11, 2018. The act was sponsored by more than 30 representatives and backed by artists like Kid Rock, the Beach Boys and The Doobie Brothers, according to Variety. Basically, the MMA changes the way songwriters and music publishers are paid statutory mechanical royalties when their work is streamed on interactive streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify, or sold on downloading services like Amazon Music, a summary of the act reads. Beginning in 2021, a nonprofit entity designated by the Copyright Office, called the Mechanical Licensing Collective, or MLC, will collect and distribute these royalty payments to copyright owners of musical works matched to sound recordings in its database, the summary continued. Down the line, but no earlier than 2023, any unclaimed royalties can start being paid to copyright owners and songwriters of matched works according to each works market share. But to get paid, you will need to register your songs with the MLC. Swift has previously been critical of the former President, as evident in several social media posts from 2020. Trumps calculated dismantling of USPS proves one thing clearly: He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president, Swift wrote on X. Hes chosen to blatantly cheat and put millions of Americans lives at risk in an effort to hold on to power. She continued, Donald Trumps ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely. Swift has not responded to Trumps post from Sunday. Trump did, however, have something nicer to say about Travis Kelce. Besides that, I like her boyfriend, Travis, even though he may be a Liberal, and probably cant stand me, his post concluded. The 14-time Grammy winner watched the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII to win their second straight Super Bowl. Once the Chiefs secured the OT win, Swift made her way to the field to celebrate with Kelces family. Boston police officers are looking to identify a person who threw a stapler and a phone at a grocery delivery man in Roxbury on Friday, according to the department. The reported assault took place on Dale Street in the Boston neighborhood at around 6:25 p.m. on Feb. 9, the department said. A man had been delivering groceries in the area, and was assaulted by multiple suspects, the department said. The delivery man told police the suspects had thrown a stapler and phone at his head. Just last Wednesday, a Dominos delivery driver was robbed at gunpoint by two suspects in Hyde Park, police said. A 15-year-old suspect was arrested was set as of Sunday to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court. The Boston Police Department is still investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident. The department said one of the suspects was an unidentified black woman wearing light colored sweatpants and a black hooded sweatshirt, and included an image of the suspect here. Anyone with information is urged to reach out to the Crimestoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). The result of Russia's war against Ukraine depends on the decisions that Ukraine's allies will make now, in the coming months, whether they will be able to timely and quickly make a decision on providing Ukraine with sufficient support, these topics will be discussed by the participants of the seventh Ukrainian lunch during the Munich Conference on security, which will be held by YES and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on February 17. "The discussion at the Ukrainian lunch will focus on what needs to be done now. How to provide the necessary support in an unstable global environment when many of Ukraine's supporters are preoccupied with domestic political issues?" according to the announcement of the conference. Participating in the discussion will be President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel; Prime Ministers of Estonia Kaja Kallas, Belgium Alexander de Croo and Denmark Mette Frederiksen; staff writer for The Atlantic Anne Applebaum; U.S. Secretary of State in 2009-2013, professor at the Hillary Clinton School of International and Public Affairs, Partner with the global investment firm KKR and the Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, General David Petraeus. Over the past five decades, the Munich Security Conference has become the world's premier forum for discussing security policy. Every February, more than 500 senior officials from around the world including heads of state, ministers, leading figures from international and non-governmental organizations, and influential representatives of business, the media, academia and civil society attend to join in the active discussion of current and future security challenges. Valentines Day is basically the Super Bowl for retail stores. Florists, jewelers and chocolatiers will be rushing to fill in orders, take calls and serve customers eager to get the perfect gift for their partner. Although stores will be open on the holiday, which falls on Wednesday, Feb. 14, shopkeepers advise avoiding the annual madness on the actual day and instead order or shop ahead of time. For Tim Cummings, the store owner of The Flower Box in Springfield, the best time to order a bouquet for your beloved is as early as possible, he said. If you wait until the 14th, its going to be very hectic and you may or may not be able to get through to a florist, Cummings told MassLive. Not because they dont want to help you, its just because [there are] so many people all at once and everyone wants it at the same time. For patrons looking to buy a nice bouquet for their partner on Valentines Day, Cummings advises them to be patient. As long as you are patient and flexible, thats the biggest thing and the third thing is to get your order in ASAP, he said. I would say at a drop-dead minimum, you want it a couple of days ahead of time, just to be sure you get kind of what youre looking for. But its not just flower shops thatll be swamped with orders on Valentines Day chocolate shops will be, too. Tiffany Lee, the manager at Beacon Hill Chocolates in Boston, said she expects to see a long line of customers on the days before and on Valentines Day. It will be a long, busy day. Its going to be a high volume, Lee told MassLive. People will be waiting in line [for] probably a good 30 minutes. Lee suggests customers order chocolates as soon as possible before Valentines Day to escape the line. I think people dont realize that chocolates can last quite a while, so a lot of people think that they have to get it on the day before or the day of Valentines, she said. But, you can definitely get chocolates ahead of time. Lee also suggested customers buy bagged items such as chocolate-covered Oreos, milk chocolate and dark chocolate over the weekend to avoid them being out of stock by Valentines Day. If you missed the unofficial deadline to order chocolates or flowers, you can still pick up a fancy new piece of jewelry for your partner at a local jeweler, if you dont mind dropping a couple of Benjamins. Mark Fitzpatrick, the manager of Sharfmans Jewelers in Worcester, said hes already sold several pieces of jewelry in advance for Valentines Day. A customer could purchase an engagement ring on the spot if it fits, Fitzpatrick said. But if a piece of jewelry has to be custom-made, then on average youd have to put your order in at least three weeks in advance, he said. If its rather ornate and everything else, it would probably be too late, Fitzpatrick said. A noreaster expected to reach Massachusetts early Tuesday morning could cause moderate flood damage in many coastal communities, according to the National Weather Service. The Boston and Worcester areas are predicted to get 12 to 18 inches of snow, while much of the rest of the state is predicted to get 8 to 12 inches, according to the weather service. But even though many communities along the Massachusetts coast are not expected to receive as much snow, the storm could still cause some coastal flooding. The weather service has issued a coastal flood warning for the Greater Boston coast, South Shore, South Coast, Cape and Islands between noon and 5 p.m. on Tuesday. It expects that these communities will experience two to three feet of inundation above ground level in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways. The greatest flood risk will be during the Tuesday and Wednesday daytime high tides, weather service forecaster Alan Dunham said. During this time, communities in high risk areas could see coastal roads become impassable and filled with debris from large wave splash-over. The worst flooding is expected along the coast from Revere to Quincy, where roads may be flooded with 1 to 2 feet of water, according to the weather service. The Cape and Islands are predicted to see roads flooded by up to a foot of water. The weather service recommends that home and business owners take action to protect flood-prone property before the storm. If you must travel during this time, drivers are advised not to go around barricades or through water of unknown depth. Editors note: This story contains a description of the abuse and death of a child and could be disturbing to some readers. Following Harmony Montgomerys death, her father was stricken with paranoia, according to testimony by her stepmother. Adam Montgomerys wife, Kayla, said he would abuse her and accuse her of cheating on him. Despite moments of pure evil, Kayla Montgomery said she still cared about a man she called her best friend. She answered detailed questions from her husbands defense attorney on Monday in his ongoing murder trial, centered around the death of 5-year-old Harmony Montgomery in 2019. The New Hampshire man has been charged with second-degree murder, second-degree assault, witness tampering, falsifying physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse. He said Wednesday he was admitting to two of the lesser charges in the case: falsifying physical evidence and abuse of a corpse. He did not appear in court on Thursday, Friday and Monday. Kayla Montgomery pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury under a plea deal she struck with prosecutors. The deal included prison time and an agreement to cooperate in such future state proceedings as testifying in her husbands second-degree murder trial. She testified at Hillsborough County Superior Court in Manchester to questions from her husbands lawyer Caroline Smith and prosecutor Christopher Knowles. I think I hurt her this time Smiths questions on Monday often jumped back and forth in time and were laden with specifics, typically resulting in a yes or no answer. On several occasions, Smith and the prosecutors would approach the judge about her questioning. Some questions were broken and rephrased mid-sentence, with Kayla Montgomery furrowing her brow and appearing confused. Smith specified that between 2 and 3 a.m. Harmony urinated in their Chrysler Sebring and Adam Montgomery punched her 10 to 15 times, Smith said. She asked that if Harmony was crying, there would be a cascade effect and their two sons Seamus and Declan would be crying. Kayla said Seamus cried but Declan did not. She reiterated that she tried to stop her husband from hitting Harmony, but he just doesnt listen, she said. Kayla Montgomery left her without cleaning Harmony because she was scared of her husband, who gave her the crazy eyes that he has. The family stopped and sat in the Chrysler until 7 or 8 a.m. to go to a methadone clinic. Adam Montgomery noticed the smell in the car outside the clinic, asking Harmony, why do you keep doing that? Why dont you tell us when you have to go? Smith said. Kayla Montgomery confirmed he did and was yelling at her. After making three stops at red traffic lights, he would yell and hit Harmony as she cried. You said the final time that Adam hit Harmony in the head, he said he felt something? Smith asked. You claim that Adam said I think I hurt her this time, I did something. Was that in a scared voice? Adam thought perhaps he went overboard? And this was pulling into the parking lot at Burger King? Yes, the witness replied to each question. The family went through the Burger King drive-thru, ordering breakfast meals for Kayla Montgomery and the children, Smith said. Before Adam Montgomery paid at the cash register, he was panicking about Harmony. The girl was making noises in the backseat. Was it a moan that you understood to be a dying child? Smith asked. No, she answered. What was the moan? I dont know, she was making a noise, she said, later adding that neither parent tended to Harmony while she was making noises. Smith established that Kayla and Adam Montgomery did drugs at the parking lot of their apartment complex after the trip to Burger King, which Kayla Montgomery confirmed. After asking about returning to the Colonial Village Apartments parking lot, where the family stayed, Smith revisited questions about how Kayla Montgomery was feeding the children and about Harmonys condition. Kayla Montgomery said she was concerned about the girl but did nothing. If this were true, then Adam would be driving around with a critically injured child, in the backseat, in public? Smith asked. It would have been a pretty important place to have to go for him to take that sort of risk of driving around with a critically injured child in the backseat. He didnt care, Kayla Montgomery said. I felt like I had no say. Every time I said something, Id get yelled at. Disposing of the body The family went to a Families in Transition shelter, where Adam Montgomery placed Harmonys body inside the ceiling of the room they stayed in, prosecutors earlier established. Kayla Montgomery said Friday there was a horrible smell from the vents. After her husband asked her to bring Harmonys body to his workplace to go into a walk-in freezer, the body was brought back and went with them to Union Street Apartments in Manchester, she said. Smith asked why Adam Montgomery used lime to break down Harmonys body. Kayla Montgomery was not in the bathroom when her husband placed Harmonys body in the bathtub to try to stop it from decomposing further. They used scissors to remove her clothes, including a Star Wars hoodie Harmony wore. But Adam Montgomery considered ways of stopping the smell and slowing the decomposition. Did yall do research to see what [lime] would do? Smith asked, but Kayla Montgomery said no. She could hear her husband moving the body into a smaller reusable bag. Their neighbor in the building could not hear the noises, she said, adding that the neighbor was a drunk who played his loud music all the time. At Union Street Apartments, Adam Montgomery spoke with his wife about using a handsaw or a Neutribullet blender to help with decay, she said Friday. Smith went over specific tools that the couple might have looked at, showing pictures to her. Referencing a particular saw and asking if the couple looked at using it, she said, I have no idea what that is. There was one handsaw Adam Montgomery wanted to use, but his wife said she told him no. Her mother owned it and she worried he would have gone to her to get it. Smith said this was a clear memory that Kayla Montgomery never brought up previously to investigators. She said she was never asked about tools used to dismember Harmonys body. I was scared Knowles approached to follow up, mostly about Kayla Montgomerys husband. While Adam Montgomery was considering what tools to use, he became erratic, physically abusive and talked about committing suicide, his wife said. She broke into tears and said she told him to stay alive for the sake of their sons, but he accused her of cheating on him and talking to police before striking her. She would tell him she was talking to police so she would not be hit, though she was not in contact with any authorities at the time, she said. She said her husbands pure evil escalated after Harmonys death, when asked by Knowles. But she said she still cared about her husband, and that hes the father of my children. Why stay with someone that does this to you? Knowles asked, holding up a picture to the jury of her with black eyes and bruising on her face. Because for some reason I still care about him. He was my best friend, she said, sobbing. I dont know. I was scared. MassLive recently asked readers to identify people who are leaders from the LGBTQ+ community throughout the state, working to make a difference in their own area of interest, be it politics, education, business or the arts. Profiles of these leaders will be published through the rest of February. These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change. Jurnee Acosta-Ware is a Black, LGBTQ+ business owner based in Hudson. (Photo by Jenn Corriveau)Photo by Jenn Corriveau Jurnee Acosta-Ware Age: 28 Community: Hudson Her story: Jurnee Acosta-Ware is an LGBTQ+, Black small business owner based in Hudson. Acosta-Ware is both a member and advocate of the LGBTQ+ community. I am a licensed esthetician who is openly queer and has advocated since day one, said Acosta-Ware, owner of BadGalEsthetics. My space is open and welcome to LGBTQ+ people and allies to the community. Acosta-Ware said through her business she has created a space where guests can be relieved they are in the presence of a service provider who is going to take care of them, listen and respect them all while receiving beauty services. I am a woman of color representing being an out and proud queer person in an industry that is not very loud and proud about LGBTQ+ support, said Acosta-Ware. Throughout the year she aims to donate to organizations that align with her ideologies, she said. Although donating to foundations that support LGBTQ+ are at the top of her list, Acosta-Ware said she also supports organizations that advocate for womens health, cancer research, mental health and other humanitarian related spheres. Starting my business, I wanted people to know that being LGBTQ is no reason not to be a successful business woman in the beauty industry, said Acosta-Ware. Acosta-Ware was involved with her college LGBTQ+ club at Assumption College, now Assumption University, where she majored in business and minored in accounting. This wasnt an easy thing to do at a Catholic college, she said, but it needed to be done. She said the group was an opportunity for LGBTQ+ members could get together and have like-minded people talk and share their stories. In her words: Be persistent. Advertise. Be vocal. Make yourself present in your community like at craft and vendor fairs. Dont be afraid to be different and network like crazy! Were always open to hearing about more inspiring people. If youd like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form. Ernest Partin was struck and killed by a car in East Boston at the end of last month, but his family and friends say they wont soon forget the love and support he showed them. Ernest, a vibrant soul with an insatiable passion for life, left us all too soon, leaving a void that can never be filled, his family wrote in his obituary. The crash happened at the intersection of Addison Street and Route 1A just after 5:20 p.m. on Jan. 27, police said previously. Partin, 38, was declared dead at the scene. Read more: Pedestrian killed in East Boston car crash Partin was born in Boston on Feb. 24, 1985, to the late Cynthia Marie Graham and Ernest Lee Partin Sr., according to his obituary. His full name was Ernest Lee Partin IV, and his family knew him as L4. Partin was a Lynn resident who worked in real estate, according to his Facebook page and posts from friends and family. A colleague and friend of his named Jaime Figueroa wrote in a post that Partin was rookie of the year at his first brokerage, and that Partin helped inspire him to enter the industry. You were a good soul and wanted to see everyone thrive in what they choose to do with their lives, Figueroa wrote. Joey Marino, another friend of Partins, said on Facebook that he remembers Partin for the music he recorded. Not only a solid dude but his recordings were flawless. Im talking you could take two separate takes and line the waves up and they would be identical, he wrote. Read more: Police ID pedestrian killed by driver in East Boston Partins family wrote in his obituary that he treated his nieces and nephews as his own children. He leaves behind his partner, Katelyn Porter, four brothers, seven sisters, his dog and many other relatives. You werent just my uncle... you were my guide through the unlogical, you were a comforter and my friend. You will always be in my heart, his niece, Traci Partin, wrote in a Facebook post. Boston police have arrested a male 15-year-old in connection with an incident from last week during which a Dominos pizza delivery driver was robbed at gunpoint in the citys Hyde Park neighborhood, police announced Sunday. The teen, who is from Hyde Park, is facing a charge of delinquency to wit: armed robbery, Boston police said in a press release. He is set to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court. The armed robbery happened Wednesday around 1:40 p.m. near the Fairmount Housing Development at 21 Woodglen Rd., police said previously. Two suspects were involved, and one pointed a black handgun at the driver before taking the food from the workers bag and running off. The two suspects are believed to be Hispanic teen males, police said previously. One wore a red jacket, blue pants and a black face mask, while the other wore a white jacket with blue sleeves. While investigating the crime scene, officers noticed someone walking in front of an unmarked police car who matched the description of one of the suspects, police said. Detectives tried to stop him, but he ran away. About 20 minutes later, officers arrested the individual, who they later identified as the Hyde Park 15-year-old, police said. Detectives then obtained a search warrant for his home and discovered evidence of the crime. Officers have yet to arrest a second suspect, but are still investigating the incident, police said. Boston police do not identified suspects who are minors. The safety and security of the community remain paramount, and collaborative efforts between authorities and the public are pivotal in achieving this goal, Boston police wrote in the release. By remaining vigilant and cooperative, residents can play a crucial role in assisting detectives in their investigation and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable for their actions. Read more: Toddler brought to hospital after Framingham carbon monoxide incident Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact detectives at (617) 343-5607. You can also send police an anonymous tip by calling 1-(800)-494-TIPS or by texting TIP to CRIME (27463). Worcester police have charged two teens with assault in connection with several incidents Friday during which pedestrians were shot with paintballs from someone inside a car, according to police. One of the teens was 19-year-old Worcester resident David Asemani, and the other was a 16-year-old who police did not identify because he is a minor, Worcester police said in a Facebook post Saturday. Both are facing multiple counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. On Feb. 9, officers were dispatched to several locations where pedestrians reported being shot with a paintball gun by a male inside a gray Honda Civic, police said. Officers noticed paint on the victims and issued a call for other officers to be on the lookout for such a vehicle. Just after midnight that night, a patrol officer noticed a car take a right at a high rate of speed, police said. The officer followed the car, and saw that its license plate matched that of the suspect car. The officer then activated his emergency lights and pulled the car over, but as he approached the car, a male got out and started running towards Pleasant Street, police said. The male was soon arrested and identified as the 16-year-old. Officers also arrested the driver and identified him as Asemani, police said. They soon discovered that his license was suspended and that there was a paintball gun in the car. It is unclear whether the two suspects are facing charges other than assault in connection with the incident. Southeastern Massachusetts could experience power outages during Tuesdays noreaster as a result of strong wind gusts, and those in this area should avoid traveling during the storm, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service has issued a high wind warning for the Cape and Islands from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday, as 25 to 35 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph are expected there during this time. Southeast Plymouth County could also experience high winds, which should peak between 1 and 7 p.m., weather service forecaster Alan Dunham said. Trees and power lines may be knocked down as a result of the winds, and electrical outages are possible, according to the weather service. Travel may be difficult, especially for tall vehicles, and anyone who drives during this time should do so cautiously. People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows, the weather service wrote in its warning. The weather service also issued a gale warning for coastal waters east of Ipswich Bay, Massachusetts Bay and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary from 7 a.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday. It predicts north winds of 20 to 30 knots with gusts up to 45 knots and waves of 9 to 14 feet. Strong winds will cause hazardous waves, which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility, it wrote in the warning. Mariners should alter plans to avoid these hazardous conditions. The noreaster is expected to reach Massachusetts early Tuesday morning and dump 12 to 18 inches in the Boston and Worcester areas and 8 to 12 inches in most of the rest of the state. Flooding may also be an issue along the Greater Boston coast, South Shore, South Coast, Cape and Islands as a result of rapid snowfall. The storm is expected to dump more snow on Boston than it has received in a single storm in more than two years. Worcester may get more snow during Tuesdays noreaster than it has on any one day in at least the last four years. The citys predicted snow total is between 12 and 18 inches, which puts it in league with the last big dumping it received this year. On Jan. 7, 2024, nearly 14 inches of snow came down in Worcester, according to National Weather Service records. Last year, the city experienced its highest one-day snow total on March 14 when it got over 12 inches of snow. In 2022, Worcester received the biggest single-day dumping its seen in the past four years on Jan. 29 when 14.7 inches of snow came down. To get above 18 inches, you need to go back to 2018, when 21.8 inches of snow fell in Worcester on March 13, according to National Weather Service records. There is a wide berth between the upper and lower ends of the citys predicted snow total for Tuesday, so Worcester may not even beat its highest snow total from earlier this year. At the same time, the upcoming noreaster could blow the citys most recent snow totals out of the water. The Worcester area is among those expected to receive the most snow on Tuesday, according to the weather service. Snow there is predicted to fall at 2 inches per hour and could reach up to 3 inches per hour. Greater Boston is also expected to experience some of the highest snow totals, according to the weather service. Boston proper may get more snow in a single day than it has received on any one day in the last two years. The storm is expected to reach Massachusetts in the early morning on Tuesday. The weather service has issued a winter storm warning for most of the state, including Worcester, from 1 a.m. Tuesday to 1 a.m. Wednesday. Weather service forecasters have warned that the Tuesday morning commute will be especially treacherous, though drivers should also be cautious during the evening commute. In Hawaii, a politicians campaign funds can pay for vehicles; in Idaho, they can be used to buy gala tickets. In Massachusetts, campaign funds can cover the expense of fundraising. But childcare? The Parents Running for Office Coalition is seeking to add that to the list. In Massachusetts, 4% of legislators are mothers of minor children, according to the Vote Mama Foundation. The Massachusetts Parents Running for Office Coalition would like to see that percentage grow, in part by allowing campaign funds to be used for childcare, something that is already seen on a federal level. French President Emmanuel Macron will not arrive in Ukraine on February 13-14, as previously planned, according to the website of the French business publication Challenges on Sunday. "The Elysee Palace justifies this postponement, in particular, by security concerns. This raises many questions, both from French civil servants and leaders, and from Ukrainian diplomats," the ezine says. The France-Ukraine Business Council of Medef International, which organized an "exceptional mission" to Kyiv, also canceled the trip. "Everything was well prepared. Before heading to Kyiv, Emmanuel Macron was supposed to visit Odesa, a symbolic visit to this city, partially built by the French. And an important economic component related to the reconstruction of the country was in the program with the announcement of the creation of a fund of EUR 200 million, paid in the form of donations for civil projects carried out by French small and medium-sized enterprises. The head of the French state also had to formalize the arrival of the French Development Agency (AFD) as the coordinator of French assistance to Ukraine," the message says. As reported, on February 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which the parties discussed the current situation on the battlefield and Ukraine's defense needs. In particular, they talked about drones, artillery systems and shells, electronic warfare and air defense systems. In addition, the parties discussed the preparation of a bilateral document on security guarantees within the framework of the Vilnius G7 Declaration. WESTFIELD The Planning Board last week approved the site plan, stormwater permit and special permit for the Russian Evangelical Baptist Churchs proposed two-story schoolhouse in a 6-1 vote. Board member Raymond St. Hilaire gave the only no vote. The Feb. 6 vote caps off what board Chair William Carellas called an almost unprecedented four public hearings over the course of three months. During that time, representatives of R. Levesque Associates and applicant Andrey Korchevskiy clashed with a board and Lapointe Road residents concerned about the neighborhood character, water runoff and noise and light pollution. First Choice Credit Union is set to become one of the biggest Credit Unions in the west of Ireland with the merger with Kiltimagh District Credit Union expected to go ahead. The recent AGM of the Castlebar-based First Choice Credit Union announced the proposal to merge with the Kiltimagh District Credit Union and this was subsequently approved by Kiltimagh members. The Credit Unions have now applied to the Central Bank of Ireland for their confirmation to proceed with the merger. When the merger completes, it will create a Credit Union with over 260 million in assets, over 40,000 members and six branches in Co Mayo. The other First Choice branches are located in Castlebar, Achill, Ballyhaunis, Balla and Swinford. Speaking on behalf of First Choice Credit Union, Chairperson of the Board of First Choice Credit Union, Joe Butler said: This merger is an extremely positive move for members of both our Credit Unions and we look forward to serving the members of a Credit Union which has similar values and vision. It makes perfect sense not only from a financial and member service perspective but also an administrative one in the current regulatory environment. Members also approved the introduction of a Community Fund which will be used by the Credit Union for social, cultural or charitable purposes and is designed to support meaningful projects that enhance the local community. The Fund will launch over the coming months and First Choice Credit Union encourages all local groups, clubs, charities etc throughout their Common Bond to keep an eye out for further information and how to apply. First Choice Credit Union welcomed two new directors, Paul Carey and Edel McCool while Joe Butler, James McLoughlin and Peter Mooney were also re-elected to the Board of Directors. Brendan Coyne was elected to the Board Oversight Committee and Grant Thornton were elected as Auditors for the year ahead. The Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) unveiled the winners of its 2023 Art Competition. Annamaria Pecsi of Westport Credit Union, and Kevin Lee Sweeney of Ballina Credit Union, were crowned winners of their respective categories at a prize giving event in Croke Park on Sunday. This year's competition, themed My Community & Me, inspired entrants to explore and express their unique perspectives on their local communities, exploring what makes their community unique; be it the people, the scenery, or the sense of belonging. ILCU President, Martin Busch, said the theme encouraged people to focus on the importance and meaning of community in our daily lives. Community is at the core of credit unions, each being owned and operated by its members. It is a place where understanding, value, support, and empowerment can be felt he said. The Credit Union Art Competition is one of the longest-running and most distinguished competitions of its kind. Each year, over 30,000 talented children and adults from credit unions across Ireland submit their entries. The final, hosted by Grainne McElwain this year, was held in Croke Park where the winners and runners-up of each category (both General and Additional Needs), and their families were invited to attend a prize giving ceremony in Dublin. Mr Busch said the group was delighted to welcome all the finalists to the ceremony, in which they celebrated 40 years of the Art Competition. The standard of entries we receive never fails to amaze us. Each year, the judges are tasked with the difficult job of whittling down the top entries for each category. The Art Competition is a fantastic way to view the talent and creativity across Ireland he added. The Credit Union Art Competition is dedicated to supporting and developing the arts in Irish society. The credit union movement has always had a keen commitment to promoting and encouraging involvement in the arts across communities and engaging with young people across the country. Mr Busch and his colleague as ILCU wholeheartedly congratulated all the winners for their outstanding achievements, and extended their appreciation to all the participants for generously sharing their remarkable artistic talents and their creative and unique perspectives on their communities. Full details on all the winners and runners-up across each category for 2023 can be found on the Credit Union's website. Local election candidate, Hugh Rouse, has called for a college of music to be established in the West of Ireland. The Ballina based candidate believes there is a compelling and glaring case to establish a fully fledged college of music in the West of the country, calling the area the heartbeat and mecca of traditional music. He has written to the Minister for Education, Simon Harris, requesting the idea to receive serious consideration. Mr Rouse said it is unfair that talented music students from the West, who wish to train and obtain third level qualifications in traditional, classical or other music forms have no option outside Dublin, Cork, and Belfast, to do so. In terms of location, the Fine Gael candidate named Ballina as the college's ideal location, as it sits right in the heart of the wonderful rich traditional music genres of Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Galway and Clare. Mr Rouse said the towns atmosphere and environmental richness are akin to any university town. The sheer magnificence of the river Moy flowing through the heart of the town has won worldwide acclaim. The beauty of the quays and the marina are without parallel he added. He praised Ballina's capacity to cater for big events, using the hosting of the All Ireland Fleadh Cheol in 1997 and 1998 and the 2023 Connacht Fleadh, as examples of this. The local election candidate urged Mayo County Council, Oireachtas representatives, and other local authorities in the West to support the proposal. He concluded: I believe that with collective support it can happen. Sinn Fein TD, Rose Conway Walsh, has called on her fellow Mayo TDs to support her party's proposals to abolish the TV licence with immediate effect. The Ballycroy native said RTE and other public service media should be funded directly through the government budget. She acknowledges the spike in the amount of people not paying their licence as a result of financial scandals involving the national broadcaster. The Mayo TD said these issues have rocked people's trust and confidence in them and the TV licence. "Sixty people per day face prosecution for non-payment. A staggering 13,000 people were summoned before the courts last year while no one has been held to account for the incredible waste of public money at RTE said Teachta Conway-Walsh. Ms Conway-Walsh called for a funding model that delivers and sustains vibrant, diverse, public sector broadcasting and an independent media sector. This should be done in a platform-neutral Media Fund, which would support RTE and TG4 as well as public service content production and activities of commercial, regional and community providers she added. The Sinn Fein party published a policy document delivering sustainable public sector broadcasting and an independent media sector. A Dail motion was announced on the issue, which will be debated this week. The Government is currently considering replacing the licence with a new household charge collected by Revenue, to which Conway-Walsh said should go hand in glove with greater accountability and public oversight. "The public wants decisive action on this. They have had enough of the mixed messages from the government she concluded. North Korea appears to be setting its sights on Fourth Industrial Revolution technology, such as artificial intelligence, in a bid to explore ways to expand its applications, Azernews reports, citing Yonhap. The Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's main newspaper, reported Dec. 24 that global competition for science and technology has been intensifying, citing efforts to apply AI to the education sector and the increased use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology. The Korean Central Broadcasting Station, the country's state-run radio network, said in November last year that other countries are actively using AI to ramp up agricultural production. Last year, Korean Central Television also aired footage introducing a newly developed VR-based education program that enables users to learn about North Korea's history and culture around the third to the fourth century B.C. North Korea's state media appears to introduce global trends of new technologies in a bid to explore ways to expand their use in the agricultural and education fields. But the isolated nation also may attempt to use Fourth Industrial Revolution technology for military purposes. Kim Hyuk, a research fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said in a report that North Korean researchers have applied AI and its sub-field machine learning (ML) for "sensitive applications, such as wargaming and surveillance and continued scientific collaboration with foreign scholars until recently." In his report carried by 38 North, a U.S. website monitoring North Korea, Kim said, "North Korea's conceived wargaming environment might be actual conflicts at a tactical level involving artillery shells." Kim said given that AI/ML technology could be transferred via intangible means, it is important to monitor the North's activities and implement measures to mitigate potential sanctions risks within the academic and private sectors, if necessary. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (SAPO) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have announced suspicion to a former Ukrainian parliamentarian and his business partners for an illegal appropriation of petroleum products and causing damage to the state in the amount of around UAH 1 billion. "The National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office and the Security Service of Ukraine, on the materials of the State Audit Service, have announced suspicion to a former member of parliament, his business partner and their four accomplices," the SBU said on the Telegram channel on Monday. According to the special service, they are suspected of the illegal appropriation and sale of 97,000 tonnes of petroleum products confiscated by the state that were supposed to be transferred for the needs of the army. The SBU did not specify the name of the former parliamentarian, but it is about Serhiy Pashynsky. "Thanks to the specialists of the State Audit Service of Ukraine, it was established that the deals concluded by them in 2014-2017 caused damage to the national budget in the amount of almost UAH 1 billion," it said. The suspicion was announced under Articles 191 and 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. In 2014, the state confiscated around 100,000 tonnes of petroleum products from the structures affiliated with businessman Serhiy Kurchenko, the SBU said. The investigation established that the ex-MP used political lobbying to sell these petroleum products to a profile state enterprise in order to replenish the national budget. At that time, the state enterprise was managed by people controlled by the ex-MP's business partner. "By order of the defendants, officials of this state enterprise facilitates the sale of almost 100,000 tonnes of petroleum products at a significantly lower price to a group of companies owned by the business partner of the former parliamentarian," the special service said. According to the investigation, later these petroleum products were sold at the filling stations of this group of companies and other chains of filling stations, and the earned income was concentrated in the hands of the scheme beneficiaries. To feign the transfer of the seized petroleum products for the needs of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine, the state enterprise carried out such supplies on a commercial basis and the Defense Ministry paid in full for them. At the same time, the Defense Ministry received only 1.6% of the so-called "Kurchenko's petroleum products," the SBU said. "The rest was petroleum products procured from the same group of companies which, in turn, purchased them from Russia and Belarus. At the same time, the defendants sold the same nomenclature of goods to their group of companies at a half lower price than to the Armed Forces," it said. According to the investigation, the former member of parliament, ensured "political cover for these deals using his influence and administrative leverage in relation to state enterprises, judicial and law enforcement agencies involved in the seizure of these petroleum products." In 2020, a court issued a ruling on special confiscation of the funds earned on their sale in favor of the state. However, as the investigation established, by that time, the entire volume of the petroleum products and all money earned after selling them had been appropriated by the members of the criminal organization, and the national budget sustained losses in the amount of at least UAH 967 million. The pre-trial investigation is in progress. The defendants are facing a punishment in the form of up to twelve years in jail. Earlier, Pashynsky said that the SBU and the NABU searched his place of residence on Monday morning. "Today morning, the SBU and the NABU conducted a search at my place. The case concerns the transfer of the 'Kurchenko fuel,' which in reality is fuel from the Kremlin's Rosneft, to the state," he said on Facebook. Pashynsky denied the information that he was allegedly served with a suspicion during the search. Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba has condemned the incident with the spoiling of Ukrainian grain by Polish protesters and said those responsible for this provocation must be held to account. "The spoiling of Ukrainian grain on the Polish border is unacceptable. Any farmer should know how much hard work it takes to produce grain, especially during wartime. For the sake of friendly Ukrainian-Polish relations, the perpetrators of this provocation must be held to account," he said on X Social Network on Monday. by Bill Duggan , February 12, 2024 Ahead of next month's ANA Media Conference, Association of National Advertisers Group Executive Vice President Bill Duggan spoke with one of the event's speakers, General Motors Manager, Emerging Media & Partnerships David Spencer. The following Q&A covers the burgeoning CTV marketplace, the troublesome MFA supply chain, and why GM is keen on the emergence of the metaverse. Bill Duggan: Your title at GM is Manager, Emerging Media & Partnerships. Tell us a bit about your role and responsibilities. David Spencer: My team works across brands (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC) and global markets and I specialize in the areas of digital, advanced TV, and emerging media. I manage the strategy, ad technology, and publisher partnerships and coordinate tests to advance GM capabilities in these areas from a paid media perspective. advertisement advertisement Duggan: Give us an example of an emerging media that particularly interests you. Spencer: Metaverse, Metaverse, Metaverse. Yes, I know, more hype than reality right now, but I sincerely believe in the future possibilities of this ecosystem to positively impact our lives. The Metaverse will create greater access to companies, content, and people worldwide. We are simply waiting on our iPhone moment to truly make an exponential leap in progress. Duggan: Pick one CTV, retail media networks, gaming, diverse owned media. What is it that excites you about the opportunity in that space and what are some challenges to address? Spencer: Connected TV is my advertising passion point. It is still very much in its awkward teenage phase because standardization and measurement are absent, authentication is miserable, data is not properly leveraged, fraud is a challenge, content is loosely controlled, and valuable ad opportunities are missed. That being said, the sky is the limit with this medium. CTV is the future of TV and every challenge is solvable, but it will take unprecedented industry collaboration, technology advancements, and time to be successful. If I had a dollar to bet on what will provide the greatest impact to advancement in Connected TV, Id put it on standardization of voice recognition and voice control. Duggan: In December ANA released its programmatic media transparency report. What are one or two key insights from that report that advertisers should be paying attention to? Spencer: The identification and classification of Made for Advertising sites. These sites are poisoning the industry by destroying the consumer experience, saturating ad exposures, and taking advantage of a digital ecosystem with automation at its base. Its a shame that these have existed for almost as long as the internet has been around, but fantastic that this study is raising awareness of them so advertisers can collectively root the problem out of the system. MFA sites increase advertiser costs and significantly decrease the value of a true impression. If you as an advertiser are not paying attention, you can lose 64 percent of your media investment before the ad is exposed to the consumer. And that does not even account for additional variables such as banner blindness or reach of those outside your target audience. These are alarming percentages that make it near impossible to prove the value of advertising to a CFO. As advertisers, we need to not only take back control of this ecosystem through collaborative efforts, but also apply these same lessons learned to younger ecosystems like CTV (i.e., required transparency, direct SSP deals, fraud management, use of inclusion lists, and all the recommended questions to ask of our agencies). Duggan: ANA will soon be releasing its annual diversity report, which benchmarks gender and ethnic diversity for the advertising/marketing industry among client-side marketers. Spoiler alert ethnic diversity is still lacking. Do you have any suggestions for the industry to help improve that? Spencer: First, it is integral for companies to define their position on inclusivity. In 2020, Mary Barra announced her aspiration for GM to become the most inclusive company in the world. That rallying cry both challenged and gave permission to employees and agency teams to foster an environment of inclusivity in our day-to-day with each other, our dealers, our partners, and our consumers. However, for the industry to truly change, its imperative that both the companys and the employees commitment to diversity and fair representation extends beyond the walls of the office. When we started embodying this comment to inclusion outwardly, we saw an immediate impact within two areas of our business: the talent pipeline and our supplier community. Our most inclusive company in the world aspiration gave us permission to reevaluate how we recruit talent and how we work with diverse suppliers to identify opportunities where we can be more flexible to achieve mutual success. The ANA and 4As have authored guidelines for getting started when investing with diverse media companies that can help serve as a reference along the way. Duggan: What are you driving these days and why? Spencer: What I currently drive is a Chevrolet Colorado because I love having a pickup bed for my 15 trips to the hardware store on every project. It is a fantastic and useful ride that I am extremely grateful to drive. I adore Chevrolet and its the only brand in my driveway. What I want to drive is ANY Cadillac. If youve never driven a Cadillac, take one test drive and youll be hooked for life. Its more than just a car, its an experience. Check out the LYRIQ and CELESTIQ (the new Cadillac electric vehicles). They are gorgeous, fast, comfortable, and smooth. Some day by James Forr , Op-Ed Contributor, February 12, 2024 In an editorial in MediaPosts Red White & Blog, Joe Mandese last week defended Joe Bidens mental acuity, accusing those who have questioned the presidents faculties of ageism. Tellingly, Mandeses case is far more compelling than anything Biden has put forth on his own behalf, even though this issue ticked loudly for three years before Special Counsel Robert Hur finally detonated it, stamping the president an elderly man with a poor memory. In corporate marketing, brands can counter a perceived weakness in several ways by fixing it, flipping it, or framing it. Effective politicians do this, too. Fix it I dont mean fix literally. Bidens campaign cannot reverse time, but they could mask its effects. Donald Trump is nearly 80 himself, but he looks two decades younger thanks to gallons of hair dye and layers of makeup that, upon inspection, appear to have been scraped from an industrial-sized tub and thwacked on with a spackle knife. In another time, polio-stricken Franklin Roosevelt refused to allow himself to be photographed in his wheelchair for fear of looking infirm. In other words, a little stagecraft can do wonders. advertisement advertisement Flip it In 2022, Senate candidate John Fetterman flipped the argument that his struggles with speech and auditory processing should disqualify him from holding office. He spoke openly of his difficulties, labelled some of the nastiest accusations as ablism, and marshaled disability activists to speak on his behalf. He wound up looking heroic, not impaired. By the end, if you were thinking about piling on Fetterman, you had to wonder if maybe you were the one with the problem. Frame it In the face of questions about whether Americans would elect a Black man to the White House, Barack Obama framed his racial identity as a strength. In March 2008, he faced a firestorm of questions about inflammatory remarks made by his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Rather than pretending the issue would go away, he made a landmark speech in which he used elements of his own biography to simultaneously put Wrights comments in context and also highlight his own vision for a more perfect America. Fix it, flip it, or frame it. Three viable options. What you cant do is what Bidens team has done, which is nothing. (You might call their approach, F*** it.) One of his key advisors dismissed concerns about the Hur report, telling CNN, If youre concerned about a national abortion ban or Social Security existing or the cost of your prescription drugs or your kids safety at school because of gun violence, Bidens age might be something you think about, but Trump is on the wrong side of all those issues. Isnt that precious? Thats how Miss Laughlin taught me elections work back in our fourth-grade civics unit. Ideally, though, the Presidents team would demonstrate greater political precocity than a 10-year-old. Selling a candidate is no different than selling a product or building a brand. Consumers dont base their decisions solely on product attributes. People arent loyal to Coca-Cola just because it tastes good but because of the psychological associations they have with it. If every Coca-Cola bottling facility in the world burned down overnight, that would be a devastating setback, but Coca-Cola eventually would rebound. However, if the Men in Black came along with their neuralyzer and zapped away all our memories of Coke and all its symbolic meanings, the brand would be doomed. Similarly, swing voters dont vote based on issues. If they did, they wouldnt be swing voters; after all, parties dont gyrate wildly on policy from one election to the next. Instead, swing voters choose based on the emotional connection they feel with a candidate or the level of revulsion they feel toward the other candidate. Voting is an emotional decision for everyone, but for those swing voters who decide elections, the emotions are rooted in vibes, not policies. And Bidens vibes are terrible. He is perceived as weak and Americans dont elect presidents who are perceived as weak. Part of it is that he looks and sounds downright antediluvian, but the bigger problem is that he is invisible. Supposedly, behind closed doors, his mind is nimble and he is in total command of the issues, but no one sees that. Given a chance at three minutes of softball questions during the Super Bowl, his campaign declined on the grounds that they prefer more targeted messaging. The Super Bowl, they said, would be a waste of time. (Imagine the marketing team at Apple, T-Mobile, or Molson Coors being offered three minutes of airtime free to speak to 110 million people during the major cultural event of the year and saying, No, thanks. Weve got a :15 running in morning drive in Myrtle Beach and a couple of people say they might mention us on TikTok. Were good.) I have been helping major brands understand their target audiences and the effectiveness of their advertising for nearly 25 years. From a marketing standpoint, the Biden campaign is an irredeemable, Hindenburg-level catastrophe. This is the President of the United States, holder of the most powerful office in the world, but somehow he never controls the news cycle. His campaign is constantly on its back foot. His messaging is bloodless, formulaic, occasionally incoherent, and never memorable. His opponents biggest weakness is his web of legal entanglements, but Bidens advisors are terrified to even mention 91 felony charges, a phrase that should be burned into the hippocampus of every voter. Instead, they slouch onto the ropes, drop their hands, and take the punches. A campaign comms team should understand at least the rudiments of psychology and persuasion. Yes, its naive to think Biden can completely erase concerns about his age. Its equally naive to think he shouldnt try. by Tanya Gazdik , February 12, 2024 Nelly Kennedy is leaving her role as global chief marketing officer at Volkswagen after a year, the automaker confirmed. A successor will be announced at a later date, a spokesperson tells Marketing Daily. VW is reviewing its global media account. Omnicoms PHD is the incumbent. The agencys contract expired at the end of 2023. It won the account in 2016, unseating GroupMs MediaCom. which had held the account for nearly 20 years, according toMediaPost Agency Daily. Meanwhile. JLR North America (formerly known as Jaguar Land Rover) has named three U.S. brand directors. The personnel changes come under the luxury automakers new House of Brands approach , which aims to focus on individual nameplates as part of a plan to reposition as an electric-first, modern luxury carmaker. advertisement advertisement Sam Allen was recently appointment as brand director Defender and Discovery North America, joining Brandon Baldassari (Jaguar) and Theresa Choh-Lee (Range Rover) who were appointed to the positions last year. Allen was previously head of product marketing for Jaguar. He has been with the automaker for 12 1/2 years. Choh-Lee, who was appointed in November, joins the automaker from Lixil, which produces luxury fitting, fixtures and tile brands for the kitchen and bath. She has also worked at Totes Isotoner and Pepperidge Farm. Baldassari, who was appointed in October, was previously one of three regional vice presidents, leading all business activity of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands across 65 retailers in 13 states and Puerto Rico. He has been with the automaker for 11 years. The House of Brands approach, announced in April 2023, aims to amplify the unique character of each the companys brands Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar," according to the automaker. Land Rover is missing from the list, but the name remains visible on vehicles. The new brand director positions including leading the optimization and implementation of the product vision, strategy and roadmap for the United States while working with the global House of Brands to bring the vehicles' direction to life. Highlights: Nose-picking habit can raise the risk of Alzheimers disease Germs entering through nostrils trigger neuroinflammation, causing tau and amyloid protein deposits in the brain, resulting in Alzheimers disease Emphasizes the essentials of hand hygiene in preventing nasal-route Alzheimers risk Trusted Source Neuroinflammation in Alzheimers Disease: A Potential Role of Nose-Picking in Pathogen Entry via the Olfactory System? Go to source Trusted Source Did you know? Frequent nose picking may elevate Alzheimer's risk by introducing brain-inflaming germs. #nosepicking #alzheimers #handhygiene #medindia Advertisement Nose Picking and Alzheimer's: Unearthing a Surprising Connection Did You Know? An estimated 6.7 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, according to Alzheimers Association. Read More to Know About Bacteriophages Packed Nasal Spray to Ward Off Alzheimer's on the Anvil Advertisement Insights from Previous Studies Trusted Source Chlamydia pneumoniae can infect the central nervous system via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves and contributes to Alzheimers disease risk Go to source Trusted Source Advertisement Self-Hygiene: A Simple Defense Against Alzheimer's Risk Neuroinflammation in Alzheimers Disease: A Potential Role of Nose-Picking in Pathogen Entry via the Olfactory System? - (https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/13/11/1568) Chlamydia pneumoniae can infect the central nervous system via the olfactory and trigeminal nerves and contributes to Alzheimers disease risk - (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8854390/) Despite being socially disapproved when done in public, many individuals occasionally engage in the act of sticking a finger up their nostrils when they believe no one is observing. However, this seemingly innocuous behavior may have unexpected health implications, as researchers suggest a potential connection between nose-picking and Alzheimers disease People who frequently pick their noses may be at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to a recent study, published in the journal).In the new study, researchers from Western Sydney University in Australia proposed a hypothesis that neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's might be partly triggered byentering the brain through the nose and olfactory system.The chronic habit ofintroduces germs into the delicate nasal cavity, causing inflammation in the brain, which has been associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease.These infections, while seemingly asymptomatic, may cause inflammation and leave behind harmful plaques of amyloid and 'tau' proteins, contributing to the development of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.Alzheimer's is characterized by theThe researchers propose that neuroinflammation, triggered by injury or infection, may also play a partial role in the disease's development. External pathogens entering the brain through the olfactory system, including herpes, COVID-19 viruses, or bacteria causing respiratory infections, are considered potential contributors to neuroinflammation.Previous studies, such as one conducted by Griffith University on mice, found a connection between nose-picking and the buildup of proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease (). Tests involving a bacteria calledsuggested that the habit could damage protective internal tissues, making it easier for harmful bacteria to reach the brain.In light of these findings, the researchers recommend emphasizing hand hygiene as a preventive measure. They suggest that improving hand hygiene, a lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic could be a straightforward prevention step.The team also acknowledges the ongoing debate about whether nose picking causes Alzheimer's or if the disease prompts individuals to adopt unhealthy habits leading to brain inflammation and the findings still remain elusive.To sum up, the nose-picking habit is associated with an elevated risk of Alzheimer's disease, and maintaining proper hand hygiene stands as a simple preventive measure against this avoidable condition.Source-Medindia Trusted Source An artificial intelligence approach to predicting personality types in dogs Go to source Trusted Source AI algorithm to streamline the assessment of working dog personalities has been created by a research team specializing in canine behavior and Artificial Intelligence to assist agencies in selecting dogs for roles in law enforcement and disability assistance, while also improving dog-human matches in shelters to reduce returns. #dogs #workingdogs #artificialintelligence #personalityassessment AI Advances in Working Dog Selection Advertisement Advertisement An artificial intelligence approach to predicting personality types in dogs - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-52920-9) By merging expertise in canine behavior and Artificial Intelligence , a research team has devised an AI algorithm to assess working dog personalities efficiently. Their innovation aims to assist agencies in selecting dogs for roles in law enforcement and disability assistance, while also improving matchmaking in shelters to reduce animal returns ().The scientists, from the University of East London and the University of Pennsylvania, researched on behalf of their sponsor Dogvatar, a Miami, Fla.-based canine technology startup.They announced the dog personality testing algorithm results in their paper, An Artificial Intelligence Approach To Predicting Personality Types In Dogs, published Jan. 29, 2024, inThe AI algorithm draws on data from nearly 8,000 responses to the widely used Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) to train itself. For over 20 years, the 100-question C-BARQ survey has been the gold standard for evaluating potential working dogs.C-BARQ is highly effective, but many of its questions are also subjective, said co-Principal Investigator James Serpell, a professor of ethics and animal welfare emeritus at the UPenn School of Veterinary Medicine.By clustering data from thousands of surveys, we can adjust for outlying responses inherent to subjective survey questions in categories such as dog rivalry and stranger-directed fear.The research teams experimental AI algorithm works in part bythumbprint a given dog receives.These personality types have been identified and described based on analysis of the most influential attributes in each one of the five categories and they include: excitable/attached, anxious/fearful, aloof/predatory, reactive/assertive, and calm/agreeable.The data points that feed into those ultimate clusters include behavioral attributes such as excitable when the doorbell rings, aggression toward unfamiliar dogs visiting your home, and chases or would chase birds given the opportunity.Each attribute is given a feature importance value, which is essentially how much weight the attribute receives as the AI algorithm calculates a dogs personality score.Its rather remarkable these clusters are very meaningful, very coherent, Serpell said.Dogvatar and its collaborating researchers intend to conduct further research into potential applications for their dog personality testing algorithm.This has been a really exciting breakthrough for us, said Dogvatar CEO Alpha Pack Leader Piya Pettigrew. This algorithm could greatly improve efficiency in the working dog training and placement process, and could help reduce the number of companion dogs brought back to shelters for not being compatible. Its a win for both dogs and the people they serve.Source-Eurekalert Recently, it was reported that Salman is collaborating with Karan Johar for an army-based action thriller The Bull to be directed by Vishnuvardhan of Shershaah fame. After a mixed bag of 2023 with one flop and one underperformer, Salman Khan is now making sure that all his next films are nothing short of epic blockbusters. Geetha Arts Talking about Salman Khans collab with AR Murugadoss, a source told Pinkvilla, Salman Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala have been discussing a probable collaboration for a while now. When Sajid Nadiadwala and AR Murugadoss discussed this subject, the only name that came to their mind was Salman Khan, and when the producer discussed the film with Salman, it was an instant yes from the superstar. The source continued that the budget of the global action entertainer will be a whopping Rs 400 crore, The yet untitled action thriller will be shot in Portugal and other European countries apart from some portions in India on a huge budget of Rs 400 crore, making it the most ambitious film of Sajid Nadiadwala. The meetings took place earlier in the year and all the energies aligned in the right way to start the film as soon as possible. Among every script that came his way over the last year, the AR Murugadoss film is something that excited him the most, leading him to put the film on priority. Interestingly, it is said back in 2006, Murugadoss had first pitched Ghajini to Salman before eventually roping in Aamir Khan. The film is expected to go on floors by summer 2024 and the shoot will conclude by year-end for Eid 2025 release. Besides the film with AR Murugadoss and The Bull, Salman Khan will also be seen in Tiger vs Pathaan with Shah Rukh Khan and a family entertainer titled Prem Ki Shadi with Sooraj Barjatya. The international working group on the environmental consequences of the Russian war in Ukraine presented a draft Environmental Treaty for Ukraine at the President's Office on Friday, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reports. "Today is a very important event. The result of the work of the international working group was the Environmental Treaty for Ukraine... Our document on specifics ... Why is it so important? This is the first very important work, giving recommendations on what needs to be done. Together with our friends, we are creating a mechanism for receiving reparations for all harm (against the environment)," head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak said during a meeting with journalists. In particular, according to the head of the President's Office, the draft document provides for three options, namely recording crimes of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, punishing the aggressor and restoring the environment. "Each fact of a crime will certainly become the evidence base for future trials and, in the end, the basis for compensation and reparation (from the Russian Federation)," he said. As Yermak noted, this document will soon fall into the hands of world leaders, and will also become a topic for discussion at all international platforms. It will also form the basis of concrete policy decisions at the conference, which will take place immediately after the Global Leaders' Summit. In turn, a member of the group, former Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, noted that the draft Environmental Treaty contains 50 recommendations to both Ukrainians and Ukraine's international partners regarding the restoration of damage caused to the environment during the war. As European Commissioner for the Environment Virginijus Sinkevicius emphasized, there were still no standards for assessing crimes against the environment in the world. "But we see that these standards are now being developed based on what is happening in Ukraine. This will allow us to train judges, prosecutors, and develop an appropriate judicial process. Therefore, this is a very good example for ensuring justice and reparations on the part of the Russian Federation," he said. The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to expand eligibility for Agent Orange disability benefits to Vietnam-era veterans who served at 129 locations in the U.S. during specific time frames, as well as parts of Canada and India, officials announced Friday. Ahead of a notice published Monday in the Federal Register, VA officials also said they plan to widen eligibility for veterans who were sickened by herbicides used after World War II in the Demilitarized Zone in Korea in the 1950s and in areas off the shores of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the move will make it easier for veterans who were exposed to the toxic defoliant to get benefits and care for service-connected conditions. Read Next: 5 Marines Killed in California Helicopter Crash Identified as Families Grieve "Our goal is to provide every veteran -- of every era -- with the VA health care and benefits they deserve, and this is another step in the right direction," McDonough said in a statement released Friday. The proposal would allow the VA to automatically extend presumptive status to veterans who develop an Agent Orange-related health condition from assignment to a location named on the Defense Department's list of areas where tactical herbicides were tested, used or stored within specific dates. It adds locations in 12 states within the U.S., as well as Kumbla, India, in 1945 and 1946, and Gagetown, New Brunswick, in Canada, in June 1966 and June 1967. It also creates broader timelines for other locations that include Cambodia, Thailand, Guam and Laos, based on the DoD's 2019 list, which was published by the VA in 2020. The states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, New York, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, and dates that range from 1945 to 1977, depending on state and location. The full list of the states and specific locations and times is available on the VA website, as is the list of overseas locations. A presumption of exposure means that the VA automatically accepts a condition as tied to military service, lowering the requirement for the veteran to prove that their illness or injury is military related and allowing for a more streamlined course to receive benefits. "The purpose of this regulatory change is to ensure consistency across VA adjudications, in accord with the most up-to-date information garnered by DoD," VA officials wrote in the release. The new rule codifies and defines some of the requirements on presumptive conditions listed in the Blue Water Navy Act and the PACT Act, both of which expanded benefits to veterans sickened by exposure to contaminants while deployed to combat operations. It expands the territorial waters off Vietnam and other locations to include an island, Phu Quoc, that previously was omitted as automatically qualifying for benefits. It also would expand the dates of eligibility for veterans who served in the Korean Demilitarized Zone from April 1, 1968, to Aug. 31, 1971, to Sept. 1, 1967, through Aug. 31, 1971. And it clarifies conditions that fall under the umbrella term of Parkinsonism, a health condition related to herbicide exposure, to include progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, vascular Parkinsonism and dementia with Lewy bodies. According to the VA, the clarification is needed because claims processors may not understand that these conditions fall under the Parkinsonism condition. As part of the Federal Register process, veterans, advocates and the general public have 60 days to comment on the proposal. VA officials said in the announcement that they welcome all input and all comments will be considered. They acknowledged that they previously have received questions as to why the VA does not extend presumptive status to veterans who say that Agent Orange and other herbicides were used in locations not listed by the Defense Department, such as Panama and Okinawa. But ultimately, VA officials said the department decided it was the best "course of action" to restrict their presumptive conditions status to the DoD list, which they described as a "living document and therefore may evolve." The Defense Department bases its list on criteria that includes the existence of official records such as government reports, forms, unit histories, shipping logs, contracts, scientific reports or photographs. The location must have been a DoD installation; land under control by the DoD; or a non-DoD location where service members were present during testing, application, transportation or storage. "VA nevertheless welcomes all comments on this approach, or comments on Panama and Okinawa specifically, during the comment period for this rulemaking," officials wrote. Veterans interested in filing an initial claim for a herbicide-related disability can visit the VA's website, or use VA Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits. They also are encouraged to contact a veterans service organization, such as the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, the VFW or others for help with the application process or contact their state or local veterans affairs offices. Related: Millions of Vets Got Health Care and Benefits Under the PACT Act. Thousands Left Out Want the Same Chance. RAFAH, Gaza Strip Israeli forces rescued two hostages early Monday, storming a heavily guarded apartment in the Gaza Strip and extracting the captives under fire in a dramatic raid that was a small but symbolically significant success for Israel. The operation killed at least 67 Palestinians, including women and children, according to Palestinian health officials in the beleaguered territory. To assist the rescue forces, heavy airstrikes pounded the area near the apartment in Rafah, a city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in the Israel-Hamas war. The raid was celebrated in Israel as a victory in the sluggish battle to free the hostages, with more than 100 captives still held by Hamas and other Gaza militants, and briefly lifted the spirits of a nation still reeling from Hamas' cross-border raid last year. But in Gaza, where civilians have borne a staggering toll since the war erupted on Oct. 7, the operation unleashed another wartime tragedy, with many Palestinians killed or wounded. More than 12,300 Palestinian minors children and young teens have been killed in Israels war against Hamas, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday. That means minors make up about 43% of the total number of 28,176 Palestinians killed so far. About 8,400 women were also among those killed. The ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, provided the breakdown of minors and women at the request of The Associated Press. Israel claims to have killed thousands of Hamas fighters. The plight of the hostages has profoundly shaken Israelis and the government has made freeing the dozens of remaining captives a top aim of its war, along with destroying Hamas' military and governing capabilities. But as the fighting drags on, now in its fifth month, their freedom remains elusive and rifts have emerged in Israel over the best approach to end their ordeal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted persistent military pressure will bring about their freedom a position he repeated on Monday even as other top officials have opposed this, saying a deal is the only way to secure their release. Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza and signaled that its ground offensive may soon target the densely populated city. On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation against Hamas in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. The army identified the rescued hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, abducted by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the Oct. 7 cross-border attack that triggered the war. Netanyahu's office said they also hold Argentinian citizenship. They were among roughly 250 taken captive during Hamas' stunning cross-border raid, when an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, according to Israeli authorities. In addition to the thousands killed, Israeli's retaliatory air and ground offensive has displaced over 80% of the population and set off a massive humanitarian crisis. Over 100 hostages were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, and Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. Three hostages were mistakenly killed by the army after escaping their captors in December. Only the continuation of the military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our captives, Netanyahu said in a statement. A dramatic raid Israeli military spokesman Read Adm. Daniel Hagari said special forces broke into a second-floor apartment in Rafah under fire at 1:49 a.m. Monday, accompanied a minute later by airstrikes on surrounding areas. He said the hostages were being guarded by armed Hamas militants and that members of the rescue team shielded the hostages with their bodies as a heavy battle erupted in several places at once with Hamas gunmen. The hostages were taken to a nearby safe area, given a quick medical check and airlifted to Sheba Medical Center in central Israel. Their medical condition was reported to be good. They are just the second and third hostages to be rescued safely; a female soldier was rescued in November. The rescue, which Hagari said was based on precise intelligence and planned for some time, is a morale booster for Israelis but a small step toward winning the release of the remaining hostages, who are believed to be spread out and hidden in tunnels, likely in poor condition. Har and Marman were kidnapped from a home in southern Israel along with three other relatives who were freed in the late-November deal. No other family members of theirs remain in Gaza, Israeli media reported. Har's son-in-law, Idan Begerano, who saw the released captives at the hospital, said the two men were thin and pale, but communicating well and aware of their surroundings. Begerano said Har told him immediately upon seeing him: You have a birthday today, mazal tov." Dozens killed in strikes The airstrikes that backed up the Israeli forces hit the jam-packed Rafah in the middle of the night and dozens of explosions could be heard around 2 a.m. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, said at least 67 people were killed in the strikes. Al-Qidra said rescuers were still searching the rubble; an Associated Press journalist counted at least 50 bodies at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. Footage circulating on social media from Rafah's Kuwaiti hospital showed dead or wounded children. The footage could not immediately be verified but was consistent with AP reporting. The wounded were seen lying on the hospital floor as medics tried to treat them. One wounded man was on the ground with two bloodied children lying beside him. Rescue the girl, he screamed. A young man was also seen carrying the body of an infant who he said was killed in the attacks. He said the girl, the daughter of his neighbor, was born and killed during the war. Let Netanyahu come and see: is this (infant) your bank of targets?" he said. "For what is she to blame? Concerns about Rafah Netanyahu has said sending ground troops into Rafah is essential to meeting Israel's war goals. Biden has urged Israel to exercise extreme caution before moving in. More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population is now crammed into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands live in sprawling tent camps and overcrowded U.N. shelters. Biden's remarks, made in a phone call with Netanyahu late Sunday, were his most forceful language yet on the possible operation. Discussion of the potential for a cease-fire agreement took up much of the call, a senior U.S. administration official said, and after weeks of diplomacy, a framework is now pretty much in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt to fighting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remain, but declined to give details. The official said military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent weeks helped bring the group closer to accepting a deal. Netanyahus office declined to comment on the call. Hamas Al-Aqsa television station earlier quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying any invasion of Rafah would blow up the talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Biden and Netanyahu spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops are sent into Rafah. The Camp David peace accords have been a cornerstone of regional stability for over 40 years. Egypt fears a mass influx of Palestinian refugees who may never be allowed to return. ___ Federman reported from Jerusalem and Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report. ORLANDO, Fla. While NASA is rooting for SpaceX to achieve Starship success so it can land humans on the moon, the U.S. military has plans of their own for the massive rocket that could include launches from Floridas Space Coast. Elon Musks next-generation rocket currently in development at SpaceXs southeast Texas facilities is gearing up for its third suborbital test flight as soon as this month after its first two ended in explosions last year. Its part of the companys long-term plans for a completely reusable spacecraft with more payload capacity into space than any other rocket ever. Starships potential also includes flying quickly from one spot on Earth to another, which is what has the Department of Defense interested. That was discussed during the Space Mobility Conference held by the Space Force at the Orange County Convention Center earlier this month. Rocket cargo point-to-point is not the reason were building Starship, said SpaceX senior adviser Gary Henry. Were building Starship to get to Mars. [But] what were finding is its a system were putting together that has profound impacts for national security, and one of them just happens to be rocket point-to-point. The big driver of that is the potential the military could use the rocket to send supplies, and perhaps even troops in the future, to anywhere in the world in less than an hour. Defense department officials began looking at the idea two decades ago but only recently has it come closer to reality. Envision a number of containers sitting in a warehouse down in [Cape] Canaveral, we go to an alert level, we pull them up, you start putting them on the rocket, said Gregory Spanjers, chief scientist for the U.S. Air Force Research Lab. At each successive alert level, your time to launch shrinks and shrinks and shrinks, and we can we get it down to one hour. Spanjers said teams have already been making mockups of Starships cargo bay figuring out how to take advantage of a quick supply run. Speed is the obvious draw, but the cost is dropping and getting closer to existing expenses for moving supplies. Henry said SpaceXs current fleet of Falcon 9 rockets with boosters originally designed to fly 10 times, but with future boosters that might go up as many as 40 times, have brought the price of flying payloads from about $4,500 per pound to about $900 per pound. The Falcon 9s have a capacity of 44,000 pounds to 132,000 pounds. But Starship is a very different animal, he said. Starship is fundamentally meant to be rapidly reusable We designed the vehicle from the outset to fly 100 times, not 10 times, and its going to deliver [220,000 to 250,000 pounds] 100 to 115 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. He said Starship would bring the cost trajectory down to a starting point of $90 per pound. Musk has said he could see that dropping even more to $9 a pound down the road. Henry said these are prices close to what one gets using a C-17 cargo plane transport, the supply workhorse of the military, but with flights that take hours instead of minutes. He also stressed just how often SpaceX plans to launch. In a few years, we will be launching Starships hundreds, and soon thereafter, thousands of times a year, he said. And if just assuming you have a rapidly reusable system that could lets say launch twice a day, from a single launch base, youre going to find very, very quickly, were going to run out of places to launch. Right now SpaceX has one usable launch tower at Starbase in Texas, but it is already building out more. Steel girders constructed at SpaceXs Kennedy Space Center facilities were loaded Wednesday on a barge to make their way to Starbase. SpaceX is also building out a Starship launch tower at KSC. To meet its launch plans, it will need multiple launch towers from its existing launch sites at KSC, Texas and California, but SpaceX could spread its footprint to new launch sites down the line as well, and that could feed into point-to-point plans the military is interested in, Henry said. I think the answer is were going to need both as a company, but also as a nation, to fully leverage Starship, he said. Were going to need a proliferation of launch sites [within the continental U.S.] and maybe even globally to fully capture this. Its one of the facets of Chinas growing space program that is starting to outpace the U.S. During a talk at the conference, Space Force intelligence analyst Chief Master Sgt. Ronald Lerch with Space Systems Command said China was beginning to build out more launch sites and advance their rocket types to catch up to the U.S. Theres a bottleneck that they need to alleviate so theyre doing something about it, he said noting it performed its first sea launch in the South China Sea as well. He also noted their price points are projected to fall as well with Chinas Long March 5 rocket flying at around $1,360 per pound, but the Long March 9 rocket is aiming to be completely reusable with a price cut in half down to $680 per pound. China is moving very, very close, It is full speed ahead in terms of reusability, he said, and that it too is relying on commercial launches, and not just government rockets. This thrust feeds into Chinas stance as a superpower in space as it continues to build out its low-Earth orbit space station and has plans to pursue a crewed lunar landing before the end of the decade. On top of any sort of lunar competition, Chinas saber-rattling in terms of trying to reunify with Taiwan has U.S. military concerned. Right now we have a very aggressive adversary, said Space Force Col. Nathan Vosters, director for requirements, resources, and programs for the Indo-Pacific region. He said the ability for rapid delivery to that part of the world ties directly to ensuring a free and open region, which generates 60% of the worlds gross domestic product. This technology, I think, has the opportunity to both promote a continued free and open Indo-Pacific while also contributing directly to the war fight if and when that time would come, he said. At the very least, this changes the calculus problem a little bit for our adversaries in the region. Spanjers said getting over the technological hurdle that Starship is attempting is essential but everyone on the board felt it was just a matter of time. I hope that we see a successful demonstration here very quickly, he said. I think were all in your corner, because it advances where were going. 2024 Orlando Sentinel. Visit orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Representatives of the municipal enterprise Road Traffic Management Center signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of transport and transformation of mobility with the Hamburg Public Transport Association, according to the Department of Transport Infrastructure of Kyiv City State Administration. "This Memorandum is a new step in the strategic partnership between Kyiv and Hamburg within the framework of the Agreement for Solidarity and the Future, signed in 2022 by Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko and First Mayor of Hamburg Peter Tschentscher, which demonstrates the comprehensive support of Ukraine from the German people and government," the message noted. Director of the municipal enterprise Road Traffic Management Center Oleksandr Mischenko noted that German partners are well aware that Kyiv is one of the most important logistics centers in the context of a full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, therefore they understand the importance of further joint work and support of the capital. "Road Traffic Management Center is a specialized enterprise with extensive experience in the development of road traffic organization and safety. The study by specialists of our enterprise of European experience and specifically Germany will allow us to optimize our work when designing traffic management schemes, introducing effective traffic light regulation and traffic calming devices," Mischenko said. The memorandum involves the exchange of practical experience and best practices in traffic planning and regulation, including the operational management and maintenance of traffic light systems, in the prioritization of public transport in traffic light regulation, integrated coordination of the construction site and program management, digitalization of route management, development of a citywide strategy for pedestrian and bicycle traffic , improving public transport to provide reliable, safe access to transport, including digital applications, and sustainable urban mobility planning. Free agent slugger Jorge Soler has seen his potential landing spots dwindle a bit, with previously reported suitors like the Blue Jays (Justin Turner), Mariners (Mitch Garver) and Diamondbacks (Joc Pederson) all going in different directions to sign their primary designated hitters this winter. MLB Networks Jon Morosi touched on Solers market this morning (video link), reporting that the 31-year-old is still seeking a three-year contract in free agency. The length of the pact has been a hold-up, as Soler has had teams willing to go to two years but has yet to be offered a guaranteed third season. The Giants were reported to be in talks with Soler last week, and Morosi suggests theyre among the teams comfortable at two years but balking at the third season. Other teams that have been tied to Soler this offseason include the Red Sox, Nationals and, to a much lesser extent, the incumbent Marlins. Soler himself said last month that Miami hasnt shown real interest in a reunion, however. The D-backs, notably, are still looking for a right-handed bat to pair with the lefty-swinging Pederson, but its hard to imagine Soler signing anywhere without a clear path to full-time at bats. A timeshare with Pederson at DH plus some occasional corner outfield work would be a surprise. Thats due in no small part to the fact that Soler is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. He belted 36 home runs for the Fish in 2023, slashing a robust .250/.341/.512 (126 wRC+). Long known as a strikeout-prone player, Solers 24.3% strikeout rate last year was the second-lowest of his career and only 1.6 percentage points higher than the league average. His 11.4% walk rate, meanwhile, was the second-highest of his career. He paired that improved K/BB profile with his typical brand of loud contact. Soler averaged 91.3 mph off the bat, hit 48% of his batted balls at 95mph or greater, and barreled 15% of his batted balls all ranking in the 81st percentile of MLB hitters or better, per Statcast. Spring trainings looming start date could put some added pressure on Soler and other free agents to consider a drop in asking price, although that cuts both ways. Teams seeking offensive upgrades have watched alternative options come off the board and have fewer avenues to pursue. The onset of camp also generally brings about quite a few injury scenarios of note, any of which could radically alter the market for Soler and other free agents. An injury for someone on one of Solers rumored suitors (Giants, Red Sox, etc.) or even on a contending club that hasnt yet shown interest could prove to be a catalyst for his market, just as we saw with the Astros and Josh Hader (who signed in Houston following a season-ending injury to Kendall Graveman). Soler opted out of the final season of a three-year, $36MM contract with the Marlins at the beginning of the offseason, turning down a $13MM player option. That hes had teams willing to offer two years suggests he indeed had more earning power than that $13MM on the open market, but many free agents have seen muted interest as teams throughout the league deal with uncertainty regarding their television contracts. A multi-year deal still seems likely for Soler. Speculatively speaking, however, if no three-year pact presents itself and the two-year interest hes received has been at average annual rates that arent to his liking, Soler could follow Teoscar Hernandez and max out on the largest one-year commitment he can find, then take another shot at free agency next winter. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Hes had 22 number one songs and has been nominated for 15 Grammy Awards. Dierks Bentley has just announced his 2024 Gravel and Gold tour and it has one Michigan stop on it. Bentley will be at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids on Thursday, September 19. Chase Rice will open the show for him. Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 1 at 10 a.m. We are so locked in with this production that it allows me to be living right in the moment with the fans, and thats the magic, said Bentley. Im bringing along some old friends and some newer artists who are all putting their own unique spin on country, bluegrass and Americana music. I cant wait to watch their shows and hopefully sing with them too. Those collaborations are a highlight of my summer every year. Bentley, who has also won three CMA Awards, released his 10th studio album, Gravel & Gold, last year. A 5-year-old Pontiac boy was reunited with his mother earlier this month after his father allegedly abducted him and fled the state. According to Fox 2 Detroit, Daniel Ohno, 40, of Houston was arrested on Feb. 3 in Little Rock, Arkansas a day after he took his son from his mothers custody without permission. Police allege that Ohno and the boys mother were in a car at the mothers home in Pontiac on Feb. 2 when the two began arguing. The mother apparently went into the house for a moment and thats when Ohno stole the car and drove away with the child. The following day, police were able to locate the stolen vehicle thanks to technology in the car. Officers in Michigan were able to coordinate with police in Arkansas to stop the vehicle without further incident and place Ohno under arrest. Investigators believe Ohno was trying to take the boy to Texas. After police found her son, the mother flew down to Arkansas and was reunited with the boy. Police are now working to extradite Ohno back to Michigan to face charges. LANSING, MI -- The former Director of the Lansing Catholic Dioceses St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt was convicted on eight felony charges last week after he embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from former priests. On Friday, a jury convicted David Rosenberg, 72, of DeWitt on three counts of embezzlement from a vulnerable adult $100,000 or more, one count of false pretenses $100,000 or more, one count of false pretenses $20,000-$50,000, one count of perjury, one count of uttering and publishing and one count of larceny $20,000 or more. The embezzlement and false pretenses charge over $100,000 are punishable by up to 20 years in prison. From January 2018 until December 2020, Rosenberg stole or embezzled an estimated $780,000 from three priests who were living at the 95-acre retreat that includes apartments for ex-priests to live in. All three of the victims died prior to Rosenberg being convicted, according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessels office. Prosecutors said that after taking the money, Rosenberg then gave it to his own charitable foundation, known as FaithFirst, formerly the Rosenberg Family Corporation. Rosenberg worked as the director at the St. Francis Retreat Center from 2015 until 2021 and was arrested in 2022. Mr. Rosenberg stole massive sums of money from these elderly and vulnerable men living in the Retreat Center apartments while he was the director, and Im appreciative to the jury for holding him accountable, Nessel said in a statement. My department will continue to seek justice for our seniors when they are taken advantage of by people in positions of authority. The trial took place in 29th Circuit Court in Clinton County and lasted nine days before the jury elected to convict Rosenberg. Sentencing is scheduled for March 18. Editors note: Flint is oftentimes cast in a negative light. While the city has its struggles, take a deeper look and youll see people fighting for their hometown, building the city back, and creating its future through their personalities and ideas while staying true to its history and vibrant culture. This weekly series of stories will show that Flint is more than a place. Flint is its people. We are Flint. FLINT, MI A clump of hairs rolls off a clients shoulder and lands next to a red pair of Jordan sneakers. WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- There are plenty of changes happening in the business world around Washtenaw County including the end of The Original Cottage Inns 75-year run in Ann Arbor. Heres a roundup of recent Washtenaw County business stories you might have missed. The Original Cottage Inn will transform into a new business in Ann Arbor The Original Cottage Inn Pizza has been a fixture of downtown Ann Arbor for 75 years, but its time will soon come to an end. The business announced its space at 512 E. William St. is closed and currently undergoing renovations, with plans to reopen as an entirely new business called Corattis Pizzeria Bar and Bocce. Read the full story here. HomeGoods set to open new location in Ann Arbor A sign and fence in Ann Arbors Arborland shopping center is a sign of the pending arrival of a popular home decor business. HomeGoods is taking over the building at 3645 Washtenaw Ave. that was occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond until it closed at the start of 2023. Read the full story here. Bring Your Own Container stores in Ann Arbor & Plymouth are for sale Refill station and zero waste shops in Ann Arbor and Plymouth are in store for a change as their owner is looking to sell the business. BYOC Co. Owner Emma Hess recently announced shes ready to make a transition in her career and hopes she can find new owners to continue the sustainable business. Read the full story here. Upscale thrift shop finds available at new Dexter shop run by mother-daughter duo A mother and daughter are sharing their passion for sustainability and fashion with their new business in Dexter. Cass & Co. Upscale Thrift & Gift had its grand opening at 7980 Ann Arbor St. in early December. The shop sells a variety of clothing items, with a large focus on womens fashion. Read the full story here. New Himalayan eatery coming to former Fresh Forage location near Ann Arbor A taste of Himalayan cuisine has come to a new restaurant near Ann Arbor. Owner and Chef Tasi Sherpa confirmed Base Camp Restaurant is bringing a mix of flavors from India, Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan to 5060 Jackson Road, Suite A in Scio Township. Read the full story here. Ann Arbor coffee shop expands to Ypsilanti in former Cultivate Coffee space One Ann Arbor coffee shop plans to bring new life to a space that was once home to Ypsilantis popular Cultivate Coffee and Tap House. Vertex Coffee Roasters plans to open a second location in early spring at 307 N. River St., which held Cultivate Coffee and Tap House until it closed in February 2022. Read the full story here. Up, up and away! Superman cheesecake is a superhero at 24th Cheesecakerie Sean Brezzell lets his creativity shine with his cheesecake creations at 24th Cheesecakerie in Ann Arbor. The cheesecake business has been operating in Briarwood Mall since 2019, but recently expanded to a new, bigger space within the mall in August 2023. Read the full story here. Every day is a party with this event planning business coming to Ypsilanti Elise Post doesnt need an excuse to turn any little celebration into a big deal. Post has been running her party planning business called Yours Truly Events & Novelties since 2019 and opened her first brick and mortar location at 114 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti. The business is bringing new life to the former Unicorn Feed & Supply building in downtown Ypsilanti, which closed and moved completely online at the end of 2023. Read the full story here. Love is in the air with this Dexter mother-daughter duos speed-dating events Adias mother met her husband through speed dating in 2018, and now the 14-year-old is helping others connect the same way. Adia began The Perky Wallflower in Dexter in 2021 with help from her mother, Sara Clemm. The weekly speed-dating event is hosted on Tuesdays at Erratic Ale, 8080 Grand St. We wanted to do something where we can kind of give back to the community, and its just been great for us to be able to connect people and be a part of their stories, Clemm said. Read the full story here. Side Biscuit has your Super Bowl snack needs covered with a gameday menu of wings and more Owner and chef Jordan Balduf brings a little bit of his hometown to everything he creates at Side Biscuit in Ann Arbor. The Buffalo, New York native was struggling to find wings he enjoyed in Ann Arbor, so he decided to start his own business and soon realized he loved sharing a piece of New York with others. A lot of our specials and products (at Side Biscuit) are actually regional specialties from Buffalo, so a lot of transplants from western New York come in and its feels like home, he said. Read the full story here. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. More Ann Arbor business news: New owners at a Chelsea business, new Dexter shops open & other Washtenaw County business news Moosejaw is closing, Toastique is moving in & other Washtenaw County business news Angelos closes, Northside Grill celebrates 30 years and other Washtenaw County business news New Mexican restaurant coming, DiBellas Subs returning and other Washtenaw County business news Ann Arbor business rebrands, Saline gets new bakery and other Washtenaw County business news Ann Arbor ice cream shop opens, Dexter gets a bike shop and other Washtenaw County business news OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A gunshot was fired early Monday, Feb. 12, in a home invasion at a Holland Township apartment complex, sheriffs deputies said. No one was injured. The incident was reported at 4:10 a.m. at East Crystal Waters Drive, near Riley Street and 120th Avenue, Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said. Early investigation showed that multiple assailants forced their way into an apartment. One of them fired a single shot from a handgun at an occupant who was not hit. No arrests have been made. Holland and Zeeland police assisted sheriffs deputies at the scene. Police asked anyone with information to call Ottawa County Central Dispatch at 800-249-0911 or Silent Observer at 877-887-4536. Vice President of the Bundestag Katrin Goring-Eckardt arrived in Ukraine on Monday. According to the Bundestag website, Goring-Eckardt will meet, in particular, with head of Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk to discuss parliamentary cooperation between the German Bundestag and the Verkhovna Rada, the necessary military and financial support and learn about the restoration of the country. She will also visit reconstruction projects. "Ukraine is protecting not only its country, but also the freedom of Europe. Right now, Europe needs to strengthen its support for Ukraine. Each restored house shows Vladimir Putin: Ukrainians are not giving up, and we are not giving up Ukraine," the press service of the Bundestag quoted the Vice President as saying. She also stressed that "Putin is making children hostages of his policy." "Many of the children will soon no longer be able to remember that they are Ukrainians and have Ukrainian parents. We must do everything possible to bring these children home," Goring-Eckardt urged. Within the framework of the visit of the Vice President of the Bundestag, a meeting with Ukrainian cultural figures and a visit to Odesa are also planned. After completing the five-day trip, she will travel to Moldova. KALAMAZOO, MI -- The owners of a lakeside cottage are asking the Michigan Court of Appeals to take immediate action to intervene as a trial date in eminent domain proceedings draws near. Kalamazoo County has been using the court system to advance a plan to take possession of a cottage that has been owned by a family for generations. The owners include members of the Talanda and Heeter-Johnson families. The cottage owners want the Court of Appeals to take action to pause part of the proceedings in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court including a trial scheduled to assign a value to the cottage property. The trial is scheduled as a next step after Kalamazoo County Circuit Court Judge Curtis Bell ruled in August 2023 that the county can force the family to sell the cottage using eminent domain. The owners asked the Michigan Court of Appeals to take up the case in August. The Michigan Court of Appeals has been silent for months. The owners want an answer from the appeals court this month. Stairs leading to the cottage owned by the Talanda and Johnson families is located inside Prairie View County Park in the southern portion of Kalamazoo County, Michigan. The family has owned the property since the 1940s and built the cottage in 1962 after tearing down two other cabins. The Prairie View County Park has been there since 1963.Joel Bissell | MLive.com The Property Owners require immediate consideration by the (Court of Appeals) to prevent the County from taking their property and from unnecessarily litigating over just compensation for the property when the trial court lacks jurisdiction, the cottage owners argue in the Feb. 7 filing. The Kalamazoo trial court plans to proceed with a jury trial to determine just compensation to assign a dollar amount to the property, the filing argues. The property owners will continue to suffer irreparable harm absent immediately staying the jury trial on just compensation for the taking, the owners argue. The owners were dragged into the ongoing litigation in this case by the countys unlawful taking of their property, the suit says. "Save the cottage" shown on multiple signs held up by owners of a lakefront cottage. The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners met on April 19, 2022, and heard dozens of comments from members of the public about a vote to force the sale of a cottage on Gourdneck Lake. The county continues to pursue the forced sale of the property. The motion asks for an answer before Feb. 28. According to the filing, the Kalamazoo County court in January scheduled a settlement conference for April 5, and a jury trial on just compensation for April 16. Court records show those dates scheduled. The law firm Butzel Long, P.C., represents the owners in the lawsuit. Darius W. Dynkowski and Steven R. Eatherly, attorneys representing the cottage owners, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. The county continues to trample over the owners rights to dominion over their private property, the filing argues while asking for the pause. The property owners will be forced to hire valuation experts and prepare witnesses to determine the fair market value of the property and ultimately put a price on the property thats been in their families for decades, the lawsuit says. The property features about 140 feet of shoreline on Gourdneck Lake, adjacent to Prairie View Park in southern Kalamazoo County. The county has argued the plot is landlocked and surrounded by park land, while the owners contest that. Technically, it is not surrounded as one border of the cottage property is Gourdneck Lake itself, which results in the cottage not being landlocked, Larry McClish told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette previously. McClish is one of the current cottage owners and a plaintiff in the lawsuit along with 14 other people. When the county park was created in 1963, five members of the then owners, and their spouses, signed a deal with Kalamazoo County, saying the county would get the first right to purchase the property if it was ever sold. The last living member among the original signers, Edmund Talanda Sr., died in March 2019. The county and current cottage owners disagree on the affect of the 1963 agreement. Kalamazoo County has not yet responded to the latest filing in the Michigan Court of Appeals. The county declined to comment when given an opportunity to respond to the filing on Friday, Feb. 9, citing the pending litigation. The narrows connecting Hogsett Lake to Gourdneck lake in southern Kalamazoo County, Michigan.Joel Bissell | MLive.com The county wants to use the land as public park space. Kalamazoo County government had the property appraised in August 2022, determining the value to be $320,000. The county previously offered that amount to the owners, according to a filing in the Michigan Court of Appeals. A deal was not reached. Related: Lakeside cottage owners file appeal to fight countys eminent domain takeover County continues fight to force family out of lakeside cottage: 5 things to know Its sleazy: Lakefront cottage owners upset over pending eminent domain takeover Michigan families can be forced to sell lakefront cottage to county, judge rules Kalamazoo County continues court battle to obtain family lakefront cottage Kalamazoo County still intends to condemn family property inside park, despite dismissal of lawsuit Family wants to keep its lakefront cottage, while Kalamazoo County ponders making it a park Kalamazoo County pursues legal action to acquire private property in lakefront park One of the two docks on Gourdneck Lake at the cottage owned by the Talanda and Johnson families that is located inside Prairie View County Park in the southern portion of Kalamazoo County, Michigan.Joel Bissell | MLive.com Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Clifford Williams, using a walker, made his way to the courtroom witness stand and sat feet from the man charged with shooting him and killing his friend. He shot me seven times, Williams said in court Monday, Feb. 12. Williams pointed to the alleged shooter, Brendan Smith, 31, and described his clothing in the courtroom Monday morning as an orange jumpsuit. District Court Judge Becket Jones ruled on Monday there is enough evidence to proceed to trial in the charge of open murder and other counts against Smith in the Sept. 28, 2023, fatal shooting of Tyrone Jerome Potts, 35, sending the case to circuit court. Smith also faces two weapons charges and a count of assault with intent to murder in the shooting. District Court Judge Becket Jones ruled Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, there is enough evidence to proceed to trial in the charge of open murder and other counts against Brendan Smith in the Sept. 28, 2023, fatal shooting of Tyrone Jerome Potts.Devin Anderson-Torrez | MLive.com Williams did not need a walker before the shooting, he testified. He now uses one to help him get around after being shot four times in the leg, twice in the arm and once in the hand, he said. Williams testified he was with Potts on the day of the shooting. They were getting snacks shortly before 11 a.m. at Circle K, 943 W. Lovell St., he said. They planned to go looking for items to haul and sell to a scrapyard. The two men were inside a Jeep pulling a small trailer when a white Dodge Journey pulled up. It appeared the driver fired shots at them, Williams said. He turned his head and balled up as bullets hit him and Potts. Two people were shot at the Circle K gas station at 934 W. Lovell St., in Kalamazoo on Thursday, Sept. 28. Potts was shot two or three times, Williams said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Williams spent about a month in the hospital after the shooting and had surgery, he said. The two vehicles were several feet apart when the shooting happened, Williams testified. Williams had seen the defendant around a few times, he said. I dont know him personally, Williams said. Police said previously they do not believe the shooting was random. Donald Sappanos is the defense attorney representing Smith. Sappanos asked if Williams and Potts did heroin together. He asked Williams if he was high that morning, and Williams said no. And you have a clear recollection of what happened at the Circle K? Sappanos asked. Yes I do, Williams said. Related: 1 killed, 1 injured in Kalamazoo shooting; police searching for white Dodge Journey Sappanos questioned what Williams told police initially. He pointed out that Williams testimony about the specific location of the suspect vehicle did not match the account from a detective. Police said the vehicle pulled up to the passenger side of the vehicle occupied by the two victims when the shooting occurred. Williams said it was on the drivers side. Another witness, Jorge Hernandez, testified he was at the scene and heard more than five gunshots. He said he followed the suspect vehicle as it left. He lost sight of the vehicle once it turned onto South Westnedge Avenue. He then returned to the shooting scene to tell police what he saw. Several employees of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety testified Monday. Investigators began tracking the suspect vehicle in the time after the shooting and used license plate scanners in the investigation to see locations of the vehicle, detectives said on the witness stand. A trial date has not been set, yet. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. BERRIEN COUNTY, MI -- Police seized multiple packages of suspected drugs while executing search warrants in Benton Harbor and nearby. Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET) detectives executed multiple search warrants Thursday, Feb. 8, in Benton Harbor and Benton Charter Township. Members of the Berrien County Tactical Response Unit, Michigan State Police troopers and Federal Probation agents assisted SWET, MSP said in a news release. Detectives found and seized suspected drugs including 180 grams of fentanyl, 92 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 7 grams of crack-cocaine and a semi-automatic pistol, MSP said. Two Benton Harbor men, ages 35 and 36, both on federal probation for narcotics trafficking, were arrested and lodged at the Berrien County jail on possession of dangerous drugs charges as well as charges for possession of a firearm, police said. Related: Fentanyl, cocaine found in Southwest Michigan drug bust Additional charges are being sought for other accomplices, MSP said. The photographs police shared show substances in bags, as well as a blender and another item. MSP Public Information Officer Spl/Lt. DuWayne Robinson said he did not have additional information to share about the other items pictured like the blender and what they were used for. Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. BAY CITY, MI -- The doors of Bay City Players, a local performing arts theatre, do not open until 1:30 p.m., but the contestants of the St. Patricks Day Parade Queen Scholarship Pageant were at work long before that. On Sunday, three young women competed in a pageant that crowns a queen to march in the 69th Bay City St. Patricks Day Parade. In addition to the title, scholarship money is awarded to the top three winners. This years contestants included: 19-year-old Delta College student Alexia Malusi, of Bay City, in her third year competing; 16-year-old Johanna Elder, of Bay City, in her second year competing (she won the princess pageant the year prior) and 17-year-old Garber High School student Katelyn Morris, of Bay City, in her second year competing. In the end, Elder was crowned queen. The first runner-up was Malusi and the second runner-up was Morris. This year, there were only three contestants. The prior year, the pageant had 10 contestants. The requirements to enter are an Irish heritage, living in the Great Lakes Bay region, unmarried without children, and between the ages of 16-20. The queen is awarded $2,000, the runner up is given $1,200 and third place wins $800. All the contestants went through a round of interviews in front of a panel of judges. They were questioned about their life based on individual fact sheets, Irish heritage and their goals and thoughts about Bay City and the parade. Their next requirement was performing an original limerick on stage in front of the judges and crowd. The judges look for communication skills, memorization and storytelling ability. This is followed by a gown walk where contestants are scored on their posture and poise. Finally, contestants performed an on-stage question section. Each question was pulled at random from a bowl. The judges look for composure, the ability to think on their feet and the accuracy of the answer. The St. Patricks Day Parade Queen Scholarship Pageant has been running for over 50 years. I think its special because it encourages young people to keep that tradition going right and respects the heritage, said Mechelle Moran Hill, who has been the Scholarship Pageant director for six years and won it herself in 1989. They are good role models for other kids their age and I think we need to listen to our young people. The pageant has helped Morris come out of her shell. I used to not really talk to people. Just kind of, like stayed in my bubble, she said. And this pageant has helped me a lot with confidence and making to easier to conversate with people I dont know. Elder said last years pageant, her first, was terrifying. This year Im just calm and collective. Like, I know Im gonna do well and I know I can do it, she said. Morris talked about how different this pageant was from a stereotypical and television version of pageants filled with female camaraderie and confidence boosting conversations. Its girls supporting girls, which is really nice, said Elizabeth Watz, the 2023 Queen, who hopes to stay connected to the pageant in the future. Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, has been stripped of his committee assignments, had his legislative staff reassigned and office budget withdrawn, days after sparking widespread outrage and condemnation with a social media post endorsing the great replacement conspiracy theory. Schriver drew the firestorm of criticism last week by quoting a post from conservative conspiracy theorist and commentator Jack Posobiec, which a depicted a small number of white-colored human outlines crowded by by black-colored outlines with the caption the great replacement! I will not allow the Michigan House of Representatives to be a forum for the proliferation of racist, hateful and bigoted speech, House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, said in a statement. The House of Representatives is the peoples house, and all Michiganders should look upon this body and take pride in how we conduct ourselves. It is also a workplace and I have a responsibility to make sure the employees of the House feel safe and secure. The great replacement is a far-right racist conspiracy theory claiming there is an concerted effort to diminish the influence of white Americans through demographic shifts, particularly via illegal immigration. Jewish Americans are often cast by proponents in an organizing role. The theory has motivated multiple mass shooters. White nationalists marching at the 2017 unite the right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia chanted You will not replace us! and Jews will not replace us! The first-term representative has stood by the depiction. He has since posted that illegal immigrants should not replace Americans, said criticism of his posts was evidence of an anti-white agenda and called coverage of his comments attempts by the media to start a race war. Schrivers colleagues, Republican and Democrat alike, have spoken out against Schrivers posts in recent days. Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, wrote in a lengthy statement on Facebook over the weekend such ideas truly have no place in our politics or our culture. By now, we Republicans should know that anything other than a swift and strong rebuke of such filth undermines everything we say, everything we believe, and everything we are trying to accomplish in terms of rebuilding the shining city on a hill to which we point so often, Damoose wrote. A spokesperson for the Republican House Minority Leader Matt Hall declined to comment on the matter when contacted by MLive. Schriver did not returned repeated requests for an interview but has previously said he opposes racism. Representatives are provided $132,000 for office expenses, Tate spokesperson Amber McCann said, to which Schriver will no longer have access. Members of the House also generally employ two staff members. Tate said the staff would be reassigned. All people have a moral obligation to speak out against hate whenever it rears its ugly head this is one of those times, Rep. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, said in a statement. As elected officials, we are the voice for our communities. We are held to a higher standard and must answer to all comments we make, including any and all social media posts. Schriver is also being removed from the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation Committee. Schrivers confrontational style of questioning on the committee had at times drawn rebukes from the committee chair, Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, D-Livonia. During an October hearing, Pohutsky told Shriver to be respectful or knock it off after he asked a pair of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy officials how dare you? during testimony on stakeholder engagement as the panel was weighing a bill to jettison a pair of controversial department oversight boards. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called Schrivers statements abhorrent rhetoric in a statement last week. Rep. Schrivers peddling of the racist replacement theory is a deplorable demonstration of his fear of a dynamic and diverse Michigan future where all of our people in every community can succeed, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said in a statement. Eight U.S. Senate candidates from Michigan are facing ethics complaints from the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center after they either failed to file personal financial disclosures or, in the case of Democrat Hill Harper, left the disclosure conspicuously sparse. Congressional candidates are required by law to file descriptions of their finances, listing descriptions of the assets and sources of income. Democrats Nasser Beydoun and Zack Burns along with Republicans Michael Hoover, Peter Meijer, Sherrell ODonnell, Sharon Savage, and Alexandria Taylor were named in the complaint for failing to file complaints. When a person is deciding to run for one of the countrys highest elected offices, one of the most powerful positions in the country, if not the world, the voters have a right to know the candidates financial interests, said Delaney Marsco, a senior attorney at the Campaign Legal Center. This information is is crucial, and Congress does agree that it is crucial by requiring this information. The watchdog organization asked the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics to investigate the candidates and refer any findings to the Attorney General if warranted. After requesting an extension, Harper filed his disclosure in November 2023. But Harper reported having no income on his disclosure, despite having been an actor on the ABC television show The Good Doctor and publicly touting his ownership of businesses in Detroit and elsewhere. It also excluded Harpers ownership of Detroits historic Fisher mansion, which the actor bought in 2017. Detroit property records continue to list him as the owner. A campaign spokesperson reportedly told The Detroit News in November 2023 that Harper intended to file a revised, more detailed report by the end of February. Marsco said the disclosure was missing a lot of information that seems like it should be there. Their complaint noted Harper donated or loaned nearly $500,000 to his campaign last year, indicating he had some income or assets to draw from. Transparency advocates argue financial disclosures are crucial for policing conflicts of interest among elected officials. Voters have a right to know the financial interests of the people hoping to represent them in electoral office, Kedric Payne, the watchdog groups senior director of ethics. Failure to timely file financial disclosure reports or omitting the required details altogether not only deprives voters of this critical information, but in some cases may conceal a campaigns true sources of funding from law enforcement and the Senate Ethics Committee itself. Harpers campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Other candidates and campaigns contacted by MLive said their disclosures were forthcoming. We are in the process of filing the report, its just because we wanted to do it properly; never done it before. Its pretty extensive because of my holdings, Beydoun, a Dearborn businessman, said. So were hoping to get it into them by the end of (this) week. Both Democrats and Republicans are facing large primaries for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing. Other prominent candidates in the race have filed their disclosures including Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, former Rep. Mike Rogers, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and state board of education member Nikki Snyder. Snyder and Craig are both running for the Republican nomination. Businessman Sandy Pensler requested an extension to file his disclosure, while Slotkin filed a disclosure with the House as a sitting member of that chamber. Mr. Meijer will be filing a complete and accurate disclosure in the near future, accompanied by the $200 fee for filing late, Scott Greenlee, a senior advisor to Meijers campaign, said in a statement. We are currently working to ensure the accuracy of reporting his complex holdings. Michigan drivers are paying more at the pump after an Indiana oil refinery temporarily shut down. Average Michigan gas prices jumped 26 cents in a week, AAA reported Monday, Feb. 12, going from $3 a gallon to $3.26. Thats the highest price this year with gas costing 32 cents more than in January. But prices remain 5 cents cheaper than this time last year. The following is a listing of all home transfers in the the Bay City area reported from Feb. 5 to Feb. 11. There were 20 transactions posted during this time. During this period, the median sale for the area was a 920-square-foot home on Michigan Avenue in Bay City that sold for $100,000. Bay City 1612 S. Van Buren Street, Bay City, $40,176, 1,185 square feet, $34 per square-foot, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. 1812 Elizabeth Street, Bay City, $46,425, 1,062 square feet, $44 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom. 611 Polk Street, Bay City, $50,000, 1,177 square feet, $42 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom. 506 Frank Street, Bay City, $58,520, 1,222 square feet, $48 per square-foot, two bedrooms and one bathroom. 3548 Cole Lane, Bay City, $59,900, 2,002 square feet, $30 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. 226 N. Jefferson Street, Bay City, $65,000, 2,678 square feet, $24 per square-foot, four bedrooms and four bathrooms. 2019 Fourth Street, Bay City, $75,000, 1,418 square feet, $53 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. 504 Woodside Lane, Bay City, $90,000, 1,248 square feet, $72 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom. 200 W. Ionia Street, Bay City, $94,500, 1,965 square feet, $48 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. 4595 E. Lewis Drive, Bay City, $96,000, 1,456 square feet, $66 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. 801 Michigan Ave., Bay City, $100,000, 920 square feet, $109 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom. 814 N. Dean Street, Bay City, $120,000, 968 square feet, $124 per square-foot, three bedrooms and three bathrooms. 1907 34th Street, Bay City, $125,000, 912 square feet, $137 per square-foot, three bedrooms and one bathroom. 104 N. Warner Street, Bay City, $162,500, 2,106 square feet, $77 per square-foot, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. 3280 State Street Road, Bay City, $170,000, 960 square feet, $177 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. 525 N. Lincoln Street, Bay City, $175,000, 2,132 square feet, $82 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. 2379 Muirhead Drive, Bay City, $175,450, 1,277 square feet, $137 per square-foot, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. 5416 Michael Road, Bay City, $205,000, 1,414 square feet, $145 per square-foot, two bathrooms. 2859 Cedar Lane, Bay City, $370,000, 2,284 square feet, $162 per square-foot, four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Essexville 207 Deary Street, Essexville, $103,000, 1,152 square feet, $89 per square-foot, one bathroom. Real Estate Newswire is a service provided by United Robots, which uses machine learning to generate analysis of data from Propmix, an aggregator of national real-estate data.. Judge Pavlo Vovk did not attend a meeting of the High Qualification Commission of Judges of Ukraine, the Commission refused to uphold his candidacy for the post of judge at the Administrative Cassation Court as part of the Supreme Court of Ukraine. "On February 12, 2024, a plenary session of the High Qualification Commission of Judges considered the issue of confirmation or non-confirmation of the ability of the candidate for the post of judge at the Administrative Cassation Court as part of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Vovk Pavlo Viacheslavovych, to administer justice at the relevant court," the Commission said on Facebook on Monday. The High Qualification Commission of Judges recognized Vovk as a candidate who "did not confirm his ability to administer justice at the Administrative Cassation Court as part of the Supreme Court of Ukraine in connection with his absence at the meeting without valid reasons." As reported, Vovk chaired the District Administrative Court of Kyiv. In 2020, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) put on the wanted list suspects who, acting within a criminal organization led by the head of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv, intended to seize state power by establishing control over the High Qualification Commission of Judges as well as the High Council of Justice, and creating artificial obstacles in their work. Head of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv Pavlo Vovk, his deputy Volodymyr Keleberda, judges of this court Oleksiy Ohurtsov, Ihor Kachur, and Ihor Pohrybnychenko, as well as members of the High Qualification Commission of Judges Mykola Sirosh and Serhiy Ostapets were put on the wanted list. On July 17, 2020, the NABU announced suspicions to Vovk, his deputy Ablov and five other judges. In 2021, NABU detectives tried to serve the head of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv with a petition to remove him from the administrative position of head of the court, but he refused to receive it. Vovk also systematically failed to appear when summoned to the NABU. The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine ruled six times to forcefully deliver Vovk, but the suspected judge did not appear in court. In 2022, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law on the liquidation of Kyiv District Administrative Court and on the creation of the Kyiv City District Administrative Court. The appeal judges partially satisfied the prosecutor's complaint and applied a preventive measure in the form of detention to former acting director of the Department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksandr Liyev, the Center for Counteracting Corruption said on Monday. "Liyev was taken into custody in the courtroom. The period of detention is up to and including April 8. The amount of a bail is UAH 50 million. In case of posting a bail, Liyev will be assigned a number of duties, in particular, wearing an electronic bracelet and handing over passports," the Center said on the Telegram channel. The decision was reportedly made by judges Danyyila Chornenka, Serhiy Bodnar and Ihor Panaid. Its about the cases of concluding a contract between the Ministry of Defense and Lviv Arsenal company for the supply of 100,000 mine rounds. In November 2022, the Ministry of Defense transferred UAH 1.34 billion in advance payments to Lviv Arsenal. Further, Lviv Arsenal transferred part of the funds in the amount of $3.6 million and EUR 9.1 million to the Slovak intermediary Sevotech. "Most of them then went to the accounts of another intermediary, the Croatian company WDG promet. Now this money has disappeared, and not a single mine has been delivered," the the Center for Counteracting Corruption said. The prosecutor of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) asked for a bail of more than UAH 268 million. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held the first meeting of the Supreme Commander's Headquarters Staff Meeting in an updated format. "The priority issues remain unchanged: the front and the protection of frontline regions, people and critical infrastructure from Russian aerial terror. Reports by Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky and Chief of the General Staff Anatoliy Barhylevych, intelligence representatives, commanders of operational and strategic groups of troops," Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram channel on Monday. "Avdiyivka, Kupyansk, south. Providing the army with everything necessary: shells, drones, electronic warfare. Reports of power engineers and heads of civil-military administrations of the frontline regions. Further development of multilevel protection of electric, water and heat supply facilities. We have decided to increase the number and capabilities of mobile fire groups," the President also wrote. Ukrainian aviation carried out 13 strikes on the occupiers' locations during the day, rocket launchers destroyed one artillery piece, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the situation as of 18:00 on Monday. "During the day, the aviation of the defense forces struck 13 areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment of the enemy," the General Staff said in a Facebook message. It is reported that units of the missile forces defeated one enemy artillery piece. The forces and means of air defense of Ukraine destroyed six reconnaissance UAVs. Ukraine will present its vision of the prospects of free nations at the Munich Security Conference this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video message on Monday. Today I held a lengthy meeting on our international activities in February. In particular, we are preparing for the Munich Security Conference, an important platform not only for Europe, but also for the world. Ukraine will present its vision of this year. A decisive year in many ways the vision of prospects that all of us, all free nations, have, and which should not be lost, the President said. Cooperation matters. And I am grateful to everyone in the world who realizes this, to everyone who helps, to every leader, every state that seeks a fair peace as much as Ukrainians do, Zelenskyy also said. Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, February 2nd, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th will be given a dividend of 0.95 per share by the oil and gas company on Monday, March 11th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.70%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 13th. Exxon Mobil has increased its dividend payment by an average of 1.9% annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 41 consecutive years. Exxon Mobil has a dividend payout ratio of 39.7% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Exxon Mobil to earn $10.09 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $3.80 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 37.7%. Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Exxon Mobil Trading Up 0.9 % XOM opened at $102.72 on Monday. Exxon Mobil has a fifty-two week low of $95.77 and a fifty-two week high of $120.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $407.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.45, a PEG ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 0.97. The companys 50 day moving average price is $100.75 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $106.36. Insider Transactions at Exxon Mobil Exxon Mobil ( NYSE:XOM Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, February 2nd. The oil and gas company reported $2.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.28. The firm had revenue of $84.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.03 billion. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 18.51%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $3.40 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Exxon Mobil will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current year. In other news, VP Leonard M. Fox sold 12,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.65, for a total value of $1,231,800.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 220,678 shares of the companys stock, valued at $22,652,596.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, Director Jeffrey W. Ubben sold 2,077,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.06, for a total value of $216,132,620.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 13,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,352,780. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Leonard M. Fox sold 12,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $102.65, for a total transaction of $1,231,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 220,678 shares in the company, valued at $22,652,596.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.04% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Prevail Innovative Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Exxon Mobil during the second quarter valued at $207,000. Private Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Exxon Mobil in the 3rd quarter worth about $207,000. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Exxon Mobil during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $204,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC grew its stake in shares of Exxon Mobil by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC now owns 1,555 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $166,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the period. Finally, Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Exxon Mobil in the 4th quarter worth approximately $158,000. 58.53% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on XOM. Erste Group Bank restated a hold rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Friday, December 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $134.00 to $127.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 8th. Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of Exxon Mobil from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from $116.00 to $119.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 9th. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Exxon Mobil from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $115.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. They set an outperform rating and a $140.00 target price on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $127.53. Read Our Latest Stock Report on XOM About Exxon Mobil (Get Free Report) Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Exxon Mobil Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Exxon Mobil and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Huatai Securities (OTCMKTS:HUATF Get Free Report) and BTCS (OTCMKTS:BTCS Get Free Report) are both financial services companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Huatai Securities and BTCSs revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get Huatai Securities alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Huatai Securities N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A BTCS $1.28 million 19.58 -$15.89 million ($0.31) -5.65 Huatai Securities has higher earnings, but lower revenue than BTCS. Insider & Institutional Ownership Analyst Ratings 3.5% of BTCS shares are held by institutional investors. 40.2% of BTCS shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Huatai Securities and BTCS, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Huatai Securities 0 0 0 0 N/A BTCS 0 0 1 0 3.00 BTCS has a consensus price target of $3.00, suggesting a potential upside of 71.43%. Given BTCSs higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe BTCS is more favorable than Huatai Securities. Profitability This table compares Huatai Securities and BTCSs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Huatai Securities N/A N/A N/A BTCS -370.07% -43.20% -37.26% Summary BTCS beats Huatai Securities on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Huatai Securities (Get Free Report) Huatai Securities Co., Ltd., a security company, provides financial services in Mainland China and internationally. The company buys and sells stocks, funds, bonds, futures, and options on behalf of clients; and provides various financial products and asset allocation, margin financing, securities lending, securities-backed lending, and margin securities lending services. It also offers institutional investment banking services, such as equity and bond underwriting, financial consultancy, and over-the-counter business services for enterprises, institutions, and governments; cross-border proprietary and credit derivative products and services; custodian and fund services, including settlement, liquidation, reporting, and valuation services, as well as margin trading and other value-added services to various asset management institutions; and professional research and consulting services. In addition, the company provides private equity fund and asset management services for securities and futures companies, funds, etc. Huatai Securities Co., Ltd. was founded in 1990 and is based in Nanjing, the People's Republic of China. About BTCS (Get Free Report) BTCS Inc. focuses on blockchain infrastructure and staking in the United States. The company secures blockchain-infrastructure operations and operates validator nodes on disruptive next-generation blockchain networks. It offers StakeSeeker, a cryptocurrency dashboard and staking-as-a-service platform that allows crypto asset holders to earn rewards by participating in network consensus mechanisms. The company was formerly known as Bitcoin Shop, Inc. and changed its name to BTCS Inc. in July 2015. BTCS Inc. was founded in 2014 and is based in Silver Spring, Maryland. Receive News & Ratings for Huatai Securities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Huatai Securities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TELUS International (Cda) (NYSE:TIXT Get Free Report) updated its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.930-0.980 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 1.410. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.8 billion-$2.9 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $3.8 billion. TELUS International (Cda) also updated its FY24 guidance to $0.93-0.98 EPS. TELUS International (Cda) Trading Up 2.5 % NYSE TIXT traded up $0.23 on Friday, hitting $9.40. 697,698 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 205,042. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. TELUS International has a 52-week low of $6.03 and a 52-week high of $22.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $686.95 million, a P/E ratio of 62.67, a P/E/G ratio of 8.66 and a beta of 0.85. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $8.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.03. Get TELUS International (Cda) alerts: TELUS International (Cda) (NYSE:TIXT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.26. The business had revenue of $692.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $691.00 million. TELUS International (Cda) had a net margin of 1.89% and a return on equity of 13.01%. The companys revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.34 EPS. Research analysts forecast that TELUS International will post 1.01 EPS for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes TIXT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup boosted their target price on TELUS International (Cda) from $7.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $12.00 to $8.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 6th. CIBC raised their price objective on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $19.00 to $21.50 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. TD Securities reduced their target price on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $12.00 to $10.50 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $11.00 to $8.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $13.54. Get Our Latest Report on TELUS International (Cda) Hedge Funds Weigh In On TELUS International (Cda) Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new position in shares of TELUS International (Cda) during the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in TELUS International (Cda) in the first quarter valued at $46,000. Citigroup Inc. increased its stake in TELUS International (Cda) by 18.8% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 4,781 shares of the companys stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 755 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC purchased a new stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) in the third quarter valued at about $101,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 388.5% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,154 shares of the companys stock worth $135,000 after buying an additional 4,099 shares during the period. 59.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About TELUS International (Cda) (Get Free Report) TELUS International (Cda) Inc design, builds, and delivers digital solutions for customer experience (CX) in Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific, and the Central America. The company provides digital experience solutions, such as AI and bots, omnichannel CX, enterprise mobility solutions, cloud contact center, big data analytics, platform transformation, and UX/UI design; and customer experience solutions, including work anywhere/work from home, contact center outsourcing, technical support, sales growth and customer retention, healthcare/patient experience, and debt collection. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for TELUS International (Cda) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS International (Cda) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. At the outset, Minister Kamikawa congratulated Minister Tkatchenko for his re-appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs. She also expressed her wish to strengthen cooperation based on common values and principles in addition to their "kizuna" ahead of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Papua New Guinea next year. Minister Kamikawa expressed her appreciation for the stable supply of LNG from Papua New Guinea and the continuous support for the stable operation of Japanese fishing vessels and the collection of remains of war dead. She also mentioned that the Nadzab Tomodachi International Airport, which opened last October, is a symbol of the friendly relationship between the two countries and one of Japan's consistent efforts for sustainable and resilient development of the entire region. In response, Minister Tkachenko stated that the relation with Japan is special among the bilateral relations and expressed his intention to further strengthen it as well as his gratitude to the Government and people of Japan for its cooperation over the years. Minister Kamikawa stated that, as the world is at a turning point in history, it is necessary to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law and to ensure a world where human dignity is protected. The Ministers also held a candid exchange of views on response to the regional situation including security. Regarding the discharge of the ALPS treated water into the sea, Minister Kamikawa expressed her sincere gratitude for understanding of and support by Papua New Guinea. Minister Tkatchenko re-expressed his appreciation for Japans highly transparent response. The two ministers concurred to work even more closely toward the PALM 10 to be held this year. Minister Kamikawa expressed her gratitude for Prime Minister Marape's condolences and sympathy for the Noto Peninsula earthquake, and presented a box foiled with Kanazawa gold leaf in hope of supporting the recovery of the affected areas. You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK Dinesh Unnikrishnan is Editor-Banking & Finance at Moneycontrol. Dinesh heads the Banking and Finance Bureau at Moneycontrol. He also writes a weekly column, Banking Central, every Monday. TikTok owner ByteDance Ltd. faces the threat of hefty fines as the European Union prepares a probe under its strict new content moderation rules over concerns of risks to minors, Azernews reports, citing Al Arabiya. The European Commission will open an investigation into TikTok under the blocs new Digital Services Act in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter said. The probe stems from concerns that changes the company made to comply with the new regulations arent enough to protect underage users, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the deliberations are private. The DSA gives regulators unprecedented powers to take action against major tech companies for how they handle content on their platforms. Companies face fines of as much as 6 percent of annual sales, or even risk being banned from the EU if they repeatedly break the rules. EU regulators in December opened their first formal probe under the DSA into Elon Musks X to establish possible breaches in the way the platform handles illegal content and disinformation. The bloc singled out 19 online platforms and search engines last year as large entities worthy of scrutiny and has been quizzing them for information. That includes X, Meta Platforms Inc., Alphabet Inc. and others with more than 45 million monthly active users in Eu-rope. The EU has since also added three porn sites. TikTok declined to comment on the matter but said it is in regular dialogue and hadnt received anything from the commission about an investigation. A representative for the commission declined to comment. The discussions are still ongoing and the EU may still decide against a full probe. The EU has sent several requests for information to TikTok since the platform was designated as a significant platform. Thats included inquiring about what steps its taken to protect minors, especially regarding the risks to mental health and physical health, and how its services are used by children. More investigations are likely to be added as the EU has been quizzing all designated firms for more information over the last few months. Similar to TikTok, Metas Instagram has also been quizzed by the EU on what changes its made to comply with the new rules and to assess and mitigate risks facing its underage users. AMIC ENERGY filling stations and Dignitas Fund have announced that all 100 DJI MAVIC 3 drones have been delivered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and are successfully performing combat missions on the front line. On 8 February, the Austrian petrol station chain AMIC ENERGY and the Dignitas Fund announced the completion of the transfer of 100 reconnaissance drones as part of the MAVIC from AMIC charity initiative. Ukrainians continue to show continuous support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and AMIC ENERGY and the Dignitas Fund continue their mission and provide the necessary assistance. In total, with the extraordinary support of customers, the gas station chain has allocated almost UAH 8 million to purchase 100 DJI MAVIC 3 drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. "We are grateful to our customers and partners for their support in this charitable initiative," said Audrius Stropus, CEO of AMIC UKRAINE. "The delivery of the first 100 drones reflects our shared commitment to defending the country and supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In addition, after talking to the military, we have a better understanding of their current needs and will try to meet these requests." As stated on the company's official social media pages, Audrius Stropus has repeatedly visited military training grounds for UAV operators to test MAVICs, talking to the military about drones and other needs in the defence of Ukraine. AMIC ENERGY together with the foundation, gradually transferred drones to the military as they arrived in Ukraine. The first batch of 25 Mavic drones was delivered by 15 November last year, the next batch of 50 - at the beginning of this year, and as of today, more than 80 military units of the Security and Defence Forces have already received all 100 drones. AMIC ENERGY promises to continue its support for Ukraine in all areas and hints at the continuation of the MAVIC from AMIC charity initiative. The MAVIC from AMIC initiative was launched last year, where UAH 5 for each receipt for petrol or diesel fuel at AMIC ENERGY filling stations is used to purchase DJI MAVIC 3 drones. Additional information on the terms of the collection can be found on the official website dedicated to the charity initiative. Additionally: AMIC ENERGY is an Austrian company that owns a network of 470 retail service stations in Austria, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion, AMIC ENERGY has been continuously providing assistance to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, military administrations, territorial communities of different regions, and charitable organizations, and has already sent: more than 350 thousand liters of fuel, more than 65 units of special military devices and hardware complex for suppressing control channels of the ANTIDRON KVSG 6+ UAV, military clothing and body armor, almost 200 travel heaters, cars, universal mobile batteries Hama Supreme, etc. Dignitas is a charitable foundation that has been helping to build a strong, technologically capable, and modern army since 2014 by providing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with technical and other tactical assistance, equipment, and high-quality knowledge and practices. The Foundation was created by a large team of like-minded people, including Lyuba Shipovych and Maria Berlinska. Kapital Bank, the country's first bank, offers advantageous opportunities to those seeking cash loans. Specifically, individuals interested in obtaining a daily demand loan have the chance to pay their loan in minimum installments based on the amount borrowed. Those looking for loans within their budget can pay 27 AZN per month for a 1,000 AZN loan, 79 AZN per month for a 3,000 AZN loan, 132 AZN per month for a 5,000 AZN loan, and 263 AZN per month for a 10,000 AZN loan. It should be noted that anyone who receives a salary on a Kapital Bank or any other bank can get a cash loan of up to AZN 50,000 for a period of up to 59 months and the rate will start at 10.9% for a period of a year. To take advantage of the minimum monthly payment option for loans, you can apply via both digital channels and in bank branches. Customers with credit obligations in other banks can also take advantage of these opportunities. For more information: https://kbl.az/prmmp Kapital Bank, the country's first bank, is part of PASHA Holding. Kapital Bank has the largest service network in Azerbaijan with 117 branches and 49 departments all over the country. For more detailed information about the banks products and services, please refer to https://kapitalbank.az website, 196 Call Centre or the banks various social network pages. To apply for a consumer loan visit https://kbl.az/prgtk, for a Birbank installment card visit https://kbl.az/prcrc. In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: More NBFC's piled in past three years, simultaneous polls may not be an unalloyed... Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Markets need their Vitamin D too, as disclosures make them stronger Paytm (One 97 Communications) (CMP: Rs 420; Mcap: Rs 26,600 crore; Rating: Underweight) has been in the eye of the storm ever since its listing in November 21. After the latest development in which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) barred Paytm Payments Bank from offering incremental banking services effective March 2024, the Paytms stock has been on a free fall. This is despite the management stating that the adverse impact of RBIs action will hit the *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Mehul R Thakkar is Special Correspondent, Moneycontrol, Indias leading financial news platform, based in Mumbai where he is focussed on covering the real estate sector. Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Armenians living in Karabakh voluntarily departed from the region, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin during an interview with TASS (a state-owned Russian news agency), Trend reports. According to Galuzin, Russia is ready to facilitate the safe return of Armenians to Karabakh if they wish it. "We are prepared to offer comprehensive support to this endeavor, which may involve the assistance of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, whose presence holds significant importance," the diplomat added. The Azerbaijani authorities have consistently encouraged the Armenian residents of Karabakh to remain in the areas where they are. Upon acquiring Azerbaijani citizenship, the Armenian population of Karabakh is assured to enjoy the same rights as other citizens of the country. A special website has been created for the reintegration of the Armenian population of Karabakh. A UN delegation arrived in Karabakh on October 1, 2023, with the objective of assessing the local situation and identifying the humanitarian requirements of the residents. The delegation comprised representatives from diverse UN agencies. In a statement, the UN mission refuted Armenian claims of the so-called "ethnic cleansing" in Karabakh. "On Sunday, October 1, a UN delegation led by Vladanka Andreeva, UN Resident Coordinator in Azerbaijan, visited Azerbaijan's Karabakh region. The party left Aghdam and drove to Khankendi, where they met with the locals and assessed the state of healthcare and education. During their tour, the delegation saw no serious damage to civilian public infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, residential buildings, and cultural and religious monuments," the statement said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The Constitutional Court will hold a plenary session tomorrow in connection with Azerbaijan's presidential election, Trend reports, referring to the Constitutional Court. The session is going to ratify the Central Election Commission's protocol regarding the results of the extraordinary presidential election conducted on February 7, 2024, where seven candidates ran in the election. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev led in the presidential election in Azerbaijan with 92.12 percent of the votes after the processing of 100 percent of the ballots. Meanwhile, the other contenders: Zahid Oruj received 2.17 percent of the votes, Razi Nurullayev received 0.8 percent, Fazil Mustafa received 1.98 percent, Elshad Musayev received 0.66 percent, Gudrat Hasanguliyev received 1.72 percent, and Fuad Aliyev received 0.53 percent of the votes. According to the results of the US-based Oracle Advisory Group and the Citizens' Labor Rights Protection League, 93.9 percent of voters cast their ballots for Ilham Aliyev. The Social Research Center said that 92.4 percent of voters voted for Ilham Aliyev. Based on the results of the exit poll of the Ray Monitoring Center, 92.6 percent of voters voted for Ilham Aliyev. For the first time in the history of independent Azerbaijan, the election covered the entire territory of the country, including 26 polling stations in the lands liberated from Armenian occupation. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Aurangzeb Naqshbandi is a senior journalist who has been covering the Congress for 15 years, and is currently associated with Pixstory. Arun Anand has authored two books on the RSS. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko has sent a congratulatory letter to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on his confident victory in the snap presidential election, Trend reports. Will be updated Nia-Malika Henderson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Views do not represent the stand of this publication. In today's edition of Moneycontrol Pro Panorama: More NBFC's piled in past three years, simultaneous polls may not be an unalloyed... Moneycontrol Pro Panorama | Markets need their Vitamin D too, as disclosures make them stronger Pakistan was split into two parts as the military authorities interfered with the electoral process and refused to allow the winner, the Awami League led *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Sohil Sehran is a journalist with 10 years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital media. He covers politics and national affairs at Moneycontrol. He tweets @SohilSehran Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Academician Viktor Sadovnichy, Rector of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov, has sent a letter of congratulations to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on his confident victory in the snap presidential election, Trend reports. Will be updated Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day Christin Mathew Philip is an Assistant editor at moneycontrol.com. Based in Bengaluru, he writes on mobility, infrastructure and start-ups. He is a Ramnath Goenka excellence in journalism awardee. You can find him on Twitter here: twitter.com/ChristinMP_ Deepali Singh is a Mumbai-based freelance journalist who writes on movies, shows, music, art, and food. Twitter: @DeepaliSingh05 BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The establishment of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Academy in Azerbaijan will further strengthen the power of the Azerbaijani army, the military expert Azer Bayramov told Trend. He pointed out that such academies exist in very few nations around the world "The establishment of this academy brings several benefits. With the increasing use of UAVs in current wars, such as the Second Karabakh War, Azerbaijan understands the significance of responding to these new circumstances. The purpose of establishing this college is to strengthen its military forces in response to new fighting tactics and technologies," the military expert emphasized. The expert also highlighted that numerous countries procure UAVs from foreign sources. "They do, however, continue to rely on foreign countries for operator and maintenance training. This method is both pricey and time consuming. Nonetheless, creating such a procedure in Azerbaijan would give the country with substantial benefits in this area. In the future, the academy will be able to teach skilled professionals in UAV use not only for military applications, but also for police and rescue missions. In addition, UAVs can be used for mine detection and neutralization," Bayramov added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel As many as nine non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and one housing finance companies (HFCs) have surrendered their certificates of registration (CoR) to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for various reasons, including exit from the business, amalgamation and new regulatory changes that do not require them to hold NBFC registration. Separately, RBI cancelled the registration of three NBFCs, one each from Maharashtra, Delhi and Bihar .Reliance Home Finance Limited an HFC from Maharashtra also surrendered its certificates of registration. Those whose registration has been cancelled by RBI include Maharashtra-based Cox & Kings Financial Service Limited, Delhi-based PSPR Enterprises Pvt Ltd and Bihar-based Bharathu Investment & Finance India Limited. RBI has not given any specific reason for the cancellation, its statement merely says, "...in exercise of powers conferred on it under section 45-IA (6) of the RBI Act, 1934, has cancelled the certificate of registration...As such, the above companies shall not transact the business of a non-banking financial institution-NBFI, as defined in clause (a) of Section 45-I of the RBI Act." The nine NBFC who have surrendered registration certificates include four from West Bengal, two each from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra and one from Tamil Nadu. According to RBI, four NBFCs surrendered their registration certificates following a decision to exit from the non-banking finance business while five NBFCs ceased operations following corporate actions such as amalgamation, dissolution, merger or voluntary strike-off. Reliance Home Finance Limited an HFC from Maharashtra also surrendered its certificates of registration due to exit from Housing Finance Institution business. RBI says Cauvery Tradefin Pvt Ltd and Ginni Tradefin Ltd from Uttar Pradesh and Bohra & Co Pvt Ltd from Maharashtra their registration certificate .RBI issued an order for cancellation of their registration on 11 January 2024. West Bengal-based J G Trading & Investment Pvt Ltd, S. K. Finserve Pvt Ltd and Microfirm Capital Pvt Ltd surrendered its CoR following corporate actions such as amalgamation, dissolution, merger or voluntary strike-off. RBI cancelled their registration on 27 December 2023. The central bank issued another order for cancelling the registration certificate of Tamil Nadu-based S.M.I.L.E. Microfinance Limited and West Bengal-based JFC Impex Pvt Ltd on 5 January 2024 and 8 January 2024, respectively. Mahyco Grow Finance Pvt Ltd from Maharashtra have surrendered their registration certificate and RBI has issued an order to cancel their registration on 30 January 2024. Finance ministry on Friday said that the Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) 2023-24 (Series IV) will be open for subscription during February 12-16, with settlement date as 21st February. The gold bonds will be issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) at a price of Rs6,263 per gram. The government in consultation with RBI has decided to allow a discount of Rs50 per gram from the issue price of Sovereign Gold Bonds to investors who apply online and the payment is made through digital mode. For such investors the issue price of Gold Bond will be Rs6, 213 per gram of gold. Payment for the Bonds will be through cash payment (up to a maximum of Rs20,000/-) or demand draft or cheque or electronic banking. The SGBs will be available through various channels, including scheduled commercial banks, Stock Holding Corporation of India (SHCIL), Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL), designated post offices, and recognised stock exchanges, such as the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Individual investors can start with a minimum investment of 1gm and go up to a maximum of 4kg. The know-your-customer (KYC) norms for SGBs are the same as that for purchasing physical gold. KYC documents such as Voter ID, Aadhaar card/PAN or TAN /Passport will be required. Permanent Account Number (PAN) issued by the income-tax department is mandatory. SGBs come with tenure of eight years with an exit option after the fifth year. SGBs are tax-free if held till maturity. SGBs also offer an annual interest of 2.50%, credited semi-annually to the buyers bank account, with the final interest payment made at maturity along with the principal amount. Upon maturity, buyers will receive the value of gold at current market prices, and the interest income, all of which is tax-free. SGBs can be used as collateral for loans. The loan-to-value (LTV) ratio is to be set equal to ordinary gold loan mandated by RBI from time to time. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. Beth Shirley The recipient of the Teaching and Innovation Award is Beth Shirley, assistant professor of technical communication in the Department of English in the College of Letters and Science. This award recognizes a faculty member who uses novel teaching practices with a measurable impact on student success and the potential to be applied across disciplines. Sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs, the award comes with a $2,000 honorarium. Through her study in the field of technical communications, Shirley focuses on community engagement with science, seeking to pair traditional and scientific knowledge to improve communication between communities. Shirleys time in the classroom is spent on technical and science communication. In one of her classes, students create and publish an annual magazine called Bitterroot, which centers on Montanas lands and people. Shes also an active member of the Montana Agritourism Fellowship Program, which seeks to increase the amount of visitor engagement with Montanas food systems. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Special Representative of the President of Russia for International Cultural Cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on his confident victory in the presidential election, Trend reports. Will be updated Manchester United's Anthony Martial may have the opportunity to return to his homeland in France as his contract with the club expires this summer. The 28-year-old forward, currently recovering from injury, has garnered interest from former club Monaco and Marseille. Despite being out with a groin problem until April, Martial is attracting attention from various clubs, including Marseille, Fenerbahce, and Saudi Arabian teams. However, a January move was ruled out due to his ongoing injury. Manchester United, not intending to exercise a 12-month extension option on Martial's contract, is set to free up valuable space on their wage bill. This decision will render Martial a free agent in the summer, marking the end of his eight-year tenure with the club. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Head of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party faction in the State Duma of the Russian Federation has addressed a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on his confident victory in the presidential election, Trend reports. Will be updated Martin Luther King Jr., played by Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Malcolm X, played by Aaron Pierre, shake hands in this still from the series Genius: MLK/X. Reporter Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post. MVA visitor arrivals up 92% in January, but 43% down compared to pre-pandemic levels US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a welcome ceremony before an annual security meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea on November 13, 2023. Guam Police Department vehicles are parked at the Central Precinct in Sinajana on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. On 12 February 2024 the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Peter Michalko, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ministry told Trend. During the meeting the serious concern was reiterated with regard to the activities of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) that contradict initial agreements with respect to this mission and activities. It was noted that contrary to its declared purposes of contributing to stability in the region and confidence between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the mission is being widely exploited as an anti-Azerbaijani propaganda tool. Trenace Dorsey-Hollins 5-year-old daughter was sick a lot last year. Dorsey-Hollins followed school guidelines and kept her home when she had a cough or a sore throat or worse until she was completely better. Near the end of the year, the school in Fort Worth, Texas, called her in to talk about why her daughter had missed so much school. During the pandemic, schools urged parents and children to stay home at any sign of illness. Even though the emergency has ended, she said no one has clarified that those rules have changed. Its extremely confusing, she said. In the past, if the child didnt have a fever over 100, then its okay to send them to school, said the mother of a 5- and 13-year-old. But now its like if they have a cough or theyre sneezing, you might want to keep them home. Which is it? Widely varying guidance on when to keep children home has only added to the confusion, which many see as a factor in the nationwide epidemic of chronic school absences. Some advocates and school systems and the state of California are now encouraging kids to come to class even when they have the sniffles or other nuisance illnesses like lice or pinkeye. Families need to hear they no longer must keep kids home at any sign of illness, said Hedy Chang, the executive director of Attendance Works. The national nonprofit aimed at improving attendance has issued its own guidance, urging parents to send kids to school if they can participate in daily activities. We have to now re-engage kids and families and change their thinking about that, Chang said. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends staying home when theres fever, vomiting or diarrhea, or when students are not well enough to participate in class. But many districts go far beyond that, delineating a dizzying array of symptoms they say should rule out attendance. Fort Worth Independent School District, where Dorsey-Hollins youngest daughter attends kindergarten, advises staying home if a child has a cough, sore throat or rash. A student should be fever-free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school, per district guidelines. Austin Independent School District in Texas lists eye redness, undetermined rash or open, draining lesions as reasons to stay home. Kids with lice cant attend class in New York City schools. Marylands Montgomery County recommends keeping a child home with a stomachache, pale or flushed face or thick yellow discharge from the nose. Finding the right balance is difficult, and its understandable that different places would approach it differently, said Claire McCarthy, a pediatrician at Boston Childrens Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School. Each school or school district has a different tolerance for illness, said McCarthy. It all leaves many parents feeling puzzled. Its a struggle, said Malika Elwin, a mother of a second grader on New Yorks Long Island. She doesnt want to expose other children or burden the teacher with her daughters runny nose, so shes kept her daughter home longer even though shes feeling better because she still has cold symptoms. Then I regret that because she just runs around here all day perfectly fine, she said. For those who test positive for COVID-19, the CDC still calls for staying home and isolating for at least five days. But guidance from states and individual schools varies widely. In some school systems, guidance allows for students who test positive to go to school as long as they are asymptomatic. Trenace Dorsey-Hollins said it is hard for parents like her to keep track. Is it actually OK to sit in school with a cough if you dont have a fever and havent tested positive for COVID? she said. When schools closed during the pandemic, kids fell behind academically and continued chunks of school absences have made it harder for them to catch up. So some authorities have re-evaluated their tolerance for illness. During the 2021-2022 school year, more than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the school year, up from 15% before the pandemic. Missing that much school puts students at risk of not learning to read or graduate. Absent students also lose out on meals, socialization with peers and caring adults, physical exercise, and access to mental health counseling and health care. In other words, missing school has its own health effects. And when a class sees high levels of chronic absenteeism, it hurts the students who are there because a teacher has to spend time reorienting the students whove been away. The state of California, where 25% of students last year missed 10% of the school year, took a new approach to sick-day guidance this fall. Instead of only saying when a child should stay home, the guidance describes circumstances when a child might be slightly unwell but can come to school. Overall, students should stay home when their symptoms prevent them from participating meaningfully in routine activities. But coming to school with diarrhea is all right as long as a child can make it to the toilet in time. Going to school with mild cold symptoms, sore throat, mild rash or pinkeye are all OK. Whats more, California doesnt insist on waiting 24 hours after a fever or vomiting before returning to school. Going fever-free or without vomiting overnight is enough. Boston Public Schools took a similar stance in its online recommendations for parents. Respiratory infections are common, reads the online guidance. If the child does not have fever, does not appear to have decreased activity or other symptoms, it is not necessary for the child to stay home. The shift in guidance could have a disproportionate impact on low-income communities and people of color, said Noha Aboelata, who leads the Roots Community Health Center in Oakland, California. People in those communities might be more likely to live in multigenerational homes, take crowded public transportation or have poor ventilation in their homes, she said. When people are out and about while sick, vulnerable loved ones could be put at risk. She had hoped the pandemics lessons about staying home when contagious and taking care of yourself and your family when sick would outlast the public health emergency. Instead, she said, it feels like the pendulum is swinging fiercely back in the other direction. But changing the culture around school absences goes beyond just issuing guidance. Some schools in San Diego County seem unaware of Californias new guidance allowing kids to attend school while mildly sick, said Tracy Schmidt, who oversees attendance for the county Office of Education. Still, others have adopted and it and have begun talking through symptoms with parents who call to report their children are sick, urging them to bring them in and see how it goes. It gives her hope that as more schools and parents learn about this guidance, students will miss less school. The most important place for our kids to be is school, she said. We need to leave behind this mindset that we had to adopt during the pandemic because we were in a public safety emergency. ___ The Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. By BIANCA VAZQUEZ TONESS AP Education Writer Elon Musks brain implant company, Neuralink Corp., switched the location of its business incorporation to Nevada from Delaware, taking steps to cut ties to a state where Musk has suffered significant legal setbacks one over pay and another over his acquisition of Twitter, Azernews reports, citing Al Arabiya. The change was completed Thursday, according to the office of the Nevada secretary of state and a notice sent to shareholders in the company. Last week, a Delaware judge struck down Musks $55 billion Tesla Inc. pay package. In a post on X, the social network he owns, Musk advised founders not to incorporate in the state. The notice sent to shareholders, which was reviewed by Bloomberg, informed them that their outstanding shares in the Delaware corporation would now be incorporated into outstanding shares in the Nevada corporation. Neuralink lawyer Philip Mao declined to comment. Last week, Musk tweeted that Neuralink had implanted a device in a human patient for the first time. The startups technology aims to help people with traumatic injuries operate computers using only their thoughts. Eventually, Musk has said Neuralinks device will give people control of your phone or computer, and through them almost any device, just by thinking. Neuralink isnt the first business Musk has reincorporated outside of Delaware and may not be the last. Musk previously moved the incorporation of X from Delaware to Nevada when he renamed the company from Twitter. Nevadas corporate laws offer more protections for executives against inves-tor suits. Tesla, which is headquartered in Austin, was incorporated in Del-aware in 2003. Last week, Musk vowed to try to shift Teslas incorporation from Delaware to Texas, but such a move would require a shareholder vote. Musk has a long history of legal disputes in Delaware, which isknown as the countrys incorporation capital. The state is the corporate home to more than 70 percent of Fortune 500 companies and its chancery court judges are recognized as business-law experts who can hear cases on a fast-track basis. Most high-profile merger-and-acquisition disputes are litigated in the state in non-jury cases. Even foreign companies come to Delaware to have corporate disputes decided. Two years ago, a Delaware judge rebuffed an investor suit challenging Musks $2.6 billion acquisition of renewable-power provider SolarCity, finding the billionaire entrepreneur didnt improperly force fellow directors to accept an overpriced buyout of SolarCity. Later in 2022, Musk didnt have as much luck when he tried to back out of his bid to buy the social media platform once known as Twitter. He was repeatedly dealt setbacks in pretrial rulings by Judge Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick -- the same judge who would go on to zap his 2018 pay plan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) has essentially become an agent of binoculars diplomacy facilitating the visits of different European officials and unofficial delegations to the border areas, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports. "All such visits, without exception, are used for disseminating anti-Azerbaijani hate and replicating unfounded Azerbaijan-phobia," the ministry noted. On 12 February 2024 the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Peter Michalko, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs During the meeting the serious concern was reiterated with regard to the activities of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) that contradict initial agreements with respect to this mission and activities. It was noted that contrary to its declared purposes of contributing to stability in the region and confidence between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the mission is being widely exploited as an anti-Azerbaijani propaganda tool. All such visits, without exception, are used for disseminating anti-Azerbaijani hate and replicating unfounded Azerbaijan-phobia. Of particular concern is that such an intensification in binocular diplomacy happens at a time when there is unprecedented calm situation along the border, and both Azerbaijan and Armenia have implemented serious confidence-building measures. Moreover, recent case of prevention of an attempt of illegal crossing through the areas of responsibility of the EUMA casts the serious shadow over the declared tasks of the Mission. Such concerning actions by no means conforms with the declared goals of EUMA of contributing to trust and confidence as a neutral actor. President Joe Biden View Photo President Biden delivered remarks last week about his background in foreign policy. Biden was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: This is an unusual time in American history. And a lot of you I look out in the room are students of American history and have impacted on it not in insignificant ways. And but theres a lot at stake. Every time I attend Ive had the honor of being vice president of the United States with Barack. And one of the reasons he asked me to do that job was because of my background in foreign policy, and I had traveled the world doing a lot of things, doing issues that were pertinent at the time. And its its interesting to me that the rest of the world is looking at what were doing in a way that Ive never observed. Now, I know I dont look it, but Im over 40. (Laughter.) And Ive been doing this a long time. But the last whether it was the G20 or the G7 or whatever Ive attended, Ive spent over I think theyve keeping theyre keeping the record in the in the Intelligence Committee I mean, intelligence service. I think Ive done over 194 hours with just other heads of state dealing with them. I mean, thats all putting NATO together, making sure that we had some coherence of what we were doing. And its interesting to hear the first meeting I attended as president of the United States, it was in Great Britain with the G7 in in England. And I I showed up, and we were all sitting it was a bea- beautiful setting overlooking the water. And and I sat down, and I said, Well, America is back. And Macron looked at me and said, For how long? For how long? Not a joke. This is a fact. And with that excuse me Helmut Kohl said, Joe, what what would you think if you picked up the phone if you picked up the paper tomorrow and learned in the London Times in the front page that a thousand people stormed the Parliament, broke down the doors of the House of Commons, killed two bobbies, and, in the process, ended up trying to stop the the election of a prime minister? And I thought about that. And I mean this sincerely. Think about it: what we would think if another country not nearly as powerful as us, if they were engaged in that activity. And so, I think, you know, I start with the simplest message: From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for youre the reason Im president of the United States of America. Because you are the opinionmakers. Youre not just contributors. I appreciate that very much, and it makes me competitive. But youre opinionmakers. And the fact that so many of you would be willing to support me is makes a big difference to me. It makes a big difference to my standing in the community at large. And youre the reason Kamala Harris is the first historic president vice president of the United States of America. Youre the reason Donald Trump is a former president. And and youre the reason were going to make him a loser again, God willing. But in 2020, I ran because I thought this country wa- and everything it stood for, everything that we stand for as a country, was at stake. Some of you may remember, I made a speech at the at the when I was in Philadelphia at Independence Hall about democracy was at stake. And the press theyre good folks, but they played it like, What the hell is he talking about? The what do you mean democracy is at stake? Well, folks, thats exactly what I believed then and I still believe now. Whats happening is that the American people thought democracy was at stake. The intelligentsia wasnt so sure about it. But the American people thought it. What happened was remember, we werent supposed to win in 2020. We werent supposed to be able to put this together. We won. And then in 2022, there was a great red wave was going to come. Remember? Going to wipe all the Democrats out. We had the best turnout of any interim president in the interim interim president of any president except one in the last century. We hardly lost anything. And then, in 2024 2023, we won every contested race out there. So, my point is the public is changing too. And theyre wondering where were going to go. Theyre worried. Theyre worried. And those of you who are in the in the media business know that, you know, people theres no editors anymore. The idea that you have someone saying, You cant print that; its not true the idea, it just doesnt exist. Im not being critical of the press. Theyre in a tough spot. Theyre in a tough spot. And Im not saying theyre for me or against me. But the fact of the matter is its hard to determine where you go to get your news. People seem to pick the news they want to hear rather than the news they want to get or whats, in fact, true or whats, in fact, more in more in contention. And so, one of the things that Ive tried to do was to just be straight up with people as to why I did what I wanted what I said I would try to do. We got the Recovery Act done. The Recovery Act was consequential. It had how can you be the leading nation in a world when your infrastructure is ranked 18 in the world? How does that happen? How does that happen? It doesnt happen. It doesnt happen. How do you get to the point where youre able to put together an economy when major elements of that economy are out of sync with whats happening in the world? I remember Ive we we invented that computer chip, which is essential for almost everything now beyond weapons, but from telephones to television to automobiles. So, I got in the plane and I went to South Korea. And I sat down with (inaudible) and I and Samsung, and they agreed to put about $100 billion into moving their chips factory to the United States. New York State is going to benefit incredibly well up in from the Syracuse area up to the (inaudible). But but the point is what Im saying is that people came and invested because they still believe in us. The rest of the world believes in us. And they think we can do I asked why theyre investing in the United States to the chairman of the board of Samsung. He said, Two reasons: one, because you have the best workers in the world, and, two, you have the you, the United States, are the safest place we can invest. And so, we got over $50 billion being invested. Its going to change your state, by the way, in the north in a big way. But I made a commitment that I was going to be President for everyone not just red states or blue states but everyone. A significant number of of the facilities that are being built now, of the 800,000 manufacturing jobs we created are in red states. I love it when you have people like that blonde-haired woman from anyway (laughter) talking about how she how what dangerous things Ive done but wanted to be there for the groundbreaking of two events that were affecting her state. I told her Id see her at the groundbreaking. But my generic point is that the thing thats changed the most as it relates to my career and 36 years in the Senate and 8 years as vice president before 3 years as president is that Ive never seen and I look, I go back to Jesse Helms. I go back to, you know, folks that were the old segregationists the reason one of the reasons why I ran in the first place. Jim James O. Eastland talked at me like this every time hed see me. (Pronounced in a Southern accent.) I was on his committee. And the fact is that, you know, they were tough. But we still, after we fought like hell Teddy Kennedy and Eastland would rip into each other on the floor and then go have lunch together in the Senate dining room. They didnt change their views, but they were there was this there was a sense of as strange as it sounds civility. I mean, Strom Thurmond asked me to do his eulogy. I asked my grandfather, Is it okay, Pop? You know? (Laughter.) Seriously. There were thousands of people who showed up for his eulogy in the in the state of South Carolina. And, you know, Strom Thurmond, for example, by the end of his career, had more African Americans on his staff than any senator, including Teddy Kennedy. Events change people when they get exposed. Not not everybody, but it takes time. Im not making a case for Strom Thurmond. But the generic point is there was a there was something that that we actually spoke to one another. We actually and as much as we disagreed. And we didnt engage in, as a practical matter, going against something that we thought was good for the country because it was going to help someone of the opposite party. Im sure it happened. But I dont recall. Nothing comes to mind immediately in the 36 years I was a senator. And I was chairman of Judiciary Committee and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and served longer than all, I think, but nine people. And so, the point is things have changed drastically. I was asked why Im going stand for in front of this, if I (the President walks away from the podium.) I was asked why I I was asked early on (inaudible). And one of the things that changed (inaudible) so much time in my career that the opposition is everything is personal. And when I ran in 2020, I said I was running to restore the soul of the country. I meant it. (Inaudible) a sense of decency. Thats the way we treat each other. Look at whats going on. Look at what this other guy is saying, the things he says. These kids a young man was killed in Iowa and the schoolteacher was killed a principal. And he said when asked the question just get over it weve just got to get over it. You know, Im glad I wasnt around when he was in France and asked to go up to the American cemetery. My son had just died. And he spent a year in Iraq and his hooch was near a burn pit (The President is handed a handheld microphone.) and his hooch was near a burn pit. And he came home and he had glioblastoma, and he died. And Trump looked at now, I wasnt there. But Trump said and publicly stated it that I dont want to go up there; a bunch of losers and suckers. I mean, look, this is this is more than its not a political criticism. Its a character criticism of the things were doing. And so, Im not and, by the way, all the talk about like, look whats happened now. They love the fact that they think they have a great id- a great issue on immigration to beat Biden immigration. The first bill I introduced when I got became president was to reform the immigration system the first one. They wouldnt touch it. And so, we came along this time and Lankford, who they really threw the man o- the man overboard, but they negotiated all through the entire vacation, all through I mean, they just went straight through weekends. And they finally reached an agreement. And it didnt have everything I wanted in it. It didnt have DREAMers in it; didnt have a lot of things. But I was confident if we got it done, we could then get more done. But the point of it was that you think about what happened because they thought because Trump decided that it was something that that would help me and hurt him take take away an issue. So, what did he do? And you guys know this many of you, as well as I do because you know a lot of people in the Congress and the Senate. He got on the phone around the clock calling people saying, If you do this, Ill therell be retribution. It will be a problem. And they backed off. Every one of them backed off. I mean, come on. Come on. And the fact is anyway. The point Im making is that this is not politics as usual. This is not your fathers Republican Party. This is a different breed of cat. And I think its dangerous. I think its dangerous. I think its dangerous to be us- be engaged in this kind of politics, because it ends up doing nothing but just dragging us all to the bottom. It doesnt do anything to upl- uplift anybody. And Im not going to go on with other things. You you understand who he is. So, its not that Im so good, but you have to have somebody to beat somebody. And where I am is that they say, Well, isnt Biden too old? Hell, Im only 40 times 2. (Laughter.) But all kidding aside, you know, one of the things that age does for you is it gives you a little bit of wisdom. Ive been around for every president since Nixon. And Ive been Ive been with every major world leader since then. Ive known them. And so, we havent done badly. Weve not only got the and dealing with the environment. Well, they told me not to try it. Well, we got $316 $368 billion for the environment. We got a trillion 300 billion dollars for infrastructure. Like I said, how in Gods name can we lead the world and have a second-rate infrastructure? Not a joke. Think I mean, Im being literal. Think about it. So, my generic point is this: that there is room there is room to, in fact, be able to get things done. And I think we demonstrated I think we got a lot done that no one thought was possible to get done. Granted, we didnt have a lot of Republican help. But some of it, we did. Some of it, we did. We got enough. And I think its important that we we get back to some degree of normalcy in terms of what constitutes political whats politically acceptable. You know, I sit in that little dining room where he sat off my Oval off the Oval Office, where he sat for four hours watching what was going up on the Hill. The idea that he wouldnt stand up and say a thing name me a president who has encouraged or condoned political violence political violence. I mean, internally, in the United States, since since Lincolns day. Name me one. And so, it just its sending a message around the world where people are wondering, What has become of the United States? Where are we? Where are we going? Whats going to happen? And like I said, one of the things that that I find how can I say it? I find strange is that the United States and Ive been doing this a long time the United States is viewed and Madeleine Albright was right: We are the essential nation. We really are. Ill ask you this Ill ask a rhetorical question. The United States steps out of events, what what happens? What ha- what happens in Middle East? What happens with regard to the Pacific the the Taiwan Strait? What happens in Asia, generally? What happens with Ukraine? The idea that Ukraine you know, theres 365,000 Russian soldiers killed or wou- or significantly wounded. Hes on the balls of his heels. And what are we doing? Stepping back? Stepping back? I mean, I dont know what Ill conclude with this point, and then Ill be happy when the press leaves, Ill take questions. I know you dont want that wasnt part of the plan, but Im happy to. One of the things that I guess the best way to say it is: If you think about what it is that is going to affect events around the world, and because this is getting to be a pretty small world a pretty small world, man what what is it? And one of the things before when I and you and I, I think, talked about this, Phil, a little while ago, when I was thinking of running last time. If you think about why why is it important? I was going to write a book on the impact of technology on on American policy. Because you go all the way back to go back to Gutenberg and the printing press, Europe would be a very different place if he didnt invent that printing press. Not not not a joke; in a literal sense. I could just go down the list. And what happened was that event occurred down in Virginia where those guys all showed up with Nazi swastikas and torches and were in the woods and the fields. A lot of them came out of the fields with these torches and carrying Nazi banners, singing the same antisemitic bile that was sung back in the 30s in Germany. Literally, not figuratively. And a young woman was killed. I talked to her mom. And the President then was asked, What do you think? He said, Theres some very good people on both sides. When has a president ever said anything like that including Strom Thurmond? When the hell has that ever happened? Thats not who we are. But you travel the world, all of you, the rest of the world is wondering who we are, wondering where were going. And I think the United States we have the dubious responsibility of being the ones who can order the world the best at this point. And I dont mean dictate. I mean, at least set make sure there are certain standards that we can be relied upon. Well, anyway, why why dont I thank the press for their participation (laughter) and then Ill take questions, if thats okay. I know I wasnt supposed to do this. I was supposed to mingle. But maybe Id like to know whats on your mind or what you think what mistakes you think Im making, what you think I should be doing, what you think I shouldnt be doing. Is that okay, boss? The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45m 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. California governor to send prosecutors to Oakland to help crack down on rising crime OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Californias governor announced plans Thursday to send prosecutors to Oakland in his latest move to crack down on rising crime in the San Francisco Bay Area city, where brazen robberies in broad daylight have drawn national attention. Gov. Gavin Newsom days earlier said he would deploy 120 California Highway Patrol officers to also help with targeted crackdowns on criminal activity in Oakland, a city of 400,000 people across the bay from San Francisco that has seen a spike in violent crimes, including serious drug-related offenses, retail theft, and auto burglaries, even though crime in other California urban centers is falling. The additional deputy attorneys general from the California Department of Justice and attorneys from the California National Guard would help Alameda County prosecute suspects arrested for serious and complex crimes, Newsom said. He didnt say how many prosecutors would be sent or when. Alameda County Public Defender Brendon Woods called Newsoms plan a band-aid to fix a broken arm. More prosecution and more police is not the solution here, Woods said in a statement. We need housing, money for community-based organizations, higher wages, employment, as well as money for our schools, medical care and mental health. Car break-ins where the thieves use a car-escape tool to tap a glass window and silently shatter it and then steal belongings left inside the car have become so commonplace in the Bay Area that the criminal activity has its own verb: bipping a car. Some thieves have bipped cars in broad daylight with occupants in them. An arrest isnt enough, Newsom said in a statement. Justice demands that suspects are appropriately prosecuted. Whether its bipping or carjacking, attempted murder or fentanyl trafficking, individuals must be held accountable for their crimes using the full and appropriate weight of the law. Woods said California has tried increased prosecution and harsher sentences and that led to mass incarceration and severe prison overcrowding. We cant keep doing this over and over, Woods said. We need different solutions. Oakland has been without a permanent police chief since February 2023, when Mayor Sheng Thao fired then-Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong after a probe ordered by the oversight monitor found he mishandled two misconduct cases. Armstrong sued the city of Oakland and its mayor on Monday, saying he was unlawfully terminated in retaliation for criticizing the federal court-appointed monitor overseeing the department. Oaklands police department has been under federal oversight since 2003 after a rookie officer came forward to report abuse of power by a group of officers known as the Oakland Riders. The case resulted in the department being required to enact more than four dozen reform measures and report its progress to an outside monitor and a federal judge. CCC secretary-general faces disciplinary hearing after controversial senatorial nominations The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has found itself embroiled in internal turmoil following a dispute over senatorial nominations. Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-imposed interim secretary-general of the CCC, is set to face a disciplinary hearing after submitting a different list of candidates for senatorial seats than what had been agreed upon by the partys leadership. Last week, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) published a list of nominations to fill proportional representative vacancies in the Senate. However, it appears that Tshabangu deviated from the agreed-upon list, prompting objections from his allies within the party. Albert Mhlanga, a former Member of Parliament and ally of Tshabangu, expressed disappointment over the unilateral decision. He revealed that Tshabangu had created a list without consulting the partys committee, contradicting their previously agreed-upon nominations. Mhlanga emphasized that Tshabangu would be held accountable for his actions. The disagreement stems from Tshabangus inclusion on the nomination list for Matabeleland North, his home province. Party leaders had agreed that Tshabangu should not be on the list to avoid any perception of self-interest. Mhlanga accused Tshabangu of manipulating the situation to secure a senatorial seat for himself. Dingilizwe Tshuma, the interim chairperson of the CCC, disavowed the list submitted by Tshabangu to Zec, asserting that Tshabangu had nominated himself without the knowledge or consent of the partys leadership. In a letter to Zec, the CCC stated that the nomination list submitted by Tshabangu had been recalled by the party. The published list by Zec included Tshabangus name for Matabeleland North, along with Teresa Kabodo and Grace Mumpande. In Bulawayo, Lillian Mlilo, former Member of Parliament Kucaca Phulu, Linda Sibanda, and Collet Ndhlovu were nominated for senatorial seats. Tshabangus actions have caused further division within the CCC, with factions vying for control. The party has been in disarray since Tshabangu declared himself the interim secretary-general and initiated recalls of lawmakers and councillors, leading to by-elections that ultimately strengthened the ruling Zanu PF party. Nelson Chamisa, the former leader of the CCC, recently distanced himself from the party, citing infiltration by Zanu PF and accusing it of becoming an appendage of the ruling party. As CCC struggles to find a new leader following Chamisas departure, factionalism continues to plague the party. Experts predict that the divisions will deepen as the government begins to allocate financial support to political parties based on the seats won in the August 23 harmonized elections. The disciplinary hearing against Tshabangu will shed light on the internal dynamics and power struggles within the CCC. The outcome of the hearing will have significant implications for the partys future direction and unity. Breaking News via Email A senior cop allegedly attempted to seduce a junior female officer and engage in corrupt activities, only to be rebuffed by the constable who insisted on following protocol for the recovery of her property. In a recorded cellphone conversation, Superintendent Nathan Makuni demanded US$20 from Constable Ropafadzo Vongai Nehumambi to avoid charging her after he found her sleeping at the Kwekwe Police Station and took her sleeping bag. Cst Nehumambi refused his requests to visit his office and repeatedly urged him to follow protocol and return her sleeping bag. Huya utore chinhu chako iwewe, unouya ne 20 dollars nekuti uri defaulter. Kana usina better uende ku-trial. You can come with your officer-in-charge so that I just warn you over your default said Supt Makuni. Nehumambi reiterated that she had no money and was prepared to be charged. Supt Makuni went on to inquire if Cst Nehumambi had finished plastering her house. Cst Nehumambi demanded her sleeping bag saying she had inherited it. Supt Makuni then apologised and promised to follow the correct procedures. The incident has become the subject of commentary and concern among Zimbabwean police officers, some of who fear reprisals for reporting xul harassment. HMetro. Breaking News via Email By Lambert Strether of Corrente. This headline from CalMatters sums up where we are with so-called public health these days: California ends COVID isolation rule for asymptomatic cases as winter infections climb. They summarize the rule (really an order): Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines from the California Department of Public Health [CDPH]. Californias top public health official, Dr. Tomas Aragon, last week quietly rescinded the states previous order, which encouraged people infected with COVID-19 to isolate for five days. The new health order allows Californians with COVID-19 to return to work or school as long as their symptoms are improving and they are fever-free for 24 hours without medication. Asymptomatic individuals who test positive are not considered infectious and do not need to isolate, according to the order. (This order is even laxer than CDCs guidance.) No doubt NC readers are already shaking their heads, appalled, and Ill go into some detail when I look at the wording of the Order proper. Here are the problems I see with the CDPH order: 1) The Order guarantees infection with SARS-CoV-2, a Level Three Biohazard. This is a strange policy for a public health agency to adopt; 2) The Order, an underground regulation, violates Californias Administrative Procedures Act (APA); 3) The Order espouses a regulatory philosophy not justified in law. Points (2) and (3) may justify a petition to Californias Office of Adminstrative Law (OAL). If the OAL decides in favor of the petitioner, then the Order would be unenforceable under the APA. Here I must issue the following MR SUBLIMINAL Whinging caveat: IANAL (I am not a lawyer). What follows is my own best interpretation of the statutory and regulatory landscape, but Im a layperson, California public health law is complex, and California adminstrative law is even more complex (which is why they have a whole office for it). For example: Is an order a regulation? Is a regulation a rule? Do Public Health Orders have a different legal regimen from other orders? Is a State Public Health Officer Order in the same bucket as a Public Health Order? Can these orders be derived from or over-ridden by a Governors executive order? I feel as if some sort of Shephardizing for administrative law is required here, and I dont have the capacity. Therefore, readers, please regard what follows as commonsensical, inspirational, and not definitive. Remember, though, what CalMatters said: The existing, more stringent order, was quietly rescinded. One can only wonder why! In what follows, well unpack what quiet means. The CDPH Order Here is the the order: State Public Health Officer Order for COVID-19 Disease Control & Prevention (the CDPH Order or Order) issued January 9, 2027 by Dr. Tomas Aragon, and containing these stirring words: NOW, THEREFORE, I, as State Public Health Officer of the State of California, order Ill go into more detail in the next section, but for now check this out from the preamble (preceding NOW.): Covid is not endemic like other respiratory viral infections. Neither the flu nor RSV produce the vascular and neurological damage that Covid does. Covid is far more lethal than either. We have Long Covid, but not Long Flu or Long RSV. In fact, theres dispute as to whether SARS-CoV-2 should even be classified as a respiratory virus; its point of entry is the respiratory tract, but after that, it infects the entire body (creating, as we learned today, reservoirs of infection in bone marrow). I understand that public health has institutional imperatives (efficiency) that drive them to throw the Flu, RSV, and Covid into the miscellaneous respiratory virus bucket, but those imperatives are not health-related. Finally, according to Biobot wastewater data reinforced today, were in the second highest Covid transmission spike after Omicron. Its absolutely disingenuous and tendentious to call Covid endemic. Now lets turn to the Order. The CDPH Order Guarantees Infection Interestingly, the Order is sound on aerosol transmission, at least in theory; but in practice, it is not so sound. There are two sections to examine: Close Contact and Infectious Period. Both guarantee infection. Let us take each in turn. First, close contact. From the Order: All this sounds great until you come to the definition of distinct indoor spaces at the end. In practice, what this means is that an asymptomatic doctor could be in close contact with a patient in their room, and then when they go out into the hall, they can unmask if they masked at all and the 15-minute clock resets! (This despite the fact that Covid can infect within seconds.) Or an infected doctor. The same with patients; the clock resets when they leave their room, and go down the hall, say to the bathroom or for treatment in another room, when the clock resets again. In other words, the Order has no notion that SARS-CoV-2 can build up over time in the entire facility (which, since Covid spreads like smoke, is a given). That guarantees infection in the institutional population, including visitors and patients. Second, infectious period. From the Order: Its well-known in the literature and therefore to Aragon that Covid transmits asymptomatically (Public Health: Overall, asymptomatic transmission was 24.51%. Studies differ, but in no case is asymptomatic transmission negligible). Aragon must also know that even the CDC admits that Covids infectious period lasts at least five days. Again, from the Biobot data, were in the second highest spike since Omicron. The bottom line: By forcing infected children back to schools or infected workers back to work after one (1) day, and forcing the uninfected to share air with the infected, CPDH is guaranteeing infection[1]. (Perhaps the number of those infected could be reduced with a mask mandate, but CPDH says masking is only something to consider.) Herding people toward spaces where infection concentrates, like schools and the workplace, seems a strange goal for a public health agency. (CPDH seems to think they can eliminate asymptomatic infection with the stroke of a pen: For asymptomatic confirmed cases, there is no infectious period (!). And whats with that asterisk? Apparently, the potential infectious period is two days before symptoms through ten days after, but thats not the real infectious period? What does that even mean? Im infected, but with an asterisk?) And with that, lets turn to the legalities. The CDPH Order Is An Underground Regulation, Hence Unenforceable What is the status of the CDPH Order? It looks to me very much like an Underground Regulation remember quietly rescinded? Most things done underground are quiet defined by the OAL as follows: State agencies, with few exceptions, are required to adopt regulations following the procedures established in the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). A regulation is defined in Government Code section 11342.600: Regulation means every rule, regulation, order, or standard of general application[A] or the amendment, supplement, or revision[B] of any rule, regulation, order , or standard adopted by any state agency[C] to implement, interpret, or make specific the law enforced or administered by it[D], or to govern its procedure[E]. So, orders fall into the Regulation Bucket.[2] Importantly: If a state agency issues, utilizes, enforces, or attempts to enforce a rule without following the APA when it is required to, the rule is called an underground regulation. State agencies are prohibited from enforcing underground regulations . The CPDH, as best I can determine, has violated at least three APA requirements in publishing the Order, making the Order an Underground Regulation. As you can see by reading the Order on the CPDH site, the Order (1) is missing a unique identification number; (2) the CDPH web site is out of compliance; further, (3) there was no hearing under the Bagley-Keene Act before the Order was promulgated. (Yves used Bagley-Keene to great effect while skewering those corrupt dolts at CalPERS). Taking these in order: (1) Here is the relevant text from the APA on a unique identification number: The Order has no such ID. An activist called the OAL, and was told that that CDPH didnt register [the Order] with a regulation number. (2) Here is the relevant text from the APA on the web site; The web page does not contain the date the rule-making action (regulation) was filed with the Secretary of State (#7), although it does contain an effective date (#8). (3) Finally, no there was no public meeting held before the Order was putatively put into effect. If a public meeting was required, it would have been required by the Bagley-Keene Act. Before digging in, let me quote the glorious opening section, 11120: It is the public policy of this state that public agencies exist to aid in the conduct of the peoples business and the proceedings of public agencies be conducted openly so that the public may remain informed. In enacting this article the Legislature finds and declares that it is the intent of the law that actions of state agencies be taken openly and that their deliberation be conducted openly. The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created. Hopefully, the people have retained control over decision-making by a public health body during a pandemic. Moving into the detail that is, for a non-lawyer, beginning to juggle the snarling chain-saws the key section seems to be 11122.5: 11122.5. (a) As used in this article, meeting includes any congregation of a majority of the members of a state body at the same time and place to hear, discuss, or deliberate upon any item that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the state body to which it pertains. (b) (1) A majority of the members of a state body shall not, outside of a meeting authorized by this chapter, use a series of communications of any kind, directly or through intermediaries, to discuss, deliberate, or take action on any item of business that is within the subject matter of the state body. In other words, as CDPH deliberated on revising the Order, they would have had to do so in a public meeting, and not privately. The only reason that would not be so is if CDPH were not a state body, which seems absurd. However, there is, in fact, a potential exemption to that effect at 11121.1: As used in this article, state body does not include any of the following: (e) State agencies provided for in Section 109260 of the Health and Safety Code [HSC], except as provided in Section 109390 of the Health and Safety Code. I believe that in fact the CDPH is governed by the HSC, or its ability to regulate is; but when I looked at the exemptions in sections 109260 and 109390 they didnt seem relevant. So, at least as far as I can tell, the Order was governed by Bagley-Keene. There should have been a meeting, and it should have been public. But there was no meeting. (I am told by a reliable authority that claims of Bagley-Keene violations must be filed within 90 days of the violation.) (Yes, this is only one month, but I looked back to September.) So thats what quiet means. No public meetings! Hence, there are three reasons why the Order is an Underground Regulation, and OAL should stop it from being enforced, which they can do, if some kind soul files a petition to that effect. CDPH Regulatory Philosophy is not Justified in Law The order ends with the following intriguing sentence: I went through all these sections of the HSC. Here they are. I have helpfully underlined the problematic sections: 120125: The department shall examine into the causes of communicable disease in man and domestic animals occurring or likely to occur in this state. 120140 : Upon being informed by a health officer of any contagious, infectious, or communicable disease the department may take measures as are necessary to ascertain the nature of the disease and prevent its spread . To that end, the department may, if it considers it proper, take possession or control of the body of any living person, or the corpse of any deceased person. 120175 : Each health officer knowing or having reason to believe that any case of the diseases made reportable by regulation of the department, or any other contagious, infectious or communicable disease exists, or has recently existed, within the territory under his or her jurisdiction, shall take measures as may be necessary to prevent the spread of the disease or occurrence of additional cases . 120195: Each health officer shall enforce all orders, rules, and regulations concerning quarantine or isolation prescribed or directed by the department. 131080: The department may advise all local health authorities, and, when in its judgment the public health is menaced, it shall control and regulate their action. But here is what the Order is designed to do: The statutes justifying the Order say prevent the spread. That is their plain meaning. The statutes do not say prevent the spread while reducing social disruption.[3] The nature and level of social disruption is, I would argue, a political question hence the title of this post and the statutes do not justify political engagement by the CDPH. Conclusion I apologize for the extremely dry nature of this post, whose juicy subject is, after all, how many members of the unwitting public the public health establishment will be able to force under the bus. I hope some of the ideas expressed here will inspire activists with more legal acumen than I possess to continue their good work, and file a petition against the Order with the OAL. I hope they have success similar to those activists who forced CDC to rethink HICPACs attempt to make patient protections in hospitals worse then they were before the pandemic began.[4] NOTES [1] DCPH even knows this. KQED: [CDPH] in an email to KQED, elaborated that a significant proportion of COVID-19 infections are asymptomatic or include minimal symptoms, and many people may be infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory infections and do not test or know what infection they may have. [2] An anonymous source anonymous because of my caveats; I dont want to embarass them! threw the following over the transom, keying the wording of the Order (marked by square brackets, thus: [A], and italicized) to a showing that Government Code section 11342.600 applies: [A] Rule, Regulation, Order, or Standard of General Application: The COVID-19 Isolation Guidance issued by the CDPH on January 9, 2024, is a rule, regulation, order, or standard that applies to the general population of California. It provides specific guidelines and requirements for individuals who need to isolate due to COVID-19 infection or exposure. [B] Amendment, Supplement, or Revision By issuing the update on January 9, 2024, the CDPH is amending, supplementing, or revising the existing COVID-19 Isolation Guidance that was previously in effect. The update is intended to provide further clarification, modifications, or additions to the previous guidance, thereby altering the previous requirements and obligations imposed upon individuals subject to isolation measures. [C] Adopted by a State Agency: The COVID-19 Isolation Guidance update was issued by the California Department of Public Health, which is a state agency responsible for enforcing and administering public health laws within the state. As such, the update is adopted by a state agency and falls within the jurisdiction and authority of the CDPH. The California Department of Public Health guideline was further incorporated into a regulation of Cal/OSHA, a division of the State of California Department of Public Relations, which is a state agency, on the same date of January 9, 2023, and is explicitly stated on the regulation that These regulations apply to most workers in California who are not covered by the Aerosol Transmissible Diseases standard. [D] Implements, Interprets, or Makes Specific the Law Enforced or Administered by the CDPH and Cal/OSHA: The COVID-19 Isolation Guidance update is issued by the CDPH to implement and provide specific guidelines for the enforcement and administration of public health laws related to COVID-19. It clarifies the requirements for individuals who must isolate due to infection or exposure, thereby making specific the obligations imposed by the public health laws enforced by the CDPH. [E] Governs Procedure: The January 9, 2024, update on COVID-19 Isolation Guidance includes procedural instructions and protocols that individuals must follow when isolating. It outlines the steps to be taken, such as testing, duration of isolation, monitoring symptoms, and when it is safe to discontinue isolation. Therefore, the guidance governs the procedure that individuals must adhere to when undergoing isolation, making it a regulation within the defined scope. An exception might be claimed if the CDPH was issued during the period of time during Californias COVID-19 State of Emergency. Due to special conditions under that Emergency Order. However, the emergency order has ended as of Feb 28, 2023 and does not provide a basis for exemption. [3] The ideological position that public health is a matter of striking a balance between mordidity and mortality in the population and social disruption is pervasive in the public health establishment, no doubt because of the political and institutional power it brings. This version of Rule #2 was expressed in particularly vicious and reprehensible form, as we would expect, by Tufts University Infection Control [sic] officer Shira Doron (co-author of this infamous paper with HICPAC member Erica Shenoy): The question is, is the juice worth the squeeze? said Dr. Shira Doron, chief infection control officer for the Tufts Medicine health system in Massachusetts. Were not achieving containment of the virus. So what are we getting from this policy? Of course, its not Dorons juice thats being squeezed. And were not achieving containment due to a catastrophic failure by the public health establishment, which they, including Doron, continue with increasing desperation to reinforce. But here we are! [4] Where the heck are the unions on this? Zoozve the strange moon of Venus that earned its name by accident Space.com America now has a high-pressure economy FT Legal Theory Lexicon: Interpretation and Construction Legal Theory Blog Climate Climate change is making it more dangerous for kids to play outside, report finds The Hill #COVID19 Happy anniversary: Today four years ago. Not one single journalist has asked @DrTedros or @DrMikeRyan about what happened there and why https://t.co/Qw5lP7BH88 Maarten De Cock (@mdc_martinus) February 11, 2024 * * * Vaccination, testing, clean air: COVID hasnt gone away heres where Australia needs to do better The Conversation. The Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control is doing way better than CDCs HICPAC. How to Stop Airborne Diseases Joey Fox, Its Airborne. If you know how it spreads, you know how to stop it. * * * Altered mitochondrial respiration in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (preproof) Mitochrondion. From the Discussion: Mitochondrial dysfunction has been extensively studied in acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. This dysfunction is partly due to the extensive viral targeting of mitochondria and mitochondrial proteins. Any persistent reservoir of the aforementioned SARS-CoV-2 antigenic agents could account for both the findings herein and the inflammatory state of PASC [Long Covid]. In combination, these understandings lead to a probable second hypothesis from this work: that reservoirs of viral RNA and proteins in [the cells in the bone marrow known as human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSC)], upon HSC differentiation, remain in [peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)] and lead to altered PBMC mitochondrial function through immune activation, sustained inflammation, and the symptoms seen in PASC. Thus, the longevity of PASC would be relative to the extent of HSC viral infiltration and related to the risk factor of viremia levels. As such, this study presents a novel cellular mechanism under the currently hypothesized mechanisms of long COVID pathogenesis. SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs in bone marrow? That doesnt sound good at all. Commentary: Hey, wait a second. Viral reservoirs in bone marrow leading to mitochondrial dysfunction? This wasnt included in my 12 symptom bingo scorecard. https://t.co/NKmSGV8hD5 pic.twitter.com/GKrqo4RkQT Jammer (@AcrossTheMersey) February 11, 2024 The table is taken from an article produced under the NIHs RECOVER initiative, which squandered a billion dollars laying the groundwork for survey instruments while not even looking for biological markers, let alone treatment. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation Mufti Sheikh Ravil Gaynutdin has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Azerbaijan Republic Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the extraordinary presidential election, Trend reports. Will be updated Yves here. For years, amplifying the position of many climate activists. Tom Neuburger has warned of the refusal of US policy makers, particularly Obama, to consider methane emissions in their climate change policies. Methane output is a major negative of fracking or fracked gas, now politely rebranded as LNG, presumably to downplay the shattering of rock structures and the related dangers of damage to aquifers and increased earthquake risk. Now the Biden Administration has roused itself to consider this matter and is pausing new export licenses.after we got Europe in the position of depending on LNG as a result of destroying (or at least enabling the destruction) of the Nordstream pipelines (and as Putin reminded in his Tucker Carlson talk, the EU self-sanctioning by not using other Russian gas pipelines). Admittedly, the export license pause seems to be a symbolic matter for now, since the impact is on future, not current, exports. Perhaps experts can opine as to what the price impact might be if this ban holds. A further, cynical thought: Forecasts years ago, and I trust they are still directionally correct, found that US LNG output would peak in the early 2030s, start declining over that decade, and fall sharply towards the end of the decade. So irrespective of whether that profile has accelerated or been pushed a bit back by the interaction of Covid dampening energy demand versus increased international demand, US LNG output is set to dwindle sharply not too far down the road. So is the pause on export licenses intended to keep more of a limited resource for our own use? This expected decline also means that US LNG is a short-lived proposition in infrastructure life terms. Do the financial and environmental cost studies of LNG terminals reflect that fact? By Haley Zaremba, a writer and journalist based in Mexico City. She has extensive experience writing and editing environmental features, travel pieces, local news in the Bay Area, and music/culture reviews. Originally published at OilPrice President Joe Biden announced a pause on new LNG export licenses to assess their impact on domestic energy security, consumer costs, and the environment. Recent studies and scientific letters argue that LNG may not be as clean as previously thought, potentially being worse for the climate than coal when considering the full lifecycle of its production and methane emissions. The pause on LNG exports is contentious, with some arguing it will hinder global energy demands and environmental progress, while others see it as a necessary step towards cleaner energy alternatives. For years, the petroleum industry has been trying to push liquefied natural gas as a clean energy source, or at least a cleaner energy source than other fossil fuels, touting its role as a stepping stone or bridge fuel between higher-emissions fuels and clean energy in the decarbonization transition. But recent research shows that LNG may not always be cleaner than coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. The debate over whether LNG is in reality a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels has been reengaged in recent months as the Biden administration has announced that it will pause approvals of new licenses to export liquefied natural gas. Last Friday, President Joe Biden announced that during this freeze the United States Department of Energy will review and assess whether the nations considerable LNG exports are undermining domestic energy security, raising consumer costs and damaging the environment. This pause will have widespread implications for global energy markets, as the United States was the single biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas in the world in 2023. According to LSEG data, full year exports from the U.S. rose 14.7% to 88.9 million metric tons (MT), but from 77.5 million metric tons in 2022. As the Biden administrations decision to pause new approvals makes waves around global energy markets, its also caused a major resurgence of the natural gas debate in scientific circles. We now know that natural gas is much more harmful for the environment than initially thought, but there is widespread disagreement about to what extent, and whether pausing exports is actually the right move for the environment. In December 2023, 170 climate scientists signed onto a letter petitioning President Joe Biden to reject all plans to build more LNG export terminals going forward, and especially along the Gulf of Mexico. Their argument was based on the finding that, in stark contrast to the dominant energy transition narrative, liquefied gas is actually at least 24 percent worse for the climate than coal. This figure comes from a forthcoming Cornell University study (which has not yet been peer reviewed). The issue is not really the consumption of the natural gas itself, but emissions associated with the life cycle of liquefied natural gas production. The Cornell University figure comes from figuring in the carbon dioxide emissions that result from the liquefying process, which requires chilling natural gas to extremely cold temperatures, an energy-intensive ordeal. Another major issue is the methane that is released during the extraction of natural gas. Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas. While it breaks up much more quickly in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, it is 80 times more potent at warming than CO2 over a 20-year period. And peerreviewed studies (like this one, this one, and this one) are increasingly indicating that natural gas produces much, much more methane over its life cycle than previously thought. But other experts contend that these figures, while peer-reviewed, are politically motivated and the figures are inflated or skewed to tell a certain narrative thats not necessarily consistent with reality. Its just extremely frustrating to even deal with claims like this, because we talk about settled science, says Dan Byers, vice president of policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he works on environmental issues in a recent Scientific American report. The notion that, you know, LNG and natural gas reduce emissions by displacing coal is completely well established. So it feels like weve got like a flat earth situation going on with these claims. A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal goes as far as to contend that the Biden administrations new LNG export pause will actually harm the environment more than it helps. In the op-ed Chris Barnard, president of the American Conservation Coalition, argues that if the United States takes a step back from meeting global energy demands, other energy powers including Russia and China will only be too happy to fill those shoes. He argues that the result will be a more volatile geopolitical landscape as well as an increase of more carbon-intensive energy sources on the market. As usual, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. But the one thing thats certain is that regardless of whether coal or LNG is cleaner, clean energy buildout will always be the cleanest. Of course, LNG will continue to have a role in stabilizing, and yes, bridging a smooth energy transition. But the quicker we can move away from it, the better. For the third year in a row, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp has organized a huge effort to shine a spotlight on the local restaurant scene that they call Dine Nashville: The Music City Way. Stretching throughout February, the event features fun chef collaborations, special restaurant deals and prix fixe menus and even chocolate and whiskey tastings. Several of the events have sold out in advance, but there are still plenty for you to pick from if you want to take part in Dine Nashville, which benefits the Music City Inc. foundation in support of The Giving Kitchen and Big Table. Grab reservations for any of the ticketed events and learn more about the specific Restaurant Week offerings at the Dine Nashville website. See a list of events below. Available Chef Collaborations Chef Brian Kersey (Stationairy) + Chef Kristian Weldon (Grand Hyatt Nashville) Tuesday, Feb. 20 | 5 p.m. | $125/person | at Stationairy (1001 Broadway) Chef Daniel Scannell (Joe Muer Seafood) + Chef Jason La Iacona (Miel) Wednesday, Feb. 21 | 6:30 p.m. | $125/person or $200/person w/wine pairing | at Joe Muer Seafood (1020 Nelson Merry St.) Chefs Tony Mantuano and Joey Fecci (Yolan) + Chef Julia Jaksic (Cafe Roze) Thursday, Feb. 22 | 5 p.m. | $125/person or $205/person w/wine pairing | at Yolan (403 Fourth Ave. S.) Chefs Hrant Arakelian, Abbas Al Nakhli (Lyra) +Chefs Nello Turco, Nicky Miscia (Mimo) Thursday, Feb. 22 | 5 p.m. | $150/person | at Lyra (935 W. Eastland) Chef Julia Sullivan (Henrietta Red) + Chef Andrew Carmellini (Carne Mare) Sunday, Feb. 25 | 5 p.m. | $105/person | at Henrietta Red (1200 Fourth Ave. N.) Chefs Deb Paquette, Jess Lambert, Megan Williams (etch) + Chef Jake Howell (Peninsula) Tuesday, Feb. 27 | $125/person or $175/person w/wine pairing | at etch (303 Demonbreun St.) Chef Jason La Iacona (Miel) + Chef Daniel Scannell (Joe Muer Seafood) Wednesday, Feb. 28 | 6:30 p.m. | $125/person or $200/person w/wine pairing | at Miel Restaurant & Bar (343 53rd Ave. N.) Chef Ryan Poli (iggys) + Chef Michael Hannah (St. Vito Focacceria) Thursday, Feb. 29 | 5:30 p.m. | $85/person | at iggys (609 Merritt Ave.) Chef Mark Vuckovich (Decker & Dyer) + New Heights Brewing Thursday, Feb. 29 | 6 p.m. | $80/person | at Decker & Dyer (807 Clark Place) Chef Jamie Lynch (Church & Union) + Chef Alex Belew Thursday, Feb. 29 | 6 p.m. | $125 | at Church & Union (201 Fourth Ave. N.) Chocolate and Whiskey Pairings Goo Goo + Distiller Mike Hinds (Nashville Barrel) and Distiller Madelyne Morris (Ole Smoky Distillery) Sunday, Feb. 18 | $90 | at Goo Goo Chocolate Co. (116 Third Ave. S.) Restaurant and Beverage Specials Fatbelly Deli will feature the Bizzle Bap Sandwich, which includes a trio of Carey Bringles Peg Leg Porker pulled pork and Bringles Smoking Oasis smoked pastrami + the Dutch crunch bun by Fatbelly Deli W Nashvilles PROOF Rooftop will feature a Negroni Cocktail with cold brew-infused Campari from Barista Parlor beans, as well as a classic Espresso Martini. 8th & Roast will feature a specialty coffee inspired by Common Grounds Espresso Martini Common Ground will highlight an Espresso Martini menu featuring 8th & Roast Cold Brew Restaurant Week Participants (as of Feb. 8) Acme Feed & Seed Bavarian Bierhaus Blanco Boqueria Commodore Grille Condado Tacos Doughbird Fatbelly Deli Hotel Indigo Nashville Jaspers Jeff Rubys Steakhouse Liquor Lab Marsh House Mimo Restaurant and Bar Pushing Daisies Sinema Restaurant & Bar Stationairy STK Steakhouse Superica TENN The Fox Bar & Cocktail Club The Nashville Grange One of my favorite rites of spring has long been the annual Crawfish Boil at Tennessee Brew Works at 809 Ewing Ave. But as my compatriot Ashley Brantley shared in last weeks Friday Five, its not looking like a good year for mudbugs. Excessive temperatures and drought conditions across Louisiana have led to a very late crawfish hatch as the little guys are still hiding in the mud. There are questions as to whether there will be much of a crawfish season at all this year, and any that are harvested are likely to be late, small and expensive. +5 Nashville Friday Five: Where to Celebrate Mardi Gras A handful of opinions about what locals should eat, drink and do and skip around Nashville Rather than exacerbate the problem and have to pass on higher prices, the boilers at Tennessee Brew Works have opted to give the crawdaddys some rest this year and have pivoted to a Cajun Shrimp Boil instead for 2024. This years event is scheduled for the weekend of March 2 and 3 and will feature more than a half-ton of shrimp, live music both days and nights and a boil with all the spicy shrimp, andouille sausage, corn and potatoes that youve come to expect at a TBW spring festival. With crawfish having a challenging year, we want to support our longtime partner, South Coast Seafood, and still throw a big community gathering, says Christian Spears, founder and president Tennessee Brew Works. A Cajun shrimp boil surely hits the spot! The rain-or-shine event on March 2 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and March 3 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. is free to attend, and in addition to Tennessee Brew Works' fantastic beer offerings, wine, Tennessee cider and cocktails will be available for those seeking gluten-free or beer alternatives. Its a dog- and family-friendly event, but be advised that due to construction in the area, parking will be extremely limited. Like, almost none. Youll want to grab a ride-share anyway so that you can avail yourself of an extra brew or two. Heres the live music schedule so you can plan your weekend: Sat, March 2, 11-1 p.m.: Tennessee Warblers Sat, March 2, 1-3 p.m.: Kelsey Rae Sat, March 2, 3-5 p.m.: Erin Hazelrig and the Dolly Parton Tribute Band Sat, March 2, 5-8 p.m.: Mudbug Stompers Sun, March 3, 11-1 p.m.: Easy Green Sun, March 3, 1-3 p.m.: Early Roman Kings Sun, March 3, 3-5 p.m.: Jack Settle Sun, March 3, 5-7 p.m.: Los Swamp Monsters Another of my most anticipated tasting events of the year is coming up on March 5 as the Tennessee Flavors benefit for the Beyond Financial Aid Programs scholarship support efforts for Nashville State students moves to a new location in its 12th year. For 2024, the event will be held from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Nashville State Southeast Campus at 5248 Hickory Hollow Parkway in Antioch. Dozens of local food and drink purveyors will be passing out samples of their wares, and remember not to dawdle since its only a two-hour tasting! Early-bird tickets are available for $75 through Feb. 18 at the event website, so grab yours before the price goes up. Finally, the noodle game in Franklin just got a whole lot better with the Feb. 10 grand opening of Otaku Ramen at The Factory. The enhanced-counter-service-model restaurant features several ramen options along with their craveable Hot Chicken Bun and a lengthy drinks menu including beer, sake, batch cocktails, frozen drinks and boba. Otaku Franklin will provide walk-in seating, to-go and delivery orders Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., along with happy hour specials every day from 4 to 6 p.m. We are so excited to be a part of the new Franklin Factory, says founder/owner Sarah Gavigan in the official opening announcement. "I grew up coming here as a child, so this place has amazing memories. Making new memories for Franklin locals is what we live for." Go getcha some! You know how the interstates follow a path roughly parallel to old highways? I-40 and U.S. 70 go pretty much the same places. I-24 and U.S. 41A north of town and U.S. 41 south of town? I-65 and U.S. 41 and U.S. 31? Actually, Nashville, Ive driven with you long enough to know that you dont actually know this, because you will sit out on 40 in a dead standstill while those of us cued into this occult knowledge zip along on Lebanon Pike. But look at a map! Its true. So now here is a philosophical question. It seems easy enough to answer, but give it some thought before you do. If you and I are both going east, and Im on Lebanon Pike and youre on I-40, and our stated goal is to end up having dinner at Demos, are we headed the same direction? Are we going the same place? What would it take for you to believe that we were going to dinner together? Our State Leaders Are in League With Hate Groups Blackburn, Lamberth and other powerful Republicans were at Friday's 'Rally to End Child Mutilation.' So were the Proud Boys. OK, now lets say youre a white supremacist terrorist. Is Gov. Bill Lee headed in the same direction as you? Is he intending to end up in the same place as you? Do you think hes traveling together with you? I think the two-roads metaphor is useful when thinking about this. Gov. Lee certainly does not appear to be on the exact same road as white supremacist terrorists. But even if hes traveling the scenic route and theyre speeding out on the interstate, are they headed to the same place? Last weekend, Gov. Lee traveled to the Texas border to rail against the feds. The day after his press conference, a Montgomery County man was arrested for plotting to travel to the Texas border and kill feds. He was the second Tennessee man to be arrested in conjunction with this plot. One of the below statements was spoken by the governor, and the other was spoken by one of the plotters. We know that ya'lls (sic) watched people come across the border that are trafficking drugs. You know, its not acceptable anymore. If yall cannot take care of this border and shut it down then we will be forced to come in and do it ourselves. And: The open-border experiment has catastrophically failed America, and people across the nation are experiencing the devastating consequences of rising crime, drug trafficking and human trafficking. This crisis will only become worse if immediate action isnt taken. Thats why governors are working together to do what the federal government wont do, and that is secure our nations southern border. Whats the difference? Other than the fact that Lee took the scenic route in his rhetoric and the terrorist wannabe got to his point as quickly as possible? Though the timing of the Montgomery County mans arrest might make it seem like Bill Lee and this guy both were headed to Texas at the same time, and thus might make you think that he was inspired by Lees words, its actually worse. According to stories from the Texas Tribune and at NBC News, the group that this Montgomery County dude was in had been talking this way and planning this thing for months. In other words, these jokers arent echoing Lees sentiments; hes echoing theirs. (And listen, I dont want to get too off-track here, but if you are just objectively a dumbass like, if you have to live in a trailer on your ex-wifes property because you do nothing but make bad decisions when your kid tells you someones a fed, listen and believe.) How often are we supposed to see Gov. Bill Lee headed toward where white supremacists are hanging out (theres a border crisis; we need to get rid of government schools; trans people are somehow a threat to your children) before we assume its not just a coincidence and that he and they have the same end goals? Republican Lawmakers' Priorities Are Out of Whack GOP legislators are mad at Justin Jones for declining to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, while Gov. Lee travels to the Texas border Which leads me to my problems with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office in this case. OK, you got a fool who wanted to "start a war" with Border Patrol to sell you a silencer. So what? If you arrested him as the governor was returning from Texas in order to embarrass the governor, Im having a satisfying chuckle at that. But our governor gets public thank-you notes from Nazis. And he just quietly accepts their gratitude. If youre looking to stop potential violence at the border, is the dumbass from rural Montgomery County who never went to Texas more of a threat than the feckless Tennessee governor who did? Not that Im calling for the FBI to arrest Bill Lee. Im just saying that this situation with the Montgomery County man is a drop in the bucket of our extremist problem, and maybe we need to find ways to make things more uncomfortable for the people with power who have those same views. Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) is leading a charge to make child care more accessible and affordable for Tennessee families with a slate of bills she says work in tandem to mitigate what she calls a hidden crisis. Three bills target the Department of Human Services Smart Steps program, which offers child care payment assistance for low-income families at participating centers. With Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville), Oliver introduced Senate Bill 2064/House Bill 2233, which would raise the income cap for eligible families from 85 percent to 100 percent of the area median income. Another bill (SB2207/HB2822) brought by Oliver and Rep. Karen Camper (D-Memphis) would eliminate a co-pay required to be part of the program for those making under 150 percent of the federal poverty level and caps fees at 7 percent of household income for families above the federal poverty line. The latter is set to be heard on Wednesdays Senate Health and Welfare Committee docket. An additional bill directed at DHS, SB1805/HB1962 brought by Oliver and Rep. Jason Powell (D-Nashville), would require the organization to revamp its calculation of reimbursement rates for child care centers accepting its Smart Steps vouchers. The current market rate survey underestimates the cost of child care without factoring in all of the labor costs including training, professional development and benefits, Oliver says. Instead of just basing the rate off of a survey that only a fraction of providers in the state fill out, we're actually basing it off of the full cost, so that day cares can actually keep the doors open, Oliver tells Scene sister publication the Nashville Post. Oliver says a DHS representative called her to push back on the proposed changes Friday. The department tells the Post in a statement: "Our department is currently reviewing the proposed legislation and analyzing the impact if it is passed." Oliver, along with Rep. Torrey Harris (D-Memphis), is also proposing a new tax on transpotainment vehicles that would create a state fund to match local government funding for early childhood care. (SB1907/HB2517) Because of low pay among those who work in child care, Oliver and Freemans SB2063/HB2232 would implement a two-year pilot program during which the state would allow people who stay working in child care to continue to receive government benefits like SNAP even if their pay rises above the income threshold. As part of this bill, the Tennessee Advisory Committee on Intergovernmental Relations would be tasked with studying establishing an early educator target compensation scale and whether the benefits are successful. +4 Nashvilles Child Care Crisis Looking at scarcity, cost burden and workforce issues and how the state will try to dig out of it If they're trying to improve their lives and go after jobs that pay more, that leaves a worker shortage because they're leaving the child care industry, but even if they stay at the job, providers can't pay them more, Oliver says. Even if they do get a pay increase, that increase could kick them off of benefits because it's above the threshold for the eligibility requirements for that program, which puts that person in a more dire financial situation than what they started with. It disincentivizes people who are trying to climb out of poverty to seek self-sufficiency and economic mobility. All of the bills in question are headed up by Democratic legislators in both the House and Senate. Oliver says she is working on bipartisan support and points out that previous initiatives like the Tennessee Child Care Task Force saw support from Sen. Becky Massey (R-Knoxville). It's a hidden crisis that we're not talking about enough, because we just think that child care in general is a mother's problem, Oliver says. We think that it's only a family's problem, but this is a problem for employers. This is a problem for providers as well and parents. So we all need to be chipping in to find a solution and investing in the solution. Oliver started off this legislative session with a win finding out that a bill she introduced in 2023 to allow campaign funds to be used for child care was not needed because it was already legal. She hopes more awareness of this fact will encourage more young parents like herself to run for office. Even before the pandemic, profit margins were small for child care centers. In September, American Rescue Plan funds were exhausted and monthly payments that helped keep child care centers afloat ended. At the time, think tank the Century Foundation projected that 1,199 Tennessee child care centers would close as a result of American Rescue Plan Act stabilization grants ending adding up to an estimated 89,989 children potentially losing care. The state has stepped in to help, though the new numbers are nowhere near the $550 million in state funds (plus additional federal dollars) deployed in Tennessee over the past three years. The Biden administration requested that $16 billion be added to the federal budget to keep the ARP funding going for another year. Tennessee is administering $5 million worth of Child Care Hub pilot grants aimed at establishing newly licensed child care locations from the $220 million federal Child Care Development Block Grant. In addition, the state approved a part of a $15 million Child Care Improvement Fund in the fall and increased reimbursement rates for centers accepting child care vouchers. Are you an artist under 35? Do you have a creative mind and want your artwork to be displayed at a permanent location in Washington D.C. where NATO will mark the 75th anniversary of the Alliance? Submit your work to the NATO mural competition an opportunity to showcase your talent and artistic vision of the future. In January 2024, NATO unveiled its public mural, created by street artists in Vilnius, Lithuania to celebrate the summit held in the city in 2023 and symbolise NATOs collective defence mission. Now, NATO is calling on young artists from across the Alliance to submit artwork featuring their interpretation of peace, security, unity and freedom for the celebration of the Alliances 75th anniversary. Top entries will be displayed at an exhibition at the 2024 NATO Summit venue in Washington D.C. and the winner will get to work with a local street artist to feature their mural permanently on a wall in the city. The NATO mural competition will give young talents a chance to produce a signature image for NATOs anniversary as part of its Protect the Future campaign. Eligibility: A citizen of a NATO member country Under the age of 35 If you meet the eligibility criteria, apply to the competition using the form below, where you will be able to submit your artwork (JPEG, PNG or PDF format) together with a brief description. Following the deadline, all submissions will be evaluated by a panel of NATO officials. Top-rated entries will be contacted with further details. The deadline for entries is Wednesday 1 May 2024, 23:59 CEST. Have a question? Send us an email to: campaigns@hq.nato.int Release of Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset bringing society one step closer to dystopia It has been about a week since tech giant Apple unleashed its new Apple Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, and society is already witnessing the makings of a tech-driven dystopian nightmare in the streets. One Apple Vision Pro early adopter, seen in the video below, was arrested for using his goggle device while driving a Tesla: This man was arrested for using Apple Vision Pro while driving a Tesla. pic.twitter.com/42t5RShEB6 My name is ???? ? (@4SingleRahi) February 4, 2024 Another video shared to X shows an Apple Vision Pro early adopter doing the same thing, but in a Tesla Cybertruck set to "self-driving" mode: ?NEW: Tesla Cybertruck in self-driving mode + Apple Vision Pro goggles. Isn't it scary? pic.twitter.com/zwlZlRIi4V InsidersHut (@insidershut) February 4, 2024 Then we have this guy roaming around a mall with his Apple Vision Pro affixed to his face, cords draping around his body and all: It has begun ???? pic.twitter.com/61NGrRe2Wh Clown World ? (@ClownWorld_) February 5, 2024 The "End Wokeness" X account also shared the following video of various other Apple Vision Pro early adopters roaming the streets of busy cities, driving cars, sitting on park benches, and doing other public things with their mixed-reality goggles plastered over their faces: Society is one step closer to dystopia pic.twitter.com/r5PBGgeeZS End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 4, 2024 (Related: During the COVID "pandemic," Apple CEO Tim Cook signed a secret $275 billion deal with the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] to enhance China's technological capabilities and economy at large.) Apple liable for Apple Vision Pro drivers injuring, killing people? It is the video clips of Apple Vision Pro users driving around with their mixed-reality goggles on that is particularly disturbing, as doing this puts other drivers, bikers and pedestrians at risk from this irresponsible behavior. One wonders if Apple will be held criminally liable for such instances when, not if, they occur as increasingly more tech zombies snap up the $4,000-a-piece tech junk to pair with their Apple Watches, Apple iPhones and other Apple junkware. Keep in mind that "The Simpsons" predicted all this: The Simpsons predicted the Apple Vision Pro. Unreal! pic.twitter.com/xsMcIViYHz Not Jerome Powell (@alifarhat79) February 4, 2024 "Yeah, let's wear a $4,000 piece of tech on my head, in public, that also distracts me almost completely from the real world while I'm using it," one commenter mocked about this ridiculous new phenomenon. "Trust me, criminals will take care of most of these idiots." Another wrote that the same people camping out to be the first to buy an Apple Vision Pro will also be first in line for brain chips like the kind billionaire electric vehicle (EV) guru Elon Musk is pushing through his Neuralink company. "How long will it be until they become mandatory?" this same commenter wondered. "It reminds me of that 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episode when they got dangerously-addicted to this alien headset," expressed another. "They had to head-thought put something into a moving / craving cone. Anyone recall that?" "I think a complete look would be to wear a virus mask at the same time." Others noted that the Apple Vision Pro will likely one day be retrofit with automatic deletion, canceling, de-platforming and alert-the-authorities functions that will allow Big Brother to decide who gets to participate in society and whose social credit score renders them unworthy of existence. "Can they be connected to the authorities in real time?" one asked about the headsets. "To track their movements and stuff? Subtract or add social credit points to people on the fly?" Mixed- and virtual-reality devices like the Apple Vision Pro really are a police state's dream come true. Find out more at PoliceState.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com Speaker Johnson reveals 64 instances Biden where sabotaged border security and encouraged illegal migration House Speaker Mike Johnson recently released a document outlining more than 60 times President Joe Biden and his administration have gutted border security and encouraged illegals to pour into the country. This happened after the White House tried to claim that House Republicans had an "anti-border security record" by voting to "eliminate over 2,000 border patrol agents and erode our capacity to seize fentanyl." According to Johnson's press release, these were untrue and previously disproven. It also underscored Biden's failure to secure the southern border as December saw a record-high of illegal crossings. The nation also acknowledged that the situation has escalated to a "migration crisis." "Since his first day in office, Biden has worked to undermine America's border security systematically," Johnson said. "On more than 60 occasions, he has manipulated the federal bureaucracy to open our borders to illegal immigrants, human trafficking, fentanyl, and potential terrorists. The result is a humanitarian and national security catastrophe. The President must use his executive authority to repair what he has broken. I am calling on him to do so." He proceeded to cite 64 infractions when border security policy was undermined and illegal immigration consented. When he assumed office, Biden terminated the National Emergency at the Southwest border (Proclamation 9844), thereby halting the emergency construction of a border wall. All the other policies included "opening the borders." BREAKING: Speaker Mike Johnson releases a document of 64 instances of the Biden Administration undermining border security policy and encouraging illegal immigration. pic.twitter.com/g4WLALMhpi Leading Report (@LeadingReport) February 1, 2024 On May 11, last year, the present administration terminated the use of Title 42 policy expulsion authority. The said Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) public health order was originally enacted under President Donald Trump's administration, which allowed U.S. authorities to expel migrants quickly back to Mexico or, in rare cases, to their countries of origin. The same month, the government ended the DNA testing program that verified adults who crossed the border with a child and claimed to be related to that child, promoting not only illegal immigration but also child exploitation and trafficking. On Aug. 10, 2023, the Office of Management and Budget requested nearly $14 billion in emergency funding that perpetuates the administration's open borders policies. Then on Sep 8, a proposed rule was promulgated to reverse Trump-era policy and allow Immigration Judges to administratively close or dismiss removal proceedings without any action, resulting in no decision denying asylum. A few months later, Biden announced the creation of a new "juvenile" docket within immigration courts which was so expansive, that it gives specialized treatment to 18, 19, and 20-year-old illegal aliens who should be deported through the expedited removal process. On Dec 28, the Mexican government reported that their discussions focused on "regularizing" status i.e., amnesty for "Hispanic migrants who have been undocumented and DACA beneficiaries" after a trip to Mexico by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The most recent instance was back on Jan 3, 2024, when the State of Texas was sued for enforcing a recently enacted Texas state law that allowed Texas judges and magistrates to order illegal aliens to return to the foreign nation from which they entered. Biden claims to secure the border "when overwhelmed" After his border policies have allowed an estimated 1.7 million known "gotaways" to come into the United States unvetted, Biden claimed to be ready to secure the border. "For too long, going back decades, the immigration system has been broken. Its time to fix it. Thats why over two months ago I instructed members of my administration to work with a bipartisan group of Senators to finally seriously address the issue. And, thats what they've done working around the clock, through the holidays and over weekends. Now weve reached an agreement on a bipartisan national security deal that includes the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades. I strongly support it," Biden said in a statement dated Feb. 4, referring to the bipartisan Senate national security agreement. According to reports, Biden says he is eager to sign the said Senate bill ostensibly designed to "shut down the border right now." "It will make our country safer, make our border more secure, and treat people fairly and humanely while preserving legal immigration, consistent with our values as a nation. It would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed," he further said. (Related: Biden 'has no intention to close border, and even if he did, it's too late' Analyst.) Meanwhile, critics were quick to spot how the latest deficit spending deal the senators unveiled this weekend does anything but close the southern U.S. border. Per reports, the proposed $118 billion bill offers more than $60 billion for Kyiv, more than $14 billion for Israel, and $10 billion for aid in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine. Just roughly $20 billion set aside in the 370-page "Emergency National Security Supplemental" bill is earmarked for the U.S. border. Proceed to InvasionUSA.news for more stories related to Biden's illegal migration-favoring policies. Sources for this article include: Speaker.gov WhiteHouse.gov TheFederalist.com Leaked video reveals FAA Officials discussing ways to actively reduce the number of white males in the aviation industry Angela McCullough, the acting deputy chief operating officer for the Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA) revealed RACIST motivations for hiring and firing pilots . In a Zoom call with senior officials from the FAAs Flight Program Operation division, Angela McCullough said that flight operations are "white male dominated" and asked her team to envision a different future. The senior FAA officials talked about implementing DEI Programs in the aviation industry. DEI is a policy that stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. These policies are being implemented across corporate America. Billions of dollars are being pumped into these programs, enforcing racist goals and twisted initiatives that promote transgenderism. Racist DEI programs compromise safety in the aviation industry According to the tenets of DEI policy, senior FAA officials would choose pilots and air traffic controllers based on the color of their skin and NOT their qualifications. To create diversity and inclusion in the aviation industry, pilots who are white or male must be strategically replaced with more female pilots and/or people from different races and backgrounds. During the discussion, Mrs. McCullough announced a plan to reduce the number of white males in the aviation industry. She even talked about fast tracking unqualified individuals into key aviation roles. She said more workers need to be promoted from ramp to cockpit. According to the DailyWires Matt Walsh, (who released the video footage to X) Mrs. McCullough wants to see more baggage handlers become airline pilots. To do this, the FAA would have to intentionally turn away qualified airline pilots and incentivize the promotion of unqualified candidates to pilot positions. During the Zoom meeting, Mrs. McCullough complains that Flight Operations are white male dominated. She instructs the senior officials to talk about what the future could look like if white males were replaced with other races. Mrs. McCullough told the FAA managers that its important to get a little uncomfortable" to make progress on this issue. It seems the FAA managers need to speak up and make their acting deputy chief operating officer a little bit uncomfortable for suggesting that racism is the way to control the aviation industry. But how dare the entitled white man speak up to a woman of color! This is exactly what DEI programs are doing to industries all across America...They are dividing people based on the color of their skin, ignoring qualified professionals, and threatening the very merit of the individual. The aviation industry, like all other industries, should be colorblind in their hiring and firing practices; however, people like Angela McCullough only make judgments of people based on their skin color. Eradicating white men from the industry is her top priority. FAA officials promote transgenderism to appear inclusive Instead of speaking up about Mrs. McCulloughs racist motivations, the FAAs Vice President of Flight Program Operations David Wil Riggins, went along with her rhetoric. He responded, That's great, honestly. Those are some words that we really need to spend some time digging through and thinking about." The FAA leaders are compromising the safety of passengers just to look like they are being inclusive. In reality, the FAA is implementing institutionally racist policies and ousting fully qualified white male candidates. According to Matt Walsh, pilots are reaching out to him and warning about DEI policies that compromise the industrys once-stellar culture of safety. Walsh said a Delta pilot reached out to him because a famous airline promoted a "trans-identifying pilot who repeatedly received bad reviews from captains." "According to the source, this pilot would likely not have survived probation if he werent trans, Walsh reported. Aviation whistleblowers claim that airlines cater to trans employees and promote them because DEI has become the new standard across the aviation industry. These DEI training guides are even catered to pilots who believe they were born in the wrong body. If the employee identifies as trans, then the airline must make exceptions with their grooming, communication and behavior standards to appease the trans person. Walsh says the DEI policies have allowed an industry-wide embrace of overt mental illness [that] afflicts every aspect of aviation. Sources include: InfoWars.com Twitter.com Twitter.com Twitter.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has sent a congratulatory letter to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the extraordinary presidential election, Trend reports. "Your Excellency, On behalf of the Georgian people and my own, I would like to extend to you my sincere congratulations on your re-election as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. I sincerely wish you continued successes and victories in your tireless endeavors for serving your country and the welfare of the Azerbaijani people. I firmly believe that, through joint efforts, we will elevate the good-neighborly, friendly relations, and strategic partnership between our two brotherly countries to new heights. This will undoubtedly fortify the roles of both Georgia and Azerbaijan in fostering regional stability and development. Your Excellency, I reaffirm my deepest respect and extend my best wishes for continued success in your endeavors while wishing the friendly Azerbaijani people peace and prosperity," the letter reads. Popular U.S. food brands linked to forced labor by prisoners in AP expose Some of Americas most recognizable food brands have achieved their success on the backs of prisoners at corrections facilities throughout the nation. While many of us associate forced labor camps with countries like Russia, prison labor plays a significant role in the journey from farm to table for much of the U.S.s food supply. The Louisiana State Penitentiary, which was once a Southern slave plantation and is now the country's biggest maximum-security prison, is supplying big names like Walmart, McDonalds and Cargill with meat via prison-raised cattle, according to a two-year investigation by the Associated Press. This isnt just an isolated case; the AP reports that similar invisible webs tie prison labor to hundreds of millions of dollars of agricultural products and other goods sold in the U.S. They report that it is not unusual for prisoners to be sentenced to hard labor, and those who refuse to work could face punishments like solitary confinement or even risk losing parole opportunities. The AP identifies a number of popular food items that are produced by prisoners, from Ball Park hot dogs to Frosted Flakes cereal, Coca-Cola and Gold Medal flour. Their products can be found in stores like Whole Foods, Target and Kroger. In some cases, they are exported to other countries, including those whose own products have been blocked from entering America because of their use of prison labor. One prisoner, Willie Ingram, told the AP about his experience picking okra and cotton on the prison's farm on the plantation soil where slaves did the same thing decades ago during his 51 years behind bars in the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The penitentiary houses 3,800 men, more than two thirds of whom are black, and they work for free but can later earn somewhere between 2 and 40 cents per hour in some cases. He explained how armed guards on horseback watched as dehydrated prisoners passed out while working in the fields in triple-digit temperatures. The AP traced almost $200 million in sales of livestock and farmed goods to businesses from prison labor, although they say this data is incomplete and the real number may be higher. Prison laborers do not have worker protections Some corrections officials told the AP that not all prison labor is forced and that it can save taxpayers in some cases, such as when the prisoners are producing the food that is served in their kitchens. Moreover, they say that prisoners are learning useful skills that can help them find employment when they are released and provides them with an important sense of purpose. However, critics maintain that prison laborers deserve fair pay, more humane treatment, and the option to choose not to work. Many of them do not have protections traditional workers do, such as workers compensation and coverage by federal safety standards, nor do they have recourse when subjected to poor working conditions. The AP spoke to dozens of current and former prisoners who did this type of work after being convicted of crimes ranging from writing bad checks to murder. Some claim being injured on the job, while others were subjected to sexual harassment. Others, like Frank Dwayne Ellington, died on the job. Ellington was sucked inside a machine in a chicken processing plant, and in his familys legal battle with Koch Foods, the company claimed he wasnt technically an employee. AP contacted some of the companies about the links between their supply chains and prison labor, but many of them denied there was a connection. McDonalds said it would look into it, while General Mills said that it has a policy restricting its suppliers from using forced labor. Many Americans are not aware of the connection their everyday foods have to prison labor. Although many people are not opposed to the concept of putting prisoners to work in theory, transparency about which brands are relying on this type of labor and the working conditions is lacking. In addition to working on vast farms, hundreds of prisons around the country have prisoners doing jobs like fish farming, beekeeping, raising livestock, landscaping and tending greenhouses without workers' protections and often without pay. Sources for this article include: APNews.com Blacklisted.news Russian schoolchildren are learning drone technology while U.S. students focus on gender ideology Russian students are now getting lessons in combat readiness, according to a senior official, with schoolchildren learning about drone technology for both industrial and military applications. According to Russian Senator Artem Sheikin, some of the topics that will be covered in schools include how to counter enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and carry out terrain reconnaissance. The lessons on operating UAVs will be part of the Basics of Life Safety syllabus. Students in years 10 and 11 will also be trained in operating hand grenades and assault rifles. Meanwhile, Deputy Education Minister Tatyana Vasilyeva has announced that students will also be spending more time on technical drawing with a view to working better with blueprints. The news comes as Russia continues to battle Ukraine, where drones have become a key weapon. In one recent incident, a group of 11 Russian armored vehicles and tanks were destroyed by kamikaze drones. There are also reports that Russian schoolchildren in some areas have been forced to make supplies for the Ukraine war, such as parts for flying grenades that are dropped by kamikaze drones. Local channel Nokrat reported that students in the Republic of Tatarstan were adding the finishing touches to 3D-printed tails that will be attached to grenades to help them better hit their target. The components mimic grenade tails and help to stabilize their flight when they are deployed by drones. At another school in Tatarstan, students have been making canes and crutches for soldiers who are injured on the front lines as part of a broader trend toward militarizing the countrys educational system. Russian President Vladimir Putin also recently signed a new law requiring students in elementary and middle schools to take classes in woodworking, sawing and repairs. Some intelligence analysts have said that while building combat capability is certainly something Russia would want to pursue, these measures are also about nurturing a feeling of nationalism there. American students are learning to question their gender and critical race theory While Russia teaches children combat readiness and warfare-related skills, American schools are focusing their efforts on teaching students topics like gender ideology and telling them that biological sex is not real. Many schools are more worried about whether their teachers are using students preferred pronouns and playing along with whatever gender theyre pretending to be than making sure they are teaching students things that are actually useful and will serve them well in life. In one California kindergarten class, teachers told students that their sex was decided randomly at birth and told them they need to now discover what their gender really is and informed them that anyone who questions why they are doing this is "abusing" them. The California Teachers Association even voted to allow kids to leave during school hours so they can receive dangerous and irreversible transsexual hormones without permission from their parents. Numerous teachers and schools are telling young people that they may be trapped in the wrong body. American students in many parts of the country are also wasting time on critical race theory. In some cases, teachers are convincing children they are racist, that being white is wrong, and that America is an inherently and irreversibly racist country. In other words, while Russian students are taught to be patriotic and defend their country, American students are being taught that their nation is racist and they should question their gender. Needless to say, this does not bode well for Americas future global standing. Sources for this article include: DailyMail.co.uk NYPost.com EuroNews.com Senator Wagner pushes for more censorship and Big Tech-government collusion to silence the voices of Americans Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Virginia Senator Mark Warner wants to " reinterpret the First Amendment " while facilitating censorship, critics observed, by supporting the collusion between Big Tech and President Joe Biden's administration. During a recent interview of Warner with NPR's A. Martinez, he raised concerns about foreign powers who want to "attack U.S. democracy," Americans who deny election results and the new tools, such as artificial intelligence (AI), that make it easy to sow doubt. "I think when you are talking about true misinformation or disinformation, or when you're talking about utilization of deepfakes where an imageis put up and it's not us, but it looks like us and sounds like us, I don't think those are First Amendment protections," Wagner said. Moreover, he suggested that information labeled as disinformation be treated as malicious and banned like manipulation is banned from the stock market, bringing market rules into the world of fundamental rights and free speech. He also slammed 2020 "election deniers" while denying the integrity of the 2016 election, by once again fear-mongering about the supposed impending doom, "a perfect storm in terms of election interference." He wants to keep the current administration in power by strengthening Biden's regime's ability to censor and keep the collusion with Google and Facebook intact, if not stronger. This was the reason why he wrote an amicus brief to get the Supreme Court to reverse an injunction concerning the government and Big Tech collusion, brought up in the NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton case and issued by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the dialogue with NPR, the lawmaker also pointed out that he "doesnt believe" collusion of that kind has to do with free speech suppression. He said, "It has to do with the ability of the government to be able to at least talk to Facebook and Google to say, 'hey if you see misinformation or can we share evidence of Russian activity? How do we cooperate together?'" He was also pushing the "very timid" White House to be a little more aggressive when it comes to the United States legal system. To critics, he was firm not only with surveillance and suppression of free speech, he was bluntly pushing for tyranny and totalitarianism. (Related: Attack on free speech: House Democrats ignore First Amendment, issue letter to X (formerly Twitter) demanding MORE CENSORSHIP.) Warner proposes legislation to further surveil citizens via the use of drones In line with his efforts to fully encroach on Americans' privacy, Warner, together with South Dakota Senator John Thune, announced a bill that would develop cybersecurity guidelines for the federal government's use of drones by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). According to the "DETECT Act," also known as the "Drone Evaluation to Eliminate Cyber Threats," drones would have the ability to collect and store sensitive information. "Drones and unmanned systems can transform the way we do business, manage our infrastructure, and deliver life-saving medicine, and as drones become a larger part of our society, we must ensure their safety and security," said Warner. "This legislation will establish sensible cybersecurity guidelines for drones used by the federal government to ensure that sensitive information is protected while we continue to invest in this new technology." It also has other components, including directions for the Office of Management and Budget to test those guidelines with one federal agency and to implement reporting guidelines for drone security vulnerabilities. ??Federal agencies would also be forbidden from buying drones that dont meet these guidelines without a waiver. "As the capabilities of drones continue to evolve and be utilized by both the federal government and the private sector, it's critically important that they operate securely," Thune said in a statement. "This common-sense legislation would require the federal government to follow stringent cybersecurity guidelines and protocols for drones and unmanned systems." The two lawmakers said that a previous proposal called the "Increasing Competitiveness for American Drones Act," which was aimed at improving the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA's) process for dealing with the technology, was opaque and sluggish. "If we want the drones of tomorrow to be manufactured in the U.S. and not in China, we have to start working today to integrate them into our airspace," Warner said in a statement issued back in February 2023. Both of the mentioned proposals were supported by the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry. Visit FirstAmendment.news for more stories related to the suppression of the freedom of speech and censorship. Sources for this article include: ReclaimTheNet.org NPR.org WFXRTV.com 1 WFXRTV.com 2 FedScoop.com Were COVID lockdowns and distance learning PLANNED to make todays kids and the next generation of adults DUMB ENOUGH to vote for more communism? No, it's not enough that Americans are force-fed processed, nutrition-void food stuff and fluoridated water to lower their IQ, but we all had to endure COVID lockdowns and "distance-learning," which should have been labeled "severely-disabled" learning. In order for just about any human being to believe in Western Medicine, they really need to be "doped up" 24/7/365 while watching TV ads for new drugs and getting brainwashed by commercials for sugar-dosed "junk science" food stuff. Then came "virtual learning" during the lockdowns and plandemic. Along with the deadly mRNA "vaccine" holocaust, it was ALL planned. Top 5 major problems with virtual "distance learning" for children, kids and teens The next couple generations have already been dumbed down from a combination of horrific toxins, misinformation, and the lack of proper education, that invade and keep invading their vital systems, including their brains. Not only are spike proteins clogging the vascular systems of 5 out of every 6 kids, but the entire learning infrastructure was disrupted for months, even years, for certain school systems. Distance learning is not even close to being as effective as in-person schooling. Let's take a look at this from an educator's perspective. #1. Distance learning (or virtual) makes it next-to-impossible for students to work together as partners or in small teams. That loss of learning and social skill building cannot be taken back or simply made up as lost time. It's gone. #2. Online learning is mostly linear, only engaging two senses. In fact, "virtual learning" leaves behind touch, taste, as well as feeling, which embed learning in the long-term memory part of the brain. In other words, it's not "deep learning." #3. Motivation is a problem with virtual learning because of the lack of human interaction in person, since it's more of a two-dimensional world online. Also, motivation is lacking because the content is poor and there's much less context for all lessons and assignments. #4. Way too much screen time is a major problem, in many health and learning realms. Do not underestimate this in the current destruction of real education's infrastructure. #5. Teachers have very little-to-no-control over the students paying attention, even staying in camera view, avoiding all kinds of distractions, leaving the computer for extended periods of time, and having no real supervision. The entire education system is heading for a steep cliff, if the scamdemics keep coming and the virtual learning takes over, along with AI (artificial intelligence). Ready for 5 hours a day of boring lessons? How much screen time will the kids and teens experience outside of "school" while the virtual learning is in full effect? Is their IQ dropping, or just their grades and ability to think critically at all? Students who sit in front of a computer screen to take school lessons all day are constantly interrupted by siblings, pets, noises, snack cravings, bathroom breaks (extended usually to goof off), and more. Plus, how much information is really sinking in when it's really just like watching cartoons on TV? This is all a set up for kids and teens to be sucked into the vortex of stupidity, need, reliance and servitude to Big (Communist) Brother, make no mistake about it. This was and is all a formula for disaster, to take away the health and minds of young Americans, leading them down a deep, dark, long spiral of servitude to a government that is only interested in two things: money and control. Bookmark Vaccines.news to your favorite independent websites for updates on toxins that make you dumb, fast, and give you Long-Vax-Syndrome. Sources for this article include: Pandemic.news NaturalNews.com UnschoolingToUniversity.com WATCH: Democrat suggests Biden admin Big Tech-censorship collusion doesnt exist During a hearing on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, Democrats continued their long-standing tradition of downplaying or denying evidence of the Biden administration pressuring Big Tech platforms to censor Americans , despite numerous examples of this censorship collusion being provided during the hearing. (Article by Tom Parker republished from ReclaimTheNet.org) The weaponization at the center of the hearing included the federal governments funding of AI-powered censorship and propaganda tools that can be used by governments and Big Tech to monitor and censor speech at scale. However, the hearing also cited many other examples of censorship, including former Biden admin officials demanding content takedowns, DHS-linked teams censoring 2020 election-related online speech, Biden admin agencies awarding multi-million dollar grants to entities researching AI-censorship tools, and the Biden White House pressuring Amazon to censor books that were skeptical of Covid-19 vaccines. Yet, several Democrats either argued that the Biden admin either didnt violate the First Amendment when engaging in this activity or that the censorship at the center of this hearing doesnt exist. Norman Eisen, the former US Ambassador to the Czech Republic under President Barack Obama, framed those concerned about the Biden admin violating the First Amendment as crying wolf and supported the Supreme Courts decision to stay an injunction that had prevented the Biden admin from communicating with Big Tech about posts that the administration deems to be harmful. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) claimed that the evidence of federal government censorship pressure was projection and that the government weaponization that Republicans were focused on doesnt exist. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) cited testimony from witnesses behind closed doors to push the idea that the government has never coerced, pressured, or threatened any social media company into taking any action and that this is a theory that falls apart. Read more at: ReclaimTheNet.org DOJ special counsel report describes Biden as having diminished faculties and faulty memory proving critics right that he is in a state of COGNITIVE DECLINE The Department of Justice's (DOJ) special counsel report regarding allegations that President Joe Biden mishandled classified documents has described him as having "diminished" mental faculties The investigation against Biden comes from allegations that he mishandled classified documents by knowingly keeping them after his term as vice president ended in 2017. Following a 15-month investigation, Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Hur has decided against bringing criminal charges against the president, writing in his report that it would be difficult to convince jurors that Biden "willfully" kept classified documents. (Related: White House concerned about Biden's DECLINING mental state and Kamala's UNPOPULARITY.) "We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," wrote Hur in his assertion that jurors were unlikely to vote to convict the president. This report should have been an unequivocal legal exoneration, and Democrats should have been able to use the report as a victory against critics claiming that Biden is in a state of cognitive decline. Instead, as New York Times White House correspondent Michael D. Shear describes it, Hur's report has been "a political disaster" for the president. Hur's 345-page report, which details his investigation that included interviews with Biden, claimed that Biden had "diminished faculties" and a "faulty memory" during five hours worth of interviews held over two days. He claimed that Biden had "significant limitations" in his ability to recall certain events. Hur: Biden couldn't remember what years he served as VP, when his son Beau died Among Hur's assertions, he claimed that Biden could not remember what years he served as vice president and, in one instance, "he did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died." Speaking to reporters from the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room on Feb. 8 after the report's release, Biden strongly criticized Hur and accused him and the report's other authors of "extraneous commentary" regarding his age and mental capacity. "They don't know what they're talking about," said the president. He appeared to take special exception at Hur's claim that he could not remember when Beau died." "How the hell dare he raise that," said Biden. "Every Memorial Day, we hold a service remembering him attended by friends and family and the people who loved him. I don't need anyone, I don't need anyone to remind me when he passed away." Beau Biden, the president's eldest child and a veteran of the Delaware Army National Guard including serving for at least a year deployed in Iraq died of an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2015, possibly caused by lengthy exposure to toxic chemicals during his deployment. In a follow-up written statement, Biden claimed that he was distracted during the five hours of in-person interviews held over two days on Oct. 8 and 9 because Hamas had just attacked Israel on Oct. 7. "I was in the middle of handling an international crisis," the president wrote. "I just believed that's what I owed the American people." Watch this clip of Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocey describing how it is now up to the White House to prove that Biden's cognitive faculties are in order. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Ben Armstrong: White House's admission that Biden has dementia makes him an "open national security risk." CLAIM: White House quietly pondering replacing Kamala Harris, fessing up about Joe Biden's mental decline. Rep. Ronny Jackson: Biden "can't do the job" of U.S. president due to COGNITIVE DECLINE. Biden insists he's still capable of leading America, but his MIND and BODY are clearly not up to the task. COVER-UP: White House chief doctor deems Biden fit to work, but omits cognitive test. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk Reuters.com TheGuardian.com NYTimes.com Brighteon.com Employers that mandated COVID-19 injections for workers can be held LIABLE for vaccine injuries, Australian court rules It is no longer legally viable for employers in Australia that mandated Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccination" on their employees to claim immunity from liability based on the argument that they simply followed lawful government directives. The issue came to a head after the state of South Australia rejected a youth support worker by the name of Daniel Shepherd's claim requesting compensation for a diagnosis of vaccine-induced pericarditis following forced vaccination by his employer. Shepherd appealed the ruling, ultimately prompting the South Australian Employment Tribunal to overrule the previous decision. The South Australian Department of Child Protection (DCP) forced Shepherd to take the injection, which resulted in serious heart damage. The DCP's defense argument claims that while the injection did, in fact, cause Shepherd's pericarditis, the forced needling did not "arise from employment but from a lawful State Government vaccination drive." In other words, the Australian government is to blame. The tribunal, however, disagreed. Refusing to let the Australian government be held exclusively liable for its own jab mandates, the tribunal decided that Shepherd's injury came about "as a result of both [the government's] vaccination mandate and the applicant's employment." Employment, the tribunal continued in its overruling, does not have to be the "only or most significant cause" of an individual's COVID jab injury or injuries. It only has to be a "significant contributing cause of a work injury," the suggestion being that employers cannot simply shift all blame onto the government. (Fact check: Most of Australia's earliest "COVID-19 deaths" occurred in people who were "fully vaccinated" in accordance with the nation's guidelines, state records show.) Governments, employers both responsible for vaccine mandate injuries Regardless of who is held responsible, Shepherd's life is still ruined either way. He remains incapacitated and unable to perform normal daily duties, which is likewise the case for thousands of other Australian employees who were forced to choose between destroying their lives by taking the mandated jabs, or losing their jobs and livelihoods by refusing them. Shepherd took two injections before experiencing adverse effects, prompting him to refuse any further "booster" doses. His supervisor, however, ordered Shepherd to take a third dose within four months of receiving his second injection, or else lose his job. Shepherd reluctantly complied, only to experience severe chest pains within 24 hours of getting boosted. His pain worsened day by day over the course of several weeks until eventually he was no longer able to bear it, describing the sensation as though someone was constantly kneeling on his chest. An ambulance ultimately had to transport Shepherd to the Ashford Hospital cardiac unit where cardiologists diagnosed him with pericarditis, likely caused by his having received a third COVID-19 jab. To be fair, state governments did slough off enforcement of the mandates onto managers in workplaces, threatening them with harsh fines and other penalties if they refused. They could have just said no to forcing the drugs on their employees regardless, but many employers took the bait and complied. Now, both governments and employers are on the hook for injuries caused by COVID-19 jab mandates. The tribunal's ruling means that many more injured employees can go after their employers, including private businesses, for forcing them to take dangerous, experimental drugs as a condition of employment. There is very little chance, though, that employers will actually fess up to culpability in employee injuries. "The DCP accepted that Shepherd had been injured by the vaccine," writes David James for LifeSiteNews about the matter. "Businesses are unlikely to make similar admissions, given the potential sums involved." The COVID vaccine genocide will not go unpunished. Find out more about the latest developments on the legal front at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: LifeSiteNews.com NaturalNews.com Excess deaths among patients in elderly care homes skyrocketed following COVID-19 vaccine rollout A registered nurse with 35 years of experience working at large geriatric practices says that excess deaths among older people in the various elderly care homes where she works died at a rate 300 percent higher than normal after Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccines" were introduced. Deanna Kline, RN, has been taking copious notes about the death trends she has been observing, which she writes about in her book "'Vaccine' Injuries, Lies, and Deaths: The Alarming Facts About the COVID Vaccine and Helpful Resources for Healing." Kline has seen thousands of patients over the years. According to her, deaths at geriatric facilities ranged from about eight to 10 and says in an average year. After Operation Warp Speed, these figures jumped to 36 deaths in 2022 and 48 deaths in 2023. As explained by investigator Steve Kirsch, the chance of the 2022 number happening randomly is 1.7e-10. For 2023, the chance is 4.5e-18. These seemingly random numbers might not mean much to the average reader, but suffice it to say that the spike in deaths post-COVID injection release is not a coincidence. "This kind of an increase is caused by something," he writes. (Related: A recent study found that covid injections have caused at least 17 million deaths worldwide.) Death by booster Kline is choosing to be discreet about the name of the facility where the aforementioned death numbers occurred. She did say that all of the death cases occurred in people who had been vaccinated. A social media account called "Old Kiwi" reported similar statistics out of Orewa, a village located to the north of Auckland, New Zealand. A geriatric facility there called Ryman retirement village used to issue a monthly newsletter with an RIP (Rest in Peace) notice that averaged about 2-3 deaths per month in the six years before Operation Warp Speed. "Maximum we could remember seeing was 5, maybe 6 in any one month, but that number was rare," Old Kiwi reported. At the start of August 2022, the RIP newsletter contained a whopping 20 names listed as deaths that occurred in the month of July this was the very same month that Pfizer gave residents their first booster shot as an in-house operation. "The email newsletter was discontinued shortly thereafter," Old Kiwi added. "We believe the current policy is residents need to go to their doctor should they require further Covid vaccination. Ramification to the July 2022 horror show. Silence." Obituaries also increased in prevalence after the release of COVID injections. The same 300 percent increase figure was reported by someone who says she keeps track of obituaries in several newspapers. "In 2021, obituaries in the paper had TRIPLED from 2020, and are still up at that rate!" this person reported. Conversely, there is not a single "success" case in which all-cause mortality dropped after COVID jabs were introduced why is that? The answer is that COVID jabs do not prevent death, but rather cause it. "The vaccine manufacturers knew how toxic vaccines were years ago," wrote a commenter at Kirsch's Substack about the situation. "Their true test results were swept under the rug." "I was thinking about all the naive trusting people who think their doctors are infallible. One of my brothers was in this category. His doctor was 'brilliant' and told him 'vaccines were safe.' He took 5 boosters ... and I haven't heard from him for quite awhile. He told me to stop sending him any more info. I had sent him a great deal of information on why he shouldn't take the CV-19 vax. There are many others who think exactly the same way. In my opinion, these are people who have received too many vaccines over the years." The latest news about injuries and deaths caused by COVID injections can be found at ChemicalViolence.com. Sources for this article include: KirschSubstack.com NaturalNews.com Landmark fluoride trial CORRUPTED by judge: Scientists not allowed to reveal political influence in keeping public water supply laced with NEUROTOXINS A landmark trial is taking place in which the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) is suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its pro-fluoride policies requiring United States water supplies to artificially fluoridate public drinking and tap water with neurotoxic fluoride chemicals. With all the breaking news about war in the Middle East, the 2024 presidential election and America's southern border crisis, many are unaware that FAN, a longtime public advocacy group, has finally taken the EPA to court over the fluoride scandal. Former National Toxicology Program (NTP) scientific director Brian Berridge, DVM, PhD, recently testified at the trial about an NTP draft report linking fluoridated water consumption to lower IQ in children. Said report was court-ordered to be released last March, and Berridge was there at the trial to speak about it. Once in the courtroom, Berridge was muzzled by Judge Edward Chen and told he could only discuss the formal NTP report publication process. Berridge was restricted from expressing his own educated viewpoints about the political overreach that steers NTP reporting, including the NTP's delay of releasing the findings. Berridge later spoke with The Defender about his concerns with what transpired, stating that he is annoyed at how the NTP report publication process was delayed, which he says is due to public health agencies' desire to protect the fluoridation process they already have in place. "This lack of consideration for all the possible people who could be harmed by [water fluoridation] so that we don't implicate something that we have intentionally done bothers me a lot," Berridge expressed, further noting that because of the delay, many public health officials are ignoring the public's growing concern about fluoride exposure. (Related: A full decade ago, researchers at Harvard University recognized that drinking fluoridated water causes ADHD and mental disorders.) Where's the honest fluoride research? The purpose of the NTP releasing such reports is supposed to be about informing public health agencies about the latest science so they can make any necessary adjustments to their processes. In this case, the NTP report's findings that link fluoride exposure to low IQ in children was supposed to be released as soon as possible, but was delayed for political purposes. In partnership with Moms Against Fluoridation, Food & Water Watch and other advocacy groups, FAN is taking the EPA to task in an attempt to stop artificial water fluoridation throughout the United States. Part of making that happen involves getting the NTP report into the hands of public health policymakers so they can institute real change. When Berridge attempted to help the process along by offering his testimony on the matter, the EPA convinced Judge Chen back in December to bar him from giving it, arguing that he would expose the political influence behind the scenes that aims to stop the NTP report from ever being formally published. "The NTP, a subagency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that produces scientific research meant to inform policymaking, concluded in the report that prenatal and childhood exposure to higher levels of fluoride is associated with decreased IQ in children," explains Children's Health Defense (CHD), which publishes The Defender. Transgender HHS Assistant Secretary for Health "Rachel" Levine also played a role in stopping the NTP from publishing its fluoride report back in May 2022, having ordered the NTP not to publish the report and rather put it on hold indefinitely. "You would be hard-pressed to find an analysis that has the level of rigor and review that this particular analysis does," Berridge said about the report. The latest news about the fight against fluoridated water can be found at Fluoride.news. Sources for this article include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org ChildrensHealthDefense.org NaturalNews.com Republican senators call on Mitch McConnell to step down from GOP leadership over failure to secure US border A group of seven Republican senators has urged Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to resign from his leadership position The group led by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz issued this call during a Feb. 6 press conference. Cruz was joined by six other lawmakers Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Ohio Sen JD Vance, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall and Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt. Cruz expressed frustration with the negotiations over a supplemental funding bill that tied U.S. border security to the fund for Ukraine. The Texas lawmaker responded in the affirmative when asked by reporters if it was high time for McConnell to go. "I think it is; I think a Republican leader should actually lead this conference and should advance the priorities of Republicans," he said. Cruz added that his fellow GOP senators "also supported the leadership challenge." According to Cruz, a strong opponent of the Senate minority leader since 2013, Republicans faced losses in the "very disappointing" 2022 midterm elections. At this point, he called on his GOP colleagues to elect a new leader. "We lost a seat in the Senate and we barely got a majority in the House [of Representatives]. I stood up and said in any ordinary organization, when you're faced with failure; if you're running a business and you lose $50 million, you don't just say, 'Hey, everything's great; let's keep doing it.' No, you sit down and say, 'What are we doing wrong?'" Cruz then turned to McConnell following the 2022 midterms, expressing frustration that Republicans were voting alongside Democrats on certain issues in 2017 and 2018. "[I asked:] "What are we willing to fight on? What are you willing to fight on? Is there anything you're willing to draw a line in the sand and say, 'We will fight?'" Cruz remarked. "And he refused to answer that question." GOP senators: Bipartisan border bill is DEAD Vance, who is serving his first term as senator for the Buckeye State, echoed his criticisms of the Kentucky senator. "I think all of us has made this argument: The leadership really screwed this up," he said. McConnell had earlier announced that the $118 billion supplemental spending bill which includes funding for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan is dead in the upper chamber. "We have no real chance to make a law," the Senate minority leader said. "The Senate is scheduled to vote on whether to begin a debate on the bill on [Feb. 14]," according to the Epoch Times. "A minimum of 60 senators is required for the vote to succeed, but Republicans are lining up to block the deal." "We supported a negotiation to bring commonsense border security to this country. We did not agree to a border fig leaf to send another $61 billion to Ukraine," said Vance. The bill earmarks more than $60 billion to Kyiv, while a measly $20 billion is allocated to secure the southern border. (Related: Biden agrees to a deal that allows the border to be SHUT DOWN when Texas gets overwhelmed But why wait? Shut it down now!) "Certainly on the Ukraine question, I think [the GOP] leadership is massively out of touch with Republican voters. We are not as a Republican Party behind unlimited, unaccounted-for aid to Ukraine without any goals in mind." According to the Ohio senator, McConnell should have "walked away" from negotiations with Democrats over the border agreement before getting to this point. Vance ferociously rejected the notion that GOP lawmakers would support whatever deal was reached. This idea, he claimed, was being put forward by GOP leaders. "I think we can all agree that Cruz is not a fan," quipped McConnell when asked about the Texas senator's comment. The Senate minority leader had been criticized by former President Donald Trump as a "Republican in name only" (RINO). The Epoch Times contacted the senator's office for comment but received no reply as of press time. Head over to VoteRepublican.news for more stories about GOP leaders. Watch Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) react to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's call for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to resign on Fox Business below. This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: RINO TRAITOR: Rand Paul unleashes on Mitch McConnell for aligning with Biden to allow 5,000 illegals per day into US, $735M in funding for "path to citizenship." Wait, what? RINO Mitch McConnell orders Americans to vax-up with COVID jab or he'll join Dems in shutting the country down again. China Mitch: McConnell has family ties to Bank of China, top Chinese shipping firm. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com Brighteon.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. General Secretary of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on his confident victory in the presidential election, Trend reports. Will be updated Illegals who beat cops in liberal NYC seem to face ZERO CONSEQUENCES and get free bus rides out of town Attacking police officers is a serious crime in the U.S. unless you happen to be here illegally, in which case you might be released without bail and given free bus tickets with fake names so you can head to the other side of the country. This is what happened in a recent incident in which a group of illegal migrants from Venezuela were caught on video assaulting a pair of NYPD officers in Times Square near the New Amsterdam Theater. One of the suspects kicked an officer twice in the head, while another one kicked the officer in the back, with several others joining in as the violence escalated. Following multiple kicks aimed at the officers, the suspects ran off. The officers, who remain unidentified, sustained injuries such as bruising and cuts, and were treated at the scene. The men were charged with assault on a police officer, disorderly conduct, obstructing governmental administration and gang assault. One of them already had pending cases in Manhattan for assault and battery, including attacking a loss prevention officer at Macys while robbing the store and punching and biting an employee at Nordstrom Rack. Despite the blatant attack, most of them were released without bail. A spokesperson for the New York Office of Court Administration said they were not aware of the mens whereabouts, although they said they are required to report for court on their scheduled dates. Of course, anyone who expects these people who have no respect for the law to actually show up for their court dates especially from clear across the country is completely delusional. In fact, one of the men could be seen in video footage smirking and giving the media a double middle finger when he was released. According to the New York Post, four of the men 21-year-old Wilson Juarez, 19-year-old Darwin Andres Gomez, 24-year-old Yorman Reveron and 19-year-old Kelvin Servita Arocha were given free tickets to board a bus from New York to California after supplying fake names to a nonprofit church-affiliated group that helps migrants leave New York City. New Yorkers are frustrated by migrant influx Local residents and officials are frustrated with the situation. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said in a statement: "The madness continues. What universe are we living in where migrants, who are living rent-free in our city, are allowed to brutally attack police officers and then are released without consequences? Too often, we continue to protect violent criminals and punish victims. It is believed the men were headed to Calexico, California, and may intend to head to Mexico from there. Investigators say that they have no legal authority to chase them or attempt to stop them since the Manhattan DA did not request bail. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that deporting the men was something that should be looked at. She stated: I mean, if someone commits a crime against a police officer in the state of New York and theyre not here legally, its definitely worth checking into. These are law enforcement officers who should never under any circumstances be subjected to physical assault, she added. Its wrong on all accounts and Im looking to judges and prosecutors to do the right thing. Since spring 2022, more than 170,000 asylum seekers who have crossed into the U.S. via Mexico have made their way to New York City; more than 65,000 of them are still being housed in hotels and city shelters with taxpayers footing the bill. Some of them have been linked to crimes ranging from pickpocketing to rape and murder. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com FoxNews.com NYPost.com Former Russian President Medvedev warns of nuclear apocalypse if NATO attacks Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned that if a direct war were to break out between Russia and NATO, it would result in nuclear apocalypse. He wrote on the messaging service Telegram: "Since our military capabilities are incomparable, we will simply have no choice. The response will be asymmetrical. To protect the territorial integrity of our country, ballistic and cruise missiles with special warheads will be used... This will be the proverbial Apocalypse. The end of everything." This is not the first time that Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chairman for Russia's Security Council, has threatened to use nuclear weapons. On this occasion, the remarks came in response to recent reports that a few European leaders have been instructing their populations to get ready for war. For example, the Swedish Civil Defense Minister recently warned citizens to prepare for war in the face of ongoing Russian aggression. He said the world is currently facing more risks of war than any time since the end of World War II. The head of the British army, Gen. Patrick Sanders, said last month that U.K. civilians should be prepared to fight in a potential land war and noted the British military was not big enough to respond properly to evolving threats. He suggested a citizen army could make a difference in such a scenario. Medvedev said that these instances of leaders of NATO-aligned countries accusing Russia of looking for a wider war are dangerous drivel and nothing more than an attempt to attract more support for sending additional weapons and aid to Kiev. He also accused these countries of trying to shift the blame away from problems at home to the situation between Ukraine and Russia. Last month, he issued a similar threat after noting that Ukrainian military commanders were planning to hit missile launch sites in Russia using long-range missiles from Western nations. "What does this mean? It means only one thing they risk running into the action of paragraph 19 of the fundamentals of Russia's state policy in the field of nuclear deterrence," he said, referring to a part of the nuclear doctrine that says Russia could use nuclear weapons in certain conditions to respond to the use of conventional weapons when the very existence of the state is put under threat. Although such a decision ultimately rests in the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin, some diplomats believe that Medvedevs comments point to a very hawkish approach in the upper echelons of the Kremlin and a prevailing view on their part that the current conflict is an existential struggle with the West. Is a direct war between Russia and NATO countries looming? The remarks come at a time when security services in Ukraine have been ramping up their attack drone and missile attacks on oil refineries on Russian soil. Russia has accused NATO and Western intelligence services of helping these attacks. It has also accused France of enlisting mercenaries to carry out attacks in Belgorod Oblast. Many observers fear that this type of proxy war could eventually transition to a direct war between Russia and NATO countries. The Russian Ministry of Education reportedly told the media that high school students in Russia will learn more about nuclear war as part of the countrys national curriculum, including protecting against the effects of weapons of mass destruction. Russia and the U.S. are currently the biggest nuclear powers in the world, with the Federation of American Scientists reporting that Putin controls 5,889 nuclear warheads versus the 5,244 nuclear warheads under the control of President Joe Biden. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com Reuters.com Meta BANS Instagram accounts of Irans Supreme Leader Khamenei Meta Platforms has removed two Instagram accounts belonging to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following months of pressure from pro-Israel groups. The company led by Mark Zuckerberg said it removed two of Khamenei's accounts on Feb. 8. The Iranian leader's Persian-language account had more than 5.1 million followers, while his English-language account had more than 204,000. The Iranian leader reportedly praised Hamas' Oct. 7 attack against Israel on social media. Khamenei also reportedly backed Palestinian resistance against Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, as well as the attacks on shipping in the Red Sea by the Yemeni Houthi rebels that Tehran is backing. (Related: Iranian supreme leader praises Hamas, warns Israel of greater disaster if it continues to bomb civilians in Gaza.) "We have removed these accounts for repeatedly violating our Dangerous Organizations and Individuals policy," a Meta spokesperson told Middle East Eye (MEE). Under the aforementioned policy, the tech company can remove "organizations or individuals that proclaim a violent mission or are engaged in violence." The decision to ban Khamenei did not sit well for Iran. Academic and former Iranian government advisor Mohammad Marandi accused Meta of hypocrisy. According to him, Israeli officials had not faced similar bans over their support for their country's actions in Gaza. Israel has been relentlessly bombing the Gazan population following the Oct. 7 attack. "Many thousands of Iranians, including myself, have had their Facebook and Instagram accounts suspended or deleted so this isn't unexpected," Marandi said. "Khamenei is the only world leader that supports and empowers the resistance in Palestine. That is his crime." This was not the first time Khamenei, who ascended to power after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, was banned on the platform. In 2019, Khamenei's accounts on Instagram were suspended and later restored. "Biased" Meta denounced for allowing anti-Khamenei slogan According to MEE, "there have been repeated calls from Iranian opposition and pro-Israel campaigners to ban Khamenei's social media accounts particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel." It added that both Tehran and Washington have denied the Islamic Republic's involvement in the attacks. "Facebook, Twitter and other social media outlets have been banned in Iran for many years, though users have gotten around the restrictions using VPNs [virtual private networks]. Despite the ban, a number of Iranian officials including Khamenei have had accounts on the platforms." Prior to the ban on Khamenei's two Instagram accounts, Meta had been previously involved in an issue over the Iranian leader. In January 2023, the company said it would allow the slogan "Death to Khamenei" on its platforms. The slogan emerged in the wake of mass protests over the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest for an inappropriately worn head covering. Meta's Oversight Board overturned the company's decision to remove a Facebook post that featured the slogan, arguing that it did not violate the company's Violent Threats policy. It expounded that the phrase is often used to mean "down with Khamenei." "In the context of the post and the broader social, political and linguistic situation in Iran 'death to Khamenei' should be understood as 'down with.' It is a rhetorical, political slogan not a credible threat." Head over to MetaTyranny.com for more stories about Instagram and censorship on the platform. Watch Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warn that the Zionist regime "will be eliminated from the Earth" below. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Instagram bans BLM activist Shaun King for criticizing Israel. Facebook, Instagram, and Google censor upcoming Alex Jones documentary, Alex's War. Iran's supreme leader calls for SANCTIONS against Israel, demands halt to Gaza bombing. Insta-BANNED: RFK Jr. campaign accounts immediately SUSPENDED by Instagram for 6 months. Iran leader Khamenei uses X to hail Hamas terror attack that killed 1,000+ But Alex Jones still BANNED. Sources include: MiddleEastEye.net IranIntl.com Brighteon.com Moderna launches trials for new mRNA cancer injections Drug giant Moderna has launched a new clinical trial for an experimental mRNA (modRNA) "vaccine" for cancer. The trial, which is taking place in the United Kingdom, will involve injecting participants from vials containing the same mRNA technology that Moderna used in its infamous Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) "vaccine." Patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust will be the first, we are told, to take Moderna's new mRNA cancer injections, which is described as "a new therapeutic to help their bodies recognize and fight cancer cells as part of a global trial." Known as mRNA-4359, the shots will be administered to patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as part of a 1/2 clinical trial. The goal of the trial is to see if the new mRNA shot is safe and effective at treating melanoma, lung cancer and various other "solid tumor" cancers. Reports state that the mRNA technology in the vials will present common markers of cancer tumors to patients' immune systems. This, Moderna claims, will help to "train" patients' immune systems to recognize and fight cancer cells while also potentially eliminating cells that suppress immunity. "Whereas the COVID-19 vaccines trained immune cells using mRNA of a protein on the outside of the virus, these experimental mRNA cancer immunotherapies incorporate mRNA of common marker proteins found in tumors," wrote Imperial College London in an announcement about the trial. (Related: You know who else is pushing new vaccines? Billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates.) Dozens new mRNA shots in Moderna pipeline An 81-year-old man who is taking part in the trial was reportedly the first person ever to receive the new injection, which was administered to him at Hammersmith Hospital back in October. The unnamed man, who chose to remain anonymous, lives in Surrey and suffers from a malignant melanoma skin cancer that is not responding to conventional treatments. "I had a different immunotherapy, I had radiotherapy the only thing I didn't have was chemotherapy," the man said. "So, the options were either do nothing and wait, or get involved and do something." For trial purposes, Moderna's mRNA-4359 injections will be administered by themselves, as well as in combination with an existing cancer drug called pembrolizumab (Keytruda) that is an approved immunotherapy treatment. The new mRNA cancer shot is just one of dozens new mRNA products that Moderna is currently pumping through its drug pipeline. These other mRNA products include shots for influenza (flu), RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), HIV, Lyme disease, Zika virus and more. It is noteworthy that prior to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), Moderna had never before produced any kind of drug that worked for anything legitimate. The company's mRNA COVID injection was likewise a failure in terms of actually helping people rather than killing them with poison. "Moderna's 'safe and effective' COVID vaccine did not prevent a person from being infected by the COVID virus, nor did it prevent the transmission of the virus COVID to others," wrote a commenter. "Some of the side effects were turbo cancers, spontaneous abortions and still births, various cardiac problems, blood clots, etc. Just think of all the new problems their new mRNA cancer vaccine will cause." "Moderna was a failing cancer-curing company prior to the con," responded another about how Moderna was a sham operation from the very beginning. "They never cured a single patient in 10 years." Another suggested that cancer patients will likely live a whole lot longer if they avoid taking anything from Moderna. "And don't take any injection of any kind," another added to the conversation. "Even anesthetic could have mRNA included with it, or some other toxic substance. The cabal are attempting all sorts of devious methods with which to kill us." The latest news about Big Pharma's mRNA agenda can be found at Depopulation.news. Sources for this article include: 100PercentFedUp.com NaturalNews.com NYPD ditches subway police robot after only 4 MONTHS The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has decommissioned its subway robot a mere four months after introducing it to the public. Dubbed the K5 Knightscope, the 420-pound robot standing five-feet-three-inches was backed by artificial intelligence and was touted as a way to combat rising crime in the Big Apple. During a press conference last September, New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams described the robot as "part of the fabric" of the future of subway safety. He also described the $12,500 robot, which was paid for by forfeiture funds, as a "good investment." According to the mayor, the robot was costing the city just $9 per hour with its patrol shift lasting 18 hours at a time. "This is below minimum wage," he proudly stated at the time. "No bathroom breaks, no meal breaks." The city had been leasing the robot from Mountain View, California-based Knightscope for a seven-month pilot program. The first three months of the contract involved the robot being prepared for patrol. The remaining four months allowed the NYPD to test it out, deploying it to patrol the 42nd Street subway station at Times Square. (Related: NYPD deploys robot cop to Times Square subway station.) However, the robot's patrol duties are now officially over, with an NYPD spokesman telling the New York Times that "the K5 Knightscope has completed its pilot in the NYC subway system." The newspaper also shared photos of the robot, which was parked in an empty storefront in the station while gathering dust. Before its decommissioning, the K5 could record footage while on patrol with its 360 high-definition camera. NYPD detectives could review and counter-check potential criminals on the department's facial recognition database following a crime. It also included a button that New Yorkers could press when they wanted to contact the NYPD though it is unclear if anyone actually took advantage of the feature. K5 robot blasted as waste of taxpayer money Patrons of the Big Apple's subway system were elated to learn of the K5 robot's decommissioning, sharing their sentiments about it to the New York Post. Many of them considered the robot as a waste of city money and resources. Alexandria Reese, a patron of the NYC subway, said she didn't feel safer while the K5 was patrolling the transit system. "I think the robot is just to scare people," she commented. Nick Linnear, an employee of the Metropolitan Transport Authority that oversees the city's subways, said he didn't think the robot was a good idea to begin with. "We need police, not robots," he stressed. Longtime NYC resident Joseph Williams minced no words in describing the now-decommissioned robot. "It's b******t, straight b******t. It's a waste of taxpayer money," he told the Post. Rafael Escotto, a resident of the Queens borough, questioned how much the K5 robot actually contributed to public safety. The robot, which according to him evokes the image of a giant vacuum cleaner, couldn't climb stairs. NYPD officers were tasked with serving as its human chaperones. "Can [it] apprehend someone? Can [it] save someone who falls on the tracks? I wonder where the money goes," quipped Escotto. "I can't imagine one not cleaning." While the NYPD did not share details of how effective the K5 was in addressing crime, it had been involved in several mishaps over the years. In 2017, one unit reportedly took a dive into a water fountain in a Washington, D.C. mall. A year prior, one K5 unit ran over a child's foot in a California mall it was deployed to patrol. Head over to Robots.news for similar stories. Watch this clip of NYC's DigiDog, another robot reportedly deployed to help the NYPD with policing tasks. This video is from the EARTH SHAKING NEWS channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: "Digi-Dog" Police ROBOTS set to take over New York City and "POLICE" any protests about Big Government tyranny or the next plandemic. Army researchers developing "biohybrid" combat robots using living tissue. Chinese four-legged robot sparks speculation that its makers stole US tech. NYC Mayor Eric Adams brings back NYPD's creepy robot surveillance dog. Sources include: The-Sun.com NYPost.com Brighteon.com US Senate BETRAYS America BILLIONS for Ukraine and Israel but not a single dollar to secure the U.S. border The following analysis of today's Brighteon Broadcast News audio program is created by "Neo," our in-house Language Model that's currently being trained on reality-based content to understand the world in a way that corporate media refuses to recognize. Neo listens to the broadcast, notes the most important points and composes a highlights article consistent with pro-liberty, pro-human values rooted in morality and honesty. The full broadcast episode will be available at: Brighteon.com/channels/hrreport In the latest Brighteon Broadcast News report, journalist Mike Adams discussed several important topics, including an extended interview with Michael Yon and the Senate voting to advance a $95 billion aid package for various countries (Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan). The aid package includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, and $9 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Adams criticized the allocation of funds, stating that there is no money for America's border while other countries receive billions. Additionally, Adams reported on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, with Israel bombing Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. The attack has resulted in 50 deaths and raised concerns about a potential war between Israel and Egypt. Adams also discussed the United Kingdom maritime trade operations' interception of two missiles fired at a vessel in the Red Sea. Australian Senator David Shoebridge called for a ceasefire in Gaza and questioned Australia's role in exporting weapons to Israel. Adams emphasized that the United States government under Biden and Blinken continues to provide bombs to Israel, making Joe Biden and Antony Blinken international war criminals in his opinion. A nightmare for Gazans who were told to flee to the south of Gaza In a recent interview, concerns have been raised regarding Israel's future due to its ongoing conflict with Palestine. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is expected to worsen as expanded air and ground operations into Rafah will lead to a "nightmare" for the residents of the region. Aid organization Mercy Corps has urged for a sustained ceasefire, along with access to increased aid in order to prevent further suffering. Additionally, the US Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, has been criticized for not taking responsibility for the ongoing border crisis. Critics argue that the Biden administration should be held accountable for its policies and actions regarding immigration. The situation at the border has led to an increase in invasion camps in countries like Panama, which are funded in part by the US government. Furthermore, the interview highlights the hypocrisy of liberal Americans who support open borders but remain silent on the bombing of Gazans. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has led to a downgrade in Israel's credit rating by Moody's, which could have significant implications for the country's economy and debt issuance. The recent destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines has raised concerns about the economic consequences for Germany, as well as the potential impact on global trade with Russia. This situation echoes the devastation caused by Hitler during World War II, which left a lasting impact on Germany's reputation and economy. The US supplies weapons that are fueling Israel's escalation toward World War III In recent months, Israel has faced criticism for its actions in Gaza, with some drawing comparisons to the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. As tensions continue to escalate between Israel and other nations, there are growing concerns about the potential for World War III. The United States, particularly under the Biden administration, has been accused of supporting Israel's actions, further fueling the conflict. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine has also raised questions about the stability of global economies and the role of the United States in international affairs. With billions of dollars being funneled into foreign aid packages for countries like Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine, there are concerns that this could lead to further economic instability within the United States. In light of these issues, it is essential to consider the potential consequences of continued global conflicts on both Israel and the United States. As tensions rise and economies falter, it is crucial for nations to find a path towards peace and stability in order to avoid further destruction and economic collapse. In addition to the geopolitical challenges facing Israel and the United States, there are also concerns about the state of their respective economies. The ongoing crisis at the southern border has led to increased calls for action from both political leaders and citizens alike. With billions of dollars being spent on foreign aid packages, many argue that this money would be better spent addressing domestic issues such as infrastructure, education, and healthcare. To help address these concerns, Mike Adams encourages people to prepare for potential economic collapse by stocking up on essential items like food, backup communications and real assets like gold and silver. In conclusion, the ongoing global conflicts and economic instability pose significant challenges for both Israel and the United States. As tensions continue to escalate, it is essential for nations to find a path towards peace and stability in order to avoid further destruction and economic collapse. In the meantime, individuals can prepare for potential crises by stocking up on essential items and considering alternative forms of currency like gold and silver to help protect themselves from dollar currency risk. Watch the full broadcast here: Brighteon: Brighteon.com/333f76ac-9487-4119-ac42-93f4e7190f62 Rumble: Rumble.com/v4cz488-bbn-feb-12-2023-us-senate-betrays-america....html Bitchute: Bitchute.com/video/bcjpU2yySfvq/ Banned.Video: Banned.video/watch?id=65ca49f40d63da299eba3893 iTunes podcast: Healthrangerreport.com/brighteon-broadcast-news-feb-12-2023-us-senate-betrays-america-billions-for-ukraine-and-israel-but-none-to-secure-the-us-border Because we love the U.S.: Tucker Carlson says interviewing Putin is about informing Americans Since almost nobody else in Western media seems to care about letting the man speak to the world directly, formerhost Tucker Carlson decided to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin on his own turf "because it's our job we're in journalism." After receiving backlash for daring to travel to Moscow to talk with one of the most controversial figures on the world stage, Carlson released a pre-interview statement to explain why he felt it necessary to speak face-to-face with Putin. "Our duty is to inform people," Carlson says. "Two years into a war that's reshaping the entire world, most Americans are not informed. They have no real idea what's happening in this region, here in Russia or 600 miles away in Ukraine. But they should know they're paying for much of it in ways they might not fully yet perceive." Describing the war in Ukraine as a "human disaster" due to the hundreds of thousands of people there who have thus far died, most of them young Ukrainians, Carlson wants Americans everywhere to know that the long-term effects of what is transpiring will be massive. The war in Ukraine has "utterly reshaped the global military and trade alliances" as well as "upended the world economy," Carlson explained. The post-World War II Bretton Woods economic order is also "coming apart very fast," as is "the dominance of the U.S. dollar." (Related: According to Putin, the U.S. dollar is done for and will soon lose world dominance as the currency standard for international trade.) Where's the corporate media? In the two years since the war in Ukraine began, not a single prominent Western media outlet has conducted an honest, hard-hitting interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is because Zelensky is a darling of Western globalists who never gets questioned about anything, even as U.S. taxpayer monies flow into his coffers. "That is not journalism," Carlson says about the curated, softball "interviews" conducted by Western media with Zelensky. Carlson says these so-called "interviews" are really just "prep sessions" with a clear pro-Zelensky agenda. "Our politicians and media outlets have been doing this, promoting a foreign leader like he's a new consumer brand," Carlson laments. "Not a single Western journalist has bothered to interview the president of the other country involved in this conflict, Vladimir Putin." "Most Americans have no idea why Putin invaded Ukraine, or what his goals are now. They've never heard his voice. That's wrong. Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they're implicated in, and we have the right to tell them about it because we are Americans, too." On a previous occasion when Carlson attempted to interview Putin, he later found out from a Washington, D.C., source that the National Security Agency (NSA) started spying on him as if he was some kind of threat to the nation. "The NSA broke into my Signal account, which I didn't know they could do," Carlson said at the time. Carlson further explained that the reason his Washington source even knew about his plans to interview Putin the previous time is because the NSA hacked his account and relayed the information from Carlson's private Signal conversation to others on the hill. When asked why he carried on in pursuing an interview with Putin anyway, Carlson explained that he and his crew "love the United States and want it to remain prosperous and free." In response, numerous members of the U.S. Congress are calling Carlson a "traitor," as if conducting a simple interview is betraying the country. Why I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/hqvXUZqvHX Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 6, 2024 More related news about the situation in Russia and Ukraine can be found at EndGame.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com Iceland's latest volcanic eruption appeared to be over but it left a trail of damage to roads and pipelines and experts believe this is only the beginning of a period of volcanic activity that might last decades or perhaps centuries. Relatively Short Eruptions The eruption began on Thursday, spewing 80 meters (260 feet) of orange lava from a 3-kilometer (2 mile) fracture in the earth. However, by midday on Friday, drone imagery revealed no evidence of activity at the site. It is the third brief eruption on the Reykjanes peninsula since December 2023 and the sixth since 2021. Iceland is no stranger to volcanoes; it is one of the most volcanically active areas on the planet. This is because the country is located above a geological hotspot, where hot material rises to the surface from deep beneath the Earth. However, Iceland is also located on the boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. These plates are progressively pushing apart, allowing hot molten rock, or magma, to flow up. As magma accumulates beneath, pressure builds until it breaks through the surface in an eruption. There are around 100 volcanoes in Iceland, with more than 30 currently active. The last lava flow on the Reykjanes peninsula occurred hundreds of years ago, maybe as early as the eighth or ninth century and lasting until 1240. "Over geological time, the tectonic plates are pulling apart at about the speed that your fingernails grow, so a few centimeters a year. But they don't seem to smoothly pull apart - they go through these pulses of higher activity. And this is likely what we're seeing right now in the Reykjanes," explains Prof Tamsin Mather, an Earth scientist from the University of Oxford. The rocks in the region can reveal even more about the past, with a pattern of periods of quiet lasting roughly 1,000 years, followed by eruptions that last a few centuries. Experts expect a series of these relatively minor, relatively short-lived eruptions throughout the following years and decades. Read Also: A Look Inside the Earth: Iceland Volcanic Eruption Opens Opportunitites for Extensive Study Top Priority For Iceland Working out how to anticipate when the eruptions will occur is a top priority for Iceland right now, especially since the town of Grindavik and a geothermal power plant, a critical piece of national infrastructure, are in the risk zone. However, predicting the precise location of an eruption is more difficult. Magma is kept loosely under a greater region of the Reykjanes Peninsula, and it emerges through miles-long breaches, or fissures. The Icelandic authorities are erecting massive barriers around the town and power station, which are effective at holding back lava. However, if a crack opens up inside the barricades, as it did in Grindavik in January, destroying some houses, there is little that can be done. An extended period of eruptions will have serious effects on Iceland. "This is the most densely populated part of Iceland - so 70% of the population lives within 40km or so. And all of the key infrastructure is there - so the main international airport, big geothermal power plants, and a lot of tourist infrastructure too, which is a big part of Iceland's economy," said Dr. Evgenia Ilyinskaya, a volcanologist from the University of Leeds. Related Article: Iceland Faultine: Volcanic Eruption Confirms Boundary Between Tectonic Plates Has Awakened After 800 Years A recent study shows that humans, just like animals, have a higher chance of survival from exposure to lightning with wet skin. Lightning can happen during thunderstorms, and in the event that a cloud strikes the ground, discharges could have currents greater than 200 kA1. Water Protective Layering During a thunderstorm, people and animals who are outside run the risk of being hit by lightning. A direct lightning strike accounts for around 5% of all lightning-related injuries to humans, whereas side flashes account for about 30% (step and contact voltage or upward streamers produce the remainder of the injuries). It is evident that lightning victims who had head burns died more frequently from cardiac arrest, most likely as a result of problems with their nerve systems. Researchers conducted an experiment using 3D models of human heads that suggests being wet may lessen the amount of damage caused by a direct lightning strike. The study's first author, Rene Machts of Germany's Ilmenau University of Technology, asserts that it is preferable to be outside in the open with wet skin as opposed to dry. This occurs as a result of the water's protective layering. Finding a safe spot and shrinking as much as you can are still safer options. In a new publication in Scientific Reports, Machts and colleagues report that previous theoretical investigations have suggested that moisture on the skin may lessen the amount of current that passes through the body in the event of a lightning strike. Additionally, research suggests that animals with wet skin are more likely to survive a lightning strike. It was still unclear how a person's wet head from standing in a thunderstorm-which frequently includes rain-would affect the force of a lightning strike. Read Also: 2 Giraffes Die After Being Struck by Lightning! Does Their Height Put Them at Risk? Electrical Characteristic To explore the issue, the team created two human head models by simulating the electrical characteristics of the brain, skull, and scalp with three layers of a gelatinous material containing different concentrations of sodium chloride, carbon black, or graphite. Subsequently, the scientists affixed electrodes to every stratum as well as the structure containing the models. While one figure was kept dry, the other was doused with a substance that looked like rain. The models were then put inside a chamber and exposed to ten actual lightning strike simulations. The results show that a current passes through both model heads' "scalp" upon a lightning strike, resulting in a flashover. However, compared to the dry head, the wet head showed lower specific energy (32.5% less) in the brain compartment and lower average electrical current (12.5% less) in the brain layer prior to the flashover. This could be the reason behind the greater survival rate of wet animals in earlier studies. The team also notes that following the lightning strike, the wet head displayed fewer indications of damage, such as scalp perforations or fractures. However, they claim that more research is required. "Based on these results we plan to create further head models to quantify the effect of [for example] headgear and may investigate material for an optimal headgear to further reduce the current in the head," said Machts. Related Article: New Artificial Lightning Technology Stops Cow Dung from Releasing Climate-Warming Methane BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. On February 12, at 13:37 local time, in the vicinity of the Zangilan district along the Azerbaijan-Armenia conventional border, gunfire erupted from the positions held by the Armenian Armed Forces located in the Nerkin-And residential settlement of the Gafan district, targeting the positions of the Border Guards of the State Border Service in the Kollugishlaq village of the Zangilan district, Trend reports. According to the the State Border Service, as a consequence of the incident, soldier Khalilzade Parviz Aghakishi oglu, a servicemen of the State Border Service, was injured. The military serviceman was evacuated to a specialized medical facility via helicopter. The incident, including the opening of gunfire from the opposing side, was captured by video surveillance cameras. Currently, the operational situation is stable and under the control of our units. The Armenian military and political leadership bear full responsibility for this recent provocation. Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) has published information on humanitarian demining operations conducted in the liberated territories, Trend reports via the ANAMA. On February 511, 33 anti-tank mines, 162 anti-personnel mines, and 836 unexploded ordnance units were found and neutralized. The land of 908.9 hectares was cleared of mines. To note, the demining operations were carried out by ANAMA, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the State Border Service of Azerbaijan. Armenia's reckless laying of landmines in Azerbaijan continues to endanger innocent citizens. The number of mining victims has risen to 344 since 2020. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Sayantani Ghosh: It's challenging to pull off a Rajasthani character Mumbai, Feb 10 Actress Sayantani Ghosh has opened up on the Rajasthani character that she is playing in the show 'Dahej Daasi', and shared that it is difficult to pull off such roles, especially because of the accent. 'Ghar Ek Sapnaa' actress shared: "The experience is rather personal for me as my in-laws,though Pahadi, are from Jaipur. I told everybody, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, that I am playing a Rajasthani character, and, they too, were so excited. Of course, it is challenging to pull off a Rajasthani character, especially the accent, but I am totally prepared for this challenge." "We have had workshops where we were given special training regarding the dialogues. Besides this, Vindhya is a strong woman, not only mentally, but physically as well. When she stands, its always straight, she never slouches. So I have been making sure to perfect my posture," she said. The 'Bigg Boss 6' contestant further shared: "Like I said though my in-laws are Pahadi, they hail from Jaipur and we are talking using words like bindani, atthe, maare, so the language, the demeanor, clothes, everything is exciting for me. I am wearing a lehenga with a shirt, pallu on my head and a bindi." If she connects to her role, Sayantani added: "Her strength is inspiring and that is something that I relate to. She's made a strong position for herself in a male-dominated world, and that is really commendable. Besides this, she loves her family, especially her son." The show produced by Do Dooni 4 Films production will air from February 12. (IANS - Posted on 11 February 2024) Sayantani Ghosh: It's challenging to pull off a Rajasthani character Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the extraordinary presidential election, Trend reports. "Dear Mr. President, I am pleased to offer my sincere congratulations on the occasion of your landslide victory and reelection as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. I wish you the most successful administration along with new accomplishments for prosperity, peace and stability of your country and the friendly people of Azerbaijan. I am confident that peoples trust will reveal additional ways for the success of the Republic of Azerbaijan and your determination will remain a symbol of your leadership in facing future purposes. Hereby, based on mutual confidence and respect, which has bound our countries for so long, I avail myself of this opportunity to reaffirm that I look forward to the close cooperation with you, not only to further strengthen solid friendship and strategic partnership between our countries but also to concert our efforts in the cause of peace and prosperity of our region and people. Excellency, Allow me to once again offer to you my most heartfelt wishes for a very successful term," the letter reads. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Some flurries this morning. Then cloudy skies through the afternoon. High 39F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mainly clear. Low 26F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Sleep apnea is prevalent among cardio-oncology patients who are at higher risk for congestive heart failure from cancer therapy, according to a new study being presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Advancing the Cardiovascular Care of the Oncology Patient course. Sleep apnea is a disorder of altered breathing while asleep with two types, obstructive (OSA) or central (CSA). Both can be treated to alleviate symptoms and improve cardiovascular outcomes. This study pertains to obstructive sleep apnea. A well-established screening tool for detecting sleep apnea is the STOP-BANG questionnaire utilizing eight questions using the acronym STOP-BANG (Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, Pressure -elevated blood pressure, BMI, Age, Neck, Gender). It is scored based on yes/no answers with a range from 0-8. A score > 3 shows a high sensitivity for detecting moderate and severe OSA. Among heart failure patients in the general population, OSA maintains a 48-52% prevalence and is associated with heightened cardiovascular mortality and morbidity rates. Previous studies have found that left ventricular ejection fraction (a measure used to determine how well the heart is pumping blood throughout the body) and Global Longitudinal LV Strain (GLS-;a measure of how much the cell shrinks in size to generate the force to eject the blood out of the heart) can predict early cancer therapy related cardiomyopathy. OSA is also linked to LV dysfunction, congestive heart failure and abnormal LV-GLS. While cardio-oncology patients have a higher risk for congestive heart failure from cancer therapy, there is no data on the prevalence of sleep apnea within this group. The researchers used a sleep apnea questionnaire to assess the prevalence of sleep apnea among 296 general cardiology patients and 218 cardio-oncology patients. Data was collected on traditional risk factors, STOP-BANG scores, and history of sleep for both groups. Baseline echocardiogram left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)and GLS results were measured for the cardio-oncology population. Echocardiogram has evolved to be a useful tool to detect and therefore treat cardiomyopathy early in patients with sleep apnea and in the cardio-oncology population, so we also wanted to see if there are shared echo markers that identify patients who are at greater risk as they start their journey to treat their cancer." Mini K. Das, MD, medical director of the cardio-oncology program at Baptist Health in Louisville, Kentucky and study's primary author The incidence of sleep apnea was 54% in the general cardiology group and 39% in the cardio-oncology group. The prevalence of sleep apnea within the general cardiology group was similar to reported rates in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), where the rates were 52% with HFrEF and 48% with HFpEF. HFrEF and HFpEF are the two most common types of heart failure and indicate the heart is either too weak to pump properly (HFrEF) or too stiff to fill properly with blood (HFpEF). According to the results of a questionnaire for sleep apnea using the STOP-BANG score, individuals with untreated sleep apnea and those who are at higher risk for sleep apnea have abnormal baseline left ventricular strain, which is a common echo parameter linked to adverse CV events. "Identifying these individuals may allow early intervention in a risk factor clearly associated with heart failure now recognized to affect cancer therapy and survivorship," Das said. The prevalence of sleep apnea in the cardio-oncology population was equal to or greater than other traditional risk factors that are currently used in risk factor profile algorithms. Even with a normal LVEF, the status and severity of sleep apnea was associated with abnormal LV strain. The results of this study show that LV GLS was more abnormal in patients with untreated sleep apnea or a high STOP-BANG score. "Sleep apnea should be incorporated into current risk algorithms and a larger study is needed to evaluate the impact of sleep apnea in this high-risk population. We feel that sleep apnea assessment must be a part of routine risk assessment for patients undergoing cancer therapeutics," Das said. In a recent study published by Nature Communications, researchers uncovered a previously unknown method by which androgen-activated androgen receptors (ARs) increase fucosyltransferase 4 (FUT4) expression, which promotes melanoma invasiveness by interfering with adherens junctions (AJs). Study: Androgen drives melanoma invasiveness and metastatic spread by inducing tumorigenic fucosylation. Image Credit: Image Point Fr/Shutterstock.com Background Melanoma incidence and death rates are higher in males than in females, and sex hormones play a crucial role in the disease's biology and progression. Studies have demonstrated that androgen and its receptor have tumorigenic functions in melanoma, although the underlying processes are poorly understood. Men with advanced melanoma typically have lower clinical outcomes. Sex hormones, such as G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) signaling, inhibit tumor development and boost anti-programmed death cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) immune checkpoint blockade effectiveness in a female mouse model. Global fucosylation disrupts as melanoma progresses, affecting cell motility and ribonucleic acid (RNA) processing. About the study In the present study, researchers investigated ways in which sex-hormone-regulated fucosylation leads to disparately poor outcomes in male melanoma patients. The researchers investigated the effects of androgen-induced and transcriptionally active androgen receptors on melanoma biology and tumorigenicity. They concentrated on the AR-FUT4 signaling pathway and its role in male sex-related biological consequences in melanoma. They confirmed the presence of a putative androgen response element (ARE) in the FUT4 5'-promoter region and created mutant promoter constructs. The researchers further confirmed the androgen receptor-fucosyltransferase-4 axis modulation of cell signaling pathways in melanoma by creating empty vector (EV) controls or fucosyltransferase 4-overexpressing (FUT4-OE) melanoma cells. They conducted phosphoproteomic profiling of empty vectors and Ari-treated or untreated FUT4-overexpressing cells, followed by multiple-stage comparative analysis. The study sought to understand how ARs regulate fucosylation machinery genes and their significance in melanoma biology. The team discovered 368 distinct proteins (denoted by 484 phosphopeptide proteins) that were decreased by 2.0-fold in ARi-treated empty vector-WM793 cells (ARi-reduced phosphopeptide proteins). They then classified the phosphopeptides as those that FUT4 overexpression could restore (AR-FUT4-based effector molecules, n=95) and those unrestored by fucosyltransferase-4 overexpression ("AR-based, FUT4-independent effector molecules, n=241). The researchers performed further ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) on 141 androgen receptor-fucosyltransferase-4 axis down- or upregulated signatures in WM1366 and WM793 cells. They measured the contacts between -catenin, N-cadherin, and 1-catenin, primary cytoplasmic adherens junction interactors. They performed proliferation and motility experiments to confirm the phosphoproteomic results and determine the effect of AR-FUT4-AJ signaling on melanoma biology. The team also investigated whether FUT8 contributes to the motility effects caused by FUT4. They also assessed AR expression and its relationships with downstream effectors in human melanoma samples. Results Researchers uncovered a method by which androgen-activated androgen receptors increase FUT4 expression, which promotes melanoma invasiveness by interacting with AJs. FUT4 is a critical transcriptional target of AR, disrupting cell-cell adhesion complexes in melanoma. AR-FUT4-mediated melanoma metastasis requires L1CAM, a downstream effector fucosylated by FUT4. Tumor microarray and gene expression analysis revealed that AR-FUT4-L1CAM-AJs signaling is associated with clinical staging in melanoma patients. The researchers found that sex hormone-regulated fucosylation leads to the poor outcomes seen in male melanoma patients. The mechanism shows that androgen or its receptor signaling influences melanoma malignancy by increasing invasive and metastatic potential through tumorigenic fucosylation. Androgen/AR regulates cellular fucosylation in melanoma, with AR binding sites found in four genes (FUT4, FUT1, SLC35C2, and FUK). Androgen stimulation causes FUK to downregulate while FUT4 upregulates, indicating that AR modulates FUK and FUT4 expression in melanoma cells. The researchers discovered that 2FF and FUT4-OE reduce and promote melanoma cell motility, but ectopic FUT4 expression restores ARi-suppressed invasive potential. FUT4 levels are higher in metastatic lesions than in original melanoma tissues. They identified L1CAM as an essential target for the AR-FUT4 axis-induced melanoma invasiveness. FUT4-overexpressing cell lines produced more fucosylated proteins than FUT4-knockdown cell lines. DHT stimulation significantly elevated the fucosylation of L1CAM, and knockdown or overexpression of FUT4 resulted in lower or higher cellular levels of fucosylated L1CAM. L1CAM deletion inhibited DHT- or FUT4-induced melanoma motility. AR levels were higher in metastatic tumors from male patients, as was activated AR. Single-cell segmentation analysis revealed that metastatic lesions included fewer activated AR-high cells than initial tumors, demonstrating AR's tumor-promoting involvement, particularly in male melanoma patients. Conclusion The study findings showed that androgen-triggered signaling is critical in melanoma, specifically targeting AR/FUT4 and its effectors. It supports the use of AR antagonists to treat melanomas and advises employing androgen- and fucosylation-based indicators to stratify therapy. AR activation enhances tumorigenic FUT4, resulting in worse clinical outcomes in male patients. The work also relates the AR transcriptional repertoire to oncogenic protein fucosylation, which promotes melanoma invasiveness in androgen-responsive melanomas. Many premature infants need mechanical ventilation to breathe. However, prolonged ventilation can lead to problems like respiratory diseases or ventilation-induced injury. Jonas Naumann and Mareike Zink study the physics of mechanical stress from ventilation at Leipzig University, in Leipzig, Germany and discovered some of the mechanisms that explain why premature lungs are especially sensitive to stress. Naumann will present their research at the 68th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, to be held February 10 - 14, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When you breathe normally, your diaphragm and the muscles between ribs create a negative pressure inside the lung. "But when you are undergoing mechanical ventilation, you are creating hydrostatic overpressure. And the forces which are acting during mechanical ventilation are completely different than during normal breathing. And this is probably causing some kind of damage to the cells," Zink explained. Using lung tissue from fetal and adult rats, the researchers together with collaborators from the Division of Neonatology, University Clinic Leipzig, used varying amounts of tension with rest phases in between, similar to the actions that occur within the lung during mechanical ventilation. Even with a little pressure, the premature rat lung tissue showed characteristics of being both elastic and viscous. This means the lung tissue changed its shape and responded to stress in a way that wasn't normal. Moreover, they found that "the fetal lung is much stiffer than the adult lung under deformation," said Naumann. To determine whether these tension-related changes in the tissue led to alterations in sodium transport, which is important for removing the water from the lungs that is present at birth, the team used electrophysiology to measure the movement of ions across a layer of premature lung cells. They found that changes in pressure affected the activity of two channels involved in sodium transport-;the epithelial sodium channel and the sodium-potassium ion pump in the cells of lung alveoli. This disruption in the normal function of these transporters could explain why mechanical ventilation has negative effects on the infant's lungs. This may be the reason why lung fluid cannot get absorbed that well into the circulation after the preterm births." Jonas Naumann, Leipzig University He hopes that there will be more research about what ventilator settings might lead to the best outcomes for preemies. Naumann points out that "small pressure gradients can have such a big impact on the lung mechanics." The next phase of their research will be exploring how the lung tissue's extracellular matrix, the scaffolding and the glue that holds cells together, plays a role in mechanical ventilation. By better understanding how the premature lung responds to pressure, they hope that future studies improve therapies for babies born early. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the extraordinary presidential election, Trend reports. I would like to extend my sincere congratulations on your re-election to the office of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and offer my best wishes for your presidential tenure. Rome and Baku enjoy a truly strategic and multifaceted partnership solidified by the general commitments aimed at furthering deep friendship and areas of mutual cooperation. In this period marked by fierce conflicts and escalating tensions, I believe that we will be able to continue our joint efforts to promote prospects for peace, stability and prosperity across the whole Caucasus region, which is the point of intersection of paramount importance. The development of constructive trust and cooperation between Azerbaijan and the European Union is an essential aspect of this journey, and Italy stands ready to provide unwavering support for this. With these aspirations in mind, I renew my best wishes for Your Excellencys well-being and for a prosperous future for the friendly people of Azerbaijan, the letter reads. PulmoBioMed - a Northumbria University spin-out which has developed a new lung test that could lead to earlier diagnosis of asthma and other conditions - has raised 1.4m to help commercialize its technology. The investment round was led by the North East Venture Fund, supported by the European Regional Development Fund and managed by Mercia Ventures, and included Northumbria University, SFC Capital and private investors in the USA, EU and UK. The company has also secured a 700,000 grant from Innovate UK to help it demonstrate the benefits of its technology. PulmoBioMed's breath sampling technology offers a fast, non-invasive way to obtain fluid samples from the deep lung without contamination from fluids from the mouth. Most sampling devices cannot distinguish between the two, so may result in an unclear or misleading diagnosis, while other methods are highly invasive and cannot be performed frequently, or suffer contamination from the environment. Therefore, it can take time before patients receive a correct diagnosis and are given effective treatment. PulmoBioMed's hand-held device, PBM-Hale, captures the breath as the patient exhales. It then separates large aerosol droplets which come from the mouth from fine droplets which come from the deep lung. Clinical studies have shown that it provided uncontaminated deep lung samples in just two minutes that helped detect and quantify lung infections and inflammation in 100% of symptomatic cases. The PBM-Hale device is easy to use and over 40 times cheaper than endoscopy, an invasive technique where a tube is inserted into the lung with a one in seven risk of injury. PulmoBioMed was founded in 2020 by Professor Sterghios A. Moschos, a molecular biologist with over 20 years' experience who achieved international renown as leader of the team that developed a point-of-need test for Ebola virus disease in 2015 during the outbreak in West Africa. He is backed by a team of experts including Professor Sir Peter J. Barnes FRS, a world authority on airways disease, and Dr Huw Edwards, the founding CEO of the British In Vitro Diagnostics Association. PumoBioMed has already completed one successful UK government contract and won a number of accolades including the 2021 BioNOW investability competition. The company initially plans to target the US market and focus on asthma diagnosis, though the device is suitable for diagnosing other conditions including pneumonias. It could also improve outcomes for lung cancer patients by providing a better way to detect returning tumours and identify the best treatments. The company is in discussion with a number of potential customers. The funding will enable it to develop a cost-effective manufacturing process to scale up production and register its product in the US. It also plans to relocate to new premises in Newcastle city centre and create seven new jobs in the year ahead. PulmoBioMed was founded during the pandemic to address the need for reliable breath-based diagnostics. We have solved fundamental problems to enable quick and non-invasive deep lung sampling, with minimal training, and as frequently as necessary. Over 300 million asthma patients suffer slow diagnosis and millions of others are hospitalised every year with pneumonias that are impossible to diagnose with current tests. By helping clinicians understand their patient's disease and select treatments that work, PBM-Hale, has the potential to transform respiratory care." Dr Sterghios Moschos, Founder and CEO Alex Simpson of Mercia Ventures added: "PulmoBioMed's success demonstrates the rise of the healthtech industry in regions like the North East. World-class innovations are no longer confined to the 'golden triangle' of Oxford, Cambridge and London - regional companies like PulmoBioMed are emerging as important players, thanks in part to the strength of regional universities and support available from funds such as the NEVF alongside private investors." Taking innovative technology to market Northumbria University has a growing pipeline of IP arising from its research. Commercialization activity is supported by an award-winning team, backed also by Northern Accelerator, a collaboration between the North East's Universities to commercialize research and boost the region's economy. PulmoBioMed has benefitted from a range of Northern Accelerator support. Their 'Proof-of-Concept' funding supported the development of a first functional prototype of PBM-Hale. Saqib Ali, Industrial Designer at PulmoBioMed and Northumbria graduate carried out the rapid prototyping of PBM-HALE using 3D printers within the University's engineering labs. A second Northern Accelerator initiative, 'Executives into Business', supported the onboarding of the executive team, and a third program of support, 'Future Founders', provided business training. PulmoBioMed also benefitted from North by Northwest Partner's 'Innovation to the Commercialisation of University Research' (ICURe) program, which helped validate the market for the spinout's technology. The company won additional funding from Innovate UK to support the first 18 months of business development activities. A study conducted by Aston University researchers has demonstrated that the appearance of aging skin looks noticeably different compared to younger skin, when examined under polarized laser light. The scientists believe that their new finding could pave the way for new, non-invasive light-based techniques to detect diseases, including cancer, in older individuals. This could significantly enhance early-stage treatment options for various skin conditions. It has already been established that two classes of polarized, linearly and circularly, can detect changes in skin that aren't visible to the human eye. The new study indicates that the altered light scattering properties of aging skin are largely due to changes in the skin's texture, which are associated with the depletion of collagen fibers in the dermal layer. The research was led by Igor Meglinski, professor in quantum biophotonics & biomedical engineering and conducted under his guidance with Dr Viktor Dremin from Aston University's Institute of Photonic Technologies. The paper "Incremental residual polarization caused by aging in human skin" will be published in the May 2024 edition of the Journal of Biomedical Optics. The researchers analyzed images of the middle fingers of 32 volunteers aged 22 to 76 to study skin aging. They also used the Monte Carlo method, a mathematical technique, to represent the effects of light circulation within the human skin. This technique was developed by Professor Meglinski in 2001. Combined with the visual data from the images, this enabled the researchers to draw conclusions about the optical properties of aging skin. Our research offers a comprehensive analysis of how aging affects human skin polarization properties. This could be a stepping stone to developing non-invasive, light-based techniques for early detection of skin conditions, including cancer, in the elderly." Igor Meglinski, professor in quantum biophotonics & biomedical engineering The findings of the research could support the development of a method of skin analysis which doesn't rely on the patient undergoing biopsies or surgery. It could provide instant assessments of age-related skin changes that can be extended to monitor changes associated with the development of diabetes and other conditions. The research was conducted alongside researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland and the University of Latvia. Humans are still evolving, and Tatum Simonson, PhD, founder and co-director of the Center for Physiological Genomics of Low Oxygen at University of California School of Medicine, plans to use evolution to improve healthcare for all. Her latest research, which was published February 9, 2024 in Science Advances, reveals that a gene variant in some Andean people is associated with reduced red blood cell count at high altitude, enabling them to safely live high in the mountains in low-oxygen conditions. Simonson's UC San Diego lab is applying those findings toward understanding whether there may be a genetic component to why some people with sleep apnea or pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) fare better than others. There are people with COPD who breathe a lot and maintain a higher oxygen saturation. Others with the same disease don't breathe as much, and their oxygen saturation is low. Researchers suspect there may be genetic differences underlying this variation, similar to the variation we find in pathways important for oxygen sensing and responses underlying natural selection at high altitude." Tatum Simonson, PhD, founder and co-director of the Center for Physiological Genomics of Low Oxygen at University of California School of Medicine Our cells need oxygen to survive. When there isn't enough in the environment, our bodies produce extra red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout the body. Too many red blood cells, however, create a dangerous condition called excessive erythrocytosis (EE), which makes the blood viscous, which could lead to stroke or heart failure. Her previous research showed that many mountain-dwelling Tibetans exposed to low-oxygen situations are born with innate mechanisms that protect them from poor outcomes at high altitude, including the overproduction of red blood cells. Part of this is due to changes in the regulation of the EPAS1 gene, which lowers hemoglobin concentrations by regulating the pathway that responds to changing oxygen levels. Advances in genetics have shown that modern Tibetans received this genetic advantage from their ancestors who mixed with archaic humans living in Asia tens of thousands of years ago-;a unique evolutionary history confined to this population. For her latest research, Dr. Simonson, who is also the John B. West Endowed Chair in Respiratory Physiology and associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine & Physiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, zoomed in on the EPAS1 region of the genome. She and her team focused on a mutation in the gene that is present in some people living in the Andes but is absent in all other human populations. When they scanned whole Andean genomes, they found a pattern surrounding this variant suggesting that the genetic change, which alters only a single amino acid in the protein product, happened by chance, relatively recently (from 9,000 to 13,000 years ago), and spread very quickly through hundreds of generations within the Andean population. Similar to Tibetans, the EPAS1 gene is associated with lower red blood cell count in Andeans who possess it. However, the researchers were surprised to find that the variant works in a completely different way from the Tibetan version of the gene; rather than regulating its levels, the Andean variant changes the genetic makeup of the protein, altering the DNA in every single cell. "Tibetans have, in general, an average lower hemoglobin concentration, and their physiology deals with low oxygen in a way that doesn't increase their red blood cells to excessively high levels. Now we have the first signs of evidence that Andeans are also going down that path, involving the same gene, but with a protein-coding change. Evolution has worked in these two populations, on the same gene, but in different ways," said Simonson. This study exemplifies a current approach in research that connects genetic targets of natural selection with complex disease genes-;understanding, for example, how natural genetic variation contributes to adaptive and maladaptive responses to low oxygen, as this study reveals. In Simonson's lab, that means figuring out what downstream target genes are being turned on in response to low oxygen, among other things. Said Simonson, "This paper shows one gene associated with one particular phenotype, but we think there are many different genes and components of oxygen transport involved. It's just one piece of that puzzle, and could provide researchers with information relevant to other populations." Simonson and her team are working with Latino populations in San Diego and El Centro, California, as well as Tijuana and Ensenada, Mexico, taking them to high altitudes and recording their breathing while awake and asleep. They're cross-referencing their findings with publicly available databases to determine whether the findings they've made in Andeans are also found in local Latinos who may share some genetic variants with the Andeans. "In precision medicine, it's important to recognize variation in genetic backgrounds, specifically in historically understudied populations," Simonson said. "If we can find some shared genetic factors in populations in an extreme environment, that may help us understand aspects of health and disease in that group and groups more locally. In that way, this study aims to push research forward, and towards comprehensive personalized medicine approaches in clinics here in San Diego." Co-authors of the study include: Elijah S. Lawrence, Wanjun Gu, James J. Yu, Erica C. Heinrich, Katie A. O'Brien, Carlos A. Vasquez, Quinn T. Cowan , Patrick T. Bruck , Kysha Mercader, Mona Alotaibi, Tao Long, James E. Hall, Esteban A. Moya, Marco A. Bauk, Jennifer J. Reeves, Mitchell C. Kong, Rany M. Salem, Keolu P. Fox, Atul Malhotra, Frank L. Powel, Mohit Jain and Alexis C. Komor at UC San Diego, Ryan J. Bohlender, Hao Hu and Chad D. Huff at University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Cecilia Anza-Ramirez, Gustavo Vizcardo-Galindo , Jose-Luis Macarlupu , Romulo Figueroa-Mujica, Daniela Bermudez, Noemi Corante and Francisco C. Villafuerte at Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Eduardo Gaio at Universidad de Brasilia, Veikko Salomaa and Aki S. Havulinna at Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and Andrew J. Murray at Cambridge University and Gianpiero L. Cavalleri at Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. This study was funded, in part, by the National Institutes of Health (Grants R01HL145470 [TSS] and T32HL134632 [JEH]), Geographic Society Explorer Award, and John B West Endowment in Respiratory Physiology (TSS), Wellcome Trust Award 107544/Z/15/Z (FCV), Marie Skodowska-Curie grant agreement No 890768 (KAO), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Ford Foundation Fellowship (CAV), National Science Foundation Grant No DGE-2038238 (PTB), Research Corporation for Science Advancement through Cottrell Scholar Award 27502 (ACK), Science Foundation Ireland 12/IP/1727 (GLC), Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research and Juho Vainio Foundation (VS), and Academy of Finland (ASH). Over 100,000 individuals in the United States are currently in need of organ transplants. The demand for organs, such as hearts, kidneys, and livers, far exceeds the available supply and people sometimes wait years to receive a donated organ. Approximately 6,000 Americans die while waiting each year. Tissue engineering to create lab-grown organs and tissues aims to close the gap between the availability of organs and the demand for transplants. But one big challenge in tissue engineering is creating blood vessel networks in artificial organs that work like natural ones, from tiny capillaries to larger arteries. Traditional artificial blood vessel designs often don't mimic the natural design needed to function properly in the body. However, new research shows the possibility of using 3D ice printing to help create structures that resemble blood vessels in the body. Feimo Yang, a graduate student in the labs of Philip LeDuc and Burak Ozdoganlar at Carnegie Mellon University, will present their research at the 68th Biophysical Society Annual Meeting, to be held February 10 - 14, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 3D ice printing generally involves adding a stream of water to a very cold surface. What makes our method different from other kinds of 3D printing is that instead of letting the water completely freeze while we're printing, we let it maintain a liquid phase on top. This continuous process, which is what we call freeform, helps us to get a very smooth structure. We don't have a layering effect typical with many 3D printing." Feimo Yang, graduate student, Carnegie Mellon University They also used heavy water, a form of water where the hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium, which gives the water a higher freezing point, and helps create the smooth structure. These 3D-printed ice templates are then embedded in a gelatin material, GelMA. When exposed to UV light, the gelatin hardens, and the ice melts away, leaving behind realistic blood vessel channels. The researchers successfully demonstrated that they could introduce endothelial cells, like those in blood vessels, into the fabricated blood vessels. The cells survived on the gelatin for up to two weeks. (In the future, they intend to culture those cells for a longer duration.) In addition to potential use for organ transplant, Yang points out that 3D printed blood vessels could be used for testing the effects of drugs on blood vessels. They could also be coated with a patient's own cells to see how the cells respond to a drug treatment before giving it to the patient. This innovative approach could be a significant step forward in creating complex, lifelike blood vessel networks for use in tissue engineering. Indias Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services have been launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius at a virtual ceremony on Monday, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mauritian PM Pravind Jugnauth, and Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Indias UPI, RuPay Services Launched in Sri Lanka, Mauritius Apart from this, Indias RuPay card services have also been launched in Mauritius and Sri Lanka. Heres how they will work. How To Make QR-Based Payments In Sri Lanka Using UPI? Indias UPI services in Sri Lanka will be facilitated through Sri Lankas LankaPay. Step 1: Indian citizens visiting Sri Lanka need to activate UPI international on their preferred UPI app for making QR code-based merchant payments in Sri Lanka. Step 2: Scan the LankaPay QR code Step 3: Enter the amount Step 4: Enter the UPI PIN The payment is successful! The RBI and NPCI International have collaborated Central Bank of Sri Lanka and LankaPay for the UPI payment facility. How To Make QR-Based Payments In Mauritius Using UPI? In the case of Mauritius, the Reserve Bank of India and the Bank of Mauritius have collaborated to facilitate UPI QR code-based payment solutions in India and Mauritius. A total of 5,000 Indian tourists visit Mauritius in a year, and 30,000 Mauritius citizens visit India. Step 1: Indian citizens visiting Mauritius need to activate UPI international on their UPI apps for making QR code-based merchant payments in Mauritius. Step 2: Scan the QR code Step 3: Enter the amount Step 4: Review and confirm with the OTP. The payment is successful! Apart from this, RuPay cards issued in India will now be accepted in Mauritius. Through RuPay Switch network, these cards can be used to withdraw money from ATMs in Mauritius and can be swiped at the PoS there. In February 2023, UPI was also launched in Singapore, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong witnessing the launch of cross-border connectivity between UPI and PayNow via videoconferencing. The linkage allowed transfer of fund between India and Singapore in a swift and cost-effective way just by using phone number. Apart from this, PhonePe also earlier enabled payments abroad and has said all international merchant outlets in the UAE, Singapore, Mauritius, Nepal and Bhutan that have a local QR code are supported. Indias Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services have been launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius at a virtual ceremony on Monday. The event was witnessed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mauritian PM Pravind Jugnauth, and Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Apart from this, Indias RuPay card services have also been launched in Mauritius and Sri Lanka at the virtual ceremony. Indias UPI In Sri Lanka, Mauritius: How Will It Work? All You Need To Know We are connecting our historic relations through modern technology, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the launch event. The launch of Indias UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius underscores the robust linkages between our countries. https://t.co/u9da79j7L2 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2024 In Sri Lanka, the interface will be linked with Lanka Pay to allow digital transactions on UPI in Sri Lanka. The facility will ease remittances between the countries. Indians visiting Mauritius will be able to pay using their UPI apps by scanning merchant QR codes, and vice-versa, said Mauritian PM Pravind Jugnauth. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. RuPay is a global card payment network from India, with wide acceptance at shops, ATMs, and online. The launch of the Indian services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius is taking place amid New Delhis increasing bilateral economic ties with the two countries. India has emerged as a leader in Fintech innovation and Digital Public Infrastructure. The prime minister has placed a strong emphasis on sharing our development experiences and innovation with partner countries, the Ministry of External Affairs has said in a statement. Stocks To Watch On February 12: After a subdued start, equity markets made a recovery to close higher on Friday, driven by buying in select heavyweight stocks. Q3FY24 earnings today: 63Moons, AllCargo Logistics, Avadh Sugar, BASF, Bharat Forge, BLS International Services, Chemplast Sanmar, Coal India, Edelweiss Financial Services, Hindustan Aeronautics, Mazagondock Shipbuilders, Samvardhana Motherson International, NHPC Yatharth Hospital and Trauma Care: Healthcare services provider Yatharth Hospital and Trauma Care Services on Sunday announced the acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in the 175-bed Faridabad-based Asian Fidelis Hospital for an enterprise value of Rs 116 crore. This comes after Yatharth Hospital announced entering a definitive agreement with Pristine Infracon and its shareholders to acquire the hospital by way of a 100 per cent equity purchase from the existing shareholders, according to the company statement. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation: IRCTC has incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary company in the name of IRCTC Payments Ltd for the purpose of payment aggregator business. Orient Press: The Board has approved for setting up of new manufacturing facility/plant for new line of business of production of candles. JSW Group: The JSW Group has signed a deal worth Rs 40,000 crore with the Odisha government to set up an electric vehicle (EV) and electric vehicle battery manufacturing project at Cuttack and Paradip. Dr Reddys Labs: The companys formulations manufacturing facility (FTO-3) in Bachupally, Hyderabad, has received the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the USFDA, where the inspection has been classified as Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI). Railtel Corp: Company receives order worth Rs 18.21 crore from the Minsitry of Defence. Easy Trip Planners: The Board has considered and in-principally approved the proposal to open a 5-star hotel in Ayodhya, which is less then one kilometer from Shree Ram Mandir, through investment of an amount of up to Rs 100 crore in Jeewani Hospitality Private Limited. ONGC: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) reported a 9.9% year-on-year (YoY) decline in consolidated net profit for the quarter ended December 2023 to Rs 10,356 crore. Divis Labs: Pharma major Divis Labs reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 358 crore for the quarter ended December, up 17% from Rs 306 crore posted in the same period last year. Paytm: One 97 Communications Ltd on Friday said that it will form a group advisory committee, chaired by former SEBI Chairman M. Damodaran, to work with the board for strengthening compliance, and regulatory matters. Honasa Consumer: Honasa Consumer, which owns and operates Mamaearth, reported 265% growth in its consolidated net profit to Rs 26 crore for the quarter ended December. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted the first session of JEE Main 2024 from January 24 to February 1. According to the official notification, the January session result is set to be announced today, February 12. The JEE Main Session 1 Result 2024 will be released soon by NTA on its official websites: nta.ac.in, and jeemain.nta.ac.in. JEE Main Result 2024 LIVE The JEE Main 2024 cut-off will decide eligibility for JEE Advanced registration and admission to institutions like IITs, NITs, IIEST, IIITs, and other GFTIs. The JEE Main cutoff comes in two categories the qualifying cutoff, issued by the NTA, and the admission cutoff, released by the Joint Seat Allocation Authority (JoSAA) on behalf of participating institutes. Candidates can refer to previous year trends to anticipate the expected cutoff for JEE Main 2024. JEE Main 2024: Expected cutoff General: 90+ OBC-NCL: 75+ EWS: 78+ SC: 44+ PwD: 0.11+ JEE Main 2024 Session 1 Result: How to Check Step 1: Visit the official website jeemain.nta.ac.in. Step 2: Click on the JEE Main 2024 session 1 result link on the homepage. Step 3: Log in with the required credentials. Submit. Step 4: The result will appear on the screen. In January 2024, NTA organised the JEE Main 2024 Session 1 across 544 centers spread across 291 cities, which also included 21 cities located outside India. Paper 1 for B.E./B.Tech was held on January 27, 29, 30, 31, and February 1, 2024, in two shifts: 9:00 am to noon and 3 pm to 6 pm. Paper 2 for B. Arch and B. Planning took place on January 24, 2024, in a single shift from 3 pm to 6:30 pm. The JEE (Main) 2024 Examination was conducted primarily in Computer Based Test (CBT) mode. For B.E./B.Tech. (Paper 1), the entire exam was in CBT mode. For B.Arch. (Paper 2A): Mathematics and Aptitude were in CBT mode, and the Drawing test was in Pen & Paper (offline) mode. Similarly, for B.Planning (Paper 2B), all sections were in CBT mode. The exam was held in 13 languages: Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. It was also held in 21 cities outside India, including Manama, Doha, Dubai, Kathmandu, Muscat, Riyadh, Sharjah, Singapore, Kuwait City, Kuala Lumpur, Lagos/Abuja, Colombo, Jakarta, Moscow, Ottawa, Port Louis, Bangkok, and Washington D.C. JEE Main 2024 Session 1 Result: High Attendance Rate As per the data released by NTA, 95.8 per cent of the registered candidates participated in Paper 1 (BE/BTech) during the JEE Main January 2024 exam. This represents one of the highest attendance rates ever recorded for the JEE Main, as stated by NTA. Out of the 12,21,615 candidates who registered for JEE Main Paper 1, an impressive 11,70,036 candidates appeared for the exam. Additionally, for the JEE Main session 1 BArch / B.Planning paper, 55,493 candidates out of the total 74,002 registered candidates took the exam. The anti-corruption drive in China has become the central plank of the Xi Jinping government. The crackdown is often used to remove anyone who does not agree with Xis style of working, promoting clean governance. In recent months, the campaign has swept through industries including banking, insurance, state-backed business and sport. State broadcaster CCTV had reported that a former top executive at a state-owned oil and gas giant had been arrested for suspected bribery. Xi in his speech ordered greater efforts to fight corruption in finance, state-owned enterprises, energy, medicine and infrastructure. Andrew Wedeman, head of China Studies at Georgia State University, said, as quoted by BBC, The corruption he fears is real. It is likely also true that Xi has capitalised on crackdown to gain political advantage. Xi, who began his second decade as Chinas top leader in 2022, has his party launch such state campaigns every now and then in order to have organised politics, and launch investigations against anyone however he wants. How Xis Predecessors Viewed Corruption? Mao used to launch such campaigns in order to foster loyalty and love for the party. During Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin, the idea behind corruption was to elevate the living standards of people so that they dont feel the need to act corruptly. When Hu Jintao was in charge, most Chinese people had a better standard of living, but there were many who used corrupt means to gain increase wealth, which exacerbated cases of fraud. Xi is using Maos philosophy of keeping his flock together, by launching these purges and crackdowns. Since 2012, when he came to power, Xi has been going after tigers (high-ranking officials) and flies (lower level cadres). More than 100 finance sector officials have been punished over the past year. Some of the former chairs of major banks have been implicated for taking bribes. Chinas Score on Corruption Index Chinas score on the Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International has improved six points to 45. The gain is one point more than in lower-scoring India over the same period. Ironically, the United States has declined 4 points to 69. The index maker attributes Americas worsening position to factors including poor oversight of pandemic-related financial aid, according to Reuters. Nearly 5 million individuals, mostly party officials, have been purged by Xis Communist Party of China (CPC) in the last 10 years. The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), a feared watchdog, investigated 45 senior officials last year. Among them, top executives in the central bank and state lenders. Former Bank of China Chairman Liu Liange was sacked last year following a CCDI probe. The CCDI launched investigations into a record 45 senior officials in 2023, which is 40% higher than 2022, South China Morning Post reported on January 3. The watchdog has investigated 4.39 million cases and punished 4.7 million officials as of April 2022, state-run newspaper Global Times reported in June 2022. Recently, a leading Chinese nuclear fuel engineer has been placed under investigation for committing serious violations of discipline and law, the CCDI said in a statement. Li Guangchang is a former director of the nuclear fuel division of CNNC, a state-owned enterprise that oversees Chinas civilian and military nuclear programmes. Nearly 44% of the migratory species accorded protection under the Bonn Convention are declining in numbers, revealed the State of the Worlds Migratory Species report launched at the opening of CMS COP14 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on Monday. This is the first such comprehensive global assessment of migratory species. The report was compiled in response to a decision taken at CMS COP13 in 2020, which was hosted by India in Gandhinagar. The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) had then put the number of migratory species of India under CMS to be 457. The conference had ended with the addition of 10 migratory species, including the Asian Elephant, Jaguar and the critically-endangered Great Indian Bustard with less than 200 left worldwide, to the global wildlife agreement. The landmark United Nations (UN) report prepared by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) focusses on nearly 1,189 animal species that are listed under CMS, which include some iconic species such as sea turtles, whales and sharks, elephants, wild cats, raptors, water birds and songbirds, which travel thousands of miles across the globe every year to feed and breed. ONE IN FIVE CMS SPECIES THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION According to the report, more than one in five (22%) CMS-listed species are threatened with extinction. In fact, 70 CMS-listed migratory species, including the steppe eagle, Egyptian vulture and wild camel, have become more endangered over the past 30 years. Most worryingly, nearly all CMS-listed species of fish, including migratory sharks, rays and sturgeons, are facing a high risk of extinction, with their populations declining by 90% since the 1970s. The report, for the first time, sets out compelling evidence of the perils facing these awe-inspiring animals. It finds that migratory species are being hit hard, particularly by overexploitation and habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, said Inger Andersen UN Under-Secretary-General & Executive Director, UN Environment Programme. The report also investigated how many migratory species are at risk, but not covered by the Convention, and found that 399 migratory species, mainly birds and fish, including many albatrosses and perching birds, ground sharks and stingrays, are categorised as threatened or near-threatened, but are not yet CMS-listed. However, some 14 species such as the blue and humpback whales, which were heavily hunted for oil and baleen, white-tailed sea eagle and black-faced spoonbill showed positive population trends. OVER-EXPLOITATION, HABITAT LOSS & CLIMATE CHANGE According to experts, over-exploitation and human activities have largely deteriorated the status of migratory species. Drastic habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation across countries are increasingly disrupting the ability of migratory species to move freely along their routes. The rising global temperatures are also shrinking habitats available to many migratory species. The changing temperatures can cause migratory species to arrive too early, too late or not at all, said experts. Extensive use of dams in river systems has been cited as a major cause for habitat fragmentation for fresh water migratory fishes in the Indian sub-continent, which is preventing them from completing their migratory route. The report also found that half (51%) of the key biodiversity areas identified as important for CMS-listed migratory animals do not have protected status, and 58% of the monitored sites recognized as being important for CMS-listed species are experiencing unsustainable levels of human-caused pressure. CMS COP14 BEGINS TODAY The release of the report marked the beginning of the week-long UN wildlife conservation conference (CMS COP14) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan where governments, wildlife organisations and scientists from across the world will discuss strategies for conservation of migratory species and their habitats. It will also be the first COP of any global environmental treaty to take place in Central Asia. Meanwhile, India, which had hosted CMS COP14, is home to several migratory species of wildlife, including snow leopard, Amur falcons, bar headed Geese, black-necked cranes, marine turtles, dugongs and hump-backed whales. The Indian sub-continent is also part of the major bird flyway network the Central Asian Flyway (CAF) that stretches between the Arctic and Indian Oceans, covering at least 279 populations of 182 migratory water bird species, including 29 globally threatened species. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. According to the training plan for the current year, socio-political training classes are held in the Azerbaijan Army within the framework of measures to educate the military personnel, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. During the classes, the military personnel are informed about the importance of work done under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, his opinions about the Azerbaijan Army, as well as the events and innovations taking place in the republic and the world. Within the socio-political training classes, questions of the servicemen are answered and necessary recommendations are given regarding their services. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel With a massive deployment of police and paramilitary personnel along with multi-layered barricading, authorities have turned the national capital borders at Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur into fortresses to prevent protesting farmers from entering the city during their scheduled Delhi Chalo march on Tuesday (February 13). Over 200 farmers unions, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, are taking part in the march to press the Centre to accept their demands. The farmers are on their way to Delhi from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab to take part in a protest in Delhi. The peasants are demanding a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP), one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation against the now-repealed farm laws in 2021. Meanwhile, the latest government data shows that the procurement of foodgrains has increased from 761.40 lakh metric tonnes in 2014-15 to 1062.69 lakh metric tonnes in 2022-23, benefitting more than 1.6 crore farmers. The expenditure incurred (at MSP rates) on procurement of foodgrains increased from 1.06 lakh crore to 2.28 lakh crore, during the same period. They are also seeking the implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, and farm debt waiver. The farmers also want to press the Centre to provide justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Heres how authorities are preparing for the mega protest. ALSO READ | Delhi Chalo Stir: Why Farmers From Punjab Marching Towards Capital? What Are Their Demands? | Explained Traffic diversions and curbs The Delhi Traffic Police, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), had said diversions and curbs will be put in place from February 12 after farmers protests caused huge traffic snarls last Thursday. Traffic AdvisoryIn view of the proposed farmers protest at various borders of Delhi from 13.02.2024, traffic will be affected. For commercial vehicles, traffic restrictions/diversions will be imposed from 12.02.2024. Kindly follow the advisory.#DPTrafficAdvisory pic.twitter.com/3KDZbWP7Pu Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) February 11, 2024 According to the advisory, traffic restrictions and diversions will be imposed at the Singhu border from February 12 for commercial vehicles and from February 13 for all types of vehicles. #WATCH | Delhi: Traffic congestion seen on GT Karnal Road as security has been tightened near the Singhu Border, ahead of the Delhi-Chalo protest by farmers on February 13. pic.twitter.com/I2V3pgXvqz ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2024 FOR VEHICLES HEADING TOWARDS PANIPAT/KARNAL Interstate Buses intending to go towards Sonipat, Panipat Karnal etc. via NH-44 have been instructed to take ISBT to Majnu Ka Tilla to Signature Bridge to Khajuri Chowk to Loni Border to KMP via Khekra. HGVs intending to go towards Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal etc. via NH-44 have been instructed to take Exit No. 2 on NH-44 (DSIIDC) Cut to Harish Chander Hospital Crossing to Bawana road crossing to Bawana Chowk to Bawana-Auchandi Road reachingAuchandi Border to KMP via Saidpur chowki. DIVERSIONS FROM GAZIPUR BORDER AREA Vehicles from Delhi heading to Ghaziabad through the Gazipur border have been instructed to take Pushta Road in front of Akshardham temple or Patparganj Road/Mother Dairy Road or Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg ISBT Anand Vihar and exit from Maharajpur or Apsara border in UPs Ghaziabad. Vehicular traffic going to Haryana through NH-44 may divert towards Dabur Chowka Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad-Hapur Road, GT Road Delhi, Meerut Expressway Dasna, and take a left turn to Eastern Peripheral Expressway. DIVERSIONS AROUND TIKRI BORDER AREA (DELHI-HARYANA) Heavy and Commercial Vehicles or trucks going towards Bahadurgarh, Rohtak, etc. via Rohtak Road have been advised to use Najafgarh Nangloi Road from Nangloi Chowk to enter Haryana via Najafgarh Jharoda Borderb. NOIDA POLICE ISSUES TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS The Noida police also issued a list of diversions to avoid any chaos. With traffic restrictions and security measures in place, the motorists had a hard time commuting between Delhi and NCR towns. The Delhi Police has imposed prohibitory orders for a month banning entry of procession of tractors, truck,s or other vehicles in the city. Preparations at borders Massive deployment of police and paramilitary personnel besides multi-layered barricading have taken place to seal the national capital borders. The police are also using drones to keep a tight vigil at border points, an official said, adding that they are fully prepared to deal with any law and order situation. Due to the farmers protest and march to Parliament, the Delhi Police started preparations to check the advancing farmers march beforehand, an officer said. Multiple layers of barricades with concertina wires, nails, and huge concrete blocks and containers have been placed along the entry points to the national capital. Huge deployment of paramilitary personnel on Delhi-Rohtak and Delhi-Bahadurgarh roads has taken place. Outer Delhi DCP Jimmy Chiram was seen discussing the arrangements with other personnel. Heavy concrete blocks and razor-sharp wires were used to block roads. Police are using drones to monitor the area. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora visited the citys borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on Sunday to check the security arrangements. According to an advisory, traffic restrictions have been imposed for commercial vehicles at the Singhu border since Monday. Tuesday onwards, the restrictions apply to all types of vehicles, it said. The police have deployed more than 5,000 security personnel while cranes and earth movers carrying large containers to block the road were also at work. Multiple security barricades have already been installed at the borders to stop the farmers from entering the national capital. Nails have been erected on roads so that if the protesting farmers try to enter the city on vehicles, their tyres get punctured, the officials said. A makeshift office has been set up at the Singhu border to keep a round-the-clock vigil on the developing situation. The police have also sealed the rural roads bordering Haryana to stop the protesters from moving ahead to enter Delhi. Prohibitory orders According to an order issued by Police Commissioner Sanjay Arore, there will be a complete restriction on the assembly of people, rallies, and entry of tractor-trolleys carrying people. During their protest in 2020, farmers from different states, mainly Punjab, Haryana, and UP, staged sit-ins at three border points Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur. Meanwhile, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) have been enforced in the northeast district of Delhi to maintain law and order. Riding tractors and other vehicles, the farmers sat at these three border points from August 2020 to December 2021. In 2020, the police had to rush the logistics to check the entry of the farmers moving in procession of tractors. (With PTI inputs) Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday thanked the Qatari government and its Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the release of eight Indian ex-Navy veterans who were jailed on spying charges. Speaking at a press conference here, Kwatra also announced Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Qatar this week after concluding his UAE trip where he will inaugurate the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi. We are grateful for their return. We deeply appreciate the decision of Qatars government and the Emir to release them. We are happy to have seven of those Indian nationals back, the Foreign Secretary said during the presser of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). #WATCH | On the release of eight Indian ex-Navy veterans from Qatar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra says, We are grateful for their return. We deeply appreciate the decision of Qatars government and the Amir to release them. We are happy to have seven of those Indian pic.twitter.com/e9xux3p1uf ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 The Indian nationals, all employees of Al Dahra company and Navy veterans, were taken into custody in an alleged case of espionage. In October last year, Qatars Court of First Instance issued them a death sentence before hearings began in a Court of Appeal. A month later, the appeals filed by the veterans with assistance from India were accepted by the court. During the press conference, Kwatra today said the eighth Indian national has also been released and India continues to work with the Qatar government to see how quickly his return would be possible. The Foreign Secretary also spoke on Modis Qatar visit. After completing his UAE visit, on February 14, the Prime Minister will travel to Doha, Kwatra said. During the visit PM Modi will hold bilateral with the Emir of Qatar and other high-level dignitaries of the country. This will be PMs second visit to Qatarstrong bilateral trade between India and Qatar, currently stands at $20 Billion, he added. PM Modis visit comes amid reports that the early December talks in Dubai between him and the Emir of Qatar, set the ball rolling for the release of eight Indian Navy veterans. This was confirmed by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy who revealed that PM Modis intervention was key to the release of Indian Navy personnel. Prime Minister has himself personally constantly supervised all the developments in this case and has never shied away from any initiatives that would ensure the return of Indian nationals back to home, Kwatra said. When asked about the number of Indian prisoners in UAE, Qatar and other countries, the Foreign Secretary said, Govt of India has extensive mechanisms in place counsellor dialogues and discussions involving the Indian system and the systems in those countries. He said one of the principal tasks is to keep working towards the early release of all the Indian prisoners irrespective of which country they are in. There are also established mechanisms and systems in place which ensure that whatever assistance wherever possible is to be made available to these prisoners, is made available through govt mechanisms, he added. Authorities have fortified the national capital by barricading the border areas and deploying more than 5,000 security personnel, ahead of the Delhi Chalo march on February 13. In addition to the concrete barricades, road spikes, barbed wires and thousands of police personnel have been deployed along the interstate border. Earlier, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Nityanand Rai and Arjun Munda met farmers in Chandigarh on Monday in connection to the ongoing protest. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that more than 200 farm unions will march to Delhi on February 13. Why are Farmers Protesting? The mega protest being held by the farmers are intended to make the Centre accept their list of demands. The farm bodies are demanding a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP), one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation against the now-repealed farm laws in 2021. Thousands of farmers from around 100 villages, including women and elderly, also joined the march, to press for their demands for hiked compensation and developed plots in lieu of their land acquired by local development authorities in Noida and Greater Noida in the past. Besides a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP), the farmers are also demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and justice for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Police Restrictions and Advisory Ahead of Protest Meanwhile, Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora said that Section 144 has been imposed in the entire Delhi ahead of farmers call for March to Delhi on February 13. Section 144 was also imposed at the Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu border in Uttar Pradesh to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order. According to the Delhi Police order, the gathering of public at all borders between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas in the jurisdictional area of northeast district will be prohibited. The Delhi Traffic Police on Sunday issued an advisory ahead of farmers Delhi Chalo march. The police have advised vehicle owners to follow the advisory to know about the traffic restrictions/diversions. Union Ministers and Farmer Leaders Conduct Talks A team of Union ministers on Monday evening began talks here with farmer leaders in a bid to dissuade them from their Delhi Chalo march to press the Centre for enactment of a law on minimum support price for crops. The ministers, including food and consumer affairs minister Piyush Goyal and agriculture minister Arjun Munda, were holding the second round of talks with the farmer leaders. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher, among others, were also a part of the meeting. Huge Security, Multi-layered Barricading at Borders Massive deployment of police and paramilitary personnel besides multi-layered barricading have taken place to seal the national capital borders at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur to prevent the protesting farmers from entering the city during their scheduled Delhi Chalo march on Tuesday. The police are also using drones to keep a tight vigil at border points, an official said, adding that they are fully prepared to deal with any law and order situation. In a major diplomatic win for India, Qatar released the eight Indian Navy veterans who were earlier sentenced to Death for spying. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, welcomed the Veterans back home and appreciated the Amir of the State of Qatar for enabling the release. The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals, the MEA said in its statement. The release of the veterans is also a big diplomatic win for the nation as Qatars decision comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai. PM Modi had said that, in the meeting, they discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar. Returning to their homeland, the seven Navy veterans lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring diplomatic intervention necessary to secure their release. The former Navy officers, accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme, were first sentence to death there. However, due to diplomatic intervention by New Delhi, their capital punishment was commuted to an extended prison term by the Qatari court. The external affairs ministry had assured the family members that they would mobilise all possible diplomatic channels for these veterans return. Breathing in the air of their homeland, the seven Navy veterans arrived at the Delhi airport and raised chants of Bharat Mata Ki Jai. One of the veterans, spoke to ANI and hailed PM Modi for raising their sentencing with Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani while also appreciating the continuous diplomatic efforts at his request. I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldnt have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamas Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, he said. #WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, It wouldnt have been possible for us to stand here without the intervention of PM Modi. And it also happened due to the continuous efforts of the Government of India. pic.twitter.com/bcwEWvWIDK ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Another veteran, with a smile on his face, said that Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldnt be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom. The former Navy officers waited for a period of 18 months before finally achieving freedom from the Qatar prison. One of the veterans also noted that the personal equations of PM Modi and Qatars Emir also played a part in their release. #WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldnt have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. We are grateful to the pic.twitter.com/5DiBC0yZPd ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 In January, the Court of Appeal had given the Navy veterans 60 days of time to appeal against their prison terms, which was given to them following the commutation of their death sentences, the external affairs ministry had said. The newly appointed spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, had noted that the MEAs legal team has the confidential court order which detailed the commutation of the death sentences to prison terms. (With ANI inputs) Massive security has been set up across the Punjab-Haryana borders ahead of the farmers Delhi Chalo march, scheduled to take place on February 13. As a precautionary measure, Section 144 has been imposed in the entire capital till March 12 ahead of the farmers protest. Meanwhile, the authorities have been putting up jersey barricades and prohibitory orders in Haryana and Delhi border areas in view of the farmers planned protest. The Haryana and Delhi Police on Sunday placed concrete barricades at the Tikri border in Jhajjars Bahadurgarh and Singhu in Sonepat to prevent the farmers from entering the national capital. Water cannons along with large cemented containers were also placed by Delhi Police on the Sonepat border. In addition to the concrete barricades, road spikes, barbed wires and thousands of police personnel have been deployed along the interstate border. In addition to this, the Haryana government converted two large stadiums into makeshift jails ahead of the march on Tuesday in which thousands of farmers are expected to participate. Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Indoor Stadium in Sirsa and Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Dabwali will serve as temporary jails to keep detained farmers in case their march goes ahead, NDTV reported citing its sources. Section 144 in Haryana, Delhi Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in 15 of the 22 districts of Haryana to prevent farmer agitation. The Sonepat district administration has also released an order to petrol pumps to not fill more than 10 litres of diesel into the tractors of the farmers in the wake of farmer organisations Delhi Chalo call. Section 144 has been imposed in the entire Delhi ahead of farmers call for March to Delhi on February 13, informed Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora. Meanwhile, Section 144 was also imposed at the Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu border in Uttar Pradesh to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order. According to the Delhi Police order, the gathering of public at all borders between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and nearby areas in the jurisdictional area of northeast district will be prohibited. Delhi Traffic Police Issues Advisory The Delhi Traffic Police on Sunday issued an advisory ahead of farmers Delhi Chalo march. The police have advised vehicle owners to follow the advisory to know about the traffic restrictions/diversions. Traffic AdvisoryIn view of the proposed farmers' protest at various borders of Delhi from 13.02.2024, traffic diversions will be in place. For commercial vehicles, traffic restrictions/diversions will be imposed from 12.02.2024. Kindly follow the advisory.#DPTrafficAdvisory https://t.co/S9L5KcUffy Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) February 11, 2024 What Are Farmers Demanding? Two years after a massive agitation was launched by the farmers in Punjab, the farmers are back with their demand regarding a law guaranteeing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that more than 200 farm unions will march to Delhi on February 13. The main accused in the violence that broke out in Uttarakhands Haldwani over the demolition of an illegally built madrasa was arrested on Sunday. So far thirty persons have been arrested in connection with the clash, police official said. Meanwhile, schools have been allowed to reopen after the curfew, imposed in the state, was lifted. Earlier, state government officials told CNN-News18 that the key accused Abdul Malik was arrested in Delhi and brought back to Haldwani for questioning. Malik was arrested with his son and three others namely Malik, Jisan Parves, Javed Siddiqui, Mehboob Alam and Arshad Ayub. They have been accused of indulging in rioting, arson, damage to public property and obstructing public servants from doing their work. Javed Siddique, brother of an SP leader, was arrested after CCTV footage proved his role in rioting. LATEST UPDATES Situation in the Banbhoolpura area remained normal on Monday as extra paramilitary forces were deployed to maintain law and order. Nainital SSP Prahlad Meena noted that essential commodities are being supplied to the residents of the curfew-hit area. The Banbhoolpura Primary Health Centre (PHC) and medical stores in the area have been opened and gas cylinders are also being supplied to the resident. Schools have been reopened in Haldwani after the curfew imposed in the area, in view of the violence, was lifted on Monday. Notably, curfew was lifted in the rest of Haldwani except the Banbhoolpura area on Sunday. Police said that the CCTV footage and mobile videos are still being scanned to further investigate and nab the persons involved. A total of 30 persons have been arrested so far in connection with the rioting over the demolition of an illegal madrasa. The key accused in the case, Abdul Malik, was arrested from Delhi on Sunday. A delegation of the Uttarakhand Congress on Sunday met with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and demanded an impartial probe into the violence. Dhami told them that the state government took immediate action in the matter. Dhami told the delegation that the Kumaon commissioner was conducting a magesterial probe into it and would submit his report in 15 days. Addressing the media on Sunday evening, Nainitals Senior Superintendent of Police Prahlad Meena said that most of the fresh arrests were made within the limits of Nainital. She added that the seven pistols and 54 live cartridges that had allegedly been looted from the Bhanbhoolpura station were recovered from those arrested. A delegation of representatives from the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and Jamaat-e-Islami Hind visited Haldwani. The Jamiats chief Maulana Arshad Madani condemned the police action and said that the report submitted by the delegation was extremely painful. Madani alleged that the police, instead of enforcing law and order, become a party against Muslims everywhere but act differently in cases involving others. Discrimination on the basis of religion among (different groups of) protesters is deplorable, he said. (With PTI inputs) Meet nine-year-old Ishwari Bagirav, a strong-willed girl with big dreams of becoming a makeup artist. Her fascination with cosmetics knows no bounds as she gleefully experiments with her mothers makeup products. Despite her lack of interest in academics, Ishwaris parents and teachers arent fazed. Her life has never been the same as most other children her age. At the age of six, she was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukaemia (ALL), a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Despite undergoing several rounds of painful chemotherapy at Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, the cancer kept coming back. Even after surviving the long and painful treatment, it relapsed. But Ishwaris story took a remarkable turn with CAR-T cell therapy. A resident of Nashik, Ishwari became one of the first participants in a paediatric trial for CAR-T cell therapy, a ground-breaking treatment for certain types of cancer. Miraculously, in the initial phase of the trial, Ishwari was declared cancer-free, defying the odds. My wife and I were devastated (when she was diagnosed). Our daughter was dying anyway, so we decided to give her one chance through this trial, Bagirav, Ishwaris father, who is a local car driver, told News18 over phone. According to Ishwaris healthcare provider, Dr Gaurav Narula, project lead of CAR-T and Cell Therapy Centre, Tata Memorial Centre: Its been around 1.5 years and Ishwari is in complete remission mode, which means she is cancer-free now. Ishwaris father told News18 that now she eats well and is as active as any other child. She plays and attends school regularly. However, we continue to follow up with check-ups and blood tests, her father said, reflecting on the time when Ishwaris survival seemed uncertain. I still recall those days when my wife and I would cry all day. It felt like a curse, but we are grateful we took a chance with CAR-T therapy. Ishwaris journey symbolises hope for countless children battling life-threatening cancers. Her resilience and the potential success of the therapy offer a ray of hope for a brighter, cancer-free future for young warriors like her. The ongoing paediatric trial awaits the conclusion of the second phase by the end of this year. The commercial approval for paediatric use of the therapy is expected to come later this year, said Narula who is also a professor of paediatric oncology and health sciences at Tata Memorial Centre. Acute lymphocytic leukaemia is one of the most common cancers among children. There are many more children like Ishwari in the trial who have witnessed extremely encouraging results. The clinical trials are being done by Narula and his team from Tata Memorial Centre. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy or CAR-T cell therapy is a first in India gene therapy which is in the second phase of the pilot clinical trial for children. It has already been rolled out commercially for adults, which means that private hospitals can now buy the therapy for their patients. So far, out of 15 commercial patients, three patients have already witnessed cancer remission. How Does CAR-T Work? In India, the challenge of cancer is escalating into a significant public health issue. Recent estimates indicate a sharp rise in new cancer cases, reaching nearly 16 lakh in 2023 compared to around 9.80 lakh in 2010. Tragically, approximately 8 lakh individuals lose their lives to cancer annually, and this figure is projected to increase significantly in the years ahead. In India, nearly more than 50,000 new childhood cancer cases occur every year. Tata Memorial Centre, which is amongst the oldest and largest cancer centres in the world, registers more than 2,500 cancer patients every year, aged 0 to 15 years. Out of these patients, around 1,000 suffer from blood cancer. Under the therapy, blood is drawn from the patients body. Doctors then remove a special type of white blood cell called T-cells from the blood. These T-cells are programmed in a lab to recognise and attack cancer cells in the body of the patient. These cells are manufactured in GMP-certified manufacturing units and are finally put back into the patients body. As soon as these cells find cancer cells in the body, they start multiplying and attack cancer cells. Its an army of cells trained to kill the cancer cells inside the body, Narula explained. This is the living drug programmed to eliminate cancerous cells. Journey of Domestic CAR-T Versus Global Therapies In 2017, the US health regulator approved CAR-T for adults. The therapy was priced at $450,000 around Rs 3.73 crore when converted using the latest dollar rate. The technology is also available in several other developed countries, including in Europe and China. However, when imported for patients in India, the price is much higher, as it would include hospitalisation charges, doctor and administration feed and other costs, which is unaffordable for the majority of Indians. China also has the technology. However, patients need to fly down to the country for the entire course of therapy, Narula said, adding that Indian technology has brought down the cost below Rs 50 lakh. It is available for around Rs 42 to Rs 45 lakh. In June 2021, India started the clinical trial to develop domestic CAR-T for adults. Launched as a collaboration led by Narula from Tata Memorial Centre and Dr Rahul Purwar, Professor of Biosciences at IIT-Mumbai, the trial entered Phase 2 in December 2022 and received commercial approvals in October 2023. The trials were financially supported by the central governments Department of Biotechnology (DBT)- National Biopharma Mission along with ImmunoACT, a spin-off company affiliated with IIT-Mumbai. The approval stemmed from the outcomes of two small-scale clinical trials conducted within India, involving 64 individuals diagnosed with advanced lymphoma or leukaemia. Results presented in December 2023 at the American Society of Hematology meeting revealed that 67% of patients (36 out of 53) in the combined trials experienced a significant reduction in cancer severity (objective response), with half of them achieving complete remission. Out of the 53 participants, none experienced the neurological side effects commonly associated with CAR T-cell therapies approved in the United States. Additionally, only a small fraction (5%) encountered severe immune-related side effects. Evolving Tech According to Narula, CAR-T is presently approved for the treatment of B-cell lymphomas and leukaemia. Right now, CAR-T is proven efficient in treating B-cell malignancies. However, in the coming years, it could be used for the treatment of solid tumours, neuroblastoma and other type of blood cancers. Also, we need to understand why there are some patients who do not respond to the therapy, he said, adding that while currently the therapy has not demonstrated significant side effects, going forward, insight into its long-term effects shall be gained. CAR-T therapy offers a ray of hope to individuals like Ishwari and those who may have lost hope for survival. In the years ahead, it has the potential to aid the global fight against the devastating disease known as cancer. The governments effort to digitise land records is poised to revolutionise the countrys longstanding land management system. Part of the Digital India initiative, this endeavour entails the conversion of traditional paper-based records into electronic formats. Land records are vital for a countrys governance and economic development. In India, the management of these records is poorly executed and highly decentralised leading to a host of roadblocks and difficulties faced by the common people as well as civil authorities and businesses. This system of land records has historically been complex and burdensome, leading to inefficiencies, disputes, and corruption. Land disputes congest the entire judicial system in India, constituting the largest category of cases in terms of both absolute numbers and pending legal matters. According to an estimate, more than 9.3 million people are affected by land conflicts in a total area spanning 3.9 million hectares. This has an impact on investments worth $372 billion. To address these challenges, the Indian government initiated the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP). This ambitious project aims to digitise land records, minimise discrepancies, and enhance accessibility, ultimately facilitating hassle-free land transactions and improving governance. WHAT IS DILRMP? According to the Centre, the objective of DILRMP is to develop a modern, comprehensive and transparent land record management system. DILRMP, revamped as a Central Sector Scheme since April 1, 2016 with full funding from the Centre, aims to modernize land record management. Its goal is to establish an Integrated Land Information Management System to enhance real-time land information access, optimise land resource use, benefit landowners and investors, support policy planning, reduce land disputes, prevent fraudulent transactions, eliminate the need for physical visits to offices, and facilitate information sharing with various agencies. Over 94% of rights records and state-specific registration offices have already undergone digitisation as part of this programme. The digitalisation of land records is of great significance as it has the potential to enhance transparency in land-related transactions, mitigate property ownership disputes, and streamline land management processes. The government has actively championed the digitisation of land records through initiatives like the National Land Records Modernisation Programme and the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme. Significant progress has been achieved so far in this exhaustive exercise. As of December 2023, 95% of the Record of Rights had been computerised, 68% of cadastral maps had been digitised, 94.95% of computerization of registration and 87.48% of the integration of sub registrar offices with land records had been completed. The government has granted approval for extending the DILRMP for an additional five years, spanning from 2021-22 to 2025-26. A RANGE OF BENEFITS Completing the digitisation of land records will bring about several significant benefits. Firstly, it will decrease the extensive backlog of land dispute cases, thereby reducing the burden of litigation. Secondly, it will streamline property transactions and enhance transparency in identifying the correct beneficiaries for compensation in cases of land acquisition by the government. This transparency will also contribute to improving credit access. Thirdly, it will promote a consistent and standardised format of record keeping across the nation, enabling seamless compatibility and clarity of information cutting through cultural and linguistic barriers. Furthermore, the benefits to the economy will be far-reaching. According to Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh, the digitization initiative is expected to boost the countrys GDP by 1.5% and improve Indias ease of doing business ranking. CRUSHING OBSTACLES WITH INNOVATION DILRMP is a revolutionary exercise in reorganising an age-old haphazardly managed land record system. Under this programme, the concept of digitisation is being applied to all aspects of record keeping including land records, registration processes and cadastral maps, that is maps drawn to identify land ownership, and so on. The aim is to neutralise each obstacle with technology and innovation. Manually maintained records will be standardised and converted into digitised formats. Cadastral maps will receive a digital transformation, offering a visual insight into land parcels, ownership records and other information, again in a standardised manner. The land record will also be integrated with the registration processes, which will smoothen property transactions and end the scope for fraud. Standardisation is in itself a hefty task for states to implement but one that would pay off greatly. The implementation of uniform formats of presenting data information and linguistic translations in diverse country like India would benefit generations to come. In fact, a transliteration process is already under way and scientific research and development institute has been roped in for this task. With technical assistance from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) in Pune, the government has launched an initiative to transliterate Records of Rights from local languages into any of the 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution. A pilot test is currently being conducted in eight states: Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Puducherry, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. In total, 17 states have adopted transliteration tools to revamp their land records. Another innovation in this realm is the Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) or Bhu-Aadhar. The ULPIN is a 14 digit Alphanumeric unique ID which will have ownership details of the plot besides its size and longitudinal and latitudinal details. According to a government notification, this would facilitate real estate transactions, help resolve property boundaries issues and improve disaster planning and response efforts. So far, nearly every state has adopted this system and is building its records. The National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) or E-Registration is another initiative under the DILRMP. The NGDRS is or e-Registration is a common, generic and configurable application developed for Registration Departments across the country. It helps citizens through online entry of deed, online payment, online appointment, online admission, document search and certified copy generation. This innovation has received the Prime Minister Award for Excellence in Public Administration for 2021 for the central category of innovation. DILRMP is an exhaustive exercise which requires the cooperation and dedication of state governments which ultimately manage land records. Achievements in this realm would elevate Indias real estate sector and ultimately its economy to highly competent levels, opening up greater opportunities and increasing investments. Finally, it would lead to a fairer system that safeguards Indian citizens from fraud, disputes and bureaucratic hassles. The meeting in Dubai between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamim Bin Hamad, the Emir of Qatar, on December 1 last year is said to have set the ball rolling for the release of eight Indian Navy veterans by Qatar on Monday. Seven of them returned home on Monday, and all of them said it would not have been possible without Modis intervention on the issue with Qatar. This is being seen as a big diplomatic win for India which used both official and the back channels to achieve the release. Modi had met the Emir of Qatar on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai on December 1. We had a good conversation on the potential of bilateral partnership and the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar, the PM had said about the meeting. The issue of the eight jailed Indian Navy veterans in Qatar is said to have featured in the conversation that PM Modi had with the Emir of Qatar, though it has not been officially confirmed by either of the countries so far. Things moved positively since that meeting as the Indian Ambassador in Qatar got consular access to the veterans on December 3, and the court overturned the death sentence to the veterans on December 28. Their release was announced on Monday. Earlier, on October 26 last year, the Qatars court of First Instance had issued them a death sentence before hearings began in a Court of Appeal. India described the ruling as deeply shocking and vowed to explore all legal options in the case. In November this year, the appeals filed by the veterans with assistance from India were accepted by the Court of Appeal in Qatar, and a key hearing had taken place on the Court of Appeals on December 7. India extended constant legal and consular access to Navy veterans and the foreign ministry reiterated on many occasions that it had attached high importance to the case. The Indian nationals, all employees of Al Dahra company and Navy veterans, were taken into custody in August last year in an alleged case of espionage. This led to many in the Opposition taking potshots at the Modi government, and also ask for their release. India, while welcoming the release of the eight Indian nationals, said it appreciates the decision by the Emir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of the Navy veterans. The Delhi High Court on Monday allowed the suspension of life sentence of the four convicts in the murder case of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan. The court allowed their plea for suspension of sentence bail till pendency of the appeal. The lawyers of the convicts Baljeet Malik, Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla and Ajay Kumar argued that they have been behind the bars for more than 14 years. These four of the five convicts in Vishwanathans murder case were sentenced to life in prison in November last year, while the fifth convict Ajay Sethi was given three years in jail. The court of Additional Sessions judge Ravindra Kumar Pandey also imposed a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh on all the convicts. The court had also ordered that of the total fine amount imposed on the convicts, Rs 12 lakh will be paid to the victims family. Addressing the demand for death penalty to the accused, the Court had noted that their offence does not fall in the category of rarest of rare cases. SOUMYA VISHWANATHANS MURDER Journalist Soumya Vishwanathan, working with a leading English news channel, was shot dead in the early hours of September 30, 2008, on south Delhis Nelson Mandela Marg while she was returning home from work. Police had claimed that the motive behind the murder was a robbery. On October 18, 2023, the court convicted the four accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 302 (murder) and Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) provisions. Ajay Sethi, the fifth accused, was convicted under IPC section 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property and MCOCA provisions. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. President of the Republic of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the extraordinary presidential election, Trend reports. Your Excellency, Please accept my sincere congratulations on your re-election as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Let me express my confidence that by our joint efforts the good and constructive relations berween Latvia and Azerbaijan will continue to flourish both bilaerally and within multilateral frameworks. I am convinced that further development of our well-established dialogue will benefit the long-term interests of both our countries and people. Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration along with the wishes of good health, strength and success in fulfilling your esteemed duties, as well as peace and prosperity to your country and its people, the letter reads. A teacher at a private school in Karnatakas Mangalore allegedly made an anti-Hindu remark inside the classroom, following which parents of a student lodged a complaint with the police against the teacher. The issue was then taken up by BJP MLA Y Bharat Shetty, who represents the Mangalore City North constituency, on Monday demanding action against the school teacher. It is not the first time that certain schools are spreading anti-Hindu sentiments, he said in a statement. As per the complaint, a teacher at a private school in the city had made derogatory remarks against the Hindu religion and Gods inside the classroom, thereby presenting Hinduism negatively with the alleged intent of converting students to Christianity. The parents demanded decisive action against the teacher and the school management. The MLA further alleged that schools that banned girls from wearing bangles, spotting bindis on the forehead and following Hindu traditions are now spreading hatred against Ram Mandir. Shetty also urged Hindus to reconsider enrolling their children in schools run by Christian management. He also cited a history of instances where anti-Hindu sentiments were purportedly expressed within such institutions. BJP will stage protests if the school administration fails to take stringent action against the accused teacher, the MLA said. Meanwhile, DYFI state president Muneer Katipalla, in a statement, lashed out at Shetty, saying the MLA makes an appearance only when he finds a communal hatred agenda. Taking exception to Shettys statement that Hindu students should boycott schools of Christian managements, he asked whether the MLA had ever tried to solve the problems of government schools and colleges in the district during his tenure. (with PTI inputs) Air courier services for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are encountering difficulties, with jawans complaining about the unavailability of seats on crucial routes, including Delhi-J&K. In a recent meeting chaired by DG CRPF Anish Dayal, the issue was raised alongside other concerns regarding air courier services on various routes. According to the discussions, officials lamented the lack of seats due to limited capacity on the Srinagar-Jammu-Delhi route. Similarly, it was noted that the Delhi-Kolkata-Aizwal route only offers ACS service on Saturdays, posing constraints for jawans. Moreover, the air courier services from Dibrugarh to Guwahati and then Delhi has stopped, causing inconvenience for jawans commuting from challenging locations, prompting the matter to be escalated to the Ministry of Home Affairs for service resumption. Officials in the meeting also raised the issue of difficulty in other routes. Officials said that jawans encounter difficulties on the Kolkata-Imphal-Kolkata route due to increased force deployment in Manipur, with suggestions made to expand services from three to five days to accommodate the demand. A high-ranking official informed News18 that air courier services face challenges due to coordination and financial issues across various locations, affecting not only one force but multiple forces, prompting discussions at the highest levels within the ministry. The Ministry of Home Affairs had approved the entitlement of air travel on Delhi-Srinagar, Srinagar-Delhi, Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Jammu sectors to all the personnel of Central Armed Paramilitary Forces. The decision immediately benefited approximately eight lakh personnel of the CAPFs in the ranks of Constable, Head Constable and ASI who were otherwise not eligible earlier. This includes journey on duty and journey on leave i.e. while going on leave from Jammu and Kashmir to home and return. This facility is in addition to the existing air courier services for CAPFs that have been steadily extended in all sectors by the MHA to help the jawans cut down on travel time during their journey to and fro from home on leave. In Jammu and Kashmir Sector, it may be recalled that Air Courier Service for CAPF jawans was approved for the Jammu-Srinagar-Jammu sector. Subsequently, the Service was extended to cover 1) Delhi-Jammu, 2) Jammu-Srinagar, 3) Srinagar-Jammu and 4) Jammu-Delhi sector in Dec 2017. The number of flights was further extended in December 2018. In addition, air support is provided from IAF as and when required. The Madhya Pradesh High Court has awarded a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to a woman, stating that her house was illegally demolished by the Ujjain Municipal Corporation without following due procedure. While granting the compensation, the Indore bench of the high court also criticised the demolition and directed the Ujjain Municipal Commissioner to take disciplinary action against officials involved in fabricating a panchnama, according to a report by Live Law. Awarding compensation to petitioner Radha Langri, the court observed that it has now become fashionable for authorities to demolish any house without following due procedure. As observed repeatedly by this court, it has become fashionable now for local administration and local bodies to demolish any house by drawing up proceedings without complying with the Principle of Natural Justice and publish it in the newspaper. It appears that in this case also a criminal case was registered against one of the family members of the petitioners and demolition activities were carried out, the report said quoting Justice Vivek Rusias order. Observing that no one has the right to construct a house without proper permission or without adhering to the regulations, the court emphasised that demolition should be the last recourse, that too after giving an opportunity to the owner to seek regularisation. Recently, several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi have demolished multiple houses on different occasions, stating that they were built illegally. Most of them belonged to people allegedly involved in crimes. The High Courts ruling comes at a time when several states including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi demolished multiple houses on different occasions, stating that they were built illegally. For five hours, policemen in Haldwanis Banbhoolpura kept sending SOS calls to police headquarters in Dehradun as a riotous mob surrounded their thana and hurled petrol bombs, Uttarakhand DGP Abhinav Kumar told CNN-News18. In an exclusive conversation, Kumar said: The violence began at 4pm on February 8 and was finally controlled around 9pm. I got so many calls and messages from colleagues who were surrounded by the mob. Several police vehicles were torched. The entire thana was surrounded and stones and petrol bombs were hurled. We managed to get things back in control with great difficulty. The police suspect that this was a premeditated conspiracy. The number of stones, petrol bombs, and crude arms that were used couldnt have been procured instantly. I agree that police missed out on the kind of mobilisation that was done by the accused, the DGP said. Officials said the state Intelligence, in its report, had asked for drone surveillance of the area before the demolition drive. An enquiry is on to ascertain if this was missed by the local police. Local police, as per officials, have recovered more than 150 rounds of ammunitions and seven small arms from the 25 people who have been arrested. Police suspect the arms and ammunition were looted from the Banbhoolpura police station before it was burnt down. Rejecting allegations made against the police for provoking and mishandling the situation, Kumar said: The police acted in the lawful exercise of their right to self-defence in discharge of their official duties. We have sufficient audio-visual evidence to this effect. It will be presented in the ongoing magisterial inquiry and criminal investigation. Police is scanning CCTV footage and mobile videos to identify those who indulged in violence. Kumar said the identity of those identified through videos is being compared to their Aadhaar IDs and cross verified to avoid any mix-up. Nanital Police, through a social media post, also denied all charges of police harassing women or children. Except one person, all those who died in the violence were young men from the Malik Ka Bagicha area. We strongly suspect that they were part of the mob. One person may have been caught in the cross-fire between the mob and police, the DGP said. He added that charges against Uttarakhand Police are wrong since police had gone to Banbhoolpura in aid of an ongoing, legally sanctioned anti-encroachment drive being carried out by civil authorities. They were attacked by a violent mob. Officials also pointed out that the high court had not given any relief to main accused Abdul Malik who is seen in a video arguing with the police and showing some papers. They moved the high court around 1pm on 8th. No stay was given. The matter was posted for 18th. How was police action wrong? Kumar questioned, adding that police intend to act without any bias in full accordance with the law. Basant Panchami is a vibrant and auspicious Hindu festival celebrated to welcome the arrival of spring. Falling typically in late January or early February, this joyous occasion holds cultural and religious significance across India. The festival is dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, of wisdom, knowledge, and the arts. Devotees, clad in yellow attire, pay homage to Saraswati by offering prayers at temples, schools, and homes. Basant Panchami 2024: Saraswati Puja Date and Shubh Muhurat This year, Saraswati Puja falls on February 14. Vasant Panchami Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024 Shubh Muhurat: 07:01 AM to 12:35 PM Duration: 5 Hours 35 Mins Vasant Panchami Madhyahna Moment: 12:35 PM Panchami Tithi Begins: 02:41 PM on Feb 13, 2024 Panchami Tithi Ends: 12:09 PM on Feb 14, 2024 ALSO READ: Basant Panchami 2024: Saraswati Puja Wishes, Images, Quotes, Status For 14 February Celebration Basant Panchami: Significance Basant Panchami holds great significance as it marks the arrival of spring, bringing with it a sense of renewal and vitality. The festival is dedicated to the worship of Goddess Saraswati. Yellow is the predominant colour during this festival, symbolising the blossoming flowers of mustard fields and representing the vibrancy of life. This day is considered auspicious for initiating educational pursuits, and many students begin their learning journeys on this occasion. The festival also emphasises the cultural and spiritual aspects of life, with devotees seeking blessings for wisdom, creativity, and intellectual pursuits. Saraswati Puja: Puja Vidhi The puja vidhi, or rituals, of Saraswati Puja involves setting up a clean and sacred space adorned with the image or idol of Goddess Saraswati. Devotees gather essential items such as flowers, incense, fruits, and yellow-coloured offerings. The ceremony starts with the chanting of Saraswati Vandana or hymns dedicated to the goddess, accompanied by the lighting of a diya and incense to create a sacred ambience. Devotees express their devotion through offerings of flowers, fruits, and sweets. Books, musical instruments, or tools of learning are placed at the goddesss feet, symbolising the pursuit of wisdom and creative arts. Saraswati mantras and prayers resonate during the puja. The ritual concludes with the Saraswati Arti, expressing gratitude to the goddess and prasad is distributed, marking the end of the puja. The celebration extends beyond the rituals, often featuring cultural events as a tribute to Goddess Saraswatis influence on arts and creativity. Actress Amy Jackson is in India to promote her upcoming film, Crakk: Jeetegaa Toh Jiyegaa. She looked ravishing as she was spotted arriving for the films promotion in Mumbai. Amy is popular for her impeccable fashion sense, and her latest appearance surely set the temperature rising. Amy Jackson was seen wearing a black bralette with formal pants. Amy completed the look with a matching black blazer. She opted for a wet look for her hair. Amy was spotted promoting the upcoming film with Nora Fatehi. On the personal front, Amy Jackson recently got engaged to her actor boyfriend Ed Westwick. The actress took to Instagram on Monday, January 29, to share the news of her engagement. Amy shared photos from Eds proposal in the mountains, leaving all her fans gushing over the sweet moment. In one of the photos shared by Amy, she could be seen in shock as Ed proposed to her by going down on one knee. She also shared some happy photos of the two after the proposal. Ed proposed to Amy in Switzerland, amid snow-clad mountains. The actress captioned the post, Hell YES. Amy Jackson and Ed Westwick have been setting relationship goals since they went public with their love on Instagram in 2022. Last year, Amy had penned a sweet note for Ed on his birthday. I thank God for you every day. Youre home and an adventure of a lifetime all mixed into one. If you dont already know these are the things about you that Im most thankful for making kindness the coolest, making me laugh during the times I only wanted to cry, your jawline, your napping ability, your constant love, support, encouragement along with the Tony Robbins esque pep talks, your huge heart, and deepest soul. Happy Birthday, Moon Man, I love you, she wrote. As for Crakk: Jeetegaa Toh Jiyegaa, featuring Arjun Rampal and Vidyut Jammwal, the films trailer has created a buzz online. Cinema enthusiasts are expressing their admiration for the impressive visual and action-packed scenes featured in the trailer. Directed by Aditya Datt, Crakk: Jeetegaa Toh Jiyegaa is scheduled to be released on February 23. The first Deadpool 3 teaser has officially been released at the Super Bowl 2024 and it promises to change the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman starrer teaser has revealed that Deadpool 3 has been titled Deadpool & Wolverine. The trailer not only revisits the characters who made the Deadpool franchise but also introduces Deadpool and Wolverine in the current MCU timeline. To top it off, the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer also gives a nod to X-Men. The trailer opens with the OG Deadpool cast celebrating Wade Wilsons birthday when he has a surprise visitor. Wade opens the door and is greeted by the TVA, an epic nod to Loki. He is then seen seated in front of Paradox, played by Matthew Macfadyen. Paradox offers Deadpool to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, giving him a glimpse of Marvel Studios previous superheroes, including Captain America, Thor and Iron Man. Reynolds Deadpool hilariously calls himself as Marvels Jesus and opens the door for numerous X-Men references and a dig at Nick Fury before Hugh Jackmans Logan aka Wolverine makes an entry. Watch the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer released at Super Bowl 2024 here: Deadpool 3 is officially named as Deadpool & Wolverine. The title was not only confirmed in the trailer but Hugh and Ryan also shared interesting posters to confirm the name. The poster features an half-and-half locket. One side features the Deadpool logo while the other is of Wolverine. The words Best Friends are engraved on the locket. Sharing the poster, Hugh wrote, Best is a stretch. So is friends.'" Best" is a stretch. So is friends." pic.twitter.com/sgHomTovoW Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) February 12, 2024 Ryan also shared the same poster on Instagram and wrote, Wait till you see the Deadpool popcorn bucket." Deadpool & Wolverine is slated to release on July 26. The film is directed by Shawn Levy and also stars Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, and Jennifer Garner in crucial roles. In his six-decade career, actor Pran essayed a variety of characters, from romantic heroes to supporting characters. The actor also glorified the role of a villain in Indian films and went on to become one of the leading villains of the era. February 12, 2024, marks the 104th birth anniversary of the late actor. On this special occasion, lets take a look at some unknown facts about the legendary actor. Pran was born on February 12, 1920, in Lahore into a wealthy Punjabi Hindu family. But he was raised in Ballimaran, Old Delhi. Kewal Krishan Sikand Ahluwalia, his father, worked as a government civil contractor and civil engineer. On the other hand, his mother was Rameshwari Ahluwalia. Since childhood, Pran had exceptional academic ability, particularly in maths. His father had a transferable job, and so he studied in various places, including Dehradun, Lahore, Kapurthala, Meerut and Unnao (Uttar Pradesh), finally completing his matriculation from Hamid School in Rampur (UP). After that, he joined A. Das & Co., Delhi, as an apprentice to become a professional photographer. His acting career began in 1940 with the Punjabi film Yamla Jat, directed by Dalsukh M Pancholi. It all began with an encounter with writer Wali Mohammad Wali in a Lahore shop. Before Partition, Pran played negative roles in 22 films. His name was being discussed as that of a famous villain. After independence, he decided to leave Lahore and settle in Mumbai. Due to Indias partition in 1947, his career suffered a brief break. Reports suggest that for a few months, Pran looked for acting opportunities while doing other jobs. He worked at the Delmar Hotel on Marine Drive for eight months, after which he got a chance to act in 1948. With the help of writer Saadat Hasan Manto and actor Shyam, he got a role in the Bombay Talkies film, Ziddi, which starred Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal and was directed by Shaheed Latif. The movie launched Prans career in Bombay. By 1950, he had been gradually established as a premier villain in Hindi cinema and had never looked back. Pran also bagged the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor three times. He was also honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. In 2001, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan and in 2013, with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Hindi cinema. Pran acted in more than 350 films in his career. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last year, Karan Johars production venture, Kill, has finally got a release date in India. The gory, action-entertainer will be released in Indian theatres on July 5 this year. The film marks the Bollywood debut of Lakshya and features televisions charmer Raghav Juyal as the antagonist Fani. While Raghavs fans are used to seeing him as the boy-next-door on television, he plays a psychotic villain in this Karan Johar-Guneet Monga production. Speaking about playing a murderous villain, Raghav exclusively told News18 Showsha, My mother was there with me for the premiere. She couldnt believe it. She was like, Arre yaar tumhe yahi mila tha karne ko. She couldnt recognise me for a while, she was scared. I said, Mummy, I will have to do all kinds of characters. Shah Rukh Khan ne bhi villain se hi start kiya tha. Speaking about how Raghav bagged Fanis role, he said, I was shooting for an independent film in Banaras with Ranveer Shorey and Sanjay Mishra ji when I got the chance to audition. When I met Guneet for the first time, she said, I took 100s of auditions but couldnt find anyone because its the lead character of the film. I read the script and said, Bhai, I have to do this. One would imagine that after an illustrious career as a television host and having been a part of some major films, Raghav would have a strong network in the industry to get him meaty roles. However, the actor revealed that this was far from the truth. There are a lot of hosts and big names in TV, sabki jaan pehchaan hai aaj kal sab se. You will only get a good role if your audition goes well. You can only rely on your craft because if Guneet Monga and Karan Johar are taking you for a project, they are taking you for the character you are playing. Its not because Im hosting or something like that. Guneet and I didnt even know each other. Karan I knew before, but not Guneet, he said. Raghav added, Im doing another project with Karan Johar and Guneet Monga called Gyarah Gyarah in which Im playing the protagonist. That is also audition-based. It only depends on how much hardwork youre putting to better your craft. Ab 13 14 saal ho gaye hain mujhe jaan pehchaan producers ki parties main jaana, yeh karna voh karna. Isse kuch nahi hota hai. When Kill was first premiered at TIFF, many critics said that such a film hadnt been made in India before. Reacting to this, Raghav said, Yes, it is a violent blood bash. Its not Karan Johars Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, its Khach Khach Hota Hai. We used to joke about that. Bohot bohot bohot violent hai. You should watch it in the theatre to enjoy it to the fullest. I said this in an interview and then Karan sir also took that line, Himmat hai toh hall main aao. Recalling his reaction to watching himself on the big screen at TIFF, Raghav said, I was almost crying. It was overwhelming for me. I couldnt believe it as an actor. I have been appreciated so much by all the international critics. India ki toh aadat hai dekhni ki janta ko mujhe but udhar suddenly ek naya crowd tha. Guneet and I hugged each other for almost 10 minutes with tears in our eyes. In Kill, Raghavs Fani as the antagonist is offset by Lakshyas character as the protagonist. Reacting to Lakshyas Bollywood debut, Raghav said, I think Ive not seen anyone do action better than him. In India, I havent seen anyone doing action with emotions better than him. He is amazing. He is so hardworking and helpful as an actor. We are best friends in Mumbai and we help each other with auditions. I love him. Raghav will don the villains avatar again in Yudhra, also starring Siddhanth Chaturvedi. Raghav told News18 Showsha that the film will be released in mid-2024. Indrani Mukerjea is set to share details about the Sheena Bora murder case in the upcoming Netflix documentary series titled The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth. Netflix India revealed the poster on Monday, announcing that the series would premiere on the OTT platform next month. In the poster, Indranis face is partially covered. She gained notoriety in 2015 for her alleged involvement in the 2012 murder of Sheena Bora. The trailer of the series is out now. The trailer explores the scandalous case that rocked the nation, interviewing all parties involved, including Indrani. The docu-series includes insights from Indrani Mukerjea, her children, experienced journalists, and legal professionals, shedding light on dysfunctional family dynamics and intricate motivations. It even confronts her with the question of whether she truly killed her daughter, to which she responds, What a stupid question. Check out the trailer here: Finally announcing the release date of the series about Indrani Mukerjea, accused in the Sheena Bora case, Netflix India wrote in its Instagram caption, A sensational scandal that rocked the entire nation, with one familys darkest secrets at the center of it all. The Indrani Mukerjea Story Buried Truth, coming on 23 February only on Netflix! In May 2022, the Supreme Court granted bail to former media executive Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in 2012 high-profile murder case of Sheena Bora. The murder case made headlines on several occasions after Sheena Bora, an executive working for Mumbai Metro One based in Mumbai, went missing on April 24, 2012. In August 2015, Mumbai Police arrested mother Indrani, former media executive Peter Mukerjea, Indranis ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna, and driver Shyamvar Rai for allegedly abducting and killing her and subsequently burning Sheenas corpse. Creative museum souvenirs prove smash hit among Chinese youth Xinhua) 09:36, February 12, 2024 This undated combo photo provided by the Gansu Provincial Museum shows two creative cultural products sold at the souvenir shop of the Museum in Lanzhou, capital of northwest China's Gansu Province. (Gansu Provincial Museum/Handout via Xinhua) LANZHOU, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A plush toy named "Happy Loong" has recently captured the hearts of visitors to the Gansu Provincial Museum in northwest China. Modeled after a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) gold ornament in the shape of a loong, or Chinese dragon, over 1,000 of these chubby and grinning loong toys were sold in the first week after it made its debut earlier this year. Wu Xiaoyu, a designer of the toy, said the museum's creative cultural product design team had aimed to create a more adorable and joyous version of the traditional loong to cater to the tastes of young people. Established in 2015, the team consists of 12 young designers, with the youngest of them aged 24. This innovative approach to museum souvenirs reflects a broader trend of making cultural products more appealing to young Chinese museum-goers, driving up revenue across various museums. The Palace Museum's online store, for instance, offers playful and humorous souvenirs featuring emperors in Chinese history. These souvenirs range from lipsticks and fans to adhesive tape and wallets, and have received rave reviews from customers. Similarly, the Liaoning Provincial Museum has developed nearly 300 types of cultural products, generating revenue of 14 million yuan (about 2 million U.S. dollars) in 2023. According to Cui Youxin, head of the creative cultural product center at the Gansu Provincial Museum, the success of these innovative souvenirs lies in their ability to meet the demands of young people seeking relaxation and individuality. However, Cui emphasized that creating truly ingenious cultural products requires an intimate knowledge of cultural relics and their historical background. "Only those deeply rooted in the soil of Chinese history and culture can stand the test of time," she said. In addition to "Happy Loong," the Gansu Provincial Museum offers stuffed toys inspired by the flying apsaras of the Mogao Grottoes and the bronze galloping horse from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), all of which combine rich history with Gen-Z appeal. Gao Yafang, head of the tourism college at Lanzhou University of Arts and Science, said that such souvenirs have the potential to stimulate young people's interest in cultural heritage and encourage them to preserve traditional culture. Looking ahead, the museum souvenir market in China is expected to continue growing. China's central economic work conference in December 2023 proposed that the country should actively develop new consumption growth points such as China-chic goods in 2024. This presents abundant opportunities for designers like Wu. "We will continue to do our best to develop innovative and satisfying products," she said. "We do this out of love and enthusiasm." (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Aleksandr Lukashenko wished Ebrahim Raisi excellent health and happiness, and also peace, prosperity and success in building a strong state to the Iranian people. The president expressed gratitude for the hospitality with which the Belarusian delegation was received in Iran in March 2023: I am convinced that all the agreements reached during the visit will be effectively implemented. I take this opportunity to renew my invitation to you to visit Belarus at a convenient time to discuss new promising areas of cooperation, Aleksandr Lukashenko said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Turkiye Yashar Guler has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the extraordinary presidential election, Trend reports. Will be updated . Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is known to be a fitness enthusiast. Her passion for holistic wellness and indulging in traditional culinary methods is not new. So, when the actress was in Rajasthan recently, she showcased her passion for old-school methods and opted for going back to the roots and grinding using a traditional chakki and sharing the benefits of doing chakki chalasana. A look at Shilpa Shettys online diaries and you would know that she swears by Yoga. It is quite obvious that when the fitness diva spotted an age-old stone grinder, aka, chakki, she showcased the ancient practice of grinding wheat to make flour. She shared a delightful video of herself on Instagram, where she can be seen wearing a chick black turtleneck top, light-coloured trousers and white sneakers. The video begins with a local woman operating the chakki. Inspired by this, the actress quite enthusiastically displayed her excitement about using the chakki. Shilpa Shetty sat down and began the task of grinding the grains, a few at a time and looked immensely happy about it. The actress also humorously added that by doing this, she would quickly be able to digest her Makka rotis. Her caption reads, During my recent visit to Rajasthan when I saw a chakki, I knew I had to do it. And, oh my God! What a workout! She further shared information regarding the benefits of the Chakki Chalasana. She revealed that it strengthens the arms, improves digestion, stimulates the reproductive organs and increases the flexibility of the back and hamstring muscles. A part of her caption reads, Going back to your roots and working the actual chakki also gives you immense respect for the people who do it regularly. But being the fitness guru that she is for many and the responsibility that comes with it, Shilpa also cautioned her fans to avoid doing this asana if they have back pain, or suffer from slip-disc and during pregnancy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) Shilpa Shetty was recently seen in Rohit Shettys debut web series on OTT titled, Indian Police Force. She plays a stern cop named Tara Shetty, a part of Gujarat ATS. She can be seen sharing the screen with Sidharth Malhotra and Vivek Oberoi. In the pantheon of Indias highest civilian honours, the Bharat Ratna shines as a luminary accolade, an emblematic tribute to those whose endeavours have profoundly sculpted the nations destiny. The recent decision by the BJP government to bestow this exalted award upon PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh posthumously has stirred the cauldron of political discourse, illuminating the intricate interplay of intent, historical narrative, and the indelible imprint of the Gandhi family on the Indian political landscape. The conferment of the Bharat Ratna upon these two stalwarts is a poignant testament to the breadth of leadership that transcends the boundaries of any singular political lineage. Rao and Singh, despite their monumental roles in shaping Indias socio-political fabric, have often been eclipsed by the colossal narrative associated with the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. In recognising their legacies, the current administration has, perhaps inadvertently, highlighted past oversights in acknowledging the contributions of leaders beyond the Gandhis inner circle. Overlooking Chaudhary Charan Singhs Legacy The conspicuous absence of recognition for former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singhs legacy by the Congress and the Gandhi family raises poignant questions about the intricacies of political narratives and the dynamics of power within Indian politics. Singh, a stalwart champion of agrarian reform and social justice, played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of Indian politics, particularly through his unwavering commitment to the welfare of farmers and marginalised communities. Despite his significant contributions, his legacy has often been overshadowed by the dominant narrative surrounding the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. The reluctance of the Congress and the Gandhi family to acknowledge Singhs contributions reflects not only a failure to appreciate his visionary leadership but also underscores deeper political calculations and historical biases. By sidelining Singhs legacy, the Congress inadvertently perpetuates a narrow understanding of Indian history and reinforces the hegemony of a single political dynasty. In doing so, it not only does a disservice to Singhs memory but also undermines the rich tapestry of leadership that has shaped Indias journey. As the nation grapples with the complexities of its past and charts a course for the future, we must recognise and celebrate leaders like Chaudhary Charan Singh, whose indelible imprint on Indian politics transcends partisan divides and endures as a testament to the spirit of democracy and social justice. Why Congress Shuns PV Narasimha Raos Legacy PV Narasimha Rao, Indias 9th Prime Minister, navigated a tumultuous period, ushering in economic reforms amidst social strife. Yet, his legacy remains curiously uncelebrated within the Congress party, the very platform that propelled him to power. Examining this paradox unveils a tangled web of personal rivalries, ideological dissent, and a party struggling to reconcile its past. Raos ascent occurred in the aftermath of Rajiv Gandhis assassination, with him surprisingly chosen as leader despite not belonging to the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. His pragmatic approach stood in stark contrast to the socialist leanings of traditional Congress. He initiated crucial economic reforms, liberalising markets and opening India to the global stage. These bold steps, while laying the foundation for future growth, alienated sections within the party wedded to old ideologies. Adding fuel to the fire was the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, a dark stain on Raos tenure. Though accused of inaction, he navigated a delicate situation, prioritising national unity even as it strained his relationship with Sonia Gandhi, Rajivs widow and a rising figure within the party. Despite his achievements, Rao faced accusations of corruption and the partys electoral defeat in 1996 further cemented his marginalisation. He was sidelined, denied due recognition, and even his mortal remains were not allowed entry into the party headquarters. This treatment stemmed not just from policy differences but also from a power struggle within the party. Raos independent leadership threatened the ascendance of the Gandhi family, whose return the party saw as its political salvation. Today, amidst changing political landscapes, the Congress seems to be making cautious attempts to acknowledge Raos contributions. However, a complete embrace of his legacy remains elusive. This reluctance reflects a party grappling with its evolving identity, balancing its socialist roots with the demands of a new India. Recognising Raos achievements alongside his missteps would require not just historical objectivity but also confronting internal contradictions and acknowledging the contributions of leaders beyond the dynastic fold. Only then can the Congress truly claim to be the custodian of Indias diverse political narrative. A Call for Inclusive Recognition in Indian Leadership The BJP governments decision to honour Rao and Singh has been met with both acclaim and criticism, with some viewing it as a commendable step towards rectifying historical injustices, while others perceive it as a calculated political manoeuvre aimed at diluting the influence of the Gandhi family. However, regardless of the underlying motivations, the fact remains that the contributions of Rao and Singh to the nation are undeniable, and their legacies deserve to be celebrated and commemorated. Moreover, the conferral of the Bharat Ratna upon Rao and Singh underscores the need for a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to recognising leadership in India. For too long, the dominant narrative of Indian politics has been shaped by the legacies of a few select individuals, while countless others who have made invaluable contributions to the nation have been relegated to the sidelines of history. By honouring Rao and Singh, the BJP government has taken a significant step towards broadening the scope of our collective memory and acknowledging the diverse tapestry of leadership that has shaped Indias journey. Reflecting on the Significance of Rao and Singhs Bharat Ratna However, it would be remiss to view the conferral of the Bharat Ratna upon Rao and Singh in isolation, divorced from the broader political context in which it occurs. The BJPs decision must be seen against the backdrop of its larger political agenda, including its efforts to consolidate power and shape the narrative surrounding Indian history and identity. Critics argue that the timing of the decision, coming amidst a climate of heightened political tensions and ideological polarisation, raises questions about the governments intentions and motives. Moreover, the conferral of the Bharat Ratna upon Rao and Singh raises broader questions about the nature of leadership and the criteria by which we judge it. In honouring these individuals, BJP has challenged the conventional wisdom that associates leadership solely with lineage and pedigree, instead emphasising the importance of merit, vision, and impact. In doing so, it has opened up new avenues for reimagining the contours of Indian leadership and expanding the parameters by which we evaluate it. In conclusion, the decision by the BJP government to confer the Bharat Ratna upon PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh serves as a powerful testament to the enduring legacy of leadership that extends far beyond the confines of any single political dynasty. By honouring Rao and Singh, the government has not only recognised their invaluable contributions to the nation but has also taken a significant step towards broadening the scope of our collective memory and embracing a more inclusive and pluralistic vision of Indias past, present, and future. However, the true test of the governments commitment to honouring diverse legacies lies not just in its words but in its actions, as it continues to navigate the complexities of Indian politics and society in the years to come. Congress Disdain for Non-Gandhi Leadership The BJPs decision to confer the Bharat Ratna upon PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh serves as a stark indictment of the Congress historical neglect of leaders who dared to defy the Gandhi familys dominance. Rao and Singh, both towering figures in Indian politics, were instrumental in shaping the nations trajectory, yet their legacies were overshadowed by the Nehru-Gandhi dynastys hegemony. This move by the BJP underscores a glaring reality: the Congress failure to acknowledge and respect leaders who charted independent paths and made significant contributions to the country. Raos economic reforms and Singhs advocacy for farmers exemplify their commitment to national progress, yet they were sidelined within the Congress hierarchy. By honouring Rao and Singh, the BJP highlights the importance of recognising leadership beyond familial legacies. It challenges the entrenched narrative of Congress selective veneration and calls for a more inclusive appraisal of Indias political history. This decision should prompt soul-searching within the Congress, urging it to re-evaluate its treatment of leaders who dared to carve their own path in service to the nation. The author, a columnist and research scholar, teaches journalism at St. Xaviers College (autonomous), Kolkata. He tweets at @sayantan_gh. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. The BJP government in Uttarakhand has introduced the Common Civil Code bill that is likely to be enacted as a law. Uttarakhand will become the first state in the post-Independence era to implement Common Civil Code. This would be a trailblazer for the rest of the states ruled by the BJP. It is also going to put pressure on the Opposition-ruled states as this law is primarily aimed at undoing the injustice inflicted upon a large number of women and children due to discrimination in matrimonial and inheritance rights in the absence of common civil code. There are several misconceptions about this law that need to be removed as the debate on this issue is likely to intensify in the days to come. How is this law in line with the provisions of the Constitution? Article 37 of Part 4 of the Constitution states that the provisions contained in this part shall not be enforceable by the court. Nevertheless, if the Union feels that laws can be made on these subjects for the governance of the country, then it can do so. Therefore, on this basis, the government can make a Common Civil Code because it is a part of this list. Common Civil Code is included in Article 44 of Part 4 of the Indian Constitution. Thus, it is part of the directive principles of policy. According to Article 44, The State (ie India) shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a common civil code throughout the territory of India. (Earlier it was Article 35, later it was known as Article 44) Under Article 14, every citizen of India has the right to equality on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth. It is the duty of our state to protect every citizen of the country on all these subjects. According to Article 15, no citizen of the country can be discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth. This law is aimed at bringing social justice that has also been mentioned in the Preamble. It says, We, the people of India, resolve to constitute India a sovereign nation, and to grant to all its citizens the right to social justice, thought, expression, belief, religion and worship. The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution defines the rights between the states and the Union. Its Concurrent List includes subjects like Marriage and Divorce, Infants and Minors, Adoption, Will, Intestacy and Succession, Undivided Family and Partition. Therefore, laws can be made on these subjects by the state governments. And that is what the Uttarakhand government is doing. Thus, on the basis of the Directive Principles of State Policy, Preamble and Fundamental Rights in the Constitution, citizens cannot be deprived of Common Civil Code. Will this law affect the marital customs of different religions? The Common Civil Code will not have any impact on the customs and traditions of any religion or sect. In Uttarakhand, it puts no restriction on nikaah among Muslims, anand karaj among Sikhs, phera in front of fire among Hindus and holy matrimony among Christians. People can follow marital customs as per their beliefs. Will this law affect the customs and traditions of the tribes? The Common Civil Code will not have any impact on the customs and traditions of any tribe in the country as provisions have been made for their protection in the country. The laws for religious and cultural protection of tribes are as follows: The social traditions of the Naga tribes have been protected in Article 371(A). Under this, no Act of Parliament will be applicable on the religious and social practices of Nagas unless the Nagaland assembly approves it by resolution. The social traditions of the Mizo tribes have been protected in Article 371(G). Under this, no Act of Parliament will be applicable on the religious and social practices of Mizo people unless the legislative assembly of Mizoram approves it by resolution. There is a provision in Article 338 (A) to constitute the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, which is also playing a big role in the protection, welfare and development of the tribes. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has also been passed by Parliament. Under this, too, the traditional knowledge and traditional-customary rights of the forest dependent tribes have been given legal protection. Tribal areas are declared in the Fifth and Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. There are 10 states in the Fifth Schedule Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The Sixth Schedule covers four states Meghalaya, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura. According to Rule 4 of Article 244(1) of the above-mentioned Fifth Schedule, the tribal advisory council can be established in these states on the instructions of the President of India. The duty of this council is to provide advice regarding the welfare and progress of the scheduled tribes of that state. In the Sixth Schedule, autonomous district councils (ADCs) have been established in the above four states. To protect the rights of the tribes in these areas, the right of autonomous local administration has been given. After independence, the Hindu Code Bill was brought. It has four acts: Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956; Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956; Hindu Succession Act, 1956. These enactments continue to prevail as a law. Section 2 of these statutes has provisions for their application. However, sub-section (2) of section 2, excludes its application to the members of the scheduled tribe within the meaning of clause (25) of Article 366 of the Constitution unless the central government directs so. The tribal population in India would continue to be governed by its customs. The Common Civil Code in Uttarakhand also follows these provisions and, hence, it would have no impact on the arrangements made in the Constitution for the protection of the customs and traditions of the tribal population. Opinion of the Constituent Assembly of India Most of the members of the sub-committee on Fundamental Rights in the Constituent Assembly had proposed the early implementation of the Common Civil Code. Committee members MR Masani, Hansa Mehta and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur said, We are of the view that a common civil code should be guaranteed to the Indian people within a period of 5 or 10 years in the same manner as the right to free and compulsory primary education has been guaranteed by clause 23 within 10 years. (B Shiva Rao, The Framing of Indias Constitution, Volume II, p 177) The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. It was February 2002, and Narendra Modi was contesting his first-ever election. He became the chief minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001. As per the constitutional requirements, he had to be elected to the assembly within six months of assuming the CMs chair. It wasnt a particularly encouraging time for the BJP in the state. It had faced defeats in successive elections. From taluka, district, and corporation elections to bypolls to the assembly and the Lok Sabha, the saffron party faced unfavourable outcomes. These also included the Sabarmati seat under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency of former deputy prime minister Lal Krishna Advani. Modi became CM in 2001 Just two weeks before Modi became the chief minister of Gujarat for the first time, the Sabarmati bypoll results were out on September 22, 2001. Congress candidate Narhari Amin, who joined politics as a student and was the deputy chief minister during the 1994-95 government, defeated the BJP candidate by a big margin of 18,470 votes. It was an embarrassing scenario for the BJP, which had won the seat in 1995 and 1998. Interestingly, the name of the partys candidate in the by-election, Babu Jamnadas Patel, was also abbreviated as BJP. Amin also received help from Yatin Oza, who had defeated him in the 1995 and 1998 assembly elections as a BJP candidate. The Sabarmati seat fell vacant after he quit and Yatin campaigned for Amin after joining the Congress. The BJP also lost the Sabarkantha Lok Sabha seat, which fell vacant after the death of Nishaben Chaudhary, the second wife of former Gujarat chief minister and senior Congress leader Amarsinh Chaudhary. The BJP lost the seat to Congress candidate Madhusudan Mistry. After the two by-elections, the top brass of the BJP realised the party was in a vulnerable position in Gujarat. It decided to remove Keshubhai Patel and send Modi from Delhi to become the chief minister of Gujarat. Challenge of first election Not only was Modi entrusted with the responsibility to bolster the party but also to strengthen the government and administration. The challenge was also to get elected to the assembly. Modi had served as the BJPs general secretary at the state and national level. He had proven his mettle as a brilliant strategist, helping the party form governments in several states and hundreds of candidates get elected to assemblies and Parliament. But this time the challenge was different as he himself was contesting an election for the first time. Modi was also facing rebellions within his own party. Keshubhai Patel was angry after being removed as the chief minister; several other leaders within the party were also against Modi. Haren Pandya, who was the minister of state for home in the Keshubhai Patel government and also the minister of state for revenue under Modi, refused to vacate his Ellisbridge seat for him. It was Modi who had given the ticket to Haren Pandya to contest from this seat against the advice of many big leaders of the party. The same Haren Pandya did not agree to vacate his seat for Modi, while according to tradition, any party MLA would unquestioningly leave his seat for the chief minister, and this was Narendra Modi, whose strategic skills not only led to the victory of the BJP in 1995 but also in 1998 in Gujarat. Witnessing the political upheaval within the BJP, the Congress got very hopeful of coming back to power in Gujarat after being ousted by Narendra Modis ingenuity in 1995 when the saffron party could finally form the government. The Congresss confidence wasnt without reason. Panchayat and municipal election results indicate what is to follow in a state. The Congress had defeated the BJP in these elections. Even the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, in which Modi had proven his organisational skills by bagging victory for the BJP in 1987, had been taken over by the Congress. And the story was the same in most other places. Congresss ploy Not just the Congress, but most political pundits also felt that the BJP was going to lose in Gujarat, considered to be the laboratory of the Sangh, in the 2003 assembly elections. When Modi had to go to Rajkot, far away from state capital Gandhinagar, to fight for an assembly seat, the Congress strategy was to not let him get elected, to give him a taste of defeat and shatter the morale of the BJP. Under this strategy, all the big leaders of the Congress swooped on Rajkot. Notorious for factionalism, this time Congress leaders showed unprecedented unity. Not just former chief minister Amarsinh Chaudhary, but ex-CM Chimanbhai Patels wife and former union minister Urmilaben Patel was also in Rajkot for the filing of nomination papers by party candidate Ashwin Mehta. Also present was Shankersinh Vaghela, who was once a top leader of the Gujarat BJP and had broken away from the party in 1996, floated the Rashtriya Janata Party, and became the CM for a year with the Congresss support. Later, he merged his party with the Congress. Congress leaders had camped in Rajkot, starting from Naresh Rawal, leader of the opposition in Gujarat Assembly and close confidant of Ahmed Patel, to Narhari Amin. After all, Amin had registered a stunning victory in the bypolls held just before the elections. He became an MLA again after losing twice and was the poster boy of the Congress. Personal attacks Everything is fair in politics and love, but the Congress and its strategists had crossed all limits, launching personal attacks against Modi. This was the election of Rajkot, when the Congress tried to make OBC Modi feel like a lesser man, 16 years prior to Mani Shankar Aiyars statement in 2018. In Rajkot, anonymous pamphlets were distributed, asking people whether they would vote for a person of the Ghanchi caste. This was the first time the people of Gujarat, including Rajkot, came to know about Modis caste; no one had ever paid attention to it before. Incidentally, the same opportunist Congress had included more than two dozen backward castes in the OBC reservation list on July 25, 1994, just eight months before the 1995 assembly polls. Modis caste Modh-Ghanchi was also included in this list. Though the Congress would raise slogans of ending casteism, in Gujarat it constantly tried to gain ground by doing caste and communal politics. Before going to the assembly elections of 1995, the Congress felt that it should secure votes for itself even among those backward castes that did not come under the purview of the Bakshi Panch. Justice Bakshi headed the commission to identify and recommend reservations for socially and educationally backward castes in Gujarat, and so even today, the OBC category is sometimes referred to as Bakshi Panch. In 1994, the Congress government in Gujarat had also included the Yadav community in the OBC category, which was previously not in the states backward caste list. In the north, Yadavs were at the forefront of backward caste politics, led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad Yadav. The Congress by then was used to political success in Gujarat by playing the caste card. In the 1980 election, the party, under the leadership of Madhavsinh Solanki, had won by playing the KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, and Muslim) card. In the assembly elections of 1985, it achieved the biggest success in Gujarats electoral history till then with the help of caste reservation. The Congress, led by Solanki, won 149 of the 182 seats in the state assembly, a record that was broken by the BJP only in the 2022 assembly elections, when it won 156 seats. Congresss desperation for power Despite winning 149 seats in 1985, the Congress lost power in Gujarat in 1990 due to its misrule and corruption. The BJP and the Janata Dal won more seats than the Congress. After this, a government was formed in Gujarat under the leadership of Chimanbhai Patel. The BJP joined it for a few months. Without the support of the BJP, Chimanbhai could not get a majority in the House. But soon, fed up with the policies of the Chimanbhai government, the BJP withdrew support, and the Congress snuck back into power. The Congress, which was stripped of power by the people of Gujarat, came back with the support of Chimanbhai Patel. Patel went on to merge his party, the Gujarat Janata Dal, with the Congress. Before the Emergency, Chimanbhai was the Congress CM in Gujarat who had to resign over allegations of corruption after the popular Navnirman movement by students. Slogans of Chiman Chor filled the air and Indira Gandhi had to force Patel to resign. It was under this Chimanbhai Patel-led Congress government that the proposal to include PM Modis caste, Modh-Ghanchi, in the OBC category was raised. The Congress government, headed by Chhabildas Mehta, who became chief minister after Chimanbhai Patels death on February 17, 1994, issued a notification for it five months later, in July 1994. The Congress and its leaders had made plans to get the support of more than two dozen castes, including Modh-Ghanchi, by including them in the OBC list. But those plans were dashed in the 1995 assembly elections, held within eight months of this notification. In February 1995, when the counting of votes was done, the BJP won 121 seats, reducing the Congress to just 45. There were 16 independent members in the assembly. In a twist of fate, Narendra Modi, who came from the Modh-Ghanchi caste, was the architect of the first BJP-led government in 1995, defeating the Congress. From February 1995 to February 2002, there were big changes in the socio-political equations of Gujarat and the nation. In place of the Narasimha Rao-led Congress government of 1995, it was Atal Bihari Vajpayees NDA government at the Centre. Despite the Khajuraho Rebellion, the BJP was in power in Gujarat by winning the elections again in 1998, and by 2001, Narendra Modi was the chief minister, keeping Congress away from power in the state. It was this desperation to regain power at any cost that led to a major shift in the Congresss stance in February 2002. While earlier the Congress was trying to claim credit for adding the Modh-Ghanchi caste to the OBC list in 1994-95, the party now was trying to highlight Modis backward caste status to ensure a victory for its upper caste candidate. Congresss forward card While Rahul Gandhi is today dreaming of keeping the Congress afloat with a discourse on reservation and backward caste politics, his party had dreamt of winning the Rajkot-2 seat with the help of the forward castes. The Congress put a lot of thought into this battle of forward vs backward, after having mastered caste and communal politics. It felt that since there were a large number of Brahmin and Patel voters in the Rajkot-2 seat, Modi could be easily defeated by fielding a Brahmin candidate. After all, Modis own caste, Modh-Ghanchi, had a negligible presence in the constituency. The Congress also felt that the Patel voters would be angry with the BJP for removing Keshubhai Patel as CM. In such a situation, its candidate would get the votes of upper castes like Brahmins and Patels and it would defeat Modis attempt to reach the assembly. To highlight Modis OBC and Ghanchi background and to wean away upper caste voters like Brahmins and Patels from him and the BJP, Congress strategists put up huge posters in the Rajkot-2 assembly constituency. They read, The pride of Ghanchi community, chief minister Narendra Modi is contesting from Rajkot-2. We welcome him. The posters were put up by Congress leader Prithvisinh Jadeja. The Congress also took casteist digs at Modi. Modis caste background had never come up in public discourse before, even though critics from within and outside tried to deride him as a Ghanchi in private. This was a time when politics was largely in the hands of upper castes. For leaders belonging to these castes, the success of a lower caste person like Narendra Modi was like an attack on their monopoly. Brought up in the ethos of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi himself did not believe in playing the caste card. Here was the concept of the wider Hindu community, the mission to unite the society which was divided into and by castes. For Modi, the caste divide was on the lines of the economically underprivileged, youth, women, and tribals. Modi was ready to take everyone along; he was talking about the interests of five crore Gujaratis as soon as he became the chief minister. However, the Congress was trying to make an issue in the Rajkot elections about Modi coming from a backward caste. Three years before this, the Modh-Ghanchi caste was included in the OBC list by the Centre. The caste was added to the OBC list on October 27, 1999, based on the 1994 decision of the then Congress government in Gujarat and its subsequent recommendation. The objective was to provide the benefits in education and jobs under the 27% reservation for OBCs to the Modh-Ghanchi caste, within the Supreme Court guidelines in the Indra Sawhney case. Congresss hypocrisy In the month of February, ahead of the elections, Modi was attacked for being from a backward caste like Ghanchi. All kinds of personal attacks also followed. Modi was even projected as an outsider. Despite being born in Gujarats Vadnagar, Narendra Modi was an outsider for the Congress, a party that had already made Italy-born Sonia Gandhi its national president in 1998. Her only qualifications were that she was married to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and was the daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In Rajkot, while the Congress was playing the Brahmin card by putting up Ashwin Mehta, in its internal elections held two years ago, it had shown its hypocrisy by re-electing Sonia Gandhi, born in a Catholic Christian family, as its president, instead of Jitendra Prasada, a Brahmin. Modi overcomes challenges Despite all the political and personal attacks of the Congress, Modi managed to win the Rajkot-2 seat in February 2002. However, the difficult circumstances in which Modi won this by-election can be gauged from the fact that apart from Rajkot-2, the BJP lost in two other assembly constituencies in Gujarat Mahua and Sayajigunj to the Congress. Modi won by a margin of only 14,728 votes. Before this, Vajubhai Vala had won the 1998 assembly election as a BJP candidate by a margin of about 28,718 votes against RJPs Kashmiraben Nathwani. Kashmiraben was the daughter of Chimanbhai Shukla, who delivered the first victory in Gujarat for the Jana Sangh, from the seat right next to it, Rajkot-1, in 1967. The counting of votes was held on February 24, 2002. The Godhra carnage took place on February 27, followed by riots in many parts of Gujarat. Modi was once again facing an opposition attack. To answer this, Modi once more decided to go to the people. In July 2002, he decided to dissolve the assembly, while its term was fixed till February 2003. As part of this campaign to gain the trust of the people of the state, Modi thought of going on a Gaurav Yatra. After all, following the 2002 Gujarat riots, his rivals had tried to attack the pride of Gujarat, and defamed the state in front of the world. Modi planned to start the yatra from Fagvel in Kheda district, which was known for the famous temple of Bhathiji Maharaj. Bhathiji Maharaj is highly revered in the folk culture of Gujarat as he sacrificed his life for gau raksha. Bhathiji Maharaj, showing the valour of a true Kshatriya, left his wedding mid-way to save cows. He was martyred while fighting against the army of the Muslim ruler of Kapadvanj. In Gujarat, the significance of Bhathiji Maharaj and his temple cannot be overstated. The Congress, however, tried to scuttle Modis plans. Due to opposition from the Congress, Modi changed the start date of the Gaurav Yatra to avoid any violent clashes. The new date was set for September 3, 2002. But this was not acceptable to the Congress, especially to its Gujarat unit president Shankersinh Vaghela, who had assumed the position on July 19. Fagvel was part of Shankersinh Vaghelas Lok Sabha constituency. This is where Modi was going to launch his Gaurav Yatra to challenge the Congress. This was unacceptable for Vaghela. Another thing that troubled him was that while he himself belonged to the Kshatriya community, Modi was going to start his journey from a place associated with a big Kshatriya hero. Naturally, in Modis eyes, Bhathiji Maharaj was the hero of the entire Hindu society, not just one caste or community. But Vaghela could not digest this. As soon as Vaghela came to know that Modi was going to start the Gaurav Yatra on September 3 from Fagvel, he announced a parallel meeting at the same spot the same day. To make things more aggressive, the banner of Bhathi Sena, an organisation of Kshatriya youth named after Bhathiji Maharaj, was used. Modi knew the situation could go out of control. He was the CM and the home minister of the state, and the police and administration were under him. But, to avoid any conflict, he decided to step back. Modi wrote a letter to Vaghela, who was once his senior party colleague. Modi said he would postpone his yatra once again and said that Vaghela should first hold his programme on September 3, after which he would start the Gaurav Yatra. But the matter didnt end there. On September 3, 2002, when Shankersinh Vaghela led a rally in Fagvel, slogans were raised against Modi and that too targeting his caste. From the stage of Vaghela, Jagdish Thakor, who was an aggressive leader of the Congress from the Thakor community, repeatedly used provocative and objectionable language from the stage, against Modi and the Ghanchi caste. It should be noted that this same Jagdish Thakor was first made a Congress assembly candidate from Dahegam during the presidency of Sonia Gandhi. He also won from here in 2002 and 2007 and then was made a Lok Sabha candidate in 2009, when he won and became an MP. Not only this, he was also in charge of the state Congress at the time of the 2022 Gujarat assembly elections. In December 2021, Sonia Gandhi had appointed him to the post. But Thakor, who had abused Modi over his caste in 2002, had to bear the brunt of the Congresss worst defeat in Gujarat when the party was reduced to just 17 seats in 2022. Congresss flip-flops Its a twist of fate that the same Congress, which attacked Modi for being OBC and Ghanchi 22 years ago and used the forward card to counter his backward caste status, is now questioning Modis backward caste credentials. That too when Modi has established himself as a messiah of the Dalit-backward-poor and unhesitatingly narrates the story of being from a backward caste and spending his childhood in poverty on various fora in the country and the world. And the world also takes note. After all, this journey of Modi coming from poverty and backward caste to becoming a global leader is exciting, astonishing, and unique. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi, whose great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru had opposed the caste census, is hoping to salvage his partys and his own future by resorting to the politics of caste census. And the same Narhari Amin, who once fiercely opposed Modi and tried to defeat him in his very first election, is now exposing the lies of Rahul Gandhi and making it clear that the decision to include Modis Ghanchi caste in the OBC list was taken by the then Congress government of Gujarat, and not the BJP. Time is a powerful tool; the Congress and Rahul Gandhi must keep that in mind. Uttar Pradesh is all set for one of the biggest ground-breaking ceremonies (GBC) to be held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, Lucknow, on February 19, with the government expecting more than 8,000 projects and investment to the tune of Rs 10,000 lakh crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be the chief guest on the occasion, will also inaugurate development projects worth Rs 900 crore. PM Modi will perform the bhoomi pujan at the ground-breaking ceremony that the Uttar Pradesh government proposes to hold in Lucknow on February 19, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in his recent address to the state assembly. Officials with the UP government confirmed that the venue for the event will be Indira Gandhi Pratishthan. In the last Global Investor Summit held in Lucknow in February 2023, the UP government had signed several MoUs for investment worth Rs 35 lakh crore. We are now getting ready for the ground-breaking ceremony on February 19, 2024, the official spokesperson of the government said. Officials added that more than 8,000 MoUs amounting to Rs 10 lakh crore have already been shortlisted for the ceremony. Of the many projects which are set to hit the ground, company NIDP Developers Private Limited has topped the list of investors by proposing investment of Rs 30,000 crore in Gautam Buddha Nagar, which is expected to generate employment for 2,160 people. NTPC Ltd has proposed investment of Rs 18,625 crore and Rs 17,985 crore in Sonbhadra, clinching the second and third position in the list and generating employment for around 2,200 and 2,100 people respectively. Other than these, GREENKO Group, Torrent Power Limited, Sify Infinit Spaces Limited, Tusco Limited, M3M India Pvt Ltd, Tata Technologies are some of the other players that have made to the list of top 20 investors in UP. Officials said the ceremony aims to kick-start work on over 14,000 projects, spanning manufacturing, solar energy, IT and electronics, real estate, logistics, traditional and hydro sectors, along with projects for skill development and data centers. The state government had set specific targets for department-wise and district-wise projects to be started during GBC. So far, six districts, including Amethi, Gonda, Chandauli, Hardoi, Bareilly, and Fatehpur, have achieved their goals. Of the total projects, 286 projects, amounting to Rs 30,517 crore, will commence in Lucknow itself, generating employment for 1.5 lakh individuals. Similarly, projects in the ground-breaking include the initiation of Tata Technologies Limiteds Rs 4,174 crore upgrade for 150 ITIs, Century Pulps Rs 4,000 crore paper manufacturing unit in Muradabad, and Air Indias Rs 4,000 crore air cargo and logistics project in Noida, officials said. Initially, the ceremony was supposed to be held in September, within six-month of the GIS that was held in February and was inaugurated by PM Modi. But following other important events, including MotoGP race that was held between September 22 and 24 in Greater Noida, and UP International Trade Show in September, the ground-breaking ceremony could not be organised in time. CM Adityanath has consistently monitored the progress of implementation of the investment proposals after GIS-2023, officials said. On the orders of the UP CM, special arrangements have been made in order to give a hassle-free experience to the investors in setting up their projects in UP. Udyami Mitra is a part of the project where dedicated persons have been allocated to assist the investors. We are monitoring the projects on a day-to-day basis. An online system has been worked out and there is consistent monitoring. We have completed a selection of 125 Udyami Mitras (friends of entrepreneurs) and they will be deployed to coordinate the implementation of investment projects, said Invest UP chief executive officer Abhishek Prakash. So far, UP has organised three mega ground-breaking ceremonies. In the third ceremony in 2022, the state government had received more than 1,400 investment proposals worth Rs 80,000 crore in various sectors, including data centre, agriculture sector, IT and electronics, infrastructure, manufacturing, handloom and textile and in micro, small and medium enterprises sector (MSME). The first investors summit was inaugurated by PM Modi in February 2018 when Uttar Pradesh received proposals for investment worth Rs 4.68 lakh crore. In the past five years, proposals worth Rs 3 lakh crore have been implemented, the government official said. Women and child development minister Smriti Irani on Monday targeted the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal, alleging that the chief minister is known for the genocide of Hindus. Her no-holds-barred attack came after local residents of Sandeshkhali in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district, alleged that TMC strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his aides grabbed land and sexually assaulted women. In fact, governor CV Ananda Bose has also gone to Sandeshkhali to take stock of the situation, where people have resorted to violence demanding Shajahans immediate arrest. That she (Mamata Banerjee) will now allow her men to pick young Hindu married women to rape them night after night in the TMC office, cannot be articulated in mere words, Irani said, citing the specifics of the Sandeshkhali allegations. She asked: The question is, can we as citizens be mute spectators? Irani further accused the TMC boss of trading the dignity of vulnerable communities like the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes for political benefits. Recently, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes wrote to the West Bengal chief secretary and director general of police asking them to revert on what action they have taken. Taking a swipe at senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, but without naming him, the minister said: Who is leading a yatra for justice in the country and also keeping mum? Gandhi is holding the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and has not spoken about this controversy so far. Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann will visit Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya today to offer prayers in the newly inaugurated Ram Temple. The AAP chief was earlier invited to the consecration ceremony of the temple on January 22, however, he said that he wanted to visit the temple later with his family. A prominent member of the INDIA bloc, Kejriwal will visit the Temple with his parents, sources said. AAPs Uttar Pradesh unit leader Sabhajeet Singh had said that both the Delhi and Punjab chief ministers will land at the Ayodhya airport around 11 am by a chartered flight from Delhi. Notably, the AAP party organised a number of events to celebrate Ram Mandir pran pratishtha ceremony. From Sundar Kand yatras to Shobha Yatras, the party ensured to mark the day with the participation of several of its leaders. About skipping the consecration ceremony, Kejriwal had told reporters, I got a letter that said only one person was allowed (for the ceremony) due to security reasons. They said a team will come to give a personal invitation but no one came. He said that he wishes to visit Ayodhya for Ram Lallas darshan with his wife and children, adding that his parents were also longing for the Lords darshan. Earlier on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh legislators, including chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Ram Temple. The legislators were welcomed in the Temple town with flowers and enthusiasm. Members of both Houses of the UP legislature, including those from the BJP and its allies, the Congress, BSP and SBSP went for Ram Lallas darshan. Samajwadi Party (SP), however, declined the trip. (With PTI inputs) Bihar Floor Test Updates: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government won the floor test in Bihar Assembly on Monday (January 12). RJD leader Awadh Bihari Chaudhary was removed as Bihar assembly speaker. A no-confidence motion moved by the ruling NDA against the Speaker received the support of 125 MLAs, while 112 members voted against it in the 243-strong assembly. RJD received a jolt inside the assembly ahead of voting on a no-confidence motion against Chaudhary, where at least three of its members sat on the ruling party benches. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav raised a point of order, taking objection to party MLAs Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi and Prahlad Yadav sitting among members of the ruling NDA. In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, NDA has 128 MLAs including 78 from the BJP, 45 from Janata Dal-United (JD-U), four from the HAM-S and an Independent. Meanwhile, the Oppositions grand alliance has 114 MLAs including 79 from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), 19 from the Congress, and 16 from the Left parties. There is also one AIMIM MLA. To achieve the majority mark, the Nitish government needs 122 MLAs. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday hinted towards a big political shift in the state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Moments before, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan ended his association with the grand old party publicly, Fadnavis raised speculations over more possible resignations from Opposition leaders and asked everyone to wait and watch. Highlighting the ongoing infighting in Maharashtra Congress, Fadnavis said that several leaders belonging to the grand old party are currently in contact with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and may soon switch their sides. I heard about Ashok Chavan from the media. But the only thing I can say now is that several Congress leaders are in touch with the saffron camp. Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya, (wait and watch to see what happens next), BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said. Several big leaders of other parties want to join BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behaviour of the senior leadership. They are feeling suffocated in their party. Who all are in our contact that will be revealed soon. Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya, (wait and watch to see what happens next), Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis was quoted as saying. Ashok Chavan Quits Congress, 3rd Big Exit in A Month In a big setback for the Congress in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Monday resigned from the primary membership of the party. According to sources, Chavan may join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the coming days. I hereby submit my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party with effect from 12/02/2024 noon, Chavan said in a statement. Following Chavans resignation, sources informed that the saffron camp is likely to either offer a Rajya Sabha seat to him or field him for the crucial Lok Sabha polls. Sources added that 10 to 12 MLAs are also in touch with Chavan and will switch sides in due course. He served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from December 2008 to November 2010, however, he was forced to resign in November 2010 in the wake of the Adarsh housing scam. Chavan, the son of another former Chief Minister Shankarrao Chavan, was believed to be an influential leader in Maharashtra. Opposition Reacts Reacting to the series of ongoing resignations from Maharashtra leaders, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a jibe at the leaders and said that Washing Machine will always prove more attractive than ideological commitment or personal loyalties. Washing Machine When friends and colleagues leave a political party that has given them muchperhaps much more they deservedit is always a matter of anguish. But to those who are vulnerable THAT Washing Machine February 12, 2024 Taking to Twitter, Jairam Ramesh wrote, When friends and colleagues leave a political party that has given them much perhaps much more they deservedit is always a matter of anguish. But to those who are vulnerable THATwill always prove more attractive than ideological commitment or personal loyalties. These betrayers dont realise that their exit opens up vast new opportunities to those whose growth they have always stunted. Further placing a full stop at the ongoing speculations of him being the next in line to quit Congress, former Cabinet minister Aslam Shaikh clarified that he will not resign from Congress. I want to clarify that I am not leaving the Congress Party. I urge the media to refrain from spreading false news about my shift to any other party. Lets maintain decorum and avoid creating unnecessary confusion. Thank you all for your understanding, he wrote on a post on X. I want to clarify that I am not leaving the Congress Party (@INCIndia). I urge the media to refrain from spreading false news about my shift to any other party. Let's maintain decorum and avoid creating unnecessary confusion. Thank you all for your understanding. Aslam Shaikh, INC (@AslamShaikh_MLA) February 12, 2024 Reacting on Ashok Chavans resignation, Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said, Ashok Chavan became a BJP member. I cant believe it. Till yesterday they were together..were discussing..gone today. Like Eknath Mindhe and Ajit Pawar, will Chavan also claim the Congress now and get a hand sign? And will the Election Commission give it to them? Anything can happen in our country! In a big setback for the Congress in Maharashtra ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Monday resigned from the primary membership of the party. The former Congress leader was reportedly unhappy with the Congress partys decisions in the state. The leader, however, has not confirmed his next political move. While speaking to the media, Chavan said that he will decide on his move over the next two days. I will clarify my political stand in the next two days. As of now, I have not decided to join the BJP. I have no complaints about the Congress party or its leaders. However, I am considering exploring other options, which is why I have resigned from the party, said Chavan said after resigning from Congress. I hereby submit my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party with effect from 12/02/2024 noon, Chavan said in a statement. Chavan met Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar in Mumbai on Monday and submitted his resignation. Meanwhile, several top BJP leaders have also arrived at the saffron partys Mumbai Pradesh Office, sources reported. Addressing reporters, Chavan said that he has not decided on future course of action. I have not had a word with a single MLA of Congress party. I have resigned from the Assembly membership as an MLA. I have given my resignation to the Speaker. I have resigned from the Congress Working Committee and Congress primary membership. I have not decided to join any party. I will clear my stand on joining a party after two days, he said. Notably, the development came days after former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique joined Ajit Pawars NCP on Saturday, breaking his 48-year-long association with the Congress party. The Maharashtra minister resigned from the from the grand old party on Thursday with immediate effect. Earlier in January 2024, Congress leader Milind Deora also submitted his resignation from the primary membership of Congress, bringing an end to his familys 55-year association with the party. Who is Ashok Chavan? Chavan had succeeded Vilasrao Deshmukh as Maharashtra Chief Minister back in December 2008, however, he was forced to resign in November 2010 in wake of the Adarsh housing scam. He also served as the president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) from 2014 to 2019. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Member of Israel's Knesset, chairman of Israel Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) party Avigdor Lieberman has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the extraordinary presidential election, Trend reports. Will be updated Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has urged the residents of Jalotra village in Banaskantha district to adopt drip irrigation and organic farming and appealed to the youth to stay away from addiction and pursue education. The CM spent a night in the village as part of the ruling BJPs Gaon Chalo campaign. Patel on Saturday launched the campaign with prayers at a temple in the village and took part in a cleanliness drive there. The zeal with which the BJP government is working, all the pending works will also be completed in the near future, he said. With the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, everyone should work to strengthen the party so that the slogan of a developed Gujarat with a developed India can be realised, Patel said. He had dinner with the family members of local leader Dineshbhai Bhatola, said a government release. Through the initiative, the BJP aims to strengthen all the booths in Gujarat ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A total 56,700 party workers, including ministers and MLAs, were assigned different booths across the state under the Gaon Chalo Abhiyan, during February 10-11, it said. On Sunday morning, CM Patel met farmers, youth, women, and leaders of different communities and discussed various government schemes, said the release. He urged the farmers to adopt drip irrigation and organic farming and appealed to youth to stay away from addiction. The farmers thanked the CM for sanctioning Rs 862 crore for a water supply project that will benefit 125 villages in the region, the release added. In 2019, the BJP won all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday took a jibe at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for joining hands with the BJP-led NDA saying his nephew will stop Narendra Modis BJP in Bihar. Nitish Kumar, on the other hand, proved his majority in the state assembly after winning the trust vote. We will always respect CM Nitish Kumar. When you came out of Raj Bhavan after resigning, you (Nitish Kumar) said Mann nahi lag raha tha, hum log nachne gaane ke liye thode hai (we were not there to dance and sing), we were there to support you, Yadav said while speaking in the Bihar assembly ahead of the floor test, a Hindustan Times report said. Follow Bihar Floor Test LIVE new here The RJD leader also took potshots at Nitish Kumar for taking oath as Chief Minister three times in a single term. I feel bad for JDU MLAs because they will have to go among the public and answer. If someone asks you why Nitish Kumar took oath 3 times, what would you say? Earlier you used to criticise them (BJP) and now you are praising them, what will you say? We (RJD) will say that we have given jobs, Yadav said. We think of you (CM Nitish Kumar) as a member of our family. We are from the Samajwadi family...Jo aap jhanda le kar ke chale the ki Modi ko desh mein rokne hain, ab aapka Bhateeja jhanda utha kar ke Modi ko Bihar mein rokne ka kaam karega(the flag you had raised to stop the BJP across the country, now your nephew (Tejashwi Yadav himself) will carry that flag and stop Modi in Bihar), he added. Meanwhile, minutes before the voting in the Bihar Assembly, the RJD-led Opposition walked out of the house. Nitish Kumar accused Tejashwi Yadavs party of corruption, saying they were minting money. The AAPs political affairs committee (PAC) will in its meeting on Tuesday discuss the party candidates for the Lok Sabha polls and prospects of alliance with the Congress, said Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai on Monday. When asked whether the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will enter into an alliance with the Congress in Delhi, Rai told PTI Videos, The talks are on. There is a need of a quick decision on it. A question mark has been put on the alliance with AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal addressing a gathering in Punjabs Taran Taran on Sunday, claiming that the people of Delhi have decided to give all the seven Lok Sabha seats to his party. Kejriwal had earlier said the AAP will declare its candidates on all the 13 parliamentary seats in Punjab and the Chandigarh seat in next 10 to 15 days. Rai said the PAC meeting will review all aspects of the Lok Sabha elections, including the alliance, candidates in different states and poll preparations. When asked about Kejriwals claim that the party will win all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, I understand that people are so harassed by the BJP that if elections are held right now, AAP has the capacity to defeat the BJP and win all the 7 seats in Delhi. He, however, said that talks for alliance with the Congress are still on. I cannot reveal anything till there is an outcome of the discussions, he told PTI Videos. The AAP leaders earlier said that talks over alliance with the Congress in Delhi, Haryana, Gujarat and Goa were underway. However, the AAP that is a constituent of opposition bloc Indian National Developmental Alliance (INDIA) has unilaterally declared three candidates on Guwahati, Sonitpur and Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seats in Assam. Kejriwal had during his Gujarat visit last month declared Chaitar Vasava as AAPs candidate from Bharuch seat in the state. Despite the aggressive stance taken by Kejriwal, insiders in both the Congress and the AAP expect an alliance between two parties in Delhi to challenge the might of the BJP in the national capital. The BJP candidates registered back to back massive victories in 2014 and 2019 polls winning all the seven Lok Sabha constituencies in Delhi. Interestingly, the BJP candidates on all the seven seats polled more votes than the combined tally of both the Congress and the AAP. The Congress in Maharashtra was jolted again on Monday as top leader and former chief minister Ashok Chavan left the party. The 65-year-old is the third influential leader from the state to quit the party in less than a month. Former union minister of state Milind Deora resigned from the Congress on January 14 followed by erstwhile Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique last week, with both citing internal party problems and that they were not being given opportunities. Chavan so far has not explained his reasons. I hereby submit my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party with effect from 12/02/2024 noon, he said in a statement. Ashok Chavan met Maharashtra speaker Rahul Narwekar early on Monday morning. Later, his resignation letter from the primary membership of the Congress went viral on social media platforms. With a post on social media platform X, he confirmed that he had resigned as MLA of the Bhokar assembly constituency. Today i.e. on Monday, February 12, 2024, I have tendered my resignation as Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from 85-Bhokar Assembly Constituency to the Assembly Speaker Rahulji Narwekar, said the post. While speaking to the media, Chavan said that he would decide on his next move in two days. I will clarify my political stand in the next two days. As of now, I have not decided to join the BJP. I have no complaints about the Congress party or its leaders. However, I am considering exploring other options, which is why I have resigned from the party, said Chavan. As a top leader of the Congress, Ashok Chavan frequently held seat-sharing meetings for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance partners Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party. Chavan led many of these meetings along with senior Congress MLA Balasaheb Thorat. Sources say Chavan being a Maratha has a very strong hold over the community, especially in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. His family had for long been seen as a Congress and Gandhi family loyalist. His late father Shankarrao Chavan was twice Maharashtra chief minister and also served in the union cabinet. Ashok Chavan became a junior minister, cabinet minister, and then chief minister of the state. His quitting the party is being seen as a big blow not only to the Maharashtra Congress but also to the central leadership. During the first leg of Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra, held from September 7, 2022, to January 30, 2023, Chavan was in charge of it in Maharashtra. His organisational skills were later applauded by the partys national leadership. Ashok Chavan started his political career in 1986 as general secretary of the Maharashtra Youth Congress and later became its vice president. In 1987, he won his first Lok Sabha election. In 1992, he became a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) of Maharashtra. In 1993, he was made the junior minister for the Home Department and Public Works Department (PWD). During 1995-1999, he was a secretary of the Maharashtra State Congress. In 1999, Ashok Chavan contested the state assembly elections for the first time and won, becoming a cabinet minister in charge of the Revenue Department. In 2003, he was made the Minister of Protocol along with Road Transport and Culture. In 2004, he was made in charge of the Industries Department. From 2008 to 2010, Chavan was the chief minister of Maharashtra but had to step down due to the Adarsh scam. In 2014, he was asked by the party to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Nanded which he won. In 2015, he was given charge of the Maharashtra State Congress. In 2019, Chavan lost his Nanded seat, but the same year he won an election from the Bhokar assembly constituency and became the PWD minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government. Observers say that with the Maha Vikas Aghadi out of power and facing several challenges, there was a buzz of Ashok Chavan and a few other leaders from the Maharashtra Congress switching to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to a top BJP source, there are attempts to bring down the Congresss numbers in the state legislature so that all six Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra go to the ruling Mahayuti comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party, Eknath Shindes Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. In the present scenario, the Mahayuti can win five seats and the Congress one. But if the number of Congress legislators goes below 42, it may have to lose that Rajya Sabha seat. In the previous phase of Rajya Sabha and legislative council elections in Maharashtra, the BJPs efforts ensured the Maha Vikas Aghadi lost four crucial seats in both polls despite having the numbers. According to sources, Ashok Chavan has been given two choices by the BJP leadership: he could either be sent to the Rajya Sabha or contest for the Nanded Lok Sabha seat. The Maratha community, which is disgruntled with the BJP over reservation issues, could be appeased by fielding Ashok Chavan from Nanded, said sources. It would also be interesting to see, said observers, how many Congress leaders Chavan manages to take with him to the BJP. Mani Shankar Aiyars latest book is titled Memoirs of a Maverick. And maverick he has been for his party as far as his public utterances, usually delivered at the wrong time before elections, go. The most devastating for the grand old party were the chaiwala and neech jibes at Narendra Modi before 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, surrendering the narrative to the BJP on a silver platter. Besides oral bombshells in India, each time Aiyar travels to Pakistan, his party leadership keeps a tense watch. Regardless, the veteran Congressman did not disappoint political observers. Speaking at an event in Lahore, Mani Shankar Aiyar praised Pakistani hospitality and questioned why the Narendra Modi government does not have the courage to hold talks with the neighbour. I have never been to a country where I have been welcomed with open arms as I have been in Pakistan The Pakistanis, from my experience, have been the people who react perhaps overreact to the other side. If we are friendly, they are over-friendly and if we are hostile, they get over hostile, he is reported to have said during a session titled Hijr Ki Rakh, Visaal Kay Phool, Indo-Pak Affairs on the second day of the Faiz Festival at Alhamra in Lahore. Taking potshots at the Modi government, he added: We have the courage to conduct surgical strikes against you, but we dont have the courage to sit across the table and talk. Aiyar even criticised the Indian electoral system in Pakistan. Modi has never received more than one-third votes, but our system is such that if he has one-third of the votes, he has two-thirds of the seats. Aiyar had urged PM Modi to hold talks with Pakistan last August as well. Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan-based terror groups since January 2016. India has made it clear that it will not hold dialogue with Pakistan as terrorism and talks cannot go hand-in-hand. Aiyars comments in view of the chaotic general elections in Pakistan have once again put the Congress on the backfoot. The grand old party anyway finds itself on the wrong end of the nationalism debate and its inability to reign in Aiyar, ironically a former diplomat, may add to its woes ahead of general elections. Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray will visit Maharashtras Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Monday and interact with the local residents and his party workers, a Sena (UBT) leader said. During the one-day tour, former state chief minister Thackeray will visit the rural constituencies of Gangapur, Vaijapur and Kannad. In the evening, Thackeray will address the people at the TV Centre Ground in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, the leader said. Notably, Vaijapur MLA Ramesh Bornare and legislators Sanjay Shirsat and Pradip Jaiswal from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city had earlier joined the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. In the 2019 state assembly polls, the Shiv Sena (then undivided) and its then ally BJP contested nine assembly seats in the district. The Shiv Sena then won six seats, while the BJP bagged three seats. Is an AAP-Congress alliance in Delhi still on the table? Indicating trouble for the possible tie-up, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, addressing a rally in Punjabs Tarn Taran on Sunday, said: They [BJP] are stopping us here in Punjab and in Delhi, they obstruct any work that I try to do. Delhi has seven Lok Sabha seats. The people of Delhi have decided that they will make the AAP win on all seven seats. The following day, AAPs Delhi in-charge and minister Gopal Rai said the issue would be discussed in the meeting of the AAPs Political Affairs Committee on Tuesday where the party is set to finalise candidates for Goa, Gujarat and Haryana. Given that the BJP won all seven Lok Sabha seats in 2019 by over 50 per cent vote share, political analysts believe that even if the Congress and AAP come together, it will be a challenge to pull off a win in Delhi. Asked about the AAP chiefs statement, Rai said: His statement indicated that BJP is losing all 7 seats in Delhi, given the manner in which it has conducted itself, the manner in which it snatched the powers of Delhi, flouted the SCs orders, and obstructed the work of the government. BJP has seven MPs in Delhi since 10 years. However, no one knows what work they have done except for supporting the Centre when it obstructs the work of Delhi. On News18s specific question on whether an alliance with the Congress in Delhi is still on the table, the AAP minister said the issue will be taken up for detailed discussion in Tuesdays PAC. AAP continues to be part of the India gathbandhan. There have been many rounds of talks. However, we believe that now it is getting very late. There is a need to take a decision on seats quickly, given the situation now and the manner in which we are losing time and seats. The PAC has been called tomorrow where the matter will be discussed in detail, and a decision will be taken given the current situation, he said. Rai re-iterated what the AAP has been saying for the past one week that it is tired of talks. All eyes are on the AAPs PAC now. While being a part of the INDIA gathbandhan, AAP has already unilaterally declared one candidate for Gujarat, three for Assam and has said that it expects the partners in the INDIA bloc to accept its faces. Both AAP and Congress have said that they will fight Punjab alone. Even in 2019, there were attempts by the AAP and Congress to forge a pre-poll alliance in Punjab, Delhi, Goa and Haryana. However, talks collapsed and both blamed the other for the failure of the proposed alliance. The AAP had said that an alliance, just in Delhi, was not feasible after Congress indicated that it was not interested in sharing space in Goa, Punjab and Haryana. Rahul Gandhi, then the Congress president, had tweeted saying that the Congress was ready to offer four seats to the AAP in Delhi but the AAP had made another U-turn. Video surveillance footage revealed a chilling moment as a man reportedly attempted to abduct a 4-year-old boy in the presence of his parents. The alarming incident, recorded on CCTV, unfolded approximately at 11:55 a.m. as the family exited a pharmacy in Miami Beach, Florida, according to WPLG Local10. Nicolas Sternaman, the alleged kidnapper, entered the CVS on Collins Avenue as the 4-year-old boy and his parents were leaving. When the boys mother stepped outside, Sternaman, 26, reportedly bent over and seized the child by the neck, lifting him and making a bid to escape the premises, as per WPLG reports. In a swift and courageous response, the father immediately intervened, seizing Sternaman, while the mother swiftly rescued her child from the alleged kidnappers grasp, as depicted in store surveillance footage obtained by the outlet. During the struggle, the boy fell to the floor as his father grappled with Sternaman, ultimately tearing off the individuals black jacket. The mother swiftly retrieved the child while the father forcefully pushed Sternaman into the stores glass door. Sternaman managed to escape the store but was reportedly apprehended by Miami Beach Police a few blocks away. The child, visibly shaken by the incident, clung tightly to his mother and was unwilling to let go, as reported by The New York Post. Witness Zachary Jefferson told CBS News, Everyone was just shocked because it was so quick and it was so fast. The guy just came out of nowhere." Im like screaming at the guy like stop, stop. Then I see her purse fall and I know she has important things in her purse. So I grabbed it and gave it to her. And Im like somebody call the cops! Like please." Police officers joined the pursuit and apprehended Sternaman along Harding Avenue near 71st Street, approximately three blocks from the CVS. According to the Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation website, Sternaman is facing felony charges of aggravated child abuse and kidnapping of a child. Sternaman, a resident of the Mirador 1000 condominium penthouse in South Beach, had a prior arrest for petit theft on January 3 and was released on a $150 (Rs 12,449.32) bond, according to WPLG Local10, citing Miami-Dade County court records. The outlet also noted that Sternaman declined to provide an explanation to the police regarding the attempted abduction. Be aware of your child every second because in one second they can be taken away," cautioned the boys father to viewers of WPLG Local10, while his mother described the incident as terrifying." Chandni Bhabhda, a popular mimicry artist on Instagram, has achieved remarkable success with her talent, particularly for her spot on impressions of Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt. The 24 year old recently unlocked a major milestone in her life as she purchased her first home in Mumbai. Interestingly, it was previously owned by none other than Bollywoods Khiladi, Akshay Kumar, as per Bollywood Hungama reports. Chandni shared glimpses of her griha pravesh ceremony on Instagram and received congratulations from her followers along with fellow content creators. Bhabhda plans to add Rajasthani and Bollywood touches to her home, for which shes planning to visit Rajasthan, IKEA and local markets like Crawford Market in Mumbai and she doesnt want over the top decorations. For the special day, the content creator wore a pink saree and performed traditional rituals with her family members. In addition to the griha pravesh ceremony, she also shared pictures of her praying at the Mumba Devi temple on Sunday, marking the start of new beginnings in the city of dreams. Sharing the post, Chandni wrote, Buying a house under 25. BRB paying EMIs. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chandni Bhabhda (@chandnimimic) Content creators and actors, including Mithilesh Patankar (Mythpat), Kunal Chhabhria, Dharna Durga, Palak Sindhwani, Deeksha Khurana, Jay Kapoor, and others, congratulated and sent their best wishes to Chandni Bhabhda on her new home purchase. On the other hand, her followers showered their love and support for the content creator. Reacting to the post, a user wrote, Bambai mein Andheri mein ghar, je baat. (House in Andheri in Mumbai, thats amazing). Another joked, By bullying Alia Bhatt, she became famous. So freaking proud of you. Mai ro dungi yaar. (I will cry) Congrats baby, a comment read. A user wrote, You are an inspiration. An account remarked, A dream of many, congratulations. In her Instagram stories, Chandni Bhabhda thanked her followers for the wishes. She shared that her entire family, including her mother and father, is extremely proud of her achievement. Talking about her journey, she mentioned experiencing major FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) while witnessing others taking typical vacations and traveling abroad. Despite the desire to enjoy such experiences, she chose to save for her home. Apart from making mimicry videos, Chandni was last year featured in a comedy show titled Constable Girapde on Amazon miniTV. On numerous occasions, she has expressed her desire to work in Bollywood films. Cricket never fails to captivate the internet, and a current viral video proves exactly why. Amidst the ongoing KCC T20 Challengers Cup 2024 clash between Kuwait Nationals and SBS CC, a moment arose that had everyone in fits of laughter. It wasnt just one mishap, but a cascade of comedic blunders that unfolded in rapid succession, leaving netizens in stitches. The uproarious incident occurred when Muhammad Waqar Anjum of the Kuwait Nationals sent a delivery hurtling towards Beant Singh during the matchs second inning. With a ball soaring perhaps a tad too higheither a beamer or a high full tossWaqars delivery seemed destined for Singhs bat as he ventured out of his crease to take a swing. Yet, much to everyones surprise, the ball defied expectations, swerving back to dislodge the wickets Singh had carelessly left exposed while attempting his shot. Also Read: This Game Of Cricket Requires Players To Swim For Runs This unexpected turn of events, transpiring within a mere blink of an eye, unleashed a wave of laughter and amusement across the internet. Heres the Viral Video: Delivery of the century, quipped one user on the micro-blogging site X. Ball spun from Kuwait to Oman, exclaimed another with delight. Bowling karane ka tareeka thoda kazual hai, remarked a third, adding to the chorus of online amusement. Meanwhile, this isnt the first instance where a cricketing blunder has split the internets sides. Previously, during a local cricket tournament, a hilarious fielding mishap stole the show. The intensity of the fielding was palpable from the outset, holding spectators in rapt attention. Despite the batsman employing an unconventional technique, he managed to send the ball hurtling towards the boundary. However, it was the ensuing fielding attempt that truly turned heads. As a fielder made a close-up chase to thwart runs, the situation took a comedic turn. Despite his valiant effort to grasp the ball, he stumbled, leading to a sequence of unfortunate events: the ball ricocheted off his leg, then his face, before hilariously crossing the boundary. Also Read: This Face-Off Between Cricket Fans Is Oh-So-Relatable Cricket, you see, bowls us over with unstoppable laughter, just like a perfectly timed googly! BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the snap presidential election, Trend reports. "Esteemed Mr. President, Please allow me to congratulate you on your re-election as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The results of the election clearly demonstrate the confidence of the Azerbaijani people in you. I am pleased that we have elevated our bilateral relations to the level of an enhanced strategic partnership in the past year. Azerbaijan is not only an important political, economic and cultural partner for Hungary, but also a sincere friend. We have a common interest in developing our multifaceted cooperation and continuing our joint investments. The continuously strengthening ties between our countries are also fuelled by our historical kinship, social traditions, the respect for family values and cooperation in organizations uniting Turkic peoples. I can assure you that my government remains committed to developing our relations and deepening our mutually beneficial cooperation. I wish you good health and success in your responsible duties," the letter reads. In a startling turn of events, a wedding reception in Lucknows Aminabad, Uttar Pradesh, turned chaotic as an intense brawl erupted between the groom and brides sides. The exact trigger and initiators remain unclear, but reports suggest the clash happened during the DJ dance. A video circulating on social media captures both parties throwing and beating each other with plastic chairs. Unfortunately, the video also features women attempting to intervene, but in the process they suffered injuries. The altercation took place at Buddha Lal Badlu Prasad Dharmshala, near Gunge Nawab Park, falling under the jurisdiction of Aminabad Police Station. Although the police were called, no formal case has been filed as of yet, leaving the details behind this wedding day clash in suspense. According to the Free Press Journal reports, the clash erupted on the night of Friday, February 9, as guests were having a good time while dancing to the DJ. The situation turned upside down when individuals began using chairs to hit one another. As a result, at least three wedding guests got head injuries. Reportedly, the initial conflict happened between a few members of both parties, but it intensified into a full blown brawl, which involved all the guests at the wedding reception. The viral video also captured women actively participating in the clash. The fight caused serious injuries to those directly involved but also to women who attempted to stop the chaotic situation. After being informed about the brawl, the police quickly arrived at the scene to calm the situation. Both parties involved in the altercation were later taken to the police station for further inquiries. As of now, no complaint has been registered regarding the incident. However, the police have already started an investigation into the matter and will take appropriate action upon receiving complaints and further details related to the matter. Among those who sustained serious injuries, the individuals were later identified as Akshara from Vazirganj, along with Mahak and Balwant Sonkar from Kaiserbagh. The authorities are determined to gather more information to understand the events that led up to the intense clash at the wedding reception. Another incident just like the recent clash was reported in Lucknow as well, when a dance battle turned into chaos in a Barabanki village. The wedding guests, celebrating the marriage ceremony of two cousin sisters on the same day, got engaged in a violent brawl over the dance floor. The dispute escalated as the guests of the two parties clashed using rods, canes and even threw stones at each other. The dance battle that was supposed to add joy to the celebration took a dark turn, leaving several men with severe injuries. The police were called and they registered an FIR against several unknown members from both the parties. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have been holding discussions in efforts to form a coalition government in the aftermath of the February 8 national elections in which no party could secure a simple majority. Sources told CNN-News18 that the PPP holds the trump card which will decide Pakistans future. A slew of meetings is expected in Islamabad on Monday, said sources. The PPP will hold its Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting at 7pm to deliberate on the PML-Ns offers, they added. The PML-N leadership will also hold meetings this evening in Islamabad with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Pakistan Muslim League (Q), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement, said the sources. Independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan are leading in the poll results, followed by the PML-N and PPP. February 13 is the last day for independent legislators to join any party. As part of a formula being discussed, PML-Ns Shehbaz Sharif could become the Prime Minister while PPP may get Presidency, Balochistan, and may be Speaker of national assembly, said a source. According to sources, PPP president Asif Ali Zardari will push for his sister Faryal Talpur to be made Pakistans first woman President as his equations with army chief Syed Asim Munir are precarious. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is also expected to hold a press conference around 9pm (Pakistan time), sources added. Qatari authorities on Monday released the eight Indian Navy veterans who were sentenced to death there. Earlier, due to diplomatic intervention by New Delhi, the capital punishment was commuted to an extended prison term. The external affairs ministry earlier assured family members of these veterans that it would mobilise all diplomatic channels and arrange legal assistance to enable their return. #WATCH | Delhi: Qatar released the eight Indian ex-Navy veterans who were in its custody; seven of them have returned to India. pic.twitter.com/yuYVx5N8zR ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Out of the eight former Indian Navy officers, seven have returned to India, according to an official statement. The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals, the external affairs ministry said in the statement. #WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, "We are very happy that we are back in India, safely. Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi, as this was only possible because of his personal intervention" pic.twitter.com/iICC1p7YZr ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 We are very happy that we are back in India, safely. Definitely, we would like to thank PM Modi, as this was only possible because of his personal intervention, one of the released veterans said while speaking to news agency ANI. #WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, "It wouldn't have been possible for us to stand here without the intervention of PM Modi. And it also happened due to the continuous efforts of the Government of India." pic.twitter.com/bcwEWvWIDK ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 These former Navy officials who were imprisoned in Qatar since 2022 were accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. Qatar has not yet made the charges against the former Navy veterans public. #WATCH | Delhi: One of the Navy veterans who returned from Qatar says, "We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldn't have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. We are grateful to the pic.twitter.com/5DiBC0yZPd ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 It wouldnt have been possible for us to stand here without the intervention of PM Modi. And it also happened due to the continuous efforts of the Government of India, another veteran said, thanking the Prime Minister for his efforts. We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It wouldnt have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. We are grateful to the Government of India from the bottom of our hearts for every effort that has been made and this day wont have been possible without those efforts, another veteran told the news agency. Who Were the Eight Veterans Who Were Arrested Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar were the eight Indian Navy veterans who were arrested in August 2022. The Qatari government alleged that these veterans, who were employed by Dahra Global Technologies, a defence services provider company based in Qatar, were spying on a submarine programme on behalf of Israel. Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services is a private firm that provides training to the countrys armed forces. The Indians were involved with advising the Qatari government on the acquisition of submarines. The firm provided support solutions to the aerospace, security, defence, information technology, and communications sectors as well. Dahra Global closed operations last year and its employees, mostly Indians, returned home. Khamis al-Ajmi, a retired squadron leader of the Royal Oman Air Force, ran the company. He was also arrested but was released in November 2022. Commander Purnendu Tiwari (Retd) who served as managing director of the company, was honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in 2019 for his contributions to enhancing the bilateral relationship between India and Qatar. He is also known to have commanded several Indian Navy warships. In a major diplomatic win, India secured the release of eight Indian Navy veterans who were jailed and sentenced to death in Qatar by authorities there on espionage charges. Seven out of those eight veterans returned to India and thanked the government for ensuring their release. These veterans were working for Dahra Global Technologies, a defence services provider company based in Qatar. The eight veterans Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar suffered several ordeals in the last one and a half years but their long wait to return home ended on Monday as seven of them landed in India after their release was secured. This is not the first time that India has ensured the return of its citizens who were caught in the midst of a geopolitical crisis. India on several occasions has rescued citizens from war zones and even during the Covid-19 conflict, India carried out one of the largest rescue operations and brought back home six million Indians. Here is a list of similar diplomatic wins for India: Operation Raahat: In 2015, Indian Army launched Operation Rahat to evacuate more than 4,000 Indian citizens and other foreign nationals from Yemen as the Yemeni civil war broke out. Then-foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said that it took one phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi king Salman to ensure the rescue of Indians from the war-torn nation. Kerala Nurses Rescued from ISIS-ruled Areas: Then-foreign minister Sushma Swaraj scored a massive diplomatic win when she ensured the return of 46 nurses, majority of them from Kerala, who were stuck in Iraqs Tikrit as Islamic State started taking over major parts of Syria and Iraq. 46 nurses were evacuated from Iraq after they were taken away by Islamic State terrorists to Mosul against their will. The Indian government, led by Narendra Modi, whose tenure had just begun following massive victory in the 2014 elections, prioritised the return of the nurses and ensured that they were brought back to India. Indian officials worked round the clock with their Iraqi counterparts and brought back the nurses from Mosul to Erbil and then from Erbil to New Delhi and then Kochi. Operation Samudra Setu: The Indian Navy during the coronavirus pandemic rescued at least 4,000 Indians who were stranded in the sea. Indian Naval ships Jalashwa, Airavat, Shardul and Magar steamed more than 23,000 kilometres to rescue stranded Indians in the sea. The operation was conducted in the year 2020. Operation Vande Bharat Mission: The Vande Bharat Mission was the biggest civilian evacuation exercise undertaken by the government to bring back stranded Indians home as they were stuck in foreign shores during the Covid-19 pandemic. At least 2.97 crore Indians (in-bound and out-bound) were facilitated in the flights operated under the Vande Bharat Mission and Air Bubble arrangements. The operation was conducted between 2020 2022. Operation Devi Shakti: Under Operation Devi Shakti, a special flight from Kabul to New Delhi rescued 669 people from Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. At least 448 Indians and 206 Afghans, which includes members of the Afghan Hindu/Sikh minority community, were rescued from India. The minority community members carried with them 2 Swaroops of Guru Granth Sahib and some ancient Hindu manuscripts. Operation Ganga: Indian government rescued over 22,500 Indians within a month of the breakout of the Ukraine war in 2022. The Indian government deployed 90 evacuation flights out of which 14 were flights operated by the Indian Air Force. These citizens, mostly students, were stuck in Ukraine as Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine. Operation Kaveri: Indian government rescued over 3,000 of its citizens amid intense fighting between the army and a rival paramilitary force in Sudan in 2023. The operation was launched in April 2023 and brought back Indians caught in the conflict in Sudan and from Khartoum and from distant provinces like Darfur. Operation Homecoming:India initiated Operation Homecoming to repatriate Indian citizens stranded in the conflict-ridden nation of Libya. The operation successfully evacuated 15,400 Indian nationals who were caught in the 2011 Libyan internal conflict. Beirut Sealift: Indian navy and air force conducted one of the largest naval rescue missions since the Dunkirk evacuation conducted during World War II, as it rescued 2,280 individuals when a conflict broke out between Israel and Lebanon in July 2006. This operation is also known as Operation Sukoon. Kuwait Airlift: The Indian government in 1990 launched one of the largest evacuation and airlift operations to evacuate stranded Indians from Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The Indian air force and navy along with national carrier Air India evacuated over 175,000 Indians. Air Indias involvement in the operation earned it a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for conducting the largest evacuation by a civilian airliner. Pakistans February 8 elections returned a hung parliament, with no single party getting enough seats in the National Assembly to form a government by itself. Talks for a coalition government are taking place between former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs party, with 75 seats, and the party of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, with 54 seats. Independent candidates backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan won the most seats and they are also jostling for allies to form government. Candidates were vying for 264 seats out of the assemblys 336 total. Here are some of the situations likely to play out in the house in the days ahead as Pakistan tries to form a new government: By law, the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament, must be called by the President three weeks after the national election. It is usually called earlier. A new speaker of the house is then elected, and then they call for the election of the leader of the house, or prime minister, who must win a simple majority 169 of the 336 seats. There can be multiple candidates for prime minister. If no candidate secures a majority in the first round, a second vote is held between the top two candidates. Voting will continue until one person is able to secure a majority. Once a prime minister is elected, they take an oath and announces the cabinet. The caretaker set-up that has been in place to oversee the elections then hands over power to the new government. Parties are allocated 70 reserved seats 60 for women, 10 for non-Muslims in proportion to the number of seats won. This completes the National Assemblys total 336 seats. Independents are not eligible for reserved seats. -If the independents want to gain reserved seats, they must join another party to form a bloc. The independents are running as such because Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was barred from these polls for breaching electoral laws. Thursdays vote to choose a new parliament was overshadowed by the vote-rigging allegations, an unprecedented mobile phone shutdown, and the exclusion of Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, or PTI, from the vote. While election winners were celebrating victory, PTI and other parties refused to accept their defeat in dozens of constituencies. Thousands of supporters of Imran Khan and members of other political parties blocked key highways and started a daylong strike in the volatile southwest Monday to protest the alleged rigging of last weeks elections. Candidates backed by Khan won more seats than the political parties who ousted him from power nearly two years ago, according to the final tally published Sunday. However, no party won a majority, so the parties will have to hold talks on forming a coalition government. The new parliament chooses the countrys next prime minister. (With agency inputs) Police in Pakistan fired tear gas shells to disperse supporters of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who protested outside election commissions offices across the nation alleging rigging took place in the recently concluded general elections. Clashes were reported in Rawalpindi city, south of the capital, and Lahore, in the east, while dozens of other protests were held across the country without incident, according to a report by news agency AFP. PTI workers blocked the Peshawar motorway toll plaza, held protests outside the returning officers office in Lahore, took out a rally in Sialkot against electoral fraud and held protests in Sindh and Rawalpindi as well. Pakistan law enforcement officials warned earlier that they will come down hard on illegal gatherings but despite the warnings PTI workers took to the streets demanding recount and release of their leader Imran Khan from the Adiala jail. PTI continues to claim that the independents it backed took the most seats in the polls but its mandate was stolen. Independents cannot form a government as per rules laid down by the Pakistani constitution. Amid this political uncertainty, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidate Waseem Qadir who won the February 8 elections from the National Assemblys NA-121 constituency in Lahore said he is joining the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). PML-N released a video where he was seen with senior PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz and other party workers who welcomed him to the party. I am Waseem Qadir. I was PTIs Lahore secretary-general. I have returned to my home. For the development of my constituency and my people, I have joined Muslim League-Noon again, Waseem Qadir was quoted as saying by GeoNews. Nawaz Sharifs PML-N is the second with 79 seats as per the election results tally and lacks the clear majority it needs to form the government but it is the single-largest party in the parliament as Imran Khan-backed independents ran as individuals. The prime minister contender has to ensure that they have the simple majority of 169 seats in the Pakistan National Assembly when the house is called in the coming days. A stingray kept inside a North Carolina aquarium is pregnant and the aquarium staff believe that it could have been impregnated by a shark as there are no male stingrays in the tank where she was kept. The stingray, named Charlotte, is kept inside an aquarium inside a shark lab in Hendersonville and will give birth any day now but the news of the pregnancy shocked the staffers and the researchers. The researchers from the Aquarium and Shark Lab by Team ECCO first saw the swelling in Charlotte back in September and thought it was due to cancer. But once they performed ultrasounds on Charlotte, they realised she was pregnant with multiple pups. We have been doing ultrasound on our ray, Charlotte, since September, when she began to swell. We documented multiple growths internally and initially thought she had a cancer, a staff member was quoted as saying by UK-based newspaper The Daily Mail. The report said that there could be two possible explanations behind the mystery pregnancy. According to Rob Jones, the aquarium vet, one reason behind the pregnancy could be parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis occurs when eggs develop on their own without fertilisation and create a clone of the mother. The staff also offered another explanation for the pregnancy. They think that the female stingray could have been impregnated by one of the male one-year-old sharks they placed in her tank last year. They said that they moved two 1-year-old white spot bamboo sharks. In mid-July 2023, we moved two 1-year-old white spot bamboo males (sharks) into that tank. There was nothing we could find definitively about their maturation rate, so we did not think there would be an issue. We started to notice bite marks on Charlotte, but saw other fish nipping at her, so we moved fish, but the biting continued, a staff member, who goes by the name Ramer, was quoted as saying by The Daily Mail. Bite marks are an indicator of mating in sharks because sharks are known to bite during the mating process. The employee said Charlotte had several bites on her fin edges. The stingray is carrying up to four pups and was expected to give birth last week but the births are yet to take place. Once the pups are born, DNA testing will take place on the pups to determine if they are mixed breed or clones of their mother. Stingrays are closely related to sharks and belong to a group of fish called Elasmobranchs. Stingrays have no bones and their skeleton is instead made up of flexible cartilage. They are ovoviviparous which means the offspring hatched from the eggs are held within the body. Stingrays are mostly solitary animals and come together for breeding and migration purposes. The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Monday that its vital that it receives new European Union funding within weeks because Israel appears to be readying a ground assault on Rafah, where many civilians have taken refuge. The aid agency UNRWA is reeling from allegations that 12 of its 13,000 Gaza staff participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in southern Israel. UNRWA immediately fired the staff, but more than a dozen countries suspended funding worth about $440 million, almost half of UNRWAs budget for 2024. #Gaza Rafah is one of the most densely populated places on earth. Families have been displaced many times.There is panic & desperation as 1.4 million people try to survive, try to get food & water at the same time fearing for their lives due to continued military operation. pic.twitter.com/BjXeEiAjLz UNRWA (@UNRWA) February 12, 2024 Asked how important it is that UNRWA receive an 82 million euro ($88 million) EU payment by the end of the month, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said, Its absolutely critical. He has previously warned that the agency might be forced to close by the end of the month. Two U.N. investigations into Israels allegations are underway, but the European Commission - the third biggest donor to UNRWA after the United States and Germany - has demanded a separate audit and wants to appoint experts to carry it out. The audit would focus on the control systems needed to prevent the possible involvement of (UNRWA) staff in terrorist activities, the EUs executive branch said. It also is insisting on a review of all UNRWA staff to confirm they had no role in the attacks. Of the U.N. agencys 13,000 Gaza staff members, more than 3,000 continue working there. Screening them all within weeks would be impossible, and time is of the essence. The agency has been the main supplier of food, water and shelter during the war in Gaza, where around 85% of the population has been displaced. Part of the audit would involve a new pillar assessment of UNRWA. The commission routinely carries out these checks of agencies that it funds to ensure that theyre complying with EU standards. But even the EUs crisis management commissioner, Janez Lenarcic, conceded on Monday that such an assessment of UNRWA has been concluded very recently. The agency was also included in an audit the commission launched in October, which found that no funds were reaching Hamas. Lazzarini was in Brussels on Monday to update EU ministers responsible for development policy on the agencys needs and the allegations against it. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who chaired the meeting, told reporters that nobody else can do what UNRWA is doing. The presumption of innocence is valid for everyone, at any time, even for UNRWA. It is not a secret that the Israeli government wants to get rid of UNRWA, Borrell said. Israel has long accused UNRWA of tolerating or even collaborating with Hamas activities in or around U.N. facilities, but it had stopped short of demanding the agencys immediate closure. No one - in Israel or abroad - has offered an alternative for delivering aid to Gazas besieged population. But over the weekend, the Israeli military said it had discovered tunnels underneath the agencys main headquarters in Gaza City, alleging that Hamas militants used the space as an electrical supply room. Borrell warned that if UNRWA ceases to operate, it will make it still worse. You know, hundreds of thousands of people are being fed, eat, everyday thanks to the work of UNRWA. And not only in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria, in Jordan. WASHINGTON: The U.S. government has seized a Boeing 747 cargo plane that officials say was previously sold by a sanctioned Iranian airline to a state-owned Venezuelan firm in violation of American export control laws. The Justice Department said Monday that the American-built plane had arrived in Florida and would be disposed of. The plane had earlier been transferred from Iranian airline Mahan Air which officials have alleged provides support for Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force to Emtrasur, a Venezuelan cargo airline and subsidiary of a state-owned firm that had previously been sanctioned by the United State. Officials said the sale, done without U.S. government authorization, violated export control laws and also improperly benefited Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Mahan Air has for years been subject to U.S. government restrictions on its business. The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that the full force of U.S. laws deny hostile state actors the means to engage in malign activities that threaten our national security, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the head of the departments national security division, said in a statement. The plane was detained in June 2022 by Argentine law enforcement, and U.S. officials moved several weeks later to take possession of it. Argentina officially transferred custody of the plane to the U.S. on Sunday, officials said. The Justice Department said the plane would now be prepared for disposition, though it did not elaborate. The Justice Department has identified the registered captain of the plane as an ex-commander for the Revolutionary Guard. Officials also cited a flight log they say was recovered that shows additional flights after the transfer to Emtrasur to locations including Moscow, Caracas and Tehran all without U.S. government approval. Mahan Air has denied any ties to the aircraft, and Venezuela has demanded that Argentine authorities release the plane. On Sunday, members of a Venezuelan-led, left-leaning alliance condemned Argentina for its role in the plane being seized by the U.S., characterizing the actions as theft. The Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Our America Peoples Trade Treaty argued that the actions violate international law. This aggression is another consequence of the unilateral coercive measures imposed by the government of the United States that threaten the sovereignty of Venezuela and violate the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and International Law, the group, commonly known as the Alba Alliance, said in a statement. The alliance was created in 2004 by Venezuela and Cuba in a bid to counter U.S. influence in the region. Nicaragua, Bolivia and some Caribbean nations are among its current members. ____ Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano in Caracas contributed to this report. Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the snap presidential election, Trend reports. "Your Excellency, Allow me to extend my congratulations on your re-election as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Czech Republic and Azerbaijan have a long history of close relations and friendship. I believe we will continue to deepen and develop them together not only for the benefit of our two countries, but also for the sake of peace and stability on our continent. I would like to wish you, Mr. President, sound health and a lot of success in your professional and private life," the letter reads. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Ambassador of Azerbaijan to France and the Principality of Monaco Leyla Abdullayeva presented her credentials to Prince Albert II of Monaco, Trend reports. Ambassador Leyla Abdullayeva conveyed greetings from President Ilham Aliyev to Prince Albert II. He also informed the Prince of Monaco about the construction work and development strategy being carried out in the country after Azerbaijan liberated its territories from occupation. Regarding bilateral relations, the ambassador stated that our country is interested in developing relations and emphasized the presence of great potential in this direction. At the meeting, attention was drawn to the importance of further development of bilateral relations in the future. Prince Albert II of Monaco asked to convey sincere greetings, friendship and good wishes to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. He stated that he was interested in intensifying the development of relations between the two countries. A senior Government official in Manicaland province was on Thursday arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on allegations of selling State land, misrepresenting to a buyer that it was hers. In a statement, ZACC said Joice Munamati, who is Manicaland Provincial Civil Registrar, is alleged to have fraudulently sold a 32,5 hectare plot, Subdivision 22 of Wallacedale in Odzi, to one Calvin Ziki for US$15 000, after misrepresenting to him that she owned the said property. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested Manicaland Provincial Civil Registrar, Mrs Joice Munamati for fraudulently selling State land, the commission said. Munamati is charged with fraud as defined in section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification Reform) Act, it added. Last Wednesday, Government warned anyone, including traditional leaders, against selling State land, saying those found on the wrong side of the law will be prosecuted. The warning by Obert Jiri, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development came against a background of a growing practice by village heads, especially in communal lands around Harare Metropolitan, to sell state land. He said traditional leaders were not allowed to sell State land, adding that all communal land was classified as State land held in trust. Over the years, a number of individuals have been arrested for selling State land, some hiding behind the ruling party. In 2015, the late businessman and former Chitungwiza Ward 25 councillor, Fredrick Mabamba was arrested by police on allegations of selling both State and council land to home-seekers. In October 2022, three land barons, States Simusanza, Ranson Chingwara and Tidings Keta were jailed for 12 months on fraud charges by a Harare magistrate for illegally selling State land reserved for a new primary school in Budiriro. The trio was arrested by ZACC. In October 2020, Naboth Manyengera, a Zanu PF councillor in Hatcliffe,was also arrested on allegations of illegally selling State land in the area. New Ziana. UPDATE Feb 13, 2024 7:02 PM CST Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday, ending his second stay since surgery to treat prostate cancer, and he has resumed his full duties, the Pentagon said. Austin, 70, has had ongoing health issues since undergoing surgery in December. He was taken back to Walter Reed on Sunday for a bladder issue and admitted to intensive care for a second time. He underwent a non-surgical procedure under general anesthesia on Monday. On doctors' advice, Austin will work from home before returning to the Pentagon later this week, the AP reports. Austin is expected to host a virtual meeting Wednesday of about 50 countries who meet monthly to coordinate military aid for Ukraine. Feb 12, 2024 1:00 AM CST Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized Sunday following symptoms pointing to an "emergent bladder issue," the Pentagon said. This time, all his superiors knew right way. In a statement, the Pentagon said Austin was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20pm, per the AP. He "is retaining the functions and duties of his office," according to Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, who added that the deputy defense secretary has been notified and is prepared to assume Austin's duties "if required." Houston police are sorting out the details after a shooting at celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's megachurch on Sunday. Police say the female shooter was killed, and a young boy and a man were injured, reports KPRC. What we know: A woman holding a rifle and carrying a young boy entered Osteen's Lakewood Church about 2pm and opened fire, say police. CNN reports that an off-duty Houston police officer and an off-duty agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission returned fire and fatally struck the woman. The AP reports that the 5-year-old boy who was being carried by the woman was critically injured, and a 57-year-old man was shot in the leg. It was not yet clear whether they were shot by the woman or the off-duty officers. Two more hostages taken during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel are home. Israeli forces said Monday morning that they rescued Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, during an overnight raid in Rafah, amid Israeli airstrikes against the city in southern Gaza, reports CNN . According to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the two men, who endured 128 days of captivity, are Israeli-Argentine nationals. Marman and Har are reportedly in good condition and are undergoing tests at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, per the BBC . Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari says the raid began just before 2am local time, "with the hostages escorted out under fire from Hamas," per CNN. The rescued men, who Hagari says were found on the second floor of a building, were first rushed to a safe place in Rafah for immediate medical attention, then airlifted out of Gaza, per the IDF. A spokesperson for the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza says that nearly 70 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in the airstrikes that were used as cover for the raid, per the AP. Marman and Har were abducted on Oct. 7 from the Nir Yitzhak kibbutz, near the Gaza border. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hailed the special ops mission to retrieve the men as an "impressive rescue operation" on social media, vowing to "return the abducted, in any way." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu similarly praised Israeli forces and suggested that a ceasefire isn't in the cards. "Only the continuation of military pressure, until complete victory, will result in the release of all our hostages," he noted in a statement, per CNN. Hagari notes there are still 134 hostages being held in Gaza130 from the Oct. 7 attack, as well as four others who'd previously been held there. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.) Switzerland's main Jewish organization on Monday denounced an antisemitic sign put up at a local ski shop near Davos, barring Jews from renting equipment. Police in the eastern Graubuenden region opened an investigation for possible criminal violation of Swiss law banning discrimination and incitement to hatred, reports the AP. The sign on Pischa Mountain above Davos said the shop would no longer rent gear such as sleds, skis, and snowshoes to "our Jewish brothers" after a series of "very annoying incidents"including the theft of a sled. The message, written in Hebrew, appeared to be directed at Israeli Jews who've been traveling to Davos in growing numbers in recent years, both for summertime and wintertime holiday getaways. "The best thing for him is calm. After the initial kiss and hug, 'love you dad, hope you get better soon', what issues are going to get raised? Things that will get your blood pressure rising." Harry has made no public comment about his father's condition after the flying visit. There had been speculation the rift between father and son would have been healed after the news of Charles' diagnosis. The King was said to have been unhappy with comments Harry made in his memoir Spare about his wife, Queen Camilla, leading to claims Charles was privately frustrated with his son's behaviour. In January 2023, Harry claimed she was a "villain" in the royal household and sacrificed him on her "personal PR altar" to rehabilitate her image as the third person in the marriage between Charles and Diana. In Spare, Harry wrote about his stepmother: "Maybe she'd be less dangerous if she was happy." Meanwhile, the King has carried out his first public outing since the diagnosis to attend St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham in eastern England with Camilla. He also issued a message on Saturday expressing gratitude to well-wishers following his cancer diagnosis. "With our increased pest management and the uncovering of the extra entry points, there were 13 rats caught over the weekend," a Woolworths New Zealand spokesperson told Newshub on Monday. "We believe all pest entry sites have been identified and now sealed," they said. "We can also confirm there continues to be no evidence of nesting in store." Countdown and the Ministry for Primary Industries insisted the problem was being treated with urgency. The latest discovery of rats in the supermarket comes at the same time a mouse was found crawling on a salad inside the deli section of a Christchurch supermarket. The mouse was filmed making its way around a bowl of uncovered salad at the Eastgate Countdown. New Zealand Food Safety said in a statement it was concerned about the Eastgate incident given the ongoing issue at Countdown Dunedin South and has asked parent company Woolworths to provide more information. "We will have a Food Compliance Officer at the Eastgate store today as part of our investigation." Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey told AM on Tuesday morning work is underway to establish new teams to work alongside police. "Quite often when people call 111 with a physical health crisis, they get a health response, but currently in New Zealand when you call 111 with a mental health crisis, you get a criminal justice response," he told AM co-host Melissa Chan-Green. "So I think it's quite right the officials are looking at how we can look at what's called a co-response mental health team service. That's about pairing up mental health professionals with police to go out in that time of need." He also believes it's time for a more streamlined response involving other agencies, not just police. "I think what we need to do is to triage those calls better in the emergency dispatch centres," he said. "Think about when there's a risk to the person or the family or people around them. Quite rightly, the police would go out but there are other times when there's mental distress that potentially mental health professionals can be paired up with our police officers or potentially just mental health professionals sent out on their own and I think that's the work we need to look at." BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The US supports continued dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said during a briefing on February 12, Trend reports. "We do, obviously, support continued dialogue around that issue. We believe it is the best way to reach a sustainable solution and we will continue to pursue it," he said. Earlier in December 2023, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien said that Secretary Blinken looks forward to hosting foreign ministers Bayramov and Mirzoyan in Washington soon for peace negotiations. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry later said the place and date of the next meeting between the foreign ministers haven't been agreed upon yet. Some of the problems mentioned in that 1952 report sound very familiar. At that time a lot of the original buildings and infrastructure from the early days of our city were crumbling. It was a time of transition to the modern city we recognize today. This sprawling History Nugget has been proudly brought to you by the Fairbanks Igloos of the Pioneers of Alaska. You can learn more about the Pioneers by visiting their website at pioneersofalaska.org. AFP | | Bandar Lampung The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Indonesia will hold one of the worlds biggest one-day elections next week a mind-boggling feat that involves shifting votes by boat, plane and horseback across the vast archipelago of more than 278 million people. On Wednesday, nearly 205 million will be eligible to vote in presidential, parliamentary and regional polls in just six hours of voting, with officials preparing for possible rainy season downpours, cyber-attacks and fraud. The election will be held across three time zones, beginning in easternmost province Papua where rebels are waging a deadly insurgency against the military. It is only the fifth presidential election since the country emerged from autocratic rule less than three decades ago. The logistics distribution and the voting will happen in the rainy season, general election commission chairman Hasyim Asyari told reporters last year. We hope the worst wont happen. Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto is running against former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan and former Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo for the top office. Beneath them, more than 19,000 seats will be up for grabs in around 2,700 electoral districts for the regional vote, while 580 parliamentary seats will be contested by 18 parties. Thousands of volunteers have been called on to organise ballot papers, and 800,000 polling stations will be manned by more than five million volunteers. Around 1.7 million overseas voters have already started casting their ballots. Horses? Yes. Elephants? Maybe Officials have been distributing ballot boxes under armed guard to every corner of the 5,000-kilometre-long (3,106-mile-long) archipelago that is home to hundreds of ethnic groups and languages. In Sumatras Aceh province, a provincial election official told AFP organisers were still deciding whether to use elephants to carry ballot boxes again after commandeering several tuskers for the task in the 2019 election. Horses will be used in a southeast corner of Java island, where officials have prepared at least three trusty stallions to bring ballots to a remote village of just 160 people in case of bad weather. The road is very difficult to reach so we have to use the horses, said Ahmad Hanafi, spokesperson for a local election commission in East Java. In Lampung province on Sumatra island, cows will be used in at least four villages to drag votes through mud tracks to and from polling stations, local election commission head Marlini, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP. The logistics will be distributed by a cart pulled by a cow. This is the only possible mode of transportation we can use, she said. Speedboats will take ballots from Jakarta to islands off the Javan coast, while the military said warships have been enlisted to help deliver ballots. The risk of flooding is high, with more than 2,000 polling booths vulnerable in capital Jakarta alone, according to authorities. Village voting In Papua, security will be tight in mountainous areas as separatists continue to carry out attacks against government employees and civilians. But armed rebels will not be the only election challenge in Papua, which shares an island border with independent Papua New Guinea. Voters in remote areas of the mineral-rich region will use a communal voting system called Noken, in which a village head represents his community at the ballot box. Canadas realtime population count is about 3 weeks from reaching 41 million people. On June 16, 2023, Statistics Canada announced that Canadas population had reached 40 million people. Canada is adding over 100,000 per month with 868,000 added over less than eight months. This will each over 880,000 by Feb 16, 2024. 15% of the mostly international migrants increasing Canadas population go to BC, about 50% to Ontario, 20% to Alberta and 10% to Quebec. Canada will likely end 2024 with about 42 million people. This will be about 48 million at end of 2029. Canada should pass 50 million in 2030 or 2031. Ontario will pass 16 million this year and will be over 20 million before 2030. British Columbia, Canada population is projected to grow from 5.5 million in 2023 to 7.9 million by 2046. BCs population will grow by up to 44%, according to the provincial governments newly released 2024 BC Stats report. This compares to the current populations of Greater Toronto (roughly 7.0 million), New York City (8.5 million), the province of Quebec (almost 9.0 million), and Washington state (roughly 8.0 million). By 2046, the combined Lower Mainland/Southwest region an area that includes not only Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, but also the Sea to Sky Corridor and the Sunshine Coast will reach a population of 4.9 million, representing an increase of 51% compared to 2023. Metro Vancouvers population is expected to reach and exceed three million residents in 2024, and if the projections hold another one million people will be added to the region by 2041 for a total of four million residents. By 2029, the City of Surrey will become BCs most populated city when it reaches 785,619 residents squeaking past Vancouvers 780,075 residents. In 2024, Samsung will launch low latency wide (LLW) DRAMs that are designed to improve the power efficiency of artificial intelligence applications by 70% more than that of regular DRAMs. LLW DRAMs will become its flagship, next-generation chips and be embedded into AI devices such as extended reality headsets. Samsung aims to beef up artificial intelligence chip foundry sales to about 50% of its total foundry sales in five years. Samsungs LLW DRAM is a low-power memory that features wide I/O, low latency and boasts a bandwidth of 128 GB/s, presumably per module. The new AI chips will enhance data processing speed and capacity by increasing the number of input/output terminals (I/O) in a semiconductor circuit, compared with existing DRAMs. A special type of DRAM that increases bandwidth and latency limits, Low Latency Wide IO (#LLW) is significantly more efficient in processing real-time data than #LPDDR, making it perfect for mobile #AI and #Gaming applications. Learn more.https://t.co/ONb8wHwnTv pic.twitter.com/nra2v9OUpc Samsung Semiconductor (@SamsungDSGlobal) November 29, 2023 3D PACKAGING In 2024, Smasung will unveil an advanced three-dimensional (3D) chip packaging technology, including the most advanced 3.5D packaging. 3 NM PROCESS Samsung will improve 3-nanometer chip processing technology, currently the industrys smallest and most advanced process node, to be suitable for AI applications. In 2023, they began the mass production of 3 nm chips for fabless clients as a global first and ahead of Taiwans TSMC. In 2023, Samsung advanced the production yields of its first-generation 3 nm process technology to a perfect level. Samsung will improve memory performance by 2.2 times every two year. GDP STRATEGY Samsung has new GAA, dram and packaging, or GDP as a new strategy. GAA, short for gate-all-around, reduces the leakage current of processors with a circuit width of 3 nm or below. It is Samsungs key architecture to develop next-generation DRAMs and packaging technology. TESLA FSD and a New AI Chip Samsung is working with Tesla to develop the EV makers next-generation Full Self-Driving (FSD) chips for Level-5 autonomous driving vehicles. Samsung will develop a 4 nm AI accelerator, a high-performance computing machine used to process AI workloads. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has sent a congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of his confident victory in the snap presidential election, Trend reports. "Mr. President, On behalf of the Government of Italy, as well as on my own behalf, I would like to congratulate you on your re-election as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and extend my best wishes for your new mandate. Italy and Azerbaijan enjoy excellent relations that have reached a high level of cooperation with the establishment of a truly strategic and multidimensional partnership. We intend to continue along this path, and I am confident that together we will be able to further deepen our cooperation in all domains, starting with the energy sector. I do believe that we will also be able to consolidate our efforts to promote the prospects of peace, stability and prosperity for the entire Caucasus region. I am convinced that thanks to the sincere friendship that binds our peoples together, our relations will continue to advance in all spheres. I once again extend my sincere congratulations and best regards to you," the letter reads. Cote dIvoire has declared Monday a work-free day to celebrate Les Elephants Africa Cup of Nations triumph. The hosts defeated Nigeria 2-1 on Sunday night to win their third AFCON title. The Super Eagles went in front through William Troost-Ekong eight minutes before the break. Emerse Faes side, however, scored twice after the break through Franck Kessie and Sebastien Haller. The locals celebrated the teams success all through the night. Meanwhile, there will be a trophy parade at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan today. President Alssanne Quattara and other top government officials are expected to be in attendance. The president is also expected to announce a cash reward for the players and their officials during the parade. A fresh crisis is brewing in the Labour Party, LP, as the partys National Treasurer, Mrs Oluchi Oparah, on Monday demanded that the National Chairman, Julius Abure render an account of party funds over N3.5bn being proceeds of sale of forms and sundry fundraisers for the 2023 general elections. Oparah made the demand on Monday at a press conference in Abuja. The treasurer alleged that Abure prevented her from exercising her constitutionally assigned role of handling the partys accounts. Oparah equally claimed that the chairman has shunned all entreaties to open the partys books for scrutiny after the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms closed before the 2023 general elections. Oparah said: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the press. I stand before you today with a heavy heart and a sense of duty to the principles of transparency, accountability, and justice. With great reluctance and deep concern, I am compelled to publicly address the media regarding the egregious financial mismanagement and corruption that have plagued our beloved party under the leadership of Mr Julius Abure, the current National Chairman. As National Treasurer, I am constrained to come before you and the public today because the internal mechanisms of our party have failed woefully to bring Mr Abure to account for his brazen abuse of office and misappropriation of party funds. His appetite for power has grown unchecked, and he has deliberately undermined my duties and authority as stipulated in the partys constitution. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. On February 11, 2024, the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, during his interview with The Telegraph, has once again voiced baseless slanderous claims against Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports. It is unfortunate that during the interview the Prime Minister of Armenia, who advocates for the fulfillment of international agreements and obligations, ignores the fact that the country which he represents has kept the territories of Azerbaijan under the occupation for nearly 30 years, contrary to all norms and principles of international law, as well as the goals and objectives of the Alma-Ata declaration, referred by him. Moreover, the undeniable facts that following the 44-day Patriotic War, Armenia grossly violated the provisions of the trilateral statement, did not withdraw the occupying forces from the territories of Azerbaijan, continued to transfer weapons and ammunition, military equipment and landmines to our territories, and committed other gross violations and provocations, indicate the true intentions of the Armenian side. The Prime Minister of Armenia is also fully aware that although the Armenian side declared that it recognized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in the Prague and Sochi meetings and following that meeting, in addition to making congratulatory statements in September 2023 regarding the fake independence of the puppet regime it created in the territories of Azerbaijan, continues its claims against Azerbaijans sovereignty and territorial integrity in international organizations and courts until today. Another source of serious concern is the fact that the Armenian side is trying to overlook the existence of binding legislative acts opposing the recognition of Karabakh as a part of Azerbaijan. Instead of such provocations, claims and actions full of political manipulation against Azerbaijan, the Armenian side should comply with international obligations not in words but in deeds, and contribute to the peace process, the ministry said in a statement. Gunmen have killed the 2023 House of Representatives candidate from Anambra State, Jude Oguejiofor. Oguejiofor hailed from Orsumoghu in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra but lived in Nnewi in Nnewi North Local Government Area. Oguejiofor, a lawyer, contested for the Ihiala Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat in the 2023 general elections under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Sources told newsmen that the politician was abducted around 1 am, some days ago, alongside his brother, by some gunmen. The incident happened in the Orsumoghu Community, where they had gone to see their aged parents. But the gunmen later released his brother, a medical doctor resident overseas, unhurt. A source close to the family, who asked not to be named, said that the gunmen accused Oguejiofor of writing petitions against them and their activities in the community. They said he had been writing petitions against them to the Anambra State Government, the source said. As at the time of filing this report, there was no official reaction from the Anambra State Police command, but a police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the development. Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, said Nigerians are still suffering from the impact of the policies of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari. Oshiomhole stated this in an interview on Channels Television. The former governor of Edo State said President Tinubu should not be held responsible for the right or wrong decisions taken by the previous administration. Oshiomhole said he (President Tinubu) always places national interests above partisan interests. He said, My first loyalty is to Nigeria. At some point, before the last president left office, I lamented loudly what I saw as reckless policies that were designed to dehumanize the population that was already in pain. I felt that it is not what the then president promised. I dissociated myself from those policies and Im happy that I was not the only one. There were governors who approached the court to denounce some of those policies. It is the long term consequences of those policies that we are still grappling with now. Yes, it is our party platform. Like Tinubu also said, he was not a minister or adviser. He never took a contract in that government and he cannot be held responsible for what the government did right or wrong, he said. Cosmic Irresolution Some endings offer closure, clarity, cogitation. Others overturn the apple cart, causing confusion, chaos and a cascade of unanswered questions. One way is more comfortable than the other, but neither is inherently better. The change of the moon and then Mars recalls the many tones a transition can take, each lovely when you have an ear for it. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Youll outline the steps for a task, follow them with ease and repeat. This will be the blueprint for a project at large, the success of which will touch many areas of your life with its bright energy. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You dont feel needy in the least, and the last thing you want is for others to have to take care of you. Youll be on the receiving end of kind gestures, though, and the impact this has on your heart may surprise you. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Everyone likes to be validated by yes people, but youve had enough of that to realize the value of no people around you. They make you better, stronger, sharper and more impervious to pain. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You dont have to believe in destiny to want to know what yours is. Mostly, destiny is what you make happen, until small bumps of magic nudge you in a direction you werent planning -- ah, felicity! GEMINI (May 21-June 21). So much is gained by listening instead of talking: friendship, knowledge, trust, power -- the list goes on. Youre still not sure what role you want to play in a scene, but the listening you do today will give you a direction. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Though loved ones care about you immensely, today they may exhibit the blindness that comes with familiarity. A stranger can observe and help you better, and will extend a meaningful kindness to you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Friendships is a creative endeavor; its something you build together. Your approach to socializing will include curiosity and an infectious levity. Bonds are built through laughter. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). If theres one thing you need more of today, its faith -- faith in lifes process, faith that potentials can be realized, and faith in people. Just because a person hasnt done something so far in life doesnt mean they wont. Believe. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Youll enjoy most work that allows you to stretch and let off a certain kind of energy, uninhibited and childlike. Youll find out how you can get more of that flowing through your life. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Armed with charm and strategy, you embark -- a virtuoso of social dynamics with endless ways of getting what you want. Luckily, its whats best for everyone, so your innocence remains untarnished. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The good thing about a short attention span is that it keeps you from wasting time. Youll keep the action moving toward what interests you for as long as it does, and this will be in the best interest of all. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Group dynamics are in play. When you have the impulse to make your presence smaller, or fade into the background, its something to note for future reference. In time, you will understand the reasons for your reactions. TODAYS BIRTHDAY (Feb. 12). On this plane of multidimensionality, you can often choose your reality -- an option you seize and celebrate this trip around the sun. Allies are attracted to your courage. You stand for whats right and take care of business for you and yours. More highlights: three amazing vistas, a chance meeting turned meaningful relationship, and found gold. Sagittarius and Pisces adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 12, 6, 33, 18 and 42. CELEBRITY PROFILES: The 16th president of the United States of America is celebrated for humanitarianism and for keeping the union of states intact at a critical juncture of American history. The Aquarian President Abraham Lincoln rose from a childhood of poverty to become the leader who saved the union and abolished slavery. I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all men are created free and equal. -- Abraham Lincoln Holiday Mathis debut novel, How To Fail Epically in Hollywood, is out now! This fast-paced romp about achieving Hollywood stardom is available as a paperback and ebook. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Write Holiday Mathis at HolidayMathis.com. COPYRIGHT 2024 CREATORS.COM The man who assaulted a Philadelphia television reporter at a Jersey Shore bar last summer was sentenced to three years probation on Monday. Patrick Iannone, 22, pleaded guilty to third-degree aggravated assault in December for hitting Fox 29s Bob Kelly during an event at Oar House Pub on 42nd Place in Sea Isle City in July. He also owes the media personality known for his appearances on Good Day Philadelphia $5,000 in restitution. Kelly did not attend Iannones sentencing hearing on Monday. Attempts by NJ Advance Media to reach him for comment were unsuccessful. Iannone stood beside his attorney, John Tumelty, as Cape May County Superior Court Judge Christine Smith ruled on the case. Iannone has other charges on his record, including for criminal mischief from an incident at the Dead Dog Saloon in Sea Isle on Landis Avenue, according to state court records. He also was charged with an offense in Knoxville, Tennessee. Toward the end of Iannones hearing, Smith directed his attention to a set of doors behind her bench used by jail inmates, a reminder of what could happen if he commits further crimes. Youve now plead to a third-degree crime that has a consequence of three to five years in a state prison, Smith said. Ultimately, you have to dig deep within and turn your life around if you want to. Youre the only person who can do that. Iannone apologized for punching Kelly while he was attending an event at the bar. He also told Smith he secured full-time employment at a local business. During the encounter, Iannone poured beer on Kelly before striking him, causing the television reporter to lose consciousness, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The defense initially sought pre-trial intervention in the case to avoid a possible jail sentence. Both the prosecution and defense agreed to probation, but both sides argued for how long that should last. Tumelty said his client had received counseling in an attempt to stave off future offenses, asking the court to be lenient. Tumelty had sought two years of probation. Patrick, I think, has come a long way, Tumelty said. He has the support of both parents, who are present today. Theyve been with him, and theyve been in his corner all along. Assistant Cape May County Prosecutor Edward Shim wanted a three to four year sentence because of Iannones criminal record and for the embarrassment he caused Kelly the night of the assault. In returning to television immediately following the incident, Kelly believed the assault stemmed from a TikTok challenge. He was a bully that night, Shim said, calling the assault senseless. He decided because he wasnt happy, he was going to do something to somebody else, Shim said. To me, those are the worst types of people in our society. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Eric Conklin may be reached at econklin@njadvancemedia.com. New Jersey would update how it teaches students struggling with reading and appoint a Learning Loss Czar to help students who fell behind during the coronavirus pandemic under a series of proposed laws introduced last week in Trenton. State Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, introduced a package of four bills designed to help students in all grades. The legislation follows Gov. Phil Murphys State of the State address last month in which he stressed the importance of improving literacy rates. An emphasis on phonics in reading instruction is essential to the lifelong success of our children, Murphy, a Democat, said in the speech. Secaucus police seized 18 pounds of marijuana valued at roughly $36,000 from a California mans vehicle after responding to a hotel on a report of a suspicious package Friday, Police Chief Dennis Miller said. Edgar Chavez, 45, of Temecula, California, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute drug paraphernalia and possession of psilocybin, or mushrooms. Chavez told police he worked in the marijuana industry and the marijuana was being sold to dispensaries in New York, Miller said. Police responded to the hotel on Harmon Meadow Boulevard at 2:30 p.m. Friday after the package, which contained CBD in crystal form, was delivered by mail to the hotel, Miller said. An investigation by the Secaucus Police Department Anti-Crime Unit led to the arrest of Chavez Saturday, when the marijuana, along with psilocybin and drug paraphernalia was found in his vehicle. Chavez was issued his complaint summons and was released from police custody. A roundup of conversations we're having daily on the site. Subscribe to the Reckon Daily for stories centering marginalized communities and speaking to the under-covered issues of the moment. Nineteen Brown University students called off a hunger strike Friday after the Corporation of Brown University refused to hear or consider an updated divestment proposal. The proposal calls on the university to sever ties with companies which profit from human rights abuses in Palestine, and builds on a 2020 report that recommends the university divest its $6.6 billion endowment from some of the worlds largest military and defense companies, including Boeing, RTX (formerly Raytheon and United Technologies) Northrop Grumman. The strike concluded two days before intense Israeli air strikes in the Southern Gaza City of Rafah killed more than 100 people Monday evening, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Approximately 1.3 million civilians are currently displaced in Rafah, which was Gazas last designated safe zone. The situation in Palestine is unimaginably dire and our university remains complicit,Ariela Rosenzweig, one of the 19 hunger strikers said. We have to continue doing everything we can. Rosenzweig and 18 others pushed through exhaustion and fatigue as they anticipated presenting the divestment proposal to the Brown University Corporation, the schools highest governing body, for a vote Thursday. By then, the hunger strike had grown to include hundreds of students who rallied outside the building where the corporation meeting was held. Some students showed their support for divestment by fasting temporarily, staging protests outside other campus buildings and occupying the schools campus center. But, the corporation ultimately rejected the calls Friday, holding firm in keeping its current investments in place. University President Christina Paxson refused to move on the proposal, denouncing it as an attempt to use the endowment as a tool for political advocacy on contested issues. I think all of our students agree with that, Niyanta Nepal, one of the hunger strikers said to Reckon. We think investing in the Israeli occupation is inherently political. Thats exactly why they have to divest. In order to stay true to Browns academic mission, they must must must divest. she said. Paxson vowed not to bring a resolution to the February 2024 corporation meeting or future meetings, and suggested students present their proposal to ACCRIPs successor, Advisory Committee on University Resources Management. Paxson previously refused to adhere to the report in 2021 saying the recommendation did not adequately address the requirements for rigorous analysis and research as laid out in ACCRIPs charge, nor was there the requisite level of specificity in regard to divestment. But students have remained in support of divestment, especially in light of Israels current assault on Gaza, hunger strikers said. In December, 41 students from Brown Divest Coalition were arrested during a sit-in demanding the school divest its endowment from Israeli military occupation. And, hunger strikes continue to be used as a nonviolent form of protest against U.S. aid to Israel and the ongoing occupation of Palestine. In November, activists launched a five-day hunger strike outside the White House to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. Today we begin a hunger strike in front of the White House demanding a permanent ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/BChpnSJX7z Sumaya Awad (@sumayaawad) November 27, 2023 Brown hunger strikers said the Universitys inaction will not dissuade students from continuing to push for divestment in the future. The answer to What will we do next? is what were doing now, Rosenzweig said. This campus is full of hundreds of people who are incredibly mobilized around the issue of a free Palestine and who understand our universitys complicity. There is no choice ultimately, but to divest and we absolutely will not stop organizing. UPDATE: Major snowstorm to slam parts of N.J. with 8 to 12 of snow. Latest forecast. The winter storm coming to New Jersey on Tuesday will likely leave significant snow accumulations in the northern part of the state and widespread coastal flooding at the Shore, the National Weather Service said. All of Sussex County and the western parts of Passaic and Bergen counties are now under a winter storm warning, and Morris, Warren and Hunterdon counties remain under a winter storm watch. Towns north of Interstate 78 will see snow, and Sussex County could get up to 8 inches, the weather service predicted. All four Jersey Shore counties, and coastal Middlesex County, are under a coastal flood warning, the weather service said in a Sunday night update. Flooding could occur from the Monday night high tide through the Tuesday night high tide cycle. All of New Jersey's Shore and the Bayshore are under a coastal flood warning for Tuesday Feb. 13, 2024.(National Weather Service) The middle part of the state could get an inch or two of snow, and southern New Jersey counties will see rain, but it could end as wet snow the weather service said. The rain will start Monday night and switch to snow Tuesday morning, the forecasts says. In any case, you should plan for a slippery, wet, and slow Tuesday morning commute, the weather service said in a social media post. Also along the Shore, gale force winds are expected as well as wave swells in the 6 to 9 foot range, the weather service said. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Snow this morning will give way to lingering snow showers this afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the mid to upper 30s. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snowfall around one inch.. Tonight Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low 27F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The minefield maps provided by Armenia are inaccurate, the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) told Trend. Minefield maps, in accordance with ANAMA's technical requirements, detail reference locations, types, numbers, spacing, installation, and concealment methods. Nonetheless, the Armenian side's most recent submissions continue to display this information incorrectly and incompletely. After analyzing and processing these forms, it became clear that the information did not correspond to the actual minefields, rendering the coordinates of the reference sites erroneous and ineffectual. The Armenian authorities handed Azerbaijan eight maps depicting minefields in Azerbaijani territory liberated from Armenian occupation. These publications mostly document minefields that encircle the Murovdag ridge in the Kalbajar region. Overall, Armenia's minefield paperwork refers to areas of the regions along the preceding line of contact. However, no information is now accessible on the former line of contact that runs through the Khojavand, Tartar, and Goranboy districts or about the regions mined by Armenian armed units during their November 2020 withdrawal. Armenia's data accuracy regarding minefields laid in the Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, and Zangilan regions in 2021 was reported at 25 percent. "Mine accident statistics demonstrate widespread contamination not only along the previous line of contact but also in populated areas, farmlands, riverbanks, forests, and cemeteries. Since the Second Karabakh War, 247 out of 345 mine victims have been injured or killed in incidents that occurred outside the previous line of contact. Widespread mining of civilian territories is a crime against humanity and a serious violation of international law," ANAMA stated. Following the liberation of its lands, Azerbaijan, starting in November 2020, commenced operations on clearing its lands of mines, booby traps, and various weapons left behind by the Armenian troops. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Carnival time can be the best daze of the year, and Fat Tuesday is the climax in New Orleans. From parades to costumes to general craziness, here's what to do on Mardi Gras day, and where to do it. Northside Skull and Bones Gang Treme neighborhood 5 a.m. For early risers, the Northside Skull and Bones Gang, a group of macabre rowdies masked as terrifying skeletons, emerges onto the streets of the Treme neighborhood at 5 a.m. to pound on doors, and otherwise make a racket, ensuring nobody oversleeps on Mardi Gras morning. The tradition, which was meant in part to scare the devil out of devilish kids, began two centuries ago and was reborn in 2003. Tip: Look for the gang to rise up from 1925 Bayou Road Students at Ralph J. Bunche Elementary in Metairie walk to their classrooms for the first day of school in Jefferson Parish on Monday, August 7, 2023. The School Board has committed to building a new school on the Bunche Elementary site. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com) Andy Poole, Director of University Cooperation in Europe of the international online education platform COURSERA has visited UNEC. After getting acquainted with EDUMAN platform of UNEC, UNEC Extern Center (Distance Education Center), hybrid auditoriums, UNEC Bloomberg Financial Laboratory, examination hall, Career Center, and 7/24 library, Andy Polle met with the Rector, Professor Adalat Muradov. A. Poole, who expressed his satisfaction with the work done in the direction of digitization of education at UNEC, noted that UNEC is a natural partner of COURSERA not only in Azerbaijan but in the region as a whole. At the meeting, to help achieve the goals set in the "UNEC-100" Development Strategy, the integration of COURSERA into the teaching process of UNEC, the Career Academy, the possibility of participation of teachers and employees in courses on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI), and other possible directions of cooperation were discussed. Suliman Hamed, at the podium, and his brother Ibrahim Hamed asked Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 that the U.S. government demand Israel release their mother, Samaher Esmail. She is an American-born citizen of Palestinian descent who lives in Gretna and has been detained in an Israeli prison without charges since Feb. 5. They spoke at a press conference in the national headquarters of the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, shows a letter from retired FBI executives on January 30, 2024 that he says supports his call for President Joe Biden to close the border. House Republicans took a key vote early Wednesday morning toward impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over what they call his "willful and systematic" refusal to enforce immigration laws. Belarus Deputy Economy Minister Vladimir Naumovich and senior officials of the Entrepreneurship Department met with a Bashkortostan delegation led by Minister of Entrepreneurship and Tourism Rustem Afzalov, BelTA learned from the press service of the Economy Ministry, Azernews reports, citing BelTA. The parties exchanged information on measures taken in Belarus and Bashkortostan to stimulate small and medium-sized businesses, increase their production and export potential, and facilitate implementation of investment projects. In addition, the heads of the business promotion authorities discussed the instruments and mechanisms to support entrepreneurs, the Economy Ministry noted. At the end of the meeting, Rustem Afzalov invited the Belarusian delegation to take part in the All-Russia Investment Forum Trans-Urals 2024 in June 2024. It was agreed that a B2B session will be organized for Belarusian and Bashkir small businesses during this event. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Gubadli Military Prosecutor's Office has received information about the wounding of soldier Khalilzadeh Parviz Aghakishi oglu, a serviceman of the N-military unit of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan, as a result of fire from the Armenian side, Trend reports referring to the Military Prosecutor's Office. Based on the information received, the staff of the Gubadli Military Prosecutor's Office took testimony, jointly with the staff of the Department of Criminalistics and Information Technology of the Military Prosecutor's Office took the necessary measures, conducted an inspection of the scene of the incident and carried out other actions. On the fact of the incident, the Gubadli Military Prosecutor's Office initiated a criminal case under Article 29.120.2.12 (attempt of premeditated murder on the grounds of national, racial, religious hatred or enmity) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, interviewed witnesses, appointed relevant expertise and carried out other necessary investigative actions. The investigation is ongoing, all measures will be ensured in compliance with the legal requirements and the generally accepted norms and principles of international law. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel I've been extremely lucky to have had a long and satisfying career in local government. Some of my political opponents might say too long. But one of the most satisfying moments is set to be the completion of our devolution deal with the Government to transfer powers and funding from Westminster and Whitehall to Devon. We've worked closely with our colleagues in Devon's eight district councils, our towns and parishes, the National Parks and Torbay on our proposals over a number of years. And you may have seen that the Levelling Up Minister, Jacob Young, was here last month to sign the ground-breaking deal. Last week both my Cabinet and Torbay's Cabinet backed the proposals and we are now embarking on a public consultation to ask you what you think. We'll also be consulting business leaders, local government colleagues and our universities and colleges and, all being well, we will be able to conclude the deal later this year. I firmly believe this will be one of the most ground-breaking developments in decades for the one million people we represent in Devon and Torbay. Under our proposals, we will have stronger links with Homes England to develop more affordable housing - a vital necessity for thousands of local people who currently don't have anywhere safe and warm to call home. That will also feed in to an improving economy because many businesses are currently hamstrung by the lack of homes. Even if they can recruit a suitably qualified person, they often can't find anywhere to live. We will also work more closely with employers and our schools, colleges and universities to ensure we have the skilled workforce our economy needs and we will take direct control of adult education to enable us to create thousands of new training opportunities. The initial agreement with the Government will also see us receiving 16 million to invest in new green jobs, homes, skills and business growth and accelerate our transition to a net-zero economy. Devon and Torbay would work in a more integrated way to improve public transport and introduce a single ticketing system for travellers. And there would be a significant boost to high growth business sectors such as advanced marine engineering, defence and digital None of this will require new layers of bureaucracy. We have resisted a directly elected Mayor. That can work well in urban areas but not somewhere like Devon with its spread out population and scores of communities with their own individual identities. Instead, councillors who you have already elected to represent you on our county, district and unitary councils would come together with leading figures from business and education to make decisions. I have always said I believe we can do things more efficiently and more effectively here in Devon for the communities we know rather than decisions being made in London. I believe this is a real opportunity for us to take the initiative and make a real difference to peoples lives in ways that matter to them the most, tackling the shortage of affordable housing and the need for more investment to support local businesses. It will bring new training and re-training opportunities and enable us to increase productivity and help people working here to boost their pay and have a better standard of living. In means Devon and Torbay will have a new and very different relationship with the Government - one where we will have a stronger voice in Whitehall and an ability to influence policy for the benefit of our residents, communities and businesses. Its just the beginning of the new opportunities on which we can build. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. No contracts for the purchase of new cars have been signed with one manufacturer or another, Bakhtiyar Mammadov, head of press service of Baku Metro CJSC, told Trend. "In case of signing an agreement on the purchase of railcars, the public will be provided with information," he said. Meanwhile, Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mikhail Yevdokimov said in an interview with Izvestia newspaper about a large project this year to supply 35 cars for the Baku subway. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel A home aide from Chesterton was arrested on on felony aggravated identity theft and theft charges after he bilked a senior citizen in Illinois for more than $100,000, police say. After a Naperville Police Department investigation, police arrested 43-year-old Zoran Tasevski of Chesteron. He was charged with one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, a Class X felony in Illinois, and one count of Theft, Class 1 felony. "This investigation was initiated in October 2021 when a family member of an elderly Naperville resident reported a live-in tenant and aide failed to fulfill his obligations and abused the elderly persons trust," the Naperville Police Department said in a press release. "The subject was supposed to assist the victim, who is over 60 years old, with house chores and making sure basic monthly bills were paid on time. Instead, the subjects alleged inactions contributed to the mortgage being unpaid for nearly two years, gas being shut off, and the victim being treated at a hospital for dehydration and pneumonia." Tasevski had access to the victim's personal information and finances since 2019, according to the Naperville Police Department. Police said Tasevski stole money from the his bank accounts, applied for credit cards in his name and added himself as an authorized user. The total loss exceeded $100,000, according to the Naperville Police Department. Tasevski was arrested with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service and Chesterton Police Department in late January and taken to Naperville and then the DuPage County Jail in west suburban Chicago. Former Portage Mayor James Snyder is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to view the $13,000 payment he received from a company that just sold garbage trucks to the city as a permissible gratuity, rather than a corruptly accepted reward prohibited by federal law. In a 74-page filing at the nation's high court, the Republican mayor from 2011 to 2019 of Porter County's most populous city argues that lower courts got it wrong by failing to see gratuities are distinguishable from bribes, and gratuities paid to elected officials are no more criminal than tips or gifts given to restaurant servers, teachers or mail carriers. The bulk of Snyder's argument centers on specific differences in the wording of various federal statutes relating to gratuities and bribes to make the case that the federal law under which Snyder was convicted three years ago only criminalizes bribery receiving something of value in exchange for official conduct not payment of gratuities, or what he calls "thank-you gifts in appreciation of official conduct." "Congress understood that gratuities and bribes are different offenses warranting different provisions with markedly different language. Gratuities are prohibitions on accepting gifts outside normal compensation, regardless of any effect on official acts. But the distinguishing feature that makes bribery a far more serious offense is the intent element, which requires a specific intent to give or receive something of value in exchange for an official act," Snyder said. Snyder warns the nine Supreme Court justices that since pretty much every state or local government, and even many businesses, are subject to the law because they receive at least $10,000 a year in federal funds, they're all potentially liable for prosecution if they pay or receive a gratuity a normal practice in many industries. "For these many millions of Americans plus the millions more who might offer a gratuity the only thing standing between commonplace acts and a criminal trial risking a 10-year sentence is individual prosecutors unbounded discretion. In the governments view, the giver of the gratuity can offer anything of value, whether the gratuity is worth $1, $100, $1,000, or $100,000," Snyder said. Ultimately, Snyder urges the Supreme Court to reverse the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago which last year determined the term "rewarded" as used in the statute covers gratuities as well as bribes, and affirmed Snyder's yet-to-be-served 21-month prison sentence for federal funds bribery and concealing assets from the IRS. The U.S. Justice Department is scheduled by to submit its written arguments to the Supreme Court by March 11 in support of upholding Snyder's convictions and sending him to prison. The high court, which has not yet scheduled oral arguments, likely agreed to hear Snyder's case to resolve a split in how the federal appellate courts based in different states have interpreted the bribery statute. Several high-profile public corruption trials, including that of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, have been put on hold until the Supreme Court rules in the Snyder case. Gallery: Take a virtual tour of Indiana's state parks Brown County State Park Chain O' Lakes State Park Charlestown State Park Clifty Falls State Park Falls of the Ohio State Park Fort Harrison State Park Harmonie State Park Lincoln State Park McCormick's Creek State Park Mounds State Park O'Bannon Woods State Park Ouabache State Park Pokagon State Park Potato Creek State Park Prophetstown State Park Shades State Park Shakamak State Park Spring Mill State Park Summit Lake State Park Tippecanoe River State Park Turkey Run State Park Versailles State Park White River State Park Whitewater Memorial State Park Two state lawmakers representing northern Lake County are holding public forums this weekend to update their constituents on the work of the Indiana General Assembly just after the midpoint of the annual legislative session. The free events are scheduled for 10-11:30 a.m. Saturday at Munster Town Hall, 1005 Ridge Road, and from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Griffith Public Library, 1215 East 45th Ave. Set to participate in both events are state Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster, and state Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago. "Legislators are at our strongest when were actively working toward the will of our constituents, and the best way to help us with that is to come out and make your voice heard," Andrade said. "Civic engagement not only helps you have a better understanding of things going on in the state, but strengthens the whole community. I encourage Munster, Highland, Griffith and Schererville residents to attend one of these events." The Indiana Legislature is scheduled to end its session on or before March 14. Meet the 2024 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Dave Vinzant, D-Hobart State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr. State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie Nearly 30 years after its birth, The Vagina Monologues continues to spread its legs to reveal new peeks at old mysteries. Sexual identity. Menstrual periods. Childbirth. Prostitution. Non-consensual sex. Genital mutilation. Body image. Rape and abuse. Shame and stigma. The joy of sexual liberation. The Monologues is a collection of stories, viewpoints and experiences from women and girls around the world to share the power, pain, beauty and victimization of the female existence. On Tuesday night, The Vagina Monologues will spread its message of intimate inclusiveness at Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. Tickets are still available. Attendees will laugh, they will cry, they may blush, said Kathy Watts, an organizer of the event. Women will feel like they are not alone and hopefully feel more comfortable talking about things that once felt taboo. Watts is one of the administrators for Nasty Women of Porter County, a group of roughly 3,000 women who banded together in 2020 to create change in the direction they believed our country needed to go. And they did, making their voices heard in the political arena, speaking up at local public meetings, traveling to Indianapolis to meet legislators, and even run for public office. The groups name was conceived in 2017 by Nina Donovan, a Tennessee teenager who authored the poem I am a Nasty Woman., which became a viral sensation. She will be the special guest at Tuesdays performance, appropriately on Galentines Day, to share her own reading. What I really love is that we dont just talk, we walk the walk with things like The Vagina Monologues, Watts said. The group met in December, secured the Memorial Opera House, and swiftly decided the event would be a fundraiser for the MOH Foundation, its Limelights Youth Theatre Program and its penguin project chapter to support neurodivergent students and disabled students through theatre classes. It is our hope we raise enough money to accommodate performers with disabilities for next years productions, Watts said. The Vagina Monologues was created by Eve Ensler, who wrote its initial version in 1996, exploring forbidden zones within every woman. It has since been published in 50 languages and performed in 150 countries, challenging audiences around the world to explore their own forbidden zones - physically, emotionally, psycho-sexually and everything in between. Tuesdays show will feature several women from the local theater community as well as a few talented Nasty Women, including Monique Fredline, who will share The Flood, illustrating how society has impacted women's denial of their own sexuality. Although the monologue is rooted in a specific time period, the basic premise of women having to conform to others' expectations in terms of how women are allowed to express their sexuality is still operant today, Fredline said. Without denying the progress that has been made, we must acknowledge women - and men - still have some way to go before we can claim our sexuality without shame or having to conform to unrealistic standards. Heather Novak will be performing I Was in the Room, focusing on the miracle of childbirth. Even giving birth twice via C-section, I often overlook my own vagina, she said. I appreciate all the women before me who ended up talking and creating this show so that I could be reminded to have reverence and awe for not just my own vagina but all other vaginas too. Shannon Keitzman will be performing, The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy. In many ways, my character brings a bit of sexiness and comic relief to the production, but I feel my role also sends an important message, she said. I am a bigger girl and bigger girls can still be sexy. Spreading body positivity and getting other women to love their bodies for what they are is one of my personal missions. Women should not be embarrassed or ashamed to embrace their sexuality, to enjoy sex, or to be familiar with their own bodies and the things that are pleasing to them, Keitzman said. We are sexual creatures and it is nothing to be ashamed of. And, of course, sex work is valid work and our country as a whole needs to have more conversations about that, what it looks like and how it can be done safely and in a way that does not prey on women who are too young or otherwise vulnerable, she said. One performer, whose stage name is Kasi, will read the second part of the piece, My Vagina Was My Village, compiled from the testimonies of Bosnian women subjected to rape camps. Joy Culver will perform the first part with remembrances prior to rape. Our performance plays on the idea of one of these survivors battling between the harmonious relationship she had with her body before and the pain and trauma she experiences after, she said. This is a topic that far too many people can relate to. This piece is so important to me as a survivor of sexual violence, as well as a friend to so many who have experienced sexual violence. It is definitely an emotion-filled piece but it reminds us that we are not alone, she said. The piece is gripping, poignant and poetic. My vagina a live wet water village. They invaded it. Butchered it and burned it down. I do not touch now. Do not visit. I live someplace else now. I dont know where that is. Israeli security forces said early Monday that they had freed two hostages who were being held in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, in only the second known rescue of its kind in Gaza since the start of the war. Officials in Gaza said that accompanying Israeli strikes had killed dozens of Palestinians in the city overnight. The hostages, Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, were undergoing tests at a hospital near Tel Aviv and were both in good condition, according to a joint statement from the Israeli military, the police and the domestic security agency, Shin Bet. Fernando and Louis, welcome home, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. I salute our brave fighters for the daring action that led to their release. Mr. Netanyahus office said that Mr. Marman and Mr. Har were both dual citizens of Israel and Argentina. They were among more than 240 people captured during the surprise Oct. 7 raid on southern Israel by Hamas and other militant groups. Israel said it launched attacks in Rafah to provide cover for the rescue. The two men, looking gaunt but not visibly harmed, cried and embraced family members who had come to be reunited with them at Sheba Medical Center, according to video released by the Israeli military. Mr. Har was pale and a little in shock, according to Idan Berjerano, his son-in-law, who visited him and spoke to Israels public broadcaster. Injured Palestinians were rushed to a hospital in Rafah, after Israel launched a wave of attacks to create cover for an operation to free two hostages held by Hamas according to the Israeli military. Israeli special operations forces raided a building in the southern Gazan city of Rafah early Monday to free two hostages held by Hamas, the military said, as Israel launched a wave of attacks overnight that killed dozens of Palestinians in Rafah, according to the Gazan health ministry. The operations were met with elation in Israel, and grief and foreboding in the Gaza Strip, where more than a million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, fleeing their homes and seeking refuge from Israeli military actions farther north. Palestinians feared the raid and the accompanying death toll portended a more prolonged Israeli operation to capture Rafah. The nighttime rescue operation marked only the second time Israeli forces said they had rescued captives in Gaza since the war began in October. The fate of more than 100 hostages captured at the start of the war on Oct. 7 has become one of the countrys highest priorities, along with the defeat of Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has signaled that Israeli ground forces will enter Rafah with the goal of eliminating Hamas battalions there, though the precise timing is unclear. The prospect of street battles inside the crowded city, which is bracketed by a closed Egyptian border, has created worldwide alarm over the risks to civilians who say they have nowhere else to flee. The hostage rescue showed Israels determination to press ahead with its offensive despite criticism from the United States and other allies, and pressure to reduce civilian casualties and destruction. President Biden on Thursday called Israels campaign over the top and said the suffering of innocent people has got to stop. At 1:49 a.m. on Monday, Israeli special forces soldiers broke into a building where the two hostages were being held, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the militarys chief spokesman, said at a news conference. About a minute later, Israeli forces fired on nearby buildings in an effort to disrupt Hamass communications and to allow the soldiers to safely bring the hostages out, he said. He also said that Israeli warplanes had fired on Hamas targets in the area. Drone footage later released by the Israeli military appeared to show roughly a dozen Israeli troops entering a building by foot from a street lined with detached and flat-roofed houses. Other footage showed a blast at the building next door, caused by what the Israeli military said was an Israeli strike. Images captured by Palestinian photographers in the aftermath of the attack showed several badly damaged concrete buildings, one of them reduced to rubble. Both the Palestinian images and the Israeli video appeared to have been taken from the same location, next to several rows of tents. Image Smoke billowing over Rafah, Gaza, during a wave of Israeli attacks early on Monday. Credit... Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse Getty Images The ministry of health in Gaza said that at least 67 people had been killed overnight in Israeli strikes in Rafah. News outlets reported deadly attacks on two mosques in Rafah. Neither the Israeli account nor the toll reported by the Gazan health ministry which does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths could be verified independently. Ziad Obeid, a customs official who had fled to Rafah, described being awakened at 2 a.m. by a barrage of explosions so bright that it was as if we were in the middle of the day, not the night. He added: It was a horrible night. The Israeli military said the soldiers forced their way inside a second-floor apartment to rescue the two hostages, Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70. The military said the ensuing strikes were intended to prevent Hamas commanders in the surrounding area from contacting the hostages guards and completing an operational picture of the raid. The military did not reveal how the commandos reached the house, but Israeli news media reported that they forced open a door with an explosive, and that the hostages were evacuated by helicopter. The operation was greeted joyfully in Israel, where the fate of the hostages has exacerbated social divisions and trauma. Some Israelis want their government to agree to a deal that would free the remaining hostages in exchange for ending the war, fearing that the Israeli offensive puts the captives in jeopardy. The rescue was a major boost for Mr. Netanyahu, who said in a statement on Monday that only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our hostages. Image Palestinians ride in the back of a truck as they flee Rafah on Monday. Credit... Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse Getty Images Mr. Netanyahu, vowing to end Hamass control of Gaza, has ignored warnings from the United States, the United Nations, aid groups and others that an advance on Rafah would be devastating to civilians and risk exacerbating a catastrophe that is already unfolding, with residents running low on food, clean water and medicine. Mr. Netanyahu has ordered the military to draw up plans to evacuate civilians from Rafah, but aid groups and others say there is no place left for them to go. On Sunday, he promised to offer Palestinians safe passage to northern areas of Gaza before an invasion of Rafah, though he offered no details. Yan Zhuang , Gabby Sobelman and Andres R. Martinez contributed reporting. For years, Over Vitebsk occupied a central place in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, which spoke of Marc Chagalls painting of his hometown in the Russian empire as an important part of its holdings. The work, by a Jewish artist, with a Jewish theme, had been previously owned by a gallery run by a Jewish dealer in Germany at the time of the Nazi takeover. Though its history was murky, and included a transfer of the work to a German bank during the Nazi era, the museum held the painting for decades, indicating it was confident it had good title. But MoMA acknowledged last week that three years ago, without public announcement, it had changed its mind and returned the painting to the heirs of the German gallery. The return of the Chagall is one of the quirkier art restitution cases by a museum in recent years, in part because of the financial agreement that accompanied its return to the heirs, who sold it last year for $24 million. Brazilian police investigating the murder of Brent Sikkema, a prominent New York art dealer who was found stabbed to death last month in his Rio de Janeiro apartment, are now seeking the arrest of his husband, Daniel Sikkema. It was a shocking twist in a case that has captivated the art world. Brent Sikkema represented a number of leading contemporary artists, and his gallery was preparing to help one of them, Jeffrey Gibson, represent the United States this spring at the Venice Biennale, the most prestigious exhibition in the world. A lawyer for Daniel Sikkema, Fabiana Marques, said that he was innocent and that he remained in New York, where he was shocked by the latest development. When Brent Sikkema was found slain in Rio, investigators said that at least $40,000 had been stolen. After recovering surveillance footage that they said showed his former bodyguard, a 30-year-old man named Alejandro Triana Prevez, entering and exiting the home, they took Mr. Prevez into custody about 600 miles northwest of the city. (The police originally identified Mr. Prevez with the surname Trevez.) Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. For romantics looking to display their passion and devotion, the Love Bank in Slovakia has plenty of room in its Love Vault where 7,000 people have already deposited their keepsakes and symbols of affection, whether reciprocated or unrequited. But this Valentines Day, the bank will be closed. Its medieval building, once home to the muse for what is called the worlds longest love poem, almost burned down last March the result, apparently, of an electrical fault, not rapture run amok. But love proved eternal. Left intact was the buildings underground vault where couples and aspiring paramours from around the globe have secreted their totems and messages in tiny Love Boxes. Also undamaged: the text of the 19th-century love poem that wraps around the walls of the vault like the ivy of infatuation. The whole idea of a tourist attraction built as a guileless ode to love, and shrine to a Slovak poem, may strike you, at first blush, as defying both rhyme and reason. But since the Love Bank opened five years ago, tens of thousands have flocked to Banska Stiavnica to reaffirm their devotion in that picturesque town, which was founded in the 13th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the very beginning of the improv theater Second City, its name made clear that it wasnt a New York institution and didnt aspire to be. But after 65 years, the Chicago-based institution that has strongly influenced modern comedy is opening an outpost on Monday in Brooklyn, in what is the First City. Its a seemingly counterintuitive time to expand. Improv, once a thriving part of the comedy scene in New York, is at an ebb, and the company itself has been through tough times. Two weeks before the lights were set to officially go up, Ed Wells, Second Citys chief executive, showed off its new 12,000-square-foot home on North Ninth Street in Williamsburg even as he acknowledged the headwinds facing the expansion. There is a 190-seat main stage theater with a wraparound mezzanine and a 50-seat black box theater for student shows. A training center with classes for amateurs as well as a career-track conservatory program. The Bentwood restaurant, named after the chair that Second City actors use onstage, sometimes as a prop. A raid by Israeli special forces in the southern Gazan city of Rafah this morning secured the freedom of two hostages of Hamas, the military said, the second known rescue of its kind in Gaza since the start of the war. To provide cover, Israels military said it had launched a wave of attacks, which Gazas health ministry said resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians. The two men who were rescued are dual citizens of Israel and Argentina. Heres the latest. The operations were met with elation in Israel, where hostage recovery is a top priority, and fear in Gaza. More than a million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, many of whom have fled their homes during the war. Some Palestinians worry that the raid was just the beginning of extended Israeli operations in the city. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signaled that Israeli ground forces will eventually enter Rafah with the goal of eliminating Hamas battalions there, despite U.S. warnings that an attack on the city would be disastrous. A decade ago, the National Rifle Association seemed like an unstoppable force in American politics. A shooter had killed 20 children at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., in 2012. Democrats and Republicans in Congress appeared ready to pass new restrictions on guns. The N.R.A. called on its members to contact their representatives and voice their opposition, and the bills died. Today, the N.R.A. has shed hundreds of thousands of members and large sums of money. It is standing trial for fraud and self-dealing in New York. The N.R.A. is little more than a shell of itself after hemorrhaging hundreds of millions in legal fees, Joshua Powell, a former top N.R.A. official who settled with the state before the trial, told The Times. The organizations fall is not a death knell for Second Amendment advocates, but it is a blow. Todays newsletter will explain what went wrong with the group. Loss of trust The N.R.A.s troubles began with a feud with its advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen. Trumps outburst alarmed NATO allies Donald Trump said over the weekend that, while president, he told NATO allies that he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to countries that had not paid the money he claimed they owed to the military alliance. Trumps statement, made at a campaign rally in South Carolina, seemed to cast NATO as more of a protection racket than an alliance. It stunned many in Europe, where nations have been developing military capabilities in case U.S. support proves unreliable. Trump has long called for the U.S. to leave NATO and questioned American support for foreign allies. National security veterans of both parties said that such thinking misunderstands the value of the alliances for the U.S. Never before has an American president even a former one aspiring to reclaim the White House suggested that he would incite an enemy to attack American allies. If Trumps statement is to be believed, his potential re-election this year may fundamentally alter the world order. Two large Texas oil producers are joining forces in a deal valued at $26 billion, the latest in a wave of consolidation in the U.S. energy industry. Diamondback Energy and Endeavor Energy Resources, both major players in the booming Permian Basin oil field that straddles New Mexico and Texas, announced on Monday that they would merge in a cash-and-stock deal, with Diamondbacks shareholders owning about 60 percent of the combined company. The Permian Basin was once seen as a worn-out patch. But over the last decade or so, technological advances, including the advent of fracking, or hydraulically fractured horizontal wells, have opened its oil- and gas-rich shale fields to development. The basin has been transformed into the most productive oil and gas field in the United States. With this combination, Diamondback not only gets bigger, it gets better, Travis Stice, the companys chief executive, said in a statement. The news sent Diamondbacks shares up 10 percent. Two former executives of FirstEnergy and a former public utility commissioner have been indicted in a multimillion-dollar public corruption scandal, Ohios attorney general, Dave Yost, said on Monday. Charles Jones, who was FirstEnergys chief executive from 2015-20, and Michael Dowling, a former vice president of external affairs at the company, are accused of paying Samuel Randazzo, a former chairman of Ohios Public Utilities Commission, more than $4.3 million to allow the company to overcharge customers, among other offenses. Collectively, the three men are charged with 27 counts, including theft, bribery and fraud. The charges were filed on Friday but werent made public until Mr. Yost announced them on Monday. The indictments are the first against FirstEnergy executives in perhaps the biggest public corruption scandal in Ohios history, one that has already landed a former lawmaker in prison. State and federal officials have accused the company, an Ohio-based electric utility that serves six million customers, of paying state lawmakers and regulators millions of dollars in exchange for subsidies and other favorable treatment. When the Irish animated film The Secret of Kells received a surprise Oscar nomination in 2010, GKids, the boutique distribution company that mounted a stealthy but mighty grass roots campaign on its behalf, had been around for only a little over a year. Back then, the companys entire operation consisted of two full-time employees and one part-timer. But this year, Hayao Miyazakis The Boy and the Heron became GKidss 13th release in their 15-year history to receive a nomination from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for best animated feature. The hand-drawn movie has a real shot at winning and becoming the first GKids release to do so. How has a small outfit focused on animation managed to have such an outsized effect in Hollywood? Eric Beckman, a former music industry executive, founded GKids with the intent of redefining American audiences perception of animation as more than a childrens medium. At the time, family-friendly, computer-generated and stylistically similar studio productions had an even tighter stronghold on animation in the United States than they do today. GKids has since filled a precious gap by consistently releasing bold animated work from around the world. For more than a decade now, it has also been entrusted with the North American distribution of titles in the catalog of the revered Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli, maker of The Boy and the Heron. Cecilia Gentili, a fierce advocate for transgender people and sex workers and a powerful legislative lobbyist as well as an author and a bawdy, searing performer died on Feb. 6 at her home in the Marine Park section of Brooklyn. She was 52. Her death was announced by Peter Scotto, her longtime partner. He did not specify the cause. Ms. Gentili often joked that she had a masters degree in being an immigrant, a sex worker, a trans woman and an addict. She was an expert because she had lived all of those things. She was born in Argentina and had been sexually abused since she was a child. As a trans woman in Argentina, she said, the only work she had been able to find was prostitution. She left South America for the United States in 2000, seeking safety and a better life. That did not happen. At least not at first. Undocumented, homeless and trafficked for prostitution in the U.S., she also had a heroin addiction. After multiple arrests, she found herself in the mens ward at Rikers Island, where, she said, she was raped and beaten. It was the biggest event of Mazi Pilips campaign in a must-win special House election in New York. The No. 3 House Republican had flown in. A half-dozen congressmen led a crowd in chants of Mazi! Mazi! There was just one thing missing from the Republican show of force at an American Legion hall the other day: the candidate, who was home observing Shabbat. In any other race, her absence would have been a deal breaker. But on Long Island, the event vividly illustrated an open secret animating Tuesdays contest to replace former Representative George Santos. Ms. Pilips name may be on the ballot, but the campaign belongs to the Nassau County Republican machine. After decades of electoral losses and corruption scandals, the organization has roared back to life in the New York City suburbs, reviving a political tradition that has largely become an anachronism elsewhere in the country. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Azerbaijan has seen an increase in prices for some building materials imported from Russia, Trend reports. Property expert Ramil Osmanli noted that some construction materials have gone up in price by 10%. "The price hike is mainly seen in materials imported from Russia. Currently, a 15-millimeter plywood costs 20 manat ($11.7). Some time ago, its price fluctuated between 17-18 manat ($9.9 - $10.5 ). And the price of 18-millimeter plywood has risen from 21 ($12.3) to 24 manat ($14.1). A cube of plank went up in price from 320 ($188) to 345 manat ($202). The price increase was also recorded for other materials. The main reason for the rise in prices is the increase in prices of construction materials in importing countries. Construction materials are mainly imported to our country from Russia, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, South Korea, and China. Imports from Ukraine have decreased due to the war," he said. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel In two courthouses, two blocks apart, two New York judges could well ruin Donald J. Trumps week. On Thursday, one of the judges, Juan M. Merchan, may schedule the first criminal trial of a former American president for as early as next month raising the specter that Mr. Trump might end up behind bars. The following day, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, the second judge is expected to deliver a ruling that threatens not Mr. Trumps freedom, but his family business. The judge, Arthur F. Engoron, oversaw the former presidents civil fraud trial and is weighing the New York attorney generals request to penalize Mr. Trump hundreds of millions of dollars and sever him from the company he ran for decades. The dual threats represent a turning point in Mr. Trumps legal odyssey, a week that could reshape his personal and presidential fortunes as he marches toward the Republican nomination. Justice Engorons ruling could drain Mr. Trumps cash coffers, and if the former president ultimately leaves Justice Merchans courtroom as a felon, it would send the countrys already bitter politics into uncharted realms. London has a jarring profusion of odd skyscrapers with funny names or nicknames. There are the Shard and the Scalpel, which are pretty elegant. The (mostly) well-liked Gherkin, which looks like a glass pickle. The wedge-shaped Cheese Grater. And the widely loathed Walkie-Talkie, a bulbous cartoon of a building that looms thuggishly over its low-rise neighbors like a broad-shouldered banker in a cheap pinstriped suit, to quote The Guardian. Theres an economic explanation for why London has so many skyscrapers that get up on their toes and say, Look at me: Developers hire star architects because doing so gives them a better chance of winning approval for taller, more profitable buildings, according to research by Paul Cheshire, an emeritus professor of economic geography at the London School of Economics and Political Science, and others. Cheshire and Christian Hilber, also of the London School of Economics, advanced the starchitect argument in an article way back in 2008. Cheshire and Gerard Dericks of the University of Oxford offered supporting evidence in a 2014 article and updated their argument with fresher data in 2020. Last year, Cheshire included the starchitect idea in an article for a policy journal of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He expanded his thinking in an interview with me last week. Land-use decisions in Britain are mainly discretionary rather than rules-based, as in, for example, Chicago, Cheshire noted in his article last year. The elected committees that decide on applications in London are unpredictable and can be swayed by lobbying, he wrote. The Bomb and I go way back. In Seattle, where I grew up in the 1950s and 60s, it was common wisdom that in the event of nuclear war, we were No. 2 on the target list because Seattle was the home of Boeing, maker of B-52 bombers and Minuteman missiles. In school we had various drills for various catastrophes, and we had to remember which was which. Earthquake? Run outside. The Bomb? Run inside, to an inner corridor that had no windows. In the summer, my high-school friends and I would disappear for a couple of weeks into the backcountry of the Cascades or the Olympic Mountains. I always wondered whether we would emerge to find the world in ashes. Once, in Santa Monica in 1971, I thought it was finally happening. I woke up on the floor, having been bounced out of my bed early one February morning. There was a huge roar. Everything was shaking. I crept to my one window and pulled aside the curtain, expecting to see a mushroom cloud rising over the Los Angeles basin. I saw nothing. When the radio came back, I learned there had been a deadly earthquake in the San Fernando Valley. I was sent on this trip down memory lane by the announcement on Jan. 23 from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists that it had decided not to change the setting of the Doomsday Clock, a metaphorical timepiece invented in 1947 as a way to dramatize the threat of nuclear Armageddon. The clock was originally designed with a 15-minute range, counting down to midnight the stroke of doom and the Bulletins members move it from time to time in response to current events, which now include threats like climate change and pandemics. In a burst of optimism in 1991, after the Soviet Union broke up and the first Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed, the clock was turned way back to 17 minutes to midnight. The Cold War is over, the Bulletins editors wrote. The 40-year-long East-West nuclear arms race has ended. A year ago, after Russia invaded Ukraine and brandished the threat of using nuclear weapons, the clock was set to 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has yet come to The End. The threat of nuclear weapons in Ukraine has diminished since then, but the clock remains poised at 90 seconds before zero. THE GREAT LOVE (or should I say, loves) of my preadolescent years in India was a pair of identical Danish twins. Charlotte and Christina were the most exotic things the British School in New Delhi had ever seen. They appeared like two beams of Nordic sunshine during those final days of Indias Socialist isolation in 1990 blond, elfin, androgynous and (it has to be said) tantalizingly interchangeable. Charlotte was the extroverted one, impish, funny; Christina was quieter, a touch glacial. I was a Charlotte man, but went out briefly with Christina, which may have only meant a few slow dances to Guns N Roses 1991 hit November Rain. I was aware even then, at that age when so much is felt and so little articulated, of there being something compelling in giving my tween heart to one twin while going out with her double. Identical twins have it rough. As soon as we see them, fetishizing their likenesses and dissimilarities, we turn them into proxies for ideas. We revel in our ability to tell them apart, as if it were up to us to impart individuality unto them. We marvel at the sureness of our eye, treating them like human trompe loeils. We hardly stop to consider the actual reality of identical twins before extracting metaphorical power from them. There lies a chasm between biological fact and the captivating game of mirroring and doubling that we, as humans, love to play, where likeness has the inverse effect of drawing attention to deeper differences. As afternoon services were beginning at Lakewood Church in Houston on Sunday, a woman arrived in a trench coat and carrying a backpack, her 7-year-old son at her side. She brought two rifles and had a piece of yellow rope resembling a detonation cord, law enforcement officials said on Monday. The woman pointed an AR-15 at an unarmed security guard, officials said, and then made her way inside the church, which is led by the televangelist Joel Osteen. Almost immediately, she opened fire in a hallway with the assault-style rifle. As they provided new details of the shooting that rattled Lakewood Church, law enforcement officials said that what might have been a mass shooting inside one of the nations largest megachurches had been narrowly averted by a pair of off-duty officers working security at the church, a commonplace feature of worship at large congregations across the United States. The officers a Houston police officer and an agent from the state alcoholic beverage commission confronted the woman, exchanged fire with her and killed her. Her son was also struck in the head by gunfire, officials said. He remained in critical condition on Monday. A man in the church was also wounded. Another slow day at the office? It was Thursday afternoon, and Justice Elena Kagan was settling in for a public conversation at the Library of Congress. She had agreed to it long before the Supreme Court scheduled an extraordinary special session for that morning, to hear arguments over whether former President Donald J. Trump is eligible to hold office again. The audience laughed knowingly at this opening question, from Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Justice Kagan said the sequence of events had an upside. It would be impossible to make any news today, she said, because everybody would be focused on the morning. Still, the conversation had telling moments, not least because Judge Sutton is the author of two books on the role states should play in making constitutional law. Hours earlier, Justice Kagan had, by contrast, scoffed at the idea that Colorado should be able to decide whether Mr. Trump could remain on the primary ballot there. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III will not travel to Brussels to meet with his NATO and European counterparts this week, a Pentagon official said on Monday, as he remained hospitalized for complications stemming from prostate cancer surgery. Mr. Austin, 70, returned to the hospital on Sunday, for the third time in two months, with symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue. He had initially intended to retain the functions and duties of his office but soon turned over his authorities to the deputy defense secretary, Kathleen Hicks. It was unclear how long Mr. Austin was expected to remain at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he was taken on Sunday. In a statement, Dr. Gregory Chesnut and Dr. John Maddox said that Mr. Austin underwent nonsurgical procedures on Monday under general anesthesia to address his bladder issue. A prolonged hospital stay is not anticipated, the doctors said, adding that they expected that Mr. Austin would be able to resume his normal duties tomorrow. The House Intelligence Committee is investigating how U.S. spy agencies examined cases of Havana syndrome, a potential challenge by Congress to their conclusions about the mysterious illnesses. At the beginning of the Biden administration, intelligence agencies began a push to determine the causes of the anomalous health incidents, the governments term for Havana syndrome. As a result of that work, intelligence agencies concluded that environmental causes, undiagnosed medical conditions or stress, rather than a sustained global campaign by a foreign power, had caused most of the ailments. But the House investigation will look at the spy agencies analysis and the integrity of their work. The inquiry, depending on what it discovers and concludes, could reopen the debate over the causes of Havana syndrome, which quieted after the intelligence community said it was not the result of an adversarial country. Havana syndrome is the name for a collection of debilitating symptoms including migraines, vertigo and other ailments first seen in diplomats and spies working at the U.S. Embassy in Cuba in 2016 and 2017. The symptoms often came after people felt pressure in their heads or heard strange sounds. The St. Louis County prosecutor challenging Representative Cori Bush for her House seat in Missouri began his day Thursday being interviewed by a prominent Black radio personality in St. Louis. The prosecutor, Wesley Bell, then went on to lecture a sociology class at St. Louis Community College, where he once taught criminal justice, and had lunch at a soul food restaurant in Ferguson, peaceful now nearly a decade after protests there practically created the Black Lives Matter movement. He met that afternoon with laborers unions, stopped by a Vietnamese community celebration of the Lunar New Year, and ended well into the night at the North County Democrats Club, in suburban Hazelwood. If you call me, Im going to pick up, Mr. Bell, 49, assured members of the Laborers International Union of North America, whose leaders once endorsed Ms. Bush and now back her challenger, Mr. Bell. And if you want me to show up, Im going to show up. Heavy snowfall will spread over parts of the Northeast starting late Monday and into Tuesday, with some areas expected to get up to two inches of snow an hour, National Weather Service forecasters said. This is not a long lasting storm; the snow will come down quickly and in some cases pile up to a foot or more. Even Central Park, which hasnt been coated in a half a foot of snow or more since Jan. 29, 2022, could see the return of sledding, snowballs and snowmen by Tuesday afternoon. Here are key things to know about the storm. Snow is looking more likely for New York City, with the possibility of over six inches. It will start as rain in the city and will most likely transition to snow around the morning commute Tuesday. There remains some uncertainty around when, exactly, the precipitation will change from rain to snow in the New York metro area, which would affect eventual snow totals. The band of heaviest snow is more likely to fall over the coast of southern New England, National Weather Service forecasters in Boston said on Monday afternoon. Cities like Boston are less likely to receive a foot of snow as originally forecast. Schools are announcing closures ahead of Tuesdays storm. Boston Public Schools will be closed, according to the districts website, and New York City Public Schools also announced that classes would be held remotely. Snow is likely from the Mid-Atlantic through New England. Early Monday, the Weather Service said its forecasters were confident that Connecticut and the Lower Hudson Valley would see at least six inches of snow. Strikes and rescues in Rafah The Israeli military said it had launched a wave of attacks to divert attention and provide cover for a raid by special operations forces that successfully rescued two hostages in Rafah, in Southern Gaza. Gazas health ministry said dozens of Palestinians were killed in the crowded city, where more than a million displaced people have sought shelter. Heres the latest. The two men who were rescued Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 are dual citizens of Israel and Argentina. They were in good condition and were undergoing tests at a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israeli authorities said. It was only the second known rescue of captives in Gaza since the war began. Palestinians described a night full of horror as Israel bombed the city. The director of a hospital there said that it had received 100 injured people overnight, along with the bodies of 52 who were killed. The Gazan health ministry said that at least 67 people had been killed overall, a number that could not be independently verified. The rescue came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that Israeli ground forces would soon enter Rafah, despite criticism and concern from the U.S. and other allies. The prospect of street battles inside the city, which is bracketed by a closed Egyptian border, has created worldwide alarm over the risks to civilians. A court in the Netherlands on Monday ordered the Dutch government to stop exporting parts for F-35 fighter jets to Israel, a move that reflected mounting alarm over the heavy civilian toll of Israels war in Gaza but was unlikely to have an immediate effect on the military campaign. The Netherlands hosts a warehouse of U.S.-owned F-35 parts that are exported to countries that operate the fighters. Oxfam and two other human rights organizations filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government in December, demanding that it halt the exports amid concerns over potential Israeli violations of international law in Gaza. In an initial ruling in December, a court declined to issue the order, but on Monday a court of appeals in The Hague said it agreed with the rights groups. It gave the Dutch government seven days to stop exporting F-35 parts to Israel. The court finds that there is a clear risk that Israels F-35 fighter jets might be used in the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law, it said in a ruling. The Dutch government said it would lodge an appeal with the countrys Supreme Court against the ruling, which came as Prime Minister Mark Rutte was visiting Israel. Israels Defense Ministry declined to comment. More than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to health officials there, since Israel launched a retaliatory war against Hamas after the armed groups deadly Oct. 7 attack. Rights organizations have increasingly called for countries to block weapons exports to Israel to protest how the country is carrying out its offensive and on Monday the European Unions top diplomat, Josep Borrell Fontelles, suggested the international community should think about providing fewer arms. Palestinians in Rafah described a night of fear as Israeli strikes pummeled the area early Monday, killing and wounding dozens, according to the Gazan health ministry, and highlighting the cost of Israels military operation to free its hostages. I swear to God it was an indescribable night, said Ghada al-Kurd, 37, who is among more than a million people sheltering in the southern Gaza city. The bombing was everywhere we were convinced that the Israeli army was invading Rafah. Israels military said early Monday that it had conducted a wave of attacks on Rafah to provide cover for soldiers who freed two hostages held by Hamas. The health ministry in Gaza said that at least 67 people had been killed in the strikes, and that the toll was likely to rise. The ministrys figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Dr. Marwan al-Hamase, the director of Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, said that the hospital had received 100 injured people overnight, along with the bodies of 52 who were killed. Maher Abu Arar, a spokesman for the Kuwait Hospital in Rafah, said the hospital had taken in at least 15 bodies and 50 wounded people. There were a lot of body parts, said Mr. Abu Arar, following successive and sudden Israeli strikes. Ms. al-Kurd said that people in Rafah were panicking and considered evacuating during the night, but no one knew where to even go. She added in a voice message that her young nieces were crying and I was trying to calm them down, even though she was also very scared. The United States opposes an Israeli ground offensive into Rafah unless Israel provides for the safety of more than a million people now crammed into the city, a State Department spokesman said on Monday, adding to the Biden administrations repudiations of the expected military action. At the same time, officials of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court took a more absolute stand against the expected Israeli invasion of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, warning of catastrophic consequences. So far, however, the escalating international pressure on Israel to restrain its military campaign appears to have had little effect; the Israeli government has said repeatedly that it will send ground forces into Rafah to defeat Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the military to draft a plan to evacuate civilians from the overcrowded city in order to minimize casualties, but international aid groups have said the evacuation of so many people is unrealistic. We do not support any military campaign in Rafah going forward as long as they cannot properly account for the 1.1 million people, by some estimates, who are in Rafah today, some of whom have already been displaced, some of whom have been displaced multiple times, Matthew Miller, spokesman for the State Department, told reporters on Monday. We think there needs to be a credible plan that they can actually execute before they undertake any military campaign in Rafah. The White House has conveyed a similar message several times in recent days. On Sunday, President Biden reaffirmed the view to Mr. Netanyahu during a phone call. Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the U.N. secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said on Monday that any incursion into Rafah would jeopardize the delivery of essential aid to a territory where food, water, medicine and shelter are in critically short supply, and where most people have fled their homes. Rafah contains the only border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, and that crossing is the primary portal for aid. Japanese clothing brand Felissimo recently took social media by storm with an unusual garment inspired by the unique shape of the giant sunfish. For those of you who want to become a sunfish, we have created room wear that allows you to wear a sunfish, the Felissimo social media team posted last month. Opportunities to wear a sunfish dont come around very often in life, so I hope you will seize this chance. Shaped just like the massive marine creature with its large fins acting as fins and its mouth designed as the collar the sunfish sweater made quite an impression on X (Twitter), where it received over 15,000 likes. Apparently, the wacky loungewear began as a funny discussion among Felissimos designers. Some of them didnt think the shape of the sunfish could be faithfully recreated as a garment, but as they brainstormed ideas, they came up with a wearable version. We kept repeating that if we tried to recreate a sunfish, it wouldnt work as clothing, and if we tried to make it easy to wear, it wouldnt have the shape of a sunfish, but in the end, we were able to achieve the perfect shape, the company tweeted on X. The bizarre garment works well with both pants and skirts, but Felissimo admitted that it was surprised by the success of its sunfish garment and the overwhelming number of orders. The sweater can be ordered from the Felissimo website, for 7,920 yen ($53). Its unclear if the company ships internationally. The deadline for O'Dwyer's 2024 rankings of PR firms, a benchmark study of the growth of the industry annually since 1970, is Mon., Mar. 11, 2024. Download Instructions (PDF) >> New this year is a separate ranking for agencies specializing in public affairs, which ODwyers defines as work done for a client to affect legislation on either the federal, state or local level. Previously, public affairs fees was combined with the environmental specialty ranking. We're answering the call of many firms interested in showcasing their increasing volume of public affairs counseling across multiple client sectors, publisher John ODwyer said. Show your expertise in areas such as healthcare, technology, finance, environmental, professional services and purpose/CSR, to name a few of the now 21 specialties tracked. Only ODwyers does such rankings, which are usually at or near the top in Google searches for those specialties. Rankings are also tabulated by 15 cities and regions, including New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Regional rankings showcase firms in the west, southeast and midwest. A total of 148 firms took part in last year's rankings. Rankings Rules PR firms have distinctive financialsat least half of income is used for staff pay. Therefore, ODwyers requires the top page of the latest corporate income tax return and W-3 to verify legitimate PR firms rather than ad agencies or other types of businesses. The ranking measures counseling and media contact services, not advertising or production expenses. "Even if the tax return is on a cash basis and financials on accrual, we like to see the return as an added check that a CPA has been used," O'Dwyer stressed. Net fee income by location and specialties should have been accumulated all year, by month and presented to a CPA. The CPA firm should have minimal work to do, just a topside review. Ranking instructions disclaim responsibility for the numbers by the CPA firm. PR firms looking to reach out to prospects who visit ODwyers website every day to research outside PR counsel should consider joining the rankings, ODwyer said. Deadline to submit is Mon., Mar. 11, 2024. Rank Your Firm with O'Dwyer's -- Instructions (PDF) IMAGINE PR is named North American public relations representative for Walk Japan, a company that specializes in walking tours in Japan. The agency will provide integrated public relations, digital marketing and brand partnerships. Specific areas include: strategic communications counsel, media relations, event planning and execution, and social media content and strategy. The company will also lead media familiarization trips and tours. Founded in 1992, Walk Japan originated from educational trips organized by two professors from Hong Kong University. Guided by a strong commitment to regional revitalization and education, the company now presents 36 itineraries that traverse Japan's historical landscape from north to south."Were thrilled to start working with IMAGINE PR to increase Walk Japan's footprint and message across the United States, said Walk Japan CEO Paul Christie Magrino adds Cuisinart Outdoors to its roster of consumer goods clients and Goslings Rum to its food, wine & spirits list. For Cuisinart Outdoor, the agency will be overseeing several campaign-centric projects over the coming year. Magrino will be working to add on to the brand story of Goslings Rum as the company releases new products. Other additions to the agencys list include Italian luxury brand House of Pratesi, The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants and the grand opening of the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort this summer. LQR House Inc., which specializes in the spirits and beverage industry, forms a marketing partnership with Alamo Distilling, a line of craft distilleries. LQR has previously worked with Alamo brand Rasta Bob Coconut Rum, and the new partnership extends to include South Town Chamoy Spirit, Ellsworth Gin, Alamo Black Label Bourbon, and Alamo Vodka. LQRs efforts will include leveraging its influencer network of 550 individuals, with a focus on creating content that captures the essence of each product. An application for a ''small quarry'' involving the extraction of 200,000 tons of sand and gravel has been refused permission by An Bord Pleanala. The proposed quarry was to be located at Esker More, Mount Lucas, Tullamore. Offaly County Council had refused permission for the development in August 2022. Figile, the company behind the venture, appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala. The proposed 3.2ha site is 8km east of Daingean and 10km south west of Edenderry. Figile said that following the extraction the site would be restored to agricultural use including the importation of inert soil and subject to a waste management facility permit. An Taisce submitted that the description of ''small'' in relation to the quarry was ''not justified.'' It stated, ''once established it will be used to justify further expansion. While under the 5ha threshold, the cumulative impact requires assessment.'' In reaching its decision the Board took into consideration the 2021-2027 policy of Offaly County Council in relation to places of high amenity which is to protect and preserve the county's areas of high amenity, including the Eiscir Riada and other eskers. It said that the proposed development would materially contravene the council's policy and be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. It also took into consideration the council's policy to ensure that extractions, including quarries and sand and gravel pits, would result in a reduction in the visual amenity of such areas including eskers and should not be permitted. In addition, the council's objective in consultation with the National Parks and Wildlife Services, Westmeath County Council, the Geological Survey of Ireland, is to investigate the potential designation of north Offaly esker landscape as a UNESCO Geopark to promote the unique geological heritage of the area. The proposed development would conflict with the achievement of this objective. Another objective of the council is to improve, where possible, access to esker and geological sites and encourage appreciation of esker and geological heritage. Finally the Board said that in the absence of sufficient information on the importation of material, an assessment of this aspect of the proposal is not possible, and it cannot be determined that the proposed development would not lead to adverse environmental impacts or impacts on European sites. Confirmation funding for road safety improvements at Durrow, on the N52, will be made available has been received by local Minister, Pippa Hackett. I attended a public meeting in Durrow in December, where I heard many people from the community voice the concerns and fears of regarding the safety of the road junction onto the N52. It was clear that people felt the junction was unsafe for many, including those travelling to and from school, the GAA pitch, and the community centre. I committed at that meeting to liaise with my colleague, Minister Eamon Ryan and his officials within the Department of Transport. Following my engagement with Minister Ryan, he has confirmed that funding is available for safety improvements at this junction. Subject to Transport Infrastructure Ireland approving the detail of any proposal submitted by the County Council, procurement and construction can commence as quickly as possible. I have written to the Director of Services at Offaly County Council to ask that this proposal is progressed and submitted to TII as soon as possible so work can commence, and the urgent safety issues of the Durrow community can be addressed. A MAJOR facility which will demonstrate modern building methods is being planned for Mount Lucas. The National Demonstration Park for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) will be built by Laois & Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) at the National Construction Training Centre. It's the first of its kind ever in Ireland, said centre manager John Kelly. There are different types around the world but this will be the first one in Ireland and it will be great to have it in our locality because it will provide jobs and more importantly it will provide a sounding board for the industry and the idea is we will provide pads and industry will come in and build the houses for us. It's a partnership approach which will make it successful. The demonstration park will comprise a number of different types of houses and dwellings, from standard two-storey houses to a three-storey apartment block with a retail unit on the ground floor. The buildings will showcase a range of modern construction methods and the project is being developed in conjunction with Technological University Dublin and the University of Galway. Mr Kelly said the demonstration park will be a fully immersive environment for students and trainees. The buildings will be of light gauge steel, timber frame and possibly ICF (Insulated Concrete Formwork) with the focus on modern methods. The colleges the LOETB is twinning with will focus on research and development while the practical applications will be on display in Mount Lucas. The demonstration park will be a dramatic improvement on construction shows and expos where cut-outs are often used. Here you'll be able to go in the front door and through the whole house and interact with it fully, said Mr Kelly. In addition to the demonstration buildings, the project will involve a nearly zero energy building (NZEB) and retrofitting training unit, similar to the facilities already in place in Mount Lucas. A third important element will be student accommodation and it is anticipated that learners will be travelling from all over the country to the site. Along with the third level institutions, the LOETB will deliver the project in conjunction with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Further and Higher Education, and Solas, the funding body. A document prepared by an architect for a planning application indicated that a water feature could run through part of the complex of buildings, mimicking the form of a canal, a relatable landmark across the Midlands. A pre-planning meeting was held remotely with Offaly County Council last year. The existing facilities at Mount Lucas include NZEB and retrofitting training units, scaffolding training, utilities training, tower crane training and driving training using simulators. There is currently a focus on fitting external insulation in the home retrofitting facility but there is also an example of a heat pump which gives an on-the-spot illustration of the technology. Training at the centre is fully funded, resulting in no cost to employees' companies and the LOETB continually works with industry to develop courses which suit particular needs. Along with identification of a gap in retrofitting skills, it was recognised that a deficit existed in skills required for utilities development, especially public water infrastructure. The LOETB worked with the civil engineers' association, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and Uisce Eireann (Irish Water) to develop a utilities traineeship. The course covers everything from small domestic piping that goes into a house up to large scale pipes and waste water treatment, with trainees attaining an accredited award which never existed in Ireland before. Both employed people and school leavers can take the course. We can train you from very green, all the way up, commented Mr Kelly. We try to replicate what you see in the real world out there. The feedback has been extremely positive from the civil engineers body, CIF and Uisce Eireann. The 33-acre construction training campus site was originally owned by Bord na Mona and adjoins the energy company's Mount Lucas wind farm. The land is now fully controlled by the LOETB and there are plans to enlarge the site. There are a number of vehicles used for training, as well as the crane, which is operated by Aidan Smyth, and the LOETB also has an articulated truck which functions as a mobile training unit and travels the country, bringing courses to students. The on-site simulators (similar to a flight training simulator used for airline pilots) include a digger, an articulated dump truck and a crane. EUROPEAN Tech Hub has responded to what it considers misleading local and social media reports this weekend that the Birr Technology Centre building has been offered for the accommodation of Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection. This is not the case confirms the centre management. The Birr Technology Centre Building is an actively managed and thriving office complex with over twenty businesses and state organisations located at the property. There are long leases in place with tenants and there no plans for anything except office use in the building. The property is managed by European Tech Tub and there are ambitious plans for the remaining available space, in particular in the green energy sector with a major application under consideration for EU Just Transition funding to support job creation and job protection in the Birr area. This week European Tech Hub published its 'Birr Technology Centre Development Plan 2024-2026' outlining its strategy following a strategy review in December. said Denis Madden of European Tech Hubs. Birr Technology Centre was not contacted for comment or clarification and seeks to address the misleading statements and building images that were published in the media at the weekend. Birr Technology Centre campus comprises three buildings off St Brendan Street in Birr with in total 30,000 square feet of mixed-use space. The main building is the Birr Technology Centre Building this is a large modern multi-let office building which was built in 2003. The second building is smaller an older courtyard Enterprise Building directly on Brendan Street, and the third building is the Old Cinema. European Tech Hub as part of wider strategy is investigating alternative uses for the smaller Enterprise Building, this includes standard office type use, and or use as live-work studios. As a stepping stone to live-work studios their interim use for emergency accommodation for refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine is being evaluated. Ten bedrooms could be provided in a temporary change of use. This has been done in an open and transparent manner. An application was made to Offaly County in early January to clarify the planning aspect of a change of use. This is listed online in public applications on the Offaly County Council website. A declaration that a change of use would be an exempted development was received in February. The property was also submitted for evaluation by the relevant government department, DCEDIY, and its Ukraine Team, and this evaluation is ongoing. Technical building requirements assessment are also ongoing. In January Offaly County Council wrote to local Birr councillors to advise them of the matter and European Tech Hub provided background on its activity and liaised with the Offaly County Council Ukrainian Response Team. No decision, or basis for decision, has been reached at this stage. It's unfortunate that a misleading impression is created that the main Birr Technology Centre building has been offered for accommodation. This would imply that long resident and new businesses would be affected. This is clearly not going to happen and creates unnecessary concerns, so we are happy to clarify now. said Denis Madden, CEO of European Tech Hubs. We understand how this confusion can occur. A more specific response from the Minister in their response to a Parliamentary Question from local politician, Carol Nolan TD could have dealt with the matter, but that level of detail is not expected. A clearer press release from the office of TD Carol Nolan, including contact with Birr Technology Centre for clarifications would have avoided misleading headlines, comments and identification of an incorrect building in images. We look forward to answering any queries in the coming days. We are available to local community representatives that wish to understand and contribute to our development strategies. We have a great resource in Birr with the Birr Technology Centre and we should be working together to make the most of the enterprise, employment and other opportunities it offers. concluded Denis Madden. The Royal Families of Europe keep growing and with each new arrival, the familial legacies continue. Meet the next generation of Royals who will one day take over the throne. Inheriting property, valuables and money from your parents is a cool feeling but imagine inheriting the constitutional and representational duties of your country. Pretty cool, right? Those fortunate enough to be born into a Royal Family would get to take over the throne from their elders. Discover our latest podcast When King George VI passed away, the throne was taken over by Queen Elizabeth II and after a long wait of 73 years, King Charles - who is predicted to face a grim future - got his chance to take over the throne. The younger generation of these European families Royals may not have to wait that long to take over. The top 4 most influential heirs It is expected that even if the parents of these next-generation royals have a long reign, their kids would still get to the throne sooner than our King Charles. Lets get to know these next-generation Royals: Prince Jacques of Monaco The 9-year-old is the younger child of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene. Born on December 10, 2014, Prince Jacques has an elder sister, Gabriella, who was born two minutes before him. Despite being younger, he would take over the throne as Monaco is still one of the few countries in Europe still governed by male-preference primogeniture. Meaning, that the son inherits the throne over any older sisters. Both the twins were first shown to the world on January 7, 2015, and the date has since become recognised as a public holiday in Monaco. The little prince is often seen with his family on multiple occasions with the latest one being his mothers birthday, reports People Magazine. Princess Estelle of Sweden Princess Estelle will one day take over the throne of Sweden after her mother Crown Princess Victoria takes over the throne. Estelle became the firstborn child to the heir of the throne as her birth was celebrated with two rounds of twenty-one gun salutes. Her Royal lineage is quite incredible as it includes King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. According to the Swedens Royal Family Website, the change in the 1979 Act of Succession made it possible for Estelle to inherit the throne rather than her younger brother. Her first royal engagement was in 2014 at just two years old when she opened a 'fairytale path' at Linkoping Castle. Prince Charles of Luxembourg The next heir of Luxembourg is the oldest child of Grand Duke Henri - HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. The heir to the throne is Prince Charles of Luxembourg - son of Prince Guillaume and Princess Stephanie. The second in line was born on May 10, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prince Charles was born at Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City and weighed 3.190kg. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, his grandparents were first introduced to Prince Charles over a video call, reports MailOnline. The Royal Family of Luxembourg also welcomed their first baby of 2024 - a new baby boy named Balthasar Felix Karl. Prince George How could one talk about the next generation of Royals and leave out Prince George? The second in line to the British throne is one of the most popular next-generation royals in the world but not more than his sister - Princess Charlotte. Born on July 22, 2013, at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, Prince George is the eldest son of Prince William and Princess Catherine. After Queen Elizabeth IIs death, Prince George gained more limelight thanks to his number in the line of succession. He will be turning 11 this year and soon he will go through the British familys education tradition - a decision Kate Middleton is not particularly happy about. Prince George is often seen with his family on multiple royal engagements but his first public appearance was in 2015 on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following Trooping the Colour. Reportedly, his appearance on the balcony stole the show with an adorable expression just like Prince Louis did year later. Read More Prince George to follow in his father's footsteps and Kate Middleton is 'heartbroken' about it Princess Charlotte: How Queen Elizabeth changed the course of her life long before her birth Royal children: AI predicts what George, Charlotte and Louis may look like in some years Sources Used People Magazine: Princess Charlene Treated to 7-Tier Birthday Cake and Twins with Mini-Me Daughter Princess Gabriella Daily Mail: The VERY young pretenders - meet the next generation of young princes and princesses in the queue to be Monarch. They might have quite a wait Swedish Royal Familys website BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The hosting of COP29 in Azerbaijan demonstrates our country's support to environmental protection and climate change prevention at all levels, said Senior Legal Manager at PwC Azerbaijan Leyla Sadikhova during an exclusive interview with Trend. Sadikhova reminded that the UN Conference on Climate Change (COP) is a significant gathering at the governmental level aimed at formulating a unified climate strategy. "In essence, COP is the key platform for intergovernmental negotiations aiming at carrying out the mandates of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol (KP), and the Paris Agreement (PA). The UNFCCC, which went into effect on March 21, 1994, is intended to prevent negative human-caused consequences on the Earth's climate system. Currently, 198 countries have ratified this internationally recognized pact. Furthermore, the Kyoto Protocol, an addendum to the Convention, was adopted on December 11, 1997, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and counteract global warming. It came into effect on February 16, 2005. Azerbaijan became a party to the Protocol in 2000," she said. She further explained that the Paris Agreement, ratified in 2015, represents a continuation of the Convention. "As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, Azerbaijan committed in 2016 to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 35% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, subject to legislative approval. As a result, the COPs are significant because they align with this commitment. It is critical to note that subsequent COPs have prioritized achieving the Paris Agreement's central objectives, specifically limiting the global average temperature increase to 2C (global peaking) and pursuing additional efforts to limit it to 1.5C (climate neutrality). Notably, one of the key concerns about climate warming is the release of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide (CO2), into the atmosphere," she added. Leyla Sadikhova highlighted that presently, based on measurements from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, the atmospheric CO2 level has reached an unprecedented high in human history. "Scientists warn that this level of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere hasn't been seen in millions of years. Without strong action by governments, the Earth's average temperature is expected to rise significantly during the twenty-first century. Here's an interesting fact: while CO2 isn't considered a dangerous gas, an excess of it in the air is detrimental to human health, causing hypoxia. Prolonged intake of air containing 1.5-3 percent CO2 can result in symptoms such as vomiting and dizziness, while levels above 6 percent might decrease cardiac function and offer a life-threatening risk," the senior manager emphasized. Sadikhova explains that the primary objective of the COP is to guide the world towards overcoming the climate crisis. "Nations meet annually to review progress toward their pledges under international climate change agreements and to discuss joint measures to combating global warming. COP serves as a unique global venue for participants to address one of our era's most critical existential challenges: global warming. With each passing year, negotiations inside the conference become more complex, with a wide and comprehensive agenda. Furthermore, the number of official government delegations, specialists of various backgrounds, representatives from corporations, civil society, and media organizations engaging in these conversations is continuously increasing," she added. Regarding why Azerbaijan was chosen as the host country for COP29, Sadikhova remarked that the selection of a host country for significant international events inherently carries symbolic significance, conveying important messages to both participants and the broader community. She emphasized that when the outcome of strategic and global matters hangs in the balance, the organizers bear a unique responsibility for the event's outcomes. "I consider the announcement of Baku hosting the upcoming COP29 climate conference in November 2024 as unsurprising. Primarily, Azerbaijan has consistently upheld its international commitments toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and addressing climate change. As a partner of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Azerbaijan actively contributes to global efforts against climate change. Recent developments, such as SOCAR signing the Decarbonization Charter and voluntary commitments at COP28 to reduce methane emissions in 2023, underscore Azerbaijan's dedication to this cause," she said. "Furthermore, Azerbaijan's proactive role in chairing the Non-Aligned Movement and President Ilham Aliyev's contributions and proposals to global integration processes have garnered respect and trust from numerous countries. Notably, during the first COP29 meeting on December 15, 2023, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized Azerbaijan's growing international stature, attributing it to the nation's independent policies, principled stance, commitment to international law, and the restoration of sovereignty across its entire territory," she added. Sadikhova views the unanimous decision to host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Azerbaijan as a significant demonstration of the international community's profound respect and trust in Azerbaijan. This decision also signifies approval of Azerbaijan's efforts in environmental protection and combating climate change at national, regional, and global levels. "I am confident that Azerbaijan will host COP29 at an exceptional standard, marking yet another significant success for our country and making a valuable global contribution to mitigating climate change," the PwC Azerbaijan manager said. Addressing the SDGs, Sadikhova underscored Azerbaijan's initial actions toward achieving these goals, notably the formation of the National Coordinating Council for Sustainable Development (NCCSD) in 2016. Additionally, to fulfill the obligations outlined in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Azerbaijan took further steps with the adoption and endorsement of "Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development" by President Ilham Aliyev in 2021. "The National Priorities outline five key goals for Azerbaijan's socio-economic development over the next decade. These encompass fostering a sustainable and competitive economy, nurturing a dynamic and inclusive society grounded in social justice, cultivating a competitive human capital base with room for innovative advancements, reclaiming territories liberated from occupation, and fostering environmental cleanliness and 'green growth.' All of these directions are crucial for Azerbaijan's sustainable development. Notably, one of these priorities emphasizes achieving "a country with a clean environment and green growth." Pursuant to this priority, efforts are underway to enhance environmental quality, restore and expand green spaces, and promote the efficient utilization of water resources and sustainable energy sources. Azerbaijan has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 35 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, with a further reduction target of 40 percent by 2050," the senior manager said. Sadikhova noted that Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, recently liberated from Armenian occupation, along with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, have been designated as green energy zones. "Environmental protection takes precedence in the comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts within the liberated territories. Innovative concepts such as'smart city' and'smart village' are being implemented alongside ecosystem restoration initiatives. Azerbaijan's energy policy prioritizes the generation and export of green energy to global markets. The country aims to elevate the share of renewable energy sources in its installed power generation capacity to 30 percent by 2030. In alignment with these priorities, Azerbaijan has enacted various legislative measures in the field of green energy. Notably, the "Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources for the Purpose of Generating Energy" was passed in 2021. This law establishes the legal, economic, and organizational frameworks for incorporating renewable energy sources into overall electricity production while also regulating support mechanisms to incentivize electricity production from renewable sources," Sadikhova added. She added that on July 1, 2022, the new legislation concerning the efficient utilization of energy resources and energy efficiency took effect. "The primary objective of the law is to govern activities related to the production, storage, transmission, distribution, sale, and consumption of energy. Among its provisions, the legislation introduces several new regulations, including guidelines for selecting electricity producers from renewable energy sources, criteria for implementing active support mechanisms for consumers, and setting capacity limits for generated electricity. Additionally, the law outlines regulations for establishing the "Information System for Renewable Energy Sources," issuing certificates for electricity sourced from renewable energy, conducting state oversight of renewable energy utilization, and ensuring effective use of renewable energy sources," she said. The senior manager further highlighted that, in line with Azerbaijan's international commitments and the enactment of the aforementioned legislation, the Regulation on the "Implementation of State Control in the Field of Efficient Use of Energy Resources and Energy Efficiency" was ratified in July 2023. Additionally, in August 2023, the Order governing the selection process of electricity producers within renewable energy source territories was issued. "A notable recent development is the presidential decree issued on December 25, 2023, declaring 2024 as the 'Green World Solidarity Year' in Azerbaijan. This decree aims to bolster international cooperation in combating climate change on a global scale. It underscores Azerbaijan's commitment as a dependable and accountable member of the international community to addressing the challenges posed by climate change. The Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan has been tasked with drafting and presenting proposals for a plan of action regarding the designation of 2024 as the 'Green World Solidarity Year' within one month," the senior manager emphasized. Discussing what Azerbaijan should anticipate at COP29, Sadikhova pointed out that these summits typically encounter unforeseen contradictions and even crises during the event. This often arises due to the conflicting interests of states that produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide and those that oppose such emissions, leading to a lack of consensus. Such developments typically disrupt proceedings, and a similar scenario is anticipated at COP29. "For instance, the recent Dubai summit, which concluded COP28, despite significant tensions among participants, managed to reach agreements to limit global warming to no more than 1.5C. Moreover, a resolution was reached regarding reparations, with a new international fund established to compensate developing countries for climate damage with an estimated annual budget of $100 billion. However, several unresolved issues, such as global carbon unit trading, await resolution at COP29. Following the announcement that Azerbaijan would host COP29, President Ilham Aliyev promptly convened a government meeting on December 15, 2023, to initiate preparations. During this meeting, he underscored Azerbaijan's active stance on climate change, highlighting the country's priority in transitioning to green energy and its role as a supplier of green energy to global markets. It is anticipated that during the Baku summit, participants will continue to address the agenda established in the UAE, supplemented by strategic areas outlined by President Ilham Aliyev, particularly focusing on the transition to a green economy and Azerbaijan's role as a green energy provider," she said. Addressing Azerbaijan's potential contributions to green energy development, Sadikhova emphasized that todays green agenda encompasses a range of initiatives aimed at global environmental restoration. These include reforestation efforts, air pollution mitigation, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and transitioning to alternative energy sources. "Certainly, Azerbaijan's history is deeply intertwined with oil production, dating back to ancient times. The country boasts notable milestones in this field, such as the establishment of the first commercial oil well, the world's inaugural offshore oil field, and the maiden oil tanker. However, alongside its traditional energy sector, Azerbaijan is now showcasing its commitment to a green agenda and its potential on the global stage. Azerbaijan possesses significant green energy potential, driven by factors such as ample opportunities for electricity generation from renewable natural sources. Solar energy can be harnessed across the country, while regions like Khizi, Khazar, Absheron, Gobustan, and the capital Baku, particularly its eastern part, hold promise for wind power utilization. Additionally, the potential for offshore wind farms in the Caspian Sea, akin to those in the North Sea developed by Germany and Denmark, is noteworthy. The country is actively advancing wind and solar power projects, emissions reduction initiatives, reforestation efforts, and the promotion of electric and hydrogen transportation. Transitioning from traditional to environmentally friendly energy sources is a gradual process requiring substantial investment, time, and concerted effort. It's important to acknowledge that oil, gas, and coal will continue to play a role in the energy landscape, albeit alongside the growing adoption of green alternatives. Azerbaijan has thus adopted a strategy for a gradual and realistic transition from traditional to new energy sources, ensuring a balanced and sustainable approach," she said. The senior manager emphasized that Karabakh, undeniably one of Azerbaijan's most picturesque regions, stands as the primary focus of the country's green agenda today. "The foremost priority lies in restoring the ecosystem of Karabakh following rampant deforestation and demining the region of landmines. The comprehensive restoration effort encompasses rebuilding everything from residences to infrastructure, essentially creating infrastructure anew and utilizing cutting-edge smart technologies. These formerly occupied but now liberated areas have been designated as clean energy zones, offering immense potential for generating electricity from renewable natural sources. The economic regions of Karabakh and East Zangezur, including Kalbajar, Lachin, Gubadli, Zangilan, Jabrayil, and Fuzuli, boast significant solar energy resources, while Kalbajar and Lachin are renowned for their robust wind patterns. Additionally, the energy-generating potential of mountain rivers such as Tartarchay, Bazarchay, and Hakari further augments electricity production without environmental harm," Sadikhova said. The senior manager highlighted that these initiatives enable Azerbaijan to ambitiously target a 30 percent share of energy derived from renewable sources by 2030, thereby fostering favorable conditions for systematic economic advancement within the state. Moreover, there are plans to transform these regions into "net zero emissions" zones by 2050. "Certainly, the primary market for green energy from Azerbaijan is Europe, and the state has a concrete plan in place for the supply of energy from renewable sources. On December 17, 2022, Azerbaijan, along with Georgia, Romania, and Hungary, entered into a strategic partnership agreement aiming to construct an energy bridge from the Caucasus region to Europe. Under this agreement, Black Sea Energy is set to construct a submarine electric cable with a capacity of 1,000 MW and a length of 1,195 kilometers. The cable will facilitate the transmission of green electricity generated in Azerbaijan, via Georgia and the Black Sea, to Romania, for further distribution to Hungary and the broader European market. This initiative is poised to enable the supply of up to four GW of green energy. In summary, Azerbaijan's domestic plans encompass the development of wind and solar energy, the transformation of Karabakh into a hub of green and clean energy, and, at the international level, the export of clean electricity to Europe through new energy bridges," she stressed. Sadikhova noted that Azerbaijan surely plays an important role in the new energy security architecture of Europe. "Azerbaijan's pivotal role in safeguarding the energy security of other nations, particularly amid current geopolitical challenges such as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, is noteworthy. President Ilham Aliyev has consistently underscored Azerbaijan's leadership in ensuring the energy security of neighboring states in his addresses. Reflecting on the President's remarks during the inauguration of the 240 MW Khizi-Absheron wind power plant in early 2023. President Ilham Aliyev said that our country's energy security is fully assured, and the annual increase in natural gas and electricity exports positively contributes to the energy security of other nations. However, he also emphasized the imperative of diversifying energy production given Azerbaijan's rapid socio-economic growth, highlighting the significant expansion of non-oil industries by approximately 20 percent in the preceding year. Adhering to these principles, Azerbaijan has emerged as a key energy player and a valuable partner in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals globally. By reshaping the energy landscape of Eurasia, Azerbaijan is fostering new avenues for collaboration and progress in the energy sector. Hence, the entrusted organization of COP29 underscores Azerbaijan's commitment to fostering green energy solutions for the benefit of future generations, preserving their rights to inherit a sustainable planet," she said. Sadikhova emphasized that COP29 won't merely serve as a venue for foreign delegates and guests but will also entail significant responsibility for Azerbaijan, both as the organizer and chair of the conference's agenda. "Upon knowing that Azerbaijan will host COP29 in November 2024, my initial emotions were pride and joy for my homeland. However, this news also instilled a sense of great responsibility in me as a citizen. I believe that COP29 will be more than just a gathering for foreign representatives and guests; it will signify a significant responsibility for Azerbaijan, serving as both the organizer and chair of the conference agenda," she said. "In this regard, Azerbaijan's primary objective will be to adeptly and efficiently coordinate the agenda and facilitate the resolution of the conference's main issues. Additionally, ensuring security and proper allocation of conference infrastructure will be imperative, including identifying suitable venues for hosting guests and conducting bilateral and multilateral meetings within the conference framework. It's noteworthy that although the participants of COP are countries, the primary audience for achieving the conference's goals is the business community within these nations. Hence, COP29 also serves as an essential task for Azerbaijan's business representatives. In this regard, I advocate for leveraging the operational and efficient collaboration between the government and businesses to attain the conference's objectives. Local enterprises should proactively engage in COP29 with a well-defined vision for the sustainable development of their operations. To this end, local companies should commence preparations by establishing internal policies and practices geared towards sustainable business practices aligned with global sustainable development goals. This entails crafting ESG (environment, social, and governance) strategies and roadmaps for the initial years at the least," she added. "For this purpose, local businesses should undertake an ESG diagnostic and audit of their operations concerning the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. This will enable them to pinpoint key priorities for their strategy and agenda at the conference," Sadikhova concluded. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The German-Azerbaijani Chamber of Commerce (AHK Azerbaijan) will organize a Study trip on "Reconstruction of Water and Wastewater Infrastructure in Karabakh Region" , Trend reports via AHK. The study tour is a part of the Environmental Protection Export Initiative and is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection. The conference will take place on February 21, 2023, and aims to facilitate networking between actors from Germany and Azerbaijan to develop solutions for efficient water supply and wastewater treatment in western Azerbaijan. Key topics include addressing environmental issues of transboundary rivers such as the Kura, Araz, and Okchuchay, improving water quality, and exploring water treatment for both drinking and agricultural purposes. Target participants are companies in the water and wastewater sectors, environmental experts, research institutes, and professionals from related fields like agriculture, construction, and mining. Stay up to date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel [Please read, share, act, end the genocide] This blog is also posted at ular-resistance.blogspot.com/2024/02/hind-and-more.html Her family members murdered, the ambulance that came to rescue her attacked, and her rescuers killed. Israel murdered 6-year-old Hind, family members and ambulance crew & left to decompose click here click here tter.com/AJEnglish/status/1756336005529923704 [while one of hundreds of stories like that, this murder captured the hearts of millions] No Evidence to Support Israels UNRWA Allegations click here click here .patreon.com/posts/peter-oborne-98159676 [Even if nine of the 30,000 UNRWA employees were shown to support Hamas, western countries cutting off funding to a humanitarian organizations while increasing funding to Israeli regime proven to commit state terrorism and genocide is the height of hypocrisy and we can also call it a nauseating sycophancy to please their masters, the Zionist lobby] Visit aza.org and share links Global Rally with really good 30+ speakers (I spoke briefly at 1:16:20) 1 February .youtube.com/watch?v=iF2L5L64mSc Rima noted: "This young man [Mohammed Al-Kurd] is really remarkable. Besides everything else, he displays wisdom and depth of thinking. Jerusalem should be proud of him and of the struggle of his family in the face of Israeli brutality that is threatening the lives and mere existence of our people in Jerusalem and all over Palestine. I especially appreciate his take on Zionism.." tu.be/3QKeBb3UKWQ?si [Palestine will survive. How do I know? Because we have many young people like this!] To the hundreds of well-funded museums around the world that emphasize Jewish suffering ( click here) and sometimes marginally touch the suffering and the genocides/holocausts of other religions and other people (yet never mention Palestinians): To have credibility, you must NOW make exhibits of the ongoing holocaust of the Palestinian people. If you don't then you should be boycotted for hypocrisy (to say the least). Zionist Patriots owner Robert Kraft spends $7m to use Super Bowl as political soapbox (again to confuse anti-racism/anti-genocide with anti-Semitism click here [The "superbowl" should instead hold a moment of silence of >105,000 casualties (killed and injured) in the onging US tax-payer funded genocide] Israel's Allies PANIC In Desperate Effort To Deflect Blame .youtube.com/watch?v=KRTHMRKqA2I Finally: Israel is threatening to commit MORE genocidal actions in the crowded area of Rafah the supposed "safe haven" (now 28,000 people per square kilometers) and allow the famine and disease to kill hundreds of thousands unless the resistance forces and the international community agree to Israeli fascist regime's demands. To drive home the message, Israeli occupation army has been shelling Rafah area for week and intensified it last two weeks committing many massacres against innocent civilians. My friend Rich carries a sign that reads "When do we Jews realize that Israel is mad" I add that if the world does not stop this genocidal regime NOW, there will be millions of victims (regional and global war is now very likely over this). A solution is easy: justice, peace, equality and thus statecampaign.org/en/ !! Stay Human and keep Palestine alive Mazin Qumsiyeh A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine siyeh.org estinenature.org facebook pages Personal .facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9 Institute .facebook.com/PIBS.PMNH Out on a Limb (Image by Socialist Planning Beyond Capitalism) Details DMCA Author Bruce Lerro, Co-founder and Co-organizer at Socialist Planning Beyond Capitalism Orientation Who cares about philosophy? When most people hear about philosophy, they think it is: Hopelessly abstract The opposite of concreate reality The opposite of application For talking heads who are otherwise inept and clumsy - the wallflowers at a party It has no impact on daily life unless we consciously apply it It is a philosophical study about lives of old great men, either talking heads or idle dreamers As we proceed, I hope you will feel differently about philosophy. In my experience, philosophy is one of the most practical subjects to study there is. Why? Because the simplest practical act contains within it assumptions about the nature of reality. Furthermore, a person does not have to have a conscious interest in philosophy in order for that to be operating in their life. Either we choose our philosophy consciously, or it chooses us. If we do not choose it consciously, including the way in which we make meaning, our actions will be out of our control. I think of philosophy as the skeleton of our thinking process, our infrastructure. If a person has worked out a rough sense of where they stand on the basic philosophical questions, then over time that stance will sink into the plumbing of how they think about any everyday problem. It will seem less and less abstract and closer to everyday life. In other words, the person will see how the choices made in everyday life relate to the abstract philosophical issues. In addition, the individual's thinking process will be interconnected and more consistent across a wider and wider range of situations. As it stands now most people's thinking processes are a confused hodge-podge of contradictory platitudes, unexamined assumptions which are often centered around religious belief. But you may say, how do philosophical assumptions get inside the heads of people who have no interest in it? Every culture must have answers to the fundamental questions regarding the relationship of the group to the larger reality. Part of what makes human life tolerable is the meaning we give to these questions. Now the answers to these big questions have been answered throughout history in various ways. Further, new philosophical questions come into being at different points in history, depending on the general problems a society faces. So I don't think that philosophical questions are eternal and unanswerable. Over time we develop answers to some questions which are good enough to generate a set of problems for scientists to solve. Cultures that do not develop science answer these questions through mythical stories. Philosophy is not invented voluntarily by smart people. Every individual living in an industrial capitalist society today has at least partly internalized the philosophical thinking and assumptions of Plato and Aristotle because both Protestant and Catholic theorists have drawn from them. Of course, it is possible to challenge their ontology and epistemology but it takes substantial effort. My claim My purpose in this article is to argue that dialectical materialism (which I will refer to as DM) is too narrow in the way it understands the history of philosophy. Typically, it divides the schools into idealist or materialist. Through the work of Stephen Pepper and Andrew Reck I will suggest that the history of philosophy can be better grouped into five schools. These schools will do better justice to the variety of what philosophical ontology has to offer. Ontological Questions Ontology deals with the fundamental nature of reality. So let's look at what these philosophical questions are which every philosophical school must deal with: What are we? Are we biological, social or spiritual beings? Where do we come from? the earth or the heavens? Where are we going? Is there an afterlife or do we die in our graves? How is the universe organized? What proportion is designed, improvised, determined or chaotic? What is the relationship between mind and matter? Which is primary and which is derived? Is the universe good, evil or neither? What is the relationship between permanence and change? Which is primary and which is secondary? What is the relationship between determinism and free will? To what extent can our actions be controlled? What is the nature of time? Is it coexistence with space and matter or does it emerge separately? What is the shape of time? Is it cyclical, linear or a spiral? What is the nature of space? Is space an empty container for matter? Is it separate from matter? Or is space a qualitative location for magical correspondences such as the zodiac of astrology? Epistemological Questions Epistemology answers the question of how we know things. Epistemological questions include the following: How trustworthy or untrustworthy are our senses in how we know things? Are they direct reflections of the material world (naive realism)? Are the senses partly accurate and must be refined by reason? How trustworthy or untrustworthy is reason in telling us about what is true? How trustworthy is mathematics (rationality) in describing to us what is true? How trustworthy are our emotions in guiding our understanding of the world? Is there such a psychological process such as intuition and if there is how is it different from the senses, reason, rationality, and emotions? How trustworthy is a revelation (claims to knowledge that are claimed to come from other worlds)? Our major focus will be on the ontological schools with some reference to epistemology. Axiology The field has to do with the nature of values. These values include morals, ethics and beauty. I will not be addressing this topic in this article. How Many Philosophical Schools are There? Since I am a Marxist and I studied how Marxists made sense of philosophy, I was taught to divide all philosophical schools into either idealist or materialist. Over the years I have come to see that this grouping was too stark and narrow. Thanks to the work of Stephen Pepper in his book World Hypothesis his division made more sense to me. He divided philosophical schools into: Organicism Contextualism Formism Mechanism I also found the work of Andrew Reck very helpful. In his book Speculative Philosophy he grouped philosophical schools into: Idealism Materialism Realism Process philosophy Roughly speaking materialism and mechanism have considerable overlap. The same is true between process philosophy and contextualism. There is more moderate overlap between idealism and organicism but there is more difference than in our first two pair. Realism stands roughly midway between materialism and idealism in Reck's system. Lastly, formism overlaps with realism. In the following section I will describe the assumptions of each school. I will also compare the schools to each other. For example, I show that mechanism and organicism will have different answers when applied to how each understands the relationship between individual and society. I will also name the philosophers who go with each school. The assumptions for each school will answer most of the ontological questions at the beginning of this article. Lastly, all philosophical tendencies don't fit neatly into the schools listed. Schools of thinking such as rationalism, empiricism and skepticism, pragmaticism, or positivism are mixtures of two or three different schools. Rather than add these and raise further complications, for purposes of learning I wanted not to be overly simplistic (materialism vs idealism) or overly complicated. I suspect there will be some inconsistencies in parts. My intention is to give you a rough and ready map so that you can categorize individual philosophers you might be aware of into their proper categories. Once you become aware of the typical responses of some of these great thinkers you will be in a better position to make up your own mind and group the philosophers into schools rather than treat each as individuals. Mechanical or Atomistic View Fundamental assumptions Entities of things exist prior to their relationships (objects are mutable and self-contained atoms). Relations only externally or secondarily define an entity. Differences are prior to commonalities. Boundaries are prior to connections (freedom is the right to be separate). Reductionism is a complex system that can be completely accounted for by analyzing their simple parts. Qualitative relations can be completely understood by quantification. There is no design in nature, neither divine or human (all change is due to either rigid determinism or chance or both. There is no self-reflection within entities (as opposed to an internally generated feedback system). Change is secondary and is not constitutional or necessary. Change is an anomaly or a temporarily disturbance on a more basic state of permanence. Linear or cyclic causality. Initial conditions determine the outcome. The past determines the future. This is as opposed to being pulled in the direction of a future goal as in divine or human teleology. Change eventually leads to a state of equilibrium or homogeneity. This is opposed to change leading to disequilibrium, accumulation, irreversibility and crisis. From this more complex heterogeneous systems may emerge. Two forms of Mechanism; discrete and Consolidation In his book World Hypothesis, Stephen Pepper further divides Mechanism into two parts: Discrete Consolidated Discrete mechanism is ruled by chance. Things are real only if they have a time and place (as opposed to what is real being hidden or sometime in the future) and grounded on primary qualities such as size, shape, motion, solidity, mass (weight) and number. Secondary qualities such as color, texture, smell and sound are not counted Most of the structured features of nature are externally related. These include space from time; every atom from every other atom; every natural law from every other natural law; primary from secondary qualities; names of things from their objects (nominalism). Fields of location are primary Whatever can be located is real. Only particularities exist. Atoms are indestructible and eternal. Time is an infinite one-dimensional manifestation of externally related locations. In the history of philosophy examples of discrete mechanism are Leucippus, Democritus, Epicurus and Lucretius from the ancient world of Greece and Rome. Gassendi, Galileo, Hobbes and Descartes are representatives from early modern Europe. Consolidated mechanism is ruled by determinism The entire world is internally determined, and machine-like. The structure of space and time is completely determined. Historical examples in the history of Western philosophy include Spinoza, Laplace, De La Mettrie, d'Holbach and Helvetius all from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Each form of mechanism is called a "mechanical materialism" by Marxian dialectical materialists. Examples of mechanism at work in understanding the relationship between society and the individual This contrast will be between mechanical materialism and dialectical materialism. Mechanical materialism is the philosophical position of capitalists. Individuals are more than or equal to the sum of social relations. This is in contrast to the Marxian dialectical materialism which says society is more than the sum of individuals. Individuals or families can exist independently of society as in functional or dysfunctional families or healthy or sick individuals. Dialectical materialists would say that whatever problems there are within the family or individuals they are ultimately grounded in larger social institutions. Home is the haven from a heartless society. Dialectical materialism says that, like Martha and the Vandellas, there is nowhere to run. The only haven is building a heartfelt society. The individual's relation to society is voluntary, accidental and contractual, as in Rousseau's social contract theory. For dialectical materialists, individuals' relation to society, is constitutional, necessary and organic. Society exists as a neutral field in which individuals compete to satisfy needs and pursue happiness. The opposite of this for dialectical materialists is society as a womb which gives birth to individuals through cooperative relations. Competitive relations internal to society are a product of the last 400 years (Macpherson, The Theory of Possessive Individualism). Social change only partly impacts individual change. Dialectical materialists say that social change will dramatically change an individual like whether or not they want this. Freedom consists of minimizing external social constraints and maximizing the pursuit of private dreams. Flying "free as a bird". What is the opposite of this? It is discovering freedom by acting first within social constraints and then acting on those constraints and expanding them. As Robert Frost said, freedom is moving easily within your harness. Human beings cannot shape history since history is the result of only determinism or chance. Only extraordinary individuals can shape history. For dialectical materialists human beings can shape history, not just extraordinary individuals. However the shaping is mostly unintended and behind our backs. It is possible to design history in the future. Organic World View In DM view, the organic view is connected with idealism. For us, most of the organic view of the world is the opposite of mechanism. Fundamental assumptions of organicism Relations within a larger whole define entities. Objects will change as the whole changes: Relations within a larger whole internally define what is an object. Commonalities within a larger whole are more important than differences. Differences have to do with differences in the entity's functional role within the whole of which it is a part. Connections within a whole are more important than boundaries. All boundaries are relative and permeable. Anti-reductionism - complex systems cannot be completely understood in terms of their parts; qualitative relations cannot be completely understood through quantification. There is design in nature. There is a hierarchy of wholes with the supreme spirit at the top. Entities grow in self-reflection. They develop self-regulating feedback systems. Change of an entity is inevitable and moving towards the self-development of the whole universe Reciprocal causality. All entities reciprocally affect each other so that what was once a cause is now an effect. It is the future telos or striving that is the final cause. Change inevitably leads to increased differentiation or heterogeneity, increasing expansion and integration with other entities. Organic worldviews on truth, conflict and evil Truth lies in development. Unlike the mechanist, truth is not to be found in local space and present time. It is found in ever-widening connections between entities which will occur in some future time. Appearances are secondary. What counts is an ever-unfolding unity. This unity is in the process of becoming which is deeper than appearances and is largely hidden. The importance of stages. The present state of entities is only a moment of their true identity, which unfolds over time. Conflict is secondary. They are understood as either inconsequential or illusions. Evil is a product of social or psychological problems. It not ontologically real. Examples in the history of western philosophy include Schelling, Hegel, Green, Bradley, Bosanquet and Royce. Contextualism Contextualism shares with mechanism a materialist outlook, but it is not the reductionist mechanical materialism. In many ways contextualism is the opposite of organicism and it has most in common with process philosophy which I will cover shortly. Fundamental assumptions of contextualism Entities have no essence independent of the situation or context in which they are embedded. These contexts are not necessarily wholes or systems (in contrast to the organicist view). The uniqueness of each context is more valuable to understand than the commonalities between situations Anti-reductionism. Elementary analysis can be distortive of the richness of the context There will always be elements in the universe which are recalcitrant and will resist organization and integration (unlike the organicist). Anti-foundationalist. There is no top or bottom in the universe. The search for either an ultimate material building block (mechanism) or a supreme force at the top (organicism) is fruitless. Change is primary and structure is secondary. However, change is not preprogramed in a particular direction as it is in organicism. Emergence. Novel events are constantly coming into being that are unpredictable relative to previous structures. Improvisation in nature produces more complex levels but these levels are not designed. Time is part of the creative process in nature Time is much more than a tracker of events. Time is part of the events themselves and changes them. Reciprocal causality. All contexts reciprocally determine others, but as material, formal or efficient causes. Unlike organicism there are no final causes. Truth is present in every local context or situation. This is opposed to the need to derive natural laws from sensuous events (mechanism). Neither is truth an end point in development as in organicism. Truth lies in its ultimate utility, as successful functioning. Truth is, as William James says, in its consequences, in what works. Most of the contextualism school comes out of the Yankeedom pragmatists, William James, John Dewey, George Herbert Mead and to some extent, Charles Sanders Peirce. Realism/Formism This is the trickiest category of all the schools of philosophy. First, because it is easy to confuse with Organism or Idealism. Secondly, because there is an ontological realism which I will discuss also and an epistemological realism. Ontological realism There is an objective world of universals like Platonic forms, typologies, archetypes and templates which exist transcendentally to either the material world or the human mind that seeks to grasp them. Universals can be love, beauty, or truth. This issue emerged in medieval times over the question of the relationship between the universal and particular things. There were three possible positions: Nominalism - only particular things are real. Universals such as fathers or mothers are not as real as sensually detected objects. Conceptualism - universals exist, but only as conceptions in the human mind. Their being is in human mentality. In the natural world there are only individual things. Realism - universals have existence beyond particular things or mental constructions of those things. Universals are beyond matter and human minds. They are archetypes or like Plato's forms. The main problem of universals is how to connect the particular to the general. Another problem is the relationship between external objects in nature and mental objects. This included the relationship between sense data, perception, representation and ideas. Another problem is the relationship between the mind and the body; that is between mental states and physiological processes. In the history of philosophy in the ancient world, Plato and St. Augustine are good examples. In the medieval world, Duns Scotus defends realism against nominalism. Closer to the present, Charles Sanders Peirce was a realist. Fundamentalist formism or realism assumptions What is the relationship between things and form? Form or types exist prior to things. What is the relationship between commonalities and differences? Commonalities matter more. What is the connection between change and structure? Structure matters more. Change comes out of structure. Change is a sign of imperfection? What matters is what is eternal. Time is atemporal (unlike Organicists). There is design in nature, but it happens once. This is unlike the Organicists for which design is an ongoing process in nature. There are levels in reality, but the levels are there from the beginning. They don't unfold (Organicist) or emerge (process philosophy). Ordering of the levels: descend from the top, down. What is the place of self-reflection? Self-reflection is there from the beginning. It is not an unfolding or an emergence. Type of causality - final causes, due to purpose at the beginning. What is the relationship between appearance and reality? Appearance as surfaces which create illusions (Plato). Reality is invisible, prior to and behind appearances. How do we make sense of conflicts? Conflicts are not part of nature as they are with the Contextualists. They are to be explained away as due to ignorance or wrong information. The ultimate reality has no conflicts. Epistemological foundations are grounded in externalities, eternal forms (Plato) or Aristotle's unmoved mover. What is the realist theory of truth? Truth is externally found in mathematical equations, geometry, maps, diagrams and formulas. This is opposite to the contextual theory of truth. The latter is operational and is manifested in successful functioning or in concrete consequences. Epistemological realism This is directed mostly at Organicists either objective idealists like Hegel or various subjective idealists like Kant or Fichte. Epistemological realism says there is an independent objective world independent from the mind that knows it. When cognition relates knowing minds to objects known or knowable, these objects will always have independence of any mind, human or divine. Epistemological realism comes close to materialism or mechanism because it implies: The independence of biophysical nature. The mind does not exist as a substance but rather as a function of the physical organism. The philosophers who were tenacious examples of epistemological realism were all in the 20th century and included GE Moore; RB Perry, A. Lovejoy; Santayana and Strong. Process Philosophy Evolution In science, the seventeenth century had been the century of physics and astronomy. In the eighteenth century thanks to Lyell, there was the discovery through geology of deep time. With the invention of the microscope, we learned about minuscule organisms. When Darwin began his studies when on the voyage of the Beagle we learned of the vast variety of organisms. But of course, Darwin went much further, first in his discovery of adaptation and sexual selection. Then in 1871 with his book The Descent of Man, the relationship between humanity and the rest of nature was posed without the need for a "Grand Creator" who divinely intervened. Creativity in time In the history of philosophy neither mechanical materialists, nor organicists or realists took time seriously. Along with space, it was a container for natural or social events. Marx and Engels were among the first to suggest that human history was a process of class struggle, rather that the frozen events like congresses or wars. Pragmatists in the late 19th century like Charles Sanders Peirce and Chauncey Wright sought to think not just about quantitative change within organic nature but qualitative change that occurred in large scale relationships between matter (the inorganic), life (the organic) and the human mind. Peirce writes that evolution displays three types: Tychism - evolution of change Anancasm - mechanical necessity Agapism - evolution of creative love It was Henri Bergson who emphasized that "creative evolution" was a never ending process and that static events were temporary thick moments of an effervescence movement the flowed between matter, life and mind. Immanent vs emergent evolution In the philosophy of Schelling and Hegel, organicists had their answer. The lower levels of nature were i mmanent in the higher levels. What happened at the lower levels unfolded from higher forms. Higher forms descended into the lower and brought them up. In the 20th century Teilhard de Chardin and Sri Aurobindo in India continued this tradition. By what if Bergson was right about creativity of time? Does that mean that instead of evolution being immanent, evolution was emergent? What if the levels of nature emerged from lower levels and there was real novelty in nature? This was the road taken by George Lewes in the mid-19th century and followed up on by British philosopher comparative psychologist C. Lloyd Morgan and by the American philosopher Roy Wood Sellars and to a lesser extent by John Dewey. In the field of social psychology George Herbert Mead showed how society was the next emergent property beyond life and matter. Process theology Many see the grandest synthesis of process philosophy in the work of Alfred North Whitehead in his great book Process and Reality. Whitehead did not want to abandon process philosophy to materialists and insisted that God can be seen as a process rather than as a being. Charles Hartshorne learned from Whitehead and added some twists of his own. David Ray Griffin worked to sharpen the work of Hartshorne. Process theologists wanted to unify nature through a kind of panpsychism, without any supernaturalism. Fundamental assumptions and endeavors of process philosophy Despite the differences between theological and secular process philosophy we can still identify many principles that unite them: Movement and change is the primary reality. It is ongoing independently of human intentions. Structure or form is a derivative of change and not primary as it is with the mechanists. It strives to articulate the conditions in which change takes place. To what extent is it the result of necessity, chance or design? It strives to develop a typology of change distinguishing qualitative from quantitative change and distinguishing transitions from crisis. It strives to understand the shape of change whether that change is cyclic, linear, non-linear or a spiral. Are changes oscillations of a primary statis state? Are changes irreversible or reversible? To what extent does change accumulate and have consequences? Process philosophy strives to understand the relationship to time, the past, present and future. It strives to understand the levels of change. Process philosophers involve themselves in understanding the relationship between matter, life, mind and society. It strives to understand the value of change. Is change inherently good, progressive and negentropic? Or is change degenerative, and entropic? Is change necessary? With which other school of philosophy does process philosophy have most in common? Process philosophy shares most in common with contextualism. There are no essences independent of contexts and situations Anti-reductionism - there are levels of complexity in nature. There are recalcitrant elements in nature which resist organization. Anti-foundationalism - change is infinite in space and time. There is no bottom or top where change ceases. Emergence of novel events are constantly happening in the universe. Nature is self-regulating through improvisation. Nature creates and recreates herself. Time and timing is a constitutional element in this improvisation. What Can Dialectical Materialism Learn from Mechanism, Organicism, Formism, Contextualism and Process Philosophy? Mechanism In trying to integrate DM to the five schools, it's best to start with mechanism because mechanism starts from the material world, nature. It dismisses any spiritual essences or interventions. At the same time, DM departs from mechanism because mechanism is reductionist. In contrast, DM shares with contextualists and process philosophy a sense of emergent levels in nature. Furthermore, mechanism lacks a sense of self-reflectiveness that characterizes organicism and contextualism. DM shares with mechanism the conviction that what drives natural evolution is necessity and chance. What mechanism misses is that at the level of humanity there is design in nature in that human social plans that can change nature. Lastly mechanism's sense of matter is that it is dead and externally driven. In DM, as for La Mettrie, matter is dynamic and self-organizing. Organicism DM is directly opposed to organicism in its point of departure. Organicism starts with a spiritual whole whether the whole is of Schelling or Hegel. DM begins with matter in motion. It agrees with organicism that there are levels in nature, but it sees these levels as emergent processes, driven from the bottom to the top. Organicism understands levels in nature as unfolding and moving from top to bottom and back to the top. DM agrees with organicism that self-reflection and internality are an important part of nature. Yet, organicists assume self-reflection is built into the cosmos as a whole, right from the beginning. For DM self-reflection is an emergent process which occurs with the rise of social complexity. Self-reflection is not there at the beginning. DM agrees with organicism that internal relations precede things. However, internal relations only apply at certain levels of complexity. Primitive matter does not have internal relations. It is driven by external relations such as natural selection and chance variations. We agree with organicist Hegel that conflict is the mother of all change. However, Hegel's conflict is too neat and pretty and lacks the "out of control" dimension when conflict is generated outside the system. Formism/Realism DM has the least in common with formism for many reasons. We don't think much of Plato who is probably the most well-known Formist. Like organicists, Formists start with a spiritual essence (Plato's eternal forms) but unlike organicists Formism lacks a developmental direction that organicists share with DM. Also, unlike organicists time is unimportant to Formists, while it is essential to emergent nature for DM. Formists are opposite to DM in that conflict and change are indicators that something is wrong. In DM both conflict and change are more important that stability or types. We agree with Formists that appearances should not be taken as given. For us, the senses can be deceptive and should not be taken for granted. However for Formists, appearances never tell the truth because they depart from eternal forms. For us, sometimes the senses, corrected by reason are trustworthy. We agree with Formists that structures are important, but for us structures are not transcendental, eternal forms. They are a necessary part of nature but they change, disintegrate and reform. Contextualism DM has a great deal in common with contextualism. We appreciate their perspective on situational change, conflicts as foundational in nature and emergence as a property of levels in nature. We applaud its insistence that appearances matter but they often understate the important of structures underneath appearances. DMs are less militant that there are no foundations in nature. Though foundations today keep changing (the nature of subatomic particles) that doesn't mean it will always be that way. Our main problem with contextualism is that it comes out of a liberal understanding of society. The pragmatists - whether James, Dewey and to a lesser extent Peirce and Mead - see the individual as the basic unit. This applies to its theory of truth - practice and consequences. For DM truth for humans is practice, but social practice. Individual practice is not the test of truth for science. Individuals are far too untrustworthy to measure the truth of something. It is the social practice of science which is a much more reliable test. Process philosophy Process philosophy can be broken down into types: The naturalistic process philosophy of Heraclitus, Lloyd Morgan and Roy Wood Sellars. The process theology of Samuel Alexander, Teilhard de Chardin, Whitehead, Hartshorne and David Ray Griffin DM has little in common with Chardin's God or Whitehead's eternal objects. We would take issue with Hartshorne or David Ray Griffin's argument that the internality of nature goes very far back. Rather, psyche is emergent in complex human life. However, some of the concepts of Samuel Alexander can be worked into a dialectical framework. For example, Alexander's slogan "deity is an effort not an accomplishment" is a powerful statement about what matters most is movement rather than things. Alexander's God is the material world in its totality. This makes Alexander a pantheist god. Furthermore, Chardin's concept of a noosphere surrounding the earth speaks to the globalization of society and a planetary communist society in the future. I still find Chardin's description of the growth of the noosphere as breathtaking now as it was to me 50 years ago. Process philosophy has levels in nature, usually matter, life and mind. DM claims that levels of nature are matter, life (biology) and society, not mind. Mind is the emergent result of societies that grow to become complex. In addition, process philosophy has no primary place of conflict in its philosophy. Unlike Hegel and Marx, in which conflict is the driver of evolution, for process philosophy if conflict exists at all in nature it is not given a primary place. As Marxists evil for us has no ontological status. Rather it is a derivative of social life under class conditions. For theological process philosophy, evil has an ontological place though their evil has nothing to do with any fundamentalist devil. DM stress the importance of time, not just in philosophy, but in social life such as the preconditions for capitalism and socialism. Both dialectical materialism and process philosophy see nature as self-regularity and immanent. What's wrong with dialectical materialism DM has two forms of idealism - the objective idealism of Plato, Schelling and Hegel and the subjective idealism of Kant and Fichte. However, it makes no distinction between Formists like Plato and Organicists like Hegel and Schelling. Secondly, while the distinction between mechanical materialism and dialectical materialism is good, the difference between discrete and mechanical materialism is not clear enough. Marx's dissertation of a comparative study between Democritus and Epicurus should have been followed up on. It is my hope that Marxists open up their framework of philosophy to include six types rather than two or three. Please see the table on our website for a summary of the six schools. Click Here Quicklink Not Found Sometimes, authors delete their quicklinks after publishing them. To see if the quicklink was renamed or re-published, please click here. Its been a year and a half since Klondike announced the official death of the Choco Taco. But at Taco Bells Live Mas Live event on Friday, Taco Bell announced they were helping Portland ice cream behemoth Salt & Straw bring its version of the famous ice cream taco treat to the public. In a behind-the-scenes Instagram story, Salt & Straw co-founder and head ice cream maker Tyler Malek showed the cinnamon ancho chocolate taco in a box, alongside dipping sauces. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 12. Kazakhstan will require about $1.15 billion of investment between 2025 and 2060 (6 percent of cumulative discounted GDP) to decarbonize its energy system to reach net-zero by 2060, Trend reports. According to the World Bank's Greening the Economy of Europe and Central Asia (ECA) report, the private sector of the countries in the ECA region will need to make about 7080 percent of the total investment in decarbonization; this figure includes both capital investment and consumption (such as the acquisition of electric vehicles by households). "Governments will need to implement national policies and carry out public investments to incentivize private investments and to help shift the financing of the green transition to market-based approaches," says the report. In WB's view, investments in energy infrastructure can allow countries to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. As WB noted, the transition to clean, affordable, and secure energy will require a range of policies to complement and facilitate required investments and support the shift of resources away from fossil fuels while protecting vulnerable populations. Among them, the World Bank points out the reduction or phase-out of energy subsidies, tax instruments to facilitate the green transition, decarbonization of transportation, investment in skills for a greener economy, etc. To note, Kazakhstan is developing a roadmap for the implementation of the Strategy for Achieving Carbon Neutrality until 2060. The roadmap should be the main tool for the energy transition and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060. In this regard, a working group has been created. More than 200 experts take part in its work. In 2020, over $4.5 million was spent to get Measure 110 passed. Most of that money came from out of state. Supporters spent another $1 million prior to last Decembers legislative hearings on the measure to maintain their influence and keep the experiment going. Again, the bulk of the money came from outside Oregon. All done in favor of effectively legalizing hard drugs, something nobody has ever tried before anywhere in the country. But the wealthy outsiders who funded Measure 110 dont have to live with the consequences. We do. And nobody in the state is happy with those consequences, except maybe for drug dealers and those selling Narcan. The Oregon Legislatures 2024 session is underway, and even though lawmakers work is constitutionally limited to just 35 days, they plan to take on some of the states biggest issues. On this weeks episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, state government reporter Carlos Fuentes runs down lawmakers top priorities and how a state Supreme Court ruling could affect the dynamic in Salem. Plus, public safety reporter Noelle Crombie on lawmakers proposals to roll back parts of Measure 110, the drug decriminalization law approved by voters in 2020. (Crombie recently appeared on Beat Check to discuss Measure 110 and policymakers trip to Portugal, whose drug laws in part inspired the Oregon measure.) Read more: Subscribe to Beat Check anywhere you listen to podcasts to get new episodes each week. You can support local journalism by becoming a subscriber to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Explore more of our podcasts and sign up to get newsletters for the latest news and top stories. The unions representing Portland police and Multnomah County sheriffs deputies as well as staff from several other police and fire agencies said Monday theyll back longtime prosecutor Nathan Vasquez for district attorney, calling him the clear choice in a matchup against incumbent Mike Schmidt. Vasquez, a senior deputy district attorney, is challenging Schmidt, who is seeking a second term. In an unusual move, a half-dozen unions representing Portland and Gresham police officers and firefighters, as well as the Multnomah County sheriffs deputies and Port of Portland officers issued a joint statement endorsing Vasquez. Leaders of the unions said the city and county are at a crossroads. From Multnomah Falls to the West Hills and everything in between, our community is demanding solutions to visceral and often deadly crises playing out on our streets, the statement said. As a coalition of first responders, we are uniquely positioned to see the tragedies of a beleaguered public safety system play out every day. Combined, the unions represent more than 2,000 first responders; the Portland Police Association is the largest with about 900 officers, sergeants and others in the police bureau. The unions representing Portland firefighters and Gresham police previously endorsed Vasquez. The statement called Vasquez uniquely qualified for the position of top prosecutor, citing his wide experience prosecuting major felony cases to minor crimes and working on public policy issues related to drug use, property crimes and violent crimes. Vasquez called the endorsements humbling and said if elected, he will work with public safety professionals to develop innovative solutions that combine compassion and accountability to address the violent crime and chaos on Multnomah Countys streets. The endorsements come on the heels of another from the union representing Multnomah County prosecutors. In the 2020 race, prosecutors and the Portland Police Association endorsed federal prosecutor Ethan Knight, who lost to Schmidt. Schmidt has received endorsements from former governors Kate Brown and Barbara Roberts, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and from Safety & Justice Oregon and the Latino Network Action Fund. Schmidt on Monday released a statement through his campaign saying he appreciates the collaborations his office has developed, including the auto theft and retail theft task forces. These partnerships are showing real results, he said. I appreciate the job our police officers do for this community and look forward to continued collaboration with them to address our most pressing public safety issues. The primary will be held in May, with a runoff next fall if neither candidate wins more than 50% of the vote. Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Lawmakers return to the Capitol Monday to start their second week of work focused largely on housing and homelessness, adjustments to the states landmark drug decriminalization bill and sorting out which of many spending priorities will make the cut. So far, no bills have reached the House or Senate for a floor vote. Sign up for Reckons weekly newsletter covering the three topics never to be discussed at the dinner table: faith, sex and politics. Enter your email to subscribe to Matter of Faith. Deepfake and artificial intelligence-generated pornography have dominated headlines involving everyone from Taylor Swift to middle school students in a small town in Alabama. However, the dark underbelly of this technological menace extends even further. An October 2023 report from the UK-based watchdog, Internet Watch Foundation, exposes how artificial intelligence can be used for sexual abuse through the use of AI to create child sexual abuse imagery (AI CSAM). Were not talking about the harm it might do, said Dan Sexton, the watchdog groups chief technology officer, told the Associated Press in October. This is happening right now and it needs to be addressed right now. IWFs report details how AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery has become a growing problem for law enforcement working to prosecute the people producing and distributing these images. as AI has advanced and become more accessible, so has the proliferation of deepfake images and AI porn. A deepfake is a manipulated video or other digital representation produced by sophisticated machine-learning techniques that yield seemingly realistic, but fabricated, images and sounds. Most AI CSAM found is now realistic enough to be treated as real CSAM. The most convincing images are visually indistinguishable from real CSAM, even for trained analysts, IWF officials said in the report. While the criminal sexual images may not be real, these AI-generated images can still harm children, IWF said. Amid all the focus on realism, photorealism, and hyperrealism, and complex debates about legality simply stated this technology allows perpetrators to generate dozens, even hundreds of child sexual abuse images at the click of a button, the IWF report said. As countries and families grapple with this dark reality, worried advocates say its imperative to understand the global bipartisan efforts underway to protect children and survivors from the pervasive threat of AI-generated exploitation through fake porn. Heres what you need to know: Is AI child porn ethical? IWF says AI child porn is not ethical, as some forum threads have argued among discussions about what is and isnt child pornography. Some commenters in online legal forums have argued that AI-generated child porn is more ethical than child sexual abuse captured on camera because the image created by AI didnt actually happen. The legality of AI child porn was the subject of a May post in the reddit forum r/legaladviceofftopic, where reddit users can ask legal questions that are not suitable for work (NSFW). One user questioned whether images created by combining images of multiple children would be legal. What if the AI takes images of two different children and combines them in a way that makes it look like a real 3rd child? Or images of 1000 different children? u/aiaor asked. Despite this question, which gets at the issue of creating fake images that appear like a real person, IWF is firm on its stance on all AI CSAM: Its never ethical. Its concerning to read some of the perpetrator discussions in forums where there appears to be excitement over the advancement of this technology. Whats more concerning for me, is the idea that this type of child sexual abuse content is, in some way, ethical. It is not, IWF chief executive Suzie Hargreaves, said in the report. IWFs October report found AI CSAM has increased the potential for the re-victimization of known child sexual abuse victims, as well as for the victimization of famous children and children known to perpetrators. The IWF has found many examples of AI-generated images featuring known victims and famous children. The report didnt outline cases of specific famous children whose faked sexual abuse images were analyzed, but IWF said this AI CSAM of famous children is especially troubling since there is likely more data and images of famous children the AI can use to create a new image. The IWF has for a long time seen many examples of shallowfake and deepfake images featuring these well-known individuals, now the IWF is seeing entirely AI-generated images produced using fine-tuned models for these individuals, the report said. Republicans and Democrats are united on this In the US and countries around the world, officials are signing laws that address the issue of AI-generated sexual images. Major AI development companies have issued statements about the issues surrounding their technology being used to create sexual scenarios or perform sexual services. U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle are looking to hold perpetrators accountable through legislation that would criminalize the production of these fake images and allow victims to sue for damage. The Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (DEFIANCE) Act was introduced by Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), joined by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Josh Hawley (R-MO). We greatly appreciate Senator Durbin and Senator Graham for working with us to introduce the DEFIANCE Act to address and prevent non-consensual deepfake pornography. Currently, there are no laws addressing deepfake pornography. Victims are unable to get justice and the problem is increasing due to a lack of consequences, said Omny Miranda Martone, Founder and CEO of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA). SVPA worked with lawmakers to draft the DEFIANCE act. It builds on a provision in the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, which added a similar right of action for non-faked explicit images. The DEFIANCE Act would add a civil right of action for intimate digital forgeries depicting an identifiable person without their consent. The provision would let victims collect financial damages from anyone who knowingly produced or possessed the image with the intent to spread it, the bill reads. There are some issues that are just not partisan issues and this would be a perfect example, said Indiana state Rep. Sharon Negele (R) told Bloomberg last week. Negele filed a bill in the Indiana State Senate that would make it a crime to create or share intimate images that are generated using artificial intelligence without the victims knowledge. Her bill is one of more than a dozen state-level bills addressing AI CSAM in the 2024 legislative session. More than half of all US states have existing laws addressing CSAM. Federal laws criminalizing the content are also on the books and carry penalties of up to 20 years in prison. This is an issue around the world Countries around the world are taking legal action on AI child porn. In September, a man was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in South Korea for using artificial intelligence to create 360 virtual child abuse images, according to South Koreas criminal court system. Australia has already outlawed AI child porn, and has created new regulations aimed at making tech companies like Google, Firefox and DuckDuck Go more vigilant in their efforts to prevent the spread of CSAM. The use of generative AI has grown so quickly that I think its caught the whole world off guard to a certain degree, Inman Grant said. When the biggest players in the industry announced they would integrate generative AI into their search functions we had a draft code that was clearly no longer fit for purpose. We asked the industry to have another go, Julie Inman Grant, Australias eSafety Commissioner, told Reuters in September. But before AI, there were legal questions about cartoons or non-realistic pornographic images. Before AI porn was in the headlines, there were other cases involving cartoon images of child sexual abuse material. One comic book owner, Christopher Handley was sentenced in Iowa in 2010 after he pleaded guilty to charges of possessing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. The 40-year-old was charged under the 2003 Protect Act, which outlaws cartoons, drawings, sculptures or paintings depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and which lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. Handley was the nations first to be convicted under that law for possessing cartoon art. Whats next? Both federal and state legislation will make its way through the vetting process this legislative, increasing the number and span of the laws on the books that address AI porn. Each states top justice department official, the attorney general, in September signed a letter to Congress asking it to examine the growing risk of AI technology and create legislation that explicitly bans AI CSAM. We are engaged in a race against time to protect the children of our country from the dangers of AI. Indeed, the proverbial walls of the city have already been breached. Now is the time to act, the attorneys general said in the letter. To read more from Reckon on issues related to the internet and sexuality: Lane County has settled a property tax dispute with a company hoping to reopen a huge electronics plant in Eugene, clearing a path to restart production there as early as this fall. The tax dispute had threatened to add millions of dollars to annual operating costs for an Ohio company called Stratacache, which bought the factory and its 200-acre site four years ago. Stratacache said the dispute could have blocked plans to reopen the plant, which has been closed since 2008. With a settlement in hand, though, the company says it plans to go forward with plans to manufacture micro-LEDs there for digital signs and hire as many as 400 in the coming years. I am satisfied that we have resolution and continue forward movement, said Chris Riegel, Stratacaches CEO. He said the company and Lane County signed their deal Friday. South Korean memory chip manufacturer Hynix spent $1.5 billion building and equipping the Eugene factory, which originally opened in 1998. It shut down a decade later amid a steep decline in the market for Hynixs chips, laying off 1,400 workers. The factory passed through a succession of owners in the intervening years until Stratacache bought the site in 2020 for $6.3 million. The pandemic snarled global supply chains and delayed plans to reopen the site. Stratacache won $19 million in state funding last year to help finance the restart but then ran into a roadblock with the Lane County assessor. Although the factory had been empty for more than a decade and Stratacache paid just $6.3 million for it, Lane County argued in filings with the Oregon Tax Court that the sites taxable value was at least $29 million, and possibly as high as $50 million. Stratacache maintained the property had a taxable value of $11 million. The two sides argued their case before the tax court last summer. Stratacaches plans and the sites future have been in limbo for months pending the court ruling. The court says it typically takes six to nine months to rule. On Friday, though, Stratacache and Lane County opted to settle on a $16 million valuation. The company says its operations can support the taxes associated with that figure and now plans to finalize its incentive deal with Oregon later this month. The initial valuation is likely to increase if the factory does return to operation and if Stratacache installs manufacturing tools. Lane County is pleased to have tentatively resolved the matter of valuation with Stratacache, county spokesperson Devon Ashbridge said in a written statement. Ashbridge did not respond to questions about why the county settled or how it arrived at the settlements $16 million valuation. About 30 people work at the site now. Stratacache hopes that number will grow to around 100 this fall, provided the company secures the production tools it requires. Everybodys having the same problem, Riegel said. Tool availability, its a challenge industrywide and were not exempt from that. Stratacache hopes to start full production late in the year or sometime in 2025, he said, steadily ramping up its workforce to approximately 400. The industrys maturing quite nicely and we see a lot of opportunity there, Riegel said. This article has been updated with comment from Lane County. -- Mike Rogoway covers Oregon technology and the state economy. Reach him at mrogoway@oregonian.com or 503-294-7699 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe On the sale of 40 new F-16 fighters and the modernization of the existing ones, the US Congress decided to approve the agreement with Turkiye, said the US embassy in Turkiye on X, Azernews reports. US Ambassador Jeff Flake said that Turkiye's fleet of F-16s is important for NATO forces in ensuring future interoperability between allies. On January 27, following Turkiye's decision to ratify Sweden's NATO accession, Ben Cardin, Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, approved the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Turkiye. ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 12. A protocol on training of personnel for the future nuclear power plant was signed among number of Universities in Kazakhstan, Trend reports. As the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan noted, the protocol was signed by the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU), Almaty University of Power Engineering and Telecommunications named after Gumarbek Daukeev (AUPET), International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Khoja Akhmet Yassawi (IKTU), and K.I. Satbayev Kazakh National Research Technical University. Training will be carried out within the framework of a three-stage program in such necessary specialties for nuclear power plants as Nuclear Physics and Technology," Nuclear Energy," Nuclear Reactors and Materials, and Nuclear Engineering.. According to the protocol, future specialists will undergo practical training in these specialties at the Institute of Nuclear Physics. Here, they will be given the opportunity to practice using the stationary research reactor VVR-K. Theoretical training in general educational disciplines will be held at the universities of AUPET, KazNU, IKTU, and Satbayev University. As President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated in his message on September 1, a referendum will be held in Kazakhstan in connection with the construction of a nuclear power plant. "In 2019, on my election platform, I promised that decisions on the most important strategic issues would be made through referendums. The construction of a nuclear power plant is an extremely important issue regarding the future of our country. Therefore, I propose to submit it to a national referendum. Specific dates will be determined later," he added. After this, Kazakhstan presented a list of companies that are vying to supply technology for the country's first nuclear power plant. These are the CNNC (China, HPR-1000 reactor), Rosatom State Corporation (Russia, VVER-1200 and VVER-1000 reactors), KHNP (South Korea, APR-1400 reactor), and EDF (France, EPR-1200 reactor). Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of National Unity Monday condemned in the strongest terms the attack in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, which resulted in the deaths of three members of the United Arab Emirates armed forces and an officer of the Bahrain Defence Force, while on a training mission for the Somali armed forces Photo: (Photo : ERNESTO BENAVIDES/AFP via Getty Images) A 12-year-old boy, who found himself helpless on a ridge close to the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco, California, was successfully saved with the aid of a helicopter, as announced by the city's firemen. San Francisco Fire Department Rescues 12-Year-Old Boy from Cliff In San Francisco, firemen victoriously saved a 12-year-old who was helpless on a 300-foot cliff at Fort Funston on a Saturday afternoon. The event occurred at nearly 4:50 p.m. on February 10, Saturday. The boy had descended the ridge at Fort Funston, a previous military installation, and was not able to climb back up. A California Highway Patrol helicopter was used to convey a firefighter to the site, where the boy was then raised aboard. The San Francisco Fire Department shared the rescue on X, previously known as Twitter, with a video representing a firefighter holding onto the boy as the helicopter raises them from the bluff. Fortunately, the boy remained not hurt, as per KGO. Located on the southwestern border of San Francisco, Fort Funston is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, featuring cliffs that are 200 feet high close to the beach. Fort Funston at San Francisco Located in the southwestern corner of San Francisco, Fort Funston is a former harbor shield installation. Initially named the Lake Merced Military Reservation, it now stands as a secured area within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and serves as a popular off-leash dog park. The fort, devoted to Major General Frederick N. Funston (1865-1917), a figure closely associated with San Francisco, features numerous artillery batteries. Found on Skyline Boulevard at John Muir Drive, west of Lake Merced, the fort was strategically built on windswept headlands along the Pacific coast, overlooking Ocean Beach. The site also encompasses steep sandstone cliffs that provide a nesting habitat for a colony of bank swallows (Riparia riparia). The remaining vestiges of a sand dune ecosystem, once covering the western half of San Francisco, thrive along the headlands, with trailheads contributing to the California Coastal Trail traversing through San Francisco County. Read Also: Miracle Baby Who Was Born As Her Mother Died Under the Debris of Syria Earthquake, Turns One Fort Funston stands out as one of the most attractive beaches in San Francisco. The sandy cliffs elegantly descend 200 feet to a remarkable beach at the city's southernmost edge. Renowned for its wild beauty, this beach is a somewhat hidden gem known to locals, particularly those with dogs, and is a popular destination for hang gliding and flying remote-controlled airplanes off the cliffs. Accessed from the parking lot atop the cliffs, a steep and rugged path leads down to the beach, offering beautiful views of ice plants clinging to the cliff sides and the crashing breakers below. The return climb to the parking lot can be quite a workout. Stretching south of Ocean Beach along the bluffs for about a quarter of a mile, Fort Funston Beach is not only scenic but also occasionally frequented by Bottlenose dolphins, seals, and the occasional whale, visible just past the breakers. However, caution is advised as swimming is not recommended due to the deadly undertow and strong coastal currents. While surfers may occasionally be spotted, the beach is generally deemed too hazardous for most. For those seeking an easier walk, flat paths along the cliff tops offer spectacular views. Beginning to the right of the parking lot, the paved path transforms into sandy sections and winds along the cliff top, passing through a wooded area and eventually leading to lower levels. The World War II ruin, Battery Davis, features a tunnel connecting the main path with smaller ones closer to the sea. Although the path heads toward Ocean Beach, it doesn't quite reach the destination. Related Article: Passerby Rescues 8-Month-Old Baby From Top Floor of Burning Building Photo: (Photo : Adrian Dennis - Pool/Getty Images) The legislation has drawn condemnation from international human rights organizations, but it has also gathered support from activists who contend that it serves as an acceptable disincentive to address a triumph of "rape culture." Parliament Allows Catration for Child Sex Offenders In the island nation of 28 million in the Indian Ocean, the Parliament passed the law on February 2, and the Senate, the upper house, gave its acceptance last week. The next steps involve ratification by the High Constitutional Court and the law's signing by President Andry Rajoelina, who initially raised the issue in December, with the government proposing the legal amendment. Justice Minister Landy Mbolatiana Randriamanantenasoa justified the law by citing a rise in child rape cases, recording 600 instances in 2023 and 133 in January of the current year. Randriamanantenasoa emphasized Madagascar's sovereignty in modifying laws for the overall well-being of its people, stating that the existing penal code has proven insufficient in curbing these offenses. As per the law's wording, surgical castration is mandatory for those found guilty of raping a child under the age of 10. Offenses against children aged 10 to 13 may result in either surgical or chemical castration, while the rape of minors aged 14 to 17 will be punished by chemical castration. Offenders would also face more severe sentences, potentially life imprisonment, in addition to castration. Read Also: Parenting 101: Easy Techniques for Instilling Inner Strength in Children Madagascar Passes Law to Protect Children Randriamanantenasoa explained the aim to provide greater protection for children, with the severity of punishment increasing for younger victims. Chemical castration involves using drugs to block hormones and decrease sexual desire, with reversibility upon discontinuation, while surgical castration is a permanent procedure. Some countries and U.S. states, such as California and Florida, permit chemical castration for certain sex offenders, while surgical castration as a punishment remains rare and controversial. International organizations, including the United Nations Children's Fund, have highlighted high rates of child sexual abuse in Madagascar, which also contends with one of the world's highest poverty rates. Some non-governmental organizations argue that the actual number of child rapes exceeds official figures due to underreporting caused by the taboo nature of the subject and victims' shame, with a significant portion of cases being incestuous. Amnesty International criticized Madagascar's new law as "inhuman and degrading treatment," inconsistent with the country's constitutional laws. Nciko wa Nciko, an adviser for Madagascar at Amnesty, emphasized the need for the law to focus on protecting victims, citing a lack of confidence in the Malagasy criminal justice system due to opacity, corruption, and frequent reprisals against rape victims. Nciko expressed concerns about the problematic nature of surgical castration as a criminal sentence, especially if individuals undergoing it are later exonerated on appeal, and raised doubts about the medical authorities' capability to carry out such procedures. Despite the criticism, some activists in Madagascar support the law change, viewing it as progress and a deterrent punishment in the face of a persistent "rape culture." Jessica Lolonirina Nivoseheno from the Women Break the Silence group acknowledged the normalization of certain cases of sexual violence and the minimization of their seriousness but saw the new law as a potential deterrent, contingent on citizens' awareness of its existence and significance. Related Article: Arkansas Group To Gather Enough Signatures That Could Scale Back Abortion Ban in the State BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, February 12. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov has invited US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit Kyrgyzstan, addressing US concerns about the respect for human rights in the country, Trend reports. Kyrgyz president's press secretary, Askat Alagozov published Sadyr Zhaparov's response to a letter from Blinken. Blinken had previously expressed concern about the draft law on amendments to the Law "On Non-profit organizations," which is under consideration by the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan. "This draft law was initiated by a group of members of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of Kyrgyzstan and provides amendments to the current law On Non-Profit Organizations," adopted back in October 1999. Currently, the above-mentioned draft law has been adopted by the Parliament in its first reading. The purpose of the draft law is to clarify and streamline the activities of non-governmental and non-profit organizations operating in Kyrgyzstan. Today, there are tens of thousands of non-governmental and non-profit organizations that are successfully working throughout Kyrgyzstan, addressing many problems that previously the state had neither the will nor the desire to deal with," the letter stated. According to the president, over the past three decades, a layer of non-governmental and non-profit organizations that receive funding from abroad have appeared in Kyrgyzstan, whose leaders have turned them, in fact, into family enterprises" engaged in sawing off the money coming from foreign sponsors. In this regard, I propose to conduct an audit of the use of funds by non-governmental or non-profit organizations funded by US government organizationsat least for the last 10 years, Zhaparov said. I have the honor to invite you, dear Mr. Blinken, to visit our country and witness that human rights and freedoms in Kyrgyzstan are reliably protected by the Constitution and laws of Kyrgyzstan, the president concluded. My friend Professor Louis Midgley has had a life-long love affair with New Zealand and, being here once again, its very easy to remember and to understand why. We arrived today at the Bay of Islands, on the northeastern coast of the North Island. Most specifically, our ship dropped anchor just off Waitangi, where the pivotal treaty was signed in 1840. Our private mini-bus tour took us to, among other things, a kauri forest, a kauri woodworking shop, the Kawiti Caves, a chocolate factory, the Haruru Falls, and, of all things, the Hundertwasser Toilets in Kawakawa that were designed by Friedrich Stowasser (1928-2000), who is better known by his pseudonym Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser. We drove past extinct volcanic cones, the ruins of Maori hilltop forts (or pas), groves of kiwi and oranges and the like, and through a beautiful landscape of rolling green hills. And the Bay of Islands itself is one of the prettiest places on Planet Earth. Besides, Im in a really good mood, and not merely because BYU beat Kansas State and Andy Reids Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers. And thats all Im going to say. This is what I posted here in February 2012, fully a dozen years ago, when I first launched this blog: For years now, people have asked me whether I had a blog. Ive always answered No, but have felt that, really, I ought to. So, finally, Im taking the plunge. I probably wont be posting long entries here I have plenty of outlets as it is, and am already behind on more writing commitments and goals than I can count but I think it will be useful to post news, announce public presentations (people often ask where or whether Ill be speaking over the next weeks and months), call attention to new articles and books, shamelessly advertise tours Ill be leading, and the like. I may even comment on politics Im really, really into political questions, and have been since I was an early teenager though that may prove to be a bridge too far: Im controversial with plenty of people without picking any more fights. (Which is, by the way, why I wont be allowing comments here. I have no interest in spending several hours a day sparring with anonymous internet critics, and I can guarantee that they would show up here in droves to take a shot at me. But they have venues enough in which they can lament my wickedness and stupidity; I feel no obligation to supply them with yet another.) Notice how many things have changed since then: I do now post long entries (always at least a thousand words in length, which wasnt an arbitrary choice). And no short ones. I no longer post on politics. In fact, several years ago I suddenly ceased altogether to have public political opinions. I do certainly permit comments now, and have for several years. That was at the request of the then-leadership of Patheos. But some things havent changed: Im still behind on my writing goals. There are still folks out there the very same ones that there were twelve years ago whose lives appear to revolve around lamenting my wickedness and stupidity. Some of those same folks, however, are astonishingly adept at missing the point though whether they do it deliberately or by reason of utter incapacity remains unclear to me. I offer an example: Yesterday, I published a blog entry entitled They Thought They Knew What They Were Dismissing. In what I think he imagines to be an actual response to that blog entry, a rigidly dogmatic atheist who often posts comments here wrote that Of course the fact that there is no such thing as extrasensory perception is the only thing that keeps it from being a legitimate science. Since the point of my blog entry had been to suggest that the evidence for extrasensory perception may well be better than is commonly thought (and better than I myself had long supposed), and since the rigidly dogmatic atheist had merely recited his default position without engaging what I had said he seems to have devoted his life to mastering the art of circular reasoning and to perfecting his skills at begging the question; he never actually cites evidence or offers an argument I replied as follows: Poor [rigidly dogmatic atheists] expert deployment of evidence and argument continues to astonish the world! This is how science has always progressed. The fact that there is a luminiferous ether, the fact that our flat earth is the center of the universe, the fact that weights of different magnitude fall at different speeds, the fact that ulcers are caused by stress and that mice spontaneously generate, the fact that atoms are indivisible . . . all of these and many other obvious truths have stood the test of time. But this is how some of the folks over at the Peterson Obsession Board managed to misinterpret my reply: Science has sometimes been wrong. So anything (and Daniel really means anything) is possible. The only limitation is human credulity. It reminds me of a dictum that Ive seen identified as one of the corollaries of Murphys Law: Its impossible to make anything truly foolproof, because fools are so ingenious. Competent critics, if not always immediately welcome, are useful. They help to guard one against error and they also help to sharpen arguments and better define positions. But incompetent critics and disingenuous critics are without value. Theyre merely noise and distraction. Posted from the Bay of Islands, New Zealand In a significant step towards supporting Ghana's industrialization agendawhile empowering young people, Fidelity Bank Ghana, the nations largest privately-owned bank, has generously donated GHS 110,920 to the Design & Technology Institute (DTI) in Accra. This contribution which was championed by the Banks Corporate and Institutional Banking department will support the education of 10 promising students, empowering them for success in the burgeoning field of technology and design. DTI, a leading institution focused on vocational and technical training, plays a crucial role in equipping young Ghanaians with the skills needed to thrive in the modern workforce. However, many talented individuals face financial barriers to accessing this transformative education. Acknowledging the financial challenges faced by students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, DTI partnered with the Mastercard Foundation under the 'Young Africa Works Initiative' 20202023. Mastercard Foundation offers, on a tried basis, up to 90% of scholarships to brilliant but needy learners from deprived and vulnerable communities, especially females. However, students are required to contribute a matching commitment fee of 10%, which poses a significant hurdle for some of the brightest candidates recruited from impoverished communities across Ghana, thus threatening their access to industry-relevant technical training. Recognizing the critical need for skilled professionals and the potential of DTI's students, Fidelity Bank stepped in to bridge the gap. The donation covers the 10% matching commitment fee required for the Mastercard Foundation's "Young Africa Works Initiative" scholarships, ensuring these students can fully access the program's benefits. Fidelity Bank's donation has effectively removed this barrier for 10 deserving students, granting them the opportunity to develop their skills, gain valuable experience, and contribute meaningfully to Ghana's development. This contribution aligns with Fidelity Banks unwavering dedication to equipping young people with the skills needed for industry success while contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. John-Paul Taabavi, Head, Local Corporates, led the entourage from Fidelity Bank in presenting the generous donation to Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, Founder and President of DTI, during a heartfelt ceremony held at the school on Thursday, February 8th, 2024. Speaking during the presentation, John-Paul expressed the bank's deep commitment to social responsibility and youth empowerment, stating, "Fidelity Bank is honoured to support the aspirations of these talented young Ghanaians. Our investment in their education reflects our belief in their potential to drive positive change and innovation in Ghana's growing tech sector." Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, founder and President of DTI, conveyed her gratitude for Fidelity Bank's generous support, emphasizing its transformative impact on the lives of the students. "We are immensely grateful to Fidelity Bank for their partnership and dedication to empowering our youth. With their support, these students can now pursue their dreams and contribute meaningfully to Ghana's industrial development." The beneficiaries of Fidelity Bank's donation expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity afforded to them. Francisca Mensah, certificate one student shared the emotional toll of worrying about school fees: "Paying the fees has been incredibly difficult," she confessed. "Whenever the topic came up, I felt overwhelmed and even cried sometimes, especially with no clear solution. This burden significantly affected my focus and learning. However, thanks to Fidelity Bank, I now have a sound mind tofinally concentrate on my studies without constant worry. I am sincerely grateful for their support." Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, another certificate one student, echoed the sentiment. "Seeing the fee collector used to fill me with dread," he admitted, especially when I knew I was behind. It made me question my place here and hindered my ability to focus. Now, with Fidelity Bank's help, I feel a sense of belonging. I am truly thankful for their assistance. Empowered by this newfound security, Francisca and Abdul-Rahman along with their fellow students, look forward to acquiring valuable skills at DTI and making positive contributions to their communities. Fidelity Bank remains committed to fostering innovation, nurturing talent, and catalysing sustainable development across Ghana. Through strategic partnerships and impactful initiatives with institutions like DTI, the bank continues to empower individuals and uplift communities, with an ultimate view towards creating a prosperous and innovative nation. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Co-founder of Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and Governance Expert Professor Baffuor Agyemang Duah has stated emphatically that, it will be difficult for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu bawumia to exonerate himself from the failures of the government if there are any. He noted that although the vice president, generally, does not take the final decision, Dr Bawumia is the one who has for so many years, been very vocal on government economic policies. In view of this, it is difficult for Dr. Bawumia, according to Professor Baffuor Agyemang Duah, to insulate himself from any blame in the face of challenges because people will always associate the economic policies to the vice President. His comments come at a time when the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) said that the EMT does not have decision-making powers. Dr Bawumia said they only advise the cabinet. As head of the EMT, he had been blamed for the economic challenges that Ghana is facing. Delivering his address at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Wednesday February 7, Dr. Bawumia said Thankfully, I was appointed as chair of the EMT, as a sub-committee to Cabinet we do not have decision-making powers but I am very proud of the quality of advice we have been providing over the years to Cabinet. As vice president, I was asked by the president to assist in solving the problems that were inhibiting the economy. My approach was to help formalize the economy through digitalization as stated in our 2016 manifesto. But speaking on the News 360 on TV3 monitored by Peacefmonline.com, on Thursday February 8, Prof Agyemang Duah said The reality is that generally, vice presidents do not make the last call, they provide advice and the buck simply stops on the desk of the president which has been the reality of all vice presidents in republican states. He further added, But in this particular case, it seems to me Dr Bawumia was very vocal, in fact, in a way being loquacious in articulating the economic policies of this government therefore, a lot of people look at him as spearheading the governments economic policies and therefore if there is a failure in those policies it has been difficult for many people to death him. Source: Kobina Darlington/peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Ashanti Regional organiser for the Small Scale Mining Association, Mr. Kwaku Duah has commended the Vice president Dr Muhammudu Bawumia for the good measures he has outlined to protect smallscale mining in the country from destruction by the activities of illegal miners (Galamseyers) when elected. Speaking in an interview with Asona Dehyie Kwateng, the associations organiser Mr Kwaku Duah said that sustainable small-scale mining will protect the environment and workers as well. He was reacting to the recent visionary promises made by the second gentleman of the land, Dr Muhamudu Bawumia where he pledged to help grow small-scale mining companies into large-scale mining companies with capacity building and assist them to access financing to acquire equipment. The vice president and NPP presidential candidate Dr Bawumia addressing Ghanaians on Ghanas Next Chapter; Selfless Leadership and Bold Solutions For the Future, said, he will support the Minerals Commission and key stakeholders to formalize the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector to ensure that the activities of the entire value chain are sustainably and responsibly done so that most of the gold produced by the sector can be sold to the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and be eligible to be part of the gold reserves of the central bank. Dr Bawumia said he would license all miners doing responsible mining. Districts Mining Committee including chiefs will provide initial temporary licenses to miners. He said, that as long as miners mine within the limits of their licenses no mining in river or water bodies, there will be no more seizure or burning of excavators. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video American Bible University, located in Houston, USA, recently recognized the exceptional leadership qualities, humanitarian efforts, and divine activities of Oseadeeyo Nana Kumi Kodie I, the President and Founder of DADABA GROUP and Development Chief in Akyem Osiem. The renowned philanthropist is known for his contributions and support to the needy through his NGO, the DADABA FOUNDATION. One of the notable initiatives of Nana Kodie is providing monthly stipends to orphans and widows above 60 years old in Akyem Osiem. This act of kindness has brought smiles to the faces of many in need. The American Bible University took notice of Nana Kodie's selflessness and decided to honor him along with other distinguished personalities who have made significant contributions through their respective ministries. During the ceremony, the President of the American Bible University, a retired Army Captain Chaplain, emphasized the importance of integrity in leadership positions. He also encouraged leaders to serve as role models and demonstrate integrity in every aspect of their work, as it plays a crucial role in shaping society. Dr. Olayinka Olubunmi-Williams, another prominent figure at the event, advised the graduands and the general public to uphold integrity in all aspects of their lives. He challenged them to embrace the values and virtues associated with this human quality, emphasizing its significance. Nana Kumi Kodie on his part expressed his gratitude to the American Bible University for the honor bestowed upon him. He also expressed his appreciation to the dedicated team at the Dadaba Foundation, who stood tirelessly alongside him in his humanitarian endeavors. The American Bible University, together with its affiliates in Ghana, annually recognizes students who have excelled in their religious educational disciplines. The university awards associate certificates as well as honorary doctorates, degrees in divinity, doctorate degrees in theology, master's degrees in theology and counseling, and bachelor's degrees, among others. In conclusion, the recognition of Oseadeeyo Nana Kumi Kodie I by the American Bible University is a testament to his exceptional leadership qualities, humanitarian services, and divine activities. It serves as an inspiration for others to follow his example and demonstrates the importance of integrity in shaping society. Nana Kodie's efforts to bring joy to the lives of the needy through the Dadaba Foundation are truly commendable, and we applaud the American Bible University for acknowledging his contributions. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), has welcomed Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias proposal to make National Service optional if elected President. The Vice President, while addressing the nation on his vision on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, pledged that National Service will no longer be mandatory under his government. This, to him, is to help graduates who seek immediate employment after completing tertiary education. Responding to the proposal, NUGS President, Daniel Oppong Kyeremeh, was of a strong view that if this policy is well implemented with government creating more jobs, it will help Ghanaian students who miss out on jobs. He indicated that, because National Service is compulsory, graduates miss a lot of job opportunities. We all know that because NSS is mandatory, some students lose job opportunities so we believe its a good call and will help the students to get job offers right after school, he said on Asempa FM's "Ekosii Sen" programme. The NUGS President added that making NSS optional will also benefit experienced students who could enter the job market immediately after graduation. Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Violent protests in Senegal against the postponement of presidential elections have spread across the country, with the first fatality reported. A student died in clashes with police on Friday in the northern city of Saint-Louis, an opposition leader and a local hospital source said. In the capital Dakar, security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowds. The 25 February elections were last week delayed by MPs until 15 December. President Macky Sall had earlier called off the polls indefinitely, arguing this was needed to resolve a dispute over the eligibility of presidential candidates. Lawmakers later extended Mr Sall's mandate by 10 months. Opponents of the move have warned that Senegal's reputation as a bastion of democracy in an unstable region of West Africa is on the line. Opposition leader Khalifa Sall, who is not related to the president, earlier called the election delay a "constitutional coup". The death of the student in Saint-Louis was reported by Khalifa Sall in a post on social media. "The hearts of all democrats bleed at this outburst of clashes provoked by the unjustified halting of the electoral process," he said. The death was confirmed by a local hospital source speaking on condition of anonymity, and by an official at the university the student attended, according to the AFP news agency. The Senegalese authorities have not publicly commented on the issue. The country's mass protests erupted last weekend. On Friday, demonstrators in Dakar fought running battles with security forces, throwing stones and burning tyres. President Sall has said he is not planning to run for office again - but his critics accuse him of either trying to cling on to power or unfairly influencing whoever succeeds him. Twenty candidates had made the final list to contest the elections, but several more were excluded by the Constitutional Council, the judicial body that determines whether candidates have met the conditions required to run. West Africa's regional bloc Ecowas on Tuesday pleaded for Senegal's political class to "take steps urgently to restore the electoral calendar" in line with the constitution. Senegal has long been seen as one of the most stable democracies in West Africa. It is the only country in mainland West Africa that has never had a military coup. It has had three largely peaceful handovers of power and never delayed a presidential election. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Liberian President Joseph Boakai has tested negative for drugs and illegal substances. The Liberian leader on Wednesday underwent a drug test which he had promised to do during his address to the legislature on 29 January, just a week after he was sworn in. Along with Vice-President Jeremiah Kpan Koung and other officials, the president underwent the test overseen by the countrys Ministry of Health. President Boakai said: "It is fulfilment of my commitment made that we will leave no stone unturned in combating the prevalence of drugs and other substance abuse in Liberia." During his address to the legislature, President Boakai declared drug abuse a "national health emergency". "The drugs epidemic, especially the use of kush [a mixture of cannabis, chemicals and medicine], is disturbing. Its destroying the youth and future generation of our country," he said. The Liberian leader wants all his officials to take drug tests. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Greater Accra Regional Office of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) can now conduct its operations in a fully-furnished and magnificent office complex after Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in Charge of Lands and Forestry, on behalf of the Sector Minister, officially handed over the newly-constructed office to DVLA. A brief ceremony held on Thursday, 08 February 2024 at Kwabenya in Accra saw Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio handing over the keys of the complex to the Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of operations of the DVLA to signify the completion and the readiness of the facility for its operational functionality. Detailing his excitement with the completion of the project, Hon. Benito-Owusu disclosed that the Ministry undertook the construction via a Public-Private Agreement (PPA) with a privately-owned firm known as Unique Development. Providing background context to the project, Hon. Benito Owusu-Bio explained that the Greater Accra Regional office of the DVLA happened to be one of the state agencies which was affected by the Ministrys redevelopment of the Energy City enclave and that the Ministry found it prudent to provide them with a new and even more spacious office complex for that will enhance smooth delivery of their duties. Outlining some of the features of the edifice, the Deputy Minister revealed that the new complex is an upgrade on the demolished one and that it has been built to ensure smooth and effective installation of modernized and digital equipment that will aid the work of the DVLA. He did not fall short of commending Unique Developers for the immense work done and praised the DVLA management for their effective collaborations in getting the place ready. This was done through a partnership between the Ministry and a private company by name Unique Development. The company has successfully relocated the existing occupant of that area. All the replacement facilities were done in consultation with the affected agencies, he said. The Deputy CEO of DVLA in charge of operations, Mr. Prince Edusei Poku acknowledged the incredible work done by the Ministry in providing his outfit a befitting office and assured that the facility will be used for the purpose for which it was established. He further stated that final works will be done expeditiously to ensure that facility is up and running within a year. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, February 12. Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia discussed cooperation in the field of civil aviation, Trend reports. As per the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan, the issues were discussed during a meeting between Tajikistan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Akram Karimi, and the Vice President of the Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation, Ali Rajab. Besides cooperation between the two countries in civil aviation, the sides discussed other mutually interesting issues. According to the Tajik MFA, the establishment of a joint intergovernmental commission on economic, trade, and scientific-technical cooperation holds particular importance for expanding cooperation between Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia. The commission held its inaugural session in 2013. Tajikistan has also established effective cooperation with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) in areas such as healthcare, education, road infrastructure, energy, agriculture, and more. Prempeh College Old Students have paid a courtesy call on the newly-appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah and congratulated him on his promotion. Until his elevation to this high office in January 2024 by President Akufo-Addo, the former student of Prempeh College, served as the Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. The Prempeh College Old Students group was led by the Global President and Board Chairman of Prempeh College, Senior Benjamin Kweku Acolatse Esq., who also doubles as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) in charge of Finance and Administration. He was accompanied by some members of the 1981/1983 year group led by Senior Kwaku Asamoah Addo and the President of the Greater Accra branch Senior Eric Osei Afriyie. The group was at the Military headquarters on Thursday, 8th February 2024 to, among other things, show their support to their very own for his achievement and wish him well in his new office, a role they believe he will perform without a shred of doubt due to his foresight, love and long service to mother Ghana, imbued in him by his almar mater, Prempeh College. In his remarks, the Chief of Defence Staff expressed his profound appreciation to the Amanfo) fraternity especially the 1981/1983 year group for always being there for him in both good and bad times. Senior Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah recounted his days at the College as a Cadet Corp, a period that shaped his love into service. Though many of his colleagues gained admission to various universities, He chose the army over business administration at the University of Ghana. The Prempeh College Old Students presented the CDS, a plaque from the 1981/1983 year group , an artistic portrait of himself done by students of the visual arts department of Prempeh College and a certificate of honor from Prempeh College Old Students Association to honor and celebrate him for lifting high the image of the Prempeh College and Amanfo) fraternity. Senior Benjamin Kweku Acolatse took the opportunity to inform Senior Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah about some activities lined up for the 75th Anniversary Celebration of Prempeh College this year. Prempeh College was 75 years on the 5th of February 2024. A special guard of honor was held by the College Cadet Corps at Prempeh College on that day with an official launch scheduled for Saturday, 24th February 2024 at Prempeh College. He was accordingly invited to grace the occasion. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Schools in Zambia have reopened for the first time this year, after several delays following a deadly cholera outbreak. The reopening of schools was delayed by five weeks as part of a series of preventative measures to contain the spread of the highly contagious disease. The education ministry said it had been conducting school inspections across the country to gauge their readiness to reopen. The spread of the disease has eased, according to the authorities. About 500 people have died since the outbreak was reported last October. More than 15,000 cases have so far been reported, many of them affecting children. Zambia has had several major cholera outbreaks but the current outbreak is the worst in 20 years, according to the government. The outbreak has also caused several infections and deaths in neighbouring Zimbabwe and Mozambique. The international aid group Save the Children says that this latest health crisis is a threat to children's education and protection not seen since the Covid-19 pandemic. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video On February 6, 2024, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia delivered an address at the auditorium of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) where he outlined his vision as a presidential candidate. During the lecture, he outlined several initiatives he plans to undertake if elected President in the upcoming general elections on December 7, 2024. Henry Nana Boakye, also known as Nana B, the National Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), recently spoke on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo' indicating how the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been affected by Bawumia's vision statement. According to Nana B, the NDC has been shaken up by Bawumia's statement. "Bawumia's vision has given hope to Ghanaians...and it has put fear in the NDC," he said. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Vice President of Imani Africa, Kofi Bentil, has clarified his political position, asserting that he has never professed neutrality despite endorsing Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's presidential bid. Speaking on Newsfile on Joy News today, Mr. Bentil stressed his independence, stating that it enables him to objectively evaluate issues or circumstances. He referenced the words of Desmond Tutu, the renowned South African human rights activist, suggesting that neutrality in the face of injustice amounts to siding with the oppressor. "It is for me to tell you I am not neutral, I have never been. But being independent and having the courage of your convictions means you make up your mind and you find the wherewithal to communicate it," Mr Bentil explained. He discouraged linking his personal political views to his role at the policy think tank IMANI Africa, reiterating that his opinions do not reflect the organization's stance and do not impede their ability to address national issues objectively. Mr. Bentil's remarks come amid criticism for endorsing Dr. Bawumia's presidential aspirations. In a Facebook post, Bentil argued that Dr. Bawumia, as a first-time presidential candidate, deserves an opportunity, similar to the chance given to John Mahama in 2012. He highlighted the limited powers of the Vice President in Ghana's governance structure and emphasized that the next government will not be President Akufo-Addo's administration. Mr. Bentil urged Dr. Bawumia not to include key members of the current government in his team if elected, promising to criticize him if he did so. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Charles Owusu, formerly of the Forestry Commission, says Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia should have acknowledged the governments shortcomings before going ahead to present his vision statement. The 2024 presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), during his address to the nation on Wednesday, February 7, outlined a series of policies he intends to implement if elected president. Among his policies, Dr. Bawumia intends to abolish the e-levy, scrap the national service, and reduce his ministers and deputies to not more than 50. Charles Owusu during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', said: "In all, he did well but I think he should've admitted that his government indeed made some mistakes before going ahead." Watch video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It has been more than four decades since the nude, sexually mutilated body of Wayne Leigh Rifendifer was found in a wooded area near Ravensburg State Park in eastern Clinton County. The killing remains unsolved, as does the 1982 killing of 22-year-old Marty Shook in Utah. Police say they were killed by the same gun, and linked by proximity to Interstate 80. Pennsylvania State Police have charged a 20-year-old man with causing a fatal October crash involving his car and a Harrisburg police cruiser. The misdemeanor charge for accidents involving death or injury without a proper license and four traffic violations came four days after District Attorney Fran Chardo authorized the charges after a months-long investigation by state police. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) J.M. Jimmy Van Eaton, a pioneering rock n roll drummer who played behind the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Lee Riley at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, died Friday at age 86, a family member said. Van Eaton, a Memphis native who came to the famous record label as a teenager, died at his home in Alabama after dealing with health issues over the last year, The Commercial Appeal of Memphis reported, with a daughter, Terri Van Eaton Downing, confirming his death. Van Eaton was known for his bluesy playing style that the newspaper said powered classic early-rock hits at Sun like Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On by Lewis and Red Hot by Riley. He also played with Bill Justis and Charlie Rich. James Mack Van Eaton initially began playing trumpet in a school band, but he soon moved to drums, saying in a 2015 interview that it was an instrument that intrigued me. Van Eaton had his own rock n roll band called The Echoes that would record a demo at the recording studio operated by Sam Phillips. His work there led him to connect with Riley and later Lewis. The hardest man to play with in the world was Jerry Lee. I told every musician to stay out of this mans way, Phillips told The Commercial Appeal in 2000. The one exception was JM Van Eaton. Van Eaton became a core of musicians that performed at Sun through the 1950s, the newspaper reported. Van Eaton drifted away from the music business in the 1960s, but he resumed performing by the 1970s, particularly as interest in rockabilly grew following the death of Elvis Presley. FILE - Legendary Sun Records drummer J.M. Van Eaton practices in Tuscumbia, Ala., July 28, 2010. Van Eaton, a pioneering rock n roll drummer who played behind the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Lee Riley at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn., died Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, at age 86, a family member said. (Matt McKean/The TimesDaily via AP, File)AP By the early 1980s, Van Eaton began four decades of working in the municipal bond business. But he also was part of the team that played the music for the film Great Balls of Fire, about Lewis, and he put out a solo album in the late 1990s. He was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame and Memphis Music Hall of Fame. He moved from Tennessee to Alabama a few years ago. Other survivors of Van Eaton include another daughter, two sons and a stepson. His former wife, Deborah, said that private services will be held in the coming week, the newspaper said. An old flame can haunt someone for the rest of their days. In the case of these two poor souls whose love met its tragic end at Penns Cave in Centre County, that may quite literally be the case. Theres plenty of things to look out for during tax season, from being sure not to pay for otherwise free services to avoiding very shady companies. But in the hectic nature of navigating the tax landscape, it may be easy to forget which day tax day actually is. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 12. Uzbekistan imported cars from 31 foreign countries in 2023, Trend reports. The data of Uzbekistan's Statistics Agency shows that Uzbekistan imported 58,070 cars from China, 11,480 from South Korea and 2,210 from the US. In addition, 454 cars were imported from Hong Kong, 419 from Japan, 228 from Germany and 65 from India. A total of 64 cars were imported from the UAE and 49 cars were imported from the UK. There were also 158 cars imported from other countries. Meanwhile, China delivered 83,800 passenger cars to Uzbekistan from January through November of 2023. According to data from China's Main Customs Administration, the recorded number represents a sixfold rise over the same period in 2022, when Uzbekistan exported only 10,400 passenger cars. By Juan Lozano, Acacia Coronado and Jim Vertuno, The Associated Press HOUSTON The young boy who was critically injured in a shooting at a Texas megachurch on Sunday was the son of the shooter, authorities said Monday. Police identified the shooter as 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno, and said at a news conference that Moreno had a history of mental illness, including being placed under emergency detention in 2016. The boy, who authorities described as a 7-year-old, remained in critical condition Monday with a gunshot wound to the head. He had been described as a 5-year-old on Sunday. A motive for the attack that sent worshippers rushing for safety in between busy services at celebrity pastor Joel Osteens Lakewood Church remains unclear. Moreno was killed after pointing the weapon at the security officers, authorities said. In addition to the boy, a man in his 50s was also injured in the shooting, according to authorities. Lakewood is regularly attended by 45,000 people weekly, making it the third-largest megachurch in the U.S., according to the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. Osteen said the violence could have been worse if the shooting had happened during the earlier and larger late Sunday morning service. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner at a news conference Sunday said the shooter wore a trenchcoat and backpack and was armed with a long rifle when they entered the church. Emergency vehicles line the feeder road outside Lakewood Church during a reported active shooter event, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via AP)AP Moreno began shooting before being confronted by two off-duty officers a Houston police officer and a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agent, who returned fire, Finner said. Finner said the shooter told officers after being shot there was a bomb, but a search found no explosives. The declaration of a bomb was also noted in the search warrant affidavit, which said the shooter had a yellow color rope and substances consistent with the manufacture of explosive devices. Finner and other authorities at the scene praised the officers, who have not been identified, for taking down the shooter. Moreno had a long gun, and it could have been worse, Finner said. But they stepped up and did their job. It was unclear how the boy, who was taken to a Houston childrens hospital, was struck by gunfire. When asked whether the boy was shot by one of the off-duty officers returning fire on the suspect, Finner said he did not want to speculate but added: That suspect put that baby in danger. The gunfire startled worshippers. Alan Guity, whose family is from Honduras, has been a member of the church since 1998. He said he heard gunshots while resting inside the churchs sanctuary as his mother was working as an usher. Boom, boom, boom, boom. And I yelled, Mom! he said. Guity, 35, said he ran to his mother and they both laid flat on the floor as the gunfire continued. They prayed and stayed on the floor for about five minutes until someone told them it was safe to leave the building. As he was led outside, Guity could see people were afraid and crying and looking for loved ones. Osteen, 60, took the helm of Lakewood Church after John Osteen, his father and the churchs founding pastor, passed away in 1999. The church has grown dramatically under his leadership. In this screen grab taken from video provided by KTRK-TV ABC13, pastor Joel Osteen speaks to the media after a shooting at Lakewood Church, in Houston, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (KTRK-TV ABC13 via AP)AP Osteen is a leader of what is known as the prosperity gospel, a belief that God wants his followers to be wealthy and healthy. He is the author of several best-selling books, including, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential. His televised services reach about 100 countries and renovating his churchs arena cost nearly $100 million. RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) Israeli forces rescued two hostages early Monday, storming a heavily guarded apartment in the Gaza Strip and extracting the captives under fire in a dramatic raid that was a small but symbolically significant success for Israel. Heavy airstrikes that provided cover for the operation killed at least 67 Palestinians, according to health officials in the beleaguered territory. The plight of the hostages has profoundly shaken Israelis, and the rescue in densely populated Rafah briefly lifted the spirits of a nation still reeling from Hamas cross-border raid last year that started the war. Israel has described Rafah a city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled fighting elsewhere as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in the territory and signaled that its ground offensive may soon target the city. In Gaza, the operation unleashed another tragedy in a war that has killed 28,340 Palestinians in the territory, displaced over 80% of the population and set off a massive humanitarian crisis. More than 12,300 Palestinian minors children and young teens have been killed in the conflict, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Monday. About 8,400 women were also among those killed. That means minors make up about 43% of the dead and women and minors together they make up 73% of the dead. The ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, provided the breakdown at the request of The Associated Press. Israel claims to have killed about 10,000 Hamas fighters. In Hamas cross-border raid on Oct. 7, an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and militants took 250 people captive, according to Israeli authorities. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity after dozens were freed during a cease-fire in November. Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. The government has made freeing the over 100 remaining hostages a top aim of its war, along with destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities. But as the fighting drags on, now in its fifth month, their freedom remains elusive and rifts have emerged in Israel over the best approach to end their ordeal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted persistent military pressure will bring about the captives freedom a position he repeated on Monday even as other top officials have opposed this, saying a deal is the only way to secure their release. A DRAMATIC RAID Israeli military spokesman Read Adm. Daniel Hagari said special forces broke into a second-floor apartment in Rafah under fire at 1:49 a.m. Monday, accompanied a minute later by airstrikes on surrounding areas. He said the hostages were being guarded by armed Hamas militants and that members of the rescue team shielded the hostages with their bodies as a heavy battle erupted in several places at once with Hamas gunmen. The army identified those rescued as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, abducted by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on Oct. 7. Netanyahus office said they also hold Argentinian citizenship. The hostages were airlifted to Sheba Medical Center in central Israel, and their condition was reported to be good. They are just the second and third hostages to be rescued safely; a female soldier was rescued in November. The rescue, which Hagari said was based on precise intelligence and planned for some time, is a morale booster for Israelis but a small step toward winning the release of the remaining hostages, who are believed to be spread out and hidden in tunnels, likely in poor condition. Hars son-in-law, Idan Begerano, who saw the released captives at the hospital, said the two men were thin and pale, but communicating well and aware of their surroundings. Begerano said Har told him immediately upon seeing him: You have a birthday today, mazal tov. The men, wearing sweatsuits, held long, tearful embraces with their relatives at hospital, according to video released by Netanyahus office. DOZENS KILLED IN STRIKES The airstrikes that backed up the Israeli forces hit jam-packed Rafah in the middle of the night and dozens of explosions could be heard around 2 a.m. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Health Ministry, said at least 67 people, including women and children, were killed in the strikes. Al-Qidra said rescuers were still searching the rubble; an Associated Press journalist counted at least 50 bodies at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. Mohamed Zoghroub, a Palestinian living in Rafah, said he saw a black jeep speeding near the Shaboura refugee camp in the town followed by clashes and heavy airstrikes. We found ourselves running with our children, from the airstrikes, in every direction, he said, speaking from an area flattened by the heavy strikes overnight. Footage circulating on social media from Rafahs Kuwaiti hospital showed dead or wounded children. The footage could not immediately be verified but was consistent with AP reporting. A young man can be seen carrying the body of an infant who he said was killed in the attacks. He said the girl, the daughter of his neighbor, was born and killed during the war. Let Netanyahu come and see: Is this (infant) one of your designated targets? he said. CONCERNS ABOUT RAFAH Netanyahu has said sending ground troops into Rafah is essential to meeting Israels war goals. On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation against Hamas in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. More than half of Gazas 2.3 million population is now crammed into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands live in sprawling tent camps and overcrowded U.N. shelters. Bidens remarks, made in a phone call with Netanyahu, were his most forceful language yet on the possible operation. Discussion of the potential for a cease-fire agreement took up much of the call, a senior U.S. administration official said, and after weeks of diplomacy, a framework is now pretty much in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt to fighting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remain, but declined to give details. The official said military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent weeks helped bring the group closer to accepting a deal. Netanyahus office declined to comment on the call. Hamas Al-Aqsa television station earlier quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying any invasion of Rafah would blow up the talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Biden and Netanyahu spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops are sent into Rafah. ___ Federman reported from Jerusalem and Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report. A Kansas City, Missouri woman has been arrested and charged after authorities say she accidentally placed her 1-month-old child in an oven instead of its crib. Mariah Thomas, 26, is being charged with a Class A felony, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, in the death of her baby, according to a press release from Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker. Police were dispatched to a home in the Manheim Park neighborhood of the city at about 1:30 p.m. Friday after getting a call about an infant that wasnt breathing, ABC News reported. After arriving, police saw that the infant had burn wounds all over her body and melted clothing, The Kansas City Star said. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. Thomas told authorities via a statement provided by the infants grandfather that she was putting the baby down for a nap and mistakenly put it in the oven instead of the crib. A close friend of Thomas family told The Daily Beast that Thomas had suffered from mental illness for a long time and had stopped taking her medication when she became pregnant. She didnt mean to hurt her baby, the unidentified woman said. She loved her baby dearly. We appreciate all first responders who worked this scene and the prosecutors who went to the scene in order to issue these charges. We acknowledge the gruesome nature of this tragedy and our hearts are weighted by the loss of this precious life, Baker said in the press release. We trust the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to these awful circumstances. By Vanessa Gera and Lorne Cook, The Associated Press WARSAW, Poland The head of the NATO military alliance warned Sunday that Donald Trump was putting the safety of U.S. troops and their allies at risk after the Republican presidential front-runner said Russia should be able to do whatever the hell they want to NATO members who dont meet their defense spending targets. Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. Speaking Saturday at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recalled how as president he told an unidentified NATO member that he would encourage Russia to do as it wishes in cases of NATO allies who are delinquent. You didnt pay? Youre delinquent? Trump recounted saying. No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills. Trumps remarks caused deep concern in Poland, which was under Russian control in past centuries, and where anxieties are high over the war Russia is waging just across the Polish border in Ukraine. We have a hot war at our border, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday, voicing concerns about whether the United States will show full solidarity with other NATO countries in this confrontation that promises to last for a long time with Russia. We must realize that the EU cannot be an economic and civilizational giant and a dwarf when it comes to defense, because the world has changed, he argued in a town hall speech marking the start of his partys campaign for local elections this spring. In 2014, NATO allies pledged to move toward spending 2% of GDP on defense by 2024. According to NATO estimates in early 2023, 10 of its 30 member states at the time were close to or above the 2% mark, while 13 were spending 1.5% or less. No country is in debt to any other, or to NATO. In a statement, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller said that Trump would be able to more effectively force allies to increase their NATO spending compared to President Joe Biden, and that when you dont pay your defense spending you cant be surprised that you get more war. Stoltenberg said he expects that, regardless of who wins the presidential election, the U.S. will remain a strong and committed NATO ally. The German government did not officially comment on Trumps remarks, but its foreign office pointed out NATOs solidarity principle in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. One for all and all for one. This NATO creed keeps more than 950 million people safe, it said. Trumps comments were of particular concern to NATOs front-line countries, like Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, which were either under the control of Moscow or fully incorporated into the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Fears there run especially high given Russias invasion of Ukraine. Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is allied with the right-wing opposition, and who was seen as friendly to Trump during his presidency, tweeted that the Polish-U.S. alliance must be strong regardless of who is currently in power in Poland and the USA. He warned: Offending half of the American political scene serves neither our economic interests nor Polands security. In an editorial Sunday, German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung also called for European nations to spend more on defense. It said that if Trump wins the presidency again, statements like the one he made on Saturday night will increase the risk of Putin expanding his war. Europeans can only do one thing to counter this: finally invest in their military security in line with the seriousness of the situation. Trumps tenure, which was marked by his open admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, became a near-existential challenge for NATO, an organization largely controlled by the United States. The prospect that Trump might return to power remains a deep concern among allies. Stoltenberg was praised for his diplomatic skills in keeping NATO together during the Trump years, but the former Norwegian prime minister is stepping down. His successor is likely to be announced by the time allied leaders meet in Washington for NATOs 75th anniversary summit in July. Under NATOs mutual defense clause, Article 5 of its founding treaty, all allies commit to help any member who comes under attack. The article has only ever been activated once by the U.S. in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. NATO has undertaken its biggest military buildup since the Cold War since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin contributed to this report. President Joe Biden is reported to be privately fuming at Attorney General Merrick Garland and the U.S. Department of Justice. And Bidens anger isnt solely due to last weeks scathing special counsel report on Bidens handling of classified documents. According to the detailed report in Politico, Biden, whos said to be unlikely to retain Garland as AG should the president win a second term, is angry over a litany of issues related to Garlands and the DOJs handling of several recent cases involving the president; his son, Hunter; and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. The president complaining that the attorney general did not put the president's main opponent on trial sooner is probably not the way things should work. https://t.co/2QdrJj3Pqj Byron York (@ByronYork) February 10, 2024 A reported 86 percent of Americans think President Joe Biden, at 81, is too old to run for a second term in office, a recent ABC News poll showed. The survey was taken following devastating comments by special counsel Robert Hur, the Department of Justice prosecutor who investigated Bidens handling of classified documents. Hurs 300-plus-page report ripped Biden as an elderly man with a poor memory who couldnt be successfully prosecuted in the case -- despite the conclusion he willfully withheld some of the documents. The South Spur of the Kettle Valley Railway heads south from Penticton to Oliver with the most scenic section along the shore of Skaha Lake from Penticton to Okanagan Falls. However, Old Kaleden Road will take you on a parallel higher trail with panoramic views down to Skaha Lake, above. Words: Darkfest King & Queen of Darkfest 2024: Elias Ruso and Vaea Verbeeck Best Moments of Darkfest 2024 presented by Monster Energy: Tom Isteds 110ft backflip on his first drop in on the line, Robin Goomes and Harriet Burbidge-Smith backflips in a train on the step up I love that my season begins with Darkfest because you start with the craziest jumps of your life. It gives you this boost of confidence for the rest of the year. Robin Goomes (NZ) Best Whip presented by Spank Bikes: Dan Paley and Vinny Armstong Darkfest 2024 Best Run presented by GoPro: Bienvenido Aguado The Mind Bender (Best Trick) Award presented by Kenda: Kurtis Downs' And last but not least... The Biggest Burke Award presented by Pinkeye Vision: Vero Sandler for the daring 'Nutty V' haircut. Photos - Eric Palmer, Tom B, Syo Van Vliet Recapping on a massive edition of Darkfest 2024 in the Vuurberg mountains near Stellenbosch, South Africa. Hosted by Darkfest mastermind Sam Reynolds, with the full week seeing some of the most progressive riding ever seen on the XXL course. From huge makes, some brutal slams and plenty of good times on and off the bikes, the spirit of MTB freeride is alive and well.The riders had to endure some tricky conditions throughout the week, from changing wind directions and high temperatures. Prompting some early 5:30 am wake-up calls to ensure a chance of riding. With ground-breaking tricks landed and new standards being set for female mountain biking. Finishing the week-long event with rider-voted awards for riders who pushed their personal limits.Dan Paley unfortunately suffered a nasty crash on the final day which resulted in him breaking multiple bones and requiring surgery in South Africa before he heads back to the UK. All help towards Dan Paleys surgery on the broken leg and wrist he sustained this Saturday is being directed to the GoFundMe set up by Veronique Sandler and the other riders.Bienve is well known for putting down some of the heaviest top-to-bottom runs and this year was no exception. With a run including a flip on the 90ft and a gigantic front flip on the rocket launcher feature.nothing to double-grab to rock-solid was a wild FMX-inspired combo, the likes of which has never been seen before.Event medics were kept busier than usual this year with a number of big crashes writing off bikes to the workshop and multiple rider visits to the hospital, including Carson Storch, Kurt Sorge, Talus Turk and Dan Paley. Despite this, Darkfest 2024 went off, setting the tone for the year and producing some of the most engaging Freeride Mountain Bike content at a location unlike any other in the world. Stay tuned for the full video highlights coming soon!Sarah: Vincent Meli Continues His Hot Form and Becomes a GUKPT Champion February 12, 2024 Matthew Pitt Senior Editor Vincent Meli has added the 2024 Grosvenor UK Poker Tour (GUKPT) Manchester Main Event title to his many poker accomplishments, as his rich vein of form shows no signs of slowing down. In November 2023, Meli came out on top in the 1,100 PokerStars UKIPT Nottingham Grand Final, helping himself to a career-best score worth 159,325 ($197,323). Less than a month later, Meli took his boosted bankroll to the Czech Republic, where he finished ninth in the 5,300 PokerStars EPT Prague Main Event for 95,000 ($102,275). Meli got off to a flying start in 2024, finishing third in the 1,250 GUKPT London Main Event for 58,690. Now he can call himself the 2024 GUKPT Manchester Main champion, and brag about an 83,897 ($105,908) payday. McNicholas Warms Up For GUKPT Manchester Main Event With High Roller Victory Read the recap Big Names in Attendance for the GUKPT Manchester Main Event The 2024 edition of the GUKPT Manchester Main Event attracted 426 entrants, including re-entries, slightly down on the 445 buy-ins in 2023. Those entrants created a 454,000 prize pool, with the top 56 finishers receiving a slice of the pie; a min-cash tipped the scales at 2,250. Waheed "Wadey" Ashraf was among the first players to bust inside the money places. Other cashers included Daniel Laidlaw, Christopher Johnson, Timothy Chung, Brandon Sheils, Alex Montgomery, Calogero Morreale, Yucel "Mad Turk" Eminoglu, Stuart Rutter, and Team Grosvenor's Katie Swift, the latter falling in 11th place. 2024 GUKPT Manchester Main Event Final Table Results Rank Player Prize 1 Vincent Meli 83,897* 2 Tom Laghzaoui 72,710* 3 Jamie Brown 64,243* 4 Paul Trotter 31,300 5 Lee Tatters 21,300 6 Bin Fu 15,000 7 Dean Hutchison 12,000 8 James Parker 10,400 9 Robert Douras 8,800 *reflects a three-way deal Robert Douras was the final table's first casualty. He called a raise with five-four of diamonds in the big blind after Lee Tatters had opened the betting. Douras flopped an open-ended straight draw and a flush draw, and ultimately got the rest of his stack into the middle. Tatters held pocket kings, which faded the myriad of outs to send Douras home in ninth. The surviving eight players were now guaranteed a five-figure payout, and James Parker was the first finalist to capture such a sum. The short-stacked Parker got his stack in with ace-deuce only for Meli to call with pocket nines. The community cards didn't even flirt with coming to Parker's rescue, and he crashed out in eighth. There were sighs of relief when Dean Hutchison bowed out in seventh. You may recall Hutchison was the sixth-place finisher in the2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, and knows his way around a poker table. Hutchison's final act of this latest final table was to get his chips in with ace-five after Tom Laghzaoui had opened from early position. Laghzaoui looked up Hutchison with the dominating ace-king, and Hutchison was gone a few moments later. Grosvenor Casinos Unveils 2024 GUKPT and 25/50 Schedule Bin Fu was eliminated in sixth and collected 15,000, the second-largest haul of his live poker career. Fu got the last of his chips into the middle with queen-jack, and Meli called with ace-six. Neither a jack, nor a queen made an appearance on the community cards, and Fu headed to the cashier's desk. The final five became four after the untimely demise of Paul Tatters. Tatters called all-in with ace-three from the big blind, only to discover Laghzaoui had him crushed with ace-ten. The board provided no assistance to Tatters, and he made his way to collect the largest live score of his career, 21,300. Paul Trotter, winner of the 3,500 Super High Roller a the 2023 Goliath, had to make do with a fourth-place finish in this event. Trotter's tournament life was pinned to a pair of deuces in the hole, and they needed to connect with the board to crack Meli's pocket tens. The tens held, and the 2024 GUKPT Manchester Main Event was down to a trio of potential champions. The final three players made an ICM-based deal that left the trophy and 3,000 to play for. Jamie Brown was the biggest beneficiary of the deal because he bowed out in third and collected over 16,000 more than he would have done without a deal in place. Brown's exit came at the hands of Laghzaoui, with Brown's nine-seven of hearts proving no match for the ace-eight of Laghzaoui. Luke Porter Defies the Odds to Become the 2024 GUKPT London Champion Meli went into the heads-up battle with a decent chip lead, but victory was far from guaranteed. Approximately 40 minutes into the one-on-one section of the Main Event, the final hand played out. Laghzaoui min-raised to 200,000 with queen-three, and Meli called with queen-jack. Both players connected with the five-queen-deuce fop, which contained two spades, although neither player held a spade. Meli checked, Laghzaoui bet 150,000, and Meli check-raised to 500,000. Laghzaoui called. The turn was the four of diamonds, and Meli led for 800,000, which Laghzaoui called. Meli used a time bank card on the ten of spade river before moving all-in for 3.4 million into the 3 million pot. Laghzaoui only had 2.3 million behind. After pondering his options while using all of his available time bank cards, Laghzaoui called, only to be shown the bad news that he was well beaten. Laghzaoui, who finished second in the 2022 GUKPT Leeds Main Event, had to settle for another runner-up finish, while Meli became a GUKPT Main Event champion for the first time. Upcoming 2024 GUKPT Festivals Players do not have long to wait before the next GUKPT festival takes place because the eagerly-anticipated GUKPT Open runs in Coventry from February 22 through March 3. That stop features a 1,500 Main Event plus a whole host of side events. PokerNews will bring you the GUKPT Open schedule shortly, so watch this space. Dates Festival Main Event Buy-in Feb 22-Mar 3 GUKPT Open 1,500 Mar 10-17 GUKPT Blackpool 1,250 Apr 4-14 GUKPT Edinburgh 1,000 Apr 25-May 5 GUKPT Luton 1,000 May 16-26 GUKPT London 1,250 May 30-Jun 9 GUKPT Leeds 1,000 Jul 25-Aug 4 GUKPT Goliath 200 Sep 12-22 GUKPT Luton 1,250 Oct 30-Nov 10 GUKPT Blackpool 1,250 Nov 21-Dec 1 GUKPT Grand Final 2,000 Sharelines Check out how the final table went down in the 2024 GUKPT Manchester Main Event. Aiken Standard Reporter Erin Weeks is a reporter with the Aiken Standard. She covers education in Aiken County. Erin is a graduate of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Her first poetry book, "Origins of My Love," was published by Bottlecap Press in 2022. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers Aiken Standard reporter Matthew Christian is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. He covers the Savannah River Site, city of Aiken and politics. Matthew previously covered government and politics for the Morning News in Florence. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Law and the University of Charleston in West Virginia. To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers Haley touched on the border crisis, with an emphasis on encouraging immigration by legal means. "My parents came here 50 years ago, legally. [They] put in the time, put in the price. Theyre offended by whats happening from the border. When it comes to legal immigration, we should do that at the same time that we secure the border. It shouldnt take 10 years for someone to become a citizen. But instead of having quotas, lets have people come here based on merit, things that are gonna really strengthen our country," she said. "The second we stop being a country of laws we give up everything this country was founded on. We have to secure the border, there [are] no more excuses, theres no time to waste," she added. "That's the way it should be done." She also weighed in on her time as South Carolina governor and noted the kind of support she wants to give to state governors. "Presidents typically meet with their governors once a year. I'll meet with our governors once a quarter, Republican and Democrat, with the sole purpose of supporting them in how they're lifting people up instead of having them be dependent on government," she said. She added that her goal is to take "as many federal programs as we can" and send them down to the state levels. "That way, it's empowering people on the ground but it's reducing the size of the federal government. It's the best thing I think we can do." Her message to South Carolinians in the CSRA and beyond is to remember to vote early starting on Monday, and that the election is on Feb. 24. "[In] general elections, youre given a choice. In a primary, you make your choice," she said. "South Carolinians need to get out and make their choice." NORTH CHARLESTON Jirah Perkins' acrylic painting "PlayPen" was selected as the winner of the 2024 North Charleston Arts Fest poster design competition. One of 106 entries from 43 artists working in 20 cities across South Carolina, Perkins' piece will be used to promote this year's Arts Fest, which will take place May 1-5. In addition, Perkins was awarded a $1,000 cash prize, and the piece has become part of the city of North Charlestons public art collection. "The colorful abstract painting highlights the connection of imaginative play and experimentation surrounding the arts," the city's Cultural Arts Department said in a statement. The silhouettes shown in the piece are from images the artist captured of her toddler son, Jace, while he was busy playing in a world of his own. I believe that children play a pertinent role in the arts and have the power to inspire and build a new future," said Perkins. This piece is also an ode to Jace's love for music, seen in the piano keys. The vibrant colors and organic shapes incorporated in 'PlayPen' are how I imagine his and many other creative minds to appear. While figures are seen in the foreground, indigo is featured in the background. This piece honors the artistic gifts of the South and the future of the next generation born here, she said. Perkins is a multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Charleston. She has been creating ever since she was a child and now, through UJORII Fine Art, she experiments with a variety of different media, creating pieces that incorporate bold colors, textures and her photography archive. "Ujorii" originates from the combination of "ujima," meaning collective work and responsibility, and "satori," which means sudden enlightenment and understanding. Perkins believes that, as a society, it is our duty to cultivate the world as a collective. She incorporates themes such as adolescence, Black womanhood, family and ancestry. COLUMBIA A new Pilates studio from the owner of Base Camp Fitness on Millwood Avenue is coming to Columbia's Rosewood neighborhood. Drew Mobley, a South Carolina native who owns the group fitness studio next to Starbucks, will open Tremble alongside his wife, Tori, in the former space of Studio Fire. The more laidback residential area of Columbia has become a hub in recent years for workout classes. "This spot is a known fitness corridor," Mobley said, pointing to other studios in the area. "Rosewood is growing ... and we're excited to be in (this) community." The Pilates-inspired studio will open in a part of Rosewood that's become more focused on targeting a health-conscious market. In the same corridor, neighborhood bar The Hoot, which opened in June of last year, focuses on solid cocktails and plant-based meals. Studio Fire, a popular yoga studio, now operates across the street from the upcoming Tremble space. Less than a minute up the street is Rosewood Market, a locally owned grocery store with healthy, organic options as the central focus. Tremble is a Miami-based franchise that has locations across the Sunshine State and a few scattered in states such as Nevada and New York. The Columbia location, 3000 Rosewood Dr., will be the first in South Carolina. The fitness studio's methods vary slightly from typical pilates in that it makes use of a reformer machine, of which Tremble will have roughly a dozen. "We see a demand for it. There's a demand for this type of workout and not enough supply. You can look at other studios around town (similar to this) and every class is waitlisted," Mobley said. The cost of a membership will be in line with similar group fitness and pilates studios in the area, Mobley said. He hopes to have his 2,000-square-foot studio space up and running by mid-April of this year, he told the Post and Courier. He opened his other fitness studio, Base Camp Fitness, around the same time of year in 2021. GREENVILLE Two years ago, Kaipo Sotelo and Evan Rogers met at Starbucks on Woodruff Road. It was the first time they hung out one-on-one, though they had mutual friends. But instantly, Sotelo pulled out his 10-year plan, featuring a near-decade long goal: To host a Ted Talk. Two years later, Sotelo and Rogers have become friends, business partners and now, they are bringing Ted Talks back to Greenville highlighting local entrepreneurs in various disciplines. Whats been really cool about this whole thing is we feel like we're two 20-somethings trying to figure it out, Rogers said. I think both me and Kaipo felt that energy was contagious in the city, especially with people trying to meet other people in other disciplines. On Feb. 24, the two will host Greenville's TEDxUnity Park at the Kroc Center, featuring 15 presenters including entrepreneurs, doctors, former college wide receives, chefs and musicians. It represents Greenvilles first standard TEDx Talk since 2021 the popular series where presenters give 12 to 18-minute speeches on specific topics, from tech to self-help to education. Over the years, TEDx Talks the local version of Ted Talks has garnered millions of views online, with nearly 3,000 events per year internationally, though it requires a detailed and tedious process to be accepted. TEDxUnity Park's participants will include James Beard-nominated chef and owner of Comal 864 Dayna Lee, photojournalist Anthony Modesto Milian, Shark Tank contestant Teddy Giard and Sum Bar restaurant owner Khailing Neoh. We really have worked hard to try to match the young entrepreneurial energy that we have felt in the city, Rogers said. Not just that, but also the kind of outside growth from people that are transplanting here. What I thought was the rising tide my physical vigor that kept rhythm with the rising energy of spring is more like the ebb at my more advanced age. And, the side of life I thought was like the ebb tide, like Lent, is in truth more like the flow. Read moreAging for Amateurs: The two narratives of life BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. The death toll from the massive Israeli Defense Forces strike on the city of Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt, has risen to 100, Trend reports. More than 230 people were injured. Most of the victims of the attack are women and children. Kingstree Farmers Market returned on March 9 to its home at 136 N. Academy Street. The market, which takes place on the second Saturday of each month, has shortened its season and will no longer be year-round, according to market coordinator, Kristen Lesesne. The 2024 season will run March Read moreKingstree Farmers Market returns with a few changes With the Cooper River Bridge Run mere weeks away, two of the thousands of contributors who chipped in on the building of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from 2001-2005 hearkened back to the efforts that went into making the structure an iconic masterpiece. Read more'Built to last forever': Workers recall Ravenel Bridge construction HAMPTON Jerry K. Rivers, a cog in the operation that supplied convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh with painkillers, was sentenced Feb. 12 to seven years in prison for his role in the scheme and other crimes investigators uncovered during their probe. Rivers, of Walterboro, has said he never met Murdaugh, the once-prominent Hampton attorney whose downfall brought him under the microscope of South Carolinas state grand jury. But prosecutors contend Rivers was an important link in the chain that fed Murdaughs opioid addiction, taking money from Murdaughs dealer, buying pills from acquaintances with prescriptions and pocketing the rest sometimes making as much as $40 a dose. Judge Clifton Newman, who has overseen the broad universe of Murdaugh-related criminal cases, credited Rivers with being forthcoming about what he'd done and having spent more than 200 days in jail already. At the same hearing, the judge also sentenced Spencer Roberts, another Walterboro man ensnared in the Murdaugh investigation's dragnet, to eight years for crimes not directly linked to the Murdaugh saga. He previously pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming COVID-19 government aid and unemployment benefits. But prosecutors disclosed in court that Roberts has also been indicted on allegations of money laundering and drug distribution in connection with the Murdaugh scheme. Those charges are still pending. For his part, Rivers allegedly handled more than $88,000 in his partnership with Curtis Eddie Smith, Murdaughs distant cousin who faces several pending charges for his alleged role in the operation. According to prosecutor Johnny Ellis James Jr., Rivers cashed his last check from Smith on Sept. 3, 2021, the very same day Murdaughs law partners discovered hed been stealing from clients for years. The Blake Plateau cold-water coral province is a vast deep-sea reef habitat about 100 miles southeast of Charleston. At an expansive 6.4 million acres, with a coral-dense center of about 1.5 million acres, it is larger than the state of Vermont and was recently confirmed as the largest known deep-sea reef in the world. The province's white coral "highways" provide shelter for small fish, crabs, shrimp and thousands of other species. It is a connected ecosystem that exists in a world of darkness, crushing pressure and frigid temperatures. "We've known that there were cold-water corals in this area for decades," said Erik Cordes, a professor at Temple University and a researcher involved in a yearslong, multi-partner mapping project of the watery province. "What we didn't know was the extent of the reef and the fact that it's one continuous reef system, not a few isolated patches of coral habitat." Now, significant marine heat waves threaten the reef and the unique ecosystem it supports. "Over these reefs, we've measured temperature increases in one day of 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit," Cordes said. "That feels like it's a fast temperature change to us. But in the deep sea, these corals are used to an incredibly stable environment." Given the sheer size of the deep sea, and the fact that most of it still hasn't been properly mapped, the distribution of cold-water coral is still "poorly understood," according to a recently published study outlining the mapping project's findings. But they appear to be primarily restricted to waters between 39 degrees and 57 degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature swing as wide as Cordes describes could easily push coral out of its comfort zone. And the Blake Plateau corals aren't the only reef feeling the heat. Rising ocean surface temperatures contributed to the loss of about 14 percent of Earth's coral between 2009 and 2018, according to a report by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. Writ large, last year was the hottest on record for Earth, and NOAA reports there's a 99 percent probability that 2024 also will rank among the top five hottest years on record. The global temperature average was about 58.96 degrees Fahrenheit in 2023, about 0.3 degrees higher than the previous record set in 2016, according to a calculation from the European Union's Copernicus Programme. Most of the increase can be attributed to greenhouse gases. It was record-breaking for seven months. We had the warmest June, July, August, September, October, November, December, Copernicus Deputy Director Samantha Burgess told the Associated Press. It wasnt just a season or a month that was exceptional. It was exceptional for over half the year. Global average temperatures in 2023 were about 2.66 degrees Fahrenheit above the pre-industrial era. And while formal climate recordings only go back into the 19th century, the AP reports that evidence from tree rings and ice cores indicates Earth is likely at its hottest point in more than 100,000 years. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the upper ocean heat content, which is a measure of the amount of heat stored in the top 6,500 feet of the ocean, also hit its highest point on record in 2023. Cordes said scientists haven't known about this reef long enough to be able to tell if there's been significant change in the amount of living coral on the reef over the years. But well-documented shallower reefs in the Gulf of Mexico that have experienced die-offs could offer a potential lesson on the Blake Plateau reef's past and future. He added that the Blake Plateau reef still is in "really good shape." But that may not remain so as marine heat waves continue to permeate the coral. "We expect that this reef has been here for at least hundreds of thousands of years," Cordes said, adding that he wouldn't be surprised if the shallower ends of the reef around 1,300 to 1,640 feet below sea level start dying off in the next few years. "They've endured a lot of different kinds of changes but probably haven't seen changes at the rate we're seeing right now," he said. "The change is happening faster than we think they can adapt." Deep sanctuary, for now While its upper reaches are racked by marine heat waves, the deepest portions of the Blake Plateau coral province could offer a sanctuary from rising temperatures. Alison Chase, a senior policy analyst for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said it's possible that species residing within the higher ends of the reef might migrate to the cooler depths as heat waves worsen. The reef's deeper portions can be found around the 2,600- to 3,000-foot range. "As the temperatures for our oceans continue to rise in a warming world, those areas are likely to provide crucial refuge for the deep-sea, reef-building corals and all the other life around it," she said. An almost perfect inverse effect can be seen in Earth's mountainous regions. A 2021 study in the journal Ecology Letters documented how the natural ranges of certain species move up mountains to escape extreme heat on lower land. That effect is occurring 10 times faster in tropical mountainous regions than in more temperate mountainous areas. There's just one problem: The deepest portions of the Blake Plateau are a relatively untapped aquatic cash cow. At those depths, valuable reserves of oil and minerals such as manganese can be found. Much of the Blake Plateau cold-water coral province falls within a protected area established by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Significant areas of the reef are located outside that zone, so researchers have been communicating with the council about expanding the protected real estate to include those areas, Cordes said. Chase said the management council doesn't have control over non-fishing industries like oil and gas or deep-sea mining. The area's existing protections from oil and gas interests are scheduled to expire in 2032, according to the NRDC. The debate over who gets access to the depths of the Blake Plateau likely will heat up as that deadline approaches. Chase said establishing marine sanctuaries, expanding others and protecting the sea floor in that area from heavy industrial work would add essential safeguards to the deep-water refuge areas. Any significant damage to cold-water corals can take hundreds or thousands of years to repair. Deep-sea corals only grow a few millimeters per year, according to NOAA. For comparison, a human fingernail grows an average of 3.5 millimeters per month. S.C.'s fishing industry The Blake Plateau cold-water coral province plays an essential role in supporting the marine life that South Carolina's fishing industry depends on. That's partly why the area is protected by the Fishery Management Council, which is based in North Charleston. While many species of marine wildlife can migrate to the depths when warm water sweeps over the plateau, most have a breaking point. Just as limited oxygen at the top of a mountain may prevent the upward migration of land-based species, the crushing depths of the ocean can bar marine species from moving downward. South Carolina's fishing industry depends on the aquatic species that call Blake Plateau's corals home. Brooke Blosser, the land, water and wildlife project manager for the Charleston-based Coastal Conservation League, said those species can get stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. "At 650 feet, you might have some fish species that do not exist at 2,000 feet, even though the corals can exist at both depths," she explained. "If the corals that are living at 650 feet are migrating down, or suffering as a result of those heat waves, then all of a sudden you're changing the habitat at that 650-feet mark." One 12-inch deep-sea coral can support up to 2,000 animals, including crabs, shrimp and small fish, according to the Conservation League. Wreckfish, also known as stone bass, and barrelfish also inhabit the depths of the Blake Plateau around an area off the coast of South Carolina called the Charleston Bump, and could become an alternative commercial species as fish populations in shallower waters decline, according to NOAA. While adult wreckfish can exist down to 3,300 feet, they depend on shallower environments during the early stages of their life cycle. Marine heat waves along the Blake Plateau can also have an indirect effect on the health of local fish species. The deep-sea corals can change organic material into nutrients that are sucked upward, where they support an entire ecosystem near the ocean's surface. According to the Conservation League, bluefin tuna, swordfish and grouper all live in the surface zone above the Blake Plateau and indirectly depend on the nutrients that are sucked up from the depths below. The upper reaches of the system are also home to bottlenose dolphins, loggerhead sea turtles and whale sharks, all of which also feed on the species that consume the coral-filtered nutrients. Blosser emphasized that the Blake Plateau cold-water coral province is a foundation upon which the Southeast Coast's marine ecosystem rests and it, in turn, supports the fishermen who depend on the Atlantic to make their living. Charleston County is poised to take the opportunity created by a change in state law and use more than $4 million in tourism taxes for affordable housing. The money would establish a housing trust fund, something the county and housing advocates have long debated. That comes on top of more than $20 million in housing initiatives the county used federal funds to launch. Until 2023, state and local hotel taxes could only be used to attract and serve tourists. That meant advertising, supporting local venues and events that attract overnight visitors, and even boosting police department budgets. Now, local governments can use up to 15 percent of the accommodations taxes they collect to fund "workforce housing" efforts. For Charleston County, that's $4.15 million based on last year's taxes. The money would not be taken from venues and events that rely on the A-tax, as it's known, but would come from unbudgeted reserve funds. "This is a way, truly, to enshrine a workforce or affordable housing trust fund in the county's budget," said Councilman Kylon Middleton. It is, and it isn't. State law only allows A-tax funds to be used for housing until 2030. Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, who sponsored the bipartisan legislation that was signed into law in May, has said it will hopefully be extended if it proves successful. Towns and cities, including Charleston and Mount Pleasant, had called for the law's passage. Greenville directed A-tax money to existing housing efforts the same month the bill became law. Charleston County's plan is to negotiate with the South Carolina Community Loan Fund which was previously the Lowcountry Housing Trust before expanding statewide to structure and manage a housing trust fund. At the same time, in another housing initiative, the county plans to use $2.5 million in federal funds to create a land bank to support affordable housing development. Details are to be developed by the county's staff and lawyers, and the county expects to contract with "a qualified partner" for the initial program. Conventional wisdom says you shouldnt intervene when your opponent is shooting himself in the foot, and we normally think thats good advice. But what if you can help him aim better? This week, House Republicans doing the bidding for what The Post and Couriers Nick Reynolds calls several obscure hardline gun organizations are expected to reject the Senates version of their misnamed constitutional carry gun bill, because those groups have taken a no-compromises position. Mind you, both the House and the Senate versions of H.3594 do much more harm than good and the only good they do is through an unrelated anti-crime provision the bills authors added in hopes of winning the support of some anti-crime Republican senators who know our state will not be better off if practically everybody is allowed to carry guns in public with no training, no background checks and no permits. The ploy worked but only after those senators made some extraordinarily modest changes; well, and one grotesquely self-serving change. The penalty for carrying guns into places where theyre not allowed has never been high, but the version of H.3594 passed by the House reduced it even more. The Senate kept those minor penalties for anyone who chooses to go through the permitting process but went in the other direction for people who decline to get a permit, with harsher criminal penalties if they carry their guns in hospitals, schools or the handful of other places theyre prohibited. Supporters said they hoped this change would encourage more people to get what would become an optional concealable weapons permit, which requires a criminal background check and minimal training in both how to use a gun and where and how people can legally carry or use one. COLUMBIA A Statehouse effort backed by the National Rifle Association to allow open carry of handguns in South Carolina with only limited requirements is on the verge of falling apart after House Republicans faced a public pressure campaign from several obscure hardline gun organizations to reject the bill. House Bill 3594 a measure allowing an adult of any age to carry a handgun without a permit passed the Senate by a nearly two-to-one margin after five days of debate, leaving just one procedural vote in the House before landing on Gov. Henry McMaster's desk. For years, so-called "constitutional carry" legislation had failed to gain momentum in the Senate despite passing in the House. But Senate leadership made a number of changes to the bill this year to help it pass on their side of the building. "Constitutional carry," by definition, means the legal carrying of a handgun, either openly or concealed, in public without a license or permit. The House passed a straightforward version of the bill with one exception enhanced criminal penalties for people who are caught illegally in possession of a firearm in the hope of swaying the Senate. The House version still wasn't enough, and the Senate implemented several changes of its own to the bill ranging from exempting state lawmakers on where they could carry firearms to harsher criminal penalties for people who declined to participate in optional safety trainings who were found carrying in places they weren't allowed to, like hospitals or public schools. The changes were enough to get the bill across the finish line in the Senate. But many of the Senate's changes rankled gun owners, prompting a deluge of opposition from groups to the ideological right of the National Rifle Association, which supports the bill. ROCK HILL The city's Chief Financial Officer Anne Harty was startled to learn several large apartment complexes had suddenly become tax-exempt, eliminating hundreds of thousands of property tax dollars needed to run local government. Harty said she was looking at some of the city's big taxpayers, with properties worth tens of millions, "and I was seeing zeros coming up" on the tax bills. The reason, as towns and cities and school districts across the state are slowly becoming aware, is a 2020 change in state law. Previously, properties owned entirely by nonprofit housing groups that were "devoted exclusively" to providing below-cost housing for the elderly, disabled or those who are low income could be exempt from property taxes. The change in 2020 allowed complete tax exemptions if nonprofits were just a portion of the ownership. That change took untold millions of dollars off local tax rolls across the state, with school districts losing the most. In effect, the law created a tax subsidy for countless lower-income apartments where for-profit companies were at least partial owners, with the cost falling entirely on local governments. None of us think affordable housing is a bad thing its needed," said Harty. "The problem right now is, we didnt see this coming." The Municipal Association of South Carolina credits Harty and Rock Hill with sounding the alarm. How it started "The intent of the 2020 amendment was to help public housing authorities attract private money for public housing authority projects," said Scott Slatton, director of advocacy for MASC. "However, as we understand it, privates (companies) are purchasing taxpaying properties, minimally qualifying them to meet the federal standards for affordable housing and then receiving the property tax abatement for the entire project." In Rock Hill alone, six apartment complexes that together paid more than $3.7 million to the city, county and school district now pay nothing. In North Charleston, a single apartment complex went from paying more than $210,000 in 2022 more than half going to the Charleston County School District to paying no property tax in 2023. Every month we receive questions and concerns from people in and around Charleston related to flooding, government regulations and sea-level rise. We read every single one. This month, we received questions about wetlands why are they so important and what happens when we fill them in? We spoke to Trapper Fowler, wildlife biologist at the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League to learn more. Got questions about flooding, sea-level rise? What are you curious about? What's bugging you? Submit your Rising Waters and flooding-related questions, and we'll look into it. We can't promise to answer every question received, but we will do our best to address as many issues of concern as possible. Reach Toby Cox at tcox@postandcourier.com or 843-670-8651. Importance of wetlands Wetlands, sometimes called swamps and marshes, are ecosystems that take many forms and provide numerous benefits. There's a whole smorgasbord of different types of wetlands, Fowler said. They can be large, moving bodies of water that people can navigate by kayak or canoe. They can look like oxbow lakes, which only connect to larger rivers when the area floods. Wetlands also can be isolated, like Carolina bays or vernal pools, which are seasonal and provide habitat for wildlife, he said. All types of wetlands provide critical habitat for wildlife. The Lowcountry's wetlands are home to countless animal species, including wild turkey, blue herons, bald eagles, shrimp, oysters, blue crabs, white-tailed deer and river otters. These species may depend on wetlands for all or part of their life cycles, Fowler said, adding that wetlands also are important habitats for people. Wetlands are very important not only from a recreational standpoint a place for us to go play, or a place for us to go hunt but they also, in turn, protect us, Fowler said. They protect our livelihoods. They protect our homes. They protect our businesses and our schools. The strike on the border of Ukraine and Poland is fully in Russia's interests, in particular, by playing along with the Kremlin's attempts to create a conflict between Poles and Ukrainians. This is evidenced by the fact that the protest was organized by a representative of the marginal Confederation party, which, among other things, opposes European values, supports Poland's withdrawal from the European Union (EU) and active cooperation with Russia. ADVERTISIMENT This is reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) on the basis of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). Analysts note that the party does not have wide support among Poles, and therefore the destructive actions of individual politicians should not affect the partnership and good neighborly relations between Ukraine and Poland. This refers, in particular, to the incident during the February 11 protests, when strikers poured grain from several Ukrainian trucks onto the road. This action, like many previous ones, was organized by Rafa Mekler, one of the inspirers of the protests, the owner of a logistics company that cooperated with Russia, and the leader of the Lublin-based organization Confederations. ADVERTISIMENT "This political force advocates Poland's withdrawal from the EU, criticizes the deployment of NATO troops in the country and campaigns for better relations with Russia. The party does not enjoy wide support among Poles. Mekler himself ran for the Sejm in 2019, but failed," the CPA states. In general, Polish nationalists united in the Confederation are the only party that can be called pro-Russian in Poland. In 2019, a representative of the Confederation, Krystof Bosak, called for not building a policy to "anger the Russians." And in 2023, he "issued an invoice" to Ukraine for the assistance provided by Poland. His associate Slawomir Mentzen voiced the slogan "We don't want Jews, gays, abortion, taxes, or the European Union." However, even a populist statement in which the politician proposed to "abolish" gays, Jews, taxes, and the EU found a response from a small number of voters. "The Confederation is in opposition in Poland. In the last election, it united with a number of fringe parties. This alliance allowed the Confederation to win 17 out of 460 seats in the Sejm. ADVERTISIMENT Rafa Mekler himself is also the leader of the far-right Ukrainophobic party Ruch Narodowy. For years, Mekler and his partners have been telling Poles about "Washington's plans," "the destructive influence of the EU," and so on. Mekler owns the logistics company Rafa Mekler TRANSPORT, which delivered goods to Russia. Since the fall of 2023, he has been personally attending protests on the border of Ukraine and actively promoting his ideas on social media. As OBOZ.UA reported, on February 12, Polish farmers expanded the blockade of the Ukrainian border. At 10:10, protests began near the Zosin checkpoint. Traffic near the Dovhobychuv checkpoint was also blocked. In addition, the blocking in the direction of the Medyka-Shehyni border crossing was resumed. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! In early February, the country's military leadership underwent a dramatic change. On February 8, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, the head of state announced large-scale changes in leadership positions in the army. ADVERTISIMENT These changes were not delayed, and within a few days after Syrskyi's appointment, personnel changes took place in the army. OBOZ.UA has collected information about the team of the new commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Prior to his appointment, Colonel General Syrskyi was the commander of the Land Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The fact that he held this position at the time of his appointment as commander-in-chief already indicated the beginning of large-scale personnel changes in the Ukrainian army. Who was included in Syrskyi's "dream team"? Commanded peacekeepers in Kosovo and liberated Sloviansk Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk was appointed as the new commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine instead of Oleksandr Syrskyi. He previously served as First Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine. Pavliuk has extensive military experience since the beginning of Russian aggression in 2014. ADVERTISIMENT He took an active part in the fighting in eastern Ukraine. It was under his command that a number of settlements were liberated, including Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Siversk and Lysychansk. In addition, the brigade under Pavliuk's command made a successful advance in the Luhansk sector with heavy fighting and unblocked the Luhansk airport. Before the Russian aggression, Pavliuk commanded Ukrainian peacekeeping forces in Kosovo in 2006-2007. In an interview, the officer mentioned that the Ukrainian peacekeeping mission had successfully accomplished its tasks. Pavliuk noted that Ukrainian peacekeepers looked powerful against the background of all other countries. During the introduction of the new commander to the personnel of the Land Forces, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Syrskyi said that when the president asked who would command the Land Forces, he did not even consider other candidates besides Pavliuk . In turn, the lieutenant general thanked the chief for his trust and expressed confidence that mutual support is the key to strengthening the army and bringing victory over the aggressor closer. ADVERTISIMENT An innovator and combat general who knows Syrsky well Major General Anatoliy Bargylevych was appointed to the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine instead of Lieutenant General Serhiy Shaptala. He previously headed the Territorial Defense Forces. It is noteworthy that Bargylevych was actually the first commander of the territorial defense. Back in 2020, it was under his leadership that the then-innovative system of terrorist defense troops began to be created and developed. It should also be noted that Major General Bargylevych took an active part in the fighting at the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion. In particular, he led the defense of Kyiv in the Gostomel direction. Together with thousands of other territorial defense soldiers, Major General Bargylevych prevented the aggressor from capturing the Ukrainian capital. ADVERTISIMENT Bargylevych was then appointed chief of staff of the Khortytsia operational and strategic grouping of troops, and he held this position for almost a year and a half. At the same time, Syrskyi was the commander of the Khortytsia Joint Task Force, so the new chief of staff and the head of the General Staff have known each other for a long time. It is worth noting that the troops of the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Grouping conducted a number of outstanding military operations, including successful counteroffensives in the Kharkiv sector. Hero of Ukraine who successfully led soldiers out of Volnovakha Instead of Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev, Hero of Ukraine Yuriy Sodol has been appointed as the new commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Like the previous generals, he has been actively involved in combat operations since the beginning of Russian aggression in 2014. ADVERTISIMENT During the ATO, Sodol was the commander of the 25th separate airborne brigade. His men were in the hottest spots of the frontline. Sodol's brigade participated in the battles for Rubizhne, Yampil and Donetsk airport. In 2015, Yuriy Sodol was appointed First Deputy Commander of the Air Assault Troops, where he continued to fight in the ATO zone. The President awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine for his battles in Volnovakha, Donetsk region. Sodol withdrew his personnel from the enemy attack and organized a successful counteroffensive. Due to his personal and professional qualities, Sodol is an authority among the military. The defenders said that General Yuriy Sodol is someone they would not hesitate to follow into the fiercest battle, because they know that they will fight side by side with their commander. ADVERTISIMENT An experienced assault pilot, Hero of Ukraine Ihor Skybyuk has been appointed commander of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He replaced Maksym Myrhorodskyi in this position. Like many other Ukrainian generals, Skybyuk has combat experience. It is noteworthy that back in the 90s, he took an active part in international exercises and achieved significant achievements in this area. In 2016, Skibiuk commanded Ukrainian units in the Maple Arch 2016 exercise. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Skybyuk continued to defend the territorial integrity of our country. In the fall of 2022, he commanded his brigade's units during search-and-strike operations to destroy the enemy in the direction of the cities of Balakliia, Izyum, and Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region. It was thanks to clear, timely combat orders and the determination of the brigade's units under Skibiuk's leadership that liberated a number of settlements in eastern Ukraine from the occupiers. ADVERTISIMENT In 2023, he held the position of Chief of Staff - Deputy Commander of the Airborne Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and on February 11, 2024, he was appointed commander of these troops. Ihor Skybyuk has been awarded the highest military honors, including the title of Hero of Ukraine and the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the second and third degrees. General with a "skeleton in the closet" Ihor Plakhuta has been appointed the new head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces. He replaced Anatoliy Bargylevych, who was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT After Plakhuta's appointment, some civic activists immediately tried to discredit him, reminding him that during Euromaidan he was in charge of the Interior Ministry's internal troops and was allegedly involved in the dispersal of protesters. But after that, many Ukrainian soldiers defended the general and called on the public not to discredit his person. The soldiers recorded a video saying that Plakhuta is fully dedicated to protecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine. "He is demanding of himself and his environment. That's why he headed one of the main branches of the military - the Territorial Defence. He did not execute any criminal orders. It's an honor to serve with such people next to him," the soldiers said of Plakhuta. The Territorial Defense Forces noted that from the first days of the full-scale war, Plakhuta was at the front, directly on the front line, including in difficult areas. For almost a year, he served as the deputy commander of the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops, in particular, he personally led the preparation and defense of the city of Kupyansk under constant enemy fire. ADVERTISIMENT The officer also supervised the preparation of defense lines and their fortification equipment, the construction of an operational defense line and a circular defense of the city. Plakhuta organized and led the formation and training of reserves for frontline operations, which provided the troops with an advantage in the fight against the aggressor. A living legend of the Ukrainian army Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, nicknamed "Badger," has been appointed as one of the new deputies of the new Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In his new position, he will be responsible for the direction of unmanned systems and the development of the use of drones. ADVERTISIMENT He became famous for being the first officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to open fire on the Russian invaders under his command . Moreover, Sukharevsky's order "If you see it, shoot it!" became the battle cry of the 503rd Separate Marine Battalion in 2016. Many Ukrainian soldiers say that Sukharevskyi is characterized by professionalism and a remarkable ability to make correct and balanced decisions in difficult situations. It is noteworthy that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree creating a new separate branch of the Armed Forces - the Unmanned Systems Forces. Therefore, Sukharevskyi, who will be responsible for the direction of unmanned systems, faces a number of important tasks. Among them are the creation of special staff positions for working with drones, special units, systematization of experience, constant scaling of production, and attraction of the best ideas and specialists in this area. ADVERTISIMENT "People's Hero of Ukraine" who led soldiers out of Izvaryne "hell" Brigadier General Mykhailo Drapaty has been appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for training and education of the military. He has also been fighting against the Russian occupiers since 2014. The officer led the operation to free hostages in the city police department of Mariupol, which was seized by separatists. Interestingly, Drapaty was personally at the wheel of the BMP that made the legendary breakthrough through the barricades. In addition, Drapaty is known for being responsible for the operation to withdraw Ukrainian troops from the so-called Izvaryn Cauldron, where about 260 soldiers and more than three dozen pieces of equipment were surrounded. ADVERTISIMENT As of 2021, Drapati served as Deputy Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, he became known as one of the commanders of the operation to liberate Kherson. He was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky and the Order of the People's Hero of Ukraine for his military services. He also has the Cross of Military Awards. Syrsky's team also included a number of other officers. Brigadier General Volodymyr Horbatiuk was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff. In this position, he will be responsible for the operational work of the headquarters, planning and management. ADVERTISIMENT Oleksiy Shevchenko has been appointed another Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. He will be responsible for logistics. He served in command positions of artillery units as deputy chief of the Hetman Petro Sahaidachnyi National Army Academy. Andriy Lebedenko was appointed as the second deputy chief. The Head of State noted that the officer will be in charge of the technological component of the army and combat systems. It is worth noting that there is little information about this officer online. However, it is known that in 2022 he received the Order of Danylo Halytskyi. As a reminder, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, made his first statement after his appointment. He outlined the main tasks facing the Ukrainian army. The new chief also held his first meeting - together with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Syrskyi spoke with Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breyer. ADVERTISIMENT PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-13 00:20:51 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 677 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Adam Shaul, the forward-thinking CEO of SunTrust Remodeling, is unveiling his inspiring vision for the future of the construction and remodeling industry, backed by tangible examples. With a strong commitment to building a large construction company, delivering exceptional customer service, offering competitive pricing, and contributing to solving homeowners' needs, Adam Shaul's leadership is poised to shape the trajectory of the industry.Under Adam Shaul's guidance, SunTrust Remodeling has consistently been a pioneer in embracing innovations, industry trends, and cutting-edge technologies to meet the evolving demands of customers. Shaul's vision for the future encompasses specific examples:Building a Substantial Construction Company:Adam Shaul envisions SunTrust Remodeling growing into a major player in the construction and remodeling sector. The company's track record includes over 400 successfully completed projects and a team of more than 30 dedicated construction professionals. This demonstrated capability positions SunTrust Remodeling to become a recognized leader in the industry.Strong Pricing and Affordability:In a rapidly changing world, affordability is a priority. Adam Shaul is committed to offering competitive pricing to make top-tier construction and remodeling services accessible to a wide range of homeowners. SunTrust Remodeling recently launched a cost-effective home exterior renovation package, which has already enabled several families to enhance their homes without breaking the bank.Helping Solve Homeowners' Needs:SunTrust Remodeling is dedicated to addressing the unique needs of homeowners. Adam Shaul envisions the company as a partner in solving real issues faced by homeowners. An example of this commitment is SunTrust Remodeling's recent adoption of eco-friendly, energy-efficient coatings like TexCote CoolWall. This innovative solution not only beautifies homes but also reduces energy costs and contributes to sustainability.In his statement, Adam Shaul expressed his passion for this vision, saying, "I am deeply committed to the future of SunTrust Remodeling. Our goal is not only to build a large construction company but to be a leader in delivering excellent customer service, offering affordability through strong pricing, and actively contributing to solving homeowners' needs. We will continue to set new standards in the industry, providing outstanding services and products to our clients." Adam Shaul's vision for SunTrust Remodeling aligns with the evolving demands of the construction and remodeling industry and is substantiated by real-world examples. With a commitment to growth, customer satisfaction, affordability, and innovation, SunTrust Remodeling is poised to shape the future of the industry.Dedication to Sustainability:Moreover, Adam Shaul's commitment to sustainability is evident in his endeavors to incorporate drought-resistant landscaping into home construction projects. Living in a region prone to water scarcity, Adam recognizes the significance of implementing eco-conscious practices to mitigate environmental impact while creating beautiful and functional outdoor spaces for homeowners to enjoy. By prioritizing drought-resistant landscaping solutions, SunTrust Remodeling not only conserves precious resources but also enhances the resilience and aesthetic appeal of properties in drought-prone areas like Los Angeles.Employees First>At the heart of SunTrust Remodeling's success lies a steadfast commitment to its employees. Recognizing the invaluable contributions of each team member, Adam Shaul places a strong emphasis on cultivating a supportive and inclusive work environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and motivated to excel. By prioritizing the well-being and professional development of its workforce, SunTrust Remodeling fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence, ultimately driving the company's success and reputation for unparalleled service and quality craftsmanship.For more information about SunTrust Remodeling and their vision for the future, please visit their website atwww.suntrustremodeling.com About SunTrust RemodelingWe are building Southern California's largest exterior services and home improvement company. We utilize the latest techniques and materials in roofing, exterior painting, solar integration, window replacement, and drought-resistant landscaping services to deliver exceptional results for our customers.Since 2022, we have completed over 400 projects, booked millions in revenue, and have grown our organization to over 30 dedicated construction and sales professionals. By joining us, you will receive above-market compensation, comprehensive training, and the opportunity to be part of a company that prioritizes the success of their employees above all else.Contact:Phone Number: (949) 490-3074 Email: hello@ suntrustremodeling.com SOURCE: SunTrust Remodeling PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 15:32:24 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 398 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / National plaintiffs law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP encourages investors in Archer-Daniels-Midland Company ("ADM" or the "Company") (NYSE:ADM) who suffered losses from purchasing or otherwise acquiring ADM common stock between April 30, 2020 and January 22, 2024, inclusive (the "Class Period"), to contact us immediately regarding a pending securities fraud class action against ADM. The deadline to apply to be lead plaintiff is March 25, 2024.Class Period: April 30, 2020 - January 22, 2024 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: March 25, 2024 Case information: lieffcabraser.com/securities/admContact us: Email or text investorinfo@ lchb.com or call 1-800-541-7358ADM, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is an agricultural supply chain manager and processor.The action alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements about the performance and prospects of ADM's Nutrition segment, while engaging in improper accounting practices and procedures that obscured the segment's true performance and purported growth.On January 21, 2024, ADM announced that it had placed its CFO and Senior Vice President, defendant Vikram Luthar, on leave effective immediately. According to ADM, Luthar's "leave is pending an ongoing investigation being conducted by outside counsel for ADM and the Board's Audit Committee regarding certain accounting practices and procedures with respect to ADM's Nutrition segment, including as related to certain intersegment transactions." The Company also revealed that it launched its investigation after it received a request for documents from the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, ADM delayed its Q4 and FY 2023 earnings release and withdrew its outlook for the Nutrition segment. On this news, the price of ADM common stock plummeted $16.23 per share, or approximately 24%, from its closing price of $68.19 per share on the previous trading day, to close at $51.69 on January 22, 2024.About Lieff CabraserLieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, with over 120 attorneys in offices in San Francisco, New York, Nashville, and Munich, Germany, is an internationally recognized law firm committed to advancing the rights of investors and promoting corporate responsibility. Recognized as a "Plaintiffs' Powerhouse" by Law360, Lieff Cabraser has litigated some of the most important civil cases in the United States, and has assisted clients in recovering over $129 billion in verdicts and settlements. For over 50 years, Lieff Cabraser has remained committed to ensuring access to justice for all.Contact:Sharon LeeLieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP415 956-1000 slee@ lchb.com SOURCE: Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 20:30:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 487 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 BRIGHTON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Crowd created and community driven spirits brandDegen Distilleryhas announced a community sale for the upcoming $DRINK token. The company previously sold an NFT collection which granted its users membership pricing for life, access to events and guest lists and much more. The project announced its community sale on the Discord last Friday, before making it open to all community members on its social platforms earlier this Monday.Degen Distillery community members are already able to participate in the community sale directly through its website.Community members are encouraged to create their own referral codes, allowing them to earn 5% in bonus tokens for the amounts raised through those referral links.For the past year, Degen Distillery has brewed up some pretty interesting partnerships, securing Scotland's BrewDog brewery as a manufacturing and distributions partner, selling Degen Distillery 721 Vodka in all its retail and online stores worldwide. The company also partnered with Google, gaining access to Google's cloud credits, its web3 business community as well as its funding network and more.The company acts as a social distribution project, empowering its community members to play a decisive role in deciding when and where its products are distributed, as well as allowing the community to participate in its product's branding and design process. The company uses a tokenized affiliate protocol, or TAP, tokenizing the contributions of creators, allowing them to own part of the financial benefits from the values they bring to the table."So far we've taken a unique approach to most affiliate programs, allowing users to own part of the revenue streams they create, and now we're excited to introduce the $DRINK token within our ecosystem, which is equipped with a range of utilities and benefits as we expand the Degen Distillery ecosystem,"says Sammy Verghese, CEO and Co-Founder of Degen Distillery."We've had the community sale open since last weekend, and we would like to thank everyone involved for their continued support. The brand was co-created because of the community, so it's only fair we give the community a chance to be further involved in our upcoming utility token,"continues Verghese.The $DRINK token is a governance and utility token for Degen Distillery.While the extent of its features are not made public yet, the token is the key to unlocking a number of benefits in both the digital and tangible world, unlocking experiences, physical venues and partner events."DRINK will be at the heart of our global growth plans,"says Verghese.The Community Sale will run until Friday 16th at 3pm UTC. Anyone can go totoken.degendistillery.comto create their own referral code/link. Community members will receive a 5% bonus in tokens for whatever they are able to raise through their link.Media Details: Company name: Degen DistilleryContact person: DVerseBusiness mail: info@ d-verse.io Website: https://www.degendistillery.com/ City and country: UK, BrightonSOURCE: Degen Distillery PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 15:02:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 525 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Retained executive search firm Caldwell (TSX:CWL)(OTCQX:CWLPF) is pleased to announce the promotion of Miriam Leung in the Toronto office to the role of principal."Miriam has distinguished herself as an effective, relationship-oriented recruiter and we're delighted to recognize her great work," said Kristin Hebert, managing partner of Caldwell's Legal Practice. "Her proven expertise has been a welcomed addition to our practice, and she will be an important part of the continued growth and expansion of our Legal Search Practice. Our North American team spans a great deal of experience and knowledge in the legal arena, and we continue to be passionate about achieving great results for both candidates and clients." Ms. Leung is a key member of the firm's Legal Search Practice. She has a successful track record of placing lawyers at all levels and practice areas locally and abroad, spearheading targeted searches for leading international law firms and multinational companies.Ms. Leung works collaboratively with partners and counsels in their career paths, and takes the time to truly understand client needs to build high-performing, long-lasting teams. Her relational approach to recruitment ensures both clients and candidates find their perfect match as she provides critical advice to lawyers.Ms. Leung joined Caldwell through the acquisition of The Counsel Network, Canada's most respected, connected and powerful lawyer recruitment firm. Prior to that she was a director at a leading executive search firm in Hong Kong, where she worked extensively with key decision makers to build strong legal teams and increase practice depth. Ms. Leung leverages her extensive international recruitment experience to get high quality results efficiently.Ms. Leung holds a B.A. & Sc. from the University of Toronto and an LL.B. from Manchester Metropolitan University. She is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin."Our core belief is in the transformational power of talent, and an essential component of our success has been the growth and development of our people," said Chris Beck, president. "We are proud of Miriam's accomplishments, and delighted to highlight her importance to Caldwell, as well as the positive influence she has on the success of our clients and candidates alike." About CaldwellCaldwell is a leading retained executive search firm connecting clients with transformational talent. Together with IQTalent, we are a technology-powered talent acquisition firm specializing in recruitment at all levels. Through the two distinct brands - Caldwell and IQTalent - the firm leverages the latest innovations in AI to offer an integrated spectrum of services delivered by teams with deep knowledge in their respective areas. Services include candidate research and sourcing through to full recruitment at the professional, executive and board levels, as well as a suite of talent strategy and assessment tools that can help clients hire the right people, then manage and inspire them to achieve maximum business results.Caldwell's common shares are listed on The Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX:CWL) and trade on the OTCQX Market (OTCQX:CWLPF). Please visit our website at www.caldwell.com for further information.For further information, please contact:Caroline LomotCaldwellclomot@ caldwell.com +1 516 830 3535SOURCE: Caldwell Partners International, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 17:00:53 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 484 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 QUINCY, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 /Compass Furnished Apartments, a leading provider of premium furnished apartments in the Northeast, is honored to announce it has been awarded the prestigious Best Community Impact Award by the Corporate Housing Provider's Association (CHPA).The CHPA Best Community Impact Award is bestowed upon a member who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to positive influence and betterment of their local communities. Compass Furnished Apartments has actively engaged in a variety of initiatives across the Northeast to deliver on this promise."Receiving this award is a testament to our team's dedication and hard work," says Chris Fleming, CEO of Compass Furnished Apartments. "We are deeply committed to making a lasting difference and this recognition from CHPA underscores our efforts in being more than just a housing provider. We are a community partner." Over the past year, Compass Furnished Apartments has initiated several successful community projects, including:Employee Recognition: Through Compass's employee recognition program, they donate $100 to support a non-profit of their employees choice on their anniversary. This year, they donated over $1,500 and supported: The American Heart Association, Make-A-Wish, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, VHL Alliance, American Cancer Society, and The Connecticut Hospice.Housing Support: Compass Cares has donated over 464 nights and discounted over 933 nights just this year. To date we have been able to house 778 families through our Compass Cares program, providing over 27,110 room nights.Charitable Donations: Compass has contributed $500 to local charities and non-profit organizations to support local biodiversity conservation initiatives.These initiatives reflect the organization's commitment to social responsibility and its profound impact on community well-being."We are proud to contribute to the vibrant neighborhoods throughout the Northeast. This award from CHPA encourages us to continue our work with even greater enthusiasm," adds Chris Fleming.Compass Furnished Apartments extends its sincerest gratitude to the CHPA for this tremendous honor and to all of its employees and community partners who made this achievement possible.For more information about Compass Furnished Apartments and their community impact initiatives, please visitwww.compasscorp.comor contact Brianna Correia, Senior Marketing Specialist at briannac@ compasscorp.com About Compass Furnished ApartmentsCompass Furnished Apartments is a leading provider of both short-term and long-term fully furnished apartments throughout the Northeastern United States. Our comfortable homes, streamlined reservation process, and "concierge-style" client services enable us to provide our guests with an exceptional experience, all at a tremendous value. Our forward-looking approach to technology and sustainable business practices - coupled with our experience in evaluating and fulfilling the specific needs of every client - lead many to choose Compass for their furnished apartment needs.About CHPAThe Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA) is a professional trade association exclusively dedicated to supporting corporate housing providers around the world. CHPA is the only trade association dedicated to the corporate housing industry providing networking, educational, and informational opportunities to corporate housing providers globally.SOURCE: Compass Furnished Apartments PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 18:09:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 744 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Reincarnation of the Brand's Signature Property Marks One-of-a-Kind Footprint in Independent Hospitality, Design, and TravelVANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Prime location boasts a fresh design, featuring a stunning rooftop venue with panoramic city and ocean views, the Parker Vancouver sets itself apart as a one-of-a-kind destination. Salim Sayani has announced the debut of the all-new Parker Hotel Vancouver, now open on a famed stretch of Howe Street in the heart of Vancouver. A reimagination of the brand's first Vancouver hotel, The Parker Hotel features 98 guest rooms and suites, two signature dining destinations, and a guest-only rooftop jacuzzi pool.Parker Rooftop"Our inspired design team has brought to life a unique Vancouver vision many years in the making," said Sayani. "Drawing on our hospitality, event and restaurant expertise cultivated over the past 25 years, we have created a flagship representation of Executive society. The result is a personalized hotel with a grand sense of arrival, characterized by a sexy and modern take on European elegance. Fun and stylish but at the same time, contemporary details play an important role in bringing the hotel's personality to life." Design The Parker Hotel welcomes guests with an elevated and playful European style that feels unpredictably charming. The Executive design team worked closely with Atmosphere Living to create an eclectic sense of style, featuring an unexpected mix of patterns, textures and details throughout the property; all rooted in beauty and warmth. Walls are clad in custom millwork and stone, while locally sourced custom furnishings fill each space with personality and comfort. soaring ceilings layered with greenery, custom tiles and oversized pendant lighting.Guests arrive in the lobby from the porte-cochere and are met with high ceilings and natural light-washed walls, a small seasonal lobby bar, and an unassuming check-in desk; classic Executive Hotel Group style. The 2nd-floor breakfast nook and outdoor patio, La Vallee, features cafe tables with light wood and stone-adorned walls for a bistro-influenced feel.One of the hotel's design highlights is the indoor/outdoor Jacuzzi Lounge, tucked away on the roof deck with guest-only access and city views. A ninth-floor fitness room featuring Peloton bikes, treadmill, and light weights is also available for private guest use.As with all Executive Hotel Group's properties, The Parker Hotel's 98 guest rooms are spacious and functional ranging from 330 to 600 square feet. With a mix of Queen, Double Queen, King and Suites, many with balconies, each room features mini-refrigerators, Keurig coffee machines, fine linens, and designer bath amenities. Well-appointed bathrooms are a beautiful display of birch wood, detailed tilework, and custom vanities. Arrange for a custom minibar package with delivery of full-size bottles of select liquor, gourmet snacks, alongside cocktail shakers and bar tools for mixing the perfect beverage at your leisure.Parker Rooftop | Cocktails & Dining The Parker Hotel is home to Vancouver's sexiest new food & beverage destination, Parker Rooftop. Soaring 20ft ceilings adorned with custom chandeliers, original artwork, and an enormous floor-to-ceiling cocktail bar establishes the perfect backdrop to enjoy the city's sparkling lights, ocean and mountain views from 120 ft in the air.Boasting 4000 sqft of indoor and outdoor dining with three landscaped patios, guests enjoy Parker Rooftop's signature menu with items such as fresh oysters and caviar, smoked beef tartare, and a selection of steaks flame-finished tableside. Inventive cocktails are mixed with energy and flair as resident DJ's spin evening sets in front of the glamorous champagne wall. Hotel guests take center stage with preferred VIP access to what has become an oftentimes waiting list-only venue. The new Parker Hotel | Rooftop & Bar Vancouver are now open. For more information, please visit www.VancouverDowntownHotel.net About Executive Table Group Executive Table Group stands as an innovative and celebrated restaurant group, placing a paramount emphasis on the well-being of its people. With a diverse range of concepts, each outlet is characterized by a commitment to unparalleled execution and an unwavering belief in prioritizing the guest experience.Executive Table Group goes beyond ordinary to create unique and memorable dining experiences. Gather with friends and family or unwind at the end of the day; our establishments provide the perfect setting for enjoying great food in an inviting atmosphere. Join us and discover culinary excellence, warm hospitality, and a commitment to ensuring that every guest's experience is truly extraordinary.Contact Information Mercede CampbellMarketing Director for Executive Table Groupmercede@ executivetablegroup.com 604-317-4665Related ImagesParker RooftopThe Parker HotelSOURCE: Executive Hotels & ResortsView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 17:16:10 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 575 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ROCK HILL, SC / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / January may have come and gone, but there are still a few more IRS Form 1099 deadlines that businesses and tax professionals must be aware of. By February 15, 2024, it is mandatory to distribute copies of Forms 1099-S, 1099-B, and, in specific cases, 1099-MISC to recipients as per IRS requirements. By law, the IRS requires payers to furnish form copies to recipients in addition to filing forms with the IRS. Failure to do so may result in unwanted fees andpenalties .TaxBandits, a leading provider of payroll and employment tax forms, presents straightforward, secure, and precise solutions tailored for business owners,tax professionals , and service providers of all sizes, ensuring effortless compliance with deadlines. This includes the 1099 recipient copy deadline on February 15th.An Overview of 1099 Forms Due on February 15, 2024:TaxBandits supports the following IRS1099 Formsthat must be completed and distributed by this deadline:Form 1099-B:Form 1099-Bis an information return used for reporting broker or barter exchange transactions. It mandates specific details about the transactions, including gains, losses, stocks, bonds, and relevant investment information such as the date of purchase, sale, or acquisition.Form 1099-S:Form 1099-Sserves as an information return specifically for reporting the exchange or sale of real estate property. This encompasses various property types, such as land, permanent structures, residential buildings, commercial or industrial buildings, and condominium units.Form 1099-MISC:Form 1099-MISCfunctions as an information return reporting miscellaneous payments made throughout the tax year during the course of business. It's crucial to note that the deadline for distributing recipient copies, pertains only to amounts reported in Box 8 and/or 10.Box 8: Substitute payments in lieu of dividends or interest Box 10: Gross proceedspaid to an attorney Simple Solutions for Distributing Recipient CopiesTaxBandits offers efficient, cost-effective services for distributing recipient copies of 1099 forms. Their clients can choose either, or both based on the needs of their recipients.Postal Mailing ServicesTaxBandits prints and mails any volume of recipient copies from a secure, SOC 2 Certified print center. In addition, TaxBandits performs USPS Address Validations to ensure that recipient copies are mailed to a verified address in the USPS database. For added security, the recipients' TIN will be masked.Secure Online Access ServicesTaxBandits clients can grant their recipients access to view and download their form copies via theirsecure online Portal . This paperless option is not only sustainable, but it is highly secure and allows your recipients access to their forms indefinitely.This featureeliminates the need to re-issue paper copies to recipients months or years in the future.Businesses and tax professionals can begin the 1099 compliance process today atTaxBandits.com About TaxBandits:TaxBandits is a SOC 2 Certified, IRS-authorized e-file provider specializing in1099 ,Form W-2 ,Form 1095-C ,Form 1095-B ,Form 940 ,Form 941 , andForm W-9 . Serving businesses, service providers, and tax professionals, TaxBandits offers a comprehensive solution for year-end filings.Software providers and other high-volume filers can take advantage ofTaxBandits API . The integration allows them to add value for their clients and expand monetization efforts. TaxBandits API enables seamless preparation and e-filing of 1099, W-2, 941, 940, and ACA 1095 forms. Software providers can also use the developer-friendly1099 APIto request W-9s andautomate 1099filings efficiently.About SPAN Enterprises:Headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, SPAN Enterprises has been developing industry-leading software tools for e-filing and business management for over a decade. The SPAN Enterprises portfolio includes Tax 990, ACAwise, ExpressExtension, 123PayStubs, and TruckLogics.For any media inquiries, please reach out to Stephanie Glanville, Content Writer at stephanie@ spanenterprises.com SOURCE: TaxBandits PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 17:01:02 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 519 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Furnace Record Pressing announces the appointment of Ali Miller as Chief Executive OfficerALEXANDRIA, VA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Furnace Record Pressing, a renowned global leader in premium vinyl record manufacturing, proudly announces the appointment of Ali Miller as Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1. Miller has served as Chief Operating Officer since 2018 and previously held the role of Vice President. She brings over 20 years of invaluable experience in both music and manufacturing to her new role. Miller's ascension to CEO makes her the first appointed female CEO of a domestic pressing plant and reflects Furnace's long-standing commitment to diversity and empowering female leadership.Color Vinyl Furnace Record Pressing is a global leader in pressing high quality vinyl recordsMiller's collaborative leadership, creative problem-solving, dedication to craft at scale, and unparalleled commitment during her 16-year tenure with Furnace has been recognized by colleagues and clients alike. "It is a genuine honor to assume the leadership of such an exceptional team," stated Miller. "While I take great pride in Furnace's past accomplishments, my enthusiasm for what we can collectively achieve in the future is even greater. I am committed to building upon the best team in the industry and to keep our relentless focus on the reason we exist: to serve our artist and label clients. I am grateful to Eric and the full board for the confidence they are placing in me." CEO Eric Astor, who founded Furnace in 1996, expressed his full confidence in Miller's leadership and noted this transition has been part of the long-term plan at Furnace. "Since the day Ali joined Furnace, I knew she possessed the exceptional talent, dedication, and passion to thrive in this industry," Astor said. "She has been instrumental in shaping Furnace into the respected force it is today. I am confident that with Ali at the helm, Furnace will continue to deliver the highest quality vinyl records and remain a trusted partner to artists and labels for years to come." A renowned music industry veteran, Astor will transition from the role of CEO to that of a dedicated strategic advisor to Furnace. While relinquishing the day-to-day operational responsibilities, Astor remains deeply committed to and involved with Furnace as both an owner and key member of the company's Board of Directors.Paul Donahue, lead director at Furnace and Managing Partner of Black Squirrel Partners, echoed Astor's enthusiasm. "Ali's appointment as CEO completes what has been a thoughtful, long-term approach to management succession," said Donahue. "We are confident that her vision and expertise will drive continued growth and innovation. Furnace will thrive under Ali's leadership as well as that of fellow board member and manufacturing leader Mark Reiter. We are excited to support Ali and the entire Furnace team as they embark on this next exciting chapter." Furnace Record Pressing was acquired in March 2023 by Black Squirrel Partners, a growth equity and content platform affiliated with iconic American rock band Metallica.Contact InformationJennifer KushanMarketing Manager, Furnace Record Pressingjkushan@ furnacemfg.com 703-663-6987SOURCE: Furnace Record PressingView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 16:18:54 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 365 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FRANKLIN, IN / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. ("IBC" or the "Company") (TSX-V:IB)(OTCQB:IAALF) will host a live investor webcast on Friday, February 16, 2024, at 12 noon Eastern, it was announced today.The webcast and conference call will feature Mark A. Smith, IBC CEO and Board Chairman, and Toni Wendel, IBC's Chief Financial Officer. They will discuss the Company's financial results for the quarter and six-month periods December 31, 2023. IBC expects to issue its quarterly financial results on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.Participants must register in advance for the webcast here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E9oPB8v7Tj22OwUPpMtXNQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.A recording of the webcast will be made available on the IBC website following the event.On Behalf of the Board of Directors:"Mark A. Smith"Mark A. Smith, CEO & Chairman of the BoardCONTACTS:Mark A. Smith, Chairman of the BoardJim Sims, Director of Investor and Public Relations+1 (303) 503-6203Email: jim.sims@ibcadvancedalloys.com Website: www.ibcadvancedalloys.com @IBCAdvanced $ IB.TO $IAALF #copper #beryllium #F35ABOUT IBC ADVANCED ALLOYS CORP.IBC is a leading beryllium and copper advanced alloys company serving a variety of industries such as defense, aerospace, automotive, telecommunications, precision manufacturing, and others. IBC's Copper Alloys Division manufactures and distributes a variety of copper alloys as castings and forgings, including beryllium copper, chrome copper, and aluminum bronze. IBC's Engineered Materials Division makes the Beralcast family of alloys, which can be precision cast and are used in an increasing number of defense, aerospace, and other systems, including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. IBC's has production facilities in Indiana and Massachusetts. The Company's common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "IB" and the OTCQB under the symbol "IAALF".The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy of this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: IBC Advanced Alloys Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 13:00:48 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1067 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 COEUR D'ALENE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Idaho Strategic Resources (NYSE American:IDR) ("IDR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has purchased the Butte Gulch property located next to the Company's producing Golden Chest Mine.The Butte Gulch property is comprised of approximately 169 acres of private land and mineral rights located directly east and adjacent to the Golden Chest Mine. The Butte Gulch property was placer mined for gold as many as four separate times over its history, however, it is relatively unexplored for its lode deposit potential. In addition to the property's proximity to IDR's operations, mineralized gold veins have been reported on the property by prior operators (and observed by IDR geologists) indicating the potential to host additional lode gold deposits. Butte Gulch is also a strategic purchase for the Company due to its potential to serve as the future site for a shop and/or new milling facilities as Idaho Strategic continues to expand its operations in the greater Murray Gold Belt (MGB) district.The Company's 2024 plans include an increased focus in the MGB and enhanced production at the Golden Chest. The addition of Butte Gulch to Idaho Strategic's district-scale Murray Gold Belt landholdings further demonstrates an emphasis on increasing IDR's exploration efforts on locating additional mines within the Company's property package. The Company also recently purchased around $1 million of equipment for the new mill tailings paste backfill system (to replace the current more expensive cemented rock backfill process). It is estimated that the addition of a paste backfill system will result in cost savings of approximately $20 per tonne of ore. Both the purchase of Butte Gulch and the paste backfill system are considered important components in the planning for and eventual operation of new milling facilities in the MGB.The Murray Gold Belt district was originally discovered in 1883 leading to a gold rush in the area until the early 1890's when silver was discovered nearby in the Silver Valley, leaving the Murray Gold Belt largely forgotten. With much of the greater MGB owned or controlled by one or two non-mining' groups since the early 1900's, little modern exploration has been conducted in the past 100 years (other than by IDR). Given the presence of numerous historic gold mines and prospects throughout the district, Idaho Strategic is planning to be the first Company to conduct a comprehensive test of the district. Relatively recent IDR samples from the surface and underground have yielded values ranging from 5 to 75 grams per tonne (gpt) gold exposed in veins related to igneous activity. In addition to our own sampling, IDR's geologists have undertaken steps to aggregate its own prior drill data and information learned from historic mines in the MGB to design an exploration plan. It is reported that from about 1885 to 1926, approximately 200,000 ounces of gold was recovered from placer mining in Prichard Creek, which runs along IDR's extensive land package1.1 Dort, Wakefield. 1958. Gold-Bearing Gravels near Murray, IdahoIdaho Strategic's President and CEO, John Swallow stated, "Butte Gulch is a piece of property that we have had our eye on since the very beginning. Not only because the property is adjacent to our mine and makes a lot of sense for us strategically, but because I believe it is a desirable parcel of land from a real estate perspective as well. Our geologists are already making plans to better explore Butte Gulch's lode deposit potential and to expand our exploration focus beyond the Golden Chest Mine across our greater Murray Gold Belt landholdings. The Golden Chest sits on approximately 220 acres of private land. We consolidated the district for a reason, and strongly feel there are other veins similar to the H-Vein, Paymaster, and Klondike in the MGB (comprised of over 7,000 acres), especially given the large number of historic mines and prospects within its borders as a base from which to build.Additionally, we purchased the long-lead time components of our new paste backfill system. This will allow us to backhaul tailings filtercake from the New Jersey Mill to be used to backfill mined underground stopes. We feel this system has the potential to save the company around $500,000 to $800,000 annually once fully in place while also extending the life of our current tailings storage facility. Personally, if it works as planned, I see the paste backfill system as a low cost/high return' component of a new mill facility and something we could put in place now while still using the New Jersey Mill. Having an existing mill and facilities allows us the operational and financial flexibility to step toward a new mill' near the mine in the strategic manner of our choosing." In consideration for the purchase of Butte Gulch, Idaho Strategic has agreed to an overall purchase price of $1,000,000 inclusive of a $350,000 down payment at closing, and monthly interest-only payments for the next 3 years followed by a balloon payment for the remaining amount due at that time. The term of the loan can also be extended if needed.Qualified PersonIDR's Vice President, Grant A. Brackebusch, P.E. is a qualified person as such term is defined under S-K 1300 and has reviewed and approved the technical information and data included in this press release. All reported assays are 30-gram fire assays with a gravimetric finish completed by American Analytical, Inc. of Osburn, Idaho. A Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/AC) program includes a series of blank, standard, and duplicate sample assays for verification and quality control.About Idaho Strategic Resources, Inc.Idaho Strategic Resources (IDR) is an Idaho-based gold producer which also owns the largest rare earth elements land package in the United States. The Company's business plan was established in anticipation of today's volatile geopolitical and macroeconomic environment. IDR finds itself in a unique position as the only publicly traded company with growing gold production and significant blue-sky potential for rare earth elements exploration and development in one Company.For more information on Idaho Strategic Resources click here for our corporate presentation, go to www.idahostrategic.com or call:Travis Swallow, Investor Relations & Corporate DevelopmentEmail: tswallow@ idahostrategic.com Phone: (208) 625-9001Forward Looking StatementsThis release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created by such sections. Often, b On Sunday, February 11, Russian occupation forces once again attacked the city of Pavlohrad in the Dnipro region with drones. It is noted that, preliminarily, there were no casualties. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the head of the regional military administration (RMA) Serhiy Lysak. He also said that some settlements in two districts of the region are currently without electricity. "No casualties. Fortunately. Currently, some settlements in Pavlohrad and Synelnyk districts are without electricity. There are problems with water supply. Medical institutions have been switched to alternative power supply," the official said. According to him, the municipal authorities are doing everything possible to fix everything as soon as possible. Earlier it became known that the Russian occupation forces launched a group of Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones from the south on Sunday evening, February 11. Air alert was declared in a number of regions. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ukraine's air defenders repelled a Russian drone attack on the night of February 11, destroying 40 of the 45 attacking UAVs. Most of the drones were neutralized by air defense in the south, but there was also an arrival. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 22:45:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 462 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Jolly Cannabis to Shine Bright at CHAMPS TRADE SHOW in Las VegasPHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 /Jolly Cannabis , a prominent cannabis company with a nationwide presence, celebrated for its unwavering dedication to producing clean and naturalCBD and THC productsin full compliance with state and federal regulations, is delighted to announce its participation in the upcoming CHAMPS TRADE SHOW in Las Vegas, Nevada. This highly anticipated event is scheduled to take place from February 14th to February 17th, and Jolly Cannabis extends a warm invitation to all attendees to visit their booth at #8195, located at the Las Vegas Convention Center.Coming off a triumphant 2023, during which the company achieved an impressive 107% increase in revenue and successfully expanded its reach to encompass more than 1500 new retail locations,Jolly Cannabisis excited to engage with industry professionals, seek out potential distribution partners, and unveil a range of exciting new products.Jolly will be launching four new flavors as part of theirNano THC productline, aptly named "Jolly Minis." After the release, this product line will boast a total of seven flavors, each gummy containing 5mg of nano-emulsified hemp derived THC, 125mg of CBD, 5mg of CBN, and 5mg of CBG per gummy. These cannabinoid-packed gummies are available in two-count pouches (sold in 50-unit gravity-fed wholesale displays), as well as 15-count jars (sold in 32-unit wholesale cases).Josh Gleason, Co-Founder ofJolly Cannabis , passionately affirmed, "At Jolly, our core philosophy centers around crafting authentic, natural cannabis products. We steadfastly adhere to the purity of our offerings, without resorting to alternative cannabinoids or altered compounds commonly seen in our industry. Our unwavering commitment is not driven by financial shortcuts, but by our genuine belief in the products we create." Jolly Cannabis remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering high-quality products to consumers in need, and this dedication has been the driving force behind the company's growth and success within the industry.Event Details:CHAMPS TRADE SHOW Dates: February 14-17, 2024Booth Number: #8195 (1st floor)Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NevadaFor more comprehensive information about Jolly Cannabis and its diverse product offerings, please visit www.jolly-cannabis.com or get in touch with the team at (480) 351-3222.About Jolly Cannabis:Jolly Cannabisembodies a steadfast commitment to its core philosophy of creating authentic, natural cannabis products. The company takes pride in its unwavering dedication to product purity, refraining from the use of alternative cannabinoids or modified compounds. At Jolly Cannabis, the driving force behind their mission is not financial gain but rather a genuine belief in the products they meticulously craft and personally endorse.Our Friends: Check our our friends that work on functional mushroom products in compliance with regulations https://SiliCap.com **All products are under 0.3% total THC in compliance with federal and state regulations.SOURCE: Jolly PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 16:01:08 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 463 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Junior Marvin was humbled when presented the Yaba TV Community Merit Award from talk show Host Sia-SiaLOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Junior Marvin receives the Community Merit Award from talk show host Sia-Sia of Yaba TV Los Angeles during an exclusive interview that aired on February 11, 2024, on KCAL 9 CBS. Two-time Grammy nominee Junior Marvin, lead guitarist for Bob Marley and the Wailers, sat down and opened up about his relationship with the late reggae star. The legendary guitarist reacts to his son DAVO portraying parts of his life story on the big screen and announces the release of his new album, Happy Family, set to hit stores in March.Junior Marvin and TV Host Sia-Sai Junior Marvin Receives The Yaba TV Community Merit AwardYaba TV Los Angeles was the first media outlet to hold a sit-down rare interview with the legendary wailer. Executive Producer Elizabeth Yaba believed that the audience wanted to hear directly from Junior Marvin, who was very close to the late Bob Marley. During an outtake, Junior Marvin and TV host Sia-Sia began singing "Stand up for your rights." Marvin shared a poignant glimpse of Bob Marley's life, saying Bob's life mission was to unite people, regardless of their skin color. The interview concluded with Yaba TV Host Sia-Sia awarding Marvin the Yaba TV Community Merit Award for his outstanding commitment, support, and inspiration to the world.The release of the Bob Marley: One Love Movie will mark 47 years since, Junior Marvin became lead guitarist for Bob Marley and the Wailers, which is a historic timing for the Legend. His son, recording artist and actor DAVO, will play his father in the upcoming movie, hitting theaters on February 14, 2024. Junior Marvin achieved international fame with hits like "No Woman, No Cry" and "I Shot the Sheriff." Marvin made his debut with the band on the album "Exodus," which is considered one of the greatest albums in the history of reggae music.Yaba TV Los Angeles has been a staple in many communities in Los Angeles for over 20 years. Talk show host Elizbeth Sia-Sia Yaba is an ambassador to the Los Angeles multicultural family. The proud Sierra Leone native is admired for her elegant interviewing style and graceful technique. Ms. Yaba continues to attract viewers from Africa, the Caribbean into American house holds. Watch the full interview on Yaba TV Los Angeles Youtube channel.HeadquartersYaba TV Los Angeles3553 Atlantic Avenue Suite B199Phone Number: (562) 548-2741Website: www.yabatvlosangeles.comSocial Media: @yabatvlosangelesJunior Marvin: www.juniormarvinthelegendarywailer.com Public Relations: Executive 1 Media Group Media Inquiries: Derrick Dzurko Email: derrick@ e1mgmedia.com Contact InformationDerrick DzurkoPress Agentderrick@ e1mgmedia.com (888) 231-6942SOURCE: Yaba TV Los AngelesView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 16:32:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1012 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Lahontan Gold Corp (TSXV:LG)(OTCQB:LGCXF) (the "Company" or "Lahontan"), is pleased to provide the following review of key milestones achieved by the Company during 2023 and to lay out Lahontan's mine development and exploration plans for 2024. 2023 was a transformative year for the Company, beginning with the January release of the maiden Mineral Resource Estimate* ("MRE") for its 26.4 km2 flagship Santa Fe Mine project located in the Walker Lane of mining friendly Mineral County, Nevada. Lahontan also completed two fully subscribed financings raising over $5.1M, drilled almost 3,700 metres in the Slab-Calvada resource area, initiated base-line cultural and environmental studies covering almost half the Santa Fe Mine project, acquired the 19.7 km2 West Santa Fe Au-Ag project, expanded Santa Fe via staking by 7.5 km2, and completed a comprehensive review/audit of all past metallurgical testing and production reports for Santa Fe. Details are below:Santa Fe Mine Project MRE*:The MRE for Santa Fe, released in January 2023, was based upon 1,275 drill holes totaling 125,435 metres, including 50 drill holes totaling 13,118 metres drilled by Lahontan since 2021 (the MRE does not include holes drilled later in 2023). Highlights of the MRE include:Project-wide pit constrained Indicated Mineral Resources of 1,112,000 contained gold equivalent ("Au Eq") ounces and Inferred Mineral Resources of 544,000 contained Au Eq ounces. (Au Eq is based on the following formula: Au Eq g/t = Au g/t + (Ag g/t/75) and adjusted for historic differences in Au and Ag recovery during mine operations as described in the MRE). Project-wide average grade for the Indicated Mineral Resource is 1.14 g/t Au Eq; the average grade of the Project-wide Inferred Mineral Resource is 1.00 g/t Au Eq. Indicated Oxide Resources total 21.6 Mt grading 1.03 g/t Au Eq for 712,000 Au Eq ounces and Inferred Oxide Resources total 11.1 Mt grading 0.73 g/t Au Eq for 262,000 Au Eq ounces.Corporate Financings:The Company closed two equity financings during 2023, the first closing in February and March, the second closing in September (please see Company press releases dated February 28, March 8, and September 1, 2023). Combined, the financings raised over $5.1M, leaving Lahontan well-financed to aggressively pursue its exploration and mine development programs.Excellent Drilling Results in the Slab-Calvada area at Santa Fe:Lahontan completed 3,687 metres of reverse-circulation drilling in 18 holes in the Slab-Calvada resource area at the Santa Fe Mine project. The drilling targeted extensions of known resources, defined by the Company's NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report and MRE*, beyond the conceptual pit shells used in the MRE. Drilling highlights include:38.1 metres grading 0.87 g/t Au and 2.5 g/t Ag (0.89 gpt Au Eq) of oxide metallurgical domain mineralization in drill hole CAL23-004R including 10.6 metres grading 2.02 g/t Au and 2.4 g/t Ag (2.04 gpt Au Eq).82.3 metres grading 0.68 g/t Au and 2.0 g/t (0.70 gpt Au Eq) of oxide metallurgical domain mineralization in drill hole CAL23-001R, including 21.3 metres grading 0.93 gpt Au and 1.9 gpt Ag (0.95 gpt Au Eq).* Please see the Santa Fe Project Technical Report, Authors: Trevor Rabb and Darcy Baker, P. Geos. Effective Date: December 7, 2022, Report Date: March 2, 2023. The Technical Report is available on the Company's website and SEDARThe Slab-Calvada area is particularly important from a mine development perspective as gold and silver mineralization crops out at the surface, is completely oxidized, and would therefore be a logical area to resume mining operations. Lahontan believes that this drill campaign was highly successful in expanding the footprint of oxide gold and silver mineralization; this data will be included in an updated technical report as described below (please see Lahontan press releases dated June 27, July 18, and September 12, 2023 for more information).Plan of Operations:In March 2023, Lahontan and its consultants began work preparing an exploration Plan of Operations ("POO") for the Santa Fe Mine Project. The POO covers approximately 12.1 km2 of the 19.1 km2 Project area. The first phase of work is the completion of environmental baseline studies to document biological, cultural, and surface water resources. Completion of the environmental baseline studies allows the POO to be designed to avoid specific resource conflicts. Eventual approval of the POO by the Federal Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") will allow more surface disturbance on the property giving Lahontan the ability to continue to explore and expand the current mineral resources as well as provide baseline data that can be used in future mine permitting. Work completed to date includes:Project initiation meeting with the BLM Biological baseline survey work plan Two special status plant surveys First burrowing owl survey Two acoustic bat surveys Seeps and springs surveys Majority of cultural surveys completedUpcoming work:Final cultural survey before reporting Cultural reporting and agency review Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 biological surveys including flowering plants and raptor surveysWest Santa Fe Acquisition:In July 2023, Lahontan announced an agreement to acquire the advanced West Santa Fe gold-silver exploration project ("West Santa Fe"; also known as Mindora), located only 13 km southwest of the Santa Fe Mine project. West Santa Fe hosts an oxidized gold-silver epithermal mineralized system in a geologic setting similar to Santa Fe. Previous exploration drilling at West Santa Fe totals over 13,000 metres in 171 drill holes; only five holes are deeper than 165 metres. Preliminary modeling of drill hole data by Lahontan geologists outlines a significant, shallow, oxidized gold and silver system.The acquisition agreement requires Lahontan to make payments totalling US$1.8M over a seven-year period, back-end loaded, to exercise an option to acquire a 100% interest in West Santa Fe. The option payments can be made in a combination of cash and shares at Lahontan's discretion. In addition, the Company will commit to exploration expenditures totalling US$1.4M over the same seven-year period, these expenditures should be sufficient to define an initial mineral resource estimate for West Santa Fe (please see Lahontan press releases dated May 15, July 20, August 15, and August 16, 2023 for more details).Lahontan also acquired an additional 794 hectares of mineral rights at West Santa Fe by staking 95 unpatented lode mining claims; the Project now covers a of total 19.7 km2 (please see Lahontan press release dated May 31, 2023). The Lahontan geologic team concluded that ther PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 15:15:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 700 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 KeyBank grant will expand college and career readiness support for local Latino studentsPORTLAND, OR / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Latino Network hosted a Gather for Good fundraiser on Thursday, February 8th in downtown Portland and received a $300,000 grant from KeyBank to support its Escalera (11th and 12th grades) and Fuerza (post-secondary) programs. The funds will be used to bolster these programs' existing curriculum and services by offering more flexible sessions and introducing new workshops focused on financial literacy, mental health, resource navigation and academic success to provide additional crucial support to students and their families.Latino Network has served Oregon's Latinx communities for over 27 years, providing culturally specific services that reach over 12,000 participants across four counties (Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Deschutes) and 14 cities. Over 70% of its participants self-identify as Latinx/Hispanic and nearly 90% are BIPOC. Latino Network offers 62 culturally specific programs that cover nutrition, rent and energy assistance, health, education, violence prevention, youth empowerment, advocacy and leadership training.The goal of this current empowerment project is to expand opportunities for students in the Escalera program to access crucial resources, such as tailored college preparation, trade school visits, financial aid guidance and STEM exploration. Additionally, it will help the transition of emerging students from high school into post-secondary life through the Fuerza program, providing support, engagement opportunities and partnerships with schools and community colleges."At KeyBank, we know that a crucial building block to a stable future is developing skills that will lead to successful and fulfilling employment," said Josh Lyons, KeyBank's Market President for Oregon and S.W. Washington and Commercial Banking leader. "This program will help these bright youth learn of the many opportunities available to them and seek the qualifications that will allow them to pursue a path of independence and reach their full potential." "Latino Network is proud to include KeyBank among our community partners and are extremely grateful for this generous gift," said Tony DeFalco, Executive Director of Latino Network. "This grant will strengthen our work to engage high school juniors and seniors across the Portland metro area and offer culturally-specific support they need in order to graduate high school and have success pursuing post-secondary education. These funds will be an invaluable contribution to Portland's Latinx students and community." About Latino Network Latino Network was founded in 1996 by community leaders who grew concerned about the lack of adequate resources to meet the needs of the growing Latino community. Since that time, Latino Network has evolved to become a Latino-led community-based organization grounded in culturally-specific practices and services aimed at educating and empowering the Latinx communities of the Portland metro area and elevating them to their full potential. Latino Network addresses systemic inequalities in Latinx communities by advancing early literacy, building leadership capacity, promoting health and wellness initiatives, encouraging parent involvement, working with gang-involved and adjudicated youth and families, and providing academic support and activities to area youth. The organization's work springs from the core belief in Latinx community self-determination-that is, the ability of community members to participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of their families. To find out more, please visit https://www.latnet.org/ About KeyBank KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023. Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/ . KeyBank is Member FDIC.###CONTACT: Latino Network | Evelyn Kocher | 971-645-0980 | evelyn@ latnet.org KeyBank | Laura Suter | 206-343-6953 | laura_suter@ keybank.com View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from KeyBank on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: KeyBankWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/keybank Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: KeyBank PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 21:35:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 531 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / The Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI), today announced its year-end results for 2023. Delivering on its commitment to solving for safer cities and equitable, thriving communities, the Foundation donated more than $13 million to more than 4,400 charitable organizations around the world and achieved a record number of employee volunteer hours."We're driven by our passion for innovation and remain dedicated to expanding how we support our partners and the communities in which we live and work," said Karem Perez, executive director of the Motorola Solutions Foundation.In 2023, Motorola Solutions employees' generosity surpassed company records, with nearly 100,000 hours volunteered and more than 500 volunteer events worldwide, generating $3.2 million* in value for charitable organizations. Additionally, the Foundation's annual grants program directed $10.3 million in strategic grants to organizations benefiting first responder programs and technology and engineering education.To further extend its impact, the Foundation also introduced two new programs: the Bright Minds, Bold Futures Scholarship, which awarded $100,000 USD in scholarships to 37 deserving students from underserved and underrepresented communities pursuing technology and engineering careers, and the Grant Partner Summit on First Responder Wellness, which convened 17 partners from across North America to promote collaboration and learn best practices to promote collaboration and professional development."Our connection with the Motorola Solutions Foundation resembles that of a close-knit family," said Laurie Putnam, co-founder of the Survivors of Blue Suicide Foundation, a Foundation grant partner and Summit participant. "They exhibit genuine concern for our organization and are dedicated to seeing our mission thrive." The Foundation was also awarded Benevity's Community Impact Award, which celebrates the inclusive and creative ways brands are making a difference in the world through their giving, volunteering and community investment programs. The award, Perez said, is a reflection of the Foundation's efforts, as well as the passion of employees who engaged not only in helping select grant recipients, but in supporting their communities through service."Year after year, Motorolans around the world continue to show up, break records and give the best of themselves to help drive meaningful change," said Perez. "It's an important part of who we are, and we look forward to carrying our energy and momentum into 2024."About The Motorola Solutions Foundation As the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola Solutions, the Motorola Solutions Foundation partners with organizations around the globe to create safer cities and equitable, thriving communities. We focus on giving back through strategic grants, employee volunteerism and other community investment initiatives. Our strategic grants program supports organizations that offer first responder programming and technology and engineering education, and align to our values of accountability, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion. The Foundation is one of the many ways in which the company is solving for safer communities. For more information on Motorola Solutions corporate and foundation giving, visit: www.motorolasolutions.com/foundation *Based on a study by Independent Sector.Media Contact:Rebecca Bensonrebecca.benson@motorolasolutions.com m: +1 312.919.1645View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Motorola Solutions on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Motorola SolutionsWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/motorola-solutions Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Motorola Solutions PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 14:03:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 525 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Salix to Provide Scholarships to 10 Students Living with GI DiseasesLAVAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)(TSX:BHC) today announced the opening of the 2024 Salix Gastrointestinal Health Scholars Program application period. The program will award 10 exceptional students living with GI disease a scholarship of up to $10,000 as they work to pursue their higher education goals."The Salix Gastrointestinal Health Scholars is proud to be able to provide financial support to students who continue to persevere through their GI diseases and disorders while still excelling in their academic achievements. We are determined to make a difference in the lives of the communities we serve by continuing to provide financial support and alleviate some of the burden," said Nicola Kayel, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Salix.Students can apply for this scholarship by completing the online application, submitting letters of reference, and writing an essay on the impact having a diagnosed GI condition has had on their life and the role that a healthcare provider played in helping to manage their condition. Scholarships are offered to school applicants or current attendees of a two- or four-year college, university, or an advanced (post-high school) vocational or technical school for the 2024-2025 academic year and are available in four categories:Undergraduate Scholar Awards for students pursuing undergraduate degreesGraduate Scholar Awards for students pursuing graduate degreesWorking Parent's Scholar Award for students who are parents pursuing undergraduate, vocational/technical or graduate degreesSingle Parent's Scholar Award for students who are single parents pursuing undergraduate, vocational/technical, or graduate degreesThe application period for the Salix Gastrointestinal Health Scholars Program will close on May 6, 2024, and scholarship recipients will be notified in the summer of 2024. To learn more about the scholarship, including eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, please visit www.salix.com/scholarship About SalixSalix Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest specialty pharmaceutical companies in the world committed to the prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. For more than 30 years, Salix has licensed, developed, and marketed innovative products to improve patients' lives and arm health care providers with life-changing solutions for many chronic and debilitating conditions. Salix currently markets its product line to U.S. health care providers through an expanded sales force that focuses on gastroenterology, hepatology, pain specialists, and primary care. Salix is headquartered in Bridgewater, New Jersey. For more information about Salix, visit www.Salix.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.About Bausch HealthBausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC)(TSX:BHC) is a global diversified pharmaceutical company enriching lives through our relentless drive to deliver better health outcomes. We develop, manufacture and market a range of products, primarily in gastroenterology, hepatology, neurology, dermatology, medical aesthetic devices, international pharmaceuticals, and eye health, through our controlling interest in Bausch + Lomb. Our ambition is to be a globally integrated healthcare company, trusted and valued by patients, HCPs, employees and investors. For more information, visit www.bauschhealth.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.###2024 Salix Pharmaceuticals or its affiliates. SAL.0020.USA.24 Investor Contact: Media Contact: ir@ bauschhealth.comKevin Wiggins (877) 281-6642 (toll-free) corporate.communications@bauschhealth.com(908) 541-3785 Gianna Scalerasalixcommunications@ bauschhealth.com(908) 541-2110SOURCE: Salix Pharmaceuticals PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 14:02:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 492 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 In a landmark fusion of technology and civic engagement, Spoutible will host an interactive and insightful discussion on Spoutible's innovative platform with guest speakers U.S. Representative Crockett and Kimberley Johnson.NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / In a revolutionary fusion of technology and politics, Spoutible is set to host a virtual town hall and Q&A session co-hosted by Kimberley Johnson, prominent host of the Start Me Up Podcast and contributor at the Huffington Post. The panel will also include United States Representative Jasmine Crockett, marking a significant moment in digital communication and public engagement.Spoutible U.S. Rep Jasmine Crockett, known for her impactful work as a civil rights attorney and her dedicated service in the House Oversight Committee, brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to community empowerment to this event. As a rising star in the political landscape, Rep. Crockett has utilized an innovative approach to engaging with constituents and the broader public.Spoutible Pods, the platform for this event, represents a significant leap forward in the realm of digital communication. Offering a unique spin on audio chat, reminiscent of Twitter Spaces but with an innovative twist, Spoutible Pods is designed to enhance user engagement and facilitate dynamic community building. This technology enables real-time discussions, debates, and networking in a more inclusive and interactive environment.The event aims not only to showcase Spoutible's groundbreaking technology but also to foster important conversations and amplify diverse voices. With the combination of Rep Crockett's insightful perspectives and Spoutible's cutting-edge platform, attendees can anticipate a vibrant and enlightening experience.The upcoming town hall is expected to be a pivotal moment in modern online engagement, where political discourse meets advanced technology. Scheduled for February 15, 2024, from 7 PM to 8 PM EST, the focus will be on facilitating meaningful dialogue between public figures, government officials, and the community. This interactive session, enabled by Spoutible Pods, aims to bring fresh perspectives on important issues to the forefront, underscoring the role of technology in enhancing democratic participation.The event is not just an opportunity to experience Spoutible's technological prowess but also a platform for inclusive and substantive discussion on matters of public interest. The town hall discussion with guest Rep. Jasmine Crockett promises to offer deep insights into current political issues and the role of technology in shaping public discourse.The upcoming town hall is anticipated to foster a dynamic conversation between U.S. Rep Jasmine Crockett and Kimberley Johnson, setting the stage for an intriguing and insightful dialogue. Johnson, known for her engaging and substantive political discussions, brings her own unique perspective and inquisitive style to the table. Together, Crockett and Johnson are expected to delve into a range of topics, highlighting the intersection of technology, politics, and community engagement in today's digital age.Save the date and join the virtual town hall here at 7 PM EST on February 15.Contact InformationBuse Kayarbuse.kayar@issuerdirect.com SOURCE: Spoutible Inc.View the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 13:01:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 985 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / Theralase Technologies Inc. ("Theralase" or the "Company") (TSXV:TLT)(OTCQB:TLTFF), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research and development of light and/or radiation activated Photo Dynamic Compounds ("PDCs") for the safe and effective destruction of various cancers, bacteria and viruses, donated two Theralase TLC-2400 Cool Laser Therapy ("CLT") systems to the University of Windsor to aid in the research and development of a novel treatment for patients suffering from Parkinson's Disease ("Parkinson's").Theralase is working in collaboration with researchers at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Human Kinetics and a Windsor based chiropractor to conduct a groundbreaking clinical study into how Theralase CLT can be used as a treatment for Parkinson's. Theralase's CLT, with its super-pulsed laser technology, is one of the few technologies in the world able to non-invasively penetrate the human skull, promoting anti-inflammatory responses and stimulating neurons to promote healing from this deadly disease."We're excited to begin the very first randomized placebo-controlled study on laser light therapy in Parkinson's patients," said kinesiology professor Anthony Bain, who is leading the clinical study together with professors Sean Horton, Paula van Wyk, Chad Sutherland and Windsor-based chiropractor Dr. Luigi Albano of Walkerville Chiropractic. Dr. Bain went on to say, "We are especially grateful to be collaborating with Theralase on the project and for their generous donation of the CLT technology." CLT is a very promising therapy, Dr. Bain added, stating, "Preliminary studies and animal experiments exploring the use of CLT in Parkinson's have demonstrated positive outcomes, including potential improvements in motor function and a significant reduction in symptoms." Parkinson's is a neurological disorder in which the brain loses its ability to control movement. The first symptom is usually tremors, but as the disease progresses, people with Parkinson's may struggle with walking, talking, memory loss, chronic pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, loss of the sense of smell and other non-motor impairments.Approximately, one million people in North America and 10 million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's with nearly 90,000 individuals diagnosed annually in the United States according to the Parkinson's Foundation.According to a study by the Lewin Group, supported by the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Parkinson's Foundation, about $USD 25.4 billion was spent in the U.S. each year (2017), on direct medical costs of Parkinson's and another $26.5 billion was lost in missed work, lost wages, early forced retirement and family caregiver time.If expansion is made to the most common human neurological diseases in North America, the number of afflicted individuals balloons to over 7 million, with no known cure, and an astounding estimated cost to American society of nearly $USD 800 billion in 2014 dollars reported by ScienceDaily (2017).Dr. Luigi Albano, President of Walkerville Chiropractic stated, "In the patients that I have treated in the clinical study to date, I and the patients themselves have seen significant improvements in their Parkinson's symptoms after only a short number of treatments. CLT is non-invasive, highly effective and has no side effects. The Theralase CLT technology has been a godsend to these patients faced with no known cure for their disease." Dr. Anthony Bain, designer of the clinical study and University of Windsor professor stated, "The primary objective of a double blind randomized controlled clinical study is to remove bias from patients and practitioners by masking whether the patient is treated with a true Theralase TLC-2000 CLT system or placebo (Theralase TLC-2000 CLT system with the laser diodes operating at zero or close to zero power output). This clinical data will allow us to scientifically and clinically determine the impact that Theralase CLT is making on this deadly disease." Dr. Arkady Mandel, Chief Scientific Officer at Theralase stated, "I am not surprised by the impact that the Theralase CLT technology is having on these Parkinson's patients. After decades of research into Theralase CLT technology, the technology is very well suited to implement a multitargeted therapeutic approach; specifically: normalizing microglia activity, reducing neuroinflammation, modulating immune responses and promoting neuroprotection. This helps transform Parkinson's vicious cycle of neurodegeneration / neuroinflammation and as result significantly improves the quality of life of patients with Parkinson's. I look forward to successfully completing the clinical study to allow widespread adoption of this highly effective technology worldwide." Roger DuMoulin-White, President and Chief Executive Officer of Theralase stated, "Theralase is delighted to donate our CLT technology to such a worthy cause as researching and developing a treatment for patients suffering from the symptoms of Parkinson's. Theralase is extremely encouraged by the recent results obtained by Dr. Albano, demonstrating remarkable improvements in Parkinson's symptoms with a significant reduction in tremors and dramatic increase in the ability of patients to ambulate and perform tasks that most of us take for granted. Our hope is that this research brings widespread adoption of Theralase technology across the world for the benefit of all Parkinson's patients." To view a recent article on Theralase's CLT donation, please click; Donation of lasers aids research into Parkinson's disease | DailyNews ( uwindsor.ca) About Theralase Technologies Inc.:Theralase is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to the research and development of light activated compounds, their associated drug formulations and the light systems that activate them, with a primary objective of efficacy and a secondary objective of safety in the destruction of various cancers, bacteria and viruses.Additional information is available at www.theralase.com and www.sedar.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward Looking Statements:This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Such statements include; but, are not limited to statements regarding the Company's proposed development plans with respec PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-12 18:31:39 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1007 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / On February 22nd Pomegranate Studios and Leleka Foundation will host a red-carpet event to benefit Ukraine at the prestigious TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. The highlight of the benefit will be the screening of the critically acclaimed and 96th Academy Award qualified feature documentary, A RISING FURY, directed by Lesya Kalynska and Ruslan Batytskyi. The event will include a panel discussion, after party and VIP reception with filmmakers, special guests, and celebrities.Following the weeklong theatrical release of the film in New York City, the team is co-organizing a special benefit in Hollywood to remind the public that the war is ongoing and the U.S. support to Ukraine is critical. This event will commemorate the 10-year anniversary of Russia's war against Ukraine and two years of full-scale invasion. Proceeds from the event will go to the non-profit Leleka Foundation, which provides emergency medical aid in Ukraine.Both screenings at 3:30PM and 7PM will be followed by Q&A along with a panel discussion about Ukraine with the director Lesya Kalynska, producer TJ Collins and special guests. After the screening attendees will be invited to a Lobby After Party with a cash bar and light snacks. VIP ticket holders will have a private reception in the Dragon Room with Champagne and hors d' oeuvres included.Organizers: Pomegranate Studios and Leleka FoundationSupporters: The Academy Qualifying HollyShorts Film FestivalConsulate General of Ukraine in San FranciscoUkrainian National Women's League of AmericaUkrainian American Business and Professionals AssociationShevchenko Scientific SocietyTickets will be available on Eventbrite.More information can be found on film's website: https://arisingfury.com *ABOUT THE FILM *A RISING FURY is a story about love, deception, and war.This feature documentary follows two hopeful Ukrainian idealists from the peaceful protest in Kyiv in 2013 to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Pavlo and Svitlana met and fell in love at the Revolution of Dignity and were filmed for nearly 10 years and required multiple expeditions to the front lines and extensive filming in Kyiv.The film reveals the untold story of how the Russo-Ukrainian war began in 2014 and proves that it was prepared by Putin's regime as far back as 2007. A Rising Fury exposes Russian infiltration methods in Ukraine prior to military invasion and explains how we arrived at this point in history through events and personal accounts on the ground.A Rising Fury was qualified for the 2024 Academy Awards. The film had its World Premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film festival and screened at numerous international film festivals. The film is directed by Ukrainian American director/producer Lesya Kalynska and Ukrainian filmmaker Ruslan Batytskyi. They produced it along with TJ Collins (USA) and Jonathan Borge Lie (Norway). The film was nominated for best documentary and other top awards in 10 international film festivals including Stockholm IFF, Warsaw IFF, Oslo Films from the South FF, Cleveland IFF, and won several awards including the Supreme Jury Award at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in 2023.Film Threat gives A Rising Fury 5 stars and says it's "A masterclass of documentary filmmaking brilliant on every level. One of the best films of the year." FILM INK gives it 4.5 stars and says it's a "Wake up call a powerful statement as to what the Ukrainians are fighting for. Filmmaker Magazine says it's "A breathtakingly cinematic explainer of current events." A RISING FURY: Ukraine, 2022, 82 min. In English/Ukrainian. Directed by Lesya Kalynska & Ruslan Batytskyi; Producers: Lesya Kalynska, Ruslan Batytskyi, TJ Collins, Jonathan Borge Lie; Screenwriters: Lesya Kalynska, TJ Collins; Director of Photography: Ruslan Batytskyi; Editors: Araby Kelley, Lesya Kalynska, Ruslan Batytskyi; Composer: Emiliano Mazzenga. Pomegranate Studios in co-production with Batytskyi production and UpNorth Film.About the Directors:Lesya Kalynska is a Ukrainian-American NYC based award-winning director, producer, and screenwriter. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, she holds a PhD in Literature and an MFA in film writing and directing from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Lesya then worked in Kyiv as a director of a docuseries about World War II "Level of Secrecy 18". After completing several award-winning short films Kalynska wrote, directed, and produced the feature documentary "A Rising Fury" about the Russo-Ukrainian war that was filmed for nearly 10 years. The World Premiere took place at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2022. It was the winner of several awards including the Supreme Jury Award and the Best International Director Award at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. The film was nominated for the Bronze Horse Award at the Stockholm FF, Best Documentary at the Warsaw IFF and the Golden Duke Award at the Odesa IFF.Ruslan Batytskyi was born in the Dnipropetrovs'k region of Eastern Ukraine on Aug 3rd, 1986. After finishing school in 2003 he entered Dnipropetrovs'k National University where he received a Master's degree in cybernetics and management. In 2009 he began studying cinema at the Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema, and Television. His several short films "Lethargy", "Reed" and "Ukrainian Lessons" were presented at international festivals and received several awards. In 2016-2018 he created a short documentary series "The least part of the work". The series told the stories of people with neurosurgical diseases, how it changed their lives and their spirit going through many challenges. Ruslan has worked alongside Lesya Kalynska to debut "A Rising Fury". The film is about the war in Ukraine and has been filming nearly 10 years. The World Premiere of "A Rising Fury" took place at the Tribeca Film Festival in June of 2022.Additional info:ScheduleThursday, February 22, 2023, PDT3:30 - 6PM: A Rising Fury screening, panel discussion and Q&A7:00PM to 9:00PM- A Rising Fury screening and Q&A followed by Lobby After Party with cash bar and light snacks.VIP ticket holders will have a private reception in the Dragon Room with Champagne and hors d' oeuvres included at 9PM.Country: United StatesMedia Contact Name: RakoomCompany: RakoomEmail: Info@ rakoom.com Phone Number: (323) 391-0959Website: https://arisingfury.com/ SOURCE: Rakoom A former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Benedict Alabi, said he sold his house in Lagos before he could raise money to establish a mechanised abattoir and milk production factory in his hometown. Mr Alabi disclosed this in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday. Mr Alabi served as the deputy governor of Osun State between 2018 and 2022 under the administration of Adegboyega Oyetola, now the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. Mr Oyetola, with Mr Alabi as his running mate, lost his reelection to Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is the incumbent governor. Last year, Mr Alabi established an agricultural business in his hometown in Ikire area of Osun State. The former deputy governor said he is happy with the fact that he sold his property to establish the abattoir and milk factory in his hometown because it has created employment for young people and reduced the poverty in the state. I want to let you know that for this company to stand, I had to sell a house in Lagos for me to bring the money to establish the business in my state. The evidence is there. READ ALSO: I do not feel bad about the fact that I sold my house to establish the company because it is a market environment and the fact that Ikire is my home. I went to Lagos to learn, to grow and to conquer and whatever I have made in Lagos, I need to come back home to put it into use in Ikire. I am not a Lagosian. I am an Ikire born and brought up. I have achieved and I need to bring the achievement to my hometown. So, I do not feel sad about it, the former deputy governor said. Mr Alabi said that since he started the abattoir and milk factory business, his company has employed almost a hundred people from different parts of the state. He said apart from the reduction of unemployment in the state, his company is strengthening the mutual relationship between herders and farmers through the provision of a private feed mill where cattle can feed freely without grazing on peoples farms. No amount of little investment that enters a community will not make an impact on that community. As of now, we have engaged close to a hundred people to work for us and that has impacted the economy. We have also reduced poverty, people that were not having anything doing before are now engaged and I am happy to tell you that because of the change of government in Osun where we have some of our vendors for O-meal who were discharged are now working for us, they are now in our abattoir. That tells you that they are re-engaged and this will also impact the economy of the state because what we are standing for as a company is not only abattoir, we called it Kire Integrated Farms and Market Limited. We have a feed mill where we produce food for animals. So the Fulanis (herders) now know that they do not have to go to peoples farms to go and look for food again, they can buy from us and they can as well bring the animals to be under our custody for a proper meal. What we are doing here is solving a multifaceted problem in our society, job creation, poverty alleviation, food security and employment. The state is highly blessed to have an establishment like this. Evidence When our reporter requested evidence on the claim that he sold his house to establish the business, Mr Alabi named the buyer of the house. Yes, people will say all the money I made as deputy governor was what I used in establishing the business. When God wants to reward your labour, it gives you evidence. The company that bought the property I sold belongs to one Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in Osun popularly called K.rad. His company was the legal solicitor for the sales and purchase of that property, he is aware. If I am saying I sold my house without evidence, people will criticise me because in Nigeria, we do not believe in ourselves but K.rad can attest to it because he knows about it. I sold my property and brought the money to Osun to start a business in my hometown which I have no regrets about. I just pray that the company does well so that I can use the money to build more branches in Osun. I want to take the mechanised abattoir to all federal constituencies in Osun. PREMIUM TIMES will publish the full interview with Mr Alabi soon. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United States has recorded the return of two M142 HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems that were damaged at the frontline in Ukraine. They were unloaded from an An-124 aircraft at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania. ADVERTISIMENT The photo was published on February 12, 2024, on the social network X (formerly Twitter) by several OSINT accounts. They emphasized that the equipment shows signs of shelling, but it is obvious that it was not destroyed. "Other photos and videos of them have come to light, so I feel more comfortable publishing them now," Keystone Intel said in a post, implying that the photos of the installations were taken earlier. According to OSINT researchers, both front tires on one of the vehicles are flat, and the passenger side windshield and cab area are likely to have been damaged by shelling. ADVERTISIMENT "These black and white squares appear to be traces of shell hits," they pointed out. One of the authors emphasized that he did not know where exactly the plane with the equipment landed, but added that he would show more photos in the near future. TieDye Intel's account notes that the unloading of two HIMARS from an Antonov An-124 aircraft was spotted at the Harrisburg airport. It was assumed that one of the systems could have been damaged by a close explosion, and the other could have been hit by a mine. Details were not disclosed by either the Ukrainian or American sides. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that Ukraine needs 400 HIMARS systems to defeat Russia. He called on partners to give the Ukrainian army everything it needs to destroy the aggressor. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! In 1985, Abimbola Olurotimi Ogunbanjo began a long, rich career in Lagos, when he joined Chase Manhattan Bank as a credit analyst. Born in July 1962 to a renowned corporate lawyer, Christopher Oladipo Ogunbanjo, from Ogun State, he obtained Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from American College, Switzerland, in 1985, followed by an LLB in Law from the University of Buckingham, UK, in 1989. Mr Ogunbanjo joined his fathers law firm, Chris Ogunbanjo LP, in 1990 after leaving Chase Manhattan Bank, serving as managing partner until his death. In 1995, he moved to the American oil & gas company ConocoPhillips, where he would spend the next 19 years, rising to the position of director in the process. He was appointed to the role of first vice president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange in 2011, where he chaired the governance and remuneration committee. He would later serve as the immediate past chairman of Nigerian Exchange Plc (NGX), the corporation he saw through demutualisation and into a public company in 2021. But his first experience with stock market operations happened much earlier, when he started attending meetings as the representative of his father, whose firm acted for the World Bank during Nigerias indigenisation era and also incorporated and launched the exchange in 1961, when it went by the name, Lagos Stock Exchange. In 2017, the exchange appointed him to be the chairperson of its demutualisation advisory committee, a team that would guide the bourse in its bid to transition from a mutual company owned by members into a public company, replicating the feat previously recorded by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the Nairobi Stock Exchange. He later became the president of the national council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, taking over from Aigboje Aig-Immoukhuede. Successful demutualisation was one of my fundamental objectives when I assumed the presidency of The Exchange. The SECs decision today to approve the NSEs demutualisation plans brings this aspiration to a successful conclusion in a process that included the passage of the Demutualisation Act through the National Assembly, Mr Ogunbanjo said in a March 2021 interview with Accounting and Business, published by Certified Accountant (Publications) Ltd, a subsidiary of ACCA. On completion of the process, he was made the board chairman of the NGX. The transition helped the NGX to break away from the old mould of a member-owned entity to a for-profit organisation with shares publicly traded like those of quoted companies. READ ALSO: His supreme efforts turned the bourse into a non-operating holding company with subsidiaries spanning real estate, regulation and stock exchange business. We need to reduce the number of adult Nigerians who are excluded and give them the ability to make well-informed financial decisions, Mr Ogunbanjo said in 2021 while stressing the need to motivate young people to partake in the investment market as a means of boosting financial inclusion. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is still seen as the flagship stock exchange. The South African economy is the most industrialised and Nigeria is still considered to be a frontier economy, but the market cap to GDP ratio is at 371% in South Africa, while in Nigeria it is just above 13% (listed companies, 2020). Could it be that the JSE is overvalued? Mr Ogunbanjo said. His immense contribution to the Nigerian capital market was rewarded in October 2022 when former President Muhammadu Buhari conferred on him the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic. He had been a board member of several companies, multinationals inclusive, such as AIICO Insurance, Beta Glass, GTL Registrars and ConocoPhillips. Until his death in a helicopter crash near Nipton, California, on 9 February, he was a member of the International Bar Association, Nigerian Bar Association, Institute of Petroleum and a registered capital market consultant with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria. Among his philanthropic efforts was serving as global ambassador for the Cervical Cancer-Free Nigeria, a brainchild of the Global Oncology (GO), a US-based nonprofit organisation backed by Stanford University. He was a one-time vice chairman of the Commercial Law and Taxation Committee of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce. Mr Ogunbanjo was Nigerias special counsel to the London and Paris clubs during the refinancing and rescheduling agreements made between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and International Creditors Banks. NGX Group mourns the untimely departure of Bamofin Abimbola Ogunbanjo and Dr. Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife and son. Bamofin Ogunbanjos leadership has left an indelible mark on our organization and the broader Nigerian financial community, and his legacy will continue to inspire us, said NGX Group Chairman Umaru Kwairanga in a statement. In his tribute, NGX Chief Executive Officer Temi Popoola said The passing of Bamofin Ogunbanjo is a profound loss for NGX Group and the entire Nigerian private sector. He played a crucial role in shaping NGX Group, and while he will be sorely missed, his visionary leadership and impact will never be forgotten. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Ahead of its primary election slated for 17 February, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cleared all the 12 aspirants jostling for its ticket to contest the 22 September governorship election. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 12 aspirants had purchased and returned their duly completed forms sold at N50 million each. The aspirants included Clem Agba, Monday Okpebholo, Lucky Imasuen, Anamero Dekeri, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Gideon Ikhine and David Imuse, a retired colonel. Others are Charles Airhiavbere, retired general, Oserheimen Osunbor, Blessing Agbomhere, Dennis Idahosa and Ernest Umakhihe. The schedule of activities for the governorship election, as released by the APC, showed that campaigns would start on 24 April. Abdullahi Ganduje, the partys national chairperson, who confirmed the partys clearance of the aspirants, assured them of a free, fair and credible governorship primaries. Mr Ize-Iyamu was the APC candidate in the 2020 governorship election in the state. He was defeated by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Godwin Obaseki, who is the current governor of the state. For the forthcoming election, it is not clear if Mr Ize-Iyamu will have the support of Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of the state and a former national chairperson of the APC, as he did in the 2020 election. Mr Oshiomhole, a close ally of President Bola Tinubu, is now the senator representing Edo North District and is likely to play an influential role in who emerges as the APC candidate for the election. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Federal government has placed a N2 million bounty on an Anambra-based lawyer, Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, who has been declared wanted for allegedly abusing an 11-year-old housemaid, Happiness. Mrs Cukelu-Okafor, who is on the run, is alleged to have used a broken bottle, knife and an electric iron to brutalise the child said to be her niece. A video of the little girl receiving medical attention at a hospital had recently gone viral. The incident reportedly happened in Akpaka, Onitsha in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, after Mrs Cukelu-Okafor, reportedly accused Happiness of touching her daughter. Recall that the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, had a few days ago said his administration had begun the prosecution of Ms Cukelu-Okafor over the abuse of her 11-year-old housemaid. In a post on his official Facebook page, Governor Soludo said the abuse of minors and vulnerable persons was not tolerated in the state, disclosing that a team from the state Ministry for Women and Social Welfare received a report on the incident on Wednesday, 31 January. Mrs Adachukwu Cukelu-Okafor, who visibly violated the young girl left in her custody, is one out of many who do not deserve a place amongst decent humanity. We have commenced actions to ensure she is brought to Justice. This should serve as a firm warning to all abusers of any kind, that Anambra State is not a place where their excesses will be condoned, the governor had stated in the post. Happiness alleged that Mrs Cukelu-Okafor used a broken bottle, pressing iron, and knife on her in just two weeks of her stay with her. In the viral video, Happiness was seen with iron-stamp burns on parts of her body, allegedly inflicted by her guardian, whom she reportedly began living with on 5 January. However, addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, urged Nigerians to be on the lookout for Mrs Cukelu-Okafor, provide information that could lead to her arrest and to call any police station once she is sighted. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is offering N2 million to anybody that will lay hands on this woman and hand her over to the police. We need this woman urgently because the girl is in pain and has been in the hospital. It could be your child or anybodys relation, so let us not fold our hands. We will give N2 million to anybody that will give necessary information to the police or the women affairs ministry on how to get Adachukwu, the lawyer who did all those harmful things to her housemaid, she said. The minister stressed that every Nigerian child deserved to grow up in a safe environment. According to her, the issue of Mrs Cukelu-Okafor is of grave concern to the federal government. I kept quiet initially because I thought that by now, it would have been solved by the state government since they are aware of it. But since it has not been resolved, I have decided to wade in. It is within my purview to get involved in anything that involves women and children across Nigeria, she added. READ ALSO: Anambra begins prosecution of lawyer for alleged abuse of house help Mrs Kennedy-Ohanenye also disclosed that the government will soon make a pronouncement on the issue of taking in housemaids that are less than 18 years old, in a bid to put a stop to cases of child abuse and violation. The minister said there will be an enforcement programme to that end, to be driven by the federal ministry of justice. We are going to put a stop to it; there will be a pronouncement within a week and an enforcement programme towards that action. And we will need whistleblowers, who are Nigerians, to come out and fight for your country, by giving information on anything that you feel will help this country, she said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Association of Table Water Producers says it will suspend production in all water-producing factories in Enugu State because of the unbearable high cost of production. This was contained in a statement issued by the Chairperson of the association, Enugu State Chapter, Tony Edike, and the Secretary, Clems Nwamadi, on Sunday, in Enugu. The statement was issued after members of the Enugu State chapter of the association held an emergency meeting in Enugu, on 8 February, on the challenges confronting all members of the association. It said from Monday, 12 February to Thursday, 15 February, all table water producers in Enugu State, including sachets and pet bottles, are required to down tools and suspend production. This is to enable us to seek a workable solution to the many challenges being faced by our members, the statement stated. The current harsh economic situation in the country, especially as it affects materials and other logistics for the production of sachet water in the state, was critically reviewed. After hours of deliberations on the overwhelming challenges being encountered by Association of Table Water Producers members, especially the over 500 per cent increase in the prices of raw materials and other factors of production, we have to come to this decision. Following the 500 per cent increase in the prices of raw materials, which include nylon, parking bags, purifying materials, procurement of water from boreholes located outside the city, diesel, high electricity tariff, haulage/transportation and other maintenance and staff costs, we had to close shop. Also, the upward review of various fees charged by both agencies of the state and local governments within our areas of operations is also a factor, it said. The statement stated that the association after receiving field reports from various zones, indicated that many producers had shut down their factories because of the high cost of materials and other production challenges that had increased their rate. Members of the association in the state also resolved that a bag of sachet water would be sold at N300 from 16 February to enable the producers to sustain their operations and rescue their businesses/investments from total collapse. Any member who violates the resolution is to pay a fine of N200,000 per truck caught by the associations task force, according to the statement. Members are advised to mobilise their staff during the period of the factory shutdown to clean up their equipment and keep their environment clean as the task force will soon embark on factory inspection to ensure that members comply with standard operating procedures. The statement appealed to the understanding of dealers and consumers. With taps no longer flowing in many homes, millions of Nigerians rely on sachet water to meet their need for water consumption daily. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print As Valentines Day approaches, the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has cautioned Nigerians against unprotected sex, while reaffirming its commitment to promoting a healthy and responsible celebration of love. The Director General of NACA, Gambo Aliyu, advised in a statement issued by the agencys Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Toyin Aderibigbe, in Abuja on Sunday. Mr Aliyu urged the general public to incorporate protection into intimate moments, undergo regular HIV testing, and engage in conversations about sexual health with their partners. He said these measures contribute not only to personal health but also to the broader goal of building safer and healthier communities. Mr Aliyu encouraged the public to prioritise their safety and well-being while expressing affection on Valentines Day in light of the ongoing global health situation. The statememt read in part: As people celebrate love on Valentines Day, we want everyone to enjoy it while prioritising their well-being. NACA encourages individuals to adopt a comprehensive approach to love, which includes open communication, mutual respect, and responsible choices. Love is a powerful force, and by embracing responsible practices, we can ensure that it enriches our lives without compromising our health. NACA is dedicated to providing resources, information, and support to empower individuals in making informed choices. Awareness Mr Aliyu added that on Valentines Day, NACA will conduct comprehensive awareness campaigns to educate the public about the significance of both abstinence and safe sex practices, ensuring everyone stays well informed. The agency aims to create an environment where love is celebrated responsibly, fostering a community that is both supportive and health-conscious, he noted. Valentines Day, an annual commerorative day but not recognised as holiday in Nigeria, is celebrated by people around the world on 14 February. About NACA NACA is an agency in Nigeria dedicated to preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and improving the quality of life for individuals Living With HIV. NACA works collaboratively with partners to develop and implement effective strategies for HIV prevention, care, and support. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Speaker of Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Danladi Jatau, has sworn in two members who won the 3 February re-run elections. They are Mohammed Omadefu (APC-Keana) and Musa Abubakar (NNPP-Doma South). The Speaker performed the swearing-in during the House proceedings in Lafia on Monday. Congratulating the two lawmakers for retaining their seats, Mr Jatau urged them to continue to discharge their duties. First and foremost, I want to congratulate Hon Mohammed Adamu Omadefu of Keana constituency and Hon Musa Ibrahim Abubakar of Doma South constituency for winning their February 3 re-run elections. We are happy that you have retained your seats to represent your constituencies in this House, he said. Mr Jatau urged them to abide by the oath of office they have taken. The speaker also called on the people of their constituencies to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship by supporting Messrs Omadefu and Musa to succeed. READ ALSO: The speaker also called for sustained unity among members for the overall peace and development of the House and the State. We sincerely thank God for our unity. In this House, we are one family irrespective of our party affiliations. Lets continue to work together, live as one family for the overall development of this House and the State at large, he said. Responding, Messrs Abubakar and Omadefu thanked God and their people for returning them to the House. They also appreciated the speaker for his purposeful leadership and other members for their support and assured the speaker of their support to succeed. They assured the people of their constituencies of their readiness to continue to provide more dividends of democracy to them. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on 22 November 2023, the Appeal Court in Abuja declared the election of the Keana constituency inconclusive. This nullified the election of Mr Omadefu, the majority leader of the House. The court on 29 November 2023 also ordered a re-run election in one polling unit of Doma South Constituency, declaring the election of Mr Abubakar inconclusive. NAN also reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission on 3 February conducted re-run elections in Keana and Doma local government areas respectively, with Messrs Omadefu of the APC and Abubakar of the NNPP retaining their seats respectively. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Uba Sani has ordered the Kaduna State University (KASU) to stop collecting other levies from students aside from their tuition fee. The governor said the levies negate the governments downward review of the tuition fee it announced in 2023 to cushion the effects of the general rising cost of living in Nigeria, especially following petroleum subsidy removal. In a statement by his spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, on Monday, the governor said his government is committed to ameliorating the suffering of the people. My government will continue to initiate policies, programmes and projects to bring succour to the poor, underserved and the vulnerable. It shall continue to take all necessary measures to ensure access to free and qualitative education for every citizen in Kaduna State from primary to tertiary level. Background Mr Sani had in August, two months after he was sworn in as governor, announced the reduction of tuition fees in state-owned tertiary institutions in Kaduna. The governor announced the cuts during an interactive session with reporters in Kaduna on 23 August 2023. READ ALSO: Jigawa School of Health upgraded as government subsidises tuition The immediate past administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai had increased school fees for tertiary institutions. Mr El-Rufai had argued that due to constraints on the resources of the state, his government could no longer subsidise education. Mr Sani, however, decided to cut tuition fees in response to the outcry of the public and the effect of the increased tuition on enrollment and retention. He reduced the N150,000 tuition fee paid by students at the Kaduna State University by 30 per cent to N105,000. He has now ordered the university not to impose any other levy on its students. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Against the backdrop of insecurity plaguing the nation, the South West coordinator of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms & Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Sola Ben Akinlade, on Monday, in Ibadan, disclosed that no fewer than 14,000 illicit weapons have been handed over to the centre by the Nigeria Army and Nigeria Police Force. He explained that the illicit weapons were recovered from clearance operations across the nation as part of the efforts to rid society of dangerous weapons in possession of criminal elements. Speaking during an interactive session with journalists, Mr Akinlade, who is a retired director of the State Security Services in charge of Internal Security, maintained that no effort will be spared by the centre in mopping up weapons already in the hands of hoodlums causing security breaches in Nigeria. NCCSALW was established under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) by the Federal Government in 2021. The centre is saddled with the responsibility of preventing and controlling the proliferation of small and light weapons in collaboration with stakeholders towards strengthening peace and security in Nigeria. For instance, the Nigeria Army has handed over about 10,000 weapons from various clearance operations across the nation, which have been destroyed through melting. Likewise, 4,000 illicit weapons were received from the Nigeria Police and destroyed by the centre, he said. READ ALSO: According to Mr Akinlade, the said weapons were those compiled from various state commands after completion of their court cases. He disclosed that efforts were underway to receive recovered weapons from the Nigeria Air Force, while the Nigerian Navy and Operation Delta Safe were already compiling seized illicit weapons for onward transmission to the centre for destruction. Commenting on the increase in the spate of violent crimes in the South-west zone, especially the recent kidnapping and killing of traditional rulers, the NCCSALW boss noted that the increased collaboration between relevant stakeholders in the war against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons would assist in stemming the tide. This is one of the reasons the media is being urged to support the centre in its advocacy and sensitisation drive of the members of the public on the bane of illicit possession of firearms, he said. Mr Akinlade disclosed that the centre was also profiling all blacksmiths who engage in the fabrication of illicit weapons intending to persuade them to desist from the criminal activities. He observed that the locally fabricated weapons are believed to be more easily acquired than the imported ones, which are often costly and not easily procured by the criminals. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nurses under the aegis of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Abuja and Lagos chapters, have protested the new circular on certificate verification by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN). The nurses converged on the NMCNs offices in Abuja and Lagos to express their dissatisfaction and threatened a nationwide strike, describing the new guidelines as an effort to impede their freedom. NMCN, in its revised guidelines, states that applicants seeking verification of certificates from foreign nursing boards and councils must possess two years of post-qualification experience from the date of issuance of the permanent practicing license. This was disclosed in a memo dated 7 February and signed by the NMCN Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, Faruk Abubakar. The policy is believed to be aimed at reducing the rate at which nurses leave for the United Kingdom and other developed countries in search of greener pasture. However, the nurses have demanded a reversal, urging the council to address other pertinent issues such as nurses welfare, salary scale, staff shortages, among others. Protest The nurses and midwives displayed placards conveying messages such as Address Unemployment among Nurses; Say no to Verification Rules, and Protect Nurses, Protect Healthcare. One of the nurses in Abuja, Cynthia Adeyeri, appealed to the government to improve the welfare of nurses instead of issuing new guidelines on certificate verification. Ms Adeyeri said: We are to give the registrar a letter and to state our displeasure over the certificate verification. We are saying no to making us work for two years before we can leave (the country), we are saying no to getting a letter of good standing from the CMD from our hospitals, and we are saying no to other things in the circular. The government should dialogue with young nurses to ask us why we are leaving Nigeria. We have a poor healthcare infrastructure, and that is why people are leaving, they want to go to where they have better pay and better welfare. READ ALSO: Another nurse in Abuja, Isioma Alexis, said: We want the NMCN to withdraw the circular within 48 hrs because it is not benefiting the whole of the nurses. If we look into the present situation of the country, it is not conducive for anybody but irrespective of the condition, we are just making this peaceful appeal. If theres nothing done after this, then we are hereby telling you that we will be going on a nationwide strike. The nurses in Lagos also demanded an immediate withdrawal of the circular. They also asked that the verification process should be completed in 48 hours and be made free of charge. Registrar addresses protesters Addressing the nurses during the peaceful protest in Abuja, the Registrar of NMCN, Mr Abubakar, assured them that their concerns would be promptly addressed. He said: I have listened to you, and I want to assure you that your documents will be examined comprehensively to address every issue in a short time. Mr Abubakar clarified that nobody is against nurses and midwives travelling abroad, emphasising that the policy is in the best interest of Nigerians. He encouraged the nurses to return to their workplaces, promising a thorough review of their complaints and a response within a couple of days. NANNM concerns The Lagos Council of NANNM, in a statement on 10 February, issued after its state executive council emergency meeting, expressed reservations about the councils circular and its intent and impact on the progress and welfare of nurses and midwives in Nigeria. NANNM observed that the prerequisite of two years of post-qualification practice casts aspersion on the quality of nurses and midwives licensed by the council and that it is an infringement of their rights. It also raised concerns regarding the prolonged six-month minimum processing period stipulated in the circular, adding that the requirement for a letter from the Chief Executive Officer of the respective places of work is a deliberate attempt to make the verification process burdensome. Apart from the withdrawal of the circular, the NANNM also wants the nursing council to fully digitalise the verification process, including the transmission of decisions to other regulatory councils. According to the statement, NANNM called on NMCN to provide the verification service at no extra cost while optimising and automating its key processes for a 48-hour turnaround. It asked the Nigerian government to constitute the NMCN board to ensure proper representation of the interests of nurses and midwives in key decisions. About NMCN The NMCN is the only legal, administrative, corporate, and statutory body charged with performing specific functions on behalf of the federal government to ensure the delivery of safe and effective nursing and midwifery care to the public through quality education and best practices. The council is mandated by law to regulate the standards of nursing and midwifery education and practice in Nigeria and to review such standards from time to time to meet the changing health needs of society. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print By Alimat Aliyeva In 2024, Seoul plans to launch mass production of new 155 mm ammunition for self-propelled artillery units (ACS) K9, Azernews reports, citing the Department of Defense Procurement Programs DAPA (Defense Acquisition Program Administration). Representatives of DAPA and the Poongsan defense company, which manufactures ammunition for the K9, held a meeting dedicated to the official completion of the projectile development. It began to be created in 2014, research and development work on it started in 2017, and in August 2023, experts recognized the projectile as suitable for combat use. At the same time, as reported on February 8 in the Janes information and analytical group, referring to a representative of Poongsan, DAPA issued a certificate of conformity of the product to the requirements for ammunition suitable for real combat use to the company in July 2023. This document serves as the basis for the launch of mass production of any military product, whether it is ammunition, weapons or military equipment. According to a Poongsan representative, in 2023, DAPA ordered 2 thousand 155-mm projectiles with extended flight range, which should be delivered by the end of 2024. "At the end of this year, DAPA will also sign another contract with Poongsan related to the purchase of additional ammunition, and they will be produced in 2025," the Janes interlocutor said. It is noted that the flight range of the new projectile is about 30% longer than that of the Poongsan high-explosive munition with a rocket accelerator in the bottom of the K307, whose flight range is 41 km. This effect is achieved by using an additional solid fuel charge in the new projectile. For comparison, the standard ammunition for the K9 - M107 self-propelled guns, produced by Hanhwa under license from the American General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, has a target range of up to 18.8 km. According to Yonhap, the South Korean authorities hope that the new development will be in demand on the international market and increase the export potential of the 155-mm K9 self-propelled howitzer of national design. Former Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj reacted to the interview of controversial journalist Tucker Carlson with Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin . He reminded him of history and epically trolled the Russian president with cards. ADVERTISIMENT He wrote about this on his account on the social network X, formerly known as Twitter. Thus, the president of Mongolia unveiled a map from the 13th century, where most of modern Russia was part of the Mongol Empire. "After Putin's talk. I found a historical map of Mongolia. Don't worry, we are a peaceful and free nation," Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj wrote sarcastically. In this way, he ridiculed Putin's "historical lectures" during his interview with Carlson. It is noteworthy that Tsahiagiin Elbegdorj graduated from the Lviv Military Political Institute with a degree in military journalism. With the beginning of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, he spoke out in support of Ukraine. And in September 2022, he called on Russians to avoid mobilization and participation in a criminal war, and for Buryats, Kalmyks, and Tuvans to emigrate to Mongolia. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, dictator Vladimir Putin has accused the Poles themselves of the 1939 Nazi attack on Poland. According to the war criminal, Poland "forced" Adolf Hitler to attack it because it "played around" and was "too intransigent." As OBOZ.UA reported, the interview was published on February 8. The Russian dictator repeated many well-known propaganda theses, for example, that "Ukraine as a state has never existed." This time, Putin said that Ukraine was allegedly invented by Joseph Dzhugashvili (Stalin) and the Poles. The White House urged not to fall for the lies of dictator Vladimir Putin in an interview with scandalous journalist Tucker Carlson. They noted that the words of the Russian president should not be "taken at face value." ADVERTISIMENT Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canadians will not be influenced by the propaganda that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin tried to convey to the West through his interview. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The police in Anambra State say they have recovered two AK-47 rifles stolen from their facilities by gunmen in 2021. The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Monday. Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said one of the rifles was stolen by gunmen who attacked Zone 13 Police Headquarters, Ukpo in Anambra State in 2021. The second rifle was stolen from Area Command Headquarters, Ogidi early last year (2023) when the formation was attacked by insurgents, he said. The spokesperson said undercover police operatives, due to their painstaking intelligence-gathering, uncovered the location where the gunmen hid the rifles. He said the rifles were hidden by the hoodlums in Nnobi, a community in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state. The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Aderemi Adeoye, has commended the police operatives for their diligence in the operation, Mr Ikenga said. Mr Adeoye urged the operatives not to relent until they track down the gunmen who killed some officers during an attack at the facility. The police commissioner assured the operatives that every logistic support they require for the operations will be provided. Increased attacks Police operatives, their facilities and officials of other security agencies have been targets of attacks by gunmen said to be part of Biafra agitation across Nigerias South-east. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been linked to some of the deadly attacks across the South-east and South-south Nigeria. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. IPOB is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of South-south Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print From the outspoken Catholic priest, Ejike Mbaka, accusing Nigerian clerics of dishing out fake miracles to the resumed trial of Nnamdi Kanu, the past week was eventful in Nigerias south-east. It was the second week of February 2024. Here are the highlights of the top stories that made headlines in the region within the past week: Rerun Legislative Election: YPP reclaims Orumba North/Orumba South Federal Constituency in Anambra The week began on a joyful note for the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Anambra State after the party reclaimed Orumba North and Orumba South Federal Constituency seat in the state during the rerun legislative election last weekend. The YPP candidate for the election, Chinwe Nnabuife, was declared the winner of the rerun election for the constituency in the state by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Ms Nnabuife earlier won the 25 February election in the constituency, but the INEC conducted the rerun in compliance with a court judgment. The court judgement followed a petition filed by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, Okwudili Ezenwankwo. Ms Nnabuife scored 14416, while the closest candidate, Mr Ezenwankwo of PDP, scored 13087 in the rerun election, according to the result of the exercise declared by INECs Returning Officer for the constituency, Gabriel Anene, a professor. Like Ms Nnabuife, another YPP candidate for Nnewi-North and Nnewi South and Ekwusigo Constituency, Peter Uzokwe, won in the rerun election for the constituency. Mr Uzokwe had challenged the victory of the APGA candidate in the 25 February election, Uchenna Elodimuo, prompting a court of appeal to nullify the election and order a rerun. A senator from the state, Ifeanyi Ubah, in his reaction, said the two victories for the YPP candidates had shown that he (Ubah) is a street general in Anambra State politics. They (Uzokwe and Nnabuife) know that they won those elections because of my influence, so now that I am in APC, I wont tell you that it is a must that they will come over to the APC, but you know that in politics, you follow your leader, Mr Ubah said. Mr Ubah defected from the YPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in October but has continued to support the YPP and its candidates, particularly in Anambra South District where he represents. Police inspector declared wanted for murder The week continued on Tuesday with the declaration of Audu Omadefu, a police inspector, wanted for alleged murder in Anambra State. The police in the state published some of their telephone numbers, with an appeal to Nigerians to report to them whenever they see the wanted inspector. They did not, however, give details of the alleged murder. Protest by Nigerian university students over fee hike There was tension on Tuesday when some students of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, protested the hike in the institutions tuition fees. PREMIUM TIMES reported that officials of the university were seen chasing some students of the institution, who had not paid their fees, out of examination halls. The university spokesperson later told this newspaper that the students were given adequate time to pay their hiked fees and that they knew the consequences of failing to do so. The protest subsequently gained momentum and became riotous which prompted the university management to shut down the institution indefinitely. Mbaka accuses Nigerian clerics of fake miracles, prophecies An outspoken Catholic priest, Ejike Mbaka, stirred a controversy when he claimed during a recent Sunday service that many Nigerian clerics regularly dish out fake prophecies and conduct false miracles to make money and fame. Many of us (clerics) have started using this preaching and prophecies to mine money. I call it money mining. The worst is that they have started using prophecies as though it is betting. Prophetic trial and error, Mr Mbaka had said in a clip uploaded on his Facebook page and YouTube channel on 4 February. The clip has continued to elicit reactions across Nigerias south-east, a region with a high population of Christians. Court sentencing of woman to death for murder It was a judgement day in Enugu State on Wednesday when a State High Court sentenced Chiamaka Ifezue to death by hanging for killing a makeup artist, Ijeoma Nweke. The late Nweke, who was based in Enugu State, had left home on 11 November 2020 for a make-up job in the state but went missing afterwards. Ms Ifezue, now convicted, was earlier said to have killed the makeup artist for having an affair with her boyfriend. She and her brother, identified as Emeka, were said to have carried out the act after luring the victim with a make-up job and forcing her to drink poison. The two siblings subsequently poured acid on her corpse and dumped it at Maryland Axis of Enugu Metropolis where it was discovered on 16 November 2020. Ms Ifezue was first arrested and arraigned in February 2021 before a magistrate court in Enugu before being transferred to the State High Court for trial. Rescue of six pregnant girls in Anambra Officials of the Anambra State Government, on Wednesday, rescued six pregnant girls from a baby factory during a raid on the facility in Umunya, a community in Oyi Local Government Area of the state. Although this was not the first time such a thing would happen, the latest incident is a painful reminder that trafficking and child sales are yet to slow down in Nigeria. The Commissioner for Health in Anambra State, Afam Obidike, said five people have been arrested in connection with the crime. Nnamdi Kanus resumed trial The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is set to resume at a Federal High Court, Abuja fixed 26 February for hearing Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to the IPOB leader, disclosed this in a post on his X handle on Thursday. The case which started in 2015 had been put on hold at the Federal High Court after the Court of Appeal dismissed the terrorism charges against Mr Kanu in October 2022. But the Nigerian government refused to release the IPOB leader, insisting that he (Kanu) could be unavailable in subsequent court proceedings if released and that his release would cause insecurity in the South-east, where he comes from. The government, through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, later appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order staying the execution of the court judgment at the Supreme Court. Delivering judgement on the appeal on 15 December, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr Kanu by the lower court and consequently ordered the continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court Abuja. The resumed trial complies with the order of the Supreme Court. Torture, violent killing of animals Here is a story about a native doctor accused of torturing animals and violently killing them. The native doctor, identified simply as Nnabuikem, otherwise known as High Chief Enenie Nwa ite, hails from Ovoko, a community in Igbo-Eze South Local Government of the state. Mr Nnabuikem is seen in several video clips uploaded on his Facebook page, torturing and violently killing animals, apparently to perform rituals for his clients. The police, in a post on their X handle on Thursday, said they had received several reports on the alleged torture and cruelty to animals by the native doctor. Thus, necessary investigative actions have been initiated. (Further) development will be communicated please, the police said. The alleged act by the native doctor drew criticisms from Nigerians and an international organisation that called for his prosecution. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Many Nigerians have continued to express condolences to the family of Herbert Wigwe, Access Holdings Chief Executive Officer, who was involved in a helicopter crash in the United States late Friday. Mr Wigwe, his wife, and his son were among the six passengers in a helicopter that crashed in the US early Saturday Nigerian time (late Friday local time). Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), was also among the passengers. The Eurocopter EC130 crashed around 10 p.m. local time near Nipton, Calif, an unincorporated community approximately 60 miles south of Las Vegas in eastern San Bernardino County, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Officials from the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department were notified of the downed aircraft at 10:12 p.m. local time, according to Mara Rodriguez, a public information officer with the department. She added that the crash site was located east of Interstate 15, near Halloran Springs Road. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the ill-fated Flight N130CZ, operated by Orbic Air LLC, took off from Palm Springs, California, at 8:45 p.m. but was last seen near Fort Irwin/Barstow, California, at 9:49 p.m., Friday. The cause of the crash of the Airbus Helicopter EC-130 remains unclear. Access Holdings on Sunday announced the passing of Mr Wigwe and others involved in the crash. Condolences The Central Bank of Nigerias (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, in his tribute extended condolences to the family of Mr Wigwe. Mr Cardoso expressed his condolences in a statement posted Sunday on the CBN official X handle and wished the souls of the departed eternal rest. Our profound condolences to the Wigwe family and Access Holdings on the passing of the co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Dr Herbert Wigwe, his wife, Chizoba, and son, Chizi, alongside Otunba Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Group Chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group, in the United States of America, on February 9, 2024. May their souls rest in peace, he wrote. Femi Otedola, billionaire businessman and chairman of Geregu Power Plc, also expressed shock over Mr Wigwes demise. I am shocked and saddened to hear of the loss of a banking genius Herbert Wigwe, his dear wife Chizoba and first son Chizi. Exactly two weeks ago Herbie and his wife hosted myself and Aliko to dinner at his newly built home in Lagos. I will cherish and fondly remember my memories of time spent together with him over the years. Herbie, we will all miss you. Your legacy will live on forever. My heartfelt condolences go out to his children Tochi, Hannah and David. I pray God comforts them during this tragic time. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace, he said. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, described Mr Wigwes passing as a tragic loss of a dear friend. Im deeply saddened by the tragic news of the passing of my dear friend, Mr Herbert Wigwe, CEO of Access Holdings, along with his wife and son, and another close friend, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former group chairman of NGX Group. This loss is profoundly felt across the nation. I first met Herbert during his early days, on the brink of starting his marital journey. I vividly remember assisting him in preparing for his traditional wedding and being there for the ceremony with his wife, Chizoba, from Achina, Anambra State. Since then, Ive maintained a connection to his endeavours in my own modest ways. Herbert, a determined and forward-thinking individual, led Access Bank to new heights following his brother Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede. His noteworthy contributions extended beyond the professional realm, with commendable philanthropic efforts in health and education, exemplified by the establishment of Wigwe University, showcasing his deep commitment to education as a driver of development. The loss of such an exceptional individual reminds us of lifes fleeting nature, encouraging us to live with a purpose that contributes to the betterment of humanity. My heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with Herbert, his beloved wife, his son and all those who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash. May God grant them eternal rest and provide strength to Herberts family, Access Holdings, and all of us mourning this irreplaceable loss, he said. A senator from Abia State, Orji Kalu, also expressed shock and sadness over the death of Mr Wigwe. Mr Kalu, lamenting the demise of Mr Wigwe, condoled with the board, management, staff and stakeholders of Access Holdings while noting that Mr Wigwes demise is a huge loss to the country. He described the late banker as a thoroughbred professional with a proven track record in the financial sector, stressing that the deceased was a complete gentleman and patriotic Nigerian. In a condolence message, Mr Kalu prayed to God to grant the Wigwe family the fortitude to bear the sad losses. The death of the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Mr Herbert Wigwe alongside his wife and son is devastating. It is a huge loss to the nation as the deceased was a notable and patriotic Nigerian who played vital roles in the economic development of Nigeria through various platforms. He was a skilled financial expert with outstanding qualities. The late banker will be greatly missed, Mr Kalu said. Others The president of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, described Mr Wigwe as a visionary and brilliant banker. I am saddened by the tragic death of Herbert Wigwe, CEO and co-founder of Access Bank, his wife & son. He was a visionary and brilliant banker. May God comfort your aged parents, children, the Wigwe family and the staff and management of Access Bank. You will be greatly missed, he wrote. A former Nigerian Senate President, Bukola Saraki, also paid his tribute while describing Mr Wigwe as instrumental in transforming what was once a small commercial bank into one of the top five banks in the nation. Im deeply shaken by the news of the helicopter crash in California that claimed the lives of my friend and brother, Herbert Wigwe, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, his dear wife, son, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the Group Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group Plc, alongside two others. As the longtime CEO and Group Managing Director of Access Bank, Herbert was instrumental in transforming what was once a small commercial bank into one of the top five banks in the nation. As we mourn his loss, we must view the passing of Herbert and these prominent individuals not just as a personal tragedy for their families but also as a significant loss for the business community and the nation at large. May the Almighty grant solace to the Wigwe family, the Ogunbanjo family, the Access Bank Group, and all families affected by this tragedy, he said. Nigerias Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, described Mr Wigwes passing as a huge loss to Nigerias financial sector. The passing of Dr Herbert Wigwe, Group CEO of Access Holdings PLC, his wife and son, is a huge loss to our financial sector and country as a whole. Dr Wigwe was a true pioneer and fine gentleman who blazed the trail in revolutionising our banking industry and more recently in education. Also saddening to hear was the loss of Mr Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former chairman of the Nigeria Exchange Group PLC. My thoughts and prayers go to their families, friends and business associates and I pray that all the souls lost in this sad incident rest in peace. Rabiu Kwankwaso, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and former governor of Kano State, in a statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, described Mr Wigwes passing as an unfortunate incident. Im saddened by the unfortunate incident that led to the passing of Mr Herbert Wigwe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, his family, as well as Bimbo Ogunbanjo. Herbert Wigwe was one of the finest bankers in Nigeria, whose exemplary leadership led Access Bank to its present highs. I was also aware of the big plans he had for education, through his revolutionary university. My deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the loved ones and associates of all involved in this unfortunate incident, Mr Kwankwaso wrote. The Chairperson of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu, also expressed sorrow over the demise of Mr Wigwe. Mr Elumelu, in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, described the demise of Mr Wigwe and Mr Ogunbanjo as sad and distressing while noting that Nigeria has lost two of its brightest minds. Tribute to Great Lights- True Patriots. Nigeria, indeed Africa, has lost two of our brightest minds. I admired them both and we all shared the desire to drive Nigerias transformation. Herbert was an exceptional talent, committed to advancing the banking and financial sector in Nigeria, with Access Holdings. Likewise, Bimbos tenure as Group chairman of the NGX group was distinguished by excellence. Both will be sorely missed by all. Their leadership and entrepreneurial drive will continue to serve as shining examples to millions of our young people. May Bimbo, Herbert, his dear wife, Chizoba, and his son, Chizi, rest in perfect peace. May God give their immediate families strength and grace in this difficult time, he wrote. Governor Alex Otti of Abia State in a tribute message posted on his X handle on Sunday described Mr Wigwe as a brother while noting that his death is too big a blow to him. Herbert, why? Why? Why? You told me you were going for a board meeting in London from where you will head out to the US and return after a few days and immediately come to Abia to see me. So, what happened? Since this news filtered out, Ive not been able to put my head down. I spoke to Peggy who was broken but strong. I refused to believe it. Many others confirmed but they were also reporting other people. Then comes this call minutes ago from Sola Faleye, my younger friend whom you acquired as you took over Diamond Bank. He described the death as a big a blow to me personally and all those that knew you closely, adding that even in the most difficult moment, Mr Wigwe was always there to share ideas. Goodnight, my own brother Herbert! Good night, Chizoba! Good night, Chizzy! It is well with your souls, Mr Otti wrote. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Amidst the exit of multinational pharmaceutical companies from Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) said a total of 105 applications for the construction and erection of drug manufacturing facilities have been approved across the country. The regulatory agency said the approved applications, which were selected from a total of 143, meet the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and NAFDAC GMP for Medicinal Products Regulations 2021. According to a document obtained by PREMIUM TIMES and signed by the Director General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, 35 per cent of the approved applications have completed construction and are at different stages in the registration stream as prescribed by extant NAFDACs guidelines on the establishment of pharmaceutical plants in Nigeria. The agency also revealed that over 20 newly registered local drug manufacturers have cumulatively invested over $2 billion in the erection and completion of WHO-compliant facilities that manufacture quality pharmaceuticals and essential medicines for Nigerians. This figure, according to NAFDAC, represents an increase of 12 per cent in the number of active local manufacturers. Sequel to its over-dependence and reliance on importation, Nigeria is currently battling a national shortage in drug supply as multinational pharmaceutical companies, like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Sanofi, exit the country. But Mrs Adeyeye said though the local manufacturing companies are not replacement for the global giant drugmakers exiting the country, they are signs of progress for Nigeria. More development NAFDAC also announced that Emzor Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited is commencing the commercial manufacturing of four antimalarial Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) following technical collaboration with NAFDAC and Indian-based WHO prequalified API manufacturers partners- Mangalam Drugs and Organics Limited. It added that another cohort of six local manufacturers has concluded plans to initiate the local manufacture of different classes of widely used APIs and pharmaceutical excipients. The agency added that it is preparing regulatory officers, manufacturers, and students with their professors in capacity building through an international workshop on Local Manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Excipients, developed by NAFDAC. The first workshop took place in October 2023, and it attracted experts in the subject matter from China, USA, UK and Nigeria, Mrs Adeyeye noted. Without high technical competence in manufacturing of these raw materials, the domestication may be challenged. A second workshop is being planned for the second quarter of 2024. Strengthening local manufacturing NAFDAC also revealed that Swiss Pharma Nigeria Limited, one of Nigerias local manufacturers, recently had its pediatric formulation pre-qualified by the WHO following a stringent evaluation of its manufacturing and quality control processes. While several other products manufactured by the company are awaiting WHO prequalification, it noted that other local drug producers and manufacturers of medical devices have also expressed interest in attaining global recognition and acceptability. All these are in addition to initiation of patronage of our local manufacturers by UN Agencies (notably UNICEF) and contract manufacturing of quality pharmaceuticals for multinationals such as GSK, Sanofi, Merck, Bayer etc. by a handful of our local manufacturers, she noted. The NAFDAC boss added that the agencys attainment of maturity three (ML3) status, the WHO prequalification of the Central Drug Control Laboratory in Yaba, Lagos, and other interventions all point to the fact that a lot is being done to achieve a stable and well-regulated environment for the manufacturing of essential medicines in Nigeria. NAFDAC said with the right policies, enabling business and regulatory environment, our country can attain self-sufficiency in the manufacture of medicines that meet requirements of quality, safety, and efficacy regardless of our current but transient economic travails. Exit of multinationals In August 2023, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Nigeria Plc, the second-biggest drug producer in Nigeria, ceased operation in the country by terminating its marketing and distribution agreement and appointed third-party distributors to sell their medications and vaccines. GSK is the producer of vaccines such as Ambirix for hepatitis A & B, Cervarix for human papillomavirus bivalent 16 & 18, cancer drugs such as Zejula and other general medicines such as Amoxil, and Augmentin. Sanofi and many other foreign pharmaceutical companies have also announced leaving Nigeria. Speaking at a recent event, the Vice President of the African HealthCare Federation, Clare Omatseye, raised concern over the hike in the prices of cancer drugs as manufacturing companies of chemotherapy drugs exit the country. According to Mrs Omatseye, some pharmaceutical companies exited Nigeria due to challenges such as foreign exchange, ease of doing business, importation bureaucracy, multiple taxation, and malpractice within the industry. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria, say they have arrested two notorious leaders of cult groups in the state. The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, said in a statement on Monday that the arrested cult leaders were behind killings in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state. Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, identified the suspects as 25-year-old Chitana Oha and 24-year-old Ifeanyi Okonkwo both males. The police spokesperson said the suspects were arrested during a special operation by the Police Crack Squad. He said the squad was deployed to the council area by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Aderemi Adeoye, to provide security for residents in the council area during and after the Yuletide season. Both suspects were arrested at their hideout at Okija within the same local government area, he said. The police commissioner, Mr Adeoye, has vowed to end cult-related killings in Ihiala communities the same way he stamped out the menace in Awka, Mr Ikenga said. The police commissioner further directed the crack squad to flush out all cultists operating in the area. He assured residents of Anambra State that the police in the state will continue to prioritise their security and safety. Worsening insecurity Communities in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State and those in neighbouring Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State have witnessed worsening insecurity lately. Kidnap attacks, killings by pro-Biafra gunmen and suspected cultists have increased in the area in recent times. READ ALSO: Police arrest three suspected cultists in Lagos PREMIUM TIMES reported how suspected pro-Biafra gunmen abducted and then killed a former House of Representatives candidate from Anambra State. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been linked to some of the deadly attacks in the South-east and some parts of the south-south Nigeria. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. IPOB is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The adoption of state police has been proffered as a veritable solution to the pervasive insecurity across the country. This was the submission of state governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a meeting held in Abuja on Monday. Equally, it was the submission of the Lagos State House of Assembly after a plenary during which lawmakers expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the country, and Lagos especially. Rising from its meeting to review the state of the nation, the PDP Governors Forum, in a communique, said that they would continue to play their role in the effort to bring security and succour to Nigerians. The governors reiterated the call for state police with appropriate safeguards to avoid any abuse by any tier of government. The meeting was attended by Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, and Kefas Agbu of Taraba State. Others included Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, Deputy Governor Ifeanyi Ossai of Enugu State and Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme of Delta State. In a communique read by the Chairman of the Forum, Mr Mohammed, the governors also asked the federal government to take urgent and comprehensive measures to halt the deteriorating value of the naira. While noting the hardship being faced by Nigerians as a result of the economic and security challenges facing the nation, the governors urged the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, embark on initiatives involving all the sub-national governments to bring a lasting solution to the crises. The meeting reviewed recent developments in the PDP and committed to leading efforts to revamp and reposition the party to serve as an effective opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The governors passed a vote of confidence in the Iliya Damagum-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party and urged it to put in motion the machinery for convening meetings of its appropriate organs from Caucus to National Executive Committee (NEC) as soon as possible. Speaking on the rising cost of living in the country, Mr Mohammed said the Forum was working closely with the federal government, and partnering with them to make sure that we dont bring any distraction, but the monetary and economic policies rest squarely with the federal government. The majority of Nigerians voted for this administration. So, we are doing so much across party lines, and on bi-partisan basis within the Nigeria Governors Forum within the National Economic Council to make sure that we cushion the effects of some of these policies. We have reached out to our people and opened the food reserves in a manner that will provide some succour to our people at the lower level, he said. In Lagos, members of the state assembly, on Monday, stressed the need for a constitutional amendment to allow for state policing amid rising insecurity in the country. This formed the crux of an urgent motion raised by the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, while the Assembly reviewed the recent attack by some gunmen in the Igbogbo area of Ikorodu local government. Mr Obasa called on the National Assembly to consider the immediate review of the 1999 constitution to allow for state policing. Another member of the House, representing Ikorodu 2 constituency, Moshood Aro, while speaking on the Igbogbo attack, highlighted some sustainable solutions to the pervasive insecurity including the immediate establishment of state police, clearing of bushes around residential areas by the Ministry of Environment, and completion of major roads in Igbogbo. He also urged the states commissioner of police to work with local security outfits. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), characterised by advancements in artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics, offers a plethora of tools that could fundamentally alter the security landscape. Drones equipped with facial recognition can track suspects, while AI-powered analytics can predict crime hotspots. Sophisticated communication networks can connect security forces across vast distances, and blockchain technology can ensure the transparency and accountability of operations. A Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, attended the second edition of the Saudi Defence Exhibition to explore tech solutions, especially the latest security technologies, and share information and ideas on the latest defence systems to combat insecurity. The Nigerian delegation, which also comprised the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, demonstrated the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to seizing the advantages offered by technological advancements, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, and data analytics, to enhance collective national security. The Global Exhibition no doubt presented a unique opportunity for Nigeria to address its ongoing challenges, in collaboration with the international community. Other participating countries at the exhibition included Russia, Turkey, China, Pakistan, Iran, and the United States of America, etc. The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has, over the years, made some strides in utilising technology in enhancing the activities of its personnel and operations. But yet much still needs to be done. It was not surprising when the Minister of Communication, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, emphasised the need to support the security forces with the required technological tools to combat insecurity in Nigeria. During a paper presentation at the maiden National Security Course on Psychological Operations and Strategic Communication (NSCPOSC), the minister advised the military and other security agencies to leverage the solutions offered by technological innovations toward tackling security challenges. Although the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) is responsible for the production of military hardware and other civilian products, the company should leverage the Fourth Industrial Revolution to revive the company and set it in a better position to overcome the current security challenges. In his paper at the course, organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), the minister noted that some bad elements have continued to utilise cyberspace as the perfect avenue for perpetrating crimes. He said, The Internet and social media have made it easy to spread misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, which may exert a negative effect on our national security. Mr Tijani noted that the ongoing Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0) has had significant effects on technological advancements and innovations, especially with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and data analytics. According to him, the military and other sister agencies can take advantage of these technology tools by incorporating them into their operational plans, so as to enhance their security efficiency. Although the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) is responsible for the production of military hardware and other civilian products, the company should leverage the Fourth Industrial Revolution to revive the company and set it in a better position to overcome the current security challenges. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), characterised by advancements in artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics, offers a plethora of tools that could fundamentally alter the security landscape. Drones equipped with facial recognition can track suspects, while AI-powered analytics can predict crime hotspots. Sophisticated communication networks can connect security forces across vast distances, and blockchain technology can ensure the transparency and accountability of operations. harnessing the power of the 4IR for security is not without its challenges. Infrastructure deficiencies, particularly in rural areas, could hinder the deployment of essential technologies. Data privacy concerns must be addressed to ensure citizens rights are not infringed upon. Meanwhile, the advantages of using technology are undeniable. Imagine a scenario where Nigerian security forces receive real-time intelligence on criminal activities, enabling them to proactively prevent attacks and apprehend perpetrators. Also, bolstering our border security with AI-powered tools will boost surveillance systems, making it virtually impossible for criminals to infiltrate the country undetected. When communication gaps are bridged, this will allow for seamless collaboration between different security agencies, thereby fostering a unified response to threats. However, harnessing the power of the 4IR for security is not without its challenges. Infrastructure deficiencies, particularly in rural areas, could hinder the deployment of essential technologies. Data privacy concerns must be addressed to ensure citizens rights are not infringed upon. And perhaps, most importantly, the human element cannot be ignored. Effective implementation requires not just technology but also a cultural shift towards innovation, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making within security agencies. Nonetheless, despite the challenges, the potential rewards are too significant to ignore. The Nigerian military cannot afford to be left behind in the 4IR. The nation must embrace this technological revolution and leverage its potential to address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, lack of opportunity, and social injustice. Achieving this requires investing in infrastructure, thereby expanding internet access and building robust communication networks for the deployment of tech-based security solutions. Training security personnel in using and interpreting technological tools is also essential for maximising their effectiveness. Mukhtar Yau Madobi, an NDA research student is the author of National Security Strategies: A Young Writers Perspective. Email: ymukhtar944@gmail.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print I call upon President Bola Tinubu; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly across the federation, to heed the call for constitutional reform and restructuring. It is time to embrace true federalism whether based on the six geopolitical zones or the current state structure and empower our states and regions to take charge of their own destinies. In my 80 years on earth, I saw the colonial administration of Nigeria. I have seen Nigeria since Independence in 1960. I have seen Nigeria under different shades of military rule and temporary civilian rule up to 1998. I have been an active participant in the government of Nigeria from 1999 in the House of Representatives and as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria up to 2011. Since then, I have been on the sidelines of the evolving political scenario in the country. Today, I stand before you with a heart heavy with concern and a spirit emboldened by resolve. Our beloved country, Nigeria, is at a crossroads, grappling with crises that threaten the very fabric of our society. Endemic corruption, insecurity, impunity, nepotism, bad governance, and a flawed leadership recruitment system have cast a shadow over our nations future. But even in the face of these daunting challenges, I remain steadfast in my belief in the resilience of our people and potential of our great country. First and foremost, let me address the cancer of corruption that has plagued our society for far too long. Coming out of military rules and an interregnum of a civilian administration in 1999, Nigeria was rated the second most corrupt nation in the world. The new administration in 1999 was aware of the enormity of the problem and set out to immediately address it by instituting mechanisms to reduce corruption. By 2008, Nigeria had ascended the corruption index to 121 out of 180 a significant improvement resulting from the efforts of eight years. By 2023, the corruption index has become 145 out of 180, reflecting the deteriorating level of corruption in the country. Corruption is not merely a crime; it is also a betrayal of the trust placed in our leaders and a theft from the pockets of every hardworking Nigerian. We cannot hope to move forward as a nation until we root out corruption at all levels of government and society. Regrettably, corruption is most unlikely to reduce in Nigeria with the laisser-faire attitude of successive administrations wanting to accumulate excess resources to outpace opponents to win the next election. What is required is a selfless leader with a determination to address the menace, the way Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore tackled it. Equally pressing is the issue of insecurity, which has left too many of our citizens living in fear for their lives and livelihoods. From the menace of Boko Haram in the North-East to the banditry and kidnapping ravaging our communities, no Nigerian should have to endure such terror. We must bolster our security forces, invest in intelligence gathering and technology, and address the underlying socio-economic factors that fuel extremism and criminality. But we must also recognise that security is not just about guns and bullets; it is also about justice, opportunity, and dignity for all. Dear countrymen and women, since 2015 we have witnessed the worst levels of nepotism in our nation, the lopsided appointments which have negated not only the Federal Character principles enshrined in our constitution, but also the tenets of justice and equity. Impunity too, has been ever so pervasive, with powerful individuals and institutions flouting the law carelessly, while ordinary Nigerians suffer the consequences. This culture of nepotism erodes trust in our institutions and undermines the very foundations of our democracy. No one should act outside the law. No one should be above the law. We must collectively ensure that justice is blind meting out punishment to the powerful and protection to the powerless. These maladies have become so entrenched that it appears no administration emerging through our electoral process will ever be able to overcome them. The quality of governance in Nigeria has continued to plummet through successive administrations since 1999, and gotten worse since 2015. I therefore urge President Tinubu to do his best to address these issues and keep the country together till the end of his first tenure. Thereafter, a government of national unity should be formed to chart a new course for our nation. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also failed in its duty to uphold the integrity of our electoral process. The cascading fraudulent conduct of general elections stands as a testament to the erosion of our democratic values. I demand for an immediate investigation of the INEC and a comprehensive overhaul of our electoral system. We cannot go into another election with this porous system. I must address the alarming state of our secondary healthcare facilities. During my recent visits to hospitals within my Senatorial District, I was appalled by the lack of confidence our people have in the public healthcare system. Despite the efforts of past administrations, including the refurbishment and equipment of hospitals by former Governor Udom Emmanuel, many facilities are still failing to meet the needs of our citizens, with some of the equipment already missing. Furthermore, the judiciary must be reformed to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice. The prevalence of cash-for-judgment schemes undermines the very foundation of our democracy and erodes public confidence in the judiciary. At the heart of these crises lies the issue of governance or rather, the lack thereof. Governance in Nigeria has continued to deteriorate with successive administrations. Our leadership recruitment system is broken, allowing unqualified and unscrupulous individuals to ascend to positions of power, while those with the vision and integrity to lead are sidelined or silenced. We must overhaul our electoral process, strengthen our democratic institutions and empower citizens to hold their leadership accountable. True leadership is not about wielding power; it is about serving the people with humility, honesty, and compassion. As a former national lawmaker, minister, and now a leader of thought, I am compelled to reflect on the pivotal role we played during my tenure in the House of Representatives. Serving as the representative of Eket Federal Constituency, I, along with my colleagues, dedicated ourselves to the service of our nation and the Niger Delta region, which has long been the backbone of Nigerias economic prosperity. We recognised that while we worked to uphold the unity of our nation, we could not forget the pressing issues facing our constituents back home. It was this recognition that led us to form the South-South Parliamentary Caucus a bastion of advocacy, unity, and progress within the National Assembly. During those days, the South-South Parliamentary Caucus stood as a beacon of hope and progress. We were vocal, visible, and united, advocating tirelessly for the development of our region and the betterment of our people. Our influence extended beyond our immediate constituencies. When we spoke, the nation listened, and our actions reverberated throughout the country. Together with our counterparts in the Senate and the House of Representatives, we achieved remarkable feats, including quelling the tide of militancy that once threatened to engulf our region in chaos. Our success did not go unnoticed. Lawmakers from other regions took note of our example and formed their own blocs, leading to a more dynamic and inclusive legislative process. The result was a period of unprecedented growth and progress for our nation, as we worked together to address the pressing issues facing our country and chart a course towards a brighter future. Today, as I address you to wind up the activities marking my 80th birthday anniversary, I am filled with a sense of urgency and purpose. I call upon President Bola Tinubu; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and Speakers of the State Houses of Assembly across the federation, to heed the call for constitutional reform and restructuring. It is time to embrace true federalism whether based on the six geopolitical zones or the current state structure and empower our states and regions to take charge of their own destinies. The oil producing communities will not succumb to the present level of frustration and subjugation where their resources are confiscated for the development of the whole nation and a pittance grudgingly allowed to them. More frustrating is the situation where the resources of the oil producing regions have been seized and exploited without their active participation. It is a ridiculous political arrangement which cannot be sustained. Furthermore, I must address the alarming state of our secondary healthcare facilities. During my recent visits to hospitals within my Senatorial District, I was appalled by the lack of confidence our people have in the public healthcare system. Despite the efforts of past administrations, including the refurbishment and equipment of hospitals by former Governor Udom Emmanuel, many facilities are still failing to meet the needs of our citizens, with some of the equipment already missing. The poor state of the healthcare system is not peculiar to Akwa Ibom, but a matter of national emergency. I call on both the federal and state governments to intervene urgently. My fellow Nigerians, the road ahead will not be easy. The challenges we face are immense, and the solutions will require sacrifice, determination, and unity of purpose. But I have faith in the resilience of our people and the promise of our nation. Together, we can build a Nigeria where justice reigns, opportunity abounds, and every citizen can live with dignity and pride. I must commend the governors of Akwa Ibom, Abia, Edo and Borno States for the good job they are doing for their people. In Akwa Ibom, Governor Umo Eno has embodied humility, prudence and commitment to the safety and wellbeing of the people of the state. By settling the backlog of gratuities and pension to retired public officers, cutting the cost of public celebrations and leasing out the state aircraft, Governor Umo Eno has shown that it will no longer be business as usual. But there are still rooms for him to do more to cut the cost of governance. Running a smart cabinet made up of experts with proven record of integrity and achievement will not only deliver on the promise of good governance, but also show that honesty and hard work pays. In the light of these challenges and as I wind down on the activities of my 80th birthday anniversary, I am also beginning the exiting process of my participation in active politics. I will, in a short while, sort out and disengage from the various political groups and leadership positions I have held for so long. At the age of 70 in 2014, I announced my disengagement from seeking elective office. Very soon, I shall be out of partisan politics to allow younger people room for ascendancy. As an elder statesman, I remain committed to offering guidance and counsel in the pursuit of a better Nigeria. I extend my gratitude to the governors of Akwa Ibom State for their support and cooperation over the years. To the media, I commend your role in informing and educating the Nigerian people. I urge you to remain steadfast in your commitment to truth and transparency. In conclusion, I reaffirm my dedication to the advancement of our state and nation. I pledge to continue working with Governor Umo Eno and others to serve the best interest of our people. May God bless Nigeria and guide us through these challenging times. My fellow Nigerians, the road ahead will not be easy. The challenges we face are immense, and the solutions will require sacrifice, determination, and unity of purpose. But I have faith in the resilience of our people and the promise of our nation. Together, we can build a Nigeria where justice reigns, opportunity abounds, and every citizen can live with dignity and pride. As I enter my ninth decade, I recommit myself to the cause of a better Nigeria a Nigeria free from corruption, insecurity, impunity and bad governance. And I call upon each and every one of you to join me in this noble endeavour. Together, let us rise above our differences, transcend our divisions, and forge a future worthy of our collective dreams. May God bless Nigeria, and may He grant us the wisdom, strength, and courage to overcome the challenges that lie ahead. Nduese Essien is a former national legislator and minister of Land, Housing and Urban Development. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Our comprehensive study delves into the voting patterns across various senatorial districts, meticulously examining the performance of crucial political parties like APC, PDP, and LP. We have meticulously dissected the trends and preferences that have emerged in different zones of Edo State, providing a clear picture of the electorates evolving sentiments. Democracy in Nigeria has had a very colourful journey. After twenty-five years of the Fourth Republic, we are at a point where it is entrenched, with specific trends emerging. We are seeing increased awareness and participation of various groups, and what scholars will argue is a true reflection of the will of the people coming through in the voting trends. Using the forthcoming Edo State elections as a case study, we have delved into the past elections and noted vital trends and potential factors that will determine the choice of candidates from the various parties and who the voters eventually choose to occupy Osadebe House. A key trend that has been noted is the reduced margin in the contributions of votes between the two significant population zones Edo North and Edo South. While it is commonly said that Edo South has 60 per cent of the Edo votes, the results from previous elections tell a similar but different story. The data of the last three governorship elections see Edo South holding the majority votes in Edo State, with 48.56 per cent of the votes cast. We observed a situation where the initial gap of 16.14 per cent between the regions of Edo South and Edo North in the 2016 governorship election was reduced to 11 per cent in the 2020 governorship election, suggesting the presence of either a better voter interest/mobilisation machinery in Edo North, the opposite in Edo South or what we believe is a symptom of increased migration out of Edo South to various states like Lagos and other countries. It was also noted that Edo North and Central voted along party lines in virtually all the elections, usually mobilising approximately 60 per cent of their votes for the parties that hold sway in the regions. This can be seen as the people holding faith in the various parties, given the perceived benefits and dividends of democracy that they have received, such as the PDP giving Edo Central five ministers in twenty-six years and Edo North benefitting from significant infrastructural development under the APC governorship of Senator Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and the minister from Edo North. With a significant 330,000 voters representing 58.87 per cent of the total Edo votes, while putting party sentiments aside in the 2023 presidential election and searching for a perceived competent candidate to place their trust in (voting for Labour Party over the two traditional parties), the key to the forthcoming election lies in the choice of candidates by the three major political parties. The most prominent observation is that the swing votes reside in certain quarters of Edo South. The voting trends signal a sophisticated zone with no solid attachment or fidelity to any party, but instead the placing of more emphasis on an affinity for the attributes and antecedents of candidates in determining the most likely of them to deliver good governance. In various years, Edo South has delivered different parties in the various elections on the same voting day, showing a keen ability to separate and understand the issues at play. The zone has also voted for multiple parties at various intervals, depending on the prevailing narratives. The votes, while ever-present, have been fluidly allocated to candidates at the different elections on the basis of what they have been able to sell to the masses. With a significant 330,000 voters representing 58.87 per cent of the total Edo votes, while putting party sentiments aside in the 2023 presidential election and searching for a perceived competent candidate to place their trust in (voting for Labour Party over the two traditional parties), the key to the forthcoming election lies in the choice of candidates by the three major political parties. With the trends and power most likely to shift from Edo South, we will possibly see a situation in which the traditional parties pick their deputy governorship candidates from the South and their governorship candidates from their strongholds, thus seeing the PDP go with a candidate from Edo Central and APC from Edo North. Especially given the likelihood of LP picking its candidate from Edo South for the governorship election, in a bid to consolidate on the inroads it made in the zone during the last presidential election. This sets up an exciting battle for the competency-based swing votes in Edo South, as the choice of candidates by the PDP and APC will become even more critical in putting up a defence in the region. This promises to be one of the most exciting elections in recent Nigerian history as over 20 aspirants have bought forms to contest across the three major political parties. On this note, the PROVE Foundation takes great pride in publicly releasing our detailed analysis of Edo State Elections. This document presents an in-depth look at the electoral landscape in Edo State, offering critical insights into the recent elections that have shaped the States political landscape. The significance of this document lies in its potential to serve as a valuable tool for political strategists, academics, policymakers, and the public. By shedding light on the intricacies of Edo States electoral processes, our report aims to foster a more informed and engaged citizenry, strengthening democratic principles in the State. Our comprehensive study delves into the voting patterns across various senatorial districts, meticulously examining the performance of crucial political parties like APC, PDP, and LP. We have meticulously dissected the trends and preferences that have emerged in different zones of Edo State, providing a clear picture of the electorates evolving sentiments. Furthermore, the report goes beyond mere statistics to explore the underlying factors influencing voter behaviour and election outcomes. This includes an assessment of socio-political dynamics, economic influences, and other critical elements that have played a pivotal role in shaping the populaces electoral decisions. The significance of this document lies in its potential to serve as a valuable tool for political strategists, academics, policymakers, and the public. By shedding light on the intricacies of Edo States electoral processes, our report aims to foster a more informed and engaged citizenry, strengthening democratic principles in the State. The dissemination of this information will not only enhance public understanding of the political landscape but also encourage more transparent and accountable governance. It is a step forward in our continuous effort to promote informed electoral participation and democratic integrity in Nigeria. We invite scholars, political analysts, journalists, and all interested parties to delve into this report, as it serves as a crucial resource for anyone looking to comprehend the nuances of Nigerian politics and the specific characteristics of Edo States electoral dynamics. Omotola Ariyo is a research coordinator at PROVE Foundation. He was previously an Associate at Morgan Stanley and an Analyst at Goldman Sachs. He holds an LLB and LLM from the LSE, where he is completing his PhD. He sits on the boards of various organisations in the public and private sectors. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In the years leading to independence for most African states, there was the geopolitical cleavage having various countries with the radically-minded pan-Africanists dubbed the Casablanca bloc up against the conservative, pro-Western, Monrovia bloc. The 1975 formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) put paid to that gulf in the West African sub-region, when 15 countries sought to forge a common identity around questions of citizenship, governance, regional security and integration, economic issues, the environment, natural resources, and development, as well as issues of higher education and employment. That vision suffered its severest blow recently when on 25 January when Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their exit from the 15-member bloc without delay. They described the action as their sovereign decision. This not-unexpected declaration by the three Sahelian nations was the denouement of diplomatic stand-offs they had been having with ECOWAS, following a series of coups in the region; in Chad, Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger, since 2020. ECOWAS responded with a slew of sanctions, particularly against Mali and Niger; and a threat of military intervention in the latter, if the overthrown President Mohammed Bazoum was not restored to power within a week. The military juntas came in with the determination to remain in power, and diplomatic efforts to get them to accept short transition programmes following which they would all return to the barracks, have all failed. The three countries Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger terrified at the announcement by ECOWAS that it would intervene militarily in Niger, established the Alliance of Sahelian States, as a martial coalition to collectively defend their military regimes. The throwback to the 1955 South African anti-apartheid spirit, that an injury to one is an injury to all, at the launch of the Freedom Charter of the African National Congress (ANC), was symbolic and mnemonic. Obviously, this also echoed the mutual, self-defence obligation clause, famous as Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). For the trio, ECOWAS has drifted from the spirit of Pan-Africanism that informed its formation and failed to stem the tide of insecurity in the region headlined by jihadist insurgency, under whose asphyxiating grip they are, alongside Nigeria. The juntas also accused ECOWAS of being under the influence of foreign powers (the West), while it had moved away from the ideals of its founding fathers and Pan-Africanism, as mentioned earlier. Whether it was clear to them or not, the juntas, by their move, have effectively formalised a return to the political and ideological schism of the pre-independence years, with the subregion now separated into two power blocs having hostile ideologies, and allied with foreign backers on reverse sides of the geopolitical divide. Thus, shortly after, Nigers Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine travelled to Moscow, Teheran, and Istanbul, to discuss military aid, this was followed in lock steps with Chads President Mahamat Idriss Debys visit to Moscow, and the dramatic arrival of 1,000 Russian troops in Bamako, as well as the arrival of the first 100 Russian troops in Ouagadougou on 25 January. Tellingly, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promptly found time in late January to also visit the US major Atlantic coast partners including Nigeria and Cote dIvoire. This is evidence, if one was ever needed, that the region is becoming part of a larger geopolitical muscle-flexing. While Blinken spoke of the values of democracy, human rights and the promise of free enterprise, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi spoke of a common bond between Niger and Iran, both suffering from the cruel sanctions of Western imperialism and the domination system. With the cost of living crisis rippling through most of the region, and popular discontent boiling over in many of the ill-performing economies, indeed with the memories of Frances callous and continued plunder of its colonies, and the vestiges of COVID still ravaging most of the urban and rural poor, it is not surprising that the clarion call to sovereignty, pan-Africanism, and the rejection of the West, are receiving very huge adoption from broad segments of the Francophone West African population, particularly the youths. To all this, in the instance of the Burkinabe, add the charismatic figure of the well-spruced and arresting 35-year-old Captain Ibrahim Traore, modelled on the assassinated Burkinabe revolutionary Captain Thomas Sankara! Nevertheless, rather than taking the self-serving and meaningless rhetoric of the putschists in uniform, who have overrun the constitutional order in their countries at face value, concerning the direction that ECOWAS has taken, there is a need to stand firm on the side of moving the region and the rest of Africa towards improving and strengthening the implantation of liberal representative democracy. This is in contradistinction to shortchanging democracy and giving the long-suffering citizens of the region the impression that there is a better alternative to representative governance, including any kind of extra-constitutional rule, especially as conducted by uniformed coupists! President Bola Tinubu, the current Chairman of the regional bloc, who was elected five weeks after he assumed office on 29 May, has tried to lead the charge of returning the trio to democracy and emphasised that ECOWAS would not tolerate a contagion of military takeovers in the sub-region. The headwinds are enormous. First, the legitimacy of ECOWAS is speciously located in the authority of the Council of Heads of States, meaning in effect that the president and executives of the body are powerless outside the whims and predilections of the Committee of the heads of states. Secondly, capacity in diplomacy appears to have thinned badly in the community, as reconciliation efforts by Togo, last November, and by Nigerian Islamic leaders, have neither borne any significant fruit nor brought tangible proposals to the table in a timely manner. Lastly, times are changing and new power actors with outsized ambitions are emerging on Africas geopolitical chessboard. The increasingly influential roles of China, Russia, the Emirates, and Turkeye have implications of self-interest that bode no good for the region. In all, the Euro-American fear is that a destabilised ECOWAS will be disastrous for the African region, with the free flow of the Sahels noxious exports of coups, (Russian) mercenaries, insurgent groups, and the growing new populist sentiment birthing disinformation and attacking political participation, all posing severe threats to democratic growth. Yet, Europe and America seem impervious to the fact that the access to world markets and capital markets that comes with membership of ECOWAS and partnership with multilateral agencies, are in their hands to trigger, in the absence of which poor and derelict nations will always gravitate to Russian guns, bombs, drones, mercenaries and nuclear power. And unfortunately, a trailer of what the Sahel can expect can be found by looking at the Central African Republic, since 2017. Should the managers of ECOWAS now fold their hands and assume it is all over? PREMIUM TIMES challenges the multilateral body to seek points of opportunity in the crisis and explore a combination of multiple bilateral prospects that will demand radical confidence building. In the short run, this may call for smart compromises but, at the end of the day, the value of ECOWAS to the prosperity and security of all the original 15 nations remains incredibly enormous, and they are worth preserving in the interest of all. Democracy is the subject under trial here. ECOWAS may have been derelict in helping to combat terrorism in the Sahel but a good part of that has to do with the very nature of civil-military relations in a continent in which the very modern not Western principle of absolute civilian control over the military has never been cultivated, much less respected. Besides, Africa is the only place where the military lose wars they are commissioned to fight and turn around and levy war on their states and we seem to think they have a point. Therefore, PREMIUM TIMES believes that the message in all of this for ECOWAS is: good governance and an economy that works for all are the guardrails of any democracy. In case there are still doubters around, Nigerias Chief of Army Staff, Taoheed Lagbaja, gave all community citizens immense pride when he uttered these words: The solution to problems with democracy is more democracy. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print During his presidency, Donald Trump threatened NATO leaders that in the event of a Russian attack, he would not defend those members of the Alliance who owe payments to the organization. Moreover, he even threatened that, on the contrary, he would encourage Russia to aggress against the "debtors." ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Donald Trump himself during a speech on Saturday, February 10, in South Carolina. His words are quoted by The New York Times. Trump has not made it clear whether he would ever follow through on such a threat or what it would mean for the Alliance, but his comment, which he made to demonstrate his "negotiating skills," is likely to cause concern among NATO member states already very nervous about the prospect of Trump returning to the U.S. presidency. Some European officials and foreign policy experts have expressed concern that Russia could invade a NATO country after winning the war with Ukraine, a fear they say is exacerbated by a possible Trump election victory in the fall of 2024. Trump has previously stated that supporting NATO is an excessive burden for the United States and that the Alliance is draining U.S. financial and military resources. And his campaign website says that his country should reconsider the purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. ADVERTISIMENT During the current election campaign, Trump has already recalled how, during his presidency, he privately told NATO leaders that the United States would not defend them against a Russian attack if they were in arrears. And he boasted that allegedly after he made this threat, "hundreds of billions of dollars flowed in" to NATO. During a speech in South Carolina on Saturday, Trump again recalled a conversation with a European leader who asked if the United States would defend his country in the event of a Russian attack if it was indebted to NATO. "No, I would not defend you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You have to pay your bills," Donald Trump quoted himself as saying. The newspaper noted that White House spokesman Andrew Bates called Trump's comments "appalling and ridiculous." ADVERTISIMENT "Instead of calling for wars and promoting insane chaos, President Joe Biden should continue to uphold American leadership and defend our nation-state, to stand up for security interests, not against them," Andrew Bates said. As reported by OBOZ.UA: US President Joe Biden said that Donald Trump called and "threatened" Republican senators not to vote for the bill on the US border, which provides for the allocation of aid to Ukraine and Israel. NATO is considering taking over the supply of weapons to Ukraine in order to outplay Trump if he becomes president. This is stated in an article by the German newspaper Handelsblatt, whose journalists cite sources in diplomatic and political circles. The Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal has described the death of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Access Holdings PLC, Herbert Wigwe, as a big loss to the Nigerian banking industry. Mr Wigwe died along with his wife and son in a helicopter crash in California near the Nevada border, United States of America (USA). In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, in Gusau on Sunday, Governor Lawal expressed grief over the death of Mr Wigwe and his two family members. According to him, Wigwes death is a major loss not only to his family and friends but also to the business community in the country and the entire continent of Africa. In late Wigwe, I lost a friend who had made immense contributions to the banking industry in Nigeria. Late Herbert Wigwe had left an indelible mark on the banking industry in Nigeria through his tireless work and dedication. His contributions were significant and far-reaching, impacting his immediate professional circle and the wider business community. I have had a personal relationship with the late Wigwe since my days in the banking sector. May the family, friends, and associates of Wigwe be granted the fortitude to bear this significant loss. He will always be remembered. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani received the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye on Sunday 11th February 2024, at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House in Kaduna. The courtesy visit by Pastor Adeboye comes as part of the RCCG-organised National Light Up Crusade that held in Kaduna State for two days. In his remarks, Governor Sani expressed delight at the success of the nationwide RCCG Light-Up Crusade and the positive impact on Christian faithful in Kaduna State. He lauded the General Overseer for his dedication to serving humanity. Mr Sani stated, It is a rare honour and privilege to welcome our iconic evangelist, Pastor Enoch Adeboye to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House. From the academia to the pulpit, yours has been a life devoted to the service of life and humanity; you have touched lives too numerous to mention. You have continued to mentor and inspire the young and old. The governor added that although some of the current socio-economic reforms may be hard on many Nigerians, the reforms were crucial towards moving the nation forward. Many Nigerians are losing hope and are being cautious about the future, as we are going through difficulties from the past. However, right now we have a President who is determined, focused and ready to take our country to higher heights. With your intervention and prayers, I believe that our President will certainly get it right, Governor Sani added. Earlier in his remarks, Pastor Adeboye emphasised that although Nigeria was currently battling several challenges, it remains a nation blessed with intelligence, manpower and natural resources. He explained his prayers mission, saying: Im in Kaduna again as it has become clear that the problems our nation is facing is more than political and will require some spiritual solution. We have been going round in our way to support the efforts of governments to call on the almighty to come to our aid as we need help. We are holding crusades as a means to gather the people together to let them know tomorrow will be alright. We believe firmly that people need this kind of encouragement because when people lose hope they do strange things. Youths are running away from Nigeria, and those who cannot run anywhere people begin to think of taking their own lives. We would keep on assuring them that God will not forsake our nation and so weve been to several states and today we are in Kaduna for the 2-day crusade at the stadium. Pastor Adeboye added. Other members of clergy of the Redeemed Christian Church of God also appreciated Governor Sani and the Kaduna State Government for providing logistic support to ensure the smooth and safe running of the two-day Crusade. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Cashew farmers and buyers in Kogi State, under the aegis of the Farmers Forum of Nigeria (FFN), have called on Governor Usman Ododo to intervene over their alleged multiple taxation and extortion. The forum in a statement by its spokesperson, Ibrahim Adam, on Monday, alleged that agents of the state government planned to increase the produce payment on cashews from 30,000 to 90,000. Mr Adam appealed to the governor to halt multiple taxation in the state, adding that the move would impede the growth of the economy and turn Kogi into a laughing stock He said farmers and buyers of cashew products were being suffocated, saying they could no longer bear the burden of multiple taxation and harassment by the state agents. The forum spokesperson also called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the Ministry of Agriculture to address multiple taxation, stating that they could no longer breathe. According to him, the Produce Inspection Department (PID) in Kogi charges the highest inspection fee in the country at 30,000 per truck. He said states such as Kano, Gombe, Katsina, Yobe, Yola, Nasarawa, Benue amongst others charge significantly lower fees than Kogi. According to him, Kano charges 5000, Gombe 5,000, Katsina 3,000, Yobe 2,000, Yola 4,000, Jigawa 3,000, Kaduna 7,000, Bauchi 5,000, Nasarawa 20,000, Benue 25,000, Oyo 20,000, Niger 10,000 and Osun 10,000. He also expressed concern over other unexplained receipts and levies, which amount to multiple taxation imposed on Kogi cashew buyers. READ ALSO: These are inter-state levy (also known as haulage fee) 13,000, IML 5,000, loading and offloading fee 12,000, pass 5,000, state environmental fee 6,000, local government environmental fee 5,000, and local government departmental fee 10,000. All these levies are from Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue. There are also numerous roadblocks under the auspices of produce extorting motorists and harassing drivers and buyers carrying these goods cashew from farm gate carrying to the warehouse for sale. Some of the boys are even carrying dangerous weapons scaring the foreigners, he said. Mr Adam also appealed to Mr Ododo to promptly rein in its internally generated revenue head and reconsider plans to impose more taxes on cashew products. These plans, according to Mr Adam, contradict the ease of doing business, adding that it will deter foreign buyers and investors and impoverish the farmers because cashew buyers in Kogi and other foreigners directly bear the brunt of these multiple taxes. He added that the tax burden on cashew farmers, who should be relieved during the cashew season, was being exacerbated by the governments policies. Additional unexplained levies, amounting to multiple taxations on Kogi State cashew buyers, include interstate levies, loading and offloading fees, pass fees, state and local government environmental fees, and local government departmental fees. All these levies are imposed by the Kogi State Board of Internal Revenue, and numerous roadblocks manned by individuals claiming to be government agents further exacerbate the situation. The unnecessary harassment of cashew farmers and buyers by these individuals is hindering the cashew business in Kogi. We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other Federal Government agencies, such as the Ministry of Agriculture, to intervene and urge the state government to cease these levies. They are causing undue hardship to the people, the majority of whom are cashew farmers and traders. Kogi State cannot be an exception from other cashew-producing states like Enugu, Niger, Edo, Benue, and Nasarawa states, he added. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print At least nine local traders were killed between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday when terrorists attacked motorists returning from the Jibia weekly market in Katsina State. Several other traders were also wounded by the marauding terrorists who burnt down two Peugeot J5 buses. While security agents deposited eight bodies evacuated from the scene of the incident on Sunday night, a passenger has been declared missing with residents unsure whether he was abducted or killed as his corpse had not been seen. Jibia to Batsari, Batsari to Katsina, Jibia to Katsina, and Kankara to Sheme, are some of the roads most vulnerable to attacks in Katsina State which has witnessed terror activities for several years. As usual, they left Jibia market before 6 p.m. because they wanted to reach home before Magrib (sunset) prayer. You know Jibia to Batsari road is always busy on Sunday so, the terrorists must have planned to abduct the traders but the drivers refused to stop, Muhammad Lawal, a resident of Batsari, said. The terrorists, according to our source, opened fire on the vehicles when the drivers refused to stop, killing eight traders instantly while one other died later. Several of the traders ran into the bush and walked home afterwards while the terrorists burnt down the two vehicles, Mr Lawal said. From Jibia to Batsari, cutting through the dreaded Dumburun forest, is a 42 kilometres journey. A medical worker at the General Hospital in Batsari told PREMIUM TIMES that security agents deposited eight corpses in the hospital late Sunday evening. This morning, relatives of the deceased came to pick up the dead bodies, he said. The police spokesperson in the state, Abubakar Aliyu, did not respond to SMS and WhatsApp messages sent to him asking for his comments on the attack. Attacks on motorists in Katsina and other north-western states are commonplace. In December, six traders returning from the same Jibia weekly market to Yan Gayya were killed by terrorists. In a report by PREMIUM TIMES last year, several drivers and road transport officials lamented the frequency of attacks on highways in the state. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen have killed a former House of Representatives candidate from Anambra State, Jude Oguejiofor. Mr Oguejiofor hailed from Orsumoghu in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra but lived in Nnewi in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state. Mr Oguejiofor, also a lawyer, contested for the Ihiala Federal Constituency House of Representatives seat in the 2023 general elections under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. Sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the politician was abducted around 1 a.m. last week, alongside his brother by some gunmen. The incident happened in the Orsumoghu Community where they had gone to see their aged parents. But the gunmen later released his brother unhurt. The brother is a medical doctor who recently came back from a foreign country. A source close to the family, who asked not to be named, told this newspaper that the gunmen accused Mr Oguejiofor of writing petitions against them and their activities in the community. They said he had been writing petitions against them to the Anambra State Government, the source said. Father fainted, died Meanwhile, the source said Mr Oguejiofors father fainted and died on Thursday when the gunmen contacted the family and informed them that they had killed the politician. A lawyer, Chidi Ibekaeme, told this newspaper that the lawyer could have avoided his community given that he had been vocal about the rising attacks by gunmen in the area. Mr Ibekaeme hails from Orsu-Ihiteukwa, a community in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State which shares a boundary with the politicians community. His (Oguejiofors) community is very volatile. The community is virtually run down and taken over by these criminals who say they are agitating for freedom, he said. When contacted on Monday, the police spokesperson in Anambra State told PREMIUM TIMES he had no information on the incident. Worsening insecurity Like other states in Nigerias south-east, security has deteriorated in Anambra State, with frequent attacks by armed persons. Ihiala is among the council areas in Anambra State worst hit by insecurity. The attacks often target security agencies, government officials, and facilities. The Nigerian government has accused the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. However, the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks. IPOB is leading the agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the south-east and some parts of south-south Nigeria. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products, a world-leading industrial gases company, is proud to announce a significant step forward in its commitment to sustainability through the signing of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for renewable energy with Eneco. This strategic agreement reaffirms Air Products' dedication to help address climate impacts and sourcing a substantial portion of its energy needs in The Netherlands from renewable sources. Under the terms of this 10-year PPA, Air Products will source the majority of its current merchant business energy consumption for liquid nitrogen and oxygen production in The Netherlands from a reliable and renewable energy source. The renewable electricity will be generated at the Vlagtwedde Solar PV farm in the northeast of The Netherlands. The signed PPA will enable Air Products to reduce emissions equivalent to the carbon footprint of approximately 45,000 households over the duration of the contract. This commitment represents an important milestone in the company's ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint in The Netherlands and contribute to a more sustainable future. Last year, the company announced its plans to build Europe's largest blue hydrogen facility based in the Port of Rotterdam. This was preceded by the announcements of Air Products' plans for a renewable energy import terminal, and the first Rotterdam green hydrogen truck refuelling station. The 10-year contract reflects Air Products' long-term vision to work to accelerate the energy transition and continue to work to generate a cleaner future. "This 10-year PPA is a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainability," said Harco van den Berg, Air Products' Business Manager Benelux. "We are excited to partner with Eneco, and we believe this collaboration will contribute to our goals of decarbonizing the industrial gases sector." Eneco B2B Director Dick Velings added, "To tackle the challenge of climate neutrality, we need significantly more sustainably generated power. With this agreement, Air Products commits to using greener energy. This allows Air Products to become more sustainable and help their customers in many sectors do so as well. We're excited to work with Air Products in this effort." About Air Products Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 80 years focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets. The Company has two growth pillars driven by sustainability. Air Products' base business provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food. The Company also develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest clean hydrogen projects supporting the transition to low- and zero-carbon energy in the heavy-duty transportation and industrial sectors. Additionally, Air Products is the world leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment, and provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers globally. The Company had fiscal 2023 sales of $12.6 billion from operations in approximately 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of about $60 billion. Approximately 23,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products' higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and reimagine what's possible to address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook or Instagram. This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release and are not guarantees of future performance. While forward-looking statements are made in good faith and based on assumptions, expectations and projections that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors, including the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the assumptions, beliefs or expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any such forward-looking statements are based. SOURCE Air Products NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market is expected to grow by USD 8.23 billion from 2022 to 2027. In addition, the momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 5.79% during the forecast period, according to Technavio Research. The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market is growing due to rising infertility rates and obesity-linked cases. This rise boosts the demand for various procedures like In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT), Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), Artificial Insemination, Embryo Transfer, Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), Cryopreservation, Ovulation Induction, Reproductive Endocrinology, Ovarian Stimulation, and Male Infertility Treatments. These advancements cater to the expanding needs of individuals seeking fertility solutions, amplifying the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Market's growth trajectory. This report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Read a Free PDF Sample Report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Assisted Reproductive Technology Market 2023-2027 Report Coverage Details Page number 159 Base year 2022 Historic period 2017 - 2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.79% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 8.23 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023(%) 4.37 Regional analysis Europe, North America, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution Europe at 32% Key countries US, UK, Germany, China, and Japan The market is segmented by application (fertility clinics, hospitals, and others), type (IVF and artificial insemination), and geography (Europe, North America, Asia, and the Rest of the World (ROW)). Europe is estimated to contribute 32% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The growth is due to the increasing elderly population facing infertility issues due to declining egg quality, impacting couples' ability to conceive. The largest contributors to the regional market are Italy, the UK, Germany, France, and Spain. Company Profile: Cook Group Inc., CRITEX GmbH, Cryolab Ltd., Esco Micro Pte. Ltd., Ferring BV, FUJIFILM Holdings Corp., Hamilton Thorne Ltd., IMV Technologies, Instituto Bernabeu SL, INVO Bioscience Inc., KITAZATO Corp., Merck KGaA, Monash IVF Group Ltd., Pantec Engineering AG, Smiths Group Plc, The Cooper Companies Inc., Virtus Health, Vitrolife AB, XiltriX International, and Genea Ltd. Cook Group Inc. - The company offers MNC Benchtop incubator. To gain access to more company profiles available with Technavio, buy the report! Segmentation Analysis The fertility clinics segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The significant rise in infertility clinic success rates worldwide is a major element that will impact the influx of patients seeking infertility treatment. Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a Free PDF Sample Report Leading Trend - The increase in the number of single-parent families, driving demand for services like Egg Freezing, Sperm Freezing, Donor Egg, Donor Sperm, Oocyte Retrieval, Blastocyst Transfer, Reproductive Surgery, Embryo Cryopreservation, and Fertility Preservation. The increase in the number of single-parent families, driving demand for services like Egg Freezing, Sperm Freezing, Donor Egg, Donor Sperm, Oocyte Retrieval, Blastocyst Transfer, Reproductive Surgery, Embryo Cryopreservation, and Fertility Preservation. Significant Challenges - The challenge of mitigating side effects linked to infertility treatments like Surrogacy, The increasing number of single-parent families is a primary trend shaping growth. Identify key trends, drivers, and challenges. Download a sample to gain access to this information. Related Reports: The Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) Therapeutics Market size is estimated to grow by USD 346.85 million at a CAGR of 8.75% between 2023 and 2028. The Concierge Medicine Market size is estimated to grow by USD 7.86 billion, at a CAGR of 7.15% between 2023 and 2028. Fertility clinics offer a range of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), including in vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and donor insemination (DI). Surrogacy services provide an option for individuals unable to carry a pregnancy. Additional techniques such as assisted hatching, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), and cryopreservation enhance success rates and allow for genetic screening. Ovulation induction aids in stimulating egg production, while embryo transfer facilitates implantation. Together, these methods offer hope and options for individuals and couples facing fertility challenges. ToC: Executive Summary Landscape Sizing Historic Sizes Five Forces Analysis Segmentation by Application Segmentation by Type Segmentation by Geography Customer Landscape Geographic Landscape Drivers, Challenges, & Trends Company Landscape Company Analysis Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that Russia has not made any deliberate attacks on Romania and will not do so in the future. He is confident that his country does not face a war with this terrorist state. ADVERTISIMENT The politician expressed this conviction on February 10, Euractiv reports. The previous night, residents of the port city of Tulcea, which borders Ukraine, received a warning about possible "objects falling from the sky" - Russian kamikaze drones that attacked Odesa. According to the Romanian Emergency Situations Inspectorate, the locals were advised to take the necessary protective measures and seek shelter if necessary on the night of Friday and Saturday. This was the first time such warnings were issued this year. "The Russian Federation has not initiated any deliberate aggression against Romania, and I am confident that it will not do so, as there are no excuses for this," Calacu said. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, he emphasized the importance of disseminating such warnings to inform citizens. According to him, this is just a "form of respect" that Romania should show to its population by ensuring that they are informed, "despite any inconvenience it may cause." Local media reported that around 1 a.m. and in the morning of February 10, F-16s from the 86th Turkish Air Force Base in Fethiye were flying reconnaissance missions in national airspace. The Romanian Ministry of Defense confirmed that the army's radio surveillance system did not detect "any unauthorized intrusions" into the country's national airspace, and there were no reports of accidental falling of Russian drone fragments. Earlier, fragments of the Shahed were found in Romania, after which they appealed to NATO, stating that it was unacceptable to violate their airspace, and called the head of the Russian diplomatic mission "on the carpet." ADVERTISIMENT Today, the head of the Romanian government claims that Romania has never been as secure militarily as it is now. And despite the warnings of other European countries that Russia can be expected to spread its aggression beyond Ukraine, he still believes that his country will not be affected by the war. "As a citizen, especially after the revolution, I want to be informed and know the truth. But Romania is not threatened by war," Calacu said. To add: On February 11, the wreckage of a Shahed-type kamikaze drone was found in Moldova near the border with Ukraine. As you know, on Sunday night, Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with 45 Shaheds, of which the defenders of the sky shot down 40, including 26 in the southern regions. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, the day before, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shocked with information about the number of downed Shaheds since the beginning of the year - 359. Forty of them were shot down by air defense forces during the night of February 10-11. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As Black History Month commences, CFP Board proudly acknowledges the invaluable contributions and achievements of Black CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals across the nation. CFP Board data reveals encouraging statistics regarding the retention rate among Black CFP professionals, demonstrating a positive upward trend. The retention rate for Black CFP professionals who recertify annually is 98%, compared to an average 97% for all CFP professionals. CFP Board has also observed encouraging growth in the overall number of Black CFP professionals. In 2023, the number of Black CFP professionals grew by 7.5%, while the overall number of CFP professionals increased by 3.9%. There are now 1,899 Black CFP professionals (1.9% of all CFP professionals). By increasing the number and diversity of CFP professionals, CFP Board is expanding access to competent and ethical financial planners to meet growing consumer demand. "As more Black advisors earn CFP certification every year, their positive impact serving families and communities continues to grow," said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. "At CFP Board, we firmly believe that a diverse and inclusive profession will enhance the quality of financial advice and contribute to a more equitable society. Our vision is a financial planning profession that shares the diversity of our country." In support of Black CFP professionals and those aspiring to become CFP professionals, CFP Board continues to expand its resources and initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and equity within the profession, including scholarships for studying or taking the CFP exam. Thanks to generous donors, over $600,000 has been committed to the LeCount R. Davis, CFP Endowed Scholarship, which awards up to $5,000 per student seeking to complete an undergraduate-level or certificate-level CFP Board Registered Program, based on demonstrated merit and financial need. CFP Board has awarded over $794,000 in scholarships to Black students and exam takers for CFP certification. Recognizing the importance of addressing specific issues for racially and ethnically diverse communities, CFP Board Center for Financial Planning established the Diversity Advisory Group within its volunteer councils, which advises CFP Board on the development of new DEI-related research and the Diversity Summit. First held in 2017, the Diversity Summit brings together CFP professionals, researchers, students and others to learn best practices for advancing the financial planning profession. CFP Board also provides a comprehensive mentorship program, candidate forums, webinars, career fairs and additional resources to support candidates for CFP certification in navigating the certification process with confidence. In 2023 alone, CFP Board hosted 14 webinars for candidates for CFP certification, on topics ranging from exam preparation to career tips. "With myriad opportunities, financial planning offers a rewarding career for Black professionals and students seeking to make a positive impact in their communities," said Dawn Harris, MBA, CFP Board's Director of Diversity & Inclusion. "CFP Board remains steadfast in its support of Black CFP professionals, providing resources, guidance and advocacy to ensure their continued success and advancement within the profession." ABOUT CFP BOARD CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public's benefit. CFP Board of Standards sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER certification widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP certification is held by nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession's body of knowledge. SOURCE CFP Board The accolade reflects Coalfire's expertise delivering managed services for security engineering, vulnerability management, and continuous compliance GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Coalfire, an industry-leading cybersecurity services and solutions company, announced that CRN , a brand of The Channel Company , has named Coalfire to its Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Security category for 2024. CRN's MSP 500 list serves as a comprehensive guide to identifying the top Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in North America. These MSPs play a crucial role in supporting businesses by offering managed services that simplify IT complexity, secure organizations, and optimize return on investment. The Managed Security 100 designation recognizes providers focused primarily on cloud-based security services. Coalfire provides a unique breadth of managed services that secure customer environments to the rigorous standards of FedRAMP, among 60+ other security and privacy mandates governing banking, retail, healthcare, and other regulated industries. Founded on compliance assessments two decades ago, Coalfire has grown to include risk and engineering advisory as well as offensive security capabilities that uncover vulnerabilities across a customer's IT and physical environments. The company also offers managed security services that augment its experts' work. This combination enables customers to accelerate their time to compliance, which unlocks new revenue streams from regulated markets. Jennifer Follett, VP of US Content and executive Editor CRN, The Channel Company, emphasized the significance of managed services for businesses at various scales, stating, "Managed services provide a route for businesses of all sizes to maintain efficiency and adaptability throughout their growth journey. The solution providers featured in our 2024 MSP 500 list are introducing cutting-edge managed services portfolios to the market, enabling their clients to achieve success by optimizing their IT budgets. This allows businesses to allocate resources strategically, concentrating on mission-critical tasks that drive future success." "This recognition echoes our reputation as a trusted security partner to hundreds of cloud providers and 1,800 of the world's most valuable enterprises," said Jeff Rector, Head of Global Channels and Partnerships, Coalfire. "Security is a team sport and we win with our partners, many of whom are also customers. They choose us for the elite expertise of our advisors, engineers, and white hat hackers who apply their skills in tandem with our managed security technologies." The MSP 500 list will be featured in the February 2024 issue of CRN and online at www.crn.com/msp500 . About Coalfire Coalfire, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a global leader in cybersecurity services and solutions. The company offers cutting-edge offensive security, advisory, and compliance services, as well as develops technology platforms that automate defenses against security threats for the world's leading enterprises, cloud providers, and SaaS companies. Coalfire is the foremost provider of FedRAMP assessments and penetration testing services in the United States. For more information, visit www.coalfire.com and follow LinkedIn , Twitter , and Facebook . Lise Feng, Senior Director, Analyst Relations & PR Communications [email protected] About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 40 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter , LinkedIn , and Facebook . 2024 The Channel Company LLC. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. SOURCE Coalfire Systems, Inc. WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers for Dental Choice welcomes the historic deal struck by the European Council and Parliament to end the dental amalgam era in the 27-nation European Union. Dental amalgam (inaccurately called "silver fillings") is approximately 50% mercury a neurotoxin and reproductive toxin. The European Union has already banned the use of amalgam in children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers in a regulation that went into effect in 2018. But this was not enough to protect the environment and human health, as the European Commission explained in its 2023 proposal to ban amalgam: "Dental amalgam is the largest remaining intentional use of mercury in the Union estimated at around 40 t in 2019Considering the availability of mercury-free alternatives, it is appropriate to prohibit the use of dental amalgam for dental treatment of all members of the population" In response, the European Council and Parliament worked out a deal (to be formally adopted in the coming months) in which: Amalgam use ends in all EU countries on 1 January 2025 (the regulation retains narrow, time-limited exemptions so a few Member States can adjust their insurance). (the regulation retains narrow, time-limited exemptions so a few Member States can adjust their insurance). Amalgam manufacture and import are phased out on a timetable, cutting off the supply of this mercury product in the EU. Amalgam exports are banned next year too so the EU will no longer allow amalgam sellers to dump this toxic product in Africa or Latin America. "We welcome the amalgam ban in the EU," says Charlie Brown, executive director of Consumers for Dental Choice. "But we are concerned that this mercury product continues to be used in the United States, especially in government programs." Amalgam use is still common in the United States, especially in government dental programs that implant this mercury product into soldiers and sailors, American Indians and Native Alaskans, and low-income children and institutionalized individuals. Brown concludes, "It is time for the United States to join the European Union in banning the use of mercury in dentistry." Additional Information: Press Release: European Parliament Press Release: European Commission Press Release: European Council European Commission Proposal Media Contact: Charles G. Brown Executive Director Consumers for Dental Choice [1] 202-544-6333 [email protected] SOURCE Consumers for Dental Choice PITTSBURGH, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- "I saw there was a need on the market for an easy and convenient way to charge your phone on the go," said an inventor from North Brunswick, NJ "so I invented the ALL-IN-ONE. My design fulfills the need for a simple and useful way to carry a cell phone safely, while charging it at the same time." This invention is an easy and convenient way for people to carry their cell phone safely with them wherever they go, while charging it at the same time. This design would enable individuals to carry their cell phone in a hands-free manner by attaching it to their person. The design will also wirelessly charge their cell phone while in use. This would ensure the user always had a charged device, preventing a dead battery. Additionally, the design would enable the user to carry their driver's license, credit/debit cards, etc. with them as well, keeping all their necessary items organized together in one easy to access location, eliminating the need to carry a separate wallet. Overall, the "ALL-IN-ONE" would provide the user with both an effective and efficient accessory. The original design was submitted to the New Jersey sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dep22-NJD-2606, InventHelp, 100 Beecham Drive, Suite 110, Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9801, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com. SOURCE InventHelp Portfolio of portable power stations and solar panels offers access to power anywhere, anytime HOUSTON, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Greg Baker, CEO/President, of JD Martin is pleased to announce Energizer Solar the trusted global leader in portable power stations, foldable solar panels and home energy storage solutions has named JD Martin as their exclusive manufacturers' representative in the United States, effective January 1, 2024. Electrical channel partners can now work with the JD Martin team, in 17 specific territories, as a dedicated resource for sales, service and support for Energizer Solar's ecosystem of portable solar panels and portable power station solutions. Portfolio of portable power stations and solar panels offers access to power anywhere, anytime Post this Energizer Solar logo Energizer Solar Peak 3000 high-capacity portable power generator Aric Saunders, EVP of North America for Energizer Solar says, "We are excited to build on previous global partnerships and successes and now launch our products here in the U.S." Saunders added, "Our partnership with JD Martin offers a dedicated salesforce and an efficient pathway, via established electrical distribution channels, to help meet the needs of contractors, installers and electrical industry professionals who are increasingly depending on reliable portable power solutions to get their jobs done." Allen Austin, VP of Renewable Energy & E-mobility for JD Martin said, "We're proud to have the opportunity to work with the Energizer Solar team. Their trusted brand and innovative anytime, anywhere portable product line 'checks all the boxes' needed to deliver reliable, durable solutions for the unique challenges electrical installers face every day." Energizer Solar, is a licensed product range of residential and high-capacity, fast charging portable solar products from 8 Star Energy. For more information, about Energizer Solar products visit their website. 2024 Energizer. Energizer and certain graphic designs are trademarks of Energizer Brands, LLC and related subsidiaries and are used under license by 8 Star Energy Pty Ltd. All other brand names are trademarks of their respective owners. Neither 8 Star Energy Pty Ltd nor Energizer Brands is affiliated with the respective owners of their trademarks. ABOUT JD MARTIN: JD Martin Company is an electrical manufacturers' representative agency that sells and markets premier lines of electrical products to OEM and MRO contractors, and end-user markets through wholesale distribution. Since 1954, we have supported industries such as oil & gas, mining, steel, wastewater treatment, wind power generation and commercial construction. We offer impactful solutions and sell electrical products, through qualified electrical distributor channels, in over 17 states in territories that include Alabama, Arkansas, The Carolinas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. To learn more about JD Martin click here or visit facebook.com/JDMartinCo or linkedin/jd-martin-company-inc-. ABOUT ENERGIZER SOLAR: Energizer Solar, a licensed product range of residential and portable solar products from 8 Star Energy, focuses on providing sustainable energy solutions, enabling individuals to embrace clean energy alternatives. As a licensed partner to Energizer Holdings, one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of primary batteries, portable lights, and auto care products, 8 Star Energy is providing better access to clean energy solutions that improve people's lives and the planet. With headquarters in Australia, the United States, and Europe, 8 Star Energy is making a global impact to propel the Energizer brand into the renewable energy market. To learn more about Energizer Solar click here or visit our LinkedIn page. Contact: Greg Baker [email protected] SOURCE JD Martin Co. MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Feb. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Mount Sinai Medical Center is proud to announce the implementation of unique AI software designed to support the treatment of patients with complex aortic disease. As part of a collaboration between Cydar Medical and Medtronic, this software employs state-of-the-art minimally invasive endovascular technology that is being used by surgeons at Mount Sinai's Aortic Center. The medical center currently stands as the first and only institution to use this technology in all of Eastern Florida. The product integrates Cydar Maps software with Medtronic services and case support to improve patient care and efficiency with AI-based solutions placed in a clinical environment. Cydar's platform generates a 3D map of the patient's vascular system as well as supporting and integrating preoperative planning, intraoperative guidance, and postoperative reviews of endovascular surgery. The platform utilizes AI to update the map throughout the patient's journey, guaranteeing surgeries are completed with great precision and success. The benefits include significantly decreased radiation exposure, simplified workflows, and increased clinician confidence. "The thing we are most excited about in the Aortic Center is our incorporation of an AI image-based guidance program that allows us to decrease radiation use on patients and decrease contrast or dye usage, which decreases the risk of problems with kidney function after these procedures, and allows us to perform these procedures in a more expedient manner," says Dr. Micheal Ayad, the Co-Director of the Aortic Center. "It's very exciting to be at the forefront of what's considered the future of aortic surgery." UK-based Cydar developed its mapping platform to transform how information is shared with clinicians in image-guided minimally invasive surgery. The company designed it to simplify complexities within operating theaters across the globe. Mount Sinai's Aortic Center utilizes a collaborative approach between cardiac surgeons, vascular surgeons, cardiologists, and geneticists by coming together to address complex disease processes that otherwise would be very difficult to manage individually. This multidisciplinary approach allows for custom-made solutions to a variety of unique aortic and endovascular conditions. "When you have a collaboration of different specialists, you are not getting a one-size-fits-all therapy but rather a custom made approach," explains Dr. Ayad. "If we've learned anything over the past 20 to 30 years, it's that not all patients' diseases are the same. Each patient has a specific kind of aneurysm or a specific kind of disease, so a tailored approach provides a better outcome and a more durable outcome." "We are thrilled a medical center as renowned and respected as Mount Sinai has implemented our product into their clinical work," says Paul Mussenden, the CEO at Cydar Medical. "The goal is to provide their surgeons with a more predictable and efficient way to perform minimally invasive, image-guided procedures, leading to optimal results for their patients." To schedule an interview with Dr. Ayad, please email [email protected]. About Mount Sinai Medical Center Founded in 1949, Mount Sinai Medical Center is the largest independent, private, not-for-profit teaching hospital in South Florida. Mount Sinai's mission is to provide quality health care to a diverse community enhanced through teaching, research, charity care, and financial responsibility. Mount Sinai's Centers of Excellence combine technology, research, and academics to provide innovative and comprehensive care in cardiology, neuroscience, oncology, urology, and orthopedics. One of the original statutory teaching hospitals in the state of Florida, Mount Sinai is the hospital of choice for those who seek the level of expertise and care that only a teaching hospital can offer. Mount Sinai currently offers nine convenient locations in Miami-Dade County, including three emergency centers, and three specialty care offices and a primary care office in Monroe County. For more information on Mount Sinai Medical Center, visit msmc.com or call 305.674.CARE (2273). About Cydar Medical Cydar Medical is a global cloud-based software company that provides an integrated solution for planning, navigation and review of minimally invasive image guided surgical procedures. The Cydar Maps solution uses the power of artificial intelligence ("AI") to augment a clinician's decision-making. The product harnesses the latest in computer vision and machine learning technology to advance surgical visualization and decision-making in theatre, and across the surgical pathway. Cyda Medical's AI continues to learn from procedures conducted globally to provide analytics to assist clinicians in the operating room, enabling them to make faster, easier and safer decisions in the future. Cydar will continue to release new products and capabilities to improve the delivery of healthcare. Cydar Medical is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom and has operations in the US. It is working towards its vision of advancing the quality of care for patients in a world where all surgery conducted works exactly as planned. For further information, please visit www.cydarmedical.com. Media Contact: Erica Corsano [email protected] 617.510.1825 SOURCE Mount Sinai Medical Center SARASOTA, Fla., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nucleus Security, developers of the market-leading Risk-Based Vulnerability Management platform, has announced it has secured $43 million in Series B funding led by Arthur Ventures and Lead Edge Capital. This milestone marks a significant leap forward in the company's mission to redefine how enterprises manage risk exposure from vulnerabilities across infrastructure, cloud, and application portfolios in one unified platform. "We are thrilled to announce our continued partnership with Nucleus Security during this phase of tremendous growth. The Company has emerged as the innovation leader within the vulnerability and risk management space and has demonstrated unparalleled success transforming vulnerability management programs for large enterprises in nearly every market. This new capital will enable Nucleus to support its growing customer list while accelerating its vision to redefine how businesses manage their attack surface and security posture to prevent cyber breaches and compromises," said Ryan Kruizenga, General Partner, Arthur Ventures. In-Q-Tel (IQT), the not-for-profit strategic investor for the U.S. national security community and its allies, joined the Series B round as a new investor and partner. Through this partnership, Nucleus will ensure that its capabilities evolve to serve the needs of government agencies responsible for national security and critical infrastructure. "We are excited to partner with Nucleus to provide immediate value to our government partners managing vulnerabilities in very complex environments," added Grant Whiting, Partner, IQT. Reflecting on the company's evolution and its foundational principles, Steve Carter, CEO and Co-Founder of Nucleus Security, highlighted the genesis of the company's technology from government agencies' challenges in managing vulnerabilities and attack surfaces at scale. "Our journey has now come full circle, enabling us to continue making a profound and positive impact on our nation's security," Carter stated. This recent infusion of capital is earmarked for a strategic acceleration in product innovation, research, and development. These initiatives further cement Nucleus Security's position as the leader in the risk-based vulnerability management space. According to Chris Peltz, Practice Lead for VM and AppSec at GuidePoint Security, Nucleus Security's commitment to evolving its capabilities is a testament to its foresight in addressing modern enterprises' rapidly scaling threats. "Having partnered with Nucleus Security for years, it has been positive from both a technology and relationship perspective. As adversaries exploit vulnerabilities at scale much quicker than ever, it is reassuring to see organizations like Nucleus Security invest in capabilities to help customers respond to these time-sensitive threats as quickly as possible," lauds Peltz. Nucleus Security's acclaim in the cybersecurity industry is further backed by its acknowledgment in five prestigious 2023 analyst reports from Gartner, Forrester, Omdia, GigaOm, and Frost and Sullivan. Achieving leadership positions in two of these reports, Nucleus Security has been recognized as the only platform specifically designed to meet the complex challenges of the world's most extensive and critical vulnerability management programs. This recognition speaks volumes about the platform's effectiveness and the trust it has garnered among leading enterprises globally, including household names like Motorola Solutions, National Bank of Australia, Abbott Labs, Canva, and Orange Cyberdefense. "While many enterprises have equipped themselves with advanced technologies for discovering vulnerabilities, the true challenge lies in the effective organization, enrichment, and analysis of this data to make it actionable for decision-makers," said Steve Carter, CEO and Co-Founder of Nucleus Security. "Those last-mile processes must be in place to deliver the right vulnerability information to the right stakeholders at the right time. This round of funding will accelerate our vision of being the unified platform to realize the full value of all assets, vulnerabilities, and intelligence data and provide the single pane of glass needed to align the security organization to respond to threats appropriately." To see how Nucleus can transform your organization's vulnerability and risk management program, visit https://nucleussec.com for a free 30-day trial. About Nucleus Nucleus is a leading cybersecurity technology firm specializing in Risk-Based Vulnerability Management software and vulnerability intelligence. Its platform is the linchpin for the world's largest, most critical, and most demanding vulnerability management programs. SOURCE Nucleus Security Financial benefit improves access to retirement savings for Oregon childcare workers SALEM, Ore., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Oregon Retirement Savings Board and State Treasurer Tobias Read today announced that $5 million of dedicated American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars are being disbursed by Oregon's Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) to fund the OregonSaves retirement accounts of more than 900 Oregon childcare service providers. Funding was secured via negotiations by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union and their Child Care Providers Together (CCPT) group and was championed by former Oregon Governor Kate Brown. To have an investment to begin saving for retirement is something I can honestly say I didn't think was a possibility. Post this OregonSaves was chosen as the preferred program provider for this initiative by a joint labor-management committee, tasked with choosing the most qualified retirement plan in an open market. OregonSaves' demonstrated commitment to the financial security of workers across the state, made it the ideal choice for directing the ARPA funds on behalf of this essential group. "We are proud to have played a key role in bringing this retirement benefit to Oregon's critical childcare service providers, ensuring a strong start on their path to retirement security," said Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read. "This strategic investment in the financial future of childcare workers reflects Oregon's commitment to fostering economic security for all of its residents, a commitment shared by Oregon State Treasury and OregonSaves." An invitation to participate in OregonSaves was extended to childcare workers in the fall of 2023, allowing them to set up an account and receive an equal share of the $5 million of ARPA funds split between eligible certified family childcare providers. For those who enrolled by the December deadline, an initial $4 million was released to fund their OregonSaves accounts, providing approximately $4,400 each to support their financial well-being. The final distribution of funds is anticipated to reach the remaining OregonSaves accounts in March. "Before our union negotiated a retirement benefit with the state, I didn't have any savings or ability to plan for retirement" said Gracia Ramirez, a Certified Family Child Care provider and member of AFSCME Child Care Providers Together. "This is an important benefit for childcare providers like myself who work long hours and devote our lives to young children and families in our community. To have an initial investment to begin saving for our retirement is something I can honestly say I didn't think was a possibility," continued Ramirez. This new influx of childcare providers will now join the ranks of 124,000 workers that have set aside $251 million toward retirement. As thousands of Oregonians continue contributing to OregonSaves, long-term positive benefits will continue to emerge for participating workers and the state itself. OregonSaves is a simple way for Oregonians to save for retirement at work. Employees contribute part of their paycheck into their own personal IRAs that stay with them throughout their careers. Visit www.oregonsaves.com. Contact: Kasey Krifka [email protected] 503-431-7976 SOURCE OregonSaves MALIBU, Calif., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School will host " Elevating Healthcare: Exploring Solutions for the Future ," its 9th annual Healthcare Symposium on Thursday, Feb. 29. The symposium is a marquee Graziadio event that brings industry leaders, experts and professionals together to delve into critical issues shaping the future of healthcare. The event is a platform for insightful discussions, networking opportunities and the exchange of ideas all part of a thought-provoking exploration of innovative strategies and advancements in the healthcare sector. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu will deliver keynote remarks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Sununu balanced health and economic concerns effectively, making New Hampshire one of the safest states for COVID. New Hampshire also pioneered The Doorway and the Recovery Friendly Workplace initiative, a fantastic model for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. Following keynote remarks, distinguished experts will spotlight "Healthcare Horizons: Panel Insights on Today and Tomorrow," a panel discussion on emerging solutions and innovations poised to reshape the future of healthcare. The group will examine the current state of the healthcare industry, including trends in the job market, the business of healthcare and other critical topics. Panelists include : Robert Geyer , MBA Senior Advisor, Office of the President, Medica , MBA Senior Advisor, Office of the President, Medica Randy Hyun CEO, CarepathRX CEO, CarepathRX Rachel Zayas Founder & CEO, Active Genomes Expressed Diagnostics (AGED) Founder & CEO, Active Genomes Expressed Diagnostics (AGED) Dee Anna Smith CEO, Sarah Cannon Research Institute (SCRI) Graziadio Business School's Healthcare Symposium, " Elevating Healthcare: Exploring Solutions for the Future " will be held on-campus at Pepperdine's Malibu, Calif., campus on February 29 from 9 a.m. 2 p.m. PST. Pepperdine Graziadio Business School offers an array of courses tailored to meet the evolving demands of the healthcare industry. Its newly introduced Healthcare Management specialization within the part-time MBA program equips students with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in this dynamic field. Through a blend of rigorous academics and practical experiences, students gain insights into healthcare strategy, policy, operations, and innovation, preparing them for leadership roles in various healthcare organizations. Pepperdine media inquiries please contact [email protected]. The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School for more than 50 years has challenged individuals to think boldly and drive meaningful change within their industries and communities. Dedicated to developing purpose-driven leaders and accelerating purpose-driven impact, the Graziadio School offers a comprehensive range of BS, MBA, MS, executive, and doctoral degree programs grounded in integrity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The Graziadio School advances experiential learning through small classes with distinguished faculty that stimulate critical thinking and meaningful connection, inspiring students and working professionals to realize their greatest potential as values-centered leaders. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn . Pepperdine University is a private Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in Malibu, California. Rooted in the Christian tradition, Pepperdine is committed to both the relentless pursuit of truth through academic and scholarly excellence and to embodying Christian faith and values. With students at the heart of the educational enterprise, the University prepares approximately 10,300 scholars across its liberal arts school, Seaver College, and its four nationally recognized graduate schools for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Seaver College | Caruso School of Law | Graziadio Business School Graduate School of Education and Psychology | School of Public Policy Website | pepperdine.edu Facebook | /pepperdine Twitter | @pepperdine Instagram | /pepperdine LinkedIn | /pepperdine-university/ Contact vanessa.m.perez@pepperdine.edu SOURCE Pepperdine University Graziadio Business School The emotive, thirty second ad begins with Dr. Jones imaging what he might write for his friend Dr. King today in the face of rising antisemitism and hate toward people due to religion or race. The ad then depicts hateful images ranging from graffiti of swastikas to hate- filled social media searches as Dr. Jones reminds viewers all hate thrives on silence. A candle is shown being blown out to represent when our voices are silenced hatred thrives, before positive examples of Americans being upstanders and standing up to hatred inspire all Americans to do the same. The commercial centers around the powerful concept that all hate thrives on the silence of others and puts Jewish hate in conversation with other forms of hate. It supports FCAS' mission to inspire Americans of all backgrounds to be vocal upstanders for the Jewish community and to stand up against all forms of hate and continues the Stand Up to Jewish Hate campaign prominently featuring the Blue Square which launched in March of 2023 as a symbol of solidarity and unity for standing up to Jewish hate and all hate. "We are proud to debut this Super Bowl ad featuring the powerful voice of Dr. Clarence Jones at a time in which we need to follow his example and carry on the legacy or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. more than ever by building bridges and standing arm in arm to combat hate," said Robert K. Kraft, Founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. "'Silence' is a call to action, urging viewers to stand up against all hate, embrace unity, and champion justice. In a world often divided, our goal is to let this Super Bowl ad serve as a message to millions of Americans, sparking conversations and inspiring meaningful change long after the final whistle blows." "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a catalyst for change who envisioned fair equity and treatment for all. The journey for equity still continues. As we are all interconnected, we all have a social responsibility to use our voices and platforms to combat all of the isms including racism and antisemitism. Therefore, it is an honor to partner with FCAS and be featured in the 'Silence' ad campaign in the hopes that the commercial will encourage viewers to research and feel empowered to volunteer their time and talent to affect change locally and abroad," said Dr. Clarence B. Jones. "It is always timely and urgent to advocate for justice and civil rights for all. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would say, "The time is always right, to do right." "Silence," aims to help bridge the gap we are seeing between the Black and Jewish communities, especially among younger Americans who don't know the proud history of this alliance. About The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism Robert K. Kraft founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019 to help address the rising hate against Jews in the United States and the existential threat it poses to Jewish people. The Foundation is focused on winning the hearts and minds of non-Jews through powerful, positive messaging and partnerships, motivating and equipping them to be defenders and upstanders for Jews as they continue to face antisemitism. FCAS' work includes understanding and responding to antisemitic messages and hate speech posted online and sharing the story of the Jewish people and the threats they face today to drive awareness and solidarity amongst all audiences, especially non-Jews. Different from historical strategies to fight antisemitism, The Foundation and Kraft Family use innovative approaches to analyze and respond to the new reality of antisemitism and hate against Jewish people. The Foundation's key areas of focus include: raising awareness of antisemitism, monitoring and analyzing trends in antisemitism and hate on social media, engaging individuals to build familiarity, empathy and understanding toward Jews, and celebrating Jewish identity. Media Contact Haley McDill: [email protected] Anisha Chakrabarti: [email protected] 1 "Antisemitic Incidents | US," Anti-Defamation League, January 9, 2024, https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/us-antisemitic-incidents-skyrocketed-360-aftermath-attack-israel-according SOURCE Foundation to Combat Antisemitism The aggressor country Russia has once again convened the United Nations Security Council to "complain" about Ukraine. This time, it was about Kyiv's alleged violation of the Minsk agreements, which Moscow itself has never actually implemented. ADVERTISIMENT It is noteworthy that the members of the UN Security Council decided to meet at the request of the aggressor on the anniversary of the resolution. The meeting will begin at 17:00 Kyiv time on February 12, Ukrinform reports. The agreements, commonly referred to as Minsk-2, were signed between Ukraine and Russia in mid-February 2015. On February 17, the UN Security Council voted in favor of a resolution approving these agreements. The Kremlin has never fulfilled the Minsk agreements during the war in Donbas, but has constantly accused Ukraine of violating them, which it continues to do even in the face of a full-scale invasion. Before the invasion, on February 22, 2022, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed that the Minsk agreements no longer existed because Russia had "recognized the independence" of the Ukrainian territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions (L/DNR. ADVERTISIMENT Last week, Russia had already convened the UN Security Council to discuss the Ukrainian Armed Forces' strike on the enemy in the temporarily occupied Lysychansk, when the "Minister of Emergency Situations" and two so-called "LPR" deputies were killed. Instead, at the meeting, the Europeans pointed out to Russia that it was the country that occupied Ukrainian territories and continues to kill civilians, including children. As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the head of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Goisgen, recently suggested that Ukraine should end the war through negotiations with Russia. He said that the Minsk agreements, which failed, could be used as a basis for "peace" with the aggressor. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! ROCKDALE, Texas, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC today announced its plans to pursue the construction of a 1200-megawatt, ultra-efficient, natural gas-fueled power plant. The plant, located on Sandow Lakes property in Lee County Texas, will be developed and owned by a Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC, subsidiary and will operate within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The plant will be capable of serving over 800,000 homes. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the plant generating power by 2028. Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC today announced its plans to pursue the construction of a 1200-megawatt, ultra-efficient, natural gas-fueled power plant. Sandow Lakes Energy, LLC has executed an agreement with Siemens Energy to reserve manufacturing slots for two SGT6-9000HL gas turbines. The SGT6-9000HL is one of the most technologically advanced turbines in the world, featuring high power output, excellent fuel efficiency, and the capability of operating on hydrogen with only minor modifications to the equipment. These turbines are envisioned to generate over 1,200 megawatts of electricity at the Sandow Lakes site, providing reliable power generation to the region while supporting decarbonization goals. "As Texas continues to grow, increasing the capacity and reliability of our power grid is critical. This Sandow Lakes plant will provide 1,200 megawatts of dispatchable power, providing enough electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes," said Governor Greg Abbott. "As Governor, I signed bipartisan laws to reform ERCOT and increase the reliability, resilience, and capability of our state grid. Through partnerships with companies like Sandow Lakes and Siemens, our state will ensure we continue to deliver reliable power to every Texas home." Sandow Lakes was formerly the site of a 1950s-era integrated industrial enterprise with 1200-megawatts of coal-based power generation. The legacy coal facilities and industrial facilities are in the process of being partially demolished and repurposed, paving the way for the more contemporary and progressive combined cycle power plant. State Representative Stan Gerdes, in whose House District the development sits, added, "For the citizens of this region, losing Alcoa after 6 decades of manufacturing was a blow to the entire region. But with the advent of Sandow Lakes, the folks living here have renewed enthusiasm for the area, their families and for the future." Senator Lois Kolkhorst, in whose district the new clean gas fired generation plant will be constructed, added, "Texas needs dispatchable thermal generation to provide power for our growing state. That's why I am pleased to host this new natural gas plant in Lee County. This is exciting news for the future of our region and an important step for all Texans who will benefit from a new source of clean and reliable energy." The residents of Lee and Milam counties and surrounding communities will benefit from incredible job creation driven by Sandow Lakes Ranch's master planned development of this former industrial enterprise run by Alcoa for over 50 years. Senator Charles Schwertner added, "I'm pleased Sandow Lakes continues to move forward with this important project to provide economic development for the greater Milam/Lee County region for decades to come. Advancing electric generation is a vital and necessary component of economic development, and I applaud the project's advancement of this necessary infrastructure." Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC was formed for the purpose of developing, operating and investing in energy projects in Texas to support the Sandow Lakes property and the rapidly growing electricity demand within the State. Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC is committed to utilizing available clean and efficient technologies in connection with its developments. SOURCE Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC Law Firms Seeking Justice on Behalf of Sexual Abuse Victims by Defending the Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 BALTIMORE, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. and Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC, two leading Maryland-based medical malpractice, personal injury, and civil litigation law firms, are partnering to oppose a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Washington in an upcoming March hearing on behalf of sex abuse victims who have come forward seeking justice. The class action suit, John Doe et al. v. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, was filed in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, Maryland on behalf of all survivors of child sexual abuse at the hands of priests and other personnel affiliated with the Archdiocese of Washington. The Child Victims Act of 2023 was passed in Maryland to eliminate the statute of limitations for survivors of child sexual abuse to bring forth civil lawsuits against their alleged abusers and those who enabled them. The new law took effect on October 1, 2023, allowing civil suits to move forward in Maryland courts no matter when the abuse took place. The class action against the Archdiocese of Washington was filed the same day. The Archdiocese of Washington has requested that the lawsuit be dismissed, arguing that the Child Victims Act is unconstitutional. The Archdiocese of Washington claims that a 2017 law that placed time limits for filingwhich was repealed and replaced by the Child Victims Actwas a "statute of repose" that prevents any sex abuse claims from being revived in the future. Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. and Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC, on behalf of the plaintiffs, argue that the 2017 law was not a "statute of repose." Maryland law requires that statutes of repose set time limits for litigation that start running based on a defendant's behavior, not a plaintiff's injury. The time limitation set forth in the 2017 law, however, starts running solely based on the age of the survivor. "The Archdiocese of Washington contends that its mission includes protection and support of its parishioners who are all members of its church. However, despite their admitted decades of sexual abuse, the Archdiocese is making transparent efforts to shield its assets and deprive its parishioners from attaining closure, moving forward with their lives and obtaining full and fair compensation which the Archdiocese owes them. In my opinion, their conduct is horrendous disgraceful, in fact," said Jonathan Schochor, Founding Partner and Chairman of Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. In addition, the plaintiffs point out that Maryland lawmakers have passed retroactive exceptions to a statute of repose before. For example, it passed a retroactive extension of asbestos-based lawsuits in 1991. The opposition points out that the asbestos exception was not viewed as problematic by the Maryland Attorney General. Importantly, the Archdiocese of Washington and Maryland Catholic Conference testified in support of the asbestos exception. The plaintiffs are not alone in opposing the Archdiocese of Washington's attempt to strike down the Child Victims Act. On December 21, 2023, the Maryland Attorney General filed a brief arguing in support of the law's constitutionality. The Archdiocese of Washington's motion to dismiss is scheduled for a hearing before Judge Robin Bright on March 6, 2024, at 10:00 AM in Upper Marlboro. "The Archdiocese twists the language and history of the 2017 law in arguing that it granted permanent immunity to those who failed to supervise child sexual abusers. The plain language of the 2017 law undercuts the Archdiocese's argument, and we find it highly doubtful that the General Assembly would have gone out of its way to enact a boon to child abuse enablers," said Andrew Janet, Partner and Co-Chair, Sexual Abuse Division, Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC. "The General Assembly and Attorney General are fighting to protect survivors of child sexual abuse, and we believe the courts will understand the importance of doing so as well." The Archdiocese of Washington has previously admitted to having 34 clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors and is under investigation by the Maryland Attorney General. The plaintiffs allege that the Archdiocese of Washington has engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that has permitted sexual abuse against children for decades. Three class representatives who were sexually abused by Archdiocese of Washington clergy as minors are identified via pseudonyms in the lawsuit. All plaintiffs are alleged to have suffered a wide variety of serious physical, emotional, and financial injuries. Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. and Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC, have previously partnered in a class action against Johns Hopkins Hospital arising from sexual abuse committed by one of its doctors. That case settled for $190 million, which has been reported to be the largest sexual abuse settlement in Maryland history. About Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. has been fighting for patients' rights as a leading medical malpractice, personal injury, and civil litigation law firm since 1984. For nearly four decades, the firm has represented thousands of clients in catastrophic injury matters and has achieved remarkable results on their behalf. Additionally, the firm is a recognized leader in sexual abuse cases as well as class action and mass tort litigation with record-breaking results. Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. has offices in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Its lawyers are licensed to practice in Maryland, the District of Columbia, and New York, and have been specially admitted to practice in courts around the country. To learn more, visit: sfspa.com. About Janet, Janet & Suggs, LLC Janet, Janet & Suggs is a Maryland-based national law firm with offices in 10 states and Washington D.C. Its attorneys have handled hundreds of individual clergy abuse cases as well as noteworthy high-profile sexual abuse cases against major universities and hospitals, as well as other well-known institutions. The firm has decades of experience handling catastrophic injury cases and has won over three billion dollars in verdicts and settlements for clients across a wide range of serious and complex cases. Media Contact: Mitchell Schmale Nevins & Associates [email protected] 410-336-8571 SOURCE Schochor, Staton, Goldberg and Cardea, P.A. Experiencing a Robust 8.5% CAGR, the Market for Thermal Management Technologies is Forecasted to Grow from $17.3 Billion in 2023 BOSTON, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This market is a hub of innovation, offering smart solutions to control and optimize temperatures in various industries. From cutting-edge cooling systems to innovative heat management, this market is at the forefront of technological advancements. Explore the trends, opportunities, and strategies that shape the landscape of thermal management technologies on a global scale. "According to the latest research study, the demand for The Market for Thermal Management Technologies grow from $17.3 in 2023 and is estimated to increase from $26.1 billion in 2028, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% from 2023 to 2028." This comprehensive report provides an extensive overview of the thermal management technologies market, covering various product areas such as materials, hardware, and software. The analysis includes market size and revenue trends for individual segments, offering forecasts through 2028. Key market issues influencing each product segment are thoroughly explored, along with insights into crucial applications. A detailed examination of the competitive landscape emphasizes factors driving success, including research and development capabilities, ecosystems, and partnerships. The report features profiles of thermal management manufacturers, shedding light on their strategies and offerings. Additionally, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is assessed, considering challenges and opportunities that have emerged. The global market for thermal management products is addressed from 2022 to 2028, encompassing hardware, software, interface products, substrates, and various application areas. In recent years, there's been a growing focus on eco-friendly thermal management solutions, driven by increasing environmental concerns. Companies are actively innovating to create technologies that effectively dissipate heat while minimizing their impact on the environment. Taking inspiration from nature, biomimicry is influencing the design of cooling systems that replicate natural heat exchange processes observed in organisms and ecosystems. A notable trend is the exploration of cutting-edge methods to manage heat at incredibly small scales, contributing to advancements in microelectronics and medical devices. For example, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), integrating microelectronics with micromachining technology, holds the potential to revolutionize consumer products. The continuous progress in heat management technologies is expected to play a crucial role in the development of microelectronics and related devices. Dive into the evolving dynamics of the Thermal Management Technologies market and discover future trends with our latest research study click here to Learn More. Driving forces behind the market for thermal management technologies market's growth comprise: Increasing Thermal Management Requirements in 5G Communication Devices-With the rise of 5G communication devices, there is a growing demand for efficient thermal management solutions. The increased data transfer speeds and processing capabilities in 5G devices generate higher levels of heat, requiring effective cooling mechanisms. Thermal management becomes essential to ensure optimal performance, prevent overheating, and enhance the overall reliability of 5G communication devices. This trend underscores the importance of innovative cooling technologies in meeting the escalating thermal requirements of the rapidly evolving 5G landscape. Growing Demand for Effective Heat Management Solutions in the Consumer Electronics Sectors- The consumer electronics sector is witnessing a surge in demand for effective heat management solutions. As electronic devices become more powerful and compact, managing heat efficiently is crucial for ensuring optimal performance and longevity. This growing need emphasizes the importance of innovative cooling technologies to enhance user experience and reliability in various consumer electronics products. Increasing Demand for Carbon Dioxide Reduction and Fuel-efficient Thermal Systems- The increasing demand for carbon dioxide reduction and fuel-efficient thermal systems highlights a growing emphasis on eco-friendly technologies. As environmental concerns intensify, there is a rising need for thermal systems that enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. This trend reflects a collective effort to address climate challenges and promote sustainable practices in various industries. Growing Advancement in Thermal Interface Materials-The field of thermal interface materials is experiencing notable advancements, signaling progress in improving heat transfer efficiency. These innovations play a crucial role in enhancing the performance and reliability of electronic devices and other applications by effectively managing heat dissipation. Request a Copy of the market for thermal management technologies: Report Synopsis Report Metrics Details Base year considered 2022 Forecast Period considered 2023-2028 Base year market size $16.2 billion Market Size Forecast $26.1 billion Growth Rate CAGR of 8.5% from 2023 to 2028 Segment Covered By Product Type, Application, Device Type, and Region Regions covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Countries covered U.S., Canada, Germany, France, The U.K., Japan, China, India, and South Korea Key Market Drivers Increasing Thermal Management Requirements in 5G Communication Devices Growing Demand for Effective Heat Management Solutions in the Consumer Electronics Sectors Increasing Demand for Carbon Dioxide Reduction and Fuel-efficient Thermal Systems Growing Advancement in Thermal Interface Materials The Rising Demand for The Market for Thermal Management Technologies: The market for thermal management technologies is experiencing a surge in demand driven by the need for efficient heat control across various industries. As electronic devices become more powerful and diverse, the growing requirement for effective thermal solutions is shaping the trajectory of this market. The rising demand underscores the significance of advanced cooling technologies to ensure optimal performance and reliability in diverse applications. Trends and Innovations: Trends and Innovations in the Thermal Management Technologies Market showcase the dynamic evolution of cooling solutions across industries. From smart technologies to eco-friendly innovations, this market is witnessing a shift towards advanced and sustainable thermal management systems. Stay informed on the latest developments shaping the future of heat control. Challenges and Opportunities Challenges and Opportunities in the Thermal Management Technologies Market reflect a complex landscape, navigating hurdles while exploring potential avenues for growth. This dynamic market presents both obstacles and openings, providing insights into strategic decision-making for industry players. This report on the thermal management technologies market provides comprehensive insights and analysis, addressing the following key questions: 1. What is the market's expected size and rate of growth? The market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% from $16.2 billion in 2022 to $26.1 billion in 2028. 2. What are the main elements propelling the market's expansion? The increasing need for efficient heat management solutions in the consumer electronics industry is one of the main factors propelling the growth of the thermal management technologies market. 3. Which market segments are covered? The product, device, application, and geographic segments that make up the thermal management technologies market are separated out. 4. Which product category will rule the market by the end of 2028? By the end of 2028, the hardware segment is expected to lead the market in terms of product type. 5. Which geographic area dominates the market in terms of market share? In terms of region, Asia-Pacific has the largest market share. Some of the Key Market Players Are: 3M GENTHERM HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. LAIRD TECHNOLOGIES INC. SPECTRA-MAT INC. AAVID THERMALLOY ALCOA CORP. ASETEK INC. COMAIR ROTRON COOL INNOVATIONS COOLIT SYSTEMS CPS TECHNOLOGIES CORP. DYNATRON CORP. MOTIVAIR CORP. ALTAIR ENGINEERING INC. ANSYS INC. DAAT RESEARCH CORP. HEXAGON AB NETZSCH-GERATEBAU GMBH AI TECHNOLOGY INC. AMETEK INC. CHOMERICS (DIVISION OF PARKER HANNIFIN) HENKEL AG & CO. KGAA & CO. KGAA LORD CORP. MASTER BOND INC. AMKOR TECHNOLOGY COOLER MASTER TECHNOLOGY INC. MATERION CORP. MORGAN TECHNICAL CERAMICS STATS CHIPPAC LTD. Directly Purchase a copy of the report with BCC Research. For further information or to make a purchase, please get in touch with [email protected]. About BCC Research BCC Research provides objective, unbiased measurement and assessment of market opportunities with detailed market research reports. Our experienced industry analysts' goal is to help you make informed business decisions, free of noise and hype. Contact Us Corporate HQ: BCC Research LLC, 49 Walnut Park, Building 2, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA Email: [email protected], Phone: +1 781-489-7301 For media inquiries, email [email protected] or visit our media page for access to our market research library. Data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC as the source and publisher. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2183242/BCC_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE BCC Research LLC NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Thinking Nation, a national 501c3 committed to cultivating thoughtful citizens through the promotion of historical thinking in social studies, today announced Executive Director Zachary Cote, COO Spenser Mix, Chief Partnership Officer Elizabeth Connolly, and Business Analyst Valentina Carvajal Bueno will present at the National Conference on Education presented by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, on February 14 and 16 in San Diego. Mix, Connolly, and Carvajal Bueno will lead the pre-conference workshop, GenConnect Session, at 1 p.m. PT on Wednesday, February 14. Superintendents and educators attending the session will experience a showcase of the AI functionality within the Thinking Nation Platform, which revolutionizes the grading of curated research papers, personalizes learning experiences, and tracks student development. Attendees will also receive a preview of upcoming Platform features designed to grade formative assessments and mock AP exams, and to recognize student attainment of durable skillslike critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity, as well as fortitude, growth mindset, and leadership. Cote will lead during the Re-Designing Learning Roundtable Session, Breaking Down Content Silos: Data-Informed Social Studies Instruction Transforms Schools, at 2:15 p.m. PT on Friday, February 16. Cote will share anecdotes and data that illustrate how schools can effectively align their social studies classrooms in order to empower their students to analyze effectively, think critically, and write persuasively so their students are future-ready and teachers are more effectively supported. Visitors to the National Conference on Education can further explore Thinking Nation's innovative curriculum and platform at exhibit booth #1149. About Thinking Nation Thinking Nation is a national 501c3 specializing in innovative social studies curriculum, assessments, and professional development. Our mission is to cultivate thinking citizens and confront the problems we see in civic society, with a curriculum that empowers students to read closely, think deeply, and write persuasively. We believe that education is our greatest equalizer, and that every student, regardless of zip code or socio-economic background, deserves access to learning practices that reflect the diversity of identities, histories, contributions, and experiences to support enriched educational opportunity, equity, and success for all. Thinking Nation currently serves 20,000 students in 12 states. For more information about Thinking Nation or to become a part of this transformative initiative, please visit thinkingnation.org. Media Contacts Laura Wessells and Martha Holler ShinePR for Thinking Nation [email protected] SOURCE Thinking Nation Kremlin propagandists have launched an active campaign to whitewash the reputation of the odious American journalist Tucker Carlson, who interviewed dictator Vladimir Putin. The Russians are trying to prove that the host allegedly did not take money for a complimentary conversation with the main war criminal of the Russian Federation. ADVERTISIMENT The propagandists are trying to argue that Carlson is a multimillionaire. Information about the journalist's wealth has been actively disseminated in Russian social networks and media. It is worth noting that the information about Carlson's million-dollar fortune was mainly of interest to Russian propaganda media, and immediately after the interview with Putin was published. The Russians actively spread the information that the journalist had hundreds of millions of dollars and that he allegedly no longer needed money. Carlson's net worth was estimated to be $370 million, $190 million of which was an inheritance from his parents. Carlson earned a significant portion of his income as a host on Fox News. But he hasn't worked on TV for a long time, in part because of his sympathy for the "Russian world." Therefore, Carlson has lost a significant part of his popularity. ADVERTISIMENT In addition to his income, propagandists managed to study Carlson's personal life. In the Russian media, he is presented as an "exemplary family man" who has been faithful to his wife Susan Andrews for more than 30 years. Moreover, they even mentioned the odious journalist's participation in the American show Dancing with the Stars. In 2006, his partner was Yelena Grinenko, a Russian native of Moscow and Russian ballroom dancing champion. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, during the interview, dictator Vladimir Putin accused the Poles themselves of the 1939 Nazi attack on Poland. According to the war criminal, Poland "forced" Adolf Hitler to attack it because it "played around" and was "too intransigent." Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Western politicians continue to comment on the words of US presidential candidate Donald Trump, who threatened NATO leaders that in the event of a Russian attack, the United States would not defend those members of the Alliance who owe payments to the organization. Current US President Joe Biden called his rival a "lackey" of Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin, while European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell criticized Trump for his capriciousness. ADVERTISIMENT He collected reactions from Western politicians. For example, during a speech on Saturday, February 10, in South Carolina, Trump said that during his presidency he had threatened NATO leaders that he would not defend them in the event of a Russian attack. Some Republicans, Trump's associates, attacked him for his words. "This is why I have long said he is unfit to be president of the United States," said former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is Trump's only remaining rival for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, said: "The last thing we ever want to do is take sides with Russia." Republican Senator Tom Tillis accused Trump's aides of failing to explain to the former president that the United States, as a NATO member, is committed to defending any member of the alliance that is under attack. ADVERTISIMENT For his part, Joe Biden called his predecessor's statements dangerous. According to Biden, such statements by his predecessor show why supporting Ukraine is important. "Because, as you can see, Putin and his useful minions are counting on bigger prizes," the American leader said. Trump was also criticized by John Bolton, a former US national security adviser in his administration, who believes that the former US president's threats to withdraw from NATO if he returns to power should be taken seriously. "I think Trump's statements should be taken very seriously. A lot of people don't take it that way right now - Trump's supporters and opponents alike. When he says that he wants the United States to withdraw from NATO, I think that is a very real threat, and it would have extremely bad consequences for the United States." And not just in the North Atlantic region, but much more broadly," he said on MSNBC. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said this morning that NATO cannot afford to be an alliance that depends on the whims of the US president. Asked to respond to Trump's comments, Borrell said: "NATO cannot be a military alliance of choice... depending on the mood of the US president." As a reminder, European Council President Charles Michel commented on former US President Donald Trump's statement about the "green light" for Russia's aggression against NATO's "debtors". The head of the European Council stressed that such reckless statements about the security of the Alliance serve only the interests of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. As reported by OBOZ.UA, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted that the comments of former US President Donald Trump about the Alliance put European and American military at risk. But the response to any attack on the organization will not be delayed. ADVERTISIMENT If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here Islamabad, Feb 12 : Three people were killed and seven others injured in a clash between two political rival parties in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, officials said. The armed clash happened in the Larkana district, between the workers of the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) and the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), on Sunday, official sources told Xinhua news agency. The heated debate between the rivals went ugly and a gunfire started in which the workers of both parties and the policemen who were deployed on their security were killed and injured, Xinhua news agency reported. The local police reached the spot to control the situation in which the three persons, including an assistant sub-inspector of police, were killed, the sources added. The protestors dispersed after the intervention of the police and the situation is under control in the area, the sources said. The injured, including a police officer, have been shifted to a nearby hospital where two of them are in critical condition. We freed UP from the status of BIMARU state: Yogi. Image Source: IANS News Prayagraj, Feb 12 : The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government is planning to organise a social media conclave for the promotion of the upcoming Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj. This initiative involves collaborating with both governmental and non-governmental agencies to reach a wide audience. Until now, only government agencies have been involved in organising the Maha Kumbh. However, the state government is now taking proactive steps to involve non-governmental agencies in the process. Aparajita Singh, the Regional Tourism Officer of Prayagraj, said that the Tourism Department wants to connect with as many people as possible through the Maha Kumbh. "Everyone may possess valuable insights, and it is possible that some individuals may not have had the opportunity to communicate their ideas to the government until now. To bridge this gap and incorporate diverse perspectives, the Tourism Department will organise a competition inviting ideas related to organising the Maha Kumbh," Singh added. She further said, "The participants with the most unique ideas in this competition will be encouraged and recognised by the Tourism Department. Their ideas will become an integral part of the organisation of the Maha Kumbh." In preparation for the Maha Kumbh, the Tourism Department in Prayagraj is organising various initiatives to enhance the branding and publicity of tourist destinations. For this purpose, a "Social Media Conclave" is being organised in March, and a proposal has been sent to the government for its approval. The conclave will commence with a session involving local social media influencers, followed by a session with global influencers. Additionally, tour operators from tourism centres across the country are being invited to share their insights on attracting tourists to the Maha Kumbh. Hotel entrepreneurs are also encouraged to participate in these discussions. While proposals for necessary facilities for tourists will be sought from all stakeholders, a review of the shortcomings in the current supply will also be conducted. The efficacy of social media in amplifying public awareness campaigns is widely recognised. Whether it is enhancing Prayagraj's standing in "Swachh Sarvekshan" or bolstering cleanliness efforts ahead of next year's Maha Kumbh, engaging local citizens is imperative. The Municipal Commissioner of Prayagraj, Chandra Mohan Garg, said that, recognising this need, the Municipal Corporation is utilising social media for the cleanliness campaign. Meetings with more than a dozen social media influencers have already taken place. Following these meetings, city residents will soon be able to observe the city's cleanliness arrangements along with urban activities on social media platforms. Active youth on social media sites will promote awareness of cleanliness among the urban population. Through reels and other mediums on social media, city residents will be made aware so that the cleanliness rating of the city can be improved before the Maha Kumbh. Lucknow, Feb 12 : The Lucknow police recovered a minor girl, who had gone missing last week, after the girl's mother posted her complaint on Uttar Pradesh Jansunwai portal that addresses people's grievances, a police official said. The girl from a village under Nagram police station area on the outskirts of the state capital, who had come to her maternal grandparents' home, suddenly disappeared with some jewellery and money. Her mother, a widow, dialled 'UP 112' and expressed her suspicion about the involvement of a youth in the disappearance of her daughter. After failing to trace the girl, the police team advised the woman to lodge a complaint with the police station concerned. The woman accused the policemen of Hulas Kheda police outpost of pressurising her to compromise with the accused in the case. She then lodged a complaint about the matter on the Chief Minister's public hearing portal on February 8. Meanwhile, officials took cognisance and ordered action after a message about the incident went viral on social media. Subsequently, the police registered an FIR against the accused youth and his mother. The girl was recovered and later sent for a medical examination, said Inspector Alok Rai of Nagram police station. Gaza, Feb 12 : The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,176 since October 7, 2023, with 67,784 others being injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement. It added on Sunday that at least 112 Palestinians were killed and 173 others injured by Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours, Xinhua news agency reported. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that at least 25 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli bombing of a house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. Israel launched violent airstrikes and artillery bombings in the past few hours on Khan Younis, Deir al-Balah, Rafah, and Gaza City, killing and wounding dozens of Palestinians, said a Palestinian source who requested anonymity. Herzi Halevi, the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said on Saturday that the Israeli army was "far from finishing" the fighting in Khan Younis, the Jerusalem Post reported. During a ground assessment in the Gaza Strip with Ronen Bar, Head of Israel's internal security agency Shin Bet, the two officials revealed that Israeli forces killed more than 1,200 "terrorists" in ground operations and another 1,200-1,300 "terrorists" in airstrikes in Khan Younis, according to the Jerusalem Post. Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate a Hamas surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people in Israel were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. Islamabad, Feb 12 : Pakistani security forces have killed a wanted terrorist during an intelligence-based operation in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said. The operation was conducted in the Khyber district of the province on the reported presence of terrorists in the area, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani army's media wing, said on Sunday in a statement. During the conduct of the operation, an intense fire exchange took place, as a result of which the terrorist was killed, the ISPR statement said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. The killed terrorist remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities, including target killing of innocent civilians as well as extortion, and was highly wanted by law enforcement agencies, the ISPR said, adding that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered during the operation. A clearance operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, the military said. Syrian president warns of escalating conflict as US attacks intensify in Middle East. Image Source: IANS News Damascus, Feb 12 : Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has expressed concerns that Washington's attacks in different parts of the Middle East threaten to expand the conflict in the region, the media reported. In a meeting with visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Syrian capital Damascus, Assad criticised the US for its approach to the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip, Xinhua news agency reported. He expressed concerns about Washington's ongoing provision of "lethal weapons" to Israel and its military operations in various parts of the Middle East, saying they pose a risk of escalating the conflict. During the meeting, Assad highlighted the need for offering maximum support to the Palestinian people, commending their resilience during the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza. Assad also discussed with Amir-Abdollahian the Israeli attacks on Syrian territories and the overall regional developments, according to the state news agency SANA. They stressed the importance for international institutions, particularly the UN Security Council, to take immediate action to halt the looming Israeli assault in Rafah, the southernmost Gazan city, currently sheltering more than half of the displaced Palestinians in the enclave. Baghdad, Feb 12 : Iraq and the US resumed a new round of dialogue to discuss ending the US-led international coalition's mission in Iraq, the Iraqi government said. Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasoul said on Sunday in a statement that the Higher Military Commission (HMC) resumed meetings with the international coalition side to assess the military situation, the level of threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) group, in addition to the capabilities of the Iraqi forces. Rasoul said that based on these meetings, a timetable will be set for the gradual reduction of international coalition advisors in Iraq, leading to an end of the coalition mission of fighting IS and the transition to Iraq's bilateral relations with coalition countries, Xinhua news agency reported. The meetings with the international coalition will be held periodically to complete the commission work as quickly as possible, as long as nothing disturbs the meetings, Rasoul added. On January 25, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Iraq agreed with the US to form the HMC to end the international coalition mission in Iraq and move their relationship to comprehensive bilateral relations with the coalition countries at the political, economic, cultural, security and military levels. Toronto, Feb 12 : Police are on the lookout for a 22-year-old Indian-origin son, who fled after allegedly murdering his father, at their home in Canada's Ontario province. Sukhaj Cheema-Singh is wanted for first-degree murder after 56-year-old Kuldip Singh was found with 'severe injuries' at his Stoney Creek home in Hamilton on Saturday night. Releasing an image of Cheema-Singh, the Hamilton Police said in a release on Sunday that officers were called to a home near Trafalgar Drive and Mud Street at around 7:40 p.m. on February 10. The victim was transported to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Witnesses told officers that Cheema-Singh fled the residence in a small, dark-coloured SUV following an altercation with his father. The vehicle was last seen heading north on Trafalgar toward Mud Street, police said, adding that Cheema-Singh was believed to be in the area for about 30 minutes before the incident. With investigations continuing, police warned that the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous, as "the weapon used has not been recovered". Investigators have asked witnesses or anyone with video footage of the area to get in touch with them. Patna, Feb 12 : Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led government will face a floor test in the Bihar Assembly on Monday. Last month, Kumar took the oath as Bihar CM for the record ninth time after dumping the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and the 'INDIA' bloc to form a new government with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Now Kumar with his newly-formed alliance will seek a trust vote in the Assembly. Ahead of the floor test, Nitish Kumar's party Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has issued a three-line whip to all of its MLAs to be present during the proceedings. All eyes will, therefore, be on the floor test exercise that is taking place after days of what was seen as a 'politically volatile' situation in the state. The parties such as the JD-U, RJD, and Congress were seen struggling to keep their flock of MLAs intact. Ahead of the crucial number test, the Congress shifted its MLAs to Hyderabad to protect them from possible "poaching". The Congress legislators have returned to Patna from Hyderabad. At the same time, RJD MLAs have been camping at former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav's place since Saturday night. The BJP shifted its MLAs to Maha Bodhi resort in Bodh Gaya. However, BJP claimed that its legislators were sent to Bodh Gaya for some training. The saffron party said that there was no threat of poaching to its MLAs. Meanwhile, CM Nitish Kumar has expressed confidence that the government led by him will prove its majority in the Assembly comfortably. Other MLAs from the ruling side were also heard claiming that the new government will have no difficulty in proving the majority during the floor test. Nitish has already said that he has again come to National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and will stay permanently with it. Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustan Awam Morch (HAM) founder, Jitan Ram Manjhi has also issued a whip to his party's four MLAs, asking them to vote in favour of the NDA government during the floor test in the Bihar Assembly. Ahead of the much-awaited floor test in Bihar, it is important to have a look at how the numbers stack up. The total strength of the Bihar Assembly is 243 and the majority mark is 122. The NDA has a comfortable majority of 128 with the BJP having 78 MLAs, the JD-U 45, HAM 4 and an independent MLA. The opposition has 114 MLAs of which RJD has 79, Congress 19, CPI-ML 12, CPI-M 2, and CPI has 2. Los Angeles, Feb 12 : 'Mr Bean' star Rowan Atkinson, who has previously played the titular hapless secret agent in three movies in the spy spoof franchise 'Johnny English' will return for a fourth installement. He featured in 'Jhonny English', 'Johnny English Reborn', and 2018's 'Johnny English Strikes Again'. The movie will be shot in the summer in the UK and Malta, but the plot details are being kept under wraps, according to Screendaily. Details about the project are largely unknown, but Working Titles Films will produce for the fourth time, reports aceshowbiz.com. While promoting the third movie in the series, Atkinson said he thought a fourth installment would be unlikely. Speaking during a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything), he said: "I doubt it but thank you very much for implying you'd like to see another one. But at the same time... never say never." Meanwhile, the actor previously explained he felt the physical comedy he is known for is "more timeless" than other forms so its popularity is enduring. He told Digital Spy: "I suppose it's more timeless." "Whereas visual comedy is generally about simple, human situations involving human instincts and human behaviour, and those things change far less." "Also, of course, it means that you are automatically granted immunity from cultural and linguistic differences. But in the end, humanity shares the more visual experience than they do a verbal experience. And therefore, internationally, obviously it's an easier thing to sell." Greyhounds commando die of electric shock in Telangana. Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad, Feb 12 : A commando of elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds died of electrocution in Telangana's Jayashankar Bhupalpally district on Monday. During the combing operation in Nasthurpalle forests, A. Praveen touched an iron fencing and suffered electric shock. He died on the spot. Some villagers had connected the iron fencing to electric wire to hunt wild animals. A team of Greyhound commandos had taken up a search operation following information about movement of some suspects in the forest areas. The incident occurred in Nasthurpalle of Kataram mandal under the limits of Katarm police station. Police officials were trying to identify the villagers who had set up the electric wire. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has expressed grief over the incident and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family. Meanwhile, in another incident in Mulugu district, a youth died of electrocution The incident occurred in Govindaraopet. Ramesh (28) touched an electric wire set up for wild animals Ahead of protest, three Union ministers to meet farm leaders again in Chandigarh. Image Source: IANS News Chandigarh, Feb 12 : Hours ahead of a massive protest march by farmers of Punjab and Haryana in the national capital, three Union ministers, including Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, will be meeting the leaders of farmer organisations in Chandigarh on Monday evening to resolve the issue amicably. The first round of meeting was held on February 8. The farmers have been demanding the fulfillment of promises made by the Central government in 2021 that included a legal guarantee for a minimum support price (MSP) on crops, implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, farm debt waiver and withdrawal of police cases. Nearly 200 farm organisations under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha will start a protest march, 'Delhi Chalo', on Tuesday. Besides Goyal, the other Union ministers meeting the farmers are Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda and Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. In the previous meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was the mediator. "As of now we stick to both our plan for the protest march and demands," said Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who heads a faction of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU). Meanwhile, with the police build up on almost all national highways and major roads leading from Punjab ahead of the protest march, commuters on Monday had to opt village routes to enter Haryana for their onward journey. Sufficient security arrangements have been made in Haryana to prevent any untoward incident, a senior police official here told IANS. The sealing of Punjab-Haryana borders by putting up barricades, boulders, tippers filled with sand and barbed wires and iron spikes, has impacted the movement of vehicular traffic with huge traffic snarls. Even paramilitary forces have been deployed to prevent untoward incidents. Farmers have planned to enter Haryana from Shambhu border in Patiala, Moonak in Sangrur, Dabwali in Muktsar and Ratia in Mansa. The Haryana Police have sealed all four entry points. Security has also been beefed up along the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders to stop protest in Delhi. Los Angeles, Feb 12 : Veteran star Robert De Niro knew Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio was special as soon as they met, and championed him to producers. The pair first met when DiCaprio auditioned for the 1993 drama 'This Boy's Life', which also starred De Niro. DiCaprio had not auditioned for the central role of Tobias, De Niro told the producer how impressed he was by the young actor's audition. He told PEOPLE: "I said to Art Linson, the producer, I said, aArt, that kid was really, it was interesting.a I didn't push it. I just said, aThat kid had something special,a and then they turned around and wound up using Leo." The 80-year-old star and DiCaprio went on to work with each other on the 1996 drama 'Marvinas Room' and the 2023 western crime drama film 'Killers of the Flower Moon', reports femalefirst.co.uk. Speaking about their 'Killers of the Flower Moon' characters, where he played the nephew of De Niro's character, DiCaprio recently told Deadline: "I happened to have done a film [titled] 'This Boy's Life' where I had an abusive stepfather in De Niro. So it was this insanely coincidental, full circle, sort of similar relationship. "It felt like I was stepping into the same or a similar character 30 years later, grown up. (De Niro) was still (playing) this abusive character. He was the abusive stepfather." "Developing Ernest (DiCaprio's character) was interesting because out of all the stuff that I researched a" all his writings, all the testimony, speaking to relatives in Oklahoma a" the one resounding consistent element was that this man was quite slow and easily manipulated, that (De Niro's character) Hale had this mental stronghold over him." He also spoke about the thrill he got from working with De Niro and director Martin Scorsese and the awe he felt at the "dual relationship between actor and filmmaker." He said: "It's all we spoke about in our younger age. And to be able to have gotten to have my first opportunity working with Mr. De Niro on 'This Boyas Life', and then have him refer me to Marty saying, 'Hereas this kid, I just worked with him.' And then having done, what is it, six films with (Scorsese) now? Something like that." "And then 30 years later now, getting to work with both of them, my two sort of cinematic heroes, and creating this entire story and narrative in these characters was, needless to say, one of the highlights of my entire career and life." HOUSTON, Jan. 29, 2019 (Xinhua) -- A tight security cordon is put around shooting scene in southeast Houston, Texas, the United States, on Jan. 28, 2019. Five officers in U.S. Texas city of Houston were wounded in a shooting Monday evening in a south. Image Source: IANS News Washington, Feb 12 : Two individuals, including a child, were injured in a shooting at a church, after which the female shooter was gunned down by police in the US state of Texas. Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said a woman in a trench coat, armed with a long rifle and accompanied by a young child, shot fire at Joel Osteen's megachurch just before 2 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) on Sunday and was gunned down by two off-duty police officers who engaged her, resulting in the child being critically injured by gunfire, Xinhua news agency reported. A 57-year-old man, whom local authorities do not suspect to be linked to the incident, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg and is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital, said Finner. According to local authorities, the relationship between the injured child and the suspect remains unclear. "That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger," said the police chief. "I'm going to put that blame on her." San Francisco, Feb 12 : Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new 'favourite contacts filter' feature, allowing users to prioritise their conversations and offer greater control and efficiency in the messaging experience. The new feature spotted by WABetaInfo mentioned that it will appear with a dedicated chat filter in a future update of WhatsApp Web. According to the report, the new feature will allow users to choose their favourite contacts and let them manually add the ones they care about most, and easily access them through a dedicated filter. "By allowing users to mark specific contacts as favourites, WhatsApp enables them to prioritise key conversations, ensuring quick and easy access to those they frequently interact with," the report said, "The introduction of favourite contacts not only simplifies the process of reaching out to frequently contacted users but also adds a layer of customisation, allowing them to improve their messaging experience to suit their preferences," it added. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly preparing to allow third-party messaging apps on its platform, ahead of the European Unionas Digital Markets Act (DMA) that will come into force in March. Dick Brouwer, an engineering director at WhatsApp, told Wired that the company is ready to offer interoperability on the platform with over 2 billion users. "Thereas real tension between offering an easy way to offer this interoperability to third parties while at the same time preserving the WhatsApp privacy, security, and integrity bar. I think weare pretty happy with where weave landed," he was quoted as saying in the report. Seoul, Feb 12 : Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong has emphasised the importance of "bold" investments during a visit to Samsung SDI's battery production line in Malaysia, the company said on Monday. The visit was made in Lee's first overseas trip since he was cleared of all charges in a court ruling on the controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates allegedly conducted to help him take over control of South Korea's biggest conglomerate. "We should not be focusing solely on short-term performances, but rather lead changes by rolling out bold challenges," Lee was quoted by Samsung Electronics as saying during the visit to the factory in Seremban, 65 kms south of Kuala Lumpur. Samsung has been building an additional production line in the region with a budget of 1.7 trillion won ($1.2 billion) since 2022, reports Yonhap news agency. Lee also visited Kuala Lumpur to check local consumers' responses to the company's latest Galaxy S24 smartphone, the company added. Last week, prosecutors appealed a recent court acquittal of Samsung Chairman Jae-yong in a controversial Samsung affiliate merger case. The prosecution had demanded a five-year prison sentence for the chief of South Korea's largest conglomerate. Meanwhile, Samsungas fourth-quarter operating profit sank 34.4 per cent from a year earlier due largely to sluggish semiconductor business but its memory chip segment turned to the black on recovering demand. Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 12 : With only a few months left for the Lok Sabha elections, there are speculation that many political bigwigs may contest from the coastal state. Here is a list of candidates of various political parties who are likely to contest Lok Sabha election from Kerala. Rumours are rife that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may contest from Thrissur constituency seat while other BJP senior leaders Nirmala Sitharaman, S. Jaisankar, V. Muraleedharan and Rajiv Chandrasekhar may also contest from Kerala. For Lok Sabha 2024, the CPI-M-led Left is considering giving tickets to the following members: two-time former Finance Minister Thomas Isaac; A.K. Balan; P.K. Sreemathi; K.K. Shailaja; Kadakampally Surendran; K. Radhakrishnan; and Raju Abraham. Reportedly, the Congress has finalised the names of at least 13 constituency seats, who are all sitting MPs. Congress is yet to finalise the names of the candidate for Kannur constituency and Alappuzha, which they lost in 2019. There are also rumours that CPI may field former Chief Secretary K. Jayakumar from Thiruvananthapuram constituency. However, the seat is currently held by Shashi Tharoor, who aims for a fourth straight win. From Thrissur, the CPI is considering fielding two former state ministers K.P. Rajendran and V.S. Sunil Kumar. The coastal state has 20 Lok Sabha seats. In the 2019 general election, the Congress led UDF won 19 seats while CPI-M won one seat. The BJP came second in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha seat and was relegated to a distant third in the rest of the seats across the state. In 2019, in the Congress-led UDF, Congress had fielded its candidates on 15 seats, the IUML had fielded four candidates and RSP had fielded one candidate. Likewise, from CPI-M-led Left, the CPI-M had fielded candidates on 15 seats, and CPI had fielded candidates on four seats while the Kerala Congress (M) had fielded only one candidate. Jaipur, Feb 12 : Rajasthan Police on Monday said that its Anti-Gangster Task Force team carried out an operation in Sikar district and arrested two active operatives of Lawrence Bishnoi, Rohit Godara and Vikram Gurjar alias Vikram Bamarda gang, who were planning to murder a history-sheeter. Police said that huge quantity of illegal weapons was also recovered during the operation. Additional Director General of Police Crime and Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Dinesh MN said that police had information about possibility of gang war in Sikar district. "Some anti-social members from Lawrence Bishnoi, Rohit Godara and Vikram Gurjar alias Vikram Bamarda gang were roaming around with illegal weapons with the intention of killing history-sheeter Omprakash Samota alias OP," ADG said. He said that the miscreants coming in a Bolero were chased late on Saturday night with the help of the police station. "The team surrounded and caught the miscreants Boduram Gurjar and Bunty Gurjar. However, their accomplice Sardar Gurjar (23) and Rajkumar Gurjar (22) escaped taking advantage of the darkness of the night," the ADG said. He said that two illegal pistols, three magazines, two cartridges of 7.65 mm, five cartridges of 12 bore have also been recovered from the accused. "A case has also been registered under the Arms Act in Khandela police station against the accused. A team has been formed and searches are being carried out to nab the absconding criminals," he said. --IANS arc/dan Chandigarh, Feb 12 : In a significant development for healthcare in Haryana, the Department of Health, Haryana, and the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences (JIBS) at O. P. Jindal Global University inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration in various healthcare initiatives. The formal signing ceremony, held in Chandigarh on February 6 aims to bridge the gap between academic research and practical healthcare solutions. The MoU aims at bolstering community health, mental well-being, and awareness campaigns aligned with government initiatives. Under the MoU, both entities have outlined key areas of collaboration aimed at bolstering community health, mental well-being, and awareness campaigns aligned with government initiatives. Dr Manish Bansal, Director Health Services, Health Department Haryana, and Professor (Dr) Pulkit Khanna, Dean, Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences (JIBS) at O.P. Jindal Global University, exchanged signatures, solidifying their commitment to joint efforts in the healthcare sector. Dignitaries present at the signing ceremony included Dr. G Anupama, Additional Chief Secretary of the Health Department, Haryana, Dr. Randeep Singh Poonia, Director General Health Services of Haryana, Professor (Dr.) Nitesh Bansal, Chief Compliance Officer at O.P. Jindal Global University and Professor (Dr.) Stephen Marks, Dean of the Jindal School of Public Health and Human Development, among others. The collaboration encompasses a range of activities, including student training programmes, joint outreach initiatives, joint projects, and capacity-building endeavors. Students from JIBS will have the opportunity to undergo short-term training and internships at healthcare facilities across 22 districts of Haryana, providing them with valuable hands-on experience. Furthermore, JIBS faculty members will conduct training programmes for employees of the Health Department, enhancing the exchange of skills and knowledge between academia and the public health sector. Dr Pulkit Khanna, Dean of JIBS, emphasised the significance of the partnership, stating, "This collaboration signifies a significant step forward in bridging the gap between academic research and practical healthcare solutions." She underscored the collective efforts aimed at making a meaningful impact on community health and well-being. In addition to student training and capacity building, the MoU outlines joint outreach and community initiatives aimed at addressing critical health issues and promoting community well-being. Joint projects will focus on areas such as community health and mental health, with tailored awareness campaigns supporting government initiatives for improved public health outcomes. "Moving forward, the partnership between the Haryana government's department of Health, and Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences holds promise for driving tangible improvements in community health and well-being, setting a precedent for future collaborations in the healthcare sector," Khanna added. It is pertinent to mention that JIBS is a pioneering research institute of O.P Jindal Global University that is dedicated to exploring and understanding human behaviour from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Established in 2014, JIBS has quickly become a leader in the field of behavioural science research and pedagogy, known for its empirical approach and commitment to academic excellence. Chennai, Feb 12 : Tamil Nadu Governor R. N. Ravi on Monday refused to read out the customary address on the opening day of the state Legislative Assembly session. Governor said that he has disagreements over the customary address based on factual and moral grounds. While addressing the house, the Governor said that lending his voice to these pages would constitute constitutional travesty and concluded his address. "Hence with respect to the House I conclude my address," the Governor said. He also alleged that his request and advice to show due respect to the national anthem and play it at the beginning and end of the address has been ignored. "I wish for a productive and healthy discussion for the good of the people," the Governor said while concluding his address. Following his short speech, Speaker M. Appavu began reading out the Tamil version of the Governor's approved address to the House. On January 9, 2023, the Governor had stormed out of the assembly after Chief Minister M.K. Stalin moved a resolution urging the Speaker to take on record only the approved text of the Governor's address. Stalin had moved the resolution after the Governor had skipped certain portions of the address. New Delhi, Feb 12 : Celebrated historian Sugata Bose, who holds Harvard University's prestigious Gardiner Chair of Oceanic History, has said in his latest book that the "Asian Dream" remained unfulfilled because of two major events that unfolded in the last century. The first was Japan's invasion of China in 1937 and the second, China's incursions into India that led to the 1962 War. In his new book titled 'Asia After Europe: Imagining A Continent In The Long Twentieth Century' (HarperCollins), Bose, who also served as a TMC MP in the Lok Sabha between 2014 and 2019, writes: "Japan's invasion of China undermined the idea of Asia as never before." He notes that Rabindranath Tagore, who kept a close watch on Japan, was dismayed because of the invasion and in his correspondence in 1937 with the Japanese poet Yone Noguchi -- who had visited him in Santiniketan in 1935 -- revealed the chasm in their interpretations of the Sino-Japanese conflict. Bose, who's also Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's grand nephew and director of the Netaji Research Bureau, Kolkata, writes that although the Congress, then led by Netaji, sent a medical mission to China under Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis as a gesture of Asian solidarity in the face of Asian aggression, the Japanese invasion was the first big crack in Asian cohesion that did not heal. Bose avers that during the 1910s, Tagore and fellow poet-philosopher Muhammad Iqbal had been shocked by the carnage triggered by European rivalries fuelled by intense nationalism. The decade of the 1930s showed that Asia was by no means immune to the virus of nationalism. He writes that one of the most dramatic manifestations of this trend was the dissolution of the bonds of the much-trumpeted brotherhood between India and China that culminated in a brief but bitter border war between the two countries in the autumn of 1962. "Yet, even at that moment of rivalry and conflict between Asian nation-states, an intellectual quest began to discover what a Japanese scholar of modern Chinese literature, Takeuchi Yoshimi, evocatively called in a 1960 lecture 'Asia as method'," Bose notes. Given all the faultlines between Asian nations, economic interdependence among Asian nations has grown rapidly between 1979 and 2019 with East, Southeast and South Asia conducting more than half of their international trade among themselves in the 2010s, compared with one-third in the 1980s. "Cultural flows have been enhanced contributing to fresh synergies in the domains of Asian arts and humanities, the pace of intra-Asian migration quickened with people on the move across the vast continent in numbers unimaginable between the 1940 and the 1980s," Bose writes. He writes that the dream of Asian universalism had been shattered in the twentieth century by the conflict between Japan and China. "Its fate in the twenty-first century will depend to a significant extent on the ability of China and India to peacefully manage their simultaneous rise," Bose says. He writes that both Asian giants are beset with internal problems of inequity and their ability to address those may be just as important as the state of their mutual relations. New Delhi, Feb 12 : Embark on a journey of unparalleled luxury as we unveil the epitome of romantic indulgence in dreamy destinations near India this Valentine's Day. Immerse yourself in a world where opulence meets enchantment, where each locale is a masterpiece of sophistication and serenity. A carefully curated selection promises not just breathtaking landscapes, but a symphony of sumptuous accommodations and bespoke experiences that redefine the art of refined leisure. Savour the essence of extraordinary romance, as these bespoke properties invite you to create timeless memories in the lap of luxury. Six Senses Uluwatu, Bali Discover unparalleled romance at Six Senses Uluwatu, perched atop Bali's southern cliffs, overlooking the revered Pura Uluwatu temple. This extraordinary resort harmoniously blends tradition with stunning beaches, renowned surf spots, and a diverse wellness and dining experience. Enjoy uninterrupted ocean vistas from exquisitely designed suites and villas, paying homage to local heritage while ensuring ultimate comfort. Whether relaxing in the pool or unwinding in the bathtub, the panoramic views at Six Senses Uluwatu promise a breathtaking Valentine's Day escape. Palazzo Versace Dubai Palazzo Versace Dubai offers the epitome of luxury for a memorable Valentine's Day. Nestled in the heart of the Jaddaf Waterfront, this opulent destination showcases the ultimate Versace lifestyle. Boasting 215 rooms and suites, along with 169 residences, every detail is a masterpiece, from exclusive furniture to Versace artworks adorning the walls. The hotel's architectural fusion of neo-classical Italian palace and Arabic elements creates a stunning backdrop for your romantic retreat. Eight curated dining venues pay tribute to Versace's signature style, making Palazzo Versace Dubai the ideal choice for an unforgettable Valentine's celebration. Intercontinental Paris - Le Grand Welcome to the most beautiful city in the world. InterContinental Paris is at the heart of it all: the Palais Garnier, iconic Parisian department stores, Haussmannian boulevards with their theaters, the Rue de la Paix and its luxury boutiques, and Place VendAme. Inaugurated under Napoleon III, the InterContinental Paris le Grand is located in the heart of Paris, offering guests a magnificent view of the Opera Garnier. This 5-star hotel boasts rooms and suites decorated in a Second Empire style infused with contemporary touches and unique reception venues. The CafA de la Paix, a Parisian institution within the hotel, serves the great classics of French gastronomy. Located on the Place de laOpAra, the CafA de la Paix has embodied Parisian life since it first opened in 1862. Six Senses Yao Noi, Thailand Escape to the pinnacle of romance at Six Senses Yao Noi, nestled amidst the captivating limestone formations of Phang Nga Bay. Boasting 56 elevated pool villas, each meticulously designed in a modern Thai architectural style, the resort offers spacious interiors and unparalleled views. Against the breathtaking island backdrop, experience luxury at its finest with impeccable personalized service that aligns seamlessly with Six Senses' commitment to extraordinary experiences. This Valentine's Day, treat your loved one to the epitome of opulence and tranquility at the perfect destination. Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point Step inside a realm rich in culture, contrast, and culinary trend-setting. Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point is perfectly poised in the iconic Kings Cross, a region both steeped in history and on the leading edge of the future. Soak up the vitality of streets once exclusively reserved for revelers and risk-takers - now home to stylish boutiques, characterful cocktail bars, and the cityas most sought-after restaurant sittings. Formerly famed for its nightlife and theater performances, the aneon stripa - still illuminated by the infamous Coca-Cola sign - drew artists, writers, and bohemians seeking a life outside the lines for the better part of a century. On the cutting edge of a future enriched by its unique history, Potts Pointas electric past feels present in its eclectic mix of inspired locals, lively bars, popular performance venues, and trendy stores. Potts Point is the epicenter of Sydneyas creative community; epitomizing pride, progress, possibility, and - of course - a good party. Come for the culture, stay for the convenience. Our chic 105-room boutique hotel gives front-row access to contemporary galleries, museums, must-try restaurants, and Kings Cross Station. Whether you want a hit of history and creativity, or to party in style with locals, one thing is for sure - youall leave Hotel Indigo Sydney Potts Point with a story. IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in New Delhi, Feb 12 : Travel agency EaseMyTrip has announced plans of building a luxury five-star hotel in Ayodhya near the Sri Ram Mandir which led to a surge in the company's share price on Monday. New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) Travel agency EaseMyTrip has announced plans of building a luxury five-star hotel in Ayodhya near the Sri Ram Mandir which led to a surge in the companyas share price on Monday. The companyas board of directors has approved the Rs 100 crore proposal to invest in Jeewani Hospitality Private Limited for implementing the hotel project that is expected to be located about 1 km from the Sri Ram Mandir. The company shares rose 5.6 per cent to Rs 53.7 a piece in morning trade on the BSE. "...we have greenlit a groundbreaking proposal to venture into the hospitality sector with the establishment of a luxurious 5-star hotel in Ayodhya, strategically located less than 1 km from the revered Shree Ram Mandir. This decision marks a significant investment milestone of up to Rs 100 crore in Jeewani Hospitality Pvt Ltd, the entity spearheading this ambitious project," EaseMyTrip CEO and co-founder Nishant Pitti wrote on X. The announcement led to a surge in the companyas share price on the on stock markets on Monday Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is expected to have a big economic impact in the region as tourism is projected to surge to 5 crore visitors every year to the holy town, according to global brokerage firm Jeffries. Ayodhya has witnessed a surge in hotel construction and development. Currently, the city has approximately 17 hotels with around 590 rooms. To meet the anticipated increase in tourist arrivals, 73 new hotels are in the pipeline, with 40 of them already under construction, as per the report. Several renowned hotel chains and hospitality companies, including IHCL (Indian Hotels Company Limited), Marriott International, Wyndham, and OYO Rooms, are planning on creating more hotels in Ayodhya. The hospitality projects are expected to add significant room capacity to accommodate the growing number of tourists and pilgrims visiting Ayodhya. Jefferies has picked Indian Hotel Company and EIH as the potential beneficiaries from hotel space, while it sees ITC, Jubilant Foodworks, Britannia Industries, Godrej Consumer, Westlife Foodworld, Hindustan Unilever, Devyani International and Sapphire Foods from the FMCG and QSR space. InterGlobe Aviation (Indigo), SpiceJet, IRCTC and Ease My Trip shall benefit from the travel sector. "A $10 billion makeover (around Rs 82,500 crore) which includes a new airport, revamped railway station, township, improved road connectivity, etc. will likely drive a multiplier effect with new hotels and other economic activities. It can also set a template for infra-driven growth for tourism," the Jefferies report states. Amid increased economic and religious migration to Ayodhya, "multiple sectors stand to benefit including hotels, airlines, hospitality, FMCG, travel ancillaries, cement etc," the report added. "The makeover is now set to transform the ancient city from a sleepy town to a global religious and spiritual tourist hotspot. Tourism is projected to surge and increased economic and religious migration to Ayodhya, multiple sectors stand to benefit including hotels, airlines, hospitality, FMCG, travel ancillaries, cement etc," the Jefferies report added. --IANS sps/dan New Delhi, Feb 12 : Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell has backed India to win the Test series against England but felt the Ben Stokes-led visitors will give Rohit Sharma and Co. a real battle in the remaining three Tests. England won the opening Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs, while India bounced back with a 106-run win at Visakhapatnam. The five-match Test series is finely poised at 1-1, with the third Test to be held in Rajkot, starting on February 15. Both India and England will then travel to Ranchi for the fourth Test beginning on February 23, followed by the final game of the series in Dharamsala on March 7. "As the home side India should eventually win a tough series, but it has a real battle on their hands." "England under the aggressive leadership of Stokes are a far cry from the poorly captained Joe Root team that capitulated against spin on their last tour of the country. This India versus England contest is shaping up as it should: a tough five-match encounter between two talented sides," wrote Chappell in his column for ESPNCricinfo. While adding that the return of Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul will come as a boost for India, Chappell also feels talismanic batter Virat Kohli pulling out of the entire series due to personal reasons is a huge blow. "India is a strong side and they also have a good leader in Rohit Sharma. They will be greatly strengthened by Ravindra Jadeja's and KL Rahul's recovery from injury, but that Virat Kohli will not return for the rest of the series is a blow. "Hopefully the selectors will now stop overestimating Shreyas Iyer's batting ability and learn to value Kuldeep Yadav's wicket-taking capability more. Ben Stokes' aggressive approach to captaincy may have failed to claim victory in a hard-fought second Test but the five-match series against India is still wide open at 1-1," he said. Stokes is all set to play his 100th Test match when the third game of the series begins at Rajkot, and Chappell thinks the all-rounder has proved to be a very astute leader for England. "Stokes has been extremely smart to adopt such an approach and his aggressive tactics have brought England great success in the win column. It's an approach that England were extremely slow to adopt but Stokes has shown himself to be a strong-minded and smart leader. "The England team has great belief in Stokes and it shows both on and off the field. The team takes wickets because they are continually looking for them, and this challenge is accepted by the bowlers. One of the great benefits of this strategy is that it enthuses the best players, and they are the ones most likely to affect the final result." Chappell also explained how Stokes' leadership skills are boosting the confidence of the young spin trio Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir. "Stokes' attitude has helped the younger players believe in themselves, and this is showing in their bowling performances. "The success of young players Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir is no fluke; it epitomises the confidence instilled by Stokes' approach. Hartley's success with both bat and ball should make the limited Jack Leach redundant in the Test side. One of England's weaknesses has been their spin department, but Stokes' positive approach suddenly means that slow bowling has a number of candidates." Chappell signed off by noting Stokes can contribute more with the bat, with him being unable to bowl in India due to undergoing a left knee surgery last year. "It will help England enormously if Stokes is once again able to function as an allrounder, as his bowling is a distinct weapon. It would also help if he fielded in the slips, especially to the spinners, as he is one of the best in that position. "One personal area Stokes could look at is his own batting. If he were more proactive at the start of each innings, it would improve his play. Stokes is a very good batter but he's at his best when he's looking to score." Bengaluru, Feb 12 : The leader of the opposition (LoP) in Karnataka Assembly and BJP MLA, R. Ashoka said on Monday the party will launch a struggle to oust the Congress government in the state. Speaking to reporters here, Ashoka said, aWe will launch a struggle to ensure shunting out of the Congress government from the House as well as the ground. "Karnataka Congress government is stigmatized. The State Contractoras Association President D. Kempanna, who alleged commission charges against previous BJP government and was described as Satya Harischandra by CM Siddaramaiah, the same person has accused the Congress government of robbing away 40 per cent commission in tenders. "The state government is not releasing funds and committing fraud on the farmers. There is a severe crisis in drinking water, but, to impress upon the friend in Tamil Nadu, the stateas water was released to that state. The cities of Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya are facing a crisis of shortage of water now. aWe will take up this issue in the Assembly session." "After CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government assumed power in the state, Karnataka is reeling under drought. The treasury is empty, and 40 per cent of money has gone to the pockets of Congress leaders," Ashoka alleged. The BJP MLAs attended the Assembly session draped in saffron shawls. The party sources said the gesture was intended to condemn the alleged "anti-Hindu policy" of the CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state. After the address by the Governor, BJP legislators raised aJai Shri Rama slogans, following which, the Congress legislators also raised aJai Shri Rama slogans in the House. Some of the Congress MLAs also raised aJai Bhima slogans. New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Delhi High Court on Monday granted bail and suspended the life sentence of four men convicted in the 2008 murder case of TV journalist Soumya Vishwanathan, noting that they have been behind bars for nearly 14 years. The division bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Girish Kathpalia said that their life sentence will remain in suspension till this court deals with their appeal against conviction and sentencing in the case. The Saket court had, in November, sentenced Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik, and Ajay Kumar, convicted to life imprisonment, while the fifth convict, Ajay Sethi, was sentenced to three years imprisonment. Four of them -- Ravi, Amit, Baljeet and Ajay -- had sought suspension of sentence during the pendency of appeals. On January 23, the high court had sought Delhi Police's reply their appeals challenging a trial court's order holding them guilty and sentencing them to life imprisonment. Earlier in January, Malik and Shukla had filed appeals through advocate Amit Kumar against the trial courtas October 18, 2023, judgement convicting them and November 25, 2023 sentencing. On January 23, the court had also asked the authorities to file a reply to the convictsa interim application seeking suspension of their sentence. Recently, the high court had also rejected the parole plea of Kapoor. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma had dismissed the plea considering Kapoor's extensive criminal record, the severity of the offences, and his conduct within the jail premises. Kapoor had sought parole for four weeks, citing family ties and a knee surgery. The court, however, said that he failed to provide any supporting documents for the surgery claim and noted his habitual offender status, being involved in about 20 criminal cases from 2002 to 2010. While convicting the accused, the court had said that the offence does not fall in the category of "rarest of rare" cases, and had refused to grant the request for the death penalty. Kapoor, Shukla, Kumar, and Malik were convicted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) provisions and Sethi for receiving stolen property. The police had attributed the motive for her killing to robbery, and had invoked the stringent MCOCA against the accused. On September 30, 2008, Vishwanathan was shot dead on the Nelson Mandela Marg while returning home from work in her car. Malik, Kapoor, and Shukla were previously convicted in the 2009 killing of IT executive Jigisha Ghosh. For Ghosh's murder, the trial court sentenced Kapoor and Shukla to death and awarded a life term to Malik. Subsequently, in the following year, the high court commuted the death sentences of Kapoor and Shukla to life imprisonment while upholding Malik's life term in the Ghosh murder case. Toronto, Feb 12 : With international students struggling amidst worsening housing and affordability issues in Canada, charities and support groups say they are under strain and have urged the government to step up support. With nearly 500,000 international students living in the Greater Toronto Area, Khalsa Aid's national director Jindi Singh says charities are taking on more than their fair share of the load, Ottawa-based CBC news channel reported. "We truly feel it's not really our role," Singh told the news outlet. The Canadian branch of Khalsa Aid, helping over 8000 students struggling to access food, clothes, and shelter in cities across the country, says the government and post-secondary institutions should be doing more to support international students in need. Jind said that the organisation has been presently receiving five calls a day from international students needing food, clothing, and shelter, especially from Brampton in Ontario province where he said that the situation is "acute". Since last June, Khalsa Aid has delivered over 5,000 grocery bags full of non-perishable food to students in this city, which attracts tens of thousands of international students annually. The president of the College Student Alliance, Azi Afousi, told CBC that student unions across Ontario have reported fielding more calls about housing struggles, adding that one of her colleagues shares a house with 15 other people. International students contribute about CA$22 billion ($16.4 billion) annually to the Canadian economy and pay four times more tuition than domestic students. According to a September 2023 report by consulting firm Higher Education Strategy Associates, students from India alone contributed $2 billion to Ontario's post-secondary institutions' operating income last year, compared to roughly $1.8 billion the provincial government contributed. "For colleges and governments to not provide wrap-around services like housing, food, and job referrals, is a "pure money grab," Singh told CBC. This comes even as the government has set out to cap new study permits for international students and cancelling work permits for their spouses. However, Deepa Mattoo of Sukhmani Haven says that the cap doesn't do anything to help the students who are already in Canada and are struggling. While they welcomed the study permit cap, both Mattoo and Singh urged the government to put in place more support for international students who are already there in the country. The number of international students in Canada crossed one million mark, with Indians leading the pack, accounting for 215,190 out of the 579,075 permits issued till November 2023. In addition to the two-year study permit cap, the Canadian government also announced that it will more than double the cost-of-living financial requirement for incoming international students on January 1, 2024. Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller said a single applicant will need to show they have 20,635 Canadian dollars ($15,181) in addition to their first year of tuition and travel costs. Earlier, Canadian opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has blamed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for making a 'mess' of the country's immigration system. He said that immigrants, international students, and temporary foreign workers are not to be blamed for Trudeau's "incompetence". New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Supreme Court on Monday extended its earlier order granting interim bail to Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister of State for Home, Ajay Kumar Mishra, in connection with the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. A Bench presided over by Justice Surya Kant could not find on record any report relating to the status of trial after September 26, 2023. Adjourning the matter, the Bench, also comprising Justice K V Viswanathan, asked the apex court registry to obtain a status report from the trial court and in the meantime, ordered the extension of interim bail. In September last year, the top court relaxed the bail condition of Ashish Mishra to stay in the national Capital considering the fact that his mother is admitted in a hospital in Delhi and his daughter also requires medical treatment. However, it asked Mishra to not participate in any public function in Delhi or interact with the media in relation to any issue that is sub-judice. The Supreme Court in January 2023 had imposed a slew of conditions while granting interim bail to Mishra. It had ruled that Ashish Mishra would have to leave Uttar Pradesh (UP) within one week of his release; he cannot stay in UP or Delhi/NCR; he shall inform the court about his location; and any attempt by his family members or Mishra himself to influence witnesses would lead to cancellation of his bail. The court added that Mishra would have to surrender his passport; he will not enter UP except to attend the trial proceedings; and, the prosecution, SIT, Informant or any family member of the victims of the crime will be at liberty to promptly inform the apex court of any incident of misuse of the concession of the interim bail. In October, 2021, eight people were killed in Lakhimpur Kheri District's Tikunia in violence that erupted when farmers were protesting against UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's visit to the area. According to the UP Police FIR, four farmers were mowed down by an SUV, in which Ashish Mishra was seated. New Delhi, Feb 12 : India on Monday successfully launched its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius. RuPay card services were also launched in Mauritius as part of this initiative. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the inaugural event virtually alongside his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth, and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Indians visiting the two nations will be able to utilise UPI services to make payments, and Mauritians travelling to India will be able to do the same. Additionally, Mauritian banks will be able to issue RuPay cards and use them for transactions in both India and Mauritius. The launch of the Indian services comes amid growing bilateral economic ties with Sri Lanka and Mauritius. UPI services, developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), enable immediate real-time bank transactions using mobile phones. RuPay is an Indian-based card payment network that is widely accepted at retail locations, ATMs, and online platforms globally. Prior to this, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) worked with Lyra, a well-known French expert in e-commerce and proximity payments, to introduce UPI services to France. Bengaluru, Feb 12 : A married woman was raped by a six-member gang on the pretext of helping her in Gangavathy town in Koppal district of Karnataka. The police said that five accused have been arrested while the hunt for the main accused is underway. The five accused have been identified as Moula Hussain, Shivakumar, Prashanth, Mahesh and Madesh. The main accused has been identified as Lingaraj. Police said that victim (21), a native of Bengaluru, had come to meet her husband in Gangavathi town on February 9 at about 9.30 p.m. The victim met her husband but soon a quarrel ensued between the couple. Police said that the gang had observed the quarrel between the couple and after the fight intensified between the couple, the gang intervened and sided with the wife. "On pretext of helping her, the gang attacked her husband and dragged him away," the police said. Police said that they then lured the victim to a dark spot and then forcefully took her to a park and raped her. "The main accused identified as Lingaraj raped the woman while others helped him to commit the crime," police said. Police said that after raping her, the accused along with other associates escaped from the spot leaving behind the victim. The victim later lodged a complaint with the Gangavathi police station regarding the incident. New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 12 : In a jolt to the Congress legislator, K. Babu, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed his petition challenging the maintainability of the election petition filed by CPI(M) leader M. Swaraj in the Kerala High Court that challenged the former's election from the Thripunithura constituency in the 2021 Assembly elections. Incidentally Babu had approached the apex court challenging the Kerala High Court's order which rejected his preliminary objections to Swaraj's petition. But the apex court bench pointed out that the objections raised by Babu have no merits and that the High Court's order warranted no interference. Swaraj, who lost to Babu in the 2021 Assembly polls, approached the High Court seeking to declare the election of Babu null and void. Swaraj in his petition pointed out that Babu indulged in corrupt practices which materially affected the result of the election by appealing to the Hindu voters. The complaint of Swaraj said that Babu allegedly distributed slips to Hindu voters which had the picture of Lord Ayyappa with an inscription that said "your vote is for Ayyappa". Babu then filed a plea before the High Court raising a preliminary objection that the election petition filed by Swaraj suffered from material defects but the High Court, however, decided to proceed with the trial of the election main petition against Babu, following which he approached the apex court. Babu was the State Excise Minister in the Oommen Chandy government ( 2011-16). He represented Thripunithura from 1991 and lost for the first time in the 2016 Assembly polls to Swaraj, but he regained the seat in the 2021 Assembly polls. New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of the special leave petition filed by the CBI against the January 2023 decision of the Bombay High Court granting interim bail to former ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar in the alleged Videocon loan fraud case. However, a Bench presided over by Justice Bela M Trivedi granted liberty to the central investigative agency to file a fresh appeal against the final decision of the High Court confirming the interim bail granted to the Kochhar couple. Disposing of CBI's appeal, the Bench, also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal, clarified that it did not express anything on merits. In a decision pronounced on February 6, a Division Bench of Justices Anuja Prabhudessai and Nitin R. Borkar of the Bombay High Court confirmed the interim bail order passed in January last year. Against the interim decision of the High Court directing release of Kochhar and her husband Deepak Kochhar from judicial custody on the grounds that the arrest made was not in accordance with the law, the CBI had moved the Supreme Court with a special leave petition. In an earlier hearing, the top court had raised eyebrows over continuation of Kochhars' interim bail despite the order of the High Court directing interim release of the duo only for a term of two weeks. "Is interim bail still continuing? Why are you not objecting?" it had asked the CBI. Chanda Kochhar and her businessman husband Deepak Kochhar are alleged to have received kickbacks over her tenure in lieu of loans provided to the Videocon group. New Delhi, Feb 12 : Aviation watchdog DGCA has undertaken a review of its existing requirements and safety measures in place for runway safety and prevention of runway incursions, an official said on Monday. This comes after the Japan Airlines (JAL) aircraft collided with the Coast Guard plane on Runway C while landing on January 2, with both aircraft catching fire. All 379 people aboard the JAL flight escaped before it was engulfed in flames, but five of the six crew on the Coast Guard plane died while the surviving pilot sustained serious injuries. The Coast Guard plane, which belonged to the Haneda Airport base, was taxiing on the runway to transport relief goods for quake-hit areas after a series of temblors of up to 7.6 magnitude struck central Japan on January 1. "Consequently, DGCA has issued Air Safety Circular 2/2024 outlining Mitigation strategies for Runway Incursion Risk. This is based on the analysis of safety data and output of National Aviation Safety Plan India," said the Director General of DGCA, Vikram Dev Dutt. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed to ensure comprehensive training for Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (Clear to Taxi), and Drivers operating inside the airport. The circular further directed to ensure adherence to standard procedures by all involved personnel/ stakeholders. "Adoption of technological interventions to improve situational awareness, thereby assisting Air Traffic Control (ATC) and other stakeholders to identify the traffic within the manoeuvering area," the circular stated. The DGCA said that ATC should ensure that stop bars are switched on to signal a stop and switched off to indicate traffic may proceed. "In no case, aircraft or vehicles be instructed to cross illuminated red stop bars. Aerodrome, ATC and airlines should implement contingency measures to cater to unserviceable stop bars," said the circular. The DGCA further also directed to recognise the influence of human factors on performance, which may contribute to runway incursions and establish a Runway Safety Team at all aerodromes and ensure their effective functioning. "The rate of runway incursions is on a decreasing trend. However, by adhering to the actions specified in this circular and maintaining a proactive approach among all stakeholders, the risk of runway incursions may be reduced further," the circular added. Mumbai, Feb 12 : Shocking the Congress, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Shankarrao Chavan quit the party, and also as MLA, amid speculation of many other senior leaders planning to follow suit, here on Monday. Chavan submitted his resignation to the state Congress President Nana Patole. Sparking hectic political activity, Chavan, 66, called on Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar this morning before going incommunicado. A few hours later Chavanas resignation letter surfaced, he changed his profile on X and then tweeted details that he has quit the Congress. In his letter, he has also written by hand aformera (maaji) MLA from Bhokar Assembly constituency, but has not cited any reasons for his move. Soon after the developments, Patole has air-dashed to Chhattisgarh to meet Rahul Gandhi on his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and then will go to New Delhi to discuss the issue with party bigwigs on Chavanas abrupt decision. Simultaneously, political circles were agog with conjectures of the probability of several other legislators and leaders following in Chavanas footsteps. This is the third major aleaka to rock the Congress in the New Year, with more in the pipeline. On January 14, former Union minister Milind M. Deora dumped the Congress to join Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and senior leader and ex-MLA Baba Ziauddin Siddique quit to join Nationalist Congress Party led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. Chavanas move evoked sharp reactions from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders including Shiv Sena-UBT President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray, Congress state President Nana Patole, Congressa Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar and Shiv Sena-UBTas Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve, Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, both MPs, Atul Londhe and others form the three allies. The state Congress leaders are meeting this afternoon to discuss the ramifications of the unfolding political situation and brace for more shocks in the coming days at various levels. Hailing from a leading political family of Nanded, Chavan was the state CM from December 2008-November 2010, and had quit after he faced allegations in the infamous Adarsh Society scam. February 12 : Universal Pictures drops the trailer for Wicked, helmed by Jon M Chu, the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Wicked. See it on the big screen this November. pic.twitter.com/zeda0cwxHi Universal Pictures UK (@universaluk) February 12, 2024 The film stars Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slateras Boq, Marissa Bode, Jeff Goldblum, Bowen Yang, Bronwyn James, Keala Settle and more. Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power. Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. The two meet as students at Shiz University in the fantastical Land of Oz and forge an unlikely but profound friendship. Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda's unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power, while Elphaba's determination to remain true to herself, and those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences on her future. The screenplay is written by Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz. The film is slated for November 27th, 2024. Wicked Part Two is then scheduled to arrive in theatres on November 26th, 2025 the next year. February 12 : Netflix India drops the trailer for 4 episode docu-series The Indrani Mukerjea Story Buried Truth, based on Sheen Bora murder case. Sharing the trailer on her social media profile, Netflix India captioned it, Behind closed doors, this family conceals more than just secrets. Dive into the murder case that once sent shockwaves across the nation in The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth, releasing on 23 February only on Netflix. @NetflixIndia #TheIndraniMukerjeaStoryBuriedTruthOnNetflix @aajtak @IndiaToday @chandniAD @Mou_sen @willzeditor @CeylanCarhoglu @makemake_ent @shaanadiya @uraazbahl #JanSupa @sou_takaa #PunyKrishnan @aditisingh2306 #SanjanaVasudevan @aswatinaduthodi @copakubena Behind closed doors, this family conceals more than just secrets. Dive into the murder case that once sent shockwaves across the nation in The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth, releasing on 23 February only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/cxQKq9hTeq Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) February 12, 2024 Helmed by Uraaz Bahl and Shaana Levy, the series showcases the complexities of the highly-debated Sheena Bora case. The series chronicles each and every character involved in this high-profile case. The trailer gives audiences a peek into Netflix documentary, shedding light on the infamous alleged murder case that sparked intense media interest. As the shocking story unfolds, viewers will be privy to previously unseen family photographs and unsettling call recordings, providing insights into the motives behind young Sheenas mysterious disappearance and casting doubt on each persons version of the truth. The docuseries presents a glimpse into the dysfunctional dynamics of an elite Indian family and the secrets that unravelled and destroyed lives. The Indrani Mukerjea Story: Buried Truth streams from 23rd February 2024. Kolkata, Feb 12 : West Bengal Governor C. V. Ananda Bose, after reaching the violence-hit Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, assured local women of strong action against those who had been allegedly harassing people. During the interaction with the Governor, the local women informed him on how they were "oppressed" by the absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates through forceful grabbing of land, forcing them to give free labourers in the businesses run by them and even molesting and physically harassing the local women. "Now you are here and hence we can speak freely. But after you leave, the situation might turn worse again like before. Please do something so that they get arrested. We want them to be hanged," a local woman said. In reply, the Governor assured them of strong action against the accused. "I assure you that no one will be spared and strong action will be initiated against them. I will exercise all my authority in doing the needful," the Governor told the local women. Meanwhile, on the Governor's visit to Sandeshkhali, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that anyone has the liberty to go anywhere. "All I can say is that the state government is taking all the necessary actions," the Chief Minister said. Sandeshkhali has been on the boil since last Thursday. Section 144 has already been imposed in a large area scattering over Sandeshkhali-I and Sandeshkhali-II. Ban on the use of the internet has also been imposed in both Sandeshkhali and adjacent Hingalganj. New Delhi: Days after the Central government conferred ex-Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur with nation's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna's family met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Monday. The family and close relatives of Karpoori Thakur expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for bestowing the honour on one of the tallest leaders of Bihar. Later, while speaking to the newsmen, the family members also shared their first experiences of meeting the Prime Minister. "The news of Bharat Ratna was like Deepawali celebration for us. Not just us but the whole village broke into celebration over the great honour bestowed on Karpoori Thakur ji," said one of the family members. Another family member hailed the move as a 'recognition for deserving people and real contributors' and said this will set a new precedent of governance. PM Modi also took to X and expressed happiness over meeting Thakur's family. He said that the Bharat Ratna awardee's ideals and principles will continue to guide many future generations. For the unversed, Karpoori Thakur was a 'trendsetter' in politics who championed the principles of social justice and advocated equal rights to all the strata of society, including the downtrodden and marginalised ones. Karpoori Thakur led a valiant fight against social discrimination all his life and this earned him an epithet of 'Jan Nayak'. Notably, PM Modi had announced the Bharat Ratna award for ex-Bihar Chief Minister on latter's birth centenary. Announcing government's decision to confer the honour, he wrote on X, "This prestigious recognition is a testament to his enduring efforts as a champion for the marginalized and a stalwart of equality and empowerment." London, Feb 12 : A group of international students, including many Indians, who had their visas revoked almost 10 years ago after accusations of cheating in English language tests in the UK, are making renewed efforts to clear their names. According to a report in The Guardian, fresh evidence has recently been presented in the court that questions the Home Office's cheating allegations against 35,000 international students. The Home Office abruptly terminated the visas of these students, making their stay in the country illegal overnight, following a 2014 BBC documentary reporting allegations of cheating at two of the UK's language testing centres for international students. About 2,500 students were deported after immigration enforcement teams mounted dawn raids on students' accommodation, the news report said. While some 7,200 students left the country after detention threats, thousands stayed protesting "flawed evidence" as they struggled with homelessness, huge legal fees, and stress-induced illnesses. After judges and watchdog reports highlighted flaws in the evidence of cheating, around 3,600 won appeals against the Home Office, while the rest of them couldn't because of the prohibitive cost of taking legal action. Abdul Qadir Mohammad, 36, who left India in 2010 to study business in London, spent more than 20,000 pounds trying to clear his name in the scandal, pushing him and his family into debt. Abdul told The Guardian that he gets "panic attacks" and feels ashamed to face my family back home who ask him: "Abdul you have lived in the UK for 14 years. What have you achieved?" "...my father is still angry with me. He has spent so much money first on my education and then on trying to clear my name. He had a small grocery shop and saved up to put 15,000 pounds into my college fees. I've got debts on my credit card of 10,000. My mother sold her gold to support me..." he said. The Hyderabad resident said he feels angry about how the whole issue has been handled, destroying his life. "These tests are easy to pass; I had no reason to cheat... I want to clear my name and get on with my studies. I spend my days sitting in the park, desperately waiting for my hearing," he told The Guardian. The students had also approached and presented a petition to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in March last year, seeking his help to clear their names. In their petition to the Prime Minister, the students called for a simple, free mechanism to apply for a decision or reconsideration of their case. They also wanted the immigration record of every student cleared of cheating, facilitate their return to study, or support those on work or entrepreneur visas to find new jobs or restart their businesses -- by removing barriers created by the cheating allegations. After the BBC report, then Home Secretary Theresa May asked the US-based test provider, Educational Testing Service (ETS) to investigate, which found that 97 per cent of its English tests taken in the UK between 2011 and 2014 were in some way suspicious. According to a 2019 report by the Public Accounts Committee, the Home Office "rushed to penalise overseas students, and did not bother to find out whether ETS was involved in fraud or if it had reliable evidence". New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), a policy think-tank representing homegrown startups, on Monday welcomed the initiation of a performance review of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to convene a meeting in this regard this month. The MCA's decision to scrutinise the functioning of CCI comes at a critical juncture when concerns about the regulator's efficacy in addressing complaints against tech giants, particularly Google, have reached a crescendo, the ADIF said in a statement. "We stand at a crossroads where the principles of fairness, innovation, and entrepreneurship converge. We support the MCA's bold step in reviewing the CCI, recognising the urgent need to address the power dynamics that threaten the very essence of fair competition," said an ADIF spokesperson. The heart of the matter lies in the allegations of anti-competitive behaviour and non-compliance with CCI's previous rulings leveled against tech giant Google. Digital startups and app developers, the lifeblood of our digital economy, have repeatedly raised their voices, seeking redress for a lack of decisive action on the part of the regulator. "These developers are not merely seeking an audience; they are demanding justice in the face of what can only be described as draconian regulations imposed by Google," said the ADIF. Several cases against tech giants, including Google, Meta, and Apple, have been languishing in the corridors of regulatory limbo for years. "The startups now argue before the Supreme Court that this redirection is emblematic of CCI's alleged dereliction in fulfilling its statutory mandate. The MCA's decision to review CCI's performance comes as welcome news for the Indian digital ecosystem," the alliance noted. "Big Tech companies are acting with complete impunity and have little disregard for the laws of our country. While we don't advocate blocking these companies, their monopolistic behaviour needs to be brought in check with penal provisions that ensure they do not even consider such abusive moves," said Anupam Mittal, CEO of Shaadi.com. Snehil Khanor, co-founder and CEO of TrulyMadly, added that despite clear order from the CCI to not restrict or impose any restriction on app developers for using third-party billing, Google has been continuously "abusing its dominant position and threatening us to use Google billing system or face delisting". Murugavel Janakiraman, CEO of BharatMatrimony, said that it is highly detrimental to the Indian startup ecosystem and "must be urgently looked into by the government and put to an end". New Delhi, Feb 12 : Undoubtedly, the release of eight Indian Navy veterans by Qatar could be possible only as a result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic efforts. The welcome development reflects his unwavering commitment to ensuring the security and well-being of all Indians, irrespective of geographical boundaries. Definitely, a lot of hard work and diplomatic efforts made by PM Modi and his team of diplomats in Delhi resulted in the safe return of the Navy veterans from Qatar. The PM's meeting with Qatari Amir Tamim Bin Hamad on December 1 last year in Dubai helped achieve the release of these officials, nearly 18 months after they were arrested in an alleged case of espionage. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) appreciated the decision of the Emir of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of the Indians -- marking a big diplomatic win for India. This shows the Modi government's determined focus on rescuing Indian citizens who are stranded either abroad or on domestic soil. The government under his leadership has always ensured that Indians facing troubles anywhere in the world or in any part of the country are not abandoned. They should not be left in the lurch. Rather, they should be extended a helping hand by the government even in the toughest times. The rescue missions that have been carried out so far by the Modi government to evacuate Indian citizens from embattled, natural calamity-hit, or any crisis-ridden region have been successful. Not only Indians, but foreigners were also rescued by such Indian evacuation missions. The memory is still fresh in the minds about how the Modi government's coercive diplomacy forced Pakistan to set free captured Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman without torturing him. He had been held captive by Pakistan. A day after the Balakot surgical strike in 2019, while countering the misadventure by the Pakistan Air Force, Abhinandan was captured by Pakistan after he landed in the neighbouring territory. However, then Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in the National Assembly his government's plan to release Abhinandan. While focusing on grueling rescue missions abroad, Prime Minister Modi never ignored Indian citizens who were stranded on domestic soil, be they poor or rich. In this context, the mission to evacuate 41 workers who were stuck in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand was remarkable. PM Modi himself made it a point to keep a close watch over the operations to bring the workers back alive from the tunnel. As a result of days of hard work, all the construction workers emerged smiling from the tunnel in November last year. Modi was quick to share his happiness and satisfaction over the success of the operation. "The success of the rescue operation of our workers is an emotional moment for everyone. To the workers who were trapped, I want to say that your courage and patience is inspiring. I wish you good health and well being," the Prime Minister had posted on X. "It is a matter of great satisfaction that now our workers will be able to meet their loved ones after a long wait. Their relatives showed immense patience and courage in the testing times," he said. "I salute the spirit of everyone involved in the rescue operation. Their valour and determination have given a new life to the workers. Every individual involved in this rescue mission has set an example of humanity and team work," Modi added. These comments also served a message that the top leadership of the country takes safety of the lives of its citizens as priority, no matter where they live. There are several shining examples when the government led by PM Modi reached out to Indians in times of crisis even if they were thousands of miles away from home. The Modi government exemplified its care for citizens through a series of remarkable and tough evacuation operations. India's rescue operations were carried out with surgical precision and skillfully, due to which they became the case study for the rest of the world. The relentless pursuit of safety and security of Indian nationals stranded in war-ravaged zones in different parts of the world impressed the entire international community. The names that the government gave to each of its missions are unique and interesting as they were related to the nation and its culture. To begin with, the Modi government's 'Operation Ajay' brought back 18,000 Indian nationals from war-torn Israel and Gaza in what was considered to be a very difficult situation as conflict was escalating after Israel's retaliation against Hamas' attack. The 'Operation Kaveri' was another outstanding rescue mission which was launched to bring back 3,000 stranded Indians from conflict-struck Sudan in 2023. As part of this operation, Indian ships and aircraft were deployed to bring back Indians stranded there. One of the most memorable endeavours undertaken by the government under the leadership of PM Modi was 'Operation Ganga'. This operation was aimed at bringing back Indian citizens stranded in conflict-ridden Ukraine. Scores of citizens of other countries were also rescued under this mission in what reaffirmed PM Modi's focus on the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. Operation Ganga was an example of the government's meticulously-coordinated efforts to ensure the safe return of thousands of distressed Indians from war-ridden Ukraine. In a display of India's commitment to its nationals seeking help while facing trouble abroad, 'Operation Raahat' was launched in 2015 to rescue Indian citizens from Yemen that was reeling under civil war. There was a herculean effort in sight during this operation, as the naval vessels, aircraft apart from diplomatic channels were pressed into service. Over 4,000 Indians and citizens of neighbouring countries were air-lifted safely from the crisis-hit zones in what showcased India's unwavering determination to stand by its people, no matter which part of the world they are in. The government also reached out to earthquake-ravaged Nepal with 'Operation Maitri' in 2015. This was a humanitarian mission focusing on providing relief and assistance to the neighbouring country in what showed PM Modi's thrust on his government's 'Neighbourhood First' policy. In 2016, 'Operation Sankat Mochan' was launched to bring back Indian citizens from South Sudan after violence hit the country. 'Operation Samudra Setu' was a mission that also instills a sense of pride in every Indian. Under this, the Indian Navy had rescued around 4,000 Indians who were stranded in the sea during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The 'Mission Vande Bharat' was aimed to rescue Indians from foreign shores during the Covid-19 pandemic, which became the biggest civilian evacuation mission. At least 2.97 crore Indians were facilitated in the flights operated under Vande Bharat Mission during 2020-22. Operation 'Devi Shakti' was aimed at evacuating Indians from Afghanistan after the Taliban take-over of the country in August 2021. Following the massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, Prime Minister Modi had directed that all possible assistance be extended to the affected people. In pursuance of this, 'Operation Dost' was launched to provide necessary support in terms of search and rescue (SAR) efforts as well as medical assistance. This involved a whole-of-government approach with coordination among various agencies. Chandigarh, Feb 12 : Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit will tour areas adjoining Pakistan from February 20 to February 23, it was announced on Monday. This marks his sixth visit to the border regions in the past two and a half years. During his visit, the Governor will traverse through border districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazilka. He will hold meetings with central agencies and state government officials to review the progress made since his previous visits and to address any new issue that cropped up during the recent times, an official statement by the Raj Bhawan said. A key focus of these meetings will be on enhancing coordination between central and state agencies to overcome bottlenecks, particularly in the realms of border infrastructure, security, smuggling and combating the menace of drug trafficking in the border areas. The Governoras agenda also includes interactions with Village Defence Committees (VDCs), which have proven instrumental in combating drugs and other social evils in the border regions. These engagements aim to glean ground-level insights and feedback from various public representatives and the Press, enabling issues pertinent to the border areas to be addressed effectively at both central and state government levels, added the statement. Kolkata: Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari with party MLAs take part in protest march to Raj Bhawan. Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, Feb 12 : A team of BJP legislators led by leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhkari, was stopped within the limits of Greater Kolkata enroute the violence-hit Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, which has been on the boil since last Thursday. The BJP MLAs left for Sandeshkhali in a bus from the south gate of the state Assembly. However, as soon as the bus reached the Basanti Highway on the outskirts of Kolkata, it was stopped by the police. The officer leading the police team informed that a request came from the office of the Superintendent of Basirhat district police, under which Sandeshkhali falls, stating that the BJP legislators should be stopped within the limits of Greater Kolkata once they head towards Sandeshkhali. Order was also issued to impose Section 144 in Sandeshkhali. However, Suvendu Adhikari argued that it is not possible to impose Section 144 within the Greater Kolkata territory, which is 60 km away from Sandeshkhali. Adhikari also thanked Governor C.V. Ananda Bose for making a visit to Sandeshkhali following his request. "I thank the Governor. While I was sure that we will not be allowed to reach Sandeshkhali, I also apprehended that we might be stopped within the Kolkata territory itself," he said. Fashion designer-turned-BJP legislator Agnimitra Paul claimed that the police, which remained 'mute spectators' when women were being harassed, have now become active in preventing BJP's legislative team from visiting Sandeshkhali and meet the distressed local people there. New Delhi: Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia leaves his residence after meeting his ailing wife. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 12 : A Delhi court on Monday granted three-day interim bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, arrested in the excise policy case, to attend his niece's wedding. Special judge M.K. Nagpal of the Rouse Avenue Court, who is hearing the case, allowed Sisodia's application seeking the relief and granted him interim bail from February 13 to 15. On February 5, the court had extended Sisodia's judicial custody till February 22, but permitted him to visit his ailing wife once a week during the period. The judge had directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a detailed status report on the case by the next date of hearing, expressing concerns over incomplete disclosure about the probe's status. The central agency had also filed a report stating that the investigation is ongoing and at a crucial stage, with completion regarding the 16 charge sheeted accused persons. However, the defence counsel had objected, citing incomplete status reports and the need for time to scrutinise translated documents received recently. The court, recognising the complexity of the case, had directed the CBI to install necessary software in the laptops of defence counsel for efficient access to the voluminous case files. The alleged excise policy scam is being probed by both the enforcement agencies a" the Enforcement Directorate and CBI. Judge Nagpal had also adjourned Sisodiaas bail application in cases by both the agencies. Sisodia had asked for custody parole for twice-weekly visits to his ailing wife. However, the court granted a weekly visit and adjourned the bail application. Recently, the same court had asked for a fresh status report from the CBI in the case. The judge had also closed the opportunity for accused persons to inspect documents at the CBI office, stating sufficient time had been given. The court had directed that the matter should now be listed for arguments to frame charges. --IANS spr/vd Gurugram, Feb 12 : In view of the farmers' protest, the Gurugram police on Monday tightened security on the Mewat, Rewari, and Jhajjar borders. Gurugram police started checking suspicious vehicles and also put up barricades on border for vehicles entering Gurugram while a large number of security personnel were deployed there. "I have given necessary directions to the departments concerned to step up security in the border area. If the district administration is required to deploy duty magistrates, it will will do the same. However, no inputs about the movement of farmers came to the fore in Gurugram," Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav told IANS. Apart from this, a senior official of the Gurugram police has also visited the border area to take stock of the preparations. Meanwhile, the police have put containers near Panchgaon Chowk on the service lane on the Jaipur Expressway to block the expressway in case any inputs about farmers' movement are received. "We have been instructed by our seniors to keep a vigil on suspected vehicles and farmers groups if they enter the district and keep informing them about the situations," said a Gurugram police personnel deployed at the border area. However, the Gurugram police claimed that none of the farmer groups will cross or enter Delhi amid the protests from Gurugram. "The Gurugram police are already on high alert amid farmers' protests. The strength of the personnel has already been at all the connecting borders of the district. Also, a rapid action force alone and extra force have been reserved to face any untoward situations on the border locations," a senior police official said. "There was no such impact reported in Gurugram. Security has been increased since Saturday and strict vigil was being maintained in all border areas," he said. Dillogical to showcase complexities of open relationships in light-hearted way. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Feb 12 : The upcoming romantic streaming comedy 'Dillogical' presents a modern-day take on love and friendship. Mumbai, Feb 12 (IANS) The upcoming romantic streaming comedy aDillogicala presents a modern-day take on love and friendship. The trailer of the show presents the situation of a proposed open relationship between a couple. The show stars Priyank Sharma, Anshuman Malhotra, Nupur Nagpal, Chetan Dhawan and Prasanna Bisht in key roles. Set against the backdrop of a crazy, fun-filled destination wedding, the narrative follows the couple as they explore their feelings and navigate their way through life. The trailer offers a glimpse into the love lives of childhood sweethearts Saransh and Jinal. Their relationship becomes increasingly messy as Jinal proposes an open relationship, much to Saranshas surprise. Jinal is a talented and independent girl living in Vadodara, who wants to break away from her predictable life. Talking about the series, Anshuman Malhotra said, aCapturing the essence of true love while tackling the modern norms of open relationship and situationship, 'Dillogical' perfectly balances the blend of romance, comedy and drama. "My character Saransh is an old-school lover who explores his feelings while dealing with an unusual demand made by his partner, Jinal. I think aDillogicala will provide a fresh perspective to the audience with certain thoughts about their love life and relationship, giving them a clear picture of what they want." Priyank Sharma said, aMy character in the series, Dhruv, is that of a choreographer who helps Jinal explore her feelings, unravelling the complexities of her heart and helps in leading her back to herself. With a contemporary take on relationships and love, he is open to embracing new people and dynamics in his life." Created by Arre Studio, aDillogicala will drop on Amazon miniTV on February 14. As of 11:00 p.m. on February 11, Tashkent rose to 6th place in the world for air pollution: the air quality index was rated at 189. This figure even exceeded 200 in some areas, Azernews reports, citing Kun.uz News Agency. The concentration of fine particulate matter PM-2.5 in the air amounted to 124.5 g/m3, which is 24.9 times higher than the recommendations of the WHO. Tripura govt to allow tribal students to write answers in Roman script for Kokborak language exam. Image Source: IANS News Agartala, Feb 12 : In wake of the agitation by tribal students' bodies, the Tripura government on Monday announced to allow tribal students appearing for Kokborak language examinations to write answers in Roman script, along with Bengali script. Government spokesman and Food and Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that the students would be allowed to write answers in Roman script along with Bengali script for Kokborak language examinations of the Higher Secondary and Secondary Examinations, to be conduct by the Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) from March 1. The Minister, on behalf of the state government, urged the Tipra Indigenous Students Federation (TISF), the student wing of the opposition Tipra Motha Party (TMP), to withdraw their agitations for the interest of the people and to maintain normal movement of rail and vehicular traffic. Police said that hundreds of TISF activists, as part of their agitations, blockaded the roads and rail movement in around 50 places across Tripura disrupting the normal movement of train services and transportations of all kinds of public and private vehicles. Though no untoward incident was reported in view of the agitations, 22 members of another tribal student organisation Tipra Students Federation (TSF), were arrested for demonstrating in front of Chief Ministeras Manik Sahaas residence. The TISF activists blockaded the National Highway-8, the life line of Tripura and the lone rail route from Monday morning to protest against the TBSEas decision not to allow tribal students appearing for Kokborak language to write answers in Roman script. Over 5,000 tribal students would appear in both the examinations and wanted to write their answer scripts for Kokborak language in Roman script instead of Bengali. The issue also recently rocked the Tripura Assembly session. For several years, Kokborok language paper answers were written in the TBSE examinations in both Bengali and Roman script, but the state board recently said that only Bengali script would be allowed for Kokborak language. The TBSE last month had directed the in-charges of all the examination centres to allow both Bengali and Roman script for writing Kokborok papers for the Class 12 and 10 board examinations but later instructed that only Bengali script would be allowed till the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) gives a reply on it. There are thousands of schools in Tripura, both government and private run, are either affiliated to the TBSE or the CBSE. Tribal party TMP had been agitating demanding introduction of Roman script for the tribal language. Tripura has a 12 lakh tribal population out of its 40 lakh inhabitants and 70 per cent of the tribals speak in the Kokborok language, which was recognised as the second official language by the then CPI-M led Left Front government in 1979. The demand for the Roman script for Kokborok recently got stronger after there were reports that students in various schools in Tripura, specially the CBSE-run schools, were compelled to write answers for the subject in the Bengali script. For over five decades, there has been a debate over the use of the Bengali or Roman scripts for the Kokborok language. While some Kokborok speakers favour Bengali, the majority of the tribal intellectuals and academicians advocate for the Roman script. Since 1988, two commissions have been set up on the issue under tribal leader Shyama Charan Tripura and linguist and academician Pabitra Sarkar. A TMP leader said that Kokborok is the mother tongue of the tribal people and it belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family and is close to other languages of the northeastern region such as Bodo, Garo, and Dimasa. --IANS sc/vd Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 12 : Kerala Congress-Mani's sitting Kottayam MP Thomas Chazhikadan will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from the same seat, the party announced on Monday. The announcement was made at Kottayam by KC-M Chairman Jose K.Mani. "Thomas Chazhikadan has been unanimously chosen to contest again from Kottayam," he said. Chazhikadan, 71, is a chartered accountant by profession and was thrust into politics, when his brother Babu Chazhikadan, a candidate in the 1991 Assembly polls died after being struck by a lightning during his campaign. It was after the tragedy, that Chazhikadan was brought into politics and he won all elections till 2011, when he lost to CPI-M candidate Suresh Kurup and was defeated again in the 2016 polls. But in 2019 when the KC-M was the third biggest constituent of the Congress-led UDF, Chazhikadan was chosen to contest the Kottayam seat and he won. defeating the present state Ports and Cooperation V.N.Vasavan Minister with a margin of over one lakh votes. Incidentally after the KC-M's iconic founder K.M.Mani passed away in 2019, the party's relations with the Congress got strained and soon after that Jose K.Mani faction joined the ruling LDF, led by the CPI-M. Hence Thomas, who contested at the 2019 Lok Sabha polls for the Congress-led UDF, will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as part of the LDF. New Delhi : MPs at Parliament House during the budget session. Image Source: IANS News Srinagar, Feb 12 : Srinagar MP and former J&K Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah has been summoned by Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it on Tuesday. Official sources said that Dr. Abdullah has been summoned for questioning in a money laundering case. The NC patron had failed to appear before the ED on January 11 this year when he was summoned to appear before the agency at its Srinagar office. Kolkata, Feb 12 : A Kolkata court on Monday dismissed the plea for anticipatory bail by absconding Trinamool Congress leader and the alleged mastermind behind the January 5 attack on ED and CAPF team Shahjahan Sheikh. At the same time, Sheikh ducked the EDas third notice for appearance at the central agencyas Salt Lake office on Monday. Earlier too, he had ignored the previous two notices twice, first on January 29 and February 5. Instead, his counsel made an appeal for his client's conditional appearance at the ED office provided there is a shield against the arrest after his appearance. However, the plea was vehemently opposed by EDas counsel, who argued that originally on January 5, the day of the attack, when their sleuths reached his residence at Sandeshkhali for conducting raid and search operations there was no mention of arrest. "But after what happened there on that day such a plea is meaningless," counsel argued. Referring to the attack on ED team on January 5, the ED counsel said that after stones were pelted towards their official, the police registered an FIR against those who were attacked. Thereafter, the judge questioned Sheikh's counsel on why his client was not appearing before the ED office and he replied that Sheikh apprehends arrest since ED had started investigation against him on charges of money laundering and even transferring money abroad through the hawala route. "The central agency is even describing my client as an influential person having close connections with the minister. ED is opposing the plea for anticipatory bail. That is why my client is apprehending an arrest," counsel said. Kolkata, Feb 12 : Speculation are rife in West Bengal over the possible action the Union government might take on the developments in violence-hit Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district after Governor C.V. Ananda Bose left for Delhi on Monday evening, soon after returning to Kolkata following his visit to the troubled zone. Although the Governor did not say anything about his unscheduled trip to the national capital, Raj Bhavan insiders said that in all probability, he is expected to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah and update him about the on-ground situation in Sandeshkhali. "What the people of Sandeshkhali, especially the women, narrated to the Governor during this visit there was quite shocking. There have been demands for deployment of CAPF personnel in Sandeshkhali, since people there do not have any faith in the state police of ensuring their protection from oppression in the hands of Sheikh Shahjahan, the absconding Trinamool Congress leader and the mastermind behind the attack on the ED and CAPF personnel on January 5," a Raj Bhavan insider said. Before leaving for Delhi, mediapersons questioned the Governor if he will send any report to the Union government on the ground realities in Sandeshkhali, to which Bose said he will update about the details as, when and whereever necessary. Already, two autonomous bodies under the Union government -- the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) and National Commission for Women (NCW) -- have sought reports from the West Bengal government on the situation in Sandeshkhali. The Governor too has separately sought a report from the state government in this matter. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress has decided to send a two-member fact-finding team to Sandeshkhali on Tuesday comprising state minister Partha Bhowmik and party legislator Narayan Goswami. The ruling party is also considering to conduct a public meeting there on February 18, provided the Section 144 imposed there currently is revoked by then, party insiders said. Bhubaneswar, Feb 12 : The Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha crime branch on Monday arrested a wildlife criminal during a raid at Dasingbadi Ghati under Daringbadi police station in Kandhamal district. The accused was identified as Gheneswar Pradhan, 35, of Gohibadi village in Kandhamal. Following a tip-off, the STF team with the help of Kandhamal Forest Officials as well as Kandhamal Police carried out a raid posing as the customer and apprehended the accused poacher in the wee hours of Monday. "During the search, one leopard skin, one country-made pistol and other incriminating materials were recovered from his possession," said KK Panigrahi, Superintendent of Police, STF. A case under various sections of IPC, the Arms Act and the Wild Life (Protection) Act has been registered against the accused Pradhan who was produced before the court at Daringbadi on Monday. Panigrahi also stated the seized leopard skin will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun for biological examination and the country-made pistol will be sent to the State Forensic Science Laboratory (SFSL), Rasulgarh here for ballistic examination. Ayodhya : , Feb 12 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann visited the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Monday accompanied by their respective families. They were welcomed by temple trust secretary Champat Rai, who took them around the shrine complex. In a post on X, Kejriwal said, "I had the privilege of having the divine darshan of Ram Lalla ji in the Shri Ram temple. Bhagwant ji and his family were also present on this occasion. Everyone together had darshan of Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram Ji and prayed for the progress of the country and the welfare of all humanity. May Lord Shri Ramchandra ji bless everyone. Jai Shri Ram." This is the second trip of Kejriwal to Ayodhya in recent times after his visit to the holy site in 2021. It may be recalled that the Delhi Chief Minister had not attended the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22, which was headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ahead of the grand ceremony on January 22, Kejriwal had claimed that he did not receive a formal invitation to attend the Pran Pratishtha event. "They had sent me a letter, and after we called them, they said a team would come to formally invite me. But no one came. But it does not matter. In the letter, they wrote that a lot of VIPs and VVIPs would come for the event and, for security reasons, only one person would be allowed," Kejriwal had said. Kejriwal had also called the Pran Pratishtha ceremony a "matter of immense pride and happiness" for everyone across the country and the world. He had also promised that his government would put in efforts to run more trains from the national capital to Ayodhya. Mumbai, Feb 12 : The exit of former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan from the Congress triggered strong reactions from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance on Monday. In a strong attack, Shiv Sena-UBT President and former CM Uddhav Thackeray said first the Bharatiya Janata Party broke up the Shiv Sena, then the Nationalist Congress Party, now the Congress. "The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi make claims of 400-plus (in 2024 Lok Sabha polls), but this proves they have no confidence of even going 40-plus, that's why they are taking people from all other parties. Now so many people from Congress are in the BJP that after a few years, a BJP President may be an ex-Congressman," he said. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar hinted at Chavan facing some probe that may have prompted him to quit the party. "We have been hearing that some investigators were after him, but nothing more developed later He would know" the Congress leader said, admitting that it was a shocking setback for the party, while strongly refuting BJP's claims that he (Wadettiwar) would be next to quit the Congress. Nationalist Congress Party-SP MLA Rohit R. Pawar lamented that when there is a real need to fight for ideology today, senior leaders abandoning their ideology for which they fought all their lives to join the BJP is unfortunate. "Since the sessions of alliance with BJP will continue, the next battle for identity and ideology will have to be fought by the common masses, and the people are ready for it," he said. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar said that "the BJP can break any number of parties or leaders, but Maharashtra will defeat it in the next elections. The Marathi voter doesn't approve of the BJP now". In a jibe, SS-UBT's MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that the Adarsh Society scam, the MSC Bank scam or the Maharashtra Sadan scam are no more scams as those 'scamsters' are now part of the BJP. "It isn't a Congress-Mukt Bharat, but a 'Congress-Yukt BJP' The 'khichdi' cooked in Maharashtra will give stomach poisoning to those cooking and eating it, a matter of time," she claimed. Shiv Sena-UBT Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said it was unbelievable that Ashok Chavan, who till yesterday was together and holding discussions with the MVA, is gone today. "Like Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, will Chavan also claim the Congress now and get the 'Hand' symbol? Will the Election Commission of India oblige? Anything can happen in this country now," he wondered. Congress' ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan said Chavan's departure was a big blow to the party, but assured that "no other leaders or legislators" have left. "We are in touch with all our people So far, we have not heard of any such plans, as claimed," he contended. Congress' chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said: "We don't have frontal organisations like the ED, CBI, ITD to 'coordinate' with senior leaders But in the upcoming Lok Sabha, the people will teach the BJP a lesson." VBA's chief spokesperson Siddharth Mokle said that "the leaders who maligned the VBA as the BJP's B-Team have now themselves become the BJP's A-Team!" Others who reacted included Congress' Balasaheb Thorat, SS-UBT's Leader of Opposition in the Council) Ambadas Dave, NCP-SP's national spokesperson Clyde Crasto, ruling Shiv Sena's Ramdas Kadam. On the other hand, BJP's state President Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that "anybody who accepts our ideology is welcome to join us", and said many leaders from all over the state will soon troop into the party. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, in a telling comment, quipped: "Aage aage dekho, hota hai kya (wait and watch what happens ahead)." Other BJP leaders claimed that over a dozen Congress MLAs are likely to switch sides in the coming days, but Ashok Chavan denied all such contentions, stating that he has not spoke to any leader. New Delhi, Feb 12 : The Sarang Helicopter Display Team of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will showcase its manoeuvres in the Singapore Airshow, in which five Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) will also participate. A 71-member team of IAF's Sarang Helicopter Display Team landed at the Paya Lebar Air Base in Singapore on Monday to participate in the Singapore Airshow 2024. According to the Ministry of Defence, the Sarang Helicopter Display Team will be showcasing its spectacular manoeuvres at the event with five Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) also known as 'Dhruv'. The induction was carried out with the IAF's C-17 Globemaster III heavy-lift transport aircraft. The biennial Singapore Airshow is scheduled to be held from February 20 to February 24. The show will feature various aerial displays from the participants from all over the globe. The Sarang Helicopter Display Team was formed in 2003 and it is noteworthy that their very first international public performance came in 2004 at the Asian Aerospace Show in Singapore. Initially formed and raised as a three-helicopter formation, the Sarang team now boasts of a five-helicopter display and has performed over 1,200 displays at more than 385 venues across the globe, the Defence Ministry said. The ministry said the Dhruv helicopter, designed and conceived by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, is an all-weather, multi-mission capable chopper, which features rigid, hinge-less rotors making it highly manoeuvrable and suitable for military roles. The variant to the ALH flown by the Sarang team is ALH MK-I. The other variants are ALH Mk-II, ALH MK-IlI while the latest variant is ALH MK IV, an armed version. Lahore, Feb 12 : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have deliberated on the possibility of appointing Prime Ministers from their parties for a three and two-year term under a power-sharing formula, a media report said. The idea of appointing a Prime Minister for half the term was discussed during their first huddle on Sunday following the February 8 general elections as part of their efforts to form a coalition government at the Centre and provinces, according to sources privy to the development, Geo News reported. The same power-sharing formula was chalked out by the PML-N and the National Party (NP) in Balochistan in 2013, when two Chief Ministers from the two parties each held office for half of the five-year term, the report said. During the meeting on Sunday at the Bilawal House in Lahore, the two sides agreed in principle to cooperate for the countryas political stability following the general elections. The meeting was attended by PPP President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari and former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif from the PML-N. The PML-N leadership demanded that it would retain the coveted slot of Prime Minister, while former President Asif Zardari maintained that the PPPas central executive committee (CEC) has already nominated Bilawal for the post of PM, Geo News reported. After this, the leaderships of the two parties explored the possibility of appointing PM of their respective parties for half of the five-year term, as per sources. Kolkata, Feb 12 : Four school kids died in a sudden cave-in of earth near the India-Bangladesh borders at Chopra in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district on Monday, officials said. The Border Security Force (BSF) jawans posted there immediately rushed the four kids to a nearby health centre where a doctor declared them dead. Local people have claimed that the four kids were playing in an area where the BSF jawans were digging for the purpose of installing a drain pipe. Probably, because of the digging, the adjacent underground soil softened significantly which led to the accident. Tension prevailed in the area following the unfortunate incident. The local residents have demanded that it should be investigated whether the soil- digging work was done with necessary permission for that. However, a BSF official in the area said that such allegations are unfortunate especially after the jawans of the force tried their best to rescue the kids by removing the soil. "Our men just played the role of rescuers," he added. How India-UAE relations touched new highs in the last one year. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 12 : As many as five high-level visits by top leaders took place between India and the UAE since July 2023, as the relations between the two nations touched new highs in the past one year. During this period, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the UAE, while UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed too visited India in September 2023 to attend the G20 Summit when it was invited as a special invitee. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also visited Gujarat in January 2024 as the chief guest of the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. An official said the India-UAE-France (UFI) trilateral was formally launched during a teleconference between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his UAE and French counterparts. With Indiaas active support, the UAE joined the SCO as a dialogue partner in May 2023 at the finance ministers' summit in Goa. With Indiaas active support, the UAE also joined the BRICS as a Member on January 1, 2024. Trade and Investment During the visit of PM Modi to Abu Dhabi on July 15, 2023, several MoUs were signed including for the establishment of a local currency settlement system to promote the use of INR and dirham for cross-border transactions. Three major transactions involving gold, petroleum and food commodities have been undertaken so far under the mechanism, the official said. In March 2023, the first India-UAE Investment Summit took place in Srinagar which was hosted by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The first FDI from the UAE to J&K was also announced -- EMAAR Group will invest Rs 500 crore in a shopping mall and a multipurpose tower on the outskirts of Srinagar. An MoU to establish a branch of Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi in Abu Dhabi was signed between the two countries. Accordingly, the interim campus of IIT-D, Abu Dhabi, has come up in record time with the first Masteras course in energy transition and sustainability commencing on January 29, while Bachelors and other programmes will start from September 2024. Also in January, the first India-UAE bilateral army exercise -- Desert Cyclone -- was undertaken in Rajasthan. In the same month, the first trilateral exercise named 'Desert Knight Exercise' involving the air forces India, the UAE and France took place at the Al Dhafra air base in the UAE. More recently, EDGE and HAL signed an MOU which will explore areas of cooperation, including joint design and development of missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles, between the two nations. During the visit of PM Modi to Dubai in November-December last year to attend the COP28 Summit, the Prime Minister was given the special status of being the only HOS/HOG, who addressed the ceremonial opening of the COP-28 Plenary. Modi had launched the Global Green Credit initiative in the presence of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. India and the UAE, along with other countries, launched the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC) and the Global Biofuel Alliance on the margins of the G20 Leadersa Summit in September 2023. India also joined the AIM for Climate (AIM4C) initiative in 2023, which was introduced by the UAE and the US during the COP26 in Glasgow. New Delhi: Police barricades put up at Singhu Border in view of farmers 'Delhi Chalo March'. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 12 : In view of the farmers' protest on Tuesday, Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory alerting the commuters about restrictions on the movement of vehicles at three borders of the national capital. Several farmer associations have called for the march on Tuesday to demand a law guaranteeing MSP for their produce, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation in 2021. According to the traffic advisory, in anticipation of the proposed farmers' protest at various borders of Delhi from Tuesday, commuters traveling via cars and LGVs towards Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, and other destinations via NH-44 are advised to consider alternative routes. These include taking exits from NH-44 at Alipur Cut to Shani Mandir, then proceeding to Palla Bakhtawarpur Road, Dahisara Village Road, and Singhu Stadium before reaching NH-44 towards Sonipat. "Alternatively, drivers can opt for routes via DSIIDC Cut to Harish Chander Hospital Red Light, then to Sector-A/5 Red Light, and onward to Ramdev Chowk and respective border crossings," said the advisory. For those heading towards Bahadurgarh, Rohtak, and nearby areas, suggested routes include taking exits from DSIIDC Cut towards Bawana road and proceeding via Kanjhawala Chowk, Nizampur Border, and further connecting roads. The advisory further stated that in light of the situation around Gazipur border (Delhi-UP), diversions are made to ensure smooth traffic flow for commuters. "For those traveling from Delhi to Ghaziabad through Gazipur border, alternate routes include Pushta Road in front of Akshardham temple, Patparganj Road/Mother Dairy Road, or Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg ISBT Anand Vihar, with exits from Maharajpur or Apsara border in UP Ghaziabad," it said. "Vehicles intending to travel to Haryana via Apsara, Maharajpur, Loni, Sabhapur, Sonia Vihar Borders through NH-44 can divert via several routes. These include Dabur Chowk- Mohan Nagar-Ghaziabad- Hapur Road-GT Road-Delhi Meerut Expressway-Dasna-left turn to Eastern Peripheral Expressway-Rai Cut to reach NH-44," it said. Alternatively, drivers can opt for routes such as Inderpuri Loni, Puja Pavi-Panchlok, Mandola, Mussoorie, Khekra with a left turn to Eastern Peripheral Expressway-Rai cut (NH-44), or routes via Service Lane of Delhi Dehradun Expressway-Puja Pavi, left turn to Panchlok, Mandola-Mussoorie-Khekra, left turn to Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Rai cut (NH-44). Another option is to use Tronica City Marg-Tronica City-left turn onto Delhi Dehradun Expressway, Mandola, Mussoorie, Khekra, left turn to Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Rai cut to access NH-44. --IANS ssh/vd Bhubaneswar, Feb 12 : A first year MBBS student has levelled allegations of ragging against his seniors at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur in Odisha's Ganjam district. The police have launched a probe into the matter by registering a case. "On Sunday, a first year MBBS student of MKCG Medical College -- Rudra Rout from Balasore district who stays in Hostel-2 on the campus -- approached the Baidyanathpur police station alleging that on February 9 at around 11 p.m. when he was returning to his room, two fourth-year students assaulted him without any reason," said Saravana Vivek M, Superintendent of Police, Berhampur. After receiving the complaint, the police visited the spot and recorded the statements of the victim and others. The victim was also medically examined. The accused students have been served notice, directing them to appear at the police station for further inquiry. Police sources also said that legal action would be taken against the accused persons based on the findings of the investigation. "A report would be sent to the Dean for MKCG for initiating necessary action against the perpetrators as per the guidelines issued by the UGC," Vivek added. Meanwhile, the medical college authorities have said that an investigation has been initiated following the receipt of the complaint from the Anti-Ragging Cell of the UGC. Earlier, the victim student's father had shared the incident on his X handle, drawing the attention of the authorities, including the Governor of Odisha and the Chief Minister. Chennai, Feb 12 : The Madras High Court on Monday refused to stay the judgment of a Villupuram sessions court upholding the conviction of former Special Director General of Police Rajesh Das for sexual harassment of a woman Superintendent of Police. A single bench of Judge Nirmal Kumar refused to stay the operation of a judgement passed by the Villupuram principal sessions court judge R. Poornima. Das was convicted on June 16, 2023 by the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Villupuram and sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman (Amendment) Act, 2022. Justice Kumar pointed out that the verdict could be stayed only if Das challenged the Sessions Court verdict, not through a criminal revision petition. Das IPS had insisted on transferring his criminal appeal to the newly-inaugurated Principal Sessions Court in Kallakurichi district. When the criminal revision petition was listed for hearing before the judge on Monday, he was informed that the Villupuram court had delivered the judgement on the appeal that morning. Das's counsel pleaded for a stay but the judge refused and simply ordered notice to the state on the revision plea and adjourned the matter to February 27. --IANS aal/vd Sinking of Medigadda barrage gives ammunition to opposition against BRS. Image Source: IANS News Hyderabad, Feb 12 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, ministers and legislators will visit Medigadda barrage, a part of Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project, on Tuesday. The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers, MLAs and MLCs will leave in buses for Medigadda from the Assembly. Reddy has invited legislators of all parties for the visit but opposition BRS and BJP have decided not to join. A few piers of Medigadda barrage sank a few months ago, prompting the National Dam Safety Authority to send a fact-finding team. The incident had triggered a major row before Assembly elections with then opposition Congress making allegations of large-scale corruption in the project. Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with Revanth Reddy, had also visited Medigadda barrage on November 2. Kaleshwaram had also become a key issue against the BRS government in the November 30 Assembly elections, which the Congress had won. After coming to power, the Congress announced a judicial probe into the sinking of the piers of Medigadda. The delegation of public representatives led by the Chief Minister will visit Medigadda for two hours. They will also see a powerpoint presentation On December 29, five state ministers, led by Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, visited Medigadda barrage. He had said that though the pier sank on October 21, then Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao or the Irrigation Minister neither reviewed the damage nor made a statement. He claimed that Annaram barrage has also developed cracks and sand erosion was noticed in the third barrage Sundilla. He mentioned that the entire project was dependent on these three projects. Last week, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had invited Opposition leader and former CM Chandrasekhar Rao to join the official visit to the Medigadda barrage. He had also invited KCR to participate in the debate on irrigation projects in the Assembly. However, the BRS chief did not turn up. He is also yet to attend the Assembly since BRS lost power to Congress. Revanth Reddy took strong exception to KCR remaining absent during debate on a key subject. He called the Opposition leaderas continued absence from Assembly an insult to Telangana society. KCR is likely to attend a public meeting in Nalgonda on Tuesday. The BRS is holding the meeting to protest handing over of projects on Krishna river by the Congress government to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB). The Congress, however, denied the allegation. The Assembly on Monday passed a resolution making it clear that Telangana is not ready for unconditional handover of common projects on Krishna to KRMB. --IANS ms/vd Jaipur, Feb 12 : As many as 22 minors escaped from a juvenile home in Jaipur by breaking a window. Of these, a case of rape is going on against eight boys while 13 boys are being probed for attempt to murder. A case of murder has been registered against the other minor. After getting information from the guards, the police reached the spot and launched a search for the missing minors. The incident took place at the juvenile home located in Sethi Colony. An officer at the Transport Nagar police station said: "The boys escaped by cutting the window net between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. in the morning. After receiving the information, the police reached the spot and collected the records of the minor children from the juvenile home." The police have not yet received any complaint from the juvenile home. According to the police, this is the first time that such a large number of minors have escaped from a juvenile home together. The police said some outsiders might had planned to free the minors. First the minors cut the window net, and then in the morning, they ran away. DCP (East) Gyanchand Yadav said: "Police teams have been sent to the houses and possible hideouts of the minors. A report will be filed and a complaint will be registered against the minors whose family members have been informed." Meanwhile, the police have detained a guard of the juvenile home for questioning. New Delhi: Police barricades put up at Singhu Border in view of farmers 'Delhi Chalo March'. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 12 : In view of the 'Chalo Dilli' call given by farmers' associations to stage a protest in the national capital on Tuesday, Delhi Police have invoked Section 144 (prohibitory orders) for a period of 30 days till March 12. As the harvest season winds down, farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are gearing up for what they are calling aFarmers' Protest 2.0a, reminiscent of the historic demonstrations in 2020-21 against the three now repealed firm laws. Amid welding sheds over tractor trolleys and stockpiling essentials like waterproof sheets, mattresses, and dry ration, preparations are underway for a march to the Parliament on Tuesday. With the echoes of the previous protest, which paralysed the major approach roads to Delhi, still resonating, the focus has now shifted to the pressing demands, particularly a statutory guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for all crops. The timing of this protest is noteworthy, coinciding with the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the ruling BJP-led NDA government is seeking a third consecutive term. With the Narendra Modi-led government's last Parliament sessions having been concluded, there is no room for any legislative action. Adding a layer of complexity to the situation comes the announcement of conferring the Bharat Ratna upon Chaudhary Charan Singh and M.S. Swaminathan - two stalwarts revered by the farming community. Former Prime Minister late Charan Singh was known for championing the farmers' cause, while late agronomist Swaminathan is considered as the father of the Green Revolution. Questions are being raised whether the protests are politically-motivated or the grievances are genuine. Despite these uncertainties, the Central government has deputed three ministers to engage in a dialogue with the farmer leaders. Meanwhile, as farmers from Punjab and Haryana gear up to reach Delhi on Tuesday, the farmers from Uttar Pradesh, especially the Rakesh Tikait faction, are reportedly not joining the protest call. To stop the farmers from entering the national capital, the police along with the paramilitary forces have been deployed as security measures on Delhi borders, including at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, with cement blocks and pickets with nails installed on the approach roads. Large containers to block the roads if needed have also been kept on the borders to stop the farmers from entering the city. As per officials, over 5,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, are on their toes to maintain law and order on the Delhi borders. Washington, Feb 12 : Donald Trump has drawn the ire of the NATO countries with its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg alleging that the former US President is undermining the future of the organisation with his recent campaign rally statement to a member country -- "you don't pay, we don't protect you". Washington, Feb 12 (IANS) Donald Trump has drawn the ire of the NATO countries with its Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg alleging that the former US President is undermining the future of the organisation with his recent campaign rally statement to a member country -- "you don't pay, we don't protect you". Stoltenberg issued a warning to the leaders around the world after Trump stirred fears about the future of NATO at a campaign stop on Saturday. Trump was critical of certain countries in NATO which reportedly did not meet the goals for which the organisation was set up, media reports said. He told a South Carolina rally that countries in the alliance were expected to spend at least 2 per cent of their GDP on defence. Trump specifically recalled a conversation he claims to have had with the President of a country when he was in office, saying, "One of the Presidents of a big country stood up and said, 'Well sir, if we don't pay and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us?'" "You didn't pay? You're delinquent," Trump had asked. He said, "Yes, let's say that happened." "No, I would not protect you," Trump said, adding: "In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want." The former President's comments drew strong backlash, with Stoltenberg saying in a statement that Trump's attack could endanger both civilians and troops. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk," Stoltenberg said in the statement, adding, "I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election, the US will remain a strong and committed NATO ally." NATO's charter requires members to come to the aid of others if they are attacked. Trump's latest comments also drew criticism from within America's borders. President Joe Biden in a statement released by his reelection campaign said: "If my opponent, Donald Trump, is able to regain power, he is making it clear as day that he will abandon our NATO allies if Russia attacks them and allow Russia to 'do whatever the hell they want' with them." Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is running against Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination, called NATO "a success story for the last 75 years". "Now, we do want NATO allies to pull their weight. But there are ways you can do that without sitting there and telling Russia, have your way with these countries," Haley told CBS. New working committee list pleases all camps in Rajasthan Congress, but not women. Image Source: IANS News Jaipur, Feb 12 : Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has been invited by the party's Rajasthan unit to contest the Rajya Sabha elections from the state. A proposal has been sent by both state President Govind Singh Dotasra and Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully, amid reported differences between the Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot camps on the candidate. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan and his tenure is now coming to an end. In such a situation, a demand has been made to send Sonia Gandhi to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan in his place. Before sending the proposal on Sunday, Dotasra and Jully discussed the matter with all the senior leaders and MLAs. State Congress leaders have argued that Sonia Gandhi going to Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan will boost the morale of the leaders and workers here. However, she is yet to respond to the proposal. Elections for three Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan are on February 27 and the last date for filing nomination is February 15, and thus, the Congress needs now decide on Rajya Sabha candidates in a day or two. Leader of Opposition Jully said: "We have requested the national President to make Sonia Gandhi a Rajya Sabha candidate from Rajasthan. If Sonia Gandhi is made the candidate, it will infuse new enthusiasm among the Congress workers." With the BJP having 115 seats and the Congress 70, the BJP will get two seats and Congress will win one. While the tenures of Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav, and Manmohan Singh are getting completed, Kirodilal Meena resigned as MP after winning the Assembly polls. Meanwhile, party sources said that veteran leader Jitendra Bhanwar Singh is also leading the charts as RS candidate from Rajasthan. He has been a favourite of Gandhi family since years and hence former Chief Minister Gehlot also favours his candidature. Singh had been successful in bringing Jully as leader of opposition, said sources. The Pilot camp has reportedly backed the name of Ajay Maken. However, Gehlot camp doesnat want Maken to be the candidate for he had openly supported Pilot during the September 25 episode when Gehlot loyalists had called a parallel meeting to the meeting called by Congress high command. Meanwhile, a lobby in Congress is putting an effort to bring up Brahmin leadership and is trying to send Varun Purohit to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan. Sources said that lack of Brahmin leadership in state is the reason this camp is pushing name of Purohit for the Upper House. Meanwhile, looking in terms of Lok Sabha polls coming in and to avoid any further clash between different camps, the party leadership has requested Sonia Gandhi to contest the polls for the upper house. Apart from Rajasthan, the Congress' Madhya Pradesh unit has also sent a proposal to Sonia Gandhi to contest the polls. Amid this, all eyes are set if Delhi decides on a local leader or sends someone from a different state to contest from the Rajasthan for the upper house, said sources. New Delhi, Feb 13 : A 19-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his wife and subsequently burying her body at a field near the railway tracks in north Delhi, police said on Monday. The main accused was identified as Vicky, a resident of Ashok Vihar while his associates were identified as his mother, Tara Devi and a juvenile. According to police, on January 25, Savitri Shukla, 55, a resident of Ashok Vihar, said that her daughter, Sapna, 25, married to Vicky and in December last year, while she was walking down their street, she witnessed a quarrel between her daughter and her in-laws. "When she attempted to intervene and speak to her daughter, she was sent back home. Despite numerous attempts, Savitri couldn't communicate with Sapna. Eventually, when she inquired about Sapna's whereabouts from her mother-in-law, she was informed that both Sapna and Vicky had left home," a senior police official said. Despite efforts to locate them, Savitri couldn't find them and on January 25, lodged a complaint about her daughter's disappearance at the Ashok Vihar police station. On February 8, Ashok Vihar police station received a call reporting the discovery of a dead body wrapped in a bed cover inside a pit near the railway line and a police team reached the spot and found it to be a female corpse. "The body was later identified as Sapna by her mother, Savitri Devi, and other relatives, based on distinctive features including a tattoo of Sapna Vicky on the left hand," said the official. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was manual strangulation (throttling)," categorising it as a homicide. During the investigation, it was revealed that Vicky's mobile phone had been switched off since December 26, 2023, raising suspicions about his involvement. Based on collected evidence and interrogation, Vicky was arrested and confessed to committing the crime with the assistance of his mother and brother. aSubsequently, co-accused Tara Devi and a juvenile were apprehended from SS Nagar and Azadpur, respectively," the official said. During interrogation, Vicky admitted that he and Sapna had been married for about a year. He revealed that Sapna was pregnant with his child at the time of their marriage, but she suffered a miscarriage in October 2023 due to her anaemia. "Vicky confessed that their relationship deteriorated after the miscarriage, marked by frequent arguments and his alcohol consumption," said the official. He further disclosed that on the night of December 26, 2023, a heated argument turned violent, resulting in Sapna's death and he buried her body in a pit. New Delhi: Police barricades put up at Singhu Border in view of farmers 'Delhi Chalo March'. Image Source: IANS News Chandigarh, Feb 13 : A meeting between farmer leaders, representing various unions from across the country, and the Central government on late Monday failed to resolve matters and the farmers announced they would stick to their plan of marching towards the national capital to protest from 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The Central government delegation was led by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, and comprised Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, while Punjab minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal and state government officials were also present. According to sources, the talks made a little headway as farmers are adamant on getting legal guarantee for the minimum support price (MSP) for the crops. While the Centre has already assured them that some of their demands will be met, sources say that the farmer leaders are so far unwilling to relent till the time the debt waiver and legal guarantee for MSP are met. Tens of thousands of farmers' convoys with tractors, loaded with protestors and ration, are on roads of Punjab and Haryana, gearing up to head to head to Delhi. After the meeting, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) coordinator Jagjit Singh Dallewal, told the media the Centre has failed to redress their grievances and the farmers have decided to continue with their planned protest on February 13. "The Centre government is just trying to pass the time regarding the demands of the farmers. We will start our protest from our destinations at 10 a.m. towards the national capital," he said. He said no new proposal had come. "Those were all old proposals. We didnat want any confrontation. We wanted discussion on every point. But the government is not straight. It just wants to waste our time. They asked for more time. We told the government to take the decision. They did not take any decision. Our protest will continue. We will move towards Delhi from 10 a.m.," he added. Ranjeet Singh Raju, a farmer leader from Rajasthan, said they would march to Delhi on Tuesday. "The government offered to form a committee and promised to engage us in a discourse. This discussion has been going on for quite some time now. Our supporters would begin moving towards Delhi at 10 am tomorrow," he added. Meanwhile, with the police build up on almost all national highways and major roads leading from Punjab ahead of the protest march, commuters on Monday had to opt village routes to enter Haryana for their onward journey. Sufficient security arrangements have been made in Haryana to prevent any untoward incident, a senior police official told IANS. The sealing of Punjab-Haryana borders by putting up barricades, boulders, tippers filled with sand, and barbed wires and iron spikes, has impacted the movement of vehicular traffic with huge traffic snarls. Paramilitary forces have also been deployed to prevent untoward incidents. Farmers have planned to enter Haryana from Shambhu border in Patiala, Moonak in Sangrur, Dabwali in Muktsar, and Ratia in Mansa. The Haryana Police have sealed all four entry points. Security has also been beefed up along the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders to stop protests in Delhi. Gaza, Feb 13 : Hamas-run Health Ministry has said that more than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured in the Israeli army's heavy air strikes on southern Gaza's Rafah and surrounding areas. Moreover, 164 Palestinians were killed and 200 others wounded in Israeli raids across the enclave over the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll from the ongoing conflict to 28,340, and injuries to 67,984, the ministry was quoted as saying on Monday by Xinhua news agency. The Israeli military carried out some 40 airstrikes on the Rafah area in the early hours of Monday, with intensive ground shelling, Palestinian eyewitnesses told the news agency. "A large number of injured victims suffering from (traumatic) amputations and severe burns fled to our hospital," said Suhaib Al-Hams, Director of Al-Kuwaiti Hospital in the city crowded with displaced people. Al-Hams added that the Kuwaiti Hospital, one of three hospitals in Rafah, suffers from a severe shortage of medicines and cannot deal with "this large number of victims". Palestinian security sources in Rafah told the news agency that special Israeli forces secretly arrived at a building located in the Shaboura neighbourhood, central of the city, and after clashes with Hamas members, the two captives were freed. The sources explained that until now there has been no ground progress and all that happened were successive air strikes on homes and mosques in Rafah. In an earlier statement, the Israeli army said it conducted a series of strikes on targets in southern Gaza on Monday. The army said it rescued two hostages from Rafah but did not provide other details. Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. At the uneasy intersection of the creative process and the manuscript submission process exists a website known as Chill Subs. The site provides an extremely fast-growing grassroots alternative to Submittable, the venture capitalsupported site that has dominated the submissions space for more than a decade but has occasionally frustrated writers with its fees and lack of transparency. Part practical tool and part global online community, Chill Subs is a user-funded startup that aims to ease the stress of an essential yet often stultifying chore: sending ones written work, in the proper format, to the persnickety editors of literary journals and indie publishers capable of igniting or dousing a writing career. In the insouciant, slangy voice of the site, its overriding goal is making your writing life not so freaking exhausting. Web developer, musician, and writer Karina Kupp founded Chill Subs in January 2022 from her then-home of Warsaw, Poland. Originally from Belarus, she now lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. Ive been obsessed with the English language since I was a kid, Kupp said, and after writing in English for yearsshes in her mid-20sshe quit her tech job in late 2020 to try her luck playing music and sending poems to literary journals. With no idea where to begin as an author, she opened up the Poets & Writers directory, went through the whole list of magazines, picked the ones I liked, and put them into a spreadsheet. And then I realized I didnt understand how to work with this data set. Its hard, the response times are huge, and sometimes there are no simultaneous submissions. I didnt know what to do. When Kupp shared her sense of overwhelm online, her writer friends commiserated. Then they began asking for a copy of her spreadsheet. Kupp resisted. Spreadsheets are boring, she said. Nobody wants another spreadsheet, so why would I do that? Over beers with her husband in a bar in Poland, I decided I wanted to make a website. I had this initial idea for the vibe, like itd be cool if it had all sorts of filters. After a few days of experimentation, she created a mockup to help prospective authors navigate a sample set of 75 magazines submission guidelines. I imagined I would share it with my friends, and thats it. But when I posted it on Twitter, I gained 3,000 followers in the first weekend. When she shopped around for domain names, she was certain Chill Subs wouldnt be available: It sounded really cool, and then it was free. So I booked it. By the time Kupp talked about her enterprise with Lit Mag News in March 2022, would-be collaborators were contacting her with ideas for tools and features. Among them was content creator Benjamin Davis. Ive been submitting on and off for many years, and I was just blown away, Davis said. I bombarded her with super long emails and different ideas. Kupp invited Davis on board as cofounder, and he now runs the content side while she handles software development. Next to join Chill Subs was Write or Die, the online magazine edited by Massachusetts-based Kailey Brennan DelloRusso and her editorial team. Write or Die merged with Chill Subs in May 2023, billed as a way to encourage writers work and organize literary workshops to keep determined authors informed and motivated. We really want to build a top-tier magazine that sets an example, Kupp said, noting that Write or Die pays $200 for one published work of fiction per month and $50 for four accepted essays per month. Cheering Acceptances or Playing Rejection Bingo Two years after Chill Subss initial launch, our website gets 250,000 views per month, Kupp said, and employs six core creators as well as part-timers. Users have access to more than 3,000 literary magazines, 1,300 writing contests, and 200 independent publishers. We have a side project right now, to really start working on our indie presses and expanding that one, Davis said. Users apply filters that identify magazines and presses with open submissions, simultaneous submissions, word count and genre limits, entry fees, and payments or prizes. We have a bookmark system so people can bookmark their favorite magazines and strategize their submissions process, Davis said. That then attaches to our calendar, so they can see when the magazines open and close. In addition to trackers and other tools for writers, Chill Subs links to editorial services, Write or Die workshops, and a space where editors can add listings. Kupp wants Chill Subs to be known as a submissions manager that's more affordable for editors that integrates perfectly with the rest of the ecosystem that we created, with automatic tracking of submissions because manual tracking will never be as accurate and opportunities for writers to display successful submissions on their profiles. The site invites users to get on a waitlist to be beta testers and to join a Discord channel to discuss features, including secret features for insiders to discover. More than 18,000 writers have registered and created Chill Subs profiles, and more than 1,000 visitors support the site as patrons. Community buy-in is Kupps vision. We have no investors and dont want them, the membership page attests, and Kupp adds that we really want to stay independent. We have our very specific vision for things, and we dont want it to be altered by people who hold the money. Chill Subs works to differentiate its approach from that of Submittable, which seeks investor financing in addition to charging publications to use its platform. Members join Chill Subs at one of three levels, from a free entry-level plan to a $5/month Premium plan to a $10/month Supporter plan, each of which grant tiered access to resources. Premium members receive the Sub Club newsletter, which announces submission opportunities across multiple genres three times a week, while Supporter members get access to a new Substack called Write or Die 101, which Kupp calls "a forever workshop project" introducing new instructors every month. Some Chill Subs followers show up for the Prose Formatter, a premium feature that automatically converts a cover letter or written piece according to a magazine or presss specifications. People can take their story, paste it in, and click a button, and it will download a perfect industry-standard formatted copy of their work ready to submit to a magazine, Davis said. They can choose to include personal information or not, and it approximates the word count so you dont have to. Its Times New Roman, size 12, double-spaced, one-inch marginsan almost magical transformation for writers who prefer to work in an alternate format or typeface. Other Chill Subs visitors come for the sense of humor. The last time I checked, the rejection rate was probably 79% among aspiring writers, Kupp said, so Chill Subs gamifies both positive and negative outcomes in a wryly funny way. Acceptances get cheers and positive affirmations, while those less fortunate receive tongue-in-cheek perks. When you update the status of your submission, you get a generated message, said Kupp. If its an acceptance, you get celebration. If its a rejection, you get crying. But also, when you are rejected, the Rejection Bingo card pops up, with 2025 phrases you typically encounter in a rejection letter. If a writer is unfortunate enough to track their progress and complete their Rejection Bingo card, Kupp promises a surprise. Its become part of our identitypeople come and have fun, even if they feel like crying. Shes also eyeing the trend of creating erasure poems from rejection letters, and she hopes to program a feature that will enable rejected writers to instantly resend manuscripts rather than wallow in the slough of despond. Were very people-centric, Davis said. We want to make it more of an enjoyable process, and thats what a lot of our tools are directed toward. Perhaps not far in the future, Chill Subs will enable Kupp and Davis to rejoin the authorial hopefuls theyve done so much to encourage. When she inaugurated Chill Subs, thats when I stopped submitting [my own work], Kupp said, because she and Davis quickly foresaw four or five years worth of features they wanted to develop. I wasn't aloneour team has been working tirelessly. We had the best year, but we didn't have weekends, she continued. We worked 12-hour days, seven days a week, and it wasnt sustainable, but it allowed us to build it a lot of things. Now that the site is generating enough income to afford small salaries for all of our team, we finally have a normal Saturday and Sunday like humans do. Ive had time to play music, to write, Kupp said. Ive even started considering submitting poems again. In this recurring series, we ask literacy experts in classrooms and libraries to discuss their techniques for selecting and sharing books to lead engaging storytimes for young readers. In todays global society, being bilingual is not just a novelty. People of all ages are learning second, or third, languages to help expand their minds and horizons. We spoke with three bilingual educators who are using dual language/bilingual books in their diverse classrooms and libraries for a growing list of reasons, and with a multitude of benefits. As a child living on the Navajo reservation, Elizabeth J. Isaac used to hide her English books from her grandparents. Isaac said that she worried they would burn them. Her elders were concerned that shed lose her Navajo language and culture, and leave them behind. Instead, Isaac has placed both her Navajo and English languages and cultures at the front and center of her life and her third-grade classrooms bilingual storytimes. Many of the books she uses are from Salina Bookshelf, an independent book publisher in Flagstaff, Ariz., that specializes in publishing multicultural materials and dual language books and textbooks. These resources help in teaching the Navajo language and culture with authentic traditional and contemporary depictions of Navajo life. Isaac said that she uses these books and others as steppingstones to help her students learn more about their culture, and to introduce them to other cultures. With the stories in Navajo and English, my students can better understand the situations and problems in the stories, and connect with them, too, Isaac said, When Im reading to them, Ill often stop and speak to them in Navajo if I need to explain things. I also try to transition them from Navajo to English. Isaac said that because these books are so culturally relevant to her students, they can see themselves, connect with their Navajo background, and at the same time learn more about the English-speaking culture. In addition to using these titles for storytimes, Isaac also plans cultural units around them to teach her students both traditional and contemporary lessons about their Navajo culture, to build their confidence in themselves, and to take greater pride in their heritage. She said all of these things help them become leadersand readers. Often times, my kids are excited to keep reading, Isaac said. Some tell me that they cant wait for tomorrow to see what happens next in these stories. Thanks to the Salina Bookshelf, the kids dont have to wait to read the books. Not only has the publisher donated books to Isaacs students, thereby increasing their book ownership, the school is hosting literacy nights to introduce parents to the bilingual books, demonstrate their value, and encourage the whole family to read together. Isaac is thrilled to see that parents are supporting these literacy efforts and accepting both Navajo and English languages into their homes. She is already seeing many benefits in her students, and is hopeful for their futures. The books are helping them to learn and to feel good about their cultureand to accept and learn more about the English-speaking cultures, too, Isaac said. I believe the books are giving them a cultural basis to grow, change, learnand lead. And, while theyre doing this, theyll carry their Navajo culture with them. Liana Pupo-Cuartas has always loved doing storytimes: the sillier, funnier, and more inclusive, the better. Its why (and how) she runs the South Dade Regional Librarys toddler and bilingual storytimes in the Miami-Dade Public Library System. While the toddler crowd bubbles overs with babies, toddlers, and their parents/caregivers, her family bilingual storytime on Monday evenings also has an impressive following of parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, babies, toddlers, and kids up to 12 years old. Certainly, a storytime group with this size and age span could pose a challenge for most librarians, but not for Pupo-Cuartas. As her family bilingual storytime guests arrive, she quickly sizes up the group and reads the room as she proceeds to tailor her programming to her audience. Before I begin, I normally do our opening or Hello song, Pupo-Cuartas said. Then, Ill usually read a few books and sing some songs with them to get a feel for the groups ages, attention spans, and interest levels. She often curates a selection of books around a singular theme, using a wide variety of engaging picture books, and teaches and translates English/Spanish words within the context of the stories. For example, if my theme is rainbows, I will translate the colors, and have them repeat them back to me, Pupo-Cuartas said. We did the same thing with animals in animal books, etc. Sometimes, Pupo-Cuartas may use books that include both languages, but she said that they are often longer and sometimes difficult to read aloud. Other times, Pupo-Cuartas might focus a few minutes on early literacy skills if she notices a particular need. Recently, shes been helping the younger storytime attendees identify the letters of the alphabet with a game using the letters on the rug. Our goal at storytime is for the English and Spanish speakers to learn a different languageeven if its just a couple of words here and there. Her efforts are making a real difference. The other day, a storytime friend came up to me when I was cleaning up. And, when I said, Gracias! Pupo-Cuartas said, she repeated gracias, and then she said, You know, I learned three new Spanish words today gracias, roja (red), and morado (purple)! and she smiled. Smiles were everywhere during the storytimes special celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, and so were hands in the air wanting to share. We read the book Pepe and the Parade, written by Tracey Kyle and illustrated by Mirelle Ortega, that talks about many Hispanic countries and the unique dishes that some may have at home. The kids enjoyed talking about their countries and their favorite meals. The kids also enjoy when Pupo-Cuartas switches gears and pulls out shakers to use with songs, blocks to build with, and a parachute to raise up and down. She may even ask the older kids to read books to the younger ones. And, while the storytime is mostly focused on learning English and Spanish, its always about the children and what they want to do. To end the storytime, Pupo-Cuartas and the regulars will start singing the Spanish version of Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes with the motions, the others will join in, and then theyll say their goodbyes. But not without making plans to meet again at the next storytime. The storytime has become a valued and treasured community for each of its members. We want all of our kids and families to feel that theyre included in everything we do, Pupo-Cuartas said, and all are welcome, whatever language they speak! Sharon Pao immigrated to the U.S. from her community in Taiwan more than 40 years ago with her children who were one, five, and eight years old at the time. She found the library to be the place she and her children could find a space to belong and to immerse themselves in the books and language of their new country. At a young age, kids pick up language more easily than adults, Pao said. I saw this with my own family. I watched how they learned English while I tried to keep using the Chinese language at home for them. I think its beneficial for kids to know another language. When her kids were older, Pao decided to help other families learn languages at the library. I think one of the best things in this country is the public library, Pao said. So, I decided to go to library school and get my MLS. Shortly after, she joined the San Jose Public Library System, and worked there for 18 years. But 10 years after retiring from the library, Pao returned to become an extra help librarian and host the monthly Mandarin/English story times at the Saratoga Community Library in Santa Clara County, Calif. Back when I first did storytimes as a full-time librarian, the neighborhood had a high percentage of Mandarin-speaking residents and families with preschoolers and toddlers, so we thought a bilingual storytime would make families feel more comfortable and enjoy using the library and reading books, Pao said. And, for children who dont speak Mandarin at home, the goal was to provide exposure to the sounds and tones, rhythms, and even shapes of the characters of the language. Today, Paos popular monthly storytimes may have different faces, but the objectives are the same: to engage toddlers from families that speak Mandarin in their households, and English-speaking toddlers whose parents want to expose them to Mandarin. The materials and resources, however, have also changed a bit. In the past, I had to translate and collect a number of stories, childrens songs, and finger plays in Mandarin to use during storytime. These days, however, there are many more age-appropriate bilingual picture books being published and available in our collection. With each story time, she chooses books with simple, well-defined illustrations and stories, incorporates props including a stuffed panda named Ling Ling, handmade puppets, and flannel boards to pair the words with visuals for multi-sensory benefits. She also uses the whiteboard to demonstrate writing the characters of the Chinese language, too. Pao often chooses a theme, such as last months Cloud Story, when they read It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles G. Shaw, Little Cloud by Eric Carle, and The Police Cloud by Christoph Niemann. This months theme will be Sweaters. Sometimes, Ill read books going back and forth in the two languagesand tell the kids which language Im speaking, Pao said. Other times, I may read one language at a time throughout the storytime. I might also grab key words and/or phrases for them to hear and to repeat in Mandarin and English. We might read and do actions, too. With everything Pao does, she has high hopes for her storytime guests. Like my fellow librarians, I prepare these storytimes with the intention that kids will pick up some of the language, learn language skills, enjoy listening to storiesand that books, reading, and libraries will become an essential part of their lives as they grow up! she said. Pao also hopes that the children have fun, get to know each other, fall in love with books and the library, and learn a new language just like she and her kids did many years ago. Learning another language enriches your life. It gives you confidence and makes your life biggerand richer. Its a blessing for life! While more than 200 booksellers participated in tours of Cincinnati area bookstores on Sunday, about 60 publishers and their reps kicked off Winter Institute 2024 at the Independent Publishers Caucus's Indie Press Summit. After remarks, by American Booksellers Association CEO Allison Hill and Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation executive director Pamela French, welcoming publishers and thanking them for their contributions to the industry, IPC's new executive director, Daniel OBrien, introduced the keynote speaker, Hanif Abdurraqib, whose most recent book, Theres Always This Year, will be published in March by Penguin Random House. During his presentation, Abdurraqib critiqued the large houses and emphasized the importance of independent presses to his own career and to the book publishing ecosystem. Recalling that his writing career began with the zine scene in Columbus, Ohio, in the early 2000s, Abdurraqib noted that, at the time, everyone wanted one, but no one wanted to write them, so his first writing felt like it served a purpose. His philosophy of writing always has been, he said, I saw something that was miraculous; you were not there; Im going to tell you the story that makes you feel that you were there. Abdurraqib noted that he didnt know this, or register this back then, but this was my first foray into independent publishing, defining independent publishers as people with an idea chasing after that idea, bringing people along with them to fulfill that idea. Explaining that hed initially wanted to write one book and that was it, Abdurraqibs debut was a poetry collection, The Crown Aint Worth Much (Button Poetry, 2016). At about the same time, Eric Obenauf of Two Dollar Radio reached out to him to discuss publishing a collection of his essays on music, culture, and identity. Visiting Two Dollars headquarters, then in Obenaufs home in Columbus, Abdurraqib recalled, I saw these books that he and Eliza [editor Eliza Wood-Obenauf] were shipping out of their basement to reach people, and I thought, this is as close to the ethos of publishing as I always understood it. Someone makes something, and someone else labors really intensely out of love and care to get that thing into the hands of people. Two Dollar Radio published Abdurraqibs debut essay collection, They Cant Kill Us Until They Kill Us, in 2017. Since then, Abdurraqib has been published by the University of Texas Press (Go Ahead in the Rain, 2019); Tin House (A Fortune for Your Disaster, 2019); and PRG (A Little Devil in America, 2021). That bridge I had between working with Two Dollar Radio and working with UT Press taught me pretty much everything I needed to know to empower myself to keep writing, Abdurraqib said, praising both presses for allowing him so much input during the book design process. By the time Random House came calling, there was a standard I had set in place, he added. Id learned how to care for the books; Id learned to make my books look like I wanted them to and have the work inside that I wanted to have. Id learned to take risks and have those risks reflected on the text. Im not going to sacrifice that; because if I sacrifice that, then I will lose the voice that I earned with these people. Noting that his most recent publisher is PRH, Abdurraqibwho, in a addition to his writing career, is nonfiction editor-at-large at Tin Housemaintained that indie presses are not a starting ground for weirdos, but, rather, are a clarifying point for what a voice already is, a reshaping point for what a voice already is. He added that, even though he currently is published by a big house, he remains more drawn to independent publishers that dont treat authors and their work as a product. Noting that bestsellerdom is fleeting, Abdurraqib praised indie presses for caring more about their books getting into the hands of people who will enjoy them than being popular. They Cant Kill Us has endured for six years, he noted. Early on, we made the clear decision: how do we get this book into the hands of people who might be affected by it? It doesnt matter if the book is popular or if it is a New York Times bestseller. They Cant Kill Us never wasbut it has a long life. And it has a long life because the people who cared for it initially are still caring for it now. Noting that the consolidation of the large houses has resulted in a homogeneity in who and what is being published by them, Abdurraqib noted that indie presses are more important than ever "for complications of narratives, for nuance, for conversations that are perhaps happening in parts of the country that dont get exactly that kind of platform to have those conversations. He also urged the audience to publish diverse authors who live outside of metro areas, such as indigenous stories in South Dakota. As readers, as writers, and specifically as independent publishers, Abdurraqib said, the most important task is to seek the voices that otherwise will not have a say at the large table. If we collectively as readers, as writers, as publishers, disrupt the hierarchy by [deciding] whos writing about what, whos getting to hear these stories, that reshapes the country in a more effective way than a flash-in-the-pan incendiary book thats a bestseller that people forget about in a yearor less than a year. After an opening reception on Sunday evening that featured a prancing red Chinese dragon and drummers from the Ohio Wushu Academy in celebration of the Lunar New Year, WI2024 will officially kick off this morning with a breakfast keynote presentation by entrepreneur James Rhee. The gathering of 1,100 booksellers, publisher reps, and authors will continue through Wednesday afternoon. Over the past several years, Michigan's community mental health agencies have been stepping up with a number of initiatives to help fill the gap in mental health services for youth. Nicole Klomp with Newaygo Police Chief Georgia Andres. Nicole Klomp. Nicole Klomp talks with Newaygo Police Sgt. Lloyd Walerczyk. A rendering of the living room at the forthcoming Behavioral Health Crisis Center in Grand Rapids. A rendering of the reception area at the forthcoming Behavioral Health Crisis Center in Grand Rapids. Beverly Ryskamp. Carrie Mull. Nancy Stevenson. Pennie Foster-Fishman. Property details: This property is a fantastic opportunity to own a beautiful piece of land in South Fork, Colorado. With a prime location at 794 Kenosha RD, this residential lot offers privacy and breathtaking views. The lot is zoned as residential and is perfect for those looking to build their dream home. Situated in a peaceful neighborhood, this homesite is surrounded by nature and provides an ideal setting to relax and unwind. Don't miss out on this chance to own a wonderful piece of Colorado land.... Price: $ 1,000 Seller State of Residence: Texas Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: 794 Kenosha RD Zip/Postal Code: 81154 Zoning: Residential City: South Fork State/Province: Colorado Location: 770**, Houston, Texas You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Colorado Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! When the APC9K replaced the MP5K in various arms rooms, it signified a shift that Hemingway aficionados would identify as the painful death of the old world for a newer, more contemporary operating style. Of the many terms used in gun culture, Manual of Arms has either not yet seated its place in common vernacular, or it has already passed from one peak, waiting for the next occasion to arrive in regular use. Whether in competition shooting, personal defense, or military application, if a firearms layout inhibits the users experience, it will typically take second place to an alternative with better controls. In this fashion, Lingle Industries took an already rising platform of the APC/GHM from B&T, improving the weakest points in an already strong design. When the APC challenged the H&K MP5, it did so by addressing the aging, but beloved firearms weak points: manual of arms and maintenance. For those of us who grew up almost entirely on Americanized AR-15 style controls, the Euro-style safety selector and fixed grip angle didnt leave much room for the end-user to make adjustments to their liking. Without a flared magwell, and having no bolt release built into the lower, the MP5 relied on three aging factors: nostalgia, institutional use, and slapping the charging handle. However, once the jokes and dopamine wear off, the younger, curvier features of the APC9 start to look damn good. Add to all of this the availability of each in the American market, and you have yourselves a recipe for gun culture regicide. Despite having features that the MP5 was lacking rail space out of the box, a free floated barrel, and a flared magwell arguably the most painful aspect of the APC9 and similar platforms are the magazines. Aesthetics aside, B&T magazines are neither the cheapest, nor the most enduring, when they arrive from Switzerland. Do they run well? Yes. Do they mind being dropped on concrete? Half say no. One of the downsides to more compact subguns is their lack of rail space once you start adding accessories. Lingle Industries, which specializes in producing aluminum lowers for various firearms such as the SCAR (both big and small), B&T platforms, the CZ Bren-2, and the Stribog, have improved upon the already enjoyable APC9K providing compatibility with CZ Scorpion magazines, even more AR-15-like controls, and the users choice of AR-15 grip and trigger group. While B&T has released pro-series lowers for the APC and GHM lines of firearms that can use proprietary, Glock, or SIG P320 magazines depending on model, theres something about Scorpion magazines that go beyond just aesthetic appeal. The CZ Scorpion has been around for more than a decade, despite not gaining American attention until around 2015. Since then, weve seen various upgrade kits, accessories, and arguments for and against its viability in various scenarios. One testament to its success, however, is when Magpul released not only a 35-round curved box magazine, but a 50-round drum for the Czech pistol-caliber carbine. Got a favorite AR grip that you just cant live without? Lingle has you covered. With a Lingle Industries lower, both the GHM and APC9K can utilize the reliability of Magpuls EV9 curvy stick mags and their 50-round drum designed for the Scorpion Evo-3. In addition, the user can install their own trigger, with a limited list of exceptions. Add your choice of safety selector and pistol grip, and youre good to go with a sturdy aluminum lower for an already reliable firearm. FEATURES Out of the box, the lower arrives with the bolt and magazine releases installed, the former in similar fashion to the original APC but with a Strike Industries paddle release subbed in to accommodate Scorpion mags. Constructed out of 7075 aluminum billet, it feels sturdy, with a choice between a tan or black Cerakote finish. Dont worry about having to purchase yet another lower parts kit to complete installation with that spare AR-15 safety selector rolling around in the junk bin selector spring and detent are included. If you chose to purchase a new set of lower takedown pins and their retaining springs, go ahead. We cannibalized them from the original lower. When matched to an APC upper, theres a little bit of play, but Lingle Industries included a tensioner in their lower to take out that slack. With a fairly flared magwell that improves on the APC about as much as the APC improves on the MP5, its easy to swap, slap, and jam mags into place and begin the next course of fire. PERFORMANCE (ENDURANCE) REVIEW From installation, the ability to choose a grip and trigger launched us on a journey of enjoyable discovery. While the PCC craze has largely slowed from its heyday, we decided to rig up a duty gun instead of a full-blown competition bullet hose. Take the APC9K, add a suppressor by JK Armament, drop the side-scales of M1913 Picatinny, top with optics and a light, and youre good to go for everything from high-speed varmint eradication to home defense. Since magazines carry much of the weight of ensuring reliability in a firearm, with the steadfast history of the Magpul EV9, the remaining factor had to be the lower. After roughly 1,000 rounds and no stoppages, with only a single wipe-down in between, the Lingle Industries lower kept feeding rounds steadily into the APC6K upper through both the box and drum mag options. Ergonomically, the drum felt a little wonky, forcing an exaggerated forward hand placement. It felt more like a trade-off, Call of Duty style, gaining capacity at the cost of some reload speed and maneuverability but not by much. Having the option is great, even if its not the preferred configuration for every situation. Instead of going straight for the most gritty of duty-grade triggers, the Hiperfire Enhanced Duty Designated Marksman Trigger added the touch of control we wanted to bump the already operator-feeling firearm to the next level. Why it seems every duty-style trigger needs to be grinding through over 5 pounds of press to crack the shot should be investigated for bureaucratic oversight. CONCLUSION The APC9K already made a name for itself when it unseated the king of sub guns. But that doesnt leave it closed for improvement, as the Lingle lower has shown. Even if/when B&T drops a second version of their 9mm magazine, the reliability and availability of Scorpion Evo-style magazines is going to be hard to beat. Does this improvement justify spending additional cash just to get a new lower for an already respectable platform? Various agents who regularly field the APC and GHM believe so. If magazines alone dont do it for you, theres nearly the entire gambit of trigger-selector-pistol grip combinations that push the rugged lower into a better place. At the start of this article, we mentioned the manual of arms. While were giving up the AR-15 style magazine release, the paddle-release has undergone many enhancements since the knuckle-cutting days of the early MP5 or even AK-style Soviet ingenuity. The familiarity of AR-15 controls between the grip, trigger, and safety selector greatly reduces the time necessary to become competent with another firearm, and the compact size, in this case, does add to the usability of the gun. So, when we talk about the manual of arms having an impact on the viability of a firearm, it doesnt stop at what comes from the OEM. A firearm with reliable magazines, and a familiar and trusted trigger and controls, goes a long way when running it under pressure, be it competition shooting, war, or self defense. Any chance we get to improve that experience, without sacrificing reliability, is a win. Lingle Industries delivers this to the APC platform, turning a new champion into a better version of itself. SPECS Upper: APC9K: $2,450 JK Armament 9mm Suppressor (no longer available) equivalent to a 155 Versax 9mm, with a War Eagle Comp and Flash Hider: $764 + $200 Stamp Burn Proof Gear Suppressor Cover Heavy: $200 Inforce WML Gen 2 White/IR: $150 Vortex Spark SolAR Red Dot: $150 AGM Global SingIR 640: $4,600 Lower: Lingle Industries APC/GHM Lower: $365 Hiperfire Enhanced Duty Trigger Designated Marksman: $100 Magpul MOE+ Grip AR-15: $25 Magpul Pmag 35 EV9: $20 Magpul Pmag D-50 EV9: $130 Total all parts not counting miscellaneous safety selector: $4,354 Plus Tax Stamp $4,554 Plus Thermal: $9,154 'We now look at divestment as an opportunity for maximising the value of public assets, not necessarily as a short-term resource-raising measure.' IMAGE: Finance Secretary T V Somanathan, right, with Economic Affairs Secretary Ajay Seth, left, Chief Economic Adviser Venkatramanan Anantha Nageswaran, second from left, on February 1, 2024 when the Interim Budget was presented in Parliament. Photograph: Sanjay Sharma/ANI Photo Finance and Expenditure Secretary T V Somanathan, in a free-wheeling conversation with Business Standard's Ruchika Chitravanshi and Asit Ranjan Mishra, says the Budget numbers are realistic and disusses the government's evolving approach towards divestment, welfare schemes, and capital expenditure. What are the broad principles that guided the thinking behind the Interim Budget? A combination of retaining growth impulses, working towards the long-term objective of a developed India by 2047, and maintaining a prudent fiscal path -- these were three main considerations. You have lowered the fiscal deficit target for FY24 to 5.8 per cent from the 5.9 per cent budgeted earlier when you didn't have to. Can you explain why? First, non-tax revenues have been better than expected. Expenditure control has been tight and as a result revenue expenditure has not grown much. There have been some savings in capital expenditure because of absorptive capacity. So capital expenditure will be 95 per cent of what was budgeted. Then revenues have been buoyant. All of these together have enabled a slightly smaller fiscal deficit than was budgeted. We looked at the numbers and it seems there is a slash in 26 out of 37 key welfare schemes in FY24. That is not slash. That is inability to spend. Reductions in Revised Estimates are based not on their asking and we not giving. There is no such case. These are cases under the rules of government finance. A government is expected to inform Parliament if it is not able to spend. It will become an audit issue if we do not inform Parliament and we do not spend. We are supposed to tell them in advance if we are not spending. IMAGE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the interaction with stakeholders from industry in Guwahati as Finance Secretary Somanathan, centre, looks on. Photograph: ANI Photo So is there a systemic issue creeping in? Are you going to look at why departments are not able to spend? No. If we start giving them less, they will plan for less. So we have to give them their full allocation next year. Please look at any state government Budget or any central government Budget now or in the past 70 years. You will often see the Revised Estimates being lower than the Budget Estimates. It is nothing new. Has fiscal consolidation for FY25 been achieved by compressing expenditure as a percentage of GDP? Quite possibly, yes. I have not checked that, but if it is happening, then it is happening. The numbers are realistic and achievable. If that is the result of those numbers, that is the result of those numbers. In a volatile global situation when we need to push demand, is that not demand compression also? Is it the government's job to constantly push demand? How can I push? I can make a transfer to both of you also. Is it a government's job to do that? I thought our job was to look after the poor and the vulnerable and to do development-oriented expenditure, not to keep restoring the consumption demand of classes other than the poor. I don't think it is something the government can keep tracking. So do you say that after the pandemic, expenditure was high and now we have to normalise it? During the pandemic, the government had the responsibility to protect consumption because economic activities were destroyed. Now, we are in normal times. In normal times, it is not a priority of the government to monitor consumption. In fact, if anything, we should be giving investment and savings a boost. And if you transfer money, is it consumed or saved? These are matters left to citizens. I don't think there is much for the government to do there. On divestment, is there a rethink? What was the thinking behind not keeping a specific target? There is a definite de-emphasis on divestment as a source of fiscal resources. We now look at divestment as an opportunity for maximising the value of public assets, not necessarily as a short-term resource-raising measure. So, there is sometimes a conflict between short-term resource raising and long-term value maximisation. We have taken a decision not to do that. So, hereafter, we will have a broader number which encompasses divestment, monetisation, and other similar activities. What is the calculation behind the 8 per cent decline in subsidies? It is based on a slight decline in food subsidy and a moderate decline in fertiliser subsidy. These are the two main elements. But the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana has been made completely free for FY25. It is free this year also. So, there is no incremental increase. We would have seen a decrease if it had not been done. We are not getting that decrease. It is stabilising at the current rate. Food subsidy is budgeted come down a bit in FY25. That is because certain past arrears were paid this year. That reflects the slight increase this year. But otherwise, it is stable. If fertiliser prices go up, would you allocate more for that? I do not think that will happen. We have looked at the estimates and are pretty clear that this is the likely trajectory. A little bit of increase or decrease (in prices) we can accommodate. We will be within our overall numbers. For two consecutive years, we have not been able to spend the amount allotted for capital expenditure fully. Why? For two consecutive years, we allotted so much for capital expenditure that they are able to spend only 95 per cent of the allocation. If you look at the actual capital expenditure, it has increased substantially. So, if you go on an ambitious increase, there will be some lags in the ability to spend it. It is natural and normal. In Q4FY24, you have to spend 29 per cent of your revised capital expenditure. That will happen. In the last quarter, 29 per cent is a very normal number. In the government, it is never 25 per cent. Approvals come. The last quarter is a peak period in every government, state and central. The interim Budget didn't extend the concessional corporate tax of 15 per cent for newly set up manufacturing units that expires on March 31. What's the reason? It has achieved its goals. I don't think it is worth extending it further. It was meant to be temporary to induce a particular quick response and it has served its purpose. Now, it should go back to normal. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com 'What has happened at Byju's is no surprise to anyone.' Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters The web of crisis at Byju's, India's leading edtech firm, has reached a crescendo as the company fights back investors who poured billions into it. How the fight ends remains to be seen, but murmurs within the startup world are gauging the spillover effect of the Byju's saga on the ecosystem. Once pegged as India's most-valued startup, Byju's is facing multiple challenges that include a massive cash crunch, delays in financial reporting and legal disputes with lenders. It is now raising $200 million through rights issues at a post-money valuation between $230 million and $250 million, a staggering 99 per cent drop from the $22 billion valuation the firm boasted in 2022. The verdict among fellow startups is divided so far. An industry executive said that investors tended to have a herd mentality. When things were going well for Byju's, they kept pumping money into the firm and inflated its valuation to about $22 billion, the executive pointed out. The recent numbers that the company filed for FY22 are worrisome. Byju's income grew to Rs 5,298.43 crore (Rs 52.98 billion) in FY22. But its losses widened to Rs 8,245.2 crore (Rs 82.45 billion) in FY22. Its total expenses for FY22 rose by 94 per cent to Rs 13,668.44 crore (Rs 136.68 billion). "How can you spend so much?" said a source, who added that the investors were praying that the company survived so that they could get some of their money back. The industry, meanwhile, is aghast at Byju Raveendran, the billionaire founder of the edtech that is facing calls for a change of leadership "I have no sympathy for Byju's because there's an integrity lapse, for which there is no excuse," said the founder of a large e-commerce startup who did not want to be identified. "I am glad there is some accountability now, which is a healthy sign for the startup ecosystem. It sends the right message to not just large startups but also to the upcoming generation of founders," this individual added. The disagreement between the founder and the investors has been building up since 2023. First, the auditor Deloitte resigned saying it did not receive necessary documents for filing results, which has been delayed. Also, investors who were the firm's early backers -- such as Prosus, Peak XV Partners (formerly known as Sequoia Capital India) and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative -- had stepped down from its board. Many are wondering why the investors took a long time to ask for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM). A consortium of key shareholders led by Prosus issued a notice to the embattled edtech firm, calling for an EGM to address 'persistent issues', which included a proposed change of management at the firm. According to sources, these shareholders will vote in an attempt to alter the company's existing board, which includes asking founder Raveendran to resign from his post of CEO and relinquish his operational role at the firm. An investor said the timing for seeking an EGM and the reason for doing so were both off the mark. They should have waited at least till the funds were raised through the ongoing rights issue, the investor said. "The kind of pressure investors are putting on the company and the stand they are taking are making many entrepreneurs a bit wary, as almost every founder is going through similar issues." Earlier, the investors were scared to highlight the problems at Byju's because they wanted to protect their investments, said a person familiar with the matter. "Now they are talking because they have nothing to lose. They are upset to know that the founder has decided to raise money through a rights issue, without consulting them. "Who does that, that too at a valuation, which is putting the firm back to its early days." Byju's, in a statement, has said that the investors have no right to ask its chief executive to step down, as they do not have voting rights to ask for such a critical change. "What has happened at Byju's is no surprise to anyone, and a problem at one company doesn't mean the whole startup ecosystem has to protect it," said an industry executive. "There are bad eggs everywhere, but it doesn't mean that investors are not bullish on India," said another executive. What the investors at Byju's were concerned about is that the leadership there has single-handedly eroded the value of the company, the executive added. "They have been making decisions that have been harmful to the company. The investors now understand that the valuation of the firm may not be $22 billion, but at the same time it can't be just $250 million." Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com Going by the RBI directive and the overall narrative, Paytm may have lost the rigour of stress tests, audits and compliance. IMAGE: A cutlery vendor switches on Paytm to receive payment details at a roadside market in Ahmedabad. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters Coldplay's A Sky Full of Stars reverberated in the large conference room of Paytm's Noida headquarters in the summer of 2016. On May 31, 2016, to be precise. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and chairman of One97 Communications -- the parent company of Paytm -- took on the role of DJ himself to bring cheer into the room before starting a presentation on the company's payments bank road map. Though many of the companies that had secured payments bank licences had exited the sector, finding the regulatory environment hard to handle, Sharma told the media during the presentation that the payments bank would be his group's top driver. To a question on whether there were regulatory challenges in banking, Sharma's reply was: "Not now, unless roadblocks come later. On KYC (know your customer), we are talking to the regulator to understand the rules..." To a follow-up question on whether he had concerns that many banking licensees had dropped out, he again put up a brave front, saying: "Not at all. People have to discover their business models. Ours is sorted. We may bring a new banking business to the world along with the Reserve Bank of India." Paytm Payments Bank got the licence in January 2017 and began operations in May that year. Seven years later, Sharma's startup-turned-financial heavyweight, with years of backing from Chinese tech major Alibaba, along with related entities and Japanese inv-estment firm SoftBank, finds itself cornered over serious regulatory violations centred around breach of KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) norms, suspicious mule accounts, as well as inter-mingling of businesses, thereby not adhering to arm's length distance rulebook. The RBI directed Paytm Payments Bank to stop almost all operations, including taking new deposits and transactions after February 29. Compliance conundrum Such violations were found earlier too, but, despite regulatory red flags and audits, the company showed little evidence of compliance, according to sources in the know. The commentary around the latest development is even pointing towards the possibility of Paytm Payments Bank losing its licence -- that, if it happens, is interpreted by the industry as an unusual and extraordinary move. So far, reactions within the government suggest some steps against the regulatory violations, stopping short of a clear direction. Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra has said in media interviews that the Directorate of Enforcement would initiate a probe if any fresh charges of fund siphoning are found. Malhotta told Business Standard no information of money laundering linked to Paytm Payments Bank had come to the revenue department so far. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship, and electronics and information technology, told reporters fintech firms were not above regulation, nor were they exempt from oversight. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her post-Budget interviews, refrained from commenting on the Paytm issue, but said the government was very enthusiastic about the fintech world and would like to engage with more shareholders in that space. Responding to the findings on the many violations that resulted in the RBI stopping the Paytm Payments Bank services, a company spokesperson sent a statement. 'The recent direction from the RBI is a part of the ongoing supervisory engagement and compliance process. 'The bank always upheld compliance and supervisory instructions in its interactions with the regulator from time to time, the statement said. Also, in a late night statement on February 4, 2024 to the National Stock Exchange, One97 Communications denied all 'speculation' around money laundering activities and any ED investigation into the matter. Sharma, when contacted, declined to comment. But soon after the RBI's directive, the 45-year-old entrepreneur had put up an optimistic post on X. 'To every Paytmer, your favourite app is working, will keep working beyond February 29 as usual...' He went on to say that for every challenge, there was a solution and that India will keep winning global accolades in payment innovation and inclusion in financial services with 'PaytmKaro' as its biggest champion. With Sharma and his top team busy with other banks to transfer payments and settlements from Paytm Payments Bank, the merchants' community is in a tizzy trying to resolve any uncertainty that may surface in the payment space after February 29. Confederation of All India Traders, for instance, has sent out advisories to all members on how to deal with the 'impending crisis'. In all, Paytm powers more than 30 million merchants and businesses. More than 300 million customers use Paytm to pay at stores. IMAGE: Paytm Founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters Beacon in cashless times Paytm, which now has competition in the form of other platforms, such as PhonePe and Google Pay in UPI (unified payments interface) payments, experienced a meteoric rise after the government's demonetisation move on November 8, 2016. It had started operations sometime in 2010, but the wallet service found critical mass six years later, after high-denomination currency notes (Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) were withdrawn. 'PaytmKaro' turned into a moniker of sorts in India's cashless times. There was a Paytm Payments Bank connect there, too. In an interview with Business Standard in December 2016, Sharma was asked how Paytm coped with so much demand for cashless transactions soon after demonetisation. He replied that the servers that were ready to roll out for the payments bank came in handy. Since there was a delay in Paytm getting the bank licence from the RBI, the payments bank plan was shifted to the middle of 2017. Till then, it had the wherewithal to handle the mass traffic. "The technology teams were proactively ready... We were preparing the platform and machinery for the payments bank. "We used those servers and systems already there and did not have to acquire new ones," Sharma had said. He also spoke about the systems getting secure, audits getting done, and going through the stress test drill to be ready for the payments bank. Going by the RBI directive and the overall narrative, Paytm and Sharma may have lost the rigour of stress tests, audits and compliance in the years that followed. Sharma's popularity on social media may have soared with his photographs alongside prominent personalities cutting across politics and businesses, but the latest RBI crackdown dealt a blow in the real world -- a washout of Rs 17,000 crore (Rs 170 billion) in the stock market in just two days. Is it time for a reset? Is there time for a reset? Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com Of the Rs 1.97 trillion that the government intends to spend on all 14 production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, around Rs 41,000 crore remains unutilised as of now, according to a senior government official. This means that 80 per cent of the total allocated amount, or Rs 1.56 trillion, will be used to pay incentives to companies eligible to claim benefits over the next few years. The unutilised amount/savings result from undersubscription, lukewarm responses in the case of schemes such as textile, as well as a reduction in the allocation of schemes. In some cases, beneficiaries' claims have also been rejected by government agencies as companies were unable to fulfil relevant criteria, resulting in lower-than-expected utilisation of the scheme. For instance, in 2020, the announced financial outlay for automotive and automotive components was Rs 57,042 crore, reduced by more than 50 per cent to Rs 25,938 crore when notifying the scheme in 2021. Top government officials believed that such high funds for the sector were not needed. By December 2021, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) estimated that total savings for the government under the PLI scheme had been Rs 11,484 crore, owing to a rejig in allocation among various PLI schemes. However, the savings can be utilised or reallocated to any other government department in need of funds for the PLI scheme, a provision made while designing the scheme. New PLI schemes Over the past year, several government departments have pushed for introducing more PLI schemes, although top government officials believe that new schemes should be rolled out after assessing the efficacy of the existing scheme. DPIIT has also recommended an outlay of Rs 3,489 crore for a PLI scheme on toys and Rs 2,600 crore for the leather and footwear sector. Government officials have clarified that the scheme is not yet approved by the Union Cabinet in both cases. Hence, the token provision has only been made for 2024-25. "An entity availing of benefits under any other PLI scheme of the Government of India shall not be eligible for the same product, according to the Interim Budget document. In a post-Budget interview last week, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal told Business Standard that not only DPIIT, but different departments have sought different PLI schemes, and many are under consideration. They will see which scheme will be useful and will be in the countrys best interest, Goyal had said. The Rs 1.97 trillion worth PLI scheme was launched in 2020-21 to make India a manufacturing powerhouse, improve the cost competitiveness of locally produced goods, create employment opportunities, curb cheap imports, and boost exports. The scheme has been launched for 14 sectors, including smartphone, drone, telecommunications, textile, automotive, consumer durables, and pharmaceutical, among others. Factors at work The 1.4% decline projected for 2025 is driven by a 5.6% (72,000) dip in the strength of railway employees to 1.2 million by next year. IMAGE: Railways employees at Surat station. Photograph: Kind courtesy Ministry of Railways, Government of India/Facebook The workforce in central government departments, excluding the central public sector enterprises (CPSEs), is estimated to decline by approximately 50,000 employees by March 2025. The overall expenditure on pay and allowances, however, is expected to increase by 6.9 per cent to Rs 3.2 trillion in the financial year 2024-2025, according to the latest Interim Budget documents. The Interim Budget documents for FY25 show central government employee strength is estimated to peak in 2024 at 3.51 million, growing 12 per cent over the preceding year. The 1.4 per cent decline projected for 2025 is driven by a 5.6 per cent (72,000) dip in the strength of the railway employees to 1.2 million by next year. Other key central government establishments such as police, posts, and defence (civil) are estimated to see a marginal increase in workforce by March 1 next year. Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha in December 2023, Minister of State in the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh, said instructions were issued to all ministries/departments of the central government to constitute an in-house committee for identification of backlog reserved vacancies, to study the root cause of such vacancies, to initiate measures to remove the factors causing such vacancies and to fill them up through special recruitment drives. "Each ministry/department of the central government is required to designate an officer of the rank of deputy secretary and above, as liaison officer, to ensure due compliance of the orders and instructions about reservation," the minister said. "Further, each ministry/department is required to set up a Special Reservation Cell under the direct control of the liaison officer to assist her/him in the discharge of duties. "Implementation of these instructions by ministries/departments is followed up from time to time and handholding workshops are also organised," Dr Singh added. "In a separate reply in the Rajya Sabha, in July 2023, Dr Singh said that according to the Annual Report of Pay Research Units of the Department of Expenditure, the number of vacancies in Group A, B, and C as of 1 March 2022 was 30,606; 110,000 and 820,000, respectively. According to the department of expenditure order in April 2017, when a post remains vacant for more than two to three years, the same becomes 'deemed abolished'. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the railways minister, informed the Rajya Sabha in December 2023 that recruitments are done periodically, anticipating vacancies and the needs on the ground. "The requirement of manpower in different categories also differs based on the change in priorities and technology upgradations," the railways minister said. "Railways have a dynamic process for identifying vacancies to be filled up and fill up the same in a continual manner. The vacancies are filled up primarily by placement of indents by Railways with recruitment agencies as per operational requirements," Vaishnaw added. As many as 294,115 vacancies were filled up in the last five years, up to September 30, 2023." Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Flagging "significant deficiencies" in the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Law Commission has recommended to the government that either the law be suitably amended to address existing gaps or a comprehensive legislation be brought in to effectively deal with future epidemics. IMAGE: Healthcare workers inspect the working of the medical equipment during the COVID-19 mock drill at civil hospital to ensure COVID management preparedness, in Ahmedabad, December 27, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo The panel headed by Justice (retired) Ritu Raj Awasthi has submitted its report to the government, calling for an exhaustive overhaul of the law. In his cover note to Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Justice Awasthi noted that the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed an unprecedented challenge for the Indian health infrastructure. "In the course of dealing with this crisis, certain limitations in the legal framework relating to health were realised. While the government was quick to respond to the emerging situation, it was felt that a more comprehensive law could have enabled a better response to the crisis," he said. The Law Commission, he said, holds the view that the existing legislation exhibits "significant deficiencies" in addressing the containment and management of future epidemics in the country as new infectious diseases or novel strains of existing pathogens may emerge. The immediate response to COVID-19 such as the imposition of a lockdown was invoked under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, he recalled. In light of the immediate challenges, especially those faced by the healthcare workers, Parliament amended the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 in 2020. "However, these amendments fell short as critical gaps and omissions remained in the Act," he noted. In its report, the law panel said that there is an "ardent need for comprehensive legislation" to deal with epidemics that provide for a coordinated response to unforeseen event. Considering the modern scientific advancements, the new or the amended Act should not only give the government mere stipulated powers "rather it should shape appropriate response mechanisms in preventing and controlling epidemic diseases," it said. The amended law or a new one must include a clear definition of an 'epidemic'. "For taking the appropriate measures to contain and control the epidemic diseases; and to demarcate the power between Centre and State, the stages of the disease must be defined such as an 'Outbreak' which further leads to an 'Epidemic' and a 'Pandemic'," it recommended. Similarly, the difference between 'quarantine' and 'isolation' should be clarified by appropriately defining these terms, it said. The Act must focus on the government's duties in controlling or regulating the production, distribution, transportation and storage of necessary vaccines, medicines and other medical equipment, it said, adding that currently, there is no specification in the Act which ensures the availability of essential vaccines and drugs during epidemic situations. The Epidemic Diseases Act should appropriately decentralise and demarcate the power between central, state and local authorities to regulate an unfolding epidemic crisis, it said. The law panel also suggested that a flexible enforcement mechanism is required for prevention, control and management of epidemic diseases as per the stage of the spread of infectious or contagious disease. "During COVID- I 9, to contain the spread of infection, various regulations pertaining to social distancing were enforced throughout the country. Hence, it becomes imperative to define such a term in the parent Act itself," the panel said. It said that a more appropriate word which must be used is 'Physical Distancing' and it may be defined as "Physical Distancing: An exercise of maintaining sufficient physical distance between individuals to limit the spread of infection." Proposing an 'Epidemic Plan' at the central level, it said the strategy should identify the nodal institutes and authorities which shall hold the primary responsibility of research and development of vaccines and other necessary drugs. The government should also develop a mechanism to coordinate between public and private medical research institutes, vaccine production companies and raw material suppliers so as to effectively manage the chain of vaccine research and its production. "By enacting provisions in the Epidemic Plan, the central government should regulate the purchase, supply, transportation, storage, distribution, and sale of such necessary vaccines and lifesaving drugs, (to avoid hoarding)," it stressed. Referring to enhanced penalty provisions, it noted that currently, the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, as amended, provides two types of penalties. First is in respect to contravention of any provision, order or rule made under the Act, which is punishable under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860. The second penalty was added by the 2020 amendment Act for commission or abetment of violence against healthcare service personnel or causing damage to any property as defined under the Act. "Thus, although the existing Act stipulates penalty for contravention of its provisions, the penalty as stated in Section 188 of the IPC is not stringent enough to act as an effective deterrent," it observed. The panel took up "a comprehensive review of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897" on a suo-motu basis. In the report, the committee further stated that the 'Epidemic Plan' should contain a broad framework for imposing lockdown and for imposing restrictions on the movement of people and vehicles. Apart from quarantine and isolation measures, the Epidemic Plan must contain guidelines for proper disinfection and decontamination, treatment of animals, goods, enclosures and any other place or substance to maintain hygiene and prevent any spread from such objects and places. Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party will not join hands with rival PML-N or the PPP to form a coalition government and would sit in the opposition despite having a majority in the newly elected Parliament, party leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said. Independent candidates, mostly affiliated with Khan's PTI, secured the most parliamentary seats in last week's general election. However, PTI does not have enough seats in the 266-member National Assembly to form a government on its own. We don't feel comfortable with both (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party) of them. There will be no talks with anyone to make a government or to make a government together with them. It is better to sit in the opposition than to make a government [with them], but we think we have the majority, Gohar Khan told Dawn News. The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced that independent candidates, a majority of them supported by the PTI secured 101 seats, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) getting 54 seats, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) bagging 17 seats. Other parties got 17 seats while the result of one constituency was withheld. Though the PTI initially claimed to form the government but its chances looked grim from the beginning as at least 169 seats, in the house of 336, were needed to form the government. A total of 266 seats are directly contested while 60 women-reserved seats and 10 minority seats are allocated based on proportional representation to the winning parties. As PTI was not allowed to contest as a single party with a common symbol, it was not qualified to get the reserved seats. The party hence decided to sit on the opposition benches, leaving the field open for PML-N and PPP as well as others to form a coalition, Gohar said, adding that the PTI would form a strong opposition. Gohar also called out all those politicians who switched loyalties in the past, saying they had been rejected outright by the people in the February 8 elections. He said the party was looking into the matter of the PTI-backed independent Waseem Qadir joining the PML-N led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The rest of the independent candidates are in touch with us and will stay with us, he asserted. He said that party founder and former premier Imran Khan had given instructions to form governments in the Centre, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab provinces. We will not remain outside or sit outside the assemblies. We have to sit in Parliament and find solutions to all problems there, he said, ostensibly a veiled reference to the party's 2014 sit-in outside Parliament as well as their decision to dissolve the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies in 2023 to force snap polls. Meanwhile, talks began between the two major parties for a coalition government soon after the results became available. Sources said that so far several open and behind-the-doors meetings have been held between the leaders of PML-N and PPP and other parties. The main hurdle is who will lead the government as both parties are pushing forward their candidates but after a lot of discussion, some sort of middle ground may emerge, according to a leader of the PML-N. A PPP leader said the party was not withdrawing from its demand that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should be the prime minister because he was endorsed for the post by the PPP's Central Executive Committee (CEC) even before the elections. An independent source said that a new formula for dividing the five-year tenure between the two parties was being discussed and could be acceptable for both groups. It has been proposed that a PML-N candidate will serve as prime minister for three years and PPP's leader for two years, the source said, adding that it was not yet decided who will get the first term. The PPP's CEC is scheduled to meet later on Monday where various proposals based on discussion with PML-N would be considered and some sort of decision would be made, the source said. In a related development, the PML-N is also considering proposing Shehbaz Sharif as a candidate for the post of prime minister instead of Nawaz Sharif who was poised to become the premier for the record fourth time but had to change his mind because he was not interested in leading a coalition government. The political wheeling and dealing has entered into an interesting phase and it is expected the shape of the new set-up would be decided within the next couple of days. Farmers will march towards Delhi on Tuesday after a meeting with two Union ministers over their demands, including legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) for crops, remained inconclusive. IMAGE: Paramilitary personnel stay vigil after security tightened ahead of the Farmers' march to Delhi, which is scheduled to be held on 13th February, in Ambala, February 10, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Authorities in Haryana have fortified the state's borders with Punjab at many places in Ambala, Jind, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra and Sirsa using concrete blocks, iron nails and barbed wire to scuttle the proposed march. The Haryana government has also imposed restrictions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in as many as 15 districts, prohibiting the assembly of five or more people and banning any kind of demonstration or march with tractor trolleys. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have announced that farmers will head to Delhi on Tuesday to press the Centre to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee an MSP for crops. The farmers have announced to start the march at 10 am. They plan to head to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-Jind and the Dabwali borders. Following a second round of meeting that lasted more than five hours with the Centre late on Monday, Sarwan Singh Panhder -- general secretary of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee -- said, "We do not think the government is serious about any of our demands. We do not think they want to fulfil our demands -- Tomorrow, we will march towards Delhi at 10 am." However, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda, who, along with Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal, attended the second round of talks with the farm leaders, said a consensus was reached on most issues and a formula was proposed for resolving some others through the formation of a committee. "We are still hopeful that farmer bodies will hold talks We will try to resolve issues in the coming days," Munda said after the meeting. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said the government wanted the formation of a committee on the issues of giving legal guarantee to MSP, debt waiver and the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations. "We will apprise our farmers in a forum what happened in the meeting," he said. "It is our compulsion to move towards Delhi," he added when asked about the 'Delhi Chalo' march call. Besides a legal guarantee for MSP, the farmers are also demanding implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pensions for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act -- 2013, withdrawal from the World Trade Organization, and compensation for families of farmers who died during the previous agitation, among others. On Monday, tractor trolleys set out from different parts of Punjab to join the protest march. Many farmers on their tractor trolleys assembled at Mehlan Kalan Chowk in Sangrur district. On the tractor trolleys sporting flags of the farm unions, farmers packed essential items, including dry ration, mattresses and utensils, among others. An excavator was also among the convoy of tractor trolleys, with a farmer in Amritsar saying it would be used to break barricades. In Haryana, 64 companies of paramilitary personnel and 50 from the Haryana Police have been deployed across various districts. These personnel are equipped with anti-riot gear and stationed in the border and the sensitive districts. Additionally, drones and CCTV cameras are being used to monitor miscreants and mischievous elements, said a spokesperson. The Haryana Police is fully capable of addressing any disturbances or untoward incidents, said the spokesperson. Setting foot to their homeland after several agonising months of captivity in Qatar, seven of the eight Indian navy veterans who were sentenced to death on 'espionage' charges, heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying they wouldn't have been freed had it for the sustained diplomatic efforts at his behest to secure their release. IMAGE: Indian Navy veterans return to New Delhi airport after being released by Qatar, on Monday morning. Photograph: ANI on X Their death sentence was later commuted to an extended prison term following sustained diplomatic interventions and legal assistance from New Delhi. Relieved to finally walk free, the seven former Navy officers raised chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' after arriving at the Delhi airport in the early hours of Monday. Speaking to ANI, one of the Navy veterans lauded Modi for raising their sentencing with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and attributed their release to relentless diplomatic efforts at his behest. "I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldn't have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar," he said. Wearing a relieving smile and a calm demeanour, another released former naval officer told ANI, "Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldn't be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom." Another freed navy veteran also came out in praise of the Centre's intervention in securing their release, saying, "We, as well as our anxious family members back home, had been waiting for this day for a long time. It all worked out because of PM Modi and his personal intervention in the matter. He took up our case with the highest levels of the Qatari government and eventually secured our release. I don't have enough words to express my gratitude to him and the Emir of Qatar." "We are very happy to be back and it wouldn't have been possible had the honourable Prime Minister not taken personal interest in the matter. I also thank the Qatar Emir for his personal involvement in the matter," another former Navy officer told ANI. "We waited almost 18 months to be back home to our loved ones in India. We are extremely grateful to PM Modi for getting us back. We wouldn't have seen this day without the joint efforts of PM Modi and the Emir of Qatar. The personal equations that the two leaders share also helped in our release," another Navy veteran told ANI after landing in Delhi. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday visited the troubled pockets of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, and spoke to women protestors who alleged sexual harassment and torture by absconding Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. IMAGE: TMC supporters hold placards against West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose as his convoy passes Sandeshkhali area in protest against the Centre not releasing funds to the eastern state, in North 24 Parganas, February 12, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The governor assured the "tortured" women, who tied rakhis on his wrist, all help to get justice. "What I saw was ghastly, shocking, shattering to my senses. I saw something which I should never have seen; I heard many things which I should never have heard. I cannot believe this could happen in Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore's land," Bose told reporters. The governor said that he would "fight it out" under the provisions of the Constitution, as per the laws of the land and whatever is within his powers. "Do not be worried. You will surely get justice," Bose told the local women, several of whom came to meet him covering their faces apparently to hide their identities. The women were heard saying: "We want peace, security for ourselves. We cannot stand this torture anymore". Before meeting the women, Bose also held a meeting with the senior police officers present there to take stock of the situation and directed them to take strict measures immediately. The Governor has already sought a comprehensive report on the Sandeshkhali situation from the state government. Cutting short his Kerala trip, Bose reached Kolkata and went straight to Sandeshkhali. "I am going to Sandeskhali as I want to see for myself what the real sandesh (message) from the gullies (lanes) of Sandeshkhali are," Bose said after arriving at the Kolkata airport on Monday morning. Earlier in the day, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dilip Ghosh expressed apprehension on whether the governor would be "allowed" to visit the troubled areas of Sandeshkhali to review the situation there. "He (Governor) is a sensitive man and knows that people are being tortured there. I fear he may be shown black flags. His predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar faced several such incidents," Ghosh told reporters in Kolkata on Monday morning. The police said that the situation in Sandeshkhali remained "peaceful" now and nobody would be allowed to disrupt the law and order there. "Now, no untoward incident has been reported there. We will not allow anybody to disrupt the law and order situation there and will take strict action against those who violate the law," a senior police officer said. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC are in force in Sandeshkhali. Days after United Democratic Front MP NK Premachandran had lunch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Parliament House canteen, the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist criticised the leader while Congress and the Revolutionary Socialist Party came in support and made it clear that there was nothing wrong in accepting the invitation extended by the Prime Minister. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi having lunch with Union Minister of State L Murugan (right), RSP MP NK Premachandran (third from left) and other MPs, at the Parliament canteen, in New Delhi, February 9, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Premachandran is a leader of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, an ally of the Congress-led UDF Opposition in the southern state. Earlier, CPI-M leadership came down heavily against NK Premachandran for accepting the PM's invitation to have lunch with him in the Parliament House canteen on February 9 and alleged that it was a "newfound closeness" with the RSS. Left Democratic Front convener EP Jayarajan said that RSP's Premachandran is part of the UDF alliance and what was the need and meaning of having lunch with PM Modi. "RSP's Premachandran is part of the UDF alliance. He is one among the eight people whom PM Narendra Modi invited for lunch. What is the meaning of this? What is the understanding and connection between BJP and UDF? He did not invite Shashi Tharoor. If the orientation of Lok Sabha is important then the first person to be invited from UDF is Shashi Tharoor. What is the meaning of this invitation?" he added. Meanwhile, the Congress and RSP whole-heartedly backed the Kollam MP. Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said the Marxist party was deliberately creating controversies as they had nothing else to say. In Thiruvananthapuram, senior Congress Leader and MP K Muraleedharan also extended support to the Kollam MP and said if he received a similar invitation from the PMO, he would also have accepted it. "What is controversial in it? CM called me for a virtual meeting to talk about the Centre and I joined the meeting. Or if the CM is calling me to his office, should I not go as Leader of Opposition? Should I say no I won't Come? The party is deliberately creating controversies," he added. Meanwhile, Minister of State V Muraleedharan said that NK Premachandran to have lunch with the Prime Minister. "If the CM can invite for iftar and Christmas why can't the PM invite MPs for a lunch? What is wrong with that? I don't understand what mistake did PM Modi commit. Whether it's 8 or 80, everyone has the authority and freedom," he added. While Premachandran justified his accepting the invitation from the PMO saying it was a friendly meeting beyond politics, senior CPI(M). "If I am invited for lunch, it's against my culture to deny it. What I have to ask you is, when CM invited the opposition for a Christian feast based on what culture did the opposition not participate? Biju Janata Dal leader Sasmit Patra, RSP leader NK Premachandran, Telugu Desam Party's K Ram Mohan Naidu, Bahujan Samaj Party's Ritesh Pandey and some Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, including Union Minister L Murugan and Heena Gavit, were with PM Modi as they had lunch together at the Parliament House canteen on February 9. Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United on Sunday exuded confidence that its national president, who was sworn in as Bihar CM for a record ninth time after forming a new government with the Bharatiya Janata Party, will win Monday's trust vote. IMAGE: A view of the JD-U headquarters on the eve of the floor test in Bihar Assembly, in Patna on Sunday, February 11, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo State parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who convened a meeting of the JD-U legislative party, downplayed the absence of 'two or three MLAs', attributing it to 'unavoidable circumstances about which they had given prior information'. He emphasised that the absentees would be present in the assembly during the floor test. "We in the NDA have a total strength of 128 MLAs. In the 243-strong assembly, we are comfortably placed. All our MLAs will be present inside the House where a no-confidence motion against the Speaker will precede the trust vote", said Chaudhary. The senior JD-U leader evaded a direct reply on the exact number of MLAs who skipped the meet. "All except two or three were present. Those who did not come had informed the party leadership about the unavoidable circumstances that kept them away. They will, however, be there inside the House tomorrow," claimed Chaudhary. JD-U sources requesting anonymity said the three MLAs who were not spotted at the meeting were Sudharshan Kumar Singh, Bima Bharti and Dilip Roy. The JD-U has altogether 45 MLAs, excluding the chief minister who is a member of the legislative council. Chaudhary said, "According to the schedule prepared for tomorrow's proceedings, the House will first take up the no confidence motion against the Speaker. As required under the rules, 38 MLAs will rise in their seats to endorse the motion after which the Speaker will have to make way for his deputy who will conduct the proceedings until a new Speaker is elected." Notably, Deputy Speaker Maheshwar Hazari belongs to the JD-U while Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary belongs to the Rashtriya Janata Dal, which has lost power as a result of the latest volte face by Nitish Kumar. Chaudhary was also questioned about the assertive stance taken by RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha, who earlier in the day emphasised that the party would continue to battle on the Speaker's issue until the end. Jha cited a couple of Supreme Court judgments, stating that removal would require a vote by a majority of the members of the House Chaudhary replied, "We know the rules as well as he (Jha) does. Everything will take place as per the rules." Political temperature is soaring in the Bihar capital ahead of the trust vote, with all the major players working towards keeping their flock together. BJP MLAs, who were in Bodh Gaya to attend a two-day workshop, were brought back to the state capital late Sunday evening. The party has 78 MLAs. Party sources said a couple of MLAs had skipped the two-day workshop, but did not reveal their names. The National Democratic Alliance also includes four MLAs of Hindustani Awam Morcha headed by former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who has issued a whip amid rumours that he might get tempted by the RJD-helmed Mahagathbandhan which has offered him the Chief Minister's post in exchange for a switch over. In addition, there is Independent MLA Sumit Kumar Singh, who is also a minister and had turned up at the JD-U legislative party meet. Meanwhile, MLAs of the Congress, who had been stationed in Telangana for a week amid fears of poaching, returned. The party has 19 MLAs, all of whom have reached 5, Deshratna Marg, the bungalow allotted to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav when he was the Deputy CM. RJD MLAs, along with their Left allies, have been putting up at Yadav's residence since Saturday night and they are likely to reach the Vidhan Sabha on Monday together in a show of solidarity. The Mahagathbandhan, which comprises the RJD, the Congress, the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist-Liberation, the CPI and the CPI-Marxist has 114 MLAs. Besides, there is one member of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, headed by Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who has not revealed his cards. The number of rejected ballots was greater than the margin of victory in at least 24 National Assembly constituencies, according to an interesting statistical nugget from Pakistan's recent general elections. IMAGE: Polling staff count ballots at a polling station after polls closed, during the general election, in Lahore, Pakistan on February 8, 2024. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters The difference potentially opens doors for legal battles as several losing candidates have flooded the courts with petitions to review the results. According to a report in the Dawn newspaper, 22 constituencies with a greater number of rejected votes than the margin of victory fell in Punjab, with one each in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh province. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won the electoral race in 13 of these constituencies, five were claimed by the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), four by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independents and two by other independents. Going by their numerical strength, both the PML-N and the PPP are in a position to form a coalition government in the Centre. However, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif announced that all parties except PTI should join hands in the upcoming coalition set-up. According to the results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) till Sunday, of the total 265 National Assembly seats, PTI-backed Independents bagged 93 seats, followed by PML-N at 73, PPP at 54, MQM at 17 and others at 19. The highest number of rejected votes was in the NA-59 (Talagang-cum-Chakwal) area of Punjab where Sardar Ghulam Abbas of PML-N secured 141,680 votes against his closest rival PTI-backed Muhammad Ruman Ahmad, who got 129,716 votes. The margin of victory was 11,964 while the number of ballot papers rejected was 24,547. It was followed by NA-213 Umerkot (17,571 ballots). The lowest number of ballots excluded are reported from NA-236 Karachi East-II (51 ballots). In total, around two million ballot papers have been excluded from the count from the 265 National Assembly constituencies. As many as four constituencies have more than 15,000 excluded ballots each. Another 21 constituencies have excluded 10,000 to 15,000 ballots. A large number of constituencies (137) reported excluded votes in the range of 5,000 to 10,000. A total of 67 constituencies have reported fewer than 5,000 but greater than 1,000 excluded ballots. Only six constituencies have reported fewer than 1,000 excluded ballots each. The top leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party have discussed a new power-sharing formula for dividing the five-year tenure between them, as efforts to form a coalition government gathered pace on Monday following a split verdict in the elections. IMAGE: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif speaks at the party office of Pakistan Muslim League-N, at Model Town in Lahore, on February 9, 2024. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters Despite independent candidates backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party winning the most seats in Parliament, questions loom over what the next government of Pakistan will look like. None of the three major parties, the PML-N, the PPP, or the PTI have won the necessary seats to secure a majority in the 266-member National Assembly and, therefore, will be unable to form government on their own, leaving it unclear who will be picked as the cash-strapped country's next prime minister. The leaders of PML-N and the PPP discussed the idea of appointing a prime minister for half the term during their first meeting held on Sunday following the February 8 elections as part of their efforts to form a coalition government in the Centre and provinces, according to a source privy to the development. It has been proposed that a PML-N candidate will serve as prime minister for three years and PPP's leader for two years, the source said, adding that it was not yet decided who will get the first term. The meeting was attended by PPP-Parliamentarian President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari, and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif from the PML-N. The same power-sharing formula was chalked out by PML-N and National Party in Balochistan in 2013 when two chief ministers from the two parties held office for half of the five-year term. PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is still in the race for the prime ministerial slot despite his party not securing a simple majority in the Feb 8 general elections in Pakistan, some PML-N leaders said on Monday. We are having discussion with the PPP over power-sharing formula in the upcoming coalition government in the Centre and Nawaz Sharif cannot be ruled out as the prime ministerial candidate, PML-N Senator Irfan Saddique told a private news channel. He said Nawaz Sharif, 74, is the candidate for the prime minister slot from the PML-N. In the Sunday meeting at the Bilawal House in Lahore, the two sides agreed in principle to cooperate for the country's political stability following the general election, the sources said. They confirmed that so far several open and behind-the-doors meetings have been held between the leaders of PML-N and PPP and other parties since the powerful Pakistan Army has also indicated that they will back a unity government to pull the country out of the challenges it faced. The main hurdle is who will lead the government as both parties are pushing forward their candidates but after a lot of discussion, some sort of middle ground may emerge, according to a leader of the PML-N. A PPP leader said the party was not withdrawing from its demand that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari should be the prime minister because he was endorsed for the post by the PPP's Central Executive Committee even before the elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced that independent candidates, a majority of them supported by the PTI secured 101 seats, followed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with 75 seats, Pakistan Peoples Party getting 54 seats, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan bagging 17 seats. Other parties got 17 seats while the result of one constituency was withheld. Though the PTI initially claimed to form the government but its chances looked grim from the beginning as at least 169 seats, in the house of 336, were needed to form the government. A total of 266 seats are directly contested while 60 women-reserved seats and 10 minority seats are allocated based on proportional representation to the winning parties. As PTI was not allowed to contest as a single party with a common symbol, it was not qualified to get the reserved seats. The PTI hence decided to sit on the opposition benches, leaving the field open for PML-N and PPP as well as others to form a coalition, party leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said, adding that the PTI would form a strong opposition. We don't feel comfortable with both (PML-N and PPP) of them. There will be no talks with anyone to make a government or to make a government together with them. It is better to sit in the opposition than to make a government [with them], but we think we have the majority, Gohar Khan told Dawn News on Sunday. Meanwhile, talks began between the two major parties for a coalition government soon after the results became available. Sources said that so far several open and behind-the-doors meetings have been held between the leaders of PML-N and PPP and other parties. The main hurdle is who will lead the government as both parties are pushing forward their candidates but after a lot of discussion, some sort of middle ground may emerge, according to a leader of the PML-N. A PPP leader said the party was not withdrawing from its demand that Bilawal should be the prime minister because he was endorsed for the post by the PPP's central executive committee even before the elections. In a related development, the PML-N is also considering proposing Shehbaz Sharif as a candidate for the post of prime minister instead of Nawaz Sharif who was poised to become the premier for the record fourth time but had to change his mind because he was not interested in leading a coalition government. The political wheeling and dealing has entered into an interesting phase and it is expected the shape of the new set-up would be decided within the next couple of days. Qatar has released eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel and seven of them returned home on Monday morning, in what is being seen as a major diplomatic victory for India that came nearly three-and-a-half months after a Qatari court handed them death sentence that was subsequently commuted to jail terms. IMAGE: A combination of pictures shows the ex-Indian Navy veterans, who were in custody in Qatar, have arrived at the Delhi airport, on Monday. Photograph: ANI Photo Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself constantly supervised all the developments in the case and has never shied away from any initiatives to ensure the return of the Indians. At a media briefing, the foreign secretary announced that Modi will travel to Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday after concluding his two-day trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but indicated that the trip was long conceived. The foreign secretary, without elaborating, said New Delhi continues to work with the Qatari government to ensure the early return of the eighth Indian. In an early morning statement, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said India appreciates the decision by the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani enabling the release and homecoming of the Indians. The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public. "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar," the MEA said. "Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and homecoming of these nationals," it said in a brief statement. The eight nationals are: Captains Navtej Gill and Saurabh Vasisht, Commanders Purnendu Tiwari, Amit Nagpal, SK Gupta, BK Verma and Sugunakar Pakala, and sailor Ragesh. Commander Tiwari could not return due to some pending paperwork, people familiar with the matter said. The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation on December 28 commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations ranging from three to 25 years. The Court of Appeal had also given 60 days to appeal against the prison terms. In December, Prime Minister Modi had met the Qatari Emir on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai and discussed the "well-being of the Indian community" in Qatar. It is learnt that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval played a key role in the negotiations with Qatari authorities in securing the release of the Indians as he paid a number of quiet visits to Doha. The Indian nationals, who worked with private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August 2022 reportedly in an alleged case of espionage. The charges were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 last year and they were tried under Qatari law. In May last year, Al-Dhara Global closed its operations in Doha and all those working there (primarily Indians) have since returned home. "After completing his UAE visit, on February 14, the prime minister will travel to Doha, Qatar, on February 14 afternoon. During the visit the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad, the amir of Qatar, and other high dignitaries," Kwatra said on Monday. The foreign secretary said India is grateful to Qatar for the return of the Indians. "We are gratified on their return. We deeply appreciate the decision of Qatar's government and the Amir to release them," Kwatra said. "We are happy to have seven of those Indian nationals back. The eighth Indian national has also been released and we continue to work with the Qatar government to see how quickly his return to India would be possible," he said. "The prime minister has himself personally constantly supervised all the developments in this case and has never shied away from any initiatives that would ensure the return of the Indian nationals back to home," he said. Asked whether the Qatari emir granted a royal pardon to the Indians, the foreign secretary declined to comment. "We can talk about different terminology etc.. whether it is a release or pardon... but I think we should see the facts for what they are. Seven of the eight Indian nationals in the Al Dahra case are back in India, back to their homes," he said. "We are gratified about it and appreciate the gesture of the Emir of Qatar for the release," he said. The Indian nationals arrived at the Delhi airport by a private airline at around 2.35 am. People familiar with the matter said their families were informed after they boarded the flight in Qatar. The Municipal Corporation here on Monday issued a recovery notice of Rs 2.44 crore against Abdul Malik, a key accused in the Banbhoolpura violence, for allegedly causing damage to government properties. IMAGE: Police personnel stand guard after violence broke out at Banbhoolpura, following an anti-encroachment drive in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, February 8, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo According to the notice, Malik's supporters attacked the team that had gone to carry out the demolition drive in 'Malik Ka Bagicha' and damaged the properties of the municipal corporation. The notice also mentions the FIR lodged on the day of the incident on February 8 in which Malik has been named. The initial assessment of loss allegedly caused by Malik is Rs 2.44 crore, the civic body said, asking him to deposit this amount with Municipal Corporation, Haldwani by February 15. If this is not done then the recovery will be done from him through legal means, the notice said. Malik had allegedly built the illegal structure whose demolition triggered the violence in the town leaving six people dead and more than a 100 injured, including police and media personnel. In the February 8 rioting, police personnel and municipal corporation workers were attacked and a police station was set on fire. Six people, including five alleged to be rioters, were killed while 60 people were injured in the violence during the demolition of the madrasa and an adjoining structure used for prayers. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea challenging the constitutional validity of certain provisions of the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act. IMAGE: A view of the Supreme Court of India. Photograph: ANI Photo The Act, which received President's assent on April 19, 2022, empowers police and investigators to obtain physical and biological samples of those accused of crimes. The Act replaced the century-old Identification of Prisoners Act of 1920, whose scope was limited to capturing finger and footprint impressions and photographs of certain categories of accused under the instructions of a magistrate. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta gave liberty to petitioners Internet Freedom Foundation and Criminal Justice and Police Accountability Project, who had jointly filed the petition, to approach the high court. "Why don't you go to the high court? We will have the benefit of the high court's view on the issue," the bench told advocate Abhinav Sekhri, appearing for IFF. Arguing that there was a "complex interplay" between various laws, the counsel highlighted the alleged excessive delegation of authority without adequate safeguards for privacy and following the due process. Urging the court to intervene in the matter, the counsel referred to the change that has been brought about with respect to the rule-making provision and said while "the Identification of Prisoners Act conferred rule-making power only on the states, today, there is a critical change where that field is now occupied by both the Centre and the state. The central rules are also impugned before this court." Justice Khanna, however, asked the counsel to approach the high court. "All constitutional courts are competent to deal with these important issues. Please go there. Sorry," he said. The bench ordered, "We are not inclined to entertain the present writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution. We leave it open for the petitioner to approach the jurisdictional high court by a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution. We clarify that we have not made any comments or observations on the merits of the case." Article 32 gives every Indian citizen the right to directly approach the Supreme Court in case they are deprived of their fundamental rights and seek constitutional remedy. Article 226 empowers high courts to issue writ orders to any person or authority across their respective jurisdictions. Apart from providing legal sanction to police to obtain physical and biological samples of convicts and detainees for investigation in criminal matters, the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act also empowers a magistrate to order measurements or photographs of a person to be taken to aid the investigation of an offence. Under the law, in case of acquittal or discharge of the person, all material must be destroyed. The Act explains the types of data that may be collected, the people from whom such data may be collected and the authority that can authorise such collection. It also provides for the data to be stored in a central database. Both the 1920 and 2022 laws made it clear that any resistance or refusal to allow the collection of data will be considered as an offence of obstructing a public servant from doing his duty. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which is all set to form the coalition government in Pakistan along with the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), on Sunday managed to secure the support of the first independent candidate backed by Imran Khan's party to increase its strength in Parliament. IMAGE: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif speaks at the party office of Pakistan Muslim League-N, at Model Town in Lahore, on February 9, 2024. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters Wasim Qadir, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidate who defeated PML-N's stalwart Sheikh Rohail Asghar from Lahore's National Assembly-121 constituency, joined the PML-N after a meeting with Maryam Nawaz, daughter of the party supremo Nawaz Sharif, at her residence. "I have joined PML-N as it is my home," Qadir said after the meeting. According to sources in the PML-N, the 'working' on the PTI-backed winners have been underway and in the next 24 to 48 hours more such candidates will join the PML-N of Sharifs. "The establishment will make sure that it sends as many PTI-backed independent candidates to the PML-N camp so that it's dependence on the PPP of Bhuttos could be minimal," the sources said, adding that the PPP wants the prime minister's slot in which the establishment is keen to install its favourite, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif. Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif met with PPP leadership Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Lahore and announced 'political cooperation' between the two parties. In a joint statement after the meeting, both the parties agreed to 'save the country from political instability'. It said the PPP will place the suggestions of the PML-N leadership before it's central executive committee on Monday and will give it's response. Earlier on Sunday, the PML-N enhanced its efforts to form a coalition government in Islamabad. A delegation of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), which grabbed 17 national assembly seats, called on the Sharif brothers -- Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif -- in their Jati Umra Raiwind residence and agreed in principle to work together in forming the government. "We will work together in the interest of the country and public. The basic points had been agreed upon by the two parties," a PMLN statement said after the meeting. The MQM-P's delegation comprised Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar, Kamran Tessori and Mustafa Kamal. The MQM-P, which is mainly a Karachi-based party, had formed an alliance with the PML-N ahead of Feb 8 polls. Going by their numerical strength, both the PML-N and the PPP are in a position to form a coalition government in the Centre. However, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif announced that all parties except PTI should join hands in the upcoming set up. According to the results announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) till Sunday, of the total 265 National Assembly seats, PTI-backed Independents bagged 93 seats, followed by PML-N at 73, PPP 54, MQM 17 and others 19. Sources said that both PML-N and PPP want the prime ministerial slot. "Shehbaz Sharif is favourite for the PM office for being more close to the military establishment. Besides, PML-N has more seats in Parliament than the PPP. The PPP wants the PM's slot for Bilawal Bhutto Zardari," they said, adding that Asif Zardari has sought the coveted office from Nawaz Sharif. "Shehbaz is a blue-eyed boy of the military establishment, which feels much comfortable working with him. The new government set up will be like that of PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) one," the sources said. Six Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, were suspended from the West Bengal assembly over staging protests in the House in view of unrest in Sandeshkhali. IMAGE: Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari addresses the media during a protest against Bengal Sandeshkhali violence, outside Governor House in Kolkata on Saturday. MLA Agnimitra Paul is also present. Photograph: ANI Photo Besides Adhikari, Agnimitra Pal, Mihir Goswami, Bankim Ghosh, Tapasi Mondal and Shankar Ghosh were suspended for the remaining part of the current session or 30 days, whichever is earlier. Since the beginning of the question hour, BJP legislators started shouting slogans against the Trinamool Congress government for the present unrest in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, which has snowballed into a major political controversy. The BJP MLAs sat on the floor of the House, shouting slogans which led to a ruckus inside the assembly. They were also seen wearing white shirts with the inscription 'We are with Sandeshkhali' in red. Speaker Biman Banerjee then allowed Trinamool Congress MLA Sobhandeb Chatterjee to move a motion for the suspension of the BJP legislators. Subsequently, the BJP MLAs were suspended by the Speaker. Later, Chatterjee said that the BJP legislators were not maintaining the decorum and discipline of the House and always tried to disrupt the proceedings. "Enough leeway was given to them and this had crossed the limit of tolerance," he said. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali held protests in the last few days, alleging that local TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan and his 'gang' captured swathes of land by force, besides sexually harassing them. They demanded the arrest of Shajahan who has been absconding since last month after a team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that went to raid his house in an alleged ration scam was attacked by a mob. Additional paramilitary forces were deployed Monday in the town's Banbhoolpura area where violence erupted last week after authorities demolished an 'illegally built' madrasa, officials said. IMAGE: A glimpse of the aftermath of violence that broke out at Banbhoolpura, in Haldwani on February 9, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Nainital District Magistrate Vandana Singh said 120 arms licences have been cancelled in Banbhoolpura and the police are trying to trace people who took part in the rioting on February 8 in which police personnel and municipal corporation workers were attacked and a police station set on fire. Six people, including five alleged to be rioters, were killed while 60 people were injured in the violence, officials said. "Every effort is being made to maintain peace in Haldwani," Singh said. She added that the situation in all areas of Haldwani, including Banbhoolpura, is now 'normal and under control'. Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prahlad Meena said additional companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed at sensitive places in Banbhoolpura. Earlier, over 1,000 security personnel were already deployed in the area. The curfew has been lifted in the rest of Haldwani except the Banbhoolpura area, after which the administration has started streamlining the essential services, the officials said. "Buses, trains and other essential services have been started in Haldwani. Schools and markets have opened. The restrictions are limited to Banbhoolpura," the DM said. SSP Meena said essential commodities are being supplied to the residents of the curfew-hit area and more facilities will also be provided to them soon. Banbhoolpura Primary Health Centre and the medical stores in the area have been opened and gas cylinders are also being supplied to the residents, Meena said. General manager of Kumaon Mandal Development Corporation A P Vajpayee said gas cylinders are also being distributed in other curfew-affected areas like Kidwai Nagar, Indira Nagar, and Nai Basti among others. Along with this, vendors of vegetables, milk and other essential items are being allowed into the Banbhoolpura area, he said. The police have so far arrested 30 people on charges of inciting violence during the demolition of the 'illegal' madrasa and a structure where namaz was held. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Considerable cloudiness. High 44F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. A few flurries are possible. Low 29F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. BRATTLEBORO Due to unforeseen work and delays, contracts are being amended for the flood restoration project underway at 250 Birge St. More geological work is needed than initially anticipated, Brattleboro Planning Director Sue Fillion said at the Select Board meeting Tuesday. Required projects by the State Division of Historic Preservation and Federal Emergency Management Agency will cost an additional approximately $205,000. "That's not only the field work but the curation of all the artifacts that they found on the site, which is about 12,000 artifacts," Fillion said. "A lot of nails, a lot of broken glass. We're talking about artifacts from the late 1800s, early 1900s, in a pretty well documented period of time, but we could not move the state off of what they wanted to see collected at the site and curated to help tell the story." Fillion said the town's consultant has been "very open and honest in working with us and feeling like ... it's a bit too much for what the site is but nonetheless, the state and FEMA are requiring it." "That is a huge cost increase on this project," Fillion said. Another bump in price has to do with delays with archaeology that moved the project into the spring. Fillion said consulting engineers overseeing the work will need to stay on and additional FEMA requirements will need to be met. On Tuesday, the board authorized the town manager to amend contracts to add about $205,000 for archaeological services and $35,000 for additional engineering/permitting services. Fillion said 75 percent of the project will be funded by FEMA and 25 percent will come from Vermont Emergency Management. Vermont Emergency Management is requesting additional funds for the project from FEMA and agreed to pay more than its match if FEMA doesn't oblige. "They don't expect that to happen," Fillion told the Select Board. "It's just going to take some time. So we wanted you to be aware that our consultants are pushing for contract amendments." Board Vice Chairman Franz Reichsman said attempting "to preserve broken pieces of glass from 1955, to me, is in fact ridiculous, but here we are, we've received assurances that it will be paid for by other people." Board Chairman Ian Goodnow suggested looking at how the town could learn from the project. Going from about $69,000 to $274,000 for geology work is "a really crazy difference," he said. "Because FEMA is so slow, it's almost like you want to request more to begin with so you don't have to do these overrun requests," Fillion said, adding that the agency hadn't been able to provide guidance when the town received a range of different bids for the project. Brattleboro floodplain project builds resilience in the face of climate change BRATTLEBORO Tons of fill has been removed from Sawdust Alley and more will be taken out to Fill had been removed from the site known as Sawdust Alley in the summer to lower the level of the 12-acre parcel to that of the Whetstone Brook. Floodplain benches will allow water to move into those areas and slow the flow of big rain events. The Vermont River Conservancy bought the parcel from Cersosimo Industries in 2017 and plans to turn it over to the town as a public passive recreation area. The parcel includes nearly 2,000 feet of frontage on Whetstone Brook and was a naturally functioning floodplain prior to the intensive industrialization of the Whetstone Brook corridor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to information from FEMA. FEMA reviewed the site and supplied some of the funds for the project. The project also received funds from the federal Brownfields Cleanup fund from FEMA. About 38,000 cubic yards were deposited on the site over the years, raising the parcel's surface level six to eight feet about its natural elevation. "Engineering surveys indicate that approximately 40 acres of floodwater storage has been lost, with the resultant increase in flood inundation elevations and erosion damage to downstream properties in the urban core of Brattleboro during moderate to severe flood events," a FEMA study of the site states. Brian Bannon, Brattleboro's zoning administrator and hazard mitigation coordinator, previously said this project and one completed at Melrose Terrace in West Brattleboro will protect homes and businesses all along the Whetstone Brook. "Because our rivers and brooks were managed, straightened, channelized, and deepened for industry, they don't act like normal brooks," Bannon said. "They flow much faster, and they erode much more explosively and disastrously." You are the owner of this article. Sister Wan is on a mission to serve up authentic snacks from back home over Lunar New Year. For Sister Wan, who says she may never be able to return to Hong Kong, food is a way of preserving her links to home. From time to time, she drags her cart through different markets in Taiwan, looking for ingredients to make Hong Kong-style food. In the three years since she fled Hong Kong, Sister Wan has become a familiar figure in the markets of the Taiwanese coastal town of Tamsui, as she seeks to make the foods that will recreate the tastes of home. Like thousands of others, Wan left Hong Kong amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent to settle in democratic Taiwan, leaving behind a popular market stall in the citys Tuen Mun district where she had sold tea and savory rice congee for six decades, to start afresh somewhere new. Congee, known in Cantonese as juk, is known in many East and Southeast Asian cultures as a comfort food associated with sickness, and has historically also been associated with ritual fasting. But in Hong Kong, it has diversified into a one-stop meal for all seasons, served up across the city by outlets ranging from cheap diner chains to neighborhood mom-and-pop operations made famous by their unique twist on the familiar recipe. Leaving behind the family business was a wrench, and Wan hung on as long as she could, she told RFA Cantonese while shopping in Tamsui ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. I kept working in Hong Kong and ignored the [political] waves that were happening, she said, adding that she started making plans to leave during the 2019 protest movement and the subsequent crackdown on thousands of those who took part, most of them peaceful. I really started thinking about [leaving] in 2019, she said. The thing I regretted most was that my father started the stall and built it up from scratch into a family business. It was small, but it supported two or three generations of our family, said Wan, who didn't give her full name for fear of reprisals. A lot of people knew about us. Its a shame that its no longer there, but if Id carried on, I wouldnt have enjoyed a healthy old age, she said. Thats the way it goes you have to make choices. Now a regular at Tamsuis Yung Leh Lane market, Wan started out not even knowing the common local words for some of her key ingredients, nor where to buy them. While many Hong Kongers pick Taiwan as a destination due to the cultural similarities traditional Chinese culture, freedom of speech and a fondness for city life and street food the two places have very distinct culinary traditions. A lot of the ingredients that we Hong Kongers take for granted arent very popular in the markets [here], said Wan, who is on a mission to make a specific kind of Hong Kong snack that is typically eaten at Lunar New Year water chestnut cake. Except that its not that easy to source water chestnuts, known as mati, or horses hoof, in Chinese. Even Taiwanese people dont know that you can buy water chestnuts here, Wan said. Today there is only one stall [in Tamsui]. Feeling homesick Tamsui, tucked like Hong Kong between lush green hills and the sea, has been a favorite destination for Hong Kong exiles in Taiwan for several years now. As shoppers throng Yung Leh Lane market ahead of Lunar New Year, the sound of Cantonese, Hong Kongs lingua franca, mingles with the Mandarin and Taiwanese spoken by local people. Wans goal is to put in a little extra effort this year to make the snack because its authentic food that will bring her friends and family in exile just that bit closer to home. This is the kind of thing were used to eating, and so these are our tastes, she said. Ive made them before, so theres no reason to give up just yet. She is determined to offer her loved ones in Taiwan a moment of food-based nostalgia. People all say when they taste them that they taste exactly the same as the [water chestnut cake] in Hong Kong, Wan said. When I see [Hong Kongers] in Taiwan, I make them feel homesick, she said. They say I havent had this in a long time. Hong Kong police said last week that they have made 290 arrests so far under the national security law, which bans public criticism of the government and has resulted in the mass arrests and trial of dozens of former opposition activists and the trial of pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai. The government has said national security will remain at the top of a list of police priorities for 2024, when the citys legislature is expected to pass a second national security law critics say will potentially criminalize more peaceful activities, including making critical or protest-related comments on overseas websites or interviewing exiled activists like Chow. For Wan, who says she may never be able to return to Hong Kong, food is a way of preserving her links to home. I love to cook, and the most important thing is that I am satisfied with it, and that others say it tastes good. Thats why I keep working hard at it, she said. Steering her shopping cart through the packed Tamsui market, Wan said she hopes other Hong Kongers will follow her example, and take good care of themselves in exile. Hang in there ... there will always be a dawn, she said. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Relatives suffer most from lack of news, yet distract themselves from pain and keep speaking out for loved ones. For the families of Chinese political prisoners, the Spring Festival is a particularly heart-wrenching day. There is no reunion at the New Years Eve table, and they can only spend their time in endless longing. The families of Chinas political prisoners are struggling through the Lunar New Year festivities a time of nationwide and international family reunions without them, relatives told Radio Free Asia in recent interviews. The Lunar New Year, known in mainland China as Spring Festival, is a festival of reunion, with families reunited, sometimes across continents, for a home cooked and lavish meal on New Years Eve by long standing tradition. But as the rest of China ushers in the Year of the Dragon with new clothes, money-stuffed red envelopes and firecrackers, the families of prisoners of conscience have been left wondering how their loved ones are, and in some cases if they are even alive. The Weiquanwang rights website estimated on Jan. 31, 2024, that there are currently around 1,682 political prisoners behind bars in China, at varying stages of the judicial process. RFA spoke recently with the relatives of three prominent political prisoners ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations, which are still ongoing. I feel devastated, and I cant shake this feeling, Geng He, wife of disappeared lawyer Gao Zhisheng told RFA by text message ahead of the New Years Eve dinner. Geng said she was feeling shaky and was unable to stop crying. This holiday is awful, Geng said. Geng He with a portrait of her husband, the disappeared rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, in an undated photo. (Courtesy of Geng He) Gao disappeared on Aug. 13, 2017, from a remote cave dwelling in Shaanxi where he was being held under house arrest following his release from prison in August 2014. Local police denied holding him when contacted by the family. Geng also released a message to her husband via the Weiquanwang rights website, which read: All the hardship over the years have made us into the strongest family in the world. My children and I will be brave and strong until the day you come home. Please hold on, no matter what difficulties you encounter, the message read. Please be sure to come back. We will always wait for you and always love you. A subject that cant be mentioned On the other side of the United States, Luo Shengchun, wife of jailed human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, is also going through another Spring Festival without her husband. Luo said she copes with the separation by suppression painful thoughts and distracting herself. Ive come up with various ways to make myself less unhappy, whether its suppressing the feelings or distracting myself by spending time with friends, Luo told RFA Mandarin. Jiaxis biggest wish was for [his situation] not to affect our daily lives, work, study, exercise, Luo said. So I try my hardest to make myself happy. I think this is a really big comfort to him. Apart from getting together with friends, Luo said she would treat the Lunar New Year as just an ordinary day, although she will be calling relatives from both sides of the family to catch up, particularly to offer New Years greetings to Dings elderly mother. Luo Shengchun, left, wife of jailed rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, right, holds up a sign calling for her husbands release in an undated photo. (@luoshch/X) But many things are still left unsaid. Ding Jiaxi is a subject that cant be mentioned, said Luo, who hasnt seen Ding since he visited her in the United States seven years ago. The Linshu County Peoples Court in the eastern province of Shandong handed down a 14-year jail term to pro-democracy New Citizens Movement founder Xu Zhiyong and a 12-year sentence to Ding on April 12, 2023, after finding both men guilty of subversion of state power a charge often used to target critics of the government after they attended a 2019 dissident gathering. Since he was detained, the couple have only been able to communicate through his lawyers, and the last news Luo had of Ding was in October 2023. Ive had no news of him in four months, she said. Asked if she had a message, Luo thought for a minute, before replying: If I were to boil 1,000 words into a single phrase, it would be love you forever, my dear. Ilham Tohtis daughter Lunar New Year isnt such an emotional challenge for Jewher Ilham, the U.S.-based daughter of jailed Uyghur professor Ilham Tohti, but she will be going through something similar come the Muslim festival of Nawruz around March 21, she told RFA. If she were able to spend the festival with her father, she would cook him a meal, she told RFA Mandarin. My father is very greedy and loves to eat, she said. At the time we were separated, I still couldnt cook, so I have been learning how to cook a lot of different food, just so that I can make it for him one day. He has always said he hopes one day to eat food cooked by his daughter, she said, adding that she has added Uyghur, Turkish and even Japanese recipes to her repertoire since she last saw him at the age of 19. She wants to have him eat that food, and then thank her for the hard work she put into it, said Jewher, who was left to travel alone to the United States at the age of 19 after Ilham Tohti was detained by Beijing police en route for the airport on Feb. 2, 2013. On Dec. 18, 2019, Jewher Ilham accepted the Sakharov Award on behalf of her father at the European Parliament Sakharov Award ceremony held in Strasbourg, France. (AP) He was handed a life sentence for secession in September of the same year, and hasnt been allowed any family visits in prison since 2017. In 2019, Jewher accepted the Sakharov Prize on her fathers behalf from the European Parliament, which said it was honoring his advocacy for the Uyghurs, who have been targeted with severe human rights violations that have amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity, according to the United Nations, the United States and other Western countries. Jewher said her biggest worry is for her fathers health and safety, and the fact that she doesnt even know if he is alive. I hope he is alive. I have been trying to believe that he is alive, she said, adding that her family back home is under increasing pressure from the authorities over her public advocacy for Ilham Tohti and the Uyghur cause. Actually, the Chinese government recently went to my family and told them that they would only be allowed to visit my father again if they persuaded me to stop speaking out, she said. But I dont know if what they say is true after all, [visits] are our legal right, she said. They would need to offer far more than that for me to even consider lowering the volume of my advocacy. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Boys play soccer in front of apartment buildings in the town of Hyesan in North Korea's Ryanggang province, June 16, 2014.North Korean authorities are cracking down on people who rent out rooms for some extra cash. As North Korea prepares for two important holidays, authorities declared an emergency security period and began cracking down on people who turn their homes into lodging for holiday travelers, a move that residents told RFA was also aimed at curbing prostitution. Seollal, the Korean version of the Lunar New Year celebrated all over East Asia fell on Saturday. This year, thats less than a week before the Day of the Shining Star on Feb. 16, a day on which North Koreans remember Kim Jong Uns father, the late Dear Leader Kim Jong Il, who ruled the country from 1994 until his death in 2011. As the two days are in such close proximity, the period between will serve as kind of an extended holiday this year, and travelers will need a place to stay. People with room to spare in their homes can open them up for a little extra cash. But the government in the northern province of Ryanggang launched a surprise police inspection to root out the informal lodgings this week, a resident living there told RFA Korean. The resident said this was the second holiday lodging inspection this year, following one that happened ahead of Kim Jong Uns birthday on Jan. 8. The purpose of accommodation inspections is stated to be related to the war on spies, but the actual purpose is to detect and eradicate private inns and prostitution, he said, explaining that these private inns were very popular around train stations and marketplaces prior to the pandemic, and anti-socialist activities like prostitution went hand-in-hand, with them. Even before the pandemic strong controls were implemented against private inns, he said. But private inns have not been eradicated because the elderly residents have no other way to make a living. Even staying in the house of a friend during the holidays can get a traveler in trouble, another Ryanggang resident told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely. Official accommodations Travelers are supposed to stay in officially registered inns and other lodging places that send a portion of their money to authorities. But homeowners offering private lodging can avoid paying that money to the government. Quite a few people were caught in this inspection because they did not register for official accommodations, she said. They were mostly relatives or acquaintances living in Ryanggang Province. Close relatives were released once their residence was confirmed, but acquaintances were released with a fine of 3,000 won (35 U.S. cents). The farther away from Ryanggang the person was from, the stiffer the fine, she said. If guests from outside of Ryanggang Province were brought in, unless they were relatives, it was considered running a private inn and 300,000 won ($35) fine was imposed on the landlord, she said. Even if they had a travel document, a fine of 300,000 won was imposed on out-of-town guests who stayed without registering their stay. Those caught running a private inn more than once not only have to pay the hefty fine, they must also spend three months in a disciplinary labor center, the second resident said. The same fine and punishment are also applied to women who engage in prostitution with foreign guests at a private inn, she said. The risk is high and the money one can earn from Ryanggangs version of Airbnb is very low in comparison. In Ryanggang Province, if you only sleep at a private inn, the cost of lodging is 4,000 won (47 cents), she said. If you include a bottle of alcohol and a meal, the cost is 15,000 won ($1.78). Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. Some say they will join resistance forces or leave the country. Myanmar junta military soldiers parade during a ceremony to mark the 77th anniversary of the country's Union Day in Naypyitaw, Feb. 12, 2024. Young Burmese called up to join the military under a conscription law said they would team up with resistance fighters or leave Myanmar rather than serve as soldiers for the ruling junta that seized power in a coup d'etat three years ago. Junta leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing announced on Feb. 10 that the Peoples Military Service Law, enacted in 2010 by a previous military regime though it had never been enforced, would go into effect immediately. Enforcement of the law comes as anti-junta forces and ethnic armies have scored significant victories against junta forces in Myanmars ongoing civil war, which escalated in October 2023 when the groups joined together and launched new offensives against the military that caused significant casualties. Min Aung Hlaings directive has stoked fear and concern among Burmese men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27, who face up to five years in prison if they refuse to serve for two years. Professionals such as doctors, engineers and technicians aged 18-45 for men and 18-35 for women must also serve, but up to five years, given the countrys current state of emergency, extended by the junta on Feb. 1 for another six months. If they are forced to serve, they will only fight to end the military dictatorship, a resident of Yangon told Radio Free Asia. Its probable that [the junta] will push city dwellers to join the resistance forces, she said. Min Min, 24, said he would refuse to serve in the military. I will not live in the country anymore, and will find a suitable way out, said the young man, who also lives in Yangon. Sandar, 22, from Mandalay, said that she was angered when she heard about the law taking effect because it would force the people to fight against each other. Instead, she is considering joining the Peoples Defense Force, or PDF, of ordinary citizens who have taken up arms against the juntas military forces. We need to support this revolution and put an end to the dictators, Sandar said. Losing battles In northwestern Sagaing regions Khin-U township, where armed conflicts break out nearly every day, residents said the junta has turned to forcibly recruiting civilians because its ground troops are losing battles and need front-line reinforcements. In this situation, they are using the law as the last bullet, said a resident named Hein. Junta supporters are not exempted from this law, so even they will have to fight against the military [if they dont agree with it]. Soldiers from Myanmar's army provide military training in Lukyi village of Kalay township in northwestern Myanmar's Sagaing township, Feb. 11, 2022. (Citizen journalist) The junta had previously used prisoners and former servicemen to fight, but is now conscripting civilians to serve after suffering mounting defeats and troop losses, said Maung Maung Swe, deputy secretary of the shadow National Unity Governments Ministry of Defense. The public opposes [the junta] whenever they get an opportunity, he said. If they are forced to serve under the compulsory military service law, this will be a sword for them, and [the junta] will be overthrown immediately. Myanmar junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun said via state-controlled media on Monday that the mandatory conscription law was introduced because of the need for defense forces, given limitations of the military to handle high-tech weapons and military equipment. His comment came a day after he urged every eligible citizen to participate in military service to protect the country. Quoting Myanmars 2008 constitution, drafted by a previous military junta, he said the military service law was being enforced in line with the stipulations for basic duties of citizens. Although the State Administration Council the juntas formal name has activated the compulsory military service law, bylaws for its practical enforcement have yet to be determined, Zaw Min Tun said. A desperate attempt Burmese legal and political analysts have criticized the move as a desperate attempt to bring the public into the conflict. Sai Kyi Zin Soe, a political commentator, believes that the law will fuel armed conflict in Myanmar. Amid military tension among armed groups and escalation of public hatred and suspicion of the [junta], the order of military service law is very dangerous, and it will lead to high-tension armed conflict, he told Radio Free Asia. He also predicted that the enforcement of the law will cause people between the ages of 18 and 35 to flee abroad to avoid military service. Legal analyst and human rights lawyer Kyee Myint said the juntas enforcement of the law is illegitimate because the regime violated the 2008 constitution when it seized power from the democratically elected government in the coup. Min Aung Hlaing violated the 2008 constitution during the 2021 coup by arresting President Win Myint and voiding the results of the 2020 election won by de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy, Kyee Myint said. So, his enactment of the military service law is illegal, he said. Translated by Aung Naing and Htin Aung Kyaw for RFA Burmese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Joshua Lipes. The Arakan Army said it discovered the bodies after capturing townships. UPDATED at 10:23 A.M. ET on 02-12-2024 Junta troops shot and killed seven people arrested in a key city in Rakhine state in western Myanmar, a family member of one of the victims told Radio Free Asia on Monday. The victims included a journalist and a well-known social media commentator. The bodies were discovered after the Arakan Army, or AA, captured in Mrauk-U on Thursday, according to an AA statement. The exact dates of death are unclear. Mrauk-U is a historic city in the northern part of the Rakhine state and is famous for ancient Buddhist stupas. Its capture caps weeks of rapid advances by the AA in the western part of Myanmar that have put the Burmese military on its heels and suggests a turning point in the countrys three-year civil war, which broke out after a military takeover of the democratically-elected government in February 2021. Most of the victims discovered in Mrauk-U were in their 20s to 40s, the AA said in its statement late Sunday. Kyaw Zan Wai, also known as Phoe La Pyae, was popular for criticizing the junta through jokes on Facebook. Myat Thu Tun, who often published under the name Phoe Thiha, was a former reporter for media outlet Democratic Voice of Burma. The other civilian victims were Kyaw Thein Hlaing, Kyaw Win Hlaing, Ko Nyunt, Win Naing and Pyae Sone Win. The bodies were buried and the victims families were not informed of their deaths, the AA said. Junta troops arrested the men in late 2023 and all were held in custody at the Mrauk-U Police Station. They were transferred to Mrauk-U-based military Battalion 378 when fighting broke out between the junta and AA on Dec. 24, 2023, according to family members. When fighting escalated on Jan. 31, two soldiers shot the seven prisoners and buried them in a bomb shelter near Mrauk-U Hospital, the AA statement said. Myat Thu Tun was in contact with his family until Dec. 25, but after Christmas, they did not hear from him, his wife Ohn Mar Shwezin Myint told RFA on Monday. When Mrauk-U city was captured by the AA, I was so happy that he was about to be released, she said. But when I came to know that they had been killed and buried, I was devastated. It hurts. Myat Thu Tun worked for 7Day News Journal, Democratic Voice of Burma, The Voice, Development Media Group and other domestic and international news agencies. I was so sad, she said. They were brought into the military battalion when the fighting broke out in December. I still got in touch with him around Christmas. He said he was safe. That was the last I heard. Junta troops also attempted to hide the bodies of two other civilians, according to the AA After capturing Mrauk-U and Minbya townships, resistance troops discovered the bodies of Nyi Nyi Aung from Rathedaung township and Kyaw Nyunt from Minbya township. Both were killed on Jan. 19 by Minbya-based junta infantry Battalion 379, the statement said. The junta has not released any information regarding the deaths. RFA phoned Rakhine states junta spokesperson Hla Thein, but calls went unanswered on Monday. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn. The 47 prisoners in Mon state are protesting a recent decision to send two inmates to solitary confinement. Political prisoners at Mon states Kyaikmaraw Prison, seen in July 2021, have gone on a hunger strike. Some 47 political prisoners at a Mon state prison went on a hunger strike to protest recent harsh treatment of inmates and a decision to keep two inmates in solitary confinement, the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar told Radio Free Asia. The hunger strike at the military junta-operated Kyaikmaraw prison in Mawlamyine city began at around 11 a.m. on Feb. 6, according to the network. None of the 47 prisoners have been taken to the hospital yet, but it is known that they have become so weak that there are worries about their health, network official Thike Tun Oo told RFA on Friday. Prison authorities, police and soldiers found two mobile phones during an exhaustive search at the prison on Jan. 28. Guards then began taking the prisons political prisoners for severe interrogations almost every day, Thike Tun Oo said. Two political prisoners were sent to solitary confinement on Feb. 5. Inmates responded by launching a hunger strike with several demands, including that the two prisoners be removed from solitary confinement and given a medical exam. They also asked that interrogations of all prisoners be conducted legally and in accordance with basic human rights, that prisoners be brought back to their cells after an interrogation and that interrogations only take place during official hours, according to Thike Tun Oo. The Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar, or PPNM, publicized the hunger strike on Friday, saying it would continue until prison authorities agreed to the demands. It was unclear why the two political prisoners were being kept in solitary confinement. One of the inmates is serving a five-year sentence while the other was sentenced to 20 years. Both were convicted of violating the countrys counter-terrorism laws, which are often used to target pro-democracy activists, the PPNM said. The junta has arrested and jailed thousands of pro-democracy activists since taking power in a coup detat on Feb. 1, 2021. RFA attempted to contact the office of the deputy director general of the juntas Prison Department to askabout the hunger strike, but there was no response. Several junta-affiliated media outlets on Friday denied any report of a hunger strike at Kyaikmaraw prison. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed. He was jailed in 2018 for having traveled abroad. When Uyghur businessman Obulhashim Tursun decided to expand his business buying and selling spices, he set his sights on Iran. Obulhashim, then 26, traveled to the theocratic republic in early 2018, but only got so far as the airport after he landed on March 7. Security officials at Imam Khomeini International Airport, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of the countrys capital Tehran, detained him and forcibly returned him to China after 20 days of interrogation, his brother Obulqasim Tursun, a Uyghur expatriate residing in Turkey, told Radio Free Asia. While Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia often repatriate Muslim Uyghurs from Xinjiang back to China, there hasnt been a documented instance of Iran deporting Uyghurs until now. Iranian authorities sent Obulhashim back to Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region where he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for previous foreign travel to the United Arab Emirates, his brother and authorities in Xinjiang said. It was his first time visiting Iran, Obulqasim said. We spoke on the phone for the first half-hour after his arrival. However he was unable to pass through customs. Authorities rejected Obulhashims visa in his Chinese passport, which stated he was visiting for business purposes, and they pulled him aside for questioning. He called Obulqasim and told him he was being held at the airport. After half an hour, he requested that I arrange a return ticket, said Obulqasim. I tried contacting him later, but he didnt respond. Visit to the Iranian consulate Obulqasim went to the Iranian consulate in Instanbul to try to get information on his brother. Officials there said the police were investigating Obulhashim, but gave no reason. After receiving no updates in the following weeks, Obulqasim returned to the consulate, where officials informed him of his brothers repatriation to China. When I revisited the consulate, they claimed he had voluntarily returned to China, either to Shanghai or Guangzhou, Obulqasim said. However, I had doubts. I did request a written statement, but they only responded verbally, he said, adding that Iranian authorities told him they would not have deported his brother had they known he was a Muslim. The Iranian consulate in Istanbul did not respond to RFAs requests for comment. Obulhashim, now 32, hails from the town of Dongbagh in Kashgar prefectures Yarkand county. He owned a computer service center in Dongbagh for a couple of years, then worked as an accountant at a hospital for up to two years, his brother said. The high school graduate, who had mastered English, Arabic and Chinese, leveraged his linguistic proficiency through business ventures in Yarkand county and Xinjiangs capital Urumqi, as well as Dubai, Istanbul and Marrakesh. Obulhashim moved to Urumqi five or six months before he began traveling back and forth to Turkey from 2014 to 2016, Obulqasim said. He also had visited the United Arab Emirates on business. In June 2014, authorities in Urumqi detained Obulhashim, who is married and has a six-year-old son, for about 15 days for illegal religious activities, Obulqasim said. News of sentencing Obulqasim said two years after his brother was returned to Xinjiang he heard informally from two acquaintances that Obulhashim was in a prison in Kashgar, though he could not obtain official confirmation of his detention or why he had been arrested. Relevant authorities in Yarkand county confirmed to RFA that Obulhashim had been sentenced to 15 years in prison along with a dozen others for traveling to politically sensitive Muslim countries, including Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. One official, who did not give his name, said information about the situation was classified, though he did not deny that Obulhashim had been returned from Iran. The director of the Dongbagh judicial station said he could not give out information about Obulhashims current situation, but they provided the contact information of a police officer who oversees Obulhashims family. That official said Obulhashim was serving a 15-year sentence for visiting sensitive countries such as the United Arab Emirates. He got his passport after the advertisements to get a passport [were issued], and he traveled in 2016, he said. In 2013, China encouraged citizens, including Uyghurs to obtain passports and travel abroad, but later seized the documents from Uyghurs and used their overseas trips as justification for detaining them in re-education camps. The officer also said he delivered the news about Obulhashims sentence to his family in mid-2020. But Obulqasim, who was not in contact with his relatives in Xinjiang because of authorities restrictions on communications, did not learn about it from them. The officer cited the verdict as saying that Obulhashim was among12 people who received sentences of 2.5 to 10 years for taking overseas trips. Another person named in the verdict was Abdukerim Omer, who was considered to have led the others in applying for passports to travel abroad including to the United Arab Emirates and was believed to have been in contact with Obulhashim while he was outside China. 'It was intentional' Commenting on the matter, Mehmet Tohti, director of the Legal Committee at the World Uyghur Congress, accused Iran of violating international conventions and said his group would report the situation to relevant international organizations. Since 1956, Iran has been a member country of the convention on the prevention of racial genocide, he told RFA. Returning a member of a group targeted for genocide is a violation of international law. The United States, the United Nations and lawmakers in some Western countries have said that China's harsh repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang amounts to genocide or crimes against humanity, though Beijing has denied the commission of human rights violations there. Tohti said he believes Iran acted in accordance with an order from Chinese officials. It's impossible they didnt know he was a Muslim Uyghur, he said, referring to Iranian authorities and Obulhashim. They conduct many investigations, fill out numerous forms and gather information. It was intentional. Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Joshua Lipes. Male students who enrolled in Taliban-run religious schools say that sexual and physical abuse has led some to end their pursuit of an education in Afghanistan. The students, all of whom were aged 10 to 17 and spoke to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity out of fears of repercussion, described numerous instances in which they and fellow classmates were pressured to engage in sexual acts with teachers and subjected to corporal punishments. The reported cases took place in western and southwestern Afghanistan at Taliban-run madrasahs, part of the network of religious schools that the extremist group has expanded significantly as part of its drive to foster religious education more in keeping with its hard-line Islamist views. One 16-year-old student, a resident of Farah Province, described being propositioned by a teacher at the madrasah he attends. "One day at school a Taliban member who teaches there made an inappropriate offer, but I did not accept it," the boy told Radio Azadi, using inexplicit language to describe sexual abuse, a culturally taboo topic in Afghanistan. "When the lessons were over, he bothered me again." The boy said he reported the incidents to a "qari," a person who has memorized the Koran and serves as a religious authority at the school, to no avail. "I told the qari that the teacher was doing bad things to me, and the qari told him not to do these things, that he was a teacher," the boy said. "The teacher admitted doing it, but it had no effect. He has continued to do bad things and made sexual requests to numerous students at the school." Another student in southwestern Afghanistan, a 17-year-old in the 10th grade, gave a similar account of his experience during his six months studying at a Taliban-run madrasah. "A Taliban member who teaches at the school proposed having a relationship with me and said some other things that I did not accept," the boy said. After being refused, the teacher swore and issued threats, the boy said, adding that his fellow students have faced similar treatment. "He also harassed several of my classmates, and one of them left the school," the boy said. "He told me I should not go to school anymore because the same teacher is harassing me." The boy said the experience has left him "damaged" and unsure of whom he can confide in. "I can't tell my family," he said. The Taliban has come under widespread criticism for the severe restrictions it has placed on the daily lives of the Afghans since seizing power in August 2021. In its pursuit to impose its extreme interpretation of Islam, the Taliban has restored many of the draconian rules it was infamous for during its first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. The ban on the education of girls past the sixth grade, and the erasure of women's role in society stand out among the measures the Taliban has taken. But other steps -- including prohibitions on music and idolatry through art, and pressure against students and teachers -- have affected all walks of life regardless of sex. Since the Taliban returned to power, many educators have left the country, while female teachers have been left at home without work due to restrictions on women's freedom of movement and their ability to teach males. Meanwhile, the Taliban has steadily worked to replace secular state schools and informal madrasahs with a system of religious schooling. The system does allow for girl students, including those of university age, but critics say it falls far short of the standards of modern education for girls and boys alike and often promotes extremism. According to a report on Afghanistan issued by the United Nations in February, the Taliban has established 6,836 madrasahs for males and 380 for females and was expected to finalize a standardized religious curriculum in time for the new school year beginning this month. The recruitment of madrasah teachers is also in full swing, according to the report, following a decree by the Talibans spiritual leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada to have 100,000 new madrasah teachers in place. In December, Human Rights Watch gave a stinging assessment of the state of education in general, saying that in addition to the obstacles to the education of girls and women, the Taliban had "also inflicted deep harm on boys' education" in Afghanistan. "Many boys were previously taught by women teachers; the Taliban has prohibited women from teaching boys, depriving women teachers of their jobs and often leaving boys with unqualified replacement male teachers or sometimes no teachers at all," HRW said. "Parents and students said that corporal punishment, which has long been a problem at Afghan schools, has become increasingly common. The curriculum in many schools appears to be under revision to remove important school subjects and promote discrimination." The rights watchdog said the circumstances had "led many boys to leave school altogether" and "left boys struggling with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression." Shortly after the Taliban regained power, the United Nations highlighted the dire situation for children in Afghanistan, including exposure to sexual violence and increased risk of students dropping out of school. Difficulties in ensuring the protection of children are exacerbated, according to the UN, by the Taliban's refusal to consider people below the age of 18 to be children, as is the international standard, instead using the onset of puberty as the basis for adulthood. Younger madrasah students in western and southwestern Afghanistan below or at the age of puberty said they were not spared physical abuse and sexual harassment from teachers. One young man who spoke to Radio Azadi said he recently learned that his young brother was being subjected to sexual abuse at a madrasah in western Afghanistan. The young man said his brother was being assigned extracurricular "homework by a teacher, or to put it bluntly, he was being asked for sex, [the teacher] fondled his hands and feet and kissed him." As a result, the young man said he told his brother not to go to school anymore. Fear of sexual harassment and sexual and physical abuse were cited as a common factor leading boys in western and southwestern Afghanistan to give up their studies. "Some teachers harass our students and make immoral requests," said one 14-year-old boy who also described common methods of corporal punishment at his madrasah. "They strike our faces or beat our hands and feet under the pretext of disciplining us for not learning our lessons properly." The boy said many students were studying hard in fear of being taken to a special room for punishment, and that "some even drop out of school." Another student, aged 10, said his teacher separated him and other students from their class to beat the soles of their feet. Afterward, he told Radio Azadi, he stopped going to class because he was afraid. And upon hearing about the incidents, his and his classmates' parents "did not allow us to go to school." The Taliban authorities did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations of abuse at madrasahs it has established. And efforts to speak to individuals aware of the situations at madrasahs in other areas of Afghanistan were met by refusals to comment due to fear of reprisals. A women's rights activist who asked that her name not be published told Radio Azadi that families have no avenue to lodge complaints about the abuse their children encounter at Taliban-run madrasahs because they, too, would face threats. The activist said that not only had she been made aware of sexual harassment against both girls and boys at Taliban-run madrasahs, but the curriculum also serves to "increase the level of extremism in the country." Reducing the risks of both threats, she said, would require greater oversight by the Taliban authorities and ideally, she said, a reduction in the number of madrasahs. Najib Amini, a civil society activist in western Afghanistan, said that for now, the onus falls on families to be aware. "Children are subjected to sexual abuse in madrasahs established under the Taliban regime," Amini said. "Families have an important and essential role in this regard. If they do not want their children to be abused in schools, if they want their children to get a basic education...then they should not send their children to madrasahs under the control of the Taliban." Written by Michael Scollon based on reporting by RFE/RLs Radio Azadi Hungarian President Katalin Novak and former Justice Minister Judit Varga recently resigned amid mounting public outrage over Novak's pardon of a man convicted of being an accessory to child sex abuse. The scandal has shaken Hungary and its ruling elite and hints at looming challenges for Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party, who have dominated national politics for a decade and a half. Here are a few of the things that the fallout tells us about Orban and his party's grip on the country. Hungary's Hamstrung Media Punch Above Their Weight Novak's was not postcommunist Hungary's -- or even Fidesz's -- first presidential resignation. Former Olympic fencer Pal Schmitt stepped down as head of state over a plagiarized dissertation in 2012, less than two years after a Fidesz majority put him in office. Schmitt's transgression was initially unearthed by the weekly Heti Vilaggazdasag (Weekly World Economy) magazine, now known as HVG. HVG provided impetus for Novak's resignation too when, in January, it shone a light on her extensive use of clemency to "break 30-year records in pardons" with 40 last year alone. But the greater public impact came after the publication of an article by the independent 444.hu website on February 2 homed in on the Endre K. pardon based on the evaluation of a pardon application issued by Novak's office in April. It cited a subsequent court ruling from September upholding Endre K.'s guilt, saying that "one of our readersdrew our attention to it." Novak's office issued a statement attempting to contain the damage, saying that "no one convicted of pedophilia has ever received a presidential pardon and they never will." A little over a week later, with protests looming, Novak resigned in a televised address with a message of apology and acknowledging "a mistake" but adding that she would never knowingly pardon "anyone who I thought abused children physically or psychologically." The dramatic impact of the events suggests that even with the barest of institutional support, Hungarian journalism is punching above its weight. Orban has used chummy ownership structures, preferential ad placement by state and other institutions, and government and NGO restructuring in Hungary to clamp down on independent media, leaving many major media outlets in the hands of Fidesz allies. Recently passed "sovereignty defense" legislation created what the European Union and other critics say could be a further tool against persistent Orban critics in the media. But a small, dedicated corps of independent journalists has used digital platforms including YouTube, e-mail, and local websites to counter what they regard as top-down efforts to quash criticism of Fidesz and its state and local officials. Fidesz Is Feeling The 'Shock' Whether railing against immigration or defending anti-LGBT legislation, Viktor Orban has portrayed himself as a bulwark against an erosion of traditional family values. The nature of this scandal -- state institutions granting clemency to a conspirator helping cover up the long-running sexual abuse of children -- could publicly undermine that message. It could also threaten perceptions of Fidesz discipline as the current parliamentary term nears its midpoint. A Fidesz source inside the government, who requested anonymity because they were not free to discuss the internal situation publicly, acknowledged to RFE/RL's Hungarian Service that "This is now very unpleasant for everyone." "There is silence and shock in the party," another source said. Veteran Hungarian constitutional lawyer Tibor Sepsi hinted at the cost of apparent shortcuts in the doling out of presidential pardons in this case, even if some officials were unaware of underlying details of the case. He said decades of pardons since the fall of communism suggest that there's no need for constitutional amendment but rather that "properly functioning democracies" rely on proper investigations by the authorities in such cases. "Until now, the common sense of the justice minister and the president of the republic prevented something like this from happening," Sepsi told RFE/RL's Hungarian Service. "The constitution allows an amazing amount of things, but we don't do them [all]." Orban Quickly Got Involved In Damage Control As the extent of the public outrage became clear and alarm mounted in Fidesz's own ranks, Orban vowed the day before Novak's resignation to propose a constitutional amendment to narrow the pardon powers of the presidency. Orban headlined his effort on social media "Pedophiles get no mercy!" As part of the cleanup, he said, "In the case of crimes committed against children, perpetrators will not be granted pardons!" He appeared to be circling the wagons in anticipation of Novak's political demise. But there has already been a prominent defection. Varga's ex-husband, Peter Magyar, a longtime lawyer and a fixture of the nexus between Fidesz and the public and private sectors, broke publicly with Orban's regime in an explosive interview after Novak's and Varga's resignations. In an extended interview for independent YouTube channel Partizan on February 11, Magyar avoided blaming Orban directly but suggested the prime minister "is responsible for who he surrounds himself with." He complained of excessive influence in the hands of longtime government messaging chief Antal Rogan and other Fidesz luminaries. He said Rogan was not the problem, per se, but rather "he embodies what the problem is." He described himself as a key player in Fidesz circles whose aim is not to "threaten anyone, but I want change and I want this country to move in the right direction." Two Rare Female Voices Are Gone A perceived lack of women in senior government posts is a problem that dogged Hungarian governments before Orban's. But with Fidesz supermajorities in every parliament since 2010, women have seemingly remained an afterthought. "There are some talented women who might be able to [endure harsh political attacks], but I'm not surprised they don't apply for the job," Orban said famously in 2015, rattling off a short list that included Novak. Now, the pardon scandal has dealt major blows to Novak and another of the ruling party's most influential female politicians. Fidesz elevated Novak to its vice presidency two years after Orban's "talented women" comment, and Orban named her to a newly created post as minister for family policy in 2020. A mother of three, she became Hungary's first female president with an overwhelming parliamentary majority in 2022. Once in office in what is a largely ceremonial post in Hungary's parliamentary system, she played a key role in reminding Hungarians of traditional social values as they were espoused by Fidesz and with rare exceptions generally steered clear of publicly challenging Orban's domestic and foreign policies. The second early casualty of the pardon scandal is a former justice minister who was another expected to lead the party's list of candidates for the European Parliament in June. Judit Varga's countersignature was required on any pardon that was issued during her tenure as minister before she stepped down in June 2023. Following a week of silence after the 444.hu report broke, on February 10 Varga announced the resignation of her parliamentary seat and her European candidacy, as well as her retirement from public life. The Timing Is Awkward For Orban The fall of his hand-picked president comes at a challenging time for Orban well beyond the cost-of-living crisis he and Fidesz are feeling domestically. He is still battling the European Union over the bloc's support for Ukraine against Russia's nearly two-year-old full-scale invasion and Western criticism of Budapest's ongoing cozy ties with Moscow. And Hungary assumes the EU Presidency in July for a term that Orban's Western critics fear will only sharpen differences and highlight that he is out of step with much of the bloc well beyond foreign policy but also on issues of democracy and rule of law. Then there is Varga's exit from the top of Fidesz's candidates list for the European Parliamentary elections in June. Fidesz members have already spent nearly three years adrift since quitting the largest center-right grouping, the European People's Party (EPP), before the EPP could suspend it. And a majority of members have already built on "12 areas of concern" by decrying "deliberate and systematic efforts of the Hungarian government" to undermine European values. In the winter of 1924, inhabitants of a small village near Tehran looked up as a metal-bodied airplane swooped in to land, bumped along a field, then collapsed in a cloud of dust after its landing gear broke. The pilot of the plane was Swiss aviator Walter Mittelholzer, who had received an invitation from the Persian government to deliver a new Junkers aircraft to the country, which would be renamed Iran in 1935. Kaspar Surber, a Swiss journalist who wrote a book on Mittelholzer, told RFE/RL the aviator was chosen for the flight to Persia in part to "popularize flying" through aerial images he would take there. Mittelholzer was famous at the time for becoming the first person to extensively photograph Switzerland's mountains from an airplane. In the 1920s, Surber says there was something of a "race" between German and British aviation companies to begin air services in Persia, making Mittelholzer's photography skills a key promotional advantage. A Swiss newspaper wrote of the aviator, "The Swiss people know what to expect from their Mr. Mittelholzer, who can not only pilot a plane across unknown countries but also photograph and film in flight." After their ignominious landing 40 kilometers outside of Tehran, Mittelholzer and mechanic Ernst Bissegger had a tense confrontation with villagers before help eventually arrived from the Persian capital and their aircraft was repaired. Mittelholzer and Bissegger's flight of more than 3,000 kilometers from Switzerland to Persia included a standoff with Turkish authorities who confiscated their plane, troubles with poor-quality gasoline purchased in Baghdad, and erroneous maps that forced them into the ill-fated landing during which their plane's landing gear collapsed. Mittelholzers initial impressions of the territory of Persia from above were of "areas that lie desolate and empty and wander past the observing eye for hours. Huge alluvial fans, piles of rubble, and deltas of saline rivers [that] characterize the country." Isolated settlements occasionally came into view as the pair flew over Persian territory. "Here and there a green patch shines," Mittelholzer wrote, "a space in the center of which features residents' mud huts rising on narrow and winding streets. Silver bands mark the irrigation channels at the edges of the gardens." Mittelholzer seized the opportunity to photograph Persia extensively from above in photographs that are now held by the ETH Zurich library. The Swiss aviator and photographer also made use of his camera on the ground to capture a country on the cusp of dramatic change under Reza Shah Pahlavi, a ruler who would become known as Persia's "modernizing strongman." At the time of Mittelholzer's visit to Persia, the country was without major rail or road networks, and camel caravans were still in use as a means of foreign trade, making air transport an enticing possibility for the country's rulers. With the aviation industry still in its infancy in Persia, Mittelholzer and Bissegger had the sky virtually to themselves as they swept low over urban centers to snap images that would soon stun European audiences. Mittelholzer predicted that aerial photography would play a significant role in documentary imagery of the future. "Another hitherto unseen world opens up before us. It is as if the Earth has thereby gained a new face, and man a new, unflawed eye," he wrote in 1928. After spending several weeks inside Iran, the two Swiss aviators eventually made the long trek back to Central Europe by car. Mittelholzer would later co-found a company that became Swissair, Switzerland's national carrier until 2002. He died in a mountaineering accident in 1937 aged 43. In a newspaper obituary, a friend noted that Mittelholzer's death in the mountains that he loved, and that had sparked his extraordinary career, had a certain tragic poetry: "They have embraced him 0n his last wanderings and claimed him, and perhaps he would not have wished for a better end, but alas it came all too soon, there was so much more for him to do." Vladimir Putin has claimed a fifth presidential term with a landslide victory in a tightly controlled election that has been condemned by the West as neither free nor fair as the Russian leader seeks to prove overwhelming popular support for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine and increasingly repressive policies. With 99.75 percent of ballots counted, Putin won another six-year term with a post-Soviet record of 87.29 percent of the vote, the Central Elections Committee (TsIK) said on March 18, adding that turnout was also at a "record" level, with 77.44 percent of eligible voters casting ballots. The 71-year old Putin -- who has ruled as either president or prime minister since 2000 -- is now set to surpass Soviet dictator Josef Stalins nearly 30-year reign to become the longest-serving Russian leader in more than two centuries. "This election has been based on repression and intimidation," the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told journalists in Brussels on March 18 as the bloc's foreign ministers gathered to discuss the election, among other issues. The March 15-17 vote is the first for Putin since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that has killed tens of thousands of Russians and led to a clear break in relations with the West. In holding what has widely been viewed as faux elections, Putin wants to show that he has the nations full support, experts said. The vote was also held in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers are located. Moscow illegally annexed the regions since launching the invasion, though it remains unclear how much of the territory it controls. The Kremlin's goal "is to get as many people as possible to sign off on Russia's war against Ukraine. The idea is to get millions of Russian citizens to retroactively approve the decision Putin single-handedly made two years ago," Maksim Trudolyubov, a senior fellow at the Kennan Institute, wrote in a note ahead of the vote. In remarks shortly after he was declared the winner, Putin said the election showed that the nation was "one team." But Western leaders condemned the vote, with the White House National Security Council spokesperson saying they "are obviously not free nor fair given how Mr. Putin has imprisoned political opponents and prevented others from running against him." British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said "this is not what free and fair elections look like," adding in his message on X, formerly Twitter, that illegal elections have also been held on occupied Ukrainian territory. The French Foreign Ministry said Putin's reelection came amid a wave of repression against civil society. It also praised in a statement the courage of "the many Russian citizens who peacefully protested against this attack on their fundamental political rights." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Putin has become "sick with power" and he is just "simulating" elections. "This imitation of 'elections' has no legitimacy and cannot have any. This person must end up in the dock in The Hague [at the International UN Tribunal for War Crimes]," Zelenskiy said on X. Putin's allies were quick to heap praise on the Russian leader for his election success. China, one of Russia's most importants allies, congratulated Putin, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian saying President Xi Jinping and the Russian leader "will continue to maintain close exchanges, lead the two countries to continue to uphold long-standing good-neighborly friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic coordination." Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi called Putin's victory "decisive," the state news agency IRNA reported. WATCH: Leading psychiatrists discuss how excessive power can impact brain functioning and what the impulse for total control reveals about the mind and personality traits of authority figures. Putin was opposed by three relatively unknown, Kremlin-friendly politicians whose campaign was barely noticeable. The main intrigue was whether Russians would heed opposition calls to gather at polling stations at noon on March 17 to silently protest against Putins rule. Russian media had reported in the months leading up to the election that the Kremlin was determined to engineer a victory for Putin that would surpass the 2018 results, when he won 77.5 percent of the vote with a turnout of 67.5 percent. The Kremlin banned anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin from the ballot after tens of thousands of voters lined up in the cold to support his candidacy. Nadezhdin threatened to undermine the narrative of overwhelming support for Putin and his war, experts said. Independent election observers were barred from working at this years presidential election for the first time in post-Soviet history, experts said. Russian elections have been notorious for ballot stuffing and other irregularities. The vote was also held in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of Russian soldiers are located. The United States called the elections neither fair nor free. 'Noon Against Putin' With options to express resistance severely limited by the lack of competition and repressive laws, opposition leaders called on voters opposed to Putin to gather near polls at noon to show the Kremlin and the country that they were still a force. Russia's opposition movement suffered a serious blow last month when Aleksei Navalny, Putins fiercest and most popular critic, died in unclear circumstances in a maximum-security prison in the Arctic where he was serving a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism widely seen as politically motivated. Long lines formed at polling stations across Russia's 11 time zones at the designated time for the "Noon Against Putin" protest, including in Novosibirsk, Chita, Yekaterinburg, Perm, and Moscow among other Russian cities. "We're not really expecting anything, but I'd somehow like to make a record of this election for myself, tick the box for myself, so, when talking about it later, I could say that I didn't just sit at home, but came and tried to do something," said one Russian who came to vote at noon. "The action has achieved its goals," Ivan Zhdanov, the head the Anti-Corruption Foundation formerly headed by Navalny, said in a YouTube video. "The action has shown that there is another Russia, there are people who stand against Putin." The Moscow prosecutor's office had earlier warned of criminal prosecution against those who interfered with the vote, a step it said was necessary due to social-media posts "containing calls for an unlimited number of people to simultaneously arrive to participate in uncoordinated mass public events at polling stations in Moscow [at noon on March 17] in order to violate electoral legislation." Lawyer Valeria Vetoshkina, who has left the country, told Current Time that if people do not bring posters and do not announce why they came to the polling station at that hour, it would be hard for the authorities to legitimately declare it a "violation." But she warned that there were "some basic safety rules that you can follow if you're worried. The first is not to discuss why you came, just to vote. And secondly, it is better to come without any visual means of agitation: without posters, flags, and so on." Ella Pamfilova, head of Russia's Central Election Commission (TsIK), on March 16 said there had been 20 cases of people attempting to destroy voting sheets by pouring liquids into ballot boxes and eight incidents of people trying to destroy ballots by setting them on fire or by using smoke bombs. Russians living abroad also took part in the "Noon Against Putin" campaign, with hundreds of people lining up at 12 p.m. outside the Russian embassies in Sidney, Tokyo, Phuket, Dubai, Istanbul, Berlin, Paris, and Yerevan among other capitals. "It's not an election. It's just a fake. And so we're here to show that not Russians elect the current leader of Russia, that we [are] against him very severely, and that lots of people had to flee their country to be free," said Anna, a Russian citizen living in Berlin and who gathered outside the embassy in the German capital. Putin was challenged by Liberal Democratic Party leader Leonid Slutsky, State Duma deputy speaker Vladislav Davankov of the New People party, and State Duma lawmaker Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, none of whom opposed the war. The Russian leader had the full resources of the state behind him, including the media, police, state-owned companies, and election officials. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Hundreds of ethnic Serbs marched in Kosovo's North Mitrovica on February 12 to protest against a new regulation targeting Serbia's currency, the dinar. Kosovo's Central Bank issued a regulation restricting all cash transactions anywhere in the country to euros from February 1. Pakistan's national elections on February 8 failed to produce a clear winner, triggering intense political jockeying among rival parties to form a coalition government. Candidates allied with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan won the most seats -- 93 out of the 265 available -- in the National Assembly. But they were forced to run as independents after Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e Insaf (PTI) party was barred from the vote, a major obstacle to them forming a government. Ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party received the second-largest share of seats with 75. The Pakistan People's Party (PPP), led by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, came in third with 54. Smaller parties and other independents won the remaining 42 seats. At least 169 seats are required to form a majority in the 336-member National Assembly, or lower house of parliament. Seventy seats are reserved for women and religious minorities and allocated according to election results. There are several scenarios that could play out in the days and weeks ahead. Anti-Khan Coalition A coalition between the PML-N and the PPP -- which formed the last government after ousting Khan in a no-confidence vote in 2022 -- is the mostly likely outcome, experts say. "There is no doubt that they are going to form a coalition government," said Azaz Syed, a Pakistan political reporter and commentator. "They are now discussing who will be their prime minister." Faisal Karim Kundi, a senior PPP leader, said on February 12 that the party was pushing for Bhutto-Zardari to get the top job. The PPP has assumed the role of kingmaker, with neither the PML-N nor Khan's allies able to form a government without it. Another PML-N and the PPP alliance "will take shape sooner than later," said prominent Pakistani journalist and commentator Cyril Almeida. "The PTI, which will not ally with either PML-N or PPP for obvious reasons, will sit on the opposition benches." Significantly, the PML-N is widely believed to have the backing of the powerful army, which has an oversized role in the country's politics. Return Of Khan? Independent candidates backed by Khan have said they will also seek to form a coalition government. But they face opposition from the army, the country's ultimate power broker. The PTI has accused the military of orchestrating Khan's jailing last year and waging a sweeping crackdown against the party, which was barred from campaigning. A reconciliation between the army and Khan appears unlikely, experts say. Khan's allies could join a smaller party to form a single bloc. That could also give them access to the additional 70 reserved seats. Dozens of candidates backed by the PTI have alleged vote rigging and are challenging the results in courts, which could further boost their share of seats. Khan's supporters have also taken to the streets in recent days to protest the election results. PTI supporters fear the army could strong-arm independent candidates backed by Khan into switching sides. "The real question is whether the generals will allow PTI winners to sit in parliament unmolested under the PTI banner," said Almeida. "Or whether the candidates will be pressured to renounce the party and herded into other camps." Waseem Qadir became the first PTI-backed candidate to defect to the PML-N on February 11. PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan has expressed confidence that his party can form a government. "We have done our homework and are ready to form the government," he told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal on February 11. Rafiullah Kakar, a political analyst based in Islamabad, said another possibility is that the PTI joins hands with the PPP by offering its rival the prime minister's post, although he admitted that it would be a "surprise." A Deadlock The National Assembly must convene within 21 days of an election, according to Pakistani law. Lawmakers are sworn in and then must elect a new prime minister. They will continue to meet until a new premier is named. But there is a chance, given the political polarization in the country, that rival parties fail to form a government before then. If they cannot, the process will drag on and create further uncertainty. Observers say that the PML-N could try to attract enough independent candidates so it would not need to form a coalition with the PPP, a rival. That, they say, could scupper hopes of a quick deal to form a new government. Protracted delays could plunge Pakistan, which is already grappling with a flagging economy and rising militant violence, further into crisis. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Ian Garner, an expert on Russian war propaganda and author of the book Z Generation: Russia's Fascist Youth, discusses the Kremlin's messaging about its war against Ukraine, the campaign for the noncompetitive election, and takeaways from Tucker Carlson's interview with President Vladimir Putin. Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods. I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on two issues: NATO's biggest exercise in decades; and more EU sanctions on Russia. Brief #1: NATO's 'Biggest Exercise Since The Cold War' What You Need To Know: In late January, NATO began what it has called its largest military exercise since the Cold War. Steadfast Defender 24 involves 90,000 troops from all 31 alliance members as well as NATO invitee Sweden for four months of maneuvers by land, sea, and air. You have to go all the way back to 1988 for the last NATO exercise that involved more troops: Reforger with 125,000. In between, the Trident Juncture exercise in 2018 included 50,000 personnel. While official NATO documents dont say outright that theyre training against a potential Russian offensive on allied territory, its clear thats what is on their minds. The alliance says it is testing responses during a simulated emerging conflict scenario with a near-peer adversary. Exercise maps will show an adversary with a fictitious name, but privately my NATO sources acknowledge without hesitation that of course this means Russia. Deep Background: Take a look at the geography and what the alliance will practice, and it becomes even more evident. Roughly speaking, Steadfast Defender 24 includes two phases. The first, which kicked off slowly at the end of January, involves the transatlantic reinforcement of forces. This is in fact the key to see if the United States can effectively deploy a large number of troops and equipment to continental Europe to mount a defense. Dont underestimate the symbolism, as the United States nears a presidential election that culminates on November 5. The image of U.S. troops training alongside other nations in mock amphibious assaults in the Atlantic in the next two months, involving more than 50 naval vessels including aircraft carriers, frigates, and destroyers, could help assuage European fears of a less committed United States down the road. The second phase of the exercise is equally crucial and is likely to show whether NATO is capable of defending its vulnerable eastern flank -- every inch of allied territory, as NATO officials like to put it. Starting in mid-February and running till the end of May, many of the elements will take place on land and in the sky, involving up to 80 air platforms including F-35 fighter jets, helicopters, and drones, as well as more than 1,000 combat vehicles, including 166 tanks. The epicenter is Poland, where a major river crossing will be attempted in March, but also in the Baltic states, with Germany acting as a major hub for reinforcement and coordination. There will also be exercises throughout the Nordic region, as well as the Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, and Romania. Drilling Down This will also represent the first proper chance for NATO to test aspects of its new defense plans agreed at the Vilnius NATO summit in July, a 4,000-page document in which every ally should know exactly which part of alliance territory it should defend if NATO is attacked. Another big test is seeing how well the alliances Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), which was created as a direct response to Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014, functions. It will be one of the blocs key components to defend any potential attack, with some 6,000 troops that should be deployable within days to any corner of the alliance. One of the aims of Steadfast Defender is ensuring this reaction force can be deployed together with various national forces once each year, starting from 2025. So this year is very much a test run. While the exercise has been planned for years, it comes at a pivotal time. Two years into Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it should act as assurance that the alliance is ready in case the war creeps closer or even spreads across NATO members borders. While no Ukrainian troops are participating, the specter of the war in that country looms large in planners minds. Speaking to media in early February, NATO Brigadier General Gunnar Bruegner said there is this unified sense that we need to go bigger, we need to train harder when asked about the impact of the war on the alliance. The real question, however, is whether it will truly allay fears in Europe. Firstly, weapons deliveries to Ukraine have dropped alarmingly in recent months. The chairman of NATOs military committee, Rob Bauer, said last fall that Western arms industries need to ramp up, as "the bottom of the barrel is now visible. Then there have been plenty of recent official warnings that European allies must step up and prepare for the war potentially escaping containment to spread beyond Ukraine. And its not just Ukraines neighbors. The Belgian Army chief Michel Hofman suggested that Putin opening a second front in Moldova or the Baltics is not out of the question. And Hofmans Swedish counterpart, Micael Byden, warned in late January that his countrymen mentally must prepare for war, triggering a slight panic as the public rushed out to buy extra fuel and survival kits. Brief #2: The Puny New EU Sanctions Package Targeting Russia What You Need To Know: The EU is aiming to adopt another sanctions package to deal a blow to Russia coincident with the second anniversary of the launch of the Ukrainian invasion on February 24, 2022. The package would be the 13th imposed on Moscow since then. But early indications from EU diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity are that this round will be the weakest of the lot. It will mostly entail listings, meaning names of individuals and companies whose assets will be frozen inside the bloc and who will be slapped with visa bans -- not sector-wide sanctions targeting the Russian economy. Nearly 2,000 people and companies have been blacklisted by the club so far, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and many in his inner circle. However, the sectoral sanctions tend to be more hard-hitting. They have so far targeted Russian coal, steel, wood, and oil exports into the union or the flow of EU goods to Russia including, for example, semiconductors and luxury goods. Deep Background: The listings consist of up to 250 individuals or companies being presented by the European Commission, the EUs executive arm, to EU member states in two batches. One came last week and includes 118 names; the other is expected this week. The reason for the division is that the European External Action Service, the EUs diplomatic corps, still needs time to go through the evidence packages with an eye to why the proposed targets should be listed. These evidence packages are frequently prepared by individual EU member states foreign ministries, often with help from their embassies in Moscow and/or Kyiv. For this round, as I understand it, eight or so member states sent listing proposals to Brussels. In the first batch, seen by RFE/RL, most of the names come from the military sector, including companies that are producing ammunition and drones for Russias army; there are also individuals active in politics on behalf of Moscow in Ukrainian territories currently occupied by Russia. The second batch will reportedly include Belarusian officials, judges, and media personalities whom Brussels deems to be propagandists supporting Russias war efforts. There is still another type of sanction that the European Commission might propose: adding companies to Annex Four. This is a list of over 600 companies, mainly Russian, with whom EU firms are banned from trading with because Brussels suspects them of contributing to Russia's war machine, largely via so-called dual-use items that might otherwise be found among standard household appliances -- lets say computer chips for washing machines -- but are instead acquired for use in military equipment like drones. The proposal is for the inclusion of around 25 new companies, the majority from Russia. But as I understand it, some might be from China, India, Turkey, Serbia, and Kazakhstan. The question is whether they all remain on the list once ambassadors from the 27 member states debate the package. Beijing has previously lobbied successfully to remove proposed listings under Annex Four, and it is likely to try again. Turkey and Serbia, who enjoy close political and economic ties with many EU member states, may also attempt to get companies from their national jurisdiction delisted. Drilling Down The point for broader discussion, though, is why the European Commission opted mainly for listings. I understand from diplomats familiar with the file that the commission wanted something that could be agreed quickly in time for the February anniversary. The truth is that agreement on the EU sanctions packages has become more complicated, particularly in the last few rounds as member states have spent weeks or even months hashing out details such as economic sanctions. To adopt only listings of individuals makes sense, then, as it should only take EU member states a few meetings to sign off on them ahead of February 24. commission officials Ive spoken with off the record have also pointed out that the package was coordinated with the Group of Seven leading industrial nations and that there was agreement that listings are easier to green-light. Still, I understand that some EU member states are unhappy and underwhelmed with the package. The critics point out that something hard-hitting against Moscow would be more apt in marking such a significant date, especially as Russia continues its missile barrages against Ukrainian cities. Some member states -- notably Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland -- sent a discussion paper seen by RFE/RL to the commission in January with proposed items to sanction including in the Russian nuclear sector, liquefied natural gas (LNG), aluminum in addition to a prohibition on EU companies providing any IT or cloud services to Russia. None of the proposals appears to have been taken on board. Neither has a Czech idea to ban the movement inside the bloc of Russian diplomats still posted to EU countries. Pragues proposal was deemed impractical by EU officials, as travel inside the passport-free Schengen zone is difficult to control. In a letter seen by RFE/RL and addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and signed by the foreign ministers of the Baltic states plus Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, there is a request for the commission to present a proposal of sectoral sanctions as soon as possible. The signatories add that our focus should be on further cutting Russian revenues to finance the war, cutting its access to sensitive goods and technology empowering its military machine. My understanding is that the commission has promised member states to return to the issue of sectoral sanctions directly after passage of the 13th package is ensured. There is, however, a risk that new measures will be harder to accept as Junes European Parliament elections grow nearer and that efforts will instead focus on the autumn. Looking Ahead NATO defense ministers convene in Brussels for their first official meeting of the year on February 15. They will examine issues including a review of the alliances air- and missile-defense posture on its eastern flank, defense spending among the 31 members, and how to encourage more joint procurement of ammunition and arms. Keep an eye out for the Munich Security Conference on February 16-18. Its widely regarded as the most important annual security forum, bringing together decision-makers from around the globe. Expect plenty of debate on the war in Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy among this years scheduled speakers. Read my takeaways from Bavaria in the next edition of this newsletter. That's all for this week. Feel free to reach out to me on any of these issues on Twitter @RikardJozwiak, or by e-mail at jozwiakr@rferl.org. Until next time, Rikard Jozwiak If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. Roscommon sculptor Mark Feeley received a standing ovation at the recent official launch of the 'Souls of Ranelagh' monument. The statue, which overlooks the new N61 roundabout, remembers and honours the people of the forgotten cemetery, who were rediscovered during an archaeological dig during the N61 Coolteige Road Project. The cemetery contained 557 intact burials and another potential 108 burials. Extensive radio carbon dating was carried out of the burials and found that the majority of them extended from the 4th century to the 13th century. The monument, which was commissioned by the Roscommon Town Team, features three figures, a woman, man, and child, the latter two emerging from the Lecarrow limestone rock as if stepping out of the distant past. During the launch at the Aras an Chontae, chairman of the Roscommon Town Team, Larry Brennan said it was an inspired decision by the Town Team to select Mr Feeley. He was passionate about it from the start. Being a local man, he believed in it and knew what was wanted, said Mr Brennan before addressing Mr Feeley himself. At all times you were a pleasure to work with . I always wanted to be a rock star, Mr Feeley joked as he took the podium. I am so happy to be here and have the opportunity to say a few words. He said that like many Rossies he emigrated to the US before returning home. For me the greatest country in the world is Ireland and the greatest county in Ireland is Roscommon. What makes Roscommon so great is the people. So, for me to get the opportunity to acknowledge the history and people of Roscommon was a true privilege. He thanked the archaeologists for their amazing work, the Town Team for their support and encouragement, and Roscommon County Council for all its help. He also thanked his wife Mary for all her support. He had a special word of thanks for Marie Gillooly for her support and unwavering enthusiasm. He said that the project encountered problems, like a huge crack in the stone. Shes cool under pressure, he said with a laugh. We fixed it, and everything came out good. As the ceremony concluded, a photograph of the monument on behalf of the town team was presented to Chief Executive of Roscommon County Council Shane Tiernan, which will hang in the Aras. Hopefully when people see the photo it will inspire them to go out and see the sculpture itself, he said. It is lovely to have your signature on the picture here as well. It is like having the autograph of a rockstar, he joked. It is an honour to recognise the past, bring it to the present and set the scene for those in the future to always remember those souls. It is a magnificent sculpture created by Marks gifted hands, and the efforts of the community with the support of the local authority. James Cox Here, we have a look at the issues that will dominate Dail proceedings this week. Immigration The immigration issue is proving to be hugely divisive, and it is a big problem for both Government and the Opposition. Government has been trying to strike a balance, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar pledging a crackdown on illegal immigration. Mr Varadkar said they are targeting people who are trying to abuse the generosity of the Irish system. However, the worrying trend of arson on buildings earmarked for asylum seekers is something ministers have pledged to tackle. The latest occurred at a vacant home in Co Kildare which was burnt out. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said those involved will be brought to justice, while she claimed anti-refugee protesters "know exactly" who is behind the string of arson attacks. Sinn Fein has previously taken a pro-immigration stance. The party had previously called for all refugees to be granted the same supports Ukrainians were granted after Russia's invasion, before they were recently cut. However, Mary Lou McDonald and senior figures in the party have recently shifted, saying they understand people's concerns around immigration. A survey for The Irish Times shows that Sinn Feins support has fallen by six points, to 28 per cent since last September. The partys support has fallen in the last five opinion polls, and from a high of 36 per cent in 2022. Recent polls also show an increase in public concern over immigration issues, with one poll showing that the majority of people want tighter immigration rules in Ireland. Sinn Fein appears to be losing out over its immigration policy, particularly with younger voters who are moving towards parties such as Labour and Social Democrats. The issue will likely be to the fore in Dail discussions this week. Over 100 community activists from across the country gathered in Dublin on Sunday to protest against the far-right. Communities Against Racism Ireland has been launched to tackle the hateful divisions developing in many towns around the country. Sinn Fein motion on TV licence fee On Tuesday, Sinn Fein are set to table a motion for the TV licence fee to be scrapped and replaced by Exchequer funding to support public service media. After the RTE pay scandal, such a move would have plenty of public support. Some of the other opposition parties may also back Sinn Fein, but with Government and Independent votes, it is unlikely to pass. Abroad In the UK, the Conservative Party and Labour are continuing to spar ahead of a general election which is likely to be called this year. UK prime minister Rishi Sunak is facing plenty of internal pressure from his own party too after the launch of the 'Popular Conservatives' faction of the party which includes his predecessor Liz Truss and former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg. Meanwhile, former British chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng has called on Mr Sunak to bring former prime minister Boris Johnson back into the fold ahead of the general election. In the US, Democrats are rushing to the defence of US president Joe Biden after a special counsels explosive claims that the 81-year-old president could not remember major milestones in his life. The president set the angry tone hours after special counsel Robert Hurs report was released, dismissing its conclusions about his memory and insisting he had not forgotten the year his son Beau died, as Mr Hur claimed. Republican frontrunner Donald Trump continues to court controversy. At a rally in Conway, North Carolina over the weekend, Mr Trump revealed that during his first term as US president, he warned Nato allies that he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to countries that are delinquent. Ranveer Singh comes to Johnny Sins rescue, helps solve his problem in hilarious parody The ad depicts a woman complaining to Ranveer Singh about his brother, being played by Johnny Sins, who struggles with erectile dysfunction. Ranveer Singh Johnny Sins ad for erectile dysfunction Bold Care: Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh, who is prominently known for his bold and unique fashion choices and films, has taken a unique step to spread awareness about erectile dysfunction in a humorous style. In an unexpected collaboration, Ranveer Singh has joined hands with American adult actor Johnny Sins for this initiative as the new advertisement, which is cleverly a parody version of a typical Indian saas-bahu drama, features both Ranveer Singh and Johnny Sins. The ad depicts a woman complaining to Ranveer Singh about his brother, being played by Johnny Sins, who struggles with erectile dysfunction. The woman can be seen using numerous sexual innuendos to highlight Johnnys condition, causing him embarrassment. Advertisement She later threatens to leave the house but gets slapped by her mother-in-law and falls from the first floor. However, Johnnys character is handed a Bold Care pill by Ranveer Singh who comes to her rescue and satisfies his wife. The humorous ad has been written by Tanmay Bhat, Devaiah Bopanna, and their team while it is directed by Ayappa KM. Besides, this marks Johnny Sins first-ever advertisement for an Indian brand. Ranveer and Johnnys latest commercial has been making rounds on social media with several celebrities sharing their thoughts in the comments section. Vishal Dadlani commented, Hahahahahahahahahahahaha, epic! Archana Puran Singh commented, Baaayaaaaaa, your emotional Cancerian side is toooo muchhhh. Abu Dhabis Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) has allocated $200 million and launched the ATRC Global Tech R&D Platform, which serves as a channel for countries worldwide to tap into the UAE's technological expertise. To initiate applications through the platform, ATRC has allocated the funding to accelerate innovation, particularly in emerging and developing nations. Launched on Day 1 of the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2024, the ATRC Global Tech R&D Platform invites applications from governments, organisations, and eligible stakeholders all over the world, prioritising collaboration and inclusivity. Through a rigorous evaluation process, initiatives aligned with the platform's mission will receive support in six priority sectors: Aerospace and Space; Food and Agriculture; Healthcare; Safety and Security; Sustainability, Environment, and Energy; and Transport. Absorbing resource and research costs By committing to absorb resource and research costs, the funding facilitates the development of sophisticated technology solutions, empowering these nations to keep pace with the latest advancements. Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, said: "Our commitment is to empower every nation with the means to thrive in this technology-driven world. ATRC stands ready to partner with countries worldwide, leveraging our expertise in technology to address their challenges and drive collective progress in the AI-driven era." Over the span of almost four years, ATRC has developed a robust R&D ecosystem, with over 850 researchers from more than 70 countries. It has built an entire ecosystem that systematically supports every critical stage of a technologys development journey. Grand challenges Its entity ASPIRE crowdsources global talent through grand challenges and global competitions and identifies technology gaps with its clients. The Technology Innovation Institute (TII) is focused on applied research with intentional outcomes and houses its leading researchers and scientists, while VentureOne commercialises its solutions, taking R&D products and services from lab to market. ATRC offers a spectrum of capabilities spanning quantum and AI, autonomous robotics, and cryptography, as well as advanced materials, propulsion, and space guiding technology needs from ideation to innovation. From identifying an entitys tech pain point to developing bespoke R&D solutions, ATRC orchestrates the complete lifecycle of technology advancement for companies and countries that need support. Situated at the global crossroads, it extends its reach to entities worldwide, facilitating innovation on a truly global scale. Al Bannai is set to address a plenary session at the World Governments Summit, highlighting his views on AIs evolution and emerging opportunities. Untapped innovation Dr Ray O Johnson, CEO of ATRCs global applied research arm, TII, said: "Through this platform, we will help identify untapped innovation around the world, unleashing the power of transformative technologies, and sparking economic growth." ATRC is calling on nations to collaborate and contribute to the global technological landscape. For further details on the ATRC Tech R&D Fund, applicants can contact the Council via ASPIRE, at aspireuae.ae. Were here to identify technology gaps and facilitate sophisticated solutions that countries may need to explore for a resilient future, said Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE. Himachal Pradesh Para-Gliding Accident Dobhi paragliding site banned Himachal Pradesh Para-Gliding Accident News: In a shocking incident, a woman from Telangana died after falling on the roof of a house while paragliding in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. After the death of the woman, the SDM ordered a magisterial inquiry while the Dobhi paragliding site has been banned till further orders and the pilot has been arrested. In Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, a woman from Telangana fell from a height of about 250 meters while paragliding, due to which she became a victim of an accident. Advertisement Tourist woman has died after she fell from a height of about 250 meters while paragliding in Dobhi of district Kullu. The body has been identified as 26-years-old Navya, wife of P Sai Mohan. She was a resident of Zaheerabad District in Telangana. The pilot has been arrested by the police in the paragliding accident. The accident occurred due to the sudden opening of safety belt. Police station in charge Rajeev Lakhanpal said that pilot Rahul Singh is a resident of village Lalot, tehsil Multhan, district Kangra and the owner of the paraglider is Ghanshyam Negi. Police have registered a case against both of them. District Tourism Officer Sunaina Sharma said that the site from where the paraglider took off is registered with the Site and Paraglider Department and the pilot flying the flight is licensed. However, paragliding has been banned in Dobhi Paragliding Site till further orders. Advertisement Kullu Deputy Commissioner Torul S. Ravish said that a magistrate inquiry has been ordered into the paragliding accident. SDM Kullu will investigate this. If negligence is found in the matter, strict action will be taken. Farmers Protest March To Delhi: Haryana Converts 2 Stadiums Into Temporary Jails Authorities in neighboring Delhi have also sealed borders with concrete blocks at various places Farmers Protest March To Delhi: In a major development, the Haryana government has converted two large stadiums into temporary jails ahead of the farmers' march to Delhi on Tuesday. According to information, Chaudhary Dalbir Singh Indoor Stadium in Sirsa, and Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Dabwali will serve as temporary jails to keep detained farmers, in case their march goes ahead as planned, the sources said. In case of any untoward situation, the farmers who would be detained or arrested in large numbers will be kept in these temporary jails, the sources added. Advertisement Likewise, the authorities in neighboring Delhi have also sealed borders with concrete blocks at various places besides road spikes, and barbed wires, and thousands of police personnel have been deployed along the interstate border. In the meanwhile, the Centre has invited the farmer unions for another round of meetings to discuss their demands on February 12. However, the move to seal the borders to prevent farmers from entering the national capital has garnered criticism from the opposition parties and farmer groups as well. Moreover, the authorities in both Haryana and Delhi have defended the criticism over the restrictions, citing the 2020 protest against the now-repealed three farm laws. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha and several farmer associations have called the protest to against the Centre to accept their demands, including the enactment of a law to guarantee MSP for crops. Advertisement On the other hand, Punjab Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann compared the roads to Delhi and Haryana to the India-Pakistan Line of Control (LoC). It may be recalled that a large number of farmers from Punjab and nearby areas of Ambala had gathered at the Shambhu border in 2020 and broke police barriers to march towards Delhi. The farmers held a year-long sit-in on Delhi's border points - Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur - against the three central farm laws. (For more news apart from Farmers Protest March To Delhi, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Qatar releases Indian Navy veterans officers Seven former Indian Navy officers chanted Bharat Mata ki Jai at the Delhi airport. New Delhi: In a major development, seven of the eight Indian Navy veterans, who were released by a Qatar court, months after being sentenced to death on 'espionage' charges, lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi following their arrival in New Delhi on Monday morning. During an interaction with the reporters, some of these veterans said they wouldn't have been released had it for the sustained diplomatic efforts at his behest to secure their release. The seven former Indian Navy officers chanted Bharat Mata ki Jai after their arrival at the Delhi airport, reported news agency ANI. Advertisement One of the Navy veterans even thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising their sentencing with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The veteran officers also attributed their release to relentless diplomatic efforts at his behest. "I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldn't have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar," said one of the released officer. Another released former naval officer said, "Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldn't be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom." Samyukta Kisan Morcha The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Monday expressed its strong discontent and anger Farmers Chalo Delhi protest march: The Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Monday expressed its strong discontent and anger against the dictatorial manner in which the PM Modi-led Government is handling the democratic mode of protests of the farmers by erecting iron nails, barbed wires and concrete barricades in the Highways in Punjab and Delhi borders. The administration is imposing section 144 in and around Delhi and Haryana and diverting the traffic without any prior advisory to the public and creating an atmosphere of terror to frighten off the people. The Central Government is treating protesters as if they are enemies of the country. Advertisement In Madhya Pradesh, five state leaders of SKM including Kisan Sabha leader Ram Narayan Kuraria, his wife and AIDWA Leader Adv. Anjana Kuraria, Kisan Sangharsha samithi leader Adv. Aradhana Bhargava, BKU(Tikait) leader Anil Yadav, NAPM leader Rajkumar Sinha were arrested and jailed under section 151 of CRPC. Many activists were arrested in various parts of the state. SKM has clarified earlier that it has not given the call to Delhi Chalo on 13th February and SKM has nothing to do with this protest action. However, organisations other than SKM have the right to protest and it is the responsibility of the Union Government to treat such protests in democratic manners instead of adhering to excessive state repression. SKM urges PM Modi to clarify why his Government is not ready for discussion with the platforms of farmers and workers in the context of the countrywide Grameen Bandh and Industrial, Sectoral Strike call on February 16, 2024 on the demands of people's livelihood. Advertisement The efforts to suppress the peoples protest will be in vain in the context of the emerging struggles across India on the livelihood demands of people. SKM reminds the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav that India has a Constitution that enshrines the right to protest for all the citizens. SKM appeals to all the political parties and the class and mass organisations of all sections to condemn this highhandedness by the Administration. The repression by the Union and the state governments under the BJP will be rebuffed by the people. The farmers and workers with the support of all sections of the people will ensure the 16th February 2024 Industrial/ Sectoral Strike and Grameen bandh are massive, vibrant and successful. (For more news apart from Samyukta Kisan Morcha Ahead of Chalo Delhi protest march, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Petrol and diesel to not be available in Punjab on THIS day Petrol Pump Dealers Association, Punjab (PPDAP) has decided to stop the sale of petrol and diesel in the state on February 22. Petrol and diesel to not be available in Punjab, No Purchase Day: Petrol and diesel consumers are likely to face a huge shortage of the fuels as the Petrol Pump Dealers Association, Punjab (PPDAP) has announced to stop the sale of fuels across the state on February 22. Upset over the delay in the hike of dealer margins since August 2017, the Petrol Pump Dealers Association, Punjab (PPDAP) has decided to stop the sale of petrol and diesel in the state on February 22. Advertisement As per PPDAP President Paramjit Singh Doaba, the oil marketing companies (OMCs) have not been increasing the margins of petroleum dealers, which were last revised in August 2017. A memorandum has also been sent to the presidents of oil companies regarding increasing the dealer margin and its copy has also been sent to the Prime Minister. PPDAP spokesperson Monty Gurmeet Sehgal said that it has now been decided that petroleum dealers across the state will observe no purchase day on February 15 and will not purchase petrol and diesel from oil companies. After this, the petrol and diesel will not be sold at petrol pumps on February 22. He also said that the association will support the call of Bharat Bandh by farmer unions on February 16. PPDAP has announced that there will be no sale of petrol and diesel across the state on February 22. However, there could be a shortage of petrol and diesel in the state on February 17 as well. The reason is that on February 15, it was decided not to make any kind of purchase from oil companies. Advertisement The stock of petrol pumps will also reach its minimum level in two days. In such a situation, there may be a shortage of petrol and diesel on February 17 as well. A U.S. Federal judge ordered Tesla Inc. and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to testify in an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission regarding his 2022 acquisition of social media platform Twitter, now re-branded as X. The federal regulator is probing whether Musk or anyone else, committed securities fraud in 2022 as he purchased Twitter stock ahead of his buyout of the firm. The order comes after the SEC sued Musk for failing to appear for a testimony in September, and refused later to attend a rescheduled interview. A federal judge in December had ordered Musk to comply with the SEC subpoena and testify again in its probe of his Twitter takeover. Musk and his legal team reportedly had called the SEC's investigation baseless and that it seeks irrelevant information. They also argued the SEC's subpoena amounted to his harassment. However, in the latest court filing in California, federal magistrate judge Laurel Beeler wrote that the SEC was within its authority regarding the investigation, and their subpoena was "definite, and seeks relevant information" to their investigation. According to the court, the subpoena is authorized by the Exchange Act. The SEC and Musk now have one week to agree on a time and place for his testimony. It was in October 2022 that Musk closed his acquisition of Twitter in a deal worth roughly $44 billion. After the initiation of the SEC's probe, Musk had testified twice in half-day sessions in July of 2022 before the regulator. Since then, the SEC has received thousands of new documents from various parties and reportedly wants to seek information from Musk. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Israeli chip-making company, Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (TSEM), has proposed building an $8 billion semiconductor fabrication plant in India. According to reports from The Indian Express, if approved by the Indian government, Tower would participate in the government's $10 billion chip manufacturing initiative. The company would also qualify for a 50% subsidy on the building's capital costs. The proposal for the semiconductor fabrication plant was submitted under India's 'Modified Program for Semiconductors and Display Fab Ecosystem.' This scheme enables companies to request up to 50% of capital costs for qualified semiconductor and display manufacturing projects. The Indian government could potentially contribute $4 billion to this project. If the proposal is approved, Tower Semiconductor aims to produce 65 nanometer and 40 nanometer chips for various sectors, including automotive and wearable electronics. These chips would be produced in India, which is a significant development for the country's sector. In October, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and IT, met with Tower's CEO Russel Ellwanger to discuss the plan. The Indian government is expected to approve the proposal before the upcoming general election. It's worth noting that Tower Semiconductor has previously applied to the initiative in collaboration with the international consortium ISMC to build a $3 billion plant in Karnataka, India's southern state. However, the plan was disrupted by Intel's abandoned acquisition of Tower. In August of last year, Intel terminated its $5.4 billion acquisition deal with Tower Semiconductor due to regulatory challenges. This new proposal by Tower Semiconductor could potentially revive the company's plans to expand its operations in India. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Alphabet Inc.'s (GOOG) Google has launched the "AI Opportunity Initiative for Europe" to provide AI skill training to people in Europe. The initiative will be supported by a fund of 25 million euros ($26.9 million). The initiative aims to help people take advantage of opportunities in AI, as Europe is well-positioned to lead the way in this field. Google has partnered with European Union governments, civil society, academics, and businesses to provide advanced AI training to local startups and underserved communities who are at risk of being left behind as the use of AI in the workplace continues to grow. Google's latest AI initiative in Europe follows a previous initiative called "Grow with Google," which offered free training to address the EU's digital skills gap. The AI program will train professionals in applying AI to scenarios in the workplace. Google has opened applications for social enterprises and nonprofits that can help reach those most likely to benefit from the training. Selected organizations will receive bespoke and facilitated training on foundational AI. Google has also expanded its AI foundational course to 18 languages and enhanced the Google Career Certificates program to offer practical experience in applying AI in professional scenarios. The company has mainly partnered with the Centre for Public Impact to help seek out social enterprises and nonprofits best equipped to reach people most likely to benefit from the training. Adrian Brown, executive director of the Centre for Public Impact, has said that the new program will help people across Europe develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence around AI, ensuring that no one is left behind. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Rhodes University's Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong By The Division of Communication and Advancement Rhodes University's Distinguished Professor Tebello Nyokong is set to receive her sixth honorary Doctor of Science degree later this year, this time from Imperial College in London. Prof Nyokong has already been recognised with two international honorary Doctor of Science degrees from McMaster University in Canada in 2021 and Western University, Canada, in 2019. Her other awards were conferred by the University of Kwazulu-Natal in 2018, Walter Sisulu University in 2010 and the University of South Africa in 2010. In 2022, Prof Nyokong was appointed by Pope Francis to the supranational 80-member Pontifical Academy of Sciences. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Society and a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. As she accepts her sixth honour in October, Prof Nyokong will already be conducting her ground-breaking research and teaching within the new R90 million state-of-the-art research building currently under construction. The Rhodes University Council, in 2023, resolved to name the building Tebello Nyokong Institute of Nanotechnology Innovation. Imperial College London, consistently ranked among the world's top universities, is renowned for its pioneering contributions to science, engineering, medicine, and business-related disciplines. It has earned its place on the global stage through cutting-edge research, innovations in technology and healthcare, and an unwavering commitment to addressing pressing global challenges. Professor Nyokong is a distinguished South African chemist and professor at Rhodes University. She has published extensively, including patents, and received numerous accolades. Prof Nyokong's research focuses on photodynamic therapy as a cancer treatment alternative to chemotherapy. Her impoverished upbringing in Lesotho fuelled her determination to pursue science. She earned her degrees in chemistry and biology, including a PhD from Western University in Ontario, Canada. Prof Nyokong returned to Lesotho briefly before joining Rhodes University, where she advanced from lecturer to distinguished professor. Her pioneering work in nanotechnology and photodynamic therapy is revolutionising cancer treatment. The formal notification, conveying her honorary degree bestowal, was made by Professor Hugh Brady, President of Imperial College. In his letter to Prof Nyokong, he expressed, "It is with great pleasure that I write to tell you that the Council of Imperial College London has resolved to confer on you the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa in recognition of the outstanding contribution you have made in the field of chemistry." Professor Nyokong recalls being in a state of shock upon receiving the news. This honorary degree was the most unexpected one. My previous ones were all connected to me somehow, but I have had no ties with Imperial College. This shows that African researchers are being independently noticed by top universities globally. The degree will be conferred in person at the Postgraduate Awards Ceremony at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in October 2024. This ceremony will be attended by members of the Council, academic staff, recent graduates, and their parents. The evening before the ceremony will be dedicated to celebrating the new Honorary Graduands. I look forward to being able to address young Imperial College graduands. I want to show them that Africa is not what they think it is. Science is not just in Europe. Africa has done well, and we are proud of who we are! said Prof Nyokong. Each of these accolades represents a nod to her exceptional dedication, pioneering spirit, and unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of knowledge in chemistry. I am fortunate to get these awards while I am still alive. And my students - those who do the work - can celebrate with me. Prof Nyokong expressed. As she receives this sixth honorary Doctor of Science degree from Imperial College London, we are reminded that true greatness is not only measured by the accumulation of honours but also by the profound impact one has on the world of science and the generations that follow. Prof Nyokong's story is a testament to the transformative power of education, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. In celebrating her achievements, we honour her remarkable journey and recognise the potential within each of us to make a lasting impact on the world through passion, perseverance, and a commitment to the pursuit of excellence. Professor Tebello Nyokong's story inspires us all, reminding us that pursuing knowledge knows no bounds and the possibilities are limitless when driven by a profound passion for one's field. See her reaction to this news here: https://youtu.be/J7_vXOi36YQ Altroz Racer matches i20 N Line in performance numbers It offers an excellent 5-star crash rating as well Tata Motors is stepping into sporty hatchback realm for the first time. At 2023 Auto Expo, Tata showcased Altroz Racer, which is the companys answer to Hyundai i20 N Line. i20 N Line is the only sporty hatchback in India, soon to be followed by Altroz Racer. The car has been spotted testing and is likely to launch by the end of 2024. Altroz Racer Vs i20 N Line If only Maruti Suzuki hadnt marketed Fronx as an SUV, it could have been Indias hottest hatchback. With just 120 PS of power, the validity of the term hot hatch is debatable. Since this is India, we have to make do with what we have. With hot hatches like Abarth Punto and Baleno RS meeting their demise from the Indian market, the new breed of sporty hatches are poised to take their mantle. Right off the bat, both vehicles are premium hatchbacks and fall into 4m length constraints. i20 N Line is 20 mm wider and has a 79 mm longer wheelbase. Staying true to Tata DNA, Altroz is 18 mm taller and offers more headroom. What it loses in wheelbase, Altroz claws back by offering 34L more luggage carrying capacity. Tata sits 5 mm lower to the ground as opposed to 170 mm ground clearance of i20 N Line. Even though Altroz Racer has a displacement advantage of 200cc, power and torque figures match that of i20 N Line. Altroz Racer was only showcased with a 6-speed MT, but a 7-speed DCT from Nexon is likely too. Whereas i20 N Line offers a 6-speed MT and 7-speed DCT options. Owing to a larger engine, Altroz Racer might show better in-gear acceleration and match i20 N Lines 0-100 km/h in under 10 seconds. Apart from just numbers on spec sheets, Hyundai offers rear disc brakes, a throatier exhaust, stiffened suspension, sporty aluminium pedals and weighty steering with a physically different steering wheel equipped with paddle shifters. All of these are missing on Altroz Racer. Wow Factors Tata Motors has gone out on a limb and put real effort into sprucing up the interiors. A larger 10 display with a slicker interface and sunroof are in line with what Hyundai has to offer. Considering Punch.ev gets a 10.2-inch digital instrument screen, Altroz Racer might get it too. Exact feature list for Altroz Racer is not yet revealed. But Tata Motors has included wireless charging and a built-in air purifier. What is common between both is that interiors feature black-on-red accents, red ambient lighting and a voice-activated sunroof. Tata Altroz Racer offers a black bonnet with racing stripes extending to its roof till its larger-than-stock rear spoiler. This youthful visual treat is missing on i20 N Line. Esteemed motoring journalist Richard Hammond once said, Only cool cars get a black bonnet. Looking at the recent test mules, Tata Motors might launch it by 2024. It is an exciting offering from Tata Motors appealing to enthusiasts. Altroz Racer might be offered in a single trim and pricing might start from Rs. 10 lakh matching that of i20 N Lines starting price. BYD currently sells the Atto 3 and E6 electric MPV in India They have plans to launch more EVs this year If there is an electric car manufacturer that is currently leading the industry on a global scale, it has to be BYD. This Chinese auto juggernaut has been active in the Indian market with two vehicles on sale E6 and Atto 3. However, the key to success in the Indian market has always been cost effectiveness. BYD offers a range of electric cars, from entry level EVs to luxury EVs. They have plans to launch new EVs in India. BYD Dolphin Name Trademarked In India BYD has recently trademarked Dolphin name in India, hinting at possible launch. Dolphin is a very important product for BYD and falls under BYDs Ocean lineup. BYDs new logo debuted with the launch of Dolphin and it signifies the cars role in penetrating key markets like Australasia (Australia, New Zealand), Europe, Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, Japan and its home turf, China. The same effect can be seen in India, which is a price sensitive market. Currently, the most affordable BYD vehicle in India is its E6 MPV and prices start from around Rs. 29 lakhs, while Atto 3 eSUV price starts from around Rs. 34 lakh. BYD is keen on making it big in India as this Asian subcontinent has shown steady growth in the automotive sector. BYD has also trademarked Seagull in India and the company is likely to launch Seal sedan as well. All three vehicles (Seagull, Dolphin and Seal) fall under BYDs Ocean lineup. In India, Dolphin will be positioned below Atto 3 and will be positioned against the likes of MG ZS EV and upcoming Tata Curvv EV, Hyundai Creta EV, Citroen eC3 Aircross and others. Dolphin measures 4,290 mm in length, 1,770 mm in width, 1,570 mm in height and has a wheelbase stretching 2,700 mm long. There is a 345L boot space, which can be expanded to 1,310L with 60:40 split rear seats. Design is fairly conservative and will not split opinions at all. Rear connected tail lights with Build Your Dream (BYD) lettering gets interesting LED signatures. Tech and feature loaded 5 Star EURO NCAP Charging port opening is at the front-right side, which is not very convenient for end-users. Given that cars are more of gadgets on wheels these days, BYD Dolphin will surely impress target audience with its tech-savvy interiors. The multi-layered dashboard is dominated by a massive 12.8-inch rotatable touchscreen infotainment screen. There is a key card with this vehicle that allows keyless entry and start, PM2.5 air filter, a 5-inch digital instrument cluster, electronic parking brake, leatherette upholstery, panoramic glass roof, powered and ventilated front seats, TPMS, 360-degree camera, ADAS suite, attractive interior trim colour options and more. Safety rating of BYD Dolphin EV is 5 star Euro NCAP. There is a 44.9 kWh battery and 60.48 kWh battery options. Dolphin gets a single motor FWD layout with power between 94 and 201 bhp along with torque between 180 and 310 Nm. In Malaysia, BYD Dolphin is imported from China and is devoid of any taxes. Prices start from RM 99,990 which translates to Rs. 17.4 lakh in India. With import duties, expect prices to start in the region of Rs 25 lakhs. Ole Andreas Halvorsen (Borge, Norway, 1961) has become one of the most influential investors. His hedge fund was the third with the highest absolute returns worldwide in 2023. Due to his low profile, he is largely unknown to the general public, but his firm manages assets worth $46 billion and he has amassed a fortune of almost $6 billion. The name of the firm he created in 1999 is quite telling: Viking Global Investors. The same goes for the symbol of the company, a Nordic longship, ready to conquer all financial markets. Halvorsens background is also noteworthy. After completing his secondary education, he entered the Norwegian Naval Academy and joined the Special Operations unit of the Army, the Marinejeger Kommandoen, equivalent to the US Navy SEALs. In the mid-1980s he left the Army and began his higher education in the US, first at Williams College in Massachusetts and then at the Stanford University business school, one of the most prestigious in the world, where he was recognized as one of the best three in his class. After finishing his university education, his meteoric financial career began: a few years at Morgan Stanley, followed by an executive position at Tiger Management, until 1999, when he decided to set out on his own. Today, Viking Global Investors is one of the most renowned investment firms, with a business that invests in the stock market, accumulating assets worth $29 billion. Another side of its activity is dedicated to private assets. Gradually, it has risen to rub shoulders with the largest hedge fund companies, those vehicles that can invest without restrictions on asset type, hedging or leverage. Last year, the firm achieved an aggregate return of $6 billion for its investors, according to data from LCH Investments, only surpassed by the giants Citadel and TCI. The boost came mainly from its positions in technology giants such as Amazon, in the credit card firm Visa and in the financial management software provider Workday. The Viking longship has been able to successfully ride the bullish wave of the US stock market. A year ago, Halvorsen sent a letter to the investors of his hedge fund, telling them: we are entering a very favorable environment for stock selection, with a wide spectrum of opportunities to generate more returns than the market. However, he does not always work with bullish positions. Although this is its main strategy, Viking Global also has formulas that allowed it to take short positions against stocks in years of sharp stock market declines like 2020 or 2022. In addition to its equity positioning, Viking Global Investors has a private assets division that invests in companies that are not yet publicly traded. They have $15 billion allocated to firms that are focused on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector (Day One Biopharmaceuticals, Ayana Bio, Pep Gen or RazeBio, for example); on computer security (Artic Wolf); or on sustainable materials (Evacative). Unlike other hedge fund managers like Bill Ackman, Ken Griffin or Carl Icahn, who have a significant media presence, Andrea Halvorsen has always preferred to keep a low profile. He has gone years without granting any interviews and rarely attends international conferences. Additionally, access to his funds is very limited. Last year was an exception, as he allowed new investors to enter for the first time in 10 years. Another side of Halvorsen is his involvement in sports. In 2012, at the age of 50, he participated in the classic cross-country ski race Marcialonga in Italy, which covers 70 kilometers over the snowy Alps. He finished with a time of 3 hours and 38 minutes, just nine more minutes than the competitions star, Bjrn Dhlie, winner of 12 Olympic gold medals. Now, at 61, Halvorsen, the Viking, remains in top shape and aspires to the podium of the worlds largest hedge funds. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Written By Managing Editor she/her | Bridget is the Messengers managing editor. She oversees the newsroom and covers the Maple Run Unified School District and education at large. She also pays attention to recreation, food and the arts and is an avid cyclist and skier. | Browser Compatibility Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks. We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: On Nov. 11, 1978, Simi Valley police arrested restaurant manager Craig Coley for the murder of his girlfriend and her 4-year-old son. Despite a solid alibi, no criminal record, questionable evidence and a public outcry over his innocence, Coley was convicted of the crimes. He spent 38 years and 10 months in prison before Governor Jerry Brown, citing DNA and other evidence, exonerated him on Thanksgiving Eve in 2017. Regaining his freedom was one form of justice for Coley, who is now 71 and lives in Carlsbad. Another came on Saturday when the city of Simi Valley announced a $21 million settlement with Coley over a civil rights case he filed last year. Advertisement Coleys award is the highest individual civil rights case payout to an exoneree in California history and the fifth highest in the U.S. since record-keeping began in 1989, according to Jeffrey S. Gutman, co-director of the Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics at George Washington University School of Law in Washington, D.C. Gutman has tracked exoneree awards over the past 30 years in collaboration with the National Registry of Exonerations, a project of the UC Irvine Newkirk Center for Science & Society, University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law. Gutman said the current national average payout in successful exoneree civil rights cases is $304,000 per year served in prison. Coleys award is nearly twice that amount, and its possible he may receive more because he has filed a separate lawsuit against Ventura County, which prosecuted the case. Coley said Monday he is grateful that he will now have financial security for the rest of his life and the ability to travel and support causes hes passionate about. But the settlement doesnt make up for everything he has lost. When I was in, I lost my whole family other than two cousins, he said. Its a bitter thing to live with but its a reality. Its been hard to accept but Ive learned to live with it. You know, Ill never have any children, or grandchildren for that matter. So theres a lot more to life than just money. Simi Valley City Manager Eric Levitt said in a statement published on the citys website that the city chose to settle the suit rather than face a long court battle. While no amount of money can make up for what happened to Mr. Coley, settling this case is the right thing to do for Mr. Coley and our community, Levitt said, in the statement. The monetary cost of going to trial would be astronomical and it would be irresponsible for us to move forward in that direction. Coley said hed like to use some of his settlement to co-sponsor seminars for law enforcement agencies to teach the importance of proper evidence handling. Much of the physical evidence in his case was initially mishandled and then, for many years, misplaced, he said. Over the past several months, Coley has been speaking to groups of police officers about this subject alongside his best friend, Mike Bender, 63, of Carlsbad. While working as a Simi Valley Police detective in 1989, Bender came across Coleys case and realized a miscarriage of justice had occurred. Hounded by his superiors to drop the case, Bender instead quit his job in 1991, left town with 16 boxes of case evidence and spent the next 26 years fighting to get the case reopened. Bender, who is now national director of special investigations for ICW Group Insurance Companies, said that he couldnt be happier for Coley, who he described as grateful and relieved over the settlement. Now he can truly enjoy trying to make up for 40 years lost from his life, Bender said. Its a lot of money but he can do a lot of good with it. He wants to make changes in laws and regulations so nobody ever has to go through what he went through again. Craig Coley, left, with Mike Bender at Benders house in Carlsbad last year. (Bill Wechter / San Diego Union-Tribune) Coleys parents passed away while he was in prison, so Bender, and his wife, Cyndi, became his new family. Today, the men live a few miles apart and are as close as brothers. Coley calls Bender my rock and said hed still be in prison if not for Benders tireless efforts. He directed me. He guided me. Hes been my compass. He helped me reintegrate into some semblance of a home life, which has turned out much better than I ever dreamed of, Coley said, in December. The wheels of justice finally began turning in 2015, when Gov. Browns office agreed to investigate Coleys case. Then in 2016, there was a changing of the guard at the Simi Valley Police Department. Incoming police chief David Livingstone met with Bender, who handed him the 16 boxes of files. Then Livingston launched his own investigation with the Ventura County District Attorneys Office. DNA evidence, previously thought destroyed, was found and tested, revealing another mans sperm, blood and skin cells on sheets and clothing in the apartment. Witness testimony was also largely discredited. Livingstone and the Ventura DA filed a clemency petition in November 2017 and Brown signed the pardon two days later. On a Facebook page maintained by Coleys family, Craig Coley The Truth Set Him Free, Coley said that despite the announcement of the settlement, no funds have been distributed. When the money is paid after attorney fees, he has a team of professionals who will help him manage his financial future. A Navy veteran, Coley plans to do some charitable giving to veterans and childrens causes. But most important, he plans to use some of his money to push forward in his final fight for justice: the capture and conviction of the man, or men, who raped and strangled the woman he loved, 24-year-old Rhonda Wicht, and smothered her toddler son, Donald, in his bed. Coley said he is hopeful that as swiftly as his case was resolved this past year, the killer or killers will be brought to justice. This money is not about me, its about two people that horribly lost their lives and I paid the price for it, he said. My hope is that this is solved as soon as possible for the sake of their family, if nothing else. They went through a lot to come to terms with their deaths and now it has opened up again. I would love for them to have some finality when this is all resolved. Readjusting to life on the outside took time for Coley, who had to learn to operate a cellphone and computer. For the first seven months of freedom, he stayed with the Benders. To help him get back on his feet, the Benders started a now-closed Gofundme account that raised $79,000. Then in February 2018, the California Victims Compensation Board voted unanimously to award Coley $1.9 million, based on $140 for each of the 13,991 days he served behind bars. Its the highest award ever paid to an exonerated California prisoner. In California, exonerees are eligible to collect both a state payout and file a separate civil rights case. The highest-ever exoneree civil rights payout was $26 million, paid in 2007 to Peter Limone, who served 33 years for a murder he didnt commit. Other awards of $25 million, $23.7 million and $22 million went to exonerated prisoners in Illinois and New York. Coley ranks fifth, according to Gutman. The standard for proving a civil rights case is high. Of 2,065 exonerees recorded in the registry since 1989, just 824 filed civil rights cases and, of those, just over half received compensation, Gutman said. Some of the reasons cited in these claims for wrongful conviction are mistaken witness identity, false confessions, perjury, misleading forensic evidence and inadequate legal defense. But the most important factor is proving official misconduct. This can include officials withholding exculpatory evidence, pressure on witnesses to provide false testimony and submitting false forensic evidence, Gutman said. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com Since its birth in 1948, the State of Israel has only seen its credit rating rise. An economic, arms and technological power far in excess of its population, the country has overcome with the help of the West recurrent outbreaks of violence and global financial crises after leaving behind the socialist heritage of the Zionist pioneers and turning to exports (civilian and military) and attracting foreign investment. Last Friday, after more than four months of war in Gaza that has driven away investors and tourists and in which Israel has mobilized some 300,000 reservists and is paying the bill for some 200,000 displaced persons from its borders with the Gaza Strip and Lebanon Moodys has become the first international credit rating agency to downgrade its rating: from A1 (medium-high) to A2. It also changed the countrys economic outlook to negative. There is nothing to worry about, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Analysts are not so sure. For the time being, the two main indexes of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange fell moderately Sunday, the first day of the working week in Israel, by 0.61% and 0.74%. Like all other agencies, Moodys has been rating Israel for about three decades, and it has risen despite the Second Intifada (2000-2005), a war with Hezbollah in Lebanon (2006), the Covid pandemic and the impact of the conflict in Ukraine. If Moodys has taken this decision now, it is not only because the country is immersed in its biggest conflict in half a century, but also because the future looks bleak. What does the downgrade mean for Israel? For starters, it will be more expensive to finance itself on the international markets, at a time when it is planning to issue bonds to feed the war machine. It will also be more expensive for companies to obtain funds from abroad. In its report, Moodys stated that the main factor behind its decision is the assessment that the ongoing military conflict with Hamas, its aftermath and wider consequences materially raise political risk for Israel as well as weaken its executive and legislative institutions and its fiscal strength, for the foreseeable future. It added an important addendum: While fighting in Gaza may diminish in intensity or pause, there is currently no agreement to end the hostilities durably and no agreement on a longer-term plan that would fully restore and eventually strengthen security for Israel. Protestors calling for elections and the release of the hostages in Gaza, last Saturday in Tel Aviv. ABIR SULTAN (EFE) 13% of GDP The Bank of Israel estimates that the conflict will cost the country some 255 billion shekels (about 64 billion or $69 billion) between 2023 and 2025 13% of estimated GDP for 2024 both through increased civilian and defense spending and lower tax revenues. Moodys estimates that by the end of 2024 Israels defense budget will have doubled compared to 2022, and that it will raise it by 0.5% of GDP over the next few years. It is not that, however, that concerns the agency most. Moodys acknowledges the soundness of the national economy in its report, and has also done so de facto by waiting four months to lower the bond rating. In other conflicts, the decision has been immediate. It is rather the sensation that no one knows what exactly the total victory Netanyahu aspires to implies, or when it will come. The prime minister said Sunday that it is within reach, having previously said it would be achieved in months, not years. For the time being, Israeli forces are preparing the forcible evacuation of more than a million Gazans to launch an assault on Rafah, near the border with Egypt. Moodys, whose experts spent months in meetings with Israeli officials, highlighted these uncertainties in its report: that it is unclear whether a second cease-fire, with a prisoner-for-hostage swap that mediators have been negotiating for weeks, will come to fruition; that Israel rejects the U.S. post-war plan for Gaza; and that the political crisis and social polarization brought to light by Netanyahus judicial reform is likely to resurface as soon as the emergency government created specifically for the war fractures. More and more people are calling for early elections. Fitch, another of the main ratings agencies, plans to publish its conclusions at the beginning of March and Standard & Poors in three months, although the latter could bring them forward. These are minor problems compared to the prospect of a war with Hezbollah. Israel and the Lebanese militia engage in daily measured skirmishes, but a misstep could lead to escalation. Israel has been relocating some 80,000 inhabitants of the border area to hotels or apartments since October. It will only allow them to return if the security equation changes. And, as Defense Minister Yoav Gallant points out every week, that will only happen in two ways: through diplomacy (several countries are negotiating behind the scenes to reach an agreement to keep Hezbollah away from the border), or by force of arms. Moodys, in fact, sees significant risk of a full-scale conflict with Hezbollah, a much larger and more heavily armed militia than Hamas, although the agency notes that both sides are fully aware of the negative consequences of escalation. Open conflict with Hezbollah would pose a much higher risk to Israeli territory, because of the foreseeable damage to infrastructure, the remobilization of reservists and the limbo in which evacuees would be left. All of this represents a lot of money. So much so that the Ministry of Finance estimates that, instead of growing by 1.6%, it would contract by 1.5% in 2024 if war with Hezbollah is unleashed. Netanyahu, however, downplayed the report. A former finance minister aware of the importance of Israels international image, he took the unusual decision to issue a statement on the Sabbath to underline the strength of the national economy. The rating downgrade is not connected to the economy, it is entirely due to the fact that we are in a war, he said. The rating will rise back at the moment we win the war and we will win the war. The Minister of Finance, the far-right Bezalel Smotrich, took another tone. He called Moodys report a political manifesto that did not include serious economic claims and is based on a pessimistic and unfounded geopolitical worldview, which reflects a lack of confidence in Israels security and national resilience. He also complained that the report does not use the term terrorist organization when referring to Hamas and Hezbollah. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured this vivid image of IRAS 16562-3959, a beautiful star-forming region in the constellation of Scorpius. IRAS 16562-3959, also known as 2MASX J16594225-4003451, resides at a distance of 5,900 light-years in the constellation of Scorpius. At the center of the image, IRAS 16562-3959 is thought to host a massive star about 30 times the mass of our Sun that is still in the process of forming, members of the Hubble team said in a statement. At the near-infrared wavelengths to which Hubble is sensitive, the central region appears dark because there is so much obscuring dust in the way. However near-infrared light leaks out mainly on two sides upper left and lower right where a powerful jet from the massive protostar has cleared away the dust. Multi-wavelength images including this incredible Hubble scene will help us gain a better understanding of how the most massive, brightest stars in our Milky Way Galaxy are born. The new image of IRAS 16562-3959 was made from separate exposures taken in the near-infrared region of the spectrum with Hubbles Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC 3). Four filters were used to sample various wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues to each monochromatic image associated with an individual filter. Filters are thin slivers of highly specialized material that only allow very specific wavelengths of light through, the astronomers explained. They can be slid in front of the part of the telescope that is sensitive to light, letting us control which wavelengths of light the telescope collects with each observation. This is useful not only for specific scientific research, but also for the creation of images like this one. Raw telescope observations are always monochrome, regardless of which filter was used, they added. However, specially trained artists and image specialists can select colors that match the wavelength range covered by individual filters. Or, in the case where a direct match is not possible such as for the data used in this image, which are all in the infrared regime, which human eyes are not sensitive to the artist can select a color that sensibly represents what is taking place. For example, they might assign bluer colors to shorter wavelengths and redder colors to longer wavelengths, as is the case in the visible light range. Then, data from multiple filters can be combined to build up a multi-color image, that both looks beautiful and has scientific meaning. For the first time in the war in Gaza, the Israeli army freed two hostages in a rescue operation: Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Norberto Luis Har, 70, both civilians and Argentine-Israeli dual nationals. The operation which had been planned some time ago, but put on hold until the right moment used intense aerial and artillery bombardments as a diversion. According to the Gazan Health Ministry, at least 67 people died in just a few hours. Hamas accused Israel of committing massacres against unarmed civilians. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari recognized that intense firepower was used in the raid. Reaching the target in the heart of Rafah was very complex, Hagari said. Israel is planing a ground invasion of Rafah, and more than a million Palestinians are set to be displaced. The success of the rescue mission is a rare feat that comes amid growing doubts about Israels war strategy. In the 129 days since the start of the war, IDF special forces have only managed to free one soldier. The army acknowledged that some rescue attempts have ended in failure and civilian deaths, and that at least four hostages were mistakenly killed, even though three of them were waving white flags with messages in Hebrew. The operation also gives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu some breathing room as his approach to freeing the hostages comes under greater scrutiny. The families of the captives accuse the prime minister of sacrificing the hostages in order to achieve a victory photo. An internal Israeli army investigation concluded last week that a hostage was most likely killed in an aerial bombardment. A new hostage-prisoner exchange has been under negotiation for weeks, but the talks have not led to any agreement. Meanwhile, Netanyahu continues to insist on the importance of Israels offensive in Gaza, arguing it is key to freeing the captives. He repeated this message on Monday following the release of the two civilians. Ferdinand and Louis, welcome home. I salute our brave fighters for the daring action that led to their release. Only continued military pressure, until total victory, can bring the release of all our hostages, he said in a statement. Another 134 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, at least 31 of whom have died. The two freed hostages are in good health, the hospital confirmed after an initial check-up. Marman and Har are brothers-in-law who were captured in the October 7 attacks in a kibbutz near Gaza, along with three family members: Clara Marman, Hars wife; his sister Gabriela Leimberg and the latters teenage daughter, Mia Leimberg. The three who are also Argentine nationals were returned home at the end of November during the hostage-prisoner exchange, which saw 105 hostages released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners during a week-long ceasefire. The office of the Argentine Presidency welcomed the news of the hostages release in a statement, adding it hopes that the remaining 10 Argentine hostages will also be freed. Argentine President Javier Milei recently visited Israel, where he showed his unwavering support for the country, reaffirmed his promise to move Argentinas Embassy to Jerusalem, and described Hamas as modern Nazism. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Witnesses claim that Paraguayan policeman Eusebio Torres cracked his whip and in a split second, ruptured the eye of psychiatrist Carlos Arestivo. He hung Margarita Baez by her hair and burned her breasts and vagina. They say that Carlos Casco and his brother Luis were electrocuted and strangled for hours in April 1976. The same happened to Cascos wife Teresa, tortured by Torres when she was six months pregnant. The couples son was born in the prison where they were tortured. Torres tortured Guillermina Kanonnikoff in front of her eight-month-old son, and shocked Constantino Coronel with an electric prod every afternoon for three months. These two victims shared with EL PAIS their stories of torture by the former policeman, whose trial for crimes against humanity started on February 9. Its 8 a.m., and in another 30 minutes the victims will enter the Asuncion Courthouse to testify against Torres. Theyve been waiting since 2011, when the legal process began after the Casco brothers filed charges. Torres is accused of being the primary interrogator during General Alfredo Stroessners dictatorship in Paraguay from 1954 to 1989. Torres faces around 20 charges, but his connections have provided him with impunity for his crimes thus far. In fact, his victims say that he receives a government pension. I really hope that this awful person, my neighbor Eusebio Torres, gets convicted. He tortured me back in March 1977 when he was with the Police Investigations Department and my son was just eight months old, said Kanonnikoff. She holds a banner displaying the faces of some of the 400 people who disappeared during Stroessners regime. Constantino Coronel, the founder of the Christian Agrarian Leagues in Paraguay, was grabbed and forced into a van in April 1976. He was taken to the Police Investigations Department in Asuncion, which was headed by Police Chief Pastor Milciades Coronel. He remembers the police chief pushing hard on his chest, suffocating him. But before he could kill Coronel, a phone call interrupted. He was then handed over to Eusebio Torres, who asphyxiated and electrocuted him for three months. Coronel was released from prison in 1981 with the help of Amnesty International and fled the country. He [Coronel] was hit with nine gunshots. Now, hes 92 years old and testifying today, Kanonnikoff told the people gathered outside the Palace of Justice. The trial began on February 9, 47 years to the day after Agustin Goiburu, a fierce opponent of the dictatorship who once planned to assassinate Stroessner, was kidnapped and disappeared. Eusebio Torres is following the trial from home via a video link. Santi Carneri A long-awaited hint of justice Constantino Coronel was the first to testify, and spoke in both Guarani and Spanish. He did it while looking directly at a laptop where Torres was following the trial from the safety of his home. Around 30 other victims were there to support Coronel. They were his resilient cellmates strong people with gray hair and sharp minds that the torturer couldnt break. He should be dishonorably discharged from the police, return all the pension money, and apologize to the victims. Thats the justice we expect, said Kanonnikoff. Unlike Argentina, Paraguay has only tried nine people for crimes against humanity. Most of the perpetrators evaded justice by dying peacefully in homes and hospitals. It has been 35 years since Stroessners Colorado Party dictatorship ended in Paraguay, yet the same party remains in power today. Despite ongoing efforts by prosecutors, victims, families, defense and human rights lawyers, additional convictions have proven elusive. Most of them have avoided trials and used legal tactics, like constantly appealing court decisions, to delay the process, said journalist and writer Antonio Pecci. He is another of Torres torture victims who testified in court. The Colorados and heirs of the dictatorship continue to control the justice system. Im not saying all of it, but their money controls the majority, said Arestivo, the psychiatrist who was blinded in one eye by Torres whip. Arestivo is one of the signatories of the Truth and Justice Commissions final report. The commission systematically investigated the crimes committed by Stroessners government, and documented nearly 18,000 cases of detention and torture. All this happened in a country of less than two million people. In 2014, former Paraguayan president Horacio Cartes publicly honored Torres and other police officers accused of torture. Cartes is the current president of the Colorado Party, and his protege Santiago Pena, is president of the country. Nonetheless, the torture victims hope for a conviction and sentence that will set an unequivocal example. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition . , . The world is simultaneously facing two wars in Ukraine and the Middle East with enormous geopolitical significance. Meanwhile in the Korean peninsula, there is growing concern about the alarming turn in North Koreas rhetoric. Taiwan also remains a hotspot after a party China opposes won the presidential elections for a third time in row. While the world has always seen terrible conflicts, such as the civil conflict now ravaging Sudan, the current scenario is characterized by conflict between large and medium powers, the likes of which have not been seen in decades. For the first time since 1945, Europe is witnessing a major war, in which a great power has invaded another country not only to subjugate it but also to annex territory. Around 30 Western countries are providing aid to Ukraine to help its efforts to repel Russia, which in turn is assisted militarily by Iran, North Korea, and Belarus. But U.S. support for Kyiv is wavering, and this is strengthening Moscows position. The situation is so dire that several European political and military leaders have stressed that there is a real risk that the conflict will reach Western Europe. The possibility that Donald Trump who opposes Americas involvement in NATO may return to the White House has further heightened tensions. We have to take into account that Vladimir Putin might even attack a NATO country one day. It is unlikely to happen now, but our experts expect a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, a Social Democrat, said in a recent interview. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, a liberal, reduced that time window to between three and five years. There could be war in Sweden, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the Swedish minister for civil defense and a moderate, said in January. The Middle East, for its part, is experiencing the most dangerous situation since at least 1973, and arguably even before that, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. As feared, the conflict between Hamas and Israel has escalated and a dozen countries are already directly involved in wide-spreading hostilities. In retaliation, the U.S. has bombed targets in Yemen, Iraq and Syria. The U.S. strikes against groups affiliated with Irans Revolutionary Guard has put Washington and Tehran in a dangerous direct line of fire. Both sides have signalled that they want to avoid an escalation. But in the region there are actors beyond their control who, more or less intentionally, are fueling the fire. Meanwhile, in East Asia, North Korea has taken an abrupt turn by removing from its Constitution the commitment to seek peaceful reunification, while developing new weapons and strengthening ties with Putins Russia. Further south, the Taiwan question continues to pose a threat amid the non-violent but heated competition between the two superpowers, the United States and China. This is happening against the backdrop of the changing balance of power, as Graham Allison, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, recently recalled at the Davos Forum. While in recent decades there have been other wars with terrible human consequences and significant geostrategic repercussions, such as the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Balkans, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria, the current scenario holds a level of geopolitical risk that has not been seen since the Cold War. The number of victims is also striking. According to a study by the Oslo Peace Research Institute (PRIO), 2022 saw the highest number of deaths from state wars in which at least one actor is a state since the early 1970s with the exception of 1984. Over 200,000 people died in state wars, largely due to the conflicts in Ukraine and Ethiopia (1994 would have a high death toll if the conflict in Rwanda was also included, but the PRIO lists it in another category). It is reasonable to think that 2023 when the crisis in Ethiopia eased, but the conflict in Gaza erupted will also be a bad year in the yet-to-be-published death toll. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus mission to push further into the south of Gaza is likely to increase the number even more. More than 100 million people worldwide are refugees or displaced, the highest figure on record. But the danger lies above all in the geopolitical situation. We have entered a period with greater interstate conflict. We are in an era of direct competition between major countries, says Meia Nouwens, an expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. This is concerning. And so is the level of cooperation that we see, for example, between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, which is new to a degree. As for context, there is a disturbing collapse of communication, of trust, the mechanisms that would have ensured stability in the past. Old arms control treaties between the U.S. and Russia are collapsing, and there is no prospect of new ones being signed with China. Sergey Radchenko, a historian specialized in the Cold War and professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, also highlights the conflict between the worlds great powers. The current period has differences with the Cold War. There is no ideological confrontation like then. There are democracies on the one hand and regimes on the other, but it is not the same. And there is an interdependence that didnt exist then, he comments. But there are things that are similar: one is the power struggle between powers. Another similiarity is how the nuclear specter is conditioning that fight. The future is not set in stone, and the situation may not worsen. There are encouraging signs, such as Washington and Beijings efforts to restore relations, the clear signals issued by the United States and Iran that they do not want an escalation, and the movements underway to seek a negotiated solution to the Gaza conflict. But it is evident that there are actors determined to seek destabilization. The possibility of other actors becoming involved, or of unintentional escalations, cannot be ruled out either. Here is an analysis of the three main sources of geopolitical tension, based on opinions from experts interviewed by telephone last Thursday. Rescue teams intervene after a Russian bombing in Kharkiv in which at least seven people died. Yevhen Titov (AP) Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his speech at a plenary session of the World Economic Forum in Davos: If anyone thinks this is only about us, this is only about Ukraine, they are fundamentally mistaken. Possible directions and even timelines of new Russian aggression beyond Ukraine become more and more obvious. Zelenskiy did not mention specific timelines or directions, but in a later meeting with an international group of journalists, when asked about the prospect of Trump returning to the White House, his sigh was telling. There are clear signs that a Trump victory would put an end to U.S. aid to Ukraine and raise questions about Washingtons commitment to mutually defend its allies. In the timeline discussed by Zelenskiy, the date of the U.S. presidential elections is clearly marked. Putin often says that he has no intention of attacking other countries, a point he reaffirmed in his interview with Tucker Carlson. But he also publicly denied any plans to attack Ukraine. It is interesting to remember what he said at the last Valdai forum: This is not a territorial conflict and not an attempt to establish regional geopolitical balance. The issue is much broader and more fundamental and is about the principles underlying the new international order. In other words, if this is not just about Ukraine and the region, but rather about supposed principles, there is nothing stopping him from defending those principles in other countries. In the West, this prospect is taken increasingly seriously. The alarmist statements by European political and military officials are an attempt to prevent that from happening, says Radchenko, whose new book, To Run the World: The Kremlins Cold War Bid for Global Power, will be published in May. The conflict can be avoided if Europe is prepared for it. Russia today is a country that, under Putin, is seeking to take advantage of weakness. Weakness invites aggression, strength deters it. Thats why warnings seek to raise awareness, to create an understanding that helps countries prepare, which is the best way to avoid a war, says the historian. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a huge undertaking: 35% of all Russian public spending goes to war. China has helped Russia circumvent the restrictions on accessing Western technologies, and bilateral trade has grown a lot, reaching over $200 billion in 2023. But Beijing is also pressuring Moscow, for example, by slowing down the launch of a new Russian-Chinese gas pipeline in a bid to push the Kremlin to give in and agree to more favorable conditions. Despite this, it is evident that Putin has stabilized the situation and is turning Russia into a war economy. Radchenko argues that Putins strategic objective is to recover Russias place as a great power and use this mission to legitimize his position. Putin wants to be seen as the indispensable leader returning Russia to greatness and fighting against all who allegedly want to undermine the country far from a reassuring position. And if the United States does not guarantee its support, Europe is far from having a credible deterrent because it is not a united front. Its armed forces are fragmented, have interoperability problems, and are not used to fighting. But, above all, there is no political unity. If the Americans give up their leadership, which may well happen if Trump wins, can we really expect the Europeans to push forward as a united force? We cant, says Radchenko. As a result, the war in Ukraine is at a complicated phase, with Kyiv suffering from a shortage of supplies. But the outlook is potentially much more problematic. It is a key strategic challenge for the world and an existential threat for Europe. A wake for victims of Israeli attacks in Rafah. Fatima Shbair (AP) Middle East While there is the war in Ukraine in Europe, the Middle East is going through its most turbulent period in decades. There are two different sides to the tension, which feed into one another. The first is the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The second is the confrontation of forces in the region, with Iran and its partners on the one hand, and the United States and Israel, on the other. At the forefront is Israels brutal response to the Hamas attack, which is causing devastating human suffering in Gaza. Diplomatic efforts are underway to end the hostilities, with the United States, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt playing key roles. This mediation effort is coming up against serious problems, especially because Netanyahu has a vested interest in continuing the fighting. There is a widespread feeling in Israel that as soon as hostilities end, so will Netanyahus mandate, says Hugh Lovatt, a Middle East expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Even before the current crisis, Netanyahu was a divisive leader who was facing criticism for alleged corruption cases and for promoting measures that many Israelis believed were harmful to democracy. Netanyahus total failure to foresee and contain the Hamas attack has damaged his reputation, perhaps permanently. An Israeli tank on the border with the Gaza Strip. Ariel Schalit (AP) And the resulting problem is that the conflict in Gaza is leading to regional escalation. While the problems in the region have their own causes and dynamics, the Gaza crisis is aggravating them, Lovatt continues. Neither Israel, nor Iran, nor Hezbollah want a regional war, and they have measured their actions to avoid it. But if the crisis in Gaza continues, the risks increase for several reasons. Iran and its partners may feel pressure to appear to be doing something. Tehran does not have absolute control over its partners and some may act out of self-interest. And finally, there is an increased risk of unintentional escalation. It is likely that the attack on the Jordanian base that killed American soldiers was not intended to have that result, says Lovatt. The United States, which also does not want the conflict to escalate, has responded in a calculated way to prevent this from happening giving Iran time to relocate its forces and striking surgically a week later. But when you are playing with fire, a fire is likely. In my opinion, we are already in a regional war, but it is a largely contained and low-intensity war, with measured attacks. But as long as the war in Gaza continues, the risk of full and uncontrolled escalation will grow even if few have a stake in it, Lovatt argues. The latest news is alarming. Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli Armed Forces to prepare an offensive against Rafah, in southern Gaza, where a large part of the Gazans displaced by Israels brutal military operation in the Strip are living in overcrowded conditions. This stage in the war could cause terrible harm to civilians and further destablize the geopolitical situation. Meanwhile, Americas enemies are watching with delight as Washington is forced to deal with other fronts. East Asia Kim Jong-un and his middle daughter, minutes before the launch of a missile, on November 18 at Pyongyang international airport. (AP) The tension in East Asia is the last element of the global big picture. North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, made an abrupt political turn, renouncing the traditional goal of peaceful reunification with the South, while continuing to develop his arsenals, including nuclear weapons. Reputable analysts fear that this is an attempt to lay the ideological foundations for warlike actions. Veteran U.S. diplomat Robert Carlin and nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker argue that the situation is the most dangerous it has been since the 1950s. Some experts fear that the perception that the United States is in decline weighed down by dysfunctional policy, having made a sudden withdrawal in Afghanistan and now caught up in Ukraine and the Middle East, and facing a possible complicated transition of power may motivate some to make a move. Meanwhile, North Korea has been strengthening ties with Russia, providing it with a huge amount of ammunition for the war in Ukraine. I find Kim Jong-uns statements particularly alarming. We are witnessing the resurgence of the awareness that the North Korean leader might want to at some point be adventurous in his decision making, says Meia Nouwens, from the IISS, who specializes in China and East Asia. I think this year he will develop new defense capabilities. Is this preparation for a military attack? Or a strategic positioning to have more leverage ahead of 2025 and a possible return of Trump? I think the latter is more likely, says the expert. The other potential hotspot is Taiwan. The third straight victory of the Taiwan Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the presidential elections is not good news for Beijing. However, Nouwens notes, the fact that the party did not win a parliamentary majority means that the worst scenario from the point of view of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has been averted. What this means, I think, in military terms, is that there will be no huge change in the next four years. We will continue to see Beijings focus on the gray zone, maritime and air raids, and disinformation, says the expert. In this region, a lot depends on relations between China and the United States. The two superpowers have shown signs of wanting to thaw the frosty relationship. Since [the meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in] San Francisco, we have been seeing positive developments, in the sense that the two countries are trying to dialogue, establish channels, even between the armed forces. But, it is a very narrow approach. There is grave mistrust between the two countries. Both recognize that they have no interest in a conflict. But it is a very fragile stability that unexpected events could derail, says Nouwens. China is in the midst of an economic slowdown. This can cause internal discontent. There are those who fear that, to divert attention from the waning economy, the regime could hit the nationalist button harder. Im not convinced by this argument. I think Xi has been clear to the people that in the period ahead it has to prepare itself for struggle. I dont think theyll use conflict as an instrument for distraction. Beijing has not acted like this in the past and I would also say that, right now, Chinas military is not in a very stable state, at least in terms of the corruption allegations within the missile force and the subsequent changes in the top command and the disappearance of leaders, such as the former defense minister, says Nouwens. This is the picture. The big unknown is how a Trump victory may impact it. Meanwhile, the brutal violence continues. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Radiofrequency mesh network specialist CyanConnode announced on Monday that it had secured a significant letter of award from its partner, the JST Group (JST). The AIM-traded firm said the letter of award entailed the delivery of 101,360 Omnimesh cellular modules (CNICs). It said the agreement expanded on previous deployments and orders for Omnimesh RF modules, gateways, and 206,735 Omnimesh perpetual software licences in Thailand, spanning from 2019 to 2021. The board said the letter of award stood as CyanConnode's largest received contract for CNICs to date. It said the deployment of the Omnimesh CNICs was slated to start in the first quarter of the 2025 financial year. I am pleased to announce this latest letter of award from JST, which not only broadens our engagement in the Thai market but also demonstrates the expansion of our Omnimesh product range to include a standards-based cellular solution, said executive chairman John Cronin. This important development, with a standards-based cellular product, gives our HES both RF and cellular capability. At 1001 GMT, shares in CyanConnode Holdings were up 3.73% at 11.67p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. US oil and gas company Diamondback Energy said on Monday that it has agreed to buy rival Endeavor Energy Resources in a $26bn deal. The consideration will consist of around 117.3m shares of Diamondback common stock and $8bn in cash. Diamondback will own approximately 60.5% of the combined entity, while Endeavors equity holders will own the rest. Diamondback chairman and chief executive Travis Stice said: "This is a combination of two strong, established companies merging to create a must own North American independent oil company. The combined companys inventory will have industry-leading depth and quality that will be converted into cash flow with the industrys lowest cost structure, creating a differentiated value proposition for our stockholders. "This combination meets all the required criteria for a successful combination: sound industrial logic with tangible synergies, improved combined capital allocation and significant near and long-term financial accretion. With this combination, Diamondback not only gets bigger, it gets better." Anglo American and Finnish Minerals Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to explore opportunities to further support Finland's battery strategy. Finnish Minerals Group is a holding and development company that manages the Finnish Government's mining industry shareholdings and supports the development of the Finnish battery value chain. Alison Atkinson, projects & development director at Anglo American, said: "Finland is a highly attractive investment destination and has a strong heritage in both mining and innovation. We look forward to working with Finnish Minerals Group, whose mission is to responsibly maximise the value of Finnish minerals, to explore the wealth of opportunities that our agreement could offer. "This agreement further strengthens our commitment to Finland as well as to our Sakatti project, a true polymetallic orebody very much aligned to Finland's and the EU's critical minerals priorities. Sakatti is designed as the next generation of FutureSmart Mining, building on what we have learned in terms of minimal surface footprint and using technology and innovation to deliver ever better environmental and social outcomes, whilst producing essential raw materials needed to transition to a greener, low carbon energy future." Heathrow has hailed a "smashing" start to the year with nearly six million passengers using the airport in January, but called on the government to reconsider its 2021 decision to abolish tax-free shopping for international visitors. Some 5,996,000 people travelled through Heathrow last month, marking a 9.4% increase in terminal passengers on January 2023, with 196,661 passengers flying on so-called Blue Monday on 15 January, the airport said. "2024 has got off to a smashing start with Heathrow being named the best UK airport for the 3rd consecutive year at the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards. This accolade is testament to the hard work and dedication of all colleagues across Team Heathrow," the airport said. Passenger numbers to and from Africa were down 3.3% year-on-year, but all other regions saw growth, including double-digit growth from the Middle East (+10.4%) and Asia Pacific (+18.3%). European travel, which accounts for around 30% of all traffic at Heathrow, increased by 8.3% Meanwhile, cargo traffic totalled 122,255 metric tonnes in January, up 20.2% on last year, with every region experiencing growth. Heathrow's chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: The year has got off to a strong start, retaining Heathrows crown as the best UK airport. We are ready for the first passenger peak of the year, with February half term fast approaching." However, in the statement the airport called on the government to consider resuming tax-free shopping for international consumers as tourist taxes were "shut[ting] the door on home-grown growth". Up until 2021, non-EU visitors were able to claw back a 20% VAT refund on their goods when shopping in the UK. The UK is now the only European country to not offer VAT-free shopping incentives, which is "tarnishing the UKs reputation as a competitive country to spend and do business with", Heathrow said. "Heathrow has joined forces with the British Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses to make the case for an internationally competitive tax-free shopping incentive at the Spring Budget." Tritax Big Box said it had agreed terms on a possible bid for UK Commercial Property REIT in an all-share deal worth 924m. The company on Monday said it had offered 0.444 new Tritax shares for every UKCP share, leaving it with 76.7% of the merged group and UKCM shareholders with the remainder. It also represents a 10.8% premium to UKCP's closing share price of 64.2 pence per share on February 9. Tritax said the boards of both companies believe the potential offer would "bring together complementary logistics-oriented investment portfolios with a shared focus on resilient and growing income". Phoenix Life and Investec Wealth & Investment UK - which hold 56.5% of UKCP - have indicated they will accept the offer on current terms, it added. Jupiter Fund Management gained after BNP Paribas Exane lifted the stock to 'neutral' from 'underperform'. JPMorgan Cazenove nudged down its price target on Ashmore on Monday and reiterated its underweight rating as it argued that the re-rating has gone too far. The bank, which trimmed its price target to 184p from 185p, noted that Ashmores shares have rebounded by around 8% in the past month, driven by better market performance and a slower pace of net outflows in Q4 23. It said that even though fiscal H1 24 results beat what seemed to it like a "stale" consensus, the H1 24 adjusted EBITDA was 10% below its expectations. As a result, the bank cut its adjusted earnings per share estimates by around 9% on average for FY24-27E. JPM said that even though it forecasts a gradual net flow recovery, it does not expect a return to double digit $bn net inflows. "At 18.9x 2025E price-to-earnings (or 12.7x excluding excess capital) Ashmore is the most expensive stock within our traditional asset managers coverage," it said. "We believe the circa 25% multiple rerating since October 2023 has gone too far, and reiterate our underweight recommendation." Market Movers FTSE 250 - Risers Jupiter Fund Management (JUP) 85.55p 7.75% TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 579.00p 5.56% Watches of Switzerland Group (WOSG) 414.20p 5.18% UK Commercial Property Reit Limited (UKCM) 67.50p 5.14% Future (FUTR) 735.50p 4.18% Wizz Air Holdings (WIZZ) 2,113.00p 3.12% Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 166.65p 3.06% Tritax Eurobox (GBP) (EBOX) 49.95p 2.99% SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust (SEIT) 56.50p 2.91% Crest Nicholson Holdings (CRST) 224.80p 2.74% FTSE 250 - Fallers Tritax Big Box Reit (BBOX) 155.00p -3.25% Ashmore Group (ASHM) 223.20p -2.79% Diversified Energy Company (DEC) 900.00p -2.12% Baltic Classifieds Group (BCG) 229.50p -1.92% Me Group International (MEGP) 134.00p -1.90% BBGI Global Infrastructure S.A. NPV (DI) (BBGI) 121.60p -1.62% NextEnergy Solar Fund Limited Red (NESF) 76.80p -1.54% Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust (ORIT) 78.00p -1.27% BH Macro Ltd. GBP Shares (BHMG) 352.50p -1.26% NB Private Equity Partners Ltd. (NBPE) 1,576.00p -1.25% In a bid to significantly reduce LNG imports, the Indian Biogas Association proposes a hefty investment of Rs 30,000 crore for machinery and equipment essential for biomass supply to compressed biogas (CBG) plants. The move aims to ensure the reduction of 12 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTA) in LNG imports. Gaurav Kedia, Chairman of the Indian Biogas Association , emphasizes the dual benefits of utilizing agricultural residues like paddy straw for bioenergy production and soil enrichment. However, challenges such as unappealing economics lead farmers to burn straw rather than sell it promptly. To address this, Kedia suggests government intervention, including subsidies for combined harvesters and support for balers and storage units. Operational guidelines for crop residue management, custom hiring centers, and awareness campaigns are also recommended. The ASCI study reveals India's vast biomass potential, with a total crop production area of 198 million hectares generating 754 million tonnes of total biomass. The proposed investment would address challenges in states with significant biomass generation, potentially attracting Rs 170,000 crore in CBG plant investments. This initiative aligns with the government's green energy goals, contributing to reduced LNG imports by 12 MMTA. While welcoming progress in the Union Budget 2024, Kedia emphasizes the need for long-term financing options, incentives for domestic production, and tradable CBG certificates. If your company's staffing level requirements are steadily increasing, if you are concerned about finding and hiring candidates who have the right professional skills and meet your client's personnel requirements, it's time to contact the Sowelo recruitment agency. The company has been operating in Poland, in Krakow, since 2007, and so far has more than 1600 completed recruitment projects, more than 135 open projects and more than 180 satisfied clients. The latter number is growing steadily, with clients returning with new projects and recommending Sowelo's services to others. So if you need support to make your business grow, if you are looking for information or have any questions - contact Sowelo today. You will quickly see that by entrusting recruitment to experienced headhunters you will save not only money, but also a lot of valuable time. What's more, out of concern for the high standard of its services, Sowelo provides a 3-6 month guarantee for each candidate recommended to the client under the current contract. Moreover, as part of the current contract for the recruitment process, the company offers a number of additional services in addition to finding the desired candidates for the position. 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IT recruitment services offered by our agency have been carefully considered and are designed to meet the requirements of even the most demanding clients. Join the ranks of the companies we recruit for and hire the best candidates soon. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also developed into the first cyberwar in history. That was one of the main conclusions of the Kyiv International Cyber Resilience Forum, held February 7-8 in the Ukrainian capital and where representatives of cybersecurity agencies from Ukraine, the United States, NATO, and the European Union discussed collaboration on defense systems for their digital networks. The meetings yielded one relevant conclusion: that the Kremlin is using its cooperation with China to carry out cyberattacks against Ukraine. Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), assured that her governments priority is to deal with Beijings interference in her country. China is the big threat in the long term, although our focus is still on Russia, Easterly explained. When the invasion started, we increased our measures in case of retaliation. And what weve seen is that Russia and China are cooperating. Serhii Demediuk, deputy secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, confirmed to EL PAIS that Kyiv has detected the consequences of this cooperation between Moscow and Beijing in its cyberspace: We are aware of the knowledge provided by China [to Russia], although it is impossible to know precisely how it is being used. Demediuk did confirm that Chinese spyware has been used for attacks with a destructive purpose in Ukraine. China-developed data-hijacking programs have also been deployed in attacks on Ukrainian institutions. In March 2022, a month after the invasion began, an attack was detected in Ukraine that leading cybersecurity analysis centers such as SentinelOne confirmed used malware developed by Scarab, a hacker group linked to the Chinese government. The UKs National Cyber Security Centre announced in April 2022 that it was investigating an alleged massive Chinese attack on 600 Ukrainian websites in the days leading up to the invasion, including that of the Ministry of Defense. European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova warned Chinese authorities in September 2023 in a statement to Politico that they should not support Russia in the invasion: I have stated that we consider how China interacts with Russias war against Ukraine to be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward. This includes of course aspects relating to cybersecurity, and disinformation. Demediuk stated during one of his speeches that Moscow has mimicked Chinese Internet censorship systems: Now they are testing it in their own countries, the weaknesses of DNS protocols [the domains used by applications and websites], while we are concerned with the defense of our own countries, thats why we have to strengthen international alliances. This morning, while we were being bombed in Kyiv, we were also suffering cyber-attacks, the deputy secretary said Wednesday. They work with hackers from China, Iran, Belarus, and North Korea. It is being proved every day. There is no gray area There is no gray area anymore, now the world is black and white; you are in one block or the other, says Yegor Aushev, a cybersecurity expert and one of those responsible for organizing the Kyiv Forum. Any technology that China brings to Russia will be used to attack. Aushev notes that a key difference is that NATO partners contributions to Ukraine are for defense, not attack. Juhan Lepassar, director of the EU Agency for Cybersecurity, advanced that the new 50 billion financial assistance plan for the Ukrainian government includes a provision for cybersecurity programs. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress and Senate are blocking a $61 billion package that President Joe Bidens government wants to allocate in mostly military assistance to Kyiv. Nathaniel Fick, the Biden administrations ambassador for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, told EL PAIS that there are other ways to circumvent the legislative blockade and provide U.S. cybersecurity assistance. Fick pointed to the so-called Tallinn Mechanism, an alliance that came into force last December and is formed by the U.S. and nine other countries to quickly provide cybersecurity resources to protect civilian infrastructure. Ukraine sets the priorities and the members of the group coordinate to respond as quickly as possible, explains Fick: if Ukraine needs, for example, priority assistance to protect satellite connections, the Tallinn Mechanism will address it in the first instance, says the senior U.S. official. Demediuk and Illia Vitiuk, head of the cybersecurity department of the Ukrainian secret services (SSU), welcomed the fact that the U.S. is accepting that what Ukraine is suffering from is not cybercrime, but acts of war via the Internet and telecommunications networks. This is critical, they said, for pursuing future court cases to prosecute them as war crimes. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is the first modern war to feature a major cyber warfare component, wrote researcher Vera Mironova in 2023 for the Atlantic Council, a U.S.-based geopolitical think tank. Vitiuk pointed out to this newspaper that Russian missile attacks have been accompanied by simultaneous attacks against the servers of targeted Ukrainian agencies. This was the case in the bombing campaign of autumn 2022 and winter 2023 against the Ukrainian energy network, says the senior SSU employee. Andy Greenberg, one of the most renowned journalists in the investigation of Russian hacking, asserted in November 2023 that what happened during the bombings against the Ukrainian power grid was a first in the history of cyberwar. According to Greenberg, a Russian military intelligence agency unit known as Sandworm had hacked the Ukrainian power grid twice in the past decade, but did so again to target civilians with a blackout attack at the same time missile strikes hit their city, an unprecedented and brutal combination of digital and physical warfare. The same occurred in the 2022 missile attack on Kyivs main television broadcasting tower, according to Vitiuk. Ukraines National Security Council defines a cyberattack as an act of war when it has a destructive purpose, is carried out by military units, or financed by a state. Vitiuk completed the description by indicating that acts of cyberwar are committed if a state trains the experts who carry them out. He conceded that attacks against military targets are legitimate, but Russia mostly focuses its aggression against civilian infrastructure. Aushev argued, citing Vitiuk, that Ukraine is hitting military data and telecommunications systems in Russia, which would be a legitimate target in war. But leading international organizations state otherwise. The Swiss-based CyberPeace Institute, in a report published last December, concluded that it had recorded at least 300 cyberattacks against Russian civilian agencies since the beginning of the invasion until September 2023, and that the main attacker is the so-called IT Army of Ukraine, a large network of hackers supported by the Kyiv government, according to the institute. The institute confirmed 574 attacks against Ukrainian civilian agencies in the same period. The SSU claims that in nearly two years of war it has dealt with 10,000 major cyberattacks, with a daily average of 13. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition JSW Group, a prominent Indian conglomerate, is poised to make a substantial entry into the electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing sector with a colossal investment of 400 billion rupees ($4.82 billion) in Odisha. The conglomerate and the Odisha state government formalized their collaboration through a memorandum of understanding, marking the initiation of an Integrated Electric Vehicles and EV Battery Manufacturing Project across two cities in the state. JSW Group, renowned for its diversified portfolio, had previously joined forces with China's SAIC Motor in November, strategically emphasizing green mobility development in India. The planned phased projects in Odisha aim to position JSW Group as a significant player in India's burgeoning EV market, aligning with the government's ambitious target of achieving a 30% share in the market by 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Former Engie chief Gerard Mestrallet as a special envoy for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This multinational rail and ports project is positioned as an alternative to China's Belt and Road initiative. Macron's objective in naming Mestrallet, a well-connected energy industry veteran, is to make France a significant player in the project and ensure favorable positioning for French companies in the early stages. Launched during the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September, IMEC is part of the collaborative efforts by Washington and Brussels to counter China's global infrastructure initiative. The project aims to establish railway links between Middle East countries and ports connecting to India, facilitating the efficient flow of energy and trade from the Gulf to Europe. U.S. and European officials anticipate reduced shipping times, costs, and fuel usage. A memorandum of understanding for IMEC was signed by the European Union, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the U.S., and other G20 partners. The envisioned IMEC comprises two separate corridors: an east corridor connecting India to the Gulf and a northern corridor linking the Gulf with Europe, as outlined in the MOU. Along the railway route, participants plan to lay cables for power and data lines, as well as a pipeline for hydrogen derived from renewable energy for use in power generation. In the financial world today, several prominent stocks are making headlines: Hero Motocorp: The leading two-wheeler manufacturer in India, Hero Motocorp, reported a substantial 51% YoY surge in net profit to Rs 1,073 crore in Q3, with revenue from operations increasing by 21% to Rs 9,723.73 crore. The robust performance is attributed to increased profits and volumes during the festive period. ONGC: The state-owned petroleum giant witnessed a 10% decline in net profit for the December quarter, totaling Rs 10,356 crore. Despite a 2.2% dip in revenue from operations at Rs 1,65,569 crore, ONGC's board approved a second interim dividend of 80%. Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX): MCX reported a net loss of Rs 5.3 crore for Q3, a significant shift from the net profit of Rs 39 crore in the previous year. The firm's revenue from operations rose by 33% to Rs 191.5 crore, demonstrating a dynamic performance. Pfizer: The pharmaceutical company experienced a 13.7% YoY decline in net profit to a130 crore in Q3, coupled with a 13.2% decrease in revenue at Rs 540 crore. EBITDA also dropped by 24.9% to Rs 153.4 crore, reflecting challenging market conditions. DOMS Industries: The stationery and art material company showcased robust financials, with PAT growing by 43.4% to Rs 388.2 million and revenue from operations increasing by 22.3% to Rs 3,716.1 million in Q3. Bandhan Bank: The bank recorded a remarkable 152% YoY increase in net profit, reaching Rs 732.7 crore in Q3. The Net Interest Income (NII) experienced annual growth of 21% at Rs 2,525 crore. Tata Power: The power transmission company reported a modest 0.8% YoY increase in consolidated net profit at Rs9.53 billion for Q3, driven by strong energy demand amid higher costs. Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar: The company turned profitable in Q3, posting a consolidated net profit of Rs 20.28 crore, a significant improvement from the net loss reported in the same period last year. EaseMyTrip: Online travel services provider EaseMyTrip reported a 9.5% rise in net profit to Rs 45.7 crore in Q2FY24, accompanied by an 18.1% YoY increase in net consolidated revenue at Rs 160.8 crore. Investors are keenly observing these developments, anticipating their impact on the respective companies and the broader market. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The New York City Police Department has released crime data for Staten Island for the month of January. In what can be considered a positive development, the rate of crime on our borough through Jan. 28 was down considerably when compared to the same period in 2023, according to the NYPDs latest CompStat figures. Crime in 2024 was the lowest on Staten Island as it has been for that period of time since 2021. The NYPD announced on Monday that crime in New York City dropped overall in January and remains down year to date. It is evident that the tremendous work being done by the men and women of the NYPD to confront gun violence head on continues to drive significant reductions in violence and disorder across many categories, said Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban in a press release issued by the NYPD. These intensive efforts are having ripple effects citywide, and are enhancing quality of life and increasing public safety on a large scale. INSIDE THE DATA Amid a dramatic shift in NYPD strategy, crime has fallen after 2023 saw a surge on Staten Island. The NYPD enacted a tactical shift at the end of the summer, developing an intricate, multi-state system to gather and analyze intelligence as a strategy to crack down on car thefts and burglaries in particular, Assistant Chief Joseph Gulotta, the NYPD borough commander, told the Advance/SILive.com in a December interview. You could definitely feel that crime was up, your neighbors felt it, and everyone you spoke to felt it, Gulotta said. I was lucky enough to get assigned out here, kind of have a chance to do good in your own neighborhood and knock some of this crime down. Through Jan. 28, 2024, Staten Island saw a total of 219 reports of the seven major crimes a drop of 24% when compared to the same time period in 2023 (289). The seven major crime are murder, rape, burglary, robbery, grand larceny auto, felony assault and grand larceny. The only crime that increased during that period is rape. In 2023, there were three rapes reported compared to four in 2024. Homicides remained the same in 2024 compared to 2023. In January, Carl Sutera, 59, of Sheldon Avenue in Huguenot, was indicted by a grand jury on murder charges stemming from the strangulation death of his 82-year-old mother. Robberies decreased by 46% in 2024 (18 reported) compared to 2023 (33), CompStat data shows. It seems that the Christmas cheer of December carried Islanders good mood through the majority of January, as felony assaults decreased by 22%, with 53 reported compared to 68 the previous January. There were 14 burglaries reported in 2024 down 52% from from 2023 when there were 29. Grand larcenies saw a drop of 11%, with 109 reported through Jan. 28 compared to 123 instances over the same time period in 2023. Twenty-one cases of grand larceny auto were reported this year, a 34% drop from the same time period in 2023, when 32 were reported. Rape continues to be underreported. If you are a victim of sexual assault, please come forward. The 24-hour NYPD Special Victims Division hotline is: 212-267-RAPE (7273). In celebration of Safer Internet Day on Feb. 6, the dating app Bumble made popular because women make the first move by initiating conversation has introduced a new tool to block fake profiles and prevent catfishing, according to Business Wire. The new tool, the Deception Detector, uses Artificial Itellience (AI) to weed out spam and scam profiles on dating platforms before users even see them, blocking 95% of identified catfish profiles automatically. This technology, combined with human support, advances Bumbles mission to make their online dating platforms safer for users. In recent years, the online landscape has evolved significantly and we see a growing concern about authenticity, said Lidiane Jones, CEO at Bumble Inc., in a statement. Bumble Inc. was founded with the aim to build equitable relationships and empower women to make the first move, and Deception Detector is our latest innovation as part of our ongoing commitment to our community to help ensure that connections made on our apps are genuine. With a dedicated focus on womens experience online, we recognize that in the AI era, trust is more paramount than ever. We are being thoughtful about how to best use new models to reduce the anxiety of making connections and support our community, with AI standing as a main area of focus. Within the first two months of the technologys introduction, Bumble saw member reports of spam, scam, and fake accounts reduced by 45%. Bumble Inc.s research shows that people worldwide worry most about matching with fake profiles and scams when dating online. Almost half of the women surveyed (46%) are anxious about whether their online matches are genuine or catfishing scams, preventing them from making meaningful connections. Bumble Inc. was a founding member and the first dating app to join forces with the Partnership on AI, reinforcing the companys focus on responsible technology. Deception Detector has been rolled out across Bumble, Badoo, and Bumble For Friends. HOW TO SPOT A FAKE PROFILE/CATFISH ON DATING APPS According to Bumble, dating app users should be aware of red flags that could indicate fake profiles and catfishing scams. Bumble advises to use caution and block and report anyone who triggers your suspicions about the authenticity of a profile. Staged Profile Photos: Beware of profiles with meticulously staged photos and a lack of candid shots. Profiles resembling glossy magazine spreads are less likely to represent a genuine person. Reluctance to Meet or Video Chat: A common trait of catfish is their eagerness to meet you coupled with consistent excuses for why they cant. Within two weeks of chatting, it is wise to meet in a video chat to make sure the online persona matches the real-life one. Overly Focused on You: Catfish often shower initial compliments to lure you in, exploiting the human tendency to bond through closeness and vulnerability. Catfish may dodge questions about their own lives, lacking genuine details to share, and instead shift focus onto you to create a sense of specialness. ABOUT BUMBLE Bumble Inc. is the parent company of Bumble, Bumble for Friends, Badoo, Fruitz, and Official. The Bumble platform enables people to build healthy and equitable relationships, through Kind Connections. Founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014, Bumble was one of the first dating apps built with women at the center and connects people across dating (Bumble Date), friendship (Bumble For Friends), and professional networking (Bumble Bizz). Badoo, founded in 2006, is one of the pioneers of web and mobile dating products. Fruitz, founded in 2017, encourages open and honest communication of dating intentions through playful fruit metaphors. Official is an app for couples that promotes open and honest communication between partners and was founded in 2020. For more information about Bumble, visit www.bumble.com and follow @Bumble on social platforms. A 2-year old boy was rescued by his parents after being trapped by sand at a Monmouth County, New Jersey, beach that collapsed, according to police. Sea Girt police initially received a report of a missing child at Neptune Beach around 11:22 a.m. Saturday. Officers reached the location and met with the childs parents, police said. The boy was playing on the beach when the sand around him caved in. His father nearby rescued him from the sand within two to three minutes. The child was conscious and alert upon being rescued, police said. He was brought to Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune for treatment and observation. Borough officials contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Weeks Marine to address the fallen sand, police said. The collapsed area of sand has been restricted until its filled. Weeks Marine is securing the area until its evaluated, police said. Authorities have charged a Gloucester County man with setting three fires last week, including one at an apartment complex and another that destroyed a vacant building that was previously home to a local theater troupe and school. A firefighter suffered a minor injury in one of the incidents. Michael M. Lopez-Medina, 19, of Woodbury, allegedly admitted setting the blazes, according to court documents. The incidents began Feb. 1, when Lopez-Medina used gasoline and matches to set fire to two vehicles on Salem Avenue in Woodbury, police said. The vehicles were destroyed. The owner of one of the cars told police she thought Lopez-Medina may have set the fires because she recently told him she was not interested in dating him, police stated in an affidavit of probable cause. The defendant is seen on video setting fire to the vehicles, police stated in complaints filed Sunday. On Feb. 3, Lopez-Medina allegedly used gasoline and matches to torch a detached utility shed at Carriage House Apartments in Woodbury. Once again, police said Lopez-Medina was seen on video setting the fire. The shed was destroyed. Firefighters then responded to 433 Glover St. in Woodbury around 3:30 a.m. Feb. 7 for a fire in the vacant, three-story building that once housed the Sketch Club Players theater group. They found heavy fire conditions and portions of the building collapsed as crews battled the blaze. The structure, which dates to 1899 and was originally the West End School, was already in poor condition from years of neglect, officials noted. The three-alarm blaze was placed under control around 5:30 a.m. A building that once housed Woodbury's West End School and later the Sketch Club Players theater group was consumed by fire Feb. 7. Police have charged a man with setting the blaze.(Woodbury Fire Department) Lopez-Medina was caught on video running from that fire scene and was wearing the same clothing in all three incidents, police stated. In the second and third incidents, police say he spray-painted the words Lets Play in red paint on the sidewalk. While no injuries were reported in the first two fires, a firefighter suffered a minor cut to the head at the third incident, noted Woodbury Fire Administrator Brian Hauss. In an interview with police, Lopez-Medina allegedly confessed to setting all three fires and he was charged Sunday with three counts of second-degree arson and a second-degree charge of aggravated assault for the injury to the firefighter. Court records did not list an attorney for Lopez-Medina as of Monday afternoon. He remains in Salem County Correctional Facility pending court hearings. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Gloucester County Prosecutors Office Detective Alex Phillips at 856-384-5529 or Bridgeton Police Detective Brian Volk at 856-845-0065, ext. 144. Information may also be emailed to the prosecutors office at tips@co.gloucester.nj.us. Firefighters on the scene of a three-alarm blaze that destroyed the former Sketch Club Players building on Glover Street in Woodbury last week.(Woodbury Fire Department) Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. One of Staten Islands longest standing and most venerable clubs needs a new meeting place. The Staten Island Society of Model Railroaders, first chartered in 1956, had been meeting in the staff house building at New York Health + Hospitals/Sea View for more than ten years. The spot wasnt ideal because of a leaky roof, according to club vice president Michael Pillarella, but the meeting place allowed the group to keep its model railroad setups permanently standing. But then the group was told that while the building would be renovated, there would be no room for the club there in the future. The railroaders held their last meeting there in December of 2022 and have been looking for a new meeting place ever since. We want a place where we could have a workshop, we want a place where we can set up layouts, said Pillarella. The eviction stung because the group had been a part of the fabric at Sea View. Group past president Ron DeMartini said the railroaders had helped the nursing home conceptualize a train layout enjoyed by Sea View residents in the facilitys greenhouse area and had maintained and repaired the setup for the length of the clubs time there. Since weve been released from that building, the layout has gone to hell, DeMartini said. He said the group also ran monthly interactive train shows for the Sea View residents and also held annual holiday train shows in the nursing home lobby. We were contributing to that environment, DeMartini said. NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View is committed to building valuable partnerships with local community organizations, said agency director of public affairs and communications Rafael Dominguez, however our existing buildings on the campus were built more than 50 years ago and need structural improvements. He said, As we address these needs, space remains limited. We will work with all our tenants and partners to accommodate requests as best we can. Sea View has hosted numerous community groups on its campus and the Health + Hospitals said it had supported the model railroad club at no cost and accommodated the group when it could. Since leaving Sea View, the group has been meeting at various venues, including the Kings Arms diner in West Brighton. Michael Pillarella, vice president of the Staten Island Society of Model Railroaders, with his home train setup in Great Kills. (Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance)Tom Wrobleski/Staten Island Advance The group is looking for a space where they can leave their train layouts set up permanently instead of assembling them and then breaking them down at each meeting. Pillarella said that the club would like for any new venue to allow the club to hold open house events so that the members could share our hobby with other people. There are four levels to the hobby, including those who buy train sets and run them as is; those who customize train sets to their own specifications; those who modify train sets, and those who build their own trains from scratch. The group, which currently has 28 members, regularly does free-of-charge model railroad setups at schools, churches and cultural institutions on the Island, including holiday events, to show our passion, as Pillarella puts it. We actually are a draw that brings people into these events, said DeMartini. We work with the community. Group members also do buy-and-sell events, including in New Jersey. Pillarella said people, particularly youngsters, are amazed when they see the train setups in action. Kids today, all they know is their telephone, they know their iPad, and playing games on TV, Pillarella said. But a true hobbyist train setup is something they havent seen before, he said. Pillarella got his first train set at the age of nine months and is also an avid collector of Matchbox, Hot Wheels and die-cast vehicles, as well as other memorabilia. This whole tri-state area has a lot of railroad history, he said. Theres railroad history on Staten Island. We try to soak up as much as we can. Wisconsin saw its first-ever recorded tornadoes in February, the usually frigid month, creating conditions typically seen in late spring or summer for severe weather. These tornadoes wreaked havoc in rural areas on an exceptionally warm day -- leaving behind a trail of destruction, including dead and missing cows, demolished homes, and damaged vehicles. At least two tornadoes were confirmed south of Madison and the National Weather Service was investigating reports of several more spawned from storms that swept across the southeastern part of the state around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, said meteorologist Taylor Patterson. Matt Artis, 34, surveys the wreckage Friday morning, Feb. 9, 2024, after a tornado struck his farm in the Town of Porter, Wis., on Thursday evening. A line of storms and tornadoes fueld by unusually warm February weather tore across southeastern Wisconsin on Thursday. (AP Photo/Todd Richmond)AP One confirmed tornado near Evansville was a high end F2, the weather service said. Those tornadoes are described as significant, with winds in this particular twister topping out at 135 mph (220 kph). It was on the ground for 36 minutes, traveling 24.5 miles (39.4 km) with a maximum width of 500 yards (457.2 meters). Another tornado that touched down near Juda was an F1 with peak winds of 110 miles per hour (177 kph) and on the ground for 14 minutes, covering 8.35 miles (13.4 km) with a maximum width of 50 yards (45.7 meters), the weather service said. There were no reports of significant injuries. Local emergency management officials reported dozens of buildings, power lines and other structures that were damaged in the path of the storm that formed in eastern Iowa and died out near Milwaukee. The temperature was a record high for the date: 59 degrees (15 Celsius). Connie Arndt, 72, stood in disbelief Friday among the debris of a rental house she owned outside Evansville. All of us are in denial that this is February, she said. Its an absolute shock. Debris can be seen outside the home of Patrick Crull Friday morning, Feb. 9, 2024, after a confirmed tornado went through the area along North Tolles Road, just northwest of Evansville, Wis., the prior evening. Crull and his girlfriend moved into the house last December after several months of remodeling the interior. The tornado was the first-ever reported in February in the state of Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. (Anthony Wahl//The Janesville Gazette via AP)AP Matt Artis, 34, said he had just got out of the shower in his familys Town of Porter farmhouse on Thursday evening when he heard a big bang. He got his mother and their dog, Dixie, into the bathroom just as the tornado hit. He said he emerged from the bathroom, looked up and saw nothing but the night sky. The tornado had torn the roof from their home. Outside, the tornado had turned the farms 103-year-old barn to rubble and strewn debris across the fields for hundreds of yards. He said Friday morning that he found one his cows dead in the barn and 10 more were missing. Artis appeared to be in shock, wandering around the farm as a small army of neighbors pulled up offering to help him find his cattle. At one point, he threw up his hands and walked away, saying: I dont know. Hunter Oller of Brodhead, Wisconsin, and his friend were out fishing when the storm rolled in. They started to drive home but pulled over in the Town of Magnolia where they spotted two partially formed tornadoes and one tornado that seemed to touch the ground. Oller, 20, pulled out his cellphone. Patrick Crull tours the damage inside his home along North Tolles Road, Friday morning, Feb. 9, 2024, after a confirmed tornado went through the area just northwest of Evansville, Wis., the prior evening. Crull and his girlfriend moved into the house last December after several months of remodeling the interior. The tornado was the first-ever reported in February in the state of Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. (Anthony Wahl//The Janesville Gazette via AP)AP I was in awe, he said. Patterson, the meteorologist, said the storm was like ones typically seen in Wisconsin in the late spring and summer. Its just unusual in the sense that it doesnt normally happen in February, she said. Winter tornadoes are almost unheard of, especially in northern states. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that between 1998 and 2022, 31 states across a broad swath of the country, from Washington state in the northwest to New Mexico in the south, Wisconsin in the Upper Midwest over to Maine in the northeast, didnt report a single tornado. Patrick Crull tours the damage surrounding his home and farm on North Tolles Road with his family Friday morning, Feb. 9, 2024, after a confirmed tornado went through the area just northwest of Evansville, Wis., the evening before. The tornado was the first-ever reported in February in the state of Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service. (Anthony Wahl//The Janesville Gazette via AP)AP But winter tornadoes like the one in Wisconsin are likely to be stronger and stay on the ground longer with a wider swath of destruction in a warming world, a 2021 study showed. That comes after a 2018 study found that tornadoes were moving farther east, into states like Wisconsin. The stronger El Nino this year does make it warmer than normal, but its hard to say from this one event how significant of a role climate change played, the meteorologist Patterson said. But with a lot of things that have been going on with climate change, you get more severe events and then you get more impactful severe events, she said. Tornadoes are most common in Wisconsin over the summer months between May and August. Since 1948, between November and February fewer than a dozen tornadoes total had been reported before Thursday, according to the weather service. Conditions collided in Wisconsin late afternoon on Thursday creating the perfect conditions for tornadoes to form, Patterson said. That included rapidly warming temperatures that topped out at a record-tying 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 Celsius) in Madison and more moisture with rapidly rising air, creating thunderstorms, Patterson said. Weather service teams will determine how strong the tornadoes were and how many formed. Photos and video shot near Evansville that were posted on social media show a tornado with lightning flashing around it. Dan Wagner, 76, and his 40-year-old son, Andy, couldnt make it to the basement before the tornado hit their house near the Artis farm. Downed power lines lean close to the street in Evansville, Wis., Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. The first tornado ever recorded in Wisconsin in the usually frigid month of February came on a day that broke records for warmth, the type of severe weather normally seen in the late spring and summer. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)AP Andy Wagner said he curled into a ball and hoped for the best as windows shattered and the sound of metal on metal filled their home. It was like the house took a deep breath, and (then) the windows all exploded. Im in the fetal position on the floor, he said. I thought I was going to die. ___ This story has been corrected to show the Juda tornado was rated F1, not F2, and that the city where Oller lives is called Brodhead, not Broadhead. ___ Associated Press contributed to the story. A man convicted in the notorious drug-related killing of a rookie New York City police officer at the height of the citys crack epidemic decades ago has been denied parole, a union representing NYPD officers said Sunday. Todd Scott had been serving 25 years to life for his role in the shooting death of Officer Edward Byrne in Queens. Byrne was killed in 1988 as he sat in his police cruiser guarding the home of a witness in a drug case. Police said Scott was part of a crew of four men paid $8,000 to kill the 22-year-old officer, who was just weeks on the job, in retaliation for the arrest of drug dealer Howard Pappy Mason. The NYPD said Scott walked up to the passenger side window of Byrnes car and distracted the officer while another man shot him five times in the early morning hours of Feb. 26, 1988. Police mark the moment each year with a solemn ceremony at the intersection where Byrne died. Scott was convicted of second-degree murder and has been serving his sentence at the maximum-security state prison in Shawangunk. He has been eligible for parole since 2013, but with his latest denial wont be eligible again until August 2025, according to the state corrections departments online inmate database. Spokespersons for the agency didnt respond to a call seeking comment Sunday, and it couldnt immediately be determined if Scott had a lawyer. Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said in a statement that the union was relieved Scott was denied parole. The union said it also will continue to oppose the release of two others convicted in the killing. David McClary and Phillip Copeland are scheduled to appear before the parole board in April and November, respectively, according to the union. Scott Cobb, who police said was the driver in the slaying, was paroled last year. We need New Yorkers to keep sending a message to the Parole Board: if you murder a New York City police officer, you must live out the rest of your days in a prison cell, Hendry wrote. Byrnes brother Kenneth Byrne said in a statement that the best way to honor his brothers sacrifice was to continue to show there is no redemption for those who kill police officers. They tried to make an example of Eddie, sending a message to the police and the public that they ruled the streets, he said. Its very comforting to know that message wasnt reinforced this time around. Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed Human beings may want to be good, but they are well aware of the degrees of evil (economic plunder, torture, ethnic cleansing, genocide, crimes against humanity) of which they are capable. To address that fact, those same human beings imposed democratic norms on politics and created international institutions designed to confront such evil on a global scale and to hold those responsible to account. That is why it is so important that the international institutions born in the aftermath of World War II remain strong, and why it is so shocking that the main one of all, the United Nations, is failing so miserably in its fundamental purpose at the beginning of the 21st century: to preserve peace and protect children and refugees. Never has the U.N. been so impotent and its Secretary General so crestfallen. In his most recent speech, Antonio Guterres acknowledged that the Security Council, the U.N.s main instrument for achieving peace, is paralyzed and incapable of dealing with the barbarism that has been taking place in various parts of the world for months, especially in Gaza. Neither Guterres anguished speech nor practically the entire weight of the U.N. has been able to impose a ceasefire, vetoed by the United States. For five months, the Israeli government has been inflicting brutal punishment on an unarmed civilian population, resulting in nearly 100,000 victims; 28,000 dead, 11,000 of them children, and 67,000 wounded and mutilated, of whom 27,000 are minors. The United Nations has not even been able to ensure the arrival of sufficient humanitarian aid for the two million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, nor to defend its own organizations on the ground. Schools, refugee centers, U.N. facilities and hospitals have been bombed and razed to the ground, and journalists killed in their homes. The United Nations should be responsible and accountable for all of them. But it has not even been able to safeguard its own agency for refugees in Palestine, UNRWA. It is a small consolation to know that the Spanish government has been consistent with its humanitarian obligations, even increasing its financial contribution to UNRWA. Be that as it may, the only thing that is going to be remembered of the U.N. is its complete shipwreck, and those who believe that something like this will not have painful consequences as well as those who prefer to ignore what is happening are irresponsible. Our world is entering an age of chaos, Guterres lamented. But what is happening in Gaza is not the result of an age of chaos, or even of a brutal terrorist attack by Hamas, but of a perfectly organized plan by an extremist and ultra-nationalist government to take over territory by expelling its current inhabitants, and to do so with total impunity. A report published in Foreign Affairs magazine by Aluf Benn, editor of the extraordinary Israeli newspaper Haaretz, makes it perfectly clear how Benjamin Netanyahu has long been planning the occupation and ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the West Bank, and how he has been dragging Israeli society into those plans, the way history shows such evil things are done: step by step. Only such callous indifference explains why in 2018 Israeli society accepted Netanyahus proposal to define Israel by law as the nation state of the Jewish people, so that only Jewish Israeli citizens have certain rights recognized, while Arab Israeli citizens become a subordinate group. Tens of thousands of Jewish Israelis, with living memory, opposed this law and it always draws admiration that there are courageous Israelis who in an atmosphere of harassment say there should be a single Israeli-Palestinian state, with equal rights for all its citizens, an idea that was born in the 1940s and 1950s, but that has always met with violent opposition from the most radical religious and nationalist sectors. Israel was not created as a religious state, but it was born in the delivery room of the same United Nations that is about to be demolished, and where its birth certificate was signed and its registry is kept. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. After-school programs around New York will get a boost in the next school year thanks to a $100 million investment Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday. Thats the amount the state will make available in new Learning and Enrichment After-School Program Supports (LEAPS) grants, and represents $17.7 million more than was available this school year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children and youth were disconnected from after-school programming and lost out on this critical means to receive academic support and build stronger social connections, Hochul said. This funding will give young people another safe space to grow and express themselves, and assure parents that their childs learning and development isnt confined to school hours. LEAPS combines two existing programs Advantage and Empire State after-school programs in an effort to streamline the process and reduce administrative burdens for providers. The state issued a request for proposals Monday for programs hoping to apply for grant funding, and the hopeful programs will have until 4 p.m., April 3 to apply with awardees set to be announced later that month. Overall, the state estimates the investment will provide services to more than 40,000 children in high-need areas around New York. State-licensed school-age child care programs serving children in high-need school districts, and organizations interested in becoming a licensed provider, are eligible to apply for the grants. Information on applying for the grants can be found on the LEAPS page of the Office of Children and Family Services (OFCS) website. OCFS is both excited and committed to help lead Governor Hochuls mission to increase the number of high-quality, affordable child care programs that New Yorks families deserve. LEAPS grants offer an opportunity to reinvigorate existing after-school programs and fund new ones so that more school-age children have equitable access to these invaluable services, OFCS Acting Commissioner Suzanne Miles-Gustave said. Research shows that young people who participate in these programs have higher school attendance, achieve greater academic success and are less likely to be at risk for exposure to harmful influences. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Luck was on the side of three winners across New York state who won $50,000 in third-prize Powerball tickets. The third-prize winning tickets were sold for Saturdays Powerball drawing. They were sold at Waverly Express Mart at 1108 Waverly Ave., in Holtsville; 7-Eleven at 112 Route 100 in Katonah; and Desai Newsstand at 150 E. 42nd St. in Manhattan. Winning numbers for the Feb. 10 Powerball drawing are white balls 27, 28, 34, 37, and 44 and red Powerball 8. The winning numbers for the Powerball game are drawn from a field of one to 69. The Powerball number is drawn from a separate field of one to 26. In order to win the jackpot, players must match all five white balls in any order and the red Powerball number. Powerball tickets can be purchased at any New York Lottery retailer for $2, seven days a week. The deadline for purchasing a ticket is 10 p.m. on draw nights. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 11 p.m., and the New York Lottery urges players to buy tickets early to avoid last-minute lines. Players can securely check their tickets on the New York Lottery app. The New York Lottery continues to be North Americas largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $1 billion in fiscal year 2022-23 to help support education in New York State. New Yorkers struggling with a gambling addiction, or who know someone who is, can find help by calling the States toll-free, confidential HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or by texting HOPENY (467369). STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Local non-profit organizations and New York City are partnering to provide free tax preparation assistance to eligible Staten Islanders for the 2024 tax season. Through April 26, Project Hospitality, El Centro del Inmigrante and the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will be providing free, professional, in-person and contactless federal and state tax return preparation assistance to qualifying Staten Islanders. Volunteer income tax assistance preparers that are IRS-certified will complete tax returns free of charge for those eligible, essentially saving them hundreds in tax preparation fees. Tax filers who earned $85,000 or less with dependents; $59,000 or less without dependents; and/or collected unemployment in 2023 are eligible to utilize the program. The program offers three appointment options: Drop-off (preferred method): Schedule an appointment to drop off tax documents at one of three community help centers. Participants will then receive a call from a volunteer preparer to review the tax return and submit/e-file. In-Person: Participants can schedule an appointment to visit a help center to sit with a volunteer as they prepare and submit the tax returns. Virtual: Participants can virtually meet with a preparer over a video conference. Appointments must be scheduled in advance for one- to two-hour time slots. Access to a computer, smartphone or tablet with Wi-Fi is required for this option. For over 20 years, NYC Free Tax Prep has helped New Yorkers file more than 1.45 million tax returns, saving them more than $216 million in potential filing fees, said Vilda Vera Mayuga, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection commissioner. This year, were helping more filers keep more of their hard-earned money with the enhanced NYC earned income tax credit and our expanded NYC free tax prep services for self-employed New Yorkers. To schedule a free appointment, visit the Project Hospitality website and click the free tex prep icon at the top of the homepage. Those interested in the service can also telephone the help centers at 646-417-1204 or 718-273-6737. TAX DOCUMENT DROP-OFF SITES ON STATEN ISLAND Appointments are available at the following help centers: Stapleton: 211 Canal St.; Mon-Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Port Richmond: 221 Port Richmond Ave.; Mon-Sat, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. El Centro del Inmigrante: 260 Port Richmond Ave.; Tues-Fri, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Citywide, the service is available at more than 140 sites. A checklist of what New Yorkers need to bring with them to file is available at nyc.gov/taxprep. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The federal government is urging states to do a better job distributing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to the millions who rely on them to help feed their families. Last week, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sent letters to the governors of 47 states, including New York, imploring them to address issues regarding delayed and inaccurate SNAP benefits. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. High school students planning to take the SAT will no longer require pencil and paper exams are now digital going forward. The College Board announced it would transition its exams to a digital platform in 2024, while also shortening the length of the exam from three hours to two hours. The decision was made after students and educators reported positive experiences during a digital SAT that was piloted in November 2021. The exam will still be scored on a 1600 scale. And students wont take the test at home. It will continue to be administered in a school or in a test center with a proctor present. The first digital SAT exams nationwide will be offered starting next month on March 9. Going forward, all SAT exams will be offered online. Heres what students can expect. What will the exam look like? The digital SAT will be shorter about two hours instead of three, providing more time per question. It will feature shorter reading passages with one question tied to each, and passages will reflect a wider range of topics that represent the works that students read in college. Calculators will be allowed for the entire math section. What will I use to take the exam? Students will be able to use their own device (laptop or tablet) or a school-issued device. If students dont have a device to use, the College Board will provide one for use on test day. If a student loses connectivity or power, the digital SAT has been designed to ensure they wont lose their work or time while they reconnect. Will it be a more secure testing experience? The changes will make the SAT more secure, according to the College Board. With the previous paper and pencil SAT, if one test form was compromised, it meant canceling administrations or canceling scores for a whole group of students. Going digital allows every student to receive a unique test form, so it will be practically impossible to share answers, according to the organization. Will the digital SAT be less stressful? Students who participated in the pilot program of the digital SAT said the test experience was less stressful than the paper-and-pencil exam. Students dont need to worry about bringing their own pencils or a calculator. Every test proctor during the pilot said that administering the digital exam was the same or better than the pencil and paper, as they no longer have to deal with packing, sorting, or shipping test materials. When will I get my SAT score? Students and educators will get scores back in just days instead of weeks. To reflect a range of paths that students take after high school, digital SAT Suite score reports will connect students to information and resources about local two-year colleges, workforce training programs and career options. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday continued to urge New Yorkers to prepare for a winter storm system set to dump more than a foot of snow in the Mid-Hudson region and cause dangerous travel conditions downstate during the Tuesday morning commute. Starting overnight Monday and continuing through Tuesday evening, 8 to 12 inches of snow are being forecast for the Mid-Hudson region, including the Catskills, with local snow amounts in some areas up to 18 inches. The New York City area is expected to receive 4-8 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. Snowfall rates could reach up to 2 inches per hour at times, and wind gusts could reach 25 to 40 mph through the duration of the storm, mainly off the south shores of Long Island. The combination of wind and snowfall rates will lead to reduced visibility for those in all impacted areas, especially during the Tuesday morning commute. Beginning at 12 a.m., a ban on empty and tandem tractor trailers will be implemented on I-84 from the Connecticut state line to the Pennsylvania state line. Dangerous or impossible driving conditions are expected at times and New Yorkers should expect and prepare for other impacts such as localized power outages, road closures and other potential disruptions to travel throughout the duration of this storm. Even though were coming out of a few days of record high temperatures, this storm is a stark reminder that winter is still alive and well, Hochul said. This storm will bring plenty of hazards with it from heavy snow piling up fast to wind, which will bring low visibility and some power outages. Please heed warnings from your local media outlets, as my team will continue to monitor the storm until its long gone. Several winter storm warnings and watches have already been issued in advance of the storm. New Yorkers are encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by subscribing to NY Alert at alert.ny.gov, a free service providing critical emergency information to your cell phone or computer. ADDITIONAL STORM COVERAGE: >> NYC weather: These forecast maps show timeline of snow storm >> NYC Catholic elementary schools closed Tuesday for traditional snow day >> NYC public schools will be remote Tuesday with snow storm in forecast: Mayor Adams STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Staten Island Chucks prediction last week of an early spring may be in doubt as a winter storm threatens to dump up to 7 inches of snow on the borough Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service, a storm system is rapidly approaching Staten Island as it moves up the coast from the Southeast. The New York City area is still a tough forecast, the heaviest snow seems to be northwest of the city, National Weather Service lead forecaster Bob Oravec said. The city itself could still get heavy snow, it is not a 100% confident forecast. Rain that will turn into a slushy snow will begin Monday evening, according to Oravec. By Tuesday at around 7 a.m., the Island will feel totally different, with wind chills around 30 degrees, the NWS indicates. Snow is expected to start falling Tuesday morning with an accumulation of up to 7 inches possible, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service. Snow amounts could be close to these levels if storm track is further south/colder or with heavier snow banding over inland areas. Amounts across NYC metro/Long Island could occur if changeover to snow occurs faster and temperatures are colder.National Weather Service Snow will remain in the forecast until the afternoon, with steady temperatures around the 30s, according to Oravec. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Tuesday. A Mahanoy Plane man is locked up in Schuylkill County Prison for firing a rifle and hitting a home on Sunday. According to court documents filed by the Pennsylvania State Police at Frackville, on Sunday, around 12:20pm, Troopers received a call for a report of shots fired in the area of 2406 Railroad Street in Mahanoy Plane, Gilberton. When Troopers arrived, they secured the area and found a home that had been struck with at least 3 rounds. At the time of the incident, 6 people were inside the home that was struck, including 2 children that were 5 years old and younger. Upon interviewing the victims, they learned the family had heard gunshots and went outside and found 2 males standing at a nearby railroad bed, one of them holding a rifle. The victim began to yell at the two males and heard additional shots travelling past him. The two males then fled the area and entered a blue Dodge Dart and fled. While Troopers were questioning the victims, the fleeing vehicle was seen traveling east on Route 54. The troopers on scene located the vehicle on the east side of Gilberton near the intersection of West Main Street and Hickey Street. The occupants of the vehicle were identified as 25-year-old, Patrick Quinn, of Mahanoy Plane, and Ethan Houtz. Both were detained. Upon questioning Quinn, he admitted to being in the area with .22 caliber rifle, and that he was target shooting in a wooded area across from the victim's home. He admitted to fleeing and hiding the firearm along the road nearby. Upon questioning Houtz, he admitted that Quinn was target shooting into a wooded area when for an unknown reason turned and began firing at the home across the street. He also admitted to fleeing and hiding the firearm along the road. Houtz was transported by State Police to the area of Vulcan Hill Road and Vulcan Road in Mahanoy Township where the .22 caliber was buried beneath some leaves along the road. State Police say based on what they learned, Quinn was intentionally and recklessly firing at least 3 rounds towards the occupied home. Pennsylvania State Trooper Nicholas Reese charged Quinn with aggravated assault, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person. Quinn was arraigned before on-call Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli on Sunday afternoon on the above charges and locked up in Schuylkill County Prison on $150,000 straight cash bail. Unless bail is posted, Quinn will remained locked up awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled before Judge Tarantelli on February 28th, 2024. The Pennsylvania State Police at Frackville are investigating an altercation that occurred after a road rage incident in West Mahanoy Township. According to Troopers, police were called to the Speedway Gas Station on South Lehigh Avenue in West Mahanoy Township near Frackville on Friday morning around 6:15am for a simple assault. At the scene, police learned that a verbal altercation occurred following a road rage incident. During the altercation, a 31-year-old male was physically assaulted by three unknown suspects. The victim was injured in the assault. One of the suspects was described as an African American male who was wearing a ski mask. The victim could not give a description of the other two suspects. After the assault, the suspects are believed to have fled southbound on Route 61 in a gray Mercedes-Benz sedan with window tint and a loud exhaust. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Frackville Barracks by calling (570) 874-5300. Support the Peninsulas only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe! Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions. Premium Subscription As low as $8.25 per month Premium Includes: Access to the Daily Journals e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. The ability to download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. The ability to clip & download articles or images to share with others. Access to the last 90 days of e-Editions with search, downloading and clipping options. Unlimited access to our award-winning online content Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community In mid-December 2023, a demonstration in Ireland revealed the strength of public concerns about noise caused by commercial airplanes. Protesters gathered outside the county offices where the Dublin Airport Authority was discussing a planned expansion. Wrong way DAA! the people chanted. Testy times Such reactions are common across Europe as airports strive for more business and residents under the flight path seek relief from the sound of jetliners when they take off and land. In September, Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands capped its flights because of noise concerns, dismaying airlines as their bottom lines were hit. This tension between commercial and public interests has prompted researchers to seek ways for planes to fly more quietly. With around 30,000 flights a day in Europe, preventing ill health has been a prime driver of the research efforts. At takeoff in particular, but also at landing, aircraft make a lot of noise, said Dr Werner Haase, a German aeronautics consultant and aerodynamics expert with a doctorate from the Technical University of Berlin. If youre sleeping and a plane flies over your home, thats very disruptive. The social impact of that kind of noise is quite high. While individual planes have become around 75% quieter over the past three decades and road transport causes significantly more noise than aviation, increases in air traffic have resulted in noise disturbances for great numbers of people. In Europe, 22 million people have chronic high annoyance as a result of environmental noise including from planes, according to the European Commission, which cites related illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, stress and tinnitus. It says that 12,000 premature deaths are caused each year by long-term exposure to environmental noise and that 12,500 school children face learning impairment from aircraft noise alone. Noise pollution is the second-biggest environmental cause of health troubles after air contamination, according to the World Health Organization. Through a zero pollution action plan dating to 2021, the Commission aims to decrease the share of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 30% this decade. Wing flaps and slats An EU-funded project called INVENTOR wants to make landings in particular less intrusive for the inhabitants below. The focus is on the landing gear, the flaps at the back of the wings and the slats at the wing fronts. When an aircraft approaches an airport, the landing gear is down and the flaps and slats are deployed to increase the lift at low speed, according to Dr. Eric Manoha, head of the Computational Aeroacoustics Research Unit at French aerospace research center ONERA. The aircraft follows a gentle descent along a standardized route, he said. This means that aircraft are constantly flying at low altitude over the homes of the same group of people. Manoha leads INVENTOR, which began in May 2020 and runs until the end of October 2024. Bringing together major European aircraft makers Airbus and Dassault and landing-gear manufacturer Safran Landing Systems, it is homing in on the noise that emanates from wing flaps and slats and from the landing gear. While plane engines are a major source of noise at takeoff, making flaps and slats as well as the landing gear quieter can produce a big overall improvement during approaches and landings when engines are less noisy. Roughly 30% to 50% of the noise caused by an aircraft in these stages of the flight comes from the airframe, not the engine, said Manoha. Air flows The INVENTOR team is testing and planning to propose to the aviation industry a range of design changes to lower decibel levels. One is to place a passive porous structure in front of the landing gear so that the surrounding airflow interacting with the structure is altered and noise is muffled. Another is to install an active device on the landing gear that blows air out. This would create an air curtain that, again, cuts noise by diverting the airflow. The landing gear also has to be considered when trying to reduce noise from wing flaps, which are extended during landing and takeoff to provide more lift and drag. The wake of the landing gear impacts the flaps, said Manoha. This causes noise. The project team is placing a porous material on the flap to reduce the noise generated by the flow around the flap. Its also examining options to reduce slat noise with porous materials and the noise generated by mechanical devices used to deploy the slats. Decibel decline Quieter planes will emerge mainly from the cumulative effects of such design improvements, rather than from any single one of them. For example, the latest generation of single-aisle aircraft generates around 75-80 decibels of noise during landing. Were aiming for a one to three decibel reduction per airframe element, said Manoha. Each step forward is progress. In any case, residents near European airports will have to remain patient. Although some technologies might be retrofitted on existing aircraft, significant relief from air-traffic sounds may come only with the next generation of passenger jets. Motoring along A separate EU-funded project that has just ended and that Haase led took a broader approach to the whole challenge. Called DJINN, the project improved the simulation methods used by aircraft manufacturers to predict how loud their planes will be. It ran from June 2020 through November 2023 and used advanced numerical methods and high-performance computing to predict fluid flows and improve the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of aircraft. Its findings will help plane manufacturers experiment with design options to reduce noise. These methods became more accurate than what industry uses today to calculate noise, said Haase. This is something the industry is looking for because they want to improve their designs. In contrast to INVENTOR, DJINN looked at the noise generated by both the engines and the airframe and included plane-engine manufacturers Rolls-Royce and Safran Aircraft Engines as project participants. Engine covers One possible design change that the DJINN team examined is a jagged shape of the engine outlet. Serrated engine covers have been shown in certain tests to reduce noise from aircraft engines and already feature in some Boeing models. So far Airbus has opted against serrated engine covers, citing a lack of gains in tackling noise. Other options, including the use of porous flaps, exist to reduce noise. They all have their pros and cons, Haase said. The question of which is the preferable approach remains open. In any case, while changes to planes themselves may not come immediately, both Haase and Manoha are optimistic about the prospects for reducing aircraft noise given the research advances taking place. In that context, the airline industry has an incentive to accelerate change because airports in Europe increasingly modulate landing and takeoff fees on the basis of planes noise levels. This practice reflects growing environmental concerns and public outcries like the one in Ireland last month. Aircraft noise is disrupting the lives of certain people every single day, said Manoha. New technology can help us reduce this burden. Research in this article was funded by the EUs Horizon Programme. This article first appeared in Horizon, the European Unions research and innovation magazine. The true extent of taxpayer overfunding of private schools has been laid bare in new figures, showing schools catering to the countrys highest-income families are also raking in well over their share of excess cash. Under the Gonski reforms, governments agreed to fund schools based on need. But 263 private schools, or the top 10 per cent ranked by their parent incomes, are still receiving a quarter of ongoing overfunding. Penleigh and Essendon Grammar will receive more than $24 million in funding above the agreed school resourcing standard by 2028. Credit: John Gollings That means those schools, where the median family income exceeds $209,000 a year, are set to get $1.3 billion above the resourcing standard over the six years to 2028. At the same time, public schools are still shortchanged by billions of dollars annually below the minimum funding standards calculated under Gonski a decade ago. Data detailing parent incomes by school was published for the first time during Senate estimates and analysed separately both by this masthead and economist and public education advocate Trevor Cobbold. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Ambushed by a blizzard and trapped at their furthest point from camp, glaciologist Dr Richard Jones faced a dilemma: hunker down in the Antarctic wilderness or make a run for it? Jones and his team had hitched a ride in a helicopter to a sampling site near the Denman Glacier, a vast repository of ice wedged into what could be the deepest terrestrial trough on earth. But bad weather had blasted in six hours earlier than forecast, nixing the ride back to camp. It was pretty extreme weather and something that did catch us off guard, the Monash University researcher said on a call from Casey Station this week, awaiting his plane ride home. We decided to hike back to camp through the blizzard. The Denman Glacier, 5000 km to the south of Australia, is 16 kilometres wide and 110km long - which is about the size of Hobart. But it stretches 3.5km below the sea surface thats about as deep as two Grand Canyons. Jones and his team were some of the 27 scientists posted on the glacier and surrounding region for two months as part of Australias most ambitious field expeditions in 20 years. The Denman Terrestrial Campaign aims to understand how the glacier has changed over time, its stability, geology and biodiversity, and how thats changing with the climate. It is one of the fastest retreating glaciers, meaning its very vulnerable to climate change, and holds a potential sea level rise of 1.5 metres. If warm ocean water advances deep enough and seeps into Denmans trough, it could rapidly melt the ice, endangering coastal communities and threatening to swamp an estimated $226 billion worth of Australian infrastructure exposed to just 1.1 metres of sea-level rise. Advertisement The campaign is a partnership between the Australian Antarctic Division, the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, Securing Antarcticas Environmental Future and the Australian Antarctic Program Partnership. Its vital work, but has some of the most challenging field conditions scientists could face. As Jones and his team battled back to camp, snow squalls erased the line between ice and sky, and gusts were so fierce they knocked them to the ground. After four hours, the team stopped to rest, hunched against the extreme wind. Then the snow cleared for a minute and they spied something through the gale: tents. They were about 100 metres from camp, and they hadnt even realised. The projects dirt team with their chosen method of Antarctic transport. Credit: Mike Battersby The adventure is just one that Jones and his colleagues had over the summer as they tried to piece together the history of Denman. The glacier has retreated five kilometres in the past two decades a rather rapid shift on a glacial timescale. The problem is we dont really know whether this retreat is normal, or whether its the start of a new worrying trend, Jones said. Advertisement Jones and his team drilled into rocks with diamond drill bits and chiselled out Snickers bar-sized chunks 600 kilograms of rock, all up. They took cores of lake mud and samples of beach sand. Inside the rock and quartz of the sand lie geochemical signals that are sensitive to cosmic radiation. Once buried, a stopwatch begins within the minerals. Fire a laser at the sand grains and a time stamp reveals itself, allowing researchers to piece together the story of sea level, ice melt and glacial see-sawing of the region in a critical period of Antarctic history. Hauling gear across a frozen epishelf lake back to camp. Credit: Dr Richard Jones Getting records of how the local sea level has changed is directly telling us how the ice mass has changed in this region over hundreds and thousands of years, Jones said. Computer models need to know whether or not the glacier has been stable, whether its only started to change because of 20th century emissions, or whether it has been retreating or advancing prior to that. The scientists were based in a remote deep field camp in Antarcticas Bunger Hills for two months. Credit: AAD We hope that our kind of baseline that we get will really improve the ability of computer models to then predict how Denman Glacier, and the Antarctic ice sheet more broadly, will change over the next few decades and even centuries. Advertisement Meanwhile, Laura Phillips, from SAEFs biodiversity team, was focusing on collecting soil, water and moss samples to study what type of life is present, thriving and adapting in the region. The team will bring the samples back with them to study - and may need a big suitcase to carry the 852 bags of soil, 41 moss samples and 100 bottles of water from lakes. Phillips said that when most people thought of the icy landmass, they tended to think of only penguins. But there was much more to it. There is so much we dont know - its exciting to think what might be living here and how its surviving, she said. For example, Phillips and her team hope that by studying moss, they might learn what Antarcticas climate has been like over the past 100 years, how water supplies have changed and how sea-level changes have affected it. Laura Phillips team working on moss collection during their two months down under. Credit: Laura Phillips Phillips hopes her research will help provide greater insight into how to forecast and mitigate against environmental changes, and help make policy recommendations to better protect the continent. Advertisement Antarctica in a warming world Sea ice extent in Antarctica last year was the lowest on record, driven by warming ocean temperatures. With less sea ice, oceans will absorb more heat, further warming oceans. This can have longer-term impacts on future sea ice cycles. With less sea ice, the atmosphere is also likely to warm up. There has been a slight rebound in Antarcticas sea ice extent this January, although it remains 18 per cent below average. It comes as last year shattered global annual heat records and flirted with the worlds agreed-upon warming threshold of 1.5 degrees. The European Union-backed agency, Copernicus, said 2023 was 1.48 degrees above pre-industrial times, barely below the 1.5-degree limit set under the 2015 Paris Climate Accord aimed at avoiding the most severe effects of warming. And January marked the eighth month of record heat globally, with an average air temperature of 13.1 degrees that is 0.70 degrees above the 1991-2020 average for January. The previous record was set in January 2020. For scientists, its a race against time to understand the giant icy land mass as the world warms. Antarctica is important to Australia given it has sovereignty over 42 per cent of the continent, including sovereign rights over adjacent offshore areas. Advertisement Advertisement Review Eating outCarlton North The romantic Carlton North wine bar thats often imitated, but never beaten Much-loved Melbourne stalwart Geralds Bar is almost impossible to score with numbers and hats, says Besha Rodell. But she gives it her best shot. Besha Rodell February 13, 2024 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share 1 / 9 The influence of Geralds Bar has spread far beyond its Rathdowne Street shopfront. Penny Stephens 2 / 9 The go-to dish: The confit salmon is uniformly tender and rich. Penny Stephens 3 / 9 Egg with mayo is precisely what it sounds like. Penny Stephens 4 / 9 Sichuan eggplant is a left-of-field anomaly on the Eurocentric menu. Penny Stephens 5 / 9 A seasonal dish of zucchini flowers. Penny Stephens 6 / 9 Juicy pastrami, made in-house, is layered with sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. Penny Stephens 7 / 9 Co-owner Mario Di Ienno treads the boards at Geralds. Penny Stephens 8 / 9 Geralds co-owner and namesake Gerald Diffey. Supplied 9 / 9 Geralds outdoor tables. Penny Stephens Previous Slide Next Slide 14.5 / 20 How we score European$$$ Lets hear it for a restaurant thats open every night what an absolute comfort, to have no reason to check Google, no anxiety that youll arrive to a closed sign. For the place that doesnt take bookings, that takes you as you are, thats ready to sling you a drink or two and then offer you a full meal if you want it, at your own pace, without constraints on timing or formality. Lets hear it for rocknroll, for high and low art, for wines chosen based on passion and taste rather than fashion. Lets hear it for Geralds Bar. Geralds is one of those places that sits so comfortably in the pantheon of Melbourne dining that it barely seems necessary to reiterate its worth. For those of us who love it, the bar and restaurant owned by Gerald Diffey and Mario Di Ienno seems inevitable, timeless, integral to this city and its dining culture. Essential. Eighteen years after it opened in Rathdowne Village, what is there to say that hasnt been said before? And why now? Geralds Bar in Carlton North is one of the citys best date spots. Penny Stephens Advertisement Part of it is that in this most romantic of weeks, I wanted to pay homage to one of the citys best date spots, where the vibes are perfect and the champagne is always high quality. I went there for my most recent wedding anniversary, ran into my brother, who crashed the party then paid for the meal, was teased mercilessly by Di Ienno (he presented me with a large white plate containing one olive cut in half, and expounded on the artistry required to create such a culinary masterpiece), and left tipsy and full of heart and of belly. It was a perfect night. Opinion Keep your flashy restaurants Sydney, Melbournes have a casual elegance that cannot be beaten But also, with the closing of the original La Porchetta next door, its worth looking at the legacy of Geralds, the ways in which it has changed the neighbourhood and the city. If this was once a corner of Carlton North that catered to large family groups looking for red sauce pasta and pizzas, it is now a bastion of wine bars, high-end cafes, and other forms of casual but excellent eateries. I cant imagine Melbourne without Geralds, and I hope I never have to. Advertisement In some ways, the reach of Geralds is simply influence fellow Carlton North venues Bar Bellamy and Brico (and Little Andorra before it) certainly owe a debt to the place that set the tone for the charming and not-too-modern Melbourne wine/cocktail bar. And in some cases, the place has literally spawned new favourites, as with Commis, which opened in Collingwood last year with longtime Geralds manager Daniel Docherty and a handful of other alums at its helm, and which has a huge amount of Geralds DNA baked into its offering (Diffey is a regular there, which helps). Whether its Dochertys departure or just a natural evolution, some things have changed at Geralds recently. Diffey now oversees the wine list, and its as good as its ever been. The menu, which has thus far been scrawled on butcher paper and hung behind the bar, now comes on a printed sheet delivered to your table. It also lists wines by the glass in the past, whatever was open was what you got, which necessitated a negotiation with the staff that could be extremely fun or somewhat demoralising, depending on your proclivities and the mood of the server. Eggs with mayo is precisely what it sounds like. Penny Stephens Advertisement What hasnt changed is the extremely flexible nature of the menu, which is made up mostly of snackable small plates, with a couple of bigger portions thrown in. You can still get an egg with mayonnaise ($9), which is precisely what it sounds like, or a plate of Sicilian white anchovies ($16), or various charcuterie ($15-$40). Bread is complementary, unending, sour, stretchy and delicious. Meat comes in various forms, including a pile of juicy pastrami thats made in-house ($28), and layered with sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. Right now, there are fried zucchini blossoms with honey ($24), and a caprese salad made with juicy tomatoes that have been lightly smoked ($29). A decidedly Sichuan eggplant dish ($24) seems slightly out-of-left-field on this Eurocentric menu, but its done so well, all sticky and spicy and sweet and soft, that it earns its place. Confit salmon is plated on thin slices of golden beetroot, with a moat of dill crema. Penny Stephens And theres true elegance to be found here, too, especially when it comes to fish. King salmon is cooked confit-style, then placed over thinly sliced golden beetroot and surrounded by a crema swirled with dill ($30). The fish is uniformly tender and rich, and its simplicity belies the skill it takes to master the old-school cooking treatment. Swordfish is served with a beautiful heirloom cucumber salad ($42), and is cooked to a perfect medium one of the best summer dishes Ive had this season. Service, as always, is assertively casual but with an underlying professionalism that cant be faked. Advertisement Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. The restaurateur behind Tequila Mockingbird in Paddington and hatted city venue Esteban brings the latest exciting opening to the Balmain peninsula. As restaurateur Michael Fegent prepares to open his sprawling Argentinian restaurant Casa Esquina in Balmain on Thursday, February 15, he has a nibble at recent controversial comments that the suburb is, well, boring. Until recently, Fegent says, he might have agreed with the sentiment. Fegent, who lives in the area, believes the peninsula is finally emerging from a long hospitality slump, pointing to the recently opened Dry Dock Hotel and Chez Blue restaurant on Darling Street as evidence the area is on the rise again. Casa Esquina boasts 116 outdoor seats on the balcony and in the courtyard. Steven Woodburn And then theres his own project. As a local, he felt there was a gap in the market for a venue with plenty of outdoor space, and somewhere you can get a great piece of meat. During the height of the COVID pandemic, the restaurateur behind Tequila Mockingbird in Paddington and hatted city venue Esteban snapped up the Balmain building where Efendy and LUnico restaurants previously traded. There was no evidence that two Afghan men allegedly murdered by or at the direction of Ben Roberts-Smith were armed at the time of their death, the barrister acting for the newspapers at the centre of the former elite soldiers high-stakes defamation appeal has said. Roberts-Smith is seeking to overturn a landmark decision by Federal Court Justice Anthony Besanko last year which dismissed his multimillion-dollar defamation case against The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald and found he was complicit in the murder of four unarmed Afghan prisoners. Ben Roberts-Smith outside the Federal Court in May 2022. Credit: Nick Moir Besanko found the newspapers had proven to the civil standard on the balance of probabilities that Roberts-Smith was involved in the murders while on deployment in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. This is lower than the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt. The former Special Air Service corporals legal team, led by high-profile silk Bret Walker, SC, has argued Besanko did not have sufficiently cogent evidence before him to justify making such grave findings against their client when he was entitled to the presumption of innocence. A team of Brazilian natural stone specialists will be in Abu Dhabi this week to showcase their products and expertise at the Bond ARC Middle East, a major event that links suppliers with designers and architectural firms responsible for high-end projects in the Middle East. To be held from February 9 to 12, Bond ARC Middle East is the event for manufacturers who want an edge in winning high-value construction projects throughout the Middle East, said the organisers. Since 2010, its been chosen by some of the biggest names in the industry as their most effective way to connect with architects throughout the Gulf and beyond, they added. This Brazilian team has been gaining increasing relevance on the international stage. At Bond ARC Middle East, presentations will be made to groups of up to 10 professionals, providing exclusive opportunities to highlight the qualities and diversity of Brazilian stones. "Being part of Bond Events represents a unique opportunity to connect the Brazilian natural stone sector with the world's leading architects and designers, contributing to consolidating Brazil as a global protagonist in this segment," said the Vice President of Centrorochas, Fabio Cruz. The Brazilian Center of Ornamental Stone Exporters (Centrorochas) promotes participation in the event through Its Natural - Brazilian Natural Stone, in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). An export promotion programme, It's Natural - Brazilian Natural Stone, currently supports 195 companies and aims to stimulate and increase the exports of Brazilian ornamental stones through a set of strategic internationalization actions, including promotion, image strengthening, and sectoral development in the global market. "Direct interaction with these professionals allows us to facilitate their understanding of our materials and increase the chances of choosing Brazilian natural stone in new architectural projects worldwide," added Cruz. The director of Futura Inteligencia, Ricardo Frizzera, will accompany the Vice President of Centrorochas in this initiative. Project manager Jessica Machado and communication advisor Karina Porto Firme complete the Brazilian delegation present at the event. The institute is a partner of the national Brazilian stones sector entity in collecting and transforming sectorial data with a focus on promoting and developing the productive arrangement. On February 9, the Centrorochas team will have a meeting with the first secretary and head of the commercial promotion sector (Secom), Nadia El Kadre, at the Embassy of Brazil in Abu Dhabi. "It is a valuable opportunity to strengthen ties, explore new opportunities, and consolidate Brazil's position as a prominent supplier in the international market," stated Machado. With unparalleled geological diversity, Brazil stands out as the 4th largest producer and the 5th largest exporter of natural stones in the world, he said. There are more than 1,200 types of cataloged materials, each carrying the story of millions and billions of years in every vein and movement, he added.-TradeArabia News Service President Joe Biden shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as they meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 12, 2023. As chances rise of a Joe Biden-Donald Trump rematch in the U.S. presidential election race, Americas allies are bracing for a bumpy ride. Many worry that a second term for Trump would be an earthquake, but tremors already abound and concerns are rising that the U.S. could grow less dependable regardless of who wins. With a divided electorate and gridlock in Congress, the next American president could easily become consumed by manifold challenges at home before even beginning to address flashpoints around the world, from Ukraine to the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macrons recent verdict was blunt: Americas first priority is itself. The first Trump administration stress-tested the bonds between the U.S. and its allies, particularly in Europe. Trump derided the leaders of some friendly nations, including Germanys Angela Merkel and Britains Theresa May, while praising authoritarians such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He has called Chinas Xi Jinping brilliant and Hungarys Viktor Orban a great leader. In campaign speeches, Trump remains skeptical of organizations such as NATO, often lamenting the billions the U.S. spends on the military alliance whose support has been critical to Ukraines fight against Russias invasion. He said at a rally on Saturday that, as president, hed warned NATO allies he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to countries that didnt pay their way in the alliance. Trump also wrote on his social media network that in future the U.S. should end all foreign aid donations and replace them with loans. Biden, meanwhile, has made support for Ukraine a key priority and moral imperative. But Bidens assertion after his election in 2020 that America is back on the global stage has not been entirely borne out. Congressional Republicans have stalled more military aid for Ukraine, while Americas influence has been unable to contain conflict in the Middle East. Thomas Gift, director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, said that whoever wins the presidential race, the direction of travel will be the same toward a multipolar planet in which the United States is no longer the indisputable world superpower. Most allied leaders refrain from commenting directly on the U.S. election, sticking to the line that its for Americans to pick their leader. They are conscious that they will have to work with the eventual winner, whoever it is and behind the scenes, governments will be doing the backroom work of quietly establishing links with the contenders political teams, said Richard Dalton, a former senior British diplomat. But many of Americas European NATO allies are worried that with or without Trump, the U.S. is becoming less reliable. Some have started to talk openly about the need for members to ramp up military spending, and to plan for an alliance without the United States. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was currently on the phone a lot with my colleagues and asking them to do more to support Ukraine. Germany is the second-largest donor of military aid to Kyiv, behind the U.S., but Scholz recently told Die Zeit that the country couldnt fill any gap on its own if the U.S.A. ceased to be a supporter. Russia, meanwhile, is busy bolstering ties with China, Iran and North Korea and trying to chip away at Ukraines international support. Macron also suggested American attention was focused far from Europe. If Washingtons top priority is the U.S., he said its second is China. This is also why I want a stronger Europe, that knows how to protect itself and isnt dependent on others, Macron said at a January news conference. Trump does have supporters in Europe, notably pro-Russia populists such as Hungarys Orban. But former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson raised some eyebrows when he argued recently that a Trump presidency could be just what the world needs. Johnson is a strong supporter of Ukraine in its struggle against Russian invasion, whereas Trump has frequently praised Putin and said hed end the war within 24 hours. However, Johnson said in a Daily Mail column that he didnt believe Trump would ditch the Ukrainians, but instead would help Ukraine win the war, leaving the West stronger and the world more stable. Bronwen Maddox, director of the international affairs think tank Chatham House, said arguments like that underestimate how destabilizing Trump has been, and likely would continue to be if reelected. For those who say his first term did not do much damage to international order, one answer is that he took the U.S. out of the JCPOA, the deal to curb Irans nuclear program. Irans acceleration of its work since then has left it a threshold nuclear weapon state, she said during a recent speech on the year ahead. Biden was a critic of Trumps Iran policy but hasnt managed to rebuild bridges with Tehran, which continues to flex its muscles across the region. Dalton, a former U.K. ambassador to Iran, said prospects for the Middle East would be slightly worse under Trump than Biden. But he said divergence on the regions main tensions the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Irans ambitions would be limited. No U.S. administration is going to make a serious effort to resolve differences with Iran through diplomacy, Dalton told The Associated Press. That ship sailed quite some time ago. Palestinians and their supporters, meanwhile, implore Biden to temper U.S. support for Israel as the civilian death toll from the war in Gaza climbs. But hardliners in Israel argue the U.S. is already restraining the offensive against Hamas too much. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israels far-right national security minister, recently said Biden was not giving Israel his full backing and that if Trump was in power, the U.S. conduct would be completely different. Much like its allies, Americas rivals are not openly expressing a preference for the election outcome. Trump developed a strong rapport with Turkeys Erdogan, calling them very good friends during a 2019 meeting at the White House. Yet Turkey-U.S. relations were fraught during his tenure. The Trump administration removed Turkey from its F-35 fighter jet project over Ankaras decision to purchase Russian-made missile defense systems, while Trump himself threatened to ruin Turkeys economy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told CBS in January that he doesnt believe there will be any difference between a Trump and a Biden presidency. He argued that Russia-U.S. relations have been going downhill since George W. Bushs administration. China, where leaders initial warmth toward Trump soured into tit-for-tat tariffs and rising tensions, little changed under Biden, who continued his predecessors tough stance toward the United States strategic rival. Zhao Minghao, a professor of international relations at Fudan University in Shanghai, said that for China, the two candidates were like two bowls of poison. Gift, from University College London, said the move to a more fractured world is going to happen regardless of whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden is elected. Its just sort of a reality, he said. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A drug mule DJ who claims he mistakenly ran kilos of crystal meth for fugitive developer Jean Nassif must have known he was involved in serious criminal activity, a judge said during a sentencing hearing. Mathew Peagram, 33, repeatedly named the prominent developer in tendered documents ahead of his sentencing on Monday in the District Court of Western Australia. He claimed he had been deceived by Nassif, who fled to Lebanon in December. Mathew Peagram (right) claims in court documents that Sydney property developer Jean Nassif (left) supplied him with a bag of methamphetamine that will send him to prison for a decade. He told the court he initially believed he was picking up hundreds of thousands of dollars destined for Nassifs property empire. It was only later that he realised the supposed bag of cash in fact contained 10 kilograms of the drug ice, which has an estimated street value of $10 million. Last week this masthead revealed the allegations made by the little-known drug runner to lawyers, prosecutors and prison officials that he had smuggled drugs across Australia for Nassif in early 2021. A woman who arranged to have a teenage boy engage in sex work to help fund her drug addiction has avoided serving time in prison. Karla Rose Heath, 48, walked from Brisbane Supreme Court on Monday wearing a hat with a bandana over her face after she received a suspended sentence with a ban from working with children. Heath had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of supplying dangerous drugs to a child and one count of engaging a child in prostitution. The court heard Heath committed the offences between 2000 and 2001 when she was aged between 24 and 25 and the victim was aged between 14 and 15. Heath gave the teen either heroin or amphetamines or ecstasy while they were on the balcony of her apartment. Victorian pokies revenue has returned to pre-pandemic levels but is on a slow decline when accounting for inflation, with taxes from the lucrative sector expected to fall by $205 million over the next four years and poke further holes in the states struggling budget. A state government tax review into electronic gaming machines, released on Monday, showed net gaming revenue in the sector had rebounded from its COVID-era slump by more than $3 billion in the 2022-23 financial year. Pokies machine revenue is back to pre-pandemic levels, but is on the decline when accounting for inflation. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone However, when calculated in real terms, which accounts for inflation, pokies revenue has flattened and declined, falling at an average rate of 0.6 per cent per year since 2012. Taxes on pokies also make up a smaller share of Victorias revenue, as property charges and other levies have grown. Gaming machine taxes represented 9 per cent of state revenue in 2002-03 but made up just 4.2 per cent in 2022-23. Loading At the time, my most recent contract as co-host of The Project had only been signed 11 months before and still had more than two years to run, she said. She remains employed by Ten but said that, as far as she was aware, no steps have been undertaken for her to appear in an interview series as envisaged in her contract. Wilkinson said McGarvey had texted her at 11.07pm after the Logies: Beautiful speech. After she left The Project, McGarvey texted Wilkinson about her farewell comments on the program: Perfect delivery, you spoke from the heart and it was a beautiful sentiment and you are so generous to your colleagues. Thank you. The media should all be kind, you deserve it. Federal Court Justice Michael Lee reserved his decision in the defamation case in December last year after a month-long trial. He indicated on Tuesday that he is likely to deliver his decision in March. The Federal Court heard on Tuesday that Ten CEO Beverley McGarvey texted Lisa Wilkinson after her departure from The Project in November 2022. The hearing resumed on Tuesday as Wilkinson pursued Ten to cover her legal costs of defending the lawsuit. Lee will also rule on costs as part of the case. The Logies acceptance speech Before he was retained to act for Ten in Lehrmanns defamation case, Collins had appeared on Sevens Sunrise program and described Wilkinsons acceptance speech on June 19, 2022, when The Project won a Logie for the Higgins interview, as ill-advised in light of Lehrmanns imminent trial. Wilkinson praised Higgins in the speech for her unwavering courage. The former Project host told the court on Tuesday that she had taken significant steps to ensure the speech was legally responsible. Lehrmanns lawyers have pointed to the speech as a factor supporting aggravated damages in his defamation case. Lisa Wilkinson leaves court in November last year, flanked by her barrister Sue Chrysanthou, SC (left), and Tens barrister, Matt Collins, KC. Credit: James Brickwood Lehrmanns ACT Supreme Court criminal trial for the alleged sexual assault of Higgins was due to proceed on June 27, 2022, but the speech led to the trial being delayed for three months to avoid prejudicing the jury. Lehrmanns trial was ultimately aborted in October 2022 due to juror misconduct and the charge against him was later dropped altogether owing to concerns about Higgins mental health. He has always maintained his innocence. In an affidavit filed in court, Wilkinson said she did not want Collins representing her in the defamation case in light of his comments, but felt that Ten gave her no choice. Advice was unfortunate Asked by Lee on Tuesday if Ten said its advice about the speech was anything other than completely inappropriate, the networks barrister, Robert Dick, SC, said that we dont accept that it was completely inappropriate. He said Ten accepted that ultimately it gave rise to a real risk of contempt, and it was unfortunate. Wilkinson said in an affidavit that the executive producer of The Project had texted her before the Logies that the speech was all good with Tasha Smithies, Tens senior litigation counsel. Smithies gave evidence on Tuesday that Wilkinson showed her the draft speech on her iPad. Loading You advised her that the speech was okay? Wilkinsons barrister, Michael Elliott, SC, said. Yes, Smithies said. Elliott put to Smithies that if Ten had told ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum, who presided over the criminal trial, that Wilkinson had not acted against a warning, but had prudentially sought and obtained legal advice, it would have cast her in a more sympathetic light before the court. Yes, Smithies said. Smithies agreed under questioning by Lee that telling the judge that Wilkinson had delivered her speech after receiving legal advice would have meant it was less likely a contempt charge would have been brought against the journalist. Would you accept it would make it more likely that a contempt charge might be made against Channel Ten? Lee said. Yes, Smithies said. The court heard that Ten issued a statement after the Lehrmann trial was delayed, in which it said it fully supports Lisa Wilkinson and both Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson take their legal obligations very seriously, including in the preparation and delivery of her speech given at the Logies event. Wilkinson said in an affidavit that she did not believe this statement was adequate. She told the court that the statement was very legally considered and missed out on the exact fact that I had been begging them to make clear publicly, and that was: they had asked me to give the speech, they had been involved in legalling that speech right up until ... the afternoon of the Logies, that speech had also been approved by the CEO ... [and] the head of network communications. The costs fight Wilkinson filed proceedings against Ten last year after a dispute arose about Tens legal obligation to cover her costs of defending the defamation case. By September, the invoices had totalled $723,555. Bruce Lehrmann outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday. Credit: Kate Geraghty It is not in dispute that Ten will be liable to cover any damages payout if Lehrmann wins the defamation case, as well as any order to pay Lehrmanns legal costs. The key issue to be determined by the court is whether it was reasonable for Wilkinson to be represented by separate lawyers. An employer would ordinarily cover the costs of an employee defending legal action that arose out of conduct in the course of their employment, but it is usual for the employee to be represented by the same lawyers as their employer. Wilkinson said in an affidavit that she was gutted when she realised Ten would argue that it did not have any obligation to indemnify her for her legal costs because she was separately represented, and she felt their position was intentionally cruel. Truth defence In The Project interview, Higgins accused an unnamed former colleague of sexually assaulting her in Parliament House in March 2019. Lehrmann was named in the media in August 2021, six months after the Ten interview, when he was charged with sexual intercourse without consent. Lehrmanns lawyers say he was identified by Ten by the descriptions given of the alleged perpetrator, and that the broadcast suggested he was guilty of raping Higgins in the office of then-defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, for whom they worked as advisers. In the event the court finds Lehrmann was identified, Ten and Wilkinson admit the central claim of rape was conveyed and are seeking to rely on a range of defences, including truth. Under the truth defence, they must prove on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Higgins. While this is less onerous than the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt, the so-called Briginshaw principle applies in civil cases involving serious allegations and requires courts to proceed cautiously in making grave findings. Alleged contempt of court The court heard on Tuesday that Glenn Logan, the operator of a YouTube channel which re-broadcast parts of the Lehrmann defamation trial in contravention of court orders, will face contempt charges. A lawyer appearing on Logans behalf in court said he admitted the acts but was genuinely remorseful. He accepted he had acted recklessly but he never would have deliberately breached court orders, his lawyer said. Advertisement He was also charged with the attempted murders of Coffin Cheaters Mick Anderson and Kevin Woodhouse. But the charges didnt stick, and a jury found him not guilty in all three cases after a 4-week trial in 2001. Robert Edhouse was sentenced to life in prison for murder. Last Friday, the court heard Andrew was currently in a hospital in Portugal, but Edhouse remained in contact with him. Roberts uncle, Brian Edhouse, was also a member of Club Deroes. Another life Why Edhouse himself did not become a member of a bikie gang is a mystery. He has also never touched illegal substances, the court was told on Friday. Advertisement Its not like he chose a life of redemption instead. By the time Edhouse was 20 years old, he had taken part in the brutal killing of FIFO worker and father Alan Taylor. Corey Dymock (left) and Robert Edhouse. Taylor, 42, was lying in his bed at his Girrawheen home in 2016 when he was bludgeoned to death with a hammer by Edhouse, and Taylors partner and mother of his child Melony Attwood. Attwood was Edhouses lover and the leader of the Aryan Nations girls division. Edhouse was the president of the chapter. Attwood and Edhouse came up with a plan to kill Taylor and roped in former housemate Corey Dymock, the chapters sergeant at arms and another man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, to help them. Dymock was acquitted of murder but found guilty of the lesser charge of being an accessory to murder. Advertisement They were dubbed the death squad. The court was told Attwood wanted Taylor gone so she could receive his life insurance and Edhouse wanted to have his lover all to himself. Instead, he was jailed for a minimum of 21 years. He will be in his 40s before he is even considered for release by the parole board. But just two years into that sentence, Edhouse began to hatch a plan to break out of prison. Loading He planned to escape custody using guns and guerrilla warfare techniques during a hospital visit, and used coded letters and telephone calls to plot the attempt. Edhouse was given a three year, nine-month prison sentence once the plot was uncovered, but the law prevented that sentence being added on to his life sentence, so it added no extra to his time spent behind bars. Advertisement This may have been why just a few weeks after that sentence was handed to Edhouse in 2022, he started offending again. This time he was trying to extort $10,000 out of the wealthy German family of a fellow inmate. The court heard how he felt let down after the prisoner lied to him about what he had been sentenced for sex offences, not drug offences, as hed said. [Edhouse] felt it reflected poorly on him as he had stuck his neck out for him and had taken him under his wing, the court was told. On Friday, Edhouse received another three-year sentence for inciting someone to extort money and appeared at Perth District Court via video link from Casuarina Prison. Looking older and sporting a long beard and a skinhead, the court was told Edhouse was still involved with the white nationalist movement and had a blase attitude to his offending. Obviously the sentence imposed upon you [in 2022] did not deter you from again offending, Herron said. Despite your plea of guilty, I am of the view that you show no remorse for your offending. Advertisement One of Western Australias oldest and most decorated World War II soldiers has died at the age of 101. Doug Arrowsmith lived a remarkable life as a decorated bomber pilot who remained humble to the end. Even in his last year, Arrowsmith was still driving the same Holden he had owned for 54 years. The WWII pilot flew 35 missions, where the survival rate was less than one in 10. Personal privacy will be protected under new federal laws that criminalise doxxing after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to bring forward the changes to counter activists who published the names and details of hundreds of Jewish people. Albanese condemned the release of identifying information including a photo gallery and social media details and promised tougher laws to stop the malicious publication of private information. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during question time on Monday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen In a dramatic shift in the scope and speed of the federal action, the government plans to put urgent privacy laws to parliament while also developing stronger laws against hate speech after months of dispute over the war in the Middle East. The plans respond to anti-Zionist activists who published the names and details of almost 600 Jewish writers, artists and academics last week, prompting some pro-Palestinian writers to spread the leaked details before others denounced the move. Cleverly designed to blend in with Luang Prabangs colonial architectural heritage, the hotel originally served as the living quarters for French officers in the early-20th century. The landmark buildings eventually came under the auspices of the Minor Hotels group that includes the Anantara, Oaks and Tivoli-branded hotels and resorts. After an extensive makeover, it reopened in March, 2018, as the groups first Avani+ hotel focused on historic and design-led properties. The look Nestled in the heart of Luang Prabangs UNESCO World Heritage-listed Old Town, the property is surrounded by picturesque mountains and perched at the entrance to a narrow peninsula bordered by the Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers. Youll notice the gargantuan banyan tree shading the courtyards 25-metre pool the first time you walk past it, but it will take a few more goes before you really begin to appreciate this leafy centurions outsized majesty. Then you learn that the entire propertys blueprint was tweaked to fit around it, escalating its value. But its especially striking at night when clever lighting accentuates its impressive dimensions. The banyan tree looms over the hotel. Fifty-three open-plan rooms with teak flooring, indigenous fabrics and sleek design looking inwardly towards the tree and pool, or outwardly over private courtyards. Spa facilities are above the entrance lobby, next door to the gym. Fortifying guests privacy against the bustling Chaofa Ngum Road, beneath an upstairs bar, is the Main Street Grill restaurant. The room Sydneys new Hotel Indigo Potts Point has just opened, with decor nodding and winking at the formerly and famously red-light areas colourful past. It is, however, a shining example of the new Kings Cross, a glossier, gentrified place, much like many such areas in international cities, including Londons Soho, where sex shops and strip clubs have given way to cafes and wine bars. Pro-Invest Group has spent an undisclosed multi-million-dollar sum on the 105-room property. Love or hate the new look, the area, on a peninsula at the gateway to Sydneys eastern suburbs, remains an ideal spot for travellers looking to explore Sydneys many delights. Not only does it have water views and good coffee, its a 30-minute walk to the Opera House and not much more via public transport to Bondi Beach. Only now those travellers are decreasingly likely to be backpackers, with bleisure trippers, staycationers and the Instagram-generation seeker of experiences with social media punch entering the picture. The Hotel Indigo Potts Points location certainly packs a punch its right behind the iconic Coca-Cola sign that has characterised the busy intersection of Kings Cross, Darlinghurst and Bayswater roads at the entrance to the Cross since 1974 (though the original neon was replaced by an electronic sign in 2016). If only hed walked out the open door and retreated to the safety of the Oval Office. If only he hadnt returned to the presidential podium to field a question about the Gaza War, a crisis he seemed almost relieved to address after being pummelled by the White House press corps over his fading memory and advancing age. On another day, Joe Bidens answer that Israels military conduct in Gaza has been over the top his sharpest rebuke to date might have produced the main headline. But then, in a near whisper, he confused the president of Mexico with the president of Egypt, a mix-up which instantly became a meme. A gaffe heard around the world. The worst slips of the political tongue always draw attention to a pre-existing condition. Cognitive decline has long been this 81-year-old presidents Achilles heel. The very reason Biden stood in front of a microphone in the first place was to address the nation about a startling report released by special prosecutor Robert Hur, who decided not to prosecute the president for mishandling classified documents partly because Mr Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview with him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. In an assessment that was arguably more wounding than an indictment, Biden could not remember key dates from his years as vice president, according to Hur, or even when his beloved son, Beau, had died from cancer an accusation which Biden angrily denied. KYODO NEWS - Feb 12, 2024 - 20:26 | All, World, Japan Japan and Pacific island nations on Monday expressed their strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion during a ministerial meeting held amid China's growing influence in the region, according to a chair's summary. During the meeting in the Fijian capital Suva, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told reporters she agreed with her counterparts from the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum on the importance of the "international rules-based order," while pledging continued support to the strategically important region. As for Japan's release of treated radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific, about which some forum members have expressed concern, the ministers concurred on the importance of Japan providing explanations based on "scientific evidence," according to the summary. The gathering is intended to lay the groundwork for the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting scheduled for July in Tokyo. Japan has hosted the summit with the Pacific island nations and territories every three years since 1997. The ministers vowed to continue close consultation in preparation for a successful gathering, the summary said. "Toward the summit, we will work together on challenges, especially in climate change and maritime issues, to meet Pacific nations and territories' needs," Kamikawa said. The Japanese government considers its partnership with the region important as it seeks to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific amid an increase in China's maritime assertiveness and economic clout. Tokyo assists the tiny nations and territories in areas ranging from economic development to climate change and natural disaster resilience. In the latest sign of Beijing's growing reach into the Pacific, where the United States is also vying for influence, Nauru last month severed ties with Taiwan in favor of mainland China, saying it no longer recognizes the self-ruled democratic island as "a separate country" but rather as "an inalienable part of China's territory." Similar actions to switch diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan were taken in 2019 by Kiribati and the Solomon Islands, which in 2022 signed a security agreement with Beijing. China, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, does not hide its ambition to unify it with the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing has also been militarizing outposts in disputed areas of the South China Sea and making repeated incursions into territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands, a group of East China Sea islets controlled by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing. Without referring to a specific case, the summary said the ministers "opposed any war of aggression" and that they expressed "strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion anywhere in the world." In an apparent effort to address potential concerns among some Pacific islands nations over the discharge of water from the Fukushima plant, Kamikawa explained her government's position that the discharge has been carried out "in accordance with relevant international safety standards and practices," and committed to continue working closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Japan has been mindful of sensitivity about the releases, which Beijing has fiercely opposed since before their start in August last year. Among the other topics at the Monday gathering, the ministers expressed their "grave concern" over what they call the surge in North Korean launches using ballistic missile technology and called on Pyongyang to accept "repeated offers of dialogue," including from Japan, the United States and South Korea. They also stressed the importance of an early reform of the U.N. Security Council, including expanding permanent and nonpermanent categories of its membership, the summary said, touching on an issue that Japan has been pursuing. The PIF consists of Australia, the Cook Islands, Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and France's overseas territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia. Tuvalu was absent from the ministerial talks in Suva, since recent stormy weather has delayed the forming of the nation's new government after a general election last month, in which Prime Minister Kausea Natano lost his seat. Related coverage: Japan to give 2.4 bil. yen grant aid to Samoa, vows to boost ties Japan, China, South Korea 3-way summit likely to be held in May or later Japan, Germany sign military supply-sharing pact amid China rise PHILIPSBURG:--- The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr school recently received a shipment of 1 x 40ft container of furniture donated by the Miss IQ Foundation in the Netherlands. Last year the Director Ms. Groenewoud and office General Manager Ms. Qnioun, of the Miss IQ Foundation in the Netherlands, paid a courtesy visit to the honorable Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, drs. Rodolphe Samuel. The Miss IQ Foundation is a non-profit organization in the Netherlands that assists schools, government institutions, and other non-governmental organizations in the Dutch Caribbean with furniture and educational materials donated by schools and large corporations in the Netherlands. In the past after the hurricanes, the Miss IQ Foundation was able to ship 5 containers with materials to the schools and other NGOs on Sin Maarten. During the visit, the foundation representatives discussed the proposal of a collaboration whereby the Ministry and the school boards could work together to assist schools in receiving furniture and other educational materials donated to the Miss IQ Foundation. The Foundation would be responsible for seeking donations of furniture and other educational materials in the Netherlands and arranging shipment of the furniture in containers and the receiving entity would cover the transportation and shipping costs incurred to ship the container to the Dutch Caribbean. The proposal entails that the schools would prepare a wish list for furniture and other educational materials required, and share the list with the Miss IQ Foundation, who in turn would then approach schools, and the business sector in the Netherlands to assist by donating the requested items. Once the foundation receives positive responses to these requests from donors, Miss IQ Foundation calculates the costs as to the costs to ship these items in a container to the countries of destination which allows the arrangement of payment for the shipping costs. In the case of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. school, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport covered the transportation and shipping costs. As the Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, I decided to select the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. school as a pilot project for this initiative, as this school, is presently under repairs due to damage sustained during the hurricane in 2017. This school has lost furniture and educational materials over the years resulting from the heavy rain through the damaged roofs. mlkcontainer12022024The container was shipped in early November 2023 and was scheduled to arrive on December 26th, 2023, however, due to miscommunication on the part of the shipping company in the Netherlands, the container was shipped to Djakarta and remained there for 2 additional weeks. Then it was again reloaded to be shipped to Sint Maarten and arrived here during the 1st week of January 2024. I also decided for Milton Peters College and Sundial schools to receive 4 x 40ft containers with school furniture as during the courtesy visit with the Miss IQ representative last year, I arranged for them to meet with the management team of Milton Peters College. The management team gladly accepted the proposal from Miss IQ representatives and reacted immediately by submitting a wish list to the Ministry with the requested furniture, as well as other educational materials. These containers once ready will be shipped to Sint Maarten early next month to arrive here by the end of February 2024. This collaborative effort between the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport with the Foundation Miss IQ in the Netherlands, is indeed a remarkable initiative, which will significantly benefit our students, teachers, and the entire educational system. I hereby take this opportunity to thank the Foundation Miss IQ director and staff for all their effort in assisting the management, staff, and students of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Milton Peters College, and the Sundial schools with the much-needed requested furniture and other educational materials. Biden slams Trump's 'appalling and dangerous' NATO comments Washington, Feb 11 (AFP) Feb 11, 2024 US President Joe Biden slammed as "appalling and dangerous" comments by Donald Trump downplaying his commitment to NATO, warning Sunday that the former president intends to give Russian leader Vladimir Putin "a greenlight for more war and violence." Biden spoke after Trump said in a speech Saturday that he would "encourage" Russia to attack members of NATO who had not met their financial obligations, his most extreme broadside against the military alliance he has long expressed skepticism about. Those comments, at a campaign rally in South Carolina, prompted stark warnings at home and abroad that he was putting the military alliance in peril, renewing doubts over the US commitment to the mutual defense treaty if the former president and current Republican frontrunner wins in November. "Donald Trump's admission that he intends to give Putin a greenlight for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States are appalling and dangerous," Biden said in a statement. Trump had described what he said was a conversation with a fellow head of state at an unspecified NATO meeting. "One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, 'Well, sir, if we don't pay, and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us?' I said, 'You didn't pay, you're delinquent?'" "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want." Trump has regularly criticized allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for not meeting a goal of spending at least two percent of GDP on defense. "You got to pay. You got to pay your bills," Trump, who is almost certain to be the Republican nominee for this year's presidential election, said Saturday. Trump's remark comes after Senate Republicans on Wednesday rejected a bipartisan bill that would have included sorely needed funding for Ukraine, plus aid for ally Israel, along with reforms to address the US-Mexico border crisis. A foreign aid package that decouples the aid from the border issue entirely passed a key procedural vote in the US Senate on Sunday, though Republicans may yet block it from becoming law. The $95 billion package includes funding for Israel and Taiwan, but the majority would go toward helping Ukraine rearm as it enters a third year of war since Putin ordered a full-scale invasion. The White House had previously said Saturday that "encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged." - 'Undermines' security - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Sunday that "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US." European Council President Charles Michel also denounced the comments as "reckless," saying they can "serve only Putin's interest." Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who has endorsed Trump for his party's nomination, defended the ex-president on Sunday as "telling a story" about something that happened in the past. "He doesn't talk like a traditional politician," the Florida senator told CNN's "State of the Union." "By the way, Donald Trump was president and he didn't pull us out of NATO. In fact, American troops were stationed throughout NATO" during his term, Rubio said. Stoltenberg, for his part, said he expects that "regardless of who wins the presidential election the US will remain a strong and committed NATO ally." At the South Carolina rally, Trump also needled Nikki Haley, his former UN ambassador, who is challenging him for the Republican nomination but badly trailing in the race. Haley, when asked Sunday about Trump's NATO remarks, alleged her former boss was taking Putin's side. "What bothers me about this is, don't take the side of a thug who kills his opponents. Don't take the side of someone who has gone in and invaded a country and half a million people have died or been wounded," Haley told CBS News' "Face the Nation." She also defended her husband Michael Haley, who is on a military deployment in Africa, after Trump mocked his absence from the campaign trail. "We can't have someone that sits and mocks our men and women trying to protect America. It's a pattern of chaos," said the former South Carolina governor. bur-des/bbk/nro/st India says Qatar freed eight ex-navy personnel New Delhi, Feb 12 (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 India's foreign ministry said Monday that Qatar had freed eight ex-navy personnel it had previously arrested and sentenced to death, reportedly for spying for Israel. The foreign ministry never gave details on the eight Indian nationals or their alleged crimes, and Qatar has not commented on the case or made the charges public. But Indian media have reported that the men -- among them former high-ranking and decorated officers, including captains who once commanded warships -- were arrested in Doha in August 2022. In October, India said it was "shocked" after a Qatari court had sentenced them to death, but the sentence was reduced in December. The eight men were employees of Al Dahra, a Gulf-based company that offers "complete support solutions" to the aerospace, security and defence sectors, according to its website. The Hindu newspaper reported the men were spying for a "third country", while the Times of India has said that "various reports claimed they were accused of spying for Israel". On Monday, New Delhi said the men had all been released. "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India," it added, thanking Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the decision "to enable the release and homecoming" of the detainees. US defense chief Austin 'admitted to critical care unit': Pentagon Washington, Feb 12 (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been admitted to the critical care unit as he undergoes treatment for a bladder issue, the Pentagon said late Sunday, in a statement citing his doctors. "Tonight, after a series of tests and evaluations, the Secretary was admitted into the critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for supportive care and close monitoring," the statement read. Austin's hospitalization comes weeks after it emerged that the 70-year-old had kept previous hospital stays secret and had not immediately informed US President Joe Biden of a cancer diagnosis, sparking criticism as the United States faces crises in the Middle East and Ukraine. Austin effectively vanished from the public eye for treatment for prostate cancer in December and again in January after suffering complications from the procedure. This time, the public was alerted around two hours after he was sent to the hospital on Sunday afternoon, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks "assumed the functions and duties" of defense chief just before 5:00 pm (2200 GMT), according to Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. "At this time, it is not clear how long Secretary Austin will remain hospitalized," added the latest statement, attributed to Dr John Maddox and Dr Gregory Chesnut of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. "The current bladder issue is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery. His cancer prognosis remains excellent." 'NATO cannot be an alliance a la carte,' says EU's Borrell Brussels, Feb 12 (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 NATO "cannot be an alliance a la carte," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday after Donald Trump downplayed his commitment to NATO's security umbrella in Europe if he becomes US president again. Trump ignited a political firestorm and sent a chill through the United States' European allies on Saturday when he said he would "encourage" Russia to attack any NATO country that does not meet financial obligations. "Let's be serious. NATO cannot be an a la carte military alliance, it cannot be a military alliance that works depending on the humour of the president of the US" day to day, Borrell said. "It exists or it not exists," he said, adding that he was not going to keep commenting on "any silly idea" emerging from the US presidential election campaign. The words from Trump -- who, when in power, pulled America out of an international pact designed to curb Iran's nuclear programme, and the Paris climate accord -- prompted a broadside from current US President Joe Biden. Biden called Trump's comments "appalling and dangerous". NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Sunday that "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US". Trump, 77, is all but assured the Republican nomination for the White House in the November vote against Biden, 81. Deja vu or real fear? NATO grapples with Trump threats Brussels, Feb 12 (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 Donald Trump sparked outcry by threatening not to defend NATO members who do not spend enough, but for diplomats at the alliance that weathered his time in office there was a sense of deja vu. At a campaign rally in the US state of South Carolina the volatile former reality TV star said he told the leader of a "big" European power he wouldn't step in if Russia attacked an ally not meeting its financial obligations. "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want," Trump told his supporters. The outburst was the most extreme from the Republican frontrunner casting doubt on his commitment to NATO's collective defence umbrella that has safeguarded Europe since World War II. US President Joe Biden -- who has pledged iron-cast backing for the alliance -- slammed the comments from his likely opponent in November's presidential election as "appalling and dangerous". NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg issued an unusually strong-worded rebuttal to Trump, saying "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US". The spectre of a returning Trump undermining the central role played by the US at a time Russia is waging war in Ukraine is a nightmare for many European officials. One senior NATO diplomat, speaking like others on condition of anonymity, called the comment an "attack on the soul of the alliance" for casting doubt on its Article 5 vow to protect an ally if attacked. But it's far from the first time that the ex-real estate magnate has bullied fellow NATO members to splash out more on their own defence. During his term in office he reportedly mulled pulling Washington out of the alliance and rounded on members such as Germany for falling well below a target of spending two percent of GDP on defence. "We are all aware of the statements he can make," a second diplomat from a NATO member told AFP. The latest from Trump comes with almost nine months left in a presidential campaign that looks set to be one of the nastiest in recent US history -- and officials are braced for more nerve-wracking comments. "Even despite the outcry, it will be understood as comments made within the context of the US election race," a third NATO diplomat said. - Defence spending - Officials admit that Trump sowing doubt about US support for NATO is a boon for the Kremlin as warnings swirl that Russian President Vladimir Putin could look to target alliance members if Ukraine loses the war. Trump has previously been accused of cosying up to Putin and has cast doubt on sending more aid to Kyiv. But multiple diplomats said that, despite his bluster, the ex-US leader does have a point on spending and has actually helped strengthen NATO by getting others to spend more. "Worrying statement -- but at the same time many allies have not reached minimal two percent of GDP for defence," said another NATO diplomat. "The goal seems to be obvious in current geopolitical situation, but still not yet become a reality. Europe should do more in this regard." Moscow's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 already pushed European nations to up defence budgets. The full-scale invasion in 2022 saw NATO turn the two percent into a floor not a ceiling. Trump's goading sped up the process, but still in 2023 only eleven of the 31 allies were predicted to hit the target and the US still accounts for the vast bulk of combined defence expenditure. "Forget the rhetoric, follow the money," said one NATO diplomat. Another pointed out that, while many had feared the worst during Trump's term, his moves then resulted in a strengthened NATO. "He invested more in the Eastern flank, basically made Europe invest more in defence, was quite calm at the summits, kept the forces in Europe," the diplomat said. "It seems it may be just a way to make us do more. But do we have a guarantee? No." Germany's Scholz urges 'mass production' of arms in Europe Unterlu, Germany, Feb 12 (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 Europe must ramp up production of armaments massively and urgently, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Monday, warning that the continent now "does not live in times of peace". Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for Rheinmetall's new munitions factory, Scholz said European nations must pool together orders and financing to provide the defence industry with purchase guarantees for the next decades. "This is urgently necessary because the painful reality is that we do not live in times of peace," he said, pointing to Russia's war on Ukraine. "We must move from manufacturing to mass production of armaments," he said, arguing that "those who want peace must be able to successfully deter aggressors". Weighed down by its militaristic past, Germany has in recent decades been circumspect about its defence forces and armaments industry. But Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 upended Berlin's post-World War II pacifist tendencies, and forced its transformation into a proponent of heavy rearmament. Germany is now Ukraine's second biggest weapons contributor, and Scholz has been vocal in pushing other EU nations to give more. What happens in Ukraine will decide "if our peace order, our rules-based world has a future," said Scholz, adding that Russia must "fail with the attempt to swallow its neighbour by force". - 'Rather empty' - The chancellor also reiterated that armaments pledges from other EU nations for Ukraine were still insufficient. The EU has set up a joint financing mechanism to meet Ukrainian demand for weapons, but the bloc has struggled to make good on promised deliveries. Brussels pledged to provide a million artillery shells to Ukraine by March 2024, but the EU last week admitted it can only produce just over half that by the deadline. Scholz underlined that it was key to shift gears from years of under-investment in the defence sector to building up much-needed production capacity. "Tanks, howitzers, helicopters and air defence systems are not lined up on the shelves. If nothing is ordered for years, then nothing is produced," he warned. Rheinmetall's new factory in Unterluess is scheduled to begin production in 2025 with an initial production run of 50,000 shells a year, before progressively reaching its full annual capacity of 200,000. Putting the volume in perspective, Scholz said that thousands of shells are fired on a daily basis at the frontlines in Ukraine currently. In addition, the German army's own weapons store was "rather empty" even before the war. Rheinmetall's boss Armin Papperger said the aim of the new factory is to help secure Germany's "strategic sovereignty in the large-calibre ammunition domain". The company is aiming to churn out up to 500,000 shells this year overall, a seven-fold jump from the 70,000 annual production before the Ukraine war. German president says Trump's NATO threat 'good for Russia' Nicosia, Feb 12 (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier decried on Monday Donald Trump's threat not to protect NATO members who do not spend enough on defence, saying the US presidential hopeful's remarks served Russia. "These statements are not responsible, and they help Russia," Steinmeier told reporters in Nicosia on the first official visit by a German president to Cyprus, a fellow European Union member. Former president and Republican frontrunner Trump on Saturday warned that the United States would not defend its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies against Russian attacks if they do not meet financial obligations. The campaign rally barb has spurred concerns that Trump's potential return to the White House might undermine NATO's collective defence umbrella that has safeguarded Europe since World War II at a time Moscow is waging war in Ukraine. His remarks are "certainly... not positive for the alliance," Steinmeier said after meeting Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. The German president, whose role is mostly ceremonial, said he discussed the United States' commitment to NATO with President Joe Biden during an October visit to Washington. "I believe that the current President of the USA is an ally of NATO and has ensured the unity of NATO, which continues to this day," Steinmeier said. "We have every interest, and it is in our interest for NATO's unity... to remain strong." Steinmeier said Germany and other European countries must do "whatever it takes" to strengthen NATO, regardless of the outcome the US election in November. Trump has regularly criticised NATO allies for not meeting a goal of spending at least two percent of GDP on defence. Speaking at a rally in South Carolina, Trump described what he said was a past conversation with a fellow head of state at an unspecified NATO meeting. "One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, 'Well, sir, if we don't pay, and we're attacked by Russia, will you protect us?' I said, 'You didn't pay, you're delinquent?' "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want." Such remarks, Steinmeier said, "certainly do not contribute to the strong position we want". The White House has hit back at Trump's assertions, with spokesman Andrew Bates saying: "Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged." A collaboration between Arome co-founder Ellen Chew (who you may recognise from her other ventures Rasa Sayang, Mrs Chew's Chinese Kitchen and Shan Shui) and the Singapore tourist board, this ode to the countrys cuisine will not only serve firm favourites such as Laksa and Bak Chor Mee, but will also offer a range of Singaporean ingredients and food products to take away. CEO Sarah Willingham said: We set out to build a great business at the back end of COVID and the economy has moved through several additional challenges from the energy crisis and rail strikes to interest rates, inflation and cost of living crisis - throwing just about everything at us. Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The 40 days leading up to Easter are called Lent, and are known as a time of fasting. Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to use up eggs and remaining ingredients beforehand. On Shrove Tuesday, Anglo-Saxon Christians went to confessions and were absolved from their sins, or shriven. A bell would be rung to call people to confession, which was known as the Pancake Bell and is still used today. Shrove Tuesday always falls 47 days before Easter Sunday, so the date varies from year to year and falls between February 3 and March 9. KYODO NEWS - Feb 12, 2024 - 12:10 | All, Japan, Travel/Tourism The Sapporo Snow Festival drew 2.39 million visitors through Sunday, with an organizer saying attendance has recovered to pre-pandemic levels after the removal of coronavirus measures. It is the first time in four years the annual festival, one of the country's biggest winter events, was held at full scale, using three locations in the capital of Hokkaido in northern Japan. The recovery of visitor numbers has been helped by inbound travelers to Japan, according to the festival's executive committee. The event regularly attracted over 2 million people annually before the coronavirus pandemic, but the global health emergency forced organizers to hold the festival virtually in 2021 and 2022. It was held on a reduced scale last year, drawing 1.75 million visitors, according to the festival's website. This year it ran for eight days starting Feb. 4, with about 190 snow and ice sculptures on display. Related coverage: COVID patients again rising in Japan, experts warn of 10th wave Heavy snow leaves more than 140 injured in Tokyo Sapporo Snow Festival opens with all COVID restrictions removed Bumster briefs (sliced at the back to reveal top of the buttocks, a la Alexander McQueen) were worn with matching leather skull caps and six packs. The offering for women included office pencil skirts made sheer and worn with bras and Louboutins, as well as sparkling red, chainmail strappy gowns all delicious on the eye, but entirely made from a mans perspective. Sabrina Dhowre Elba, wife of Idris, who flew in from Dubai earlier that day, was not put off. Im going to be buying as much as I can, she said, giddily. Detectives believe Ezedi may have gone into the river on the night a mother, 31, and her two daughters aged three and eight were doused with a corrosive alkali substance in Clapham, south London. Two shots were fired from a police issue firearm in the house and a post-mortem examination held on Friday, February 2 has established the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the neck and chest. Judge Lock agreed to suspend the prison sentence after hearing about Smiths pivotal role in his family. His offending had been fuelled by a past drug habit, the court heard. But aid agencies have warned that an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic. A military operation in the city could force the closure of its crossing, cutting off the delivery of food and medical supplies and exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in the besieged territory. When Im told that last year alone, [there were] almost 100,000 cases of domestic abuse being reported to the police, when Im told from colleague experts that we have an epidemic of violence against women and girls, I think we should be talking about this all the time. We should be shouting about it from the rooftop. I cannot emphasise enough how much hard work has been required over the last week to put us in the position we are now in with an ability to sail HMS Prince of Wales as part of my Carrier Strike Group, said Commodore James Blackmore, Commander UK Carrier Strike Group, in overall charge of the ship and escorts. Moshe Sharvit, an extremist settler who has threatened, harassed and assaulted Palestinian shepherds and their families in the Jordan Valley. In October 2023, one community of 20 families fled after Sharvit attacked the residents and told them they had five hours to leave; He added: We know how far the party has come under Keir Starmer in tackling antisemitism and that the party, from Starmer down, is as shocked and disgusted by Alis comments as we are. This photo taken on Feb. 9, 2024 shows a night view in Kashgar, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Kashgar has been meticulously decorated to celebrate the Spring Festival. The ancient city of Kashgar is a branch venue of this year's China Central Television (CCTV) Spring Festival Gala. (Photo by Cai Zengle/Xinhua) URUMQI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The city of Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was one of the venues of the popular CCTV Spring Festival Gala on Friday evening, and the ancient city and its unique customs and traditions have become hot topics of conversation across the country. Kashgar has been a cultural hub along the Silk Road since ancient times. Its gala venue integrated the rich cultural heritage of the ancient city with modern elements, showcasing the new face of Kashgar for the new era, said Zeng Jian, general director of the Kashgar CCTV Spring Festival Gala venue. Zeng noted that more than 2,500 outstanding performers from across the region participated in the gala, making it one of the largest cultural events Xinjiang has ever held. Part of the performance stages were constructed on the rooftops of 12 ordinary homes in the ancient city of Kashgar. The spectacular performances were not only well-received among local residents, but also captivated audiences across the country. Mrabik Sawaq, a Kashgar resident who watched the gala with his family on Lunar New Year's Eve, said, "This year's Spring Festival Gala had a clear theme and was full of advanced technological elements. I was deeply impressed. The performances at the Kashgar venue -- particularly the unique ethnic dances and musical performances -- filled me with immense pride." "The stage design and program of this year's Spring Festival Gala exuded a festive atmosphere," said He Kui, another Kashgar resident, adding that the gala showcased the beauty of Kashgar's people, dances and scenery to the whole country. "I hope more people from all over the country will visit Xinjiang and Kashgar." Kashgar has been in the spotlight since the announcement of its participation in the gala. People from all over the country have flocked to the ancient city, driving rapid growth in its tourism industry. Statistics show that in January, the Kashgar prefecture received 1.62 million tourists, an 11.6 percent year-on-year increase, and generated a tourism revenue of 1.32 billion yuan (about 185.82 million U.S. dollars), a 12.59 percent year-on-year increase. Mr Forde said: "If you want a fair and transparent system then it has to deal with people consistently, and I'm aware from discussions with some of the MPs within the party - who might be described as Left-leaning - that they feel that when it comes to disciplinary action taken against them then things move rather slowly, but if you're in the Right faction of the party, as it were, then things are dealt with either more leniently or more swiftly. It's important to note that the winning MP serves out the remainder of the term of the seat that was vacated until the next general election is held. At the general election, which occurs every five years under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, the seat will be contested again along with all other seats in the House of Commons. He said on LBC: We need to make absolutely certain that all Nato members are [meeting the target] because the reality is, I'm afraid, that Putin's war against Ukraine could spread if we are not successful and we need to make sure that we're all defended. The British Museum respects other peoples right to express their views and allows peaceful protest onsite at the museum as long as there is no risk to the collection, staff or visitors, a spokesman for the institution said. The US megastar travelled from Japan, where she played four consecutive shows at the Tokyo Dome as part of her Eras Tour, to the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, to watch the Chiefs face off against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. This photo taken on Feb. 8, 2024 shows the Empire State Building lit up in red for the Chinese Lunar New Year in New York, the United States. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) An annual concert by U.S. and Chinese musicians in New York made the Lunar New Year celebrations more colorful. by Xinhua writer Liu Yanan NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- "The Sound of Spring," an annual concert presented by musicians from U.S. and Chinese higher education institutions, has become part of celebrations of the Lunar New Year in the New York metropolitan area. Around 1,000 people attended "The Sound of Spring" concert for 2024 on Sunday afternoon at Rose Theater as many were still in a high holiday mood on the second day of the Year of the Dragon. "Yesterday, I actually had to work. I didn't realize it was Chinese New Year. So, I actually didn't take time off, but we celebrated today," said a spectator who gave her first name as Chalsea. "Usually we go out with friends and families and eat a big Chinese meal in celebrating Chinese New Year," said Chalsea, who works in New York City and lives in New Jersey. Chalsea said this was her first time attending "The Sound of Spring" concert, and she wanted her kids to see the performance. Richard Zhou, a resident from New Jersey, told Xinhua that he drove about one and a half hours to watch the concert with tickets booked one month ago to secure a good seat. Zhou said he was impressed by Guo Yazhi's performance of "The Magic Land," a suona concerto, although not familiar with the piece, which has its world premiere in 2023. Zhou added that the Lunar New Year has been very important for the Chinese and he would stay in the town for a while with his family members. It's learned that tickets for the concert were sold out and Rose Theater even had to make extra arrangements to accommodate more people. The two-hour performance won rounds of applause and praise from the audience. Presented by the U.S.-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, in collaboration with China's Central Conservatory of Music, the concert for 2024 staged many new works by contemporary Chinese composers inspired by musical traditions and folk customs from different Chinese regions. More than half of the repertoire has never been performed in the United States. The performance featured erhu artist Zhang Haiyue and dizi (bamboo flute) artist Feng Tianshi from the Central Conservatory of Music, in addition to renowned wind player Guo Yazhi, according to the U.S.-China Music Institute. Cai Jindong, who conducted the performance, also spared minutes in introducing both the pieces and traditions of the Lunar New Year. The musicians also presented the first leg of the performance on Saturday at Bard College, which is about 90 miles north of New York City. Pre-concert family-friendly events including the demonstration of Chinese instruments, the making of handcrafts featuring the Lunar New Year as well as the creation of Chinese calligraphy works drew interest from spectators. Kendall Griffith, who studies pipa performance at Bard College Conservatory of Music and spent one semester at China's Central Conservatory of Music, demonstrated pipa performance in the lobby of the Rose Theater for visitors. Griffith told Xinhua that she improved a lot in both pipa performance and Chinese language thanks to the very strict training and daily communication with teachers and classmates in Beijing. "I've had a couple of recitals. I also had a performance in Beijing. That's the first time. So that was nice," said Griffith. Griffith noted she learned a lot about Chinese culture when she was in high school and middle school in Boston. It's hoped that audiences could feel the vigor of Chinese music, as well as friendliness and love to the world in the performance, said Yu Hongmei, erhu artist and a top decision maker at Central Conservatory of Music. Yu said she was involved in promoting cooperation with the U.S.-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music five years ago and would make efforts to deepen the cooperation in the future. "We welcome more students from the United States and other places of the world to study Chinese music and culture in China and form different colors and styles after their return," said Yu. In partnership with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the U.S.-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music offers the first degree-granting program in Chinese instrument performance in a U.S. conservatory. The president of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Nicolae Ciuca, declared on Monday that, at this moment, it is very difficult to create an integrated system of cyber protection, stressing that each institution has the obligation to take measures for protecting its own systems. "At this moment, it is very difficult to create an integrated cyber protection system, which is why each institution has the obligation to take measures to protect its own systems. As such, at the moment, there is legislation in force so that each institution should take self-protection measures. Cyber attacks will definitely exist again. It is a dynamic of the evolution in the cyber field. We need specialists, investments in technology," Ciuca said at the PNL headquarters when asked what can be done in connection with such attacks on state institutions.The Ministry of Health informed on Monday that during the night of Sunday to Monday there was a "massive" ransomware-type cyber attack on the production servers on which the HIS computer system runs, affecting 18 hospitals. Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Nicolae Ciuca said on Monday that the Liberals cannot support a Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate in the presidential elections, considering that PNL must have its own candidate, adding that negotiating these issues is not beneficial for the democratic process. Asked whether the possibility of PNL supporting the PSD candidate for the presidential elections in exchange for the post of prime minister and the candidacy for the capital's mayoralty is worth considering, Nicolae Ciuca answered that it was not.He said that he has a mandate from the PNL National Political Bureau to negotiate in coalition the merger of elections and anything else outside this mandate cannot be assumed by the party leadership.Nicolae Ciuca ruled out the possibility of taking a mandate from the BNP should PSD propose PNL to support a PSD presidential candidate in the negotiations within the coalition."This is not possible, because PNL must have its own presidential candidate. This is the healthiest thing for democracy," explained the Liberal leader.According to Ciuca, separate candidates in the elections from the two parties would be a good solution."I think it is a very good solution, because each of us will see which is the choice of Romanians for one party or another," said Nicolae Ciuca.Asked about the option of merging parliamentary elections with the second round of the presidential elections, the PNL leader replied: "Parliamentary elections with the second round, if this can be a solution, why not? Anything that can reduce the number of election rounds". The Public Finance Ministry raised on Monday RON 784 million from banks through a benchmark bond issue with a residual maturity of 86 months, at an average yield of 6.42 pct per annum, the National Bank of Romania announced. The face value of the issue was RON 500 million, and banks submitted bids worth RON 889 million, agerpres reports. An additional bidding session is scheduled for Tuesday, through which the Finance Ministry intends to borrow another RON 75 million for the yield set on Monday.The Public Finance Ministry is planning to borrow this February RON 5.5 billion from commercial banks; another RON 705 million could add to this amount through additional non-competitive bids related to the bond auctions.The total amount of RON 6.205 billion is by RON 115 million lower than the RON 6.32 billion planned for January 2024, and will be used to refinance public debt and cover the state budget deficit. The president of the Senate, Nicolae Ciuca, will pay an official visit to the Kingdom of Spain, on February 19-20, at the invitation of his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Rollan Ojeda. According to an internal memorandum of the Senate, approved by the Permanent Bureau, the visit will address topics related to bilateral cooperation, the Romanian community in Spain, parliamentary diplomacy, as well as topics on the European and international agenda, told Agerpres. The delegation led by Nicolae Ciuca includes senator Nicoleta Pauliuc, chairwoman of the Defense Committee, and Ssnator Titus Corlatean, chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, according to the internal memorandum, approved in Monday's meeting of the Senate's Standing Bureau. The program of the visit includes meetings with the president of the Spanish Senate, Pedro Rollan Ojeda, with the leadership of the foreign affairs and defense committees of the Spanish Senate, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, with the chairman of the People's Party, Juan Francisco Martinez Nunez, Secretary General for Defense Policy within the Spanish Ministry of Defense, and with His Holiness Father Timotei, the Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Spain, as well as a visit to the Satellite Center of the European Union (SatCen). Palestinians check buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) GAZA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. Moreover, 164 Palestinians were killed and 200 others wounded in Israeli raids across the enclave over the past 24 hours, pushing the death toll from the ongoing conflict to 28,340, and injuries to 67,984, the ministry said in a press statement. The Israeli military carried out some 40 airstrikes on the Rafah area in the early hours of Monday, with intensive ground shelling, Palestinian eyewitnesses told Xinhua. "A large number of injured victims suffering from (traumatic) amputations and severe burns fled to our hospital," said Suhaib Al-Hams, director of Al-Kuwaiti Hospital in the city crowded with displaced people. Al-Hams added that the Kuwaiti Hospital, one of three hospitals in Rafah, suffers from a severe shortage of medicines and cannot deal with "this large number of victims." Palestinian security sources in Rafah told Xinhua that special Israeli forces secretly arrived at a building located in the Shaboura neighborhood, central of the city, and after clashes with Hamas members, the two captives were freed. The sources explained that until now there has been no ground progress and all that happened were successive air strikes on homes and mosques in Rafah. In an earlier statement, the Israeli army said it conducted a series of strikes on targets in southern Gaza on Monday. The army said it rescued two hostages after special forces operating in Rafah but did not provide other details. Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the damage after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) ST. LOUIS COUNTY Police on Monday identified a man who died after crashing his motorcycle into a vehicle in south St. Louis County. St. Louis County police responded about 5:20 p.m. Saturday to a call for a motor vehicle crash in the 100 block of Kingston Drive, near Jefferson Barracks Park. Both vehicles were driving south on Kingston when the motorcyclist, 56-year-old Jeff Zell, crashed into the back of the other vehicle, police said. Zell was taken taken to a hospital but later died, police said. Four people in the vehicle suffered minor injuries. ST. LOUIS COUNTY A baby girl will be put up for adoption after she was anonymously surrendered to a drop-off box in Mehlville for newborns whose parents are unable to care for them, officials said Monday. The baby, a healthy newborn, was placed Thursday in a Safe Haven Baby Box at a Mehlville Fire Protection District station, Chief Brian Hendricks said. The baby was in the box for less than a minute before she was retrieved by paramedics and taken to a hospital and then to state child welfare services to await adoption. To that mother, I would like to say that we loved that baby and cared for that baby the minute we laid eyes on her and the minute we opened up that door, Hendricks said. The baby was the first in Missouri to be retrieved from a baby box following the 2021 approval of safe haven legislation, said Rep. Jim Murphy, R-south St. Louis County, who pushed for passage of the measure. Murphy said he was moved to tears when he was told about the baby. This mother was so courageous to put herself aside and do what was best for her child, Murphy said. On Thursday February 8th a newborn baby girl was retrieved from the Safe Haven Box by members of the Mehlville Fire District who cared for her and transported her to a hospital for further care. Today we celebrate a life saved and I can think of nothing greater. #moleg pic.twitter.com/x8b4GNBgEE Jim Murphy Missouri 94th House District (@jmmurphy8) February 12, 2024 The box, installed in August at the Mehlville Fire District Station 2, at 5434 Telegraph Road, is the only Missouri box in operation. Hendricks said the fire district plans to install a second box in another station as early as next year. There are a total 202 boxes in 15 states, said Monica Kelsey, CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes. Kelsey, a former firefighter whose birth mother abandoned her shortly after she was born in 1973, formed the company in Indiana in 2016. Since then, 42 babies have been anonymously dropped off in the boxes, and 147 infants have been handed directly to a person at a safe haven location by a parent or someone acting on their behalf, Kelsey said Monday. The boxes, on the outside walls of fire departments and hospitals, include a door that locks when the baby is placed inside and a door that allows officials to reach the infant from inside the building. Inside is a nursery bed with heating and air conditioning. A motion sensor alarm notifies officials when a baby is placed inside. Kelsey said the process worked exactly as intended. This baby was not abandoned, Kelsey said. This baby was legally, anonymously and safely surrendered in the safe haven baby box. And its an honor to be there for this mother in her time of need. Kelsey acknowledged the difficult choice the newborns mother made. Thank you for keeping your child safe. ... Its always just a selfless act the mother does when she says I want whats best for my child and thats not me, she said. Thank you for keeping your child safe. Asked about possible reunification with either parent, Kelsey said either parent can file requests to state authorities for reunification. Each baby surrendered to a baby box is cross checked against state databases of children reported missing as a precaution, she said. Murphy said he wants to expand baby boxes throughout Missouri. Every fire district should dedicate themselves to putting one of these in because they save lives, he said. The announcement Monday was applauded by more than a dozen local residents who said they wanted to support boxes as an option for parents facing difficult or unplanned pregnancies. ST. LOUIS August A. Busch Sr. lay uncomfortably in his bed at Grant's Farm. In pain from heart disease and gout, he had endured a bad night. When his chauffeur, Anton Feichtinger, entered the bedroom about 8 a.m., Busch asked him to turn on the radio "and get some music." "While I was doing that, I heard a report," Feichtinger told a coroner's jury one day later. "... I turned and he was lying on the bed. The gun was on the right on the other bed, pitched away." Busch, 68, committed suicide on Feb. 13, 1934, by shooting himself once in the abdomen, just below his heart, with a pearl-handled .32-caliber revolver he kept by his bed. Shortly beforehand, unknown to anyone, he had scribbled a brief note saying, "Goodbye precious mommie and adorable children." He had underlined "precious" and "adorable." If you or someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK, text 741741 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. Busch had been president of Anheuser-Busch Inc. since 1913, when his father, Adolphus Busch, died on a visit to Germany. Adolphus Busch, son-in-law of founder Eberhard Anheuser, made the company big and prosperous. His son managed its survival through the anti-German bias of World War I and Prohibition, which ended in phases during 1933. August A. Busch Sr. also had built the Bevo Mill, roughly halfway between his mansion on Gravois Road and the brewery south of downtown. The St. Louis County coroner's jury gathered in the mansion's hunt and trophy room. After the chauffeur testified, Dr. P.E. Rutledge of Kirkwood described giving Busch morphine seven hours before the gunshot. Rutledge said Busch had been "almost like an insane person, with a staring look in his eyes." The jurors acted quickly, ruling his death "suicide due to long illness, causing him distress and agony." Thousands of mourners, from senators to brewers, gathered at the mansion to glimpse the bronze casket, blanketed with lillies of the valley. During the service inside, Daniel N. Kirby, Busch's lawyer and friend, said, "As worthy son of a noble father, he was as great a leader in saving the industry as his father had been in creating it." Busch had directed that he be buried in Sunset Burial Park, within sight of Grant's Farm, rather than at Bellefontaine Cemetery where his parents, Adolphus and Lilly, were interred in a Gothic mausoleum. As the procession moved up Gravois to Sunset, mourners plucked orchids from decorations as keepsakes. St. Louis police, brought in to help county deputies, had to push the crowd away from the grave. Alice and August A. Busch Sr. had five children. Their fourth was August Jr. "Gussie" who would take over the company in 1946. Take a look at the history of Grant's Farm JEFFERSON CITY A fight is brewing under the Capitol Dome over whether Missouri should allow the sale of hemp-derived cannabis products at gas stations and other outlets across the state. The conflict is pitting the states convenience stores against representatives of Missouris legal marijuana industry, which operates a network of more than 200 dispensaries licensed by the Department of Health and Senior Services, following voter legalization of marijuana. While the licensed dispensaries sell traditional cannabis products, a separate market in Missouri pushing hemp-derived delta-8 cannabis products has emerged in recent years following federal hemp legalization. The hemp-derived delta-8 products currently for sale at Missouri gas stations are unregulated by the DHSS. There are also no specialty taxes on the delta-8 products or official age restrictions. St. Louis Public Schools officials reported last week that four Sumner High School students were hospitalized after consuming edibles that may have contained THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, that one student had purchased from a nearby convenience store. Ronald Leone, executive director and longtime lobbyist for the Missouri Petroleum and Convenience Association, said Monday his organization supports restricting sales to customers 21 and older, as well as adequate testing and reasonable taxes on the hemp-derived products. But he said convenience stores oppose legislation currently under consideration because it unfairly increases the power of the marijuana monopoly, it interferes with the free market, it picks winners and losers and it only allows the sale of these products ... in marijuana dispensaries. Legislation by Rep. Chad Perkins, R-Bowling Green, would place the delta-8 products under the DHSSs authority and would only allow state-licensed dispensaries to sell the products. The state already limits the number of dispensaries, and those facilities must follow strict security regulations. Leone testified against Perkins plan on Thursday in the House Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee. A Senate committee heard testimony Monday on that chambers version of the cannabis control measure. Both proposals would place the delta-8 products under the DHSSs authority, only allowing state-licensed dispensaries to sell the products. State health officials limit the number of facilities allowed to sell cannabis, and those facilities are required to comply with numerous security regulations. Eric Walter, outside general counsel for the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association, testified in favor of Perkins measure at the House committee hearing last week. Some of these convenience stores have been around for decades, Walter said. They all did just fine before they had the ability to sell these other products that are very, very lucrative, and that have giant margins because the producers arent subject to regulation. Walter said that in the same way one body regulates alcohol products because they all contain alcohol, this is all THC intoxicant. ... Its all THC, it all comes from cannabis and it would be ridiculous if it wasnt regulated by the same body that already regulates cannabis. Chris Lindsey, representing the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp, said Thursday federal legalization of hemp was never intended to create the intoxicating products proliferating across the country. The phrase of the day was rope, not dope, Lindsey said. It was really intended to be fiber or feed. You will not find a member of Congress that thinks that they legalized intoxicants made from this plant. He said that chemists, after the federal government allowed hemp production, creatively figured out they could take the non-intoxicating parts of the plant ... the molecule in particular called CBD and convert it into intoxicants normally found in marijuana. We dont want to ban these products outright, he said. We just think that they need to be treated with the same care that voters have adopted when were talking about marijuana. Lindsey said hes been speaking with lawmakers across the country trying to rein in the hemp-derived products, and that models have varied. He said the Missouri legislation offers the best approach because you already have a system in place that handles intoxicants produced from this plant. Members of the legal cannabis industry werent the only supporters of the measure. Justin Alferman, a former Republican state representative who now lobbies for SSM Health Care, said SSM Cardinal Glennon houses the states poison control center. We believe that the cannabinoid products that are currently on the market are not regulated and therefore their content, quality and safety are not assured, Alferman said. The poison center has concerns over the accessibility, the standardization, quality control and adulteration of the various litany of products that are sold in the state of Missouri currently, Alferman said. Perkins, the House bill sponsor, faced skeptical members of the crime prevention committee, including state Rep. Lane Roberts, R-Joplin, the committee chairman. I dont necessarily oppose this bill. However I would feel a lot better about it if I thought there were some specifically well-defined protections for the hemp industry, Roberts said. The states current marijuana program has faced criticism over how it awarded a limited number of licenses following the 2018 passage of medical marijuana. Winners of those medical marijuana licenses were first in line to begin fully legal sales following recreational legalization in 2022. Basically youre taking an entire industry it seems and enveloping it into an existing industry, said Rep. Kyle Marquart, R-Washington. I dont think any of us want one of our children walking into a convenience store and purchasing something that could intoxicate them. All kinds of bad things could happen, said Rep. Brad Banderman, R-St. Clair. How to do that is the question today. ST. LOUIS The trucks were at his family farm when Barry Bean got the news. Deliveries of the weedkiller dicamba, plus the crop seeds engineered to withstand it, had already pulled into the farms loading dock. Then the judges ruling came down: Dicamba was barred from usage across the U.S. Bean paused the deal at the last minute, he said. But he doesnt know what to do now. The timing could not be much worse, said Bean, whose family plants cotton, soybeans and other crops on thousands of acres in southeast Missouris Bootheel region. Everything is on hold. Everyone is trying to get more information about if there will be an appeal and what the odds are of a stay. A federal judges decision in Arizona last week to block the controversial drift-prone weedkiller dicamba sold by three leading manufacturers, Bayer, BASF, and Syngenta from being sprayed on soybeans and cotton has generated a spectrum of cheers and criticism. But perhaps most of all, it has sparked gridlock and uncertainty throughout the agriculture industry as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers how to respond, the companies consider appeals and farmers wonder if exceptions will be made this time as they have been in the past. Southeast Missouri farmers are scrambling back to the drawing board, said Bean. Herbicide and planting decisions for the coming season are usually made from October to December, in the months immediately following the last harvest. Here we are in mid-February and weve already done a lot of the groundwork, Bean said. Farmers already have seed and dicamba stacked up in their shop, he said. By dollar amount, the financial stakes of the ruling might be greatest for companies like German conglomerate Bayer, whose North American crop science division is headquartered in Creve Coeur. The company sells dicamba-based spray and dicamba-tolerant seeds, called Xtend, introduced by Monsanto before it was purchased by Bayer. Herbicide sales are a multibillion-dollar business for Bayer, accounting for about 13% of the companys overall revenue and 31% of its crop science divisions revenue in the third quarter of 2023. Much of that revenue comes from sales of other weedkillers. But weeds have been developing a resistance to Monsantos long-dominant herbicide, Roundup, and settlement costs have been soaring amid lawsuits alleging that the product causes cancer. The company has already paid about $10 billion to settle more than 100,000 cases, and analysts at Chicago financial services firm Morningstar expect that amount could double. Bayer, and Monsanto before it, had been positioning dicamba as a successor, introducing seeds engineered to resist the chemical. But in recent years, farmers have alleged that the product doesnt stay on the fields on which it is sprayed, instead drifting to other fields, sparking reports of damage to millions of acres of crops. And as farmers spray more dicamba on fields, some have said theyve felt pressure to adopt seeds that can tolerate the chemical, in order to shield themselves from that drift. More than 75% of all cotton acreage in the U.S. now uses dicamba-tolerant seed varieties, according to the National Cotton Council, which denounced the recent ruling and echoed that it comes at an especially problematic time of the year as many producers have already made their cropping decisions, secured seed, and are doing preparatory field work. Farmers like Bean argue that dicamba is a needed tool in the fight against weeds. Bad outbreaks of Roundup-resistant weeds like pigweed can dent cotton yields by 20% to 60%, he said, and diminish the quality of the product that remains. In worst-case scenarios, pigweed can overwhelm fields entirely. Yet continued problems from dicamba drift carry their own price tag. Damage has been reported across millions of acres of farmland in recent years, affecting crops ranging from soybeans, valued at $510 per acre, according to the Arizona court ruling, to peaches, valued at $7,300 an acre. Some farmers have already moved on from dicamba, tired of fighting with neighboring farmers when the weedkiller drifts onto other fields, or weary of continued regulatory and legal uncertainty dicamba herbicides briefly faced a court-ordered block in 2020, and some states have imposed individual restrictions. The area that Im in, a lot of people have gone away from it anyways, said Tyler Mudd, a farmer and seed dealer in Monroe City, in northeast Missouri. I think guys had kind of seen that on the wall the past few years. He knows there is hand-wringing by farmers in other parts of the state, particularly in places like the Bootheel that also support cotton production. But not in Monroe City. No one, Mudd said, has been asking for Xtend here. Annika Merrilees of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. LONDON As chances rise of a Joe Biden-Donald Trump rematch in the U.S. presidential election, Americas allies are bracing for a bumpy ride. Many worry that a second term for Trump would be an earthquake, but tremors already abound and concerns are rising that the U.S. could grow less dependable regardless of who wins. With a divided electorate and gridlock in Congress, the next American president could easily become consumed by manifold challenges at home before even beginning to address flashpoints around the world, from Ukraine to the Middle East. French President Emmanuel Macrons recent verdict was blunt: Americas first priority is itself. The first Trump administration stress-tested the bonds between the U.S. and its allies, particularly in Europe. Trump derided the leaders of some friendly nations, including Germanys Angela Merkel and Britains Theresa May, while praising authoritarians such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He has called Chinas Xi Jinping brilliant and Hungarys Viktor Orban a great leader. In campaign speeches, Trump remains skeptical of organizations such as NATO, often lamenting the billions the U.S. spends on the military alliance whose support has been critical to Ukraines fight against Russia's invasion. He said at a rally on Saturday that, as president, he'd warned NATO allies he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to countries that didn't pay their way in the alliance. Trump also wrote on his social media network that in future the U.S. should end all foreign aid donations and replace them with loans. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Trump risked endangering U.S. troops and their allies. Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk, he said in a statement Sunday. Biden, meanwhile, has made support for Ukraine a key priority and moral imperative. But Bidens assertion after his election in 2020 that America is back on the global stage has not been entirely borne out. Congressional Republicans have stalled more military aid for Ukraine, while America's influence has been unable to contain conflict in the Middle East Thomas Gift, director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London, said that whoever wins the presidential race, the direction of travel will be the same toward a multipolar planet in which the United States is no longer the indisputable world superpower. Most allied leaders refrain from commenting directly on the U.S. election, sticking to the line that its for Americans to pick their leader. They are conscious that they will have to work with the eventual winner, whoever it is and behind the scenes, governments will be doing the backroom work of quietly establishing links with the contenders political teams, said Richard Dalton, a former senior British diplomat. But many of America's European NATO allies are worried that with or without Trump, the U.S. is becoming less reliable. Some have started to talk openly about the need for members to ramp up military spending, and to plan for an alliance without the United States. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was currently on the phone a lot with my colleagues and asking them to do more to support Ukraine. Germany is the second-largest donor of military aid to Kyiv, behind the U.S., but Scholz recently told German weekly Die Zeit that the country couldnt fill any gap on its own if the U.S.A. ceased to be a supporter. Trump's comments on Saturday about NATO rang alarm bells in Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine. We have a hot war at our border, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Sunday. He warned: We must realize that the EU cannot be an economic and civilizational giant and a dwarf when it comes to defense, because the world has changed. Russia, meanwhile, is busy bolstering ties with China, Iran and North Korea and trying to chip away at Ukraines international support. Macron also suggested American attention was focused far from Europe. If Washington's top priority is the U.S., he said its second is China. This is also why I want a stronger Europe, that knows how to protect itself and isnt dependent on others, Macron said at a January news conference. Trump does have supporters in Europe, notably pro-Russia populists such as Hungary's Orban. But former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson raised some eyebrows when he argued recently that a Trump presidency could be just what the world needs. Johnson is a strong supporter of Ukraine in its struggle against Russian invasion, whereas Trump has frequently praised Putin and said hed end the war within 24 hours. However, Johnson said in a Daily Mail column that he didnt believe Trump would ditch the Ukrainians, but instead would help Ukraine win the war, leaving the West stronger and the world more stable. RAFAH, Gaza Strip Israeli forces rescued two hostages early Monday, storming a heavily guarded apartment in a densely packed town in the Gaza Strip as airstrikes carried out to cover the raid killed more than 60 Palestinians, including women and children. The rescue in Rafah briefly lifted the spirits of Israelis shaken by the plight of the dozens of hostages held by Hamas. The nation is still reeling from the militant groups cross-border raid last year that started the war. The overnight bombardment brought devastation in Rafah, which is packed with some 1.4 million people, most of whom fled their homes elsewhere in Gaza to escape fighting. Associated Press footage showed a large area of flattened houses, tattered tents and lines of bloodied bodies brought into nearby hospitals. Israels offensive has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians in the territory, displaced over 80% of the population and set off a massive humanitarian crisis. More than 12,300 Palestinian children and young teens have been killed in the conflict, Gazas Health Ministry said Monday. About 8,400 women were also among those killed. That means children and young teens make up about 43% of the dead, and women and minors together make up three quarters. The ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, provided the breakdown at the request of the AP. Israel claims to have killed about 10,000 Hamas fighters but has not provided evidence. In Hamas cross-border raid on Oct. 7, an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, and militants took 250 people captive, according to Israeli authorities. Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in the territory and signaled that its ground offensive may soon target the town on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity after dozens were freed during a cease-fire in November. Hamas also holds the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on Oct. 7 or died in captivity. The government has made freeing the hostages a top aim of its war, along with destroying Hamas military and governing capabilities. But as the fighting drags on, rifts have emerged in Israel over how to retrieve them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says persistent military pressure will bring about the captives freedom even as families of the hostages and many of their supporters have called on the government to make another deal with Hamas. A dramatic raid Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said special forces broke into a second-floor apartment in Rafah under fire at 1:49 a.m. Monday, accompanied a minute later by airstrikes on surrounding areas. He said Hamas militants were guarding the captives and that members of the rescue team shielded the hostages with their bodies as the battle erupted. The army identified those rescued as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who were abducted from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on Oct. 7. They also hold Argentinian citizenship. They are among just three hostages to be rescued; a female soldier was rescued in November. The rescue, which Hagari said was based on precise intelligence and planned for some time, is a morale booster for Israelis but a small step toward winning the release of the remaining hostages, who are believed to be spread out and hidden in tunnels. Hars son-in-law, Idan Begerano, who saw the released captives at the hospital where they were airlifted, said the two men were thin and pale, but communicating well and aware of their surroundings. Begerano said Har told him immediately upon seeing him: You have a birthday today, mazal tov. The men held long, tearful embraces with their relatives at the hospital, according to video released by Netanyahus office. Dozens killed in strikes The airstrikes hit jam-packed Rafah in the middle of the night, and dozens of explosions could be heard around 2 a.m. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for the Health Ministry, said at least 67 people, including women and children, were killed in the strikes. Al-Qidra said rescuers were still searching the rubble. An Associated Press journalist counted at least 50 bodies at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. Mohamed Zoghroub, a Palestinian living in Rafah, said he saw a black jeep speeding through the town followed by clashes and heavy airstrikes. We found ourselves running with our children, from the airstrikes, in every direction, he said, speaking from an area flattened by the bombardment. Footage circulating on social media from Rafahs Kuwaiti hospital showed dead or wounded children. The footage could not immediately be verified but was consistent with AP reporting. A young man could be seen carrying the body of an infant who he said was killed in the attacks. He said the girl, the daughter of his neighbor, was born and killed during the war. Let Netanyahu come and see: Is this one of your designated targets? he said. Concerns about Rafah Netanyahu has said sending ground troops into Rafah is essential to meeting Israels war goals. On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation there without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. More than half of Gazas 2.3 million population is now crammed into Rafah, where hundreds of thousands live in sprawling tent camps and overcrowded U.N. shelters. Bidens remarks, made in a phone call with Netanyahu, were his most forceful language yet on the possible operation. Discussion of the potential for a cease-fire agreement took up much of the call, a senior U.S. administration official said. The official said that after weeks of diplomacy, a framework is now pretty much in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt to fighting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remain but declined to give details. The official said military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent weeks helped bring the group closer to accepting a deal. Netanyahus office declined to comment on the call. Hamas Al-Aqsa television station earlier quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying any invasion of Rafah would blow up the talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Biden and Netanyahu spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops are sent into Rafah. Federman reported from Jerusalem and Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report. Updated at 12:51 p.m. ABERDARE RANGE, Kenya In a dense layer of green thousands of feet above sea level, cedar, podo and hegeina trees pattern the landscape, thick moss hanging from their branches and feathery lichen attached to their barks. Numerous streams and rivers flow between them, plunging over steep waterfalls. Buffaloes, bushbucks and monkeys roam in search of pastures. This is the Aberdare Range, a forest and mountain range in central Kenya thats one of the countrys main water sources and a key wildlife habitat. But it may not remain the same. The Kenyan government wants to build a 32-mile tarmac road through what has been suggested as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to connect two counties, and the countrys environmental agency, the National Environment Management Authority, issued an environmental impact assessment license for the project last month. The project would cut through 15 miles of closed canopy forest and likely increase vehicle traffic into animal paths. Residents are optimistic the project could improve their lives. But scientists and conservationists fear irreparable damage to the ecosystem. Threatened tree species could get cut down, animals could get hit by vehicles, the road would cut across moorlands fragile areas for water catchment and invasive species and pollutants could enter the park through vehicles. Those in favor of the project, including Kenyan President William Ruto, say it carries economic benefit, arguing that by directly connecting the agricultural counties of Nyeri and Nyandarua, the road would increase trade and uplift livelihoods. Most Kenyans live on a few dollars a day, and in the rural, agricultural areas where the roads will connect, the proposed project has supporters. To transport farm produce and other goods from Nyeri town in Nyeri county to Ndunyu Njeru town in Nyandarua county and back, Francis Kibue, a lorry driver based in Nyeri, circumvents the Aberdare Range using a tarmac road, covering a distance of 118 miles. But the road through the forest and national park would reduce the journey to 40 miles. The proposed tarmac road, named IhitheNdunyu Njeru Road, would upgrade of a backbreaking dirt road thats usually used by visitors to the forest and park but rarely by the general public. In Ndunyu Njeru, a small farming town thats dotted with single-story buildings, chief Grace Ngige said she has no objection to the road. It's development. In both towns, operators of matatus, vans that transport people, are excited about the prospects of the road, saying it would open up new routes on both sides, bringing in more business. We feel very happy, and we thank the countrys leaders for coming together and deciding to open this road, said matatu operator Patrick Maina in Ndunyu Njeru. President Ruto has firmly pushed for the construction to start. On different occasions since taking office in 2022, he has called out opposition to the construction plan, insisting that the project proceed before receiving environmental approval by NEMA and objections by conservationists. Environmentalists and political analysts say that is tantamount to political interference and may have affected NEMAs independence in decision-making. In response to written questions, Ali Mohamed, Kenyas special climate envoy, said the president is committed to sustainability and gives priority to matters climate action and environmental conservation. The proposed construction also brings attention to national concern on the presidents recent trend of defying and criticizing courts and other independent bodies that make decisions against his administrations plans. He has repeatedly threatened to remove judges he accuses of frustrating his projects. It is simply intimidation, said Herman Manyara, a Nairobi-based political analyst. "Once you have established institutions to ensure regulations are followed, those institutions must be respected. Conservationists have long called for the Kenya National Highways Authority who first proposed the road in 2009 to find alternative routes across and around the Aberdare Range that have minimum environmental impact. Some have set up online petitions. As one of Kenyas five major water towers places that absorb and store water naturally then release it into rivers and lakes the Aberdare Range provides most of the water used in the capital, Nairobi, and also supplies water to the Seven Forks hydroelectric power stations, key generators of electricity in the country. The road may attract human settlement, and with time, fires and grazing would suppress the growth of the vegetation that enables the Aberdare Range to catch rain, said Simon Onywere, associate professor of environmental planning and management at Kenyatta University. The potential damage would take decades to reverse, he said. The forest reserve also has Indigenous trees such as the sycamore fig and African cherry, and threatened species like parasol tree, Monterey Pine and African cherry. It has some of the fewer than 100 remaining critically endangered mountain bongos in the world, alongside rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards and others. The 296-square-mile Aberdare National Park also attracts thousands of local residents and foreigners who pay park fees to see animals roam. Tourism is a major income earner for the country, with hundreds of thousands of people employed in the sector. This is the one road that a lot of people that come here to see the wildlife will take, said Isabelle Aron, a tourist visiting the park. Turning that into commercial is going to be taking away from why people come to the Aberdares. The top trending international destinations on Americans' travel wish lists for 2024 The top trending international destinations on Americans' travel wish lists for 2024 #9. Oranjestad, Aruba (tie) #9. St. Maarten (tie) #8. Taipei, Taiwan #7. Bermuda #6. Bucharest, Romania #5. US Virgin Islands #4. Tokyo, Japan #3. Osaka, Japan #2. French Polynesia #1. Cayman Islands The guards of honor attend a ceremony held to mark Myanmar's 77th anniversary of the Union Day in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Feb. 12, 2024. Myanmar commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Union Day with a state ceremony in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Monday morning. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua) YANGON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Union Day with a state ceremony in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Monday morning. The Union Day marked the historic moment on Feb. 12, 1947, when the country's national hero General Aung San, along with over 20 ethnic leaders, signed the Panglong Agreement, pledging to strive for regaining independence from British colonialists. In his Union Day message, Chairman of the State Administration Council Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that independence and sovereignty gained through union spirit of all ethnic people will continue to be protected only through union spirit. Min Aung Hlaing also urged all ethnic people to protect the country for long-term existence with union spirit. Over 1,000 representatives from government, ethnic groups attended the ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw, where armed forces' guards of honor marched in a parade. Various activities, including small and medium-sized enterprises products expo and horse-racing competitions, were also organized to commemorate the Union Day in the Southeast Asian country. An ethnic girl attends a ceremony held to mark Myanmar's 77th anniversary of the Union Day in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Feb. 12, 2024. Myanmar commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Union Day with a state ceremony in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Monday morning. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua) The guards of honor attend a ceremony held to mark Myanmar's 77th anniversary of the Union Day in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Feb. 12, 2024. Myanmar commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Union Day with a state ceremony in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Monday morning. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua) The guards of honor attend a ceremony held to mark Myanmar's 77th anniversary of the Union Day in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Feb. 12, 2024. Myanmar commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Union Day with a state ceremony in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Monday morning. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua) The guards of honor attend a ceremony held to mark Myanmar's 77th anniversary of the Union Day in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, Feb. 12, 2024. Myanmar commemorated the 77th anniversary of the Union Day with a state ceremony in the capital Nay Pyi Taw on Monday morning. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua) WASHINGTON Any parent who's ever called one of their children by the other's name or even the family pet's name likely could empathize when President Joe Biden mixed up the names of French leaders Macron and Mitterrand. The human brain has trouble pulling names out of stuffed memory banks on cue. But when are those and other verbal stumbles normal, and when might they be a sign of cognitive trouble? "When I see somebody make a flub on TV, I'm really not all that concerned," said well-known aging researcher S. Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois at Chicago. "What science will tell you about flubs is that they're perfectly normal, and they are exacerbated by stress for sure." Biden, 81, has a decadeslong history of verbal gaffes. But they're getting new attention after a special counsel last week decided Biden shouldn't face criminal charges for his handling of classified documents while describing him as an old man with trouble remembering dates, even the date his son Beau died. That prompted a visibly angry Biden to lash out from the White House, saying, "My memory is fine." As for his son's 2015 death from brain cancer, "Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, it wasn't any of their damn business," Biden said. Biden is not the only candidate making verbal slips. Former President Donald Trump, Biden's likely opponent in the November presidential election, has as well. Last month the 77-year-old Trump confused his major opponent for the GOP nomination, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Health experts caution that neither verbal gaffes nor a lawyer's opinions can reveal whether someone is having cognitive trouble. That takes medical testing. But certain glitches are common at any age. "To easily recall names, right in the moment, is the hardest thing for us to do accurately," said Dr. Eric Lenze of Washington University in St. Louis, a geriatric psychiatrist who evaluates cognition in older adults. Some studies have suggested that everyday "misnaming" may occur when the brain has names stored by category like your family members or perhaps in Biden's case, world leaders he's long known and grabs the wrong one. Or the miss may be phonetic, as the names of France's current president, Emmanuel Macron, and former President Francois Mitterrand both begin with "M." Mitterrand died in 1996. As for dates, emotion may tag certain memories but not run-of-the-mill ones, such as the special counsel's questions about when Biden handled a box of documents. "Attaching a calendar date to an event is not really something that the human brain does at any age," Lenze said. It's "not like a spreadsheet." Whether it's a name, date or something else, memory also can be affected by stress and distractions if someone's thinking about more than one thing, Olshansky said. And while everybody's had an "it's on the tip of my tongue" lapse, flubs by presidents, or would-be presidents, tend to be caught on TV. Olshansky watches recordings of his presentations at science meetings and "there isn't a single time I don't make a mistake," he said. "I'm 69 years old, which I do not consider to be old, but I made the same mistakes when I was 39." It's reasonable for people to wonder if leaders in their 70s and 80s remain sharp, Lenze said. What's reassuring is if what someone says is overall accurate despite a verbal gaffe. Some cognitive aging is normal, including delay in memory retrieval. People's brains age differently, and heart health, blood pressure and physical activity play a role in brain health. While Trump often brags about passing a screening-style memory test several years ago, Lenze said the best assessment includes rigorous neuropsychological testing. Top 10 states with the healthiest seniors Top 10 states with the healthiest seniors Top 10 states with the healthiest seniors February 12, 2024: Ukraine has a growing force of MAGURA V5 USVs (Unmanned Surface Vessels) that have become a major factor in destroying or crippling the remaining Russian warships in the Black Sea. MAGURA V5 has a range of 800 kilometers, a maximum speed of 75 kilometers an hour and a cruising speed of 40 kilometers. MAGURA V5 is an upgrade of earlier USV designs. These USVs have been heavily used for over a year and Ukraine is producing as many of them as it can to use for reconnaissance and surveillance as well as attacks. NATO naval officials are fascinated by this development and are learning as much about these USVs as they can because, for coastal warfare or operations in restricted waters, that can be a decisive and inexpensive weapon. This is quite a comeback from the losses the Ukrainian Navy has suffered in the Black Sea since 2014. Between 2014 and 2024 Russia has lost nine major ships with a combined displacement of 17,000 tons. Ukraine has lost 14 ships with a total displacement of 12,000 tons. Only five of the Russian ships and 11 of the Ukrainian ones were warships. The rest were patrol boats and support ships. In 2014 Russia captured many Ukrainian Navy ships when they took control of Crimea. Russia returned some of those ships to Ukraine, but the damage was done with Ukraine losing about 70 percent of its naval vessels. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 the war in the Black Sea accelerated with the Ukrainians making heavy use of USVs to attack and often destroy Russian warships and support vessels. Ukraine also used cruise and ballistic missiles as well as air-dropped glide bombs to attack Russian ships and bases in Crimea. The USV were particularly dangerous to Russian ships because the USVs were low in the water and usually moved quite slowly. At night these USVs could stealthily enter a Russian port and attack ships and port facilities. Whats left of the Russian Black Sea fleet is gradually disappearing because of these novel weapons and tactics. Russia depends on Novorossiysk, a major port and naval base on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, nearly a thousand kilometers from Crimea. For over a year Ukraine has been using USVs to attack ships operating out of the port. Ukrainian USVs can reach Novorossiysk by replacing some of their explosives with fuel. The USVs operators are on land and communicate via a satellite link that allows the operators to use a small video camera on the USV to see where they are and where they are going. Russia can jam those signals but the USVs can continue without remote guidance, especially once they are close to their targets. Ukraine has launched several attacks on Novorossiysk, damaging or destroying port facilities with armed USVs carrying up to half a ton of explosives. Novorossiysk has facilities for storing petroleum products and when these are set on fire the damage to the port is considerable. This reminds the Russians that no Black Sea port is safe from Ukrainian attacks. Even in daylight USVs are difficult to spot from ships or from the air. When attacks are made at night, its nearly impossible to see them coming. Russia has erected barriers at some ports to keep the USVs out, but this fails because the USVs can detonate at or near the barriers, destroying them and enabling more USVs to follow. In these situations, the USVs are more effective than submarines because there are no crews and are a lot cheaper than a crewed ship or submarine. In effect, the Ukrainian Navy now consists of hundreds of expendable USVs. No one expected USVs to be such a major factor in naval warfare and that has been another lesson from the Ukraine War. February 12, 2024: The Ukraine War has seen Ukrainian forces using Western missile systems to sink all the Russian warships in the Black Sea. Ukraine has built long range UAVs to attack Russian air bases and other military targets deep inside Russia. In an apparent effort to escape these attacks, Russia has been moving more warships and military air operations to the northern Arctic region and adjacent to the Norwegian border. This is where Murmansk province is located, along with bases for the Russian Northern Fleet. This is one of the four fleets. The other three are the Pacific Fleet on the Russian Pacific coast, the Baltic Sea fleet based near St Petersburg, and the Black Sea Fleet no longer based at the port of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula because the Ukrainians sank too many Russian warships there and the survivors fled to much smaller and poorly equipped ports far away on Russias eastern Black Sea Coast. When the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Crimea became part of Ukraine. Many Russian military leaders objected to Ukraine owning Crimea because there were so many Russian military facilities there. Ukraine agreed to let the Russian bases remain if large rent payments were made annually. Russia paid the rent with natural gas delivered by a Russian pipeline that already ran through Ukraine to the West where Russia already had natural gas customers. This arrangement did not last long because too many Russian officials, and Russians in general, believed Crimea belonged to Russia. In 2014 Russian seized control of Crimea and still holds on to most of it. Ukraine considers Crimea Ukrainian and wont stop fighting until they get it back. This would probably mean expelling Russian residents, who are expected to support violent opposition to Ukrainian control. There are over two million civilians living in Crimea and the expulsions will be gradual and last as long as anti-Ukraine Russians remain. Currently the remaining Russian military activities in Crimea are limited because supplies of weapons have to be brought in discreetly. Thats because Ukraine is watching what happens in Crimea and uses its long-range missiles or special operations raids to disrupt Russian military operations. Russia has to bring in supplies to Crimea by ship. This is dangerous because Ukraine has missiles that can reach most areas in Crimea and USV (Unmanned surface Vessels) that are regularly used against Russian bases and the few Russian warships still operational in the Black Sea. Because of all this activity Russia is moving more of its remaining warships to Murmansk. The Turks allow Russian warships to leave the Black Sea and once these ships do so, traveling to the Atlantic Ocean then north through the English Channel, the North Sea and northern Norway which are safe from Ukrainian attacks. Once at Murmansk Russian warships are once more in danger. Thats because Norway shares a long border with Finland and once Finland joined NATO in April 2023 both Finland and neighboring Norway could keep an eye on what the nearby Russian forces were doing. Russia has several naval and air bases in the area, and these are the ones that Ukraine is sending long-range UAVs across Russia to attack. Russian military leaders were dismayed to find that their air defenses were unable to detect low-flying Ukrainian armed UAVs traveling all the way to the Murmansk area to attack a Russian airbase where long-range bombers were based. These bombers are used to carry cruise missiles south and launch them near the Ukrainian border at targets in Ukraine. Now Russia fears that the warships sent to bases up here will not be immune from Ukrainian UAV and missile attacks like those which destroyed a Russian corvette and a submarine anchored at their docks in Sevastopol, Crimea. February 12, 2024: Russia has planned a major expansion of its navy since the 1990s. This included replacing all the remaining Cold War era ships and adding many additional new ships and submarines. That plan was disrupted by financial difficulties, shipyards that were not as efficient as they were during the Soviet period, skilled workers who were no longer available, and disagreements about what new ships should be built. There was a consensus that submarines, especially ballistic missile carrying SSBN submarines, should get priority. SSBNs are an important component of the Russian arsenal of nuclear missiles. The SSBNs are even more important than the land-based missiles in silos. The SSBNs move around at sea and are more difficult to find and attack. SSNs (nuclear attack submarines) were also important. Some were needed to escort and protect the SSBNs. At the same time SSN also carried some cruise or anti-ship missiles. The priority on building new, post-Soviet, classes of submarines delayed production of new surface warships until 2010. By 2022 prolonged low oil prices had done major damage to the Russian Navy. Less oil income on top of the damage done by economic sanctions because of the Ukraine invasion, plus the additional production costs caused by loss of Ukrainian defense industry suppliers, has forced Russia to make a number of changes that have not been mentioned in navy press releases. Russia has been trying since the late 1990s to build replacements for Cold War era warships. Most of these have reached the end of their useful lives and many of them, while still listed as in service, rarely, if ever, seem to leave port. Russian admirals have been aware of the fact that they won't have much of a navy by the 2020s unless these older ships were replaced. The problem was that the older ships cannot easily or cheaply be refurbished or upgraded because that would cost more than buying new ones. These older ships are not just falling apart, but because there was not any money available right after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, there were few repairs and no upgrades during the 1990s. By 2020 much had changed, and the Russian navy put the 5,400-ton frigate Admiral Kasatonov into service after the successful completion of sea trials. This comes eleven years after construction began and nearly six years after Kasatonov was launched. It also comes two years after the first ship, Gorshkov, of the class entered service. Two more of these Project 22350 Gorshkovs were supposed to enter service in 2022 but didnt make it. These began construction in 2012 and 2013. As of late 2019 these four trouble-plagued Project 22350 ships were to be the only ones built. There had been plans to build four more upgraded Project 22350M frigates and construction on two of them had begun in early 2019. The 22350M frigates have a larger hull that the original Gorshkov, weigh 8,000 tons and have more weapons and more equipment that might not work. There were many in the Defense Ministry who wanted to cancel the 22350M frigates. Apparently, the success of the Kasatonov during trials changed minds because, the day before Kasatonov entered service, construction of the second two 22350M frigates began. The first 22350M frigate is scheduled to enter service in 2024 with the second one entering service in 2025. This revived confidence in the 22350 series frigates did not revive interest in the 19,000-ton Lider class Project 23560 nuclear-powered cruisers. The Lider class ships were originally proposed as 12,000-ton cruisers without nuclear power. With nuclear power they replaced the Cold War era 28,000 ton-Kirov class battlecruisers. Without nuclear power the Libers replaced the similar, but older, Slava class cruisers. The shrinking Russian defense budget can afford the 8,000-ton 22350M frigates but not cruisers, nuclear or otherwise. The four Kirovs did not age well and two have already retired. The other two are being refurbished, a process that takes at least three years, and keeps both ships operational into the 2030s. The nuclear powered Lider was to cost $1.4 billion each. Thats more than three times what the original Gorshkovs cost and twice what the larger Gorshkov will go for. Many naval experts saw the Kirovs as an expensive type of ship Russia could not afford and really did not need. The same applied to the nuclear-powered Liders and, for a while, the larger Gorshkovs. What really killed the Liders and nearly eliminated the larger Gorshkovs was not just a shrinking naval budget, but the many problems encountered with the Gorshkovs and the realization that these problems might not go away in a larger version. Numerous delays getting the first Gorshkov into service played a large role in the cancellation threats. The navy originally wanted twenty Gorshkovs to replace the Cold War era Sovremenny class destroyers and Burevestnik class frigates. Until 2019 the government only promised money for 12-15 Gorshkovs. These building plans were contingent on these new ships proving their worth. That apparently did happen, at least as far as the second Gorshkov was concerned. If the builder and the navy ship construction management officers can keep quality up and everything on schedule, there may end up being fifteen of these frigates. The first Gorshkov finally passed sea trials a year after it officially entered service in 2018. One of the delays involved the failure of the anti-aircraft missile system to function properly. There were also problems with the engines. The builder kept insisting it would be ready soon, but soon kept getting extended. In part these engine problems were a side-effect of the 2014 Ukraine invasion. That quickly led to Ukraine refusing to supply any more naval turbines. The navy had a Russian firm building these but that is often behind schedule as well and ships like the Gorshkovs had to use turbines. The original Gorshkov are armed with a 130mm gun, two Kashtan autocannon systems for missile defense and 8 Yakhont 3M55 or PJ-10 BrahMos anti-ship missiles. Both are three ton supersonic missiles, with the BrahMos being an advanced version of Yakhont developed in cooperation with India. There is also a launcher for 24 Uragan 1 SA-N-12 anti-aircraft missiles with a 30 kilometer range and a 70 kg warhead, four 533 mm torpedo tubes, four RPK-9 SS-N-29 anti-submarine rockets and a helicopter. Gorshkovs require a crew of 210 sailors and will have the latest electronics the Russians have available for anti-air and anti-submarine work. These ships cost about $400 million each and are capable of doing most of what the older, larger 7,900-ton Sovremenny class destroyers did. These older, larger, ships, were designed for high seas operations far from Russian shores. Given the shrinking naval budget and quality control problems with larger ships, the only new ships still being built are smaller ones. The new fleet will be a return to the traditional Russian navy job of defending coastal waters including the Baltic Sea and Black Sea. Even accomplishing that mission is in doubt if Russia cannot get its shipyards up to speed. Russia has been able to build some new corvettes, but these are smaller and much less capable ships than the Gorshkovs. The twelve destroyers currently in service were all completed in the 1980s and 1990s. There is also one 1960s vintage destroyer in the Black Sea, which is more for show than active service. The destroyers wear out quickly and wont be fit for service much longer. The plans for two new classes of destroyers have been put off until the 2020s. The current destroyers suffered from lack of maintenance in the 1990s and there is no money for refurbishment. These dozen destroyers wont last much beyond 2030, at least not as ships that can stay at sea much. There has been some new construction for frigates, ocean-going ships displacing about 4,000 tons but some of that construction has stopped or been canceled. Construction of smaller ships like 500-1,000 ton corvettes and patrol boats is continuing but not at a rate to replace all those currently in service. These smaller vessels are mainly for coastal security and the Cold War era fleet had a lot more of these because Russia was a classic police state that enforced strict border controls. That has been loosened up since the Cold War ended and the loss of many older ships will not leave the coasts undefended. Submarines were one ship type that got priority for new construction even in the 1990s but that has now slowed down. This is critical when it comes to building replacements for the last Cold War class of SSBNs which were all completed in the 1980s. These have been quietly retired or semi-retired and only going to sea for training. Priority was put on building eight new Borei class SSBNs. These were delayed and the first one did not enter service until 2013. There are now seven in service despite earlier fears that construction four might be halted. That would have happened had not the money been found to take the half-built Boreis and finish. If that had not happened, the SSBN fleet would be in danger of shrinking to four subs for a while, perhaps a long while. The Russian economy revived in the late 1990s and parliament came up with more money after 2000 to build enough surface ships to maintain a respectable fleet. But that revealed another problem. Most of Russia's warship building capability, experience and skills disappeared after 1991. Before 2014 the government thought it had a solution and that was to make a deal with France to import modern warship building techniques, by purchasing two Mistral amphibious assault ship/helicopter carriers, and the right to build two more in Russian shipyards. During that process, Russian shipbuilders would learn how it's done in the West. Since the late 1990s, most of the Russian construction effort went into finishing a few subs and building some surface ships for export. Even these subs had serious construction problems. Mainly it was quality control and the Navy refused to accept ships, especially subs that could not pass sea trials. Apparently, the shipyards were ordered to put all their efforts into the subs and eventually some of these limped into service. But the deal to import French shipbuilding techniques disappeared when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014. France refunded the billion dollars paid for the two Mistrals and later sold them to Egypt, leaving the Russians on their own. Gorshkov is not an isolated example. The same problems have been encountered with the Su-57 stealth fighter, the radical new T-14 tank, the new Borei SSBN and the Bulava ballistic missile for Borei. In general, Russian defense industries continue to have problems developing new technology or even manufacturing older items reliably. The Russian space program is having similar problems with its rockets. The list goes on and on. Russia plays down all these problems, but the net result is they have very little locally produced weapons and equipment to replace their Cold War designs. Worse, China is now producing improved and more reliable versions of those Cold War era weapons, along with new Western tech like large, missile-armed UAVs that Russia cannot master. In the late 1980s the Soviet Navy was the second largest in the world and largely consisted of new ships, many of them nuclear-powered and equipped with a formidable array of weapons. All that is largely gone now. China has left its Cold War era ship designs behind and is copying Western ships. So are the Russians, but not as competently as the Chinese. Nor can the Russians build dozens of new warships a year and have them operate reliably. American intel collecting aircraft, ships and satellites monitor sea trials for new Russian and Chinese ships and note that the Chinese are doing much better. Now the second largest fleet in the world is Chinese and it is looking to be a far more dangerous adversary than the Soviet fleet ever was. Originally posted on Operation Warm NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 12, 2024 / During their Subaru Loves to Help month, from January 15 through the end of February, our collaboration with Subaru will help serve over 150,000 children living in urgent need. Subaru and their retailers are not just supporters; they are active participants in our mission. Throughout Subaru Loves to Help month they will visit local homeless shelters and support agencies to provide kids with brand-new coats, shoes, and socks. Continue reading here Photo courtesy of Operation Warm View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Subaru of America, Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Subaru of America, Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/subaru-america-inc Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Subaru of America, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Engaged Capital, an activist investor, has received support from the founding family of V.F. Corp. (NYSE: VFC), according to Reuters on Monday. The investor aims to secure board seats and accelerate changes at VF Corp, which is the parent company of popular brands such as North Face, Vans, and Timberland. Reuters said it was told by Kelly Barbey that the activist investment firm, which has a 1.3% stake in VF, has won the support of descendants of John Barbey, who founded VF in 1899. Members of the Barbey family now collectively own about 15% of VF. The publication said Kelly Barbey told them that the Barbey family wants two directors on VF's 12-member board replaced. They want to replace Clarence Otis, a director since 2004, and Juliana Chugg, a director since 2009, as they blame them for not responding to challenges the company has faced over the last few years. Engaged Capital disclosed its position in the company last year and has been pushing for board representation since then. Reuters said Barbey told them that "Engaged Capital must urgently attain the Board member changes requested," as "public shareholders and the Barbey trust beneficiaries depend upon them." By Sam Boughedda Key architect of MassHealth 1115 waiver will lead efforts to improve care for individuals with most significant medical, social, and behavioral health needs. BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA), a mission-driven healthcare services organization that offers health plans and care delivery programs designed for individuals with the most significant needs, welcomes longstanding Massachusetts health policy leader Amanda Cassel Kraft as its Chief Operating Officer. A senior leader at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) for more than a decade, Cassel Kraft was an architect of the groundbreaking MassHealth 1115 waiver and shepherded major reforms to advance health equity and care delivery for millions of people across the state. In her new role at CCA, Cassel Kraft will lead the organizations core business and IT operations, including claims administration, member services and the enterprise project management office, to meet the medical, social, and behavioral health needs of its members in Massachusetts and across the country. She will begin at CCA on February 19. As a health plan and provider that has proudly partnered with MassHealth for more than 20 years, we have long admired Amandas innovative work as leader for the Medicaid program and her stewardship to advance health equity and improve behavioral health for people throughout the Commonwealth, said Chris Palmieri, President & CEO of CCA. Amanda is a vital addition to our executive team, particularly as we continue to invest in our core operations, including claims administration and payment integrity which complements our renowned clinical model, and focus on improving the care experience for our members and provider partners. We look forward to welcoming such an influential contributor to Massachusetts success as a national leader in healthcare. Cassel Kraft most recently served as Assistant Secretary and Medicaid Director at the Massachusetts EOHHS, where she oversaw MassHealth, the states Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program. During her time at MassHealth, Cassel Kraft led the development and negotiation of the states expanded 1115 waiver, a five-year, $67 billion agreement with the federal government to support nation-leading accountable care and health equity initiatives, behavioral health reforms, and funding for safety net health systems. She also implemented major policy and care delivery initiatives, such as risk-based accountable care covering more than 1 million MassHealth members; a statewide roadmap to help residents better access mental health and substance use treatment; pharmacy rebate initiatives that achieved hundreds of millions in annual savings for the state; and more than $500 million of new federal funding for home and community-based services. Amanda is a talented leader whose policy and business acumen helped steer our Commonwealths healthcare system through some of its most difficult times, while also achieving our most significant recent victories, said Tom Glynn, member of CCAs Board of Directors. Her ability to develop and drive forward initiatives that enhance care for those who need it most, all while building strong relationships across our healthcare community, will be a tremendous asset for CCAs team. Cassel Kraft earned a Master in Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University. She lives with her husband and two kids in Belmont, Massachusetts. About Commonwealth Care Alliance Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA) is a mission-driven healthcare services organization that offers innovative health plans and care delivery programs designed for individuals with the most significant needs. With offerings in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Michigan, and California, CCA delivers comprehensive, integrated, and person-centered care by coordinating the services of local staff, provider partners, and community organizations. CCA has been recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion by the 2023 Disability Equality Index, the worlds most comprehensive benchmarking tool for companies to measure disability workplace inclusion. In addition, The Boston Globe recognized CCA as a Top Place to Work for 2022. Learn more at www.commonwealthcarealliance.org or follow CCA on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212882597/en/ Sarah Magazine [email protected] (617) 470-6755 Source: Commonwealth Care Alliance TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AnalytixInsight Inc. (ALY or the Company) (TSXV: ALY), a data analytics and enterprise software solutions company, is pleased to provide a corporate update to shareholders from recently appointed Interim President & CEO, Natalie Hirsch. Since the resignation of Prakash Hariharan as CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Company, and the subsequent appointment of Ms. Hirsch as ALYs interim president and chief executive officer, the organization has entered a transformative period with several new initiatives which we anticipate will unlock shareholder value. Management of the Company is currently in the process of implementing a plan initially proposed by ALYs new chairman, Vince Kadar, that is intended to create revenue and drive shareholder value expeditiously. The first task was to commence an organizational analysis that considered the performance and achievements of the Company since 2016. We believe that we are currently at a pivotal moment in our Company's history, stated Hirsch. Firstly, I am committed to establishing a regular, open and honest flow of ALYs business performance information to all stakeholders. Secondly, we are moving quickly towards a rejuvenated business plan that we anticipate will see us refocus our resources while pursuing multiple avenues of recently identified growth opportunities for the Company. To date, the Company has been defined through three business segments. A review of each is included below: CapitalCube CapitalCube was designed to be an AI-driven content supplier with the ability to offer scalable machine-created analyst research content on 50,000 worldwide stocks and North American ETFs, allowing qualified users to make more informed investment decisions. As part of our review of CapitalCube, ALY completed an intellectual property report which led to the conclusions that CapitalCube has unique, competitive and defendable intellectual property. Currently, CapitalCubes revenue is limited to three enterprise clients and a limited number of retail users. We believe this represents a material opportunity to significantly grow sales to new users, predominantly in the B2B or B2B2C sector. In addition, ALY has launched a market validation exercise to evaluate and understand the size and scope of the opportunity within Canada and the United States. Previously, the CapitalCube division had no sales functions or dedicated staff who could advance market penetration efforts. We recently onboarded a sales lead whose early market outreach appears to be generating immediate interest in new sales opportunities for the CapitalCube product. Preliminary feedback from our efforts suggests that with some technical optimization, the outlook over the medium and long-term is positive to license our product functionalities (white label or APIs) and we look forward to advancing this opportunity. Euclides Technologies Inc. (Euclides) Euclides is a field service management software business, focused on providing professional services. The software keeps track of mobile field workforce operations. Components typically include inventory management, vehicle tracking, scheduling and workflow optimization. The comprehensive review of Euclides immediately signaled that there has been a cost and revenue imbalance at Euclides for the past few years, especially since no new intellectual property had been developed in the recent past. Based on our evaluation, the outlook for Euclides simply cannot compete with the return potential offered by our other business lines over the short, medium or long-term. As such, we have already taken steps to streamline operations and reduce the associated overhead. We intend to continue to assess potential future opportunities regarding product development or other value creation avenues in this area. MarketWall S.R.L. (MarketWall) ALY is pleased to announce that Ms. Hirsch has been appointed by the Company to serve on the board of directors of MarketWall, which follows Prakash Hariharans resignation from the position. Vince Kadar, Board Chair of ALY, stated, I welcome the fresh perspective that Natalie will bring to MarketWalls board, which I expect will help the Company realize value from its investments. MarketWall, a developer of fintech solutions for financial institutions in Italy, is an Italian company in which ALY holds a 49% equity interest. MarketWall also wholly owns InvestoPro SIM, which is a duly licensed online financial broker in Italy. Over the past several years, MarketWall has announced numerous new business relationships, including with well-recognized names such as Samsung and Morningstar. However, it should be noted that ALYs rights with respect to MarketWall are limited to those of a minority shareholder, which includes a right by ALY to appoint one of its three board members. Consistent with our approach in evaluating CapitalCube and Euclides, we have undertaken a full review and assessment of the Companys investment in MarketWall to maximize shareholder value, which we anticipate will include exploring short-term business opportunities between ALY, MarketWall, and Intesa SanPaolo. Conclusion While we strongly believe that ALYs foundational building blocks are in place to reinvigorate our business strategy, we anticipate challenges ahead. However, we also see opportunities to optimize our business, build shareholder confidence and create stakeholder value. The ALY Board of Directors has entrusted me with leading this Company into a new era of value creation potential marked by a commitment to ethical conduct, transparent disclosure, organizational performance and robust corporate governance, stated Natalie Hirsch. You can expect more frequent, transparent and meaningful shareholder communications and I invite our shareholders to contact me for an open dialogue, subject to applicable laws. In the near term, we also plan to update our investor collateral, including the corporate presentation and website, where you can sign-up for news alerts to stay apprised of ALYs progress and activities. About AnalytixInsight Inc. AnalytixInsight is a data analytics and enterprise software solutions provider. AnalytixInsight develops and markets cloud-based platforms providing financial content, company analysis and stock research solutions to the financial services industry. ALY holds a 49% interest in MarketWall S.R.L., a developer of fintech solutions for financial institutions in Italy. Regulatory Statements This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys future performance and new plans and initiatives, including their anticipated results, as well as the Companys ability to overcome challenges and effectively refocus and optimize resources, identify, assess, and pursue business opportunities, realize value from its investments, build shareholder confidence and create stakeholder value. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company, as the case may be, to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; risks related to protecting and developing the Companys technology and its revenue generation potential; risks associated with operation in the technology sector; the Companys ability to successfully develop and/or integrate new technologies; foreign operations risks; risks associated with negotiating and formalizing new business relationships, particularly with MarketWall and Intesa SanPaolo; and other risks inherent in the technology industry. Although ALY has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. ALY does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212566703/en/ Natalie Hirsch Interim CEO (647) 955-2933 [email protected] Source: AnalytixInsight Inc. Automating Thermo Fishers cutting-edge, GMP-ready instruments using Multiply Labs robotic technology helps reduce costs and accelerates timelines, bringing cell therapy scalability and accessibility within reach SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Through integration with Multiply Labs' robotic technology, Thermo Fisher Scientifics advanced, industry-leading cell therapy instruments, including the Thermo Scientific Heracell VIOS Automated Access CO2 Incubator and the Gibco Cell Therapy Systems (CTS) Rotea Counterflow Centrifugation System can now be fully automated for cell therapy manufacturing. This collaboration is an important step forward for cell therapy development and manufacturing with a goal of supporting reduced costs, accelerated production timelines and improved scalability, helping innovative cell therapies reach more patients. With the automated Heracell VIOS Incubator, up to 18 products can be hosted in parallel when using G-Rex100M bioreactors. This is a steep increase over traditional manual manufacturing, where one or two G-Rex100M bioreactors are used in parallel in a single incubator. The ability to support 18 products at once per incubator signals future scalability, as with two automated incubators, manufacturers would be able to create 36 products at the same time and scale upwards from there as incubators are added. Furthermore, by automating Thermo Fishers CTS Rotea Counterflow Centrifugation System, key manufacturing steps including upstream and downstream cell processing, can be performed automatically. Therefore, automation supports not only increased throughput but also lower labor cost, as these important processes can be executed by a single manufacturing operator. For comparison, traditional manual manufacturing processes typically require 4-8 operators. An end-to-end automated workflow using robotic technology only requires 400-500 sq ft of space compared to the 1000-2000 sq ft of space required for human-operated workflows. Xavier De Mollerat Du Jeu, Senior Director of Research and Development at Thermo Fisher Scientific, expressed excitement about the expanded partnership, emphasizing its significance in delivering curative therapies to patients more efficiently. With so many groundbreaking cell therapies available or forthcoming for patients, we cannot afford to let manual processes reduce scalability and stand in the way of access. Not only are we taking our incubator partnership to the next level to deliver a fully-automated GMP product, but together we will engineer the automation of our latest-generation closed system centrifuge an essential instrument for cell therapy manufacturing, he added. Cell therapy innovators and CDMOs can benefit from this collaboration by integrating Thermo Fisher's top-notch solutions while enjoying the advantages of automation, such as cost reduction and increased throughput. Multiply Labs recently demonstrated that automated and manual cell expansion processes are statistically equivalent. This implies that manufacturers can automate their current cell expansion protocols with minimal alterations and reduced regulatory risk. Fred Parietti, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO of Multiply Labs, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration's potential impact on cell therapy manufacturing. The goal is to establish a seamlessly automated, plug-and-play process that positively influences patient care. The ongoing partnership with Thermo Fisher plays a crucial role in turning this vision into reality, advancing the realization of cell therapy for the benefit of patients. About Multiply Labs Multiply Labs is a robotics company that provides autonomous manufacturing technology to the pharmaceutical industry. The company develops advanced, cloud-controlled robotic systems that enable the production of individualized drugs at scale. Its customers include some of the largest global organizations in the advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing space. Multiply Labs expertise is at the intersection of robotics and biopharma its team includes mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, computer scientists, software engineers and pharmaceutical scientists. The founding team got in touch because of their shared love of robots at MIT. The company is based in San Francisco, California. For more information, please visit www.multiplylabs.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212308160/en/ Media: Thermo Fisher Scientific Kristin Blake [email protected] Multiply Labs Marae Hartwell [email protected] Source: Multiply Labs SARASOTA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE American: OGEN) (the Company), a company focused on developing unique, intranasal nanoparticle pharmaceuticals for the treatment of neurological disorders, today announced that, on February 12, 2024, the Company and Kimberly Murphy, the Companys Chief Executive Officer, entered into a mutually agreeable Separation Agreement (the Separation Agreement), pursuant to which Ms. Murphys employment with the Company terminated effective February 12, 2024. Ms. Murphy will, however, continue to serve the Company as a member of the Companys board of directors (the Board). The Separation Agreement provides Ms. Murphy with the benefits under her employment agreement with the Company for a separation without cause. Ms. Murphys resignation as an officer was not due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter related to its operations, policies or practices. The Board will provide direction to the Company during this transition in management, with Charlie Pope, the Companys Chairman of the Board, serving, on an interim basis, as Executive Chairman, effective immediately. In addition, effective February 12, 2024, the Board appointed Michael Redmond, the Companys President, as the Companys Interim Principal Executive Officer. We appreciate Ms. Murphys strategic leadership on the shift in the Companys focus to its recently acquired neurology assets and look forward to her continued positive impact on and support of the Company as a director, said Charles Pope, Executive Chairman of the Board. About Oragenics Oragenics, Inc. is a development-stage company focused on nasal delivery of pharmaceutical medications in neurology and fighting infectious diseases including coronaviruses and multidrug-resistant organisms. Its ONP-002 product candidate is a fully synthetic neurosteroid being developed to treat Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). Its NT-CoV2-1 product candidate is an intranasal vaccine candidate to prevent COVID-19 and variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The NT-CoV2-1 program leverages coronavirus spike protein research licensed from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) with a focus on reducing viral transmission and offering a more patient-friendly intranasal administration. For more information, please visit www.oragenics.com. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation statements regarding the ability of the Company to timely and successfully undertake Phase II clinical trial using its novel drug - device combination for the treatment of mild Traumatic Brain Injury. These forward-looking statements are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and information currently available. The words believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, project and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Investors should be cautious in relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: the Companys ability to advance the development of its product candidates, including the neurology assets, under the timelines and in accord with the milestones it projects; the Companys ability to raise capital and obtain funding, non-dilutive or otherwise, for the development of its product candidates; the regulatory application process, research and development stages, and future clinical data and analysis relating to its product candidates, including any meetings, decisions by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA and investigational review boards, whether favorable or unfavorable; the Companys ability to obtain, maintain and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual property protection; the nature of competition and development relating to concussion treatments; the Companys expectations as to the outcome of preclinical studies and clinical trials and the potential benefits, activity, effectiveness and safety of its product candidates including as to administration, transmission, manufacturing, storage and distribution; and general economic and market conditions and risks, as well as other uncertainties described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information set forth is as of the date hereof unless otherwise indicated. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included and not place undue reliance on such statements. We do not assume any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212357218/en/ Oragenics, Inc. Janet Huffman, Chief Financial Officer 813-286-7900 [email protected] LHA Investor Relations Tirth T. Patel 212-201-6614 [email protected] Source: Oragenics, Inc. BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have recently introduced a new algorithm that combines deep learning and transfer learning to improve aerosol monitoring on China's FY-4A satellite. The study, published in the journal Engineering, was conducted through a collaborative effort by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Satellite Meteorological Center, the Harbin Institute of Technology, and other institutes. Scientists believe that accurate measurements of atmospheric aerosols are pivotal in understanding Earth's radiation balance, climate change, and air quality. Aboard China's geostationary meteorological satellite FY-4A, the Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) scans China every five minutes, providing crucial data for monitoring aerosol spatiotemporal variations. However, the inflexibility of traditional physical retrieval algorithms, coupled with the insufficient number of ground-based sunphotometer sites, poses challenges in meeting the extensive sample requirements for machine learning in aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval.0000000000 In response to these challenges, the scientists developed an innovative AOD retrieval algorithm that combines deep learning and transfer learning. The new algorithm incorporates key concepts from the dark target and deep blue algorithms to facilitate feature selection for machine learning. According to the study, independent validation confirms that the algorithm is highly accurate in estimating AGRI aerosol levels. The results show a strong correlation with expected values, indicating the algorithm's reliability in predicting aerosol optical depth. "Our study showcases the significant potential of merging the physical approach with deep learning in geoscientific analysis," said the lead author Fu Disong from the IAP. "The proposed algorithm holds promise for application to other multi-spectral sensors aboard geostationary satellites," Fu added. Rebellion Defense will deploy its Mission Engineering team to rapidly build custom software for U.S. Navy Project Overmatch, kickstarting the firms contributions to meet critical CJADC2 objectives WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rebellion Defense, a leading U.S. defense software and services company, today announced its partnership with U.S. Navy Project Overmatch. Rebellion Defense will deliver Project Overmatch cutting-edge technology and custom software solutions through its Mission Engineering service offering. With this new partnership, Rebellion Defense will support the U.S. Navys need for agile software by integrating its engineers and operators into the fabric of Project Overmatch. Rebellion Defense will demonstrate proof of concept opportunities to add speed, automation, and cognitive benefits to analysts, decision-makers, and warfighters. The Navys Project Overmatch, characterized by Former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday as the bedrock for the joint tactical network of the future, is a top-priority initiative aimed at improving data-driven decision-making as part of the Navy's contribution to the Pentagon's Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) strategy. Rebellion Defense is eager to assist the Navy in optimizing its software capabilities and to support the Navys contributions to the Pentagon's Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control strategy, said Ben FitzGerald, Chief Executive Officer at Rebellion Defense. In this era of software-defined defense, secure and trusted human-machine teaming is critical. This contract underscores Rebellion's commitment to practical and responsible AI, user-centered software, fast outcomes, and collaboration. Rebellion Defense is operating under a subcontract agreement with Fuse, a warfighter-focused engineering and design firm, under its prime contract from Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR). The task orders deliverables will contribute to the Navys mission to enhance data-driven decision-making. This contract with U.S. Navy Project Overmatch comes at an exciting moment of expansion for Rebellion Defense, with the company recently announcing a DISA Impact Level 5 Provisional Authorization for Rebellion Nova and partnerships with the Army and the National Nuclear Security Administration. About Rebellion Defense Rebellion Defense is a technology company developing advanced software to ensure mission-critical organizations stay ahead of emerging threats. Rebellion Defense brings together engineers who built commercial software products that transformed our way of life and defense experts who deeply understand the mission and stakes of national security. For more information, visit rebelliondefense.com and follow Rebellion Defense on LinkedIn and X, @RebellionDef. About Project Overmatch Project Overmatch is a high-priority Department of Navy (DON) effort aimed at enabling a Navy and Marine Corps that swarms the sea, delivering synchronized lethal and non-lethal effects from near-and-far, every axis and every domain. It will connect platforms, weapons and sensors together in a robust Naval Operational Architecture that integrates with the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) for enhanced Distributed Maritime Operations. Critical to Project Overmatch is the development of networks, infrastructure, data architecture, tools, and analytics that support the operational and developmental environment that will enable sustained maritime dominance using manned and unmanned systems. Project Overmatch will leverage the latest in digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and information and networking technologies for improved fleet readiness worldwide. About NAVWAR NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers, and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition, and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space and through cyberspace. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 civilian, active duty, and reserve professionals located around the world. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212840891/en/ Gia DeHart [email protected] +1 202-579-9523 Source: Rebellion Defense LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vital today announces its partnership with Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), introducing an AI-powered patient experience app that provides more clarity and transparency to patients and families in the emergency department. The digital health solution, accessible through CHLAs MyVisit and powered by Vitals ERAdvisor, provides real-time updates on wait times, labs and imaging results, progress toward discharge, and patient education. Using the power of artificial intelligence (AI), MyVisit serves as a personal digital companion during any emergency visit. The app works seamlessly across any device and requires no app download or account registrations. Families visiting the emergency department will receive a text invite to log into a secure web-based interface, which provides notifications and information in real-time on their child's status, location within the department, lab and imaging status updates, and any significant changes in care. Families will have the ability to see live, personalized wait time estimates and patient education, enabling caregivers to make more informed decisions and plans. MyVisit is available in many languages, including English & Spanish. "Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is committed to creating a compassionate and welcoming healing environment, and we recognize the value in bringing personalized, innovative digital tools to enhance the patient family experience. Parents and caregivers can sometimes be anxious when their children are in the emergency department, but transparent communication and real-time updates can help to alleviate some of that anxiety," said Omkar Kulkarni, Vice President & Chief Digital and Transformation Officer at CHLA. Available now, CHLA offers the app free of charge to all emergency department patients upon check-in at the registration desk. About Vital Vital is redefining patient experience with software that gives more control, clarity, and predictability to emergency department visits and hospital stays. Using advanced artificial intelligence (AI), Vital transforms complex health record data into easy-to-use, personalized interfaces that inform and engage over one million patients per year no downloads or passwords required. With Vital, patients can better understand progress toward discharge, request service and comfort items, set goals, view labs, share health status with family, book follow-up care, and much more. Hospitals across the U.S. use Vital to improve patient satisfaction, drive growth and patient loyalty, achieve better clinical outcomes, and reduce workload for care teams. Founded by Mint.com creator Aaron Patzer (@apatzer) and Emergency Physician Dr. Justin Schrager, Vital is a HIPAA-compliant cloud-based experience layer that integrates with any electronic health record system. For more information, please visit vital.io or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240213563807/en/ For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact: Morgan Watts Director of Marketing [email protected] Source: Vital Air Products (NYSE: APD) is proud to announce a significant step forward in its commitment to sustainability through the signing of a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for renewable energy with Eneco. This strategic agreement reaffirms Air Products' dedication to help address climate impacts and sourcing a substantial portion of its energy needs in The Netherlands from renewable sources. Under the terms of this 10-year PPA, Air Products will source the majority of its current merchant business energy consumption for liquid nitrogen and oxygen production in The Netherlands from a reliable and renewable energy source. The renewable electricity will be generated at the Vlagtwedde Solar PV farm in the northeast of The Netherlands . The signed PPA will enable Air Products to reduce emissions equivalent to the carbon footprint of approximately 45,000 households over the duration of the contract. This commitment represents an important milestone in the company's ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint in The Netherlands and contribute to a more sustainable future. Last year, the company announced its plans to build Europe's largest blue hydrogen facility based in the Port of Rotterdam . This was preceded by the announcements of Air Products' plans for a renewable energy import terminal, and the first Rotterdam green hydrogen truck refuelling station. The 10-year contract reflects Air Products' long-term vision to work to accelerate the energy transition and continue to work to generate a cleaner future. "This 10-year PPA is a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainability," said Harco van den Berg , Air Products' Business Manager Benelux. "We are excited to partner with Eneco, and we believe this collaboration will contribute to our goals of decarbonizing the industrial gases sector." Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE American: OGEN) today announced that, on February 12, 2024, the Company and Kimberly Murphy, the Companys Chief Executive Officer, entered into a mutually agreeable Separation Agreement, pursuant to which Ms. Murphys employment with the Company terminated effective February 12, 2024. Ms. Murphy will, however, continue to serve the Company as a member of the Companys board of directors (the Board). The Separation Agreement provides Ms. Murphy with the benefits under her employment agreement with the Company for a separation without cause. Ms. Murphys resignation as an officer was not due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter related to its operations, policies or practices. The Board will provide direction to the Company during this transition in management, with Charlie Pope, the Companys Chairman of the Board, serving, on an interim basis, as Executive Chairman, effective immediately. In addition, effective February 12, 2024, the Board appointed Michael Redmond, the Companys President, as the Companys Interim Principal Executive Officer. We appreciate Ms. Murphys strategic leadership on the shift in the Companys focus to its recently acquired neurology assets and look forward to her continued positive impact on and support of the Company as a director, said Charles Pope, Executive Chairman of the Board. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) from Stellantis brands in North America will adopt the proposed SAE J3400 connector, starting with select models in 2025 will adopt the proposed SAE J3400 connector, starting with select models in 2025 During the transition period, Stellantis will also make adapters available for vehicles fitted with the Combined Charging System (CCS) port, enabling drivers to access a growing private and public J3400 infrastructure to meet J3400/1 requirements still being developed this year will also make adapters available for vehicles fitted with the Combined Charging System (CCS) port, enabling drivers to access a growing private and public J3400 infrastructure to meet J3400/1 requirements still being developed this year Builds upon IONNA charging network joint venture announced by Stellantis and six other major global automakers targeting to install at least 30,000 high-powered charge points in North America urban and highway locations by 2030, where Stellantis customers will be able to charge natively with J3400 and CCS and six other major global automakers targeting to install at least 30,000 high-powered charge points in urban and highway locations by 2030, where customers will be able to charge natively with J3400 and CCS Expands charging options for Stellantis customers and helps the company fulfill the ambitions of its Dare Forward 2030 strategy, including to become a carbon net-zero corporation by 2038 Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) today announced its adoption of the upcoming SAE J3400 charging connector, starting with select battery-electric vehicle (BEV) models launching in North America for the 2026 model year. "Customers win when the industry aligns on open standards. We are happy to announce our backing and adoption of the SAE J3400 connector, a milestone for all customers on the path to open and seamless charging," said Ricardo Stamatti , Stellantis SVP of global energy & charging. "Our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan puts customers at the center of open interoperability and freedom of mobility for all. This future will be amplified by IONNA, our public charging joint venture with six other OEMs that will deliver industry-leading high-powered charging for all battery-electric vehicles regardless of brand." Today's announcement builds upon the IONNA charging network joint venture announced in June 2023 . Stellantis has joined with six other world-leading automakers to develop a high-powered charging network with at least 30,000 charge points in urban and highway locations across North America by 2030. With a focus on delivering an elevated customer experience, the network will use renewable energy to provide reliability, high-powered charging capability, digital integration, appealing locations and various amenities while charging. Charging stations will be accessible to all BEV customers, offering both Combined Charging System and J3400 connectors natively. The first charging stations from this joint venture are expected to open in 2024. WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) visited Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 7, and Puerto Rico on Feb. 9 during its Americas Seed Fund Road Tour, a national outreach effort to connect entrepreneurs working on advanced and innovative technology to the countrys largest source of early-stage research and development grant and contract funding opportunities. The Road Tour helps connect underrepresented groups in innovation and entrepreneurship with sources of capital via the agencys Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Americas Seed Fund, comprised of the SBIR/STTR programs, supports next-generation research & development (R&D) and commercialization of innovations and provides over $4 billion each year in non-dilutive funding from 11 participating federal agencies. America relies on ingenuity to develop critical technologies and create the industries of the future, and we need all great ideas and inventions to propel our global leadership, said Administrator Guzman in her remarks. This is a remarkable time to start up in this country under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are Investing in America, research and development, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and more. President Biden believes that America is about possibilities. And he's fighting to ensure American ingenuity and innovation can power our economy and our nation forward. SBAs Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partner, the Florida High Tech Corridor, hosted the Road Tour stop in Orlando, and the Puerto Rico Small Business Technology Development Center hosted the Road Tour stop in Puerto Rico. Hundreds of innovators and entrepreneurs attended the event to learn more about Americas Seed Fund (SBIR/STTR) programs and participated in one-on-one meetings with nearly two-dozen federal agency representatives. Americas Seed Fund Road Tour plays an important role in educating and encouraging entrepreneurs, many of whom are historically underrepresented in Americas innovation economy, to access federal resources available through the SBIR/STTR programs, said Associate Administrator for Investment and Innovation Bailey DeVries. Raising awareness of this program at the local and regional level is imperative to spurring technological innovation and building a thriving and secure American economy. Three more in-person road tours will be held later in 2024 in the South, Southeast, and Great Lakes regions. For more detailed information on the Americas Seed Fund Road Tour stops and registration to attend in person, visit https://www.americasseedfund.us/road-tour. For more information about Americas Seed Fund (SBIR/STTR) programs, please visit www.sbir.gov. ### About the U.S. Small Business AdministrationThe U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, or expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. Learn more at sba.gov. About SBA Office of Investment and Innovation The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs that provide the high-growth small business community with access to two things: financial capital and R&D funds to develop commercially viable innovations. Our work is underpinned by public-private partnerships that help small businesses on their trajectory from idea to IPO. Learn more at www.sba.gov. Christine Saah Nazer U.S. Small Business Administration [email protected] Source: U.S. Small Business Administration JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blue Water Industries LLC announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement with Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (NYSE: MLM) under which Martin Marietta will acquire 20 active aggregates operations in Alabama, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia from Blue Water Industries affiliate (BWI Southeast) for $2.05 billion in cash. Blue Water Industries is a privately-held, pure-play construction aggregates producer in the United States. Its footprint spans seven states, including Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia, and serves some of the fastest growing regions of the Southeast United States. Ted Baker, CEO of Blue Water Industries, stated, "We are pleased to partner with Martin Marietta, an industry leader with strong values and a distinguished safety record. I would like to thank our company's dedicated employees, along with our partners at Blue Water Advisors for their investment and meaningful support over the years." The BWI Southeast transaction is expected to close later this year, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Blue Water Industries will continue to operate its aggregates operations in North Carolina and central Florida, as well as its marine terminal business. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as legal advisor to Blue Water Industries. The Greystone Group is serving as financial advisor to Blue Water Industries. About Blue Water Industries LLCBlue Water Industries LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Water Industries Holdings LLC, which was formed in 2017 as a partnership among John D. Baker II, Ted Baker II, and an investment fund managed by Blue Water Advisors to acquire, develop, and operate a portfolio of high-quality construction aggregates assets in the United States. About Blue Water Advisors LPBlue Water Advisors LP is a private equity firm focused on investing in high quality businesses in real assets and essential industries in partnership with industry-leading families, founders, and operators. For more information about Blue Water Advisors, please visit www.bwalp.com. Contact Annie Chen [email protected] Source: Blue Water Advisors LP SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) and VantageScore announced today that FHLBank San Francisco will now accept mortgage collateral originated by lenders using VantageScore 4.0 credit scores, which considers rental payments and other data points into its scoring algorithms that are not included in traditional scoring models, ushering in an innovative solution aimed at closing the racial homeownership gap. By expanding the kind of mortgage collateral eligible to be pledged by member financial institutions borrowing from FHLBank San Francisco, lenders will be able to increase the amount of creditworthy mortgage applicants and include many underserved borrowers left out by conventional models. VantageScore estimates that using the VantageScore 4.0 credit model will result in approximately 33 million more consumers nationwide having access to a credit score that may aid them in obtaining a mortgage; including an estimated 5.5 million consumers within the FHLBanks regional footprint of Arizona, California, and Nevada. We know there are millions of creditworthy borrowers aspiring to be homeowners who are falling through the cracks, said Teresa Bryce Bazemore, President and CEO of the Bank of San Francisco. Expanding the pool of creditworthy applicants through the use of more inclusive and innovative predictive models, such as VantageScore 4.0, effectively helps us deliver the American Dream of homeownership to more applicants and further narrow the racial wealth gap. Over the last few years, we have dedicated significant resources and commitment to investing in expanding Black homeownership and we are excited to be the first mover among our peers and bring the program to life. In October 2022, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced its approval of VantageScore 4.0 for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, enabling widespread industry adoption of the new credit scoring method and opening the door to millions more qualified applicants by incorporating rental payments and other data points into scoring algorithms not included in traditional scoring models, all without lowering credit risk standards. Notably, FHLBank San Francisco is the first in the Federal Home Loan Bank System to accept collateral that uses VantageScores predictive and inclusive credit scoring model. This decision is the latest step that FHLBank San Francisco has taken over the last four years to advance racial equity in homeownership and wealth building: In June 2020, FHLBank San Francisco announced it would redouble its commitment to making homeownership possible for more Black households. In October 2021, FHLBank San Francisco launched the Racial Equity Accelerator, a two-year research and product advancement initiative with the Urban Institute to identify ways to close the racial homeownership gap. As part of that initiative, in October 2022, the Urban Institute issued an analysis, Reducing the Black-White Homeownership Gap through Underwriting Innovations, that detailed ways to use alternative data to expand the pool of eligible homebuyers and recognized the impact of VantageScore 4.0. In October 2023, FHLBank San Francisco published Closing The Racial Equity Gap: A Call To Action, which includes a package of recommendations for updating the housing ecosystem to close the racial homeownership and wealth gaps. In that report, FHLBank San Francisco highlighted the VantageScore 4.0 model as being more inclusive and particularly effective in communities currently excluded from the mortgage marketplace. Following the report, FHLBank San Francisco began a validation process that was completed at the end of 2023, validating the VantageScore 4.0 model as acceptable for residential mortgage loans pledged to secure credit from FHLBank San Francisco. The decision by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco to accept mortgage collateral backed by VantageScore will have a significant impact on boosting homeownership rates among creditworthy but traditionally underserved communities, while increasing safety and soundness, said Anthony Hutchinson, SVP of Government and Industry Relations, VantageScore. Addressing the persistent disparities that exist in mortgage lending is an important precursor to reducing the homeownership gap in communities of color, which is a priority that both VantageScore and Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco share. We believe in driving financial inclusion and creating more equitable access to credit in the communities we serve, said Richard Wada, Chief Lending Officer at Patelco Credit Union, headquartered in Dublin, California. We've been using VantageScore 4.0 for our auto loans and credit cards and that's provided us with a new pathway to provide fair and accurate credit scores to a broader population, creating opportunities for us to lend credit safely and soundly to consumers historically left behind. We look forward to leveraging VantageScore 4.0 for mortgage lending in the future. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of San FranciscoThe Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutions commercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions propel homeownership, finance quality affordable housing, boost economic vitality, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant, equitable, and resilient and changing lives for the better. About VantageScoreOver 3,000 banks, fintechs, and other companies use VantageScore credit scores every day to assess consumer creditworthiness. Last year, over 19 billion VantageScore credit scores were used, representing a 30% yearly increase. Most top 10 US banks, large credit unions, and leading fintechs use VantageScore credit scores in one or more lines of business, including credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, and more. VantageScore is an independently managed joint venture company of the three Nationwide Credit Reporting Agencies (NCRAs) - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. About Patelco Credit UnionDublin, Calif.-based Patelco Credit Union is a not-for-profit credit union committed to serving the financial health and well-being of its membership. With more than 475,000 members, primarily in and around northern California, Patelco is committed to improving its members financial well-being and fueling hope and opportunity by offering personalized solutions, advice, and expertise that empower them to achieve personal financial freedom. Founded in 1936 with $500 in assets by employees of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, Patelco is in the top one percent of U.S. credit unions with more than $9 billion in assets. For more information, visit https://www.patelco.org/. Contacts: FHLBank San Francisco Contact Information: Tom Flannigan, [email protected] (415) 616-2695 VantageScore Contact Information: Sarah Cain, [email protected] 415-378-0775 Source: Federal Home Loan Bank Of San Francisco NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities, today announced Kelly Partners Group Holdings Ltd. (ASX: KPG; OTCQX: KPGHF), a specialist chartered accounting network, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Kelly Partners Group Holdings Ltd. upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market. Kelly Partners Group Holdings Ltd. begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol KPGHF. U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com. Upgrading to the OTCQX Market is an important step for companies seeking to provide transparent trading for their U.S. investors. For companies listed on a qualified international exchange, streamlined market standards enable them to utilize their home market reporting to make their information available in the U.S. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Founder and CEO Brett Kelly said, We have been approached by many US prospective shareholders in the past to make it easier for them to acquire KPG shares. Having our shares traded on the OTCQX will provide another avenue for investors and shareholders to access our shares. We continue to look for quality Shareholders who are invested in our business for the long term and view themselves as part-owners of Kelly+Partners. Rimon Law acted as the companys OTCQX sponsor. About Kelly Partners Group Holdings Ltd. Kelly+Partners is a specialist chartered accounting network established in 2006 to provide a better service to private clients, private businesses & their owners, and families. Growing from two greenfield offices in North Sydney and the Central Coast, Kelly+Partners now consists of 37 operating businesses across 34 locations in Australia, Hong Kong and the United States. In total, the team consists of more than 500 people, including 91 partners, who service over 23,000 SME clients. The holding company, Kelly Partners Group Holdings Limited, was listed on ASX on 21 June 2017. Over the past 17 years, Kelly+Partners has undertaken 70 individual transactions in order to build the current accounting network. This includes the transformation of 50+ external firms, and the launch of 20+ greenfield businesses. KPGs ownership structure and unique operating model (Partner-Owner-DriverTM) is transforming the Australian accounting market and provides a strong platform for long-term sustainable growth. The combination of a proven business model and specialist operational expertise enables KPG to help solve many of the issues currently facing both the accounting sector and the SME cli-ents of our firms. About OTC Markets Group Inc. OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our three public markets: OTCQX Best Market, OTCQB Venture Market and Pink Open Market. Our OTC Link Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading. Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets. OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN and OTC Link NQB are each an SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC. To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com. Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed Media Contact: OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, [email protected] NEWS PROVIDED BYgategroupFebruary 12, 2024, 09:00 AM CET Qatar Airways and gategroup launch new partnership to elevate inflight dining The airline with gategroup on board will set a new benchmark in inflight dining experience, quality, sustainability and healthy eating GLATTBRUG, Switzerland. February 12, 2024: Qatar Airways and gategroup today announced a new catering partnership to elevate inflight dining, structured through a Business Management Agreement that will see collaboration on passenger dining experiences, sourcing and procurement, healthy eating, as well as sustainability. Qatar Airways' commitment to global aviation excellence will be reinforced by gategroups expertise in menu design, culinary concepts and operational excellence. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: This partnership with gategroup will amplify the Qatar Airways brand by delivering refined culinary experiences for our guests, inflight and on the ground in our world class lounges at Hamad International Airport. gategroup brings an exciting new beginning to an already world class standard of catering by Qatar Airways. Collectively our innovation and operational excellence will set a new standard for Inflight dining. Chief Executive Officer of gategroup Mr Christoph Schmitz said: We are genuinely honored to walk this path alongside Qatar Airways. It is a journey of discovery, growth, and immense potential, and we firmly believe in the transformative power of collaboration, where two companies come together with shared visions and values to craft something truly outstanding. gategroups culinary team - that will be based in Doha - will contribute to the development of a dedicated culinary studio for Qatar Airways, that facilitates innovation, co-creation and efficient menu design. The new culinary creations will focus on high quality ingredients, health and nutrition, incorporating local produce with a view to sustainable sourcing, authenticity and supporting local businesses. The elevation of culinary quality will be underpinned by robust processes around menu development, efficiency in production and systematic monitoring of food quality, taste and appearance. Through this collaboration, we will explore additional revenue streams and optimize operational and commercial efficiencies. This partnership conveys an exciting blend of culinary creativity and best in-class operations that will mark the next era of Qatar Airways inflight offering. New innovative concepts for the worlds 5-star airline. About gategroupgategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. gategroup provides passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving passengers from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents. For further information, please visit www.gategroup.com. About Qatar AirwaysA multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the Worlds Best Business Class for the tenth time at the 2023 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, also taking home, Best Airline in the Middle East, World's Best Business Class Lounge and World's Best Business Class Lounge Dining at the prestigious awards held during the 2023 Paris Air Show. Qatar Airways is an unprecedented seven-time winner of the Worlds Best Airline voted by Skytrax (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022). Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as the Worlds Best Airport in 2021 and 2022 consecutively. This year, Hamad International Airport has been ranked by Skytrax as the second-best airport in the world, and received the Best Airport in the Middle East accolade for the ninth time in a row, as well as Worlds Best Airport Shopping. Attachments gategroup signs agreement with Qatar Air 1 Chief Executive Officer of gategroup Mr. Christoph Schmitz and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer signing the agreement. gategroup signs agreement with Qatar Air 2 Chief Executive Officer of gategroup Mr. Christoph Schmitz and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer after signing the agreement. gategroup signs agreement with Qatar Air 3 (L-R) Chief Executive Officer of gategroup Mr. Christoph Schmitz, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, and gategroup Chief Commercial Officer and President LATAM & APAC Federico Germani signing the agreement. Source: Gategroup Corporate Switzerland BAGHDAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iraq and the United States resumed Sunday a new round of dialogue to discuss ending the U.S.-led international coalition's mission in Iraq, the Iraqi government said. Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasoul said in a statement that the Higher Military Commission (HMC) resumed meetings with the international coalition side to assess the military situation, the level of threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) group, in addition to the capabilities of the Iraqi forces. Rasoul said that based on these meetings, a timetable will be set for the gradual reduction of international coalition advisors in Iraq, leading to an end of the coalition mission of fighting IS and the transition to Iraq's bilateral relations with coalition countries. The meetings with the international coalition will be held periodically to complete the commission work as quickly as possible, as long as nothing disturbs the meetings, Rasoul added. On Jan. 25, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Iraq agreed with the United States to form the HMC to end the international coalition mission in Iraq and move their relationship to comprehensive bilateral relations with the coalition countries at the political, economic, cultural, security, and military levels. SOCIETE GENERALE : Number of shares composing current share capital and Total number of voting rights as of 31 January 2024 Regulated Information Paris, 12 February 2024 Information about the total number of voting rights and shares pursuant to Article L.233-8 II of the French Commercial Code and Article 223-16 of the AMF General Regulations. Date Number of shares composing current share capital Total number of voting rights 31 January 2024 802,979,942 Gross: 876,979,831 Press contact: Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ [email protected] Fanny Rouby_+33 1 57 29 11 12_ [email protected] Societe Generale Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with 117,000 employees serving 25 million clients in more than 60 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for nearly 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective - to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders. The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients: French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance , with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital Bank BoursoBank. , with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital Bank BoursoBank. Global Banking and Investor Solutions , a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in Equity Derivatives, Structured Finance and ESG. , a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in Equity Derivatives, Structured Finance and ESG. International Retail, Mobility & Leasing Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities. Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe). In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of the Group News page on societegenerale.com website where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the documents legitimacy directly on the web page. For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com . Attachment CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solera Health, the premier technology platform for connecting people seamlessly and easily to health solutions that work, today announced that Dr. Byron Crowe, the companys Chief Medical Officer, was recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 40 Under 40 for 2024. The profiles of all the honorees are featured in the Feb. 12, 2024, issue of MH magazine and online at ModernHealthcare.com/40under40. This program recognizes the industry's next generation of leaders who are driving healthcare innovation and guiding their organizations towards key clinical, operational and financial goals. Our inaugural class of 40 Under 40 demonstrates the wide range of talent needed in healthcare today and in the years to come, said Mary Ellen Podmolik, editor-in-chief of Modern Healthcare. They are the rising stars who will propel the industry forward with a focus on innovation, efficiency, affordability and compassion. Since joining Solera in 2022, Dr. Crowe has played an integral role leading the organizations clinical strategy as it successfully navigated its major business transformation into a flexible technology platform connecting payers and employers to an expansive suite of digital health solutions. These efforts included design and launch of innovative new condition networks in womens health, digestive health, cardiometabolic care and GLP-1 step therapy, as well as a pioneering virtual specialty offering within Soleras new Halo platform. Additionally, his recent work investigating the impact of generative AI in healthcare applications has received national attention, as have his contributions to applying human-centered design methods to improve outcomes and experience for patients. He has brought these skills to bear at Solera, working at the intersection of healthcare technology, quality and design to build innovative programs supporting Soleras expansive growth in the past 24 months. It is an honor to be recognized alongside so many talented and passionate healthcare leaders working to create change, said Crowe. We are all working hard to foster a high-performing and human-centered healthcare system, and there is no more exciting time to be doing that work than right now. About Solera HealthSolera Health empowers every person to live their healthiest life. Our transformative HALO platform offers value-based, omni-condition management for the top evidence-based programs in a single, turnkey solution. By consolidating member engagement, only Solera creates personalized experiences that optimize outcomes across the most common chronic conditions. For more information, visit www.soleranetwork.com. About Modern HealthcareModern Healthcare is the most trusted business news and information brand in the healthcare industry. Modern Healthcare empowers healthcare leaders and influencers to make timely and informed business decisions. To learn more or subscribe, go to www.modernhealthcare.com/subscriptions Contact:BOCA Communications for Solera[email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fc10f748-9de3-4ef2-9e50-98bb6f9df454 Byron Crowe Chief Medical Officer at Solera Health Source: Solera Health, Inc. STMicroelectronics and Mobile Physics join forces to create EnviroMeter for accurate air-quality monitoring on smartphones Time-of-flight optical sensing enables worlds first accurate personal air quality monitor and smoke detector for smartphone Geneva, Switzerland, Kfar Saba, Israel -- February 12, 2024 -- STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, and Mobile Physics, a software-development startup specialized in environmental physics, have revealed an exclusive collaboration that enables smartphones and other devices to measure household and ambient air quality with a built-in optical sensor. Developed exclusively for STs multizone ranging sensors, which are widely used for features like camera autofocus and presence detection, this solution measures particulates in the surrounding air. With accuracy comparable to purpose-designed air-quality monitors, Mobile Physics EnviroMeter app acts as a personal, portable environment monitor and smoke detector to safeguard health - and enhance fire safety. Manufactured using STs low-power technology, it can operate always on to provide constant awareness with minimal impact on battery life. Each year, 3.2 million people die prematurely from illnesses attributable to household air pollution. The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution are associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually (1). Monitoring air quality has become a real necessity and a public health issue. Leveraging STs market positioning to accelerate integration, the two companies have integrated Mobile Physics software and STs VL53L8 direct time-of-flight (dToF) sensor on Qualcomms Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 smartphone platform. As showcased at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit 2023, this project creates the worlds first smartphone with always-on air-quality sensing and smoke detection. Personal environment monitoring can give everyone greater control over their own health and safety, using their smartphones. The customer will also have the option to opt in to access wider environmental data covering their local area, said Erez Weinroth, CEO, Mobile Physics. STs direct ToF sensors enabled us to deliver a solution with accuracy close to that of high-end dedicated environment monitors but at lower cost and in a smaller package. The team at Mobile Physics has made ingenious use of the data from our dToF sensor to produce this groundbreaking yet economical and elegant environment monitor, said Alex Balmefrezol, General Manager, Imaging Sub-Group at STMicroelectronics. We are delighted to enable this new, wellness-enhancing feature that complements the established ToF use cases providing even more value to our customers. The air-quality sensing solution developed with ST is included in Mobile Physics EnviroMeter Software Development Kit (SDK), which also provides data on temperature, wind, precipitation, humidity, light-intensity, UV, and noise-level monitoring. Sensing can detect particles smaller than 2.5 micron and thus empower users to protect their health. The solution does not require any additional equipment; a standard dToF sensor and the Mobile Physics software is all that is needed. To learn more about this solution, come to the ST booth (7A61) at Mobile World Congress 2024 where we will showcase the air-quality monitoring demonstration. Technical Notes to Editors:The VL53L8 is used in diverse electronic products including smart speakers, projectors, laptops, robots and home appliances, and door-entry systems, as well as IoT devices such as occupancy sensors. Any of these products can now deliver extra value by providing air-quality indication and fire protection with no extra hardware components required. The sensors small size, measuring just 6.4mm x 3.0mm x 1.75mm, eases integration anywhere a small form factor is required. Engineers can accelerate projects including proximity and presence detectors using the development ecosystem available from ST. This includes the X-Nucleo-53L8A1 development board, the P-Nucleo-53L8A1 evaluation pack that also contains a microcontroller development board, and SATEL-VL53L8 breakout boards. The VL53L8 is in production now. Pricing information and sample requests are available at local ST sales offices. About STMicroelectronicsAt ST, we are over 50,000 creators and makers of semiconductor technologies mastering the semiconductor supply chain with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities. As an integrated device manufacturer, we work with more than 200,000 customers and thousands of partners to design and build products, solutions, and ecosystems that address their challenges and opportunities, and the need to support a more sustainable world. Our technologies enable smarter mobility, more efficient power and energy management, and the wide-scale deployment of cloud-connected autonomous things. We are committed to achieving our goal to become carbon neutral on scope 1 and 2 and partially scope 3 by 2027. Further information can be found at www.st.com. About Mobile PhysicsFounded in 2019, Mobile Physics is led by a team of 25 engineers and scientists. Its EnviroMeter provides hyper-localized environmental information and real-time environment monitoring to enable users to fully understand their exposure to various conditions and influences so they can make informed health decisions. Mobile Physics patented proprietary technology can be accessed through any smart devices with no extra hardware and can work offline, both indoors and outdoors. For Press Information Contact: Alexis Breton Corporate External Communications, STMicroelectronics [email protected] Erez Weinroth CEO, Mobile Physics [email protected] Attachments T4603D -- Feb 12 2024 -- ST ToF in Mobile Physics enviro app_IMAGE ST ToF in Mobile Physics enviro app Source: STMicroelectronics N.V. A report from The Wall Street Journal on Monday revealed CDL 1000, a digital freight broker, has acquired competitor NEXT ... I'm a New Customer I'm a Returning Customer E-mail Address (or username, if registered via mobile device) Password Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2024) - Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) ("Forum" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Christie to the Board of Directors of Forum Energy Metals. Rick Mazur, President & CEO stated, "Brian was one of the first Mining Analysts to recognize the potential of the Thelon Basin when Forum first staked mineral claims adjacent to the Orano/UEC/Denison Kiggavik deposit in Nunavut in 2006. Following his seventeen-year career as a Mining Analyst, Brian has gained great insight into operations in Nunavut through his ten-year career as Vice President, Investor Relations at Agnico Eagle Mines when Agnico put the Meadowbank gold mine into production." Mr. Mazur further stated, "David Cowan has stepped down from the Board of Directors and will remain on Forum's Advisory Board as Legal Advisor. David has been on the Board since the Company's inception in 2004 and we look forward to his continued counsel." "I am excited to be joining Forum's Board. The Company has done a great job of maintaining and building a large prospective land package in Nunavut near the Kiggavik deposit. Results from last year's exploration program indicate that the Company is well positioned to make a significant new discovery in the region in 2024", said Mr. Christie. Brian served as the Vice President of Investor Relations at Agnico Eagle Mines from December 2012 until his retirement in July 2022. During his tenure at Agnico Eagle, the company was consistently recognized as having one of the top Investor Relations programs across all industries in Canada. Mr. Christie is currently retained by Agnico Eagle as a Senior Advisor, Investor Relations. Before joining Agnico Eagle, he worked for over 17 years in the investment industry, primarily as a mining analyst covering gold, uranium and base metal companies. From 2005 until 2009, he covered several domestic and international uranium companies at National Bank Financial. Prior to working in the investment industry, Mr. Christie spent 13 years in the mining industry as a geologist for a variety of mining companies, including Homestake, Billiton, Falconbridge Copper and Newmont Mining. Mr. Christie holds a BSc. in Geology (University of Toronto) and an MSc. in Geology (Queen's University) and is a member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI) and the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI). He currently serves as the Chair of Fury Gold Mines Limited and is also an Independent Director of Wallbridge Mining Company Limited. In connection with his appointment, the Company has granted to Brian Christie incentive stock options to purchase up to an aggregate of 300,000 common shares exercisable on or before February 12, 2029 at a price of $0.15 per share. About Forum Energy Metals Forum Energy Metals Corp. (TSXV: FMC) (OTCQB: FDCFF) is focused on the discovery of high-grade unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan and the Thelon Basin, Nunavut. In addition, Forum holds a diversified energy metal portfolio of copper, nickel, and cobalt projects in Saskatchewan and Idaho. For further information: https://www.forumenergymetals.com . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Richard J. Mazur, P.Geo. President & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information contact: Rick Mazur, P.Geo., President & CEO [email protected] Tel: 604-630-1585 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197539 LinkDaddy has announced its Google Maps Ranking service for businesses that depend on calls and clicks from their GMB (Google My Business) to help them foster greater engagement from local customers. Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2024) - LinkDaddy's newly launched service is intended to help businesses increase their domain authority to make them more visible to prospective clients searching for their product or service on Google Maps. Further information is available at https://linkdaddy.com/google-maps-ranking LinkDaddy Announces Google Maps Ranking Service For Local Small Businesses To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/197563_927b01a884fe2982_002full.jpg With over a billion users each month, Google Maps is the most popular app for those searching for a business local to them. Smaller business owners, however, often lack the technical or analytical knowledge to improve their company's chances of being suggested to potential customers when they search for the eponymous "service or product near me." With these insights in mind, LinkDaddy created its Google Maps ranking service, explains LinkDaddy CEO, Tony Peacock. Mr. Peacock says: "How we use the internet is constantly evolving, however, the vast majority of people still use a search engine, like Google, to find new businesses in their vicinity. This is why I developed our cost-effective Google Maps Ranking service to help businesses better their chances of being suggested to these new customers through improved GMB positioning." There are several factors that can affect a business' ranking on Google Maps, the team says. The Google algorithm arranges businesses based on the number and quality of reviews and the site's domain authority, as well as the distance of the business from the searcher's location. Whilst geography is rigid and unchangeable, it is possible to influence other aspects of the search engine ranking, Mr. Peacock explains. LinkDaddy's Google Maps Ranking service encompasses niche-relevant backlink creation and the opportunity to embed a business' GMB in external content, such as blogs. This approach is intended to improve a business' authenticity and perceived value by the search engine algorithm, which will rank it higher for relevant search terms. Refining and targeting these specific keywords is also offered as part of LinkDaddy's service. Tony Peacock's process, which is broken down for prospective clients on the LinkDaddy website, includes using 4G automated mobile technology to generate searches for the business. This process both tests the improvements made to the business' GMB and enhances its popularity as a search term for Google Maps, resulting in an increased likelihood of the business being promoted to local customers. More information is available at https://linkdaddy.com/google-maps-ranking. Contact Info: Name: Tony Peacock Email: [email protected] Organization: LinkDaddy Address: 1065 SW 8th St PMB 622, Miami, Florida 33130, United States Website: https://linkdaddy.shop To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197563 Toronto, Ontario and New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2024) - Micromem Technologies Inc. (CSE: MRM) (OTCQB: MMTIF) ("Micromem" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a current update on its dealings with Chevron. As previously reported Micromem's CFO met most recently with Chevron's team at their Houston offices on December 4, 2023, regarding the automated tracer technology. Further discussions took place last week, the week of February 5, 2024. Currently, Micromem and Chevron are working together to update the Joint Development Agreement that was originally executed between the parties in 2014. Micromem awaits a license agreement from Chevron with respect to the patent that Chevron holds for tracer technology applications which the Company believes will be useful in its go forward projects. The opportunity to license and market Chevron developed technology to other potential clients will streamline the development time and cost for delivering completed tracer technology solutions. As the project in Romania develops, the Company will release further news. Micromem will host technology update discussions with its Romanian clients and Chevron, as appropriate. The Company also announces that it will hold its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on Monday, April 22, 2024, virtually. About Micromem. Micromem Technologies Inc. and its subsidiaries, a publicly traded (OTCQB: MMTIF) (CSE: MRM), company analyzes specific industry sectors to create intelligent game-changing applications that address unmet market needs. By leveraging its expertise and experience with sophisticated sensor applications, the Company successfully powers the development and implementation of innovative solutions for oil & gas, utilities, automotive, healthcare, government, information technology, manufacturing and other industries. Visit www.micromeminc.com. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. In particular, factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: our inability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms; risk that our products and services will not gain widespread market acceptance; continued consumer adoption of digital technology; inability to compete with others who provide comparable products; the failure of our technology; the infringement of our technology with proprietary rights of third parties; inability to respond to consumer and technological demands; inability to replace significant customers; seasonal nature of our business; and other risks detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and are not guarantees of future performance. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. When used in this document, the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "plan," "should," "intend," "may," "will," "would," "potential," and similar expressions may be used to identify forward-looking statements. The CSE or any other securities regulatory authority has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release that has been prepared by management. ### Listing: NASD OTC-QB - Symbol: MMTIF CSE - Symbol: MRM Shares issued: 516,549,264 SEC File No: 0-26005 Investor Contact: [email protected]; Tel. 416-364-2023. Subscribe to receive News Releases by Email on our website's home page. www.micromeminc.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197644 Highlights include 1.50% Li2O over 5.15m and 1.24% Li2O over 15.6m - all zones remain open for expansion Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2024) - Volta Metals Ltd. (CSE: VLTA) ("Volta" or the "Company") is pleased to report assay results from 11 drill holes completed from the inaugural drill program at the Company's Falcon West Lithium Property (the "Property"), in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The drill holes intersected near-surface spodumene-albite pegmatite hosted lithium, cesium and tantalum mineralization which remains open for expansion. (Table 1, Figure 1 through Figure 4). Table 1. Assay highlights for drill holes completed at Falcon West Project Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Li 2 O % Cs (ppm) Ta (ppm) Pegmatite FW23-01 12.4 19 6.6 1.03 297.2 77.2 AM FW23-02 24.9 29.8 4.9 0.04 169.8 91.6 AM FW23-03 8.0 11.9 3.9 1.41 52.2 43.2 CDC FW23-04 11.6 21.7 10.1 1.11 64.0 46.1 CDC FW23-05 13.7 29.3 15.6 1.24 155.5 55.4 Far West South FW23-06 30.65 32.45 1.8 0.74 85.6 32.8 Far West South FW23-07 15.65 20.8 5.15 1.50 79.8 39.1 Far West North FW23-08 28.4 37.2 8.8 1.2 72.3 33.1 Far West North FW23-09 7.5 11.65 4.15 1.20 98.6 43.3 JT FW23-10 14.6 21.4 6.8 1.18 64.1 30.3 JT FW23-11 12.3 13 0.7 0.77 29.7 62.0 AM The Company's technical advisor, Dr. Fred Breaks, commented, "The assay results with high-grade Lithium, and strongly anomalous associated rare metals, with maximum values of Cesium (793 ppm), Tantalum (177 ppm), Rubidium (>5000 ppm) and Tin (1750 ppm), suggest the transition of an albite-spodumene-type pegmatite system into local zones of more evolved, complex-type pegmatite mineralization in the Falcon West pegmatite group. Undiscovered pegmatites of complex-type could exist to the west in the direction of increasing fractionation and are exemplified at the nearby North and South Aubry pegmatites of Green Technology Metals (cf. Breaks, Selway and Tindle 2006). The lithochemistry and structural data from this early phase of drilling will greatly aid in the continuing development of a lithium pegmatite exploration model." This initial drilling was designed to test the five spodumene-bearing pegmatites discovered during Volta's 2023 exploration program which screened a small section of the large 13km2 property. All 11 boreholes hit mineralization in 5 known pegmatites, and hole FW23-07 intersected blind pegmatite from 47.4m to 59.1, before the end of hole at 60.1m. Figure 1. Borehole FW23-05 Core Samples showing high-grade (>1.3% Li2O) spodumene mineralization (Far West South "FWS" Pegmatite) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9598/197562_0ad5049b54d11a40_001full.jpg Figure 2. Core showing high-grade (1.5% Li 2 O) spodumene mineralization in Hole FW23-07 (Far West North "FWN" Pegmatite) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9598/197562_0ad5049b54d11a40_002full.jpg Figure 3. Drill collar locations with mineralized outcrops To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9598/197562_0ad5049b54d11a40_003full.jpg The success of the drilling highlights the significant potential of the Falcon West Lithium Project. The data will enable the Company's exploration team to improve their knowledge of the structural orientations of the pegmatites and enhance drill-hole design for the 2024 exploration program. The Company is currently finalizing its 2024 exploration program which will include designing the including diamond drilling, mechanized trenching, and further geochemical sampling. Kerem Usenmez, P.Eng., President and CEO, commented, "We are thrilled by these assay results from our first drill program targeting the spodumene pegmatite swarm. These high-grade Lithium results, along with strongly anomalous Cesium and Tantalum, suggest the presence of a large LCT mineralized system within the Falcon West Project. Future exploration will follow up on these drill results, and also other identified targets generated from soil geochemistry and magnetic surveys." Figure 4. Drill section with spodumene intercepts for Borehole FW23-07 & 8 (FWN Pegmatite) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9598/197562_0ad5049b54d11a40_004full.jpg QA/QC Protocol Volta implemented a strict QA/QC protocol in processing all rock samples collected from the diamond core samples obtained from the Falcon West Lithium property. The protocol included inserting and monitoring appropriate reference materials, in this case, high-concentration and low-concentration certified OREAS lithium standards, blanks, and duplicates, to validate the accuracy and precision of the assay results. All collected rock core samples were put in sturdy plastic bags, tagged, and sealed by professional geologists. Sample bags were then put in rice pouches and kept secure before being sent by road transport to Activation Laboratories Ltd. in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The lithium is being analyzed by Peroxide Fusion ICP-OES method (8-Li package). Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Andrew Tims, P.Geo., an independent Qualified Person ("QP") as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The QP and the Company have not completed sufficient work to verify the historical information on the Properties, particularly regarding historical exploration, neighbouring companies, and government geological work. Frankfurt Stock Exchange Listing The Company is pleased to announce the listing of its common shares on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange ("FSE") under the symbol "D0W. " The shares are now cross-listed and available for trading on Germany's largest stock exchange. The FSE is one of the world's largest international securities trading centres. Operated by Deutsche Boerse AG, it is the largest of Germany's seven stock exchanges and handles approximately 90 percent of all securities traded in Germany. The FSE facilitates advanced electronic trading, settlement, and information systems and enables cross-border trading for international investors. For more information about the Company, view Volta's website at www.voltametals.ca. ABOUT VOLTA METALS LTD. Volta Metals Ltd. (CSE: VLTA) is a mineral exploration company based in Toronto, Ontario, focused on lithium, cesium, and tantalum. It has optioned and is currently exploring a critical minerals portfolio of lithium, cesium, and tantalum projects in northwestern Ontario, considered one of the world's most prolific, emerging hard-rock lithium districts. To learn more about Volta and its flagship Falcon West Lithium Project, please visit www.voltametals.ca. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD For further information, contact: Kerem Usenmez, President & CEO Tel: 416.919.9060 Email: [email protected] Website: www.voltametals.ca Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to product development, plans, strategies, and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, including the Company's planned exploration activities and the Company's aim to prevent and minimize impacts on the First Nations through a variety of mitigation measures and offsetting benefits. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include: the risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators; the fact that Volta's interests in the Property are options only and there are no guarantee that such interest, if earned, will be certain; the future prices and demand for lithium; and delays or the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary approvals, permits and authorizations required to carry out its business plans. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, other than as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197562 Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. LinkDaddy has announced its Google Maps Ranking service for businesses that depend on calls and clicks from their GMB (Google My Business) to help them foster greater engagement from local customers. LinkDaddy's newly launched service is intended to help businesses increase their domain authority to make them more visible to prospective clients searching for their product or service on Google Maps. Further information is available at https://linkdaddy.com/google-maps-ranking With over a billion users each month, Google Maps is the most popular app for those searching for a business local to them. Smaller business owners, however, often lack the technical or analytical knowledge to improve their companys chances of being suggested to potential customers when they search for the eponymous service or product near me. With these insights in mind, LinkDaddy created its Google Maps ranking service, explains LinkDaddy CEO, Tony Peacock. Mr. Peacock says: How we use the internet is constantly evolving, however, the vast majority of people still use a search engine, like Google, to find new businesses in their vicinity. This is why I developed our cost-effective Google Maps Ranking service to help businesses better their chances of being suggested to these new customers through improved GMB positioning. There are several factors that can affect a business ranking on Google Maps, the team says. The Google algorithm arranges businesses based on the number and quality of reviews and the sites domain authority, as well as the distance of the business from the searchers location. Whilst geography is rigid and unchangeable, it is possible to influence other aspects of the search engine ranking, Mr. Peacock explains. LinkDaddys Google Maps Ranking service encompasses niche-relevant backlink creation and the opportunity to embed a business GMB in external content, such as blogs. This approach is intended to improve a business authenticity and perceived value by the search engine algorithm, which will rank it higher for relevant search terms. Refining and targeting these specific keywords is also offered as part of LinkDaddys service. Tony Peacocks process, which is broken down for prospective clients on the LinkDaddy website, includes using 4G automated mobile technology to generate searches for the business. This process both tests the improvements made to the business GMB and enhances its popularity as a search term for Google Maps, resulting in an increased likelihood of the business being promoted to local customers. More information is available at https://linkdaddy.com/google-maps-ranking Contact Info: Name: Tony Peacock Email: Send Email Organization: LinkDaddy Address: 1065 SW 8th St PMB 622, Miami, Florida 33130, United States Website: https://linkdaddy.shop Release ID: 89121132 In the event of detecting errors, concerns, or irregularities in the content shared in this press release that require attention or if there is a need for a press release takedown, we kindly request that you inform us promptly by contacting [email protected]. Our dedicated team will promptly address your feedback within 8 hours and take necessary actions to resolve any identified issues diligently or guide you through the removal process. Providing accurate and dependable information is our utmost priority. Kuhl to lead internal talent efforts and spearhead new corporate culture initiatives PEABODY, Mass. , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Barton Associates , the 4th largest locum tenens staffing agency in the United States with nine offices nationwide, proudly welcomes Katie Kuhl to its executive team as the Vice President of Talent Strategy. Kuhl will shape Barton Associates' people operations strategy by implementing talent and corporate culture initiatives. Kuhl will leverage her extensive talent and human resources expertise to shape Barton Associates' people operations strategy through the development and implementation of comprehensive talent and corporate culture initiatives. This move toward the creation of a more robust internal infrastructure solidifies Barton Associates' commitment to cultivating a positive employee experience. Over her 16+ years working as a leader in the healthcare staffing industry, Kuhl has gained global recognition for her contributions to the talent and human resources fields. She previously served as Vice President of Talent Strategy for LRS Healthcare, an Omaha -based nursing and allied health staffing firm that was acquired by Jackson Healthcare in 2023. Prior to that, she spent over a decade in various roles at Medical Solutions, a travel healthcare staffing agency. "Katie brings a unique and experienced perspective to Barton that will transform our internal employee initiatives and pave the way toward greater operational success," said Robert Indresano , CEO of Barton Associates. "We are excited to support her as she implements a coordinated strategic vision that will enhance our internal talent efforts and strengthen our company values." Learn more about Barton's experienced leadership team on the company's website. About Barton Associates Barton Associates, headquartered in Peabody, Massachusetts , is the United States' fourth largest national locum tenens physician, nurse practitioner (NP), physician assistant (PA), and dentist staffing and recruiting firm. Learn more at BartonAssociates.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/barton-associates-welcomes-katie-kuhl-as-vice-president-of-talent-strategy-302058763.html SOURCE Barton Associates Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (Rakez) is engaged in a series of strategic business events in major Indian cities to strengthen economic ties and extend support to Indian investors exploring opportunities in the UAE. The economic zone has been hosting B2B networking sessions, roundtable discussions and investor meetings in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, where its team is engaging with business owners and prominent business councils, including the Indian Chamber of Commerce (Kolkata) and the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The Rakez team connected with Indian investors from a wide range of sectors such as F&B, chemicals, metal, sustainable solution providers, telecommunications, engineering, construction, media, power and energy, automotive, pharmaceutical, and packaging. Rakez also participated in leading Indian exhibitions such as Plastfocus in Delhi and INT-EXT Expo in Ludhiana, Punjab, to showcase its business solutions to potential investors in the plastics manufacturing and architectural industries. Prime business location The objective of this extensive business engagement in India is to present Ras Al Khaimah as a prime business location, highlighting the advantages of establishing operations within Rakez. Rakez Group CEO Ramy Jallad highlighted the significance of the UAE-India relationship and the deep-rooted connections that extend beyond just trade and business. The UAE and India share a longstanding relationship characterised by shared cultural and economic interests. India continues to be one of the UAE and Ras Al Khaimahs most important markets for FDI. He added, Our recent engagements across major Indian cities have been instrumental in portraying Ras Al Khaimah's unique value proposition as a strategic business hub. Through direct interactions with Indian entrepreneurs and investors during the trip, we have not only showcased our comprehensive business solutions but also created tangible opportunities for growth and collaboration. We are committed to supporting Indian businesses in leveraging Ras Al Khaimah as their launchpad for regional and global expansion, benefiting from our business-friendly environment, central location, strategic partnerships, and the robust CEPA 2022 framework that reduces many tariffs and barriers to trade between the two countries. Our aim is to ensure that Indian investors find not just a market in the UAE but a home for their businesses where they can thrive and expand. 5,300 Indian companies Over 5,300 Indian companies have established their operations in Rakez, attracted by the benefits of 100% company ownership, full profit repatriation, and integration into the UAEs extensive international business network, which offers access to regional markets in one of the wolrds lowest tax environments. These firms not only enjoy strategic partnerships with government and private entities within the economic zone but also gain from agreements with Indian organisations such as the Indian Economic Trade Organisation and the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture, enhancing support for Indian businesses. Rakez further welcomes Indian delegations, including government officials, business council members, and budding entrepreneurs, featuring prominent companies like Royal Gulf Industries, Mahindra, Motherson Sumi Systems, Dabur Naturelle, Ashok Leyland, Datamatics among its vibrant business community. To continue supporting Indian investors, Rakez maintains a dedicated branch office in Mumbai, India, ensuring a seamless connection and assistance for Indian enterprises looking to expand their reach. --TradeArabia News Service BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Beijing, Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province, neighboring regions collectively known as "Jing-Jin-Ji," are reshaping regional trade dynamics through an innovative fusion of air and sea gateways. Against the festive backdrop of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the logistics and goods transportation sectors are thriving as Beijing Capital International Airport and Tianjin Port, located 180 km apart, synchronize efforts to drive vibrant regional development. The "double ports" gained momentum in August last year when the administrative committees of the Beijing Capital International Airport Economic Zone and the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone signed a memorandum of cooperation, aiming to enhance customs clearance integration. Beijing lacks a seaport, and the crucial port city of Tianjin plays a pivotal role in the maritime trade of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Streamlined customs clearance processes have brought significant benefits for businesses like Keyuan Xinhai (Beijing) Medical Products Trade Co., Ltd., notably reducing the transport time for the company's rare-disease drug, Aubagio, from three days to just one day. Containers carrying Aubagio can now enter China through Tianjin Port, clearing customs swiftly before boarding refrigerated trucks to the Beijing Capital International Airport Economic Zone. The shipments then await nationwide distribution in temperature-controlled warehouses. "Last year, nearly 16 percent of our pharmaceutical trade was imported via sea freight through Tianjin Port," said Hu Xiaoxia, general manager of the company's foreign affairs department. "It was very convenient." In May, cooperation efforts were solidified further when the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau, the Tianjin Commission of Commerce and the Hebei Development and Reform Commission inked a pact to deepen port cooperation, boost customs facilitation and promote synchronized growth in cross-border trade. In the same month, Tianjin Port Group and Hebei Port Group signed a cooperation agreement to enhance the radiating and driving roles of ports, and to provide robust support for the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Early in 2014, China initiated the strategy of coordinating the development of the national capital, Beijing, with the development of Tianjin and Hebei to develop a better economic structure, a cleaner environment and improved public services. Cooperation between ports has proved instrumental in bolstering foreign trade and driving economic growth in the region and beyond. In 2023, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region's imports and exports totaled 5.03 trillion yuan (about 699.24 billion U.S. dollars), achieving growth for a third consecutive year. The region's imports accounted for 20 percent of the country's total import value. Cooperation between airports and seaports, integrated customs clearance, expanded bonded functions and innovative free trade zone mechanisms will propel the coordinated regional development of Jing-Jin-Ji, said Zhang Tingjun, an official of the administrative committee of the Beijing Capital International Airport Economic Zone. "They will also pave the way for a world-class aerotropolis manufacturing cluster in the region," Zhang added. TAMPA, Fla. , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Fitlife Foods, the Southeast's leading omni-channel prepared meals brand, announces the launch of Corporate Meal Solutions as a new employee benefit. Corporate Meal Solutions integrates weekly meals as a nutritious and delicious benefit into workplaces supporting talent recruitment, engagement, and retention. Fitlife's Corporate Meal Solutions program focuses on the transformation of a workplace by providing a daily wellness benefit focused on nutrition to fuel physical and mental health. "Prior to COVID, we offered discounted Fitlife Foods meals to our staff. Upon return to the office, we provide free Fitlife meals as part of our commitment to employee wellness," said Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman . "The feedback from our staff about our partnership with Fitlife Foods has been overwhelmingly positive." "With our Corporate Meal Solutions program, we empower employees to save time, eat healthier and avoid energy crashes. Companies can now do more than just talk about employee wellness, but demonstrate it by investing in it," said David Osterweil , Fitlife Foods Founder & CEO. According to Osterweil, nutrition-fueled employees are "motivated and focused with added energy and time to maximize their productivity at work and home." "We created Corporate Meal Solutions because of the unprecedented shift in workplaces to support employees' health and wellbeing. This new workforce is looking beyond the standard benefits of healthcare and 401K," said Fitlife Foods Investor and Board Chairman Shilen Patel . "It takes a holistic approach to their well-being to attract and retain top-tier talent in 2024." Companies interested in enhancing their workplace wellness offerings with this valuable employee benefit can find more information here. About Fitlife Foods: Founded in 2011 by David Osterweil , Fitlife Foods started as a single store in Tampa, FL , providing 300 meals per day. Fitlife Foods now has 12 retail locations and operates weekly home deliveries. Its Culinary Center is in Plant City, FL. Each meal is chef-prepared, and fully cooked. Meals are portioned, balanced, and contain no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or preservatives. The company is the second largest omni-channel prepared meals retailer in the country. In 2023, to elevate workplaces throughout the Southeast, Fitlife Foods was acquired by the Patel Family Office, led by Shilen & Parita Patel , Dr. Sheetal Patel and Drs. Sonali & Scott Judd , with Osterweil remaining in place as the CEO. To learn more about Fitlife Foods visit eatfitlifefoods.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corporate-meal-solutions-launches-as-a-ground-breaking-employee-benefit-in-tampa-bay-302059160.html SOURCE Fitlife Foods Batteries Plus Chief Development Officer to Share Expertise on Managing Turnover and Maintaining Healthy Pipelines Anticipation surrounds 2024 International Franchise Association's (IFA) annual convention, featuring renowned figures in the franchising industry, keynote speakers, panels, and educational breakout sessions. Batteries Plus, a leading franchise in battery retail, to present its Chief Development Officer, Joe Malmuth , as an industry expert as a panelist and roundtable facilitator. Malmuth, a key panelist, will discuss turnover numbers and strategies for developing and maintaining a robust franchise pipeline. HARTLAND, Wis. , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2024 International Franchise Association's (IFA) highly anticipated annual convention is slated to kick off this coming weekend in Phoenix, Arizona . The can't-miss event will welcome some of franchising's biggest names for a jam-packed event featuring keynote speakers, panels and educational breakout sessions. With no shortage of knowledge to share, Batteries Plus, the world's leading consumer and business specialty battery franchise, will showcase its very own Chief Development Officer, Joe Malmuth , as a panelist and roundtable facilitator. Aimed at helping attendees develop a deeper understanding of franchising, learn better lead capture and closure techniques, and develop effective franchisee strategies, the Franchise Development track is one of the most popular of the convention. Joe Malmuth will be featured on a panel of his peers focused on discussing turnover numbers and how brands can develop and maintain a healthy sales pipeline. Malmuth will also be featured as a roundtable facilitator at the convention. "The IFA is undoubtably the most influential conference of the year, and whether you are a franchisor, franchisee or supplier, it is simply a must-attend event," said Joe Malmuth , Chief Development Officer for Batteries Plus. "At Batteries Plus, we know we have something special when it comes to development and growth, and I look forward to sharing the strategies we've developed in person to help others find sustainable, long-term solutions to ensure their brands continue to grow and thrive." The IFA began in 1960 as a meeting between a small group of entrepreneurs to discuss the state of franchising. Over the next 60+ years, the organization has continued to grow, offering more resources, advocacy, investment and educational opportunities for those in the industry. The annual convention will welcome more than 4,000 franchise professionals and is sure to be the place for professional development and learning about new franchise industry trends. With over 800 store locations in operation and development nationwide, Batteries Plus has carved out a unique niche in the industry with its 'plus' services including cell phone repair and key fob replacement . Positioned for the battery-powered future, Batteries Plus was ranked on Franchise Times Top 400 list, coming in at #130. Plus, the brand ranked on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list, gaining 40 spots from last year's ranking, an overall improvement of 162 spots over the past three years, for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power. For more information on Batteries Plus and its franchise opportunities, visit batteriesplusfranchise.com . ABOUT BATTERIES PLUS: Batteries Plus, founded in 1988 and headquartered in Hartland, WI , is a leading omnichannel retailer of batteries, specialty light bulbs and phone repair services for the direct-to-consumer and commercial channels. The retailer also offers key programming, replacement and cutting services. Through a nationwide network of stores, the company offers a differentiated value proposition of unrivaled product selection, in-stock availability and customer service. Batteries Plus is owned by Freeman Spogli, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles and New York City . To learn more about one of Forbes' Best Franchises to Buy in America, visit https://www.batteriesplusfranchise.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Julianne Stevenson, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] or 224-558-2510 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/international-franchise-associations-annual-convention-shines-spotlight-on-industry-leaders-shaping-the-future-302059724.html SOURCE Batteries Plus CHANTILLY, Va. , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In this role, she will serve as the catalyst for Alutiiq talent development within the company, enhancing an already diverse and skilled workforce. Recognizing the potential within Alaska Native communities, KGS is keen on aligning its staffing needs with the qualifications and ingenuity of the rising Indigenous talent. Ms. Salmine will play a key role in spearheading this initiative, ensuring a harmonious match between career opportunities at KGS and the exceptional qualifications of Alaska Native individuals across different stages of their professional journeys. KGS CEO Kevin Wideman expressed, "This step highlights our dedication to harnessing the caliber of brilliance emerging from our Indigenous youth and job-seeking community. We aim for a relationship where the growth and prosperity of our workforce intertwine seamlessly with the advancement of our Native communities." Prior to joining KGS, Ms. Salmine served as the Executive Director of the Koniag Education Foundation, championing educational pursuits for Koniag Shareholders and their descendants. With over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, specifically within community-based organizations for Alaska Native and American Indian communities, Ms. Salmine brings a wealth of expertise to her new role. In this venture, KGS envisions a win-win scenario, not only enhancing career opportunities for the Alaska Native talent but also enriching the experiences of our valued customers. This move reflects a commitment to building a dynamic and inclusive organization that thrives on the unique strengths of its workforce, driving success for both KGS and the Alutiiq communities it serves. About Koniag Government Services (KGS) Koniag Government Services (KGS) is an Alaska Native Corporation comprised of multiple wholly owned subsidiary companies that deliver Enterprise Solutions, Professional Services, and Operations Management to Federal Government agencies. With an agile employee and corporate culture, KGS applies its proven technical, professional, and operational expertise to enable successful mission outcomes for Defense and Civilian agencies through forward-leaning, solution-oriented business partnerships and a commitment to exceptional service delivery. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/koniag-government-services-kgs-proudly-announces-the-appointment-of-germaine-salmine-to-the-role-of-shareholder-development-manager-302058910.html SOURCE Koniag Government Services Future Investment Initiative PRIORITY Summit Miami will bring together 1,000 investors, business leaders and policy experts at a time of heightened global tensions MIAMI , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- With the world experiencing an array of immediate and long-term risks, including geopolitical tension, contested elections, polarised discourse, climate concerns, AI threats and economic headwinds, the FII Institute is convening an international summit to encourage the mobilisation of investment as a force for good. Leaders from across the world, and across the political spectrum will gather in Miami on 22 and 23 February. The summit, held under the theme 'On the Edge of a New Frontier' will address the changing economic, social and political realities, and the issues that are of concern to citizens the world over. Discussions will include the digitisation of every economic sector, investor outlook, climate tech, the new AI ecosystem, innovations for better urban environments, and the forthcoming US elections. Over one hundred luminaries from finance, business and government are due to speak, including Michael Dell , Founder, Chairman, & CEO, Dell Technologies; Larry Summers , President Emeritus, Harvard University & Board Member at OpenAI; Jennifer Johnson , President & CEO, Franklin Templeton ; Pamela Liebman , President and CEO, The Corcoran Group; Julie Sweet , Chair and CEO, Accenture; Tom Vice , CEO, Sierra Space ; Magda Wierzycka, Sygnia Ltd; Josh Harris , Founder, 26North and Managing Partner, Washington Commanders; Dr Chloe Bakalar , Chief Ethicist, Responsible AI, Meta; Caroline Yap , Managing Director, Global AI Business, Google; and Todd Boehly , Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Eldridge Industries The Future Investment Initiative's (FII) Founding Partner, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia , will be joined by 25 Strategic Partners, including international companies Pepsico, Franklin Templeton , HSBC, Softbank Vision Fund, Standard Chartered, Straight Street , and GFH Financial Group. Strategic Partners support the ongoing work of the institute. The FII Institute conducts ongoing research to identify the issues that matters to citizens worldwide. This year's polling sampled 50,000 people from 23 countries to identify humanity's priorities. The findings are used to shape FII's policy agenda and programme of summits. For example, this year's research has revealed this year a dramatic global drop of 20% in satisfaction levels, and discontent across a range of issues, including cost of living, loneliness, technology, and climate concerns. 62% of respondents in the United States say their government is not doing enough to regulate the impact of emerging technology on society. FII PRIORITY Summit Miami continues conversations held in Hong Kong and Riyadh in fall (autumn) 2023. It is part of an ongoing global programme of summits held next in forward looking global cities throughout the year, with summits coming up on Rio de Janeiro and Nairobi in the spring and summer. Miami has been chosen for its vibrancy, diversity, economic significance, and its role as a vital link between continents, economies, and societies. Richard Attias , CEO of the Future Investment Initiative Institute said: "This year marks an historic moment with nearly half of the world's population participating in national elections in 2024, underscoring the significance of citizen priorities and leaders' effective responses to them. The choices made by leaders in government and investment during this period will have far-reaching consequences for global peace, prosperity, and stability and I am delighted that over 1,000 leaders will spend time in Miami deliberating on those issues that matter to the world." About FII Institute The Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute is a global non-profit foundation driven by data with an investment arm and one agenda: Impact on Humanity. Global and inclusive, we foster great minds from around the world and turn ideas into real-world solutions in four critical areas: Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics, Education, Healthcare and Sustainability. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2338391/FII.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/miami-investor-summit-2223-february-to-convene-leaders-and-investors-to-address-global-challenges-302059106.html SOURCE Future Investment Initiative Institute DUBLIN , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --The "Today's U.S. Electric Power Industry, Renewable Energy, ISO Markets, and Power Transactions" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. If you want to better understand the U.S. electric power industry and the different ways power is bought and sold, this in-depth seminar is for you. This program provides a comprehensive and clear explanation of the structure, function, and current status of today's U. S. electric power industry; the many industry topics listed below; ISO day-ahead energy auctions, and detailed examples of how physical and financial (virtual) power transactions, power purchase agreements (PPAs), tolling, and heat rate deals are done. Each part of this complex industry will be explained piece-by-piece, and then the pieces will be integrated so that you will leave the seminar with an understanding of "how it all fits together." What You Will Learn The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material) The electric service system, and how it works The structure and function of the North American power grids. How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on." The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects. The various industry participants are and what their roles are. Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task. The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are. market-based transmission rates are. The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM"). ("SEEM"). How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants. The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables. Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important. "FRACMOO" is important. A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines. What You Will Also Learn The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value. Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk. The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology. How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs. The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission services using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples. Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint. How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples. The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important. The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet. The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples. Prerequisites and Advance Preparation This fundamental level group live seminar has no prerequisites. No advance preparation is required before the seminar. Program Level & Delivery Method Basic level. This fundamental course begins with basic material and then proceeds to the intermediate level. Delivery method is "Group-Live." Key Topics Covered: DAY ONE The properties and terminology of electricity - current, power, var, voltage, etc (pre-seminar reading material) The electric service system, and how it works The structure and function of the North American power grids. How control areas and balancing authorities function to "keep the lights on." The pros, cons, and levelized costs of different types of electric generation Fundamentals of utility cost-of-service regulation, open access markets Why utilities sometimes resist renewable energy, distributed energy resource (DER"), rooftop solar, and conservation projects. The various industry participants are and what their roles are. Federal vs state regulatory conflicts, and why restructuring today's power industry and the building new power lines is such a complicated task. The difference between regulated and merchant high voltage power lines, and what FERC market-based transmission rates are. market-based transmission rates are. The structure and functions of ISOs, RTOs, the Western Energy Imbalance Market ("WEIM"), and the new Southeast Energy Exchange Market ("SEEM"). ("SEEM"). How ISO day-ahead energy auctions work, and how they add value to the power industry What locational marginal pricing (LMP) is, and why LMP is used What demand response ("DR"), distributed energy resources ("DER"), and battery energy storage systems ("BESS") are, and how these resources can be aggregated to form virtual power plants. The challenges and opportunities facing wind energy, solar, batteries, demand response, and DER and other renewables. Why understanding generation reserve margin, forward capacity markets, capacity payments, resource adequacy, and California's "FRACMOO" is important. "FRACMOO" is important. A summary of today's key industry issues and where the U. S. electric power industry is headed, including a discussion of the interconnection queues, renewable energy, and the building of new transmission lines. DAY TWO The difference between auctions and bilateral bulk power markets Introduction to bilateral energy and electricity markets: Important concepts and terminology The difference between brokers, ICE OTC, futures exchanges, market-makers, traders, and power marketers, and how they add value. Four different ways to manage price, price spread, and asset development risk. The fundamentals of bilateral physical power transactions and important deal-making terminology. How power marketers and traders use "seller's choice" to create virtual trading hubs. The standard industry contracts used for physical and financial power transactions, how to buy transmission service using OASIS, how to schedule delivery using NERC tags, and how financial "book-outs" work. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples. Financial power contracts, commodity swaps, CFDs, FTRs. CRRs, and ISO Incs, Decs, and virtual/convergence bidding. Includes examples How financial power contracts work in combination with ISO day-ahead energy auctions to create a win/win situation, and why few power marketers or traders ever go to physical delivery within and ISO footprint. How power marketing is done within an ISO location, how power can be "transported" virtually, NITS, TAC, UCAP, and ancillary services charges, and how FTRs, CRRs, and swaps can help hedge basis risk. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples. The different types of heat rates and spark spreads, and why they are important. The difference between power purchase agreements ("PPAs") and "Tolling Deals." Includes detailed Appendix and deal Term Sheet. The magic of how heat rate transactions can be used to hedge electricity risk and structure profitable deals. Includes detailed step-by-step transaction examples. Speakers: John Adamiak President PGS Energy Training John Adamiak is President and Founder of PGS Energy Training and an expert in energy derivatives and electric power markets. Mr. Adamiak is a well-known and highly effective seminar presenter who has over 20 years experience in the natural gas and electric power industries. His background includes 15 years as a seminar instructor, 9 years of energy transaction experience, and 6 years of strategic planning and venture capital activities. John's academic background includes an M.B.A. degree from Carnegie Mellon University. For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/a3029u About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood , Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S. /CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S. ): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/register-now-for-this-years-united-states-electric-power-industry-seminar-focus-on-renewable-energy-iso-markets-and-power-transactions-south-carolina-united-states---march-12-13-2024-302059401.html SOURCE Research and Markets The :30 ad, "Silence," featuring Dr. Clarence B. Jones , centered around the concept that all hate thrives on the silence of others FOXBORO, Mass. , Feb. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) debuted its first-ever Super Bowl ad featuring Dr. Clarence B. Jones . The ad aired in the first half of the country's most visible platform, Super Bowl LVIII. In the commercial, Dr. Jones , who served as legal counsel, strategic advisor, and draft speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr ., implores all Americans to use their voices to stand up against all hate, at a time in which it is drastically rising across the country with 3,291 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. reported to-date since last fall.1 The emotive, thirty second ad begins with Dr. Jones imaging what he might write for his friend Dr. King today in the face of rising antisemitism and hate toward people due to religion or race. The ad then depicts hateful images ranging from graffiti of swastikas to hate- filled social media searches as Dr. Jones reminds viewers all hate thrives on silence. A candle is shown being blown out to represent when our voices are silenced hatred thrives, before positive examples of Americans being upstanders and standing up to hatred inspire all Americans to do the same. The commercial centers around the powerful concept that all hate thrives on the silence of others and puts Jewish hate in conversation with other forms of hate. It supports FCAS' mission to inspire Americans of all backgrounds to be vocal upstanders for the Jewish community and to stand up against all forms of hate and continues the Stand Up to Jewish Hate campaign prominently featuring the Blue Square which launched in March of 2023 as a symbol of solidarity and unity for standing up to Jewish hate and all hate. "We are proud to debut this Super Bowl ad featuring the powerful voice of Dr. Clarence Jones at a time in which we need to follow his example and carry on the legacy or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr . more than ever by building bridges and standing arm in arm to combat hate," said Robert K. Kraft , Founder of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. "'Silence' is a call to action, urging viewers to stand up against all hate, embrace unity, and champion justice. In a world often divided, our goal is to let this Super Bowl ad serve as a message to millions of Americans, sparking conversations and inspiring meaningful change long after the final whistle blows." "Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. was a catalyst for change who envisioned fair equity and treatment for all. The journey for equity still continues. As we are all interconnected, we all have a social responsibility to use our voices and platforms to combat all of the isms including racism and antisemitism. Therefore, it is an honor to partner with FCAS and be featured in the 'Silence' ad campaign in the hopes that the commercial will encourage viewers to research and feel empowered to volunteer their time and talent to affect change locally and abroad," said Dr. Clarence B. Jones . "It is always timely and urgent to advocate for justice and civil rights for all. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr . would say, "The time is always right, to do right." "Silence," aims to help bridge the gap we are seeing between the Black and Jewish communities, especially among younger Americans who don't know the proud history of this alliance. About The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism Robert K. Kraft founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019 to help address the rising hate against Jews in the United States and the existential threat it poses to Jewish people. The Foundation is focused on winning the hearts and minds of non-Jews through powerful, positive messaging and partnerships, motivating and equipping them to be defenders and upstanders for Jews as they continue to face antisemitism. FCAS' work includes understanding and responding to antisemitic messages and hate speech posted online and sharing the story of the Jewish people and the threats they face today to drive awareness and solidarity amongst all audiences, especially non-Jews. Different from historical strategies to fight antisemitism, The Foundation and Kraft Family use innovative approaches to analyze and respond to the new reality of antisemitism and hate against Jewish people. The Foundation's key areas of focus include: raising awareness of antisemitism, monitoring and analyzing trends in antisemitism and hate on social media, engaging individuals to build familiarity, empathy and understanding toward Jews, and celebrating Jewish identity. Media Contact Haley McDill : [email protected] Anisha Chakrabarti : [email protected] 1 "Antisemitic Incidents | US," Anti-Defamation League, January 9, 2024 , https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/us-antisemitic-incidents-skyrocketed-360-aftermath-attack-israel-according View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/robert-krafts-foundation-to-combat-antisemistim-debuts-first-ever-super-bowl-ad-302059173.html SOURCE Foundation to Combat Antisemitism ROCKDALE, Texas , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC today announced its plans to pursue the construction of a 1200-megawatt, ultra-efficient, natural gas-fueled power plant. The plant, located on Sandow Lakes property in Lee County Texas , will be developed and owned by a Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC, subsidiary and will operate within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). The plant will be capable of serving over 800,000 homes. Construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the plant generating power by 2028. Sandow Lakes Energy, LLC has executed an agreement with Siemens Energy to reserve manufacturing slots for two SGT6-9000HL gas turbines. The SGT6-9000HL is one of the most technologically advanced turbines in the world, featuring high power output, excellent fuel efficiency, and the capability of operating on hydrogen with only minor modifications to the equipment. These turbines are envisioned to generate over 1,200 megawatts of electricity at the Sandow Lakes site, providing reliable power generation to the region while supporting decarbonization goals. "As Texas continues to grow, increasing the capacity and reliability of our power grid is critical. This Sandow Lakes plant will provide 1,200 megawatts of dispatchable power, providing enough electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes," said Governor Greg Abbott. "As Governor, I signed bipartisan laws to reform ERCOT and increase the reliability, resilience, and capability of our state grid. Through partnerships with companies like Sandow Lakes and Siemens, our state will ensure we continue to deliver reliable power to every Texas home." Sandow Lakes was formerly the site of a 1950s-era integrated industrial enterprise with 1200-megawatts of coal-based power generation. The legacy coal facilities and industrial facilities are in the process of being partially demolished and repurposed, paving the way for the more contemporary and progressive combined cycle power plant. State Representative Stan Gerdes , in whose House District the development sits, added, "For the citizens of this region, losing Alcoa after 6 decades of manufacturing was a blow to the entire region. But with the advent of Sandow Lakes, the folks living here have renewed enthusiasm for the area, their families and for the future." Senator Lois Kolkhorst , in whose district the new clean gas fired generation plant will be constructed, added, " Texas needs dispatchable thermal generation to provide power for our growing state. That's why I am pleased to host this new natural gas plant in Lee County . This is exciting news for the future of our region and an important step for all Texans who will benefit from a new source of clean and reliable energy." The residents of Lee and Milam counties and surrounding communities will benefit from incredible job creation driven by Sandow Lakes Ranch's master planned development of this former industrial enterprise run by Alcoa for over 50 years. Senator Charles Schwertner added, "I'm pleased Sandow Lakes continues to move forward with this important project to provide economic development for the greater Milam / Lee County region for decades to come. Advancing electric generation is a vital and necessary component of economic development, and I applaud the project's advancement of this necessary infrastructure." Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC was formed for the purpose of developing, operating and investing in energy projects in Texas to support the Sandow Lakes property and the rapidly growing electricity demand within the State. Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC is committed to utilizing available clean and efficient technologies in connection with its developments. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandow-lakes-energy-company-llc-announces-agreement-to-construct-a-1200-net-megawatt-combined-cycle-power-plant-at-sandow-lakes-ranch-in-the-texas-triangle-302059619.html SOURCE Sandow Lakes Energy Company, LLC Tim Kopra named CEO, Mohit Sharma as CFO HOUSTON , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Starlab Space LLC (Starlab Space), the transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus, today announced its leadership team, comprising a group of highly accomplished professionals poised to drive the company forward. Retired NASA astronaut and Voyager executive, Tim Kopra has been appointed as Starlab's new CEO. A seasoned leader, Kopra will leverage his extensive expertise in space exploration and experience overseeing the Starlab program at Nanoracks (part of Voyager's Exploration Segment) to lead the joint venture as it continues down the development path. Kopra will also serve on the Starlab Board of Directors. "I am honored to lead Starlab in our mission to transform space exploration," said Kopra. "The collaboration between Voyager Space and Airbus reflects an unparalleled level of expertise, embodied by this top-notch leadership team. Starlab Space is not only positioned to meet and exceed current space exploration standards but also to revolutionize the commercial space sector as a whole." Mohit Sharma , currently Head of Mergers and Acquisitions Finance at Airbus Defence and Space, joins Starlab as CFO. After 15 years at Airbus, Sharma will oversee all financial and fundraising aspects of Starlab, expanding and developing the joint venture's financial strategy to foster the company's continued growth. "We are entering a pivotal moment in the aerospace industry, and I feel privileged to be part of Starlab's leadership team," said Sharma. "As we navigate the financial landscape of this innovative international venture, our focus will be on ensuring fiscal strength and strategic allocation of resources. I am honored to contribute to the success of this ambitious endeavor, creating value for our stakeholders and establishing a solid foundation for the bright future of space exploration." Voyager Space's CTO Marshall Smith , Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine , Airbus U.S. Space and Defense's SVP and Head of Space Systems Debra Facktor and CFO Mohamed Denden also join Starlab as esteemed members of the Board. In addition, Dr. Marc Steckling , SVP and Head of Earth Observation, Science and Exploration at Airbus Defence and Space, will be a permanent guest in the Starlab Board. Starlab Space LLC Management Board Tim Kopra , Chief Executive Officer Tim Kopra has been a career military officer, astronaut, and now senior business leader. He was previously the President of OneWeb Technologies, a U.S. company providing global, secure satellite communications. Additionally, Kopra was the Vice President for Robotics and Space Operations at MDA, a Canadian space company. He was also Partner and Co-founder of Blue Bear Capital, an energy technology venture capital firm. Kopra served in various leadership and operational roles at NASA as an engineer, astronaut, and International Space Station Commander. While at NASA, he completed two spaceflights, three spacewalks, and logged 244 days in space. As an Army aviator, Kopra deployed to Operation Desert Storm and then commanded an AH-64 Attack Helicopter Company. Following these assignments, he was the Developmental Test Director for the Army's Comanche Helicopter Program until his assignment to NASA in 1998 and astronaut selection in 2000. Kopra remains active in military affairs as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army. He is also involved in the Texas entrepreneurship ecosystem as an advisor to Greentown Labs Houston. Mohit Sharma , Chief Financial Officer Mohit Sharma spent more than 15 years at Airbus, last serving as the Head of Mergers and Acquisitions Finance for Airbus Defence and Space. With experience in finance, mergers and acquisitions, fundraising (equity, debt etc.), Sharma drove international cooperation and partnerships for Airbus, developing new and innovative businesses and positioning them for rapid growth including, most notably, the NewSpace Satellite Constellation Venture OneWeb. An IT engineer trained at Cochin University of Science and Technology with a dual-degree MBA (ESCP Business School and Asian Institute of Technology), he has worked in Asia , the United States and Europe and began his professional career at the United Nations and the International Criminal Court prior to joining Airbus. Thomas Ayres , General Counsel Tom served as the 20th General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force. In that role, while leading 2,600 attorneys, he also led an interdisciplinary team to draft, advocate for, and then implement the legislation creating the Space Force. Upon the birth of the U.S. Space Force, he simultaneously became the first General Counsel for the U.S. Space Force. Most recently, Tom was the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of Voyager Space. Prior to Voyager Space and his civilian service with the U.S. Air and Space Forces, Tom retired as an Army major general. He served multiple combat tours advising coalition and joint task force commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan , and he was awarded the Bronze Star with two oak leaf clusters. A graduate of West Point and the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, he also has extensive litigation experience, and has experience serving on Boards of Directors. Paul Schauer , Chief Procurement Officer At Starlab, Paul is responsible for procurement, contracting, and supplier management. At Voyager Space, Paul remains as Executive Vice President, Integrated Operations, where he is responsible for aligning systems, processes, and people to the company's strategic goals. Prior to Voyager, he spent 25 years supporting the DoD and Intelligence Community in civil service and industry roles. Mr. Schauer built and executed government acquisition strategies for systems ranging from the FAR 12 Part competitions for commercial aircraft to fixed price satellite buys. Paul then served many of the agencies as a supplier on the industry side, where he helped scale a small business through multiple acquisitions culminating as Vice President of Tactical Systems at CACI. Paul is also co-creator and co-host of the Contracting Officer Podcast, where for over 10 years (and over 1.5 million listens) he has used his background to help professionals from both government and industry understand a little more about how the other side thinks. Further members of the Starlab Space LLC management team are subject to nomination over the coming weeks and months. The team will also include the Managing Director of Starlab's European entity once this company has been founded. Starlab Board of Directors Tim Kopra , Starlab Space LLC CEO Jim Bridenstine , Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine , a former Navy pilot and U.S. Congressman, served as the 13th Administrator of NASA, nominated by President Donald Trump . Leading a 70,000-person workforce and managing a $23 billion annual budget, he propelled NASA's Artemis program, focusing on Moon exploration and Mars missions. Bridenstine prioritized commercial partnerships, enabling America's return to human spaceflight in 2020 and establishing the Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program. His diverse career also includes a role in creating the Space Force while serving in Congress and a notable military service with combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Navy pilot. Marshall Smith, Chief Technology Officer, Voyager Space Marshall Smith has decades of experience designing and building complex, human-rated space systems for NASA. At Voyager, Mr. Smith oversees the development of Starlab, the company's commercial space station, and other space infrastructure and exploration initiatives. Previously at Nanoracks, part of Voyager's Exploration Segment, Smith managed the space systems division, which included commercial space station development, autonomous outpost platforms, and support systems including airlocks. Marshall comes to Voyager having served for 37 years at NASA, most recently as the Deputy Associate Administrator for Systems Engineering, Director for Human Exploration and Director for Cross-Program Systems Engineering. Smith led large, integrated teams to develop and implement some of NASA's most critical programs including systems engineering for SLS, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems. He led the formulation of the Artemis and Moon to Mars plans, including NASA's Gateway, the Human Landing System, and other future systems required for deep space missions. He is the recipient of the NASA Systems Engineering Excellence of the Year Award, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. Debra Facktor , Head of U.S. Space Systems, Airbus U.S. Space and Defense, Inc. Debra Facktor leads the Airbus U.S. Space Systems line of business, with a focus on small satellites produced for commercial and government customers at the company's manufacturing facility in Merritt Island, Florida , and on space exploration activities in the U.S. Facktor also served on the board of the Airbus OneWeb Satellites joint venture prior to its recent acquisition by Airbus U.S. Before joining Airbus U.S. , Facktor was Vice President and General Manager of Strategic Operations for Ball Aerospace, leading the company's Washington DC operations, strategic development, and marketing and communications. Facktor received her bachelor's and master's degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan and is an alumna of the International Space University summer session program in Strasbourg, France . Mohamed Denden, Chief Financial Officer, Airbus U.S. Space & Defense Mohamed Denden is Chief Financial Officer for Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, Inc. Denden has been with Airbus for 15 years working in the United States and France and possesses an extensive background in the Aerospace and Defense industry, including leadership roles in Corporate Finance, M&A, Investor Relations, and Supply Chain. Before joining Airbus, Denden worked at Lockheed Martin, DRS Technologies, and Deloitte. He is a CPA and holds an MBA from the University of Central Florida, and is fluent in several languages. Dr. Marc Steckling , SVP and Head of Earth Observation, Science and Exploration at Airbus Defence and Space Dr. Marc Steckling is the Head of Earth Observation, Science and Exploration at Airbus Defence and Space and leads Airbus Space Systems in Germany . Prior to this he was CEO and Chairman of the Board of Tesat-Spacecom GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of Airbus. Steckling worked for the German Aerospace Center (DLR) before he joined Airbus Defence and Space in 1999. He held management positions including Head of Electronic Products Germany and Head of Lean Management. He holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering and a PhD from the University of Berlin. About Starlab Space Starlab Space LLC is a transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus that is designing, building, and will operate the Starlab commercial space station. Starlab will serve a global customer base of space agencies, researchers, and companies, ensuring a continued human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research from the International Space Station into the new commercial space station era. For more information on Starlab, visit the Starlab website at www.starlab-space.com and follow us on social media at @Starlab_Space ( X , Instagram ) and @Starlab ( Linkedin ). View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/starlab-space-announces-leadership-team-302059274.html SOURCE Starlab FREMONT, Calif. , Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- THINK Surgical, Inc., an innovator in the field of orthopedic surgical robots, today announced that it will enter into a new Collaboration Agreement with Waldemar Link GmbH & Co. KG from Germany (LINK), renowned for its innovative solutions for joint replacement. Through this collaboration, THINK Surgical will add the LinkSymphoKnee System to THINK Surgical's ID-HUB, a proprietary data bank of implant modules for use with its TMINI Miniature Robotic System. THINK Surgical is committed to providing open platform orthopedic surgical robots that support implants from multiple manufactures. To further this commitment, THINK is pleased to add LINK implants to its ID-HUB database which further enhances the options available to surgeons using the TMINI system for more personalized and precise surgical outcomes. The TMINI system includes a wireless robotic handpiece that assists surgeons in performing total knee replacement and first received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. FDA in April 2023 . The addition of the LinkSymphoKnee System to THINK Surgical's ID HUB database will allow LINK customers in the U.S. access to robotic assisted technology for total knee replacement. The development of the implant module has already started with THINK Surgical poised to seek FDA clearance in the coming months for use of the TMINI System with the LinkSymphoKnee System. The collaboration between LINK and THINK Surgical aligns with LINK's commitment to offering the most innovative solutions to the market. "LINK has a long history of innovative product development and embracing cutting edge technologies. We are excited about this new collaboration with LINK that will enable even more choice for customers and patients in the U.S. " said Stuart Simpson , president, and chief executive officer of THINK Surgical. "We are pleased to partner with another industry leader like THINK Surgical to showcase this cutting-edge technology," said Peter Willenborg , chief executive officer of LINK. "Handheld technology represents the next evolutionary leap in robotic surgery, particularly for new users and outpatient surgery centers. This partnership underscores our commitment to offering the most innovative solutions to the market. The integration of THINK Surgical's advanced robotic technology with LINK's state-of-the-art TKA system, LinkSymphoKnee, further enhances patient care." About THINK Surgical, Inc. THINK Surgical, Inc., is a privately held U.S. -based technology innovator that develops and markets orthopedic robots. THINK Surgical robots are open platforms providing support for implant brands from multiple manufacturers, enabling the choice of implant to be driven by the surgeon. Please refer to the instructions for use for the TMINI Miniature Robotic System for a complete list of indications, contraindications, warnings, and precautions. For additional product information, please visit www.thinksurgical.com THINK Surgical and TMINI are trademarks of THINK Surgical, Inc. About Waldemar Link GmbH & Co. KG Proudly made in Germany and with more than 75 years of history, LINK is a leading provider of innovative orthopedic solutions with an unwavering commitment to quality. With a focused mission on improving patient quality of life, LINK is dedicated to becoming the fastest-growing company in orthopedics. Emphasizing technological advancement and clinical excellence, LINK is devoted to improving standards in orthopedic surgery and advancing the field through innovation and collaboration. For more information, please visit www.link-ortho.com LinkSymphoKnee is a trademark of Waldemar Link GmbH & Co. KG Media Contacts: View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/think-surgical-and-link-forge-strategic-collaboration-for-robotic-tka-302058648.html SOURCE THINK Surgical, Inc. FILE PHOTO: A Google sign is pictured outside the Google office in Berlin, Germany, August 31, 2021. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse/File Photo By Martin Coulter LONDON (Reuters) - Google has pledged 25 million euros ($26.98 million) to help people in Europe learn to use artificial intelligence (AI). Announcing the funding on Monday, the tech giant said it had opened applications for social enterprises and nonprofits that could help reach those most likely to benefit from training. The firm will also run a series of growth academies to support companies using AI to scale their companies and has expanded its free online AI training courses to 18 languages. Research shows that the benefits of AI could exacerbate existing inequalities especially in terms of economic security and employment, said Adrian Brown, executive director of the Centre for Public Impact, which is running the nonprofit scheme alongside Google. This new program will help people across Europe develop their knowledge, skills and confidence around AI, ensuring that no one is left behind, Last month, Google announced it would invest $1 billion into building a data centre just outside of London, as it moves to meet growing demand for internet services in the region. The data centre, located on a 33-acre (13-hectare) site bought by Google in 2020, will be located in the town of Waltham Cross, about 15 miles (24.14 km) north of central London, the Alphabet-owned, opens new tab company said in a statement. ($1 = 0.9265 euros) (Reporting by Martin Coulter; Editing by Josie Kao) An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2024 shows tourists visiting a scenic area in Huimin County of Binzhou City, east China's Shandong Province. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Chu Baorui/Xinhua) BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Traditionally, Chinese people stay at home with their families for the Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, the most important festival of the Chinese calendar. But many families are now opting to travel during the holiday, attracted by cultural activities such as lantern shows, flower markets and temple fairs on offer around the country, or traveling overseas to discover more of the world. CULTURAL ACTIVITIES At Beihai Park in Beijing, calligraphers can be seen writing the Chinese character "Fu" on red, square paper and handing the decorations out to tourists. The red posters are stuck onto doors or windows to celebrate the Spring Festival, as the character symbolizes a blessing or happiness. "I felt very lucky to receive a 'Fu' poster as a gift, and I will take home the blessing it carries," said a tourist surnamed Xu from south China's Guangdong Province. Public parks in Beijing received over 250,000 tourists on Feb. 10, the first day of the Year of the Dragon, surging 153.78 percent from the Spring Festival last year and 56.41 percent from 2019, according to local authorities. Shanghai has launched more than 200 cultural activities during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday starting from Feb. 10, including art exhibitions, plays and food fairs, creating a festive atmosphere in the city for both locals and tourists. About 1.73 million tourists visited Shanghai on Chinese New Year's Day, up 4.58 percent year on year, data released by the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism showed. According to tourism platform statistics, domestic travel orders soared 102 percent year on year on the eve and first day of the holiday, significantly exceeding the level seen over the same two days in 2019. Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Kunming and Harbin are among the most popular destinations this year. To welcome the Year of the Dragon, 20 lantern shows featuring elements of the Chinese dragon are being staged at the ancient city walls in Shaanxi's Xi'an, the largest and best-preserved ancient city walls in the country. "Although it's quite crowded and cold at night, it's worth coming!" said a visitor surnamed Zhou from Beijing. He said that his 12-year-old daughter has recently become a big fan of traditional Chinese clothing and had been looking forward to her trip to the ancient capital. SEEING THE WORLD "Happy Chinese New Year from abroad! I had a great time roaming around Singapore!" a tourist from Chongqing surnamed Zhang posted on her social media on Chinese New Year's Eve. In her photos, she and her daughter are in summer clothing and her parents can be seen taking pictures in front of greenery. Although the trip was an impulsive decision, it was only made possible by a recent visa-free travel policy and the fact that a direct flight from Chongqing to Singapore takes just five hours. More Chinese people like Zhang chose to ring in this new lunar year in a foreign country. China's National Immigration Administration has estimated that the Chinese mainland will see a daily average of 1.8 million inbound and outbound passenger trips during the Spring Festival holiday this year, approximately 3.3 times larger than last year's figure. Cheng Chaogong, chief researcher at the Tongcheng Research Institute, which is affiliated with a major online travel agency, said that countries such as Singapore and Thailand are becoming travel hot spots after their implementation of visa-free travel policies for Chinese tourists. These overseas trips are expected to give a strong impetus to tourism spending, Cheng said. By Vitalii Hnidyi KHARKIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - Hundreds of mourners, many sobbing uncontrollably, gathered on Monday at the funeral of a family of five, including three small children, burned alive in a Russian drone attack in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. "Why did young children have to die?" Tetiana Putyatina wept before collapsing as she embraced the coffins laid out on the ground for her son, daughter-in-law and three children. Behind her, Orthodox priests intoned a hymn. "I don't know how I'll live through this. I just don't know." Putyatina, bundled up against the cold, held up a portrait of 10-month-old Pavlo and cried: "What was he guilty of, what did he do to Russia? Animals! May all those who support the war and this idiot (Russian President Vladimir Putin) burn in such flames in which my children were burned alive." Russian drones struck a fuel depot last Friday evening, triggering fires that engulfed an entire street, including the house in which the family of five lived. Killed along with Pavlo in the attack were Oleksiy, 7, Mykhailo, 3, and their mother Olha Putyatina, who worked at the local prosecutor's office, and her husband Hryhoriy. An elderly couple died in the same street. More than 50 people were injured and 15 homes were razed. Comforting Putyatina was the children's aunt, Marharyta Artiushchenko, who said relatives suspected something had happened to the family when they failed to answer phones. "We tried to call them all night. They didn't pick up. The neighbours said that they had left," she said. "Then we saw photographs of their car... Mother immediately understood that they were still there. She went there by bus, we went by car." Hundreds of mourners placed flowers or plush toys as they filed past the coffins in the snow-covered cemetery. Some wailed as workers laid them into the ground. A shattered bicycle and a charred tree stood outside the ruins of the house where the family lived. And a makeshift shrine by a fence, dotted with flowers and a row of teddy bears. "They were friendly, kind, sweet, always smiling. They were just good people," said Viktoria Rakitina, a relative. "I'm so sorry that such good people died. These children had their whole lives to live, they hadn't yet seen anything of this world." Russia did not respond to a request for comment on the incident. Moscow says its forces do not target civilian sites. (Writing by Ron Popeski) FILE PHOTO: International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters about the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in The Hague, Netherlands October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Pho By Anthony Deutsch THE HAGUE (Reuters) -International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday he was deeply concerned about reports of bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Khan posted on X after airstrikes in the city that is the last refuge of about a million displaced civilians. The prosecutor said the court was "actively investigating any crimes allegedly committed" in Gaza and that "those who are in breach of the law will be held accountable". He later told Reuters that half of the population of Gaza is currently concentrated around Rafah, "reportedly six times its normal concentration". "When you have a population that is 60% children and women by all accounts, the risks to civilians are profound", he said. "This situation is one that I give the utmost priority to. It's an issue that we're moving forward on." Israel is not a member of the Hague-based court and does not recognise its jurisdiction. But Khan said in October his court had jurisdiction over any potential war crimes carried out by Hamas Palestinian militants in Israel and by Israelis in the Gaza Strip. Israel denies committing atrocities in its attacks on Gaza, which followed the Hamas cross-border raid on southern Israel on Oct. 7 in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 240 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. More than four months on, much of the densely-populated strip of land on the Mediterranean is in ruins, with 28,340 Palestinians dead and 67,984 wounded, according to Gaza health officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said four Hamas battalions are in Rafah, and that Israel cannot achieve its goal of eliminating the Islamist militants while they remain there. Civilians should be evacuated from the combat zone, it said. (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch, Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Alison Williams and Andrew Heavens) By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five people, including three children, died on Sunday in three linked incidents in southern Manitoba, according to a Canadian official who said that a 29-year-old male believed to be connected to the victims had been arrested. Tim Arseneault of the Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said at a news conference that "we now know [the incidents] are all linked." "It is believed that the adult male in custody and all five deceased individuals are known to each other," he added. The first incident involved officers with the Carman RCMP responding about 7:30 a.m. to a report of a hit-and-run, where they the found a woman's body. Hours later, Headingley RCMP received a report of a vehicle on fire. A witness pulled three young children from the vehicle but they were declared dead at the scene. A 29-year-old male was taken into custody at the scene of the second incident, Arseneault said. Further investigation led officers to a residence in Carman, where the body of another female was located, he added. (This story has been refiled to fix a typo in paragraph 4) (Reporting by John Kruzel. Editing by Gerry Doyle) SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has successfully developed a new ballistic control system for a multiple rocket launcher along with controllable shells, state media KCNA reported on Monday. The Academy of Defence Science, which oversees the country's missile development, conducted a "ballistic control" test firing of 240-mm calibre controllable multiple rocket launcher shells on Sunday, KCNA said. KCNA said the strategic value of the 240 mm-caliber multiple rocket launcher will be "reevaluated" its role in battlefields will also increase due to what it called "rapid technical improvement." The development of the shell and the ballistic control system will make a "qualitative change" in its army's multiple rocket launcher force, the report added. Sunday's launch comes amid multiple missile tests by North Korea in recent weeks and growing ties between Pyongyang and Moscow - moves that have been criticized by the U.S. and its allies as escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has accused the U.S. and South Korea of escalating tensions with their large-scale military drills. (Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Josie Kao and Lincoln Feast.) By Natalia Siniawski (Reuters) - A plane carrying four Canadian skydivers made an emergency landing on a beach in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca on Sunday, the state civil defense's office said, resulting in the death of a 62-year-old man who was on the beach at the time. The plane was forced to land on a populated section of Bacocho beach in the popular Pacific resort town of Puerto Escondido, the office said in a statement, adding the victim's wife, who had been on the beach alongside him, was unharmed. Footage from Puerto Global showed the damaged aircraft on the beach having crashed into what it said was a turtle rescue centre. The civil defense statement did not give more details on the landing nor the identities of those involved, noting that investigations were ongoing. No one else on the beach was injured, it said. Those who had been on the aircraft, including the four Canadian skydivers aged between 35 and 60 and a 40-year-old Mexican man, were removed from the plane and taken for medical treatment, the statement added, saying they were in stable condition. State Governor Salomon Jara said in a post on X that resources were being mobilized to help those the injured who had been on the plane. "To the family of the person who died, we will provide all the necessary support and accompany them in the face of their irreparable loss," he said. (Reporting by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Toby Chopra) FILE PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during his Iowa caucus night watch party in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., January 15, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Donald Trump on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put on hold a judicial decision rejecting his claim that he is immune from being prosecuted for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss, arguing that without such a shield "the presidency as we know it will cease to exist." Trump, seeking to regain the presidency in the Nov. 5 U.S. election, asked the justices to pause a Feb. 6 ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejecting his claim of immunity from prosecution. Trump's lawyers in a brief to the Supreme Court warned that "conducting a months-long criminal trial of President Trump at the height of election season will radically disrupt President Trump's ability to campaign" against President Joe Biden ahead of the election. They asked the justices to halt the trial proceedings pending their bid for the full slate of judges on the D.C. Circuit to reconsider the case, and, if necessary, an appeal to the Supreme Court. A March 4 trial date for Trump in federal court in Washington on four criminal counts pursued by Special Counsel Jack Smith already was postponed, with no new date set. Trump, the first former president to be criminally prosecuted, is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Biden, a Democrat who defeated him in 2020. Slowing the case could benefit Trump. If he wins the November election and returns to the White House, he could use his presidential powers to force an end to the prosecution or potentially pardon himself for any federal crimes. Trump's lawyers painted a dark picture - rejected by the D.C. Circuit - of what would befall future presidents if his criminal prosecution is allowed to proceed, warning of partisan prosecutions, extortion, blackmail and more. "Without immunity from criminal prosecution, the presidency as we know it will cease to exist," his lawyers wrote. "Any decision by the president on a politically controversial question would face the threat of indictment by the opposing party after a change in administrations. All presidential decisions would be exposed to undue, wrongful pressure from opposing political forces, under a threat of indictment after the president has left office," they wrote. "The threat of prosecution will become a political cudgel used to influence the most sensitive and important presidential decisions with the menace of personal vulnerability after leaving office," they added. The D.C. Circuit's decision stated that the "risk that former presidents will be unduly harassed by meritless federal criminal prosecutions appears slight." Trump's lawyers also repeated his longstanding claim that the prosecution is politically motivated. The Supreme Court's 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by Trump. The charges brought by Smith in August 2023 came in one of four criminal cases now pending against Trump, including another one in a Georgia state court also involving his efforts to undo his 2020 loss. 'NO SPECIAL CONDITIONS' U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, presiding over the case brought by Smith, in December rejected Trump's immunity claim, ruling that former presidents "enjoy no special conditions on their federal criminal liability." After Trump appealed, the D.C. Circuit's three-judge panel also rebuffed Trump's immunity claim. "We cannot accept that the office of the presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter," the panel wrote in its decision. During January arguments before the D.C. Circuit, one of Trump's lawyers told the judges that even if a president sold pardons or military secrets or ordered a Navy commando unit to assassinate a political rival, he could not be criminally charged unless he is first impeached and convicted in Congress. Prosecutors have argued that Trump was acting as a candidate, not a president, when he pressured officials to overturn the election results and encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, to pressure Congress not to certify Biden's victory. The indictment accused Trump of conspiring to defraud the United States, obstructing the congressional certification of Biden's electoral victory and conspiring to do so, and conspiring against right of Americans to vote. Trump last October sought to have the charges dismissed based on his claim of immunity from criminal prosecution related to actions taken by a president while in office. He has regularly made sweeping claims of immunity. The Supreme Court in 2020 spurned Trump's argument that he was immune from a subpoena issued during state criminal investigation while he was president. The Supreme Court in December declined Smith's request to decide the immunity claim even before the D.C. Circuit ruled - a bid by the prosecutor to speed up the process of resolving the matter. The justices opted instead to let the lower appeals court rule first, as is customary. (Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will Dunham) Polish farmers slow down traffic on a road with tractors during a protest over price pressures, taxes and green regulation, grievances shared by farmers across Europe, in Poznan, Poland, February 9, 2024. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel (Reuters) -Kyiv urged Warsaw on Monday to "hold to account" Polish farmers for stopping three trucks at a border crossing between Poland and Ukraine and spilling the Ukrainian grain they were carrying. Sunday's incident near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, reported by the Polish news agency PAP, came during a wider protest by Polish farmers against European Union agriculture policies, including allowing cheap grain imports from Ukraine. "The spoiling of Ukrainian grain on the Polish border is unacceptable. Any farmer should know how much hard work it takes to produce grain, especially during wartime," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "For the sake of friendly Ukrainian-Polish relations, the perpetrators of this provocation must be held to account." Ukrainian trade representative Taras Kachka said on Facebook the spoiled grain was en route to Lithuania and urged the Polish government to ensure the safety of Ukrainian goods. Regional prosecutor Agnieszka Kepka told Reuters an investigation had been opened into the "removal of a customs seal and destruction of property". Poland's Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Siekierski described the situation with farmers' protests as "tense", and called for dialogue. "On behalf of Polish farmers, I apologize for such an act of desperation and ask for understanding of their exceptionally difficult situation," he said in a statement. Warsaw has backed Ukraine during Russia's invasion, but relations have been hit by discontent inside Poland against what farmers and hauliers see as a surge in grain and food imports from Ukraine and improper competition. Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak said earlier on Monday that Warsaw plans to start quality checks on all grain shipments from Ukraine. Representatives of Poland's new pro-European government have said they understand the challenges farmers are facing, and that help for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion cannot come at the expense of Polish farmers. (Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Additional reporting Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk, Pawel Florkiewicz; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Jan Harvey) A Coyote interceptor is launched in this undated photo. (RTX Corp.) A $75 million contract has been awarded to defense firm RTX Corp. to produce 600 Coyote Block 2C interceptors used to attack enemy drones, according to an Army news release Friday. The announcement follows a series of drone attacks launched from sites in Yemen against Red Sea commercial shipping and a fatal attack on a U.S. base in Jordan that killed three Army Reservists on Jan. 28. RTX, the Virginia-based defense contractor formerly known as Raytheon, was awarded the contract on Jan. 16, roughly one month after the Army submitted plans to procure 6,000 Coyote kinetic interceptors within five years, according to the General Services Administrations System for Award Management website. The Army describes weapons that impact their targets as kinetic weapons, as opposed to explosive or other types of payloads. The contract will provide direct support to the U.S. counter-unmanned aircraft systems mission and addresses the increased demand for the Coyote interceptors, according to the Army release. The one-time use, warhead-equipped interceptors are launched by a rail system and powered by a rocket motor and turbine engine, according to RTXs website. Development for the Coyote system began in 2016 and the interceptor received its flight qualification three years later. Combined with Raytheons Ku-band Radio Frequency System, the Coyote is part of the Armys Low, slow, small, unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System, or LIDS, to track and destroy enemy drones. The Ku-band radar, which can be set up within 30 minutes, detects drones, rockets, artillery and mortar fires, according to RTX. It pairs with the Coyote as well as other weapons, including the land-based Phalanx and .50-caliber machine guns. Drone warfare is on the upsurge in places like Syria and Ukraine. In the fatal Jan. 28 attack in Jordan, 34 other soldiers were injured after a one-way attack drone hit the outpost near the Syrian border. The White House attributed the attack to Iranian-backed militant groups in Syria and Iraq, according to a statement that day. Intepreters staffing a U.S. civilian help desk at Zama General Hospital get a visit from Col. Jeremy Johnson, medical department commander for U.S. Army Japan, Feb. 7, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) CAMP ZAMA, Japan American military bases across Japan are likely to copy an Army program that employs interpreters to help U.S. civilians obtain off-post health care, according to the Armys top general in the country. I expect it to be mimicked, U.S. Army Japan commander Maj. Gen. David Womack said Wednesday of Zamas Civilian Healthcare Navigator program. Since October, the program has employed bilingual Japanese at nearby Zama General Hospital to guide Defense Department civilians and their families as they receive treatment. Many civilians werent happy when the Defense Health Agency under a congressional mandate that took effect Jan. 1, 2023 began limiting chronic care at base hospitals to Tricare Prime beneficiaries. The plan serves only active-duty troops, their families and eligible retirees. DOD civilians were urged to seek care from Japanese providers, which were not immediately apprised to a sudden influx of Americans needing appointments. After a slew of complaints, DHA soon reversed itself and said civilians could seek on-base treatment again, on a space-available basis, for chronic health conditions like diabetes or high-blood pressure. Those same-day appointments, however, can be few and far between, forcing many off base. Dr. Jun Watari, chief executive of Zama General Hospital, discusses U.S. Army Japan's Civilian Healthcare Navigator program, Feb. 7, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) Large civilian workforce The command established a relationship with Zama General to help its civilians avoid long commutes to international facilities in Tokyo, Col. Jeremy Johnson, medical department commander for U.S. Army Japan, said Wednesday at the base. In addition to 2,500 soldiers and their dependents, the garrisons population includes 2,100 DOD civilians and their families, he said. Johnson worked with Zama Generals chief executive, Dr. Jun Watari, to create a help desk staffed by Japanese interpreters who can help Americans book appointments. The linguists also accompany patients as they interact with doctors and other hospital staff and pay for treatment. Zama General does not accept U.S. medical insurance, so patients must pay up front. The program has already helped more than 200 patients, including civilians stationed at nearby Naval Air Facility Atsugi, and has expanded from two to four translators with plans to hire another, Johnson said. Sachiko Fukada, left, and Nozomi Akiyama are among the linguists who help American civilian patients obtain care at Zama General Hospital near Camp Zama, Japan. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) Right to care The program is important for the commands efforts to recruit and retain its civilian workforce, Womack said. People vote with their feet, he said. Our people have a right to care, and we are going to get it for them, period. Some DOD agency managers in Japan complained last year that the new health care policy caused some employees to leave Japan and prospective hires to decline offers. Those workers include Randi Wilson, a DOD analyst and health care advocate who worked at Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo. Im an analyst in Germany now, she said in a text message Friday. I left early because of the medical situation actually. Wilson said this new Army effort is a step in the right direction toward restoring ready access to health care for DOD civilians, contractors and their families in Japan, but its not a cure-all. Its a fantastic idea that I believe could lessen the burden on civilian patients seeking medical care, she said. But there are still flaws and potential for harm. It all boils down to the same root causes, Wilson said: Japanese facilities can deny care, and Japanese standards of medicine and medication are very different from U.S. ones. Zama General Hospital, near the home of U.S. Army Japan, provides a wide range of care, from cardiology to joint replacements, but doesnt offer annual physicals or mammograms. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) Physicals and mammograms Zama General, which caters to the citys 120,000 residents, employs 35 doctors, and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It offers care ranging from cardiology and joint replacement, but it doesnt provide some basic services like annual physicals or mammograms. The Army has been working with another facility, Ebina Hospital, along with clinics at Yokota and Yokosuka Naval Base, to provide civilian mammograms on a space-available basis, Johnson said. Before the navigator program, language had been a barrier for nurses, receptionists and other staff interacting with Americans, Watari said during a tour of Zama General on Wednesday. They will refer patients needing specialized care to other Japanese hospitals, he said through an interpreter. The navigator program should be established at other Japanese hospitals near U.S. bases, Watari added. Patients who speak English are comfortable with the interpreters, he said. Intepreters staffing a U.S. civilian help desk at Zama General Hospital get a visit from Col. Jeremy Johnson, medical department commander for U.S. Army Japan, Feb. 7, 2024. (Akifumi Ishikawa/Stars and Stripes) Patient testimonials The Army put Stars and Stripes in touch with several recent Zama General patients to speak about the health care navigator program on Wednesday. Suzy Venn, an elementary school teacher at Sagamihara Housing Area, has used the translators for issues ranging from a cyst to an eye infection. You check in and they greet you and you are with them the whole time, she said. Space-available appointments are difficult to find at the base hospital, and teachers usually have little free time during the day, anyway, Venn said. The interpreters also helped Gary Bolos, the civilian deputy operations officer for U.S. Army Japan, during appointments ahead of knee replacement surgery next month. The retired Army explosive ordnance disposal officer can use on-base clinics thanks to his Tricare coverage but said he chose Zama General for the surgery after hearing about the interpreters. I think we will need more (interpreters) as the word gets out and civilians start using Zama General, he said. U.S. Marines and Filipino troops load relief supplies at Villamor Air Base in Pasay, Philippines, Feb. 11, 2024. (Savannah Mesimer/U.S. Marine Corps) U.S. Marines are delivering supplies to an island in the Philippines thats been battered by monsoonal rains and landslides, the service announced Monday. Members of the Okinawa-based III Marine Expeditionary Force are delivering meals to the southern island of Mindanao to provide temporary relief following heavy rainfall and a major landslide in the area, the command said in a news release. Support to our Allies and partners, and their people in a time of need, is non-negotiable, III MEFs commander, Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, said in the release. Particularly hard hit is Masara in Davao de Oro province, a gold-mining mountain village where a landslide struck Feb. 6 following weeks of heavy rain, The Associated Press reported Thursday. Philippine airmen unload equipment from a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules at Villamor Air Base in Pasay, Philippines, Feb. 11, 2024. (Savannah Mesimer/U.S. Marine Corps) The landslide death toll reached 55 on Monday, with another 32 injured people recovered, the provincial government said in a Facebook post that day. About 20 members of Marine Aircraft Group 12 at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, are delivering meals via two KC-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, III MEF spokesman 1st Lt. Daniel Kim told Stars and Stripes by email Monday. The supplies consist of about 15,000 family food packs provided by the Philippines Department of Social Welfare and Development. The Department of Defense is supporting the transportation and delivery of these relief supplies, he said. The Marines are working directly with the Philippine government and military to distribute the goods, and are prepared to support relief efforts as long as required, Kim said. On Saturday, rescue efforts paused after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck 90 miles north of the landslide site; they resumed 30 minutes later after officials checked for signs of secondary landslides, the Manila Times reported that day. The province is also recovering from a monsoon and other severe weather thats displaced more than 320,000 people from their homes, with potentially 22 dead, 11 injured and two missing, according to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center. The weather pattern began Jan. 28 and brought heavy rain through Feb. 3, causing massive flooding and rain-induced landslides in Davao de Oro and elsewhere on Mindanao, according to the centers Monday report on the situation. Chinese tourists take selfies near the Arch of Constantine in Rome, Italy, May 1, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni) The recovery of Chinese tourists to Italy is within reach, with arrivals possibly reaching "new peaks" this year starting from the Spring Festival holiday in China, said Ivana Jelinic, president and CEO of Italian National Tourist Board. by Guo Wendi ROME, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The recovery of Chinese tourists to Italy is within reach, with arrivals possibly reaching "new peaks" this year starting from the Spring Festival holiday in China, an Italian tourism official has said. The Spring Festival holiday, which runs from Feb. 10 to 17 this year, is traditionally one of the peak periods in Chinese tourist arrivals, and "it will undoubtedly serve as an indicator to understand the trends for the coming months," said Ivana Jelinic, president and CEO of Italian National Tourist Board, in a recent written interview with Xinhua. She noted that the growth of Chinese tourists in Europe and Italy was quite substantial in the second half of 2023, along with favorable factors such as increased international flights and a rise in the number of Chinese outbound tourists during this year's New Year holiday. Chinese outbound tourism's potential is enormous, and this year, the number of Chinese tourists in Italy is expected to reach and surpass the record set in 2019, Jelinic said. "The cities most visited will undoubtedly be Rome, Venice, Florence and Milan," she said, adding that other destinations, like the southern seaside resorts, the Alpine region, historic villages in central Italy, and thermal resorts, are becoming increasingly popular among Chinese tourists. She added that Chinese tourism is crucial for various destinations in Italy. For example, Chinese visitors ranked third in arrival numbers to the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy in 2019. Jelinic said she believes natural landscapes, architectural gems and excellence in local cuisine are crucial to attracting Chinese tourists. "Italian destinations that can combine these three elements are well-positioned to attract an increasing number of Chinese tourists, and there are indeed so many of them." This year is considered pivotal for the recovery of the Chinese inbound and outbound tourism market. China recorded 5.18 million inbound and outbound trips during the three-day New Year holiday, from Dec. 30, 2023, to Jan. 1, 2024, a 4.7-fold increase compared with the figure for the same period a year earlier and returning to 2019 levels, according to China's National Immigration Administration. Tourism represents a significant part of the Italian economy. In 2019, the tourism sector's total contribution was roughly 13 percent of Italy's gross domestic product, according to industry data. Jelinic said the benefits from Chinese outbound tourism could extend to various economic sectors, including hospitality, direct services to tourists, the Made in Italy sector, retail, luxury, food and wine. A print of the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Va., in 1781 shows Maj. Gen. Charles OHara, surrounded by French and American soldiers, handing over his sword. (Library of Congress) The cannon fire from the besieged British was deadly. One shot had just killed four Americans. Another had killed a drummer who had stepped from cover. Yet, as the Americans dug their trenches closer and closer, one man stood in the open, taunting the enemy gunners. Each time the British shot and missed he waved his spade in defiance, saying hed be damned if he would duck. Possessed of more bravery than prudence. He had escaped longer than could have been expected, Capt. James Duncan, an American officer, recorded in his diary. But the unnamed soldier was foolish, Duncan wrote, and finally a ball came and put an end to his capers. Last month, the diary was put up for auction at Sothebys in New York, where it was anticipated to bring between $300,000 and $500,000. But the bidding that day only reached $240,000, short of the expected minimum, and the diary was not sold. But last week, a spokeswoman for Sothebys said the diary sold privately the day after the auction. She declined to identify the buyer or the exact price but said it was above $300,000. To have an English-language contemporary journal written by a Continental [Army] soldier is exceptionally rare, Selby Kiffer, Sothebys international senior specialist for books and manuscripts, said before the auction. The content, the fact that it was about such a pivotal event, that fact that it just reads wonderfully this gripping, first-person narrative that fact that its still in the family of Captain Duncan, he said. Most such accounts that have come to the market recently are in French. Which is wonderful, Kiffer said. Obviously, our French allies played an enormous role, not only in Yorktown but in winning our independence. Duncans diary is very much the narrative of a citizen soldier, he said. It shows us, I believe, that the Revolutionary War was won by people like Duncan and people like his comrades, the ones who were being killed or maimed by cannonball. Kiffer added: Its one thing to read a letter from Washington in which hes discussing strategy. Here is war stripped down to its real horrors. The 23-page Yorktown account is contained in a 110-page notebook - about 8 inches by 6 inches - that includes other jottings unrelated to the war as well as some blank pages. Its a story of bloody trench warfare that sounds more like World War I than 1781, with soldiers hunkering in dugouts under enemy shellfire and charging across no mans land. On Oct. 14, as Duncan and two friends were sitting in a crowded trench around midnight, a sentry called out a warning of an incoming shell. Duncan had jumped up to see where it was headed as it landed in the trench about two feet from him and blew up. I immediately flung myself aside, he wrote. Although the explosion was very sudden and the trench as full of men as it could possibly contain, yet not a single man was killed, he wrote. Only two of my own company [were] slightly wounded. He added: We all counted it a most miraculous escape. Were I to recount all the narrow escapes I made that night it would almost be incredible. Duncan mentions several historic figures who fought in the siege and the war: the French officers Lafayette and Rochambeau, the Prussian Baron von Steuben and the impetuous 24-year-old Lt. Col. Alexander Hamilton. Duncan respected Hamilton as one of the first officers in the army but criticized him for one reckless maneuver. On Oct. 7, Duncan recounted, We were ordered to mount the bank, front the enemy, and there by word of command go through all the ceremony of soldiery, ordering and grounding our arms. Although the British had been firing, they did not now give us a single shot, he wrote. I suppose their astonishment at our conduct must have prevented them, for I can assign no other reason. Duncan wrote, Colonel Hamilton gave these orders. Although I esteem him I must beg leave in this instance to think he wantonly exposed the lives of his men. (The Broadway hit musical Hamilton includes a dramatic song about Yorktown.) Duncan described events as the Americans and the French gradually closed in on the British, who were pinned against the York River in Yorktown, about 160 miles south of Washington. On Oct. 11, he wrote: Last night commenced a very heavy cannonade and the enemy returned the fire with no less spirit. The largest of the enemys vessels was set on fire by the bursting of a shell or red hot ball from some of our batteries, and communicated it to another, both of which were burnt down. They must have lost a considerable quantity of powder in the last, as there was an explosion which made a heavy report. The whole night was nothing but one continual roar of cannon, mixed with the bursting of shells and rumbling of houses torn to pieces. Duncan, who was about 25, was born in Philadelphia. He gave up his preparations for the ministry as the war broke out and volunteered to serve in George Washingtons Continental Army, Sothebys said. At Yorktown, he became a member of Brig. Gen. Moses Hazens brigade. Duncan was well educated. He wrote legibly, using an ink bottle and a quill pen, said Kiffer, the Sothebys expert. He writes very well and very vividly, he said. The siege of Yorktown occurred at the end of the Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783 and led to independence from Britain. The siege culminated with the surrender on Oct. 19, 1781, of the 8,300-man British Army under Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis to a combined American and French force under George Washington. It was the pivotal event in American history, Jerome A. Greene wrote in his 2005 book about the siege, The Guns of Independence. Its successful conclusion virtually assured [the creation] of American democratic institutions from which all subsequent events followed, he wrote. Duncan survived the war, Sothebys said. He became a court official in Adams County, Pa., and was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives but resigned before the Seventeenth Congress assembled. He died in 1844. Security personnel stand at the ready across the street from the Supreme Court as demonstrators gather on Feb. 8, 2024. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) (Tribune News Service) Two seemingly contradictory impressions emerged from almost three hours of oral argument Thursday before the Supreme Court: The case for Donald Trumps eligibility to be president again was quite weak, but the Supreme Court is likely to rule in his favor. Based on the questions raised by the justices, its hard to imagine five of them agreeing with Colorados decision to prohibit Trump from running for president as an insurrectionist under the 14th Amendment. The issue before the court is whether Trump is disqualified from the presidency by Section 3 of the amendment, which provides that no officeholder who engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the country shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States. The oral argument focused primarily on three questions. First, does Section 3 require a statute passed by Congress to be enforced? Several of the justices indicated support for the view that the provision is not self-executing and cant be enforced without a federal law. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, for example, said the original public meaning was that a statute is necessary to apply the section. This argument is seriously flawed. To begin with, the provision doesnt need a law to enforce it any more than the other constitutional presidential qualifications do, among them being at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen and not having already served two terms. In addition, the amendment clearly defines Congress role here: Its last sentence gives lawmakers the power to exempt an insurrectionist from the provision. But the amendment does not require congressional action to enforce the section. Importantly, the Supreme Court in 1883 declared that the 14th Amendment is undoubtedly self-executing without any ancillary legislation. The primary authority to the contrary, relied on by Trump lawyer Jonathan Mitchell and invoked by Kavanaugh, is not a Supreme Court decision but an 1869 opinion by Chief Justice Salmon Chase for a lower appellate court. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out, Chase later reached the opposite conclusion, finding that no statute was required for disqualification and that Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, was clearly disqualified from serving as president of the United States. A second question that featured prominently in the oral argument is whether Section 3 applies to the president of the United States or only to other federal offices. Despite being ideological opposites, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Ketanji Brown Jackson both focused on the sections listing of several offices without mentioning the president. The problem with this argument is that Section 3 also says any office, civil or military. The Constitution repeatedly refers to the president as an officer. As the Colorado Supreme Court explained, senators, representatives and electors are listed as members of elected bodies who are not considered officers under the Constitution. But the president is an officer of the United States included in the phrase any office. The courts conservatives pride themselves on adhering to the original meaning of the Constitution, and those who drafted and ratified the 14th Amendment unquestionably saw Section 3 as applying to the president. This was explicitly stated on the floor of the Senate. Gorsuch also noted during the argument that Section 3 precludes insurrectionists only from being president, not from running for the office. But that is an absurd distinction that could lead to dealing with whether Trump is disqualified only after he is elected, a nightmare scenario. The third question to occupy much of the argument is whether Trump in fact participated in an insurrection. Justice Samuel Alito questioned the evidence for that, while Kavanaugh noted that the former president hasnt been convicted of insurrection. But a Colorado court held a five-day hearing on that question in which Trump could have testified, after which the judge concluded that he had indeed participated in an insurrection. And nothing in Section 3 or its history requires a criminal conviction. Another pair from different ends of the courts ideological spectrum, Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett, wondered whether one state court should be able to make such a determination. But every case must begin in one state. Ultimately, this is not a question of one state deciding so much as it is the United States Supreme Court looking at the facts and the law as courts always do and deciding whether Section 3 disqualifies Trump. This case provides the court with an opportunity to show that it follows the law and the facts not just the political preferences of the justices. My sense from the oral argument is that we will have reason to be disappointed once more on that score. I hope I am wrong. If the court ignores the clear language and meaning of the 14th Amendment, it will be a loss for the Constitution and the country. Erwin Chemerinsky is a contributing writer to the Los Angeles Times Opinion and the dean of the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. His latest book is Worse Than Nothing: The Dangerous Fallacy of Originalism. 2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is looking to move past one of the biggest crises of his 14-year rule. (Akos Stiller/Bloomberg) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will look to move past one of the biggest crises of his 14-year rule after the shock resignation of the countrys head of state over a child sex-abuse case exposed cracks inside his well-oiled political machine. President Katalin Novak resigned as president on Saturday over a pardon she granted in a pedophilia case, which threatened to weigh on the ruling partys campaign in local and European Parliament elections in June. Judit Varga, who was slated to helm the European campaign of Orbans Fidesz party and who signed off on the pardon as justice minister last year, also stepped down. Orbans hopes for turning the page faced headwinds after Vargas ex-husband said in a Sunday night interview that the two prominent female leaders were effectively sacrificed to salvage the ruling partys popularity. Peter Magyar, a former state company executive, also lashed out at the Orban government for alleged intimidation tactics and corruption. The interview, on the Partizan Youtube channel, was watched by more than half a million people in less than a day. The rare criticism from a figure close to Orbans inner circle suggests theres real infighting inside the elite and this may cause uncertainties inside the halls of power, said Peter Kreko, head of Political Capital, a Budapest-based think tank. Orban may nonetheless escape largely unscathed, with limited negative effect at the polls, if voters deem that he moved swiftly to contain the fallout, he said. Spokespeople for the Hungarian government didnt immediately reply to emails and calls seeking comment about Magyars allegations as well as Novak and Vargas resignations. Public opinion Orbans Fidesz party is by far the most popular political group in Hungary and the nationalist prime minister maintains a tight grip on power. But the ruling party began to gauge the scandals impact before this years ballots, in which Orban is moving to secure control of the oppositions last strongholds, such as the capital Budapest, and to demonstrate his strength as one of the leaders of Europes resurgent far-right movement. Orban, who leads an all-male cabinet, hasnt made a statement since the resignation. Two days earlier, he had sought to limit the damage from the case by filing a constitutional amendment to prevent the president from issuing pardons for crimes against children. The premier is due to hold his annual state-of-the-nation speech on Saturday, where he may chart the political outlook and may use the occasion to nominate a successor to Novak. Parliamentary approval is a formality, given that Orbans lawmakers hold more than two-thirds of the seats, enough to pass any legislation or appointment. The scandal comes at a sensitive time for Orban, whose relations are fraught with Hungarys partners inside the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization due to his cozy relationship with Russia and China and his attempts at undermining Western support for Ukraine. Orban earlier this month was forced to drop his opposition to an EU aid package for Kyiv, two months after reversing course on a pledge to block Ukraines EU membership. He may also open the door for parliament to approve Swedens NATO membership later this month, after more than a year-and-a-half of foot-dragging had left Hungary as the lone holdout on ratification. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2024 Bloomberg L.P. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, left, meets with then-President Donald Trump at the White House in 2019. During a campaign speech Feb. 10, 2024, Trump said he would encourage Russia to attack NATO allies that aren't spending enough on their own defense. (NATO) Former President Donald Trumps statement over the weekend that he would encourage Russia to attack NATO allies that dont spend enough on defense exposes critical vulnerabilities that a second Trump term would bring for the 75-year-old alliance. At a campaign event Saturday in South Carolina, Trump repeated his long-held view that American willingness to defend NATO members hinges on whether theyre delinquent on defense spending. But his invitation to Russia took things a step further this time. No, I would not protect you, Trump said he once told an unidentified European head of state. In fact, I would encourage (the Russians) to do whatever the hell they want. Youve got to pay. You got to pay your bills. Trumps erroneous insistence that certain allies are delinquent and his refusal to commit to NATOs linchpin provision, that an attack on one is an attack on all, would call the feasibility of a U.S.-led NATO into question in the event he is reelected. Could Trump withdraw the U.S. from NATO? Trumps frequent criticism of NATO has fueled speculation about whether he would seek to pull the United States out of the alliance. No country in NATOs 75-year history has ever attempted such a thing. However, there is an alliance mechanism for getting out if a country so chooses. Under Article 13, a one-year notice is required. With Trump in mind, U.S. lawmakers have sought to make that more difficult. Last years defense funding bill included a provision that forbids a president from pulling out of the alliance without congressional approval. Formal withdrawal could hinge on congressional support for NATO, which has traditionally been bipartisan. Still, a president could challenge the constitutionality of that law in the courts. Is the U.S. required to defend allies that are attacked? Trumps ambivalence about defending all allies could undermine NATOs viability even without an American pullout. The organizations very essence is that an attack on one is an attack on all. Traditionally, that has been understood to mean that if one ally is invaded, the attacker would face the collective force of all members. But NATOs Article 5 provision doesnt mandate that kind of a response. Each member of the alliance will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked, it states. Trumps comments about encouraging Russia underscore the potential fragility of the collective mutual defense assurance. NATO leader Jens Stoltenberg immediately rebuked Trump, warning that any suggestion that its allies do not defend one another puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. In Europe, Trumps latest critiques have renewed a sense of angst that had subsided under President Joe Biden, who frequently states that the U.S. will defend every inch of NATO territory. Numerous analysts have said Trumps words should serve as a call to action in Europes capitals. This statement should motivate Europeans to invest more in defense with a double purpose: to make NATO Trump-proof if possible and to prepare for a post-NATO Europe, Ulrich Speck, a prominent German security analyst, said in a statement Sunday. Handwringing not sufficient. What are NATOs spending rules? At the heart of Trumps complaints about NATO is the reality that many alliance members dont meet agreed-on defense spending benchmarks. But his rhetoric has created confusion about the rules. He has frequently said allies arent making their NATO payments and are either delinquent or in arrears on their dues. However, NATO members do not pay dues. The crux of the issue is that countries dont invest enough in their own militaries. In an undated photo, Ukrainian soldiers move a self-propelled Dana howitzer donated by the Czech Republic during combat operations in Ukraine. In 1999, the Czech Republic was one of three former members of the Warsaw Pact to join NATO. (Ukrainian Ministry of Defense/X) The defense spending threshold is set at 2% of gross domestic product. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago, though, Stoltenberg and other NATO leaders have said over and over that 2% is the bare minimum now. The point is for all members to invest enough to ensure fair burden-sharing and sufficient capability when it comes to the collective defense of members. Currently, only about 10 of 31 members hit the 2% target. Germany, Europes economic powerhouse, is among the countries that consistently fall short. For that reason, many of Trumps attacks have centered on Germany, which hosts more than 30,000 U.S. troops. While NATO countries have steadily increased defense spending since Russias initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, its unclear when all allies will hit the mark. Displaced Palestinians find shelter in a camp in Rafah on Feb. 2, 2024. (Loay Ayyoub/The Washington Post) JERUSALEM The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, facing explosive allegations of ties with Hamas, is struggling to preserve its reputation and maintain its lifesaving operations in Gaza, even as Israel threatens to invade the enclaves last refuge for displaced civilians. Political pressure on the U.N. Relief and Works Agency mounted further on Saturday after Israel said it had uncovered a tunnel passing under UNRWAs main headquarters in Gaza City. The Israeli military posted pictures of what it called an electrical supply hub powering a vast Hamas underground network in the area and said large quantities of weapons had been recovered there. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said Saturday that the agency had no knowledge of the underground tunnel and had neither the military and security expertise nor the capacity to conduct military-grade inspections of the premises. Israel, he added, had not formally notified UNRWA of the findings under the compound, which staff evacuated on Oct. 12 amid Israeli bombardment. Oh, you knew, COGAT, an arm of the Israeli Defense Ministry, fired back on X. You chose to ignore the facts so you can later try and deny them. UNRWA has been under intense scrutiny since late last month, when Israel alleged that 12 of its employees were involved in the Oct. 7 attack led by Hamas, in which gunmen killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took more than 250 hostages. Six of the agencys employees were alleged to have crossed into Israel on Oct. 7 and four were involved in kidnapping Israelis, according to an intelligence dossier compiled by the Israeli government and reviewed by The Washington Post. The document did not lay out evidence against the accused. The claims prompted the United States and Germany, UNRWAs two biggest donors, to suspend funding along with at least 14 other countries. Amid a looming famine in Gaza, the agency is trying to stretch dwindling resources past the end of February as it pleads with Washington and others to restore more than $400 million in suspended funds. The United States, whose contribution accounts for more than 80 percent of those funds, has conditioned their release on the findings of a U.N. investigation. Israel has not publicly detailed its claims about the employees or officially shared the allegations and supporting evidence with UNRWA, according to the United Nations. UNRWAs efforts in Gaza, which include feeding and housing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, are increasingly precarious, Lazzarini said Friday. Israels Bank Leumi has frozen UNRWAs account, he said, and the Israeli finance minister has threatened to cancel the agencys tax benefits. A months worth of food for 1.1 million Gazans has been held up at Israels southern Ashdod port, Lazzarini said, after Israeli authorities told the contractor not to move, not to handle and not to accept any payment. UNRWA said it has also been unable to deliver aid to hunger-stricken Gazans in the north since Jan. 23. Israeli naval forces last week fired on a food convoy attempting to travel there, according to UNRWA Gaza director Thomas White. Israels military has not commented on the incident. There is no clear alternative to UNRWA in Gaza, where more than 28,000 people have been killed during the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The World Food Program said in late December that 9 in 10 people were living on less than one meal a day. Some families have resorted to eating animal feed, and many are drinking dirty water. Now, Israel has warned it is planning a military operation in Rafah, home to some 1.4 million displaced Gazans who have nowhere else to go. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said last week that the agencys work in Gaza is critical and that Washington was looking for other donors to pick up the slack in funding. The European Union, UNRWAs third-largest donor, announced last month that it would not cut funding but called for an audit of the group by E.U. experts. Its unclear whether the review can be completed before the bloc is scheduled to make its next $88 million payment at the end of this month. Lazzarini visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates last week to seek financial and diplomatic support. He was cautiously optimistic that Arab states in the Persian Gulf states would help fill the funding gap, he said Friday, but he warned that UNRWA remained on the brink of collapse. Lazzarini fired 10 of the 12 employees accused in connection with the Oct. 7 attack - the other two were dead - before investigating the Israeli claims, a move he said was necessary to demonstrate how seriously UNRWA took the allegations. The United Nations internal watchdog, the Office of Internal Oversight Services, has launched an investigation, with preliminary findings expected to be presented to member states in about three weeks, Lazzarini said Friday. While the office has worked in conflict zones in Somalia, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo, its investigators will face formidable challenges in an enclave under attack, according to Tamara Alrifai, an UNRWA spokesperson in Amman, Jordan. The fact that people are on the move constantly with multiple displacements, with very patchy telecommunications, would make it difficult to have the kind of frequency of contact that any piece of work requires, let alone an investigation of this magnitude, she said. UNRWA has ordered its own independent investigation into agency protocols and policies, to be led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna. A final report is expected to be made public by late April. UNRWA has said it burned through its emergency financial reserves after President Donald Trump cut funding in 2018. Though President Biden restored aid in 2021, the agency has remained chronically underfunded. Now, amid unprecedented need in Gaza, UNRWA says it is functioning month-to-month and that money is fast running out. Our operations across the region will be seriously compromised at the end of February, Alrifai said. We are trying internally a number of financial management tactics that enable services to continue throughout the month of March. Only 3,000 of UNRWAs 13,000 employees in Gaza are able to work, she said, but the entire workforce there and 17,000 others across the region continue to be paid - at least for now. Payments into pension funds could be delayed to keep paying immediate salaries, Alrifai said. The agency is also looking into a loan from U.N. headquarters in New York. UNRWA was founded in 1949 to support Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes during the establishment of Israel. Over the decades, the agency has taken on many functions of a state, running schools, medical centers and food assistance programs in Palestinian refugee camps that have become urban slums - not only in Gaza and the occupied West Bank but also in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. Israeli authorities have long accused the agency of working with, or at least turning a blind eye to, Hamas operatives in Gaza. UNRWA denies the claims. An Israeli official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues, told The Post that the government is exploring other options for bringing aid to civilians in Gaza, but that no plans have been made. Israeli authorities demanded last week that responsible U.N. agencies take on UNRWAs mission in Gaza, echoing a long-standing demand by some Israeli politicians to dismantle the agency. But no other U.N. group operates at the scale of UNRWA or has the ability to ramp up operations to replace it, Alrifai said. And agencies cannot unilaterally change the mandate given to them by the U.N. General Assembly. Inside Gaza, some UNRWA employees fear they could lose their livelihoods. Who will give us guarantees that none of us will be persecuted under any pretext that Israel and the world deem inconsistent with their standards? said one 27-year employee, speaking to The Post on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Colleagues were overcome with anxiety about losing their salaries and felt under constant surveillance, the employee said. More than 150 UNRWA employees have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the United Nations, the largest single loss of life in the organizations history. Louisa Loveluck in Jerusalem, Karen DeYoung in Washington, Emily Rauhala and Beatriz Rios in Brussels, Hazem Balousha in Amman and Hajar Harb in London contributed to this report. SANAA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said they launched missile attacks Monday on a U.S. commercial ship in southern Red Sea, saying the hit was accurate. "Our naval forces targeted the American ship, Star Iris, in the Red Sea with a number of suitable naval missiles, and the hit was accurate," Yahya Sarea, Houthi military spokesman, said in a statement aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah satellite TV channel. "Our Armed Forces will continue to implement the decision to prevent all Israel-linked ships or those heading to Israeli ports unless Israeli aggression on the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip stops," he said. "Our forces will not hesitate to carry out more attacks in response to the Zionist crimes in Gaza, as well as in response to the American-British aggression against our country (Yemen)," the Houthi military spokesman added. Earlier in the day, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) reported on X platform that it received a report of incident about 40 nautical mile (around 74 km) south of the Yemeni port of al-Mukha. "Master said his vessel was attacked by two missiles," the UKMTO said, adding that there were no casualties and the vessel continued sailing. This is the latest in a series of attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea claimed by the Houthis since mid-November last year, in what they said in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering Houthi attacks against Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on Feb. 7, 2024. (Eugene Oliver/Department of Defense) WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has canceled his trip to Brussels on Tuesday to meet with NATO officials and discuss military aid for Ukraine after being rushed Sunday to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he is in critical care for symptoms related to a bladder problem, the Pentagon said. Secretary Austin will no longer travel to Brussels as originally scheduled. However, Wednesdays Ukraine Defense Contact Group will continue, albeit virtually, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagons top spokesman, said Monday. Austin, 70, was transported at about 2:20 p.m. Sunday to the hospital in Bethesda, Md., Ryder said. At about 4:55 p.m., Austin transferred the functions and duties to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks. Air Force Gen. Charles CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the White House and Congress were notified. Ryder told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon that the White House was informed Sunday that Austin was going to the hospital. Congress received notification shortly afterward. The Pentagon had announced last week that Austin would travel Tuesday with Brown to Brussels for an in-person meeting of the Ukraine group. Doctors at Walter Reed said Sunday night that Austin was admitted to a critical care unit after a series of tests and evaluations. Doctors provided an update Monday that Austin underwent non-surgical procedures that required general anesthesia to address his bladder problem. We anticipate a successful recovery and will closely monitor him overnight. A prolonged hospital stay is not anticipated, said John Maddox and Gregory Chesnut, doctors at the medical facility. We anticipate the secretary will be able to resume his normal duties [Tuesday]. The current bladder issue is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery. It was not clear Monday how long Austin will remain in the hospital. Austin had surgery in December for prostate cancer and was later hospitalized in January for complications from the procedure. However, he failed to provide proper notification to appropriate government officials. Austin returned to the Pentagon on Jan. 29 after being absent from the building for nearly a month because of his health. The secretary had been released from Walter Reed on Jan. 15 after spending about two weeks there following the surgery, which was conducted Dec. 22. But Austin faced public scrutiny after he failed to notify President Joe Biden and other government officials about his illness and hospitalization. His actions have sparked several reviews of what took place. The Pentagon announced Thursday that it completed its internal review of Austins hospitalization, which the defense secretary is now reviewing himself. Austin is also scheduled to testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 29 about his failure to notify the needed officials about his illness. He did address reporters at the Pentagon on Feb. 1 and apologized for not disclosing his prostate diagnosis, the surgery that followed and complications that led to an extended hospital stay. I want to be crystal clear: We did not handle this right. I did not handle this right, he said. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have told my team and the American people, and I take full responsibility. His cancer was discovered during a regular health screening in early December. He was admitted to the hospital about three weeks later for surgery, which required general anesthesia. He left the hospital the following morning. On Jan. 1, Austin returned to Walter Reed after experiencing pain in his abdomen, hip and leg. He was later found to have a urinary tract infection, and Austin spent days in the intensive care unit before he was moved to a private section of the hospital. But during Austins medical treatments, no one at the Defense Department notified the White House, Hicks, Congress or the public for several days. On Jan. 2, Austin transferred some of his more pressing responsibilities to Hicks. Austin said he had been experiencing fever, chills and shallow breathing on that day, and doctors decided to move him to the intensive care unit for several days of close monitoring. Yet Biden did not learn of Austins prostate cancer until Jan. 9. That same day, the White House ordered all Cabinet members or secretaries must immediately notify the administration if at any time they cannot perform their duties. Austin has said he did not direct anyone on his staff to conceal information about his health. He also said he has apologized to Biden for not immediately disclosing his diagnosis and treatment. (Tribune News Service) The body of an Iraq combat veteran missing since Dec. 16 was found in the Columbia River near Plymouth, Wash., in Benton County Saturday morning. According to a Facebook post by his friend Andrew Ross, Chance Townsend went missing at night on his way down from Prosser to a Christmas party in Hermiston, Ore., where he grew up. His car was found on the Interstate 82 Oregon-Washington bridge. Townsend had severe post traumatic stress disorder, according to Ross. Searches were conducted in December with K-9 units, and volunteers that included veterans, friends and waterfowl hunters searched with drones, on foot and in boats, according to Ross. His body was spotted Saturday by fishermen and recovered by Columbia Basin Dive Rescue and Benton County sheriffs deputies and Benton County Fire District 6. An autopsy is planned to determine the cause of death. The Veterans Crisis Line offers support for veterans and their loved ones. Dial 988 and press 1 or text 838255. Those having thoughts of suicide and needing someone to talk to may contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988. (c)2024 Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Wash.) Visit www.tri-cityherald.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will hold talks with Pakistans newly elected government for disbursement of the final loan tranche under SBA, according to well-placed media sources. Under SBA, Pakistan will receive a final loan tranche of $1.1 billion. The targets set by the IMF have already been met by the caretaker government of Pakistan. The international lender is not interested in holding talks with the caretaker government for the final loan tranche under the SBA and has decided to hold negotiations with the elected government only, the sources said. They further said the talks between IMF and Pakitans newly elected government can be held in the last week of February or the first week of March. Earlier, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a debt rescheduling plan for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) privatisation According to details, the negotiations between the officials of the Ministry of Privatization, the Ministry of Finance, and the IMF were successful. The IMF agreed to pay the interest on the PIA loan to the government of Pakistan for one year. The government will pay the Rs280 billion loan to the banks at 12 percent interest for one year. Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have agreed on political cooperation after the elections, meaning they will discuss formulas for making a government. In a joint statement issued after a meeting in Lahore on Sunday, the two parties said they would cooperate to bring stability to Pakistan. The people have given us the mandate. We wont disappoint them, it said. Shehbaz Sharif arrived at the Bilawal House in Lahore on Sunday for the second round of talks. He was accompanied by Saad Rafique, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanveer, Ahsan Iqbal and Azam Nazeer Tarar. Both Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari represented the PPP in the meeting. The statement added that the two sides have exchanged proposals on how to form a government, which will be placed before the PPPs Central Executive Committee. One round of talks has already been completed between the two parties. Shehbaz Sharif had met Asif Zardari and Bilawal in Lahore on Friday, hours after a speech by Nawaz Sharif. The PPPs CEC is expected to meet in Islamabad on Monday at 7pm. The PPP and PML-N have emerged as the second and third largest group after the elections with 75 and 54 seats in the National Assembly respectively. Zardari is expected to meet PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The meeting between the PML-N, the PPP came hours after a delegation of MQM-P leaders called on PML-N leadership in Lahore. Although the Karachi based party was mum on any talks related to cooperation, PML-Ns Azam Nazeer Tarar confirmed that his party sought recommendations from the MQM-P on the coalition government formation. The party would share the recommendations with its working committee. Bilawals name being discussed for PM Talks between PPP and PML-N are discussing the option of fielding Bilawal for the slot of prime minister, sources claimed on Sunday. With Bilawals name under consideration for PM, they added that Sharifs name is being discussed for the presidents office. The formula could also include the name of Yousaf Raza Gillani as speaker of the National Assembly. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have deliberated on the possibility of appointing prime ministers from their parties for a three- and two-year term under a power-sharing formula. The idea of appointing a prime minister for half the term was discussed during their first huddle on Sunday following the February 8 elections as part of their efforts to form a coalition government in the Centre and provinces, according to sources privy to the development. The same power-sharing formula was chalked out by the PML-N and the National Party (NP) in Balochistan in 2013 when two chief ministers from the two parties held office for half of the five-year term. In the Sunday meeting at the Bilawal House in Lahore, the two sides agreed in principle to cooperate for the countrys political stability following the general election. The meeting was attended by PPP-Parliamentarian President Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif from the PML-N. According to a joint statement issued after the huddle, the meeting was held in a cordial environment, which expressed commitment to putting the nations interest and well-being above everything. The leaders of both parties engaged in substantive discussions regarding the prevailing political landscape and the imperative of collaborative efforts for the betterment of the country. The PML-N delegation included Azam Nazir Tarar, Ayaz Sadiq, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanvir, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Malik Ahmad Khan, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Sheza Fatima. The joint statement said key points of discussion were the assessment of Pakistans overall situation, deliberations on future political strategies and the exchange of recommendations aimed at promoting stability and progress across the board. Both parties affirmed their dedication to steering Pakistan away from political instability and towards a path of prosperity and resilience. The statement said that the majority of the country had given mandate to the two parties and they would not disappoint them. The leaders of the two parties underscored their unwavering commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of people and ensuring their voices were heard and heeded. McCann, a council waste disposal worker of Balcurris Park West, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to sexual assault but was spared a conviction A pub-goer who groped a woman while trying to move her out of his way at a bar has been spared a conviction for sexual assault. Anthony McCann (52) had no sexual intentions and got no gratification from the assault, a court heard. Judge Michael Connellan dismissed the case under the Probation of Offenders Act at Dublin District Court. McCann, a council waste disposal worker of Balcurris Park West, Ballymun, pleaded guilty to sexual assault. Detective Sergeant Donal OShea told the court the incident happened while the accused was socialising in a north Dublin pub and had a significant amount of alcohol consumed". The victim was trying to pass him out to go to the bar when he shoved two fingers into her vaginal area, but without any penetration. The woman immediately slapped him across the face and made a complaint to gardai. When CCTV was viewed, gardai saw another earlier incident involving McCann and a man but there was no complaint in relation to this. There was a lot of alcohol taken and McCann fully accepted what he did, his solicitor Holly Laher said. There was no sexual intention behind what happened he was just trying to move the woman away and there were unintended consequences. Sgt OShea accepted McCanns actions were not for any sexual gratification. The accused, who had mild learning difficulties, had no previous convictions of any kind and had not come to garda attention before or since the incident. Ms Laher asked the judge to be as lenient as he could in the circumstances. The judge said he was taking account of the very early guilty plea and the fact that McCann fully cooperated with gardai and accepted the seriousness of what happened. He applied the Probation Act, leaving McCann without a recorded conviction. The collision also inflicted horrific injuries on a female motorist on her way to Dublin Airport to begin a new life in Australia Gardai in Cork at the scene of the fatal crash A teenager received a four-year detention sentence after driving at over 170kmh the wrong way down the Dublin-Cork motorway in a stolen car resulting in a collision which claimed the life of a 16-year-old passenger. The 17-year-old driver, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of John 'Johnny' Foley (16) outside Mitchelstown on July 1 2023 The collision also inflicted horrific injuries on a female motorist on her way to Dublin Airport to begin a new life in Australia. Two other passengers in the teenager's car were also seriously injured. Cork Circuit Criminal Court was told by Detective Garda John Murphy that the driver of a stolen car, which contained five teenagers, had earlier evaded gardai in Glanworth village in north Cork on the evening of June 30. The vehicle had been stolen in Cork city two days earlier. Later, in the early hours of July 1, the same stolen Toyota was spotted in Mitchelstown. The driver avoided gardai by driving the wrong way around two roundabouts at high speed. The vehicle then sped onto the M8 Dublin-Cork motorway, where the Toyota drove the wrong way for six kilometres down the northbound lane. Judge Helen Boyle was told the car reached speeds of over 170kmh - forcing other motorists to take emergency evasive manoeuvres to avoid a collision. However, at 1am the Toyota ploughed into a Kia being driven by mental health occupational therapist Roisin Stakelum. Johnny Foley (16) died in the head-on collision Ms Stakelum was driving to Dublin Airport to fly to Australia to start a new life. In harrowing victim impact evidence, Ms Stakelum said the collision left her with life-changing injuries. I began my journey just after midnight on the morning of July 1, 2023. I never made it to the airport. I barely made it out of Fermoy. That crash brought a violent end to my plans, all my hard work and dreams for a new life," she said. What happened that night on the motorway altered the course of my life and changed me forever. Im haunted by the memory of the impact. Haunted by the memory of the headlights and then what seemed like an explosion. I often think of how unlucky I was to be on that particular stretch of road at that exact moment. After the collision, Ms Stakelum had to undergo an eight-hour operation, which involved titanium plates being inserted to repair multiple fractures to her face. Even now I am unable to fully open my mouth. I have nerve damage all over the bottom half of my face and have no sensation or altered sensation in a lot of it," she said. I dont think I fully understood the meaning of pain until this experience. The first time seeing my face in a mirror after the surgery, my face was so damaged and swollen and bruised I didnt recognise my own reflection. I thought I was somebody else. That was terrifying. I couldnt physically smile for months. Ms Stakelum said that she was readmitted to hospital late last August with an intestinal obstruction which has caused her excruciating pain. If someone gave me the option of dying or continuing to experience that pain I wouldnt have thought twice about taking the offer of death. The burden of my injuries has placed strain on those closest to me, especially my parents. The emotional toll on my loved ones cannot be overstated and I am deeply saddened by the pain this has caused them. My future was once so certain. I knew exactly what I was going to be doing. I had it mapped out. Now, I feel disconnected, like Ive been plugged out of my life. I cant see a way back. I dont think Im ever going to feel like myself again. I wont move to Australia now. That future doesnt exist for me anymore. Ms Stakelum described the death of Johnny Foley as an immense tragedy. The teen was from Togher in Cork and died despite desperate efforts by paramedics to save him after the crash. The loss of a young life is an immense tragedy and I cannot help but feel a profound sense of sorrow for the untimely passing of this young person. My heart goes out to the family and loved ones who grieve his loss. The 17-year-old defendant also pleaded guilty to three charges of dangerous driving causing serious harm to two teenage passengers in his car as well to the other motorist, Ms Stakelum, in the two-car collision as well as to a count of endangerment where other motorists had to take evasive action. Judge Boyle said it was a tragic incident and noted that other motorists had to take dramatic action to avoid colliding with the car driven by the defendant. She noted that the youth had had little or no parental assistance growing up. Judge Boyle said the teen had a highly dysfunctional childhood where he had experienced severe neglect. She said that the loss of life and injuries involved were tragic. Judge Boyle said that there was a certain inevitability about the crash given the dangerous manner in which the car was being driven. KABUL, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan's Acting Deputy Prime Minister on Political Affairs Mawlawi Abdul Kabir has said that the upcoming UN-sponsored Doha conference aims to encourage the world community to focus on engagement with Afghanistan, local media outlet TOLOnews reported Monday. "We have been assured that the upcoming meeting of Doha will be aimed at encouraging the world to engage with the Islamic Emirate," TOLOnews quoted Kabir on Monday as saying. In the Doha conference scheduled for Feb. 18-19, the situation in Afghanistan and the increasing international community's engagement in a coordinated manner with the ruling administration in the war-torn country would be reportedly discussed. Although the Afghan caretaker government has been ruling Afghanistan since the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces from the country in August 2021, most countries have not granted official diplomatic recognition to the interim establishment even though several embassies are operational in Kabul. Kabir has earlier said that Afghanistan's 38 embassies are operational abroad. The Afghan senior official also noted that the Afghan administration has met all conditions for recognition and asked regional countries to recognize it. Roman Nosenko and Mikhailo Skriaha, were selling the cheap cigarettes from the back of a Ukrainian registered vehicle Two Ukrainian refugees who were caught operating an illegal cigarette business have avoided going to jail after being given a suspended prison sentence. The pair, Roman Nosenko and Mikhailo Skriaha, were selling the cheap cigarettes from the back of a Ukrainian registered vehicle at Pearse Road, Letterkenny in Co Donegal on August 22nd last. The men were caught with more than 8,000 fake counterfeit smokes and 5,395 in cash when swooped on by Gardai. They appeared at Letterkenny District Court before Judge Eiteain Cunningham. The court was told that investigating Gardai witnessed the men carrying out a transaction after being tipped off about the illegal sales. At 1.40pm outside a local shopping centre Gardai carried out surveillance and witnessed the men selling cigarettes to a passer-by before getting into their vehicle and leaving the scene. Gardai followed the men and pulled in the car and found both the cigarette and cash haul inside. Officers seized 2000 of Rothmans of London, 1600 of Marlboro Red, 200 of Winston Blue, 200 of a variety of Rothmans, 200 of Lambert & Butler Original silver, 1600 of Marlboro Touch, 200 of L&M red label, 200 of Winston x Style dual, 200 of Marlboro Touch XL, 400 of Aqua Blue, 400 of Parliament Aqua Super Slim and 1300 of Richmond King Size. The cigarettes had no valid tax stamps affixed. The offence is contrary to Section 78 (3) of the Finance Act 2005 as amended by Section 56 of Finance Act, 2013. Gardai took possession of the cigarettes and the cash. Sergeant Jim Collins said both men were co-operative in interview and accepted their respective involvements in the enterprise. Nosenko, a 42-year-old with an address at Atlantic Way Apartments, Bundoran and 39-year-old Skriaha, of Atlantic Point Apartments, Bundoran, pleaded guilty. Frank Dorrian, representing both defendants, said they were in Ireland for around a year having sought refuge from the ongoing war in Ukraine. Nosenko, a father-of-one, worked as a food processing manager in the war-torn city of Mariupol, which is under Russian occupation. Skriaha, Mr Dorrian said, is a father-of-two who hails from not quite as sensitive an area off Ukraine. Skriaha had worked in a bakery before moving to Ireland. Mr Dorrian said the endeavour was clumsy in that they attempted it outside a shopping centre which would draw the eye of the passer-by, the retailer or the gardai. They are both without a criminal record and they are very generously accommodated by the State, Mr Dorrian said, adding that both the products and the cash were now gone from his clients. Judge Eiteain Cunningham said she considered the matter significant. We are talking significant cigarette and cash amounts, Judge Cunningham said. The choice of location was clumsy, but it wasnt clumsy in any regard. It is a serious matter," she said. Having considered the case, Judge Cunningham said she noted that neither of the men had previous convictions. Probation reports for both men were very positive and suggested that the likelihood of the accused men reoffending was low. However, Judge Cunningham said this was a very serious offence considering the number of cigarettes and amount of cash seized. The men had told the court previously how the cash found on the men was from the sale of a vehicle in the Ukraine but that they had no documentary proof of this. Judge Cunningham said she was imposing a sentence of four months in prison on each man but suspended both sentences for a period of 18 months. The Judge also ordered the cigarettes be forfeited to the State but said she considered the cash was as a result of the proceeds of crime and ordered the seized cash to be given to the local Saint Vincent de Paul outlet. Nicola speaks with Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent Allison Morris about the new sentence tariffs and the tragic sequence of events that led to the terrible murder. Sixty-eight-year-old William Finlay was sentenced recently for a minimum of 20 years for murdering his former partner at her County Antrim home in the first case using new domestic abuse legislation. But is the sentence long enough for the life of retired nurse and grandmother Alyson Nelson who at 64 underwent a vicious, unrelenting attack motivated by jealousy? Nicola speaks with Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent Allison Morris about the new sentence tariffs and the tragic sequence of events that led to the terrible murder. MORE EPISODES Man facilitated cartel by buying credit for phone A man who this week admitted facilitating the Kinahan cartel in carrying out a serious offence is a company director who runs a successful fitness business in Tipperary. Michael Crotty, of Sli Aonghusa, Aras na Ri, Cashel, Co Tipperary, is facing sentencing after this week admitting to buying a phone credit for senior cartel figure Sean McGovern, which assisted the gang in the murder of Noel Duck Egg Kirwan in 2016. Michael Crotty Crotty said it was never his intention that his buying of the phone credit would lead to the endangerment of another person. There is currently a warrant out for McGoverns arrest in relation to the murder of Mr Kirwan and gardai are hoping to extradite him back to Ireland from Dubai. Crotty had initially pleaded not guilty to facilitating the murder but on Tuesday he admitted to a new charge based on recklessness, with his counsel telling the court it had never been Crottys intention for the top-up bought at a Spar shop in Naas, Co Kildare, on December 21, 2016, on behalf of Mr McGovern to be used in the endangerment of any person. Michael Crotty admitted getting the credit for Sean McGovern Our picture shows Crotty promoting his gym and personal fitness business which he runs in Tipperary. I am the owner of Xtreme CSC Cashel so I am the manager and look after the day-to-day running of the gym, he said in promotional material for his business. The most recent accounts from Crottys company Xtreme CSC Tipperary Ltd, which he set up in 2018, show that in 2022 it had 79,092 in tangible assets and 33,997 in cash at the bank and in hand. Sean McGovern There is no suggestion anyone else linked to the business has any involvement in crime and Crotty is not involved in any of the other Xtreme CSC gyms. Crotty has known Sean McGovern, one of the men injured during the Regency Hotel attack in 2016, for years. McGovern, from Crumlin, was named in the Special Criminal Court at Crottys case as a significant figure in a leadership role in the Kinahan organised crime group, and gardai said he is currently in Dubai. Presiding judge Ms Justice Caroline Biggs extended Crottys bail and adjourned the brief hearing to April 22 for sentencing. Miguel Angel Gomez Gonzalez (39) and David Perez Carracedo (43) died when their smaller craft was run over during the incident The funerals of Miguel Angel Gomez and David Perez Carracedo took place on Sunday. Photo: Getty Eight people have been arrested in Spain after two officers were killed when suspected drug traffickers rammed their boat with a speed boat. The men, Miguel Angel Gomez Gonzalez (39) and David Perez Carracedo (43) died when their smaller craft was run over during the incident. Two other officers were injured, one seriously at the southern port of Barbate, near Cadiz, on Friday night. One of those arrested, according to local media, is a convicted criminal known as Kiko El Cabra (The Goat). Police are now investigating if Fridays fatal collision was a deliberate act of vengeance against the police. One of his close pals died ten days ago when a smugglers boat was in collision with a bigger police patrol boat. Barbate's mayor, Miguel Molina, contacted the Civil Guard looking for assistance on Friday night after six "narco-boats" were spotted sheltering from a storm in the city's port. according to El Pais, The fatal boat chase later that evening was caught on a video posted to social media, as the speedboat collided with the police boat. Civil Guards David Perez Carracedo and Miguel Angel Gomez Gonzalez. Photo: Civil Guard Local media said the eight people arrested include known drug dealers and money launderers. As they were brought into court on Monday morning, they were heckled by onlookers, who shouted "murderers" and "rot in jail". More than a thousand people attended the agents' funerals, which were held on Sunday. In a statement, the Spanish Guardia Civil officers' association (AUGC) said it has long demanded a "real plan" to provide officers with better means and resources to fight drug traffickers, and called for the resignation of Spain's interior minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. There was controversy when the family of one of the slain officers refused to allow a government minister to place a medal on the coffin. In a post on X, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he "deeply regrets" the deaths and paid tribute to "the great work" done by security forces in the fight against trafficking. Cadiz and the surrounding region are known to be key points of entry for traffickers smuggling drugs, The nearby 15km-wide Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Europe from Africa, is a regularly used route for drug smugglers. HSE alert issued for bus passengers and restaurant customers who may have come into contact with deceased man Chief Medical Officer discusses the importance of the MMR vaccine in preventing measles Counties with the highest risk of becoming measles hotspots are revealed today, in a week which saw the tragic death of a Westmeath man from the disease. A major slump in the take-up of jabs to protect against measles is worst in counties Louth and Meath, which have the lowest vaccination rates in the country at about 80pc. The figures show vaccination rates for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab in children at the age of two since the late 1990s. Coverage needs to be around 95pc to prevent outbreaks. Counties where rates have plummeted to between 80pc and 84pc the lowest in the country are Donegal and Sligo. Counties where rates are at 85pc to 89pc include Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Kilkenny, Carlow, Cavan, Monaghan and Dublin. Other counties have measles vaccination rates for two-year-olds between 90pc to 94pc. It follows a public health alert from the HSE yesterday to Bus Eireann passengers on Route 115 and also to customers and staff in a Mullingar restaurant who may have been unwittingly exposed to measles by the 48-year-old man, who died of the disease in Mullingar Hospital on Wednesday. They are asked to be watchful for symptoms of measles 21 days from exposure and to ensure they and their family are up to date with MMR vaccines. Suspected cases were found last week among children in parts of the midlands, Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary Passengers who were on the Dublin to Mullingar bus and back on the same route between January 30 and February 5 are subject to the alert. The man was on the bus and was infectious during that time. The warning is also directed at diners and others in a restaurant in Mullingar Business Park on January 29 between 2pm and 4.30pm. There has been a resurgence of meales in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. In Ireland, tens of thousands of children, as well as adults, have missed out on the MMR jab and more infections are inevitable. The man who died, and who it is understood was a Bus Eireann employee, is believed to have visited Birmingham, which has experienced major outbreaks, before he was diagnosed. A Bus Eireann spokesman said yesterday it does not provide information on staff. The man presented to his local hospital, but developed complications and died suddenly, leaving his relatives devastated. After just four cases last year, it now looks like measles is getting a foothold here. Suspected cases were found last week among children in parts of the midlands, Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary. Dr Jack Lambert, an infectious disease consultant in the Mater Hospital in Dublins north inner city, where vaccination levels are low, said there remains unfounded vaccine scepticism after the Covid-19 pandemic. There has been a lot of misinformation about vaccines. The consequences of measles can be huge, he said. Dr Jack Lambert says 'we need to address vaccine scepticism' in Ireland. Photo: Steve Humphreys People have forgotten that the reason children dont die any more from these different infections is because vaccines are protecting them. All of these infections are still around and we need to address vaccine scepticism in Ireland. The percentage of children vaccinated in Ireland is concerning. I have seen measles outbreaks in places like Haiti, where only 25pc are vaccinated, and hundreds of children coming in to hospital with the complications of measles. GPs and families here have never seen this level. Measles is potentially lethal, but it is preventable. Two doses are recommended to be considered fully vaccinated and the first is given when a child is a year old, with the second in junior infants class. The curtailment of so many health services during the worst of the Covid pandemic, as well as diversion of school vaccination teams to other duties and absences by children, added to the fall-off in jabs. Vaccine fatigue and discredited links with autism are also factors. Measles has the potential to affect the lungs or brain, causing pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures. In rare cases it can be fatal. There is particular concern about 18 to 34-year-olds, after one study found one in 10 had no protection either from vaccination or previous infection. Look for cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and a cough, sore red eyes, and a temperature of 38C or above The HSE asked people who are at risk to be alert to symptoms for 21 days from the time of possible exposure. Children under the age of one, pregnant women and the immunosuppressed are a concern. Look for cold-like symptoms such as a runny nose, sneezing and a cough, sore red eyes, and a temperature of 38C or above. A rash can appear on the head and neck first and spread to rest of body If a person who may have been exposed to measles is not vaccinated against it with two doses of MMR, they should contact a GP as soon as possible during normal working hours to discuss if they need vaccination. Anyone born in Ireland before 1978 is likely immune. There is also a free catch-up MMR option through participating GPs. An extra 50,000 construction workers are needed over the next decade to keep up with demand Irish construction workers living aboard are going to be encouraged back home to help address the housing crisis, under a new government plan. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris has been given 750,000 to launch a campaign aimed at increasing the number men and women working in the construction industry. Central to the strategy will be an outreach programme to workers in cities such as London, New York and Sydney to establish what the Government could do to incentivise them to come home. Mr Harris said analysis by his department suggests an extra 50,000 construction workers across all trades will be needed over the next decade to keep up with housing demand. Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins We are currently revising those targets in line with the revised housing targets and an increased use of modern methods of construction but we will need more people to work here over the next number of years, the minister said. That is why we are currently considering a number of measures to boost the labour market, including peer-to-peer campaigns for people aged 18 to 24 to show the value of careers in construction and working with guidance counsellors also. We will be also targeting Irish workers who live abroad to come home and help build a home. There are a number of people working outside of Ireland and we need them here. The campaign will use advertising targeted at people working in construction overseas. The department will seek to speak with people in the industry and ask them what would encourage them to return to Ireland. Direct financial incentives are not on the table to attract workers back to the country but the Department of Higher Education is examining what measures could be used to make Ireland a more attractive place to work. Mr Harriss Careers in Construction report found parents are worried about the financial uncertainty, career stagnation and physical burnout of construction careers. In some cases, students are actively discouraged from pursuing roles in the sector. The report found secondary school guidance counsellors, though open to information on trade and construction, are still more focused on encouraging students towards the academic education and training system. Mr Harris is concerned students are given limited exposure to the construction industry and trade apprenticeships while in secondary school. This is particularly the case in all-girls schools, where there are fewer technical subjects or modules that could encourage students to follow a career in construction. A lack of visible role models in the construction industry for girls is also an issue being examined by the minister. Representation, including visits to construction sites, could go a long way to address the gender stereotyping and prevalent fear among this cohort that construction is an inappropriate industry for women, Mr Harris said. The minister has increased the number of people taking up apprentices since he was appointed to the portfolio four years ago. However, Mr Harris said a lot more men and women needed to take up positions in the construction sector to assist the Government in tackling the housing crisis. Since 2021, more than 27,000 people have registered as apprentices. Craft apprenticeship registrations for 2021-2023 were 19,842, an increase of almost 49pc over the preceding two years. Hidden in the Coromandel-Moehau ranges, legend says, a Bigfoot-like creature dwells within the bush. Known as the Moehau Man, some believed it was a descendant of Maero, a group of supernatural people in Maori tradition, while others believed it was an escaped gorilla or baboon. There had been speculation the Moehau Man had started out as a joke which became superstition, with a story published in The Press in 1970 claiming the creature was now dead. The article quoted a county councillor, Jim Reedy, who grew up in Coromandel, and said there had never been any kind of monster in the area. A drawing depicting what the Moehau Man could look like. Image: Haunted Auckland / Supplied. It started out as a joke, I suppose, and then superstition, and more yarns added to it until it became real to a lot of people." However, paranormal investigator Marc Coppell has been hunting for the Moehau man since 2015, when he had "strange experiences" in a remote area of Coromandel bush. Marc Coppell has spent time in America researching the unexplained - but now he takes a closer look at the abnormal in our backyard. Photo: Ryan Anderson/Stuff. "After finding unusual footprints in hard-to-reach places and hearing heavy bi-pedal approaches, I had the unnerving feeling of being watched," he told Stuff in 2019. "I've heard very strange scream-sounds, I've found footprints, and even had stones thrown at me ... I am dead serious. It's extremely bizarre. "I've even heard what's called wood-taps which sounds like a wooden bat knocking against a tree." Marc Coppell holding a cast he made, which he believes shows a footprint. Photo: Ryan Anderson / Stuff. He says there had been "various modern sightings" and he had been contacted by people who reported seeing the beast, but were afraid to share their account with others. Something in the bush Scott Bainbridge, who covered the Moehau Man in his book, New Zealand Mysteries, says while he wasnt convinced an ape-like creature roamed the forest, there was something supernatural going on there. When I was researching the legend I spoke with hunters and locals who said the area had an eerie feeling to it. These guys were hunters who had been all over the country, but they said that area of forest felt different and they would hear strange noises unlike anything else. While researching, Scott heard rumours about the Moehau Man being an escaped ape from a circus ship. Investigative author Scott Bainbridge wrote about the Moehau Man in his book New Zealand Mysteries. Photo: Dominic Zapata / Waikato Times. I looked into it and spoke with Auckland Zoo about whether that would be feasible, but they said an ape wouldnt be able to survive the conditions there. Bainbridge believed many of the rumours of the Moehau Man came from the gold rush era and many were probably perpetuated over a few drinks. My belief is the stories were exaggerated to deter people from going to the gold fields. Scott says he believes there is a presence in the forest, however. I dont believe those creatures are out there theres no evidence of nests or faecal matter, but there is something. A strange feeling. A spokesperson for the Department of Conservation, says members of their team in the Coromandel had heard of the Moehau man myth but none had seen any evidence of its existence. Most visitors to the Coromandel are there to enjoy the walks, beaches, and nature. Melanie Earley/Stuff. Advocates say police's intentions to withdraw from family harm callouts will only cause more harm. In a recent briefing to incoming Police Minister Mark Mitchell, the police department proposed a managed withdrawal from what it considered non-crime social problems. Police say it has been forced to step in when it comes to family harm, mental health, and child protection calls due to a lack of other social services. But it says more than half of its family harm investigations do not involve an offence being recorded. It proposes a change that will involve withdrawal from some of those callouts over time and advocates for that role to be filled by others. But it is a proposal that has shocked those who advocate for victims. "People don't invite police around just because they feel like a visit. "They invite them around because they're scared," says Women's Refuge chief executive Ang Jury. She can not see any other agency that could step in and take the role of police. "Police is the only agency in this country that actually has the power and the authority to deal with potentially dangerous situations." And if offences were not being recorded at family callouts, Ang says that was not necessarily because they did not exist. She says a prime example was breaches of protection orders. "Breaches of protection order are an offence. Yet the vast majority of them are never result in a charge," says Ang. "That doesn't mean to say they shouldn't." Family lawyer Vicki Currie says she was concerned that cases of family violence would be missed if police did not attend callouts anymore. She says when they attended a callout, a family violence incident was recorded and then shared with other agencies such as Women's Refugee and Oranga Tamariki. "If the police aren't attending callouts then it's not coming to the attention of [those] agencies," she says. "The reality is there is no other agency with the power to arrest and detain people at family harm incidents. "There is no other agency that has the necessary tools to deal with mental health crisis and child protection and, in my view, it is the responsibility of the New Zealand Police to be at the frontline and dealing with these issues," says Vicki. Police 'going to triage differently' Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says its attendance to family harm callouts had increased 80 per cent in 10 years. That meant police time was being consumed in homes and away from the public places where people wanted to see them, he says. Andrew says family harm callouts could involve a complex mix of social problems including, drugs, financial issues and mental health. "Part of the challenge is that there is no one agency that obviously deals with that, and by default police becomes the one that they call. "We're signalling that we are going to triage differently on these events and we do need to prioritise our response to the things that only police can do,"says Andrew. "Which for a time potentially will create a gap in terms of who is ... available to respond to some of these situations." He says there were some community initiatives to help respond to these social issues, and the government had signalled that it would put more funding into those types of responses. "I'm confident that where a police response is required people are increasingly willing to contact us and they will continue to get a response," says Andrew. "What we're signalling here is that our policy of mandatory attendance at every family harm event, regardless of whether any violence or criminal activity has been signalled is not sustainable for us." In its briefing, police also says that to improve the response rates for non-urgent (priority two and below) family harm events and reduce demand on its frontline, Police had conducted a six-month Proof of Concept. "Ending in June 2023 that trialled a phoned-based triage service to provide timely risk assessment of further harm and help identify the appropriate support required," the briefing says. "The POC identified benefits in relieving frontline pressure and increasing victim trust in the police response." Andrew says an expansion of that pilot was being considered. But Ang is sceptical. She says over the phone, the caller may not provide all the relevant information. "Family violence victims, will often underplay what it is that's happening for a variety of reasons and they may not necessarily be providing enough information for that call taker to triage effectively," she says. She also remains worried about the wider ramifications of police withdrawing. "We simply cannot go back to the days of someone at the police station picking up a phone and saying 'oh well you know it's just a bit of a domestic, don't really need anyone to come out for it'." - RNZ/ Krystal Gibbens Matahui School is thrilled to kick off the new academic year with the highest student numbers since 2020. In response to the growing student body, Matahui School has transitioned to a four-classroom model. This expansion reflects the school's commitment to delivering a high-quality education through small-class sizes that fosters individual learning and focuses on building the individual talents and self-esteem of each child. Matahui School is an independent primary school in the Western Bay of Plent catering for children in years 1 - 8 and offering an education that helps children build the skills they need for life while achieving their best academically. "We are a member of the Independent Schools of New Zealand and a registered charity," says a school spokesperson. "We are not your typical school. We are a school where children are encouraged to climb trees; a school that focuses on building the individual talents and self-esteem of our students in a warm, friendly, and non-judgemental environment. "We provide fun and engaging learning and smaller class sizes for more one-on-one time with the teacher. Rather than trying to fit your child into a system we have designed our curriculum and school systems around our students needs and interests." Matahui School outdoor area. Photo: Supplied. The school faced significant challenges in 2021, with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic threatening closure. Despite the challenges presented by the global pandemic, the school has not only weathered the storm but has emerged stronger, introducing several new innovative programmes over the past few years. Among the exciting additions is the introduction of the One-Day School, which features a Guardians of the Forest Programme and a Neurodiverse Programme. The One-Day Programme allows children who are not students at the school to experience the schools unique curriculum. The Guardians of the Forest is a once-a-week forest school where children spend the day engaged in nature, progressing practical skills, and developing environmental awareness. The Neurodiverse Programme is specially designed for children with a learning need such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, twice-exceptional, ADHD and gifted children; and includes components of structured literacy, Math, and hands-on project-inquiry. Matahui School outdoor area. Photo: Supplied. Principal Mary Woods is expressing optimism about the future. "We are delighted to welcome our students back for the new school year," says Mary. "The challenges of the past have only strengthened our resolve to provide a nurturing and enriching environment for every child. "The increased enrolment and the success of our new programmes are a testament to the spirit of Matahui School." The growing teaching staff are equally excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. "The combination of traditional and innovative teaching methods ensures that Matahui School continues to offer an education that helps children build the skills they need for life while achieving their best academically." Jennie Rhodes Castell de Ferro Monday, 12 February 2024, 09:27 Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The seaside village of Castell de Ferro is in the municipality of Gauchos on Granada province's Costa Tropical. It gets its name from the castle of the same name, which some believe is of Roman origin. Concha Casas, a historian and former columnist for SUR's sister paper in Granada, Ideal, published a book in 2018 called 'Gualchos Castell de Ferro. One municipality, two stories'. In the book she explains that the village's history goes back to the Neolithic period. Casas goes on to explain that the actual castle in Castell del Ferro dates back to Spain's Islamic period, but adds, "It could also be earlier, although there is no data that confirms it." According to local historian Miguel Montes, Castillo de Hierro' or 'iron castle' in English, has been known as a number of names over the centuries. These include: Ara de Qermellach before the 12th century, at which point it became 'Masalferruch'. Between the 15th and the 18th century it was known by its Arabic name 'Castil de Ferro'. Montes believes it was the influence of Catalan fishermen who frequented the area in the 18th century that led to its current name, Castell de Ferro, meaning 'iron castle' in Catalan. Casas explains that in the surroundings of the castle evidence was found of what is thought to have been soldiers' houses and also houses belonging to local fishermen. She also points out that as the castle is located on the coast, "at a time when invasions of the Moors and pirates were continuous and permanent, nobody wanted to settle". She goes on to say that it wasn't until the end of the reign of Carlos III (1759-1788) when a peace agreement was signed with the King of Morocco that the first settlers arrived in Castell de Ferro, but Casas says that even when in 1805 the first chapel was built in Castell, it was still "not considered a village". In February 2023 emergency restoration work was carried out on the castle which is a listed building. HONG KONG, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- After only four months in office, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shot out a flagship national economic reform, dubbed "Make in India," to make the country a global manufacturing hub. The ambitious campaign was to create a conducive environment for investments, develop a modern and efficient infrastructure, and open up new sectors for foreign capital, trying to repeat at the broader national level the economic miracle Modi created in Gujarat state, where he served for over a decade as chief minister. Almost 10 years on, the main arrows of the campaign, however, have missed their targets. "India's Western partners see India as a 'challenging place to do business,'" said The Hill, citing the U.S. State Department. DRAINED CONFIDENCE Multinational companies, including Berkshire Hathaway Inc., IBM and Vodafone, have long complained of exhausting hurdles in India. Between 2018 and March 2023, 559 foreign companies ceased their operations in India, while only 469 began operations, according to Hindustan Times, one of India's leading English dailies. The Modi government has been trying to improve India's business environment. Billions of rupees have been poured into infrastructure upgrades. Red tape and other bureaucratic hurdles have been reduced, and incentives like tax breaks and subsidies have been introduced to attract more foreign and domestic investment. However, regulatory flip-flops, high tariff barriers, perplexing land policies and infrastructure issues have prompted foreign companies to reconsider investing in the country. According to The Hill, between 2019 and 2021, the share of global foreign direct investment inflows to India has shrunk from 3.4 percent to 2.8 percent. "Some policy measures taken by the government are positive and encouraging ... but it is still too little and too little. Also, the implementation of the policies remains poor on the ground," Mohammed Saqib, an economist at the India-China Economic and Cultural Council, told Xinhua. Furthermore, appearances can be deceiving in India. Despite being the world's most populous country with a population of 1.4 billion, its middle class and skilled labor force are too small to drive consumption and upgrade industries. Its states speak different languages and enforce different laws, hardly forming a unified large market but numerous small circles of demands instead, thus driving up compliance and manufacturing costs for multinational companies. For Enterprises, "even selling basic consumer goods does not necessarily work," according to the Economist. "Hindustan Unilever, which purveys sachets of shampoo for just a few rupees, has seen virtually no sales growth in dollar terms since 2012." The article's subtitle summed up foreign sentiment: "Multinational businesses relying on Indian consumers face disappointment." "MAKE IN INDIA" BECOMES "MAKE FOR INDIA" Since Modi came to power, the most significant change brought by the political strongman in India's domestic political arena has been a surge of nationalism. The extreme sentiment has spilled over into the economy. Complaints and competition trigger retribution from bureaucrats, with probes by the tax department or fraud investigation office. "His (Modi's) government plays a markedly interventionist role in managing the economy, in a way that can make it dangerous for firms to place their stakes," said the New York Times. India has imposed high tariffs or bans on imported components to protect domestic manufacturing of smartphone components and laptop computers. Gradually, "Make in India" has become "Make for India." The Indian government has targeted sectors where it believes local suppliers can replace foreign ones. "After China introduced the entire mobile phone industrial chain to India, which helped cultivate the market and develop related local technologies, India is now driving out Chinese companies to make room for the growth of its domestic enterprises," said Lin Minwang, deputy director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University. "Some (foreign companies) may simply have felt unwelcome; local bureaucrats and business leaders often see foreigners as a direct threat to domestic interests," said the Economist. There has been a tendency to match trade and economic policy reforms with measures that effectively reduce imports and insulate domestic producers from foreign competition. Such an approach will prove detrimental to India's economic interests in the longer term, said Mint, an Indian business publication. TARGETED PROBE India can enhance its manufacturing sector by improving competitiveness rather than protectionism. After a series of border conflicts with China, Indian protectionism and nationalism have been on the rise and caused Chinese enterprises to suffer. Since 2020, India has intensified its scrutiny of Chinese firms and banned hundreds of Chinese mobile applications, including TikTok and WeChat, citing national security concerns. ZTE and Huawei, leading Chinese telecom entities, have suffered a similar fate. Chinese smartphone makers, including Vivo, Xiaomi and OPPO, are frequently targeted by the Indian authorities, with their workplaces raided, executives arrested and funds seized. "There are multiple reasons (behind the decision), but the main trigger was the Galwan Valley conflict. It changed the sentiments of the Indian public against China," Saqib told Xinhua. "Officially, India is open to Chinese business, as long as this conforms with Indian laws. In practice, India's government uses several tools to make Chinese firms' life in India difficult or impossible," summarized the Economist. Discriminatory measures adopted by the Indian side to suppress Chinese firms include bans, trade barriers, bureaucratic friction and a licensing regime. Since India declared in April 2020 that investments from countries sharing a border with it must receive special approvals, it has approved less than a quarter of the 435 applications for foreign direct investment from China. "No neighbor was named, but the target was clearly China," the Economist said. According to analysts, taking action against Chinese entities in India may not face much resistance from the public and could even be beneficial for the Modi government. It would demonstrate Modi's readiness to confront China economically, which could help him gain support from domestic voters and Western allies for more assistance. The ongoing harassment of Chinese companies highlights the uncertainty of the business environment in India. This can serve as a warning to other investors to think twice before investing. Juan Cano Malaga Monday, 12 February 2024 | Updated 13/02/2024 18:57h. Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The promenade of Barbate in Andalucia's Cadiz province on Sunday morning was like an extension of the Playa del Carmen beach. The sand had been overturned and reached the road, giving an insight into the magnitude of the strength of Saturday night's storm. It was in those conditions - with waves several metres high, rough seas and barely any visibility - that six drug traffickers left the mouth of the harbour in a mad dash to avoid being caught by police and being sent to prison. "It's like throwing yourself headlong into a hurricane in order to escape," an officer said. Rammed On Friday night 9 February two Guardia Civil officers were killed when their inflatable patrol boat was rammed by a powerful 'narco-launch' drug-trafficking boat. In videos shared on social media, the police issued several warnings to the drug traffickers who had anchored at Barbate to take shelter from the storm, even firing into the air. They crossed their boat in its path but the drug traffickers did not change course and rammed into the patrol vessel. Miguel Angel, 39, and David, 43, died as a result of the impact. Their two colleagues were seriously injured. One of them has a broken arm, with the possibility he could lose it. The narco-boat immediately became a priority target for Guardia Civil in Cadiz who joined the mission to search for it. The vessel was located on radar heading eastwards along the coastline. The gang made landfall in Sotogrande where some of the crew left the drug-trafficking vessel, but police were waiting for them. They arrested three of the boat's crew and two other men who were waiting at the scene to pick them up in a vehicle. The narco-boat sailed on along the coast, with three people still onboard, and it was still being tracked on radar. If it headed directly into the storm it would've surely meant death. Faced with the risk of running out of fuel and at the mercy of the waves, the drug-running gang took a gamble near La Alcaidesa in La Linea de la Concepcion, where they ran the boat aground to try to flee on foot but the three fugitives were arrested by Guardia Civil officers who were waiting for them. Sources close to the case confirmed the eight arrested were originally from Campo de Gibraltar and not from Barbate. Europa Press Malaga Monday, 12 February 2024, 09:51 Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The weather forecast for this Monday (12 February) will continue with cloudy skies in general and with rain in the extreme north and southeast of the Spanish mainland, with an almost generalised increase in temperatures, with frost being restricted solely to the mountain areas. However, strong winds are forecast on the coast of eastern Andalucia and very strong gusts in parts of the eastern third of the country, according to the state weather agency (Aemet). In Andalucia, highs of 24C are expected in Malaga; 23 in Seville, Cordoba and Almeria and 21 degrees in Huelva. Specifically, in terms of significant phenomena, along with these intervals of strong winds in the south, a change of direction and a sudden increase in wind intensity is expected, with very strong gusts in the Cantabrian Sea area in the morning. There will be cloudy skies in general with precipitation in the extreme north and southwest of the Spanish mainland, which could extend, with less probability and in a weaker form, to other areas of the country, less probable the further eastwards and which could be somewhat more intense and persistent in the Sierra de Cazorla area. On the other hand, no precipitation is expected in the Balearic Islands, where there will only be some cloudy intervals, as well as in the Canary Islands. As for the snow levels on the Iberian Peninsula, they will be 1,400/1,800m in the Pyrenees, 1,600/2,000m in the northwest and centre, and 2,000/2,600m in the south. Rising temperatures Temperatures will increase almost across the board, even noticeably in large areas of the southern half of Spain and the northern plateau. Maximum temperatures will exceed 20C in provincial capitals such as Alicante (24C), Castellon de la Plana (24C) and Malaga (24C), among others. The minimum temperatures that will be recorded will no longer be below zero. The lowest minimum temperatures will be in Soria, Vitoria, Teruel and Huesca with 2C. Therefore, frosts will be restricted to northern and central mountains and are only expected to be moderate in the Pyrenees. Wind gusts The wind will be predominantly westerly and south-westerly on the mainland and in the Balearic Islands, with strong winds on the coast of eastern Andalusia and very strong gusts in inland areas of the eastern third of the country and in the lower Ebro area. On the Cantabrian coast there will be a sudden change in the intensity and direction of the wind, with very strong gusts, which will mainly affect the eastern coasts of Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. The wind will be light and variable in the Canary Islands, tending to the northeast. Monday, 12 February 2024, 09:07 Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram The cardiovascular intervention unit at Hospital Helicopteros Sanitarios in Puerto Banus (Marbella), formed by Dr Luis Inigo, Dr Eduardo Molina, Dr Pedro Brugada and Dr Juan Sieira, performs all types of interventions related to arrhythmias, ischaemic heart disease and congenital or structural heart disease. We discuss cardiac arrhythmias with Professors Pedro Brugada and Juan Sieira. Professor Brugada is Head of the Arrhythmia Unit at the Hospital Helicopteros Sanitarios in Puerto Banus. How important are heart conditions today? Heart conditions remain the number one cause of death in the Western world. One in three people die from heart failure. Heart failure can occur in any of the three components of the heart: mechanical, circulatory or electrical. What can alter the electrical function of the heart? Heart failure, angina pectoris and myocardial infarction (heart attack) can all alter the electrical function of the heart. Changes in the supply of oxygen and other nutrients to the cardiac cells alter their electrical function, causing tachycardias or bradycardias. The consequences are highly variable, ranging from being unknown to the patient, to causing palpitations, loss of consciousness (syncope) and even sudden, unexpected death. Is sudden death due to arrhythmias common? Approximately 30,000 people die every year in Spain from sudden, unexpected deaths caused by cardiac arrhythmias. These sudden deaths, however, are not always unexpected and are not necessarily fatal. The key to their prevention and effective treatment is a high degree of suspicion on the part of the physician. These potentially fatal arrhythmias occur both in people with structural heart problems and in people with a completely normal heart structure who suffer from an isolated problem with heart electricity. How can arrhythmias in people with structural heart disease be treated? When arrhythmias are the consequence of structural heart disease, correction is the most important basis for preventing sudden death. To do this, we must identify those at risk. Starting with an interview with the patient where we obtain clinical information that we will complete with examinations such as heart imaging through ultrasound, radiology (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that have revolutionised cardiology. The genetic-familial factor must also be taken into account and all relatives of a patient with heart problems must be investigated. With early diagnosis, there are many possible treatments and they are very effective. So, can a structurally normal heart suffer arrhythmias? Yes, in these cases the problem lies in the formation and conduction of the heart's electrical impulse. There are potentially fatal arrhythmias that cause slow heart rates and even electrical cardiac arrest, bradycardias; and rapid arrhythmias, tachycardias. When they occur at the level of the ventricles, we speak of ventricular tachycardias, which can be fatal even in a normal heart. What causes tachycardias that can be severe in a structurally normal heart? These tachycardias are generally caused by hereditary conditions with very specific patterns. These include right ventricular dysplasia, which results in degeneration of the right heart muscle and causes rapid ventricular arrhythmias leading to sudden death, usually at a young age. Another purely electrical heart condition, also hereditary, is the well-known Brugada syndrome caused by alterations of the heart's sodium channel, which is of vital importance for the formation of the electrical impulse. Another condition, catecholaminergic tachycardia, affects the ventricles comprehensively and typically causes arrhythmias and sudden death during exercise, because the heart cells suffer from a genetic defect that makes them very sensitive to adrenaline. And which arrhythmias are the most common? The heart can suffer arrhythmias as a consequence of increased abnormal electrical activity in the atria, atrial tachycardia and atrial flutter; and by abnormal impulses in some areas such as the pulmonary veins, atrial fibrillation, a very frequent and important arrhythmia. The classic treatment is by means of antiarrhythmic drugs, although these need to be taken daily and do not cure the arrhythmia, merely prevent it or improve the symptoms, apart from the side effects they have. That is why today ablation techniques are preferred, which cure flutter and atrial tachycardia in almost all cases and in a very high percentage of cases of atrial fibrillation. A catheter is used to record local activity within the heart, locate the site of origin of the tachycardia and destroy this area by means of heat or cold. Other common arrhythmias in young people are Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome or WPW and intranodal tachycardia, the latter very common in young women. Without further ado, we bid farewell to Professors Pedro Brugada and Juan Sieira, in the knowledge that having them available to answer any queries you may have at Helicopteros Sanitarios is a great comfort. Thank you very much. Alekk M. Saanders Monday, 12 February 2024 | Updated 13/02/2024 10:33h. Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, is the last day to indulge in rich, fatty food before the fasting period of Lent. In countries such as the UK the day is also known as Pancake Day because of the annual culinary tradition. But in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Baltic States and Iceland, sweet buns with cardamom, whipped cream and almond paste are a Shrove Tuesday tradition. This alternative to pancakes can also be found on the Costa del Sol, albeir only in towns with larger communities of residents from northern European countries. 'Laskiaispullas' with jam Laskiainen is a celebration with Finnish origins, which includes both pagan and ecclesiastic traditions, and is often described as a "mid-winter sliding festival". The sweet traditions of Laskiainen can be found in a bakery in Fuengirola, the town that is home to the biggest overseas community of Finns in the world. Many of the Finnish Laskiainen traditions are probably based on an old work feast. It was the time when women stopped the winter tasks of working linen, wool and hemp and spinning them into yarn. Among the old Laskiainen traditions that have survived are sledding down a hill and riding a sled around a pole. For example, those who slid the farthest were going to get the best crop of linen. Not surprisingly, the festival is named after the act of sliding or sledding downhill, 'laskea'. Although Laskiainen has been integrated into Christian customs as the beginning of Lent in both in Finland and Estonia, it remains a holiday of saying goodbye to the dark winter and waiting for spring as well as... eating so-called laskiaispullas, Marja-Leena Pesonen told SUR in English. The Finnish bakery in Fuengirola, Marja-Leena in the shop. A.M.Saanders In the past, this dessert was simply a bun with no filling and was served in warm milk in a deep bowl. In the 19th century, almond paste was added to the bun. In wasn't until the 20th century that Finnish confectioners added whipped cream or spices, including the most popular in Finland, cardamom, which is now considered the most important ingredient. "Our desserts could be called Andalusian because all the ingredients we use to make the buns are local, with the exception of the ground cardamom..." Marja-Leena Pesonen Laskiaispullas are baked on the Costa del Sol at the Leipomo Mummola bakery, located in Los Boliches, Fuengirola. "Our desserts could be called Andalusian because all the ingredients we use to make the buns are from this region, with the exception of the ground cardamom," said Marja-Leena. "We use organic flour from Coin and we buy almonds from farmers in the Sierra de las Nieves to grind here. Eggs and butter also come from local suppliers. Typical Finnish buns include strawberry or raspberry jams. It is the same in Norway and Denmark, where these buns are called 'fastelavnsbolle'," added Marja-Leena. In Fuengirola, laskiaispullas are sold both in the bakery and in the Finnish shop New Ewald's opposite the bakery. The treasured delicacy of 'semla' Laskiaispullas came to Finland from Sweden. That is why the buns spread originally only to the Swedish-speaking coastal regions of Finland. In Sweden, this bun is mostly known as a 'semla' - or 'semlor' in plural. The delicacy is traditionally served between Christmas and Easter. The aromatic buns, flavoured with cardamom and sometimes cinnamon, are filled with a rich almond paste and whipped vanilla cream without any jam. Legend has it that in February 1771, the king died of digestive problems after eating 14 buns that had been soaked in warm milk - the traditional way of eating them The semla has a long history and many curious stories. It is believed that Sweden borrowed the concept of semlor from a similar tradition in Germany. In addition, almost every Swede will tell you about the possible reason for the sudden death of Swedish King Adolf Fredrik. Legend has it that in February 1771, the monarch died of digestive problems after eating 14 buns that had been soaked in warm milk - the traditional way of eating them. However, according to popular myth, the king ate semlor after a royal dinner consisting of sauerkraut, turnips, caviar, smoked herring (or even lobster) and champagne. Semlors have become something of an obsession for the Swedish people. Now they are not only served on Shrove Tuesday, they sometimes appear in bakeries before Christmas and throughout Lent. Typical Swedish buns can also be found on the other side of the Costa del Sol, in Nerja, where a large number of Swedish residents and tourists live and visit. In the town there are two places where you can try them - at a bakery/cafe and a shop. The owner of the Swedish shop Hemlangtan, Eva Ruiz, is hosting coffee breaks with semlor every Tuesday, starting on 13 February. The Swedish version of the bun, at the shop and in the bakery in Nerja. A.M.Saanders "On 'Fettisdag' [Fat Tuesday in Swedish], everyone in Sweden eats this cherished and legendary delicacy. Over time, this tradition has transformed into something more commonplace. It has taken the form of Swedes eating semla every Tuesday from Shrove Tuesday to Easter. Swedes buy about five million semlors - and who knows how many of them are baked at home. We use Swedish buns, cut the tops off and fill them with almond paste, which we then cover with whipped cream made in Sweden. Semla is usually served with coffee or tea or eaten on its own. Some people prefer to eat it the old-fashioned way - in a bowl with hot milk. I would like to emphasise that many people like this flavour, not only Swedes, but also visitors from the Baltic States and even local Spaniards," said Eva Ruiz. "Over time, this tradition has transformed into something more commonplace. It has taken the form of Swedes eating semla every Tuesday from Shrove Tuesday to Easter" Eva Ruiz Bjorn Romani makes semlor from scratch in his bakery Nybakat, using mostly local products. He started baking semlor almost a month ago and will continue until Easter. Every day he sells hundreds of semlor along the Andalusian coast, especially in Marbella. His secret to the special richer flavour of semlor is to add coarser almond crumbs to the almond paste, produced in Sweden but from Spanish almonds. SUR Malaga Monday, 12 February 2024, 10:15 | Updated 11:04h. Compartir Copiar enlace WhatsApp Facebook X LinkedIn Telegram Farmers in Malaga province have begun a new week of protests against the EU's sustainability policies and in demand for support in the face of the effects of the drought and the rise in production by blocking one lane of the A-374 road near Ronda at 7.30am this Monday morning (12 February). According to Spain's Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) on its website the blockage affects the one lane at kilometre 18 of the road that passes through the Andalusian provinces of Cadiz and Malaga, which has left only one lane open to alternating streams of traffic. #InfoDeServicio ATENCION! Condicionada la circulacion de la A-374 en el km 18 a la altura de #Ronda #Malaga por manifestacion Carril derecho sentido Ronda cerrado, habilitado el carril izquierdo para dar paso alternativo #Precaucion pic.twitter.com/07LlUHg7TV Emergencias 112 (@E112Andalucia) February 12, 2024 Yesterday (Sunday 11 February), action by the hauliers in Malaga province began to take shape in a random fashion. After ten o'clock at night, fifty vehicles (some of them top of the range) were parked up on the Trevenez industrial estate, near the Centro de Transportes de Mercancias (CTM) freight depot, at the junction of the hyper-roundabout, the Guadalhorce dual carriageway and the A-7054. After eleven o'clock, the order was given to move to Mercamalaga in the Malaga municipality of Campanillas, the largest wholesale market in eastern Andalucia , where they set a bonfire at the access using a large tractor wheel and firewood. The two lanes of access from the entrance roundabout were cut off. Over the weekend, farmers' demonstrations were repeated across Andalucia, which led to roadblocks on Sunday on a section of the A-4 motorway near Carmona and on the AP-4 at Las Cabezas de San Juan, both in the province of Seville, the regular protest points by demonstrators over the last few days. Have I told you lately how much I love my readers? Especially those who send me messages, questions, and tips. EC is crazy for great reader tips. Some I receive are startling and send me running to verify; others bring on gales of laughter. But mostly, they leave me wondering, Wow, really? Why didnt I think of that?! Now, before we get going, please understand that while I find each of these to be great ideas, remember the words of Ronald Reagan, who famously said, Trust, but verify! SILVER CLEANER To clean your silver without harsh commercial chemical products, use the miracle powder in your pantry: baking soda. I used it on my silver candleholders when I was in a pinch, and it worked wonders. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water and massage it in gently with an old toothbrush. Rinse under warm water, or if the piece is too big, wipe it off with a wet cloth and buff it to a shine with a clean cotton towel. I will never go back to $10 cleaners now that Ive found the 50-cent solution. -- Angela H., California BRITTANICA ONLINE I recall as a teen sitting for hours poring through my grandparents big heavy encyclopedias. While those books have mostly disappeared, the joy of discovery is still available for all without the financial investment up front and then for the annual updated volumes. Log on to Britannica.com to find a startling wealth of current information together with gorgeous photos and loads of fun. That site is such a great resource for kids school research projects, and reports too. While the site is generally free, there is a premium upgrade available, which I find to be a fabulous value for what it offers. -- Ann T., Missouri CHEAP WHITE DRY-ERASE BOARD Instead of paying $30 for a small white dry-erase marker board, we purchased a 4 x 8-foot sheet of white tub paneling from Home Depot. Its quite lightweight and flexible, works just the same as a whiteboard, and its HUGE! The best part: It cost only $25. We did not frame ours and left it in its gigantic size, but you could cut and frame it to any size, of course. -- Debbie P., Mississippi CAMPUS COFFEE One of our favorite haunts is a local college coffee shop. We can buy good coffee and lattes for about a third of the cost of other coffee shops. The food on many campuses is good and very reasonable, and you do not have to be an alumnus or a student to patronize. I have even found, at certain times of the year, that the bookstore has some great sales. -- Mary Beth D., Washington ADDED EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS Most colleges and universities offer their full-time employees free tuition as part of their employment benefits package. But it can get even better. Many extend free or reduced tuition to the employees dependent children as well. This is working so well for my son and me. I work at an Ivy League school, so free tuition represents a tidy sum. The university I work for will even pay up to 40% of the cost of the tuition if my son attends another university. -- Paulette A., Pennsylvania CARBON COPIES ARE COOL AGAIN I keep a spiral-bound duplicate phone message book (Amazon) that makes duplicate copies for sending notes to my kids teachers, bus drivers and troop leaders. The duplicate copy that stays in the book makes a handy chronological reference should I need to follow up later. And yes, I know I could do this with email, but my handy book relieves the hassle and keeps all of these related messages in a safe, easy-to-locate place. -- Cathy M., Indiana TIGHT SPACES SOLUTION When my vacuum cleaner attachments are too large for small tight spaces, I attach an ordinary drinking straw to the end of the smallest attachment. I insert about 1/3 of the straw into the attachment and then seal the connection between the two with a piece of tape (masking or duct), making certain to completely cover any open spaces around the straw. This way, the straw can fit into small tight spaces (like keyboards) and suck out the dirt. I dont have to purchase a separate machine equipped with small attachments to do the same job. -- Brandi H., California Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at Ask Mary. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book Debt-Proof Living. COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.COM MOSCOW, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia's GDP grew by 3.6 percent in 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a government meeting on economic issues on Monday. "As I have already noted, economic growth turned out to be higher than expected last year," the Kremlin cited Putin as saying. The country's GDP was projected to increase by 3.5 percent but ended up by 3.6 percent in 2023, said Putin, noting that this figure was "higher than the global average." The Russian president called this an important achievement and attributed it to the country's domestic capabilities. The industrial production went up 3.5 percent over the year, and the manufacturing industry grew 7.5 percent, added the president. A new state law that took effect Sunday changes rules for New York businesses about how they display prices for credit card purchases to customers. The law requires businesses to display the total prices for items or services, including any credit card surcharges, before consumers check out, according to Gov. Kathy Hochuls office. The businesses can also display a two-tiered pricing option if they offer a cash discount. In those cases, the businesses can display the credit card price, alongside the price for using cash. If businesses do offer a cash discount, theyre not required to display the lower price. They could just display the higher, credit card price and inform customers through signage that theyll get a discount for using cash, the state said. Either way, if theres a higher price for using a credit card, it has to be shown explicitly to customers before they check out. Companies cant just display signs or notices stating they charge a certain additional percentage for using credit cards, according to the state. They also cant just post a blanket statement informing customers they charge a fee for cards. The new law mandates that businesses display the actual credit card prices for each item they sell or service they provide. Businesses could also just use a single price for cash and cards and display that. The idea is that customers will always see that highest possible price theyll end up paying, not a lower one that could increase later through a fee for using a card. The law also limits credit card surcharges to the amount charged to the business by credit card companies, Hochuls office said. The new law does not apply to debit cards, according to the state. New Yorkers should never have to deal with hidden credit card costs, and this law will ensure individuals can trust that their purchases will not result in surprise surcharges, Hochul said in a news release. Transparency is crucial in building trust between businesses and communities and now patrons will be empowered to budget accordingly. Youssef Mubarez, the director of public relations for the Yemeni American Merchants Association, told The New York Times that the law creates more work for small businesses owners who are already stressed. Theyre making the merchants look like the enemies by calling it hidden fees when theyre not, Mubarez said, according to the Times. The only thing theyre trying to do is save money so they can keep their business alive. Vernon, N.Y. -- Two men were injured and one was airlifted to a Syracuse hospital Monday after two vehicles hit head-on in Oneida County, deputies said. Around 9:27 a.m., deputies responded to Prospect Street in Vernon for a two-car accident, according to a Facebook post from the Oneida County Sheriffs Office. Douglas Arnold, of Oneida, was driving west in a 2021 Honda Civic on Prospect Street when his vehicle crossed into the other lane, deputies said. The Honda hit a Ford F250 pickup truck, driving east, they said. A bill currently making its way through New Yorks state legislature would allow medical cannabis patients from other states to buy weed at New York medicinal dispensaries an important step to protecting the medical market, advocates say. Patients conditions dont understand state lines, said Nikki Lawley, a cannabis patient advocate and founder of Nikki and the Plant. The amount of patients that get frustrated that come to our state and cant purchase their medicine is a huge issue. Under current state law, medical marijuana shops may only sell to patients registered in New York meaning they cannot sell any products to people with medical cards from New Jersey, Connecticut or any other state. If the medical reciprocity bill passes, it would allow certified medical cannabis patients from other states to access New York medical dispensaries, so long as they can provide documentation proving their patient status. NYS Sen. Jeremy Cooney, who introduced the legislation, said its problematic that New York a state where about 1 million out-of-state workers come and go each day does not currently allow non-residents to access medicine prescribed by health professionals. Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider Newsletter Enter your email address to get exclusive reporting on NY's cannabis market delivered to your inbox: New York is one of the most visited states in the country, from tourists to daily workers, so many non-New Yorkers utilize our states services. Cooney said. Anyone who needs medical cannabis should be able to access it in New York if theyve been approved in another state. Additionally, the bill would allow medical dispensaries to sell pre-rolls. Medical cannabis Registered Organizations supporting the bill argue that it could help mitigate some attrition from the medical program that New York has seen since the state legalized adult-use cannabis nearly three years ago, said Frank Tice, senior director of legal and external affairs at Etain, an RO owned by RIV Capital Inc. Tice, who has worked in the cannabis industry in multiple states, said that states that launch adult-use cannabis marketplaces often see a lot of their medical patients leave the program. That trend includes New York. New York State had more than 151,000 certified medical patients just before lawmakers passed the MRTA in early 2021. That number has since dropped to a little over 120,400, according to Office of Cannabis Management data almost a 30,000-patient drop, and about 2,000 fewer than last February. Were at this critical inflection point where the Office of Cannabis Management has started really rolling out the adult-use program, Tice said. When adult-use programs come online historically, in other states what you see is a natural attrition in the medical program. Etain, a member of the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association, supported this bill when it was first introduced last year, Tice said. Last year it never made it out of committee, but Tice said he feels good about the bills chances this year, especially after it received a positive vote in the Senate Health Committee, and is currently before the Finance Committee. Etain, along with the NYMCIA, are also supporting a bill in New Yorks legislature also introduced by Cooney which would repeal the 7% excise tax medical patients pay for each purchase, Tice said. However, hes less confident in that bills chances in passing this session. That bill is more of a TBD to see if it can be successful, Tice said. In a statement to NY Cannabis Insider, Cooney said a major reason its important not to tax patients for medical weed products is to keep them in the medical program rather than seeking marijuana elsewhere. We cant have a patient decide that its cheaper and easier to self-medicate using the retail market, or worse, the unregulated illicit market, when they should have easy access to high-quality, pharmaceutical-grade products, Cooney said. However, medical cannabis advocate Lawley is a bit skeptical about nixing taxes on medical products altogether. The tax hasnt felt too burdensome for her, and she said patients already pay significantly less for the same products offered at adult-use shops. Lawley also worries that if the state derives zero tax dollars from the medical sales, regulators and lawmakers would be less willing to invest resources into New Yorks already-underserved medical program. I feel that if we eliminate that tax, whats the incentive for New York State to keep the medical program, Lawley said. I, personally, dont really notice the excise tax. To the Editor: The Syracuse Area Middle East Dialogue group (SAMED) call for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel Hamas war is deeply misguided (Syracuse Area Middle East Dialogue group calls for cease-fire in Gaza, Feb. 6, 2024). That would only benefit Hamas, the radical Islamist terrorist group that perpetrated those unspeakable Oct. 7 atrocities, and has pledged, should it survive, to repeat again and again, until they obliterate the Jewish state. Emerging from its tunnels, amidst the rubble, it would proclaim victory. Israel needs finally to eliminate this existential threat on its southern border, and allow some 200,000 displaced Gaza envelope Israelis to return to their towns. Theres no denying current misery in Gaza, nor Hamas responsibility for it. Since seizing Gaza in a 2007 violent coup, it has totally weaponized the strip, stealing foreign aid to build a massive underground tunnel system and manufacture rockets. A joint Egypt-Israel borders blockade only partially curbed arms smuggling. Hamas armed presence has infiltrated everywhere, in schools, hospitals, mosques, even private homes. Thus, the extent of physical damage. Civilians serve as human shields for Hamas fighters, making avoiding such collateral damage all but impossible. Nonetheless, Israel warns them of imminent danger, via leaflets, text and voice messages. It has provided safe corridors for their flight from danger and directed them to safer locations. Hardly collective punishment and destruction of the Palestinian people. Hamas still controls entry of, and steals from, humanitarian aid into the strip. Hamas-supplied casualty figures demand serious skepticism. Admittedly included are an Israeli estimated 10,000 killed combatants. They wear no distinctive uniforms. Actual numbers of women and children killed are unknowable, but even early teenage boys are likely among the fighters. A number of killed journalists had known terrorist affiliations. Some dozen UNRWA staffers have already been identified as participants in the 10/7 massacres. With Hamas military and political control gone, might a better Gaza emerge? Moderate local leadership within decentralized, clan-based governance could be fostered, with non-Islamist Arab states providing financial and other assistance, contingent on demonstrated improving governance. Shared security responsibility with Israel would be critical. Incongruous remaining refugee camps would need to be demolished, Hamas-tainted civil servants dismissed and UNRWA evicted from a demilitarized and deradicalizing Gaza Strip. That task would not be easy, nor quick. If successful, however, it would provide a hopeful model for other Palestinians, and present a promising path toward final peace. Richard D. Wilkins Syracuse WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized on Sunday "for symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue," said the Pentagon. The secretary was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center around 2:20 p.m. (1920 GMT) Sunday, according to the statement from the Department of Defense. Austin transferred his duties to his deputy, according to a Pentagon statement. The Pentagon chief was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and hospitalized. Minister Heydon marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science On the 9th International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with special responsibility for Research and Development, Martin Heydon, T.D., has taken the opportunity to recognise the role of Women and Girls in Science in Agriculture and to highlight the need for a diverse range of research talent to contribute to Ireland's ambition to be a world leader in sustainable food systems. "The role of women in science is central to achieving the aims of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the conclusions of the UN Food Systems Summit." Marking the day, the Minister said: The theme of International Day of Women and Girls in Science is Women in Science Leadership: A new Era for Sustainability. My Department endeavours to provide full and equal access and participation to female scientists under its research funding programme which itself has a strong focus on sustainability. Under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marines Thematic Research Call 2023, just over 24 million was awarded to 20 research projects across the agri-food, forest and bioeconomy sectors with a significant number of projects led by female scientists. One project worth 1.036 million was awarded to a research consortium led by Prof. Olivia McAuliffe, a Principal Research Officer in Teagasc. Entitled Uncovering Protein Potential via Fermentation Technology (UPLIFT), it aims to develop the next generation of nutritious, safe and sustainable protein-based foods through the application of fermentation technologies to Irish grown crops including cereals, legumes and tubers. As well as Teagasc, the consortium also involves TU Dublin and University College Cork. On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Prof McAuliffe commented that: The role of women in science is central to achieving the aims of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the conclusions of the UN Food Systems Summit. We know that there is a long-standing under-representation of women in science so this International Day is critically important in helping to address this and to inspire women and girls to consider pursuing a career in science. I hope the fact that seven of the ten Principal Investigators in our research consortium are women will demonstrate that there are huge opportunities for women to participate in and lead major scientific research projects, directly contributing to developing the next generation of solutions and technologies which will improve the sustainability of our food system and our planet. Minister Heydon concluded: If we are to deliver on the ambition to have a globally sustainable food system it requires harnessing the extensive range of talents available from a diverse pool of researchers. On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, I believe the leadership of Prof McAuliffe and others will act to inspire and encourage all young women to consider a career in scientific research which is essential to securing a well-functioning and sustainable society and environment . Rajamass BHPian Join Date: Mar 2022 Location: Madison Posts: 48 Thanked: 302 Times An Epic Road Trip in the US Some Stats Travel Days: 7 days (Aug, 2023) Distance: ~2500 miles or ~3800kms Number of States Travelled: 9 states (California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin) Number of National Parks Covered: 4 National Parks (Yosemite, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Badlands) Number of Mountain Pass: 3 (Tioga Pass, Teton Pass, and Beartooth Pass) Day-1 Travel time: 10hr Distance: 530miles (~870km), Davis, California to Ely, Nevada States covered: California and Nevada Scenic Drive: Tioga Pass (8000-9945ft elevation MSL) We started our journey in a packed car. There was no place except for me, my wife, and my daughter. I had the easiest route to reach Idaho Falls through Lake Tahoe, California, and Reno, Nevada via Interstate-80 but I chose to travel through the Tioga Mountain pass (State highway 120), a ~35mile drive at a peak elevation of ~9945ft in the Yosemite national park, the highest Mountain pass in California. Tioga Pass is considered one of the most scenic routes in the US with a couple of glaciers. Although Davis, the place I lived in California is close to Yosemite National Park, I never drove through this Mountain pass since it is closed during the winter season due to snow (Nov-Apr). The year 2023 recorded one of the heaviest snowfalls in the Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges. As a result, the mountain pass was not opened until mid-August, 2023, just a week before my trip. Though the views are great and the road is pretty good, I felt it was overhyped to some extent. https://youtu.be/aiTClaMuS64 Half-dome of the Yosemite National Park as seen from Tioga Pass Tuolumne meadows at Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park, California Tioga Pass scenic driveHalf-dome of the Yosemite National Park as seen from Tioga PassTuolumne meadows at Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park, California We had our packed food at Tenaya Lake, Tioga Pass, one of the most scenic picnic spots en route. Once we descended the mountain range, I covered nearly 300+ miles in the next 5 hours to reach Ely, Nevada where I booked my night stay. Even in the remote rural Nevada, most of the gas stations are run by Punjabis! Day-2 Travel time: 6h 40min Distance: 420miles (~660km), Ely, Nevada to Idaho Falls, Idaho States Covered: Nevada and Idaho Scenic Drive: Barren Lands of Rural Nevada and Idaho Started our day 2 journey at 9 am and I was prepared for one of the boring drives in the deserted Nevada state for the next 300 miles, but I was wrong. The small bushes with large mountain backdrops, and straight roads that can run for 30-40 miles without any curves made this drive beautiful in its way. The maximum allowed speed is also higher (75mph) than in California (70mph). The roads have very little traffic and are deserted. At one point, I saw a sign indicating that the next gas station was 130 miles away! By afternoon we stopped at Twin Falls, Idaho. It has one of the nice-looking manmade waterfalls called Shoshone Falls. We reached it in the afternoon and spent around 1 hour exploring the place. After having lunch, drove straight to Idaho Falls, Idaho, and rested for the day Agricultural lands, Idaho Shoshone Falls at Twin Falls, IdahoAgricultural lands, Idaho Day-3 Travel time: 5h Distance: 200miles (~320km) States Covered: Idaho and Wyoming Scenic Drive: Grand Teton National Park We planned the day to be the shortest in drive as we must explore the Grand Teton National Park. We traveled through one of the less popular Mountain passes, Teton Pass which has a peak elevation of ~8500ft and close to 18 miles. It was one of the unexpected scenic drives on the route. We had no idea of it until I drove there. This pass comes at the southern edge of the Teton mountain range. Grand Teton National Park is a cascade of Rocky Mountains that also has several glaciers. There are 10 peaks over 12000ft in height (3700m), out of all, Grand Teton is the highest peak (13775ft or 4199m). Grand Teton National Park is just a few miles from the great Yellowstone National Park. One can take a scenic drive from Moose Junction to Jackson Junction via Jenny Lake. There are other small lakes too which are very clean. Boat rides and other activities are available on a rental basis. There is also plenty of wildlife (Bears, Moose, etc.) but sighting depends on your luck. By late evening, we arrived at our hotel in West Yellowstone, Montana. Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Jenny Lake scenic drive https://youtu.be/sTYFfq_g2oU Teton mountain range with Grand Teton in the middle, Grand Teton National Park, WyomingJenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park, WyomingJenny Lake scenic drive Day-4 Travel time: N/A Distance: N/A States Covered: Montana, Idaho and Wyoming Scenic Drive: Yellowstone National Park All day exploring the geological wonders of Yellowstone National Park Scenic foggy mornings in Yellowstone Scenic drive https://youtu.be/7uRV1KZIjVk Scenic foggy mornings in YellowstoneScenic drive Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the US with a vast area covering 3 states (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho). Yellowstone is a geological wonder with roughly 10000 hydrothermal features which must be experienced in person. The hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots are all because of the nature of the Yellowstone basin which was a super volcano (a volcano several times bigger than a normal one, here the Yellowstone volcano dome was some 45x50 square miles!) that erupted 6.3 lakh years ago and the magma beneath the surface is still hot. Most of the year, the temperatures are below the freezing point, yet the hydrothermal features are still boiling due to the heat underneath. Many microbial archeological studies were conducted here and found microbial life in the hot springs (>90 C. Useful applications have been developed from these microbes like enzymes required for polymerase chain reaction test (The test behind many diseases, most popularly for the recent CoVID pandemic). Thermophilic bacterial mats near Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming Yellowstone boasts the country's most breathtaking waterfalls. Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River There is also plenty of wildlife, particularly the Yellowstone Bison, the largest living land animal in North America. Many numbers are on the park's northeast side. Pronghorn Antelope Herd of Yellowstone Bison on the northeast side of the parkPronghorn Antelope The main attraction point of Yellowstone is the odd 500 geysers some of which erupt periodically. The park has prediction times for each of them Old Faithful - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov). Old Faithful, the most predictable geyser, puts on a show every 90 minutes and reaches a height of 100-180ft. Besides the geysers, there are hot water pools and fumaroles. The best point of interest, according to me, was the Grand Prismatic Spring. Its the largest hot spring in the park with a bright orange to green color appearance at the edges. The colors are because of various thermophilic (heat-loving microbes) organisms growing due to differences in the pool surface temperature. Excelsior Geyser Crater Grand Prismatic Spring Fountain Paint Pot Trail Fountain Geyser Blue Bell Pool on the west side of the Yellowstone Old Faithful during an eruptionExcelsior Geyser CraterGrand Prismatic SpringFountain Paint Pot TrailFountain GeyserBlue Bell Pool on the west side of the Yellowstone We planned for a 2 full-day tour of Yellowstone National Park, but the park and the number of points of interest are so huge that we could not cover a few (Mammoth Hot Springs) on the north side. Day-5 Travel time: 13h 30min Distance: 540miles (~870km) States Covered: Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota Scenic Drive: Beartooth Pass (Elevation 11000ft!) Mountain driving proved to be the day's toughest challenge. The shortest route to exit the park to Midwest states is via Buffalo. But before my trip, I came across an article that mentioned some of the best mountain pass drives in the US. I found that the Beartooth pass is very close to Yellowstone, and I could take it to reach Rapid City in South Dakota if I dont mind an additional 2-hour drive. But I was not sure if we would have that additional 2h time as the journey for that day is already coming around 9 hours without Beartooth Pass. Finally, I decided to take it through the mountain pass on the day. Beartooth Pass (US State Highway 212) is a high mountain road in the states of Wyoming and Montana at an elevation of above 10000ft. It is situated between Silver Gate and Red Lodge, Montana. Beartooth Pass is usually open only for 5 months in a year due to heavy snow and is ~15 miles in length. As described the views were breathtaking. It's situated at such a high elevation; that I started developing symptoms of altitude sickness in no time which forced me to descend quickly. The entire route is well-maintained and excellently laid. This route should be on the bucket list if you like mountain drives. Scenic drive https://youtu.be/P_VzXvxLOpk Beartooth Pass, MontanaScenic drive Day-6 Travel time: 6h 30min Distance: 410miles (~650km) States Covered: South Dakota Scenic Drive: Badlands National Park We started our day in the morning and while checking out the hotel a notification popped up by the Google app showing nearby places. I was surprised to see that the Mount Rushmore Rock Memorial is only a 40-minute drive from Rapid City, South Dakota. Having seen these pictures on the internet several times, I decided not to miss them and made a sudden change of plan to cover this important point of interest. Mt. Rushmore Memorial is famous for sculptures of the famous American presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln (left to right), surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota. These four presidents represent the nation's birth, growth, development, and preservation, respectively. The face sculptures are around 60ft tall and its a sight to behold. Fortunately, the time we visited, it was about to rain with black clouds in the background, a photographers delight. We spent an hour time there and resumed our journey to the next national park. Mt. Rushmore Memorial, from left to right George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln Before my trip, I was not aware of Badlands National Park. It is one of the less popular and less explored national parks in the country. The park is famous for its rock formations and fossil beds which are mainly formed from volcanic ash. The process of these rock formations, trapped several lives during the event period and hence home to a lot of fossils. Many of the extinct animal fossils have been found in the park and it is one of the most interesting sites for a paleontologist. The rock formations are of various types, but the most promising ones are the Chadrons and Yellow Mounds. One can take a scenic drive by entering the park from the west side near Wall and drive to Ben Reifel Visitor Center on the east side through the park. This is a surprise drive of the trip. The drive-through rock formations are great (check the video below). Ridges and canyons of Badlands Yellow mounds of Badlands on the west side of the park A mountain goat on the rock formations Badlands scenic drive https://youtu.be/5w9tGSoDoFY Chadron rock formations of Badlands National Park, South DakotaRidges and canyons of BadlandsYellow mounds of Badlands on the west side of the parkA mountain goat on the rock formationsBadlands scenic drive Day-7 Travel time: 6h 30min Distance: 420miles (~665km) States Covered: South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin Scenic Drive: None The boring day of the entire trip. All the landscapes and views disappeared as soon as we entered the Midwest. All we could see was the huge corn or maize fields on either side of the freeway. However, the destination city Madison welcomes us with a lot of greenery. The summer weather and the greenery reminded me of Bengaluru, and it certainly has the same vibes. I hope you enjoyed reading this travelogue and dont hesitate to PM me for any additional information if you need it. I am always here to help. Thanks for reading. Excited to write my first travelogue (a brief one though) in the forum. Due to new job requirements, I had to relocate from the West Coast (Davis, California) to the Midwest (Madison, Wisconsin). I looked at the route map options and found I could travel through several scenic routes and national parks. So, I did not want to miss a rare chance and ended up buying the VW Arteon. I have compiled my ownership experience in the other thread, please check it out. All the photos were taken either with my Nikon Z8 DSLR + Nikkor Z 24-120mm f/4 S line all-rounder or Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 tele. The non-dash cam videos are from the Samsung S22 UltraTravel Days: 7 days (Aug, 2023)Distance: ~2500 miles or ~3800kmsNumber of States Travelled: 9 states (California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin)Number of National Parks Covered: 4 National Parks (Yosemite, Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Badlands)Number of Mountain Pass: 3 (Tioga Pass, Teton Pass, and Beartooth Pass)Travel time: 10hrDistance: 530miles (~870km), Davis, California to Ely, NevadaStates covered: California and NevadaScenic Drive: Tioga Pass (8000-9945ft elevation MSL)We started our journey in a packed car. There was no place except for me, my wife, and my daughter. I had the easiest route to reach Idaho Falls through Lake Tahoe, California, and Reno, Nevada via Interstate-80 but I chose to travel through the Tioga Mountain pass (State highway 120), a ~35mile drive at a peak elevation of ~9945ft in the Yosemite national park, the highest Mountain pass in California. Tioga Pass is considered one of the most scenic routes in the US with a couple of glaciers. Although Davis, the place I lived in California is close to Yosemite National Park, I never drove through this Mountain pass since it is closed during the winter season due to snow (Nov-Apr). The year 2023 recorded one of the heaviest snowfalls in the Sierra Nevada Mountain ranges. As a result, the mountain pass was not opened until mid-August, 2023, just a week before my trip. Though the views are great and the road is pretty good, I felt it was overhyped to some extent.We had our packed food at Tenaya Lake, Tioga Pass, one of the most scenic picnic spotsOnce we descended the mountain range, I covered nearly 300+ miles in the next 5 hours to reach Ely, Nevada where I booked my night stay. Even in the remote rural Nevada, most of the gas stations are run by Punjabis!Travel time: 6h 40minDistance: 420miles (~660km), Ely, Nevada to Idaho Falls, IdahoStates Covered: Nevada and IdahoScenic Drive: Barren Lands of Rural Nevada and IdahoStarted our day 2 journey at 9 am and I was prepared for one of the boring drives in the deserted Nevada state for the next 300 miles, but I was wrong. The small bushes with large mountain backdrops, and straight roads that can run for 30-40 miles without any curves made this drive beautiful in its way. The maximum allowed speed is also higher (75mph) than in California (70mph). The roads have very little traffic and are deserted. At one point, I saw a sign indicating that the next gas station was 130 miles away! By afternoon we stopped at Twin Falls, Idaho. It has one of the nice-looking manmade waterfalls called Shoshone Falls. We reached it in the afternoon and spent around 1 hour exploring the place. After having lunch, drove straight to Idaho Falls, Idaho, and rested for the dayTravel time: 5hDistance: 200miles (~320km)States Covered: Idaho and WyomingScenic Drive: Grand Teton National ParkWe planned the day to be the shortest in drive as we must explore the Grand Teton National Park. We traveled through one of the less popular Mountain passes, Teton Pass which has a peak elevation of ~8500ft and close to 18 miles. It was one of the unexpected scenic drives on the route. We had no idea of it until I drove there. This pass comes at the southern edge of the Teton mountain range.Grand Teton National Park is a cascade of Rocky Mountains that also has several glaciers. There are 10 peaks over 12000ft in height (3700m), out of all, Grand Teton is the highest peak (13775ft or 4199m). Grand Teton National Park is just a few miles from the great Yellowstone National Park. One can take a scenic drive from Moose Junction to Jackson Junction via Jenny Lake. There are other small lakes too which are very clean. Boat rides and other activities are available on a rental basis. There is also plenty of wildlife (Bears, Moose, etc.) but sighting depends on your luck. By late evening, we arrived at our hotel in West Yellowstone, Montana.Travel time: N/ADistance: N/AStates Covered: Montana, Idaho and WyomingScenic Drive: Yellowstone National ParkAll day exploring the geological wonders of Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone National Park is the first national park in the US with a vast area covering 3 states (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho). Yellowstone is a geological wonder with roughly 10000 hydrothermal features which must be experienced in person. The hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots are all because of the nature of the Yellowstone basin which was a super volcano (a volcano several times bigger than a normal one, here the Yellowstone volcano dome was some 45x50 square miles!) that erupted 6.3 lakh years ago and the magma beneath the surface is still hot. Most of the year, the temperatures are below the freezing point, yet the hydrothermal features are still boiling due to the heat underneath. Many microbial archeological studies were conducted here and found microbial life in the hot springs (>90 C. Useful applications have been developed from these microbes like enzymes required for polymerase chain reaction test (The test behind many diseases, most popularly for the recent CoVID pandemic).Yellowstone boasts the country's most breathtaking waterfalls.There is also plenty of wildlife, particularly the Yellowstone Bison, the largest living land animal in North America. Many numbers are on the park's northeast side.The main attraction point of Yellowstone is the odd 500 geysers some of which erupt periodically. The park has prediction times for each of them Old Faithful - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov). Old Faithful, the most predictable geyser, puts on a show every 90 minutes and reaches a height of 100-180ft. Besides the geysers, there are hot water pools and fumaroles. The best point of interest, according to me, was the Grand Prismatic Spring. Its the largest hot spring in the park with a bright orange to green color appearance at the edges. The colors are because of various thermophilic (heat-loving microbes) organisms growing due to differences in the pool surface temperature.We planned for a 2 full-day tour of Yellowstone National Park, but the park and the number of points of interest are so huge that we could not cover a few (Mammoth Hot Springs) on the north side.Travel time: 13h 30minDistance: 540miles (~870km)States Covered: Wyoming, Montana, and South DakotaScenic Drive: Beartooth Pass (Elevation 11000ft!)Mountain driving proved to be the day's toughest challenge. The shortest route to exit the park to Midwest states is via Buffalo. But before my trip, I came across an article that mentioned some of the best mountain pass drives in the US. I found that the Beartooth pass is very close to Yellowstone, and I could take it to reach Rapid City in South Dakota if I dont mind an additional 2-hour drive. But I was not sure if we would have that additional 2h time as the journey for that day is already coming around 9 hours without Beartooth Pass. Finally, I decided to take it through the mountain pass on the day. Beartooth Pass (US State Highway 212) is a high mountain road in the states of Wyoming and Montana at an elevation of above 10000ft. It is situated between Silver Gate and Red Lodge, Montana. Beartooth Pass is usually open only for 5 months in a year due to heavy snow and is ~15 miles in length. As described the views were breathtaking. It's situated at such a high elevation; that I started developing symptoms of altitude sickness in no time which forced me to descend quickly. The entire route is well-maintained and excellently laid. This route should be on the bucket list if you like mountain drives.Travel time: 6h 30minDistance: 410miles (~650km)States Covered: South DakotaScenic Drive: Badlands National ParkWe started our day in the morning and while checking out the hotel a notification popped up by the Google app showing nearby places. I was surprised to see that the Mount Rushmore Rock Memorial is only a 40-minute drive from Rapid City, South Dakota. Having seen these pictures on the internet several times, I decided not to miss them and made a sudden change of plan to cover this important point of interest. Mt. Rushmore Memorial is famous for sculptures of the famous American presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln (left to right), surrounded by the beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota. These four presidents represent the nation's birth, growth, development, and preservation, respectively. The face sculptures are around 60ft tall and its a sight to behold. Fortunately, the time we visited, it was about to rain with black clouds in the background, a photographers delight. We spent an hour time there and resumed our journey to the next national park.Before my trip, I was not aware of Badlands National Park. It is one of the less popular and less explored national parks in the country. The park is famous for its rock formations and fossil beds which are mainly formed from volcanic ash. The process of these rock formations, trapped several lives during the event period and hence home to a lot of fossils. Many of the extinct animal fossils have been found in the park and it is one of the most interesting sites for a paleontologist. The rock formations are of various types, but the most promising ones are the Chadrons and Yellow Mounds. One can take a scenic drive by entering the park from the west side near Wall and drive to Ben Reifel Visitor Center on the east side through the park. This is a surprise drive of the trip. The drive-through rock formations are great (check the video below).Travel time: 6h 30minDistance: 420miles (~665km)States Covered: South Dakota, Minnesota, WisconsinScenic Drive: NoneThe boring day of the entire trip. All the landscapes and views disappeared as soon as we entered the Midwest. All we could see was the huge corn or maize fields on either side of the freeway. However, the destination city Madison welcomes us with a lot of greenery. The summer weather and the greenery reminded me of Bengaluru, and it certainly has the same vibes.I hope you enjoyed reading this travelogue and dont hesitate to PM me for any additional information if you need it. I am always here to help. Thanks for reading. Last edited by vb-saan : 12th February 2024 at 14:26 . Reason: Photos alignment One of the key differentiators between home security cameras and video doorbells has nothing to do with their specifications or even their performance. If youre considering the long-term cost of ownership of a security camera, youll want to know three things: First, what functions are disabled if you dont pay for a subscription? Second, what functions does a subscription add to the product? And third, how much will a subscription cost on a monthly or annual basis in addition to the cost of the product itself. If youre wondering why youd need a subscription plan in the first place, its because manymaybe even mostof the manufacturers in this space limit the capabilities of their products unless you pay extra for services. These subscription plans are invariably advertised as optional, and many of them are sold in tiers, with varying levels of features. But the bottom line is that you probably wont get the full benefit of the camera or doorbell unless you sign up for a plan. This story is part of TechHives in-depth coverage of the best home security cameras and the best video doorbells. Arlo, Ring, and many others, for example, limit you to a real-time view of the scene in front of their cameras and doorbells unless you cough up for a subscription. If you want a recording of an event you werent around to watch in real time, youll probably need to pay for a subscription so you can store the recording on the vendors server in the cloud. Even cameras that feature local storage on a microSD card or a storage device on your home network might require a subscription to unlock features such as person, pet, and package detection; high-resolution video recording; AI image processing; and more. Lets compare the plans and services from each of the biggest manufacturers, whose product lines have generally earned positive reviews from us. Updated March 14, 2024 to add our take on the Eufy Cloud Storage subscription plan. Arlo Arlo cameras come with three cloud storage options, any of which will unlock essential camera features. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Your purchase of an Arlo home security product includes a 30-day free trial to Arlo Secure, which starts automatically after you set up the camera or doorbell. When the free trial ends, youll still be able to see a live view from the camera, the two-way talk feature will continue to operate, and you will receive notifications when the camera detects motion. The camera will also continue to work with smart speakers and displays, but you wont be able to record videos and download them to share with other people unless you sign up for one of the following paid subscriptions: Arlo Secure Cost: $7.99 per month or $89.99 per year for a single camera; $12.99 per month or $149.99 per year for an unlimited number of cameras and doorbells. Features: The Secure plan allows you to save video in up to 4K resolution for 30 days in the cloud. It also enables critical security features such as AI-powered object detection (people, vehicles, packages, and pets), smart notifications, customizable activity zones, and sound recognition for smoke and carbon monoxide detection alarms. Other perks include theft replacement, priority care and support, and a discount on the purchase of future Arlo devices. Arlo Secure Plus Cost: $17.99 per month or $199.99 per year for an unlimited number of Arlo cameras and doorbells. Features: This plan gives you everything in Arlo Secure and adds 24/7 emergency response, which allows you to contact fire, police, or medical responders simply by pressing an alert notification. Arlo Safe & Secure Pro Cost: $24.99 per month or $299.99 per year for an unlimited number of cameras. Features: Arlos top-tier plan includes all the features of Arlo Secure Plus and adds 24/7 professional monitoring. That last feature requires you to own an Arlo Home Security system. Youll also get Arlo Safe, which provides a range of personal and family safety services including the ability to alert your emergency contacts or professional security experts when you need emergency help, record incidents you witness and save them to the cloud, and automatically alert emergency response agents during a car accident. sign up for an arlo secure plan Blink Amazons Blink cameras come with come with two cloud subscription options, one thats priced per camera and one thats a flat fee for unlimited cameras. Amazon Amazons Blink cameras come with your choice of two monthly cloud subscription plans, one is priced per camera and the other is a flat monthly or annual fee for an unlimited number of Blink cameras. Without a paid subscription you will only be able to view your cameras live feedand only for a maximum of 5 minutes after receiving a motion-detection alert. Blink Basic Plan Cost: $3 per month or $30 per year per camera. Features: The Basic plan includes 60 days of rolling storage, automatic local backups (if you also purchase a $35 Blink Sync Module 2 and a USB storage device to plug into it), person detection, video sharing, and periodic photo capture. Blink Plus Plan Cost: $10 per month or $100 per year for an unlimited number of Blink cameras. Features: This plan includes everything in the Basic plan and adds the ability to temporarily pause motion alerts for up to 24 hours, a 10-percent discount Blink devices purchased on Amazon, and extended warranties on all your Blink devices for as long as you continue your subscriptionprovided the Blink product was under warranty at the time you start your subscription. Sign up for a Blink Subscription plan Eufy Cloud Storage Eufy cameras include local storage options but can still use Eufy cloud subscription plans to backup their video. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry Eufy indoor cameras, floodlight cameras, and doorbells support local storage either through a small amount of onboard memory, a microSD card, or Eufys HomeBase 3, a NAS-type device connected to your home network that can host up to 16TB of storage via a user-supplied hard disk or solid-state drive. But Eufy also offers reasonably priced cloud-based subscriptions that add anywhere-access convenience and are useful as a backup in case your local storage is stolen, damaged, or goes offline. Not all of Eufys security products are subscription eligible, though, so its best to check your model before you purchase a plan. Eufy Basic Plan Cost: $3 a month or $30 a year per camera Features: The Eufy Basic plan unlocks rolling 30 days of storage for a single camera. Eufy Premier Plan Cost: $10 a month or $100 a year Features: This plan covers up to 10 Eufy cameras, providing rolling 30 days of storage for each one. Sign up for Eufy Cloud Storage Google Nest Both of Googles Nest Aware plans cover all the Google cameras, smart speakers, and smart displays in your home. Google Nest Compared to most other manufacturers, Google Nest cameras generally provide more features without requiring a subscription. You get the usual event-based alerts and on-demand live viewing, for example, but some Nest cameras also provide at least some event-based recordingup to 3 hours on the Nest Cam (battery), for examplewithout a subscription. Thats a great featureif you can remember to view and/or download the clip before that 3-hour window closes. And some models will produce alerts specifying whether the motion was from a a person, a vehicle, or an animal; again, without a subscription. Heres what youll get if you do spring for a subscription (youll get a 30-day free trial with the purchase of a device). Nest Aware Cost: $8 per month or $80 per year for every Google camera, speaker, and display in your home. Features: The Nest Aware plan bumps the event video history up from 3 hours to 30 days. Your cameras can also learn familiar faces, so they can discern between family and friends versus strangers. And if you also have Nest smart speakers and displays, theyll be able to listen for the sound of breaking glass as well as smoke or carbon monoxide detector alarms sounding off. Nest Aware Plus Cost: $15 per month or $150 per year for every Google camera, speaker, and display in your home. Features: Everything in the base Nest Aware plan, but the event video history is boosted to 60 days, and you get 10 days of 24/7 continuous recording. sign up for a google nest aware plan Ring If you want recordings from your Ring cameras and doorbells, youll need to sign up for one of the companys Ring Protect plans. Michael Brown/Foundry Ring Protect is a comprehensive subscription service offered in three tiers, enabling everything from rich notifications of events (with photo preview of the event appearing in the Ring app), to cloud storage, to professional monitoring of a Ring Alarm system. A free 30-day trial begins as soon as you activate a new Ring home camera or doorbell. After the trial period, youll need to subscribe to continue using those features. Without a Ring Protect Plan, you can only use your Ring devices free features such as live video, text-only push notifications, and two-way audio. Ring Protect Basic Cost: $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year for one camera. Starting March 11, 2024, the price of a Ring Protect Basic subscription for a single camera will increase to $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Features: The Basic plan allows you to store 180 days of recorded video events for a single Ring doorbell or camera. Its also required to enable most of your Ring products advanced functions, including person alerts; rich notifications; Home and Away modes; the ability to download up to 50 videos at once to your device; and Snapshot Capture, which allows your camera to capture still images of its view at predetermined intervals so you can a view slideshow of what your camera sees between motion events. Ring Protect Plus Cost: $10 per month or $100 per year for an unlimited number of cameras and doorbells. Features: The Plus plan covers every Ring doorbell and camera at a single location. It offers the same features as the Basic plan, but it also gives you a lifetime warranty on all of your Ring devicesprovided the devices were still covered by Rings standard one-year warranty on the date your Ring Protect subscription starts. Ring Protect Pro Cost: $20 per month or $200 per year for a Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro system and an unlimited number of Ring cameras. Features: The Pro plan gets you the same features as the Protect plan, but is primarily designed for owners of a Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro home security system. It includes 24/7 professional monitoring for break-ins and fire emergencies, which can include an emergency dispatch of first responders. You can also contact the monitoring service to request help in the event of a medical emergency. The other significant addition to the Pro plan is 24/7 backup to your broadband connection. In the event your broadband connection should fail, a Ring Alarm or Ring Alarm Pro will automatically switch over to a cellular network to maintain the systems connection to the internet. If you have a Ring Alarm Pro system, youll also have the option to install a microSD card in the hub, so that all recordings from your Ring cameras and doorbells are stored and processed locally, instead in the cloud. sign up for a ring protect plan SimpliSafe SimpliSafe offers two paid subscription plans; one allows you to monitor your own system, the other includes a professional monitoring service. Christopher Null/Foundry SimpliSafe offers a pair of paid monitoring plans for its home security cameras. You can forgo one to save some money, but you will be limited to viewing your cameras live video feed and arming/disarming it from the SimpliSafe App. Considering a paid monitoring plan unlocks critical features such as push notifications and video recording, as well as enhancements like live guard monitoring, its worth considering one of the subscription offerings if you own SimpliSafe cameras. Self Monitoring with Camera Recordings Cost: Around $10 per month. Features: As the name of this plan indicates, you are still monitoring your system via the SimpliSafe mobile app with this entry-level subscription, but you unlock additional camera features, including unlimited video recording, 30-day cloud storage, and instant alarm alerts pushed to your mobile device. In the event of an emergency, its up to you to call first responders. Fast Protect Professional Monitoring Cost: Around $30 per month. Features: This plan comes with SimpliSafes whole-home professional monitoring service, so you probably want to be using your camera with one of the companys DIY home security systems before you consider it. The crux of the service is 24/7 live guard protection; during an active alarm, professional agents can access your cameras video feed and microphone and attempt to divert the threat. If theyre unsuccessful, they can dispatch police, and their verified report will likely result in a faster response. Similarly, agents can dispatch fire, or medical help after verifying an emergency. Meanwhile, you can still track camera activity on your own via the features unlocked in the self-monitoring plan; plus, you get a lifetime subscriber warranty on SimpliSafe hardware. Sign up for a SimpliSafe plan TP-Link and Tapo Neither TP-Link nor its Tapo brand offer a complete home-security system, but its security camera monitoring subscriptions are very inexpensive. Michael Ansaldo/Foundry TP-Link and its Tapo brand of home security cameras are typical in that buyers can choose between a free self-monitoring plan that doesnt include push notifications or cloud storage, or a paid plan that includes both. Many of those cameras, however, are equipped with microSD card slots that provide local storage for video clipsprovided you supply the microSD card. Unlike Arlo, Ring, SimpliSafe, and Wyze Labs, TP-Link does not also offer a complete home security system, so it doesnt offer a professional monitoring subscription. Tapocare Cost: $3.49 per month or $34.99 per year for up to 10 cameras. Features: In the U.S., a Tapocare plan provides 30 days of video clip storage in the cloud, push notifications when the cameras detect motion and record video (including a snapshot from the video), and users can sort tag and sort their cameras recordings. Sign up for Tapocare Wyze Labs Wyze Labs is one of the few security camera manufacturers to off a free plan for cloud storage of video recordings. It also offers two paid tiers that include additional features. tier cameras is one of the few camera brands to offer a free plan in addition to two paid subscription options. Christopher Null/Foundry Wyze Labs offers some of the most inexpensive home security cameras on the market, and the same goes for its subscription plans. It even offers a free planthe only major security camera brand to do sothat enables more than just your cameras most basic features. Wyze offers five subscription plans: Wyze Cam Basic (aka Lite) Cost: Free. Features: Wyze cameras and doorbells come a free basic plan that includes 14 days of free cloud storage, general motion and sound detection, and notifications when the devices hear the sound of a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm sounding off. There is a catch, however: You dont get video recordings with this tier; instead, the camera will capture a static image when an event triggers it, with a 5-minute cool-down between each event-triggered capture. In other words, if a person walks in front of the camera and triggers a snapshot, the camera will not produce any more snapshots for five minutes, no matter what happens in front of it. Wyze Cam Plus Cost: $2.99 per month per camera, $19.99 per year per camera. Features: This plan includes the same 14 days of event cloud storage, but the camera will record video instead of just capturing still frames with 5-minute cool-downs between capture (there is no cool-down period at this tier). Youll be able to record the entirety of a motion-triggered event without missing any activity. This also adds person, pet, package, and vehicle detection, and youll be offered exclusive subscriber discounts. Cam Plus Unlimited Cost: $9.99 per month for up to 99 Wyze cameras, $99.99 per year for up to 99 Wyze cameras. Features: This is the same plan as Cam Plus, but it includes licenses for up to 99 Wyze cameras; so, if you have more than three Wyze cameras, this plan is more economical than paying for each camera separately. Wyze Cam Protect Cost: $3.99 per camera per month or $39.99 per camera per year. Features: This plan includes all the features of cheaper plans and adds AI-based facial recognition and a 24/7 professional monitoring service that will notify you via text message and phone call in the event an alarm goes off. This tier is for cameras only. If you want a security system that includes cameras as well as discrete motion, door/window, water leak, and other types of sensors, plus a central hub with a keypad for arming/disarming, youll want the complete Wyze Home Monitoring system. Pair that with a Wyze Home Monitoring subscription at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, and youll have the beginnings of a robust home security system. sign up for a wyze subscription Our take Arlos $7.99-per-month single-camera subscription price is now one of most expensive on the market, following a 60-percent price increase in January, 2024. Arlos unlimited camera plan is also high, at $17.99 per month. Arlos professional monitoring subscription is reasonable at $24.99, even though its $5-per-month more than Rings, but Arlos home security system is much more basic than Rings. Blink has the least expensive per-camera plan, at $3 per month, and you get local video backups if you purchase the Blink Sync Module 2. The unlimited camera plan costs the same as Rings service at $10 per month. Unlike Arlo or Ring, Blink does not offer a complete home security system, although it does have a video doorbell and a couple of floodlight cameras. Weve found that Blinks product line delivers a lot of value for the money. Eufy has recently introduced several new advanced security camerasindoor and outdoor models outfitted with both wide-angle and telephoto lensesand everything in its lineup is affordably priced. The price for its subscription service is comparable to that of the competition, but its 10-camera limit could be an issue if you have a lot of cameras deployed around your home. That said, 10 cameras seems like a lot. Its also worth noting that Eufy does not currently offer a professional monitoring service, since it doesnt currently offer a complete home alarm system. A Google Nest Aware subscription for a single camera costs the same as Arlos, but since few households end up deploying just one camera or video doorbell, Googles plan ends up being more affordable than most because it covers all the Google cameras, doorbells, speakers, and displays in your home. But Google no longer builds a home security system, so it doesnt offer a professional monitoring plan either. Ring will soon increase its single-camera plan by $1 per month to $4.99 per month/$49.99 per year, while its unlimited-camera plan will remain low at just $10 per month; well see how long that lasts. Rings $20-per-month professional monitoring plan is one of the most affordable of its type, and the ecosystem for the Ring Alarm and Ring Alarm Pro security systems is more comprehensive than most and includes indoor and outdoor smart lighting, smart entry locks, smoke detectors, and more, including certified third-party devices. SimpliSafe charges even more for self monitoring of its security cameras and security system than Arlo: around $10 per month. And thats what they charge even if you have just one camera. If you do have a complete SimpliSafe home security system and want professional monitoring, youll pay $10 per month more than you would for a Ring Alarm system. TP-Link/Tapo has one of the least-expensive subscriptions, but it doesnt offer a professional monitoring option because the company doesnt have a complete home security system on the market today; it only offers security cameras and video doorbells. Wyze Labs is the another budget brand (Blink being the other), and weve had no complaints about the quality of its very well-priced hardware. The Wyze Home Monitoring system isnt as sophisticated as some other products, but it is an incredible value. And the $10-per-month cost of its professional monitoring plan is the best in the industry. The collaboration between Honda and GM to develop hydrogen cars, Toyotas ongoing support for hydrogen technology, and the potential for retrofitting traditional gas engines to run on hydrogen might lead some to question the future viability of electric vehicles. Despite the availability of conversion kits in Europe that transform gas-powered cars to hydrogen, drivers have limited their adoption due to reliability issues. These modifications have often resulted in less dependable vehicles, contrasting sharply with the more reliable performance of electric cars equipped with hydrogen fuel cells. Now, Toyota has developed a unique hydrogen engine that will run more reliably on hydrogen than a converted gas engine, but it will lack the performance advantages of the more common fuel cell approach. Both types of power have one huge problem: there is no hydrogen infrastructure, and hydrogen generators arent cheap. Lets talk about hydrogen-powered cars this week. Then, well close with my Product of the Week a car out of Switzerland called the Microlino. It could be the perfect electric for situations when electric cars work best: short hops. Hydrogen vs. Electric Cars On paper, hydrogen is the better choice to power a car than a battery. This superiority stems from the fact that, in most implementations, you get the attributes of an electric vehicle, which is an exceptionally reliable motor, and you dont get the worst part, which is the battery. Much like gas tanks dont wear out although older ones did rust out if you didnt take care of them hydrogen tanks would be no different because they last indefinitely if maintained properly. In both cases, fuel delivery systems need to be maintained, and since hydrogen typically is supplied in liquid form, it is under pressure, which adds to the cost and complexity vs. gas; it is still potentially far more dependable than batteries are today. Toyotas approach of using a special internal combustion engine (ICE) is interesting because you get the ICE experience (engine sound, etc.), but you get the complexity of that engine type, as well. Internal combustion engines tend to be far less dependable than electric motors because they are more complex. But, if you are used to a gas car, this experience should be quite similar. So, the Toyota approach could be the best bet for someone who wants that gas car roar and feel. To get a similar experience from an electric motor, you typically have to add engine sounds artificially, a solution that, to date, hasnt been exceedingly popular. Both BMW and the first Fisker did this with mixed results. Electric car owners typically get over the need for sound quickly, particularly when they experience the benefits of massive torque and acceleration from an electric car. So, if you are talking about where most automakers are taking hydrogen, like into fuel cell cars, on paper, the hydrogen-powered vehicle is far superior to the electric battery vehicle. But Hydrogen Has a Huge Problem What made Tesla work is the massive investment the company made in an electric ecosystem combined with the rapid introduction of low-cost Level 2 chargers that allowed you to charge up at home. You can get Level 2 electric chargers for under $300 and a good flex charger like the one I use, the ChargePoint Home Flex Charger for under $600. With the expansion of public chargers, the United States saw over 53,000 charging locations by 2022, as reported by Statista. This expansion indicates that despite issues with the reliability of public chargers, their availability is substantial, and they are being installed at an increasing rate. California alone has over 44,000 of these charging stations. In comparison, there are currently 111,000 gas stations across the U.S., so we are about 50% of the way to parity if you dont consider many of these stations are often out of service. Compare that to only 58 public hydrogen refueling stations in the U.S., with 57 of those in California. So good luck getting fueled in any other state in the U.S. Projections suggest there will be as many as 4,300 hydrogen fuel stations in the U.S. by 2030, but most of these are for commercial use. Thats still a tiny fraction of what we have with electric charging stations today, and there arent enough public charging stations. So, with nearly 1,000 times the number of projected charging locations, electric battery-powered cars are approaching the same advantage that gas cars now have when it comes to fueling locations or they would if these charging stations were more dependable. Still, the number is far higher than hydrogen. I should add that current forecasts have us at 35 million electric car chargers by 2030. Granted, most will be in homes, but thats still a massive number. Home Hydrogen Fueling and Infrastructure Hurdles But what about home hydrogen fuel? Well, thats going to be a problem. A home hydrogen generator not only needs electricity to power it, but it needs water, as well, making it harder to install, and it costs around $12,000. So, while you can fuel up at home much like you can charge an electric car, the cost of the fueling system is prohibitively expensive. The cost of the hydrogen generator itself isnt the only problem. Fully charging an electric car is around $10, while fueling a hydrogen car is closer to $75. Driving approximately 60 miles would cost around $4 for an electric and closer to $15 for a hydrogen car. Currently, hydrogen has a similar problem with fueling that electric cars have with charging, but it is far worse in terms of ecosystem availability and fuel cost. The only way around this is to build a massive, low-cost hydrogen fueling infrastructure like Tesla did for EVs, but no one seems to be doing that for anything but commercial hydrogen vehicles. This situation is why GM and Honda are focusing their efforts in that direction. Toyota is nuts because it seems unlikely itll be able to fund the fueling infrastructure it needs outside of Japan. Toyota could make this work in Japan, though in 2022, there were only 250 stations there. Wrapping Up It costs around $1.9 million to build a hydrogen fueling station. Even if you could reduce that cost by $800,000 by converting an existing gas station instead of building from scratch to approach where electric charging stations are today, you would need 53,000 of them. That cost comes to over $58 trillion for the U.S. alone, and Toyota is only valued at around $273 billion, meaning itll need a ton of government help to build out the ecosystem. By the way, this contrasts the $7.5 billion estimate to build out the EV charging ecosystem in the U.S. with 500,000 additional chargers. Battery technology, which languished for much of the last century, is advancing quickly now. The Chinese electric car company Zeekr advertises over 640 miles of range (the electric cars from China are setting range records) for a car costing under $40,000, which is within striking distance of the Toyota Mirai hydrogen-powered car with an impressive 845 tested range. I get that you can make commercial hydrogen vehicles work with the combination of superior range and depot fueling stations and a limited number of long-haul fuel stops. But consumer vehicles? Nope. The math just doesnt work, so Toyotas impressive effort will likely fail. Given how far weve come with battery electrics, its just too late to switch to hydrogen because the cost of the switch is beyond what even governments are willing to pay to get it done. Microlino Electric Car When it comes to cars for local driving, you really cant beat an electric. You can charge it at home, you dont care about public charging, and you dont need a ton of size or cost. My new favorite in this class is the Microlino electric car out of Switzerland. Sadly, there are no plans yet to sell this in the U.S., but that doesnt mean we cant wish for this awesome, little, and very affordable $14,000 car in the U.S. Like the old BMW Isetta (my dad had two of those when I was growing up), the Microlino has several impressive advantages. It has an exceptional range of 60 to 143 miles for local travel, depending on the battery size selected. The front door (you open the front of the car to get in) allows you to park in very tight spots and still easily get in and out of the vehicle. With a top speed of 55 mph (on a flat road), it will handle most local speed limits, though Id stay off freeways. I tried an electric scooter that had a 56-mph speed limit a few years back and found the number of cars that seemed to want to run over me on a freeway disconcerting. Still, if you want something for your kid to drive to school thats safer than a bike, scooter, or motorcycle, or want a small second car for when your larger vehicle was in use by another family member but dont want to tie up a lot of cash, this car could be an ideal option and, given how unique it is, it is likely to draw interest at your local Cars and Coffee. The Microlino uses a Level 1 charger, which plugs into a regular AC plug and still charges the car in around four hours. So, the electricity cost would be negligible and in line with a typical large appliance. I wanted this car as soon as I saw it, and sometimes I pick my Product of the Week based on how much I want the darn thing. Particularly, as is the case this time, when Im not allowed to buy it. As a result, the Microlino is my Product of the Week. I hope Amazon figures out how to sell these because Id like to buy one. Bottom line: The popularity of the Flipper Zero has Canadian officials on edge. While the tool's capabilities do raise concerns, the knee-jerk prohibition highlights the tricky balance between empowering white-hat hackers and preventing malicious misuse of technology. Canada is on the path to prohibiting the sale and use of the Flipper Zero, a popular hacking tool used by tech enthusiasts. The ban was announced last Thursday by Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Francois-Philippe Champagne, who stated that the action is in response to rising car thefts. "Criminals have been using sophisticated tools to steal cars. And Canadians are rightfully worried. Today, I announced we are banning the importation, sale and use of consumer hacking devices, like flippers, used to commit these crimes," he tweeted. It's understandable why the Canadian government is concerned about the spike in auto thefts. Around 90,000 vehicles are reported stolen annually in the country, costing approximately $1 billion a year when factoring in insurance claims and replacement costs. That equates to about one car being taken every six minutes. The $169 Flipper Zero is essentially a penetration-testing device (when used virtuously) that can scan for vulnerabilities in wireless networks, RFID/NFC devices, and infrared devices. But the real fun lies in its various radio frequency hacking capabilities. YouTube is filled with videos of users deploying the device to disrupt smart home gadgets, traffic lights, gates, department store announcements, and even gas station signs. There have even been cases of iPhones being overwhelmed with rogue pop-up messages after interfacing with a modified Flipper - although that vulnerability was thankfully patched by Apple in December. However, many experts agree that the Flipper Zero itself does not pose a real threat when it comes to stealing today's cars. Most vehicles now use rolling codes rather than fixed codes for keyless entry. This means the code from a key fob can only be used once, rendering captured codes useless. A thief would have to simultaneously jam the key fob signal while recording the code with a Flipper, a difficult feat. But the device does raise some real concerns. The Flipper Zero packs a lot of power into a small, innocuous package. It could be used by a knowledgeable user to wreak havoc on insecure smart home systems and connected devices. Some argue this is a good thing as it exposes weaknesses in products so they can be improved. If a relatively inexpensive toy can hack a device, that's a sign it needs better security. Regardless of the pros and cons, the writing has been on the wall for the Flipper Zero for a while now. Early last year, Amazon banned the device from its platform, instructing sellers to remove or delete any listings associated with it. The Flipper Zero has also drawn increasing scrutiny from law enforcement in multiple countries. Devices have been seized in the US and Brazil - the latter actually has an effective ban in place. A US ban seemed unlikely before, but with Canada moving ahead, some kind of regulation may indeed happen. Recap: The Biden Administration conceived the CHIPS and Science Act as a far-reaching plan to rebuild the US microchip industry essentially from scratch. The plan includes roughly $280 billion in public subsidies to boost domestic research and semiconductor manufacturing, with public and private sectors working together towards a common goal. As a part of the CHIPS Act that was approved in 2022, the White House has recently announced a new $5 billion investment to fund the research and development of domestic, advanced chip technologies. The centerpiece of the new initiative will be the creation of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), a public-private consortium designed as a support institution for the next generation of silicon tech. Semiconductors were invented in the United States and are the backbone of the modern economy, the US Administration remarked, but less than 10 percent of today's global supply, and "none of the most advanced chips" are made in the country. The now-formally established NSTC will be tasked with supporting the design, prototyping, and piloting of the most advanced chip technology, providing access to "critical capabilities" to innovators and building a skilled workforce for the semiconductor industry. As highlighted by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), developing new silicon tech is becoming increasingly difficult from an R&D standpoint. The smallest features included in today's advanced microchips have reached the atomic scale, the organization said, and complexity is "increasing exponentially" with the adoption of three-dimensional structures, new materials, and other manufacturing improvements. And yet, the US industry has now a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a "transformative center" (the NSTC) that can work for decades as an innovation accelerator. The US chip industry will also need a lot of new skilled workers, a target the NSTC will pursue by investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a Workforce Center of Excellence with locations throughout the country. The NSTC's ambition to restart the research on cutting-edge semiconductor technologies isn't an easy one, and critics have already highlighted how the CHIPS and Science Act still is in its warmup phase. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently predicted that it will likely take two decades for the US to regain chip independence. Meanwhile, the semiconductor industry is looking to improve on the business side of things. The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) said that manufacturers sold chips for $526.8 billion in 2023, with an 8.2 percent drop compared to 2022. Chip sales recovered in the last quarter of the year, growing by 11.6 percent compared to the Q4 2022 and by 8.4 percent compared to Q3 2023. SIA is now looking at a strong recovery for CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, memory chips and other product categories in the coming months. Elevate your Chinese Lunar New Year holiday with a magical trip to Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County in Guangxi, south China! Only here can you enjoy a live rendition of the 2,500-year-old Grand Song of the Dong. Don't miss the song that's captivating tourists from around the world! Produced by Xinhua Global Service What just happened? A mob attacked and destroyed a self-driving Waymo robotaxi over the weekend, with no clear motive behind the incident. The vehicle, which was empty at the time, had its windows smashed, was set on fire and covered in graffiti as the crowd cheered. The attack took place at approximately 9 pm on Saturday, February 10th. The Waymo vehicle was navigating Jackson Street in Chinatown when it was surrounded by people. happening NOW in SF. Waymo car vandalized & lit on fire A@sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/OEZYFiy6mv Michael Vandi (@michael_vandi) February 11, 2024 According to The Autopian, there was a small traffic holdup with the Waymo vehicle at the front. Someone then decided to jump on its hood and smash the windshield, prompting another person to jump on the hood. Things escalated from this point; a skateboard and other objects were used to break other windows, people started covering the car in graffiti, and lit fireworks were thrown inside, setting the Jaguar I-Pace on fire. Exactly why the crowd decided to destroy the Waymo vehicle is unclear, though there has been growing resentment toward robotaxis from San Francisco residents for a long time. Back in July last year, the activist group Safe Street Rebel started a protest against driverless Waymo and Cruise vehicles in the city that involved placing traffic cones on their hoods to disable them. Self-driving vehicles have been responsible for several incidents in San Francisco, including blocking traffic, crashing into a bus, and even running over a dog. Tensions were raised last summer after the California Public Utilities Commission gave its approval for autonomous vehicle companies to expand robotaxis' hours of operation to 24/7 while charging for rides. The most serious incident happened last October: a pedestrian was struck by a human-driven car, hurling her in front of a Cruise driverless taxi that ran her over and stopped with its rear tire still on her leg. The vehicle attempted a pullover maneuver after it stopped while the pedestrian was still under the wheels, dragging her another 20 feet. The accident led to Cruise's permit to operate robotaxis in California being suspended, the company halting its operations nationwide, the CEO resigning, and a quarter of all staff being laid off. What just happened? The once-rosy relationship between Starlink and Ukraine has become even more tense after the country's military intelligence accused Russian forces in occupied territories of using the company's terminals. Starlink's CEO and founder, Elon Musk, has denied the claim. The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency (GUR) says it has proof that Russia's 83rd Assault Brigade was using SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service in Klishchiivka and Andriivka, two towns in the partially occupied Donetsk region. This proof consists of a 12-second audio clip that the agency says is an intercepted exchange of two Russian soldiers discussing setting up the Starlink terminals. "Starlink works, there is internet," one says. "Cases of the Russian occupiers' use of the given devices have been registered. It is beginning to take on a systemic nature," Andriy Yusov, GUR spokesperson, told The Guardian. Both Starlink and Musk have addressed the reports. Musk wrote in an X post that allegations SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia were categorically false. "To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia," he said. A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia. This is categorically false. To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 11, 2024 Starlink's X post went into more detail. It noted that SpaceX does not do business of any kind with the Russian government or its military and that the service is not active in Russia, meaning it will not work in the country. It does not operate in Dubai, either, and it has not authorized any third-party intermediaries, resellers or distributors of any kind to sell Starlink in the country. "If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed." SpaceX does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military. Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country. SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia. If Starlink (@Starlink) February 8, 2024 Neither message flat-out denies that the Russian military has somehow obtained Starlink terminals and is using them in Ukraine. It's been theorized that Russian troops could be spoofing the Starlink terminals' locations to circumvent their geofencing and make them appear in allowed locations. Alternatively, the terminals might be used in locations that SpaceX has cleared in order to help the Ukrainians. SpaceX has supplied thousands of terminals to Ukraine and kept the service going since the war began, something the country was initially very grateful for and that angered Russia. But Musk warned that the company's funding couldn't continue indefinitely though he later backtracked and said it would. The relationship was further strained a year ago when SpaceX limited Ukraine's ability to use the Starlink satellite service for offensive military purposes. The move followed reports that Ukraine had been using Starlink to control drones. There was also a claim in a book that Musk disabled Starlink during a Ukraine attack on Russian ships over fears of nuclear reprisals. In October 2022, Musk managed to anger the whole of Ukraine with his proposed Russian peace plan, though he did once offer to fight Vladimir Putin in "single combat" for the future of the nation. Russia's utilization of SpaceX's Starlink communications service in Ukraine has raised concerns about the unintentional backing of invaders by SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk. Ukrainian sources, speaking anonymously, revealed that the use of Starlink terminals by Russian forces was first detected several months ago, with an observed increase in usage, according to Defense One. Currently, tens of Starlink terminals are operational across the extensive frontline, adding challenges for the Ukrainian military, which is already grappling with ammunition shortages. Ukrainian artillery units, firing around 2,000 shells daily, face a significant disparity compared to their Russian counterparts. Reports of Russian forces employing Starlink surfaced through Ukrainian media and social media posts. Volunteer groups supporting the invasion of Ukraine showcased Starlink terminals purchased for army units. The Pentagon acknowledged awareness of the reports, directing inquiries to Ukrainian partners for operational details. (Photo : YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)A Ukrainian serviceman stands next to the antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system in Bakhmut on February 9, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Elon Musk Responds In response, SpaceX asserted in a February 8 tweet that it does not engage in any business with the Russian government or military. The company clarified that Starlink is not operational in Russia, emphasizing that it has neither sold nor marketed the service in the country. SpaceX does not do business of any kind with the Russian Government or its military. Starlink is not active in Russia, meaning service will not work in that country. SpaceX has never sold or marketed Starlink in Russia, nor has it shipped equipment to locations in Russia. If February 8, 2024 Despite SpaceX's denial, Russian companies, such as iMiele.ru and DJIRussia, advertise Starlinks for sale. Ukrainian sources note the method of acquiring Starlinks from abroad and bringing them back to distribute to Russian forces. SpaceX, capable of deactivating Starlink devices used by unauthorized parties, may face challenges in monitoring and controlling their deployment in conflict zones. SpaceX, led by Musk and the owner of the Starlink satellite system, clarified that it does not engage in any business with the Russian government or military. The company emphasized that if it becomes aware of sanctioned or unauthorized use of a Starlink terminal, it investigates and takes action to deactivate it. In a tweet, Musk called claims of Starlink terminals being sold to Russia as "categorically false." "To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia," the SpaceX owner stated. Read Also: Jeff Bezos Offloads Over $2 Billion in Amazon Stock: Federal Filing Reveals Massive Share Sale Starlink, a satellite network providing broadband services, asserts that its service is not functional in Russia, though it remains unclear whether it operates in occupied Ukraine. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of the Main Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate, confirmed that the service has become essential for Ukrainian battlefield communications. Ties Between Musk-Ukraine Deteriorating? The rapport between Elon Musk and Ukrainian authorities has deteriorated during the conflict, commencing with the tech mogul's directive in 2022 for his engineers to deactivate Starlink satellite communications close to the Russian-occupied Crimea coastline. According to Politico, this action was purportedly to thwart an intended Ukrainian drone strike. Musk's reported concern was that the strike could heighten tensions and pose the risk of triggering a nuclear war. The Starlink service played a crucial role in Ukraine's response to Russia's invasion, with SpaceX supplying thousands of devices through donations, military-funded transfers, and individual purchases by volunteers. These devices enabled frontline troops to establish high-bandwidth, mobile communication networks for coordinating artillery strikes and operating in operations centers. Described as a "black swan" event by a drone operator, Ukraine's utilization of Starlink and associated devices has been crucial in defending cities like Bakhmut. The US military also incorporates Starlink devices in exercises, as evidenced by a $70 million task order from Space Command for Starshield, a military-focused Starlink version. Related Article: TikTok Loses Court Bid to Suspend New EU Rules Designating It as 'Gatekeeper' 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As the world is moving on towards advancing significant technology, massive focuses and threats are looming around, including the massive move by Canada to ban the infamous Flipper Zero and related devices. Moreover, there is also a significant incident that took place in Hong Kong where an employee was scammed via deepfake campaigns which impersonated its CEO and CFO. Lastly, there is a growing concern regarding AI's environmental effects, but the renowned company, Opera, is now making a move towards conservation and reducing the stress it brings to Mother Nature. Flipper Zero Faces Canadian Ban, Sees It as a Threat The notorious pen-testing gadget made for "tech geeks" is now facing a massive ban in Canada shortly, with the country looking towards this to rule against its import, sale, and use in the country. This is because of the rising car theft incidents in the Great North, with the hacking devices known as "flippers," capable of unlocking a vehicle and driving away with it. Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Francois-Philippe Champagne, revealed in his recent post via X that this is the path the country is going towards, looking to stem the problem in its roots. Through the ban on flippers, alongside the most famed tool, the Flipper Zero, Canada is looking to lower the rate of car theft and recover the stolen vehicles for the victims. Read Also: DOJ Says US Engineer Contacted China Before Stealing Government Tech Used to Detect Nuclear Missile Launches Hong Kong Firm Deepfake Scam: $25M Stolen A multinational firm in Hong Kong fell victim to an elaborate deepfake scam which led to the company losing $25 million (HK$ 200 Million) after an employee was duped by the unknown threat actors. According to reports, the said employee was personally messaged by its UK-based CFO, asking the victim to carry out secret transactions for them. Despite doubting the favor, the employee proceeded with the scam after meeting the CEO, CFO, and other employees via a video conference. However, the threat actors used generative AI deepfakes to convince the victim that they were legitimate people. The scam took place for an entire week, leading to 15 transactions that transferred the money to the threat actors, across five Hong Kong bank accounts which the scammers gave the victim during the virtual meeting. It was later verified with the headquarters that such requests were not made. AI's Environmental Effects The development and operations of artificial intelligence have massive environmental effects, particularly as it requires a great deal of power to run the systems and infrastructure. Apart from this, AI's use and availability also bring a great deal of harm to the environment, especially as it requires additional computing power for its operations. That being said, a renowned browser company, Opera, is now looking to move towards deploying its AI using clean energy, also planning to deploy its latest AI cluster in Keflavik, Iceland, which would run strictly on green energy. This will help the company offer improvements for its AI already present in its browsers, taking on a better role beyond that of a chatbot. Related Article: AI Search Engine Revolution: Perplexity Threatens to Outshine Google and Bing 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The former Prime Minister of Pakistan made headlines by proclaiming victory in the country's recent election through the use of artificially generated speech. Despite facing restrictions and challenges, Khan employed innovative technology to convey his message to the public, marking a notable intersection of politics and artificial intelligence. (Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 27: Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan addresses the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters on September 27, 2019 in New York City. World leaders from across the globe are gathered at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, amid crises ranging from climate change to possible conflict between Iran and the United States. AI-Generated Victory Speech In a remarkable turn of events, an artificial intelligence-generated voice, purportedly embodying the persona of the imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, boldly declared victory for his political party in Pakistan's recent parliamentary elections. This unconventional strategy sheds light on the increasingly sophisticated use of AI in political communication. For months preceding the election, Khan's party has been leveraging AI technology to replicate his voice, allowing for seamless communication despite his absence. The Verge reported that this innovative approach not only highlights the adaptability of AI in navigating complex political landscapes but also underscores the ethical and practical considerations surrounding its deployment in electoral processes. Also Read: Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Is Using AI to Campaign from Jail The election process faced challenges and disruptions, with the vote count delayed due to internet outages. The turbulent conclusion to the election underscored the prevalence of violence and widespread distrust throughout the electoral process. The use of generative AI in this context presents a dual-edged sword. On one hand, it offers a novel solution for political parties to maintain continuity in messaging and strategy, even in the absence of key figures. However, Politico reported that it also raises concerns regarding the potential manipulation of public perception and the erosion of trust in democratic processes. As society grapples with the evolving role of technology in politics, the case of AI-generated political communication serves as a poignant reminder of the need for scrutiny and ethical oversight to ensure the integrity and fairness of electoral systems. Securing Victory Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) faced disqualification from participating in the recent Thursday elections. Despite this setback, party members adopted an alternative approach by contesting as independents. Remarkably, Fortune reported that their efforts proved fruitful, securing a significant victory with 101 out of 266 seats in the National Assembly. Initial forecasts had hinted at a promising outcome for the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. However, when the final vote count was tallied, the party's victory fell short, securing only 75 seats. This election marked another instance where Khan utilized artificial intelligence to engage with his supporters, a strategy previously employed during his incarceration. Notably, in December, Khan delivered impassioned campaign speeches using this innovative method. Related Article: Pakistan's Former Prime Minister Imran Khan Uses AI-Generated Campaign Amidst Prison Stay 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new virtual reality therapy method has reportedly been unveiled by Mynd Immersive in partnership with VR Immersive. One that aims to help war veterans in finding closure for their decades-old trauma by creating a 'Virtual Vietnam.' As per Fox News, by digitally returning veterans of the Vietnam War to locations they may have visited during the conflict, the new VR application helps the veterans process their trauma and find a "path to peace." The newly developed technology is something that the men and women who served in Vietnam, according to Chris Brickler, CEO of Mynd Immersive, genuinely deserve. He goes on to say that "Virtual Vietnam: A Path to Peace" intends to foster healing, peace, and reconciliation by providing veterans with a secure and soothing space to experience the contemporary vibrancy of Vietnam. (Photo : CARLOS COSTA/AFP via Getty Images) Immersive virtual reality (VR) may alleviate pain and distress in cancer patients, according to a study. The project immerses patients in various circumstances using clear, sharp, high-resolution spherical video, creating the illusion that they are in a distant location without traveling. The therapeutic tool is designed to resemble a big pair of sunglasses. The CEO praised the advanced tech therapy, saying that because it is three-dimensional and gives participants the impression that they are there, many of these veterans who would otherwise be unable to return will be able to do so. Content being put into the app would enable veterans to meditate on a beach in Vietnam or view other locations of the country that might bring about peace. According to Brickler, the intention is to demonstrate to veterans that their service was meaningful and that the war was not in vain rather than to compel them to return to the front lines. Read Also: How Virtual Reality Therapy Can Help One's Mental Health Virtual Reality Therapy for Veterans According to Mynd Immersive, it is used nationwide for about 100 long-term veteran care facilities. Mynd has been demonstrated to enhance mood, lessen feelings of loneliness, and strengthen the bond between older persons and their caretakers in a significant, multi-year study conducted with Stanford University. On the other hand, VA Immersive has reportedly deployed over 3,000 VR headsets throughout more than 170 VA medical institutions and outpatient clinics in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The initiative collaborates on content development and device engineering that benefits the nation's veterans with industry, academia, and other government entities. According to Dr. Skip Rizzo, a clinical psychologist, research director at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies for Medical Virtual Reality, and a founding member of Mynd's advisory board, immersion content has the potential to increase older adults' socialization with their caregivers significantly; this application represents a significant and decisive step forward in the emotional health and well-being of veterans and those who care for them. VR Therapy Research According to a 2021 New York Times report, VR treatment has been researched for a long time to treat a variety of conditions and diseases. Research on the technology dates back to the 1990s. It has been claimed that researchers have looked into the potential of treating anxiety disorders with virtual reality. The strategy has increasingly gained favor as headgear has become more affordable and technology has evolved. JoAnn Difede, a psychology professor at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and one of the leading authorities on virtual reality therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), claims that the headset she used for her research with September 11th, 2001 survivors weighed ten pounds and cost $25,000. A headset these days usually costs under $300. The three main problems that virtual reality therapy has been demonstrated to be effective in treating proved to be PTSD, anxiety, and phobias and have now become prevalent. Related Article: Virtual Reality Can Help People With Hoarding Disorder, Study Shows 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The latest release from Apple is regarded as one of the most advanced technologies of the present, with the Vision Pro highly regarded by the tech world, attesting to the mixed-reality features it has available. However, in a new report by a renowned Apple analyst, he regarded that the first edition is not yet the "ideal form," and may take up to four releases before it reaches this goal. For now, users would have to make do with the Apple Vision Pro, centering on its famed features, as well as the issues found with it. Apple: Four Vision Pros Before 'Ideal Form' According to Mark Gurman's recent Power On newsletter via Bloomberg, the future awaits Vision Pro to bring its "ideal form," and what the world has now is not yet at that level. That being said, it could take as much as four generations of the Vision Pro before it reaches this ideal form, one that could be the perfect version of what Cupertino envisions for the wearable. Currently, while there are massive praises for the wearable, there are also significant complaints like the comfort of its use as it is heavy compared to other wearables. Moreover, there are also complaints about its battery, software, dedicated apps, and several problems found on the visionOS. Read Also: Apple Vision Pro: Use it Without the Light Seal for Better Immersive Experience says Redditors Will the Vision Pro be a Mainline Release? The Vision Pro started its release now, but it is not expected to be updated annually like the mainline releases of the company like the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more. However, it is speculated by Gurman that if Apple perfects the Vision Pro, it could be a mainline release, one that could possibly replace the iPad in the future. Apple Vision Pro and Early Use Many were pleased with what the Apple Vision Pro brought and since WWDC 2023, the world already anticipated the renowned wearable from the company, which was met with enthusiasm by the public. Despite this, there are already speculations for the next-gen releases of the Vision Pro, with Gurman also claiming that Apple will offer a more affordable wearable soon, significantly less than its current $3,500 price tag. It is true that the Vision Pro is extremely expensive now compared to its competitors, but that may soon change as the future offers of the company come to light. The device is also manufactured and sourced its part on China, and if Apple looks into reducing its prices, it may also change the country it is currently producing the wearables, like with the iPad's move to India. Certainly, this latest iteration of the Apple Vision Pro checked all the boxes of what the world was looking for in a wearable mixed-reality headset, something that went beyond the competition. However, it is not yet in its "ideal form," hinting that its peak will come sooner in the future based on speculations by Gurman, but would have to wait for four generations before this. Related Article: Apple Vision Pro Users Ignite Trend with Unconventional Social Videos, Including Risky Scenarios 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A groundbreaking UN report published recently sheds light on the alarming decline of migratory species worldwide as a result of man-made threats such as pollution, invasive species, and the climate crisis. The report, titled "State of the World's Migratory Species," emphasizes the urgent need for coordinated global action to protect these iconic animals and their critical habitats (via The Guardian). Migratory Species In Danger Every year, migratory species such as humpback whales, nomadic fish, and soaring birds embark on long journeys across oceans, continents, and skies. However, a new assessment by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) reveals a sobering reality: more than a fifth of these species are now in danger of extinction. The report paints a bleak picture of the challenges that migratory animals face, with 22% of CMS-listed species under threat of extinction. Surprisingly, nearly all CMS-listed fish species are on the verge of extinction, with population declines of up to 90% since 1970. This includes iconic species such as sharks, rays, and sturgeons, which play critical roles in marine ecosystems. Human activities such as overexploitation and habitat loss are identified as the primary drivers of decline for migratory species. Unsustainable hunting, overfishing, and habitat degradation are pushing these animals to the brink of extinction. Climate change, pollution, and invasive species further exacerbate these threats, posing significant challenges to species survival. Read Also: Scientists Discover New Insect-Killing Worm, Promises Eco-Friendly Pest Control Protecting Migratory Species The report highlights the importance of protecting key habitats and migration routes for these animals. Currently, more than half of the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) crucial for migratory species lack adequate protection, exposing them to further risks from human activities. In light of these findings, experts are calling for urgent action to address the drivers of decline and protect migratory species. Strengthening efforts to combat illegal and unsustainable practices, expanding protected areas, and addressing climate change are among the key recommendations put forth in the report. Despite the challenges, there are signs of hope. Successful conservation efforts have led to population recoveries for some species, demonstrating that concerted action can make a difference. However, the scale of the threat requires immediate and coordinated action on a global scale. The Guardian tells us that the release of the report coincides with the UN wildlife conservation conference (CMS COP14) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where governments, wildlife organizations, and scientists are gathering to discuss conservation efforts. The report will provide valuable insights and recommendations to inform discussions and policy decisions at the conference. The State of the World's Migratory Species report serves as a wake-up call to the global community. The fate of these iconic animals is in our hands, and urgent action is needed to ensure their survival for future generations. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Observation of Great White Shark Birth Off California's Coast Stuns Researchers 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started a landmark initiative to provide cutting-edge technology to developing countries. The UAE government has announced a $200 million fund through the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) to support advanced technology development in less developed areas (via Reuters). At the heart of this initiative is a commitment to bridging the technology gap between developed and developing countries. The fund, financed by the Abu Dhabi government, will enable governments and organizations in poorer nations to access and implement innovative solutions developed by the UAE. Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, emphasized the inclusive nature of the fund, stating, "We will have the country become a private client for us to test what they need solved." This approach ensures that the solutions provided are tailored to the specific needs of each nation, whether it be in healthcare, education, agriculture, or other sectors. Global Leader in AI Tools Deployment Moreover, the UAE's proactive stance on technology extends beyond financial support. According to a report by Oliver Wyman, the UAE ranks among the global leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) deployment, with 74 percent of employees regularly utilizing AI tools in the workplace (via SME10X). However, the report also underscores the importance of continuous training, as 91 percent of employees express a desire for more AI training opportunities. Despite the enthusiasm for AI, concerns persist regarding data security and job displacement. The report highlights that 94 percent of UAE employees using AI express concerns about data privacy while using public AI tools, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures. Additionally, 25 percent of workers are actively seeking new employment opportunities due to AI disruptions, indicating the importance of reskilling and upskilling initiatives. Interestingly, the report reveals a shifting attitude toward AI among UAE workers, with 52 percent expressing a preference for working with an AI colleague over a human counterpart. This openness to AI integration suggests a positive outlook on the future of technology in the workplace. Read Also: Google, Microsoft AI Chatbots Fabricate Super Bowl Stats, Hallucinates Data Abu Dhabi AI Group's Latest Move In a parallel development, the Abu Dhabi-based AI group, G42, has relieved its stakes in Chinese companies, including TikTok owner ByteDance, as part of efforts to strengthen ties with US partners, Financial Times reports. This move underscores the geopolitical complexities surrounding AI technology and the UAE's strategic positioning in the global AI landscape. G42's decision to cut ties with Chinese partners aligns with its focus on collaboration with US entities like Microsoft and OpenAI. As the UAE seeks to solidify its position as a global leader in AI, partnerships with key players in the industry are essential for driving innovation and fostering sustainable growth. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: AI Deepfake Brings Back Indonesia's Dead Dictator for Upcoming Elections 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amid the ongoing chip dispute between China and the US, Vietnam is establishing itself as a major player in the semiconductor sector. To strengthen its place in the global supply chain, Southeast Asian nations are offering semiconductor companies enticing tax breaks and incentives. The national plan for semiconductor development in Hanoi outlines several initiatives to attract investment and promote industry expansion. The Minister of Science and Technology, Huynh Thanh Dat, has announced that these measures include tax breaks, industry grants, and collaborative research initiatives with private companies like FPT (via Nikkei Asia). Vietnam's Foray Into the Chip Industry However, Vietnam currently faces challenges in its semiconductor industry, including a low localization rate and limited research and development activities. Despite these obstacles, the country has already attracted the attention of major players like Nvidia and Samsung, with Intel operating its largest global test and assembly factory in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government is also focused on addressing the shortage of skilled human resources in the semiconductor field. Plans are underway to train 50,000 engineers for the industry by 2030, with partnerships between colleges and companies like Samsung to provide specialized training programs. The importance of Vietnam's semiconductor industry has not gone unnoticed by the United States. Jose Fernandez, US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, energy, and the Environment, highlighted Vietnam as a top subsidy target under the US CHIPS Act. These subsidies could significantly boost Vietnam's semiconductor sector and further solidify its position in the global market. Furthermore, Vietnam's dedication to the semiconductor industry is evident in its inclusion of the sector in two state programs: the National Fund for Science and Technology Development and the National Product Program. These programs aim to provide support and create competitive products for export from Vietnam. In a broader context, the semiconductor industry's growing importance comes amidst the escalating tech rivalry between Washington and Beijing. Companies are seeking alternative manufacturing locations to mitigate risks, making Vietnam an attractive option for investment. Read Also: UAE Initiates $200M Technology Fund for Developing Nations ASEAN Nations Push for AI Regulations On a related note, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has published a framework for AI governance to promote responsible AI use across member states. Singapore, a leader in AI readiness within ASEAN, has spearheaded efforts in this area, with other member states working to catch up (via CNBC). Despite the challenges posed by varying levels of digital development within ASEAN, the region is taking steps towards unified AI governance. This includes recommendations for nurturing AI talent, upskilling workforces, and fostering public-private collaboration. With these developments, Vietnam and ASEAN are positioned to play important roles in the global tech landscape as the semiconductor and AI industries continue to evolve. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: OpenAI's Sam Altman Seeks Trillions to Reshape Semiconductor Industry, Boost AI Development 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. GAZA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip during the past 96 hours have killed two Israeli hostages and seriously injured eight others, said the Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, in a statement on Sunday. The conditions of the injured "are becoming more dangerous in light of the inability to provide them with appropriate treatment, and the enemy (Israel) bears full responsibility for the lives of these injured in light of the continued bombings and aggression," the statement read. Meanwhile, Hamas on Sunday warned of any Israeli ground operation in the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah, saying that it will "blow up" the hostage exchange negotiations, the Hamas-run al-Aqsa TV quoted an unnamed senior Hamas leader as saying. Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate the movement's surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people in Israel were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. So far, the death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks has risen to 28,176, with 67,784 others being injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. (Photo : (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)) The new Apple Vision Pro headset is displayed during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference on June 05, 2023 in Cupertino, California. Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the annual WWDC23 developer conference with the announcement of the new Apple Vision Pro mixed reality headset. The screens of the Apple Vision Pro are remarkable, enabling spatial computing, but it's the technology housed within that truly works the magic. When iFixit ripped open the Vision Pro and started poking around inside, it quickly became clear that the stars of the show were the two Sony-made screens that sat in front of your eyes. Each of these has a resolution similar to that of a 4K TV, only shrunken down to fit on a screen just under one-inch square. As you'd imagine, the pixels are tiny-you can fit fifty Vision Pro pixels into one iPhone 15 Pro pixel, and the iPhone's pixels are already pretty teeny. But why? What's all this for? And why is it essential to convincing spatial computing? "The Apple Vision Pro isn't important just for the device itself, but for the spatial computing capabilities that come with it and the possibilities that may lay ahead for computing and new interfaces," Cathy Hackl, Co-CEO of spatial computing company Spatial Dynamics, told Tech Times. Ready For Your Closeup It's all about distance for the simple reason that when small things get closer, they're easier to see. If you're sitting in front of a computer or near a TV, put your face up to the screen (don't worry, your eyes won't turn to squares). Unless it's a super-high-res monitor, you can see the individual pixels. But of course, that doesn't matter because you usually view a computer screen from a few feet away and the TV from across the room. This is why a 4K TV can dot its pixels across a leisurely 60-plus-inch screen and still look great, whereas a phone, which you view much closer, has to use way smaller pixels, and way more of them, even though its screen is comparatively tiny. You can see where we're going with this. In a virtual reality headset, the screens are barely an inch from your eyes. In order to make the pixels invisible, those pixels have to be tiny. The Vision Pro has a 3,386 PPI, which is frankly incredible. Compare this to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with 264 PPI, or the Meta Quest 3, with around 1218 PPI. If you're only using the headset for gaming or watching movies, you can get away with fewer pixels per inch (PPI). With everything moving all the time, you don't notice the pixels, even though you can make them out if you try. But for general computing tasks, you really want things to be sharp. Text, for example, is either illegible or painfully blurry in most VR headsets, whereas if you open up Safari in the Vision Pro, then you can read web pages just fine. They look great. Pixels Per Degree We're beginning to see why terms like PPI don't mean much in this realm. Numbers like "4K" are even worse because they only specify the number of pixels, not the space they occupy. You can have a 4K tablet and a 4K cinema screen, both supposedly with the same resolution. That's why VR experts prefer to use pixels per degree (PPD) to measure display resolution. It considers not only the number of pixels and their spacing but also their distance from the eye. Using numbers from iFixit's excellent article, we can see that an iPhone 15 Pro at a foot away has the same PPD as a 65-inch TV at six-and-a-half feet-around 94 PPD. That's because one degree covers much more area the further away it gets. But wait, there's more. Imagine that you have a Safari window open in the Vision Pro, and it's hanging in the air in front of you. Don't forget that even a big Safari window only takes up a small amount of the total display. The rest is used to show other windows and the room around you. So, in fact, the number of pixels available for actually displaying the contents of that floating Safari window, its text, and images is way less than the total "4K" available. And that's before we get to the part you look at. "With human vision, when you're doing work [on a screen], your eyes stay within about 30 degrees. Beyond this, you turn your head," display technology expert Karl Guttag said during a Zoom interview. And this is why the Vision Pro needs so many pixels crammed in there; it's not only showing you a screen. It's also showing the world around that screen, all of which has to look great. Viewed in this context, while the Vision Pro's screens are impressive, they're still only at the edge of what's needed to do this stuff properly. In the future, experts say advancements in display technology will lead to even greater detail, significantly improving user comfort by reducing eye strain. Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for over a decade. Previously, you could find him at Wired's Gadget Lab, Fast Company's CoExist, Cult of Mac, and Mac Stories. He also writes for his own site, StraightNoFilter.com. 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In a strategic move, Google announced on Monday its allocation of 25 million ($26.98 million) to advance artificial intelligence (AI) education in Europe, outlining its commitment to fostering AI skills across Europe. To ensure inclusivity, Google has opened applications for social enterprises and nonprofits, emphasizing accessibility for those who need training the most. According to Reuters, the initiative also involves the establishment of "growth academies" supporting businesses scaling with AI and the expansion of free online AI training courses now available in 18 languages. Here's What to Know Addressing concerns about potential economic and employment disparities arising from AI, Adrian Brown, Executive Director of the Center for Public Impact, collaborates with Google in executing this nonprofit scheme. Brown emphasizes, "This new program will help people across Europe develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence around AI, ensuring that no one is left behind," per the tech giant's blog. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)A sign is posted in front of a building on the Google campus on January 31, 2022, in Mountain View, California. Google's AI Opportunity Initiative introduces Google for Startups Growth Academies across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This equity-free program aims to aid startups in addressing societal challenges in health, education, and cybersecurity through AI solutions. The initiative provides support for startups to expand user numbers, scale operations, and achieve global reach, leveraging Google's products, best practices, and connections to industry experts. Another part of the AI Opportunity Initiative is Google's expansion of AI foundational courses to cover 18 languages. These courses, accessible globally without charge, aim to empower individuals and businesses by imparting practical AI skills and knowledge. Additionally, Google will enhance its Career Certificates program, offering insights into AI applications within various fields through a three- to six-month curriculum, fostering hands-on experience in real workplace scenarios. Read Also: Starlink's Dual Role: Aiding Ukraine's Defense and Assisting Russian Invaders? Google's $1 billion investment in a new data center outside London is a deliberate reaction to rising internet demand in the area. The tech juggernaut's 2020 purchase of a 33-acre Waltham Cross property is another major development. Bridging The Gap in Digital Skills The European Commission wants 80 percent of EU citizens to have basic digital skills by 2030. Eurostat data reveals a current gap, with only 56 percent of individuals aged 16 to 74 possessing "basic overall digital skills," according to Euronews. Disparities among member states are evident, with the Netherlands and Finland leading in digital proficiency at over 80 percent, while Romania and Bulgaria lag at 28 and 36 percent, respectively. This data underscores the Commission's commitment to bridge the digital literacy gap and promote inclusive growth. As AI reshapes the professional landscape, adopting a skills-first mindset becomes imperative for both employees and employers, as per a report from Wired. Employees are encouraged to view their roles as a collection of tasks, incorporating AI efficiency and emphasizing unique human skills. Employers, in turn, must prioritize skills during hiring to ensure adaptability and potential unlocking. The upcoming year 2024 signals a shift where employers become educators, implementing strategies like "training to hire" and "training to promote," creating a workplace that seamlessly integrates technology while empowering individuals for a more fulfilling work environment. Related Article: Google, Microsoft AI Chatbots Fabricate Super Bowl Stats, Hallucinates Data 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A recent study conducted by Boston University researchers sheds light on a previously overlooked aspect of the COVID-19's impact: its link to sexual dysfunction in women. The study, led by Amelia M. Stanton, a sexual and mental health expert, investigates the effects of COVID-19 and its lingering form, long COVID, on cisgender women's sexual well-being (via IFLScience). COVID-19's Impact on Women's Sexual Experience The findings, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, unveil a significant correlation between COVID-19 infection and impaired sexual function among women. The study involved over 2,000 cisgender women, examining the sexual experiences of those who had contracted COVID-19, those with long COVID, and those who had never been infected. Surprisingly, the results indicate that even beyond the acute phase of the illness, women with long COVID face heightened challenges in sexual function compared to those with no history of infection. Levels of desire, arousal, lubrication, and satisfaction were notably lower among women who had experienced COVID-19, with an even more pronounced decrease observed in the long COVID group. Additionally, orgasm scores were significantly lower, and pain scores were higher among women with long COVID. "If you're sick with COVID, you're probably less interested in sex and maybe your body is less prepared to have sex. But what might be surprising to some folks is that long COVID symptoms really may have a physiological and psychological impact on sexual well-being for women," Stanton said in a statement. Read Also: Researchers Challenge Wuhan Market Link to COVID-19 Origin, Present New Evidence A Closer Look The study's methodology involved the use of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), a well-established tool that measures various components of sexual function through a series of questions. Participants were asked about their sexual experiences over the past month, allowing researchers to assess changes in desire, arousal, satisfaction, and other factors. While the study's correlational nature prevents definitive conclusions regarding causality, the researchers urge healthcare providers to consider discussing sexual function with female patients who have had COVID-19. By initiating these conversations, clinicians can offer support and resources to address potential challenges in sexual well-being. Stanton emphasized the importance of breaking the taboo surrounding discussions about sex and sexual health, particularly in the context of a global health crisis. "Sex, sexuality, and sexual function are still relatively taboo subjects," she noted. "But this offers something patients can bring to their providers and say, 'This is going on for me,' and maybe create an open dialogue around sex." Looking ahead, Stanton and her colleagues envision future research endeavors that expand the study's scope to include transgender and gender-diverse individuals, ensuring a more comprehensive understanding of the intersection between COVID-19 and sexual health. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Can Reduce Risk of Alzheimer's Disease, New Research Claims 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, spread across four halls of at Riyadh International Exhibition Centre (RICEC) and paricipated by 340 regional and global exhibitors from 36 countries, opened on Monday (Feb 12). Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz Al Saud opened the show, the regions largest beauty and wellness trade fair. Running till tomorrow (February 13), Beautyworld Saudi Arabia offers visitors access to five of the industrys fastest-growing segments: Fragrance, Cosmetics & Skincare, Hair, Nails and Salon Supplies, Personal Care & Hygiene, and Supply Chain & Services. Beautyworld Saudi Arabia has grown four times in size from previous events. This year's edition promises to capitalise on the previous demand from 2022s Beautyworld Saudi Arabia which was the most successful and best-attended edition in the events history. As we open the 4th edition of Beautyworld Saudi Arabia, this year's event is geared up to become the biggest and boldest yet. With increased participation from international pavilions and exhibitors, and an inspirational range of new features for our expected 10,000 visitors to enjoy, the growth and diversity of offering across all sectors is testament to the size of the opportunity for the industry in the region right now, and into the future, Bilal Al-Baramawi, CEO of exhibition organisers 1st Arabia Exhibitions and Conferences, said. This year, Beautyworld Saudi Arabia debuts two brand new show features, designed to elevate the visitor experience and give an insight into global trends and expertise. The Next in Beauty Conference brings fresh insights and advanced business strategies to the fore. Running across all 3 show days, whilst the BeautyLIVE! stage sees 3 days of demonstrations, training, artistry and showmanship for the very first time in KSA. With demonstrations, conference insights and the best opportunity in the world for suppliers, brands, businesses and beauty professionals to network and explore, Beautyworld Saudi Arabia is set to cement its position as one of the most globally important industry trade shows in the biggest edition to date, said Syed Ali Akbar, Show Director at Messe Frankfurt Middle East. Saudi Arabia is the 5th Beautyworld event globally, following annual shows in Dubai (Beautyworld Middle East) and Japan (Beautyworld Japan, Beautyworld Japan West, and Beautyworld Japan Fukuoka). Beautyworld Saudi Arabia is licensed to 1st Arabia Tradeshows & Conferences by Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. -TradeArabia News Service People visit the Potala Palace square in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 11, 2024. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Fei) Tourists have fun on the frozen Lake Namtso in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 8, 2024. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Fei) People visit the Potala Palace square in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 11, 2024. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) Tourists rest on the frozen Lake Namtso in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 8, 2024. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) A tourist poses for photos in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 11, 2024. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Fei) An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 8, 2024 shows the scenery of Lake Namtso in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Fei) People visit the Barkhor Street in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 11, 2024. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) People visit the Barkhor Street in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 11, 2024. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) People visit the Barkhor Street in Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 11, 2024. Iconic tourist destinations in Xizang, such as Potala Palace, have been open to the public free of charge until March 15 of 2024, as part of the region's winter tourism promotion. During the winter promotion period, all scenic spots rated above A level in Xizang are open to the public free of charge, except for temple sites. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) They simply had nowhere to evolve: a Russian paleontologist on the progress of scientific ideas about dinosaurs A business manager suspected of having ordered the attack on an elected official from Saint-Denis Tigrane Seydoux, the Frenchman behind the fashionable Italians in Madrid in which you always have to visit the bathroom Energy transition: The experts say so, the Court of Auditors says so Organ donation registry: how does it work? Answers to the most important questions Annoyed by a kissing couple: woman attacks the person sitting next to her on the train A man who was drunk on a train and threatened to hit a police officer has been detained by the railway police The Police open an investigation in Andorra after the Investigative Team's report on OnlyFans: "If they are minors, the better" The Spanish Society of Allergology predicts an intense Spring for those allergic to grass pollen in the center and southwest of the peninsula The "egg-beating" trend brings new opportunities to the traditional poker industry in small towns in Zhejiang Guangxi's 15 cultural tourism projects plan to attract investment in Guangdong with a total investment of more than 80.7 billion yuan International newspapers: Gaza is bringing Washington back to the region, and Netanyahu may lose his position A Blaugrana nightmare and the bogeyman Joao Felix: "It was a game for him, he made a difference" NBA: Victor Wembanyama and Gregg Popovich confirm the Spurs will come to Paris next season Defeat in the FA Cup: Klopp breaks off interview I have no nerves for you Defeat in the FA Cup: Klopp breaks off interview I have no nerves for you 9th day of the Grand Sumo Spring Tournament New entrant with only one winner Takafuji 9 consecutive wins IN PICTURES - Football: discover the new Blues jerseys for Euro 2024 and the Olympics For the fifth time in a row: Medvedev lost again to Alcaraz in the Masters final in Indian Wells Badminton Akane Yamaguchi "Shidamatsu" pair and others are guaranteed to participate in the Paris Olympics Rugby: here is the program of the French XV for the rest of 2024 The first batch of imported exhibits of the 135th Canton Fair entered the country smoothly Yen exchange rate: The yen depreciates to the low 149 yen level to the dollar, due to speculation regarding monetary policy. Daihatsu's name announced by the FTC: ``We were waiting, but we will set up a forum for discussions.'' La Unio denounces the second detection of Moroccan strawberries with hepatitis A in nine days Without unnecessary risks: the ruble has risen in price on the Moscow Exchange following the results of the presidential elections in Russia The "wave of rework" after the Spring Festival has driven the rental market in Guangzhou to heat up rapidly In the first two months, the total foreign trade import and export value of Kashgar, Xinjiang increased by 90% year-on-year. To deter dissolutions that can be seen as aimed at maintaining power Oshima, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Why does time fly quickly when we are having fun and slow down when we are bored? The Director General of the South African Foreign Ministry will visit Kyiv as part of the diplomatic search for a solution to the conflict Concern about the fate of Princess of Wales Kate Middleton... and talk of an important royal announcement Russia demands that Germany officially recognize the siege of Leningrad as an act of genocide Civil servants will have the salary increase after Easter and before the Budgets are approved Niger: what follow-up after the denunciation of the military agreement between Niamey and Washington? TikTok is at the heart of the US election season Putin: all traitors fighting against Russia will be identified by name and they will not be given peace Urgent | Al Jazeera obtains exclusive photos showing the Qassam tracking the movements of officer in the Shaldag unit, Yitzhar Hoffman, before he was killed by a snipers bullet. War in Sudan: community kitchens to help each other during Ramadan Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. This photo released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Feb. 12, 2024 shows a helicopter carrying two rescued hostages arriving at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel. The Israeli army said it rescued two hostages after a special forces operation in Rafah. The two were then hospitalized and "in good medical condition." (Xinhua) GAZA/JERUSALEM, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. About 40 airstrikes on the Rafah area in the early hours of Monday were conducted by the Israeli army, with intensive ground shelling, it said. The Israeli army said it rescued two hostages after a special forces operation in Rafah. The two were then hospitalized and "in good medical condition." Israel conducted "a series of strikes on terror targets" in southern Gaza on Monday, the Israeli army said in a statement earlier. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the ongoing efforts to free hostages held in Gaza and to facilitate more aid into the Palestinian enclave over the phone. An Israeli government official told Xinhua that the conversation focused on the hostages, approximately 100 of them are still in Gaza after being kidnapped during Hamas's attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Additionally, the two leaders discussed Israel's declared plan to launch a ground offensive in Rafah, as well as the facilitation of more aid into Gaza. Since the start of the conflict, about half of the residents there have fled to Rafah, adjacent to Egypt, in search of safety. The border city, which receives food and medicine aid from foreign countries and UN agencies through the Rafah crossing, is crowded with tents on empty agricultural lands, in schools and along roadsides. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,176 since Oct. 7, 2023, with 67,784 others injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. This photo released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Feb. 12, 2024 shows a helicopter carrying two rescued hostages arriving at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel. The Israeli army said it rescued two hostages after a special forces operation in Rafah. The two were then hospitalized and "in good medical condition." (Xinhua) Peskov: Yerevans guarantees will be needed before Putins visit to Armenia Highlights: Peskov: Yerevans guarantees will be needed before Putin's visit to Armenia. He emphasized that this issue must be resolved within the framework of a bilateral dialogue. Armenia officially became a member of the International Criminal Court on February 1. In March, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the summer, ICC judge Tomoko Akane, who issued the warrant, was put on the wanted list by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow, before a possible visit of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to Armenia, needs certain assurances from the authorities of the republic in connection with joining the International Criminal Court. NANNING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The number of trips made by China's rail-sea intermodal trains on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor saw robust growth in January this year, company sources have said. The rail-sea intermodal trains made 978 trips in January, up 87.7 percent year on year, according to the Beibu Gulf Port Group. Launched in 2017, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is a trade and logistics passage that was built by provincial-level regions in western China and ASEAN members. The trade corridor has developed rapidly over the years, covering 70 cities in 18 provincial-level regions in China and expanding its reach to 495 ports in 120 countries and regions. Gas booming for UN COP29 host Azerbaijan Paris, Feb 12 (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 Following the UN's COP28 climate talks in oil-fuelled Dubai, the COP29 conference is headed for the historic cradle of oil, Azerbaijan, which is in the midst of a gas boom. The former Soviet republic of 10 million people brimming with hydrocarbons is on track to increase its gas production by 35 percent in the next 10 years, contrary to efforts to contain global warming. Despite the last COP in the United Arab Emirates ending with an unprecedented call to "transition" away from fossil fuels, an analysis by the NGO Global Witness based on data from Rystad Energy shows that the upcoming COP29 host aims to hike its gas production from 35 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2024 to 47 bcm in 2034. The forecast covers actual production figures, estimates from approved developments, as well as confirmed reserves not yet being exploited. They exclude condensate, a liquid form of gas. "Azerbaijan is ramping up its gas production when the world urgently needs to kick its fossil fuel habit," Patrick Galey, senior investigator at Global Witness, told AFP. The country, a member of OPEC+, has a long history with hydrocarbons, which make up half of its economy. In the 13th century, the explorer Marco Polo wrote of black gold gushing from the ground. But today, it is gas that is surpassing its declining oil fields. In the 2030s, gas is expected to represent more than half of fossil fuel production in the country, according to Rystad Energy data reported to AFP. Its exports to Turkey, Europe, Georgia and Iran have already multiplied threefold since 2015. Baku's expanding gas production is fuelled mainly by the Shah Deniz project, one of the biggest gas fields in the world, discovered in 1999 along the Caspian Sea and operated by BP, while other projects like Umid-Babek and Absheron will increase their output. The Absheron field, which began production in July, is operated by Jocap, which includes national oil and gas firm Socar, as well as France's TotalEnergies and Adnoc, the national Emirati firm that was cause for controversy at the last COP. - Replacing Russia - The UAE, host of COP28, had designated Sultan Al Jaber, the head of Adnoc, to preside over the UN conference, a choice which angered NGOs and certain countries. The scene is set to be similar in 2024 with COP being presided over by the former Socar executive, Mukhtar Babayev, minister of ecology and natural resources. The country is a "small player" compared to major oil giants like the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia, but it plays an important role "for Southern Europeans at least", said Swapnil Babele, an analyst at Rystad Energy. To replace Russian gas, Europe turned to Azerbaijan, whose share of imports grew from 2 percent in 2021 to 4 percent in 2023, according to Eurostat. After Azerbaijan's seizure of the Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, these supplies were criticised by MEPs, who lamented the EU's timid reaction to Azerbaijan's offensive and called for the suspension of negotiations on the gas agreement signed in 2022. The objective of that agreement was ambitious: double gas exports to 20 bcm by 2027. The main obstacle to meeting that potential "is their pipelines capacity", according to Babele. Baku exports its gas through a southern European gas corridor, a network of pipelines that reaches Europe via Georgia and Turkey, including the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Its capacity could be doubled but only with hefty investments that would require "long-term commitments" from European gas operators, according to Rystad. jug-nal/ico/as/giv/gv/cw BP Energy transition spurred Saudi halt to oil expansion: official Riyadh, Feb 12 (AFP) Feb 12, 2024 Saudi Arabia's surprise decision to halt a planned expansion of its oil production capacity reflects ambitions to expand into other forms of energy, the Gulf kingdom's energy minister said on Monday. Oil giant Aramco announced on January 30 that the energy ministry had ordered it to maintain production capacity at 12 million barrels per day, abandoning a target of 13 million bpd by 2027. Officials in the world's biggest crude exporter did not explain the move, leaving analysts to speculate that it reflected lack of confidence that long-term oil demand would justify further capacity investment. "I think we postponed this investment simply because... we're transitioning," Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, half-brother of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told a conference in the eastern city of Dhahran, where Aramco is headquartered. "And transitioning means that even our oil company, which used to be an oil company, became a hydrocarbon company, now, it's becoming an energy company." That will require further investments in other energy forms such as gas and renewables, he said. "We have been saying all along that we are going to be the country that produces every source of energy," he said. The decision to put the brakes on the planned capacity expansion was not "made in haste" and instead came after "elaborate reviews", he said. Aramco's profits are expected to finance Prince Mohammed's sweeping economic and social reform programme known as Vision 2030, which aims to lay the groundwork for a post-oil future. Saudi Arabia has also pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2060 -- drawing intense scepticism from environmental activists. Aramco has pledged to achieve "operational net-zero" carbon emissions by 2050, which does not include the emissions from customers burning its products. rcb/dcp/rox BEIJING, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The value of China's privately offered funds stood at 20.58 trillion yuan (about 2.9 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of last year, industrial data shows. A breakdown of the total shows that equity investment funds, with a total worth of 11.12 trillion yuan, were the largest category, followed by stock investment funds and venture investment funds, according to the Asset Management Association of China. The number of registered privately offered funds stood at 153,079 by the end of last year. Established in 2012, the association is a self-regulatory organization that represents China's mutual fund industry. EMPTY VESSEL James Packers super yacht, IJE, named after the initials of his three children, set the big fella back around $200 million a good $50 million over budget and took four years to build. The rule of thumb with these monstrosities, apparently, is the average annual cost of keeping them afloat is around 10 per cent of the original price. That means Packer is shelling out $20 million a year just to belong to the super yacht class. James Packers yacht is up for hire. Credit: Illustration by John Shakespeare In 2021, it looked like it was all getting a bit too much for Packer, who put IJE on the market for about $283 million after just two years in the water. It was quietly withdrawn some months later after receiving just one low-ball offer. Instead, Packer appears to have settled for going down the landlord (or in this case, sealord) route and renting the thing out. For a cool $3 million a week, you could live like a member of Packers entourage. Loading And it really has been a glittering entourage that has boarded the IJE in recent summers, which is a testament to Packers inexplicable knack for wooing celebrities. Robert De Niro is a regular, while his Killers of the Flower Moon co-star, Leonardo DiCaprio, was spotted alongside former Spider-Man Tobey Maguire aboard last year. Closer to Earth, IJE has played a bit part in the annals of Australian corporate history. In 2020, Packer beamed in from the yacht, then moored off the coast of Tahiti, to give evidence at former judge Patricia Bergins NSW casino probe. Bergins final report found Crown Resorts unfit to hold a casino licence in NSW, and in the aftermath of that report, and a separate royal commission in Victoria, Packer sold his stake in the gaming giant to private equity firm Blackstone, cashing in at around $3.2 billion. Sticking with matters financial, with the price to hire IJE, Packer would only need to rent the yacht out for around seven weeks of the year to cover upkeep costs according to our back-of-the-envelope calculations which leaves plenty more time for schmoozing with the Hollywood elite. Loading RACE CASE CBD supposes that despite everything, Melbournes annual Australian Grand Prix isnt going anywhere. But then again, neither is the long-running insurgency against the event by a determined group of Albert Park locals. And the good folk of Save Albert Park have a newfound spring in their step ever since the state Labor government cancelled the Commonwealth Games with Premier Jacinta Allan at the heart of the action by figuring that once youve cancelled one big sporting waste of money, then why not scrap another. The rebels had a win last year when the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner ordered the Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) hand over internal working documents on how the crowds at the event are calculated, following a campaign through freedom of information by the groups Joan Logan. Save Albert Park has maintained for decades that the race organisers use every trick in the book to wildly inflate the number of paying punters at the race to exaggerate the economic benefits of the event. But the corporation isnt taking the decision lying down and is taking the information commissioner to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), arguing that releasing the documents would give rival cities information that could be handy in any attempt to poach the race from Melbourne. But Logans husband, Peter Logan, isnt having any of that. The AGPC has lawyered up at taxpayers expense to mount a case that it doesnt have to release the methodology used to make up its attendances, even though it was demanded by the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, he told us. We asked the grand prix corporation why it was bothering with the trouble and expense of the VCAT challenge, instead of just handing over the documents. But a spokesperson said the corporation wouldnt comment while the matter was before the tribunal. VIDEO NASTY Its been nearly a decade since Matt Huddo Hudson, a former associate director at commercial real estate giant Colliers, released a raunchy video documenting the shenanigans at his dirty, flirty 30th birthday party. The video, featuring a sea of gyrating bodies, women in skimpy nurses outfits and winking property bros to DJ Snakes sexually repellent club banger Lean On, was meant to be a bit of harmless fun. It hasnt aged well. In 2016, it did the media rounds after Colliers, and its chief financial officer, Sean Unwin, were the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by former executive assistant Alexandra Marks. Loading Marks alleged that her former boss tried to force her head down to his crotch area, and organised for her to have sex with someone. While Unwin, and the company, initially promised to vigorously defend the allegations, the parties reached a confidential settlement, with the CFO departing. Hudson was never named or involved in the proceedings, but the video, in which Unwin briefly appears, was reported by our stablemates at the Australian Financial Review as a snapshot into the culture at Colliers, to the considerable annoyance of the firms bosses. Hudson was soon out the door, and removed the video after negotiating his departure from the firm. But the whole thing is set to resurface in a Sydney court on Tuesday, with a case between Hudson and Colliers expected to be heard over four days. Both parties declined to comment on the matter currently before the court when contacted, but CBD understands it relates to offers made by Colliers to Hudson in exchange for him removing the video after his departure. Autism advocates are pushing for a quiet hour and other sensory-friendly changes at polling booths for neurodiverse people to eliminate barriers preventing them from voting. The loud noises, bright colours and long queues on election day can be overwhelming for neurodiverse voters such as Ben, who found himself gripped with anxiety when he knew he would have to cast a ballot in last Novembers Mulgrave byelection, which was sparked by the resignation of local member and former premier Daniel Andrews. Ben, who has autism, said he found voting in last years Mulgrave byelection overwhelming. Credit: Eddie Jim In the lead up to the election, the 21-year-old, who has autism, feared the congestion, noise and unfamiliarity of the voting centre would trigger a sensory overload that occurs when the brain has difficulty processing information including sounds, smells and sights. Knowing you have to do it [voting] causes anxiety and it is constant, Ben said from his home in Melbournes outer south-east. Its extremely overwhelming. Scott Morrison says even his wife, Jenny, agrees that his communication about womens issues is clumsy, and has conceded it might not have been wise to refer to private conversations with his wife when talking about women. The former prime minister made the admission in the final episode of the ABC docuseries Nemesis and lamented losing his emotional bond with the Australian people, as a top public servant accused the former prime minister of lacking respect for female colleagues. Former prime minister Scott Morrison. Credit: Nick Moir Morrison received praise for Australias pandemic management including from former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews the AUKUS agreement and for managing to secure Nationals backing for the net zero emissions policy. But Martin Parkinson, head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet between 2015 and 2019, claimed in the episode that Morrisons relationships with female ministers were poor and he never really valued womens perspectives. The news Queenslands retailers will have the looming ability to ban knife sales to kids fast-tracked under a commitment from the state government to boost action on knife crime. And maximum penalties for carrying a knife in public will be increased, for the first offence, from 12 to 18 months jail. Queensland Police officers search people with metal detection wands under a trial of increased powers in Gold Coast party precincts. Credit: Queensland Police Service The government will also consider allowing police to do more metal detection searches without warrants, and widen the criteria for using GPS monitors on some youth offenders. London: David Cameron has become the most senior member of Britains Conservative government to explicitly criticise Donald Trumps suggestion that the United States would not protect its NATO allies who fail to spend enough on defence. The British foreign secretary said the remarks made by the Republican presidential frontrunner on Saturday were not a sensible approach, adding the Northern Atlantic military alliance was more essential than ever in a very dangerous and uncertain world. Britains Foreign Secretary David Cameron. Credit: AP European leaders on Monday decried Trumps suggestion that he would encourage Russia to attack any NATO country that does not contribute 2 per cent of its GDP to the alliances coffers. Article 5 requires each of the military alliances 31 countries to come to the aid of any member who becomes a victim of an armed attack. It has been invoked only once, following the September 11 terrorist attack on the US. Pigeons hover in the sky in New Delhi, India, May 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Javed Dar) Multinational companies have long complained of exhausting hurdles in India. Regulatory flip-flops, high tariff barriers, perplexing land policies and infrastructure issues have prompted foreign companies to reconsider investing in the country. HONG KONG, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- After only four months in office, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shot out a flagship national economic reform, dubbed "Make in India," to make the country a global manufacturing hub. The ambitious campaign was to create a conducive environment for investments, develop a modern and efficient infrastructure, and open up new sectors for foreign capital, trying to repeat at the broader national level the economic miracle Modi created in Gujarat state, where he served for over a decade as chief minister. Almost 10 years on, the main arrows of the campaign, however, have missed their targets. "India's Western partners see India as a 'challenging place to do business,'" said The Hill, citing the U.S. State Department. DRAINED CONFIDENCE Multinational companies, including Berkshire Hathaway Inc., IBM and Vodafone, have long complained of exhausting hurdles in India. Between 2018 and March 2023, 559 foreign companies ceased their operations in India, while only 469 began operations, according to Hindustan Times, one of India's leading English dailies. The Modi government has been trying to improve India's business environment. Billions of rupees have been poured into infrastructure upgrades. Red tape and other bureaucratic hurdles have been reduced, and incentives like tax breaks and subsidies have been introduced to attract more foreign and domestic investment. However, regulatory flip-flops, high tariff barriers, perplexing land policies and infrastructure issues have prompted foreign companies to reconsider investing in the country. According to The Hill, between 2019 and 2021, the share of global foreign direct investment inflows to India has shrunk from 3.4 percent to 2.8 percent. "Some policy measures taken by the government are positive and encouraging ... but it is still too little and too little. Also, the implementation of the policies remains poor on the ground," Mohammed Saqib, an economist at the India-China Economic and Cultural Council, told Xinhua. Furthermore, appearances can be deceiving in India. Despite being the world's most populous country with a population of 1.4 billion, its middle class and skilled labor force are too small to drive consumption and upgrade industries. Its states speak different languages and enforce different laws, hardly forming a unified large market but numerous small circles of demands instead, thus driving up compliance and manufacturing costs for multinational companies. For Enterprises, "even selling basic consumer goods does not necessarily work," according to the Economist. "Hindustan Unilever, which purveys sachets of shampoo for just a few rupees, has seen virtually no sales growth in dollar terms since 2012." The article's subtitle summed up foreign sentiment: "Multinational businesses relying on Indian consumers face disappointment." "MAKE IN INDIA" BECOMES "MAKE FOR INDIA" Since Modi came to power, the most significant change brought by the political strongman in India's domestic political arena has been a surge of nationalism. The extreme sentiment has spilled over into the economy. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses at the inaugural ceremony of Make in India Week in Mumbai, India, Feb. 13, 2016. (Xinhua/Stringer) Complaints and competition trigger retribution from bureaucrats, with probes by the tax department or fraud investigation office. "His (Modi's) government plays a markedly interventionist role in managing the economy, in a way that can make it dangerous for firms to place their stakes," said the New York Times. India has imposed high tariffs or bans on imported components to protect domestic manufacturing of smartphone components and laptop computers. Gradually, "Make in India" has become "Make for India." The Indian government has targeted sectors where it believes local suppliers can replace foreign ones. "After China introduced the entire mobile phone industrial chain to India, which helped cultivate the market and develop related local technologies, India is now driving out Chinese companies to make room for the growth of its domestic enterprises," said Lin Minwang, deputy director of the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University. "Some (foreign companies) may simply have felt unwelcome; local bureaucrats and business leaders often see foreigners as a direct threat to domestic interests," said the Economist. There has been a tendency to match trade and economic policy reforms with measures that effectively reduce imports and insulate domestic producers from foreign competition. Such an approach will prove detrimental to India's economic interests in the longer term, said Mint, an Indian business publication. TARGETED PROBE India can enhance its manufacturing sector by improving competitiveness rather than protectionism. After a series of border conflicts with China, Indian protectionism and nationalism have been on the rise and caused Chinese enterprises to suffer. Since 2020, India has intensified its scrutiny of Chinese firms and banned hundreds of Chinese mobile applications, including TikTok and WeChat, citing national security concerns. ZTE and Huawei, leading Chinese telecom entities, have suffered a similar fate. Chinese smartphone makers, including Vivo, Xiaomi and OPPO, are frequently targeted by the Indian authorities, with their workplaces raided, executives arrested and funds seized. "There are multiple reasons (behind the decision), but the main trigger was the Galwan Valley conflict. It changed the sentiments of the Indian public against China," Saqib told Xinhua. "Officially, India is open to Chinese business, as long as this conforms with Indian laws. In practice, India's government uses several tools to make Chinese firms' life in India difficult or impossible," summarized the Economist. Discriminatory measures adopted by the Indian side to suppress Chinese firms include bans, trade barriers, bureaucratic friction and a licensing regime. Since India declared in April 2020 that investments from countries sharing a border with it must receive special approvals, it has approved less than a quarter of the 435 applications for foreign direct investment from China. "No neighbor was named, but the target was clearly China," the Economist said. According to analysts, taking action against Chinese entities in India may not face much resistance from the public and could even be beneficial for the Modi government. It would demonstrate Modi's readiness to confront China economically, which could help him gain support from domestic voters and Western allies for more assistance. The ongoing harassment of Chinese companies highlights the uncertainty of the business environment in India. This can serve as a warning to other investors to think twice before investing. Vehicle Dependability Slumps as Rate of Deterioration Increases, J.D. Power Finds Lexus Ranks Highest among All Brands for Second Consecutive Year; Toyota Ranks Highest among Mass Market Brands TROY, Mich.: 8 Feb. 2024 Vehicle owners are experiencing lower levels of vehicle dependability after three years of ownership, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS), released today. The high number of problems owners encounter indicates a decline in long-term vehicle dependability, with increased levels of problems reported for nearly two-thirds of brands included in the study. The industry average has increased 4 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) year over year to 190 PP100 from 2023. The rate at which problems have increased between 90 days and three years of ownership has increased to 17%, up 5 percentage points from 12% in 2023. Historically, VDS model results mirror the results of the respective model year in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, so a deterioration of vehicle dependability is unusual, said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. This can likely be attributed to the tumultuous time during which these vehicles were built, and owners are keeping their vehicles for much longer. In fact, the average age of vehicles on American roads today is approximately 12 years, which underscores the importance of building a vehicle designed to stand the test of time. Automakers must ensure new vehicle technology introduced today will still meet the customers needs years down the road. The study, now in its 35th year, covers 184 specific problem areas across nine major vehicle categories: climate; driving assistance; driving experience; exterior; features/controls/displays; infotainment; interior; powertrain; and seats. Following are key findings of the 2024 study: Infotainment system woes continue to plague owners: As vehicles roll off the assembly line with increasingly more technology, it is not unexpected that the most problematic vehicle category is infotainment (49.1 PP100)nearly twice as many problems as the next-highest category, which is exterior. Among infotainment issues, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity (6.3 PP100) is the top problem, followed by built-in voice recognition (6.1 PP100). As vehicles roll off the assembly line with increasingly more technology, it is not unexpected that the most problematic vehicle category is infotainment (49.1 PP100)nearly twice as many problems as the next-highest category, which is exterior. Among infotainment issues, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity (6.3 PP100) is the top problem, followed by built-in voice recognition (6.1 PP100). Annoyance with driver assistance alerts grows over time : The number of problems related to driver assistance system alerts has increased between the 90-day ownership period and the three-year ownership period. Many would think that after three years, owners would become used to the alerts on their vehicle, Hanley said. However, that is not the case. Increased problem levels are experienced across multiple driver assistance features including, but not limited to, lane departure warning/lane keeping assistance and forward collision warning/automatic emergency braking. : The number of problems related to driver assistance system alerts has increased between the 90-day ownership period and the three-year ownership period. Many would think that after three years, owners would become used to the alerts on their vehicle, Hanley said. However, that is not the case. Increased problem levels are experienced across multiple driver assistance features including, but not limited to, lane departure warning/lane keeping assistance and forward collision warning/automatic emergency braking. Electrified vehicles more problematic than others: Owners of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) experience more problems than owners of gas-powered and hybrid vehicles. BEVs are most troublesome (256 PP100), followed by PHEVs (216 PP100). Hybrids (191 PP100) and gasoline vehicles (187 PP100) fare significantly better. At three years of ownership, tires are a sore spot for BEVs, with 39% of owners saying they replaced tires in the past 12 months19 percentage points higher than owners of gas-powered vehicles. Owners of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) experience more problems than owners of gas-powered and hybrid vehicles. BEVs are most troublesome (256 PP100), followed by PHEVs (216 PP100). Hybrids (191 PP100) and gasoline vehicles (187 PP100) fare significantly better. At three years of ownership, tires are a sore spot for BEVs, with 39% of owners saying they replaced tires in the past 12 months19 percentage points higher than owners of gas-powered vehicles. Toyota Motor Corporation wins most segment awards: Toyota Motor Corporations nine segment awards is the most received by any automaker since 2017 when the Japanese automaker received 10 awards. Toyota Motor Corporations nine segment awards is the most received by any automaker since 2017 when the Japanese automaker received 10 awards. The most improved brands: The top three brands showing the greatest improvement in the number of problems are Porsche (33 PP100 improvement); Mercedes-Benz (22 PP100 improvement); and Toyota (21 PP100 improvement). Highest-Ranked Brands Lexus ranks highest overall in vehicle dependability for a second consecutive year, with a score of 135 PP100. Among premium brands, Porsche (175 PP100) ranks second and BMW (190 PP100) ranks third. Toyota ranks highest in the mass market segment, with a score of 147 PP100. Buick (149 PP100) ranks second, while Chevrolet (174 PP100) and MINI (174 PP100) each rank third in a tie. The parent corporation receiving the most model-level awards is Toyota Motor Corporation with nine: Lexus ES, Lexus IS, Lexus NX, Lexus RX, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Camry, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra. General Motors Company receives four segment awards for Buick Encore, Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and Chevrolet Tahoe. BMW AG receives two segment awards for BMW X1 and BMW X6. The 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study is based on responses from 30,595 original owners of 2021 model-year vehicles after three years of ownership. The study was fielded from August through November 2023. To learn more about the U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/automotive/us-vehicle-dependability-study. About J.D. Power J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies. J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the companys business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com. About J.D. Power and Advertising/Promotional Rules: http://www.jdpower.com/business/about-us/press-release-info GAZA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 52 were killed and dozens wounded in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported Monday. The Israeli army said it conducted "a series of strikes" on southern Gaza on Monday, but did not provide other details. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,176 since Oct. 7, 2023, with 67,784 others being injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, about half of the residents there have fled to Rafah, adjacent to Egypt, in search of safety. The border city, which receives food and medicine aid from foreign countries and UN agencies through the Rafah crossing, is crowded with tents on empty agricultural lands, in schools and along roadsides. Wyomings economy is growing and its future is bright, Governor Mark Gordon said in his 2024 State of the State speech. He highlighted that Wyomings GDP is the highest in history and unemployment is as low as it has been since 2008. He did note that the state must continue its efforts to grow its workforce and maintain its position as a leader in energy innovation. Wyoming is open for business, constantly seeking to innovate and improve, the Governor said. I can proudly say, Wyoming is on a roll. Given this is a Budget Session of the Legislature, Governor Gordon urged Legislators to focus on that key task and pass the conservative budget he presented, one which keeps general fund spending flat when compared to 2021. I am confident the task at hand, setting the budget for the next two years, is serious enough that folks will keep their attention on meeting the needs of the people of Wyoming. This is not Washington Wyoming folks are focused on solutions not politics, Governor Gordon said. He noted his proposed budget takes on significant needs like property tax relief, targeting those truly in need. He also asked the Legislature to be mindful of the potential impacts to county resources, roads, and schools when considering Legislation that addresses high property taxes. The Governor emphasized that Wyoming is well-positioned to capitalize on energy opportunities. The state will continue to innovate and invest in fossil energy while remaining a leader in balancing energy and the environment. Wyoming is bullish on energy, all energy. Despite the misguided federal government, there is just so much energy opportunity here in Wyoming. We need to capitalize on it, the Governor said. Wyoming embraces an all-of-the-above energy policy because America is best powered by American energy. His budget proposal furthers innovations that help the coal industry and the energy sector overall. Addressing the workforce challenges facing Wyoming, the Governor called for continued support in the budget for his Wyoming Innovation Partnership (WIP), saying the initiative is beginning to show results in linking the states economic strategy with community goals. Wyoming is brimming with economic promise, and we must greet opportunity when it knocks with a well-trained and prepared workforce, Governor Gordon said. The Governor also discussed education, mental health and border security in his address. He emphasized that the state will continue to fight back against federal overreach, and that support for the budget provides the resources needed to protect the rights of Wyomings people. I will never shy away from our responsibility to stand up to the federal government, Governor Gordon added. Currently we have 39 pending cases before courts across a spectrum of matters protecting Wyomings interests. We have not only fought back, we have won. Wyoming demands the right to develop its resources. The Governors State of the State speech may be viewed on the Wyoming PBS YouTube channel.. Tourists visit a scenic area of Wuyi Mountains in southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Chen Ying/Xinhua) Tourists watch a lion dance in Bijie City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Luo Dafu/Xinhua) Villagers perform Yangge, a traditional folk dance, in Liaocheng, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Photo by Zhang Zhenxiang/Xinhua) Folk artists perform lion dance in Dazhou, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Deng Liangkui/Xinhua) Folk artists perform dragon dance and lion dance in Pingyi County, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Photo by Wu Jiquan/Xinhua) Folk artists perform dragon dance in Jinhu County, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Photo by Chen Yibao/Xinhua) Folk artists perform dragon dance in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua) Folk artists of dragon dance parade on the street in Feidong County, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Ruan Xuefeng/Xinhua) People watch an opera show in Nanyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Gao Song/Xinhua) An aerial drone photo shows tourists visiting a scenic area of Linhai City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Pan Kanjun/Xinhua) Folk artists perform dragon dances in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Guo Zhihua/Xinhua) People visit the Fuzi (Confucius) Temple scenic area to appreciate lanterns in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Xinhua/Yang Lei) People watch a performance at a museum in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) Tourists visit Changdian temple fair in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) Tourists visit Changdian temple fair in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) Tourists visit Changdian temple fair in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) Bladnoch and Enotria&Coe enter partnership Bladnoch has partnered with wine and spirits distributor Enotria&Coe in a three-year deal to accelerate growth across the UK. Bladnoch and Enotra&Coe will focus on premium on-trade, independent wholesalers, and prestige retail. Established in the 1817, Bladnoch is led by owner David Prior, master distiller Nick Savage, and CEO Glen Gribbon. It is known as the oldest privately owned Scotch distillery in the world. Gribbon said: Our proposition to create a bold Galloway spirit with a proud heritage is unique, and as a result we have seen demand for Bladnoch grow at pace in recent years. Enotria&Coe prioritises building strong, long-standing relationships with customers and producers, an ethos which aligns seamlessly with ours, given Bladnoch distillerys 207-year history. We look forward to beginning our journey with Enotria&Coes distribution team to expand our customer base and help more consumers discover our signature Lowland style. The partnership follows the recent appointment of actor Mark Rannoch, known for his role in Outlander, as Bladnochs first brand ambassador. Bladnochs range will be featured at the Enotria&Coe annual tasting event on 26 February 2024. 12 February 2024 - Lucy Schofield Mark Thomson joins Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky has named Mark Thomson as private client manager. In the new role, Thomson will oversee the companys cask sales and its portfolio of high-end and rare whiskies. Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky holds one of the worlds largest collections of vintage and rare whiskies. Having started in hospitality, Thomsons career developed into drinks education, researching whisky history and hosting monthly tastings for hundreds of whisky fans. Thomson joins Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky from Glenfiddich where he held the role of brand ambassador for 10 years, for which he won Brand Ambassador (Scotch Whisky) of the Year in the World Whiskies Awards 2023. He was inducted as a Keeper of the Quaich in 2019. Speaking on his new role, Thomson said: The phenomenal wealth of whiskies from across every region in Scotland that Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky has within its broad portfolio is what drew me to the job. Im looking forward to showcasing these rare and luxurious liquids to many existing and new customers, both here in Scotland and across the globe. Ian Logan, senior hospitality and spirits manager for Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky, added: Ive known Mark for 15 years and hes hugely respected in the industry for his deep-rooted passion for whisky. His wealth of knowledge is perfect for the new job that has been created within the team and he will play a fundamental part globally, in enhancing our reputation with high-net worth individuals. 12 February 2024 - Lucy Schofield Craftsman Zou Yute makes a bamboo dragon for Firecracker Dragon Festival in Binyang County in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Jan. 16, 2024. (Xinhua/Lu Boan) "I think people and arts are very important to transmit ideas, and I can't think of any better way than having craftsmen or artisans who can show their arts personally," said Hiromi Kinoshita, curator of Chinese Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. by Xinhua writer Yang Shilong PHILADELPHIA, the United States, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. Artisans from Zhejiang Province of China took over the Great Stair Hall of the museum with a variety of demonstrations, including tea-whisking, sugar painting, rice sculptures, poetry couplets, and puppetry. Guests also got an opportunity to create their own woodblock prints, learn about the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, and received a lucky red envelope. It was estimated that at least 1,000 parents and their kids had joined the five-hour celebration on Sunday, according to Hiromi Kinoshita, curator of Chinese Art at the PMA. "I think having the craftsmen to come all the way from China and perform things that you don't usually get to see is very attractive. And the event was very popular," she said. Kinoshita, who's been working with the PMA for 12 years, believed the event could help facilitate better understanding between the American and Chinese peoples, especially at a time when information that people get usually comes from the internet or the news, which could lead to a restricted view. "I think people and arts are very important to transmit ideas, and I can't think of any better way than having craftsmen or artisans who can show their arts personally," said Kinoshita. "I think having this type of personal connection is important," she said. Kinoshita also expressed her appreciation for the help and support from the Chinese consulate general in New York for making the event a reality. "We should have this more often. We need to know other cultures. I would come back every year if you have it," said Coco Idani, a visitor who was excited to get the rice sculpture of her Zodiac sign of tiger made by a young Chinese craftsman. People perform lion dance during a reception to celebrate the Spring Festival at Vienna International Center in Vienna, Austria, Jan. 31, 2024. (Xinhua/He Canling) "Chinese culture is old and extremely rich," said Idani. "We should learn from such a culture that has survived many years." "I always think that through the arts and culture, we can make bridges. So I'm very happy to participate," said Paul, who works in information technology and is married to a Chinese lady from Zhengzhou, China. "The event is wonderful. We like to share Chinese culture. It's great that the artisans from China come here to show puppetry and their handicrafts," said Paul, holding in arms their two-year-old daughter Zina wearing a Chinese Spring Festival Zodiac head kit. Cathy and Joe Jacobsen were planning to go to Chinatown in Philadelphia to see the Lunar New Year parade, but they got lost and ended up in the PMA event. Yet they really loved the event as it was inclusive, joyful, and welcoming to everybody. "It's a good occasion to celebrate our reunion," said Joe, adding that they have known each other since the 1970s but only reunited after 40 years in 2016. PMA's event was the last leg of the Chinese artisans' 10-day visit to the United States to join the Lunar New Year celebrations in New York and neighboring areas. They had earlier performed at the Metropolitan Museum, Lincoln Center, and China Institute. "It's a great surprise for us that local people were so enthusiastic about Chinese culture. We often had to extend our scheduled performance hours to accommodate a much larger-than-expected crowd of visitors," Ruan Jing, leader of the delegation and director of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center, told Xinhua. BrewDog Distilling Co. releases first Tequila BrewDog Distilling Co. has announced Casa Rayos Tequila, made in partnership with the Orendain family. The third oldest Tequila distilling family in the town of Tequila in Mexico, the Orendain family worked with BrewDog to create the blended blanco Tequila. Made in Jalisco from 100 per cent Blue Weber agave, Casa Rayos is named for the lucky strike, a Mexican myth. The myth describes a lightning bolt that once hit an agave plant, fermenting the juices and creating Tequila. The Casa Rayos bottle design echoes the agave plants leaves. The collaborators tried 40 different Tequilas before they decided on the final blend of 12 varieties. The flavour profile supplied by BrewDog highlights citrus zest, black pepper, and an earthy component. Steven Kersley, managing director of BrewDog Distilling Co., shared: Weve long looked on with jealousy at the burgeoning Tequila category, and with growing frustration, because we couldnt participate by creating some agave magic at our distillery in Scotland. With a clear vision of the style of Tequila we wanted to create we didnt want to wait any longer so set off to find the spirit we wanted to bottle. The partnership with Orendain made this possible. They distil some of the best Tequila in Mexico and it was a dream for us to collaborate on creating this one-of-a-kind Tequila, Casa Rayos. BrewDogs current focus for Casa Rayos is the on-trade through UK distributor Oak & Still, before it looks to develop aged Tequilas Reposado and Anejo. Casa Rayos is available from UK BrewDog locations now, and on brewdog.com from 15 February 2024. 12 February 2024 - Lucy Schofield Haldwani violence Ukhand Govt seeks additional Central Forces HALDWANI (Ukhand), THE Uttarakhand Government has sought more central forces for deployment in Haldwani where violence erupted on February 8 after the demolition of an illegal madrassa, officials said. They said four companies -- containing about 100 personnel each -- of the Central Paramilitary Forces have been sought from the Home Ministry to maintain law and order in Banbhoolpura area, the epicentre of the mob violence. The requisition was sent to the Centre by Chief Secretary Radha Raturi. Curfew remains in force in Banbhoopura area but has been lifted from the outer areas of the town. Nearly 1,100 security personnel are already deployed in the town. Shops are still shut in Banbhoolpura and the roads deserted. Internet services also continue to be suspended in the area to prevent rumour-mongering through social media platforms. Six rioters were killed while 60 people were injured in Thursdays violence, officials said. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated on Sunday to take strict action against the miscreant involved in the violent clashes in Haldwanis Banbhoolpura area. On the second day of his visit to Lohaghat in Champawat district, Dhami met the students and youth and encouraged them before the Sangju-2024 programme. CM Dhami participated in the Sangju-2024 programme organised at Ramlila Maidan Lohaghat in Champawat district. CM Dhami said, In Haldwani, miscreants misbehaved with women police officials and media personnel. They tried to burn them alive. The essence of Devbhoomi will not be allowed to deteriorate. Strict action will be taken against the miscreants. Dhami also played the traditional Holi of Kumaon with the locals in Champawat and brought alive the old memories by preparing lemon sour (sunni) along with the Khadi Holi song. On the first day, CM Dhami interacted with local residents in Champawat district of Uttarakhand during the Gaon Chalo campaign. CM Dhami also interacted with small children and inquired about their well-being. Earlier, CM Dhami reached Haldwani on Friday afternoon and took stock of the situation of the violent clashes that took place on Thursday evening. Clashes erupted on Thursday night after an anti-encroachment drive in Haldwanis Banbhoolpura area. The Chief Minister also inquired about the condition of the women police team and other policemen, administration, municipal corporation personnel and journalist colleagues who were injured in the incident that took place in Haldwanis Banbhoolpura. CM Dhami said that all the video footage and footprints of those who have broken the law and damaged government property are available. The process of identifying all the miscreants involved in this incident and taking legal action against them is underway. Indian Biogas Assn pitches for Rs 30k cr investment for compressed biogas plants Business Reporter Indian Biogas Association has recommended an investment of Rs 30,000 crore for machinery and equipment required for biomass supply to compressed biogas plants to ensure 12 MMTA of LNG import reduction. Utilising agricultural residues like paddy straw for bioenergy production and soil enrichment instead of burning those offers a dual benefit as it provides renewable energy sources while enhancing soil health," said Indian Biogas Association Chairman Gaurav Kedia. However, he pointed out that there are obstacles to procurement, such as unappealing economics, which makes farmers prefer to burn rather than sell off the field straw promptly. Due to the low density of straw, which increases the expenses associated with its collection, storage, and transportation, he stated, Improving logistics is not a feasible solution. Government intervention is essential to encourage the adoption of necessary equipment, such as subsidising combine harvesters capable of efficiently gathering straw. Additional support for balers and storage units will make efficient transportation and storage possible, Kedia noted. He suggested that the Government should also release the operational guidelines for crop residue management to provide financial assistance for the procurement of crop residue management machinery, establish custom hiring centres, create a supply chain for crop residue/ paddy straw and promote awareness on crop residue management. As per the ASCI (Administrative Staff College of India) study on the assessment of biomass potential in India, India has a total crop production area of 198 MHa with a total crop production of 775 million tonnes, generating 754 million tonnes of total biomass and 230 million tonnes of surplus agricultural residue. Most of this surplus biomass is burnt because farmers lack proper collection equipment and motivation. In the first phase, the government should prefer the states with the largest share in biomass generation -- Punjab (10.6 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (9.8 per cent), Gujarat (9.3 per cent), Maharashtra (9.2 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (8.8 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (7 per cent). Nagaland Police arrest two from city in Rs 55 lakh fraud case Staff Reporter Nagaland Police conducted a raid in Nagpur and arrested two persons for defrauding a doctor from Dimapur in Nagaland of Rs 55 lakh. The arrested accused were identified as Amul Prakash Tong (40) a resident of New Sneh Nagar, and Prateek Jairam Nikhade (35), a resident of Asmit Apartment, Bajaj Nagar. According to police, the swindlers operated a sports equipment and furniture sales office and shop in Padole Nagar area under Rana Pratap Nagar police station limits. In 2021, the doctor from Dimapur approached Tong and Nikhade expressing his intention of opening a game zone and purchase materials for it. A deal was struck between the doctor and the fraudsters and a payment of Rs 55 lakh was made. However, after receiving the funds, the duo failed to deliver the promised materials. Despite the doctors attempts to contact them, Tong and Nikhade assured him that the materials would be sent in a few days, but the promised supplies never materialised. Frustrated with the lack of response, the doctor filed a complaint with the Dimapur police which led to the registration of a fraud case. A police team from Nagaland reached Nagpur on Saturday and sought assistance from the Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone-I Anurag Jain. Instructions were given to Sonegaon police to aid in the arrest of the accused. Following their arrest, both Tong and Nikhade were produced in court, and upon obtaining the production warrant, the Nagaland Police departed for Nagaland with the accused. Pak parties eager to form Government after split verdict By Sajjad Hussain and M Zulqernain : ISLAMABAD/LAHORE Coalition talks intensify THE three main political parties in Pakistan on Sunday intensified their efforts for the formation of a coalition Government after it became clear that the coup-prone country faced a hung Parliament after general elections marred by allegations of rigging. The general elections were held on Thursday, but the unusual delay in the announcement of results vitiated the atmosphere as several parties cried foul and some resorted to protests. Former Prime Minister and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif received the backing of the powerful Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir on Saturday for his call for a unity Government to pull Pakistan out of its current difficulties. Independent candidates, a vast majority of them backed by jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), won 101 seats in the National Assembly. They were followed by three-time former Sharifs Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 75 seats, which technically is the single largest party in Parliament. The Pakistan Peoples Party of Bilawal Zardari Bhutto got 54 seats, and the Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) of Urdu-speaking people who migrated from India during the Partition, got 17 seats. Other smaller parties won the rest of the 12 seats. To form a Government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the National Assembly. Overall, 169 seats are needed to secure a simple majority out of its total 336 seats, which include the reserved slots for women and minorities which will be decided later based on proportional representation. Amidst allegations of vote rigging and inordinate delay in announcing the results, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday published the results of 264 out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly. The result of one constituency was withheld by the ECP due to complaints of fraud. Election to one seat was postponed after the death of a candidate. The PML-N was leading the push to form the coalition Government on the pattern of one it set up after Khan, 71, was removed as Prime Minister through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. Party supremo Sharif, 74, tasked his younger brother former premier Shehbaz Sharif to hold talks on the issue. MQM-P leader Haider Rizvi earlier told Geo News in an interview that his party would be more comfortable with the PML-N as the two parties dont compete in Karachi unlike the PPP or other parties. PML-N President Shehbaz on Saturday met senior PPP leaders Asif Ali Zardari and his Bilawal on Friday night and discussed the future coalition. Shehbaz told the party leaders that former President and PPP leader Asif Zardari has demanded the Prime Ministers slot for PPP Chairman Bilawal and major ministerial portfolios in exchange for support for the PML-N to form the Government, sources said. Sources claimed the meeting decided that in case the negotiations with the PPP failed, the PML-N would make a coalition Government with MQM, JUI-F and other smaller parties, including independents. Meanwhile, Bilawal, the 35-year-old former Foreign Minister said no one could form Governments in the Centre, Punjab or Balochistan without his partys support, and the PPPs door was open to every political party for dialogue, as reconciliation was vital for political stability. So far, the PPP has not engaged officially with the PML-N, PTI or any other party. Once the results are finalised, then the Central Executive Committee of the party, which nominated me as the candidate, will sit again and devise the course of action, he said. It is believed that a newer version of the Pakistan Democratic Movement coalition, also called as PDM Government, under Shehbaz Sharif was more likely based on the experience of running the Government after Khan was removed. Ahmed Mehboob of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), however, said the PTI is not in a position to form the Government without forming an alliance with major political parties like the PML-N or the PPP as it doesnt have the required number for claiming majority in the lower house of Parliament. The PTI also demanded the immediate resignation of the CEC and members of the ECP. Meanwhile, the PPP will hold its Central Executive Committee meeting at Zardaris House in Islamabad on Monday. Right focus on economic growth in North India By K R Sudhaman THE Himalayan States, which have had comparatively less economic development due to various issues including security, have done reasonably well under Prime Minister Narendra Modi if one went by Budget allocations in recent years. The Interim Budget on February 1, 2024 is no different. The Budget allocation for Jammu and Kashmir in particular after abrogation of article 370 on August 5, 2019, has been more pronounced to the envy of Kashmiris leaving across the border and under occupation of Pakistan. This has been acknowledged by Pakistani media as well where in one of the popular channels, a commentator said the interim budget in India has allocated as much as $16 billion for the development of Jammu and Kashmir when the entire Pakistan was struggling to get peanuts of $3 billion from International Monetary Fund. If this kind of development continued with more educational institutes and medical colleges coming into being in the State, very soon people living across in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir will on their own would merge with Indias Jammu and Kashmir. These are opinions coming from trouble-torn Pakistan, which is at the brink of economic and political crisis. Pakistan occupied Kashmir and the so called Northern areas Gilgit-Baltistan have seen very little development since illegal occupation by Pakistan. Lately there are widespread agitations in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan. They are protesting against the exploitation of the locals and taking away of natural resources by Pakistani armymen and politicians and the Chinese under the garb of Belt and Road initiative, which passes through this area to Gwadhar Port in Balochistan. This, the protesters feel, is to the detriment of their people and the region. There is usually negative publicity in Pakistan to events in India, more so if it pertained to J&K. Now the commentaries often appear in Pakistan in praise of Indias economic development and in particular, Jammu and Kashmir. This speaks volumes about not only poor state of affairs in Pakistan but also acknowledgement of the fact that poorer and border Himalayan States no longer get step-motherly treatment in India as far as economic development is concerned. It is not only Jammu and Kashmir, Union Territory of Ladakh, carved out of erstwhile J&K State, too has been allocated good amount of Rs 5,958 crore for 2024-25 in the Interim Budget. Of this Rs 3,076 crore is apportioned for capital expenditure, which meant more developmental activities. Recently Ladakh has seen some protests from locals for statehood just as the demand for early restoration of statehood in Jammu and Kashmir. Ladakhs complaint is that they were provided step-motherly treatment when they were part of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir. Making it a separate statehood would have more leverage of fast tracking development rather than an Union Territory. The Budget allocation to border roads development projects in J&K and Ladakh is additional and this too will contribute to pump-priming the regional economy. Himalayan States comprise Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim. Apart from increased allocations to North-Eastern States as part of budget focus to bring eastern region on par with the rest of the economy, what has gone un-noticed is the allocation of Rs 1,200 crore for subsidising the sale of natural gas under the administered price mechanism in North-Eastern States. This was higher than the expectation of Rs 1,000 crore subsidy for this purpose. Launched in 2011-12, the scheme covers the sale of subsidised gas in the N-E region by state run oil and gas companies, ONGC and OIL. The North-Eastern States do have a lot of gas and the idea behind this scheme is to encourage consumers of city gas users, PNG operators, fertiliser companies and gas-based power generators to use more gas abundantly available there, besides stepping up developmental activities. As it is, centre is encouraging use of gas and solar power in the Himalayan States. The centre has set an ambitious target of increasing the share of gas in Indias energy mix to 15 per cent from the present six per cent. There are ambitious targets for promoting solar power as well, particular roof-top solar. The roof top solar would not only help households get upto Rs 300 of free power but also helping state distribution companies improve their finances by a reduction in subsidised power. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asserted that the BJP-led Government is striving for all-round, all-inclusive, and all-pervasive (sarvangin, sarvasparshi, and sarvasamaveshi) development and said that the trinity of Democracy, Demography, and Diversity can help fulfill the aspirations of every Indian. She claimed this has brought about a profound and positive transformation to the economy in the last 10 years. The next five years will be years of unprecedented development, she said. The focus on achieving self-reliance in oilseeds and the comprehensive dairy development programme and the proposed investments in fisheries through Matsya Sampada and the broader focus on agriculture and food processing are steps that would benefit the Himalayan region. (IPA) Saoner ATM heist Fastag transaction leads to culprits arrest Staff Reporter In a major breakthrough, Saoner police arrested the main culprit involved in the ATM heist that took place on January 29, where a State Bank of India ATM was forcefully broken into, and a sum of Rs 10 lakh was stolen. The arrest was made by tracing a crucial clue via a Fastag transaction of the accused while they were making a quick escape in a four-wheeler. The arrested accused was identified as Irfan Imran Khan, hailing from Utawad village in the Hatin tehsil of Palwal district in Haryana. His accomplices, Mubarak Imran Khan and Wasim Musa Khan, both also residents of Haryana, along with other unidentified accused, remain at large. The daring heist took place in the night on January 29 when the criminals, armed with sharp weapons, arrived in a four-wheeler. They brazenly used a gas cutter to break into the ATM and escaped with the exposed cash before making a quick getaway. During the investigation, it was revealed that the criminals had changed the number plates of their vehicles while passing through toll plazas in an attempt to mislead the investigators. However, Saoner Police, under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Harssh Poddar, managed to crack the case using automated Fast tag transactions, which ultimately led to the identification and arrest of Irfan Imran Khan in Haryana. Third year DNLU student writes to Chief Justice, Secy Gen for uniformity of A4 pages in judicial forums Staff Reporter Vikhyaat Maheshwari, a 3rd year student of Dharmashastra National Law University (DLNU), Jabalpur wrote a letter to Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Secretary-General Atul M Kurhekar, emphasising the need for uniformity in the usage of A4 papers with printing on both sides across all the judicial forums of the country, keeping in mind the tremendous environmental and legal cost that will be saved. The letter focuses on the need to bring standardisation in terms of quality, size and specifications of A4 paper, margins, font styles, font size, line spacing, and other formatting requirements to be followed as per the Supreme Court Circular, dated January 14, 2020 and March 5, 2020 throughout the judicial system. The letter reflects on a previous communication to then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, four years ago, advocating for adoption of A4 size paper with printing on both sides to safeguard common masses from environmental and financial burden. However, the subsequent lack of uniformity in implementation of the circular across various High Courts and District Courts is pointed out. The letter also provides compiled data and statistics showcasing the divergence in formatting styles and the absence of a standardised approach, impacting the efficiency of the judicial system. The letter points out that only 22 out of 25 High Courts have considered using A4 size paper, each with varying specifications. 21 High Courts have issued circulars/notifications/orders regarding the same either on the judicial side, administrative side, or both. The remaining High Courts have either given time for consideration, or the petition is still pending, or no change has been made or the request for mandatory usage of A4 size paper has been rejected. Out of 21 High Courts, 13 High Courts have issued circulars/ notifications/ orders mandating printing on both sides, 6 High Courts have made one-side printing mandatory, and the rest have not said anything in particular. This lack of uniformity further extends to formatting styles and paper quality, thereby posing challenges for legal professionals and the public at large. Some High Courts have specified the use of a minimum of 75 GSM quality A4 paper, some asked for a minimum of 80 GSM, and the rest remain silent. These deviations highlight the contradiction with the Bar Council of Indias goal of standardising the legal profession. Acknowledging the commendable progress in e-filing, the student urges Chief Justice Chandrachud to extend the same level of uniformity to offline practices through the widespread adoption of A4 size paper. The letter requests prompt action to direct all High Courts and District Courts to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in 2020. Tourists visit the Taierzhuang ancient town in Zaozhuang City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 12, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Sun Zhongzhe/Xinhua) A drone photo taken on Feb. 12, 2024 shows tourists watching a dragon dance performance staged on the water surface in Wujiangzhai scenic spot in Zunyi, southwest China's Guizhou Province. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Yuan Fuhong/Xinhua) Tourists visit the Baohua mountain national forest park in Jurong City, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 12, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Zhong Xueman/Xinhua) Tourists visit a scenic area in Xiangyang, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 11, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Yang Dong/Xinhua) Tourists enjoy a night view in Xuan'en County, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 11, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Song Wen/Xinhua) Tourists visit a scenic area in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 12, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Hang Xingwei/Xinhua) Tourists watch a folk show in Tancheng County of Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 11, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Zhang Chunlei/Xinhua) An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2024 shows tourists visiting a scenic area in Huimin County of Binzhou City, east China's Shandong Province. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Chu Baorui/Xinhua) Tourists take photos of the sunrise in Wuyishan National Park, southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 12, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Qiu Ruquan/Xinhua) Tourists take photos with festive lanterns at a scenic area in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 11, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Zhang Jingang/Xinhua) Tourists visit a lantern fair in Chengde, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 11, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua) Tourists look at swans at a nature reserve in Rongcheng, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 12, 2024. People across China are enjoying the ongoing Spring Festival holiday in various ways. (Photo by Li Xinjun/Xinhua) This combination photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows a collection of 12 Chinese Zodiac lanterns designed by Chinese-Australian artist Erika Zhu on the way from Town Hall to Chinatown in Sydney, Australia. As part of a 16-day "welcoming party" underway in Australia's Sydney for the Year of Dragon, a collection of 12 Chinese Zodiac lanterns featuring 12 animals were lighting the way from Sydney's Town Hall down to Chinatown in Haymarket precinct.(Xinhua/Ma Ping) SYDNEY, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- As part of a 16-day "welcoming party" underway in Australia's Sydney for the Year of Dragon, a collection of 12 Chinese Zodiac lanterns featuring 12 animals were lighting the way from Sydney's Town Hall down to Chinatown in Haymarket precinct. With vibrant colors adding vibe and lovely designs igniting innocence, the Zodiac lanterns blend contemporary character with traditional culture, reminding a Chinese-Australian artist who creates the lanterns of sweet memory for the special occasion. "The characters serve as a tribute to the times when I felt loved and included. They are not meant to intimidate but to welcome, reflecting their positive nature," Erika Zhu, a Sydney-based 3D artist in her 20s, told Xinhua. Instead of taking a realistic approach, Zhu opted to create figures that are "inviting, warm, and friendly," and the decision was driven by her desire to emphasize the "importance of community and inclusion." "Every Chinese New Year was an opportunity to both give and receive love, to experience a sense of belonging to a community or family, and to feel accepted," said the designer, speaking of her own experience. "With this in mind, I designed the animal characters to resemble family members, endowing them with smiles and an optimistic demeanor." When Zhu started to design the lanterns, inspiration stemmed from a broad spectrum of sources. Scarlet red, a symbol of good luck, and emerald green, a nod to Jade, were handpicked to feature the lanterns and their supporting plinths. With a keen eye for detail, Zhu was inspired by intricate motifs of Chinese tapestries and embroidery for the floral patterns. "My background in traditional Chinese painting was also a major source of inspiration. I had the opportunity to learn about 'The Four Gentlemen' of Chinese art calligraphy, which include plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums. I was deeply engrossed in the learning process, where each visual element carried a wealth of meaning," said Zhu. "Next I reflected on what was often depicted in traditional Chinese art, like flowers, fruits, and birds. I aimed to link these traditional motifs with each zodiac animal's traits, culminating in a unique mix of tradition and individuality in every lantern design," she added. Unlike the ornate patterns, the shape of the animal lanterns embodied a "simple and clean" style, reminiscent of the expressive power of Chinese painting brushstrokes, while a "playful and childlike" aesthetic was infused to enchant viewers of all ages. She said the outcome was 12 delightful animal lanterns adorned with vibrant floral patterns, hoping these lanterns stir personal experiences and people could cherish Spring Festival memories. As a proficient 3D artist, character designer and animator, Zhu felt the thrill of seeing her concepts spring into life for the first time through the creation of 12 Chinese Zodiac lanterns. "I've never had the experience of working on a project that turned into reality before, so this is super exciting for me," she said. This Spring Festival also held another special significance, as Zhu felt proud of the tangible impact she could make, particularly as a Chinese-Australian individual. "Being of Chinese heritage and growing up in Australia, I've always aimed to incorporate aspects of my culture into my work. Having the opportunity to do this, particularly when I can add my own creative flair, is an immense privilege," said the artist. "Being able to represent my culture through my work, and foster unity among diverse communities, brings me deep fulfillment and joy," she added. This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows a tiger-shaped lantern designed by Chinese-Australian artist Erika Zhu displayed in front of Sydney's Town Hall in Sydney, Australia. As part of a 16-day "welcoming party" underway in Australia's Sydney for the Year of Dragon, a collection of 12 Chinese Zodiac lanterns featuring 12 animals were lighting the way from Sydney's Town Hall down to Chinatown in Haymarket precinct.(Xinhua/Ma Ping) This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows a dragon-shaped lantern designed by Chinese-Australian artist Erika Zhu displayed in Sydney, Australia. As part of a 16-day "welcoming party" underway in Australia's Sydney for the Year of Dragon, a collection of 12 Chinese Zodiac lanterns featuring 12 animals were lighting the way from Sydney's Town Hall down to Chinatown in Haymarket precinct.(Xinhua/Ma Ping) This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows a rabbit-shaped lantern designed by Chinese-Australian artist Erika Zhu displayed in front of Sydney's Town Hall in Sydney, Australia. As part of a 16-day "welcoming party" underway in Australia's Sydney for the Year of Dragon, a collection of 12 Chinese Zodiac lanterns featuring 12 animals were lighting the way from Sydney's Town Hall down to Chinatown in Haymarket precinct.(Xinhua/Ma Ping) The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia is set to attend the second edition of the World Defense Show 2024 (February 4-8) in Riyadh, where it will showcase its leadership in the civil aviation sector, and its achievements in areas of safety and security. Hosted by the Saudi General Authority for Military Industries, the event will focus on the future of defence through technological developments from around the globe, demonstrate the progress made in line with the Saudi Aviation Strategy, and highlight opportunities in the kingdoms aviation sector. The latest programmes and innovations will be presented at the event that will also bring to fore GACAs role in the enhancement of passenger rights, optimisation of airport security, and promotion of environmental sustainability. GACA will also take the opportunity to extend invitations to the Future Aviation Forum, scheduled for May 20 to 22, 2024. Multiple entities of the Saudi civil aviation sector will be present at GACAs booth, including Matarat Holding Company, Riyadh Airports Company, Jeddah Airports Company, Dammam Airports Company, and Cluster 2 Company. The World Defense Show is expected to attract more than 750 exhibitors from 75 countries and more than 100,000 visitors. TradeArabia News Service TEHRAN, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A top Iranian military commander said the country's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) had successfully fired a long-range ballistic missile from one of its cruisers, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday. IRGC's Chief Commander Hossein Salami made the remarks in a televised interview while commenting on the new achievements of the force's navy, the report said. He said the ballistic missile was launched as part of the joint cooperation between the IRGC's Aerospace Division and Navy. "The new achievement has increased the range of our naval influence and power to any given desired point. Our ocean cruisers can be present in any part of the oceans and naturally, when we can fire missiles from them, there remains no safe spot for any power that would seek to cause us insecurity," said Salami. The chief commander said with the arrival of a large number of drones, cruise missiles and even ballistic missiles with pinpoint accuracy and capable of targeting warships at sea, the IRGC's naval defense and offensive power featured a "very complex and interconnected combination of up-to-date, advanced and modern capabilities." He warned that the IRGC and Iranian armed forces would give "fitting and heavy" responses to any conspiracy and hostile action. Cyrus J. Lawrence LLC bought a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 61,612 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,602,000. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Arjuna Capital lifted its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 96.5% in the third quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 40,598 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,692,000 after buying an additional 19,941 shares during the period. One Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in the 3rd quarter worth $203,000. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT increased its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 412.3% in the third quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 26,853 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,442,000 after purchasing an additional 21,611 shares during the last quarter. Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA lifted its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 98.9% in the third quarter. Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA now owns 509,060 shares of the companys stock valued at $46,178,000 after buying an additional 253,140 shares during the period. Finally, Prudent Man Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 93.1% during the third quarter. Prudent Man Advisors LLC now owns 2,876 shares of the companys stock worth $262,000 after buying an additional 1,387 shares during the last quarter. 6.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Down 1.3 % NYSE NVO traded down $1.63 during trading on Monday, hitting $119.57. The stock had a trading volume of 1,025,585 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,823,261. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12 month low of $67.66 and a 12 month high of $121.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.82. The companys 50-day moving average price is $105.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $85.77. The company has a market capitalization of $536.57 billion, a PE ratio of 44.81, a P/E/G ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.41. Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The firm also recently announced a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.664 per share. This is a boost from Novo Nordisk A/Ss previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 22nd. This represents a yield of 0.9%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio is presently 22.92%. A number of brokerages have recently commented on NVO. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Monday, December 4th. StockNews.com upgraded Novo Nordisk A/S from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, October 16th. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price target on Novo Nordisk A/S from $120.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an overweight rating and a $120.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $121.25. View Our Latest Stock Report on Novo Nordisk A/S Novo Nordisk A/S Profile (Free Report) Novo Nordisk A/S, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products worldwide. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity care, and Rare Disease. The Diabetes and Obesity care segment provides products in the areas of insulins, GLP-1 and related delivery systems, oral antidiabetic products, obesity, glucagon, needles, and other chronic diseases. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com cut shares of Embraer (NYSE:ERJ Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Friday. Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup raised Embraer from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $16.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 16th. HSBC lowered shares of Embraer from a buy rating to a hold rating and lifted their target price for the company from $18.00 to $19.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Embraer has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $19.75. Get Embraer alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Embraer Embraer Trading Up 3.0 % Institutional Inflows and Outflows Shares of ERJ opened at $18.11 on Friday. Embraer has a 1 year low of $12.11 and a 1 year high of $20.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $18.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.07. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ERJ. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Embraer by 19.8% in the third quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 5,390 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $73,000 after acquiring an additional 890 shares during the period. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Embraer by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 24,185 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $374,000 after purchasing an additional 978 shares during the period. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC raised its stake in Embraer by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 17,525 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $323,000 after buying an additional 1,070 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of Embraer by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 19,556 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $214,000 after buying an additional 1,072 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Embraer by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 15,106 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $188,000 after buying an additional 1,433 shares during the last quarter. 34.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Embraer Company Profile (Get Free Report) Embraer SA designs, develops, manufactures, and sells aircraft and systems in North America, Latin America, the Asia Pacific, Brazil, Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Commercial Aviation; Defense & Security; Executive Aviation; Services & Support; and Other segments. The Commercial Aviation segment designs, develops, manufactures, and sells commercial jets, as well as leases aircraft. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Embraer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Embraer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Genpact (NYSE:G Free Report) had its target price upped by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $42.00 to $43.00 in a research note released on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has an underweight rating on the business services providers stock. A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on G. Robert W. Baird reissued a neutral rating and set a $38.00 target price on shares of Genpact in a report on Friday, December 15th. Mizuho began coverage on Genpact in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a neutral rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup boosted their price target on Genpact from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. StockNews.com raised shares of Genpact from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a buy rating and set a $40.00 price target on shares of Genpact in a research report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Genpact presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $40.11. Get Genpact alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on G Genpact Stock Up 4.6 % Genpact Increases Dividend Genpact stock opened at $36.53 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 1.11. The companys 50-day moving average price is $34.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $35.37. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Genpact has a twelve month low of $29.41 and a twelve month high of $48.58. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 26th. Investors of record on Monday, March 11th will be given a dividend of $0.153 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 8th. This represents a $0.61 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.68%. This is a positive change from Genpacts previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. Genpacts payout ratio is currently 17.78%. Insider Buying and Selling at Genpact In other news, SVP Heather White sold 11,450 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.00, for a total transaction of $412,200.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 21,175 shares in the company, valued at $762,300. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.62% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Genpact A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Genpact by 20.8% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 19,355,626 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $727,191,000 after purchasing an additional 3,335,821 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Genpact by 154.4% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 47,498 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,719,000 after acquiring an additional 28,831 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in Genpact by 9.3% during the third quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 612,694 shares of the business services providers stock worth $22,180,000 after acquiring an additional 52,263 shares in the last quarter. Lmcg Investments LLC grew its holdings in Genpact by 2.1% in the third quarter. Lmcg Investments LLC now owns 48,867 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,769,000 after purchasing an additional 1,009 shares during the period. Finally, DAVENPORT & Co LLC acquired a new position in shares of Genpact during the third quarter valued at about $1,125,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.33% of the companys stock. Genpact Company Profile (Get Free Report) Genpact Limited provides business process outsourcing and information technology (IT) services in India, rest of Asia, North and Latin America, and Europe. It operates through three segments: Financial services; Consumer and Healthcare; and High Tech and Manufacturing. The company offers CFO advisory services; and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) services, such as data management, carbon accounting, human rights assessment, sustainability diligence, and ESG reporting. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Genpact Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genpact and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CAIRO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Egypt said on Monday that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is sabotaging Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo. On Saturday, Smotrich called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to send an Israeli representative to Cairo for hostage talks, according to the Times of Israel news website. In a statement released on Monday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said Smotrich "continues to make irresponsible and inflammatory statements, which only reveal a hunger for killing and destruction, and sabotage any attempt to contain the crisis in the Gaza Strip." The ministry considered that "such statements are completely unacceptable, as Egypt has complete control over its territory and does not allow any party to involve Egypt's name in any failed attempt to justify its shortcomings." Egypt is hosting new rounds of negotiations, under Egyptian-Qatari sponsorship, with the goal of bringing calm to the Gaza Strip and releasing Palestinian prisoners and Israeli detainees. GAZA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced on Monday that three Israeli hostages have died from their wounds sustained from Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. In a press statement sent to Xinhua, Hamas said the three victims were among the eight Israeli captives seriously injured in recent Israeli airstrikes. It added that the Al-Qassam Brigades would postpone the announcement of the names and photos of the three deceased until the fate of the remaining wounded becomes clear. On Sunday, the Al-Qassam Brigades announced the deaths of two Israeli captives and the injury of 8 others due to what it said were Israeli shellings on the Strip in the past 96 hours. The announcement of the latest three deaths comes hours after the Israeli army liberated two captives held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip early on Monday, namely Fernando Simon Merman, 60, and Louis Herr, 70, who were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip from Kibbutz Nir Eshkol on Oct. 7, 2023. On Jan. 10, the Israeli army said that 136 hostages were still being held captive in the Gaza Strip. The screenshot taken from the streaming of Fashion Network shows Taoray Wang (R), the creative director of JUZUI, and model Maye Musk on the runway at the New York Fashion Week on Feb. 11, 2024, New York, the United States. (Xinhua) "It's always better to be person-to-person. Otherwise, you don't get the right picture, unless you can meet the people and explore with them and become friends," says Maye Musk. NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese brand JUZUI on Sunday staged its runway show at the New York Fashion Week by drawing inspiration from blossoming peony, a flower rooted in the East. Taoray Wang, the creative director of JUZUI, also borrowed color which was popular in China's Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) in developing her designs. The presentation resonated loudly on the stage of the New York Fashion Week 2024 which runs from Feb. 9 to 14. It's exciting to combine peony with every design in the collection, said Wang. Wang added that China has a bounty of beautiful stuff that could move international audiences besides dragon and phoenix. People should be traveling backwards and forwards between the United States and China way more than they are at the moment, said Maye Musk, a model who closed the show. "I think Americans traveling to China will be very impressed," said Musk. "It's always better to be person-to-person. Otherwise, you don't get the right picture, unless you can meet the people and explore with them and become friends," Musk added. Founded in 2001, JUZUI focuses on women fashion designs by drawing inspiration from Eastern elements, particularly blossoming peony. GENEVA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- A potential full-fledged military incursion into Rafah is terrifying, as an extremely large number of civilians, mostly women and children, will likely be killed and injured, the United Nations (UN) human rights chief Volker Turk warned on Monday. "Not so long ago, I had flagged the unimaginable suffering faced by Palestinians in Gaza. Today, sadly, given the carnage wrought so far in Gaza it is wholly imaginable what would lie ahead in Rafah," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a media statement. Located in the southern Gaza Strip and being Gaza's only gateway to the rest of the world that is not directly controlled by Israel, Rafah now houses some 1.5 million Palestinians whereas before the Oct. 7 attack, its population stood at 250,000. In addition to the pain and suffering incurred by the bombs and bullets, this incursion into Rafah may also mean the end of the meager humanitarian aid that has been entering and distributed with huge implications for all of Gaza, including the hundreds of thousands in grave risk of starvation and famine in the north, Turk said in the statement. He noted that his office had repeatedly warned against actions that violate the laws of war, and the prospect of such an operation into Rafah risked further atrocity crimes. "Israel must comply with the legally binding orders issued by the International Court of Justice, and with the full span of international humanitarian law. Those who defy international law have been put on notice. Accountability must follow," he said. The UN human rights chief urged the world leaders to "restrain rather than enable" further violence, and called for an immediate ceasefire, saying that all remaining hostages must be released and there must be renewed collective resolve to reach a political solution. That release could not be found. Israeli tanks are seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on Feb. 12, 2024. Israel's special forces raided Gaza's Rafah early Monday to release two hostages, launching "waves of strikes" that killed at least 67 Palestinians, sources on both sides said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Israel's special forces raided Gaza's Rafah early Monday to release two hostages, launching "waves of strikes" that killed at least 67 Palestinians, sources on both sides said. While celebrated as heroic in Israel, the operation stirred fear in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, where more than half of the enclave's 2.3 million residents were seeking shelter from Israeli bombardments in other parts of Gaza. The Hamas-run Health Ministry said in an update that at least 67 people were killed overnight and dozens injured. Images and video footage broadcasted on local TV channels showed extensive damage to buildings in the area, including a mosque. Palestinian eyewitnesses told Xinhua that Israel carried out some 40 airstrikes on the Rafah area in the early hours of Monday, with intensive ground shelling. Suhaib Al-Hams, director of Al-Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah, told Xinhua that a large number of injured in his hospital suffered from traumatic amputations and severe burns while there is a severe shortage of medicines. Palestinian security sources in Rafah told Xinhua that special Israeli forces secretly arrived at a building located in the Shaboura neighborhood, central of the city, and after clashes with Hamas members, the two captives were freed. Israel Defense Forces' Spokesman Daniel Hagari said heavy fighting between the Israeli forces and Hamas fighters ensued after the rescue, with the military employing heavy airstrikes. "There was aerial coverage and a wave of strikes by the Israeli Air Force together with the Southern Command," he said. Approximately 130 hostages remain in Gaza, with at least 30 reported killed, according to Israeli authorities. The nighttime operation marked only the second instance in which Israeli forces claimed to have safely rescued hostages in Gaza, following the rescue of a female soldier last November. The two released hostages -- Louis Har, 70, and Fernando Simon Marman, 60, both of whom also hold Argentine citizenship -- were airlifted to Sheba Hospital outside Tel Aviv. The hospital's Deputy Director-General, Yael Frenkel Nir, told reporters that they underwent medical checkups and were in "good" medical condition. Video footage released by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office showed the two at the hospital, embracing their families for the first time since being kidnapped by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in southern Israel, along with about 250 others. The overnight bombardment came as Netanyahu has been hinting at Israel's imminent launch of a ground operation in Rafah. On Monday, Netanyahu said that "only continued military pressure, until total victory," could lead to the release of more hostages. Benny Gantz, a member of Netanyahu's wartime Cabinet, affirmed that "a large-scale operation in Rafah... is not in question." An Israeli tank is seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on Feb. 12, 2024. Israel's special forces raided Gaza's Rafah early Monday to release two hostages, launching "waves of strikes" that killed at least 67 Palestinians, sources on both sides said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) An Israeli self-propelled howitzer shoots near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on Feb. 12, 2024. Israel's special forces raided Gaza's Rafah early Monday to release two hostages, launching "waves of strikes" that killed at least 67 Palestinians, sources on both sides said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) An Israeli army vehicle is seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on Feb. 12, 2024. Israel's special forces raided Gaza's Rafah early Monday to release two hostages, launching "waves of strikes" that killed at least 67 Palestinians, sources on both sides said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) An Israeli helicopter flies near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on Feb. 12, 2024. Israel's special forces raided Gaza's Rafah early Monday to release two hostages, launching "waves of strikes" that killed at least 67 Palestinians, sources on both sides said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) An Israeli army vehicle is seen near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on Feb. 12, 2024. Israel's special forces raided Gaza's Rafah early Monday to release two hostages, launching "waves of strikes" that killed at least 67 Palestinians, sources on both sides said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) An Israeli self-propelled howitzer shoots near the border with Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, on Feb. 12, 2024. Israel's special forces raided Gaza's Rafah early Monday to release two hostages, launching "waves of strikes" that killed at least 67 Palestinians, sources on both sides said. (Photo by Gil Cohen Magen/Xinhua) Today Sunny with gusty winds developing this afternoon. High 68F. NW winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Tonight A clear sky. Low near 35F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Tomorrow Mostly sunny skies. High 64F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Kenyan employees at the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Project celebrated with their Chinese counterparts the Chinese New Year. The project, launched in 2017, has witnessed fruitful cooperation between China and the African country, as well as the fusion of two cultures. 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Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Promoters restricting roof and terrace access to flat owners could now face the Kolkata Municipal Corporations whip. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has decided to allow building sanctions only when roofs and terraces are made accessible to all flat owners. The announcement came after the mayor of KMC, Firhad Hakim received complaints on the restrictions imposed on the use of rooftop terrace areas by flat owners. According to Mr Hakim, complaints on the subject from various parts including his own area were pouring in at the civic body where promoters or landlords were not allowing access to the terrace to the flat owners. As pointed out by Mr Hakim, promoters are taking 35 or 40 per cent for super built area from flat buyers for using common spaces like stairs and terraces. However, later they are restricting the flat occupants from using the terraces. The terrace spaces are also being sold out which is grossly illegal. This is causing harm to people. Citing the example of Stephen Court fire, the mayor said: If there is a fire and occupants are unable to go down and need to be evacuated from the terrace, how would they be rescued? Advertisement Terraces should be open and remain a common space. From our side, we would sanction the plan with a stamp that the terrace be used as common space. The mayor also pointed out how insufficient spaces between two buildings are creating problems in providing municipal services. According to Mr Hakim, at some places, it is seen that the mandatory space between two buildings is not being followed. Due to this, there are problems in providing municipal services like drainage cleaning, anti- mosquito drive or movement of vehicles collecting garbage. The mayor expressed concerns that the piling up of garbage due to this could affect the public health. Mr Hakim felt that awareness among citizens about the subject could help in overcoming such problems. Meanwhile, in a significant move, the canteen at the civic bodys headquarters has received certification from the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) for supplying good quality food at a cheaper price. According to Mr Hakim, the credit of the recognition should go to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose who had set up the canteen and had food there Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) will announce the results of its quarterly review on Tuesday, and as per the Nuvama Alternative & Quantitative Research, the public sector companies are ruling the list of probable inclusions to MSCI Standard index. Union Bank of India, NHPC, NMDC, BHEL, Punjab National Bank are likely to be added to MSCI Standard index, as per the calculations done by the firm. This will bring inflows worth USD 40 million, USD 223 million, USD 186 million, USD 156 million, and USD 180 million respectively, to these stocks. Advertisement NHPCs free float market capitalisation increased after the government pared 3.5 percent in an offer for sale in January. NHPC Offer for Sale (OFS) concluded on the second day of the cutoff date. Considering day two onwards, its highly likely to make the cut, said Nuvama Research. Along with additions to MSCI Smallcap index, Indian equity markets are set to see about USD 800 million- USD 1 billion of inflows on February 29 when the adjustments are made by funds and ETFs benchmarked against MSCI indices. Also, several recently listed stocks will likely be making it to MSCI Smallcap index including Cello World, Mamaearth and Honasa Consumer. This will bring inflows worth USD 12 million, USD 7 million and USD 5 million in these stocks, respectively. As per the report, the other probable inclusions are Jaiprakash Associates, RR Kabel, Signature Global, Paisalo Digital, RattanIndia Power, KPI Green Energy, Swan Energy, MSTC, Protean e-gov, Ethos, J Kumar Infraprojects, DB Realty, SBFC Finance, Sandur Manganese, IIFL Sec, Aurionpro Solutions, Dhanuka Agritech, Netweb Tech, Inox Wind, Kesoram Inds, Fedbank Financial, Spicejet and Jupiter Life. In 2023, Indias stock count in the MSCI Standard index rose to 131, with the inclusion of a net of 17 Indian stocks over the past four reviews. This marks an improvement from 2022, where only a net of 9 Indian stocks were included, Nuvama Research added. Amid the growing crisis for Fintech giant Paytm after the ban by the Reserve Bank of India on its payments bank business, the Central Bank Governor said on Monday there was hardly any room to review the action taken against Paytm Payments Bank. Interacting with reporters, Governor Shaktikanta Das said the RBI takes action against regulated entities only after a comprehensive assessment. He emphasised that the RBI was supportive of the fintech sector, and said it was also committed to protecting the interest of customers as well as ensuring financial stability. Advertisement The central bank is expected to soon issue a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the Paytm matter. In a major action against the Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL), the RBI, on January 31, directed it to stop accepting deposits or top-ups in any customer accounts, wallets, FASTTags and other instruments after February 29. The remarks came post media interaction of the 606th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India at New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Governor Das. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed and interacted with the Directors of the Central Board, and highlighted the key thrust areas outlined in the interim Union Budget 2024-25 and the expectations from the financial sector. The Directors complimented the Finance Minister on the Budget and shared their views. The Board also reviewed the global and domestic economic situation and outlook, including the challenges posed by geopolitical developments and global financial market volatility. At the meeting, the Finance Minister was accompanied by her deputies Pankaj Chaudhary and Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad; Dr TV Somanathan, Finance Secretary and Secretary, Department of Expenditure; Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management; and Chief Economic Advisor Dr V Anantha Nageswaran. In a separate development, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the private sector lender, Axis Bank, Amitabh Chaudhry, said the bank was open to working with Paytm if the RBI permits it. Subject to regulatory approval and if the regulator allows us to work with Paytm, of course we will work with them, they are an important player, said Chaudhry at the launch of the Axis Banks `2023 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500. The Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora on Monday announced prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) across the city with immediate effect. The order that came a day ahead of the protest march to Delhi announced by the farmers associations will remain in force for 30 days unless withdrawn earlier, according to a notice issued by the Delhi Police. The order issued by the Delhi Police reads: Whereas, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and several other farmers unions and associations have announced a Delhi Chalo march on 13th of February 2024 to hold protest outside the Parliament House, to press their demands. And whereas there exists a well-founded apprehension/possibility that the participants of the aforementioned march may try to enter the territory of Delhi from various entry points. There is an imminent risk of widespread tension, public nuisance, public annoyance, social unrest and the potential for violence on account of the participants of the march entering into the territory of Delhi/ New Delhi. Advertisement The police have also said there could be a likelihood of anti- social elements, agitator groups may take advantage of the situation and indulge in activities prejudicial to the maintenance of peace, public order and law and order in Delhi. According to the Delhi Police order, no permission has been granted for the above mentioned march, more particularly taking into consideration the past experience of the farmer agitation in 2020 and also based on valuable inputs of large scale problems of law and order, which was received from the intelligence agencies. As per the order, there will be a prohibition on assembly, blocking of roads, passages, procession agitation, rallies, agitations rallies, and foot marches, public meetings by the general public or public representatives. There will be a prohibition on carrying processions, rallies, political or social within the geographical limits of the city and also restrictions on entry in Delhi of tractors and trolleys carrying individuals, materials, especially those carrying sticks, lathis, dandas (canes), swords, firearms or anything capable of being used as tools of violence, and also a ban on entry of corrosive or explosive materials into Delhi. Meanwhile, the police have also ordered security measures to be taken up at the border points of the city, and inspection of vehicles will also be conducted, and if any vehicle found carrying restricted materials shall not be allowed to enter the city. There is also a prohibition on carrying brickbats, bounders, acids, dangerous fluids, or any article which can be misused for causing danger to human life and safety. Any person contravening the provisions of this order shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 188 of Indian Penal Code (Act No 45 of 1860) and shall be liable for criminal prosecution in accordance with the law, the order further said. However, the order wont be applicable to any processions or meetings organised by the government, or any public servant acting in the discharge of his duty, congregations or processions relating to any weddings, funerals or other purely religious functions. Meanwhile, diversion advisories were also issued in Haryanas, Karnal, and Kurukshetra areas as security was stepped up at the Punjab-Haryana border with barriers in place. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann on Monday visited the newly-built Ram temple in this temple town of Uttar Pradesh. Both the leaders entered the Ramjanmabhoomi complex from Gate No 11, sources said, adding that they will also offer prayers at Hanumangarhi temple. The AAP leaders landed at Maharishi Valmiki Airport by a special aircraft earlier in the day. They will be returning to Delhi Monday evening. Advertisement In a post on X, Kejriwal said, Visited Ayodhya with my family. I had the privilege of having the divine darshan of Ramlala in the Ram temple. Bhagwant ji and his family were also present on this occasion. We had darshan of Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram, and prayed for the progress of the country and the welfare of all humanity. May Shri Ramchandra bless everyone. Jai Shri Ram!, he said. The national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was invited for the January 22 Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla at the newly built temple, but he had said he wanted to visit it later with his family. YAOUNDE, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least two people died and 20 others were injured in an explosion on Sunday in Cameroon's restive Anglophone region of Northwest, according to witnesses and local police. The blast occurred in Nkambe, a town in the region, as school children were taking part in activities to mark National Youth Day, which has been celebrated in the country on Feb. 11 since 1966. Many of those affected were school children. Health workers were "working very hard" to treat many of the children who sustained "very serious" injuries, a security source in the region told Xinhua. "The death roll could increase. It is a disturbing situation but our brave soldiers have beefed up security to track down the terrorists who committed this abominable act," the source said. Authorities were yet to make an official statement. Separatists had imposed a three-day lockdown to disrupt the activities in the regions where they have been clashing with government forces since 2017 in a bid to create an independent nation they call "Ambazonia." Veteran Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty has been discharged from a Kolkata hospital after being admitted due to severe chest pain. The 73-year-old actor was diagnosed with an Ischemic Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke) of the brain. However, he assured his fans that he is absolutely fine and ready to get back to work on his upcoming film projects. Mithuns health scare didnt just catch the attention of his fans but also drew a concerned call from none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. According to Mithun, PM Modi gave him a gentle scolding for neglecting his health, emphasizing the importance of taking care of oneself. The actor, known for his dynamic on-screen presence, expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love and concern from his fans and well-wishers. He stressed the need to watch his food habits and take better care of himself to avoid such health setbacks in the future. Advertisement Hospital sources confirmed that Mithun underwent a series of clinical tests during his stay, including an MRI, under the supervision of senior doctors and therapists. The news of his discharge came shortly after reports surfaced that he was in stable condition. Mithuns quick recovery and positive outlook have brought relief to his fans, who eagerly anticipate his return to the silver screen. The veteran actor, with his infectious energy and charisma, remains an enduring figure in Indian cinema. Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande will embark on a significant official tour to the United States of America from 13-16 February. This visit underscores the deepening military cooperation and strategic partnership between India and the US, aiming to further strengthen defence cooperation and foster stronger bonds between the armies of both nations, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday. During his visit, the COAS will engage in high-level discussions and interactions with Gen Randy George, United States Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA) and other senior military leaders. Highlights of the tour include a prestigious US Army Honour Guard ceremony, a solemn laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, and a comprehensive tour of the Pentagon. These engagements symbolise the respect and mutual commitment towards global peace and security shared between the two countries. Advertisement Ideas will be exchanged on crucial topics such as the Transformation in the Indian Army, Global Threat Perception, Transformation to Army-2030/2040, Human Resource Challenges, Future Force Development and Modernisation, and Co-Production & Co-Development Initiatives. These discussions are aimed at sharing insights, ideas, and best practices between the two armies. Further, the itinerary includes a visit to the Army Geospatial Centre at Fort Belvoir, the National Defence University at Fort McNair, and interactions with leadership at Headquarters 1 Corps. He will also engage with units at the forefront of military innovation and strategy, including the Stryker Unit, 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, the 1st Special Forces Group at Seattle and the Defence Innovation Unit in San Francisco. A visit to the California National Guard is also planned, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the visit aimed at exploring avenues for more significant training, co-development and co-production engagements. Gen Randy George, US CSA, had recently visited India for the Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs Conference (IPACC) that was jointly hosted by the Indian Army and the US Army. The conference was attended by 18 Chiefs of Armies and 12 countries represented by Heads of Delegations. During IPACC, Gen George and Gen Pande engaged in constructive dialogue, addressing a wide range of issues related to military cooperation, synergising approaches to HADR, increasing military exchange endeavours and other issues of mutual interest. Their interactions, including a joint press conference, underscore the deepening cooperation and collaborative spirit between the military leadership of the two nations, setting a positive backdrop for Gen Pandes current visit to the United States. This visit is another milestone in the Indo-US defence relationship, reflecting a mutual desire to enhance military collaboration, exchange strategic perspectives on global threat perceptions, and work together toward future force development and modernisation. The engagements between Gen Pande and senior leadership of the United States Army are poised to yield substantive outcomes, fostering an environment conducive to shared security interests and defence cooperation. The Indian Army and the United States Army share a commitment to peace, democracy, and stability across regions. This tour epitomises the shared values and interests that underpin the partnership between India and the United States, aiming at a future of enhanced cooperation and mutual development in defence and security domains. In a major setback for the Congress in Maharashtra ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan resigned from the party on Monday. The senior leader of the Congress, through a letter to the partys Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole, announced his resignation from the partys primary membership. Besides this, Chavan also resigned as MLA from the Maharashtra Assembly. Advertisement The former chief ministers resignation from the Congress comes ahead of the upcoming elections to six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra. The last date of filing nominations is February 15. The elections are scheduled to take place on February 27. I met the Speaker and resigned from the Assemblys membership as I was elected as an MLA from the Congress party. I have also resigned from the Congress Working Committee and partys primary membership, Chavan told reporters in Mumbai. He categorically said he has not taken any decision to join any party. In response to another question about his decision to quit the party, Chavan said, I have no complaints. It is not in my nature to complain about anyone. This is my individual decision. I will take my own time to make my decision. I have not talked to any Congress MLA, this is not my intention, he further said. Notably, Chavan is the third leader from the Congress who severed ties from the party in Maharashtra after Milind Deora and Baba Siddique ahead of the general elections. Meanwhile, Congress general general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a veiled attack on Chavan and said, When friends and colleagues leave a political party that has given them much, perhaps much more than they deserved, it is always a matter of anguish. But to those who are vulnerable, that washing machine will always prove more attractive than ideological commitment or personal loyalties. These betrayers do not realise that their exit opens up vast new opportunities to those whose growth they have always stunted, he wrote on X. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday won the trust vote by 129 votes as Opposition RJD-Congress-Left alliance MLAs staged a walkout before the voting began. According to reports, at least three RJD MLAs defected and voted in favour of Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. RJD MLAs Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi, and Prahlad Yadav decided to sit with members of the ruling NDA just before voting on a no-confidence motion against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary. Speaking during the debate on trust motion against his government, Nitish slammed the RJD government over its 15-years rule before 2005. Advertisement Since 2005, when I got into power, there has been significant development in Bihar. Before that, his (Tejashwi Yadavs) father and mother got the opportunity to serve Bihar for 15 years. What did they do? There used to be many conflicts between Hindus and Muslims. But when I came to power, these conflicts stopped, Nitish Kumar said in the assembly. Earlier during the debate on the trust motion, Tejashwi Yadav launched a scathing attack on Nitish Kumar and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi if he can guarantee Bihar CM will not flip-flop again. Can PM Modi guarantee he wont flip again? Yadav asked and demanded Nitish Kumar should explain his actions to the people of Bihar. When you came out of Raj Bhavan after resigning, you said mann nhi lag raha tha hum log nachne gaane ke liye thode hai (you said you werent enjoying it are we there to entertain you)? We were there to support you, he said in a charged-up speech. but he took oath thrice in a single term. This is something we never saw before, he added. No stranger to controversy, veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, on Sunday triggered a fresh row after coming out in praise of Pakistani people and terming them as the biggest asset of India, Dawn reported. According to the Pakistan daily, Aiyar, while addressing an event in Lahore, said, The Pakistanis, from my experience, have been the people who perhaps overreact to the other side. If we are friendly, they are over-friendly, and if we are hostile, they get overly hostile. Speaking at the session titled Hijr Ki Rakh, Visaal Kay Phool, Indo-Pak affairs, on the second day of the Faiz Festival at Alhamra in Lahore, the former Union Minister shared his affection for Pakistan and its people, saying he had never been to a country where he had been welcomed with such open arms as he was in Pakistan. The former diplomat recalled his posting in Karachi as consul general, saying everyone looked after him and his wife. He has written about a number of incidents in his book, Memoirs of a Maverick, which shows Pakistan as a completely different country to what the Indians imagine. He said that goodwill was needed but instead of goodwill, there had been something opposite during the last 10 years since the formation of the first Narendra Modi government, Dawn reported. All I ask the people (of Pakistan) is to remember that Modi has never received more than one-third of the votes but our system is such that if has one-third of the votes, he has two-thirds in the seats. So two-thirds of Indians are ready to come towards you (Pakistanis), Dawn quoted Aiyar as saying at the event. Advertisement Referring to his friend, former envoy Satindar Kumar Lambah, the Congress leader said he had written a book about how he served for better bilateral ties between the bitter neighbours under six different prime ministers during his career as a diplomat. The Congress leader also reiterated his call to open communication channels between the two countries, saying the current regime under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it biggest mistake by refusing to hold dialogue with Pakistan. There were five Indian high commissioners who served in the Congress government and the BJP government in Islamabad and all five of them unanimously agreed that whatever are our differences, we must engage with Pakistan and the biggest mistake that we made in the last 10 years was the refusing dialogue. We have the courage to conduct surgical strikes against you but we dont have the courage to sit across the table and talk, Aiyar said at the event. He added that he considered it silly to expect that the Hindutva establishment in India would want to talk to Pakistan. Under Hindutva, they are trying to imitate Pakistan, which became an Islamic republic. The Gandhi-Nehru answer to the Islamic republic was that they would not become a republic based on religion but a republic based on all religions. But their philosophy that lasted for 65 years was overthrown in 2014 and for the next five years we are going to have the same mindset in Delhi. But its a minority opinion because 63 per cent of Indians have never voted for BJP, Dawn quoted him as saying at the event. He said the civil society in both countries should continue dialogue until the governments awaken, but for that neither Pakistan nor India were any help due to visa issues. He suggested that businessmen, students and academics should continue meeting outside India and Pakistan, bypassing the governments. His remarks and the sentiments he articulated marked a striking divergence from Indias official position on Pakistan across global forumsthat talks and terror dont go together. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Pakistans core policy has been to use cross-border terrorism to bring India to the table, adding that India made that policy irrelevant by not playing that game now. What Pakistan was trying to do, not now but over multiple decades, was really to use cross-border terrorism to bring India to the table. That, in essence, was its core policy. We have made that irrelevant by not playing that game now, Jaishankar said. Its not a case that we wont deal with a neighbour. After all, at the end of the day, a neighbour is a neighbour, but it is that we will not deal on the basis of terms that they set where the practice of terrorism is deemed as legitimate and effective in order to bring you to the table, the External Affairs Minister said. At a press conference on the sidelines of the SCO Summit, Jaishankar, in a scathing takedown of Pakistan, said the victims and perpetrators of terrorism cant sit together and that Pakistans credibility was depleting faster than its forex reserves. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding immediate release of central funds under MNREGA. In the letter, the Congress leader said that lakhs of people in West Bengal have been denied jobs and wages under MNREGA due to stopage of central funds since March 2022. I am writing to you regarding the devastating plight of MGREGS workers in West Bengal, and their relentless fight for justice. During my recent visit to West Bengal as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, a delegation of MGNREGS workers from Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity apprised me of the issues faced by them. A copy of the representation is appended herewith. Lakhs of our brothers and sisters have been denied work and wages under MGREGS due to the stoppage of central funds to West Bengal Since March, 2022, he wrote in the letter, demanding immediate release of the pending funds. Advertisement Gandhis letter to Modi on MNREGA funds issue is also seen as an attempt to pacify West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has refused to have an alliance with the Congress in West Bengal for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Banerjee and her party TMC have been raising the issue of MNREGA funds for the last few months. Last year, TMC leaders had also staged a protest against the Modi government over the issue. Last week, she had announced that the state government will pay the pending MREGA dues of around 21 lakh workers by February 21. The state government will clear the dues of 21 lakh MGNREGA workers, whose wages have been kept pending by the central government for the past two years. Their wages will be transferred to their bank accounts by February 21, Banerjee said in a statement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, along with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, inaugurated the launch of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, and also RuPay card services in Mauritius via video conferencing. The Mauritian PM informed that co-branded Rupay cards will be designated as domestic cards in Mauritius. Todays launch, he said, will greatly facilitate the citizens of both countries. The Sri Lankan President congratulated Prime Minister Modi for the consecration of Shri Ram Mandir at the Ayodhya Dham. He also emphasised the centuries-old economic relations. He hoped to maintain the momentum of connectivity and deepening the relationship between the two countries. Advertisement In an address on the occasion, Mr Modi said that today marks a special day for three friendly nations of India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius when their historic connections take the form of modern digital connect. He said that it is proof of the governments commitment towards the development of the people. The PM underlined fintech connectivity will further strengthen cross-border transactions and connections. Indias UPI or United Payments Interface comes in a new role today Uniting Partners with India, he emphasised. Mr Modi underlined that digital public infrastructure has brought about a revolutionary change in India, where the smallest of vendors in the remotest of villages are transacting via UPI and making digital payments. Speaking about the convenience and speed of UPI transactions, the PM informed that more than 100 billion transactions took place via UPI last year worth Rs 2 lakh crores or 8 trillion Sri Lankan rupees or one trillion Mauritius rupees. He also mentioned making last-mile delivery through the GEM Trinity of bank accounts, Aadhar and mobile phones where Rs 34 lakh crores or 400 billion US dollars has been transferred into the bank accounts of beneficiaries. The PM informed that with CoWin Platform India conducted the worlds biggest vaccination programme. Use of technology is promoting transparency, reducing corruption and increasing inclusivity in society, he said. The PM stressed that Indias policy is Neighbourhood First. Our maritime vision is SAGAR i.e. Security and growth for all in the region. India does not see its development separately from its neighbours. Referring to the Vision Document that was adopted during the last visit of the Sri Lankan President, he highlighted the strengthening financial connectivity as its key component. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the safe return of Navy veterans who were awarded death sentence in Qatar and announced his visit to the Doha on February 14. We are happy to have seven of those Indian nationals back. The eighth Indian national has also been released and we continue to work with the Qatar government to see how quickly his return to India would be possible, the MEA said. The prime minister has himself personally constantly supervised all the developments in this case and has never shied away from any initiatives that would ensure the return of the Indian nationals back to home, it added. Advertisement The prime minister will travel to Qatari capital Doha after completing his UAE visit. The PM will hold bilateral talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the visit. After completing his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the prime minister will travel to Doha, Qatar on February 14 afternoon, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra announced at a media briefing soon after the release of Navy veterans. Earlier today, eight former Indian Navy personnel, who had been serving imprisonment in Qatar since August 2022 on undeclared charges, were released by the Gulf nation with all but one returning home. The Navy veterans were given death sentences by Qatars Court of First Instance on October 26 last year. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation on December 28 last commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The Indian nationals, who worked with the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August 2022 in the alleged case of espionage. GABORONE, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) on Monday sent its condolences to Namibians following the death of their president Hage Geingob. "We pass our sincere condolences on the loss of this remarkable compatriot and friend of the people of Botswana to His Excellence, Nangolo Mbumba," the BDP Secretary General Kavis Kario said in a statement. Furthermore, the BDP condoled the late president's family for their loss and assured consideration and genuine support through these trying times and into the future while celebrating Geingob as a distinguished leader who served with diligence. Kario said Geingob will be remembered for his outstanding roles in the liberation of the people of Namibia and ultimately, as a leader of the ruling South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) Party. Nangolo Mbumba, the former vice president of Namibia, took the oath of office on Feb. 4, officially becoming the nation's 4th president after President Hage Geingob passed away at the age of 82. Geingob will be buried on Feb. 25, according to a media release issued Sunday by the Namibian Minister of Information Communication and Technology Emma Theofelus. In a diplomatic triumph for India, eight former Indian Navy personnel, who had been serving imprisonment in Qatar since August 2022 on undeclared charges, were released by the Gulf nation with all but one returning home. Making the announcement on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs said India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals, who had been working for the Dahra Global company in Qatar before they were detained. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Emir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals, the MEA said. Advertisement The Navy veterans were given death sentences by Qatars Court of First Instance on October 26 last year. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation on December 28 last commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The Indian nationals, who worked with the private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August 2022 in the alleged case of espionage. Neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against the Indian nationals public. Addressing a press conference, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modis resolve to free the Indians. India is grateful for the release of its citizens. We greatly appreciate their return, and we will continue to work with Qatar to see how quickly the eight Indians return home. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been constantly and personally supervising the entire case. He never shied away from taking any initiative that would ensure the return of the Indian nationals. This is a reflection of Modis strong leadership and bond of friendship between the two countries, he said. The charges against the Indians were filed against the eight Indian Navy veterans on March 25 last year and they were tried under Qatari law. After the Court of Appeal commuted the death sentence, the Indian nationals were given 60 days to appeal against the order of their jail terms. In May last year, Al-Dhara Global closed its operations in Doha and all those working there (primarily Indians) have since returned home. India was also looking at the possibility of invoking provisions of a bilateral pact on the transfer of sentenced persons. The pact inked between India and Qatar in 2015 provides for citizens of India and Qatar who have been convicted and sentenced for criminal offences to serve their sentences in their home country. Modi had also briefly met Qatars Amir (ruler), Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai on December 1 last year, where the two discussed the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar. It was speculated that the matter of the Indians was widely discussed during the meeting. Reports also suggested that an American and a Russian were also released by Qatar along with the eight Indians. The released Navy veterans appreciated the role of the Union government in ensuring their safety and security. It would not have been possible for us to stand here without the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of them told reporters at the airport. Another veteran said, We waited almost for 18 months to be back in India. We are extremely grateful to the PM. It would not have been possible without his personal intervention and his equation with Qatar. The development is also being seen as the victory of National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who held many backdoor meetings with the Qatari authorities, to secure the release of the Indian detainees. According to media reports, the released Navy veterans include Captains Navtej Gill and Saurabh Vasisht, Commanders Purnendu Tiwari, Amit Nagpal, S K Gupta, B K Verma and Sugunakar Pakala, and sailor Ragesh. Among them, Captain Navtej Gill was awarded the Presidents Gold Medal for excellence when he graduated from the Naval Academy and later served as an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in Tamil Nadu, they said. Welcoming the move, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said on X, Its a huge relief and a matter of quiet celebration for all Indians that eight of our compatriots who were sentenced to death in Qatar have been freed & returned home. Congratulations to all those who worked quietly behind the scenes for their release. Hours after former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavans resignation, the Congress on Sunday said that it is always a matter of anguish when colleagues who have been given much more than they deserved leave the party. In a social media post on X, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, When friends and colleagues leave a political party that has given them muchperhaps much more than they deservedit is always a matter of anguish. But to those who are vulnerable, THAT Washing Machine will always prove more attractive than ideological commitment or personal loyalties. These betrayers dont realize that their exit opens up vast new opportunities for those whose growth they have always stunted. His remarks came amid strong buzz in Maharashtra power corridors that Chavan will join the BJP along with 10-12 MLAs. Advertisement Earlier today, Chavan tendered his resignation from the primary membership of the Congress party without mentioning any reasons behind his decision. I hereby submit my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party with effect from noon on 12/02/2024, a line resignation letter of Chavan read. The development comes as a huge blow to the Congress ahead the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. It also comes just two days after another senior leader Baba Siddiqui resigned from the grand old party and joined NCP. This was the third high profile exit from the Maharashtra Congress. Earlier last month, senior Congress leader and former union minister Milind Deora joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena after resigning from the grand old party. Deora, who severed ties with the Congress after a prolonged association with the party, joined the Shiv Sena, saying the grand old party has just one goal to speak against whatever Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks or does. A member of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the third richest country in Latin America in PPT per capita terms, Mexico indubitably is a rising middle power. But it does not behave like one. It often pursues atypical foreign policy. At times its foreign policy behaviour is one of principled pragmatism, at others it appears as what Londons influential Economist magazine calls erratic and unprincipled. It would be unfair to describe Mexicos foreign policy under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) as enigmatic. Mexico is what Gunther Maihold of Frei Universitat, Berlin calls a wannabe leading power. Despite his leftist credentials, President AMLO seems content with Mexico remaining a reluctant middle power. The reasons are not hard to find. Mexican foreign policy expert Olga Pellicer de Brody provides the answer to this puzzle. She argues that a major obstacle for an improved Mexican position in international politics has been the difficulty of defining the countrys specific regional identity as a northwardgazing country or as an outstanding Latin American leader. Mexico has been described as a future fifth power by a study carried out by Goldman Sachs. Currently, Mexico lags behind China, India, Brazil and Russia, but by 2040 it will become the fifth largest economic power. It has overtaken China as the leading source of goods imported to the US. Now it has become a supply chain reshoring leader. President AMLOs pragmatism is understandable. Advertisement The return of geopolitics portends a rocky road for foreign policy and international cooperation which have always depended on convergence of great power interests. Global politics is at the crossroads. Rising multipolarity, harder solutions, institutional inertia, and institutional fragmentation characterise the contemporary world. AMLO has thus created a new foreign policy narrative which flows from Mexico being a bi-regional nation. Mexico is anchored economically in North America while historically and culturally it remains Latin American. According to a survey conducted by Centro de Investigacion Y Docencia Economicas, 44 per cent of Mexicans consider it most appropriate for the country to participate in the region with other countries without the pretention to become a leader. President AMLO has said again and again that the best foreign policy is domestic policy. Perhaps that explains why AMLO hardly goes abroad unlike his predecessors. He is yet to undertake a visit outside the Americas. Before travelling to San Francisco in November 2023 to participate in the APEC Summit, he said that its going to be, like, you arrive a day before, sleep, participate, eat ~ and come home. He is into the sixth year of the presidency and he was out of Mexico only on six occasions. President AMLO sees himself in the mould of legendary President Benito Juarez and not so much as a Latin American leftist. He has himself admitted that would like to go down in history (as) what Juarez, benemerito de las Americas (distinguished Latin American) did. Explaining what AMLO sees in Juarez, renowned historian Lorenzo Meyer says that he sees a political leader with a task that is almost impossible. Another historian Maria de los Angeles Magdaleno contends that while Juarez was for a strict separation of state from church, AMLO occasionally visits the church to present his cartilla moral (moral handbook). More significantly, Mexico under AMLOs leadership has taken a lead in feminising foreign policy. On the Feminist Foreign Policy Index, Mexico ranks in the top three countries, along with Sweden and Norway. Feminist foreign policy has raised the profile of Mexicos international leadership on gender. Feminist foreign policy has gone a long way in reducing gender gaps. It encompasses a gender perspective and a feminist agenda abroad, parity within the Foreign Ministry, visible equality and feminism in all areas of foreign ministry. About half of the cabinet and members of Congress are female. It is also replicated at lower levels of government and officials. Currently, Mexico is in the midst of elections. The next President will be a woman as the two candidates of the leading political parties are women. It will be a first in Mexico though Chile, Costa Rica, Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras have had women presidents. Mexico has its own share of problems. The drug-related gang war, attacks of critical media and the overall security challenges continue to bedevil AMLOs presidency. His periodic denouncement of critics including the media persons in his morning press conferences hasnt gone down well with many. AMLOs policy to stop Central American migrants at Mexicos southern border may be a pragmatic move to avoid new US tariffs. But it poses a big moral dilemma. Today labour attaches posted in the American embassy monitor if Mexico complies with the new labour regulations. It would have been unimaginable in the past. His mercurial style has its own litany of critics. Not everyone likes his denunciations of critics as a corrupt neoliberal elite, accused of working against what he calls ordinary Mexicans. Gideon Rachman of Financial Times has maintained that AMLO has undermined key state institutions, driving out independent civil servants, promoting loyalistsand denouncing judges who displease him. The much-hyped Tren Maya too has incurred criticism from many quarters. As part of President AMLOs fourth transformation, Tren Maya covers five states connecting beach resorts to ancient Mayan sites of the Yucatan Peninsula. Those who oppose the project call it an imposition on the indigenous people. Environmentalists are concerned the tracks will cut through virgin forest and jaguar habitats. The most vocal opponents are of course the Zapatistas. President AMLO is among few global leaders who continue to maintain a very high approval rating of over 60 per cent. Not just his leftist credentials but also his austere style have kept his popular image. He has cut down his salary and he travels only in economy class. Mexican novelist and essayist Jorge Volpi says that though President AMLO portrays himself as a radical progressive, his policies have benefited the countrys wealthiest business interests. He is not a textbook populist like Hugo Chavez and Donald Trump but he is also not like any democratic leader. All said, bringing peace in the drug war and eliminating the power mafia that AMLO promised in 2018 remain a work in progress. It may not be Mexicos hour. But it is certainly AMLOs hour. He easily wins the battle of public opinion. (The writer is director, Institute of Social Sciences, Delhi) In a strategic move, India has decided to terminate the decades-old visa-free movement policy with Myanmar, citing national security concerns and the imperative to preserve the demographic structure of its north-eastern states sharing a border with Myanmar. This decision, announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, comes in the wake of escalating tensions and the need to fortify the 1,643-km border, a move that has stirred debates on the delicate balance between security measures and humanitarian considerations. The Free Movement Regime, allowing visa-free travel within a 16- km zone on either side of the border, was a symbol of the historical ties between the two nations. However, the recent surge of civilians and troops fleeing Myanmar following the military coup in 2021 has strained this relationship. The fear in New Delhi is not merely about accommodating refugees but also the potential spill over of communal tensions, transforming the north-eastern states into a melting pot of ethnic conflicts. It cannot be overlooked that for almost a year, Manipur has been grappling with violence fuelled by ethnic strife. The decision to end the visa-free movement is a calculated move to curb the potential exacerbation of tensions in the region. Some government officials have pointed fingers at the porous international border, especially given the cultural and familial connections shared with Myanmars Chin tribe. The escalating conflict within Myanmar, with a pro-democracy rebellion challenging the military junta, has further complicated the situation. Indias advice to its citizens in Myanmars border Rakhine state to leave immediately underscores the severity of the security conditions. The influx of more than 700 Myanmar troops seeking safe passage through India indicates the real and immediate impact of the crisis. While the decision to scrap the movement policy may be seen as a necessary step for internal security, it raises ethical questions about Indias responsibility in the face of a humanitarian crisis. Advertisement The suspension of a longstanding policy that facilitated movement for border residents should ideally be accompanied by measures to address the welfare and protection of those affected. How India navigates this fine line between safeguarding its security and upholding its humanitarian commitments will be closely scrutinized. Furthermore, the lack of an immediate response from Myanmars junta spokesperson adds an element of uncertainty to the situation. The geopolitical dynamics between the two countries, already complicated by the changing political landscape in Myanmar, will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping the aftermath of this policy shift. Indias decision to end visa-free movement with Myanmar reflects the complex challenges at its borders. Striking a balance between national security imperatives and humanitarian considerations is an intricate task. The evolving situation demands a nuanced approach that not only addresses immediate security concerns but also acknowledges the broader geopolitical and humanitarian dimensions of the crisis. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nisith Pramanik today said that the Trinamul Congress was committing a blunder by attacking the BJP leaders and workers in Cooch Behar. Mr Pramanik today visited Gitaldaha in Cooch Behar and met family members of the BJP leaders and workers at Narayanganj area, who were allegedly attacked. Mr Pramanik was accompanied by Minority Morcha leader Ali Hossain and other religious leaders. Speaking to the reporters Union Minister Mr Pramanik said: The TMC is committing a blunder by attacking the BJP leaders and by damaging houses of party workers without any valid reason. The more the TMCs attacks, the stronger the BJP will be. The TMC is helping the BJP indirectly. This is the beginning of the TMCs end. I came to meet Mantu da, who is a senior leader of our party and has been strengthening party organisation since many days despite repeated threats from the TMC. We are always with such party leaders and workers, Mr Pramanik said. I will build a concrete house, if the TMC demolishes a hut of a party worker, for him. If they demolish a concrete house, I will give the victim a two storey building in Cooch Behar, Mr Pramanik said. Advertisement Balochistan province caretaker Information Minister Jan Achakzai has said results of Pakistan general elections have been delayed due to logistical issue. Addressing mediapersons in Quetta, Achakzai said: When its freezing cold in some areas, its natural that results will be delayed because of logistical issues. Even the election commission has said this, Dawn reported quoting Achakzai as saying. Advertisement Various political parties have decried delay in the outcome of polls. Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 41F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Rain and snow showers this evening. Overcast overnight. Low 26F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 50%. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. TRIPOLI, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday said that 442 migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya in the past week. IOM said in a statement that from Feb. 4 to 10, 442 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya, including 68 women and 25 children. So far this year, a total of 1,004 illegal migrants have been rescued, while 16 died and 73 others went missing off the Libyan coast. In 2023, the total number of rescued and returned stood at 17,190. Because of the insecurity and chaos in the country since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, many migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores from Libya. Bill Gouveia is a Sun Chronicle columnist and former local official. He can be emailed at billsinsidelook@gmail.com and followed on X (formerly Twitter) at @Billinsidelook . The writer is coordinator for MASSPIRG's Protect Our Oceans Campaign, at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. People celebrate Spring Festival across China Xinhua) 09:42, February 12, 2024 Tourists visit a scenic area of Wuyi Mountains in southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Chen Ying/Xinhua) Tourists watch a lion dance in Bijie City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Luo Dafu/Xinhua) Villagers perform Yangge, a traditional folk dance, in Liaocheng, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Photo by Zhang Zhenxiang/Xinhua) Folk artists perform lion dance in Dazhou, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Deng Liangkui/Xinhua) Folk artists perform dragon dance and lion dance in Pingyi County, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Photo by Wu Jiquan/Xinhua) Folk artists perform dragon dance in Jinhu County, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Photo by Chen Yibao/Xinhua) Folk artists perform dragon dance in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Zhao Jun/Xinhua) Folk artists of dragon dance parade on the street in Feidong County, east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Ruan Xuefeng/Xinhua) People watch an opera show in Nanyang, central China's Henan Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Gao Song/Xinhua) An aerial drone photo shows tourists visiting a scenic area of Linhai City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Pan Kanjun/Xinhua) Folk artists perform dragon dances in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Photo by Guo Zhihua/Xinhua) People visit the Fuzi (Confucius) Temple scenic area to appreciate lanterns in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Xinhua/Yang Lei) People watch a performance at a museum in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province, Feb. 11, 2024. China on Saturday ringed in the Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival. Regarded as the most celebrated holiday among Chinese, it signifies a time of joyful family reunions and a slew of cultural events. (Xinhua/Chen Bin) Tourists visit Changdian temple fair in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) Tourists visit Changdian temple fair in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) Tourists visit Changdian temple fair in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 11, 2024. Chinese people celebrate the Spring Festival through various ways during their holiday. (Xinhua/Wang Yuguo) (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry branch in North Al Batinah Governorate, discussed ways of enhancing cooperation in the investment field and developing mechanisms for promoting the joint efforts aimed at supporting the business community in Sharjah and the Sultanate of Oman, a report said. The two sides explored promising opportunities in all sectors, with a focus on supporting the growth of start-ups and benefiting from the tourism and commercial potential enjoyed by SCCI and OCCI, Emirates News Agency, WAM, said. The meeting was held at the chamber between Waleed Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, Second Vice Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Saeed bin Ali Al Abri, Chairman of OCCIs branch in North Batinah Governorate. The meeting was attended by Maryam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director-General for the Support Services Sector at SCCI, Rashid bin Salem Al Ghafri, Director of OCCIs branch in North Batinah Governorate, Jamal Saeed Buzangal, Director of the Media Department at SCCI, and Ali Abdullah Al Jari, Director of the Sharjah Export Development Centre. During the meeting, the Omani delegation invited the private sector in Sharjah to take part in the Suhar Investment Forum 2024 slated to be held in North Batinah Governorate from February 26-27. They also examined means of strengthening joint cooperation on exchanging trade delegations and organising commercial events between Sharjah and the Omani governorate. SCCI and OCCI discussed cooperation in training and qualification programmes, where the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed its willingness to teach courses for Omani university students in economic and administrative specialisations. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and three others injured in an explosion in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, rescue teams said. The incident happened in a market area in the Lower Dir area of the province, the state-run Rescue 1122 said in the statement. The injured people had been shifted to a nearby hospital where all three of them were in critical condition. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. Police cordoned off the area for investigations. Immediate EWave is an advanced trading platform designed to provide all the tools and services required to simplify the trading process. In this Immediate EWave review, let us look into every aspect of this trading system to find out if it is worth investing in. Ever since its launch, the Immediate EWave trading platform has been receiving great hype in the market and has become a topic of discussion among crypto enthusiasts and experts in the industry. Claims are that this trading bot is easy to use, offers accurate trade signals, uses the latest technology, ensures a safe gambling experience, and is affordable. Every claim about Immediate EWave needs to be examined in detail to know about its true side. This Immediate EWave review will perform the task by listing all reliable information about this system gathered from trusted sources like crypto foams, analyzing the website, and surveying the user responses. So, get started right away! Immediate EWave- Facts Overview Trading App Name Immediate EWave Platform Type Web-Based Platform Offer Type Crypto and other digital assets Traffic Cap N/A Claimed Success Rate 95% Target Market Male and Female- 18-60+ years Investment 250 First Deposit Payout Time 24 hrs Fee No Payment Methods Different payment options Platform Fee None Official Website Click Here What is Immediate EWave? Immediate EWave is an automated trading platform designed to simplify the complexities of crypto trading and help traders make informed trading decisions. This platform uses advanced technologies and algorithms to analyze market trends and generate valuable signals. The creator says that Immediate EWave will help traders at all levels carry out profitable trades with ease. Immediate EWave has customization options that traders and investors can use to adjust several features such as parameters, indicators, and so on to align with their trading goals. The platform connects traders with trusted brokers who will guide them through the trading process by offering valuable insights and tips. Immediate EWave has a user-friendly interface and a demo trading mode as well. The Immediate EWave platform supports different cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ripple, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and so on. It also offers other digital assets like stocks and forex pairs. So, portfolio diversification is possible. In the upcoming sections, all these claims will be analyzed in detail to see if Immediate EWave is worth it. Click Here To Trade With Immediate EWave For Free How Does Immediate EWave Work? Now, let us find out the way Immediate EWave works to help ease the whole trading process. This will give you clarity about the efficiency of this trading bot and whether consistent profits can be made. The Immediate EWave trading bot executes trades by considering a variety of market indicators like pre-set parameters and market indicators ingrained into the code. The market indicators that the bot uses include moving averages, Bollinger Bands, the relative strength index (RSI), and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD). Parameters that can be adjusted include time frame, price, trade volume, and data from the order book. This automated system tracks all these aspects thereby simplifying the difficulties of manual trading. Once the market trends meet the exact requirements of the pre-set parameters, the Immediate EWave platform will execute trades and help make huge profits. So, this is how the trading system works to bridge the gap between traders and the complex crypto market. Immediate EWave- Registration Process If you want to become a member of the Immediate EWave trading community, you can open an account in just a few clicks. The whole registration process is cost-free and straightforward. The simple steps to follow are listed below: Step 1 The first step to open an account on the Immediate EWave platform is to access the official website. Then, head to the registration section, fill in the form with necessary details such as name, email ID, phone number, and a strong password, and submit the form. After that, wait for a while for the confirmation email. Step 2 The next step is where the submitted registration form will be reviewed by the creator. Every detail will be inspected and then if found eligible, the confirmation mail will be sent. Once you receive this email, open it, click the link available, and enter the brokers platform. Here, fill in the usual details to head to the trading systems website. With this, your Immediate EWave account registration will be complete. Step 3 The final step is to enter real-time trading by making an initial deposit. The minimum deposit required is just $250 which will be used by this trading bot to execute orders. Traders have full control over this fund and can be withdrawn at any time without any complications. The deposit can be made using the payment services available on Immediate EWave. Note that you can increase the initial deposit depending on your trading goals, skills, risk tolerance, and other factors. Click Here To Visit Immediate EWave Official Website Immediate EWave- Features The Immediate EWave system is integrated with unique features to ensure efficiency. Each feature has been given below for our reference: User-friendly interface The Immediate EWave platform has a user-friendly and intuitive interface with a simple dashboard. Due to this, this trading bot is easy to navigate and ensures a hassle-free trading process. This feature has been used mainly to support novice traders. Multiple currency support The next important feature of the Immediate EWave trading system is that it supports a wide variety of cryptocurrencies. All mainstream crypto assets and other digital currencies like stocks, forex pairs, and so on can be traded. This ensures the opportunity to diversify your portfolio and profit from different markets. Advanced technologies As we have discussed, the Immediate EWave platform is completely automated. It uses the latest technologies like artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms to accurately analyze market trends and patterns. Spot price movements, compare price data, and generate trade signals. Technical indicators and other tools are also available. Charts, candlestick charts, and more Some of the potent tools available on Immediate EWave include charts, candlestick charts, and so on that help track trends over specific periods, as well as, over longer periods of time. Traders using multiple systems can easily get a wider perspective of their activities with such charts. Try Immediate EWave For Free Immediate EWave- Customer Reviews The customer reviews of Immediate EWave are all positive and heated discussions are happening on platforms like crypto forums. Most traders who use the trading system to trade cryptocurrencies have stated that they have been able to make consistent profits by spending a few hours every day. Some people reported that the tools and unique features of the platform have helped them a lot. From these Immediate EWave customer reviews, the platform seems to be safe and efficient for trading crypto and other digital assets. Immediate EWave- Customer Support The Immediate EWave creator understands the importance of clearing the doubts and concerns of traders. This is why this trading platform has a dedicated customer support team that is available 24/7. Satisfied users have said that they respond on time and clear even account problems and technical glitches. Immediate EWave is a trustworthy crypto trading system. Immediate EWave- Cryptocurrencies Supported One of the main advantages of the Immediate EWave trading platform is that it supports different cryptocurrencies. In addition to crypto assets, the system also supports other digital assets such as forex and traditional stocks. The availability of different cryptocurrencies and other assets helps diversify your portfolio and make the most out of trading. Here are the cryptocurrencies supported by the Immediate EWave platform: Litecoin (LTC) Ripple (XRP) Binance Coin (BNC) Dash (DASH) Bitcoin (BTC) Montero (XMR) Ethereum (ETH) Ethereum Classic (ETC) Cardano (ADA) Polkadot (DOT) Immediate EWave- Countries Eligible As of now, the Immediate EWave platform is made accessible in different countries across the globe. A few regions like the United States, Iran, Israel, Cyprus, and France do not have access to this trading system as local laws restrict usage. The following are some of the countries where Immediate EWave is available: South Africa Norway United Kingdom Canada Australia Sweden Netherlands Finland Poland Mexico Brazil Spain Germany Belgium Switzerland Slovenia Slovakia Malaysia Singapore Japan Vietnam Taiwan Thailand Hong Kong For the complete list of countries, refer to the official Immediate EWave website. Immediate EWave- Cost, Minimum Deposit, And Profit The Immediate EWave platform is affordable as you can begin live trading by investing just $250. This is quite low when compared to the price charged by other trading platforms in the industry. $250 is the initial deposit that the system will use to enter profitable trade positions in the crypto market. Apart from this amount, Immediate EWave charges no extra fees from users for account maintenance, transactions, and other services. The minimum deposit can be made through payment services available on the trading bot. The amount can be increased depending on your financial goals and skills. Start Trading With Immediate EWave For Free Is Immediate EWave a Legit Platform? The Immediate EWave platform ensures its genuineness by partnering with trusted brokerage services that will guide traders throughout their trading journey. The system follows strict safety protocols and uses the latest technology to code user information and protect them from prying eyes. 24/7 customer support is available to all traders. The platform offers different payment methods and traders have complete control over deposits and withdrawals. So far, the customer responses are positive and Immediate EWave is found to have a high success rate. These factors suggest that Immediate EWave is legit. But, beware of platforms coming with similar names as they are just imitations of this trading system. To avoid such traps, register only through the official Immediate EWave website. Immediate EWave - Final Verdict So, we have looked into every aspect of the Immediate EWave system in this review. Now, let us quickly go through everything discussed so far and then get to the final verdict of the trading platform. Immediate EWave is an automated crypto-trading platform created to help ease trading and make profits. The system uses advanced technology and tools like technical indicators to analyze current market trends and generate trade signals. Customization of parameters and strategies are available and a demo feature is provided. In addition to these, the Immediate EWave platform has a user-friendly interface and a simple dashboard that can be used with ease. Due to this, this trading bot seems to be suitable for traders at all levels. The minimum deposit is $250 and no other cost applies. The platform is totally free and traders have complete control over the funds. So, altogether, we think that the Immediate EWave trading system is a platform that is worth trying. Trade With Immediate EWave For Free! FAQs How long should you spend on Immediate EWave? With the right strategies, traders at all levels can trade different digital assets in just a few hours every day. Through this, consistent profits can also be generated. What if the Immediate EWave platform is not useful? In case you feel that the Immediate EWave platform is not worth it, you can withdraw your funds at any time. No extra charges apply. Is demo trading available on Immediate EWave? Yes. A demo feature is available on the Immediate EWave platform. Novice traders can use this to explore the system, learn strategies, and improve skills with zero financial commitment. Can the Immediate EWave app be used on mobile devices? The Immediate EWave app has been designed in such a way that it can be used on any device including mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. The only requirements are a web browser and a stable internet connection. Is the Immediate EWave system safe? The Immediate EWave system seems to be safe and secure as it protects user data, activities, and transactions from cyber attacks by following strict safety measures, using SSL encryption, and security methods like two-factor authentication (2FA). Online travel services provider Easy Trip Planners Ltd has announced that its proposal for a 5-star hotel near the newly inaugurated Ayodhya Ram temple has received in-principal nod from its board. The hotel will be located less than 1km from the temple. EaseMyTrip, which is one of the joint venture partners, said it will invest up to Rs 100 crore in Jeewani Hospitality Pvt Ltd, which is head the project. This will amount to 50 per cent of the total paid-up share capital of the JV Company on a fully diluted basis via equity swap, said EaseMyTrip. "Looking ahead, we're intensifying efforts to grow our air ticketing business and enhance our presence in non-air segments such as hotels, holidays, and transportation on a global scale," Easy Trip Planners Co-founder and CEO Nishant Pitti said. The latest development comes after the travel tech platform reported a 9.56 per cent rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 45.68 crore in the December quarter, the Easy Trip Planners, which operates under the brand, revealed in a regulatory filing. This is up from the consolidated net profit of Rs 41.69 crore in the same quarter last fiscal. Consolidated revenue from operations during the third quarter was pegged at Rs 160.79 crore compated to Rs 136.15 crore in December 2022 quarter, it added. Total expenses stood at Rs 105.05 crore as against Rs 82.6 crore in the same period a year ago. "We are expanding our retail footprints domestically and exploring both organic and inorganic growth opportunities. These initiatives are aligned with our ongoing commitment to driving continued growth, providing comprehensive travel solutions, and ensuring a seamless experience for our customers," Pitti added. A group of Indian startups and app developers requested Google not to delist their apps from Google Play Store until March 19 when their Special Leave Petition (SLP) will come up for hearing the Supreme Court. The apex court had recently refused to restrain Google from "delisting" apps from its Play Store, thus enabling the search engine giant to remove apps of startups that don't meet its billing policy. The court had agreed to hear the appeals challenging the billing policy which they claimed was "illegal". In their letter to Google, the app developers said they are completely dependent on the Play Store and any precipitative step by Google would be "extremely detrimental" to them. "No irreparable harm or injury would be suffered by Google, in case it does not take any precipitative actions against any developers. We therefore request you to exercise restraint and not take any precipitation action to delist any apps from the Google Play Store," the letter stated, reported Economic Times. The startups, including Matrimony, had approached the Madras High Coutr against Google's notice which asked them to adopt its User Choice Billing (UCB) policy or get delisted. After a single-bench of the court held that their pleas are 'not maintainable' they had challenged the order. However, a two-judge bench dismissed the appeals against the billing policy. The developers filed a SLP against the Madras High Court judgment. The apex court directed the SLP to be listed on March 19, and refused to pass an interim order protecting the companies from being delisted. India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were on Monday rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing it as linking historic ties with modern digital technology. India's RuPay card services were also launched in Mauritius at a virtual ceremony attended by Prime Minister Modi, his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. In his remarks, Modi hoped the new fintech services would help the two nations and said the UPI is implementing "new responsibilities of uniting partners with India". "Today is a special day for the three friendly countries of the Indian Ocean Region as we are linking our historic ties with modern digital technology," he said. He added, "I believe that Sri Lanka and Mauritius will benefit from the UPI system. The prime minister said digital public infrastructure has brought about a revolutionary change in India. He also highlighted India's focus on its "neighbourhood first policy". "Be it a natural disaster, health-related, economic or supporting on the international stage, India has been the first responder, and will continue to be so," he said. The launch of the Indian services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius came amid New Delhi's increasing bilateral economic ties with the two countries. The move enables the availability of UPI settlement services for Indian nationals travelling to Sri Lanka and Mauritius as well as for Mauritian nationals travelling to India. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. RuPay is a global card payment network from India, with wide acceptance at shops, ATMs, and online. The new Bihar government formed by Nitish Kumar will face the floor test on Monday amid concerns over the absence of "two to three" JD(U) MLAs during the JD(U) legislative party meeting held on Sunday. The government's decision to deploy a heavy police force outside the residence of RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav also triggered a controversy after the RJD hit out at the "misdeeds of Nitish Kumar and the police". "Nitish Kumar has sent thousands of police and surrounded Tejashwi ji's residence from all sides. They want to enter the residence on any pretext. The people of Bihar are watching the misdeeds of Nitish Kumar and the police. Remember, we are not among those who fear and bow down. This is a struggle of ideology and we will fight it and win because the justice-loving people of Bihar will oppose this police repression. Jai Bihar! Jai Hind," read a statement by the RJD on X. The police visit to Tejashwi's residence followed an alleged complaint filed by RJD MLA, Chetan Anand. According to the complaint, Anand accused Yadav of holding him against his will ahead of the floor test. However, upon police arrival, Anand clarified that he was present at Yadav's residence willingly and later returned home. RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav hit out against the police deployment, stating that such a thing never happened in any state in independent India. "It's a legislature's meeting...Agar BJP kare (meeting) to raasleela, agar RJD kare to character dheela (If BJP holds a meeting before floor test then it is rasleela, but if RJD does it then their character is poor)," the RJD leader told news agency ANI. #WATCH | Bihar: Visuals from outside the residence of former deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, in Patna. The Floor Test of the NDA government led by CM Nitish Kumar will be held in the Assembly today, February 12. pic.twitter.com/BhRaZpgMH0 ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 However, the BJP defended the move, stating that if RJD keeps any MLA "tied up in the house, the police will definitely take action." Meanwhile, the JD (U) has downplayed the absence of "two or three MLAs," attributing it to "unavoidable circumstances about which they had given prior information." State parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary emphasised that the absentees would be present in the assembly during the floor test. "We in the NDA have a total strength of 128 MLAs. In the 243-strong assembly, we are comfortably placed. All our MLAs will be present inside the House where a no-confidence motion against the Speaker will precede the trust vote", said Chaudhary. The senior JD(U) leader evaded a direct reply on the exact number of MLAs who skipped the meet. "All except two or three were present. Those who did not come had informed the party leadership about the unavoidable circumstances that kept them away. They will, however, be there inside the House tomorrow", claimed Chaudhary. JD(U) sources requesting anonymity said the three MLAs who were not spotted at the meeting were Sudharshan Kumar Singh, Bima Bharti and Dilip Roy. The JD(U) has altogether 45 MLAs, excluding the chief minister who is a member of the legislative council. The National Democratic Alliance government in Bihar led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar won the vote of confidence in the assembly on Monday. The government secured 129 votes as the oppositionthe Rashtriya Janata Dal, Congress and Left partiesstaged a walkout. In his speech in the Assembly, Nitish launched a blistering attack on RJD, his former ally, saying several communal riots had taken place in Bihar during Lalu Prasad Yadavs rule. The chief minister also said he would initiate an investigation into the corruption allegations against RJD. During the trust vote, three RJD MLAsPrahlad Yadav, Neelam Devi and Chetan Anandswitched over to the NDA bloc. Earlier the day, a resolution was passed for the removal of RJD's Awadh Bihari Chaudhary as the Speaker of the assembly. In the 243 member House, BJP has 78 seats, Nitishs Janata Dal (United) 45 and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustan Awam Morcha four. An Independent MLA also supported the government. The opposition RJD and Congress hold 114 seats together. Kumar took oath as the chief minister of Bihar for a record 9th time on January 28, hours after he resigned from the post following his exit from the Mahagathbandhan and formed a fresh government with the support of the BJP. The 72-year-old leader resigned as the chief minister, saying "things were not working well" for him in the Mahagathbandhan and the INDIA alliance, and staked claim to form a new government. The political developments in Patna had come as a crushing irony for the INDIA bloc, formed to take on the BJP at the national level, as it was Nitish who had initiated the process of consulting with the opposition parties to form a grand alliance. Tamil Nadu government on Monday categorically announced that it will never implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state. The M.K. Stalin-led DMK government vowed to protect the rights of minorities and Sri Lankan Tamil brethren. DMKs announcement comes in the context of Union Home Minister Amit Shahs assertion that the legislation will come into effect before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The declaration not to permit the implementation of CAA was made clear in the governors address which Ravi refused to read, saying that he disagreed with the speech morally and factually. Quoting Tamil poet Kanian Poongundranar's verses yaadhum oore, yaavarum kelir (to us all towns are one and all are our people), the address said, the idea of unity in diversity is facing a grave threat in our nation and that the government remains steadfast in its commitment to protect and preserve the communal harmony in the state. We stand with minorities and our Sri Lankan Tamil brethren, as we pledge to protect their rights. This government will never permit the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in our state and vows to take all necessary measures in this regard, the address said. The vow against CAA comes two weeks Stalin called the CAA as anti-Muslim and and anti-Sri Lankan Tamils. Apart from CAA, the governors address also talks against the Centre for not allocating funds and implementing the Chennai Metro Rail phase II. Amid the fiscal constraints, the Union government has reneged on its promise to provide its share in the Chennai Metro Rail Phase II project. The project was sanctioned at a cost of Rs.63,246 crore with an understanding that it will be a 50:50 equity sharing between us and the Union government. But even after the inauguration by the home minister, the project has not been approved by the Union government, the governor's address read. It also came down heavily on the Centre against GST, saying that it causes a severe stress on its fiscal resources. When the states agreed to relinquish their fiscal autonomy, it was only under the legitimate expectation that they would receive adequate compensation until the new system could generate revenues equivalent to the pre-GST era. However, the Union government terminated the GST compensation resulting in revenue shortfall of Rs 20,000 crore per annum for the government of Tamil Nadu. We urge the government to continue the compensation regime further. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann offered prayers at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir on Monday. Families of both leaders accompanied them. Tweeting about his visit, Kejriwal said, Reaching Ayodhya today with my parents and my wife, I had the privilege of having the divine darshan of Ramlala ji in the Shri Ram temple. Bhagwant Ji and his family were also present on this occasion. Everyone together had darshan of Maryada Purushottam Lord Shri Ram Ji and prayed for the progress of the country and the welfare of all humanity. May Lord Shri Ramchandra ji bless everyone. Jai Shri Ram. The AAP leaders, their spouses and other family members spent around one hour and 15 minutes at the Ram temple. Both the chief ministers arrived in the city by air this afternoon. Talking to presspersons after offering prayers, Kejriwal said, I felt an indescribable calm after offering prayers to Ram Lalla. Lakhs of devotees visit here every day, and it is indeed heartwarming to see the love and devotion people carry. I prayed for the welfare of all," ANI reported. He added, It is a matter of good fortune for the entire world that a beautiful and grand temple has been constructed in Ayodhya and lakhs of Ram devotees are coming every day to offer worship. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann told ANI, It was a long pending desire to visit Ram Lalla. I prayed for the welfare of the country." Mann said India is a country of multiple religious faiths where all festivals are celebrated together. Though Kejriwal, who is the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was invited to the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of the idol of Ram Lalla on January 22, he had said he wanted to visit it later with his family. Kejriwal and Mann were hosted over lunch by Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, AAP UP president Sabhajeet Singh said. An idol Lord Ram was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, in a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As the inauguration of the temple marked the culmination of a decades-long campaign, mostly under the Hindutva banner, Modi said it was the advent of a new era. -with PTI inputs. Former Jammu and Kashmir MLC Shahnaz Ganie joined the BJP in Delhi on Monday in the presence of Union minister Jitendra Singh and party general secretary Tarun Chugh. Alhamdulillah (thank God), we will work to empower people from different sections of society. I believe its very encouraging to be part of the BJP, Ganie told THE WEEK. Ganie was an important leader of the National Conference in Poonch for several years before she quit the party in 2019. She hails from Poonch district and commands influence among the local population, especially the Paharis. Ganies decision to join the BJP comes days after Parliament passed the Scheduled Tribe (ST) bill for the Pahari community in Jammu and Kashmir. The bill will benefit the Paharis politically and in seeking jobs and admission in educational institutions. Ganie thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for bringing the bill for ST status to Paharis and called the decision visionary. I am highly grateful to our honourable PM Modi, she had said. This move reflects the visionary leadership of PM Modi." Ganie had further termed the passage of the bill a watershed moment and a historical day for the people of J&K. Passing this bill through a voice vote has given a befitting reply to political parties who were trying to politicise this issue for vested interests, she said. Ganie, known for her outspokenness in Jammu and Kashmir's political landscape, emphasised her commitment to working for the empowerment of various sections of society. She contested unsuccessfully in the last District Development Council (DDC) election in Kashmir, held in October 2020. Her joining the BJP will brighten the prospects of the party in Poonch in the assembly and Lok Sabha polls. Several middle-rung leaders from different parties in Jammu and Kashmir have joined the BJP recently. More such leaders are camping in Delhi and are likely to join the saffron party. Exalogic, a now-defunct IT company owned by Veena Vijayan, daughter of Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, appealed to the Karnataka High Court today, asserting that an investigation by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) into alleged illegal financial transactions between Exalogic and the mining company CMRL is unwarranted. In response to the petition, the court instructed SFIO not to take any drastic actions against Exalogic in this case until a verdict is pronounced. Additionally, the court directed Exalogic to provide all necessary documents to the SFIO. Exalogic submitted this petition to the Karnataka High Court on February 8, seeking to annul the January 31 order issued by the Union of India, which instructed the SFIO to investigate the transactions between the company and the CMRL. Exalogic had previously highlighted in its petition that an investigation had been initiated under Section 212 of the Companies Act 2013, despite the ongoing investigation under Section 210 of the Act. The company also argued that an investigation under Section 212 cannot be authorized until the completion of the investigation under Section 210 by RoC [registrar of companies]. However, SFIO responded to this saying that two investigations cannot be tagged as two parallel investigations. Additional Solicitor General for Karnataka Arvind Kamath, who appeared for SFIO, told the court that when the SFIO investigation became on, the RoCs investigation naturally got transferred to SFIO. Exalogic presented the argument in front of the court that an SFIO investigation is warranted only in cases involving multi-crore amounts, such as the Sahara scam case, whereas the financial transactions between Exalogic and CMRL amount to only Rs 1.72 crore. Exalogic further contended that an SFIO investigation is akin to a UAPA case. In response to the High Court's inquiry about the status of the Registrar of Companies investigation, the company stated that it is unaware of the current status. SFIO informed the court that an officer who had been part of the RoC team had made a primary report, and the internal board of RoC checked it, and it is based on this report that serious fraud had been alleged in this case. Another related case emerged before the Kerala High Court this morning. The petitioner in this instance is KSIDC, a government-owned company in Kerala, holding a 13.4 per cent stake in the contentious sand mining firm CMRL. On February 8, the Kerala High Court refused to halt the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) probe mentioned in this petition. Today, once again, the court declined to suspend the ongoing investigations into the transactions. During the hearing of this case by a single bench at the Kerala High Court, the SFIO informed the court of the necessity for a thorough investigation into the allegations. The investigative agency also informed the court of having received documents from KSIDC. Interestingly, KSIDC did not oppose any SFIO investigation into CMRL or Exalogic. However, the industrial development corporation informed the court that SFIO's summons is tarnishing KSIDC's reputation and integrity in this probe, emphasizing that there is no prima facie evidence against KSIDC. Representing KSIDC, Supreme Court lawyer C.S. Vaidhyanathan reiterated that the company holds a 13.4 pc equity share in CMRL but is not involved in its day-to-day business operations or management. According to CMRL's statement before the Income Tax Interim Board for Settlement, CMRL disclosed that it had disbursed Rs 1.72 crore to Exalogic Solutions Pvt Ltd, owned by T. Veena, daughter of the chief minister. Additionally, CMRL stated that it had made cash payments totalling over Rs 134.27 crore to politicians, bureaucrats, media, and police personnel in the five years preceding its submission to the IT interim settlement board. However, Vaidhyanathan informed the High Court that KSIDC had requested clarification from CMRL following the payment dispute that arose in August 2023 but has not yet received a response from the latter. The court instructed the senior lawyer to provide evidence of the company's request for clarification to CMRL at the next hearing scheduled for February 26. KABUL, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has handed over the keys of 100 houses to quake-affected families in east Afghanistan's Khost province, the state-run Bakhtar news agency reported. Mawlawi Matiul Haq Khalis, chairman of the ARCS, personally distributed the keys in a ceremony held in the Spera district recently, the media outlet added. Thousands of houses were destroyed and around 1,000 people lost their lives in an earthquake and aftershocks that struck Khost, Paktika and Paktia provinces in June 2022. Afghan caretaker government has promised to build shelters for all the quake-affected families. The administration as well as aid agencies and individuals have also built hundreds of houses for the quake-affected families who lost their houses in tremors in the western Herat province last October. Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia, arrested for his alleged role in the Delhi excise policy scam case, was granted three-day interim bail by a city court on Monday to attend his niece's wedding. Special judge M.K. Nagpal granted relief to the former deputy chief minister from February 1315. Sisodia was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation on February 26, 2023 for his alleged role in the corruption case. On February 28, he resigned from the Delhi cabinet. The Enforcement Directorate arrested the AAP leader in a money-laundering case stemming from the CBI FIR on March 9, 2023 after questioning him in Tihar Jail. The case pertains to the allegations that the Delhi government's excise policy for 202122 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge repeatedly refuted by the AAP. The policy was subsequently scrapped, and the Delhi lieutenant governor recommended a CBI probe, following which the ED registered a case under the PMLA. In a huge diplomatic win for India, Qatar has released eight Indian ex-naval officers who were imprisoned for spying charges. Though they were sentenced to death, the sentences were commuted in December following India's intervention. A statement by the Ministry of External Affairs read: "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Emir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals." The eight Indian nationals have been identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Commander Amit Nagpal, and Sailor Ragesh. They were working on a submarine project with a private company for the Qatari authorities and were arrested in 2022. #WATCH | Delhi: Qatar released the eight Indian ex-Navy veterans who were in its custody; seven of them have returned to India. pic.twitter.com/yuYVx5N8zR ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2024 Neither the Qatar nor the Indian authorities made public the charges faced by the Indians. On October 26, 2023, all eight of them were sentenced to death. India said it was "deeply shocked" by the verdict and was exploring all legal options. Their sentences were commuted two months later due to India's intervention. The MEA statement then read that the country "will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance." In December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the case with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad as the two leaders met in Dubai on the sidelines of the CoP28 summit, the government said on Thursday. Meanwhile, footage from Delhi International Airport showed the elated Naval officials returning home. All seven of them praised the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the efforts to free them and chanted 'Bharat Mata ki jai' on their arrival home. "I feel relieved and delighted to finally be back home safe and sound. I wish to thank Prime Minister Modi as this wouldn't have been possible had it not been for his personal intervention to secure our release. I also wish to express my gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar," one of the Navy veterans told ANI. Another released former naval officer hailed the diplomatic efforts of the India Government. "Without the intervention of PM Modi, we would not have walked free. We wouldn't be standing before you today had it not been for his untiring efforts and interventions at the highest levels to get us freedom," he said. Another freed navy veteran too shared his joy. "We, as well as our anxious family members back home, had been waiting for this day for a long time. It all worked out because of PM Modi and his personal intervention in the matter. He took up our case with the highest levels of the Qatari government and eventually secured our release. I don't have enough words to express my gratitude to him and the Emir of Qatar." "We waited almost 18 months to be back home to our loved ones in India. We are extremely grateful to PM Modi for getting us back. We wouldn't have seen this day without the joint efforts of PM Modi and the Emir of Qatar. The personal equations that the two leaders share also helped in our release," another Navy veteran told ANI after landing in Delhi. DMK leader V. Senthil Balaji, who is under remand in connection with a money laundering case has resigned from his ministerial post. Balaji was retained as minister without portfolio in the DMK government following his arrest by ED. Sources in the know of the developments said Balaji has tendered his resignation and the letter has been sent to the chief ministers office. Balaji, who was minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise in the Tamil Nadu government was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on June 14 in a case linked to a cash-for-jobs scam when he was the Transport Minister during an earlier AIADMK regime. Though the portfolios were assigned to other ministers in the cabinet, he was retained as minister without portfolio by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Balajis move comes after the Supreme Court recently dismissed a plea seeking his removal from the minister post. The apex court observed that a governor cannot dismiss a minister without the recommendation of the CM. Earlier, on a similar petition in Madras High Court, the bench observed, The Chief Minister of the State of Tamil Nadu may be well advised to take a decision about the continuance of V.Senthil Balaji as a minister without portfolio, which serves no purpose and which does not augur well with the Principles of Constitutional ethos on goodness, good governance and purity in administration. Balajis continuance as minister was one of the flashpoints between Chief Minister Stalin and Governor R.N. Ravi. The Governor had on June 29 last year unilaterally dismissed Senthil Balaji with immediate effect from the cabinet. However, he had to reverse the action later. Ashok Chavan, former Maharashtra chief minister resigned from the Congress on Monday. Rumours are rife that he might join the BJP. Ashok Chavan reportedly sent his resignation letter to Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Pataole. He also met Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar in the morning and submitted his resignation as an MLA. This comes days after senior Maharashtra Congress leaders Baba Siddique and Milind Deora quit the party. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters, "Wait and watch what happens." Chavan stepped down as chief minister in 2010 for his alleged involvement in Adarsh housing scam. His father late Shankarrao Chavan was also the chief minister of Maharashtra. The Israeli military has made a dramatic rescue of two hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the second such successful operation of its kind since October 7. The army identified the rescued hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the October 7 cross-border attack. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) announced on Monday evening that the rescue was made during a dramatic and clandestine operation carried out after midnight on Sunday. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters that the hostages had been held in a second-floor apartment in Rafah. The building was guarded by Hamas gunmen, who had also occupied the nearby buildings. The IDF men breached the building around 1 a.m. in an area that Israeli forces had not yet manoeuvred. "Reaching the target in the heart of Rafah was very complex," Hagari said. The Israeli troops killed the three guarding the hostages, following which fighting broke out between the troops and Hamas gunmen. "There was intense firepower from the air. Fire was opened from nearby buildings. The Air Force struck intensively there," he said. "The troops pulled Louis and Fernando out of the apartment and rescued them under fire, until they reached the safe zone," Hagari said, adding that the Israeli soldiers hugged and protected Louis and Fernando with their bodies. "This was a complex rescue operation under fire based on sensitive intelligence. A professional and accurate operation," Hagari said, adding that they had prepared for the operation for a long. One soldier was lightly injured in the operation, but beyond that, no Israelis were hurt. The hostages were taken in armoured vehicles out of Rafah within an hour and was then put in a military helicopter that brought them to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan for examination. Both are said to be in good health. According to Israeli media, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant joined the command centre to watch the operation live along with IDF officials. Former President and Republican front-runner Donald Trump's warning to NATO allies that he would not protect them from a future attack by Russia if they fail to contribute to the defence alliance has irked fellow Republicans and Democrats who called Trump unfit for the top post. "This is why I've been saying for a long time that he's unfit to be president of the United States," former Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie said in an interview with NBC's 'Meet the Press' programme. Trump's controversial statement came at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday night. Recalling a conversation with an unnamed head of state about how he would respond if a NATO member who had not paid enough money for its defence was attacked by Russia, Trump said: "One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, Well, sir, if we dont pay, and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us?" "You didnt pay? Youre delinquent?" Trump recounted responding. "No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills." The White House had lashed out at Trumps comments, calling it "unhinged" Saturday night. "Encouraging invasions of our closest allies by murderous regimes is appalling and unhinged and it endangers American national security, global stability, and our economy at home," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who is Trump's lone remaining challenger for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, too hit out at Trump for his remarks, stating "the last thing we ever want to do is side with Russia." "Dont take the side of someone who has gone and invaded a country and half a million people have died or been wounded," she told CBS's "Face the Nation." Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump's, told Reuters in a brief hallway interview that he disagreed "with the way he (Trump) said it." However, Graham added: "Russia didn't invade anybody when he was president and if he's president again they won't." Republican Senator Thom Tillis too blamed Trump's aides for failing to explain to the former president that the United States, as a NATO member, is committed to defending any member of the alliance that is attacked. Politico also quoted Republican Senator Rand Paul saying Trump's remarks were a "stupid thing to say." However, some Republicans also defended Trump. "Virtually every American president at some point, in some way, has complained about other countries in NATO not doing enough. Trump's just the first one to express it in these terms. But I have zero concern because he's been president before," Senator Marco Rubio said in an interview with CNN. Jason Miller, senior Trump campaign advisor, in a statement, sidestepped the remark encouraging Russia to take on some NATO allies, saying: "Democrat and media pearl-clutchers seem to have forgotten that we had four years of peace and prosperity under President Trump," while levelling attacks against Biden. Meanwhile, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg too reacted to the controversial remarks, stating such comments put European and American soldiers at an increased risk. "Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk, Stoltenberg said. "I expect that regardless of who wins the presidential election the US will remain a strong and committed NATO Ally," he said, stressing that any attack on a NATO country would be "met with a united and forceful response." New Delhi, Feb 12 (PTI) The first batch of trial cargo vessels was flagged off from Maia Inland Custom Port in West Bengal to Sultanganj Port in Bangladesh on Monday as part of efforts to promote waterways-based transportation between the neighbours, according to an official release. Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur flagged off the first trial cargo vessels. The trial shipment of cargo marks a new beginning for improved connectivity and cooperation between India and Bangladesh, the Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ministry said in the release. Organized by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the flagging-off event was attended by first secretary, Bdesh High Commission in Kolkata, Additional Commissioner Customs, Kolkata, owner-operator of the Maia riverine port along with senior officials of the authority and other dignitaries. IWAI Chairman Vijay Kumar noted that the consistent flow of goods from the Maia terminal will invigorate trade not only with Indias neighbouring countries but also with the North Eastern States, ushering in new opportunities for economic growth and regional development. The statement said the operationalisation of Maia Terminal is expected to be a game-changer as it would shift 2.6 million tonnes per annum of Bangladesh-bound export cargo from road to waterways. The Maia-Aricha route (Protocol Route 5 & 6) will reduce the distance from NW1 to Bangladesh and North Eastern Region by 930 kilometres, it added. According to the statement, Inland Water Transport (IWT) is a highly cost-effective mode of transportation, particularly for bulk cargo like coal, iron ore, cement, food grains, and fertilizer. Despite its advantages, its current share in India's modal mix is only 2 per cent. Colombo, Feb 12 (PTI) Indian tourists in Sri Lanka will be able to make digital payments through UPI with the launch of the facility in the island nation on Monday. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services were rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing it as linking historic ties with modern digital technology. India's RuPay card services were also launched in Mauritius at a virtual ceremony attended by Prime Minister Modi, his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Indias NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Central Bank of Sri Lanka-owned LankaPay joined hands to provide a seamless payment solution to tourists with the launch of UPI services. This interface facilitates inter-bank and person-to-person transactions as well as person-to-merchant transactions, using mobile phones, Wasantha Alwis, Director (Payments and Settlements) of the Central Bank, told reporters. It provides the facility to transfer funds between bank accounts in India and also has a feature to use a QR code and make a payment to a merchant, Alwis added. He said Indian tourists are the biggest inbound market to Sri Lanka with nearly 300,000 arrivals in 2023. This is a very good seamless digital payment mechanism. When they are here, they dont need to worry about conversion rates. It is a great convenience to Indian tourists, he added. Alwis said businesses can easily obtain QR codes by contacting their respective financial institutions and reaching a trade agreement. He emphasised that all banks and financial institutions registered with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka are mandated to issue these codes. Conrad Dias, another senior official, said Sri Lankas small and medium-scale businesses should see this as a huge opportunity as they would be gaining new customers with this initiative. The scheme aims to rapidly expand its reach, with an estimated 10,000 merchants expected to accommodate UPI payments for Indian nationals within weeks of its launch. By the end of March 2024, this number is projected to reach 65,000, officials said. New Delhi, Feb 12 (PTI) Actor-turned-writer Shenaz Treasury says she grew up reading "Bridget Jones Diary" and hopes her debut book, "All He Left Me Was a Recipe", gets an extended life on the screen like her favourite book. Describing the book as a part fact, part fiction tale about all the men who have influenced her life in some way, Treasury, who is also a travel-vlogger, said she wrote it more like a "screenplay with lots of dialogues" and her goal is to get it adapted on a streamer. In fact, her inspiration for the book was "Bridget Jones Diary", Helen Fielding's novel of the same name that turned into a successful film franchise, starring Rene Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. "I read it ('Bridget Jones Diary') when I was a teenager and I identified so much with the characters. I really hope young girls, and a lot of women in their 30s will really enjoy this book. I hope they feel what I felt when I read 'Bridget Jones Diary' or 'Sex and the City'. "I hope this becomes a show like 'Sex and the city', 'Emily in the Paris', 'Bridget Jones Diary'. That's what I am going for with this book," said Treasury told PTI in an interview. Treasury, who also holds a diploma from New York University in screenplay writing, said while she would want to act in the adaptation of her book, she is more interested in creatively producing it. "Because when this comes out I want it to be my visualisation. So I want to be the creative director," she added. Tracing her life from when she was 4 to 40, the book, the 42-year-old said, is a candid and funny collection of pages out of her (very personal) diary, from her first kiss to her first breakup and all the awkward moments in-between. She also reveals the story behind the title. "I was going through a break up at that time, and my friends, who were going through divorce, were like 'what did he leave me with?' And I thought about what I got from my last relationship, I thought, 'All he left me was a recipe of an Israeli salad, basically I had a great recipe'," she added. The book, priced at Rs 299, is published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI). Toronto, Feb 12 (PTI) A 56-year-old Indian-origin man was allegedly murdered by his son at their home in the Canadian province of Ontario, police said. The Hamilton Police in a statement on Sunday said 22-year-old Sukhaj Singh Cheema was wanted for the first-degree murder of his father on Saturday night. The police said officers were called to a home at around 7:40 p.m. on Saturday and found Kuldip Singh with severe injuries. Singh was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries, CTV News quoted the police as saying. Witnesses told officers that Cheema fled the residence after an altercation with the victim. Cheema was believed to be in the area for about 30 minutes before the incident and fled in a vehicle. Cheema-Singh is considered to be armed and dangerous, the police said. ISLAMABAD, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Two terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire with security forces in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the Pakistan army said on Monday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan army, said the fire exchange took place when the forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in Mardan district of the province on reported presence of terrorists. The killed terrorists actively involved in numerous terrorist activities, the ISPR said, adding that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered during the operation. A clearance operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, the military said. Islamabad, Feb 12 (PTI) Taking responsibility for the poor performance of their parties in the February 8 polls, Pakistan's IPP chief Jahangir Khan Tareen and PTI-P central chairman Pervez Khattak on Monday announced their decision to quit politics while JI chief Sirajul Haq said he would resign his party chief position. The decision by Tareen of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Khattak of Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaaf-Parliamentarian (PTI-P), and Haq of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) came as their parties witnessed significant drubbing in the general elections. "I would like to thank everyone who supported me in this election and want to offer my congratulations to my opponents. I have immense respect for the will of the people of Pakistan. Therefore, I have decided to resign from my position as Chairman of IPP and step away from politics altogether," Tareen said in a post on X. "My gratitude to all the members of IPP. I wish them the absolute best. By the Grace of Allah, I will continue to serve my country to the best of my ability in a private capacity," he added. Tareen, 70, an influential politician who was once a close aide of incarcerated former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has faced humiliation in the elections as his newly-formed party grabbed only two National Assembly (NA) and one provincial assembly seats. Meanwhile, Pervez Khattak, 74, chief of his breakaway faction of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, PTI-Parliamentarians, has also resigned from his party position, saying that he is taking a break from politics for now, The Express Tribune reported. The development comes as his party has been wiped out from Pakistans political scene after it failed to win even a single seat. During canvassing, Khattak had made bold claims that he would be the next chief minister of K-P and that the PTI-backed independents would also align with him after winning. Khattaks two sons and a son-in-law were contesting from all seven seats in Nowshera, but couldnt win any one of these, the report said. On Monday, JI's Haq also announced that he is stepping down from his position of the party chief as he took responsibility for the party's bad performance in the polls. In a separate post on X, Siraj, 61, said, "I accept responsibility for the election defeat and have resigned from the post of party ameer." The resignation by the Jamaat chief comes after the party failed to secure any National Assembly seats and only secured three seats in the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies, one of which was vacated earlier on Monday by JI Karachi chief Hafiz Naeemur Rehman. Pakistan's election commission on Monday released the full results of the controversy-marred general elections, giving the preliminary position of all political parties in the national and provincial assemblies. Rafah (Gaza Strip), Feb 12 (AP) A series of Israeli strikes early on Monday hit Rafah, the city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in the four-month Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been signalling its ground offensive in Gaza may soon target the densely populated city on the Egyptian border. On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation against Hamas in Rafah without a "credible and executable" plan to protect civilians. The strikes hit around Kuwait Hospital early on Monday morning, an AP journalist in Rafah said. Some of those wounded in the strikes had been brought to the hospital. The Israeli military said it struck "terror targets in the area of Shaboura" -- which is a district in Rafah. The military statement said the series of strikes had concluded, without elaborating on the targets or assessing the potential damage or casualties. Palestinian health officials did not immediately offer any casualty information. Biden's remarks were his most forceful language yet on the possible operation. Biden, who last week called Israel's military response in Gaza "over the top", also sought "urgent and specific" steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. Israel's Channel 13 television said the conversation lasted 45 minutes. Discussion of the potential for a ceasefire agreement took up much of the call, a senior US administration official said, and after weeks of diplomacy, a "framework" is now "pretty much" in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a halt to fighting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, acknowledged that "gaps remain" but declined to give details. The official said military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent weeks helped bring the group closer to accepting a deal. Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the call. Hamas' Al-Aqsa television station earlier quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying any invasion of Rafah would "blow up" the talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar. Biden and Netanyahu spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops are sent into Rafah, where Egypt fears fighting could push Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula and force the closure of Gaza's main aid supply route. The threat to suspend the Camp David Accords, a cornerstone of regional stability for nearly a half-century, came after Netanyahu said sending troops into Rafah was necessary to win the four-month war against Hamas. He asserted that Hamas has four battalions there. Over half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have fled to Rafah to escape fighting in other areas, and they are packed into tent camps and UN-run shelters. Egypt fears a mass influx of Palestinian refugees who may never be allowed to return. Netanyahu told "Fox News Sunday" that there's "plenty of room north of Rafah for them to go to" after Israel's offensive elsewhere in Gaza, and said Israel would direct evacuees with "flyers, with cellphones and with safe corridors and other things". But the offensive has caused widespread destruction, with little capacity to take in people. The standoff between Israel and Egypt, two close US allies, took shape as aid groups warned that an offensive in Rafah would worsen the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. Around 80 per cent of residents have fled their homes, and the UN says a quarter of the population faces starvation. A ground operation in Rafah could cut off one of the only avenues for delivering food and medical supplies. Forty-four trucks of aid entered Gaza on Sunday, said Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority. About 500 entered daily before the war. WHERE WOULD CIVILIANS GO? Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief reporters on the sensitive negotiations. Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other countries have also warned of severe repercussions if Israel goes into Rafah. "An Israeli offensive on Rafah would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt," European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X. Human Rights Watch said forced displacement is a war crime. Israel and Egypt fought five wars before signing the Camp David Accords, brokered by the US, in the late 1970s. The agreement includes provisions governing the deployment of forces on both sides of the heavily fortified border. Egyptian officials fear that if the border is breached, the military would be unable to stop a tide of people fleeing into the Sinai Peninsula. The UN says Rafah, normally home to fewer than 300,000 people, now hosts 1.4 million more and is "severely overcrowded". Inside Rafah, some displaced people packed up again. Rafat and Fedaa Abu Haloub, who fled Beit Lahia in the north earlier in the war, placed their belongings onto a truck. "We don't know where we can safely take him," Fedaa said of their baby. "Every month we have to move." Om Mohammad Al-Ghemry, displaced from Nuseirat, said she hoped Egypt would not allow Israel to force Palestinians to flee into the Sinai "because we do not want to leave". (AP) SZM Rafah (Gaza Strip), Feb 12 (AP) The Israeli military rescued two hostages in a dramatic raid under fire from the Gaza Strip early Monday, marking a small but symbolically significant success in its quest to bring home over 100 captives believed to be held by the Hamas militant group. At least 50 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes that were part of the raid, according to Palestinian hospital officials. The raid took place in Rafah, the city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in the Israel-Hamas war. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the hostages had been held in a second-floor apartment in Rafah, under guard from Hamas gunmen, both in the apartment and nearby buildings. Hagari said special forces broke into the apartment under fire at 1:49 a.m. on Monday, accompanied a minute later by a series of airstrikes on surrounding areas. He said members of the rescue team shielded the hostages with their bodies as a heavy battle erupted in several places at once with many Hamas gunmen. The hostages were taken to a nearby safe area and given a quick medical check before being flown to a hospital in central Israel. Women and children were among those killed in the Israeli strikes, according to Dr. Marwan al-Hams, director of the Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital, and dozens were wounded. Israel has described Rafah as the last remaining Hamas stronghold in Gaza after more than four months of war and signalled that its ground offensive may soon target the densely populated city. On Sunday, the White House said President Joe Biden had warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel should not conduct a military operation against Hamas in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. The army identified the rescued hostages as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, who it said were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yizhak in the October 7 cross-border attack that triggered the war. Both were airlifted to Sheba Hospital and were reported to be in good medical condition. They are just the second and third hostages to be rescued safely. A female soldier was rescued in November. Hagari said the operation was based on precise intelligence and been planned for some time, but that rescuers were waiting for the right moment to act. Netanyahu joined Israel's military chief and other top officials as the raid unfolded. Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 people and kidnapped 250 others in the October 7 raid. An Israeli air and ground offensive has killed over 28,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, displaced over 80 per cent of the population and led to a massive humanitarian crisis. Over 100 hostages were freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November. Israel says about 100 hostages remain in Hamas captivity, while Hamas is holding the remains of roughly 30 others who were either killed on October 7 or died in captivity. Three hostages were mistakenly killed by the army after escaping their captors in December. The remaining hostages are believed to be spread out and hidden in tunnels, likely in poor conditions. The rescue is a morale booster for Israelis, but it's a small step toward winning the release of all of them. Har's son-in-law, Idan Bergerano, told Israel's Channel 13 TV that he and his wife were able to see the released captives at the hospital. He said the two men were thin and pale, but communicating well and aware of their surroundings. Bergernano said Har told him immediately upon seeing him: You have a birthday today, mazal tov." Israel has made the return of all hostages one of the main goals of the war. Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with Israel's military offensive until a total victory that also includes destroying Hamas' military and governing capabilities. CONCERNS ABOUT RAFAH The strikes hit around Rafah's Kuwait Hospital early Monday morning, an Associated Press journalist in Rafah said. Some of those wounded in the strikes had been brought to the hospital. The Israeli military earlier said it struck terror targets in the area of Shaboura which is a district in Rafah. Netanyahu has said sending ground troops into Rafah is essential to meeting Israel's war goals. Biden has urged Israel to exercise extreme caution before moving in. An estimated 1.4 million Palestinians more than half of Gaza's population are now crammed into Rafah, increasing its population five-fold. Hundreds of thousands of people are now living in sprawling tent camps and overcrowded UN shelters. Biden's remarks, made in a phone call with Netanyahu late Sunday, were his most forceful language yet on the possible operation. Biden, who last week called Israel's military response in Gaza over the top, also sought urgent and specific steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. Israel's Channel 13 TV said the conversation lasted 45 minutes. Discussion of the potential for a cease-fire agreement took up much of the call, a senior US administration official said, and after weeks of diplomacy, a framework is now pretty much in place for a deal that could see the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a halt to fighting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remain, but declined to give details. The official said military pressure on Hamas in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent weeks helped bring the group closer to accepting a deal. Netanyahu's office declined to comment on the call. Hamas' Al-Aqsa television station earlier quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying any invasion of Rafah would blow up the talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Biden and Netanyahu spoke after two Egyptian officials and a Western diplomat said Egypt threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if troops are sent into Rafah. The Camp David peace accords have been a cornerstone of regional stability for over 40 years. Egypt fears a mass influx of Palestinian refugees who may never be allowed to return. WHERE WOULD CIVILIANS GO? Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other countries have also warned of severe repercussions if Israel goes into Rafah. An Israeli offensive on Rafah would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X. Human Rights Watch said forced displacement is a war crime. Inside Rafah, some displaced people packed up again. Rafat and Fedaa Abu Haloub, who fled Beit Lahia in the north earlier in the war, placed their belongings onto a truck. We don't know where we can safely take him, Fedaa said of their baby. Every month we have to move. Om Mohammad Al-Ghemry, displaced from Nuseirat, said she hoped Egypt would not allow Israel to force Palestinians to flee into the Sinai because we do not want to leave. Heavy fighting continues in central Gaza and Khan Younis. Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday that the bodies of 112 people killed across the territory had been brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours. The death toll is 28,176 since the start of the war. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but says most of those killed were women and children. (AP) PY PY Washington, Feb 12 (AP) US President Joe Biden is hosting Jordan's King Abdullah II in Washington Monday and the two leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing effort to free hostages held in Gaza, and growing concern over a possible Israeli military operation in the port city of Rafah. It is the first meeting between the allies since three American troops were killed last month in a drone strike against a US base in Jordan. Biden blamed Iran-backed militias for the fatalities, the first for the US after months of strikes by such groups against American forces across the Middle East since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The meeting with King Abdullah II comes as Biden and his aides are working to broker another pause in Israel's war against Hamas in order to send humanitarian aid and supplies into the region and get hostages out. The White House faces growing criticism from Arab-Americans over the administration's continued support for Israel in the face of growing casualties in Gaza. It appeared a deal for another pause in the fighting was getting close. A senior US administration official said Sunday that after weeks of shuttle diplomacy and phone conversations, a framework was essentially in place for a deal that could see the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for a halt to fighting. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the negotiations, acknowledged that gaps remained but declined to specify what they are. The official said Israeli military pressure on Hamas in Khan Younis over the last several weeks has helped bring the militant group closer to accepting an agreement. The potential for an agreement took up the majority of Biden's call Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The official said the two leaders also had a significant back and forth about the potential expansion of Israeli military operations into Rafah and that Biden reiterated US opposition to the idea under the current conditions while more than 1.3 million people are sheltering there. It was the most forceful language yet from the president on the possible operation. Biden, who last week called Israel's military response in Gaza over the top, also sought urgent and specific steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. Israel's Channel 13 television said the conversation lasted 45 minutes. The official said the Israelis made clear they would not contemplate an operation" in Rafah without safeguarding the civilian population. The official said the US is not sure there is a feasible or implementable plan to relocate civilians out of Rafah to allow military operations to take place. Jordan and other Arab states have been highly critical of Israel's actions and have eschewed public support for long-term planning over what happens next, arguing that the fighting must end before such discussions can begin. They have been demanding a cease-fire since mid-October as civilian casualties began to skyrocket. Biden had planned to visit Jordan during his trip to Israel in October shortly after the October 7 attack by Hamas, but the trip was scrapped. On his way home from Israel, Biden announced he'd helped broker the first deal to pause fighting temporarily and to open the crossing in Rafah to humanitarian aid. In the months since, members of his administration have made repeated trips to the region to engage with leaders there. (AP) GSP Rafah (Gaza Strip), Feb 12 (AP) More than 12,300 Palestinian minors have been killed in Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory said Monday. Minors made up about 47% of the total number of 28,176 Palestinians killed so far, the ministry said. About 8,400 women were also among those killed. The ministry provided the breakdown of minors and women at the request of The Associated Press. (AP) AMS Islamabad, Feb 12 (PTI) Pakistans caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday said independents backed by jailed former prime minister Imran Khan emerged as the single largest group in the general elections only because his government provided a level playing field to all parties. In the run-up to Thursdays polling day, Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party had often repeated the allegation that the powerful establishment and the caretaker government had not been providing a level playing field to all parties and that certain parties and their leaders were given preferential treatment. The National Assembly results showed that independents, backed by PTI won 101 seats, another former prime minister Nawaz Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) got 75 seats, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari grabbed 54 and the MQM-P secured 17 seats apart from others bagging eight seats. A large number of independent candidates backed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf emerged as the largest single group on the national and provincial assemblies, Kakar was quoted as saying by the state-owned news agency, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). Kakar stressed that allegations of rigging were generated through social media, which were based upon misconceptions and contrary to the ground realities, and said that throughout the countrys democratic history, people had always questioned the electoral process. Such results indicated the transparency and non-interference by any quarters, he emphasised while addressing a press conference at the PM House. Kakar agreed that there might be shortcomings or other minor issues, but by and large, the elections were held in a manner in which the entire nation and the law enforcement agencies deserved kudos despite various security challenges. Claiming that PTI got results the party never dreamt of during 2018, he said, The loyalists of jailed PTI leaders emerged as returned candidates in the general elections, but no one is appreciating that aspect of the neutrality of the caretaker government. Responding to a query, Kakar maintained that over 60 million voters exercised their constitutional right to elect their favourite candidates under a pressure-free environment. The elections in Pakistan were held in a free and fair manner and there was no institutional mechanism to favour any group, Kakar stressed. The caretaker prime minister also agreed with the need for electronic voting machines (EVMs) and said that according to his personal view, the political parties should hold threadbare discussions in the next parliament over the issue and legislate, if required, so that the new electoral system could be more acceptable to all. Surat, Feb 12 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Monday expressed happiness on the rising number of women in engineering colleges and applauded them for choosing the stream. President Murmu, who was the chief guest at the 20th convocation of Surat-based Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), urged graduating students to use their technical and problem solving skills and innovative thinking for nation building in the fields of engineering and science. At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is being talked about everywhere, engineering institutions like SVNIT should work together with the corporate sector, NGOs and other institutions to reduce the AI skill gap, she said. "It is a matter of happiness that the number of girls in engineering colleges and institutes is more than before. I applaud them for getting education in science and technology and making their careers in this field," President Murmu said in her address. "I specially thank those who have received degrees and medals. I would urge National Institutes of Technology (NITs) to run programmes, campaigns and workshops to encourage more girls to study in engineering and technology institutions," she added. President Murmu said she recently met a women's startup group whose members are contributing significantly to the country's progress and providing jobs. "After meeting them, my belief deepened that women have and will continue to play a leading role in developing the country," she said. She urged graduating students to use science as their "guide and charioteer," and deploy their technical skills, problem solving skills and innovative thinking "for nation building in engineering and scientific fields." "You not only have to find engineering solutions in line with international standards but also set new standards for innovation, efficiency and sustainability," Murmu said. Today AI is being talked about everywhere, and the Centre and state governments are introducing programmes to bring the benefit of this technology for the development of citizens, President Murmu said. She said big tech companies are also launching new projects to increase India's AI capacity and its use. "It is important that engineering institutions such as SVNIT work together with the corporate sector, NGOs and engineering institutions to reduce the AI skill gap. Talented youth like you will play an important role in taking India forward in the newest and fast changing technologies like AI and machine learning," she said. She said SVNIT has adopted some nearby villages and is working to find affordable and sustainable solutions through research and innovations, and expressed confidence such efforts will also be made by the youths sitting in the hall. "Wherever you go in the world, remain connected to your institution and your roots. This will take you forward and help in making your life fulfilling," she advised graduating students. Patna, Feb 12 (PTI) The NDA government in Bihar, formed as a result of JD(U) president Nitish Kumars latest volte face, will on Monday seek trust vote in the assembly where the numbers are stacked in its favour, but the opposition snaps at its heels. The inaugural day of the budget session will commence with the Governors customary address to members of the bicameral legislature after which the assembly will take up the no-confidence motion against Speaker Awadh Bihari Chaudhary before the trust vote. Chaudhary, who belongs to RJD, the largest constituent of the 'Mahagathbandhan' which Kumar quit a fortnight ago, has made it clear that he will not step down despite the motion moved by legislators of the NDA soon after the new government was formed. The NDA, which includes JD(U), BJP, former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhis Hindustani Awam Morcha and an Independent, has a combined strength of 128 MLAs in the 243-strong assembly, six more than the majority mark. The absence of a few MLAs at the JD(U) legislative party meeting on Sunday and a couple of legislators at the BJPs two-day training workshop in Bodh Gaya, has provided cannon fodder to the 'Mahagathbandhan' which has been claiming that the NDA will fall short of 122 votes it must garner in order to remove the Speaker. However, both JD(U) and the BJP have dismissed such misgivings, claiming all legislators will be present inside the House. However, leaving nothing to chance, the JD(U) put up many of its MLAs, after the legislative party meeting, at a city hotel. Likewise, many BJP MLAs, upon return from the workshop, were asked to stay back at the residence of Vijay Kumar Sinha, who has taken over as a deputy chief minister. The 'Mahagathbandhan' has a combined strength of 114 MLAs, eight short of the majority mark, but claims that while all its legislators were firmly intact, quite a few in the NDA camp were unhappy over the sudden change of tack by JD(U) and BJP and might turn the tables on the new government. In a show of solidarity, notwithstanding the sudden loss of power, a number of legislators belonging to the 'Mahagathbandhan', which comprises RJD, Congress, CPI(ML), CPI and CPI(M), have been staying at the residence of the coalitions leader Tejashwi Yadav, who lost the deputy CMs post as a result of Kumars abrupt parting of ways. Meanwhile, state BJP president Samrat Choudhary, who is also a deputy CM, has warned of stern action against any attempts at horse trading. Nitish Kumar, who has been sworn in as the chief minister for a record ninth term, has also been closely monitoring the situation within the JD(U), having attended the legislative party meeting as also a luncheon held a day earlier which was seen as a warm-up exercise ahead of the crucial trust vote. Kolkata, Feb 12 (PTI) Doctors will take a call on discharging veteran actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty from hospital on Monday, following improvement in his health condition, a senior official of the medical facility said. Chakraborty, 73, was admitted to a private hospital here on February 10, after he complained of severe chest pain. "He is stable, fully conscious, well-oriented and active. Senior doctors, one physiotherapist, a speech therapist and other experts reviewed his health condition this morning. He will undergo a few clinical examinations before we decide on whether to discharge him today," the official told PTI. Chakraborty has already undergone an MRI, along with other medical tests at the hospital. Earlier in the day, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh met the popular actor in hospital. Chakraborty, who has been honoured with Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in the country, has acted in around 350 films in Hindi, Bengali, Odia, Bhojpuri and Tamil. Jammu, Feb 12 (PTI) The commander of the Army's White Knight Corps visited Topa Peer village in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Monday and reiterated the force's commitment to peace and stability in the region. The Army last month adopted Topa Peer village, where three civilians died allegedly after being picked up by the Army for questioning in connection with a terrorist ambush in December last. General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the White Knight Corps Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, accompanied by GOC of Conter Insurgency Force (Romeo) Maj Gen Manish Gupta, visited the village. "GOC #WhiteKnightCorps and GOC Romeo Force interacted with Peer Topa & Pangai residents and community elders. He reiterated #IndianArmy's commitment to peace and stability," the Army said in a post on X. A defence spokesman said the commanders reaffirmed the Army's commitment to community engagement. The visit of Lt Gen Sachdeva to Poonch-Rajouri was aimed at fostering unity and collaboration for strengthening peace and stability, he said. The spokesman said the corps commander encouraged continued cooperation between the people and security forces, highlighting the crucial role community support plays in maintaining peace and security. The legitimate concerns and aspirations of the people of Topa Peer, Pangai and adjoining villages were also given a patient hearing and their redressal by the Army and the civil administration was assured, he said. Lt Gen Sachdeva honoured some civil society members who have made commendable contributions in the fields of education, sports, and literature, further strengthening the bond between the armed forces and the populace. On December 21, four soldiers were killed and three others injured when terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles in the area. Three civilians - Safeer Hussain (43), Mohd Showket (27) and Shabir Ahmad (32) - were picked up by the Army for questioning following the ambush and a day later they were found dead. BISHKEK, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov called on U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken not to interfere in the country's internal affairs, according to Japarov's response letter to Blinken published on Monday. The letter was handed over by Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev to U.S. Ambassador in Bishkek Lesslie Viguerie on Friday. In the letter, the Kyrgyzstan's head of state said "the content of your letter has signs of interference in the internal affairs of our state," responding to Blinken's previous letter expressing concern about the bill amending the law "On Non-Profit Organizations," which is being considered by the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan. According to the amendments to the law, organizations that receive funding from abroad and are engaged in political activities will be given the status of foreign representatives and included in a special register. The purpose of the bill is to clarify and streamline the activities of non-governmental, non-profit organizations operating in Kyrgyzstan, said Japarov in the letter. The president said that there are tens of thousands of non-governmental and non-profit organizations that are successfully working throughout the republic, addressing many problems that previously the state had neither the will nor the desire to deal with. At the same time, it should be recognized that some non-governmental/non-profit organizations receive funding from abroad, and not only from the United States and EU countries, he added. "Naturally, there is a problem directly related to the protection of the legitimate interests of the Kyrgyz state -- how much state control can be and should be over the activity of mass media and non-governmental organizations funded by foreign states or with foreign participation," said the president. Japarov stated that the concept of the bill initiated by deputies of the Kyrgyz Parliament is close to the concept of the current Foreign Agents Registration Act adopted in the United States in 1938, adding that Blinken's "concerns" about the draft law are "based on unreliable information from certain non-governmental/non-profit organizations operating in our country." "This, unfortunately, did not allow you to form an objective picture of the real situation with human rights and freedoms in our country, including the right to association," wrote the president. He noted that the vast majority of NGOs and non-profit organizations work in Kyrgyzstan with dignity and honesty, and only a small, but very vocal group of these structures funded by foreign states and their individual representatives are sources of unreliable information for their grantors. The same non-governmental structures often disseminate false and unreliable information among people, leading to lawsuits by the victims or the defamed, he said, adding that if necessary, the Kyrgyz side is ready to provide relevant information about such organizations. "In this connection, I propose to conduct an audit of the use of funds by non-governmental/non-profit organizations funded by U.S. government organizations -- at least for the last 10 years," the head of Kyrgyzstan noted. Hyderabad, Feb 12 (PTI) The Telangana Legislative Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution that the state government shall not handover control of projects common to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Krishna river to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) unless the conditions put forth by the state are fulfilled. The resolution, moved by state Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, was adopted after a day-long debate that saw a war of words between the ruling Congress and main opposition BRS. "In view of the historical injustice and the current situation, the House hereby resolves that the government of Telangana shall not handover control of common projects to KRMB unless the conditions put forth by the state have been fulfilled which are as follows - water sharing between AP and Telangana shall be on the basis of catchment area, drought prone area, basin population and cultivable area," the irrigation minister said, reading out the operative portion of the resolution which goes on to mention the "conditions". The KRMB was constituted by the Centre as per the Andhra Pradesh Re-Organisation Act, 2014 for the administration, regulation, maintenance and operation of such projects, as may be notified by the Central government from time to time. The irrigation minister also made a power-point presentation in the House on 'projects and issues of Krishna river' during which he alleged that Telangana suffered more damage in share of Krishna river waters after state formation (during the previous BRS regime) than it did during undivided Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who intervened during the debate, attacked opposition leader and former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for not attending the assembly when it is debating a very important issue like Krishna river waters. This amounts to insulting 'Telangana society', he alleged. The chief minister said a message should have been sent out from the House that "Telangana society" is united in safeguarding the state's interest and Telangana should get 68 per cent share in Krishna river waters as per the catchment area. But Rao was not present in the assembly at this important occasion. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the power-point presentation is being made "to clarify and to state the facts on record" as some are speaking in a way to trigger misconceptions among Telangana people, a reference to BRS alleging that the Congress government has handed over projects on Krishna river to the KRMB hurting the state's interests. The state government has already denied handing over projects to the KRMB. The irrigation minister alleged that the previous BRS government had sought only 299 TMC from the Centre though the state had the opportunity to seek 731 TMC, including for 'contemplated projects'. He claimed that the "injustice and corruption" that happened in the irrigation sector during the last 10 years would not have happened "in any state in the country in Independent India". Further attacking the BRS regime, he said a letter written by the principal secretary to then CM KCR to the Centre mentioned that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh "have agreed in principle to handover the control of common projects". "Very clearly, your government clearly said that you wanted to handover the projects," he said. He also showed a video of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in which the latter is seen saying that KCR showed magnanimity in releasing water from Telangana to AP. The irrigation minister asserted that his government "is not ready to hand over Telangana projects" and said the BRS should seek an apology for doing injustice in Krishna river waters. BRS MLA and former minister T Harish Rao said the Congress government moving a resolution against handing over projects to KRMB is "a victory of Telangana people and BRS". The government is "amending its mistakes" a day ahead, as the BRS convened a public meeting at Nalgonda on Tuesday, he said. The government placed a book named as 'facts on Krishna river projects' but the appropriate name would have been 'untruths', Rao said. The book stated that the BRS government had agreed in 2020 to handover the projects, he said. Quoting the minutes of a meeting held then, he said the then CM KCR stated that the question of notification of jurisdiction of boards should not arise until and unless water sharing is finalised by the concerned tribunal. Rao said his party supports the resolution on not handing over the projects to KRMB but has objections to other points. He elaborately countered the allegations against the previous BRS regime. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, D Sridhar Babu, Jupally Krishna Rao, BJP member A Maheshwar Reddy, AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi, CPI member K Sambasiva Rao spoke during the debate. The irrigation minister also invited the members to visit the Kaleshwaram project being organised by the government on Tuesday. FILE U.S. President Joe Biden walks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023. As chances rise of a Biden-Donald Trump rematch in the U.S. presidential election race, Americas allies are bracing for a bumpy ride, with concerns rising that the U.S. could grow less dependable regardless of who wins. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File) Amid growing concerns over President Joe Bidens physical and mental fitness for a second term, Mitch Landrieu, the co-chair of Bidens re-election campaign and former Mayor of New Orleans, offered a robust defense of the President during an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press. The discussion, moderated by NBCs Kristen Welker, touched on recent polls that reveal widespread concern among Americans regarding Bidens capability to handle the demands of the presidency. Our NBC news poll found that 76 percent of voters are concerned about whether the president has the necessary mental and physical health to be president for a second term, Welker highlighted. What is the plan to convince voters otherwise? President Trump, just the other night, confused what day of the week it was, Landrieu replied. He is confused who the leader of North Korea and China are. Hes confused the leaders of Hungary and Turkey, by the way. Speaker Mike Johnson was on the other day and he confused Iraq and Iran. And of course, President Trump doesnt know the difference between Nancy Pelosi and Nikki Haley. How do you respond to Democrats who say they want to see a change at the top of the ticket? Welker asked. Im in the process of doing it right now, Landrieu said. And demonstrating that the presidents accomplishments have really been second to none, and Joe Bidens going to get up every day. The one thing Joe Biden is never going to do is count on this he is never, ever going to quit! Because thats not what hes done his entire life. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to revitalize his nations relations with its key European partners during a trip to Paris and Berlin on Monday as fears grow that former President Donald Trump could return to power in the United States and give Russia a free hand to expand its aggression following its invasion of Ukraine. The meetings on Monday come after Trump shocked many in Europe over the weekend by inviting Russia to invade any NATO member not spending enough on its own defenses. These comments are irresponsible and even play into Russias hands, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Monday during a visit to Cyprus, remarks carried by the German dpa news agency. And no one in our alliance can have an interest in that. The words were particularly shocking for front-line NATO countries like Poland, which has endured Russian control and occupation, and where anxieties run high over the war just across its eastern border in Ukraine. Tusk, who joined French President Emmanuel Macron for a working lunch at the Elysee presidential palace, said his visit was aimed at revitalizing Polands relations with the most important European partners. He stressed that there is no alternative to the European Union, there is no alternative to transatlantic cooperation, there is no alternative to NATO. Europe must become a safe continent, and this means that the EU, France and Poland must become countries that are strong and ready to defend their own borders, their own territory and to defend and support our allies and friends from outside the European Union, Tusk said. Macron praised France and Polands key role in security and defense in Europe in the context of the war in Ukraine. Europes will to further supply and meet Ukrainian needs is crucial, he said after leaders of the 27 European Union countries sealed a deal earlier this month to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in support for its war-ravaged economy. This will enable us to make from Europe a security and defense power that is both complementary to NATO and a pillar of the Atlantic Alliance, Macron said. Trumps remarks, made as the Republican frontrunner was campaigning, created fears that if he is re-elected, he could embolden Russia to attack other countries following its invasion of Ukraine. Speaking Saturday at a rally in Conway, South Carolina, Trump recalled how as president he told an unidentified NATO member that he would encourage Russia to do as it wishes in cases of NATO allies who are delinquent. You didnt pay? Youre delinquent? Trump recounted saying. No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills. NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement Sunday saying that Trumps remarks put American troops and their allies at greater risk. NATO does not require its 31 members to pay bills, but they are expected to invest a certain percentage of their own budgets 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. Some countries, like Poland, where security fears run deep, have long met the target. Poland has even gone far beyond, ramping up spending as a result of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Germany, with a post-World War II political culture of military caution, long fell short of the 2% target and was a frequent target of Trumps ire during his presidency. But Berlin announced plans to step up military spending after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and plans to hit 2% this year. Frances military budget has grown in recent years and has reached the level of about 2% of its GDP. Tusk returned to power as prime minister of his central European nation in December after eight years of rule by a national conservative government that often took a conflictual stance with European allies, particularly Germany. As a result, Warsaws influence in Europe diminished. Tusk was to head to Berlin later Monday to meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland are to meet in the Paris suburb of La Celle-Saint-Cloud as they seek to revive the so-called Weimar Triangle, a political format that has been dormant for years. The Weimar Triangle was created in 1991 as Poland was emerging from decades of communism as a platform for political cooperation among the three nations. (AP) SYDNEY, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The health authority in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has issued a public warning over measles, as one case has been recently confirmed in the state's north. NSW Health confirmed on Sunday that the case returned from overseas and there have been ongoing outbreaks of measles in several countries. Schoolchildren who were on the Singh Company bus on Feb. 5 and those who attended the emergency department at Murwillumbah Hospital were urged to monitor for related symptoms. The state's North Coast Regional Director of Population and Public Health Valerie Delpech said that while these locations pose no ongoing risk, people who visited the above locations should be on the lookout for symptoms. "Symptoms of measles include fever, runny nose, sore eyes, and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head to the rest of the body," Delpech said. "Symptoms may appear between seven and 18 days after an exposure, so it's important for people to stay vigilant if they've been exposed, and if they develop symptoms, please call ahead to their GP or emergency department to ensure they do not spend time in the waiting room with other patients," she added. According to the health authority, measles is a vaccine-preventable disease that is spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. An approaching winter storm has the potential to deliver up to a foot of snow for some across the tri-state Monday night into Tuesday, and projected totals are rising for the New York City area. Snow totals could reach 6 to 12 inches north of the city, into northwestern New Jersey and the Hudson Valley. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for a swath of the region. New York City is under a winter weather watch, along with Long Island. New York City schools will go fully remote Tuesday in anticipation of the storm, Mayor Eric Adams announced. Expect a dry Monday ahead of the storm, which moves in late at night. Precipitation will begin late Monday. The storm will bring a period of moderate to heavy snow, and rain transitioning to a rain/snow mix and then snow down the coast. Gusty winds and minor to moderate coastal flooding impacts are possible. The Tuesday morning commute could be significantly affected by the storm and its impacts. Snowfall rates could hit 1 to 2 inches an hour during the AM rush along the I-95 corridor from Philadelphia to Boston. They could be even higher across eastern Pennsylvania, northern New Jersey and the Hudson Valley. The snow is expected to taper off before the evening rush, but lingering impacts are likely. NBC Storm Team 4 is currently forecasting 3 to 5 inches of snow for New York City and Long Island. The Hudson Valley and interior areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut are likely to get heavier amounts. High-end snow totals could reach 8 to 12 inches at higher elevations. (Source: NBC New York) By Rabbi Yair Hoffman The entire Jewish nation is elated that, Boruch Hashem, two of the hostages have been freed Louis Har and Fernando Marman, who were rescued from Rafah, Gaza. Marman, 61, and Har, 70 were taken hostage from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak by Hamas terrorists on October 7th. They were taken along with three women in their family, Mia Leimberg, 17, Gabriela Leimberg, and Clara Marman, who were released in a hostage deal on Nov.28th. Marman, from Kfar Saba, is a handyman who often helped residents of the kibbutz with anything they needed fixed. Har has four children, and 10 grandchildren. When escaping the clutches of such a situation, rachmana litzlan there are three brachos that may be in order. [This means the hostages themselves recite these three blessings.] The first one is, Boruch Attah Hashem elokainu Melech haOlam matir assurim who releases the imprisoned. The second is bentching Gomel which is recited whenever there is danger to life. And the third bracha is the shehecheyanu when seeing family members after having been kidnapped for so long. We must also express hakaras haTov for the brave members of Klal Yisroel who risked life and limb freeing them. Of course we daven every day for the release and well-being of the other 134 hostages and for the continued safety of those seeking their freedom and of all of Klal Yisroel. Let us also take this opportunity to reflect upon the reasons why we recite brachos: There are seven essential reasons why we recite brachos: 1] To thank Hashem for the particular item, opportunity, or situation that we have. In this case, these two hostages have been freed from horrifying circumstances. Benefitting from something without thanking Hashem for it is compared to stealing according to the Gemorah in Brachos 35a. This, of course, is only in a situation where Chazal deemed that a blessing is warranted and enacted these blessings. 2] To change ourselves to become someone who has hakaras hatov to recognize what has been given us. See Brachos (7a) regarding Leahs naming of Yehudah in Bereishis (29:35). It is interesting to note that her naming Yehudah would constantly remind her of her recognition of thanking Hashem. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai explains that Leah was the first to reach that high level of Hakaras HaTov. 3] To bring Hashem into our lives on a regular basis. Without brachos, we tend to become complacent and forget about our creator. Brachos, when said properly, remind us of Hashem and help us bring Hashem into our lives regularl. 4] To connect to Hashem and allow for Dveikus to Him. 5] Our sages enacted that we make these blessings and it is a Torah Mitzvah to follow what the sages have taught and enacted. 6] The Kuzari writes that when we focus on a Bracha we enjoy our food even more. Here, the hostages can better enjoy the freedom that they now have again. 7] The Gemorah in Brachos further states that not reciting a bracha is also considered as if we have stolen from Knesses Yisroel the Jewish nation. How so? Because when we sin, our nations fruits and handiwork suffer.(See Rashis words in Brachos 35a) Brachos, therefore, help us improve the lot of Klal Yisroel. It follows that when we do the right thing, things also improve for Klal Yisroel. As far as bentching Gomel is concerned, the Gemorah in Brachos (54b) informs us that there are four people who are required to bentch gomel: 1] one who travels by sea, 2] one who journeys in the desert, 3] one who recovers from illness and 4] one who exits from prison. These four categories are based upon Tehillim 107. The question arises as to what the underlying reason is for category #4, leaving prison. The Ri Migash (responsa #90) rules that someone who is released from debtors prison with no actual threat to life should recite the blessing of Matir Assurim. Clearly, his view is that the blessing is made because of his newly obtained freedom. The Mogain Avrohom (OC 219:1), on the other hand, writes that the blessing is only recited after exiting prison when one faced a possible death sentence. The Birkei Yosef concurring with the Ri Migash, states that release from any prison sentence requires bentching Gomel. The Mishna Brurah writes that if someone was in jail for one or two days, the blessing is not recited according to all opinions unless there was real danger to life. The Aruch Ha-Shulchan (209:25) rules like the Ri Migash but says that if there are further conditions to his release then he is not truly free and does not bentch gomel. The Mishnah Berurah adds that if there is any threat to life while in prison he would bentch gomel. Rav Bakshi Doron in his Binyan Av (Vol. I #6) rules that if a prisoner is allowed to leave prison (for example- to attend a family wedding) he does not recite the bracha at all, because he has to go back to prison afterward. This is also the implied view of the Aruch haShulchan (219:6). The Baal HaTanya in his Seder Birkos Ha-Nehenin (13:2), has a fascinating take on the issue. He adds that if he is imprisoned on a monetary matter where he was held in chains he recites the blessing. He is referencing the aforementioned Tehillim (107:10) being bound in affliction and iron. Rav Efrati, quoting Rav Elyashiv (Yisa Yoseph OC Vol. II #51), states that in todays prisons one does not recite gomel if there is no danger to life, but one should perhaps recite matir asurim. He recommends that one have in mind during birchas hashachar for this when one recites it in the morning blessings. In this situation, of course everyone would agree that it is recited because of the danger to life. In the Gemorah itself, the Baalei Tosfos point out that the order of the four that are listed is different from the order that is found in the Tehillim. The Baalei Tosfos answer that the Tehillim lists the more dangerous first and then goes on to the less danger. The Gemorah is listing whatever is most common. The Talmid Rabbeinu Yonah, however, has it as the opposite. Could it be that the Mogain Avrohom and the Ri Migash be arguing on this point how we understand why the Gemorah switches the order? As far as the third bracha of shehecheyanu, the Gemorah in Brachos 58b states: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who sees his friend after thirty days recites the Shehecheyanu bracha. Tosfos, the Rosh, and Rabbeinu Yonah all rule that one only recite this bracha when seeing a very close friend who you are very glad to see. These halachos are found in Shulchan Aruch OC Siman 225. The author can be reached at [email protected] By Rabbi Yair Hoffman He had travelled many times to Israel to lend them his expertise. Alfred McNeill was a remarkable example of a military and police expert who told it like it is, and did so when he saw mistakes and tweaks when battling crime and terrorism. He was one of those rare, larger than life, individuals whose contribution to the safety of others was deeply significant. Mr. McNeill, a resident of Inwood in the Five Towns, passed away last summer. He began his law enforcement career in 1971 as Deputy United States Marshall in the Brooklyn, New York office. He subsequently advanced through the ranks at the United States Marshals Service, focusing on advising local, state and federal agencies on security matters. He was granted Top Security clearance by the National Security Agency. Alfred NcNeil eventually became the US Marshal in charge of the Federal Witness Protection program. Mr. McNeills trips to Israel, among others involved advising YaSaM Yerakon, the special unit of the Israel Police that handles criminals and terrorists who carry firearms. Those who serve in YaSaM Yerakon are permanent personnel who graduated from combat units in the IDF or the Mageb. They have the units warrior pin. Mr. McNeills work was important because many of the moshavim in Israel are not directly protected by the IDF, but rather by YaSaM Yerakon. The fighters are required to be available around the clock, and they train regularly in professional subjects including physical fitness, marksmanship, fighting terrorism, Krav Maga, advanced demonstration dispersal tactics, operational driving, cooperation with other forces, first aid and more. Mr. McNeil was eminently qualified for the task. He was the recipient of the coveted United States Department of Justice Public Service Award. Additionally, the Canadian, Israeli, Italian, Australian and French governments honored him for his assistance to their governments. Mr. McNeill served in the United States Army. For his service in the Vietnam War, he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, the Combat Infantry Badge, the Overseas Service Ribbon and the Vietnam Service Ribbon. His daughters Kim and Trish continue their fathers shining example of public service. Trish heads an investigative unit for the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office and Kim is a nurse in a hospital in Manhattan. His son, AJ, (Alfred Junior) took care of his father during his illness. The Jewish community of the Five Towns and the State of Israel appreciate all the efforts, known and unknown, of Mr. Alfred McNeil for the safety of Israels residents. Iran is recruiting British Muslims who travel on pilgrimages to the Middle East to spy on Jews and dissidents in the UK, the Daily Mail said over the weekend in a report confirmed by Israeli and British officials. According to the report, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operatives recruit British Shias visiting religious sites in Iran and Iraq. Once they are enlisted for the task, the Shias are instructed to spy on and gather information about prominent British Jews or target sites such as shuls. Others are told to spy on UK-based Iranian dissidents. An Israeli official added that since October 7th, Israel has shared a record number of warnings with the UK about potential attacks by Iranians or their proxies. Experts say that some Iranians studying at UK universities as international students on state scholarships are also spies. According to the UKs M15 Security Service and counter-terror police, Iran has tried to kill or harm at least 15 British-based Iranian dissidents since the beginning of 2022. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Negotiations aimed at securing the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have made real progress, according to a senior Biden administration official speaking after a 45-minute phone call between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that focused primarily on the ongoing efforts to reach a deal. Despite the presence of significant gaps, the Biden administration official noted that a resolution was pretty much there, with President Biden emphasizing the importance of capitalizing on the recent advances to ensure the hostages are released as soon as possible. The negotiations have encountered challenges, notably Hamass initial delusional conditions for a new deal, which included the release of at least 1,500 Palestinian security prisoners and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, among other demands. The specifics of the progress since this impasse were not detailed. During his call with Netanyahu, Biden also expressed opposition to an Israeli military operation in Rafah, Gazas last Hamas stronghold, without a clear plan to protect civilians. This comes as Netanyahu signals his determination to continue the offensive, with Hamas threatening to disrupt the hostage negotiations if Israeli troops proceed. Egyptian officials have reportedly given Hamas a two-week ultimatum to reach a ceasefire agreement, warning of an IDF advance into Rafah otherwise. The proposed framework for negotiations, developed in Paris and accepted by Israel as a negotiation basis, suggests a phased humanitarian pause leading to the release of Israeli hostages and the bodies of those killed. The details of the agreement, including the release of Palestinian prisoners, are yet to be finalized in subsequent talks. Amid these developments, protests have erupted across Israel, with families of the hostages and their supporters calling for an immediate resolution. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari on Monday morning revealed the details of the dramatic hostage rescue operation earlier Monday morning that successfully extricated Fernando Simon Marman, 61, and Norberto Louis Har, 70, from Hamas captivity. The operation was carried out by the Shin Bet, the IDF, and Israel Polices Yamam counterterrorism officers. We brought Luis and Fernando home, Hagari said. It was a complex rescue operation under fire in the heart of Rafah, based on sensitive and highly reliable intelligence information. It was an operation for which we prepared for a long time and waited for the conditions that would allow us to carry it out. Early in the morning, at 1:49 a.m., the special forces broke into a building in the heart of Rafah. There, on the second floor, Luis and Fernando were being held by armed Hamas terrorists. From the moment the building was breached, the Yamam commandos protected Luis and Fernando with their bodies while an intense gun battle began. Air support allowed the soldiers to target the Hamas terrorists. At this stage, the soldiers took the hostages out of the apartment and rescued them under fire until they reached the safe zone. There, they underwent an initial medical examination by the forces in the field and they were flown in a helicopter to Sheba Hospital, where they had an emotional reunion with their families. It was a very tense and very emotional night, Hagari added, his voice breaking. The operation began at 1:00 a.m. after weeks of extensive preparation, training, and simulations. Unit 5515 covertly brought the Shin Bet operatives and IDF soldiers into Rafah. Simultaneously, the Air Force attacked dozens of nearby targets. The soldiers reached the building from the roof, detonated an explosive device to breach the door on the second floor, eliminated the Hamas guards, and secured the two hostages. At this point, terrorists opened fire from within the building and from nearby buildings, and a prolonged gun battle took place, during which dozens of Hamas targets were attacked from the air to allow the forces to leave the building. During the operation, an IDF soldier who fell from a height was slightly injured. The evacuation to a safe area outside the neighborhood included the involvement of the 7th Armored Brigade and massive Air Force support. A Black Hawk helicopter evacuated Fernando and Luis to Sheba Hospital where their relatives were eagerly awaiting them. The rescue operation was conducted from a command room under the direction of IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, Police Chief Yaakov Shabtai, and Air Force Commander Tomer Bar. In the course of the operation, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also joined the command room. The director of Sheba, Prof. Arnon Afek, said on Monday morning that the hostages are in stable condition. The video below was posted by Gazans on Monday morning and claims to show the building where the hostages were held and the operation was carried out: (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) The IDF has released dramatic footage showing its overnight rescue of two hostages from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, along with footage of airstrikes subsequently carried out on Hamas positions in the vicinity. The operation to rescue the hostages commenced quietly around 1 a.m., targeting a residential building where hostages Fernando Simon Marman and Norberto Louis Har Marman were being held captive. Using explosives, special forces breached the apartment at 1:49 a.m. and quickly neutralized three terrorists tasked with guarding the hostages. In the immediate aftermath of the rescue, the Israeli Air Force launched a series of airstrikes aimed at Hamas terrorists in the area, allowing for the safe extraction of the special forces and the newly freed hostages. The rescued individuals were then transported in armored vehicles out of the conflict zone and airlifted by a military helicopter to Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan. Medical evaluations listed both Marman and Har in good condition. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The IDF has released footage of the moment that special forces rescued two hostages from Hamas in Rafah and transported them back into Israel. The hostages are in our hands, safe and sound. We are boarding a helicopter and flying to Tel Hashomer Hospital, a commando says in the footage. The hostages themselves are seen weary but happy as they get comfortable aboard the military helicopter evacuating them from the area as they concluded 129 days in torturous captivity. Must-watch videos below. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon interacts with lion dance performers during an event celebrating the Lunar New Year at the New Zealand parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Feb. 12, 2024. The event held at the New Zealand parliament on Monday has become an annual gathering since 2002. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told the celebration that New Zealand has strong, diverse Asian communities that are telling inspiring stories. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua) WELLINGTON, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- An event celebrating the Lunar New Year was held at the New Zealand parliament on Monday, which has become an annual gathering since 2002. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told the celebration that New Zealand has strong, diverse Asian communities that are telling inspiring stories. Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said the annual event has become a time-honored tradition showcasing the way New Zealand values the contribution of the Chinese community and the role of the Chinese culture as a part of the multicultural mosaic in the country. The ambassador recalled the progress of the bilateral relations, saying this year marks the 10th anniversary of the China-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He believed that the nature of the China-New Zealand relationship is mutually beneficial, its foundation is mutual respect and mutual trust, and its future depends on the mutual efforts from both sides. Guests watch a performance during an event celebrating the Lunar New Year at the New Zealand parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Feb. 12, 2024. The event held at the New Zealand parliament on Monday has become an annual gathering since 2002. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told the celebration that New Zealand has strong, diverse Asian communities that are telling inspiring stories. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua) New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon (4th L), Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong (3rd L) and other guests pose for a group photo with lion dance performers at the New Zealand parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Feb. 12, 2024. The event held at the New Zealand parliament on Monday has become an annual gathering since 2002. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told the celebration that New Zealand has strong, diverse Asian communities that are telling inspiring stories. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua) New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses an event celebrating the Lunar New Year at the New Zealand parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Feb. 12, 2024. The event held at the New Zealand parliament on Monday has become an annual gathering since 2002. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told the celebration that New Zealand has strong, diverse Asian communities that are telling inspiring stories. (Photo by Meng Tao/Xinhua) Staff members carry ballot boxes during the distribution of election materials ahead of general election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) JAKARTA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Wednesday. The latest polls from multiple agencies showed that the support for the pair of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka continues to rise, exceeding 50 percent, having a chance to win directly in the first round of voting. However, the other two candidate combinations were still seeking support from voters before the election campaign ended on Saturday, hoping to drag the election into a run-off. PRABOWO-GIBRAN TAKES SUBSTANTIAL LEAD Indonesia holds a general election every five years to elect the president and vice president. Candidates for the posts run in pairs. The three combinations running for the 2024 election are: Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Mayor of Surakarta Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the eldest son of incumbent Indonesian President Joko Widodo; former Governor of Central Java Ganjar Pranowo and former Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud Mahmodin, and former Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan and Chairman of the National Awakening Party Muhaimin Iskandar. Surveys from polling agencies showed that the support rate for Prabowo's combination has exceeded 50 percent. By combining the survey results, the British journal The Economist said that as of Jan. 28, Prabowo and Gibran had an average support rate of 53 percent, leading by a large margin, while that of the Anies' and Ganjar's combinations were respectively 20 percent and 19 percent. According to the election rules, in order to be directly elected, the candidate combination must obtain more than half of the ballots in the first round of voting and secure more than 20 percent of the votes in more than half of Indonesia's provinces and regions. If no group meets the requirements, a second round of voting will be held between the two groups of candidates with the most votes. Adjie Alfaraby, a senior researcher at the Indonesian Survey Institute, said that the support rate for Prabowo's combination continues to rise. If this trend can be maintained, Prabowo will likely win directly in the first round. POSITIONING AS "WIDODO'S SUCCESSOR" Prabowo is an important member of the current President Widodo's administration. He has positioned himself as the president's successor and said that he will continue to promote Widodo's policies, thus winning the recognition of many supporters of the current administration. Meanwhile, Widodo and members of his administration were also helping Prabowo with his campaign, further increasing Prabowo's support rate. Five rounds of debates have been held ahead of the upcoming general election, with the presidential and vice-presidential candidates from the three pairs taking turns attending. The final debate on Feb. 4 focused on social welfare, human resources, health, education and other issues. Analysts believe that compared with the other two presidential candidates, Prabowo's policy proposals are more concrete and practical, and have a certain appeal to voters. At the final debate, many cabinet members of the current administration were present to show their support for Prabowo. Almost all leaders from the nine parties of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition led by Prabowo were also present. Recently, the Widodo administration has been providing support to Prabowo's campaign. Since taking office as president in 2014, Widodo has led Indonesia to a path of steady development. Polls show that about 75 percent of Indonesian people are satisfied with his governance. During his working visit to Central Java a few days ago, the president dined with Prabowo at a well-known restaurant as a gesture to help Prabowo increase his exposure. SUSPENSE STILL LINGERS IN FIRST VOTING Although polls show that Prabowo's combination has a big lead in support rate, the first round of voting is not without any suspense. Lagging behind in the polls, Anies and Ganjar are still high-spirited. Before the campaign ended, they were conducting intensive activities across the country for the final sprint. Some well-known figures in Indonesian politics have recently come forward to express their support for the two groups. Former Trade Minister Thomas Lembong joined Anies' campaign team while the eldest son of Indonesia's founding President Sukarno stood for Ganjar. Analysts pointed out that with Prabowo currently leading the polls, Ganjar and Anies' strategy is to seek a run-off. Their campaign teams have met several times to discuss possible cooperation. Buhanuddin Muhtadi, executive director of the polling agency Indonesian Political Indicators, recently said that if Anies and Ganjar successfully form an alliance and integrate their supporters, Prabowo will face some new challenges. Staff members carry ballot boxes during the distribution of election materials ahead of general election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) A staff member checks ballot boxes during the distribution of election materials ahead of general election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) A staff member carries a ballot box during the distribution of election materials ahead of general election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) Staff members carry ballot boxes during the distribution of election materials ahead of general election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) Staff members carry ballot boxes during the distribution of election materials ahead of general election in Jakarta, Indonesia, Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain) Staff members deliver ballot boxes to remote areas on horse back at Meru Betiri National Park in Jember, East Java, Indonesia, on Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Photo by Sahlan Kurniawan/Xinhua) Staff members deliver ballot boxes to remote areas on horse back at Meru Betiri National Park in Jember, East Java, Indonesia, on Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Photo by Sahlan Kurniawan/Xinhua) Staff members deliver ballot boxes to remote areas on horse back at Meru Betiri National Park in Jember, East Java, Indonesia, on Feb. 13, 2024. Indonesia's 2024 presidential election will be held on Feb. 14. (Photo by Sahlan Kurniawan/Xinhua) VALLETTA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The historic city of Valletta has become a colorful and musical heaven with marching bands, street performers and dancers as Malta celebrates the carnival from Feb. 9 to 13. Main events began on Saturday, focusing on the children's carnival, with a competitive dance show, in St George's Square, followed by competitions for adults. A parade of floats and grotesque masks will run throughout the remaining days of the carnival, with a climax on Tuesday during the grand finale. A record number of companies will also be participating in competitive dance shows this year. Carnival enthusiasts start preparing for the carnival from the previous year's event, developing a concept for the floats they are to prepare as well as colorful, elaborate costumes they need to create. One such enthusiast, Charles Azzopardi, told Xinhua that he has been taking part in carnival activities since he was young, taking over from his father and grandfather. "For us, this is the most important event in our lives. We invest a lot of money in creating floats and recruiting dancers. The aim of carnival is to make merry, bring smiles on people's face and this is what keeps us going," he said. Another enthusiast, Franco Vella, said he involves his entire family and extended family in the creation of the floats and costumes, with everyone lending a hand to create something truly spectacular. Carnival has had an important place on the Maltese cultural calendar for just under five centuries, having been celebrated since at least the mid-15th century. Enthusiasts are bracing themselves for bad weather predicted over the next few days which may disrupt the festivities and ruin the work done over the past year. Rain and strong winds are forecast to lash Malta from the weekend, with thundery showers expected on Sunday and isolated showers until Tuesday. In 2019, a severe storm damaged several carnival floats sheltered in two huge temporary tents. Conductor Cai Jindong (center R) and suona artist Guo Yazhi (center L) perform at the "The Sound of Spring" concert in New York, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. "The Sound of Spring," an annual concert presented by musicians from U.S. and Chinese higher education institutions, has become part of celebrations of the Lunar New Year in the New York metropolitan area.(Xinhua/Liu Yanan) by Xinhua writer Liu Yanan NEW YORK, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- "The Sound of Spring," an annual concert presented by musicians from U.S. and Chinese higher education institutions, has become part of celebrations of the Lunar New Year in the New York metropolitan area. Around 1,000 people attended "The Sound of Spring" concert for 2024 on Sunday afternoon at Rose Theater as many were still in a high holiday mood on the second day of the Year of the Dragon. "Yesterday, I actually had to work. I didn't realize it was Chinese New Year. So, I actually didn't take time off, but we celebrated today," said a spectator who gave her first name as Chalsea. "Usually we go out with friends and families and eat a big Chinese meal in celebrating Chinese New Year," said Chalsea, who works in New York City and lives in New Jersey. Chalsea said this was her first time attending "The Sound of Spring" concert, and she wanted her kids to see the performance. Richard Zhou, a resident from New Jersey, told Xinhua that he drove about one and a half hours to watch the concert with tickets booked one month ago to secure a good seat. Zhou said he was impressed by Guo Yazhi's performance of "The Magic Land," a suona concerto, although not familiar with the piece, which has its world premiere in 2023. Zhou added that the Lunar New Year has been very important for the Chinese and he would stay in the town for a while with his family members. It's learned that tickets for the concert were sold out and Rose Theater even had to make extra arrangements to accommodate more people. The two-hour performance won rounds of applause and praise from the audience. Presented by the U.S.-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, in collaboration with China's Central Conservatory of Music, the concert for 2024 staged many new works by contemporary Chinese composers inspired by musical traditions and folk customs from different Chinese regions. More than half of the repertoire has never been performed in the United States. The performance featured erhu artist Zhang Haiyue and dizi (bamboo flute) artist Feng Tianshi from the Central Conservatory of Music, in addition to renowned wind player Guo Yazhi, according to the U.S.-China Music Institute. Cai Jindong, who conducted the performance, also spared minutes in introducing both the pieces and traditions of the Lunar New Year. The musicians also presented the first leg of the performance on Saturday at Bard College, which is about 90 miles north of New York City. Pre-concert family-friendly events including the demonstration of Chinese instruments, the making of handcrafts featuring the Lunar New Year as well as the creation of Chinese calligraphy works drew interest from spectators. Kendall Griffith, who studies pipa performance at Bard College Conservatory of Music and spent one semester at China's Central Conservatory of Music, demonstrated pipa performance in the lobby of the Rose Theater for visitors. Griffith told Xinhua that she improved a lot in both pipa performance and Chinese language thanks to the very strict training and daily communication with teachers and classmates in Beijing. "I've had a couple of recitals. I also had a performance in Beijing. That's the first time. So that was nice," said Griffith. Griffith noted she learned a lot about Chinese culture when she was in high school and middle school in Boston. It's hoped that audiences could feel the vigor of Chinese music, as well as friendliness and love to the world in the performance, said Yu Hongmei, erhu artist and a top decision maker at Central Conservatory of Music. Yu said she was involved in promoting cooperation with the U.S.-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music five years ago and would make efforts to deepen the cooperation in the future. "We welcome more students from the United States and other places of the world to study Chinese music and culture in China and form different colors and styles after their return," said Yu. In partnership with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the U.S.-China Music Institute of the Bard College Conservatory of Music offers the first degree-granting program in Chinese instrument performance in a U.S. conservatory. Conductor Cai Jindong (center R) and bamboo flute artist Feng Tianshi (center L) perform at the "The Sound of Spring" concert in New York, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. "The Sound of Spring," an annual concert presented by musicians from U.S. and Chinese higher education institutions, has become part of celebrations of the Lunar New Year in the New York metropolitan area.(Xinhua/Liu Yanan) Conductor Cai Jindong (C, front) makes introductory remarks at the "The Sound of Spring" concert in New York, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. "The Sound of Spring," an annual concert presented by musicians from U.S. and Chinese higher education institutions, has become part of celebrations of the Lunar New Year in the New York metropolitan area.(Xinhua/Liu Yanan) Conductor Cai Jindong (center R) and erhu artist Zhang Haiyue (center L) perform at the "The Sound of Spring" concert in New York, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. "The Sound of Spring," an annual concert presented by musicians from U.S. and Chinese higher education institutions, has become part of celebrations of the Lunar New Year in the New York metropolitan area.(Xinhua/Liu Yanan) A Chinese artisan makes a rice sculpture for visitors at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) by Xinhua writer Yang Shilong PHILADELPHIA, the United States, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. Artisans from Zhejiang Province of China took over the Great Stair Hall of the museum with a variety of demonstrations, including tea-whisking, sugar painting, rice sculptures, poetry couplets, and puppetry. Guests also got an opportunity to create their own woodblock prints, learn about the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, and received a lucky red envelope. It was estimated that at least 1,000 parents and their kids had joined the five-hour celebration on Sunday, according to Hiromi Kinoshita, curator of Chinese Art at the PMA. "I think having the craftsmen to come all the way from China and perform things that you don't usually get to see is very attractive. And the event was very popular," she said. Kinoshita, who's been working with the PMA for 12 years, believed the event could help facilitate better understanding between the American and Chinese peoples, especially at a time when information that people get usually comes from the internet or the news, which could lead to a restricted view. "I think people and arts are very important to transmit ideas, and I can't think of any better way than having craftsmen or artisans who can show their arts personally," said Kinoshita. "I think having this type of personal connection is important," she said. Kinoshita also expressed her appreciation for the help and support from the Chinese consulate general in New York for making the event a reality. "We should have this more often. We need to know other cultures. I would come back every year if you have it," said Coco Idani, a visitor who was excited to get the rice sculpture of her Zodiac sign of tiger made by a young Chinese craftsman. "Chinese culture is old and extremely rich," said Idani. "We should learn from such a culture that has survived many years." "I always think that through the arts and culture, we can make bridges. So I'm very happy to participate," said Paul, who works in information technology and is married to a Chinese lady from Zhengzhou, China. "The event is wonderful. We like to share Chinese culture. It's great that the artisans from China come here to show puppetry and their handicrafts," said Paul, holding in arms their two-year-old daughter Zina wearing a Chinese Spring Festival Zodiac head kit. Cathy and Joe Jacobsen were planning to go to Chinatown in Philadelphia to see the Lunar New Year parade, but they got lost and ended up in the PMA event. Yet they really loved the event as it was inclusive, joyful, and welcoming to everybody. "It's a good occasion to celebrate our reunion," said Joe, adding that they have known each other since the 1970s but only reunited after 40 years in 2016. PMA's event was the last leg of the Chinese artisans' 10-day visit to the United States to join the Lunar New Year celebrations in New York and neighboring areas. They had earlier performed at the Metropolitan Museum, Lincoln Center, and China Institute. "It's a great surprise for us that local people were so enthusiastic about Chinese culture. We often had to extend our scheduled performance hours to accommodate a much larger-than-expected crowd of visitors," Ruan Jing, leader of the delegation and director of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center, told Xinhua. A Chinese artisan demonstrates porcelain making at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) A woman and a child marvel at traditional Chinese dress at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) A Chinese artisan demonstrates woodblock printing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) Artisans from Zhejiang Province of China perform a puppetry show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) A Chinese calligrapher writes couplets for visitors at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) A Chinese artisan demonstrates tea-whisking at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) Visitors look at an embroidery artwork at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) A Chinese artisan demonstrates sugar painting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) A child enjoys puppetry at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Lunar New Year Festival in Philadelphia, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2024. The Philadelphia Museum of Art hosted a day-long immersive Lunar New Year Festival full of hands-on activities exploring Chinese culture on Sunday. (Photo by Winston Zhou/Xinhua) A team of 27 chefs, members of the Emirates Culinary Guild, took part in the Culinary Olympics 2024 in Germany in February, and have returned home with 69 medals and 1 diploma for showing their prowess in various competitions. The medals include three gold with distinction won by Chef Thilina Pradeep Kallamullage Fernando, Chef Pathma Madushanka Kuma Hennedige and Chef Kameel Rasyid Eril 39 gold, 27 silver and 1 Diploma. This was the highest for any team that competed in the culinary Olympics, this year, a statement said. The team, representing the UAE, included 20 artists and pastry chefs. They competed against more than 45 other international culinary teams from around the world including Singapore, Sweden, Norway, South Korea, Taiwan and other top teams. The UAE team was led by Emirates Culinary Guild Past President Chef Uwe Micheel and was supported by Chef Karl Heinz Ney, Chef Harald Oberender, Chef Rabeh Amer, Chef Saeed Fawaz, Chef Chamil Sanjeewa, Chef Shyju Varghese, Chef Dinesh Kinson and President of the Syrian Chefs Guild Majed Al Sabagh. The team has made us proud as a country and culinary association for proving what the Emirates can do, said Guild President Andy Cuthbert, General Manager, Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, and Madinat Conference Centre, who also travelled with the team. The high quality of work shone through, and the number of gold medals are a testament to the standard of the chefs we are lucky to have in the UAE. Uwe Micheel, Guild Past President, who led the team, said: To lead such a great team of young men and women and be rewarded with so much recognition from the international culinary community, is very rewarding personally and professionally. They kept the flag flying for the fourth time in the Culinary Olympics. TradeArabia News Service Share prices of top industrial gas, natural gas, and hydrogen company Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE: APD) just sank. Investors may have been spooked by some commentary from CEO Seifi Ghasemi, who had this dire warning on the last earnings call: I'd just like to caution everybody on the call that the economic situation in China is not as robust as people might think. As you know, we make products that are used instantaneously. We are a great leading indicator. And things are not really that exciting in that part of the world. China is the world's second-largest economy, accounting for nearly 20% of global GDP. If economic conditions get tough in China, it can spell disaster for many company stocks that do business there. Is Air Products sounding the alarm for investors? Important context on a unique industrial process From a high-level view, Air Products' stock plunge was due to the company lowering its outlook for fiscal 2024 adjusted earnings per share. Previously, it was expecting about 13% growth this year. After its first-quarter update (for the period ended in December 2023, as Air Products' fiscal year ends in October), management downgraded adjusted earnings growth expectations to 6% to 9% over 2023. The reason for the downgrade? Ghasemi noted the lackluster outlook for China's economy, and Air Products is specifically feeling the pinch in its helium business. What's the deal with helium? Helium is obtained during oil and natural gas extraction. As Air Products is a leader in natural gas equipment technology, it's naturally also a top supplier of helium. And helium has become a critical ingredient in all sorts of technology and manufacturing processes. One of the manufacturing processes that uses ample amounts of helium is the production of semiconductor devices. China has been buying lots of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to bolster its domestic chipmaking capabilities. Record shipments of chipmaking machinery were sold to China in 2023 from top suppliers like ASML, Applied Materials, and others. As semiconductors have proliferated around the world, helium prices have increased. Story continues But now it seems that chip manufacturing activity is tapering off in China. Air Products' largest volume of helium sales goes to China, so the declining helium demand off peak levels (and thus ultimate pricing) is starting to falter too. The short story is this: Air Products' business in China may be indicating what's going on in semiconductor manufacturing, instead of indicating a widespread downturn for the economy overall and impending doom for investors. Air Products stock is still top-notch Of course, the making and sale of electronics has become critical to global economic health, so Air Products' warning on China is worth monitoring. But at this point, this appears to be normal business cyclicality from an industrial giant. Besides, while helium sales in the East are having an effect on Air Products' profitability right now, the bulk of this business is still tied to the "energy transition" economy. That means higher energy consumption derived from sources like liquid natural gas (or LNG, in which Air Products is the top supplier of LNG liquefaction equipment) and the emerging hydrogen energy industry. This core energy operation is still growing, and Air Products is investing heavily ($5 billion to $5.5 billion in capital expenditures this year alone) in support of it. After the latest update, Air Products stock trades for cheaper than it has in years at 21 times trailing 12-month earnings per share, and 15 times on a one-year-forward expected earnings basis. Earnings growth may be slowing, but 2022 and 2023 were an especially strong couple of years. The company has a long track record of steady growth, and now yields a 3.3% annual dividend. I was slowly adding to my position last year, and see no reason to stop now -- even if China's economy is temporarily throttling growth. Should you invest $1,000 in Air Products And Chemicals right now? Before you buy stock in Air Products And Chemicals, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Air Products And Chemicals wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 5, 2024 Nicholas Rossolillo and his clients have positions in ASML, Air Products And Chemicals, and Applied Materials. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML and Applied Materials. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is This 1 Top Industrial Stock Sounding the Alarm On China's 2024 Economy? was originally published by The Motley Fool Tire manufacturer Zhongce Rubber Group (ZC Rubber), headquartered in Hangzhou, China, has unveiled its plans for a new factory in Mexico. The company is looking to establish a manufacturing facility in Saltillo, potentially encompassing 600,000m2. The factory will also be equipped with a North American warehouse center to improve the local distribution network. Positioned 250km from the US-Mexico border, the company will use the facility to meet the demands of both the Mexican and North American markets. Henry Shen, VP of ZC Rubber, said, Our plan to open a tire factory in Mexico demonstrates our commitment to meeting the growing demand for high-quality tires in the region. While we explore this opportunity, we remain focused on our customers needs and operational efficiency by setting up a complete local distribution network. For the latest ZC Rubber news, click here In this article, we list and discuss the 16 Most Advanced Countries in Medicine. If you would like to skip our detailed discussion of the medicine and pharmaceutical industry, you can go directly to 5 Most Advanced Countries in Medicine. Despite the tragedy of the Pandemic, Covid-19 did successfully revolutionize the medical world. According to the National Library of Medicine, the US government invested at least $31.9 billion in researching, developing, and purchasing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. So while the Global Pandemic caused most industries to crash, the pharmaceutical market was one of the obvious exceptions. In fact, it surged the highest during COVID-19. Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE), crossed the $100 billion mark in annual revenue. The surge in revenue was due to the massive haul from its COVID-19 products. Its BioNTech-partnered vaccine, Comirnaty, earned $37.8 billion, while its oral antiviral Paxlovid fetched another $18.9 billion in 2022. Other companies like Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI), Sanofi (NASDAQ: SNY), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN), and Amgen Inc. (NASDAQ: AMGN) also gained substantial growth during the pandemic period, and their stocks remain the top choice for investors in 2024 as well (See: 13 Best Medical Stocks To Invest In). Industry Outlook Due to its ever-increasing demand, the medicine market has experienced exponential growth over time. In 2001, the pharmaceutical industry was valued at $390 billion, which then grew by 320% in the next (nearly) two decades. In 2019, the industry stood at a valuation of $1.25 trillion, as researched by the National Library of Medicine. After 2019, when the pandemic took the world by surprise, the medicine industry further experienced substantial growth as countries increased their vaccine expenditure. A report by the OECD says that the pharmaceutical industry invested $129 billion in research and development (R&D) in 2021 alone, of which the majority expense was by the US. However, the average OECD health expenditure to GDP ratio declined from the peak of 9.7% that was during the pandemic in 2021 to 9.2% in 2022. Story continues While further going into depth of the country-level data, countries that spent the most on health in 2022 were the US, Germany, and France, spending 16.6%, 12.7%, and 12.1% of their total GDPs, respectively. As far as number of pharmacists go, according to the 2021 OECD report, Japan is the top country with the most practicing pharmacists, with 199 pharmacists per 1000 population. Following Japan -- Belgium, and Italy have the most pharmacists 131 and 128 per 1000 people respectively. All in all, the medical world changed drastically post-COVID, and in the next six to seven years, by 2030, new trends and challenges will shape the pharmaceutical industry. For instance, artificial intelligence (AI) will play a crucial role in R&D and will be widely used by companies in various areas of medicine. In fact, this aspect of innovation has already started to take shape Nana Kofi Quakyi, a program manager at the Aurum Institute in Ghana, is currently working to develop an AI model to help healthcare workers prescribe antibiotics without triggering antimicrobial resistance. In his End of Year report, Bill Gates, the former CEO of Microsoft, highlighted Nanas work and prominent use cases of AI in the medicinal world. Gates Foundation is now looking at how AI tools can address major health issues like AIDs, TB, and Malaria. The National Library of Medicine has further endorsed this development, reporting that AI has emerged successfully as a powerful tool in the medical sector. Key players in the pharmaceutical industry, such as Sanofi SA (NASDAQ: SNY), Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE), and Janssen Biotech, which is owned by Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), have invested in AI to use it for drug discovery and other purposes. In 2018, Sanofi SA (NASDAQ: SNY) partnered with Aily Labs and developed an AI platform called plai. The app essentially aggregates the companys internal data and provides an unprecedented 360 view across all its activities. On the other hand, Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE), which is currently ranked at the top in the pharma world, used IBMs supercomputing and AI since 2020 and developed new drugs like PAXLOVID, an oral COVID-19 treatment approved in 2022. Entering 2024, both Sanofi SA (NASDAQ: SNY) and Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) aim to integrate more AI within their operations. Let's now move to the list of the top countries in medicine. 16 Most Advanced Countries in Medicine 16 Most Advanced Countries in Medicine Our Methodology For our list of the most advanced nations in medicine, weve ranked them based on three reports. These are the following - Legatum Prosperity Index, 2023, Countries Citations in Clinical Medicine, by Institute of Scientific Information, and the CEO-World report of the countries with the best healthcare systems in 2023. Legatum Prosperity Indexs health pillar measures the extent to which people have access to essential and advanced healthcare services. The Institute of Scientific Information report, on the other hand, is about the number of citations per paper for countries in the field of clinical medicine. Lastly, the CEO-World report is based on a statistical analysis that accounted for factors such as healthcare infrastructure, government readiness, healthcare professionals, and quality of medicine among others. Weve scored these three indexes and then averaged out the scores for the top countries in the three reports. We havent considered the countries that did not appear in more than one report. The data for healthcare spending and physicians per 1,000 people in our listed countries comes from the World Bank. The list is presented in ascending order of high scores. 16 Most Advanced Countries in Medicine 16. France Citations per paper: 8.64 Healthcare Index: 48.27 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 80.46 Average: 4.33 Ranked number sixteen, France is known for its rich medical history, having paved the way for modern-day surgeries and chemotherapy. Not only is France recognized for its medical research but also for its healthcare system, which provides universal coverage for residents. In 2023, France spent around 12.1% of its GDP on healthcare which is 1.9% higher than the OECD average. France had 3.2 practicing doctors and 9.7 practicing nurses per 1000 population in 2023. 15. Austria Citations per paper: 8.34 Healthcare Index: 54.86 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 80.23 Average: 4.33 According to the 2018 Health System Review Report by the Euro Health Observatory, Austria residents have the lowest rate of unmet medical needs in the EU. Apart from healthcare, Austria is also home to several renowned medical schools, including the Vienna School of Medicine. There are 5.4 practicing doctors and 10.6 practicing nurses per 1000 people in Austria as of today, according to OECD. The country also has many state-of-the-art hospitals with high-quality equipment like the Vienna General Hospital. Austria is also known to have one of the highest global expenditures on pharmaceuticals and the country spent $7,275 per capita on health in 2023. 14. Belgium Citations per paper: 11.56 Healthcare Index: 60.16 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 80.6 Average: 6.66 Belgium is another medically advanced country, with its medical technology market expected to grow dramatically and reach $4.22 billion in 2024. The country has some of the EUs best medical universities, like KU Leuven and Ghent University. Austria prioritizes medical research, and Austrian researchers have made notable contributions to fields like immunology and cancer research. In fact, Belgiums history with immunology goes all the way back to 1919, when Jules Bordet received the first Nobel Prize for his work discoveries within the field. Belgium also collaborates with renowned international organizations like WHO, which further enhances its standing in the medicine industry. In 2023, Belgium spent 10.9% of its GDP on health and had the 7th highest spending on health expenditures in the world. 13. Denmark Citations per paper: 12.50 Healthcare Index: 48.54 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 81.07 Average: 7 Denmark is considered medically advanced due to its robust healthcare system, excellent medical services, and significant focus on preventative care. It is also one of Europes leading medical technology countries, along with Norway, Sweden, and Germany. Denmark offers patient-centric services which include online systems where healthcare professionals can access a patient's data. Denmark has 4.4 practicing doctors and 10.2 practicing nurses per 1000 people as of 2023. According to the International Trades Administration, the Danish digital health market will surpass $1 billion by 2025. 12. Germany Citations per paper: 7.79 Healthcare Index: 64.66 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 81.41 Average: 7.33 Ranked 12th, Germany has a rich history in the field of medicine and is the birthplace of prominent scientists like Paul Ehrlich and Alfred Bertheim the inventors of arsphenamine. It is also known for pharmaceutical industry giant Bayer AG (ETR: BAYN) and has the largest healthcare market in the EU. Moreover, manufacturing medical technology companies like B.Braun help the medical devices industry grow within the country. By 2028, the medical technology market in Germany is projected to grow by 4.39%. Germanys solid health infrastructure and focus on research have helped with its advancements in the medical field. 11. USA Citations per paper: 13.50 Healthcare Index: 56.71 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 73.26 Average: 7.33 Despite its expensive healthcare system, the US is considered one of the most medically advanced countries with the second most number of citations per paper. The US is a global leader in the medical field and has some of the best medical research institutions like Harvard and Johns Hopkins. It is at the forefront of medical research, especially in areas like medical technology and Cancer research. The US healthcare costs were $4.7 trillion in 2023 and are expected to grow to $7.3 trillion by 2031. 10. Finland Citations per paper: 12.62 Healthcare Index: 52.1 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 81.19 Average: 8 Finland is a country that has made major strides in the world of medical research, mainly in the genomics field. It is home to FinnGen, a Finnish biobank, and is one of the worlds leading genomics projects. Finland also has an amazing tax-funded healthcare system and Finnish people are reported to have an 88% satisfaction rate. In 2023, Finland spent $5,599 per capita which is equal to 10.0% of the country's GDP. Finland also has 3.6 practicing doctors and 18.9 practicing nurses per 1000 people. 9. Australia Citations per paper: 9.85 Healthcare Index: 74.11 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 80.36 Average: 8.66 Standing at number nine, Australia has one of the best healthcare systems in the world with respect to testing facilities, accessibility, medical care, and healthcare facilities. The country focuses on medical research, especially in the infectious diseases and cancer research fields. In fact, Australia is an international leader in the Cancer research domain and has made significant breakthroughs in the cancer prevention and support domains. The Australian pharmaceutical market played a major role in Covid-19 vaccine development and the market is expected to reach $10.16 billion in 2024. 8. Japan Citations per paper: 7.53 Healthcare Index: 59.52 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 86.5 Average: 8.67 Japan is recognized globally for its contributions to the medical research and technology field, with the countrys medical device market projected to reach $94.23 billion by 2032. The country is known for its innovations in regenerative medicine and robotics. In 2023, Japan spent 11.5% of its GDP on health and is on track to advance even further in the field of medicine in the next few years. The future of medicine in Japan holds robot surgeries and telemedicine, which are currently being launched and regulated. 7. Israel Citations per paper: 8.14 Healthcare Index: 61.73 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 83.1 Average: 9 Israel is also one of the most advanced countries in medicine as of today. The country spends 7.4% of its GDP on health and has an average of 3.4 practicing doctors per 1000 people. Israel is also home to top research universities like the Tel Aviv University and Weizmann Institute. 6. Switzerland Citations per paper: 11.51 Healthcare Index: 59.6 Legatum-Prosperity Health Score: 82.11 Average: 9 Ranked number sixth, Switzerland is known for its world-class hospitals, research institutions, and pharmaceutical companies like Novartis International AG (NYSE: NVS). Swedish researchers have also made significant advancements in molecular biology, genetics, and pharmaceutical development within the last decade. The country provides paid private healthcare insurance to its residents. As of 2024, Switzerland spends 11.3% of its GDP on health which is around $8,049 per capita. There are 4.4 practicing doctors and 18.4 practicing nurses per 1000 people in Switzerland. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Most Advanced Countries in Medicine. Suggested articles: Disclosure: None. 16 Most Advanced Countries in Medicine is originally published on Insider Monkey. In this article, we will discuss the 20 Biggest Cosmetics Brands in the World. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global cosmetics market, beauty-meets-sustainability, and cosmetic companies going green and innovative to go directly to the 5 Biggest Cosmetics Brands in the World. Who wouldn't desire to radiate beauty and maintain impeccable cleanliness? Cosmetics encompass a wide range of beauty and personal care products that are specifically designed for skin cleansing and beautification. The U.S. cosmetics market size is estimated at $87.70 billion as of 2022 and is predicted to reach around USD 150.50 billion by 2032, flourishing at a CAGR of 5.60% from 2023 to 2032 as per Precedence Research. Global Cosmetics Market: The FDA, which oversees cosmetic regulations in the US, describes cosmetics as goods that are "intended to be applied to the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance without affecting the body's structure or functions." This wide definition encompasses any substance intended to serve as a component of a cosmetic product. The FDA specifically excludes soap from this category. Recent years have seen strong growth in the global cosmetics market size valued at $299.77 billion in 2022. With a market share of 37.55% in 2022, Asia-Pacific was the dominant region worldwide. Growing consumer awareness of grooming, health, and hygiene and the adoption of sustainable cosmetics are the main growth drivers of this sector. After a strong rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic's peak, the beauty market is anticipated to reach from $313.22 billion in 2023 to $417.24 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.2%. The primary factors propelling this predicted market's growth, as per Fortune Business Insights, are the worldwide population's growing awareness of the significance of beauty and well-being. These products have the power to enhance a person's overall appearance. Such beauty items have been manufactured under the direction of a handful of conglomerates that provide an extensive variety of skincare, hair care, and lip care products, all of which are crucial to meeting a client's particular cosmetic needs. In addition, customers are being drawn to the increasing array of anti-aging product launches, the emergence of innovative and efficient packaging designs, and small, portable containers. Manufacturers are concentrating on creating a broad range of products that can meet the distinctive requirements of every person. Story continues Beauty Meets Sustainability: The cosmetics industry is undergoing a profound transformation. The notion of sustainable beauty is rapidly gaining traction, fueled by the aspiration for products that not only enhance our appearance but also contribute positively to the well-being of our planet. This remarkable movement is reshaping the beauty industry, questioning conventional practices, and igniting a surge of creativity and ingenuity. From the utilization of eco-friendly ingredients to the adoption of sustainable packaging and the emergence of consumer trends, sustainable beauty is leading the charge towards a more environmentally conscious future. The vegan cosmetics market, estimated to be worth $17.39 billion globally in 2022, is expected to rise at an exciting rate and reach $24 billion by 2028, as per Research and Markets. Europe is expected to be valued at $2.2 billion by 2028, making it a crucial geographic region for this market. Hence, consumers are actively looking for cosmetic products that are vegan, cruelty-free, or composed of natural materials. With Green Beauty, consumers can use their purchases to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and ethics. Cosmetic companies going green and innovative: Wasteful packaging is the biggest challenge faced by the cosmetics industry. The British Beauty Council revealed that every year, the cosmetics business creates at least 120 billion packaging pieces. You can see the extent of the environmental difficulties this causes, considering that 95% of cosmetic packaging is thrown away. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL), a global cosmetics American brand, has taken a step towards boosting its commitment to sustainable packaging in 2023 by teaming with SK Chemicals, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of chemical and life science products. As stated by the latter company, advanced recycling is considered important technology for the advancement of packaging-to-packaging recycling, helping solve plastic waste issues in a circular and innovative way. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) announced several ambitious targets for sustainability in 2021. Two of these objectives were to reduce the amount of virgin petroleum plastic used in packaging to 50% or less by 2030 and to incorporate 25% post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials into the packaging by 2025. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) hopes to accomplish the aforementioned goals with the assistance of SK Chemicals. With a focus on packaging, forestry, water, and climate change, The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) a globally renowned US brand, is dedicated to making a positive difference in our homes, communities, and the environment. The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) 's goal is to create products and innovations that, when combined, provide sustainable, unbeatable supremacy. According to The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) 's Annual Citizenship Report 2022, the company, by 2040, aims to attain net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout its supply chain, from raw materials to retailers. In another instance in 2023, while discussing how international companies are changing their duties to address the problem of plastic waste with Forbes, The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) Chief Sustainability Officer stated, "Today, sustainability is fully embedded into P&G's integrated growth model, business strategy, innovations, and operations. We are setting a new standard, one where consumers sustainability expectations are considered from the very start of the innovation journey and embedded across all vectors of superiority. An example: with our Oral-B Clic toothbrush, you can get an exceptional plaque removal and reuse 80% of the brush by replacing the brush head and reusing the handle." With that said, here are the 20 Biggest Cosmetics Brands in the World. 20 Biggest Cosmetics Brands in the World Maen Zayyad / Shutterstock.com Methodology: We have picked the 20 Biggest Cosmetics Brands in the World based on their annual revenue for 2022. For private companies on our list, we estimated their revenues by comparing them with public companies of the same size and in the same industry. It is pertinent to note that we have taken into account conglomerates, which although are not pure-play companies and dont make the bulk of their revenue from cosmetics, still have a significant impact on this industry. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a similar consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 20 Biggest Cosmetics Brands in the World 20. Locctaine 2022 Revenue: $1.92 billion Founded in 1976, L'OCCITANE Group is a renowned French manufacturer and retailer of premium products with an emphasis on wellness and natural beauty. Together with a global network of over 3,000 retail locations in 90 countries, the L'OCCITANE Group is made up of eight of the top-quality natural beauty brands: L'occtaine En Provence, Elemis, Sol De Janeiro, Melvita, Erborian, Lime Life, Grown Alchemist, and L'occtaine AU Bresil. Specifically, L'Occitane is a luxurious beauty brand celebrated for its high-quality products, all-natural ingredients, and exquisite packaging. This brand offers some of the most luxurious and super moisturizing French hand creams available. Thus, this brand grew to become one of the biggest cosmetics brands in the world. 19. Mary Kay Inc. 2022 Revenue: ~ $2.7 billion Mary Kay Inc., a privately owned multi-level marketing business based in Texas, was started by Mary Kay Ash in 1963. According to Euromonitor International, Mary Kay Inc., the well-known beauty brand and multinational entrepreneurship firm, is the top direct-selling brand of color cosmetics and skincare products worldwide. Throughout the world, millions of independent beauty consultants sell Mary Kay products in almost 40 nations. Hence, this company is expanding significantly and reaching more than 20 new international markets to become one of the most famous cosmetics brands on the globe. 18. AMOREPACIFIC 2022 Revenue: 3.10 billion Created in 1976, Amorepacific is a South Korean public company that ranks among the largest beauty companies globally, with an annual revenue of $3.10 billion in 2022. More than 20 advanced daily care beauty brands, including Amore Pacific, Primera, Goutal Paris, Hanyul, Sulwhasoo, Mamonde, Innisfree, Laneige, Sienu, Etude House, Hera, IOPE, and Lirikos, are distributed by this company. In recent years, Amorepacific has been growing in popularity worldwide and has grabbed consumers' attention mainly due to its innovative digital marketing and online channel portfolio. Among the 100 largest luxury brands worldwide by sales, Deloitte ranked Amorepacific 19th in January 2023. 17. Puig 2022 Revenue: $3.24 billion The Spanish beauty and fashion conglomerate Puig was established in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1914 by Antonio Puig Castello. This family-owned business employs over 4,472 individuals worldwide and offers its products in 150 countries, of which 26 are physically present. This conglomerate's portfolio includes renowned brands like Carolina Herrera, Rabanne, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dries Van Noten, Nina Ricci, Byredo, Penhaligon's, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Kama Ayurveda, Loto del Sur, Charlotte Tilbury, Uriage, and Apivita. To bolster its position in the luxury skincare sector and reach its stated sales target of $4.85 billion by 2025, Puig recently acquired the undisclosed majority of German premium skincare brand Dr. Barbara Sturm. 16. Coty Inc. (NYSE:COTY) 2022 Revenue: $5.30 billion Coty Inc. (NYSE:COTY) is one of the top-notch multinational beauty companies with French and American roots that produces and distributes skincare, color cosmetics, and beauty items. This company is divided into three business segments: skin and body care, color cosmetics, and fragrances. The names that fall in the fragrances category include fashion designer labels, lifestyle brands, and brands connected to celebrities like Kylie Jenner. Products for coloring the lips, eyes, nails, and face are available under the Color Cosmetics section. Among the skin and body care brands are TJoy, Adidas, Lancaster, and Philosophy. With its headquarters located in New York, NY, Coty Inc. (NYSE:COTY) was established by Francois Coty in 1904. Since then, it has grown in the global cosmetics market primarily due to its creative marketing techniques and e-commerce operations. 15. LG 2022 Revenue: $5.40 billion With $5.40 billion in revenue, the South Korean business LG, which was established in 1958, is among the largest beauty brands globally. Major brands, including The History of Whoo, CNP, O Hui, Belif, and Beyond, are part of LG's cosmetics, hair care, and skincare collections. The Creme Shop, a line of vegan cosmetics that LG launched in 2021, has been successful despite the unstable global economy. As per the company's 2022 semi-annual report on DART, the Financial Supervisory Service's electronic disclosure board, LG Electronics is considering the possibility of releasing cosmetic products this year in line with the release of a new model of its skincare device under the in-house home beauty brand Pra. L in the first half of 2024. 14. Shiseido 2022 Revenue: $7.15 billion Shiseido initially opened its doors in Ginza, Tokyo, in 1872. The family-owned business, which began as the first Western-style drugstore in Japan, has grown into a global powerhouse in the beauty industry, with operations in almost 120 countries and regions and an annual revenue of $7.15 billion. To boost its future growth, this Japan-based company plans to invest in online platforms and high-end skin beauty products. Prestige, fragrance, cosmetics, personal care, and professional range are its five main brand categories. To develop a cutting-edge D2C model and enhance its e-commerce platform, Shiseido and Tencent (a tech company) inked a three-year global strategic agreement in 2022. Hence, Shiseido is one of the number one beauty brands in the world. 13. Natura & Co 2022 Revenue: $7.34 billion Avon, Natura, The Body Shop, and Aesop are all part of the global, purpose-driven, multi-channel, multi-brand cosmetics conglomerate known as Natura & Co. The group's four businesses are dedicated to creating beneficial effects on the environment, society, and economy. Natura, a multinational company based in Brazil that was founded in 1969, is one of the market leaders in direct sales for cosmetics and personal care products. Anita Roddick launched the international cosmetics business -- The Body Shop in Brighton, England, in 1976 -- to change the world for the better. In 1987, Australian cosmetic brand Aesop was founded to produce an exceptional line of skin, hair, and body care products. Lastly, for 136 years, Avon has stood for women by providing innovative, high-end products to them. 12. Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) 2022 Revenue: $7.90 billion One of the leading cosmetic companies in the United States, Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) was established in 1990 and offers an array of products, such as candles, hand sanitizers, liquid hand soaps, body creams, lotions, and diffusers for the house. Tropidelic, Waikiki Beach Coconut, and Pink Pineapple Sunrise are among the newest offerings. The secret to Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI)s success is its ability to creatively reimagine a single fragrance in a variety of ways to draw in more consumers. It was a smart move for Bath & Body Works, Inc. (NYSE:BBWI) to formally split from Victoria's Secret in 2021 and launch as a standalone brand. In 2022, overall revenue climbed from $6.43 billion to $7.90 billion, a 22% increase from 2021. Even though the pandemic had an impact on the company's overall growth, it nevertheless managed to flourish through digital platforms and develop the buy-online-pick-up-in-store model, or BOPIS, which bolstered the company's online visibility and grew its customer base. 11. Beiersdorf AG 2022 Revenue: $9.50 billion Founded in 1882, the German multinational firm Beiersdorf AG is a well-known beauty business with projected sales of $9.5 billion in 2022. Nestle, La Prairie, 8x4, Labello, Eucerin, Aquaphor, Florena, SlekMaestro, Atrix, Gammon, Hidrofugal, and Coppertone are some of the well-known brands it possesses. Sales for the corporation under the La Prairie brand exceeded projections in the year following the pandemic. In December 2022, Beiersdorf AG acquired a majority stake in S-Biomedic NV, a Belgium-based life science company, and intends to enhance its expertise in acne therapy by using this acquisition strategy. 10. Kao 2022 Revenue: $10.40 billion Founded in 1887, Kao is one of the beauty industry powerhouses, with an emphasis on Japanese cosmetics. Kao operates in two main segments: chemical goods and consumer products. Some of the company's most well-known brands are Kanebo, Sofina iP, Molton Brown, RMK, Kate, Suqqu, Asience, Biore, Cape, Blaune, Guhl, Jergens, Liese, Essential, John Frieda, Kms, Merit, Rerise, Segreta, My Kirei, Success, Goldwell, and Oribe. Innovative products like Goldwell Rainbow Dye, Sensai Contouring Lipstick, Sensai Absolute Silk Illuminative Cream, and Allie Chrono Beauty Line have also been introduced. Kao is also the owner of the prestigious Japanese company SENSAI. 9. Chanel 2022 Revenue: ~$17.20 billion In 1910, Coco Chanel founded the luxury French fashion label Chanel in Paris. Since 2018, this company has been privately owned by the Wertheimer family with its headquarters in London. Chanel, which specializes in ostentatious makeup, accessories, and women's ready-to-wear, licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear. Chanel's "Coco Mademoiselle" perfume is renowned around the world for its alluring citrus aroma that lingers for days. 8. The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) 2022 Revenue: $17.74 billion Founded in 1946, the United States-based Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL) is a world-renowned manufacturer, marketer, and retailer of high-quality skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products. Being one of the number 1 makeup brands, Estee Lauder also serves as a global custodian of 25 premium and prestige brands like DKNY, MAC, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Smashbox, Michael Kors, Darphin Paris, Tom Ford Beauty, Ermenegildo Zegna, AERIN, Bumble and bumble, Le Labo, Glamglow Kilian Paris, Too Faced, Dr.Jart, The Ordinary, and NIOD. Hence, Estee Lauder Companies Inc. (NYSE:EL is one of the 20 biggest cosmetics brands in the world in 2024. 7. Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL) 2022 Revenue: $17.97 billion New York City's Manhattan serves as the headquarters of the global American consumer goods firm Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL). The company's areas of expertise are home, health care, personal care, and veterinary product manufacturing, distribution, and provision. Among the brands owned by Colgate-Palmolive are Eltamd Skincare, Filorga, Lady Speed Stick, Colgate, and Palmolive. This company is widely known for promoting sustainability. 6. Henkel 2022 Revenue: $22.10 billion With its headquarters located in Dusseldorf, Germany, Henkel AG & Co., also referred to as Henkel, is a worldwide chemical and consumer goods company. The two main categories in the company's portfolio are home care, and hair care, and laundry. Among other prominent brand names, Henkel's top consumer brands in North America are Schwarzkopf, Snuggle, Joico, and Dial. One of the biggest cosmetics companies in the world, the latter offers a wide selection of goods to customers all over the world. Henkel is reshaping the markets of the future through digitalization: new business and collaboration models, the development of distinctive customer experiences, and the smart application of data and technology. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Biggest Cosmetics Brands in the World. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 20 Biggest Cosmetics Brands in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey. Investors are always happy to hear that a stock in their portfolio has announced a dividend increase. For income investors, it means a monthly or quarterly raise. For investors who are more concerned with growth, such dividend hikes also portend an increase in future earnings as well. A dividend increase usually indicates that the board of directors has faith that future earnings can cover the dividend hike comfortably. In addition, a dividend increase often makes the stock more attractive to investors. Share price appreciation often follows dividend increases. Take a look at three real estate investment trusts (REITs) that have just announced dividend hikes this week. Two of the three have upcoming earnings reports. Weyerhaeuser Co. (NYSE:WY) is a Seattle-based specialty REIT that owns and operates 11 million acres of timberland, manages 14 million acres of additional timberlands in Canada and manufactures wood products for homebuilding. It was formed in 1990. On Feb. 9, Weyerhaeuser announced a 5.3% increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.19 to $0.20 per share. The dividend is payable March 22 for shareholders of record on March 8, and the ex-dividend date is March 7. In addition to this latest announcement, on Jan. 25, Weyerhaeuser also declared a supplemental dividend of $0.14 per share, payable Feb. 27 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Feb. 16. So investors can get a double payout. The dividend increases came after Weyerhaeuser reported its fourth-quarter operating results on Jan. 25. Non-generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) earnings per share (EPS) of $0.16 per share beat the estimates of $0.14 per share but were well below fourth-quarter 2022 EPS of $0.24 per share. Revenue of $1.77 billion also missed the estimates by $30 million. Don't Miss: Passive income investments are one of the most trusted methods for riding out a recession, so it's no surprise that people are turning to this multifamily portfolio fund that's targeting an 8% cash yield. Collecting passive income from real estate just got a whole lot simpler. A new real estate fund backed by Jeff Bezos gives you instant access to a diversified portfolio of rental properties, and you only need $100 to get started. Story continues Community Healthcare Trust Inc. (NYSE:CHCT) is a Franklin, Tennessee-based self-managed healthcare REIT that owns 191 properties across 34 states. Its diverse portfolio includes medical office buildings, specialty centers, behavioral facilities and inpatient rehabilitation centers. On Feb. 9, Community Healthcare announced a small increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.455 to $0.4575 per share. The dividend is payable on March 1 for shareholders of record on Feb. 20, with an ex-dividend date of February 16. With this latest increase, Community Healthcare has now had 34 consecutive quarters of dividend growth. The forward annual dividend of $1.83 now yields 7.2%. However, the payout ratio is 89.7%, which is high. Investors will be looking at Community Healthcare's next earnings report, due out on Feb. 13, to see whether this dividend hike is a portend for an increase in funds from operations (FFO). On Jan. 16, Truist Securities analyst Michael Lewis maintained a Buy rating on Community Healthcare, while lowering the price target from $36 to $35. CBL & Associates Properties Inc. (NYSE:CBL) is a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based REIT that invests in shopping malls in the Southeastern and Midwestern U.S. CBL has 94 properties, including mall, outlet and lifestyle centers and open-air centers. On Feb. 8, CBL Properties announced a 6.7% increase in its quarterly dividend from $0.375 to $0.40 per share. The dividend is payable on March 29 for shareholders of record on March 15. The ex-dividend date is March 14. The forward annual dividend of $1.60 yields 6.8% on its recent closing price of $23.36. The payout ratio is now 25.5%. Shopping malls have been thriving recently. Simon Property Group Inc. (NYSE:SPG) is another mall REIT that recently reported excellent earnings and raised its dividend. CBL Properties declared a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 2020 and emerged a year later with a $1.7 billion debt reduction. It's had its share of financial difficulties and a high debt load, but may be turning the corner. It has now raised the dividend 60% from $0.25 in November 2022 to the new $0.40 dividend. CBL's next earnings report is scheduled for Feb. 20. Shares have pulled back to oversold levels since reaching $25.28 intraday on Jan. 12, so a good report would likely give the share price a substantial boost. Weekly REIT Report: REITs are one of the most misunderstood investment options, making it difficult for investors to spot incredible opportunities until it's too late. Benzinga's in-house real estate research team has been working hard to identify the greatest opportunities in today's market, which you can gain access to for free by signing up for the Weekly REIT Report. Read Next: Elon Musk has reportedly bought 6,000 acres of land just outside of Austin. Heres how to invest in the citys growth before he floods it with new tech workers. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here are 3 high-yield investments to add significant income to your portfolio. "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article 3 REITs That Just Increased Dividends originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Check important follow-up after a deadly spate of gunfire on the evening of Kansas City back-to-back Super Bowl victory. The KCMO 2024 homicide count now stands at 9 compared to 17 at this date last year. Again, these numbers are important to watch because: Three homicides in less than 24 hours reminds us how quickly KCMO killing can spike. And . . . After another historic year for homicide in Kansas City, Missouri . . . It's important to keep track if any of the changes by elected officials & police are taking hold on local streets. Accordingly . . . Here's the aftermath from the fatal shooting scene near 39th and Woodland. "The second victim that had been transported to the hospital has now died from his injuries. His identity is not yet confirmed, but detectives continue to work on positive identification of him. "The first victim declared deceased on scene was positively identified . . . "Based on preliminary investigation, detectives believe the two deceased victims were involved in firing the shots." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . 2 people killed in shooting Monday at 39th Street, Woodland Avenue Kansas City Police say two people were shot at 39th and Woodland. Police say one person was killed in the shooting. Second victim dies after car crash leads to shooting in Kansas City A second victim has died after a shooting near 39th Street and Woodland Avenue in Kansas City early Monday morning. KCPD respond to two deadly shootings in the early morning hours following Chiefs victory Kansas City Police investigate two separate deadly shootings in the metro overnight following the Chiefs win in Las Vegas. Developing . . . This blog has a "history" with Kansas City author CJ Janovy inasmuch as we've thrown a bit of shade her way for being the least friendly least likeable LGBT advocate in all of the Midwest . . . And over the years we've heard all of the choice verbiage she has directed our way. Still, we'll celebrate her a dubious accomplishment that's an achievement we respect nonetheless. Anyhoo . . . CJ's latest work provides this source material for a Kansas money fight which reminds us that our public TV "betters" are actually getting a significant amount of government help. Here's the word . . . When Republican state Sen. Caryn Tyson denounced a public broadcasting program and called for eliminating all funding for Kansas PBS stations, one important detail was missing. The name of the program. I was completely offended by it, and so I am absolutely going to strike their funding, Tyson told the Senate commerce committee Wednesday. On Thursday, the panel decided against recommending that lawmakers slash the entire $500,000 public TV allotment, settling on a 10% slice $50,000 instead. The not so shocking discovery and Kansas progressive advocacy . . . "This film has impeccable credentials. The source was a University Press of Kansas book written by former Kansas Reflector opinion editor and current KCUR content director C.J. Janovy. Director Kevin Willmott won an Academy Award for co-writing BlacKkKlansman with Spike Lee. Narrator Melissa Etheridge is, well, Melissa Etheridge. These folks are the best of Kansas. They are the kind of people creatives, members of underrepresented groups we should be trying to attract and retain." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . As we wonder if the current scribe for The Pitch realize that this used to be a boss at their "Alt." publication before it became a career present to the nepo baby who runs it now . . . More than a decade ago the debate over the future of "the Angels" began amid questions over misogyny and commercialism. Still, the brand legacy remains a part of the discourse despite the best efforts of critics and we're inspired by angel Candice to once again check pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Uplifting Local History Explored Kansas City and the Roots of Black Gospel Music Kansas City has a rich and influential legacy when it comes to the development of Black gospel music. This is its largely untold story. Merch For Local Good Deeds 'Guitartist' has 2 blank spaces for Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce to sign custom-painted guitar for KC charity One artist is hoping she can create enough buzz to get Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce to sign her custom-painted guitar to raise money for Hope House domestic violence shelter. Midtown Kansas City Love Hangover Listening Session Anti-Valentine's Day Party w/High School Never Ends at recordBar Anti-Valentine's Day Party w/High School Never Ends at recordBar on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. Bad Luck Buy Arranged Local stores gear up for potential Chiefs Super Bowl win Stores across the metro are ready with premade Super Bowl Champions gear anticipating a Chiefs win on Sunday. Dead-Tree Testimony Delivered I accidentally left my wallet on my car. I discovered there are good people in Lenexa | Opinion As he was getting ready to go to the gym, he shuffled his jacket and coffee cup around and somehow lost his wallet in the process. Angelic Legacy Persists Victoria's Secret Brings Back the Wings in New Campaign Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Gigi Hadid, Paloma Elsesser and Ziwe are among the stars. Don't call them Angels, though. Americans Against Everybody Majority of Americans believe both Biden and Trump are too old for another term: poll A majority of Americans believe both President Biden and former President Donald Trump are too old to serve another term in the White House, according to a new poll. First Lady Decries Official Jill Biden in disbelief special counsel used son's death to 'score political points' In email to donors first lady adds to chorus of critics who have condemned Robert Hur for disparaging Biden's memory Holy Land Disputes Account Israel's finance minister blasts Moody's downgrade of the the country's credit rating Israel's finance minister has slammed a decision by the financial ratings agency Moody's to downgrade Israel's credit rating Eastern Europe Cash Argued Senate advances Ukraine aide over conservatives' blockade The Senate voted for the third time in the past week to advance funding for Ukraine and Israel despite strong opposition from conservative Republicans who balked at the package not including a House-passed bill to tighten the southern border and questioned the end game for the war in Ukraine. El Papa Pronouncement Pope and Milei meet as Argentina gains first female saint Argentine President Javier Milei had previously criticised the Pope's views on social justice. Good Deeds Wagered Newhouse KC holds friendly competition to raise funds for domestic violence survivors Newhouse KC created a Super Bowl competition to raise awareness for domestic violence survivors called 'Tackling DV." They're collaborating with La Casa de las Madres, a shelter in San Francisco, Crunch Time For Foodies Overland Park restaurant preparing for busy Super Bowl Sunday Kansas City Chiefs fans are prepping for the big game, and restaurants across the metro are also preparing for one of the busiest days of the year: Super Bowl Sunday. Katie's Game Day Forecast Super Bowl Sunday stays cool Sunday will have high temperatures around 46 degrees; freezing temperatures are possible later in the upcoming week. Etta James - A Sunday Kind Of Love is the song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now. In this post we share a few stories worth reading on Sunday as Kansas City hopes to build on cold weather progress against crime numbers and looks forward to more police help. Check TKC news gathering . . . Driver fleeing from KCPD traffic stop hits other car, sustains critical injuries Three people were injured in a late-night car crash when a driver fleeing a traffic stop failed to yield to a stop sign. Juvenile suffers non-life-threatening injuries in south KCMO shooting Saturday afternoon A juvenile sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting Saturday afternoon in south Kansas City, Missouri, according to a spokesperson with KCPD. KCK police: Gun-wielding man triggers 12-hour standoff A man is in custody after a 12-hour standoff that happened overnight in Kansas City, Kansas. Police responded to the 4800 block of Wood Avenue around 1:47 a.m. on a domestic disturbance. KCKPD takes one person into custody after 12-hour standoff involving multiple children One person is in custody after a 12-hour standoff with Kansas City, Kansas, police. Victim sustains non-life-threatening injuries in south KCMO stabbing Saturday A victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a stabbing Saturday afternoon in south Kansas City, Missouri, according to a spokesperson with KCPD. St. Louis County Republican proposing state takes over City Police Missouri State Rep. Brad Christ(R), who represents parts of St. Louis County, which includes Fenton and Sunset Hills, tells KMOX he's renewing his call for state officials to appoint the city's police board. 1 person injured after stolen car rams Fairway police vehicle, flees officers One person suffered serious injuries after a driver rammed a Fairway police vehicle and fled officers Saturday evening, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. 179th Entrant Officer Class Graduates From Police Academy Fourteen women and men, making up KCPD's 179th Entrant Officer Class, graduated from the Regional Police Academy on Thursday, Feb. 8. Developing . . . Here's the problem . . . When politicos start censoring . . . Their efforts typically target political opponents. Also, the BEST way to destroy the Internets is to put more government officials in charge. Finally . . . This was probably our best choice for a subtitle: KANSAS POLITICOS REVEAL THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE VPN TECH!!! Check the debate that most local high school students already know how to bypass . . . "Websites that host sexual content would have to verify their users are at least 18, most likely through third-party services that verify age using government IDs or other personal information. "Supporters of the bill say it would prevent minors from accessing pornographic content that could potentially be harmful to their psychological development and views on sex. " 'Not only does pornography harm childrens well-being there is also a strong correlation between pornography, human trafficking and sexual abuse,' " said Joseph Kohm, director of public policy for the Colorado-based Family Policy Alliance. "But critics say bills like the one being considered in Kansas could violate internet users free speech and privacy rights." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Many tech stocks soared over the past year as the bullish enthusiasm for artificial intelligence (AI) hardware, software, and chips broadly offset the bearish concerns about high interest rates, geopolitical conflicts, and other macro headwinds. But with the Nasdaq Composite now hovering near an all-time high, some investors might be reluctant to add more tech stocks to their portfolios. However, I believe it's still safe to buy more shares of Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), ASML (NASDAQ: ASML), and Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO) as the bears fret over a potential downturn. Here's why I would buy these three supercharged tech stocks without hesitation. Image source: Getty Images. 1. Meta Platforms Meta Platforms, the world's largest social media company, lost its luster in 2022 as Apple's privacy changes for iOS, fierce competition from ByteDance's TikTok, and macro headwinds curbed the growth of its core advertising business. At the same time, it ramped up its spending on its unprofitable Reality Labs business. During that challenging year, its revenue and earnings per share declined 1% and 38%, respectively. But in 2023, Meta's revenue rose 16% as its earnings jumped 73%. Its advertising business recovered as Chinese e-commerce and gaming companies ramped up their spending on Facebook and Instagram, it revamped its algorithms to counter Apple's iOS changes, and it expanded Reels to keep pace with TikTok's short videos. That recovery indicated Meta could continue subsidizing Reality Labs' costly expansion with its higher-margin advertising revenue. To top it all off, Meta ended the year with enough cash to initiate its first-ever dividend and boost its existing buyback plan by $50 billion. Analysts expect Meta's revenue and earnings to grow 19% and 31%, respectively, in 2024. Those are impressive growth rates for a stock that trades at just 24 times forward earnings -- so investors shouldn't hesitate to buy Meta right now, even as it trades slightly below its all-time highs. Story continues 2. ASML ASML is the world's largest producer of lithography systems, which are used to optically etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. It's also the only producer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems for manufacturing the world's smallest and densest chips. ASML's dominance of that crucial chipmaking technology makes it a linchpin of the global semiconductor market. Its revenue rose 30% in 2023 as the world's top foundries installed more EUV systems, but it expects its revenue to stay nearly flat in 2024 as tighter export restrictions throttle its sales to Chinese chipmakers. Analysts expect its revenue to stay flat and for its earnings to decline by 4%. But looking ahead, ASML expects to generate "significant growth" in 2025 as PC sales stabilize, the smartphone market warms up, and it ramps up shipments of its next-gen "high-NA" EUV systems for the production of even smaller chips. For 2025, analysts expect its revenue and earnings to grow 24% and 45%, respectively. ASML's stock might seem a bit pricey at 43 times forward earnings, but its dominance of the lithography market justifies that higher valuation. Investors who are bullish on the semiconductor market should still buy this stock hand over fist. 3. Broadcom Broadcom sells a wide range of wireless, optical, data storage, networking, mobile, and industrial chips. It also expanded into the infrastructure software market over the past six years by acquiring CA Technologies, Symantec's enterprise security division, and the cloud software giant VMware. Broadcom still generated a fifth of its revenue from Apple over the last two fiscal years. However, its acquisition of VMware last November -- which boosts its software business to about half of its top line -- should significantly reduce its dependence on the iPhone maker. It should also reduce its overall exposure to the cyclical semiconductor sector and make it a more diversified tech giant. Analysts expect Broadcom's revenue and adjusted earnings to grow 40% and 10%, respectively, in fiscal 2024 (which ends in October) as it integrates VMware. In fiscal 2025, they expect its revenue and adjusted earnings to rise 11% and 20%, respectively, as it laps that acquisition and its integration expenses. Those are robust growth rates for a stock that trades at 27 times forward earnings and pays a forward yield of 1.7%. Investors looking for a stable tech play that offers balanced exposure to the semiconductor, infrastructure software, and cloud markets shouldn't hesitate to buy Broadcom stock today. Should you invest $1,000 in Meta Platforms right now? Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Meta Platforms wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 5, 2024 Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Leo Sun has positions in ASML, Apple, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Apple, and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Supercharged Tech Stocks to Buy Without Any Hesitation was originally published by The Motley Fool Greece is interested in the interconnection with Serbia in energy and transport as well as the modernization of the line Thessaloniki-Belgrade and the completion of the Piraeus-Budapest axis, which, as he said, are of strategic importance for Southeastern Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in statements on Monday after he met with the president of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, said that Greece is the most stable ally of Serbia for its European prospect, adding that the talks have gained fresh momentum in Brussels after the decisions taken for other countries. Mitsotakis noted that Belgrade should exploit the favorable circumstance and expressed his satisfaction hearing the Serbian president speaking clearly for his country's European prospects, ANA reports. "There can't be a future for the Western Balkans without a European future for Serbia. Greece's strategic target is the integration of the Western Balkans in the EU," Mitsotakis stated. Moreover, he noted that every time he visits Belgrade he feels at home, adding that he sees the progress of the bilateral relations over the years. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Izmir lee The Prime Ministers of Canada and Latvia, Justin Trudeau and Evika Silina, discussed further support for Ukraine in repelling Russian aggression. Trudeau's office said this following a telephone conversation between the two heads of government, Ukrinform reported. The Prime Minister's office said that the two leaders condemned Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and reaffirmed their shared commitment to supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary. They also discussed the regional and global implications of Russia's actions. It is noted that Trudeau confirmed Canada's intention to increase its military contingent in Latvia. Read also: Latvia to hand over 14 more cars seized from drunk drivers to Ukraine The ministry said the prime ministers also discussed cooperation in responding to other international challenges, in particular the events in the Middle East. As reported, 540 Canadian troops have been serving in a multinational battalion in Latvia for six years as part of Operation 'Reassurance' to deter possible Russian aggression, and the battalion includes more than 1,000 people from several NATO countries. After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Canada promised to double its military contingent in Latvia and urgently purchased modern anti-tank weapons and air defense systems, including those for fighting drones, for its military in Latvia. In addition, a tank squadron of 15 Leopard 2 main battle tanks has already arrived in the country. The brigade is expected to be fully staffed by the summer. Is there any date more dreaded each calendar year than Tax Day? Even if you have a pretty good understanding of how to file your taxes, many Americans still get anxious about the impending tax season. This is especially applicable with Gen Zers, as 30% of Americans ages 18 to 24 told GOBankingRates they would rather spend the weekend with their in-laws than file their taxes. Regardless of which generation you belong to, it is possible to get comfortable with tax season. GOBankingRates spoke to three tax experts: Ines Zemelman, EA and founder at TFX, CPA Tom Wheelwright and CPA Robert Persichitte. Here are their seven best approaches to making tax filing easier. See: The 7 Worst Things You Can Do If You Owe the IRS Related: Owe Money to the IRS? Most People Dont Realize They Should Do This One Thing vitapix / Getty Images Set Your Own Monthly Tax Deadlines Instead of waiting until Tax Day which is April 15, 2024 Zemelman recommends marking a specific day each month on the calendar as your own tax filing deadline. What does this mean? By this deadline, Zemelman said you should have gathered and organized all of your monthly checks, bills and any other tax-related documents into one place, like a cloud folder. This proactive approach not only helps you reduce stress but also to discover opportunities to lower your tax bill or get a refund, said Zemelman. View: Top 7 Countries with Zero Income Tax More: Billionaires vs. the Middle Class: Who Pays More in Taxes Sponsored: Owe the IRS $10K or more? Schedule a FREE consultation to see if you qualify for tax relief. pkstock / Getty Images/iStockphoto Identify What Makes You Worried and Find Answers As you begin to get organized for the tax season, filers may still have some tax anxiety. If you find this is true of your situation, Zemelman recommends identifying your biggest tax concerns and gathering information to address them. Lets address two common areas of tax anxiety: missing information and lack of full tax understanding. If youre concerned about not having all of the necessary supporting documents, dont panic. Zemelman said the IRS will send you a 12C letter requesting any missing documentation in the event something is overlooked. Story continues As for not fully understanding everything about the tax code, this is much more omnipresent than youd think. One example from GOBankingRates January 2024 taxes survey is that 42% of overall Americans said they dont understand how tax credits work. This is okay, according to Zemelman, who said the average American is not a tax expert but you can work with one if you need help. Discover: This Is the One Type of Debt That Terrifies Dave Ramsey Goodboy Picture Company / Getty Images Work With a Tax Advisor Filers who dont feel confident filing taxes on their own or are overwhelmed by the changing tax code are recommended to work with a trusted tax advisor or CPA. Qualified tax professionals have been working with tax laws their entire lives they can offer clear and straightforward guidance to assist you, said Zemelman. Ideally, Wheelwright recommends working with a tax advisor year-round to make filing a breeze and not just on Tax Day alone. Rawpixel Ltd / Getty Images/iStockphoto Be Honest Tax season becomes a million times scarier if filers attempt to cheat on their taxes. In this situation, Persichitte recommends being honest while filing. Filers who lie are at risk of both extra stress and dealing with serious consequences. Filers caught cheating, Persichitte said, will have higher penalties. They may even potentially face jail time. Explore: Trump-Era Tax Cuts Are Expiring How Changes Will Impact Retirees emmgunn / Getty Images Dont Miss Deductions Its not uncommon for many files to overlook certain deductions. Wheelwright said this is especially true of small business owners. Anyone who owns a business should consider taking deductions for a home office, automobile deductions, meals with spouses if business is discussed, continuing education and travel, Wheelwright recommended. Hailshadow / Getty Images/iStockphoto Ask for an Extension Filers that are genuinely unsure if they will be able to file their taxes by the April 15 deadline may also request a tax extension for extra completion time. To make this request, Wheelwright said you can visit the IRS website, or your tax advisor can file an extension on your behalf. Related: IRS Increases Gift and Estate Tax Exempt Limits Heres How Much You Can Give Without Paying shapecharge / Getty Images Learn More About Your Taxes Throughout the rest of the year, you can ease tax season fears by empowering yourself to learn more about your taxes. Persichitte recommends learning more through the VITA program. VITAs main purpose is for volunteers to help low-income people who need help with their taxes, but anyone can sign up for the class and learn how to prepare taxes, said Persichitte. When you know what is and is not important, you feel more empowered to make good decisions. VITA program training is offered by the IRS, some local community colleges and some libraries. Pro tip: check in with your local branches to see if they offer VITA training and which dates you may register for it. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im an Accountant: Here Are 7 Ways To Make Tax Season Less Scary In a phone call on Monday, February 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine told his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, of the ongoing preparations for the Global Peace Summit. The head of the Ukrainian state reported this via X, Ukrinform saw. "I spoke with President Cyril Ramaphosa and thanked the Republic of South Africa for sending a representative to the Peace Formula meetings. I also informed President Ramaphosa about the preparations for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland," Zelensky wrote. He added that the interlocutors agreed to "maintain contact at various levels." As reported earlier, in January, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd agreed on starting preparations for holding the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland at the level of state leaders. Photo: Presidents Office Alaska Energy Metals Corporation Figure 1 Eureka Zone overview map displaying geology, the 2024 economic resource pit outline, and drill hole locations. Figure 2 Cross section through the Eureka EZ1, EZ2, and EZ3 MRE. Note: Location of section A-A is located on Figure 1. Figure 3 Cross section through the Eureka EZ1, EZ2 & EZ3 MRE. Note: Location of section B-B is located on Figure 1. HIGHLIGHTS The Eureka West and Eureka East deposits reported in the maiden 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) are now connected as one deposit measuring 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) in length. Relative to the maiden MRE: A significant portion of the deposit was upgraded from Inferred to Indicated MRE. Previously there was 0 tonnes of Indicated resource. There has been an addition of 813 million tonnes of Indicated resource to the MRE. The grade of the Indicated resource is 0.29% nickel equivalent (NiEq). The Inferred resource has increased from 319.6 million tonnes to 896 million tonnes, a 180% increase. The grade of the Inferred resource is 0.27% NiEq. There has been an addition of 3.877 billion pounds (1.758 million tonnes) of contained nickel to the Indicated resource. There has been an increase in Inferred resource contained nickel metal from 1.552 billion pounds (703,975 tonnes) to 4.225 billion pounds (1.916 million tonnes), a 172% increase. As a consequence of joining the two deposits together, the strip ratio has been reduced from 3.7:1 to 1.5:1. Three parallel zones of mineralization are now identified (EZ1, EZ2, and EZ3). A higher-grade core zone has been identified within EZ2 and it shows continuity along much of the strike of the deposit. The higher-grade core contains an Indicated resource of 211 million tonnes at a grade of 0.34% NiEq and an Inferred resource of 154 million tonnes at a grade of 0.33% NiEq. THE MRE now stands at: Indicated MRE: 813 million tonnes grading 0.29% NiEq containing: 3,877 million pounds (1.758 million tonnes) of nickel 1,276 million pounds (578,783 tonnes) of copper 303 million pounds (137,438 tonnes) of cobalt 4.0 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold Inferred MRE: 896 million tonnes grading 0.27% NiEq containing: 4,225 million pounds (1.916 million tonnes) of nickel 1,040 million pounds (471,736 tonnes) of copper 327 million pounds (148,324 tonnes) of cobalt 3.4 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Energy Metals Corporation (TSX-V: AEMC, OTCQB: AKEMF) (AEMC or the Company) announced today an updated independent mineral resource estimate prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) (2024 MRE or 2024 Resource) for its 100% owned Eureka Deposit, Nikolai Nickel Project (Nikolai or Deposit) in Alaska, USA, with an effective date of February 12, 2023. Story continues The newly-published 2024 MRE contains an addition of 813 million tonnes of indicated resource, 896 million tonnes of inferred resource (an increase of 180%), and a strip ratio decrease, when compared with the maiden resource published in 2023 (see press release dated November 20, 2023). The study was completed by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc., and includes 35 historical drill holes, the data for which the Company purchased in August 2023, and eight diamond drill holes (totaling 4,138 meters) drilled by the Company on the project in 2023. Alaska Energy Metals President & CEO Gregory Beischer commented, In less than a year, we have taken an exploration concept to a substantial deposit of nickel and other critical metals. The mineral resource estimate update has produced a 180% increase in the Inferred tonnage, and added substantial, new Indicated tonnage to the deposit. The update increases the nickel metal content of the deposit to over 8 billion pounds (more than 3.7 million metric tonnes) with only a 0.01% grade decrease and a notably lower strip ratio. With this updated mineral resource estimate, the Eureka deposit of the Nikolai Nickel project represents a globally significant accumulation of nickel and has now become one of the larger known nickel deposits in the United States. Nikolai could potentially become an important source of nickel for the USA, catering to the needs of various manufacturing sectors including stainless steel, electric vehicles, defense components, long-term, grid-scale renewable energy storage batteries and a myriad of other uses. This significant achievement speaks volumes to the hard work our team has put into the project over the past year. I am particularly encouraged by the delineation of a higher-grade core zone. The presence of this core zone could dramatically affect project economics in a positive way. Nikolai Mineral Resource Estimate Update Total Indicated mineral resources of 3.877 billion pounds (1.758 million tonnes) of nickel, 1.276 billion pounds (578,783 tonnes) of copper, and 303 million pounds (137,438 tonnes) of cobalt, plus a total of 4.0 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold in a constrained model totaling 813 million tonnes, at an average grade of 0.29% total NiEq, using a 0.20% NiEq cut-off grade. See detailed breakdown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below. Total Inferred mineral resources of 4.225 billion pounds (1.916 million tonnes) of nickel, 1.040 billion pounds (471,736 tonnes) of copper, and 327 million pounds (148,324 tonnes) of cobalt, plus a total of 3.4 million ounces of platinum, plus palladium and gold in a constrained model totaling 896 million tonnes, at an average grade of 0.27% total NiEq, using a 0.20% NiEq cut-off grade. See detailed breakdown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below. A higher-grade core zone has been identified within EZ2, and it shows continuity along much of the strike of the deposit. The higher-grade core contains an Indicated resource of 211 million tonnes at a grade of 0.34% NiEq and an Inferred resource of 154 million tonnes at a grade of 0.33% NiEq. This zone will continue to be evaluated, as it could positively affect project economics The 2024 MRE represents a significant, material tonnage increase in the MRE for the Nikolai Nickel project compared to the maiden MRE ( see press release dated November 20, 2023 ). The 2024 MRE is defined by 43 drill holes comprising 35 historic and eight holes drilled in 2023 by AEMC. The drill holes provide confirmation that mineralization is interconnected across all three domains. The deposits remain open along strike and in the down dip direction. The 2024 MRE incorporates three zones (EZ1, EZ2, EZ3) of sulfide mineralization that cover 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) of the Eureka deposit (Figure 1). The Eureka Zone East and Eureka Zone West MRE reported in the 2023 maiden MRE are now connected to form one continuous deposit. As a consequence of joining the two deposits together, the strip ratio was significantly decreased from 3.7:1 to 1.5:1. Chrome and iron are also present within the deposit but have not been reported in the 2024 Resource due to the lack of historical assay data and analytical methods used. The 2024 MRE will be incorporated into a NI 43-101 compliant technical report for the Nikolai Nickel project to be filed within 45 days. Table 1 Nikolai Project Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) Effective February 12, 2024 Indicated Mineral Resource Tonnes and Grade Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au NiEq* (%) (MT) (%) (%) (%) (g/T) (g/T) (g/T) (%) Eureka Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1) >= 0.200 - - - - - - - - Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) >= 0.200 739 0.22 0.08 0.02 0.049 0.101 0.013 0.29 Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) >= 0.200 74 0.21 0.02 0.02 0.035 0.023 0.006 0.25 Total EZ1 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.200 813 0.22 0.07 0.02 0.048 0.094 0.012 0.29 Indicated Mineral Resource Tonnes and Metal Content Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au NiEq* (%) (MT) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (KtOz) (KtOz) (KtOz) (Mlbs) Eureka Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1) >= 0.200 - - - - - - - - Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) >= 0.200 739 3,532 1,243 279 1,166 2,400 310 4,770 Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) >= 0.200 74 345 33 25 83 54 15 407 Total EZ1 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.200 813 3,877 1,276 303 1,249 2,454 326 5,177 Inferred Mineral Resource Tonnes and Grade Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au NiEq* (%) (MT) (%) (%) (%) (g/T) (g/T) (g/T) (%) Eureka Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1) >= 0.200 85 0.19 0.02 0.02 0.025 0.020 0.004 0.22 Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) >= 0.200 693 0.22 0.06 0.02 0.042 0.082 0.010 0.28 Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) >= 0.200 118 0.21 0.02 0.02 0.033 0.022 0.006 0.25 Total EZ1 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.200 896 0.21 0.05 0.02 0.039 0.068 0.009 0.27 Inferred Mineral Resource Tonnes and Metal Content Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au NiEq* (%) (MT) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (KtOz) (KtOz) (KtOz) (Mlbs) Eureka Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1) >= 0.200 85 356 31 29 67 56 10 422 Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) >= 0.200 693 3,320 957 259 939 1,831 233 4,337 Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) >= 0.200 118 549 52 39 127 85 22 647 Total EZ1 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.200 896 4,225 1,040 327 1,133 1,972 265 5,406 NiEq = nickel equivalent, MT = million tonnes, Mlb = Million pounds, KtOz = thousand troy ounces. Totals may vary due to rounding. CIM definitions are followed for classification of Mineral Resource. Metal pricing used to calculate NiEq is based on observation of monthly metal pricing for the past 24 months up to end-January 2024 with Ni at US$23,375/tonne (US$10.6/lb) (World Bank), Cu at US$ 8,644/tonne ($US3.92/lb) (World Bank), Co 41,050 US$/tonne (US18.62/lb) (Trading Economics), Pt at US$963/toz (World Bank), Pd at US$1,664/toz (Kitco), and Au at 1,878 (World Bank). Totals may not represent the sum of the parts due to rounding. Nickel equivalent grade formula is as follows: *NiEq = (Ni%) + (Cu% * 0.31) + (Co% * 1.46) + (Pt% * 1,103) + (Pd% * 1,907) + (Au% * 2,153) Coefficients used to calculate the value of other metals to Ni equivalent include allowances for differences in assumed recoveries of other metals (50%) and nickel (60%), and are calculated as follows: (Metal Price)/(Ni Price) x (metal recovery/Ni recovery). Base case NiEq cutoff grade is 0.20% calculated from a Ni price of US$23,375/tonne (US$10.60 US$/lb), surface mining cost of US$2.50 per tonne, processing costs US$25.00 per tonne and Ni recovery of 60% and 50% for other metals (Cu, Co, Pt, Pd, and Au). Mineral Resource are reported from within an economic pit shell whose extent has been estimated using a Ni price of US$23,374.56/tonne (US$10.60 US$/lb) and mining cost of US$2.50 per tonne, from a Ni equivalent grade calculated from Ni, Cu, Co, Pt, Pd, and Au, and 45-degree constant slope angle. The Mineral Resource estimate has been prepared by Derek Loveday, P. Geo. of Stantec Consulting Services Inc. in conformity with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves Best Practices guidelines and are reported in accordance with the Canadian Securities Administrators NI 43-101. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that any mineral resource will be converted into mineral reserve. SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS A sensitivity analysis for Indicated and Inferred mineral resources are provided in Table 2 and Table 3 respectively, which demonstrates the variation in grade and tonnage in the deposit at various cut-off grades. Constrained Mineral Resources are reported at a base case cut-off grade of 0.20% NiEq. The values in the table reported above and below the cut-off grades should not be misconstrued with a Mineral Resource Statement. The values are only presented to show the sensitivity of the block model estimates to the selection of cut-off grade. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate. Table 2 Nikolai Project MRE Indicated Grade Sensitivity Effective February 12, 2024 Indicated Mineral Resource Tonnes and Grade Sensitivity Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au Ni Eq* (%) (MT) (%) (%) (%) (g/T) (g/T) (g/T) (%) Total EZ1+ EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.100 892 0.21 0.07 0.02 0.05 0.09 0.01 0.28 >= 0.150 891 0.21 0.07 0.02 0.05 0.09 0.01 0.28 >= 0.200 813 0.22 0.07 0.02 0.05 0.09 0.01 0.29 >= 0.225 735 0.22 0.08 0.02 0.05 0.10 0.01 0.30 >= 0.250 618 0.23 0.08 0.02 0.05 0.11 0.01 0.31 >= 0.275 467 0.24 0.09 0.02 0.06 0.12 0.02 0.32 >= 0.300 289 0.25 0.11 0.02 0.07 0.14 0.02 0.34 >= 0.325 177 0.26 0.13 0.02 0.07 0.16 0.02 0.37 >= 0.350 114 0.26 0.14 0.02 0.08 0.17 0.02 0.38 >= 0.375 70 0.27 0.15 0.02 0.08 0.18 0.02 0.39 >= 0.400 22 0.28 0.16 0.02 0.08 0.18 0.03 0.41 Indicated Mineral Resource Tonnes and Metal Content Grade Sensitivity Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au Ni Eq* (%) (MT) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (KtOz) (KtOz) (KtOz) (Mlbs) Total EZ2 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.100 892 4,126 1,326 330 1,326 2,539 347 5,502 >= 0.150 891 4,123 1,324 329 1,325 2,535 347 5,498 >= 0.200 813 3,877 1,276 303 1,249 2,454 326 5,177 >= 0.225 735 3,593 1,218 277 1,167 2,345 305 4,815 >= 0.250 618 3,113 1,102 236 1,033 2,121 273 4,195 >= 0.275 467 2,434 934 183 851 1,773 227 3,320 >= 0.300 289 1,569 693 117 616 1,290 162 2,195 >= 0.325 177 995 501 75 423 896 115 1,426 >= 0.350 114 662 358 50 292 620 81 961 >= 0.375 70 415 234 31 185 393 52 606 >= 0.400 22 135 76 10 57 125 18 197 Table 3 Nikolai Project MRE Inferred Grade Sensitivity Effective February 12, 2024 Inferred Mineral Resource Tonnes and Grade Sensitivity Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au Ni Eq* (%) (MT) (%) (%) (%) (g/T) (g/T) (g/T) (%) Total EZ1+ EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.100 1,089 0.20 0.05 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.01 0.26 >= 0.150 1,076 0.20 0.05 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.01 0.26 >= 0.200 896 0.21 0.05 0.02 0.04 0.07 0.01 0.27 >= 0.225 752 0.22 0.06 0.02 0.04 0.08 0.01 0.29 >= 0.250 603 0.23 0.06 0.02 0.04 0.08 0.01 0.30 >= 0.275 413 0.24 0.07 0.02 0.05 0.09 0.01 0.31 >= 0.300 244 0.25 0.08 0.02 0.05 0.11 0.01 0.33 >= 0.325 124 0.26 0.10 0.02 0.06 0.12 0.01 0.35 >= 0.350 46 0.26 0.14 0.02 0.08 0.16 0.02 0.38 >= 0.375 26 0.27 0.16 0.02 0.08 0.18 0.03 0.39 >= 0.400 10 0.28 0.16 0.02 0.08 0.18 0.03 0.41 Inferred Mineral Resource Tonnes and Metal Content Grade Sensitivity Area Mineralized Zone NiEq Cutoff Tonnage Base and Battery Metals PGM and Precious Metals Total Ni Cu Co Pt Pd Au Ni Eq* (%) (MT) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (Mlbs) (KtOz) (KtOz) (KtOz) (Mlbs) Total EZ2 + EZ2 + EZ3 >= 0.100 1,089 4,840 1,133 393 1,285 2,093 298 6,178 >= 0.150 1,076 4,810 1,127 389 1,278 2,087 297 6,139 >= 0.200 896 4,225 1,040 327 1,133 1,972 265 5,406 >= 0.225 752 3,685 959 277 981 1,824 234 4,733 >= 0.250 603 3,054 847 227 825 1,614 201 3,949 >= 0.275 413 2,183 665 160 617 1,244 151 2,854 >= 0.300 244 1,354 449 98 405 825 94 1,788 >= 0.325 124 717 268 52 232 476 57 965 >= 0.350 46 264 144 19 114 239 34 382 >= 0.375 26 155 93 11 72 151 22 228 >= 0.400 10 58 34 4 24 56 8 85 Eureka Zone overview map displaying geology, the 2024 economic resource pit outline, and drill hole locations. Figure 1. Eureka Zone overview map displaying geology, the 2024 economic resource pit outline, and drill hole locations. Cross section through the Eureka EZ1, EZ2, and EZ3 MRE. Note: Location of section A-A is located on Figure 1. Figure 2. Cross section through the Eureka EZ1, EZ2, and EZ3 MRE. Note: Location of section A-A is located on Figure 1. Cross section through the Eureka EZ1, EZ2 & EZ3 MRE. Note: Location of section B-B is located on Figure 1. Figure 3. Cross section through the Eureka EZ1, EZ2 & EZ3 MRE. Note: Location of section B-B is located on Figure 1. MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATION CALCULATION METHODOLOGY The geologic model used for reporting of mineral resources is a 3D block model that was developed using LeapFrog Edge version 2023.1.1 and MinePlan version 16.1.1. The block model was developed using the UTM NAD83 6N and is in metric units. The block size is 40 m (X), 10 m (Y) and 10 m (Z) rotated by 26 degrees toward the east to align the X-axis along strike at 118 degrees. The block model captures three mineralized ultramafic intrusive bodies (zones or solids) that dip towards the southwest at between 45 and 50. These three zones are called Eureka Zone 1 (EZ1), Eureka Zone 2 (EZ2) and Eureka Zone 3 (EZ3) from south to north across the deposit, respectively. The mineralized zones were built using Seequents Leapfrog Geo software from a drillhole database of 43 drillholes. Mineral sample assays have been validated for 36 of the 43 drillholes and assay data from these holes has been used to estimate grades for nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), gold (Au), silver (Ag), iron (Fe) and chromium (Cr). All metals, excluding Ag, Fe and Cr, have been used to calculate a NiEq grade based on average (24 month) market prices. Ag and Au grades were capped prior to estimation at 0.6 parts per million (ppm) for Ag and 0.03 ppm for Au within EZ1. Ni is approximately 77% of the total in-situ value of the metals included in the equivalent grade calculation. Reasonable prospects for economic extraction have been determined by calculating a recovered NiEq cutoff grade of 0.20 percent (%) using the following assumptions: Mining costs US$2.5/tonne; Processing costs US$25/tonne; Processing recovery of 60%. Resources are reported from within an economic pit shell at a 45-degree constant slope using Hexagon mining Pseudoflow algorithm. No underground mining is considered. Assumed revenue used to drive the pit shell is US$10.60/lb Ni applied to a recovered Ni-equivalent grade assuming 60% recovery for Ni and 50% recovery for all other metal equivalents. This pit optimization does not represent an economic study. Future engineering studies will be needed to develop optimal bulk tonnage mining methods. The pit-constrained MRE is at an indicated and inferred-level of assurance based in the quantity of exploration data available for grade estimation. Mineral resources are reported for the EZ1, EZ2 and EZ3. The Nikolai Project MRE, with an effective date of February 12, 2024, is shown in Table 1 and associated grade sensitivity is shown in Table 2 and Table 3. MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE PREPARATION The 2024 MRE has been prepared by Derek Loveday, P. Geo. (the QP) of Stantec Consulting Services Inc. in conformity with CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves Best Practices guidelines and are reported in accordance with NI 43-101. The QP is not aware of any environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socioeconomic, marketing, political, or other relevant issues that could potentially affect the 2024 MRE. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that any mineral resource will be converted into mineral reserve. METALLURGY All deposits in the 2024 Resource contain desirable nickel sulfide mineralization consisting of thick, layered horizons of nickel and copper sulfides, which are enriched in cobalt, chrome, iron, platinum, palladium, and gold. Preliminary deportment assessments for the Eureka Zone 2 mineralization have been completed by Pure Nickel Inc. in 2014 (see Pure Nickels press release dated April 22, 2014) and by the Company in 2022 (see press release dated September 29, 2022). Results from these two assessments (Table 4) indicate an average of 83.4% of the total nickel is in potentially recoverable mineral phases of Ni-sulfides and Ni-Fe alloys. The Company also analyzed copper deportment, with an average of 74% of the total copper in potentially recoverable mineral phases of Cu-sulfides and Cu-oxides. Additional deportment studies and bench scale metallurgical testing are on-going using core samples collected from the Companys 2023 drill program. Results from these studies will be released when completed. Table 4 Summary of Ni-Cu Deportment work complete on the Nikolai Nickel Project PNI Composite (PNI-12-063) Millrock Composite 1 (FL-003) Millrock Composite 2 (FL-003) % Ni 0.28 0.25 0.23 % Ni in sulfides and alloys 75.3 94.3 80.8 % Ni in silicates 20 5.1 18.9 % Cu 0.12 0.16 0.07 % Cu in sulfides and oxides NA 72.4 75.5 % Sulfur 0.77 1.32 0.49 Notes: Pure Nickel deportment study focused on Ni and Fe sulfides, with no results for Cu sulfides and oxides CHROME AND IRON Chrome and iron have been identified as potentially significant co-products of mineralization at the Nikolai Nickel Project. Data the Company purchased in August 2023 had incomplete iron assay data and the analytical methods used to determine the concentration of chrome prevented the assessment of these elements in the 2024 MRE. The drilling completed by the Company in 2023 indicated an increase from 0.18% to 0.28% in the mean chrome assays and an increase from 8.2% to 8.8% in the mean iron assays relative to the historical purchased data. AEMC will continue to evaluate the chrome and iron data from the 2024 infill drill program, which is currently being planned. The Company has the objective of integrating these elements in future resource updates. CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE AND U.S. SECURITIES LAWS The MRE has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ in certain material respects from the disclosure requirements under United States securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101. The definitions used in NI 43-101 are incorporated by reference from the CIM Definition Standards. The SEC Modernization Rules replaced the historical disclosure requirements for mining registrants that were included in SEC Industry Guide 7, which has been rescinded. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources. Readers are cautioned that while the above terms are substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral resources that the Company may report as measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources and inferred mineral resources under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared mineral resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. Accordingly, information contained or incorporated by reference in this news release describing the Companys mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by United States companies subject to the reporting and disclosure requirements under the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. QUALIFIED PERSON Mr. Derek Loveday, P. Geo. of Stantec Consulting Services Inc. is the Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 who has prepared, or supervised the preparation of, or has reviewed and approved, the scientific and technical data pertaining to the MRE contained in this release, and will be preparing the NI-43-101 technical report for filing on SEDAR+ within 45 days. Gabriel Graf, the Companys Chief Geoscientist, is the qualified person, as defined under NI 43-101 having reviewed and approved all other scientific and technical information contained in this news release. For additional information, visit: https://alaskaenergymetals.com/ ABOUT ALASKA ENERGY METALS Alaska Energy Metals Corporation is focused on delineating and developing a large polymetallic exploration target containing nickel, copper, cobalt, chrome, iron, platinum, palladium, and gold. Located in central Alaska near existing transportation and power infrastructure, the Nikolai Nickel project is well-situated to become a significant, domestic source of critical and strategic energy-related metals for the American market. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Gregory Beischer Gregory Beischer, President & CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Gregory A. Beischer, President & CEO Toll-Free: 877-217-8978 | Local: 604-638-3164 Sarah Mawji, Public Relations Final Edit Media and Public Relations Email: sarah@finaleditpr.com Some statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation), including, without limitation, the estimation of mineral resources and that the Company (a) will file a NI43-101 technical report within 45 days, b) complete metallurgical and deportment studies, and c) plan and conduct further exploration drilling. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include but are not limited to uncertainty relating to the estimation of mineral resources, regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions, or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If the Company updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that it will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. PEN America, a prominent free speech organization, has sounded the alarm over a series of state bills it deems "dangerous" for higher education, warning that they could stifle academic freedom and limit expression on college campuses. The organization's recent release highlights six bills from various states, each with its own implications for speech and diversity in academia, including one that has already been enacted into law in Utah. READ ALSO: FIRE's 2024 Report Exposes Campus Speech Policy Challenges, Highlighting Threats to Free Expression in Higher Education Wide-Ranging Impact of Restrictive Legislation The bills flagged by PEN America represent a spectrum of legislative efforts aimed at regulating speech and expression within the higher education sphere. From Florida to Iowa, lawmakers have proposed measures targeting diverse aspects of academic life, prompting concerns about their potential to undermine the principles of free inquiry and open discourse. Among the bills listed is SB 1372 in Florida, dubbed the Stop WOKE Act, which seeks to bar the teaching of certain concepts such as systemic racism and identity politics in teacher education curricula at both public and private universities. Similarly, HB 465 in Florida would strip state financial aid from students who are found to "promote" federally recognized foreign terrorist organizations, raising questions about the potential chilling effect on political speech and activism. In Utah, HB 261 has already been enacted into law, effectively banning diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in public colleges and universities, including mandatory DEI trainings. This move has sparked debates about the role of educational institutions in fostering inclusive environments and addressing systemic inequalities. Controversial Measures Draw Criticism The introduction of HB 2077 in Iowa, which would compel public institutions to deny recognition to student groups advocating for the concept of terrorism, has drawn criticism for its potential to curtail legitimate discussions on complex political issues. Similarly, SB 191 in Indiana has raised concerns by mandating universities to disclose course materials online, ostensibly to assess the presence of "divisive concepts," a move viewed by many as an encroachment on academic autonomy and freedom. In Oklahoma, SB 1305 has sparked outrage for its sweeping prohibition on mandatory classes related to topics such as whiteness, gender identity, and social justice. Critics argue that such restrictions not only limit academic exploration but also undermine efforts to foster critical thinking and engagement with pressing social issues. Calls for Vigilance and Advocacy PEN America's identification of these bills underscores the urgent need for vigilance and advocacy in defense of free expression and academic freedom. The organization's press release underscores the gravity of the situation, characterizing the legislative onslaught as part of a broader campaign to undermine academia and erode the safeguards protecting free inquiry and intellectual diversity. As these bills continue to provoke debate and scrutiny, stakeholders within and beyond the academic community must remain vigilant in defending the principles of free speech and open inquiry. The battle over the future of higher education's commitment to intellectual freedom and diversity is far from over, with the outcome likely to shape the landscape of academic discourse for years to come. RELATED ARTICLE: Supreme Court Declines Free Speech Case: University Professor Alleges Retaliation for Dissent Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris, has unveiled ambitious plans to significantly increase funding for the Washington Ireland Program as it celebrates its remarkable 30th anniversary milestone. This announcement comes as Minister Harris prepares for a diplomatic visit to the American capital and Boston, where he aims to not only strengthen ties between the United States and Ireland but also to promote peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and Ireland. READ ALSO: Europe's Higher Education Horizon: A Look Into 2030 Targets and Challenges Nurturing Future Leaders The Washington Ireland Programme, established three decades ago, stands as a beacon of hope, dedicated to supporting leaders committed to shaping a future of peace and prosperity for Northern Ireland and Ireland. Minister Harris's decision to bolster funding underscores Ireland's unwavering dedication to nurturing these future leaders and advancing the programme's noble mission. During his visit, Minister Harris will engage in substantive discussions with senior academics from eight publicly-funded Irish higher education institutions, along with visits to prestigious universities such as Georgetown and Howard in Washington. These engagements are aimed at fostering robust dialogues on deepening educational collaboration between the United States and Ireland. The objective is to explore avenues for enhancing partnerships, academic exchange opportunities, and fostering mutual growth. Furthermore, Minister Harris intends to facilitate discussions on the role of education in fostering peace and prosperity, emphasizing the importance of cross-cultural understanding and cooperation in resolving conflicts and driving socio-economic development. Strategic Meetings with US Education Officials A pivotal component of Minister Harris's itinerary includes a strategic meeting with James Kvaai, the under-secretary at the US Department of Education, and other influential stakeholders in the fields of science and technology education. These discussions underscore Ireland's firm commitment to harnessing innovation and talent through international collaboration, fostering mutual growth and development. In addition to discussing educational collaboration, Minister Harris seeks to explore opportunities for joint research initiatives, student exchanges, and academic partnerships that will benefit both nations. By fostering closer ties between educational institutions, Minister Harris aims to create a conducive environment for knowledge-sharing and innovation, driving progress in various fields and contributing to global development efforts. Increased Funding for George Mitchell Scholarship Following the recent restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, Minister Harris announced an additional 450,000 in funding for the George Mitchell Scholarship. This substantial investment reaffirms Ireland's steadfast commitment to supporting educational opportunities and fostering leadership development in Northern Ireland, contributing to the region's long-term peace and prosperity. Minister Harris expressed his optimism regarding these initiatives, stating, "I am genuinely delighted to confirm the decision to announce the first of our planned six talent-and-innovation attaches will be based in the United States. I hope it sends a resounding message of Ireland's intention to embed and expand the relationships we have here in America for the benefit of both our great countries, our economies, and societies." As Minister Harris embarks on this pivotal diplomatic mission, his unwavering focus on strengthening educational collaboration and promoting innovation underscores Ireland's steadfast commitment to fostering mutually beneficial partnerships with the United States. Through strategic investments and collaborative efforts, Ireland aims to cultivate talent, foster leadership, and fortify ties that will shape the future of both nations for generations to come. RELATED ARTICLE: Fully Funded Ph.D. Programs in Prestigious US Universities In a significant development within the realm of higher education, Jamestown Business College, nestled in New York, has recently declared its cessation of new student enrollments, signaling its eventual closure. Established in 1886, the college has been a longstanding institution dedicated to providing quality business education. However, amidst financial constraints and shifting enrollment dynamics, Jamestown Business College finds itself at a crossroads, grappling with the decision to wind down its operations. READ ALSO: Chatfield College's Closure Creates Initiatives to Sustain Educational Opportunities in Rural Ohio Understanding the Decision-Making Process The decision to halt new enrollments stems from a confluence of factors, with college officials citing the institution's relatively small scale and the evolving regulatory environment governing higher education as primary reasons. Facing mounting pressures associated with compliance with government regulations, Jamestown Business College finds itself navigating increasingly challenging terrain. While the college has refrained from immediate comment following the announcement, it underscores the inevitability of these changes in light of prevailing circumstances. Over the years, Jamestown Business College has witnessed a gradual decline in its student population, with federal data revealing a consistent decrease in enrollment figures. From 323 students in fall 2017 to 287 students in fall 2022, the college has experienced a downward trajectory in student enrollment, posing significant challenges to its sustainability. Managing the Transition Despite the impending closure, Jamestown Business College remains committed to its existing cohort of students, ensuring they have the opportunity to complete their education. However, the college has refrained from providing a definitive timeline or an expected date for the cessation of its operations. Pending approval from its accreditor, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the institution intends to facilitate a smooth transition for current students, allowing them to fulfill their academic aspirations before winding down its operations. The sudden announcement of the closure has sparked concerns about the fate of faculty and administrative staff. With 23 faculty members and 10 administrators listed on its website, the college has yet to address the potential impact of the enrollment halt on their employment status. This uncertainty adds to the apprehension surrounding the college's closure, with stakeholders seeking clarity on the implications for staff members. Broader Implications and Sectoral Challenges Jamestown Business College's decision to cease operations reflects broader challenges faced by institutions across the higher education landscape, particularly smaller colleges grappling with declining enrollment figures. The sector's uncertainty is compounded by projections of a decline in traditional-age students, further exacerbating financial pressures on institutions. This announcement comes amidst a series of closures among New York colleges, both nonprofit and for-profit, struggling to navigate financial challenges. The Biden administration's focus on strengthening oversight of for-profit colleges, exemplified by recent regulatory measures, underscores the broader challenges facing institutions like Jamestown Business College. With the introduction of stringent regulations, such as the gainful employment rule and revisions to the 90/10 regulation, for-profit colleges are subject to heightened scrutiny regarding student outcomes and financial sustainability. The evolving regulatory landscape presents additional hurdles for institutions already facing financial strain, further shaping the trajectory of the higher education sector. Addressing Future Challenges As Jamestown Business College prepares to navigate the complex process of winding down its operations, it serves as a poignant reminder of the multifaceted challenges confronting higher education institutions. While the decision to cease enrollments and close its doors marks the end of an era for Jamestown Business College, it also underscores the need for innovative approaches to address the evolving landscape of higher education and ensure the continued accessibility and quality of educational opportunities for students. RELATED ARTICLE: US Colleges Grapple With Closure Threat; Mergers and Transformations Emerge as Survival Strategies ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2024) Chairperson, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Ms Gulmina Bilal along with her team on Monday visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and discussed collaboration with the Chamber to produce skilled manpower for the local industry. She agreed with the proposal of Acting President ICCI for formation of an Advisory Council giving representation to major stakeholders and said that its modalities will be further discussed with ICCI, said a news release. NAVTCC is ready to open its Facilitation Desk in ICCI to know about the demand of industry for skilled manpower and provide training accordingly, she added. She said that ICCI should cooperate in the placement of 20-23 trained people as interns in the industry. Engr. Azhar ul islam Zafar, Acting President, ICCI said that the role of NAVTTC is important for improving the industrial growth. He said that NAVTCC should form an Advisory board representing all major industries to meet the skilled manpower needs of various industries. He said that all training programs should be developed in consultation with the stakeholders to achieve win-win results. He assured that ICCI would cooperate in promoting linkages between NAVTTC and local industry to produce need-based manpower for the industrial sector. Both sides also discussed potential areas of cooperation for the betterment of local industry. Zafar Bakhtawari, former President ICCI and Secretary General UBG Pakistan stressed for the skilled development of women for various industries including pharmaceuticals for their economic empowerment. Mian Akram Farid, former President ICCI said that ICCI has already worked with NAVTCC on various projects and it would like to further collaborate with it to produce skilled manpower. Ch. Muhammad Ali, Hamayun Kabir, Mohsin Khalid, Mian Waqas Masud and others also gave useful proposals for the skilled development of people as per needs of the business entities. It almost seems kinda hopeless: Austin man with 5 kids is drowning in $16,000 in credit card debt and facing 2 lawsuits. Dave Ramsey has a surprising solution Some households are stretched so thin that a single surprise out-of-pocket payment plunges them into a deep financial hole. Thats what appears to have happened to Austin, Texas-based Sam, who said an unexpected tax bill related to his recent home purchase put his family into financial trouble. Things seemed to be going OK, but then we ended up getting taxed on the actual build of the house, he told the hosts of The Ramsey Show on a recent episode. That started a slippery slope where we started having to pay more than what our mortgage originally was, and we ended up relying a lot on credit cards. Dont miss The mortgage payment has since been lowered, but Sam and his wife are staring at roughly $16,000 in credit card debt on multiple cards that are all in collections. Theyre also facing lawsuits on two of these cards. It almost seems kinda hopeless, Sam said on the call. Hopelessly indebted A growing number of American households might be feeling similarly hopelessly indebted. Households across the country are collectively sitting on $17.29 trillion in total debt as of the third quarter of 2023, according to the Federal Reserve. Much of this is housing debt, but non-property-related debt is steadily increasing. From the third quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023, housing debt grew from $11.99 trillion to $12.49 trillion a 4.2% increase. Over the same period, non-housing debt grew 6.4%. Credit cards alone account for $1.08 trillion in aggregate. Thats larger than the gross domestic product of most countries. Story continues Sam and his wife have premium memberships in this unfortunate debtors club. They have eight to 10 credit cards, all of which are in collections at the moment. His wife faces a lawsuit related to one card with a $3,000 balance, while he faces a similar lawsuit for another one with roughly the same amount. Despite Sams anxiety over the situation, Ramsey was far less concerned about the collections and lawsuits. Their lawsuit is useless, Ramsay told him. They cant garnish wages or take a lien on a house in Texas. Their lawsuit is hanging out there in the ether Theres nothing they can do about it. Creditors may not be able to garnish wages or put a lien on a primary residence, according to TexasLawHelp.org. However, Sam is better off speaking with an actual lawyer to see if this is true in his case. Other aspects of the familys finances encouraged Ramsey even further. Sam and his wife earn roughly $6,000 in monthly income. They have five children, all old enough to be in school or working, which means they dont have daycare expenses. Their car payments are just $250 a month, while the monthly mortgage payment has dropped from $2,700 to $2,100 recently. Looking at the numbers what youre feeling is way more emotional than it is financial, co-host Jade Warshaw told Sam. She and Ramsey believe Sam can quickly turn the situation around with four easy steps. Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now cash in on prime real estate without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how 4-step solution Warshaw and Ramsey recommended a simple plan to help solve Sams financial and legal troubles. The first step is to list all debt and expenses to create a holistic view of the financial situation. Next, Sam needs to create a budget that focuses spending on essentials (food, transportation, utilities and housing). The third step is to boost income, potentially by $1,000 a month. Finally, Ramsey wants Sam to list all his credit card balances in ascending order and call all the issuers and negotiate a (potentially lower) lump sum settlement with each. Mitigating debt from the smallest to the largest amount is known as the snowball method and is commonly used by people struggling with different balances and forms of debt. Meanwhile, some credit card companies are willing to consider negotiated lump sum payments, and some attorneys specialize in such settlement cases. This strategy could rapidly improve Sams financial position. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. (@FahadShabbir) Mamoudzou, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2024) French authorities on Sunday announced a controversial plan to amend the Constitution to revoke birthplace citizenship on the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, which has been struggling with social unrest and a crippling migration crisis. France currently grants citizenship through both bloodline and birthplace, and this proposal risks further ramping up tensions in France following the adoption of a tough new immigration law. While the left denounced the fresh plan as another attack on French values, some local campaigners on Mayotte welcomed. Political leaders on the right and the far right quickly suggested it be applied across the whole of France. The reform was announced by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on Sunday after he arrived on the island, the country's poorest department, following three weeks of protests there. In Mayotte's capital Mamoudzou, several hundred protesters greeted Darmanin and his entourage with boos and shouts of "Mayotte is angry". Mayotte is composed of two islands that voted to stay part of France in 1973. The others in the surrounding Muslim-majority archipelago sought independence, becoming the Comoros Islands. "We are going to take a radical decision," Darmanin said. "It will no longer be possible to become French if you are not the child of a French parent," he said. The measure would reduce "the attractiveness" of the archipelago for prospective immigrants, he said. "It is an extremely strong, clear, radical measure, which obviously will be limited to the Mayotte archipelago," said Darmanin. - 'Extremely serious' - The left condemned the latest proposal. The head of the Socialist deputies in the National Assembly, Boris Vallaud, said his party would oppose the revision of the constitution. "Birthright citizenship is not negotiable," he told broadcaster France 3. Centrist MP Aurelien Tache told BFMTV that "if this provision is enacted and if Marine Le Pen then comes to power, it will be the end of birthright citizenship in France". Eric Ciotti, leader of the rightwing Republicans party, welcomed Darmanin's proposed reform -- but complained it did not go far enough. "What is happening in Mayotte risks hitting mainland France tomorrow," he posted on X, formerly Twitter. The measure should be applied across the whole of French territory, he added. Sebastien Chenu, spokesman for Le Pen's far-right National Rally took a similar line. "A lot of time has been wasted coming to this conclusion that abolishing the right of the soil, not only in Mayotte but everywhere in France, is not only necessary but possible," he told Europe 1 radio. That could be achieved with a referendum and a revision of the constitution, Chenu added. Le Pen's niece, Marion Marechal of the far-right "Reconquete" group also welcomed the announcement. "Bravo for finally recognising evidence which should have been put on the table for more than ten years now," she said on broadcaster BFMTV. Why, she asked, did Darmanin not extend this principle across the whole of French territory. - 'Won't change lives' - Mayotte, which lies northwest of Madagascar, became a full-fledged French department in 2011. Thousands of Comorans fleeing poverty and corruption make the trip across to Mayotte in search of higher living standards every year. The influx has caused major tensions, with many locals on Mayotte complaining about crime and poverty. There have been weeks of protest against insecurity and the migration crisis. A months-long water crisis has exacerbated tensions. According to France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the 375-square kilometre island is home to around 310,000 people, but officials say this figure is seriously underestimated. Nearly half of island residents do not have French nationality. According to INSEE, more than 40 percent of the islanders survive on less than 160 Euros per month. Residence permits issued to foreigners in Mayotte are only valid for the island and cannot be used to travel to mainland France. The scrapping of that system is one of the key demands of the protesters. Darmanin said authorities would abolish the measure as part of the reform, which some protesters welcomed. "The announcements are very encouraging, but we're waiting to see what happens," one demonstrator, Eirini Arvanitopoulou, told AFP. France grants citizenship through both bloodline and birthplace, although "jus soli" legislation has been massively tightened over the years. A hot-button issue in the country, immigration regularly inflames the political class. In December, the French parliament passed a tough immigration bill adopted under pressure from the right. In January, France's top constitutional authority censured contentious additions made on the insistence of the right. (@FahadShabbir) Athens, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2024) A man shot three people dead at the premises of a shipping company in a coastal suburb of Athens on Monday before killing himself, a Greek police source said. The shooter broke into the building in Glyfada belonging to European Product Carriers and killed two men and a woman before barricading himself inside, the source told AFP. Greek media reported the gunman was an Egyptian employee of the company who had been made redundant and that he was found dead in the basement with his weapon next to him. A police source told AFP that preliminary findings pointed to a suicide. Police earlier said officers entered the building and evacuated two women the shooter had locked in the toilets. Nearby roads were closed and a large police presence surrounded the building. European Product Carriers was founded in 1979 and boasts an average fleet of 35 vessels including oil tankers, according to its website. Many Greek and foreign shipping companies have premises in Glyfada, a seaside resort to the south of Athens, and Piraeus, a major port near the capital. Brussels, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 12th Feb, 2024) NATO "cannot be an alliance a la carte," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday after Donald Trump downplayed his commitment to NATO's security umbrella in Europe if he becomes US president again. Trump ignited a political firestorm and sent a chill through the United States' European allies on Saturday when he said he would "encourage" Russia to attack any NATO country that does not meet financial obligations. "Let's be serious. NATO cannot be an a la carte military alliance, it cannot be a military alliance that works depending on the humour of the president of the US" day to day, Borrell said. "It exists or it not exists," he said, adding that he was not going to keep commenting on "any silly idea" emerging from the US presidential election campaign. The words from Trump -- who, when in power, pulled America out of an international pact designed to curb Iran's nuclear programme, and the Paris climate accord -- prompted a broadside from current US President Joe Biden. Biden called Trump's comments "appalling and dangerous". NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned Sunday that "any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US". Trump, 77, is all but assured the Republican nomination for the White House in the November vote against Biden, 81. The application period is now open for the 2024-26 Presidential Fellows program at the University of Wyoming. The purpose of the Presidential Fellows program is to elevate and facilitate faculty-led projects that advance the university. This program also presents unique leadership opportunities to work with members of President Ed Seidels Cabinet and other administrators in addressing challenges and opportunities that will move UW forward. The celebration and promotion of teaching, research, extension, engagement, innovation, inclusion and service contributions to UWs mission are a key execution strategy of UWs 2023+ Strategic Plan, and the Presidential Fellows program contributes to this work. Proposals can be submitted on any topic that relates to the Strategic Plan, but special consideration will be given to the following areas of focus. More information on these areas of focus can be found on the Presidential Fellows webpage. -- Artificial intelligence (AI): As platforms such as ChatGPT have implications for higher education and grow in terms of use and sophistication, Seidel is seeking a Fellow to lead the universitys efforts to address this emerging technology. -- Economic development: As UW plays a key part in developing Wyomings workforce for existing and emerging industries -- and it is important that the university strive to advance the economic and cultural vitality of the community and the state -- Seidel is seeking a Fellow to liaise with external stakeholders and advance activities under the Wyoming Innovation Partnership and the creative economy. -- Faculty Leadership Institute: As providing a supportive community is one of UWs ongoing objectives in the Strategic Plan, the president would like to encourage and promote faculty excellence through the establishment of a Faculty Leadership Institute. He is seeking a Presidential Fellow to develop curriculum and facilitate execution of the institutes first cohort. For additional information, including eligibility criteria and benefits, and to submit a proposal, visit the Presidential Fellows webpage. The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, March 11. DUBLIN, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Patient Pool Analysis, Market Size and Market Forecast APAC - 2034" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Research_and_Markets_Logo New research on the Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) market within the Asia-Pacific region anticipates substantial expansion by the year 2034. This comprehensive APAC PAD market report offers an in-depth patient pool analysis, market size estimations, and forecasts, alongside a detailed study of evolving treatment paradigms and market trends. Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Overview The report begins with an extensive overview of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), chronicling its symptoms, diagnostic methods, pathophysiology, and various causes prevalent across India, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Australia. It further delves into disease staging, severity, and demographic factors affecting the PAD patient population within these nations. Treatment Approach Analysis Significant focus is placed on the current and emerging treatment methodologies for PAD in the APAC region. The disparity in healthcare infrastructures and the diversity in regulatory frameworks lead to varying treatment practices among countries. An expert analysis of the treatment landscape facilitates a deeper understanding of PAD therapeutic measures in this burgeoning market. Patient Demographics and Market Dynamics With patient demographics at its core, the report analyzes historical, current, and forecasted patient burdens, while providing insights into age-specific and gender-specific segments. It also assesses the implications of lifestyle and environmental factors on the PAD patient population. Market dynamics are thoroughly examined, identifying the key drivers and potential challenges that could influence market trajectories from 2020 to 2034. Therapeutic Market Prospects by APAC Country India: Forecasts indicate an upswing in the PAD market size, propelled by improved diagnosis and treatment availability. China: Predictions reveal significant growth potential due to increasing awareness and healthcare reforms. South Korea: A steady increase in market size is projected as a result of technological advancements and a growing elderly population. Taiwan: Enhanced healthcare infrastructure is expected to contribute to market growth. Australia: A robust healthcare system and preventive measures are foreseen to drive the market forward. Story continues Pipeline Assessment and Industry Expert Views The report provides an expansive pipeline assessment, spotlighting therapeutic candidates from early to late development stages. Furthermore, it encapsulates the perspectives of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to highlight treatment patterns, cultural differences, and patient care nuances across APAC countries. With sophisticated market intelligence tools like SWOT and Conjoint Analysis, the APAC Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Market Analysis delivers strategic insights into market strengths, opportunities, and unmet needs, further supporting investment decision-making and strategic planning. Lastly, a detailed exploration of accessibility, reimbursement scenarios, and recent news within APAC countries provides a complete snapshot of the current state and future outlook of the PAD therapeutic market. This authoritative report epitomizes a vital resource for healthcare professionals, investors, and pharmaceutical companies aiming to navigate and capitalize on the evolving landscape of the Peripheral Arterial Disease market in the Asia-Pacific region. APAC Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Market Report Key Highlights Addressable Patient population in each APAC country APAC Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Epidemiology segmentation Competitive Landscape Conjoint analysis Drugs uptake and key market forecast assumptions Real world treatment practices Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Pipeline product profiles Qualitative analysis (SWOT and Conjoint Analysis) APAC Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Market size and trends by therapies APAC Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Patient Journey 11 year forecast Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) Unmet needs For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/iv57kg About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/apac-peripheral-arterial-disease-pad-patient-pool-analysis-market-size-and-market-forecast-to-2034-302059433.html SOURCE Research and Markets Carnival dancers took the biggest stage in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night with their faces painted red in a traditional Indigenous manner, while percussionists had Miners out written across the skins of their drums. It was part of Salgueiro's samba school's tribute to the Yanomami, Brazils largest Indigenous group, with its giant floats, costumes and songs based on the groups ancient culture and traditions. My Salgueiro is the arrow for the people of the forest, the parade participants sang out as they marched through the Sambadrome, delivering their message to more than 70,000 revelers at the Sambadrome and millions watching live on television. The chance thats left for us is an Indigenous Brazil. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is under pressure to deliver on promises to eradicate illegal mining, particularly amid a recent backslide in efforts. Sundays parade comes as Brazil celebrates one year since Lula declared a public health emergency for the Yanomami people in the Amazon, who are suffering from malnutrition and diseases such as malaria as a consequence of illegal mining. Ours is a cry for help from Brazil and the world in general, said Davi Kopenawa, a Yanomami leader and shaman who advised the samba school on how to remain truthful to his people, and paraded with Salgueiro. My hope is that the world, upon hearing our call, will put pressure on the Brazilian government to remove all the miners, destroyers of our mother Earth, who are soiling the water and killing fish. Kopenawa paraded with feathered armbands and headdress, plus a beaded necklace depicting a jaguar. He was joined by 13 other Yanomami who flew across the country to participate in Salgueiros parade. One of the first floats consisted of a severed tree trunk, with a performer depicting a Yanomami mother seeking to protect her child as invaders drew close, and other floats featured massive sculptures of Yanomami people. Through this homage to Yanomami history and culture, Salgueiro sought to draw attention to the devastating effects brought by illegal mining inside Yanomami territory, including widespread river contamination, famine and disease. Some 30,000 Yanomami live in Brazils largest Indigenous territory, spanning more than 9 million hectares in the northern area of the Amazon rainforest, along the border with Venezuela. Three weeks after assuming the presidency, Lula declared a public health emergency and sent the armed forces, doctors, nurses and food. Still, more than 300 Yanomami died of various causes in 2023, according to the health ministry. Lula swiftly created a dedicated inter-ministerial task force to fight illegal mining and in 2023, Brazils environmental agency destroyed a record 33 aircraft found on or near Yanomami territory. The agents also wrecked or apprehended mining barges, fuel, chainsaws, Starlink internet units and campsites. Government officials say that since the beginning of the operation, areas with illegal mining inside Yanomami territory have dropped 85% and that Yanomamis health has improved. But after the operation's initial success, prosecutors, law enforcement and employees of federal environmental agencies say illegal miners are returning. There has been a significant reduction, but mining hasnt ended. We reckon that the miners are exploiting as much as possible, because they assess they eventually will have to leave, Jair Schmitt, head of environmental protection at Brazils environmental agency Ibama, told The Associated Press. Schmitt said miners have adapted to escape law enforcement and satellite detection by working at night, setting camp under the forest canopy and choosing old mining pits instead of clearing forest to open new ones. Humberto Freire, director of the newly created Amazon and environmental unit of the federal police, said officers also noticed miners have begun working in a much smaller, artisanal way, and that government agencies need to take stronger action. We need, for example, the air force to effectively control the airspace over Yanomami land. We need the navy to control the flow of people on rivers. We need the army to do a quality job, too, Freire said. The federal police can do more, the armed forces can do more, as well as Ibama and Funai (the Indigenous affairs agency.)" One of the parades wings featured dancers dressed in the dark-green garb of army uniforms. Following behind was a float featuring two giant army hats with skulls, an explicitly critical element of the parade. Lula had said the armed forces would play a key role in the fight, providing logistical support and security to public workers and federal agents on the ground who say they increasingly fear for their lives. But it isn't the military's responsibility to engage in direct combat, according to political scientist Joao Roberto Martins Filho. Still, the big question is why the army, which has three permanent bases inside Yanomami territory, didnt sound the alarm under Lulas predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. There was nearly a massacre of an unprotected population. Why did the army let this happen instead of denouncing it to the federal government or reaching out to the press?" Martins Filho, a professor at the Federal University of Sao Carlos, told the AP. "In a certain way, they were accomplices. In a written response to the AP, the army said that illegal mining and the health crisis within the Yanomami territory are complex issues involving the legal jurisdiction of various government agencies, and that the army is always prepared to fulfill its strategic missions. That includes providing support to federal agencies through logistical, communication, and intelligence activities, such as those being conducted in the Yanomami territory, the statement said. Illegal planes are essential for transporting prospectors and equipment to far-flung reserves, as shown in a 2022 Associated Press investigation in Roraima state, where most mining affecting the Yanomami takes place. Without unauthorized aircraft, officials and experts have said illegal mining operations would collapse. After a Jan. 2023 presidential decree ordered the air force to close the airspace over Yanomami territory, the situation on the ground improved significantly, authorities and Indigenous people told the AP. In a written response to the AP, Brazil's air force said it has been patrolling the so-called Air Defense Identification Zone over the Yanomami Territory. Under this rule, an aircraft may be shot down for failing to obey orders to change route. The force claims the measure led to a 90% reduction in illegal flights. Its highly efficient. We would find landing strips, but no planes, said Andre Luiz Porreca Ferreira Cunha, a federal prosecutor who oversees cases linked to illegal mining across the western Amazon. But some on the ground suggest the armed forces are no longer sufficiently involved in operations, and that illegal miners started coming back as a result. In a joint statement last month, the associations representing federal workers in environmental and Indigenous affairs accused the armed forces of failing to fulfill their mission of supporting and facilitating the work of other agencies combating illegal mining. The association alleged that the military denied use of aircraft for transporting personnel and equipment, haven't collaborated in the destruction of mining machinery and airstrips and instead shut down support points for refueling environmental agency aircraft. Ferreira Cunha, the prosecutor, said violent attacks of Ibama agents and members of the federal police are becoming more frequent, with some cases of attempted murders. Government health teams have also been targeted, and are unable or unwilling to reach certain communities, said JAnior Hekurari, a member of the group and president of Condisi-Y, the local health council. Some are heavily armed, the health teams are scared, he said. This state of emergency cannot solve the problem. We need something permanent, for all the communities, Hekurari added. If they (government authorities) dont stay, the miners will return tomorrow. Taliban authorities in Afghanistan said Monday that two of its nationals who were detained and rendered to the United States-run prison in Guantanamo Bay more than 20 years ago had returned home. An Interior Ministry spokesman said on his X social media account that Abdul Karim and Abdul Zahir landed in Kabul early morning from Oman, where they had been transferred in 2017 and held under house arrest until now. Abdul Mateen Qani said that senior Taliban officials were among those who greeted and welcomed the two men at the international airport in the Afghan capital. They both spent more than 20 years in trouble, and the Islamic Emirate facilitated their return, Qani added. Both Zahir and Karim had been under surveillance without the right to travel for seven years in the Gulf kingdom, he said. Zahir, a resident of the Afghan province of Logar, was arrested by American forces just outside Kabul in May of 2002 before being transferred to Guantanamo. Karim, a resident of the southeastern Afghan province of Khost, was moved to the prison in 2003 after having been arrested in neighboring Pakistan by local authorities before being handed over to U.S. custody. President George Bushs administration opened the controversial Guantanamo detention center just months after the U.S.-led coalition forces invaded then-Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to punish them for sheltering al-Qaida planners of the September 2001 terrorist strikes on America. The detention center located in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was originally designed to detain and interrogate individuals who were suspected of having links to al-Qaida operatives and their Taliban hosts and who were captured by U.S. forces during their two-decade-long war on terror operations in Afghanistan. However, the prison received many suspects from several other countries over time. Human rights groups have, from the outset, criticized the U.S. military prison and demanded its closure, citing reported abuses, torture, and prolonged detentions of inmates, many without charges or trial. Guantanamo Bay has been the subject of extensive litigation. In 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court found that detainees were entitled to minimal protections under the Geneva Conventions, despite the assertions of the George W. Bush administration. The United Nations has demanded the closure of Guantanamo Bay, as has Amnesty International, which found in 2005 that the facility has become the gulag of our times, entrenching the notion that people can be detained without any recourse to the law. Most of the inmates, including senior Taliban leaders, have been released over the years. One Afghan prisoner, Muhammad Rahim, remains in detention at Guantanamo. The Taliban reclaimed power in Kabul in August 2021 when all U.S.-led coalition forces withdrew from the country after battling Taliban insurgents in the years that followed the invasion of Afghanistan. The Islamist rulers have reimposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, barring women and girls from work and receiving an education beyond the sixth grade, deterring the global community from recognizing the de facto government in Afghanistan. Exclusively hosted by Aramco, the 16th edition of International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC), opened at the at the Dhahran Expo today (Feb 12) with a focus on sustainable energy supply. The event, anticipating the presence of over 20,000 industry leaders, professionals, influencers and key players within the oil and gas domain, is being held under the patronage of Prince Saud Bin Nayef Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province, till Wednesday (Feb 14). The event that started in 2005 in Doha, Qatar, has today become the flagship multidisciplinary technical event in the Eastern Hemisphere that plays a vital role in providing a platform for oil and gas professions to share knowledge, collaborate and drive technological advancements. It will also contribute to advancing the petroleum industry in Saudi Arabia as a sustainable energy supply and bring decarbonisation learnings to other key countries across the Mena region. A number of key speakers, including ministers and industry leaders will shed light on the evolving energy landscape. The ministerial session will see a one-on-one discussion with Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabias Energy Minister. This will be followed by executive sessions with Aramco leaders Amin Nasser, President & CEO, and Nasir Al-Naimi, Upstream President, in addition to top officials from TotalEnergies, Woodside Energy, Exxon Mobil, SLB, PTTEP, Adnoc, Baker Hughes, and others. IPTC is sponsored by four industry organisations and societies, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG); the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE); the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG); and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). WHATS NEW AT IPTC 2024? Every year at IPTC recognises outstanding industry projects. The IPTC Excellence in Project Integration Award is given to a project that adds value to the industry. In the past, only projects above $500 million were considered. However, this year there is an extra award category for projects between $200-500 million. The IPTC 2024 finalists in over $500-million category include: Coral South FLNG by Eni: This integrated project comprises the installation of a floating liquefied natural gas facility (Coral-Sul FLNG) to gather the gas production from six gas wells at 2,000 m 80 km offshore northern Mozambique in the Rovuma Basin within Area 4. The FLNG, which has a nameplate capacity of 3.4 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and a design life of 25 years, is the worlds first new-built ultra-deep water FLNG, Africas first full functional open sea FLNG and the first in Mozambique. Lisa Phases 1 and 2 by ExxonMobil: These exploration wells offshore Guyana in the Stabroek Block 5 started production in 2019 and 2022, respectively, from the Liza Destiny floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, one of the fastest projects from discovery to first oil of its type in the industry. The Liza development deployed new technologies and novel execution approaches to meet these challenges. Shah Deniz 2 by bp: This is one of the largest gas developments in the world. It integrates a 3,500-km southern gas corridor pipeline, delivering natural gas from the Caspian through seven countries, directly to European markets for the first time. The $28-billion, bp-operated, Shah Deniz 2 project supplies natural gas and condensate from two bridge-linked platforms offshore in the Caspian Sea. The gas is produced through 26 subsea wells via 500 km of subsea pipelines, and 85 km of onshore pipelines, to the Sangachal terminal in Azerbaijan. At plateau, the Shah Deniz 2 project produces 16 billion cubic meters of gas per year. And the finalists in the $200500 million projects are: CCUS Evolution Journey by Adnoc: The national oil company of Abu-Dhabi aims to add hundreds of millions of stock tank barrels (mmstb) of oil using CO2-enhanced oil recovery, with efficient CO2 injection. This project aligns with a sustainable future vision, making a significant contribution to achieving net-zero goals by 2045 as targeting 10 mtpa of CO2 storage by 2030. ABH Tight Oil Field Development by Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta: The Aishwariya Barmer Hill (ABH) tight reservoir field, situated within the Development Area 1 in the RJ-ON-90/1 Block, in the northeastern part of the Barmer Basin in Rajasthan, India, defied initial skepticism to emerge as a triumph of ingenuity and persistence. Discovered in 2013, the challenging and initially deemed uneconomical tight oil formation was successfully tapped through innovative practices and technologies. Optimum Shah Gas Expansion by Adnoc Sour Gas: The project in the UAEs Onshore Shah Gas Field stands out as a remarkable technical feat, processing 1.45 BSCFD of ultra sour gas and earning the distinction of being the largest plant of its kind globally. The uniqueness of OSGE project is its EPC awarded at the peak of Covid 19 pandemic in June 2021. And despite the adversities, the project team embraced the challenge, employing unconventional approaches in execution and completing the project two months ahead of schedule. YOUTH-FOCUSED ACTIVITIES Despite being an international event of repute, IPTC hasnt forgotten the youth, and has segments that help inculcate qualities that build tomorrows industry leaders. The Emerging Leaders Forum offers young professionals (YPs) the opportunity to get together for a day of inspiration, education, and collaboration. It gives emerging leaders the chance to engage with their peers and industry and management professionals from around the world to debate critical issues, develop vital skills needed for the future of work, and address key challenges. Another assembly of youth is Education Week. This exclusive university student offers a unique experience to assist selected students with their transition from student to young professional. This year, 100 top undergraduate science, geoscience, and engineering students from diverse backgrounds have been chosen from 39 countries to attend the Education Week. Under the theme, Shaping the Future of Energy, participating students will for five days experience activities that will prepare them for life beyond university. These include learning from experienced and young professionals, working on joint projects, networking with industry peers and executives, attending technical and panel sessions and participating in dynamic field trips. Nearly half of the workforce in the oil and gas industry will retire in the next 5 to 7 years. This great challenge makes it an imperative for leadership development. To address this challenge, the Building Bridges: It Starts with You workshop will help participants identify and amplify their unique leadership styles while enhancing their mentorship capabilities. It will immerse participants in a comprehensive exploration of critical themes, particularly the industrys impending transformation, known as The Great Crew Change. In conclusion, IPTC has a well-rounded approach to the industrys challenges whether its technology, knowhow, or the development of human resources. This years event comes on the heels of the key global conference on climate change, COP28, where a declaration to transition away from fossil fuel was made a first for a UN climate conference APPLETON There's a lot that Tom Courtney is going to miss about his family's longtime wool mill. He'll miss the views along the bank of the Fox River, seeing eagles and other wildlife scurry by, and the sunsets glow above the water. "Where are you going to get that in downtown Appleton?" Courtney asked, gesturing to the window next to his desk. Courtney has worked at the Courtney Woolen Mill, at 301 E. Water St., for decades, but "every day is different when you walk in," he said. Courtney appreciates that, and it's probably why it "doesn't feel like I worked 52 years down here," he said. Now, though, "it's starting to feel that way," the 66-year-old told The Post-Crescent Monday, "so I guess it's time to retire." The Courtney Woolen Mill has been in the Courtney family since 1904 and is run by Tom Courtney. After working at the business for 52 years, Courtney is selling the building. He says walking out the door will be the hardest part. It has been continuously running as a mill since 1880 when it was built by the Kelley family. Tom is pictured Monday, February 12, 2024, at the mill which is located at 301 E. Water St. in Appleton, Wis. After 144 years in operation, the mill will soon close. Courtney put the property up for sale last week and announced the end of an era to his customers on Facebook Thursday. Business is slower lately up until a few days ago, when he broke the news. Courtney said there's been "overwhelming" response from the community, congratulating him on his retirement, and lamenting how "it's going to be a sad day when it does close." Courtney credits the mill's "loyal customers" for its long success. A 91-year-old man came to the shop in December, he said, who's a third-generation customer. "I have a number of customers that are first, second and third generations, even fourth generations," Courtney said. Courtney, meanwhile, is the fourth-generation family owner. He bought the property, located down the hill from College Avenue, tucked along the river, in 1986. Mill still runs on equipment from 1800s Built by the Kelley family, the business opened Jan. 4, 1880, as North Side Woolen Mill. Courtney's family took over the business in 1904. Back then, there were more sheep than cows in Wisconsin, according to Courtney. Even in 1993, when the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, Courtney estimates there were still 25 or 30 textile mills in the state. Story continues "Now you're down to probably a handful," he said. The roughly 8,000-square-foot building feels like a time portal, transporting visitors back in history. Courtney describes it as a "working museum." He still uses the two original Davis and Furber carding machines from the 19th Century to run wool and polyester today. There are fluffy clumps of material scattered all over the floor. Some pieces stuck to the bristles of a broom, while another clung to Courtney's sleeve. Two Davis and Furber carding machines run wool and polyester material at the Courtney Woolen Mill. They are pictured Monday, February 12, 2024, in Appleton, Wis. The building has a basement and second floor, and Courtney uses a pulley to hoist materials to the upper level to dry. He also used to make yarn up there. Even before he started working at the mill, Courtney said he fished out the back windows. Courtney's grandfather, Giles Courtney, carved his name into one of the wooden walls, along with the year, 1914. Courtney's son's middle name is Giles, so he plans to keep that panel, he said. Courtney also saved some pulleys and pictures as mementos for himself. "If the walls could only talk," Courtney said, looking around the space Monday. 2018 VIDEO: Appleton woolen mill operates much as it did in 1880 Closure feels 'bittersweet' as owner looks forward to retirement In the office area, where he greets customers who come in to buy polyester for quilts, Courtney keeps wedding and family photos on his desk. A ceramic sheep the mill's mascot sits on the glass counter, which Courtney dresses up for different holidays. He also has a box of bobbins for sale, at $4.99 a piece. Courtney works in the mill alone, aside from his dog, Bella, who greets visitors, seeking treats and pets. Bella took a break to rest on the floor as interested people toured the space with a realtor Monday afternoon. Since putting the building up for sale, Courtney said there's been a lot of interest in the property. The "sky's the limit" for what it could become, but Courtney said he hopes whoever buys it will preserve the building, as much as possible. Courtney can't share details yet, but at least one historic machine from the mill is staying in Appleton. "That's very exciting," he said. Courtney is looking forward to "more freedom" to "enjoy life" in retirement, he said. He has some projects he wants to get done around his home, and he'll go camping and biking. He also plans to spend time with his 9-month-old granddaughter, who he proudly shows pictures of on his phone. The mill will stay open until it's sold, according to Courtney. As that day approaches, it's "definitely bittersweet," he said. The hardest part, Courtney said, will be walking out the door one last time. The Courtney Woolen Mill located at 301 E. Water St. on Monday, February 12, 2024, in Appleton, Wis. Reach Becky Jacobs at bjacobs@gannett.com or 920-993-7117. Follow her on Twitter at @ruthyjacobs. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton's Courtney Woolen Mill to close after 144 years in operation Antifascist activists gathered in Hungary's capital Saturday to oppose an annual commemoration held by far-right groups, underscoring diplomatic tensions between Budapest and Rome over the detention of an Italian citizen in a Hungarian jail. Hundreds of activists marched through central Budapest alongside a heavy police presence and called for freedom for every antifascist." They said they sought to prevent the far-right from observing the Day of Honor, an annual event marking the failed attempt by Nazi and allied Hungarian soldiers to break out of Budapest during the Red Armys siege of the city in 1945. The demonstration came as an Italian antifascist activist is being held in a Hungarian jail for allegedly being involved in assaults against suspected participants in the Day of Honor commemoration in Budapest last year. Images of the activist, Ilaria Salis, chained and shackled at a Budapest court hearing sparked official protests by the Italian government. Prosecutors are seeking an 11-year sentence for the woman. Luca Kruczynski, 35, a participant at the antifascist march Saturday, said he had traveled from Berlin with friends to protest against the neo-fascist groups that are having their events here now every year. He said he had concerns that Salis' prosecution would be a political trial. We see that Nazis are going to group up on different occasions and in different cities all over Europe, he said. "There are people who say no to this, and who have a close eye on this and tell them, Here and no further. A separate group of activists gathered in Milan on Saturday to call attention to Salis case. Hungarys government has denied that Salis is being held in inappropriate conditions. Italy's government has called on Hungary to observe European and international law, which calls for the need to respect the dignity of prisoners, including the way in which defendants are transferred to court and the guarantees of a fair trial. Last week, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni spoke about Salis detention with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The case is delicate for the far-right-led government of Meloni, who has forged friendly ties with the nationalist Orban. Italys foreign and justice ministers have refused a request to seek pre-trial detention at home in Italy or in the Italian embassy in Budapest for Salis, citing the sovereignty of Hungarys court system. Salis father met with Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Justice Minister Carlo Nordio on Monday in a bid to persuade them to intervene on his daughters behalf but walked away disappointed. In a joint statement Monday, Nordio said he suggested to the father that Salis Hungarian lawyer make the case in court to change the conditions of her confinement, while Tajani said that he has twice personally intervened with the Hungarian government on her behalf. The leader of the Italian opposition, Democratic Party leader Elly Schlein, noted Monday that Premier Giorgia Melonis far-right-led government only moved on behalf of Salis after seeing the chains and shackles. It is difficult not to think that Meloni is embarrassed in front of her European ally, Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, Schlein said. Police in Democratic Republic of Congo fired tear gas Monday to disperse protesters who burned tires and U.S. and Belgian flags near Western embassies and U.N. offices in the capital Kinshasa, angry about insecurity in eastern Congo. The protesters, seizing on a new tactic by targeting embassies, say the West supports neighboring Rwanda, which is accused of backing the Tutsi-led M23 rebellion whose advance is threatening the strategic city of Goma in the east. Rwanda has denied the accusations. Congo, Western governments including the United States and Belgium, and a United Nations expert group say the rebel group benefits from Rwandan support. Despite security being stepped up after U.N. staff and vehicles were attacked on Saturday, groups of protesters gathered at the U.S. and French embassies and the offices of the United Nations mission in Congo known as MONUSCO. Some threw stones, attempting to break the surveillance cameras at one of the United States embassy offices, while others chanted "Leave our country, we don't want your hypocrisy." "The Westerners are behind the looting of our country, Rwanda doesn't work alone, so they must leave our country," said Pepin Mbindu, who joined the protest. Onlookers cheered as one demonstrator removed the EU flag from the entrance of a large hotel in central Kinshasa, according to videos shared on X. Reuters has not authenticated the video. "The international community remains silent while Congolese are being killed; they finance Rwanda," said Fabrice Malumba, a motorcycle driver participating in the demonstration in front of the United States embassy. Police fired tear gas and chased protesters. Congo's Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula met ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions in Kinshasa on Sunday. He said security measures would be taken to protect their representations. "As you can see, we are ensuring the security of the partner embassies of the Democratic Republic of Congo in accordance with the Vienna Convention," General Blaise Mbula Kilimba Limba, Kinshasa police chief, told Reuters. Decades of conflicts in eastern Congo between myriad rival armed groups over land and resources and brutal attacks on civilians have killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced more than 7 million. Congo is the world's top supplier of cobalt and Africa's top copper producer. An appeals court in the Netherlands ordered the government Monday to stop exports of F-35 fighter jet parts to Israel, following a lawsuit filed by human rights groups raising concerns about Israels offensive in the Gaza Strip. "It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law," the court said. Israel has denied committing war crimes in Gaza, where it launched a military operation against the Hamas militant group following an October Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli response has killed more than 28,300 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The Dutch court said the government must comply with the ruling within seven days. The decision can be appealed. The Netherlands is host to a warehouse of U.S.-owned F-35 parts that are exported to several countries. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Sixty-one-year-old Liora Argamani, also known as Li Chonghong, facing imminent death with stage four brain cancer, has just one wish to see her daughter Noa, who remains in Hamas captivity in Gaza, one last time. More than four months after the militants abducted Noa Argamani, a 26-year-old half-Chinese university student, along with scores of others from a music festival on October 7 in southern Israel, her family is still hoping to bring her home. In January, Hamas released two videos over a two-day period showing three hostages, including Noa. In the first of the two videos, she, along with two male captives Itay Svirsky and Yossi Sharabi implored Israels government to bring them home. The undated, heavily edited clips ended with the caption, Tomorrow we will inform you of their fate. Israels government condemned the video as psychological warfare propaganda. The second video featured Noa describing the deaths of Sharabi and Svirsky, killed in Israeli airstrikes, and included footage of what appeared to be the dead bodies of both men. While we are still alive, bring us home, she implored on camera. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the hostages deaths, but its spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, rejected the claim that its airstrike killed the two male captives. We know its psychological warfare meant to pressure [Israels Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, but it was a horrific psychological game, lamented Noa Argamanis cousin, Moshe Cohen, who has taken on the role of family spokesman. When we saw in the video that shes alive but the other two arent, we felt horrified sadness for their families, Cohen tells VOA. But there was relief that Noa is still alive. He says Noas father, an Israeli named Yaakov Argamani, is too overwhelmed with emotion and his frequent travels making appeals to decision-makers, to engage with the press. Liora Argamani, who was born in Wuhan China, is mostly unable to communicate because shes heavily medicated, physically weak, and her speech is slurred, says Cohen. She has struggled with brain cancer for years and in 2023 suffered a relapse when the cancer stopped responding to chemotherapy or radiation. The Washington Post reports her doctors are resorting to experimental drugs. In a video plea released in December, Liora Argamani implored, I dont know how long I have left. I wish for the chance to see my Noa at home. She has issued several appeals for her daughters release, including to U.S. President Joe Biden. She also granted interviews in Mandarin, hoping her Chinese heritage might influence Chinas policymakers to appeal to Hamas for her daughters release. Noa is level-headed, determined, and stubborn, Liora Argamani shared in Mandarin in October, saying she believes those attributes will protect her daughter from harm. She said her daughter partially derived those characteristics from her Asian heritage. But the family soon realized the Chinese leadership would not intervene on Noas behalf because she is not a citizen of China. She was among roughly 253 people, including seniors, a baby, women and children that Hamas took hostage October 7, when thousands of the militants infiltrated Israel and killed an estimated 1,200 people. When Hamas took Noa, a video of her pleading for her life went viral on social media. That same day, a video clip surfaced on social media showing her at an unknown Gaza location wearing a military green hoodie and black leggings, sitting on a couch, drinking bottled water. The January video showing her still alive was released as the buzz of a possible second hostage release deal hovered. A November deal had seen 105 civilian hostages freed. Its a constant mental rollercoaster, says Cohen. Theres hope, disappointment, hope, disappointment. The entire country is on standby. The overall feeling is negative because you cant trust Hamas. This isnt a negotiation with a country or a business. This is a negotiation with a rotten, cruel terrorist organization whose global aim is to destroy Israel. Hamas supporters say the militants are fighting to overthrow occupiers and establish an independent Palestinian state. Experts are skeptical that more hostages will be released any time soon. A deal is unlikely, says seasoned Israeli hostage negotiator Gershon Baskin. Baskin initiated and negotiated years-long, secret back-channel talks between Israel and Hamas, ultimately securing the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, held in Hamas captivity for five years. Hamas wants terrorists serving life terms for killing Israelis to be released in exchange for the hostages. Thats a non-starter, Baskin tells VOA. My advice to Israel: Make a deal, bring the hostages home, and then re-arrest or assassinate released Hamas prisoners and continue with the war. They dont get any guarantees." Meanwhile, time could be running out for a reunion between Noa and her mother. Lioras doctors say shes exceeding medical expectations, but shes weak, says Cohen. My opinion? Shes waiting to hug Noa one last time, and then her soul will let go, and shell leave us. But theres no guarantee that Noa will be released. Meanwhile, relatives of the 136 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza, including Yaakov Argamani, are constantly on the move. They shuttle between countries, meeting with world leaders to lobby for support and appeal for a deal that will see their loved ones safely return home. Adrianna Zhang of VOA's Mandarin Service contributed to this story. A man whose family's gender reveal ceremony sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter in 2020 has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, prosecutors said Friday. The El Dorado Fire erupted on Sept. 5, 2020, when Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. and Angelina Jimenez and their young children staged a baby gender reveal at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains. A smoke-generating pyrotechnic device was set off in a field and quickly ignited dry grass on a scorching day. The couple frantically tried to use bottled water to douse the flames and called 911, authorities said. Strong winds stoked the fire as it ran through wilderness on national forest land, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. Charles Morton, the 39-year-old leader of the elite Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Squad, was killed on Sept. 17, 2020, when flames overran a remote area where firefighters were cutting fire breaks. Morton had worked as a firefighter for 18 years, mostly with the U.S. Forest Service. On Friday, the San Bernardino County district attorney announced that Refugio Manuel Jimenez Jr. had pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure. He will be taken into custody on February 23 to serve a year in jail. His sentence also includes two years of felony probation and 200 hours of community service. Angelina Jimenez pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of recklessly causing fire to the property of another. She was sentenced to a year of summary probation and 400 hours of community service. The couple was also ordered to pay $1,789,972 in restitution. Their attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday. Resolving the case was never going to be a win," District Attorney Jason Anderson said in a news release, offering his condolences to Morton's family. To the victims who lost so much, including their homes with valuables and memories, we understand those are intangibles can never be replaced. The blaze injured 13 other people and forced the evacuations of hundreds of residents in small communities in the San Bernardino National Forest area. It destroyed five homes and 15 other buildings. Flames blackened nearly 36 square miles (92 square kilometers) of land in San Bernardino and Riverside counties before the blaze was contained on Nov. 16, 2020. The fire was one of thousands during a record-breaking wildfire season in California that charred more than 4% of the state while destroying nearly 10,500 buildings and killing 33 people. Extremely dry conditions and heat waves tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight. Climate change has made the West much warmer and drier in the past 30 years and will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive. Greece has announced new measures to protect locals from a deluge of mainly Chinese nationals purchasing homes and property in exchange for residency rights in the West what is commonly known as a Golden Visa scheme. For many of Chinas newly well-off citizens, the incentive to emigrate has been rising, feeding what is being dubbed worldwide as investment migration businesses. In recent years, there has been a massive rush of Chinese nationals to Greece, and that has created a serious housing crisis. On Friday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he would increase the threshold of real estate investment from $269,491 to $862,372 in certain pockets of the country to ease the crisis. It is a major investment boost for the country but also a serious measure we are considering to shield the local market, he told lawmakers in the Greek parliament. In a rare show of bipartisan support, opposition leaders sided with the plan. Because of a lingering housing shortage, they are now urging the government to block foreign homebuyers, like the Chinese, from making a fortune off their investments, leasing them for short-term rentals rather than occupying them for residential purposes alone. A local near the foot of the Acropolis, Greeces star attraction and the hub of Chinese and other tourists says finding an affordable apartment to lease in the area has become difficult. All you see are tourists staying in these flats. The prices for locals have become excessively high, he said. Since launching the Golden Visa program in 2014, Greece has been granting five-year renewable residence permits to foreigners in exchange for a minimum property investment of nearly $270,000. In the last year alone, the number of permits issued has quadrupled, with Chinese nationals topping the list at 80 percent. Turks fleeing the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are second, with Lebanese nationals and Israelis both taking third position, according to data released from the Bank of Greece. Government sources tell VOA the highest charges for Greeces Golden Visas will apply for the countrys most coveted property in central Athens and glitzy Greek islands like Mykonos and Santorini a favorite among Chinese nationals. India's foreign ministry said Monday that Qatar had freed eight ex-navy personnel it had previously arrested and sentenced to death, reportedly for spying for Israel. The foreign ministry never gave details on the eight Indian nationals or their alleged crimes, and Qatar has not commented on the case or made the charges public. But Indian media have reported that the men, among them former high-ranking and decorated officers, including captains who once commanded warships, were arrested in Doha in August 2022. In October, India said it was "shocked" after a Qatari court had sentenced them to death, but the sentence was reduced in December. The eight men were employees of Al Dahra, a Gulf-based company that offers "complete support solutions" to the aerospace, security and defense sectors, according to its website. The Hindu newspaper reported the men were spying for a "third country," while the Times of India has said that "various reports claimed they were accused of spying for Israel." On Monday, New Delhi said the men had all been released. "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India," it added, thanking Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the decision "to enable the release and homecoming" of the detainees. Indonesian police Monday named two Chinese nationals as suspects in the explosion of a smelting furnace at a Chinese-owned nickel plant on Sulawesi Island that killed 21 workers and injured dozens of others. Four Chinese and nine Indonesian workers died instantly on December 24 when the furnace at PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel, or PT ITSS, exploded while they were repairing it. Eight others died in the following days while being treated at hospitals. Of the total number of workers killed, eight were from from China. The furnace was located inside a nickel processing-based industrial area under the management of PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, known as PT IMIP, in Morowali regency of Central Sulawesi province. Following their investigation, police had enough evidence to designate the two Chinese nationals, identified only by their initials, ZG and Z, as suspects, said Djoko Wienartono, the Central Sulawesi police spokesperson. ZG was the furnace supervisor and Z was his vice supervisor, Wienartono said. ZG and Z were the persons in charge of the furnace when the explosion occurred, Wienartono said at a news conference in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi province, They have violated the companys operational standard. He said police would bring a criminal charge of negligence leading to death or serious injury. The maximum penalty for conviction of the charge is five years in prison. The police investigation showed that the furnace was under maintenance and not operating at the time of the explosion, which was triggered by fire from residual slag in the furnace that flowed out, causing an explosion when the fire came into contact with nearby oxygen cylinders used for welding, Wienartono said. The blast was the latest in a series of fatal incidents at nickel smelting plants in Indonesia that are part of Chinas ambitious transnational development program known as the Belt and Road Initiative. Nickel is a key component of batteries for electric vehicles. Two dump truck operators were killed last April when they were engulfed by a wall of black, sludgelike material following the collapse of a nickel waste disposal site in Central Sulawesi province, which has the largest nickel reserves in Indonesia. In January 2023, two workers, including a Chinese national, were killed in riots that involved workers of the two nations at an Indonesia-China joint venture in neighboring North Morowali regency. In 2022, a loader truck ran over and killed a Chinese worker while he was repairing a road in PT IMIPs mining area, and an Indonesian man burned to death when a furnace in the companys factory exploded. Nearly 50% of PT IMIPs shares are owned by a Chinese holding company, and the rest are owned by two Indonesian companies. It began smelter operations in 2013 and is now the largest nickel-based industrial area in Indonesia. A former army general who allegedly ordered troops to commit human rights abuses may be on the verge of becoming Indonesias next president. This possibility is raising questions about how much the archipelago's youth know about their country's past. Dave Grunebaum has the story from Jakarta. An Iranian court has sentenced a man to death over the killing of renowned filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui and his wife months ago at their home near Tehran, the judiciary said Monday. Mehrjui, an 83-year-old director associated with the Iranian new wave of cinema, was stabbed to death along with his wife, Vahideh Mohammadifar, in October at their home in Karaj, west of the Iranian capital. The convicted killer, who was arrested days after the attack, was a former employee of Mehrjui who "had a grudge against the deceased due to financial issues," the chief justice of Alborz province, Hossein Fazeli-Harikandi, said previously. Three others were charged in the case over their roles in planning and assisting the murder, he added. On Monday, the Judiciary's Mizan Online website said the court sentenced the killer to death in accordance with the Islamic law of retribution, known as the "qisas" law. He was found guilty of the "premeditated murder of Mehrjui and Mohammadifar," Mizan quoted Fazeli-Harikandi as saying. He added that the application of the retribution law came at the request of Mehrjui's family. The other defendants received sentences ranging from eight to 36 years in prison, according to Fazeli-Harikandi. The verdicts, however, are not final and can be appealed before the Supreme Court, Mizan said. Following Mehrjui's death, tributes poured in to celebrate the works of the pioneer director, producer and screenwriter, who during his six-decade career was confronted by censorship both before and after the Islamic revolution of 1979. The director was best known for his 1969 metaphorical drama "The Cow" as well as his 1990 dark comedy "Hamoun" showing 24 hours in the life of an intellectual tormented by divorce and psychological anxieties. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 12, 2024) - Bell Copper Corporation (TSXV: BCU) (OTCQB: BCUFF) ("Bell Copper" or the "Company") announces that Mr. Eugune K. Schmidt has stepped down as a director of Bell Copper. The Company further announces that Mr. William D. Hart consented to and has been elected as a new member of the Company's board of Directors in Mr. Schmidt's place. Mr. Hart brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Bell's team, having just retired from 19 years of service as a key member of Rio Tinto's geological team at the Resolution Copper Project in Arizona, being the largest new porphyry copper resource in North America. At Resolution, Mr. Hart led a dedicated team to construct Vulcan 3D computer models of the deposit for economic evaluation and to inform the engineering designs for ore transport, ore processing, tailings facilities and general infrastructure. He also led a team in advanced geotechnical core-logging, and helped to develop an advanced, fully digital core-logging data entry system. Mr. Hart advised and assisted Resolution's Geotech & Permitting teams in formal interactions with government and various non-government stakeholders, and contributed to Resolution's first draft Environmental Impact Statement. During the balance of his 35-year career, he explored for gold, silver, copper, zinc and diamonds in North America, Australia, and the West Pacific Islands for companies including Rio Tinto, Kennecott Exploration, Chevron Minerals, Santa Fe Pacific, Earth Resources Australia, Piedmont Mining, and Magnum Minerals. Mr. Hart has an MSc degree in Geology from the University of Missouri, and a BSc degree in Geology with a prequalification in Civil Engineering from the University of Memphis. "It has been a pleasure working with Mr. Schmidt the past few years. On behalf of Bell Copper, I want to thank him for his services and wish him all the best in his future endeavors. We are looking forward to having Mr. Hart join Bell's team and impart his vast experience and insight into our ongoing efforts in advancing Bell's Big Sandy porphyry copper project" - Dr. Tim Marsh, Bell Copper President & CEO. Story continues The Company also announces the grant of a total of 1,600,000 incentive stock options under its 2022 Stock Option Plan to directors, officers and consultants of the Company, exercisable at a price of $0.20. The options vest immediately and shall be exercisable for a period of five years from the date of grant. Such grant of options shall be subject to ratification by shareholders at the Company's upcoming annual and special general meeting to allow the insider optionees to collectively hold options in excess of 10%, of the Company's current issued share capital. About Bell Copper Bell Copper is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification, exploration and discovery of large copper deposits located in Arizona. Bell Copper is exploring its 100% owned Big Sandy Porphyry Copper Project and the Perseverance Porphyry Copper Project which is under a Joint Venture - Earn In. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Bell Copper Corporation "Timothy Marsh" Timothy Marsh, President, CEO & Director For further information please contact the Company Tel: 1 800 418 8250 Email: info@bellcopper.net Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/197582 Israeli airstrikes Monday hit the southern city of Rafah, killing at least 67 people according to local health officials in the area of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million civilians have already fled to in order to escape the war. Residents described heavy bombing, with the Israeli strikes hitting several houses and mosques. The Israeli military said it struck terror targets in part of Rafah, and that the strikes coincided with a mission that rescued two Israeli hostages who were being held by Hamas militants. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the operation, saying Israel will not miss any opportunity to bring home hostages held in Gaza. Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring the release of all our hostages, Netanyahu said in a statement. More than four months of war, and repeated Israeli evacuation orders have pushed Palestinian civilians farther and farther south, with many living in tent camps and overcrowded U.N. shelters in the Rafah area. But with Rafah located at the southwestern edge of Gaza, along the Egyptian border, the shift in Israels focus of operations from northern Gaza to areas in the south has raised international concerns about where Palestinians can safely go. Meinie Nicolai, director-general of medical aid group Doctors Without Borders, called Monday for Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah and for other countries to take concrete action to bring a sustained cease-fire. Nowhere in Gaza is safe, and repeated forced displacements have pushed people to Rafah, where they are trapped in a tiny patch of land and have no options, Nicolai said in a statement. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu by phone Sunday and told him Israel shouldnt go forward with a military operation in Rafah without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there, a White House statement said. Netanyahu on Sunday promised safe passage for tens of thousands of Palestinians out of Rafah ahead of a planned Israeli ground offensive against Hamas militants. It was not clear, however, where the displaced Palestinians could go. Netanyahu, in an interview broadcast Sunday on ABCs This Week show, reiterated his intention to order Israeli troops to attack four Hamas battalions in Rafah, saying victory cannot be achieved over the militants in Gaza without clearing them out of the town on the Egyptian border. When asked where the Palestinians many already sheltering in makeshift tents would go, Netanyahu said only that Israeli officials are "working out a detailed plan." U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there would be the risk of a "gigantic tragedy" if the Israel Defense Forces expand their offensive into Rafah. We would not support in any way forced displacement, which goes against international law, Guterres spokesperson told reporters Friday about a potential evacuation of Rafah. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on social media platform X, "The people in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air," adding that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a "humanitarian catastrophe in the making." Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry warned Saturday of "very serious repercussions of storming and targeting" Rafah and called for an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he is "deeply concerned" about the prospective offensive. "The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out," he wrote on X. An Israeli ground offensive into Rafah could have other repercussions as well. Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television quoted a senior Hamas official as saying any Israeli ground offensive into Rafah would "blow up" negotiations for a halt in the fighting and the possible release of about 100 hostages held by the militants. Hamas has been designated a terror group by the United States, Britain and the European Union. The war in Gaza started with the October Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and led to the capture of 240 hostages, about 100 of whom were released in a weeklong cease-fire in November. Hamas health officials say Israels counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 28,300 people. Egyptian officials have warned that any ground operation in Rafah or mass displacement across the border would undermine its 40-year-old peace treaty with Israel. It is also the main humanitarian aid entry point to Gaza and intense fighting could further hamper relief efforts. Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, warned that any Israeli ground offensive on Rafah would have disastrous consequences, claiming that Israel aims to eventually force the Palestinians out of their land. The dire humanitarian situation has sparked Arab and U.N. concerns that Palestinians may eventually be driven over the border. Egypt has sent about 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers to northeastern Sinai within the past two weeks as part of a series of measures to bolster security on its border with Gaza, two Egyptian security sources said. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Israel freed two hostages held by Hamas militants in Rafah on Monday, but supporting airstrikes killed at least 67 Palestinians in the southern Gaza city where about 1 million displaced civilians have sought refuge from four months of bombardments. Israels military, the Shin Bet security service and a special police unit said they rescued two men Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 who held dual Israeli-Argentine citizenship. The two were among the 240 or so hostages seized by Hamas in the militants October terror attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and triggered Israels counter-offensive. Four months on, Gaza health officials say that more than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 68,000 wounded, with much of the narrow territory along the Mediterranean Sea left in ruins by the Israeli air and ground attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Mondays hostage rescue operation, dismissing international protests about his plans for a ground attack to root out four Hamas battalions in Rafah. "Fernando and Louis, welcome home," he said, saluting the Israeli forces who rescued them. "Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring about the release of all of our hostages." An Israeli military spokesman said the hostages were being held on the second floor of a building that was breached with explosives during a raid amid heavy exchanges of gunfire with militants in surrounding buildings. "We've been working a long time on this operation," Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht said. "We were waiting for the right conditions." Netanyahu said over the weekend that displaced people sheltering in Rafah will be provided safe passage out of the area, but he has given no details on where they would be moved. The United Nations said Monday it would not help Israel move Palestinians away from Rafah. What we want is to ensure that anything that happens is done in full respect of international law; in the full respect of the protection of civilians, said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. We will not be party to forced displacement of people. As it is, there is no place that is currently safe in Gaza. Hamas, a U.S. designated terror group, is believed to be holding about 100 hostages still, after 100 were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November. The Israeli military says 31 have died or were killed during their captivity. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the death toll of Palestinians killed overnight in the Israeli attacks could rise as rescue operations continue. A Reuters journalist at the scene saw a vast area of rubble where buildings, including a mosque, had been destroyed. This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing. Click to reveal This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing - Click to reveal Palestinians mourn relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at a hospital morgue in Rafah, Feb. 12, 2024. The Israeli military said early Monday that it had rescued the two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip. "I've been collecting my family's body parts since the morning, said Ibrahim Hassouna, as a woman knelt over the body of a young child nearby. "I only recognized their toes or fingers." Repeated Israeli evacuation orders have pushed Palestinian civilians farther and farther south in Gaza, with many living in tent camps and overcrowded United Nations shelters in the Rafah area. But with Rafah located at the southwestern edge of Gaza along the Egyptian border, the shift in Israels focus of operations from northern Gaza to areas in the south has raised international concerns about where Palestinians can safely go. Meinie Nicolai, director general of the medical aid group Doctors Without Borders, called Monday for Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah and for other countries to take concrete action to bring a sustained cease-fire. Nowhere in Gaza is safe, and repeated forced displacements have pushed people to Rafah, where they are trapped in a tiny patch of land and have no options, Nicolai said in a statement. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu by phone Sunday and told him Israel shouldnt go forward with a military operation in Rafah without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than 1 million people sheltering there, a White House statement said. Netanyahu, in an interview broadcast Sunday on ABCs This Week show, reiterated his intention to order Israeli troops to attack Hamas battalions in Rafah, saying victory cannot be achieved over the militants in Gaza without clearing them out of the town on the Egyptian border. When asked where the Palestinians many already sheltering in makeshift tents would go, Netanyahu said only that Israeli officials are "working out a detailed plan." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on X, "The people in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air," adding that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a "humanitarian catastrophe in the making." British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he is "deeply concerned" about the prospective offensive. "The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out, Cameron wrote on X. An Israeli ground offensive into Rafah could have other repercussions, as well. Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television quoted a senior Hamas official as saying any Israeli ground offensive into Rafah would "blow up" negotiations for a halt in the fighting and the possible release of the remaining 100 hostages held by the militants, who have been designated a terror group by the United States, Britain and the European Union. The U.S. said Monday that an extended cease-fire, along with the release of more hostages in exchange for Palestinians jailed by Israel, remains possible. "We do believe that a deal is possible and we're going to continue to pursue," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. "We think the benefits of a pause and a deal for hostages are tremendous, not just obviously for the hostages who would be released but also for the humanitarian effort in Gaza and for our ability to begin to pursue a real and lasting, sustainable resolution of this conflict," he said. Egyptian officials have warned that any ground operation in Rafah or mass displacement across the border would undermine its 40-year-old peace treaty with Israel. It is also the main humanitarian aid entry point to Gaza, and intense fighting could further hamper relief efforts. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned that any Israeli ground offensive on Rafah would have disastrous consequences, claiming that Israel aims to eventually force the Palestinians out of their land. The dire humanitarian situation has sparked Arab and U.N. concerns that Palestinians may eventually be driven over the border. Egypt has sent about 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers to northeastern Sinai within the past two weeks as part of a series of measures to bolster security on its border with Gaza, two Egyptian security sources said. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly rendered Louis Har's last name. VOA regrets the error. Nineteen priests kicked out of the country, dozens of incidents of harassment and church desecrations, rural areas lacking worship and social services: the situation for Catholic clergy and faithful in Nicaragua is only worsening in 2024, according to exiled priests, laypeople in the Central American country and human rights advocates. The fear of the ongoing crackdown by President Daniel Ortega on the Catholic Church in particular but not sparing evangelicals has become so pervasive that it is silencing criticism of the authoritarian government and even mentions of the repression from the pulpit. "All the time the silence gets deeper," said Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan lawyer who fled to the United States. Her work recording hundreds of instances of Church persecution recently won her an International Religious Freedom Award from the U.S. State Department. "If it's dangerous to pray the rosary in the street, it is exceedingly so to report attacks," Molina said. "Many priests believe that if they make reports, there will be more reprisals against the communities. We as laypeople would like for them to speak, but the only alternatives are cemetery, prison or exile." She counted 30 church desecrations in the past year, only a few reported to authorities. Recently, she heard of a priest who went to the police after a theft in his church only to be cursed at and told he was a suspect. "Life in Nicaragua is hell, because surveillance is brutal. You can't say anything that's against the government," said an exiled priest. Like him, most exiles interviewed for this story spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution against their families or communities in Nicaragua. "People now keep their heads down, as they wonder, 'If they do this to the priests, what will they do with us?'" the clergyman added. He was barred from returning to Nicaragua, where he, like many priests and nuns, drew the government's ire for providing shelter and first aid to those injured when the Ortega government violently repressed massive civic protests in 2018. The unrest then, which started against proposed social security cuts, broadened to demand early elections and to accuse Ortega of authoritarian measures after hundreds of demonstrators were killed by security forces and allied civilian groups. Like several Latin American governments tracing their roots to socialist revolutions, Nicaragua's has had an uneven relationship with faith leaders for decades. But those protests triggered an escalating and systematic targeting of the Church in what the U.S. government's Commission on International Religious Freedom calls a "campaign of harassment and severe persecution." Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, who also is the vice president, blame "terrorist" clergy for supporting the civil unrest they claim amounts to plotting a coup against them. Clergy and lay observers say the government is trying to quash the Church because it remains the rare critic in Nicaragua that dares to oppose state violence and whose voice is respected by many citizens. The "unprecedented exiling of critical voices" from religious leaders to journalists and artists in Nicaragua amounts to a "total censorship plan," said Alicia Quinones, who leads the freedom of expression organization PEN International in the Americas. It's become nearly impossible to do independent reporting in Nicaragua, she added, citing last year's imprisonment of a journalist on the charge of "fake information" after he covered an Easter celebration when public Catholic feasts have largely been barred. "The pressure is becoming unsufferable," said one priest now in the United States. Like others, he says Mass-goers have started noticing people in the pews they have never seen before and fear they're there to report on any whiff of opposition to the government, even if only a prayer for the safety of clergy imprisoned in often dangerous conditions. In a country where more than 80% of the population is Christian about 50% Catholic and more than 30% evangelicals, according to the U.S. religious freedom commission the repression cuts deep both spiritually and materially. It has hit not only clergy and religious orders but college students, minority and marginalized populations, even tiny businesses in rural towns that relied on now often prohibited or indoors-only religious processions and patron saints' feasts for their income. In November, Molina said many priests were even prevented from celebrating traditional Masses in cemeteries for the Day of the Dead, an important holiday across Latin America. Nicaragua's congress, dominated by Ortega's Sandinista National Liberation Front, has shuttered more than 3,000 nongovernmental organizations, including Mother Teresa's charity, creating a major gap in social services especially in rural areas. In addition to many diocesan assets, the government confiscated the prestigious University of Central America, whose Jesuit leaders had opened the doors to student protestors fleeing police and paramilitary attacks. Despite the growing fear, many faithful continue to attend church services where they remain available. Especially in rural areas, parishes and chapels are left without priests, though the seminaries still have students so some faithful hope they will be able to eventually replace those exiled or forced to flee. Many of the senior leaders of the Catholic Church, including Bishop Rolando Alvarez, who was jailed for more than a year, were released from prison and sent overseas in negotiations with the Vatican last month. A dozen jailed priests had similarly been sent to the Vatican in October. The Holy See has offered little public comment on the situation other than calling for dialogue. The Vatican spokesman didn't respond when asked by the AP if Nicaragua's highest-ranking cleric, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, is in Rome, as some Nicaraguan sources reported. Managua's Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Baez has been one of the most outspoken critics of Nicaragua's repression from the Miami area, where he is based after the pope asked him to leave his country to avoid violent threats. In late January, he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was at the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis, who had "shown his interest and love for Nicaragua." Many exiles argue that while negotiating to release priests and other political prisoners marks progress, sending them into exile cannot become an acceptable practice. "Exile cannot be normalized," said Dolly Mora, who was forced to flee to the United States, where she's helping campaign against the practice alongside other Nicaraguan activists. "It's as unjust as prison. The international community cannot say it's okay that they're expelled." Without stronger protests from the Vatican and foreign governments, many exiles fear that any Church representatives left in Nicaragua will be cowed into accommodating the Ortega government, which now has only a minority of clergy supporters. So they hope that continuing to call out the repression and to document each beaten-up priest, each desecrated tabernacle will eventually lead to justice. "The dictatorship, what it wants is to completely eliminate the Catholic faith, because they haven't succeeded in making the Church kneel before them," Molina said. "And they will not succeed." Europe's increased dependence on Norway's oil and gas has made the country's energy installations more at risk of attack, the head of one of the agencies charged with securing them told Reuters on Monday. Norway in 2022 overtook Russia as Europe's biggest supplier of natural gas as Moscow's invasion of Ukraine upended decades-long energy ties and sent prices soaring. "I am concerned about dependency, and there is no doubt that Europe has become more dependent on Norwegian gas," Lars Christian Aamodt, head of the National Security Authority, said in an interview. "As soon as the dependency increases, so will the threat and the risk," he said, speaking after Norway's three intelligence agencies presented their respective annual threat assessments. Aamodt's agency said European dependency on Norwegian oil and gas could rise further should conflicts in the Middle East disrupt the petroleum market. In addition, Norwegian oil and gas installations could be hit by "accidents, physical sabotage and destructive cyberattacks", the country's military intelligence service (E-service) said in its separate report. Russian surveillance and mapping of Norwegian infrastructure is continuing as "business as usual", Admiral Nils Andreas Stensoenes, director of the E-service, told Reuters. "They continue the surveillance program and that is also very, very little affected by the war [in Ukraine]," he added. 'Eye opener' An incident last October under the Baltic Sea, when a seabed gas pipeline and a telecom cable connecting Finland and Estonia were damaged, was an "eye opener" about the risk of sabotage, the head of the police security agency said. "It has raised awareness for many, also in Norway," PST Chief Beate Gangaas told Reuters. Finnish police have named Chinese container ship NewNew Polar Bear as the prime suspect, saying its anchor dragged across the seabed. They have yet to conclude whether it was an accident or a deliberate act. Two more cables, one connecting Sweden and Estonia and a Russian one, were also damaged around that time. Pakistan confirmed Monday that separate counterterrorism raids near the Afghan border within the past week had killed two senior leaders of a regional Islamic State affiliate known as Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K). Military officials identified the slain militant commanders as Surat Gul and Abdul Shakoor, also known as Abu Hamza. Both were targeted in intelligence-driven security operations in northwestern Khyber and southwestern Qila Saifullah districts. Interim Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar told reporters in Islamabad that Abu Hamza had plotted two back-to-back bomb attacks against campaign gatherings in Qila Saifullah and the nearby Pishin border districts on the eve of national elections held last Thursday. On the second day of the elections, February 9, an operation was conducted, and a prominent leader of Daesh was neutralized and eliminated in the same Qila Saifullah district, Kakar said, referring to the killing of Abu Hamza. Daesh is an Arabic acronym for IS-K, which the United States and the United Nations say is operating out of bases in Afghanistan. The bombings in Pishin and Qila Saifullah collectively killed nearly 30 people. Both districts are part of the southwestern Baluchistan province, which shares nearly half of the countrys 2,600-kilometer-long (1616 miles) border with Afghanistan. Gul was killed Sunday in a shootout with Pakistani security forces during a raid against his hideout in the northwestern Khyber border district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to a military statement. The statement said the terrorist ringleader was involved in numerous terrorist activities including [the] target killing of innocent civilians and was highly wanted by the law enforcement agencies. IS-K has confirmed the death of Gul in a gunfight with Pakistani security forces, but it has not commented on the fate of Abu Hamza. The United Nations said in a report last month that while a high concentration of terrorist groups in Afghanistan was a cause of concern for member states, the greatest threat within Afghanistan still comes from ISIL-K, with its ability to project into the region and beyond. ISIL-K is another acronym for IS-K. The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan claim their security forces have eliminated IS-K bases nationwide and degraded the group's ability to threaten national security and that of the region. Member States assessed that, despite the recent loss of territory, casualties, and high attrition among senior and mid-tier leadership figures, ISIL-K continued to pose a major threat in Afghanistan and the region, the U.N. report noted. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was taken to the Walter Reed military hospital Sunday for treatment of "symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue," a Pentagon spokesperson said. The Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have been notified. Additionally, White House and Congressional notifications have occurred, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a written statement. Later, Ryder sent another statement, saying that around 5 p.m. Sunday, Austin had transferred the functions and duties of the office" to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. The Deputy Secretary of Defense has assumed the functions and duties. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the White House, and Congress have been notified, according to the statement. Officials at Walter Reed Military Medical Center said Austin was admitted to the hospitals critical care unit for supportive care and close monitoring after undergoing tests. At this time, it is not clear how long Secretary Austin will remain hospitalized, the officials said in a statement. The current bladder issue is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery. His cancer prognosis remains excellent. Ryder said an update on Austins condition would be provided as soon as possible. Late last year, Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He has been criticized for keeping secret his diagnosis, surgery and subsequent hospitalization with complications from the procedure. On Feb. 1, Austin, 70, told The Associated Press that when he first was told the diagnosis, The news shook me. ... Frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private. I want to be crystal clear: We did not handle this right. And I did not handle this right. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility, Austin said on Feb. 1. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people. Upon being diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier in December, he went to a hospital for a surgical procedure on Dec. 22. He worked the following week from home, The Associated Press reported. Austin was readmitted Jan. 1, and spent two more weeks in the hospital after experiencing extreme pain and being admitted to the intensive care unit. President Joe Biden and other key leaders were informed of Austins diagnosis more than a week after hed been readmitted to the hospital. Austin's lack of disclosure prompted changes in federal guidelines and triggered an internal Pentagon review and an inspector general review into his departments notification procedures. Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press. The Philippine Coast Guard on Sunday accused Chinese vessels of "dangerous" maneuvers during a nine-day patrol near a reef off the coast of the Southeast Asian country. The Philippine vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua was sent in early February to patrol the waters around Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground in the South China Sea, and deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen and ensure their safety. The reef has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Since then, Beijing has deployed patrol boats that Manila says harass Philippine vessels and prevent Filipino fishermen from reaching the lagoon where fish are more plentiful. During the patrol, Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels "performed dangerous and blocking maneuvers at sea against BRP Teresa Magbanua four times, with the CCG vessels crossing the bow of the PCG vessel twice," the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement. The Philippine Coast Guard said its ship was also "shadowed" by four Chinese Coast Guard vessels "on more than 40 occasions." The coast guard also observed what it described as "four Chinese Maritime Militia vessels." China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu hit back, saying the Philippine vessel had "illegally intruded" into the waters several times. "The China Coast Guard, noting that the warnings it had issued had proved ineffective, took action in accordance with the law to control the progression of the Philippine vessel and force it to leave," Gan said. "The China Coast Guard dealt with the incident professionally and to standard," he added. Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard show a Chinese Coast Guard vessel meters from the port beam of the BRP Teresa Magbanua, before it crosses the path of the Philippine boat. Scarborough Shoal is 240 kilometers (150 miles) west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers (559 miles) from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan. The incidents came two months after tense standoffs between China and the Philippines around disputed reefs in the South China Sea that saw a collision between vessels from the two countries and Chinese ships blasting water cannon at Philippine boats. China claims almost the entire sea and has ignored an international tribunal ruling that its assertions have no legal basis. It deploys boats to patrol the busy waterway and has built artificial islands that it has militarized to reinforce its claims. Chinese and Philippine officials last month agreed on the need for closer dialogue to deal with "maritime emergencies" in the waterway as tensions escalated. More than 1,500 protesters gathered in central Athens on Sunday to oppose legislation that would legalize same-sex marriage in Greece. The bill is set for a vote in parliament in the coming days. Greeces conservative government is sponsoring the bill, but it will require votes from center and left opposition parties to be approved. However, even some center-left lawmakers have gone on record as opposing the bill. Organizers of Sundays rally religious groups described the bill as a threat to the traditional family. Many of the protesters chanted hands off our children. Unfortunately, the woke agenda has also reached Greece and that agenda includes the marriage of homosexuals, Dimitris Natsios, leader of the far-right and strongly religious Niki party told The Associated Press. Greece is a Christian Orthodox country, and our tradition does not allow this. ... We know and respect one type of marriage: The Orthodox Christian wedding. Our Constitution also does not provide for this, so this bill is unconstitutional and runs counter to our faith in Christ, Natsios said. The Niki party, founded in 2019, entered Parliament in 2023. In the most recent election, in June, it came in sixth, with 3.70% of the vote and elected 10 lawmakers to the 300-member assembly. Many same-sex couples in Greece seeking to start a family currently get married in countries where same-sex weddings are legal. Greece has legalized cohabitation contracts for same-sex couples since December 2015. It also allowed sex identity change by simple declaration without mandating psychiatric evaluation and sex reassignment surgery in October 2017. If the bill is approved, Greece would become the first majority Orthodox country to legalize same-sex marriage. A new bill allowing authorities to confiscate the property of Russians convicted of deliberately spreading what is deemed as fake news about Russias armed forces could soon become law. If signed into law, it would also allow the state to seize the property of Russian emigres who criticize the war in Ukraine. Kateryna Besedina has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. VOA footage by David Gogokhia. Saudi Arabia said Sunday it had disbursed $250 million in aid to the internationally recognized government in Yemen, which the Gulf kingdom has backed in a war against Houthi rebels. The money follows an initial payment of the same amount announced in August, when Riyadh committed to provide $1.2 billion to ease the government's budget deficit and pay civil servants salaries. "The second batch of the grant to support addressing the budget deficit for the Yemeni government was transferred to the Central Bank of Yemen in Aden, amounting to $250 million to support salaries, wages and expenses," Mohammed al-Jaber, the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, said on social media. The Yemeni government relocated to Aden, a port city on the southern coast, after the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014. In 2015 Saudi Arabia mobilized an international coalition intended to oust the Houthis. The ensuing war has killed hundreds of thousands of people, either directly in the fighting or indirectly due to a maritime and air blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia. A U.N.-brokered cease-fire in April 2022 brought a sharp reduction in hostilities. The truce officially expired six months later, though fighting has largely remained on hold. The Aden-based government has long struggled to finance basic services and pay salaries. The United Nations special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said last year that "economic warfare" between the warring parties had compounded the country's problems. A surprise rapprochement deal announced in March between Saudi Arabia and Iran raised hopes for a durable cease-fire in Yemen, though so far, no breakthrough has been announced. The Houthis have in recent months launched attacks on Red Sea shipping, describing them as a form of support for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is at war with Hamas. U.S. and British forces last month began a series of strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis' ability to target vessels transiting the key Red Sea trade route. Analysts have warned that rising tensions in the region could derail efforts to broker peace in Yemen. This article takes a look at the best birth injury lawyers in each of 30 biggest cities in the US. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis on navigating the shadows of birth injuries, you can go to Best Birth Injury Lawyers in Each of 10 Biggest Cities in the US. Navigating the Shadows: Birth Injuries, Challenges, and Triumphs Welcoming a new member into the family is a momentous occasion, but the journey through childbirth isn't always smooth. Birth injuries, unfortunately, cast shadows on what should be a joyous event, bringing challenges that families never anticipated. According to National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), the medical malpractice payments increased to $4,196 million in 2022 from $3,283 million in 2021. In terms of count, there were 10,959 reports of medical malpractice payments against 39,595 adverse action reports. Forbes indicated that New York topped the list of states with the highest medical malpractice payments. The projected size of the global Medical Malpractice Insurance market is expected to reach USD17,410 million by 2028, up from USD 14,560 million in 2021, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6%. In 2022, premiums for medical professional liability (MPL) insurance experienced substantial growth, rising by 36.2% compared to the previous year. MLM's report analyzed insurance premium changes from 2013 to 2022, highlighting a trend of increasing premiums starting in 2019 and persisting through 2022. Given the increasing insurance premiums, the president of AMA (American Medical Association) stated the skyrocketing costs may force physicians to relocate away from certain high-cost states or drop certain critical services that raise their liability risk. These tough choices can lead to reduced access to care for patients. Among states witnessing a significant increase in insurance premiums in 2022, Illinois had the highest increase of 63.6%, followed by New Mexico and Oregon. Story continues According to the Cerebral Palsy Guide (CPG), for every 1000 infants born in the US, 7 have birth injuries. Accounting for 20% infant deaths, birth injury is the 4th leading cause of death among infants. Birth injuries can stem from a variety of factors, turning what should be a routine process into a complicated ordeal. One significant cause is complications during labor and delivery. If the baby is positioned awkwardly, or if labor prolongs, the risks of injuries to the infant escalate. Medical interventions, while often necessary, can also contribute to birth injuries. The use of forceps or vacuum extractors, designed to aid in difficult deliveries, can inadvertently harm the baby if not handled with precision. Add maternal health conditions like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia into the mix, and the recipe for potential complications during childbirth thickens. Types of Birth Injuries Birth injuries come in various forms, each affecting a different part of the infant's delicate frame. Brachial plexus injuries, involving the nerves controlling arm and hand movements, often occur due to excessive pulling or stretching during delivery. Cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder impacting movement and coordination, is another formidable adversary. Though not always directly linked to childbirth, complications during delivery can contribute to its development. Fractures, particularly of the clavicle or collarbone, are not uncommon during challenging deliveries. In some cases, the baby's shoulders may get entangled in the mother's pelvic bone. Facial nerve injuries can also occur due to pressure on the baby's face during delivery, leaving behind the traces of facial paralysis. The fragility of an infant colliding with the unavoidable physicality of childbirth sometimes results in skull or brain injuries, paving the way for potential lifelong struggles. Living with birth injury Living with a birth injury means embracing a reality that's different from what was initially imagined. It involves navigating a path where everyday tasks might pose unexpected challenges. Simple things, like getting dressed or moving around, might require extra effort. There's a constant adjustment to the pace of achieving milestones, and the emotional rollercoaster ranges from moments of triumph to frustration. It's not just the individual affected; the whole family is part of this journey. The support from family, friends, and healthcare professionals becomes crucial. It's a life shaped by the pursuit of a fulfilling existence despite the unanticipated hurdles that come with a birth injury. Prevention Preventing birth injuries involves a collaborative effort between expectant parents and healthcare professionals. Prenatal care plays a pivotal role, ensuring that any underlying health conditions in the mother are identified and managed early on. Monitoring the baby's growth and position during pregnancy helps in anticipating potential complications during labor. Informed decision-making about medical interventions during delivery is crucial to minimize risks. Adequate communication between the medical team and parents ensures that everyone is on the same page. Education about proper birthing techniques, contributes to a more proactive approach in preventing birth injuries. While not all complications can be foreseen, a comprehensive approach significantly reduces the likelihood of birth injuries. Approximately 20,000 medical malpractice lawsuits are filed in the United States each year. One notable case involves a birth injury in Arizona. In this case, a jury granted $31 million to the mother of an infant who experienced oxygen deprivation during childbirth. The negligence in not opting for a c-section led to the child, Greyson, developing cerebral palsy. The lawsuit was against Banner Health (NASDAQ:BANR), and it stands as the largest medical malpractice claim in Arizona. Banner Health (NASDAQ:BANR) denied responsibility, claiming that Greyson's condition was genetic. But per the verdict, the jury held Banner Health (NASDAQ:BANR) 57% responsible for negligence and 43% blame went on to the attending physician. Our full year 2023 core earnings were $262.7 million compared to $251.9 million for the full year 2022. Banners fourth quarter 2023 revenue from core operations was $157.1 million compared to $157.7 million for the third quarter of 2023. For the full year 2023, revenue from core operations increased 3% to $643.9 million when compared to the full year of 2022. We continue to benefit from a strong core deposit base that has proved to be resilient and loyal to Banner in the wake of a highly competitive environment, a very good net interest margin and core expense control. Overall, this resulted in a return on average assets of 1.09% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Once again, our core performance reflects continued execution on our super community bank strategy, that is growing new client relationships, maintaining our core funding position promoting client loyalty and advocacy through our responsive service model and demonstrating our safety and soundness through all economic cycles and change events. With that out of the way, let's head over to the list of best law firms for birth injury in each of the 30 biggest American cities. Best Birth Injury Lawyers in Each of 30 Biggest Cities in the US Adam Gregor/Shutterstock.com Methodology In the piece titled "Best Birth Injury Lawyers in the 30 Biggest Cities in the US", our initial step involved selecting the 30 most populous cities in the US. Subsequently, our focus was on identifying the premier birth injury lawyer/law-firm in each city which had the highest Google rating and highest number of Google reviews. Best Birth Injury Lawyers in Each of 30 Biggest Cities in the US 30. Baltimore WGK Personal Injury Lawyers Google reviews: 452 Google ratings: 4.9 WGK Personal Injury Lawyers has been providing its services since 1977. If you're someone whose life is affected by the negligence of a medical personnel. Wgk can help you out in receiving compensation for your loss. 29. Boston Michael Kelly Injury Lawyers Google reviews: 602 Google rating: 4.8 Michael Kelly provides a team of aggressive and competent lawyers to handle your claim. These lawyers ensure that you receive maximum benefit from your case. Unlike many others, at Michael Kelly, you can expect a direct interaction with your lawyer. These lawyers keep you updated with all the developments regarding your claim. 28. Portland Morgan & Morgan Google reviews: 306 Google rating: 4.8 For more than 30 years, Morgan and Morgan has been assisting individuals with injury claims. In the last 8 years, the firm has solved over 500,000 cases. Furthermore, it has been successful in getting more than $20 billion for injury victims. 27. Washington Davis Law Group - Injury Lawyers Google reviews: 419 Google rating: 4.9 Founded in 1994, Davis Law Group has assisted numerous victims in getting compensated for their injuries. In a recent case of wrongful death, Davis Law Group was successful in securing $11 million claim for the deceased's family. 26. Detroit Mike Morse Injury Law Firm Google reviews: 584 Google rating: 5.0 Mike Morse Injury Law Firm has been able to acquire over $1.5 billion for its clients. These cases involved birth injury claims resulting from negligence of medical practitioners. 25. Louisville Kaufman & Stigger Google reviews: 583 Google rating: 4.9 A slight error by a medical personnel during birth can have a devastating effect on one's life quality. For more than 20+ years, Kaufman and Stigger have been assisting affected individuals with getting adequate compensation for their injuries. 24. Memphis Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz Personal Injury Attorneys Google reviews: 725 Google rating: 4.8 Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz have been providing injury claim services for more than 30 years. They have a diversified and competent team of lawyers, who'll ensure that the victims get significant compensation. 23. Nashville Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers Google reviews: 663 Google rating: 4.7 Trusted for more than 35 years, Hughes & Coleman has been assisting birth injury victims. This firm also provides wide range of services for accidental and workplace injury claims as well. 22. Las Vegas Van Law Firm Google reviews: 513 Google rating: 5.0 Van Law Firm has a reputation of obtaining high amount settlements for injury victims. Acquiring over $150+ million in settlements, it is awarded as one of the best personal injury firms by Expertise.com. 21. San Francisco Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. Google reviews: 104 Google rating: 4.9 This award winning personal injury law firm in California, has recovered over $585+ million for its clients. Till date, Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. has assisted more than 5000 victims in getting their rightful compensation. 20. El Paso Cesar Ornelas Injury Law Google reviews: 258 Google rating: 4.8 Cesar Ornelas Injury Law in El Paso is dedicated to advocating for those injured. They provide legal expertise to help clients navigate birth injury cases effectively. They also provide free consultation. 19. Denver Bowman Law Google reviews: 365 Google rating: 5.0 Bowman Law in Denver is a trusted legal partner, offering services for birth injury victims. Their experienced team is committed to delivering effective legal solutions for clients' diverse needs. 18. Oklahoma City Cunningham & Mears Google reviews: 463 Google rating: 4.9 Cunningham & Mears in Oklahoma City is a renowned law firm specializing in personal injury cases. Their experienced attorneys work diligently to secure fair compensation for victims. 17. Seattle Davis Law Group Google reviews: 419 Google rating: 4.9 Davis Law Group in Seattle is a reputable firm dedicated to personal injury cases. Known for their client-centric approach, their skilled attorneys strive to achieve optimal outcomes for those seeking justice. 16. Indianapolis Hensley Legal Group Google reviews: 3,423 Google rating: 4.9 Hensley Legal Group, based in Indianapolis, is a reputable law firm specializing in personal injury cases. With a client-focused approach, they are dedicated to providing effective legal representation for the victims of medical malpractice. 15. Charlotte Law Offices of James Scott Farrin Google reviews: 933 Google rating: 4.9 The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin in Charlotte stands out for its comprehensive legal expertise. Led by dedicated professionals, the firm specializes in a wide range of legal matters, providing clients with thorough and effective representation in the pursuit of justice. 14. San Jose Solution Now Law Firm Google reviews: 286 Google rating: 5.0 Solution Now Law Firm in San Jose is a trusted legal partner, providing effective results. Their skilled team navigates diverse legal matters, ensuring optimal outcome for clients. 13. Columbus GB Law Google reviews: 468 Google rating: 4.9 GB Law in Columbus is a legal beacon, known for its dedicated and proficient team. Specializing in various legal matters, the firm ensures clients receive expert guidance and effective representation. 12. Jacksonville David Alan Wolf Google reviews: 459 Google rating: 5.0 David Alan Wolf in Jacksonville, is a stalwart advocate for justice. Having 30+ years of experience, he skillfully navigates personal injury cases. He ensures that clients receive diligent representation and fair compensation. 11. Austin FVF Law Google reviews: 269 Google rating: 5.0 FVF Law in Austin is a legal powerhouse, committed to client success. Specializing in personal injury cases, the firm offers expert representation, ensuring clients receive dedicated and effective legal support. Click to continue reading and see the Best Birth Injury Lawyers in Each of 10 Biggest Cities in the US. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: none. Best Birth Injury Lawyers in Each of 30 Biggest Cities in the US is originally published on Insider Monkey. Seeking to turn legal problems into political gain, former President Donald Trump arrived Monday to a crowd of supporters at a federal courthouse in Florida for a closed hearing in the criminal case charging him with mishandling classified documents. In the latest mixing of court appearances into Trump's election-season calendar, supporters with signs and flags assembled outside a courthouse barricade as a Trump campaign message to allies with the subject line of I'm in court. Again! warned that unspecified opponents want me arrested and erased from the ballot. The message underscored anew his team's strategy of politicizing his four criminal prosecutions, including in the battleground state of Florida, where he faces dozens of felony counts accusing him of hoarding highly classified records at his Mar-a-Lago estate and obstructing FBI efforts to get them back. Mondays court date was scheduled as a procedural hearing, closed to the public, to discuss the procedures for handling classified evidence in the trial currently set for May 20. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon set arguments in the morning from defense lawyers and in the afternoon from prosecutors, each outside of the other's presence. Defense counsel shall be prepared to discuss their defense theories of the case, in detail, and how any classified information might be relevant or helpful to the defense, Cannon wrote in scheduling the hearing. The closed hearing comes as prosecutors have also revealed that a prospective government witness has received threats over social media that are now the subject of federal investigation. Trump's motorcade arrived at the courthouse in Fort Pierce shortly after 9 a.m. Supporters outside held signs with messages including Trump 2024 and Florida is Trump Country. The hearing is one of several voluntary court dates that Trump has attended in recent weeks he was present, for instance, at appeals court arguments last month in Washington as he looks to demonstrate to supporters that he intends to fight the criminal prosecutions he faces while also seeking to reclaim the White House this November. Trump faces charges in Atlanta and Washington related to efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. He's also charged in state court in New York in connection with hush money payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels. He has denied any wrongdoing. Former President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to extend the delay in his election interference trial, saying he is immune from prosecution on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 election loss. His lawyers filed an emergency appeal with the court Monday, just four days after the justices heard Trump's separate appeal to remain on the presidential ballot despite attempts to kick him off because of his efforts following his election loss in 2020. "Without immunity from criminal prosecution, the Presidency as we know it will cease to exist," Trump's lawyers wrote, repeating arguments that have so far failed in federal courts. The filing keeps on hold what would be a landmark criminal trial of a former president while the nation's highest court decides what to do. It met a deadline to ask the justices to intervene that the federal appeals court in Washington set when it rejected Trump's immunity claims and ruled the trial could proceed. The Supreme Court's decision on what to do, and how quickly it acts, could determine whether the Republican presidential primary front-runner stands trial in the case before the November. There is no timetable for the court to act, but special counsel Jack Smith's team has strongly pushed for the trial to take place this year. Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly sought to delay the case. If Trump were to defeat President Joe Biden, he could potentially try to use his position as head of the executive branch to order a new attorney general to dismiss the federal cases he faces or even seek a pardon for himself. The Supreme Court's options include rejecting the emergency appeal, which would enable U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to restart the trial proceedings in Washington's federal court. The trial was first scheduled to begin early March. The court also could extend the delay while it hears arguments on the immunity issue. In that event, the schedule the justices might set could determine how soon a trial might begin, if indeed they agree with lower court rulings that Trump is not immune from prosecution. In December, Smith and his team had urged the justices to take up and decide the immunity issue, even before the appeals court weighed in. "It is of imperative public importance that Respondent's claim of immunity be resolved by this Court and that Respondent's trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected," prosecutors wrote in December. Trump's legal team has ascribed partisan motives to the prosecution's push for a prompt trial, writing in December that it "reflects the evident desire to schedule President Trump's potential trial during the summer of 2024 at the height of the election season." Now it's up to a court on which three justices, Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, were appointed by Trump when he was president. They have moved the court to the right in major decisions that overturned abortion rights, expanded gun rights and ended affirmative action in college admissions. But the Supreme Court hasn't been especially friendly to Trump on legal matters directly concerning the former president. The court declined to take up several appeals filed by Trump and his allies related to the 2020 election. It also refused to prevent tax files and other documents from being turned over to congressional committees and prosecutors in New York. Last week, however, the justices did seem likely to end the efforts to prevent Trump from being on the 2024 ballot. A decision in that case could come any time. The Supreme Court has previously held that presidents are immune from civil liability for official acts, and Trump's lawyers have for months argued that that protection should be extended to criminal prosecution as well. Last week, a unanimous panel of two judges appointed by President Joe Biden and one by a Republican president sharply rejected Trump's novel claim that former presidents enjoy absolute immunity for actions that fall within their official job duties. It was the second time since December that judges have held that Trump can be prosecuted for actions undertaken while in the White House and in the run-up to Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. The case was argued before Judges Florence Pan and J. Michelle Childs, appointees of Biden, a Democrat, and Karen LeCraft Henderson, who was named to the bench by President George H.W. Bush, a Republican. The case in Washington is one of four prosecutions Trump faces as he seeks to reclaim the White House. He faces federal charges in Florida that he illegally retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate, a case that was also brought by Smith and is set for trial in May. He's also charged in state court in Georgia with scheming to subvert that state's 2020 election and in New York in connection with hush money payments made to porn actor Stormy Daniels. He has denied any wrongdoing. Britain imposed sanctions Monday against four Israeli nationals, accused of violently attacking Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron called the four individuals extremist Israeli settlers and imposed strict financial and travel restrictions on them because of what was described as their "egregious abuses of human rights." "Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs," he said. The British Foreign Office said over the past year there have been unprecedented levels of violence by residents who have illegally settled in West Bank outposts. "This behavior is illegal and unacceptable. Israel must also take stronger action and put a stop to settler violence. Too often, we see commitments made and undertakings given, but not followed through," Cameron said. "Extremist settlers, by targeting and attacking Palestinian civilians, are undermining security and stability for both Israelis and Palestinians," Cameron added. The United States also imposed sanctions earlier this month on four Israeli men it accused of being involved in settler violence in the West Bank. The European Union is also mulling over imposing sanctions on Israeli settlers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank but so far, there has not been unanimity among the member states on such measures. Four diplomats who spoke on the condition of anonymity about internal EU deliberations said that Hungary and the Czech Republic, two strong allies of Israel, made clear in an EU committee meeting Thursday that they were not ready to approve a proposal on sanctions. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Wednesday now was "definitely not the time" to sanction Israeli settlers, state news agency MTI reported. Budapest says the EU's focus should be on helping Israel to defeat Hamas and free hostages taken by the militants during the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said his country was not "substantively" blocking sanctions on settlers inciting violence. Lipavsky, however, expressed reluctance to adopting such measures alongside sanctions against Hamas, which the EU has listed as a terrorist organization over the October attacks. "An act of terrorism is not on the same level as acts by settlers, he said. "These things cannot be connected." France, which has been pushing for settler sanctions, is expected to introduce national travel bans on two or three individuals imminently. Reports say France is hoping that once its measures are in place, European partners will be more willing to press ahead. "Once we have our measures, we shall see how the others react," said a French diplomatic source. The European Union has not spelled out what the sanctions would entail but officials have said they would include bans on travel to the EU. Some information in this report came from Reuters, Agence France-Presse, and The Associated Press. Ukraines military said Monday that Russia attacked overnight using 17 drones and an unspecified number of guided missiles. Ukraines air defenses shot down 14 of the Iran-made Shahed drones, as well as one missile, the military said. The intercepts took place in several Ukrainian regions, including Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia. The regional governor in Dnipropetrovsk reported a fire at an energy facility linked to the Russian drone attack. There were no reports of casualties. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraines digital minister, told Reuters that Ukraine is planning to produce thousands of its own long-range drones this year that will be capable of conducting attacks deep within Russia. "The category of long-range kamikaze drones is growing, with a range of 300, 500, 700, and 1,000 kilometers. Two years ago, this category did not exist ... at all," Fedorov told Reuters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address Sunday that Ukraine is working to improve its air defenses and electronic warfare systems, identifying them as key priorities for this year. Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified their air attacks in recent months, targeting each other's critical energy, military and transport infrastructure. Russia Starlink worries Russia on Monday denied that its troops were using the Starlink satellite communications system in parts of Ukraine it controls. "This is not a certified system with us; accordingly, it cannot be officially supplied here and is not officially supplied. Accordingly, it cannot be used officially in any way, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. The denial came a day after Ukraines military intelligence said it confirmed earlier reports that Russian troops were using Starlink for their communications on the battlefield. The satellite terminals had been sent to Ukraine after the Russian invasion in 2022. Since then, some of these territories in eastern Ukraine have been occupied by Russian forces. Cases of the Russian occupiers' use of the given devices have been registered. It is beginning to take on a systemic nature," the Ukrainian defence ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) quoted spokesman Andriy Yusov as saying. The GUR said it had intercepted an exchange between two Russian soldiers discussing setting up the terminals. It posted what it said was an audio clip of the exchange on Telegram. Starlink said on Feb. 8 that its terminals were not active in Russia and that SpaceX had never sold or marketed the service in Russia or shipped equipment to locations in Russia. In a statement posted on X, Starlink did not say anything about their possible use in occupied areas of Ukraine. "If SpaceX obtains knowledge that a Starlink terminal is being used by a sanctioned or unauthorized party, we investigate the claim and take actions to deactivate the terminal if confirmed," it said. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The U.S. Senate could hold a final vote as early as Tuesday on a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan that is expected to have enough support in the Senate but faces greater opposition in the Republican-led House of Representatives. "These are the enormously high stakes of the supplemental package: our security, our values, our democracy. It is a down payment for the survival of Western democracy and the survival of American values," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Monday. "The entire world is going to remember what the Senate does in the next few days. Nothing nothing would make [Russian President Vladimir] Putin happier right now than to see Congress waver in its support for Ukraine. Nothing would help him more on the battlefield," Schumer said. The bill includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, nearly $5 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, and other assistance. Republicans have generally supported more aid for Israels war against Hamas militants, although many U.S. lawmakers, especially progressive Democrats, have vocally condemned Israel for the extent of its counteroffensive that Palestinian health officials say has killed more than 28,000 people in Gaza after the Hamas terror attack in October that Israel says killed 1,200. But some right-wing Republican lawmakers, many of them aligned with former President Donald Trump, have voiced increasing opposition to sending more aid to Ukraine for its two-year fight against the Russian invasion, imperiling approval of the assistance even though most Democratic lawmakers are in favor, as is Democratic President Joe Biden. Those Republicans argue additional aid should not be sent to Ukraine unless the U.S. Congress approves more funding for domestic border security. "We have already given Ukraine more than $120 billion. This is more than enough money to secure every border in our country, unfortunately, but predictably, the $120 billion we've sent Ukraine has resulted in a yearslong stalemate that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives, both Ukrainian and Russian," Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville said on the Senate floor Monday. But 18 Senate Republicans joined with Democrats Sunday for a key procedural vote advancing the foreign aid package. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a leading supporter of aid to Ukraine, said Sunday, "American leadership matters, and it is in question." Before the vote, Trump criticized sending additional aid to Ukraine, writing on social media, "The United States of America should be 'stupid' no longer!" Senate Republicans last week blocked advancing a measure that included the foreign assistance along with provisions to tighten restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico border to try to curb the flow of thousands of migrants from crossing into the United States each day. Trump opposed the border measure as not tough enough and Republican lawmakers followed his lead on the issue. The Republican senators could still try to include some tough migration controls in the aid package although it is not certain whether they can reach agreement with Democratic lawmakers. If the Senate approves the legislation, its fate is uncertain in the House of Representatives, where Republican opposition to further Ukraine assistance appears even more pronounced. House Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday that the priority is to secure America's own border before sending additional foreign aid around the world and that the current Senate bill is silent on the most pressing issue facing our country. The Pentagon sent the last approved round of aid to Ukraine on Dec. 27, 2023. China's Xiaomi has told New Delhi that smartphone component suppliers are wary about setting up operations in India amid heavy scrutiny of Chinese companies by the government, according to a letter and a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Xiaomi Corp., which has the biggest share in India's smartphone market at 18%, also asks in the letter dated Feb. 6 that India consider offering manufacturing incentives and lowering import tariffs for certain smartphone components. The Chinese company assembles smartphones in India with mostly local components and the rest imported from China and elsewhere. The letter is Xiaomi's response to a query from India's information technology ministry asking how New Delhi can further develop the country's component manufacturing sector. India ramped up scrutiny of Chinese businesses after a 2020 border clash between the two countries killed at least 20 Indian soldiers and four from China, disrupting investment plans of big Chinese companies and drawing repeated protests from Beijing. While Chinese companies operating in India are reticent to speak publicly about the scrutiny, Xiaomi's letter shows that they continue to struggle in India, especially in the smartphone space where many critical components come from Chinese suppliers. In the letter, Xiaomi India President Muralikrishnan B. said India needed to work on "confidence building" measures to encourage component suppliers to setup operations locally. "There are apprehensions among component suppliers regarding establishing operations in India, stemming from the challenges faced by companies in India, particularly from Chinese origin," Muralikrishnan said, without naming any companies. The letter said the concerns were related to compliance and visa issues that it didn't elaborate on, and other factors. It said, "the government should address these concerns and work to instill confidence among foreign component suppliers, encouraging them to set up manufacturing facilities in India." Xiaomi and the IT ministry did not respond to queries for further information and comment. Indian authorities last year accused Chinese smartphone company Vivo Communication Technology of breaching some visa rules and alleged it siphoned $13 billion in funds from India. India has also frozen more than $600 million in Xiaomi assets for alleged illegal remittances to foreign entities by passing them off as royalty payments. Both Chinese companies deny any wrongdoing. Other than regulatory scrutiny of the likes of Xiaomi and Vivo, India has since 2020 also banned more than 300 Chinese apps, including ByteDance's TikTok, and halted planned projects such as those planned by Chinese automakers BYD Company and Great Wall Motor Company. The source said many executives of Chinese electronics companies struggle to get visas to enter India, and their companies continue to face slow clearances for investments due to heavy scrutiny by New Delhi. In the letter, Xiaomi's Muralikrishnan also made a case for further lowering India's import tariffs, just after New Delhi's Jan. 31 move to reduce import taxes on battery covers and phone camera lenses. Xiaomi is also asking India to reduce import tariffs on sub-components used in batteries, USB cables and phone covers, according to the letter. Reducing the import tariffs could "increase India's manufacturing competitiveness ... in terms of costs," Xiaomi said in the letter, but getting component manufacturers to set up shop in India would require bigger incentives. In January, India's top industrial policy bureaucrat Rajesh Kumar Singh signaled that India could ease its heightened scrutiny of Chinese investments if the two countries' border remains peaceful. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is promising safe passage for tens of thousands of Palestinians out of Gazas southernmost town of Rafah ahead of a planned Israeli ground offensive against Hamas militants; It is not clear, however, where the displaced Palestinians will go. Netanyahu, in an interview broadcast Sunday on ABCs This Week show, reiterated his intention to order Israeli troops to attack four Hamas battalions in Rafah, saying victory cannot be achieved over the militants in Gaza without clearing them out of the town on the Egyptian border. With more than half of Gazas 2.3 million people crammed into the far southern reaches of the territory, international critics of Netanyahu have expressed alarm at the prospect of an Israeli ground assault. But the Israeli leader said, "We're going to do it. We're going to do it while providing safe passage for the civilian population so they can leave." SEE ALSO: When asked where the Palestinians many already sheltering in makeshift tents would go, Netanyahu said only that Israeli officials are "working out a detailed plan." Some world officials are expressing deep concerns about the Israeli war plan in Rafah and its promise of safety for the Palestinians there. President Joe Biden spoke to Netanyahu by phone Sunday and told him Israel shouldnt go forward with a military operation in Rafah without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there, a White House statement said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there would be the risk of a "gigantic tragedy" if the Israel Defense Forces expand their offensive into the town. We would not support in any way forced displacement, which goes against international law, Guterres spokesperson told reporters Friday about a potential evacuation of Rafah. U.S. President Joe Biden, who has supported Israels right to defend itself following the October 7 Hamas terror attack, said last week that nonetheless the Israeli military campaign in Gaza is over the top. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote on social media platform X, "The people in Gaza cannot disappear into thin air," adding that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a "humanitarian catastrophe in the making." SEE ALSO: Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry warned Saturday of "very serious repercussions of storming and targeting" Rafah and called for an urgent U.N. Security Council meeting. British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he is "deeply concerned" about the prospective offensive. "The priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out," he wrote on X. An Israeli ground offensive into Rafah could have other repercussions as well. Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television quoted a senior Hamas official as saying any Israeli ground offensive into Rafah would "blow up" negotiations for a halt in the fighting and the possible release of about 100 hostages held by the militants. Even with a looming ground offensive, Israeli airstrikes have targeted Rafah. The Associated Press, citing health officials and eyewitnesses, reported at least 44 people were killed Saturday including more than a dozen children when air attacks hit several homes in the Rafah area. Hamas has been designated a terror group by the United States, Britain and the European Union. The war in Gaza started with the October attack that killed 1,200 people in Israel and led to the capture of 240 hostages, about 100 of whom were released in a weeklong cease-fire in November. Hamas health officials say Israels counteroffensive in Gaza has killed more than 28,000 people. Egyptian officials have warned that any ground operation in Rafah or mass displacement across the border would undermine its 40-year-old peace treaty with Israel. It is also the main humanitarian aid entry point to Gaza and intense fighting could further hamper relief efforts. Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry, warned that any Israeli ground offensive on Rafah would have disastrous consequences, claiming that Israel aims to eventually force the Palestinians out of their land. The dire humanitarian situation has sparked Arab and U.N. concerns that Palestinians may eventually be driven over the border. Egypt has sent about 40 tanks and armored personnel carriers to northeastern Sinai within the past two weeks as part of a series of measures to bolster security on its border with Gaza, two Egyptian security sources said. Gaza tunnels The Israeli military says it has discovered a tunnel network hundreds of meters long, extending partly under the Gaza headquarters of the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians. Israeli army engineers took reporters from foreign news outlets through the tunnels. They entered a shaft next to a school on the periphery of the U.N. compound, descending to the concrete-lined tunnel. After 20 minutes of walking through the hot, narrow and occasionally winding passage, they were underneath the relief agency headquarters, according to an army lieutenant-colonel leading the tour. The military said the tunnel was 700 meters long, 18 meters deep, bifurcated at times, and it revealed side-rooms. There was an office space, with steel safes that had been opened and emptied. There was a tiled toilet. One large chamber was packed with computer servers, and another with industrial battery stacks. Everything is conducted from here. All the energy for the tunnels, which you walked through them are powered from here," said the lieutenant-colonel, who gave only his first name, Ido. Ido said Hamas militants appeared to have evacuated when the IDF was advancing. He said they preemptively cut communications cables, which he showed, that ran through the floor of the basement of the relief agency headquarters. It appeared that heavy Israeli barrages and sustained winter rains also may have played a part in the militants departure. Several stretches of the tunnel were clogged with dislodged sand and knee-high water. After the discovery of the tunnel, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X, a call for the resignation of Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of the relief agency. Katz dismissed Lazzarinis claim that he was unaware of the tunnels existence as not only absurd but also an affront to common sense. In a statement, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, said it had vacated the headquarters on October 12, five days after the terror attack occurred, and was therefore "unable to confirm or otherwise comment" on the Israeli finding. This is a time of internal crisis for the U.N. relief agency, which is facing Israeli allegations that 12 of its staff aided the October attack. The agency has launched an internal probe into the claims, and several donor countries, including the U.S., have frozen their funding. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. To understand what is happening in the world, you need a variety of sources. You cant settle for the big three conformist news agencies AFP, AP and Reuters. You should listen to different opinions and confront contradictory arguments. This diversity is all the more essential as the Gaza massacre is presented to us in an unambiguous manner; as we do not perceive the division of Hamas between the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of the Palestinian Resistance nor that of Israel between nationalists and supporters of Jewish supremacism; As Iran enters the war, the reactions of the majority of the world are hidden from us. To help you understand, we publish Voltaire, International Newsletter every week, summarizing the facts and arguments of each side. We started in the summer of 2022 and have gradually built up a team of specialists covering the entire world. Although still perfectible, this newsletter is already unmatched. 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Contents of N73 - February 9, 2024 EDITORIAL 0332 The Anglo-Saxons change their strategy in Ukraine AMERICAS 0333 Joe Biden enacts sanctions against all those who support Jewish supremacists in the West Bank 0334 Lloyd Austin intervenes for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza 0335 Jack Sullivan reiterates U.S. humanitarian support for Palestinians 0336 Washington Develops Comprehensive Settlement in Wider Middle East 0337 U.S. overwhelmed by debt 0338 The White House tried to prevent the release of books 0339 Interview of Vladimir Putin by Tucker Carlson 0340 Public servant arrested for organizing electoral fraud in 2020 0341 Re-election of Nayib Bukele 0342 U.S. arms Guyana against Venezuela 0343 Ecuadors exports under threat EUROPE 0344 Pope Francis against anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism 0345 Israeli Air Force aircraft shuttles to the United Kingdom 0346 Towards the reunification of Ireland 0347 According to France, Ukraine shot down a Russian plane of Ukrainian POWs with a Patriot missile 0348 France condemns Jewish supremacists 0349 Emmanuel Macron pays tribute to the French Jewish victims of October 7 0350 Belgian Development Agency bombed in Gaza 0351 The "Athens Formula" 0352 Andrzej Duda acknowledges that Crimea is historically Russian 0354 Electronic warfare in the Baltic Sea and on the Polish-Belarusian border 0355 The Hungarian Parliament has not voted for Swedens accession to NATO 0356 Norway grants new facilities to the Pentagon 0357 Estonia moves graves of Soviet soldiers without informing their families 0358 McCarthyism in the European Parliament 0359 European Parliament denounces political situation in Greece 0360 Moldova could participate in Ukrainian military actions against Russia 0361 Kosovo appropriates Serbian dinars 0362 Russia lectures Israeli ambassador 0363 Dmitry Medvedev warns NATO of nuclear apocalypse AFRICA 0364 Mali censors France-Televisions 0365 Macky Sall effectively suspends constitutional powers 0366 Gabon now Russias flag of convenience ASIA 0367 Jewish supremacists compare David Cameron to Neville Chamberlain 0368 Jewish anti-Zionist demonstration in Haifa 0369 Jewish anti-Zionist demonstration in Caesarea 0370 Germany bans entry of Jewish supremacist minister 0371 Israel has already blocked UNRWAs accounts 0372 The UN and Gaza, the pressure cooker of despair 0373 The state of health of separated Palestinian children 0374 The real purpose of the current Israeli bombing 0375 Five years in prison for challenging the official narrative of the events of October 7 0376 Jordan denies involvement in U.S. bombing 0377 Saudi Arabia arranges Saad Hariris return 0378 UNRWA to close services in Lebanon on 1 March 0379 Islamic Resistance in Iraq Attacks U.S. Bases in Occupied Syria 0380 Hamas and Turkiye 0381 Abrupt change at the head of the Bank of Turkiye 0382 Mrs. Demirtas could replace her husband 0383 The U.S. wanted to bomb Iran without hurting it 0384 Ebrahim Raisi calls for withdrawal of US forces from the wider Middle East 0385 Jailed Imran Khan nevertheless campaigns 0386 North Korea Considers Seventh Nuclear Test 0387 Moon Cult Funding Scandal Continues INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS 0388 Antonio Guterres presents his annual review 0389 Vassily Nebenzia reminds Westerners that they are playing with fire 0390 Alice Wairimu Nderitus bias questioned Jan 31, 2024; New Albany, Ohio, USA; Construction cranes pierce the landscape at the Intel site at in New Albany. The Biden administration made its largest award to date from the CHIPS Act on Friday, committing $5 billion for semiconductor-related research and development of the tiny devices that power everything from cells phones to cars to military equipment. The backbone of the $52.7 billion law passed in 2022 is the $39 billion that will go to companies as part of of the effort to spur new investments in the U.S. including Intel's $20 billion investment in Licking County where it is building two factories. The Commerce Department says it is expects to announce awards for companies in the weeks ahead. Intel says it has applied for money under the program for its Licking County project and other expansion projects in the U.S. Companies have announced $234 billion in semiconductor investments the past few years, according to the White House. In addition to grants, the CHIPS Act provide tax credits to companies that make investments. Beyond the aid for companies, the bill includes $11 billion for research and development. The centerpiece of the $11 billion is the $5 billion awarded Friday that creates the National Semiconductor Technology Center. The center is meant to bring together government, industry, labor, customers, suppliers, educational institutions, entrepreneurs, and investors to accelerate the pace of innovation and keep the U.S. ahead of global competitors while creating good jobs. The Commerce Department said a site for the center has not been chosen and that more details about the center will be released in the months ahead. The U.S. used to be the global leader in chip production, but today the country produces fewer than 10% of the global supply and none of the most advanced chips. CHIPS research and development programs are at the core of our greatest innovations and help to find the solutions for the semiconductor industrys most pressing challenges. With strategic investments in R&D complementing targeted industry incentives, CHIPS for America will not only bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. it will keep it here for good," Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said. Story continues Intel's project in Licking County in January 2024. Last year, the Biden administration picked Columbus as one of five cities selected as a workforce hub reflecting the region's selection for the Intel factories, the Honda-LG Energy electric vehicle battery plant in Jeffersonville and other investments that the administration has pushed to make sure they include good-paying jobs. The Investing in America Workforce Hub is meant to bring education, government, unions and the private sector together to build targeted approaches to train workers for the jobs these investments are creating. mawilliams@dispatch.com @BizMarkWilliams This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Biden administration awards $5 billion in CHIPS Act money for R&D Italy's railway workers stage eight-hour strike. Italy faces a nationwide strike by railway workers on Monday 12 February, from 09.00 to 17.00, with major disruption expected to train services across the country. The eight-hour strike will affect Trenitalia, Italo and Trenord services and will also involve rail freight transport workers and technicians employed by railway infrastructure manager Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI). The industrial action is not expected to have a major impact on long-distance services operated by Trenitalia which says that Frecciarossa and Intercity trains should operate as normal. However Trenitalia on its website warned of possible changes to train timetables before and after the strike as well as the prospect of delays or cancellations of regional rail services. Private long-distance operator Italo also warns of possible inconveniences and delays, and has published a list of guaranteed trains on its website. The nationwide strike has been called by Italian trade unions trade unions CUB and USB in protest over a range of issues including the renewal of contracts and safety in the workplace. Photo credit: Viacheslav Lopatin / Shutterstock.com. Restoration project changes the landscape of Trajan's Forum. A major restoration project to reconstruct part of the Basilica Ulpia, once the largest basilica in Rome, is currently nearing completion in Trajan's Forum. An architrave topped by a second tier of three columns in green cipollino marble have been added to the ruins using anastylosis, a restoration process which incorporates the original architectural elements to the greatest degree possible. For the past century the three cipollino marble columns had been positioned erroneously elsewhere in Trajan's Forum until being restored to their rightful place, along the outer perimeter of the basilica's first nave. Towering at a height of 23 metres, the partially reconstructed monument adds a whole new dimension to the ancient site, granting visitors a sense of the vast scale of the building which was once dedicated to the administration of justice and commerce. The Basilica Ulpia in Trajans Forum, once the largest basilica in Rome, rises again. A second tier of columns and architrave have been added to the ruins using the anastylosis restoration process which incorporates the original architectural elements as far as possible. pic.twitter.com/gPL0jcqAUc Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) January 13, 2024 Built by the architect Apollodorus of Damascus at the behest of the Emperor Trajan between 106 and 113 AD, the Basilica Ulpia collapsed in the mediaeval era, its ruins pillaged for construction material, before being excavated in the early 19th century and 1930s. The ambitious restoration project, which got underway in 2021, was funded with a 1.5 million donation from Uzbekistan oligarch Alisher Usmanov in 2015 during the administration of former Rome mayor Ignazio Marino. In March 2022 Usmanov was sanctioned by the European Union, after Russia invaded Ukraine, with the EU describing the tycoon as having "particularly close ties" with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Last week a top EU court rejected an appeal by Usmanov against the sanctions, Reuters reports. Restoration works near completion at the Basilica Ulpia in Trajan's Forum. Photo Wanted in Rome. Rome has completed several major restoration projects in recent months, including the reopening after almost 50 years of the Domus Tiberiana between the Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. In January the city opened a new archaeological park on the Caelian Hill along with the Forma Urbis museum, hosting the surviving fragments of an ancient marble map of Rome, while last week a 13-metre high reconstruction of the Colossus of Constantine made world headlines after it was unveiled on the Capitoline Hill. Photographs of Basilica Ulpia restoration project by Wanted in Rome, 12 February 2024. Rome church hosts the skull of San Valentino. Hordes of tourists in Rome queue up every day to stick their hand in the Mouth of Truth while skipping the adjoining church, the fascinating Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Located near the Circus Maximus in the site of the Forum Boarium, Rome's ancient cattle market, the church is one of the city's finest examples of mediaeval ecclesiastic architecture and is renowned for its Cosmatesque floors. The basilica, whose origins date to the sixth century and possibly much earlier, is also known for housing a more unexpected relic: the skull of Saint Valentine. The skull, crowned with a garland of flowers and emblazoned with "San Valentino" across its forehead, can be found in the side altar on the left side of the church. While the the relic draws a small but steady crowd of visitors, especially on Saint Valentine's Day, there remains a question mark over the exact owner of the skull. According to tradition the skull belongs to the third-century Christian martyr Valentino however the line between historical fact and legend is decidedly blurred. There were are at least two legendary Christian martyrs by the name of Valentino, the patron saint of lovers, engaged couples, people with epilepsy, and beekeepers. On #ValentinesDay, the skull of St Valentine in S. Maria in Cosmedin #Rome pic.twitter.com/wNmmMAHoio Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) February 14, 2023 In early listings of martyrs by the Catholic Church there were two distinct marytrs called Valentino, both martyred in or around Rome: the patron of the Umbrian town of Terni (or Interamna as it was known in Roman times), a bishop martyred probably in the fourth century; the other a Roman priest martyred in Rome during the persecution of Christians in the third century under Emperor Claudius III. The story of San Valentino is complicated further by the fact that multiple churches around the world, from Prague to Dublin, claim to house relics of the saint. According to legend Valentinus (the Latin version of his name) secretly performed Christian weddings for couples, defying a ban by the emperor Claudius, before being caught and imprisoned. Another legend has it that San Valentino signed a letter from your Valentine to his jailers daughter, with whom he had fallen in love, while awaiting execution. After refusing to renounce his faith, Valentino was beaten with clubs and beheaded on the Via Flaminia on 14 February 269. The skull of St Valentine (we leave it up to you to decide which Valentino exactly) can be visited at the Basilica di S. Maria in Cosmedin, in Piazza Bocca della Verita 18, every day from 09.30 to 17.50. Photo Wanted in Rome PESHAWAR, Pakistan For decades, Taj Muhammad Afridi had been making stoners mellow around the world. By now, at his family homestead in the Tirah Valley in Pakistans tribal belt, hundreds of marijuana plants should be full-grown, some as tall as a one-story house. The traditional harvest would be in October, and thats when Afridi would start making some of the worlds most sought-after hashish. But Afridis crops and those of others nearby that produce eye-popping amounts of marijuana have been abandoned, and are in danger of becoming another casualty of Pakistans decade-long war against terrorism and Islamist militancy. After Afridi planted his marijuana seeds in February, the military began a series of military operations in the Tirah Valley against Taliban fighters who had found refuge there. The operation displaced Afridi and a quarter-million other residents, many of whom are still waiting to go home. Advertisement We know that our crops are still there, said Afridi, 65, noting the regions moist climate allows marijuana to grow with little maintenance. But I dont know what the future will be. Will the military allow this? The answer could prove to be a buzz-kill. According to other residents who have gone home, security forces are targeting Pakistans lucrative hash industry to try to establish more government control over the historically lawless border region. In recent weeks, paramilitary forces have erected a dozen checkpoints and are enforcing a ban on transporting hashish through tribal areas. Dozens of roadside stands that previously sold hash openly have been shuttered. And residents say private homes are being raided. That spells big trouble in the Tirah Valley, where growing marijuana is part of the culture as well as the chief source of income for several tribes, including the Afridis. Hamid-ul-Haq Khalil, a member of Pakistans Parliament, said at least 100,000 people make their living cultivating or selling hash. Advertisement Families in the Tirah Valley, on the southern edge of the Hindu Kush mountains, grow marijuana on small or medium plots of land that cascade down from an elevation of 8,000 feet. The valley typically produces at least 100 tons of hash annually, residents say. Much of it ends up in Pakistani cities, one reason hippies and college students from the United States flocked to Pakistan in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. But the drug is also smuggled around the world, and terms such as Hindu Kush marijuana and Pakistani hash are mainstays of pot-lovers lexicons. Along with the Tirah Valley, high-quality hash is also produced in parts of Afghanistan, Morocco, Lebanon and India, according to Sheshta, who only uses a first name and writes for Amsterdam-based Sensi Seeds, a Web site that sells marijuana seeds. Advertisement But residents of Tirah Valley claim no one can produce hash quite like they can. While marijuana grows wild throughout much of northern Pakistan, most of it lacks enough tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to be considered a mind-altering drug. In the Tirah Valley, however, residents say they have been refining the quality of their marijuana for decades. The drug was introduced to the valley about 120 years ago when a Sufi tourist from the eastern part of India, then a British colony, stumbled into the valley, tribesmen say. Sufism is a mystical form of Islam that stresses peace and love. He brought us the plant from India and convinced us we should grow it, said Shah Nawaz Afridi, a social justice activist from the valley. The summer climate of the Tirah Valley warm days, brief rain showers most evenings and cool nights allows pot seeds to grow into monster marijuana plants that can exceed 15 feet, residents say. Advertisement In October, the plants are cut but left bundled in fields for another two months. Then they get covered in snow, which residents say is the secret to producing powerful hashish. The snow turns once-green buds red like a radish, one farmer said. After the plants are dried and brittle, entire families gather to make hash. Its produced by beating marijuana buds with sticks so dust-like residue floats to the ground. The residue is then swept up and packed into a bag or the hide of a freshly slaughtered sheep or goat so it gels into a substance that resembles smashed chocolate cake. It can then be smoked. The students, the doctors and other people who know, all want charas from the Tirah Valley, said Zakirullah Afridi, 35, using the local name for hash. As he spoke, he rubbed a half-dollar-size ball of hash between his fingers. The taste is good. Its sweet. Its oily. And it makes you drowsy. Advertisement In a part of Pakistan so rugged residents say the first paved road opened just this year after the Pakistani army built it to transport military supplies tribesmen consider hash to be a vital medicine for six ailments. Share this article Share Diabetes. High blood pressure. Constipation. Poor sexual performance. Unhappiness. Being overweight. We also give it to the chickens in the field so they produce more eggs, said Sadar Khan Afridi, 36, who estimates his family can produce about 15 pounds of hash annually. But most of the hash is sold on the black market. Several Tirah Valley pot farmers say they earn $5,000 to $10,000 annually, a respectable income in one of the worlds most remote regions. When the Pakistani Taliban controlled the area, it taxed marijuana crops but otherwise did not interfere in the trade, residents said. Advertisement Even as Pakistan tries to exert more control, residents insist they are still governed by colonial-era regulations that gave them wide latitude to set their own laws. Pakistans army, which entered the Tirah Valley for the first time in 2003, appears to be taking a different view. Shah Nawaz Afridi said at least 100 Tirah Valley residents have been arrested in recent months for drug offenses. Even carrying one kilogram is now a difficult task, said Mohammad Karim Afridi, 43. They are checking every vehicle . . . even the nuts and bolts . . . and if they have any idea someone is keeping hashish at home, they raid. A spokesman for the Pakistani military declined to comment. Pakistans Anti-Narcotics Force also declined to comment, except to point to statistics showing it has seized 57 tons of hash between March 1 and Aug. 31. Advertisement The operation in the Tirah Valley was launched to clear the area of terrorists, but the drug problem is also part of counterterrorism operations, said one Interior Ministry official, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss the matter. Drug money is being used to fund militancy. . . . It will be done away with completely. Now, there is widespread concern in the Tirah Valley that the army will not even allow the crop to be planted next year. With smuggling a mainstay of the tribal economy, it is hard to imagine Pakistans hash trade will totally dry up. But residents say even a partial disruption will cripple them financially because little else grows in the Tirah Valley except corn, walnuts and apricots. In the past, we had thick forests, but now the forests are depleted, so this is the only source of income, said Nisbat Afridi, 27. Advertisement But as some countries in the West liberalize marijuana laws, tribesmen and even a few Pakistani lawmakers see opportunity. We want permits and licenses for hashish, so we can show more people about the benefits, and if they allow us, we can export it, Sadar Khan Afridi said. We could offer people better products, better prices. Haq Nawaz Khan and Shaiq Hussain contributed to this report The boss of Starbucks Australia is hoping the coffee chain will get renewed attention and investment in dozens of new stores from its billionaire owner Russell Withers now that he has sold his 7-Eleven empire in Australia. Withers, who with his late sister Beverley Barlow built their fortune over decades growing the 7-Eleven chain in Australia, last November agreed to sell the 750-store network for an undisclosed sum to its Japanese parent, 7-Eleven International. Withers also owns Starbucks Australia which expects to expand to more than 100 stores by next year. Starbucks Australia CEO Chris Garlick (left), billionaire Russell Withers (middle) and 7-Eleven Australia CEO Angus McKay. Withers is the owner of both businesses, but recently sold the convenience store chain. The family were very successful in being long-term in their views for building that business around the 7-Eleven brand in Australia for 46 years ... Theyve got exactly the same attitude to Starbucks, said Chris Garlick, the chief executive of Starbucks Australia, which recently turned a profit for the first time in 23 years. I think our recent performance has validated the belief they have that the brand has got a really strong place here, and encourage[s] them about what the future looks like for us as well. In a recent move that has drawn both criticism and support, President Joe Biden has requested Congress to approve a significant defense spending package aimed at bolstering the military capabilities of Israel and Ukraine amid ongoing conflicts. The package, which was passed by the Senate on Feb. 8, includes tens of billions of dollars in additional weapons for both countries, marking an unprecedented commitment to Israel's security and a firm stance against adversaries like Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The request comes as the U.S. grapples with domestic challenges, including the aftermath of devastating wildfires in Hawaii. Don't Miss: The Biden administrations approach has sparked debate over the prioritization of foreign aid amid domestic crises. On Aug. 8, a violent wildfire devastated the island of Maui in Hawaii. It killed over 100 people and more than $5.5 billion in damage was caused from the event. Despite this, seemingly no relief has been given to the devasted area. The White House authorized payments of $700 per resident for those affected through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which comes out to roughly $5.6 million in aid. At the time, Biden visited Hawaii and vowed to support residents. Many have complained that, other than the $700 payment, they have received no relief. Many residents noted they are still homeless with no end in sight. In late August, a $95 million infrastructure bill was approved to help repair the electrical grid, but the topic has been largely unaddressed since. Trending: Here is where your most successful angel investment may be hidden. Critics have been quick to point out the contrast between the aid delivered to Hawaii, or even the southern border, and those given to Ukraine, Palestine, Taiwan and Israel. The new bill includes $95 billion for other countries but excludes support at the border. Story continues In total, the bill includes $61 billion for Ukraine and $4.83 billion for Taiwan. Notably, the bill also includes $14 billion for Israel, despite the presidents recent comments that Israel's response has been "over the top." It also includes $9.15 billion for Palestine despite numerous reports that the terrorist group Hamas consistently steals humanitarian aid and uses it to build more weapons. With a $95 billion price tag and roughly 258 million adults in the U.S., this means every adult in America is paying $368 for this bill that is entirely going to other countries. This comes at a time when the situation in the Middle East continues to escalate. Three U.S. soldiers were recently killed in Jordan and dozens more were injured. Read Next: This startup is accepting investors for as little as 25 cents whats the catch? Copy and paste Mark Cubans startup investment strategy according to his colorful portfolio. "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Biden Slammed For Giving Hundreds Of Billions To Ukraine, Palestine And Israel As Hawaii Still Devasted From Aftermath Of Wildfires originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. It was her first book and it didnt come easily. Journalist Lisa Taddeo spent eight years researching and writing Three Women. She crossed America six times on road trips, talking to people about their sex lives. Searching for suitable subjects, she posted signs on university noticeboards and in public bathrooms; she contacted lawyers and doctors inquiring about clients or patients who might be willing to talk to her; and she approached strangers in bars and started conversations. Her initially unfocused efforts led to a remarkable work of non-fiction exploring a trio of very different lives. Empathetic, rich in detail and probing in its evocation of the womens emotional and sexual desires, it reads like intimate and intense fiction. Taddeos understanding of and knowledge about the women is so deep and extensive its as though they grew out of her imagination. Lisa Taddeos non-fiction book about the anxieties and sex lives of three different women became an international bestseller and, now, a dramatised TV series. Credit: Molly Matalon The 2019 publication that she imagined would be a quiet little book became an international bestseller and the object of a bidding war for TV rights. Showtime won, and the result is an appropriately frank and absorbing 10-part series, created, partly written and executive produced by Taddeo, with her screenwriter husband Jackson Waite as a co-executive producer, and producer, screenwriter and playwright Laura Eason (The Loudest Voice, House of Cards) as the showrunner. The women of the title appear to have little in common. Living in Indiana and the mother of two boys, Lina (Betty Gilpin) is trapped in an unhappy marriage to Ed (Sean Meehan) whos cold and controlling. Rhode Island restaurant owner Sloane (DeWanda Wise) is wealthy and glamorous. The envy of other women, shes married to chef Richard (Blair Underwood) in a union that allows her to have sex with other men as he watches. Maggie (Gabrielle Creevy) is a North Dakota waitress struggling in the aftermath of a relationship that she was involved in as an adolescent. Shareholders that bet on drilling for gas in Western Australias remote Kimberley region have voted to take a company off the stock exchange due to a lack of other investors willing to follow them into the company, which blew more than 95 per cent of their money. In 2019, US-based Rhett Bennett bought permits from Mitsubishi, which had found gas in the Kimberley that would require the controversial hydraulic fracking method to produce, and was hundreds of kilometres from any market. Large-scale production from the Kimberley would likely need a pricey pipeline to a gas export plant to be viable. The Japanese trading giant, Origin Energy, Andrew Forrests Squadron Energy, and US firms Hess and ConocoPhillips were all interested in the much-hyped Canning Basin a few years ago, but have since disappeared, leaving just a handful of small companies. From his Fort Worth Base in Texas, Bennett rebadged his firm Black Mountain. In 2021, he gained a much sought-after exemption from the WA governments ban on the export of onshore gas, helping support an ASX listing in early 2022. Its one of the worlds most important swing states and its central to Australias wellbeing, but theres been scant reporting of the fact that Indonesia will hold its presidential election tomorrow. And it hasnt made much news for the best possible reason: against most expectations, Indonesia is stable and successful and the election campaign has been calm and constructive. It was only 26 years ago that its strongman military dictator Suharto fell, stirring fears in Canberra that the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation would disintegrate or radicalise or fall into civil war or generate huge waves of boat people bound for Australia or perhaps all four. Indonesians are heading to the polls on Wednesday. Credit: Dionne Gain Instead, its democracy increasingly is settled and its now rated as more free than some older democracies. Its far from perfect, but the Washington-based Freedom House ranks it as freer than Singapore, for instance. Indeed, Indonesia has some fascinating lessons for other democracies. Two features of its politics today are little short of miraculous. First, President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, is about to depart office with rock-star ratings. He has defied the orthodoxy. Albanese added that we cannot have disregard for innocent life and Im very concerned at the consequences for those civilians and also the serious harm that would be caused to Israels own interests in terms of its standing in the international community. While his government has joined other nations in pausing funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) as it investigates claims its employees were involved in the October 7 attacks, Albanese flagged that he wanted to resume supporting the major humanitarian aid provider as soon as possible. We cant have babies and children starving in Gaza, he said. We need to have a humanitarian approach there. Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on a residential building In Rafah, Gaza on Saturday. Credit: AP New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon used similar language while expressing concern about Israels military operation in Rafah, saying: Palestinian civilians cannot pay the price of Israel trying to defeat Hamas. Israeli planes, tanks and ships took part in the initial pre-dawn strikes on Rafah on Monday, with two mosques and several houses hit, according to residents. In a statement, Hamas said the strikes on the city were a continuation of the genocidal war and the forced displacement attempts Israel has waged against the Palestinian people. The Israeli military said it struck terror targets in the area of Shaboura, a district in Rafah. The military statement said the series of strikes had concluded, without elaborating on the targets or assessing the potential damage or casualties. Israel announced it had rescued two hostages during a raid by special forces in a Rafah neighbourhood. An Israeli Air Force helicopter carrying two released hostages to a medical centre in Ramat Gan, Israel, on Monday. Credit: IDF/AP The freed hostages identified as Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70 were taken to Sheba hospital in central Israel, a statement from the hospital said, and were confirmed by doctors to be in good condition. They were rescued from a residential building in the raid that also killed at least seven people, according to Palestinian officials. Witnesses reported at least 17 airstrikes, flares and Apache helicopter fire. The men were kidnapped by Hamas militants from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in the October 7 cross-border attack. They are just the second and third hostages to be rescued safely. Israeli military spokesman Richard Hecht said the operation was based on precise intelligence and that the site, located on the second floor of a building, had been watched for some time. He said Netanyahu joined Israels military chief and other top officials as the raid unfolded. The White House said Biden had warned Netanyahu in a call on Monday (AEDT) that Israel should not conduct a military operation against Hamas in Rafah without a credible and executable plan to protect civilians. Loading A strong supporter of Israel throughout his career, Biden said last week that Israels military response in Gaza was over the top and that he had sought urgent and specific steps to strengthen humanitarian aid. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: Many civilians who were displaced in Israeli operations in the north have moved south to this area, often under Israeli direction. Israel now must exercise special care in relation to these civilians. Not doing so would have devastating consequences for those civilians and cause serious harm to Israels own interests. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that an Israeli offensive on Rafah would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt, a problem given Egypt has been helping to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. Loading Hamas Al-Aqsa television station earlier quoted an unnamed Hamas official as saying any invasion of Rafah would blow up talks for an extended ceasefire agreement. Netanyahu told Fox News Sunday that there was plenty of room north of Rafah for them to go to after Israels offensive elsewhere in Gaza, and said Israel would direct evacuees with flyers, with cellphones and with safe corridors and other things. But the offensive has caused widespread destruction, with little capacity to take in people. The stand-off between Israel and Egypt, two close US allies, took shape as aid groups warned that an offensive in Rafah would worsen the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. About 80 per cent of residents have fled their homes and the UN says a quarter of the population faces starvation. A ground operation in Rafah could cut off one of the few avenues for delivering food and medical supplies. Forty-four trucks of aid entered Gaza on Sunday, said Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority. About 500 entered daily before the war. Where will civilians go? Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other countries have also warned of severe repercussions if Israel goes into Rafah. An Israeli offensive on Rafah would lead to an unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on X. Human Rights Watch said forced displacement is a war crime. Egyptian officials fear that if the border is breached, the military will be unable to stop a tide of people fleeing into the Sinai Peninsula. The UN says Rafah, normally home to fewer than 300,000 people, now hosts 1.4 million more and is severely overcrowded. In Rafah, some displaced people packed up again. Rafat and Fedaa Abu Haloub, who fled Beit Lahia in the north earlier in the war, placed their belongings onto a truck. We dont know where we can safely take him, Fedaa said of their baby. Every month we have to move. Om Mohammad al-Ghemry, displaced from Nuseirat, said she hoped Egypt would not allow Israel to force Palestinians to flee into the Sinai because we do not want to leave. with Reuters, AP, AAP JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - U.S. firm High Power Exploration Inc (HPX), founded by mining billionaire Robert Friedland, said on Monday it had signed a letter of intent with Liberia's government and Guma Africa Group to develop rail and road projects linking it with Guinea. The infrastructure projects, known as the Liberty Corridor, are expected to support the West African region's connection to world markets and are estimated to cost between $3 billion to $5 billion, HPX said in a statement. Guma Africa is led by South African businessman Robert Gumede. The planned corridor will have a new heavy duty railroad connecting the Nimba district of Guinea to a new Liberian deep water port. The statement did not give timelines for the projects. HPX and Guma Africa entered into negotiations with Liberia's government to agree on a framework granting exclusive rights to develop, finance and grant operating rights to the Liberty Corridor, HPX said. The project will also upgrade an existing road and expand renewable power systems from Liberia to Guinea as well as high-speed telecoms infrastructure. The Liberia-Guinea infrastructure link could potentially transform the mineral-rich Nimba region, as well as projects along the railway and road corridor in Liberia, HPX said. (Reporting by Felix Njini; writing by Anait Miridzhanian; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan) WSU international student now among Utahs top tech women February 12, 2024 OGDEN, Utah Davina Kamikazi developed her passion for technology growing up in Kigali, Rwanda, often solving problems with computers and televisions. Now, she is turning her passion into a career, and recently won an award putting her in company with Utahs tech industry leaders. While studying computer engineering at Weber State University, Kamikazi won the Student Pathway Award last fall at the 2023 Women Tech Awards, recognizing her dedication to STEM studies. Her professor, Shellee Dyer, nom inated her. At the ceremony, she felt encouraged meeting other women in STEM and seeing female CEOs from major tech companies. There was actually a group networking session, and I learned that even though Im still struggling in college, Ill be able to make it, she said. As a child, Kamikazi participated in the Rwandan governments One Laptop per Child program, which aimed to enhance education by introducing technology in primary schools. She decided to come to the United States for college to be close to tech companies she could work at after graduating. She chose WSU for its financial aid, international student community, small class sizes and quality reputation. Deciding on her major took a little more thought. I knew I would love to do something related to tech, but I also loved mathematics, she said. She discovered computer engineering encompasses both. It pushes me out of my comfort zone, she said. I get to learn as well as solve issues with hands-on experience. Being a woman in STEM, particularly engineering, can feel overwhelming at times. Imposter syndrome is a thing in the engineering field, she said. Luckily, she has a strong support network and knows her family and friends are cheering her on from Rwanda. Their words of encouragement and my trust in God have been moving me through the course, she said. Kamikazi also works in Weber States graduation office, ensuring students meet graduation requirements. After graduating herself in spring 2026, she would like to gain work experience in the United States before fulfilling her long-term goal of launching a startup company in Rwanda that will help improve agriculture through digital technology. She would love to see more Rwandan girls succeeding in technology. At first, it looks impossible, but you have to believe in yourself and allow yourself to be challenged, she said. Olivia Kelleher The funeral of a young boy found dead in a car in Co Waterford last week will take place in Watergrasshill, Co Cork later this week. Matthew Healy (six) was found unresponsive and wet in the back seat of a car which was parked on a laneway at Rathmoylan Cove, outside Dunmore East on Friday. A woman in her 30s was arrested near the scene. Having received medical treatment over the weekend, gardai are understood to be hoping to question her regarding Matthew's death on Monday. Matthew's Requim Mass will be held in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Watergrasshill on Wednesday at midday. Around 200 people attended a vigil at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity on Barrowstrand Street in Waterford City on Saturday. Kieran O'Sullivan, principal of Faithlegg National School in Cheekpoint, Co Waterford, where Matthew was a student, described his death as a tragedy. "We learned on Friday morning of a tragic incident involving a beloved member of our school community. "The gardai are currently involved. This is a terrible tragedy for the families, our school and our community." Mr O'Sullivan added: "Our school has implemented its Critical Incident Plan and NEPS (National Educational Psychological Service) psychologists are supporting our school. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved and affected by this tragedy." County Sligo woman Eve McDowell, who was stalked by Igor Lewandowski while attending University of Galway, will feature in a new TV documentary tonight. The Grange native was subjected to a traumatic stalking ordeal when studying in first year at University of Galway. The ordeal culminated in Lewandowski breaking into Eves apartment and assaulting her roommate with a hammer in May 2019. Picking up with Eve as her stalker is released from prison as she faces a precarious future, the documentary highlights the long-lasting, overwhelming fear and isolation stalking inflicts on its victims. The lack of stalking-specific legislation in Ireland deeply affected all three victims, leading both Eve McDowell and fellow contributor Una Ring to turn to activism, courageously championing the urgent need for stalking-specific legislation to protect others. With stalking-specific legislation finally coming into effect in November 2023, their tireless efforts and commitment to change have become a beacon of hope for countless others who have experienced the horrors of stalking, paving the way for a brighter future where victims can access the help and protection they so desperately need. With chilling footage and expert insights, the documentary sheds light on the devastating impact of stalking and the psychological and emotional toll endured by its victims. 'Stalked airs tonight at 9pm on Virgin Media One and Virgin Media Player COLUMBUS, Oh. - Two former FirstEnergy Corp. executives, a former chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio and two entities have been indicted by an Ohio grand jury as a corrupt enterprise for their alleged role in the House Bill 6 scandal. This indictment is about more than one piece of legislation, said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. It is about the hostile capture of a significant portion of Ohio's state government by deception, betrayal and dishonesty. Shout it from the public square to the boardroom, from Wall Street to Broad and High: Those who perversely seek to turn the government to their own private ends will face the destruction of everything they worked for. Charged with a combined 27 felony counts, including theft, fraud, bribery and money laundering, are Samuel Sam Randazzo, former PUCO chairman; Charles Chuck Jones, former CEO of First Energy; Michael Dowling, former First Energy senior vice president of external affairs. Two companies controlled by Randazzo, the Sustainability Funding Alliance of Ohio and IEU-Ohio Administration Co., are also named in the filing. Both are alleged to be shell companies created solely for furthering Randazzos alleged criminal activity. The indictment accuses the enterprise of engaging in a scheme to corrupt the PUCO chairman and ratemaking policies, stealing millions of dollars from FirstEnergy and a nonprofit trade group, and tampering with government records. Jones and Dowling actively worked to spend FirstEnergy money to improperly influence Randazzo to exercise the authority of PUCO chairman to advance FirstEnergys regulatory and policy agendas, the indictment says. A copy of the indictment is available on the attorney generals website. Randazzo and others have been indicted and prosecuted in federal court for their role in the House Bill 6 scandal. Authorities say these state charges mark the first criminal charges against Jones and Dowling. Authorities say the conduct alleged in the indictment took place between 2010 and 2021 in Summit County, Franklin County and Florida. FirstEnergys 10 regulated distribution companies form one of the nations largest investor-owned electric systems, based on serving 6 million customers in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Stretching from the Ohio-Indiana border to the New Jersey shore, the companies operate an infrastructure of more than 269,000 miles of distribution lines. ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A Lehigh Valley IHOP restaurant is serving its famous pancakes to more guests via expanded hours, while stacking up joy with community-centric promotions. IHOP, at 1511 Lehigh St. in Allentown, a few weeks ago began offering dine-in and takeout service 24 hours a day on weekends, according to Hasnain Haaz Ilyas, the restaurants operating partner. Ilyas, a graduate of Easton Area High School, is a second-generation operator of the Allentown IHOP, which his father previously owned. A few years ago, restaurant hours were cut due to staffing issues stemming from the pandemic, but regular hours have resumed, and the management team has decided to go a step beyond, Ilyas said. I feel this side of town is really lacking options outside of gas stations where families and friends can gather after a long day, Ilyas explained. Also, I wholeheartedly believe everything just tastes so much better when it's that late out, so much that people may even debate if IHOP is a breakfast place or a late-night diner. We are starting with opening on Friday and Saturday nights. However, if the community response goes well enough, we will look to expand to seven days. IHOP, founded in 1958, is known for its world-famous pancakes and a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner items that are loved by people of all ages offering an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service, according to a company overview. There are more 1,790 IHOP restaurants around the world, including restaurants in all 50 states, two U.S. territories and 13 countries outside of the United States. IHOP restaurants are franchised by affiliates of Pasadena, California-based Dine Brands Global, Inc. International House of Pancakes, LLC is a subsidiary of Dine Brands Global, which is publicly traded (NYSE: DIN). On Feb. 1, the company announced the launch of Stacking Up Joy, a nationwide platform designed to bring people together in the communities that restaurants serve to give back to others. To kick-off the Stacking Up Joy program, IHOP is partnering with Feeding America for a Month of Giving campaign that addresses food insecurity in local communities across the United States. Guests are invited to add $1, $2, $3 or more onto their checks in restaurants or when ordering online. For every $1 donated to the campaign during the month of February, 10 meals will be provided to people facing hunger. In Allentown, the local food bank associated with Feeding America is Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. IHOPs annual National Pancake Day celebration, to be held 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 13, will highlight the brands partnership with Feeding America. Dine-in guests who visit participating restaurants during this time frame will receive a free short stack (three) of buttermilk pancakes. At IHOP, were focused on serving our communities great food and value, said Kieran Donahue, IHOPs chief marketing officer, in a news release. Our restaurants and franchisees are integral parts of their local communities, serving up joy through their favorite IHOP menu items or helping them access the food they need to achieve long-term food security. Our purpose of spreading more joy to more guests in our communities is why establishing a program like Stacking Up Joy is a natural fit for us, as we support families facing hunger around the country. Additionally, IHOP has launched a Pancake of the Month program where a new flavor pancake will be available as a full stack, side or part of a pancake combo beginning on the first of every month. The limited-time offerings will only be available for that calendar month, with Februarys offering being chocolate strawberry pancakes (chocolate chip pancakes topped with creamy cheesecake mousse and then drizzled with chocolate sauce, fresh sliced strawberries, whipped topping and chocolate chips). Just in time for Valentines Day, guests can enjoy the first Pancake of the Month flavor this February with Chocolate Strawberry Pancakes while supplies last at participating restaurants nationwide, an announcement reads. The Allentown IHOP, in the Parkway Center, is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. to midnight Fridays, 24 hours on Saturdays and midnight to 10 p.m. Sundays. For more information or to place a takeout order, call 610-797-6113 or visit the restaurant's website. EASTON, Pa. Authorities in Northampton County have apprehended a man accused of assaulting someone with a deadly weapon. Colonial Regional Police had asked the public to be on the lookout for a 2018 blue Kia Optima. That alert has been cancelled, as the suspect was located this afternoon. Police say the alleged assault happened on Newburg Road in Lower Nazareth Township. The suspect has not yet been named. FORKS TWP., Pa. - Victaulic, a maker of pipe couplings and valves, has acquired Utah-based Utility Coatings & Fabrication to expand manufacturing capacity in the U.S. Forks Township-based Victaulic did not disclose terms of the transaction. Victaulic gains 21,000 square feet of manufacturing space with the deal, which aligns with the company's strategy of making products in North America. Adding United Coatings (UCF) enhances Victaulic's services in the large-diameter pipe market. The deal was completed Feb. 7. "This acquisition represents Victaulic's fourth consecutive investment in the last four years," Rick Bucher, chief executive officer and president of Victaulic, said in a statement. "Victaulic remains dedicated to meeting the demands of our North American customer base through the expansion of manufacturing capacity in the western United States." Victaulic has added 1.4 million square feet of foundry and manufacturing capacity in North America since 2011, the company said. Victaulic was founded in 1925. It employs more than 5,500 people and has 50 facilities worldwide. It has customers in 140 countries. The headquarters of Utility Coatings & Fabrication (UCF) is near Salt Lake City. The company was founded in 1988. UCF Chief Executive Jeff Dahle said the transaction "will open up new opportunities for growth and innovation for our collective customers." The buyers of a home on Linden Street in Bethlehem are seeking a variance to use the site for food preparation and sale, according to documents filed with the city. That use would fit in with nearby commercial sites, including Wawa, Dunkin, Linden Beverages and other businesses, the applicants say. The Wawa is taking shape to the north of the site in Bethlehem Township, and to the south, apartments are going up on land behind the former Stefano's restaurant. That property is within the Bethlehem city limits. Tuan Do and Nguyet Nguyen purchased 3246 Linden St., a home with a barn, for $375,000 in October 2023, Northampton County records say. They seek a variance to "permit the preparation of prepared foods for on-site retail sale," their zoning appeal says. That use would allow them and the city to reach "maximum value" at the site, the request says. The Linden Street site was used for making custom carpets at one time, and later as an office, according to the zoning documents. More recently, it was a residence. The property has entrances from Linden Street and from Country Lane, a short road off Thompson Avenue. The potential for zoning relief was the motivation for the applicants to agree to buy the property, according to zoning documents. The Bethlehem Zoning Hearing Board will consider the appeal seeking a variance at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, in a meeting at Town Hall. The agenda and a link to a webcast of the meeting are posted on the City of Bethlehem's website. Agendas are subject to change. All digital platforms of the Pennsylvania Courts' website have been restored after a cyberattack last week. The last of the pages that were down are now online, said Chief Justice of Pennsylvania Debra Todd in a news release on Monday. The courts website was targeted by a denial of service attack, which means malicious actors flood the website with traffic so that it crashes and won't work for legitimate users. "These anonymous actors attempted to undermine our mission to make justice accessible and to shutter the operation of the statewide court system," Todd said in Monday's statement. The courts were fully open and operational during the cyberattack, which affected several e-services and e-payment systems. IT officials worked with federal law enforcement officials to secure and restore the web pages. "While we are beyond the initial attack, our team remains ever vigilant in our attempts to identify and disarm the threat of continued and future cyber attacks and continues to fully participate in law enforcements ongoing investigation," Todd said. Officials have maintained that there is no indication that any court data has been compromised. Courts were still open and accessible during normal business hours amid the attack. GILBERTON, Pa. Multiple fire crews were dispatched to a coal fire in Schuylkill County on Sunday morning. According to county dispatchers, the fire at Gilberton Coal Company broke out around 9:58 a.m. It was contained by 10:23 a.m., dispatchers said. According to Mahanoy City Fire Chief Dan Markiewicz, heavy smoke was visible when firefighters arrived. Markiewicz says the fire remains under investigation, but he believes the fire started accidentally and was not malicious. No injuries were reported, the fire chief said. CASS TWP., Pa. An Ohio man has been charged with homicide by vehicle for a crash in Schuylkill County that killed a woman and hurt two young children. It happened Friday night on Route 901 in Cass Township, near Old Phoenix Road. State Police say Elizabeth Ryan, 65, of Pottsville, died after a vehicle recklessly attempted to pass others around a curve and hit her vehicle head-on. Two children in Ryan's car, ages 5 and 8, were severely injured. There's no word on their conditions. The driver of the other car, 46-year-old Rodney Rivers, of Youngstown, Ohio, was arrested on vehicular homicide and aggravated assault charges. Police say they're expecting to file additional charges against Rivers. He's being held in Schuylkill County Prison on $500,000 straight cash bail. The state of Idaho is objecting to a request for a change of venue for a trial made by the defense for the Poconos man accused of killing four University of Idaho students. Bryan Kohberger's attorneys said they wanted the jury to be pulled from outside of Latah County, Idaho. The motion said a fair and impartial jury can't be found in the county because of "inflammatory pretrial publicity," and several other factors. In a court filing last week, the state said the motion to change the venue was "premature." In the court documents, the state requested that the court set a trial date, a briefing schedule for Kohbergers motion, and a hearing date for the motion to be heard. The state also is asking the court set a deadline for supporting memoranda, affidavits, and witness disclosures sufficiently in advance of the hearing so that the parties can adequately prepare. Prosecutors have asked the judge to hold Kohberger's murder trial in the summer of this year. WASHINGTON (AP) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized again Sunday to address a bladder issue as he continues to recover from prostate cancer and has transferred authorities to his deputy, the Pentagon said. Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and continues to deal with complications from his treatment. At about 2:20 p.m. Sunday, he was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center "to be seen for symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue," Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement. While Austin initially intended to retain the "functions and duties of his office, at about 5 p.m. Sunday he transferred those authorities to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks. As of Sunday evening, he remained hospitalized. A statement from Walter Reed medical officials late Sunday said Austin was admitted into the critical care unit for supportive care and close monitoring. Dr. John Maddox, the trauma medical director, and Dr. Gregory Chesnut, director of the Center for Prostate Disease Research of the Murtha Cancer Center, said while it was unclear at this time how long Austin will remain hospitalized, the current bladder issue is not expected to change his anticipated full recovery. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was notified, as well as the White House and Congress. Austin was scheduled to depart Tuesday for Brussels to hold a meeting of the Ukraine contact group, which he established in 2022 to coordinate military support for Kyiv after Russia's invasion. After that, Austin was scheduled to attend a regular meeting of NATO defense ministers. It was not immediately clear if this hospitalization would change those plans. Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and underwent a procedure called a prostatectomy to treat it on Dec. 22. Over the following week, he developed complications and on Jan. 1, in extreme pain, he was taken to Walter Reed by ambulance where he was admitted to the intensive care unit. Austin remained at Walter Reed until Jan. 15. He then continued to recover and work from home, and he returned to the Pentagon Jan. 29. His doctors have previously said his prognosis against the cancer is excellent and that no further treatments will be needed. Austin has gone back to Walter Reed for follow-ups since his hospitalization but this is his first unscheduled trip due to continued complications from his cancer treatments. Austin did not tell President Joe Biden, Congress or his deputy defense secretary of his December cancer diagnosis or initial hospitalization for weeks. That secrecy has become the subject of an inspector general investigation and a Pentagon internal review. He has previously said he never instructed his staff to keep his hospitalization a secret. WASHINGTON (AP) As former President Donald Trump and a growing number of Republicans oppose U.S. aid to Ukraine, the Senate's leaders argued in strong terms on Sunday that the money is crucial to pushing back against Russian President Vladimir Putin and maintaining America's global standing. In the Capitol for a rare weekend session, the Senate voted again to move forward with the assistance as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky issued stark warnings about the consequences of abandoning longtime U.S. allies in Europe. Today its no exaggeration to say that the eyes of the world are on the United States Senate, McConnell said. Our allies and partners are hoping that the indispensable nation, the leader of the free world, has the resolve to continue. Sunday's 67-27 vote to move forward on the $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other countries comes as former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, is trying to kill the assistance and has escalated his attacks on the NATO military alliance. Trump posted on his social media platform over the weekend that the U.S. should consider loaning Ukraine money, not giving it to them, saying that The United States of America should be stupid no longer! And the former president said Saturday at a campaign rally in South Carolina that Russia should be able to do whatever the hell they want to NATO members who do not meet their defense spending targets. He recounted a story he has told before about an unidentified NATO member who confronted him over his threat not to help them. While McConnell has made helping Ukraine a top issue, an increasing number of members in his GOP conference have followed Trumps lead and are opposing the aid, which Senate leaders have been trying to pass for months. Without mentioning Trump by name, McConnell said in his opening remarks Sunday that American leadership matters, and it is in question. Schumer said that if America doesnt assist Ukraine, Putin is all too likely to succeed. The only right answer to this threat is for the Senate to face it down unflinchingly by passing this bill as soon as we can," Schumer said before the vote. Amid shortages on the battlefield, the package would provide $60 billion for Ukraine, mostly to purchase U.S.-made defense equipment, including munitions and air defense systems that authorities say it desperately needs as Russia batters the country. It includes $8 billion for the government in Kyiv and other assistance. It would also provide $14 billion for Israels war with Hamas, $8 billion for Taiwan and partners in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, and $9.2 billion in humanitarian assistance for Gaza. The Senate is pushing through several procedural votes on the slimmed-down package after an attempt to pair it with legislation to stem migration at the U.S. border collapsed. Objections from Republicans adamantly opposed to the aid have delayed quick action, forcing the weekend votes as negotiations continue over potential amendments to the legislation. Senators were still trying to negotiate a deal on amendments Sunday but it was uncertain whether they could come to an agreement that would move up a final vote. If there continue to be objections, a final vote could come midweek. Schumer has said he is open to amendments - most of which would be likely to fail - but he forced senators to stay in session through the weekend to try and speed up the process. I can't remember the last time the Senate was in session on Super Bowl Sunday, Schumer said as he opened the session. But as I've said all week long, we're going to keep working on this bill until the job is done. In Sunday's vote, 18 Republicans voted to move forward with the measure giving supporters optimism that it will eventually pass. But the debate over the aid has deeply divided the Senate GOP conference, with McConnell digging in to support it while some of the most adamant opponents of sending money to Ukraine have increasingly criticized the party leader. America is being invaded every day at our southern border, Florida Sen. Rick Scott posted on X, formerly Twitter, as voting got underway. Why would we vote to send money and resources to secure Ukraines border before we secure our own? Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said the debt is a huge problem, "and yet theyre wanting to pass a bill to send money we dont have. So its not a sign of strength, and its a sign of weakness. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said that he can understand the reservations that voters have about voting for foreign aid, but that U.S. senators, who are privy to classified briefings, should understand whats at stake if Putin wins. And so some people around here if they really are being driven just by the perceptions of their base, they should grow a spine, he said. Even if the Senate does pass the package, its future is deeply uncertain in the House, where a large majority of GOP lawmakers are firmly allied with Trump. Speaker Mike Johnson has been noncommittal on the aid and has said he wants the Senate process to play out. Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, a former House member who voted to move forward on the aid, noted that some members of the House have threatened to try and remove Johnson, as they did his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, if he holds a vote on Ukraine. Still, Speaker Johnson is now sitting in classified briefings that he hadnt had the privilege to sit in before he was speaker, Mullin said. UK workers One in five employers are struggling to fill job vacancies, according to a survey revealing the scale of Britains workforce crisis. New figures from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) show that 21pc of firms expect to encounter significant hiring issues over the next six months, while one in 10 said they plan to reduce headcount. The former marks an improvement on the 29pc recorded last quarter, although the labour market remains at its weakest point since August 2013. Fewer employers are adopting wage rises to fill vacancies, the report stated, and are instead planning to cut staff or recruit less. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research warned last week that businesses have become frustrated with British workers. The number of firms registering to become sponsors to hire abroad has doubled since 2022, as more than nine million people of working age have dropped out of the jobs market. More than five million are now on out-of-work benefits, according to the Office for National Statistics, up from 3.5 million in 2015. Jon Boys, an economist for the CIPD, said: This feels like a key moment in the UK labour market. Employer attention is shifting from helping staff weather the cost-of-living crisis to focus on business sustainability and growth, which will impact headcount in some places. He said that in the age of working from home, professions such as teaching and nursing may be less attractive. The survey also revealed that basic pay expectations for the next year have fallen for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, from 5pc to 4pc. It came as the BDO Employment Index showed that Britains labour market was at its weakest for more than a decade, giving it a ranking of 98.77. Projections from the Centre for Economic and Business Research show the unemployment rate climbing in the coming months, hitting 4.6pc in the second quarter of the year. The Bank of England said earlier this month that Britains workforce will be permanently smaller as a result of the pandemic, citing increasing detachment from workers. Story continues A greater number of baby boomers reaching retirement age means that the number of Britons in the workforce was already trending down, the Bank said. David Miles, a leading economist at the OBR, said last week that the Prime Minister should slash the benefits bill and get more people working to reduce Britains debts, rather than relying on immigration. The Imperial College professor said it was much less clear that persistently high levels of net immigration to boost the labour force can generate sustained fiscal improvements. The population of the UK is expected to hit 70m by the end of 2026, with net migration standing at 672,000 for the 12 months to June 2023. In an effort to reduce the flow of migrants, the Government is raising the salary threshold for skilled workers to come to the UK from 26,200 to 38,700. A Government spokesman said: There are an extra four million people in work since 2010, and we are determined to help employers recruit talent and get businesses growing. In the last Budget, we committed 3.5bn to get even more people into the workplace, and through our Back to Work Plan we will support over a million people, including those with disabilities and long-term health conditions, to break down barriers to start and stay in work. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Dass elected President of the SA University Law Clinics Association Daven Dass, a key figure in clinical legal education, is dedicated to promoting excellence and access to justice. A former Director of the Wits Law Clinic, Dass was appointed President of the South African University Law Clinics Association (SAULCA) at the association's virtual annual general meeting held on 7 February 2024. He previously served as the Vice-President of SAULCA and has been part of the executive since 2009. Established in 1982, SAULCA is the national umbrella body representing University Law Clinics in South Africa and is dedicated to promoting excellence in clinical legal education and access to justice. Dass says he is both honoured and humbled to have been elected to the position and whilst he is fully cognisant of the substantive challenges that currently face law clinics throughout the country, he is looking forward to utilising his presidency to renew and embolden the pivotal role of university law clinics. This includes the critical tasks of equipping final year law students with the appropriate and necessary skills, enabling them to enter the legal profession with a measure of adequacy and a sense of social justice. He is also committed to ensuring that through clinical legal programmes that most vulnerable members of the community are provided quality legal assistance. Dass is also looking forward to fostering renewed collaborations between relevant stakeholders such as the South African Law Deans Association and the Legal Practice Council. He is the African representative on the steering committee of the Global Alliance for Justice Education and is involved in the development and expansion of clinical programmes in Zimbabwe. A Wits alumnus, he completed both his undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Wits. As part of his masters of law he focused on clinical legal education in South Africa, which ignited his passion for the experiential pedagogy. 1ST Source Bank decreased its holdings in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,065 shares of the payment services companys stock after selling 240 shares during the quarter. 1ST Source Banks holdings in American Express were worth $5,381,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 2.6% in the third quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. now owns 110,285 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $16,453,000 after purchasing an additional 2,829 shares during the period. Houlihan Financial Resource Group Ltd. acquired a new position in American Express during the third quarter worth $202,000. Arjuna Capital grew its holdings in American Express by 1.9% during the third quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 16,115 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $2,404,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares during the period. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in American Express by 4.4% during the third quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 2,524 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $377,000 after acquiring an additional 106 shares during the period. Finally, Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA grew its holdings in American Express by 0.6% during the third quarter. Roffman Miller Associates Inc. PA now owns 192,905 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $28,780,000 after acquiring an additional 1,227 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.08% of the companys stock. Get American Express alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other American Express news, Vice Chairman Douglas E. Buckminster sold 11,344 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.87, for a total transaction of $1,802,221.28. Following the sale, the insider now owns 88,376 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,040,295.12. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Vice Chairman Douglas E. Buckminster sold 11,344 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.87, for a total transaction of $1,802,221.28. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 88,376 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,040,295.12. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Howard Grosfield sold 7,029 shares of American Express stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.65, for a total value of $1,431,455.85. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 12,388 shares in the company, valued at $2,522,816.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 39,381 shares of company stock valued at $6,769,954. Insiders own 0.12% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have weighed in on AXP shares. Morgan Stanley lowered American Express from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and upped their target price for the company from $212.00 to $222.00 in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on American Express from $220.00 to $226.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Monday, January 29th. Piper Sandler upgraded American Express from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and upped their price objective for the company from $150.00 to $151.00 in a research report on Tuesday, October 24th. Stephens upgraded American Express from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and upped their price objective for the company from $148.00 to $193.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on American Express from $157.00 to $159.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, American Express presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $189.00. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on AXP American Express Stock Performance Shares of AXP traded up $1.17 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $213.64. The stock had a trading volume of 1,674,884 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,552,402. The company has a market cap of $154.51 billion, a PE ratio of 18.95, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.23. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $187.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $167.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71. American Express has a fifty-two week low of $140.91 and a fifty-two week high of $214.25. American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 26th. The payment services company reported $2.62 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.64 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $15.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16 billion. American Express had a return on equity of 31.01% and a net margin of 13.84%. American Expresss revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.07 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that American Express will post 12.83 earnings per share for the current year. American Express Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 9th. Investors of record on Friday, January 5th were issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 4th. American Expresss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.41%. American Express Profile (Free Report) American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides charge and credit payment card products, and travel-related services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Global Consumer Services Group, Global Commercial Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. Its products and services include payment and financing products; network services; accounts payable expense management products and services; and travel and lifestyle services. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Express (NYSE:AXP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Allison Transmission (NYSE:ALSN Get Free Report) is scheduled to release its earnings data after the market closes on Tuesday, February 13th. Analysts expect Allison Transmission to post earnings of $1.42 per share for the quarter. Persons that wish to register for the companys earnings conference call can do so using this link. Allison Transmission Stock Performance Shares of ALSN stock opened at $61.70 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.11, a quick ratio of 1.86 and a current ratio of 2.41. The company has a market capitalization of $5.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 0.97. The companys 50 day moving average price is $58.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $57.57. Allison Transmission has a 52 week low of $41.61 and a 52 week high of $62.06. Get Allison Transmission alerts: Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ALSN. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Allison Transmission by 2.5% in the first quarter. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 13,193 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $597,000 after buying an additional 317 shares during the period. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its holdings in shares of Allison Transmission by 3.0% in the 2nd quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 14,131 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $801,000 after purchasing an additional 417 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Allison Transmission by 6.0% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 8,159 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $369,000 after purchasing an additional 464 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its position in Allison Transmission by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 108,641 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $4,178,000 after buying an additional 545 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LPL Financial LLC raised its position in Allison Transmission by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 35,703 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $1,373,000 after buying an additional 593 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.57% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Allison Transmission from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $63.00 to $70.00 in a report on Monday, October 16th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on shares of Allison Transmission in a research report on Monday, January 8th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Allison Transmission from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, October 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $58.00. View Our Latest Report on Allison Transmission Allison Transmission Company Profile (Get Free Report) Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and sells commercial and defense fully automatic transmissions for medium-and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and medium-and heavy-tactical U.S. defense vehicles worldwide. The company offers transmissions for various applications, including distribution, refuse, construction, fire, and emergency on-highway trucks; school and transit buses; motor homes; energy, mining, and construction off-highway vehicles and equipment; and wheeled and tracked defense vehicles. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Allison Transmission Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Allison Transmission and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Joby Aviation, a company developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, has announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Dubais Road and Transport Authority (RTA) to launch air taxi services in the emirate by early 2026, with initial operations likely to start as early as 2025. Jobys aircraft, which was displayed in the region for the first time at the World Governments Summit, is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour and will be operated by the company, with a journey from Dubai International Airport to Palm Jumeirah expected to take just 10 minutes compared with 45 minutes by car. The agreement, signed at the World Governments Summit in Dubai in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, provides Joby with the exclusive right to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years, and will position Dubai as a world leader in delivering the fast, clean and quiet air travel enabled by Jobys revolutionary technology. The agreement secures a variety of support from the RTA, including financial mechanisms, for entry and maturing of service operations in Dubai. JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, Joby Aviation, said: It is an honour to partner with the Government of Dubai to demonstrate the value of sustainable air travel to the world. 'Incredible experience' Todays landmark agreement delivers on all three ingredients required to successfully launch an air taxi service - a definitive path to operations, well-placed infrastructure supported by dedicated partners, and an aircraft with the capacity and range to deliver meaningful journeys. Were looking forward to delivering an incredible experience for residents and visitors to Dubai as early as 2025 and were excited to be laying the groundwork for the expansion of our service across the wider UAE. Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors for RTA, commented: The air taxi service is part of RTAs efforts to embrace future transportation technologies and offers a novel and efficient mobility option for Dubai's residents and visitors, enabling fast, safe, and convenient travel to key city spots. This service will also enhance seamless multimodal transportation, improving citywide connectivity, and ensuring a smooth travel experience for passengers. Joby additionally signed an agreement with Skyports, who will design, build and operate four initial vertiport sites across Dubai. Launch locations RTA, Skyports and Joby have worked together to identify Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina and Dubai Downtown as the launch locations for Dubais air taxi service. Joby and the RTA have been working closely with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the UAE to ensure there is a regulatory route to support His Highness Sheikh Mohammeds vision of being a world leader in the introduction of air taxis. The GCAA regulatory framework builds upon FAA standards with additional company testing and analysis alongside a high level of regulator oversight and an ongoing operational review process to ensure continued safety for early operations. RTA, Joby and Skyports will now work on a wide range of topics, from customer journey design to stakeholder engagement and the integration of Jobys service into the wider public transport network in Dubai. To support the development of its operations in Dubai, Joby has established a local operating entity and intends to recruit locally for the majority of its operational team. Localisation move The company will also consider localisation of other global business activities in Dubai and across the region. Joby recently announced it will participate in the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster established by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), as part of exploring broader operations across the UAE. In November 2023, Jobys aircraft became the first electric air taxi to fly in New York City, building on a number of recent successes including the launch of production at the companys initial manufacturing facility in California in June 2023 and the first ever delivery of an electric air taxi to the US Department of Defense in September 2023. Joby is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has raised more than $2 billion of funding to date, including investments from Toyota, Delta Air Lines, SK Telecom, Uber and Baillie Gifford. - TradeArabia News Service When a single insider purchases stock, it is typically not a major deal. However, when multiple insiders purchase stock, like in Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:RRGB) instance, it's good news for shareholders. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. View our latest analysis for Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when CEO, Director & President Gerard Hart bought US$300k worth of shares at a price of US$11.99 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$10.39). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Does Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Boast High Insider Ownership? Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Our data indicates that Red Robin Gourmet Burgers insiders own about US$8.9m worth of shares (which is 5.5% of the company). We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership. Story continues So What Do The Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Insider Transactions Indicate? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Red Robin Gourmet Burgers insiders are doubting the company. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. For example - Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Ford Motor (NYSE:F Free Report) had its price objective raised by Barclays from $14.00 to $15.00 in a report published on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the auto manufacturers stock. A number of other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $12.00 price objective on shares of Ford Motor in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. BNP Paribas downgraded Ford Motor from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $12.00 price target on the stock. in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. Redburn Atlantic started coverage on Ford Motor in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. They issued a sell rating and a $10.00 price objective for the company. HSBC started coverage on Ford Motor in a report on Monday, December 4th. They set a hold rating and a $11.30 target price on the stock. Finally, UBS Group downgraded Ford Motor from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $12.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ford Motor presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $13.74. Get Ford Motor alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on F Ford Motor Stock Down 1.2 % NYSE:F opened at $12.68 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.20, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33. Ford Motor has a twelve month low of $9.63 and a twelve month high of $15.42. The company has a market cap of $50.76 billion, a PE ratio of 11.74, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.62. The companys 50 day moving average is $11.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.68. Ford Motor (NYSE:F Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The auto manufacturer reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.17. Ford Motor had a return on equity of 18.95% and a net margin of 2.47%. The firm had revenue of $43.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $43.06 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. The firms revenue was up 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Ford Motor will post 1.86 EPS for the current year. Ford Motor Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a Variable dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 16th will be given a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 15th. This represents a yield of 4.7%. Ford Motors payout ratio is presently 55.56%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, insider John Douglas Field bought 182,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, December 8th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $11.05 per share, for a total transaction of $2,011,100.00. Following the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 720,176 shares in the company, valued at $7,957,944.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Ford Motor Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Ford Motor by 835.9% in the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 2,059 shares of the auto manufacturers stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,839 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Ford Motor in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Ford Motor during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ford Motor in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Peoples Bank KS acquired a new position in shares of Ford Motor in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 52.73% of the companys stock. About Ford Motor (Get Free Report) Ford Motor Company develops, delivers, and services a range of Ford trucks, commercial cars and vans, sport utility vehicles, and Lincoln luxury vehicles worldwide. It operates through Ford Blue, Ford Model e, and Ford Pro; Ford Next; and Ford Credit segments. The company sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and accessories through distributors and dealers, as well as through dealerships to commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ford Motor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ford Motor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust (NYSE:BIGZ Get Free Report) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 347,500 shares, a growth of 446.4% from the January 15th total of 63,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,084,900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days. Insider Transactions at BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust In other BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust news, major shareholder Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 401,620 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $7.86 per share, with a total value of $3,156,733.20. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 47,472,088 shares in the company, valued at $373,130,611.68. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last 90 days, insiders purchased 7,458,770 shares of company stock valued at $55,191,233. Get BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust alerts: Institutional Trading of BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BIGZ. Saba Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P. now owns 23,233,954 shares of the companys stock valued at $161,708,000 after purchasing an additional 5,626,581 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust by 75.6% during the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,898,263 shares of the companys stock worth $44,401,000 after buying an additional 1,677,919 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust by 5.6% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,696,212 shares of the companys stock worth $21,651,000 after purchasing an additional 142,582 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust by 21.8% in the third quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 2,581,925 shares of the companys stock valued at $17,970,000 after acquiring an additional 462,842 shares during the period. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust by 7.5% during the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,473,815 shares of the companys stock worth $10,257,000 after purchasing an additional 102,257 shares during the period. BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust Stock Up 0.7 % BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust Dividend Announcement BIGZ stock traded up $0.06 on Monday, hitting $8.22. 373,433 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 840,888. BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust has a 1-year low of $6.21 and a 1-year high of $8.35. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $7.45 and a 200-day moving average of $7.29. The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.0447 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 14th. This represents a $0.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.52%. About BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust (Get Free Report) BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust is a mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc and managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust is based in United States. Read More Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Innovation and Growth Term Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gartner (NYSE:IT Free Report) had its price objective increased by BMO Capital Markets from $444.00 to $450.00 in a report released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. BMO Capital Markets currently has a market perform rating on the information technology services providers stock. Several other research firms have also issued reports on IT. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Gartner from $421.00 to $446.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Gartner from $412.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. StockNews.com upgraded Gartner from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Gartner from $380.00 to $435.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, December 15th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $455.25. Get Gartner alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Gartner Gartner Stock Up 1.6 % Shares of NYSE:IT opened at $463.52 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $36.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.91, a PEG ratio of 4.21 and a beta of 1.30. Gartner has a 12 month low of $292.60 and a 12 month high of $471.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.32. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $451.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $393.66. Gartner (NYSE:IT Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The information technology services provider reported $3.04 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.83 by $0.21. Gartner had a return on equity of 166.35% and a net margin of 14.94%. The firm had revenue of $1.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.70 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Gartner will post 11.42 earnings per share for the current year. Gartner declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Friday, November 3rd that authorizes the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the information technology services provider to repurchase up to 1.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the companys board believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Activity In related news, EVP Valentin Sribar sold 675 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $459.06, for a total value of $309,865.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,003 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,051,037.18. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Akhil Jain sold 250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $420.47, for a total value of $105,117.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 3,061 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,287,058.67. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Valentin Sribar sold 675 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $459.06, for a total transaction of $309,865.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 11,003 shares in the company, valued at $5,051,037.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 14,369 shares of company stock valued at $6,324,321. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Gartner A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Gartner by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,198,161 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $2,736,085,000 after purchasing an additional 102,709 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Gartner by 2.6% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,394,140 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $2,083,019,000 after purchasing an additional 165,046 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Gartner by 2.0% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,132,949 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,097,503,000 after buying an additional 60,810 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in shares of Gartner by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,157,075 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $741,193,000 after buying an additional 95,040 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its position in shares of Gartner by 20.3% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,029,738 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $603,766,000 after buying an additional 342,228 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.28% of the companys stock. Gartner Company Profile (Get Free Report) Gartner, Inc operates as a research and advisory company in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Research, Conferences, and Consulting. The Research segment delivers its research primarily through a subscription service that include on-demand access to published research content, data and benchmarks, and direct access to a network of research experts. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Gartner Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gartner and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Rogers Communications Inc. (TSE:RCI.B Get Free Report) (NYSE:RCI) have earned a consensus rating of Buy from the eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is C$76.58. RCI.B has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays lowered their price objective on Rogers Communications from C$55.00 to C$54.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 16th. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Rogers Communications from C$74.50 to C$75.50 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. CIBC boosted their price objective on Rogers Communications from C$78.00 to C$80.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Cormark boosted their price objective on Rogers Communications from C$76.00 to C$86.00 in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their price objective on Rogers Communications from C$72.50 to C$74.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Get Rogers Communications alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on Rogers Communications Rogers Communications Stock Down 0.5 % Rogers Communications Company Profile Shares of TSE RCI.B opened at C$61.38 on Monday. Rogers Communications has a 1 year low of C$50.15 and a 1 year high of C$67.67. The firm has a market cap of C$25.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.54, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 0.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 441.92, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is C$62.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$57.57. (Get Free Report Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data communication services to individual consumers, businesses, governments, and other telecommunications service providers; postpaid and prepaid wireless services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands; and wireless devices, services, and applications to consumers and businesses. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Rogers Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rogers Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. lowered its stake in Primerica, Inc. (NYSE:PRI Free Report) by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,213,799 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 69,979 shares during the quarter. Primerica accounts for approximately 2.9% of Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.s portfolio, making the stock its 5th largest position. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. owned approximately 3.39% of Primerica worth $235,489,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Primerica by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 3,907,117 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $672,962,000 after acquiring an additional 24,125 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Primerica by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,277,573 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $564,529,000 after purchasing an additional 12,990 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Primerica in the 4th quarter valued at $210,472,000. State Street Corp grew its position in Primerica by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,112,658 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $133,174,000 after purchasing an additional 6,390 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Primerica by 27.4% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 811,888 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $115,142,000 after purchasing an additional 174,822 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.56% of the companys stock. Get Primerica alerts: Primerica Stock Performance NYSE:PRI traded down $5.21 on Monday, hitting $237.25. The stock had a trading volume of 46,378 shares, compared to its average volume of 116,109. The stock has a market cap of $8.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.04 and a beta of 1.07. Primerica, Inc. has a 1 year low of $155.68 and a 1 year high of $242.52. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $217.01 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $208.42. Primerica Increases Dividend Primerica announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, November 16th that authorizes the company to buyback $425.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the financial services provider to buy up to 5.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 21st will be paid a $0.75 dividend. This is a positive change from Primericas previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 20th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.26%. Primericas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.20%. Insider Buying and Selling at Primerica In other Primerica news, CFO Alison S. Rand sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.07, for a total value of $630,210.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,444 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,353,691.08. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.87% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In PRI has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Primerica from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 18th. Raymond James downgraded shares of Primerica from a strong-buy rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Primerica from $190.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 15th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Primerica has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $219.20. View Our Latest Report on Primerica Primerica Profile (Free Report) Primerica, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The company operates in four segments: Term Life Insurance; Investment and Savings Products; Senior Health; and Corporate and Other Distributed Products. The Term Life Insurance segment underwrites individual term life insurance products. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PRI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Primerica, Inc. (NYSE:PRI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Primerica Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Primerica and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Cedar Fair (NYSE:FUN Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Friday. The firm issued a buy rating on the stock. FUN has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Cedar Fair from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, December 14th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Cedar Fair from $51.00 to $49.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 22nd. Oppenheimer initiated coverage on shares of Cedar Fair in a report on Thursday. They issued an outperform rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. B. Riley dropped their price objective on shares of Cedar Fair from $58.00 to $56.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 18th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Cedar Fair from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $49.58. Get Cedar Fair alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Cedar Fair Cedar Fair Stock Performance Institutional Inflows and Outflows Shares of FUN opened at $41.96 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.14 billion, a PE ratio of 14.42 and a beta of 1.42. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $39.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.66. Cedar Fair has a 1 year low of $34.04 and a 1 year high of $47.95. Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Cedar Fair by 169,595.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 256,240 shares of the companys stock worth $14,042,000 after acquiring an additional 256,089 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in Cedar Fair by 49.8% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 20,616 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,130,000 after purchasing an additional 6,850 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Cedar Fair by 34.6% in the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 2,139 shares of the companys stock valued at $106,000 after buying an additional 550 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of Cedar Fair by 112.4% during the first quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,407,705 shares of the companys stock worth $77,142,000 after buying an additional 745,056 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Cedar Fair by 117.9% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,226,084 shares of the companys stock worth $67,190,000 after buying an additional 663,373 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 61.81% of the companys stock. Cedar Fair Company Profile (Get Free Report) Cedar Fair, L.P. owns and operates amusement and water parks, as well as complementary resort facilities. Its amusement parks include Cedar Point located on Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo in Sandusky, Ohio; Knott's Berry Farm near Los Angeles, California; Canada's Wonderland near Toronto, Ontario; Kings Island near Cincinnati, Ohio; Carowinds in Charlotte, North Carolina; Kings Dominion situated near Richmond, Virginia; California's Great America located in Santa Clara, California; Dorney Park in Pennsylvania; Worlds of Fun located in Kansas City, Missouri; Valleyfair situated near Minneapolis/St. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Cedar Fair Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cedar Fair and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cloudflare (NYSE:NET Free Report) had its target price increased by Wells Fargo & Company from $95.00 to $125.00 in a report issued on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an overweight rating on the stock. A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on NET. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Cloudflare from $70.00 to $94.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 18th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on shares of Cloudflare from $64.00 to $60.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. Needham & Company LLC increased their price objective on shares of Cloudflare from $110.00 to $135.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday. JMP Securities increased their price objective on shares of Cloudflare from $75.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a market outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Susquehanna increased their price objective on shares of Cloudflare from $75.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Cloudflare presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $85.13. Get Cloudflare alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Cloudflare Cloudflare Stock Performance Insider Buying and Selling at Cloudflare Shares of NET stock opened at $107.92 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $36.24 billion, a P/E ratio of -196.21 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a current ratio of 3.89 and a quick ratio of 3.89. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $81.90 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $70.28. Cloudflare has a one year low of $39.90 and a one year high of $116.00. In other Cloudflare news, Director Carl Ledbetter sold 66,384 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.88, for a total value of $5,767,441.92. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,472,932 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $127,968,332.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, CEO Matthew Prince sold 52,384 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.22, for a total value of $3,730,788.48. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 269,047 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,161,527.34. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Carl Ledbetter sold 66,384 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.88, for a total transaction of $5,767,441.92. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 1,472,932 shares in the company, valued at $127,968,332.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 889,020 shares of company stock valued at $68,637,610 in the last ninety days. 14.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Cloudflare A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Cloudflare by 6.6% in the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 69,760 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,808,000 after purchasing an additional 4,300 shares in the last quarter. Sepio Capital LP boosted its stake in shares of Cloudflare by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Sepio Capital LP now owns 25,610 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,132,000 after purchasing an additional 1,186 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cloudflare in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $182,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Cloudflare by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 65,790 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,478,000 after purchasing an additional 3,164 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Balboa Wealth Partners acquired a new stake in Cloudflare during the 4th quarter worth approximately $211,000. 73.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Cloudflare (Get Free Report) CloudFlare, Inc operates as a cloud services provider that delivers a range of services to businesses worldwide. The company provides an integrated cloud-based security solution to secure a range of combination of platforms, including public cloud, private cloud, on-premise, software-as-a-service applications, and IoT devices; and website and application security products comprising web application firewall, bot management, distributed denial of service, API gateways, SSL/TLS encryption, secure origin connection, and rate limiting products. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Cloudflare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cloudflare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cove Street Capital LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. (NYSE:AXTA Free Report) by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 119,225 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock after selling 1,100 shares during the quarter. Cove Street Capital LLC owned 0.05% of Axalta Coating Systems worth $3,213,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in AXTA. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Axalta Coating Systems in the third quarter valued at approximately $226,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. boosted its position in Axalta Coating Systems by 485.0% during the third quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,584,488 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $42,623,000 after acquiring an additional 1,313,625 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its holdings in Axalta Coating Systems by 40.0% in the 3rd quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 10,503 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock valued at $283,000 after purchasing an additional 3,003 shares during the last quarter. Financiere des Professionnels Fonds d investissement inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Axalta Coating Systems in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,137,000. Finally, Mutual of America Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Axalta Coating Systems by 3.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC now owns 194,408 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $5,230,000 after buying an additional 6,533 shares during the period. 98.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Axalta Coating Systems alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Axalta Coating Systems In related news, VP Anthony Massey sold 17,915 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.88, for a total value of $553,215.20. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 19,420 shares in the company, valued at $599,689.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, SVP Hadi Awada sold 10,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.99, for a total value of $335,895.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 14,656 shares of the companys stock, valued at $468,845.44. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Anthony Massey sold 17,915 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.88, for a total value of $553,215.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 19,420 shares of the companys stock, valued at $599,689.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 35,915 shares of company stock valued at $1,123,035. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have recently issued reports on AXTA. UBS Group cut shares of Axalta Coating Systems from a buy rating to a neutral rating and upped their target price for the company from $35.00 to $36.00 in a report on Monday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Axalta Coating Systems from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Axalta Coating Systems from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Axalta Coating Systems from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 9th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Axalta Coating Systems from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $34.42. Read Our Latest Report on AXTA Axalta Coating Systems Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:AXTA traded up $0.15 on Monday, reaching $31.48. 2,363,717 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,148,946. The businesss 50-day moving average is $32.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.11, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $25.03 and a fifty-two week high of $34.45. Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE:AXTA Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The specialty chemicals company reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.44 by ($0.01). Axalta Coating Systems had a net margin of 5.16% and a return on equity of 20.70%. The company had revenue of $1.30 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.29 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.38 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Axalta Coating Systems Ltd. will post 1.87 EPS for the current year. Axalta Coating Systems Profile (Free Report) Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., through its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes high-performance coatings systems in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. It operates through two segments, Performance Coatings and Mobility Coatings. The company offers water and solvent-borne products and systems to repair damaged vehicles for independent body shops, multi-shop operators, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) dealership body shops. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Axalta Coating Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Axalta Coating Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellevest Inc. lessened its position in Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE:CPA Free Report) by 4.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 11,595 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 595 shares during the quarter. Ellevest Inc.s holdings in Copa were worth $1,033,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CPA. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of Copa during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Huntington National Bank increased its position in shares of Copa by 54.6% during the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 388 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC increased its position in shares of Copa by 1,560.7% during the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 465 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 437 shares during the last quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Copa by 126.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tucker Asset Management LLC now owns 442 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in shares of Copa by 136.8% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 689 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 398 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.94% of the companys stock. Get Copa alerts: Copa Stock Performance NYSE CPA traded up $2.17 on Monday, reaching $101.28. The stock had a trading volume of 74,855 shares, compared to its average volume of 351,858. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $99.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $95.76. Copa Holdings, S.A. has a 1-year low of $78.12 and a 1-year high of $121.20. The company has a market cap of $3.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.36 and a beta of 1.38. Copa Increases Dividend Copa ( NYSE:CPA Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The transportation company reported $4.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.90 by $0.57. Copa had a return on equity of 37.03% and a net margin of 14.97%. The firm had revenue of $916.93 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $886.13 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.49 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Copa Holdings, S.A. will post 16.11 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 29th will be issued a $1.61 dividend. This represents a $6.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.36%. This is a positive change from Copas previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 28th. Copas dividend payout ratio is currently 50.39%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades CPA has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Raymond James boosted their price target on Copa from $152.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 17th. StockNews.com lowered Copa from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday. Finally, TheStreet raised Copa from a c+ rating to a b rating in a report on Monday, December 18th. Get Our Latest Report on Copa Copa Profile (Free Report) Copa Holdings, SA, through its subsidiaries, provides airline passenger and cargo services. The company offers approximately 327 daily scheduled flights to 78 destinations in 32 countries in North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean from its Panama City hub. As of December 31, 2022, it operated a fleet of 97 aircraft comprising 67 Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, 9 Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircraft, 1 Boeing 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter, and 20 737-MAX aircraft. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CPA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE:CPA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Copa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Copa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Blair William & Co. IL increased its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS Free Report) by 31.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 242,743 shares of the information technology services providers stock after acquiring an additional 57,910 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. ILs holdings in Fidelity National Information Services were worth $13,416,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its position in Fidelity National Information Services by 83.3% during the first quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 286 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in Fidelity National Information Services in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Fidelity National Information Services by 332.1% in the 3rd quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 484 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 372 shares during the last quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Fidelity National Information Services during the 2nd quarter valued at $46,000. Finally, Spotlight Asset Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services in the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. 85.67% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Fidelity National Information Services alerts: Fidelity National Information Services Price Performance NYSE FIS opened at $61.76 on Monday. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $46.91 and a 1 year high of $75.67. The company has a current ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $60.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $56.92. Insiders Place Their Bets Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth In related news, Director Ellen R. Alemany purchased 735 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $60.32 per share, with a total value of $44,335.20. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 35,333 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,131,286.56. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . Corporate insiders own 0.68% of the companys stock. A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. UBS Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $58.00 target price on shares of Fidelity National Information Services in a report on Friday, October 20th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, November 8th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $71.00 to $67.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $62.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 18th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of Fidelity National Information Services from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $65.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $66.17. Read Our Latest Report on Fidelity National Information Services About Fidelity National Information Services (Free Report) Fidelity National Information Services, Inc provides technology solutions for financial institutions and businesses worldwide. It operates through Banking Solutions, Merchant Solutions, and Capital Market Solutions segments. The Banking Solutions segment provides core processing and ancillary applications; mobile and online banking; fraud, risk management, and compliance; electronic funds transfer and network; card and retail payment; wealth and retirement; and item processing and output solutions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Fidelity National Information Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fidelity National Information Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. DataHorizzon Research The current industry vertical is exhibiting a considerable expansion owing to the convenience it provides consumers and their evolving preferences. Fort Collins, Colorado, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canned Alcoholic Beverages Market size was valued at USD 15.8 Billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 80.1 Billion by 2032 at a CAGR of 17.7%. Canned alcoholic beverages have gained popularity during the pandemic as they are convenient for consumption at home or on the go, such as at the beach, without the need for disposable plastic bottles. These canned drinks come in pre-fixed quantities, making it easy for people to consume without worrying about overindulgence. Even after the pandemic, many consumers prefer canned alcoholic beverages as brands offer various flavors to cater to different tastes. According to the International Wine and Spirits Research, the demand for canned alcoholic drinks is expected to double between 2022 and 2025, making up eight percent of the global alcohol beverage market. Another factor contributing to the market growth is sustainability. These cans are made of aluminum, which is recyclable, and many cans contain recyclable materials. With increasing awareness of environmental issues caused by single-use packaging products, the demand for sustainable brands is rising. This trend is particularly evident among younger generations, and to cater to their demands, brands involved in the canned alcoholic beverage manufacturing industry are investing in sustainable and organic packaging materials. This shift towards eco-friendliness is also affecting consumer-product choice. According to a report by the National Retail Federation, 7 out of 10 North Americans consider sustainability and eco-friendliness essential when buying a product. However, the consumption of alcohol is on the rise, especially for low-alcoholic drinks. Gen Z increasingly opts for low-alcohol content canned drinks due to their convenience and portability. These small cans are easier to carry than larger glass bottles, making them perfect for outings and vacations. Story continues Request Sample Report: https://bit.ly/3SW4Xf8 Segmentation Overview: The global canned alcoholic beverages market has been segmented into product, distribution channel, alcoholic content, and region. Hard seltzers have become increasingly popular in recent times. These alcoholic beverages are usually made of malted barley or cane sugar and contain fruit flavors. They have gained favor among health-conscious consumers due to their low sugar, carb, and calorie content. This, coupled with their affordability, is expected to drive sales during the forecast period. The low-alcohol content segment is also gaining popularity among consumers who prefer canned alcoholic beverages with lower fixed alcohol content compared to other drinks. This trend is driven by growing awareness of the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption. It is predicted that the demand for low-alcohol-content drinks will continue to increase during the forecast period. Buy This Research Report: https://bit.ly/3SS0CcK Canned Alcoholic Beverages Market Report Highlights: The global canned alcoholic beverages market growth is anticipated at a CAGR of 17.7% by 2032. Canned alcoholic beverages are becoming popular due to their convenience for at-home and on-the-go consumption. They come in pre-fixed quantities, making them easy to consume without worry. The demand for canned drinks is expected to double by 2025, making up 8% of the global alcohol beverage market. Cans are also eco-friendly, as they are made of recyclable aluminum. Brands invest in sustainable and organic packaging materials to cater to younger generations who prioritize sustainability. Low-alcohol canned drinks are also gaining popularity due to their convenience and portability. North America has a significant presence in the canned alcoholic beverages market, with the United States holding a substantial share in this region. As per T. Hagesawa, a Japanese fragrance and flavor company, the demand for canned alcoholic beverages is rising as consumers are increasingly interested in exploring unique and diverse flavor profiles. Some prominent players in the Canned alcoholic beverages market report include Asahi Group Holdings Ltd., Diageo Plc., Treasury Wine Estates, Constellation Brands, Kona Brewing, Bacardi Limited, Suntory Holdings Limited, Sula Vineyards, Union Wine Co., Brown-Forman Corporation, and others. Industry Trends and Insights: Treasury Wine Estates Ltd (TWE) has announced the successful acquisition of DAOU Vineyards. TWE welcomes DAOU Vineyards to its portfolio of leading and iconic luxury wine brands in the United States. In a significant initiative, Bacardi is launching Shake Your Future in five cities across Italy, including Milan, Rome, Turin, Naples, and, for the first time, Genoa. This year, the initiative is offering 40 young people a life-changing opportunity to start a career in mixology. Looking Exclusively For Region/Country Specific Report? https://bit.ly/3SUeJ19 OR Ask For Discount https://bit.ly/49bv4UK Canned Alcoholic Beverages Market Segmentation: By Product: Wine, RTD Cocktails, Hard Seltzers, Beer By Distribution Channel: On-Trade, Liquor Stores, Online, and Others By Alcoholic Content: Low (ABV less than 5%), High (ABV greater than 5%), Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages By Region: North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. About DataHorizzon Research: DataHorizzon is a market research and advisory company that assists organizations across the globe in formulating growth strategies for changing business dynamics. Its offerings include consulting services across enterprises and business insights to make actionable decisions. DHRs comprehensive research methodology for predicting long-term and sustainable trends in the market facilitates complex decisions for organizations. Contact: Mail: sales@datahorizzonresearch.com Ph: +1-970-672-0390 Website: https://datahorizzonresearch.com/ Follow Us: LinkedIn Recent Publications Frozen Food Market 2023 to 2032 Meal Kit Delivery Services Market 2023 to 2032 Energy Drinks Market 2023 to 2032 Co-working Space Management Software Market 2023 to 2032 Hot Sauce Market 2023 to 2032 CONTACT: Mail: sales@datahorizzonresearch.com Ph: +1-970-672-0390 Website: https://www.datahorizzonresearch.com Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 943 shares of the insurance providers stock, valued at approximately $154,000. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new stake in shares of Travelers Companies in the first quarter worth about $160,000. Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 28.8% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 5,934 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,084,000 after buying an additional 1,327 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 1.0% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 11,905 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $2,210,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 40.6% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 51,551 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $9,420,000 after buying an additional 14,873 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 5.0% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 27,212 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $4,952,000 after buying an additional 1,286 shares in the last quarter. 81.12% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Travelers Companies alerts: Travelers Companies Stock Up 0.3 % Shares of Travelers Companies stock opened at $214.50 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.34 and a current ratio of 0.34. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $157.33 and a 52-week high of $215.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.58. The companys 50 day moving average price is $196.27 and its 200-day moving average price is $177.17. Travelers Companies Announces Dividend Travelers Companies ( NYSE:TRV Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, January 19th. The insurance provider reported $7.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.10 by $1.91. Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 13.68% and a net margin of 7.23%. The company had revenue of $10.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.40 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 17.68 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th will be paid a $1.00 dividend. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 7th. Travelers Companiess payout ratio is 31.27%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com raised shares of Travelers Companies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, January 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $194.00 to $215.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Oppenheimer began coverage on shares of Travelers Companies in a research report on Thursday, November 16th. They issued a market perform rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $185.00 to $172.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. Finally, TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Travelers Companies in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $247.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Travelers Companies presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $201.38. Get Our Latest Report on TRV Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 38,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.55, for a total value of $8,076,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 14,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,147,865.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Travelers Companies news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 38,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $212.55, for a total transaction of $8,076,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,147,865.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Vice Chairman William H. Heyman sold 4,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $215.06, for a total value of $967,770.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 255,178 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $54,878,580.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 110,045 shares of company stock valued at $23,391,963 over the last quarter. 1.29% of the stock is owned by company insiders. About Travelers Companies (Free Report) The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TRV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Travelers Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Travelers Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Free Report) had its price objective lifted by Wells Fargo & Company from $190.00 to $210.00 in a research report released on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock. A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on HSY. Stephens initiated coverage on Hershey in a research report on Friday, October 13th. They set an overweight rating and a $240.00 price target for the company. Bank of America downgraded Hershey from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price objective for the company from $250.00 to $200.00 in a report on Friday, December 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Hershey from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $235.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, January 29th. Barclays cut their price objective on Hershey from $212.00 to $200.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, TD Cowen downgraded Hershey from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and cut their price objective for the company from $235.00 to $200.00 in a report on Friday, October 27th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $228.00. Get Hershey alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on Hershey Hershey Price Performance Shares of HSY opened at $195.45 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.97. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $189.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $199.04. Hershey has a 52-week low of $178.82 and a 52-week high of $276.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.97 billion, a PE ratio of 21.60, a P/E/G ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 0.36. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $2.02 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.07. Hershey had a return on equity of 51.79% and a net margin of 16.67%. The firm had revenue of $2.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.02 EPS. The businesss revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Hershey will post 9.6 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hershey Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th will be given a dividend of $1.37 per share. This is a boost from Hersheys previous quarterly dividend of $1.19. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 16th. This represents a $5.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.80%. Hersheys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.71%. Insider Transactions at Hershey In other news, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 453 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.54, for a total transaction of $89,938.62. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,862 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $369,681.48. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, insider Charles R. Raup sold 2,065 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $191.85, for a total transaction of $396,170.25. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 14,770 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,833,624.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CAO Jennifer Mccalman sold 453 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $198.54, for a total value of $89,938.62. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 1,862 shares in the company, valued at $369,681.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 7,018 shares of company stock valued at $1,331,734. 0.34% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Trading of Hershey Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Archer Investment Corp boosted its stake in Hershey by 139.3% in the second quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 1,077 shares of the companys stock valued at $269,000 after buying an additional 627 shares in the last quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S boosted its stake in Hershey by 1,525.5% in the second quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 39,386 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,835,000 after buying an additional 36,963 shares in the last quarter. Rheos Capital Works Inc. boosted its stake in Hershey by 21.4% in the third quarter. Rheos Capital Works Inc. now owns 152,900 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,592,000 after buying an additional 27,000 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can acquired a new stake in Hershey in the second quarter valued at about $79,782,000. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI boosted its stake in Hershey by 396.6% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 173,865 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,599,000 after buying an additional 138,857 shares in the last quarter. 56.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Hershey Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Hershey Company, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of confectionery products and pantry items in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: North America Confectionery, North America Salty Snacks, and International. It offers chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products; gum and mint refreshment products, including mints, chewing gums, and bubble gums; pantry items, such as baking ingredients, toppings, beverages, and sundae syrups; and snack items comprising spreads, bars, snack bites, mixes, popcorn, and pretzels. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hershey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hershey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII Free Report) had its target price hoisted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $257.00 to $288.00 in a research report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the aerospace companys stock. HII has been the topic of a number of other research reports. StockNews.com raised shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, December 15th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Huntington Ingalls Industries from $280.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $257.75. Get Huntington Ingalls Industries alerts: Read Our Latest Report on Huntington Ingalls Industries Huntington Ingalls Industries Price Performance Shares of NYSE:HII opened at $273.90 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $10.84 billion, a PE ratio of 16.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 0.58. Huntington Ingalls Industries has a fifty-two week low of $188.51 and a fifty-two week high of $275.85. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $256.63 and a 200 day simple moving average of $233.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The aerospace company reported $6.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.27 by $2.63. Huntington Ingalls Industries had a return on equity of 18.12% and a net margin of 5.95%. The business had revenue of $3.18 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.78 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $3.07 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Huntington Ingalls Industries will post 16.51 EPS for the current year. Huntington Ingalls Industries Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd will be issued a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.90%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 22nd. Huntington Ingalls Industriess payout ratio is 30.41%. Insider Activity In other Huntington Ingalls Industries news, VP Jennifer R. Boykin sold 567 shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $239.00, for a total transaction of $135,513.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 9,053 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,163,667. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, VP Jennifer R. Boykin sold 567 shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $239.00, for a total transaction of $135,513.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 9,053 shares in the company, valued at $2,163,667. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP D R. Wyatt sold 900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.69, for a total value of $237,321.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 19,100 shares in the company, valued at $5,036,479. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of Huntington Ingalls Industries Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 1.5% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 5,113 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,164,000 after buying an additional 76 shares during the period. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 1.3% during the second quarter. Epoch Investment Partners Inc. now owns 185,744 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $42,275,000 after acquiring an additional 2,294 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in Huntington Ingalls Industries during the second quarter valued at $39,000. Earnest Partners LLC grew its stake in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 26.5% in the second quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 513,870 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $116,957,000 after purchasing an additional 107,539 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC increased its position in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Thompson Siegel & Walmsley LLC now owns 492,959 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $100,850,000 after purchasing an additional 2,818 shares during the last quarter. 89.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Huntington Ingalls Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc engages in designing, building, overhauling, and repairing military ships in the United States. It operates through three segments: Ingalls, Newport News, and Mission Technologies. The company is involved in the design and construction of non-nuclear ships comprising amphibious assault ships; expeditionary warfare ships; surface combatants; and national security cutters for the U.S. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Huntington Ingalls Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADV grew its stake in Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report) by 1.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 63,673 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after acquiring an additional 905 shares during the quarter. Pfizer accounts for 1.2% of Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADVs holdings, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Investors Asset Management of Georgia Inc. GA ADVs holdings in Pfizer were worth $2,134,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Cornerstone Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Pfizer by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Advisors LLC now owns 262,300 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $8,700,000 after acquiring an additional 19,600 shares during the period. Nemes Rush Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Pfizer by 4.1% in the third quarter. Nemes Rush Group LLC now owns 73,582 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $2,441,000 after acquiring an additional 2,918 shares during the period. Navellier & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Pfizer in the 3rd quarter valued at $680,000. Ellevest Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 8.3% in the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 18,969 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $629,000 after acquiring an additional 1,449 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valley Wealth Managers Inc. boosted its holdings in Pfizer by 2.0% during the third quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 481,671 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $15,977,000 after purchasing an additional 9,479 shares during the last quarter. 68.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Pfizer alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms recently commented on PFE. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Pfizer from $39.00 to $35.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 16th. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Pfizer from $42.00 to $36.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 14th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Pfizer from $39.00 to $37.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 1st. Jefferies Financial Group raised Pfizer from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $38.00 to $39.00 in a report on Monday, October 16th. Finally, UBS Group decreased their price target on Pfizer from $34.00 to $27.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 14th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $36.93. Pfizer Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE PFE traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $27.66. 30,270,699 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 44,718,609. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $28.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $31.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 2.05 and a current ratio of 2.38. The company has a market cap of $156.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.56, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.62. Pfizer Inc. has a 52 week low of $25.76 and a 52 week high of $44.20. Pfizer (NYSE:PFE Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.19) by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $14.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $14.37 billion. Pfizer had a return on equity of 10.61% and a net margin of 3.62%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 41.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.14 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Pfizer Inc. will post 2.23 EPS for the current year. Pfizer Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 26th will be paid a $0.42 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 25th. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.07%. This is a boost from Pfizers previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Pfizers payout ratio is currently 466.67%. Insider Activity In other Pfizer news, Director Scott Gottlieb purchased 3,000 shares of Pfizer stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 15th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $26.47 per share, with a total value of $79,410.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 9,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $238,230. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.05% of the companys stock. Pfizer Company Profile (Free Report) Pfizer Inc discovers, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers medicines and vaccines in various therapeutic areas, including cardiovascular metabolic, migraine, and women's health under the Eliquis, Nurtec ODT/Vydura, and the Premarin family brands; infectious diseases with unmet medical needs under the Prevnar family, Nimenrix, FSME/IMMUN-TicoVac, and Trumenba brands; and COVID-19 prevention and treatment, and potential future mRNA and antiviral products under the Comirnaty and Paxlovid brands. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PFE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pfizer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pfizer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Magna International (NYSE:MGA Get Free Report) (TSE:MG) had its target price reduced by analysts at Citigroup from $60.00 to $57.00 in a note issued to investors on Monday, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm presently has a neutral rating on the stock. Citigroups target price suggests a potential upside of 2.89% from the companys previous close. Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. TD Securities raised their target price on Magna International from $72.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 6th. Evercore increased their target price on Magna International from $70.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Magna International from $80.00 to $77.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 25th. Scotiabank cut their price target on shares of Magna International from $62.00 to $59.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Magna International from $61.00 to $60.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Monday. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $64.00. Get Magna International alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on MGA Magna International Price Performance MGA traded up $0.71 during trading on Monday, hitting $55.40. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,096,582 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,157,160. The firms 50 day moving average price is $56.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $55.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 1.71. Magna International has a 12 month low of $46.71 and a 12 month high of $65.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Magna International (NYSE:MGA Get Free Report) (TSE:MG) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.46 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $10.45 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.44 billion. Magna International had a net margin of 2.83% and a return on equity of 13.33%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.91 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Magna International will post 6.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Magna International A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of MGA. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Magna International by 29.6% in the 2nd quarter. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC now owns 134,322 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,581,000 after buying an additional 30,667 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of Magna International by 15.3% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 33,392 shares of the companys stock worth $1,885,000 after acquiring an additional 4,428 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in Magna International by 18.5% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Inc. now owns 947,966 shares of the companys stock worth $50,921,000 after purchasing an additional 147,950 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Magna International by 5.7% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 956,958 shares of the companys stock worth $54,277,000 after purchasing an additional 51,286 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pzena Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Magna International by 36.3% in the second quarter. Pzena Investment Management LLC now owns 6,201,580 shares of the companys stock worth $350,017,000 after purchasing an additional 1,653,111 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.21% of the companys stock. About Magna International (Get Free Report) Magna International Inc designs, engineers, and manufactures components, assemblies, systems, subsystems, and modules for original equipment manufacturers of vehicles and light trucks worldwide. It operates through four segments: Body Exteriors & Structures, Power & Vision, Seating Systems, and Complete Vehicles. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Magna International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magna International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB Free Report) by 7.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,156 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 650 shares during the quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc.s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $275,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WMB. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new position in Williams Companies in the second quarter worth $25,000. Missouri Trust & Investment Co lifted its stake in Williams Companies by 300.0% in the second quarter. Missouri Trust & Investment Co now owns 800 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Williams Companies in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Steward Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Williams Companies in the second quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, HWG Holdings LP bought a new stake in Williams Companies in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.76% of the companys stock. Get Williams Companies alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays raised their target price on Williams Companies from $35.00 to $37.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 18th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, December 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Williams Companies presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $36.50. Williams Companies Price Performance Williams Companies stock traded up $0.52 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $34.55. The companys stock had a trading volume of 6,025,384 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,432,703. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $34.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $34.80. The Williams Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $27.80 and a 12 month high of $37.45. The company has a market capitalization of $42.03 billion, a PE ratio of 15.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.11 and a beta of 1.04. Williams Companies Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th will be given a $0.475 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 7th. This is a boost from Williams Companiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.50%. Williams Companiess payout ratio is 80.27%. Williams Companies Profile (Free Report) The Williams Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in the United States. It operates through Transmission & Gulf of Mexico, Northeast G&P, West, and Gas & NGL Marketing Services segments. The Transmission & Gulf of Mexico segment comprises Transco and Northwest natural gas pipelines; and natural gas gathering and processing, and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region, as well as various petrochemical and feedstock pipelines. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WMB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Williams Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Williams Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Foundry Partners LLC trimmed its position in Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Free Report) by 24.9% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 139,390 shares of the companys stock after selling 46,268 shares during the period. Foundry Partners LLCs holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $14,350,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 103,159.7% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 39,327,490 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,363,385,000 after acquiring an additional 39,289,404 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 4th quarter worth about $2,736,293,000. Bank of Montreal Can purchased a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. in the 2nd quarter worth about $740,061,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 2,671.4% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 5,099,334 shares of the companys stock worth $418,400,000 after acquiring an additional 4,915,334 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 184.5% in the 2nd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 7,254,914 shares of the companys stock worth $837,144,000 after acquiring an additional 4,705,004 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.59% of the companys stock. Get Merck & Co. Inc. alerts: Insider Activity In other news, EVP Steven Mizell sold 50,694 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.65, for a total transaction of $6,420,395.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,619 shares in the company, valued at $2,991,346.35. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Performance MRK stock traded down $0.84 on Monday, reaching $124.61. 1,070,439 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,913,307. Merck & Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $99.14 and a 12 month high of $128.06. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $114.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $108.49. The firm has a market capitalization of $315.76 billion, a PE ratio of 896.07, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.38 and a quick ratio of 1.12. Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.09) by $0.12. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 0.61% and a return on equity of 9.07%. The company had revenue of $14.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.62 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 8.6 EPS for the current fiscal year. Merck & Co., Inc. Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be given a dividend of $0.77 per share. This represents a $3.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. Merck & Co., Inc.s dividend payout ratio is presently 2,200.00%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $132.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, October 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Thursday, November 9th. They issued a buy rating and a $115.00 target price for the company. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Merck & Co., Inc. from $122.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. UBS Group raised their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $135.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $129.68. Check Out Our Latest Report on Merck & Co., Inc. Merck & Co., Inc. Company Profile (Free Report) Merck & Co, Inc operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes, as well as vaccine products, such as preventive pediatric, adolescent, and adult vaccines. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MRK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Merck & Co. Inc. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday. MHK has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Truist Financial dropped their target price on shares of Mohawk Industries from $130.00 to $105.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 17th. TheStreet cut shares of Mohawk Industries from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a report on Thursday, October 26th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on shares of Mohawk Industries from $118.00 to $93.00 in a report on Thursday, October 12th. Barclays upgraded shares of Mohawk Industries from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and boosted their target price for the company from $80.00 to $100.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Mohawk Industries from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mohawk Industries has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $106.67. Get Mohawk Industries alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Mohawk Industries Mohawk Industries Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE MHK opened at $110.01 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Mohawk Industries has a 52 week low of $76.02 and a 52 week high of $123.54. The firms fifty day moving average is $101.95 and its 200 day moving average is $94.34. The company has a market cap of $7.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -15.90 and a beta of 1.31. Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.56 billion. Mohawk Industries had a negative net margin of 3.95% and a positive return on equity of 7.47%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Mohawk Industries will post 9.74 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling at Mohawk Industries In other Mohawk Industries news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 5,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.09, for a total transaction of $517,495.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 8,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $842,387.77. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Mohawk Industries news, CEO Jeffrey S. Lorberbaum sold 25,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $2,158,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 14,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,226,028. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 5,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.09, for a total transaction of $517,495.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 8,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $842,387.77. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 30,779 shares of company stock worth $2,699,406. Company insiders own 17.20% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mohawk Industries Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new position in shares of Mohawk Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $107,000. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board bought a new position in shares of Mohawk Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $992,000. Brandes Investment Partners LP lifted its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 22.4% in the 4th quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 816,138 shares of the companys stock worth $84,470,000 after purchasing an additional 149,370 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Mohawk Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $338,000. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP lifted its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 72,860 shares of the companys stock worth $7,541,000 after purchasing an additional 7,485 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.04% of the companys stock. About Mohawk Industries (Get Free Report) Mohawk Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, sources, distributes, and markets flooring products for residential and commercial remodeling, and new construction channels in the United States, Europe, Russia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Global Ceramic, Flooring North America (Flooring NA), and Flooring Rest of the World (Flooring ROW). Read More Receive News & Ratings for Mohawk Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mohawk Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $101.00 to $106.00 in a report released on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a sector perform rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canadas target price suggests a potential downside of 9.05% from the companys previous close. A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on MHK. Barclays raised Mohawk Industries from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and upped their price target for the company from $80.00 to $100.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Mohawk Industries from $130.00 to $105.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Mohawk Industries from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 11th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Mohawk Industries from $105.00 to $100.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, TheStreet cut Mohawk Industries from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a report on Thursday, October 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $111.70. Get Mohawk Industries alerts: Read Our Latest Report on MHK Mohawk Industries Stock Performance NYSE:MHK traded up $6.54 during trading on Monday, reaching $116.55. The companys stock had a trading volume of 429,968 shares, compared to its average volume of 801,722. The firm has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.81 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.78. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $101.95 and a 200-day moving average of $94.34. Mohawk Industries has a 12 month low of $76.02 and a 12 month high of $119.97. Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.10. Mohawk Industries had a positive return on equity of 7.52% and a negative net margin of 3.95%. The firm had revenue of $2.61 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.56 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Mohawk Industries will post 9.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. Insider Buying and Selling at Mohawk Industries In other Mohawk Industries news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 5,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.09, for a total value of $517,495.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 8,953 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $842,387.77. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Jeffrey S. Lorberbaum sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.34, for a total transaction of $2,158,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 14,200 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,226,028. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 5,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.09, for a total value of $517,495.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 8,953 shares in the company, valued at $842,387.77. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 30,779 shares of company stock valued at $2,699,406 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 17.20% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mohawk Industries Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Mohawk Industries by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,033,272 shares of the companys stock valued at $550,173,000 after purchasing an additional 112,111 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in shares of Mohawk Industries by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 4,362,231 shares of the companys stock valued at $541,788,000 after purchasing an additional 35,043 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners grew its position in Mohawk Industries by 11.7% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,916,496 shares of the companys stock worth $301,090,000 after acquiring an additional 306,022 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Mohawk Industries by 14.8% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,459,303 shares of the companys stock worth $254,543,000 after acquiring an additional 317,278 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Mohawk Industries by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,435,283 shares of the companys stock worth $208,972,000 after acquiring an additional 103,813 shares during the last quarter. 77.04% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Mohawk Industries (Get Free Report) Mohawk Industries, Inc designs, manufactures, sources, distributes, and markets flooring products for residential and commercial remodeling, and new construction channels in the United States, Europe, Russia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Global Ceramic, Flooring North America (Flooring NA), and Flooring Rest of the World (Flooring ROW). Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mohawk Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mohawk Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Montag A & Associates Inc. lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 9.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 126,618 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after purchasing an additional 11,126 shares during the period. Montag A & Associates Inc.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $12,263,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Cornerstone Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the third quarter worth $7,845,000. Navellier & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter valued at approximately $664,000. Ellevest Inc. raised its position in Abbott Laboratories by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 7,617 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $738,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares during the last quarter. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC grew its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Waters Parkerson & CO. LLC now owns 479,607 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $46,450,000 after buying an additional 1,850 shares during the period. Finally, Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT raised its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 24,993 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $2,421,000 after purchasing an additional 517 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.70% of the companys stock. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE ABT traded up $0.40 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $112.21. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,525,431 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,365,553. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $110.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $103.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.23. Abbott Laboratories has a 1 year low of $89.67 and a 1 year high of $115.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $194.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.75. Abbott Laboratories Increases Dividend Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 24th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.19. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 14.27% and a return on equity of 20.84%. The firm had revenue of $10.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.03 EPS. The firms revenue was up 1.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.61 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 12th will be paid a $0.55 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 11th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.96%. This is a positive change from Abbott Laboratoriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is currently 67.48%. Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 42,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.50, for a total transaction of $4,781,250.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 65,027 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,315,537.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 15,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.00, for a total transaction of $1,620,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 65,027 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,022,916. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 42,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $112.50, for a total value of $4,781,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 65,027 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,315,537.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ABT shares. TheStreet raised shares of Abbott Laboratories from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Thursday, December 21st. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $128.00 target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $133.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $116.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $112.00 to $107.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $120.00. Get Our Latest Research Report on ABT Abbott Laboratories Company Profile (Free Report) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. On loan from EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, in Dublin, Ireland, the exhibition illuminates the evolution of The Pogues, the rise of punk rock and the role of the Irish diaspora on the British music scene. Exclusive to the Tulsa run will be material from Shane MacGowan's limited edition art book The Eternal Buzz and the Crock of Gold, including handwritten lyrics for "Fairytale of New York." TULSA, Okla., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A career-spanning exhibition on Irish punk legends The Pogues will make its United States premiere with an exclusive showing at the Bob Dylan Center beginning March 8. They Gave The Walls A Talking: The Extraordinary Story of The Pogues and Shane MacGowan will mark the center's first special exhibit to focus on a musical artist other than Bob Dylan. Ticket information is available at bobdylancenter.com. Pogues at The Berlin Wall The exhibit was curated by Niall Stokes, leading Irish music writer and editor of the influential Hot Press magazine. It features contributions from family members, band members and more, including Victoria Mary Clarke, Siobhan MacGowan, Jem Finer, Nick Cave, Imelda May, Glen Hansard, producer Steve Lillywhite and the family of the late Frank Murray, the band's original manager. Exclusive to the Tulsa run, the exhibit will include rare material selected by MacGowan's wife Victoria Mary Clarke. Taken from the The Eternal Buzz and the Crock of Gold, the selections include never-before-seen or published illustrations, drawings, lyrics, stories and snippets dating back to his childhood, and journeying through six decades of punk and Irish revelry. They Gave The Walls A Talking opened in December 2023 at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, in Dublin, Ireland, shortly after the death of Pogues co-founder, primary songwriter and frontman Shane MacGowan. Head of Exhibitions and Programs at EPIC Nathan Mannion commented, "We take immense pride in highlighting the stories and accomplishments of Irish emigrants, demonstrating that Irish identity transcends the geographical boundaries of our island. With that in mind, we commissioned this special exhibition to celebrate one of the greatest transnational Irish bands of all time." Story continues The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, who was among the mourners at MacGowan's funeral, expressed his support for the launch of the exhibition at The Bob Dylan Center. "Shane MacGowan was one of the greatest ever Irish songwriters," President Higgins said. "I was honored to present him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in Dublin's National Concert Hall in January 2018. The resonance of Shane's words was reflected in the extraordinary outpouring of warmth which followed his death last November. One of the hallmarks of Shane's writing was his intrinsic understanding of the vital importance of bringing a poetic sensibility to those wonderful, evocative songs of his. These are qualities that he shared with Bob Dylan, whose exceptional body of work rightly saw him being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016." The VIP members-only opening event on March 7 will feature Clarke and Stokes in conversation with author and editor Anne Margaret Daniel. On March 8, Clarke will appear at a special public screening of Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan, the 2020 documentary directed by Julien Temple and produced by Johnny Depp. The film will be shown Tulsa's Circle Cinema. Ticket information will be available soon. The Pogues combined rowdy punk rock with traditional Irish music to create some of the most dynamic and memorable songs of the 1980s and '90s. Their best-known song in the U.S. is the Christmas ballad "Fairytale of New York." Other Pogues classics include "The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn," "A Pair of Brown Eyes," "Rainy Night in Soho," "If I Should Fall from Grace with God," "Misty Morning, Albert Bridge" and the Ewan MacColl cover "Dirty Old Town." How Many Roads: Bob Dylan and His Changing Times, 1961-64, which had been planned for a February opening at the center, will now open on May 24 following the run of the Pogues exhibit. Details about special events and appearances related to the exhibit will be announced in the coming weeks. Media Contacts: Larry Jenkins Larry.Jenkins@bobdylancenter.com Zac Fowler zfowler@bobdylancenter.com Phone 918.392.3353 Media assets for download here Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/career-spanning-exhibit-on-irish-punk-legends-the-pogues-to-make-us-debut-with-exclusive-showing-at-the-bob-dylan-center-in-tulsa-beginning-march-8-302059675.html SOURCE The Bob Dylan Center Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA Free Report) had its price target raised by Wells Fargo & Company from $395.00 to $440.00 in a report issued on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the specialty retailers stock. A number of other research firms also recently commented on MUSA. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $382.00 to $408.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Murphy USA from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $375.00 to $425.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Murphy USA from $252.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, October 26th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and set a $425.00 price objective on shares of Murphy USA in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $395.60. Get Murphy USA alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on MUSA Murphy USA Stock Performance Shares of MUSA opened at $393.71 on Friday. Murphy USA has a 1 year low of $231.65 and a 1 year high of $404.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.95. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $364.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $349.53. The company has a market capitalization of $8.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.43 and a beta of 0.74. Murphy USA (NYSE:MUSA Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The specialty retailer reported $7.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.79 by $1.21. The company had revenue of $5.07 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.32 billion. Murphy USA had a net margin of 2.59% and a return on equity of 70.92%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $5.21 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Murphy USA will post 24.9 EPS for the current year. Insider Transactions at Murphy USA In other news, SVP Jennifer Bridges sold 2,268 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.41, for a total value of $828,749.88. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,041,418.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, SVP Jennifer Bridges sold 2,268 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.41, for a total value of $828,749.88. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 2,850 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,041,418.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Renee M. Bacon sold 7,206 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $367.51, for a total transaction of $2,648,277.06. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 3,083 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,133,033.33. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 9.04% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Murphy USA Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Murphy USA by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 801 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $274,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in Murphy USA by 19.0% during the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 188 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Murphy USA by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 499 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $170,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in Murphy USA by 34.2% during the 3rd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 153 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Planning increased its stake in Murphy USA by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 1,983 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $678,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.95% of the companys stock. About Murphy USA (Get Free Report) Murphy USA Inc engages in marketing of retail motor fuel products and convenience merchandise. The company operates retail stores under the Murphy USA, Murphy Express, and QuickChek brands. It operates retail gasoline stores principally in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest United States. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in El Dorado, Arkansas. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Murphy USA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Murphy USA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nemes Rush Group LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS Free Report) by 7.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,778 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 989 shares during the period. Nemes Rush Group LLCs holdings in United Parcel Service were worth $1,836,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of UPS. Abbrea Capital LLC raised its position in United Parcel Service by 0.8% during the second quarter. Abbrea Capital LLC now owns 7,123 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,277,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the period. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 3.4% in the second quarter. Beaumont Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,678 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $301,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Bristlecone Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 0.4% in the second quarter. Bristlecone Advisors LLC now owns 13,511 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $2,422,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Addison Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 6.9% in the second quarter. Addison Advisors LLC now owns 903 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $162,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vista Investment Management raised its position in shares of United Parcel Service by 1.4% in the second quarter. Vista Investment Management now owns 4,171 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $748,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. 58.45% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get United Parcel Service alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at United Parcel Service In related news, Director Eva C. Boratto bought 1,400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $142.30 per share, for a total transaction of $199,220.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 1,400 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $199,220. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. United Parcel Service Stock Performance UPS traded up $1.08 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $147.34. 1,027,265 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,375,722. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $155.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $157.49. United Parcel Service, Inc. has a 12 month low of $133.68 and a 12 month high of $197.80. The stock has a market cap of $125.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.22. United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The transportation company reported $2.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $24.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $25.40 billion. United Parcel Service had a return on equity of 39.46% and a net margin of 7.37%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.62 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that United Parcel Service, Inc. will post 8.31 earnings per share for the current year. United Parcel Service Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 8th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th will be paid a $1.63 dividend. This represents a $6.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.43%. This is a boost from United Parcel Services previous quarterly dividend of $1.62. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 16th. United Parcel Services dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.18%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have recently commented on UPS. TheStreet upgraded shares of United Parcel Service from a c rating to a b- rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. Daiwa Capital Markets lowered shares of United Parcel Service from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $155.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Tuesday, December 26th. Argus lowered shares of United Parcel Service from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of United Parcel Service from $180.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $177.29. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on United Parcel Service About United Parcel Service (Free Report) United Parcel Service, Inc, a package delivery company, provides transportation and delivery, distribution, contract logistics, ocean freight, airfreight, customs brokerage, and insurance services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States. See Also Receive News & Ratings for United Parcel Service Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Parcel Service and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Skba Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX Free Report) by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 103,535 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after selling 300 shares during the quarter. Phillips 66 makes up about 2.3% of Skba Capital Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Skba Capital Management LLCs holdings in Phillips 66 were worth $12,440,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in Phillips 66 by 134.8% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 263 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 151 shares during the last quarter. First Capital Advisors Group LLC. acquired a new position in Phillips 66 in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its stake in Phillips 66 by 82.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 306 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the last quarter. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Phillips 66 in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Phillips 66 in the 1st quarter valued at about $32,000. 71.83% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Phillips 66 alerts: Phillips 66 Stock Down 0.2 % NYSE PSX traded down $0.23 on Monday, reaching $145.43. The company had a trading volume of 422,586 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,182,360. The firm has a market capitalization of $63.98 billion, a PE ratio of 9.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.38. Phillips 66 has a 1 year low of $89.74 and a 1 year high of $149.52. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $134.19 and a 200-day moving average of $122.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 0.96. Phillips 66 Announces Dividend Analyst Ratings Changes The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th will be issued a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 16th. Phillips 66s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.15%. Several research analysts recently weighed in on PSX shares. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Phillips 66 from $134.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, December 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Phillips 66 from $151.00 to $163.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Phillips 66 from $140.00 to $155.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. StockNews.com raised shares of Phillips 66 from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. raised shares of Phillips 66 from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the company from $115.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Monday, October 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Phillips 66 currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $138.21. Check Out Our Latest Report on Phillips 66 Insiders Place Their Bets In other Phillips 66 news, EVP Zhanna Golodryga sold 5,253 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total value of $709,155.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 24,914 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,363,390. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Zhanna Golodryga sold 5,253 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.00, for a total transaction of $709,155.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 24,914 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,363,390. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Joseph Scott Pruitt sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.23, for a total value of $133,230.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,593 shares of the companys stock, valued at $878,385.39. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 41,653 shares of company stock worth $5,462,808 in the last 90 days. 4.57% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Phillips 66 Company Profile (Free Report) Phillips 66 operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment transports crude oil and other feedstocks; delivers refined petroleum products to market; provides terminaling and storage services for crude oil and refined petroleum products; transports, stores, fractionates, exports, and markets natural gas liquids; provides other fee-based processing services; and gathers, processes, transports, and markets natural gas. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PSX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Phillips 66 Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Phillips 66 and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of RB Global (NYSE:RBA Free Report) (TSE:RBA) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Friday. Several other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of RB Global from $75.00 to $73.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 10th. National Bankshares raised their price objective on shares of RB Global from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, November 10th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of RB Global from $74.00 to $76.00 and gave the company a sector outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $71.83. Get RB Global alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on RB Global RB Global Stock Up 1.0 % NYSE RBA opened at $68.64 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.31. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $64.82 and a 200 day simple moving average of $63.51. RB Global has a twelve month low of $51.07 and a twelve month high of $69.01. The stock has a market cap of $12.53 billion, a PE ratio of 81.71, a PEG ratio of 5.15 and a beta of 0.83. RB Global (NYSE:RBA Get Free Report) (TSE:RBA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 9th. The business services provider reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $1.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $939.92 million. RB Global had a net margin of 5.43% and a return on equity of 4.19%. On average, research analysts forecast that RB Global will post 0.94 EPS for the current year. RB Global Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.27 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.57%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 8th. RB Globals dividend payout ratio is presently 128.57%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other RB Global news, insider Darren Jeffrey Watt sold 1,094 shares of RB Global stock in a transaction on Monday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.94, for a total transaction of $72,138.36. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 14,880 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $981,187.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Darren Jeffrey Watt sold 1,094 shares of RB Global stock in a transaction on Monday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.94, for a total transaction of $72,138.36. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 14,880 shares of the companys stock, valued at $981,187.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CRO James J. Jeter sold 3,750 shares of RB Global stock in a transaction on Monday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.84, for a total transaction of $243,150.00. Following the transaction, the executive now directly owns 23,140 shares in the company, valued at $1,500,397.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 243,212 shares of company stock valued at $15,139,394. Company insiders own 4.32% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On RB Global Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Oakworth Capital Inc. lifted its position in RB Global by 53.3% during the 4th quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 466 shares of the business services providers stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Alliance lifted its position in RB Global by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Alliance now owns 5,648 shares of the business services providers stock worth $339,000 after buying an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in shares of RB Global by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 3,388 shares of the business services providers stock worth $203,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in shares of RB Global by 11.0% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,917 shares of the business services providers stock worth $128,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of RB Global by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 14,874 shares of the business services providers stock worth $892,000 after purchasing an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. 90.24% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About RB Global (Get Free Report) RB Global, Inc, an omnichannel marketplace, provides insights, services, and transaction solutions for buyers and sellers of commercial assets and vehicles worldwide. Its marketplace brands include Ritchie Bros., an auctioneer of commercial assets and vehicles offering online bidding; IAA, a digital marketplace connecting vehicle buyers and sellers; Rouse Services, which provides asset management, data-driven intelligence, and performance benchmarking system; SmartEquip, a technology platform that supports customers' management of the equipment lifecycle; Xcira that provides live simulcast auction technologies; and Veritread, an online marketplace for heavy haul transport solution. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for RB Global Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RB Global and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Citigroup reaffirmed their neutral rating on shares of Redrow (LON:RDW Free Report) in a research report released on Friday morning, Marketbeat reports. Citigroup currently has a GBX 756 ($9.48) price objective on the stock. Separately, Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 643 ($8.06) price target on shares of Redrow in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Redrow presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 603.67 ($7.57). Get Redrow alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Redrow Redrow Trading Up 0.6 % Redrow Cuts Dividend RDW opened at GBX 677.50 ($8.49) on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of GBX 597.52 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 531.27. The stock has a market cap of 2.24 billion, a PE ratio of 1,058.59, a PEG ratio of -0.81 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 4.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. Redrow has a 52 week low of GBX 423.63 ($5.31) and a 52 week high of GBX 700 ($8.78). The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd will be given a dividend of GBX 5 ($0.06) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 0.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 22nd. Redrows payout ratio is 3,906.25%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, insider Barbara Richmond sold 1,900 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 531 ($6.66), for a total value of 10,089 ($12,647.61). 20.61% of the stock is owned by insiders. Redrow Company Profile (Get Free Report) Redrow plc focuses on housebuilding activities in the United Kingdom. It is involved in acquires, develops, and resells land; develops and sells residential housing properties; and business park maintenance services. Redrow plc was founded in 1974 and is based in Flintshire, the United Kingdom. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Redrow Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Redrow and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Several analysts have recently updated their ratings and price targets for Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE: SPR): 2/8/2024 Spirit AeroSystems was upgraded by analysts at TD Cowen from a market perform rating to an outperform rating. They now have a $35.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $27.00. 2/7/2024 Spirit AeroSystems had its price target raised by analysts at Susquehanna from $32.00 to $33.00. They now have a positive rating on the stock. 2/7/2024 Spirit AeroSystems had its price target raised by analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $28.00 to $30.00. They now have a hold rating on the stock. 2/7/2024 Spirit AeroSystems was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a sell rating to a hold rating. 2/7/2024 Spirit AeroSystems had its price target lowered by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $35.00 to $33.00. They now have an equal weight rating on the stock. 1/17/2024 Spirit AeroSystems is now covered by analysts at KeyCorp. They set a sector weight rating on the stock. 1/17/2024 Spirit AeroSystems is now covered by analysts at Citigroup Inc.. They set a buy rating and a $39.00 price target on the stock. 1/10/2024 Spirit AeroSystems had its price target raised by analysts at Truist Financial Co. from $26.00 to $30.00. They now have a hold rating on the stock. 12/20/2023 Spirit AeroSystems was upgraded by analysts at Morgan Stanley from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating. They now have a $35.00 price target on the stock, up previously from $22.00. Spirit AeroSystems Trading Up 1.9 % NYSE:SPR traded up $0.55 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $29.67. 645,618 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,002,365. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $14.65 and a 52-week high of $37.98. The firms fifty day moving average price is $28.86 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.09. The company has a market cap of $3.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -4.90, a P/E/G ratio of 6.14 and a beta of 1.77. Get Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc alerts: Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The aerospace company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.84). The firm had revenue of $1.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.74 billion. Spirit AeroSystemss revenue was up 37.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($1.46) EPS. Equities analysts expect that Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. will post 0.56 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in SPR. LPL Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Spirit AeroSystems by 0.4% in the second quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 102,283 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $2,997,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its position in Spirit AeroSystems by 6.1% in the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 7,000 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $341,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio grew its position in Spirit AeroSystems by 0.8% in the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 52,370 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,148,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in Spirit AeroSystems by 1.5% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 29,958 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $484,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares during the period. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc grew its position in Spirit AeroSystems by 0.3% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 141,263 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $4,139,000 after acquiring an additional 460 shares during the period. 88.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc engages in the design, engineering, manufacture, and marketing of commercial aerostructures worldwide. It operates through three segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment offers forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections and systems, nacelles, struts/pylons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, flaps and slats flight control surfaces, wing structures, and fully functional and tested wing systems. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Davis Selected Advisers cut its stake in shares of Rocket Companies, Inc. (NYSE:RKT Free Report) by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,410,601 shares of the companys stock after selling 83,072 shares during the period. Davis Selected Advisers owned approximately 0.17% of Rocket Companies worth $27,899,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in RKT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in Rocket Companies by 8.3% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 92,184 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,025,000 after acquiring an additional 7,048 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Rocket Companies by 32.1% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 16,693 shares of the companys stock worth $186,000 after buying an additional 4,056 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Rocket Companies by 9.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 737,843 shares of the companys stock worth $8,205,000 after buying an additional 61,950 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Rocket Companies by 341.4% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,414 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 3,414 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp purchased a new position in shares of Rocket Companies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $52,000. 4.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Rocket Companies alerts: Rocket Companies Price Performance NYSE:RKT traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $11.66. 104,702 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,359,481. Rocket Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $7.17 and a 1-year high of $15.19. The stock has a market cap of $23.11 billion, a P/E ratio of -55.00, a P/E/G ratio of 8.94 and a beta of 2.43. The firms 50-day moving average is $12.59 and its 200-day moving average is $10.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 11.15 and a quick ratio of 11.15. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays assumed coverage on Rocket Companies in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. They set an underweight rating and a $6.00 target price for the company. Wedbush cut their target price on Rocket Companies from $11.00 to $8.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an underweight rating and issued a $10.50 price target (up previously from $8.50) on shares of Rocket Companies in a report on Thursday, January 4th. UBS Group restated a sell rating and issued a $8.50 price target on shares of Rocket Companies in a report on Wednesday, December 6th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated an underperform rating and issued a $10.75 price target on shares of Rocket Companies in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have assigned a hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $9.40. View Our Latest Analysis on Rocket Companies About Rocket Companies (Free Report) Rocket Companies, Inc, a fintech holding company, provides mortgage lending, title and settlement services, and other financial technology services in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments, Direct to Consumer and Partner Network. The company's solutions include Rocket Mortgage, a mortgage lender; Amrock that provides title insurance, property valuation, and settlement services; Rocket Homes, a home search platform and real estate agent referral network, which offers technology-enabled services to support the home buying and selling experience; Rocket Auto, a virtual marketplace where consumers can shop and compare vehicles of many makes and models from a wide network of dealers; and Rocket Loans, an online-based personal loans business. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RKT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Rocket Companies, Inc. (NYSE:RKT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Rocket Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rocket Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rogers Communications (TSE:RCI Get Free Report) Director Edward Rogers bought 400 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$63.92 per share, with a total value of C$25,569.96. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 400 shares in the company, valued at approximately C$25,569.96. Edward Rogers also recently made the following trade(s): Get Rogers Communications alerts: On Friday, December 15th, Edward Rogers bought 400 shares of Rogers Communications stock. The stock was purchased at an average cost of C$61.01 per share, with a total value of C$24,405.96. Rogers Communications Price Performance Rogers Communications (TSE:RCI Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 9th. The company reported C$1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$1.07 by C$0.20. The company had revenue of C$5.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$5.06 billion. Rogers Communications Announces Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 8th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of . Separately, Desjardins upgraded Rogers Communications from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, November 9th. Get Our Latest Report on Rogers Communications Read More Receive News & Ratings for Rogers Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rogers Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ decreased its holdings in shares of Meritage Homes Co. (NYSE:MTH Free Report) by 12.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 64,900 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 9,600 shares during the period. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ owned approximately 0.18% of Meritage Homes worth $7,943,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S raised its position in shares of Meritage Homes by 6.3% during the 2nd quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 11,559 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,644,000 after acquiring an additional 684 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Meritage Homes by 29.0% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 79,051 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $11,246,000 after buying an additional 17,752 shares in the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Meritage Homes in the 2nd quarter valued at $18,336,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its stake in Meritage Homes by 24.9% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 63,239 shares of the construction companys stock worth $7,740,000 after buying an additional 12,622 shares during the period. Finally, LGT Group Foundation raised its stake in Meritage Homes by 24.0% during the 3rd quarter. LGT Group Foundation now owns 36,689 shares of the construction companys stock worth $4,426,000 after buying an additional 7,093 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 99.48% of the companys stock. Get Meritage Homes alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently commented on the company. Wedbush reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $170.00 price objective on shares of Meritage Homes in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. StockNews.com downgraded Meritage Homes from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Seaport Res Ptn downgraded Meritage Homes from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Meritage Homes from $151.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Meritage Homes presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $167.25. Meritage Homes Stock Performance MTH opened at $154.42 on Monday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $165.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $143.54. Meritage Homes Co. has a 1 year low of $103.61 and a 1 year high of $179.68. The company has a market capitalization of $5.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.75 and a beta of 1.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.07 and a quick ratio of 1.82. Meritage Homes Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 15th were paid a $0.27 dividend. This represents a $1.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 14th. Meritage Homess dividend payout ratio is 5.42%. Insider Buying and Selling at Meritage Homes In other news, CEO Phillippe Lord sold 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.50, for a total value of $1,018,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 36,091 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,251,240.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.80% of the companys stock. About Meritage Homes (Free Report) Meritage Homes Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, designs and builds single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Homebuilding and Financial Services. It acquires and develops land; and constructs, markets, and sells homes for first-time and first move-up buyers in Texas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Meritage Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Meritage Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sonen Capital LLC trimmed its position in shares of Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX Free Report) by 7.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 3,814 shares of the credit services providers stock after selling 285 shares during the quarter. Equifax comprises about 1.4% of Sonen Capital LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Sonen Capital LLCs holdings in Equifax were worth $699,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC purchased a new stake in Equifax in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Equifax in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Equifax by 70.8% during the third quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 193 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Smithfield Trust Co raised its holdings in shares of Equifax by 55.5% during the third quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 199 shares of the credit services providers stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Impact Partnership Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Equifax during the third quarter worth $44,000. 98.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Equifax alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Equifax from $204.00 to $196.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Equifax from a hold rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $218.00 to $267.00 in a research report on Friday, December 8th. Redburn Atlantic cut Equifax from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $272.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. TheStreet upgraded Equifax from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Friday, December 29th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a buy rating and set a $305.00 price objective on shares of Equifax in a research note on Friday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $261.53. Equifax Trading Up 2.4 % Equifax stock traded up $6.08 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $255.26. 187,277 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 801,670. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $242.71 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $210.01. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Equifax Inc. has a 12-month low of $159.95 and a 12-month high of $255.85. The firm has a market cap of $31.45 billion, a PE ratio of 56.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.50. Equifax (NYSE:EFX Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The credit services provider reported $1.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.74 by $0.07. Equifax had a return on equity of 19.40% and a net margin of 10.36%. The company had revenue of $1.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.31 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.52 EPS. Equifaxs revenue was up 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Equifax Inc. will post 7.82 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Equifax Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.61%. Equifaxs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.45%. Equifax Company Profile (Free Report) Equifax Inc operates as a data, analytics, and technology company. The company operates through three segments: Workforce Solutions, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), and International. The Workforce Solutions segment offers services that enables customers to verify income, employment, educational history, criminal justice data, healthcare professional licensure, and sanctions of people in the United States; and employer customers with services that assist them in complying with and automating payroll-related and human resource management processes throughout the entire cycle of the employment relationship. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Equifax Inc. (NYSE:EFX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Equifax Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equifax and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cargill is introducing a sustainable agriculture program to help Australian canola growers connect with new and emerging markets with the launch of Cargill SustainConnect. (Photo: Business Wire) SYDNEY, February 12, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cargill is introducing a sustainable agriculture program to help Australian canola growers connect with new and emerging markets with the launch of Cargill SustainConnect. The Cargill SustainConnect program will open new revenue streams for growers in Australia and assist Cargill in catering to the rising demand from domestic and international customers for sustainable Australian canola. This launch follows the completion of a successful pilot program in 2023 and helps scale Cargills global sustainable agriculture portfolio, tailored to the needs of local farmers and their operations. Cargill SustainConnect also builds on Cargills global efforts to make sustainable farming programs commonplace across its global supply chains, which includes the award-winning Cargill RegenConnect program in North America and Europe. Cargill is committed to partnering with farmers to support an economically viable transition to sustainable agriculture. "Agriculture has a unique opportunity to utilise sustainable agricultural practices to address the global climate challenge and better the economic prospects for farmers, who are at the forefront of our food system," said Ben Fargher, Cargill Environmental Market Lead, APAC. "Changes made at the grassroots of our supply chains can deliver a significant impact in reducing emissions and building the resilience of our soils for the next generation. We are actively working hand-in-hand with canola growers to lead the way, supporting them with tools, resources and importantly, market access to make the shift to sustainable agriculture." Cargill has been enrolling Australian canola growers in Cargill SustainConnect, a new sustainable agriculture program that provides a financial incentive for positive environmental outcomes through the adoption of sustainable practices, while helping to improve soil health and decarbonize the agricultural supply chain. Story continues Australian canola growers enrolled in Cargill SustainConnect can choose from a variety of sustainable agriculture practices including several nutrient management interventions, reduced or no-tillage and crop residue retention. Cargill has partnered with leading carbon measurement business Regrow to measure, report and verify (MRV) carbon outcomes using in-field data, remote sensing and crop and soil health modeling. The Regrow platform ensures easy enrollment and secure data collection, while providing growers and Cargills demand customers with transparent measurement and verification options. "Regrow is excited to grow our global partnership with Cargill in support of Australian canola farmers. Through Cargill SustainConnect we will support producers in sustainable farming practice adoption, building greater resilience in their operations, and gaining access to sustainability markets whilst assuring supply for generations to come," said Manal Elarab, Chief Operating Officer, Regrow. "Growers have told us they are looking for sustainability programs that offer simplicity, transparency, and flexibility to suit their specific operations. Weve taken this feedback and designed Cargill SustainConnect to address these needs, and it has been very well received," said Fargher. How Cargill SustainConnect works Cargill will help growers implement chosen interventions and share data from their activities. Growers will receive a guaranteed $25/Ha, subject to practices being implemented in compliance with the one-year agreement. Total compensation will be based on the total hectares the grower enrolls in the program. Regrow validates the interventions. Growers receive payment for the interventions and access to opportunities in environmental markets and sustainable supply chains, while opening doors to Cargills downstream customers, who are counting on agricultural supply chains to achieve their sustainability goals. The program is currently available to Australian canola farmers in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, and Cargill is looking to extend this program in Western Australian in the future. Cargill is currently evaluating expanding the Cargill SustainConnect program to grains in the future. The first barley pilots are underway. Growers who are interested to participate in Cargill SustainConnect have until 31 March 2024 to join the program and can learn more at www.cargill.com.au/en/sustainconnect or contact our team at sustainconnect@cargill.com About Cargill Cargill helps the worlds food system work for you. We connect farmers with markets, customers with ingredients and families with daily essentialsfrom the foods they eat to the floors they walk on. Our 160,000-plus team members around the world innovate with purpose, empowering our partners and communities as we work to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, sustainable way. From feed that reduces methane emissions to waste-based renewable fuels, the possibilities are boundless. But our values remain the same. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing. Its how weve met the needs of the people we call neighbors and the planet we call home for 158 yearsand how well do so for generations to come. For more information, visit Cargill.com and our News Center. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240211352222/en/ Contacts Peter McBride, peter_mcbride@cargill.com; media@cargill.com Ellevest Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report) by 5.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,533 shares of the investment management companys stock after buying an additional 141 shares during the quarter. Ellevest Inc.s holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group were worth $819,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Cambridge Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 82.0% in the third quarter. Cambridge Trust Co. now owns 91 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 41 shares during the last quarter. Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Worth Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. First Capital Advisors Group LLC. acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, PCA Investment Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 69.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get The Goldman Sachs Group alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades GS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $357.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 18th. JMP Securities reiterated a market outperform rating and set a $440.00 price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $398.00 to $421.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 9th. Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $491.00 to $506.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $333.00 to $449.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Goldman Sachs Group presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $409.93. The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance NYSE GS traded up $9.09 on Monday, reaching $393.35. The companys stock had a trading volume of 660,005 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,311,191. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $289.36 and a twelve month high of $393.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market cap of $128.28 billion, a PE ratio of 17.12, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.43. The firms 50 day moving average is $377.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $344.61. The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 16th. The investment management company reported $5.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.62 by $1.86. The firm had revenue of $11.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.80 billion. The Goldman Sachs Group had a return on equity of 7.82% and a net margin of 7.85%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.32 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 32.72 EPS for the current year. The Goldman Sachs Group Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 29th will be issued a dividend of $2.75 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 28th. This represents a $11.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.80%. The Goldman Sachs Groups payout ratio is presently 48.20%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Kathryn H. Ruemmler sold 7,277 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $379.81, for a total value of $2,763,877.37. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 6,501 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,469,144.81. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, insider Ericka T. Leslie sold 1,376 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.15, for a total value of $461,166.40. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 10,471 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,509,355.65. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Kathryn H. Ruemmler sold 7,277 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $379.81, for a total value of $2,763,877.37. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 6,501 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,469,144.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 16,110 shares of company stock worth $5,990,991. Company insiders own 0.54% of the companys stock. The Goldman Sachs Group Profile (Free Report) The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc, a financial institution, provides a range of financial services for corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals worldwide. It operates through Global Banking & Markets, Asset & Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions segments. The Global Banking & Markets segment provides financial advisory services, including strategic advisory assignments related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate defense activities, restructurings, and spin-offs; and relationship lending, and acquisition financing, as well as secured lending, through structured credit and asset-backed lending and involved in resale agreements. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Goldman Sachs Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. reduced its stake in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Free Report) by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,005 shares of the restaurant operators stock after selling 32 shares during the period. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P.s holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $20,159,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. NewEdge Wealth LLC bought a new position in Chipotle Mexican Grill in the 3rd quarter valued at about $205,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 25,272 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $46,294,000 after buying an additional 2,065 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 4.3% during the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 7,893 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $16,883,000 after buying an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 196,895 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $421,158,000 after buying an additional 1,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Koshinski Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $210,000. 91.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Down 0.6 % CMG traded down $15.97 during trading on Monday, hitting $2,622.38. 66,177 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 242,155. The company has a market cap of $71.91 billion, a PE ratio of 58.91, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.29. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $2,326.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $2,080.22. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 1 year low of $1,470.05 and a 1 year high of $2,725.83. Insider Activity at Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The restaurant operator reported $10.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $9.73 by $0.63. The firm had revenue of $2.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.49 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 12.45% and a return on equity of 44.41%. The businesss revenue was up 15.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $8.29 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 53.1 EPS for the current year. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, insider Roger E. Theodoredis sold 898 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,622.25, for a total transaction of $2,354,780.50. Following the sale, the insider now owns 1,529 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,009,420.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 1,100 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,278.45, for a total transaction of $2,506,295.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 22,447 shares of the companys stock, valued at $51,144,367.15. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Roger E. Theodoredis sold 898 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,622.25, for a total transaction of $2,354,780.50. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,529 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,009,420.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 5,087 shares of company stock worth $12,055,688 in the last 90 days. 0.96% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have commented on CMG shares. Wedbush reissued a neutral rating and set a $2,400.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. KeyCorp lifted their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,250.00 to $2,750.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,699.00 to $3,016.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,284.00 to $2,500.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $2,650.00 target price on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $2,469.88. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Chipotle Mexican Grill Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile (Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. It offers burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. The company was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CMG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chipotle Mexican Grill and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Weather Alert ...Elevated Fire Danger Today and Tuesday... ...Hard Freeze Expected Tonight... The combination of very dry air and northwest winds gusting up to 20 mph will create an elevated risk of uncontrolled fire spread this afternoon. Relative humidity values will fall to 20 to 35%, with the lowest humidity levels over the Ozark Foothills of southeast Missouri. A more substantial fire danger is expected Tuesday, as southwest winds increase significantly, with gusts of 25 to 40 mph forecast Tuesday afternoon. Relative humidity values Tuesday afternoon will fall to 25 to 35%. If you are planning outdoor burning today and Tuesday, use extra caution and have fire suppression equipment ready. Tonight, very cold and dry surface high pressure will allow temperatures to drop into the middle and upper 20s throughout the region. Although the growing season has not officially started, tender vegetation could be impacted by these cold temperatures. Please take necessary actions to protect any tender vegetation tonight. Chinese carmakers have struck fear in automotive companies across the globe. "If there are no trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world," Tesla CEO Elon Musk told investors last month. "They're extremely good." Tesla was recently overtaken by Chinas BYDbacked by Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathawayin global sales of electric vehicles. Some of the nicer electric vehicles made in China are generating interest among well-heeled car buyers in other nationsincluding in smaller countries where the vehicles are not yet officially sold. Thats opened the door for individual traders who can act more nimbly than the carmakers themselves, taking advantage of a loophole. As Rest of World reports, such traders are registering vehicles in China before sending them to eager fans overseas in countries like Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia. That way, the vehicles are technically secondhand ones, in which case no authorization from the carmaker is required. Through this means, buyers overseas acquire trendy Chinese EVs that are often viewed as status symbols, including higher-end models from BYD, Li Auto, and Zeekr (Geely's premium EV brand). Of course, they pay a premium to do so, and could encounter difficulties with repairs when the carmakers themselves havent established a local presence yet. Chinese cars are getting really popular, a car exporter in Chinas northern province of Hebei told Rest of World. Big screens, interactive features, hidden door handles, voice control, massage chairsall these things can be very attractive. To be sure, it is the desire for the more attractive Chinese models, not the ultra-affordable ones, that this grey market caters to. And of course, the grey market will serve less of a purpose over time as Chinese carmakers establish operations in ever more countries. But the desire for and awareness of such models among buyers in far-flung nations speaks to the ability of Chinese carmakers to compete at both the high and low end of the market. Story continues Musk himself has gone from laughing about the quality of BYD cars in 2011 to suggesting recently that Chinese companies will emerge as dominant players in the global automotive industry. Last summer, Ford Motor executive chairman Bill Ford Jr. warned that American automakers are not quite yet ready to compete with Chinese rivals on EVs. They developed very quickly, and theyve developed them in large scale, and now they are exporting, he told CNN. They are not here, but they will come here we think at some point and we need to be ready. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com Milos Bikovic in 2019 [Photo by Balkan Photos / CC BY-SA 2.0 In a shameful act of capitulation to the eruption of anti-Russia hysteria, HBO has dropped actor Milos Bikovic from the acclaimed television series The White Lotus over allegations that the actor supported Russias invasion of Ukraine. The Ukraine Foreign Ministry launched a smear campaign on X/Twitter on January 24 calling on HBO to drop the actor following the announcement 12 days earlier of the casting for the third season of The White Lotus. The next season is slated to be set in Taiwan and released in 2025. The Ministry stated, Milos Bikovic, Serbian actor who has been supporting Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion, is now set to star in HBOs The White Lotus Season 3. Tagging HBO, it added, is it all right for you to work with a person who supports genocide & violates international law? The post on X also included a video that smears Bikovic by combining segments from The White Lotus with clips of the actor receiving an award for the Pushkin medal from Vladimir Putin in 2018, prior to Russias invasion of Ukraine. The 36-year-old Bikovic is a Serbian-Russian actor known for his roles in Serf, Serf 2, The Challenge and other successful Russian and Serbian films that have won numerous awards. The actor was born in Belgrade in 1988 and lived through (and survived) the US-NATO imperialist bombing of Serbia. In 2021, he became a naturalized Russian citizen. In a statement, Bikovic denounced the smear campaign against him. He noted, Today, a targeted campaign has been unleashed against me, seemingly as an external maneuver to influence decisions that can create a disturbing precedent shadowing the essence of artistic freedom. The result of such a narrative is the triumph of absurdity and the defeat of art. Bikovics statement recounted his own background and opposition to war. I grew up in a war-torn country, he said. At the age of 11, I endured days and nights in shelters while my homeland and my hometown were bombed. And could never wish such devastation on anyone. There are more and more active conflicts in the entire world, he went on. Each one is different. Each one is heartbreaking. I wish all of them to stop and principles of love to prevail. He added, I was honored to be chosen to be a part of White Lotus, a TV series that I hold in high regard and with colleagues whom I deeply respect. However, my participation is not possible due to reasons beyond the realm of art and I will not bow to any narrative that seeks to compromise my integrity. I would like to thank everyone who stood by me. I wish my colleagues great success in creating the next season. Regardless of everything, I strongly believe that art can heal. I believe it can help humanity unite. My beliefs and my dedication to art will remain unchanged. Theres no reason to doubt the sincerity of Bikovic, who previously expressed similar sentiments when Russia invaded Ukraine. In an Instagram post on February 25, 2022, he wrote, I know how terrible war is. Weve been through a similar situation, but they cant be compared. Every conflict has its own circumstances. And the scary thing is that war and bloodshed from all sides reminds us of how far humanity is from global unity and love. Jolene Purdy, Murray Bartlett, Alexandra Daddario and Jake Lacy in The White Lotus While The White Lotus was strongest when it satirized the wealthy, the shameful silence by the series creator Mike White on this attack on Bikovic points to the highly censored and self-censored atmosphere in Hollywood currentlyparticularly among its more privileged layers who are afraid to say anything that might affect their careers. For all the furor over Bikovic and other Russian artists, not a single American or European artist has been condemned or even questioned for any of the innumerable US-backed criminal wars over the past 30 years. To put an equals sign between artists and the population at large, on the one hand, and the crimes and actions of their governments, on the other, is illegitimate. Bikovic has worked in Russia for more than a decade in film and has become one of the more popular performers in the country. He has expressed a strong sympathy for Russian culture and its people. For his filmmaking and cultural role, as noted, he was awarded the Pushkin medal in 2018. He has also worked with Oscar-winning directors like Nikita Mikhalkov, whom the EU sanctioned in 2022 following the outbreak of war. As a result, the Ukrainian government has had a target on Bikovics back for some time. In 2019, he was banned from the country for reasons of national security, claiming he had filmed shows in the Crimean peninsula. Crimea was annexed by Russia following the far-right US-backed coup in 2014. The 2014 coup in Ukraine, orchestrated by the Obama administration and major European powers, mobilized fascists to topple the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovych, ultimately leading to a bloody civil war within Ukraine. The Trotskyist movement, including our supporters in Ukraine and Russia, condemns the Russian governments invasion of Ukraine as a reactionary act. But the ultimate blame for the invasion rests with the decades-long US-NATO provocations against Russia to goad it into war and seek an imperialist carve-up of the vast country. Despite all their humanitarian and democratic pretenses, the US and European powers are backing fascists and neo-Nazis in Ukraine. The countrys corrupt president Volodymyr Zelensky, representing the interests of the Ukrainian oligarchy, has also assaulted democratic rights of workers and left-wing opposition within the country. The US-NATO war drive against Russia in Ukraine has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths in both countries, with innocent civilians caught up in the imperialist-backed bloodbath. Despite all the hypocritical anti-Russia hysteriaincluding attacks on Russian culture, artists, sportspeople and more by the US ruling class and its upper middle class toadiesthe Biden regime in the US is widely despised for enabling the ongoing genocide in Gaza by Israel, along with expanding the wars throughout the Middle East, Ukraine and Eurasia. The US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine is unpopular both in the US and around the world and every effort is being made to drum up war fever once again. The attacks on the democratic and cultural rights of artists like Bikovic must be opposed and condemned. The US carried out a blatantly illegal drone strike in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad late last Wednesday, killing two members of the Kataib Hezbollah militia and provoking angry protests in the citys streets. Identification cards found nearby reportedly identified them as Arkan al-Elayawi and Abu Baqir al-Saedi. Civil defense members gather at the site of a burned vehicle targeted by a US drone strike in east Baghdad, Iraq, Feb. 7, 2024 [AP Photo/Hadi Mizban] The Special Operations drone strike was part of the ongoing US retaliation for the deaths of three American soldiers in an attack on a US military base in Jordan. The Pentagon claimed that al-Saedi was responsible for directing Kataib Hezbollah operations, including the strike in Jordan. Like the first round of strikes in Iraq and Syria the previous Friday, the US military has offered no evidence for any of its claims. Rather, Washington has arrogated to itself the right to carry out murderous attacks across the Middle East, deliberately inflaming tensions and widening the war already underway as a consequence of Israels genocide in Gaza. Sky News reported that people rapidly surrounded the burning vehicle, chanting anti-American slogans. Witnesses told reporters there was a lot of anger over the blatant disregard by the Americans for civilian lives. The US admitted to carrying out a unilateral attack that destroyed a car in a busy civilian street in the east of the capital. America needs to be investigated for breaching international law, one man told Sky News. How are they able to attack another country and kill people with immunity? Within hours of the strike, crowds gathered at the entrance to the heavily-fortified Green Zone in Baghdad to protest against the killings. Demonstrators chanted Death to America and America, get out of our land, as large numbers of heavily-protected riot police blocked the entrance. The Green Zone, built in the aftermath of the criminal US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, contains the huge American embassy and associated infrastructure which directed the US military occupation of the country that resulted in an estimated million civilian deaths. The day after the attack, Iraqi military spokesman Yehia Rasool denounced the strike as a blatant assassination that showed no regard for civilian lives or international laws. Rasool warned: The trajectory compels the Iraqi government more than ever to terminate the mission of this [US-led] coalition, which has become a factor for instability and threatens to entangle Iraq in the cycle of conflict. The US has around 2,500 troops in Iraq on the pretext of combatting remnants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters. Another 900 American troops occupy parts of Syria without even the pretence of authorisation by the Syrian government. The office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani also suggested that US troops and others from the US-led coalition against ISIS should leave Iraq. A social media post highlighted Iraqs enhanced capabilities in combating terrorism, leading to the decision to end the coalitions mission as ISIS terrorist remnants no longer pose a threat to Iraq. Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, a spokesman for Iraqs security services, branded the strike as an aggression that violated Iraqi sovereignty and risked dangerous repercussions in the region. The Iraqi governments response highlights the deeply destabilising impact of the Israeli regimes barbaric war against the Palestinians, backed by the US and all the imperialist powers, and the wider regional war that the US and Israel are opening up. While US and Israeli strikes have to date been restricted to Iranian-backed militia groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Iran itself is the chief target. The government in Baghdad formed in October 2022 is a highly unstable amalgam of Shiite parties aligned to a greater or lesser extent with Tehran, along with Sunni and Kurdish parties. Prime Minister al-Sudani was nominated by the Iran-backed Shia Coordination Framework, the largest bloc of legislators in the countrys parliament. The government, however, faces opposition from a bloc led by populist Shiite leader and cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, which won the largest number of parliamentary seats in the 2021 national elections. The Sadrists, who demand the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Iraq, including US troops and Iran-back militia, refused to join the current government. The US strikes will further inflame popular opposition to the American military presence in the country, adding to the political volatility. Reporters for US-based PBS travelled to western Iraq last week where the US military had hit several towns as part of its retaliatory strikes on February 2, provoking angry reactions from local people. On that day, nuclear-capable B-1B bombers delivered over 125 munitions on 85 targets in seven locations throughout Iraq and Syria. The town of Akashat, located near the Syrian border, was heavily hit by American airstrikes. Largely abandoned after the fighting with ISIS, it is under the control of the 13th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of paramilitary forces formed to fight ISIS and is now officially part of Iraqs security forces. Eyewitnesses told PBS that the first missile hit the military hospital, killing the five people inside and wrecking the ambulance. In all, 17 PMF members were killed. PMF commander Qasem Musleh flatly denied involvement with any of the militia groups operating as Islamic Resistance in Iraq that have attacked US forces. I hope that the United States will reveal one piece of evidence that there is support to the resistance factions. There was no leadership here, as they claimed, or people with ties to foreign countries, or who took part in strikes on coalition forces. In the town of al-Qaim, where a Kataib Hezbollah base is located, PBS spoke to Anmar Al-Rawi, whose brother was killed by a US missile strike on the family home. Of course, their [the US] strike was a reaction to the attack on them, but their response fell on the civilians, not on the militaries. Not one from Kataib Hezbollah was killed. They knew there was ammunition in the base and that civilians would be affected. A local tribal leader, Sheik Ragheb Al-Karbouli, warned that hostilities could lead to an unpredictable regional war. Asked what would prevent such a conflict, he bluntly declared: The solution to the solution is the Palestinian issue. An independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty will give an opportunity for security and peace in the entire region. Neither Israel nor the US and its allies has the slightest intention of creating an independent Palestinian state or resolving the oppression of the Palestinian people. Rather, the Israeli military is poised to escalate its barbaric war with an onslaught on Rafah where a million refugees from other parts of Gaza are gathered in atrocious conditions. US claims that it is seeking to avoid a wider regional war, endlessly repeated, are a lie. The Israeli war on the Palestinians is adding fuel to wider conflicts underway throughout the Middle East as the US and Israel intensify their strikes in the region. On Saturday, an Israeli drone strike hit a car near Lebanons southern port city of Sidon, killing at least two people and wounding two others. The attack was one of the deepest inside Lebanon, where Israel has carried out numerous strikes in an undeclared war with Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. The target appears to have been Hamas official Basel Saleh, reportedly responsible for recruiting Hamas fighters in Gaza and the West Bank. The Israeli military carried out airstrikes on several sites on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday. The British-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said one of the strikes hit a residential building west of the capital, killing three people. The observatory said it was the 10th Israeli strike on Syrian territory since the beginning of the year. The US has been engaged in new military exchanges with Houthi militia in Yemen. The US Central Command announced on Saturday that US warships had destroyed two mobile unmanned surface vessels, four anti-ship cruise missiles and one cruise missile that were threatening ships in the Red Sea. In addition, the US and Britain conducted several airstrikes on Houthi-held areas across Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa. Important new information continues to emerge about how the Canadian state provided safe haven to Nazis and Nazi collaborators who were involved in the Holocaust and Hitlers war of annihilation against the Soviet Union. On February 1, the Canadian government quietly declassified a further fourteen pages of an annex to the final 1986 report of the Deschenes Commission into War Criminals in Canada, most of which was suppressed until last summer. Authored by Alti Rodal, Nazi War Criminals in Canada: The Historical and Policy Setting from the 1940s to the Present is a detailed, 619-page historical investigation of Canadian policy towards Nazi collaborators. With the latest release, most of the report is finally in the public domainsome 38 years after it was submitted and following the deaths of virtually all those it investigated. What remains redacted and off-limits is notable, however. This includes the true identities of the alleged Nazi collaborators themselves, their numbers, and information detailing Canadian government cooperation with US intelligence. A trained historian and senior government bureaucrat who was born in 1944 in western Ukraine to Holocaust survivors, Alti Rodal was the Director of Historical Research for the Deschenes Commission. Pierre Trudeau and the Nazi accomplice Subject F The newly released pages of her report detail the 1967 refusal of then Justice Minister (later Prime Minister) Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the father of current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to support extradition to the USSR of a Nazi collaborator who had been chief of a Latvian police station during WWII. Admitted to Canada in 1948 and protected for decades by the Canadian state, the person identified in Rodals report only as Subject F was Haralds Petrovich Puntulis. He was accused of involvement in the murders of 15,000 partisans, Jews and Gypsies, and the enslavement of many others, and was convicted in 1965 in absentia by the USSRs Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.[ 1 ] A 1965 External Affairs document, cited by Rodal, described Puntulis as an ardent Nazi lackey, not only cooperating actively with the occupying German forces but actually serving their Jewish and Gypsy extermination squads. Despite the fact that there was indeed evidence against Subject F the elder Trudeau refused to extradite Puntulis, as similar steps might be taken against any persons who had obtained a certificate of citizenship if it were found he had not disclosed occurrences in his past Other still secret annexes to the Deschenes Commission report contain the records of more than 700 such persons, including wartime leaders of fascist Slovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia, and German SS officers, all of whom were admitted to Canada after WWII and protected by the Canadian state. Rodals report contains coded references to Subjects A through Z. Canadas parliament applauds Yaroslav Hunka, a former member of the Waffen-SS. Canadas Chief of Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre is on the far left. Justin Trudeaus government has faced mounting pressure to make a complete disclosure of the states historical relationship with Nazi war criminals since the entire Canadian Parliament gave a standing ovation to Yaroslav Hunka, a volunteer for the notorious Ukrainian-manned 14th Galizien Division of the Waffen SS. Taken together, the release of the Rodal report and the continuing scandal over the official state tribute paid to the Nazi Yaroslav Hunka point to a fundamental truth: Canadian state collaboration with outright fascist forces continues to this day. In Ukraine, the government of the younger Trudeau is arming and politically supporting the ideological descendants of the Nazi war criminals protected by the elder Trudeau, and by previous Prime Ministers. Canada arms, trains and politically defends todays Nazis in the Azov Battalion and other fascist elements in the Ukrainian state and political establishment in order to advance its imperialist ambitions in Eurasia, all the while dressing up what is essentially a criminal conspiracy in the phony language of democracy and human rights. If anything, the Rodal report exposes the continuity of Canadian imperialist policy, not some anomalous bad practices, and the persistence of official lying about it. Last week it was exposed that the Trudeau government lied when it claimed in September 2023 that it was unaware of who Yaroslav Hunka was. In fact, Hunka had received a personal invitation from the Prime Ministers Office, at the suggestion of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), with which, as we have detailed in the World Socialist Web Site series, Canadian Imperialisms Fascist Friends , Ottawa has worked for decades. This included providing safe haven to the Nazis Ukrainian accomplices, helping them whitewash their crimes. Subsequently, the Ottawa-backed UCC promoted an extreme right-wing, virulently anti-communist and anti-Russian Ukrainian nationalism that glorifies the Nazi collaborator and pogromist Stepan Bandera. The Canadian capitalist press has reported some of the latest revelations from the Rodal report, but only as historical footnotes. Not a single paper has named Puntulis, or revisited his alleged crimes. This is because the Canadian state has a great deal more to hide. Reading the now largely unredacted Rodal report, one understands why it was kept secret. It demonstrates that many of Justice Jules Deschenes conclusions in the official Report on War Criminals in Canada were lies. Deschenes demurred that the Commission will leave it to professional historians to examine the reasons which may explain this lack of interest on the part not only of successive governments, but of the people themselves, in the prosecution of war criminals in Canada. This deeply cynical statement, which attempts to blame the Canadian working class for the political complicity of the ruling class, was made with full knowledge of how the Canadian state rapidly relaxed its policy on the admission of those who fought for the Nazis and did so voluntarily. Canadas post-war Nazi Open Door policy The Rodal report lists a series of government policy decisions, some of them heretofore secret Orders in Council and RCMP memoranda, which indicate the development of the Canadian states open-door policy to Nazis, for example: 29 May 1947: P.C (Privy Council) 2047 provides for entry to Canada under Ministers Permit of German scientists and technicians under certain conditions 31 July, 1947: P.C. 2908 lifts ban on admission of enemy aliens for nationalities of Finland, Hungary, Italy and Roumania Service in the armed forces of these countries during the war not to be a ban on admission to Canada, according to External Affairs circular, January 1948. April 1948: RCMP and Immigration decision to admit former members of Baltic Waffen SS who enlisted after December 1, 1943 30 Nov 1950: RCMP circular: membership in the Nazi Party no longer grounds for rejection for immigration to Canada May 1951: Security Panel recommendations: that service in the Waffen SS should no longer be cause for blanket rejection.... that Waffen SS should be rejected if: non-German SS found to bear mark of SS blood group Collaboration in itself not to be considered cause for rejection All cases of major and minor collaborators to be decided by Deputy Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Rodal notes that in discussions within the Canadian state on the admission of Nazi war criminals, the moral dimension was absent. Canadian officials took into consideration only the cold calculations of the interest of Canadian capitalism and imperialism. Rodal report, page 291. Remarks of Joseph Robillard, Chief of Canadian Immigration Mission in Germany, to Canadas Ambassador to West Germany. 1955. Emphasis added. [Photo: Government of Canada] Rodals report further exposes how those regulations on the entry of war criminals which remained in place were openly countermanded by secret orders. She writes, Research for this report indicates that there were instances when Canadian officials decided to overlook SS tattoo marks that there were in fact directives issued to screening officers to ignore SS tattoo marks for Baltic Waffen SS cases and several other instances. (emphasis added) While the official Deschenes report blessed the decisions of previous governments to admit war criminal suspects, as they had been individually screened for security purposes before admission to Canada, the Rodal report exposes the security screening processes as a fraud, and Descheness statement as a lie. Rodal notes that One must reject as unfounded recollections and conclusions reached by former immigration and security screening officers regarding the strictness and thoroughness of postwar immigration screening procedures. Yet these were the very same phony recollections which the official Deschenes report promoted as good coin. Thanks to Rodal, we know that Jules Deschenes lied outright when he stated that, Public statements by outside interveners concerning alleged war criminals in Canada have spread increasingly large and grossly exaggerated figures as to their estimated number. Rodal reached exactly the opposite conclusion, declaring it would be rash to assume that significant numbers of war criminals and Nazi collaborators did not enter Canada. Likewise, Deschenes infamously exonerated all of the members of the Ukrainian 14th Waffen SS Galizien Division, at least 3000 of whom entered Canada. Yaroslav Hunka (front center) among Nazi Waffen-SS Galicia Division troops. [Photo: Ivan Katchanovski/Twitter or X] Rodal noted that the previous employment of many members of the Division in various Ukrainian police battalions which had played a major role in the Holocaust in Ukraine, rounding up and killing Jews en masse, may not remove, but rather strengthen the probability of a war criminal element. Further, Rodal documented the campaign of lies waged by the Ukrainian Canadian Committee from 1947 to 1950 to mis-characterize the Waffen SS Division as a unit of the regular German army, and even as labour conscripts. Deschenes in contrast, gave the UCC official standing before the Commission of Inquiry! As the WSWS has previously explained, the Deschenes Commission was a cover-up. Its report and findings were written not to tell the truth, but to protect the Canadian state, which ran Nazi war criminals as intelligence agents during the Cold War, deploying them as a blunt weapon against the working class at home and abroad. The Rodal report was likewise written with the aim of assisting the Canadian state, by ensuring that its senior operatives were confidentially apprised of some of the most sordid and politically explosive of its Cold War crimes. The case of the Serbian Nazi and deputy concentration camp commander Radon Typical is a case which Rodal chose to describe in detail, and at random, for its representative nature of a whole body of similar cases, codenamed in government records variously as U, V or Radon. After thirteen years of membership in the Lotichthe Serbian Nazi partyand the Belgrade PoliceRadon became the deputy commander of the Branjica concentration camp, associated with the deaths of 700,000 people according to Rodal. In all likelihood Radon is Radovan Charapic,[i] who was named subsequent to Rodals report. Radon was accused of being one of those responsible for making selection lists of those prisoners to be shot, sent to gas chambers, or to concentration camps in Germany. He was sentenced to death in absentia in 1947 in Yugoslavia. Radon entered Canada under the Bulk Labour Program using forged papers provided by US intelligence in 1948. He immediately began espionage work against Yugoslav Communists in Toronto under RCMP supervision. This lasted until 1951, when the Globe and Mail reported on the Yugoslav governments demand for his extradition to stand trial for war crimes. Despite the conclusion of the Department of Justice that there was sufficient evidence to take action against U no action was ever taken to prosecute him. Actions were instead taken to protect him. In 1962 the RCMP Security Service deliberately withheld information from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration which would have informed them of Radons wartime activities. The RCMP testified that any association of U/V (Radon) with Charapic was probably a case of mistaken identity. The Deputy Minister of Immigration at the time could not help but comment that I cant escape the conclusion that there is probably something to this story: nor can I believe that we would have been quite so unconcerned about really getting to the bottom of the whole business if the man had been a subversive of the left rather than on the right side of the political spectrum. By 1967, Canadas Department of External Affairs was aware of Radons identity and wartime criminal record. Nothing was done. In 1979, the RCMP interviewed Radon, and declared there is nothing on file to indicate that the Security Service or any other Canadian Agency was aware of Vs correct identity prior to his arrival in Canada using false documentation. This pathetic excuse is entirely beside the point, as his identity was publicly revealed in 1951, yet he was allowed to remain in Canada unmolested. A 1983 secret RCMP report determined that Radons identity as an accused war criminal had been confirmed to the Security Service in 1964. 1983 was also the year in which the RCMP destroyed more than 6,462 cubic feet of immigration files, an act which Justice Deschenes declared, should not be considered a culpable act or a blunder, but which has occurred in the normal course of the application of a routine policy. Rodal suggests the reason for the RCMPs protection of Radon: his continued exploitation by US intelligence and the RCMP. She reveals that in 1961, Radon possessed two different passports, using two different aliases. This suggests the possibility that his past record for such services to the Americans and his false identity would also have been known by Canadian authorities at that time. An ongoing state coverup Rodal also reveals that she herself was under immense pressure NOT to investigate the links between state intelligence agencies and Nazi war criminals, stating The author of this report was specifically discouraged by Commission Counsel from researching these allegations further on the grounds that the task was an impossible one, and not properly the work of the Commission. Rodal responded that Nevertheless, aspects of the allegations do appear to have some foundation, and the issue calls for further research. Further research has been stymied by the deliberate destruction and falsification of the historical record. Underscoring this is Rodals remark that internal RMCP memoranda, at the time when Corporal Yetter of the Federal Policing Branch was investigating the allegations regarding the role of American and British intelligence, refer to the disappearance in the early 1970s of files relating to the subject of Nazi war criminals and to the reconstitution of a false docket on the subject. Rodals report contains many additional important revelations, which the World Socialist Website will be reporting on in greater detail: The participation of the Canadian government in US intelligences Operation Paperclip to provide safe haven to Nazi scientists and technicians, despite their inadmissibility under the law. Direct support of the highest state officials, including Prime Minister Louis St Laurent, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, and Foreign Affairs Minister Paul Martin Sr. for high officials in the Nazi-created Slovak fascist state and the native fascist party (the Slovak Peoples Party or Hlinka Party)including those who formulated its genocidal policies against Slovakias Jews. These criminals include Karol Sidor, Joseph Kirschbaum, Ferdinand Durcansky, Karol Murin, and Konstantin Culen, all of whom found refuge for at least some time in Canada. Kirschbaum, who was the secretary-general of the Hlinka Party, later went on to edit the Canadian Slovak newspaper, Kanadsky Slovak and founded the virulently anti-communist, CIA-backed Slovak World Congress. The fascist political organizing in Canada and the United States of legionaries of the Rumanian Iron Guard, including the infamous Joseph Trifa, as well as fifteen others who lived out their lives in Toronto, Hamilton and Windsor, despite the knowledge of Canadian officials that these men had likely taken part in wartime atrocities. The admission to Canada of high officials of fascist Hungary, members of the Arrow Cross Party, whose Nazi backgrounds were known to the RCMP. Canadas national police and then chief national security agency was also made aware of their role in the deportation of more than 600,000 Jews to Nazi Germany, and in the production of anti-Semitic propaganda. The admission to Canada of prominent Nazis and Nazi collaborators from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, including members of the Arajs Latvian execution squads, which carried out mass shootings of Jews, Gypsies and Communists. The escape from justice, via Ireland and then via Canada of Andrija Artukovic, a leading member of the fascist Croat Ustace, Minister of the Interior and of Justice in the Croat fascist state. Artukovic established and oversaw the system of concentration camps in Croatia, including the infamous Jasenovac camp, in which prisoners were murdered with particular sadism, beaten to death with hammers, and chopped to pieces using axes. Research Nester Key Colposcopy Market players include Karl Kaps GmbH & Co. KG, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, CooperSurgical, Inc, DYSIS Medical Inc, ATMOS Medizin Technik GmbH & Co. KG, Olympus Corporation, McKesson Medical Surgical Inc., Inline Systems, Optomic, Seiler Instrument & Manufacturing Company Inc. New York , Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global colposcopy market size is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 4% from 2023 to 2035. The market is expected to garner a revenue of USD 700 billion by the end of 2035, up from a revenue of USD 488 billion in the year 2022. The growth of the market can be attributed to the increasing patient pool and exponentially rising disease burden. The colposcopy procedure has garnered approval as a primary technique for the diagnosis of cervical cancer. The cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women all around the world. It has been estimated that in the year 2020, almost 604,010 new cases were diagnosed and 342,010 deaths occurred in the year 2020. Request Free Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.researchnester.com/sample-request-5011 All over the world, countries are working to boost the eradication of cervical cancer in the coming period. Women between the age group of 35 and 44 are most likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer. There have been more people found with long-lasting infections with high-risk types of HPV (human papillomavirus). It has been estimated that almost 93.1% of cervical cancers are preventable and the colposcopy procedure is proving to be efficacious. The process of colposcopy successfully examines a persons vagina, cervix, and vulva for sign of diseases. Furthermore, colposcopy is widely used by doctors to diagnose genital warts, inflammation of the cervix, precancerous changes in the tissue of the vagina, precancerous changes in the tissue of the cervix, and precancerous changes in the vulva. Hence, doctors are recommending colposcopy which is expected to boost the market growth. Story continues Colposcopy Market: Key Takeaways Market in North America to propel highest growth Optical segment to garner the highest growth Market in Asia Pacific to grow at a significant rate Growth in governments initiatives to Boost Market Growth The improved image quality is expected to enhance the diagnostic precision in the early stage of the cancer. Due to this, governments all over the world, are putting efforts and making people aware of various tests such as colposcopy. For instance, China conducted a campaign in which almost 120 million cervical cancer screenings were conducted. Similarly, more healthcare professionals in central Asia and Eastern Europe are being trained in clinical management and colposcopy in an UNFPA-led campaign. Researchers suggest that almost 80% of the new cases and deaths are preventable through screening programs. Apart from this, the Australian government unveiled the National Strategy for the eradication of cervical cancer with an investment of almost USD 34 million. In the Middle East region, the Israeli government conducting a large-scale screening project with a private firm. In the past, almost 9000 women were screened and the government is planning to expand tests to almost 50,000 women. The cumulative efforts from all over the world are expected to fuel the market. Colposcopy Industry: Regional Overview The global colposcopy market is segmented into five major regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa region. Rising healthcare expenditure to Drive Growth in the North America Region The colposcopy industry in North America region is estimated to garner the largest revenue by the end of 2035. The region dominated the market in the year 2022 with the largest revenue share of almost 32%. The reason for the growth of the market in the region is rising healthcare expenditure. The United States spent nearly USD 4.11 trillion on healthcare in the year 2020. Furthermore, factors such as the adoption of colposcopy equipment, the remarkable presence of distribution channels, and easy access to healthcare technologies are fuelling the market growth in the region. Other than this, each year in the United States almost 3.1 million women are evaluated with colposcopy procedures by gynecologists. Additionally, the Pan American Health Organisation also launched a communication campaign to eliminate cervical cancer. On the back of this, the market in the region is expected to offer lucrative opportunities. Presence of Large Patient Pool to Drive Growth in the Asia Pacific Region The Asia Pacific colposcopy market is estimated to garner the largest revenue by the end of 2035. The fastest CAGR is anticipated to be witnessed in the Asia Pacific during the forecast period. For instance, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in the year 2020, China has almost 109,100 new cases and 59,100 deaths due to cervical cancer. The incidences of cervical cancer in India are also rising exponentially. Cervical cancer is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths among women in India. The government is willing to bridge the gap between access to timely treatment and effective screening procedures. On the back of this, the colposcopy market is anticipated to garner remarkable share in the Asia Pacific region. Make an Inquiry Before Buying this Report @ https://www.researchnester.com/inquiries-before-buying-5011 Colposcopy Market Segmentation by Portability Fixed Portable Handheld The fixed segment is anticipated to hold almost 47% of the share of global market by the year 2035. The fixed colposcopys devices are in high demand in the regions where technological development is going slow. Other than this, the handheld colposcopy devices are also anticipated to dominate. These types of devices provide enhanced clinical services, improved workflow, and a simple interface. Colposcopy Segmentation by Type Digital Optical Colposcopy Segmentation by End User Hospitals Diagnostic Centres Clinics The hospital segment holds the largest revenue share of almost 33% in the year 2022. There has been a rising acceptance of technologically advanced biopsies for early diagnosis of cervical cancer. Such factors are responsible for the growth of the hospital segment in the coming duration. A few of the well-known market leaders in the global colposcopy market that are profiled by Research Nester are Karl Kaps GmbH & Co. KG, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, CooperSurgical, Inc, DYSIS Medical Inc, ATMOS Medizin Technik GmbH & Co. KG, Olympus Corporation, McKesson Medical Surgical Inc., Inline Systems, Optomic, Seiler Instrument & Manufacturing Company Inc., and other key market players. Recent Development in the Market In 2022, Dr Anupama Bhute fabricated an android phone integrated colposcopy to detect cervical cancer. The gynaecologist also got a patent for the development. In 2021, a compact colposcope has been launched by DYSIS medical Inc., which include the companys innovative computer-aided cervical mapping technology. Read our insightful Blogs and Data-driven Case Studies: Genome Editing Technology - Altering Genetic Code to achieve Medical Breakthroughs Get to know about the concept of genome editing. Our guide explores the applications of gene editing in different areas. Also, the blog discusses the issues associated with gene editing technology. https://www.researchnester.com/blog/healthcare/biotechnology/genome-editing-technology-altering-genetic-code-to-achieve-medical-breakthroughs How a medical technology business focused on developing new devices with enhanced dose management skills to make them suitable for lengthy procedures? The case study summarises the integration of new technological advancements in the field of medicine. The detailed survey provides the examination of the right customer segmentation and customer retention. https://www.researchnester.com/case-study/healthcare/medical-devices/medical-technology-business-investing-in-enhanced-technology About Research Nester Research Nester is a one-stop service provider with a client base in more than 50 countries, leading in strategic market research and consulting with an unbiased and unparalleled approach towards helping global industrial players, conglomerates and executives for their future investment while avoiding forthcoming uncertainties. With an out-of-the-box mindset to produce statistical and analytical market research reports, we provide strategic consulting so that our clients can make wise business decisions with clarity while strategizing and planning for their forthcoming needs and succeed in achieving their future endeavors. We believe every business can expand to its new horizon, provided a right guidance at a right time is available through strategic minds. CONTACT: AJ Daniel Corporate Sales, USA Research Nester Email: info@researchnester.com USA Phone: +1 646 586 9123 Europe Phone: +44 203 608 5919 Autoworkers voted on Friday to maintain their picket lines at the massive assembly complex of Audi in the central state of Puebla and continue a strike that began on January 24. Workers during the inauguration of the Audi plant in Puebla, September 30, 2016 [Photo: Mexican Ministry of Economy] Out of a total of 4,161 workers at the plant, 3,139 voted against the latest offer, which included a 7 percent global wage increase. Showing a growing determination to fight, this compared to 3,090 workers who rejected the first offer of a 6.5 percent raise. The massive rejection followed attempts by the company to offer a 12-month extension of contracts for the 800 casual employees in the plant as a means of influencing the vote. The impact of the strike has been significant. Since opening in 2016, this has been the only Audi plant in North America and the only supplier of the Audi Q5 model and its derivatives for the world market, except China. Most are exported to the US, Germany and Australia. In three 8-hour shifts, workers make anywhere from $2.50 to $7.75 per hour to produce about 750 luxury SUVs daily, which translate into $41 million each day. Audi spends somewhere in the vicinity of $150,000 daily on wages in Puebla, depending on the source. Economist Angelica Tenahua Cadena of Puebla Anahuac University estimates that the Audi and neighboring Volkswagen plants represent 40 percent of the economy of the state of Puebla (with a population of 6.6 million) and that 100 supplier plants depend on them. But only a tiny fraction of what they produce remains in the hands of workers. While the company claims it pays some of the best wages of the auto industry in Mexico, most workers in the plant still make between $600-900 per month or below the $1,045 official poverty line for a family. Many need side jobs to make ends meet. The so-called Audi Independent Union (SITAUDI) has said it is willing to accept a 10 percent wage increase compared to its initial demand of 20 percent. In either case, it would mean a few thousand dollars or spare change for Audi and its parent company Volkswagen. Even doubling wages is the equivalent of three vehicles per day, a reality which should serve to undermine the inevitable announcement of a major victory by SITAUDI once the offer is increased by a few percentage points. The strike has much greater implications for the German-based Audi and the ruling class as a whole which workers must understand in order to fight for a genuine victory. Tenahua explains that while wage increases have dominated the coverage, the most important factors are really the transition to the production and use of electric vehicles, as well as the repositioning of suppliers and assemblers on a global scale. She specifically cites efforts by the United States and other powers to dominate the market against Chinese corporations. In fact, the shift to EV is not driven by ecological concerns but geopolitical competition between rival capitalist ruling elites. In 2022, Audi announced a major investment to begin producing electric versions of its SUVs in Puebla by 2027, including a $86 million solar farm to decarbonize production. This announcement is being ignored by the unions and most of the media, despite being central to the struggle being waged by workers. This is part of a total transition to EVs. Audi has made public plans to end all new combustion engine models by 2026, and their production by 2033. The hybrid Q5 is already being produced in Puebla, and the electric Audi Q5 e-tron began its production in China in 2022. This transition is resulting in a historic jobs bloodbath that will inevitably impact Mexico, where President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced plans for half of all vehicles produced in the country to be electric by 2030. At Audi Germany, the transition to EVs has already involved the elimination of 9,500 jobs. These layoffs derive from the estimated 30 to 40 percent less labor needed for EVs than combustion engine cars. Moreover, the transition is being exploited to introduce design changes and automation to further lower production costs. Tesla, for instance, is building a gigafactory in Monterrey which expects to assemble one million electric vehicles per year with less than 6,000 direct employees, according to Mexican government sources. This is the equivalent of one fourth of the workers currently needed per vehicle at Audi Puebla. The Audi assembly compledx in San Jose Chiapa, Puebla [Photo: Mexican Ministry of Economy] In Mexico, the independent unions like SITAUDI and their partners in the pseudo-left, including the Morenoite La Izquierda Diario, have presented the sellout contracts following the US stand-up strike by the United Auto Workers (UAW) at Ford, Stellantis and GM as the example to follow. They have cited the 25 percent wage increase over four and a half years as a historic victory for American workers. What they fail to mention is that only a small fraction of workers at the three companies was ever on strike, and that announcements of billions in profits and handouts to investors followed along with mass layoffs of thousands of workers, many as a result of the transition to EVs. The IG Metall union in Germany, which leads the so-called Global Union IndustriAll, has overseen the loss of 37,000 jobs in auto parts suppliers since 2018, with tens of thousands more already announced. For years, the AFL-CIO in the US, IG Metall in Germany and Unifor in Canada have worked with their respective governments to train and sponsor the creation of new independent trade unions in Mexico, targeting automotive and other key industries. So far, such trade unions have been installed at plants of Volkswagen, Audi, Nissan and General Motors, where they compete with the gangster-ridden Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) that still controls most contracts in the country. In 2018, under the initiative of IndustriALL, a Federation of Independent Unions of the Automotive, Auto-parts, Aerospace and Tire Industries (FESIIAAAN) was created. This new union bureaucracy is closely tied to the ruling Morena party of Lopez Obrador. The Mineros union led by Morena Senator Napoleon Gomez Urrutia is a frequent recipient of AFL-CIO money and belongs to the FESIIAAAN. The Lopez Obrador administration implemented in 2020 a labor reform requested by the US and Canadian governments that required all workplaces to renew their contracts with the unions. This was aimed at channeling an emerging rank-and-file rebellion against the hated CTM behind the election of new unions, while introducing a process for vetting the new independent bureaucracy. While pretending to be more democratic, the unions backed by the US, European, and Canadian bureaucracies and governments are acting as just another cheap labor contractor. SITAUDI refused to call on workers to vote for or against the latest sellout tentative agreement and insisted that its role was limited to negotiating with the company. This can only mean that it wishes the conflict to be over and to go back to sitting in air-conditioned offices while enjoying the privileges of their automatic dues. It must be added that no strike pay is being paid to workers. After an initial contract extension since January 1 to try to avoid a strike, Sitaudi was largely pressured to launch it due to competition from a minority Authentic Audi Workers Union (SAUTAM). Most importantly, Sitaudi has refused to carry out any effort to mobilize workers across the industry within Mexico or internationally, which is absolutely necessary to confront major transnational corporations like Volkswagen. Far from initiating a new era of combative unionism, the Audi strike is the exception that confirms the rule. It is the first auto strike since the 2019 wildcat rebellion against the CTM unions in Matamoros, when independent unions intervened to contain it. As a result of the labor reform, strike authorizations have dropped nationally by 87 percent between 2019 and 2023, according to the Employer Confederation (COPARMEX). Like the UAW during its limited strike last year, the aim of SITAUDI and the rest of the independent union bureaucracy is to implement sellout deals which will be used to intensify exploitation and cut jobs as part of the EV transition. Only the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) is waging the necessary fight to organize workers against all nationalist and pro-capitalist trade unions and political organizations and to coordinate their struggles globally against capitalist exploitation. The IWA-RFC demands, as indicated during a recent statement, If EVs require less labor time to produce, then reduce hours and increase pay! The Australian Labor governments Foreign Minister Penny Wong was in the forefront of renewed aggressive allegations against China at an Indian government-sponsored gathering over the weekend in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. Her remarks are another warning of how the massive populations of the Indo-Pacific are being drawn into the vortex of a potential catastrophic nuclear world war by the US and its allies against China to secure unchallenged domination over the region. From left to right, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan at the 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, Australia, February 9, 2024. [Photo: X/Twitter @SenatorWong] Wong accused Beijing of a rapid military build-up threatening the entire Indian Ocean. Her provocative offensive was joined by representatives of the major Indo-Pacific imperialist powersthe US, UK, France and Japanas well as Indias External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Notably, China and Pakistan, a regional rival of India, were excluded from the 7th Indian Ocean Conference, an annual event that the Indian government inaugurated in Singapore in 2016. Those exclusions underscored the anti-China agenda, as did the fact that the Biden administration dispatched no less than three senior military-strategic officials to address the February 9-10 assembly. They were Rear Admiral Eileen Laubacher, the senior director for South Asia at the White Houses National Security Council, Jung Pak, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and Richard Verma, a Deputy Secretary of State. All are involved in ratcheting up pressure on regional governments to line up behind the US against China. In her opening speech, Wong set the tone, emphasising the Albanese governments commitment to the US confrontation with China. In essence, she placed Australia on the frontline of the conflict in the Indian Ocean, as well as the Pacific. The fact is that the same unprecedented threats that are faced on the Pacific Ocean side of the region are also faced on the Indian Ocean side, she declared. Wong also outlined an intensified partnership with Prime Minister Narendra Modis government in India, which is asserting its own predatory interests throughout the region while being used by Washington to trigger conflicts with China. This partnership was central to our efforts, she said. Wong told the 400 or so delegates and observers from 32 countries that Indo-Pacific countries face Chinas rapid military build-up without the transparency and reassurance that the region looks for from great powers. She charged Beijing with ratcheting up tensions and strategic uncertainty. Wong directly linked this alleged threat to other potential flashpoints in the region that the US has accused China of creating from the Taiwan Strait to the Malacca Strait, with its critical connection to the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal. She added that disputes persist about land and maritime borders, referring to Indias Himalayan border conflicts with China. Further, Wong declared the need to protect commercial and military passage through the Indian Ocean, which hosts more than a third of the worlds bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of global oil shipments. Labors foreign minister insisted: Any slowdown or interruption from piracy, disputes or disruptions, would have costly consequences around the world, as has been all too apparent recently in the Red Sea. Her remarks thus suggested the Albanese governments readiness to participate in US-led attacks on shipping disruptions in the Indian Ocean. It is already participating in the US-UK strikes in Yemen on the Houthis who are trying to interrupt shipments to Israel as the Zionist regime steps up its genocide in Gaza. Wongs charges against China flew in the face of the US-led aggression throughout the Indo-Pacific. Wong boasted of some of the military or strategic pacts that Washington has formed against China, including the AUKUS treaty with the UK and Australia and the Quad alliance with India, Japan and Australia. She listed growing Australian security partnerships with France, South Korea, Indonesia and New Zealand. While cynically posing as a defender of peace and the smaller countries in the region, Wong gave thinly-veiled voice to the neo-colonial interests of Australian imperialism across the Indian Ocean, where the Labor government is currently militarising facilities on its far-flung island outposts, such as Christmas Island and the Cocos and Keeling Islands. We will always remain a principled Indian Ocean power, Wong stated. She declared that the Indian Ocean is essential to Australias prosperity and our security. She noted that the Labor governments Defence Strategic Review last year identified this as one of our primary areas of strategic interest. At a media conference, Wong pointedly referred to Perth as Australias Indian Ocean capital. That city is the site of the expansion of facilities for US nuclear-armed submarines and other warships as part of the AUKUS arrangements. In essence, Wong echoed a US State Department fact sheet that was issued on the same day as her speech, February 9. It underscored the Biden administrations identification of China as an existential threat to the US-dominated international order imposed after World War II. We have seen the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] become more repressive at home and more assertive abroad, undermining human rights and international law, and seeking to reshape the international order, the State Department said. It boasted of reasserting American leadership and an unprecedented level of cooperation with allies, partners, and friends across the region. What this leadership means in practice was indicated by the presence of Wickremesinghe, the sole head of state at the gathering. His heavily-indebted regime is under intense pressure from the US and its partners, whose support it needs to inflict brutal International Monetary Fund austerity measures on the working class in Sri Lanka. Last month, Wickremesinghe announced a one-year ban on all foreign research ships docking at Sri Lankan ports, after the US and India objected to supposed Chinese dual use spy ships being allowed into Colombo and Hambantota ports. In his speech, Wickremesinghe did not directly reference the research ship controversy but said balancing between great powers [was] an increasingly complex task for regional states, all of which have strong economic ties with China. The space for manoeuvrability was shrinking fast. Laubacher, the US National Security Council envoy, bluntly told journalists at the conference that Sri Lankas ban was a step in the right direction, even as she paid lip service to the sovereignty of countries in the region. She bragged that the US had deepened its ties and engagements with many of them, some of which she recently visited, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. Not too subtly, Laubacher also suggested that the US, Australia and India would share more intelligence with South Asian and Indian Ocean states about Chinas military and strategic aims in the region. Then they can make their own decisions in regard to their own security, she said, like a mafia boss. Representing the Modi government, Jaishankar likewise insisted that the Indian Ocean countries had to pursue collective self-alliance or remain as vulnerable as in the past. This was an unmistakeable demand for greater alignment with India and the US against China. He accused China of violating agreements with India over their contested borders. In her speech, Wong clearly lined up behind that US and Indian bullying, saying that in the current climate even research vessels have the potential to be tools for strategic goals. She parroted accusations that in Sri Lanka and across the Indo-Pacific, China had engaged in disinformation, interference, opaque lending practices and coercive trade measures. Wong announced several programs to bolster US-aligned security and intelligence networks. These included a Marine and Coastal Resilience Hub under Indias Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and a Civil Maritime Security Postgraduate program to train maritime officers. Despite claiming to be stabilising our relationship with China, Wong stressed that this was without compromising national security. She said we are investing in our own national power. That was a reference to the Labor governments rising military spending and its call for an all-of-nation war economy. In other words, regardless of the huge short-term profit considerations involved in Australian commodity exports to China and widespread popular opposition to a disastrous war against China, the Albanese government is gearing up for such a war and demanding that all Indo-Pacific governments do the same. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, with commanders and soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, on December 25, 2023. Netanyahu has said Israel will continue with the offensive until a "final victory" achieves all of its goals. [AP Photo/Avi Ohayon/GPO] Israel is determined to assault Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza where over a million people are sheltering, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday. In an interview with ABC, Netanyahu said, Were going to do it. Were going to get the remaining Hamas terrorist battalions in Rafah. The assault on Rafah would lead to massive loss of life among civilians. Israels genocide in Gaza has so far killed 35,000 people, according to the Euro-med monitor, of whom over 30,000 are civilians. More than 85 percent of the population of Gaza has been made homeless, while one in 10 children under five are suffering from acute malnutrition. Notably, Netanyahu positively asserted that the population of Gaza would be forced to the north, amid widespread warnings by human rights experts that Israels real plan is to force the population of Gaza over the border into Egypt to the southwest. Theres plenty of room north of Rafah for them to go to, and thats where were going to direct them, Netanyahu said. And again, urge them and direct them to do so with flyers, cell phones, and safe corridors. Our goal, Netanyahu declared, is total victory. Following Netanyahus appearances on ABC and Fox News on Sunday, the White House released the readout of a call between US President Joe Biden and Netanyahu, where the American president reaffirmed his support for Israels military actions, declaring, in language that echoed Netanyahus, that Biden reaffirmed our shared goal to see Hamas defeated and to ensure the long-term security of Israel and its people. Biden, according to the readout, reaffirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there. Given Netanyahus assurances that the Israeli military had developed a plan to disperse those sheltering in Rafah into northern Gaza, the implication of Bidens remarks was to green light the planned attack. Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian politician and member of the Palestinian National Initiative, responded to Bidens statement by telling Al Jazeera that Biden gave Netanyahu the green light to invade Rafah. He added, The US is a participant in this attack. Last week, Biden had said that Netanyahus actions were over the top, while US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield declared that under the current circumstances in Rafah, a military operation now in that area cannot proceed. Now, in Bidens remarks, this language was amended to assert that the attack should not proceed without a credible and executable plan. In an article based on sources inside the White House, the Washington Post reported, For now, the White House has rejected calls to withhold military aid to Israel or impose conditions on it, saying that would only embolden Israels enemies. It added, White House aides say publicly that there has been no change in Bidens strategy or message. Critically, Bidens statement was accompanied by a vote in the Democratic-led Senate 67-27 in favor of a funding bill including $14 billion for funding for Israels onslaught on Gaza. Over the weekend, Israeli forces continued a non-stop aerial bombardment of Rafah. On Sunday, Al Jazeera reported that airstrikes killed 11 people in Rafah, amid reports of heavy shelling near Kuwait Hospital. This was in addition to 42 Palestinians killed in bombardments on Saturday. On both Saturday and Sunday, over 100 people were killed in Gaza, bringing the official death toll to 28,176a figure that swells to over 35,000 once those missing are added. On Saturday, Israeli forces killed two ambulance workers who were attempting to rescue Hind Rajab, a six-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces. The Palestine Red Crescent Society condemned the murders. It said in a statement on X, According to international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, the direct targeting and deliberate killing of PRCS crews and volunteers is considered a war crime. It added, The contracting parties that signed the Geneva Conventions and are obligated to enforce respect for international humanitarian law must take the necessary measures to suppress, rebuke, and punish the perpetrators. In another incident, Al Jazeera published video footage showing an Israeli sniper killing a young woman and her young cousin. Francesca Albanese, the United Nations rapporteur on Palestine, asserted that Israel is operating in open defiance of a ruling by the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to cease its genocide in Gaza. Israel is obligated to adhere to the courts order, and states must act decisively to prevent further atrocities, she said. In a statement Sunday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, warned that the planned assault on Rafah would lead to a humanitarian disaster. Proceeding with the plans could have gravely devastating consequences for the 1.4 million people who have nowhere else left to go, and who have almost no place left to seek healthcare. He added that hospitals in the Gaza Strip are overwhelmed and overflowing, while, In the rest of the Strip, a majority of hospitals are either minimally- or non-functional. In a statement on X, Catherine Russell, the executive director of UNICEF, said that Rafah is one of the most densely populated places on earth, teeming with children and families, some already displaced many times by war in Gaza. She added, Some 1.3 million civilians are pushed into a corner, living on streets or shelters. They must be protected. They have nowhere safe to go. Stellantis Warren Truck workers on shift change After Stellantis terminated 171 temporary workers at its Warren Truck Assembly Plant in suburban Detroit, management is surveying the plant for downsizing, according to United Auto Workers Local 140. In a letter dated February 8, Local 140 President Randall Pearson wrote that the facility will be going from 300,000 units per year down to 89,000 units per year following the projected end of production of the Dodge Ram pickup truck this year. The only vehicle slated to be built at the plant after this will be the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, which have much lower sales volume. In the same letter, Local 140 also announced the start of a new attendance policy where workers must call in at least one hour before the start of their shift to report a personal day, an absence or a tardy. Workers are angry that they are also now being forced to use vacation days and personal days before taking time off under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows up to 12 unpaid weeks of medical leave per year for issues such as sickness or childbirth. The announcement of more cuts has further enraged workers at Warren Truck, as it sheds more light on the depth of the betrayal carried out by the UAW apparatus in pushing through the historic 2023 national auto contract. In fact the only thing historic is the cynicism of the UAW leadership. One of managements goals is to more easily force out older, higher-seniority workers through buyouts or early retirement in order to bring in low seniority and temporary workers (known at Stellantis as supplemental employees, or SEs) that can be more efficiently exploited. The cuts at Warren Truck are part of a broader wave of layoffs and mass terminations by Stellantis and the other carmakers in the wake of the signing of the national UAW-Big Three contracts. The UAW had claimed that the deals would entail the conversion of thousands of SEs to full-time employment status. These lies have been quickly exposed. In recent weeks, Stellantis announced mass job cuts, including the summary firing on January 12 of 539 SEs in the Metro Detroit area and Kokomo, Indiana. Soon after, the UAW revealed that up to 1,600 additional Stellantis SEs would be fired across the US. On February 2, Stellantis laid off 2,245 workers at the Stellantis Detroit Assembly Complex-Mack plant, including 700 SEs, with the elimination of the third shift. A SE with six months at the Mack assembly plant said, They released me a few days ago. They gave no real reason. They terminated a lot of people. We were under the impression we would get full time based on seniority. People who had many years got terminated. They have done a whole lot of bad things. They set people up so they didnt receive a signing bonus or profit-sharing. They said it was part of their new efficiency program and to raise productivity by firing a multitude of people. I am sure the union knew what was going on. In an attempt to put a sugar-coating on the job cuts, on Friday Stellantis announced it was converting 184 SEs to full-time status at Warren Truck. The workers being rolled over are getting emails and robocalls this week for instructions, said a SE at Warren Truck. They have not yet been told if they are staying at Warren Truck or being sent to another plant. They said we might lose the Ram and do all Wagoneers. If that happens, we will be knocked down to one shift and people will be laid off then. A lot people are protesting the absence policy; it starts Monday. They think its wrong that they are going to be forced to take 50 percent of PA [personal absence] days and all vacation days before using FMLA days. They are looking at whether Stellantis can actually do that legally. FMLA is a federal law. There are a lot of angry people. The attendance thing is huge, it is boiling the blood of a lot of full-timers. Temporary part-timer workers only get six points and they are out. They are really going to go by that. What if you are in a car accident? Do you get a point for calling in? It is not clear. On Friday supporters of the World Socialist Web Site distributed a copy of an open letter issued by the newly formed Rank-and-File Committee to Fight Job Cuts that was established in the wake of the mass firings of SE workers last month. The open letter called for a united fight by temp workers and full-time workers to rescind the firings and to defend all jobs by instituting a shorter work week at no loss in pay. It stated, Collectively, we can defend our means of livelihood. Since we have been repeatedly deceived by the UAW bureaucrats, from International down to the local level, we, the shop floor workers, are organizing this fight. The letter exposed the claims by the UAW that it was blindsided by the layoffs, stating, [UAW President] Fain must think we are fools. He and the other high-paid union officials saw the contract before any of us didit was negotiated by them! They knew these job cuts were coming and they concealed them from us to get our votes. Workers at Warren Truck expressed support for the call for a fight to unite SEs and full-time workers. One full-time worker said, We knew this was coming. They lied to us just to get our votes on the contract. Now they are laying off the supplementals. Another worker said, Fain really showed us his hand with that bits and pieces stand-up strike. A full-time worker and member of the Warren Truck Rank-and-File Committee said, I just read the open letter. It was great. Very factual and to the point. I dont like the way they played the SEs that they fired. The working class has to band together and stop this. If we dont, they are going to continue doing what they have been doing for years. Everyone is fed up with all the lies and misleading information. It is time to take a stand and to stop messing us over and us just taking it. I am willing to fight. I totally disagree with the way they terminated the SEs. You are going to fire me with a text message a couple of days before I am fired and I will only have medical for a week? Thats BS. I saw where Fain said ready to go to war. He is a snake in the grass, Bidens right-hand man and they are here to destroy the working class, line their pockets off our backs. There is a target on everyones back because they want to push us all out. She said she was encouraged by the strike being waged by Stellantis workers at the Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy. Last week Stellantis CEO Carlos Taveres announced that the Mirafiori and Pomigliano dArco plants in Italy are at risk of being shut down. The workers are being used as pawns by the union bureaucracy and Stellantis in a battle to extract more government EV subsidies. Good for them standing up for what they believe in, the Warren Truck worker said. It is an uphill battle, but I tell you there is power in numbers. If they continue to fight the fight, they will get the results they need. Its not an overnight thing. I am sure the company feels it, they walked out not just a few people but hundreds of people. The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP, Socialist Equality Party) protests in the strongest possible terms against the dismissal of Ghassan Hage by the Max Planck Society and calls for his immediate reinstatement. We appeal to academics, students and all those who do not want to give up democratic rights to the attacks of the right-wing without a fight to join this protest. Ghassan Hage [Photo: Ghassan Hage] The Lebanese-Australian scientist, who has taught in Melbourne, Beirut, Nanterre (Paris), Copenhagen and Harvard, has been a guest lecturer at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle (Saale) since April 2023. The Max Planck Society has now dismissed him without notice for condemning the Israeli mass murder of Palestinians on social media. The significance of the attack on Ghassan Hage goes far beyond his individual case. A precedent is being set for the co-opting of research and teaching by the state. With 84 research institutions, 24,000 employees and an annual budget of 2.5 billion, the Max Planck Society has enormous influence on the research content that is funded in Germany and on who receives a professorial or doctoral position. At a time when Germany is massively rearming and the government is announcing that Germans must become war-ready again, the Max Planck Society is signaling with the sacking of Hage that it no longer tolerates scholarly material and opinions that are contrary to the political goals of the government and the ruling elites. Hages dismissal was prompted by a sensationalist and inflammatory article that appeared in the daily newspaper Welt on 5 February. Under the headline Anti-Semitism scandal shocks German Nobel Prize training centre, the right-wing Springer magazine accused the scientist of preaching hatred of Israel and unmistakably glorifying the terror of Hamas. Three days later, Hage learned of his dismissal by the leadership of the Max Planck Society in Munich. No one in Munich, lawyer or otherwise, contacted me or sought my opinion, he reported on his blog. In a brief two-paragraph statement, the Max Planck Society stated that it had separated itself from the Lebanese-Australian scientist known and respected in the professional community because among the views he has recently spread via social media, many were incompatible with the basic values of the Max Planck Society. It continued, Racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, discrimination, hatred and incitement have no place in the Max Planck Society. Hage categorically rejects these defamatory accusations. I stand by everything I say in my social media, he wrote. I have a political ideal that I have always struggled for regarding Israel/Palestine. It is the ideal of a multi-religious society made up of Christians, Muslims and Jews living together on that land. My academic writings on that matter, and they are considerable, attests to the way I have always struggled for this ideal. He has criticized both Israelis and Palestinians who oppose this goal. If some right-wing journalists who dislike my politics decide to pick from all what I have written my critiques of Israel and accuse me of antisemitism, I expect my employer to know or at least to investigate my record and defend me against such accusations. Believing in a multi-religious society and critiquing those who work against it is not anti-Semitism. I will not accept to be put in a defensive position where I have to justify myself for holding and working for such ideals, he wrote. The Max Planck Societys claim that Ghassan Hage spreads racism and antisemitism is a vile slander. He was fired for publicly criticizing the mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza. The quotes cited by Die Welt as evidence of his hatred of the Jews clearly castigates the violence of the Israeli government and take sides with the Palestinian population. There is no trace of antisemitism in themunless one describes protest against the murder and expulsion of two million Palestinians by the far-right Israeli government as antisemitism. The German government is deeply involved in the crimes of the Netanyahu regime, supplying it with weapons, defending it against international criticism and participating militarily in the conflict in the Middle East. In Germany, it bans demonstrations, prohibits slogans and arrests activists who defend the Palestinians. Meanwhile, the media largely ignores the bloody events in Gaza. The reason for this is not, as the official propaganda repeatedly claims, the German responsibility for the Holocaust. To support the slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians in the name of responsibility for the Holocaust is the worst cynicism. The real reason is the effort of Germany and its NATO partners to completely subjugate the Middle East to their rule again. The Middle East is only one front on which Germany is taking the offensive militarily. The government is financing the war against Russia in Ukraine with tens of billions of euros, categorically excluding any negotiated solution and stationing troops on the Russian border. The highest-ranking German general, Inspector General Carsten Breuer, told Welt am Sonntag that the Bundeswehr (German army) had to be ready for war within five years in order to be able to wage war against Russia. War readiness means much more than defensive capabilities, he added. In addition to the personnel and material commitment, it is also about the necessary change of mentality that we have to undergo, he said. A change of mentality is needed, both in society and, above all, in the Bundeswehr. This explains why the government no longer tolerates public statements that are directed against its war policy. In the Weimar Republic, opponents of war, such as Carl von Ossietzky, ended up in prison long before Hitler took power and brutally suppressed all resistance. The fact that the leading German scientific institution, the Max Planck Society, is now also supporting this campaign must not be tolerated. It is still well remembered what a disgraceful role German scholars played after the Nazis came to power. Hitler did not have to co-opt the universities, they did it themselves. The lawyer Carl Schmitt and the philosopher Martin Heidegger were the best-known heads of a large group of professors who praised the Fuhrer, adapted their teaching to the racial ideology of the Nazis and aryanised the chairs of their Jewish colleagues. The fact that Ghassan Hages expulsion is not about the fight against antisemitism is also shown by the striking contrast to the behaviour of the right-wing extremist historian Jorg Baberowski by the academic world. When he announced in 2014 in Der Spiegel that Hitler was not vicious and stood in solidarity with the Nazi apologist Ernst Nolte, the same professors and media who are now inciting against Ghassan Hage did not turn against Baberowskibut against the students who criticized him. Even when courts confirmed that Baberowski could be called a right-wing extremist and falsifier of history, who publicly incited against refugees, and insulted and physically attacked students of his department, university management stood behind him. He still heads his department at Berlins Humboldt University. Resist the initial signs of state co-option! Defend Ghassan Hage! Stop universities and scientific institutions becoming centers of war propaganda! Send protest letters against Hages dismissal to the Max Planck Society in Munich (post@gv.mpg.de) and to the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle (info@eth.mpg.de)! (Send a copy of your message to sgp@gleichheit.de so we can publish it anonymously.) The crisis that has erupted in the Democratic Party in the wake of the special counsels report on President Joe Bidens handling of classified documents is a manifestation of a far more profound crisis of the entire American political system. President Joe Biden sits in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, in Washington. [AP Photo/Andrew Harnik] The president, his White House aides, Vice President Kamala Harris and leading congressional Democrats have all fired back at special counsel Robert Hur, denouncing his claim that he did not recommend prosecution of Biden because no jury would convict a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. The Democrats have attacked Hurs report as politically motivated and the product of a partisan Republican, although Hur was appointed by Bidens own attorney general, Merrick Garland. Such allegations, however, are entirely beside the point. The Hur report has had a devastating impact, in the first place, because its description of Biden as elderly and with a poor memory is so obviously true. The US president is a man who looks every day his age. He walks stiffly, gestures haltingly, is frequently distracted and off target in his speaking, and he makes verbal slips and mistakes that cannot be dismissed as a remnant of the stuttering he had to overcome as a youth. He has been engaged in intensive political activity at the highest level of the capitalist state for more than 50 years, since he was first elected to the US Senate in 1972, and the wear and tear is there for all to see. The Hur report has not created the crisis in the Democratic Party, only brought it to the surface. The underlying causes include the massive unpopularity of the Biden-Harris administration. This is due above all to its unshakable commitment to imperialist war in Ukraine and in the Gaza Strip, as well as the continued deterioration of conditions of life for working people, and particularly the younger generation: declining real wages, exploding debt for college education, rampant police violence and attacks on democratic rights. Significant sections of the US ruling elite now fear that, on its present trajectory, the 2024 election is likely to end with Trump returning to the White House. Their concern is not over Trump as a threat to democracythe financial aristocracy has ample experience making use of dictatorial regimes all over the worldbut over the foreign policy implications, where the ex-president is regarded as unstable and impulsive. Trump triggered even more anxiety on this score with his remarks at a campaign rally on Saturday night in South Carolina, when he denounced NATO countries that spent too little on the military and suggested that he would encourage the forces of Russian President Vladimir Putin to do whatever the hell they want with them. Trumps influence in the Republican Party has already produced a seeming deadlock over Bidens proposed $60 billion in additional military aid to Ukraine, which has been passed by the Senate but so far is blocked in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. The fascist ex-president is no pacifist, of course, but is focused more on China and a purely economic approach to trade and foreign policy. This cuts across the central focus of the Biden administration, the Democratic Party, Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus, which is to bring about a decisive defeat of Russia in the US-NATO proxy war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian regime, brought to power by a US-backed coup in 2014, spearheaded by neo-Nazi forces, is now facing a debacle. Its 2023 spring offensive, which dragged on into autumn, accomplished little except the slaughter of more than 100,000 Ukrainian troops. Last week the political crisis in the regime exploded to the surface, with President Volodymyr Zelensky ousting the top military commander, General Valery Zaluzhny. Some editorial comments in the big business press have expressed the hope that Biden will step down, announcing he will withdraw as a candidate in the 2024 election. There have been a few comparisons to 1968, when another deeply unpopular Democratic president, Lyndon Johnson, announced on March 31 of that election year that he would not run again, but would instead devote the rest of his time in office to overseeing the war in Vietnam. This parallel is in many ways apt, since it hints at the deeper causes of the US political crisis, beyond its sometimes bizarre and accidental aspects. Like Johnson, Bidens political downfall is a deeply unpopular war. What finished Johnson was the Tet Offensive, beginning in late January 1968, which cut through the lies of the White House, the Pentagon and the corporate media about steady progress in the counterrevolutionary war against the Vietnamese people. What has staggered the Biden administration, as well as the ruling class as a whole, is the military/political debacle in Ukraine and the worldwide popular revulsion against the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. The mass protests in the United States, particularly by young people, have laid bare the gulf between the policies of the US ruling elite and the democratic and humanitarian sentiments of the vast majority of the American people. There are other implications of this crisis suggested by the analogy to 1968. The withdrawal of Johnson was only the beginning of an immense political upheaval in America, which proceeded that year through two assassinationsMartin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedya summer of urban rebellions, and the chaos at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, with the accompanying mass violence by police, leading ultimately to the victory of Republican Richard Nixon, a much-hated political figure who had already been defeated in a previous presidential campaign. It is not possible to determine the exact course of the convulsions that lie ahead. But it is clear that the American political system is in terminal crisis. The presumptive candidates of both the Democratic and Republican parties, Biden and Trump, are deeply unpopular. The choice they offer--World War III with the Democrats and fascist dictatorship with the Republicans (though these are not mutually exclusive--is no choice at all. The frailty and disorientation of the Democrat and the raging dementia of the Republican are themselves symbolic of the sclerotic character of the capitalist system they represent and defend. But as Trotsky warned a century ago, there is no final crisis of capitalism, in the sense of the ruling class simply leaving the stage of history of its own accord because it is utterly bankrupt, economically, politically and morally. The working class must provide an alternative. This means the fight for an independent political course for working people in the 2024 elections, and in the class struggle more generally, through the building of the revolutionary party of the working class, the Socialist Equality Party. Thousands of Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) workers participated in lunchtime demonstrations across Sri Lanka on February 7 to demand the reinstatement of 66 suspended colleagues. The protesters also opposed the governments moves to privatise the CEB and called for the withdrawal of a court order prohibiting CEB workers from taking any industrial action. CEB workers protesting near Kelanithiss plant on February 7, 2024 over government victimisation of 66 workers. [Photo by CEB workers] While workers have made clear that they are determined to fight these anti-democratic attacks, the trade union bureaucracy have done everything possible to prevent a unified mass mobilisation of CEB and other workers. On January 22, amid the ongoing suspensions of electricity employees, the leaderships of 40 state-sector trade unions, including from the CEB, covering the post, ports, banks, railways, government development officers and public health, came together pledging action to defeat the government and management repression. Many of these unions are controlled by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Addressing a press conference later that day, Niroshan Gorakana, leader of the JVP-controlled All-Ceylon Port Workers Union, announced that huge actions were planned. The first of these was to present a petition signed by the union leaders to the Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekara. This pathetic act, which occurred on January 29, was ignored by Wijesekara. Gorakana also declared that there would be joint actions, rather than isolated, separate actions and a strong protest involving workers from other SOEs outside CEB head-office on February 5 to demand reinstatement of the suspended workers. The protest did not occur, however, until February 7 and, rather than a mass demonstration outside the CEBs Colombo headquarters, CEB union officials demobilised their members, directing them to protest outside their respective workplaces. About 150 CEB workers demonstrated outside the companys Colombo head office but the 40 state sector trade unions, who promised on January 22 to mobilise their members, did nothing. Instead, Ranjan Jayalal, Jagath Gurusinghe, Anupa Nandula and Duminda Nagamuwa, respectively the leaders of the All Ceylon Electricity Board Workers Union (ACEBWU), affiliated to the JVP, the All Telecom Employees Union (ATEU), the Ceylon Bank Employees Union (CBEU) and the Class Struggle Center (CSC), turned up at the CEB head office, offering nothing more than hot air. It was yet another indication by the trade union leadership that they do not oppose the governments escalating privatisation program and anti-democratic attacks. In fact, the union bureaucracy has no fundamental opposition to the Wickremesinghe governments International Monetary Fund-dictated cost-cutting and privatisation policies. The protests called by the unions are only designed to dissipate the mounting anger of their members. ACEBWU leader and JVP central committee member Ranjan Jayalal claimed that bank, port, railway, insurance and other civil organisation employees were holding protests at their respective workplaces. This was a flat out lie. There were no protests at any of these workplaces. Workers demonstrate outside CEB headquarters in Colombo on February 7, 2024 Jayalal warned the government that it could not continue repressing the trade unions leaders and employees you have only seven months more [to rule],hinting that a JVP-led National Peoples Power government would come to power in this years scheduled national elections. Jayalal told the demonstration that if the CEB employees were not reinstated unconditionally, the unions would organise 66 families to set up camps in front of the companys head office. Consumer Coordinators Association leader Priyantha Wickremasinghe openly told the protest: No one is against the restructuring [privatisation of CEB] and it should be done to serve the people and defend employees rights. If thats the case we will give our support. While the CBEU did not mobilise any of its members for last Wednesdays protest, Anupa Nandula, the unions vice president, shamelessly declared: We will not isolate CEB employees. We are ready to face the problems jointly and crush the repression. Duminda Nagamuwa, who leads the CSC, which is controlled by the pseudo-left Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), demagogically denounced the power and energy minister. If Kanchana [Wijesekera] and his government do not withdraw this repression, the trade unions movement will take strong actions, he declared. Not to be outdone by other bureaucrats, ATEU president Gurusinghe offered up the same sort of empty verbiage. None of these leaders presented any program to defeat the governments privatisation agenda and its associated attacks on democratic rights. Committed to the defence of Sri Lankan capitalism, the unions function as an industrial police force for the government and big business, manoeuvring to stop a unified movement of the Sri Lankan working class against the privatisation of all SOEs, increased taxes, prices and tariffs, and cost-cutting to education, health and other essential services. Predictably, the government and CEB management ignored the trade unions and are continuing their repression. On February 8, CEB spokesman and Deputy General Manager Noel Priyantha told the daily Morning: We suspended those workers according to the situation that prevailed on the particular days of the strike. Now, we are looking into the excuses, grievances, and other factors. Addressing a parliamentary select committee last week, CEB General Manager Narendra de Silva said the company only had about 22,000 employeesdown from 24,000but admitted that there was a plan to reduce the existing workforce to just 18,000. The response of the trade union leadership to the government job destruction policies is no surprise. The Sri Lankan trade unions played a key role in diverting the AprilJuly 2022 mass uprising which brought down the then President Gotabhaya Rajapakse and his regime. This betrayal, which paved the way for Ranil Wickremesinghe to come to power, was followed by a series of strikes and various protests last year which were never aimed at bringing down the increasingly hated Wickremesinghe government, but at containing and politically derailing workers anger. Workers must draw political lessons from these experiences. No amount of pressure will force the Wickremesinghe government to abandon its brutal austerity policies. Nor will the trade unions lead any struggle against these savage social attacks. Like all of Sri Lankas parliamentary parties, they are committed to the IMF program and the defence of Sri Lankan capitalism. Notwithstanding their empty denunciations of the government and management, the CEB trade union leaders have abandoned their victimised employees, directing them to reply to CEB show-cause letters, saying they fell sick on the three-day national protest in January. CEB workers demonstrate near Nuracholai plant on February 7, 2024. [Photo by CEB workers] The governments ruthless witch-hunt of workers for exercising their democratic rights is a fundamental issue and an attack of the working class as a whole. This is why the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) has stressed that the fight for the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of the 66 suspended CEB employees must become a rallying point for organising unified nationwide class actions. On February 1, the Collective of Workers Action Committees (CWAC) held a public meeting in Colombo, calling on the working class to mobilise its industrial and political strength to defend CEB employees and fight the governments privatisation policies. The CWAC is an alliance of workers action committees in the port, health, garment, plantation, railway and education sectors, as well as sacked Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) employees, overseas migrant workers and farmers from Baragama. The meeting urged workers to establish action committees at every workplace, including in the plantations and in working-class neighbourhoods, independent of the trade unions and the capitalist parties, to take forward this struggle. This must include the preparation of a general strike against the governments IMF program as part of the struggle for a workers and peasants government based on socialist policies including placing the banks, big business and key industries under public ownership and the democratic control of the working class. The Health Workers Rank-and-File Committee (HWRFC) in Australia continues to receive statements protesting the victimisation and possible deregistration of scores of medical practitioners who have spoken out against the ongoing war crimes being committed by the Israeli military in Gaza. Health workers at Sydney mass protest against Gaza genocide, February 11, 2024. According to recent reports, at least 39 health workers are currently being investigated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) after being falsely accused of anti-semitism by Zionists forces. Those targeted medical workers include doctors, nurses, psychologists, midwives, optometrists, paramedics, pharmacists and physiotherapists, many of them women and with Middle Eastern names. On January 17, the HWRFC passed a resolution pledging to defend all victimised medical practitioners, defending health workers rights to oppose the Gaza genocide and calling on workers, students and youth in Australia and internationally to send statements denouncing these bullying pro-Israeli military slanders. The World Socialist Web Site is publishing below statements it received this week from two health workers in New South Wales. The first is from a highly-experienced mental health nurse, the other from an aged care worker. Statements have already been published from NHS Fightback in Britain, the convenor of the Pathology Rank and File Workers group in Australia, the Australian and New Zealand Doctors for Palestine, and a Queensland public hospital doctor. We urge health workers, students and workers to support this campaign by emailing statements of support to the Health Workers Rank-and-File Committee here that we will publish in the coming days. * * * Mags, a New South Wales mental health nurse The horrific barbarism being unleashed by the Israeli military in Gaza has absolutely nothing to do with self-defence, although the mainstream media continues to espouse this rhetoric while censoring and covering up the real facts of what is actually going on. Health workers in Australia are rightly outraged by the violence and cold-blooded murder of innocents, the majority of whom are women, children and babies. As a nurse with over 35 years of experience20 of those years in mental healthI am one of those outraged health professionals. How could I not be? Over 300 health workers have been killed so far in Gaza and scores of health facilities deliberately destroyed. Health workers speaking out against this brutality have been accused by the Zionists of being antisemitic, which implies that being opposed to genocide is a form of antisemitism. This is absurd and outrageous and a false and mendacious narrative championed by the mainstream western media. Health workers opposing the state-sanctioned murder of innocent people in Gaza are not antisemitic but pro-humanity and pro-human rights. Just as the USwith Australian government supporthas tried to silence Julian Assange, so the Zionists are trying to intimidate and censor Australian health workers. Palestinian children are being targeted and killed. The objective of the Zionist forces is to exterminate the Palestinian people and its Palestinian culture with the total destruction of Gaza being their end goal. Anyone that survives this onslaughtone of the most horrific war crimes witnessed this centurywill be comprehensively traumatised, trauma that will resonate down through future generations. Surviving children (and children always suffer the most in war) will suffer from all sorts of psychological problems. This can include anxiety disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, dissociative disorders (disengagement in the external world, depersonalisation, derealisation, numbing and catatonia) and behavioural disorders. The US falsely claims that it wants to eradicate terrorist organisations, but Washingtons foreign policy since WWII and its determination to maintain its global hegemony has actively incited and used terrorist groups to further these aims. Its unwavering political support and constant supply of weaponry to Israel serves the same purpose. The fact that the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA), an organisation that I am professionally affiliated with, is investigating health workers who have spoken out against state-sanctioned murder is abhorrent to me. I will contact AHPRA, urging it to reject all attempts to silence health workers over the Gaza genocide, send my support to the defence campaign being conducted by the Health Workers Rank-and-File Committee and will encourage my colleagues to do the same. * * * John, an aged care worker from Newcastle, Australia: I am an Australian aged care service employee. I support the resolution passed by the Health Workers Rand-and-File Committee (HWRFC) at a meeting on January 17th opposing the doxing and victimisation of doctors and other health workers in Australia by pro-Zionists on false allegations of anti-semitism. What is at stake here is freedom of speech and our basic democratic rights. The doctors have been targeted for speaking out in opposition to the genocidal campaign by the fascist Netanyahu regime in Israel against the Palestinian people. All health workers have a duty to defend patients or colleagues against violence, wherever it occurs in the world, and irrespective of whether they are in Australia or internationally. The reporting, barring and intimidation of workers for speaking out against genocide goes against the very commitment and function of healthcare workers to improve the overall lot of humanity. This attempt to silence health workers sets a new and more dangerous precedent. Aged care workers have been on the front-line of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in the past four years and fought hard to protect those who are most vulnerable to the disease. Governments everywhere, however, decided that profits must take precedence over lives, a policy that has had a devastating impact. The forever COVID response of governments everywhere and their support for the Gaza genocide are not separate issues but connected to government and big business efforts internationally to normalise mass death. The fact that none of the associations and professional bodies that are supposed to represent health workersin my case the Health Services Unionhave come out and condemned the Zionist regimes brutal military assault on Palestinians in Gaza makes these organisations complicit in these crimes. It is a clear indicator that they do not disagree with the Zionist attempts to silence health workers opposing of Israeli war crimes and the deeply felt anti-war sentiment among healthcare workers. I encourage the broadest discussion of the HWRC resolution and for a wide-ranging campaign for it among healthcare workers and family and friends and on social media. The fight against the attacks on healthcare workers depends on ordinary people speaking out. It must be brought to the attention of all workers. If we clearly and concisely explain the basic issues at stakefreedom of speech, the right to oppose war and genocide, and the defence of jobs and conditionswe will win support and youll be respected for your determination and struggle! Former President Donald Trump speaks at a Get Out The Vote rally at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C., Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. [AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta] Ahead of the South Carolina Republican primary on February 24, former President Donald Trump escalated his fascistic attack on immigrants while campaigning in Conway in front of a few thousand people. We are allowing people to pour into our country, Trump taunted. They are going to cause tremendous problems. They are coming in from everywhere millions of illegal aliens unchecked from Somalia, the Congo, Libya, Iran lot of people coming from China, Russia. Painting immigrants as an invading army, Trump said there are very few women coming in. Instead they were mostly 1825-year-old men, fighting age. They have something planned They are destroying our country. Trump was joined by virtually the entire Republican leadership in South Carolina, including Gov. Henry McMaster, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Reps. Russel Fry, Nancy Mace, William Timmons and Joe Wilson. Trump specifically boasted about his role in sinking the bipartisan anti-immigrant and war package that President Joe Biden demanded passage of last week. We crushed crooked Joe Bidens disastrous open borders bill, Trump bragged, adding, [House Speaker] Mike Johnson did a very good job. We saved America from a very horrific Biden betrayal. While that bill has been defeated, in a rare Sunday vote, senators from both parties voted, 6727, to advance a $95.3 billion military package for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific, which was stripped of the border provisions that had been previously negotiated. Prior to the vote, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) demanded the bills passage, writing on his Twitter/X account, If America doesnt send aid to Ukraine with this national security bill, Putin is all too likely to succeed. The only right answer to this threat is for the Senate to face it down unflinchingly, by passing this national security bill ASAP. While Democrats focus on war above all else, in his speech Trump claimed that Bidens horrendous border plan would have allowed millions upon millions to flood into the country unchecked. Trump promised, if elected, to carry out the largest mass domestic deportation operation in the history of America. The border problem is a big problem, Trump said, On day one I will terminate every open border policy of the Biden administration, and I will carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. We have no choice. We have no choice. Appealing to police and government agents, Trump promised that if elected he would indemnify police from being sued by the radical left for taking strong actions on crime. Trumps police state plans are not just idle boasting. In an article published by the Atlantic titled Trumps Knock on the Door, the magazine reported on an extended interview Stephen Miller, Trumps former senior advisor and speechwriter, conducted with Charlie Kirk, the far-right leader of Turning Point USA, last November. Miller was the architect of several of Trumps anti-immigrant proposals and will likely have a senior role in any future administration. In the interview, Miller explained how a future Trump administration would deport some 10 million foreign-national invaders. Miller said that in order to carry out large-scale deportations, the administration would deputize National Guard soldiers from states with Republican governors to serve alongside ICE and Border Patrol. You go to the red-state governors and say, Give us your National Guard, Miller told Kirk. We will deputize them as immigration-enforcement officers. These newly deputized National Guard soldiers, Miller explained, would then go around the country arresting illegal immigrants in large-scale raids. Miller said these joint deputized National Guard and border police stormtroopers could even be sent into an unfriendly state to carry out raids. To circumvent Democratic governors who might resist, Trump, as he promised to do during the mass protests against police violence following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, could invoke the Insurrection Act, which would provide the president with virtually unlimited authority to use any military asset. Miller explained that the thousands of people rounded up would then be sent to large-scale staging grounds near the border, most likely in Texas. From these concentration camps, Miller said the federal government would be running around-the-clock flights out of the country. So you create this efficiency by having these standing facilities where planes are moving off the runway constantly, probably military aircraft, some existing DHS assets, Miller told Kirk. As Republicans openly campaign on creating a massive police state, under Biden immigrants continue to suffer. This past Saturday, humanitarian aid group No More Deaths (No Mas Muertes) reported that Border Patrol refused to process 400 immigrants who had crossed the border in order to claim asylum. In a February 10 press release, the group stated that even as snow and freezing temperatures set in, Border Patrol never came to assist the asylum seekers who were in Sasabe, Arizona. When volunteers with the organization and other aid groups attempted to assist the asylum seekers by providing transportation to the local Border Patrol station, they were arrested and detained by the border police. It was not until Sunday evening that No More Deaths reported that all the migrants had finally been taken into custody by Border Patrol. It is unclear as of this writing if any of the immigrants died as a result of the prolonged exposure. A Type 23 frigate such as HMS Lancaster is typically crewed by 185 sailors - Will Haigh/Royal Navy The next generation of British frigates will be crewed by as few as 50 sailors amid a recruitment crisis at the Royal Navy, according to defence contractor Babcock. John Howie, the companys corporate affairs chief, said technological advances were expected to bring crewing requirements even further down following significant reductions on the most recent vessels. He said while the Type 31 frigates currently being built for the Navy require a core crew of about 105 sailors, the company believes the next generation often referred to as Type 32 should only require half that number. It comes as the armed forces battle recruitment shortages, with the Navy reportedly considering plans to mothball the amphibious assault ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark owing to a lack of personnel. In the year to the end of March 2023, the Navy fell 27pc short of its annual recruitment target. The services are also embroiled in a row over diversity, with soldiers told to avoid Christian elements in Acts of Remembrance on Armistice Day. This weekend the Telegraph revealed that the Army was seeking to relax security checks on overseas recruits to boost inclusion a proposal criticised by Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, who warned that a woke and extremist culture was taking hold. Mr Howie said further technological advances may ease pressure on staffing problems, pointing to how crew sizes have reduced significantly on some ships already. For example, the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth can operate with a crew of about 750 down from the thousands previously required for vessels of her size. Meanwhile, the Type 23 frigates have a complement of about 185 crew. Plans for the Type 32 were announced four years ago but little progress with the programme has been announced since then. Babcock and BAE Systems are among the companies that are expected to bid to build the future warships. Asked whether further advances could help ease recruitment issues, Mr Howie said: If you take HMS Queen Elizabeth, she was designed with a core crew of about 750. But on the old carriers it was a couple of thousand. Story continues A lot of thats been done through the highly-mechanised weapons handling system. On a US carrier theyve got 250 people doing something that needs just a handful on Queen Elizabeth, because its been mechanised. Type 31s have a core crew that is much lower than Type 23. So some of it youre getting through remote monitoring and compartments, some of it through automation. People talk about a Type 32 frigate we like to refer to it as Type 31 batch two. Were doing a crew of about 105 on Type 31, so realistically we should be aiming to half that number for batch two. Mr Howie added that even bigger crew reductions could potentially be delivered, taking numbers below 50 in future, but that this would depend on decisions about how to manage damage control in modern combat, for example to put out fires and deal with hull breaches. Amphibious assault ships like HMS Albion are to be phased out because of a lack of personnel - Alex Ceolin/Royal Navy Mr Howie said: Thats something I think the Navy are looking at. To what extent, in the age of hypersonic missiles, do you just have to assume that ships are, if they get hit, gone? And therefore they just need to stay afloat long enough to get the crew off? If thats the case, does that change the way you influence damage control? I think theres also a broader cultural piece, which is how do you attract people to go to sea for long periods when there are other jobs available that might involve staying at home and going out with your mates on a Friday night? Sending people to sea on platforms that dont have internet access, that dont allow them to call on a regular basis the armed services are like the rest of us, having to try to modernise and attract people into the workplace. Crew sizes have been gradually decreasing for centuries. In the age of sail, a frigate such as HMS Naiad fought in the Battle of Trafalgar with a complement of 284 sailors. Numbers remained at a similar level for the first steam-powered vessels, such as HMS Amphion, which was commissioned in 1847 with 320 crew. By the Second World War and the Cold War, frigates were down to less than 200 men. Five of Babcocks Type 31 frigates, also known as the Inspiration Class, are currently under construction. They are all due to be in service by 2030, replacing the older Type 23 Duke Class frigates. Each will be the length of 11 London buses and will be equipped with a helicopter flight deck, boat bays and advanced weaponry, including vertical launch systems capable of firing Standard Missile SM-2s, SM-3s and SM-6s, Tomahawk cruise missiles and SeaSparrows among others. The first two, HMS Venturer and HMS Active, are currently being built by Babcock in Rosyth. Venturer is currently expected to enter service in 2025. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. At a plenary meeting of the IFD Initiative, the two co-Coordinators of the Initiative, Ambassador Sofia Boza of Chile and Ambassador Jung Sung Park of the Republic of Korea, announced that four new participants Cameroon, Angola, Malawi and Mozambique have joined the group since the last plenary meeting in December 2023, bringing total participation in the Initiative to almost three quarters of the WTO's membership. Several other members have also indicated an interest in joining the Agreement. So, we hope to receive more good news in the coming days, Ambassador Boza added. The vast majority of IFD participants are developing country members, including 25 least-developed country (LDC) members. The result of more than six years of discussions and negotiations, the IFD Agreement, open to all WTO members wishing to participate, was finalized in its English version in November 2023. With the French and Spanish versions of the Agreement now finalized as well, the participants have agreed to issue a Joint Ministerial Declaration on IFD at a dedicated Ministerial event on the margins of MC13, by which Ministers participating in the IFD Agreement will officially announce its finalization and make it publicly available, Ambassador Boza noted. In addition, they have agreed to request a consensus decision by the WTO Membership for the inclusion of the IFD Agreement under Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement, which would formally incorporate it into the WTO legal framework. The board of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (ETR:DBK) has announced that the dividend on 21st of May will be increased to 0.45, which will be 50% higher than last year's payment of 0.30 which covered the same period. This takes the annual payment to 2.6% of the current stock price, which is about average for the industry. See our latest analysis for Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank's Dividend Forecasted To Be Well Covered By Earnings Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Having distributed dividends for at least 10 years, Deutsche Bank has a long history of paying out a part of its earnings to shareholders. While past records don't necessarily translate into future results, the company's payout ratio of 13% also shows that Deutsche Bank is able to comfortably pay dividends. Over the next 3 years, EPS is forecast to expand by 25.5%. Analysts estimate the future payout ratio will be 40% over the same time period, which is in the range that makes us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend. Dividend Volatility While the company has been paying a dividend for a long time, it has cut the dividend at least once in the last 10 years. The annual payment during the last 10 years was 0.75 in 2014, and the most recent fiscal year payment was 0.30. This works out to be a decline of approximately 8.8% per year over that time. A company that decreases its dividend over time generally isn't what we are looking for. The Dividend Looks Likely To Grow Given that the track record hasn't been stellar, we really want to see earnings per share growing over time. We are encouraged to see that Deutsche Bank has grown earnings per share at 64% per year over the past five years. Rapid earnings growth and a low payout ratio suggest this company has been effectively reinvesting in its business. Should that continue, this company could have a bright future. Deutsche Bank Looks Like A Great Dividend Stock Overall, a dividend increase is always good, and we think that Deutsche Bank is a strong income stock thanks to its track record and growing earnings. The company is easily earning enough to cover its dividend payments and it is great to see that these earnings are being translated into cash flow. Taking this all into consideration, this looks like it could be a good dividend opportunity. Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. Taking the debate a bit further, we've identified 1 warning sign for Deutsche Bank that investors need to be conscious of moving forward. Is Deutsche Bank not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Health officials confirmed that a man from Kenai Peninsula died in late January Getty A view of an Alaska landscape An elderly man in Alaska's remote Kenai Peninsula died of Alaskapox in late January, marking the first reported death of someone who contracted the recently discovered virus, health officials have confirmed. The infection, also known as AKPV and closely related to smallpox, has reportedly been contracted by only seven people since 2015, when the orthopoxvirus was first discovered in a patient living near Fairbanks. The unnamed man who died last month, according to the Alaska Department of Health and Division of Public Health, was the first person to contact the "self-limiting illness" who didn't live in Fairbanks. He was immunocompromised and undergoing cancer treatment, and had discovered a "tender red papule in his right axilla" in September 2023, before being hospitalized in November "due to extensive progression of presumed infectious cellulitis that impacted the range of motion of his right arm." After several tests, the man eventually "exhibited delayed wound healing, malnutrition, acute renal failure, and respiratory failure" before his January death, the Department of Health shared. He notably lived alone with "no recent travel and no close contacts with recent travel, illness, or similar lesions." He cared for a stray cat that had scratched him, he told officials. "The route of exposure in this case remains unclear, although scratches from the stray cat represent a possible source of inoculation through fomite transmission," health officials have shared. "SOE is working with the University of Alaska Museum and CDC to test small mammals for AKPV outside of the Interior region." Related: Ashley Park Talks 'Hopeful Recovery' After Septic Shock Hospitalization, Trying to 'Get Back Into Fighting Shape' Getty Images Patient in a hospital bed But what exactly is Alaskapox? Being part of the orthopox family of viruses, Alaskapox is closely related to smallpox, cowpox and mpox (formerly monkeypox). The virus is suggested by evidence to be zoonotic and is also believed to be spread from small rodents to humans. According to the Alaska Department of Health's website, Alaskapox has been "most commonly identified in red-backed voles and shrews" based on sampling. Domestic pets "may also play a role in spreading the virus." University of Essex lecturer and research fellow at the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London Stathis Giotis told The Telegraph that scientists are not certain on all the ways the virus is spread, noting that outside of rodents, some patients "have suggested they were bitten by spiders, cats, or dogs." Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. There is no reason to be alarmed, however. It is always good to be better informed about our interactions with wildlife," Giotis said. "Washing our hands carefully with soap or alcohol-based products helps to protect against viruses, as well as recognizing the signs of infection. Symptoms, per the health department's website, have included skin lesions, swollen lymph nodes and muscle and joint pain, with people who are immunocompromised being at increased risk "for more severe illness." "To date, no human-to-human transmission of Alaskapox virus has been documented," the department notes. "However, since certain orthopoxviruses can be transmitted through direct contact with skin lesions, we recommend that people with skin lesions possibly caused by Alaskapox keep the affected area covered with a bandage." As for how to treat Alaskapox, the department encourages patients to avoid touching their lesions, to keep them dry and covered, practice "good hand hygiene," avoid sharing clothing that could've touched the lesions, and "launder clothing and linens separately from other household items." Alaskans are also encouraged to "follow CDC guidelines for staying healthy around wildlife to prevent potential AKPV infections." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The largely right-wing criticism of the media has continued because journalists arent used to defending themselves and their industry. At least, thats the theory The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffery Goldberg proposed during the Television Critics Associations 2024 winter tour. With Trumps campaign and the Trump presidency, weve seen a lot of attacks that go unanswered partially because, I think, it puts us in an uncomfortable position, Goldberg said Monday morning during a panel for PBS Washington Week with The Atlantic. And partially because were just not used to telling people, This is how we gather news, this is how we analyze information, this is how we correct our mistakes as we make them, this is why we do it.' Goldberg also said that journalists dont do a good job explaining the intricacies of the industry and that younger generations, in particular, have no understanding. Into that vacuum can come some bad actors who want to dismiss the mainstream media as archaic or dishonest or whatever, Goldberg said, before adding that there is no such thing as mainstream media. There are different publishers that do things different ways. The media head also rebuked the idea that The Atlantic has a political bias and discussed the importance of being honest about its coverage of President Joe Biden. Were not in the Resistance. Were just journalists, and so journalists tend to try to figure out the best way to try and tell people whats going on, Goldberg said. You cant tell people people that Joe isnt old. He is. Hes the oldest president weve ever had, and so it has to be covered. It has to be covered in a plain-spoken way. Washington Week has been part of PBS since 1967 and features a roundtable of journalists from publications and news organizations that discuss politics. In August 2023, Goldberg was named the long-running programs 10th moderator. The post The Atlantic EIC Says Trumps Attacks on Journalism Go Unanswered Because It Puts Us in an Uncomfortable Position appeared first on TheWrap. Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of death. Reader discretion is advised. Maxs latest documentary, They Called Him Mostly Harmless, was released on February 8, 2024. It revolves around the investigation of the mysterious death of an Appalachian Trail hiker who was found dead inside a tent in a swamp in 2018. It took consistent efforts from followers of the case on Facebook, who ultimately helped authorities identify the man as Vance John Rodriguez. As per The Guardian, hikers found a dead body, who later came to be identified as Vance John Rodriguez, at the Big Cypress Natural Preserve on July 23, 2018. The man weighed 83 pounds and was 5 feet 8 inches tall. He was described as unnaturally lean by those who found him and called 911 immediately. He reportedly died in his tent in a Florida swamp. Some expensive camping equipment, a lot of cash, and food were found in his tent. Other than a notebook that was full of scribblings, authorities did not find any IDs or wallets that would effectively help determine the hikers identity. Moreover, none of the missing cases in Collier County, Florida, seemed to match his identity then. As such, tracking Vance John Rodriguezs identity became difficult. The case became popular after authorities photoshopped images of his corpse to make him look alive and circulated them to trace his identity. Soon, the man came to be known as Mostly Harmless among the followers of the case and authorities alike. In 2020, enthusiasts of the case formed a Facebook group. They also spent some free time trying to spread the word about Mostly Harmless and help identify him. As per TIME, when the case almost turned cold from the local authorities end, the internet community reportedly kept the investigation going passively. They Called Him Mostly Harmless: Who was Vance John Rodriguez? The outlet reported that a DNA test was conducted on Vance John Rodriguez by the company Othram, which helps conduct genetic tests that might help crack cold cases. Interestingly, the funding was provided by users of the Facebook group through crowdfunding, raising $5000 to run a DNA test on the hikers bone. This test was a crucial step towards finding out that Mostly Harmless was Vance John Rodriguez. The outcome of DNA tests revealed that Rodriguez belonged to southern Louisiana. This revelation was followed by close followers of the case spreading the word. Moreover, Rodriguezs pictures on local Facebook groups helped track down people in Baton Rouge who claimed to know the man. His acquaintances contacted the Collier County Sheriffs Office after seeing the photos on social media. Authorities then established contact with a family that was connected to him, and the DNA was successfully matched. According to TIME, those who were close to Vance John Rodriguez claimed he was a man dealing with deep-seated issues. The women he dated back then reportedly said that he was abusive. He reportedly had a major scar on his stomach, which he bore from a prior suicide attempt that he survived. According to The Guardian, Vance John Rodriguez died only a few miles away from the highway. So, he could have also reached out for help if he was trying to. However, the cause of death remained inconclusive. This made not only the victim but also the reason behind the death a mystery. They Called Him Mostly Harmless is currently streaming on Max. The post They Called Him Mostly Harmless: How Was Vance John Rodriguez Identified? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. During an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host recalled his favorite childhood memories in Sin City Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Jimmy Kimmel at the Los Angeles premiere of "The Greatest Night In Pop" in Jan. 2024. Jimmy Kimmel opened up about his experience growing up in Las Vegas during an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. The comedian revealed that the city gave him the best of both worlds as a kid because it offered small town qualities mixed with a little bit of "craziness." Kimmel teamed up with Visit Las Vegas to spread the word about how fun the city is as his hometown prepared to host the Super Bowl for the first time on Sunday. Jimmy Kimmel has nothing but pride for his hometown of Las Vegas! While chatting with PEOPLE about the citys Excessive Celebration Encouraged campaign, the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host, 56, recalled his favorite childhood memories in Las Vegas and shared the common reaction he gets from others whenever he reveals where he grew up. Kimmel whose family moved to Las Vegas from Brooklyn when he was 9 years old tells PEOPLE he wasnt aware that it was unique to have a home city like Las Vegas until he left Nevada. I didn't know it was a weird thing to grow up in Las Vegas until I moved, the comedian recalls. I was living in other cities and would tell people that I grew up in Las Vegas and they couldn't believe it. He adds: Of course, when you grow up in Vegas, everybody around you grew up in Vegas. So I got a different perspective on it when I left. Related: Jimmy Kimmel Reveals How to Do Las Vegas Like a Local Ahead of Super Bowl (Exclusive) Getty Downtown Las Vegas. Despite hearing others perceptions of Las Vegas once he moved, Kimmel says hell always be grateful for the experiences the city brought him. Looking back, I feel very lucky because you do have all the good things about a small town where you play little league and go to church and do all the stuff that everybody does. But then there's all this craziness around you. The comedian admits that being surrounded by Elvis impersonators is not the average kids experience. He also remembers seeing piano legend Liberace buying meat at the Mayfair market while wearing a hairnet once and spotting Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr. at a department store. When I was in high school, our marching band was hired to go to Wayne Newton's house and play 'Happy Birthday' to wake him up in the morning, Kimmel adds. So we had a 100-person marching band on Wayne Newton's front porch playing 'Happy Birthday.' Related: Jimmy Kimmel Jokes His Wife Tries to Avoid Sex Every Valentine's Day: 'It's Our Annual Tradition' (Exclusive) Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club Jimmy Kimmel at Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club in Las Vegas. Kimmel also reflected on Sin Citys distinctive qualities that make it unlike any other major city in the country. You go to Las Vegas to do things you wouldn't do at home ever. You go to Las Vegas to do things you're not even legally allowed to do at home, he says. I always wind up staying up much, much later than I usually do and seeing crazier stuff than I usually see when I come to Vegas. He adds that the city is just a good vibe in general because theres no closing time so the action is never-ending. I think that's why people have so much fun in Vegas. One of the things that I like best about being there is just being around a bunch of people who are there for nothing but fun, he shares. Related: Patrick Mahomes Wins 2024 Super Bowl MVP After Kansas City Chiefs Defeat San Francisco 49ers Jimmy Kimmel/Instagram Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo Rodriguez in front of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas before the 2024 Super Bowl. Kimmel tells PEOPLE that he was excited to take part in Las Vegas's Excessive Celebration Encouraged campaign launched by Visit Las Vegas and R&R partners to help spread the word about celebrating freely in the desert oasis while the city hosted the Super Bowl for the first time ever on Sunday. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. On having the big game set in his hometown this year, Kimmel says: It's a lot of fun. We always felt like Las Vegas was a small town, even though it's Las Vegas. So you still get that feeling when something big happens there, like the Super Bowl or the Formula One race. It's like when the circus comes to town." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A recent Variety report revealed that there are plans to create a documentary about the late former South African president, Nelson Mandela. Even though confirmation is pending, its title is said to be Troublemaker: The Story Behind the Mandela Tapes. Furthermore, the director at its helm is the very talented, Antoine Fuqua. Fuqua is best known for directing hit movies like Training Day, King Arthur, The Equalizer trilogy, and more. Troublemaker: The Story Behind the Mandela Tapes will contain newly discovered audio interviews with the anti-apartheid activist. Furthermore, the goal of this project is to showcase the subjects story with utmost accuracy and honesty. Even after a decade after his death, Nelson Mandela remains a global symbol of kindness, justice, and integrity. According to this documentarys logline, Mandela spent 27 years of his life in prison. Interestingly, this projects executive producer is Mandelas former cellmate Mac Maharaj. According to Variety, the late former South African president and Maharaj spent 12 years alongside each other in a small cell on Robben Island. Reports suggest that the latter transcribed Mandelas autobiography and eventually smuggled it out of jail. Furthermore, Mac Maharaj later became a minister in Mandelas government. The official logline of the upcoming project reads, Using recently discovered audio interviews of Mandela intimately recounting his life experiences, as well as the personal reflections and insights of Maharaj, the film will reveal the forces that shaped the global icon that is Nelson Mandela. It further reads, Jailed for 27 years, this pioneering activist lawyer turned freedom fighter walked from prison into a country on the brink of a violent racial conflagration to become the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Antoine Fuqua states that he has appreciated Nelson Mandala throughout his life According to Variety, Antoine Fuqua stated that he has looked up to Nelson Mandela throughout his life. Furthermore, he said that the upcoming project will even delve into his political ruthlessness. Reports suggest that even though the South African icon showcased a nice guy persona, he was a tough politician. Fuqua stated, Its an honor to bring to the screen the untold story of Mandela. A man Ive revered my entire life. For decades, Mandela and his comrades were put through the most inhumane conditions imaginable. Yet they came out of jail with love and forgiveness in their hearts. And rather than seeking vengeance, they sought to unite the country. His compassion and inner strength enabled Mandela to make meaningful change. He further said, This film will investigate how Mandela came through his ordeals with his humanity intact, and reveal the tough and shrewd politician behind his iconic nice guy persona. Im incredibly fortunate to be partnered on this project with Mac Maharaj, whose experiences, intelligence, and encyclopedic memory of his years alongside Mandela are invaluable. Executive Director Mac Maharaj added, I have longed to see the story of Nelson Mandela. And his decades-long fight and sacrifice for freedom, equality, and justice told in an authentic, complex, and revelatory way. He ended his statement by saying, It is a story that is more relevant to humanity today, than ever. I am thrilled that a director of Antoine Fuquas skill, creativity, and integrity has agreed to take on this challenging task. Nelson Mandela was the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 95. The post Nelson Mandela Documentary: How Long Was the South African President in Prison? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. A $7 million Super Bowl ad touting Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s run for president prompted an apology from the independent candidate. (Watch the video below.) The ad produced by American Values 2024, a super political action committee backing Kennedy borrowed heavily from a 1960 spot for his uncle John F. Kennedys successful presidential bid. It uses the same jingle and co-opts the vintage vibe. RFK Jr. shared the ad on X, the former Twitter, but hours later added an apology to his family after his cousin, Bobby Shriver, the son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, slammed the ad. She would be appalled by his deadly health care views, Bobby Shriver wrote of his mother. Respect for science, vaccines, & health care equity were in her DNA. Nevertheless, the ad not only remained on RFK Jr.s X account, but was pinned to the top of his profile as of Monday morning. Im so sorry if the Super Bowl advertisement caused anyone in my family pain, Kennedy wrote. The ad was created and aired by the American Values Super PAC without any involvement or approval from my campaign. FEC rules prohibit Super PACs from consulting with me or my staff. I love you all. God bless you. Kennedys press secretary, Stefanie Spear, sang a different tune regarding the big-game advertising, which American Values co-founder Tony Lyons estimated to have cost $7 million, according to CBS News. We are pleasantly surprised and grateful to the American Values PAC for running an ad during the Super Bowl where more than 100 million Americans got to see that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is running as an independent candidate for president of the United States, Spear told CBS News. Robert Shrum, a speechwriter for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), said on X that the ad was straight out plagiarism. He added: To quote Lloyd Bentsen with a slight amendment, Bobby, youre no John Kennedy. Instead you are a Trump ally. Kennedy, whose anti-vax views align with those of many conservatives, was grabbing 14% of the general vote in a recent poll that imagined a five-person ballot in November. That positions him as a potential spoiler for the expected main candidates, President Joe Biden and his criminally indicted rival, former President Donald Trump. Heres the original JFK ad: RFK Jr.s siblings denounced his independent candidacy in October. Related... Your kid is happy and healthy and 10, you kind of assume theyre going to stay that way, David Stippick said after his son Riker was hospitalized GoFundMe Riker Stippick Riker Stippick from Austin, Texas, was celebrating his 10th birthday in New York City Doctors believe Riker experienced an abnormal tangle of arteries and veins in the brain that disrupted normal blood flow and can lead to a rupture or bleeding Riker was put in a medically induced coma and his parents are hoping his condition will improve A Texas family is holding onto hope after their 10-year-old son ended up in a coma during what was supposed to be a celebratory birthday trip to New York City. Riker Stippick was excited for his first-ever visit to the Big Apple but a health emergency halted the Austin family's trip on Feb. 5. While visiting the World Trade Center with his parents, David and Hillary Stippick, Riker developed a painful headache. "There's a building over there that we walked through and as soon as we walked through that building he said, 'Oh, I have a really bad headache. This is the worst headache I've ever had," his father David told FOX5, noting that Rikers headache quickly escalated and he began vomiting and seizing. "It was like a shriek of pain." Your kid is happy and healthy and 10, you kind of assume theyre going to stay that way, he said. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Riker was rushed to Bellevue Hospital and admitted to the pediatric ICU, where he was immediately put in a medically induced coma. Doctors told Rikers parents that they believe he was experiencing an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), an abnormal tangle of arteries and veins in the brain that disrupts normal blood flow and can lead to a rupture or bleeding. About one in 100,000 people per year are diagnosed with AVM's, which usually aren't discovered until after they rupture. Left untreated, they can cause brain damage, strokes or death. Rikers doctors said an aneurysm inside his arteries and veins caused the excruciating pain and surgeons had to drill a hole into his skull to drain blood and fluid in order to relieve pressure. "It's as awful as it sounds, you know what I mean?" David told the outlet. GoFundMe Riker Stippick Related: Mom Helped Save Son's Life When He Told Her to Call 911 for Headache: 'Listen to Your Kids' Although doctors believe Riker experienced an AVM, until the 10-year-old is stable and off the machines, he cant get an MRI for an official diagnosis. Now, doctors and the family are waiting and hoping for Rikers condition to improve. Meanwhile, the pastor at the familys church created a GoFundMe account in order to help support Rikers recovery journey. It has garnered over $110,000 in less than a week. "I don't have the words to say thank you to everybody outside of the words thank you," David said, adding that the support back home has been incredible and overwhelming. "We never expected it to be our reality, but it is," he told the outlet. "We don't know the genuine hope of if and when he does come out of this, what kind of therapies or treatments are going to be needed down the line." Related: Michigan Chef, 29, Dies from Rare Fungal Infection That Had 'Eaten Large Holes' in His Lungs In an update posted Sunday to the GoFundMe page, the family shared that Riker suffered a massive brain trauma and theyve received mixed messages about the possibility of Rikers survival. However, they are taking everything day by day, minute by minute as he remains in the hospital. On Friday at 2:30, we met with Rikers care team and we were told that they were not optimistic that Riker would make it through the weekend and that we needed to prepare ourselves, they said, sharing a photo of their son while intubated and sedated in the hospital. We, understandably, were sent into a tailspin and havent been able to do anything other than cry and get our family here to say goodbyes. And somehowhere we are. This morning, Rikers main ICU doctor said she felt optimistic, the family said. I want to be clear; Riker suffered a massive brain trauma. Optimistic means survival; not that Riker wakes up and hes the same ol kid. But if there is any child that could pull out a full miracle, it is Riker Stippick. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy Season 2 Episode 6 will follow Makotos journey as an instructor at the Rotsgard Academy. Moreover, now that Bright has been revealed as the strategist behind a murder attempt, the episode may feature Makoto dealing with this potential new enemy. Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy season 2 episode 6 release date & time Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy Season 2 Episode 6 will air on Monday, February 12, 2024, at 11 p.m. JST. In Japan, viewers can watch the episode on various Japanese original networks, including Tokyo MX, MBS, BS NTV, and AT-X. International audiences, however, can stream the episode on Crunchyroll. Depending on the region viewers reside in, different streaming platforms other than Crunchyroll are available for them to stream the anime TV series. These include Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Medialink. Moreover, fans can expect the episode to hit streaming platforms in various regions according to the following release schedule: Monday, February 12, 2024, at 6 a.m. PST Monday, February 12, 2024, at 8 a.m. CST Monday, February 12, 2024, at 9 a.m. EST Monday, February 12, 2024, at 2 p.m. GMT Monday, February 12, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. IST Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy season 2 episode 5 recap Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy Season 2 Episode 5 gives a kickstart to Makotos quest as a teacher. He joins Rotsgard Academy as a temporary teacher with the main motive to launch a business in his name. As such, the Rotsgard Academy is a part of his strategic planning. In the episode, Makoto and Shiki strategize to lure new students into Makotos class. Eventually, Makoto manages to earn five students for his class, thereby proving the strategy to be useful. Makoto also encounters Bright, who happens to be a permanent teacher at Rotsgard. Towards the end of the episode, it is discovered that Bright has been involved in a murder attempt in the entrance exam for teachers. Bright, as it happens, is the tactician behind this attempt of murder. This turn of events poses a threat to the protagonist, ensuring fans that they can anticipate new adventures in the upcoming episodes. The post Tsukimichi: Moonlit Fantasy Season 2 Episode 6 Photos: Whats Next for Makoto at Rotsgard Academy? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. On a recent Friday morning, two star violists readied themselves for a rehearsal. Rebecca Albers placed one hand on the piano, using the other to scoop up her 16-month-old son. Maiya Papach kneeled on the floor, nestling a small violin beneath their 4-year-old daughter's chin. For just a moment, their St. Paul home, which had been a blur of kids and dogs, was still. Then the couple's daughter began to play. She bowed the string tentatively at first but by the piece's end was grinning. As she took a bow, everyone, including their 16-month-old, applauded. Most weekend nights, you can find Papach, 46, performing as principal violist of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Albers, 40, as principal violist of the Minnesota Orchestra. They've played Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. But these are the performances they're living for, these days. Their life here, filled with string quartets and wood blocks and walks to the park, is made possible by the fact that the Twin Cities boasts two acclaimed orchestras, a rarity. "To have two violists of that caliber as principals in the same city not to mention the fact that they're married is pretty incredible," said Erin Keefe, concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra and a friend so close the three refer to one another as "sister wives." Though neither grew up in Minnesota, Albers and Papach have recruited a crew from their Cathedral Hill neighborhood, loved ones who babysit during concerts and bridge the half-hour gaps when their rehearsals overlap. Papach's sister, who is pursuing her doctorate in composition at the University of Minnesota, lives two doors down. Albers' sister Julie Albers became the SPCO's principal cellist in 2014. Their mother, a Suzuki music teacher, moved nearby. In fact, so many family members have settled in Minnesota that they note which family members don't live in town, rather than which ones do. "Pretty huge viola jobs have come up like once-in-a-generation jobs and we've looked the other way because we like it here," Albers said. "We have our family, we have our community. We're really, really grateful to both be able to live and work here. "Hopefully that continues to be the case." 'A haven for each other' Their love story begins, fittingly, at a classical music festival. The two had met before, at the Juilliard School in New York City, where they shared a teacher. But they didn't get to know each other until the summer of 2006, at the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont. Albers nursed a crush on Papach, who fascinated her, "but you had no idea," Albers said, sitting on the rug beside Papach, as their son tugged on her shirt and their daughter pressed a picture book into her lap. "No idea," Papach said. The next summer, the two greeted one another with a hug. "I wasn't really thinking about it," Papach said, "but we hugged and my body was like, 'I want to stay here.'" They got engaged just a few months later. Albers had moved to Michigan to join a quartet and Papach had been freelancing in New York City when Papach nabbed the SPCO job in 2008. Albers decided to follow. Then the Minnesota Orchestra had an opening, and she auditioned, becoming assistant principal viola in 2010. She won the principal position, becoming the orchestra's lead violist and go-to soloist, in 2017. "She takes big, bold leaps of faith," Papach said admiringly. Same goes for having kids: "I always thought I would like to have a family," Papach said, "but I was a little more of a scaredy-cat." On her instrument and in her home, Albers is the natural leader, the organizer. Friends and colleagues describe Papach as the dreamer, the searcher. The physical comedian, too. Explaining why she'll never switch from a paper score to an iPad screen, Papach pulled her arms tight to her chest and jutted her head forward, mimicking a dinosaur. "They're so different from one another, but in the same way they are as players, they really complement each other," said Keefe, who performs with both violists in Accordo, a string ensemble composed of present and former principal players from both orchestras. "They're really able to get inside each other's heads and become a haven for each other." A haven for their friends, too. "Our job can be very stressful and personal," said Steven Copes, the SPCO's concertmaster. "You need someone you can trust to talk about things with, to put your head on straight." The two of them, but especially Papach, have "been there for me as I've gone through some very difficult times." During the Minnesota Orchestra's lockout, then again during the pandemic's shutdown, Keefe found herself spending most nights with Albers and Papach. They're the kind of friends you don't need to clean for, she said, the friends you can wear pajamas around. To most people, Keefe's husband Osmo Vanska is former music director of the Minnesota Orchestra. But to Albers and Papach's daughter, he's "ukki," the Finnish word for grandfather. Next month, when both Albers and Papach will perform with Accordo, creating "a scheduling nightmare," as Papach put it, Vanska will babysit. Playing together is easy, the pair said. "We have different strengths on the instrument, but similar instincts," Albers said. "So we might be doing different articulations, but the overall intention is united." The respect they have for one another extends to the music, she continued. "I don't know that we could actually have a solid relationship if one of us didn't respect the other completely musically. "It's a funny thing how much the music bleeds into our lives." 'It keeps opening doors' As Albers gathered boots and mittens, hats and a helmet, Papach slung harnesses on the dogs, an 11-year-old mutt with an underbite and 5-year-old with a brindled coat. After starts and stops, they headed to the park. Their daughter swooshed down the sidewalk on her bike. Their son toddled sideways toward a stick, then toward a tree. But half a block in, they found a rhythm. Becoming parents has shifted their lives, their musical lives included. There are the mundane things: the lack of sleep, the scarcity of time. Papach prepares more by reading, by listening. Gone are the pre-concert naps. Albers often practices in the kitchen, once the kids are asleep. But Albers believes having kids has made her more creative, too. "Being a parent is so much experimentation, just trying to figure out, what is going to get her to put on her jacket today," she said, laughing. As a toddler growing up in a musical family in Colorado, Albers tugged at the scrolls of her two older sisters' instruments. She bothered them so much that finally they gave her a violin. Papach's mother, too, was a musician, a flutist "orchestral music was her religion." Born in South Bend, Ind., Papach spent much of her childhood in Japan, where she fell in love with music. It means more to her now than it ever has. "It keeps opening doors," she said. "The same piece can reveal itself totally differently at different points in life, depending on what you're doing, what you're feeling, what you're going through." Papach nodded toward her daughter. "So that's what I want her to have." NEW YORK, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Taxi, Hercules and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia icon Danny DeVito said he and his former Twins co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger are actively looking for something else to collaborate on after reuniting for a State Farm Insurance Super Bowl commercial Sunday. "We're working on a project now," DeVito, 79, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview. "We were set to do a Twins sequel, but Ivan Reitman, who was our director, passed away, unfortunately. We miss him. We are back in the works, developing a project for Arnold and I to star in, so that we can get on the big screen together. I am very excited about it." Until then, they will make people laugh with their new commercial. "Arnold and I have been trying to get together again since the early days, before his job as the governor, all that stogie-smoking in Sacramento, got in the way," DeVito said. Arnold Schwarzenegger signs autograph during the Japan premiere for the film "Terminator: Dark Fate" in Tokyo in 2019. File Photo by MORI Keizo/UPI "I was really thrilled when I heard he was doing this for State Farm. I like the company and I like his company most of all. We get along. We have good chemistry. This came along and I got to spend the day with him and it was really wonderful." DeVito, who had planned to watch the Super Bowl at home in his pajamas, is looking forward to people's reactions when they see the ad. Danny DeVito attends the premiere of "Dumbo" at the Ray Dolby Ballroom, Loews Hollywood Hotel in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles in 2019. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI He thinks Twins fans will be especially pleased. The ad shows Schwarzenegger wearing a red State Farm polo shirt, while rescuing a pregnant woman, saving puppies from a fire, paragliding and flying a helicopter. Danny DeVito and Lucy DeVito arrive on the red carpet at the 2018 FX Annual All-Star Party at SVA Theater in New York City. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI He is every bit the action hero, but when he tries to say the company's tagline, however, the Austrian actor's accent keeps mangling the word "neighbor," with it repeatedly coming out, "Like a good 'neighbah,' State Farm is there," prompting the commercial's director to repeatedly correct Schwarzenegger's pronunciation. In the end, the commercial is played on a movie theater screen and, just as Schwarzenegger is about to say the line, DeVito completes for him, perfectly emphasizing the "or" in "neighbor." Rhea Perlman attends the premiere of "CBGB" at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles in 2013. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI The camera then pans to the two actors in the theater audience where Schwarzenegger tells DeVito he is a "backstabbah." "I am a 'backstabber,'" DeVito emphasized. Schwarzenegger first hinted that the duo were cooking up something when he posted a photo on Instagram in December of him visiting DeVito and his daughter Lucy backstage at their Broadway play, I Need That, at the Roundabout Theater Company where he previously co-starred with Mark Ruffalo and Tony Shalhoub in 2017's The Price. "That was big," DeVito said, recalling how moved he was by Schwarzenegger's show of support in this most recent production. "He is such a good friend," he added. "He jumped on a plane and he came to see me. It was so great. It was so touching. It was wonderful to have him in the audience and I think we really nailed it that night, as well. ... I know he was very affected by it. Our social situations are usually when we are having fun, eating dinner, lunch or smoking a stogie, but this was a whole other experience." DeVito will soon take the stage at State Theatre in his native New Jersey to host a screening of the 1996 family movie, Matilda, which he directed and co-starred in with his wife Rhea Perlman and Mara Wilson as the title character. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra will play the film's score at the event, while Perlman and Wilson are also expected to attend. "It's so much fun to be on stage with a live audience. They feed you," said DeVito, who also recently lent his distinctive voice to a character in the animated movie, Migration, and played a historian in the live-action adventure, Haunted Mansion. "It's a refreshing to do. You do the movies. You do television and then to get in front of a live audience again, there's no comparison." In addition to keeping busy professionally, the actor's family life is also a source of great joy for him. "I just became a grandpa," he said. "I've got an 11-month-old granddaughter. She's a gorgeous kid," he added, noting he can't wait to show her all of the animated classics he has worked on over the years. "We'll start with My Little Pony, then we'll go to Hercules and Lorax and Migration was out this year. I play Uncle Dan. I love working with Illumination. Those people are really fun and she'll see some little duckies." The Young Royals Season 3 Netflix release date is just around the corner, sparking anticipation among viewers eager for the next installment. The series follows the lives of young royals navigating love, duty, and intrigue within the palace walls, offering a captivating blend of romance, drama, and royal intrigue that keeps audiences hooked. Heres when the show is coming out on Netflix. When is the Young Royals Season 3 Netflix release date? The Young Royals Season 3 Netflix release date is March 11, 2024. The Young Royals follows Prince Wilhelm as he adapts to life at Hillerska boarding school, where balancing his royal responsibilities with matters of the heart becomes unexpectedly complex. The series delves into the challenges of young love and the pressures of royalty in a prestigious setting, captivating audiences with its blend of romance and drama. The Young Royals features Edvin Ryding as Wilhelm of Sweden, Omar Rudberg as Simon Eriksson, Malte Gardinger as August Horn of Arnas, Frida Argento as Sara Eriksson, and Nikita Uggla as Felice Ehrencrona. The series is created by Lars Beckung, Lisa Ambjorn, and Camilla Holter. When is Young Royals Season 3 coming out via streaming? Young Royals Season 3 is available to watch via streaming on Netflix on March 11, 2024. Viewers will be able to stream it at this time. Current Netflix subscribers will be able to watch the series when it airs, and if you havent already subscribed to the service, you can do so below: Visit netflix.com/signup Choose a payment plan from the following: $6.99 per month (standard with Ads) $15.49 per month (Standard) $22.99 per month (Premium) Enter your email address and password to create an account Enter your chosen payment method Young Royals Season 3s official synopsis reads: Prince Wilhelm adjusts to life at his prestigious new boarding school, Hillerska, but following his heart proves more challenging than anticipated. The Conjuring 4 has found its director, and the hit horror franchise has brought in a familiar face to helm Movies Neil Bolt 9 mins ago A commercial for The Boys Season 4 was released during the Super Bowl in the form of a Vought International ad. TV Tyler Treese 9 hours ago During the Super Bowl, the first Twisters trailer was released by Universal Pictures ahead of its July 19, 2024, release Movies Spencer Legacy 10 hours ago A new Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes trailer dropped during the Super Bowl, showing off the latest installment Movies Spencer Legacy 11 hours ago The post Young Royals Season 3 Streaming Release Date: When Is It Coming Out on Netflix? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. As much as we love indulging in a juicy ribeye or flavorful sirloin at our favorite nearby steakhouse, there's an equal thrill in cooking our go-to cuts of meats at home and achieving that same delicious taste. One of our favorite ways to level up the at-home cooking experience is by buying meat straight from our favorite restaurants, a phenomenon that's growing steadily nationwide. An increasing number of steakhouses offer butcher-cut meats for sale to patrons. And chances are, some of your favorite steakhouses, both local and national, are getting in on the trend. Many independent steakhouses now have on-site butcher shops for takeout or delivery, serving a variety of USDA Prime beef options, including sought-after cuts such as filet mignon, ribeye, New York strip steak, and more. Even restaurant chains, including hotspots such as Texas Roadhouse and Fogo de Chao, offer virtual butcher shops so that you can treat yourself or someone special to a selection of premium meats without leaving the house. Ahead, we've come up with a list of 11 steakhouses that will sell you meat you can cook for yourself. Several even come with the restaurant's signature seasonings, to ensure that the flavor you get at home mirrors that of the dine-in experience. Read more: The 13 Best Steaks For Grilling Texas Roadhouse Texas Roadhouse steak - Texas Roadhouse Butcher Shop/Facebook With over 700 locations across 49 states, chances are you've savored a steak from Texas Roadhouse, along with its irresistible freshly baked rolls with honey cinnamon butter. However, you might not be aware that the restaurant also offers steaks for sale online. Launched in November 2021, as reported by Restaurant Business, Texas Roadhouse's virtual butcher shop boasts an array of choices, including New York strip steaks, ribeyes, bone-in ribeyes, filet medallions, and fillet tips, available in various package sizes and weights to suit your needs. Meat orders are delivered directly to your door and chilled in a Styrofoam cooler with dry ice to ensure freshness. If you're eager to indulge in Texas Roadhouse steaks more regularly, there's even an option to subscribe and save. Doing so will save you 15% on your order, and you can choose delivery intervals of monthly, every two months, or every three months. B&B Butchers & Restaurant B&B Butchers Grill Master package - B&B Butchers Attention, Texans: If you haven't yet discovered B&B Butchers, now is the perfect time to get acquainted. The company operates as both an upscale steakhouse and butcher, with locations in both Forth Worth and Houston. You can either make a reservation to dine in or swing by the restaurant's adjoining butcher shop. The shop specializes in custom hand-cut selections of Texas and Japanese wagyu beef, genuine A5-certified Kobe beef, and in-house dry-aged USDA Prime beef. On the menu, you'll also find the restaurant's beloved thick-cut bacon, ready-to-cook hot dogs, and specialty sausages. B&B Butchers also offers grill packages that start at $60. A TX Burger Box comes with four Butcher Burgers, half a pound of American cheese, one pound of Applewood smoked bacon, sauteed onions, truffle aioli and green peppercorn Sauce, and Martin's Potato Buns. For a bigger crowd and a higher price ($425), there's The Grill Master, which comes with two 8-ounce Wagyu filets, two 18-ounce USDA Prime New York Cuts, two 22-ounce USDA Prime Ribeyes, and two pounds of Wagyu Skirt Steak. Fogo De Chao Fogo de Chao steak - Fogo de Chao/Instagram Fogo de Chao's all-you-can-eat meat experience has a global presence, with over 70 locations, and it's safe to say that it's undoubtedly a must-try for all carnivores. The fun of endlessly saying "yes" to picanha, linguica, and other cuts is a hard-to-beat experience, but the upscale Brazilian chain's online butcher shop is the next best thing. There, you can purchase the same quality cuts found in the steakhouse for home cooking. And you can rest assured that it's fresh. Per the restaurant, its meats are carved daily by skilled Brazilian-trained chefs, ready to be grilled to perfection at home. The pricing is competitive, especially considering the in-restaurant experience, which typically costs around $75 for continuous tableside service, depending on the location. Online, a pound and a half of linguica (sausage) is priced at $22, while a pound of frango (chicken) goes for $14. Steak cuts are pricier, starting at $16 for an 8-ounce cut and reaching up to $175 for a luxurious 30-ounce Wagyu porterhouse. Conveniently, you can either pick up your order from the nearest Fogo de Chao or have it shipped directly to your doorstep. Murray's Steak from Murray's in Minneapolis - Murray's/Facebook For nearly eight decades, Murray's Steakhouse has been a cherished institution in Minneapolis, proudly proclaiming itself as the "Home of The Silver Butter Knife Steak since 1946." This iconic butter steak, a giant 28-ounce serving carved tableside for two to share, continues to draw customers from near and far. And while you sadly can't get that experience in your own home, that's not to say the rest of Murray's meat isn't highly covetable. The steakhouse sells various meat packages hand-cut by its in-house butcher to throw on your grill. Prices start at $45 for a 12-ounce New York strip, an 18-ounce ribeye, or a 10-ounce beef filet and go up to $180 for a grill kit that includes four cuts of your choice. As a bonus, each package comes with Murray's signature seasoning to help you recreate the authentic Murray's Steakhouse taste. Just remember to place your order 48 hours in advance to secure yours. The Capital Grille The Capital Grille steak box - The Capital Grille/Facebook You can find locations of The Capital Grille in most major cities across the country. The interiors of these locations are beautifully decorated, with Art Deco chandeliers and cozy wood paneling, but obviously, the star of the show is The Capital Grille's extraordinary steaks. The steak at The Capital Grille is dry-aged for 18 to 24 days, which the restaurant says ensures the best texture and flavor. Each steak is hand-carved by in-house butchers before serving it to you. The Capital Grille's online menu includes a section called The Capital Butcher. It features individual steaks and burgers for cooking at home. You can either request a hand-cut size or proceed with the sizes listed on the menu. There are also steak grill boxes that come with the restaurant chain's signature steak sauce. Choose from three packages: four 18-ounce bone-in dry-aged New York strips for $144, four 22-ounce bone-in USDA Prime ribeyes for $180, or a combination of two of each for $162. Black Angus Steakhouse Meats from Black Angus Steakhouse - Black Angus Steakhouse/Instagram Black Angus Steakhouse was founded in 1964 and has since expanded to 32 locations across five states (Arizona, Hawaii, California, New Mexico, and Washington). Its steaks are aged for a minimum of 21 days to ensure peak flavor and tenderness. The restaurant unveiled its online market in December 2022. "We are thrilled to expand our Black Angus Market, especially because fans love our quality meats and now they can create their own steakhouses in the comforts of their homes," Black Angus Steakhouse Vice President of Growth Deborah Shapiro said in a press release published on PR Newswire at the time. The Black Angus Market's virtual store offers a range of products, from the chain's signature ketchup and Angus seasoning to a four-pack of 8-ounce Angus beef burgers and an eight-piece market sampler that's great for gifting. For something in the middle, the Mini Market Sampler, priced at $119, includes one ribeye, one filet mignon, one New York strip, and one top sirloin. Kau Raw steak from Kau Greensboro - Kau/Instagram You'll come for the steak and stay for the atmosphere at Kau in Greensboro, North Carolina. The stylish, tavern-inspired restaurant boasts an expansive meat-filled menu and an in-house butcher shop. Kau launched in 2019 (after a rebranding), as the brainchild of chef Kayne Fisher. "I spent summers with my grandparents in Detroit, and when my grandfather got off from Chrysler, we'd go to a deli or a butcher shop, grab some meat and we'd cook that night's meal. I was always intrigued by the idea of a market and butchery. Since the age of 15, I have had the concept in mind, and this space allowed that to come to life," Fisher told YES! Weekly. After you eat, you can wander straight from the dining room to the butcher shop to explore its selection. While the butcher shop requires you to place orders before noon for same-day pickup, its array of USDA Prime beef tips, bone-in ribeyes, and short ribs, among other premium cuts, is open for your admiration at any time. You can place orders ahead of time via Kau's website and select the ideal pickup day and time for you, or ring the butcher shop directly. There's also a range of dry goods available that you can shop without ordering ahead of time, so you won't have to leave empty-handed. Peter Luger Steak House Steak from Peter Luger - Peter Luger Steak House/Instagram Since its founding in 1887, Peter Luger Steak House has been a staple in New York City's culinary scene and has since expanded to include locations in Long Island, Tokyo, and Las Vegas. It's renowned for its USDA Prime meats, and its half-pound burger and thick-cut bacon are particularly iconic. These favorites are readily available for online purchase from the restaurant's virtual butcher shop, with burgers sold in packs of 18 for around $176 and bacon in six 12-ounce packs for $60. The virtual butcher shop also carries five enticing steak packages that include a variety of cuts such as dry-aged strip steaks, dry-aged porterhouse steaks, bone-in strip steaks, and bone-in rib steaks, with prices starting at $196. With every meat order (bacon excluded), customers receive two complimentary bottles of Peter Luger Steak House Sauce and milk chocolate Luger coins wrapped in gold foil, which mirrors the restaurant's special tradition of giving diners gold coins with the check at the end of their meal. Laurelhurst Market Laurelhurst Market butcher shop - Laurelhurst Market/Instagram Laurelhurst Market is a social neighborhood steakhouse in Portland, Oregon, featuring a lunch and dinner menu along with a full-service butcher shop stocked with beef, lamb, pastured pork, chicken, and a deli offering everything from cold cuts like pastrami and smoked ham to pickles and horseradish. Some items, like short ribs, oxtails, and pork belly require a day's notice, but the majority can be reserved and picked up the same day. One of the most appealing things about Laurelhurst Market is that it's committed to sustainability, sourcing meats from local and organic farms, such as pastured pork from Olympia Provisions, a Portland-based artisanal meats company dedicated to sustainable farming. Laurelhurst Market doesn't offer long-distance shipping, but it's a must-visit destination if you're a meat-loving local. The steakhouse-butcher-shop hybrid even offers seasonal specials, if you need an excuse to place an order. For the Super Bowl, it's currently offering a special lineup, including smoked St. Louis cut pork ribs, smoked BBQ brisket, house-made hot dogs, and beef chili. Whether you order one or all, it's an easy way to make your Super Bowl party unforgettable. Logan's Roadhouse Meats from Logan's Roadhouse - Logan's Roadhouse/Facebook Texas-based Logan's Roadhouse offers heat-and-serve serves sides and mouth-watering family feasts you can cook at home, along with steak cuts to purchase a la carte. One of the standout specials is The Ultimate Roadhouse Feast, which includes your choice of meat from raw boneless pork chops to ready-to-heat fall-off-the-bone ribs a dozen homemade rolls, a house salad, and two sides. You have various options, whether you take the veggie route -- with heat-and-serve broccoli or corn -- or indulge in mac and cheese or baked potatoes. As promised, the restaurant has a virtual butcher shop, too. You can choose from 10 different items, including an 8-ounce filet mignon, a 6-ounce sirloin, a 12-ounce ribeye, and more. Each piece comes rubbed with the restaurant's special seasoning to get the whole Logan's Roadhouse experience at home. If you're local, you can opt for in-person pickup or curbside carryout. And if you're further away, shipping is available to bring the experience right to your door. Benjamin Steakhouse Steak from Benjamin Steakhouse - Benjamin Steakhouse Exciting news for steak aficionados: There's no need to travel to New York City or Japan to enjoy a ribeye or filet mignon from Benjamin Steakhouse. The restaurant offers the convenience of ordering individual cuts or comprehensive meat packages directly from its website. These can be delivered to your home through mail or picked up at the chain's NYC or Westchester locations. The packages, priced between $199 and $499, are generous in size. The smallest package includes four burger patties, four slices of thick-cut Canadian bacon, two sirloins, and two bottles of the restaurant's signature steak sauce. For those who prefer to customize their order, Benjamin Steakhouse provides a selection of individually priced options such as bacon, burger patties, and various steak cuts, which are guaranteed never to be frozen. After you place your order, expert butchers prepare and vacuum-seal your selection, which is then dispatched via Next Day Air in specially designed packaging that ensures freshness for up to 48 hours, in case of any unforeseen delays. Read the original article on Daily Meal. Egypt is known globally for many things: The Nile, the pyramids, the Valley of the Kings, and its endlessly fascinating ancient civilization. Cuisine may not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Egypt, perhaps because it's not as widespread as some of the other North African and Middle Eastern cuisines, like Moroccan or Lebanese. However, for many Egyptians like myself, food is up there as one of the things we love most about our culture. There are so many incredible dishes that mark Egyptian gatherings and meals, illuminating how hospitable, generous, and celebratory it is. As an Egyptian working in the food industry, I've heard from many who've traveled to Egypt for the ancient ruins and come back naming the food as one of their highlights. Egyptian cuisine is also a haven for vegetarians and vegans, as many of the staples are completely meat and dairy-free. While there is a lot of overlap with other African and Middle Eastern cuisines, some dishes are uniquely Egyptian or have roots in Egypt that people don't know about. Right now, the cuisine is starting to have a moment worldwide, with Egyptian fast food chain Zooba opening locations in the US, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, and as koshari, one of Egypt's national dishes, has become popular due to the opening of several koshari take-outs in London. Whether it's making them at home, dining at an Egyptian restaurant, or actually going to Egypt, these are some of the dishes that you need to try at least once. Read more: 13 Underrated Cuts Of Meat You Should Be Grilling Aish Baladi aish baladi bakery egyptian bread - Philipp Berezhnoy/Getty Images The first thing you'll notice about Egyptian cuisine is that bread is always served on the table, and it's always freshly made aish baladi (meaning traditional bread). Aish baladi is round or oval, and it's a type of flatbread with a pocket, like pita bread but more commonly made with wholewheat flour. Many foods are eaten with bread or served inside it like shawarma, falafel, and even beef liver sandwiches. Bread is by far one of the most important foods in Egypt. The fascinating ancient history of pita bread can be traced back over 10,000 years to prehistoric times, and it was a staple in ancient Egyptian civilization. In Egypt, bread is life, and it's even in the name: "aish," the Arabic word for life. It's considered daily food, and most Egyptians get fresh bread from their neighborhood bakery and don't rely on supermarkets for processed bread. Many households make their own bread, daily. Historically, there have always been communal neighborhood ovens where people take their dough to get it baked, especially in poorer communities where families may not have their own ovens. Koshari plate koshari wooden table - Mohamed Bahnasi/Getty Images Koshari (also spelled kushari or koshary) is seen as Egypt's national dish and it's difficult to find an Egyptian who doesn't love it. Starting out as a working-class dish that was affordable for all, koshari is comprised of a mix of pasta, rice, lentils, tomato sauce, and the very important topping of fried onions. Yes, this dish contains both rice and pasta and is one of the most unique pasta dishes from around the world. It's believed to have its origins in the Indian rice and lentil dish, kitchari, which was supposedly brought to Egypt during the British colonial period. It's now a wildly popular street food that's loved by all classes. Nowadays popular koshari fast food chains and street food trucks offer customizable koshari bowls with variations, including different meats, chickpeas, and all sorts of salads and sauces. However, the beauty of this dish is its simplicity and that it's a completely vegan meal, and celebrated as a meat-free dish. The secret to a good koshari is in the tomato sauce, which needs to be quite vinegary to lift this carb-heavy dish. It's where most of the flavor is coming from, so it's where you should put a lot of care. If you can perfect the tangy tomato sauce, the rest of the dish is a cinch to make. Hawawshi egyptian hawawshi pockets pickles - hussein farar/Shutterstock Hawawshi (pronounced ha-wow-shi) is a popular street food that hails from the coastal city of Alexandria. It's a mix between a flatbread pie and a grilled sandwich. Filled with a spiced and fatty ground beef mixture that has peppers, onions, and sometimes pine nuts, its flavor will surprise you with each bite. The fatty meat juices soak into the pastry, which is grilled until crisp on the outside, while still warm and soft inside. This comfort food on the go is found in many fast food stores in Egypt, and hawawshi carts fill the "corniche" (beach road) of Alexandria, making it a nostalgic beach time snack for many Alexandrian families. It's also deceptively easy to make if you can't access one made by a professional. While people may prefer to make their dough from scratch, it's much simpler when using store-bought pita bread. Make the filling in a food processor to save time chopping, and you'll be able to put this together in under 20 minutes. Stuff your pita bread with the meat mixture, and cook these little pita pockets on the grill or in the oven. Great for kids and adults alike, it makes the perfect addition to your picnic basket or barbeque table. Ful Medames Egyptian ful medames aish baladi - Sanoop.cp/Shutterstock Ful (pronounced "fool" and means "beans") or ful medames is another dish that competes for Egypt's number one national dish spot. "Medames" means buried, signifying how the dish used to be cooked in the ground using coal. Nowadays, however, it's cooked on the stovetop everywhere except in certain rural communities which still make authentic "ful medames." Ful is a dish that has defined Egyptian food for centuries and still occupies a large spot in modern Egyptian cuisine because of its simplicity and affordability, as well as being incredibly delicious. This fava bean stew can be eaten at any meal but is most popular for breakfast. Many family breakfasts would not be complete without a pot of ful. Fava beans are slowly cooked until tender with cumin, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice, with the option of adding tomatoes, parsley, onions, and more. Ful is sometimes served as is, or mashed into a paste, and eaten with aish baladi. You can often buy a freshly prepared, warm ful sandwich on the street in most neighborhoods. This vegan dish is a staple and some people eat it every day, making it the most eaten dish in Egypt. It's a dish you can't miss out on, so make sure to give it a try. Ta'ameya Or Falafel plate falafel sesame seeds tahini - Hashem Issam Alshanableh/Shutterstock Falafel is a popular fried legume ball all over the Middle East, but many believe that it originated in Egypt. This is largely due to the Coptic Christian population in Egypt that has always done fasts from animal products for most of the year, including Lent, Advent, and many commemorations of saints throughout the year. Many believe that this is why Egypt's cuisine is generous in vegan foods. Falafel, or as it's known in Egypt, ta'ameya (although many Egyptians also use the name falafel and you won't be misunderstood if you do too), is one of the many tasty vegan dishes in Egyptian cuisine. The real difference between ta'ameya and falafel is that falafel in the Levant is made with chickpeas, while in Egypt, ta'ameya is made with fava beans. Like ful, ta'ameya is another fava bean dish that's eaten at breakfast., and people will invite friends and neighbors over for a breakfast of "ful we (and) ta'ameya." Ta'ameya is fried until crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It's usually bright green on the inside as the ta'ameya mixture is mixed with a large amount of fresh herbs, including dill, parsley, and coriander. It's often eaten in a sandwich form inside some aish baladi with tahini generously drizzled over and topped with a combination of salad and pickles. A ta'ameya sandwich makes for a flavor-packed, textural meal that's as easy on the pocket as it is on the tastebuds. Mesaka'a egyptian mesakaa moussaka caserole - Ben Molyneux/Shutterstock Mesaka'a or mesakaa is the Egyptian cousin to the Greek dish, moussaka. How moussaka varies around the world shows just how recipes are adapted in different regions. The Egyptian and Greek versions share many similarities, with the main ingredient being eggplant cooked until buttery soft in a layered casserole. These layers are baked in a tomato-based sauce which sometimes (but not always) includes ground meat. Where the two dishes differ is that the Greek version usually has a potato layer and a bechamel layer. In Egyptian mesaka'a, these layers aren't included and the dish is more of a celebration of eggplant as it's the main star, with little else. Traditionally, people leave raw eggplant slices in the sun before cooking, covered with salt to draw out any bitterness and excess moisture. These slices are then washed off, dried, and fried in oil, before being layered with tomato sauce and placed to bake in an oven. Nowadays, different methods are employed as an alternative to frying eggplant, as they absorb oil like a sponge and can make the dish too heavy. People also pre-cook eggplant in the oven, air fryer, or even the microwave. Spice mixes differ from cook to cook, but the sauce is usually spiced with cinnamon, adding a pleasant warmth to the eggplant. It's served with rice, and if you're lucky enough to have leftovers, add it to some bread to make the most delicious eggplant sandwich. Molokhia egyptian molokhia soup fried garlic - hussein farar/Shutterstock Molokhia is a dish that hasn't made its way onto the international food scene yet, but it's considered one of the backbones of Egyptian cuisine. This green leafy soup is made with molokhia leaves, also known as jute leaves or jute mallow, that have been finely chopped and cooked in a chicken or rabbit broth. Rabbit has traditionally been a delicacy in Egypt and is usually the base for molokhia. Now, many people use chicken unless it's a special occasion because it's easier to access than rabbit. Molokhia is seen as a health-promoting dish as jute leaves have anti-inflammatory benefits and are high in minerals like magnesium and calcium. As it's laborious to finely chop molokhia, it's very common to find it already minced at the supermarket, and many buy these packets for convenience. This healthy soup is then topped with a generous amount of fried chopped garlic and fresh coriander, making it a fragrant and flavor-packed soup. It's usually served with vermicelli rice, chicken or rabbit pieces, and even bread like aish baladi. Many children grow up eating molokhia, and it's a rite of passage to learn how to make little bread pockets called "boats" or "ears" to dip into the soup. Molokhia can be polarizing to people who aren't used to it, but we suggest you try it and make up your own mind. Macarona Bechamel macarona bechamel dish fork - Dina Saeed/Shutterstock Macarona bel bechamel or macarona bechamel (meaning macaroni with bechamel sauce), is a baked pasta dish that Egyptians sometimes call Egyptian lasagna. It's quite different from lasagna, but it's a layered baked pasta with ground beef, topped with bechamel sauce. It's made with penne, and not macaroni as the name might suggest. However, "macarona" has become the "Arabized" word for all types of pasta in Egypt. It's considered one of the staple comfort foods and there's no dinner party or gathering that's complete without it. Luckily, there's always an aunty that brings one. The most intimidating thing about this dish is the bechamel, but once you have all the tips you need for making bechamel sauce, this can become a weeknight staple that your family will love. What makes this dish special is that the bechamel is baked into an almost solid form rather than a saucy one, making it a stand-alone layer right at the top that's crucial to the success of an authentic macarona bechamel. You'll know it's right when the top of the bechamel is golden brown with some darker spots, resembling a slightly charred creme brulee. Kofta And Kebab kofta flame grilled - Koval Nadiya/Getty Images For meat eaters, kofta and kebab are the pinnacle of Egyptian grilled meats. They're often served together, but if you prefer one over the other you can order just kofta or just kebab. Kofta is a minced meat skewer that's been ground finely with a mixture of onions, herbs, and spices, making for an herbaceous taste. Kebab is cubed pieces of beef or lamb that have been marinaded in onion "juice" and seasonings. Both are cooked on skewers over flaming coals, giving them a wonderful smoky barbecue taste. Egyptian restaurants often grill kofta and kebab in an open kitchen so you'll see the smoke and flames rise as they're basted. The sign of a well-grilled skewer is that it has a light char on the outside while being moist and juicy on the inside. These meats are often served with rice, or a mix of salads and aish baladi so that you can make your own meat sandwich. Kofta is traditionally drizzled with tahini, similar to ta'ameya, and a side of pickles adds the needed acidity to break through the fattiness. If you're cooking these at home, it can be tricky to not end up with dry, dense kofta. The key to perfect kofta is to choose a meat mixture with a high percentage of fat. This is the secret behind a juicy, soft kofta. The fat will melt and keep the meat well-basted throughout cooking. Feteer Meshaltet plate feteer meshaltet honey - Thao Lan/Shutterstock Feteer meshaltet, also referred to as just feteer, is the flaky buttery pastry that everyone swoons over. It could be considered Egypt's version of a croissant, but it's much bigger, round, and flat, with layers of pastry that are often cut into pieces to be shared. It's slightly more decadent than a croissant, as it's usually made with ghee rather than butter, which has a more concentrated butter taste. The inner layers of pastry are softer than the outer crisp layers, making the texture just as pleasing as the taste. The best thing about feteer is that it's neither sweet nor savory, and you can decide how you want to eat it. Traditionally you can order it with either salty cheese or honey and molasses for a sweet version. You can order it at most breakfast spots, but there are also some places that are solely feteer restaurants. Here you can order it will all sorts of fillings like meat and gooey cheese, or sweet fillings like nutella or custard. However you have it, a hot cup of black tea is the perfect accompaniment. Kebda Eskandarani (Alexandrian Liver) alexandrian liver kebda sandwhich - foodography.eg/Shutterstock Kebda is the Arabic word for liver, which in Egypt is a popular street food prepared in the Eskandarani -- or Alexandrian -- way, the city where it comes from. Alexandria, being a port city that has historically been a cosmopolitan hub in Egypt, has some of the most distinct regional cuisines in Egypt. However, while kebda eskandarani belongs to Alexandrian cuisine, it can be found all over Egypt. Usually prepared with beef liver, it's cut into very thin pieces, marinated in cumin and garlic, and then drenched in lemon juice when cooked. Some prefer to eat it with hot chiles. The thinness of the meat and the way it's cut helps keep it tender, while it's cooked in scalding oil to give it an almost charred outside. Sold in hot sandwiches in food trucks and carts, it's another cheap and tasty meal that you can find on the street. Even if you're not a fan of eating liver, you should try it at least once, because the way it's marinaded and cooked might convert you. Mahshi (Stuffed Vegetables Or Vine Leaves) assorted mahshi stuffed vegetables - Dina Saeed/Shutterstock Mahshi (pronounced with a throaty "h" sound, like mahh-shi) is the general Arabic name for anything stuffed, which in Egypt is quite a lot of foods. Most mahshi consists of vegetables that have been hollowed out and then filled with an incredibly tasty stuffing made from par-cooked rice, spices, tomatoes, and fresh, fragrant herbs. Ground meat is sometimes included in stuffing but not always. Then, these stuffed vegetables, including zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, peppers, and potatoes, are slow-cooked in a broth, until soft, but still holding together. It's a labor of love, but although many catering services prepare impressive plates of mashi, many people still go to the trouble of making it at home. One of the popular mahshi dishes is rolled up vine leaves, known as warak enab in Arabic-speaking countries, and dolmades in Greece. These little fingers are beloved across the region, and it's no different in Egypt. Whatever choice of mahshi you choose, you can't go wrong, plus, you can often order an assorted plate at an Egyptian restaurant, meaning you don't have to choose. Read the original article on Tasting Table. When it comes to timeless fashion and beauty, we look to the French. Women like Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve catapulted French hairstyles into the mainstream in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and their iconic looks remain common sources of beauty inspiration today. Of course, they werent the first French women to set the bar. Back in the 20s, French flappers came onto the scene, debuting haircuts we know and love to this day: the French pixie and bob. All this to say, if youre ever in need of a new hair goal, the French have plenty of inspo to offer But what makes a French hairstyle different than any other? The most popular characteristic of all French hairstyles is the profound desire that French women have to express their nonchalance about their look, says French hairstylist David Mallett. They study very deeply how they wish to look, but they dont want to look as if theyve spent a lot of time doing so. Everything has to look effortless, a little bit like they dont care. So the French look has something very lived-in about it; its very personal and never fake or artificial. Meet Our Expert David Mallett is a French hairstylist who works out of Paris and New York City. Emilie Riant Passelande is the head colorist at the Christophe Robin Salon in Paris. If thats a vibe you can get behind, keep reading to uncover over a dozen French hairstyles that Parisian stylists recommend for leaning into the look. The OG PAT / Getty Images Lets start with an example of Catherine Deneuves iconic brushed-back blowout (in this case, its pulled up into a bouncy ponytail, one that people worldwide went on to try to copy). Possibly one of my all-time favorite looks on beautifully blown out hair is a Belle de Jour scrape-back center parting, as we saw on Catherine Deneuve, Mallett says. For me, this is one of the most exquisite hairstyles of all time. Just scrape back the hair on top in a little bun and attach it with an elastic or a little clip, leaving it loose and tumbling around the front at the sides. The French Pixie Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images The French pixie seen above on the recently crowned Miss France, Eve Gillesis characterized by a short, androgynous silhouette cut above the ears. In Gilliess case, feathery side-swept fringe completes the look. With this haircut, we always try to keep the edges softer than on a more geometric cut, where you would clean it up, Mallett says. The edges are a little soft, a little shattered, and they tend to look slightly more grown out. Effortlessly Chic Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images According to Emilie Riant Passelande, head colorist at the Christophe Robin Salon in Paris, a quintessential French hairstyle is one that is effortlessly chic. The key to a true French hairstyle is it is a great cut that requires very little maintenance whether it is a blunt cut or super sexy tousled look, she explains. French designer Jeanne Damas perfects that very je ne sais quoi, above. The Escargot Bun Christian Vierig / Getty Images The French have a name for everythingincluding low buns like the one Camille Charriere is seen wearing above. Here we call it an escargot or a croissant, Mallett says, referring to the traditional twisted bun many Americans know and love. Like a snail, you turn the hair around itself. (We've been doing a lot of updos with our new accessory with Suzanne Syz, The Safety Pin Clip. Twist the hair round on itself, pop that through the hair, and it's absolutely gorgeous). French Finger Waves Dominique Charriau / Getty Images French hairdresser Francois Marcel created the Marcel Curling Iron in the late 1800s and it was used to create finger wave-like styles in a flash. Hereon French model Flora Coquerelyou can see how a subtle nod to the classic French characteristic can instantly upgrade a side-parted bun. French Bangs Raimonda Kulikauskiene / Getty Images Mallett is a big fan of French bangslike the ones you see on French model Leia Sfez, above. French bangs date back to the era of Brigitte Bardot, he says. They are slightly short and feathery in the middle but get longer towards the sides, so that when you attach your hair, you don't have the gap between the fringe and the side of your hair like you would with a more Cleopatra-esque style. Thinking about adopting the style? The French fringe works on all hair lengths, so its very versatilebut it doesnt work very well on very curly hair, Mallett reveals. The French Bob Christian Vierig / Getty Images Mallets all-time favorite French hairstyle is the French bob. (You can see it in action above, on Musier Paris founder Anne Laure Mais.) It is characterized by the way we texturize very lightly the points on the edge to give it a slightly weathered looka feeling like the haircut was done before, he explains. The French woman often wants a more lived-in look, so the very precise, freshly cut, square bob is not a suitable alternative. Grown-Out Beauty John Lamparski / Getty Images All in all, Mallet says that French hairstyles center on softnessA more grown out kind of style that doesn't look freshly cutit's extremely feminine and always a little more poetic than the hair we see in other countries, he explains. A French, fresh haircut has to look lived-in when it's done and not six weeks later. French journalist and model Sabina Socols wavy cut, above, is a great example. The High Pony Getty Images Any hairstyle can have a hint of French flair so long as you embrace soft, parted bangsa characteristic that Passelande says is quintessential Parisian chic. Above, you can see how a parted fringe looks with curls on French model Melodie Vaxelaire. The Bardot Flip Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images Brigitte Bardots iconic center-part bangs and flipped-up ends became a beauty (and sex) symbol of the 60s. Here, French model Lena Simonne nails the look. Long and Lived-In Claudio Lavenia / Getty Images Remember: The goal is for your hair to look relaxed, if not even a little disheveled. Here, French model Chloe Lecareux shows us how it's done on long hair. The Low Pony Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images Lecareux has so many good hair days, we couldn't help but showcase her twice. Here, she demonstrates how to make a low pony look both formal and nonchalant. Please note the black bow peeking out from the back. The Coily French Bob Christian Vierig / Getty Images While Mallett admits that the traditional shape of the French bob can be harder to execute on tighter curly and coily textures due to its spiraled and springy characteristics, here you can see how the length works on French influencer Ellie Delphine. Undeniably chic, no? Feathered French Bangs Valentina Frugiuele / Getty Images Mallett says that feathery bangs are peak Parisian in the hair worldand they can be worn in various ways. Parisian model Mara Lafontan shows us how fresh a voluminous, round brush approach can look. Flipped French Bob Jacopo Raule / Getty Images While many French bobs have side or center parts, a much more casual flip works too. As you can tell on Florence Pugh, above, the popular style looks both chic and carefree. The French Twist John Phillips / Getty Images Passelande turns our attention to Margot Robbie, revealing just how easy it is to adopt a French hairstyle. In this case, the classic French twist. Notice the undone yet red carpet-ready allure of the updo. The Layered Lob Pierre Suu / Getty Images Alexa Chung is British but she's often referenced as a source of French beauty inspo thanks to her statement-making lived-in lob. "To achieve that kind of lived-in texture that we adore in French looks, I tip my clients' hair upside down and lightly sprinkle it with our volume powder to give the hair a less limp and less freshly washed look, Mallett shares. It's how to achieve the French look in five minutes instead of waiting three days. Alternatively, Mallett says you can use hairspray to encourage the look. I love using Elnett [Satin Strong Hold Hairspray] for all of my hairstyles, particularly for events at Cannes, weddings, all that types of thing, he reveals. We do the hair in the morning or night before, so it has time to live and not look so freshly done. Tousled Waves Dave Benett / Getty Images Elle Fanning looks like a Parisian dream with her long tousled waves, which Passelande points to as a worthy source of French hair inspo. If your hair naturally has waves, you can create a similar look by simply allowing your strands to air dry with the R+Co Cool Wind PH Perfect Air Dry Creme ($34). The Bardot Headband Jeremy Moeller / Getty Images Brigitte Bardot popularized elastic headbands back in her day and now the hair accessory has come back in fashion. Here, it can be seen on influencer Alexandra Pereira. Brushed-Back Parting Jeremy Moeller / Getty Images Caro Daur shows us another way Catherine Deneuve-esque brushed-back hair can look. One word: stunning. For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on InStyle. The Allegiant Airlines sale ends on Tuesday. Getty Images Allegiant has announced nearly a dozen routes this summer to Los Angeles, Florida, and beyond and theyre on sale today only for as low as $45. Launching in June, all 10 routes will be uniquely served by Allegiant, according to the carrier. To start, Allegiant will introduce new services from Los Angeles to Laredo, Texas, and Rockford, Illinois, on June 12, as well as Rapid City, South Dakota, to begin on June 14. Out of Florida, Allegiant will introduce routes to three airports across the state between June 12 and June 14. From Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. and Knoxville, Tennessee, the airline will fly to Jacksonville, Florida. Allegiant will also fly to Sarasota, Florida from Plattsburgh, New York and from Evansville, Indiana and McAllen, Texas to St. Petersburg, Florida. Also, on June 13 and 14, the airline will begin flying to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee, from South Bend, Ind., and St. Louis. "This expansion caters to passengers and communities we feel have been overlooked by other carriers," said Allegiant's chief revenue officer, Drew Wells, in a statement. "Allegiant's unique business model, connecting small-to-medium sized cities to vacation destinations, creates accessible travel options not otherwise available in what we believe are underserved markets. We know travelers enjoy the convenience of nonstop flights departing from their neighborhood airport." All of these new routes are on sale directly through Allegiants website. In addition, the airline releases its schedule nine months in advance, so passengers can take advantage of these new flights for travel through Nov. 11. The promotional fares, starting at just $45, include all taxes and fees and must be booked by the end of the day tomorrow, Feb. 13. Allegiant is based in Las Vegas and operates like a budget airline, charging ancillary fees for baggage, seat assignments, and more. However, Allegiant has seen success from positioning itself as an integrated travel company rather than a low-cost carrier as it owns the Sunseeker Resort in Charlotte Harbor, Florida, which opened in December The new routes come days after Allegiant announced its financial results for Q4 2023, where the airline reported a $611 million operating revenue. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. More than 30 trade unions and civil society organizations, including the Clean Clothes Campaign and UNI Global Union, have thrown their support behind European Union lawmakers demand to strip Amazon lobbyists of their parliamentary access until the retail juggernaut is willing to engage in genuine dialogue about labor concerns at its distribution centers. The European Parliament must use its full powers to ensure Amazon, and other big companies, cannot continue avoiding democratic scrutiny, said a joint letter to European Parliament president Roberta Metsola on Monday. This means triggering Rule 123 (Access to Parliament). More from Sourcing Journal The move follows what members of the European Parliaments Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, or EMPL, characterized as Amazons refusal to attend a hearing in January, shortly after it canceled a visit by a Members of the European Parliament delegation to its warehouses in Germany and Poland the month before. We have received a letter that today was not a good day for [Amazon], Dragos Pislaru, chair of the EMPL committee said at the time. I presume that for a company that has a size and representation, there might have been some people that could have replaced the one that couldnt make it today. On the day of the planned hearing, Frances data protection agency fined Amazon 32 million euros ($34 million) for employing an excessively intrusive surveillance system to monitor employee performance. Workers were not adequately informed about the surveillance, the agency known as CNIL added. An Amazon spokesperson called the findings factually incorrect and that its industry standard management system was necessary to guarantee security, quality and efficiency. In early February, Pislaru wrote to Metsola urging her to revoke the Whole Foods owners lobby badges, saying that it is unreasonable for members to be lobbied by Amazon while at the same time being deprived of the right to represent the interests of European citizens and inquire about claims of breaches of fundamental rights enshrined in EU Treaties and EU labor laws. The ban could be lifted when the companys management is willing to engage in genuine dialogue with the Parliament and address our sincere concerns, he added. Amazon workers have long complained of arduous hours in a high-pressure environment that pays poor wages. This past Black Friday, employees across 30 countries, including Germany, Italy and Spain, went on what was deemed the biggest ever global strike. The Everything Store has also been accused of union busting, tax avoidance, market power abuse and health and safety lapses that have at times proven fatal. In his letter to Metsola, Pislaru said that stark testimonies on the challenging conditions faced by Amazon workers have only amplified the EMPL committees concerns. An Amazon spokesperson said that the company welcomes opportunities for constructive dialogue on issues facing the logistics industry and remains committed to engaging with the committee. Many members of the European Parliament have visited our fulfillment centers across the EU in the past and we have reiterated our offer to host committee members at one of our facilities in the near future, the spokesperson said. This will allow committee members to see firsthand the investments weve made to ensure that our work environments are modern, engaging and safe. The spokesperson said that Amazon did not cancel the December visit. Rather, the EMPL committee proposed dates that it could not accommodate during its busiest time of the year. The e-tail giant sent a letter to Pislaru early last week inviting the EMPL committee to one of its warehouses in early April, though it has yet to receive a reply. Writing to Metsola, the trade unions and civil society organizations took Amazon to task, however, for what they said was willful obstruction of the democratic scrutiny of its activities. The letter said that the Jeff Bezos-founded firm has been accused of shadow lobbying by failing to report on its affiliations to several think tanks in the EU Transparency Register and declaring a lobbying budget seemingly too low. It said that Amazon employs 14 lobbyists with European Parliament accreditation and that it has spent at least 18.8 million euros ($20.3 million) since 2013 lobbying European institutions. Amazon did not respond to those specific allegations. Amazons disregard for the EUs democratic institutions, should not allow the company to get off the hook, the letter added. We ask you to implement Rule 123 of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament and call for an immediate withdrawal of all lobbying badges of the company. A report commissioned by Mintel found that 96% of American adults cooked at home during 2022. Many of these individuals had found themselves spending more time in the kitchen as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Once the pandemic abated, many continued to cook as a means of saving money. CNET has estimated that cooking at home can save you up to 50% versus ordering takeout. This number jumps to 75% when home cooking is compared to getting food delivered. While many of us enjoy cooking, fewer are the people who enjoy cleaning up afterward. In fact, cleaning the dishes was ranked by American couples as one of the worst chores in a survey conducted by Yelp and disseminated by SWNS Media Group. However, keeping the kitchen spotless does not have to be a painful struggle. The following tips from celebrity chefs prove as much and, if followed, will transform the arduous task of kitchen cleaning into a breeze. Read more: 11 Of The Best Cooking Tips From Bobby Flay Jamie Oliver Prioritizes An Organized Refrigerator Jamie Oliver at event - Dave Benett/Getty Images British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver makes sure that his refrigerator stays organized. As a trained chef, Oliver organizes his refrigerator based on temperature. As he explained to The Daily Mail, "The temperature varies in any fridge as heat rises, so keep your meat and fish in the cooler part at the bottom, and foods like dairy in the middle." Utilizing such an order not only helps all foodstuffs remain at their best for the longest duration but also allows home cooks to know exactly where their food is. In turn, this ensures that cooks do not cause a mess emptying the refrigerator when looking for a single ingredient. Oliver boasts a similarly structured system for his freezer, with all food placed into bags labeled with the food's name and the date it was frozen. Organizing both the fridge and freezer in this manner not only allows for easy use but also reduces the amount of food that is forgotten and left to go bad. As a result, kitchens with an organized refrigerator and freezer remain substantially cleaner -- and more sanitary -- than those without. Wylie Dufresne Cleans As He Goes Wylie Dufresne preparing food - Cindy Ord/Getty Images The tip most often repeated by celebrity chefs is to clean as you go. Simply put, this means cleaning during the cooking process instead of allowing the dirty dishes and utensils to pile up and be dealt with afterward. In an interview with NPR, James Beard Award-winning chef Wylie Dufresne said, "Isn't the worst thing at the end of a successful dinner party doing a whole bunch of dishes? Wouldn't you rather break them all and buy new ones? It actually saves time if you clean as you go. It makes life so much easier." Numerous other chefs claim further benefits, stating that working clean will improve the final dish by instilling a sense of pride and discipline into the cook. Despite the benefits of cleaning as you go, not everyone is keen on the practice, especially those who have not had it drilled into them in either culinary school or professional kitchens. Jay Rayner, one of Britain's foremost food critics, was one of the people who preferred to clean the mess after cooking. However, as he detailed in an article he wrote for The Guardian, after eventually adopting the "clean as you go" mantra, Rayner has not looked back, claiming it has made cooking, cleaning, and even eating more enjoyable. Such ringing endorsements suggest that cleaning as you go is an essential skill to master. Julia Child Reused Cutlery When Cooking Julia Child cooking - Janet Fries/Getty Images Julia Child believed in working clean, no surprise given that her culinary exploits were often filmed and broadcast around the United States. One of the simplest ways Child minimized mess while cooking was to clean her utensils between tasks. She did this by dropping them in a saucepan of water that was simmering on the stove. By doing this, Child not only prevented food from drying onto the utensils but also drastically reduced how many she used; washing and reusing a utensil is much more efficient than using and discarding multiple. Cleaning and sanitizing utensils between uses is especially important if they have been used for tasting. Chefs in professional settings often use disposable tasting spoons or have a stack of teaspoons that they use once before handing over to the pot wash. This is because using a utensil to taste food more than once is forbidden by the United States Public Health Service. Child's technique is the perfect middle ground for home cooks who don't want to create heaps of washing up but also want to maintain good food hygiene practices. Jeremy Lee Uses Bowls To Catch Waste Jeremy Lee talking - Ballymaloe Cookery School/YouTube Well-loved British chef and food writer Jeremy Lee has been the head chef at Soho's Quo Vadis since 2012. During this time, he has nurtured many a burgeoning chef, and one tip he always relays to them is the importance of using bowls to catch waste. In an interview with The Guardian, Lee used the preparation of artichokes as an example to explain how useful bowls are in keeping a kitchen clean: "You can whittle away without having this awful mess on the table and everything going on the floor. I'm constantly putting bowls in front of cooks. It helps enormously." Aside from catching the peelings, bowls should also be used to store the prepared food. This technique prevents the cutting board from becoming crowded and allows a cook to keep their prepared ingredients separate and ready for use. What's more, bowls that have only been used to store prepped, raw vegetables only require a quick rinse to clean. Ina Garten Relies On The Dishwasher Ina Garten laughing - Brad Barket/Getty Images Like many home cooks, Ina Garten relies on technology to help keep her kitchen spotless and has sung the praises of dishwashers on multiple occasions. In fact, as she revealed in an interview with The Globe and Mail, Garten is the proud owner of four dishwashers, two located in her home kitchen and two in her studio kitchen. According to Garten, she needs all four of them to keep on top of the mountain of dirty dishes she creates while cooking. Garten seems to adopt a mentality wherein the dishwasher is used to clean just about everything, except cast iron pans. A photo Garten posted to Instagram caused a stir, as it revealed that she placed both her knives and silicone spatulas in the dishwasher. This goes against advice from companies such as Wusthof, which state their products should not be placed in the dishwasher lest the high temperatures damage them. Garten, however, clearly prioritizes a speedy and efficient cleaning process over such concerns. A spotless kitchen is her reward. Dwayne LiPuma Always Has Mise En Place In Mind Mise en place - Christine's Natural Kitchen/YouTube Mise en place is the practice of having everything ready before you start cooking; ingredients are prepped, oils are out, and salt and pepper are close to hand. Having everything organized in this manner essentially allows cooks to focus on the cooking process. They can, for example, calmly watch the onions as they brown instead of furtively glancing over their shoulder while performing other tasks. Dwayne LiPuma, assistant professor at the Culinary Institute of America, explained the goal of mise en place to NPR: "Every component of one single dish is in one single corner so their hand literally moves inches. Once [students] set up their station I should be able to blindfold them ... they should know that their tongs are always here, their oil is always right here." By knowing exactly where everything is, cooks work not only quicker but cleaner. Ingredients and tools are not strewn about the kitchen, tasks are not abandoned partway, and the spills and splodges associated with cooking and preparing occur one-by-one instead of simultaneously. What's more, having good mise en place makes cooking a calmer process, which will only improve a kitchen's cleanliness. Judy Joo Cleans Her Grill With An Onion Judy Joo smiling - Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Grilling is a pastime beloved by numerous Americans. However, cleaning the grill is a chore many prefer to avoid. This is for good reason; the baked-on grit and grime can be a real pain to remove. What's more, grills can be a haven for bacteria, making regular, thorough, and effective cleaning all the more important. Thankfully, chef Judy Joo has a neat trick that makes cleaning dirt-covered grills a breeze: Simply rub it with a halved onion. As Joo explained to The Independent, "Onions have anti-bacterial properties so when rubbed on a heated grill it helps remove grit and grime. And, the onion's natural oils create a non-stick coating on the grates." This will certainly help in cleaning a grill, especially when it has already been preheated. Cleaning should be done after every use, ensuring the grill is ready to be fired up in the future. Michael Symon Uses Specialist Cleaners On His Cookware Michael Symon posing with cookware - Noam Galai/Getty Images Unfortunately, not all cookware and appliances can be cleaned with an onion. With their enamel coating, Dutch ovens often pose a challenge, clinging onto stains long after they have been soaked and wiped. In these instances, celebrity chef Michael Symon encourages the use of specialist cleaners, particularly Bar Keepers Friend. Bar Keepers Friend is a brand of widely available industrial cleaning products. When it comes to Dutch ovens, one of the brand's best products is Soft Cleanser. This product is so effective at cleaning Dutch ovens that Staub, a prominent maker of Dutch ovens, recommends its use. All people need to do is rub the cleaner onto the stubborn stains and rinse within a minute. The end result is a Dutch oven that looks brand new. Thankfully, the product is both widely available and cheap. Walmart sells one bottle for just under $11, a small price to pay for gleaming cookware. Sohla El-Waylly Uses A Large Cutting Board Sohla El-Waylly and her cutting board - Food52/YouTube When cooking, it's easy to feel cramped. Cleaning as you go and keeping your waste in bowls will help negate this issue, but some people, including culinary star Sohla El-Waylly, prefer to take a different route, using a large cutting board to maximize the space available to them, as she advised in an article she wrote for The New York Times. There are many reasons to use a large cutting board. Firstly, the space allows cooks the room to move freely, plus uncut ingredients can be piled on one side and prepared ingredients on the other. It also allows cooks to eschew the use of many bowls to separate their prepped ingredients. If the cutting board is large enough, prepped ingredients can simply be piled next to one another. This vastly reduces the amount of washing up; instead of several bowls, only the cutting board needs to be cleaned. Of course, kitchens should also have other, smaller chopping boards, especially a plastic one that is used to prepare raw meat. However, the vast majority of work can be performed on the large one, minimizing faff and maximizing cleanliness. Julia Child Used Two Sinks Julia Child's kitchen with double sink - Larry French/Getty Images Aside from sanitizing her cutlery, Julia Child developed further techniques to keep her famous kitchen spotless. One of the best was utilizing a two-sink system, one for food and the other for dishes. This practice is used by commercial restaurants in the United States and abroad, as food safety authorities, including the U.K.'s Food Standards Agency, demand that food is not washed in the same sink where equipment and utensils are cleaned. In these settings, there must be a further sink that's used exclusively for hand-washing. While Child did not stretch to three sinks, she vigorously enforced her two-sink rule. Tiny labels, stuck onto the wall, declared what was allowed in each sink. This attentiveness not only improved food hygiene but also allowed for quick and efficient work. No matter how messy the kitchen became, Child could still clean and prepare her vegetables as necessary. What's more, soaking pots and pans were not soiled with vegetable offcuts or scraps. As a result, this efficient and effective practice is one we'd advise all home cooks to employ if possible. David Chang Keeps His Kitchen Sparse David Chang talking - Momofuku/YouTube David Chang is a big believer in avoiding unnecessary clutter. He stated in an article he penned for GQ that he's never had a kitchen overflowing with specialist tools. Instead, he focuses on collecting a few versatile pieces of equipment that can perform many jobs. This approach is exemplified by Chang's knife selection. Unlike many chefs, Chang only uses three in his home: a paring knife, a chef's knife, and a serrated bread knife. Aside from ensuring kitchens remain uncluttered, only having a few select pieces of equipment ensures that great piles of washing do not build up. When you only have three knives, you're forced to wash and reuse instead of casting aside. In contrast, single-use tools, like garlic presses, are much more likely to be left on the side once their job is complete, adding extra mess to the kitchen and making the experience of cooking all the more stressful. Lidia Bastianich Uses Splatter Screens A splatter screen being held - Quang Ly/Shutterstock Lidia Bastianich is a renowned celebrity chef who cut her teeth by running, and cooking in, many famous restaurants, including Felidia. During her time as a professional chef, Bastianich picked up many clever ways of reducing mess in the kitchen. The use of splatter screens is one of these. Often called splatter guards, these contraptions work much like a lid, sitting on top of the pan. Made from a fine mesh, the screen prevents oil from spitting across the kitchen, all while allowing moisture and steam to escape. This results in food that crisps up without making a mess of the entire workspace. Speaking to KLCS Public Media, Bastianich said, "If you're frying or searing something, they have those mesh covers, so I use those and they catch the splatter. Then of course you have to wash that. ... But I think clean as you go, sometimes as it splatters, I have a tissue and I go around and I clean it." While not a mess-free process, using fryer covers definitely helps reduce the mess associated with sauteing and frying. Read the original article on Daily Meal. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, welcomed more than 1.4 million guests onboard in January 2024, a 35% increase compared to the same month in 2023, according to the airline's preliminary traffic statistics for the month. The airline's load factor averaged at 86.04% in the month, Etihad said. In January 2024 we saw a 35% year-on-year growth in customer numbers and were flying to five more destinations than the same period in 2023, making us one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, said Antonoaldo Neves, CEO of Etihad Airways. We are meeting customer demand by adding more flights to key destinations, and Etihad is now offering almost 27% per cent more weekly departures for Summer 24 compared to last summer. We began the year by launching daily flights from Abu Dhabi (AUH) to Kozhikode (CCJ) and Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) in the Kerala region of India taking our total number of Indian gateways to 10. "We are proud to have welcomed 1.4 million guests to our new home, Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport, and we eagerly anticipate introducing more of the world to both the new airport and the onboard Etihad experience throughout 2024, as our network and frequencies continue to expand." TradeArabia News Service QUESTION: A friend told me I should change my DNS settings from what my ISP provides for faster speeds and better security. Is this true? ANSWER: DNS, which stands for Domain Name Service, is a vital element of internet infrastructure because it serves as a de facto traffic cop every time we type in a web address. Every website is assigned an IP (Internet Protocol) address, which is a series of numbers like 142.250.188.14 which is one of the IP addresses for Google.com. Imagine having to remember these strings of numbers for every website you wanted to visit this is why DNS is so vital to the Internet. It allows us to type in Google.com instead of having to remember 142.250.188.14, which DNS then resolves for us in the background. This is why you will often see them referred to as a 'resolver.' A current corollary would be how we no longer need to memorize our friends and familys phone numbers because we can just look them up by using their names in our contacts. Your default DNS server The company that provides you with your Internet connection is the default DNS provider, so the quality and features of that service are what would determine whether there is a potential performance or security difference. In most cases, your ISPs DNS server is likely going to be on par or possibly faster than a third-party DNS service, unless youre experiencing constant connectivity issues to websites more common with small rural ISPs. While performance may not be a likely reason to consider changing your DNS, security and parental controls are worthy considerations. Security and control Your ISP may provide some level of security to detect malicious phishing websites automatically, but they dont generally provide you with any control over what gets blocked. Third-party DNS services often provide you with much more control over what gets filtered or blocked on a specific device or for everything that connects in the home. You can change the DNS setting on a specific computer or smartphone or change it in your router to control everything that connects to your network. Story continues This can give parents and business owners control over the type of content that is accessed on their networks. Third-party options There are a dozen or more options in the U.S., but the three that I have used over the years are Google, OpenDNS, and Cloudflare. Google (https://bit.ly/42Az7HP) would be the one to try if youre just looking for faster and more reliable performance, while OpenDNS (https://bit.ly/3SVGvKU) and Cloudflare (https://bit.ly/3uj6fax) add lots of controls for parents and business owners. How to change DNS settings Your first decision is to decide whether you want to change the settings on a specific device or in your router so that it works for everything that connects to your network. The steps for changing DNS in Windows are posted here: https://zd.net/3HS1Jmf The steps for changing DNS in macOS are posted here: https://apple.co/3wbatkW The steps for changing the DNS settings in your router are going to be brand-specific, so do a web search for 'change DNS settings' that includes the brand and model of your router or consult a technical friend or professional. Ken Colburn is founder and CEO of Data Doctors Computer Services, datadoctors.com. Ask any tech question at facebook.com/DataDoctors or on Twitter @TheDataDoc. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: DNS, Domain Name Service, can be changed for more effective internet You know how it goes: You're cooking dinner, only to realize you're missing an ingredient. It happens to the best of us. Well, luckily, there are plenty of tasty and creative recipe swaps and substitutions that work just as well if not better. Paolo Gagliardi / Getty Images/iStockphoto So redditor u/jnwiggs1 asked, "What ingredient do you normally replace in your recipes?" And lots of home cooks chimed in with their advice. (Some responses also come from this post.) 1."I use canned tomatoes all the time unless I can get good, fresh ones that are local and in season." u/StolenCamaro Gmvozd / Getty Images 2."Depending on what I'm making, I will often replace liquids with other liquids. For example, instead of water, I will use stock. Or instead of stock, I might use wine (or vice versa). If all I have is water, I'll use that then, and I'll up the flavor elsewhere." u/Runzas_In_Wonderland Jan Mach / Getty Images/iStockphoto 3."I live in Singapore, where it's almost impossible to get all those peppers serranos, pimentos, Anaheim, banana you just can't find them. I always just use generic green chile peppers or jalapenos." u/DatAdra Charmian Perkins / Getty Images 4."I find that guanciale (pork jowl) is impossible to procure for a reasonable price, so I just use bacon or pancetta in its place." u/DatAdra Gianfranco Carraca / Getty Images 5."I use green onions instead of chives. Theyre cheaper, and I cant really tell the difference. Plus, I usually have a jar of them growing in my kitchen." u/AnaDion94 Lara Hata / Getty Images 6."I always swap out Italian bread crumbs for panko. IMO, panko is superior in almost every way." u/Darwin343 Candice Bell / Getty Images/iStockphoto 7."I replace unsalted butter with salted butter, even when I'm baking. I like the extra salt, especially in desserts because it balances out the sweetness." u/Darwin343 Miniseries / Getty Images 8."Oils and vinegars. I already have five kinds of vinegar on hand, and Ill be damned if Im going out to get yet another just for this one recipe." u/SatanScotty Justin Lambert / Getty Images 9."I replace water with black coffee for pretty much any chocolate baked goods I'm making from boxed mix." u/Sugarvenom93 Manu Vega / Getty Images 10."I replace shallots with onions 99% of the time. Shallots are so expensive! And sure, they do elevate a dish, but I dont bother with them unless Im making something fancy." u/dapolkadots Aleksandra Piss / Getty Images 11."I use coconut milk in any recipe that calls for heavy cream. I find that coconut milk imparts the perfect creaminess without altering the flavor too much." u/tequilarita Marc Dufresne / Getty Images 12."I often replace sour cream or mayonnaise with Greek yogurt in things like tuna or chicken salad. Its not for health reasons or anything. I just love the tanginess that Greek yogurt adds to a dish." u/MissHBee Rob Castro / Getty Images 13."I use Worcestershire sauce in dishes that call for fish sauce and vice versa. For example, I use fish sauce in tomato-based pasta sauces, and Worcestershire sauce in Southeast Asian dishes." u/Mammoth-Tourist-4522 Dukai Photographer / Getty Images 14."I never buy brown sugar. Instead, I just add molasses to white sugar. This allows me to easily control the darkness of the sugar." u/bakehaus Getty Images 15."Celery is the real devil's lettuce. I always replace it with diced green bell pepper whenever a recipe calls for it." u/Dalton387 Ciara Kimsey / Getty Images/iStockphoto 16."I usually use croutons, soup crackers, or crushed-up Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs. Recently, I used croutons to bread Parmesan chicken, and the result was amazing." u/FNKTN "Last night I realized I had forgotten to pick up bread crumbs at the market, so I crushed up some Ritz crackers and coated my chicken cutlets with them. They turned out to be some of the best cutlets I have ever made." jessicaf22 Stanislav Ostranitsa / Getty Images/iStockphoto 17."I never keep buttermilk in my fridge, but I almost always have heavy cream. I just mix a cup of heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of vinegar, then I wait 15 minutes, and voila: a perfect buttermilk substitute." u/Jazzlike-Squirrel116 Jack Andersen / Getty Images 18."I use sunflower seeds as a cheaper alternative to pine nuts when making homemade pesto. They're about one-fourth the cost but a similar texture." anitak4bcf585fa Funwithfood / Getty Images 19."When baking, I'll sometimes replace an egg with a mashed banana. The final product is more moist and has a subtle, natural sweetness. Plus, you can eat as much of the raw dough or batter as you want!" malloryd4de0e7ca3 The Picture Pantry / Getty Images/Alloy 20."I use creamy Italian dressing instead of mayo. Try it when you're making a BLT sandwich. It's next level." Beanie LeBean Kcline / Getty Images/iStockphoto 21."If I'm making a meal like chicken piccata or pasta puttanesca that calls for capers in the ingredients but I don't have them on hand, I'll finely chop up green olives (like Castelvetrano or Manzanilla). Or I'll substitute finely chopped dill or cornichon pickles. All three give a dish the same salty, flavor-packed punch." Hannah Loewentheil Antonio Busiello / Getty Images 22."When a recipe calls for tahini but I don't have any in my kitchen, I often use peanut butter in its place. While peanut butter is common in Thai and Asian cooking, you'll often see tahini in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes. Both taste nutty and creamy and can be used more or less interchangeably if you only have one to make sauces, marinades, curries, and even soups." Hannah Loewentheil Ezumeimages / Getty Images/iStockphoto 23."I personally hate green bell peppers, so I replace them with poblanos. They taste a lot better and don't have any noticeable heat." u/keeptrackoftime Carlosrojas20 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 24."Try using coconut milk instead of water or broth when cooking rice. It makes the rice taste amazing, especially when you're using it for stir-fries and other rice-based dishes." u/thats-not-right Cavan Images / Getty Images/Cavan Images RF 25."A lot of Japanese recipes tend to call for both mirin and sugar, but I don't like too much sweetness in my savory dishes. I usually just substitute sake for both of them and call it a day." u/noobolite Penpak Ngamsathain / Getty Images 26."I use half-and-half and skim milk for pretty much any dairy product that a recipe might call for. Keeping a half dozen different liquid dairy products is annoying. Between half-and-half and skim milk, the two options pretty much cover my needs." u/AnaDion94 Elizabeth Watt / Getty Images What's an ingredient substitution or recipe swap you use all the time in your home cooking? Tell us in the comments! Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. A California couple is set to move into a one-of-a-kind home later this year that will be resistant to wildfires. According to Highways Today, a robotic arm 3D printer created by RIC Technology began construction in January on the states first fire-resistant, 3D-printed concrete accessory dwelling unit in the city of Walnut. The general contractor Builtech Construction Group is leading the design in collaboration with the city of Walnut and the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Philips and Constance, a couple living in Walnut described as eager to contribute to wildfire protection, agreed to have Builtech erect a fire-resistant ADU in their backyard that will include two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms. Seeing the state plagued by wildfires, we want to be part of the solution, too, said Ziyou Xu, founder and CEO of RIC Technology, which is a pioneering 3D printing company. This project can be the beginning of something meaningful a wider application of 3D printed homes that are less susceptible to fires. In 2023, wildfires in California caused 323,025 acres to be burned and led to four fatalities. The previous year, the federal government spent over $4 billion in firefighting costs. However, suppressing wildfires is only half the battle, as communities continue to suffer from the damage for years. Fire-resistant homes reduce wildfire risks by enhancing resilience during a fire and speeding up post-wildfire recovery, Xu said. It significantly saves time and money in the recovery process if residents homes survive a wildfire. Per Highways Today, the ADU being built in Walnut will have exterior walls that are 3D-printed using concrete, a non-combustible material. The roof will be constructed with light steel and sure-boards, distinguishing it from other 3D-printed homes that often feature wooden structural roofs. Builtech also will fortify the areas that are traditionally vulnerable to fires, such as eave vents and windows, also per Highways Today. The ADU will be built without a single piece of wood or nail no fuel on the main structure, said Aaron Liu, CEO of Builtech Construction Group and a National Fire Protection Association-certified wildfire mitigation specialist. So we significantly minimize the likelihood of fire entering the home, reducing its susceptibility to fire. In addition to using 3D printing, there are other methods that can create fire-resistant homes. Australian scientists have discovered that mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, can be used to create fire-resistant cladding for buildings. A Colorado startup company is building modern homes using compressed earth blocks, which are incredibly fire-resistant and also offer benefits such as wind resistance and thermal mass, which help regulate indoor temperatures. The hope is that the Walnut project will lead to more collaborations with local governments and fire departments to expand the development of more non-combustible, fire-resistant homes in wildfire-prone communities. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. Delpozo, the Madrid-based luxury brand that began 50 years ago, is back on the fashion scene. After a four-year hiatus, the brand has returned for fall 2024 under new ownership, creative directors and co-chief executive officers. More from WWD Joaquin Trias and Enrique Mellado, creative directors and co-CEOs, put an investment group together to purchase the brand last July from Perfumes y Diseno, which had owned it since 2011, and which continues to maintain a stake. Trias and Mellado are showing their first collection for fall 24 at the New Museum in New York, and in an interview Sunday, spoke about their plans for the company and why they wanted to acquire the Spanish luxury brand, which was founded in 1974 by Jesus del Pozo. Following Delpozos death in 2011, the collection was designed for six years by Josep Font, who successfully brought a youthful, romantic aesthetic, and then for two-and-a-half years by Lutz Huelle, before it shuttered in 2021. During its heyday under PyDs ownership, the brand had a presence in 24 international markets across four continents and in 100 department and specialty stores. Delpozo showcased its collections at New York and London Fashion Weeks and had flagship boutiques in Dubai, Miami, London and Madrid. Now the new management and creative directors are re-building the brand from scratch and giving it a more mature spin. Asked what prompted them to re-introduce Delpozo, Trias explained, It was five years ago that we started this venture. But it wasnt very focused on buying a fashion brand. It was much more asking ourselves how we wanted to participate in this new world? Ive always worked in fashion and Enrique came from theater and movies. (Trias had his own eponymous fashion brand for seven years.) They spent two years trying to figure out what they wanted to do and came up with a vision. At the end of the day, fashion is the industry that everybody looks at and everyone is interested in. Its a perfect space to put the message we want to translate, said Trias. Trias said they had a good relationship with Perfumes y Diseno and approached the company and asked it what was happening with Delpozo, which had been so successful. PyD said nothing was being done with it, and Trias and Mellado told the company, What if we line up investors and a business model? And they said, Go for it.' The business partners met with investors in Spain and Latin America. We were surprised by the support we have. In Spain, investors arent that into this industry to invest. We were talking and telling them that they have to invest in the brand. We got this incredible panel of investors who are looking for a long-term investment, said Trias. The business partners said they didnt have to show the investors any of their designs, but spoke about the project and made them realize it was a long-term investment, and that gave them security. Trias and Mellado raised all the funds, but didnt invest in the business themselves. Rather, they will do all the work, running the business and co-designing the collection. Mellado said the vision is based on three main pillars: The first is the house of Delpozo itself, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Its really a poetic moment to have this moment of celebration and a rebirth with this new vision thats coming, said Mellado. He said Delpozo was one of the most respected, iconic fashion designers from Spain. He started doing avant garde pieces and merged with ready-to-wear. Trias said Delpozo worked during the time of film director and screenwriter Pedro Almodovar and graphic designer Juan Gatti, who were pushing things forward in Spain, and actress Rossy de Palma. Gatti did the logo design for the house, which was the inspiration for the rebranding. The second pillar is developing an impact company. One hundred percent of the decision-making of the company is based on sustainability and social impact. Were aiming to reduce as much as possible the harm that the company does to the environment. Its not about only reducing the harm, but adding a positive impact, said Mellado. Everything will be manufactured in Spain. Trias noted that Delpozo has been always been recognized for its prettiness and its colors. Those were the main aspects that attracted us to the brand. That gives us a huge space to give newness, he said. A fall look from Delpozo. As part of the rebirth, the brand is looking to become more accessible and consequently has lowered its prices. Previously, the brand targeted a very niche customer. Now we have to open this. We have to get the market and the world to make this to be a very big reality. Because of our strategy of impact, we want to transmit messages and face the real issues and problems and moments of the world. For that, you have to reach a lot of people, said Trias. For the third pillar, Delpozo wants to be a hybrid between a fashion brand and a content platform. Fashion got larger than fashion. Its not about the clothing any longer. Its about the storytelling, said Mellado. Were a content-based and content-centric fashion brand. Our understanding is Delpozo is not just a fashion brand but a production company. We can create content that relates to the narrative and the sensibility of the house. Everything is losing the barriers. Musics merging with movies, movies are merging with fashionits a concept thats so now and the transition from one place to another. We think its an interesting moment for the fashion brand to merge into content creation. Its not about just selling the brand, its about the story, said Mellado. Trias said everything is designed for the narrative. Sometimes when you design a collection, you start with an inspiration or a color or a photograph. We start designing and thinking about how the product is going to function inside of our content, he said. For the first collection, theyre going after a limited number of stores, such as Bergdorf Goodman and Dover Street Market. They will launch the collection to the market at the same time the content is coming out. We drive the consumers to the stores at the time they receive the content, said Trias. We want to establish those alliances and co-create the future of the brand, said Trias. Our intention is to help the stores and collaborate with them. When the clothing arrives in the shops, they will put all their efforts in their communication strategy, said Trias. Mellado said the plan is for Delpozo to hang with brands such as Chloe, Marni and Stella McCartney. In the past, the brand was positioned at higher price points near brands such as Valentino, Elie Saab and Giambattista Valli. Shirts retail for $400, pants are $700 to $900, jackets are $800 to $1,000, and coats are $1,500. Another change is the core of Delpozo had been mostly evening, but we really want to focus on day to evening, said Trias. As for the clothes, Trias said they are making clothing thats more body-conscious and architectural. Mellado said theyre doing more subtle textures and its more about creating blocks within the body. Theyre also doing hand-embroidered flowers. They are featuring white, blue and pink flowers to present the story of Delpozo. The collection features a selection of volumes and details that frame and enhance specific parts of the body, proposing momentum within the shape for their end consumer to sculpt themselves. Fabrics include a range of organic certified cottons, FSC-certified viscose and premium vegan suede. A fall style from Delpozo. Ultimately Trias said theyd like to have freestanding stores. He pointed out that Delpozo was born as a menswear brand for its first 10 years. They will be looking to introduce different categories of products. Previously Delpozo also had a few accessories. Wed like to put a lot of our effort and our resources into the lines of bags, shoes and jewelry. Were starting to build a team, said Trias. Perfumes y Diseno, which specializes in perfume, has the license to start developing a perfume with them. In the past, Delpozo had a perfume called Duende that sold in Spain like crazy, said Trias. Right now, they are planning two collections a year: autumn/winter and spring/summer. Asked why they wanted to present their first line in New York, Mellado said when Perfumes y Diseno introduced Delpozo, they showed it in New York and it was very successful. New York has this vibe and this thing about the world and the consumer. Its also related to the best content creation. We really want to be focused here to start these relations, said Mellado. They are in conversations with a major streaming platform to start shaping the content theyre creating. It will be co-produced. We want to do it step by step. We do have the economic background to really do one thing at a time and do it well. We want to build this idea of a house and were looking at the model of what Chanel has made, what Dior has made and what Prada has made. We have these 50 years already, we really have the material to grow something that is larger, said Mellado. The company has new headquarters in Madrid, and has started to bring various ateliers back into fold. For fall, they are showing a collection thats very structured with little details that make the clothing special. What were looking at with this collection is not to present too many ideas, but to focus on specific ones in order to make clear the message of what our understanding of volume is, said Trias. They also want to continue the heritage of colors. Were excited to bring these pastel colors to winter. Always feeling springtime, said Mellado. Best of WWD Savoring a slice of pie with a glass of wine can be highly satisfying. Like many great food and beverage duos, some pies simply taste better with the right vino. To learn more about this tantalizing topic, Mashed spoke with two sommeliers about several top-notch wine and pie pairings. Doreen Winkler is a consulting sommelier who has had the privilege of curating wine lists for restaurants throughout her career, including Mishik, a Japanese sushi restaurant in New York City. Catherine Fallis, who also refers to herself as the grape goddess, is the Master Sommelier at Bright Cellars, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based wine subscription service not to mention the fifth woman in history to earn the title of Master Sommelier. Whether your go-to pie is sweet or savory, eaten during the dessert course, or as an entree, there likely exists a wine to wash it down with, according to a couple of oenophiles. Read more: Popular Vodka Brands Ranked From Worst To Best Enjoy Peanut Butter Pie With Pedro Ximenez Sherry peanut butter pie - Tom Kelley Archive/Getty Images Doreen Winkler regards peanut butter pie as an ideal companion for an aged, sweet, vintage Pedro Ximenez sherry from Spain. The simultaneously gritty and smooth consistency of the peanut butter filling meshes with the juicy quality of the fortified wine. The Spanish sherry's profile often features hints of dried fruits like raisins and figs, which "elevate it to the next level." The sweetness of the sherry complements the slight saltiness of the peanut butter. At that, the wine's intricate aging process contributes to its concentrated essence, which contrasts beautifully with the pie's richness. Furthermore, sherry made from Pedro Ximenez grapes has caramelly undertones that add depth to PB pie. The wine acts as a counterpoint to the dessert's earthiness. Together, this duo highlights the indulgence of the creamy peanut butter pie as well as the sophisticated Pedro Ximenez sherry's complexity. Apple Pie + Riesling = Perfection slicing an apple pie - RESTOCK images/Shutterstock When both apple pie and German riesling are on the menu, you know your taste buds ... and stomach ... and liver ... are truly in for a ride. "This pairing will probably lead to eating more pie and drinking more riesling," Winkler tells Mashed. The key in this pairing, as the sommelier explains, lies in the all-American baked good and sweet (or dry, depending on the alcohol content) wine's corresponding characteristics. Riesling's notes of tart red apple and ripe apricot resonate with the caramelized, apple pie. To boot, the famed wine supplies a pleasant zest that cuts through the pie's crust and the fruity, cinnamon-spiced filling. Moreover, the acidity of the riesling cleanses the palate after each bite of the pie. The wine's sweetness works well with the apple pie's sugar content, ensuring a serene tasting experience. The result is a flavorful synergy of food and drink. Tucking Into Pumpkin Pie? Pour A Glass Of Dry Vouvray slice of pumpkin pie - Liliboas/Getty Images Pumpkin pie, the Thanksgiving staple, and an off-dry Vouvray are yet another match made in heaven, as Winkler suggests. Vouvray, a region in the Loire Valley of France, is well-known for its production of superior white wines primarily made from Chenin Blanc grapes. One such variety of Vouvray possesses an off-dry profile with a touch of residual sugar, which harmonizes with pumpkin pie's fragrant spices. The wine's lighter texture also serves as an excellent counterpart to the pie's dense filling, generating a well-balanced sensory experience. The dashes of honeysuckle in the Vouvray amplify the pie's aroma, adding a floral dimension. As Winkler describes, the hints of quince and green apple in an off-dry Vouvray augment the pumpkin's autumnal flavors. The minerality offers a refreshing palate cleanser between bites of the pie, which Winkler describes as "not very sweet," while ensuring a crisp, clean finish. Indulge In Chocolate Pie With A Sweet French Red chocolate pie - Aleaimage/Getty Images Wine and chocolate? Name a better duo. If you're in the mood for chocolate pie, Winkler has a strong recommendation: "The most luxurious experience would be to pair it with Banyuls, a red dessert wine from the South of France." The lush French digestif which is available in red, white, and rose varieties coats the mouth, resulting in a velvety glaze that precedes each slice of the decadent chocolate pie. The red variety, known for its notes of cassis, blueberry, dried fig, cocoa, caramel, and brown sugar, establishes a potpourri of flavors that intertwine seamlessly with the pie's chocolatey goodness. The tinges of cassis and blueberry in Banyuls team up with the pie's chocolaty flavor. The dried fig notes, along with the caramel and brown sugar elements, enhance the sweetness without overpowering the faint bitterness. "And when the wine has some age," Winkler explains, "it can be insanely delicious." The pairing is a celebration that turns a timeless chocolate dessert into a sublimer treat. Meat Pies Deserve Wine, Too chicken pot pie - Plateresca/Getty Images So, what if you don't necessarily want to wait until after supper time to enjoy a slice of pie? Pies, of course, aren't limited to the sweets table or the highly anticipated Thanksgiving dinner. "Meat pies are such great comfort foods and are prepared in so many ways around the world," Bright Cellars' Catherine Fallis shared with Mashed. Although there exist plenty of savory pie recipes you haven't tried before, the focus here is on the classic chicken pot pie. Chicken pot pies are synonymous with warmth. Their soupy filling, made from a medley of chicken, vegetables, and a luscious sauce, falls in tune with what Fallis calls "a soft, light, and creamy white wine." An optimally chilled white wine's subtleties bring out the best parts of the dish. Feel like drinking and eating your wine? Adding it to the pie's sauce is one of several ways to upgrade homemade chicken pot pie. If you're a loyal member of Team Red Wine, Fallis recommends a full-bodied Garnacha from Spain to sip alongside chicken pot pie. Dine On Shepherd's Pie With A Light Red Wine shepherd's pie - Rudisill/Getty Images On the other hand, shepherd's pie, especially when made with ground lamb rather than beef, is a pure umami delight. Fallis understands that the wholesome pie an all-time favorite of the late David Bowie, by the way calls for a lighter red. And it makes sense, considering that red wine's mouth-puckering tannins offset shepherd's pie's richness. The versatile dish can accommodate a range of reds. As a matter of fact, some shepherd's pie recipes, including Gordon Ramsay's, even call for a splash of red wine. "Shepherd's pie which is richer, spicier, and earthier if prepared with ground lamb rather than ground beef is well-suited for either a lighter, earthier red," the expert explains. Meanwhile, a "decadent, rich, and ripe" red, according to Fallis, also has the brawn to stand up to the pie's hearty flavors. In short, shepherd's pie's foundation of minced meat, mixed with seasoned vegetables and topped with a hefty blanket of mashed potatoes, provides a lovely canvas for various reds. This gives one the ability to cater to diners who seek elegance in their glass and on their plate as much as those who crave a somewhat more substantial spread. These thoughtfully chosen wine and pie pairings, endorsed by acclaimed sommeliers, have the power to enrich any occasion. Read the original article on Mashed. A visit to Alabama isnt complete without barbecue. Birmingham, AL is in its Renaissance period. With the citys history rooted in iron and steel, it became a diverse hub thanks to the medical and automotive industries. But dont be fooled by it being the largest city in Alabama; the local hot spots are centrally located and easy to access. If youre in a road trip mood, Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Florida are a few short hours away. Home to James-Beard award-winning chefs, soul-healing soul food, and the Food & Wine Test Kitchen, Birmingham also sets itself up as a spectacular and growing food city, earning itself the moniker The Dinner Table of the South. While Birmingham might not immediately ring any bells as a travel destination, were here to stop gatekeeping on the Magic City. Here are our must-dos for your next trip and how to make the most of it. Jacob Boomsma / Getty Images Where to stay With locations peppered throughout the souths trendiest cities, including Asheville and Charleston, its no surprise the Grand Bohemian Hotel, a Kessler Collection property, planted roots in Birminghams posh Mountain Brook neighborhood. If the selfie opportunities with the moody, avant-garde decor (were talking purple couches that Prince would envy) werent already enough of a sell, the hotel has a wide array of unique activities for guests, including cooking and wine blending classes and an art gallery showcasing local up-and-coming artists. To catch two butterflies in one jar, the Elyton Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Birmingham, within walking distance of restaurants and bars. Its rooftop bar and lounge, Moon Shine, offers sweeping views of the city. With 111 guest rooms and 6 suites, this property owns the Goldilocks effect of a boutique hotel not too big and not too small. Bonus points: Its pet-friendly. As the oldest operating accommodation in Birmingham (99 years and counting), the Redmont Hotel has seen many iterations, including a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2016. Under the umbrella of Hiltons Curio Collection, this reasonably priced, 120-room hotel is made for any traveler. For those on business, it sits a few blocks from the downtown convention center. After refreshing yourself in your room after work, you can catch a show five blocks away in Birminghams Theater District. With the hotels 1920s-inspired decor, youll find it easy to get your Gatsby on before heading out for a night on the town. Where to eat Last Call Baking is everything youd want out of a local bakery and patisserie. A rotating menu keeps things exciting, while unique goods ranging from passionfruit morning buns to Japanese milk bread egg sandwiches make this place an unforgettable Birmingham breakfast experience worth the early wake-up call. Dont skip out on the classics their croissants are heavenly. A visit to Alabama isnt complete without barbecue. Dubbed the best barbecue in Birmingham, Saws BBQ offers a variety of Southern staples. Their Pork NGreens is the south on a plate with collard greens served over creamy cheese grits, pulled pork, and topped with fried onion rings. At Johnnys, multi-James Beard semi-finalist chef Timothy Hontzas specializes in Southern dishes with Greek influences inspired by his family heritage. Here, youll find keftedes (Greek meatballs) and red beans and rice on the same menu with a wide array of accompanying sides that make it difficult to select a meat and just three. For dinner, Automatic Seafood and Oysters is mandatory. The 2022 James-Beard Best Chef: South winner, Chef Adam Evans's restaurant dazzles. Start with their expertly curated array of oysters and work your way through a menu that highlights the best seafood the Gulf has to offer. If youre not in the mood for something from the sea, Chef Evans has a fantastic selection of land proteins and vegetarian dishes to boot. Also, get a round (or two) of their yeast rolls with honey butter. Dinner is a must, but you can also treat yourself to their outstanding weekend brunch. Things to do Kick off your morning with a walk, run, hike, or bike throughout Red Mountain State Park. With over 1,500 beautiful acres and more than 16 miles of trails, its worth a visit, no matter your preferred outdoor activity. If you stumble across any of the parks three hidden treehouses, you can catch a magnificent view of the cityscape. The Market at Pepper Place is the spot to be on a Saturday morning or early afternoon. Its crowned as the largest producers farmers market in the state and boasts over 100 tents in the summer months. Among the swaths of local vendors, you can eat, purchase gifts, watch local chef demos, and listen to live music all while stocking up your fridge and pantry for cheap. For a relaxing afternoon, catch a movie at Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, a non-profit independent movie theater. Before the show, enjoy the Pizitz Food Hall, with lots of casual dining food stalls selling everything from pho to burgers. The fun doesnt stop once it gets dark Birmingham is a big brewery town. Avondale Brewing Company hosts live concerts throughout the year, both on their outdoor stage and in their upstairs show area. Other hopping options (pun intended) include Cahaba Brewing Company, Good People Brewing Company, and Ferus Artisan Ales. Back Forty Beer Company is a great place to gather for a beer, but dont sleep on their Margherita pizza or kale salad. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. People working at a fast food restaurant typically don't expect to learn a life-changing lesson as they're flipping patties and ringing up customers, but these lessons can sneak up on you. This was true for television host Jay Leno back when he worked at a McDonald's in Andover, Massachusetts from 1966 to 1968. As Leno relayed to author Cory Teets in the latter's 2012 book "Golden Opportunity: Remarkable Careers that Began at McDonald's," the "Jay Leno's Garage" host would help prepare McDonald's fries. One day, he and the store owner, Tom Curtin, went to the storage room for a fresh batch of potatoes. Inside, they noticed a pair of underwear on top of the potato sacks. Leno assumed Curtin would ask him to throw out just the top layer, but to his surprise, Curtin wanted him to discard the whole batch. Curtin, according to Leno, went above and beyond to ensure his restaurant's products were top-notch, and Leno found that quality impressive. The incident taught him that if you're making a product, no extra effort is too much when ensuring its quality. "The standards for quality were quite high. It was one of those life lessons I never forgot," Leno recalled. As for why someone left their underwear in the storage room in the first place, Leno explained that this was where employees sometimes changed into their uniforms. Read more: McDonald's Menu Items That Even The Staff Won't Eat McDonald's Fries Are Made Much Differently Now McDonald's fries on tray - Mario Tama / Getty Images Back when Leno worked at McDonald's, each location cut its potatoes in the kitchen by hand. Since Leno prepared the fries every day, his forearms apparently grew massive due to all the cutting involved. The fast food chain no longer employs this method, however. According to McDonald's website, it now processes and prepares the fries in a factory before shipping them out to the restaurant's locations, where they're fried onsite. This process involves peeling, cutting, and blanching the potatoes before partially frying and freezing them. Over the years, people have even wondered if McDonald's uses real potatoes to make its fries since the potatoes are so evenly sized and cut. According to the chain, the answer is yes. Its website claims that McDonald's World Famous Fries are made with Russet Burbank and Shepody potatoes. Additionally, it looks for potatoes of a certain size that will neatly stick out of the red box. Read the original article on Mashed. ASHEVILLE - A new food and beer partnership is bringing Filipino flavor to the banks of the French Broad River. On Feb. 8, the Master BBQ food truck officially opened at Zillicoah Beer Co., on 870 Riverside Dr. in Woodfin. Led by co-owner and chef Paul Pike and his wife, Julia, Master BBQ offers traditional Filipino comfort food with recipes passed down and inspired by Pikes family, including barbecued pork and chicken skewers. The skewers are handy and the lumpia is finger food so you can grab your beer and a skewer in one hand. you cant go wrong with that, Pike said. Julia and Paul Pike, co-owners of the Master BBQ food truck at Zillicoah Brewing Co. Master BBQs partnership comes after Zillicoah Beer Co. parted ways with Mexican restaurant Taqueria Munoz last June after more than five years. In the months following, the brewery welcomed a series of area food vendors and trucks to pull up to the patio to serve taproom guests. Master BBQ will regularly service guests during the brewerys operational hours, 2-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 12-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 12-8 p.m. Sunday. Through the last year of pop-ups, weve formed a great relationship with Paul, Julia, and their whole family, Jeremy Chassner, co-owner of Zillicoah, said in an email. I can honestly say that they are among the nicest, most genuine folks weve had the pleasure of dealing with. For us, that goes a million miles. Add that to the fact that theyre making some of the best food around, it was a no brainer for us to try to recruit them as our partners before someone else did. Were lucky to have them. Lumpia, right, and pork skewers from the Master BBQ food truck. From the Philippines to Asheville Pike is carrying on his familys legacy of Filipino cooking and feeding communities. In 1941, Pikes great-grandmother, Lola Rosa, opened Three Sisters Restaurant in Pasig City, Manila, Philippines. Pike said she became famous for her pork barbecue skewers, pancit a stir-fried noodle dish and lumpia fried spring rolls stuffed with pork and vegetables. In 2021, Pike, a fourth-generation chef who began cooking when he was about 10 years old, and his wife launched the Master BBQ as a catering service in Los Angeles, a city he said has a large Filipino community, many of whom became regular customers. Paul Pike, co-owner and chef of Master BBQ, adds pork skewers to the grill in his food truck at Zillicoah Brewing Co., February 8, 2024. All my mothers side, all the grandmas, they all cook so Im always in the kitchen, he said. Im there, I eat, I watch them cook until I got the courage to fire up the stove and experiment on some things or imitate some things that they do. In 2022, they moved to Asheville, where his in-laws reside, and introduced the business as a pop-up. I was scared because North Carolina, its a barbecue country and Im a Filipino barbecuing, and its different, he said. Master BBQ has gained a loyal following, including within Ashevilles Asian community, he said. The businesss reputation and popularity grew through word of mouth from catering services and pop-ups at local breweries, he said. Zillicoah was the first local business to open its doors to Master BBQ by welcoming them to host a pop-up at the taproom, Pike said. Chassner said Master BBQ offers variety, a wide spread of flavor profiles, gluten-free and vegetarian options, as well as dishes that complement Zillicoahs craft beers. Our beer menu consists of primarily rotational one-offs, so at some point, were going to have a beer that matches beautifully with an order of Lumpia, another that pairs with the Chicken Inasal, and perhaps even one that goes side by side with the Banana Turon dessert, Chassner said. The bar inside Zillicoah Beer Co., February 8, 2024. Master BBQs menu The pork barbecue skewers, made using Pikes family recipe, are the focal point of the menu, with many more dishes to showcase his heritage. Im going to go with my traditional menu because thats what I want to introduce Americans to traditional Filipino food," Pike said, "that is my dream. Pikes barbecue method involves marinating the pork or chicken for 24 hours, then the skewered meat is cooked quickly on the grill. By slicing them really thin, that makes it tender and flavorful, he said. Traditionally, hes cooked over charcoal but will be using a propane grill at the brewery for added convenience and safety reasons. Barbecue pork skewers from Master BBQ, with barbecue sauce and a side of pickled cucumber. Everyone loves the lumpia, and the national dish of the Philippines, which is the adobo, Pike said. People here order chicken adobo and they love it. Adobo is prepared by marinating the meat in soy sauce, vinegar and a lot of garlic. Dishes may include sides of Jasmine rice or annatto rice fried rice cooked in annatto oil and spices like salt, turmeric and garlic powder. It makes me feel good, especially when someone comes up and say, Paul, your foods good. You made something good today, Pike said. It makes me feel happy and Im not tired anymore. Im just happy. Master BBQ Where: 870 Riverside Dr., Zillicoah Beer Co., Woodfin. Hours: 2-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday. 12-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 12-8 p.m. Sunday. Info: For more, visit masterbbqusa.com and facebook.com/sinongmastermo/ and follow on Instagram at @masterbbqavl. Stories you may have missed: Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Master BBQ, Zillicoah partner to offer Filipino cuisine at brewery Layoffs at UPS are the latest in a string of job cuts throughout logistics to start the yearand many who work in the industry say they are feeling the impact of fewer employees across their company. Seventy-six percent of supply chain and logistics leaders say they are experiencing notable workforce shortages in their operations, according to a survey from Descartes. More from Sourcing Journal A portion of the 1,000 respondents surveyed are even more concerned, with 37 percent characterizing the workforce shortage they face as high to extreme. Chris Jones, executive vice president, industry at Descartes, says more companies have to take on the role of being the shipper of choice for prospective employees. I think thats the theme here, for people in terms of, they need to be the employer of choice, Jones told Sourcing Journal. He referred to the recent shifts in job market conditions as a war for talent as potential applicants flock elsewhere. Youre not just competing with your fellow retailers or your fellow 3PLs, youre competing now with everybody because people have no problems with crossing industries. Fewer employees can ultimately take a toll on a companys financial, peak season and logistics partner performance. Fifty-eight percent of respondents even agreed that its taking a toll on customer service performance, with 58 percent specifying that workforce shortages have negatively impacted service levels. According to the survey results, the areas suffering the most from resource shortages were transportation operations (61 percent) and warehouse operations (56 percent), which aligns with the overall drop in employment across the transportation and warehousing industry. Overall, the sector has 100,000 fewer jobs as of December 2023 than it did 14 months prior in October 2022, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That month alone, 23,000 jobs were cut. Companies like GXO, Coyote and Flexe all announced layoffs a month later, while brands like Fanatics and Fruit of the Loom are shuttering warehouses, leaving the firms to cut the jobs at those locations. Despite the doom and gloom stemming from the shortages, the landscape of jobs in these sectors changed for the better during the pandemic, according to Jones, as more hiring ramped up and forced companies to escalate wages. This effectively turned employment in this from a sellers market to a buyers market. All of a sudden, now you had way more jobs than people2Xfor a while there, said Jones. They were looking across industries, but they werent just looking at the warehouse down the street. Although there has been a recent restructuring at UPS, as well as job cuts elsewhere at supply chain companies, whether it be firms like Flexport, Veho or FourKites, Jones observed there are still way more jobs out there than there are people for them. The challenges for the logistics industry are now more noticeable when it comes to filling open positions. This stems from one of the changes highlighted by Jones as a result of the new buyers market in logistics jobs, in which there is now more of a focus on not just laborers, but knowledge workers. The lack of knowledge workers is whats leading to some shortfall among customer service levels, Jones says. The Descartes survey said open positions for these knowledge workers, who often serve in roles like supply chain planners and analysts, were the hardest positions to fill. As many as 55 percent described the hiring process as hard to extremely hard, while managers are right behind at 54 percent. Knowledge workers are a huge issue, Jones said. Its about understanding your performance, everything from customer service to individual driver or warehouse worker performance. Its so data-driven these days. Where are you getting the people to do that kind of work? This is an area where we believe that there needs to be more focused on Ill call it upskilling your people to do it. Almost one-third (32 percent) of respondents said replacing traditional warehouse workers was not hard, compared to only 13 percent for knowledge workers. In another hurdle, Jones also said too many knowledge workers are spending time on tasks that dont benefit the For the knowledge workers you have, they spent a lot of time doing non-value-added work, like data gathering and cleansing and running reports and things like that. Those tasks are not really that value added, said Jones. Theyre important to have them but if youre paying for somebody for their mind and their ability to help you assess your performance, thats what you want them doing instead. Overview of Dodge & Cox's Latest Investment Move On January 31, 2024, the esteemed investment firm Dodge & Cox made a significant addition to its portfolio by acquiring 7,496,500 shares of Johnson Controls International PLC (NYSE:JCI), a leader in building technologies and solutions. This transaction, executed at a price of $52.69 per share, has increased the firm's total holdings in JCI to 74,965,000 shares, marking a substantial impact of 0.27% on the portfolio. The addition has also adjusted Dodge & Cox's position in JCI to 2.65% of its portfolio, with the firm now holding an 11.00% stake in the company. Dodge & Cox: A Legacy of Value Investing Founded in 1930, Dodge & Cox stands as a paragon of value investing, guided by a collective decision-making process. The firm's Investment Policy Committees are at the heart of its investment strategy, ensuring continuity in philosophy, research, and culture. Dodge & Cox's approach is characterized by a relentless pursuit of superior relative value, favoring long-term investments in undervalued companies with promising earnings and cash-flow prospects. Dodge & Cox Bolsters Position in Johnson Controls International PLC Strategic Expansion of Dodge & Cox's Portfolio The recent acquisition of JCI shares represents a strategic move by Dodge & Cox, further cementing the stock's position within its diverse portfolio. With a current portfolio allocation of 2.65% to JCI, the firm has demonstrated confidence in the company's future performance. This trade not only reflects Dodge & Cox's investment acumen but also its commitment to capitalizing on market opportunities that align with its value-driven philosophy. Johnson Controls International PLC: A Snapshot Johnson Controls International PLC, headquartered in Ireland, has been a prominent player in the construction industry since its IPO in 1965. The company specializes in HVAC systems, building management, fire and security solutions, and industrial refrigeration units. With a diverse range of segments including Building Solutions Asia Pacific, EMEA/LA, North America, and Global Products, JCI generated nearly $27 billion in revenue in fiscal 2023. Story continues Financial Health and Market Position of JCI As of the latest data, Johnson Controls boasts a market capitalization of $37.82 billion and a stock price of $55.5, reflecting a modest undervaluation according to GuruFocus metrics. The stock's PE ratio stands at 18.08%, and it is currently rated as "Modestly Undervalued" with a GF Value of $70.33. JCI has experienced a 5.33% gain since Dodge & Cox's trade and a staggering 2457.6% increase since its IPO. Despite a slight year-to-date dip of -2.77%, the company's financial strength and market performance remain robust. Dodge & Cox Bolsters Position in Johnson Controls International PLC Comparative Analysis of Investor Interest in JCI Dodge & Cox's recent trade places it as the largest shareholder in JCI, a testament to its belief in the company's value proposition. Other notable investors such as Ken Fisher (Trades, Portfolio), Chris Davis (Trades, Portfolio), and Mario Gabelli (Trades, Portfolio) also maintain positions in JCI, although none hold as significant a stake as Dodge & Cox. Valuation and Performance Metrics of JCI JCI's valuation is supported by a GF Value Rank of 9/10, indicating strong potential for investment. The company's historical performance and growth prospects are further underscored by its GF Score of 88/100, suggesting a high potential for outperformance. With a solid Profitability Rank of 7/10 and a Growth Rank of 8/10, JCI's financial health and expansion trajectory are well-recognized in the industry. Concluding Insights on Dodge & Cox's JCI Trade The acquisition of additional shares in Johnson Controls International PLC by Dodge & Cox is a strategic move that aligns with the firm's investment philosophy and reflects confidence in JCI's future growth. As the company continues to innovate and expand within the construction industry, Dodge & Cox's increased stake positions it to potentially reap the benefits of JCI's market performance and intrinsic value. This trade not only diversifies Dodge & Cox's portfolio but also highlights the firm's commitment to value investing and its ability to identify companies with strong long-term prospects. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." After two weeks of rain in NYC, an invite to Cancun, Mexico, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Nizuc Resort and Spa came at the perfect time. Especially because I was told I could bring a plus-one. Now, Im 100% single, so I invited my best friend...even though Nizuc is a popular honeymoon destination known for its romantic vibes and luxurious accommodations. But who says you can't go on a couple's trip with your bestie, right? Right. Located just ten miles from the Cancun International Airport, Nizuc has racked up a ton of impressive awards and appeared in many best-of listsand, spoiler alert, it's officially on mine. I mean, the place is GORGEOUS, with water features and art pieces everywhere you turn, plus two pools, a huge spa, and a long stretch of beach for you to get your tan on. Sounds nice, no? Because I think you deserve to live this level of luxury as well, I'm giving you a full review of my experience, below. You know, so you can be fully prepped when you (inevitably!) decide to book your own stay. THE QUICK HITS: NIZUC EDITION Name: Nizuc Resort and Spa Location: Cancun, Mexico Cost Per Night: Starting at $600 Best for: Romantic getaways or just a girls trip While youre here, visit: A local cenote, like Cenote Sol y Luna One-Word Vibe Check: Luxe!!! Most Iconic Photo Spot: The reflecting pool (keep reading to learn why) Dont Leave Without: Visiting the spa BOOK A STAY THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS! As soon as we walked into Nizucs lobby, we were met with a stunning view of the hotel's signature reflecting pool, which is filled with small trees, plants, and a gorgeous sculpture in the center. Then, as we walked to our room, we strolled along a raised pathway that took us over a glowing pool lit by flickering lamps. It was like something out of a fairy tale or a romance movie, trust. We were, in a word, impressed. Erika W. Smith THE ROOMS! Our room was light and airy with a gorgeous view of the ocean. And lemme tell you, hitting the rise curtain button on the remote each morning and watching the sunlight come streaming in was an ah-mazing way to start the day. Another highlight was the humongous bathtub, which had my BFF and I embracing platonic nudity so one of us could be soaking in bubbles while the other was doing her hair and makeup. Erika W. Smith THE AMENITIES! I can't shut up about the Nizuc Spa. Like, seriously. Along with your typical spa treatmentslike facials and massages (my back has never felt better, tbh)the spa offers a hydrotherapy circuit featuring a sauna, steam room, cold plunge pool, and indoor and outdoor vitality pools with hydro-massage nozzles (which basically give you a high-pressure, super-targeted water massage). Ahh. Besides the spa, my favorite part of my Nizuc experience was that it was basically always a low-key pool party. You'll find people drinking and chatting in the main pool at all hoursand yes, I said *in* and not *by*, because we're talkin' about a swim-up bar. But, if you'd prefer not to mix alcohol (or human interaction) with your water activities, a smaller pool offers a quieter atmosphere just a short walk away. Erika W. Smith THE FOOD AND BEV! Nizuc has nine(!!!) separate bars and restaurants on the property, offering Mexican, Peruvian, Asian, and Mediterranean cuisine. Every meal I had was delicious, but the one thatll stay in my memory the longest was a lunch at the Peruvian restaurant Ni. I have never been a huge ceviche person, but that changed forever after one bite here! Dont skip dessert, eitherget the dulce de leche crepes for me, please. (And a Nizuc margarita, while you're at it.) Erika W. Smith THE BOTTOM LINE! All in all, this was a dreamy vacation that made me and my bestie feel very fancy and glamorousit was an exponential step up from our usual happy hour and reality-TV-on-the-couch hangs! With the dreary NYC weather continuing, I'm constantly daydreaming about the next time we can jump in one of Nizuc's pools and beaches again. And oh, what I'd give for more of their delicious ceviche! Erika W. Smith You Might Also Like Sandia Peak Ski Area is a New Mexico-based ski resort that was out of operation since 2022. But now, officials of the resort were able to announce, "We are open! Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the fresh snow and for making opening weekend so special!" In a previous article detailing the situation, Ian Greenwood of POWDER explained that Sandia Peak struggled to remain open during previous seasons because of staffing shortages and weather challenges. Related: Shuttered New Mexico Ski Area To Be Reopened By New Operator As Sandia Peak Ski Area joined a joint operating venture agreement with Mountain Capital Partners (MCP), a ski resort management company that manages over a dozen resorts throughout the country, clustered mostly in the Southwest. Other noteworthy resorts under MCP's umbrella include Purgatory in Colorado, Brian Head in Utah, and Lee Canyon in Las Vegas. The PowerPass Resorts. Courtesy of Mountain Capital Partners. MCP offers the Power Pass, a ski pass that offers access to multiple resorts across its portfolio, and offers kids under 12 the possibility to ski for free with the Power Kids Pass. Sandia Peak, located just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, hosts three double chairlifts, one surface lift, and 300 skiable acres of terrain. The Instagram announcement was met with digital applause, and commenters expressed their positivity, from things like "The little (O.G.) mountain that could!" and "Thank you for reviving our special corner of the ski world!" Seeing these responses gives me a new perspective on the value of ski management companies. It's easy to write off big companies, but thinking about local mountains getting to operate again because they were bought by one of these companies makes me realize perhaps sometimes it's for the best--or at least utilitarian--for things to be owned by a larger group. In this case, a whole resort literally got a second chance because MCP is operating the resort alongside the original operators of Sandia Peak. This way, skiers can still enjoy their local mountain with a little help from the guys upstairs. Sandia Peak Trail Map Sandia Peak Resort Stats/Info: Vertical: 1,700 ft. Skiable Terrain: 200 ac. Average Snowfall: 125 in. Lifts: 6 Trails: 35 Snowmaking: YES Related: First Skier Avalanche Fatality In Colorado Reported For This Season Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional skier or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos. The median home price in this Gulf of Mexico coastal town is under $200,000. Jon G. Fuller/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Beach living is often synonymous with a higher cost of living and expensive real estate, but according to a new report by GoBankingRates, thats not always the case. The website ranked beach towns around the country according to factors such as the cost of groceries, healthcare, housing, utilities, transportation, and home prices. So, if you are looking for an affordable waterfront community to call home, consider Texas, as the Lone Star state is home to six of the top 10 destinations on the list, including the town of Port Lavaca, which ranked second. As of August 2023, the median home value in this town along Lavaca Bay was just $170,500, and the annual cost of living was 77.1, lower than the countrys average. The town is home to a little over 11,000 residents and it is located about two hours away from four major cities Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi, and San Antonio making it ideal for remote workers or retirees. Winters here are milder and allow residents to spend time outdoors enjoying the area. Saltwater fishing is a favorite pastime activity thanks to the towns marina and several piers where anglers often line up during the day and night. Those whod like to stay more active can also rent a kayak and explore the coastline from the water. Indianola Fishing Marina is one of the most popular spots for dining, fishing, and hanging out since it features a public boat launch and a waterfront restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bird-watching enthusiasts may have already heard the name Port Lavaca, as the town is part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, where over 400 species of birds can be observed. Grab a pair of binoculars and head to Port Lavaca Bird Sanctuary, Magic Ridge, or the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area for a chance to spot Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks, and different species of gulls. Port Lavaca is also an excellent destination for beach lovers as it is just a quick 10-mile drive from Magnolia Beach Park, the only natural shell beach on the Gulf Coast. Other popular spots include Lighthouse Beach and Alamo Beach. The towns historic main drag is lined with businesses, some of which date back to 1917 and include Main Street Theatre, founded in the 1930s. Other Texas towns on GoBankingRates.coms list of most affordable beach towns are Port Arthur and Palacios. You can read the full report on gobankingrates.com. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. I've always said that expecting every single kid to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives at 18 years old is a total recipe for disaster. Of course, there are kids who know their whole lives and kids who were just born to do something, but that's not the case for everyone. Phynart Studio / Getty Images So, I asked the members of the BuzzFeed Community, "If you regret your college major, what did you major in, and what instance or moment made you realize you had made a mistake?" And here's what they had to say: 1."I went to school for professional book editing because it was something I was good at, and I didn't think pursuing my real passion in animation was a real career option. I went to the closest university and got a degree in humanities (there was no English) with a professional writing certificate, then found no work." "Even Grammarly (or some similar site) rejected me via an automated test; I didn't get the chance to talk to a human to dispute. I wish someone had told me working in animation COULD be a real career and that the college you go to matters. I'd have gone to an art school. Everyone just assumed my interest in animation was only because I was young and that I'd grow out of it. Now I'm $10,000 in debt with a useless degree and driving a school bus for $30,000 a year." jaymesc Natalia Shishkova / Getty Images 2."I majored in supply chain management, but in my senior year, I did an exercise in defining my values for a course and realized how unaligned my values and my major were. I love working with people, really care about the future of the planet, and love education and learning. Supply chain would have been a pretty corporate and analysis-heavy job with little personal interaction, and shipping and manufacturing are huge drains on our planet's ecosystem." "After desperately trying to convince myself I could change the field, I realized it just wasn't the path for me and instead went to graduate school for higher education administration. Now I work in HR for a college and love working with staff, faculty, and students and supporting an amazing university!" Anonymous 3."Teaching degree here. I have wanted to become a teacher since the second grade. I started at the school as an instructional aide to find they don't back their teachers or aides. Teachers were going on their second year without raises, and aides weren't considered employees. They hire aides and let them go before their sixth months without having to give cause. The school is notorious for it." "I was told I was 'too nice' to the kids and I needed to be more harsh with them (take away their phones the first time I see them, no warnings, don't be friendly with the kids, be stern and 'old school'). I understand being stern when needed, but taking away things such as food or now allowing them time to finish eating or use the restroom come on. Some of those kids only got food at the school. I still want to teach, but the local schools make it impossible to be a caring person." lilcalik Nimito / Getty Images 4."Political science major. I realized my regret at my college graduation when someone in my class of graduating PS majors shouted, Yay, the major that means nothing!" Anonymous 5."The degree I pursued was my second choice after my first choice became unavailable when the 2008 recession hit (I couldn't get the loans to go to school in Canada). I feel like I should have tried harder to find some alternate options rather than settle for getting a degree at a local university. There were other avenues available and other directions I could have taken things, but hindsight is 20/20." "I also discovered that I loathe the academic side of things and that, as much as I love geology and paleontology, I do not want to deal with the academic conferences and professional weirdness that goes along with them. Or with being involved in upper-level education in general." torbielillies Fg Trade / Getty Images 6."The moment I realized that I would regret my major was on the first day of clinical rotation. For most of my life, I knew that I wanted to care for people. I wanted to give compassionate care to sick people. I wanted to be a healer. The medical field is where I decided would help me help people. More specifically, the nursing field. Having a son early put my dream of being a doctor on hold, and being a nurse was the next best thing." "Nursing classes were the worst kind of hard. The classes are so challenging, the class hours are long, and studying becomes your life. Even though classes and the tests were challenging, I welcomed the challenge. I couldn't wait for clinical. I couldn't wait to don my new white scrub uniform. The first day of my clinical rotation, I was up earlier than usual. I couldn't wait to get to the hospital. The moment I got off the elevator, I knew I would regret choosing nursing as my major. I knew from the nurses' faces. The shift was just getting started, and they looked as though someone had sucked the joy out of them. The nurses that were leaving to go home appeared irritated, and I could hear them complaining about their night. I can honestly say that I regret it. It's not the patients; it is truly the organizations that make you regret it." Anonymous 7."My major was youth ministry at a Christian liberal arts school. I had it in my head that I was going to work in a ministry helping inner city children. At the time, I had gone on a trip with my church youth group to an inner city outreach. I worked my summers in college at a camp for inner-city schools. Then I left college, went right to work in business, and quickly realized I didn't believe in God anymore. I stepped back and decided it wasn't right to think I was going to be some white woman savior for disadvantaged kids. Now I'm an atheist who works in IT management." Anonymous Chatkarenstudio / Getty Images 8."Journalism seemed perfect. I'd get to write, learn a few technical skills, and hopefully get a job with it. It wasn't until I took a film class in my senior year that I realized how unhappy I was. Journalism is strict; the dry, 'objective' language and restrictions on creativity are completely flipped in filmmaking. You can be creative and raw, as ridiculous as you want. But if I switched over, I would not have enough financial aid left to graduate, so I stayed, and seven months later, I still don't have a job." Anonymous 9."I was passionate about health, fitness, and nutrition when I was younger. I mostly wanted to help people. I majored in kinesiology (sports medicine). I unfortunately didn't learn until my last year that any well-paying career I'd want to have required more extensive schooling, most of which required doctorates, which I did not prepare for mentally or financially. I got my degree, but I am essentially a glorified personal trainer something I could have paid thousands of dollars less to achieve." "In the over 10 years since graduation, I have not done a single thing pursuant to my degree. It's mostly administrative stuff that pays me enough to pay the bills. I wish I had researched more or changed my concentration to more physical therapy or something completely different in the medical field. I am now preparing to go back to school to become a surgical technologist. I am proud of my degree; I just wish I had done more research for myself." angelav45d8cf1a3 Dragonimages / Getty Images 10."Not so much the wrong major, just I should not have gone. I didn't get the chance to go when I was younger, and I ended up going in my early 40s. It never helped me get a better-paying job (even though it was connected to what I do for a living). So, now I am seriously in debt and will never get out of it. College isn't worth it after a certain age (unless, of course, you have connections)." "Now, it is really hard to get my teenager interested in college since they have seen how it hasn't done squat for me. It is not too fair that I not only have a ridiculous amount of experience in that particular field and now have the fancy degrees and certificates to go with it, but they will still hire that young 20-something-year-old who has zero experience with the same degrees that I have. Then, of course, now I am overqualified and overeducated for jobs. So, totally not worth it for me that I went to college." Anonymous 11."I was a political science major in my third year, and then the 2016 election happened, and I just lost all desire to enter politics. Between Trump getting elected and the years that followed being a downward spiral of infighting and political games, I say I dodged a bullet. I went on to become a paralegal instead." Anonymous Ginosphotos / Getty Images 12."I majored in mechanical engineering. Honestly, I kind of always knew it wasn't a good fit, but what really drove it home for me was that, despite taking classes for it, I felt increasingly incompetent and incapable of doing what the degree called for. I rarely, if ever, felt engaged in the classes required for my major, while my elective classes were consistently my favorites, often getting the lion's share of my time and attention outside of class." "I would be excited to work on my drawings for industrial design or to show my friends new signs from beginners ASL, but I dreaded having to figure out how ball bearings work. Take notes, kids. If your electives are your favorite class every single semester, it's time to seriously rethink your future plans." Anonymous 13."Psych major. I realized I screwed up when, in my final year, they started talking about graduate school. Even if I wanted to go, nobody had brought it up to me that I needed to have been preparing since the moment I stepped on campus. I realized I had zero job opportunities without higher education, and even if I did, the pay is still shit without a doctorate." "And even still, there would never be a feasible way to pay off the loans. Psychology is a field you have to be passionate about; its absolutely not about the money. I just screwed myself because I had to graduate with something, and it seemed the 'easiest' way out of something I didnt want to do in the first place. Dont go to college unless you know what you want to go for; dont just go because your parents make you, unless theyre paying for it." weatherboy Olga Kalacheva / Getty Images 14."The major I regret was civil engineering. Apparently, being interested in buildings and bridges isn't enough to like engineering. It was so tedious and boring (not easy; it definitely wasn't easy), but it just wasn't interesting. I kept thinking it would get more interesting, but it never did, and the final straw that helped me realize it wasn't a good fit was when I tried to joke around with my classmates before class and no one laughed." "I suddenly realized that it wasn't just the subject matter that was boring, but the people, too. And those are the people you have to work with for the rest of your life. After four years, I switched to geography and loved every second of it. It turns out I'm a people person, not a technical person." Anonymous And finally, here's a story where theory, interest, and reality totally did not align: 15."My first degree was in horticulture. I was passionate about it when I went into it. The classes and labs were grueling, but I learned so many cool things. Then, two issues occurred. The scarcity of jobs beyond sales or manual labor and sexism. I realized I was hitting a 15/16-per-hour paywall at every job; Id never make more than that. Manual labor was tiring, mentally and physically, after three years. Conservation jobs, which I was truly passionate about, were impossible to get into or not flexible for a parent (let alone a single parent like myself)." "A lot of jobs require you to work long hours, work overtime, have sporadic schedules, or be on call. It was sold to us as a very flexible field with a lot of opportunities, but without further education, that was not true. When I went to the management and design side, the issues were sexual harassment, stalking, and huge gender disparities. It was literally traumatizing at times, which is what ultimately made me end up leaving. Management didnt believe me; I always found out I was making significantly less than my male counterparts, who did NOT have degrees, and I couldnt deal with the feeling that I was not safe and couldnt trust anyone. When the pandemic hit and these companies realized their services were considered luxuries, not necessities, they started pushing us even harder to upsell and find problems to fix to generate income. It felt so disgusting trying to convince people they needed our services when everyone was struggling to make ends meet most of the time. Im so glad I left the field, even though I do miss being able to use my knowledge. I work in finance now, which is boring but consistent, while I finish a different degree. I dont regret it, but I do wish it had been more meaningful in the long run." kaylamoyer4 1715d1db_3 / Getty Images Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity. Do you have any regrets about your college major and want to share your story? Let me know in the comments. While ocean carriers continue to avoid the Suez Canal and container ships endure multiweek delays, that isnt likely to prevent more vessels from entering the U.S. to the start the year, according to the Global Port Tracker report from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates. Despite the ongoing skirmish between joint U.S. and U.K. naval forces and Iran-aligned Houthi rebels attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, inbound cargo volume at major U.S. ports is expected to see year-over-year increases through the first half of 2024. More from Sourcing Journal U.S. ports covered by the Global Port Tracker handled 1.87 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in December, the latest month for which final numbers are available. That was down 1 percent from November, but up 8.3 percent year over year. Decembers results brought 2023 total inbound cargo volume to 22.3 million TEU, down 12.8 percent from 2022. The Port of Long Beach had a major impact on total December numbers, with total TEUs reaching 709,819, reflecting a 30 percent increase year over yearthe gateways highest annual increase in 2023. The Port of New York & New Jersey saw a throughput of 633,925 total TEUs, up 3.4 percent over December 2022 numbers, while the Port of Los Angeles closed out 2023 processing 747,335 TEUs, 2.5 percent more than last year. For the first half of 2024, top U.S. ports including Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York & New Jersey, Houston, Savannah and more are expected to reel in 11.1 million TEUs, up 5.3 percent from the same period last year. Ports have not yet reported Januarys numbers, but the tracker projected the month at 1.81 million TEU, up 0.3 percent year over year. February is forecast at 1.86 million TEU, up 20.4 percent year over year, and March is forecast at 1.71 million TEU, up 5.5 percent from last year. February is traditionally the slowest month of the year for imports because of Lunar New Year factory shutdowns in China, but the excessive ordering of goods amid the concerns of Red Sea-related delays is pushing the anticipated TEU higher. April is forecast at 1.83 million TEU, up 2.6 percent year over year, while May is projected to be up 0.3 percent to 1.94 million and June at 1.93 million TEU, up 5.5 percent. Only about 12 percent of U.S.-bound cargo comes through the Suez Canal but the situation in the Red Sea is bringing volatility and uncertainty that are being felt around the globe, Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at NRF, in a statement. U.S. retailers are working to mitigate the impact of delays and increased costs. However, the longer the disruptions occur, the bigger impact this could have. More needs to be done among partners and allies to ensure the safety of vessels and crews in order to avoid yet another year of supply chain disruption. Gold has brought the issue to both Congress and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) in separate hearings recently, sharing concerns about the potential impact that elevated spot freight rates have on SMBs that cant negotiate long-term shipping contracts. He also urged both parties to ensure the fees and surcharges associated with the Red Sea disruptions cover real costs. Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said ocean carriers are using a surplus of capacity built up during the Covid-19 pandemic to ease the impact as voyages are diverted around Africas Cape of Good Hope or to the U.S. West Coast, noting that improvements have already been seen compared to the end of 2023. The shipping industry has rapidly adjusted by adding extra vessels to its networks, and has returned to normal weekly ship arrivals, Hackett said. Service from Asia to the U.S. East Coast is working well and the dramatic rise in freight rates is showing signs of easing, with pressure from shippers likely to quickly bring these down. In a post on LinkedIn, Lars Jensen, the founder of container shipping consultancy Vespucci Maritime, noted early Monday there had been a six-day streak with no attacks on merchant vessels before a new vessel was reportedly attacked that morning. This incident once again raises the question: What does safe passage look like? posited Jensen. Container lines are unlikely to resume the Suez routing for their large deep-sea vessels until they can get safe passage, but how many days need to pass without incident before this is judged to be the case? The attack took place two days after U.S. Central Command forces successfully conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned surface vessels and three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles north of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, that were prepared to launch against vessels traversing the Red Sea. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. If you have yet to discover Nativa SPA and their line of highly effective and heavenly-scented body care products, youre totally missing out. The Brazilian skincare brand has gotten a lot of rave reviews from shoppers, Victorias Secret models, and even members of our own shopping team (our writer ADORES their Quinoa Firming Hand Cream). Whether youre looking for body oils to give your skin a hydration boost or skin-smoothing scrubs, Nativa SPA has you covered and in scents that sure to get a ton of compliments. While there are so many great products worth trying, one were highlighting today is the highly-rated Madagascar Vanilla Soothing Body Lotion. More from SheKnows Today's Top Deals This dermatologically-tested lotion was made to immediately soothe and alleviate dry skin. It contains vanilla extra, which is rich in antioxidants. The lotion also contains 100% pure quinoa oil, a signature ingredient of Nativa SPA, which helps nourish the skin and even has smoothing and firming benefits. But what really makes the lotion stand out is its delicious vanilla scent that is described as warm, cozy, and not your average vanilla. Not only is the scent absolutely delicious and a compliment-getter, it also stays on for a long time. At $25 for a bottle, thats pretty amazing considering many lotions and even perfumes that cost two or three times that much dont have scents that last as long. Nativa SPA Madagascar Vanilla Body Lotion Gives You Smooth, Silky Skin Nativa SPA Madagascar Vanilla Soothing Body Lotion $25 Buy Now Clearly Nativa SPA knows exactly what shoppers want as the Madagascar Vanilla Body Lotion has a near-perfect rating and tons of rave reviews. One wrote, I love this lotion and its long-lasting scent. People are always asking me what perfume Im wearing and I just smile and say none. Then I share my secret that its Nativa SPA. Another said that the lotion was wonderful, writing, It stays with you all day. Its alluring and sensuous, but you enjoy it just as much as anyone else! I will order this over and over again. Five stars and five hearts. One shopper who called the lotion fabulous had nothing but high praise. Not only does this smell amazing, but its so moisturizing, they wrote. Finally, a lotion that delivers everything. Last, but definitely not least, a reviewer living in a very dry climate said their search for a great all-over moisturizer is finally over. Ive officially stopped looking, they wrote. Nativa SPA lotions are incredibly hydrating and smell amazing. The vanilla is a pleasant, mild fragrance that lasts most of the day. Im very happy. Nativa SPA Madagascar Vanilla Body Lotion Gives You Smooth, Silky Skin 2-Step Vanilla Ritual Set $52 $65 20% off Buy Now If Nativa SPAs Madagascar Vanilla Body Lotion sounds absolutely amazing and you want to try it out for yourself, consider snagging the 2-Step Vanilla Ritual Set. It comes with the lotion and the body oil in a cute little gift bag. Plus, right now Nativa SPA is having a Valentines Day sale on ritual kits where you can get it for 20% off. Its a great deal that wont last long, so be sure to check out Nativa SPA today. Before you go, check out our slideshow below: The Most Incredible Beauty Buys You Can Score at Costco More Top Deals from SheKnows Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." A new study out of Sweden investigated the blood of centenarians to understand what biomarkers indicate the potential for longer life. A group of biomarkers were noted for their differences across the 100-year-olds, largely associated with lower levels of sugar and a healthy liver and kidney. The researchers found that centenarians overall displayed rather homogenous biomarker profiles. The biomarkers dont lie, and now we have a little more science that could show us how to live longer. A team of researchers from Sweden studied bloodspecifically, the biomarkers in the bloodfrom 44,000 individuals over the age of 64, including about 1,200 people who were at least 100 years old. The study, published in GeroScience, examined the largest dataset of individuals to date in order to be able to contrast the long-lived against their shorter-lived peers. They found discrepancies. The differences in biomarker values between centenarians and non-centenarians more than one decade prior to death suggest that genetic and/or possibly modifiable lifestyle factors reflected in these biomarker levels may play an important role for exceptional longevity, the authors wrote. Karin Modig, associate professor of epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet, wrote about the teams conclusions in The Conversation. She noted a key findingthat people reaching their 100th birthday tended to have lower levels of glucose, creatinine, and uric acid from their 60s onward. And, uniquely enough, centenarians overall displayed rather homogenous biomarker profiles without extremely high or low values. In short, limit the sugar and take care of your liver and kidneys. The older you get, the more important this advice may become. Higher levels of total cholesterol and iron and lower levels of glucose, gamma-glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and total iron-binding capacity were associated with reaching 100 years, the authors wrote. Modig said that while the team didnt draw any conclusions about lifestyle factors or genes responsible for the biomarker values, it is reasonable to think that factors such as nutrition and alcohol intake play a role. She suggested watching kidney and liver health, as well as glucose and uric acid levels. The research included data from 44,000 Swedes who underwent health assessments between the ages of 64 and 99. They were then followed for up to 35 years, with 1,224 of them hitting 100 years old. Of note, 85 percent of the people who reached centenarian status were female. Modig wrote that the team studied 12 blood-based biomarkers related to inflammation, metabolism, liver and kidney function, and malnutrition and anemiaall associated with aging or mortality in previous studies. Of those 12, the team believes 10 of them show a connection to the likelihood of turning 100. Overall, those who celebrated a 100th birthday had lower levels of glucose, creatinine, and uric acid from their 60s onward. Modig wrote that both centenarians and non-centenarians had values outside the range considered normal in clinical guidelines, likely because those guides are set on a younger and healthier population. Even if the differences we discovered were overall rather small, Modig wrote, they suggest a potential link between metabolic health, nutrition, and exceptional longevity. Modig acknowledged that chance probably plays a role at some point in reaching an exceptional age, but with observed differences in biomarkers, theres a likelihood that genes and lifestyle are also significant. Long live biomarkers. You Might Also Like It's only been a few months since Sullivan's Crossing made its way from Canada over to the United States, but it looks like fans may have a clue at what's to come thanks to a surprise update. As viewers gear up for Sullivan's Crossing to air season 2, actor Chad Michael Murray (who plays Cal Jones) surprised fans when he announced major news about the upcoming installment. Posting a teaser trailer featuring himself and his co-stars, including Morgan Kohan (who portrays Maggie Sullivan) andScott Patterson (who plays Harry "Sully" Sullivan) he announced on Instagram that new episodes will drop on the Canadian TV channel CTV in April 2024. "Its time to return to #SullivansCrossing ," read the caption on February 11. "Where do we go from here? Morgan Kohan, Chad Michael Murray, Scott Patterson and the rest of your favourites return to CTV for an all new season this April. ." When fans of the drama learned Sullivan's Crossing season 2 is coming back earlier than expected, they immediately expressed their excitement on social media. "Excited for this!!! Can't wait ," one person exclaimed on Instagram. "Feels like forever ago that I watched season 1... super excited to see how good season 2 turns out ," another penned. "Looking forward to watching the new season and seeing all that it brings:)," a different follower added. Some viewers, though namely those in the U.S. had one burning question upon seeing the post. "When can we expect season 2 in the US? Love the show!" one person commented. "But but what about America??? Whahhhh you guys can't keep us hanging after that ending. ," another wrote. "Cant wait for it to be in the U.S my new favorite show!!!" emphasized yet another. While Canadian fans will get the chance to catch up with the folks living in Sullivan's Crossing very soon, unfortunately there's no word yet on when American fans can watch Sullivan's Crossing season 2. But if season 1's episode rollout on the CW in late 2023 is any indication, folks in the United States should expect to see upcoming installments sometime in fall 2024. Michael Tompkins - The CW As for what to expect from Sullivan's Crossing season 2, it's likely the show will pick up right where it left off, after dropping some major cliffhangers in the final moments of season 1. Given how the show's writers love to haunt characters with key moments from their pasts, fans can look forward to seeing Maggie and Sully navigate their strained father-daughter relationship amid new revelations involving Andrew (Allan Hawco), Sully and Lola (Amalia Williamson). You Might Also Like The Tallahassee Scientific Society will kick off the 13th annual Horizons speaker series on Feb. 21 with Dr. Jeanette Wolak Luna from the Tennessee Tech University Department of Earth Sciences. She may be a familiar face to some here as she grew up in Tallahassee before she went on to pursue her passion in geology. She ultimately earned her Ph.D. in geology from Montana State University and now teaches and conducts research at Tennessee Technical University in Cookeville, Tennessee. Challenger Learning Center Building Exterior Thursday, May 9, 2019 Tallahassee Scientific Society welcomes her back to Tallahassee to tell us about her research on the geology of the Moon. The title of her talk is, Return to the Moon: Geologic Maps for Artemis Exploration of the Lunar South Pole. The Horizons speaker series was founded by the Tallahassee Scientific Society in 2011 to promote public interest in science and technology. The series features one presentation per month, from February to May. All presentations are held at the Challenger Learning Center. The doors open at 6 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, go to tallysci.org. Admission is free for high school and college students with student ID. The rest of the 2024 Horizons Series will include Imani Black who will speak in March on diversity in the Chesapeake Bay aquaculture community. In April, we will host Dr. David Blackburn from the University of Florida Natural Science Museum where he is the Curator of Herpetology. Closing out the series in May will be Dr. Amy Lien who will speak on new findings associated with astrophysical objects, specifically gamma-ray bursts, that can be detected directly by telescopes. Here's a summary of the 2024 HORIZONS Speaker Series: Feb. 21: Artemis on the moon Return to the Moon: Geologic Maps for Artemis Exploration of the Lunar South Pole, by Jeannette Wolak Luna, Ph.D., Chair and Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, Tennessee Tech University. More than 50 years ago, the Apollo Program made history by landing the first human crew on the Moon. The Artemis Program, so named after the twin sister of Apollo, will parallel this achievement with a series of crewed and robotic missions over the next decade. In this talk, we explore the geologic, scientific, and tactical maps needed to support such an endeavor and how these products are used by mission control and astronauts for lunar surface navigation. We also review the enormous scientific potential of the Lunar South Pole, a terrain that hosts some of the oldest crustal rocks available in the Solar System. Passion on The Chesapeake: The Past, Present & Future of the Chesapeake Bay commercial fishing industry through an Ecological Anthropology Lens, will be presented by Imani Black on March 27, 2024. March 27: The Chesapeake Passion on The Chesapeake: The Past, Present & Future of the Chesapeake Bay commercial fishing industry through an Ecological Anthropology Lens, by Imani Black, Founder and CEO of Minorities in Aquaculture; University of Maryland The unique history of the Chesapeake Bay commercial fishing industry is a well known story around the world. Imani Black is a native Eastern Shore oyster farmer currently researching the Bay's heritage through a social lens at University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES) Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, MD. From her appreciation of the Bay's commercial fishing industry (past & present), her presentation will focus on the historic timeline & contributions of African Americans in many sectors of Maryland's maritime occupations from the slave era (1865) to present day participation. April 17: Natural History Digital Specimens and the Future of Natural History Museums, by David C. Blackburn, PhD. Curator of Herpetology, Associate Chair, Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. Access to the collections of natural history museums has long been restricted to specialists in specific scientific disciplines. By creating digital representatives of specimens and objects, museums are bringing the behind-the-scenes to classrooms, scientists, and the public. These digital specimens enable new, large-scale studies of biodiversity past and present, and provide hands-on learning opportunities for people of all ages. The Florida Museum of Natural Historythe states only university-based museumis an international leader in research and education, and offers many research and outreach opportunities for scientists across the state. Exploring the Universe with Gamma-Ray Bursts, Space Telescopes, and Citizen Science is the topic of the Horizons Science Series on May 22, 2024. May 22: Gamma rays Exploring the Universe with Gamma-Ray Bursts, Space Telescopes, and Citizen Science, by Amy Lien, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Physics, University of Tampa Gamma-ray bursts are one of the most powerful explosions in the universe. These bursts are likely related to supernovae, neutron stars, or black holes. When a gamma-ray burst occurs, it can release more energy within 10 seconds than the entire 10-billion-year lifetime of our sun, which makes them one of the furthest astrophysical objects that can be detected directly by telescopes. The exact physical mechanism that creates these extraordinary bursts remains unresolved. In this talk, Dr. Lien will discuss our journey exploring the mysterious origins of gamma-ray bursts with space telescopes, and a recent project that invites all astronomy lovers to help solve the puzzle. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee Scientific Society launches Horizons speaker series I do not understand more than a few words in Mandarin or Cantonese, though my grandmother can read, write and speak both languages. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, she only ever spoke English to me and my sister. She wanted us to know English, be American and experience all the rights and privileges that come from that designation. As an immigrant, she arrived in Chinatown in Los Angeles when she was a teenager, with little to her name only the determination to build a family and a life in the shadow of the great American dream so I can understand her reasoning. But I wish I knew the language. Sometimes, when Im in a group of people speaking Chinese, I feel like an outsider. Read more: These Chinese chicken burgers could spark the next fried chicken sandwich craze I can manage a greeting and a polite thank you. And most important, I can order dim sum and a host of other foods that make me feel connected to my grandmother and the world she came from. It can get a little tricky when there are multiple names for a dish, the right one often depending on who you ask and where. There are no less than three names for this weeks obsession: zhi ma da bing, da bing or Shanghai qiang bing, also known as Chinese scallion sesame bread, scallion sesame pancakes or green onion pie. I prefer da bing, loosely translated to big pie in Mandarin. Whatever you call it, it's essentially Chinas answer to focaccia bread. Signature green onion sesame pie at Ahgoos Kitchen The signature green onion sesame pie from Ahgoo's Kitchen in Temple City. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times ) At Ahgoos, Thomas and Lily Yehs 3-year-old restaurant in Temple City, the marquee dish is the signature green onion sesame pie. Theres a basket on every table, filled with eight triangles of bread as thick as bookends. Each slice shows off an abundance of layers brimming with green onion. The ratio of bread to allium looks to be about one-to-one. I hope you can zoom in on the photos. The golden speckled crust is a sesame-coated armor, as thin and delicate as that first layer of a scallion pancake. The middle is like a different bread entirely, soft and slightly spongy. It manages to be both airy and dense with a strong green onion flavor. I eat the first slice on its own, appreciating the texture of the bread, the tiny bubbles along the crust and all the sesame seeds. The second slice I embellish with a few spoonfuls of the chile sauce on the table, the condiment a mild, toasty sludge of chile and oil. My wife is from northern China, Thomas says. When she was younger, she learned how to make it from her grandpa and mom. Lily makes the dough from flour, yeast, water, salt and copious amounts of green onion. Read more: Put down those dumplings and try the scallion pancakes at these 7 San Gabriel Valley restaurants We put the oil in the pan, then the pie, then the water, Thomas says. The crust solidifies into a solid crisp layer while the middle steams. Thomas says that Lily makes the breads for the restaurant, averaging around 50 a day. But hes also familiar with the process. Im from Taiwan, and I learned from my zufu a long time ago, he says, referencing his grandfather. You may want to temper the rest of your order depending on how many people are at the table. Two slices could easily be a meal on their own. Or go nuts. The bread is great reheated in a pan the next morning for breakfast. Sesame and green onion pancake from Taste of China Zhi ma da bing from Taste of China in Rowland Heights. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) You know how as soon as you're introduced to or reminded of something, you start to see it everywhere? For me, it was the week of da bing. I wasn't at the food court tucked into the corner of the Pacific Plaza in Rowland Heights for da bing. I was there for the chicken burgers at MBL & Q Burger for a recent column. But after seeing a handful of women folding dumplings at random tables in the middle of the dining room, I decided to investigate. I spied the sesame and green onion pancakes stacked in a clear display on the counter at a stall called Taste of China. It was a gluten palace that beckoned with dozens of buns filled with Chinese leeks, egg, pork and pickled cabbage; pan-fried buns; and rainbow dumplings. Read more: Our favorite dumplings in Los Angeles The pancakes were the size of large pizzas, a couple of inches thick and with golden tops scattered with sesame seeds. The sliced zhi ma da bing from Taste of China in Rowland Heights. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) The pancake was breadier than the version at Ahgoo's Kitchen, with a crisp crust that flowed seamlessly into the dough underneath. The green onions were confined to the middle, engulfed in fluffy bread that sprang back with the poke of a finger. The subtle peppery sting of the green onion checked the three solid inches of dough with just enough freshness to encourage a second slice. You can order your pancake sliced, or whole. If you're taking it to enjoy elsewhere, I suggest asking for the pancake whole, then slicing it right before you eat it. I couldn't wait, and asked to have it sliced there. And yes, this one is good for tomorrow's breakfast, too. Sign up for our Tasting Notes newsletter for restaurant reviews, Los Angeles food-related news and more. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up. Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Connexion Mobility (ASX:CXZ). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it. See our latest analysis for Connexion Mobility Connexion Mobility's Earnings Per Share Are Growing If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Impressively, Connexion Mobility has grown EPS by 27% per year, compound, in the last three years. If growth like this continues on into the future, then shareholders will have plenty to smile about. One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. The good news is that Connexion Mobility is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 18.5 percentage points to 30%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in our book. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers. Since Connexion Mobility is no giant, with a market capitalisation of AU$19m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects. Story continues Are Connexion Mobility Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Insider interest in a company always sparks a bit of intrigue and many investors are on the lookout for companies where insiders are putting their money where their mouth is. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions. We haven't seen any insiders selling Connexion Mobility shares, in the last year. With that in mind, it's heartening that Aaryn Nania, the MD, CEO & Director of the company, paid US$65k for shares at around US$0.018 each. Decent buying like this could be a sign for shareholders here; management sees the company as undervalued. It's commendable to see that insiders have been buying shares in Connexion Mobility, but there is more evidence of shareholder friendly management. Namely, Connexion Mobility has a very reasonable level of CEO pay. For companies with market capitalisations under US$200m, like Connexion Mobility, the median CEO pay is around US$291k. Connexion Mobility offered total compensation worth US$238k to its CEO in the year to June 2023. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense. Should You Add Connexion Mobility To Your Watchlist? You can't deny that Connexion Mobility has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. But wait, it gets better. We have seen insider buying and the executive pay seems on the modest side of things. The overriding message from this quick rundown is yes, this stock is worth investigating further. It is worth noting though that we have found 1 warning sign for Connexion Mobility that you need to take into consideration. The good news is that Connexion Mobility is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of growth-focused companies in AU with insider buying in the last three months! Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Joey Graziadeis season of The Bachelor is shaping up to be absolutely delightful. Largely thanks to Joey confusing Gypsy Rose Blanchard for Ruth Bader Ginsburg during an interview, but still, delightful! Point is, were deeply invested in Joey, his contestants, and where this baffling love journey will take them. And we specifically need to know where theyre going, when theyre going, and what theyre up to, which brings us to this seasons round of Bachelor filming locations, aka the inspiration for your next dreamy vacation. Psst: Aside from Joeys filming locations, this is a spoiler-free article. Meaning, we dont name names when it comes to who Joey goes on dates with in these countries or who wins his season, although we *do* mention the hometown date locations. Proceed! Los Angeles Greg Zabilski - Getty Images I mean, whats a season of The Bachelor without Bachelor Mansion? It would simply be wrong not to force everyone to spend at least a few nights lurking in these hallowed halls and atop that soaking wet driveway. <3 <3 <3 Oh, and if youre looking to recreate the vibes in your own life, please be advised that Bachelor Mansion is on AirBNB and available to rent for $30,000 a night if you need a spot to host your friends Bachelorette party (and terrify everyone with your Venmo requests in the process). Malta After leaving Los Angeles, The Bachelor visited the picturesque country of Maltaaka the scene of this image from the trailer: YouTube I, for one, have questions. Spain Following whatever ^ that ^ was in Malta, Joey and his remaining contestants hit up Spain. Pretty sure this is a picture of the mountainside city of Rhonda in the trailer (TY to my assistant, reverse image search): YouTube Canada Joey and his contestants visited multiple locations in Canada, starting with the always gorgeous Montreal and then the even-more-gorgeous Jasper. Gonna go ahead and assume this photo was taken in the latter, judging from the scenery: YouTube According to Reality Steve, the cast stayed at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Check out the trees in the background of this photo...pretty sure the above hot tub is in their midst: FYI, Canada was Joeys final stop before hometown dates, the locations of which were.... Minnesota Louisiana Canada Note: There were obviously four Hometowns this season, but its unclear where one of them took place. Also, were not pairing names to hometowns, just in case you want to remain (relatively) spoiler free! (But if you are looking for spoilers, head this way.) Mexico After narrowing his final four down to just three contestants, Joey and his fleet of girlfriends went to Tulum for overnights. And this also happened to be the site of Joeys proposal/final rose ceremony, aka where he got down on one knee (presumably while weeping copiously) and proposed in front of a lavishly decorated altar put together by ABC. YouTube Los Angeles Again Joey and his winner will have several months to themselves (which theyre likely enjoying as we speak) while the show airs, but then the cast will head back to Los Angeles to film the live After the Final Rose episode. You know, the awkward joint therapy session where Joey has to chat with all his ex-girlfriends while his fiancee is lurking back stage? On top of that, ABC is likely going to announce their pick for Bachelorette, which they just confirmed is returning for another season: If the show follows its usual format, the new Bachelorette will immediately meet a couple of her potential contestants during After the Final Rose and then start filming her season pretty much right away...so get ready to do this ^^^ all over again in a few months! You Might Also Like Australian surf cinematographer and YouTuber Tim Bonython is enamored with the world's biggest and gnarliest waves. While he does visit some common big wave spots like Nazare and Teahupo'o, Bonython usually carves out his own path on his hunt for big waves. He chases scary surf to Ireland, sneaks off to film massive waves in Morocco, regularly braves Shipstern Bluff in Tasmania, and still has secret spots in Australia. In his latest edit below, Bonython reveals his latest muse in the Canary Islands. Related: Free the Peach: Protesters Demand G-String Freedom on the Gold Coast The newest release by Bonython, called, Wind & Water Lanzarote - Part 1, is captioned: "This is my third visit to this magical island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. "It's wind-blown, arid volcanic landscape with some fabulous local surfers surfing some very shallow reefs that at times can be very big. "Enjoy Part 1. Featuring local lady Laura Coviella." At almost four minutes in, Bonython speaks with Coviella, a hard-charging surfer hailing from Tenerife. Coviella describes the waves as super fast, super dangerous, really shallow, and a good place to wear a helmet. The area, she says, is a "sick" place to train because it has every kind of wave, from big barrels and heavy slabs to small beachbreaks. They've got it all. But she adds that while it's one of the last places that's not super crowded and they have waves "Every day of the year." But don't book a trip yet. Coviella's clear: "The locals here are a little bit...It's hard to catch waves here." Point taken. *** Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos. TAMPA, FLA. (WFLA) Allegiant announced three new nonstop routes from two Tampa Bay area airports on Monday. The airline announced a new nonstop route from Sarasota Bradenton International (SRQ) to Plattsburgh International. Travelers can also start flying from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) to Evansville, Indiana and McAllen Texas. The new routes will start in June and provide the only nonstop service between these cities. Are American flamingos returning to Florida? We are thrilled that Allegiant Air will be introducing a new nonstop destination to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. Plattsburgh, New York will become Allegiants 28th nonstop destination at SRQ. This addition will provide a convenient connection for both US and Canadian travelers, allowing them to explore the stunning beaches, cultural gems, and unforgettable experiences that the Sarasota Bradenton area has to offer, stated Rick Piccolo, Sarasota Bradenton International Airports president and CEO. Destination Start date Introductory fare Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) June 12 $79 for one-way Evansville, Indiana via Evansville Regional Airport (EVV) June 13 $49 for one-way McAllen, Texas via McAllen International Airport (MFE) June 14 $59 for one-way To get the sale price, travelers will need to purchase their tickets by Tuesday, Feb. 13. The tickets are valid for travel by Nov. 11. To book tickets, visit Allegiant.com. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Dignitaries, students, alumni and FGCU President Mike Martin break ground on the Bill & Nancy Malthouse-Pilot Scholarship House in North Lake Village in 2018. Photo by Kyle McCurry for FGCU Seventeen more students at Florida Gulf Coast University will enjoy free housing in the 2024-2025 school year, thanks to a partnership between the school, a local club and a nonprofit focused on student housing. Southern Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and FGCU teamed up 20 years ago in order to build three houses that would be free for FGCU students to live in while in attendance. The houses are sponsored by Florida District Pilot International in conjunction with the Pilot Scholarship House Foundation in Fort Myers, per Southern Scholarship Foundation's website. After a four-year build process interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ian, the second of the three houses was dedicated Saturday afternoon. The program, which was first piloted in 1953 and "started with a handful of young men living in an abandoned army barracks," per Southern Scholarship Foundation's website, has grown into a much larger program, with dozens of houses across Florida, in Tallahassee, Gainesville and Fort Myers. For many students, the free housing they provide removes the final barrier from the road to college. Vanessa Aguilar is a first-generation college student. Her parents, who are originally from the state of Morelos in Mexico, live in Lake Placid, Florida and work as blueberry pickers. Growing up, she said, she saw how hard her parents and aunts and uncles worked to make sure their kids were healthy often at the expense of their own health. "Since I was little, Ive seen my family struggle with the opportunity to find adequate healthcare," she said. "And I think a lot of them dont have insurance because they cant get it. One of my uncles has pretty advanced diabetes because he wasnt able to check himself earlier on. My mom has hypertension because she always put us first for dentist or doctors appointments." That helped grow her determination to work in healthcare, she said, and she wants to help others in positions similar to her parents, who may need healthcare but can't find it or afford it. An intern at the Bonita Springs NCH cardiac rehabilitation facility, she plans to become a physician's assistant, and says none of this would have been possible without the housing provided by FGCU and Southern Scholarship Housing. When I got into FGCU "I was definitely scared at first, wondering how my family was going to provide," Aguilar said. "Originally, I was going to live in the freshman dorm and that was $4,000 a semester. I was like, Im not going to go. I thought I was going to be in debt. "I definitely think if it got to a point that I couldnt afford living there anymore, I would have left FGCU," Aguilar said. When she got the email saying she'd been accepted into the scholarship housing, suddenly, a college degree at FGCU seemed attainable. She graduates in May, debt-free, with a degree in Exercise Science, and hopes to go to PA school next year. That is exactly what this program is supposed to do, said Southern Scholarship Foundation CEO and President Shawn Woodin. "It eliminates that cost barrier to being away from home." Saving money While apartment costs may be decreasing in Southwest Florida, the average cost of a one-bedroom in the region remains about $2,200, per the Waller, Weeks and Johnson Rental Index, which is updated monthly, FGCU professor Shelton Weeks says. Average rent for a one-bedroom in the U.S. is just over $1,900 a month. Per a study out of Rent.com, Florida's median rent sits at $2,095, and the average rent for a one bedroom in Naples is $1,922, below the national average calculated by the Waller, Weeks and Johnson Rental Index. Still, for college students and their families, rental costs can be a stretch on top of tuition and other expenses. Danarria Stone stands in front of the Gresham-Kite Pilot Scholarship House at Florida Gulf Coast University. On average, students at the scholarship houses pay just $700 a semester, but not in rent. That cover utilities, internet, social events, and food for themselves and their housemates. That amounts to a savings of roughly $1,800 a month, according to The News-Press / Naples Daily News calculations. If a student rented a one-bedroom for a year, she could expect to pay more than $26,000. Students living in Malthouse or Gresham Kite pay about $1,400 total for their two semesters at school and don't have to deal with an annual lease or pay rent over the summer. And students who would otherwise live in student housing are saving money, as well. Freshman Kalee Sands grew up running around FGCU's campus, tagging along with her mother as she got her degree in education, she said. Her mother, who is a single mother to Sands and her twin sister, works as a special education teacher in a Fort Myers middle school. "Shes inspired me," Sands said. "Shes made me the person I am today. And this scholarship helped us save $40,000. Im so glad I didnt have to ask her to reach into her own pocket to help send me to school. "Im so grateful I have a second home here." Southern Scholarship Housing is funded by private donors and an endowment of $900,000, Woodin said. The land upon which they build their houses is typically leased to them for $10 a year by the universities they partner with, but outside of that in-kind support they do not receive any government funding. Its houses welcome students of all genders, as well as transgender or nonbinary students, Woodin said. They do house students who identify as male or female separately, because they've found students are more comfortable and relaxed living with people who identify as the same gender, Woodin said. Next year and potentially the following, FGCU's houses will be mixed-gender as they build out the number of people in the house, but long-term, Woodin said, they plan to separate the genders. Growing up While the financial help is a huge draw for students, those living in the houses say that the community they've found and the responsibility they enjoy are some of the most rewarding aspects of living in the Malthouse and Gresham-Kite Pilot Scholarship House. "I learned a lot about myself," said Sands, who says she's grown in confidence socially since moving into the scholarship house. "Ive learned how to communicate effectively, build a sense of community with the girls also in this house, to open up and get people get to know me on another level. "Coming in, I was kind of scared of what other people would think of me, in a way, but theyve accepted who I am and Im allowed to show that radiant energy that I bring every day." FGCU logo Too, Aguilar said the program made her more independent, more confident. "When I first started, I was new, I was really introverted," she said. "I never talked to anyone. But living with 16 other girls definitely gets you out of your bubble. I think that responsibility has definitely made me more responsible, organized and independent. It helped prepare me for adult life after I leave." "It's cooperative living, which means they work together to share the household," said Woodin. "With 17 people sharing one kitchen, living room, there are systems in place to make sure the house stays clean and students are following rules, being respectful of each other, spaces and items. But we also make sure it is a home. Students cook dinner together four days a week, clean up together, and are even in charge of budgeting, tracking purchases, and planning for future expenses. Students can apply to be considered for the free housing at https://southernscholarship.org/. Applications are due by April 1. Students will receive spots based on need and merit. Students must have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher coming out of their previous education or high school, and documented financial need based on the FAFSA. This article has been updated to include information on sponsor Florida District Pilot International and the Pilot Scholarship House Foundation. Naples Daily News trending reporter Kendall Little contributed to this article. Kate Cimini is the Florida Investigative Reporter for the USA TODAY-Network Florida, based at The News-Press and The Naples Daily News. Contact her at 239-207-9369 or kcimini@news-press.com. This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: More free student housing opens up at Florida Gulf Coast University Joseph Fields traveled to Honolulu, back to Georgia, and south to the Mexico border before coming home to tackle the barriers that keep Greenvilles Black citizens from owning homes. Joseph Fields is Vice President of Equity for Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County. Fields leads the Advancing Black Homeownership Project, launched this fall by Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County. Homeownership is one of the first paths toward generational wealth. Homeownership having a decent, safe place to live is one of the first paths of humanity, says Fields, Habitats Vice President of Equity. Diversity is what makes the city thrive and build culture. It cant be an afterthought. Diversity must be at the forefront of building Greenville. Fields might not be back in Greenville if not for his mother and the Boy Scouts. While attending Francis Marion University in South Carolina, Fields spent summers from 2009 to 2014 establishing Scout troops in Greenville neighborhoods like Nicholtown, Brutontown and Freetown. Today, we call them special emphasis neighborhoods, Fields explains. The irony is that I was never exposed to Scouting because I grew up in those types of neighborhoods. Funded by a grant from the United Way to the Blue Ridge Council, Boy Scouts of America, Fields and others earned the trust of skeptical parents and youths. Parents would say, 'We don't have the money.' Wed tell them, 'You don't need any money.' They'd say, 'We don't have time.' And we'd say, 'We're coming to you. We saw these young men become stronger young men. Thats what is possible when you remove that dollar sign in a community, he says. Fields, a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, left Francis Marion to finish his degree at Chaminade University in Honolulu. He chose a career in law enforcement and began working in Hawaiis state probation office before moving to the Georgia Department of Corrections in 2019, then the Department of Homeland Security, where he was a Border Patrol agent and ruptured his quadriceps muscle, the large muscle at the front of the thigh. My whole quad blew out; my knee fell to the side, he says. Id worked so hard. I reached the mountaintop. Now it was crumbling down. Fields called his mother, who had moved the family to Greenville when Fields was a young child (and after his father was murdered in Grand Rapids, Michigan). I broke down like a baby. But she told me, 'It's OK. Trust that God has a plan.' And that's what I did. Fields says he kept thinking about his work with the Scouts. He decided to immerse himself in the community again at home in Greenville. I owe Greenville. My mother moved us here for safety, security and opportunity. And we were embraced. That's what saved me, that's what saved us. In 2022, Fields joined Greenville Connects, a nonprofit that advocates for a strong transit system. Then he heard about the job at Habitat for Humanity. After what he jokingly calls a gauntlet of interviews and cheerleading from President and CEO Monroe Free and Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Faner, he met with the steering committee for the Advancing Black Homeownership Project and was hired in September. Meanwhile, Habitat had been going through changes of its own. When George Floyd was murdered (in Minneapolis in 2020), it caused outrage. A lot of money was pledged toward justice in the Black community, Fields explains. Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $25 million to Habitat for Humanity International, which launched the Advancing Black Homeownership Program. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the rate of homeownership among white people was 73.8% nationwide in 2023, while 45.9% of Black people owned a home in the same year. In Greenville County, 83% of homeowners are white, according to Habitat Greenville. A 2020 study by Habitat International states, Past racial discrimination and continuing housing inequities have caused a stark gap in homeownership rates between Black and white households. The nearly 30-point gap grew over the past two decades, resulting in significantly less housing stability, economic security and wealth for Black families. The international organization pledged 22 grants to its affiliates. The Grant Funding Manager for Habitat Greenville, Yasha Rodriguez, applied. Her proposal was accepted. Now, Fields strategizes and conducts research for the Advancing Black Homeownership Project with Habitat affiliates in cities like Los Angeles, New Orleans and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. When you talk to bigger cities about affordable housing and Advancing Black Homeownership ... your hands aren't big enough to get around it, Fields explains. In Greenville, our hands are big enough. But we have to grab it now. If we don't, this is going to turn into a monster that we can't control. Fields and his counterparts nationwide have spent months conducting research and listening to people in their communities, while supporting Habitats mission to bring families, partners and volunteers together to build affordable homes. Joseph Fields grew up in Greenville and left for a career in law enforcement, but he returned to immerse himself in the needs of the community. The Advancing Black Homeownership Project wont detract from that mission or change Habitats outreach to people of all races and ethnicities, Fields says. But Habitat cant solve the problem alone, he says. We must have more Black developers, more Black contractors, and more minority and local businesses involved in Greenville. We cant have a city that is completely built by white males. Along with supporting minority builders and encouraging affordable housing, the program aims to promote socioeconomic growth for minority and Black households. In neighborhoods like Nicholtown and Brutontown and New Washington Heights ... We need those young adults to be making $70,000 versus $30,000. We must close that gap. Fields says the key is partnerships, including the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce, the S.C. Minority Business Incubator, Village Launch, Greenville Housing Fund, the City of Greenville, and the Affordable Black Housing Project steering committee: the Rev. Stacey Mills, pastor of Mountain View Baptist Church and Executive Director of Greenville Race Equity and Economic Mobility Commission; the Rev. Sean Dogan, pastor of Long Branch Baptist Church; Greenville Mayor Knox White; Tamela Spann of Hollingsworth Funds; and Samantha Wallace of Bank of America. We intend to have a strategic plan to implement by August, Fields says, something we believe Greenville will rally around to tackle these issues. This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Building Homes, Building Hope - Advancing Black Homeownership Project-Habitat For Humanity [Source] Chinese scientists recently announced the creation of the worlds first artificial intelligence child. What she does: Unveiled at the Frontiers of General Artificial Intelligence Technology Exhibition in Beijing in late January, Tong Tong, or Little Girl in English, is a virtual AI entity with abilities akin to those of a 3- or 4-year-old child, the South China Morning Post reported. Tong Tong can learn on her own, assign tasks to herself, interpret human intentions and, unlike typical large language models (LLMs), display emotions such as joy, anger and grief. Tong Tong possesses a mind and strives to understand the common sense taught by humans, an introductory video stated. She discerns right from wrong, expresses her attitudes in various situations, and has the power to shape the future. Who made her: Tong Tong was developed by the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI), which is spearheaded by renowned computer scientist, applied mathematician and cognitive AI scholar Zhu Songchun. Zhu reportedly left his professorship at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2020 to establish the institute. Trending on NextShark: Young Chinese women are resorting to AI boyfriends for better communication AI entities must comprehend complex environments and possess a wide range of skills to achieve general artificial intelligence, according to the researchers. Thus, the team also developed the Tong Test, which assesses AI across dimensions such as vision, language, cognition, motion and learning, along with values ranging from physiological to social needs. What's next: With nearly 100 specialized tasks and over 50 general tasks for testing general artificial intelligence, the Tong Test aims to ensure that AI can seamlessly integrate into human environments. This innovative approach marks a new direction in AI testing, emphasizing practical abilities and values for developing AI that benefits society. Tong Tong, for her part, is expected to coexist with humans in the future. Visitors at the exhibition reportedly watched her adjust a picture frame, clean after spilled milk and perform other tasks. Trending on NextShark: Viral video of daughter slapped by her father after return home from Tet sparks debate Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! St. Patricks Day is this week, meaning its almost time to don your best green suit, set a leprechaun trap and cook a festive Irish meal. The holiday celebrates the patron saint of Ireland who, incidentally, wasnt even Irish. Saint Patrick was born in Britain, taken prisoner by Irish raiders and held for six years before escaping. He eventually returned to Ireland as a missionary and became a symbol for a blend of traditional Irish culture and Christianity. But what about the lore behind other St. Patricks Day symbols? Heres a look at how corned beef became a purported Irish classic. Many Americans make corned beef and cabbage to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. What is corned beef? Corned beef is cured brisket, which means its been preserved in a salty brine. Its similar to pastrami, which is also brined brisket, but corned beef is boiled while pastrami is smoked. Corned beef gets its shining moment on St. Patricks Day as a traditional Irish food. Much like St. Patrick himself, however, corned beef is not technically Irish. According to the History Channel, Irish immigrants in New York City learned about corned beef from their Jewish neighbors and adopted it instead of Irish bacon, a costly but traditional food. Cabbage got tacked onto the meal because it was abundant, cheap and bulked up the stew pot with other vegetables. The meal gained popularity in the New York bar scene because it was offered as a free lunch to Irish construction workers if they bought beers or shots of whiskey. I dont know anybody who serves corned beef in Ireland on St. Patricks Day, Myrtle Allen, the famed Irish chef often credited with the revolution in Irish food, told the Washington Post in 1996. Corned beef is no more Irish than roast chicken, she said. The British Empire did extensively import corned beef from Ireland from the 17th to 19th centuries, when County Cork was known as the capital of corned beef according to The Irish Times. However, a more typical Irish celebratory meal would be thick slabs of Irish bacon or another type of pork with mashed potatoes and vegetables served with a white sauce. Why is it called corned beef? The corn in corned beef has nothing to do with the yellow vegetable. It comes instead from the large salt crystals used to preserve the beef, which were sometimes called kernels. How to cook corned beef and cabbage Food Network recommends making the brine yourself with water, pickling spices (mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and red pepper flakes), sugar, kosher salt and pink curing salt. Pink curing salt is regular table salt with sodium nitrate and is used to preserve meats. Bring the brine mixture to a boil and simmer until the sugar dissolves and let it cool. Pour the mixture into a bag with the brisket and seal it as tightly as possible. Leave it in the fridge for five to seven days, flipping it over every other day. The meat can be cooked in a cast iron Dutch oven at a low temperature. You can also save a few steps by making it in a pressure cooker. Buy a pre-seasoned beef brisket and rub it with brown sugar. Place it on a wire rack in your instant pot with garlic cloves and 1 cans of beer and pressure cook it on high for 90 minutes. When its done, add your veggies carrots, cabbage, onions and potatoes and the rest of the beer to the remaining liquid and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. When is St. Patrick's Day? When we celebrate in 2024 and why Just Curious for more? We've got you covered. USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "How do you play Euchre?" to "Who was Jack the Ripper?" to "How long does ground beef last in the fridge?" we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day. Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is corned beef? How to cook it this St. Patrick's Day. PROVIDENCE Nearly two months after the abrupt closure of the westbound span of the Washington Bridge thrust the state into commuter chaos, Peter Alviti, the top man in the state's Department of Transportation, faced a legislative inquisition. Alviti said he was "truly sorry." "I'm truly sorry for the difficulty that people are experiencing every day in the state because of the Washington Bridge," he said. "I want to let you and the public know that ...700 [DOT] people and myself are working 24-7. We eat, drink and sleep the problems of this every day and [are] trying to find the solutions to it for everyone." Heading into Monday's joint House-Senate oversight hearing, Rhode Island lawmakers wanted to know how the bridge's condition went undetected for so long and, now that we're here, what the state intends to do with the critically damaged Washington Bridge fix it or replace it? While they were at it, one lawmaker from Bristol asked how the state plans to keep traffic moving through the narrow emergency bypass created between concrete barriers on the eastbound side if Tuesday's storm dumps a lot of snow. Alviti assured Rep. Susan Donovan: "We have the equipment. We have the personnel" and an emergency snow removal plan. "We expect to have all roads cleared by midnight and ready for the [next day's] commute," he said. The underside of the western end of Washington Bridge, the span that closed to westbound traffic on Dec. 11, 2023, precipitating a state transportation crisis. [David DelPoio/The Providence Journal, file] But not all questions got immediate answers. Did pigeon droppings play a role in concealing bridge damage? At one head-scratching moment, for example, Alviti assured the legislators that "severe pigeon debris" did not obstruct views of the severed tie-down rods that, once discovered, led to the Dec. 11 bridge shutdown. At least two lawmakers were alarmed by emails from the inspectors who conducted the emergency examination of the bridge in December who said they hadn't been able to see the condition of the structure previously because of "pigeon debris." The December inspection, like the most recent annual inspection in July, was conducted by AECOM, which is also serving as the state's representative overseeing an ongoing $78-million construction project at the bridge. "Does that mean that that firm that is now the owner's representative, couldn't conduct a full inspection of the bridge that is now out of service?" Rep. June Speakman, D-Warren, asked Alviti. "No," he said. "When we got those ... reports, for example, in the area where the pins actually broke, there was no pigeon [debris]. The mention of that was in another section of bridge." Wherever the pigeon guano was building up, Rep. Edie Ajello said, she was concerned that people "charged with doing an inspection would note something like that, say that it was in their way, and then walk away not having really completed the inspection." Having eliminated pigeon poop as an explanation, Alviti did not immediately address what would explain how such major damage went undetected until a "young engineer" not there to do an inspection spotted it in December. Rep. Chippendale questions Alviti aggressively Alviti did not fully answer several other questions posed by House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale about why there were no earlier load restrictions on the bridge, given what he suggested was known earlier, and photos that appeared to be misidentified. Alviti asked Chippendale for a copy of the document he was citing on the need for load limits. Moving on, Chippendale mentioned "inconsistencies in the photos" where it appeared "the dates are manipulated. You can [also] see that there's two different typefaces used. They're at a different level, et cetera, et cetera. That calls into question if anything in the report can be relied on." "No it does not," said Alviti. "I think that's a reflection of maybe the poor editing capabilities of whoever made the edit to it. I don't know." "OK," said Chippendale, "then why over these four years or this period with four different inspection companies, do we have reports that have the exact same verbiage, including errors, the exact same dates underneath photos? Why is that happening?" Alviti said it is possible these companies go to "a central depository for their inspection reports" and use "pre formatted text that they just leave in place if the condition they find is the same as the one that pre-existed." Others asked if the rusting seen in the photos happened between the last annual inspection in July 2023 and December. "No I don't believe so. I think the rusting took place over a long period of time," Alviti said. Asked if the shearing of the tie-down rods down to one-inch and severing of others happened in that time, "No, I don't believe so," said Alviti, acknowledging "the necking showed up in previous reports but it never rose to a level of concern of being a critical finding." $100M in work done on bridge and none of it touched this problem Since Alviti took over, the DOT has awarded around $100 million in contracts for work on the Washington Bridge and none of it involved fixing the failing structures of the bridge that caused the closure. "In looking at this in retrospect," Sen. Mark McKenney, chairman of the Senate oversight committee, asked why no one looked at the anchor rods or other pieces of the bridge now under scrutiny, when approving such large projects. Alviti said the DOT looked at the areas that had already "deteriorated the most." "In this case, the bridge deck was severely deteriorated and we had the design-build team design a bridge deck that would last 25 years," he said. "And at that time, the engineering data that we had on the rest of the structure was that it would match that timeframe so we would get another 25 years worth of [use] out of this structure. "That didn't end up being the case, did it?" Alviti acknowledged. McKenney: "We're spending a huge amount on that contract, which is, as you said, for the [bridge] deck primarily ... Why wouldn't they at least look at what's below the deck and look at those rods?" Alviti said the consultants analyzing what happened to the structure will help answer that question. "Well, we're trying to figure it out because we know now that that was wrong," he said. "But the question is why was it wrong [and] what responsibilities lie with those decisions?" What else happened during the oversight committee hearing? In addition to Alviti, the head of RIDOT since he was hired away from the Laborers' International Union in 2015 by then-Gov. Gina Raimondo, the legislators also heard from: Joseph Almond, Gov. Dan McKee's deputy chief of staff who was dispatched, by the governor, to RIDOT late last month to be his eyes and ears. Jeffrey Klein, the director of structural engineering for Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc (VHB), the design consultant on the bridge repair project that was underway when the severed tie-rods undetected by an inspection team from AECOM as recently as last July were detected in December. When the bridge was first closed, the DOT has estimated that temporary repairs could get the westbound span open again within three months. By January it was clear the condition of the bridge was worse than initially thought and the repairs would take longer, but the DOT provided no details of the new problems found. Klein, described some of the "new defects" found between Jan. 6 and 16. They included, among other things "concrete section loss," "unsound concrete," "voids" and "soft grout." "All of these deficiencies could indicate reduced tension in [cables within concrete beams] resulting in internal loss of strength within the existing beams," Klein said. 'We shouldn't downplay it' The hearing began with House Oversight Chairwoman Patricia Serpa acknowledging "the stress and the major life disruption that the closure of this bridge has caused." "We shouldn't downplay it and suggest that people suck it up or just deal with it," added McKenney. "People are dealing with it, even when it's at its worst," McKenney said of the failure of several critical tie-down rods that precipitated the bridge closing. "But to many Rhode Islanders ... it also appears that it could be a failure of other things including planning, design, engineering, maintenance, inspections or leadership. Rep. Jon Brien, I-Woonsocket, criticized McKee for suggesting delays on I-195 around the bridge were only around 10 or 15 minutes. "We are not going to get the solutions unless we acknowledge we have carmageddon out there every single rush hour," Brien said, "and are trying to push the ocean through a garden hose." The troubled westbound span of the Washington Bridge. [David DelPoio/The Providence Journal, file] "It could. We don't know, but that's how many see it right now." In his turn, Alviti acknowledged the "frustration" and "disruption," telling the legislators that he knows "it's affected small businesses. It's affected moms and dads getting their children to school ... It's affected folks just trying to get to their jobs." "We know this. We hear it. We live it. The folks, some 700 folks that work with me at DOT, all to some degree are sharing that experience with you," he said. "While this is tough ... we've all seen what could happen if the safeguards that we put in place and the closure that we put in place didn't take place," he said. "We've seen ... what happens to bridges that failed due to structural deficiencies ... [where] hundreds of lives were lost, and a thousand people were injured." Alviti also defended the "culture" at DOT, which leaders of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 400 called "toxic" in an interview with the Boston Globe. Alviti attributed that view to "a few employees who have resisted" positive changes he has tried to make at the state transportation agency. "You don't get to 100% on-time, on-budget [performance], and you don't get to constructing 270 bridges in eight years with a toxic work environment," he said. DOT Director Peter Alviti, right, and Gov. Dan McKee hold a news conference on Dec. 12, the day after the emergency shutdown of half of the Washington Bridge. [David DelPoio/The Providence Journal, file] Bridge shutdown has spawned a federal investigation The discovery of the potentially "catastrophic'' damage has prompted the U.S. Department of Justice and the Inspector General's office within the U.S. Department of Transportation to open an investigation into an "allegation that false claims for payment for services and/or false statements in support of such payments have been submitted to the U.S. government." "These payments relate to claims submitted involving the construction, inspection, and/or repair of the Interstate 195 Washington Bridge connecting Providence and East Providence, Rhode Island," read the letter demanding documents dating back to Jan. 1, 2015. In other words, federal investigators are seeking documents that span the administrations of two governors: McKee and Raimondo, the current U.S. secretary of commerce. More: Who's who in the Washington Bridge closure? Here's a breakdown of those involved. How much has DOT already spent on the closed westbound span? The DOT has declined to provide a summary of the work done on the bridge by either contract that so far has cost a combined $52.9 million. The Cardi Corp. was hired in 2016 on a $21.3-million contract that was cut short in 2018 after temporary traffic patterns on the bridge caused huge traffic jams. The DOT spent $18.3 million on the Cardi contract. After going out to bid again to finish the work, the DOT hired a consortium led by Barletta on a $78-million contract. As of the end of last year, the DOT had spent $34.6 million on the Barletta contract. The current lineup of private contractors includes: VHB as a member of the Barletta/Aetna DB Team; VN Engineers, Inc.; AECOM; Michael Baker International; Wiss, Janney, Elstner Assoc. Inc. (WJE); Consor; Bridge Diagnostics Inc.; McNary Bergeron & Johannesen. Asked by legislative staff the role of each company, RIDOT provided these and other answers last Friday: "VN is performing a modeling analysis. WJE is performing a forensic investigation. Consor is performing an underwater inspection. BDI is monitoring the stability of the bridge. MBI general superstructure inspection. AECOM is RIDOTs representative coordinating the construction efforts. VHB is the Engineer of Record for the Bridge Group 57T-10-I-195 Washington North Phase 2 contract." It is unclear if lawmakers will question the manner in which RIDOT has historically hired a contractor for one job and then given the new work to contractors already on the payroll via a series of "change-orders" or "Master Price Agreement" maneuvers without ever going back out to bid. Westbound traffic backs up on Interstate 195 as drivers near the merge into temporary bypass lanes on the eastbound side of the Washington Bridge on Dec. 15, 2023, four days after the westbound lanes closed. [David DelPoio/The Providence Journal, file] RI Republicans using bridge trouble to call for state 'inspector general' Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers on Monday again seized on the bridge shutdown as an argument for having an "inspector general" to probe contracts and other potentially wasteful, inefficient and fraudulent state practices, he said. As it happens, the last in depth probe of RIDOT contract awards was conducted by the state's existing Bureau of Audits nearly 30 years ago, when the late Lincoln Almond, a former U.S. Attorney, was governor. Among the findings was that winning contractors would offer to do road and bridge repair work for far less than the state Department of Transportation's engineers estimate the job will cost. Once the work was under way, the cost jumped. Looking at 116 state contracts over a two year period for a total of $215.4 million awarded to 17 contractors, the auditors found that after-the-fact price changes and additions drove the cost of these projects up by $42.9 million dollars, or by 23%, bringing the final tab to $258.3 million. "And that included one curious case where DOT loaded a $67,975 bill for 'emergency repairs' to a washed-out culvert in Little Compton onto a contract the state gave the Cardi Corporation for a project in Narragansett," the report read. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RIDOT officials face inquisition over Washington Bridge closure Meta is taking steps to promote artificial intelligence transparency across its platforms. Last Tuesday, the social technology company announced it would begin labeling AI-generated images on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Currently, if an image is generated using Meta's AI image generator, a watermark appears on the image signaling it has been, Imagined with AI." Meta spokesperson, Kate Ross, told the Tennessean that while Meta is excited about the explosion of innovation and creativity surrounding Meta's generative AI tools, they also recognize that many people are concerned with understanding what type of content they're seeing. In the coming months, Meta will begin labeling images that users post to Facebook, Instagram and Threads when industry standard indicators detect that they have been AI-generated. Meta is also working with other companies like Adobe, Google, Microsoft, Midjourney, OpenAI and Shutterstock as the companies implement plans to add metadata to images created by their tools. "This is really an across the industry effort to make sure that we are sort of all speaking the same language to understand if something's been created by AI," said Ross. "So this is really exciting and hopefully just makes it little bit easier as people are kind of playing with it and understanding this type of content creation." The labels will be applied in all languages supported by each app. Meta platforms include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Threads. "People are often coming across AI-generated content for the first time and our users have told us they appreciate transparency around this new technology," said Meta in a blog post. "So its important that we help people know when photorealistic content theyre seeing has been created using AI." "We are doing as much as we can with what the technology currently allows," said Ross. "So as the technology gets better we will continue innovating to make sure that there's ways to detect AI type of content and that we're able to label appropriately." Story continues How is Meta enforcing artificial intelligence transparency? Meta said they're cracking down on the spread of AI-generated images through the next year, during which a number of important elections are taking place around the world. "During this time, we expect to learn much more about how people are creating and sharing AI content, what sort of transparency people find most valuable, and how these technologies evolve," they said. "What we learn will inform industry best practices and our own approach going forward." While companies are taking measures to promote AI transparency across images, technology has not yet advanced enough to the point of implementing those same measure across audio and video. While the industry works toward having that capability, META is adding a feature for people to disclose when they share AI-generated video or audio so it may be labeled. Meta said they will require users to use this disclosure and label tool when they post organic content with a photorealistic video or realistic-sounding audio that was digitally created or altered. Failure to do so may result in penalties. "If we determine that digitally created or altered image, video or audio content creates a particularly high risk of materially deceiving the public on a matter of importance, we may add a more prominent label if appropriate, so people have more information and context," they said. An Instagram post appears with a label signaling the image has been generated using artificial intelligence. The feature is part of Meta's approach to promoting AI transparency across its platforms. How have Tennessee lawmakers responded to the misuse of artificial intelligence? In January, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee proposed the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act, a bill aimed at protecting musicians and songwriters from misused artificial intelligence. "This is really a piece of legislation that will protect voices from technology from artificial intelligence that actually rob and steal an artist's gift," Lee said. "We hope it'll be a blueprint for the country ... The music industry is incredibly important, obviously, to our state. We're the music capital of the world - and we need to lead in protecting these artists." The ELVIS Act would be the first legislation of its kind, making Tennessee the first state to adopt such protections. Lee only reinforced his stance on the misuse of AI during his state of the state address on Feb 5. During his address Lee said he would be backing policy reforms aimed at preventing misuse of artificial intelligence in songwriting, More: Gov. Bill Lee proposes 'ELVIS Act' to protect musicians, songwriters from misused AI Lawmakers on the other side of the aisle share the same sentiment. On Feb. 6, Representative Justin Jones passed bill HB 2030 through the Criminal Justice Subcommittee. Jones said in a post to X that nonconsensual, AI generated content victimizes vulnerable Tennesseans, specifically women and children. Today I passed my first bill, HB 2030, through the Criminal Justice Subcommittee. This bill will hold people who create explicit AI images accountable for the proliferation of deepfakes. Nonconsensual content victimizes vulnerable Tennesseans, especially women and children. pic.twitter.com/VKccmGHr5e Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) February 6, 2024 What is Meta doing to ensure their platforms are safe for children? From left to right, Discord CEO Jason Citron, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, X CEO Linda Yaccarino and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online safety for children on Jan. 31, 2024. In October of 2023, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a lawsuit against Meta alleging that Instagram causes mental health harm to children. Skrmetti claimed that Meta has known for years that the platform causes psychological harm to young users and instead of taking steps to reduce or disclose the harm, "Meta leaned further in to its profit-maximizing approach" which hurts children. Targeting children with a harmful product and lying about its safety violates the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act, said Skrmetti. The complaint reads, ""The state of Tennessee, by and through Johnathan Skrmetti, its Attorney General and Reporter, brings this civil law enforcement proceeding to stop Meta platforms Inc.'s deceptive and unfair business practices that are fomenting a mental health crisis in this state, particularly through its operation of Instagram, LLC, a Meta subsidiary and social media platform." Meta could not offer comment on the lawsuit. Ross however said that Meta wants all its users, including teens, to have positive experiences on its apps. Ross added that Meta is always working to ensure its platforms give parents and families what they need in order to navigate their services. In January, Meta launched a feature called "Night time nudges," a feature that encourages teens to close the Instagram app late in the evenings. Introducing Nighttime Nudges on Instagram! This new feature is designed to help you keep your digital wellness on check by limiting your screen time at night. pic.twitter.com/4fx40guD9I Meta (@Meta) January 19, 2024 Ross said night time nudges is just one of the existing parental supervision tools available to parents. On Messenger, parents are able to: View how much time their teen spends on the app View and receive updates on their teens Messenger contacts list, as well as their teens privacy and safety settings Get notified if their teen reports someone (if the teen chooses to share that information) View who can message their teen (only their friends, friends of friends, or no one) and see if their teen changes this setting View who can see their teens Messenger stories and get notified if these settings change Other tools include the "Take a break" feature on Facebook and Instagram and "Quiet mode" on Instagram. More: TikTok, Snap, X and Meta CEOs grilled at tense Senate hearing on social media and kids Diana Leyva covers trending news and service for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @_leyvadiana This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Does Facebook have measures against AI misuse? What to Know in TN A person flying a drone spotted the body of a missing 22-year-old hiker on a California mountain about a week after she disappeared, rescuers said. The citizen reported their discovery on Mount Baldy to authorities Feb. 10, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said in a news release. Weather conditions prevented rescuers from hiking to the upper San Antonio Creek Falls area, so a helicopter was used the next day to recover her body, deputies said. Lifei Huang, 22, of El Monte, set out on a solo hike as a winter storm hit the state at about 2 p.m. Feb. 4, McClatchy News reported. Huang never returned home that day, so rescue teams began searching for her at about 2:30 a.m. Feb. 5, deputies said. Rescuers continued looking for her the next day, but extremely heavy snowfall halted their efforts. The weather has effectively buried the mountain in snow and it is highly likely hikers will get into trouble, deputies warned at the time. Mount Baldy is in the San Gabriel Mountains, about 45 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Actor Julian Sands was found dead in June, months after he disappeared during a hike on the mountain, McClatchy News reported. Climber spends night on steep mountain after losing GPS during whiteout, OR rescuers say Lost hikers hunkered down to spend night on frigid mountain, California rescuers say Off-trail hiker finds box of cremated remains in Arizona. Now search is on for family A Maine man recently learned through a harrowing experience with a scammer not to trust caller ID and its a lesson that cost him $9,000, according to police. According to a Feb. 7 statement by the Bangor Police Department, a local man got a phone call and the info that flashed across his caller ID showed it was coming from local law enforcement. He answered. On the other line was a person claiming to be a lieutenant with the Bangor Police Department, who told the man that someone had forged his signature and used his identity to be granted release from custody, police said. The problem could be cleared up in one simple way: depositing $9,000 into a local Bitcoin kiosk, the caller said, according to police. The man agreed to do so. Unfortunately, the lieutenant on the phone was not a member of the police force, but a scammer trying to make a quick buck, police said. There were other instances of people getting these calls in the area, police said, adding that another man reported getting a similar phone call but didnt fall for the ploy. According to the police, there is little hope of recovering the mans $9,000. Schemes like this rely on what the FCC calls caller ID spoofing. Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity, the FCC said. Scammers often use neighbor spoofing so it appears that an incoming call is coming from a local number, or spoof a number from a company or a government agency that you may already know and trust, the FCC said. Faking caller ID information is not hard to do, so dont trust your caller ID to verify that a call is authentic, police said. According to police, it only takes a few extra steps to keep yourself safe from a scam like this one. If you have even an inkling that a caller from a police department is not on the up and up, hang up the phone and call your local department using the public number, not the phone number that someone provides for you to check, the department said. The FCC suggests that if you get a phone call from someone who says they represent a company or government agency, verify that they are who they say they are. Either hang up and call the organizations listed number, or look to make sure you received a written statement in the mail prior to the call. And never give out personal information such as account numbers, social security numbers, or other identifying information, the FCC said. Regardless, use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately, the FCC said. Police encouraged people to be skeptical, careful and savvy. We will NEVER call you asking for money to clear up a warrant, they said. We do not use Bitcoin, but scammers do. Tow company owners made millions illegally towing parked cars, California official says Woman poses as her dead aunt, steals over $1 million in benefits for 25 years, feds say Man running fake summer camp stole from parents and went gambling in Vegas, feds say Protesters march against insecurity and immigration in Kaweni, Mayotte, on Feb 6 - LEMOR DAVID/ABACA/SHUTTERSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK France will revoke birthright citizenship in its Indian Ocean department of Mayotte in a bid to curb a migration crisis that sparked weeks of protests, the countrys interior minister said. Gerald Darmanin announced the strong, clear and radical move to reporters on the airport tarmac shortly after flying into Mayotte on Sunday morning. It will no longer be possible to become French if you are not yourself the child of French parents, Mr Darmanin said. He said the measure, which would involve controversial amendments to the Constitution, is aimed at literally cutting off the attractiveness of Mayotte and eliminating the possibility of obtaining French citizenship through immigration, be it legal or illegal. He said the reform will not be applied anywhere else in France, citing exceptional situations that call for exceptional measures. Gerald Darmanin, the interior minister, said the 'strong, clear and radical' move would entail amending France's Constitution - CHAFION MADI/AFP Located in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar, the two islands of Mayotte make up the poorest region in France. Decades of social unrest, poverty, crime and insecurity have been exacerbated by a major water shortage as well as an influx of illegal immigrants fleeing poverty from the neighbouring island nation of the Comoros. Nearly half of Mayottes 310,000 residents are immigrants from the Comoros or other African countries. Over the last three weeks, activists have protested on the streets and erected barricades in opposition to the migration crisis and living conditions. Territorialised visas to be scrapped One of the protesters long-standing demands has also been to eliminate the territorialised visa, a residence permit that prohibits holders from travelling to mainland France or another French department and restricts their movement to within Mayotte. The visas are specific to Mayotte. Mr Darmanin announced that territorialised visas will be scrapped. Since we will have far fewer residence permits, and since we will no longer have the possibility of being French when we come to Mayotte, territorialised visas will no longer be necessary, he said. Birthright citizenship rules in Mayotte changed in 2018 when France introduced a rule requiring at least one foreign-born parent to have lived in Mayotte for more than three months before the childs birth in order for the child to qualify for French nationality. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Both chambers of the New Mexico Legislature have voted in favor of a seven-day waiting period for all gun sales, though they still need to work out some differences before the proposal can be sent to the governors desk. The New Mexico Senate on Saturday night voted 23-18 to pass House Bill 129, which would require a gun seller to wait seven days after the purchase to deliver a gun to the buyer. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 2 in a 37-33 vote. Since the Senate amended the bill, it must return to the House so they can agree to the changes before it can go to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to be signed into law. HB 129 is sponsored by Reps. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe), Dayan Hochman-Vigil (D-Albuquerque) and Cristina Parajon (D-Albuquerque). Sens. Linda M. Lopez (D-Albuquerque) and Joseph Cervantes (D-Las Cruces) are sponsors in the other chamber. Proponents point to mass shootings in the U.S. committed with guns bought a week earlier, and say waiting periods have been shown to reduce gun homicides and suicides. Cervantes, who carried the bill on the Senate floor, said in his closing statement the legislation means a lot to him because his law office is in El Paso, and his community was affected by the racist mass shooting in 2019 at a Walmart. The shooter was sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences for the killings, including hate crimes because he targeted Mexicans and Mexican-Americans. Imagine what that did to our community, Las Cruces and El Paso, Cervantes said. Imagine what it feels like to know that youre hunted because youre brown. He said the bill may not solve the problem of mass killings, but the statistics show we will make an impact on suicide deaths and we will reduce guns in circulation. The bulk of Saturday nights debate was over three failed amendments introduced by Republicans which sought to circumvent the waiting period for active duty military, people who have obtained a family violence protection order and those who pass a background check before the waiting period is over. Across four-and-a-half hours of debate on Saturday night, opponents argued a waiting period to buy a gun is effectively a ban. They said guns allow more vulnerable individuals to defend themselves, people will get guns some other way without waiting, and the proposal wont actually decrease the number of suicides. This is gun control disguised as suicide prevention, Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington) told the Senate. Sen. Greg Nibert (R-Roswell) said he thinks New Mexicos problem is young people getting guns. New Mexico has a problem with, frankly, minors who are incapable of purchasing a firearm, yet they seem to have them, and unfortunately theyre using them in places and doing things with them that are horrific, he said. We have to get our handle around that, but taking peoples rights away I dont think is a mechanism by which we address that. Three Democratic senators from Northern New Mexico, George Munoz (Gallup), Pete Campos (Las Vegas) and Benny Shendo (Jemez Pueblo), joined Republicans in voting against the bill. These things are not going to change, Munoz said. When people want access to a gun, theyre going to get access to a gun as quickly and as easily as they can get it. Munoz said common sense is not there anymore. Sometimes children should be spanked, and whipped, and learn to respect things like guns and lives, he said. If New Mexico passes the bill into law, Cervantes said it would join other states with waiting periods ranging from three to 14 days including California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Washington D.C. also has a waiting period for gun buyers. Delays in background checks wouldnt prevent sales The one floor amendment the Senate approved on Saturday would fix what Cervantes called a complication stemming from the way Congress adopted federal background check procedures. When someone applies for a background check, they either get cleared immediately and complete the sale, or they get flagged and wait for three days. If they dont hear anything, then they complete the sale. In the latter case, the background check continues but is abandoned after 30 days, Cervantes explained. The bill passed by the House would have had the potential for a sale never being completed, he said. The Senate Judiciary Committee felt it would likely make the law unconstitutional, Cervantes told lawmakers. The difficulty this created is that you would have had the gun being released after the 30th day but the federal background check would be abandoned at the 30th day, and so the fact that these two things would have occurred simultaneously wouldnt work as a practical matter, Cervantes said. So, the Senate amended the bill to allow for the seller to release the gun 20 days after purchase, even if the background check is incomplete. The bill is a priority for Lujan Grisham and it has until noon on Feb. 15 to get approved again by the House. Austin Fisher is a journalist based in Santa Fe. He has worked for newspapers in New Mexico and his home state of Kansas, including the Topeka Capital-Journal, the Garden City Telegram, the Rio Grande SUN and the Santa Fe Reporter. Since starting a full-time career in reporting in 2015, hes aimed to use journalism to lift up voices that typically go unheard in public debates around economic inequality, policing and environmental racism. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Gun buyers would have to wait one week under bill passed by NM Senate Flight passengers were left 'traumatised' on Friday when a German man coughed up 'litres of blood' before dying mid flight. The man, 63, boarded the Lufthansa flight from Bangkok to Munich visibly ill before his condition rapidly deteriorated. Martin Missfelder, 53, from Zurich, Switzerland, told Swiss media outlet Blick: It was absolute horror, everyone was screaming. The man's wife had initially told cabin crew that her husband was feeling unwell because they had been forced to run to catch the plane at Bangkok airport. A flight attendant then reacted and asked him if he was okay, she was very worried, said Mr Missfelders wife Karin, who was sitting with her husband behind the couple. The man was told he was well enough to fly but she told cabin crew a doctor was urgently needed. The pilot arrived and called for a doctor over the loudspeaker. A 30-year-old Polish medic asked how the man was and took his pulse before indicating that he seemed OK. Mr Missfelder told Blick: They then gave him a little chamomile tea, but he was already spitting blood into the bag that his wife held out to him. The plane took off before the man's condition dramatically deteriorated, increasingly spitting blood into a bag - before a 'gush' of blood came out of his mouth and nose. 'It was absolute horror, everyone was screaming,' said Martin, adding that the man lost 'litres of blood' which covered the cabin walls. Ms Missfelder said the man died and his body was carried into the galley and the plane had to fly back to Bangkok with the captain announcing over the loudspeaker that there had been a death onboard. The flight turned around, returning to Bangkok Airport. A spokesperson for Lufthansa told MailOnline: We confirm that on 8 February 2024 on flight LH773 (Airbus A380) from Bangkok to Munich a medical emergency of a passenger occurred on board. Although immediate and comprehensive first aid measures were taken by the crew and a doctor on board, the passenger died during the flight. After 1.5 hours of flight time, the crew decided to return to Bangkok, where the aircraft landed normally and safely. There, the instructions of the medical emergency services and the Thai authorities were followed. The passengers on this flight have since been rebooked on other alternative flights as it has been cancelled. Our thoughts are with the relatives of the deceased passenger. We also regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers of this flight. Please understand that we are generally cannot provide any further details in the event of medical emergencies for reasons of privacy. Take a huge sigh of relief Delaware, you're about to miss another major snowstorm. The Northeast is about to get slammed by a major snowstorm Monday night and into Tuesday, but the First State looks like it will get away with rain and a little snow. How much snow are we getting? Winter storm snow forecast According to the National Weather Service, the major winter storm will just strafe Delaware, possibly dropping less than an inch of snow in northern New Castle County. The rest of the state will see mainly rain and some wet snow and only minor accumulations. According to Accuweather.com, Wilmington will see snow falling from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday. There's a 45% chance the area will receive a coating to an inch of snow. There's a 39% chance the area will receive 1-3 inches. Dover will have little to no accumulation with snow starting around 10 a.m. and lasting until 1 p.m. Seaford is expected to just have rain. Winter precipitation Winter storm warning north of Philadelphia Winter storm forecast If you are traveling north of Philadelphia on Tuesday you will need to proceed with extreme caution. The area north of Interstate 78 is under a winter storm warning and the area between Interstate 95 and I-78 is under a winter storm advisory. Winter travel The area impacted by the winter storm warning is expected to receive anywhere between 6 to 18 inches of snow. The area in the advisory is expected to receive between 1 to 6 inches of snow. Delaware facing coastal flooding threat The coastal line of Delaware is under a coastal flood threat until Wednesday morning. The coastline in Sussex County is under a coastal flood warning for Tuesday's high tides. The coastal areas in New Castle and Kent counties are under a coastal flood advisory for high tides on Monday and Tuesday. Surviving winter: How to stay safe when driving in winter in Delaware Winter questions answered: How long do you have to shovel the sidewalk? Here are answers to Delaware snow questions This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Will the next winter storm impact DE? Here is the latest forecast At least four patients in intensive care died because their oxygen supply was cut off when Israeli troops stormed Gazas main hospital, according to the doctors. Israeli special forces have stormed the last major hospital in southern Gaza, with the military saying it is a limited operation to seeking the remains of hostages taken by Hamas. The raid came a day after the army sought to evacuate thousands of displaced people who had taken shelter at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The southern city has been the main target of Israel's offensive against Hamas in recent weeks. The military said it had "credible intelligence" that Hamas had held hostages at the hospital and that the remains of hostages might still be inside. This comes after the UN warned that an Israeli ground invasion into Rafah could lead to slaughter as more tha one million Palestinians shelter there. UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said Benjamin Netanyahus planned offensive could leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at deaths door. Key points Four patients dead as Israeli troops storm hospital in Gaza, doctors say Israeli special forces inside Khan Younis hospital Israel launches 'extensive' strikes in Lebanon Rafah invasion could lead to slaughter, UN warns Egypt threatens to void decades-old peace treaty with Israel what would it mean? Tuesday 13 February 2024 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar It was a warm handshake between the unlikeliest of statesmen, conducted under the beaming gaze of President Jimmy Carter. Sunlight streamed through the trees at Camp David, Maryland, as Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin solidified a landmark agreement that has allowed over 40 years of peace between Israel and Egypt. It has served as an important source of stability in a volatile region. That peace has held through two Palestinian uprisings and a series of wars between Israel and Hamas. But now, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to send Israeli troops into Rafah, a city in Gaza on the border with Egypt, the Egyptian government is threatening to void the agreement. Julia Frankel reports. Egypt threatens to void decades-old peace treaty with Israel what would it mean? Houthis struck Iran-bound cargo vessel, says US Tuesday 13 February 2024 11:59 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Houthi rebels fired two missiles at a ship in the Bab Al-Mandeb strait, the US military said early on Tuesday. The rebels trageted MV Star Iris, a Greek-owned and Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel transiting the Red Sea carrying corn from Brazil. The Iran-bound vessel suffered minor damage but the crew were not hurt, the US central command said on X. Houthi Attack in Bab al-Mandeb On Feb. 12 from 3:30 to 3:45 a.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired two missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the Bab al-Mandeb. Both missiles were launched toward MV Star Iris, a Greek-owned, Marshall pic.twitter.com/vfihRaw0rr U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 13, 2024 Labour candidate issues apology over claim Israel allowed October attack Tuesday 13 February 2024 12:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The Labour candidate for Rochdale, Azhar Ali, has apologised after he reportedly said Israel had been warned about the 7 October attack and allowed it to happen. The Labour Party has issued a statement on behalf of the candidate after the Mail on Sunday published comments from a recording of him telling the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had been warned of the attack before it happened, but they deliberately took the security off. Mr Ali is alleged to have said: The Egyptians are saying that they warned Israel 10 days earlier... Americans warned them a day before [that] theres something happening... They deliberately took the security off, they allowed... that massacre that gives them the green light to do whatever they bloody want. Zoe Grunewald has more. Labour candidate issues apology over claim Israel allowed October attack Death toll from Israels Rafah strike rises to 74 Tuesday 13 February 2024 13:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The death toll from Israels offensive in southern Gazas Rafah city has gone up to 74, the Hamas-controlled health ministry said on Tuesday. The raid took place early Monday in Rafah, a city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip where 1.4 million Palestinians have fled to escape fighting elsewhere in Israels war against Hamas. Women and children were among those killed in the airstrikes, Palestinian officials said. The overall Palestinian death toll from the war in Gaza has surpassed 28,000 people, according to the health ministry. South Africa asks World Court to weigh Israel's Rafah offensive Tuesday 13 February 2024 14:29 , Athena Stavrou South Africa said on Tuesday it had asked the World Court to consider whether Israels plan to extend its offensive in Gaza into the city of Rafah requires additional emergency measures to protect Palestinians rights. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last month ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa. Israel has said it is planning to expand its ground assault into Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge from the offensive that has laid waste to much of the Gaza Strip since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7. In a request submitted to the court yesterday (Feb. 12), the South African government said it was gravely concerned that the unprecedented military offensive against Rafah, as announced by the State of Israel, has already led to and will result in further large-scale killing, harm and destruction, a statement issued by South Africas presidency said. This would be in serious and irreparable breach both of the Genocide Convention and of the Courts Order of Jan. 26. Three found guilty of terror offences for wearing images of paragliders at a pro-Palestine march Tuesday 13 February 2024 14:43 , Athena Stavrou Three people have been found guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court of a terror offence after they displayed images of paragliders at a pro-Palestine march in central London a week after Hamas militants attacked Israel. Giving his verdict, Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram said: Seven days earlier, Hamas went into Israel with what was described by the media as paragliders. A reasonable person would have seen and read that. I do not find a reasonable person would interpret the image merely as a symbol of freedom. I want to be clear, theres no evidence that any of these defendants are supporters of Hamas, or were seeking to show support for them. Hezbollah chief says border conflict with Israel will stop only when 'aggression' on Gaza ends Tuesday 13 February 2024 15:10 , Athena Stavrou The head of Lebanons powerful armed group Hezbollah said on Tuesday that his factions cross-border shelling into Israel would only end when Israels aggression on the Gaza Strip stops. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah threatened to displace more residents from northern Israel, where tens of thousands have already been evacuated from months of Hezbollah rocket fire, and said that if Israels military widened the war his group would do the same. Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasralla (REUTERS) Palestinian relief agency head deplores 'short-sighted' calls for closure Tuesday 13 February 2024 15:30 , Athena Stavrou The head of UNRWA said on Tuesday calls for it to be dismantled were short-sighted and that terminating the mandate of the agency that provides essential services to Palestinian refugees would deepen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Funding from several countries including the UK, US, Japan and Germany withdrew funding from the organisation after an Israeli intelligence dossier alleged that nearly 200 UNRWA workers are Hamas or Islamic Jihad operatives. I have talked to the member states about all these calls to have UNRWA dismantled, to be terminated. I have warned about the impact, I have said that these calls are short-sighted, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said after meeting member states at the United Nations in Geneva. David Cameron insists UK will challenge Israel on actions in Gaza Tuesday 13 February 2024 16:00 , Athena Stavrou The UK will continue to challenge Israel over its actions in Gaza, as it judges whether they are compliant with international humanitarian law, Lord Cameron has said. Green peer Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle had asked the Foreign Secretary about the UKs actions to protect children in Gaza, and suggested it was time to stop all arms shipments to Israel as well as implement targeted sanctions against members of the Israeli leadership, particularly those calling for new settlements in Gaza and on the West Bank. Lord Cameron replied: We want to see an end to the suffering, an end to this killing. Let me just make this point that the pause we are calling for, we want to turn into a ceasefire by making sure the conditions are right for getting a stop in the fighting to mean a permanent ceasefire. The way you do that is by fulfilling a number of conditions. You have got to get in our view the Hamas leaders out of Gaza, otherwise any ceasefire wont last because the problem will still be there. You have got to dismantle the operation of terrorist attacks, you have got to have a new Palestinian Authority government in place, you have got to give the Palestinian people a political horizon to a better future and a two-state solution, and crucially you have got to release all of the hostages and do that very quickly. She asked if we challenge the Israel Government over individual episodes, yes we absolutely do. I have done that personally with them over for instance a building that was bombed that had UK medics and other charities in, and we will continue to do that as part of the very important process that we go through to judge whether they are compliant with international humanitarian law. Lord Cameron said he was very concerned about the situation in Rafah (Lucy North/PA) (PA Wire) Trio guilty of displaying images of paragliders at pro-Palestinian march given conditional discharge Tuesday 13 February 2024 16:30 , Athena Stavrou Three people who displayed images of paragliders at a pro-Palestinian march in central London a week after Hamas militants entered Israel have been found guilty of a terror offence. Heba Alhayek, 29, and Pauline Ankunda, 26, attached images of paragliders to their backs with tape, while Noimutu Olayinka Taiwo, 27, stuck one to the handle of a placard. They displayed the images on October 14 2023, just seven days after militants from Hamas used paragliders to enter Israel from Gaza on October 7 before killing more than 1,000 Israelis. They were charged under the Terrorism Act with carrying or displaying an article to arouse reasonable suspicion that they are supporters of banned organisation Hamas, which they denied. But following a two-day trial at Westminster Magistrates Court, the trio were found guilty on Tuesday after prosecutors argued it was no coincidence the defendants were displaying the images so soon after the attack. Giving his verdict, Deputy Senior District Judge Tan Ikram said: Seven days earlier, Hamas went into Israel with what was described by the media as paragliders. A reasonable person would have seen and read that. I do not find a reasonable person would interpret the image merely as a symbol of freedom. But Mr Ikram said he had decided not to punish the defendants, and handed the trio each a 12-month conditional discharge. You crossed the line, but it would have been fair to say that emotions ran very high on this issue, he added. Your lesson has been well learned. I do not find you were seeking to show any support for Hamas. France to impose travel bans on violent Israeli settlers Tuesday 13 February 2024 17:00 , Athena Stavrou France will ban 28 Israeli settlers from entering the country, accusing them of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, its foreign ministry said on Tuesday. These measures come as violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population has increased in recent months. France reaffirms its firm condemnation of this unacceptable violence, the ministry said in a statement. It did not name the individuals. UN figures show that daily settler attacks have more than doubled since Hamas surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the ensuing assault on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. While much international attention has focused on that cross-border assault and Israels subsequent war there, European officials have also expressed increasing concern about rising violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The United States and Britain have expressed similar concerns and have already imposed sanctions on several settlers whom they say are responsible for violence. Voices: The killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza should shame us all Tuesday 13 February 2024 17:30 , Athena Stavrou If every war has a tipping point, the death of little Hind Rajab should be it. The six-year-old was killed in Gaza City by what undeniably looks like Israeli gunfire, while trapped in a car, surrounded by the bodies of her dead relatives. An ambulance that had reportedly received permission to rescue Hind from the unthinkable scene was also fired on. Two paramedics lost their lives. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has accused Israel of deliberately targeting them. Israel has not released an official statement regarding Hind, her family, or the deaths of the paramedics naysayers will argue that we cant possibly attribute culpability; that we dont know what really happened. But all too often, the simplest explanation is the right one. And the facts speak for themselves, no matter which way you look at it: a little girl died, alone and terrified, in unimaginable circumstances. Her death shames us all. Victoria Richards writes: The killing of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza shames us all | Victoria Richards Some Palestinians leave Rafah refuge, fearing Israeli assault Tuesday 13 February 2024 18:00 , Athena Stavrou Some of the Palestinian people who fled their homes in Gaza for the safety of Rafah have been forced to flee once again as Israel launches an airstrike on the region. Nahla Jarwan fled her home in the central Gaza Strip to seek refuge in Rafah - like more than 1 million other Palestinians escaping Israels military offensive. She is one of dozens of people who residents said were leaving Rafah on Tuesday after Israeli shelling and air strikes in recent days. I fled Al-Maghazi, came to Rafah, and here I am, returning to Al-Maghazi, said Jarwan, referring to the refugee camp from which she fled earlier in the conflict.nLast night in Rafah was very tough. Were going back to Al-Maghazi out of fear - displaced from one area to another; hopefully Al-Maghazi area would safe, God willing. She added: Wherever we go, there is no safety. (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Three Palestinians killed by Israeli sniper fire on Gazan hospital Tuesday 13 February 2024 20:39 , Alexander Butler At least three Palestinians were killed and 10 others injured by Israeli sniper fire on Gazas Nasser Medical Complex since Tuesday afternoon, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement. Rafah invasion could lead to slaughter, UN warns Tuesday 13 February 2024 21:16 , Alexander Butler The United Nations on Tuesday warned against an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah in the Gaza Strip, saying an offensive could lead to a slaughter in the southern region of the Palestinian enclave where more than 1 million people are sheltering. Israel says it wants to flush out Hamas militants from hideouts in Rafah and free Israeli hostages being held there, and is making plans to evacuate trapped Palestinian civilians. Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza. They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at deaths door, said U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths. We lack the safety guarantees, the aid supplies and the staff capacity to keep this operation afloat. The international community has been warning against the dangerous consequences of any ground invasion in Rafah. The Government of Israel cannot continue to ignore these calls, he said in a statement. US Senate approves $95bn aid for Ukraine and Israel in pre-dawn vote Tuesday 13 February 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler US Senate approves $95bn aid for Ukraine and Israel in pre-dawn vote South Africa asks UN court to urgently examine Israel's targeting of Rafah Wednesday 14 February 2024 00:01 , Alexander Butler South Africa asks UN court to urgently examine Israel's targeting of Rafah in ongoing genocide case Netanyahu will not move into Rafah if Hamas surrender Wednesday 14 February 2024 01:00 , Alexander Butler Netanyahu will not move into Rafah if Hamas surrender, says Israel spokesperson Israel and Hamas are making progress in cease-fire and hostage release talks, officials say Wednesday 14 February 2024 02:00 , Alexander Butler Israel and Hamas are making progress in cease-fire and hostage release talks, officials say Why Israels assault on Rafah could mean the worst is yet to come: We have nowhere left to go Wednesday 14 February 2024 03:00 , Alexander Butler We have no where left to go: Israel assault on Rafah Airstrike from Israeli hostage rescue wipes out entire Palestinian family Wednesday 14 February 2024 03:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Ibrahim Hasouna trudged over the rubble of the destroyed house, pointing out where family moments had taken place where his mother and sister-in-law used to sleep, where he played with his five-year-old nieces, where he helped his one-year-old nephew take his first steps. His entire family was now dead his parents, his two brothers, and the wife and three children of one of those brothers. The house was reduced to rubble on top of them in the barrage of airstrikes that Israeli warplanes inflicted across Rafah before dawn Monday as cover for troops rescuing two hostages elsewhere in the town on the southern Gaza border. At least 74 Palestinians were killed in the bombardment, which flattened large swaths of buildings and tents sheltering families who had fled to Rafah from across Gaza. More here. Airstrike from Israeli hostage rescue wipes out entire Palestinian family in Gaza border town US says journalists must be protected Wednesday 14 February 2024 04:00 , Alexander Butler The United States has urged Israel to protect journalists working in Gaza following Al Jazeera reporters who were severely injured in an Israeli drone strike. Let me offer, of course, condolences to your colleagues who have been injured. And I know that they are not the first Al Jazeera journalists to have been harmed during this conflict. So they have our sincere condolences, as do their families, as do all of you at Al Jazeera, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. We continue to engage with the government of Israel to make clear that journalists ought to be protected. Gaza truce talks end inconclusively Wednesday 14 February 2024 04:22 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Talks involving the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a Gaza truce ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday as calls grew for Israel to hold back on a planned assault on the southern end of the enclave, crammed with over a million displaced people. The city of Rafah, whose pre-war population was about 300,000, teems with homeless people living in tent camps and makeshift shelters who fled there from Israeli bombardments in areas of Gaza farther north during more than four months of war. Israel says it wants to flush out Hamas militants from hideouts in Rafah and free Israeli hostages being held there. Its military is making plans to evacuate Palestinian civilians. But no plan has been forthcoming and aid agencies say the displaced have nowhere else to go in the shattered territory. Democrats are finally starting to break with Israel Wednesday 14 February 2024 04:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar During the final hours of debate on the security supplemental package, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland excoriated the Israeli governments actions in Gaza. In doing so, he all but accused Benjamin Netanyahus government of committing international war crimes.Kids in Gaza are now dying from the deliberate withholding of food, he said on the floor of the United States Senate. In addition to the horror of that news, one other thing is true. That is a war crime. Van Hollen is one of only a handful of Democratic senators who supports a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. And hearing any United States senator say Israel has effectively committed war crimes is unprecedented, given widespread support for Israel across both parties. Van Hollen joined 47 other Democratic Senators in the wee hours of Tuesday morning to vote for a national security legislative package that included $14.1bn in security assistance to Israel, along with aid to Ukraine and allies in the Indo-Pacific to push back against China. Eric Garcia reports. Democrats are finally starting to break with Israel South Africa asks UN court to urgently examine Israels targeting of Rafah Wednesday 14 February 2024 05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The government of South Africa lodged an urgent request with the UNs International Court of Justice to consider whether Israels military operations targeting the southern Gaza city of Rafah are a breach of provisional orders the court handed down last month in a case alleging genocide. South Africa said it asked the court to weigh whether Israels strikes on Rafah, and its intention to launch a ground offensive on the city where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought shelter, breaches both the UN Genocide Convention and preliminary orders handed down by the court last month in a case accusing Israel of genocide. South Africa said Rafah was the last refuge for surviving people in Gaza while asking the UN court to consider using its powers to issue additional preliminary orders telling Israel to halt the deaths and destruction there. Starmer engulfed in second Labour antisemitism row Wednesday 14 February 2024 05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Sir Keir Starmer is at the centre of a second antisemitism storm after Labour was forced to suspend a would-be MP just 24 hours after it ditched its candidate in the Rochdale by-election. The party acted after Graham Jones, the prospective Labour MP for Hyndburn, appeared to say that Britons who volunteer to fight for the Israel Defense Forces should be locked up. His taped comments, in which he also referred to f***ing Israel, were reportedly made in a rant to Labours former candidate in Rochdale, Azhar Ali, at a now infamous meeting at which Mr Ali claimed that Israel had allowed last Octobers Hamas terror attacks to take place so that it could use them as a pretext to attack Gaza. The latest row erupted just hours after Sir Keir insisted he had taken decisive action following accusations that the two-day delay in withdrawing support for Mr Ali was shambolic. Kate Devlin and Archie Mitchell report. Starmer engulfed in second Labour antisemitism row after Rochdale by-election furore Hamas claims more attacks against Israeli forces Wednesday 14 February 2024 06:00 , Alexander Butler Hamas claimed it targeted an Israeli armoured personnel vehicle with a mortar shell in Khan Younis and blew up three tunnel shafts around Israeli troops in the southern Gaza city. The organisation later said it also fired mortar shells at a tank and a military bulldozer north of Khan Younis and detonated a boobytrapped house with Israeli troops inside in the same area. Over 7,000 Palestinians detained by Israel in occupied West Bank - report Wednesday 14 February 2024 06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar More than 7,000 Palestinians have been detained in the occupied West Bank since Hamass 7 October attack on South Israel, according to rights groups. About 440 children and 220 women were among those detained by Israeli forces in four months, the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS), and the Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association said in a joint statement. The groups said Israeli forces detained 53 journalists, 36 of whom were still in detention, and placed 21 others under administrative detention. Whats inside US Senates $95bn bill to aid Ukraine and Israel Wednesday 14 February 2024 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The Senate early Tuesday passed an emergency spending package that would provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel; replenish US weapons systems; and provide food, water, and other humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. The Senate jettisoned from the package a bipartisan effort to boost immigration enforcement at the US-Mexico border after most Republican senators, following the lead of former president Donald Trump, deemed the bipartisan proposal inadequate. Abandoning the border proposal brought the price tag of the bill down to about $95.3bn. Now that the Senate has approved the emergency spending package, it is up to the Republican-led House to take it up, change it or let it die. Speaker Mike Johnson cast new doubt on the package in a statement Monday evening, making clear that it could be weeks or months before Congress sends the legislation to president Joe Bidens desk if at all. More here. Whats inside US Senates $95 billion bill to aid Ukraine, Israel and counter China In Pics: Aftermath of Israels strikes in Rafah Wednesday 14 February 2024 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Hasouna family house, which was struck by an Israeli airstrike (AP) Ibrahim Hasouna, center, the sole survivor among his family, sits amidst the debris of his bombed home in Rafa (AP) Palestinians sit by the destruction from the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Budget carrier Ryanair cancels all flights to Israel Wednesday 14 February 2024 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Irish budget air carrier Ryanair has cancelled all its flights to and from Israel for the months of March and April, Haaretz reported on Tuesday. Ryanair had initially cancelled its services to Israel following a Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October, but resumed operations just two weeks ago. While flights scheduled for February were still listed, they are likely to be cancelled, according to the report. Latest Gaza death toll Wednesday 14 February 2024 09:33 , Chris Stevenson At least 28,576 Palestinians have been killed and 68,291 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza has said. In the last 24 hours, 103 Palestinians were killed and 145 injured, the ministry's statement added. Hostage families head to the Hague Wednesday 14 February 2024 09:57 , Chris Stevenson Israeli survivors of the 7 October Hamas attack and family members of hostages are stepping up efforts to get the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor to scrutinise Hamas' crimes as part of his investigation into the attack and Israel's response in Gaza. "We want to make sure that the world acts and that their freedom is hindered," Udi Goren, cousin of 41-year-old Tal Haimi who was abducted on 7 October. Mr Haimi was later confirmed dead, his body still being held in Gaza. "We want to ... make sure that the leaders of Hamas are taken into custody or that they cannot leave Qatar anymore and that this puts pressure on them to release the hostages," Mr Goren said, speaking at Israel's Ben Gurion airport. Mr Goren was among a group of around 100 family members of hostages preparing to fly to the ICC's headquarters in The Hague. Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognise its jurisdiction. But prosecutor Karim Khan reaffirmed to Reuters this week that the court has jurisdiction over the events of 7 October and they form part of the court's investigation. He declined to comment further on the ongoing investigation. Gas pipeline explosions Wednesday 14 February 2024 10:25 , Chris Stevenson Explosions have struck a natural gas pipeline in Iran, with an official blaming the blasts on "sabotage and terrorist action" as tensions remain high in the Middle East amid Israel's war on Hamas. The pipeline runs from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province up north to cities on the Caspian Sea. The roughly 790-mile structure begins in Asaluyeh, a hub for Iran's offshore South Pars gas field. Saeed Aghli, the manager of Iran's gas network control centre, told Iranian state television that "sabotage and terrorist action" caused explosions along several areas of the line. There are no known insurgent groups operating in that province, home to the Bakhtiari, a branch of Iran's Lur ethnic group. In the past, Arab separatists in south-western Iran have claimed attacks against oil pipelines. However, attacks against such infrastructure are rare elsewhere. Wednesday 14 February 2024 10:58 , Chris Stevenson Here are some of the latest pictures from Gaza, focusing on the southern border city of Rafah: Palestinians inspect the rubble of the Hasouna family house, which was struck by an Israeli airstrike during an operation to rescue two hostages in Rafah (AP) Displaced Palestinians who fled their houses due to Israeli strikes take shelter in a tent camp, in Rafah (Reuters) Palestinians walk at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, in Rafah (REUTERS) Security survey Wednesday 14 February 2024 11:29 , Chris Stevenson About two-thirds of Jewish Americans felt less secure in late 2023 than they did a year earlier, according to a survey mostly conducted after the Hamas attack on Israel on and released now. The American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group, said the survey was based on telephone and online interviews from Octiber to November. The findings were compared to the same survey a year earlier. Gaza warning from UK Wednesday 14 February 2024 12:19 , Chris Stevenson As the UN warns of dire consequences of an Israeli asasault into the Gaza border city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering, the UKs foreign secretary David Cameron has warned Israel to stop and think befire moving in any further, David Cameron urges Israel to think seriously before taking further action in Rafah Gaza reaction to ceasefire talks Wednesday 14 February 2024 12:43 , Chris Stevenson Palestinians are increasingly conncerned about an Israeli assault into Gaza, particulary in the wake of there being no major breakthrough in recent ceasefire talks. "The news was disappointing, we hoped there could be a deal reached in Cairo. We are now counting down the days before Israel sends in tanks. We hope they don't but who can prevent them?" Said Jaber, a Gaza businessman who is sheltering in Rafah with his family, told Reuters via a chat app. "We've lost our homes, our jobs. Isn't that enough? We've had enough of this war, and we will need decades to rebuild Gaza and regain our lives. When will the world stop Israel's slaughter of our people?" Erdogan visits Egypt Wednesday 14 February 2024 13:22 , Chris Stevenson Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is making his first visit to Egypt since 2012 , taking a big step toward rebuilding relations between the regional powers. Mr Erdogan has said discussions would focus on Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip. Mr Erdogan and Egypts President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose relations frayed over Egypt's 2013 military coup and its fallout for the Muslim Brotherhood, planned to hold a joint press conference later. The visit caps diplomatic efforts in recent years to thaw the nations' frosty relations. They mutually appointed ambassadors last year, and this month Turkey said it would provide Egypt with armed drones. Relations between Ankara and Cairo broke down in 2013 after Egypt's then-army chief, Mr Sisi, led the ousting of the Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi, an ally of Turkey who had become Egypt's first democratically elected president the year before. Mr Sisi greeted Erdogan as he emerged from his plane in Cairo with his wife and they conversed as they walked along a red carpet amid a fanfare, live television footage showed. According to a draft programme, Mr Sisi and Mr Erdogan were to hold bilateral talks before a meeting between the two delegations, with a formal dinner planned. Mr Erdogan has sought to ease tensions with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel since 2021 - though since October he has publicly sniped with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's devastating war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza. Israel-Lebanon strikes Wednesday 14 February 2024 14:12 , Chris Stevenson In northern Israel, a rocket attack from Lebanon has killed an Israeli woman in a barrage that also hit a military base and wounded several other people on Wednesday, an Israeli government spokesperson has said. Israel carried out airstrikes in southern Lebanon in response, killing four people, including a Syrian woman and her two Lebanese children, and wounding at least nine, Lebanese security officials and local media said. Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which supports Hamas, have traded fire along the border nearly every day since the start of the war in Gaza, raising the risk of a wider conflict. Hezbollah did not immediately claim responsibility for the rocket attack. UK troops in Saudi Arabia Wednesday 14 February 2024 14:45 , Chris Stevenson Britain has troops stationed in Saudi Arabia to provide air defence against possible drone and missile attacks by Houthi rebels at a time of growing concern about the escalating conflict in the Middle East. A unit of around 50 gunners from 12 Regiment Royal Artillery are deployed at a base near Riyadh, as well as well as number of oil installations, in a bilateral defence arrangement with the Kingdom which had led a military alliance against the Houthis in Yemen. Read more from our World Affairs Editor, Kim Sengupta, here: UK troops stationed in Saudi Arabia with missiles to defend against Houthi attacks Rafah residents have nowhere to go Wednesday 14 February 2024 15:43 , Chris Stevenson German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said people in Rafah with nowhere to go "cannot simply vanish into thin air" as Israel prepares an assault on the border city. "They need safe places and safe corridors to avoid being caught in the crossfire even more," she said before talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Stand firm on Rafah, diplomat says Wednesday 14 February 2024 16:33 , Chris Stevenson The Palestinian foreign minister has said that efforts were underway to prevent an "imminent" Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza Strip. Riyad al-Maliki urged the international community to "stand firm" and "act responsibly" to end the war. He also said there's "collective responsibility" to prevent the war from either dragging on or expanding to the occupued West Bank or neighboring states like Lebanon. "We are looking at ways how to prevent that attack on Rafah," Mr Maliki said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos. Ceasefire roadblock Wednesday 14 February 2024 18:13 , Chris Stevenson International efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have suffered a setback, withas Israel reportedly recalled its negotiating team and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of hobbling the high-stakes negotiations by sticking to "delusional" demands. Mr Netanyahu's remarks came hours after local media reported that the Israeli leader had ordered an Israeli delegation not to continue talks in Cairo, raising concerns over the fate of the negotiations and sparking criticism from the families of the roughly 130 remaining captives, about a fourth of whom are said to be dead. The relatives of the hostages said Netanyahu's decision amounted to a "death sentence" for their loved ones. Israels military orders evacuation of last major hospital in south Gaza as doctors say it is under siege Wednesday 14 February 2024 19:00 , Bel Trew Israels military orders evacuation of last major hospital in south Gaza Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a humanitarian catastrophe, says German foreign minister Wednesday 14 February 2024 20:50 , Alexander Butler An offensive on the city of Rafah where 1.3 million people have sought refuge would be a humanitarian catastrophe, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday. 1.3 million people are waiting there in a very small space. They dont really have anywhere else to go right now ... If the Israeli army were to launch an offensive on Rafah under these conditions, it would be a humanitarian catastrophe, Baerbock said in a news conference in Jerusalem during her visit to Israel. Israel launches 'extensive' strikes in Lebanon Wednesday 14 February 2024 22:00 , Alexander Butler Four people have been killed in an extensive wave of Israeli air strikes in Lebanon launched after Hezbollah rocket fire killed a soldier in Israel. A woman and two children were killed in the southern Lebanese town of Souaneh, state media and security sources said. A man who Hezbollah identified as one of its fighters was killed in Aadchit. Israels military said it hit Hezbollah infrastructure in response to a deadly rocket attack on its base in the northern Israeli town of Safed. Families of hostages visit international court to urge the arrest of Hamas leaders Wednesday 14 February 2024 23:00 , Alexander Butler Families of hostages visit international court to urge the arrest of Hamas leaders Helen Mirren, Boy George and Scooter Braun among celebrities endorsing Israels inclusion in Eurovision 2024 Thursday 15 February 2024 00:01 , Alexander Butler Helen Mirren and Boy George among figures endorsing Israels inclusion in Eurovision Iran claims terrorists blew up gas pipeline Thursday 15 February 2024 01:00 , Alexander Butler Iran claims terrorists blew up gas pipeline Islamic centre under investigation for death to Israel chants Thursday 15 February 2024 02:00 , Alexander Butler Islamic centre under investigation for death to Israel chants Democrats are finally starting to break with Israel Thursday 15 February 2024 03:00 , Alexander Butler Democrats are finally starting to break with Israel Three pro-Palestine protesters found guilty of terror offence over paraglider images Thursday 15 February 2024 04:00 , Alexander Butler Three pro-Palestine protesters found guilty of terror offence over paraglider images Whats inside US Senates $95 billion bill to aid Ukraine and Israel and counter China Thursday 15 February 2024 05:00 , Alexander Butler Whats inside US Senates $95 billion bill to aid Ukraine, Israel and counter China Netanyahu will not move into Rafah if Hamas surrender Thursday 15 February 2024 06:00 , Alexander Butler Netanyahu will not move into Rafah if Hamas surrender, says Israel spokesperson Israeli special forces inside hospital Thursday 15 February 2024 10:14 , Chris Stevenson Israeli special forces are operating inside Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, the military said on Thursday, claiming it had credible information that the bodies of hostages taken on 7 October may be in the facility. "We conduct precise rescue operations as we have in the past where our intelligence indicates that the bodies of hostages may be held," the military said in a statement. The raid came a day after the army sought to evacuate thousands of displaced people who had taken shelter at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The southern city has been the main target of Israels offensive against Hamas in recent weeks. Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian structures to shield its fighters, something Hamas and hospital staff have denied. Israeli airstrikes kill 10 Lebanese civilians reports Thursday 15 February 2024 10:45 , Namita Singh The civilian death toll from two Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon has risen to 10, Lebanese state media reported, making the previous day the deadliest in more than four months of cross-border exchanges. The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate for Wednesdays strikes, which hit in the city of Nabatiyeh and a village in southern Lebanon, just hours after projectiles from Lebanon killed an Israeli soldier. Men check the destruction following an Israeli airstrike the previous day on the village of Taybeh near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, on 15 February 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) One patient dead and seven wounded in Israel army operation seeking remains of hostages Thursday 15 February 2024 10:55 , Namita Singh Israeli troops entered the main hospital in southern Gaza today in what the army said was a limited operation seeking the remains of hostages taken by Hamas. One patient died and seven were wounded when Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis came under fire on Wednesday, Dr Khaled Alserr, one of the remaining surgeons at the hospital, told The Associated Press. Israel accuses Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian structures to shield its fighters. The military said it had credible intelligence that Hamas had held hostages at the hospital and that the remains of hostages might still be inside. Hamas chief says any deal should secure truce, Israeli pullout from Gaza Thursday 15 February 2024 11:00 , Namita Singh Any agreement between Israel and Hamas should secure a ceasefire and an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza in addition to achieving a serious prisoner swap deal, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement on Thursday. A woman rests with children, as Palestinian arrive in Rafah after they were evacuated from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis due to the Israeli ground operation (REUTERS) Lebanon PM condemns Israels military escalation as 7 killed Thursday 15 February 2024 11:15 , Namita Singh More Israeli strikes were reported in south Lebanon today and Lebanons caretaker prime minister Najib Mikati condemned the escalation. At a time where we are insisting on calm and call all sides to not escalate, we find the Israeli enemy extending its aggression, read a statement from his office. In Nabatiyeh, the strike knocked down part of a building, killing seven members of the family, including a child, the state-run National News Agency said. A boy initially reported missing was found alive under the rubble. Initial reports had said four people were killed. Nobody is doing anything to help us: Eyewitness recounts Israeli attack Thursday 15 February 2024 11:30 , Namita Singh Hussein Badir, a neighbor of the Berjawi family that was killed in the strike, said he and other neighbours had rushed to the street to dig through the rubble. He said the family was decent and respectable and not involved in anything. For Badir, the strike brought back memories of Israeli bombardment during its 2006 war with Hezbollah and also during a 1996 offensive. Nobody is doing anything to help us, he said. Its our right to defend ourselves in our country in Lebanon. A man checks the destruction following an Israeli airstrike the previous day on the village of Taybeh near the border with Israel in southern Lebanon, on 15 February 2024 (AFP via Getty Images) Netanyahu vows to continue offensive until Hamas destroyed stalling cease fire talks Thursday 15 February 2024 12:00 , Namita Singh Negotiations over a cease-fire in Gaza appear to have stalled, and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed and scores of hostages are returned. People rest next to damaged buildings, as Palestinian arrive in Rafah after they were evacuated from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis due to the Israeli ground operation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the southern Gaza Strip, 15 February 2024 (REUTERS) The number of Palestinians killed during the war in Gaza has surpassed 28,000 people, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. A quarter of Gazas residents are starving. About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and around 250 abducted in Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October. Arab League warns against Rafah offensive Thursday 15 February 2024 12:30 , Namita Singh The head of the Arab League today warned that an Israeli ground offensive into Gazas southernmost city of Rafah would lead to a humanitarian disaster and threaten stability in the region. We are calling on all parties that understand the gravity of the situation to act immediately in order to stop these crazy plans, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said in a statement. Over half of Gazas population of 2.3 million have sought refuge in Rafah after fleeing elsewhere in the coastal enclave. Palestinian arrive in Rafah after they were evacuated from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis due to the Israeli ground operation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the southern Gaza Strip (REUTERS) What is the meaning of justice and international organizations if they remain unable to enforce a cease-fire and to put an end to these daily gruesome massacres? he said. The statement came a day after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his negotiating team to pull out of talks in Cairo to broker a cease-fire with Hamas. Mr Netanyahu had accused Hamas of making delusional demands. Israel complains to Vatican Thursday 15 February 2024 13:00 , Namita Singh Israel has formally complained after the Vatican No 2 spoke of the carnage in Gaza by what he termed a disproportionate Israeli military operation following the 7 October Hamas attacks. The Israeli embassy to the Holy See called the comments by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, deplorable. In a statement Wednesday, the embassy said he hadnt considered what it said were the relevant facts on which to judge the legitimacy of Israels actions. Speaking Monday at a reception, Parolin had condemned the 7 October attacks against Israel and all forms of antisemitism. But he questioned Israels claim to be acting in self-defense by inflicting carnage on Gaza. Israels right to self-defense has been invoked to justify that this operation is proportional, but with 30,000 dead, its not, he said. In its statement, the Israeli Embassy accused Hamas of turning the Gaza Strip into the biggest terrorist base ever seen. It said Israeli armed forces were acting according to international law and said the proportion of Palestinian civilians to terrorists killed was less than in other conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. But in a front-page editorial Thursday entitled Stop the Carnage, the Vaticans editorial director Andrea Tornielli doubled down on the Vatican position. Tornielli quoted a Rome-based Holocaust survivor, Edith Bruck, who has been highly critical of the Israeli governments response, which she has blamed on the rise in antisemitic acts against Jews around the world. Canada, Australia and New Zealand warn Israel of 'Rafah catastrophe' Thursday 15 February 2024 13:30 , Namita Singh Canada, Australia and New Zealand are warning Israel that a ground offensive in the Gaza border city of Rafah would be catastrophic. We are gravely concerned by indications that Israel is planning a ground offensive into Rafah. A military operation into Rafah would be catastrophic, the prime ministers of the three nations said in a joint statement on Thursday. Palestinian children wait to be checked for malnutrition at a medical tent set up by MedGlobal in cooperation with Unicef, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, 14 February 2024 (REUTERS) With 1.5 million Palestinians taking refuge in the area where there was an already dire humanitarian situation, the impacts on Palestinian civilians from an expanded military operation would be devastating, they said. There is growing international consensus. Israel must listen to its friends and it must listen to the international community, the statement said. Arab nations urge UN Security Council to demand Gaza cease-fire Thursday 15 February 2024 14:00 , Namita Singh The 22 Arab countries at the United Nations are urging the UN Security Council to demand an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and unhindered humanitarian assistance, and to prevent any transfer of Palestinians out of the territory. The Arab Group chair this month, Tunisias UN ambassador Tarek Ladeb, told UN reporters on Wednesday that some 1.5 million Palestinians who sought safety in Gazas southern city of Rafah face a catastrophic scenario if Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes ahead with a potential evacuation of civilians and military offensive in the area bordering Egypt. Palestinian children displaced with their families from Rafah play next the beach in Deir Al Balah, southern Gaza Strip, 14 February 2024 (EPA) Algeria, the Arab representative on the Security Council, circulated a draft resolution about two weeks ago demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and unhindered humanitarian access, as well as rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, which has been the subject of intense discussions. Scenes of panic in Nasser Hospital ward Thursday 15 February 2024 14:30 , Namita Singh Nasser Hospital has been the latest focus of operations that have gutted Gazas health sector as it struggles to treat scores of patients wounded in daily bombardments. Video of the aftermath of the strike overnight showed medics scrambling to wheel patients on stretchers through a corridor filled with smoke or dust. A medic used a cellphone flashlight to illuminate a darkened room where a wounded man screamed out in pain as gunfire echoed outside. The Associated Press could not authenticate the videos but they were consistent with its reporting. Dr Khaled Alserr, one of the remaining surgeons at Nasser Hospital, told the AP that the seven patients hit early today were already being treated for past wounds. On Wednesday, a doctor was lightly wounded when a drone opened fire on the upper stories of the hospital, he said. A Palestinian family displaced from Rafah sits outside their shelter in Deir Al Balah, southern Gaza Strip, 14 February 2024 (EPA) The situation is escalating every hour and every minute, he said. The military had ordered the evacuation of Nasser Hospital and surrounding areas last month. But as with other health facilities, medics said patients were unable to safely leave or be relocated, and thousands of people displaced by fighting elsewhere remained there. Palestinians say nowhere is safe in the besieged territory, as Israel continues to carry out strikes in all parts of it. People have been forced into an impossible situation, said Lisa Macheiner of the aid group Doctors Without Borders, which has staff in the hospital. Stay at Nasser Hospital against the Israeli militarys orders and become a potential target, or exit the compound into an apocalyptic landscape where bombings and evacuation orders are a part of daily life. South Korea raises concern over Israeli actions in Rafah Thursday 15 February 2024 15:00 , Namita Singh South Korea expressed deep concern over recent Israeli military operations in the Gaza city of Rafah and plans for further actions. It also urged for the protection of civilians under international laws, the foreign ministry added in a statement. 28,663 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza Thursday 15 February 2024 15:30 , Namita Singh At least 28,663 Palestinians have been killed and 68,395 injured in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October, the enclaves health ministry said in a statement today. In the last 24 hours, 87 Palestinians were killed and 104 injured by Israeli strikes, the ministry added. Residents evacuate from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, 14 February 2024 (EPA) Increasingly isolated Netanyahu is set on an assault of Gazas Rafah whatever the cost Thursday 15 February 2024 16:15 , Tom Watling Countries are lining up to tell the Israeli prime minister of the dire humanitarian consequences of going into the border city where nearly 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering, writes Bel Trew. And the political price will be heavy too Increasingly isolated Netanyahu is set on an assault of Rafah whatever the cost Brazil's Lula slams Israel on Gaza war, says UN failed Thursday 15 February 2024 17:00 , Tom Watling Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has accused the United Nations of failing to resolve international conflicts and harshly criticized Israeli actions in Gaza. Israels behavior has no explanation: with the pretext of fighting Hamas, it is killing women and children, he said after a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Speaking later to the Arab League, Lula said Brazil had condemned the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on 7 October, but he added that the Israels response was disproportional and indiscriminate and unacceptable. Lula said there would not be peace without the establishment of a Palestinian state and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. The killing must be stopped, he said. The Brazilian leader said Palestine should be recognized as a sovereign state and admitted to the United Nations as a full member, and he called for reform of the U.N. Security Council. The multilateral institutions that were created to help solve these problems do not work, which is why Brazil is committed to making the necessary changes in global governance bodies, and we hope to count on Egypts support, he said to reporters alongside Sisi. Lula said the permanent Security Council should be expanded and its veto powers abolished. It is the permanent members of the Security Council that foment wars, he said. Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva gives a speech at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo (AP) Bulk carrier targeted by explosive projectile east of Yemen's Aden: Ambrey Thursday 15 February 2024 17:45 , Tom Watling A bulk carrier has suffered minor damage after being targeted by an explosive projectile some 100 nautical miles east of Yemens port city of Aden, British maritime security firm Ambrey said. The damage was caused by shrapnel that caused a diesel leak, Ambrey said in its advisory note, making clear the explosion occurred some 100 miles away and did not directly impact the carrier. The crew members were unharmed, it added. Separately the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Thursday it had received a report of an explosion near a vessel some 85 nautical miles east of Aden. Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis have launched repeated drone and missile attacks against international commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israels military actions in Gaza. Their targets have been vessels with commercial ties to the United States, Britain or Israel, shipping and insurance sources say. Israel orders evacuation of last major hospital in southern Gaza as doctors say it is under siege Thursday 15 February 2024 18:30 , Tom Watling The Israeli military has ordered an evacuation of the last major hospital in southern Gaza after a deadly siege, the World Health Organisation has warned. It came as ceasefire talks in Egypt ended with no breakthrough and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that only a change in the ludicrous position from Hamas will see negotiations move forward. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed alarm at the situation in Nasser hospital, which he described as the backbone of the health system in southern Gaza. He said civilians had been killed in the complex which is located in the town of Khan Younis, people had been ordered to evacuate and that it had been under a week-long siege. Israels military orders evacuation of last major hospital in south Gaza Israeli special forces raid last major hospital in southern Gaza Thursday 15 February 2024 19:15 , Tom Watling Israeli special forces have raided the last major hospital in southern Gaza, with doctors saying gunshots were ringing out around the complex. Israels military described its raid on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis as precise and limited and said it was based on credible information that Hamas was hiding in the facility, had kept hostages there and that bodies of hostages may still be there. Israel has consistently accused Hamas of using hospitals to hide, which medical staff have denied. Israeli special forces raid last major hospital in southern Gaza Rishi Sunak slates aggressive mob of pro-Gaza protesters at Tory MPs home Thursday 15 February 2024 20:00 , Tom Watling Prime minister Rishi Sunak has condemned an aggressive mob of pro-Palestinian protesters who targeted a Conservative MPs family home. Police were called as about 80 activists gathered outside Tobias Ellwoods home in Dorset on Monday, brandishing flags, placards and a megaphone. One sign had the words complicit in genocide written across the face of the MP, who chaired the defence select committee from 2020 until last year. Rishi Sunak slates aggressive mob of pro-Gaza protesters at Tory MPs home Has David Cameron stolen a march on Keir Starmer with a progressive Palestine policy? Thursday 15 February 2024 20:45 , Tom Watling If the British public were surprised to see David Cameron in frontline politics again, no doubt they will be shocked by the former PM pushing a nation state solution for Palestine that sees him outflanking the Labour Party. Sean OGrady explains what we are witnessing Has David Cameron stolen a march on Keir Starmer with a progressive Palestine policy? Families of hostages visit international court to urge the arrest of Hamas leaders Thursday 15 February 2024 21:30 , Tom Watling Former captives and relatives of hostages held since the 7 October attack by Hamas in southern Israel are visiting the International Criminal Court to urge prosecutors to charge and seek the arrest of leaders of the militant group. Families of hostages visit international court to urge the arrest of Hamas leaders Hezbollah fires rockets at northern Israel Thursday 15 February 2024 21:34 , Alexander Butler Hezbollah said it fired dozens of rockets at a northern Israeli town in a preliminary response to the killing of 10 civilians in southern Lebanon, the deadliest day for Lebanese civilians in four months of cross-border hostilities. The United Nations urged a halt to what it called a dangerous escalation of the conflict, which has played out in parallel to the Gaza war and fuelled concerns of a wider confrontation between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel. The Israeli military said it had killed a commander in Hezbollahs elite Radwan unit, his commander and another operative in a precise airstrike in Nabatieh in Lebannon on Wednesday, without mentioning the civilian deaths. Increasingly isolated Netanyahu is set on an assault of Gazas Rafah whatever the cost Thursday 15 February 2024 22:15 , Tom Watling Countries are lining up to tell the Israeli prime minister of the dire humanitarian consequences of going into the border city where nearly 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering, writes Bel Trew. And the political price will be heavy too Increasingly isolated Netanyahu is set on an assault of Rafah whatever the cost Israeli special forces raid last major hospital in southern Gaza Thursday 15 February 2024 23:00 , Tom Watling A surgeon inside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis tells The Independent the situation is getting worse every minute and the facility is in chaos with about 40 to 50 staff and around 100 patients left inside. Israeli special forces raid last major hospital in southern Gaza Gaza post-war reconstruction estimated at $20 billion: UN trade body Friday 16 February 2024 00:00 , Tom Watling Gaza will need a new Marshall Plan to recover from the conflict between Israel and Hamas, a United Nations trade body official said on Thursday, adding that the damage from the conflict so far amounted to around $20 billion. Speaking on the sidelines of a UN meeting in Geneva, Richard Kozul-Wright, a director at trade body UNCTAD, said the damage was already four times that endured in Gaza during the seven-week war in 2014. We are talking about around $20 billion if it stops now, he said. Kozul-Wright said the estimate was based on satellite images and other information and that a more precise estimate would require researchers to enter Gaza. The reconstruction will require a new Marshall Plan, he said, referring to the U.S. plan for Europes economic recovery after World War Two. What is really driving the new wave of antisemitism? Friday 16 February 2024 01:00 , Tom Watling Reports of antisemitic incidents in the UK reached an all-time high last year with two-thirds of them happening after Hamass deadly attack on Israel and the bombing of Gaza. But, says Ben Judah, this says little about Jewish people and more about the way we live now and the golden age the Jewish diaspora has enjoyed since the Holocaust is coming to an end because of it. The online hate and conspiracies driving a new wave of antisemitism | Ben Judah Third Labour politician questioned by party officials as antisemitism row deepens Friday 16 February 2024 02:00 , Tom Watling A third Labour politician who attended a now notorious council meeting which sparked renewed antisemitism concerns within the party has been spoken to by party officials as they investigate what happened. Sir Keir Starmers party has been pitched into a deepening row about the handling of antisemitism allegations, with parliamentary candidate Graham Jones suspended on Tuesday, only a day after Labour was forced to suspend and withdraw its backing for Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali. Labour antisemitism row: Now third politician is questioned by party officials Israel complains after Vatican denounces 'carnage' and disproportionate response in Gaza Friday 16 February 2024 03:00 , Tom Watling Israel has formally complained after a senior Vatican official spoke of carnage in Gaza and what he termed a disproportionate Israeli military operation following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. The Israeli Embassy to the Holy See called the comments by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, deplorable. In a statement Wednesday, the embassy said Parolin hadnt considered what it called the relevant facts in judging the legitimacy of Israels actions. Israel complains after Vatican denounces 'carnage' and disproportionate response in Gaza Is the West in denial about its antisemitism? Friday 16 February 2024 09:41 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar If all the reverberations, large and small, from the Hamas massacres of 7 October last year, one took me by surprise; another did not. The surprise was how quickly the near-universal sympathy for Israel was eclipsed by militant expressions of support for Palestinians. In the UK, or so it seemed to me, popular sentiment had turned against Israel within 24 hours almost as soon as its prime minister vowed to destroy Hamas, but long before Israel mounted its first military assault on Gaza. The Israeli flag, hoisted on UK government buildings just hours after the Hamas killings, was lowered within a day, in favour of the Ukraine flag it had displaced. For years, the cause of Palestinian statehood seemed to have been forgotten internationally, along with the murderous spectaculars mounted by the PLO. Yet here it was, being espoused by whole new generations of demonstrators, not just in the occupied West Bank, but in many parts of Europe and the United States. Condemnation of Israel solidified when it launched its military attack but much sympathy had evaporated long before. That was the biggest surprise. Mary Dejevsky writes. Is the West in denial about its antisemitism? Four patients dead as Israeli troops storm hospital in Gaza, doctors say Friday 16 February 2024 09:54 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Four patients in intensive care died because their oxygen supply was cut off when Israeli troops stormed Gazas main hospital, doctors have said. Troops were searching the facility, where the Israeli military said it believes the remains of hostages abducted by Hamas might be located. The raid came after troops had besieged Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis for nearly a week, with staff, patients and others inside struggling under heavy fire and dwindling supplies, including food and water. Hours before troops seized the hospital Thursday, Israeli fire killed a patient and wounded six others inside the complex, staff said. Netanyahu slams calls for creation of Palestine state Friday 16 February 2024 10:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday pushed back against the US vision for after the war - particularly its calls for the creation of a Palestinian state. After speaking overnight with US president Joe Biden, Mr Netanyahu said that Israel will not accept "international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians". He said that if other countries unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, it would give a "reward to terrorism". Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the creation of a Palestinian state. Mr Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive and expand it to the Gaza city of Rafah, near Egypt, until Hamas is destroyed and scores of hostages taken during the militants' 7 October attack are freed. Egypt readies to shelter Palestinians as Israel mounts attack on south Gaza Friday 16 February 2024 11:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Egypt is preparing an area at the Gaza border that could accommodate Palestinians in case an Israeli offensive into Rafah prompts an exodus across the frontier, according to reports. Egypt, which denied making any such preparations, has repeatedly raised the alarm over the possibility that Israel's devastating Gaza offensive could displace Palestinians into Sinai - something Cairo says would be completely unacceptable- echoing warnings from Arab states such as Jordan. A source told Reuters that Egypt was optimistic that talks to clinch a ceasefire could avoid any such scenario, but is establishing the area at the border as a temporary and precautionary measure. Three security sources said Egypt had begun preparing a desert area with some basic facilities which could be used to shelter Palestinians, emphasising this was a contingency step. Israel has said it will mount an offensive to take out Hamas's "last bastion" in Rafah, where well over one million Palestinians have sought sanctuary from its devastating Gaza offensive. WHO says trying to access Nasser hospital after Israeli raid Friday 16 February 2024 11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said it was trying to get access to the biggest functioning hospital in Gaza, the Nasser Hospital, after an Israeli raid. There are still critically injured and sick patients that are inside the hospital, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said. There is an urgent need to deliver fuel to ensure the continuation of the provision of life-saving services... We are trying to get access because people who are still in Nasser medical complex need assistance.. In pics: Israeli bombardment at Nasser hospital Friday 16 February 2024 12:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar A man inspects the damage in a room following Israeli bombardment at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis (AFP via Getty Images) Children rest outside, as Palestinian arrive in Rafah after they were evacuated from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis (REUTERS) Palestinian arrive in Rafah after they were evacuated from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis (REUTERS) UN chief says 'illusion' to think Palestinians could evacuate to safe place Friday 16 February 2024 13:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar UN aid chief Martin Griffiths on Thursday said it was an "illusion" to think people in Gaza could evacuate to a safe place and warned of the possibility of Palestinians spilling into Egypt if Israel launches a military operation in Rafah. He called this scenario "a sort of Egyptian nightmare". Israel should stop and think very seriously before Rafah invasion, says David Cameron Friday 16 February 2024 14:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar David Cameron has said that Israel should stop and think very seriously before taking further action in the city of Rafah. The comments came after airstrikes in southern Gaza killed over 100 Palestinians, according to local health officials. The city is the last refuge of around one million displaced civilians. More here. Israel should think very seriously before Rafah action, says David Cameron ICYMI |Netanyahu will not move into Rafah if Hamas surrender, says spokesperson Friday 16 February 2024 15:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar An Israel spokesperson has said Benjamin Netanyahu will not move into Rafah if Hamas surrenders. Orly Goldschmidt, a diplomat for Israels UK embassy, told Sky News: If Hamas surrenders, then Netanyahu will not move. Netanyahu has no problem with Rafah, his problem and our problem is with Hamas terrorists. More here. Netanyahu will not move into Rafah if Hamas surrender, says Israel spokesperson UNHCR says Spillover of refugees from Gaza to Egypt would be a disaster Friday 16 February 2024 16:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The UNs High Commissioner for Refugees said on Friday that a spillover of refugees from Gazas Rafah into Egypts Sinai would be a disaster. It would be a disaster for the Palestinians ... a disaster for Egypt and a disaster for the future of peace, Filippo Grandi told Reuters. When asked whether Egyptian authorities had contacted the UNHCR about possible contingency plans he said: The Egyptians said that people should be assisted inside Gaza and we are working on that. Lebanon drags Israel to UNSC for civilian deaths in airstrikes Friday 16 February 2024 17:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Lebanon on Friday said it has filed a complaint with the UN Security Council over Israels attacks targetting civilians. The complaint comes a day after at least 10 civilians were killed in southern Lebanon in an Israeli airstrike in an escalation of cross-border exchanges. Since international humanitarian law guarantees the protection of civilians, Israels deliberate and direct bombing of civilians who are safe in their homes is considered a violation of international humanitarian law and a described war crime, Lebanons foreign ministry said on X. It is also considered a violation of Lebanons sovereignty, the integrity of its territory and its citizens, and of all United Nations resolutions that require Israel to stop its violations of Lebanese sovereignty. Satellite photos show Egypt building a wall near Gaza Strip as Israeli offensive on Rafah looms Friday 16 February 2024 18:00 , Matt Mathers Egypt is building a wall and is leveling land near its border with the Gaza Strip ahead of a planned Israeli offensive targeting the border city of Rafah, satellite images analyzed Friday by The Associated Press show. Egypt, which has not publicly acknowledged the construction, repeatedly has warned Israel not to forcibly expel the more than 1 million displaced Palestinians now in Rafah into its territory while Israeli troops battle the militant group Hamas for a fifth month. Israels defense minister said Friday that Israel has no intention of pushing Palestinian civilians across the border into Egypt. However, the preparations on the Egyptian side of the border in the Sinai Peninsula suggested that Cairo is preparing for such a mass ejection, a scenario that could threaten a 1979 peace deal with Israel thats been a linchpin for regional security. Full report: Satellite photos show Egypt building a wall near Gaza Strip as Israeli offensive on Rafah looms ICYMI: Netanyahu rejects calls for creation of Palestine state Friday 16 February 2024 19:00 , Matt Mathers Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday pushed back against the US vision for after the war - particularly its calls for the creation of a Palestinian state. After speaking overnight with US president Joe Biden, Mr Netanyahu said that Israel will not accept international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. He said that if other countries unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, it would give a reward to terrorism. Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected the creation of a Palestinian state. Mr Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive and expand it to the Gaza city of Rafah, near Egypt, until Hamas is destroyed and scores of hostages taken during the militants 7 October attack are freed. (Sky News) ICYMI: Egypt readies to shelter Palestinians as Israel mounts attack on south Gaza Friday 16 February 2024 20:00 , Matt Mathers Egypt is preparing an area at the Gaza border that could accommodate Palestinians in case an Israeli offensive into Rafah prompts an exodus across the frontier, according to reports. Egypt, which denied making any such preparations, has repeatedly raised the alarm over the possibility that Israels devastating Gaza offensive could displace Palestinians into Sinai - something Cairo says would be completely unacceptable- echoing warnings from Arab states such as Jordan. A source told Reuters that Egypt was optimistic that talks to clinch a ceasefire could avoid any such scenario, but is establishing the area at the border as a temporary and precautionary measure. Three security sources said Egypt had begun preparing a desert area with some basic facilities which could be used to shelter Palestinians, emphasising this was a contingency step. Israel has said it will mount an offensive to take out Hamass last bastion in Rafah, where well over one million Palestinians have sought sanctuary from its devastating Gaza offensive. The Rafah crossing on the border between Gaza and Egypt (Copyright 2023The Associated Press. All rights reserved) ICYMI: WHO says it is trying to access Nasser hospital after Israeli raid Friday 16 February 2024 21:00 , Matt Mathers The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said it was trying to get access to the biggest functioning hospital in Gaza, the Nasser Hospital, after an Israeli raid. There are still critically injured and sick patients that are inside the hospital, WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said. There is an urgent need to deliver fuel to ensure the continuation of the provision of life-saving services... We are trying to get access because people who are still in Nasser medical complex need assistance. Palestinian arrive in Rafah after they were evacuated from Nasser hospital in Khan Younis (REUTERS) ICYMI: UN chief says illusion to think Palestinians could evacuate to safe place Friday 16 February 2024 22:00 , Matt Mathers UN aid chief Martin Griffiths on Thursday said it was an illusion to think people in Gaza could evacuate to a safe place and warned of the possibility of Palestinians spilling into Egypt if Israel launches a military operation in Rafah. He called this scenario a sort of Egyptian nightmare. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website Key Insights Forestar Group's estimated fair value is US$24.23 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Forestar Group's US$32.35 share price signals that it might be 33% overvalued Our fair value estimate is 40% lower than Forestar Group's analyst price target of US$40.50 Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Forestar Group Inc. (NYSE:FOR) as an investment opportunity by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Forestar Group The Calculation We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$133.0m US$76.0m US$75.4m US$75.4m US$76.0m US$76.9m US$78.1m US$79.5m US$81.0m US$82.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ -0.85% Est @ 0.09% Est @ 0.75% Est @ 1.21% Est @ 1.54% Est @ 1.76% Est @ 1.92% Est @ 2.03% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.2% US$123 US$64.9 US$59.4 US$55.0 US$51.2 US$47.8 US$44.9 US$42.2 US$39.7 US$37.5 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$565m Story continues We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.3%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 8.2%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = US$83m (1 + 2.3%) (8.2% 2.3%) = US$1.4b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$1.4b ( 1 + 8.2%)10= US$644m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$1.2b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$32.4, the company appears potentially overvalued at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf The Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Forestar Group as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.293. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Forestar Group Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Earnings growth over the past year is below its 5-year average. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Good value based on P/E ratio compared to estimated Fair P/E ratio. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Next Steps: Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. Why is the intrinsic value lower than the current share price? For Forestar Group, we've compiled three essential elements you should further research: Risks: For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Forestar Group that you should be aware of. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for FOR's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Lights, cameras, action. Surrounded by Texas National Guard members, military vehicles, and Republican counterparts from 11 states, Gov. Greg Abbott cut a dramatic figure last Sunday near downtown Eagle Pass. He was announcing his plan to continue Operation Lone Star, a nearly $10 billion immigration enforcement initiative, and to maintain state control of Shelby Park, a migrant processing site and site of a standoff with the federal government over control of immigration enforcement. He repeated the spectacle Thursday, joining 22 Republican state representatives at the park to announce more guards, razor wire and barriers on the border. Gov. Greg Abbott, flanked by governors from other states, speaks at a press conference about border policies at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on Sunday, February 4, 2024. (Credit: Jay Janner/American-Statesman) Flanked by the governors, Abbott conjured images of High Noon and a bit of The War of the Worlds. We are banding together, he said, to fight to ensure that we will be able to maintain our constitutional guarantee that states will be able to defend against any type of imminent danger or invasion. The danger in such theater is that during a genuine crisis, like the current migrant surge, it eclipses the problems real-life complexities. Immigration trends emerge from a welter of pushes and pulls. Recent push factors include historic levels of human movement worldwide, widespread economic and physical insecurity, and commercialization of migrant trafficking. Treating the vast U.S./Mexico border as a permanent war zone is no way to adapt to these developments. We need sophisticated planning, not razor wire to snare desperate swimmers. Dramatics have little impact on immigrations pull Dramatics also are useless in reducing most immigration pull factors. Abbott is tapping into legitimate frustration with Congress and with immigration and asylum laws as they now stand. Migrants, who are rational actors, Migrants, who are rational actors, have learned that requesting asylumwill delay deportation. And though asylum is rarely granted, migrants may apply for work authorization while awaiting their day in court -- which can take years to arrive. For more than two decades both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, presidents from both parties, and industries that quietly thrive on low-cost immigrant labor have been shamefully passive in modernizing our immigration and asylum system. But political theatrics in Texas wont change that. And they steal the spotlight from Texans nuanced experiences with migration. Many abhor the prospect of a chaotic border but are shocked at the preventable suffering of ordinary people struggling to get here. Most Texans want rule of law. They also hire, fall in love with or may be related to undocumented immigrants. Despite the optics, Operation Lone Star has been a bust Above all, Texans want government to make practical improvements in daily life. And despite the optics of armed guards, shipping containers and rolls of razor wire, Operation Lone Star has been a bust, according to a July 2023 Wall Street Journal report. Since the program started, the paper reported, the border area where Operation Lone Star focused most resources saw the fastest rise in illegal border crossings. In that time frame, Operation Lone Star officials conducted only 1 percent of all migrant encounters, totaling 11,000 in contrast to the Border Patrol's 850,000. Meanwhile, migrant crossings have gone down across the border in recent weeks, according to the Associated Press. Arrests for illegal crossings hit a historic peak of 249,785 in December 2023. Then they fell by more than half in the first two weeks of January a drop U.S. Customs and Border Control and Protection credits partly to enhanced cooperation with the Mexican government. Abbotts border events, meanwhile, are choreographed to trigger conflict. The Eagle Pass visits followed a series of legal clashes with the federal government over the right to enforce immigration laws. In January, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal authorities may remove the coils of razor wire Operation Lone Star strung along the Rio Grande to repel migrants. The ruling followed an emergency request filed by the Biden administration, arguing that Texas was blocking U.S. Border Patrol agents from processing newly arrived migrants at Shelby Park and from giving them medical attention. Abbott has announced he will resist the ruling, claiming Texas constitutional right to defend itself from invasion. But there's nothing ambiguous about the principle of pre-emption: the understanding that under the Constitution, federal authority reigns supreme over state law when it comes to immigration matters. If Abbott continues to defy the law it could be the first step to a constitutional crisis, said Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute. Shelby Park, he said, may be the ground zero for a state/federal standoff reminiscent of desegregation clashes of the past. Such a confrontation, either on the border or at the Supreme Court, would bring more, not less, expense and mayhem to Texans. Already, Abbots defiance seems to exert a gravitational pull. The day before his appearance in Eagle Pass, a convoy arrived 20 miles away to protest migrant crossings, and a migrant processing facility was evacuated when the FBI received threats from known extremists. For months, Americans across the country have shuddered at reports of children and pregnant women pushed back in the Rio Grande, and of medical personnel on Texas soil barred from treating migrants in need. So far, there has been no violence between Texas and the federal government. With billions spent and little to show for it, Abbotts performance on the border is a waste of Texans money. If he incites constitutional crisis, or permits violence, it will be a horror show. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Editorial: Lights, cameras but no solutions on Abbott's border stage A litter of orphaned puppies needed help then a mama dogs maternal instincts kicked right in, a North Carolina animal rescue said. She tenderly embraced the newcomers, fostering a connection that would defy the odds and warm our hearts, the Triangle Beagle Rescue wrote Feb. 8 on TikTok. Honey the dog formed the touching bond with the new group of puppies after experiencing a tragedy of her own. She gave birth on New Years Eve and traveled from Kentucky with four of her babies, according to social media posts. The little family was settled into their loving foster home and seemed to be doing well, the North Carolina animal organization wrote. Unexpectedly, one morning their foster mom found that 3 of 4 puppies had passed away. Around that time, a veterinarians office contacted the rescue to ask for help with newborn puppies. We immediately said yes and hoped this new litter would give Honey an opportunity to heal from her loss, the rescue wrote. When the orphaned puppies arrived at their foster home, Honeys maternal instincts kicked right in. A video posted on YouTube shows Honey nursing the adorable new pups, which all have names reminiscent of Valentines Day. She is now caring for her one remaining pup, Sweetheart, and five adopted pups Cupid, Cupcake, Kisses, Lovey & Archer, the rescue wrote. Though the Triangle Beagle Rescue didnt immediately share additional details with McClatchy News on Feb. 12, WNCN reported that Honey will raise the pups until theyre ready for new homes. More details about Raleigh-area rescues adoption process can be found at tribeagles.org. Litter of puppies taken to SC shelter with no mom. Stray dog accepted them as her own Hero golden retriever steps in to help endangered pups at zoo, adorable photos show WEST PALM BEACH Bill Spearman managed a website where predators and pedophiles could indulge their worst impulses with impunity. Over five years, the site grew into a sprawling empire dedicated to the rape and abuse of children. Spearman continued to manage the site even after his second-in-command, a 69-year-old Boynton Beach man named Selwyn Rosenstein, went offline during the summer of 2022. Rosensteins arrest was the first of many targeting high-ranking members of the site: a man in Nevada, two in Washington, a fourth in Tennessee and one in North Carolina. In November 2022, federal agents came for Spearman, too. Spearman, the FBI's most wanted child-pornography offender in the world, oversaw one of the largest collections of child pornography on the dark web. Investigators raided his home in Alabama and searched his laptops, where they say Spearman spent much of his time barking orders at the sites highest-ranking administrators. Despite evidence to the contrary, he denies being the site's primary leader. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon sentenced Spearman, 58, to life in federal prison last month. She rejected Spearmans argument that he had no sexual interest in children and chose to run the website simply because he enjoyed the management aspect of it. She also rejected arguments that the mans extensive service in U.S. military warranted a shorter prison sentence. The bulk of the defendants service to his country is admirable, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Schiller. But it does not outweigh the enormity of his crimes. Cannon agreed. In written motions to the judge, Schiller called Spearman's website a sanctuary and playground for enthusiasts of child rape and abuse, where its thousands of users exchanged videos of children as young as infants. Members categorized the videos with tags including rape, torture, crying, strangle and screaming. Many images, the prosecutor said, included boys the same age as Spearman's own 8-year-old son. Decadeslong sentences in child-porn case amount to life in prison According to investigators, the site was designed to keep its users anonymous and undetectable by authorities. Using online aliases Enforcer and King Pedo, Spearman put rules in place that encouraged lower-ranking users to rise through the hierarchy by posting more child sexual abuse material and demoted those who didnt. Schiller suggested that Spearman's interest in underage girls went beyond his conduct on the website. According to court records, a 16-year-old girl gave FBI agents audio files of messages she said Spearman left her. In one file, a voice believed to be Spearman's says the following: "I wanted to let you know that I think youre beautiful, sexy, sensual, and I want to touch you. I want to kiss you, hug you, and make sweet love to you. After that, I want to f The audio cuts out after the word beginning with f. More: Passenger aboard Margaritaville cruise says she was raped, impregnated by ship bartender Rosenstein, the Boynton Beach man and second-highest ranking member of the site, told investigators he didn't think that exchanging child pornography was harmful "because the harmful acts have already taken place." He said websites like the one Spearman ran are a matter of freedom and are "essential for people to express themselves." Rosenstein pleaded guilty to seven counts related to the advertisement and distribution of child pornography. Cannon sentenced him in December 2022 to 28 years in federal prison. She imposed similar sentences to other high-ranking members who have since pleaded guilty. For these men, who ranged in age from 69 to 75 at the time of their arrest, the penalties are effectively life sentences. Child-porn site leader agreed to plea deal on eve of trial Spearman maintained his "not guilty" plea until the eve of his trial. Potential jurors had already spent two hours answering questions about their experiences enduring sexual abuse and viewing child pornography by the time Spearman's public defender, Scott Berry, and Schiller made a deal. On the condition that he be allowed to appeal his conviction, Spearman pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a child-exploitation enterprise. Prosecutors dropped the remaining charges against him. Though Schiller recommended Spearman be sentenced to life in prison for exploiting "a literally uncountable number of children," Cannon had the final say. During a sentencing hearing on Jan. 22, Berry described Spearman's extensive military history in hopes of persuading her in a different direction. Spearman enlisted in the army at 17, Berry said, and continued to serve for more than two decades. Responsible for detecting acts of espionage, sabotage and terrorism, he led "aggressive counterintelligence operations" and worked with the FBI surveilling individuals linked to terrorists post-911. He also commanded soldiers in the wake of a deadly truck-bombing in Saudi Arabia and fought in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. Unfortunately, serving ones country often has unintended consequences, Berry told Cannon. "Mr. Spearman has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder since the late-1990s." Cannon, who is also overseeing the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, was unmoved. She sentenced him to life in prison. In the wake of his sentencing, certain documents in Spearman's case have become unsealed. One suggests that many of the sites users have not been identified. Others that have been identified fully, or in part have not yet been arrested. The FBI's investigation remains ongoing. Meanwhile, Spearman is poised to fight his conviction from prison. Berry filed a notice on Jan. 29 that Spearman appealed his life sentence to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, the Palm Beach County Victim Services and Rape Crisis Center can help. Reach their helpline at 561-833-7273, or toll-free at 866-891-7273. Hannah Phillips covers criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism and subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Man created online sanctuary for pedophiles and predators, prosecutors say He is in the middle of delicate peace talks, trying to please Russia and the West, and sits on a geopolitical fault line where wars in Ukraine and the Middle East overlap. So it is no surprise that Nikol Pashinyan chooses his words with the care of a man handling a box of matches in a petrol station. Fear is not the right word, the Armenian prime minister says when asked about mounting concerns of a new war in the South Caucasus. The Republic of Armenia is a democratic and developing country, he told The Telegraph in an interview in his Yerevan office. And the Republic of Armenia is implementing wide-scale reforms for improving our countrys resilience. By the way, in recent years, I think that the international community and our society have seen that our countrys resilience has improved significantly. Nonetheless, he concedes: Of course, anyone with common sense would have such concerns. Prime Minister Nikol Pahsinyan of Armenia talks to The Telegraph's Roland Oliphant - Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph Mr Pashinyan, a former newspaper journalist, came to power in 2018 on the back of anti-corruption protests that ended with the countrys first free and fair elections. His pitch then, as now, is that democratic reform and a pro-European path would make the country not only more prosperous but more secure. Since then, the country has indeed crept up international indexes on press freedom, democracy and transparency. He won re-election in 2021 suggesting he still has a mandate for that strategy. But the entire premise of that project has come under unprecedented stress. In the past three years Armenia suffered attack and defeat in a 2020 war with Azerbaijan, the humiliating loss in September 2023 of the Armenian backed, self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic, and effective abandonment by Russia, its principal military ally. Concessions in pursuit of peace Since then Mr Pashinyans willingness to make concessions in pursuit of peace, including recognising Azerbaijans sovereignty over Karabakh, has caused public anger at home and a wave of protests he claims were designed to oust him from power. However, it has not yet produced a peace treaty. His search for a more reliable security partner has strained relations with Moscow without winning concrete commitments from the West. And to cap it all, many in Yerevan fear that Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijans strong-man president, is laying the pretext for a third offensive this time to conquer land inside Armenia proper. Azerbaijans 24-hour reconquest of Karabakh five months ago extinguished a 30-year old Armenian-backed republic that broke away from Azerbaijan in a brutal and bloody six-year war in the 1990s. More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled in what the European Parliament condemned as ethnic cleansing, and Mr Pashinyan was forced to face down angry protesters in Yerevan who accused him of abandoning the region. It also closed the central dispute in a conflict that has blighted Armenia and Azerbaijan since their independence. For a while, both leaders appeared keen to seize the opportunity to make peace. At separate meetings with Emmanuel Macron in Prague and Vladimir Putin in Sochi, Mr Pashinyan and Mr Aliyev agreed to renounce the use of force, respect one anothers territorial integrity and using the Almaty declaration, the document that saw the Soviet Unions republics declare independence, as the basis for border delimitation. By the end of October 2023, the architecture and principles for a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been agreed upon. And at the end of last year, it seemed to us that we were very close, finally, to a final text of agreement, he said. Prime Minister Nikol Pahsinyan of Armenia talks to The Telegraph's Roland Oliphant - Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph But on Jan 10, Mr Aiyev appeared to walk back those commitments, warning in a rambling interview with local media that he would take military action if Armenia tried to rearm. He also said he would not remove Azeri troops from several areas they have occupied inside the Armenian border, and rejected using late Soviet maps for a peace deal precisely because our historical lands had already been given to them. Azeri officials strongly deny planning a new war or harbouring territorial claims against Armenia, and have blamed delays in the peace process on Armenian intransigence. In Yerevan, the remarks sounded very much like the pretext for a land grab. One may not say that these assessments are groundless, Mr Pashinyan said when asked if he feared such a plot. I publicly have said this is a blow to the peace process. When these events are seen side by side, there are some analysts in Armenia who think that all of this indicates that Azerbaijan is step-by-step refusing and walking away from the agreements reached among us and international platforms. But so long as Azerbaijan has not declared that it is withdrawing its signature from the Sochi and Prague declarations, then its very clear that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognise each others territorial integrity based on the 1991 Almaty declaration, and any statement that contradicts this logic is not legitimate. That is a long winded way of saying Mr Aliyev ought to keep his word. Does he trust Mr Aliyev to actually do so? I put my trust in God. And I think that every country that respects itself must follow the commitments it has undertaken. Much of the tension focuses on Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani enclave bordering Turkey, Iran and Armenia. Baku wants to create a road and rail link to Nakhchivan along Armenias 25-mile border with Iran exclusively under the neutral control of Russian border guards. Armenia, which has promised to provide access between Nakhchivan and mainland Azerbaijan, fears a trap that would force it to relinquish control of its southern border. Mr Pashinyan has made a counter offer based on a general reopening of all transport corridors in the region. So far, Mr Aliyev has dismissed the proposal as unworkable. The peace process here has implications for dozens of small countries in the new age of great-power confrontation. Before the 2020 war, Armenia assumed that its membership of the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation would keep it safe. But Russia did not come to Armenias aid in 2020, and Russian peacekeepers also failed to stop Azerbaijan blockading a road into Karabakh in the aftermath. They stood aside again when it launched its final assault on the area in September 2023. Mr Pashinyan insists Russia remains a valued security partner but he has barely concealed a sense of betrayal. He has publicly said the country can no longer exclusively rely on Russia and should forge security relationships with the United States and France as well. The realignment has drawn stern rebukes from Moscow. In October 2023 the Russian state news agency TASS even quoted an anonymous official comparing Mr Pashinyan to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky (Mr Pashinyan said he had not seen that report and would not comment on anonymous threats). We are not Russias ally He insists that does not mean making a choice between Russia and the West, despite the fallout of the war in Ukraine. Look, when the Ukraine war had just started I was interviewed by CNN and I said, in the Ukraine situation, we are not Russias ally. And thats the reality. But I want to also tell you that with the US or France or other partners, our security cooperation is not targeted against our other security sector partner. Now, our partners may have concerns about the relationship with them, or how the relationship with them could influence their security agendas. And thats an issue were trying to manage by utmost transparently speaking with our partners about their shared agendas, he said. Nato membership, an obvious red line for Russia, is not a question we have discussed or are discussing. He also suggests Armenia may rethink its membership of the CSTO. There are some discussions in Armenia as to whether or to what extent the alliance-based strategy is consistent with Armenias longer term interests, he said. Particularly contentious is the Armenian parliaments ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which finally came into force on Feb 1. Russia called the move an unfriendly step and it is not hard to see why: the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over war crimes allegedly committed in Ukraine. Mr Pashinyan declined to say whether Armenian police would act on the warrant if Putin happened to visit. The decision to join the Rome Statute serves to improve the level of security of Armenia. As to the legal subtleties. I cannot at the moment carry out legal analysis because thats the job of the lawyers, he said. Let me break a secret to you. After 2018 Armenia has had extensive democratic reforms. And I dont decide whom to arrest and whom not to arrest. And as I said, Armenia as a responsible state must remain committed to all of her international commitments, including the commitments that it has in the relationship with the Russian Federation and commitments that the country has in international relations, he said. But in this era of realpolitik, Armenia has painfully few cards to play. Moscow may be the regional super power and traditional ally but is militarily overstretched in Ukraine and diplomatically isolated abroad to prioritise enforcing its CSTO commitments. More important to Putin is his relationship with Turkeys Recep Tayip Erdogan, Azerbaijans key backer and also the only Nato leader in a position to cause him serious trouble on the Black Sea. Turkeys foreign minister said last week that Mr Putin was expected to visit Turkey soon to discuss the Ukraine grain initiative. It would be his first visit to a Nato country since he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago. The West may be the natural protector of a pro-European democracy under threat, but it too is preoccupied, and Washington and Brussels value their ties to Mr Aliyev and Mr Erdogan. In July 2022, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union signed up to buy more gas from Azerbaijan. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, praised Mr Aliyevs government as a reliable and crucial partner. Mr Alieyev has also made himself useful in the grand standoff with Iran so useful that Israeli firms reportedly supplied much of the weapons used in the final blitz on Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023. It is an unenviable position for any leader to be in. It gives Mr Pashinyan a unique perspective on the era of great-power confrontation and he has a warning for the rest of the world. Critical security problems I dont want to give the impression the government of Armenia does not grasp how critical its own security problems are, he said. Were living in a world where no one can say what will happen tomorrow morning. If anyone were to think that in the global world they are more relaxed, or they should be any more relaxed than the government of the Republic of Armenia or the citizens of Armenia, they would be significantly wrong, he warns. Im saying this with full seriousness. In the last two years, and currently, the international community is discussing whether or not there will be a nuclear war, he adds. My position is such that I have interactions with several potential sides to such a nuclear war. I think I know what a serious topic it is. In that sense, at least, Armenia is significantly safer and more secure, because I dont think anyone is intending a nuclear strike on Armenia. Which brings us to his basic pitch: it is in everyones interests, regardless of where they stand on the worlds other grand confrontations, to make the peace process in the South Caucasus work. I know how hard it is, I know how difficult it is and what difficulties need to be overcome. And I will do my best for peace to be established in our region. And I will do that share of the work that concerns us. Im hopeful that the other countries in our region will do the same. For some of our partners, we have some confidence that they will do that and for others, there isnt so much confidence, but the core goal of our foreign policy is that. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Mirasol Springs, a proposed luxury ecoresort on 1,400 acres straddling Hays and Travis counties in a relatively undeveloped area off Hamilton Pool Road, has been a subject of controversy among environmental advocates and neighboring landowners. Central Texas environmental groups and concerned citizens say the Dripping Springs hotel development marketed as an ecolodge could threaten the local ecosystem. The hotel developers argue that Mirasol could set a precedent for sustainable growth in the Hill Country, having set aside nearly 1,000 acres in a conservation easement, as well as entering into a partnership with the University of Texas. The development is uphill from the 500-foot-wide Roy Creek Canyon and its springs, which flow into the adjacent Pedernales River. Jason Singhurst, a botanist at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, previously said the canyon is probably one of the last untouched canyons in Texas. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hold a hearing at 7 p.m. Monday at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park for Mirasols Texas Land Application Permit, which would allow the subsurface irrigation of 39,000 gallons daily of treated wastewater on a 16-acre field uphill from the river and the canyon. The university will run a field station on the property, supported by a $50 million donation. The field station will feature research and teaching labs dedicated to the study of Hill Country biodiversity. In its announcement, UT said the field station would help landowners and policymakers increase awareness of how climate, species and development affect the land, water and other natural resources. Mirasol's opponents said it was simply greenwashing. Lew Adams, who owns land in Roy Creek Canyon near Dripping Springs, is concerned about Mirasol Springs, a planned development nearby. The minutiae of permits dictating surface and groundwater use and the creation of an irrigation wastewater field have been the subject of more than two years of conversations, compromise and disputes between a group of neighbors and environmental advocates, and Mirasols robust team of scientists, attorneys and public relations professionals, helmed by Mirasol owner Steve Winn, the Dallas-based billionaire founder of RealPage, a real estate and property management software company. The developments opponents say the proposed wastewater treatment plan could threaten the river and the canyon, with arteries into the deep, cavernous springs that percolate into the Trinity Aquifer. The area's limestone surface has a Swiss cheese-like structure whose holes allow liquids to permeate into groundwater. Mirasol spokesperson Scott Dunaway said Mirasol would actively monitor stream, groundwater and spring flows, and noted that the projects planning has been driven by prevention, detection and mitigation principles. Furthermore, he said Mirasol's team determined there is enough soil to soak in the contents of the wastewater and that the meadow would be planted with absorbent grasses to soak in any fluid. Environmentalist, Roy Creek Canyon landowner share concerns over development Lew Adams, an owner of half of Roy Creek Canyon, a 40-plus-acre property bordered on three sides by Mirasol, is among the area's most vocal landowners. He is concerned that phosphorus, a byproduct of wastewater treatment, could mix into runoff and leach into the canyons turquoise springs. The resulting algal blooms could suffocate the wildlife including the rare yellow-speckled salamander that calls the springs home. The TCEQ has not included any limits for phosphorus emissions in the permit. Adams fears the area could become uninhabitable for the species that have evolved and existed there for millennia. Texas Parks and Wildlife cites destruction or degradation of habitat as the No. 1 cause of the decline or extinction of native species. Adams also worries that surface water and groundwater extraction could threaten the already aquatically sensitive area. The Pedernales River flows near Roy Creek Canyon and the area planned for the Mirasol Springs development. The developments opponents say a proposed wastewater treatment plan could threaten the river. "What are we going to do with this place? If the creek were to go dry? What is the value then? All the cypress trees will start to diminish; this whole deciduous forest which relies on (the springs) could be endangered," Adams said. Brian Zabcik, an advocacy director in the Save Barton Creek Association, said there are also fears that despite mitigative attempts to reduce runoff by planting absorbent grasses, the field could still become oversaturated with waste. Zabcik pointed out that there would be less concern about contaminants if the wastewater field were farther away from bodies of water. "The location of the field is problematic. ... If the (Texas Land Application Permit) facility was far away from the Pedernales, Hamilton Pool (and Roy Creek Canyon), there would be less concern," he said. Robert Mace, a hydrogeologist at Texas State University who is unaffiliated with parties on either side but is familiar with the controversy, said it is difficult to prevent wastewater contamination from getting into limestone, and that contamination is inherent in developments. "This is innovative for a developer," Mace said, "but conceptual and reality are two different things, especially in the Hill Country, with the limestone." Mirasol describes plans for water use Mirasols team said most of its water, about 35 million gallons annually, would come from its surface water contract, issued by the Lower Colorado River Authority. Mirasol expects to extract groundwater only a quarter of the time. Water flows in Roy Creek Canyon near Dripping Springs. Environmentalists and area residents fear that wastewater treatment for the Mirasol Springs development could affect water quality and wildlife in the area. However, a provision in the drafted groundwater permit states that Mirasol would have to abide by a drought curtailment. Currently, more than 88% of Hays County is experiencing moderate to severe drought. The groundwater permits request the use of about 18.4 million gallons of groundwater annually from the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District and 9.2 million gallons annually from the Southwestern Travis County Groundwater Conservation District. According to Charlie Flatten, general manager of the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, the volume of groundwater requested from the district would make the permit among the largest issued in Hays County, rivaled only by housing developments. Flatten said his district has countered with a different offer, reduced by 20%, to 14.6 million gallons a year. Flatten could not comment on whether the recommendation would be a successful compromise between all involved parties. If a compromise is not reached by March 7, the permit will be forwarded to the State Office of Administrative Hearings' extrajudiciary panel. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Landowners, activists push back on Mirasol Springs resort development After two-and-a-half years of closure, one of Miamis favorite homey Mexican restaurants has reopened. Taquerias El Mexicano, which closed in August 2021, has opened its doors again, serving tacos, burritos, enchiladas, chile rellenos and other classics in a colorful, casual dining room. Cousins Guillermo and Mario Martinez opened the familiar spot in 1985, modeling it after the taquerias they frequented in the Mexican neighborhoods of Chicago. The restaurant was sold a few years ago to Mad Room Hospitality, whose owners Zack Bush, Ben Bush, Bill Fuller and Darius Green also own the nearby music venue Ball & Chain. The reopening of Taquerias El Mexicano was delayed by fallout from a lawsuit Mad Room Hospitality and Altos Mexicano filed against the city of Miami in September 2021 that alleges violations of federal and Florida law. The restaurant was shut down because the city revoked its certificate of use, claiming there was a building code violation. This action became the basis of the suit filed days later. Taquerias El Mexicano has reopened in Little Havana. The upstairs speakeasy Los Altos is scheduled to reopen in March. The lawsuit has not been resolved, but the city recently approved a permit to allow Taquerias El Mexicano to open, according to Zack Bush. The restaurant reopened on Feb. 8. After years of litigation, which is still ongoing, the city finally did whats correct and finalized our building permit, which allowed us to open, Bush said. He said the Mad Room owners have been fans of Taquerias El Mexicano for a long time, adding that to carry on this incredible legacy is something we are proud of. Taquerias El Mexicano is offering the same amazing, made-from-scratch Mexican cuisine that the restaurant has been proudly serving for 39 years, Bush said. Soon, well add tableside guacamole. We truly look forward to welcoming everyone back home to the restaurant. The upstairs speakeasy Los Altos, which specializes in mezcal, is expected to reopen sometime in March. Last year, Mad Rooms Bill Fuller won a civil lawsuit against Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and were awarded $63.5 million in compensation. The suit claimed he had violated their First Amendment rights by pushing police and code enforcement to target their properties because they supported a political opponent. Taquerias El Mexicano in Little Havana will continue to serve Mexican classics like tacos, burritos, enchiladas and more. Taquerias El Mexicano Where: 521 SW Eighth St., Miami Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Thursday, Sunday; 11 a.m.-midnight Tuesday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday More information: calleochotacos.com The geniuses behind Miamis first croqueta bar are opening a new spot in Little Havana Two North Carolina men were found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges for their actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. Christopher Carnell, 21, of Cary, and David Worth Bowman, 22, of Raleigh, were found guilty of obstructing an official proceeding, a felony, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice. They will be sentenced on June 14. The two mens actions interrupted a joint session of U.S. Congress to count and certify votes related to the 2020 presidential election, the release said. The men also were found guilty of several misdemeanor charges, including: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds entering and remaining on the floor of Congress disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds disorderly conduct in a Capitol building parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building The DOJ release laid out the actions the duo took after traveling from North Carolina to Washington D.C. beginning with a rally they attended at the Ellipse, a park located between the Washington Monument and the White House. They walked down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol building, and entered the restricted area of the Capitol grounds. The release said the pair climbed through scaffolding on the northwest side of the building and entered the Capitol through the Senate wing door that afternoon. Once inside, they made their way to the Crypt, a room below the Rotunda, where they joined a crowd of rioters overwhelming a line of Capitol Police officers. The men then traveled into and through the Rotunda while Carnell chanted, TREASON, TREASON, TREASON with others in the mob, the news release said. The two then ascended the Rotunda Lobby East Stairs and observed other rioters physically attacking a journalist. The pair entered the Senate Chamber and walked to the Senate floor. The news release said open-source video showed Carnell discussing documents taken off of a Senators desk while Bowman reviewed, photographed and later texted other materials from the desk. The two men confirmed their illegal activity by text message, the release said, in the days that followed Jan. 6. Carnell was arrested last year by the FBI on March 2, and Bowman on March 6, both in North Carolina. No more plastic bags? Two bills introduced in the California legislature last week want to make the states bag ban even stronger. On Thursday, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda; Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica; and Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, announced two new bills that could eliminate the option for customers to receive or purchase a plastic bag at grocery, retail, and convenience stores. For nearly a decade, Senate Bill 270 has banned California stores from providing single-use carryout plastic bags with the exception of allowing customers to purchase a thicker reusable one for at least 10 cents. Although Newsom temporarily lifted the ban on plastic bags during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Assembly Bill 2236 and Senate Bill 1053 seek to close loopholes and (ensure) a quick transition to sustainable alternatives like paper and reusable bags, the news release says. The most critical (loophole) is these plastic bags that people can still purchase at their stores, Bauer-Kahan said in a phone interview with The Sacramento Bee on Friday. While the current plastic bags available for consumers to purchase are considered re-usable and can be used at least 125 times, Bauer-Kahan said California just changed the type of plastic that stores were distributing to consumers. They arent any more sustainable than the previous plastic bags, Bauer-Kahan said. Were closing the loophole and shutting the door on all plastic bags. If the bills are approved into California law, Bauer-Kahan said plastic bags including the ones currently sold for 10 cents will no longer be distributed. How will this affect how I shop? If these bills pass, what kind of bag options will I have while shopping? While plastic bags would no longer be available for purchase if signed into state law, Bauer-Kahan said customers will still have these alternative options: Re-used plastic bags. Big totes. Paper bags. Going to paper bags and truly re-usable bags is critical to dealing with the waste problems we have, Bauer-Kahan said. Why were these bills introduced? In Orinda, Bauer-Kahan said she has noticed an increase in the number of plastic bags building up in creeks, waterways and landfills. We were hopeful when we started using these (re-usable plastic bags) that it would drive down some of this waste problem, but it just hasnt, Bauer-Kahan said. Where do the bills currently stand? Weve had trouble moving plastic legislation through the legislature in the past, Bauer-Kahan said. With a joint-identical effort in both houses, Bauer-Kahan said starting in both houses will really give (the bills) a chance of success. These bills have just been introduced and have not reached the Legislation Committee, Bauer-Kahan said. The goal is to see the end of plastic bags in grocery stores, to completely move to re-usable bags and to have consumers using bags that are friendlier to the environment, Bauer-Kahan said. If these proposed bills make it through the Legislature and are signed by the governor, California would no longer distribute plastic bags starting Jan. 1, 2026. Theres more work to be done after this, but I think its a great first start, Bauer-Kahan said. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. Insight into Dolby Laboratories Inc's Upcoming Dividend and Financial Health Dolby Laboratories Inc (NYSE:DLB) recently announced a dividend of $0.3 per share, payable on 2024-02-22, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-02-12. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Dolby Laboratories Inc's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does Dolby Laboratories Inc Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Sign with DLB. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? Dolby Laboratories Inc develops audio and surround sound for cinema, broadcast, home audio systems, in-car entertainment systems, DVD players, games, televisions, and personal computers. The company generates three-fourths of its revenue from licensing its technology to consumer electronics manufacturers around the world. The rest of the revenue comes from equipment sales to professional producers and audio engineering services. Dolby Laboratories Inc's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at Dolby Laboratories Inc's Dividend History Dolby Laboratories Inc has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2014. Dividends are currently distributed on a quarterly basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Breaking Down Dolby Laboratories Inc's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, Dolby Laboratories Inc currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.38% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 1.49%. This suggests an expectation of increased dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, Dolby Laboratories Inc's annual dividend growth rate was 7.10%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate increased to 10.30% per year. Based on Dolby Laboratories Inc's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of Dolby Laboratories Inc stock as of today is approximately 2.25%. Story continues Dolby Laboratories Inc's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. A lower ratio suggests that the company retains a significant part of its earnings, thereby ensuring the availability of funds for future growth and unexpected downturns. As of 2023-12-31, Dolby Laboratories Inc's dividend payout ratio is 0.42. Dolby Laboratories Inc's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks Dolby Laboratories Inc's profitability 8 out of 10 as of 2023-12-31, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported positive net income for each year over the past decade, further solidifying its high profitability. Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook To ensure the sustainability of dividends, a company must have robust growth metrics. Dolby Laboratories Inc's growth rank of 8 out of 10 suggests that the company's growth trajectory is good relative to its competitors. Revenue is the lifeblood of any company, and Dolby Laboratories Inc's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. Dolby Laboratories Inc's revenue has increased by approximately 5.60% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 51.49% of global competitors. The company's 3-year EPS growth rate showcases its capability to grow its earnings, a critical component for sustaining dividends in the long run. During the past three years, Dolby Laboratories Inc's earnings increased by approximately 2.50% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 34.2% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 26.90%, which outperforms approximately 83.48% of global competitors. Next Steps Considering Dolby Laboratories Inc's consistent dividend payments, a solid dividend growth rate, a moderate payout ratio, robust profitability, and promising growth metrics, investors might view DLB as a potential candidate for their dividend portfolios. The company's financial health and growth prospects appear to position it well for ongoing dividend distributions. However, investors should always perform their due diligence, keeping an eye on market dynamics and the company's future earnings reports, to ensure their investment aligns with their financial goals. For those seeking additional high-dividend yield opportunities, GuruFocus Premium users can screen for stocks using the High Dividend Yield Screener. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Gary D. Jones strikes a pose with his mom Azzie L. Jones and PPA 2024 Grand Imaging Award trophy. Both are Petersburg, Va. natives who reside in Washington, D.C. PETERSBURG Photographer Gary D. Jones, a Petersburg native, won the prestigious Professional Photographers of America [PPA] Grand Imaging Award. His amazing image out of 1600 entries in the International Photographic Competition earned him major bragging rights, a trophy and $10,000. Over 10,000 photographers gathered at the 2024 Imaging USA convention for an inspiring and education-centric photography event with 130 exhibitors, 90 speakers, networking and parties. It was held in Louisville, Kentucky at the Kentucky International Convention Center January 28-30. "I was overwhelmed and humbled. I was not expecting to go that far running against big dogs," Jones of Washington, D.C. said. "It was just an idea I had tried before. This time it worked." "This is the excellence and trailblazing in the world of professional photographers! We work hard to achieve excellence. A little more than a 'point and click.' Congratulations, Gary," Constance Baptist, a Frederick, Maryland-based photographer, posted on Facebook. "The Destination Ahead" by Gary D. Jones. His mother Azzie L. Jones peers out a window while seated on a bus at the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Pa. Proud mama moment: Azzie L. Jones's son becomes top dog Jones's mother Azzie L. Jones, a Peabody High School graduate, was the subject of his award-winning, black and white, natural portrait entitled "The Destination Ahead." The Washington, D.C. resident is seated facing forward on a bus with her head slightly turned as she peers out the window. The image was taken at the Museum of Bus Transportation in Hershey, Pennsylvania during an event. Jones grew up riding the bus. He loves the vehicle and has amassed a large collection of toy buses. "Mom wore her favorite suit to the awards show. The one she's wearing in the image," Jones said. "She has also appeared in two other winning photos." After the new top dog was announced, Jones's mother was very happy, and she danced in her seat. She was overheard saying multiple times that she was proud of her son. His image received four out of five judges' votes. Diamond Award winner Ashleigh Taylor Henning, a Santa Barbara, California- based photographer, was runner up with her illustrative portrait entitled "Red Light District." From left to right, Azzie L. Jones, her son Gary D. Jones and Kira Derryberry, Professional Photographers of America president, pose with the $10,000 prize check. "'The Destination Ahead' image has won me six awards in the Washington, D.C. and North Carolina PPA print competitions," Jones said. "It will be featured in PPAs Professional Photographer magazine probably in March or April." According to Jones, it was the first time he entered the International Photographic Competition, and he only submitted one image. It was his ninth time at Imaging; he had skipped a few years. Moments before winning $10,000, Jones's image won the Diamond trophy and $1,000 in the natural portrait category. "Winning the Diamond was very humbling, Jones said." What is Jones going to do with his $11,000 winnings? "For now, just bank it and buy something nice for mom." "The International Photographic Competition sponsored by SONY was a major hit among attendees, with preliminary judging rounds drawing in a huge crowd on Saturday night. Monday night's Final judging rounds thrilled us to our core, and we won't forget the feeling we felt in that ballroom full of expectant photographers. As images were eliminated and voted forward into the next rounds of judging, shouts and joyous screams filled the room," Imaging USA's website stated. International Photographic Competition PPA Grand Imaging Award winner Gary D. Jones carries his two trophies at 2024 Imaging USA Convention in Louisville, Ky. held January 28-30. International Photographic Competition Grand Imaging Award winner: Gary D. Jones Jones was born in Petersburg and moved to DC at age nine. He returned to the area to attend Virginia State University [VSU] where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Commercial Art and Design. "I received an old Polaroid camera from my uncle in the late 70s, but my mom bought my first real camera in 1982 for my senior class trip," Jones shared. "I was self-taught, but my instructor Mr. William Porter at VSU helped me as well." Jones has been a member of the Petersburg-based Cockade City Camera Club for the past 10 years. Jones has instructed courses in Off Camera Flash, Constant light and Print Competition. Currently, the Club meets monthly at Petersburg Area Art League in Old Towne. Second from the left, Gary D. Jones conducts a Daylight Flash Photography class in conjunction with the Cockade City Camera Club in 2015 in Old Towne Petersburg, Va. "Since his big win, Gary has been interviewed twice and has an upcoming speaking engagement. He's gained a ton of new Facebook friends," John Rooney, a Colonial Heights-based photographer, Cockade City Camera Club member and former president, said. "He is a bit overwhelmed. The odds of him winning was astronomical with so many entries. It's just an amazing thing." "Gary has been walking with us since we started the journey of diversity at PPA. And everywhere he goes, his mother is with him cheering him on," Shawn Lee, a Southfield, Michigan-based photographer, posted on Facebook. "What is more important than that is the story it tells of what kind of son he is. A man that cherishes his mom so so much! Gary is a kind man and a man of integrity. This is symbolic of being a person that can be good 'and' win!" The community of photographers will need to travel to Grapevine, Texas for next year's show scheduled February 2-4. Visit garydjones.smugmug.com to view 2020 Ball in the Burg images and others. FYI... he plans to replace his website soon. Visit ppa.com to view the International Photographic Competition gallery. $355,000 check presented also Petersburg: Mayor presents 'Key to the City' to Ann C. Taylor at her 89th birthday party Labor of love Petersburg Public Library: American Needlepoint Guild members donate group project Kristi K. Higgins aka The Social Butterfly, an award-winning columnist, is the trending topics and food Q&A reporter at The Progress-Index voted the 2022 Tri-Cities Best of the Best Social Media Personality. Have a news tip on local trends or businesses? Contact Kristi (she, her) at khiggins@progress-index.com, follow @KHiggins_PI on X and @socialbutterflykristi on Instagram. Your support is vital to local journalism. Please subscribe. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg native wins International Photographic Competition, $10,000 Secretary of State Frank LaRose speaks to Randy Poland, left, during a campaign event at Boston's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Marysville on Feb. 2. Editor's note: This is one in a series of profiles about the Republicans running in Ohio's U.S. Senate primary. You can read stories about businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan on our website. You can also find coverage of Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown's reelection bid on our site. Ohioans have seen a lot of Frank LaRose over the past year. The secretary of state championed a failed effort to make it harder to amend the Ohio Constitution. He campaigned publicly against the abortion rights amendment approved by voters in November. Now, he's running for the chance to take on Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown this fall a battle he's been preparing to fight for a long time. "It's crucial that we beat him," LaRose said in an interview. "It's proven hard to do, right? As a party, we've tried repeatedly and failed to defeat him. I think that's one of my real value propositions that I offer, is a guy that has actually won statewide elections. Neither of the other two guys have. I'm somebody that campaigns all over the state and has built relationships and trust among Ohioans." On paper, LaRose should be the clear frontrunner. His opponents, businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, are less known despite running in the 2022 U.S. Senate primary. LaRose served in the state senate before becoming Ohio's top election official. When he ran for reelection, he was the only secretary of state endorsed by former President Donald Trump. That was then, and reality today paints a different picture. Trump is backing Moreno in the March 19 primary, which prompted other high-profile Republicans to coalesce around the former car dealer. LaRose isn't wealthy enough to self-fund his campaign and must rely on a super PAC bankrolled by an Illinois billionaire. But his biggest problem, critics say, is a question of authenticity. "You see it in politicians. But in a more extreme way than anyone Ive ever encountered is a disturbing ability to say one thing to one group, the exact opposite to someone else," former Ohio Democratic Party chairman David Pepper said. Frank LaRose, state senator LaRose has a long history in Ohio politics. He won his first Ohio Senate election in 2010 and became known as a pragmatist willing to work across the aisle. He partnered with Democrats on legislation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and spearheaded an effort to improve civility at the Statehouse. Foreshadowing his tenure as secretary of state, LaRose also pushed for online voter registration and sponsored a bill to shorten early voting by a week. At the same time, LaRose was a staunch supporter of efforts to restrict abortion access. He voted for the state's ban on most abortions, which will likely be declared unconstitutional in the wake of November's election. LaRose also sponsored a bill to prevent abortions when there's a diagnosis of Down syndrome. "There's too much shouting about this issue, and there needs to be more compassion," LaRose said after a recent campaign event. "Any woman that's facing an unplanned pregnancy by definition is facing a crisis in her life. It's about making sure that we provide those life-affirming options so she can make that choice as well and do it in a way that's not going to be detrimental to her." During his time in the Ohio Senate, LaRose emerged as a champion of redistricting reform. He supported voter-approved changes to mapmaking in 2015 and 2018, arguing it's wrong for either party to gerrymander districts in their favor. That process unraveled in 2022 as LaRose sat on the Ohio Redistricting Commission and voted for maps he privately called "asinine." "The Statehouse is not a very friendly place for a centrist," LaRose said in 2012. "It's not easy to be pragmatic when you have chambers full of primary winners. We need to have lines drawn in a more-balanced way." Secretary of State Frank LaRose speaks during a meeting of the Ohio Redistricting Commission in September. Frank LaRose, Ohio secretary of state By 2019, LaRose had left the Senate and assumed the role of secretary of state. He made headlines that year for promoting automatic voter registration something he now opposes and flagging registered voters he said weren't citizens. He called a tweet from Trump racist. Beyond that, LaRose's first year in office was relatively uneventful. Then 2020 happened. As Ohio's chief elections officer, LaRose was at the center of a messy fight over whether to hold a primary at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent the rest of the year navigating lawsuits and preparing election officials for an influx of mail-in voting. Throughout the chaos, LaRose also pushed back against false claims about the election process. He defended Ohio's mail-in voting system when Trump suggested the practice would lead to widespread fraud. He admitted that misinformation from anyone including the former president made his job more difficult and needed to be addressed. He told Fox News that changing tallies as votes are counted aren't "a sign that something nefarious is happening." "There's too much hyperbole on both sides when it comes to elections and election integrity," LaRose told the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau. "We need to be able to say that yes, it's easy to vote; yes, it's hard to cheat. These are the ways that we do that. The conspiracy theories and all the wild ideas that exist on both the left and the right, we need to be very honest about those and make sure people know this is how elections truly work." But LaRose's opponents say his tone changed as he inched closer to his U.S. Senate bid something he dismissed as "campaign rhetoric." LaRose continued to defend Ohio as the gold standard but questioned voting practices in other states. He pulled out of a bipartisan elections group targeted by conservatives that aims to prevent double voting in multiple states. He fired a longtime communications staffer after the person's disparaging comments about Trump surfaced on social media. Throughout all of that, the secretary of state's office saw an exodus of employees who said they were burned out and frustrated with LaRose's fixation on politics. "In nearly every Republican primary, candidates shift to the right, just as in nearly every Democratic primary, Democrats shift to the left," said Mark Weaver, a Republican consultant based in Ohio. "It's an unusual criticism to make given how common the practice is." Jeff Robinson holds campaign materials for Frank LaRose during an event at Boston's Restaurant and Sports Bar in Marysville on Feb. 2. Frank LaRose, U.S. Senate candidate To Republicans like Moreno, LaRose's government experience makes him a "career politician." But Weaver contends that resume, coupled with his status as an Army Green Beret, gives LaRose an advantage that neither of his opponents have. And LaRose's backers don't believe his time in Columbus has tainted him. He has always stayed above the fray," Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones said. "Any time he shakes your hand, hes sincere. He's not looking behind you. The other two, the only time I see or hear from them is when theyre running for office." On the campaign trail, LaRose zooms in on three issues: the economy, immigration and parents' rights. He believes President Joe Biden doesn't understand Ohioans who are spending more on groceries and gas. During an event in Marysville, he told Republicans that schools are teaching children a "skewed version of American history." He also said his military experience uniquely qualifies him to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border. Before this year, LaRose's Senate campaign went hand in hand with his crusade for the August and November elections. Neither one had the desired outcome for Republicans, and Moreno and Dolan were quick to blame LaRose for that failure. Pepper, the former Democratic Party chair, said it's proof that LaRose isn't "in tune with Ohio." But LaRose defended his work on both issues and argued he was willing to step up to the plate when others weren't. "A lot of self-interested politicians, like my two opponents, looked at this and said, 'Oh, that's hard. I don't want to get engaged in this because I don't know if it's going to win or not,'" LaRose said. "We don't only fight battles that we know we can win. That's no way to go through life." Now, LaRose is barreling toward the March primary with less money than his opponents and no Trump endorsement. A January Emerson College poll showed him statistically tied with Moreno for first place, while 42% of voters remained undecided. But LaRose has been eyeing this race for years, and he's not backing down. "Ohioans are looking for somebody that's going to stand with President Trump on policy, and that's who I am," LaRose said. "I'm confident that we'll win. And I'm confident I'll earn President Trump's endorsement after the primary." Haley BeMiller is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senate race 2024: How Frank LaRose navigated political career Ricardo, the bull who halted train service at Newark Penn Station in December when he wandered onto the tracks, has finally returned to his Sussex County home after receiving treatment for a nagging infection. Skylands Animal Sanctuary & Rescue in Wantage, where Ricardo was taken after his Newark adventure, said on Facebook last month that the bovine celebrity had been taken on Christmas Eve to the Cornell Large Animal Hospital in upstate New York to undergo treatment for a leg infection. On Thursday, after spending six weeks at the hospital, the sanctuary announced that Ricardo would be coming home. "We will be bringing our handsome boy home this week," said the post. "We can't wait to have him back here at Skylands, where he belongs." A bull on the tracks at Newark Penn Station Dec. 14, 2023. Ricardo returns Ricardo arrived back in Wantage on Friday. He is still a little stiff in the leg, but the infection has healed, Skylands said. The animal will not need any further medication aside from the slow-release antibiotic that is already in his leg, the sanctuary said. On Friday evening, a livestream on the Skylands Facebook page showed Ricardo safe and sound in a temporary pen, where he will remain for a month according to his doctor's recommendations. The stream said his wound has healed, but because the infection damaged his tendon, doctors do not want him running around too much. He's taking it easy, on doctor's orders As soon as he gets medical approval, Ricardo will move into a field on Skylands property with other animals. "Ricardo, you are still a movie star," a Skylands caregiver said on the livestream. Comments poured in from viewers from as far as Scotland asking about the bull and noting how happy viewers were that he was well. As of Saturday afternoon, the stream had 2,700 likes, 1,100 comments and 17,000 views, continuing Ricardo's celebrity stint. How to send Ricardo a message As of now, Ricardo is not taking visitors, and the sanctuary is not open for tours, but the public can contribute to his care and his veterinary bills by joining the Ricardo Club for $12.14 per month. You can even welcome Ricardo home yourself by sending him a message and signing his homecoming card. Skylands is also taking donations to support the cows, pigs, chickens and other animals in their care. You can read about each animal and its story by going to the Skylands Animal Sanctuary & Rescue website. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ricardo, the bull from Newark Penn Station, has beaten his infection Suspect arrested in violent mugging of 91-year-old man in New York City: Police A suspect has been arrested in a violet mugging that left a 91-year-old man with multiple injuries, the New York Police Department confirmed on Monday. Christian Torres, 45, was arrested in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City Sunday at approximately 10:15 a.m. and charged with attempted robbery, according to an NYPD spokesperson. The attack took place in the Upper East Side neighborhood on Feb. 1 when 91-year-old Hyman Silverglad was walking on East 86th Street between First and Second Avenues around 10:30 a.m. local time, police said. MORE: 91-year-old man fends off violent mugger in NYC attack, search for suspect continues Police confirmed the suspect, believed to be Torres, pushed Silverglad to the ground and punched him while attempting to remove his wallet. PHOTO: Police are searching for this man who attempted to rob a 91-year-old man in New York. (New York Police Department ) After the attack, Silverglad was transported to St. Luke's Hospital Medical Center with multiple injuries. Torres allegedly fled the scene on foot. In an interview with WABC in New York last week, Silverglad, and his son, James, recounted the brutal assault. Silverglad said he was walking home from the grocery store when the assailant violently knocked him to the ground, punched him and tried to steal his wallet. The retired attorney from Coney Island said he held onto his wallet until the suspect fled the scene. MORE: Good Samaritan stops bank robbery with a hug Hyman Silverglad told WABC the fractures he sustained in the attack have left him "in agony." "[The suspect] threw me to the ground and I have suffered at least six fractures, very bad fractures," he said. "I cannot walk, I'm in never-ending constant pain." Despite the injuries sustained, the 91-year-old maintained, "I had to fight for my life. Who wouldn't put up a good fight?" Suspect arrested in violent mugging of 91-year-old man in New York City: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com When Indiana U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz threw her hat back into the race for the 5th Congressional District five days before the filing deadline last week, she upended an election that had been taking shape for months. Eleven candidates, including Spartz, are running in the May Republican primary for Indianas 5th District seat in Washington D.C., according to official filings with the Secretary of States Office. Spartz, who in February 2023 said she would not seek reelection to Congress, announced last week she changed her mind. But with Spartz back in the race, the next question for the 5th District is whether voters want to continue with the congresswomans leadership or elect a new representative in Washington. Republican candidate for Indiana's 5th Congressional District Victoria Spartz talks with women at a fundraiser coffee in Carmel, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. She removed her mask when the people at the outdoor fundraiser were socially distanced. Republican campaigns in the 5th District are already jockeying over what messages to send to voters. In the hours following Spartzs announcement Monday that she would jump back into the race, mayors from three of the larger cities in the 5th Congressional District released statements on social media in support of state Rep. Chuck Goodrich, CEO of Gaylor Electric His proven track record as a successful entrepreneur and his visionary approach to addressing the needs of both the trades and our youth make him an ideal candidate to represent the interests of Marion in the United States Congress," Marion Mayor Ronald Morrell said in a statement posted to X, formerly known as Twitter. But Spartzs campaign said that her months of indecision on running again would likely not negatively impact her chances of reelection. Her staff shared polling with IndyStar that reflects support for the Noblesville congresswoman, even in the crowded primary field.In a statement to IndyStar, Spartz said choices and competition are always good for voters. I do not take these decisions lightly but a lot of my constituents were upset I was not running, as well as a lot of my colleagues, so in these challenging times I needed to give voters a choice of someone who will actually fight for them and conservative policies - not personal agenda, Spartz said in the statement. Who is running and what theyre saying As of Fridays filing deadline for the May primary, 11 Republicans and two Democrats are running for the 5th Congressional District. With Spartzs return to the race, a lot of attention will be on the Republican primary. The Republican candidates include Goodrich, who has served as the state representative for House District 29 since 2018. The Noblesville resident currently leads the field in fundraising after bringing in nearly $700,000 in 2023. The additional nine Republican candidates include people with various political and business backgrounds. Outside of Spartz and Goodrich, the following people filed to run in the Republican primary. Jonathan D. Brown Raju Chinthala Max Engling Mark Hurt Scott A. King Patrick Malayter Matthew Peiffer LD Powell Larry L. Savage Jr. As the race progresses, candidates will likely take steps to distinguish themselves from Spartz, which could include combing through her record in Washington as well as her months of indecision over whether to run, said Mike Wolf, acting director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics. Already, Goodrich and Engling, who previously worked for former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, released negative statements last Monday criticizing Spartz's decision to jump back into the race. That's not surprising, Wolf said. There was a lot of ambition there, Wolf said of the pre-Spartz 5th District race. Obviously, this was the shot and it changes the race from demonstrating your promise and some of your political experience to then having to turn and deal with an incumbent. There's going to be a lot of negativity, because they have to convince people that voted for Representative Spartz to not do it. In addition to receiving endorsements from the mayors of Noblesville, Marion and Fishers, Goodrich also received shoutouts on X, formerly Twitter, from some fellow members of the Indiana General Assembly. Hoosiers in the 5th CD deserve to be represented in D.C. by stable, focused and results-driven conservative leadership. Thats why I am proud to support my friend @ChuckGoodrich24, who will stand strong for our shared principles in a way that doesn't seek chaos and division. Chris Jensen (@ctjensen) February 5, 2024 Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen, who posted on X about Goodrich, told IndyStar that people in the 5th District are likely frustrated by the lack of accomplishments in the current Congress. Goodrich would bring a voice to Washington that reflects the needs of the 5th District right now, Jensen said. Hes the type of leader we need to move the ball forward in Congress, Jensen said. And Im certainly not going to waver on that today regardless of what people do or what plans they change. Internal Spartz poll But Spartzs campaign points to a recent poll conducted by co/efficient, a Missouri-based polling company, that declares her the clear front-runner in the primary. That poll, campaign staff say, shows Spartz in a good position to jump into the race. The poll memo provided to IndyStar shows that of 633 likely Republican primary voters polled between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1, 44% would choose Spartz and 8% Goodrich. But the memo also indicates that 45% of those voters are still undecided, which the Goodrich campaign said shows a need for change in leadership. "A majority of Republican primary voters want a new member of congress fighting for them," the Goodrich campaign said in a statement provided to IndyStar. "5th District voters are tired of flip flopping on important issues from federal debt to keeping America safe." Spartz campaign consultant Dan Hazelwood said the undecided number is not a concern at this point and the congresswoman's record will speak to voters on the fence. "There's going to be a lot of other campaigns that need to run a lot of other advertising to attract those people," Hazelwood told IndyStar. "It's hard to get a message out in this district without running a real effort, and they're now going to be doing that in the face of the congresswoman running a real effort advertising on her own behalf talking about her record." Time will tell how well the poll predicts the race's outcome. News site 538, which analyzes political polls around the country, gave co/efficient a 3.8 out of 10 on its transparency rating, based on the amount of information a pollster releases about the polls it conducts. The Spartz poll memo from co/efficient also included some names of potential opponents who did not file for the primary. Engling, who last week said he would remain in the primary even with Spartzs return, said conservatives want a candidate who doesnt shift with the winds. Theres a long time until Election Day and Congresswoman Spartz has a lot to answer for, Engling said in a statement. While the Republicans battle for their nomination, Democrats will also have a primary race. Ryan Pfenninger and Deborah Pickett filed to run for the 5th District as Democrats. The primary election is May 7 and the general is Nov. 5. Contact IndyStar's state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Spartz is back. What that means for Indiana's 2024 5th District race Perhaps nothing symbolises the shift from the old-school Reaganite Republican Party to the Maga-fied manifestation that dominates politics today than the shift from Mitt Romney to Donald Trumps foreign policy. In 2012, Romney, then the Republican presidential nominee, famously called Russia without question, our number one geopolitical foe. Democrats dismissed him as daft in a world with al-Qaeda and China on the rise. Barack Obama chided him and said the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back, because the Cold Wars been over for 20 years. Russias annexation of Crimea, its meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 vindicated Romney and showed the threat of President Vladimir Putin. But by that point, the GOP had moved on from the Reagan-Bush-Romney worldview and embraced another businessman-turned-politician in Donald Trump. This weekend, when he held a rally in South Carolina, Trump all but goaded Putin into invading European countries when he recalled that he told a head of state of a Nato country talking about Russia during his presidency that if the country did not pay its obligations I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. The remarks directly contradict Article 5 of the Nato charter, which says that all Nato members will respond to an attack on one member nation. Nato famously mobilised to the aid of the United States after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Not surprisingly, Romney denounced the remarks. He says outrageous things to get people riled up, Romney told The Independent. It works at the rallies. Unfortunately, it also has an impact around the world where our friends wonder whether they can rely on America. But another senator, Roger Marshall of Kansas, a pro-Trump Republican, defended the former president using an old aphorism that many threw around during Trumps time in the White House. What I know is hell secure the border, hes going to make this country safer, hes going to hold Nato accountable, he told me on Sunday in Kansas City Chiefs regalia ahead of the Super Bowl. And I think that people need to realize that like, you should take everything that he says seriously, but not literally. Some Republicans did indeed take Trumps words seriously. Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, a combat veteran, called Trumps words horrible while her colleague from Iowa Chuck Grassley told me: No American should do anything to appease Russia. Even Senator Rand Paul, the libertarian Republican from Kentucky, told me that Trumps words were a stupid thing to say even though he agreed that Nato countries do not pay enough of their share. Meanwhile, Senator Josh Hawley, who led the charge to object to the 2020 presidential election, initially laughed when he said that the Nato countries definitely need to pay before adding If they invaded a Nato country, wed have to defend them, so we dont want that. Republicans like Hawley and Paul are part of a younger breed of Republican who oppose the United States taking on a robust role on the international stage. Indeed, Trumps words come as Paul has sought to delay and oppose a package in the Senate that would provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Indo-Pacific to push back against China. This came after months of protracted negotiations between a bipartisan group of senators when Republicans had demanded additional measures to restrict immigration in exchange for military aid, a sign of how much Trump has moved the Overton Window when it comes to politics. Of course, Republicans outright rejected it. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Pauls senior senate counterpart from Kentucky, even voted against the package despite his support for Ukraine. Marjorie Taylor Greene, the pro-Maga conspiracy-mongering congresswoman from Georgia, has threatened she would file a motion to vacate against Speaker Mike Johnson if he passed aid to Ukraine. Opposition to Ukraine, or at least supporting Ukraine without preconditions, as well as America having a large role on the international stage, has become a defining point of Republican ideology. For the time being, white evangelical support for Israel which is mostly rooted in a belief in end-times theology keeps support for Israel secure. But even then, Republicans like Greene opposed a standalone piece of legislation last week. But if Republicans take Trumps words seriously, the international community took them seriously. Natos Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, said that Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the US, and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Trumps remarks irresponsible and dangerous. The divergent reactions ultimately reveal as much about international leaders and Republicans political situations. For Republicans, crossing Trump or coming out against him too strongly signals political death. Indeed, Romney is leaving the Senate after one term. Other Republicans like Hawley hope to become the future of the GOP once Trump exits the stage. As members of Congress, they also have the express luxury of being able to rein him in or put in place statutes to prevent him from acting on his worse impulses, something the Senate relishes as the adults in Congress compared to the House. But international leaders have no other option but to take Trumps words literally and seriously. And given Trumps intimations that he has made out loud and his previous deference to Putin, they might be more prescient than Republicans at home. [Source] New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a $30 million allocation to support the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during a Lunar New Year parade in Queens on Sunday. Hochuls support: Hochul delivered a speech at the Flushing Chinese Business Associations annual Lunar New Year Parade, condemning hate crimes against AAPIs and reaffirming the state's commitment to protecting and supporting the community with the $30 million allocation, an increase of $10 million from the funding allocated last year. It's the Year of the Dragon tenacity and courage, all the traits that we embrace here in the State of New York, Hochul said. And also, continuing our pledge to protect the AAPI community from hate crimes, protecting our streets, protecting our shop owners, and making sure they know that our number one job here in the State of New York is their safety I'm really proud to be here to march with the members of that great community here today. The governor emphasized New York's stance against hate and intolerance, pledging continued efforts to protect the rights and safety of all marginalized groups. Trending on NextShark: Young Chinese women are resorting to AI boyfriends for better communication New York public holiday: Governor Hochul also mentioned her historic move signing legislation to declare Lunar New Year as a public school holiday across New York State in September 2023, reflecting the state's dedication to celebrating AAPI heritage and fostering cultural understanding. This is the first year we have now made the full day of celebration for families to be reunited, and made Lunar New Year celebration a school holiday, Hochul said. It is now statewide, and everyone is so enthusiastic that families do not have to be separated on this very special holiday. Where will the $30 million go?: AAPI State legislators, in collaboration with the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition, celebrated the noteworthy allocation aimed at providing resources for Asian-led organizations to better serve their communities. Spearheaded by Senator Iwen Chu and Assemblymember Grace Lee, the funding addresses the urgent needs of New York's AAPI community, particularly in response to a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes and the lasting impacts of COVID-19. Trending on NextShark: Viral video of daughter slapped by her father after return home from Tet sparks debate The $30 million will support over 100 AAPI organizations, enhancing critical programs tailored to the unique needs of these communities and strengthening the capacity of local organizations for future service provision. Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! Love Island's Zara McDermott has announced a new BBC true crime documentary based on 2022's Idaho University Murders. The reality TV star, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing last year, will present The Idaho Murders: Trial by TikTok set to air on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer soon. In the documentary, Zara travels to the small town of Moscow in Idaho where the crime took place, exploring the social media frenzy that followed the murder of four Idaho University students: Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen. BBC Related: I'm a Celebrity's Sam Thompson opens up on Zara McDermott marriage plans "Ill be investigating the social media interest around the tragic murder case of the University of Idaho students which captured the minds of many around the world," she said. "Im keen to find out why true crime is such a big topic online and the impact on those involved." Like many others, Zara came across the case in question via social media with public interest growing as the police investigation ran into six weeks with no suspects, no motive, no weapon, and no signs of forced entry into the house. Related: Strictly's Zara McDermott undergoes hospital procedure "As days turned in to weeks, global interest in the case snowballed racking up nearly 2 billion views on TikTok worldwide with the harrowing case remaining unsolved," reads an official synopsis. "From the very first reports of the crime, to the news of the arrest, Zara will see how every detail of the investigation in to their murders was turned into social media content and meet those who took it upon themselves to try and identify the killer." Along the way, Zara will reflect on how she followed the tragedy online and delve deeper into the effect of obsessive online consumption in true crime. Sharing the news on Instagram, Zara revealed that the documentary will be "coming next month". The Idaho Murders: Trial by TikTok will air on BBC Three and iPlayer in March. You Might Also Like Dublin hopes to be on the route for any expansion of Amtrak passenger rail in Columbus. A CSX Transportation track passes through the western portion of Dublin, where the city owns 100 acres near state Route 161 and Houchard Road. While many in Columbus and Ohio's other large cities are pushing for new Amtrak service for their communities, so are smaller and suburban cities who believe they stand to benefit from riders and jobs generated. "We're aggressively trying to support it. We think it's going to provide jobs," said David Zak, president and CEO of the Crawford Partnership for Education and Economic Development. The village of Crestline sits in Crawford County about 12 miles west of Mansfield in north-central Ohio, and is aiming for a stop on the proposed line between Cincinnati, Dayton Columbus and Cleveland. Read More: How often do jets like one that took off from Ohio State and crashed in Florida go down? "It's going to be good for residents as well as tourism," Zak said. "This is not just about the village," Crestline Mayor Linda Horning-Pitt said. "This is about the area." Map of Ohio's proposed rail lines Another proposed Amtrak route would connect Pittsburgh and Chicago through Columbus. It's that route that the city of Dublin wants to be on. A CSX Transportation track passes through the western portion of Dublin, where the city owns 100 acres near state Route 161 and Houchard Road. "Dublin has been very supportive of Amtrak coming to central Ohio," said Jeannie Willis, Dublin's director of transportation and mobility. So much so that City Manager Megan O'Callahan sent a letter in March 2023 to the U.S. Department of Transportation. "The Midwest Connect Corridor would provide access to major economic opportunities for small and large businesses and strengthen the regions service, manufacturing, and tourism industries while protecting the environment from increased vehicular energy consumption and emissions," O'Callahan wrote. Dublin hopes to be on the route for any expansion of Amtrak passenger rail in Columbus. A CSX Transportation track passes through the western portion of Dublin, where the city owns 100 acres near state Route 161 and Houchard Road. In December, the Federal Railroad Administration said Ohio is in line for Amtrak service expansion, with officials studying four corridors: Cincinnati-Dayton-Columbus-Cleveland Chicago-Fort Wayne-Columbus-Pittsburgh, including Lima, Kenton, Marysville, Newark, Coshocton, Newcomerstown, Uhrichsville and Steubenville. Cleveland-Toledo-Detroit Increasing Amtrak's current route frequency to Cincinnati from New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago Story continues The federal government provided $500,000 for planning for each route. An economic impact study on the Cincinnati-Dayton-Columbus-Cleveland route that the rail-advocacy group All Aboard Ohio released in January found that the initial investment in the Columbus region would generate between $36 million and $48 million, with $22 million to $29 million in wages for local workers. Service isn't expected to come to Columbus until 2030 at the earliest. But planning continues to prepare cost estimates to see what state and local governments would have to come up with to match federal funds in future planning rounds. Suburban stations are nothing new for Amtrak. "We have suburban stops in Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City," said Marc Magliari, a Chicago-based Amtrak spokesman. A community will decide on a site and suggest it to Amtrak, he said. "Sometimes we wind up with historic station locations, other times we dont," he said. "Other stations are long gone. But its a process. There's no cookie cutter. It really depends on where the community thinks it's best." Crestline's historic one-story brick Pennsylvania Railroad station sat where two rail lines crossed. But Horning-Pitt, Crestline's mayor, said she was told that freight haulers will not allow a depot near a junction. She said that she hopes an Amtrak stop would boost development nearby. "Places to eat, things like that, other quaint shops that would be put up as well," she said. Erin Rosiello, All Aboard Ohio's chair, said her group has scheduled a "whistle stop" event to discuss the potential new service and benefits at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at The Hub at Village Square, 311 N. Seltzer St., in Crestline. She said more than 170 have already signed up to attend. Her group met with state legislators this past Wednesday. For Dublin, Willis said that passenger rail contains significant economic benefits, perhaps attracting more commercial and residential development. "Given the location to where we are as a job center, it gives us a definite advantage," Willis said. "In Dublin we have received very nice support from our residents. They are excited about the potential and possibility," she said. Willis mentioned the Central Ohio Transit Authority's short-range plan for a crosstown route connecting Dublin to New Albany and the burgeoning Intel site. She wondered if that could be connected to a Dublin Amtrak station. Magliari said there's an Amtrak station in Milwaukee adjacent to General Mitchell International Airport there, with a free bus shuttling passengers between the train station and airport. There's a similar setup between Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and the Amtrak station a mile away. mferench@dispatch.com @MarkFerenchik This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dublin and Crestline want Amtrak stations as Ohio seeks passenger rail Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Carl Zeiss Meditec fair value estimate is 121 Current share price of 111 suggests Carl Zeiss Meditec is potentially trading close to its fair value Analyst price target for AFX is 98.43 which is 18% below our fair value estimate Does the February share price for Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (ETR:AFX) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for Carl Zeiss Meditec Step By Step Through The Calculation We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) 245.3m 277.6m 332.8m 397.1m 434.9m 461.0m 481.2m 496.7m 508.7m 518.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x7 Analyst x6 Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Est @ 6.00% Est @ 4.37% Est @ 3.23% Est @ 2.43% Est @ 1.87% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 4.8% 234 253 289 329 344 348 346 341 333 324 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 3.1b We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (0.6%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 4.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = 518m (1 + 0.6%) (4.8% 0.6%) = 12b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 12b ( 1 + 4.8%)10= 7.7b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is 11b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of 111, the company appears about fair value at a 8.2% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Carl Zeiss Meditec as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 4.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.925. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Carl Zeiss Meditec Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Medical Equipment market. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the German market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the German market. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Carl Zeiss Meditec, there are three important aspects you should further examine: Financial Health: Does AFX have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does AFX's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every German stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Alte 21 de autobuze electrice vor intra pe traseu in Constanta, anunta CT Bus Inca 21 de autobuze electrice vor fi adaugate pe rutele de transport in comun 42, 5b si 3 ale CT Bus, transmite compania intr-un comunicat de presa. Noile autobuze au o capacitate de 70 de calatori, dintre care 24 sunt pe scaune, se mai arata [citeste mai departe] Edi Iordanescu: Sunt ingrijorat de situatia jucatorilor care nu prind minute la cluburi Selectionerul primei reprezentative a Romaniei, Edward Iordanescu, a declarat, luni, ca este extrem de ingrijorat de jucatorii care nu evolueaza foarte mult la echipele de club din strainatate, dar a subliniat [citeste mai departe] Given Katalin Novak signed her letter of resignation earlier this week, MPs have to decide within fifteen days whether to accept it or not, and so this decision could be taken on Feb 26, the first day of the spring session, the parliamentary group leader of Fidesz said. Mate Kocsis said that were parliament to accept her resignation which he said he had no serious doubt they would do then the new head of state must be elected within thirty days, so Hungary would have a new president in March. Meanwhile, the Fidesz group leader said Prime Minister Viktor Orbans proposal to change the constitution with a view obviating the right to a presidential pardon in cases involving child abuse was a child protection measure. Kocsis said it was strange that the left wing was vehement in wanting the head of state gone, but had failed to vote for any child protection amendments previously. Nevertheless, he said it was likely that the left wing would now vote for Orbans amendment, though I wouldnt rule out the opposite either. Also, the second package of the child protection law will be submitted to lawmakers in the spring, he noted. Mistakes Have Consequences On the right, mistakes have consequences, the Fidesz parliamentary group leader, told public radio in connection with Katalin Novak, who has proffered her resignation. Mate Kocsis referred to a rare political situation, and he said Novak had made a responsible decision to resign and admit her mistake in connection with her pardon of the deputy director of a childrens home who had been convicted for helping to cover up child abuse. He said in the interview that Novaks resignation had been a straightforward decision, and he also noted that Judit Varga, who led the Fidesz list for the upcoming EP election, had also taken responsibility for her part in the pardon, when she countersigned it during her time as minister of justice. The Fidesz politician said the left wing, however, had been mired in a thousand and one scandals in the recent past but had failed to take responsibility. He said the leader of the Democratic Coalition, Ferenc Gyurcsany, should never have returned to politics under any circumstances. Kocsis noted that following Novaks decision, several parties proposed electing the head of state directly. This, he added, had not occurred to the Democratic Coalition or the Socialist Party when their representatives were in government. Dobrev: 'Let the People Decide on the Next President' Opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) MEP Klara Dobrev has said that DK will start collecting signatures in support of a proposal that voters should directly decide who should be the next president of the republic. Dobrev said in her Facebook post that Prime Minister Viktor Orban decided who the previous three presidents of Hungary were, and we all know how that turned out. First he chose a head of state who plagiarised half of their doctorate thesis, then he opted for a signature machine bereft of their own opinion, and finally he selected someone who granted a presidential pardon to the assistant of a paedophile criminal, the opposition politician said. Dobrev said that if Orban were to choose again, then an unworthy party soldier would become Hungarys next president. DK, she added, would propose that, like is most other European countries, the people should directly elect the head of state. DK will soon start collecting signatures and online and at street booths in support of their proposal, she said. Parbeszed Party Calls for Joint Opposition Presidential Candidate The opposition Parbeszed-Greens party is inviting the leaders of the pro-republic opposition parties to meet to discuss a potential joint presidential candidate, party spokesperson Richard Barabas said. Barabas told an online press briefing that whereas his party had proposals for the candidate, what was more important at this stage was to show strength and a way forward for the country mired in a moral crisis by taking a joint stand. The task of the pro-republic opposition, he said, was to show an alternative to the corrupt system, and a political path based on truth, solidarity and caring for each other. Barabas noted that his party had called on President Katalin Novak to resign, adding they were glad that she had done. Prime Minister Viktor Orban now could not hide behind the skirts of his former allies, he added. Barabas said the Parbeszed-Greens party continued to support the idea of electing the president directly as it was important that the institution regain its credibility. Donath: 'Govt Doesn't Care About Children' The government doesnt really care about children, Anna Donath, the leader of the opposition Momentum Movement, told protesters gathered in front of the presidential Sandor Palace in Budapest on Saturday, adding that for them the family is just an empty phrase. Donath said society needed strong female role models, but not like Katalin Novak, who, she added, was resigning as head of state but not for reasons of conscience. The Momentum politician said Novak should have apologised to the children abused in Bicske. She also said the government only saw people as voters, adding that Prime Minister Viktor Orban also bore responsibility for the developments surrounding the case. You're very welcome to comment and discuss this, and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops group: Budapest Expats - The International Community You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! MTI Photo: Szilard Koszticsak Gergely Karacsony, the mayor of Budapest who also leads a leftist opposition party, launched his re-election campaign on Saturday, declaring that he stood for a more European, greener city which stood for greater solidary, values which were associated with a republican form of governance. Unveiling his campaign slogan Were giving Budapest a future, Karacsony said at the event that a republican alliance meant treating each other well and forming a community. The mayor added that the institutions and the idea of the republic had been stripped from the constitution 14 years ago, so its vital that Budapest remains a republic. Referring to the election in 120 days time, he said the ruling Fidesz party neither had a candidate for mayor nor a manifesto for the capital. Instead, Fidesz had issued a declaration of war, he insisted. The mayor also said he would reach out to the green LMP party on the possibility of running together in the local municipal elections. Karacsony said the life of the average Budapest resident was five years shorter than that of residents of other large European cities, and he appealed to voters to trust another five years to him in office so he could press ahead with policies that would extend their life expectancy by five years in a decade or two. He referred to his administrations approach to public areas, saying aspects such as shade, noise reduction, air quality and amenities like benches were important aspects of policymaking. He said that his administration planned a Budapest climate agency with EU financing to promote environmentally sound investments. The mayor also noted a metropolitan council scheme using 20 billion forints of EU money to replace lead pipes and renew public drinking fountains. Karacsony said that whereas he was proud of the past four-and-a-half years of his administration, he nevertheless felt that the glass was half empty since they had implemented projects that had been long overdue, such as the renovation of Chain Bridge and Blaha Lujza Square. Only now can we turn to talk of the future, he added. You're very welcome to comment, discuss and enjoy more stories, via our Facebook page: Facebook.com/XpatLoopNews + via XpatLoops groups: Budapest Expats / Expats Hungary You can subscribe to our newsletter here: XpatLoop.com/Newsletters Do you want your business to reach tens of thousands of potential high-value expat customers? Then just contact us here! The highly anticipated 2025 KTM 390 Adventure is still behind the curtains and enthusiasts are waiting eagerly for its launch. However, various speculations have been surfacing around and giving us an idea about the upcoming model. Lets take a look at what this adventurous bike might offer. 2025 KTM 390 Adventure Expected Design The upcoming 2025 KTM 390 Adventure is expected to redefine the adventure touring segment with its revamped design. Spy images hint at a significant departure from its predecessor, showcasing a rugged, off-road-centric makeover reminiscent of Dakar rally aesthetics. The upcoming ADV model will feature a distinctive beak-style fender, a prominent rally-tower-inspired fairing, and a streamlined tail section. Notably, a high-mounted color TFT display, akin to the new 390 Duke, adds a modern touch to the cockpit. 2025 KTM 390 Adventure Expected Specifications Underpinning the new 390 Adventure is the proven 399cc liquid-cooled engine, inherited from the latest KTM 390 Duke. This LC4c powerplant promises exhilarating performance, delivering 45.3bhp at 8,500rpm and 39Nm of torque at 6,500rpm. Paired with a responsive six-speed gearbox, riders can expect a thrilling experience both on and off the beaten path. 2025 KTM 390 Adventure Cycle Parts Diverging from its predecessor, the next-generation 390 Adventure aims to enhance its off-road prowess. Built on the robust steel trellis chassis shared with the new 390 Duke, this ADV model receives a specialized subframe tailored for adventure riding. Suspension upgrades include WP upside-down forks with adjustable rebound and compression, along with a rear monoshock offering preload and rebound adjustment. Anticipate improved suspension travel, complemented by 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wire-spoke wheels shod with dual-purpose tyres for superior traction across diverse terrains. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Pune has reported a significant surge in the suspension of driving licences for traffic offences in the current financial year. Figures reveal that between April of the previous year and January of the current year, a total of 750 driving licences were suspended, marking a noticeable rise from the 564 licences suspended in the fiscal year 2022-23. Increase in Licence Suspensions The uptick in driving licence suspensions underscores a proactive approach by authorities to address the growing concerns related to road safety and adherence to traffic regulations. This escalation reflects the stringent measures being implemented to deter reckless driving behaviors and ensure compliance with traffic laws. Despite the notable increase in driving licence suspensions, the numbers remain considerably lower than the overall volume of traffic violations recorded by the traffic police. In 2023 (January to December), a staggering 10.33 lakh cases of traffic violations were registered, indicating a substantial gap between the number of violations and the resultant licence suspensions. In 2023, the traffic police in Pune recorded a substantial number of violations across various categories, including 66,733 cases of signal jumping, 14,433 cases of wrong-side driving, and 11,739 cases of talking on phones while driving. These figures highlight key focus areas for enforcement and underscore the need for heightened vigilance to curb such violations effectively. Stringent Penalties According to the directives from the state transport department, a driving licence is suspended for three to six months. The drunk driving case can lead to a six-month suspension. On the other hand, speeding, using phones while driving, breaking signals, and talking on the phone while driving can lead to a three-month suspension. Key Insights MedAdvisor's estimated fair value is AU$0.27 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity MedAdvisor's AU$0.27 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate The AU$0.39 analyst price target for MDR is 47% more than our estimate of fair value Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of MedAdvisor Limited (ASX:MDR) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for MedAdvisor The Method We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$2.70m AU$4.50m AU$5.40m AU$6.07m AU$6.63m AU$7.11m AU$7.51m AU$7.86m AU$8.16m AU$8.43m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 12.36% Est @ 9.30% Est @ 7.16% Est @ 5.66% Est @ 4.61% Est @ 3.87% Est @ 3.36% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 6.6% AU$2.5 AU$4.0 AU$4.5 AU$4.7 AU$4.8 AU$4.8 AU$4.8 AU$4.7 AU$4.6 AU$4.4 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$44m Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.6%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$8.4m (1 + 2.2%) (6.6% 2.2%) = AU$194m Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$194m ( 1 + 6.6%)10= AU$102m The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is AU$146m. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of AU$0.3, the company appears about fair value at a 0.1% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf The Assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at MedAdvisor as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.6%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.968. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for MedAdvisor Strength Debt is well covered by earnings. Weakness No major weaknesses identified for MDR. Opportunity Forecast to reduce losses next year. Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Looking Ahead: Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For MedAdvisor, we've put together three further elements you should further research: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with MedAdvisor , and understanding these should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does MDR's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. The buzz for Kiran Rao's next directorial, 'Laapataa Ladies', is peaking the momentum day by day. With the trailer of the film featuring the promising lead cast of Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Nitanshi Goel opened with a fantastic draw from the fans and the audiences, it has also piqued the masses' interest to see the humoristic world created by director Kiran Rao. Recently, the makers kickstarted the promotional campaign for the film by hosting a special premiere in Bhopal and Jaipur which received an amazing response from everyone. Now, taking ahead promotional spree producer Aamir Khan, director Kiran Rao, and the lead cast of the film Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Nitanshi Goel will be visiting Bangalore for the special screening. The team Laapataa Ladies will be visiting Bangalore on February 13th, and this visit is indeed a special one because, IIM College Campus, is one of the remarkable locations where Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan shot their biggest Blockbuster '3 Idiots'. Aamir Khan will interact with the students of IIM Bangalore and it will surely be a nostalgic moment for the superstar. Laapataa Ladies story narrates the tale of India's heartland, and the subject is urban as well. The team has shot in the real locations of Sehore, located in Madhya Pradesh, and also added real-life villagers and locations as part of the film. Presented by Jio Studios, 'Laapataa Ladies' is directed by Kiran Rao and produced by Aamir Khan and Jyoti Deshpande. The film is releasing on March 1st, 2024, and has been made under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions and Kindling Productions, with the script based on an award-winning story by Biplab Goswami. The screenplay and dialogue are written by Sneha Desai, while the additional dialogues have been jotted down by Divyanidhi Sharma. New Delhi: Indias most valuable companies in the 2023 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 have a cumulative value of USD 2.8 trillion (Rs 231 lakh crore) which is more than the combined GDP of Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and Singapore, Axis Banks Burgundy Private and Hurun India releasing the third edition of the 500 Most Valuable Private Companies in India said on Monday. The threshold to qualify for the 2023 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 is INR 6,700 crore, up by 13% from INR 5,947 crore last year. Reliance Industries has emerged as Indias most valuable company with a value of Rs 15.6 lakh crore, followed by Tata Consultancy Services with Rs 12.4 lakh crore and HDFC Bank with Rs 11.3 lakh crore, the report said. "Reliance Industries continues its reign in the top positionfor the third year in a row on the Burgundy Private Hurun India 500. With a value of Rs 15,64,663 crore, Reliance Industries is valued at least Rs 3 lakh crore more than TCS, which is number 2 on the 2023 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500," added the report. The merger of HDFC Ltd with HDFC Bank facilitated HDFC Bank to become the third Indian company to surpass INR 10 lakh crore market capitalization. HCL Technologies and Kotak Mahindra Bank make their return to the top 10 list in the 2023 edition of the Burgundy Private Hurun India 500. The 2023 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 companies employ 70 lakh people, with an average of 15,211 employees per organisation. 437 companies in the 2023 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 list have womens representation on their boards. 179 companies in 2023 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 are led by professional CEOs, the report found. The 2023 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 comprises of companies across 44 cities in India, led by Mumbai (156), Bengaluru (59) and New Delhi (39). The top three cities contributed 254 entrants compared to 264 entrants in the 2022 India 500. "As India heads towards a $5 trillion economy, it will be critical to leverage emerging trends like China plus 1, MSME, and 'Bharat' that will act as engines of growth for the country, Amitabh Chaudhry, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Axis Bank said. "With its collective value surpassing the GDPs of prominent nations, this list exemplifies India's ascent as a global economic powerhouse," Anas Rahman Junaid MD and Chief Researcher, Hurun India said. New Delhi: A Delhi court has summoned Zomato in response to a civil suit seeking a restraining order against the company. The suit aims to prevent Zomato from allowing users to order "hot and authentic food" from "iconic restaurants" across the national capital. During the court proceedings, a plea filed by a Gurugram resident alleged that Zomato was involved in a "false and fraudulent" practice. The complaint specifically targeted Zomato's sub-category, 'Dilli ke Legends,' which purportedly delivers fresh food from renowned restaurants. (Also Read: SpiceJet Plans To Lay Off 1,400 Employees In Cost-Saving Measure; Details Here) In a recent order, Civil Judge Umesh Kumar stated, "Issue summons of the suit and notice of application." (Also Read: UPI Payment Services Launched In Sri Lanka, Mauritius; PM Modi Attends Virtual Ceremony) As per the plea, Sourav Mall placed an order on October 24 of the previous year from three different eateries located in Jama Masjid, Kailash Colony, and Jangpura. Subsequently, he tracked the delivery partner and discovered that the order was collected from an "unknown and unnamed" location, rather than from the original restaurants. "Why was the food picked up from a nearby location when there is no branch of the restaurant partner there? Why is the food not delivered in the original packaging of the restaurant partner? What is the guarantee that the food has been prepared by the restaurant partner? What is the guarantee that the food is prepared fresh and hot?", said the plea. The plea also highlighted the "inexplicable" nature of Zomato's ability to deliver from Delhi's iconic restaurants to locations in Gurugram and Noida within a 30-minute timeframe. The plea also added, "Such representation to users, customers or patrons of Zomato, is indeed intended to deceive the public at large." The plea was filed as a "representative suit" on behalf of numerous affected individuals under the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC). The case has been scheduled for further proceedings on March 20. (With PTI Inputs) New Delhi: In a significant blow to the Congress party in Maharashtra, senior leader and former state Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has tendered his resignation. Chavan's departure marks the latest in a series of high-profile exits from the party, following closely on the heels of prominent figures such as Baba Siddiqui and Milind Deora. Chavan's exit from the Congress has sparked speculation about his potential move to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Adding to the speculation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis stated on Monday that numerous Congress leaders are considering joining the saffron party, citing a sense of feeling "suffocated" within their own ranks. Reacting to Chavan's departure, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis remarked, "Many prominent leaders from various parties are keen on joining the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress leadership's actions have left many feeling disillusioned within their own party, prompting them to seek a new political path aligned with the nation's mainstream." #WATCH | Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says, "Several tall leaders of other parties want to join BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behaviour of the senior leaders. They are feeling suffocated in their party...Who all are in pic.twitter.com/7rUk9AeTsS February 12, 2024 Fadnavis further emphasized the growing sentiment among political figures towards aligning with the BJP, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and the country's developmental trajectory as compelling factors. "Many leaders see the BJP as the platform to serve the people and contribute to the nation's progress. It remains to be seen what unfolds next," he added, hinting at further political realignments on the horizon. Meanwhile, following his resignation from the Congress, Chavan stated that he will announce his next political move within two days. When queried about the possibility of joining the BJP, he responded that he will reveal his decision within 48 hours. "I have resigned from the Assembly membership as an MLA. I have given my resignation to the Speaker. I have resigned from the Congress Working Committee and Congress primary membership. I have not decided to join any party. I will clear my stand on joining a party after two days," Chavan told reporters after resigning from Congress. When asked if he would be joining the BJP, Former Maharashtra CM said, "I will tell you in 48 hours." Hailing from a political dynasty, Chavan had been a stalwart within the Maharashtra Congress, having served as the Chief Minister from December 2008 to November 2010. His departure leaves a notable void in the party's leadership, given his influence and longstanding presence in state politics. There are swirling rumors suggesting that Chavan might be eyeing a move to the Rajya Sabha, with reports indicating that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has refrained from announcing its candidates for the upper house in Maharashtra, potentially to accommodate his entry. There's even talk of Chavan crossing party lines to join the BJP, adding another layer of intrigue to the unfolding political drama. New Delhi: Qatar has released eight Indian ex-navy officers who were working for a private company and were sentenced to death by a Qatari court in October 2023. Seven of them have returned to India, while one is expected to join them soon. The release came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the COP 28 summit in Dubai on December 1, 2023. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and regional issues, and the Emir of Qatar assured PM Modi of his personal intervention in the case of the Indian citizens. The Indian government welcomed the release and expressed its appreciation for the decision of the Emir of Qatar. In a press release, the Ministry of External Affairs said, The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals. The eight Indian citizens were arrested in Qatar in September 2022 on charges of espionage and sabotage. They were working for the Dahra Global company, which provides security and maintenance services to Qatars Ministry of Defence. They were accused of leaking sensitive information and causing damage to Qatars defence installations. On October 26, 2023, a Qatari court sentenced them to death after a trial that was criticized by human rights groups and the Indian government for lack of transparency and due process. The Indian government had lodged a strong protest and sought consular access to the detainees. The Indian ambassador to Qatar, Vipul, was able to meet them on December 3, 2023, after the intervention of the Emir of Qatar. The case was taken up by the Court of Appeal in Qatar, which heard the arguments of the defence lawyers and the prosecution on November 20 and 23, 2023. On December 28, 2023, the Court of Appeal overturned the death sentence and ordered the release of the eight Indian citizens. The release of the Indian citizens is a major diplomatic success for India and demonstrates the strong ties between the two countries. Qatar is an important partner for India in the Gulf region, with bilateral trade exceeding $10 billion and more than 700,000 Indians living and working in Qatar. The two countries have also cooperated on energy, security, and counter-terrorism issues. New Delhi: Former Indian Navy personnel who were detained in Qatar landed at the Delhi airport on Monday morning and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal intervention in their case, for which they were once sentenced to death penalties. In today's DNA, Zee News anchor Sourabh Raaj Jain analyzed the diplomatic supremacy of the Modi government, which resulted in the release of the eight navy personnel from jail in Qatar. The arrest of eight Indians in Qatar on August 30, 2022, came as a significant shock to India. The Indian Embassy in Doha received news of the arrest through family members, which prompted the Ministry of External Affairs, the Prime Minister's Office, and the National Security Advisor Secretariat to take immediate action. Additionally, the Defense Ministry and Naval Headquarters became actively involved. Efforts were made to address the situation diplomatically, considering its sensitivity. The initial focus was on providing consular access to the detained individuals and ensuring the supply of necessary medicines for those who were ill. However, during this period, India faced challenges as the Qatar government did not close the case or offer any relief, including bail, for the Indians. In October 2023, the situation gained momentum when Dr. Mitu Bhargava, sister of Commander Purnendu Tiwari, raised the matter on social media. In November 2022, India's Ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, was appointed as the Prime Minister's Private Secretary. Efforts continued, including facilitating meetings between family members and regular phone calls with the imprisoned Indians. In December 2022, consular access was gained for the second time, and arrangements were made for visas for family members to visit the detained individuals. However, relief efforts faced setbacks when the Qatar government extended the custody of the imprisoned Indians and rejected bail petitions filed in January 2023. In March 2023, Qatar initiated legal proceedings against the eight Indians, escalating tensions. In August 2023, Vipul, a seasoned IFS officer with extensive experience in Gulf countries, was appointed as Ambassador to Qatar. The situation took a dire turn on October 26, 2023, when the Qatar court sentenced the eight Indians to death. Subsequently, a comprehensive strategy was developed, emphasizing management at every level, with directives from the Prime Minister's office. Law and diplomacy were explored extensively. Foreign Minister Jaishankar met with the families of the detained Indians on October 30, 2023, assuring them of the government's commitment to securing their return. The families were advised to rely on silent diplomacy and refrain from media statements. The government changed the legal representation company in Qatar and pursued an appeal against the court's decision, adopting a revised strategy to address the situation effectively. On December 28, the court delayed the imposition of the death penalty and instead handed down a maximum sentence of 25 years. Despite the commuting of the death sentence to imprisonment, the Indian Government pursued fresh appeals in various courts. However, India pinned its hopes on the 'Emir of Qatar', Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as he held the authority to grant pardons. Notably, during the COP-28 meeting in Dubai on December 1, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Emir Al Thani. It was speculated that during this encounter, Prime Minister Modi raised the case of the eight former marines. The release of the ex-marines stranded in another country wouldn't have been achievable without the direct involvement of the Prime Minister. It is now believed that this meeting had a significant impact. Reports suggest that following the intervention of the Emir of Qatar, on the night of February 11, the Indian former marines were transferred from jail in Qatar to the Indian Embassy. Subsequently, they were promptly repatriated to India. This action by Qatar is perceived as a reflection of India's strong position in global politics. Experts assert that Qatar recognizes India's increasing influence and, perhaps for this reason, is keen to maintain its cordial relations with India. New Delhi: Noida Police has heightened security measures along its borders with Delhi ahead of the farmers protest in the national capital. On Monday, the Noida Police issued a warning about potential traffic congestion on routes to and from Delhi due to an upcoming farmers' protest scheduled in the national capital on Tuesday. Authorities emphasized the likelihood of intensified security measures at the Noida-Delhi border areas, including possible route diversions, advising commuters to consider utilizing metro services for their transportation needs. Various farmer associations primarily from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab have announced plans for a march on February 13, demanding legislation to ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their agricultural produce. This demand was one of the conditions they stipulated when agreeing to end their protests in 2021. In a statement, the police informed the public about the planned farmer protest in Delhi on Tuesday, highlighting the implementation of stringent security checks by both Delhi Police and Gautam Buddh Nagar Police. They mentioned the installation of barriers at all borders, which might lead to increased traffic pressure on routes from Noida to the Delhi border, necessitating potential traffic diversions. The police urged individuals traveling to Delhi to utilize metro services wherever possible to minimize traffic congestion. Additionally, they announced restrictions on the movement of various goods vehicles along specific routes, including from the Yamuna Expressway to Delhi via the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and from Sirsa to Surajpur via Parichowk. "The general public is informed that a protest by farmers is proposed in Delhi on Tuesday regarding their problems. During the said programme, intensive checking will be done by Delhi Police and Gautam Buddh Nagar Police by installing barriers on all the borders, due to which, in case of increase in traffic pressure on the routes from Noida to Delhi border, traffic will be diverted as per requirement," the police said in a statement. "People going to Delhi please use metros as much as possible to avoid traffic inconvenience. Arrival of all types of goods vehicles will be restricted on the route from Yamuna Expressway to Delhi via Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and from Sirsa to Surajpur via Parichowk," the police added. While diversions would be implemented on routes such as DND and Chilla border, exceptions would be made for emergency vehicles. The police provided a traffic helpline number (9971009001) for reporting traffic inconveniences and advised motorists to explore alternative routes to mitigate disruptions. In a significant development that has sent ripples through the political landscape of Maharashtra, former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has resigned from the Congress party. Chavan, who helmed the state from December 2008 to November 2010, is a prominent figure in Maharashtra politics, known for his extensive experience and leadership roles within the party. This political shift comes on the heels of another major move, where former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Ajit Pawar. The trend of departures was further highlighted by Milind Deora, another senior leader from the Maharashtra Congress, announcing his resignation from the party. Ashok Chavan's resignation marks a significant loss for the Congress in Maharashtra, a state where the party has been striving to consolidate its presence amidst fierce competition from rivals. Chavan's departure raises questions about the future direction of the party and its strategy in the state. The recent exits from the Congress indicate a possible realignment of political forces in Maharashtra, as seasoned leaders seek new avenues and alliances. This reshuffling could have far-reaching implications for the state's political dynamics, potentially influencing upcoming electoral battles and policy directions. As the political landscape continues to evolve, all eyes will be on the Congress to see how it responds to these challenges and on the leaders who have chosen new paths, as Maharashtra's politics enter a phase of uncertainty and transition. New Delhi: Security measures have been significantly increased in and around the national capital, Delhi, and its neighboring areas in anticipation of the 'Delhi Chalo' march organized by farmer organizations on February 13. To mitigate any potential unrest, law enforcement authorities have installed large containers, cemented and iron barricades, as well as water cannons at the Singhu border of Delhi. Delhi has imposed Section 144 (prohibitory orders) for a period of 30 days, until March 12 in the national capital in view of the Delhi Chalo March' call given by farmers for Tuesday. Online Classes In Noida Noida authority has asked schools located in the vicinity of the Noida express to conduct virtual classes for students of all the classes ahead of the farmer's protest to avert any untoward incident. CRPF Deployed, Mobile Internet Services Suspended In Haryana To maintain the law and order situation in the state, Haryana has deployed the CRPF and other security agencies. Mobile internet services and bulk SMS have also been suspended in seven districts until February 13. In view of the farmers' protest, the Gurugram police on Monday tightened security on the Mewat, Rewari, and Jhajjar borders. Meanwhile, Gurugram police started checking suspicious vehicles and also put up barricades on the border for vehicles entering Gurugram while a large number of security personnel were deployed there. In Chandigarh, the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in the city for 60 days. New Delhi: Microsoft founder and billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has revealed that in 1997, when he read about children dying in various parts of the world due to diseases which were curable in the US, he realised what he wanted to do something beyond the company he founded. During a conversation with comedian Trevor Noah on his podcast, titled What Now? With Trevor Noah, Gates shared the 1997 incident. I had a long period from about age 18 to 40 where I was very monomaniacal. Microsoft was everything. I was lucky enough that as other people took over Microsoft, I got to go and read and learn about all the health challenges, why children die," said the Microsoft founder. He went on to start his charitable organisation called Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Our foundation has spent $53.8 billion since 2000, and we think thats helped our partners make a difference. The number of children who die each year before their fifth birthday. Its fallen by half since the year 2000. Millions more kids are surviving. That makes us optimistic, Gates wrote on their website. Last December, he said that if we make smart investments now, artificial intelligence (AI) can make the world a more equitable place, reducing or even eliminating the lag time between when the rich world gets an innovation and when the poor world does. In a blog post titled The road ahead reaches a turning point in 2024, the Microsoft Co-founder said that we can learn a lot from global health about how to make AI more equitable. The main lesson is that the product must be tailored to the people who will use it, he wrote. One of the biggest impacts so far is on creating new medicines. Drug discovery requires combing through massive amounts of data, and AI tools can speed up that process significantly. Some companies are already working on cancer drugs developed this way. But a key priority of the Gates Foundation in AI is ensuring these tools also address health issues that disproportionately affect the world's poorest, like AIDS, TB, and malaria, he stressed. By Tatiana Bautzer, Saeed Azhar and Lananh Nguyen NEW YORK (Reuters) -U.S. regulators have asked Citigroup for urgent changes to the way it measures default risk of its trading partners and the banks own auditors have found a plan to improve internal oversight to be lacking, developments that could hinder CEO Jane Fraser's plans to revive the bank's fortunes. Late last year, the Federal Reserve sent Citi three notices directing the bank to address in the coming months how it measures risk of default by counterparties in derivative transactions, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. Separately, Citi's internal audit unit said more work was needed in at least one instance to address problems previously raised by regulators, according to an email seen by Reuters. The work was in response to enforcement actions, called consent orders, that date back to October 2020. In December, the internal audit unit found some of the work done to improve risk management across the bank to be inadequate, according to the email. The audit unit also found that Citi failed to meet a requirement that it have procedures in place to ensure the board and senior management receive comprehensive reports about risks across the company, the email showed. Another banking regulator, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, also conducted exams in September and October to assess whether Citi had made as much progress on data integrity as it claimed, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said, requesting anonymity to discuss confidential information. Citi failed those exams, forcing it to do additional work, the source said. The regulatory notices come as the bank works through two 2020 consent orders, in which the Fed and the OCC directed the bank to fix longstanding and widespread deficiencies in its risk management, data governance and internal controls. The enforcement actions followed Citis botched transfer of about $500 million to lenders of cosmetics firm Revlon in 2020. Citi has thousands of employees focused on resolving these issues. Story continues The notices from the Fed and the problems with the separate work around the consent orders have not been previously reported. Reuters could not determine the impact these issues have had on Citis overall efforts to resolve its regulatory problems. The new details provide insight into the complexity of the task facing CEO Fraser as she carries out the bank's biggest overhaul in decades to boost profits and shares, which have lagged peers. The third-largest U.S. lender has been selling businesses and laying off thousands of employees to simplify the banks structure. In a statement to Reuters, Citi said meeting its regulators' expectations was a top priority, and it was "making steady progress simplifying and modernizing our bank." "Like any multi-year effort of this scale, progress isnt linear and there are important learnings along the way that were incorporating into our efforts, including in the areas of regulatory reporting, infrastructure and data enhancement, the bank said. Citigroup shares fell almost 1% to $53.51 in Monday morning trading, contrasting with the KBW index of bank stocks, which gained more than 1%. Regulatory notices and examinations are standard practices in bank supervision, said a source close to Citi who requested anonymity to discuss confidential regulatory matters. The Fed and the OCC declined to comment. Progress on its regulatory issues is crucial for the bank. Regulators have the authority, for example, to limit Citis growth and ask for changes in senior management or the board if the bank is not timely at complying with the consent orders. Julie Hill, a professor at the University of Alabama School of Law, characterized the demand for urgent action from regulators and the incomplete compliance with prior consent orders as serious issues for any bank that could result in tougher and more costly enforcement. Hill was speaking generally about the regulatory process rather than specifically about Citi. FED NOTICES The three Fed notices sent to Citi late last year are called Matters Requiring Immediate Attention. The requests typically concern deficiencies and banks can have many outstanding MRIAs at any given time, but they are confidential and rarely come into public view. The content of the three MRIAs was described to Reuters by a source with direct knowledge of them. They have deadlines of six months to a year, the source said. They instruct Citi to improve its data and governance around how it sets aside capital to account for counterparty credit risks, the source said. Banks measure the riskiness of their derivatives business to help determine how much capital they need to set aside to withstand potential losses. One of Citi's MRIAs has a six-month deadline and relates to data, laying out more than a dozen issues that the bank needs to fix, the source said. The other two have one-year deadlines. One relates to how Citi uses proxies in calculating counterparty credit risk when the data is not available, and the other relates to governance failings, specifically around lack of clarity over who is responsible in various legal entities of the bank, the source said. Citis two consent orders lay out several major issues that the bank needs to resolve, with work further broken down into smaller steps. Problems with any of the steps can lead to the bank not being able to resolve the main issue even if it has made progress in other areas, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The finding of Citi's internal audit unit relates to a "corrective action plan" by the bank to address an issue that appears in both consent orders, calling for the leadership to have better oversight of the bank, the email showed. The audit email also shows how the work had been delayed. The original due date on the matter was June 30, 2022, but had been revised to Sept. 30, 2023. Under a column titled 'status', it said, Re-Open. Subsequently, Citi set a target date of July 31, 2024, to clear the audit, according to one of the sources. (Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer, Saeed Azhar and Lananh Nguyen in New York; Additional reporting from Pete Schroeder in Washington and Stefania Spezzati in London; Editing by Megan Davies, Paritosh Bansal and Anna Driver) New Delhi: Bhumi Pednekar discussed Climate Change during a podcast, named titled 'WTF is Climate Change?, presented by Nikhil Kamath, Co-founder, Zerodha. Apart from Bhumi, there were other leading climate pioneers such as Sunita Narain, Navroz Dubash, and Mirik Gogri. The panel explored the impacts of climate change and the implications of a dramatic increase in carbon dioxide levels, as well as the looming threat of a 3-degree temperature rise. While the podcast saw different opinions coming in from the guests, Nikhil asked actor Bhumi Pednekar "Why doesn't Bollywood make movies around climate change" and on the fact that Hollywood made smoking cool, diamond expensive and defined attractive things beyond cematric way, to which the actress responded, " Responding to the same, Bhumi Pednekar said, I think it comes from the fact that a lot of people feel that they are not going to be affected by it because we feel that we are protected by the wealth that we have and there will be some elite institution that is going to come and solve all of this. But thats not the case. As rightly pointed out by Ma'am (Sunita Narain) that climate change is going to be a great equaliser and there will be only enough narrative around which I really feel is missing, especially in the industry that I am from because people feel its not going to affect them. We live in our bubble and it gives us a lot of comfort, like we have access to the best of things. I think the narrative will only shift when we are truly affected by it. I am trying to get as many people like me to start talking about it. It needs to become popular culture. Thats the impact that media or films have. I want climate change and all the effects and need people to be fearful in many ways and I really hope that there are many more films that are made. In fact, there was such a phenomenal film made called Kadwi Hawa but it didnt really do well and didnt reach a large audience because people have sort of ostrich mentality where they behave that everything is pretty and okay around us and believe that someone will get us out of this situation. Continuing the same, Nikhil Kamath asked Bhumi Pednekar , "Do you think fear sells more or does greed in movies"? Bhumi responded to it saying, "Greed, Absolutely because how many of us are gonna sit into the theatres, kind of go away from all our problems and issues and say oh, this is the real issue". On the work front, Bhumi, in her latest film 'Bhakshak' explores the journey of an unwavering woman's quest to seek justice. In 'Bhakshak', Bhumi is seen looking into a case of sexual assault of children at a girl's shelter home. Directed by Pulkit and produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma, Bhakshak features a powerful ensemble including Sanjay Mishra, Aditya Srivastava and Sai Tamhankar, along with Bhumi Pednekar. New Delhi: Net direct tax collection was 80 percent of revised budget estimates for full fiscal year in current fiscal, growing 20 percent year-on-year, government said. "The provisional figures of Direct Tax collections continue to register steady growth. Direct Tax collections up to 10th February, 2024 show that gross collections are at Rs. 18.38 lakh crore which is 17.30% higher than the gross collections for the corresponding period of last year," a Ministry of Finance release has said. Direct Tax collection, net of refunds, stands at Rs. 15.60 lakh crore which is 20.25 % higher than the net collections for the corresponding period of last year. This collection is 80.23% of the total Revised Estimates of Direct Taxes for F.Y. 2023-24. The gross revenue collections for Corporate Income Tax (CIT) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) also show a steady growth.The growth rate for CIT is 9.16% while that for PIT is 25.67% (PIT only)/ 25.93% (PIT including STT). After adjustment of refunds, the net growth in CIT collections is 13.57% and that in PIT collections is 26.91% (PIT only)/ 27.17% (PIT including STT). Refunds amounting to Rs. 2.77 lakh crore have been issued during 1st April, 2023 to 10thFebruary, 2024. New Delhi: India's Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services were rolled out in Sri Lanka and Mauritius on Monday via video conferencing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth attended the virtual ceremony. Meanwhile RuPay card services was also launched in Mauritius today. The launch will enable availability of UPI settlement services for Indian nationals travelling to Sri Lanka and Mauritius as well as for Mauritian nationals travelling to India. The extension of RuPay card services in Mauritius will enable Mauritian banks to issue cards based on RuPay mechanism in Mauritius and facilitate usage of RuPay Card for settlements both in India and Mauritius. PM Modi has called it a special day for digital connectivity between India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. "Digital Public Infrastructure has brought a revolutionary change in India. India's Unified Payments Interface, i.e. UPI, is now performing a new responsibility - Uniting Partners with India. I believe that the UPI system of Sri Lanka and Mauritius by joining, both countries will also benefit," said PM Modi. "India has emerged as a leader in Fintech innovation and Digital Public Infrastructure. Prime Minister has placed a strong emphasis on sharing our development experiences and innovation with partner countries. Given Indias robust cultural and people-to-people linkages with Sri Lanka and Mauritius, the launch will benefit a wide cross-section of people through a faster and seamless digital transaction experience and enhance digital connectivity between the countries," said the Prime Minister's Office release had earlier said. New Delhi: Google is intensifying its efforts to combat spam by targeting bulk email senders. As part of this crackdown, bulk email senders will face increased email rejections unless they adhere to Google's new policies. These policies mandate senders to authenticate their messages and only send emails to recipients who have opted to receive them. When announcing the restrictions on bulk senders through a blog post in October of the previous year, Google stated, You shouldnt have to jump through hoops to stop receiving unwanted messages from a particular email sender. It should take one click. So were requiring that large senders give Gmail recipients the ability to unsubscribe from commercial email in one click, and that they process unsubscription requests within two days." Gmail's Updated Spam Policy Forbes reported that Gmail's revised spam policy aims to limit the number of emails sent by bulk senders (those sending 5,000 emails per day) to users. The updated regulations oblige bulk senders to verify their outgoing emails and refrain from sending unwanted or unsolicited emails. (Also Read: Google CEO Sundar Pichai's Preferred YouTube Playback Speed Revealed) According to the guidelines, bulk senders must include a one-click unsubscribe option for all commercial and promotional emails by June 2024. This button should be easily identifiable within the email content, and commercial senders must promptly handle unsubscribe requests, typically within two days. (Also Read: WhatsApp Working On 'Favourite Contacts Filter' Feature For Web) Google has announced that beginning this month, bulk senders failing to meet the company's sender standards will encounter temporary errors. These errors, affecting only a small portion of non-compliant traffic, aim to assist senders in identifying traffic that does not meet Google's requirements. Google's Email Rejection Policy Google has stated that it will commence rejecting a portion of "non-compliant" email traffic starting in April. This rejection rate will then gradually escalate over time. Google updated a support page to announce the change stating that in April 2024, they will begin rejecting a portion of email traffic that does not meet their standards. Over time they will increase the rejection rate. For instance, if 75% of a sender's traffic meets their requirements, they will begin rejecting a percentage of the remaining 25% of traffic that is non-compliant. New Delhi: Google has pledged 25 million euros ($26.98 million) to help people in Europe learn to use artificial intelligence (AI). Announcing the funding on Monday, the tech giant said it had opened applications for social enterprises and nonprofits that could help reach those most likely to benefit from training. The firm will also run a series of growth academies to support companies using AI to scale their companies and has expanded its free online AI training courses to 18 languages. (Also Read: Gmail's Plans To Decrease Spam Emails In Your Inbox Starting April: Here's What You Need To Know) Research shows that the benefits of AI could exacerbate existing inequalities especially in terms of economic security and employment, said Adrian Brown, executive director of the Centre for Public Impact, which is running the nonprofit scheme alongside Google. (Also Read: Google CEO Sundar Pichai's Preferred YouTube Playback Speed Revealed) This new program will help people across Europe develop their knowledge, skills and confidence around AI, ensuring that no one is left behind, Last month, Google announced it would invest $1 billion into building a data centre just outside of London, as it moves to meet growing demand for internet services in the region. The data centre, located on a 33-acre (13-hectare) site bought by Google in 2020, will be located in the town of Waltham Cross, about 15 miles (24.14 km) north of central London, the Alphabet-owned, opens new tab company said in a statement. New Delhi: Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III was hospitalized on Sunday afternoon with an emergent bladder issue, according to a statement from the Pentagon. He has transferred his duties to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks while he undergoes treatment. The statement, issued by Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, said that Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at around 2:20 pm by his security detail. He was seen for symptoms suggesting a bladder problem, which could be related to his previous prostate cancer surgery. Ryder said that the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were notified of Austins condition, as well as the White House and Congress. He initially said that Austin would retain his duties as defense secretary while in the hospital, but later updated that Austin had transferred the functions and duties of the office to Hicks. Austin, who is 71 years old, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2020 and underwent surgery in January 2021. He was hospitalized for two weeks following complications from the operation, including a urinary tract infection. He returned to work in-person at the Pentagon at the end of January, and said that he was still recovering. Austin is the first African American to serve as the defense secretary, and was confirmed by the Senate in a 93-2 vote on January 22, 2021. He is a retired four-star general who served in the Army for 41 years, and was the commander of the U.S. Central Command from 2013 to 2016. Austin was scheduled to travel to Brussels, Belgium, this week for a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, in what would be his first overseas trip since his initial hospitalization. It is unclear if he will be able to attend the meeting, which is aimed at addressing the security situation in Ukraine amid Russian aggression. (This Feb. 11 story has been corrected throughout to show Kelly Barbey does not speak for his family) By Svea Herbst-Bayliss (Reuters) - A member of the founding family behind VF Corp is backing activist investor Engaged Capital's push for board seats and faster change at the struggling owner of the North Face, Vans and Timberland brands. Kelly Barbey, the great-grandson of John Barbey, who founded VF in 1899, told Reuters he wants two directors on VF's 12-member board replaced and that he is backing Engaged Capital in its efforts to achieve this. Barbey said he wants Clarence Otis and Juliana Chugg, directors since 2004 and 2009, respectively, replaced for failing to respond to VF's challenges over the last few years. VF shares have lost 35% of their value in the last 12 months, deeply underperforming a 16% drop in the S&P 500 Apparel, Accessories & Luxury Goods index, as the company struggles to strengthen the appeal of its brands to consumers as they cut discretionary spending. Engaged Capital, run by hedge fund veteran Glenn Welling, has already successfully pressed VF to cut costs and explore strategic alternatives, including selling its non core brands. The company recently announced some changes. It is unclear whether Barbey's support of Engaged Capital, which has a 1.3% stake in VF, is anything but symbolic. Much of the Barbey family's 15% stake in VF lies with two entities that have so far aligned with the company's board in how they vote their shares. One is a PNC trust holding a 10% stake in VF where Otis and Chugg serve as co-trustees and can block any effort to use that stake to remove them. The second entity, holding a 5% stake, is controlled by his cousin Todd Barbey, who has so far supported the board. Kelly Barbey declined to disclose how many VF shares he holds and what entity they sit in. "Engaged Capital must urgently attain the Board member changes requested, with the implementation of the priorities of its assessment. Public shareholders and the Barbey trust beneficiaries depend upon them," Barbey said. He declined to name any trust beneficiaries that support his cause. Story continues A VF representative declined to comment. Other members of the Barbey family could not be reached. The hedge fund has identified people with retail sector and turnaround expertise to serve as director candidates, sources familiar with the matter said. The deadline to nominate directors is on Tuesday. VF missed analysts' expectations in its third-quarter results last week and said it had begun an in-depth strategic review of its Global Packs business, including brands such as Kipling and JanSport. The company reported an adjusted profit of 57 cents per share, missing LSEG estimates of 77 cents, amid falling revenue and operating margins. The company is in the throws of an attempted turnaround embarked on by CEO Bracken Darrell, who took the position in July 2023 and previously led computer peripherals maker Logitech International. He has laid off staff and cut costs. Legion Partners Asset Management, another activist hedge fund, has also amassed a stake in VF. (Reporting by Svea Herbst-Bayliss in Rhode Island; Editing by Diane Craft and Marguerita Choy) Smoke rises after a fire broke out at the Liseberg amusement park's new water world Oceana in Goteborg, Sweden, Monday Feb. 12, 2024. A fire raged through a water park attraction with several slides in the Nordic regions largest fun fair with a huge plume of black smoke drifting over Goteborg, Swedens second largest city. Authorities, including the police and fire fighters, could not say whether there were any casualties. (Bjorn Larsson Rosvall/TT News Agency via AP) COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) Black smoke rose over Swedens second-largest city on Monday after a fire broke out at a water park under construction at one of the country's biggest amusement centers. The blaze at the Oceana water park in the popular Liseberg amusement complex in downtown Goteborg spread across several water slides and a hangar-like building. Police and fire officials could not immediately say what caused the fire. Police said 12 people were slightly injured. A nearby hotel and office facilities were evacuated. Oceana had been scheduled to open this summer, Swedish news agency TT said, adding that it cost 1.2 billion kronor ($10.6 million) to build. ___ This version corrects the spelling of Goteborg. Ford says it has a top-secret, high-powered team working to design its future electric vehicles. Its part of a quest to compete profitably against Tesla and lower cost EV makers from China. People in the market for an electric luxury vehicle can find plenty of options to choose from. Thats because EV technology, particularly batteries, is expensive so its easier for automakers to earn a profit on an Audi, Mercedes or Cadillac because people are used to paying more for those luxury car brands. Even among mainstream auto brands, like Ford, EVs tend to cost more. Take the Mustang Mach-E, for instance, with prices starting around $45,000. Those prices are starting to hamper sales. In the US, EV sales growth has slowed and cost is seen as a major reason. Electric vehicle sales increased by 40% in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, according to Cox Automotive. While thats strong growth, it was less than the 49% growth in the quarter before or the 52% year-over-year growth seen in the same period the year before. Ford CEO Jim Farley speaks during an Oracle Red Bull Racing event in New York, Friday, Feb. 3, 2023. - Seth Wenig/AP In a study released late last year by S&P Global Mobility, almost half of people surveyed globally thought EV prices were too high. Pricing is still very much the biggest barrier to electric vehicles, said Yanina Mills, senior technical research analyst at S&P Global Mobility, in an announcement about the survey. Accordingly, Ford has had a team working on engineering for inexpensive electric vehicles for two years, chief executive Jim Farley said on a recent investor call. We developed a super-talented Skunk Works team to create a low-cost EV platform, Farley said. It was a small group, small team, some of the best EV engineers in the world, and it was separate from the Ford mothership. Word of the development came as Ford announced improved earnings last year, despite a United Auto Workers strike. Ford also announced a new dividend for shareholders. Ford stock has risen more than 6% since then. Story continues Skunk Works history Skunk Works is a reference to defense contractor Lockheed Martins Skunk Works division, which has been responsible for some of the most advanced and secretive aircraft in history like twin-boomed P38 Lightning from World War II, the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and the original stealth jet, the F-117 Nighthawk. By dubbing its own operation as a Skunk Works team, Ford is seeking to put the scale of the matter front-and-center. Ford will need cheaper EVs to compete against vehicles from Chinese automakers, and from Tesla Farley said. Even outside Asia, Chinese-built EVS are making major market in-roads in Europe. Tesla is also planning a compact crossover vehicle thats targeted to cost around $25,000, Reuters has reported. But neither a Chinese-built EV nor a cheap Tesla are thought to be close to hitting the American market. In the case of Fords Skunk Works, the team has developed a vehicle engineering design that can be used to create a wide variety of electric vehicles, Farley indicated. In that sense, it is similar to GMs Ultium platform or Hyundai Motor Groups E-GMP platform, both of which are the basis of a number of electric vehicles of a variety of different sizes and prices. The Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird is displayed at the Smithsonian Institute's Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum collection. - Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images At least some of these vehicles will be able to use the sort of software and services Ford currently offers to its commercial vehicle customers through its Ford Pro division, Farley said. Those sorts of services can be major sources of revenue for carmakers, as they keep up a steady flow of cash from customers making monthly payments directly to the manufacturer beyond the one-time initial purchase of the vehicle. A Ford spokesperson declined to provide any further details about the development team or the engineering platform they have developed. The team is being led by Alan Clarke, an electric vehicle engineer hired by Ford in 2022 after he had spent 12 years at Tesla, people at Ford confirmed. A quest for lower-priced EVs Farley also said Fords customers have shown they are not willing to pay greatly higher prices for electric vehicles. Ford recently announced plans to scale back production capacity for its electric truck, the F-150 Lightning, and for an EV battery plant thats currently under construction. Ford once had trouble keeping up with demand for the Lightning. Now that the market for EVs has moved on from enthusiastic early adopters those willing to accept inconvenience and higher prices to have the latest technology to those Farley referred to as the early majority, these new customers are considering their purchases more carefully. Ford now seems focused on the concept of crossing the chasm between early adopters and broader consumers. And its banking on the broader market demanding lower prices. The shift can be seen in Fords own sales and financial results in the US market, Farley said. EV total revenue was down in the second half of last year versus [the second quarter. If you look at unit volumes, they were up, Farley said. That is a really important insight we learned in being a first mover. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd. The factors driving the market include a rise in the number of data centers due to digitalization and cloud computing, increasing demand for improved cooling efficiency in data centers, the need to reduce anomalies in power supply, and regulations and initiatives by institutes and associations. NEWARK, Del, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The critical power and cooling market is estimated to be worth US$ 26.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to be valued at US$ 82 billion in 2034. Between 2024 and 2034, the industry is expected to rise at a CAGR of 12.1%. The rising adoption of digital services, cloud computing, and big data analytics has triggered a substantial rise in both the quantity and scale of data centers. With the continuous expansion of these data facilities, there is a heightened need for resilient critical power and cooling solutions. This demand is driven by the imperative to maintain uninterrupted operations, safeguard against potential data loss, and ensure the reliability of essential infrastructure as data centers play a pivotal role in supporting modern technological ecosystems. The growing dependence on digital processes and data-centric decision-making has heightened the financial repercussions of downtime for businesses. Sustaining uninterrupted power and ensuring optimal temperature levels are paramount to preventing disruptions, minimizing the adverse effects of downtime on productivity, and safeguarding revenue streams. Gain Valuable Insights from Industry Experts to Shape Your Growth Strategies. Access our Sample Report Now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-18933 Various sectors, including finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government, are undergoing digital transformation. This involves the adoption of advanced technologies that require robust IT infrastructure, contributing to the demand for critical power and cooling solutions. The adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) devices and the expansion of 5G networks significantly fuel the demand for facilities dedicated to data processing and storage. The prevalence of these interconnected technologies underscores the imperative for robust power and cooling infrastructure to ensure the resilience and optimal performance of these critical facilities. Story continues Rising awareness of cybersecurity threats has prompted a dedicated emphasis on fortifying critical infrastructure, encompassing power and cooling systems. Investments directed towards secure and resilient solutions play a pivotal role in driving the overall demand within the market. Key Takeaways from the Market Study From 2019 to 2023, the critical power and cooling market expanded at a CAGR of 15.2% . Based on type, the uninterrupted power supply segment is expected to rise at a CAGR of 11.8% from 2024 to 2034. The critical power and cooling market demand in China is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 13.1% through 2034. In the United States, the critical power and cooling market industry is estimated to register a CAGR of 12.4% from 2024 to 2034. The United Kingdom is projected to expand by a value CAGR of 13.5% between 2024 and 2034. The critical power and cooling market in Japan is anticipated to record a CAGR of 10.9% during 2034. The critical power and cooling market is being propelled by growing data center industry and growing renewable energy integration, opines Nikhil Kaitwade, Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights (FMI) Competitive Landscape The leading players are forming partnerships with other technology providers to create comprehensive solutions that integrate critical power and cooling with other data center infrastructure components. Collaborating with industry leaders to enhance product portfolios and jointly address market challenges. General Electric (GE) - A multinational conglomerate with interests in aviation, healthcare, power, and renewable energy. Provides critical power solutions, including UPS systems, power distribution, and monitoring solutions. Eaton Corporation - A global power management company. Offers a wide range of critical power solutions, including UPS systems, power distribution, and control products. Delta Electronics - A Taiwanese multinational company specializing in power and thermal management solutions. Provides UPS systems, precision cooling solutions, and renewable energy products. Top 10 Key Players in the Critical Power and Cooling Market Schneider Electric ABB General Electric Eaton Corporation Delta Electronics Socomec Group Falcon Electric Inc. Daikin Industries Stulz Group Vertiv Enhance Your Business Now! Acquire Vital Market Insights - Access the Report Now! https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/18933 More Valuable Insights Available Future Market Insights offers an unbiased global critical power and cooling market analysis, providing historical data from 2019 to 2023 and forecast statistics from 2024 to 2034 To understand opportunities in the critical power and cooling industry, the industry is segmented based on type (Uninterrupted Power Supply, Generators, Air Conditioning, Chilling Units) by application (industrial, Commercial, IT & Telecommunication, Transportation) and Region (North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia and Pacific, East Asia, Middle East and Africa). Critical Power and Cooling Market - Key Segments By Type: Uninterrupted power supply Generators Air conditioning Chilling units By End-Use: Industrial Commercial IT & Telecommunication Transportation By Region: North America Latin America Western Europe Eastern Europe South Asia and the Pacific East Asia Middle East and Africa Author: Nikhil Kaitwade (Associate Vice President at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has over a decade of experience in market research and business consulting. He has successfully delivered 1500+ client assignments, predominantly in Automotive, Chemicals, Industrial Equipment, Oil & Gas, and Service industries. His core competency circles around developing research methodology, creating a unique analysis framework, statistical data models for pricing analysis, competition mapping, and market feasibility analysis. His expertise also extends wide and beyond analysis, advising clients on identifying growth potential in established and niche market segments, investment/divestment decisions, and market entry decision-making. Nikhil holds an MBA degree in Marketing and IT and a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Nikhil has authored several publications and quoted in journals like EMS Now, EPR Magazine, and EE Times. Explore wide-ranging Coverage of FMI's Industrial Automation Market Insights Landscape The global marine hatch covers market is projected to record a robust CAGR of 7.6% between 2023 and 2033, totaling around US$ 327.7 million by the end of 2033. The India electrical testing services market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 308.4 million by 2033. with a CAGR of 4.4% from 2023 to 2033. The global industrial weighing equipment market is projected to reach US$ 2.4 billion by 2033. A CAGR worth 5% is expected for the market during the forecast period. The worldwide material handling equipment market is expected to record a 4.5% CAGR between 2023 and 2033, reaching a valuation of US$ 6,555.9 million. The duct fans market is expected to rise to US$ 162,788.1 million by 2033. The sales are expected to record a significant CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period. The combined cooling heat and power plants market is expected to grow at an impressive 5.8% CAGR through 2033, when it is expected to be valued at US$ 4.0 billion. By 2033, the power quality equipment market is expected to be valued at US$ 69.65 billion. Over the course of the projected period, power-quality equipment sales are anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 6.25%. By 2034, the outdoor LED lighting market is projected to be valued at US$ 27 billion, growing at a moderate 6.8% annual pace. By 2034, the energy-efficient motors market is expected to reach US$ 151.0 billion. Over the course of the forecast period, a CAGR of 9.8% is anticipated for its growth. By 2034, the industrial power supplies market is projected to be worth US$ 21.5 billion. From 2024 to2034, the industrial power supply is expected to increase at a CAGR of 10.1%. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, recipient of the Stevie Award, and a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) offers profound insights into the driving factors that are boosting demand in the market. FMI stands as the leading global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, consulting, and events for the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Consumer Technology, Healthcare, Industrial, and Chemicals markets. With a vast team of over 5000 analysts worldwide, FMI provides global, regional, and local expertise on diverse domains and industry trends across more than 110 countries. Contact Us: Nandini Singh Sawlani Future Market Insights Inc. Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive, Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA T: +1-845-579-5705 For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs | YouTube Reed Intelligence The global escalator cleaning machine industry is driven by vertical building growth, fueled by population expansion, urbanization, and sustainability concerns. This trend boosts escalator installations in skyscrapers, increasing demand for eco-friendly cleaning solutions. North America dominates, driven by robust economic growth, new businesses, and heightened construction, leading to increased spending on cleaning services, including escalator cleaning machines. Stringent regulations also bolster demand for professional cleaning equipment, contributing to escalator cleaning machine demand in the region. New York, United States, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Escalators are a focal feature in many structures and occupy a large visual area. In order to preserve their look and prevent excessive wear, escalators must be routinely cleaned, just like floors. Even though there are various methods for cleaning escalators, escalator cleaning machines are the most practical and efficient option. Escalator cleaning equipment is a master in cleaning escalators. It is excellent equipment for cleaning escalators quickly and efficiently, and it may be mounted on the pedals for your convenience. The equipment is compatible with all escalators due to its autonomous guidance mechanism. Download Free Sample Report PDF @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/escalator-cleaning-machine-market/request-sample Growth of Vertical Buildings Drives the Global Market According to Straits Research, The global escalator cleaning machine market size was valued at USD 864.92 million in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 2,241.57 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 11.16% during the forecast period (20232031). Population growth, rising demand for urban dwellings, increasing population and foot traffic in commercial sectors, and a scarcity of available land are driving the global expansion of vertical construction. Climate change is caused by the huge pressure a rapidly expanding population exerts on finite natural resources. In 2050, there will be approximately 9.9 billion people on Earth and 12 billion in 2100. All of these reasons are anticipated to promote the installation of escalators, which will increase the need for escalator-cleaning equipment over the projected period. In addition, the increasing rise of urbanization has also boosted skyscraper construction. By 2050, there are predicted to be around 6,900 skyscrapers per billion people, compared to the current 800 per billion people. Urbanization and skyscraper construction will likely benefit the global escalator cleaning machine market over the forecast period. Story continues Advent of Robotic/Automatic Cleaning Equipment Creates Tremendous Opportunities New cleaning technologies have emerged in recent years due to rapid technical breakthroughs. The advent of automatic escalator cleaning machines is one of these ground-breaking developments in professional cleaning equipment. All aspects of life are rapidly adopting automation. Implementing automation and robotics can drastically transform the cleaning industry, boosting the market. Automated escalator cleaning devices will make breakthrough robotics technology relatively affordable to businesses. In recent years, the use of telematics and IoT in cleaning equipment has increased, which has increased competition and provided numerous opportunities for vendors to develop newer technologies that reduce labor costs and provide more effective and efficient cleaning, propelling the escalator cleaning machine market. Regional Analysis North America's escalator cleaning machine industry share is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.13% over the forecast period. High economic growth, the establishment of new businesses, company expansions, and increasing building activity are primarily responsible for the region's growing need for cleaning services. Over the past five years, income from professional cleaning services increased by 3% in the United States. Rising corporate earnings have increased spending on cleaning services, creating demand for commercial equipment such as escalator cleaning machines. In addition, severe laws aimed at reducing cross-contamination and worker injury fuel the market for professional cleaning equipment. These macro variables resulted in the region's tremendous demand for escalator cleaning machines. The increasing demand for escalator cleaning equipment in Canada is primarily attributable to increased construction and commercial businesses. Canada's escalator cleaning machine market is substantially less than the United States. Yet, expanding global commerce and the recent adoption of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Trade Agreement have helped Canada's economic expansion. Asia-Pacific is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 15.23% over the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific market for escalator cleaning machines is anticipated to expand quickly, exceeding North America and Europe over the forecast period. India, China, and Japan are Asia-Pacific's key market growth drivers. The need for professional cleaning equipment in these nations is bolstered by their robust economic expansion, increasing construction activity, and higher per capita disposable income. In addition, increasing end-user discretionary money, bolstered by robust economic growth, is driving the deployment of cleaning robots. Robotic or autonomous cleaning equipment is anticipated to see the greatest CAGR, pushing the demand for automatic escalator cleaning machines. Travel and tourism expansion fosters the hospitality industry's expansion, encouraging greater investment. In addition, these industries have a large footprint, necessitating more frequent escalator cleaning. Key Highlights Based on the product, the global escalator cleaning machine market is bifurcated into walk-behind and automatic escalator cleaning machines. The walk-behind segment dominates the global market and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.49% over the forecast period. Based on sales channels, the global escalator cleaning machine market is divided into direct and indirect sales channels. The direct sales channels segment is the most significant contributor to the market and is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 10.21% over the forecast period. Based on the cleaning process, the global escalator cleaning machine market is bifurcated into wet cleaning, dry cleaning, and dry and wet cleaning. The wet cleaning segment owns the highest market share and is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 9.56% over the forecast period. Based on the end-user, the global escalator cleaning machine market is bifurcated into shopping centers and malls, airports and public utilities, hospitality, and others. The shopping centers and malls segment dominates the global market and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 9.12% during the forecast period. North America is the most significant global escalator cleaning machine market shareholder and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.13% over the forecast period. Competitive Players The top players in the global escalator cleaning machine market are Karcher, Duplex Cleaning Machines, HEFTER Cleantech, Eureka, JUMA Reinigungstechnik, Nilfisk, Rosemor International, Columbus, Roots Multiclean, Henan Pivot Machinery, and MACH. Market News In October 2022 , Nilfisk, one of the world's foremost producers of professional cleaning equipment, announced a strategic relationship with Blue Ocean Robotics, a specialized robotics business. The alliance is intended to complement Nilfisk's existing robotics partnerships and speed up the company's development of autonomous cleaning equipment. In March 2023, Karcher, the industry leader in automated cleaning equipment and solutions, launched ambitious growth plans in the Indian market to double its revenue share in the global company over the next two to three years and again by 2030. Global Escalator Cleaning Machine Market: Segmentation By Product Walk-Behind Automatic By Sales Channel Direct Indirect By Cleaning Process Dry Cleaning Wet Cleaning Dry and Wet Cleaning By End-User Shopping Centers and Malls Airports and Public Utilities Hospitality Others By Regions North America Europe Asia-Pacific Latin America The Middle East and Africa Get Detailed Market Segmentation @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/escalator-cleaning-machine-market/segmentation About Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. Straits Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision-makers. Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. provides actionable market research data, especially designed and presented for decision-making and ROI. Whether you are looking at business sectors in the next town or crosswise over continents, we understand the significance of being acquainted with the clients purchase. We overcome our clients issues by recognizing and deciphering the target group and generating leads with utmost precision. We seek to collaborate with our clients to deliver a broad spectrum of results through a blend of market and business research approaches. For more information on your target market, please contact us below: Phone: +1 646 905 0080 (U.S.) +91 8087085354 (India) +44 203 695 0070 (U.K.) Email: sales@straitsresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Straits Research - Market Research Strategy | Strategy Consulting | Business Research | Business Consulting | Market Research In Asia-Pacific, solid-state lighting market is driven by government policies, smart lighting trends, and technological advancements in LEDs, expected to grow at a CAGR of 13%. In Europe, the market is fueled by consumer preference for environmentally friendly lighting, with Germany leading the region. Smart infrastructure development and various applications like automotive and street lighting contribute to Europe's 11.7% CAGR growth. Both regions offer opportunities for market expansion driven by sustainability, reduced emissions, and low energy consumption in solid-state lighting solutions. New York, United States, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Solid-state lighting uses semiconductors to convert electricity into light. A solid-state lighting system generates visible light through electroluminescence, in which an electric current is passed through a semiconductor diode specially formulated to glow. Solid-state lighting is used in many applications because of its many advantages, such as its prolonged lifespan, increased light output, inherent safety, compact design, and high durability. Download Free Sample Report PDF @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/solid-state-lighting-market/request-sample Rising Government-Supported Industry Consortiums Drives the Global Market According to Straits Research, The Solid-State Lighting Market size was valued at USD 44.02 billion in 2022. It is expected to reach USD 120.12 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 11.80% during the forecast period (20232031). The emergence of efficient solid-state lighting has brought about a paradigm shift in lighting technology. In Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, energy conservation was one of the original founding principles of government-sponsored industry consortia. Additionally, several consortiumsincluding the Open Connectivity Foundation, the TALQ Consortium, oneM2M, Bluetooth SIG, the Industrial Internet Consortium, and the Zigbeeare cooperating to create typical specifications and standards to support interoperability among different solid-state lighting products. As a result of more government-sponsored industry consortiums, the market is expanding. Story continues Technological Advancements Creates Tremendous Opportunities Solid-state luminaires sold for residential use typically have an efficacy of over 100 lumens per watt, depending on the model. They must be increased to an average of 160 lumens per watt by 2030 to meet the objectives outlined in the Sustainable Development Scenario. LED efficacy is already at its highest compared to halogens (less than 20 lm/W) and compact fluorescent lights (around 60 lm/W). However, it is anticipated that fostering innovations to increase the efficacy of solid-state lighting will open profitable market expansion opportunities. Regional Analysis Asia-Pacific's solid-state lighting industry share is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13% during the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific solid-state lighting market is dominated by government regulations and policies, which promote long-term investments in the sector. The growing acceptance of smart lighting in Asia-Pacific also creates significant market expansion opportunities. In Asia-Pacific, the LED market is expanding due to technological advancements. The market is expanding as a result of the advantages of LEDs, such as their long durability, dependability, and small size. The market's top competitors will also benefit significantly from the increased demand for low-power lighting solutions. Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.7% during the forecast period. European consumers favor more environmentally friendly lighting sources over conventional ones due to Germany's dominance. Solid-state lighting is frequently used in automotive, street lighting, and backlighting. The European Street light market is an oligopoly with few products and a largely reliable supply chain. The European market for solid-state lighting is expanding due to its benefits, including sustainability, low emissions, and efficient energy use. In addition, it is expected that the supply of low-tech components from developing countries for producing high-tech solutions will present profitable opportunities for the market's growth. Key Highlights Based on type, the global solid-state lighting market is bifurcated into LED, OLED, and PLED. The LED segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period. Based on installation type, the global solid-state lighting market is bifurcated into new installation and retrofit. The retrofit segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.1% during the forecast period. Based on application, the global solid-state lighting market is bifurcated into indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, and specialty lighting. The indoor lighting segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.2% during the forecast period. Based on industry verticals, the global solid-state lighting market is bifurcated into residential, industrial and commercial, medical, and transportation. The industrial and commercial segment owns the highest market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.1% during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is the most significant shareholder in the global solid-state lighting market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13% during the forecast period. Competitive Players The global solid state lighting markets major key players are Cree, Inc., Energy Focus, Inc., General Electric Company, Nichia Corporation, Osram Licht AG, Signify Holding, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Sharp Corporation, and Toshiba Corporation. Market News In November 2022, The J Series 2835 3V G Class LEDs and XLamp XP-G3 LEDs from Cree LED, an SGH company, are available with PhotophyllTM Select LEDs, an advanced horticulture spectrum. Manufacturers of luminaires can easily alter the blue/green/red spectral ratios of their products to meet the needs of each type of plant since Photophyll Select LEDs are the first LEDs on the market to be fully characterized in horticulture metrics. In August 2022, EnFocusTM Power Line Controlled commercial LED lighting system was updated by Energy Focus, Inc., a leader in sustainable, energy-efficient LED lighting control systems and products for the commercial, military, maritime, and consumer markets. It is less expensive and easier to install, commission, and operate than other dimming and color-tuning systems. Global Solid State Lighting Market: Segmentation By Type LED OLED PLED By Installation Type New Installation Retrofit By Applications Indoor Lighting Outdoor Lighting Specialty Lighting By Industry Vertical Residential Industrial and Commercial Medical Transportation Others By Regions North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEA Get Detailed Market Segmentation @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/solid-state-lighting-market/segmentation About Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. Straits Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision-makers. Straits Research Pvt. Ltd. provides actionable market research data, especially designed and presented for decision making and ROI. Whether you are looking at business sectors in the next town or crosswise over continents, we understand the significance of being acquainted with the clients purchase. We overcome our clients issues by recognizing and deciphering the target group and generating leads with utmost precision. We seek to collaborate with our clients to deliver a broad spectrum of results through a blend of market and business research approaches. For more information on your target market, please contact us below: Phone: +1 646 905 0080 (U.S.) +91 8087085354 (India) +44 203 695 0070 (U.K.) Email: sales@straitsresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter General Motors' troubled robotaxi service Cruise on Feb. 6 endured a public lashing from a California judge who compared the company to the devious TV character Eddie Haskell for its behavior following a ghastly collision that wrecked its ambitious expansion plans. The withering comparison to the two-faced Haskell from the 1950s-era TV series, "Leave It To Beaver," was drawn by Administrative Law Judge Robert Mason III during an hour-long hearing held to consider a proposed settlement of a case accusing Cruise trying to conceal its excruciating role in an incident that resulted in the suspension of its California license. After a vehicle driven by a human struck a San Francisco pedestrian in early October, a Cruise robotaxi named "Panini" dragged the person 20 feet (6 meters) while traveling at roughly seven miles per hour (11 kilometers per hour). But the California Public Utilities Commission, which in August had granted Cruise a permit to operate an around-the-clock fleet of computer-driven taxis throughout San Francisco, alleged Cruise then covered up what Panini did for more than two weeks, raising the specter of a potential fine of $1.5 million, depending on how the regulations are interpreted. A new management team that General Motors installed at Cruise following the October incident acknowledged it didn't fully inform regulators what Panini did to the pedestrian that night while also trying to persuade Mason that the company wasn't necessarily being purposefully deceitful. Mason became so exasperated by Cruise's mixed messaging during Tuesday's hearing that he harked back to the TV series starring Jerry Mathers as the Beaver that still pops up in reruns. "For some reason, Eddie Haskell popped in my head," Mason quipped to Craig Glidden, who now oversees Cruise as its president and chief administrative officer. Glidden sought to assure Mason that Cruise will accept its culpability for what he described as a regrettable "mistake." Cruise entered the hearing proposed to settle the case for $75,000, but when Mason contended that the company should be required to pay at least $112,500, Glidden immediately agreed to that figure. Story continues "We want to move forward," Glidden said. He also reminded Mason that Cruise could still face other repercussions beyond California, with both the U.S. Justice Department and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission probing the robotaxi service's conduct. But Mason indicated that he is leaning toward letting the case continue through the entire hearing process rather than approving a settlement. The judge didn't set a timetable for resolving the matter. Tuesday's hearing came less than two weeks after Cruise released a lengthy report reviewing how the company mishandled things after the pedestrian was hurt. More: GM hires former Tesla exec Kurt Kelty to help it make EVs more affordable More: GM recalling more than 323K heavy-duty pickups for tailgates opening unexpectedly The report prepared by the law firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan rebuked Cruise's management that has since been dumped for "poor leadership," and fostering an "us versus them" mentality with regulators. But is also blamed internet connection problems for preventing various regulators from seeing parts of a video showing Panini dragging the pedestrian after the vehicle misread the situation. Besides parting ways with former CEO and co-founder Kyle Vogt and other top executives, Cruise also has laid off about one-fourth of its workforce as part of GM's decision to back off its one-time goal of generating $1 billion in annual revenue from the robotaxi service by 2025. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM's troubled robotaxi service faces another round of public ridicule in regulatory hearing Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE:HMC) Q3 2024 Earnings Call Transcript February 9, 2024 Honda Motor Co., Ltd. beats earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $1.06, expectations were $0.85. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Unidentified Company Representative: Thank you for taking time today. I would now like to begin Honda FY 2024 Third Quarter Financial Results Press Conference. First, an introduction of Executives on stage. Executive Officer, CFO, Eiji Fujimura. Eiji Fujimura : Thank you. I am Eiji Fujimura. Unidentified Company Representative: Operating Executive Head of Accounting and Finance, Masao Kawaguchi. Masao Kawaguchi: Thank you. I'm Kawaguchi. Unidentified Company Representative: First, Fujimura will present the FY 2024 Third Quarter Financial Results and FY '24 financial forecast, followed by Kawaguchi's explanation on the details of both. With no further ado, Mr. Fujimura, please. Eiji Fujimura: To start with, first of all, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to the victims of the very worst Reiwa 6 Noto Peninsula Earthquakes occurred on January 1, as well as to their families, and I wish for a quick recovery and the reconstruction, restoration of the affected areas. I will explain the financial results of the third quarter and forecast of the full year of the FY 2024. Starting with the summary of the results. With regards to the cumulative unit sales into the third quarter of FY 2024, the unit sales of the motorcycles businesses increased mainly in Brazil and Europe, achieving the highest-ever operating profits and operating margins. In the automobile businesses, despite the impact of the warranty expenses, the volume went up mainly in North America, significantly raising the operating profits year-on-year. As a result, operating profits of the whole company marked JPY 1,076.3 billion with the operating profit margin being 7.2%. Regarding the forecast of FY 2024, although some challenging market environment exists in Asia, reflecting additional strength of the earnings structures and the favorable currency impacts, we will revise the previous forecast. For the shareholder returns, in order to improve capital efficiency, we made a decision of our share buybacks in the board of directors meeting today for the amount of JYP 50 billion. Together with the already acquired JYP 200 billion, this term, it will add up to JYP 250 billion in total. Further to the share buybacks, we resolved the cancellation of the treasury stocks as many as 154 million shares. Story continues Honda will accelerate our efforts to improve capital efficiencies in order to enhance corporate values. Let me explain the current situation of automobile businesses in the main markets. Due to the solid demand in the United States and the production recovery in Japan leading to the incremental unit sales, the entire unit sales increased year-on-year. In terms of the sales forecast of the FY 2024, we are expecting the sales drop in Thailand and Indonesia. However, we expect the sales unit increase in China. There's no change of the previous forecast. Speaking of our initiatives for electrification. In CES, the world largest tech exhibition in Las Vegas, the other day in the U.S., in that show, we made a world of premiere presentation of the new global EV concept model of Honda Zero Series, the concept model named Saloon and Space-Hub. As the Fuel Cell System Manufacturing LLC, the joint venture company with General Motors, we have started the production of the air fuel cell systems. Next, moving on to the motorcycle businesses. In terms of the cumulative results until third quarter, despite the unit sales fell in Vietnam vehicles because of the economic slowdown, we had a stable demand growth in Indonesia and Brazil, thus the entire result ended up at the equivalent level last year. In the third quarter alone, we had increased unit sales in Brazil and India due to the reduction of units in Vietnam. The entire result was lower year-on-year. Speaking of the results forecast of FY 2024, we expect unit sales reduction in Vietnam and in Japan. However, sales in India and Thailand would grow. A fleet of motorcycles and vehicles lined up in an assembly line with workers in the background. Therefore, the previous forecast still stands unchanged. In November 2023, Honda organized a briefing concession on electric and motorcycle businesses. We updated our sales target of electric motorcycle in 2030 from the previous announcement of 3.5 million to 4 million units. We announced high money models to be launched, and we announced electrification strategies such as production and the procurement structures. Honda will accelerate electrification of our motorcycles, our businesses as well toward the realization of the carbon neutral. Next, regarding the outline of the cumulative financial results up until the third quarter FY 2024. In spite of the negative impact of warranty expenses, we had incremental sales of automobiles and the pricing scheme that reflects the commercial value of the products and so on due to which the operating profit increased by JPY 342.4 billion year-on-year to reach JPY 1.0763 trillion. The profit for the period attributable to owners of the parent is JPY 869.6 billion, up by JPY 206.4 billion. Moving on to the consolidated financial forecast of the FY 2024. In spite of the challenging market environment in Asia and the higher warranty expenses with the reflection of additional fortification for profit improvements and current impact, we have revised the operating profit expectations to JPY 1.25 trillion, up by JPY 50 billion. The profit for the period attributable to owners of the parent is expected to be JPY 960 billion, up by JPY 30 billion. Forex assumption is JPY 144 for $1 in the second half and is JPY 142 for $1 for the full year projection. Unit sales and PL are shown in this slide. Regarding dividends. Expected annual dividends for 2024 will be JPY 174 per share based on the condition before splitting the shares. Therefore, no change from the previous announcement. At today's board meeting, we passed a resolution regarding acquisition and cancellation of our own shares. For the acquisition, we have set an upper limit of 34 million shares or JPY 50 billion. Regarding the cancellation, approximately 154 million shares will be canceled. Next, Mr. Kawaguchi will explain the details of the financial results and forecast. Masao Kawaguchi: Let me begin. At first, the Honda Group FY '24, April to December, nine months unit sales by business area is as follows. Motorcycles, a decline to 13,961 million units compared to the same period last year, mainly due to decrease in Asia. Automobiles, 3,114,000 units led by an increase in North America. Power products business, total sales amounted to 2,548,000 units led by decrease in North America. Next, a change in profit before income tax for nine months and compared to the same period last fiscal year. Firstly, operating profit increased by JPY 342.4 billion. The change factors are as follows: Sales impact. We saw a positive impact on profit of JPY 282.4 billion mainly due to an increase of automobile sales, price, and cost impacts. The pricing that reflects increased products value, a decrease in precious metal prices and other raw material costs had a positive impact of JPY 359.8 billion. Expenses. Increase in warranty expenses plus other factors had a negative impact on profit of JPY 366.6 billion. R&D expenses had a negative impact of JPY 28.5 billion. Currency effects, a positive impact of JPY 95.4 billion. Profit before income taxes, despite a decrease in equity method profit mainly from China due to an increase in operating profit, interest income, and other, profits was increased by JPY 405.1 billion. Next, sales revenue and operating profit by business segment. Operating profit marked a record high of JPY 411.5 billion in motorcycle business. Operating profit for automobile was JPY 460.5 billion, financial services JPY 204.8 billion, power products businesses and others was a negative JPY 400 million. Next, I would like to explain the cash flow situation. The FY 2024, nine-month free cash flow of operating companies, excluding financial, was JPY 926.5 billion. Net cash balance at the third quarter end was JPY 3,183.3 billion. Next, the forecast for fiscal 2024. Honda group unit sales for each business operation by region, the total volume is unchanged from our previous forecast. Next, forecasted change factors behind profit before income taxes year-on- year. First, operating profit, we expect an increase by JPY 469.2 billion. The breakdown is as follows. Sales impacts, a positive profit -- for sales impacts is positive of JPY 360.6 billion, mainly due to an increase in automobile unit sales, price, and cost impacts. Although there is an increase in labor costs, positive effects of pricing, plus a decline in raw materials such as precious metals lead to a decrease of JPY 434 billion. Expenses, negative JPY353.4 billion due to an increase in warranty expenses and others. R&D expenses, a negative impact of JPY 51 billion on profits. Currency effects, a positive impact of JPY 79 billion. Although profit before income tax is expected to increase by JPY 565.4 billion despite a decrease in equity method profit mainly from China, offset by increase in interest income and others. Next, changes from the previous forecast. Operating profit and profit before tax forecast is increased by JPY 50 billion. The breakdown is as follows. Sales impacts, negative JPY 11 billion, mainly due to decrease in consolidated unit sales and price and cost impact. Although there is labor cost increase,pricing relating to the increased product value plus decrease in raw materials such as precious metals, will result in a JPY 40 billion increase in profit. Expenses, minus JPY 32 billion is forecast mainly due to an increase in warranty expenses. Currency effects, an increase of JPY 53 billion. Lastly, the forecast for capital expenditures, depreciation, and amortization, and R&D expenditures for FY 2024 as shown. There are no changes from the previous forecast. This concludes my explanation. Thank you for your attention. Unidentified Company Representative: Thank you very much for your attention. So, we'd like to now continue on with the questions and answers. As we have announced before, we are going to take questions on the Zoom. And because of the interest of time, please limit your questions to two questions per person. Thank you very much for your cooperation. See also 24 Best Countries to Live and Work in 2024 and 15 Best Video Games Coming Out in 2024. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission Warns of Fraudulent Websites Posing as MEXC Hong Kong authorities are sounding the alarm on a sophisticated scam targeting cryptocurrency investors. A fraudulent entity posing as the legitimate exchange MEXC has been luring victims via social media and siphoning off their funds. The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Police Force jointly issued a warning, revealing the elaborate scheme. Scammers infiltrated social media chat groups frequented by crypto enthusiasts, posing as representatives of MEXC. They then directed interested individuals to illegitimate websites designed to mimic the real MEXC platform. Unaware victims, believing they were investing in cryptocurrency, deposited funds into designated bank accounts controlled by the scammers. When attempting to withdraw their funds, they encountered insurmountable obstacles, falling victim to the meticulously crafted phishing trap. Authorities identified eight websites with domain names closely resembling MEXC, such as "mexczx.icu" and "mexczx.co." These websites served as gateways to the fraudulent scheme, further blurring the lines between legitimate and illegitimate platforms. The SFC emphasized its ongoing efforts to identify and regulate virtual asset trading providers (VATPs) operating in Hong Kong, encouraging investors to consult its official list before engaging with any platform. This incident comes amidst growing scrutiny of MEXC's own enforcement actions. In December 2023, reports surfaced of the exchange freezing user accounts and seizing funds, citing "abnormal trading activities." Such incidents fuel concerns about the platform's transparency and accountability, further highlighting the importance of investor due diligence. Over the last year, a good number of insiders have significantly increased their holdings in Australian Agricultural Company Limited (ASX:AAC). This is encouraging because it indicates that insiders are more optimistic about the company's prospects. While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. Check out our latest analysis for Australian Agricultural Australian Agricultural Insider Transactions Over The Last Year In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when insider Bryan Glinton bought AU$11m worth of shares at a price of AU$1.86 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being AU$1.50). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. In the last twelve months Australian Agricultural insiders were buying shares, but not selling. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Insiders At Australian Agricultural Have Bought Stock Recently Over the last quarter, Australian Agricultural insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. insider John Andrew Forrest spent AU$9.8m on stock, and there wasn't any selling. That shows some optimism about the company's future. Story continues Does Australian Agricultural Boast High Insider Ownership? For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Australian Agricultural insiders own 73% of the company, currently worth about AU$656m based on the recent share price. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Australian Agricultural Insiders? It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. But on the other hand, the company made a loss during the last year, which makes us a little cautious. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Australian Agricultural insiders are well aligned, and quite possibly think the share price is too low. That's what I like to see! Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Australian Agricultural, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Exploring Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE:ARE), youll find a standout in the life sciences real estate arena, boasting a solid 4.4% dividend yield that speaks volumes about its top-notch operations and strategic spot where real estate meets biotech innovation. At the heart of their investment approach is a commitment to crafting top-tier life science and tech hubs, echoing Bill Gates vision for groundbreaking innovation, health progress, and eco-friendly advancements. This synergy positions Alexandria not just as an investment option but as a prime pick for those eyeing returns that are both sustainable and geared towards significant growth, especially in a sector thats as specialized as it is on a swift upward trajectory. Don't Miss: Investing in real estate just got a whole lot simpler. This Dara Khosrowshahi-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, and you only need $100. Commercial real estate has historically outperformed the stock market, but few investors have the capital or resources needed to invest in this asset class. A platform backed by industry giant Marcus & Millichap is changing that, allowing individuals to invest in commercial real estate with as little as $5,000. Investing in Alexandria Real Estate Equities resonates with Gates investment approach, known for its emphasis on breakthrough growth, significant contributions to human health, and a commitment to leveraging science for global betterment. Similar to Gates strategic investments through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and his personal portfolio, which often focus on healthcare, education, and clean energy, Alexandria invests in premium locations for life sciences and tech firms, creating ecosystems that foster innovation and collaboration among tenants. This approach is not only growth-focused but also underpins a stable revenue base, reflecting Gates affinity for investments that offer both growth potential and societal impact. Story continues Alexandrias operational success is grounded in its strategic asset management and targeted expansion in key innovation hubs, which are crucial for maintaining and potentially enhancing its dividend offerings. The REITs ability to sustain high occupancy rates and attract leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies, alongside research institutions, underscores its adaptability and visionary outlooktraits that mirror Gates approach to solving complex global challenges through innovation. The geographical diversity and strategic placement of its properties in major life science clusters contribute to risk mitigation and operational resilience. Diving into Alexandria Real Estate Equities, youre looking at a portfolio thats nothing short of impressive, packed with state-of-the-art labs, bustling science and tech hubs, and a genuine green streak that meets the ever-evolving demands of the life sciences sector head-on. This unwavering commitment not only underscores Alexandrias solid financial health and savvy planning but also resonates deeply with the kind of forward-thinking investment Bill Gates championsones that propel scientific breakthroughs and long-term value. Their knack for strategic portfolio management stands at the heart of their ability to keep dividends strong and growing, a sign of their steady performance that investors have come to rely on. With a dividend announcement of $1.27 per share in the last quarter of 2023, bringing the years total payouts to $4.96, its clear theyre on a promising path. Putting your money into Alexandria Real Estate Equities means youre getting in on a real estate venture thats all about innovation and making a difference, much like the ethos Bill Gates lives by. With a laser focus on vital life science facilities, collaborative spaces, and a varied property mix, Alexandria is perfectly poised to tap into the surging demand for spaces where health meets tech. This mix of growth potential and income, drawing from a playbook that mirrors Gates vision of looking ahead and making an impact, makes Alexandria Real Estate Equities a standout option for anyone looking to beef up their portfolio with a real estate asset thats not just resilient but also has its eyes on the future. Read Next: Commercial real estate has historically outperformed the stock market, but few investors have the capital or resources needed to invest in this asset class. A platform backed by industry giant Marcus & Millichap is changing that, allowing individuals to invest in commercial real estate with as little as $5,000. Collecting passive income from real estate just got a whole lot simpler. A new real estate fund backed by Dara Khosrowshahi gives you instant access to a diversified portfolio of rental properties, and you only need $100 to get started. Image credit: Shutterstock "ACTIVE INVESTORS' SECRET WEAPON" Supercharge Your Stock Market Game with the #1 "news & everything else" trading tool: Benzinga Pro - Click here to start Your 14-Day Trial Now! Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Invest Like Bill Gates With This REIT originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The most you can lose on any stock (assuming you don't use leverage) is 100% of your money. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. To wit, the Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) share price has flown 126% in the last three years. How nice for those who held the stock! Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. View our latest analysis for Occidental Petroleum To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. During three years of share price growth, Occidental Petroleum moved from a loss to profitability. Given the importance of this milestone, it's not overly surprising that the share price has increased strongly. The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). It is of course excellent to see how Occidental Petroleum has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Occidental Petroleum's TSR for the last 3 years was 131%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 23% in the last year, Occidental Petroleum shareholders lost 10% (even including dividends). Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 0.7% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Occidental Petroleum better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Occidental Petroleum . If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. JD.com (NASDAQ: JD) is a controversial stock. Bulls like the company for its solid growth track record in the last few years, propelled by its Amazon-like business model. Bears, however, are concerned about the sustainability of its growth, especially with increasing competitiveness in the Chinese e-commerce industry. Here's a deep dive into the arguments on both sides to help investors make a more informed decision about JD.com. Image source: Getty Images. What the bulls like about JD.com JD has been a solid growth company, with its revenue rising at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24% from 2017 to 2022. While many reasons contributed to its success, its unique business model has contributed significantly. First, JD focuses on selling low-priced products and delivering them quickly to customers. It also operates an integrated business model (handling its own warehousing and logistics), which allows it to control the whole user experience from beginning to end. This approach, while capital intensive, enables JD to operate at a higher efficiency and a lower unit cost base, further enhancing JD's ability to offer low prices to customers. Delighted customers, in turn, stay longer with the company and spend more money on JD's platform over time. A growing business gradually gives JD the scale to reduce its unit cost further and pass on the savings in the form of lower selling prices, resulting in a virtuous cycle of lower unit cost, lower sales prices, and higher sales volume. Beyond its e-commerce business, JD has also proven to be a successful incubator of new ventures, having built successful businesses in logistics, healthcare, fintech, and others. This playbook offers flexibility and opportunity for JD to direct its unused capital to sustain its growth engine. And despite the company's solid track record, JD's stock sits at a discount to its peers. For example, JD's shares trade at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10, while Pinduoduo's stock trades at a P/E ratio of 28. In short, the bulls claim that buying JD's stock today provides the upside potential without the commensurate downside risk. Story continues What the bears dislike about JD.com The bulls might tout JD's solid growth track record. The bears, however, think that JD might have passed its prime growth period. JD is already a gigantic company, generating about 1,046 billion yuan ($151.7 billion) in revenue in 2022. It is challenging for companies with more than $100 billion in revenue to keep growing at high rates. On top of that, JD has to compete against its bigger peers like Alibaba and up-and-coming competitors like Pinduoduo and Douying. These forces likely will negatively impact JD's long-term growth ambitions, and there are early signs of that happening already. For instance, JD posted an uninspiring 2% revenue growth in 2023's third quarter. Worse, its flagship first-party e-commerce business fell by 1%, a massive deceleration from its historical double-digit growth rates. While it's too early to decide whether such a slowdown is temporary or permanent, the e-commerce company will face enormous pressure to regain its historical growth trajectory. Beyond JD's own problems, the bears point out the general risks of investing in Chinese companies. Low transparency, cultural differences, and political risks have made investing in Chinese stocks risky for foreign investors. It doesn't help that the relationship between the U.S. and China has deteriorated over the last few years, adding another layer of uncertainty to investing in Chinese companies. In short, the bears think that JD's stock, while cheap, is cheap for a good reason. What it means for investors The bulls and bears both have a worthy rationale for maintaining their stance on JD.com. While the company has historically delivered solid growth, it now faces intense competition from its peers, impacting recent growth. While its recent stock price decline has resulted in the stock trading at bargain levels, investors must be comfortable with the risks of investing in Chinese companies, creating another layer of uncertainty. Overall, JD is a highly uncertain investment that could deliver good returns if the company improves its weak performance. However, investors must have a high-risk appetite to own the stock. Should you invest $1,000 in JD.com right now? Before you buy stock in JD.com, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and JD.com wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 5, 2024 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Lawrence Nga has positions in Alibaba Group and PDD Holdings. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and JD.com. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. JD.com: Bulls vs. Bears was originally published by The Motley Fool China KraneShares, the China-focused asset manager with $6.4 billion in 28 ETFs, launched two funds focused on Chinas internet sector, as the world's second-biggest economy takes steps to bolster its battered economy. The so-called defined outcome funds, which seek to protect investors from falling asset prices, began trading Feb. 8. The KraneShares 100% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2026 ETF (KPRO) and the KraneShares 90% KWEB Defined Outcome January 2026 ETF (KBUF) both dropped less than 1% Feb. 9. The two funds, also known as buffered ETFs, aim to offer downside protection for investors and are comprised of tech stocks that give exposure to Chinas internet sector, according to the companys press release. We are seeing a record valuation disparity between the U.S. and China and think now is the time to invest, said Jonathan Shelon, chief operating officer of KraneShares in a statement. KraneShares is majority-owned by China Investment Capital Corporation, known as CICC, whose ownership structure includes ties to the Chinese government. While investors have historically looked to China as a key emerging market investment opportunity, many China-exposure ETFs have performed poorly in past months. The largest China ETF, the $5.8 billion iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI), which includes Chinese equities, is down 8.5% year to date, adding to losses of 11% that the index took last year. In addition, the KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB), has been down 5.4% on top of 2023s 9% downturn. China ETFs Flounder Investors subsequently have pulled out $1 billion out of U.S. listed China ETFs in the past year, according to Bloomberg. Regulatory crackdown on Chinese tech companies, geopolitical instability, and economic lagging are largely responsible for the downturn in many Chinese stocks. The defined outcome strategy gives investors access to options strategies without purchasing options or structured notes, according to the company. KRO gives 100% downside protection, while KBUF gives 90% downside protection. Story continues Despite the recent poor performance of many China-based ETFs, KraneShares argues that the tech sector especially is poised for growth. The company China Investment Capital Corporation (CICC), which is a Chinese financial services firm, owns a majority stake in KraneShares. Chinas E-Commerce market size in 2022 was $2 trillion, twice that of the US, said Jonathan Krane, CEO of KraneShares. We believe KPRO and KBUF will prove just as attractive to investors seeking to access the China internet growth opportunity but with downside protection. Contact Lucy Brewster at lucy.brewster@etf.com. Permalink | Copyright 2024 etf.com. All rights reserved MOSCOW (Reuters) The Kremlin said on Monday that SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet system was neither certified for use in, nor officially supplied to, Russia, and therefore could not be used. Ukraine, which has used Starlink for military communications throughout its conflict with Russia, said on Sunday that Russian troops were using the Elon Musk-led company's system in parts of Ukraine they control. In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "This is not a certified system with us; accordingly, it cannot be officially supplied here and is not officially supplied. Accordingly, it cannot be used officially in any way." "That is why here, perhaps, we should not intrude into the discussion between the Kyiv regime and the entrepreneur Musk", he said, referring to the Ukrainian government. Psycho from the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade disconnects a Starlink on the front line in Ukraine during a ceasefire in January 2023. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne (REUTERS / Reuters) The Ukrainian defence ministry's Main Directorate of Intelligence said in a statement on Sunday that Starlink terminals were being used by units such as Russia's 83rd Air Assault Brigade, which is fighting near the towns of Klishchiivka and Andriivka in the eastern region of Donetsk. In a post on X on Sunday, Musk said: "To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia." "A number of false news reports claim that SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia," Musk said in the post on X, which he also owns. "This is categorically false." (Writing by Felix Light, Editing by Gareth Jones and Timothy Heritage) Fish & Richardson Principal Todd Garcia, Ph.D. (Photo: Business Wire) Fish & Richardson Principal Martina Hufnal (Photo: Business Wire) BOSTON, February 12, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fish & Richardson has appointed leading trial attorney Martina Hufnal and veteran patent prosecutor Todd Garcia, Ph.D. to chair the firms Life Sciences Industry Team. The team represents every sector of the life sciences market, including pharmaceutical, medical device, medtech and biotech companies, as well as academic and research institutions. The Life Sciences Industry Team provides strategic and forward-thinking counsel to clients to minimize risk, protect clients innovative assets, and strengthen clients competitive edge in the market. The teams cross-practice approach leverages interdisciplinary collaboration across litigation, patent prosecution and counseling, post-grant, trademark, regulatory, and licensing to provide clients with seamless support and a 360-degree view of potential opportunities and threat assessment and mitigation. "Fish has a nationally recognized bench of trial attorneys and IP practitioners whose experience representing life sciences companies is second to none," said Fish President and CEO John Adkisson. "Fish knows the life sciences because were scientists too. Over 140 of our attorneys, technology specialists, and patent agents are part of this team with extensive experience and technical backgrounds in related disciplines. The Life Sciences Industry Team provides a cross-practice, cross-geography organizational structure to further invest firm resources and enhance collaboration to support clients in this rapidly evolving industry." Principals Martina Hufnal and Todd Garcia co-lead the team and are charged with spearheading strategy and boosting synergy across functions. Hufnal has extensive experience in Hatch-Waxman litigation, biosimilar cases, and medical device disputes and is regarded for her work on complex pharmaceutical and health care industry cases. Hufnal is known for her long-term strategic perspective and her deep understanding of clients priorities and business objectives. She has represented industry-leading clients in contentious, high-stakes matters and has contributed to defining the evolving landscape of IP law in the life sciences space. Regarded as an outstanding litigator, Hufnals many accolades include "Delaware Litigator of the Year," Managing IP (2022); "IP Star," Managing IP (2018-2023); and "Life Sciences Star," LMG Life Sciences (4x). Story continues "Im grateful to be entrusted as co-leader of this robust and energetic team," said Hufnal. "The life science space is dynamic and provides an exciting opportunity to better cross-serve clients and drive success for innovative companies and institutions. Im looking forward to collaborating across this team to accelerate progress and results." Garcia is a sought after expert in patent prosecution and counseling, opinion work, due diligence studies, and development and management of patent portfolios. With a Ph.D. in microbiology, Garcia has deep technical knowledge in biotechnology, small molecule, and medical and diagnostic devices. Garcia has represented the full spectrum of life sciences clients from startups to large pharmaceutical companies and major research institutions. Recognized as a masterful patent prosecutor, Garcia was named an "IP Star," Managing IP (2013-2023); "Life Sciences Star," LMG Life Sciences (2017-2023); and "Latino Leaders Worth Watching," Profiles in Diversity Journal (2021). "Im excited to co-lead our Life Sciences Industry Team. We will support and deploy the strongest and most experienced professionals with the right technical expertise to handle our clients' patent protection and enforcement needs," said Garcia. With 12 offices across the U.S., and locations in Munich, Germany, and Shenzhen, China, Fish is uniquely positioned to manage global IP portfolios and represent clients in multi-party, multi-jurisdictional, and high-stakes global litigation. Fish attorneys are experienced in each sector of the life sciences market, including small molecule, large molecule, medical device, medtech, and biotech. About Fish & Richardson Fish & Richardson is a premier global intellectual property law firm that the worlds most innovative brands and influential technology leaders trust with their IP. Our deep bench of attorneys with first-chair trial experience in every technology makes us the go-to firm for the most technically complex cases. We have an established reputation as a top-tier firm for patent portfolio planning, strategy, and prosecution, as well as post-grant proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Fish was established in 1878, and now has more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in the U.S., Europe, and China. Our success is rooted in our creative and inclusive culture, which values the diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives. For more information, visit fr.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X, formerly know as Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212662647/en/ Contacts Liz McCarthy Public Relations Manager, Fish & Richardson P.C. Email: emccarthy@fr.com Mobile: 857-293-3044 Lean Solutions Group -- Lean Solutions Group focuses on the nearshoring experience for the industry at large -- CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lean Solutions Group (LSG), a nearshore and offshore services provider, today announced the kick off of their highly anticipated Mastermind 2024. In partnership with FreightWaves, the two-day event is being held in Cartagena, Colombia, and will be attended by a multitude of industry leaders, with keynote speakers Daymond John, Mike Abrashoff, and Andy Lark. Several fireside chats will also be conducted by experts covering the most compelling and dynamic nearshoring and industry related topics. This is our fourth annual Lean Solutions Group Mastermind, where companies can attend to learn more about leadership, culture, and high-end services that will not only empower their overall business strategy but provide the tools and resources needed to navigate 2024, said Robert Cadena, CEO and Co-Founder of Lean Solutions Group. Attendees will find that the agenda is full of unique experiences and will provide the opportunity to network amongst peers to create business opportunities that will help propel each company to the next level. Known for leveraging the best talent across each industry sector served, the event hosted by Lean Solutions will highlight and show firsthand the many potentials of nearshoring. According to C.H. Robinsons 2023 shipper survey, almost 40% of shippers have already taken advantage of nearshoring or are considering it as an option for their company. Furthermore, over the past year, Mexico has been in a position to take advantage of nearshoring opportunities. A 2023 quarter-three report from Banxico confirmed that 2024 alone is expected to see a 3% economic growth in activity from the country, which suggests a less pronounced slowdown in external demand for the territory. Also, between January and October of 2023, some 120 nearshoring investment commitments were made, worth $44 billion. Of that amount, 55% came from the US, according to a published Nearshoring Data Monitor report by Santander Mexico. Story continues Companies can no longer ignore the benefits of nearshoring, continued Cadena. The positive impact that it has on business models from a range of industries is backed by data. Key locations such as Mexico and Colombia are strategically prepared to take on business opportunities and deliver results that come with cost savings for all parties involved. These territories have a skilled workforce that is knowledgeable, talented, and equipped to provide a streamlined transition in both production for companies and additional services. Established in 2012, Lean Solutions has a highly scalable and flexible workforce of approximately 9,000 employees, with operations at seven satellite offices in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and the Philippines. Partnering with more than 500 US-based companies, LSG provides services that are inclusive of business process outsourcing, marketing, sales, staffing, and technology. To learn more about Lean Solutions products and services, visit https://www.leangroup.com/. About Lean Solutions Group Lean Solutions Group, established in 2012 and based in Coral Springs, Florida, is a nearshore and offshore services provider with a highly scalable and flexible workforce of approximately 9,000 employees with operations at seven satellite offices in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and the Philippines. Partnering with more than 500 U.S.-based companies, Lean Solutions Group's expanded service offerings include staffing, technology, marketing, sales, and business process outsourcing services, all in one place. By leveraging the best talent, culture, and price that Lean Solutions provide, businesses can lower operational costs and drive business growth. For more information, visit https://www.leangroup.com/. Media Contact Amber Good LeadCoverage amber@leadcoverage.com 'I learned how to live off of $2.50 a day': Founder of Paul Mitchell hair products and Patron tequila went from homeless and eating 99-cent breakfasts to owning 2 global empires John Paul DeJoria is known for global empires John Paul Mitchell Systems and The Patron Spirits Company. But on his way to founding these brands and becoming a billionaire, he was homeless and living out of his car, he told entrepreneur Noah Kagan on his podcast Noah Kagan Presents. I learned how to live off of $2.50 a day, he said. Don't miss While he was working as a salesperson and consultant in the beauty industry, DeJoria became pals with renowned hair stylist Paul Mitchell. In 1980, they decided to start a business together creating and selling hair products, but their investor backed out after getting cold feet. Anticipating a surge in cash (that never came), DeJoria says he quit his job and set aside money for his wife and daughter at the time. Suddenly he was broke, and too proud to admit it. He ended up getting help from his mom, who loaned him $300, and slept in his car while he learned to live off a couple of bucks a day eating diner specials for 99 cents. All while he sold shampoo door-to-door. Today, Paul Mitchell is one of the most recognized hair care brands in the world. Along with a portfolio of more than 150 products, there are more than 100 Paul Mitchell beauty schools and a network of 50,000 salons in 80 countries. It was a perfect relationship, DeJoria said of his partnership with Mitchell, who died in 1989. I didnt do hair and he didnt do any business. But the key to their success was that we made a hell of a good product, DeJoria said. You dont want to be in the selling business, you want to be in the reorder business. Story continues The Patron origin story When DeJorias friend Martin Crowley came back from a trip to Mexico, he brought with him a nondescript bottle of tequila with a horseshoe on it. I thought, Wow, thats the smoothest tequila Ive ever had you could actually sip this. Crowley, however, had come across a master distiller, Francisco Alcaraz, who he thought could make it even better. DeJoria decided to bankroll production, ordering 1,000 cases (thats 12,000 bottles). And thats what led to Patron. But, back then, nobody wanted the product, DeJoria said. This was in 1989, when a bottle of tequila typically cost a few dollars. Patron, on the other hand, was selling for $37.95. Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now cash in on prime real estate without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how Then he walked into Spago in Beverly Hills. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck was a friend, and DeJoria asked if hed serve it to his celebrity guests. Before he knew it, stars like Bruce Springsteen were requesting cases of Patron. The business grew from there, and Patron was sold to Bacardi in 2018 for $5.1 billion. When Patron was sold to Bacardi in 2018 for $5.1 billion, the company was approaching sales of 4 million cases a year, according to DeJoria. Getting unstuck Even when DeJoria was sleeping in his car and living off loose change, he maintained a positive attitude. You shouldnt focus on how bad things are, he says, because thats yesterdays newspaper if you do that, youre stuck in the past. Since you cant change yesterdays newspaper, he recommends looking ahead at who do I call next, how do I make another sale. No matter how many times youre rejected, keep your eye on the target. After he started making good money, DeJoria went back to one of the restaurants where he used to eat for 99 cents and tipped everyone in that restaurant the biggest tips theyve ever had in their life for helping me out when I needed a helping hand. Thats a key ingredient to his success: kindness. DeJoria has learned over the years just how wonderful kindness is, founding JPs Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation which supports a variety of philanthropic causes to continue giving back. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Key Insights The projected fair value for Lennox International is US$372 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Lennox International is estimated to be 23% overvalued based on current share price of US$457 Our fair value estimate is 18% lower than Lennox International's analyst price target of US$453 Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Lennox International Inc. (NYSE:LII) as an investment opportunity by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Lennox International The Method We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$562.1m US$700.4m US$801.2m US$862.0m US$839.0m US$830.2m US$829.8m US$835.2m US$844.8m US$857.3m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x11 Analyst x10 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ -1.05% Est @ -0.05% Est @ 0.65% Est @ 1.14% Est @ 1.49% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 7.6% US$522 US$604 US$642 US$642 US$581 US$534 US$496 US$463 US$435 US$411 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$5.3b We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.3%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.6%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = US$857m (1 + 2.3%) (7.6% 2.3%) = US$16b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$16b ( 1 + 7.6%)10= US$7.8b The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$13b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$457, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Lennox International as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.6%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.163. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Lennox International Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Building market. Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Can we work out why the company is trading at a premium to intrinsic value? For Lennox International, we've compiled three fundamental factors you should explore: Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Lennox International you should know about. Future Earnings: How does LII's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Veterans Community Project Inc. plans to develop 40 "tiny homes" and a community building for homeless veterans on Milwaukee's northwest side. A long-delayed plan to develop "tiny homes" for homeless veterans and their families on Milwaukee's northwest side is taking another big step forward. The Plan Commission is endorsing zoning approval for the development, which Kansas City-based Veterans Community Project Inc. plans to build on a 7-acre site at 6767 N. 60th St. The development would have 40 homes, ranging from 240 to 340 square feet, provided rent-free. Each home would include a kitchen, bathroom and sleeping areas, with eight homes set aside for families. A village center would provide social activities as well as case management services, education, and health and wellness programming. The goal is to help residents become stable and find jobs and new housing. The homes' designs take into account post-traumatic stress disorder's effects, and provide veterans "a sense of privacy, security and the opportunity to reintegrate into society at a comfortable pace," according to the proposal. "Housing with dignity is very, very important to us," Ben Hendershot, Veterans Community Project's vice president of national expansion, told Plan Commission members. The commission voted Monday to recommend zoning approval, which the Common Council will review. Construction could begin this year, with the community center and homes built in phases. That work was to start in 2021 after Racine-based Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin Inc. bought the city-owned site for $35,000. But that group's plans for 48 tiny homes didn't proceed. Veterans Community Project in 2022 took charge launching an $11.7 million fundraising campaign last year and buying the site. The development will provide services for vets while helping improve the value of nearby homes, said Ald. Larresa Taylor, whose district includes the site and is herself a veteran. Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook. Subscribe to get the BusinessWatch email newsletter. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee 'tiny homes' vet housing project takes big step forward Key Insights Hyatt Hotels' estimated fair value is US$138 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Hyatt Hotels' US$130 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate Analyst price target for H is US$134 which is 2.8% below our fair value estimate Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Hyatt Hotels What's The Estimated Valuation? We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$648.6m US$721.7m US$776.2m US$822.6m US$862.7m US$898.0m US$929.9m US$959.5m US$987.4m US$1.01b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x5 Analyst x4 Est @ 7.56% Est @ 5.98% Est @ 4.87% Est @ 4.10% Est @ 3.55% Est @ 3.18% Est @ 2.91% Est @ 2.72% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 7.9% US$601 US$620 US$618 US$606 US$589 US$568 US$546 US$522 US$497 US$473 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$5.6b After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.3%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 7.9%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = US$1.0b (1 + 2.3%) (7.9% 2.3%) = US$18b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$18b ( 1 + 7.9%)10= US$8.6b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is US$14b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$130, the company appears about fair value at a 5.5% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf The Assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Hyatt Hotels as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.9%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.223. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for Hyatt Hotels Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Hospitality market. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the American market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market. Looking Ahead: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Hyatt Hotels, we've put together three relevant factors you should assess: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Hyatt Hotels , and understanding these should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does H's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. In the last five years, Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) has seen its shares skyrocket 351% (as of Feb. 8), a gain that trounces the overall market. Consistently reporting impressive financial metrics has helped the cause. This was the case in the latest quarter. The Tex-Mex restaurant chain reported revenue of $2.5 billion and diluted earnings per share of $10.21, both figures that were up double digits year over year and that beat Wall Street estimates. If we look more closely at the business, it's easy to see that Chipotle has wonderful qualities that should make it a top Warren Buffett stock. Strong consumer brand The Oracle of Omaha loves companies that have a powerful brand presence. Berkshire Hathaway's top holdings include Apple, American Express, and Coca-Cola, all of which have incredibly valuable, globally recognized brands. Chipotle's brand might not be on this level yet, but it's certainly well-regarded in the restaurant industry. According to Piper Sandler's fall 2023 Taking Stock With Teens survey, Chipotle was ranked as the fourth most popular restaurant among the Gen Z demographic. The only three companies ahead of it were Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, and McDonald's. By pioneering the fast-casual category, with an intense focus on using real ingredients, Chipotle's growth has been superb. The current store count of 3,437 is 38% larger than it was five years ago, with revenue soaring 108% during the same time. This monster success has inspired many entrepreneurs trying to emulate the fast-casual model. Focus on the customer This seems obvious, but Chipotle's impressive growth is only possible if the business puts the customer's needs above everything else. When it comes to serving food, it's all about quality, convenience, and price. Chipotle excels at all three. But there might not be a more important factor influencing how well Chipotle can cater to its hungry customers than with the company's ongoing digital push. The rewards program in its current format was launched in early 2019, and it has amassed 35 million members (as of last June). From management's perspective, this provides an invaluable channel to engage with consumers and collect data that can be used to direct marketing and product strategies. Story continues Of the 271 new stores opened in 2023, 238 were built with a Chipotlane drive-thru option. This increases accessibility and convenience for customers, while at the same time boosting company sales and profitability. Pricing power According to Buffett, the mark of a truly outstanding business is its ability to consistently raise prices for its customers. "If you have to have a prayer session before raising the price by a tenth of a cent, then you've got a terrible business," he once said. For companies that sell commodity-type products, this is an issue. However, Chipotle has proven time and time again that it can continuously hike up menu prices, to offset higher food, labor, and packaging costs, and still register strong same-store sales growth. More recently, higher menu prices resulted in the restaurant-level operating margin expanding from 23.9% in 2022 to 26.2% last year. Given the fact that only a tiny percentage of customers believe prices are unreasonable, there is more financial upside for Chipotle to keep this strategy going. There's one major risk Thanks to this stock being a huge winner in recent years, it's not cheap by any means. Shares trade at a price-to-earnings ratio of 59.5. The valuation indicates all the optimism investors have when it comes to this business. Buffett does have experience investing in restaurant concepts. And I'm sure that Chipotle has caught his attention. But he prioritizes not overpaying for any of the stocks he buys. Chipotle's current valuation is something all investors should be mindful of, despite this being a wonderful company. Should you invest $1,000 in Chipotle Mexican Grill right now? Before you buy stock in Chipotle Mexican Grill, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Chipotle Mexican Grill wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 12, 2024 American Express is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Chipotle Mexican Grill, and Starbucks. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. After a Magnificent Quarter, Chipotle Proves Again Why It Should Be a Top Warren Buffett Stock was originally published by The Motley Fool Marks & Spencer wants to demolish and rebuild its art deco Marble Arch store - Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Michael Gove has been accused of misinterpreting planning rules by Marks & Spencer as a row over the redevelopment of its Marble Arch store heats up. On Tuesday M&S will begin its High Court battle against the Government over the Housing Secretarys decision to block a multimillion-pound revamp of its art deco Oxford Street department store. The legal challenge centres on claims that Gove misinterpreted and wrongly applied planning policy. The Housing Secretary stands accused of taking an inconsistent approach to planning decisions, seeding confusion over what developers need to do to get the green light for projects. The case will be watched closely: Goves decision to intervene in the Marble Arch redevelopment has cast a dark shadow on commercial development projects, according to Robert Gowing, a senior planning associate at Hogan Lovells. Prospective developers are faced with real uncertainty as to what information is needed to justify redevelopment proposals, he says. Across the country, projects have been put on hold as developers await the outcome of the M&S case. Uncertainty has gripped the sector in part because the Marble Arch redevelopment had broad based support. The scheme had the backing of the council, the Mayor of London and an independent inspector, as well as neighbouring businesses. Marks & Spencer had put forward plans to demolish its Marble Arch store and build a new structure up to the latest environmental standards. The company argued that the buildings age construction began in 1929 and its warren-like layout made it unsuitable for refurbishment, meaning a full rebuild was the only option. M&S's plans for the redevelopment of its Oxford Street site included office and retail space - Pilbrow and Partners However, Mr Gove claimed that knocking down the building and replacing it with a new 10-storey complex would fail to support the transition to a low carbon future, and would overall fail to encourage the reuse of existing resources, including the conversion of existing buildings. Campaigners have pointed to the nearby redevelopment of the former Topshop store at Oxford Circus by Ikea. The Swedish furniture giant is in the process of upgrading the building to turn it into a new central London flagship. Story continues It suggests older buildings can be renewed, although last year Ikea was forced to delay the sites opening because the refurbishments needed were more intensive than first thought. In the meantime, uncertainty has hit the property sector as companies struggle to work out what Goves M&S intervention may mean for their projects. Adding to the confusion are more recent decisions. Last week the Housing Secretary approved plans to demolish ITVs former headquarters on the South Bank and build a 400m office complex. Critics claimed the project would generate more carbon emissions than if the 4,000 office workers the new development will house were to drive in from Surrey for 30 years. On Monday, M&S executive Sacha Berendji said: When our proposal to bring one of Londons most sustainable and energy efficient buildings into the heart of the West End is rejected and other schemes with lower sustainability benefits are going ahead, it makes it impossible for developers to interpret planning policy, freezing investment and leading many to ask why bother. M&S has said it will be forced to review its future on Oxford Street unless it is allowed to demolish and rebuild its Marble Arch site. It has warned that the row risks worsening the condition of Oxford Street, which is struggling with rising crime and has been overrun by US candy stores in recent years. Candy shops have changed the face of Oxford Street in recent years - Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images However, the implications of the case stretch much further than Londons West End. Property bosses say the row has become a lightning rod for the ongoing debate over how the industry should approach sustainability. Alistair Watson, a partner at Taylor Wessing, says: There is a general confusion which has to be cleared up. Every scheme is different, but the basic principles about demolition first or repurposing the building, thats what this case can help us establish what we need to do. Charles Begley, chief executive of the London Property Alliance, which represents 400 real estate developers and investors, said: Without additional guidance and standardisation to help understand the full picture, as well as long term impact locally, councils and communities have been left in an invidious position to try and work it all out, with conflicting messaging from national government further confusing the issue. Gowing agrees that more clarity is needed on how decision makers at all levels will evaluate evidence for the carbon impact of demolition versus retrofitting. All this confusion risks exacerbating the decline of high streets across the country. Estimates from the British Retail Consortium suggest that 6,000 shops have closed their doors in the last five years. Earlier this year, retail chiefs told The Telegraph that many locations across the UK were at risk of becoming wastelands because of a lack of incentives for retailers to invest. Richard Pennycook, the former Co-op chief who co-chairs the British Retail Council, said planning issues were a crucial roadblock to regenerating towns. The problems afflicting Oxford Street are also happening elsewhere across the country. The Government has committed 13bn to levelling up, including regenerating town centres and high streets, local transport and cultural and heritage assets. In October, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published its Long-Term Plan for Towns, with 55 towns set to benefit from 1.1bn of levelling up investment under the scheme. In a foreword to the document, Rishi Sunak said he shared the publics anger and frustration at high streets lined with empty shops and neighbourhoods scarred by crime and anti-social behaviour. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said it was unable to comment on the M&S case while proceedings were ongoing. The High Court hearing is expected to take two days and include arguments from lawyers on both sides. M&S will have to convince the courts there was an error in the Governments decision-making process, rather than in the actual decision itself. A judgment is expected in a few weeks time. However, there is the potential that a decision on M&Ss Marble Arch scheme could drag on for months yet. Either side will have the option to appeal. Whatever the outcome, M&S argues things cannot remain as they are. The current muddle has put investment on hold and is a disaster for the economy and the transition to net zero, Berendji says. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Allied Analytics LLP Growing demand for portable and remote monitoring equipment is anticipated to drive the growth of the global medical batteries market during the forecast period. The North America region is expected to observe significant growth during the forecast period. Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, Feb. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allied Market Research has recently published a report, titled, Medical Batteries Market Size, Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report by Technology (Water-based, Solvent-based), by Type (Emulsion, Enamel, Primer, Others), by Application (Exterior, Interior): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032. According to the report, the global medical batteries market generated $1.4 billion in 2022, and is anticipated to generate $2.4 billion by 2032, witnessing a CAGR of 5.3% from 2023 to 2032. Prime Determinants of Growth The increasing demand for portable and remote monitoring equipment, particularly fueled by the rising emphasis on at-home healthcare solutions, is driving the market's growth. Additionally, the rising trend towards miniaturization of medical devices and advancements in battery technology are further fueling the market's growth. However, the increasing concerns related to the size, weight, and potential issues such as leakage or rupture in medical batteries pose challenges, restraining the market's growth during the forecast period. On the other hand, the rising trend towards wearable healthcare technology, coupled with the growing demand for advanced medical batteries in remote patient monitoring systems is expected to unlock rewarding growth opportunities in the global medical batteries market. Request Sample of the Report on Medical Batteries Market Forecast 2032 - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/A08391 Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $1.4 billion Market Size in 2032 $2.4 billion CAGR 5.3% No. of Pages in Report 305 Segments covered Battery Type, Application, End User, and Region Drivers Increasing demand for portable and remote monitoring equipment Ongoing technological advancements in medical devices Opportunities Rising trend towards wearable healthcare technology Growing demand for medical batteries with higher energy density, longer lifecycle, and enhanced safety features Restraints Increasing concerns regarding the weight, size, and potential issues such as leakage or rupture in medical batteries COVID-19 Scenario: Story continues The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the global medical batteries market. The pandemic significantly increased the demand for portable and remote monitoring equipment, boosting the adoption of medical batteries for at-home healthcare solutions. Rising healthcare resource constraints and overcrowded hospitals during the pandemic drove the need for equipment facilitating telehealth solutions, thereby driving the demand for medical batteries. The pandemic underscored the importance of uninterrupted power supplies, driving the market for advanced, long-lasting medical batteries to ensure reliable functioning of critical equipment during emergency scenarios. Supply chain challenges and production demands surged due to the increased need for portable medical devices, causing interruptions and delays in the medical batteries market. Want to Explore More, Connect to our Analyst - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/A08391 Battery Type: Lithium-ion Batteries Sub-Segment to Grow with Highest CAGR by 2032 The lithium-ion batteries sub-segment dominated the market in 2022, holding a major share of 48.0%. This dominance is expected to continue till 2032, growing with a CAGR of 5.7%. This growth is mainly due to the increasing demand for rechargeable solutions, which reduce operational costs and environmental impact. Moreover, lithium-ion batteries play a crucial role in providing a steady voltage output vital for precise and continuous operation of various medical devices. Application: Implantable Medical Devices Sub-Segment to Hold Leading Market Share by 2032 The implantable medical devices sub-segment led the market in 2022, holding a substantial share of 50.9%. This sub-segment is expected to hold a leading market share of 49.8% by 2032. The growth of the sub-segment is mainly because of the increasing demand for advanced battery technology to enhance the efficiency of implantable devices in delivering personalized healthcare solutions. End User: Hospitals & Clinics Sub-Segment Expected to Grow with Highest CAGR by 2032 The hospitals & clinics sub-segment dominated the global medical batteries market share in 2022, holding a major share of 45.5%. This dominance is expected to continue by 2032, growing with CAGR of 5.8%. This growth is mainly because of the increasing demand for medical batteries, driven by rising healthcare technology advancements, growing emphasis on sustainability, and the continuous need for uninterrupted power supply in critical healthcare settings. By Region: North America to Hold the Significant Market Share in Forecast Period The North America region dominated the global medical batteries market in 2022, holding a major share of 38.3%. The dominance of this region is expected to continue by 2032, holding a major share of 39.1%. This is mainly due to increasing demand for portable medical devices, rising prevalence of chronic illnesses, and a surge in telemedicine adoption. The region's commitment to advancing healthcare technologies and its ability to embrace remote patient monitoring are key factors boosting North America's dominance in the global medical batteries market. For Procurement Information - https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/A08391 Leading Players in the Medical Batteries Market: EnerSys EaglePicher Technologies, LLC Saft Ultralife Corporation Panasonic Corporation KAYO Battery (Shenzhen) Company Limited Videndum plc. Liberating Technologies, Inc. Arotech Tadiran Batteries Ltd. The report provides a detailed analysis of the key players of the global medical batteries market. These players have adopted different strategies, such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others to increase their market share and maintain their dominance in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. 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Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact David Correa 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Intl: +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on: LinkedIn Twitter Zyn packages contain up to 9mg of nicotine. Photograph: Michael M Santiago/Getty Images Don Juan, the 1655 five-act comedy by Moliere, begins with a rhapsody on the benefits of snuff: the pulverized tobacco product popularized in the courts and salons of 17th-century Europe. Its the passion of the virtuous man, Molieres rakish hero waxes. Not only does it purge the human brain, but it also instructs the soul in virtue and one learns from it how to be a virtuous man. Don Juans ode to smokeless tobacco was consistent with similar ecstasies of the era. The distinguished English scholar and encyclopedist Robert Burton claimed tobacco went far beyond all other panaceas, potable gold, and philosophers stones, a sovereign remedy to all diseases. Mark Twain, the eminent American wit, once proclaimed: If smoking is not allowed in heaven, I shall not go. While tobacco smoking has itself fallen out of the cultural fashion a 2021 report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 11.5% of Americans over the age of 18 smoked cigarettes, compared with 20.9% in 2005 the plants active stimulant, nicotine, is enjoying a fresh vogue in a new form. And its enthusiasts are no less delicious in their raves, phrased in the hyper-enthusiastic parlance of our times: I do have a Benja-Zyn I gotta couple fuckin Tempur-Pedic lip cushies, buddy couple couch cushions for your upper deck, buddy. * * * To anyone unschooled in the fratty, bro-y, vocal jazz of modern nicotine fandom, Zyn is basically a modern-day snuff, albeit sucked rather than snorted. Its a brand of smokeless nicotine pouches produced by a Stockholm-based tobacco manufacturer, which was sold to the American multinational Philip Morris International (PMI) for $16bn in 2022. Zyn is sold in circular tins, containing 15-20 pouches, each of which contains anywhere from 1.5mg to 9mg of nicotine. (By comparison, the average cigarette contains anywhere between 8mg and 20mg of nicotine, of which only 1-2mg is actually absorbed through smoking.) Lip cushies and couch cushions, meanwhile, are slang for the pouches themselves, which, with their rectangular profile, vaguely resemble cushions, or pillows. Story continues Theres all kinds of slang for it, says David Dobbs, a 21-year-old student living in California. Theres videos on social media where people have fridges full of Zyn. And theres different terminology, like you can use an upper-decker or a lower-decker, depending where the pouch is placed in the mouth. For David, using Zyn (or Zynning) is not an especially social ritual. He regards it as a smoking cessation aid. Barely in his 20s, he already considers himself an addict. He started smoking, and using nicotine vape products, when he was 16, and has since moved on to nicotine lozenges, nicotine gum and, currently, Zyn. Nicotine is definitely my drug of choice, he admits. I will find any reason any reason [to use it]. My brain is hyper-fixated. It is the thing. *** This new class of tobacco-less nicotine pouches has some advantages over its predecessors. For one, Zyn and similar products do not require users to spit. This distinguishes them from other forms of smokeless tobacco, which, in polite company, necessitate the use of some sort of spittoon often an empty soda bottle or beer can. (Smokeless tobacco products are sometimes called spit tobacco for this reason.) Not needing to spit makes this product much more discreet and, it follows, less revolting to those who may find spitting, or seeing people spit, just plain gross. For his part, David cites a range of reasons for preferring Zyn, from the relatively low price to the range of flavors. If I start talking about Zyns, he laughs, I sound like Im a rep for them. Davids hope that nicotine pouches can keep him off cigarettes is a view shared by PMI, which regards these products as part of its stated corporate vision to deliver a smoke-free future. (PMI was spun off from Philip Morris USA and its parent company, Altria Group, in 2008, in an apparent effort to focus on emerging international markets.) The objective is for us to replace cigarettes with products like Zyn, says Corey Henry, a PMI spokesperson. The whole point of the product is for adults who want to switch away, particularly from traditional tobacco products. Henry categorically denies that the company is actively engaged in funding any social media activity, or underwriting social media users (who self-identify, naturally, as Zynfluencers) who enthusiastically promote the product. We dont have any kind of promotional relations or contracts with anyone doing this online, he says. We do get requests for partnership. We deny every single one of them. Indeed beyond the potentially curious optics of underwriting the nicotine use, and abuse, of influencers whose relationship to the product straddles lines between the dis-regulated, ironized, and straight-up baffling, it doesnt really seem like Zyn needs to buy publicity. While there are other brands of nicotine pouches including On! (owned byAltria), Rogue (whose parent company is the Florida-headquartered Swisher) and Lucy (produced by the LA-based Lucy Goods) Zyn is far and away the industry leader in category, commanding 67.3% of the market, according to a 2023 report. As proof its its ubiquity, Zyn, Zyns and Zynnies have become synonymous with the category, much as Coke has become shorthand for soda or Kleenex for facial tissue. Perhaps the fact that the monosyllabic word easily lends itself to puns like Zyn-babwe, Zyn-aloa Cartel and Zyn-dney Crosby has lent further succor to the brands saturation. On TikTok, videos promoting or merely depicting Zyn use rack up massive engagement. A recent video of a woman preparing her boyfriend a Zyn birthday cake, which is really just a tray of stacked Zyn tins, earned responses like: Maybe its slightly enabling but its hilarious A December 2023 clip of the hirsute comedian Bert Kreischer trying Zyn has been viewed by nearly a million users. Everyone who does Zyns seems like there [sic] either a salesman or shareholder in Zyn with the enthusiam [sic] they bring to try to get me to take one, one commenter replied. Related: All good to take to school?: Australian influencers promote flavoured nicotine pouches to vape-addicted youths Yet this popularity and the culture that has, spontaneously, emerged around it has raised some eyebrows. Recently, Chuck Schumer, the US Senate majority leader, called for a federal crackdown on Zyn, specifically, referring to the product as a pouch packed with problems. He also claimed the company seem to lock their sights on young kids teenagers, and even lower. Predictably, this led to a flamed-up culture war incident, which saw the controversial Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene calling for a Zynsurrection. Conservative media quickly followed the trail. The commentator Michael Knowles, who once called the climate activist Greta Thunberg mentally ill on Fox News and who has said that transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely, released a video stumping for Zyn. (Knowles is also the founder of a cigar company, Mayflower Cigars, and boasts on the companys official website about smoking cigars as an underage boy, claiming that cigars are among the few things Ive loved longer than my wife, whom I first kissed at 16.) The rightwing pundit Tucker Carlson is also a noted Zyn-thusiast who claimed nicotine can free your mind. Bob, an underage Zyn user who did not want to use his real name, said that he would not personally be opposed to government restrictions. Even though I am a user, he explains via email, I wouldnt be opposed to a short ban until studies about safety can be conducted more thoroughly, but I doubt that will happen. I do think the government should prioritize safer forms of intake and market them as such, though. * * * PMIs spokespeople explicitly deny that Zyn, or any of their other nicotine products, are targeted to underage users. They maintain that the drugs are legally restricted to users aged 21-plus. But anyone who has attempted to procure nicotine or tobacco products while underage knows that, say, gas station or convenience store attendants working minimum wage are not necessarily superinvested in enforcing that law to the letter. Ben (not his real name), a 19-year-old Zyn user who lives in Missouri, admits that he only heard about the pouches a few months ago, thanks in part to media attention, social and otherwise. The smoke shop by me does not card for people who look college-age, he says. With the Chuck Schumer thing I dont think these companies have to market to teens and underage people. Word of mouth is usually enough, especially for something that is addictive, and also has a lot of brand loyalty, which also comes with any other tobacco product. If theres one thing Ben doesnt seem to buy into, its the supposed physiological and neurological virtues of the drug, which have preoccupied users for as long as nicotine has circulated, from the commercial crops of 17th-century Virginia to the Parisian salons of the belle epoque, to current-day online conservative media commentary. People do like to talk about the cognitive benefits of nicotine, he says. I think the fact that its so addictive kind of outweighs that. Im not using it because Im super-smart, or need to focus on classes. Im using it because Im addicted to nicotine. Melbourne, Victoria --News Direct-- Mitre Mining Corporation Ltd Mitre Mining Corporation Ltd (ASX: MMC) executive director Ray Shorrocks joined Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio this morning to talk us through the companys recent Chilean acquisition. Following shareholder approval, the company is now poised to establish major silver-gold resource at its new Cerro Bayo project. Mitre takes hold of the existing JORC inferred resources of 3.82 million tonnes at 206g/t for 24.7 million ounces silver equivalent, and importantly Cerro Bayo has substantial scope for rapid growth, with extensive known high-grade mineralisation outside the resource. The project also includes infrastructure valued over A$150 million to support a future restart of operations, including a 500,000 tonnes per annum operational mill, extensive underground mines, power network, offices and workshops. With $8.3 million in the bank after a capital raise and drilling to begin shortly, it's all systems go for Mitre. Contact Details Proactive Investors Jonathan Jackson +61 413 713 744 jonathan@proactiveinvestors.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/mitre-mining-corporation-chile-acquisition-sets-it-up-to-establish-major-silver-gold-resource-913378722 California Governor Gavin Newsom joins Asian American communities in celebrating the Lunar New Year on Saturday, with cultural festivities and a call for action against racism. "Happy Lunar New Year, California!" Newsom and his wife said, extending their best wishes to welcome the Year of the Dragon via a festive video message posted Saturday on X, formerly Twitter. Highlighting the tradition of family gatherings, respect for elders, and good fortune symbolized by red envelopes, they encouraged people to draw inspiration from the Dragon's strength and ambition. "California's particular strength comes from our diverse community. So on Lunar New Year, we take the time to celebrate and to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Asian Americans who are so foundational, so integral as part of our great state," Newsom said. Beyond the cultural aspect of the celebrations, Newsom earlier emphasized the importance of recognizing the "foundational contributions" of Asian Americans who have shaped the Golden State. In a proclamation issued on Friday, Newsom acknowledged the "ugly history of violence and discrimination" targeting Asian Americans. The governor urged Californians to "call out past and present racism" and fight for "the safety and inclusion" of all residents. In California, vibrant festivities are organized to celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday, such as parades and lion dances. The annual Chinatown parade in San Francisco attracted thousands of participants and spectators to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year, commonly known as the Chinese New Year in the United States, begins on Feb. 10 this year. According to the Chinese zodiac and tradition, this year is the Year of the Dragon. The Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in China and is also celebrated in other Asian cultures. Teamsters Building on Last Year's Widespread Bipartisan Support for AV Safety Legislation SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To protect public safety and good jobs, the Teamsters and California lawmakers will announce the reintroduction of the autonomous vehicle (AV) human operator bill at a rally on Monday, February 12, at 2pm PT. AB 2286, formerly Assembly Bill 316, requires a trained human operator behind the wheel of self-driving trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds, putting safety first while preserving hundreds of thousands of good-paying trucking jobs. AB 316 was first introduced by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) in January 2023 and received overwhelming bipartisan support in the legislature, with more than 90 percent of the California lawmakers voting in favor of the legislation. International Brotherhood Of Teamsters. (PRNewsFoto/International Brotherhood of Teamsters) Since Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed AB 316 in September 2023, robotaxis have wreaked havoc on California streets, with one Cruise robotaxi running over a pedestrian and dragging her 20 feet in San Francisco. In the wake of this safety incident, the U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Cruise , while San Francisco has brought a lawsuit against the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for allowing for the expansion of robotaxis in the city. Monday's rally is the latest escalation by the Teamsters to keep unsafe autonomous vehicles off our streets, protect good-paying union jobs, and ensure local communities have a say in AV deployment. Earlier this month, the Teamsters held a rally to announce the introduction of SB 915, a bill that would give California's local municipalities more authority over AV regulation. The growing statewide support for AV safety measures comes as Waymo seeks to expand its robotaxi operations in California . ***Please See Below for Details on the 2/12 Rally*** WHAT: Reintroduction of AV Human Operator Bill, Rally for Good Jobs and Safe Streets WHO: Teamsters and elected officials, including: Peter Finn, Teamsters International Western Region Vice President, President of Teamsters Joint Council 7 Chris Griswold, Teamsters International Vice President At-Large, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42 Lindsay Dougherty, Teamsters International Western Region Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 399 Julia Sandoval, Recology Driver, Member of Teamsters Local 350 Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D - Winters), Speaker Pro Tempore of the California State Assembly Tom Lackey (R - Boron), Assemblymember for California's Fourth Assembly District Laura Friedman (D - Glendale), Assemblymember for California's 43rd Assembly District WHEN: Monday, February 12, 2024, at 2pm PT WHERE: West Steps of the California State Capitol, near the California Peace Officers Memorial 1315 10th St, Sacramento, CA 95814 LIVESTREAM: Starting shortly after 2pm PT on facebook.com/teamsters . INTERVIEWS: Available upon request Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. Story continues Media Contact: Sean Nesmith, (678) 467-4306, sean.nesmith@berlinrosen.com On the Ground Contacts: Trish Suzuki-Blinstrub, (650) 452-3109, trish@teamjc7.org Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/monday-212-teamsters-california-elected-officials-to-reintroduce-autonomous-vehicle-human-operator-bill-302058897.html SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Trading Symbol: NWX (TSX-V) VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - Newport Exploration Ltd ("Newport" or "the Company") is pleased to announce its first quarterly cash dividend ("the Dividend") in 2024 and to provide details with respect to a change in the Quarterly Dividend paid to shareholders going forward. Newport Exploration Ltd. Logo (CNW Group/Newport Exploration Ltd.) Effective December 2019 the Company's Board of Directors ("the Board") approved a quarterly fixed distribution $0.01 dividend. The Company enacted this policy in March 2020, with subsequent dividend payments every three months. As previously disclosed, the Company reserved the right to change the dividend payment from time to time, which it has done on occasion. The Company's Special Dividend and Quarterly Dividend History is available on the Company's website. Since 2015 the Company has distributed approximately $57.3M to December 31, 2024 in dividend payments to its shareholders. Investors are cautioned that historical results are no guarantee of future performance. In light of several factors affecting the uncertainty and potential volatility of cash flows derived from the Company's 2.5% Gross Overriding Royalty ("GOR") licences going forward, the Board has deemed it prudent to amend its dividend in 2024 to a quarterly fixed distribution dividend of $0.005 per share. In making this decision, the Board considered recent production data, as well as statistics and analysis released by the World Bank, the International Energy Agency ("IEA"), and by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ("OPEC"), on the future of oil prices. Against widespread expectations, oil prices remained lower than anticipated in 2023. Brent Crude, the global oil benchmark (and the price at which the Company's oil royalties are based) has hovered around US$75-80 in 2023 compared with US$120 per barrel in 2022. In addition, a reduction in production from the Company's GOR licences in Australia by the operator Beach Energy ("Beach"), negatively affected the GOR payments received in 2023. Story continues Oil prices have recently been volatile but were expected to remain around US$80 per barrel in 2024. This was partially dependent on proposed OPEC production cuts in the first quarter of 2024 to support oil prices to counter record US production and weak Chinese demand. However, any further escalation in the Israel-Gaza conflict to include other Middle East countries could lead to a dramatic increase in prices, with the World Bank predicting that such a resulting supply disruption could "drive prices.to between US$140 and US$157 a barrel". The Company cannot speculate on geopolitical risk or the subsequent effects on oil prices, but shareholders and potential investors need to be vigilant in monitoring oil prices as higher prices would likely lead to higher share prices of energy related companies, and in the case of the Company, higher GOR payments. "By amending our dividend policy, we can retain GOR revenues as appropriate and act in a timely manner to any sudden windfall GOR payments, and we will issue dividends accordingly.", stated Ian Rozier, President and CEO of the Company. The first quarterly cash dividend payment of 2024, at $0.005 per share payable to its shareholders of record at the close of business on February 26, 2024, will be made on March 12, 2024. The Dividend, fully approved by the Board, is not subject to any changes and has been designated as an "eligible dividend" for Canadian Income tax purposes. About Newport Newport has a 2.5% Gross Overriding Royalty ("GOR") over permits in the Cooper Basin, Australia, operated by Beach Energy Ltd ("Beach"). There is no time limit or expiry date on the GOR assets, and no cost to the Company to retain them. Newport has no control over operating decisions made by Beach. Accordingly, this prevents the Company from commenting on Beach's operating plans going forward. The Company recommends that shareholders and potential investors access material information relevant to the Company as released independently by Beach and Santos Ltd in order to keep current during exploration, development and potential production of all the licences subject to the Company's GOR. The Company receives its GOR from Beach, which is not a reporting issuer in Canada, therefore Newport is not able to confirm if the disclosure satisfies the requirements of NI 51-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities, or other requirements of Canadian securities legislation. The Company currently has 105,579,874 common shares issued and outstanding and approximately $1.8 million in the Treasury (comprised of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments), and no debt. The Company expects to receive the next royalty payment from Beach prior to the dividend payment on March 12th, 2024. www.newport-exploration.com www.beachenergy.com.au www.santos.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this news release. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information This news release is intended to provide readers with a reasonable basis for assessing the future performance of the Company. The words "believe", "should", "could", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "target", "plan", "intends", "continue", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", "schedule" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may pertain to assumptions regarding the price of oil and fluctuations in currency markets (specifically the Australian dollar) and future dividend payments. Forward-looking statements are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, which are considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Factors include, but are not limited to, the risk of fluctuations in the assumed prices of oil, the risk of changes in government legislation including the risk of obtaining necessary licences and permits, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada, Australia or other countries in which the Company carries or may carry on business in the future, risks associated with developmental activities, the speculative nature of exploration and development, and assumed quantities or grades of reserves. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those acknowledged in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable laws. 2024 Newport Exploration Ltd. SOURCE Newport Exploration Ltd. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2024/12/c2866.html Northwell Healths Dr. Chethan Sathya is responsible for the health systems expansive approach to firearm injury prevention. (Credit: Northwell Health) NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y., February 12, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Northwell Health's Chethan Sathya, MD, MSc, director of Northwell's Center for Gun Violence Prevention (CGVP) and pediatric trauma surgeon at Cohen Children's Medical Center, has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of its 40 Under 40 for 2024 honorees. This honor acknowledges the health care industry's rising stars aged 40 and under who contribute to a culture of innovation and help their organizations achieve their goals. Dr. Sathya's profile and the other featured honorees can be read here. "I am honored and thankful to be among so many other esteemed peers," said Dr. Sathya. "Through innovative research, community partnerships and ongoing advocacy, I am proud that Northwell has been able to prioritize gun violence prevention as a system, unite others within the health care industry thanks to the inspirational leadership of our CEO, Michael Dowling, and work towards evidence-based solutions and redefine gun violence as a public health crisis. This collaborative effort is only successful because of our incredible Center for Gun Violence Prevention team, the hundreds of frontline champions working day and night and our community partners vowing to help prevent and care for those affected by guns." Dr. Sathya is responsible for the health systems expansive approach to firearm injury prevention. As New York States largest health system, Northwell has taken a public health approach to gun violence prevention since 2019, focusing on critical areas such as research, medical education, clinical screening, advocacy and community engagement. Dr. Sathya was awarded $1.4 million from the National Institutes of Health to study gun violence prevention and implement a first-of-its-kind protocol to universally screen those at risk of firearm injury. "The epidemic of gun violence is a major public health issue and we should all be embarrassed by the fact that guns are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Changes requires the committed support and advocacy of all business and industry leaders, government and community groups," said Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell. "On behalf of our 85,000 Northwell team members, we congratulate Dr. Sathya on this honor and leadership around this important issue." Story continues Furthermore, Dr. Sathya spearheaded the formation of the National Gun Violence Prevention Learning Collaborative for Hospitals and Health Systems, in which hospitals and health systems can learn about gun violence prevention from experts, have open dialogue, develop best practices as well as implement and evaluate strategies to prevent firearm accidents and injuries. A powerful voice for firearm injury prevention as a surgeon with firsthand experience treating children in the operating room, Dr. Sathya offers a unique perspective and harbors a deep-rooted passion for advocating for the children and families affected by gun violence. He helps organize Northwells annual Gun Violence Prevention Summit. Now in its fifth year, the next Forum is slated for February 27 and is open to registration here or by visiting: preventgunviolence.com. Dr. Sathya often speaks across the globe about gun violence prevention, interventions, research and efforts. Most recently, he returned from Davos, Switzerland, where he championed global violence prevention with a focus on firearms. And in March, he will speak at SXSW, participating in a panel titled "The No. 1 Killer of Kids in the US? Guns." Modern Healthcare is a weekly business publication targeting executives in the health care industry. It is an independent American publisher of national and regional healthcare news. The publication also provides statistical rankings, competitive insight and practical information. About Northwell Health Northwell Health is New York States largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, about 900 outpatient facilities and more than 12,000 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 85,000 employees 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners are working to change health care for the better. Were making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We're training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212072614/en/ Contacts Matthew Libassi 631-793-5325 mlibassi@northwell.edu Novotech RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS GLOBAL CLINICAL TRIAL LANDSCAPE BY NOVOTECH CANDIDIASIS GLOBAL CLINICAL TRIAL LANDSCAPE INFOGRAPHIC CANDIDIASIS GLOBAL CLINICAL TRIAL LANDSCAPE BY NOVOTECH BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novotech, the global full-service clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) that partners with biotech companies to accelerate the development of advanced and novel therapeutics at every phase, has released today two industry leading reports on the Candidiasis and Rheumatoid Arthritis clinical trial landscapes. Importantly the reports also include a SWOT Analysis designed to inform strategic drug development decision-making and ultimately enhance the chances of successful and impactful treatments. The Novotech research analyst team provides these expert reports on a monthly basis, completely free of charge. These reports offer current insights into global clinical trial activity, revealing which regions experience the highest trial volumes and the factors behind these trends. They tackle the hurdles faced by biotech firms in specific therapeutic areas and discuss future paths in therapy and investment trends. The Candidiasis Global Clinical Trial Landscape report dives into why this fungal infection which mostly affects the oral cavity and reproductive organs has become a significant global concern, particularly among people with compromised immune systems. The report also focusses on the epidemiology, therapeutic challenges, and the evolving clinical trial trend data offering invaluable insights for healthcare professionals and researchers. Since 2018, over 200 clinical trials for Candidiasis have been initiated globally, with the APAC region leading the charge, at almost 60% of trials, the majority of which are in Mainland China. This is followed by Europe (23%), North America (10%), and the Rest Of World (7%). This global landscape report shows Candidiasis has varying incidence rates across regions, reflecting the interplay of factors such as geography, healthcare infrastructures, and demographics. The report also highlights the dominance of Candida albicans globally, the invasive and non-invasive Candidiasis prevalence, and treatment challenges arising from drug-resistant strains. Story continues Key takeaways from the report include: APAC continues to have a focus on Phase I trials, while Europe is highly engaged across Phase I, II and III trials, and North America is focused on Phase III trials. APAC demonstrates a robust clinical trials Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20% outpacing other global regions. Recruitment rates differ significantly across APA, Europe and the US Noteworthy breakthroughs in antifungal medications include approvals for Brexafemme, Vivjoa, and Rezzayo, providing optimism for Candidiasis treatment. On the venture capital front, the US and China take the lead, underscoring a shared interest in advancing Candidiasis solutions with robust funding, particularly in Series B and C rounds. The report also provides an in-depth understanding of ongoing research into potential antifungal vaccines. Download the report here The Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Global Clinical Trial Landscape report looks at the prevalence globally and identifies the key factors driving this condition. RA, a persistent inflammatory condition of the joints, affects people between 60 to 70 years of age and disproportionately impacts women. The report emphasizes the crucial role of early diagnosis and treatment with conventional synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and the effectiveness of biological or targeted synthetic DMARDs. Importantly, it also covers the latest advancements in molecular medicine, epigenetic drugs, microRNAs, gene editing technologies, and the role of the microbiome. Since 2018, over 1,100 clinical trials for RA have been initiated globally, with the APAC region leading at 60%, followed by Europe at 21% and North America at 13%. The report also found that there is promising progression of new RA therapeutics with more than 80 drugs in preclinical stages, 52 in Phase I trials, and 4 in combined Phase I/II studies. Additionally, 61 drugs are in Phase II, and 19 in Phase III, with 9 approved and 82 already in the market. Overall, this report provides vital insights into the global clinical trial landscape, detailing ongoing developments in RA research. In addition, the SWOT Analysis offers a rare perspective designed for strategic drug development planning. Key takeaways from the report are: As of 2020, RA affected 17.6 million people globally, resulting in 38,300 deaths. In the APAC region, China holds the highest number of cases at 4.7m, and India has 2.67m cases, in Europe, the United Kingdom stands out at 458,000 cases, and in North America, the United States leads at 1,440,000 cases. Trial phases vary globally, with APAC dominant in Phase 1 trials, Europe balancing across all phases, and North America showing a focus on Phase 1. In recent years, China led in venture capital investments, with the US closely following. The distribution of funding across financing rounds reveals a focus on later stages, particularly Series C, indicating increased investor confidence and higher funding amounts for mature companies. Early-stage research, especially in the preclinical stage, attracted the majority of investments, highlighting the emphasis on groundbreaking discoveries and innovative treatments. This comprehensive resource guides healthcare professionals, researchers, and organizations in navigating the complex clinical trial RA landscape. Download the report here About Novotech Novotech-CRO.com Founded in 1997, Novotech is a global full-service clinical Contract Research Organization (CRO) focused on partnering with biotech companies to accelerate the development of advanced and novel therapeutics at every phase. Recognized for its industry-leading contributions, Novotech has received numerous prestigious awards, including the CRO Leadership Award 2023, the Asia Pacific Cell & Gene Therapy Clinical Trials Excellence 2023, the Asia-Pacific Contract Research Organization Company of the Year Award since 2006. The Company offers a comprehensive suite of services including laboratories, Phase I facilities, drug development consulting, regulatory expertise, and has experience with over 5,000 clinical projects, including Phase I to Phase IV clinical trials and bioequivalence studies. With a presence in 34 office locations and a dedicated team of 3,000+ professionals worldwide, Novotech is a trusted end-to-end strategic partner of choice. For more information or to speak to an expert team member visit www.Novotech-CRO.com. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3fc9701b-b0f3-432e-bac0-5c8bf0bf5070 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/db8d6332-f46b-4922-852d-2f2b1e4b77c0 CONTACT: Media Contact David James mediacontact@novotech-cro.com AU: +61 2 8218 2144 USA: +1 415 951 3228 Asia: +65 3159 3427 Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW). The company's stock saw a decent share price growth of 12% on the NYSE over the last few months. The company's trading levels have approached the yearly peak, following the recent bounce in the share price. As a large-cap stock with high coverage by analysts, you could assume any recent changes in the companys outlook is already priced into the stock. But what if there is still an opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Illinois Tool Workss outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if the opportunity still exists. View our latest analysis for Illinois Tool Works What's The Opportunity In Illinois Tool Works? The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to our valuation model. Its trading around 6.1% below our intrinsic value, which means if you buy Illinois Tool Works today, youd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $272.26, then theres not much of an upside to gain from mispricing. Is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Illinois Tool Workss share price is quite volatile, we could potentially see it sink lower (or rise higher) in the future, giving us another chance to buy. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What kind of growth will Illinois Tool Works generate? Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to grow by a double-digit 17% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Illinois Tool Works. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What This Means For You Are you a shareholder? ITWs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value? Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on ITW, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means its worth further examining other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop. With this in mind, we wouldn't consider investing in a stock unless we had a thorough understanding of the risks. For example - Illinois Tool Works has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of. If you are no longer interested in Illinois Tool Works, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU) stock performed exceptionally well last year. After some post-initial public offering (IPO) struggles, share prices for the Brazil-based digital banking platform zoomed from $3.50 to nearly $9 in 2023. With an innovative business model focused on rapid-growth geographies, this is one growth stock no investor should ignore. Banking on crypto and more At first glance, Nu is a bank stock, but the truth is far more exciting than that. Well-known venture capital firm Sequoia Capital has backed thousands of start-ups, many of which grew into iconic brands. Its long list of successful investments includes Apple, Alphabet's Google and YouTube, PayPal, Meta Platform's Instagram and WhatsApp, Airbnb, and Dropbox. Paying attention to what Sequoia Capital is doing has been a reliable way to generate exceptional long-term returns. In 2012, the firm sent David Velez to Latin America. His goal was to uncover hidden gems capable of massive growth. He found one opportunity so exciting that he created his own company to take advantage of it. That company was Nu Holdings. The opportunity Velez identified was that only a handful of big banks controlled most financial markets in Latin America, charging excessive fees for basic financial products. After raising $14.3 million from Sequoia Capital, Nu aggressively expanded throughout Latin America, first launching a simple and affordable debit card and later expanding into innovative digital-first products, including the ability to buy and transact in various cryptocurrencies. Within four years, Nu became a venture capital unicorn with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. On Dec. 8, 2021, the company went public, raising $2.6 billion with great fanfare. The market loved the investment thesis: a digital-first bank with exposure to crypto and focused on tapping a huge unmet need in a region of the world experiencing rapid population growth. What wasn't there to love? Well, the IPO valuation, for starters. The year after shares went public, the stock lost nearly 70% of its value. Two years later, shares still haven't reached their former highs. This could finally be your chance to own a stock that should grow rapidly for years, even decades to come. Story continues NU Revenue (TTM) Chart Nu stock is a potential rocket The first thing to know is that Nu's post-IPO stock slump had nothing to do with business performance. Revenue continued to surge higher, driven by a rising customer count that has grown every quarter since the company's founding. Customer count grew by almost 50% last year, with nearly 40% of all Brazilian adults having an account. Launches in new markets like Mexico and Columbia have also contributed to continued growth, with customers using Nu credit cards, taking out Nu personal loans, and using the Nu app to buy, sell, and transact in crypto. Nu's post-IPO slump had everything to do with valuation. On a price-to-sales basis, the valuation has since fallen by around 80%, all while the rest of the business remains on a hyper-growth trajectory. To be sure, paying 9.5 times sales is still pricey for a $50 billion company, but there's reason to believe the up-front price tag is well worth paying. Nu has taken the Latin American market by storm in less than a decade, building arguably the industry's most respected brand. Even after several launches, the company still only covers around 60% of the region's gross domestic product (GDP). Plus, with a digital-first approach, it can cross-sell additional products to existing customers significantly more easily than the competition. For example, in 2017, first-time Nu customers nearly always started with using just one of its products. Today, the average new customer starts with three products. Customers are using more Nu products more often and at greater rates than ever before. With a huge untapped market to go, including several new countries, Nu has created a high-growth formula that can be repeated again and again. Already, there should be baked-in growth even without new customer additions. That's because the longer a customer stays with Nu, the greater the expected revenue. For example, the average monthly revenue from a customer who has been with Nu for 65 months is around $24. For newer users, say a customer that has only been with Nu for around 5 months, the average monthly revenue is just $3. Over the next 60 months, Nu should be able to boost the revenue of those early users more than seven times in value, a reliable growth tailwind separate from any new customer additions. Don't let the current valuation multiple fool you. On a forward basis -- that is, what Nu is expected to generate next year -- shares trade somewhere between 3 and 4 times sales. A few years from now, today's valuation could ultimately be below 1 times sales. This looks like the makings of a forever stock. Patient investors should be rewarded. Should you invest $1,000 in Nu right now? Before you buy stock in Nu, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Nu wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 5, 2024 Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Ryan Vanzo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Airbnb, Alphabet, Apple, Meta Platforms, and PayPal. The Motley Fool recommends Nu and recommends the following options: short March 2024 $67.50 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Nu Holdings Stock Is a Hyper-Growth Machine That You Shouldn't Ignore was originally published by The Motley Fool Viewing insider transactions for Titan Machinery Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TITN ) over the last year, we see that insiders were net buyers. This means that a larger number of shares were purchased by insiders in relation to shares sold. While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. See our latest analysis for Titan Machinery The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Titan Machinery The Lead Independent Director Stan Erickson made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$89k worth of shares at a price of US$29.67 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$27.03). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. Stan Erickson was the only individual insider to buy during the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Insider Ownership Of Titan Machinery Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Titan Machinery insiders own about US$66m worth of shares. That equates to 11% of the company. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. Story continues So What Does This Data Suggest About Titan Machinery Insiders? It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Titan Machinery shares in the last quarter. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders own shares in Titan Machinery and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. While we like knowing what's going on with the insider's ownership and transactions, we make sure to also consider what risks are facing a stock before making any investment decision. For example - Titan Machinery has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. MOORESTOWN, N.J., February 12, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OPEX Corporation, a global leader in Next Generation Automation for almost 50 years, will showcase its advanced Warehouse Automation solutions at MODEX 2024, the largest manufacturing and supply chain trade event, scheduled for March 11 through 14 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. "We look forward to participating in MODEX once again in 2024," said Alex Stevens, President, Warehouse Automation, OPEX. "This gathering provides an ideal forum to engage with industry thought leaders, and to demonstrate the innovative solutions in our Warehouse Automation portfolio. Were particularly excited to be introducing our most advanced sorting solutions yet at MODEX 2024." At MODEX Booth #B6602, OPEX will be exhibiting two of its premier solutions. Onsite will be the Infinity automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS), first introduced at MODEX 2022. Designed to reduce labor challenges, drive order accuracy, maximize existing space, and scale to meet demand, the Infinity AS/RS features unparalleled storage density, configurability, and flexibility. This next generation goods-to-person solution is ideal for multiple applications, including omni-channel distribution, store replenishment, micro-fulfillment, and ecommerce. Making its debut at MODEX will be OPEX Corporations newest innovations in automated sortation. A press conference will be held in OPEX Booth #B6602 on Monday, March 11 at 10:30 am ET, where the company will unveil its latest technology. Onsite demonstrations will occur throughout the duration of the show. OPEX will also host an educational session titled "The Future of Sortation" on Tuesday, March 12, from 2:30 to 3:25 pm ET in the Emerging Technologies Theater. During this session, Drew Stevens, Vice President, Global Business Development and Marketing, OPEX, will discuss the benefits of automating the sortation process and the various options available across the marketplace. Story continues For nearly five decades, OPEX Corporation has served as a trusted partner, collaborating closely with clients to develop customized, scalable solutions that transform how business is conducted. OPEX continuously reimagines automation technology to help clients solve their most significant business challenges, today and in the future. About OPEX OPEX Corporation is a global leader in Next Generation Automation, providing innovative, unique solutions for warehouse, document and mail automation. With headquarters in Moorestown, NJ, USAand facilities in Pennsauken, NJ; Plano, TX; France; Germany; Switzerland; the United Kingdom; and AustraliaOPEX has more than 1,600 employees who are continuously reimagining and delivering customized, scalable technology solutions that solve the business challenges of today and in the future. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240212047910/en/ Contacts Laura Evans levans@opex.com +1.856.727.1100 x 5012 London, UK --News Direct-- Premier African Minerals Ltd Premier African Minerals Ltd (AIM:PREM, OTC:PRMMF) chief executive George Roach joined Proactive's Stephen Gunnion with details of a new mineral resources estimate (MRE) for the company's Zulu lithium and tantalum project in Zimbabwe. Roach explained that the fresh estimate focuses solely on the zones currently being mined, excluding extension areas within their extensive prospecting order. He expressed optimism about the potential for future expansion and the ongoing exploration efforts aimed at both deepening and elevating the resource into the indicated category. Currently, the project boasts significant reserves, with 170,000 tonnes of lithium and over 1,000 tonnes of tantalum, underscoring the standalone potential of the Zulu project and its lithium sulphate plant. The company is concentrating on spodumene concentrate production, a valuable lithium source, with an estimated recovery of 1.7 to 1.8 million tonnes from its deposits. This volume significantly exceeds the plant's current processing capacity, suggesting a robust future for the project. Looking ahead, Premier African Minerals is focused on producing high-grade spodumene to command premium pricing in the market. The project also harbors potential for extracting other valuable minerals like tantalum, high-purity quartz, and feldspar, laying the groundwork for a multifaceted expansion strategy. Contact Details Proactive UK Ltd Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/premier-african-minerals-says-new-mre-supports-potential-for-zulu-lithium-project-in-zimbabwe-248568036 Overview of Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio)'s Recent Trade On December 31, 2023, Pzena Investment Management, LLC, led by Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio), made a notable adjustment to its holdings in Interface Inc (NASDAQ:TILE). The firm reduced its stake by 124,048 shares, which resulted in a 3.43% decrease in its position. This transaction had a minor impact of -0.01% on the portfolio, with the shares being traded at a price of $12.62. Following the trade, the firm held a total of 3,490,324 shares in Interface Inc, representing a 6.00% ownership of the company and accounting for 0.19% of Pzena's investment portfolio. Investment Approach of Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio) Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio), the founder and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, is renowned for a value investing philosophy that focuses on acquiring shares in quality businesses at low prices. The firm, established in 1995, seeks out companies whose share prices have dropped due to temporary issues, aiming to determine the longevity of such problems. With a portfolio equity of $26.6 billion, Pzena's top holdings include Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (NASDAQ:CTSH), Capital One Financial Corp (NYSE:COF), and Edison International (NYSE:EIX), with a strong focus on the Financial Services and Technology sectors. Richard Pzena Adjusts Position in Interface Inc Interface Inc at a Glance Interface Inc, trading under the symbol TILE, is a USA-based company that has been public since September 20, 1978. The company specializes in designing, producing, and selling carpet tile, as well as offering Luxury Vinyl tiles and rubber flooring. Interface Inc primarily serves the corporate and non-corporate office markets, including sectors such as government, education, healthcare, hospitality, and retail. The company operates across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific regions. Impact of the Trade on Pzena's Portfolio The recent transaction by Pzena Investment Management reflects a slight reduction in the firm's confidence in Interface Inc, as evidenced by the 3.43% share decrease. Despite this, Interface Inc still holds a 0.19% position in Pzena's portfolio, indicating a continued investment interest. The trade price of $12.62 is closely aligned with the current stock price of $13.20 and the GF Value of $12.82, suggesting that the stock is fairly valued. Story continues Financial Health and Market Performance of Interface Inc Interface Inc boasts a market capitalization of $767.012 million and a PE ratio of 1,320.00%, indicating profitability concerns. The company's financial health is reflected in its Financial Strength rank of 5/10 and a Profitability Rank of 7/10. However, its Growth Rank stands at a lower 3/10. The GF Value Rank and Momentum Rank are at 5/10 and 10/10, respectively, with a Piotroski F-Score of 7 and an Altman Z-Score of 2.46, suggesting moderate financial stability. Sector Focus and Top Holdings of Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio) Pzena Investment Management's sector focus is predominantly on Financial Services and Technology, with Interface Inc fitting into the broader investment strategy due to its role in the construction industry. The firm's top holdings reflect a diversified approach, balancing between growth potential and value opportunities. Performance Metrics and Rankings of Interface Inc Interface Inc's performance metrics are a mixed bag, with a GF Score of 75/100, indicating a potential for average performance. The company's momentum is strong, as evidenced by its high Momentum Rank. However, its Growth Rank and GF Value Rank suggest there is room for improvement in these areas. GF-Score Richard Pzena Adjusts Position in Interface Inc Other Notable Investors in Interface Inc Apart from Pzena Investment Management, other significant investors in Interface Inc include Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, and HOTCHKIS & WILEY. Their positions and potential influence on the stock's performance are noteworthy, as collective actions by major investors can impact market sentiment. Transaction Analysis and Influence The reduction in shares by Pzena Investment Management may signal a strategic move to rebalance the firm's portfolio or capitalize on short-term market fluctuations. Given the close alignment of the trade price with the current stock price and GF Value, the transaction appears to be a calculated decision rather than a reaction to a change in the fundamental value of Interface Inc. As the largest shareholder, Pzena's trading activities are closely watched and can influence the stock's performance in the market. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Introduction to the Transaction Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio)'s investment firm, Pzena Investment Management, LLC, has recently increased its stake in SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:SSNC), a notable player in the software and financial services industry. On December 31, 2023, the firm added 390,007 shares to its holdings at a trade price of $61.11 per share. This transaction has expanded Pzena's total share count in SSNC to 14,619,455, marking a significant move in the firm's investment strategy. Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio), the founder and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Pzena Investment Management, LLC, is a respected figure in the investment community. Since establishing the firm in 1995, Pzena has adhered to a value investment philosophy, focusing on acquiring shares in reputable businesses at prices that are lower than their normal long-term earnings power. The firm's approach is to identify and capitalize on temporary issues that have caused share prices to drop, distinguishing between transient and permanent setbacks. With an equity portfolio of $26.6 billion, Pzena's top holdings include Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (NASDAQ:CTSH), Capital One Financial Corp (NYSE:COF), and Edison International (NYSE:EIX), among others, with a strong inclination towards the Financial Services and Technology sectors. Richard Pzena Bolsters Position in SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc Overview of SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc SS&C Technologies is a comprehensive provider of software products and software-enabled services, catering primarily to the financial services sector, with a growing presence in healthcare. The company's offerings include fund administration services, portfolio accounting, and management, as well as banking and lending software solutions. SS&C's strategic acquisitions, such as Intralinks and DST Systems, have solidified its position in the market. With a market capitalization of $15.09 billion and a stock price of $60.98, SS&C Technologies is considered modestly undervalued with a GF Value of $72.63 and a Price to GF Value ratio of 0.84. Story continues Richard Pzena Bolsters Position in SS&C Technologies Holdings Inc Analysis of the Trade Impact The recent acquisition by Pzena Investment Management has a moderate impact on the firm's portfolio, with a 0.1% trade impact. The addition of shares has increased the firm's position in SSNC to 3.83% of the portfolio, while Pzena's holdings in SSNC now represent 5.90% of the company's outstanding shares. This move reflects Pzena's confidence in SS&C Technologies' potential for growth and recovery. Market Context and Stock Valuation SS&C Technologies' current market capitalization stands at $15.09 billion, with a stock price slightly below the GF Value, indicating a modest undervaluation. The stock's PE Ratio is at 25.19%, and the Price to GF Value ratio is 0.84, suggesting that the stock may be a reasonable buy according to GuruFocus valuation metrics. Despite a minor price decrease of 0.21% since the transaction, the stock has experienced a significant increase of 659.4% since its IPO and a year-to-date change of 0.93%. Performance Metrics and Rankings SS&C Technologies boasts a strong GF Score of 93/100, indicating a high potential for outperformance. The company's financial health is reflected in its Financial Strength rank of 4/10, while its Profitability Rank stands at an impressive 9/10. The Growth Rank is at the maximum of 10/10, showcasing the company's robust growth prospects. Additionally, SS&C Technologies has a GF Value Rank of 7/10 and a Momentum Rank of 8/10, further emphasizing its solid market position. Sector and Peer Comparison Within Pzena's portfolio, Technology and Financial Services are the top sectors, with SS&C Technologies aligning well with these preferences. Other notable gurus holding SSNC include Seth Klarman (Trades, Portfolio), Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio), and Charles Brandes (Trades, Portfolio), indicating the stock's appeal among value investors. Conclusion The recent addition of SS&C Technologies shares to Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio)'s portfolio underscores the firm's strategy of investing in undervalued companies with strong growth potential. SS&C's position within the software industry, combined with its financial health and growth prospects, makes it a compelling investment. As Pzena Investment Management continues to adjust its holdings, the performance of SS&C Technologies will be an important factor to watch. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Dr. Anthony L. Jordan was Rochesters second Black physician, but he's known to far more today as the namesake of the Anthony L. Jordan Center. That center is part of the Jordan Health Network, whose mission it is provide comprehensive health care "with dignity and respect to all regardless of ability to pay." It's a fitting tribute to the doctor who was said to have never turned anyone away. Anthony Jordan: 'The doctor who would come' Dr. Anthony L. Jordan was said to have never turned anyone away. 'Tell the Lord about me. There'll be no charge," he would tell patients. He was Rochester's second African-American doctor. Jordan established his medical practice at 136 Adams St. in 1932 during the Great Depression and served patients for decades, frequently caring for the poor who had no place else to go and, often, no way to pay. According to a February 2019 article written by Christopher Brennan for the Rochester Public Library's Local History & Genealogy Division, Jordan soon found that much of his business came from the citys Seventh Ward, a multicultural area in northeast Rochester including North Clinton, Joseph and Hudson Avenues. "Then as now, the neighborhood was largely working class and poor, and though many doctors would not serve its population, Dr. Jordan did," Brennan wrote of Jordan. "He was known as 'the doctor who would come,' when and where he was needed." Dr. Anthony Jordan: 'The doors of doctors offices are open to all' Jordan and his family lived above his office in Corn Hill until 1960. Patients came by at all hours. One of Jordans daughters, Katherine, said in a news story, We sort of lived with the people. He had loads and loads of patients. It got so that people were sitting on the porch, sitting on the steps. There were a lot of sick people. May 1969: Dr. Anthony Jordan pictured at work. Patients who couldnt afford a bill sometimes paid him in pies or flour or a book. Jordan made house calls for decades and only stopped because of failing eyesight. He died in 1971. A native of what is now Guyana, Jordan immigrated to the U.S. for college, enrolled at Howard University and practiced in North Carolina and downstate in New York before coming to Rochester. In the mid-1960s, Jordan received the New York State Medical Societys presidential citation for outstanding service in his profession. The award noted that he had given his life to serving the needy without thought of reward or recognition. When he was honored at a 1967 dinner, Jordan said, The doors of doctors offices are open to all, whether they have money or not. Story continues Rochester Black history: Dr. Charles T. Lunsford spent a lifetime 'fighting and dreaming' of equality Patients who couldnt afford a bill sometimes paid him in pies or flour or a book. Jordan made house calls for decades and only stopped because of failing eyesight. When Jordan died in 1971, a friend said in his obituary that he would tell patients, Tell the Lord about me. Therell be no charge. Family ties to Dr. Anthony Jordan Greer Gladney is a great-grandchild of Dr. Anthony L. Jordan. The benevolent spirit continues to this day and Jordan family ties remain. A great-granddaughter of Dr. Jordan, Greer Gladney, is a digital marketing and administrative assistant with the organization. Whats always impressed on me is how much a center of the community this (place) is, Gladney said in interview published in 2020. The dedication to the service and the work, thats whats most important. Alan Morrell is a former Democrat and Chronicle reporter and a freelance writer. This story was originally published in February 2020 as part of the RocRoots series. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Dr. Anthony Jordan devoted life to serving needy Rochester black history Delving Into Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's Dividend Profile Sensata Technologies Holding PLC (NYSE:ST) recently announced a dividend of $0.12 per share, payable on 2024-02-28, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-02-13. As investors look forward to this upcoming payment, the spotlight also shines on the company's dividend history, yield, and growth rates. Using the data from GuruFocus, let's look into Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does Sensata Technologies Holding PLC Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 3 Warning Signs with ST. High Yield Dividend Stocks in Gurus' Portfolio This Powerful Chart Made Peter Lynch 29% A Year For 13 Years How to calculate the intrinsic value of a stock? Sensata Technologies is a global supplier of sensors for transportation and industrial applications. Sensata sells a bevy of pressure, temperature, force, and position sensors into the automotive, heavy vehicle, industrial, heating, ventilation, and cooling, and aerospace markets. The majority of the firm's revenue comes from the automotive market, where it focuses on bumper-in applications. Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's Dividend History Sensata Technologies Holding PLC has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2022. Dividends are currently distributed on a quarterly basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Breaking Down Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, Sensata Technologies Holding PLC currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.43% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 1.46%. This suggests an expectation of increased dividend payments over the next 12 months. Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's dividend yield of 1.43% is near a 10-year high and outperforms 31.71% of global competitors in the Hardware industry, suggesting that the company's dividend yield stands out as an attractive proposition for income investors. Story continues Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's Dividend Analysis The Sustainability Question: Payout Ratio and Profitability To assess the sustainability of the dividend, one needs to evaluate the company's payout ratio. The dividend payout ratio provides insights into the portion of earnings the company distributes as dividends. A lower ratio suggests that the company retains a significant part of its earnings, thereby ensuring the availability of funds for future growth and unexpected downturns. As of 2023-12-31, Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's dividend payout ratio is 0.13. Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's profitability 7 out of 10 as of 2023-12-31, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported net profit in 9 years out of the past 10 years. Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook To ensure the sustainability of dividends, a company must have robust growth metrics. Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's growth rank of 7 out of 10 suggests that the company's growth trajectory is good relative to its competitors. Revenue is the lifeblood of any company, and Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's revenue has increased by approximately 11.40% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 70.23% of global competitors. The company's 3-year EPS growth rate showcases its capability to grow its earnings, a critical component for sustaining dividends in the long run. During the past three years, Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's earnings increased by approximately 17.80% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 56.35% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 0.80%, which outperforms approximately 28.66% of global competitors. Investing in Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's Dividend Future Considering Sensata Technologies Holding PLC's consistent dividend payments, attractive yield, and solid growth metrics, the company presents a compelling case for income-focused investors. With a low payout ratio and strong profitability, the dividends appear sustainable, bolstered by the company's good growth prospects. As Sensata Technologies Holding PLC continues to navigate the dynamic industrial and automotive sensor markets, its ability to maintain and grow dividends will be a key factor for investors. Will Sensata Technologies Holding PLC continue to provide a steady stream of income to its shareholders? Only time will tell, but the current indicators are promising. GuruFocus Premium users can screen for high-dividend yield stocks using the High Dividend Yield Screener. This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Key Insights The projected fair value for SIA Engineering is S$1.73 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity SIA Engineering is estimated to be 31% overvalued based on current share price of S$2.28 When compared to theindustry average discount of -143%, SIA Engineering's competitors seem to be trading at a greater premium to fair value Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of SIA Engineering Company Limited (SGX:S59) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. See our latest analysis for SIA Engineering What's The Estimated Valuation? We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (SGD, Millions) S$69.7m S$84.4m S$97.3m S$106.8m S$114.7m S$121.4m S$127.1m S$132.1m S$136.5m S$140.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 9.75% Est @ 7.44% Est @ 5.82% Est @ 4.69% Est @ 3.90% Est @ 3.34% Est @ 2.96% Present Value (SGD, Millions) Discounted @ 7.7% S$64.7 S$72.8 S$77.9 S$79.4 S$79.2 S$77.8 S$75.6 S$73.0 S$70.0 S$66.9 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = S$737m After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.1%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 7.7%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = S$141m (1 + 2.1%) (7.7% 2.1%) = S$2.5b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= S$2.5b ( 1 + 7.7%)10= S$1.2b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is S$1.9b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of S$2.3, the company appears potentially overvalued at the time of writing. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at SIA Engineering as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.227. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. SWOT Analysis for SIA Engineering Strength Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry. Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Infrastructure market. Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Singaporean market. Threat Dividends are not covered by earnings and cashflows. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price exceeding the intrinsic value? For SIA Engineering, we've compiled three relevant aspects you should look at: Financial Health: Does S59 have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does S59's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the SGX every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. By Allison Lampert and Rajesh Kumar Singh (Reuters) - Some pilots at Spirit Airlines are worried and scouring for other opportunities after a U.S. judge last month blocked the low-cost air carrier's proposed merger with competitor JetBlue Airways, throwing its future into doubt. Spirit pilots, recruiters and industry sources told Reuters that the ruling has led to increased job applications at other places of employment. Spirit Chief Financial Officer Scott Haralson last week said the company was looking into "right sizing" its labor costs, adding to the uneasiness. A Spirit spokesperson said attrition levels are not out of the ordinary and pilot resignations this year have trended below its forecast for 2024. "We remain confident about Spirit's future and are committed to the well-being of our team members," the spokesperson said. The ultra-low-cost carrier has struggled to return to sustainable profitability due to softer demand in core markets and the grounding of dozens of its aircraft due to a snag with RTX's Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines. Analysts are not sure about Spirit's ability to survive if the $3.8 billion merger deal remains blocked. Some analysts have suggested that the company could face bankruptcy if it cannot shore up its finances, and S&P Global, Moody's and Fitch all downgraded the airline's credit ratings after the ruling, citing higher default and refinancing risks. Stress, worry set in "It's very stressful," said one Spirit pilot with more than five years of experience who has applied for jobs at Delta Air Lines, United and American Airlines. Another Spirit pilot said he's spoken to numerous colleagues who are looking for other opportunities. The pilots spoke on the condition of anonymity. Spirit's pilot union declined to comment. Job applications at United from Spirit pilots have increased since the court decision, two industry sources told Reuters. United, which plans to hire 2,000 pilots in 2024, down from 2,350 in 2023, in a statement said it has "a strong applicant pool." Story continues The job market for pilots has cooled after a two-year boom. Hiring has slowed for five straight months, data from Future & Active Pilot Advisors show, as major carriers have mostly caught up with staffing needs. Hiring in January was down 18% from a year ago. Flying for United, Delta or American Airlines is seen as an upgrade for pilots at regional and budget carriers like Spirit, but the rise in interest reflects growing worry about Spirit's future. "With a seniority-based system you don't normally move between companies and only in times of failure or real hardship would you even consider it," said Kit Darby, a U.S. aviation consultant who specializes in pilot career development. Darby said he has recently spoken to half a dozen Spirit pilots seeking new jobs or career advice. An exodus of pilots could hurt Spirit's operations but also reduce costs. The airline had about 3,500 pilots at the end of 2023. Spirit last week dismissed speculation about its future as a "misguided narrative," saying it has boosted liquidity to survive even if the merger fails to close. The Florida-based airline has cut its capacity growth plans. Spirit late last year slowed pilot hiring and promotions to the captain's chair. It also suspended training for new pilots and flight attendants and offered voluntary time off for cabin crew members. Spirit last week said it was working on solutions for its labor costs as it has "a lot of staffing" across the board. A spokesperson declined to provide more details. Those comments left pilots with more questions. One said he was not sure how Spirit would resolve over-staffing, saying he hoped enough pilots would leave voluntarily to avoid potential furloughs. (Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal and Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; Editing by Mark Porter) Diamondback Energy's (FANG) $26 billion acquisition of Endeavor Energy highlights the rapid-fire consolidation that has swept across the US Permian Basin which includes parts of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico as oil and gas producers scoop up domestic acreage. Shares of Diamondback rose more than 8% as Wall Street cheered the merger announced on Monday along with the Midland, Texas company's better-than-expected revenue outlook for 2024. "We believe the deal should benefit FANG in the long term," said Jonnathan Handshoe, equity analyst at CFRA Research, which has a Buy rating on the stock. "The merger, if completed, would make FANG the third-largest producer in the Permian Basin." Diamondback's production capacity would increase by 76% and net acreage by around 70%. The combined entity's locations would break even if West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) were to trade below $40 per barrel, according to the merger announcement. WTI is currently trading around $77 per barrel. 'Land grab' due to lack of investment The deal to buy Endeavor, also based in Midland, follows a string of merger announcements including Chevron's (CVX) acquisition of Hess (HES) and Exxon Mobil's (XOM) agreement to buy Pioneer Natural Resources. Occidental Petroleum (OXY) also announced a deal to buy privately held oil and gas producer CrownRock. "What you're seeing is a land grab consolidation due to lack of reinvestment in inventory over the last 10-15 years," Matt Willer, managing director of capital markets and partner at Phoenix Capital, told Yahoo Finance. "We're not making more acreage." He added: "Everyone knows where the oil is, and so you start to take a look at [it] and say, 'Alright, who is sitting on top of it and how might we bolster our portfolio in an acquisition to backfill what we didn't do in active reinvestment over the last decade?'" Story continues No more acreage: A well pump near Sweetwater, Texas. (LM Otero/AP Photo, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) 'They have to lower their operating costs' The Permian Basin was once a more fragmented region made up of smaller operators. Technological advances over the years has made drilling in the region more cost-effective and attractive for the major oil and gas companies. "At this point the upside from exploration is gone. The geology is very well known. They know the technology now well, " Ed Hirs, economist and energy fellow at the University of Houston, told Yahoo Finance. "There really will be savings ... you dont need extra CFOs, CEOs." A by-product of oil drilling is natural gas, often referred to in the industry as associated gas. As operators drill further into the ground, the gas-to-oil ratios on wells increase. Hirs said companies have been forced to lower costs amid an oversupply of associated gas. "As the wells turn more gassy, they have to lower their operating costs," he said. The US saw record output last year, offsetting production cut moves by Saudi Arabia and other oil producers aiming to keep crude prices higher. The recent consolidation will likely shift more supply market control to the larger players overseeing the highest producing acreage in the Permian Basin. "If the larger majors can collectively have a more complete foothold on the market, then they can control pricing and one way to do that is to temper the new production. I think that's what we're going to anticipate seeing in the latter half of 2024," said Willer. The Energy Information Administration recently lowered its US oil output forecast for this year, predicting monthly production won't surpass its December 2023 record again until February 2025. Ines Ferre is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @ines_ferre Thousands of Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers turned off their apps Wednesday in a Valentine's Day demonstration to demand better pay and working conditions, organizers of the protest said. "We are turning our apps off to get their attention, they are going to have to give up some of that piece they are taking," Carlos Pelayo, 69, a substitute high school teacher in San Diego who supplements his income by driving for Uber and Lyft, told CBS MoneyWatch. "If you make this your main source of income, you're very vulnerable, you're in a precarious state," said Pelayo, a rideshare driver for nearly eight years and an organizer with Rideshare Drivers United, an independent union leading the protest. "We're sick of working 80 hours a week just to make ends meet, being constantly scared for our safety and worrying about deactivated with the click of a button," stated the Justice For App Workers coalition, which represents more than 100,000 drivers. The group said its members would not accept rides to or from airports in 10 cities in holding a Valentine's Day strike. Drivers planned rallies at airports in Austin, Chicago, Hartford, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence and Tampa. Meanwhile, U.K. delivery drivers for Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat and Stuart said they would turn off their apps and refuse deliveries between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to the Associated Press. The group Delivery Job U.K., which called for the walkout, said on Instagram that the strike was "a crucial opportunity to be seen and heard by society," the wire service reported. Of eight delivery drivers who spoke with The Associated Press on the streets of London Wednesday, all but one said they planned to halt work at 5 p.m. Several, however, questioned whether the strike was long enough to make enough of a financial dent in the businesses. "One day is not effective," said Evadur Rahman. "If we strike more than one day -- two, three, four days they're gonna be affected." Story continues Delivery Job U.K. said 3,000 people planned to strike, but it was unclear how many U.S. drivers would be participating. Uber downplayed the impact of the action, saying the driver protest was having no discernible effect on business. "Despite the headlines, we've seen no impact to our operations or reliability for riders. In fact, in most markets, there are more drivers on the road today than there were during the same period last week," Uber stated on Wednesday afternoon. DoorDash echoed the sentiment, saying it had seen a handful of videos of up to 20 people at airports, and that its business had not been impacted at all. Despite the labor action, some Wall Street analysts said it was unlikely to have much of an impact on rideshare companies. "The driver protests remain an issue but a containable one for Uber and Lyft. Uber is firing on all cylinders now," Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives said in a report. The Associated Press contributed to this report. (Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian military intelligence said Russian forces increasingly use Starlink terminals on the frontline, a new twist in Kyivs uneasy relationship with Elon Musks internet service. Most Read from Bloomberg Intercepted conversations between Russian troops in the occupied Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine indicate they had Starlink devices installed for internet access, the Ukrainian defense ministry intelligence directorate said Sunday on its website. This is starting to become systemic, the RBC-Ukraine news site quoted military intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov as saying on Saturday about Russian forces use of Starlink. Talk about Russian troops using the satelite service bubbled up on Ukrainian social networks and media last week. Starlink Inc. isnt active in Russia, meaning the service will not work in that country, the company said Thursday on Musks X social media platform, formerly Twitter. Starlinks statement didnt specify whether the prohibition would also apply to the four large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine that Russia illegally annexed in 2022, where hundreds of thousands of Russian troops are believed to be deployed. In the past it has restricted the use of internet services in Russian-occupied territories. Musk posted on X that reports SpaceX is selling Starlink terminals to Russia are false. To the best of our knowledge, no Starlinks have been sold directly or indirectly to Russia, he wrote. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Sunday, citing Ukraines military intelligence, that Russian forces are using the satellite internet system in occupied Ukraine. Musk activated the Starlink satellite service in Ukraine during the early months of Russias full-scale invasion, responding to Kyivs plea. Soon, the devices became a vital part of the countrys infrastructure, providing internet services in areas of fighting and beyond. Story continues Musk and Starlink Are in This War. Like It or Not: Marc Champion The increasing dependence of Ukraines military on Starlink became ever more apparent, raising the concerns of its creator. Last year, Musk admitted he had prevented Starlink from being used as part of a Ukrainian attack on a Russian naval base on the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by the Kremlin in 2014. His comments prompted an outcry in Kyiv and a US Senate query. Musk said on the All-In Podcast that he would have extended Starlink for the Ukrainians in Crimea if US President Joe Biden had directed him to do so, but no such directive came. He said Starlink had been turned off over Crimea originally because of US sanctions on Russia. (Updates with Musk comment from X in sixth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Mass rallies held across Iran to mark anniversary of 1979 Islamic Revolution Xinhua) 09:49, February 12, 2024 People participate in a rally to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Shadati) TEHRAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Mass rallies were held across Iran on Sunday to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the victory of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution. The rallies, also attended by the country's officials and military commanders, started concurrently at 9:00 a.m. local time (0530 GMT) in 1,400 cities and 35,000 villages across Iran, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency. In the capital Tehran, people marched from 13 locations towards the Azadi Square, where Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi delivered a speech. Raisi said the country's "vigilant, insightful and conscious" people had managed to overcome all problems caused by the "enemies," according to a statement published on the website of his office. He said Iran was dependent neither on the East nor the West and made decisions and acted on its own. He also condemned "the Israeli crimes in Gaza perpetrated with the support of the Western states claiming to be human rights advocates." During the rallies in Tehran, people chanted slogans and carried banners featuring similar slogans in support of Iran, its Islamic Revolution, and the Palestinians. They also condemned the United States and Israel. Along the routes of the rallies, a number of homegrown missiles and a launch vehicle dubbed Simorgh were put on display. The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran toppled the U.S.-backed Shah regime, and brought the country under the leadership of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. A military band performs during a rally to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Shadati) A rally is held to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Shadati) Parachuters are seen during a rally to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Shadati) (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Guan Xuedong's recent short video on Spring Festival shopping generated hundreds of thousands of views on social media platforms. Hailing from Gaotaizi village in the city of Ji'an in northeast China's Jilin Province, Guan launched a social media account after participating in a livestreaming e-commerce training program in his village in 2022. This training program encouraged Guan to return to his hometown after studying and working in cities for years. By capturing rural life through his videos that evoke a sense of nostalgia from the 1980s, his social media handle has garnered over 600,000 followers. Following in Guan's footsteps, an increasing number of young people have returned home to engage in livestreaming e-commerce in this remote mountainous village. Since 2022, six such returnees have launched their own businesses. To support such endeavors, the village committee has designated four rooms for livestreaming, with three for livestreaming e-commerce. "Two rooms are used for selling corn noodles and spicy cabbage produced in our village, and one room is used for selling local specialties from Ji'an," said Luo Yuwei, Party chief of Gaotaizi village. "In the run-up to the Lunar New Year, our livestreaming e-commerce teams often work till midnight every day to cope with surging orders," Luo said. The village has built two workshops to produce corn noodles and spicy cabbage using traditional techniques, selling these products to customers across the country through livestreaming e-commerce. Luo said that the hand-made spicy cabbage is particularly popular among online customers and sometimes it is so difficult to deal with surging sales that some orders need to be canceled. Luo was among the earliest group of young people who returned to the village to start their own business. After graduating from university in 2005, he returned to set up an agricultural cooperative, helping fellow villagers sell high-quality agricultural products like ginseng, black fungus and grapes. After serving as the village's Party chief in 2022, he worked to create local farm produce brands from high-quality agriculture and, subsequently, launched livestreaming e-commerce to expand the sales of the products. The e-commerce boom has revitalized more villages in Ji'an, bringing additional income to locals as more highly educated young people have returned to take up livestreaming e-commerce. Jia Yanjia, hailing from Qinghe village and formerly a tour guide, has been involved in selling local ginseng through e-commerce livestreaming for two years. "My father's generation has been planting ginseng for decades, but the ginseng used to be sold through traditional channels," Jia said. "Now, I engage in e-commerce livestreaming, bringing netizens along to witness my father digging ginseng in the mountains. This not only boosts sales but also helps more people understand the intriguing culture of ginseng harvesting," Jia added. UN Investigating Crypto Attacks by North Korea Hacking Groups Totalling $3B The United Nations (UN) is cracking down on North Korea's suspected misuse of cryptocurrency, launching an investigation into hacking groups linked to the nation. These groups are accused of orchestrating cyberattacks on cryptocurrency firms over the past six years, amassing a staggering $3 billion in stolen funds to allegedly support their weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program. This investigation, overseen by an independent UN sanction committee, delves into 58 cyberattacks targeting crypto-related companies between 2017 and 2023. The stolen funds, estimated at $3 billion, reportedly play a crucial role in financing North Korea's WMD development, raising international concerns about their nuclear and missile programs. This move comes after reports in 2023 suggested North Korean hacking groups stole around $1 billion worth of cryptocurrency through 20 hacks. While this number represents a decrease compared to the $1.7 billion stolen in 2022, blockchain intelligence firms warn of an alarming trend. They predict even more sophisticated and damaging attacks in 2024, potentially resulting in even greater financial losses for cryptocurrency firms. "Despite advancements in cybersecurity measures employed by exchanges and increased international collaboration to track and recover stolen funds, 2024 is likely to see further disruption from the world's most prolific cyber-thief," warns TRM Labs, a blockchain intelligence firm. Adding to the concerns, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime recently highlighted the misuse of cryptocurrency in illicit economies emerging in East and Southeast Asia. Unregulated or illicit casinos and "pig-butchering" romance scams are reportedly flourishing in the Mekong region, raising concerns about the potential misuse of crypto for criminal activities. It's clear by now that recent artificial intelligence breakthroughs powered by Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) chips will be disruptive to many businesses and governments worldwide. To many, the current AI revolution came out of nowhere. But even before the earth-shaking debut of ChatGPT in November 2022, there were early indications AI was turning a corner. Is there another new technology at a pre-breakthrough stage today? Quantum computing may be at that point. In fact, quantum computing leader IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) just announced a technological breakthrough that could pave the way toward commercialization of the technology very soon. Quantum vs. traditional supercomputing While transistor-packed semiconductors such as Nvidia H100s can do a massive amount of computing, each transistor still operates on a binary code of either 1 or 0 to store information. Quantum computing may disrupt even high-end AI classical computing because it can perform far more computations in a shorter amount of time. When a quantum ion is hit with a laser in a vacuum or electromagnetic field, the laser stimulates the ion's electrons, putting the ion in a dual state of both particle and wave. Measuring all the different probabilities of states between 1 and 0 gives quantum systems the ability to do exponentially more calculations than traditional transistors. The problem is, of course, that quantum technology is extremely difficult to pull off. But IonQ just hit a new technological milestone last month that may start to turn some heads. Image source: Getty Images. Reaching #AQ 35 a year ahead of schedule On January 25, IonQ issued a press release noting it had achieved what it calls an "#AQ 35" quantum system named Forte one year ahead of schedule. The term #AQ signifies the number of algorithmic qbits, and was a terminology developed by IonQ in conjunction with the largest quantum industry consortium to measure the computing power of quantum systems. But each increasing number doesn't indicate a linear advancement -- it's an exponential advancement. For instance, future #AQ 64 systems wouldn't be 35 times as powerful as last year's #AQ 29 system, it will be roughly 34 billion times as powerful! So as IonQ links up more and more qbits in a system -- a very difficult feat -- the total system's power grows by leaps and bounds. Story continues Why #AQ 35 is a bigger deal than #AQ 29 Why is the #AQ 35 system such a big milestone, even relative to last year's #AQ 29 systems? Because #AQ 35 is thought to be the first quantum system threshold sufficiently powerful to outperform traditional computing for certain commercial applications. Quantum computing is thought to be a superior alternative to classic computing when calculating a number of possibilities, combinations, or permutations so large it would take classical systems years to compute all the various scenarios. So various types of machine learning, optimization (such as in global logistics), complex scenario analysis, and material science and drug discovery applications are prime candidates where quantum may lead to breakthroughs. While some of these applications may only be cracked by future systems with #AQ numbers in the thousand-plus range, #AQ 35 is thought to be the first threshold where quantum computing outdoes classical computing AI for applications like autonomous driving, anti-fraud detection, and search ad optimization. So last month's under-the-radar announcement of reaching 35 qbits may be a bigger deal than investors may realize. Image source: IonQ. When will quantum make the big leap? Currently, IonQ has two large customers, which are essentially either research labs or government entities. These include the U.S. Air Force Research Lab and QuantumBasel in Switzerland. IonQ also just inked a collaboration with Seoul National University in South Korea for joint research. When will quantum computing break through the research stage and make inroads into the private sector, potentially disrupting artificial intelligence winners such as Nvidia? It's hard to say. IonQ has actually done a few pilot projects with private enterprises, including Airbus for airplane design and Hyundai Motors for autonomous vehicles. However, while each of these partnerships commenced over a year ago, there haven't been any recent disclosures on any specific breakthroughs. At least not yet. But with the achievement of #AQ 35 two weeks ago, perhaps the new system will usher in an era of commercial quantum computing and perhaps launch IonQ's stock to more prominence. Is Nvidia in danger? Do Nvidia investors have anything to fear? That may be a stretch -- even though IonQ specifically and quantum computing generally have disruptive potential, quantum may only disrupt a portion of all computing. Even IonQ forecasts the quantum computing total addressable market will be "only" $65 billion by 2030. That's large, but much smaller than the computing industry as a whole. That's probably because quantum may only be cost-effective for applications where it's really needed and traditional computing won't suffice. Nevertheless, whichever company breaks through first and becomes the leader in this emerging field could make investors fortunes. So investors should closely track IonQ's progress in 2024 on the back of its recent #AQ 35 achievement. Should you invest $1,000 in IonQ right now? Before you buy stock in IonQ, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and IonQ wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than tripled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 5, 2024 Billy Duberstein has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. His clients may own shares of the companies mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Can This Under-the-Radar Tech Stock Disrupt Nvidia? was originally published by The Motley Fool United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) has announced that it will be increasing its dividend from last year's comparable payment on the 8th of March to $1.63. This makes the dividend yield 4.5%, which is above the industry average. Check out our latest analysis for United Parcel Service United Parcel Service's Earnings Easily Cover The Distributions If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Prior to this announcement, United Parcel Service's dividend was making up a very large proportion of earnings and perhaps more concerning was that it was 109% of cash flows. Paying out such a high proportion of cash flows can expose the business to needing to cut the dividend if the business runs into some challenges. Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 35.9%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 66%, which would make us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend, despite the levels currently being quite high. United Parcel Service Has A Solid Track Record The company has been paying a dividend for a long time, and it has been quite stable which gives us confidence in the future dividend potential. Since 2014, the dividend has gone from $2.48 total annually to $6.52. This works out to be a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 10% a year over that time. It is good to see that there has been strong dividend growth, and that there haven't been any cuts for a long time. United Parcel Service Could Grow Its Dividend Investors could be attracted to the stock based on the quality of its payment history. United Parcel Service has seen EPS rising for the last five years, at 7.3% per annum. Past earnings growth has been decent, but unless this is one of those rare businesses that can grow without additional capital investment or marketing spend, we'd generally expect the higher payout ratio to limit its future growth prospects. Story continues United Parcel Service's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think United Parcel Service will make a great income stock. Although they have been consistent in the past, we think the payments are a little high to be sustained. This company is not in the top tier of income providing stocks. Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. As an example, we've identified 3 warning signs for United Parcel Service that you should be aware of before investing. Is United Parcel Service not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Projection of cyber code on hooded man is pictured in this illustration picture By Raphael Satter (Reuters) - The U.S. Government Accountability Office said Monday that CGI Federal, an IT contractor and unit of CGI Inc, notified the agency of a data breach last month affecting about 6,000 current and former GAO employees. The GAO, a research arm of Congress, said in a statement the data involved personally identifiable information on employees including some people who worked there from 2007 to 2017. A breach notification letter seen by Reuters said that the data contained "names, social security numbers, addresses, and some banking information." The letter said the breach had been carried out by a "threat actor exploiting a vulnerability in an externally provided platform" but didn't delve into specifics. GAO spokesperson Chuck Young said his agency was notified about the breach on Jan. 17 but referred questions about its impact to CGI. CGI Federal did not immediately return messages seeking comment. CGI, which has pivoted toward cybersecurity in recent years, has a host of contracts with the federal government. In recent congressional testimony, a CGI official said that the company has provided IT protection for "100 participating agencies" through the U.S. cybersecurity agency tasked with protecting federal networks. In the same testimony, GCI said it provided cybersecurity services the State, Justice, Commerce, and Labor departments as well as the Federal Communications Commission and the United States Agency for International Development. The cybersecurity agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment about CGI. The FBI did not immediately return emails. (Reporting by Raphael Satter. Additional reporting by Christopher Bing and Douglas Gillison in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Lisa Shumaker) By Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. should review Chinese biotech firm WuXi AppTec and its affiliate WuXi Biologics for sanctions, a bipartisan group of lawmakers told top Biden administration officials on Monday. In a letter dated Feb. 12 and seen by Reuters, the lawmakers told Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo that the global pharmaceutical giant's links to China's Communist Party and military threatened U.S. national security. The letter, signed by the Republican chair and Democratic ranking member of the House select committee on China, Representatives Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Senators Gary Peters and Bill Hagerty, is Congress' latest effort to highlight what it says are risks posed by China's biotech leaders. Congress has introduced legislation that would restrict federally-funded medical providers from allowing China's BGI Group, WuXi AppTec and other biotech firms from getting genetic information about Americans. WuXi AppTec did not respond immediately to a request for comment, but has repeatedly said that it is not a national security risk to any country. "We are concerned by a misguided U.S. legislative initiative to target our company without a fair and transparent review of the facts," WuXi AppTec said previously in a statement still on its website home page. The four lawmakers citing public Chinese government documents, Chinese university websites and media articles outlined what they called WuXi AppTec's clear military ties, as well as support for China's policies in Xinjiang, a region where Washington has accused Beijing of committing genocide against Muslim minorities. They said WuXi AppTec had received investment from numerous PLA funds, including the AVIC Military-Civil Integration Selected Hybrid Securities Investment Fund. They also cited a resume for WuXi Biologics CEO Chen Zhisheng, posted in 2018 to a Tsinghua University website, that listed him as a visiting professor at China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences, which was added to the Commerce Department's export control list in 2021. Story continues "Given WuXi AppTec's clear ties to the CCP and the PLA and its likely role in enabling the genocide in Xinjiang, we urge your departments to consider the inclusion of WuXi AppTec and its subsidiaries on your respective control lists," they said in the letter. Those should include sanctions under Treasury's Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List, the Commerce list restricting U.S. sales to named entities and the Pentagon's "1260H" list, which carries implicit warnings about U.S. cooperation with certain firms. "WuXi AppTec and WuXi Biologics have obscured their ties to the CCP and PLA and, as a result, are rapidly integrating themselves into U.S. supply chains by signing agreements with prominent U.S. biotech entities," the lawmakers wrote. The two companies have counted Pfizer, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline , and U.S. national labs as partners. (Reporting by Michael Martina, editing by Deepa Babington) GURUGRAM, India, Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vietnam edible oil market is set to sizzle, with a projected 339 million USD growth by 2027, reaching 1.456 billion USD from its 2022 value of 1.117 billion USD, according to a new report by Ken Research titled "Vietnam Edible Oil Market Outlook to 2027: From Palm Power to Premium Picks." This press release reveals the key ingredients driving this market's culinary adventure. Ken Research Logo Flavorful Drivers: Spiking Demand: A population surge of 1.4% annually fuels demand for diverse oils, with palm (36% market share), soybean (18%), and sunflower (12%) as the frontrunners. Health Concoctions: 80% of urban consumers prioritize health, driving demand for high-quality oils. Food Processing Fiesta: The industry's 8.4% growth demands various oils for processed food creations. Market Segments: A Culinary Adventure: Oil Types: While palm reigns supreme, soybean and sunflower oils are rising stars. Niche oils like coconut are adding exotic flavors (8.4% domestic consumption growth in 2021). Distribution Delights: Traditional stores (87.4% market share) hold strong, but online channels are simmering with potential (70-80% conversion rate on offline regular purchases). Sales Channel Sizzle: Supermarkets and hypermarkets are heating up, while convenient stores and e-commerce add their unique flavors to the mix. Interested to Know More about this Report, Request a Free Sample Report Competitive Kitchen: Master Chefs: Calofic (40% market share), Tuong an (13%), Kido Nha Be (3.2%), and Tan Binh (2.4%) are the top contenders. Culinary Showdown: Players are battling it out with innovative recipes, cutting-edge technology, and efficient distribution networks. Challenges & Opportunities: Balancing Spices & Sweeteners: Import Reliance: Vietnam relies heavily on imports, exposing it to price fluctuations and supply chain disruptions. Labor Shortages: The agricultural sector faces a lack of manpower, potentially hindering domestic production. Sustainability Concerns: Growing environmental awareness demands eco-friendly practices throughout the value chain. Story continues Opportunities Galore: A Foodie Paradise: Premium Palates: Consumers are craving premium and functional oils, creating a delicious new market segment. Tech Savvy Chefs: Technological advancements will enhance efficiency and reduce costs. Sustainable Feast: Bio-based oils and eco-friendly packaging offer a scrumptious way to embrace sustainability. Visit this Link :- Request for custom report A Recipe for Success: The Vietnam edible oil market offers a delicious concoction of growth potential. Urbanization, rising incomes, and health awareness are the key ingredients fueling the market's expansion. Food processing and premium oil demand add further flavor to the mix. Embracing technology, addressing import dependence, and prioritizing sustainability are the essential spices needed for stakeholders to cook up success in this dynamic market. Taxonomy Vietnam Edible Oil Market Segmentation By Type Palm Oil Soy Oil Coconut Oil Peanut Oil Others Request free 30 minutes analyst call By Mode of Distribution channel Online Offline By Type of sales channel Small Local Grocers Supermarket Hypermarket Convenient store E-commerce By Age-Group 0-14 Years 15-19 Years 20-24 Years 25-44 Years 45-64 Years 65-79 Years 80+ Years By Income Level 2.5 LPA 5-7 LPA 7-9 LPA 9 LPA and Above For More Insights On Market Intelligence, Refer To The Link Below: Vietnam Edible Oil Market Related Reports by Ken Research: Indonesia Edible Oil Market Outlook to 2027 Driven by Government Initiatives, Global Market Integration, and Technological Advancement across Industries Indonesia Edible Oil Market will expand at a CAGR of 3.1% between 2022 and 2027 owing to the rising demand for palm oil segment. Consumers are also likely to look for value-for-money options such as products in larger refill packs or private label products. Indeed, there is also likely to be polarisation in terms of pack size. Net Profit of Bimoli Cooking Oil Producer, Salim Ivomas Pratama increases 320% in 2021. US Functional Flour Market outlook to 2028 Types (Pre-cooked Flour, and Specialty Flour); By Application (Bakery, Savory Snacks, Soups & Sauces, Ready-to-Eat products, and others); By Geography (North, East, West, and South) According to Ken Research, this market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of ~7% in between 2022-2028 owing to rise in allergy cases, rapid urbanization and technological advancements along with rise in demands and sales of gluten free products. Global Snack food Market Outlook to 2027 Driven by changing consumer lifestyles, increasing urbanization, and a rising preference for convenient and on-the-go food options The global snack food market is expected to reach USD 304306 Mn from 2022 to 2027, with a projected increase in market size driven by changing consumer preferences, urbanization, and a rising demand for convenience foods. A major growth driver in the snack food market will be the increasing consumer focus on health and wellness. There is a growing demand for snacks that are not only tasty but also nutritious. Europe Wheat protein Market Outlook to 2028 Driven by growing demand for plant-based protein and rising Health and Wellness awareness Europe wheat protein market is expected to show constant increase and is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~6% from 2022 to 2028 with increasing focus of concerning health issues. Wheat protein market is expected to grow from 2022-2028 due to factors like increase in trust on organic farming, growing demand of wheat protein, and increase in number of gyms and fitness centers in Europe. Follow Us LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube Contact Us:- Ken Research Private Limited Ankur Gupta, Director Strategy and Growth Ankur@kenresearch.com +91-9015378249 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1954972/Ken_Research_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vietnam-edible-oil-market-poised-for-339-million-growth-by-2027-fueled-by-health-urbanization-and-food-processing-boom-ken-research-302059376.html SOURCE Ken Research Want to know the latest about development in your neighborhood? "Checking in on..." is a new feature in The Commercial Appeal that offers the latest updates on residential and commercial projects throughout Shelby and DeSoto counties. Readers, we want to hear from you. You can send your development questions to metro@commercialappeal.com, and well work to answer them in a future story. Todays "Checking in on..." looks at The Provost in Southaven. The Provost in Southaven The front side of three-story tall mixed-use development project The Provost, which will be ready for residents around late spring. It is located near Nail and Getwell roads in Southaven. The Provost is a mixed-use development located near Nail and Getwell roads in Southaven, just one block away from the Silo Square development. The project, which broke ground in December 2022, includes 6,676 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor and 92 apartments on the second and third floors. McNeill Commercial Real Estate is the developer behind the project. McNeill is also the developer behind the Thornwood mixed-use development in Germantown. Austin Duffie, a business manager at Fogelman Properties, said he hopes the development will become synonymous with "community, consistency, and customer service." Duffie said that attention to detail is key at The Provost. "From the in-unit 9-foot ceilings with crown molding, to the meticulously manicured grounds made perfect for residents to enjoy their home outdoors." DESOTO COUNTY REAL ESTATE: See which cities had the largest increases in home price What type of apartments does The Provost offer? The Provost has one-bedroom units available starting at $1,886 per month, and two-bedroom units starting at $2,628 per month. Duffie said monthly premium services are included with the usual rental price, and include "gated, resident-only parking, high speed internet in each residence, and valet trash service, to name a few." An aerial view of the three-story mixed-use development The Provost, which will be ready for residents around late spring. It is located near Nail and Getwell roads in Southaven. The Provost will have 92 individual units on its second and third floors, with floor plans ranging from 838 square feet to 1,740 square feet. The Provost will provide many upscale amenities, which include a 24-hour fitness center, pet spa and dog park, pickleball courts and a 24-hour coffee bar. Story continues Duffie also noted the walkability of The Provost. Besides the businesses opening on the ground floor, the property is also within close proximity to Silo Square's commercial area, as well BankPlus Amphitheater and Snowden Grove Park. NEW HOTELS: Nearly 4,000 new hotel rooms planned in Memphis suburbs. Here's what's in the pipeline What's next for The Provost? Duffie expects the project to be move-in ready for residents around late spring to early summer of 2024. Pre-leasing is now available for the one and two bedroom units. Some of the commercial developments are also expected to be ready by May, though the names of the businesses have not yet been announced. Jacob Wilt is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal. You can reach him at jacob.wilt@commercialappeal.com. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: When will The Provost apartments in Southaven welcome residents? Aubrey Trail, who chose not to go through with a state court appeal of his death sentence for the killing and dismemberment of Sydney Loofe, has gone forward instead with a federal challenge. In it, his federal public defenders out of Kansas City, Missouri, raised two dozen claims, among them that Trails sentence amounts to cruel and unusual punishment because he is severely mentally ill and his previous counsel was ineffective for failing to raise the issue earlier. Attorney Laurence Komp, chief of the Capital Habeas Unit, said: Mr. Trails case provides an example of what happens when the death penalty is obtained in proceedings that are bereft of the process that is constitutionally required. The means matter in a justice system the ends should always be the product of a fair and meaningful process. Here, that has not occurred. In 2021, Trail was sentenced to death for Loofes murder. The Lincoln store clerks disappearance the night of Nov. 15, 2017, led to a multistate manhunt for Trail and his girlfriend, Bailey Boswell, who in Facebook videos claimed to know nothing about it. Their cellphone records, though, led police, deputies and the FBI to fields and ditches in Clay County, where they made the grisly discovery of Loofes remains left scattered in trash bags. At trial in June 2019, jurors found Trail guilty. Two years later, he was sentenced to death. Boswell later got a life sentence. In the court filing Thursday in U.S. District Court in Lincoln, Komp said Trails attorneys at trial failed to conduct a pretrial investigation into Trails mental health and psychological history or consult with relevant mental health experts despite red flags suggesting he suffered from mental health struggles. This prevented trial counsel from being able to raise available defenses to the first-degree murder and conspiracy charges, including diminished capacity and other potentially relevant mental health defenses, he said. He said Trail has a long history of symptoms of mental illness that included uncontrollable mood fluctuations, cognitive impairments and reality distortion, as well as a history of anxiety and a schizophrenia diagnosis. Komp said Trails mental and emotional impairments led to him slitting his own throat in a mid-trial suicide attempt in front of the jury. The scene was chaotic and charged. It presented such an unusual circumstance ... the trial courts on-the-record comments that there was nothing to see here ring absolutely hollow, he wrote. Komp took issue with the trial judges handling of it, saying the shocking move should have prompted an evaluation to determine if Trail was competent to continue with trial and her assurances to jurors should have been on the record. He took issue, too, with the fact that Nebraska is the only active death penalty jurisdiction that places the determination of whether someone gets a death sentence exclusively in the hands of judges. The state hasnt yet responded to the filing, which comes less than two months after Trail purposely passed up a deadline to file a post-conviction challenge in state court days after Saline County District Judge David Bargen denied his attorneys request to hire a mitigation expert to help her flesh out potential claims. And in the summer, Lancaster County District Judge Kevin McManaman threw out a petition in which Trail sought to force the state to set an execution date, which the judge called frivolous because Trail does not have the right to dictate when the state will execute him. Trail, 57, previously had said he didnt wish to file anything that would stay his execution, and he told the Journal Star he sent a letter to Gov. Jim Pillen saying that if Pillen showed effort that he was going to try to fix the death penalty this legislative session, then Trail would wait. Although Im guilty as hell, I will sit here till I die of old age manipulating the system and denying the family justice, he said, blaming the state for not finding a way. In 2015, state lawmakers abolished capital punishment, but voters reversed the decision through the referendum process in 2016. In 2018, the state executed Carey Dean Moore by lethal injection but hasnt since been able to secure the drugs necessary to carry out another execution. A bill proposed this year in the Legislature would require the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services to develop a protocol for nitrogen hypoxia in addition to the existing method of lethal injection. The inmates on Nebraskas death row and their crimes Raymond Mata Jr. Jose Sandoval Jorge Galindo Erick F. Vela Jeffrey Hessler John L. Lotter Roy L. Ellis Marco E. Torres Jr. Anthony Garcia Nikko Jenkins Patrick Schroeder Aubrey Trail Tibetan herder Tenzin is wrapped in a thick traditional robe, a headscarf and gloves as protection against the chill wind that sweeps across the vast prairie in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Even so, she had her nails meticulously done to celebrate the Tibetan New Year. At the most important festival for Tibetans, which fell on Saturday this year, she and her family cleaned their 50-square-meter clay house, fired up the yak dung stove and prepared barley wine and traditional snacks they bought in the regional capital Lhasa -- some 800 km away from home -- to serve the visiting guests. Tenzin, 22, comes from a village in Ngoqu Township, Nyima County, at an altitude of more than 4,700 meters. The village is part of the Changtang National Nature Reserve, China's biggest and highest nature reserve. In August 2022, Tenzin and her family were relocated to a new community called Singpori some 10 km from Lhasa airport, as part of a relocation project to offer herders a better living environment and hand over the nature reserve to wildlife. The government has set up a transitional period spanning the next few years, during which some young people will be taking turns at herding on the prairie. Since then, Tenzin has been traveling between her two homes, enjoying the pleasures of modernity at her new home and herding back at the old one. As the eldest child in her family, Tenzin is a major breadwinner, but herding in this area is not an easy lifestyle. The oxygen in the air is mere 40 percent of that on the plain, and for some 200 days a year there are strong winds of up to 20 meters per second. The temperature after sunset can drop below minus 10 degrees Celsius. "I often feel my fingers growing numb at the tips. Sometimes, the frostbite is really painful," she said. Due to the high altitude and harsh environment, it is common for local herders to develop diseases like rheumatism, arthritis and heart disease. The medical and school facilities are also poor. Ahead of the Tibetan New Year, Tenzin headed to her new home located on the northern bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River at an altitude of 3,600 meters. Compared with her old one, the 120-square-meter two-story house is much more comfortable, with access to running water, a heating device and a gas stove. The community, home to more than 30,000 residents relocated from high-altitude areas, is equipped with a newly-built hospital, a kindergarten, a school, a market and a recreation center. Tenzin's two younger brothers now go to the new school. Wearing her beautiful Tibetan costume and a set of red coral ornaments, Tenzin attended a horse racing event and then went shopping in downtown Lhasa, where she had milk tea, pizza and a manicure with her friends. "That's why I prefer my new home," she said with a smile. Yao Peng, Party chief of Ngoqu Township, said a cooperative has been established to help take care of the sheep so that more young people can be freed from herding and find other jobs near their new home. Lu Ke, an official with the management committee of the Singpori community, said the community has developed industries including apple farming and modern husbandry to create more jobs for the relocated residents. Gadzong, Tenzin's mother, said that when the cooperative was initially established, they doubted if others could care for the family's sheep as well as they could, so she and Tenzin decided to continue herding on the grassland. "Seeing that the cooperative has offered considerable dividends, we are also considering joining in," Gadzong said. Tenzin has headed back to the prairie to look after the sheep and stayed through the Tibetan New Year with her family there. "Next year, I'll definitely celebrate the festival at my new home," she said. Bridget Everett stars as Sam in "Somebody Somewhere," my new favorite comedy on Max. We find her living back in her Kansas hometown, struggling to find work she enjoys, dealing with her alcoholic mother, long-suffering father and angry sister. But what does bring her joy is her new friendship with an old high school classmate and attending his secret choir practice where she meets a cast of quirky characters. Courtesy HBO Family, friends and hundreds of strangers lined a Michigan highway last year to welcome home Fort Carson Spc. Braden Peltier, as he made his way from Detroit to West Branch, Mich., for the final time after he was fatally shot in Colorado Springs. Many residents gathered on overpasses with flags to honor the soldier. The outpouring Braden Peltier received on his journey home took away some of the sting from his sons death, his father, Jay Peltier, said. Small towns, they take care of their own, he said. But so far, his experience with the Colorado Springs police as they have worked to investigate Braden's death has been lacking. I hear little to nothing from the police, said Peltier, explaining he has talked with police only a handful of times, and on only one of those occasions did the police call him. The shooting, shortly before 4 a.m. March 26, 2023, was one of several at the after-hours nightclub at 2727 Palmer Park Blvd. During May, another shooting in a parking lot near the building killed Jalyn Tyre Lagrue, 20. An arrest was made in Lagrues case. The large building is home to a flea market and a cannabis dispensary, with a large warehouse space on one side. The two young men killed at the nightclub were among the 34 homicides in Colorado Springs last year. Among that group, 20 were men under 35 who died in shootings. Peltier said his son, 23, was protecting someone else during the encounter that also injured one other person, but he did not want to hurt the investigation by sharing more details about what happened. Lt. Brian Cummings said CSPD could not comment on the case. Featured Local Savings Peltier would like to see justice for his hard-working son, who wanted to become an Army Ranger. He set very lofty goals for himself, he said. The nearly lifelong Michigander enlisted in 2020 and he was working as an artilleryman with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, his service record shows. Former commander of the team Stephen Capehart said in a statement at the time that Braden's compassion for his fellow soldiers would be missed. Braden followed his stepdad, grandfather and great-grandfather and other men in his family into the military. It was work that took him to Poland in 2022 and helped him mature, his father said. The weight that those young and women carry on their shoulders is incredible, Peltier said. An old soul, who understood people, but wasnt drawn to books, Peltier said his son learned all of lifes lessons the hard way. Braden was also an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting, fishing and camping. To mark the anniversary of his sons death, Peltier expects to go trout fishing. Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest in Braden Peltiers case. Tipsters can call 719-634-7867. A malware attack on the state public defender's computer system last week has resulted in the disabling of the office's network, the office confirmed on Monday. A spokesperson for the Judicial Department said the courts themselves were not affected by the cyberattack. "As a preventative measure, we temporarily disabled our computer network and are working to safely and securely bring systems back online. Our operations will be limited while the network is offline," said James Karbach, the communications director for the public defender's office. One judge told Colorado Politics that they learned of the problem as early as Friday afternoon. Eric Ross, a spokesperson for the 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office in Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, said he was not notified until nearly 72 hours later. "Public Defenders will still appear in court today," he wrote in an email, "but it's our understanding they will not have access to anything running on their IT network. It will be up to the judges presiding over cases to decide how to handle or reset proceedings to a future date." Featured Local Savings Jeff Chostner, the district attorney for Pueblo County, confirmed the public defender's outage is statewide. He said it will not affect the outcome of cases, but will impact the processing of criminal matters. Kate Singh, a spokesperson for the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office in El Paso and Teller counties, stated their office was not subject to any ransomware attacks. "Our systems are not impacted by the Public Defenders system breach," added Rob McCallum, a judicial spokesperson. "We are secure and fully operational." Reporter Zachary Dupont contributed to this article. This story has been updated to reflect Eric Ross' correct role. Travelers at Denver International Airport can now reserve a parking spot up to 90 days before their flight, the airport announced Monday. The Denver airport introduced its premium reserve parking in an effort to make arriving for flights more convenient. The parking spots will be in the former valet areas on the fourth level of each Arrivals garage and are close to the terminal so flyers can save time from walking or taking the shuttle. The premium reserve parking spaces will cost $50 a day, the airport said. The parking system uses license plate reading technology upon entrance and exit, the airport said. The tech will detect a cars license plate and grant travelers access to their reserved parking spot. Travelers can book their spots 90 days before their flight and up to five minutes before arriving on FlyDenver.com/Park. Featured Local Savings Denver's airport is one of the busiest in the country. It had a record-breaking number of passengers in 2023 and is upgrading its infrastructure to handle its growth including a new security checkpoint that opened earlier this month. Parking is still a pain point for many travelers, airport spokesperson Stephanie Figueroa told The Denver Gazette. DIA previously had valet parking which ended during the COVID-19 pandemic and the spaces were then used by employees, Figueroa said. As travel started returning to normal, Figueroa said the airport reevaluated what to do with the former valet-area and the parking team decided a reservation system would help especially during the busy holiday season when its garages fill up quickly. "At DEN, we are constantly striving to improve the travel experience for our passengers," the airports CEO Phil Washington said in a statement. "Premium Reserved Parking offers a seamless and efficient parking solution, allowing travelers to focus on their trip without the added stress of finding parking." Since normal travel resumed in 2023, the flow of people between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland have been increased, enhancing personnel exchanges between the two places. With a mobile phone and a stand, self-media bloggers used simple equipment to shoot three to five minutes of short videos, sharing their experience and observations in Hong Kong and the mainland, promoting a two-way cultural dialogue between the two places. "A fat boy born and raised in Hong Hong who loves to eat." This is self-media blogger Saidorsi's self-introduction on his self-media homepage. Saidorsi released videos, most of which are about eight to 10 minutes long, from the perspective of Hong Kong people and in the language closest to them, introducing tips of eating and having fun in the mainland, as well as electronic payment and bank account opening. "My goal is that after watching my videos, the audience will be able to visit the mainland themselves," Saidorsi, who is in his thirties, worked in the design area before becoming a self-media blogger, said. In 2017, Saidorsi decided to become a full-time self-media blogger after witnessing the development of the self-media market. In August of the same year, he posted a video recommending a hot pot restaurant in Shenzhen, a neighbor city dubbed the commercial hub in South China. The video achieved 100,000 views in five days and made a splash. Since then, he has started his self-media journey of introducing Shenzhen to Hong Kong people. "My previous job required frequent business trips to mainland cities, which gave me a certain understanding of the lifestyle in the mainland and I was greatly inspired," Saidorsi said. Over the past seven years, the video blogger has created more than 1,000 videos and the content has expanded from Shenzhen to other mainland cities. By filming the changes in Shenzhen, Saidorsi hoped to open a window for Hong Kong people to understand the development in the mainland. "Many people told me that after watching my videos, they realized that there were so many interesting places in the mainland, which gave me a great sense of accomplishment," Saidorsi said. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the number of visitors to Hong Kong in 2023 was about 34 million. It is widely believed in the Hong Kong tourism industry that in recent years, visitors to Hong Kong have begun to focus on the urban space outside scenic spots, and Hong Kong's rich artistic activities are attracting tourists from different places. Chen Ziyu, who lived in Guangzhou, capital city of Guangdong province, since childhood, has been operating self-media accounts on different platforms since 2016. Because of her love for Hong Kong's cultural works, she chose to introduce Hong Kong's art information as the main content. In 2017, Chen came to Hong Kong to study art education and visited almost all art institutions in the international financial hub, and she shared her knowledge and visiting experience on social platforms. "The route I designed brings together the small-scale and scattered galleries in Hong Kong, so that visitors can experience the artistic environment of Hong Kong in a short time," Chen said. In addition, Chen also shared her experience as a volunteer in art institutions such as the Hong Kong Palace Museum. "Seeing the world in Hong Kong and being seen by the world," Chen said, in recent years, a series of major events have been held in Hong Kong that combined tradition and modernity, art, culture and technology, giving countless art lovers a feast for their eyes. At the same time, the infinite potential of Hong Kong's cultural and artistic development has also been seen by the world, making her feel proud. This is the first Lunar New Year after the Hong Kong society has returned to normalcy and the festive atmosphere throughout the territory was exceptionally good. Chen used her mobile phone to record the Hong Kong-style Lunar New Year. In the new year, Chen hoped that artists from the mainland and Hong Kong will have more exchanges, bringing their hearts closer with their works of art. Dick Wadhams is a former Colorado Republican state chairman who worked for U.S. Sen. Bill Armstrong for nine years before managing campaigns for U.S. Sens. Hank Brown and Wayne Allard, and Gov. Bill Owens. Members of the Colorado Supreme Court on Thursday considered whether the state law that broadly shields the government from civil lawsuits applies to upgrades of public parking garages, raising the possibility of cities and counties being increasingly on the hook for personal injury claims in the future. NEW YORK Even as Catholic dogma continues to repudiate same-sex marriage and gender transition, one of the most prominent religious orders in the United States the Jesuits is strengthening a unique outreach program for LGBTQ+ Catholics. The initiative fittingly called Outreach was founded two years ago by the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit who is one of the country's most prominent advocates for greater LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Catholic Church. Outreach, a ministry of the Jesuit magazine America, sponsored conferences in New York City in 2022 and 2023, and last year launched a multifaceted website with news, essays and information about Catholic LGBTQ+ resources and events. On Tuesday, there was another milestone for Outreach the appointment of journalist and author Michael O'Loughlin as its first executive director. O'Loughlin, a former staff writer at online newspaper Crux, has been the national correspondent at America. He is the author of a book recounting the varied ways that Catholics in the U.S. responded to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 90s Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear. O'Loughlin said he's excited by his new job, viewing it as a chance to expand the range of Outreach's programs and the national scope of its community. Its an opportunity to highlight the ways LGBT people can be Catholic and active in parishes, ministries and charities," he said. Theres a lot of fear about to being too public about it. ... I want them to realize theyre not alone. O'Loughlin says his current outlook evolved as he traveled to scores of places around the U.S. to promote his book, talking to groups of LGBTQ+ Catholics, and their families and friends, about how to make the church more welcoming to them. Those conversations made O'Loughlin increasingly comfortable publicly identifying as a gay Catholic after years of wondering whether he should remain in the church. Its doctrine still condemns any sexual relations between gay or lesbian partners as intrinsically disordered." The latest expansion of Outreach occurs amid a time of division within the global Catholic Church as it grapples with LGBTQ+ issues. Pope Francis, a Jesuit who has met with Martin and sent letters of support to Outreach, has made clear he favors a more welcoming approach to LGBTQ+ people. At his direction, the Vatican recently gave priests greater leeway to bless same-sex couples and asserted that transgender people, in some circumstances, can be baptized. However, there has been some resistance to the pope's approach. Many conservative bishops in Africa, Europe and elsewhere said they would not implement the new policy regarding blessings. In the U.S., some bishops have issued directives effectively ordering diocesan personnel not to recognize transgender people's gender identity. Amid those conflicting developments, Martin and other Jesuit leaders are proud of Outreach's accomplishments and optimistic about its future. There seems to be deep hunger for the kind of ministry that were doing, not only among LGBTQ Catholics, but also their families and friends, Martin said by email from Ireland, where he was meeting last week with the the country's Catholic bishops. Pope Francis has been very encouraging, allowing himself to be interviewed by Outreach and sending personal greetings to our conference last year, Martin added. Perhaps the most surprising support has been from several bishops who have written for our website, as well as some top-notch Catholic theologians who see the need for serious theological reflection on LGBTQ topics. Martin will remain engaged in Outreach's oversight, holding the title of founder. The Rev. Brian Paulson, president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, evoked both Jesus and the pope when asked why his order had embraced the mission of Outreach. Pope Francis has repeatedly called leaders in the Catholic church to emulate the way Jesus spent his ministry on the peripheries, accompanying those who had experienced exclusion, Paulson said email. I think the work of Outreach is a response to this invitation. Paulson also said he was impressed by Martin's grace and patience in responding to the often harsh criticism directed at him by some conservative Catholics. There was ample evidence of Outreach's stature at its conference last June at a branch of Fordham University in New York City. The event was preceded by a handwritten letter of support sent to Martin by Pope Francis, extending prayers and good wishes to the participants. Its a special grace for LGBTQ Catholics to know that the pope is praying for them, Martin said. Another welcoming letter came from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York. It is the sacred duty of the Church and Her ministers to reach out to those on the periphery, he wrote to conference attendees. 25 LGBTQ+ people who changed the course of history 25 LGBTQ+ people who changed the course of history Julius Caesar Alexander the Great Leonardo da Vinci Isaac Newton Chevalier d'Eon Walt Whitman Oscar Wilde Emily Dickinson Lili Elbe Virginia Woolf Wilfred Owen Josephine Baker Frida Kahlo Alan Turing Bayard Rustin Billie Holiday James Baldwin Gore Vidal Andy Warhol Harvey Milk Tab Hunter Jackie Shane Divine Marsha P. Johnson Freddie Mercury Official PostWharton FT MBA Complete Information: 2023-2024 Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Data Point / School Wharton US News Ranking 3 Applicants 6319 Accepted 1442 Enrolled 894 Acceptance 23% Yield Rate 62% GPA 3.6 Average WE 60 % GMAT 71% Average GMAT 733 Median GMAT 740 GMAT Domestic 729 GMAT International 739 % GRE NA Average GRE Q NA Average GRE V NA Employed at Graduation 87% Employed 3 Months 96% Average Salary $166,391 Average Bonus $34,891 Salary and Bonus $190,992 US News Ranking Data Year Ranking 2024 3 2023 1 2022 2 2021 1 2020 1 Introduction Section I: Academics Advanced Microeconomics for Managers Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership Marketing Management Microeconomics for Managers Regression Analysis for Managers Speaking and Writing Accounting Communication Corporate Finance Legal Studies and Business Ethics Macroeconomics Management Marketing Operations, Information, and Decisions Accounting Business Analytics* Business Economics and Public Policy* Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability* Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Entrepreneurship and Innovation Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors for Business* Finance* Health Care Management Individualized Management Marketing Marketing and Operations (joint major) Multinational Management Operations, Information, and Decisions* Organizational Effectiveness Quantitative Finance* Real Estate Social and Governance Factors for Business* Statistics* Strategic Management Annenberg School for Communication Graduate School of Education Penn Carey Law School Perelman School of Medicine School of Arts and Sciences School of Dental Medicine School of Engineering and Applied Science School of Nursing School of Social Policy and Practice School of Veterinary Medicine Stuart Weitzman School of Design Section II: Culture and Student Clubs The Finance Club and Investment Management Club The Restructuring and Distressed Investing Club The Sales and Trading Club The Consulting Club i Case Family Program Wharton Community Consultants The Venture Lab Startup Challenge Venture Initiation Program (VIP) Entrepreneurship through Acquisition (ETA) Venture Lab Visiting Experts Whartons Entrepreneurship Club Private Equity and Venture Capital Club Wharton Entrepreneurship Summit Private Equity and Venture Capital Conference The General Management Club Future of Work Conference Wharton People Analytics program William P. Lauder Wharton Leadership Fellows Learning Team Retreat Wine Club and the Coding Club MBA Leadership Ventures Atacama Desert to Antarctica Health Care Management (HCM) The Health Care Club harton Health Care Business Conference Redesign Health and Ribbon Health Lauder Institute at Penn or the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University Global Immersion Program Marketing Club Marketing Conference Whartons Graduate Retail Club Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Environmental, Social and Governance Factors for Business (ESGB); Social and Governance Factors for Business (SOGO); and Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (BEES) The Social Impact Club John M. Bendheim Loan Forgiveness Fund Invest for Impact Competition Section III: Scholarships 2nd Year Financial Aid Awards Ford Fellowship First year, best student Academic Excellence Fellowship Terms 2 and 3, best student Inselbag Fellowship First year (Top 5% eligible) McGowan Fellowship First year (Top 5% eligible) Directors List Fellowship Each semester (Top 10% eligible) Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Scholars in Quantitative Finance Second-year, exceptional students in Quantitative Finance Major Penn Wharton Innovation Fund Summer Venture Award Startup Internship Award Edward B Shills / Leonard L Zeidman Fellowship Behrman Family Fellowships (3) in demonstrated leadership and financial need. Recipient selection process maintained within Leadership Program. In this post, you will find all the relevant information for the. The post provides information on key aspects of Wharton: its academics, culture and student clubs, scholarships, and career report.Wharton is one of the largest MBA programs in the world, with a class size averaging in the high 800s over the last several years. The program is contained predominantly within a single building, Huntsman Hall, which fosters student interaction through its numerous meeting, study, and social spaces.In order to create a smaller community feel, the incoming class is divided into four clusters of approximately 215 students each. These clusters are further divided into three cohorts of approximately 70 students each. Students take fixed core classes with their assigned cohort and complete group assignments with their learning teams.After completing the first-year core curriculum, students choose their electives and no longer take classes within cohorts. However, they are still assigned to learning teams, which are mentored by second-year students.Wharton also offers a number of opportunities for students to mix with students from the other graduate schools at Penn. This is facilitated by both formal and informal events.As per the official website, Wharton's MBA program features a rigorous core curriculum that provides a foundational understanding of key business principles. This core can be tailored to your unique background and ambitions by selecting from 21 specialized majors and nearly 200 elective courses. Your personalized learning journey goes beyond course selection; the core curriculum itself offers choices to shape your experience.The educational approach at Wharton is grounded in a foundational core curriculum that also offers significant adaptability. In their first year, students must engage in a standard set of core courses, beginning with a three-week pre-term session that equips all students with essential business knowledge before the start of the fall term. This is accompanied by a compulsory retreat for learning teams and a comprehensive series of foundational courses spanning a year. These foundational courses focus on three critical dimensions that mirror the overarching educational philosophy at Wharton: leadership, analytical rigor, and a wide range of knowledge. The structure of Wharton's curriculum features both mandatory and elective elements. Following the completion of 3.25 credit units of obligatory coursework alongside their cohort, students have the opportunity to tailor their education by choosing 6.25 credit hours from an array of flexible core courses. These courses are diverse in content, schedule, and structure, allowing students to tailor their learning to align with their specific interests in one of eight different course categories, based on their intended major or professional goals. The compulsory core courses, undertaken with peers in the first semester of the first year, are part of this structured yet customizable learning pathway.Flexible Core Course Areas are:Students who have previous professional or academic background in a specific area may have the option to bypass the related core course (though this does not apply to all core courses), either by passing a waiver test or obtaining approval from the course instructor. A significant number of first-year students, even those eligible to skip a core course, decide to enroll in it anyway, choosing it over an elective for a review of the material or to enhance camaraderie within their learning teams and cohorts. Indeed, around 40% of students eligible for waivers still opt to take the core course, valuing the review and the opportunity to strengthen relationships. Upon finishing the core curriculum in the first year, students can select from almost 200 elective courses offered across ten different departments to complete their major requirements. To fulfill their degree, students are required to undertake at least 9.5 credits of elective coursework, with five of those credits contributing towards their major. Typically, majors are structured to require five credit units (including one credit from the core curriculum), offering students the flexibility to pursue one or several majors from the available options.*STEM-certified majorOne benefit Wharton students enjoy is the ability to take up to four courses at any of the 11 other Ivy League graduate schools at the University of Pennsylvania, including:Wharton's educational approach is not confined to a single pedagogical style. Professors at Wharton are given the latitude to tailor their teaching strategies according to the subject matter. It's common for faculty to employ a diverse array of teaching techniquesincluding lectures, case studies, simulations, and group projectsthroughout a term. Typically, courses in marketing and strategy incorporate a higher number of case studies and discussions, while those in finance, accounting, and operations management are more likely to focus on quantitative analysis and lectures, though there are always exceptions to these trends.Wharton emphasizes collaborative and hands-on learning as a means for students to confront a broad spectrum of business scenarios. The school highlights the importance of engaging with a diverse and exceptional group of peers in small settings, promoting experimentation, risk-taking, and the collective creation of ideas. Such interactions are designed to transform students' perspectives and enrich their educational experience, as stated on the school's website.Wharton is renowned for its expertise in finance, with 38.6% of its 2022 graduates entering this sector, showing a consistent interest in finance over the years. However, consulting has also emerged as a popular career path, with more graduates opting for consulting roles than investment banking. Prominent firms like Accenture Strategy, Amazon, Bain & Company, and Google, among others, have recruited multiple Wharton graduates in 2022. Beyond finance and consulting, technology, healthcare, and retail have been significant industry choices for 2022 graduates. Wharton prides itself on a wide range of specializations, supported by a Career Management Team that focuses on over 30 industry clusters, helping students secure employment through developed recruiting relationships.Students at Wharton benefit from the school's strong reputation and diverse recruiting opportunities, especially in sectors like healthcare management. The abundance of extracurricular activities further enhances networking opportunities. The school's career services are particularly valued for bringing in industry experts and alumni to discuss various sectors, and the staff's direct industry experience is seen as a significant advantage. This hands-on experience from career services staff, who have worked in sectors like banking and strategy, offers invaluable insights and guidance for MBA candidates aiming to enter these fields.Wharton maintains its reputation as a finance powerhouse, with 38.6% of its 2022 graduates securing jobs in various sectors of the financial services industry. This consistent interest in finance is reflected in the steady percentage of graduates moving into this field over the past few years. Wharton's strong quantitative focus is evident across its curriculum, even in less expected contexts, reinforcing its status as a "quant" school. The finance department, staffed by 50 professors, offers over 35 courses, including the core "Corporate Finance" class, which nearly all first-year students take.Wharton enriches its finance education through six professional clubs, each catering to different facets of finance., for instance, provide resources like resume reviews, mock interviews, and industry panels. The latter also facilitates interactions with hedge fund legends and organizes trips to financial hubs and an annual trek to meet Warren Buffett. The Wharton Investment Management Fund offers practical experience in equity management, allowing students to pitch investment recommendations.aims to educate and link Wharton to the broader industry and Penn Law School, participating in competitions and organizing the Wharton Restructuring and Distressed Investing Conference, which addresses current industry challenges and trends.supports members interested in entering this sector with training, industry insights, and networking opportunities, demonstrating Wharton's comprehensive approach to finance education and career preparation.While Wharton is traditionally viewed as a stronghold in finance, consulting has equally become a cornerstone of its offerings. In 2022, a higher proportion of Wharton's MBA graduates pursued careers in consulting (24.3%) compared to investment banking/brokerage (11.7%), maintaining a trend seen in previous years. The Wharton Consulting Club stands out as one of the school's largest student organizations, despite the absence of a dedicated consulting department. Instead, students interested in consulting often opt for a major in Strategic Management, one of the seven majors offered within the management department, which boasts 44 full-time faculty members. This major requires courses like "Foundations of Teamwork and Leadership," along with a choice between "Managing the Established Enterprise" or "Managing the Emerging Enterprise," and four additional credits in management-related subjects, including "Corporate Diplomacy" and "Technology Strategy," among more than 20 strategy-focused electives.s proactive in preparing students for the consulting recruitment season through activities such as mock interviews, workshops, and case practice sessions, utilizing the extensive network of alumni from top consulting firms. The Club'soffers targeted support by pairing experienced consultants with first-year students for case training. Additionally, the Club organizes a lecture series featuring industry professionals to discuss case studies and interview techniques, and provides a comprehensive digital library of past cases.For those seeking practical experience, Wharton offers hands-on consulting opportunities through initiatives like theprogram. This program, aimed at socially conscious students, engages volunteers in providing consulting services to local organizations and nonprofits, often in leadership capacities. Although paused at the moment, interested individuals are encouraged to check the program's website for updates.Wharton was a pioneer in entrepreneurial studies, introducing a fully integrated curriculum in 1973, a tradition that continues with robust offerings for students interested in starting their ventures. The Entrepreneurship and Innovation major, requiring completion of specific management courses and the "Entrepreneurship" course, is supported by over 30 electives ranging from "Technology Strategy" to "Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship.", awarding up to $150,000 in prize money, is a highlight for entrepreneurs at Wharton, fostering innovative startups across various sectors.The schools commitment to entrepreneurship is further evidenced by the, which provides mentorship and resources for student ventures, and the recent $10M donation to establish theprogram and support the. Additionally, theprogram offers one-on-one mentorship from successful entrepreneurs., with over 400 members, and the, one of the largest student organizations, play crucial roles in nurturing entrepreneurial and investment careers. Despite a smaller percentage of graduates entering private equity and venture capital, the interest and support within these fields are significant, highlighted by industry treks and competitions.The annualandprovide platforms for networking, learning, and discussion on current industry trends. Notably, a considerable number of students pursue entrepreneurship directly after graduation, underscoring Whartons enduring impact on fostering new business leaders.Wharton's management department, featuring notable academics like Nicolaj Siggelkow and Adam Grant, plays a pivotal role in shaping future leaders, with 5.7% of the Class of 2022 entering general management roles. Renowned companies such as Amazon, DoorDash, and General Mills have been active recruiters of Wharton graduates for these positions., established in response to student interest in 2003, supports over 150 members with various professional development activities including speaker events and career panels.The school's commitment to evolving workplace trends is highlighted by the annual, organized by the. This conference discusses critical issues such as mental health at work and new employee activism, with speakers from leading organizations and companies.Leadership development is a significant focus at Wharton, with theprogram selecting 4050 students each year to mentor incoming cohorts. This program emphasizes experiential learning through intense training sessions and the organization of theWharton encourages student initiative in leadership and professional development, allowing students to create new clubs for unaddressed interests, such as the. Additionally,offer unique outdoor leadership development opportunities, challenging students with physical and team-based tasks in environments ranging from the. These ventures are designed to enhance "softer" management skills through practical experience, underscoring Wharton's comprehensive approach to cultivating leadership and management expertise.Wharton'sdepartment is recognized as one of the oldest and most distinguished in the health care field, offering a supportive community for scholars, students, alumni, and practitioners. With 25 professors teaching 19 courses, the department has seen a consistent interest from MBA graduates in entering health care and related industries, with 5.6% of the Class of 2022 taking up positions in this sector. The HCM major requires upfront selection upon MBA application, ensuring students engage deeply with the field from the start and build a cohesive alumni network. Key components include foundational courses, a Field Application Project, and specialized electives, alongside opportunities for dual degrees such as MD/MBA and MSN/MBA.Wharton enhances this academic foundation with practical experiences through the Wharton Global Health Volunteers program, allowing students to work on health care projects in underserved areas worldwide.further supports students' career ambitions with over 250 members, organizing career treks, speaker series, and job preparation resources. Additionally, the annual Wattracts over 500 attendees, featuring discussions on current health care trends and challenges, with past themes focusing on consumer empowerment, health equity, and digital health adoption. Companies likeare among those recruiting Wharton graduates, highlighting the school's role as a leading talent source for the health care industry.Wharton's MBA program stands out for its strong international focus, consistently ranking high in U.S. News & World Report for its global offerings. With 35% of the Class of 2023 hailing from 77 countries and a significant portion of graduates working abroad, Wharton demonstrates its commitment to cultivating a diverse and global leadership perspective. The program offers a major in Multinational Management and a wide range of international business study options, including the popular INSEAD alliance and exchange programs with 20 partner schools worldwide.Students interested in deepening their global business acumen can pursue dual degrees in business and international studies through partnerships with the. Wharton's Lauder Institute is especially renowned for combining MBA studies with an MA in international studies, emphasizing language proficiency and cultural immersion through a Summer Immersion program.Wharton also facilitates firsthand global business exposure through its, taking students to various international destinations to learn about local business practices. Additionally, MBA Leadership Ventures offer unique leadership development opportunities in challenging environments around the world.The school's commitment to global engagement is further supported by a vibrant array of international and cultural clubs, offering numerous cultural events and activities. This comprehensive approach ensures Wharton students gain the skills, knowledge, and network to thrive in the global business landscape.Despite not being the first name that comes to mind for marketing, Wharton boasts the world's largest, most cited, and most published marketing department. This prestige is reflected in its consistent ranking by U.S. News & World Report, holding the number two spot among American business schools for 13 consecutive years. Wharton's pioneering role in marketing education began in 1904, being the first to offer a marketing curriculum and developing conjoint analysis, a significant tool in 20th-century marketing practices. With 33 professors and nearly 50 courses, the marketing department offers popular classes like Pricing Policy and Consumer Behavior, attracting even non-marketing majors.Students have the option to major in Marketing or pursue a joint major in Marketing and Operations, with the first-year core curriculum including a Marketing Management course. For students targeting careers in consumer products and retail (2.5% in 2022), theprovides ample networking and learning opportunities through seminars, interview prep, and the annual. This event, themed Rewriting the Playbook in 2021, gathers students, faculty, and industry experts to discuss current marketing issues.Moreover,focuses on retail and luxury goods, organizing career treks, speaker panels, and its annual conference, with the 17th edition in 2023 themed Reimagining Savoir Faire. Companies like Amazon, PepsiCo, and DoorDash are noted recruiters of Wharton marketing students, highlighting the department's significance in shaping industry leaders.Wharton has significantly enhanced its focus onwith the launch of the ESG Initiative, merging several research centers and labs. This initiative introduces three social impact majorsoffering students a comprehensive exploration of social impact within and beyond the classroom.The initiative underscores Wharton's commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, providing a wide array of courses across multiple departments., part of the global Net Impact network, fosters engagement in various areas such as social entrepreneurship, responsible investing, and environmental sustainability. This club organizes events, networking opportunities, and career treks, aiming to integrate social impact concepts into the curriculum and support students pursuing careers in this sector.Wharton also offers financial support for students working in social impact through theand encourages participation in competitions like the. Additionally, experiential learning opportunities are available through programs like the Nonprofit Board Fellowship, enabling students to contribute to local nonprofits.With 1.3% of the 2022 graduating class entering social impact roles, Wharton's efforts reflect a growing interest in careers that prioritize societal and environmental well-being, showcasing the school's role in preparing future leaders to address global challenges.Wharton Fellowship Program Wharton provides a broad range of fellowship opportunities for many exceptional students, thanks to the generosity of individuals, corporate and foundation donors, and the Wharton School.All admitted students are considered for Wharton Fellowship support based on the application for admission. Criteria for fellowship selection include unique personal qualities and background, academic achievement, exceptional professional development, and community involvement.Awards are offered in the Admission and Financial Aid letter. Fellowships are two-year awards, split equally over four semesters for a typical MBA student. The Wharton Fellowship Committee does not offer reconsideration of fellowship support. The information below is a select list of special fellowships available at Wharton.The purpose of the Chapman Taylor Family MBA fellowship is to provide financial support to a graduate student or students in the Wharton School with a preference for students who have served as a Peace Corps volunteer.Emerging Economy Fellowships are offered to support students from emerging economies throughout the world.Forte Fellowships are awarded each year to outstanding students who demonstrate exemplary leadership academically, professionally, or creatively, as well as a proven commitment to the empowerment of women in education or the workplace.This fellowship is a two-year, full-tuition award to Israeli students who have completed Israeli military service, have attended an Israeli undergraduate institution, and/or have been employed by an Israeli company for the previous five years. Recipients will comprise a distinctive cohort of five to six fellows each year.Joseph Wharton Fellowships are named in honor of Joseph Wharton, the founder of the Wharton School. These fellowships are awarded to students with outstanding records of academic, personal, and professional achievements.Established in 2006 by William G. Bollinger to provide financial support to the top international students in the Wharton MBA.To provide financial support to a graduate student or students at the Wharton School and to support the Universitys educational policy of promoting student body diversity, with consideration given to applicants from an Arab League member country (Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen).The Wharton Prism Fellowship will cover full Wharton tuition over the recipients time in the Wharton MBA program. This fellowship is awarded to one student who is a member of and demonstrates leadership in support of the LGBTQIA community.The ROMBA LGBT+ Fellowship is a joint effort between The Wharton MBA Program and Reaching Out to develop the out LGBT+ and active ally business leaders of tomorrow. Each Fellow receives a minimum $20,000 scholarship and access to exclusive leadership programming including an all-expenses-paid retreat.Social Impact Fellowships are offered to students with demonstrated leadership in the public and/or not-for-profit sectors.Established to provide additional financial support to Wharton MBA students in their second year of the MBA Program. The fellowship support will be determined by the Wharton Fellowship Committee based on submitted application and a review of existing loan balances, prior fellowships, and other support received.Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie Real Estate Center Awards: Committed to excellence in education, the Center awards fellowships and scholarships to promising real estate students.Second-year, active member of the AAMBAA community who has demonstrated academic excellence and made outstanding contributions to the achievement of excellence by people of color in the Wharton, University of Pennsylvania and/or greater business communities.The Toigo MBA Fellowship provides minority MBA candidates committed to careers in finance with an unmatched network of contacts, a prestigious point of difference in the eyes of employers, one-on-one career guidance, leadership training, a merit awardand more._________________ The North Carolina Business Court last week granted Attorney General Josh Steins motion for partial summary judgment in his lawsuit against U.S. chemical giant DuPont, Chemours and other related companies. The decision broadens the scope of financial liability from Old DuPont and Chemours to include New DuPont, also known as DuPont de Nemours, and Corteva in relation to alleged PFAS contamination of North Carolinas air, land and water. If the court finds Old DuPont, E.I. du Pont de Nemours, and Chemours responsible for PFAS contamination in the state, then Old DuPonts spinoff companies New DuPont and Corteva, would also bear liability for damages. Companies cannot engage in corporate shell games to avoid liability for the messes they make, Attorney General Josh Stein said in a press release. Im pleased that this ruling provides that Chemours, DuPont, and its related companies cannot avoid responsibility by engaging in corporate restructuring schemes. Our fight for clean drinking water continues. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of manufactured chemicals that can be found in a wide range of consumer goods, from nonstick cookware to water-repellent clothing to stain resistant fabrics and carpets. People can be exposed to PFAS in various ways, like drinking and eating fish caught from PFAS contaminated water, accidentally consuming or breathing PFAS contaminated soil or dust, or eating food stored in packaging containing PFAS. While direct relation between adverse health outcomes and the substances is complicated to prove, current scientific research suggests that the exposure to PFAS can lead to health problems such as increased risk of some cancers, high blood pressure in pregnant women, and delays in children, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. According to surveys done by Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, most Americans have had exposure to PFAS. DuPont has faced thousands of lawsuits filed against them in recent years for its alleged PFAS contamination allegation. In November last year, Ohio state secured a $110 million settlement proposed by the company. DuPont declined to comment on the ruling. Meanwhile, Wednesdays development comes after the North Carolina Supreme Court upheld the Business Courts decision to deny DuPonts motion to dismiss the case in November 2022. ROCKINGHAM COUNTY A former Rockingham County Sheriff's Office captain has been charged with multiple sexual battery and assault offenses, according to authorities. Marcus Shane Bullins, 53, who until Thursday served with the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office as a field operations commander, faces two misdemeanor counts of sexual battery and four misdemeanor counts of assault on a female, according to Stokes authorities who served Bullins with warrants that had been issued by a Rockingham County magistrate, according to Eric Cone of the Stokes sheriff's office. Bullins turned himself in at the Stokes sheriff's office on Friday, officials said. Authorities did not provide details of the alleged offenses. Lt. Kevin Suthard, spokesman for the Rockingham sheriff's office, referred all questions about Bullins to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation in Raleigh which he said is handling investigation of the case. Asked why Bullins surrendered to Stokes County authorities, Suthard said: "The arrest warrant system is electronic and statewide now, so I'm not sure if it was arranged by the NC SBI for Mr. Bullins to turn himself into Stokes to avoid any conflicts of interest, or if he made that choice on his own. We were not involved in that process.'' Bullins of Stoneville, met his $12,000 bond, set by Stokes officials, and was released by authorities over the weekend, officials said. Suthard said Bullins, hired in August 2004, was placed on paid suspension a few days before Thanksgiving after Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page became aware of allegations made against Bullins. In his role with the sheriff's office, Bullins had supervised uniformed deputies, animal-control officers and the patrol division. He was terminated by the sheriff's office on Thursday, according to officials. The sheriff "performed an internal investigation with regards to the personnel and employee aspects of the case,'' Suthard said, then Page turned the matter over to the SBI. "Its my understanding that Mr. Bullins had turned himself into Stokes County Sheriffs Department on the SBIs warrants, Suthard said. We are just very limited in what we can put out there. I cant violate personnel law, certainly Im not going to do that, but the criminal investigation was conducted by the SBI for a reason, so we will let them comment on that. I dont think it would be appropriate for us to do so, Suthard said. Calls to the SBI were not immediately returned. A judge ruled Monday that police body-worn camera footage associated with an alleged assault at the home of the Greensboro city manager can be released to the city council. In a hearing next Monday, a different judge in Guilford County District Court will determine whether the footage will be released publicly. The News & Record has filed a request for the body-camera footage that will be heard on that date. According to the city, members of city council planned to view the footage on Monday and Tuesday. Officers responded to the home of Greensboro city manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba at 10 Postbridge Court on the night of Dec. 28 in reference to a family disorder. A paper report filed outside of the Greensboro police departments online database lists Jaiyeoba and two of his daughters as victims of a physical assault, but does not list a suspect or perpetrator. The report does not provide details on what happened, but says the city manager and the two daughters each had an apparent minor injury. On Jan. 27, Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan asked the executive director of Guilford Metro 911 to review transcript of a 9-1-1 call made from Jaiyeobas house on the night of the incident. The transcript of the 911 call, made during a domestic disturbance on Dec. 28 at Jaiyeobas house, stated that there was a female on the line stating that [redacted] is abusing them... trying to say that she pushed him and broke his arm active disorder in background. The caller actually said that Jaiyeoba was hitting his children, wrote Melanie Jones, the director of Guilford Metro 911. Amiel Rossabi, an attorney for the Greensboro Police Officers Association, appeared at Mondays hearing on behalf of five police officers involved with the incident. Rossabi told Judge Albright that the five officers pictured in the requested footage were not in lockstep with the councils request for limited release. (The GPOA) has taken a position consistently for five years that there should be a full unedited release with any request for body-worn camera footage, Rossabi said. Because Judge Stuart Albright and Rossabi had worked together in the past, Albright decided to table Rossabis request until next Monday because of a conflict of interest. After the hearing, Rossabi said he was concerned about the city councils interpretation of body-worn camera footage from the police. Im concerned about the council doing anything with body-worn camera footage, Rossabi said when asked about the limited release status of the councils request. They are seeking to confirm whether it was done correctly, not to determine whether it was done correctly. Rossabi added that the five police officers he mentioned to Albright were members of the Greensboro Police Officers Association and that the association trusts what our officers do. Rossabi told the News & Record on Jan. 26 that he believes an arrest should have been made in the incident. This is an arrest every time. The only reason they wouldnt make the arrest is if the city manager called the (police) chief or the deputy chief, Rossabi said. Last Friday afternoon, Vaughan issued a public statement in support of Jaiyeoba. In her statement, Vaughan said that there is no active law enforcement investigation and that she has not received any information to cause her to question Jaiyeobas character or fitness to serve as city manager. While the city council is a public body, and therefore strives to be transparent, that same transparency under State statute has limits, Vaughan wrote. Rossabi had previously filed a public records request on Jan. 29 for text messages, phone records and emails associated with the Dec. 28 incident. It is significantly more likely that the involved parties would have communicated by cell phone, as opposed to email, in order to cover up their actions, wrote Rossabi. Rossabi added handwritten or typed notes to his request, whether or not they are contained in or part of any email. GREENSBORO All substitute teachers for Guilford County Schools would work for a private company under a new proposal from Superintendent Whitney Oakley. Current district substitutes would have the opportunity to switch over. Its a move that school administrators hope could help the district be more attractive to substitutes while also increasing efficiency. Members of Oakleys administrative team shared details of the proposal with the Guilford County Board of Education on Saturday as part of the districts annual retreat. They plan to bring it to the board for a vote on Feb. 20. Specifically, the board would vote on approving staff to seek a possible provider that could get started by July 1. Jill Wilson, the boards attorney, said the district doesnt have to take the lowest bid on a service contract like this. You can take the most responsive, responsible and suitable, she said. Administrators said they expect changing to a private company would allow substitute teachers to be paid on a weekly rather than monthly basis. They also explained that many substitutes currently wait seven weeks to get paid for an assignment. Among other benefits they touted: Consideration of a private provider raises the possibility of substitutes earning health and medical benefits. Many private companies offer more training for substitutes than what the district provides. And contracting with a private provider would eliminate time-consuming clerical work for district staff. Everything from recruiting to conducting background checks to training would all be handled by the outside company, according to administrators. Are there risks or concerns around that? Around having this pool of people who arent really ours? board member Crissy Pratt asked. Chief Human Resources Officer Shirley Morrison said school principals would still have the same authority over substitutes from an outside company that they do now. Background check requirements would also still apply. The rate of pay for substitutes would still be set by the district. In response to a question from board member Michael Logan, Morrison confirmed that Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools also hires substitutes through a private company. Pratt said weekly pay and potential benefits would be huge, huge things for our subs that would be really beneficial. However, board member Khem Irby cautioned against the school district making that a big selling point in recruiting potential substitutes. Theres no way for Guilford County Schools to guarantee those benefits when an outside company is handling things, she said. School board member T. Dianne Bellamy-Small said she is hesitant about using private companies for school workers. She sees value in fostering longstanding relationships in schools and wondered whether outsourcing might get in the way of building those relationships. Administrators told her principals and teachers could still request the substitutes they preferred. Worker wellbeing She advocates a role for wearable robots for sustainable aging, which she outlined in her presentation to the ICRA congress. Wearable robots are being designed for industrial applications, but even here they also have a healthcare application. As Crea explained: They can be used as tools that prevent development of musculoskeletal injuries or disorders at work. There is momentum in this field of prevention. The technology is for the wellbeing of the worker, to preserve and sustain the musculoskeletal system by reducing the biomechanical load on specific joints. Profiles: Heike Vallery graduated in 2004 with honors from RWTH Aachen University with a Dipl.-Ing. degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since then, she has been working on robot-assisted rehabilitation and prosthetic legs. In 2009, she earned her Dr.-Ing. from the Technische Universitat Munchen and then continued her academic career at ETH Zurich, Khalifa University and TU Delft. Today, she is a full professor at RWTH Aachen and TU Delft, and also holds an honorary professorship at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam. Her current research focuses on developing minimalistic and unconventional concepts to support human gait and balance. Simona Crea is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at Scuola Superiore SantAnna (SSSA) and co-leads the SSSA wearable robotics laboratory. Her background is in Biomedical Engineering and her research experience is in the field of wearable robotics for rehabilitation, assistance, and augmentation of human motor functions. The St. Peter's Health Foundation announced Monday that a record $363,000 was raised at its Jan. 12 gala at the Helena Civic Center, with the funds to be invested into services offered by the health care provider and its community partners. The event which featured a silent auction, raffle and live music brought together more than 350 community leaders, health care professionals and philanthropists, the hospital said. In 2022, the previous fundraising record was set with $362,000. Attendees could learn more about the collaborative work being done to address Helenas health challenges, while also highlighting more than 15 collaborative nonprofit and agency partners. Discussion focused on support services for vulnerable populations, housing assistance and crisis counseling. A special testimonial video spoke to the success of the collaborative "Housing is Healthcare" initiative and how it addresses the root causes of health issues, aiming to improve the overall health and well-being of folks unstably housed in the community. To date, 106 people have benefited from the comprehensive support provided by the program. "It's working," Kayla Morris, St. Peter's supervisor of Community-Based Services, said in a news release. "We believe that health care extends beyond the walls of our hospital and clinics." Morris said the initiative embodies St. Peter's commitment to creating health solutions that are not only comprehensive and compassionate, but also accessible for all members of the community. The initiative has proven to also be financially prudent. With an estimated health care savings of $158,400 in the first year, hospital officials said St. Peter's and its partner agencies have shown the economic benefits of investing in social determinants of health, creating a winning formula for patients, the organization and Helena area. The success of the program is seen in a 52% reduction in overall emergency services use among participants. By addressing housing stability and providing ongoing support, people rely less on emergency services, resulting in improved health care resource allocation and more efficient service delivery, officials said. "These statistics underscore the importance of addressing social determinants of health and reaffirm our commitment to pioneering initiatives that create healthier communities," St. Peters Senior Director of Population Health Amy Emmert said in the news release. For more information about the St. Peter's Health Foundation, visit www.sphealth.org/foundation. Eighteen horses that were recently rescued by the Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office will soon be sold at auction. The rescue also involved 26 dogs, and a decision by the Twin Falls County commissioners to euthanize most of them has been put on hold as there will be more evaluation performed to see which ones are adoptable. The animals were seized in early December in northwestern Twin Falls County from Wade Gridley, as they were determined to be neglected, and Gridleys health problems prevented him from caring for them. At a Jan. 30 court hearing, Gridley, who is facing 20 misdemeanor counts of allowing an animal to go without care, was given 72 hours to pay an $18,000 bond for the county to care for them for the next six months. Gridley didnt meet that deadline, and the horses will be sold at noon Feb. 17 at the Twin Falls Livestock Commission, 630 Commercial Ave. Some of these horses were in pretty rough shape when they got here, Twin Falls County Sheriff Tom Carter said. I would love to see them get a second chance and go to good homes. To be auctioned are five mid- to older-age mares, three 2- to 3-year-old fillies, five yearling or younger fillies, two yearling colts, one approximately 2-year-old stud and two studs 4 to 6 years old. As the horses were all kept together, there is a good chance several of the mares could be in foal, said a news release from the Sheriffs Office. Euthanasia still looks to be in the future of many of the dogs. They were on the verge of having a court order signed by a judge to be destroyed, but have been given a temporary reprieve. In addition to eight puppies, a female and adult male were taken to the countys animal shelter for possible adoption, but new information came to county commissioners, indicating that a portion of the rest might be able to be rescued after all and saved from a sad fate. Honestly, it is OK to pull back and reassess situations, said Don Hall, commission chairman. The commissioners initial decision to euthanize the animals wasnt easy, Hall said. We are animal lovers, he said. The canines, which are mostly border collies and Australian shepherds, are being kept on county property and the situation isnt ideal, said Debbie Blackwood, animal shelter director. Dogs have been maimed, and even killed, by some of the others, Blackwood said. She said her staff has been spending time caring for the dogs, and continue to evaluate which dogs might be adoptable. No final decision has been made. There are liability questions in making the decision. Dogs that are adopted cannot be at high risk for attacking people or other animals. They have two strikes against them, Blackwood said, as the dogs are inbred, which can increase aggression, as well as possibly having behavioral problems due to them being underfed for a long period of time. Court records said the dogs were so hungry they were eating the remains of Gridleys dead horses. The real tragedy is this getting out of control, Blackwood said. The initial order calling for euthanizing of the dogs, which was later withdrawn, called for Gridley to be held liable for $1,432 to care for the dogs up to Feb. 5, along with $3,900 to euthanize them. At the Jan. 30 court hearing, it was determined that proceeds from the horse sale would be put in a trust. And although the animal shelter is already very crowded, Blackwood said a border collie rescue group might be able to take some of the dogs. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. Ballad Health and the Ballad Health Innovation Center are partnering with 410 Medical, Inc. to use its LifeFlow device, a rapid fluid delivery mechanism that reduces the time needed to revive a patient in need of blood or fluids. Designed to help overcome common barriers to fluid delivery, LifeFlow is an easy-to-use, portable device that rapidly and efficiently delivers fluids to patients with critical conditions such as sepsis, shock, trauma, cardiac arrest and severe hemorrhage. LifeFlow can deliver one liter of fluid or two units of blood in less than four minutes, while traditional methods can take three to 10 times longer. Ballad Health Innovation Centers partnership with Durham, North Carolina-based 410 Medical, Inc. includes a pilot project where Ballad Health started using the LifeFlow device at Niswonger Childrens Hospital to treat pediatric patients. Since then, the pilot project has expanded to four more facilities: Johnson City Medical Center, Bristol Regional Medical Center, Holston Valley Medical Center and Indian Path Community Hospital. These locations are currently using it for fluid administration to treat patients of all ages, utilizing crystalloid fluids with a planned expansion to include blood administration in the near future. From the outset, LifeFlow generated success stories throughout Ballad Health. Early in the pilot, a care team reported a patient was lethargic, with critically low blood pressure and heart rate. The physician requested an ICU bed transfer and called for rapid response care team for assessment. The medical emergency team nurse rapidly delivered fluids via the LifeFlow device, and the nurse shared that the patient immediately became alert and oriented with a rapid improvement in vitals. After the physician reassessed the patient, no transfer to the ICU was needed. Dr. Morgan May, chief nursing officer for Ballad Healths Southern Region, described the LifeFlow device as a game-changer because of its ease of use, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. Early and aggressive fluid therapy is critical when treating life-threatening illnesses, but traditional methods of infusion can be slow, cumbersome and complex to administer, May said. The LifeFlow device is designed to overcome the challenges associated with normal infusers, and ultimately, its a valuable tool to help us improve the clinical quality of care we deliver to patients. As a portable device, LifeFlow is easier to set up and operate compared to typical infusers and other fluid delivery devices. This reduces the amount of technical manpower needed for preparation and operation, according to the statement. Seth Brown, MD, chief medical officer for the Ballad Health Niswonger Childrens Network, became interested in LifeFlow while attending an EMS education event and offered to support a pilot test of the device at Ballad Health. So far, weve seen tremendous success using LifeFlow, especially with our sepsis patients, Dr. Brown said. Its notable how fast this device is able to deliver fluids compared to traditional infusers, and its truly made a difference for our patients. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2016, LifeFlow is routinely used in hospitals and EMS agencies across the country. Compared to standard methods, use of LifeFlow has been shown to result in a decrease in the average length of stay for patients in the intensive care unit. Its use has also been shown to reduce overall hospital expenses compared to using traditional infusion methods, according to a 2018 study. Based on its success, 410 Medical, Inc. is broadening LifeFlows market release to an even larger group of hospitals nationwide. Since LifeFlow is smaller and easier to use, its better suited economically for use at rural and community hospitals where less manpower is needed to administer the LifeFlow device, compared to its more complex counterparts. This is particularly crucial in cases like sepsis, which is the leading cause of death in hospitals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 1.7 million adults in the United States develop sepsis annually, and nearly 270,000 die as a result. Fluid delivery is the lifeline in the battle against sepsis, where every drop of timely intervention can make a life-saving difference, said Amit Vashist, MD, Ballad Healths chief clinical officer. Whether sepsis, shock or trauma, the LifeFlow device is an innovative approach to serve hospitals at all levels, as well as EMS providers responding in the field. We are thrilled by the initial success of the LifeFlow device, and we are happy to be partnering with Ballad Health and Ballad Ventures to expand the use of this transformative product, said Kyle Chenet, chief executive officer at 410 Medical, Inc. Ballad Ventures, a strategic investor in 410 Medical, Inc., seeks to discover and advance innovative ideas and products that solve big problems in healthcare here locally, nationally and worldwide. 410 Medical is doing just that with its innovative, life-saving LifeFlow device, said John Perez, managing director of Ballad Ventures. Ballad Ventures has made similar investments in other new technologies that Ballad Health has adopted to improve the quality of patient care in its hospitals and the Appalachian Highlands. Formed in 2020, Ballad Ventures is designed to serve as the venture capital arm for Ballad Health, an integrated community health improvement organization serving 29 counties of the Appalachian Highlands in Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, Northwest North Carolina and Southeast Kentucky. If incumbent Mike Causey wins the Republican nod for insurance commissioner in March, itll be his seventh nomination. That will break the current record of six nominations for insurance commissioner a record currently shared by Causey and the late Jim Long, a Democrat. Thats just in the primary, though. All six times Long was nominated, beginning in 1984, he won the general election. Of Causeys six runs 1992, 1996, 2000, 2012, 2016 and 2020 he was victorious in only the last two. While all 50 states have insurance commissioners, North Carolina is one of just 11 that elect their commissioners. The office is primarily a regulatory one, not only overseeing the wide spectrum of insurance policies and annuities sold in our state but also licensing such professionals as agents, adjusters, bail bondsmen, and home inspectors. Before his election in 2016, Causey owned an insurance agency and other businesses, and worked for the N.C. Department of Transportation. On his campaign site, he argues that more competition in North Carolinas insurance industry will provide lower rates for consumers and greater access to better products. One of his rivals for the GOP nomination, former state Rep. Robert Brawley, is also an insurance professional and served off and on for two decades in the North Carolina House. In 2004, he was the Republican nominee for insurance commissioner, losing to Long. In 2016, he unsuccessfully challenged then-Gov Pat McCrory in the GOP primary. Among Brawleys priorities are enhancing building code safety and maintaining fair competition in the insurance industry. In recent weeks, Brawley has called for a financial audit of the Department of Insurance and criticized Causeys practice of hiring friends and political allies as personal aides and department officials. As first reported by the News & Observer of Raleigh, critics question the value and efficiency of Causeys regional offices, though he calls them a good way to serve the public without people having to drive all the way to Raleigh. A third candidate in the GOP primary, Andrew Marcus, has worked as a prosecutor, firefighter and insurance regulator. A first-time candidate, he advocates a crackdown on insurance fraud, more price transparency and competition, and investigating any Chinese Communist Party involvement in insurers doing business in the state. The insurance commissioner should work for you, not for the insurance companies or for political cronies, Marcus says. But thats not the case today and thats why your rates are increasing year after year. One of two candidates for the Democratic nomination is Natasha Marcus (no relation to Andrew). Currently serving her third term as a state senator from Mecklenburg County, shes a former litigator who worked at an anti-poverty organization before embarking on her political career. My mission has always been to stand up against corruption, corporate greed, and bad government, Senator Marcus says. We need a commissioner who will be on the side of the people, not corporations. Shes been endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue and many of her Democratic colleagues in the General Assembly, as well as the Sierra Club and the states AFL-CIO. Her primary opponent is David Wheeler, a small-business owner and former staffer for the North Carolina Secretary of State. Hes campaigning vigorously against proposed increases in homeowners insurance rates. No one in Raleigh is fighting to keep the rates down, Wheeler says, and the current commissioner is dependent upon insurance industry campaign cash. Indeed, he calls Causey Rate Hike Mike and, like Brawley, has criticized Causeys hiring practices and use of a state car to commute to Raleigh from Greensboro. Wheeler also pledges to resolve insurance-claim disputes in 60 days and create programs to reduce or forgive medical debt. Among his endorsers is former state Rep. Patsy Keever. All five of these candidates maintain campaign websites where you can read more about their backgrounds, endorsements, and positions on issues pertinent to the Department of Insurance. Early voting for North Carolinas March primaries begins on Feb. 15. " " Gertrude Bell traveled the world and worked almost exclusively in the realm of men, defying gender norms and stereotypes of the feminine role in world affairs. Hulton Deutsch/Getty Images/Flickr/HowStuffWorks It's safe to say the majority of women in Victorian-era England weren't afforded too many opportunities for adventure. In fact, most women from the 1830s through the turn of the century were expected to fall quietly into the social mold created by men, since they were regarded as "irrational, sensitive, and dutiful." Let's just say world traveler, skilled mountaineer and noted archaeologist Gertrude Bell was not your average Victorian woman. Perhaps best known for the role she played in the creation of the country now known as Iraq, Bell has been called "Queen of the Desert" and the "female Lawrence of Arabia." It's also been said that Bell was "one of the few representatives of His Majesty's Government remembered by the Arabs with anything resembling affection." But Bell's legacy is complicated, and as Mark Browns wrote for The Guardian in 2018, "there are also many uncomfortable truths in Bell's life that have been swept under the carpet." She fervently opposed women's right to vote, serving as the secretary of the northern branch of the National League for Opposing Woman Suffrage as well as being on its national executive committee. And according to some scholars, her role in the establishment of Iraq left an enduring painful mark on the country and its people. Advertisement Born Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell on July 14, 1868, the English native grew up in Washington New Hall now known as Dame Margaret Hall in Washington, County Durham. Bell's family was considered affluent and progressive, and after she lost her mother at a young age, she developed a close relationship with her father, Sir Hugh Bell, 2nd Baronet, a wealthy mill owner. Bell's unique educational and professional path began at Oxford, where she became the first woman to earn first-class honors in modern history. Soon after graduation, she developed a passion for travel and accompanied her uncle, Sir Frank Lascelles to Tehran, Persia, where he served as the British minister. Bell later went on to chronicle the journey in her book, "Persian Pictures." Over the next ten years, she traveled around the world and became fluent in French, German, Arabic and Persian. Philo of Alexandria was a Jewish-Roman historian who lived in Egypt at the same time that Pilate was governor of Syria. His writings are the closest thing we have to a contemporary historical account of Pilate's tenure in Judea even the gospels were written decades later but Philo had his own problems with Pilate. "Philo really hates Pilate," says Bond. "He doesn't have a good word to say. He says Pilate was vain, savage and stubborn, and that he put people to death without trial." Advertisement Philo's main beef with Pilate was that he brought gilded shields called "standards" into Jerusalem, which insulted the Jewish authorities and Temple priests. When the Jewish leaders protested, Pilate refused to remove the statues. According to Philo, it took a sharply worded letter from Emperor Tiberius himself to convince Pilate to take down the standards. Josephus was another Jewish-Roman historian who was born soon after Pilate's stint in Judea. Josephus is famous for being the only nonbiblical ancient source to mention Jesus, although his brief account was "clearly worked over by Christian editors," says Bond, and must be taken with a grain of salt. As for Pilate, Josephus tells us of another blow-up with the Jewish authorities, when Pilate tried again to have some busts of the emperor displayed in Jerusalem. When a crowd of Jewish protesters gathered outside of Pilate's headquarters in the coastal town of Caesarea, Pilate ordered his soldiers to surround them. According to Josephus, the Jews "astonished" Pilate with their willingness to die rather than endure the insult, so Pilate relented and removed the statues. In another incident, he had an aqueduct constructed with sacred funds from the treasury of the Jewish temple. When people protested, Pilate had soldiers go among the crowd disguised as civilians with clubs under their coats which they used to beat the protesters, many to death. " " This illustration shows one of Pilate's later acts: Commanding a party of soldiers to arm themselves privately with clubs and beat Jewish protesters. Hulton Archive/Getty Images When it comes to farmland leases, what should be included in the lease and what will hold up in a court of law? Peggy Hall, a lawyer, and director of The Ohio State University Extension Agriculture Law Program, joined the Agronomy and Farm Management podcast hosted by The Ohio State University Extension to discuss farmland leases, hunting leases, and agricultural easements. Enforceability is key, stated Hall when talking about agriculture leases. The lease needs to be able to hold up in a court of law, and that essentially means it needs to be in writing and include a signature. Hall shared that she has seen a napkin work in court because it had those two components. Other less formal agreements, such as text messages, turn into a gray area because they dont have a signature. Hall mentioned six key components that a written farmland lease should include: Where the property is located and a description of the property. The correct legal names of the parties. Acreage number. Addresses of the parties. How long the lease will last and what the parties need to do to terminate the lease. What the payment is and how it will be handled. Beyond these core items, additional provisions can be added, such as who maintains the field access points, who is responsible if tiling is needed, and nutrient management provisions. Hall shared she sometimes sees people who are hesitant to create and sign farmland leases because a party may feel like the written lease is put in place from a lack of trust. She advised, Blame it on the attorney. You just dont know what is around the corner. Hunting leases cover permission to use the land and restrictions of use. Hunting permission is only giving permission to use the land. As a landowner, you are not liable for any injury a hunter may incur on your land, regardless of a written lease. However, a written lease can cover restrictions for hunting like where trees stands or blinds can be used and when. Hall discussed agriculture easements as well. She shared these become popular in periods of development whether that be solar, commercial, or residential. I am seeing a lot of questions now about how we protect agricultural land from those types of conversions, said Hall. Agricultural easements protect land to be used solely for agricultural production. A landowner has the potential to receive payment through different state and federal programs for putting acres into an agricultural or conservation easement. To put land into an agricultural easement, the first step a landowner needs to take is find a holder for the easement. That will typically be a soil and water conservation district, the state, or county. Then they need to learn the eligibility requirements and work with their professional team to look at legal and financial implications. Finally, they need to look at the requirements of the program; for example, some require donations. For more resources on farm management and legal information, visit farmoffice.osu.edu. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2024 February 8, 2024 The Department of Theatre at Hope College will present Kimberly Belflowers John Proctor is the Villain on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 23-25, and Thursday-Sunday, Feb. 29-March 3, in the 75-seat studio theatre of the DeWitt Student and Cultural Center. There will be evening performances on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 23-24, and Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 29-March 2, at 7:30 p.m. There will be matinees on Sunday, Feb. 25, and Saturday-Sunday, March 2-3, at 2 p.m. Directed by Rhett Luedtke, associate professor of theatre at Hope, and set in rural Georgia, this quick-paced, powerful script centers around the stories of a handful of students at Helens County High who are forced to navigate the adult world of sexual power dynamics while also trying to survive their honors English class. When the mayor of the town and a students parent are both accused of sexual harassment in separate incidents, the students are torn between whether to believe the women who claim assault or the men who claim innocence. In the meantime, as their dynamic English teacher introduces them to Arthur Millers The Crucible, a startling announcement brings this story of witch hunts, American heroes and sexual power dynamics directly into their classroom. In addition to Luedtke, the colleges production team consists of Keith Pitts, an adjunct member of the art and art history faculty, as scenic designer; Michelle Bombe, professor of theatre and department chair, as costume designer; Ken Chamberlain, assistant director of production for dance and theatre, as sound designer; Stephen Krebs, technical director for theatre and Hope Repertory Theatre, as properties designer and technical director; and Anna Hill, theatre department costume manager and dance department costume designer, as costume shop manager. Also serving on the production team are sophomore Ava Bell of Farmington Hills as stage manager; sophomores Evelyn Lapadat of Elkhart, Indiana, and Isabelle Seiler of Grand Rapids as assistant stage managers; and senior Natalie Stringham of Ann Arbor as lighting designer. The cast includes freshman Nadia Cuthrell of Haslett; sophomore Ruby Hlathein of Caledonia; sophomore Elliana Johnson of East Lansing; sophomore Christopher Laubach of Macomb; freshman Kolton Muldowney of Buffalo, New York; freshman Jacqueline Schatz of Davisburg; freshman Kyle Spiegel of Wheaton, Illinois; sophomore Meg Voetberg of Grand Rapids; and sophomore Sofia Wake of Washington, Illinois. Admission to the matinees on Sunday, Feb. 25, and Sunday, March 3, is free. Tickets for the evening performances and for the Saturday, March 2, matinee are $10 for regular admission; $7 for senior citizens and Hope faculty and staff; and free for Hope College students and other students ages 18 and under. Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located in downtown Holland in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The ticket office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at 616-395-7890. Tickets may be purchased by calling or visiting the ticket office, online at hope.edu/tickets, or in person at the performance. Given the limited seating in the studio theatre, all reserved tickets must be picked up at least 10 minutes before the performance to be guaranteed seating in the theatre. To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings. The DeWitt Student and Cultural Center is located at 141 E. 12th St., facing Columbia Avenue between 10th and 13th Streets. The studio theatre is located on the lowest level near the buildings southeast corner. A Maltese national has been arrested for allegedly targeting users in Australia and other countries with a remote access trojan or RAT, in a joint operation involving the Australian, Federal Police, Europol and the FBI. A statement from the AFP on Tuesday said the individual, 27, had been arrested on 7 February by the Maltese police force after intelligence had been provided by the AFP. The trojan, known as Warzone, is claimed to have been distributed to other cyber criminals, "allowing them to bypass security and remotely access computers without the victims knowledge, browse file systems, record keystrokes, steal usernames and passwords and even access Web cameras". The AFP said its Cyber Command had "assisted in the identification of persons of interest and the co-ordination of intelligence related to the criminal network after identifying Warzone as an emerging cyber threat in 2020. "The joint operation also targeted the infrastructure of the network, shutting down sites and host servers to limit the software being used by more cyber criminals in the future". The website which was distrubuting the Warzone trojan. Courtesy AFP AFP commander Chris Goldsmid said: "These criminals are not bound by traditional borders, which means law enforcement agencies have to unite to make a lasting impact. "This operation is an example of what the AFPs International Network can accomplish with partners like Europol and the FBI." He said this was not the end of the investigation. "...with the intelligence we have gathered we will be working with our partners at Europol and the FBI to track down those who have purchased this software." For a small cost, individuals with nefarious intentions could purchase software that would allow them to gain access to a victims computer and personal information, Goldsmid said. Cyber crime is increasing in scale and frequency and it is important the public takes proactive steps to keep their personal information safe. Indonesian telecommunication tower and network infrastructure Balitower will deploy Nokias IP routing solution to enhance capacity, improve efficiency, and futureproof its network, ensuring a "smooth" customer experience for subscribers. Nokias routing solution will be deployed in Jakarta, Bali, and Singapore. It includes the 7750 service router, Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), Carrier Grade Network Address Translation (CGNAT), and internet routers. Nokia will also provide Network Services Platform (NSP) as well as deployment and care support to Balitower. The solutions will enable us to support evolving business needs for an extended period, positioning us favorably to seize emerging market opportunities, Balitower CEO Jap Owen Ronadhi. Furthermore, our focus on measuring customer experience spans across the entire service journey, aiming to assess their level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. We are looking forward to collaborating with Balitower on the successful execution of this project, noted Nokia Asia Pacific vice president and head of IP business Kent Wong. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. Joe Biden is the first official ever to be cleared by a special counsel for reasons of mental incompetence. The president might have been better off if special counsel Robert Hur, investigating his mishandling of classified documents, had simply recommended indicting him instead of spelling out why a jury would not convict someone so clearly out of it. Hur wrote "that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." Who doesn't like sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly men with poor memories? The problem for Biden, of course, is that this works as a description of the long-retired neighbor up the street who you might regard fondly, but it's never been what we hope for in a president of the United States. The Hur report's damning account of Biden's acuity isn't surprising for anyone who's been watching the president's public performance. Just in the last couple of days he's twice mixed up the names of current European leaders with their predecessors from the 1980s and '90s, both of whom have been dead for years. Yet the report is valuable insofar as it represents a faithful, non-partisan account of how Joe Biden is for extended periods in private. White House aides aren't going to be honest about this; indeed, it is their job to lie about it. Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden's 49-year-old press secretary, has said she has trouble keeping up with the president, who is 30 years her senior and whose schedule is severely limited in keeping with his reduced energy and capacities. If she can't keep up with him, she needs to see a doctor herself. According to Hur, Biden "did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended ('if it was 2013, when did I stop being vice president?'), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began ('in 2009, am I still vice president?')." These aren't exactly trick questions. His election as vice president was, to that point, the biggest event in Joe Biden's career, and it didn't take place that long ago. Sadly, Biden "did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died." He also was fuzzy on the internal debate over President Barack Obama's surge of troops to Afghanistan that he was a vigorous participant in. The Hur report underlines one of Biden's chief political vulnerabilities. Polling shows that a super majority doesn't believe that he has the stamina or acuity to serve another four years. If anything, those numbers might go higher. Biden wants to run a campaign based on disqualifying the other guy, but that requires being minimally acceptable yourself. If Biden passed that threshold for most people in 2020, passing it this year is going to require millions of people looking the other way. The great advantage that Donald Trump has isn't that he's youthful -- at 77 years old, he's emphatically not -- but that he projects a vigor and a sense of being in command that younger politicians can't match. Just ask Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley. It's not Joe Biden's fault that he's old and in decline. That happens to everyone who's long-lived. What's blameworthy is that he and his wife Jill haven't had the good sense, as far as we know, to acknowledge what is happening to him. The right thing to do would have been to take a hard look at this sometime last year and decide to spare Biden the humiliation, and the country the potential crisis, of running him again when he's not up for it. If Biden had stood down then, he'd look like a wise, public-spirited statesman, and he'd have given his party the chance to run a proper primary. It's too late for that now. No matter how bad the Hur report is for Biden, there is almost certainly worse to come. (COMMENT, BELOW) SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. They're just not that into you. Today's Democrats treat the American people like a spouse who has grown routine, sometimes ungrateful, and decreasingly alluring. And they cannot forgive America for running off for four years with that damn contractor. But Democrats swoon over the 8.8 million illegal aliens whom they have helped invade on Joe Biden's watch! These arrivistes are like a collective paramour who blends excitement, the exotic, and a stiff whiff of danger. And, before long, odds are that they will vote Democrat. In one word: HOT! This is why American citizens lately feel jilted, if not abused by Democrats, even as illegals gasp beneath the gifts that the Left piles on. "More free stuff?" they must ask. "We must be dating, but we just wanted something casual." Mayor Eric Adams (D - New York City) just cooked up a $53 million, free debit-card giveaway for illegal-alien families with kids. They will receive $1,000 per month to buy baby supplies and food, including "culturally relevant" cuisine. Meanwhile, Adams chopped the Education Department's food budget by $60 million. This month, students who enjoyed chicken thighs, grab-and-go salads, and cookies now tolerate cheaper fare: pizza, hummus and crackers, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Gotham's classrooms are 41.1% Hispanic, 23.7% black, and 16.5% of Asian descent. Schools that are only 14.7% white, on average, should expect more social justice than this. Instead, Adams feeds illegal aliens while depriving his voters' children. Governor Maura Healey (D - Massachusetts) seized the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex in Boston's 55.6% black Roxbury district and turned it into an illegal-alien shelter. This will leave at-risk youth with one less place to avoid trouble and seniors one less spot to gather safely. According to NECN.com news, the expropriated facility on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will provide illegals with "wraparound services until May 31." Healey, accompanied by Boston's far-Left Democrat Mayor Michelle Wu, visited the institution on January 31. One local man approached Healey in front of the building and asked, "Maura, why do you think it's OK to take away resources from the citizens of Massachusetts?" She flippantly replied, "We need a housing bill passed." Sounding betrayed, former City Council candidate Shawn Nelson complained, "The only time they want us is when they want a vote and as soon as they get that vote they don't need us anymore." Rubin Report host Dave Rubin flew through Miami last month. "This is the state of absolute insanity happening at our airports," he commented via X. "I'm in the Pre-TSA line, where migrants don't have to have an ID to get through security and it's their choice whether they want their picture taken." Illegal aliens need not show ID to board planes. Those with arrest warrants may use those as ID, if they wish. As for American citizens, let's see those ID cards! Army veteran Frank Tammaro, 94, was disappointed when his Staten Island senior center closed last March and booted 52 others. Tammaro grew enraged when he learned last summer that the facility re-opened, to house illegal aliens for free. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has taken well-deserved incoming for processing $94.3 million in illegal-aliens health claims in Fiscal Year 2022, up from $74 million in FY 2021. Meanwhile, US veterans' wait-listed health claims swelled from 150,000 in FY 2022 to 417,855 in FY 2023. Biden is "taking resources away from our veterans to facilitate healthcare for illegal migrants," said House Veterans Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R Illinois). "As a Marine, I believe any dollar taken away from a veteran is a promise broken to those who served." Biden and the Democrats have turned America into a First World country with second-class citizens and pampered foreign invaders. Americans who dislike the Democrats' cold shoulders should go to Mexico, rush north across the "border," and fall into the warm, illegal-alien-loving arms of today's Democrat Party. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I was an elected Republican Party official. Actually, it was in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, in the early 1980s. But it might as well have been in a time and place that is now a distant legend not because I am so different, but because the Republican Party I was glad to support in those days has become unrecognizable. As a teenager I gravitated to the GOP because by instinct I was conservative. In college, the more I learned about political ideas, the more comfortable I felt in the Republican big tent. Even before I was old enough to vote, I was active in my local chapters of College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom. The first time I cast a ballot for president was in 1980. I cast it unhesitatingly for Ronald Reagan, who embodied the American conservatism I found so appealing. By that point I was a law student in Boston, and conservative Republicans were a decided minority on campus. But Reagan carried Massachusetts that year and went on to become a popular and effective president. To my mind, the conservative Republican outlook he and other GOP leaders embraced seemed self-evidently correct. The party was often analogized to a three-legged policy stool: It fused together voters who wanted to advance (1) market economics, (2) national security, and (3) social conservatism. Resisting communism, expanding individual freedom, and reducing the size of government were part of the formula too. That worldview made good sense to me. By and large, it still does. After earning my law degree, I moved to Cleveland to work for a large law firm. I don't recall how I first got in touch with the local GOP, but at some point I was asked to run for precinct committeeman in my town the lowest rung on the Republican hierarchy. Intrigued by the idea, I agreed. It wasn't a contested election, so voting for myself was all it took to "win." That was the beginning and end of my involvement in Ohio Republican politics: A few months later I left the law firm and returned to Boston, where I went to work for Ray Shamie's US Senate campaign. That was in 1984. I've been here ever since. Shamie didn't win that election. But he later became chairman of the shambolic Massachusetts Republican Party and set about rebuilding it into a meaningful political operation. By 1990, he had succeeded. Bay State voters that year elected a Republican governor, lieutenant governor, and treasurer, and sent 16 Republicans to the state senate. Two years later, two Republican congressmen were elected as well. Very gradually, though, the Reaganesque style of Republicanism represented by Shamie was losing its appeal. In 1992, Patrick Buchanan an intolerant hard-right culture warrior mounted a challenge to then-president George H.W. Bush. His signature issues were a far cry from those Reagan (and Shamie) had championed. Buchanan demanded a crackdown on immigration, nonintervention in foreign affairs, and stiff barriers against free trade. It sounded like a throwback to the blinkered isolationists of the 1930s, and I was dismayed to see that some Republicans liked it. When Buchanan ran again for the GOP nomination in 1996, I wrote a column arguing that he represented the opposite of everything Republicans were supposed to favor. "He talks envy, not growth; acrimony, not optimism," I insisted. "His signature proposals on immigration and trade would make government bigger and taxes higher. Wafting through the Buchanan message is the whiff of authoritarianism, not the breeze of freedom. . . . It's conservatism of the hardened heart." Nevertheless, Buchanan won the primaries in New Hampshire and three other states. His campaigns didn't succeed, but his message was winning adherents. A rough beast was slouching toward Bethlehem to be born. It was unnamed then, but today we know it as MAGA. Not long after taking my first newspaper job (I joined the Boston Herald in 1987 and moved to the Globe in 1994), I changed my party registration from Republican to independent. Originally I did so as a gesture of impartiality. But as the Republican Party acquired more and more of the Buchananite sourness, I stopped thinking of myself even as "Republican-leaning." More and more often I began to clarify that I was not a Republican but a conservative specifically, a Reagan conservative. I found myself increasingly unwilling to vote for Republicans who stood for policies and values that, to my mind, were the antithesis of sound conservatism. Especially odious to me was the rising tide of nativism in the GOP. Mitt Romney, for example, used to support a sensible path to legalization for most undocumented immigrants. But as a candidate for president, he reversed himself, boasting of all the ways he had cracked down on illegal migrants and vowing to pressure them into "self-deportation." Romney similarly recast himself as a protectionist, pledging to raise tariffs and not let "the Chinese . . . take by trade surrender what we fear to lose in a trade war." Romney is just one example of how, even before Donald Trump appeared on the stage, leading Republicans were already turning their backs on values that had once gone to the very essence of Republican thinking. Once Trump did emerge, it was to bury whatever remained of the GOP's attachment to the ideals of the party I once belonged to. I had been repelled by the way Democrats circled the wagons around Bill Clinton, whose dishonesty and low character I thought should be disqualifying. To my disgust, Republicans began doing the same for Trump even before he got elected. More than was ever the case with Clinton or any previous president, Republicans have remade their party into a cult of personality. In today's GOP, Trump is everything. Virtually no leading party members will openly oppose him on anything. Indeed, much of the party's rank and file appears to revel in his boorish and insulting narcissism. And almost nothing that Trump stands for now bears any connection to the "three-legged stool" that once made the Republican Party so successful. Like millions of Americans, I find myself politically homeless today. Neither major party offers a vision I can relate to. I am as turned off by the Democrats' toxic obsession with race and gender as I am by the Republicans' shrillness on immigration. I fear the threat posed by the Democratic left to freedom of speech and conscience and am alarmed by the Republican right's antipathy to maintaining US leadership in world affairs. In 2016, I thought the Republican Party was headed for a crack-up, much as the Whig Party collapsed in the 1850s. I am alienated from both of America's two major parties. In the last two presidential elections, I voted for the Libertarian ticket and imagine I will vote for a third-party ticket again this year. In state elections, I am usually stymied. The Massachusetts Republican Party occasionally nominates challengers to the Democrats who hold nearly every public office, but with very rare exceptions, all of them now are lockstep Trumpian loyalists. Today, half of all US voters say they identify with no political party, and their number has been rising steeply. When push comes to shove, most ballots are still cast for Republicans and Democrats. At some point there must be a limit to the level of disillusionment that America's two-party tradition can withstand. When that point is reached, then what? Will an unprecedented wave of independent candidates make it onto the ballot at last, propelled by voter desperation for new choices? Will one or both! of the major parties be captivated by a transformative new leader? Will a third party at last succeed in breaking the two-party duopoly that has for so long bestrode American politics like a colossus? America didn't end when the Federalist Party disintegrated or when the Whigs finally breathed their last. The nation moved on to something better. If enough of us refuse to give our votes to any candidates with a D or an R after their name, there is no reason it cannot do so again. Jeff Jacoby is a columnist for The Boston Globe, from which this is reprinted with permission." The U.S. Supreme Court expressed proper doubt toward Colorados attempt to exclude Donald Trump from its presidential ballot under the 14th Amendment. Trump is indeed an anti-democratic demagogue who sought to overturn the 2020 election, before and on Jan. 6. But the judgment of whether he engaged in a second Civil War is not for 50 state courts to decide. It could be unanimous to overrule Colorado. Interpreting Section 3 of the 14th Amendment is no simple task. It states, No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. Question one is how insurrection or rebellion are defined. Question two is who does the defining, and the enforcement. Question three is whether this language, which doesnt even include reference to the presidency itself, applies to that office or only to those beneath it. Question four is can a state do this or must Congress. Lawyers on both sides disagreed with how exclusion from the ballot would proceed even if the candidate in question were an avowed insurrectionist running for an office clearly listed in the amendment. Colorados lawyer called it a very easy case; the self-declared enemy of America could be scratched from the ballot by state courts, period, end of story. Trumps lawyer disagreed and wasnt crazy for doing so. Even if the candidate is an admitted insurrectionist, said Jonathan Mitchell, [the Constitution] still allows the candidate to run for office and even win election to office and then see whether Congress lifts that disability after the election. Its true that the language applies only to holding office, not to running, and its also true that it explicitly gives Congress the power to remove such disability. That Trump is a former president complicates matters further. Unlike every other president before him, Trump had never before sworn the oath for any other office. And what Trump did, while definitely wrong and quite possibly criminal, may not legally be an insurrection. Special Counsel Jack Smiths case against Trump for meddling in the 2020 election is powerful, and it is a tragedy that the case may not be settled before voters go to the polls in November. The prospect of a President-elect Trump or a second-term President Trump being found guilty of undermining the American democratic system is enough to make ones head spin. (So is the prospect of Republican voters making him the partys standard-bearer despite all hes done and all he pledges to do.) But state by state removal from the ballot by state courts for having engaged in insurrection? That dog will not hunt, nor should it. The Department of Social Services for Forsyth and Guilford counties are getting money to provide new temporary housing for children with behavioral health needs. The DSS Emergency Placement Fund, a pilot program, is part of the 2023-25 state budgets with nearly $2.3 million allocated for 2023-24, and $5.5 million in 2024-25 for a total of $7.8 million. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services began the initial distribution last week. Funds became available Feb. 1 with reimbursement beginning in March. DHHS said the funds were provided in part because an average of 32 children are living in DSS offices each week because there is no place for them to go that is appropriate for their care. DHHS also said that more than 50 children sleep in emergency departments each week due to a lack of availability or access to behavioral health services appropriate for their needs. Kody Kinsley, the states health secretary, told legislators at a Feb. 4 Joint Legislative Medicaid Oversight committee meeting that having that many children sleeping in county DSS offices is unacceptable. Funding is being allocated based on each countys percentage of children in foster care as determined by an annual census. Guilfords DSS will receive $276,110, $81,209 for 2023-24 and $194,901 for 2024-25. Forsyth County will get $141,936 overall, $41,746 in 2023-24 and $100,190 in 2024-25. Messages left for DSS officials in Forsyth and Guilford counties were not returned. Some children in the care of social services have particularly complex needs and can get stuck waiting in emergency departments or sleeping in government offices, Kinsley said. We are providing our county partners flexible funding to replicate and expand programs already working in pockets of the state to help ensure these children get the right care at the right time. The total amount for the 14-county Triad and northwest N.C. region was $1.37 million. The overall totals for the other counties are: Alamance $81,628; Alleghany $47,501; Ashe $45,163; Davidson $100,796; Davie $49,838; Randolph $126,508; Rockingham $102,666; Stokes $74,148; Surry $81,738; Watauga $56,383; Wilkes $129,781; and Yadkin $58,253. Meanwhile, the rest of the top five are Mecklenburg County at $261,150, Cumberland County at $251,352, Wake County at $235,407 and Gaston County at $219,075. We are grateful to our partners at the General Assembly for providing these funds so we can help our county DSS offices who have been using every resource they have to make sure children in their custody are safe, said Susan Osborne, DHHS deputy secretary for Children and Family Well-Being. We all want children to have the resources and health care they need so they can thrive, and this pilot program is one step forward in improving the lives of children in DSS care. Program goals The DSS Emergency Placement Fund is designed to improve care options by enabling DSS offices to utilize practices that have been shown to support better placements for children with complex behavioral health needs, DHHS said. These practices can include: Maintaining a crisis placement provider on retainer who can provide temporary emergency placement that is suitable to a childs behavioral health needs until a treatment placement can be located. Providing short-term rate increases to placement providers who care for children with behavioral health needs who require an exceptional level of supervision. These funds are to be used to improve the placement providers ability to meet the childs individual needs. Implementing local solutions that prevent a child in DSS custody from spending a night in the DSS office while awaiting an appropriate placement for behavioral health treatment. These alternate practices are to be submitted to the DHHS Division of Social Services for approval. The fund is a part of an overall $80 million initiative to directly support child and family well-being with specialty treatment programs and intensive supports for children with complex behavioral health needs. That $80 million comes from a federal signing bonus upon North Carolina launching its Medicaid expansion program on Dec. 1. WAVERLY After two long years, the wait for Waverly residents to try the citys first Mexican restaurant is over. El Portal was scheduled to open at 13220 Callum Drive in Waverly. The restaurant has two other locations in Nebraska City and Auburn. Were very, very excited, said manager Mimi Ayala. Were ready. Its been two-and-a-half-long years. The restaurant has generated palpable buzz around town since its family of owners started renovating the former Subway space in 2021. Opening was held up by pandemic-related supply chain issues for kitchen equipment, as well as the familys need to balance running the Auburn restaurant. Weve been commuting to Auburn every day until this place opens up, Ayala said. So were as ready as the people here are. Hopefully everythings worth the wait. She thinks it will be. The restaurant has a vast menu that she thinks can please many palates, including Mexican seafood, steaks, enchiladas, quesadillas and more, as well as house specialties like the Poco Loco, which combines steak, shrimp, chicken, bacon, jalapenos, rice and queso blanco into one concoction. The amount of food we have on the menu and the variety gives everyone an option, Ayala said. Other menu items include margaritas, Hawaiian fajitas, a vegetarian menu and Mexican desserts, like fried ice cream and a homemade chimi cheesecake. In total, the menu spans eight pages. Waverlys El Portal location is a partnership between family members who have worked together at the other El Portal locations, but never in a co-ownership arrangement. They sought out a Lincoln-area restaurant after receiving interest from numerous Lincolnites who had made the trip to the Auburn and Nebraska City locations. They considered Hickman and Waverly as possible cities for expansion. And then we realized that Waverly doesnt really have a lot of food options, Ayala said. Thats when we were like, Waverly it is. She said she and her family pride themselves on fast and attentive service, and theyre often able to get customers in and out the door in less than 45 minutes. Tom Giffee, husband of restaurant manager Rosa Giffee, said hes seen people get their food in seven minutes or less. A lot of people in Nebraska City and Auburn can come to El Portal, and they can get in and out within a 30- or 40-minute lunch break, Giffee said. Giffee and Ayala know Waverly residents are excited to try out their new restaurant option, and multiple Waverly families couldnt stand the wait any longer, visiting the Auburn or Nebraska City El Portal locations within the past week. Tracy Hernandez of Waverly and her husband, Leo, have stopped at the Nebraska City location several times since they heard El Portal would be opening in their hometown. Every time we went by Nebraska City, we stopped, Hernandez said. The food is amazing, and it seems the people running it are equally amazing. Giffee cautioned, though, that people should be prepared for waits in the first week or two, as the restaurant space already doesnt have much elbow room. He said expansion could be a possibility in the future. I think were going to outgrow it, probably in the first couple days, he joked. But once the customers are seated, Ayala said theyll receive great service. She said she had butterflies in the days leading up to the restaurants opening, and they wont go away until she gets in the groove and sees the operation gelling smoothly. For me, thats the most important thing, making sure we have good customer service, and just making sure everything is running okay, Ayala said. At that point, she and the other servers will do what they do best socialize with customers and, eventually, develop real friendships with them. Ayalas sister Giselle said thats what shes looking forward to the most. Giffee said some of the restaurants Auburn customers celebrate Christmas with them, and one of Giselles Auburn customers officiated her wedding. Were excited to meet new customers and build those friendships here, Ayala said. El Portals hours are Tuesday-Thursday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Mondays. Here are some of Lincoln's hidden gem restaurants, according to Reddit Daffodil Mediterranean Cuisine and Catering Lila Mae's Southern Kitchen and Lounge Heoya Afghan Village Cuisine Norm's on 48th El Potro Mexican Restaurant L's Kitchen Vung Tau Pho Grill Fattoush Restaurant Rolling Wok Blessing Thai Restaurant Super Taco Tandoor Indian Restaurant Biji's Best Panda Garden The Lancaster County Election Commissioners office announced Friday that it will conduct voter registration drives at several Lincoln City library branches before the May 14 primary election. Any Nebraska resident who will be 18 on or before Nov. 5; has moved; changed their name; or would like to change their political party affiliation may register to vote at the following times and locations: Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Walt Branch Library, 6701 S. 14th St. Saturday: 12-3 p.m., Gere Branch Library, 2400 S. 56th St. Feb. 22: 47 p.m., Eiseley Branch Library, 1530 Superior St. Feb. 28: 47 p.m., Anderson Branch Library, 3635 Touzalin Ave. March 3: 12:30-3:30 p.m., Bennett Martin Library, 136 S. 14th St. Voter registration is also available online at www.ne.gov/go/NeReg2Vote if a voter has a valid Nebraska drivers license or state identification card. Individuals also may register to vote through the mail. A voter registration form is available on the Election Commissioners website, which may be printed and mailed to the Election Commissioners office. The website address is: lancaster.ne.gov/election. Residents may also register to vote at the Election Commissioners Office, 601 N. 46th St. The office is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, contact the Election Commissioners Office at (402) 441-7311. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen said Monday that the state will seek federal summer grocery aid for low-income families, reversing his administrations controversial December decision to eschew the aid that is expected to help feed around 150,000 children in the state. Pillen and other state officials announced the decision at a news conference Monday, outlining their plan to pair the aid with increased outreach in an effort to connect low-income families with nutritional guides, summer programming for children and additional food aid. The federal grocery aid program, known as Summer EBT, will provide students who receive free or reduced-price lunch at school with an EBT card with $120 in benefits $40 per month for three months to spend on groceries during the summer. The states decision to join the program marks a reversal for Pillen, a Republican who had ignored pleas from advocates and a bipartisan group of state lawmakers in December when he declined to join the federal program, declaring, I dont believe in welfare. But pressure continued to mount. Pillens refusal to join the program was noted in national news stories and state Sen. Jen Day of Omaha introduced a bill that, if made law, would have required the state to opt into Summer EBT. Days bill got a boost last month when Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island, a Republican and the longest-serving member in Nebraskas Legislature, used his personal priority designation on the bill (LB952), increasing the chance it would be advanced to the floor of the Legislature and signaling further conservative support for the program. During the bills public hearing earlier this month, 17 people testified in support of the bill, with an additional 153 people submitting written comments in support of it. No one testified or submitted comments in opposition. At Mondays news conference, Pillen pointed to conversations with Aguilar and other advocates including a group of young adults who the governor met observing the states Supreme Court last week who had challenged the governor on his position, he said. Never in a gazillion years when I was 16 or 17 or 18 would I have thought of coming and putting forth a need to the governor or coming here to the Capitol, Pillen said. And so I just cant tell you how proud I am of those young people (and) how proud I am of their voice; making sure their voice was heard. This isnt about me winning, he added. This is about coming to the conclusion of what is best for our kids in Nebraska. The states implementation of the Summer EBT program will come with increased outreach, too, that will help address some of Pillens initial qualms with the aid, which he previously said would undermine the activity programming offered by the U.S. Department of Agricultures other summer aid initiative, called the Summer Food Service Program. Steve Corsi, the director of Nebraskas Department of Health and Human Services, said the state will perform thorough outreach to families who participate in the program, offering educational information on nutritious foods parents can buy for their children with the Summer EBT funds. He said HHS has already started to develop a webpage with details about the program including how a family can apply for the aid along with information on additional food benefits they may be eligible for as well as links to summer activity programming. Corsi said HHS staff will also reach out individually to every family in the state who receives Summer EBT aid to assess their needs and connect them with additional resources if necessary. The department will also send mass texts to program participants to connect them with staff who can help families navigate access to other resources. Were very proud that the governor has taken the position that he has, Corsi said. And were very proud to be a part of this process and this new program. And, truly, taking care of vulnerable families is the most important thing that we do. Pillen said his administration contacted the federal Ag Department last week to inquire about opting into the program, the deadline for which was Jan. 1. He said USDA officials were excited about Nebraskas decision to join the program and the states rollout of additional outreach efforts that will accompany its implementation, which are meant to provide touch points that are important to Pillen. It became a very no-brainer that kids are not gonna be theyre gonna be out in the community so their quality of life is enriched during the summer and that we can help them more, the governor said. So its really simple, I think. Pillen personally thanked Aguilar, who appeared alongside the governor at Mondays news conference, for helping his administration open our eyes to the importance of the program. Aguilar said Monday the safety net offered by the $40-per-month aid allowances are important when you consider rural kids dont have the networks of support that are available to some other areas of the state, thanking Pillen and Corsi for their willingness to implement the program. Shannon Grotrian, the director of HHSs Office of Economic Assistance, said the department expects the program to reach more families than its pandemic-era predecessor offered by the federal government thanks to the unprecedented outreach HHS is planning to undertake. She said families with school-aged children whose annual income is less than 185% of the federal poverty level will be eligible for the program, which is expected to provide about $18 million in grocery benefits to 80,000 households across the state. Households that already qualify for SNAP, ADC aid, Medicaid or have children in foster care will be streamlined into the program, Grotrian said. And families who qualify for free and reduced lunch at state schools will be automatically eligible for the benefits, too, she said. News of Pillens reversal was met Monday with praise from state advocacy organizations, including Nebraska Appleseed, a child welfare nonprofit that called on the state to accept the aid as early as November. This would not be possible without the tremendous amount of outreach and pressure the public put on our elected officials to do the right thing, Eric Savaiano, a program manager for the nonprofit, said in a statement in which he thanked Day and Aguilar for their advocacy. Day, who did not attend Mondays news conference, said later that she was incredibly happy that Pillen had changed his mind. I truly dont think it would have happened if we hadnt continued to put pressure on him from the outside, in terms of phone calls and emails and engagement from Nebraskans themselves on how they truly felt about this program, she said. Day said she took the issue to the Legislature because she has been a single mom before and had, at times, wondered how she would feed her kids something that, unless youve experienced it, you dont really understand what that feels like, she said. For me, it just it makes me overwhelmingly happy, honestly, to know that we have taken that off of parents plates this summer to not have to worry about where their foods gonna come from, Day said. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 Kenosha County Sheriffs deputies and a conservation officer apprehended a driver who initially fled after they discovered he had warrants for his arrest while at Bong State Recreation Area Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred at 2:08 p.m. when the driver of a Toyota Corolla fled when a Department of Natural Resources warden was attempting to stop him, according to Sgt. Michael Pittsley of the sheriffs department. The subjects car had been parked in the parking lot on the west side of the state park just south of Highway 142 and east of Highway J (312th Avenue). The conservation officer followed the Corolla as it headed westbound on Highway 142 and deputies assisted in the pursuit. The vehicle later went into a the ditch at Highway 142 just west of 312th Avenue. Authorities are expected to recommend charges of felony fleeing and eluding officers. Notable Green Bay Road crashes GREEN BAY ROAD MULTIPLE-vehicle crash Green Bay Road crash Vehicle crash Green bay CRASH AT GREEN BAY ROAD AND HIGHWAY 50 CAMPER Crash Crash at Highways 50 and 31 Friday RACINE Sen. Robert Wirch plans to introduce a bill Monday that would send surplus money from the state back to Wisconsin taxpayers. Wirch is a Democrat who represents the 22nd District, which includes Kenosha, most of Racine, and parts of Somers, Elmwood Park and Mount Pleasant. The state has $1.8 billion in a rainy day fund that accrues about $7.5 million in interest each month, according to Wirch. On top of its rainy day fund, Wisconsin has a $3.5 billion surplus, he said. The proposed bill would give an equal share of that surplus to the nearly 3.25 million taxpayers in Wisconsin, amounting to about $1,000 per person, according to Wirch. This money, I think, would just be shameful to hold on to with that big of a rainy day fund, he said. Under Wirchs proposal, all taxpayers would get the same amount, regardless of annual income. Other proposals Republicans in the legislature proposed a tax cut plan Jan. 23 that would expand Wisconsins second tax bracket. The tax cut, along with tax credits that are included in the package, would reduce the states total tax income to just over $2 billion for the fiscal years 2024-25 and $1.4 billion per year after that, according to previous reporting by the Wisconsin State Journal. Gov. Tony Evers has said he would consider a tax cut bill that focuses on Wisconsins middle class, but has not said anything about the GOPs latest proposal. In August, Evers proposed an investment of $1 billion from the surplus into his comprehensive workforce plan to expand accessible and affordable childcare, expand paid family leave, invest in higher education and support high-need workforce sectors statewide. Assembly Republicans rejected the proposal, and instead, Senate Republicans proposed a $2 billion tax cut in October. The proposal was vetoed by Evers, calling it a far cry from the comprehensive workforce plan I introduced. Wirch said he was excited to bring forward an alternative that he believes will be better for residents. To me, the worst thing we could do is just play the same old games, pointing fingers at each other and getting nothing done and let this money just sit there, he said. Its the peoples money. We should give it back to them. Today in history: Feb. 9 1942: Joint Chiefs of Staff 1943: Battle of Guadalcanal 1950: Joseph McCarthy 1962: Jamaica 1964: The Beatles 1971: Earthquake 1984: Yuri V. Andropov 1986: Halley's Comet 2002: Princess Margaret 2009: Alex Rodriguez 2020: Parasite 2021: Impeachment 2022: Kamila Valieva RACINE No matter how you decide to celebrate Valentines Day alone; with a friend, partner or family; over a special dinner; with a movie or a night out there are plenty of options to participate in the love-filled holiday in Racine. Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Tasting Littleport Brewing Company, 214 Third St., is hosting a wine, cheese and chocolate tasting from 6:30-8 p.m. Feb. 13. The presentation will be by Chef Corey Oakland, owner of the Red Onion, with wine descriptions by Mark Flynn, brewmaster and vintner at Littleport Brewing Company. Tickets are $40 and will include seven wines, a selection of cheeses and chocolates, and light charcuterie at each table. Call 262-629-6976 or email littleport@dpwigley.com to make a reservation. Valentines Concert with Elvis Elvis at McDonalds? On Feb. 13, John Van Thiel, The Voice of Elvis, will perform from 6-7 p.m. at the McDonalds in Mount Pleasant, 6630 Washington Ave. The free concert will include a prize drawing and treats. Four-course dinner with Roederer wine Spend a romantic Valentines Day evening at Marguerite, 500 Main St., with a four-course dinner paired with a selection of sparkling Roederer wines. The reception begins with snacks and a welcome drink at 6:30 p.m. Dinner is served at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased at https://www.margueriteonmain.com/ Wine Tasting Kaylas, at 2054 Lathrop Ave., is hosting a wine tasting from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 14. There will be four wines and attendees will learn about each and what snack pairings they work well with. Tickets are $30 per person and RSVPs can be made by calling 262-721-7057 or through contactluxepopups@gmail.com. Craft Time with Miss Keiko From 10:30-11:30 a.m. Feb. 14, the Racine Public Library is hosting a youth event for kids and tweens to make Valentines Day crafts. Guided by Keiko Skow, youth services librarian, participants will meet in the Youth Services Room on the librarys first floor. No registration is required. The Best of Sinatra and Martin From 5:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 14, Tom Martin will perform a tribute to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin at Corner House on the Lake, 207 Gas Light Circle. Call 262-637-1295 after 4 p.m. to make a reservation. There is no cover charge. Boo or No Boo Valentines Day Party From 9 p.m. on Feb. 14 until after midnight, you can spend your Valentines Day at 1518 Lounge & Grill, 1518 Washington Ave. There will be food and drink specials and music by DJ Prophet. Second Chance Valentines Date Night For those who cant celebrate Valentines Day in the middle of the week, Wiscobricks Toys, 1122 South Airline Road, is hosting a date night Feb. 17. The romantic dinner for two will be catered by Lees Deli and will include music, candle lights and LEGOs. Couples have a choice between the LEGO Roses Bouquet set at $95 or the LEGO Long Stem Roses set for $45. The price includes the LEGO set, dinner and a vase for the flowers. Call 262-456-1561 to make a reservation. Love You Tender Valentines Dinner Show Elvis fans can enjoy an intimate evening Feb. 17 at Infusinos Banquet Hall, 3201 Rapids Drive, while listening to John Van Thiel, The Voice of Elvis, perform authentic renditions of Presley favorites songs. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Dinner includes chicken cordon bleu, wedding salad, parsley potatoes, green beans, bread and butter, coffee and tea, and a slice of cheesecake. A vegetarian option of eggplant parmigiana is available upon request. The cost is $62. Reservations are required by Thursday, Feb. 15. Call 262-676-2690 or visit www.elvoicepresley.com. 1. Yes. It will be convenient and the fares are cheap. I plan to use the transit system often. 2. Yes. I have a vehicle, but I may still use the service now and then, especially in bad weather. 3. No. I dont use the current bus service, and I dont plan to use the micro-transit service either. 4. No. It may be fine in town, but it still involves a transfer for longer trips. That wont work. 5. Unsure. Its hard to say. It depends on how well the service works once its in place. Vote View Results A 25-year-old Tomah man faces criminal charges after he allegedly posted threatening rants against police on social media. Braze Michael Jorgensen was charged in Monroe County Circuit Court with a felony count of solicitation of first-degree intentional homicide. He was also charged with four misdemeanor counts of using a computer to transmit threatening messages and one count of misdemeanor bail jumping. According to the criminal complaint, Tomah police first began investigating threats made by Jorgensen in May 2023, when he reportedly posted a threat against a Tomah police officer who conducted a traffic stop involving Jorgensens girlfriend. The complaint says Jorgensen posted under the name Wake Up America and wrote You better watch out, you better now cry, you better look out Im telling you why with a photo of the officer attached. The complaint says Jorgensen also posted threats against a La Crosse police officer on the La Crosse Police Department Facebook page the same month. Jorgensen reportedly wrote Enjoy whats coming. (Expletive) you tyrant (expletive). End qualified immunity, boutta lose your lives. The complaint says the message contained the officers first initial and last name. During the investigation, Tomah police recovered other posts, including Nothing but love to shoot them pigs down Tomah Police Department and Kill all your local police department officers. Jorgensen also posted multiple news accounts of police misconduct from across the country. Judge Richard Radcliffe ordered Jorgensen held on a $15,000 cash bond during a Feb. 6 bail hearing. If hes released, he cannot access social media or possess firearms. An initial court appearance is set for March 24. The surprise retirement of a GOP congressman in a solidly Republican Wisconsin congressional district has potential candidates weighing a run, even as a former state lawmaker quickly jumped into the race. U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher announced Saturday that he wont run for a fifth term representing the 8th Congressional District in northeast Wisconsin. The abrupt move came just days after he angered his fellow Republicans by refusing to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Just hours after Gallagher announced his retirement, former state Sen. Roger Roth, of Appleton, announced his candidacy Saturday and endorsed former President Donald Trump at the same time, something he did not do in his 2022 run for lieutenant governor. The district Gallagher represents is firmly Republican. Seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, the 39-year-old Gallagher sometimes found himself at odds both with Trump and his supporters, most recently over the Mayorkas vote. Trump won the district by 16 points in 2020, even though he lost the state by less than a point to President Joe Biden. Gallagher won reelection three times by no fewer than 25 points. The district includes the cities of Appleton and Green Bay, Door County and covers mostly rural areas north through Marinette. Roth served in the Legislature from 2007 to 2023 and was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in 2022. He ran for Congress in 2010 but lost in the primary to eventual winner Reid Ribble. Roth, in a statement Saturday, pitched himself as a proven conservative fighter while calling for strengthening the border, national security, the economy and our traditional values. While Roth was the first candidate to get in, he almost certainly wont be the last. Trump ally and Republican consultant Alex Bruesewitz, who had said Gallagher betrayed the Republican Party and the American people with his vote to side with Mayorkas, is considering a run. He posted on X, formerly Twitter, a letter of support from the chair of the Oconto County Republican Party and said that he looked forward to spreading the MAGA message to the patriots in the Oconto GOP. Bruesewitz immediately won the support of former Trump campaign consultant Roger Stone, who posted on social media that Bruesewitz would have the full support of the MAGA movement. Bruesewitz, 26, was born in Wisconsin but currently lives in Florida. He would have to move back to Wisconsin to run for the seat. State Sen. Andre Jacque, of De Pere, also said he was considering running. Other current and former Republican members of the Legislature are expected to consider running. Democrat Kristin Lyerly, a De Pere doctor, previously said she was considering a run against Gallagher. Democrats fielded no candidate in the 2022 election. The Wisconsin Democratic Party said in a statement Saturday that it looked forward to competing in the 8th and bringing some stability and competence back to the House. Candidates have until June 1 to submit nomination papers for the Aug. 13 primary. The open seat will certainly fuel a competitive Republican primary, but the presidential race and not one for the congressional seat will drive turnout in November, said longtime conservative strategist Mark Graul who lives in the district. He didnt expect the race to greatly impact the presidential race. The race could be shaken up dramatically if the Wisconsin Supreme Court agrees to hear a redistricting lawsuit challenging congressional boundary lines, said Barry Burden, a UW-Madison political science professor. The court has not said whether it will hear the challenge. The state elections commission said in a legislative redistricting case that any new lines must be set by March 15 in order for deadlines to be met for candidates running this November. WHITEWATER The Department of Art and Design in the College of Arts and Communication at the University of WisconsinWhitewater welcomes Melanie Tallmadge Sainz (Ho-Chunk) as the 2024 Schuh Visiting Artist. The public is invited to a conversation with the artist in the atrium of the Greenhill Center of the Arts, 950 W. Main St., Whitewater. The conversation is Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 5 p.m. At 6 p.m., an hors doeuvres reception will provide an opportunity to view an exhibition of the artists work in the Crossman Gallery, also located in Greenhill. Sainz is an artist, curator and cultural arts educator, as well as the founder and executive director of the Little Eagle Arts Foundation in Wisconsin Dells, where she was raised. In her art practice, she works with various natural materials of the Great Lakes area, which she forages and processes herself. Sainz has exhibited her work at the Smithsonians National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C.; the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona; and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana. The exhibition at the Crossman Gallery, titled Boundaries vs. Connections, will explore the colonialist notion of land and maps that control and define peoples relationship with land through hard lines and divisions, in contrast to the Indigenous relationship to the land and its inhabitants characterized by connections and stewardship. Featuring a variety of arranged temporary installations juxtaposed with diverse cultural objects that reflect an objection to planned obsolescence, the exhibition will also include new work created by Sainz along with pieces made by UW-Whitewater Art and Design students in a studio workshop led by Sainz and Professor Teresa Faris. The exhibition will be on view in the Crossman Gallery Feb. 22 to March 21. Gallery hours during scheduled exhibitions are Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Best Resorter covers of 2023: Big fun, sun & snow ... and a nosy crane Slow no wake Resorter cover June 21, 2023 Pawprints in the snow Resorter cover Feb. 8, 2023 Winterfest Resorter cover Feb. 1, 2023 Bloom Resorter cover Sept. 6, 2023 Abominable Snow Race Resorter cover Jan. 11, 2023 Australias parliament seems likely to pass a new right to disconnect bill that the federal government has proposed. The law would prevent employers from asking their workers to keep their phones and computers turned on outside of work hours. Employers who ask employees to do so could be fined. The aim is to protect workers rights and improve work-life balance in the country. Similar laws are already in place in France, Spain and other European nations. Australias employment minister, Tony Burke, said most lawmakers have expressed support for the bill. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed the proposed law on Wednesday. What we are simply saying is that someone who isn't being paid 24 hours a day shouldn't be penalized if theyre not online and available 24 hours a day, he said. The bill also includes rules that will give temporary workers guidelines about how to move into permanent work. Adam Bandt is the leader of the left-wing Greens. He said his party supports the law. So do leaders of the Labor party and other smaller parliamentary groups. Some politicians, however, warned that a new labor law would hurt Australias ability to be competitive with other nations. The critics also say making a new labor law might make it difficult for employees who want to work flexible hours. Bandt said Australians work an average of six unpaid weeks each year. He said that totals about $60 billion of unpaid wages. That time is yours, he said, not your bosss. Im Dan Friedell. Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by Reuters. ________________________________________________ Words in This Story fine n. a financial penalty work-life balance n. the idea that people should be able to spend their free time without having to think about work flexible adj. something that is not tightly controlled wage n. the money a person is paid for their work We want to hear from you. Do you already turn your phone and computer off when you leave work for the day? There have been a few very powerful ocean storms in the last 10 years. The expectation of more to come has some experts proposing a new category of large hurricanes: Category 6. Studies have shown that the strongest tropical storms are getting more powerful because of climate change. The traditional five-category Saffir-Simpson scale was created more than 50 years ago. But two scientists suggested in a new study that the scale may not show the true power of the strongest storms. They propose a sixth category for storms with winds faster than 309 kilometers per hour. The study recently appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Currently, storms with winds of 252 kilometers per hour or higher are Category 5. The study's writers said that this grouping does not do enough to warn people about the greater dangers from storms with even stronger winds. Still, several experts told The Associated Press that they do not think another category is needed. They said it could even send the wrong message to the public because the new proposed category is based on wind speed. Water is by far the deadliest part of hurricanes. Since 2013, five storms had winds that would have put them in the new category, with two hitting the Philippines. All five happened in the Pacific Ocean. As the world warms, such large storms become more likely. Climate change is making the worst storms worse," said Michael Wehner, the studys lead writer. Wehner is a climate scientist at the Lawrence Berkley National Lab in California. There are not more storms because of climate change, but climate change makes the strongest more intense. The proportion of major hurricanes among all storms is increasing. That is because the oceans are getting warmer, said Brian McNoldy. He is a hurricane researcher at Floridas University of Miami. He was not part of the research. Experts have proposed a Category 6 several times over the years, especially since 2013s Typhoon Haiyan reached 315 kilometers per hour over the Pacific. The study said that Haiyan "does not appear to be an isolated case. Storms with high enough wind speed are called hurricanes if they form east of the international dateline. They are called typhoons if they form to the west of the line. They are known as cyclones in the Indian Ocean and Australia. There have been five storms that had 309 kilometer per hour winds since 2013. Jim Kossin is a climate and hurricane researcher who was an author of the study. He said if the world keeps to five storm categories, people will misjudge the risks as storms get larger and more powerful. Pacific storms are stronger because there is less land to weaken them and more room for storms to grow more intense. That is not the same situation in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Caribbean, Kossin noted. Jamie Rhome is deputy director of the National Hurricane Center in Florida. He said that, when warning people about the storms, his office warns people about individual dangers. These dangers include storm surge, wind, rainfall, tornadoes and rip currents, instead of the particular category of the storm. The categories, he added, only provide information about the dangers from wind. Im Dan Novak. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press. _______________________________________________ Words in This Story hurricane n. an extremely large, powerful, and destructive storm with very strong winds that occurs especially in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean scale n. a device that is used for weighing people or things proportion n. an amount that is a part of a whole isolated adj. happening just once author n. a person who has written something surge v. to suddenly increase to an unusually high level The American space agency NASA has launched a new satellite designed to closely study the worlds oceans and atmosphere. NASA launched the PACE satellite on February 8. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried PACE into orbit from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA confirmed the launch and reported ground controllers had successfully established contact with the satellite. PACE stands for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem. The satellite will spend at least three years studying the environment from an orbit 676 kilometers above the Earths surface. NASA officials say PACE will map the entire world each day with two science instruments. A third instrument will collect monthly measurements. Scientists should start getting their first data within one or two months. Jeremy Werdell is the Project Scientist for the PACE project, or mission. He told The Associated Press he sees the effort providing humans an unprecedented view of our home planet." Werdell noted a major goal of the observations is to help scientists improve their ability to predict hurricanes and other severe weather events. He said the instruments can provide detailed data on temperature-related changes happening across the world. The satellite data might help scientists better predict when harmful algae blooms will happen. NASA says PACE will also study aerosols, or particles in the air. Karen St. Germain is NASAs director of Earth science. She told reporters before PACEs launch that the study of aerosols is important because they can affect clouds. Aerosols can affect the density of clouds, as well as when and how much precipitation the clouds might release. St. Germain noted existing satellites are not equipped to collect detailed data on aerosols. She said PACE will help NASA learn more about how aerosols affect clouds and climate over long periods. The new data is expected to give scientists another dimension of data on how aerosols affect oceans and the atmosphere. St. Germain added, And then, of course, there is a relationship between the phytoplankton and the aerosols. Phytoplankton are very small plants that float near the surface of water. They serve as a source of food for many sea creatures. NASA says phytoplankton provide food to all sorts of animals ranging from shellfish to finfish to whales. NASA says PACEs instruments will aim to measure changes in phytoplankton. The satellite will aim to collect data on aerosols that attach to phytoplankton. These studies will be important in identifying any changes in phytoplankton from interactions with aerosols which could affect the ocean and life in it. NASA has already launched a series of Earth-observing satellites and instruments into orbit. But the agency believes PACE will be able to collect more detailed data on how different aerosols and pollutants get into the oceans and the atmosphere. Project Scientist Werdell noted that current Earth-observing satellites can only see in seven or eight different colors. But he said Pace will see in 200 colors, permitting scientists to better identify different kinds of algae in the sea and particles in the air. News reports say the mission will cost about $950 million. The PACE mission follows the launch in December 2022 of NASAs SWOT satellite. The SWOT mission measures sea levels and changes in bodies of water over time. SWOT is a cooperative effort between NASA and Frances space agency. NASA is cooperating with India on another Earth-observing satellite set to launch this year. That spacecraft, called NISAR, will use radar instruments to measure the effects of rising temperatures on glaciers and other melting, icy surfaces. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from NASA and The Associated Press. Quiz - NASA Launches New Satellite to Study Oceans, Atmosphere Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ____________________________________________ Words in This Story unprecedented adj. never having happened before algae bloom n. a fast and large increase in algae - simple plants that have no leaves or stems and that grow in or near water precipitation n. rain or snow that falls to the ground dimension n. a particular part of a situation, especially something that affects how a person thinks or feels all sorts of n. many different kinds of something Emily Batcher believes she made Expedias deadline to cancel with nearly 22 hours to spare. But it was United Airlines that deemed her late. Batcher said it was shortly before 11 a.m. on Jan. 26 when she used Expedia to book two round-trip tickets on United from Chicagos OHare Airport to Lisbon, Portugal, where she and her boyfriend plan to vacation in April. But soon thereafter she remembered something: Wait! I have travel credits with United! Ill cancel the Expedia booking and book directly with United so that I can use the travel credits! the 46-year-old Madisonian said in a Feb. 4 email to SOS. Luckily, under federal transportation rules, airlines are required to provide full refunds to flyers if they cancel their bookings within 24 hours of making them for flights that are happening at least seven days hence. Batcher first went to United directly and used her credits to help buy two tickets on the same dates as the ones she bought on Expedia, then went back to Expedia and canceled her initial purchase there. Batcher said she saw a screen that said my booking was canceled on Expedia but did not receive an email confirming same. Flash forward to Jan. 28: Im sitting on my couch watching Netflix and suddenly get an email from Expedia stating that United has canceled my flights, she said. At first, I freaked because I thought it was referring to the new itinerary I had booked through United. But then I looked more closely and saw that it was just confirming cancellation of the initial itinerary I had, in fact, canceled. So, phew! I thought. But two days after that brought less of a phew than an oh no when she discovered that the Expedia charge remained on her credit card statement. Expedia subsequently told her in an online chat that her booking wasnt canceled until Jan. 28, and then in an hourlong phone call with the company, Bella informed her that United had denied the refund because it was allegedly beyond the 24-hour grace period, she said. Batcher said Expedia did not respond to her offer to provide the company with screenshots showing her booking-cancellation history or an email she sent her boyfriend on the 26th referencing the cancellation. On Feb. 3, United sent her two form emails denying her formal request for a refund. SOS was happy to get the screenshots and boyfriend email and sent them, along with Batchers refund request number with United, to United and Expedia press contacts on the morning of Feb. 5. A little more than four hours later, United spokesperson Erin Jankowski emailed to say the refund was being processed that day. Expedia emailed about 30 minutes later to say it agreed with that decision. Batcher said she found the full refund of $1,056.16 on her credit card statement on Thursday. So what happened with United and Expedia? In a statement, Jankowski passed the buck to Expedia: We issued a refund of the customers tickets once it was clarified that the cancellation did comply with the travel agencys cancellation policy. Any concerns with the incorrect cancellation date will need to be addressed by the travel agency. Expedia, in an unsigned statement, passed the buck to United and Batcher: In this instance, it appears the reservation was cancelled directly with the airline and not via Expedia, which unfortunately caused a delay from the airline issuing the refund. Editor's note: This story was updated on Feb. 17, 2024, to correct a grammatical error. Send us an SOS Since September 2007, SOS has helped save Wisconsin State Journal readers more than $237,983.25 and solved hundreds of problems. You can send an SOS using any of these methods: Email: sos@madison.com Online form: http://go.madison.com/sendSOS Phone: 608-252-6198 Mail: SOS, Wisconsin State Journal, 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI 53713 In 2004, Betha Ortiz Hahn, moved from Cancun, Mexico, to Madison. She got a job and tried to fit in, but language was a huge barrier. She found the Literacy Network, a Madison organization that offers free literacy courses. The classes she took gave her the skills and confidence to communicate in English. She can speak with her boss, ask for directions and make doctor appointments, all things that were challenging for her when she first moved to Madison. It improved my life, she said. In the beginning, I was a dishwasher, but even doing dishes I was embarrassed because my boss would request some items that he needed right away and I could not understand. Ortiz Hahn officially became an American citizen in August, with help from the classes the network offers to prepare for the U.S. citizenship test. She remains involved with the organization as one of its 350 yearly volunteers. Learning English at the Literacy Network opened a new world, she said. The Literacy Network, founded in 1974, has helped adult learners with stories similar to Ortiz Hahn's for 50 years. The organization on Madison's South Side focuses on a wide range of literacy services for students, from native English speakers to those looking to learn English as a second language. Over the years, the organization has expanded through community partnerships to meet a growing need for literacy education in Dane County. From 2022 to 2023, the number of participants increased 37%, from 1,053 to 1,444. One in seven adults in Dane County struggle with low literacy, which can make navigating everyday life difficult, according to the Literacy Network. The network has a robust schedule of English as a Second Language classes at various levels, along with GED tutoring and essential skills tutoring, which allows students to work with a tutor who helps them with reading, writing and basic computer skills. Most tutors are volunteers who work one on one with students and tailor lesson plans specific to student goals. We see literacy as something that helps adults who are already motivated, said Robin Ryan, executive director of the Literacy Network. The theme is always really about personal goals and individualized programming. English as a Second Language programming is by far the organizations most sought-after resource, Ryan said, and over 60% of program participants are Latino. The Literacy Network recently received a $180,000 grant from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to provide English language and civics education to U.S. citizenship applicants. Along with the citizenship course, the network has a partnership with Centro Hispano, which provides legal aid to students seeking citizenship. That partnership is one of many with nonprofits and organizations across Dane County. That includes Jewish Social Services, local schools and sometimes workplaces to offer on-site classes for employees. We always want to focus on what we do well, which is the literacy piece. We cant be everything to everybody, so we want to be able to have good partners. Ryan said. Being a partner, I think is one of the best ways for us to have a greater impact. Literacy improves employment outcomes When Daniel Hernandez arrived in Madison from Venezuela three years ago, tasks like communicating with his sons teachers, finding a job and ordering a meal from a restaurant all proved difficult. He found help from the Literacy Network. Right now, I'm able to speak English at my job, in school with the teachers of my son, or if I want to go to a restaurant, I can order the food, he said. This is nice because its something that makes you feel good about yourself. Hernandez was hired by an employer that originally rejected him when he first moved to Madison. Many former and current students of the Literacy Network can relate to Hernandez, as career advancement is one of the most common outcomes program participants experience, Ryan noted. If you don't speak English, there are limitations on where you can work, Ryan said. So when they increase their English skills, it opens doors. They're not limited to food service, manual labor or manufacturing. They can do whatever they want. As the organization celebrates 50 years, the need for literacy services in Dane County continues to grow. To support the growing need, the Literacy Network recently received a three-year, $375,000 grant from the Ascendium Education Group, a Madison nonprofit that aims to give low-income individuals learning resources and training opportunities. With the grant, the Literacy Network will be able to grow its Literacy for Opportunity program by 17% and add an ESL class and at least one ESL group tutoring group session. Our students are going to be with us for a while, Ryan said. In order to support this increase, having a three-year grant gives us the assurance that we can continue to offer the highest number of classes so that we can serve more students. Ryan said the 50-year anniversary gives the organization a chance to reflect on its legacy. We want to pause for a moment and actually celebrate the achievements of 50 years, of all the students who have come through the doors and achieved their dreams, Ryan said. That celebratory moment is one of the things I want to reflect on this year. UW-Madison Police Chief Kristen Roman has resigned amid a university investigation into alleged workplace misconduct. The university announced Romans resignation in a statement on Monday but did not immediately give a reason for the chiefs departure. UW-Madison has been investigating alleged violations of university employment policy and work rules, Kelly Tyrrell, a university spokesperson, said in an email. The investigation does not involve any allegations of criminal conduct. Roman resigned before completion of the investigation. Roman did not respond to a request for comment Monday evening. Brent Plisch, previously assistant chief for administration and support, has been named as interim chief. The university will conduct a national search to find a new police chief, Vice Chancellor Robert Cramer said in a statement. Roman had served as a police chief since 2017 and previously reached the rank of captain with the Madison Police Department, where she led community outreach efforts. A search committee landed on Roman as the new chief to replace Susan Riseling, who led the department for 25 years. During Romans tenure with campus police, the department led the investigation into the murders of Dr. Beth Potter and Robin Carre, who were killed in the UW Arboretum in 2020 by Khari Sanford, their daughters boyfriend. Sanford was convicted and received life in prison in September 2022. The outgoing chief also led department reform efforts, including a crisis response program and an online dashboard that shows report data involving people of color and complaints against officers. In 2021, Roman prohibited officers from displaying the thin blue line flag and imagery while acting in an official police capacity. While viewed by many as a symbol of solidarity with police, Roman said the flag had been co-opted by extremists with hateful ideologies, and that the department needed to distance itself from it to build trust with the community. Plisch, whos been with the department since 2005, previously served as a captain with the U.S. Army and was stationed in Iraq and Fort Carson in Colorado. He graduated from Northwestern University and Winona State University. These are the 10 most popular electric cars in America, according to Edmunds 10 of the most popular EVs available today 1. Tesla Model 3: EPA-estimated 358 miles of maximum range 2. Chevrolet Bolt EV: EPA-estimated 259 miles of maximum range 3. Ford Mustang Mach-E: EPA-estimated 312 miles of maximum range 4. Hyundai Ioniq 5: EPA-estimated 303 miles of maximum range 5. Genesis G80 Electrified: EPA-estimated 282 miles of maximum range 6. BMW iX: EPA-estimated 324 miles of maximum range 7. Ford F-150 Lightning: EPA-estimated 320 miles of maximum range 8. Kia Niro EV: EPA-estimated 253 miles of maximum range 9. Polestar 2: EPA-estimated 270 miles of maximum range 10. Porsche Taycan: EPA-estimated 203 miles of maximum range WHITEFISH POINT, Mich. Shipwreck hunters have discovered a merchant ship that sank in Lake Superior in 1940, taking its captain with it, during a storm off Michigans Upper Peninsula. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain announced Monday the discovery of the 244-foot (74-meter) bulk carrier Arlington in about 650 feet (200 meters) of water some 35 miles (60 kilometers) north of Michigans Keweenaw Peninsula. The Arlington left Port Arthur, Ontario, on April 30, 1940, fully loaded with wheat and headed to Owen Sound, Ontario, under the command of Captain Frederick Tatey Bug Burke, a veteran of the Great Lakes. But as the Arlington and a larger freighter, the Collingwood, made their way across Lake Superior they encountered dense fog and then a storm after nightfall that battered both ships. The Arlington began to take on water. The ship's first mate ordered the Arlington onto a course to hug the Canadian North Shore, which would have provided some cover from wind and waves, but Burke countermanded and ordered his ship back onto a course across the open lake, the discoverers said. Early on May 1, 1940, the Arlington began to sink and the ship's chief engineer sounded the alarm. The crew, out of fear for their lives, and without orders from Captain Burke, began to abandon ship, they said in a statement. All crew made it safely to the Collingwood except for Burke, who went down with the Arlington. Reports indicate he was last seen near its pilothouse, waving at the Collingwood, minutes before his ship vanished into the lake. The shipwreck society said in the statement that no one will ever know the answer as to why Burke acted as he did before his ship was lost. Its exciting to solve just one more of Lake Superiors many mysteries, finding Arlington so far out in the lake," Fountain said in a statement. "I hope this final chapter in her story can provide some measure of closure to the family of Captain Burke. The Arlington was discovered thanks to Fountain, a resident of Negaunee, Michigan, who has been conducting remote sensing in Lake Superior in search of shipwrecks for about a decade, said Bruce Lynn, executive director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. Fountain approached the group with a potential target" near the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, and the Arlington was discovered last year. Lynn said. These targets dont always amount to anything ... but this time it absolutely was a shipwreck. A wreck with an interesting, and perhaps mysterious story," he said in the statement. "Had Dan not reached out to us, we might never have located the Arlington. - Advertisement - Pensioners of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) who are based in the United States and Singapore may now use the GSIS Touch, the mobile app of GSIS, in complying with the proof of life requirement on annual pensioners information revalidation (APIR) and other transactions. GSIS pensioners in the US and Singapore comprise 78 percent of the 18,000 pensioners based abroad. Pensioners who are based in the US as indicated in their GSIS records may download, register and utilize the GSIS Touch mobile app. The GSIS said it would then send a one-time personal identification number (OTP) to their email listed in the GSIS database to register. In Singapore, GSIS Touch may be used by GSIS pensioners who have already downloaded the GSIS Touch and registered in the app. The GSIS Touch has a facial recognition feature for APIR, making it seamless and convenient for pensioners to update their status without physically going to the GSIS. They need to undergo APIR or report their status to ensure continuous receipt of their pension. We call on our members and pensioners to use the GSIS Touch for their transactions. We made it available to pensioners abroad as our response to their clamor to allow them to experience its innovative and convenient service, GSIS president and general manager Wick Veloso said in a statement. - Advertisement - This shows that we listen to our stakeholders and we value their insights and perspectives. Moreover, the enhancements in the GSIS Touch underscores GSISs commitment to support the governments digitalization initiatives, aiming for faster, broader and more convenient service, he said. The online feature of the GSIS Touch was initially available to pensioners in the Philippines. After extending the apps reach to pensioners in the US and Singapore, the GSIS is already working on rolling it out to pensioners residing in other parts of the world including Europe, Middle East and Canada. They may use alternative modes for their APIR such as via Skype, Messenger and Viber. In the enhanced app, members can also view their updated amortization schedule for loans. Launched at the height of the pandemic in 2020 with an initial user base of 37,144 that grew to 1,095,452 at present, the GSIS Touch has proven to be a game-changer, allowing members and pensioners access to vital information from membership and pension records to insurance policies. The app also enables users to generate tentative computations, apply for loans and claims and keep track of their premium remittances and loan payments. It also caters to modern security needs, offering biometric login options such as fingerprint or facial recognition for users with smartphones with biometrics feature. - Advertisement - Golden Visa Centrale (GVC), a leading consultancy in residency by investment, unveils a tailored Greek Golden Visa program for Filipino investors. Vicky Luis, president and founder of GVC, emphasized the increasing appeal of residency-by-investment programs for investors worldwide, including in the Philippines. Residency-by-investment programs have been getting traction for investors across the world, including the Philippines. These programs not only grant investors and their families the freedom to travel, to study, to work but also offer opportunities for wealth diversification, said Luis. The Golden Visa program enables individuals and their families to obtain foreign residency or citizenship by meeting a minimum investment requirement set by the host countrys government. It offers benefits such as unrestricted travel and potential tax advantages. More than 130,000 people have obtained similar visas in European countries, including Portugal, Greece, Italy, and Spain. Over 60 countries globally offer golden visa programs, with European countries such as Portugal, Spain, and Greece being among the most popular. - Advertisement - The visa program gives Filipinos the opportunity to invest in Patra Established in 2019, GVC has successfully processed and facilitated hundreds of golden visa applications across various European countries and the U.S. The number of golden visa applications from the Philippines has increased by at least 30 percent annually since 2019, indicating a growing trend of Filipinos seeking international residency and investment opportunities. We are excited to bring the Greek Golden Visa program to Filipino investors. This is a program perfect for those looking for profitable investments or those who want to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Luis added. The Greek Golden Visa program, initiated in 2013, granted 31,000 golden visas in 2022, injecting 2.3 billion into the Greek economy. With an initial investment of 250,000, the program offers Filipinos the chance to invest in Patra, the third-largest city in Greece and a thriving university hub on the Peloponnese peninsula. The investment comes with a range of compelling benefits, including a five-year permanent residence visa, the possibility of family reunification for up to three generations, remote application convenience, visa-free travel within Schengen countries, fast processing times, and no stay requirement. Luis also highlighted the programs appeal, citing its vibrant living experience and a reasonable investment threshold, making it an attractive option for those seeking affordable and desirable residency opportunities. The program, along with GVCs other offerings, aligns with the companys mission to provide clients with the freedom to enjoy beautiful landscapes while actively contributing to the economic development of cities and countries worldwide. The Greek Golden Visa program, along with our other offerings, reflects our mission to offer clients the freedom to enjoy beautiful landscapes while actively contributing to the economic development of cities and countries worldwide, she explained. To learn more about the Greek Golden Visa program, visit https://goldenvisacentral.com/ or the GVC Facebook page. - Advertisement - Palestinian Territories Hamas warned Israel on Sunday that a ground offensive in Rafah, crowded with displaced Gazans, would imperil future hostage releases, while US President Joe Biden urged the protection of civilians in the besieged territory. Foreign governments, including Israels key ally the United States, and aid groups have voiced deep concern over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus vow to extend operations into the far-southern Gaza city. Rafah, on the border with Egypt, has remained the last refuge for Palestinians fleeing Israels relentless bombardment elsewhere in the Gaza Strip in its four-month war against Hamas, triggered by the groups October 7 attack. Any attack by the occupation army on the city of Rafah would torpedo the exchange negotiations, a Hamas leader told AFP on condition of anonymity. Netanyahu has told troops to prepare to enter the city which now hosts more than half of Gazas total population, spurring concern about the impact on displaced civilians. - Advertisement - Biden spoke to Netanyahu on the phone Sunday and told him the Gaza advance should not go ahead in the absence of a credible plan to ensure the safety of people sheltering there, the White House said. About 1.4 million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, with many living in tents while food, water and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce. Netanyahu had told US broadcaster ABC News the Rafah operation would go ahead until Hamas is eliminated, adding he would provide safe passage to civilians wishing to leave. When pressed about where they could go, Netanyahu said: You know, the areas that weve cleared north of Rafah, plenty of areas there. But, we are working out a detailed plan. Targeted raids Mediators held new talks in Cairo for a pause in the fighting and the release of some of the 132 hostages Israel says are still in Gaza, including 29 thought to be dead. Hamas seized about 250 hostages on October 7, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Dozens were released during a one-week truce in November. Hamass military wing on Sunday said two hostages had been killed and eight others seriously wounded in Israeli bombardment in recent days, a claim AFP is unable to independently verify. Netanyahu has faced calls for early elections and mounting protests over his administrations failure to bring home the hostages. Israeli strikes have long hit targets in Rafah, and combat on Sunday seemed intense several kilometres (miles) to the north in Khan Yunis city. AFP correspondents heard repeated explosions and saw plumes of black smoke. Israels military said troops were conducting targeted raids in the west of Khan Yunis, southern Gazas main city, while Hamas reported violent clashes and said air strikes also hit Rafah. Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel has responded with a relentless offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip that the territorys health ministry says has killed at least 28,176 people, mostly women and children. Hamas said dozens of bodies had been found in Gaza City, in the coastal strips north, after Israeli ground troops withdrew from the area. Most of them were martyred by bullets of snipers, the group said in a statement. Since the start of the war, violence has also surged on the occupied West Bank. On Sunday, troops near Bethlehem shot a man who tried to stab a soldier, the Israeli army said. The same day, Israeli police said officers shot dead a knife-wielding suspect in the Muslim quarter of annexed east Jerusalems Old City. Demilitarisation Hossam al-Sharqawi of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told reporters that every day our ambulance guys (in Gaza) are martyred or injured. This is unacceptable, this madness must stop. During a visit to a military base Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel aims for the demilitarisation of Gaza. This requires our security control over the entire area west of Jordan, including the Gaza Strip, he said. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) were some of the latest to raise the alarm over the plan for Rafah, Gazas last major population centre that Israeli troops have yet to enter. The OIC strongly warned that the continuation and expansion of the Israeli military aggression is part of rejected attempts to forcibly expel the Palestinian people from their land, the 57-nation Jeddah-based bloc said on social media. It stressed that such acts fall under genocide and would lead to a humanitarian catastrophe and collective massacre. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also rejected forced displacement of people from Rafah, evoking the trauma of Palestinians mass exodus and forced displacement around the time of Israels creation in 1948. Riyadh called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting, while Britains Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out. Denouncing a genocide in Gaza, thousands rallied Sunday in Moroccos capital Rabat and called on their government to undo a 2020 normalisation pact with Israel. Gazans, driven farther and farther south, have repeatedly said they can find no safe refuge from the fighting and bombing. Farah Muhammad, 39, a mother of five displaced to Rafah from northern Gaza, said she felt helpless. There is no place to escape. - Advertisement - The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Monday said it will ask the government of Japan to investigate and identify the sender of a bomb threat via email to at least six government agencies. As reported, CICC together with the Philippine National Police and the MIS personnel of these agencies, recovered multiple emails sent to several people in their said agencies, CICC executive director Alexander Ramos said. There is no cause for alarm as this sender and email has been tagged as a hoax, he added. (Read related story here.) At about the same time multiple government agencies in Seoul, South Korea received the same email, according to Ramos. Last year the alleged sender sent the same bomb threat to several government agencies. The said email originated from Japan whose domain name was registered locally in Japan, Ramos said. - Advertisement - Efforts are on the way to request the Japanese government to investigate thoroughly and identify the sender, he added. As part of the emergency protocols, Ramos said the affected government agencies were advised to practice their emergency evacuation procedures as part of the agency preparedness. Under Philippine laws, the malicious dissemination of false information or the wilful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives or any similar device is a serious offense. Section 2 of Presidential Decree No. 127 stated that such act is punishable means of an arrest, search and seizure order. The offender is also not entitled to bail pending trial by the military tribunals or military courts, which shall have jurisdiction over cases involving violation of the decree. - Advertisement - Tycoon Manny Pangilinan urged the son of actor Aga Muhlach to court Princess Leonor of Spain. I am here on a break. I am still finishing school one more year left, the 22-year-old Andres Muhlach told Pangilinan as the Muhlach family signed a contract with Viva and TV5 for a sitcom deal. You should go after Princess Leonor, MVP said in jest. Then you dont have to work [anymore]. Andres is taking up a Business and Communications course at a university in Madrid. The 18-year-old Leonor, Princess of Asturias, is the presumptive heiress to the throne and is carrying out her military training in Zaragoza. - Advertisement - Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Benitez denied he went to Japan with actress Ivana Alawi, saying it was only a chance encounter after a video of the two of them conversing while in line at the airport went viral online. I am fully aware of the video footage that has been circulating, which unfortunately does not accurately explain why I was in TokyoSpeculations involving Ms. Ivana Alawi are untrue and only serve to put malice into what was clearly a chance encounter, Benitez said. He said he was in Tokyo for a business trip that was covered by an official travel order. I apologize to Ms. Alawi and her family who have been unfairly dragged into issues concerning my private life. There is no truth to any and all the rumors spreading and I am setting the record straight to avoid further hurt and damage to them, the mayor said. Alawi, in a separate statement, said she is currently dating a businessman. - Advertisement - Hindi po ako ang nasasabing girlfriend ni Mayor Albee BenitezI am currently seeing someone who makes me happy. All I can say is that he is a respectable businessman and not a politician, she said. - Advertisement - Manila, PhilippinesThe alleged mastermind of a bombing at a Catholic mass in the southern Philippines has died after a clash between members of a pro-Islamic State group and government troops, officials said Monday. Four people were killed and dozens wounded in the December 3 attack on worshippers inside a university gym in Marawi, the countrys largest Muslim city, that was later claimed by the Islamic State group. Eight Dawlah Islamiyah militants were suspected of carrying out the attack on Mindanao island, army brigade commander Brig. Gen. Yegor Rey Barroquillo told Agence France Presse (AFP). Five were killed in manhunt operations, one was detained, and another two were still on the run, he said. Among the dead was Khadafi Mimbesa, who went by the alias of Engineer. The Armed Forces of the Philippines said in a statement that he was the mastermind behind the bombing. - Advertisement - Mimbesa was wounded in a shootout between army soldiers and militants hiding out at a mountain farm near the remote southern municipality of Piagapo in late January, Barroquillo told AFP. Nine militants, including three suspects in the bombing, were killed in the fighting. Mimbesa was wounded but escaped and died days later while being cared for by a supporter, Barroquillo said, citing intelligence reports. In the statement, military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner urged other members of the militant group to surrender and avoid the same fate as your dead comrades. Militant attacks on buses, Catholic churches and public markets have been a feature of decades-long unrest in the south. Manila signed a peace pact with the nations largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in 2014, ending their deadly armed rebellion. But smaller bands of Muslim fighters opposed to the peace deal remain, including militants professing allegiance to the Islamic State group. - Advertisement - Manila, PhilippinesThe death toll from a landslide that hit a gold-mining village in the southern Philippines rose to 68 on Monday, officials said, as searchers abandoned hope of finding any more survivors. Hundreds of rescuers have used their bare hands, shovels and heavy earth-moving equipment for nearly a week looking for those buried when last Tuesdays landslide hit the mountainous Masara village on Mindanao island. More than a dozen bodies were pulled from the mud on Monday, with 51 people still missing, including mine workers and villagers, according to official figures released by the municipal government. It is almost a week after the incident and we are assuming that no one is alive there, Edward Macapili, spokesman for the Davao de Oro provincial disaster office, told Agence France Presse (AFP). There is already a foul smell in the area now, so theres a need to fast-track the retrieval. - Advertisement - An area around 50 meters (164 feet) deep remains to be searched, Macapili added. A three-year-old girl and a baby were pulled alive from under the rubble on Friday, in what rescuers described as a miracle. The landslide buried three buses and a jeepney waiting for employees of a gold mining firm and 55 nearby houses, leaving 32 other people injured. Authorities have vowed to continue the search until all those missing are recovered. Landslides are a frequent hazard across much of the archipelago nation due to the mountainous terrain, heavy rainfall and widespread deforestation from mining, slash-and-burn farming and illegal logging. Rain has pounded parts of Mindanao on and off for weeks, triggering dozens of landslides and floods that have forced tens of thousands of people into emergency shelters. Massive earthquakes have also destabilized the region in recent months. - Advertisement - PALESTINIAN TerritoriesPredawn Israeli strikes in the southern Gaza city of Rafah killed around 100 people on Monday, the territorys Hamas-run health ministry said in a statement. The statement revised upward the ministrys earlier toll of 52 people killed in the strikes on the city along the Egyptian border. The Israeli military said in a statement on Monday that it had conducted a series of strikes on terror targets in the area of Shaboura in the southern Gaza Strip, adding the strikes had concluded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his army to prepare a ground offensive on Rafah, Gazas last major population center that troops have yet to enter after Hamass October 7 attacks sparked the war. About 1.4 million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, with many living in tents while food, water and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce. - Advertisement - The strikes followed Hamas warning Israel on Sunday that a ground offensive in Rafah, crowded with displaced Gazans, would imperil future hostage releases, while US President Joe Biden urged the protection of civilians in the besieged territory. Foreign governments, including Israels key ally the United States, and aid groups have voiced deep concern over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus vow to extend operations into the far-southern Gaza city. Rafah, on the border with Egypt, has remained the last refuge for Palestinians fleeing Israels relentless bombardment elsewhere in the Gaza Strip in its four-month war against Hamas, triggered by the groups Oct. 7 attack. Any attack by the occupation army on the city of Rafah would torpedo the exchange negotiations, a Hamas leader told AFP on condition of anonymity. Netanyahu has told troops to prepare to enter the city which now hosts more than half of Gazas total population, spurring concern about the impact on displaced civilians. Biden spoke to Netanyahu on the phone Sunday and told him the Gaza advance should not go ahead in the absence of a credible plan to ensure the safety of people sheltering there, the White House said. About 1.4 million Palestinians have crowded into Rafah, with many living in tents while food, water and medicine are becoming increasingly scarce. Netanyahu had told US broadcaster ABC News the Rafah operation would go ahead until Hamas is eliminated, adding he would provide safe passage to civilians wishing to leave. When pressed about where they could go, Netanyahu said: You know, the areas that weve cleared north of Rafah, plenty of areas there. But, we are working out a detailed plan. Mediators held new talks in Cairo for a pause in the fighting and the release of some of the 132 hostages Israel says are still in Gaza, including 29 thought to be dead. Hamas seized about 250 hostages on Oct. 7, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Dozens were released during a one-week truce in November. Hamass military wing on Sunday said two hostages had been killed and eight others seriously wounded in Israeli bombardment in recent days, a claim AFP is unable to independently verify. Netanyahu has faced calls for early elections and mounting protests over his administrations failure to bring home the hostages. Israeli strikes have long hit targets in Rafah, and combat on Sunday seemed intense several kilometers to the north in Khan Yunis city. AFP correspondents heard repeated explosions and saw plumes of black smoke. Israels military said troops were conducting targeted raids in the west of Khan Yunis, southern Gazas main city, while Hamas reported violent clashes and said air strikes also hit Rafah. Hamass unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel has responded with a relentless offensive in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip that the territorys health ministry says has killed at least 28,176 people, mostly women and children. Hamas said dozens of bodies had been found in Gaza City, in the coastal strips north, after Israeli ground troops withdrew from the area. Most of them were martyred by bullets of snipers, the group said in a statement. Since the start of the war, violence has also surged on the occupied West Bank. On Sunday, troops near Bethlehem shot a man who tried to stab a soldier, the Israeli army said. The same day, Israeli police said officers shot dead a knife-wielding suspect in the Muslim quarter of annexed east Jerusalems Old City. Hossam al-Sharqawi of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told reporters that every day our ambulance guys (in Gaza) are martyred or injured. This is unacceptable, this madness must stop. The United States, United Nations and many governments have voiced deep concern over Netanyahus plans to invade the city, where some 1.4 million people have crowded, with many living in tents amid increasingly scarce supplies of food, water and medicine. Biden reaffirmed his view that a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there, the White House said in a readout of the two leaders Sunday morning call. A senior US administration official added that under current conditions Washington could not support a military operation in Rafah because of the density of the population. The civilian population has nowhere to go, the official said. Netanyahu, in extracts of an interview published Saturday evening, insisted the Rafah operation would go ahead while providing safe passage for the civilian population so they can leave. When pressed about where the population was supposed to go, Netanyahu said in the interview aired Sunday: You know, the areas that weve cleared north of Rafah, plenty of areas there. But, we are working out a detailed plan. Not entering Rafah and confronting holdout Hamas battalions would amount to losing the war, the prime minister said. - Advertisement - In the corridors of power and the alleys of justice, it is the voice of the people that echoes loudest, shaping the destiny of nations In the misty intersection between international law and national sovereignty, a thorny issue emerges: the potential enforcement of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against former Philippine President Duterte. While the Philippines may no longer wear the ICC badge, the National Union of Peoples Lawyers asserts enforcing such a warrant isnt entirely implausible. Comity, a term often obscured in legal jargon, becomes a pivotal concept. Its the nod of recognition from one court to another, a gesture of respect for legal processes. NUPL contends under the cloak of comity, the Philippine National Police might be nudged to execute the warrant, either by presidential decree, extradition request, or compliance with international obligations. - Advertisement - But amidst this legal labyrinth, voices of dissent echo. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stands firm, asserting the countrys right to chart its legal destiny without external interference. He paints a picture of sovereignty as an inviolable shield against foreign legal entanglements. Yet, the tides of public sentiment sway differently. A recent Social Weather Stations survey reveals a nuanced landscape of opinion. While 53 percent of Filipinos nod in approval of ICC intervention in the drug war saga, a subtle uptick from previous polls, a sizeable portion still raises skeptical eyebrows. This public pulse, a heartbeat of democracy, throbs with the weight of justice and accountability. Enter the specter of treaty obligations, casting a shadow over legal discourse. The Philippines dalliance with the ICC ended with a diplomatic divorce, yet the ghost of the Rome Statute looms large. Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio invokes this ghost, reminding us of our past entanglements and the enduring tendrils of legal commitments. But what of the practicalities? Can the ICCs long arm reach into the Philippines, or is it a futile grasp at ephemeral justice? The PNPs reluctance to dance to the ICCs tune underscores a deeper rift a tug-of-war between national pride and international accountability. In the annals of legal history, echoes of similar showdowns reverberate. From Pinochets precarious predicament in the UK to Omar al-Bashirs dance with justice in Sudan, the clash between national sovereignty and international law isnt new. Each instance, a testament to the delicate balance between state power and global conscience. As the saga unfolds, a flicker of pragmatism emerges from the haze. Retired Justice Carpios advice rings clear: engage, present your side, let truth bear witness. In this crucible of accountability, silence breeds suspicion, while transparency fosters trust. To my fellow Filipinos, I urge vigilance, not merely as spectators but as custodians of our nations conscience. As we navigate this legal labyrinth, let us heed the lessons of history and the clarion call of justice. In the crucible of accountability lies the forge of a nations character. In the end, the question remains: will the Philippines embrace the gauntlet of international justice or retreat behind the shield of sovereignty? The answer, shrouded in uncertainty, awaits its reckoning. But let us remember, in the corridors of power and the alleys of justice, it is the voice of the people that echoes loudest, shaping the destiny of nations. - Advertisement - Pensioners of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) who are based in the United States and Singapore may now use the GSIS Touch, the mobile app of GSIS, in complying with the proof of life requirement dubbed Annual Pensioners Information Revalidation (APIR) and other transactions. GSIS pensioners in the US and Singapore comprise 78 percent of the 18,000 pensioners based abroad. Pensioners who are based in the US as indicated in their GSIS records may download, register, and utilize the GSIS Touch mobile app. GSIS will send a one-time personal identification number (OTP) to their email listed in the GSIS database to register. In Singapore, GSIS Touch may be used by GSIS pensioners who have already downloaded the GSIS Touch and registered in the app. The GSIS Touch has a facial recognition feature for APIR, making it seamless and convenient for pensioners to update their status without physically going to the GSIS. They need to undergo APIR or report their status to ensure continuous receipt of their pension. We call on our members and pensioners to use the GSIS Touch for their transactions. We made it available to pensioners abroad as our response to their clamor to allow them to experience its innovative and convenient service. This shows that we listen to our stakeholders and we value their insights and perspectives. Moreover, the enhancements in the GSIS Touch underscores GSISs commitment to support the governments digitalization initiatives, aiming for faster, broader and more convenient service, GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso said. The online feature of the GSIS Touch was initially available to pensioners in the Philippines. After extending the apps reach to pensioners in the US and Singapore, the GSIS is already working on rolling it out to pensioners residing in other parts of the world including Europe, Middle East, and Canada. At present, they may use alternative modes for their APIR such as via Skype, Messenger, and Viber. - Advertisement - In the enhanced app, members can also view their updated amortization schedule for loans. Launched during the height of the pandemic in 2020 with an initial user base of 37,144 that grew to 1,095,452 at present, the GSIS Touch has proven to be a game-changer, allowing members and pensioners access to vital information from membership and pension records to insurance policies. The app also enables users to generate tentative computations, apply for loans and claims and keep track of their premium remittances and loan payments. GSIS Touch also caters to modern security needs, offering biometric login options such as fingerprint or facial recognition for users with smartphones with biometrics feature. WILMINGTON, Del. President Joe Biden's personal attorney said Sunday he went to both the special counsel and the attorney general to register concerns over what he viewed to be pejorative and unnecessary digs at the president's memory. This is a report that went off the rails, Bob Bauer said on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday. It's a shabby work product. The special counsel was investigating whether the president mishandled classified documents during his previous positions as vice president and senator, and found this week that no criminal charges were warranted. But in building his argument for why no charges were necessary, Special Counsel Robert Hur, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, detailed in part that Biden's defense of any potential charges could possibly be that: Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. And then he went on to cite examples where investigators said the president's memory lapsed, including over when his older son Beau had died. In particular, the comments about Beau Biden enraged the president, who has been very open about his grief over his son's death, speaking often of him. How the hell dare he raise that," Biden questioned angrily following the report's release. Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself, was it any of their damn business? Biden's age has already been a concern for voters. Democrats are now answering the widespread questions about the 81-year-old presidents age and readiness by affirming that Biden is capable of being commander in chief and trying to discredit people who portray him feeble. First lady Jill Biden wrote a letter to donors Saturday questioning whether those comments were politically motivated; it fetched the most money in donations of any email since Biden launched his campaign. Bauer, who is married to Biden's top White House aide Anita Dunn, said he raised concerns over the inclusion of these details to both Hur and Garland, which he viewed to be a violation of the Justice Department norms that essentially work to avoid prejudicing the public against people who are not charged with a crime. But the appeal failed. Its evident that he had committed to make the report public the way that the special counsel had written it, said Bauer. Former Trump Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein defended the report on CNN' State of the Union Sunday. When you conduct a criminal investigation, some of the information that you uncover and some things that you evaluate dont necessarily put the subject in a favorable light. And, ordinarily, thats not publicized. And I think thats a good thing, he said. Its unfortunate that the special counsel process results in public reports that expose things that otherwise would remain sealed in Department of Justice files. The president sat down with investigators over several hours just as the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas happened. He said he answered the questions truthfully and to the best of his knowledge. Bauer argued that what didn't make it into the report were moments when the president deconstructed questions by investigators and when the special counsel notes that he'd be taking Biden through events that are many years ago, and notes that he should just give his best recollection. He said the special counsel made a decision to cherry pick in a very misleading way what references made it in and what didn't. Bauer, too, suggested there was political pressure on the Justice Department, which is prosecuting former President Donald Trump for refusing to turn over a trove of classified documents as well as his role in the Jan. 6 violence at the U.S. Capitol and has been excoriated by Trump and others as biased and that his prosecution represents a two-tiered system of justice. Hur is a Republican, and a former U.S. attorney under Trump. So you have to wonder with those pressures impinging on the investigation from the outside knowing the attacks that Republicans have levied on the law enforcement process, did he decide we would have to ask that we reach the only legal conclusion possible and then toss in the rest of it to placate a certain political constituency? Bauer asked. The Justice Department has not commented on the criticism. Whos running for president? See the latest rundown of major 2024 candidates Donald Trump Joe Biden Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Jill Stein Cornel West Whos dropped out? Just as the United Nations has appealed for $4.1 billion to ease epic suffering caused by war in Sudan, at least 13 migrants were reported dead and 27 others missing, all from Sudan, after their small boat sank off the Tunisian coast trying to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. The group of 42 Sudanese people had left from the coast of nearby Sfax, a common jumping-off point for illegal boat journeys across the Mediterranean to Italy, but their small metal boat sank soon after setting to sea, a local official said. Only two people on board are reported to have survived, while search operations were under way for those missing, he added. Such migration attempts have increased recently from Tunisia, by both Tunisians and people from the war-torn Sudan and other African countries. More than 2,270 migrants died in 2023 trying to cross the central Mediterranean to Europe, a 60% increase on the previous year, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This comes as the UN appealed for $4.1 billion to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs amidst epic suffering in Sudan that plunged into a civil war about 10 months ago, forcing at least nine million people to flee their homes. The UN added in a statement that half of Sudans population some 25 million people are in need of support and protection, with millions hungry and displaced by the war. Most of those effected have taken refuge either in safer parts of the country, or in neighboring states. Last year, the European Union signed a deal with Tunisia to tackle irregular migration, which includes $118m to stop smuggling, strengthen borders and return migrants. Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska voiced satisfaction at the exemplary cooperation with Morocco in countering illegal migration. We have been close, reliable and faithful partners for long, Marlaska told public TV channel TVE. Marlaska had visited Morocco in January and met his Moroccan counterpart Abdelouafi laftit, the first visit since the new Sanchez government formed a coalition government. Last year, Morocco foiled 75,000 migration attempts to Spain. Crossing attempts to the Spanish-occupied enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla have also dropped significantly by 62% to only six attempts involving 1400 migrants, according to interior ministry data. Relations between Morocco and Spain have never been stronger, offering an example of a success story of cooperation between two neighbours working hand in hand including on controversial issues. Since Spain expressed support for Moroccos sovereignty over the Sahara in 2022, a new era has been ushered in bilateral ties at all levels. Spain is Moroccos largest trading partner while Morocco is the third largest trading partner for Spain outside the EU, right after the US and the UK. Bilateral trade totaled 20 billion euros last year and is set to break new records as businessmen from the two countries reap the benefits of improved diplomatic ties. A US delegation, led by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, will attend the African Union Summit to convene in Ethiopia February 17-18. Assistant Secretary Molly Phee is paying a visit to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 12-17, 2024 and will be joined by Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Ambassador Mike Hammer, the US department of State said in a press release. U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy Dr. John Nkengasong; U.S. Agency for International Developments Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa Monde Muyangwa; and other senior U.S. Government officials will also be part of the delegation, the press release said. Their travel will focus on the African Union (AU) Summit, where they will meet with AU officials, as well as heads of state and ministers attending the summit. The United States reaffirms the value of a strong African Union and welcomes the AUs leadership on the global stage. We are proud of our strong partnership with the AU, its member states, and the peoples of Africa. We are dedicated to working together to advance our shared global priorities to foster openness and open societies, deliver democratic and security dividends, promote economic opportunity and pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response, and support conservation, climate adaptation, and a just energy transition, the press release said. While in Addis Ababa, Assistant Secretary Phee will also discuss with Ethiopian Government officials bilateral and regional issues. At least 52 killed, dozens wounded in Israel's heavy strikes on Gaza's Rafah -- media Xinhua) 09:57, February 12, 2024 GAZA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- At least 52 were killed and dozens wounded in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported Monday. The Israeli army said it conducted "a series of strikes" on southern Gaza on Monday, but did not provide other details. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,176 since Oct. 7, 2023, with 67,784 others being injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, about half of the residents there have fled to Rafah, adjacent to Egypt, in search of safety. The border city, which receives food and medicine aid from foreign countries and UN agencies through the Rafah crossing, is crowded with tents on empty agricultural lands, in schools and along roadsides. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, Senior Advisor to President Biden, Amos Hochstein, and President and CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), Samaila Zubairu, convened the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI) Lobito Corridor Private Sector Investor Forum in Lusaka last week. This was the first PGI Investor Forum outside the United States, bringing together over 250 business and government leaders from Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the European Union, the United States, and Zambia, as well as international investors and industry leaders. The Forum was met to accelerate private sector investment in the Lobito Corridor, which will connect the DRC and Zambia with global markets through Angola. The Lobito Corridor is the first strategic PGI economic corridor launched by President Biden at the G7 Summit in Japan in May 2023 under the flagship G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment initiative. The corridor will integrate the African continent and enhance connections with global markets by expanding export possibilities, boosting regional trade, and growing key market segments, all while creating decent jobs and improving lives. PGIs efforts to upgrade and build new railway will result in the first trans-African rail line, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. A U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) $250 million investment, currently in due diligence, would support the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) consortium that is upgrading and operating the 1,300 km Benguela rail line across Angola with advisory support from the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC). The LAR upgrade will dramatically reduce transport time, better connect critical mineral-rich regions in the DRC with global markets and lower the carbon emissions footprint of goods currently moved by road. By lowering costs for businesses along the corridor, it will also open new markets, including agribusiness. The Investor Forum follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in October 2023 in which the African Development Bank, the AFC, the governments of Angola, DRC, Zambia and the United States, and the European Commission underscored their shared commitment to developing the Lobito Corridor. The MOU named AFC as lead developer on the new Zambia-Lobito rail line extending from the Benguela line into northwest Zambia. In addition to rail, PGI is investing catalytic public funds alongside G7 and African partners in various sectors, demonstrating a new model of holistic private-sector led infrastructure development while maintaining strong labor and environmental standards, and promoting trade and investment on the African continent. The PGI Forum marks the partners coming together to further mobilize private sector investment across the Lobito Corridor and unlock the enormous potential of this region. During the forum in Lusaka, the U.S. Government and partners announced additional commitments to the corridor. In this vein, DFC announced that its Board of Directors approved a new $250 million debt facility to the AFC that would support their efforts to develop high-quality and high-standards infrastructure across the continent. That potential project is now pending congressional review. DFC also marked its commitment to provide a $10 million loan to Seba Foods Zambia, the first U.S. food and agriculture investment along the Lobito Corridor. Additionally, the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced a feasibility study grant to REV-UP Solar Ventures Zambia to develop an estimated 200-megawatt solar power plant and battery energy storage system in Solwezi, Zambia. The project will supply clean, stable electricity to Zambian industry and households and has the potential to provide power for two critical mineral mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Last week, LAR announced a six-year export shipment term-sheet with Canadian mining company Ivanhoe that will advance the rail lines ambitions to become the leading rail transport link in sub-Saharan Africa and support clean energy supply chain diversification. Supporting efforts to unlock the potential of the Copperbelt region, AFC has entered into an MOU with Congolese commodity trading and mining company La Generale des Carrieres et des Mines (Gecamines) to undertake the development of critical minerals in the DRC. AFC has also signed an expression of interest with Kobaloni Energy to provide $100 million in financing for a cobalt refinery in Chingola, Zambia, with the objective of building the first electric vehicle battery grade cobalt sulphate plant on the African continent. These announcements build on the more than $1 billion of U.S. government investments made in Angola in the past year. This includes an Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) authorization of a more than $900 million loan supporting construction of two solar energy power plants that will generate over 500 megawatts of renewable energy, and an additional $363 million EXIM loan guarantee to support financing and construction of over 180 bridges connecting rural Angolan communities. Further, two USAID grants are enabling Africells recent mobile money launch to reach more underserved populations, and to expand an existing program supporting women farmers to communities around the Lobito Atlantic rail line. This milestone underlines the importance of the Lobito Corridor initiative. The corridor is a vital logistics hub that connects the region to international markets while demonstrating that strategic public infrastructure investment can mobilize private investment across multiple sectors to promote economic growth that transforms the region. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The Affordable Care Act requires Medicare to issue penalties that reduce payment to hospitals if post-operative readmission rates within 30 days exceed the national average. A new study led by Regenstrief Institute Research Scientist Andrew Gonzalez, M.D., J.D., MPH, reports that including socioeconomic status in the penalty calculation would reduce the amount of readmission penalties for safety-net hospitals, which typically care for the sickest patients. Other factors, including age and sex, are already embedded in the formula. Hospitals with readmission rates exceeding the national average are penalized by reduced payments for the care of all Medicare patientsnot just those who were readmitted. Medicare readmission penalties not uniformly distributed over all types of hospitals "The idea behind the government's hospital readmissions reduction program is that readmissions data captures some measure of quality as well as cost. However, there are unintended consequences from this approach." "Our study found that Medicare readmission penalties are not uniformly distributed over all types of hospitals and that hospitals with a large percentage of low socioeconomic status patients were disproportionately penalized," said Dr. Gonzalez, a data scientist, health services researcher, and vascular surgeon. "But this is not an insurmountable problem. It can be addressed by adjusting the math of the penalty formula. Depending on how you set up that formula, you can do a lot to alleviate stress on safety net hospitals. "Since patients are relatively sicker at many safety net hospitals and may lack access to outpatient follow-up care, adjusting for socioeconomic status would allow those hospitals to have a bit more cushion compared to what they have now." If socioeconomic factors were considered in penalty calculation, the proportion of safety net hospitals fined would not change, but penalty amounts would decrease. In the study, data from 1,708 safety net and non-safety net hospitals performing operations on 282,466 Medicare beneficiaries with peripheral artery disease in their legs was analyzed as representative of surgery that might result in readmission. The condition, frequently found in individuals living with diabetes, in which narrowed arteries cause blockages that reduce blood flow in the extremities, is the number one cause of non-traumatic limb amputation in the U.S. The research team, which included Regenstrief Institute Research Scientist Sharmistha Dev, M.D., MPH, determined that, compared to the current hospital readmission penalty formula, adjusting for socioeconomic factors would not change the proportion of safety net hospitals penalized for excess readmissions but would reduce penalty amounts for 38 percent of safety net hospitals compared to only 17 percent of non-safety net hospitals. Including both socioeconomic status and race in Medicare's formula showed even greater penalty reduction for urban teaching hospitals. Including both in the calculation showed an even greater penalty reduction for both safety net hospitals (40 percent reduction) and non-safety net hospitals (25 percent reduction) in penalty payments to Medicare. "Safety net hospitals treat a large number of patients who are uninsured, underinsured, undocumented, or in some other social situation where they would not be able to get health care without the existence of safety-net hospitals," said Dr. Gonzalez. "If we penalize safety net hospitals, which typically care for sicker patients, and increase the financial pressure on them, some of them will go out of business. When this happens, socially vulnerable patients have few options. Even those safety-net hospitals that somehow are able to hold on and stay solvent will have to have to ration care, which will decrease their ability to provide quality health care to their patients." "While there are many other aspects of how we organize health care in America that can have even higher impact on patients who don't have other options, making wiser policy decisionsin this case including socioeconomic status along with age, sex and other factors that are currently part of the calculation for Medicare readmission penalties applied to hospitalscould positively impact hospitals that take care of vulnerable patients and reduce disparity between these institutions and non-social-net hospitals." The paper is published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery. More information: Andrew A. Gonzalez et al, Including socioeconomic status reduces readmission penalties to safety-net hospitals, Journal of Vascular Surgery (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2023.11.027 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain For decades, thousands of Californians struggling with mental health and addiction have languished on the street. Now, voters will decide whether a March 5 ballot measure is the solution to get them the care they desperately need. Proposition 1, the only statewide measure on the ballot, would raise almost $6.4 billion in bonds for more than 11,000 new treatment beds and homeless housing units. The two-part measure would also use money already in the mental health system to expand intensive care programs and build supportive housing, potentially leaving fewer funds for early intervention or other services. It would do both without raising taxes. Backers of Proposition 1 acknowledge it would help only a fraction of California's estimated 181,000 unhoused residents. But they say the measure largely targets homeless people with the highest needsthe ones voters are most likely to see wandering into traffic or yelling at no one. While disability rights advocates and some local officials have raised concerns about the prospect of more involuntary detentions and changes to mental health funding, Proposition 1 has broad support from both Republican and Democrat state lawmakers, who've sent the measure to voters amid increasing public pressure to get a handle on homelessness. They describe Proposition 1 as the linchpin of an ongoing mental health overhaul aimed at compelling more people with severe psychiatric disorders into treatment. "We've created more flexibility, more tools, more accountability, more resources," said Gov. Gavin Newsom. "Now, we need more beds." What would Prop. 1 do, exactly? The measure would allow the state to issue $6.38 billion in bonds to add an estimated 6,800 beds for people needing mental health care or addiction treatment in hopes of making up for a bed shortage that also extends nationwide. Including state hospitals, California currently has an estimated 21,000 psychiatric beds. Prop. 1 would also fund around 4,350 homeless housing units, with about 2,350 set aside for homeless veterans. Counties could use the money to build or expand a range of treatment centers, from long-term residential care facilities for those in more stable condition to locked-door clinics for those in crisis. New housing projects would have on-site services to connect residents with mental health care or drug counseling. Although the added mental health beds would not be specifically for homeless people, the overarching goal is to help those with the most serious disorders and disabilities, who often end up on the street. According to a UC San Francisco survey of homeless people across the state last year, more than two-thirds said they were experiencing mental health symptoms. Still, experts say people with severe conditions make up a minority of the unhoused population, making clear the state must also continue investing in housing if it hopes to end homelessness. "This conversation is focused on a very small subset because those folks become the most visible when they're outside," said Ray Bramson, chief operating officer of Destination: Home, a Silicon Valley homelessness solutions nonprofit. The bond money would be distributed through project grants, for which counties would apply. The bonds would cost the state an estimated $310 million annually over 30 years, less than half a percent of its expected general fund revenue, according to a Legislative Analyst's Office report. Proposition 1 would also require counties to spend 30% of the cash they receive from the voter-approved Mental Health Services Acta state tax on millionaireson rental assistance and supportive housing construction, including for homeless people. The mental health tax raises roughly $1 billion each year. Additionally, counties would have to spend 35% of those funds on people with the most critical needs. For some counties, that could mean shifting money away from programs to help those with milder symptoms. The measure would also redirect about $140 million each year from counties to bolster state mental health programs. What else is the state doing to overhaul its strained mental health system? Proposition 1 backers blame the shuttering of many of California's massive psychiatric hospitals starting in the 1960s for the overburdened mental health system it has today. The closures were part of a statewide movement to "deinstitutionalize" people with mental health issues and other disabilities. That effort culminated with then-Gov. Ronald Reagan signing the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, which strictly limits when people can be involuntarily committed. The state now has a shortage of roughly 7,730 treatment and residential care beds, according to a 2021 study from the public policy think tank RAND. That's about 1,000 more than Proposition 1 promises to create. Even so, Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said adding beds would ensure local officials are successful in "bringing in those who can't make decisions for themselves, because of whatever situation that they are in, and giving them an opportunity to live out their life in a dignified way." To compel more homeless people into treatment, Proposition 1 backers point to two recent reforms being phased in across the state. The first is CARE Court, a new program allowing health care professionals, family members and others to petition judges to order some homeless people into mental health programs. The second is a state law that went into effect this year changing conservatorship rules to force more homeless people unable to provide for their basic needs into involuntary care. What are the arguments against Prop. 1? Disability rights groups argue the measure and accompanying mental health reforms represent a potentially dangerous regression to the inhumane forced treatment of the past. Some taxpayer groups say issuing new bonds would inevitably lead to wasteful spending and burden the state with more unsustainable debt as it's already struggling to balance its budget. At the same time, local officials worry the changes to the Mental Health Services Act funding could force cuts to some existing county mental health programs and staff. Susan Ellenberg, president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, is worried less money for programs to treat residents' mental health disorders before they become serious could hamper the county's effort to prevent homelessness. She also said the changes would require the county to give up $9 million to support state-run programs. Who supports the measure? Proposition 1 has won support from various business, labor, construction and health care groups, including the Service Employees International Union and Kaiser Permanente. As of Jan. 24, backers had reported raising more than $16 million in campaign contributions, while opponents had collected just $1,000. The measure appears to have the early support of voters, with 68% in favor, according to a December poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. Proposition 1 needs a simple majority to pass. Alison Monroe, of Alameda County Families Advocating for the Seriously Mentally Ill, said the measure might have saved Diana Staros, whom she took care of as a teenager, from overdosing in an East Oakland laundromat last year at the age of 28. Staros was living at a residential care home in Oakland when she died. Monroe believes Staros needed more intensive treatment for schizophrenia in a locked-door facility, but she said few such options were available in Alameda County. "She probably would not have favored that at all and said that she's being locked up," Monroe said, "but at least she'd be alive." 2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Local boys drive a motorcycle passing a grilled chickens are on sale in a shop outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Cambodia reports a new bird flu case, the brother of a 9-year-old who died of the virus last week. Credit: AP Photo/Heng Sinith The brother of a boy who died last week from bird flu has tested positive for the virus, Cambodia's Health Ministry said Monday. The 9-year-old's death in the northeastern province of Kratie was the first from bird flu in Cambodia this year, after four were reported last year by the World Health Organization. Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, normally spreads in poultry and wasn't deemed a threat to people until a 1997 outbreak among visitors to poultry markets in Hong Kong. Most human cases have involved direct contact with infected poultry, but there have been concerns that the virus could evolve to spread more easily between people. The WHO and the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization this month warned that Lunar New Year festivities celebrated in much of Asia posed an increased risk of spreading the virus. In a statement, Cambodia's Health Ministry said the 16-year old brother tested positive for the virus on Sunday but exhibited no symptoms. The boy was undergoing medical treatment, and officials are investigating who had contact with the brothers and how and where they contracted the virus. Grilled chickens display for selling in a shop outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Cambodia reports a new bird flu case, the brother of a 9-year-old who died of the virus last week. Credit: AP Photo/Heng Sinith Farm geese walk across a road outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Cambodia reports a new bird flu case, the brother of a 9-year-old who died of the virus last week. Credit: AP Photo/Heng Sinith The Health Ministry said the boy who died last week fell ill with fever, shortness of breath, coughing and fainting after eating a meal his parents had cooked from chicken and ducks they raised. 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Smartphones, smartwatches and associated apps are constantly improving their ability to record and store personal health data. The initial proposal for the EU law for a European Health Data Space in 2022 would allow depersonalized health and wellness data to be shared without explicit consent in the future. There has been understandable pushback against itnot just from data protection officers. In an article published in npj Digital Medicine, Professor Stephen Gilbert, EKFZ for Digital Health, and Professor Dirk Brockmann, Center Synergy of Systems, discuss how medical data from citizens could be used for research in the future while respecting personal rights. Their proposed solutions are based on experiences with data donation projects during the COVID-19 pandemic, which signpost a participative, standardized, scalable and consent-based approach to data sharing. An increasing number of people are using wellness and health apps that measure, interpret and store a variety of parameters such as activity, metabolites, electrical signals, blood pressure and oxygenation. This data is not just for personal interest, it is also of great importance for medical research. The analysis of such citizen-gathered health data in conjunction with clinical data could help to improve understanding of diseases, their development and early diagnosis. It is also an important basis for research, especially for optimizing predictions based on deep learning and other artificial intelligence methods. During the COVID-19 pandemic, several data donation projects were initiated in Germany, the U.K. and the U.S. These projects showed that citizens were willing to participate and share their data. The prerequisite was that they were able to decide for themselves when to share which data and were given the opportunity for consent withdrawal and to stop participation at any time. "It is not ethically acceptable or politically sustainable to harvest more and more personal data from citizens by default with every new smart productespecially without asking for their consent first," says Gilbert, co-author of the article. As a solution the researchers propose the use of a trusted and secure externally provided consent platform. This would allow users to understand with whom, where and for what purpose they are sharing their health data. Active engagement further increases the likelihood that data will be shared over a longer period of time. Researchers' positive and instructive experiences with voluntary data donation during the COVID-19 pandemic should now be used to find long-term solutions. "In the future, the use of personal health data for research will only work if all participants are fully aware and consenting and can also withdraw their decision at any time. Our work has shown that citizens understand the benefits they can bring to society through volunteering their health and wellness data," says Brockmann, Director of the Center Synergy of Systems at TU Dresden. More information: Stephen Gilbert et al, Citizen data sovereignty is key to wearables and wellness data reuse for the common good, npj Digital Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41746-024-01004-z This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: The City University of New York A study by CUNY SPH researchers found that, even as availability of the mpox vaccine increased toward the end of the 2022 outbreak in the U.S., uptake remained low. Published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, the large-scale study surveyed 8,551 people who identified as sexual and gender minorities and found that by November 2022, when most of the vaccine's availability and distribution obstacles had been cleared, 65% of participants remained unvaccinated and only 2.3% reported a prior mpox infection. The team of researchers from the CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH), the University of Florida, and the Florida International University worry this leaves many among this population vulnerable to infection in the event of another outbreak. "The 2022 outbreak was a very scary time for those most vulnerable to mpox, and we saw a strong community response to increase vaccine uptake as well as taking measures to prevent infections," says Professor Christian Grov, the study's first author. "But as the outbreak waned, so did the urgency to take protective measures. And while mpox is no longer an emergency, it is still circulating with cases having popped up in the U.S. and Europe. Should another outbreak happen, our data tell us that a majority of people may not have protection." The findings also revealed that Black participants were significantly less likely to be vaccinated and that vaccine hesitancy increased among Black participants over time. In fact, among all participants who had not yet been vaccinated, intention to get vaccinated decreased as the outbreak evolved. Researchers observed trends such as decreased worry about mpox and less engagement in risk reduction behaviors over time. "Before the mpox vaccine was widely available in the States, people largely changed their behavior to avoid infectionreducing sexual partners, learning to recognize symptoms, and engaging in contact tracing," says Distinguished Professor Denis Nash. "But these behavior changes subsided as the outbreak waned, and mpox vaccine uptake remained low, especially among Black participants. This leaves these individuals at risk in the likely event of an mpox resurgence." "The public health response to such a resurgence should focus specifically on optimizing vaccine uptake in ways to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities," Grov says. More information: Christian Grov et al, Sexual and Gender Minorities' Vaccine Uptake and Behavioral Change in Response to the Mpox Outbreak in the United States: August 2022 Through November 2022, Clinical Infectious Diseases (2024). DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad793 Journal information: Clinical Infectious Diseases This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Halfway through what will be the biggest purge of Medicaid beneficiaries in a one-year span, enrollment in the government-run health insurance program is on track to return to roughly pre-pandemic levels. Medicaid, which covers low-income and disabled people, and the related Children's Health Insurance Program grew to a record 94 million enrollees as a result of a rule that prohibited states from terminating coverage during the nation's public health emergency. But since last April, states have removed more than 16 million people from the programs in a process known as the "unwinding," according to KFF estimates compiled from state-level data. While many beneficiaries no longer qualify because their incomes rose, millions of people have been dropped from the rolls for procedural reasons like failing to respond to notices or return paperwork. But at the same time, millions have been reenrolled or signed up for the first time. The net result: Enrollment has fallen by about 9.5 million people from the record high reached last April, according to KFF. That puts Medicaid and CHIP enrollment on track to look, by the end of the unwinding later this year, a lot like it did at the start of the coronavirus pandemic: about 71 million people. "What we are seeing is not dissimilar to what we saw before the pandemicit is just happening on a bigger scale and more quickly," said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF. Enrollment churn has long been a feature of Medicaid. Before the pandemic, about 1 million to 1.5 million people nationwide fell off the Medicaid rolls each monthincluding many who still qualified but failed to renew their coverage, Levitt said. During the unwinding, many people have been disenrolled in a shorter time. In some waysand in some statesit's been worse than expected. The Biden administration predicted about 15 million people would lose coverage under Medicaid or CHIP during the unwinding period, nearly half due to procedural issues. Both predictions have proven low. Based on data reported so far, disenrollments are likely to exceed 17 million, according to KFF70% due to procedural reasons. But about two-thirds of the 48 million beneficiaries who have had their eligibility reviewed so far got their coverage renewed. About one-third lost it. The federal government has given most states 12 months to complete their unwinding, starting with the first disenrollments between last April and October. Timothy McBride, a health economist at Washington University in St. Louis, said the nation's historically low unemployment rate means people who lose Medicaid coverage are more likely to find job-based coverage or be better able to afford plans on Obamacare marketplaces. "That is one reason why the drop in Medicaid is not a lot worse," he said. There are big differences between states. Oregon, for example, has disenrolled just 12% of its beneficiaries. Seventy-five percent have been renewed, according to KFF. The rest are pending. At the other end of the spectrum, Oklahoma has dumped 43% of its beneficiaries in the unwinding, renewing coverage for just 34%. About 24% are pending. States have varying eligibility rules, and some make it easier to stay enrolled. For instance, Oregon allows children to stay on Medicaid until age six without having to reapply. All other enrollees get up to two years of coverage regardless of changes in income. Jennifer Harris, senior health policy advocate for Alabama Arise, an advocacy group, said her state's Medicaid agency and other nonprofit organizations communicated well to enrollees about the need to reapply for coverage and that the state also hired more people to handle the surge. About 29% of beneficiaries in Alabama who've had eligibility reviews were disenrolled for procedural reasons, KFF found. "Things are even keel in Alabama," she said, noting that about 66% of enrollees have been renewed. State officials have told the legislature that about a quarter of people disenrolled during the unwinding were reenrolled within 90 days, she said. One of a handful of states that have refused to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, Alabama had about 920,000 enrollees in Medicaid and CHIP in January 2020. That number rose to about 1.2 million in April 2023. More than halfway into the unwinding, the state is on track for enrollment to return to pre-pandemic levels, Harris said. Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, said she remains worried the drop in Medicaid enrollment among children is steeper than typical. That's particularly bothersome because children usually qualify for Medicaid at higher household income levels than their parents or other adults. During the unwinding 3.8 million children have lost Medicaid coverage, according to the center's latest data. "Many more kids are falling off now than prior to the pandemic," Alker said. And when they're dropped, many families struggle to get them back on, she said. "The whole system is backlogged and the ability of people to get back on in a timely fashion is more limited," she said. The big question, Levitt said, is how many of the millions of people dropped from Medicaid are now uninsured. The only state to survey those disenrolledUtahdiscovered about 30% were uninsured. Many of the rest found employer health coverage or signed up for subsidized coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. What's happened nationwide remains unclear. 2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain States are plowing billions of dollars into a high-stakes health care experiment that's exploding around the country: using scarce public health insurance money to provide housing for the poorest and sickest Americans. California is going the biggest, pumping $12 billion into an ambitious Medicaid initiative largely to help homeless patients find housing, pay for it, and avoid eviction. Arizona is allocating $550 million in Medicaid funding primarily to cover six months of rent for homeless people. Oregon is spending more than $1 billion on services such as emergency rental assistance for patients facing homelessness. Even ruby-red Arkansas will dedicate nearly $100 million partly to house its neediest. At least 19 states are directing money from Medicaidthe state-federal health insurance program for low-income peopleinto housing aid and addressing the nation's growing homelessness epidemic, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Even though there's little agreement that this will provide a long-term fix for vulnerable patients' health or housing, the Biden administration is encouraging other states to jump in. Several are in the pipeline, including Tennessee, West Virginia, and Montanaand New York got the green light from the federal government in January. Using health care funding to house people is "a big philosophical debate," said Alex Demyan, assistant director of Arizona's Medicaid agency. "We know health care can't solve all the problems, but we also know that housing agencies are maxed out and we have enormous need to help stabilize people." Homelessness jumped 12% in the U.S. last year, to an estimated 653,104 Americans, the highest level on record, even as the nation dramatically increased its inventory of permanent housing and temporary shelter beds. As people languish on the streets, often struggling with addiction, severe mental illness, and untreated chronic diseases, health care officials and political leaders are turning to health insurance money for relief. They argue that housing aid will improve health and save taxpayer money by keeping people out of institutions such as nursing homes, hospitals, and jails. But evidence supporting this argument is mixed. For instance, in a trial by researchers at the University of California-San Francisco, homeless people in Santa Clara County, California, who were randomly assigned to receive long-term housing and services used the psychiatric emergency department 38% less than a control group over four years while increasing their use of routine mental health care. But participants were still hospitalized at high rates and continued to rely on the emergency room for routine medical care or rest. State Medicaid programs have long dabbled in housing, but with the blessing and encouragement of the Biden administration, they are launching more services for more people with heaps of new state and federal money. The trend is part of a broader White House strategy that encourages Medicaid directors to offer social services alongside traditional medical care, with the goal of making their residents healthier. "A health care dollar can do more than just pay for a doctor visit or hospital stay," Xavier Becerra, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told KFF Health News. "We should be using the federal health care dollar for wellness care: Get them before they get ill, and keep them healthy. Is there anyone who would deny that someone who is homeless is going to have a harder time also keeping their health up than someone who is housed with running water and heat?" Becerra acknowledged these initiatives as experiments. But he said the federal government can no longer ignore the rampant death and disease that is plaguing homeless populations around the U.S. "We're simply saying, 'State, if you can prove to us that with this Medicaid dollar you will improve someone's health or health outcome, then you have essentially served the purpose of the Medicaid program and you're saving taxpayers more money,'" he said. But not all health care leadersor even homelessness expertsbelieve this is the best use of Medicaid money, especially by a safety-net program that faces routine criticism for failing to provide basic health care to many enrollees. "If you're on Medicaid, you often have to wait months and months for a specialty visit, even if it's a life-threatening concern, so I worry about what people won't be able to get because of this," said Margot Kushel, a leading homelessness researcher and primary care doctor at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center who primarily treats low-income patients. "It's not that I don't want the money to be spent, but is it best spent in health care?" she asked. "It's much better than nothing, but it's far from providing the long-term housing and stability that people really need." Kushel said the danger is that most Medicaid housing assistance can be used only once or is time-limited, such as rental payments, which typically end after six months. "By the time folks get into housing, they're already really, really sick," she said. "What happens at the end of six months when rental assistance like free rent runs out?" Housing as health care Across the country, state Medicaid programs are stretching the definition of health care and getting into the business of social services, delivering a range of nontraditional benefits such as healthy home-delivered meals for patients with diabetes and air filters for patients with asthma. While the federal government historically has banned the use of Medicaid money for direct rent payments, that has changed. In 2022, Arizona received federal approval for an initiative called "H 2 O," which will prioritize homeless people and those at risk of losing housing who also have a mental health condition and chronic illness. When it launches in October, it will primarily provide two services: rent payments for up to six months; and transitional housing, which can include shelters with intensive services. Arizona saw a 5% jump in homelessness in 2023 from the previous year. Its program will supplement a separate state-funded Medicaid initiative that provides 3,000 rent vouchers for people in southern Arizona who have a severe mental illness and are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. About 5,000 people are on the waiting list for a voucher. "We've seen such positive health outcomes and cost reductions as a result, so it made total sense to us to expand our work in that space," Demyan said. That program slashed ER visits 45% and reduced hospital inpatient admissions 53% at the six-month mark after patients started receiving services, while increasing less costly preventive care 56% and saving $4,300 per member, per month, according to state data. California, home to nearly 30% of the nation's homeless population, saw a nearly 6% jump in homelessness in 2023, to about 181,000 people. The state launched its massive CalAIM initiative in 2022 to offer a wide variety of social services to a small sliver of the state's roughly 15 million Medicaid enrollees. A large share of the resources are going to housing services for homeless people or those facing eviction, such as covering security deposits and enlisting case managers to hunt for available apartments. State leaders are also asking the Biden administration for permission to provide six months of rent. "If you're saddled with a great deal of either physical or behavioral health conditions, whether it's diabetes or HIV, high blood pressure or schizophrenia, without housing, it's really hard to stabilize those conditions," said Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. But he cautioned that Medicaid's core focus must remain getting people healthy, even if they're living outside, which is a monumental and expensive challenge because conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and HIV require continuous treatment and often multiple medications. "I do not think that health care is responsible for solving homelessness in California or anywhere else," Ghaly said. "But if housing instability or lack of housing is one of the key drivers getting in the way of being healthy, then absolutely we need to pay attention to it." Health insurers that provide Medicaid coverage in California can choose whether to provide housing services, but Oregon is requiring Medicaid insurers to do so. Homelessness grew 12% in Oregon from 2022 to 2023, but the state is targeting patients at risk of becoming homeless. Participants will be eligible for six months of rent and other services when the program launches in November, said Dave Baden, deputy director of the Oregon Health Authority. "We're really trying to focus on people teetering on the brink," Baden said. "If you're already homeless, you really need longer, sustainable housing dollars to keep that person housed." It's not just states experimenting with this approach. Kaiser Permanente is one of the health systems that has invested its own funds into housing. In recent years, the health care giant has committed hundreds of millions of dollars to help maintain or build thousands of affordable housing units, in addition to providing housing-related Medicaid benefits for its members. "We have to do something. The crisis is out of control," said Bechara Choucair, its chief health officer. Mission creep Sherry Glied, a professor at New York University and former Obama administration official who is an expert in health care economics, warned in a recent health policy analysis of mission creep in health care. She cautioned that health care institutions getting into the business of social services could be a "dangerous distraction." Glied pointed to at least 57 health systems and 917 hospitals around the country that have launched social service initiatives, with most focusing on housing. Because many institutions struggle to meet patient safety and quality care standards, Glied argued that they should instead improve basic care and leave housing to social service organizations "that specialize in this work." "Providing people with food or housing is pretty far removed from the core mission of health care," she told KFF Health News. Peter Lee, another former Obama administration official and the founding executive director of California's Obamacare exchange, said health care providers should consider offering some housing and social services, but he fears such initiatives may divert money from traditional medicine and prevent patients from getting adequate care. "In the past five to 10 years, there has been a lot of recognition that health is about much more than actual health care. Very true," Lee said. "The question is how do you address those issues while health care itself is not doing too great. The brass tacks of this is making sure people with diabetes have great diabetes care, that people get checkups in time, that people can get the regular health care they need." State Medicaid programs, which provide care to at least 80 million Americans, often struggle to deliver basic medical services, such as childhood dental visits and breast cancer screenings. In California, the state spending the most on housing services, children on Medicaid did not have timely access to care for mental health or substance use in 2022, according to an audit published in November. Despite these shortfalls, most of the states that have been given the federal go-ahead to experiment with housing services have secured funding for five years. California is among the states that hope to make the benefits permanent. Though a Republican presidency could interrupt this trend, states say they're committedeven if their initiatives don't pass a traditional cost-benefit analysis. "The singular focus on a financial return on investment is not as clear as it was previously," said Cindy Mann, a federal Medicaid director under Obama. "States are just seeing how little sense it makes to treat people and then release them back to the streets without the support they need." 2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Kampus Production from Pexels Local doctors are urging families to get vaccinated against measles following a troubling rise in measles cases across several U.S. states and Europe. The CDC over the last couple of months has been notified of 23 confirmed U.S. cases of measles. That includes two outbreaks with more than five cases each, and seven direct importations of measles by international travelers. In Philadelphia, the city's health department reported an outbreak of nine measles cases. "The Massachusetts Medical Society is concerned about reported cases of measles in Europe and at least six states and potential exposures at two large United States airports and wishes to remind all patients in the Commonwealth to do their part to protect themselves and their communities from contracting and spreading measles," said Massachusetts Medical Society President Barbara Spivak. Most of the 23 confirmed U.S. cases were among children and adolescents who had not received a measles-containing vaccine, even if age eligible. "Because of a successful vaccination campaign that effectively eliminated measles in the United States in 2000, many people may not be aware that measles, which is transmitted via exposure to contact with airborne droplets, is highly contagious and can lead to serious and life-threatening complications," Spivak said. "Children and those with compromised immune systems are especially at risk." Measles cases often originate from unvaccinated or undervaccinated U.S. residents who travel internationally and then transmit the disease to people who are not vaccinated against measles. The recent jump of measles importations from abroad reflects the rise in global measles cases and a growing threat from the disease. "As a community, our best defense against the spread of measles remains ensuring that children receive their measles, mumps, and rubella vaccinations following Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelinestwo doses, one at 12 to 15 months, the next between the ages of four and six," Spivak said. "The vaccine is safe and highly effective and generally induces lifelong immunity," the Massachusetts Medical Society president added. "If you, or a child for whom you care have not been fully vaccinated or you have questions about the vaccine, we urge you to speak to a trusted health care provider as soon as possible." Measles symptoms appear seven to 14 days after contact with the virus and typically include high fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes. Measles rash appears three to five days after the first symptoms. 2024 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Image of the hand of a 52-year-old. Credit: Journal of Biomedical Optics (2023). DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.29.5.052912 A study conducted by Aston University researchers has demonstrated that the appearance of aging skin looks noticeably different compared to younger skin, when examined under polarized laser light. The scientists believe that their new finding could pave the way for new, non-invasive light-based techniques to detect diseases, including cancer, in older individuals. This could significantly enhance early-stage treatment options for various skin conditions. It has already been established that two classes of polarized, linearly and circularly, can detect changes in skin that aren't visible to the human eye. The new study indicates that the altered light scattering properties of aging skin are largely due to changes in the skin's texture, which are associated with the depletion of collagen fibers in the dermal layer. The research was led by Igor Meglinski, professor in quantum biophotonics and biomedical engineering and conducted under his guidance with Dr. Viktor Dremin from Aston University's Institute of Photonic Technologies. The paper, "Incremental residual polarization caused by aging in human skin," is published in the Journal of Biomedical Optics. The researchers analyzed images of the middle fingers of 32 volunteers aged 22 to 76 to study skin aging. They also used the Monte Carlo method, a mathematical technique, to represent the effects of light circulation within the human skin. This technique was developed by Professor Meglinski in 2001. Combined with the visual data from the images, this enabled the researchers to draw conclusions about the optical properties of aging skin. Image of the hand of a 71-year-old. Credit: Journal of Biomedical Optics (2023). DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.29.5.052912 Professor Meglinski said, "Our research offers a comprehensive analysis of how aging affects human skin polarization properties. This could be a stepping stone to developing non-invasive, light-based techniques for early detection of skin conditions, including cancer, in the elderly." The findings of the research could support the development of a method of skin analysis that doesn't rely on the patient undergoing biopsies or surgery. It could provide instant assessments of age-related skin changes that can be extended to monitor changes associated with the development of diabetes and other conditions. The research was conducted alongside researchers at the University of Oulu in Finland and the University of Latvia. More information: Viktor Dremin et al, Incremental residual polarization caused by aging in human skin, Journal of Biomedical Optics (2023). DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.29.5.052912 Journal information: Journal of Biomedical Optics This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Protein importance ranking and SHAP visualization of modeling on all incident dementia populations. a, Sequential forward selection from preselected candidate proteins. The bar chart indicates the importance of the sorted proteins based on their contributions to the prediction of future ACD (as judged by the information gain). The line chart illustrates cumulative AUC values (right axis) upon the inclusion of proteins one by one in each iteration. The top proteins we finally selected are marked in red. Shaded regions represent standard errors derived from cross-validation. b, SHAP visualization plot of selected proteins. The width of the range of the horizontal bars can be understood as the extent of the contribution to the prediction of ACD; the wider their range, the greater the contribution. The color of the horizontal bars denotes the magnitude of plasma proteins, which was coded in a gradient from blue (low) to red (high), shown as the color bar on the right-hand side. The direction on the x axis indicates the likelihood of developing dementia (right) or being healthy (left). Credit: Nature Aging (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00565-0 In the largest study of its kind, scientists have shown how protein "biomarkers" predict dementia 15 years before diagnosis. The research shows how profiles of proteins in the blood accurately predict dementia up to 15 years prior to clinical diagnosis. These are known as biomarkers, which are molecules found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that indicate a normal or abnormal process or a condition or disease. In the study, scientists from The University of Warwick and Fudan University, Shanghai, used the largest cohort of blood proteomics and dementia to date, including blood samples from 52,645 healthy participants recruited from UK Biobanka population-based study cohort. Blood samples collected between 2006 and 2010 were frozen and then analyzed 1015 years later by the research team, who analyzed them between April 2021 and February 2022. Until March 2023, a total of 1,417 participants went on to develop dementiaand these people's blood showed dysregulation of protein biomarkers. Of 1,463 proteins analyzed, aided by machine learning, 11 proteins were identified and combined as a protein panel, which the researchers have shown to be highly accurate at predicting future dementia. Further incorporation of conventional risk factors of age, sex, education level, and genetics showed for the first time the high accuracy of the predictive model, measured at over 90%, indicating its potential future use in community-based dementia screening programs. Proteins (for example Glial Fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP) had previously been identified as potential biomarkers for dementia in smaller studies, but this new research was much larger and conducted over several years. Known as a longitudinal analysis (a study conducted on a sample of participants over a number of years), the researchers were able to show the differences and trajectories between those with dementia and controls across 15 years. An early diagnosis is critical for those with dementia. New drug technology can slow or even reverse the progress of Alzheimer's, but only if the disease is detected early enough. The drug lecanemab is one of two new treatments for the disease. Lead author Professor Jianfeng Feng, from the Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, hopes future drugs may be developed to interact with the proteins identified in the study. Professor Feng emphasized that combining artificial intelligence and protein analysis offers a promising avenue for precision medicine. This is highly important for screening middle-aged to older individuals within the community who are at high risk of dementia. "This model could be seamlessly integrated into the NHS and used as a screening tool by GPs," said Professor Feng. Professor Wei Cheng, a co-corresponding author from Fudan University, explained that this research builds on the team's previously developed dementia prediction model, which used variables such as age, the presence of a certain gene, and the mother's age at death. "Compared to our previous work, the newly developed protein-based model is obviously a breakthrough," he said. Another corresponding author, Professor Jintai Yu, a neuro-vegetative disease specialist from Fudan University, added, "The proteomic biomarkers are more easily to access and non-invasive, and they can substantially facilitate the application of large-scale population screening." He also pointed out the drawbacks of previous risk models, which primarily depended on intricate and difficult-to-obtain biomarkers using procedures such as lumbar puncture or complex imaging methods, meaning their widespread use is hindered because of the invasive procedures and the high cost of carrying them out. The findings are published in the journal Nature Aging. More information: Jian-Feng Feng, Plasma proteomic profiles predict future dementia in healthy adults, Nature Aging (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00565-0. www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00565-0 Journal information: Nature Aging This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Schematic chart of synthetic dye classification. Credit: Applied Sciences (2021). DOI: 10.3390/app11146255 For millennia, humans have used natural materialssuch as plants, animals and mineralsto imbue fabrics with vibrant colors. But synthetic dyes, first developed in the mid-19th century, have since displaced this age-old tradition. These versatile, cost-effective and long-lasting dyes now dominate the textile industry. Yet this major shift to petrochemical dyes also carries significant environmental and health concerns, according to Concordia Public Scholar Vanessa Mardirossian. Her previous work on this topic has been published in the journal Applied Sciences. Of the 800,000 tons of synthetic dyes used annually, only a quarter makes it onto clothing. The rest seep into waterways and contribute to widescale environmental pollution. The chemical compounds found in dyes also enter our bodies. These compounds are affecting our health in ways that we are only beginning to understand, says Mardirossian. Her research aims to raise awareness of the toxicity issues associated with synthetic dye practices worldwide to accelerate the ecological transition of the fashion industry. A former textile designer, Mardirossian worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years, where she witnessed many of the negative effects of synthetic dyes firsthand. Now, the Ph.D. candidate in the Individualized Program (INDI) is melding research on textile design, chemistry and environmental health as part of her research-creation thesis. She says she hopes to gain a better understanding of the effects of fashion dyes on our bodies and encourage the adoption of safer natural alternatives. Mardirossian is also a lecturer at l'Ecole superieure de mode ESG-UQAM in Montreal. As part of her research, she is creating a "textile ecoliteracy." This educational concept will help the publicincluding consumers, designers and manufacturersunderstand fashion production's impact on the natural world. Here, she discusses her research. What first got you interested in studying dyes and toxicity? When I was working in the fashion industry, I started to see more and more reports about this topic. I was curious because I had been working with colors for years as a textile designer. I had some personal health issues when I was working with dyes, but I didn't make the connection at first. I had a studio where I was printing large pieces of fabric for haute couture. I was using a heat transfer press at 200C to apply dispersive dyes onto polyester. The process involved breathing in the fumes from the dyes, and unfortunately, there was no ventilation in place, as I hadn't anticipated any interaction with the body at that time. Throughout my four years in the workshop, conceiving my second child proved to be a significant challenge. While the pregnancies for my first and third children occurred effortlessly, the process for the second one involved numerous fertility treatments. Eventually, I became pregnant, but my child was born with a genetic mutation and still faces deep learning difficulties. Doctors told me it was just bad luck and that there was no connection with the dyes. But the more I investigate synthetic dyes, the more the research suggests a connection. Synthetic dyes contain genotoxic and neurotoxic compounds that pose risks to the fetus. Exposure to genotoxic compounds can damage genetic material and lead to DNA mutations, increasing the risk of developmental issues in the fetus. Additionally, neurotoxic compounds have the potential to negatively impact the developing nervous system, potentially leading to cognitive issues in the child. How are you going about your research? At first, my goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the toxicity associated with synthetic dyes. With my supervisor in the Department of Chemistry, I analyzed the chemical composition of synthetic dyes. During the process, I came across an analysis method able to list the molecules present in the dyed fabric. Then, I studied their implications for human health with an environmental health doctor. Using Liquid Chromatography analysis (LC-MS), I found carcinogenic molecules in specific samples. Then, my extensive scientific literature revealed that synthetic dyes may contain mutagenic and genotoxic compounds, impacting the body at very low doses due to daily chronic exposure. Many of these substances act as endocrine disruptors, potentially leading to cancer over extended periods. But, despite strong suspicions, establishing direct causation is challenging for environmental health researchers, as the impact of these molecules may take years to manifest. I am now researching non-toxic alternatives to synthetic dyes. I'm conducting an in-depth literature review and interviewing numerous experts in the field of natural dyes. I want to contribute by sharing the best practices for developing non-toxic dyes. What are some alternative approaches to textile dyes that are more sustainable and healthier? A global network of experts, whom I interviewed as part of my methodology, is actively exploring non-toxic dye solutions through diverse approaches. Some experts are revitalizing ancient natural dye recipes, while others are adopting more forward-looking strategies involving living organisms such as bacteria, algae or fungi. Personally, I focus on a biomimetic approach to color, drawing inspiration from ecosystem dynamicsspecifically, their interdependence, proximity and circularity. In this model, each element cares for its surrounding living beings. This philosophy guides my creation of innovative dyes designed to interact positively with the environment. I employ safe ingredients primarily sourced from the food industry's waste. This aligns with my interest in industrial ecology, where one industry's waste transforms into a resource for another. My ongoing efforts involve actively exploring methods to reduce both the quantity of dye used and the amount of water required in the dyeing process. I have used pigment-producing bacteria to produce dyes at room temperature within 48 hours. These artistic experiments have led me to successfully craft over 300 unique shades aligned with the Pantone palette. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Beta and alpha diversity of microbiome compared according to diagnosis with ASD. a PCoA plot of all samples. Control samples are in blue while ASD samples are in red. b Beta Diversity Analysis as differences from each sample to control samples. There is a significant difference in beta diversity between ASD and control groups (PERMANOVA p = 0.002). Whisker plots representing quartiles. c Alpha-Diversity analysis using Faiths PD. Alpha Diversity is increased in ASD group (PERMANOVA p = 0.005) Whisker box plots. Center line is mean. Boxes represent quartiles, and whiskers maximum and minimum. Dots outside of whiskers are outliers. **=p < 0.01 PERMANOVA. Credit: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00469-2 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by decreased social communication and repetitive behaviors, has long intrigued scientists seeking to unravel its underlying mechanisms. Researchers from the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University have now identified a potential link between ASD and the composition of the gut microbiome. The researchers analyzed the diversity of the gut microbiome in an Israeli cohort of 96 individuals diagnosed with ASD and 42 neurotypical individuals. Their findings, recently published in the journal npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, point to significant differences in both alpha and beta diversity in individuals with ASD and identify specific types of bacteria that are found in higher abundance in individuals with autism. The key discoveries include an unexpected increase in alpha diversity, a measure of microbial diversity, and a notable rise in the relative abundance of the phylum Bacteriodetes and the genus Bacteroides in individuals with ASD. Traditionally, decreased alpha diversity has been associated with compromised health in various conditions. However, the increased alpha diversity observed in the ASD cohort challenges prevailing notions, especially considering its potential connection to neurological diseases. Bacteroides, normally found in the human gut microbiome, may have a disadvantageous impact on health when increased in abundance. To investigate the potential functional consequences of these microbiome changes, the researchers conducted experiments involving newborn mice. Mice treated with Bacteroides fragilis at birth exhibited social behavior dysfunction, increased repetitive behaviors, and gene expression dysregulation. "Our research suggests that an overabundance of Bacteriodes, particularly in early life, may have functional consequences for individuals with ASD. This sheds new light on the complex interplay between the microbiome and neurodevelopment in individuals with ASD," said the study's lead researcher, Prof. Evan Elliott, of Bar-Ilan University's Azrieli Faculty of Medicine. The study was conducted in collaboration with Prof. Omry Koren, a microbiome expert at the Azrieli Faculty. Intriguingly, these effects were observed primarily in male mice, with female mice showing no behavioral deficits, suggesting that males may be more susceptible to environmental factors contributing to ASD. The research underscores the importance of further investigation into the sex-specific aspects of ASD and the potential role of microbial composition. The implications of this research extend beyond the laboratory, offering potential avenues for further exploration into the long-term effects of microbial interventions during early developmental stages and their implications for brain development. More information: Julie Carmel et al, Bacteroides is increased in an autism cohort and induces autism-relevant behavioral changes in mice in a sex-dependent manner, npj Biofilms and Microbiomes (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41522-023-00469-2 Journal information: npj Biofilms and Microbiomes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: From left: lesion properties of monkeypox and chickenpox. Credit: Diagnostics (2023). DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13020292 Scientists have developed a deep learning (DL) model capable of quickly and accurately distinguishing between monkeypox and chickenpox skin lesions, which often exhibit striking similarities. People developing pox-like rashes are normally confused about whether they are caused by chickenpox or monkeypox. Even medically, it is sometimes hard to tell them apart particularly when circulating together in areas lacking advanced diagnostic medical devices. Dr. Dilber Uzun Ozsahin, University of Sharjah's Associate Professor of Medical Diagnostic Imaging, and the study's lead author, describes the model as a "breakthrough that holds crucial implications for the early detection of monkeypox, facilitating timely treatment and outbreak prevention." "Given the challenges of misdiagnosis, especially in endemic regions with limited expertise, our model offers a significant breakthrough," Dr. Ozsahin says, adding. "In regions with limited expertise, our model provides a significant breakthrough. We used artificial intelligence to train the model on a limited dataset due to the rarity of these diseases, achieving remarkable accuracy and minimizing false diagnoses." Dr. Ozsahin's team includes scientists from the U.S., Turkey, and Spain. They have published their model in journal Diagnostics. Medical research leaning on deep learning algorithms currently holds promise for rapid and accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of various diseases. Using two open-sourced digital skin images for monkeypox and chickenpox, the authors attempt "to integrate a well-trained DL algorithm to assist in the early detection and classification of skin lesions in human subjects." A two-dimensional convolutional neural network (CNN) consisting of four convolutional layers was applied. Afterward, three MaxPooling layers were used after the second, third, and fourth convolutional layers." Then, the authors examine the performance of their model with what they call "state-of-the-art deep learning models for skin lesions detection," adding that their "proposed CNN model outperformed all DL models with a test accuracy of 99.60%." "The resemblance in skin lesions in the human subject may disrupt effective diagnosis and, as a result, lead to misdiagnosis. Such misdiagnosis can lead to the further spread of the disease as it is a communicable disease and can eventually result in an outbreak," the authors write. Skin lesions are the most prominent symptoms of pox-like diseases, but those created by monkeypox, and chickenpox almost look alike when afflicting the human body. Their resemblance makes it hard to set them apart, the thing, the authors note, "may disrupt effective diagnosis and, as a result, lead to misdiagnosis of a communicable disease with the ability to circulate quickly." Of the outcome of their study, the authors endow their model with the possibility of "accurately classifying commonly characterized skin lesions associated with monkeypox and chickenpox using a DL framework." "With the current monkeypox outbreak, a DL approach can be implemented independently or with communicable disease experts in regions where the disease is endemic. This would be useful in the rapid detection of the disease. Hence, preventing preventable monkeypox and chickenpox outbreak in the future." Asked about the significance of the project, Dr. Ozdahin says the model has "the potential to revolutionize the detection of monkeypox and chickenpox, aiding in early intervention and preventing disease outbreaks." This is more so in regions where communicable disease experts are scarce, rendering misdiagnosis a common challenge. "The development of a reliable deep learning model opens new possibilities for independent or collaborative use with health care professionals in endemic areas, providing a rapid and accurate tool for disease detection," Dr. Ozdahin said. The model once applied, according to Dr. Ozdahin, it is certain to have direct practical implications for the field of disease diagnosis, particularly in areas where monkeypox and chickenpox are prevalent. "The developed deep learning model can assist health care professionals in accurately classifying skin lesions, enabling early identification of the diseases. This, in turn, can lead to prompt treatment, reducing the spread of infections and improving overall public health outcomes." The research's potential impact, in the words of Dr. Ozdahin, goes beyond academia, where there has been notable interest by peers in the study. "The study provides a practical tool for health care professionals, paving the way for more effective disease detection and prevention. "Our deep learning model represents a breakthrough in accurately identifying monkeypox and chickenpox, offering a reliable solution to the challenges of misdiagnosis in regions with limited health care expertise. "By leveraging artificial intelligence, we aim to empower regions facing challenges in communicable disease diagnosis, contributing to a more resilient and responsive health care system." More information: Dilber Uzun Ozsahin et al, Computer-Aided Detection and Classification of Monkeypox and Chickenpox Lesion in Human Subjects Using Deep Learning Framework, Diagnostics (2023). DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13020292 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain "To love what you are, the thing that is yourself, is just as if you were embracing a glowing red-hot iron" said psychonalyst Carl Jung. Some may argue this social media generation does not seem to struggle with loving themselves. But is the look-at-me-ism so easily found on TikTok and Instagram the kind of self-love we need in order to flourish? The language of positive psychology can beand often isappropriated for all kinds of self-importance, as well as cynical marketing strategies. Loving yourself, though, psychological experts stress, is not the same as behaving selfishly. There's a firm line between healthy and appropriate forms of loving yourself, and malignant or narcissistic forms. But how do we distinguish between them? In 2023, researchers Eva Henschke and Peter Sedlmeier conducted a series of interviews with psychotherapists and other experts on what self-love is. They've concluded it has three main features: self-care, self-acceptance and self-contact (devoting attention to yourself). But as an increasingly individualistic society, are we already devoting too much attention to ourselves? Philosophy and self-love Philosophers and psychology experts alike have considered the ethics of self-love. Psychology researcher Li Ming Xue and her colleagues, exploring the notion of self-love in Chinese culture, claim "Western philosophers believe that self-love is a virtue". But this is a very broad generalization. In the Christian tradition and in much European philosophy, says philosopher Razvan Ioan, self-love is condemned as a profoundly damaging trait. On the other hand, many of the great Christian philosophers, attempting to make sense of the instruction to love one's neighbor as oneself, admitted certain forms of self-love were virtuous. In order to love your neighbor as yourself, you must, it would seem, love yourself. In the Western philosophical context, claim Xue and her colleagues, self-love is concerned with individual rights"society as a whole only serves to promote an individual's happiness". This individualistic, self-concerned notion of self-love, they suggest, might come from the Ancient Greek philosophers. In particular, Aristotle. But Aristotle thought only the most virtuous, who benefited the society around them, should love themselves. By making this connection, he avoided equating self-love with self-centredness. We should love ourselves not out of vanity, he argued, but in virtue of our capacity for good. Does Aristotle, then, provide principled grounds for distinguishing between proper and improper forms of self-love? Bar too high? Aristotle might set the bar too high. If only the most virtuous should try to love themselves, this collides head-on with the idea loving yourself can help us improve and become more virtuousas philosophers Kate Abramson and Adam Leite have argued. Many psychologists claim self-love is important for adopting the kind and compassionate self-perception crucial for overcoming conditions that weaponise self-criticism, like clinical perfectionism and eating disorders. More broadly, some argue compassion for oneself is necessary to support honest insights into your own behavior. They believe we need warm and compassionate self-reflection to avoid the defensiveness that comes with the fear of judgmenteven if we're standing as our own judge. For this reason, a compassionate form of self-love is often necessary to follow Socrates' advice to "know thyself", says philosopher Jan Bransen. Positive self-love, by these lights, can help us grow as people. Self-love 'misguided and silly' But not everyone agrees you need self-love to grow. The late philosopher Oswald Hanfling was deeply skeptical of this idea. In fact, he argued the notion of loving oneself was misguided and silly. His ideas are mostly rejected by philosophers of love, but pointing out where they go wrong can be useful. When you love someone, he said, you're prepared to sacrifice your own interests for those of your beloved. But he thought the idea of sacrificing your own interests made no sensewhich shows, he concluded, we can't love ourselves. He wrote, "I may sacrifice an immediate satisfaction for the sake of my welfare in the future, as in the case of giving up smoking. In this case, however, my motive is not love but self-interest. What I reveal in giving up smoking is not the extent of my love for myself, but an understanding that the long-term benefits of giving it up are likely to exceed the present satisfaction of going on with it." We often have conflicting interests (think of someone who is agonizing over two different career paths)and it's not at all strange to sacrifice certain interests for the sake of others. This is not just a question of sacrificing short-term desires in favor of a long-term good, but a matter of sacrificing something of value for your ultimate benefit (or, so you hope). Self-compassion Hanfling fails to consider the role of compassionate self-love. While we might understand it's in our interests to do something (for instance, repair bridges with someone we've fallen out with), it might take a compassionate and open disposition towards ourselves to recognize what's in our best interests. We might need this self-compassion, too, in order to admit our failuresso we can overcome our defensiveness and see clearly how we're failing to fulfill these interests. Self-acceptance in this context does not mean giving ourselves license to run roughshod over the interests of those around us, nor to justify our flaws as "valid" rather than work on them. Self-love, as promoted by contemporary psychologists, means standing in a compassionate relationship to ourselves. And there's nothing contradictory about this idea. Just as we strive to develop a supportive, kind relationship to the people we care aboutand just as this doesn't involve uncritical approval of everything they docompassionate self-love doesn't mean abandoning valid self-criticism. In fact, self-compassion has the opposite effect. It promotes comfort with the kind of critical self-assessment that helps us growwhich leads to resilience. It breeds the opposite of narcissistic self-absorption. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A new study led by researchers from QIMR Berghofer paves the way for more specific public health information to provide a better balance between the harms and benefits of sun exposure in Australia. The paper, which has been published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, acknowledges that sun exposure is both harmful and beneficial to our health but that the risks are not the same for everyone. It presents more detailed recommendations to help Australians find the right balance for their specific skin type. The position statement was developed by leading experts and organizations who came together at a Sun Exposure Summit convened by the Australian Skin and Skin Cancer Research Centre (ASSC), which is a collaboration between QIMR Berghofer and The University of Queensland (UQ). Lead author Professor Rachel Neale, who heads QIMR Berghofer's Cancer Aetiology & Prevention Group and is a member of the ASSC Executive, said the position statement has a more complex message than previous guidance but the overall priority remains the prevention of skin cancer. "We know there are some health benefits to going out in the sun, but we also know it is the main cause of skin cancer which has a terrible impact on so many lives. We're really trying to get the balance right so we can reduce the risk of skin cancer but also enable people to get the benefits of sun exposure," Professor Neale said. The position statement assigns people into three broad groups. The group with the lowest risk of skin cancer from sun exposure have deeply pigmented brown to black skin. While this group is at lowest risk of skin cancer they are at highest risk of vitamin D deficiency. This group can safely spend time outdoors and routine sun protection is not needed unless they are in the sun for extended periods. People in the group with the very highest risk of skin cancer are advised to protect themselves from the sun at all times, and discuss their vitamin D requirements with their doctor. This includes those with very pale skin that burns easily, and people with less pale skin but who have certain risk factors such as a family history of melanoma, a personal history of skin cancer, are immunosuppressed, or have lots of moles or moles that are large or atypical. The final group of people have an intermediate risk of skin cancer. Sun protection remains very important but they can spend some time outdoors to maintain their vitamin D and gain other benefits of sun exposure. The amount of time needed outside will vary depending on where they live, the time of day, the time of year, and how much skin is not covered by clothing while outdoors. A number of factors led to the decision to update the position statement, including growing research about the benefits of sun exposure in addition to vitamin D production. New modeling has also provided more clarity about the amount of time needed outdoors to maintain adequate vitamin D levels. There was also evidence of a knowledge gap among consumers and clinicians with surveys showing people were confused about what they should do to avoid vitamin D deficiency and still be sun safe. "The updated position statement brings together the new research to improve understanding and address the pressing need to consider our diverse population," Professor Neale said. With Australia having the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world, at a cost of up to $2 billion a year, Professor Neale said people should err on the side of protecting their skin from the sun. "It is really important that everyone in Australia, apart from those with deeply pigmented skin, wears sunscreen daily. It should be part of your normal morning routine, just as routine as brushing your teeth. This needs to happen whenever the UV index is forecast to get to three or above, and for most of Australia that's most of the year. This provides a 'base' level of protection, but people should also ensure that they reapply sunscreen and use hats, clothing, sunglasses, and shade when outdoors to reduce their risk of skin cancer." The updated position statement has been endorsed by leading organizations including Cancer Council Australia and the Australasian College of Dermatologists. Researchers anticipate the new position statement will begin informing clinical care and public health practice, and support the medical community in delivering more personalized advice to patients. Simplified communications are also being developed for the community to provide people with information that is specific to their skin type and other risk factors and to where they live. More information: Rachel E. Neale et al, Balancing the risks and benefits of sun exposure: A revised position statement for Australian adults, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100117 2023 position statement may be found here. Provided by QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute The state of Montana needs $125 million annually to fix or replace its aging bridges for the next decade, a state official told the Missoula City Club on Monday, but much of that money still needs to reach Montana. Statewide, more than 25 bridges have been closed in the last year, including at least two in Missoula County. Several other county bridges are in dire need of repairs. During a moderated discussion on Monday in front of about 60 people at the DoubleTree, Missoula County Public Works Director Shane Stack and Joel Boucher, an engineer for the Missoula District of the Montana Department of Transportation, explained how the state was working to keep the dam of broken infrastructure from bursting. "It's not just a matter of addressing low posted bridges," Boucher said. "We need to find a way to address how we deal with these aging bridges and this aging infrastructure not just across the state, but across the country." Not enough money Stack broke down how Missoula County has several bridges that need replacement. In Missoula, the Maclay Flats bridge closed last month because of structural concerns. A new bridge is expected to be built nearby on South Avenue. On the other side of the county, two bridges in Clinton have been labeled as "scour critical," meaning some of the foundation points are unstable. Five more bridges need replacement in Seeley Lake, including the Boy Scout Road bridge, which was closed in September. The county needs well over $20 million just for the bridges near Seeley Lake. Stack said the county simply does not have the money on-hand to fund all of such projects. He said the annual county bridge budget is about $1.1 million, mostly generated through property taxes. "If I have got a million-dollar budget for the bridge program, there is no way we can manage these large bridges," Stack said. "We are underfunded." Additionally, Stack added that the county's public works department has lost four full-time employees over the last 10 years, limiting the ability to check on existing bridges or work on new projects. Stack said some other funding mechanisms, like a local-option gas tax, have been banned by the Montana Legislature. He said higher taxes and limited staffing have slowed addressing and replacing aging bridges. On the statewide level, there is also limited available funding for projects. Many grants come from the federal government, which Boucher said can slow the process. The Legislature set aside $100 million for local road and bridge projects as a part of House Bill 536. Missoula County has already received $1 million from the bill, which will be reserved for matching grant funds. But, Boucher said, the problem with aging bridges will only worsen with time. He estimated that half of the state's 5,000 bridges will soon need repair or replacement. He said the state will need $125 million each year, in addition to current funding, to keep up with bridge repairs. "This is not just a Missoula County issue, not just a Missoula issue, this is really not even a statewide issue; really it affects the whole country," Boucher said. A 2022 report from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association found 36% of U.S. bridges, or 224,000 crossings, need repair. The same report pegged the nationwide cost at $260 billion. Local next steps Despite issues for over a decade, Maclay Bridge has not been closed for good. Stack said the county will review issues with the bridge and see if it is possible to reopen for pedestrian or vehicle traffic in the next few weeks. The bridge has experienced heavy traffic for years. In 2010, more than 2,600 cars passed over the bridge each day when only 100 were deemed appropriate by state and county officials. The bridge was slapped together with other older bridge parts in 1952. In 2003, the bridge was closed for repairs. In 2013, work started on designing a new bridge upriver from Maclay, though the location has changed over time. The current project on South Avenue is in the Montana Environmental Protection Act review. If no environmental issues are found, the state can finish the design, seek final public approval and put the bridge out to bid. The project cost would cost $19 million, but most of that money would come from the federal government. The group of bridges in the Seeley-Swan area could get federal funding through the RAISE program sometime this year. Five bridges have been bundled together to cost more than $20 million. The county has also applied for a second grant through the Bridge Investment Program to fund three of the bridges. Design limitations and the slow moving federal funds could delay any construction for this group until 2027. The two bridges on Rock Creek will likely be addressed by a public meeting later this month in Clinton. At least one of the bridges is the only southern access into the Rock Creek area. Stack said letters of support for the RAISE Grant and BIP Grant for the Seeley-Swan projects would help strengthen the grant application. More will be known on the grant application this summer. The City Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the sole purpose of encouraging discussion of new ideas and free exchange of thought on relevant and timely topics in Missoula. The group is governed by a volunteer board and staffed by a single, part-time administrator. Rob Chaney, special projects editor for the Missoulian, moderated Monday's discussion. City Council When: 6 p.m. Monday. Where: Virtual: bit.ly/3JVyNJ9; Cable TV Channel 190. YouTube Live and On Demand: bit.ly/3JTikoU. Meetings are conducted via Zoom webinar. Register for the live webinar to attend and/or comment during the live meeting: Zoom page listing of the citys public meetings: ci-missoula-mt.zoom.us/calendar/list or missoulapublicmeetings.com. If you don't have a computer, call the City Clerk's office at 552-6078 to register and receive instructions to join the meeting by phone. Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board When: 6:15 p.m. Monday. Where: Mayor's Conference Room, 410 Ryman St. or via TEAMS. Parks and Recreation Board When: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. Where: Headwaters Conference Room 600 Cregg Lane or via TEAMS. Agenda: Little Dipper Trail Run Conservation Lands permit; naming of sand volleyball courts at Playfair; Conservation Lands Advisory Committee member appointment; Great American Rail Trail letter of support; University of Montana easement Milwaukee Trail. Missoula Parking Commission When: Noon Tuesday. Where: Jack Reidy Conference Room, 140 W. Pine or via TEAMS. Agenda: audit report. Missoula County Public Schools' Board of Trustees When: 6 p.m. Tuesday. Where: Administration Building A Boardroom, 909 South Ave. W. Agenda: available at mcpsmt.org. Affordable Housing Resident Oversight Committee When: 6 p.m. Tuesday. Where: City Council Chambers 140 W. Pine St. or via TEAMS. Agenda: review and affirm Affordable Housing Resident Oversight Committee by-laws; elect Committee Leadership for 2024; Working Group updates; Villagio leasing update. Target Range Sewer and Water District When: 7 p.m. Tuesday. Where: 1705 S. Reserve St. Public Works Committee When: 9 a.m. Wednesday. Where: City Council Chambers, 140 W. Pine St. or via TEAMS. Agenda: award the construction contract to 3 Rivers Landworks for W. Pine water main replacement project. Land Use and Planning Committee When: 9:25 a.m. Wednesday. Where: City Council Chambers, 140 W. Pine St. or via TEAMS. Agenda: Our Missoula Growth Policy and Code Reform; Proposal to change Title 20 to add food and beverage retail sales as a permitted use in residential districts as part of the Title 20 code reform package. Public Safety, Health and Operations Committee When: 11:05 a.m. Wednesday. Where: City Council Chambers, 140 W. Pine St. or via TEAMS. Agenda: Title 5 update for STR business licenses. City of Missoula Housing, Redevelopment and Community Programs Committee When: 1:10 p.m. Wednesday. Where: City Council Chambers, 140 W. Pine St. or via TEAMS. Agenda: adopt a resolution amending Resolution 3779 to require City Council approval of Missoula Redevelopment Agency expenditures that are over $50,000; ratify the agreement with Community Solutions executed by the Mayor accepting $190,075 in grant funds over two years to fully fund a new Built for Zero Specialist position in Houseless Programs; mid-fiscal year 2024 houseless programs update. Missoula City-County Air Pollution Control Board When: 12:15 p.m. Thursday. Where: Missoula Public Health Conference Room 210, 301 W. Alder or via TEAMS. Agenda: review and action on job description and recruitment process or plan for Health Director/Health Officer. Police Commission When: 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Where: Jack Reidy Conference Room, 140 W. Pine St. or via TEAMS. Conservation Lands Advisory Committee When: 4:10 p.m. Thursday. Where: Headwaters Conference Room, 600 Cregg Lane or via TEAMS. Agenda: upcoming Parks and Recreation Boards and Committees training and meeting opportunities; Draft 2023 Conservation Lands Management annual report; Recreation Resource Management Plan. When Winnifred Schafer heard someone named TJ had died on the Fort Peck Reservation, she thought there was no way it could be her TJ. Schafers 25-year-old grandson, Anthony TJ Friskey, had been in the Fort Peck Tribes Adult Correctional Facility for a few days in January, and while she knew jail wasnt an ideal place for her grandson, shed assumed he was safe there. But when an officer arrived at her door, Schafer knew he was gone. I was hysterical, she said. Its hard for someone to go like this. The way he left, the pain he went through in jail. Its not right. Because Friskey died while in custody, the FBI is investigating his death, the causes of which remain unknown. Located in the northeast corner of Montana and home to about 10,100 people, the Fort Peck Reservation stretches 110 miles long and 40 miles wide. Friskeys death has sparked outrage in the tribal community, leading dozens of people to condemn the jail and its warden. A council member and jail employee confirmed that Warden Richard Cantrell resigned amid the controversy, though documentation of his resignation has not been made publicly available. Wes Headdress, a former police officer, was in the tribal jail for three days in January. He said guards pepper-sprayed a detainee who had been swearing at them from his cell. And when one inmate yelled for water, Headdress said an officer accused him of making threats and tased the inmate. I was a cop for five years, Headdress said. I know about escalation of force. When I was an officer, you had to let people be, let them cool down. Youre not supposed to take things personally. It felt like to me, and to others, that the guards were taking things personally. Prior to going to jail, Headdress had heard complaints about the conditions. I had wanted to side with the jailers, he said. I didnt think it was true, but it really actually is that bad. This is really going on. Lee Montana spoke with 12 people who were recently incarcerated in the Fort Peck Adult Corrections Facility, six family members of those who have been incarcerated and one former corrections employee. Several people contacted Lee Montana about the jail, unsolicited; most requested their names not be used for fear of retaliation. Community members allege instances of unwarranted use of force, medical neglect and poor hygiene conditions at the jail. A former employee confirmed these allegations. Several people, including the former employee, claimed some corrections officers did not receive required federal certification. Due to a contractual loophole, experts say people who have been mistreated in the jail have little legal recourse. Whats going on at the Fort Peck tribal jail? Located in Poplar on the southeast end of the Fort Peck Reservation, the tribal jail acts as a jail and prison, meaning some people are awaiting trial while others are serving sentences. For decades, the jail has operated under whats called a 638 contract, which means that the tribes run the jail and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) oversees and funds it. In 2023, the BIA allocated $3.9 million to the Fort Peck Correctional Program. While the tribes run the jail, employees must operate within BIA guidelines, and correctional officers are supposed to receive training and certification at the Indian Police Academy in Artesia, New Mexico. When asked about allegations of unwarranted use of force, medical neglect, poor conditions and uncertified officers, a spokesperson for the BIA cited the 638 contract, saying questions regarding jail management and staffing should be directed to the tribes. Members of the Tribal Executive Board directed questions to Chairman Justin Gray Hawk, who did not respond to requests for comment. The Fort Peck Tribes have recently seen several changes in leadership. Gray Hawk in October ousted former Chairman Floyd Azure amid a scandal regarding federal funds. And Tribal Police Captain Jim Summers was demoted after a woman sued, alleging officers violated her rights. Experts say the 638 contract allows federal and tribal entities to blame each other for failures, skirting accountability. Tim Bechtold is a Missoula-based lawyer who has represented several Fort Peck tribal members in suits against the United States for mistreatment at the jail. He said per the 638 contract, the federal government is not liable for the actions of guards if those guards are not certified by the BIA and the BIA deliberately does not certify guards. Instead, Bechtold said the only course of action for tribal members alleging mistreatment in the jail is to sue individual corrections employees in tribal court, leaving both corrections employees and victims unsure of whether the tribes will hold its employees accountable. Its antithetical to the American way, Bechtold explained. The idea of America is that we have constitutional protections for every American, but if youre Native American, then bad luck. Native Americans have no real recourse to assert their constitutional rights against bad actors funded by the federal government. After an NPR series exposed mistreatment at tribal jails nationwide, the BIA announced in 2022 more than two dozen reforms to improve policy, training standards and coordination. Recent turmoil at the Fort Peck jail, however, has further eroded community trust in the federal agency. I felt helpless: Unwarranted use of force Three former inmates and one former corrections employee spoke to Lee Montana about unwarranted use of force at the jail. They said officers inappropriately pepper-sprayed inmates, shot them with beanbag rounds and tased them. According to the BIA Corrections Handbook, corrections staff are authorized to use force in some cases, but must first attempt to gain voluntary cooperation. Three men who were in jail this fall contacted Lee Montana separately to recount a particular incident. When guards collected spoons and trays from dinner one night, some spoons either fell on the floor or were left on the floor. The guards got mad, one of the men said. They came in with gas masks on and maced us all and shot us with (non-lethal) guns. It was the first time thats ever happened to me. I felt helpless. One woman said when she arrived at the jail, other women told her to tell the guards she was pregnant. That way they wont pepper-spray you, she recalled. Instances like these have been documented, too. In November, correctional officer Devin Gray Hawk admitted to a civil rights violation for assaulting an inmate. Documents allege that while an inmate was shackled and not resisting, Gray Hawk tased him and kicked him in the head. And, in 2022, the United States and the Montana Association of Counties paid $55,000 and $25,000, respectively, to resolve a lawsuit alleging Fort Peck Tribal jail employees deprived civil rights of a detainee. Court documents allege a Roosevelt County officer watched as a tribal corrections officer forcibly undressed a woman who was held in tribal jail, leaving her naked in her cell. A former corrections employee said they witnessed unwarranted use of force on several occasions. When one inmate did not respond in a head count, the employee said a corrections officer tased the inmate without warning. I was in shock, the former employee recalled. Id never witnessed that before in my years of service. The former employee also alleged that several staff members, including former warden Cantrell, did not receive requisite training at the Indian Police Academy in New Mexico. If you had training, youd understand there are steps you have to go through before using non-lethal force, she explained. (Inmates) rights are being violated, and they dont know theyre being violated. The staff doesnt know the handbook. Before using non-lethal force, the former employee said officers are first supposed to communicate with an inmate. We call it verbal judo, she said. If this fails, you give verbal commands at least three and then you are to use force to detain an inmate by putting their arm behind their back or cuffing them. And if that doesnt work, then you can use spray or a taser. I know for a fact they do not do that. They do not follow these guidelines. Gary Cornelius served for 27 years at an adult detention center in Virginia, hes taught corrections courses at George Mason University and trains current corrections employees. He said it is vital for corrections employees to receive consistent, quality and up-to-date training. Training, Cornelius said, can include suicide prevention, stress management, inmates rights, and when and how to use force, among other topics. The bottom line is inmates are people, and they are people in your care, Cornelius said. They have to be kept safe. They are to get medical care, mental health care and they cannot be intentionally injured. I tell my classes, when youre dealing with inmates, the inmates in your care are people. If you cannot deal with that, then you better find another job. Cornelius said quality training is paramount to the safety of staff, inmates and the public. If you have stressed-out officers, officers who are angry, officers who are untrained, their idea of use of force might have tragic results, he explained. Im still suffering: Medical neglect While the BIA Corrections Handbook states that inmates should have access to emergency and routine health care, several people accused tribal jail employees of medical neglect. The former corrections employee said medical intake forms, which list health conditions and medications, were often not completed. One man said he had a toothache while in jail this fall and begged to be seen by a dentist. They wouldnt take me, he said. (When I got out), I had a root canal done. Everybody knows it my own probation officer told me that if you have a medical problem, the jail is the worst place you can be. One woman said she begged for days for medical attention. When corrections staff finally took her to the hospital, she was transported to a Billings hospital where she was treated for a collapsed lung and heart failure. Im still suffering to this day, she said. They refused me help until I almost died. Instances of medical negligence have also been documented. In 2021, the U.S. paid $50,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging Fort Peck tribal jail employees failed to provide care to a detainee. According to court documents, Tyler Headdress (Wes Headdress cousin) was kicked in the head by another inmate and put his hands around his face to protect himself. In the days that followed, Headdress requested and was denied medical care. He was taken to the hospital nine days after the injury, and X-rays revealed several broken bones in his hands. Should be illegal: Poor hygiene conditions Six people told Lee Montana that when they were in the Fort Peck tribal jail, they did not have access to a sink or shower, though the BIA Corrections Handbook states inmates should have access to showers and hygiene items and are encouraged to shower daily. One woman said she got a rash from not being able to clean herself. When I got out, I told my family, Dont hug me, dont smell me, she said. When Frances Weeks son was in jail, she said guards took away his soap, toilet paper and fork, forcing him to eat with his hands. The former corrections employee confirmed it was not uncommon for guards to take items from inmates to teach them a lesson. Weeks, who served as a tribal police officer for decades before retiring, told the Tribal Executive Board in January that lack of hygiene at the facility posed health risks to inmates. Her son suffered internal bleeding in custody, and Weeks thinks his condition was directly related to poor treatment. Weeks said the jail should be shut down. This should be illegal, she said. Its sadistic. People are scared for their families to go there. Its a torture center. While Weeks said council members seemed sympathetic, shes not hopeful any real changes will be made. Shes filed several complaints with the BIA, and so far, she said nothing has come from it. Ive heard it so many times, she said. The BIA says, Well start a file on this. Well contact you with updates. We received your complaint. Its like, were reporting stuff thats going on to the people who are supposed to know whats going on in the first place. So how will this be fixed? Today is Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Get caught up with today's top headlines and weather. Keep scrolling for celebrity birthdays and a look back at this date in history. Plus, check out our daily news podcast: *** Mahomes, the Chiefs, Taylor Swift and a thrilling game -- it all came together at the Super Bowl The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in a Super Bowl unlike any other. Here's a look at a few topics that will linger in the aftermath: *** Senators push forward with Ukraine aid package as their leaders say the world is watching As former President Donald Trump and a growing number of Republicans oppose U.S. aid to Ukraine, the Senate's leaders argued in strong terms on Sunday that the money is crucial to pushing back against Russian President Vladimir Putin and maintaining America's global standing. In the Capitol for a rare weekend session, the Senate voted again to move forward with the assistance as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky issued stark warnings about the consequences of abandoning longtime U.S. allies in Europe. *** What to know about a shooting at Joel Osteen's megachurch in Texas during Sunday services A womans motive for opening fire in celebrity pastor Joel Osteens megachurch was unclear Monday, a day after the shooting sent worshippers rushing for safety in between busy services. Police say two off-duty officers working security at Lakewood Church, one of the largest megachurches in the U.S., shot and killed the suspect. Two other people were also shot and wounded, including a 5-year-old boy who entered the church with the shooter and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Osteen said the violence could have been worse if the shooting had happened during the earlier and larger late Sunday morning service. Here's what to know about the shooting: *** MORE TOP STORIES *** MORNING LISTEN Israels Consul General to South Florida Maor Elbaz-Starinsky sits down with Lynn Schmidt to discuss Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7, the rise of antisemitism, and the desire for living in peace. *** TODAY IN HISTORY Today in history: Feb. 12 In 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded, and more events that happened on this day in history. Today in sports history: Feb. 12 The largest crowd (44,735) in NBA All-Star Game history turns out at the Houston Astrodome, watches Karl Malone spark West victory. See more s *** TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS Celebrity birthdays: Feb. 12 Arsenio Hall Brett Kavanaugh Christina Ricci Chynna Phillips Costa-Gavras Ehud Barak Gucci Mane Jesse Spencer Jim Creeggan John Michael Higgins Josh Brolin Judy Blume Michael McDonald Sarah Lancaster Zach Grenier Palestinians check the rubble of a building damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) GAZA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. About 40 airstrikes on the Rafah area in the early hours of Monday were conducted by the Israeli army, with intensive ground shelling, it said. The Israeli army said in a statement that it conducted "a series of strikes on terror targets" in southern Gaza on Monday, but did not provide other details. The death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 28,176 since Oct. 7, 2023, with 67,784 others being injured, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, about half of the residents there have fled to Rafah, adjacent to Egypt, in search of safety. The border city, which receives food and medicine aid from foreign countries and UN agencies through the Rafah crossing, is crowded with tents on empty agricultural lands, in schools and along roadsides. Palestinians check buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Smoke rises after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Smoke rises after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble of a building damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Smoke rises after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) Smoke rises after an Israeli strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, on Feb. 11, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) A woman checks the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) People mourn victims killed during Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of buildings damaged by Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. The death toll in the Israeli army's heavy strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas of the Gaza Strip exceeded 100 on Monday, with hundreds of injuries, including women and children, reported the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A Palestinian boy stands among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A Palestinian child checks the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians are seen among the rubble after Israeli air strikes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Palestinians check the rubble of a building destroyed in an Israeli air strike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Feb. 12, 2024. More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 160 others injured on Monday in the Israeli army's fresh round of heavy air strikes on the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and surrounding areas, said Hamas-run Health Ministry. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Kalonzo Musyoka has pledged to run for president in 2027, regardless of whether he receives support from his ally Raila Odinga or not. In an interview with a local media house, Kalonzo stated that he has been prepared for the highest office since 2002 when the opposition declared support for the late retired President Mwai Kibaki. I was ready to be President in 2002 when we said Kibaki tosha. I was ready in 2013 to move from Vice President to President. At the right time, we are going to make an announcement in the new year. We have to have an alternative because Kenyans are crying for an alternative, Kalonzo said. William Ruto may end up giving me a vote in 2027. If the country is ready for it, I am ready for it. We may not have stolen billions, but Kenyans will give the money to make it happen. Despite declaring his candidature, the Wiper Party leader mentioned that the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition would undergo full consultation before officially announcing their formation in 2027. We will engage in full consultation. Kalonzo cannot win alone. There are people who depend on my candidature to win their constituency, senatorial and MCA seats. But I proved to the people (in 2022) that you do not need to be on the ballot to get people winning. I want to tell the people who cling on Raila, that he must be on the ballot, that they can win without him being on the ballot, he said. The former VP pledged that he would not part ways with Raila in 2027, even though both of them have indicated their intentions to run for the presidency. I know Raila Odinga, he knows me. We will go the same way. We will go the same route with Raila Odinga unless some devil intervenes, you never know. This relationship is really tested, Kalonzo said. However, he noted that sacrificing his presidential ambitions in 2027 would mean going home. Giving up my ambitions will actually mean I go home. We are at the tail-end of a process which should deliver this country, Kalonzo said. The Elimu Bora Working Group, affiliated with the Kenya Human Rights Commission, has issued a warning, stating that the e-Citizen fee payment system is on track to become Kenyas biggest scandal. In a statement released on Sunday, February 11, 2024, the lobby group expressed concern that the Kenya Kwanza administration lacks a well-thought-out solution to address numerous challenges affecting the education system. The Ministry of Education initially established Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) within secondary school premises; however, JSS is currently domiciled in primary institutions. Implementing a new higher education funding model was hastily executed, excluding qualified and deserving students from accessing tertiary education and training, the lobby group said. Elimu Bora also alleged that the 2023 KCPE results for 1.4 million students were hastily released, and they criticized the results for containing numerous errors and omissions. This has compromised the integrity of national examinations, including the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), which also suffered from inaccuracies in its results, the group added. The group has also criticized the government for not disbursing 37 percent of the funds allocated to schools in the current financial year. The lobbyists have accused the government of falling short in achieving a 100 percent transition from primary to secondary schools. Moreover, the group contends that the quality of education has declined since the current regime assumed office. Parliament allocated Sh628.6 billion to education in the current financial year. However, the regime failed to release 37 per cent of capitation funds to schools in 2023, the group added. Despite this regimes 100 per cent transition policy, it has done little to achieve quality. Out of 899,453 students who took the KCSE in 2023, 48,174 received a grade E, showing the education quality is decreasing. Only 22.3 per cent secured a minimum entry grade to university, while 77.7 per cent failed to make the cut. Unfortunately, no measures have been taken to return these students to class or improve the quality of education. The lobbyists also assert that over 130,000 students, out of the 1.4 million who took the KCPE in 2023, are unable to access Form One due to financial constraints. The Elimu Bora Working Group demands public education for allincluding the vulnerable, children with disabilities, urban slum residents, rural poor, hard-to-reach, and insecure communitiesmust be planned and implemented based on a holistic school approach, the group stated. Former nominated senator Millicent Omanga has endorsed Nakuru governor Susan Kihika as the ideal candidate for Kenyas first woman president. In her statement over the weekend, Omanga asserted that the country is prepared for a woman president in 2032. She also highlighted the significant contributions women have made to the nations progress, showcasing exceptional leadership abilities in various fields. Women have made tremendous contributions to the progress of this country & have displayed exceptional leadership prowess in various fields. We believe that the country is ready for a woman president in 2032 & the best candidate for the office is H.E. Gov Susan Kihika. Its doable! Omanga said via her Twitter(X) account. To date, only two female politicians have contested for the presidential position since the country became a republic. Former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu was the first to vie for the role in 1997 but lost to the late President Daniel Arap Moi. Narc Kenya party leader Martha Karua followed suit and contested in 2013 but lost to retired President Uhuru Kenyatta. Recently, nominated Member of Parliament (MP) Sabina Chege declared her intention to become the countrys first woman president. In her remarks, Sabina expressed confidence that women in leadership possess all the necessary qualities to lead a country and meet the expectations of its citizens. I would pray to God that, that day comes and happens. that I will be the first female president. When a woman is in leadership she is a mother, she can take care of everyone, sometimes men can be abrasive and highhanded but when a woman is a president you will see changes, she said. At least 300 people from five villages in Kahumbu ward, Kigumo Constituency, Muranga, were admitted to various hospitals, and others treated and discharged after eating meat from a cow suspected of dying of anthrax. Christopher Ngugi, the owner of the cow from Kanguku Village, recounted how last Wednesday, upon returning home, he found one of his cows lying in the cowshed, displaying symptoms of an unidentified illness. Ngugi informed the local animal health officer, who arrived to administer treatment to the cow and provide guidance on managing the condition. A local veterinary officer in my Kanguku village in Kahumbu Ward rekindled my hopes when he told me that the carcass of one of the cows was fit for human consumption, the farmer told the Nation on Sunday. At Sh400 per kilogram of beef, instead of the usual Sh600 per kilogram, Ngugi was confident that he would fetch at least Kes. 70,000 from selling the meat to neighbors. The farmer informed the media that the officer, along with some men from the village, opened the animals abdomen and found that it had ingested pieces of clothing and polythene papers. These items are said to have blocked the animals airways, leading to its eventual demise. The farmer also revealed that another of his grade cows succumbed to a mysterious illness. The carcass was buried under the supervision of animal health officers, who later confirmed that the animal had died of anthrax. What initially seemed like a feast turned into a nightmare when those who had consumed the meat began exhibiting symptoms of anthrax. Confirming the incident, Mr. Kiprono Tanui, the Kigumo police boss, said a suspected disease outbreak was reported in Kanguku, Karabai, Githembe, Kagwathi and Gwa Kiongo villages last Saturday, with victims complaining of skin sores and vomiting. The Unclaimed Financial Assets Authority (UFAA) has launched its 3rd Generation Strategic Plan 2023-2028, detailing measures aimed at achieving a reduced turnaround time for processing and disbursing claims. During the event, UFAA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Mwangi stated that the organizations significant progress is marked by the launch of this strategic plan. He added that the Authority has received recognition in the medium-term plan as the primary facilitator of financial inclusion within the financial services sector. Mwangi observed that Kenya has made significant strides in establishing a robust government framework for various sub-sectors within the financial service sector. He specifically highlighted the UFAA regime, noting that the regulatory framework was conceived in 2011. 2011 is when the UFAA Act was enacted, and it has witnessed tremendous achievements that are now reflected in the work of UFAA, he said. Highlighting UFAA as an exemplary model, the CEO characterized it as a technological frontrunner that enables the online submission and monitoring of claims. The systems automated tracking also offers a range of payment methods, allowing UFAA to disburse funds to claimants through diverse channels, such as mobile money, bank accounts, Sacco accounts, or even by issuing a cheque upon filing returns. We have full confidence that our strategic plan will provide you with a comprehensive roadmap to fulfill our mandate, which is to receive, safeguard, and reunite owners with Unclaimed Financial Assets, he remarked, informing the public about various contact centers for reaching UFAA, including the USSD code (*361#). Emphasizing the organizations commitment to efficiency, the CEO highlighted that, in the past, it took 6070 days to process payments. He stressed that UFAA is actively working towards implementing a 30-day payment scheme for original owners and a 90-day payment scheme for deceased individuals to expedite the disbursement process. Meanwhile, UFAA Chairperson Francis Njenga characterized the strategic plan as the culmination of a lengthy journey that began two years ago. Njenga highlighted that since inception, UFAA achieved substantial progress by increasing funds from Sh 0 to 32 billion in real-time cash and escalating shares from 0 to 1.719 billion units, which were then converted to 30.5 billion as of December 1, 2023. Additionally, the Chairperson noted that UFAA had progressed from 0 to over 63 billion. Breaking it down, the last strategic plan saw an increase from 10.4 to 32 billion today in shares and from 534 million units to 1.7 billion worth of units. UFAA has proper registration of all funds received and only invests in risk-free investments through the CBK and the National Treasury, and all other institutions get an oversight of this to ensure the safety of the funds, he said. Moreover, Njenga pinpointed a gap in the countrys financial statements and raised awareness with EazeWorks and the Public Accounting Board. He urged them to issue a statement mandating that every financial report should disclose the amount of Unclaimed Financial Assets. This, he asserted, would enable UFAA to secure and return the funds to their rightful owners. He declared that the strategic plan for 20232028 is an integral component of an ambitious 5-year plan that aligns with a broader policy agenda, encompassing the Sustainable Development Goals, the Kenya Vision 2030, and the Bottom-Up Economic Regime. As each new year dawns, the vinous conversation tends to focus on Bordeaux. The wine world is once again gearing up for the time-honored frenzy of the En Primeur season that in early spring highlights barrel samples (with "approximate" representations of final blends) from the recently harvested vintage. Thousands of people representing the international trade and press descend on Bordeaux to sample, critique and value the wines about to be released for sale now as futures, but with delivery in approximately two years. The new year also brings a range of worldwide tastings organized by various appellation and trade societies of Bordeaux as the newly released vintage is launched to eager followers looking to make their own evaluations of the growing season and its wines. The wines of Bordeaux are widely accepted as being among the world's finest, most popular and in some cases among the most expensive. Late last month, I again attended the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) tasting in San Francisco where 80 of Bordeaux's finest chateaux, representing all of the appellation's most prestigious growing areas, poured their treasured wines from the challenging 2021 vintage to the trade and press. Each year, the UGCB tasting offers an open perspective on the just released vintage organized by appellations within Bordeaux and a broad range of producers representing each one. This gives all tasters the rare opportunity to appreciate not only the subtle differences from one chateau to another but also experience the inclusive character of each appellation. Before discussing the challenging 2021 vintage of Bordeaux and its wines, lets take a brief look back at her history which spans two millennia. Vines were first planted in Roman times, where for several centuries the wines were mainly for domestic consumption and quenching the soldiers' thirst. After the Roman Empire fell, the vineyards suffered many set-backs continuing through the 5th Century when things began to stabilize under Frankish rule and remained stable for the next several centuries. The marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine in the mid-12th Century opened the region to the English market and eventually the world stage. Trade with England became the foundation of Bordeaux exports until the outbreak of The Hundred Years' War between France and England in 1337 lasting to 1453, when France re-conquered the region and world trade resumed. Not every vintage in Bordeaux is a great one as we saw with the stellar trifecta of 2018, 2019 and 2020. Due in great part to unfavorable weather conditions in 2021, the wines are noticeably lighter and fresher than those of the three previous vintages. Overall, the 2021s lack the complexity, concentration and structure we associate with great vintages and long-term ageability, They will mature more quickly and thankfully be more affordable in the market. But as always, there were some pleasant surprises on display confirming the old adage, Even in challenging vintages, some great wines are made. February and March in 2021 were warm and dry resulting in an early bud break that is often a positive factor. Yet in 2021, the early bud break ultimately exposed the young buds to significant damage and loss with the severe frosts of early April leading to reduced yields and serious problems in the vineyard. Reduced yields are not necessarily associated with decreased quality as the vine is able to focus its energy to fewer berries and clusters. However, for this to happen Mother Nature must offer favorable weather patterns during the rest of the growing season and she fell far short in 2021. Following the April frosts, excessive rain in May and June led to mildew and rot accompanied by reduced hydric stress resulting from overly saturated soils. These were difficult conditions to overcome in creating wines of the stature seen other more harmonious years. This year, 80 chateaux participated in the UGCB tasting that, due to reduced yields and availability, was a bit smaller than prior years. I was able to taste more than 50 wines from all participating appellations and found those of St. Julien led the pack followed closely by Margeaux with Pauillac just behind in third place. With few exceptions, I was disappointed overall with the Right Bank wines of St.-Emillion and Pomerol along with those from Pessac-Leognan and Graves that are normally near the top of my list. St. Estephe had limited representation, so a comprehensive evaluation of the appellation is difficult. The treasured sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac from 2021 have been hailed in the press as truly great although in miniscule supply due to the unfavorable weather conditions of frost and hail storms. So only a few producers were on-hand at UGCB and were pouring past vintages. The lesser known appellations of Listrac-Medoc and Haut-Medoc showed well but far from the levels achieved in past outstanding vintages where they represented extremely good buys with high quality at very affordable pricing. Their 2021s are enjoyable wines expressing the character of their growing areas, but meant for very early consumption paired to lighter fare. As I mentioned above, the overall character of the vintages wines was on the lighter more approachable style. In my notes, I found few mentions of bold, complex, concentration, power, textural appeal and depth as in other more prestigious vintages. My common descriptors for 2021 were elegant, red berries, refreshing (as with the whites of Graves and Pessac-Leognan), lean and light tannins. Some of the standouts from my leading appellations were: Chateau Langoa Barton and Chateau Leoville Poyferre from St. Julien, Chateau Prieure-Lichine and Chateau Bran-Cantenac from Margaux and Chateau Lynch Bages from Pauillac. A few standouts from other appellations were: Chateau Charmes Haut-Brion from Pessac-Leognan, Chateau Valandraud from St.-Emillion and Chateau Le Gay from Pomerol. The UGCB tasting once again showcased the character that Bordeaux is capable of achieving even in a challenging vintage. While 2021 will never match the overall heights of structure, ageability, and complexity achieved in 2018, 2019, 2020 and other heralded vintages, it will afford many pleasurable moments in the relatively short term (8 to 12 years) for those willing to choose carefully and take a chance despite some of the vintages overly critical opinions. 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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this in an interview with The Telegraph's international commentator Roland Oliphant Sunday, answering the question why the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan is being delayed. "The first took place in 2022. On October 6, during the quadrilateral meeting held in Prague, which was attended by the President of France Emmanuel Macron, the President of the European Council Charles Michel, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and me, and we, after long discussions, adopted a joint statement in which the following principle is recorded: Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Declaration of Alma-Ata. What does this mean? The Declaration of Alma-Ata is about the following and it was signed by 12 republics that were part of the Soviet Union. By signing that declaration, they recorded several things. First, the Soviet Union ceases to exist and these republics, becoming sovereign states, recognize each other's territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and sovereignty. And thus, with the Alma-Ata declaration, the existing administrative borders between the republics of the Soviet Union become state borders. I say this because it is recorded in the Alma-Ata declaration that these republics accept the existing borders, that is, whatever border existed at that moment, they recognize the inviolability of those borders. And of course, there is a very important nuance here that I want to emphasize, the Alma-Ata declaration and the packages related to the Declaration were ratified by the Armenian parliament in 1992, the Azerbaijani parliament ratified it later. Many events took place after the signing and ratification, but in this context it is very important to record that in Prague on October 6, in the presence of the President of France and the President of the European Council, Armenia and Azerbaijan, in fact, after all those events, reaffirmed that they recognize each other's territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration. And the second important point is that the Alma-Ata declaration should become the basis for the demarcation and delimitation of the borders between the two countries, Pashinyan said: He added that on October 30, the trilateral statement of the President of Russia, the President of Azerbaijan and myself was signed, in which Armenia and Azerbaijan acknowledged in a written statement that they recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty and declare that they refuse to use force and the threat of force, and all issues will be resolved through negotiation "This agreement also became the basis for the formation and formulation of the third fundamental principle, which means that the opening and unblocking of regional communications, and the opening of roads for each other will take place within the framework of respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of countries, and this principle, together with the previous two principles, was recorded based on the results of the trilateral meetings held in Brussels on May 14 and July 15," he said. Pashinyan said that, essentially, the architecture and principles of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been agreed upon. "And at the end of last year it seemed to us that we were very close to finally agreeing on the text of the final treaty, but from the beginning, Azerbaijan three times refused to participate in negotiations in different formats, after which presidential elections in Azerbaijan were scheduled. And, in fact, we are still on this point, and I assume that after the presidential elections, we will be able to achieve implementation of these points, if there is political will. I can record that the Armenian government, as before, has the political will to precisely go for peace in our region and to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan based on the above-mentioned agreements," he said. Pashinyan added that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev did not attend the meeting in Granada, then the meeting in Brussels, then the events took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, it was de-Armenianized, and there are analysts who believe that all this means that Azerbaijan is retreating step by step and abandoning the agreements reached on international platforms and between them. Tourists visit the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan, Feb. 11, 2024. Tourists came to the Chinatown to enjoy festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yue Chenxing) People shop in the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan, Feb. 11, 2024. Tourists came to the Chinatown to enjoy festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yue Chenxing) Tourists pose for photos with lanterns in the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan, Feb. 11, 2024. Tourists came to the Chinatown to enjoy festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yue Chenxing) Children view lanterns in the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan, Feb. 11, 2024. Tourists came to the Chinatown to enjoy festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yue Chenxing) Tourists visit the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan, Feb. 11, 2024. Tourists came to the Chinatown to enjoy festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. (Xinhua/Yue Chenxing) I publicly assessed the statements made by the President of Azerbaijan in an interview given to Azerbaijani TV media at the beginning of January 2024 as a blow to the peace process, but I described a little while ago that this blow was not a standalone process and it started, firstly, with ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, and secondly, with the refusal to take part in the Granada meeting, continued by the rejection to participate in the Brussels meeting and the subsequent refusals to attend meetings. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this in an interview with The Telegraph's international commentator Roland Oliphant Sunday. "I also want to note that I recently responded to those statements of the President of Azerbaijan, and I need to state once again that having an army is the sovereign right of every state, and the Republic of Armenia, just like any sovereign state, has the right to have a strong and combat-ready army, with the understanding that that the Republic of Armenia is creating an army to fortify its territorial integrity and sovereignty, independence and statehood. Basically, we have shown with our political positions that we recognize the territorial integrity of all the countries of our region and we expect the same from all the countries of our region, especially given that there is a signed, adopted document regarding it. See, when I was talking about the Prague quadrilateral statement, that's exactly what the Prague quadrilateral statement is about. To talk about the territories at the time of joining the Soviet Union, you know, I think that discussions about the period of becoming part of the Soviet Union are not relevant at all in this context. Why? Because I have already said that the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan was recorded in writing in tripartite and quadrilateral formats, which state that the two countries recognize each other's territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration," the Armenian PM added. Pashinyan noted that if Azerbaijan's statement is that it does not recognize any document it has signed and adopted, it must announce it publicly. "In other words, as I said, I know that there are those analyses, those interviews and so on and so forth, and what they mean, and I can give a political assessment as well, and I also say that there are analyzes according to which Azerbaijan is taking a step back from the reached agreements. But as long as Azerbaijan does not announce, in particular, about withdrawing its signature from the Sochi and Prague statements, then it is very clear that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata declaration and any declaration that contradicts this logic is not legitimate," the Armenian premier added. As for regional destabilization and steps towards it, of course, anyone with common sense would be concerned. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this in an interview with The Telegraph's international commentator Roland Oliphant Sundayand answering the question whether he fears that a third war may start between Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Fear is not the right word to use, because the Republic of Armenia is a democratic, developing state and, as I have already said, the Republic of Armenia is implementing large-scale reforms to improve the resilience of the country, and by the way, in recent years, I think the international community and our community have seen and saw that the resilience of our country has improved significantly. We continue the path of reforms to further improve Armenia's resilience.. As for regional destabilization and steps towards it, of course, anyone with common sense would be concerned," he said. Pashinyan said that the interstate nature of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan should be noted. "Although we do not have diplomatic relations, I have to refer to the documents we signed, to rely on those documents. I already said that we have signed a document with Azerbaijan on non-use of force and threat of force. If we look at it with this logic and if Azerbaijan were to not respect the documents signed by itself, then Azerbaijan might attack any country, why only Armenia? Look around Azerbaijan, if they were to not respect their international commitments, then they could attack any of their neighboring countries, if that were the case," he added. And to Oliphant's question that if Pashinyan receives those international commitments, does he trust Aliyev to keep those commitments, Pashinyan said: "I trust in God, and I believe that every self-respecting state should follow its commitments." We have not and are not discussing NATO membership. We do have partnership relations with NATO, and there is nothing new there. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said this in an interview with The Telegraph's international commentator Roland Oliphant Sundayand answering the question whether Armenia was seeking future NATO membership. "We have not said that we deny and reject cooperation with Russia in general and in the security sector in particular. What we have said is that we are going to diversify our relations in the security sector. What does this mean? Does this mean that we are going to break our security relationship with Russia? No, it doesn't mean that, but it means that in the field of security, we are preparing and ready, and we are discussing and working to establish relations, for example, with the European Union, which is already a reality by and large, with France, which is already a reality by and large, with the United States, which is already by and large a reality, with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is already by and large a reality, with India, which is already by and large a reality, and with many other countries. Our security relations with the United States, or France, or India, or the European Union are not naturally directed against Russia. This is simply the consequence of the reality that the security relationships we used to have in the past do not address our security needs. As to NATO, this is not an item on our agenda. In other words, we have not and are not discussing NATO membership. We do have partnership relations with NATO, and there is nothing new there. We used to have an Individual Partnership Action Plan, now that program is being reformatted into a certain partnership format that doesn't imply membership. I will also tell you something that we are at least a de jure member of the CSTO today, and I am not sure if there are discussions on that topic in general, or rather in Armenia, as to how well the alliance-based strategy corresponds to Armenia's interests, in general, in the long term, the Armenian PM said: Pashinyan also noted that Armenias security cooperation with the United States or France or its other security partners is not directed against its other security partner "Ukraine war had just started, I believe I gave an interview to the Czech CNN and I said that we are not Russia's ally in the matter of Ukraine, and that is the reality. But I also want to say that our security cooperation with the United States or France or our other security partners is not directed against our other security partner. Another thing is that our partners may have concerns about how cooperation with others could affect their security systems. We are trying to manage this issue being as transparent as possible," he added. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not clearly answer The Telegraph's international commentator Roland Oliphant 's question that if Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives in Armenia, will he be arrested along the lines of Armenias recent joining the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. "First of all, I want to say that the Republic of Armenia started the process of joining the Rome Statute in December 2022, and that decision was conditioned by the assessment of changes in our security environment. We ratified the Rome Statute, among other things, analyzing the consequences of the September 2022 war and noting that there are some cracks in our security system. In that sense, we also ratified the Rome Statute as an additional factor to increase Armenia's security level. I understand that it was a difficult time period, and we made that decision because it was a difficult period. That decision serves to increase the security level of Armenia," the premier said. Pashinyan added that as for the legal nuances, he cannot carry out a legal analysis right now because that's the job of lawyers. "I think, as I said, Armenia as a responsible state should adhere to all its international commitments, including the commitments it has in relations with the Russian Federation, the commitments it has in relations with the international community. By the way, there are various opinions and legal analyzes on that topic, and in particular, the lawyers who say that the current heads of state have immunity, insurmountable immunity, due to their status are not just a few. I mean, it's a legal issue, not a political issue that I have to discuss and respond to," he said. When Oliphant asked that if Putin comes to Armenia, will the Armenian police arrest the Russian President and send him to The Hague, Pashinyan responded that he does not make decisions about who should be arrested and who should not be arrested in Armenia. Let me open a secret to you. Since 2018, many large-scale democratic reforms have started in Armenia, and I do not make decisions about who should be arrested and who should not be arrested. There is an established legal order in Armenia, there are legal institutions, and in all cases the legal institutions of Armenia are the ones who make such decisions. For that we have the Prosecutor's Office, we have courts, we have the Investigative Committee and so on. It is very important that, being a member of the Eastern Partnership, the Republic of Armenia stands out especially for institutional reforms of having an independent judicial system. There is rule of law in the Republic of Armenia, the Prime Minister has his powers in the Republic of Armenia. Under no circumstances those powers include the solution of the question whether this person should be arrested or not. All of that is done through legal procedures," the Armenian PM said. Oliphant reiterated his question, stating that it might put Pashinyan in a bit of an awkward situation, but is it possible for him to simply call Putin and tell him just not to come to Armenia because he cannot promise that the Russian president will not be arrested in Armenia. In response, Pashinyan said: " I don't think that Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin] needs my advice." Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gave an interview to British journalist Roland Oliphant of The Telegraph, and he spoke about matters that are connected with Armenia: The text of this interview is presented below. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - Prime Minister Pashinyan, thank you for finding time to speak to us. I want to ask you something obvious, which is about the peace process with Azerbaijan. It has been five months now that the Azerbaijani forces have taken full control over Nagorno-Karabakh. After that, there were discussions about peace, President Aliyev spoke about peace and his readiness to officially end the 30-year conflict, but nothing happened after that. Where are we now and why is it being delayed? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - First of all, it should be noted that the principles of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been agreed upon in three international formats. The first took place in 2022. On October 6, during the quadrilateral meeting held in Prague, which was attended by the President of France Emmanuel Macron, the President of the European Council Charles Michel, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and me, and we, after long discussions, adopted a joint statement in which the following principle is recorded: Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Declaration of Alma-Ata. What does this mean? The Declaration of Alma-Ata is about the following and it was signed by 12 republics that were part of the Soviet Union. By signing that declaration, they recorded several things. First, the Soviet Union ceases to exist and these republics, becoming sovereign states, recognize each other's territorial integrity, inviolability of borders and sovereignty. And thus, with the Alma-Ata declaration, the existing administrative borders between the republics of the Soviet Union become state borders. I say this because it is recorded in the Alma-Ata declaration that these republics accept the existing borders, that is, whatever border existed at that moment, they recognize the inviolability of those borders. And of course, there is a very important nuance here that I want to emphasize, the Alma-Ata declaration and the packages related to the Declaration were ratified by the Armenian parliament in 1992, the Azerbaijani parliament ratified it later. Many events took place after the signing and ratification, but in this context it is very important to record that in Prague on October 6, in the presence of the President of France and the President of the European Council, Armenia and Azerbaijan, in fact, after all those events, reaffirmed that they recognize each other's territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration. And the second important point is that the Alma-Ata declaration should become the basis for the demarcation and delimitation of the borders between the two countries. This is also a very important principle, which in this context means that in the process of demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, no border has to be created, but the borders confirmed and reaffirmed by the Alma-Ata declaration should be expressed on the ground, on maps. This is the first fundamental agreement. After that, on October 30, the trilateral statement of the President of Russia, the President of Azerbaijan and myself was signed, in which Armenia and Azerbaijan acknowledged in a written statement that they recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty and declare that they refuse to use force and the threat of force, and all issues will be resolved through negotiation. This agreement also became the basis for the formation and formulation of the third fundamental principle, which means that the opening and unblocking of regional communications, and the opening of roads for each other will take place within the framework of respect for the sovereignty and jurisdiction of countries, and this principle, together with the previous two principles, was recorded based on the results of the trilateral meetings held in Brussels on May 14 and July 15. Moreover, everything I'm talking about are public documents. What does all this have to do with your question? And the connection is that, essentially, the architecture and principles of the peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been agreed upon, and at the end of last year it seemed to us that we were very close to finally agreeing on the text of the final treaty, but from the beginning, Azerbaijan three times refused to participate in negotiations in different formats, after which presidential elections in Azerbaijan were scheduled. And, in fact, we are still on this point, and I assume that after the presidential elections, we will be able to achieve implementation of these points, if there is political will. I can record that the Armenian government, as before, has the political will to precisely go for peace in our region and to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan based on the above-mentioned agreements. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - That's quite positive, but... Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - I apologize, but the fact that we have lost so much time is not a very positive sign, because you see, on June 1, a five-party meeting was held in Chisinau with the participation of the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany, the President of the European Council, the President of Azerbaijan and me, and where an agreement was formulated and it was published in a written form that the next meeting in that same format would take place in Granada in autumn 2023. But Azerbaijan, in fact, refused to participate in that meeting, where in that context it was formulated that the next meeting would take place at the end of October, in Brussels, in a trilateral format. Azerbaijan again refused to participate in that meeting. And if we add to this the events that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh, first military strikes were carried out against Nagorno-Karabakh and, in fact, Nagorno-Karabakh was completely depopulated as a result of ethnic cleansing. And simply, I answered your specific question, focusing on the content of your question, but why did I interrupt your question at the point you spoke about positiveness? Because when we put these events side by side, in Armenia, for example, there are analysts who believe that all this means that Azerbaijan is retreating step by step and abandoning the agreements reached on international platforms and between us. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - Let me come back to my question. I think on January 10, President Aliyev gave a TV interview in which he said some interesting things. He said that the national project for the reclaiming of Azerbaijan's territories has been completed and he hoped that in principle there is no longer any barrier to peace. He also said that if he sees any sign of Armenia re-arming, he will launch a military action against Armenia, he reaffirmed his demand for a corridor through the territory of Armenia to Nakhichevan, he ruled out retreating of his troops from the territory inside Armenia, from strategic heights, saying that he needs these areas so that he can keep an eye on Armenian intentions. Then he rejected your proposal to draw a border based on the last Soviet military maps, stressing that he would rather talk about maps from the earlier periods of Sovietization, because Azerbaijan lost a lot of territory at that time. People, including representatives of your government, say that with this, Azerbaijan is laying the groundwork for making territorial demands from Armenia. In other words, not only Nagorno-Karabakh, but also he intends to go further and prepare, if not a large-scale invasion, then at least have claims of your territory. Is this what you think is happening? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Of course, these opinions have the right to exist and these assessments cannot be considered groundless. I publicly assessed the statements made by the President of Azerbaijan in an interview given to Azerbaijani TV media at the beginning of January 2024 as a blow to the peace process, but I described a little while ago that this blow was not a standalone process and it started, firstly, with ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, and secondly, with the refusal to take part in the Granada meeting, continued by the rejection to participate in the Brussels meeting and the subsequent refusals to attend meetings. I also want to note that I recently responded to those statements of the President of Azerbaijan and I need to state once again that having an army is the sovereign right of every state, and the Republic of Armenia, just like any sovereign state, has the right to have a strong and combat-ready army, with the understanding that that the Republic of Armenia is creating an army to fortify its territorial integrity and sovereignty, independence and statehood. Basically, we have shown with our political positions that we recognize the territorial integrity of all the countries of our region and we expect the same from all the countries of our region, especially given that there is a signed, adopted document regarding it. See, when I was talking about the Prague quadrilateral statement, that's exactly what the Prague quadrilateral statement is about. To talk about the territories at the time of joining the Soviet Union, you know, I think that discussions about the period of becoming part of the Soviet Union are not relevant at all in this context. Why? Because I have already said that the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan was recorded in writing in tripartite and quadrilateral formats, which state that the two countries recognize each other's territorial integrity on the basis of the Alma-Ata Declaration. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - I understand why you disagree with these claims, but do you fear... Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - I'm sorry, its not about disagreeing with the statements, I am referring to the documents. If Azerbaijan's statement is that it does not recognize any document it has signed and adopted, it must announce it publicly. In other words, as I said, I know that there are those analyses, those interviews and so on and so forth, and what they mean, and I can give a political assessment as well, and I also say that there are analyzes according to which Azerbaijan is taking a step back from the reached agreements. But as long as Azerbaijan does not announce, in particular, about withdrawing its signature from the Sochi and Prague statements, then it is very clear that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize each other's territorial integrity based on the 1991 Alma-Ata declaration and any declaration that contradicts this logic is not legitimate. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant Do you fear a 3rd war between Armenia and Azerbaijan? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Fear is not the right word to use, because the Republic of Armenia is a democratic, developing state and, as I have already said, the Republic of Armenia is implementing large-scale reforms to improve the resilience of the country, and by the way, in recent years, I think the international community and our community have seen and saw that the resilience of our country has improved significantly. We continue the path of reforms to further improve Armenia's resilience. As for regional destabilization and steps towards it, of course, anyone with common sense would be concerned. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant Anyone with common sense would have such fears about a possible future war. Is that what you mean? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Look, there are interviews, all kinds of statements, but it is very important that we note the interstate nature of our relations. Although we do not have diplomatic relations, I have to refer to the documents we signed, to rely on those documents. I already said that we have signed a document with Azerbaijan on non-use of force and threat of force. If we look at it with this logic and if Azerbaijan were to not respect the documents signed by itself, then Azerbaijan might attack any country, why only Armenia? Look around Azerbaijan; if they were to not respect their international commitments, then they could attack any of their neighboring countries, if that were the case. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - Excuse me, but the basic question here is that, well, let's say you got those international commitments, but do you trust President Aliyev to keep those commitments? This is the basic question. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - I trust in God and I believe that every self-respecting state should follow its commitments. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - You recently, I think just this week, talked about the fact that Armenia can no longer rely on Russia as its main military and defense partner. I think it's pretty clear why. Russia did not fulfill its obligations under CSTO. What does this mean in practice? Is Armenia seeking future NATO membership? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - We have not said that we deny and reject cooperation with Russia in general and in the security sector in particular. What we have said is that we are going to diversify our relations in the security sector. What does this mean? Does this mean that we are going to break our security relationship with Russia? No, it doesn't mean that, but it means that in the field of security, we are preparing and ready, and we are discussing and working to establish relations, for example, with the European Union, which is already a reality by and large, with France, which is already a reality by and large, with the United States, which is already by and large a reality, with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is already by and large a reality, with India, which is already by and large a reality, and with many other countries. Our security relations with the United States, or France, or India, or the European Union are not naturally directed against Russia. This is simply the consequence of the reality that the security relationships we used to have in the past do not address our security needs. As to NATO, this is not an item on our agenda. In other words, we have not and are not discussing NATO membership. We do have partnership relations with NATO, and there is nothing new there. We used to have an Individual Partnership Action Plan, now that program is being reformatted into a certain partnership format that doesn't imply membership. I will also tell you something that we are at least a de jure member of the CSTO today, and I am not sure if there are discussions on that topic in general, or rather in Armenia, as to how well the alliance-based strategy corresponds to Armenia's interests, in general, in the long term. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - You say that you do not turn your back on Russia. But that is not realistic in today's world. The countries that you listed, the close ties with France, the USA, the EU, they are in a massive geopolitical confrontation with Russia. You really have to make a choice, don't you? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Ukraine war had just started, I believe I gave an interview to the Czech CNN and I said that we are not Russia's ally in the matter of Ukraine, and that is the reality. But I also want to say that our security cooperation with the United States or France or our other security partners is not directed against our other security partner. Another thing is that our partners may have concerns about how cooperation with others could affect their security systems. We are trying to manage this issue being as transparent as possible. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - As part of your realignment, embracing other security structures, you joined the International Criminal Court, I believe it happened on December 1 or January 31, Armenia formally joined the Rome Statute. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine. If Vladimir Putin arrived in Yerevan, would you arrest him? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - First of all, I want to say that the Republic of Armenia started the process of joining the Rome Statute in December 2022, and that decision was conditioned by the assessment of changes in our security environment. We ratified the Rome Statute, among other things, analyzing the consequences of the September 2022 war and noting that there are some cracks in our security system. In that sense, we also ratified the Rome Statute as an additional factor to increase Armenia's security level. I understand that it was a difficult time period, and we made that decision because it was a difficult period. That decision serves to increase the security level of Armenia. As for the legal nuances, I can't carry out a legal analysis right now because that's the job of lawyers. I think, as I said, Armenia as a responsible state should adhere to all its international commitments, including the commitments it has in relations with the Russian Federation, the commitments it has in relations with the international community. By the way, there are various opinions and legal analyzes on that topic, and in particular, the lawyers who say that the current heads of state have immunity, insurmountable immunity, due to their status are not just a few. I mean, it's a legal issue, not a political issue that I have to discuss and respond to. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - Part of the world says Vladimir Putin should be arrested for war crimes. You have an obligation to do so. If he comes to Armenia, will the Armenian police arrest the Russian President and send him to The Hague? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Let me open a secret to you. Since 2018, many large-scale democratic reforms have started in Armenia, and I do not make decisions about who should be arrested and who should not be arrested. There is an established legal order in Armenia, there are legal institutions, and in all cases the legal institutions of Armenia are the ones who make such decisions. For that we have the Prosecutor's Office, we have courts, we have the Investigative Committee and so on. It is very important that, being a member of the Eastern Partnership, the Republic of Armenia stands out especially for institutional reforms of having an independent judicial system. There is rule of law in the Republic of Armenia; the Prime Minister has his powers in the Republic of Armenia. Under no circumstances those powers include the solution of the question whether this person should be arrested or not. All of that is done through legal procedures. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - I understand, I mean, it might put you in a bit of an awkward situation. Is it possible for you to simply call Vladimir Putin and tell him just not to come, because you cannot promise that he will not be arrested? This is quite an awkward situation, isn't it? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - I don't think that Vladimir Vladimirovich needs my advice. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - You say that your new cooperation with the West is not directed against Russia in any way, that Russia does not need to worry about that, that you are simply diversifying your security environment. Now I am quoting a comment from an anonymous source, presumably a high-ranking Russian official, given to the TASS agency in October. "We consider the October 17 speech of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in the European Parliament to be absolutely irresponsible and provocative, especially as far as Russia and Russian-Armenian relations are concerned. We see how Armenia is trying to turn into Ukraine number 3. Pashinyan is following in Volodymyr Zelenskyys footsteps by quantum leaps." If I were you, I would be pretty worried about such rhetoric coming from Russia, given what Russia is doing in Ukraine. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - In general, I like to comment on quotes after reading them myself, with all due respect, from a third source, at least that's what my political experience has shown me. But, in general, continuing to answer to the previous question, I will say the following that we, as I clearly said in my speech in the European Parliament, we cooperate with the European Union, our relations with the European Union are deepening. By the way, I want to draw your attention to a very important fact that a very significant event has taken place in our region in recent months, and this significant event is regardless of attitudes and political assessments, because attitudes and political assessments can vary, but our immediate neighbor and friendly Georgia has become a candidate for European Union membership. Basically, I think that it is very important and essential for Armenia to position itself around that event. Of course, I had the opportunity to congratulate my Georgian counterpart and the people of Georgia on the occasion of that important event. I think that it is an event that will inevitably have an impact on the overall picture and atmosphere of our region. The Republic of Armenia and our government should position around that event. I can tell you one thing, and perhaps it is obvious from what I said: if I congratulated Georgia and the Georgian government and the people on that occasion, it is obvious that I consider it a positive event. Otherwise, what would be the point of congratulating? The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - I mean, you want to lead your country in the direction of the EU? Make it a goal? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan We should clarify what we mean by saying direction, because even before I became the prime minister, Armenia and the European Union had already signed the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement. Now that agreement is being implemented. It is obvious that the relations between Armenia and the European Union are deepening and it is obvious that the relations between Armenia and the European Union are deepening, including under the conditions and because of the implementation of the "Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement". But, of course, on the other hand, it is obvious that the relations between Armenia and the European Union are getting closer because, according to the international community, we have visible successes in implementing democratic reforms. You know, this subtlety is very important for understanding our situation, the situation and many events that are unfolding in Armenia. Look, we don't turn away from anyone. We are implementing the messages received from our people. And that message is primarily about democratic reforms. And democracy, democratic reforms, the development of a democratic society are not agendas caused by certain circumstances. I have stated many times that this is a strategy for us, and in my speech in the European Parliament I stated that we will continue the implementation of these strategies, we will continue these reforms. And I said that the Republic of Armenia is ready to be as close to the European Union as the European Union deems it possible. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant Forgive me for pushing this question. The reason I ask about Russia's sharp reaction after Armenia joined the ICC is because... Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Excuse me, whose reaction are you talking about? The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - I'm talking about a quote I read for you from an anonymous Russian official. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Excuse me, is the source you quoted, the Russian official, an anonymous official? Did I understand correctly? The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - Yes, that's the comment given to TASS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - But I'm sorry, you can even not send the link, because I don't think it's appropriate for the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia to comment on what the anonymous source said. Can you imagine how many anonymous sources there are now? If we start with anonymous sources... The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - OK, I understand. But I mean, it is a state Russian news agency, it sends certain messages, and those messages are not sent for any reason. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - You know, if the source is anonymous, it means that he is not really so confident in what he says. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - Perhaps. But the reason I ask these sharp questions is because of your geography... Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - I like sharp questions. The Telegraph. Roland Oliphant - So where is Armenia? Whether you like it or not, you have to cope with the war in Ukraine, this big confrontation between Russia and the West, you also have the border with Iran; we are seeing a war between Israel and Gaza, which carries risks of turning into a wider Israeli-Iranian confrontation. All of those things overlap here, in the South Caucasus. How bad could things get here? Are you concerned that these interlocking international crises could meet in this region? Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Excuse me, which country are you from? The Telegraph. Roland Oliphant - I'm from the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Look, unfortunately, there are very deep concerns both in the UK and in all European countries. I participate in the summits of the European Political Community, and we hold discussions on the international situation both in open and behind-doors formats. I don't know a single state in the world today, at least the states whose leaders I interact with, that does not have deep security concerns. Why am I saying this? First, two things. I do not want this conversation to give the impression that the security challenges in Armenia are considerably more critical than in many other countries of the world. But on the other hand, I do not want to create the impression that the Armenian government does not realize how critical Armenia's security challenges are. Do you understand my point? You see, I communicate with leaders of many European countries and not just European ones. All countries have these security challenges because we live in a world where no one can tell what will happen tomorrow morning or tonight. This is the whole logic of the modern world. And if we also take globalization, the world has become much smaller. See what's happening around us, what's happening in Ukraine, what's happening in Israel, what's happening in our nearby sea basins. No one can be relaxed. If anyone were to think that they are more relaxed in the global world or should be more relaxed than the government or citizens of the Republic of Armenia, they would be significantly wrong. Secondly, the challenges you mentioned, and I am saying this in all seriousness because now and for the last two years the international community is discussing whether or not there will be a nuclear war. And because I am in a position where I have interactions with several potential sides of that nuclear war, I know how serious a topic it is. In this sense, at least, Armenia is significantly safer because I don't think anyone is going to launch a nuclear strike on Armenia. Meanwhile, many countries are not sure that they feel so secure. The reason I am reacting to you like this is that I want you to understand me correctly. It is very important to understand that in many other countries it is not safer than in the Republic of Armenia. And from another perspective, by the way, the Republic of Armenia ranks 7th in the world in terms of its domestic safety level on Numbeo's latest ranking. I mean, now you are sitting in the 7th safest country in the world, which I think is not bad. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - What is your message to my readers, to the government ministers who read my newspaper? Because the world, as you said, is seriously discussing the chances of nuclear war in a reality where we cant predict what is going to happen tomorrow. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan The message I would send to your readers is the following: I know how difficult it is, I know what hardships need to be overcome, and I will do my best for peace to be established in our region, I will do the share of work that concerns us, and I hope that other countries in our region will do the same. For some of our partners there is confidence that they will do so, for others there is not so much confidence, but that is one of the key goals and meanings of our foreign relations, and we have called that policy "regionalization" so that we can achieve peace in our region. The Telegraph: Roland Oliphant - Thank you for the interview, Mr. Prime Minister. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan - Thank you. All the best to you. The diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary are now fully restored after President Vahagn Khachaturyans official visit to Hungary on February 5-7, Deputy Foreign Minister Paruyr Hovhannisyan has said, Armenpress reported. We didnt have any high-level visits to Hungary for more than eleven years, and with this visit, we can say that the Armenian-Hungarian diplomatic relations are fully restored, Hovhannisyan told Armenpress, describing the trip as comprehensive. Id like to mention the importance which we attach to this in terms of partnership with the EU. Hungary will assume the EU presidency in July, and from this perspective Hungarys stance is very important in terms of deepening and enhancing our partnership with the EU. Besides, a number of important sectoral cooperation directions were discussed, Hovhannisyan said, pointing out the talks involving Armenian Healthcare Minister Anahit Avanesyan, and Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Artur Martirosyan with their Hungarian counterparts, as well as discussions with lawmakers. The Deputy FM said that given the Hungarian sides interest, Armenia presented the Crossroads of Peace project. Hungary attaches importance to energy and transport projects in the South Caucasus, not only with Armenia but also with our neighboring countries. I think that all these issues were important for us and the visit served its goal, Hovhannisyan said. Hovhannisyan said that the Hungarian side regrets for what happened in the past and has done several steps to restore the diplomatic relations. Hungary provided support to the Gurgen Margaryan School, supported in the issue of release of prisoners of war, sent humanitarian aid during the pandemic. All of this shows that the Hungarian side regrets for the pain caused in the past and tries to restore the relations based on the existing rich historical ties. Hungary is home to one of the oldest Armenian communities. The Armenian community in Hungary enjoys a number of privileges: they have representation in parliament, and the Armenian church in Budapest has been restored. Hungarys very sensitive approach towards Christian minorities also matches our approaches. All of this created the grounds to believe that there was a sincere desire to overcome that painful chapter and move forward, Hovhannisyan said. Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Hungary were severed in 2012 by then-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan after Hungary extradited Ramil Safarov, the convicted murderer of an Armenian officer, to Azerbaijan. Armenian military officer Lt. Gurgen Margaryan was murdered by Azerbaijani military officer Ramil Safarov during a February 2004 training course organized by NATO in Hungary. Gurgen Margaryan was asleep in his room when Safarov attacked him with an axe. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Hungarian court. However, in 2012 Hungary extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan upon Bakus request, where he was pardoned. On the same day, then-President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan severed diplomatic relations with Hungary. But ten years later, in 2022, Armenia and Hungary agreed to restore diplomatic relations. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan will pay a working visit to Brussels, on Monday and Tuesday, to participate in the 5th session of the Armenia-European Union (EU) Partnership Council. Also, Mirzoyan will meet with the FM of Belgium and several other high-ranking officials, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. The 5th meeting of the Armenia-EU Partnership Council will be held Tuesday, with the participation of the Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan and Josep Borrell, the Vice President of the European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The agenda of the meeting includes a wide range of matters. The implementation process of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement, including the reforms implemented in Armenia and their results. The prospects of deepening the Armenia-EU partnership in various domains will also be touched upon, taking into account the current priorities and existing challenges. The security situation in the South Caucasus and regional matters will also be discussed. Following the results of the meeting, Ararat Mirzoyan and Josep Borrell will hold a joint press conference, which will be broadcast live by the EU Counciland starting at 5pm Armenia time. Today, Armenia has serious contracts on technico-military cooperation and weapons acquisition not only with India and France, but also with some other countries with major progress in the technico-military domain. Armen Khachatryan, an MP from the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction and Deputy Chair of the Standing Committee on Defense and Security of the National Assembly of Armenia, said this in an interview with the RFE/RL Armenian Service. The ruling force lawmaker did not elaborate on this matter, but emphasized that although it was a rather difficult situation for Armenia after the war in 2020, there was a vacuum in arms acquisition and technico-military cooperation, but this matter was "resolved in a surprisingly short period of time." "In any case, today we have serious contracts on technico-military cooperation, weapons acquisition, as is already known, with India, France. And we must say that we have [respective] contracts also with countries that are great powers and have made serious progress in the technico-military domain. Of course, we won't talk, we won't say about it, but it's not only France and India," said the Armenian ruling power MP, and stressed that "in the last one or two years, a greater amount of work has been carried out, the results of which we will see in the very near future." Also, Khachatryan emphasized that Armenia has major technico-military cooperation contracts with Russia as well, and that there are respective obligations that Russia has partly fulfilled, but still has to fulfill. "We are acquiring types of weapons that can be considered state-of-the-artat least fourth- fifth-generation weapons. We will not acquire used weapons. That is, by studying the tactics of modern wars, we also have serious analyses. As well as based on the bitter experience of the 44-day war [in 2020], we already know what types of weapons are needed, and the countries that have these types weapons and are willing to sell us those types of weapons. We , definitely, are collaborating with those countries," said Khachatryan. ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has inaugurated the Adwa Victory Memorial at the heart of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, in commemoration of the country's victory against Italian invaders in 1896. The inauguration of the memorial Sunday came days before the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the 128th anniversary of the Adwa victory. The Adwa Victory Memorial commemorates the historic Battle of Adwa, which took place on March 1, 1896. The battle marked Ethiopia's victory over Italian forces and ensured the country's independence and sovereignty during the so-called scramble for Africa, setting a historic example for the independence movement of African countries in the 1960s. In his remarks at the inauguration of the memorial, Abiy Ahmed called on all Ethiopians to maintain the values and wisdom of their forefathers to preserve the national unity and prosperity of the country. The prime minister also urged the current generation to inherit the wisdom of forefathers to deal with differences, preserve unity and defend the sovereignty of the nation. "Being sons and daughters of heroes and heroines who bravely fought the battle of Adwa is a reward uniquely bestowed upon Ethiopians," he said. President Sahle-Work Zewde, speaking at the ceremony, said the Adwa Victory Memorial serves as a tribute to the bravery, resilience, and heroism of Ethiopian soldiers and leaders who defended their homeland against colonial aggression. She noted that Emperor Menelik II, who led the war against Italian invaders, Empress Taytu Betul and other patriots are well honored through statues, artifacts and works of art at the memorial. The memorial also houses a collection of artifacts, documents, and photographs, among other things, that depict Ethiopian historical events like the battle of Adwa and the struggle against colonialism. The drum by which the war was heralded, armaments and costumes patriots used during the war are among the items showcased on the premises of the memorial building. Tsehay, the first aircraft built in Ethiopia in 1935, which was recently returned to Ethiopia by Italy, is also on display at the memorial. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan (MFA) issued a statement against the European Union civilian monitoring mission in Armenia (EUMA). Recent case of prevention of an attempt of illegal crossing through the areas of responsibility of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) casts the serious shadow over the declared tasks of the Mission, the Azerbaijan MFA noted in its statement. It argued that such actions by no means conform with the declared goals of EUMA of contributing to trust and confidence as a neutral actor. "The EU side was urged to take all necessary measures with a view to ensuring that EUMA deployed in the territory of Armenia act strictly as a neutral, civilian and unarmed mission in line with its declared mandate, and refrain from any activity that would target Azerbaijans sovereignty, territorial integrity or in any other manner affect its legitimate security interests," the Azerbaijan MFA added. Peter Michalko, the Ambassador of the EU to Azerbaijan, was summoned to the latters MFA on Monday. During the meeting the serious concern was reiterated with regard to the activities of the EU Monitoring Mission in Armenia (EUMA) that contradict initial agreements with respect to this mission and activities, Azerbaijani media reported. Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly (NA), Sargis Khandanyan, on Monday met with the Ambassador of Latvia to Armenia, Edite Mednewhose respective diplomatic residence is in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Khandanyan highlighted the intensification of Armenias parliamentary relations with Latvia, the active contacts, and the effective cooperation between their parliamentary friendship groups, the NA informed. Also, the aforesaid committee chair presented the security situation in Armenias region, and spoke about the Crossroads of Peace project introduced by the Armenian government. In addition, Sargis Khandanyan touched upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process, and its reasons for delay. He added that the Armenian authorities still implement democratic reforms in a number of domains. (PAK) Investment Analysis and Advice Longer Term Trading Plans for PAK Buy PAK slightly over 16.81 target 18.27 stop loss @ 16.76 Details The technical summary data tells us to buy PAK near 16.81 with an upside target of 18.27. This data also tells us to set a stop loss @ 16.76 to protect against excessive loss in case the stock begins to move against the trade. 16.81 is the first level of support below 16.99 , and by rule, any test of support is a buy signal. In this case, support 16.81 is being tested, a buy signal would exist. Short PAK slightly under 18.27, target 16.81, stop loss @ 18.32 Details The technical summary data is suggesting a short of PAK as it gets near 18.27 with a downside target of 16.81. We should have a stop loss in place at 18.32though. 18.27 is the first level of resistance above 16.99, and by rule, any test of resistance is a short signal. In this case, if resistance 18.27 is being tested, a short signal would exist. Swing Trading Plans for PAK Buy PAK slightly over n/a, target n/a, Stop Loss @ 0 Details If n/a begins to break higher, the technical summary data tells us to buy PAK just slightly over n/a, with an upside target of n/a. The data also tells us to set a stop loss @ 0 in case the stock turns against the trade. n/a is the first level of resistance above 16.99, and by rule, any break above resistance is a buy signal. In this case, n/a, initial resistance, would be breaking higher, so a buy signal would exist. Because this plan is based on a break of resistance, it is referred to as a Long Resistance Plan. Short PAK slightly near n/a, target 16.91, Stop Loss @ 0. Details The technical summary data is suggesting a short of PAK if it tests n/a with a downside target of 16.91. We should have a stop loss in place at 0 though in case the stock begins to move against the trade. By rule, any test of resistance is a short signal. In this case, if resistance, n/a, is being tested a short signal would exist. Because this plan is a short plan based on a test of resistance it is referred to as a Short Resistance Plan. Day Trading Plans for PAK Buy PAK slightly over 18.27, target n/a, Stop Loss @ 18.23 Details If 18.27 begins to break higher, the technical summary data tells us to buy PAK just slightly over 18.27, with an upside target of n/a. The data also tells us to set a stop loss @ 18.23 in case the stock turns against the trade. 18.27 is the first level of resistance above 16.99, and by rule, any break above resistance is a buy signal. In this case, 18.27, initial resistance, would be breaking higher, so a buy signal would exist. Because this plan is based on a break of resistance, it is referred to as a Long Resistance Plan. Short PAK slightly near 18.27, target 16.91, Stop Loss @ 18.31. Details The technical summary data is suggesting a short of PAK if it tests 18.27 with a downside target of 16.91. We should have a stop loss in place at 18.31 though in case the stock begins to move against the trade. By rule, any test of resistance is a short signal. In this case, if resistance, 18.27, is being tested a short signal would exist. Because this plan is a short plan based on a test of resistance it is referred to as a Short Resistance Plan. Real Time Updates are available on our Global X Msci Pakistan Etf (PAK) Page here: PAK. PAK Ratings for February 11: Term Near Mid Long Rating Neutral Neutral Strong P1 0 0 15.41 P2 16.89 16.91 16.81 P3 0 18.27 Triggers may have already come Get Real Time Triggers Here Triggers may have already come Support and Resistance Plot Chart for PAK Blue = Current Price Red= Resistance Green = Support Real Time Updates for Repeat Institutional Readers: Instructions: Click the Get Real Time Updates button below. In the login prompt, select forgot username Type the email you use for Factset Use the user/pass you receive to login You will have 24/7 access to real time updates. From then on you can just click to get the real time update whenever you want. GET REAL TIME UPDATES Market Crash Leading Indicator Our Market Crash Leading Indicator isEvitar Corte. Evitar Corte warned of market crash risk four times since 2000. It identified the Internet Debacle before it happened. It identified the Credit Crisis before it happened. It identified the Corona Crash too. See what Evitar Corte is Saying Now. Get Notified When our Ratings Change:Take a Trial Prudent Investment Analysis requires observations of the support and resistance levels for Global X Msci Pakistan Etf (NYSE: PAK) too. These define prudent trading plans. Warning: PNN New Delhi [India], February 12: After two decades, Jai Walia, the iconic pop sensation from the acclaimed band The Aryans, is poised to make a victorious solo comeback with his latest release, "Jo Tere Sang Guzare The". Renowned for his chart-topping hits such as "Aankhon Mein" and "Yeh Hawa Kehti Hai Kya," Jai Walia's indelible mark on the hearts of music lovers remains unmatched. Having captivated audiences worldwide with his unforgettable melodies, Jai Walia is primed to shatter records once again with his forthcoming release. His return to the spotlight is a beacon of anticipation for fans who have long awaited his musical resurgence. His latest single, "Jo Tere Sang Guzare The," with His Latest Release is all set to release on February 11th, just in time for the Valentine's season. Jai Walia is teaming up with renowned director Punit Gandhi, known for his work on popular shows like CID, Savdhan India, and Crime Patrol. With this latest track, Jai is poised to resonate deeply with listeners everywhere. Jai Walia decided to return to making music after meeting his former manager, Ayesha Shamim, by chance. Ayesha had faced tough times dealing with stage four endometriosis and breast cancer, but she didn't give up. Doctors had given her only 8 months to live back in 2008, but she proved them wrong and became a symbol of bravery. It's been 15 years since then. Ayesha's invitation for Jai to perform D DANCE THEATRE CIC a charity event for health and wellness in the UK on October 1st inspired him to get back into music. The release of "Jo Tere Sang Guzare The" is proudly sponsored by Novvalife UK & India, produced by Sakshi Sachdeva, reflecting a shared commitment to fostering artistic expression and spreading joy through music. As anticipation mounts for Jai Walia's solo comeback, fans and music enthusiasts alike eagerly await the release of his latest masterpiece, poised to capture the essence of love and nostalgia. Triumphant Solo Comeback After 20 Years, Touching Hearts with His Latest Release: Jai Walia's "Jo Tere Sang Guzare The" (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) VMPL New Delhi [India], February 12: Edovu Ventures, a pioneering force in the realm of education, proudly announces the resounding success of the Education and Edupreneur Summit 2024 at JW Marriott New Delhi, marking a monumental milestone in the journey towards transformative education. The summit, organized under the auspices of Edovu Ventures, will commence with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp & panel discussion symbolizing the dawn of a new era in education. This landmark event witnessed the convergence of visionaries, educators, investors, and thought leaders from across the globe, igniting conversations and fostering collaborations to shape the future of education. Under the stewardship of Edovu Ventures, the summit served as a beacon of inspiration, driving transformative change in the educational landscape. Our flagship K12 Online Schools, American EduGlobal School collaboration with Saddle River Day School - USA, and eduXLL is an online higher education vertical. PK Samal, Founder & Managing Director of Edovu Ventures", articulates our vision with unwavering clarity: "Our flagship institution not only delivers world-class education but also moulds students for the future by integrating innovative and forward-thinking disciplines." As the first educational group to offer education from primary to PhD levels, our commitment to comprehensive learning is unparalleled. Our collaboration with Jeff Goldberg Studio for performing arts further underscores our dedication to holistic development. We extend sincere gratitude to Freddy Svane for fostering educational relations, a testament to the mutual benefit for students in both nations. With ambitious projections of 500 CR within five years, we are poised to redefine educational excellence on a global scale. Vaibhav Shastri, Co-founder of K12 Online Schools, eduXLL, and American EduGlobal School articulates our collaborative ethos with Jeff Goldberg Studio: "This partnership underscores our mutual commitment to nurturing acting excellence and life skills through the arts." Our joy is further amplified by the expansion of American EduGlobal School, with new campuses in Sirsa, Lucknow, and Pune. At our institutions, we pledge to provide comprehensive opportunities and guidance, nurturing students from their earliest stages. With K12 Online Schools transcending borders to serve students from over 40 countries, our expansion into the USA, Australia, and New Zealand reaffirms our global reach and unwavering dedication to educational excellence. Dr Kevin Merges, the Global Impact Officer of Saddle River Day School, New Jersey emphasizes the significance of American EduGlobal School's entry into India: "The arrival of American EduGlobal School initiates a transformative era in global education, bridging our esteemed legacy and forward-thinking learning principles with the dynamic landscape of this nation. Jeff Goldberg, Veteran Actor & Director and Founder of Jeff Goldberg Studio, outlines the upcoming initiatives: "New programs will be introduced for those with an interest in performing arts. In every Indian household, there should be at least one individual proficient in the performing arts. The challenge in this domain lies in reaching the audience, as family expectations evolve rapidly. Indian families prioritize formal education for their children, emphasizing the need for a solid backup plan. Online education offers a solution, enabling students to pursue both formal studies and their passions concurrently. With just an internet connection, students can access education from prestigious institutions in London, fulfilling a dream for many. Jalaj Desai, Head of School at Saddle River Day School, New Jersey USA, expresses enthusiasm for extending the institution's legacy to India: "We are delighted to bring the esteemed heritage of Saddle River Day School to India, nurturing a new gen of global learners. Our offerings will include student transfer and exchange programs to the USA, immersive study tours, collaborative initiatives for teachers, comprehensive teacher training, and, most importantly, a holistic approach to teaching and learning methodology aimed at fostering well-rounded development. Freddy Svane, Ambassador Denmark (Video Message): Hello my friends. I am extremely happy to welcome EduXLL. I know that you are signing an agreement with the Danish Consortium for Academic Craftsmanship, and I'm happy that this Danish organization can sign up with you. It's really important that that education brings a lot of comfort services to India. India is the world's youngest democracy and we need to bring knowledge inside to all these youngsters, not only in India but across India and Denmark. Stands for something very important. We would like to raise awareness about you, your and my individual responsibility. So, I would like to congratulate you on this. It's great and I see a lot of happy learning and learners and learn people coming out of that. Tell me about. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) According to a press release by Adani, this illustrious event, marking the institution's 7th convocation, witnessed the conferral of diplomas upon 66 students, symbolizing their academic journey and accomplishments. The ceremony was graced by the esteemed presence of Vinayak Chatterjee, Founder and Managing Trustee of The Infravision Foundation, who served as the chief guest. Dr Priti G. Adani, Chairperson of Adani Foundation, presided over the event, joined by Prof. Ravi P Singh, Director of the Adani Institute of Infrastructure and Provost of Adani University. The convocation hall was abuzz with the presence of eminent dignitaries from academia and industry. A total of 56 students received diplomas in PGDM (Infrastructure Management), while 10 graduates were honored from the PGDM (Law) program. Burigari Saiprasadini, a standout performer from PGDM (Infrastructure Management), was bestowed with the prestigious Gold Medal in recognition of her exceptional academic achievements. The evolution of AIIM into Adani University since 2022 has heralded a new era of academic innovation. The PGDM (Infrastructure Management) program has transitioned into an MBA (Infrastructure Management), aligning with contemporary educational paradigms. Notably, first-year MBA students were acknowledged for their outstanding academic performances. Jaivardhan Mittal, Mayank Mehta, and Avinash Yadav, all from the MBA (IM) program, received certificates honoring their meritorious achievements. Addressing the graduating cohort, Vinayak Chatterjee emphasized the importance of purpose and determination in shaping one's career trajectory. He underscored the vast opportunities in the infrastructure sector and encouraged students to embrace optimism and confidence as they embark on their professional journey. Dr Priti G. Adani lauded the pivotal role of infrastructure in driving economic growth and emphasized India's emergence as a global powerhouse. She commended the graduates for their dedication and acquisition of multifaceted skills, positioning them as future leaders and innovators in the dynamic infrastructure landscape. The 7th convocation marked a significant milestone in AIIM's relentless pursuit of excellence in infrastructure education and research. As it continues its journey under Adani University, the institution remains steadfast in its commitment to nurturing the next generation of leaders poised to steer the burgeoning infrastructure industry toward unprecedented heights. (ANI) Taking India's digital boom beyond the four corners of the country in a bid to revolutionise cross-border financial transactions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, participated in the virtual launch of the RuPay and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) linkage between Mauritius and India on Monday. The virtual event saw the presence of key dignitaries, including the Governor of the Bank of Mauritius, Harvesh Kumar Seegolam, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Dr P Nandalal Weerasinghe. The newly introduced payment infrastructure promises to facilitate seamless and secure transactions for customers of participating banks in both Mauritius and India. Under this system, RuPay cards issued in Mauritius will be accepted at ATM and Point of Sale (POS) terminals in India, while Indian nationals will be able to conduct UPI QR transactions at participating merchants in Mauritius. Addressing the significance of this project, PM Jugnauth said the Indian RuPay Card and UPI system represent a flagship initiative of the Government of India in Mauritius and Sri Lanka, aimed at enabling swift and efficient cross-border financial transactions. "India and Mauritius share strong cultural, commercial and people-to-people linkages and today we are bringing another dimension to this relationship through the launch of the new payment system. The collaboration of the BoM with the National Payments Corporation of India and the Reserve Bank of India has marked a new chapter in the history of payments in Mauritius," Jugnauth said. He elaborated on how the system will enable Indians visiting Mauritius and vice versa to make payments through mobile applications, ensuring instantaneous transactions in domestic currency with direct conversion, thus eliminating the need for currency exchange. The Mauritian PM also expressed gratitude to the Union government for its support in leveraging digital transformation in the island country. He also hailed the innovative digital platform, Mauritius Central Automated Switch (MAUCAS), for revolutionizing the payment landscape in Mauritius and driving fintech developments. "This bears testimony to our commitment to the development of our people by enhancing Fintech connectivity and strengthening cross-border transactions and connections." Jugnauth said. PM Narendra Modi highlighted the project's role in creating modern digital links among three friendly countries in the Indian Ocean Region. He praised India's digital public infrastructure for bringing revolutionary changes, citing the record number of transactions amounting to two trillion Indian rupees through the UPI system last year. Laying out the far-reaching impact of the RuPay Card and UPI system, Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that it will contribute significantly to the digital transformation of economies, driving changes in local economies, and promoting tourism. He reiterated India's continuous support to friendly countries and emphasised the potential for cross-border remittances and person-to-person payment facilities. The Governor of the Bank of Mauritius, Seegolam, also hailed the launch of the RuPay and UPI linkage as a significant milestone in enhancing financial connectivity and promoting digital transactions. He said the collaboration will facilitate seamless and secure cost-effective payments, strengthening economic ties between the two nations. "The launch of the RuPay and UPI linkage between Mauritius and India marks a significant milestone in our efforts to enhance financial connectivity and promote digital transactions. This collaboration will not only facilitate seamless and secure cost-effective payments for our customers but also strengthen the economic ties between our two nations," Seegolam said. SBI Mauritius Ltd (SBIML) has already taken a significant step towards enhancing the digital payment landscape in the country by introducing RuPay Card and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services. This initiative, in collaboration with the Bank of Mauritius (BOM), aims to revolutionise digital transactions in the country, increase competition in card service providers, and ultimately benefit customers, merchants, and banks involved. (ANI) The control room of Nagpur Police received a phone call from a person who identified himself as Venkatesh Rajan, the officers said, claiming that several explosives had been planted in the Govandi area and would go off any time. "On February 10, late at night, a person called the police control room, claiming that bombs had been planted at the Bank of Maharashtra at Deonar Colony, Govandi," an official said. A police team was rushed to the spot on receipt of the call, the officers said, adding that they inspected the area but found nothing. The police said further inquiry revealed that the person made the phone call under the influence of alcohol. The call was later deemed a hoax, the officers added. "When the police traced the caller's number and made further inquiries, it was found that the person made the call under the influence of alcohol. A case was registered in the matter and the caller was apprehended by Govandi police on February 11," the officer added. Further investigation is underway. (ANI) According to an official statement, the programme aims to create 100 start-ups, each with a valuation of Rs 100 crore, by the 100th anniversary of Odisha in 2036. To achieve this goal, the park will provide essential resources, mentorship, seed capital and access to potential investors, it said, adding that the park is set to expand from its present 20,000-square-foot area to about 80,000-square-foot over the next two years with the support of Rs 130 crore. Addressing the event, the Union Minister said the youth of Odisha and elsewhere across the country are full of passion and enthusiasm towards turning their ideas into successful ventures. "The 100-Cube Start-up Initiative will shape the future of the entrepreneurship landscape of Odisha and India by creating a conducive environment," he added. He stressed the growth of Odisha-related startups through this initiative, urging entrepreneurs across the country to come forward and invest in such ventures. Pradhan also called on the higher education institutions of Odisha and Eastern India to be a part of this mission. On the occasion, IIT Bhubaneswar signed MoUs with 15 companies to build strategic collaborations for achieving the 100 Cube objective. During the event, the Union Minister also officially inaugurated the 1500-seater auditorium hosting the event and laid the e-foundation for infrastructure projects worth Rs. 450 crores. Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT Bhubaneswar, RP Singh, highlighted the significance of innovation and research, along with a balance, by utilizing science and technology judiciously for the betterment of society. "I am confident that IIT Bhubaneswar will play a lead role in achieving the same," Singh said. (ANI) Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande will embark on a four-day official tour to the United States of America, starting February 13, an official statement from the Ministry of Defence said on Monday. "This visit underscores the deepening military cooperation and strategic partnership between India and the United States, aiming to further strengthen defence cooperation and foster stronger bonds between the armies of both nations," the release said. "During his visit, the COAS will engage in high-level discussions and interactions with General Randy George, the United States Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA), and other senior military leaders. Highlights of the tour include a prestigious US Army Honour Guard ceremony, a solemn laying of the wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, and a comprehensive tour of the Pentagon. These engagements symbolise the respect and mutual commitment towards global peace and security shared between the two countries," it added. Ideas will be exchanged on crucial topics such as "Transformation in the Indian Army," "Global Threat Perception," "Transformation to Army-2030/2040," "Human Resource Challenges," "Future Force Development and Modernization," and "Co-Production and Co-Development Initiatives." "These discussions are aimed at sharing insights, ideas, and best practices between the two armies," it added. Further, the itinerary includes a visit to the 'Army Geospatial Centre' at Fort Belvoir, the 'National Defence University' at Fort McNair, and interactions with leadership at Headquarters 1 Corps. He will also engage with units at the forefront of military innovation and strategy, including the Stryker Unit, the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, the 1st Special Forces Group in Seattle, and the Defence Innovation Unit in San Francisco. A visit to the California National Guard is also planned, highlighting the comprehensive nature of the visit aimed at exploring avenues for more significant training, co-development, and co-production engagements, as per the statement. General Randy George, US CSA, had recently visited India for the Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs Conference (IPACC), which was jointly hosted by the Indian Army and the US Army. The conference was attended by 18 chiefs of armies and 12 countries represented by heads of delegations. During IPACC, General Randy George and General Manoj Pande engaged in constructive dialogue, addressing a wide range of issues related to military cooperation, synergizing approaches to HADR, increasing military exchange endeavours, and other issues of mutual interest. Their interactions, including a joint press conference, underscore the deepening cooperation and collaborative spirit between the military leadership of the two nations, setting a positive backdrop for General Pande's current visit to the United States. The statement further said that this visit is another milestone in the Indo-US defence relationship, reflecting a mutual desire to enhance military collaboration, exchange strategic perspectives on global threat perceptions, and work together towards future force development and modernization. The engagements between General Manoj Pande and senior leadership of the United States Army are poised to yield substantive outcomes, fostering an environment conducive to shared security interests and defence cooperation, it said. (ANI) The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) came down heavily on Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi after he refused to read the state government's customary address in the Assembly on Monday. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan alleged that Governor Ravi is unaware of the customs followed in the state that he is serving. He said that the policy of the state government is given to the governor to read in the customary speech and questioned the governor's refusal to read them out. "He doesn't know where Tamil Nadu is. He must first find out where Tamil Nadu is because for the past 25 years the Tamil anthem was the first thing that was sung in the Assembly before the Governor's address. And then finally the national anthem will be sung. That has been the practice for more than 20-25 years since the Tamil anthem was introduced. Who is he to agree with what is in the Governor's address?," Elangovan said while speaking to ANI on Monday. Drawing parallels with the presidential address in Parliament, Elangovan said that the party running the government decides on what the address is. "The policy of the state government is given to the governor to read it out in the assembly. Whether he reads it or not, let him become part of the assembly proceedings. It is the party that is running the government which has made certain promises to the people who have elected them. It is for them to decide on what the address is," the DMK leader said. "Even in parliament, the presidential address is prepared by the government cabinet, not by the president. He is already being mocked by many people. He's becoming a joker," he added. State BJP vice president Narayanan Thirupathy said the Governor was well within his rights to skip portions of the address that had wrong information. "The Governor has said repeatedly that the national anthem should be played both at the start and end of the assembly session. What is the problem in doing that? If there are wrong statistics ( in the address) the Governor has the right to omit or deny them" Narayanan Thirupathy said. AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami however refused to wade into the controversy saying it was a matter between the Governor and the DMK. "The Governor requested that the National Anthem be recited at the beginning of the session of Tamil Nadu Assembly. After his suggestion was ignored, he refused to make the customary address. This is an issue between the Governor and the state government" Palaniswami said. Earlier in the day, the first session of the year 2024 of the Tamil Nadu Assembly saw unprecedented scenes when Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi refused to read the customary address prepared by the government on "factual and moral grounds." The governor refused to accept the customary address prepared by the government and said few remarks, which were later expunged from the Assembly records. Governor Ravi then walked out of the assembly before the session concluded and without waiting for the customary singing of the National Anthem. Tamil Nadu assembly speaker M Appavu responded to the governor's remarks, which were also later removed from Assembly records. After this, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution to only take the approved English and Tamil speech of the Governor on the Assembly record. Similar scenes were witnessed last year on January 9, 2023, when Governor RN Ravi walked out in a rush following the adoption of a resolution moved by Chief Minister MK Stalin that sought to expunge, from house records, whatever the Governor spoke outside the customary government-prepared address. Soon after the Governor completed his speech, a resolution to exclude a certain portion of the speech was adopted by the Assembly, which then prompted the Governor to leave the assembly in a hurry. (ANI) Chavan has submitted his resignation to Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Nana Patole. Also, in the letter, Chavan mentioned his designation as a former MLA. The former MPCC president also served as MP of Lok Sabha from 1987 to 1989 and was re-elected to the lower house in May 2014. He was the Vice President and General Secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee during the period 1986 to 1995. He served the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for three terms starting in 1999 till May 2014. He has served as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra state from December 8 2008 to November 9 2010. On November 9 2010, the Congress Party asked him to resign from office over corruption allegations relating to Adarsh Housing Society scam. In the 2014 general elections, Chavan was elected from the Nanded constituency but lost the seat in 2019 Pratap Patil Chikhalikar of the BJP Chavan comes from an influential political family. He is the son of Shankarrao Chavan, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Union Home Minister. Chavan is the third big name to desert the Congress ship in Maharashtra. First to go was former South Mumbai MP Milind Deora followed by former MLA Baba Siddique. When questioned if Chavan was going to join the BJP, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis gave a cryptic reply. "Several tall leaders of other parties want to join BJP. Especially, several Congress leaders are in touch with us because of the behaviour of the senior leaders. They are feeling suffocated in their party...Who all are in our contact that will be revealed soon. Aage aage dekhiye hota hain kya" Chavan who represents Bhokar, Nanded as an MLA was reported to have severe differences with state party chief Nana Patole. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Monday suspended the sentences of four life convicts in the Saumya Vishwanathan murder case. The division bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Girish Kathpaliya suspended the sentences till the pendency of their appeals in the matter. Advocate Amit Kumar appeared for Baljeet Malik and Amit Shukla and submitted that they have been in custody for 14 years and 10 months. The trial court sentenced Ravi Kapoor, Ajay Kumar, Baljeet Malik and Amit Shukla to life term after convicting them of murder and other offences under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) . The Delhi High Court had on January 23, issued notice to the Delhi police on a plea seeking suspension of sentence (bail) till the disposal of their appeals against conviction and sentence. Their appeals against conviction and double life have been admitted by the High Court. The nominal rolls of convicts were called from the jail. They were convicted for murder and running a crime syndicate. The court had directed that convicts undergo the life sentence consecutively. Convicts Ravi Kapoor, Baljeet Singh Malik, Amit Shukla and Ajay Kumar have filed appeals through Advocate Amit Kumar and others challenging the judgment of October 18, 2023 and sentence for offence under section 302/34 IPC read with Section 3(1)(I) of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999. They also sought suspension of sentence during the pendency of appeals.In this case, an FIR was registered under section 302 IPC at Police Station Vasant Kunj in 2008. In this case, the trial court convicted Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Singh Malik, Ajay Kumar and Ajay Sethi. The trial court had passed an Order on Sentence dated November 25, 2023, passed by the court at Saket Courts, whereby convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment along with fine of Rs 25,000 for commission of offence punishable under section 302 IPC. The appellant, Baljeet Singh Malik, was further sentenced to imprisonment for life along with a fine of Rs 1,00,000 for the commission of an offense punishable under Section 3(l)(i) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999. It was ordered that in case the appellant failed to make the payment of a total fine of Rs 1,25,000, he shall undergo simple imprisonment for a period of 6 months. It was further ordered that the sentences awarded to the appellant under Section 302 IPC and under Section 3(l)(i) of MCOCA, 1999, shall run consecutively. It was further ordered that, in case the total fine amount of Rs 1,25,000 is paid bythe appellant, a sum of Rs 1,20,000 be released as compensation to the parents of the deceased/victim and a sum of Rs 4,000 be deposited to the State as litigation expenses in terms of the guidelines of judgment titled "'Karan Verma vs State of NCT of Delhi" and Rs 1000 be deposited as a fine to the state. On October 18, 2023, while convicting the accused persons, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Ravindra Kumar Pandey held that the accused persons were involved in criminal activities and were members of an organized crime syndicate. The court had said that the prosecution has also duly proved beyond all reasonable doubt the charge of offence punishable under Section 3 (1) (i) of the MCOC Act against the accused Ravi Kapoor and co-accused persons, namely Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar and Baljeet Malik, and accordingly, they are held guilty and convicted for the charge of commission of offence punishable under Section 3 (1) (i) of the MCOC Act, 1999. The court also convicted four accused, Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar and Baljeet Malik, for the offence of murder. "The Court is of the considered view that prosecution has duly proved beyond all reasonable doubt that accused Ravi Kapoor and his other associates, co-accused Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar and Baljeet Malik, committed murder of the victim Saumya Vishwanathan with the intention to rob her on September 30, 2008, in between 03.25 am and 03.55 am at Nelson Mandela Marg," the judge said. They are accordingly held guilty and convicted for the charge of an offence punishable under Section 302/34 IPC, judgement read. ASJ Pandey had said, "Prosecution has duly proved by producing the circumstantial evidence, scientific evidence and eyewitnesses who identified the accused persons Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar, and Baljeet Singh Malik to corroborate the confessional statement of the accused Ravi Kapoor as recorded under Section 18 of the MCOC Act to establish the fact that accused Ravi Kapoor, in furtherance of common intention with the accused persons Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar and Baljeet Singh Malik, had murdered the deceased/victim Saumya Vishwanathan with the bullet fired by a country-made pistol." "It is proved from the above discussion that accused Ajay Sethi used to provide the necessary facilities to the co-accused Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ajay Kumar in the commission of the offense of the organized crime syndicate led by accused Ravi Kapoor," the court said in the judgement. The court also said that the prosecution has also duly proved beyond all reasonable doubt that accused Ajay Sethi retained knowingly and intentionally the offending car originally stolen from Vasant Kunj and he is accordingly held guilty and convicted for a charge of an offense punishable under Section 411 IPC. They have also been convicted under sections of MCOCA. While convicting him, the court said that the prosecution has also duly proved beyond all reasonable doubt that accused Ajay Sethi abetted or knowingly facilitated the commission of organized crime by the organized crime syndicate led by accused Ravi Kapoor, with its other members Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik, and Ajay Kumar. "He also used to hold the property derived or obtained from the proceeds of organized crime of the organized crime syndicate and the charge regarding the same for the commission of an offense punishable under MCOCA, "ASJ Pandey held. Accordingly, he is held guilty and convicted for the charge of an offense punishable under Section 3 (2) of the MCOC Act and the charge of an offense punishable under Section 3 (5) of the MCOC Act, 1999," ASJ Pandey said. As per prosecution on September 30, 2008, in between 03.25 am and 03.55 am, near Pole No 78, at Nelson Mandela Marg, New Delhi, the accused persons namely Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Ajay Kumar and Baljeet Singh Malik, had committed the murder of deceased/victim Saumya Vishwanathan, daughter of MK Vishwanathan, by firing the bullet through a country-made pistol in order to rob her. The said bullet was fired by Ravi Kapoor at Saumya Vishwanathan while they were chasing her car. It was further alleged that the victim was chased by the accused persons when she was returning from her office to her home and the accused persons chased the victim's car in order to rob her as she was travelling alone in her car. It was an allegation against the co-accused, Ajay Sethi, that on April 6, 2009, at the parking lot of Sector 14, Faridabad, Haryana Market, he was found in possession of a stolen car belonging to Gaurav Singh. The said car was used in the commission of the offence against the deceased/victim Saumya Vishwanathan by the other co-accused persons, namely Ravi Kapoor, Amit Shukla, Baljeet Malik and Ajay Kumar. It was found that accused Ravi Kapoor and his other associates/co-accused persons were involved in the continuous unlawful activities by involving themselves in the cases in which violence or threat of violence was used for their joint pecuniary benefits for their livelihood and they were found to be members of an organized crime syndicate led by accused Ravi Kapoor. (ANI) Ahead of the floor test of CM Nitish Kumar''s government to prove their majority, RJD MLAs Chetan Anand, Neelam Devi and Prahlad Yadav were seen sitting on the government side in the Bihar Assembly causing a big jolt to the Opposition. Reacting to this, former Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said "MLAs should sit on their respective seats till the end of voting, otherwise voting will be considered invalid." Discussion on the motion to remove the Bihar Assembly Speaker Awadh Bihari Choudhary is currently underway in the State Assembly. Meanwhile, the workers of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party were detained for staging a protest against the Bihar government in Patna alleging that two MLAs were threatened to sit on the side of JDU''s whip. RJD Spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said, "Two MLAs Chetan Anand and Neelam Devi have been made to sit on the side of JDU''s whip. They were given threats and whatnot. What kind of horse trading is this?" Amid huddles and shifting of MLAs to secure locations in the state or beyond ahead of the crucial trust vote, both the JDU-NDA alliance and the RJD party claimed to have the majority. Launching a veiled attack on RJD, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said, "Under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, the JDU-NDA government will prove its majority on the floor. Our numbers are going to increase. Nothing will happen no matter what the opposition does. Jungle Raj will not return to Bihar." Ahead of the Bihar floor test, RJD leader Mrityunjay Tiwari claimed that all the MLAs have resolved to save Bihar. "Satya pareshan ho sakta hai lekin parajit nahi...In a few hours, everything will be known...Democracy will triumph. All the MLAs have made a resolution to save Bihar and its future and for that, the current government needs to be removed from power," the RJD leader said. RJD MLA Bhai Virendra said, "Yes, we have (majority mark). I have all the numbers...We will be ahead in the floor test..." The trust vote follows after Nitish took the oath as the chief minister of Bihar for the record ninth time after ditching its alliance with the RJD and forming a government with the BJP. Earlier in January, Nitish, who had reportedly gone into a sulk after not being named the convenor of INDIA, the Opposition bloc that took shape through his efforts, dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar and the national coalition to form a new government with the support of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Putting to rest frenzied speculations around his future and that of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar, Nitish resigned as chief minister on January 28, his second volte face in less than 18 months. The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S), have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively. With the support of another Independent MLA, the NDA has 128 MLAs in the House against 115 of the Mahagathbandhan. To go past the majority mark in the House, the ruling alliance needs 122 votes. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL challenging the practice of appointing Deputy Chief Ministers in States, saying the post does not breach the constitutional provisions. A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra found that the appointment of a deputy Chief Minister has no bearing in the constitutional sense as the label does not provide any extra perks. It said the minister was a minister first and that the post of deputy chief minister was "only a label." The post of deputy chief minister may not be defined under the Constitution, but there is no illegality in appointing senior leaders of the ruling party or a coalition of parties as deputy chief ministers, said the bench. "The appointment of deputy chief ministers is a practice followed in some states to give a little more importance to senior leaders in the party or coalition of parties in power...it's not unconstitutional," it opined. The top court rejected the PIL filed by the Delhi-based Public Political Party, which argued that states are setting the wrong example by appointing deputy chief ministers, which was done without any foundation in the Constitution. The lawyer said that there is no such officer stipulated in the Constitution, and such appointments also breach the rule of equality in the council of ministers. (ANI) TEHRAN, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi congratulated the Chinese people and government on the arrival of the Spring Festival and the Lunar New Year. In a post in Chinese language on social media platform X on Sunday night, Raisi said "I sincerely congratulate the People's Republic of China on the occasion of the Spring Festival and Lunar New Year, and wish Iran and China, two ancient civilizations, full of fresh vitality in the new year at all levels, especially in the development of the bilateral relations." He expressed hope that with the arrival of the spring and the Lunar New Year, the world would be filled with justice for all people, especially the "oppressed but strong" Palestinians. The beginning of this Chinese Lunar New Year, or the Year of the Dragon, fell on Feb. 10. Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan, in a release said that the government chose to ignore the advice of the Governor that led to the latter's refusal to read the customary address in the state assembly on Monday. Earlier in the day, the first session of the year 2024 of the Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed unprecedented scenes when Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi refused to accept the customary address prepared by the government and made a few remarks that were later expunged from the Assembly records. Governor Ravi then walked out from the Assembly before the session concluded and without waiting for the customary playing of the National Anthem. In a press release issued by the Raj Bhavan, it stated, "The Government chose to ignore the advice of Governor. Governor in his address to the House at 10 am today (February 12, 202) greeted the Speaker, the Chief Minister, the Members of the House, and the people of Tamil Nadu, and read out the first paragraph which contained a Kural (738) of the renowned Saint Thiruvalluvar." "Thereafter, Governor with due regard to the constitutional proprieties expressed his inability to read the address as it contained numerous passages with misleading claims and facts and reading them would have amounted to Governor's address becoming a constitutional travesty," the release added. It further alleged that the address had numerous passages with "misleading claims far from the truth". "The Draft Governor's address was received at the Raj Bhavan, from the Government, on 9.2.2024. The address had numerous passages with misleading claims far from the truth," the release stated. "Governor returned the file with the following advice. To show due respect to the National Anthem and play it at the beginning and end of the Governor's address. In this regard, Governor has written letters to the Chief Minister and Speaker in the past also," it added. "Governor's address should reflect Government's achievements, policies and programmes and to inform the house of the 'causes of its summons" and should not be a forum for peddling, misleading statements and venting blatantly partisan political views," it said. The release also criticised the Speaker for "not following the schedule" alleging that he called the Governor a follower of Nathuram Godse. "Thereafter the Speaker read the Tamil version of the address. Governor sat through it till the conclusion of address," it said. "When the Speaker concluded the address, the Governor rose for the National Anthem, as scheduled. However, the Speaker instead of following the schedule launched a tirade against the Governor and called him a follower of Nathuram Godse and more. The speaker with his unbecoming conduct lowered the dignity of his chair and grace of the House," it added. "While the Speaker went on his tirade against the Governor, the Governor with due regard to the dignity of his office and the House left the House," the release further stated. However, the DMK camp hit out at the Governor over his refusal to accept the government's customary address. DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said, that policy of the state government is given to the Governor to read in the customary speech and questioned the Governor's actions refusing to read them out. Drawing parallels with the presidential address in Parliament, Elangovan said that the party running the government decides on what the address is. "The policy of the state government is given to the governor to read it out in the assembly. Whether he reads it or not, let become part of the assembly proceedings. It is the party which is running the government which has made certain promises to the people who have elected them. It is for them to decide on what the address is," the DMK leader said. "Even in the parliament, the presidential address is prepared by the government cabinet, not by the president. He is already being mocked by many people. He's becoming a joker," he added. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) general secretary Edappadi Palaniswami said that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi refused to give customary address in Assembly as his suggestion was "ignored." "Governor requested National Anthem should be sung in the beginning of the session along with Tamil Anthem. As his suggestion was ignored he refused to give a customary address," Palaniswami said. He further called it an "issue between the governor and the government." Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu responded to the Governor's remarks which was also later removed from Assembly records. After this, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution considering the Governor's address as fully delivered including those portions that were not read out. Similar scenes were witnessed last year on January 9, 2023, when Governor RN Ravi had walked out in a rush following the adoption of a resolution moved by Chief Minister MK Stalin which sought to expunge, from house records, whatever the Governor spoke outside the customary government-prepared address. Soon after the Governor completed his speech, a resolution to exclude a certain portion of the speech of the Governor was adopted by the Assembly, which had then prompted the Governor to leave the assembly in a hurry. (ANI) Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya virtually addressed the 5th Foundation Day celebration of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of AIIMS Jhajjar in the presence of Christina Scott, the British Deputy High Commissioner to India. In his address at the 5th Foundation Day celebration of the National Cancer Institute of AIIMS Jhajjar, Dr Mandaviya acknowledged the remarkable progress of NCI over the last five years, attributing it to the skill and dedication of the doctors, nurses, and health workers involved in its day-to-day operations. He urged the institute to maintain its commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare to patients. The Union Health Minister also oversaw the signing of a Collaboration Agreement between the University of Liverpool and AIIMS New Delhi, establishing the "AIIMS Liverpool Collaborative Centre for Translational Research in Head and Neck Cancer - ALHNS." ALHNS aims to impact the care of patients with head and neck cancer by fostering joint research and education programs between the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre, the University of Liverpool, and the Head and Neck Cancer Unit at AIIMS New Delhi. The collaboration also seeks to develop common standard operating procedures (SOPs) to access clinical datasets and tissue repositories from two ethnically diverse populations. Dr. Mandaviya emphasized the government's commitment to realizing the Prime Minister's vision of making the country "Ayushman," where healthcare facilities are affordable, accessible, and available to every citizen without discrimination based on wealth. He highlighted the success of the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and Ayushman Arogya Mandir scheme in providing family health insurance and free treatment for serious diseases to 60 crore people annually, leading to significant savings for the underprivileged. Discussing India's progress in eliminating TB by 2025 under the Prime Minister's TB Free India Campaign, Dr Mandaviya mentioned the provision of free medicines, testing, and nutrition to 25 lakh TB patients annually, with an expenditure of approximately Rs 3000 crore. Financial assistance of Rs 500 per month has also been provided to TB patients, totalling Rs 2756 crore directly into their accounts over the last 5 years. Additionally, service-minded citizens have adopted 10 lakh TB patients, distributing nutrition to them every month. The Union Health Minister also highlighted the Sickle Cell Elimination Program, involving the screening of about 7 crore people in three years and providing free medicines for sickle cell, with a government expenditure of approximately Rs 910 crore. (ANI) The inception of the Tripura police one and a half centuries ago and the upgrading of the same with modernization in today's digitalization are depicted through this exhibition. After the inauguration, the Chief Minister visited all the stalls at the exhibition and praised the works. Addressing the occasion, CM Saha said, "I am overjoyed to see the extraordinary skills of police and TSR personnel in art and craft during an exhibition organized by Tripura Police to commemorate its 150 years at Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan at Agartala today." "It's a great matter of pride that, apart from maintaining law and order and ensuring security for the people, Tripura Police and TSR personnel are also showcasing their indomitable spirit in the field of art and craft. Kudos to their efforts," CM Saha added. Amitabh Ranjan, DIG, Tripura Police, and other high officials were present on the occasion. (ANI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday condemned the arrest of state farmers in Madhya Pradesh who were heading to the national capital to protest against the central government. "The arrest of Hubballi farmers by the Madhya Pradesh government, as they were heading to a protest in Delhi tomorrow, is highly condemnable," Siddaramaiah posted on X. Karnataka CM also demanded the MP government to release the farmers immediately and allow them to participate in New Delhi's farmer protest. "I demand that the Madhya Pradesh government immediately release all the farmers from our state who have been arrested and allow them to participate in the protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi tomorrow," he added. He further alleged that although it is the government of Madhya Pradesh that has made the arrests, it is clear that the criminal brain behind this act is the central BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "By arresting and intimidating them, the farmers' struggle cannot be suppressed. Such repression might only lead more farmers to take to the streets, but the struggle of the sons and daughters of the soil will not cease. If the central government truly cares about peace and order, it should immediately meet the demands of the farmers and resolve the issue, rather than repressing and brutalizing them to silence," he added. He further said that whenever the BJP comes to power, history bears witness that their first act of aggression is against the farmers. "Whether it's at the centre or in the states, whenever the BJP comes to power, history bears witness that their first act of aggression is against the farmers. The first time BJP came to power in Karnataka, farmers asking for fertilizer were ruthlessly shot down by the government led by BS Yediyurappa. Several farmers died due to the violence inflicted on protesting farmers in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh by Narendra Modi's government at the centre" he added. "Looking at the current actions of Narendra Modi's government, it seems their main aim is to intimidate the farmers into submission," he said. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has expressed its strong discontent and anger against the dictatorial manner in which the PM Modi government is handling the democratic mode of protests of the farmers by erecting iron nails, barbed wires, and concrete barricades in the highways in Punjab and Delhi borders, the SKM said in a press statement. The administration is imposing Section 144 in and around Delhi and Haryana, diverting the traffic without any prior advisory to the public, and creating an atmosphere of terror to frighten off the people. The Modi government is treating protesters as if they are enemies of the country, the statement read. In Madhya Pradesh, five state leaders of the SKM including Kisan Sabha leader Ram Narayan Kuraria, his wife and All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) Leader Anjana Kuraria, Kisan Sangharsha samithi leader Aradhana Bhargava, Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) leader Anil Yadav, National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) leader Rajkumar Sinha were arrested and jailed under Section 151 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC). Many activists were arrested in various parts of the state. SKM appeals to all the political parties and the class and mass organisations of all sections to condemn this highhandedness by the PM Modi administration. (ANI) According to the sources, the meeting was attended by AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, and AICC Treasurer Ajay Maken to discuss the preparations of Loksabha polls and alliance formulation with INDIA bloc parties. Meanwhile, the final decision on seat sharing will be taken and announced soon. Earlier, the grand old party, on Sunday, set up a 20-member election committee with an eye on the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls that are scheduled to take place this year. One of the key architects of the INDIA bloc, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pulled out of the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) in Bihar as he took oath as chief minister for the ninth time with the support from the NDA earlier in January. Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have already indicated that the parties will contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls alone in West Bengal, Punjab and Haryana. (ANI) Over 59,000 Indians were enlisted as bona fide US citizens in 2023, helping the country secure the second slot for the top source country for new citizens in America after Mexico, the annual progress report for 2023, released recently by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) stated. According to the official report, nearly 8.7 lakh foreign nationals became US citizens during the fiscal year 2023 (year ending September 30, 2023), of which over 1.1 lakh Mexicans (12.7% of the total number of new citizens) and 59,100 (6.7%) Indians obtained US citizenship. Further, according to the report, 44,800 (5.1 per cent) of newly enlisted American citizens were from the Philippines and 35,200 (4 per cent) from the Dominican Republic. To be eligible for naturalisation (awarding of US citizenship), an applicant must fulfil certain eligibility requirements set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The requirements generally include being a lawful permanent resident (LPR) for at least five years. There are also other special naturalisation provisions that exempt certain applicants, including certain spouses of US citizens and applicants with military service, from one or more of the general requirements for naturalisation, the USCIS report stated. Most people who acquired US citizenship in FY 2023 were eligible for naturalisation on the basis of being LPRs for at least 5 years (INA Section 316(a)), followed by applicants who were eligible for being LPRs for at least 3 years and married to a US citizen for 3 years (INA Section 319(a)) and applicants, who were eligible on the basis of their military service during a designated period of hostilities (INA Section 329). The report added that in general, a non-citizen must spend at least 5 years as a lawful permanent resident to be eligible for naturalisation while the spouse of a US citizen must spend at least 3 years as a lawful permanent resident. The median number of years spent as an LPR for all citizens naturalised in FY 2023 was 7 years. Further, under the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), naturalisation during the fiscal years 2022 and 2023 made up nearly a quarter of all naturalisations over the past decade. (ANI) President Joe Biden hit back at predecessor and Republican presidential hopeful, Donald Trump, over his mockery of fellow party candidate Nikki Haley's husband, saying that the latter thinks that the country's troops are 'suckers', adding that "this guy wouldn't know service to his country if it slapped him in the face." Taking to his official X handle, President Biden posted, "The answer is that Major Haley is abroad, serving his country right now. We know he thinks our troops are "suckers," but this guy wouldn't know service to his country if it slapped him in the face." https://x.com/JoeBiden/status/1756721310489539060?s=20 Biden's statement came in response to remarks made by the former president on Saturday during a rally in her state. "Where's her (Nikki Haley's) husband?" Trump said, adding, "'Oh, he's away, he's away.' What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband? Where is he? He's gone", according to The Hill. Haley's husband, Major Michael Haley, was deployed in Africa in June of last year with the South Carolina Army National Guard. She wished him farewell in a ceremony in mid-June with about 200 soldiers at The Citadel, a military college in Charleston. Earlier, Nikki Haley also attacked Trump for remarks he made about her husband, who is in the military and stationed abroad, according to The Hill. "Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about," Haley posted on X, adding, "Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief." "He's always been my rock," Haley said. "We have both lived a life of service, and so when he goes off to deploy, my support is completely with him. If I happen to be running for president, his support is completely with me," she added. Haley and her husband have been together for more than 25 years, and he frequently attended her candidacy rallies. The former UN ambassador often discussed being married to a member of the armed forces; her husband joined the National Guard in the middle of the 2000s, The Hill reported. During Haley's first stint as governor of Palmetto State, he was initially sent overseas. (ANI) To carve out a formula for the formation of a federal government, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders began discussing the terms of an alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported. According to the report, PML-N would take the post of prime minister, and the posts of the President and Speaker will be set aside for its partners if an alliance is agreed upon. Similarly, the post of deputy speaker could be given to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) or any of the Independent members joining the coalition. Besides, the PML-N may keep the finance ministry, and other ministries will be distributed among allies with mutual consultation, according to the report. As per sources, the decision regarding the nomination for the positions of the Senate chairman and deputy chairman will be made in consultation with the allies after the Senate elections. "The PML-N has held consultation for a long time on this initial formula," a source said. "It will be finalised in the meetings with the potential coalition partners. Changes can be made in accordance with the evolving political situation," The Express Tribune reported, quoting a source. Consultations on the formation of the coalition government is expected to be held between Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, among others. Earlier, on Sunday, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PPP president Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif. The two parties agreed "in principle to save the country from political instability." The Express Tribune reported, citing a source, that in these meetings, preliminary consultations were held on the formation of the coalition government. Regarding this consultation, it is learned that the PML-N wants to keep the post of prime minister. And if the potential allies agree, the post may be given to Nawaz Sharif. But if the allies want another name, Shahbaz Sharif could be the alternative PM candidate from the PML-N. Moreover, according to The Express Tribune, PTI has warned that if PML-N or the PPP tried to rope in their Independents, they would resort to use legal and constitutional options. Sources revealed that the PTI will also start political contacts for the formation of its government at the Centre. (ANI) In a major diplomatic triumph for India, eight veterans of the Indian Navy who were sentenced to death in Qatar, were released by Doha on Monday. The capital punishment was commuted to an extended prison term earlier following diplomatic intervention by New Delhi. Amid desperate pleas by the anxious kin of the Navy veterans to secure their release and safe passage back to their homeland, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had assured that it would mobilise all diplomatic channels and arrange legal assistance to bring them back. Of the eight former Navy officers, seven have already returned to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed through an official statement on Monday. The Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals." The eight Indian nationals were imprisoned in Qatar since October 2022 and were accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. The retired naval personnel were sentenced to death by a Qatar court on charges that have not yet been made public officially. Earlier, the Qatari Court commuted the death penalty sentence of eight ex-Indian naval officers it had arrested last year in the Dahra Global case, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press statement. The sentence has now been reduced to jail terms. Describing the judgement, the Ministry of External Affairs had said, "We have noted the verdict today of the Court of Appeal of Qatar in the Dahra Global case, in which the sentences have been reduced. "The MEA also said that the detailed judgement in the case is awaited and are in close touch with the legal team in Qatar. MEA added, "The detailed judgement is awaited. We are in close touch with the legal team as well as the family members to decide on the next steps. Our Ambassador to Qatar and other officials were present in the Court of Appeal today, along with the family members. We have stood by them since the beginning of the matter and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with the Qatari authorities." Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar''s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai and discussed bilateral partnership and the "well-being of the Indian community" living in Qatar. Earlier, the newly appointed spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaiswal, emphasised the temporal significance of this period, stating, "As far as the issue is concerned, there is a time of 60 days when this issue can be appealed in the Court of Cassation, which is the highest court in Qatar." The MEA''s legal team possesses the confidential court order detailing the commutation of the death sentences to imprisonment terms, a move revealed in a press release following the court of appeal''s judgement on December 28. "We issued a press release in which we informed you that the death sentence, which was originally a death penalty, has been changed to imprisonment sentences. Now our legal team has that court order, and I can confirm that all of them have received sentences of different durations, and the death penalty has been abolished," Jaiswal said. Moreover, the Court of First Instance of Qatar had also passed the judgement against them, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. The MEA spokesperson also highlighted the recent meeting that took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad and said that they have had a good conversation on the overall bilateral relationship. (ANI) Israel Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Monday hailed the "impressive rescue operation" in which two hostages were rescued from Hamas captivity in Gaza, the Times of Israel reported. The overnight rescue, amid air strikes, marks the second such operation of its kind since October 7. "Along with the prime minister and top commanders I followed the operation from the war room. I offer my full appreciation to the IDF, Shin Bet and the National Counter-Terrorism Unit," Gallant was cited by the daily. Fernando Simon Marman (60) and Norberto Louis Har (70) who were kidnapped by the Hamaz from Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak on October 7 are in good condition and have been taken to Tel Hashomer Medical Complex, the military said. Detailing the rescue operation in Gaza's southern Rafah neighbourhood, Israel Defence Force (IDF) spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that it was a joint operation of the IDF with Shin Bet security service and the Special Police Unit. "Reaching the target in the heart of Rafah was very complex," IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Hagari was cited by the Times of Israel. "Conditions were not ripe to carry it out until now, and we waited for them to ripen," the spokesperson added. He said that forces clandestinely arrived at the building, in which the hostages were being held on the second floor, at around 1 am, and carried out a very complex action. The spokesperson said that the forces then broke into the building through a locked door and exchanged fire with gunmen in the building and in adjacent buildings, while extracting the hostages to armoured vehicles. "There was intense firepower from the air. Fire was opened from nearby buildings. The Air Force struck intensively there," he said according to the Times of Israel.Hagari said there one soldier was lightly injured and there were no fatalities. "We have 134 more hostages and we will continue to do everything to bring them home," Hagari said. Earlier, the Israeli military confirmed that it had carried out a wave of airstrikes against "significant" targets in the Shaboura area in southern Gaza's Rafah. Israel's military launched its operations in the Gaza Strip after at least 1,200 people were killed and about 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas attacks on Israeli communities near Gaza border on October 7, 2023. On Sunday, US President Joe Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a Rafah offensive should not happen without measures to ensure the safety of civilians, according to the White House. Biden over a 45-minute call discussed ongoing war against Hamas, aid to Gazans, efforts to release remaining hostages, the Times of Israel reported. However, the Israeli daily citing an NBC interview aired on Sunday, said that Netanyahu insisted the Rafah operation would go ahead "while providing safe passage for the civilian population so they can leave." Meanwhile, Argentine President Javier Milei welcomed the release of the two hostages, who had immigrated to Israel from Argentina. Milei who had visited Israel days ago in a statement said, "The Office of the President thanks the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police for having successfully completed the rescue of the Argentines Fernando Simon Marman and Louis Har." The statement on social media platform X said, "During his visit to the State of Israel, President Javier Milei reiterated to President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the request for the release of each of the Argentine hostages, and continues to firmly maintain his condemnation of Hamas terrorism." (ANI) JERUSALEM, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) raided Rafah City early Monday morning and rescued two Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. The raids have killed more than 100 people and injured hundreds more, according to the Gaza-based Health Ministry. Analysts warned that Israeli military operations in Rafah, including raids and the potential large-scale invasion, are bound to trigger a more serious humanitarian crisis and tense the regional situation. HUMANITARIAN CRISIS WORSEN The Israeli army confirmed on Monday morning that it launched a joint operation with other special forces and rescued two hostages who were abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023. There was heavy exchange of fire with Hamas militants during the raids, while aerial fire was also activated, according to a military statement. As a result of airstrikes, the Kuwait Hospital in Rafah is "overwhelmed with seriously wounded patients and lacks sufficient medications and supplies," the official Palestinian news agency WAFA quoted the hospital director as saying. Since the conflict broke out, Israel has been urging civilians in the Strip to evacuate to safe areas in southern Gaza. As a result, over a million people poured into Rafah to seek shelter, most of them living in tents. Now, Rafah is also set to become a battlefield. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday asked the IDF and security agencies to formulate a plan for ground operations in Rafah. He told ABC News on Saturday that Israel would "lose the war without entering Rafah." STRONG OPPOSITION Israeli intention of invading Rafah has been widely criticized at home and abroad. Israeli columnist Gideon Levy warned on Sunday that "it is impossible to invade Rafah now without committing war crimes." The international community also strongly opposed Israel's attack plan. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that "indiscriminate bombing of densely populated areas may amount to war crimes" under international humanitarian law. Regional countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain, voiced on Monday deep concern over the potential invasion. Furthermore, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is slated to visit Israel later this week, urged Israel to "alleviate the suffering of civilians as much as possible" in a post on her X account, saying an Israeli offensive on Rafah would be a humanitarian "catastrophe." SITUATION MAY WORSEN Analysts noted that due to the spillover of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the situation in the Middle East might become even worse. Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah have been clashing in the border area since last October. Yemen's Houthi group frequently attacked ships associated with Israel and other Western countries in the Red Sea while the United States subsequently launched retaliatory actions. U.S. military also launched air strikes in Syria and Iraq in retaliation for attacks on its military bases in Jordan. Palestinian political analyst Eyad Abu Zanit told Xinhua that the Israeli government's high-profile announcement of a ground attack on Rafah was a "political deception" to put pressure on Hamas and force it to make concessions in ceasefire negotiations. However, this trick may not lead to the expected result, as Hamas stated on Sunday that any attack on Rafah would torpedo the exchange negotiations. Israel's massive attack on Rafah may further intensify its relations with Arab countries and plunge the regional security situation into greater turmoil, analysts have warned. Israel's massive attack on Rafah may cause a large number of Palestinian refugees to flee to neighboring Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, which Egypt has always strongly opposed. It is reported that Egypt has recently strengthened its military deployment in the Sinai Peninsula to maintain border security. Iranian Fishing Vessel (FV) Ameen, with six Iranian crew onboard, operating East of Duqm, sustained damages allegedly due to a collision with a merchant vessel. The FV sustained extensive damage, including a hull breach leading to water ingress Responding to the distress call from the Fishing Vessel, an Indian Naval ship, mission deployed in the North Arabian Sea for maritime security operations, provided damage control assistance and undertook strengthening of the hull, rendering the boat safe for further transit. Medical aid was also extended to three injured crew members. The relentless and persistent efforts of the Indian Navy reaffirm its resolve towards the safety of all vessels and seafarers transiting in the region. "Indian Navy provides critical repair assistance & medical aid to Iranian Fishing vessels (FV). FV Ameen (six Iranian crew), operating East of Duqm, had sustained damages, allegedly due to a collision with a Merchant vessel. This had resulted in a hull breach leading to water ingress," the Indian Navy wrote on X. Earlier in January, the firefighting team of the Indian Navy warship, INS Visakhapatnam, successfully brought the fire onboard the merchant vessel Marlin Luanda under control. The crew of the guided missile destroyer was accompanied by the crew of the MV to bring the blaze under control. The visuals shared by the Indian Navy showed firefighters making efforts to control the fire on board the merchant vessel. INS Vishakhapatnam responded to a distress call and proceeded to provide timely assistance to the merchant vessel. The firefighting team of INS Visakhapatnam, comprising 10 Indian Naval personnel with specialist firefighting equipment, rushed to the rescue of the merchant vessel in the early hours of Saturday. According to the Indian Navy, a US and French warship also responded to the distress call from MV Marlin Luanda. The Indian Navy confirmed its response to the situation, stating that it remains steadfast in its commitment towards the safety of merchant shippers and seafarers. "Fire onboard MV #MarlinLuanda brought under control Based on request from Master of the MV, the fire fighting team from #INSVisakhapatnam comprising 10 Indian Naval personnel with specialist fire fighting equipment embarked the vessel in early hours of #27Jan 24. After six hours of battling the fire along with the crew of the MV, the fire fighting team has successfully brought the fire under control," the Indian Navy spokesperson posted on X. (ANI) After completing his UAE visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Doha on February 14 to hold bilateral meetings with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, there, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Monday. This visit assumes significance as it comes after a diplomatic victory of India following the release of eight Indian Navy personnel who were detained in Qatar for nearly 18 months since August 2022. "From UAE after completing his visit on February 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Doha, Qatar on February 14 afternoon. During the visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and other high dignitaries in Qatar," Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said while addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's visit to UAE. The Foreign Secretary expressed that PM Modi's visit would provide an opportunity for leaders to discuss ways to further deepen and strengthen the multifaceted partnership. "PM Modi's visit to Qatar will provide an opportunity for the top leadership of the two countries to discuss ways to further deepen and strengthen our multifaceted partnership as well as exchange views on different regional and international issues of mutual importance," Kwatra noted. Kwatra highlighted that this will be the second visit of PM Modi to Qatar, with the last one taking place in June 2016. Emphasising the growing ties between India and Qatar, the Foreign Secretary mentioned high-level visits to Qatar. "There have been several high-level exchanges between India and Qatar in recent years. You would recall the visit of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar to Doha in November 2022 as also the visit of then Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in June 2022. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also undertaken multiple visits to Qatar in last 3 to 4 years," the Foreign Secretary also said. The relationship between the two countries has grown multifaceted with robust energy partnership and collaboration in culture, education, and security. The bilateral trade currently stands at approximately USD 20 billion, with Qatar emerging as a significant investor across various sectors in India. "The bilateral relationship between India and Qatar that has been steadily growing includes a comprehensive span, including political ties, trade and investment linkages, a strong energy partnership and ties in the field of culture, education and security," he said, adding, "Strong bilateral trade between India and Qatar currently stands at roughly USD 20 bn and Qatar is also a significant investor in India across the whole range of economies." Specifically mentioning the recent agreement between QatarEnergy and India's Petronet for the supply of 7.5 million metric tons per year of LNG from Qatar to India for a duration of 20 years, starting in 2028, Kwatra said, " You'd be aware following the recently concluded India Energy Week, QatarEnergy and India's Petronet had signed an agreement for the supply of 7.5 million metric tons per year of LNG from Qatrar to India for 20 years starting 2028". The large Indian diaspora in Qatar, numbering around 840,000, was underscored as a vital connection between the two nations. In a major diplomatic triumph for India, eight veterans of the Indian Navy who were sentenced to death in Qatar, were released by Doha on Monday. The capital punishment was commuted to an extended prison term earlier following diplomatic intervention by New Delhi. Amid desperate pleas by the anxious kin of the Navy veterans to secure their release and safe passage back to their homeland, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had assured that it would mobilise all diplomatic channels and arrange legal assistance to bring them back. Of the eight former Navy officers, seven have already returned to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed through an official statement earlier today. The Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals." The eight Indian nationals were imprisoned in Qatar since October 2022 and were accused of allegedly spying on a submarine programme. The retired naval personnel were sentenced to death by a Qatar court on charges that have not yet been made public officially. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai and discussed bilateral partnership and the "well-being of the Indian community" living in Qatar. (ANI) The United Kashmir People's National Party (UKPNP) held a seminar, in Torino, Italy against the Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and demanded the dismantling of terrorist infrastructure there. The seminar held on Sunday was titled 'Strategic Perspectives: Current Situation & Realities and Future Prospects. Aspirations & Solutions in Pakistani occupied territories of Jammu Kashmir.' In the seminar, the UKPNP discussed the terrorist infrastructure of the PoK while demanding their dismantling. The participants also attacked the tactics and strategies of Pakistan. Shaukat Ali Kashmiri, an exiled political leader from PoK and founder of the UKPNP said, "Without peace, you cannot educate your children. Without peace, you cannot give honour to your people. If you will glorify the acts of gunmen, then they will rule the region, they will become the decision maker." "We want peace but Pak-backed people talk about taking up swords, and guns," said Jamil Maqsood, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of UKPNP. The political activists also said that Pakistan is creating 'obstacles' in maintaining peace in the region. "First of all, we have to counter the propaganda done by Pakistan through television, radio, dramas and films. Pakistan wants to confuse and misguide the people. To counter this, we need to have an idea of the history of Jammu and Kashmir" added Jamil. Participants at the seminar compared the current situation of PoK with the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in India. "The part of Kashmir being administered by India is 100 times better than the part being controlled by Pakistan. On the Indian side, we can see that the G20 was organised. Here our natural resources are being plundered." said Kamran Ayub, President of UKPNP. Recently, political activists in different parts of the world held protests in solidarity with the People's Rights Movement in Pak-occupied Kashmir. The exiled Kashmiris and political activists opposed the 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' which was observed in Pakistan. They called the event "propaganda" to distract attention from the core issues of PoK. These parties have been expressing their solidarity with the Awami Action Committee which is demanding fundamental rights in Pak-occupied Kashmir. UKPNP has also formed its unit in Italy to hold seminars on injustices and deprivations in Pak-occupied Kashmir. (ANI) Union Minister Anurag Thakur expressed heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the successful release of eight ex-Indian Navy personnel who were detained in Qatar. "Many thanks to Prime Minister Modi, Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai. Forty-five days ago, their death sentence had been reduced to life imprisonment. And now, by bringing our Navy veterans back home, it is proved that every life is important in the Modi government," said Union Minister Anurag Thakur. In a major diplomatic triumph for India, eight veterans of the Indian Navy who were sentenced to death in Qatar were released by Doha on Monday. The Union Minister also highlighted the government's commitment to the safety and well-being of Indian citizens, citing Operation Ganga's successful evacuation efforts in Ukraine and the safe return of the Indian diaspora from various conflict and disaster-stricken countries, including Nepal and Afghanistan. "This is what has happened in the last 10 years. The stature of India has increased in the world," Thakur added, emphasising the positive impact of the government's actions on India's global standing. Of the eight former Navy officers, seven have already returned to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed through an official statement earlier today. The Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals." After completing his UAE visit, PM Modi will travel to Doha on February 14 to hold bilateral meetings with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, there, the Ministry of External Affairs said earlier today. This visit assumes significance as it comes after a diplomatic victory of India following the release of eight Indian Navy personnel who were detained in Qatar for nearly 18 months since August 2022. "From UAE after completing his visit on February 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Doha, Qatar on February 14 afternoon. During the visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and other high dignitaries in Qatar," Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said while addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's visit to UAE. (ANI) Tel Aviv [Israel], February 12 (ANI/TPS): Israeli researchers have uncovered a potential link between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the composition of the gut microbiome, offering avenues for exploring the long-term effects of microbial interventions during early developmental stages and their impact on brain development. ASD is a developmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, behavior, and interests. It is referred to as a "spectrum" disorder because it affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. According to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 75 million people around the world are on the spectrum. Emerging research has suggested an association between ASD and the gut microbiome, the community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract. In a study recently published in the peer-reviewed npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, a team of researchers from Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan who examined 96 individuals diagnosed with ASD alongside 42 neurotypical individuals found significant differences in both alpha and beta diversity among those with ASD. Moreover, specific types of bacteria were found to be more prevalent in individuals with autism. Of particular note were the increased alpha diversity and elevated levels of the phylum Bacteriodetes and genus Bacteroides in those with ASD. Traditionally, decreased alpha diversity has been linked to compromised health, but its unexpected rise challenges prevailing notions, especially concerning neurological disorders, the researchers said. Bacteroides, typically present in the human gut microbiome, may have adverse health effects when overly abundant. The team's further experiments on newborn mice treated with Bacteroides fragilis revealed social behavior dysfunction, increased repetitive behaviors, and gene expression dysregulation. "Our research suggests that an overabundance of Bacteriodes, particularly in early life, may have functional consequences for individuals with ASD. This sheds new light on the complex interplay between the microbiome and neurodevelopment in individuals with ASD," said lead researcher Prof. Evan Elliott. Notably, the effects were primarily observed in male mice, hinting at potential sex-specific susceptibilities to environmental factors contributing to ASD. This finding underscored the need for further exploration into gender-specific aspects of ASD and the role of microbial composition, the researchers said. Further research is needed to determine if manipulating the gut microbiome could be a viable treatment approach for ASD. (ANI/TPS) LAKE ALFRED, Fla. (WFLA) One person died after a Lake Alfred mobile home caught fire Monday morning. The Polk County Fire Rescue said the fire was reported in the Lake View RV Park on Highway 17 just before 2 a.m. Due to the magnitude of the fire, crews said they were not able to search the home until the blaze was under control. Once the flames were extinguished, crews said they went inside the home and found one person dead. Our thoughts go out to the family as they mourn the loss of their loved one, said Fire Chief Hezedean A. Smith, D.M. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The investigation was turned over to the Florida State Fire Marshals Office and Polk County Sheriffs Office. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Over 10,000 square metres of land has been polluted as a result of a fuel leak caused by a Russian attack on an oil depot in the city of Kharkiv on the night of 9-10 February. Source: Gvara Media with reference to Serhii Bolvinov, Head of the Investigative Department of the National Police of Kharkiv Oblast Quote: "Since the oil depot was attacked and there was a fuel leak, a large area has been polluted. According to preliminary reports, more than 10,000 sq. m of land has been polluted due to the leakage of both diesel and gasoline. Over 3,800 tonnes of fuel had reportedly been stored at the oil depot. Besides polluting the soil, these oil products also spilled into the Nemyshlia River." Details: Bolvinov said the police had contacted the State Environmental Inspectorate of Kharkiv Oblast, which has collected samples of soil and water from the polluted areas. The police are considering initiating criminal proceedings under Article 441 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (ecocide). Background: Russian Shahed drones attacked Kharkiv on the night of 9-10 February, causing an oil spill that, in turn, caused 14 houses to catch fire. Kharkiv authorities initially said one civilian was killed in the attack. Later it was revealed that a family of five died when their house caught fire: a husband and wife and their three children aged 7, 4 and seven months. Support UP or become our patron! Radio is thriving across Africa. Exact figures are difficult to come by because audience research differs across countries. But studies estimate radio listenership to be between 60% and 80% of the continents 1.4 billion population. In contrast to many western countries, where there has been a shift towards streaming and podcasts, traditional radio continues to be widely embraced in Africa. Because of poor literacy levels and uneven access to the internet and technological infrastructure, old-fashioned radio remains a reliable and inclusive medium. This years celebration of the 100-plus years of radio offers us an opportunity, as African media scholars, to reflect on the historical significance, cultural relevance, political power and social impact of the medium on the continent. We home in on examples from the regions weve studied to demonstrate this rich history. Early years The story of radio in Africa starts with its introduction to serve colonial interests. Cameroonian scholar Francis Nyamnjoh argues that as soon as it had established itself as a mass medium in the 1920s, European states were quick to realise the part radio could play in realising their desire to swallow up weaker cultures around the globe. Historians note that it also allowed Europeans in the colonies to connect to home, their culture and their languages. In the early 1920s amateur radio enthusiasts had already begun tinkering with the technology. The first official broadcast seems to have been on 18 December 1923 in Johannesburg, South Africa. In east Africa, radio was first introduced in Kenya in 1927 and in west Africa to Sierra Leone in 1934. UK media scholar Graham Mytton writes that the arrival of radio in west Africas British colonies The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast (now Ghana) and Nigeria marked a turning point. Until then radio had been broadcast by wireless transmission. When it was introduced in Sierra Leone, Ghana (1935) and Nigeria (1936), it was via wired services subscribers had loudspeakers (linked by wire to the radio station) installed in their homes to receive the service these were created with native African listeners in mind. Then, in 1936, the British colonial administration decided to develop radio broadcasting throughout its African colonies. Propaganda Colonial powers such as the UK and France upped their radio transmission efforts after the outbreak of the second world war in 1939. The 1940s were marked by the introduction of indigenous language broadcasts by colonial powers wanting to influence public opinion and garner support for their war effort. While the British broadcast to Africa in some African languages, France broadcast only in French. This laid the groundwork for future developments. After the war, the British officially adopted a policy of extending broadcasting services across most of its African colonies. In Kenya, for example, the first broadcast service for Africans began in 1953, transmitting in local languages during the state of emergency declared in 1952 to suppress the Mau Mau uprising. Academics have argued that despite being designed mainly for propaganda, radio in Africa was always far more multifaceted and slippery than was intended by colonial powers. It also offered the ability to create new and sometimes unruly publics. Resistance radio The 1950s saw the expansion and transformation of radio in Africa. Radio stations across British, French and Belgian colonies rapidly increased as people under colonial rule increased their efforts to achieve independence. In the mid-1950s the oldest liberation station in Africa, Radio Freedom, was established as an underground station in Zambia by South Africas resistance movement. It would air its first formal broadcast in 1963. Read more: Radio as a form of struggle: scenes from late colonial Angola In Angola, radio expanded with the outbreak of war in 1961 between liberation movements and the Portuguese colonial state. Liberation movements in neighbouring countries used radio for war reporting amid colonial censorship. For their part, colonial state radio fostered the emergence of local artists music as part of their colonial propaganda. Independence and state control From the late 1940s to the early 1960s the number of radio-receiving sets increased fivefold, from 90 sets per thousand people in Africa to 450. In some respects the 1960s was a golden era for African radio. A wave of independence movements birthed new nations as radio technology was becoming more affordable. Graphic: Gary Oberholzer, CC BY Many newly independent countries established national broadcasting services, like The Gambia in 1965. This expanded the reach of radio and the opportunity to embrace local languages, music and cultural programming. In Nigeria, the Broadcasting Corporation expanded to cover the whole country. But some newly independent countries that had inherited state-controlled broadcasting systems also censored content deemed critical or threatening, restricting freedom of expression. With independence in Angola in 1975, for example, the new leaders saw radio as a tool for nation building, but tightened their grip after a coup attempt in 1977. In many African countries, Angola included, post-colonial state control of radio continues. Zimbabwes radio sector, for example, is thriving. But state control remains strong, with biased licensing for national radio and restrictive laws for community radio stations. The Mauritius Broadcasting Corporation was established in 1964 and still operates as a state broadcaster. Despite funding through public licence fees and advertising, its perceived to promote government agendas. Radio has also been used to promote nefarious political ends. The 1994 genocide in Rwanda stands as a painful example. The infamous Radio Television Libre des Mille Collines disseminated hate speech and incited violence against the Tutsi minority. Private commercial stations Over the last 40 years many African countries have liberalised their economies and their media regulations, issuing commercial and community radio licences. In Ghana, for example, radio primarily served elite interests until the 1990s, when private ownership diversified the industry. By 2022, Ghana boasted 513 radio stations, ranging across public, commercial, community, campus and foreign broadcasts. Read more: Radio in South Africa turns 100 and collides with podcasting and streaming An essential development has been the emergence of indigenous language radio. This has produced culturally resonant content and prioritised community issues. But challenges persist. Some stations are affiliated with political or business interests and increased attacks on journalists pose risks to media freedom and diversity. In recent decades, Kenyas radio landscape has transformed to over 200 stations. Private commercial stations now dominate, broadcasting in local languages. In Mauritius, airwaves were liberalised in 2002, introducing private stations. Talk shows, especially in the Mauritian Creole language, have revolutionised radio. Private radio has expanded to digital platforms, engaging audiences through live streams and social media, creating both competition and sensationalist coverage. Radio now Digital convergence is reshaping radio consumption, blurring audience patterns. This isnt happening uniformly across the continent. Digital platforms face challenges, such as the digital divide and economic inequality. Radios influence is likely to endure, with podcasts complementing rather than replacing traditional broadcasts. A 2022 survey across 34 African countries found radio was overwhelmingly the most common source for news. This is a testament to its enduring influence and unique ability to connect with diverse audiences even a century after its introduction. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Sisanda Nkoala, University of the Western Cape; Christina Chan-Meetoo, University of Mauritius; Jacinta Mwende Maweu, University of Nairobi; Marissa J. Moorman, Indiana University; Modestus Fosu, Ghana Institute of Journalism, and Stanley Tsarwe, University of Namibia Read more: Sisanda Nkoala receives funding from the National Research Foundation. She is a a public representative on the South African Press Council. Christina Chan-Meetoo receives funding from the Higher Education Commission in Mauritius as part of a research team on Mauritian Creole. She is a board member of the Creole Speaking Union in Mauritius. Marissa J. Moorman received funding from Fulbright Hays and the American Council of Learned Societies for her research on radio in Angola. Jacinta Mwende Maweu, Modestus Fosu, and Stanley Tsarwe do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. OKLAHOMA COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) A 13-year-old was injured after a Sunday afternoon shooting in northwest Oklahoma City. | MORE LOCAL NEWS > Former OKC Village Mayor Cathy Cummings dies of cancer at 62 > Oklahoma City Police reported that they received a call about a shooting just before 4 p.m. near the 4000 block of North Meridian. Officers have not released many details about the shooting so far but they did tell KFOR, when police arrived they there was a 13-year-old shot and taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. According to officials, there is no suspect information at this time. More information is expected to come. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) has announced the dates for its historic Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour and one of them is in the Quad Cities., according to the CPKC website. The tour will kick off April 24 at the companys global headquarters in Calgary, Alta. and culminate June 4 in Mexico City. The tour will bring the story of CPKCs uniquely North American railway history and compelling future to life for rail fans and visitors as it travels across CPKCs network. (Canadian Pacific Kansas City) Our combination on April 14, 2023, brought together two railroads with long and proud histories that together created the first and only railroad network connecting North America, said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. This special cross-continental journey of the 2816 steam locomotive serves as a reminder of our past and a celebration of our future. We are excited to share this extraordinary experience with communities across our network as we mark the one-year anniversary of our CPKC journey. The Final Spike Anniversary Steam Tour will be the first ever steam-powered passenger train in North America to traverse Canada, the U.S. and Mexico in a single trip. The Empress 2816, a 4-6-4 Hudson-type steam locomotive built in 1930, will make 11 stops between Calgary and Mexico City: Calgary, Alta. | April 24 Moose Jaw, Sask. | April 28 Minot, N.D. | April 30 St. Paul, Minn. | May 3 Franklin Park, Ill. | May 8 Davenport, Iowa | May 10 Kansas City, Mo. | May 18 Shreveport, La.| May 24 Laredo, Texas | May 28 Monterrey, Mexico | May 31 Mexico City, Mexico | June 4 Public events will be held in multiple cities across the network, kicking off in Calgary on April 24. Steam tour events will be held in Moose Jaw, Minot, St. Paul, Franklin Park, Davenport, Kansas City, Shreveport, and Laredo. At these stops, the public will have the opportunity to see the 2816 up close, learn more about the locomotive and CPKCs history and enjoy the Puffer Belly Express mini-train, a quarter scale steam locomotive model. For more information and to view the full schedule, visit here. About CPKC With its global headquarters in Calgary, Alta., Canada, CPKC is the first and only single-line transnational railway linking Canada, the United States and Mexico, with unrivaled access to major ports from Vancouver to Atlantic Canada to the Gulf of Mexico to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, according to its website. Stretching about 20,000 route miles and employing 20,000 railroaders, CPKC provides North American customers unparalleled rail service and network reach to key markets across the continent. CPKC is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. Policemen are seen at the headquarters of a shipping company where a shooting took place in Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens, in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 12, 2024. A total of four people were killed in a shooting in a suburb south of Athens, according to Greek media on Monday. An armed man opened fire at the headquarters of a shipping company in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens, killing three workers, said the ERT, the national broadcaster, adding that the gunman committed suicide later. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Policemen are seen outside the headquarters of a shipping company where a shooting took place in Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens, in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 12, 2024. A total of four people were killed in a shooting in a suburb south of Athens, according to Greek media on Monday. An armed man opened fire at the headquarters of a shipping company in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens, killing three workers, said the ERT, the national broadcaster, adding that the gunman committed suicide later. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) An ambulance is seen outside the headquarters of a shipping company where a shooting took place in Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens, in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 12, 2024. A total of four people were killed in a shooting in a suburb south of Athens, according to Greek media on Monday. An armed man opened fire at the headquarters of a shipping company in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens, killing three workers, said the ERT, the national broadcaster, adding that the gunman committed suicide later. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Policemen are seen outside the headquarters of a shipping company where a shooting took place in Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens, in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 12, 2024. A total of four people were killed in a shooting in a suburb south of Athens, according to Greek media on Monday. An armed man opened fire at the headquarters of a shipping company in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens, killing three workers, said the ERT, the national broadcaster, adding that the gunman committed suicide later. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Policemen are seen outside the headquarters of a shipping company where a shooting took place in Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens, in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 12, 2024. A total of four people were killed in a shooting in a suburb south of Athens, according to Greek media on Monday. An armed man opened fire at the headquarters of a shipping company in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens, killing three workers, said the ERT, the national broadcaster, adding that the gunman committed suicide later. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Policemen are seen outside the headquarters of a shipping company where a shooting took place in Glyfada, a southern suburb of Athens, in Athens, Greece, on Feb. 12, 2024. A total of four people were killed in a shooting in a suburb south of Athens, according to Greek media on Monday. An armed man opened fire at the headquarters of a shipping company in Glyfada, a suburb south of Athens, killing three workers, said the ERT, the national broadcaster, adding that the gunman committed suicide later. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) Palestinians sit by the destruction from the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip in Rafah on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. The Israeli military said it rescued two hostages being held in Gaza in a raid early Monday that reportedly killed dozens of Palestinians. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli military, said in a statement that Israeli forces carried out the raid at 1:49 a.m. local time in the heavily populated city of Rafah, where evacuations had been ordered just days before. Fernando Simon Marman, 60, and Louis Har, 70, were rescued from the civilian building where they were being held, Hagari said. This rescue mission underscores the importance of our ground operation in Gaza. We have a moral obligation to bring all our hostages home, an obligation that we will continue doing everything in our power to fulfill, Hagari said. Israel said both hostages were in good medical condition and transferred for further evaluation in Israel. About 250 people were captured by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the hostages home in a statement Monday and praised the militarys actions. I salute our brave fighters for the daring action that led to their release. Only continued military pressure, until total victory, will bring the release of all our hostages. We will not miss any opportunity to bring them home, he said. The Associated Press reported that at least 67 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in the Israeli airstrikes that provided cover for the operation, citing a spokesperson from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. An AP journalist counted about 50 bodies at the Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. The rescue mission comes as Israel is expected to expand operations into Rafah, a densely populated city in southern Gaza that is home to the largest refugee camp for Palestinians fleeing the war. It is estimated that more than 1.4 million people are staying in Rafah. Netanyahu ordered evacuations of Rafah last week ahead of an anticipated invasion, but many world leaders have warned Israel against expanding operations into Rafah. The Hamas-run health ministry said more than 28,000 people in Gaza have been killed since the onset of the war, the AP noted. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Two people are facing charges in connection with a drive-by shooting in which shots were fired into a home with three children inside. Preliminary hearings for Javon Hart and Melissa Steinbaugh are scheduled for Monday. According to the criminal complaint, Duquesne Police were called to a home on Hinnerman Street on February 9 for a report of a round that went through the house and into the wall. Video obtained from a neighbor showed a maroon Jeep Cherokee drive slowly past the home that was shot. Later that day, police spotted the vehicle speeding down State Route 837. They initiated a traffic stop and found Hart driving the vehicle and Steinbaugh was a passenger, the complaint said. According to the complaint, police found a black handgun on the floor of the vehicle near Harts feet. The bullets in the gun matched the shell casing at the shooting scene. When Hart was removed from the vehicle and handcuffed, he said, Its over, according to the complaint. During an interview at the police station, Hart told investigators that Steinbaugh wanted him to take her to the home, which is where the mother of her ex-boyfriends child lives. When they arrived, she got out of the vehicle and shot at the house three to four times. Hart admitted the gun was his and said he purchased it from the streets. Both Hart and Steinbaugh are facing aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, and other charges. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Super Bowl Live Updates | Travis Kelce serenades with 'Viva Las Vegas,' then finds Taylor Swift Megachurch shooting: Shooter killed, child critically wounded at Houstons Lakewood Church Man fired shot at couple at house in Monroeville while 2 babies, 2 juveniles were inside, police say VIDEO:2 people hurt when car crashes through Indiana Borough home DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are each offering a stark glimpse at the political liabilities that have many Americans wishing they had other options in 2024. Biden, 81, is angrily refuting questions about his age and memory, struggling to lay to rest anxiety among voters that he wouldnt be capable of serving a full second term. But far from exploiting the presidents rough patch, Trump offered a stunning display of extremism at the weekend, raising fresh questions over his fitness for the Oval Office. The comparison between the likely general election opponents helps explain why polls show limited enthusiasm for both men, each of whom is unpopular outside their core constituencies. Biden would be the more conventional choice because Trump is promising one of the most tumultuous second terms in US history. But as the presidents campaign gathers pace, his troubles are complicating his effort to convince Americans that Trump would destroy American democracy and would shatter the countrys reputation abroad. Trump is giving every impression that his second term would be even more aberrant than his first, as he vows to use presidential power to exact retribution against his enemies. But hes nevertheless closely matched with Biden in polling and has a real chance to win. While a Biden vs. Trump race would be a rematch of 2020, it would not necessarily be the same. The sitting president is four years older, and age questions are even more acute. And Trump is even more radical and unchained than when he left office. How Biden and Trump are putting their political weaknesses on display The different liabilities both would bring to the race were on display during the frantic last few days. In Trump, voters can pick an ex-president facing 91 criminal charges who has been found liable for fraud, sexual battery and defamation in court. Trump, 77, tried to stay in power after losing reelection in 2020. This weekend, Trump sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin over NATO allies and mocked the military service of GOP rival Nikki Haleys husband. This week, the ex-president faces a set of court deadlines and hearings that will renew the focus on his seemingly endless threats to the rule of law. In Biden, voters must decide whether to reelect the oldest president ever, at 81, who is angrily refuting claims of a declining memory following a damning assessment of his faculties by a special counsel. The president, who warns Trump is a danger to democracy, is visibly aging while mixing up the names of foreign leaders, and polls show overwhelming skepticism among the public about his reelection plans. The key question voters will face is not whether Biden is fit to serve as commander in chief now, but rather: Will he still be by the end of a second term, when he would be 86? Multiple polls have shown how little voters like the alternatives they will almost certainly get in the 2024 election. And while partisans may already be locked in, the comparison between the sitting president and the former one, both of whom crave a second term, will be critical in the handful of swing states where a relatively small number of voters will be decisive. The debate over Bidens age and Trumps fitness for office help explain why theres a possibility that several third-party or independent candidates for instance, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could have an outsize impact on the destiny of the White House. But while speculation will mount about how either party might thwart a 2020 election replay, practical impediments make the idea of dumping a potential nominee an almost unthinkable scenario. Trumps wild weekend tear Over the weekend, Trump showed how his uncontrolled stream of rhetoric and insults can often be politically counterproductive and play into the core narratives of Bidens campaign. In a shocking remark at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, Trump said he would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want to any NATO member country that didnt meet the alliances guidelines for defense spending. Trumps comments reveal his view of NATO not as the main driver of peace in Europe for half a century but as a protection racket. His comments are also dangerous, since the alliances credibility relies on Russia believing that members would defend an ally that was attacked, in line with Article 5 commitments. Any sense this is false could lead to miscalculations in Moscow. And this is just the latest in a long list of occasions in which the ex-president has appeared to indulge Putins goals instead of traditional US national interests. Biden warned in a statement that his likely opponent was unsuitable to be commander in chief. Donald Trumps admission that he intends to give Putin a greenlight for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States are appalling and dangerous, Biden said. Trumps defenders insist his comments are merely a ruse to get NATO members some of whom are still short of their targets to spend more on defense. Defense spending rose in some cases following Trumps pressure in his first term although his ranting about NATO members not paying their bills was not the only factor. Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio, who was a conventional hawkish conservative when he ran against Trump in 2016, defended the ex-president Sunday. Donald Trump is not a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Rubio said on CNNs State of the Union. He doesnt talk like a traditional politician, and weve already been through this. You would think people wouldve figured it out by now. Still, Trump caused alarm in Europe. Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, called his remarks reckless. And Trumps statement will refuel speculation about the odd nature of his relationship with Putin, who is accused of war crimes and has directly targeted civilians in Ukraine. It will also renew fears that Trump would try to pull the US out of NATO if hes reelected, which would delight Russia. Trumps comments also come as his GOP allies, especially in the House, are trying to thwart Bidens new aid package for Ukraine, a sovereign democracy invaded by the Russian autocrat in the widest European land war since World War II. And the sympathetic interview of Putin last week by Tucker Carlson, the far-right populist broadcaster, only underscores the Trump GOPs embrace of Putinism. Former President Donald Trump speaks in Conway, South Carolina, on February 10, 2024. - Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Trumps contempt for those who serve in the military was also highlighted in his South Carolina speech. He asked of Haleys husband, Michael: Where is he? Hes gone, apparently arguing that his rivals spouse knew her campaign would not do well. Michael Haley is on a yearlong deployment in Africa. Nikki Haley targeted Trump on X, saying: Michael is deployed serving our country, something you know nothing about. Someone who continually disrespects the sacrifices of military families has no business being commander in chief. This is far from the first time that Trump has disparaged the military service of political opponents. Hes still attacking the late Arizona Sen. John McCain after mocking his incarceration and the injuries he sustained when his plane went down and he was tortured during the Vietnam War. Trumps conduct was not just typical of the way he has crushed every tradition of presidential decorum. It also offered a potential roadmap to the substance and character of his possible second term. At the same time, Trumps weekend eruptions also show why he may be a compromised general-election candidate. They played directly into Bidens claims that hes too extreme and too morally challenged to be president again. And Trumps latest outbursts are politically self-defeating: They took attention away from Bidens frantic attempts at damage control following special counsel Robert Hurs devastating assessment of Biden as an elderly man with a poor memory. Much has been written about the new, disciplined Trump campaign. But the ex-president is reminding voters of his volatile first term, which included two impeachments. Biden struggles to parry increasing worries about his age The White House and Bidens allies spent the weekend fighting back following a late Thursday news conference at which the president vented about Hurs findings. The event may have exacerbated Bidens political problems since he mixed up the presidents of Egypt and Mexico, following several similar occasions last week when he referred to long-dead European leaders with whom he interacted in the 1980s rather their more recent successors. The acute political problem Biden faces was underscored by a new ABC News/Ipsos poll published Sunday in which 86% of Americans said Biden was too old to serve another term. The figure includes 59% of Americans who think both he and Trump are too old and 27% who think only Biden is too old. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on February 8, 2024. - Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images Heres Bidens problem: Its politically corrosive when a critical narrative takes hold about a president and subsequent events appear to validate it. Every flub or mistake the president makes after a lifetime of verbal slips and gaffes now plays into the perception that hes losing his grip mentally. And his age is a political problem that cant be fixed. The danger is that voters who see him onstage begin to find it impossible to get past and therefore dont judge him on his successes as president, his program for a second term or the comparison between him and Trump. Multiple Democrats have attested to Bidens mental acuity since Thursday. I have seen the president twice in the last two weeks, Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna told CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union. The California lawmaker added: I have had a conversation with him. Hes completely mentally sharp when we were discussing the Middle East. But when Bidens allies are forced to talk about his age, they inevitably draw attention back to the biggest liability for a president who polls show is struggling to create enthusiasm among grassroots Democrats and who may have trouble in reunifying his 2020 coalition, especially when it comes to younger and minority voters. Many Democrats also believe Trump is getting a pass when it comes to age and mental sharpness. While Bidens missteps get great attention, Trumps speeches often degenerate into nonsensical reflections. He recently mixed up Haley and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. And while his manic presentation style may look energetic and disguise his age in comparison with Bidens, hed also be an octogenarian in the White House if he wins a second term. Why the 2020 election lineup may be locked in The renewed focus on Bidens age is likely to open another round of speculation about whether he could be replaced on the Democratic ticket. But barring some unforeseen health event or a late decision by Biden to fold his campaign, this is highly unlikely. For all the focus on the presidents liabilities, no younger Democrat, with the exception of his long-shot primary rival Rep. Dean Phillips, has emerged to challenge Biden, perhaps to avoid damaging their own political futures. Could the Democratic Party pick an alternative candidate at its summer convention? Its unlikely. Biden controls the infrastructure of the party his rejigging of the primary calendar to insulate himself from challenges is proof of that. Theres no sign any major party figure is willing to tell him to step aside or to organize any attempt to topple him. Any convention maneuvering would also follow months of primaries in which Democratic voters are likely to massively endorse Biden, so any attempt to topple him would fly in the face of the democratic principles that Democrats say they are trying to preserve. Had Vice President Kamala Harris been a striking success, there would be more pressure on Biden to yield to a younger successor. But her approval ratings are very low. Haley, for instance, sees Harris as such a political liability that she warns voters they could vote for Biden and get Harris as president. The time for moving on from Trump has also passed. Despite his four indictments, the ex-presidents dominance over Haley and other rivals in early nominating contests has crushed the notion that if only he faced a one-on-one fight, hed be defeated by anti-Trump forces in the party. So its hard to see any way out of the choice America appears not to want. While there are are stark policy differences between Biden and Trump, the 2024 election could still come down to voters picking between Bidens perceived declining capabilities and Trumps wild, anti-democratic and autocratic instincts. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The legislature that unintentionally made the expression "don't say gay" famous now may be getting tired of the culture wars. Bills this session that would ban the taking down of Confederate memorials and prevent displays of Pride flags by governments, for instance, are stalled or sputtering out. Despite Gov. Ron DeSantis making a name on hot-button social issues with lawmakers' acquiescence, and playing off a culture warrior reputation in his short-lived presidential campaign, the "war on woke" may be going broke in Florida. A host of legislation is slowly fading as the 60-day session passed the midway point and lumbers toward its scheduled March 8 conclusion. As an example, of 12 bills that address cultural issues this session, six have yet to be heard in a committee. Five are one step away from a chamber floor, but four of those have no companion bill in the other chamber, signaling they could soon be at death's door. A ruckus in the Florida Senate One remarkable example of the culture war blues is a Feb. 6 Senate panel hearing, when lawmakers debated taking control of historical statues, memorials and other monuments out of the hands of local government and giving it to the state. The fury and racism unleashed there seemingly forced Senate leadership to pull the bill from any further consideration this year. The Senate Community Affairs Committee held back the proposal until the end of a five-and-a-half-hour meeting that went late into the evening, when most of the public had left. Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers Lawmakers were told the bill by Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, was needed because although the Civil War may have ended in 1865, a war against white society continues, as evident in the removal of scores of Confederate memorials and statues since the summer of 2020 and the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody. This removal of statues that have historic significance that are over 100 years old is part of the culture war being waged against white society, Charles Patrick of Live Oak told lawmakers. And I'll tell you, who else are the targets of this? George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Francis Scott Key. Committee chair Alexis Calatayud, R-Miami, quickly condemned Patricks remarks. She said she did not believe people who support this policy, share your perspective on supporting white culture, or supporting the concept of the need to push white supremacy. Then David McCallister of Dade City stood at the lectern and told lawmakers the bill was a good follow up to their 2021 anti-riot act and was needed to stop a mob's first wave of a cultural war to destroy the past so they can control the future. This is the second year Martin has sponsored the bill. He told lawmakers the number of statues and memorials removed in the wake of riots sparked by Floyd's deaths motivated him, but he disavowed the remarks made by supporters. Many of the statements today made me sick, knowing I have to come up here and (speak) on this, Martin said. I cannot disavow, any more, everything that you said, he added to McCallister, Patrick and others. Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Fleming Island, listens to debate on a bill on the Senate floor Thursday, March 10, 2022. 'Vile, bigoted, racist,' senator says Sen. Jennifer Bradley, R-Green Cove Island, who along with Martin and Calatayud voted for the bill, called the remarks vile, bigoted, racist, and ... what is tearing apart our state. Martin explained the intent was to preserve history for all Floridians by taking the decision out of the hands of local officials who may give into pressure from those who want statues and monuments removed. But the three Democrats on the panel walked out of the room in protest, leaving the remaining Republicans to OK the bill 5-0. The next day, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, all but gave the measure the kiss of death. There are problems with the bill, Passidomo said. More than that, there are problems in perceptions among our caucus ... so Im going to take that into consideration. Im not going to bring a bill to the floor that is so abhorrent to everybody. Here's a list of a dozen culture war proposals filed this year, what they're about and where they stand in the process (SB means Senate bill; HB means House bill): Protection of Historic Monuments and Memorials ( SB 1122 ) : Discussed above, this would reserve control of local monuments and memorials to the state and provide civil penalties for officials who remove them. Cleared two committees but blocked from floor by Senate president; no House companion. Display of Flags by Governmental Entities ( HB 901 / SB 11 ) : Blocks local governments from displaying any flag that represents "a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint." House bill is one step from the floor; Senate companion still has three committees. Biological Sex ( HB 1233 ): Would define sex, female, and male in Florida law and prohibit the Department of Motor Vehicles from issuing or renewing drivers licenses with a listed sex different than one on a persons original birth certificate. Has not been heard in committee; has no Senate companion. Gender and Biological Sex ( HB 1639 ) : Would define biological sex and require applications and licenses to indicate a persons sex rather than gender. Would also require health insurance policies which cover sex-reassignment medications and procedures to also provide coverage to de-transition, or undo changes. Cleared two House committees and has one more before House floor; no Senate companion. Gender Identity Employment Practices ( HB 599 / SB 1382 ): Extends what critics call Florida's "don't say gay" law to workplaces, prohibits government employees and contractors from being required to use their colleagues preferred pronouns. Also makes it illegal to require sex and gender awareness training. Neither bill has yet been heard. Lewd or Lascivious Grooming ( HB 1135 / SB 1238 ): Creates crime of lewd or lascivious grooming" and makes it second-degree felony. (The term 'grooming,' defined as encouraging a child to engage in sexual activity, has been used by conservatives against LGBTQ+ people.) Cleared two House committees on a combined vote count of 28 2 vote and is one step from the floor. Senate measure cleared one committee and has two more committees to go. Defamation, False Light, and Unauthorized Publication of Name or Likenesses ( SB 1780 ): Makes it easier to sue someone over allegations of homophobia, transphobia, and discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Also prohibits a plaintiff to cite defendant's public remarks. Cleared one Senate committee and has one more step before Senate floor. House companion cleared two committees, has two more committee stops. Single-Sex Student Organizations ( HB 1027 /SB 1728 ): Blocks trans people from filing discrimination suits against members of fraternities and sororities or other "single-sex student organizations" from any bias or penalties based on their single-sex status. Neither bill has been heard in committee. Juvenile Justice ( HB 1425 / SB 1352 ): Would replace terms gender-specific and gender with sex-specific and sex, as defined by Florida law. Both House and Senate bills have cleared two committees each and are one step away from the floor. Child Protective Investigations ( HB 1663 / SB 1722 ): Would ensure that health care that is consistent with a child's biological sex does not constitute abuse. Also prohibits the initiation of a child protective investigation or removal of a child solely based on the parent's religious beliefs or ideology. Neither measure has been heard. Public Safety Programs ( SB 1708 ): Would prohibit any safety program for specific groups based on their race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, sex, or sexual orientation. Has not been heard in committee. Total Abortion Ban (HB 1519): Holds that state-sanctioned abortion is a crime against humanity and that a person exists at the moment of fertilization. Not yet considered; no Senate companion. James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Culture war bills stalling out in Florida legislative session 2024 Authorities on Tuesday released the names of three men and a woman who died after suspected drug overdoses Monday at a South Lake Tahoe home where investigators found a substance that has since tested presumptively as fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid. They were identified as Abraham Lemus, 32; Adam Joy, 35; Keely Pereira, 33; and Clifford Joy, 30, according to a news release from the city of South Lake Tahoe. Lemus, Adam Joy and Pereira were South Lake Tahoe residents; Clifford Joy was a resident from Douglas County, Nevada. The South Lake Tahoe Police Department is leading the investigation into the four deaths, along with help from the El Dorado County Sheriffs Office and the El Dorado County District Attorneys Office. An examination of the substance found at the home tested presumptively as fentanyl, however, autopsies and toxicology reports were still pending, city spokesperson Sheree Juarez wrote in Tuesdays news release. Fentanyl is a powerful and potentially addictive synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin. The state Department of Justice said two milligrams of fentanyl can result in overdose and potentially death. About 9:10 a.m. Monday, South Lake Tahoe police officers were called to a home in the 500 block of Roger Avenue for a report of an unresponsive person, city officials have said. A person at the home began administering CPR as authorities arrived at the home. There were two additional people in the home when officers arrived and they have cooperated with the investigation, Juarez has said. Paramedics declared two people dead once they arrived at the home. Authorities began providing medical aid upon two other people, who also died. Substance abuse is suspected but not confirmed in the deaths, Juarez has said. Investigators asked anyone with information about these deaths to send an email to cybertips@cityofslt.us. The Bees Rosalio Ahumada contributed to this story. A few weeks back, Rebecka Yazell took her 8-year-old daughter to the mall for her birthday. They went to Claires, and Harmony bought earrings, some makeup and some other geegaws that make little hearts happy. They went to some other stores, then Harmony gasped. Shed left her Claires bag in the bathroom. They went back to the bathroom and it wasnt there. They looked everywhere, in the food court, where theyd sat down, the security desk. Nothing. The bag was gone. Yazell is a widow with three children, and she knew she couldnt afford to buy another batch of birthday presents. So, in desperation, she went on the Facebook site Ladies of Lexington and asked if anyone had come across the bag. They had not. But within 24 hours, at least three members had offered to replace the items, and a two more sent her money to do it herself. She and Harmony went back to Claires and bought a second round of birthday presents. What I thought was just me reaching out to see if anyone had happened to pick it up turned into the best birthday present she could have got, Yazelll wrote on the site. The gift of love from a total stranger. I pray one day I can repay the favor to you all. This means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and generosity and to the people who have sent me encouraging words. This single mom life has not been easy. But you all have made it a lot easier today. Rebecka Yazell Is it possible that Yazell has found a safe space on the Internet? A place where women can go for help, support, advice and good cheer? Approximately 32,000 women in Central Kentucky apparently think so. My pride almost made me turn it down, but then I looked at my daughter, and I accepted two of the womens gifts, Yazell told me last week. A lot of social media has become so negative, but this made me realize theres more love than hate. A judgment-free zone More love than hate is indeed an outlier these days ( looking at you, Lexington Dining page, where a woman asked how to get reservations at Carsons and got dogpiled with snark). But on Ladies of Lexington there is an extraordinary lack of judgment on topics ranging from where to get the best pedicure to how to get hold of day-after pills. I was really taken aback the day a woman asked about starting a career as an exotic dancer. I looked at the comments, expecting the worst. But instead, this what the Ladies of Lexington had to say: From a former dancer the industry these days isnt worth it. Not the stress or the money. Just my opinion. I danced for 6 years. Someone else added: Its about the hustle and personality. But Im gonna be real, the club money sucks this time of year, Im not saying that to deter you. I also recommend having a part-time job until you feel comfortable in your finances as a dancer. Another someone else offered this: Girl I wish I had the confidence to do it, and the time. Do what makes you happy though! And you cant be sure unless you try it out! Another time, a woman anonymously told the site she was pregnant and could not have the baby. She got offers of adoption, a trip out of state and many who offered to just listen. This is in between chats about dog parks and shopping and making friends in Lexington. I was tipped off to the site by former colleague Heather Chapman, who said many people may not know how special it is. People get on Facebook and they hang out in all these echo chambers, but this community has women from all walks of life in an atmosphere where were really listening to each other and approaching each other in that supportive mindset, she said. Im talking job posts, passing on baby clothes, recommendations for doctors, anything. We show up for each other. Serving a need The Ladies of Lexington was born out of, what else? the pandemic. Emily Soraya Malik spent her last University of Kentucky semester locked down in the spring of 2020. My whole senior year was basically canceled. We couldnt leave the house, interacting with people was not allowed, she said in a phone interview from Milwaukee, where she now lives. I kept hearing its so difficult to make friends in the real world when you dont hav security blanket of college and being in social settings. Emily Soraya Malik Being born and raised in Lexington, though, Malik felt like she had a lot of connections here and should try to bring women together. It started out I was catering toward women who were similar to my age, going through the same thing, having experienced post-grad blues, she said. But it organically made itself into this big thing and its still growing. Its evolved and its changed, but I think the way its going organically, its something really good and really needed. Its definitely filling a need. In the few weeks since I started working on this story, its gone from 32,400 members to 32,900. But dont be fooled. The positivity of the Ladies comes with A LOT of hard work of administration and monitoring. Its a bunch of women online, so you think theres a lot of sass, snark and mean DMs and mean comments, Malik said. But I have a bunch of rules in place that have been developed and tweaked over time to promote this supportive environment. Rule 1: Be awesome! The purpose of this page is to build connections and friendships with other local ladies! Give more than you take from this group. Only relevant posts that are beneficial to the group as a whole allowed. This is a discrimination-free zone; all opinions, preferences, and identities are welcome. Disrespect is not allowed. No hate speech, rude comments, doxing, or any other forms of cyber bullying. To get there takes Malik and two other women many hours a week approving posts and monitoring comments, ruthlessly axing the ones that are mean. She estimates they receive about 250 posts a day on average. Malik has a full-time job as an event planner. She doesnt make money off the site, although she will sometimes ask for tips for her two other administrators. Its a way for me to serve the community and provide something good for the women in Kentucky, which I feel like is really needed, she said. Businesses are allowed only on the weekends, thats Rule 2. Small business & secondhand selling posts will only be approved on weekends. No pyramid schemes or buying/selling/re-homing animals ever. Another rule is no asking for money, unlike mutual aid sites, in which people ask for what they need and often receive it. Still, a lot of people get advice from Ladies of Lexington that helps them, such as a woman in recovery who got connected with a dentist who specializes in helping former drug users with special dental problems. I love that this group provides a unique opportunity to open peoples eyes about the struggles too many are facing here, Heather Chapman noted. Most of all, though, the site seems to be about connections, online and real life, whether at a dog park or meeting up for coffee. As Chapman said: This group took a city full of strangers and made us feel like sisters. Another department head is resigning from the City of Jackson. Chloe Dotson, Jackson's director of the Department of Planning and Development, has submitted her resignation, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba announced at a Monday press conference. Lumumba praised Dotson's work during her time as director of planning and development, including the strides she made with code enforcement and starting numerous new initiatives. She took over as director of the department in November 2022. Chloe Dotson, the City of Jackson's director of the Department of Planning and Development, has submitted her resignation. She will be leaving the city sometime in mid-March. City's homelessness issue: West Jackson residents question why homeless facilities are always proposed in that area "She proved to be an invaluable resource, launching many new programs and joining what was a succession of what I believe to be very talented and hard-working planning directors," Lumumba said, adding he has yet to find a replacement for Dotson. Dotson's leaving the city due to her receiving "a great promotion, one that the city just simply cannot meet," Lumumba said, but he refrained from going into details of her new job, saying only that the organization is a "community partner." Dotson's last day with the city will be sometime in mid-March. Dotson is the fourth department head to resign from their post with the city since September. Khalid Woods, who was announced as director of the Department of Public Works, resigned for the second time in September, though he was never officially approved by the Jackson City Council. At Monday's press conference, Lumumba said the search for a new director was still ongoing. Ison Harris, the former director of the city's Department of Parks and Recreation, announced his resignation after eight years in September as well. City Attorney Catoria Martin announced her resignation in January. Mayor starts new show "Ask Antar" Also at the press conference, Lumumba announced the launching of his new show "Ask Antar." Residents can send in questions to the city's website or on social media and Lumumba will answer them, very similar to a new initiative the Clarion Ledger started in January called "Curious Mississippi." Jackson legislators: Jackson delegation discusses 2024 priorities for capital city. See what they are "When those questions are sent in, we take them and we answer them," Lumumba said. "We may not be able to cover everything that is asked within one particular show, but we try to cover as comprehensibly as possible." New episodes will be posted the first Wednesday of each month on the city's Youtube channel. In other action A panel within the city's Solid Waste Division has scored and picked a bidder for garbage collection. However, Lumumba said the winning company has not been presented to him. He is expecting it to be presented sometime this week. Then he will take it to the council for final approval. The city is working with the Jackson/Hinds Library System's board and executive director and have submitted proposals to make repairs at the Medgar Evers Library and Willie Morris Library. The city is also assessing damage caused by vandalism at the Richard Wright Library. Jackson libraries: Jackson won a settlement of $10.3 million. Council says spend it on fixing city libraries The city has video footage of an arsonist who burned a traffic signal at Pascagoula and President Street, another threat to the city's aging traffic signals, the mayor said. Lumumba asked residents to alert the city if other traffic signals aren't working properly. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS director of Department of Planning and Development resigns 4 teenagers arrested for allegedly robbing USPS postal worker (KRON) Four teenagers were arrested after allegedly stealing a vehicle and robbing multiple USPS postal workers, according to the Fremont Police Department. Fremont police officers were dispatched to Third Street for a report of a robbery of a USPS postal worker at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 7. According to police, four suspects stole the mail truck keys before fleeing in a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Police said a similar incident occurred the day before in the area of Martha Avenue, where two suspects demanded the mail key from the USPS postal person. The two suspects fled in a Jeep Grand Cherokee before getting the key. Fremont Police Department Fremont Police Department The victims were not injured during either incident. On the day of the second robbery, the Fremont Crime Reduction Unit located the jeep driving in the area of Mowry Avenue and Fremont Boulevard. Once Fremont police officers were at the scene, a traffic stop was initiated. According to police, a vehicle pursuit lasted two miles before the suspect vehicle came to a halt. Man accused of assault found with loaded firearm in Fairfield The Jeep Grand Cherokee had been reported stolen, according to the investigation. All four occupants were juveniles and were booked into Alameda County Juvenile Hall. The driver of the suspect vehicle during the pursuit was a 15-year-old Fremont resident. The minor was arrested for robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle, vehicle code, evading a peace officer, and evading a peace officer, and the pursued vehicle was driven in a willful disregard for the safety of persons. The second suspect was a 13-year-old Fremont resident. The minor was arrested for robbery, attempted robbery, and felony warrants out of San Francisco for several charges, including attempted robbery, burglary, use of tear gas, and grand theft. The third juvenile suspect, a 14-year-old Fremont resident, was arrested for robbery. The fourth juvenile suspect was a 15-year-old Fremont resident who was arrested for robbery. Anyone with information regarding the robberies of USPS postal workers in Fremont is asked to contact the Fremont Police Department Investigations Unit at (510)-790-6900. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. RABAT, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan security services have seized over 3.25 tons of cannabis at the Tangier-Med Port and arrested one person, Moroccan police said in a statement on Monday. Police officers and customs personnel found the drugs, which were in the form of compressed resin, hidden inside the trailer of a truck transporting a shipment of fish heading toward Spain. The driver, a 32-year-old Moroccan man, was arrested and placed under investigative custody to determine all the possible links with local and international drug-trafficking networks, it said. Despite efforts in the past decade to crack down on cannabis farming, Morocco remains one of the world's largest producers of cannabis resin. NEW YORK Mayor Eric Adams administration is taking longer to close noise complaints, pruning fewer street trees and answering far fewer 311 calls within 30 seconds compared to pre-pandemic levels. Shifting from the partisan rhetoric of his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, Adams pledged to transform the way municipal government delivers some of the most basic services encountered by New Yorkers during his successful 2021 campaign. When it comes to city government, we need to put in place real-time systems to inspect what we expect, tracking how well were delivering services to New Yorkers and identifying areas we need to improve, Adams said shortly after taking office in 2022. But a detailed analysis POLITICO conducted of 432 pages of recent metrics tracking the success of each city agency from the turnaround time for in-person parking ticket hearings to the days needed to process senior rental assistance applications shows a mixed record that fails to live up to the mayors promised efficiency. In fact, a sizable tranche of basic city services have regressed compared to pre-pandemic levels. And New Yorkers tend to notice. Its that baseline of service that really affects how people think about their government, said Susan Lerner of Common Cause New York, a government reform group. Its not about speeches and the big issues; its about whether youve made a noise complaint and nobody gets back to you for a week. Letting the basics slip, she said, can feed into cynicism about government and create a perception that things are out of control and tax dollars are being squandered. Adams most recent scorecard was delineated in the Preliminary Mayors Management Report, a tome released earlier this month that contains around 2,000 metrics tracking activities of city agencies between July and October of 2023. Nearly 500 of those stats required to be made public twice a year per the city charter are marked as critical indicators, meaning they are especially important. POLITICO reviewed around 120 of them focused on government efficiency and service delivery and compared them to the 2019 Preliminary Mayors Management Report the last publication before Covid upended city government. The results show a nearly even split between metrics that improved and those that regressed, with a handful of others that remained roughly static. The Adams administration, for instance, has upped the share of youth who receive mental health screening while in detention an issue the mayor speaks about regularly from 65 percent in 2019 to nearly 82 percent last year. It reduced the time it takes for the city to issue a property tax refund from 24 days to 18 days. And the average time to fix high-priority broken fire hydrants dropped to 1.8 days. On-time Staten Island Ferry trips, the duration for satisfying a pothole complaint and park cleanliness were among the records that matched pre-pandemic levels, the report showed. But other services are slipping. Noise complaints submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection took an average of 5.4 days to close, two days longer than in 2019. Operators at 311 answered 68 percent of calls within 30 seconds, 20 points below 2019 levels. And 19,351 street trees were pruned by the Department of Parks and Recreation between July and October last year, a decline of 31 percent. Recent reports have also found police response times increased in the latter part of 2019 and that the city was taking far too long to process cash assistance. That is not the message Adams has broadcast since taking office and not a helpful record as he gears up to seek reelection with potential rivals already lining up. While companies and corporations are constantly saying, I must build a better product so I can bring my customers in, governments inherently don't believe that, Adams said at an event hosted by Salesforce, a business software company, in December 2022. And what I must do as the mayor, I must bring a competitive edge to say, I have to have a good customer experience so our citizens will constantly want to be a part of the services that we provide to the city. City Hall pointed to several trends that show government service improving. Crime on public transit and in parks has fallen compared to the period covered in the pre-pandemic management report. There have been fewer pedestrian fatalities and higher enrollment in the Summer Youth Employment program. And the city has reduced the time necessary to clean catch basins which when clogged can contribute to serious flooding during heavy rainfall from 6.2 days to 2.1 days. Spokesperson Liz Garcia noted the pandemic was enormously disruptive to city government, and that despite those lingering difficulties Adams has delivered on his core promise of lowering crime (overall index crime is trending downward but still above levels contained in the management report covering 2019), rebuilding the economy and making the city more livable. Two years later, the data shows that the administration has delivered on that promise, and in major categories like crime, housing, and quality of life, we have exceeded pre-pandemic baselines, Garcia said in a statement. While we will always have more work to do and as the mayor has said, results wont happen overnight this administration is on a steady path toward delivering some of the most efficient government services this city has ever seen. To aid in his quest to break down silos and make government more efficient, Adams created the position of chief efficiency officer to track service delivery and agency budgets with an eye toward cutting red tape and, somewhat paradoxically, formed two additional offices dedicated to the issue. One of those, the Office of Municipal Services Assessment, is a low-profile outfit that reports to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks and was initially run by a deputy inspector on loan from the NYPD. Just three months into his tenure, however, Miltiadis Marmara was sent from that role back to the police department. City Hall has subsequently declined to answer basic questions from POLITICO about who is running the operation, though multiple people with knowledge of its activities said Tim Pearson who recently got into a scuffle with security staff after attempting a surprise inspection at a city-run migrant facility plays a leading role. For Lerner, head of Common Cause, the citys recent budget cuts coupled with a struggle to fill vacant positions and a hiring freeze could hurt the Adams administrations ability to maintain the nuts and bolts of city government. Frustrations over those basics became palpable for her last year when a fire hydrant on her block began leaking in the summer. Repeated calls to 311 eventually led to visits from the fire and building department personnel, but they failed to stop the flow. Despite repeated follow-up calls, the hydrant continued to leak for months. Eventually, her neighbors inundated local elected officials with calls complaining about the lack of city responsiveness. "And guess what, Lerner said. In two weeks it got fixed." The Human Rights Watch issued a stark report on the health of the Afghan population Monday, warning that the lack of foreign assistance to the country has resulted in more malnutrition and illnesses among Afghans. The report, published Monday, said the reduction in foreign assistance to public health in Afghanistan, and the Talibans abuses against women and girls, have jeopardized the right to health for millions of Afghans. Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, foreign aid for Afghanistan dried up and led to many suffering from poverty and hunger, The Associated Press noted. The loss of foreign development aid and Taliban rights violations have caused a catastrophic health crisis in Afghanistan that is disproportionately harming women and girls, Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. The Taliban have severely obstructed women from providing or accessing health care, while the cost of treatment and medicine has put care out of reach for many Afghans, Abbasi added. The report noted that the World Food Program said last year that Afghanistans malnutrition rates reached a record high, with about half of the population enduring severe hunger throughout the year. The report also noted that there was a severe reduction in funds for hospitals in Afghanistan. The International Committee of the Red Cross provided support for 33 area hospitals in the two years since the Taliban takeover, but ended its program last year when it began to experience its own funding struggles. The report said humanitarian aid organizations told Human Rights Watch they plan to close hospitals and reduce operations. Workers with the organizations also told the New York-based watchdog they are running low on medical supplies. All donors have been cutting aid. We closed some mobile teams because donors cut aid. We may need to close 10 major hospitals in the next six months, an official with an international aid organization told Human Rights Watch. The report noted the lack of access to enough food, water and medical supplies has led to increased illness. Inadequate access to food, clean water, and healthcare services has also led to a rise in preventable diseases. This has placed a strain on an already struggling health system as it grapples with an increased demand, including greater need for specialized care for people with acute forms of malnutrition, the report stated. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. We Are China Lighting and appreciating lanterns a time-honored tradition in China during Spring Festival Xinhua) 11:28, February 12, 2024 People watch a molten iron fireworks show in Zunhua, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 10, 2024. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua) This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows light installations in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Photo by Huang Zhengwei/Xinhua) This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows lighting at Longquan ancient town in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei Province. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Photo by Chen Qibao/Xinhua) An aerial drone photo shows people visiting an old block decorated with lighting in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 10, 2024. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) People visit an old block decorated with lighting in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 10, 2024. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows light installations in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) An aerial drone photo shows folk artists putting on a molten iron fireworks show in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 10, 2024. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) An aerial drone photo shows people visiting an old block decorated with lighting in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 10, 2024. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) An aerial drone photo shows folk artists putting on a molten iron fireworks show in Tangshan, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 10, 2024. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows light installations in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows light installations in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows light installations in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu) This photo taken on Feb. 10, 2024 shows fireworks and lighting in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province. Lighting and appreciating lanterns during the Spring Festival is a time-honored tradition in China. (Photo by Li Weichao/Xinhua) (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) JUBA, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Violent clashes that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan have forced 542,000 individuals into South Sudan since mid-April 2023, the UN humanitarian agency said Monday. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said 80 percent of the returnees are South Sudanese and 19 percent Sudanese, indicating that there are still a lot of people fleeing Sudan, with higher numbers of Sudanese on an average daily basis. OCHA said some 107,802 refugees and asylum-seekers have arrived in South Sudan since the beginning of the response, with 94 percent or 101,097 people processed and biometrically registered. "The arrival of refugees increased following an escalation of fighting in Sudan in mid-December and continued during the reporting period," OCHA said in its latest report released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Deadly clashes have been going on between the SAF and the paramilitary forces since mid-April last year. The conflict has killed more than 9,000 people, displacing over 6 million others within and outside Sudan and leaving 25 million in need of aid, according to the UN. OCHA also decried the security situation in the Abyei Administrative Area which it said has deteriorated significantly following a wave of attacks across the region, including an attack on the UN Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) base in Agok that resulted in casualties and suspended all humanitarian movement until further notice. "This has subsequently hindered plans to resume the relocation of new arrivals from Abyei to Aweil and the delivery of core relief items and food/cash assistance to the Abyei TC, where about 100 Sudanese refugee arrivals are sheltering and awaiting relocation," OCHA said. According to Save the Children, a global charity, at least 75 people, including three children, have been killed and 2,200 displaced in two weeks of brutal violence between communities in the Abyei Special Administrative Area. The charity said the actual number of those killed in the fighting between armed youth of the Twic community of neighboring Warrap state and Ngok Dinka of Abyei could be much higher. Members of the Korean Disabled Veteran's Association for Agent Orange hold a vigil near the White House in Aug. 2006. The delegation of South Korean war veterans who are say they are victims of Agent Orange, sought compensation for their injuries from the U.S. government and chemical companies. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A civilian U.S. military expert praises what he says is the United States making incremental progress in increasing veterans' access to healthcare. Patrick Murphy, the 32nd U.S. Army under secretary and the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress, told UPI on Monday that the Biden administration has "made incredible strides in ensuring all veterans get access to the care and benefits they've earned and rightly deserve." The new VA policy change further expands the time frame and locations for which the federal government will assume that a military veteran was exposed to the toxic Agent Orange chemicals while in military service. Those chemicals have been linked to cancer, birth defects and more adverse health conditions. Murphy -- who served in 2016 as President Barack Obama's U.S. Army secretary -- said that healthcare for U.S. military veterans has been improving, as this recent change highlights. The proposed VA change -- which does not require congressional approval -- codifies provisions in the PACT Act, the Blue Water Navy Act of 2019 and the National Defense Authorization Act for 2021, two of three laws signed by President Joe Biden. Former U.S. Army Under Secretary Patrick Murphy (C), Chair of Veterans Trucking Task Force, speaks during an event on the South Lawn of the White House in April 2022 next to President Joe Biden. Photo by Ting Shen/UPI But the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act -- passed by Congress in 2019 and which extended the location for a presumption of exposure -- arrived "decades too late for Agent Orange exposure," Murphy said. The right direction Agent Orange was a toxic herbicide used abundantly by the U.S. government from 1962-1971 during the Vietnam War to eliminate forests and farm crops to aid U.S. military incursions primarily in south Asia. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs say that they are delivering more care and benefits to more military veterans now "than ever before in U.S. history." VA Secretary Denis McDonough called the Biden administration's Agent Orange policy shift "another step in the right direction." "This proposed change would make it easier for veterans exposed to herbicides who served outside Vietnam to access the benefits they so rightly deserve," McDonough said in a statement. And while the new VA policies on Agent Orange lower even more the burden of proof needed in order to get benefits, the VA will now "automatically assume that veterans who served in certain locations were exposed to certain toxins," according to the department. Signed into law August 2022, the PACT Act, Murphy added, "continues to build on the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act." He stated his belief that McDonough's VA is "moving quickly in the right direction on toxic exposures" for U.S. military veterans. A Pennsylvania congressman from 2007-2011 who lead the successful effort to end the U.S. government's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" military policy, Murphy singled out Section 704 of the PACT Act -- which allows the VA to lease space from academic institutions or other entities to provide healthcare resources to veterans -- as evidence the VA system is getting better. "Striking the balance between VA services and utilizing private sector expertise is a challenge," he said. "One that section 704 in the PACT Act aims to fix by giving the VA authority to enter into agreements with academic medical centers to help the VA maintain access and quality of care." Ukraine's Agriculture Ministry "strongly condemned the deliberate destruction of Ukrainian grain by Polish protesters on the Ukrainian-Polish border" after photos circulated on social media showing Polish protestors spilling Ukrainian grain from trucks at the border. The photos, which appeared on Feb. 11, caused indignation in Ukraine and a warning from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that the dispute could further escalate tensions between the two countries. "We understand when Polish farmers defend their interests in a civilized way. But this case of destruction of Ukrainian wheat has nothing to do with peaceful protests either from a legal or a moral point of view," the Agriculture Ministry said on Feb. 12. Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski released a statement in which apologized "on behalf of Polish farmers" for "such an act of desperation." "Farmers have not controlled their emotions, but it should be remembered that they are in a very difficult economic situation," Siekierski said. Polish media outlet Tvn24 reported on Feb. 12 that in reaction to the grain spillage, the Chelm District Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation concerning the destruction of property and breaking customs security, crimes which carry a punishment of up to five years in prison. Poland has been one of Ukraine's staunchest allies since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, but the relations began to sour somewhat last year over agricultural trade disputes. Both countries are major agricultural producers. When the EU lifted restrictions and tariffs on Ukrainian goods in 2022, farmers in Poland and neighboring countries complained that cheaper imports from Ukraine created an unfair advantage. The previous Polish government of the Law and Justice (PiS) party instituted an import ban on Ukrainian grain and several related products, first as part of an EU-instituted measure between May 2023 and September 2023 and then unilaterally. Tusk's government, which has been in power since last December, said it does not intend to lift the ban. Previously, Polish truckers and farmers blocked four crossings between November 2023 and January 2024 to protest Ukrainian imports and the liberalization of permits for Ukrainian truckers. Polish farmers agreed to suspend their initial blockade on Jan. 6 after Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski agreed to meet some of their demands, including corn subsidies, increasing liquidity loans, and keeping agricultural tax at the 2023 level. Truckers lifted their blockade not long after that. A new wave of farmers' protests erupted on Jan. 24, with demonstrators blocking roads across Poland. The Solidarity trade union announced on Feb. 1 that it would block roads and border crossings with Ukraine between Feb. 9 and March 10 because of the supposed "passivity of the Polish authorities" and the EU in solving the imports issue. Three crossings have been blocked since Feb. 9, and two others since Feb. 12. Read also: Tusks return brings stability to relations with Ukraine, but economic challenges persist Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A once-feared army general, who ruled Indonesia with an iron fist for more than three decades, has a message for voters ahead of upcoming elections from beyond the grave. I am Suharto, the second president of Indonesia, the former general says in a three-minute video that has racked up more than 4.7 million views on X and spread to TikTok, Facebook and YouTube. While mildly convincing at first, its clear that the stern-looking man in the video isnt the former Indonesian president. The real Suharto, dubbed the Smiling General because he was always seen smiling despite his ruthless leadership style, died in 2008 at age 86. The video was an AI-generated deepfake, created using tools that cloned Suhartos face and voice. The video was made to remind us how important our votes are in the upcoming election, said Erwin Aksa, deputy chairman of Golkar one of Indonesias largest and oldest political parties. He first shared the video on X ahead of February 14 elections. The party is one of 18 competing in this years race, which will see more than 200 million voters head to the polls. Golkar is not fielding its own presidential candidate but has thrown its support behind frontrunner Prabowo Subianto, a former army general under Suhartos military-backed regime and also his former son-in-law. By bringing a long dead leader back to life just weeks before the vote, Golkars intentions were clear: to encourage voters to throw their weight behind the party synonymous with Suharto. As a member of Golkar, I am very proud of Suharto because he successfully developed Indonesia, Aksa wrote on X. He brought a lot of success. We must respect it and remember his services Golkar was there. But online critics decried the act of using a dead mans face and voice, especially for political propaganda. This is the state of our country today bringing dead dictators back to life to fool and scare us into votes, wrote one Indonesian on X. Since when did it become ethical to create deepfakes out of dead people? It feels so morally wrong, said another. Voting in the era of deepfakes The online world plays a huge role in Indonesian politics. In a country with one of the worlds highest internet usage rates, almost all political parties and politicians maintain strong presences on social media to amass followers and clout. Deepfakes can greatly influence an election the way campaigning is done, as well as the results, said Golda Benjamin, Asia Pacific campaign manager at Access Now, a US digital rights non-profit. The danger lies in how fast it spreads. A deepfake can easily reach millions in seconds, swaying and manipulating (millions of) voters. In the lead-up to this years vote, observers told CNN that many major parties had turned to AI and used a variety of different deepfakes for political gain. The Golkar-produced Suharto video was just one of dozens featured in official party campaigns, they said. Supporters of presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo at a rally in Jakarta on February 3, 2024. - Darryl Ramadhan/NurPhoto/AP Presidential frontrunner Prabowo Subianto greets the crowds at a rally at the Baharuddin Siregar stadium in Lubuk Pakam, North Sumatra on February 7, 2024. - Muhammad Zulfan Dalimunthe/AFP/Getty Images Following public criticism, the campaign team of three-time presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto, also Indonesias current defense minister, admitted to using AI software to give their chief a cuddly animated makeover on TikTok to appeal to young voters. Indonesians aged 40 and younger who number around 114 million voters make up the majority of votes. In another video that attracted intense criticism, AI-generated children were used by the party in a TV commercial to skirt rules banning children from appearing in political campaigns. The technology used is so advanced We can understand if some people mistook (the children) as real characters, Budisatrio Djiwandono, Prabowos nephew and spokesperson for his nationalist right-wing Gerindra Party, said in a statement after the advertisement was called out by watchdog groups. The party of former Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo enlisted an interactive AI chatbot to engage with potential voters. AI photos made by supporters, have also been used by Ganjars party in his campaign. CNN has reached out to representatives from Ganjars Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) for comment. The third presidential candidate, former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan, whose campaign makes use of an OpenAI-powered chatbot that answers questions about his policies on WhatsApp, has cautioned against the use of AI in the election after he became the victim of an audio deepfake in January. A doctored conversation of Anies, purportedly being chastised by a political backer, made rounds online. We have to be critical because now there is AI technology which can generate audio or visuals that can appear real, Anies told a campaign rally later that month. Indonesias Communications Ministry issued advisories following several viral AI videos, warning tech companies and voters to be cautious of deepfakes. But efforts have not been enough, watchdog groups told CNN. TAPP (Tim Advokasi Peduli Pemilu), a Jakarta-based nonprofit, said that videos like the Suharto deepfake showed AIs potential for voter manipulation. The government is still not aware of the dangers of deepfakes, said spokesperson Gugum Ridho Putra. We know what AI is capable of and this is only the beginning, he adds. We are concerned about voters being manipulated, especially so close to the election. A souvenir T-shirt bearing Suharto's image with a message in Javanese that reads: "Wasn't it better during my era?" - Rahmat Pribadi/AFP/Getty Images/File The ghost of Suharto Suhartos 32-year dictatorship is considered by international rights organizations to be one of the most corrupt and brutal periods in Indonesias history. Thousands were jailed or killed during his rule as he cracked down on critics and political opponents, and enforced his regimes rule over East Timor, Aceh, West Papua and the Maluku islands. Discussion of his rule remains largely taboo in Indonesia and opinions about his legacy are mixed. But in places like Kemusuk, a village near Yogyakarta where he was born, his image is everywhere from museum memorabilia celebrating his life to the souvenir T-shirts with his smiling face. Now he has found renewed fame online. The videos virality speaks to his legacy and shows how relevant he is in Indonesia today, said Soe Tjen Marching, an Indonesian author-composer and academic at SOAS University of London. He has been dead for many years but still has many supporters, she added. His ghost still lingers. But for those like retired officer Anton Pratama, 55, who grew up during the Suharto years, the dictators reappearance was disarming. It is not so much about seeing him again, or believing he is still alive, Anton told CNN, adding that his son had shown him the video. The fear is that Suharto, and his ideology, are becoming popular in the country again. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 14 of the 17 Shahed drones Russia launched overnight, and one Kh-59 guided missile, the Air Force reported on Feb. 12. The drones were launched from Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, and the Kh-59 missile from occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Russian forces also launched S-300 anti-aircraft missiles from Belgorod Oblast. The weapons were intercepted over Vinnytsia, Kirovohrad, Mykolaiv, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. In Pavlohrad, Dniproptetrovsk Oblast, overnight attacks by Russian drones caused a fire at an energy facility, according to Governor Serhii Lysak. The fire was extinguished, but about 29,000 subscribers in the area lost electricity, while 10,000 are without water, Lysak said. Russia's aerial attacks against Ukraine have increased with the onset of winter. A Russian drone attack on Kharkiv on Feb. 10 caused a massive fire that killed seven people, including three children. The attack left 57 civilians injured. Read also: Who is General Syrskyi, Ukraines new chief commander? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A new nonstop flight to New York will fly out of the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport this summer. Allegiant Air announced it will launch service from SRQ to the Plattsburgh International Airport in Plattsburgh, New York on June 12. The flight is part of 10 new routes the airline will introduce in June, which includes two new trips at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport and the Jacksonville International Airport. The flight will be Allegiants 28th route at SRQ, which also offers service from Austin, Indianapolis, Nashville and other small-to-medium cites. Fares for the new flight start at $79 if purchased by Feb. 13 and booked for Nov. 11 or sooner. Plattsburg is about five hours north of New York City and right on the border with Vermont. SRQ CEO Rick Piccolo said he hopes the route will appeal to northerners seeking a warmer destination. This addition will provide convenient connection for both U.S. and Canadian travelers, allowing them to explore the stunning beaches, cultural gems and unforgettable experiences that Sarasota Bradenton has to offer, Piccolo said in a press release. SRQ Flights: New nonstop flight starts at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport Allegiant expands: 8 things to know about the budget airline The flight will be the only nonstop service between Sarasota and Plattsburg. Drew Wells, Allegiants chief revenue officer, said it represents Allegiants framework, which connects passengers from underserved markets to cities and destinations that are inaccessible from other airlines. Allegiant also announced routes from Evansville, Indiana and McAllen, Texas to St. Pete-Clearwater, as well as routes from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Knoxville, Tennessee to Jacksonville. All flights will begin service June 12. Contact Herald-Tribune Growth and Development Reporter Heather Bushman at hbushman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @hmb_1013. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Allegiant Air to launch nonstop flight from Sarasota to New York The population of nearly half of all migratory species is declining globally, according to a new report from the United Nations. The report from the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) released Monday found that 44 percent of the species listed by CMS are in population decline. Migratory species are animals that rely on moving around to different habitats for feeding, mating and resting, according to the report. Inger Andersen, undersecretary general of the United Nations and executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, urged world leaders to take action as a result of the report. The global community has an opportunity to translate this latest science of the pressures facing migratory species into concrete conservation action. Given the precarious situation of many of these animals, we cannot afford to delay, and must work together to make the recommendations a reality, Anderson said in a statement. Migratory species include a wide range of animals, from songbirds to sea turtles to sharks to monarch butterflies, the report said. CMS attributed the declines in migratory species populations to numerous factors, including the loss of habitat, human-related activity and overexploitation through hunting and fishing. The report found that 3 in 4 CMS-listed species are impacted by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, while 7 in 10 are impacted by overexploitation. The report also found that about 1 in 5 species listed by CMS are also threatened by extinction, and 97 percent of all the CMS-listed fish species are threatened with extinction. CMS urged policymakers to enact a series of changes to address the issue, including expanding monitoring of important sites for migratory species, following through on ecosystem restoration commitments and minimizing the negative impact of infrastructure on migratory pathways. The Associated Press noted that governments vowed to protect 30 percent of the planets land and water resources for conservation at the 2022 U.N. Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Canada. The Associated Press contributed For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An American Airlines plane overran the runway while landing at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport on Saturday night. No injuries were reported in the incident, which the FAA said was caused by a braking malfunction. American Airlines said in a statement that 99 passengers and six crew members were on board the Boeing 737-800. The flight took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., and landed at DFW Airport about 7:40 p.m. The passengers and crew were bused from the plane to the terminal, according to the FAA. American Airlines, which is based in Fort Worth, said it will cooperate with the FAAs investigation. TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) American flamingos were once all over the state of Florida, and for years, it was hard to spot one in the area. But now, many are slowly making a return to Florida. Florida bill would create study exploring elimination of all property taxes A conservation and research head at the Miami Zoo told NBC affiliate WESH that flamingos are resurging in the area and are in part of a longer trend as they return to Florida in larger numbers. Flamingos began returning to the Caribbean and are slowly making their way north. They are magnificent to watch. If you ever see a true, wild flamingo, they are magnificent, local wildlife photographer Erin Rotne told WESH after visiting the Haulover Canal on the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Courtesy: NBC affiliate WESH Courtesy: NBC affiliate WESH Courtesy: NBC affiliate WESH Courtesy: NBC affiliate WESH According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, most American flamingos in Florida live along the coast. They mainly live in southern Florida, like the Everglades, Biscayne Bay, and the Florida Keys. In August 2023, lots of flamingos washed up with Hurricane Idalia. Peaches, the flamingo, was a notable bird that made its way to Indian Shores. Upon arrival, it was just very weak, exhausted, and what we call quiet, a doctor at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary told WFLA. So, just not totally acting normal, definitely appeared exhausted. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. MUSCATINE, the United States, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- In the conference hall of Merrill Hotel in downtown Muscatine, decorated with Chinese knots, paper cuttings and couplets, Sarah Lande extended her greetings to the Chinese people on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year. "I wish you a happy Chinese Lunar New Year ... I'm so excited that the consulate and people from all over China have brought this celebration to Muscatine," said Lande, a friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping for decades, as residents of the small town on the Mississippi River in the U.S. mid-western state of Iowa gathered to ring in and celebrate the Year of the Dragon. Earlier in the day, students of the Art Troupe of the High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China (RDFZ) visited Muscatine High School, where they were greeted by American students with symphony and jazz performances in the school's auditorium. They then visited the Sino-U.S. Friendship House. President Xi visited Muscatine twice, in 1985 and 2012, and has forged a strong friendship with Lande and local residents. At a welcome dinner organized by U.S. friendly organizations in San Francisco in November 2023, Xi recalled his first face-to-face contact with American people in Iowa, saying China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China on exchange and study programs in the next five years to increase exchanges between the two peoples, especially between the youth. Upon hearing Xi's speech at the scene, Lande wrote a letter to the Chinese president expressing the hope that Muscatine High School could participate in the program. Xi replied with a welcoming response. Twenty-four students from Muscatine High School then visited China in late January this year, Principal Ryan Castle told Xinhua. They visited Beijing, Shanghai and Hebei Province. A group of 50 more students is scheduled to visit China in April, and Castle will lead the group himself this time. Leo Reginator, a sophomore at Muscatine High School, is one of the students visiting China in January. "It was the first time I was in China. The mountains really impressed me," he told Xinhua. "We interacted with three schools, and we got partnered up with people. We all talked about different stuff, what they do in China and what we do in the United States," he said. "It is a life-changing experience," Reginator said. "I would love to go back and explore even more, and it was an awesome experience." It is ninth-grader Sienna Stoneking's first trip to China in January. "It was an amazing trip, and we got to see so many cool places, and honestly, the culture was beautiful," said Stoneking. "My favorite part was getting to see the other students and just talk about like how they live their day-to-day lives compared to how we live ours," Stoneking said. "It was amazing getting to see the different things they do for Chinese New Year and getting to make different types of foods." "I even learned how to make a Chinese knot," she said. "There's a lot of things that I wish I wanted to learn about." Stoneking is impressed by Chinese students' work ethic. "I definitely look forward to learning more Chinese after this trip ... The future is up to the youth. The young need to experience different cultures in their eyes. I think that this is helping us create a better understanding and making lifelong friendships." "If I have the opportunity, I would love to go study in college in China," she said. The auditorium of Muscatine was packed with residents, old and young, in the evening. RDFZ Art Troupe presented a Chinese New Year Gala of folk dances, Chinese martial arts, and aerobic gymnastics here, drawing big cheers and applauses. Chinese students were overwhelmed by the warmth. "A local resident invited me to stay at her house," Ma Mayue told Xinhua. "They are so nice." This was the first time for Ding Xingyue to spend Chinese New Year away from home; the sophomore was a bit nervous. But joining the teachers and classmates, feeling the U.S. local customs, and interacting with American friends gave her a different "taste of Chinese New Year." Qiuxin Guangyao became friends with an American peer during the trip. "He has learned Chinese for five to six years, and we talk fluently in Chinese," the sophomore told Xinhua. "The opportunity is rare. Our friendship will continue." The year 2023 marked the 40th anniversary of China's Hebei Province and the Hawkeye State knotting sister province-state relationship. Over the past 40 years, remarkable results have been made in areas like economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges, said Chinese Consul General in Chicago Zhao Jian. This relationship has benefitted people on both sides and is an example of friendly exchanges on a local level between China and the United States, Zhao added. Terry Branstad, former U.S. ambassador to China, called the plan a great idea to invite young Americans to China on exchange and study programs over the next five years. "If you build friendships, you build trust and understanding," he told Xinhua. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A 60-year-old Amherst resident was arrested and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly burglarizing multiple residents and impersonating a law enforcement official over a near three-week period, the Buffalo police announced. On Jan. 20, police said they responded to the scene of a residence on Northrup Place for a call reporting that a known individual had allegedly made threatening calls about cutting power lines and kicking down the door of the residence. CBPs Buffalo field office stops millions of dollars in fakes every year The victim of the residence said that the individual, later identified as Fonda Brigis, had a badge of unknown origin and was believed to be armed, according to police. On Jan. 26, police said they responded to the same residence for an attempted robbery call. They said Brigis attempted to gain entry into the residence while allegedly continuing to make verbal threats to the victim. On Jan. 29, Behavioral Health team detectives, police said, received three individual complaints about Brigis, stating that Brigis, allegedly, would flash a badge and claim to be a member of law enforcement. On Feb. 6, police said they responded to the scene of a burglary call on the first block of Blaine Avenue where Brigis, allegedly, entered a victims home without notice and scattered cat food throughout the residence. Following an investigation, a search warrant and Temporary Extreme Risk Protection Order were issued and Brigis was arrested on Feb. 6. Police said, during a search warrant, they recovered brass knuckles, an ASP baton, a security badge, and a Cobray CM-11 handgun. Brigis was charged with the following: Burglary in the second degree Criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree Criminal impersonation in the first degree Criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree Aggravated harassment in the second degree Stalking in the third degree Harassment in the second degree Trespassing Emily Miller is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2022. See more of her work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Just days after the Indiana State Police arrested Warrick County's three commissioners on multiple felony charges, including official misconduct, the men are scheduled to go before the public Monday during a regularly scheduled meeting. It will be the first public appearance for commissioners Terry Phillippe, Robert Johnson and Dan Saylor since the men held a news conference before their arrests last week, during which a spokesperson sought to distance them from an Indiana State Police probe into Warrick County Animal Control. According to public records, the men are scheduled to host the regular, bi-monthly public meeting of the Warrick County Commission Monday at 4 p.m. Video footage will be uploaded to the county's YouTube channel. Samantha Hurst, the special prosecutor for cases involving former Warrick County officials and others ensnared in the ISP investigation, formally charged Phillippe, Saylor and Johnson on Thursday with obstruction of justice, false informing and official misconduct, court records show. Phillippe faces an additional charge of perjury. All three were booked into the Warrick County jail Thursday and later released on a $500 bond. More: The Warrick County Commissioners have been arrested. What happens now? Hurst and the state police accused the commissioners of lying to detectives when the men reportedly claimed to have known little about the alleged commingling resources between the county and a local nonprofit run by Warrick County Animal Control's former director, Danielle Barnes. Barnes and two other women Susan Broshears, a former animal control assistant, and Jamie Hubiak, the owner of Evansville-based Specialty Pet Grooming all face charges of theft for their alleged roles in an unlawful pet adoption scheme. Hurst charged Barnes and Broshears with additional counts of official misconduct, corrupt business influence and ghost employment, court records show. This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: What is going on in Warrick County government? FILE PHOTO: Federal police officers leave the headquarters of the Liberal Party during an operation targeting some of former President Jair Bolsonaro's top aides in Brasilia FILE PHOTO: Federal police officers leave the headquarters of the Liberal Party during an operation targeting some of former President Jair Bolsonaro's top aides in Brasilia By Anthony Boadle BRASILIA (Reuters) - Police raids on former President Jair Bolsonaro and his associates for allegedly plotting a coup after the 2022 election has weakened right-wing opposition to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead of October's local elections, analysts say. Bolsonaro, a far-right firebrand who modeled himself on former U.S. President Donald Trump, surrendered his passport to police on last Thursday and four of his ex-aides have been arrested. Search warrants were served against four of his former ministers, three of them retired army generals. That, analysts say, has dealt a serious blow to Bolsonaro's right-wing Liberal Party (PL), the largest opposition party. PL President Valdemar Costa Neto was also arrested on Thursday on an unrelated gun charge and set free provisionally on Saturday. "The Bolsonaro opposition has been badly hurt by this," said Andre Cesar, analyst at Hold Assessoria Legislativa, a public policy consultancy. "The PL will lose political muscle and have to rethink plans to triple its mayors in the October elections." Brazilian police accused Bolsonaro of editing a decree to overturn the result of the 2022 election that he lost to Lula, pressuring military chiefs to join a coup attempt, and plotting to jail a Supreme Court justice. PL President Costa Neto has been counting on Bolsonaro's popularity with core supporters to bolster turnout for his party in October, when voters will elect mayors and councils in 5,568 municipal districts across Brazil. However, Bolsonaro's alleged involvement in a coup conspiracy could cool support from moderate center-right Brazilians, who were not fans of Bolsonaro but voted for him to oppose Lula, according polling firm Quaest. CRITICAL SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS A social media survey conducted on Friday by Quaest showed 58% of the postings were critical of Bolsonaro, while 42% were favorable, indicating that he still has considerable support despite allegations of planning a coup, though less than the 49.1% who voted for him against 50.9% for Lula in 2022. "There will be a huge drain on the PL that will benefit the Workers Party," said a former PL lawmaker who left the party last year and asked to remain anonymous. The PL did not answer a request for comment. But a PL leader in Congress, Jose Medeiros, said the investigation was political persecution aimed at undermining Bolsonaro and the party to stop a right-wing comeback in the 2026 presidential race. Even before Thursday's operation, Lula was already enjoying warming ties with some of Bolsonaro's former allies. Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio de Freitas, who was Bolsonaro's infrastructure minister and a rising conservative leader, has been politically pragmatic and recently met with Lula for a much publicized handshake. Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema, a fellow rising star on Brazil's right, on Thursday said he "had learned to work with people who I think differently to," in reference to Lula and his leftist allies. The big losers from the fallout of the alleged coup plot will be those closest to Bolsonaro ideologically, while the moderates court centrist voters who decide elections in Brazil, said Lucas de Aragao, at political risk consultancy Arko Advice. "Moderate right-wingers face criticism for not supporting Bolsonaro enough, but they know they will get the Bolsonarista vote in a polarized left-right election," he said. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Lisandra Paraguassu in Brasilia; Editing by Sharon Singleton) Today's burning question from a reader is about the building on Haywood Road that until quite recently was occupied by Family Dollar. Do you have a question for Answer Man or Answer Woman? Email Executive Editor Karen Chavez at KChavez@citizentimes.com, and your question could appear in an upcoming column. Question: What happened to the Family Dollar on Haywood Road, and what is planned now for the building? Answer: The Family Dollar, a value-store chain and a fixture on Haywood Road in West Asheville for 20 years, cleared its shelves and closed its doors in January. The company will maintain a presence in Asheville with a pair of locations, including one in West Asheville. But all traces of the business were removed from the building it once occupied on 609 Haywood Road, and its familiar red and yellow sign had been tossed in a large green dumpster. A company spokesperson for Family Dollar gave no explanation for the closure, confirming only that the Haywood Road location has closed for good, while urging customers in the area to shop at its nearby location on Patton Avenue. The Family Dollar, a value-store chain and a fixture on Haywood Road in West Asheville for 20 years, cleared its shelves and closed its doors in January. There are no immediate plans for the space, said Doug Ellington, registered agent of Medstream Properties LLC, which owns the 9,750 square-foot property. Ellington is the great-nephew of renowned architect Douglas Ellington, who designed the S&W Cafeteria and the City/County buildings downtown. The younger Ellington, president of Ellington Realty Group, declined on to comment on the sort of impact his building might one day have on the fast-changing West Asheville cityscape. We will be evaluating options in the coming weeks, Ellington wrote in an email. The former tenant at 609 Haywood Road leaves behind a prime retail space located in the heart of a thriving commercial district that is near several other vacant buildings and lots. Prior to opening as a Family Dollar, the 609 Haywood Road building had been an auto parts store, but the types of businesses moving into the area these days reflects the type of growth the neighborhood wants. "If you look up and down the corridor there continues to be activity with new businesses looking to open and lease space," said Austin Walker, a broker for Whitney Commercial Real Estate Services in Asheville. Walker owns several properties in West Asheville, and so he keeps tabs on development in the area. A short walk down the road from the former Family Dollar, at 644 Haywood Road, is just one example of what is coming down the pike. To look at the place now, it's hard to see past the torn-up slabs of concrete, and the graffiti-covered buildings. But word on the street, according to Walker, is that an establishment, the sort where patrons let loose their furry pets while they belly up to a full-service bar, could soon occupy the space. The owner of the property could not be reached for comment. The lot at 644 Haywood Road, January 25, 2024. "If you look at Haywood Road 20 years ago, it has transition and matured to become a place that is highly desirable," said James Harrison, also a broker for Whitney Commercial Real Estate Services. "Still, there is still lots left to be done along that corridor." But even with the heightened interest, both men said the size of the now vacant building on 609 Haywood Road presents a challenge for commercial developers looking to lure in tenants. "There arent many 9,000-square-foot retail units on Haywood Road," Walker said. "You may see some type of adaptive reuse that takes the existing structure and adapts it to a different use than what was previously there." Aaron Nelsen is the trending news editor for the Asheville Citizen Times. His past stops include the San Antonio Express-News, where he was the Rio Grande Valley bureau chief, and for Time Magazine in Chile. He has been published in the New York Times, The Guardian, and Texas Monthly Magazine. Reach him at anelsen@citizentimes.com or follow him on twitter @amnelsen. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Answer Man: What happened to Family Dollar in West Asheville? Update: This person has been located. (BCN) Antioch police are looking for a missing man who is unable to care for himself. At approximately noon on Saturday, Michael McGee walked out of his residence located on Mt. Goethe Court in Antioch. Baby dies after accidentally being put in the oven; woman charged: prosecutor Police said McGee is currently unable to speak or care for himself. McGee doesnt have a phone but might have an iPad. McGee is a Black male adult who is approximately 65 and 300 lbs. He has brown eyes and black short hair. McGee was last seen wearing a gray sweater with blue sweatpants and gray shoes. McGee could possibly be headed to San Francisco. Anyone with information about McGee can contact Antioch police at (925) 778-2441. Copyright 2024 Bay City News, Inc. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) On a cold rainy day in October 2022, Jay Peters was sitting in the parking lot of a Holland Meijer when his co-volunteer suddenly went into cardiac arrest. Peters, a Holland City Council member at the time, was volunteering with the man for Community Action House, a nonprofit that provides food, clothing and shelter to those in need in the area. They were in a truck waiting to back it up to the dock at the Meijer when the mans heart stopped. Just two weeks prior, Peters had gone through CPR training. So after he called 911, he knew what to do. HopCat waitress saves customers life, performs CPR I was there probably for five minutes doing the chest compressions I just learned how to do, Peters said. First responders soon arrived and took him to a nearby hospital. Because Peters did chest compressions in the critical moments before first responders got there, he said his friend ultimately survived. That was enough to not only save his life but make sure his life is very livable from this point on, he said. Stories like these, of citizens doing CPR, are the motivation behind the coming launch of Pulse Point in Ottawa County an app you download on your phone that can help save lives. The app notifies users when there is a cardiac arrest taking place within a half mile of their location. It can take residents directly to the patients location so they can administer CPR. Youll be in a position to save somebodys life, Peters said. If your phone rings and it happens to be within a block or two or three blocks away, youll get there before the ambulance. Pulse Point is already in place in thousands of communities across the country. HeartSafe Holland, a community program which has trained more than 4,500 residents in hands-only CPR, is helping extend the app to Ottawa County starting this Wednesday. The group raised more than $30,000 to help connect the app to the countys 911 dispatch system. The whole secret is getting there soon, Peters said. With Pulse Point, we average getting there three minutes faster than the professionals. More than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen each year outside the hospital, according to the American Heart Association. Its essential for cardiac arrest patients to be treated as soon as possible. Peters said for every minute they lay on the ground without intervention, their chances of survival drop by 7 to 10%. Saranac named heart-safe school 4 years after students death The app also has a section reminding you how to perform CPR. It also shows where there are any nearby automated external defibrillators, a critical device that helps reestablish heart rhythm. Anyone can download the app, but its essential to know how to perform CPR. The American Red Cross website can connect you to classes near you, which only take a few hours. If theres any medical treatment that someone off the street can come in and apply, a very quick and simple and understandable way to save somebodys life, thats what this is all about, Peters said. Ottawa Countys approaching use of Pulse Point comes as Holland looks to become a HeartSafe community. Peters said the city has now met all 13 criteria in order to receive that designation, including getting at least 15% of the citys residents trained in hands-only CPR. Holland expects to learn in May if it will be one of the few communities with the distinction of being a HeartSafe community, Peters said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Muslim villagers in eastern Uganda on Jan. 30 beat a Christian unconscious upon seeing him prepare a site for an evangelistic event, and they later set his house ablaze, sources said. The 34-year-old father of three children, Philemon Shuha, was helping to set up an open-air evangelistic event with Titus Waniyaye, 25, in a heavily populated industrial area 3 kilometers from Nabiganda village, Butaleja District, when he was attacked, Waniyaye said. Shuha and Waniyaye spent the mornings of Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 distributing invitations to the evangelistic event. Many people had begun arriving as the two Christians were waiting for the rest of their team to join them when they heard a clamor among some Muslims. Waniyaye said the Muslim villagers asked, Why did you give out Christian literature to our people? Have you come to kill Islam by converting our people? Today you cant go unpunished. They then grabbed Philemon, Waniyaye told Morning Star News. Good enough I was a bit far off. I feared for my life and there and then fled for my survival. He mobilized a group of mostly Christian motorcyclists to rescue Shuha, he said. Soon we arrived at the scene of the incident, and the attackers fled in different directions, Waniyaye said. We found Shuha almost lifeless and unconscious and lying in a pool of blood. He had a deep cut on the right side of the head near the ear and blood coming from his right hand. He could not open his eyes. They brought him to a Christian health center in Nabiganda, where he received first aid and medication, and from there a church van transferred him to a hospital in Busolwe town, he said. From his hospital bed, Shuha that night told Morning Star News that he was able to identify one of the assailants as Swaliki Swaleh of the Busolwe mosque. Later, shortly after 10:30 p.m., Waniyaye received a phone call from Shuhas wife saying that her house was on fire, he said. The church members who were with me in the hospital urgently rushed to the home of Shuha using the church van, but upon arrival the house was on fire, he told Morning Star News. We tried to put out the fire, but unfortunately a big portion of the house had been destroyed. He and others mounted a search and found the arsonist in a sugarcane plantation, he said. We interrogated him as to why he had burned the house, and he said that he had been given 500,000 Uganda shillings [USD129] by the Muslims to go and destroy Shuhas house, Waniyaye told said. The suspect is in police custody, he said. Shuhas wife and three children, ages 10, 7 and 5, managed to escaped unhurt and have taken refuge at their church building. Shuha was still receiving hospital care at this writing. Shuhas house is located about 3 kilometers from Busolwe town. His church had planned a five-day outreach to Muslims for Jan. 28-Feb. 2 in Nabiganda, Kapisa, Leresi and Nampologoma villages. Shuha and Waniyaye spent the mornings of Jan. 29 and Jan. 30 distributing invitations to the evangelistic event. The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented. Ugandas constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate ones faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Ugandas population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country. Defense industry analysts said it has long been clear the Army needed to end its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft program. Indeed, concerns about the program came before the war in Ukraine and as drones became commonplace on battlefields throughout the world. And so when the service announced last week it would cancel its multibillion-dollar scout helicopter program, just weeks before the release of the fiscal 2025 budget, the news came as a surprise for its timing, but not for its content. Instead, what is less clear is what the cancellation means for Army Futures Command, the organization tasked with reimagining the departments modernization efforts. When leaders created Futures Command five years ago, Army leaders described FARA as a top priority. Given that its job is to understand the future and shape Army requirements accordingly, you cant help looking at this cancellation as a blow for that organization, said Thomas Spoehr, a retired Army three-star general and defense expert. House Armed Services Committee Vice chairman Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., announced he would call for a hearing on the cancellation. Bradley Bowman of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies think tank told Defense News it was the right decision to cancel the program in favor of spending on unmanned systems. Given what we and our adversaries have seen and learned in Ukraine, as well as the Armys insufficient budget, it seems to me the burden [of] proof is on anyone who argues that the Army should be spending billions of dollars on a manned rotary-wing armed reconnaissance program instead of unmanned systems, he said. Bowman noted the cancellation is an acquisition failure, but said it comes amid several key successes for Army Futures Command, which nearly reached its goal of putting 24 new systems into soldiers hands by the end of 2023. Anyone suggesting it is all sunshine or all failure is not seeing the full picture, he said. Byron Callan too said some bumpiness is expected. Its unrealistic for industry to expect complete stability and predictability in acquisitions, said Callan of Capital Alpha Partners. That doesnt exist in the commercial sector. Technology and changing consumer demands, taste, drives change. Defense, to a degree, is no different. Lawmakers are already expressing concerns about the decision. In a statement late last week, the congressional delegation from Connecticut, where Sikorsky is headquartered, demanded more explanation from the service. They wrote they want more details from the Army on how they plan to achieve crucial aviation capabilities, thoughtfully prepare our national defense for the future, and utilize the exceptional and seasoned workforce at Sikorsky for generations to come. Congress, according to Roman Schweizer, a defense analyst at TD Cowen, could reverse some changes. The service had spent roughly $2 billion on the program, and Lockheed Martins Sikorsky and Bell Textron also invested internally to compete for the chance to provide the Armys next armed scout helicopter. Both were building aircraft and expected to fly later this year. Loren Thompson, a defense industry consultant, said the cancellation isnt likely to damage the Armys relationship with industry because it came relatively early. Keep in mind this program had not been awarded, nobodys actually losing anything that they were certain to get, Thompson said. Pointing to the service pairing the cancellation of FARA with plans to upgrade its unmanned aircraft and buying more modernized UH-60 Black Hawks and the Boeing-manufactured CH-47F Block II Chinook cargo helicopters, Thompson said the Army has made the change, of course, more palatable for industry because it has thought through the impacts for each of the major players. Boeing no longer needs to be worried and Textrons biggest program win in a generation remains intact, Thompson added, referring to Bell Textrons win against a Boeing-Sikorsky team to build the Armys Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft at the end of 2022. Bryant Harris contributed to this report. FREDERICK, Md. (DC News Now) A Maryland volunteer service program for recent high school graduates is having a meaningful impact on communities. In Frederick, Tamir Shahid is making an impact as a volunteer at the Asian-American Center. Im helping the elderly, childcare programs, early childhood development and really just being available for anyone who needs help, said Shahid. Governor Wes Moore launched the program, modeled after VISTA or the Peace Corps, only for Maryland. Those who volunteer for a year after high school can qualify for a $6,000 college scholarship or have a leg-up on training for the workforce. Cat dies after 2-alarm fire at Prince William County home Elizabeth Chung, founder and executive director of the Center says Shahid is making his mark. Tamir is a bridge, an ambassador, a connector, a conduit, said Chung. He figures out what is best for a community and helps to meet those needs. Governor Moore even singled Shahid out in his State of the State address to the General Assembly. I was over the moon, said Shahid. It was super humbling. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) How can media literacy help us retain creativity and critical thinking in an AI world? An accredited professor of 25 years will attempt to answer this question at Angelo State University on Thursday, Feb. 15. Angelo State University will be presenting Renee Hobbs, a doctor and professor of communication students at the University of Rhode Island, as the featured speaker for the 2024 E. James Holland Symposium on American Values. Titled Media Literacy in an AI World: Artificial Intelligence, Media Literacy and American Values, Hobbs presentation will take place at 6 p.m. in the Eldon Black Recital Hall of the Carr Education-Fine Arts Building, located at 2602 Dena Drive. The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be provided. A global authority when it comes to digital and media literacy education, Hobbs is a teacher, researcher, activist and media professional. She has provided faculty and staff development programs for educators on four continents and produced some of the leading empirical research on the subject. At the University of Rhode Island, she is also co-director of the Graduate Certificate in Digital Literacy, a professional development program for educators, librarians and media professionals that was recognized in the U.S. Department of Educations National Education Technology Plan. Hobbs career spans 25 years. During this time, she has developed an award-winning curriculum and published over 200 professional publications, scholarly articles and books, including: Media Literacy in Action: Questioning the Media (2021) Mind Over Media: Propaganda Education for a Digital Age (2020) Create to Learn: Introduction to Digital Literacy (2017) Exploring the Roots of Digital and Media Literacy through Personal Narrative (2016) Discovering Media Literacy: Digital Media and Popular Culture in Elementary School (2013) Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Classroom and Culture (2011) Reading the Media: Teaching Media Literacy in High School English (2007) Hobbs also founded the Media Education Lab, an online community devoted to advancing media literacy education through leadership development, scholarship and community engagement. She is also the founding co-editor of the Journal of Media Literacy Education, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal for the global media education community. She holds a Ph.D. in human development from Harvard University. The Holland Symposium is named in honor of its creator, Dr. E. James Holland, retired dean of the former ASU College of Liberal and Fine Arts. It is designed to bring the ASU community and the public together to reflect on issues related to the countrys values. In its 40 years, the symposium has brought more than 50 nationally prominent figures to the ASU campus to spark discussion on a wide variety of topics. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ConchoValleyHomepage.com. The Australian politician who famously threatened to euthanize Johnny Depps pet dogs faces calls for his resignation after being filmed lying drunk in the street while talking on his cellphone. Barnaby Joyce, 56, is one of Australian politics more colorful characters. He made headlines as agriculture minister in 2015 when it emerged that Depp had illegally smuggled their Yorkshire terriers into the country, defying strict quarantine laws. Warning Depp that the dogs would be put down, he declared: Its time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States. The incident did him no harm career-wise, although Depp and then-wife Amber Heard did not forget it, and Joyce was named deputy prime minister the following year. He was forced to resign in 2018 when it emerged that he had left his wife for his much younger press secretary, Vikki Campion, whom he had got pregnant during a months-long affair. The pair are now married and Joyce was talking on the phone to Campion when he slipped onto the footpath after a night out in Canberra last Wednesday. Instead of picking himself up straight away, he continued talking while lying on the ground. Video footage of the incident, including a four-letter outburst from Joyce, was published by the Daily Mail Australia on Friday, bringing calls for him to be sacked from the opposition frontbench. Appearing on TV on Monday morning, Joyce admitted he had made a big mistake. Im on a prescription drug, and they say certain things may happen to you if you drink, and they were absolutely 100 per cent right. They did, he said. Peter Campion, Joyces father-in-law who once described him as a sheep who deserved to be roasted on a spit, came to the politicians defense, saying he had just received bad family news when he fell off the plant pot. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Joyces political opponent, said there needs to be an explanation for his behavior. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday canceled a planned trip to Brussels for a meeting on Ukraine aid this week after being admitted to the critical care unit at Walter Reed National National Military Medical Center over the weekend, the Pentagon announced Monday. Wednesdays planned Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, a gathering of international defense leaders to discuss support for Kyiv, will now be held virtually, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters on Monday. Austin returned to Walter Reed on Sunday night following symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue, the Pentagon announced on Sunday. He was admitted to the critical care unit for supportive care and close monitoring, his doctors said in a late Sunday statement. Austin underwent non-surgical procedures under general anesthesia to address his bladder issue. We anticipate a successful recovery and will closely monitor him overnight, his doctors said Monday. They anticipate that Austin will be able to resume his normal duties on Tuesday. The Pentagon chief transferred his official duties to his deputy after arriving at the hospital, Ryder said in a statement. Its not clear how long Austin will remain hospitalized, but his doctors said he is still expected to make a full recovery from prostate cancer, which was diagnosed in December. Ukraines defense minister, Rustem Umerov, pushed to make the Ukraine meeting virtual if Austin was not going to make it in person, according to a person familiar with the situation. Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown had also been slated to attend. Austin and Brown will both attend the contact group meeting virtually, Ryder said. Austin was also slated to attend the NATO defense ministerial meeting in Brussels on Thursday; Julianne Smith, the U.S. representative to NATO, will represent Austin at the meeting, he added. The last contact group meeting, in January, was also held virtually. Austins health was a "factor" in the decision to meet that way, Ryder said at the time. Austins canceled trip this week comes at a precarious time for continued U.S. support to Ukraines war effort. The Pentagon has been unable to send military equipment to Kyiv since late December, after running out of money allotted by Congress to replenish U.S. stockpiles. President Joe Bidens proposal to authorize $60 billion in additional aid for Kyiv has been stalled on Capitol Hill for four months over GOP demands for border security. Former President Donald Trump is opposed to sending aid until the administration tightens border security and has pressured lawmakers to block the supplemental. Defying Trump, the Senate on Sunday voted to advance a border-free version of the foreign aid supplemental spending bill that includes $95 billion in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. It's expected to pass the Senate this week but faces an uncertain future in the GOP-controlled House. Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines are running out of ammunition and other weapons to fight the Russian invaders due to the Pentagons cash problem, a top official said last month. This is the third time Austin has been hospitalized since learning of his cancer diagnosis in December. He underwent a procedure to treat the cancer in December. He later experienced complications from that procedure and was admitted to the intensive care unit in early January. He stayed there until Jan. 15. Austin and his staff failed to promptly notify his deputy, many senior DOD leaders, Congress and the White House of the first two hospital stays. It took even more time for him to tell the president that he had been diagnosed with cancer. We did not handle this right. I did not handle this right, Austin told reporters at the Pentagon on Feb. 1. Austin is scheduled to appear before the House Armed Services Committee at the end of this month to address his handling of his medical problems. Paul McLeary contributed to this report. Elders of a large Austin church fired its pastor of worship earlier this month, stating that he showcased a "pattern of predatory manipulation, sexual exploitation, and abuse of influence," including with a minor in 2011 and with three men since then. Aaron Ivey, a musician, author and the former pastor of worship for the Austin Stone Community Church, is alleged to have partaken in "inappropriate and explicit communications, indecent exposure, and the use of alcohol and illegal substances" with a teenage boy that continued over time, a post by the elders of the church said. Aaron Ivey did not respond to a request for comment via social media. Leaders of the Austin Stone, which has six campuses throughout Austin, said the teenager appeared not to have a connection to the church, stating that he was from "outside (the church's) formal programming." The post also stated that Ivey's alleged relationship with a minor was "reported to the appropriate authorities." Donovan Golden, the church's executive pastor of creative ministries, later clarified that the church reported it to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Mark Wilson, a spokesperson for the Department of Family and Protective Services, said that all case information is "confidential" and referred the American-Statesman to a local law enforcement agency. The Austin Police Department said it could not find an incident or case tied to Ivey when the Statesman reached out for comment. Church leaders found out about "inappropriate and explicit ongoing text messages" between Ivey who is the husband of Christian podcaster, author and speaker Jamie Ivey and a man on the evening of Feb. 4, the post said. Aaron Ivey was fired the next day. "After reviewing the explicit nature of these messages, it was clear that termination of Aarons eldership and employment was necessary in accordance with the clear biblical standards outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and 1 Timothy 5:19-20," the post said, noting two Bible verses that outline behavioral requirements for church leaders, such as being "faithful to his wife." The church discovered the other inappropriate relationships, including the one involving a teenager, after it began investigating the instance from this year. The church said the relationships with men in 2020 and this year included "inappropriate and explicit ongoing texts," and another from 2021 is said to have included "inappropriate and explicit behavior." Golden said the church recommended the men file reports with the Austin Police Department. Aaron Ivey's website, aaronivey.com, has since been taken down. Jamie Ivey, who has been on a tour for her latest book, said in a social media post Sunday that she is pausing all public appearances after "receiving devastating news" while on tour. An attempt to reach Jamie Ivey via her official email was unsuccessful. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin church fires pastor, says he abused minor Cameroon has become the first country to launch the much-anticipated malaria vaccine amidst public skepticism on its efficacy and safety. Despite the initial vaccine hesitancy from the public, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has termed the malaria vaccine mass rollout in Cameroon as a significant step in the prevention of the disease. Baptist churches have come alongside to play an important role in helping to counter misinformation and build trust among grassroot communities. The central African country took the bold step to include the WHO-approved malaria vaccine into its routine immunization program. From January 22, children under six months have been getting free doses of the RTS,S malaria vaccine alongside other vaccines such as polio, measles, tetanus and meningitis. The disease, caused by parasites found in infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, killed over 600,000 people in 2022, according to WHO. 95 percent of the deaths were registered in Africa and among those, about 80 percent were children under 5 years. Cameroons pioneer malaria vaccination programme will provide critical lessons for other African high-risk countries such as Liberia, Niger, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone that are due to receive over 1.7 million doses of the vaccine in the coming months. The journey to developing a WHO-approved malaria vaccine has been long and arduous but well worth the effort following successful clinical trials and pilot phases. The vaccine, which has been developed over 30 years by pharmaceutical giant GSK, showed an efficacy rate of 40 to 50 percent. Compared to the Covid-19 vaccines, which have an efficacy rate of over 90 percent after the second dose, this could be deemed as low. Nevertheless, scientists are in agreement that the malaria vaccine adds another important layer of protection and should be used alongside insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets, periodic antimalarial drugs and insecticide spraying during rainy seasons. If sustained, these interventions have the potential to significantly reduce and even eliminate malaria in more countries. Cape Verde, a small archipelago nation off the coast of Senegal, is a case in point. Through a multi-pronged strategy of spraying insecticide targeting mosquito larvae in breeding grounds and early detection and efficient management of cases, the WHO declared the country malaria-free last month after attaining zero infections for three consecutive years. Cape Verde joins Algeria and Mauritius who were declared malaria-free in 2019 and 1973 respectively. Similar interventions have seen a reduction of local infections in Eswatini (57.6 percent), South Africa (31.3 percent) and Botswana (43.5 percent) in 2022. The introduction of the vaccine will further bolster the previously used interventions. Head of malaria vaccine development at PATH, Ashley Birkett, says reducing infections by 30 percent translates into saving thousands of lives. In one of the clinical centres involved in the phase 3 trial, we saw over 6,000 cases of malaria prevented for every 1,000 children who were vaccinated, Birkett noted, implying that the vaccine mitigated against malaria multiple times for some children. The results of a pilot phase carried out in 2019 in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi provided broader evidence of including the vaccine as part of the immunization programme. Over 830,000 children in the three countries received three doses of the vaccine reducing cases of severe malaria by 30 percent. Dr. Bernhards Ogutu, the Chief Research Officer at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and part of the Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance told Christian Daily International that the vaccine proved to be both effective and cost effective. Greater benefits of the vaccine are observed over a longer period. The RTS,S pilot phase in the three countries took four years where we saw a reduction of infections and lower mortality rates, explained Dr. Ogutu. But as the scientific community and the Government of Cameroon celebrate this breakthrough, another battle is being fought: that against misinformation spreading mainly on social media. The Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) reports that a significant number of Cameroonians are skeptical about the efficacy and safety of the vaccine despite reassurance from government officials including the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Manaouda Malachie. The process of introducing this vaccine followed all the essential required steps, including the approval of the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group, assured Dr. Malachie in a press statement. The Cameroonian government has identified and is rolling out public awareness programmes with local and regional partners as one of the ways to counter the vaccine disinformation. One of the key partners in creating awareness of the vaccine and mobilizing the community is the Cameroon Baptist Convention through its CBC Health Services Malarial Control and Prevention program. The program aims to accelerate progress towards the elimination of malaria by addressing barriers such as resistance to change, inadequate knowledge among stakeholders, insufficient capacities of community stakeholders for effective strategies in communication, education and advocacy. Through its assemblies, schools and hospitals, the Baptist Church holds significant influence in Cameroon. Professor Tih Pius Muffih is the Director of Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services. He urges parents to embrace the vaccine without fear and projects a significant reduction of malaria cases in children. The vaccine will not only mitigate the impact of malaria in the country but also reduce expenses related to preventing or treating this disease, he says. Estimates published by the Malaria Journal estimates that Cameroon spends up to US$3.88 monthly per capita in malaria prevention and treatment, costs that could go to better use if the vaccine and other interventions work to significantly reduce prevalence of malaria. Annalena Baerbock, German Foreign Minister, speaks in the Bundestag in the general debate on the budget of the Federal Chancellor and the Federal Chancellery. Ann-Marie Utz/dpa Germany, France and Poland want to move forward together towards a common defence and security architecture in Europe, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Monday at a meeting with her counterparts from France and Poland near Paris. Not only do 27 different national systems in the European Union need to be better interlinked, she said, but in the future, joint procurement and joint projects in the defence sector must be initiated and operational capabilities must be pooled more closely than before against the background of the Russian war against Ukraine that has been going on for almost two years. "If [Russian President Vladimir] Putin believes that our strength is dwindling and our support is waning, he is completely mistaken, Baerbock asserted. The Ukrainians have been bravely standing up to Russian terror for two years, she said. "We have been standing hand in hand at their side for two years and will continue to do so as long as the people of Ukraine need us," the top German diplomat added. The question of how support for Ukraine can become even more effective also depends on how closely France, Poland and Germany act together militarily in the next few months and, if necessary, in the next few years." Baerbock said it is precisely because Germany, France and Poland look at European security from different perspectives on some issues, including defence issues, that it is so important that they pull together for the whole of Europe. She called the three countries "the natural link for cohesion in Europe." "If Putin set out to divide Europe, then he has achieved exactly the opposite," the German foreign minister added. SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. A city fed up. Lawlessness is running rampant in Memphis, and many blame the bail system for making it worse. One crime victim believes its part of the reason the man who carjacked her got out and committed crime. I had stopped by the store to get my mom something to drink, Chasity Beecher said. She was at a gas station in Frayser when she saw a man with a gun. It was big, black with a big wood handle on it. They call it a Draco, Beecher said. He was like, B, get out of the car. He aimed it at her and her young nieces. She handed over the car and called police. I can remember everything about the day so vividly, she said. I couldnt sleep for first 48 hours. I stayed up. If I closed my eyes, I see this man with a gun in my face. Beecher lived in constant fear and only found some relief when police made an arrest. Exactly two years later on the day she was set to testify, she found out Malik Pigram pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of attempted carjacking. According to court documents we found, he received eight years probation with conditions like job training, random drug screenings and 300 hours of community service. Its a slap in the face, Beecher said. Hell get out again, and hell do something else. She was right. In April, police say Pigram shot at a car. Then in August, they say he broke into Busters Liquor store. Officers say they caught him running from the scene with a gun. In custody, court records state pretrial services did an assessment claiming he wasnt on probation even though he was. They noted he was a threat to public safety, but he wasnt flagged for his reputation, character or mental condition. Despite police reports we uncovered through the Tennessee Records Act claim his mother has been in fear of her sons temper, and his father noted paranoid schizophrenia runs in the family. Its unclear if that information was looked at. What we do know is that a judicial commissioner set his bond at $35,000 for both cases. His probation was later revoked, and hes now being held without bond. Pigrams cases went through a new system. Last year, Shelby County launched a bail hearing room within 201 Poplar to ensure defendants get a hearing within 72 hours of the arrest. It also allows their financial situation to factor in to prevent defendants from getting stuck in jail simply because theyre poor. A defendant would be released on their own recognizance, meaning released without paying anything, when theres no compelling evidence theyre a flight risk or a public safety threat. To make it work, pretrial services would interview each defendant. They would rely on their answers and background checks and turn over their findings to a judicial commissioner, appointed by the Shelby County Commission, who would then set the amount. A tale of two bails WREG Investigators pulled bail setting forms at random to get a better idea of how the process works. One case we found involved Maurice Yarborough Carter. He is accused of carjacking a food delivery driver downtown last summer. He was flagged as a public safety risk, and it was noted he didnt show up to court five times, and had three felonies and 20 misdemeanor convictions. We requested every police report hes listed in, and what we found coincides with whats listed on the bail setting form. His bond was set at $100,000 dollars. Justin Roberts was arrested last February after being accused of asking a woman for money and continuing to grope her. While setting his bail, it was noted he had a record not showing up to court and had a violent behavior history. He was flagged for his reputation, character and mental condition. We found several dozen reports that go into more detail. They state hes been on police radar since he was a teen. One mentions possible ties to a gang. Hes been accused of multiple thefts, robberies and assaults. His financial condition was also taken into consideration. His bail was set at $10,000 dollars. Roberts got out. In May, he was arrested again. Court records state he accosted children, robbed a man and then committed another armed robbery. He punched that victim in the face knocking him unconscious. This time, his bail was set at $100,000. He remains behind bars. Memphis Shelby Crime Commission President Bill Gibbons said per state law, certain factors must be taken into account when setting bail like the nature of the offense, reputation and employment. Basically, its those factors that need to be considered. On one end of the extreme, the bail cannot be punitive in nature, so high as to be punitive. On the other hand, it cannot be based on simply what they can afford. Affordability is not one of the factors set forth in state law, Gibbons said. How bail works and what improvements could be made General Sessions Judge Bill Anderson oversees the judicial commissioners. He didnt get get back to our multiple emails regarding our request for an interview and a closer look at the bail hearing room. He and the lead judicial commissioner, however, went in front of the county commission in September. They explained that, instead of a bail company just putting up the money, they can impose conditions when defendants are released on recognizance. It helps them stay out of trouble and continue to provide for their families. I impose conditions. I impose curfews. I impose mental health assessments, Judge Anderson told the commission. They handed over hundreds of pages of data indicating the new system saw a slight decrease in people getting arrested again while out on bond. They say the average bail amount for violent offenses also increased and for non-violent offenses, it decreased. The county commission is expected to get an annual update on the bail hearing room next month. I think we are now complying with state law in a better way than we were before, lead Judicial Commissioner John Marshall said. What they didnt bring up though, were the cases called into question, like a man accused of opening fire when he was caught breaking into cars getting out on a $50,000 bond, or how a man accused of having a stolen gun when he stole two cars and tried to take a third was released with no bond. There was even more criticism in November, when a teen murder suspect was released without bond. Judge Anderson was reprimanded last week for saying he detests the bail bond system in the commission meeting. He told the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct he follows the law regardless of his personal views. They arent taking a lot of time. They are just setting the bonds, and its appropriate for some people who get arrested, we need to get them out, but for some people its not, Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Christopher Craft said. He believes a judicial commissioner cant vet a defendant as thoroughly as a judge. Theres not any way they can do that, and also, theyre not elected. Theyre appointed by the county commission. Theres nothing like an elected judge whos responsible for the people making a decision, Judge Craft said. State lawmakers agree. They passed a law that gives only judges not judicial commissioners the authority to set a bond for defendants in class A and B felonies. Leadership in Nashville also wants to give judges more authority to deny bail for more violent offenses, and two local Republican lawmakers are proposing a bill that would remove financial conditions from consideration. Where I think the system could improve is that judicial commissioners need to be putting more weight on the criminal history of the defendant, Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said. What needs to be cleared up is that D.A.s dont set bail. DA Mulroy said his office only makes recommendations. What he can do, when it comes to certain violent crimes, is ask that public safety gets proper weight, and if the defendant is released, that they get some kind of monitoring. And if they are re-arrested, we are going to immediately and always move to ask to revoke the bond, he said. The DAs office says its also requesting the man who carjacked Beecher get prison time now instead of probation. Whos to say they wont slap him on the wrist again? she said. Do you think the system is broken, WREG asked. Yes. Yes. It doesnt work for the victims, Beecher said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. Two Pennsylvania State Police troopers are being praised for their actions that helped save a bald eagle. The bald eagle was feeding on a roadway when a vehicle struck it, according to a Facebook post by state police. Troopers Alex Ebbert and Emilio Rizzo responded to a report of an injured eagle, according to police and news outlets. The eagle had an injured wing, according to officials. Trooper Ebbert used his cruiser jacket to wrap the bird for secure transport, police said. The eagle was handed over to the Pennsylvania Game Commission at PSP Newport, who then took it for rehabilitation. McClatchy News reached out to state police for more information, but they did not immediately respond. The bald eagle is a protected animal in Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Its protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Protection Treaty Act. Once endangered, its population has steadily increased in recent years. Though they typically eat fish, they will sometimes supplement by eating small mammals. Today, thanks to recovery efforts, bald eagles are nesting across the state and in places where they have not nested in decades, if not centuries, the Pennsylvania Game Commission said. Bald eagle mom protects eggs for 62 hours during CA snowstorm. See photos Bald eagle found dead after neighbor reports gunshot, Missouri officials say Photographer found sick bald eagle in state park. Now officials know what killed it The American College of Pediatricians has released a new position paper outlining findings based on a review of dozens of studies to claim that providing gender transition procedures to minors with gender dysphoria does not lead to an improvement in mental health. The ACP, which describes itself as a 600-member national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children, released the report Monday titled Mental Health in Adolescents with Incongruence of Gender Identity and Biological Sex. The group has long expressed skepticism about surgical and hormonal interventions for children who say they identify as the opposite sex and warns that trans-identified children are at higher risk for psychopathology than their peers even in cases where they receive some type of gender transition procedure. In an interview with The Christian Post, the reports author, ACP board member Dr. Jane Anderson, said, The most important thing is to recognize that these adolescents need and benefit from mental health support. There is a high incidence of adolescents who come into this medical care who have previous history of depression or anxiety or autism or other medical or psychological concerns, she said. And those issues have to be dealt with first, she added. Its just crucial that they receive the mental health services and support that they so desperately need. The paper expressed concern that parents, along with health care and educational professionals, who support the transgender transition of children and adolescents are, in fact, contributing to increased depression by appearing to validate to the children that something is wrong with their body and biological sex. The document cites multiple studies to back up its assertions. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, which examined 7,111 cisgender children and 58 trans-identified children between the ages of 9 and 10 in 2022, found that trans-identified youth in this age group were 2.53 times more likely to experience depression than their peers who did not suffer from gender dysphoria, the report states. Trans-identified children in the study were also 2.7 times more likely to experience anxiety, 3.13 times more likely to have conduct problems and 5.79 times more likely to possess suicidal thoughts, Anderson added. The Healthy Minds Study, which surveyed 65,213 students at 71 college campuses across the United States between 2015 and 2017, revealed that 78% of students classified as gender minorities showed signs of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-injury and suicidality compared to only 45% of respondents who were not gender minorities. Psychological evaluations of 49 youth seeking gender transition procedures in Vienna, Austria, found that 57% of them had at least one psychiatric diagnosis. The report states that in another study evaluating 919,868 children between the ages of 9 and 18, 8.6% of participants who had an autism spectrum disorder experienced gender dysphoria compared to 0.6% of those not on the autism spectrum. Additionally, Anderson reported the rate of suicide attempts among trans-identified youth is not different from that experienced by individuals who have experienced bullying or who identify as LGB. Anderson described this finding as a little surprising because were told over and over again its so important that you allow your adolescent to transition or they are going to kill themselves due to a reportedly higher suicide among trans-identified youth compared to their cisgender peers. Additional data included in the report attempted to determine whether there was a relationship between adverse childhood events and transgender identity. Anderson cited a study of 3,508 LGBT adolescents that found respondents reported an average of 3.14 adverse childhood events such as exposure to domestic violence, mental illness, alcohol or drug use in the home, physical or emotional abuse or neglect, sexual abuse, and parental divorce. A survey of 1,665 parents of children with gender dysphoria showed that 57% of trans-identified adolescents had mental health concerns dating back to an average of 3.8 years before they began to experience discomfort with their biological sex and 42.5% of them had received a formal psychological diagnosis. Anderson wrote that a study from the McMaster University Department of Health Research Methods found that it is unknown whether people with gender dysphoria who use puberty blockers experience more improvement in gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, and quality of life than those with gender dysphoria who do not use them. There is very low certainty about the effects of puberty blockers on suicidal ideation. A 2021 comprehensive data review of all 3,754 trans-identified adolescents in US military families over 8.5 years showed that cross-sex hormone treatment leads to increased use of [mental] health services and psychiatric medications, and increased suicidal ideation/attempted suicide, the report stated. The 2021 study indicated that when transgender-identifying adolescents who were using gender-affirming pharmaceuticals (963) were evaluated separately, their use of mental health care services did not change but their use of psychotropic medications did increase, Anderson wrote. There is strong evidence that children and adolescents who identify as transgender have experienced significant psychological trauma leading to their gender dysphoria, Anderson concluded. She also asserts that there is no long-term evidence that current gender affirming medication and surgical protocols benefit their mental well-being. High rates of suicide attempts and/or completions in those who have received gender affirming interventions indicate that at minimum, long term controlled trials should be conducted if these interventions are to be continued. More attention and support should be afforded to individuals seeking help in detransitioning after having made a decision during their formative adolescent years with life-long consequences, including possible sterility and loss of sexual function. After reiterating its opposition to allowing trans-identified youth to obtain gender transition procedures, the ACP recommended: intensive psychotherapy for the individual and family to determine and hopefully treat the underlying etiology of their gender incongruence. Andersons report comes as other professional organizations have voiced their approval for surgical and hormonal interventions. The American Medical Association contends that "improving access to gender-affirming care is an important means of improving health outcomes for the transgender population." Receipt of gender-affirming care has been linked to dramatically reduced rates of suicide attempts, decreased rates of depression and anxiety, decreased substance use, improved HIV medication adherence and reduced rates of harmful self-prescribed hormone use, the AMA states on its website. In 2022, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that it doesnt recommend body mutilating surgeries to most youth after it was accused of ignoring findings that led European countries like Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom to place severe restrictions on medical transition for minors. In the U.K., for instance, Englands National Health Service announced last June that it would only commission puberty-suppressing hormones as part of clinical research, restricting use of puberty-blocking drugs for gender transition outside of clinical trials. While Andersons paper did not elaborate on the long-term impacts of gender transition procedures, the ACP previously warned of the side effects of the life-altering treatments. Specifically, the group listed osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, [and] cognitive impairment as possible long-term impacts of puberty blockers while cautioning that cross-sex hormones put youth at an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers across their lifespan. Anderson raised additional concerns about the impact of gender transition procedures on adolescents in light of the fact that their brains are still developing and they are not mature enough to make major life-altering decisions. I think it is unacceptable to allow adolescents who are not allowed to get a tattoo in some states, who arent allowed to take a Tylenol at school without parental consent to be allowed to make such lifelong decisions that are going to affect their fertility, often end up sterilizing them. Concerns about the long-term impacts and effectiveness of gender transition procedures have prompted 23 states to ban minors from obtaining some or all of them: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. While crackdowns on gender transition procedures for minors are taking place at the state level, Anderson says they are still being pushed in America. She hopes the U.S. would follow the lead of other countries who have been investigating and actually looking at the research, finding that there are no benefits to letting minors obtain gender transition procedures and take a pause on promoting the life-altering treatments. Originally published by The Christian Post NEW BEDFORD The New Bedford Free Public Library's event room was packed with appreciative artists and art aficionados Monday, applauding the latest in grants to advance New Bedford's artistic vibrancy. New Bedford Creative announced 82 grant awards in all, totaling an "unprecedented" $509,200. New Bedford Creative, housed at the New Bedford Economic Development Council, oversees implementation of the city's strategic arts and culture plan, titled "New Bedford Creative: our art, our culture, our future." It was published in 2018. Funding is provided by the city through American Rescue Plan Act awards, as well as New Bedford's Arts, Culture and Tourism Fund. Mayor Jon Mitchell speaks during a press conference where New Bedford Creative announced the release of eighty two grant awards totaling $509,200 at a ceremony held in the New Bedford Free Public Library. The fund was proposed by Mayor Jon Mitchell in 2016. New Bedford was the first municipality in Massachusetts to establish an arts fund. It's derived from revenue generated from the citys lodging tax. Funding is also provided by the Barr Foundation, Bristol County Savings Bank and the Mass. Culture Council. Artists come from wide range of disciplines Grant recipients span a wide array of artistic disciplines, according to New Bedford Creative. Cedric Josey performs a song he wrote titled 'Being in New Bedford' during a ceremony held at the downtown New Bedford Public Library where New Bedford Creative announced the release of eighty two grant awards totaling $509,200. There are three programs available to the artists: Artnet, which provides post-pandemic financial support and business planning; Art is Everywhere, which prioritizes creative solutions to expedite post-COVID recovery in New Bedford neighborhoods; and Wicked Cool Places, which emphasizes impact on residents, visitors and/or businesses in New Bedford neighborhoods. Grant awards included $10,000 to filmmaker Alyssa Botelho for "Sweet Freedom," a 20-minute short film on the life of Afro-indigenous abolitionist Mary "Polly" Johnson that will showcase New Bedford as a beacon for hope for freedom seekers, according to New Bedford Creative. The grant was part of the Art is Everywhere! program. The New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center received a $10,000 grant under the Wicked Cool Places program for "Casting a Wider Net." The stories of Cape Verdean, Vietnamese, Puerto Rican, and Central American members of the fishing community will be collected and shared. Faces from New Bedford's past, along with those of today, look on during a ceremony held at the downtown New Bedford Public Library where the New Bedford Creative announced the release of eighty two grant awards totaling $509,200. Fifty artists are each receiving $4,000 working capital grants under the Artnet program. They join 40 artists who participated in the program last year. For a full list of grant awards and project summaries, go to newbedfordcreative.org Event came with performances Tony Sapienza, president of the New Bedford Economic Development Council, who was acting as master of ceremonies, asked, "What other city has 90 artists doing this?" The announcement Monday came with performances by Cedric Josey, who sang his "Being in New Bedford;" Sarah Donner, who sang her "Whalers and Sailors;" and New Bedford Poet Laureate Sarah Mulvey, who recited her poem, "Come Through." Mayor Mitchell said New Bedford didn't want "struggling artists. We want thriving artists." He said there was a "certain alchemy" to economic development, and that a vibrant arts community makes an important contribution. "This isn't a zero-sum game," he said. Tony Sapienza, President of the New Bedford Economic Development Council, speaks at a ceremony held at the downtown New Bedford Public Library where New Bedford Creative announced the release of eighty two grant awards totaling $509,200. Mitchell joked that he refers to Margo Saulnier, New Bedford Creative's strategies director, as the "sorceress." "She's magic in bringing people together," he said. "Nothing can happen without strong leadership, and that's what we have in Margo." At a ceremony held at the downtown New Bedford Public Library where New Bedford Creative announced the release of eighty two grant awards totaling $509,200. He said those active with New Bedford Creative should be proud of the work they're doing. "We have a national model here," Mitchell said. He added, "Keep doing what you're doing. That's my message for today." This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford artists reap benefits from grant program Deadly crashes on Western Washington roads are at their highest number in over 30 years and troopers say they are seeing more cases of aggressive driving. The Washington State Patrols Aviation Unit, which works with troopers and other law enforcement on the ground, is preparing to expand its reach with a third plane equipped with HD and infrared lenses. The cameras allow troopers to track dangerous drivers in cases where patrol cars are not permitted to pursue. KIRO 7s Linzi Sheldon and photojournalist Jeff Ritter went up in the air with the WSP to see their detection and enforcement work in action. Weve only been up in the air for a few minutes here and we already found a vehicle traveling 20 miles an hour over the posted speed limit, Trooper Anson Statema said as they spotted a car going 80 miles an hour. In the back, Trooper Nick Schureman can zoom in on vehicles and track their speed as Statema flies the plane. Troopers also spotted a motorcycle popping wheelies on the highway, weaving, and splitting traffic. Schureman recorded his top speed at 145 miles an hour and helped troopers on the ground follow the motorcyclist safely and track him to a warehouse. We see a lot of in the last two years, a lot of dangerous driving and drivers, Statema said. Really high rates of speed, aggressive driving. More frequent instances of people driving at speeds over 100 miles per hour. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission projects at least 800 people died on Washington roads in 2023, which would be the most since 1990. And its not counting injuries, like those suffered by Carl McNabb. Luck to be alive, McNabb said from his hospital bed. On January 4, McNabb was in the backseat of a blue and yellow taxi heading north on I-5 going home from the airport. Prosecutors said Lauren Wickers, whom they describe as a repeat DUI offender, was going the wrong way on I-5 and slammed into McNabbs taxi head-on. Just people [being] very cavalier... taking any risk they want to, basically, McNabb said. Hes recovering from injuries that include skull and facial fractures, compound fractures to both femurs, and four broken vertebrae. It is a significant problem, Adam Eucker with the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office Felony Traffic Unit said. We see the numbers continue to go up. They charged Wickers with vehicular assault, violation of her ignition interlock device, and reckless driving. Eucker said theyre seeing more drivers using cannabis and alcohol and using them together. What were seeing is a lot of cases involving speed, a lot of cases involving impairment, he said. And those are two extremely dangerous things to have on our roadway. Eucker said the KCPAO supports new traffic safety legislation being considered in the legislature right now, including lowering the BAC limit from 0.08 to 0.05. The move saw success in Utah when the state did the same in 2019. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found the states deadly crash rate dropped by nearly 20% in the first year under the lower legal limit. KIRO 7 went through the Washington Traffic Safety Commissions map of deadly crashes all around Western Washington over the last four years. KIRO 7 spotted a cluster on Evergreen Way through Everett, along 99 and I-5 from downtown Seattle through North Seattle, and from Federal Way through Fife and Tacoma on I-5. The map shows crashes along all major highways. What do you tell people to do to protect themselves when theyre behind the wheel? reporter Linzi Sheldon asked. Drive cautiously, Trooper Statema said. Leave yourself plenty of following distance. He urged people to put the phone down to reduce distractions and allow them to react quickly to a dangerous driver. Move over to a different lane if you need to, he said. Give them space. Dont try to be the person thats going to get in their way or slow them down. Once youre out of their way, Statema said, call 911 from a hands-free device as soon as safely possible. People need to think about the others, Carl McNabb said. And the consequences... I just know theres a long road ahead of me. And I could have easily been a goner. The WSP expects to get its third plane with this type of camera early next year and is asking for funding for a similar fourth plane in the current legislative session. See a previous report on Grand Taverns opening in the video player above. GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH) The owner of a Grandview Heights bar has shut it down after just a few months of operating, citing bad business dealings with the landlord and nightmarish renovation costs. The Grand Tavern, located at 1111 W. 1st. Ave., held its official opening on Dec. 22. The bar had soft-launched in November, but by Feb. 7, owner Andrea Spence announced on the businesss social media that she had enough. Franchisee of Roosters restaurants will pay $500,000 in settlement with workers I was being extorted for $10k and I refused to pay, Spence wrote. And after threatening to lock me out multiple times I walked away, for my own sanity. I have copies of wire transfers verifying the rent was paid on time every month. I put large amounts of money and time into replacing equipment and refurbishing a tired smelly bar. Spence was trying to rehab Marshalls Restaurant and Bar, which closed in 2022 after 37 years in business. Her lease split the building in half with another tenant, letting her focus on providing a bar while a franchise of breakfast diners set up next door. The remodeled exterior of Marshalls with Grand Taverns new design. (Courtesy Photo/Andrea Spence) The outside of Grand Tavern at night. (Courtesy Photo/Andrea Spence) Marshalls Restaurant & Bar sits empty after closing permanently. (NBC4 Photo/Mark Feuerborn) Spence noted that Grand Tavern never faced any citations or issues from local health inspectors, nor were there profitability concerns. She expected she would break even in the first year of business but could not justify staying with a landlord she said was falsely billing her for common area maintenance. When they finally showed a receipt for annual insurance, it was for $3,700, not $9,000, Spence wrote. Three things we learned last week in Jason Meades murder trial In replies to comments on the post from patrons, Spence revealed she had paid $125,000 for what she was told would be a turnkey business. She also claimed she spent more than $100,000 to remodel and add plumbing to Grand Tavern. Spence said in a previous interview with NBC4 that some of her aesthetic additions included patio propane heaters, wood trim and bar rails, chandelier lighting and a British phone booth she found on Facebook Marketplace. The interior of the Grand Tavern. (Courtesy Photo/Andrea Spence) The interior of the Grand Tavern. (Courtesy Photo/Andrea Spence) The interior of the Grand Tavern. (Courtesy Photo/Andrea Spence) But Spence said her renovations couldnt compete with lasting issues inside of the tavern. The closure announcement documented a leaking roof, the mens bathroom smelling like sewer gas, do-it-yourself electrical wiring, weird stuff falling from the ceiling, a crumbling sidewalk and uneven flooring. She also warned that there would be more bills coming for any business that took over the space. Dogs up for adoption after 13 found abandoned at Delaware Wildlife Area They have big plans for capital improvements that any tenants will be forced to pay for, new parking lot in April for $25k, Spence added. While she didnt give specifics, Spence did say that the story may not be over for Grand Tavern. We are looking for another location. We will keep the same name, Spence wrote. The owners of the property said they could not comment on Grand Taverns departure or Spences allegations, citing a request from their attorneys. Delaneys Diner also set up shop in the restaurant portion of Marshalls, making it the fourth location for the chain. As of Thursday, that business remained open and had not disclosed any plans to leave the property. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Friday fish fries may have originated in the Midwest, but they are as ubiquitous in the greater Rochester area as Garbage Plates and Chicken French. Even outside Lent, Friday fish fries are available at dozens, if not hundreds, of restaurants. (Links to our previous reporting on the topic can be found at the end of this story.) If youre one of the fish-fry faithful, you probably have a go-to spot, but if youre interested in trying a new or newer one, here are some options. Caife Erin, 1350 Pittsford-Mendon Road, Mendon Richard Baker and Addie Neary of Shortsville launched Irish-themed Caife Erin in January in the former Crabby Dans Grill. Caife Erin menu items reflect Bakers native Ireland. Serving mostly breakfast and lunch, the quaint establishment is open until 7 p.m. Fridays to accommodate a 4 to 7 p.m. service of traditional Irish fish and chips. Its wrapped in paper, "like if you went to a chippy, Neary said, using Irish slang for a fish-and-chips shop. A piece of beer-battered haddock with chips (fries) is $20. G&G Steakout II, 810 Genesee St. For more than 20 years, G&G SteakOut restaurants were a beloved gathering place for Rochesters Black community. Late last year, members of the Gause family revived the family business, but with a new look and direction. G&G Steakout II serves steak sandwiches, burgers, wings and other hearty favorites, as well as a haddock fish fry with hush puppies, a choice of macaroni salad, potato salad or fries, and a 24-ounce lemonade for $25. Tin Cup Social, 25 Parce Ave., Fairport Tin Cup Social, which opened in the fall of 2022 in Fairports Cannery complex, serves a Friday fish fry consisting of beer-battered cod with house-made coleslaw and Cajun potato wedges for $18. Hooked Fish Market, 333 Driving Park Ave. Opened in early 2022 by Natasha Knorr and Kenneth Rivers, Hooked Fish Market in Rochesters Maplewood neighborhood offers fresh fish, flown in daily from Iceland, and a large menu of prepared foods. Its best-seller is fried fish dinners: haddock, catfish, cod or tilapia, served battered or cornmeal-coated, with fries, bread and macaroni salad or coleslaw for $17.50. K2 Brothers Brewing, 4320 Canandaigua Road, Walworth K2 Brothers Brewing opened its first location in 2017 across from Irondequoit Bay in Penfield in a former antiques store. K2s newly opened second location takes up a portion of Walworths Freewill Elementary school, which closed in 2017 because of declining enrollment. Craft beer is the focus, but as in Penfield, the Walworth K2 serves food, including a Friday fish fry. Day boat cod, beer-battered or broiled, comes with house remoulade and coleslaw for $17. The Classic Kitchen & Cocktails, 263 Park Ave. In existence since early 2022, The Classic Kitchen & Cocktails serves classic American cocktails and cuisine, including steak and seafood as well as vegetarian and vegan options. And the fryer is kept gluten-free, so gluten avoiders can indulge in a Friday fish fry hard cider-battered cod, served with fries and house-made coleslaw. The cost is $22. Cerame's Italian Villa, Winton Place Plaza, Brighton Last fall, after 53 years in business, the Cerame family sold Cerames Italian Villa to May Dougan and her sister Pornthip Berkensees, natives of Thailand. The sisters have incorporated Thai food into the menu of Italian favorites, but Cerames still serves a Friday fish fry. Breaded with Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, it is served with fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce for $22.50. From 2023: Who has Rochester's best fish fry? The winner of our faceoff is ... From 2023: We taste-tested Rochester's most popular fish fries. Which did we prefer? From 2023: The Rochester area is known for its fish fries. Here's a look at some of the good ones. Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood. Tracy Schuhmacher covers food and drink for the D&C. Keep up to date with her food finds by subscribing to her weekly ROCFlavors newsletter. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Who has the best fish fry in Rochester NY? New options, old favorites The ongoing fight over the future of police discipline in Chicago has reached the Circuit Court of Cook County, and while attorneys for both the city and the Fraternal Order of Police polish their arguments, a judge has ordered that all pending Chicago Police Board cases be paused until at least Feb. 24. The highest-profile of those now-halted cases stems from the 2021 shooting death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Little Village. The Chicago Police Department filed administrative charges last year against Officer Eric Stillman, seeking to fire him for his role in the shooting. Stillmans Police Board evidentiary hearing was scheduled for last week. But that case is just one of 20 currently pending before the Police Board, the 6-decade-old body that has historically acted as arbiter in the most serious cases of misconduct by CPD officers. Along with Stillman, five other officers are accused of improper use of deadly force. Four face allegations of domestic violence or abuse. Three are accused of shirking the citys COVID-19 vaccination policy. The other seven cases run the gamut. One officer allegedly tested positive for cocaine during a random drug screen at CPD headquarters. A sergeant is accused of repeatedly making unwanted sexual advances toward a woman at a brewery in Beverly. Another sergeant allegedly lied to investigators with the Civilian Office of Police Accountability about witnessing another officer punch a teen arrestee in the head. Evidentiary hearings have already concluded in three of the 20 cases, but the judges order bars the board from taking action on those or any of the other 17 cases that now sit in temporary limbo. Cook County court records indicate that several officers currently facing administrative charges have quit CPD in recent months. In the past, the department has withdrawn charges if an officer resigns from the department during a pending Police Board case. The boards next public meeting is scheduled for Feb. 22. The continuing fight over disciplinary policy was born from contract negotiations between the city and union last summer. Edwin Benn, the independent arbitrator overseeing the talks, issued an award to the union that provided officers accused of serious misconduct the choice to have their cases decided by another third-party behind closed doors. Benn explained that CPD officers have that right as members of a public-sector labor union. The agreement between the city and union also provided for a nearly 20% raise for officers over four years, on top of a one-time $2,500 bonus. Beyond that, the deal creates a new Peoples Court where more minor police discipline cases can be decided by an arbitrator in a single day. The deal also paved the way for a new rotation of homicide detectives, aimed at improving the departments homicide clearance rate, which hovered near 50% throughout 2023. Approval of the contract was split into two votes: one for the economic package, which quickly passed, and another to address the arbitration award. Before the arbitration award was first voted down in December, James Franczek, the citys chief labor counsel, warned that overturning Benns ruling would be a steep hill to climb. The standards to reverse an arbitrators award are limited and very challenging, Franczek told aldermen. Last August, months before the tentative contract was put before the City Council, FOP attorneys attempted to remove 22 pending cases from the Police Boards docket. That effort was shot down a month later, but Tim Grace, a union attorney who often represents officers in Police Board hearings, argued that Benns arbitration award was ironclad. We all know where this is going to go: arbitration, Grace said at the time. The officers will have a right to choose between the Police Board and arbitration. I think well be trying a lot of cases at the Police Board, still, in the future, but I think that there are going to be some officers that want arbitration. The City Council last week, at the direction of allies of Mayor Brandon Johnson, deferred another vote on the arbitration award, but it wasnt clear whether the mayor and his aldermanic supporters could again collect the requisite 30 votes to defeat the award. Immediately after the deferral motion, FOP President John Catanzara and the FOP delegation he sat with in the council chambers rose to leave. He paused and turned toward Johnson as he walked out. See you in court at 2:30, Catanzara said. I dare you to show up, mayor. At that afternoon hearing with city and FOP attorneys, Cook County Circuit Judge Michael Mullen agreed with both sides in the case to put a hold on all Police Board proceedings until the next status update scheduled for the last week of February with the expectation of a final City Council vote by then. If the City Council fails to vote on arbitration at all in February or if Johnson and allies do not secure 30 votes to reject it by the end of next month, Benns decision will stand. That would mean the 20 officers facing charges would have the opportunity to opt for arbitration. The City Councils next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 16. Meanwhile, with its future in question, the Police Board now operates under the leadership of Kyle Cooper, an attorney who was selected late last year to succeed Ghian Foreman as board president. After the judge issued the order pausing board proceedings, Cooper once again called on the City Council to fight Benns award to the union. At this critical juncture, I once again urge the City Council to reject Arbitrator Benns decision, Cooper said in a statement last week. Allowing his ruling to stand will shroud the Toledo case and other allegations of serious police misconduct in secrecy. Such an outcome will only further erode the trust between law enforcement and our citizens and undermine our collective efforts to create a more accountable and transparent system of policing in Chicago. Beyond the Police Board, a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the city and Stillman by Adam Toledos family continues to play out, also in Cook County Circuit Court. Attorneys for the city and those for the teens family are now arguing over the relevance and admissibility of records stored on Toledos cellphone, court records show. Even if (Toledo) was not in possession of his cell phone at the time of the shooting, evidence regarding the days before the incident including when he was missing, and earlier the day of the incident, is discoverable and highly relevant, city attorneys wrote in a recent filing. The next hearing in that case is scheduled for Feb. 23, court records show. Police Board cases play out similarly to criminal trials, but the board is involved in only the most severe instances of misconduct those where the superintendent calls for an officer to be suspended for at least a year or fired from the CPD. After the superintendent files administrative charges against an officer, an evidentiary hearing is scheduled. The hearings typically last one to four days and involve witness testimony and exhibits, but they are not overseen by a judge. Instead, a hearing officer a role Cooper previously filled before he became board president oversees the matter to ensure that procedure is followed. Evidentiary hearings are recorded on audio and video, and the nine members of the Police Board review the footage and hearing transcripts before voting on whether an officer is guilty of the charges. If an officer is found guilty by a majority of board members, then the board will hand down punishment. The entire process from the time an officer is charged to the boards final decision often takes several months to complete, if not longer. If the board votes to fire an officer, the officer can appeal in Cook County Circuit Court. Chicago Tribunes A.D. Quig contributed. By the second week in February lawmakers are supposed to be busy picking apart the White House budget request with an eye towards policy debates in coming months. But the process hasnt worked that way in recent years. Administration officials earlier this month announced their fiscal 2025 budget proposal would arrive more than a month late on March 11 marking the fourth consecutive year that Biden has missed the statutory deadline for a spending plan in early February. Republican House Budget Committee members last week blasted the delay as another financial misstep by the administration. But each of the last four presidents missed that filing deadline at least once during their time in the White House, slowly making the February target date more of a guidepost than a mandate. And the upcoming budget proposal is complicated by the fact that lawmakers still have not finalized their work on the fiscal 2024 budget, even though the new fiscal year began on Oct. 1. Bidens fiscal 2025 budget plan is scheduled to be released three days after the next deadline for Congress to pass a funding extension or trigger a partial government shutdown. Wednesday, Feb. 14 House Foreign Affairs 10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn Australia-UK-US Partnership Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins will testify on AUKUS Implementation. House Judiciary 10 a.m. 2141 Rayburn Crime Surveillance Officials from the U.S. Marshals Service will testify on current operations. House Agriculture 10 a.m. Feb. 14 1300 Longworth USDA Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack will testify on department needs. House Veterans' Affairs 10:15 a.m. 360 Cannon Sexual Harassment Committee members will review ongoing concerns with department leaders handling of sexual harassment claims. House Veterans' Affairs 12:05 p.m. 360 Cannon Pending Business The committee will meet to debate pending business issues. House Veterans' Affairs 1 p.m. 360 Cannon VA Compensation/Pension Department officials will testify on challenges with VA compensation and pension programs. House Foreign Affairs 2 p.m. 2200 Rayburn Nigeria Outside experts will testify on threats to democratic rights in Nigeria. House Foreign Affairs 2 p.m. Visitors Center H-210 Houthi Threat Outside experts will testify on threats posed by Houthi fighters to the Middle East and U.S. personnel deployed there. Thursday, Feb. 15 House Veterans' Affairs 8 a.m. 360 Cannon Health Record Modernization Department officials will provide an update on health records modernization efforts. House Veterans' Affairs 10 a.m. 360 Cannon Artificial Intelligence Department officials will testify on the use of artificial intelligence in veterans services. House Foreign Affairs 10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn Doha Agreement Outside experts will testify on ongoing problems in Afghanistan. House Science 10 a.m. 2318 Rayburn Technology Enterprise Officials from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Science Foundation will testify on securing American technology enterprise efforts. House Ways & Means 10 a.m. 1100 Longworth IRS IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel will testify on current operations and challenges. House Armed Services 10 a.m. Rayburn 2118 China Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante will testify on current challenges posed by China. House Foreign Affairs 2 p.m. 2172 Rayburn Russia Nuclear Energy Outside experts will testify on ending global dependence on Russian nuclear energy. House Foreign Affairs 2 p.m. 2200 Rayburn Antisemitism in Latin America Outside experts will testify on problems with antisemitism and discrimination in Latin America. House Veterans' Affairs 2:30 p.m. 360 Cannon VA Home Loans Department officials will testify on current use and access challenges with the VA home loan program. President Biden has expressed growing frustrations behind closed doors over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his refusal to scale back Israels military ambitions in Gaza, according to an NBC News report. Biden, in private conversations, has said Netanyahu is giving him hell as the White House seeks to broker a cease-fire with the Palestinian militant group Hamas and negotiate a longer-term plan for peace in the Gaza Strip, NBC News reported Monday, citing five people directly familiar with the presidents comments. Biden reportedly said Netanyahu is impossible to work with and called the Israeli leader an ahole on at least three occasions, according to three of the people who asked they not be named in the report. Despite the private frustration, the White House has generally offered steadfast support for Israel, a longtime ally of the U.S., following Hamass Oct. 7 surprise assault that killed about 1,200 people, including hundreds of civilians. Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007. Biden and other White House officials, however, have upped calls on Israel in recent weeks to be more cautious about killing civilians in its bombardment of Gaza. The Palestinian death toll in the enclave reached more than 28,000 since early October, including both civilians and Hamas fighters, per The Associated Press, citing the Health Ministry in Gaza. Biden last week offered some of his harshest remarks about Israels military operation in Gaza, telling reporters the conduct of the response in [the] Gaza Strip has been over the top. The president, however, has yet to publicly express any significant shift in U.S. policy when it comes to the war. People familiar with the matter said Biden told people in private that it would be counterproductive to be too harsh on Netanyahus policies, NBC News reported. The Hill reached out to the White House and National Security Council (NSC) for comment on the report. Asked by NBC News about these private comments, a spokesperson for the security council said, The president has been clear where he disagrees with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but this is a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private. Netanyahu has repeatedly defended Israels response in Gaza and has largely dismissed calls for a cease-fire, even as domestic pressure grows for Israel to negotiate the return of more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas. Despite U.S. warnings against expanding military operations, Israel ordered evacuations of Rafah last week in anticipation of an invasion of the densely populated city, where one of Gazas largest refugee camps is located for Palestinians fleeing the war. Strikes in Rafah killed at least 31 Palestinians over the weekend. The White House said Biden spoke with Netanyahu Sunday morning and told the Israeli leader the military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the more than one million people sheltering there. On that same call, Biden reaffirmed the White Houses shared goal to see the threat of Hamas eliminated and emphasized the need to capitalize on progress made during negotiations for the release of the remaining hostages, the White House said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) President Joe Biden called Donald Trumps threat of letting NATO countries that dont pay fend for themselves appalling and dangerous in a news statement on Sunday. Speaking at Coastal Carolina University the day before, Trump boasted about withholding U.S. aid to NATO allies that fall behind on their payments to the alliance. One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, well sir, if we dont pay and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us?' Trump said. I said, you didnt pay? Youre delinquent? He said, yes, lets say that happened.' Haley on Trumps NATO remarks: Dont take the side of a thug No, I would not protect you, Trump said. In fact, would encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want. Youve got to pay. Youve got to pay your bills. Biden said Trumps comments were appalling and dangerous, echoing the response of several NATO allies. Donald Trumps admission that he intends to give Putin a green light for more war and violence are appalling and dangerous, Biden said in a news release. Americas leadership on the world stage and support for our allies is critical to keeping the American people safe here at home. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg took a similar position. Any suggestion that allies will not defend each other undermines all of our security, including that of the U.S., and puts American and European soldiers at increased risk, he said in a statement. In 2014, NATO allies pledged to move toward spending 2% of GDP on defense by 2024. According to NATO estimates in early 2023, 10 of its 30 member states at the time were close to or above the 2% mark, while 13 were spending 1.5% or less. No country is in debt to any other, or to NATO. Information from the Associated Press was used in this story. * * * Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. US President Joe Biden has reacted to the statements of his predecessor Donald Trump admitting he threatened allies to "encourage" Russia to engage in aggression to force them to increase their contributions to collective security. Source: The Hill, citing Biden, as reported by European Pravda Details: Biden called Trump's remarks "appalling and dangerous". He also warned that a potential second Trump term would destroy the USA's international relations and embolden America's enemies. Quote: "Donald Trumps admission that he intends to give Putin a greenlight for more war and violence, to continue his brutal assault against a free Ukraine, and to expand his aggression to the people of Poland and the Baltic States are appalling and dangerous," Biden said. He also noted that such remarks are expected from a man "who is promising to rule as a dictator like the ones he praises on day one if he returns to the oval office". Background: During a rally in South Carolina, Trump reiterated how, during his presidency, he threatened to "encourage Russia" to attack one of the NATO members who do not fulfil their financial obligations to the Alliance. European Council President Charles Michel called Trump's words irresponsible. The White House previously said Trump's threats to encourage the Russian Federation to engage aggression against its allies are "abnormal". Support UP or become our patron! WASHINGTON President Joe Biden has been venting his frustration in recent private conversations, some of them with campaign donors, over his inability to persuade Israel to change its military tactics in the Gaza Strip, and he has named Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the primary obstacle, according to five people directly familiar with his comments. Biden has said he is trying to get Israel to agree to a cease-fire, but Netanyahu is giving him hell and is impossible to deal with, said the people familiar with Bidens comments, who all asked not to be named. He just feels like this is enough, one of the people said of the views expressed by Biden. It has to stop. Biden has in recent weeks spoken privately about Netanyahu, a leader he has known for decades, with a candor that has surprised some of those on the receiving end of his comments, people familiar with them said. His descriptions of his dealings with Netanyahu are peppered with contemptuous references to Netanyahu as this guy, these people said. And in at least three recent instances, Biden has called Netanyahu an asshole, according to three of the people directly familiar with his comments. Asked about Bidens private comments about Netanyahu, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said in a statement that the two leaders have a respectful relationship. The president has been clear where he disagrees with Prime Minister Netanyahu, but this is a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private, the spokesperson said. Since he embraced Netanyahu in a bear hug during a visit to Israel after a Hamas terrorist attack killed 1,200 people on Oct. 7, Biden has grown steadily more frustrated with the rising Palestinian civilian death toll in Gaza and Netanyahus reluctance to pursue a long-term peace agreement. More than 28,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The bluntness of Bidens private, unfiltered reflections on Netanyahu, as well as Israeli premiers failure to shift tactics in Gaza, suggest that the dynamic between the two leaders could be nearing an inflection point. Israel is planning a ground assault on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million Palestinians displaced from northern Gaza are sheltering. Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with the operation even though U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed their public opposition to it, unless Israel provides safe passage to Palestinian civilians. On Sunday, Biden told Netanyahu in a phone call that he believes a military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for protecting and supporting the Palestinians sheltering there, the White House said in a statement. The bulk of their 45-minute conversation focused on a long-discussed but repeatedly delayed agreement between Israel and Hamas to free hostages being held in Gaza in exchange for a pause in military operations and the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to the White House. Biden took a notably sharper tone Thursday and described Israels military assault in Gaza as over the top. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was also decidedly blunt last week after a meeting with Netanyahu in Israel. Blinken said he told Netanyahu that the number of Palestinian civilians who are dying every day because of Israels military operations remains too high. Yet, people familiar with Bidens private comments said he has told them he believes it would be counterproductive for him to be too harsh on Netanyahu publicly. Bidens frustrations with Netanyahu have also not led to a major policy shift, but his administration has begun to consider such options. Two weeks ago, officials told NBC News that the administration was discussing delaying or slowing U.S. weapons sales to Israel as leverage to get Netanyahu to dial down Israeli military operations in Gaza and do more to protect civilians. In another potential policy shift, NBC reported last week that administration officials are drafting options for formally recognizing an independent Palestinian state. Yet, even as Biden has escalated his rhetoric, he is not yet prepared to make significant policy changes, officials said. He and his aides continue to believe his approach of unequivocally supporting Israel is the right one. Some Democrats in Congress have called for putting conditions on U.S. aid to Israel. Other Democrats, including military veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, have cited that experience and questioned Israels tactics, arguing that heavy bombardment and steep civilian casualties are counterproductive methods that threaten to provide more fuel to extremists. One irritant Biden has expressed in recent private conversations, according to the people familiar with his comments, is that he feels his administration keeps coming up with good deals for Israel, such as a recent one involving Saudi Arabia, only to have Netanyahu reject them. A deal to release hostages and pause Israels military operations would cap weeks of high-level efforts by Biden and his top aides to secure a pact, which they hope might eventually lead to a long-term cease-fire. In perhaps some of his rawest recent private moments, however, the president has said Netanyahu wants the war to drag on so he can remain in power, three of the people familiar with his comments said. At a fundraiser Biden attended in the past few weeks, he spoke about Israel and his frustrations with Netanyahu to a small group of donors. In response to being thanked for standing with Israel and against antisemitism, Biden took the opportunity to lay out some of his views, according to a supporter who was present. Im a Zionist, Biden said, reiterating his views that Hamas must be destroyed and that Israel must be protected, according to the supporter. But Biden also aired his frustration with Netanyahu, who is often referred to as Bibi. He did say Bibi started off great, but hes been a pain in my ass lately or hes been killing me lately one of those things, the person who was present for Bidens comments recalled. He goes, But hes doing a disservice of late. CORRECTION (Feb. 13, 2024, 12:10 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article mischaracterized the death toll in Gaza since the Oct. 7 attack. More than 28,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The toll includes all people killed in Gaza, including Hamas members, not just civilians. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Seiji Ozawa, long-standing conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the first Japanese maestro who rose to superstardom in the world of Western classical music, passed away due to heart failure last Tuesday, Feb. 6, at his home in Tokyo. He died at 88 years old, according to Ozawa's management office, Veroza Japan, which released an announcement of his passing on Friday, Feb. 9. Ozawa's string of health problems can be traced back to a 2010 diagnosis of esophageal cancer, which he consequently got surgery for. That said, he did not fully recover from the operation and it only exacerbated prior back problems he was suffering from. The famed conductor was briefly hospitalized in the latter part of his life due to heart valve complications. How Seiji Ozawa Ushered a Defining Classical Music Movement The Japanese maestro is widely regarded as the foremost harbinger of a movement that changed the course of classical music in the West over the latter half of the last century. Such a movement saw an influx of East Asian instrumentalists pouring into the West, which also effectively increased the value and appreciation of the classical music canon in countries like Japan, Korea, and China. Before this development, musicians who came from Asian backgrounds were usually the target of unjust criticism despite their high technical prowess when it comes to Western classical music. Critics who subscribe to such prejudice believe that these players lack a vital understanding of the music, which in turn makes their interpretation lack "deep" emotional expression. That said, this backward thinking was ultimately shattered by Ozawa as he made a lasting impression during his rise in the West in the 1960s to '70s, through his indomitable hard work, endearing personality, and peerless musicianship. Effectively the West was swayed by Ozawa's unbridled energy as a conductor and found himself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the elites of the American orchestral world back in 1973, when he was officially given the position of music director in the esteemed Boston Symphony Orchestra. Although Ozawa was usually reserved when it came to expressing his hardships as an Asian musician in the West, he still recalled being the subject of prejudice during a set of performances where he took on Puccini's "Tosca" in Milan's Teatro alla Scala in 1980 after concertgoers booed him. Ozawa told this story in a conversation with his friend and famed novelist, Haruki Murakami, which was turned into the 2016 book: "Absolutely in Music." In it, he said that the crowd at that time reacted as such due to hearing an interpretation of "Tosca" that is dissimilar to the ones "they were used to" hearing and that the Italian crowd also "the fact that an Asian conductor could come and conduct 'Tosca.'" Although the extent of his expertise was found outside of opera, he still ventured outside of Boston to become the music director of the Vienna State Opera. Ozawa held onto this position until 2010, before his life was overtaken by mounting health conditions, which sadly stopped the realization of his wishes to return to the concert stage. The Japanese maestro last set foot on American soil in December 2015, when he was bestowed the Kennedy Center Honor by then-President Barack Obama. Today, he is survived by his two brothers, Mikio and Toshio Ozawa, alongside his wife, two children, and their grandson. Read Also: The 2024 Grammy Awards Recognize New Voices Honoring the Canon of Classical Music 2024 Classicalite All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President Biden on Monday during remarks at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference in Washington thanked local election workers and said the notion of them being at risk ahead of the 2024 election means somethings wrong in the United States. To all the county election workers, thank you. I never thought Id have to say this to anybody but thank you for your physical courage, thank you for your courage and your service to the community, Biden told the conference at the Washington Hilton. Biden, who often warns of the dangers of democracy posed by the possibility of former President Trump retaking the White House, spoke to the attitude in the country in that election workers have been targeted. The idea that Id ever thought Id be standing before over 1,000 country officials and having to thank somebody for being an election worker because theyre putting their life at risk, he said. Somethings wrong, folks, weve got to change this. Weve got to change the attitude in this country. Since 2020, there has been a high turnover of local election officials in key states ahead of November, an issue experts have sounded alarms over. The surge in local election officials leaving their posts after facing threats and scrutiny has been linked to false claims of voter fraud since the 2020 election, largely led by Trump and his allies contesting his loss that year. In the most high-profile case, two election workers in Georgia, Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, were targeted and falsely accused of committing fraud during the 2020 election. Rudy Giuliani, one of Trumps closest allies, was ordered to pay $148 million in a defamation case brought by Freeman and Moss for those baseless claims after a four-day civil trial in Washington in December. Freeman and Moss also spoke to the House Jan. 6 committee that investigated the Capitol attack as well as during the trial, where they detailed incessant harassment including racist threats that forced them into hiding due to Giulianis false claims. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- The bipartisan leaders of a key House committee charged with curbing the influence of Chinas ruling party expressed concern Monday at President Joe Bidens campaign outreach over a Chinese-owned social media channel. Most Read from Bloomberg I have concerns about this, said Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, when asked about the Biden campaigns new TikTok initiative. Krishnamoorthi noted he hadnt been aware of the news. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chair of the panel, said the campaign move was really disappointing. The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The duo spoke on the sidelines of an event their panel was holding in Cambridge, Massachusetts, aimed at highlighting the importance of securing the US biotech industry against vulnerabilities to China. It came a day after Bidens reelection campaign unveiled a TikTok account in a bid to reach younger voters. Read More: Bidens Reelection Campaign Joins TikTok to Reach Young Voters Lawmakers from both parties have highlighted concerns that TikToks ownership by Beijing-based ByteDance Ltd. poses a data-security risk. This issue screams out with national security concerns, Krishnamoorthi said of TikToks Chinese ownership. Bytedance can control the algorithm, as well as get access to data for nefarious purposes, he said, adding that the US should force a sale of TikTok. Im not going to tell the president how to campaign or how to communicate, but I personally dont have a TikTok account, Krishnamoorthi said. Its not wise to put it on your personal device, he added. The national security concerns outweigh the desire to like convince 18-year-olds to vote for you, said Gallagher, who in recent days announced that he wont run for reelection in November. Weve been working with the administration on a framework for how we either ban or force a sale, making the Biden campaign move particularly disappointing, he said. Read More: GOPs Gallagher Wont Seek Reelection, Adds to House Departures Gallagher added that hed expressed his disappointment to the White House Sunday night. --With assistance from Akayla Gardner. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Washington President Biden said Monday the U.S. is working to negotiate a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas that would pause fighting in Gaza for at least six weeks. In White House remarks alongside King Abdullah II of Jordan, Mr. Biden said the deal "would bring an immediate and sustained period of calm to Gaza for at least six weeks, which we could then take the time to build something more enduring." "Over the past month I've had calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu as well as the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to push this forward," Mr. Biden said. "The key elements of the deal are on the table. There are gaps that remain but I've encouraged Israeli leaders to keep working to achieve the deal. The United States will do everything possible to make it happen." Mr. Biden also said the U.S. did not know how many of the hostages being held by the terrorist group are still alive. "The anguish that their families are enduring, week after week, month after month is unimaginable," he said. "And it's a top priority for the United States to bring them home." The president has dispatched the CIA director, William Burns, to Cairo for further hostage talks this week after Hamas provided a new set of terms to the Qatari government, CBS News reported. Abdullah has pushed for a cease-fire in Gaza in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7. After meeting with Mr. Biden at the White House, the Jordanian leader called for a "lasting cease-fire now." "This war must end," he said, also calling for immediate and increased humanitarian aid to Gaza. Their meeting comes as Israel ramps up its offensive in Rafah, a crowded city in southern Gaza near Egypt's border. Israel says Rafah is Hamas's last remaining stronghold, but more than one million displaced Palestinians are estimated to have taken refuge there after fleeing fighting elsewhere in Gaza. Mr. Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend, telling him that Israel "should not proceed" with an invasion of Rafah unless it had a "credible" plan for ensuring the safety of the people sheltering there. Mr. Biden reiterated that in his remarks from the White House. "Many people there have been displaced, displaced multiple times, fleeing the violence to the north, and now they're packed into Rafah, exposed and vulnerable. They need to be protected," Mr. Biden said. "We've also been clear from the start, we oppose any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza." Abdullah condemned Israel's military operation, saying "it is certain to produce another humanitarian catastrophe." "We cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah," Abdullah said. "The situation is already unbearable for over a million people who have been pushed into Rafah since the war started. We cannot stand by and let this continue." Paul Giamatti, 2024 Oscars nominee for "The Holdovers" "Hello Vincent": Artificial intelligence brings Van Gogh to life Investigation after shooting at Joel Osteen's Lakewood church in Houston President Joe Biden on Monday warned Israel against invading the southern Gaza city of Rafah, insisting that the U.S. would not support any operation that fails to account for the safety of the Palestinians who fled there under Israeli orders. The major military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible plan for ensuring the safety and support of more than one million people sheltering there, Biden said at the White House. They need to be protected. Bidens remarks during a joint appearance with King Abdullah II of Jordan mirrored the message that U.S. officials have privately relayed to Israeli leaders in an effort to head off a planned ground invasion of the city. The president also leveled a rare measure of direct criticism at Israel over its broader war, saying too many of the over 27,000 Palestinians killed in this conflict have been innocent civilians and children. Many families have lost not just one, but many relatives, and cannot mourn for them, Biden said. Its heartbreaking. Bidens appearance following a meeting with the Jordanian king represented his first extended remarks since Thursday night, when the president delivered a fiery rebuke of a special counsel report that repeatedly criticized his memory. The report concluded that Bidens mishandling of classified documents didnt warrant criminal charges. But Special Counsel Robert Hur described the president as frequently forgetful depictions that angered Biden and advisers who disputed them as gratuitous and incorrect, and revived scrutiny of the presidents age and mental acuity. Democrats in the aftermath have urged the administration to dispel voter fears about Bidens age by putting him out in public more often, including doing more press conferences and interviews that can showcase his leadership and command of the issues. But there is little immediate evidence that the administration is changing its approach. On Friday, the White House declined to hold a joint press conference with Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, eschewing the so-called 2x2 format occasionally employed when a foreign leader visits that allows a pair of outlets from each country to ask questions. On Monday, Biden similarly opted against taking questions alongside the King of Jordan, and ignored a series of shouted questions as they left the room. Biden briefly did allude to the special counsels criticisms of his memory during a speech Monday morning at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference. Yet, like he has with the broader age concerns that have trailed him for months, he sought to turn it into a punchline. I know I dont look like it, but Ive been around a while, Biden said. I do remember that. But later, as he and Abdullah made remarks, Biden stuck strictly to his prepared comments about Israels war and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Were actively working for peace, security and dignity for both the Palestinian people and the Israeli people, Biden said on Monday. Weve also been clear from the start: We oppose any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Biden added that the U.S. is working toward a deal between Israel and Hamas that would halt the fighting for at least six weeks, with the hope it would build toward a longer-term truce. But there are still elements that must be hammered out, he said, urging Israeli leaders to keep working toward a deal. The presidents appeal comes as the relations between the U.S. and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have become increasingly strained. Biden has grown more critical of Netanyahu in public, saying last week that Israels war in Gaza has been over the top. Biden and other senior officials have also repeatedly expressed opposition to a ground operation in Rafah in recent days, including a call with Netanyahu on Sunday where Biden relayed his reservations. On Monday, Biden again insisted that Israel must eventually seek a two-state solution, adding that the Palestinian authority needed to be prepared to negotiate an enduring peace. Once Hamas control of Gaza is over, they must be prepared to build a state that accepts peace, does not harbor terrorist groups, he said. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The senseless gun violence plaguing our neighborhoods is exactly why one state lawmaker wants to give local governments the power to essentially roll back the states permitless carry law. Senator London Lamar (D-Memphis) recently introduced Senate Bill 1686. It would allow county legislative bodies to pass a resolution to not allow people to carry handguns without a permit. The senator, who is a gun owner herself, says she fully supports the Second Amendment. I took it upon myself to get educated, to know the laws, take the classes, said Lamar. Im almost speechless: Memphis Police Director reacts to passing of permitless carry legislation in Tennessee While permitless carry may work in some communities in Tennessee, she says Memphis needs stricter gun laws right now. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle know how dangerous it is for Memphis to have permitless carry, Lamar said. I just think they dont care. Instead, the only thing they can propose is being tough on crime, and they neglect to do preventative aspects to prevent crime in the first place. Permitless carry went into effect in 2021. Lamars bill has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. We do need to give local government bodies autonomy to protect themselves and their citizens, she said. Download the WREG App today and stay up to date with breaking news and weather. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. The House version is headed to a subcommittee. A similar bill to restrict permitless carry in Nashville and Memphis failed last year. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. [Source] Billions around the world ushered in the Year of the Dragon on Feb. 10, with celebrants across different continents holding their own Lunar New Year festivities. About the event: The Lunar New Year, celebrated for 15 days, serves as a cultural cornerstone for many Asian communities worldwide. The celebrations foster cultural exchange, strengthen familial bonds and promote understanding and appreciation of diverse traditions. For many who celebrate it, the Year of the Dragon symbolizes a year of vitality, courage and prosperity. What is common in celebrations: In countries that celebrate the Lunar New Year, people make their way back home to reunite with families and enjoy traditional dishes such as dumplings, rice cake, soup and spring rolls. Gifts are exchanged to strengthen relationships while children receive lucky money in red envelopes for good fortune. Streets in major cities are lit up with cultural shows such as opera and parades, highlighted by lion and dragon dances. Homes and even business establishments are often adorned with red paper cuttings, lanterns and door banners to symbolize good luck and prosperity. Trending on NextShark: Viral video of daughter slapped by her father after return home from Tet sparks debate How Asia celebrates it: Despite firework restrictions in some areas in China, celebrations commenced with light shows, parades and temple visits. Even the Shenzhou-17 astronauts currently aboard the Tiangong space station dined on a feast including roast duck, rice cakes, dumplings and soup, among others. In Hong Kong, seasonal decorations began selling at the Lunar New Year Fair in Causeway Bays Victoria Park to adorn homes with flowers, balloons and stuffed animals. The vibrant Lunar New Year parade also made a return to the streets of Hong Kong after a five-year absence. Trending on NextShark: Angela Chao, CEO of US-based shipping company Foremost Group, dead at 50 Meanwhile, families in Taiwan mark the festivities by visiting Buddhist or Taoist temples. Contemporary celebrations see a focus on pineapple cakes and other pineapple-based treats ("pineapple" sounds similar to "prosperity" in Hokkien). In South Korea, residents welcomed the Seollal (Korean New Year) with vibrant folk performances and ancestral rites. Families enjoyed tteokguk (rice cake soup) and japchae (glass noodle stir-fry), among other traditional dishes. In Southeast Asia, families in Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia enjoyed rice cakes and visited temples to pray for prosperity. The streets in Vietnam came alive for the Tet celebration (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) with Bai Bai (folk games) and colorful kites, while the Philippines's Binondo district, the world's oldest Chinatown, similarly held festivities that drew huge crowds of Filipino Chinese communities. The Chinese community in Singapore is also set to hold the popular Chingay Parade on Feb. 23-24, which is highlighted by colorful floats, dance performances and other traditional art. Trending on NextShark: Young Chinese women are resorting to AI boyfriends for better communication The rest of the world takes part in celebrations: In Sydney, Parramatta's Lunar New Year festivities kicked off in Parramatta Square and Centenary Square where decorations, pop up markets and art installations are set up. In Londons Trafalgar Square, festivities held by the London Chinatown Chinese Community Centre involved cultural performances and food stalls serving a variety of Asian delicacies. Similar celebrations involving traditional Chinese opera performances are held in Chinatowns in Lima, Peru and Lagos, Nigeria. Asian communities in North America: Canada's diverse communities celebrated the Lunar New Year, highlighted by the lion dances in Kensington Market, Korean drum shows in North York, Toronto and a New Year Parade in Vancouver, BC. Trending on NextShark: Hermes hands $4,300 bonus to all 22,000 staff after strong late 2023 Asia sales New York City's Chinatown hosted a massive Lunar New Year parade this year, featuring a vibrant display of floats, dancers and music. The celebrations were just as vibrant in San Francisco and other parts of the U.S., with Chinatown community centers hosting cultural workshops and performances. What's Next: As celebrations continue, communities around the world look forward to the Lantern Festival, the culmination of the 15-day celebration. Celebrated with the display of colorful lanterns, the upcoming festival marks a time for reflection and hope. Individuals light and release these lanterns, (into the sky or onto bodies of water), as a gesture of letting go of past burdens and embracing the promise of new beginnings. Trending on NextShark: Pakistani British teen with IQ higher than Einstein's calls for more support for gifted students Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! A proposal to compensate the city of Salem with fees of up to $6 million a year in lieu of property taxes received bipartisan support during a public hearing Monday. Proposed legislation to provide Salem about $6 million a year from the state of Oregon to compensate for lost property tax revenue received bipartisan support at a public hearing Monday. All who provided testimony at the House Committee on Revenue spoke in favor of House Bill 4072 to make state agencies pay a fee to compensate Salem for fire, police and emergency medical services provided based on the agencies' use of state-owned land in the city. The fees would come to about $5 million to $6 million annually, a sum reached by calculating the acres of state-owned land in the city and total land acreage within city limits. If passed, Salem could begin getting that money this year under a three-year pilot. The funds could take a sizeable chunk out of Salem's budget deficit but would not address the entire shortfall. "In Salem, our challenge funding basic emergency services is exacerbated by the loss of at least $7.5 million each year due to the prevalence of State government properties in the city," Mayor Chris Hoy said in his testimony. "As the State Capitol of Oregon, without a payment in lieu of taxes, emergency services to these state-owned properties are effectively subsidized by Salem taxpayers." Salem Mayor Chris Hoy speaks in support of HB 4072 during the public hearing at the Oregon State Capitol on Monday. He said the payment would be key in helping fund police, fire and emergency services and address Salem's budget shortfall. In some capital cities, including Olympia, Washington, state government provides payment in lieu of taxes to help cover some of the services that would have been paid with property taxes. "This is not novel," Hoy said. "This is a well-established practice in many state capitals throughout the country. We're just asking for your help to try to continue to provide these vital services." Property taxes are the primary source of funding for Oregon cities for general services, including police and police. They are deposited into the citys General Fund and, according to city records, cover 45% of general fund expenses and 77% of the cost of providing police and fire services. Not every property in Salem is required to pay property taxes. The biggest non-city-exempt property presence in Salem is the state of Oregon, with about $1.65 billion in real market value. Staff estimated state-owned property accounted for 8% of land within Salem's city limits. If taxed, those properties would generate $7.25 million a year. Bipartisan backers voice support for bill The bill's chief sponsors represent Salem, including Rep. Tom Andersen, D-Salem, Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem/Keizer, and Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Salem. At Monday's hearing, Andersen held up a photo of the Salem Fire Department responding to the Capitol fire in 1935 to highlight the services the city provides to state-owned land. "I was a Salem city councilor for eight years so I became very, very intimate with the budgetary problems that Salem and all other cities in the state face," Andersen said. "It's especially acute here in Salem." Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, told lawmakers Monday that Salem has the biggest share of Oregon's main facilities and provides services for which is is not compensated via property taxes. Patterson said Salem has the lion's share of the state's main facilities and regularly responds to protests, rallies and emergencies. Salem Area Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Tom Hoffert and Oregon State Fire Fighters Council Legislative Director Alan Ferschweiler also testified in favor of the bill. Mannix said the payment could be used as a model for other cities in Oregon impacted by the presence of state agencies. He pointed to a one-time appropriation from the state to Salem in 1989 for $500,000 for fire and emergency services. "I recognize that this is a significant dimensional shift in how we try to approach this issue, but it's also an important time to recognize that things have changed," Mannix said. "Since that 1989 session, we've had property tax limitations imposed on local governments. So the strain on our cities and in this case, the strain on the city of Salem proportionately is larger, because its resources are limited." Through written testimony, Ferschweiler said the city responds to emergencies on state-owned land, like the 2008 three-alarm fire at the Capitol, despite receiving no money from the state for those services. Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Salem, speaks Monday in support of HB 4072, which could provide Salem with up to $6 million in fees as early as this year under a three-year pilot program. "As the city has seen growing challenges with its budget, essential services have been unable to keep up with need," he said. "If nothing changes, the city may be forced to consider cuts to the fire department even as the city grows. This would have disastrous consequences for the services that Salem Fire Department can provide to state-owned properties, and the city as a whole." Hoffert said the business community supports payment-in-lieu-of-taxes. He pointed to the city bearing the burden of a high percentage of state-owned land and the significant number of state employees who do not live in the community but still work in Salem. Several residents also voiced support for the bill. "The state of Oregon owns billions of dollars worth of real estate in our city, and benefits from our city services, but does not contribute toward the funding of vital services like all of the other residents and business owners," said Salem resident, business owner and physician Chad Bingham in written testimony. "It seems to be a fair solution that the state would be responsible to cover the expense of the services the city provides." The House Committee on Revenue had technical questions on other capital cities' payment structures and how other cities in Oregon could opt in the future that they planned to research. The next action for the bill had not been scheduled as of Monday afternoon. For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Proposed $6 million state payment to Salem gets bipartisan support The United States Justice Department says it has proposed updated rules for its Office for Victims of Crime, which oversees programs and grants aimed at helping violent crime victims, with the goal of increasing victims access to compensation. The federal guidelines overhaul could help address issues with racial disparities and lower the number of subjective denials to compensation that victims may face from state programs, The Associated Press reported. This notice is the culmination of two years of listening sessions, literature reviews, data analyses and interviews with service providers, survivors and other stakeholders all in an effort to ensure equitable and increased access to crime victim compensation, the Office for Victims of Crimes director, Kris Rose, said in a statement to Atlanta Black Star. Attorney Lee Merritt consoles Wanda Cooper-Jones, mother of Ahmaud Arbery, as she reacts while seeing photos of her son on a monitor, during the trial of William Roddie Bryan, Travis McMichael and Gregory McMichael, charged with the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, at the Glynn County Courthouse on November 23, 2021, in Brunswick, Georgia. (Photo by Octavio Jones-Pool/Getty Images) We cannot allow costs associated with medical and dental bills, funeral services, relocation expenses and others to be an additional burden for crime survivors to bear their burden is heavy enough, Rose said, referring to the proposed changes as a major milestone for the offices efforts to uphold crime victims rights, access and equity. Last year, an investigation by the AP revealed that in 19 of 23 states that provided racial data, Black victims were disproportionately denied compensation, often for subjective reasons rooted in implicit biases that are felt across the criminal justice system, according to the AP report. The news organization found that states including Michigan and Iowa were among those where behavioral denials prevented Black applicants from participating in state crime victims compensation programs. In Michigan, claims can be denied for behavioral issues if a person is criminally responsible which includes breaking into property, firing a weapon first and being injured, or assaulting someone and becoming injured, Bob Wheaton, a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson, told the Lansing Journal. For Iowa, Black applicants accounted for 31.5 percent of those behavioral denials while making up 17 percent of all denials, reported The Gazette, based on the APs investigation. The chances of Black applicants in Indiana, Georgia and South Dakota getting denied were nearly double that of white applicants, the AP found. Thousands of Black families were denied millions of dollars in aid funding between 2018 and 2021, according to the news organization. In Georgia, the Georgia Crime Victims Compensation Program provides $25,000 per victim per victimization, according to its website. One of the proposed federal changes includes prohibiting states from denying claims based on criminal history, according to the proposal. Certain populations may be more likely to have criminal history due to unjustified disparate treatment in the criminal justice system or due to criminal conduct induced through force, fraud or coercion, such as unlawful acts that traffickers compelled their victims to commit, and this can result in unjustifiably disproportionate denial of claims for those populations, the proposal says. The Office for Victims of Crime is also proposing a provision that stops states from considering a victims alleged contributory conduct in determining compensation claims in most cases. The family of Tiras Johnson, an unarmed 23-year-old who was fatally shot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2013, says they were denied compensation through their states Crime Victims Compensation Act. They were hoping the money would help ease the financial burden of paying for Johnsons funeral, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. His mother said they were denied due to implied contributory conduct and that his death appeared to have gang-related ties. The family said Johnson was not a gang member, the organization reported. Black Georgians Nearly Twice as Likely to Get Denied Crime Victim Funding. The Justice Department Proposes Rule Changes to Address Racial Disparities. Bryony Gordon is a bestselling author, columnist, podcast host, mental health campaigner and now the Telegraphs Anxiety Aunt, Bryony is also the founder of peer support group Mental Health Mates. A movement is mounting. Last week, a mother from Suffolk posted on Instagram about a WhatsApp group she had set up with a friend. Parents United for a Smartphone Free Adolescence had only three members when Daisy Greenwell announced it on social media. I dont want to give my child something that I know will damage her mental health and make her addicted, but I also know that the pressure to do so if the rest of her class have one will be massive, she wrote, under a picture of her children playing happily in the woods. What if we could switch the norm so that in our school, our town, our country, it was an odd choice to give your child a smartphone at 11? What if we could hold off until theyre 14, or 16? The scientific evidence for doing so is massive. At the time of writing this, the group has over 1,000 people in it. The demand to join is so large that Greenwell and her friend Clare Fernyhough have had to turn it into almost 50 sub groups: Wales Smartphone Free Childhood, South Yorkshire Smartphone Free Childhood, Fylde Coast Smartphone Free Childhood, and so on and so forth, until no part of the UK is left uncovered, not even the bits that have yet to be given access to decent broadband. All week, the groups have been pinging with messages from parents quite rightly frustrated at how we have ended up living in a world where one in five toddlers have a smartphone, and over half of eight to 11-year-olds. Parents reminisced about their own phone-free childhoods, when to contact anyone out of the house you had to go to a phone booth, and use the BT card your parents had charged up for you in case of emergencies. That or call the operator and ask them to reverse the charges. Obviously, I joined my local group immediately. This year, my almost-11-year-old will start secondary school and I have announced with a dramatic flourish that if she wants a smartphone, she can build one herself, out of tin cans and bits of string if needs be. She finds this annoying, but then she is at an age where she finds everything I say annoying, so why back down on this? But all my friends will have them and I will be left out, she moaned last week, when the conversation came up again. Actually, I said, waving my iPhone in the air, theres at least three other parents of kids in your class who have joined this local WhatsApp group Im in, which is calling for a ban on smartphones for children. So you wont be the only person without one. She looked at me with the kind of derision she usually reserves for her father when he tries to ruffle her hair and call her darling heart. Mum, she said, contempt radiating from every pore, are you seriously trying to tell me that parents are railing against kids having smartphones in a group on their smartphones? She made a good point. Children are sponges, and they are only following our lead. How can we lecture them on the dangers of social media, only to sit slumped on the sofa of an evening scrolling through Instagram? Can we blame them for hankering after their own device, when most adults are so attached to theirs? I know I find it irritating when my husband ignores me because he is too busy reading a thread on X, formerly Twitter, but what must it feel like to be a child, constantly watching your parents stare at the screen nestled in the palm of their hand? The majority of adults wouldnt dream of lecturing their children about the evils of smoking, while themselves puffing through a packet of Marlboro. And yet we have no such qualms about doing this when it comes to phones and social media. Gillian Keegan announced in Parliament last year that she would be issuing guidance that phone use should be banned in schools. This is sensible, and right, but ultimately pointless if as parents we dont address our own use of smartphones and social media at home. We owe it to our children to be locking our iPhones in a drawer at the weekend or during meal times. We talk of safeguarding children, but I dont see how we can do that if we wont safeguard family time together and show our kids that we value connection with them over connection to our news feeds and emails. Some argue that smartphones are vital for a childs safety when they start coming home from school on their own. But we prioritise connecting with them digitally when they are out of the house over connecting with them physically when they are in it. Let us lead by example. No smartphones for children until they are 16, and no smartphones when we are with them or at least not visible ones. That way, we might just have a hope of giving them the childhoods they deserve. Recommended TikTok may have banned legging legs but thinspiration is alive and well Read more Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A blood test to predict dementia up to 15 years earlier could help identify people who could benefit from new Alzheimers drugs. Scientists have identified 11 proteins that will predict dementia in nine out of 10 cases. Two drugs donanemab and lecanemab which slow the disease could soon be available but only about two per cent of eligible patients would receive the medication because diagnosis is so poor. The new test looks for proteins in the blood that occur when people have dementia and can pick up cases early when drugs will be most beneficial. Professor Jianfeng Feng, of the University of Warwicks department of computer science, said: The test could be seamlessly integrated into the NHS and used as a screening tool by GPs. More than 944,000 people in the UK have dementia, with the number expected to rise to more than a million by 2030. For the study, thought to be the largest of its kind, the researchers looked at data from more than 50,000 healthy people from UK Biobank, which holds medical and lifestyle records of more than half a million Britons. Treatments must be given early They analysed the blood samples from this group collected between 2006 and 2010 and found 11 proteins in the 1,400 people who went on to develop dementia. Dr Sheona Scales, director of research at Alzheimers Research UK, said: New treatments like lecanemab, should they be approved, will only be effective if they are given to people in their early stages of Alzheimers and at the moment very few people have access to the specialist tests that would be needed. Blood tests could unlock early diagnosis and are showing great promise, but so far, none have been validated for use in the UK. The new drugs, which are yet to be approved in Britain, can slow down the disease by around 24 to 30 per cent. However, charities like Alzheimers Research UK are concerned that tens of thousands of patients could miss out because effectiveness depends on early diagnosis with specialist scans. Estimates from the NHS suggest the drugs could cost 1 billion a year, with up to 280,000 people a year benefiting. But the paper from NHS England says health officials should be cautious about driving a massive expansion in such scans, as blood tests could replace the technology in the long term. The paper suggests the drugs may offer a limited clinical benefit and carry very significant costs, which would require a phased introduction, even with extra government funding. Sir John Hardy, professor of neurodegenerative diseases at University College London, told a BBC Panorama documentary: There are only a few centres at the moment who could really give this drug effectively. We need to rethink dementia care in the UK. And thats going to require quite a lot of reorganisation. Details of the new blood test were published in Nature Ageing. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Veteran broadcaster Bob Edwards, the longtime National Public Radio host who helped build the "Morning Edition" news program, has died at age 76, NPR announced Monday. An institution at NPR, Edwards joined the network as a newscaster in 1974 and went on to become the voice NPR listeners started their day with for 24 years as the host of Morning Edition, NPR CEO John Lansing said in a statement Monday morning. Edwards died peacefully Saturday night with his daughters and wife, NPR anchor Windsor Johnston, at his side, his wife said in a statement. "He smiled as we played the well wishes, loving memories and messages of healing that you all so kindly took the time to record for him," Johnston wrote. "A tear slid down his face as he listened to those familiar voices under the bed of the old 'Morning Edition' theme." No cause of death was shared. We are saddened to hear that Bob Edwards has passed away, Lansing said in a statement. Bob Edwards understood the intimate and distinctly personal connection with audiences that distinguishes audio journalism from other mediums, and for decades he was a trusted voice in the lives of millions of public radio listeners. "Staff at NPR and all across the Network, along with those millions of listeners, will remember Bob Edwards with gratitude, Lansing added. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1947, Edwards started his career as a newscaster for an Indiana station and worked in Korea with Armed Forces Radio and Television, according to his Radio Hall of Fame biography. After he joined NPR in 1974, he was asked to join Susan Stamberg as co-host of the new NPR news program All Things Considered. In 1979, "Morning Edition" launched a brand he soon became synonymous with. In his work for "Morning Edition," he won two Gabriel Awards from the National Catholic Association of Broadcasters, the Alfred I. du Pont-Columbia University Award and a Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2004. Edwards was ousted as the host of "Morning Edition" in 2004 after decades a move that sparked much outcry from longtime listeners, prompted outraged newspaper editorials and provoked condemnation from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on the Senate floor. "It turns out members of Congress on both sides of the aisle feel as I do that this decision by National Public Radio is the wrong decision; that Bob Edwards, who has been not only a host of this program but the most successful morning voice in America, is being moved away from this assignment in a situation and in a circumstance that is almost impossible to understand," Durbin said on April 1, 2004. At the time, NPR said Edwards would become senior correspondent with reports heard on various network broadcasts, a change made to refresh the networks broadcasts, The Associated Press reported. Instead, Edwards left NPR and moved to XM Satellite Radio to launch "The Bob Edwards Show," which ran through 2014. He went on to host the podcast "Take on Today" by AARP. He also wrote three books: Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast, Fridays with Red: A Radio Friendship and A Voice in the Box: My Life in Radio. Johnston remembered her husband of 12 years as a behemoth in the world of broadcasting. He was a stickler for even the tiniest of details and lived by the philosophy that less is more. He helped pave the way for the younger generation of journalists who continue to make NPR what it is today, she wrote. On a personal note, Bob was the absolute love of my life. He was an extremely loving and supporting partner, not to mention my greatest admirer. "Its unbearable to think of a life without him, but until we meet again Ill continue to listen for that beautiful voice in my ear, wishing me luck and telling me to 'break a lip,'" she added. "Rest in peace, my love." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The body of a hiker who went missing on Mount Baldy was recovered Sunday morning, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department. Lifei Huang, 22, from El Monte was last seen alive on Feb. 4, when she went out on a solo hike at around 2 p.m. that day. Crews searched the area throughout the week but were forced to retreat due to increasingly unsafe conditions after a winter snowstorm hit the area. The search continues for Lifei Huang, 22, who went missing during a hike on Mt. Baldy on Feb. 4, 2024. (Lifei Huang) On Saturday, a citizen told the U.S. Forest Service that they believed they spotted Huang from a drone. Deputies along with search and rescue crews were dispatched and tried to reach the location, but were unable to do so due to unsafe conditions. California couple pleads guilty for role in deadly El Dorado Fire gender reveal disaster It was not until around 7:45 a.m. Sunday that a sheriffs department air rescue aircraft recovered Huangs body from the location, law enforcement officials confirmed. We would like to thank all our personnel and volunteers that aided in the search, as well as the citizen that alerted U.S. Forestry, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said in a statement. Huangs cause of death was not immediately released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. The News Some of the Senates best-known dealmakers are worried last weeks border bill debacle could scare lawmakers away from trying to negotiate tough bipartisan compromises in the future. You spend four months of your life beating your heads against the wall trying to come to a deal, and then the same people that asked you to do the deal come back and say were not going to do the deal, Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who helped shape 2021s bipartisan infrastructure law, told Semafor. I think it has an impact. Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. began their talks last year after Republicans demanded tough border reforms as a condition for greenlighting more Ukraine aid. But the blessing from Senate leaders and the White House wasnt enough to overcome a steady barrage of attacks from former President Donald Trump, who prodded conservatives in the House to reject the deal. Even endorsements from the Wall Street Journal editorial board, the Chamber of Commerce, or the Border Patrol Union werent enough to draw GOP senators votes. Unlike the 2007 comprehensive immigration bill that notoriously failed in the Senate, the border proposal died without even receiving a procedural vote. And in an exasperating twist, it was done in by opposition from the party that had demanded talks in the first place. What happened Ive never seen anything like it, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., another centrist, told Semafor. I didnt think Id ever see it but I did. Asked to summarize the GOPs handling of the deal in one word, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, responded: Failure. Abject failure, if you give me two. Others were taken aback by the all-out political assault by right-wing commentators against Lankford, a reliable conservative known as an immigration hawk. During a Wednesday floor speech defending the bill, the Oklahoman mentioned hed been threatened by a popular commentator who said theyd attempt to destroy him for doing anything to mitigate the border crisis during an election year. Im worried about the general issue of people being attacked for the act of trying to solve problems. Thats a serious worry, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, told Semafor. No human organization can solve problems without compromise. If compromise itself becomes an issue which can end your career, well never be able to solve problems by definition. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. said he believed few, if any, Republican senators would want to become a negotiator on immigration and border issues anytime soon. Lets say if our conference were asked to have a volunteer, itd be like that Dudley Do-Right cartoon, Tillis said. Everybody would be stepping backwards, it would look like the person not paying attention stepped forward. Josephs view The collapse of the border deal comes at a moment when pending retirements notably Manchin and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah are threatening to further hollow out the pragmatic, deal-making wing of the Senate. Sinema hasnt decided whether to run again, but faces a difficult three-way race if she does. Tester could lose his Senate seat too. Still, itd be premature to declare bipartisanship dead in the upper chamber. With the loss of experienced negotiators, there might still be a critical mass of deal-makers left in the Senate capable of crafting bipartisan compromises. Aides who spoke with Semafor are keeping a close eye on Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine; Murkowski; Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Todd Young, R-Ind.; Mike Rounds, R-S.D; and Shelly Moore Capito, R-W.Va. to determine whether theyll step in to hold the center together. Other working groups are also springing up, albeit on problems that arent as polarizing as immigration. On Friday, there was an announcement of a new bipartisan group consisting of six senators to tackle Medicare payment reform. The View From Chris Murphy Trying to address the border at a moment while Trump campaigned on it may have been a uniquely impossible task. Murphy, the lead Democrat on the border talks, drew a comparison with his 2022 gun safety package that ultimately reached President Bidens desk and became law, despite Trumps opposition. The issue of guns is not existential to Trumps campaign. The issue of demonizing immigrants is existential to Trumps campaign, Murphy said. So Trump was technically against the gun bill, but he and MAGA were not going to burn it down in the way that they burned down the immigration-border compromise. Boston Police are turning to the public for help in identifying an individual wanted in connection to an armed robbery that occurred downtown Sunday. Police say the suspect, described as a light-skinned male, was allegedly involved in an armed robbery in the area of 226 Washington Street around 1:30 p.m. The suspect was wearing a black balaclava mask, a brown hoodie underneath a black jacket, light blue jeans, and brown shoes with white edging by the soles. According to police, the suspect stated he had a firearm but no weapon was displayed. The Boston Police Department is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding these incidents. Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact District A-1 Detectives at (617) 343-4240. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Boston has canceled public schools for Tuesday and municipal offices will also be closed as the region prepares for an expected noreaster. Mayor Michelle Wu on Monday declared a snow emergency ahead of the forecasted winter storm that is expected to dump up to a foot of snow in Boston, officials said. City officials urged residents to stay off the roads and do not crowd the plow with their cars to stay safe. The citys Public Works Department will treat Bostons roads prior to the snowfall starting, and officials said the city has the ability to put over 800 pieces of equipment on city streets. The department currently has 40,000 tons of salt on hand, officials said. Emergency shelters will be open all day for people who need them, Wu said during a press conference on Monday morning. Boston braces for impact of significant snowfall for first time in almost two years Most importantly, please remember to check in, reach out to your family, neighbors, loved ones, friends. Make sure everybody has a plan to stay inside and stay safe and warm, Wu said. Boston Chief of Emergency Management Shumeane Benford encouraged residents to shovel out fire hydrants near their homes during the weather emergency. A parking ban will take effect starting at 10 p.m. Monday. Once the parking ban begins, vehicles parked on major roads and main arteries will be towed. Boston residents with a resident sticker can find a list of free and discounted garages here. Parking at participating garages will begin at 8 p.m. on Monday. Discounted parking starts two hours before officials declare a snow emergency, and ends two hours after lifting the emergency. City officials are urging residents to abide by snow regulations and encouraging all drivers to use caution if traveling. Residents are also encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications through AlertBoston and to call 311 for non-emergency related issues. For any emergency, residents should call 911. Trash and recycling pick-up will start two hours early on Tuesday at 4 a.m. Residents may download the Trash Day App for more information on trash and recycling pick-up schedules. Nighttime street sweeping on main roads, arteries, and commercial roads is canceled until further notice. Updates will be provided on boston.gov when night time street sweeping is scheduled to resume. Parking is not allowed in Boston Public Schools parking lots during snowstorms. Vehicles may be towed if they are parked in BPS parking lots during the snow emergency. Residents have 48 hours to use a space saver after the end of an emergency. After that, residents must remove it from the street. Space savers are banned in the South End. Wu also discussed the regions migrant crisis on Monday morning ahead of the expected storm. Tuesday travel forecast: When will driving conditions be at their worst during noreaster? About 25 percent of the citys shelter beds have been taken by newly-arrived migrants, Wu said. Overall it has been putting some pressure on the capacity of the citys shelter system, she said. City officials are opening up The Engagement Center on Atkinson Street to address shelter overflow concerns ahead of the storm, she said. City officials offered the following tips ahead of the expected storm: Rules on clearing snow: Property owners must fully clear snow, sleet and ice from sidewalks and curb ramps abutting the property within three hours after the snowfall ends, or three hours after sunrise if the snow ends overnight. Curb and pedestrian ramps to the street should be cleared fully and continually over the duration of the storm to ensure accessibility for individuals with disabilities. If the storm lasts for an extended period of time, property owners are asked to continually check and clear ramps abutting their property. Removal of snow and ice from a private property to the street or sidewalk is prohibited. Failure to comply with these rules can result in fines issued by PWDs Code Enforcement Division. Caring for vulnerable populations: If you see individuals experiencing homelessness or vulnerable individuals out in the cold who appear immobile, disoriented or underdressed for the weather, please call 911. Bostons emergency shelters are open 24-hours a day and accept walk-ins. Amnesty is offered to anyone with a non-violent restriction. Men can access shelter at the 112 Southampton Street shelter, and women should go to the Woods-Mullen Shelter at 794 Massachusetts Ave. BPHC and the city work closely with shelter providers to ensure that no client is without shelter, food, resources, and a warm respite from the cold. During extreme cold weather, street outreach teams operate with extended hours and provide mobile outreach vans on the streets in the evening and throughout the day. Safety tips: Keep catch basins and fire hydrants clear. You can assist in keeping hydrants clear of snow so the Boston Fire Department can access them quickly in case of emergency. Shoveling snow requires significant exertion; please be cautious and pay attention to signs of overexertion. Stop if you feel chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, nausea, or vomiting. Call 911 if those symptoms do not resolve quickly. Snow piles can make navigating intersections dangerous for pedestrians and drivers. Please take extra care when turning corners with snow piles that might limit visibility. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a concern during winter weather, especially with the use of generators. Residents should use their home heating systems wisely and safely, and have a working carbon monoxide detector on each floor of the home. Call 911 immediately if you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning. Sitting in a car while idling can be deadly if the tailpipe is blocked. Do not let children sit in an idling car while shoveling. Clear any household exhaust pipes (e.g. gas exhaust for heating systems or dryers) and vehicle exhaust pipes of snow. Have a contractor check the roof to see if snow needs to be removed. If roof snow can be removed from the ground with the use of a snow-rake, do so with caution. Avoid working from ladders, and be mindful of slippery surfaces. Dress for the weather: Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. Outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Wear mittens over gloves; layering works for your hands as well. Always wear a hat, and cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs. Dress children warmly, and set reasonable time limits on outdoor play. Restrict infants outdoor exposure when it is colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Watch for signs of frostbite: Signs of frostbite include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately. Watch for signs of hypothermia: These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If you or someone you know shows any of these symptoms, get in touch with a healthcare provider immediately. If symptoms are severe, call 911. Heating safety: Never try to heat your home using a charcoal or gas grill, the kitchen stove, or other product not specifically designed as a heater. These can cause a fire or produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide very quickly. Have your heating system cleaned and checked annually. Install and maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. Carbon monoxide is an invisible gas produced whenever any fuel is burned. Common sources include oil or gas furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, stoves, and some space heaters. It has no smell, taste, or color, and it is poisonous and potentially deadly. Dont place electric space heaters near curtains or other flammable materials. Turn them off before you go to bed. Emergency home repair resources: Income-eligible homeowners and Bostons residents over age 60 can receive assistance with winter emergencies and repairs, such as fixing storm damage, leaking roofs, furnaces and leaking/frozen pipes. For assistance, residents should call the Mayors hotline at 311 or the Boston Home Center at 617-635-HOME (4663). In addition, the Mayors Seniors Save program helps income eligible Bostonians over the age of 60 replace old, inefficient heating systems with a brand new heating system before a catastrophic failure occurs during the cold winter months. Older adults can also call 311 or the Boston Home Center at 617-635-HOME (4663) to be connected with a City staffer to provide additional details. For a full list of school closures, click here. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A federal jury found a Bradenton man guilty of four charges linked to child sexual abuse. According to a news release, 40-year-old Roger Lee Caldwell was found guilty of producing child sexual abuse material, two counts of transporting minors with intent to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. Caldwell faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison at his sentencing hearing scheduled for May 15. He was indicted on May 17, 2023. Testimony and evidence at the trial showed Caldwell sexually abused two victims for about five years, beginning when they were 8 years old. According to a news release, Caldwell had an image on his cellphone of one victim, when she was 9 years old and forced to engage in a sex act. That image showed Caldwell wearing a uniquely designed belt, the same belt he wore at the time of his arrest, prosecutors said in the news release. The victims disclosed the sexual abuse to law enforcement in March 2022 after Caldwell traveled alone with them and sexually abused them multiple times, the news release said. One of the victims kept a pair of underwear she wore from the last sexual assault encounter during the road trip, and DNA analysis confirmed the presence of Caldwells semen, prosecutors said. A collection of sexual abuse material was also found on a computer seized during a search of Caldwells home, the news release said. The FBI, Manatee County Sheriffs Office, Bradenton Police Department, Palmetto Police Department and Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the case, while assistant United States attorneys Stacie Harris, Courtney Derry and Abigail King prosecuted it. A well-organised and targeted attack is underway against our national defence, and few seem to care. With military procurement and equipment in complete disarray through sheer incompetence faceless people have embarked on a three-pronged assault to further disarm us by preventing the capable from joining and persuading those who are effective within to leave. In the last few days, we have seen the Defence Secretary beginning to question who, and with what mandate or authority, has decided to change the face of the defences of the United Kingdom. It is his job after all. Any governments primary responsibility is to defend the nation. The vital elements of this attack are first, to block recruitment by discouraging the majority of the population (who have defended the nation for centuries). At the same time, there is the focus on diversity, targeting recruitment on sections of the nation who have no interest whatsoever in joining the military, culturally, for religious reasons or because they are assured that any show of patriotism is a manifestation of white supremacy. Prong two: demoralise, isolate and shame the undesirables those who, under Air Chief Marshal Wigston, were described in an email as useless white male pilots so that they leave in droves. Prong three: lower security clearance standards to make it much easier for our enemies to infiltrate our military. One of the last missives was clear that it wished to, challenge SC [security clearance] requirements to boost representation in the intelligence and officer corps, positions which have uncontrolled access to secret assets. This last element is perhaps the most dangerous. On Saturday night, a number of Emirati officers and a Bahrani officer were, with others, slaughtered at the General Gordon in Mogadishu reportedly by those they sought to train. Security clearance standards had been lowered. The al-Qaeda-linked militant group al-Shabab has since claimed responsibility. Ships which have just been refurbished at great expense are being decommissioned. The Navy cant take part in Nato exercises, much less deploy effective assets to the Red Sea to protect our own and international shipping from missile and interception attacks by the Iranian backed Houthi Rebels because of a lack of sailors. It has sought to reinforce failure by redeploying marines and sailors to become diversity and inclusion officers to enhance the lived experience of personnel amid ongoing recruitment challenges in manning its ships, rather than actually manning the ships. What remains of the Army is barely workable - of the 72,000 in its workforce around half have been medically downgraded. The drive to introduce females into frontline units carrying combat loads over long distances has, not surprisingly, taken a shocking toll on their frames. The state of Army equipment is perilous, too. We effectively have no artillery systems since the AS 90s were given to the Ukrainians along with a lump of the ammo and the new system is not in service. A disastrous defence procurement programme has reportedly seen just 44 of an ordered 589 armoured fighting vehicles delivered to the MoD - a decade after bosses signed the 5.5 billion contract. But it is the lack of tanks that worries me. Last year it was disclosed that the UK has just 157 Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) either on or available to undertake operations within a 30-day work-up period, out of a theoretical fleet of 227 vehicles. The figure was disclosed during a UK Defence Committee session on March 8. But now it is believed to be much worse. It has been announced that the Ministry of Defence has 93 diversity networks. Today, we dont have that many working Challengers 2s! The RAF is a glimmer of light. I attended the Chief of the Air Staffs Conference late last year. They are recovering from the woke policies that rocked them and I found them confident and focused under the new leadership of Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton. The nation demands answers and for these subversive networks to be dismantled. Recruitment is achievable. I took command of a battalion of 250 men under strength of its paper strength of 700. In the Royal Irish we did our own recruitment and with two years were at full strength with Irishmen. Today that is not possible, due to the contract we have with our outsourcing specialist. They have admitted that they will not reach their targets yet again this year and have suggested recruiting people with visible tattoos, hayfever and eczema in their desperation. I despair. We are as a nation, defenceless. Over to you Grant Shapps. Colonel Tim Collins is a former British Army officer who served with the SAS and as commander of the Royal Irish during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, when his before-battle speech to his soldiers made headlines around the world Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. A British man boarded a flight to NYC without a passport or a boarding pass by tailgating behind unsuspecting passengers, report says A British man flew from London to New York without a boarding pass or passport. He bypassed security checks at Heathrow Airport by tailgating unsuspecting passengers, reports say. After being returned to the UK, he then went missing from a hospital, one report said. A British man flew to New York from London without a boarding pass or passport by tailgating unsuspecting passengers, according to reports. Craig Sturt, 46, arrived at London's Heathrow Airport on Christmas Eve, one of the busiest travel days of the year, the Evening Standard reported. He skipped check-in and went straight to the boarding pass security gates at Heathrow's Terminal 5, walking through the automatic gates behind another passenger, according to The Sun. The outlet reported that Sturt used the tailgating strategy to get through a series of security checkpoints and passport control without needing to show any paperwork. It said that Sturt then boarded a bus from the British Airways departure lounge, gaining access to the flight without a boarding pass. Sturt was eventually caught out after touching down at John F. Kennedy International Airport, it said, when he could not present any identification to US officials. The Evening Standard reported that Sturt was returned to the UK and charged on suspicion of fraud and aviation security offenses. According to The Sun, the security breach has led to the UK's Home Office seeking answers as to how such an incident occurred. The Home Office declined a Business Insider request for comment, referring the request to London's Metropolitan Police. But a source close to the Home Office told the Evening Standard that "heads will roll." The unnamed source said: "It's staggering this could happen. It doesn't bear thinking about what might have happened if a terrorist had successfully boarded a flight undetected." They described it as a "major embarrassment" for Heathrow, the UK's border officials, and British Airways. In a statement provided to Business Insider, a BA spokesperson said the airline is "assisting the authorities with their investigation." A Heathrow spokesperson said: "All people who go airside are subject to security screening, including the individual involved in this case." The spokesperson added: "We are supporting the authorities with their ongoing investigation." Since the incident, Thames Valley Police issued an alert for Sturt, who went missing from a hospital where he was being treated on mental health grounds, according to The Sun. Thames Valley Police referred BI to the Metropolitan Police, saying the force ran the missing-person investigation. In a statement provided to Business Insider, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Sturt failed to appear for a court appearance on January 22 after being arrested on Christmas Day. The police said he was arrested in Richmond, London, on Monday and was taken into custody at a police station. In an interview with The Sun, Sturt's brother, Lee Smith, said his family was shocked by the incident, especially since his brother doesn't own a passport. "It's ridiculous this could happen," he told the newspaper, adding: "If Craig, with a troubled past, could dodge security, then presumably anyone else with sinister motives could do the same." Read the original article on Business Insider A British man has gone missing after he was charged with flying from London to New York without either a ticket or his passport. Craig Sturt is accused of slipping through Heathrow Airports security checks without presenting any documents before boarding a British Airways flight to John F Kennedy airport, again without having his ticket checked. The 46-year-old was stopped on arrival at the airport in New York by a gun-toting officer on Christmas Eve and sent back to the UK on a charter flight. In June, a BA flight between Singapore and London was forced to turn back to its origin airport due to severe turbulence (Getty Images) Mr Sturt was arrested upon landing on Christmas day and charged with offences under the Aviation Security Act. Accused of boarding the Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner without having paid for a ticket, Sturt allegedly slipped through checks by walking closely behind other passengers or tailgating them. He found a seat on the fully booked plane after several passengers missed their connecting flights, reported The Sun. He admitted the offences at Uxbridge Magistrates court and was to be sentenced last month. However, more embarrassment followed for UK officials after he failed to appear before the court. According to reports, the Metropolitan Police had taken Mr Sturt for treatment at a hospital in Reading, from which he escaped. Home secretary James Cleverly is reportedly aware of the incident and has demanded to know how the humiliating fiasco was able to happen, sources told the Mail. Thames Valley Police issued an arrest warrant against Mr Sturt after he was reported missing on 25 January. Please can you help us find Craig? it read. The 46-year-old is 6ft, slim, with short dark brown hair. When he was last seen, he was wearing a grey jacket, a top, black jogging bottoms and white trainers. He was last seen in Reading but is from Slough and also has links to Heathrow and the Tottenham Court Road in London, read the appeal. The post warned people against approaching him and said members of the public should call the police if he is spotted. Mugshot of Craig Sturt, a stowaway charged for travelling from London to New York without documents (TVP Reading) The Metropolitan Police have taken over the investigation as of 31 January. On 24 December 2023, police were made aware of an alleged breach of security at Heathrow Airport and a male was subsequently arrested and later charged with fraud and Aviation Security Act offences, it said in a statement. "We continue to work with all our partners to review and enhance the already robust security measures in place which are kept under constant review by the wider security partnership." Mr Sturts brother Lee Smith, 52, told The Sun on Sunday that he couldnt believe what [he] was hearing when police contacted him to say they were hunting his brother. Its ridiculous this could happen. If Craig, with a troubled past, could dodge security then presumably anyone else with sinister motives could do the same. Heads should roll. How has this been allowed to happen? Heathrow Airport said Mr Sturt would have gone through security, but it remained unclear how he was able to avoid document checks either before and after. "We continue to work with all our partners to review and enhance the already robust security measures in place which are kept under constant review by the wider security partnership, said a Heathrow spokesperson. A British Airways spokesperson also issued a statement saying they are assisting the authorities with their investigation. BROCKTON A noreaster is forecast to hit the Brockton area today, bringing the potential for heavy snow, high wind gusts, power outages, and reduced visibility during Tuesday morning's commute, according to the National Weather Service. "A significant winter storm impacts the region Tuesday morning and afternoon. Latest forecast shifts the heaviest snow further to the south," the NWS Boston wrote in a post on Facebook this morning. A winter storm warning is now in effect for parts of southeastern Massachusetts, including the cities of Brockton, Plymouth, and Taunton until 7 p.m. Tuesday evening. The warning calls for total snow accumulations of six to nine inches and wind gusts as high as 45 mph. Here's what to expect from today's storm. Legion Parkway on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Cell phone fight videos at BHS Brockton teachers decry rampant cell use for fight videos. Should all phones be locked up? No school in Brockton Tuesday Brockton Public Schools cancelled all classes and activities for Tuesday, Feb. 13 due to the impending storm. City Hall, public libraries closed on Tuesday Brockton City Hall, Council on Aging, the War Memorial, all public libraries, and the Board of Health will also be closed due to the storm. How much snow is expected in Brockton on Tuesday? According to a NWS forecast discussion published early Monday morning, much of Southern New England could get between six to 12 inches of snow. United States Weather Alerts The storm is forecast to peak mid-day Tuesday, with snowfall rates continuing to fall at 2 inches per hour throughout the early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. As of 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, the National Weather Service is predicting that the rain will change to snow by noon, followed by heavy snow through 1 p.m. in the Boston area, they wrote in a post on X. Highest impacts will be felt between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Travel during this period will be hazardous and not recommended, the National Weather Service Boston wrote in a post on Facebook. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of emergency, they wrote in a winter storm warning. The snow is predicted to end between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. in Brockton, but the National Weather Service predicts a slow evening commute with low visibility and snowy roads. Vehicles travel on Route 24 north in Avon during a snowstorm on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. 'Miami feel' New restaurant opens in Easton, serving steak, sushi, pasta and more Snowfall predictions by town, according to the NWS According to the NWSs experimental snowfall total predictions, heres how much snow each town could get. Predictions include low end, high end, and expected totals. Bridgewater Six to 17 inches of snow, with 10 inches expected. Brockton Seven to 18 inches of snow, with 13 inches expected. East Bridgewater Five to 17 inches of snow, with nine inches expected. Easton Seven to 18 inches of snow, with 13 inches expected. Raynham Five to 17 inches of snow, with 10 inches expected. Stoughton Seven to 19 inches of snow, with 14 expected. West Bridgewater Six to 18 inches of snow, with 11 inches expected. Wind predictions for Tuesday Tuesdays storm could also bring strong winds to the region, which coupled with the heavy snowfall, could damage trees and power lines, the NWS warned. Heavy snow and gusty winds may lead to power outages, the NWS Boston wrote on Facebook. According to the NWSs winter storm warning, wind gusts in Brockton and Taunton could reach as high as 50 mph. OFF THE GRID: United States Power Outage Tracker This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton storm forecast: Snowfall amount, wind predictions, and more BROWN COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) A Brown County man accused of stalking a woman for nearly two decades has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Charles Daniel Johnson, 51, was convicted of Stalking during a four-day trial in Brown County last week. The same jury who convicted him then gave him a punishment of 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. A press release reveals, Johnson had become fixated on a young woman and had been stalking her for over 17 years. Johnson was previously convicted of stalking this victim in 2009 but continued his actions once released from prison, despite multiple criminal trespass orders and protective orders. He was also known for carrying around an engagement ring for the victim and would stop despite this woman saying she told him to leave her alone for years. No further information has been released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Biden's cadres of censors and free speech suppressors By Mark Alexander web posted February 12, 2024 I recently listened to Joe Biden's jackass parrot, Karine Jean-Pierre, trying to one-up Biden's non compos mentis rambling. KJP was doing her theatrical best to feign grief about our Soldiers killed by Iranian proxies, declaring, "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families who lost three, three brave, three brave, three brave of three folks who are military, folks who are brave, who are always fighting, who are fighting on behalf of this administration..." WRONG. This woman has the cognitive processing capability of a mop head. Memo to Karine: Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines do not take their oath "to support and defend" the Biden administration. Look it up, you dullard imbecile. So, now that I got that out of my system, this is not how I intended to start this column but for the exigencies of our times... Let me begin again. After our daybreak editors call to discuss the morning topic lineup, it is always a treat to see what's in my email inbox awaiting my attention, and often amusement. I was not disappointed! Interested in competitor intel, what the enemies of American Liberty are up to, I first opened my daily Communist Party USA email. No, I am not talking about an email from the socialist Democrat Party; I actually get the CPUSA's comrade communiques. (Yeah, I know, a distinction without a difference.) I am pleased to report that the CPUSA is pleading for funds to provide much-needed psychological and psychiatric care for its activists. The group wanted to know if I was "interested in working to promote mental health for activists." Not to belittle those with mental health issues (I get labeled "nuts" with regularity), but everyone in the CPUSA has a mental health problem, so how could they possibly distinguish who needs help? Maybe the key word delineating who gets help is "activist" because as degrees of behavioral and emotional disorders go, the activists certainly manifest the worst. But that seems to violate the party's standard for "equality." No, I did not donate, but I did sign up for more mental health updates. Next in the queue was an urgent email from one of my favorite leftist hate-hustling groups, the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center, which has nothing to do with poverty and everything to do with extorting corporations and foundations in what amounts to a protection racket. In his prime, the SPLC's corrupt founder, Morris Dees, was national finance director for leftist presidential candidate George McGovern and later the national finance chairman for uber-leftist Ted Kennedy. Dees was an expert yarn spinner and money collector, and despite his social justice crusader cape, his former law partner, Millard Fuller, said of their years in business: "Morris and I shared the overriding purpose of making a pile of money. We were not particular about how we did it; we just wanted to be independently rich." Dees perfected the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton race-bait shakedown model and pulled in hundreds of millions for SPLC. JoAnn Wypijewski of the leftist Nation magazine described him as a "millionaire huckster." According to Harper's Ken Silverstein, the SPLC exists "to separate wealthy liberals from their money." And Dees used those funds to build his "Poverty Palace" offices and exotic luxury home. Dees is an archetypal "useful idiot," a hypocrite who lives high on the hog while embracing Marxist-Leninist-Maoist collectivism. And it was going great until his house of cards collapsed and he was fired. Apparently, two dozen employees sent a letter to the SPLC board concerned that internal "allegations of mistreatment, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and racism threaten the moral authority of this organization and our integrity along with it." "The moral authority of this organization and our integrity"? Well, OK. So with Dees out, what has the SPLC been up to over the last four years? Well, naturally, it continued doing what it does best: fomenting hate and division. When Biden unleashed his 2020 election year race-bait "summer of rage" and the surge of violence that continues unabated today, the SPLC could have written the script. Like Biden, his SPLC surrogates empowered their Marxist Black Lives Matter thugs and their anarchist antifa legions to riotous violence in the name of "social justice," in response to what they errantly claimed was "systemic racism." The Demos' BLM extortion racket largely imploded under its own corrupt weight, but the SPLC's association with antifa is still rolling. Last year, one of the SPLC's lawyers was even arrested in Atlanta riots unusual because generally, the SPLC hacks don't get their hands dirty. But the "hate profiteering business" is waning, and the FBI's reports on so-called "hate crimes" indicate there is no epidemic of white supremacy, despite Biden's claims to the contrary. Turns out most of the haters are associated with the SPLC and other hate-hustling outfits. That is not good for the race-extortion scam. Notably, according to its latest 990 report, the SPLC took in more than $140 million and has an accumulated endowment of more than $730 million. To keep the graft pouring in, last October, Biden, in an effort to cover up the epidemic of black-on-black violence, tossed the SPLC a pandering bone by issuing a national proclamation on the birthday of drug thug George Floyd. That immediately prompted the SPLC to issue a plea: "Please make a special gift today to ensure the SPLC can continue to fight for those harmed by hate, violence and white supremacy." So, what is next for the SPLC if the race-extortion model is failing? Well, the socialist Big Tech oligarchs, and their social media and Leftmedia platforms, including the behemoth Facebook, are now using the SPLC as an arbiter of what constitutes "hate speech" in order to justify their unmitigated suppression of free (conservative) speech. Speech suppression at Twitter was just as bad until Elon Musk took over. "There was basically oppression of any views that, even I would say, be considered middle-of-the-road, certainly, anything on the Right, and I'm not talking about far-right, I'm just talking mildly right," he said. "Republicans were suppressed at 10 times the rate of Democrats. That's because old Twitter was fundamentally controlled ... completely controlled by the far-left." Given the SPLC's rising status with media platforms, it has become an insidiously dangerous organization as a censorship surrogate of the Democrat Party, and these platforms regularly target The Patriot Post in order to dictate what news and commentary you can see. Last week, the SPLC declared it is setting its sights on a new role promoting gun control, announcing a "study" to "deepen our understanding of the myths, narratives and disinformation that are informing young people's attitudes about guns." It notes further, "Assumptions about gender, race and class all impacted young Americans' beliefs about the root causes of gun violence and their impressions of when, where and for whom gun ownership is acceptable." In other words, while the SPLC is busy with its speech suppression efforts, it is now promoting disinformation about who is committing most violent crime across our nation. And to further its corrupt political collaboration with the Biden regime, the administration has now tapped SPLC as an advisor on domestic terrorism. That has not gone unnoticed. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) condemned Biden, saying his "administration has routinely worked with radical individuals and groups like Randi Weingarten and the SPLC to shape dangerous policy that targets Americans based on their religion [or] political views ... dangerously using the same tactics to weaponize government against its people that we see in Communist China, Venezuela and Cuba." Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) added: "The SPLC, which masquerades as a civil rights organization, is a far-left activist group that has smeared countless conservatives, including religious and parental rights group. It is deeply disturbing that the Biden administration would enlist its help to target conservatives as domestic terrorists, marking just the latest example of this administration's two-tiered system of justice." Saddle up, America! Fact is, the real fascists in America are on the Left. Back to my email inbox: It is notable that no matter how many times I "whitelist" (racist, I know) the SPLC emails, they often end up in my spam folder. Not sure why because the chronic funding appeals close with, "Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center." Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post. A woman who went missing after hiking on Mount Baldy during extreme weather conditions last weekend has been found dead and her body recovered, rescuers say. Lefei Huang, 22, was spotted by a person flying a drone in the area around 3:25 p.m. PT Saturday and the sheriffs department was notified, San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department officials said in a news release. Deputies and a search and rescue team responded to the upper San Antonio Creek Falls area, but they were not able to hike to where Huang was believed to be due to the conditions on the mountain, officials said. Aviation crews were not able to search the area because of high winds. Search and rescue team members stayed the night near the location to preserve the scene, the sheriffs department said. Around 7:45 a.m. PT Sunday, a rescue helicopter hoisted medics down to the area and they found Huang dead. Her body and the medics were then airlifted off the mountain, it said. Officials had previously said that Huang had set off hiking at 2 p.m. Sunday February 4 and was not heard from after 4 p.m. that day. Recovery efforts began Monday afternoon but were limited by extremely heavy snowfall and avalanche risks, the sheriffs department said on Tuesday. The search took place against a backdrop of extreme weather as an atmospheric river brought heavy rain, snow and life threatening flooding to California at the start of the week. Mount San Antonio, better known as Mount Baldy, is approximately 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Los Angeles had its wettest day in almost 20 years on February 4, experiencing about a typical months worth of rain in a day. Before the discovery of Huangs body, at least nine weather related deaths were recorded in the state during the powerful storm. Mount Baldy has been the site of other hikes and drives gone wrong. A woman spent four nights trapped in her car after toppling to the bottom of a California canyon. British actor Julian Sands was discovered dead on the mountain in June 2023 after he went missing on a hike earlier in the year. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Leading candidates in Californias U.S. Senate race will debate Monday night, as the race remains too close to call. The one-hour debate, broadcast from KRON-TV in San Francisco, will air on KTXL-TV in Sacramento and will be available on Fox40.com. The debate begins at 7 p.m. Nexstar Medias California TV Stations are hosting the debate. Participating will be front-runner Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, and Reps. Katie Porter, D-Irvine; Barbara Lee, D-Oakland; and Republican Steve Garvey, the former Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres first baseman. The top two finishers in the March 5 primary will compete in Novembers general election. They are vying to finish the term of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, which runs through next January, as well as a full six year term. Feinstein died in September, and Sen. Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to the seat. Schiff has led recent polls. In the California Elections and Policy Poll, he had support from 25% of likely voters. Trailing were Porter and Garvey, each with 15%. Lee had 7%. The survey polled 1,416 likely voters from Jan. 21 to 29. Margin of error plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. The battle for first place and second place is not really decided. All candidates have room to grow if they can persuade independent voters, said Christian Grose, a professor of political science at the University of Southern California, which helped with the poll. These results show a Senate race that is in flux, he said.. OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada on Monday joined those urging Israel not to mount a ground invasion against Gaza's southern Rafah neighborhood, saying such an attack would be devastating for Palestinians. Israel says it plans to assault Rafah, the last relatively safe place in the enclave, to which more than 1 million displaced people have fled. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants the military to evacuate Rafah and destroy four Hamas battalions it says are deployed there. "I'm very concerned about what's going on in Gaza, in particular in Rafah. The operation would be devastating and is devastating to Palestinians and all those seeking refuge," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly told reporters. "What the Netanyahu government is asking them to do, which is to leave again, is unacceptable. Because they have nowhere to go and so that's why we need right now for the violence to stop," she said, reiterating Canadian calls for a sustainable ceasefire and the release of hostages. Joly said she would be holding talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Tuesday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Israel has the right to defend itself after the Hamas assault on Oct. 7, but has gradually hardened his tone as the civilian death toll in Gaza has mounted. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Iraq, U.S. resume dialogue on ending U.S.-led coalition's mission Xinhua) 13:54, February 12, 2024 BAGHDAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iraq and the United States resumed Sunday a new round of dialogue to discuss ending the U.S.-led international coalition's mission in Iraq, the Iraqi government said. Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasoul said in a statement that the Higher Military Commission (HMC) resumed meetings with the international coalition side to assess the military situation, the level of threat posed by the Islamic State (IS) group, in addition to the capabilities of the Iraqi forces. Rasoul said that based on these meetings, a timetable will be set for the gradual reduction of international coalition advisors in Iraq, leading to an end of the coalition mission of fighting IS and the transition to Iraq's bilateral relations with coalition countries. The meetings with the international coalition will be held periodically to complete the commission work as quickly as possible, as long as nothing disturbs the meetings, Rasoul added. On Jan. 25, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Iraq agreed with the United States to form the HMC to end the international coalition mission in Iraq and move their relationship to comprehensive bilateral relations with the coalition countries at the political, economic, cultural, security, and military levels. (Web editor: Chang Sha, Liang Jun) Congress and courts enable energy and climate fantasy and tyranny By Paul Driessen web posted February 12, 2024 The left end of the political spectrum is relentlessly pursuing the transformation of America's society, history, economy, speech, borders, governing systems, healthcare, energy and living standards. What it cannot secure via the ballot box and alliances with the legacy media and academic institutions, it works to impose through rule by unelected, unaccountable Executive Branch bureaucrats, collusive sue-and-settle legal actions, and court decisions that too often rubberstamp agency rules. Instead of three co-equal divisions of government, the powers and functions of America's Legislative and Judicial Branches have steadily been subsumed into an ever expanding, progressive and aggressive Executive Branch. Many legislators and judges have acquiesced or actively participated. The federal workforce has swollen to two million non-military employees, who "liberally" interpret, apply and enforce laws and policies. The Federal Register of regulations, explanations and justifications has ballooned from 50,998 pages in 1984, to a Jabba-the-Hutt 90,402 pages in 2023. Few can read, much less comprehend and comply with the intricate edicts. Members of Congress want to be seen "doing something" to address perceived problems, often by passing new laws and spending more money. However, instead of actually tackling difficult, controversial issues, they frequently make policy declarations, enact deliberately ambiguous statutory provisions, and rely on Executive Branch cohorts to interpret, stretch or even rewrite the vague language, mostly advancing agency powers and agendas. The US Supreme Court's landmark 1984 decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council expanded this centralization of power even more significantly. The "Chevron deference doctrine" holds that when faced with regulations that are based on ambiguous, or nonexistent, statutory text lower courts should always defer to administrative agencies' interpretations of the text, as long as the interpretations are "reasonable." Chevron deference has let federal agencies expand their domain and control in hundreds of instances. Affected citizens often have little recourse, as long as the impact of an individual rule can be viewed as small and the agency interpretation as not patently unreasonable. In those situations, the 2022 Supreme Court decision in West Virginia v. EPA is of little help, because it only addresses "major questions," agency decisions that have "major" economic or political significance. However, the Court recently heard oral arguments on two cases that give it an opportunity to curtail or end this wholesale deference to federal agencies. Both cases ask whether small fishing boats can be required to pay $700 per day to take observers along with them, to ensure the boats are following fisheries rules. Relevant law allows the government to require fishing boats to carry observers but does not say the boats must pay for them, and Congress never appropriated any funds to cover observers. So, on its own, the National Marine Fisheries Service decided it had the authority to compel boats to shoulder the cost. The case could have enormous implications for the perpetually expanding Deep State. The Justices could rule in favor of NMFS, even though monetary impacts that are small by federal governing and budgetary standards are major, even potentially ruinous for fishing boats. They could hold that the agency interpretation in this single instance was "unreasonable" and overturn this single rulemaking out of thousands issued since 1984, while leaving the Chevron doctrine intact and available for future abuse. Or they could overturn Chevron. Doing so would end the appalling deference to powerful government agencies; reduce the growing imbalance between the Executive and Legislative Branches; and make it harder for circuit and appellate courts to support activist regulators. A reversal might even prod Congress to enact laws that tackle hard questions, use precise language, and tighten the reins on unelected regulators, especially when they serve presidents who want to "fundamentally transform" our energy use, immigration system, economy and military. The third option would also help America curb climate and energy fantasy and tyranny. It's certainly true that most federal actions taken to "save our planet from the existential threat of manmade climate change" are "major" or "significant" in their societal, economic, ecological and national security impacts and thus subject to the Supreme Court's "major questions doctrine." However, that Court has not defined "major." Moreover, even actions that most Americans would call "major" can end up being upheld, and agencies can claim significant actions are actually "minor" or can simply ignore court decisions that don't apply explicitly to the agency or action in question. Even in the climate and energy arena alone, hundreds of "minor" decisions can coalesce into massive disruptions and costs. It's certainly reasonable to argue that questions of Chevron deference should examine the totality of impacts and whether a decision can actually pass a rational, evidence-based "reasonableness" test. To cite just a few examples, is it reasonable to defer to federal agencies that: * Impose government-wide mandates to terminate America's coal, oil and natural gas extraction and use, based on computer models whose scary forecasts: (a) are built on the assumption that climate change and weather events are driven by fossil-fuel-related carbon dioxide and methane, which together represent barely 0.042% of Earth's atmosphere; and (b) are not supported by actual, real-world data on temperatures, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, droughts and sea levels? * Keep oil and gas locked in the ground before they have any workable plan for replacing feed stocks for plastics, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers and thousands of other vital products? * Compel families and businesses to replace gasoline vehicles and gas ovens, stoves, furnaces and water heaters with electric models while regulators replace reliable, affordable fossil fuel power with intermittent, weather-dependent wind and solar power? * Close down coal and gas-fired generators before sufficient, reliable, affordable replacement electricity is available and before a single project anywhere in the world has demonstrated that wind, solar and battery electricity alone can power even a small village? * Demand that families purchase supposedly energy- or water-efficient washing machines and dishwashers, even though the new machines must run longer or even twice to get clothes or dishes clean thereby requiring more electricity and water? * Effectively mandate electric vehicles before there are sufficient charging stations, electricity for those stations, or even metals and minerals to manufacture all the EVs, charging stations, wind turbines, solar panels and transmission lines? * Assert that wind, solar and battery power are clean, green, renewable and sustainable, while ignoring the monumental amounts of mining and processing and attendant habitat and wildlife destruction, toxic air and water pollution, and child labor involved in obtaining the nonrenewable metals and minerals for those technologies? * Insist that the United States slash or eliminate its fossil fuel use, while China, India and 100 other countries (including Germany) are extracting and burning more oil, gas and coal every year? Courts should not view government actions in a vacuum. Many agency decisions are reasonable only in an alternative universe where individual and cumulative economic, ecological and social realities play no role. The era of Chevron deference should be brought to a close. Paul Driessen, JD is senior policy advisor to the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org) and author of books and articles on energy, pollution, climate change and human rights. Home The U.S. State Department issued travel advisories last month to two popular island destinations, likely causing some would-be tourists to consider canceling their trips. But be warned: experts say doing so is often not an option for airlines, meaning travelers who paid for flights without insurance may be out of luck. The U.S. issued a Level 3 warning for Jamaica on Jan. 23, a threshold in which Americans should "reconsider travel." Three days later, the Bahamas fell under the Level 2 designation, a less severe warning but one that urges visitors to "exercise increased caution." Despite the advisories, travelers to the two countries are unlikely to get a refund for any planned trips. An NBC report said that option is usually not a possibility even for areas under a Level 4 advisory, meaning "Do not travel." American Airlines does not list travel advisories as a reason for offering a refund on a non-refundable ticket. Among the scenarios that would constitute a refund are a passenger's cancellation within 24 hours of purchasing a ticket; a change in the flight schedule, either of more than four hours at any time prior to the trip or of at least 90 minutes within 72 hours of the departure time; or a death of the passenger or traveling companion. While a refund is unlikely, travelers may be able to receive some sort of compensation should they decide not to take a trip. NBC suggests contacting an airline directly if there are any concerns about visiting somewhere, as companies sometimes give out travel waivers in certain situations. Yankees spring training 2024: Report dates, schedule, ballpark info and how to see players Mets spring training 2024: Report dates, schedule, ballpark info and how to see players The smartest move for residents planning vacations, particularly to areas like Jamaica and the Bahamas, may be to purchase travel insurance. Analysis from Forbes found that 76% of travel insurance policies in 2023 contained trip cancellation benefits. Insurance generally costs between 5 and 10% of a trip's expenses, with variables like the length of the trip and the age and total number of travelers affecting the exact amount, Forbes said. It can cover unforeseen occurrences like severe weather during the trip or a traveler's serious injury or medical condition, but events like a pregnancy or mental health episode usually are not covered. The State Department cited the frequency of armed robberies, sexual assaults and other violent crimes including some acts committed at all-inclusive resorts as factors leading to the two travel advisories. Additionally, many Jamaican hospitals have substandard medical care, and local police "often do not respond effectively to serious criminal incidents," the advisory stated. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Travel advisory Bahamas, Jamaica: Info on flight changes To help inform voters across the state, this candidate questionnaire is available to be republished by local publications in North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible. Name: David Wheeler Political party: Democrat Age as of March 5, 2024: 58 Campaign website: wheelernc.com Current occupation: President, Global Higher Education Group LLC Professional experience: Global Higher Education Group LLC, 2015-present; Embark LLC, President, 2007-2020; Ambassadors LLC, Senior Vice President, 2005-2007; Protocol International, Inc., President, 1990-2005 Education: University of Iowa, BA, Political Science and Economics, 1987 What offices have you run for or held before? Have you had any other notable government or civic involvement? (Ran for) NC Senate, 2018 and 2020; Chair, Health Schools Telemedicine Program; President, American Muckrakers PAC, Inc. What do you think is the biggest issue in North Carolina that you would be able to shape if elected? Holding down rates by holding insurance companies accountable through public hearings across North Carolina and making the insurance companies prove to my team, consumers in North Carolina, and me that they truly need a rate hike. What do you think is or is not working well under the current office holder? If not, how would you change it? The current commissioner, Rate Hike Mike, is not leading the department. The Department of Insurance is truly out of control. ... In addition, 19 rate hikes on his watch are all done in secret with no input from the public. DOI will not survive a 3rd Rate Hike Mike term. What should be done to address staff vacancies in your agency and in state government as a whole? Hire the right people, pay them well, and then let them do their jobs. Politicians nitpicking and micro-managing, like Rate Hike Mike, is why DOI has the largest vacancy rate* in the state government. The key is hiring leaders that can lead DOI, then they can hire skilled and trained staff. As commissioner, Ill let managers hire their own staff and then hold them accountable but stay out of the way and not meddle. *Editors Note: According to October 2023 data from the Office of State Human Resources, the Department of Adult Corrections has the highest vacancy rate at 27.2%. The vacancy rate at the Department of Insurance is 14.7%, according to November 2023 data from OSHR. Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue? I dont believe North Carolina state government should be so Raleigh-focused. I believe DOI and other departments and agencies should hold hearings outside of Raleigh and throughout the state. Especially in Western North Carolina and down east. These areas are long neglected but full of talented, hard-working folks that deserve to be heard. My party seems to have abandoned many rural and small town folks. Ill work hard every day to help folks in rural communities. Should the insurance commissioner also hold the role of state fire marshal? Why or why not? No, the commissioner of insurance should not be the state fire marshal. The SFM should be a professional firefighter who has experience in managing the office to ensure our firefighters are trained, compensated properly, and provided the needed equipment and health care. Taking politics out of firefighting is a good thing. What would be your approach to negotiating insurance rate increases with the North Carolina Rate Bureau? NCRB is a professional organization run by top-notch pros. However, I think we need take a fresh look. The fact insurance companies can essentially get around rates approved by DOI through the consent to rate provision in policies, makes one wonder why we need a rate bureau any longer. In addition, making North Carolina an open market will provide consumers will more choices and lower prices. However, Ill listen to experts and review the data before making any recommendations to General Assembly. To help inform voters, this candidate questionnaire is available without a subscription and may be republished by local publications across North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible. Name: Jon Hardister Political party: Republican Age as of March 5, 2024: 41 Campaign website: JonHardister.com Current occupation: Legislator/Marketing Professional experience: Member, N.C. House of Representatives; Vice President, First Carolina Mortgage. Education: BA in Political Science, Greensboro College. What offices have you run for or held before? Have you had any other notable government or civic involvement? N.C. House of Representatives, Deputy Majority Whip. What do you think is the biggest issue in North Carolina that you would be able to shape if elected? Workforce development, workplace safety and maintaining our status as the best place for business will be top priorities. What do you think is or is not working well under the current labor commissioner? If not, how would you change it? We need to encourage more students to consider trade skills and vocational education. These jobs pay well and they strengthen our states economy. What can be done to make sure the state is regularly inspecting workplaces for health and safety? As labor commissioner, I will collaborate with the private sector to identify best practices and ensure that we have inspectors who are fair and professional. Should North Carolina increase penalties for health and safety violations by employers? Do you believe that would reduce workplace deaths and injuries? We do not need to increase penalties at this time. The vast majority of companies care about their employees and do not want them to get hurt. What should be done to address staff vacancies in your agency and in state government as a whole? As labor commissioner, I will do my best to promote a positive, collaborative work environment. I will also work with the N.C. General Assembly to ensure that our salaries are competitive. North Carolina has the second-lowest unionization rate in the country. Do you think that should change, and how? I believe we should maintain our status as a right-to-work state. Employees should not be forced to join or pay dues to a union; it should be a personal choice. This has worked well for businesses and workers in our state. To help inform voters, this candidate questionnaire is available without a subscription and may be republished by local publications across North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible. Name: Luke Farley Political party: Republican Age as of March 5, 2024: 38 Campaign website: Luke4Labor.com Current occupation: Construction and OSHA attorney Professional experience: 13-plus years of experience in the private practice of law representing clients in the construction industry and defending OSHA workplace safety citations. Equity partner in a Raleigh law firm. Education: B.A. in history and philosophy from UNC-Chapel Hill with honors and distinction (2007). J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law (2010). What offices have you run for or held before? Have you had any other notable government or civic involvement? Served on the N.C. Human Relations Commission and the Durham County Board of Elections. What do you think is the biggest issue in North Carolina that you would be able to shape if elected? The regulatory climate. As labor commissioner, Ill protect our workers without bankrupting businesses in the process. Our prosperity depends on a reasonable and fair regulatory climate. Even-handed enforcement of our labor and employment laws encourages businesses to expand or relocate to North Carolina. What do you think is or is not working well under the current labor commissioner? If not, how would you change it? Pending before the labor commissioner is a petition to bring back COVID workplace mandates like masking and social distancing. That petition should never have been granted. Had I been labor commissioner, I would have denied the petition. When it comes to protecting our workers and our small businesses from heavy-handed COVID rules, I wont give an inch. What can be done to make sure the state is regularly inspecting workplaces for health and safety? The number one job of the labor commissioner is to keep workers safe and healthy. But we cannot inspect our way to safety there just arent enough inspectors. Instead, the Labor Department should focus on inspecting willful and repeat violators and helping small businesses meet their compliance burden. Our small businesses are struggling and need all the help they can get. Should North Carolina increase penalties for health and safety violations by employers? Do you believe that would reduce workplace deaths and injuries? Penalties should not increase. North Carolinas rate of workplace injuries has been consistently lower than the national average, despite many states having higher penalties. Penalties were just raised in the fall of 2022, virtually doubling overnight. It was a shock to our small businesses. Penalty increases werent necessary then and arent necessary now, as they have no proven effect on preventing violations in North Carolina. What should be done to address staff vacancies in your agency and in state government as a whole? The most pressing staff vacancies at the Labor Department are elevator inspectors. The challenge for the department is how to attract qualified inspectors from the private sector. As labor commissioner, Ill convene a working group of trade groups, safety advocates, and others to develop a plan with broad buy-in, including potentially creating an apprenticeship program for elevator inspectors. North Carolina has the second lowest unionization rate in the country. Do you think that should change, and how? North Carolinas economy is doing perfectly fine without more unionization. Nothing should be done to increase unionization in our state. If unions are providing real value to their members, workers will join voluntarily. To help inform voters, this candidate questionnaire is available without a subscription and may be republished by local publications across North Carolina without any cost. Please consider subscribing to The News & Observer to help make this coverage possible. Name: Eric Blankenburg District: 4th Congressional District Political party: Republican Age as of March 5, 2024: 64 Campaign website: https://ericfornc.com/ Current occupation: Technology Consultant Professional experience: 30 years of experience as a chief technology officer, vice president engineering, Solution Architect, and other roles in the computer industry. Education: B.S., Computer Science What offices have you run for or held before? Have you had any other notable government or civic involvement? I have not held any offices. What is the issue that you see as most relevant to constituents in your district, and what will you do to address it? America is facing numerous economic challenges that have been festering for decades. We need to reinvigorate our economy by improving our business climate, creating a world-class workforce, revitalizing our depressed cities and rural areas, renewing our crumbling infrastructure, and updating our immigration and trade policies. Is there an issue on which you disagree with your party? What is your position on that issue? The Republican Party is fractured. The party has deep disagreements about trade, immigration, and foreign policy. I stand with those who put the interests of the American people over the interests of global corporations and the military industrial complex. What is the government doing, if anything, that you see as a waste of taxpayer money? The list is too long to describe here. Should spending increases trigger automatic increases to the U.S. debt limit so that political gridlock does not cause the country to default on its debts? Congress should be required to vote on increasing the debt limit before they are allowed to vote on spending bills that exceed those limits. What federal legislation, if any, would you support on abortion? Under Americas federalist system, matters of life and death are not generally in the jurisdiction of the federal government. They are the responsibilities of each state. The legal definition of when death begins is decided by each state. Laws about harming others, including murder and manslaughter, are also defined, and enforced by each state. The federal government doesnt have any role in abortion. What changes in U.S. immigration enforcement and restrictions would you support? We must remove the incentives for entering America illegally. Being here illegally must be a real crime punishable by a long term in prison, followed by deportation. Birthright citizenship must end for the children of people who arent citizens or permanent residents. The border wall must be completed. And we must temporarily suspend the asylum program until the rest of the system is fixed. What legislation would you support to make Americans safer from mass shootings and other violent crime? According to the FBI, more people are murdered each year with hammers and other blunt instruments than rifles. Mass shootings make for big, sensationalist headlines, but they are not a huge problem compared to other issues. And trying to ban scary-looking guns wont solve the problem. The Supreme Court has recently affirmed that Americans have the right to own a gun and carry a gun outside the home. Any solution to this issue must be based on that reality. Oak Ridger Ebony Capshaw is seeking election to the office of Anderson County commissioner in District 6, which includes Oak Ridge City Hall (Senior Center), Robertsville, and West Hills precincts. Capshaw was one of six citizens nominated to fill the office following the resignation of Catherine Denenberg. Ebony Capshaw Capshaw is an Oak Ridge native and resident with in-depth knowledge of local issues, concerns, history, and unique characteristics of Anderson County, according to a news release announcing her candidacy. She previously served as 5th Senatorial District executive committeewoman and ran in 2018 for Anderson County trustee. County residents encouraged her to run for county trustee in 2018 and now for county commissioner, the release said. "I am thankful to have a servants heart. I volunteer to better serve my community. I love to engage with and speak up for residents, especially when issues concern them. At times, they feel they have no voice. That's why I'm running for office to be the voice for the people. With the knowledge gained in my professional career and personal life, I am confident that I have the skills to serve the citizens of Anderson County," she stated. She has over 23 years of combined work experience in pharmacy, quality auditing, customer service, and higher education bringing valuable qualities to public service. She gained the nickname, "Eagle-Eye Capshaw" from her former director for her keen eye to details. She has strong analytical and listening skills essential for assessing policies, budgets, and programs for efficiency and effectiveness. Identifying and implementing process improvements and problem-solving are crucial to long-term community well-being. Capshaw serves as a member of Roane State Community College pharmacy technician program advisory board, East Tennessee Medical Reserve Corps, AME Zion Women's Home & Overseas Missionary Society and Christian Education Department. Capshaw has previously served as a Child Advocacy Center of Anderson County board member, Altrusa International of Oak Ridge member, TN Clinch Valley Boys and Girls Club tutor, Scarboro Neighborhood Watch Group member, TN NAACP State Conference Executive Committee member, and Oak Ridge/Anderson County Branch NAACP first vice pesident and membership chair. This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Capshaw seeks Anderson County Commission office In 1940, a ship transporting wheat across Lake Superior hit bad weather and sank with its captain still on board while the rest of his crew made it to safety. The wreckage has now been found, but questions remain. On Feb. 12, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced that the Arlington, a 244-foot bulk carrier, was discovered in Lake Superior more than 600 feet below the surface. Shipwreck researcher Dan Fountain originally discovered the anomaly using remote sensing data, and with the help of the historical societys resources, confirmed the vessels identity using side-scan sonar and remotely operated vehicles. But the Arlington and its captain a seasoned veteran of the lakes may have both been able to avoid tragedy the day it sank, according to experts. No one will ever know On April 30, 1940, under the command of Captain Frederick Tatey Bug Burke, the Arlington left Port Arthur, Ontario, for Owen Sound, Ontario, fully loaded with wheat, according to the historical society. After hitting dense fog, the Arlingtons first mate, Junis Macksey, ordered a new course along the Canadian North Shore that would provide some cover from wind and waves, according to experts. Burke, however, disregarded the order and continued across the open lake, the society said. On May 1, the Arlington began to sink. The crew, without orders from Burke, abandoned ship and were picked up by the Collingwood, a large freighter nearby, according to researchers. Burke, for reasons no one will ever know, chose to go down the ship, experts said. Illustration of Captain Burke going down with the Arlington. Much speculation followed the sinking of the Arlington and the odd behavior of its master, researchers said. Why did he go down with his shipwhen he easily could have been saved like the rest of his crew? The historical society said it hopes this discovery provides some measure of closure to the family of Captain Burke. There are an estimated 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, with about 350 of those in Lake Superior, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Medieval ship sank 600 years ago near Norway. Now some of its mysteries are uncovered Deck of shipwreck reemerges 105 years after it broke apart in ocean, NC town says 15th century shipwreck reveals surprising cargo and weapons for fending off pirates EMPORIA (KSNT) The Emporia Police Department (EPD) provided a narrative around the incident that saw a car crash into an Emporia State University (ESU) recreation building. Ray Mattas with the EPD said at 5:54 p.m., on Sunday, Feb. 11, officers attempted to stop a 2012 Acura at 18th and Rural Street. The driver fled from police driving east on 18th. The officer didnt pursue the car. The driver drove onto the ESU campus at a high rate of speed, according to the EPD. The car left the road, went airborne and crashed into the ESU recreation building. The driver was trapped in the car and needed to be saved by the Emporia Fire Department. The driver was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The drivers identification wont be released due to the nature of the incident, according to the EPD. 27 News will continue to follow this coverage. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. CCSD bus driver charged with DUI told police he dropped students off just before crash LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A Clark County School District bus driver charged with DUI told police he dropped students off at school just before getting into a crash, police documents said. Luisito Torres Nazaire, 48, faces several charges including DUI and child endangerment after he was involved in a crash while driving a school bus. Luisito Torres Nazaire, 48, was arrested Wednesday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of suspicion of driving under the influence and reckless driving, along with other charges. (CCSDPD) On Jan. 31 at around 7:30 a.m., officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene of a collision on Vegas Valley Drive near Stewart Avenue and Fogg Street. The collision involved a Clark County School District bus and a white sedan. Three people were in the sedan and the bus held no passengers at the time of the crash, the report stated. Witnesses told police the bus was traveling erratically and up onto the sidewalk. A video a witness took showed the bus swerving in and out of the lane before hitting the white sedan, which was stopped on the shoulder of the road with its hazard lights on, according to the report. Police said Nazaire was sitting in the bus with his head down on the steering wheel and was startled when an officer knocked on the bus door. Nazaire told the officer he dozed off for a moment, claiming that had not happened before. Nazaire told police he had not eaten since the previous night. He also told police he had not been drinking, but said he took cough medicine the night before the crash, the report stated. Nazaire said he dropped students off at Las Vegas High School and was on his way to his next location when the crash occurred. After performing a field sobriety test, police determined that Nazaire was intoxicated on a narcotic and took him to the Clark County Detention Center to give a blood sample to test for substances. Nazaire is a special education bus driver and has been employed by the district since March 2007. He was placed on unpaid leave following the crash. Nazaire faces the following charges: DUI of alcohol and/or a controlled or prohibited substance, reckless driving with disregard for persons or property, failure to pay full attention to driving, failure to properly maintain travel lane, two counts of speeding, and three counts of child endangerment. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 29. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. CISA, other bureaucrats extend censorship of 'disinformation' to the judiciary in order to influence elections By Rachel Alexander web posted February 12, 2024 Unelected bureaucrats in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and associated Big Brother federal agencies recently began expanding their censorship to the judiciary. The CIA and Department of Justice teamed up under the pretense of stopping "disinformation" about fraudulent elections and other speech from the right, claiming it extended into the legal system, but so far it's been used to stamp out concerns of election illegalities by attorneys and plaintiffs. By prohibiting these lawsuits, the Democrats will be able to ensure that Donald Trump and future Republicans do not become president. The first disinformation task force within the legal system was launched in 2019 at the Arizona Supreme Court. It was full of progressives like Frederic Bellamy, an attorney who said Sean Hannity is disinformation. The task force got its information from the National Center for State Courts, which declared that one of the most "dangerous political themes" is "The justice system ignores voting irregularities and fraud allowing elections to be stolen from certain candidates." Former CIA official Susan Spaulding was instrumental in getting it started. Her background includes the usual type of path for a progressive bureaucrat, serving as chair of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Law and National Security and part of Harvard University's Long-Term Legal Strategy Project for Preserving Security and Democratic Freedoms in the War on Terror. She moved over to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to continue her busybody work. CSIS is funded by George Soros's Open Society Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The House Judiciary Committee discussed Spaulding in its report issued last June, "The Weaponization of CISA: How a 'Cybersecurity' Agency Colluded With Big Tech and 'Disinformation' Partners to Censor Americans." The report noted how Spaulding wanted not just foreign disinformation stopped an effort that began due to the Russian collusion hoax but also domestic. They quoted her, "As Spaulding presaged, it was 'only a matter of time before someone realizes we exist and starts asking about' CISA's repeated violations of the First Amendment." The report " Beyond the Ballot ," which Spaulding co-authored, encourages the judiciary to continue the exact type of government meddling exposed in the Twitter files. It urged, "There is an immediate need to expand both the content and the reach of threat awareness among practitioners in the justice system so they are cognizant of the threat and can be ready to respond." It said courts "should establish lines of communication with social media platforms and appropriate federal entities to maintain awareness of the threat." The report treats the viewpoints of "right-wing pundits'" as disinformation, criticizing their accusation that "the U.S. justice system is a tool of the 'deep state.'" It said disinformation must be stamped out that asserts, "The democracy is run by the social elites, and the justice system is a pawn used to advance the political goals of these elites." The Arizona Supreme Court's Task Force on Countering Disinformation issued a report in 2022 that recommended expanding a rule that prohibits attorneys from criticizing judges. That rule, which has been adopted by state bars around the country and is frequently used to discipline conservative attorneys, has been denounced as an infringement on the First Amendment. The progressive Brookings Institution, which drives much of the Democrats' policy, said that if efforts to censor disinformation are stopped, it could affect the 2024 election. This was nothing more than a disguised way of admitting that getting the truth out about election fraud could allow a Republican to be elected president in 2024. Brookings criticized a court ruling which stopped the collusion between the government and big tech censoring this type of information: "The ruling creates a chilling effect on academic research on disinformation and could potentially endanger the 2024 elections by enabling a wave of disinformation." Brookings attacked X for laying off employees engaged in stopping disinformation, and YouTube for reversing some of its policy banning content about election illegalities. The National Association for Court Management (NACM) and the Conference of Court Public Information Officers (CCPIO) issued a chilling 174-page report in 2020 laying out how the judiciary should influence the media. It advised the judiciary to go around regular journalists and access "new media" instead, since if they don't, "courts not only undermine public confidence in the effectiveness of their operations but also surrender themselves to the whims of modern 'journalists' whose motives and ethics may offer no hindrance to the publication of stories that are unsupported by the facts." The word disinformation appeared 12 times in the report, ignoring any sense of irony with this admonition, "To counter this fear of the unknown and the disinformation that arises from it, courts must increasingly assume an active role in transmitting good information about themselves to the public." Courts around the country are gradually adopting this approach of stamping out concerns about election illegalities, sanctioning election attorneys who litigate the issues. State bars, which are usually formed as private entities contracted under the authority of state supreme courts, are disbarring election attorneys for bringing lawsuits challenging the illegal activities. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) issued a paper urging strong discipline against attorneys who bring election lawsuits, holding up as an example a Brazilian court's treatment of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for his lawsuits alleging election fraud. That court barred Bosonaro from running for office for eight years as punishment. IFES praised proactive moves, "[M]any countries have passed legislation imposing various restrictions on freedom of speech around elections." IFES praised courts for disciplining attorneys who brought "frivolous" lawsuits alleging election wrongdoing like Rudy Giuliani. While the House committee report rightfully found that "CISA must be reined in," it must go further and stop the weaponization of the judiciary to stop efforts against illegal election activity. The committee should hold hearings on these abuses, including state bars targeting election attorneys. Otherwise the election fraud will ensure there are no more Republican presidents. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home Centralia and Chehalis police officers arrested a man accused of robbing a convenience store on Saturday. Around 9:15 a.m., a man went into a convenience store in the 1000 bock of Ellsbury Street. The man allegedly lifted his shirt, showed the cashier he had a gun in his waistband and demanded money. The man left the store without taking anything and drove away in a light-colored Saturn. Centralia officers identified a possible suspect who lived at apartments in the 2200 block of Southwest Salsbury Avenue. Officers asked the Chehalis Police Department to check the apartments and they found the mans car. Centralia and Chehalis officers, with a Centralia K9, surrounded the mans apartment and waited for Centralia detectives to arrive. The 42-year-old man from Chehalis was taken into custody at his apartment. He was arrested for first-degree robbery and first-degree extortion and booked into the Lewis County Jail. Centralia detectives served a search warrant at the mans apartment and found multiple guns. Centralia police said no further information is being released at this time. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Centralia Police Detective Sergeant Dave Clary at (360) 330-7680, or Lewis County Communications at (360) 740-1105. The former Los Angeles Police Department officer who shot and killed a man at a Costco in Corona wont be retried after a mistrial was declared in January, his attorney says. In 2019, Salvador Alejando Sanchez shot and killed 32-year-old Kenneth French, an intellectually disabled man, and shot each of his parents once after French struck Sanchez from behind while the former officer was holding his child. Case against LAPD officer who fatally shot man at Costco ends in mistrial Last month, a jury failed to reach a verdict on manslaughter and other charges, and Sanchez attorney told The Press-Enterprise that his client wont be retried by the state Attorney Generals Office. Defense attorney Michael Schwartz said that jurors favored acquittal on the voluntary manslaughter charge by a 9-3 count and were deadlocked on the firearm assault counts that leaned more to acquittals, the outlet reported. The case was dismissed on Friday, Schwartz said. The Department of Justice stands by the decision to charge and prosecute this case, however, after considering a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the input of the surviving victims and feedback from the trial jury, the department has decided not to retry the case, the AGs Office told The Press-Enterprise. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. Semafor Signals Insights from Sinification, Nikkei Asia, and the Financial Times The News A rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump looks increasingly inevitable this November, and the Chinese government is nervously anticipating the prospect of a U.S. presidential election with few possible upsides. Beijing has said it has no preference between the two likely candidates. While Trump is unpredictable and aggressive, he likes to strike deals and could end up undercutting alliances the Biden administration has painstakingly built up, Chinese officials told Bloomberg. For China, no matter who won the U.S. presidential election, they would be two bowls of poison, Zhao Minghao, a professor of international relations at Fudan University, told the Associated Press. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Biden could keep the U.S.-China relationship stable, but may strengthen Americas presence in Asia Sources: Sinification, Foreign Policy, Financial Times A second Biden term would likely see more opportunities for engagement between the two superpowers, Wang Hao, a professor at Fudan University wrote in the Sinification newsletter. But while a Biden reelection could prevent further deterioration in U.S.-China relations, a genuine turnaround would be unlikely, two analysts at the Intellisia Institute, a Chinese think tank, wrote in The Diplomat. Meanwhile, some Chinese analysts worry that a second Biden term would see the U.S. continue to strengthen its alliances in the Indo-Pacific. This has been a key focus for the Biden administration, which has made its partnerships in Asia the deepest and most robust they have been in all their history, Derek Grossman wrote in Foreign Policy. The U.S. network of alliances have allowed American forces to establish military bases or use existing ones in Japan, Singapore, Australia, and the Philippines, as well as a host of smaller island states, boosting U.S. efforts to overcome the tyranny of distance that would complicate U.S. military efforts in the region, the Financial Times reported. Trumps divisiveness could weaken the Western anti-China coalition Sources: Bloomberg, Foreign Policy, Associated Press Some analysts think that a second Trump term would endanger the U.S. network of alliances, as Trumps desire to impose tariffs and his uncertain stance on NATO risks a rift with European states in particular. Cementing distrust between the United States and Europe is the best way to prevent the emergence of trans-Atlantic policies detrimental to Chinese interests, such as joint export controls, Agathe Demarais of the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote in Foreign Policy. But that doesnt mean Trump would be better for Chinese interests on the world stage. His general unpredictability and his proposal to institute a 60% tariff on Chinese goods has won him few friends in Beijing. With Trump, there is no floor to U.S.-China relations, and Trump poses great risks and uncertainties, including the possibility of a military conflict, Yun Sun, senior fellow at the Stimson Center, said to the Associated Press. Its not clear if Trump would protect Taiwan Sources: South China Morning Post, Bloomberg, Nikkei Asia Last July, Trump was asked whether he would protect Taiwan if the Chinese Communist Party attacked the self-governing island, which it considers a renegade province. If I answer that question, itll put me in a very bad negotiating position, Trump replied. That being said, Taiwan did take all of our chip business. The comments raised questions about whether Trump would assist Taiwan if China were to invade. The U.S. will always pursue America first, and Taiwan can change from a chess piece to a discarded chess piece at any time, a Chinese spokesperson said when asked about the comments late last month. Trumps indifference toward Taiwan was one of the worst kept secrets in Washington, during his presidency, Evan Medeiros, former National Security Council senior dictator for Asia, told Nikkei Asia. Semafor Signals Insights from MIT Technology Review, Bloomberg, and Nikkei Asia The News China is betting on new chiplet technology to make its semiconductor industry more self-sufficient as it faces ongoing U.S. sanctions blocking the import of certain materials and machines to make the most advanced chips. Unlike traditional chips, which cram all components onto one chip, chiplets break chips down into smaller, specialized modules. This allows for a mix-and-match assembly depending upon needs. The tech is cheaper to manufacture, and can potentially achieve similar levels of computing power to a regular chip. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. China is investing heavily in chiplets Sources: MIT Technology Review, Reuters A top Chinese state research fund is planning to give out up to $6.5 million for chiplet academic research projects in the next four years, MIT Technology Review reported, in its bid to boost the technology. Local government officials are also trying to attract chiplet companies and startups to Wuxi, a city in eastern China that is positioning itself to be the hub of chiplet production a Chiplet Valley. A Reuters analysis found that at least 20 policy documents have referenced chiplets as part of a broader strategy to increase key and cutting-edge technologies. The US is betting on advanced packaging Sources: Semafor, Bloomberg, South China Morning Post The Biden administration is also investing in bolstering the U.S. semiconductor industry with a focus on advanced packaging bringing multiple chips together to make devices faster and cheaper to become a global leader in the process. Currently China has 38% of the worlds assembly, testing, and packaging market while Taiwan has produced more than 50% of the worlds semiconductors. Packaging is the new pillar of innovation in the semiconductor industry and could help bridge the gap for the U.S., one tech analyst told Bloomberg. Chinese firms aim for chipmaking self-reliance Sources: Nikkei Asia, SemiAnalysis, NBC News Last year Chinese phone brand Huawei released the new Mate 60 Pro smartphone, equipped with 5G speed capabilities and the new Kirin 9000S chipset that was developed by Chinas own domestic foundry SMIC. A Nikkei Asia breakdown of the phone revealed that 47% of the components were sourced in China, up 18 percentage points from a model analyzed three years ago. It was said that Chinas own technology would be seven years behind, but its a surprise they caught up in five years, one tech researcher said. It is abundantly clear that the U.S. sanctions are failing, wrote authors of a post on SemiAnalysis, a blog about the semiconductor industry, on Substack. The Mate 60 Pro has become a source of national pride for some Chinese citizens, with one telling NBC News he was buying domestic chips ... to support my own country. Iran's growing role in Judea and Samaria By Irina Tsukerman web posted February 12, 2024 The latest salvo in a series of increasing terrorist activity in the West Bank occurred on January 19, 2024. With the West Bank descending into chaos, a large-scale and imminent Palestinian terrorist operation was thwarted in a 45-hour IDF operation in Tulkarem, and a huge cache of weapons and 400 explosive devices were seized. IDF strikes on January 17, 2024, into the Ramallah Balata camp, killed nine members of a Fatah-affiliated terrorist cell. A similar strike occurred on November 18, 2023, which killed five members of a cell headed by Fatah terror mastermind Amed Abdullah Abu-Shalal. The necessity to disrupt and deter terrorist attacks from PA-controlled areas undermines the popular narrative, which presents Mahmoud Abbas' governance and political faction as more reasonable and moderate than Hamas. This image is breaking down as the PA is faced with the prospects of infiltration of pro-Iran elements and increasing pressure locally to engage with Iran. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a Fatah-affiliated terrorist group founded by Yassir Arafat, started as a small clique formed in late 2000, but, despite its initial size, it came to prominence during the Second Intifada. Although the spree of violence has died down, thanks to the construction of a security fence and Israel's vigilance in the area, smaller-scale attacks remained par for the course throughout the ensuing years up until the mid-2020s, when stabbings, shootings, and other attacks inside major Israeli cities gave West Bank terrorism a second lease on life. Until recently, Fatah's anti-Israel position remained independent and was framed only by local rivalry with Hamas. For years, Abbas, the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah, enjoyed the security of absolute power and broad international legitimacy. However, Iran's penetration into the Arab street in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Gaza has contributed to challenging this monopoly on leadership and support of the pro-Palestinian activists. Even Fatah-led terrorism proved to be insufficient to maintain that position as Hamas and other groups with Iranian-regime backing increased the Israeli body count. Circa 2016, "lone wolf" knife attacks in Israeli cities were seen as an effective way of circumventing the fence and other security measures aimed at preventing mass casualties. Neither the incitement to violence nor the official PA backing of terrorism ever entirely stopped, though with the growing reach of Iran throughout the Middle East, these incidents took a backseat in the broader media survey of the regional security framework. The momentum of the Abraham Accords and the first Manama Dialogue conference, which took place December 4-6, 2020, ran parallel to the Connect2Innovate gathering for entrepreneurs and businesspeople. The result was a renewed interest in peacebuilding with the PA via economic initiatives. While there seemed to be prospects for a more prosperous, peaceful, and secure society, Abbas never embraced that outreach; on the contrary, PA residents were precluded from attending the summit, and some were viciously attacked upon expressing interest. Abbas was grasping at straws of relevance for the pro-Palestinian cause. Hamas, at the time, was already plotting a major terrorist attack, and so Abbas's fight was mostly and more directly related to the Arab world's change in priorities and the more significant concern about advancing a coalition with Israel against Iran's looming threat. These developments did not change the reality of enmity between Fatah and Hamas. Both embraced violence against Israel and systematic indoctrination of the population, in particular regarding the issue of the Al Aqsa mosque. The PA perpetuated a smear and fear campaign that claimed that the famed Jerusalem mosque was in danger of desecration by Israeli worshippers visiting the Temple Mount and by Israeli police forces removing rock throwers and clearing weapons stashes from the vicinity. Jerusalem is just about the only unifying factor that could and eventually would bring the PA and Hamas together towards a ceasefire and joint action under Hamas' umbrella on October 7, 2023. History shows that efforts at rapprochement between the rivals failed with remarkable consistency. That record alone should be enough of a red flag to the White House and to anyone else who believes in the chimera of the PA's having a governance role in Gaza. Iran's regional expansion provides additional reasons for concern. These developments link back to Iran's strategy of encircling Israel with its various proxies. The "Al Aqsa Flood" operation and the consequent expansion of the regional conflict to different Iran-backed proxies and militias indicate that Iran's commitment has been consistent and substantial. Moreover, Tehran made forays even into the circles close to Mahmoud Abbas through meetings between Fatah Central Committee insiders and prominent Iranian officials as early as 2014. Part of the selling point for Iran's targeting of the PA is that Iran has already succeeded in bringing the otherwise hostile factions together on October 7 and in minor forms of cooperation before that. The Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade joined forces with the Iran-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas, a long-standing beneficiary of Iran's political and military support. Iran's ability to navigate these sectarian rivalries to get factions to fight Israel under the Hamas umbrella during the Al Aqsa Flood operation was a significant accomplishment. Iran has no particular interest in internal Palestinian governance frictions; however, to the extent that opposition to Israel's existence is Iran's direct agenda, it prefers to push a united front among Palestinians. Whether that ultimately means persuading the PA into the fold, isolating it, circumventing it, or dividing and conquering, Iran remains dedicated to equating the pro-Palestinian agenda with eliminating Israel. Four Avenues of Iran's Palestinian Success Tehran's growing success indeed rests on these four methods. Several known Fatah members and officials already have had long-standing relationships with Iran for years. Rumors of Iran's outreach to the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade go back to the days of the small terrorist organization's outsized success during the Second Intifada. Cultivating these ties by Iran may have laid the foundation for its participation in anti-Israel action with its local rivals years later. Moreover, according to Pinchas Inbari, Iran engaged with mainstream PA/Fatah leadership to ensure a cadre of supporters within the Fatah discourse. One of these voices was Major General Jibril Rajoub, a prominent Palestinian leader who established relations between Iran and the PA in 2014 when he traveled to Iran to meet with the Iranian Foreign Minister. At the time, Rajoub was a Deputy Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee. This visit lent additional legitimacy to Iran's broad involvement in the Palestinian cause beyond just Hamas and PIJ. Several years later, in 2018, another member of Fatah's Central Committee, Abbas Zaki, called for Arab dialogue with Iran over resistance to Israel, expressing a form of outreach on the anniversary of the assassination of the Iranian "martyr" Muhammad Saleh Al-Husseini, and equating Israeli attacks on Hizbullah to attacks on the state of Lebanon, Palestine, and the Arab and Islamic world. And none other than Riyad Al-Maliki, PA Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2007, helped secure and formalize Venezuela's support for the Palestinian cause while also serving as a go-between with various other Iran allies around the globe, including Algeria, which ended up being a conduit for Iran-backed attacks and subterfuge against Morocco. Under Al-Maliki, the PA opened its embassy in Caracas, which is increasingly tied to Iran. Al-Maliki's record is one of supporting Iran's initiatives to reengage with the Arab world, both over the Palestinian issue in general and praising China for its role in advancing normalization between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan hosted a meeting of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, on July 26, 2023. (Turkish Presidency Press Office) The Iranian-Palestinian efforts face significant obstacles. The more traditional elements of Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas' hardcore loyalists, are focused exclusively on retaining regional power, and they view any such efforts at reconciliation with suspicion. Indeed, many experts, such as Yoni Ben Menachem, believe that any effort towards unity is bound to backfire and that distrust of both Hamas and Iran limits Tehran's reach into these power circles. Over the summer, Israel dismantled terrorist infrastructures in PA-controlled areas, perhaps preventing a similar attack to Hamas's Al Aqsa Flood from being launched from the West Bank. The PA has also been pursuing its agenda to dismantle the Oslo Accords through political action, taking advantage of Israel's institutional passivity and inaction to respond to Palestinians' territorial takeover by creeping measures. However, none of this is enough to be seen as an invitation to a foreign power to take hold. Old habits die hard. In the event of Abbas's passing, the transition process would most likely lead to a temporary power-sharing agreement among three of his loyalists, who by all accounts share his views, which include extreme distrust of outsiders or any forces that could challenge his power, before settling on the new Chairman/President. These three loyalists would take control of the PA presidency, the Fatah movement's chairing, and the PLO's control. These three include stalwarts Majed Faraj, the current head of PA's General Intelligence Service, handpicked by Abbas; Prime Minister Fayyad; and a handful of others. Moreover, according to Yoni Ben Menachem, the PA praetorian guard, despite rhetoric to the contrary, is not interested in dealing with Gaza, in part due to the proliferation of assorted political, economic, security, and social issues in the West Bank, and in part due to the level of radicalization and enmity among the Gaza-based popular contingent. Still, Iran's success in reaching some serious and credible voices among the Fatah power echelon speaks to its patient strategy that could ultimately play on local greed, corruption, and willingness to make a broader alliance in the wake of falling interest in the Palestinian cause in the Arab world. Other factors include Abbas's lack of popularity and his mismanagement. By helping Hamas position itself as the leader of violent anti-Israel resistance, Iran is pushing the PA to embrace similar rhetoric and public action more openly and to lend support to Iranian proxies. Abbas may ultimately be cornered with no choice but to accept Iran's self-serving assistance, if only to remain relevant in light of Hamas's apparent success. The result was not only the engagement of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade but a foiled plan of attack on Israel and PA commitment to pay nearly three million dollars in assistance to the families of the fallen Hamas operatives. Iran's weaponization of the Palestinian issue to discredit its own regional rivals, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), has earned its popularity even in unlikely circles. With the Biden administration's apparent disinterest in confronting Tehran and rolling back its regional metastasis, even Riyadh understood the threat of losing popular ground on this issue. Around Ramadan of 2023, KSA made another effort to bring the PA and Hamas together in another failed attempt at unity. KSA has also adopted rhetoric mirroring Iran's and Qatar's in its reactions to the Al Aqsa Flood attack and Israel's consequent role in Gaza. Saudis are aware that they may be losing influence even in the West Bank as some of Abbas's stalwarts embrace an opening with Iran. Iran's potential infiltration of the PA provides a check on the Saudi role claim to the lead on the Palestinian issue, which they have championed through Abbas ever since Riyadh sidelined Hamas as a Muslim Brotherhood proxy in the mid-2000s. Additionally, Iran has pursued other paths toward overcoming the PA's seeming reluctance to embrace its plan for Israel's destruction in public. For instance, Tehran has played off Abbas's corruption and inability to organize the West Bank street against Hamas's initiative to outsmart Israel through its two years of deceit as it prepared for the October 7 massacre. The result was that the Al Aqsa Flood operation enjoyed broad public support in the Palestinian street, and Abbas was squeezed into adopting a public position of support to avoid accusations of being insufficiently supportive of the movement to annihilate Israel. Additionally, Iran has made use of alternative routes to direct the flow of weapons into Judea and Samaria across the Jordanian border, forcing Israel to decide to build another security fence. Rerouting weapons through Syria and into Jordan has allowed Iran to create security problems for Jordan, contribute to tensions with Israel, as well as diversify its reach from "Hamasland" to PA-controlled areas. Finally, Iran's tried-and-true method of dividing and conquering ensures that Abbas's position is deteriorating, while other Fatah factions are gaining the upper hand in some areas. Iran capably exploited the existing division between Fatah leadership in Ramallah and the Tanzim, a splinter Fatah faction in Jenin. This group has been working at cross-purposes to Abbas' dictates, particularly when it comes to weaponizing armed terrorist groups against Israel. Jenin has become practically a no-go zone for Fatah's Ramallah-based security forces; Israel's efforts to demilitarize the area have resulted in security debacles in recent years. The biggest takedown of terrorist fortifications in Jenin occurred in July 2023. In addition to co-opting the local Fatah leadership, Iran has worked on backing local Hamas and PIJ contingencies that are gaining popular ground control in some areas of PA-controlled territories. This development has increased pro-Iran support among the Sunni-majority Palestinian population in the West Bank and is upending Israel's traditional security model for this area. As Fatah Ramallah finds itself unable to cope with the influx of Iran-supplied weapons into the West Bank, Israel finds itself having to consider the possibility of another potential front in the escalating multifront war with Iran-backed proxies. These developments indicate that while unity and prospects for successful governance among Palestinian factions might still be light-years away, Iran's dedication to political gains among Palestinians may contribute to bridging these divides and "reconstructing" the PA towards a more Iran-inclusive model. If so, the United States and Israel are in a race against time to put an end to greater radicalization and militarization of the Palestinian street by Tehran's increasingly integrated comrades and proxies. Iran and Hizbullah may very well be willing to sacrifice any number of Hamas officials as a tactical measure, but the more Israel is pressured to make "humanitarian" concessions and deescalate, the more complex the overall objective of demilitarizing and deradicalizing Gaza will become. Iran's support consistently feeds the ideological element of the war. If Iran succeeds in retaining at least some ground in Gaza through the remnants of Hamas and simultaneously gains ground in PA territory, Iran will have advanced its objective of encircling Israel, particularly if Israel shifts to confront Iran's Hizbullah proxy in the north. If Tehran persists in forging ties with Fatah, the prospects for PA's governance in Gaza will be less of a pipe dream, as currently envisioned by the Biden administration. The American government believes that turning over Gaza to the PA will somehow wrestle the Palestinian cause away from Iran. However, Gaza, in the Palestinian Authority's hands, would be a catalyst for a speedier implementation of Iran's "Axis of Resistance" model in the region. PA and Fatah alignment with Iran and the integration with Hamas remnants would be the worst possible outcome. If Iran succeeds in strengthening its roots in the West Bank, then the various Fatah factions and Iran's existing network may indeed agree on a unity framework. The more Fatah is penetrated by Iran, the less resistance it would offer Hamas, further advancing Iran's ambitions to create yet another corrupt and controlled Iranian colony in the region, one that pledges fealty at least as much to Tehran as to its own, no longer divergent, local power ambitions. Irina Tsukerman, a national security and human rights lawyer, journalist, and geopolitical analyst, is a Fellow at the Arabian Peninsula Institute and a Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Home Former GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie, a fierce critic of ex-President Donald Trump, on Sunday said he cant see himself voting for President Joe Biden, adding that he wants to wait for the final list of contenders before he makes a choice. I cant see myself voting for him because I dont agree with his policies, and I have serious questions about his competence to serve another four years. So, do I rule it out? I cant imagine doing it, Christie said of Biden on NBCs Meet The Press. At the same time, Christie said he wouldnt vote for former President Donald Trump under any circumstances. WATCH: Former Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) says he wont vote for Trump under any circumstance in 2024.@kwelkernbc asks, Do you rule out voting for President Biden?@GovChristie: Do I rule it out? I cant imagine doing it. pic.twitter.com/7naQBAg8NW Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 11, 2024 But when pressed as to whether not voting for Biden would essentially help propel Trump to victory, the former New Jersey governor disagreed, saying Americans may have a third-party candidate to consider in this election. Ill wait to see the complete field before I make my judgment, he added. Theres been speculation that Christie could be the candidate to lead the centrist No Labels group third-party ticket in November. But Christie said No Labels hasnt spoken to him or anyone from his campaign so far before adding that he needs to see a path to victory to potentially rejoin the race. No one knows whats going to happen as we go forward, he told NBCs Kristen Welker. Ive said this: Someone would have to see a path to 270 electoral votes to do it. And you know I havent even taken a look at that. Like you said, Ive only been out of this for a month. NBC News previously reported that No Labels reached out to Christies allies and donors before he exited the Republican presidential primary to inquire about whether he would be interested in a potential offer by them. No Labels is currently working to get on 2024 voting ballots across the U.S., adding that they may put forward a Unity presidential ticket if the American people demand it, according to their website. Nancy Jacobson, the groups CEO, has previously said they would prefer a moderate Republican as their candidate, according to The New York Times. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who resigned as co-chair of No Labels late last year, announced he is running for the Senate Friday, essentially ending speculation that he would likely run for president on the groups third-party ticket. Christie, who exited the Republican primary ahead of the Iowa caucuses, saying he didnt see a path to the nomination, was one of Trumps sharpest critics in that contest. I am going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the U.S. again, he said at the time, and that is more important than my own personal ambition. Related... Christopher Priest, who has died aged 80, was one of Britains leading science fiction and fantasy authors, although the description hardly conveyed the variety and originality of his work as he was the first to insist. Priests early novels, including The Space Machine (1976), an exuberant pastiche of H G Wells, and Inverted World (1974), set in a mobile city called Earth on a planet colonised by humans, came to be regarded as classics of science fiction. However, his later books and short stories, often set on a vast chain of equatorial islands known as the Dream Archipelago, were less easily categorisable and baffled many SF enthusiasts. My problem is that I came into serious writing from the wrong direction, from science fiction, he observed in 1990. The trouble with writing the kind of stories that interest me now is that you end up being made to bear the burden of the preconceptions people have of them. The best-known of his later books was The Prestige (1995), a tale of two stage magicians in Victorian England whose rivalry leads one of them to invent a teleportation machine. It was both an ingenious yarn and a minutely researched study of the art and history of prestidigitation, and in 2006 was filmed by Christopher Nolan with a cast including Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and David Bowie. The book received the James Tait Black Prize, Priest being a rarity among genre writers for the esteem he enjoyed within the literary establishment. The Prestige (1995) was a tale of two stage magicians in Victorian England whose rivalry leads one of them to invent a teleportation machine In 1983 he was one of the elect on Grantas generation-defining list of the 20 best British writers under 40. But although he consented to be photographed by Snowdon with the other authors on the list, Priest displayed no gratitude for being elevated to the literary elite and wrote an article in The Bookseller scorning the whole exercise as a gimmick. Over the next four decades he rarely missed an opportunity to knock the work of his fellow nominees Ian McEwan (he has an unoriginal mind and an unadventurous approach to fiction), Kazuo Ishiguro, Martin Amis and Julian Barnes, who observed after one such broadside in 1993 that Priest always was a chippy bugger. He was certainly not afraid to make enemies, among them the volatile American S F writer Harlan Ellison, whose lies and evasions Priest chronicled in The Book on the Edge of Forever (1987): this was a study of one of SFs great debacles, the non-appearance of an anthology for which Ellison had bought up the copyright of several short stories, one of Priests among them. In 2011 Priest called for the incompetent judges of the Arthur C Clarke award to resign for picking a dreadful shortlist. And although he admired the film of The Prestige, he made no secret of his disappointment in Christopher Nolans subsequent career. Hes sold out sold out to Batman! and thats a great, great tragedy. He could have been the new Hitchcock, Priest told The Daily Telegraph in 2020. Priest in 2011: he gave no quarter to books he disliked, even if they were written by friends - Future via Getty Priest had high standards and saw no reason not to publicly criticise those who in his view failed to meet them. As a reviewer of SF and fantasy he famously gave no quarter to books he disliked, even if they were written by friends. But it was a tribute to his essential decency and loveability that he never lost a friend by doing so. Christopher McKenzie Priest was born in Cheadle (then in Cheshire) on July 14 1943, the son of Walter Priest, an executive in a company that made weighing machines, and his wife Millicent, nee Haslock. He left Cheadle Hulme School in 1959 and worked, as he put it in Whos Who, in junior clerical posts, while writing short stories and becoming a slightly detached member of the coterie centred on Michael Moorcocks New Worlds magazine, a forum for intelligent and innovative SF. He became a full-time writer in 1968 and in 1970 published his first novel, Indoctrinaire, an apocalyptic tale set, prophetically, in a future in which the Amazon rainforests have been destroyed. His work gradually became more outlandish: The Glamour (1984) included a description of a threesome in which one of the participants was invisible, described by Ian Rankin as the most erotic sex scene he had ever read. Priest adapted the novel as a radio play, but was delighted that a mooted film starring Barbra Streisand and Christopher Walken a proposition that 10 years later still has the power to make my goolies shrink in horror, he observed in 1995 did not materialise. An early work regarded as a classic Much of Priests later work, including such novels as The Affirmation (1981), The Extremes (1998), The Separation (2002) and The Islanders (2011), was far more cerebral and inward-looking than conventional SF. He favoured troubled narrators whose version of events often turned out to be at odds with the truth, allowing him to explore his favourite themes of the unreliability of memory and the precariousness of sanity. I can no longer take a plot seriously enough to go with it as bare plot, he told the fanzine Ansible in 1995. Im always thinking: wheres the flaw in this, where does the idea leak? Unreliability soon starts creeping in, and I cheer up no end. His friend and mentor Brian Aldiss observed in his memoirs: Priest has put difficulties in the way of his own career by not wishing whole-heartedly to write SF or, for that matter, non-SF. He has developed an arid mindscape of his own. There was certainly an austere quality in Priests work, a preoccupation with ideas and a lack of warmth towards his characters that perhaps prevented him from attracting as wide an audience as he deserved. His refusal to compromise in his fiction made for some lean times, and he kept afloat by writing pseudonymous novelisations of films such as Short Circuit and Mona Lisa; in the 1990s he ghost-wrote the memoirs of the British astronaut Helen Sharman and the Olympic athlete Sally Gunnell. His work was always revered in the SF community, however, and he won the British Science Fiction Award for best novel an unmatched four times. A tall figure with a bookish stoop, Priest lived in Devon for much of his life, but latterly moved to the Scottish island of Bute, despairing of England after the Brexit vote. His 18th novel, Airside, was published last year, and in his final months while being treated for cancer he was working on a biography of his late friend J G Ballard. Christopher Priests first three marriages, to Christine Merchant, Lisa Tuttle and Leigh Kennedy, were dissolved. Last year he married the SF novelist Nina Allan, who survives him with the twin daughter and son of his third marriage. Christopher Priest, born July 14 1943, died February 2 2024 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Abdul Ezedi was granted asylum after he claimed to have converted to Christianity - Metropolitan Police/PA Media Churches must conduct checks on asylum seekers that are as rigorous as those for school applications in order to protect against scam conversions, senior MPs have said. Tim Loughton, a former minister and member of the home affairs committee, said churches should overhaul their rules to require asylum seekers wanting to convert to attend services for at least six months before they are considered for baptism. He said Church of England guidance on migrants seeking to convert was weighted too much towards helping them make their asylum claim more credible rather than asking questions about whether it was genuine. It is understood the home affairs committee is to investigate the role of churches in the asylum process after Abdul Ezedi, the Clapham chemical attack suspect, was granted asylum after claiming to have converted to Christianity, despite having two convictions in the UK for sex assault and indecent exposure. Friends of Ezedi, an illegal migrant, told The Telegraph that he was a good Muslim who bought half a Halal sheep every fortnight despite his apparent conversion. James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, is reviewing the facts of the case to establish whether the law needs to be overhauled to prevent such abuses. Mr Loughton said: If you are trying to get your child into a good local Catholic school, you have to go through all sorts of hoops. You have to attend church on a regular basis and tick all sorts of boxes. People still game the system, but there is a much more robust management of the system to get into a church school. Catholic schools generally require a baptism certificate. Some demand that parents provide a certificate of Catholic practice as proof that they are a practising Catholic family. Typically this would require the child and parent to have attended Sunday Mass and holy days on obligation for the past five years. Mr Loughton said: One of the suggestions is that there should be a six-month moratorium between someone arriving at the church and becoming part of the church. There is nothing remotely like that in the Church of England guidance for dealing with asylum seeker conversions. It needs to set down some thresholds, targets and barriers that would give them greater satisfaction that this is a genuine person. Tim Loughton said the Church of England guidance needs to set down some thresholds - Richard Townshend The demands come after The Telegraph revealed how judges have raised concerns that some unquestioning church leaders are being duped by insincere asylum seekers converting to Christianity to avoid deportation. Immigration tribunal decisions show that the Home Office has repeatedly raised questions in court about the extent to which clergy are probing the true intentions of migrants seeking to convert from Islam to Christianity. Migrants can claim asylum based on their conversion to a new religion if they face persecution in their home country because of their new faith. In some cases, religious ministers agree to support claims, as happened with Ezedi on his third asylum appeal. At the weekend the Right Rev Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Bishop of Chelmsford, said the Church was willing to review its guidance for priests to see if it can be enhanced to guide clergy on dealing with asylum seekers who wish to be baptised. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Trinity Pharmacies LLC was sued by Bexar County over the huge amount of pain pills the San Antonio pharmacy dispensed. Overwhelmed by the cost of the litigation, Trinity filed for bankruptcy protection Feb. 4. Dreamstime/TNS About a year and half ago, a small San Antonio pharmacy found itself in Bexar Countys crosshairs, targeted because of the huge amount of pain pills it dispensed. A lawyer for the county dubbed it a pill mill. So Trinity Pharmacies LLC was added to a 2018 lawsuit targeting drug manufacturers, a distributor and various retailers that officials said were fueling the opioid addiction crisis sweeping the San Antonio area. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The litigation in which Trinity is charged alongside retail giants such as CVS, Walgreens and Walmart became too costly for Trinity. So, on Feb. 4, it sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It cant, your honor, sustain the litigation costs, Trinity lawyer H. Anthony Hervol told Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Court Craig Gargotta during a hearing Wednesday. The pharmacy has racked up more than $40,000 in legal fees defending itself in the massive multi-district litigation thats unfolding in Harris County District Court. The bankruptcy puts the countys lawsuit against Trinity on hold. But the filing under a subchapter of the bankruptcy code designed for small-business debtors is part of a larger legal strategy its owners hope will eventually do away with the causes of action against it. The county's claims against Trinity and other retailers include: negligent and/or intentional creation of a public nuisance; common law fraud; and civil conspiracy. The county seeks to recover from defendants its costs associated with the opioid epidemic and punitive damages. Advertisement Article continues below this ad No. 2 behind H-E-B Based on findings from a Drug Enforcement Administration database, Trinity ranked second among more than 328 pharmacies in Bexar County by the amount of opioids it dispensed. The data show it received 8,077,200 prescription pain pills from distributors from 2006 to 2019. Only the H-E-B Pharmacy at 3323 SE Military Drive received more in that time period 8,134,260 pills. The Washington Post published the numbers after it and another newspaper waged a yearlong legal fight for access to the database, which the government and the drug industry fought to keep secret. The Post reported that, in total, more than 623 million pills were distributed to Bexar County pharmacies in that time period or about 26 pills for every county resident each year. That was on par with state and national averages, the newspaper found. In its suit, Bexar County alleges that the huge number of pills received by Trinity shows it engaged in diversion of opioids. In other words, the county is alleging the pharmacy at 1162 E. Sonterra Blvd. dispensed powerful narcotics inappropriately or for non-medical reasons. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trinity, which also uses the name Sonterra Rx Pharmacy, says theres a simple explanation for its high volume. It says in a bankruptcy court filing that 99% of the prescriptions it fills are for patients in hospice care. According to information on its website, it services more than 20 hospices in the San Antonio area but also delivers to patients at home. The aim of hospice providers is to make patients comfortable in their final days. As such, the prescriptions being filled are for an abnormally high percentage of pain management medications, Trinity says. It says it was added to the lawsuit despite its single location, limited resources and the nature of patients which are the Debtors customers. The Debtor is a small independent pharmacy which cannot sustain protracted and expensive litigation despite having meritorious defenses to the claims asserted in the litigation. The pharmacy, which has 15 employees, says it filed bankruptcy to prevent it from having to cease operations due to the inability to continue to finance the defense of the claims. A tax return filed in the case shows Trinity generated almost $2.8 million in sales in 2022. But after paying salaries, rent, taxes and other expenses it ended the year nearly $71,000 in the red. It listed assets and liabilities each in the range of $100,000 to $500,000. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The litigation In the lawsuit originally filed in state District Court in San Antonio, Bexar County accused more than two dozen opioid manufacturers including industry giants Purdue Pharma and Johnson & Johnson of deceptive marketing practices, fraud, false representations and efforts to target vulnerable people. The county later added a drug distributor and various retailers as defendants. The suit was combined with other complaints from around the state in multi-district litigation in Harris County to deal with numerous pretrial issues. The case will be returned to Bexar County for trial. Some defendants have opted to settle rather than go to trial. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The countys first amended complaint, which added Trinity as a defendant, is 132 pages. The pharmacys lawyers note that Trinity is only mentioned in three of the suit's 441 paragraphs. Were lumped into the litigation, Hervol, the bankruptcy lawyer, said in court. Cant get out of it, absent some settlement that seems to be something the debtor couldnt do. A lawyer for Bexar County pushed backed on the narrative that its wrongly pursuing Trinity. We wouldnt sue Trinity if we didnt feel like they were substantially responsible for causing harm in Bexar County, said Tommy Fibich, a Houston trial lawyer representing the county. I get their argument, poor little me (in comparison) to Walgreens, CVS and others. They dont have the size of the others. But I think on a proportionate level, theyre just as responsible, theyre just as guilty, he said. They were a very big player in causing the harm to Bexar County, which is what we were hired to recover. Experts hired by Bexar County determined Trinity to be a pill mill, Fibich said. Viagra, hydrocodone Ronald Shaw, a San Antonio lawyer defending Trinity, said the numbers of pills dispensed by the pharmacy over the years is not an indication that the drugs were abused. He added, I know of no hospice patient undergoing end-of-life care that abuses the medication theyre receiving or somehow misuses, sells it on the street or does anything else that would ever result in any damage to Bexar County. Trinitys owner and pharmacist was flagged by the state 20 years ago. Bexar County cited in its complaint a 2004 action by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy to suspend Trinity pharmacist and co-owner Larry Oliver for 30 days for selling dangerous drugs pursuant to 1,364 prescriptions, internet connections and prescriptions not issued for legitimate purposes. Olivers suspension related to dispensing Viagra to people who got a prescription for the erectile dysfunction drug without having seen a doctor, Shaw said. He called it a technical offense that wouldnt raise red flags today. The DEA database shows that Trinity particularly in 2013 and 2014 dispensed a tremendous amount of the pain-medication hydrocodone, Fibich said. Hydrocodone is not a drug typically prescribed for palliative care because its a big pill and super sick people cannot swallow big ole pills, he wrote in a follow-up email. They need more liquid opioids that are injectable, patches, or other methods of delivery. Hydrocodone only goes up to 10 MME (morphine milligram equivalents). And usually palliative care patients need much stronger opioids like morphine. Legal strategy Because Trinitys bankruptcy puts its lawsuit on hold, Bexar County will have to decide if it wants to submit a proof of claim in the bankruptcy a form that states how much a creditor is seeking to collect from a debtor. Filing such a claim would give Bexar County a vote on Trinitys plan of reorganization and a possible share in any distribution of the pharmacys bankruptcy estate. However, Trinity could object to it. So rather than take your chances in state court, you file bankruptcy to deal with this, Gargotta, the bankruptcy judge, said in laying out Trinitys legal strategy to its lawyer at Wednesdays hearing. You listed them as a creditor in the disputed amount, and then your hope is bankruptcy concludes, youll get a discharge of that debt, right? Hervol agreed. In bankruptcy, the court can grant a discharge that eliminates a debtors legal obligation to repay a debt. Creditors can object to a debtor seeking to discharge a debt, however. Fibich said the county didnt think much of Trinitys strategy. Bob Daniels, a former three-term member of the Venice City Council, died Feb. 8 at age 81. VENICE Bob Daniels, who served three consecutive terms on Venice City Council, starting when the city climbed out of the throes of the Great Recession, died Feb. 8 at age 81. He liked helping the average citizen, his wife of 45 years, Nancy Daniels, said in a release provided by the city of Venice. He absolutely loved being on Council. He was a strong leader, and his heart was in the community. Bob and Nancy moved to Venice from Columbus, Ohio, in 2006. A retired educator, decided to run for public office in 2010, and along with Mayor John Holic and Council Member Jeanette Gates won his first race. Daniels was unopposed on his next two campaigns for city council. He launched a campaign for mayor in 2019 but lost in a three-way race by 85 votes. After taking some time off, he delved back into public service on the citys environmental advisory board. Whatever he did, he had the city at heart," Holic said. He just had different ways of presenting it than most people do. I always called him a bulldog even though he was an Ohio State Buckeye when he had his mind made up, he just pursued it until completion. Former council member Rich Cautero, who served several years alongside Daniels, cited that tenacity as well. Bob loved Venice, he was extremely passionate about improving the lives of our citizens, Cautero said. He was a key contributor to many transformational accomplishments which continue to serve and improve the city now and for many years in the future. In 2016, city voters approved an $18 million road improvement bond and $16 million bond for a new public safety facility. Cautero cited the shepherding through of those projects which included reconstructing the three major corridors on the island of Venice, resurfacing of 70% of the roads in the city and construction of the new police station among Daniels' major contributions to the city. Daniels was also part of the board that put the citys police and fire pension plans on solid financial footing, established depreciation funds for city vehicles and buildings and established impact fees for police and fire services. During the prolonged red tide event that impacted the area for roughly 18 months, starting in the winter of 2018, Daniels called for the city to start and aggressive monitoring and treatment program for the citys stormwater outfalls and wanted to ban the use of fertilizer within city limits. Last November, one of the last times Daniels called Cautero, it was to discuss the status of the citys progress on cleaning up those stormwater outfalls. He loved the city, he was very enthusiastic about Venice, he was passionate about everything that this city represented, Cautero said. He was very confident in the future of the city. I really think that the city lost its biggest fan. I really believe that. A philosopher and a businessman Daniels earned a bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University, a master's from Ball State University and doctorate of philosophy from Ohio State. When he started teaching, Daniels also operated his own restoration construction company. He later became the director of training and development at both North Central Technical College and Columbia State Community College. Daniels later was manager of organizational development and training for General Electric and vice president of organizational development and training for Franklin International. After retiring to Venice, he got involved with the Willow Chase Homeowners Association, prior to running for the council. Earl Midlam met Daniels shortly after he and Nancy moved to Venice. Midlam and his wife Karen and Bob and Nancy Daniels would frequently socialize. Midlam also introduced Daniels around the city for his first campaign in 2010. Midlam, a former City Council member, said his friend always did his homework on city issues and on occasion he would accompany Daniels as he drove around the city. He would call me and say, 'Hey, lets go for a ride,' Midlam said. Everything from the environment to the parks and emergency services it all meant something to him. Preserving Pinebrook Park Daniels most enduring achievement may be reflected by his work with city residents and staff to preserve the Pinebrook Park Nature and Fitness Trail, just north of Wellfield Park. The 77-acre acre property was preserved through a change from the zoning designation of government use to open use/conservation with restrictions. He also served as the citys representative on two key regional boards, the Sarasota/Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Sarasota County Tourist Development Council. One of the last times Holic saw Daniels, it was after he noticed a car parked near his neighborhood that had an Ohio State emblem. He called Daniels cell, and sure enough that was him. He continued to drive around the city and spot things that needed to be done, Holic said. He never stopped doing that. Besides his wife Nancy, Daniels is survived by two married daughters Jamie Krob and Bobbi Krompak four grandchildren, his brother, Bill Daniels, sister, Carolyn Stevens, as well as a niece and nephew. Arrangements are being handled by Baldwin Brothers Funeral and Cremation Society. A memorial mass for Daniels is set for 9:45 a.m. April 5 at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, with a luncheon to follow. All are welcome. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Former Venice council member remembered for his tireless dedication City to offer Emergency Response Grants for small businesses, nonprofits impacted by recent storms SAN DIEGO The City of San Diego is offering some relief to small businesses and nonprofits in the aftermath of winter storms that hit the region. The City of San Diegos Economic Development Department (EDD) will be offering Emergency Response Grants of up to $2,500 per applicant, and up to $5,000 for businesses and nonprofits located in the Promise Zone, Opportunity Zones, or Low-Moderate Income Census Tracts. Let us help you; Nonprofit holds donation giveaway in National City for flood survivors Applications for the Business Emergency Response & Resilience Grant will be accepted from Feb. 12-27, 2024. Shaunte Brown started Happy Time Learning Academy 27 years ago. The recent storms caused some damages to her Chollas View home business, including a roof leak, odor from water damage setting into the wood, and damaged playground gates that have since created a safety hazard for the children. City to offer Emergency Response Grants for small businesses, nonprofits impacted by recent storms (KSWB) The adjuster actually came out and he said because its deemed a natural disaster, they dont cover natural disasters. So my claim was denied by my insurance, explained Brown. She said she plans on applying for the citys grant first thing Monday morning. I know things havent been figured out yet, but it is available and hopefully Im awarded and hopefully other businesses are awarded, said Brown. Impacted by Jan. 22 flooding? City of San Diego proposes plan to waive storm-related repair fees This grant is funded through Small Business Enhancement Program (SBEP) funds. The total amount available is $370,000. City officials say the grant program will be periodically reviewed and updated based on available funding and participation levels. Some eligible expenses include loss of inventory, trash and/or debris removal, mold and mildew remediation, carpet/flooring cleaning or replacement, drywall replacement, re-painting, professional restoration or cleaning services and insurance deductibles. List: Road closures, real-time updates in aftermath of atmospheric river To be eligible, the applicant must be a commercial occupant of the subject property. Business must meet the following requirements: Be located within high-impact storm-affected areas within the City of San Diego; Have an active (paid as of 2/12/2024) City of San Diego Business Tax Certificate; 12 or fewer employees; Be independently owned and operated; and Priority will be given to businesses and nonprofits located on the ground floor. Eligible nonprofit organizations must meet the following requirements: Office located within high-impact storm-affected areas within the City of San Diego; Incorporated within the United States and is an organization in good standing registered with the California Secretary of State; and Holds tax-exempt nonprofit status under Sections 501(c)(3), 501(c)(6), or 115 of the Internal Revenue Code and can also demonstrate its tax-exempt status under the State of California Revenue and Taxation Code. You can find out more information and apply at sandiego.gov/ERG. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. MEMPHIS, Tenn. The search for a suspect accused of several carjackings and shootings is finally over. Sunday, the Memphis Police Department warned the public about a suspect on the run who they say was responsible for multiple violent crimes across the city. The suspect is accused of shooting three people Sunday, killing one of them. Officers responded to the 3700 block of East Shelby Drive regarding a carjacking just after 10 a.m. Sunday. A blue Nissan Maxima was taken during the incident. Police say the suspect was also connected to a shooting at 3834 East Shelby Drive, where an 18-year-old was killed Sunday morning. Family grieving after teen killed in crime spree Officers responded to a shooting in the 3800 block of East Shelby Drive at 10:24 a.m. Sunday. A victim was pronounced dead on the scene. Police say two women were shot and a young boy was bit by a dog at 3575 Commerce Circle. The suspect is believed to be occupying a stolen white 2016 Dodge Charger with a Tennessee tag reading BPT-4410 that was taken during a carjacking at the Aldi located at 2765 South Perkins Road. MPD says the suspect was also responsible for an incident at 3539 Pilot Drive, where shots were fired, but no injuries were reported. The accused gunman then made his way to 3575 Commerce Circle, where two women were shot. Family members there said one of the victims is 21 and was shot in the stomach. Police also believe the gunman carjacked a person off of South Perkins Road, getting away in a Dodge Charger. Download the WREG App today and stay up to date with breaking news and weather. Sign up for WREG newsletters and have the latest top stories sent right to your inbox. See more breaking news, local news and weather from WREG.com for Memphis and the Mid-South. Local, state, and federal law enforcement fanned out to track the suspected gunman. Memphis Police say at 3:43 p.m., after a brief foot pursuit, officers located and apprehended the 20-year-old suspect in the 5300 block of Haleville Road. Police have not yet released the identity of the suspect but say the suspect was out of jail on a $100,000 bond for criminal attempt first-degree murder and attempted especially aggravated robbery. My heart aches for the victims families and those affected by these senseless acts of violence. Through the hard work and swift action of Memphis Police Officers, additional incidents were undoubtedly prevented, said Chief CJ Davis in a press release. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. AUSTIN (KXAN) A CLEAR Alert that was issued for a 33-year-old man Monday was discontinued Tuesday. The alert was issued after the man had last been seen in Pflugerville in the early morning hours of Monday. What is a CLEAR Alert, and when is it issued? The alert was discontinued shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Nearly two-dozen people who entered the Wilmington building where President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign headquarters are housed were led away in handcuffs during a Monday morning protest, according to city police and the group organizing the demonstration. The protest, which brought together about 100 people, was organized by Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate-focused group. They demanded an end to the use of fossil fuels and called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. While many participants remained outside the Brandywine Building on North West Street, at least two dozen entered and made their way up to the eighth floor. They could be seen being taken away in plastic handcuffs by Wilmington officers, who were both inside and outside the building. "Expect more from us," said Ariela Lara, an organizer who traveled from Bay City, California, to protest. Why was the protest held? According to Sunrise, the protest was organized after months of campaigning. The organization is "targeting both Republicans and Democrats ahead of the 2024 election," a news release said. Last month, protesters "disrupted dozens of GOP Presidential candidates events in Iowa and New Hampshire," according to the release. In December, the organization delivered a petition to Biden with 48,000 signatures "calling on him to act on Sunrises campaign demands." Yet the president has fulfilled several of Sunrises key requests, including pausing all approvals of permits to export liquefied natural gas. During this pause, the administration "will take a hard look at the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, Americas energy security, and our environment, Biden said. Several people were lead away in handcuffs from President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign headquarters in Wilmington Monday morning during a climate protest. Last year, Biden also established the American Climate Corps, which Sunrise praised in a September post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The corps, according to the White House, is an "initiative to train young people in high-demand skills for jobs in the clean energy economy." Still, Lara said she attended Monday's protest because her community is "enduring severe storms, homes are being flooded (and) power outages are lasting weeks." "When fires come to California, we're breathing in toxic air," she said. "I'm here because my community is suffering. I'm here because I want a livable future and Biden needs to declare a climate emergency." The 17-year-old also claimed Biden is funding the killing of Palestinians in Gaza. "Instead of taking action on climate, he is spending his time setting bombs in Gaza," Lara said. Activists participate in a climate protest outside of President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Monday, February 12, 2024. Biden campaign spokesperson Lauren Hitt pushed back on the claims, saying the president "secured the single largest climate investment in history, which puts the U.S. on a path to cut climate pollution in half by 2030." "President Biden is working hard to finish the job, while Donald Trump has promised to undo all the progress we've made," Hitt added. "As president, Trump called climate change a 'hoax' and slashed critical environmental protections." Biden, who has long supported Israel, has also criticized the country for some of its actions in the war against Hamas, last week saying its military actions in Gaza were over the top, the New York Times reported. The Washington Post also reported that some of the presidents aides are urging him to be even more critical of Israel Defense Forces operations. What were protesters charged with? A Wilmington police spokesperson said officers were called to the building a little before 9:45 a.m. "in reference to a large group of subjects who were trespassing and acting disorderly inside of the building." Building management and security personnel told responding officers that the protesters were trespassing and had refused to leave. When asked, Wilmington Police Department spokesman David Karas said the department could not answer how the activists got past building security, as it is a private facility. He added the question should be directed to the building's security or management. BPGS, the construction management company in charge of the building, did not immediately respond to the question about the breach. But Stevie O'Hanlon, a Sunrise communications director, said protestors entered the building and security allowed them to get onto the elevators. Wilmington police said while some protestors left when officers arrived, others "continued to refuse instructions to leave the building." Police detained 21 "adult subjects," who will be charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. Youth from the Sunrise Movement participate in a climate protest outside of President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Monday, February 12, 2024. By about 11:15 a.m., members of the group said they were taking a short break but planned to be outside all day. Many donned black shirts that read "Declare a climate emergency," while others held bright yellow signs with the same words. Other signs read "Fund climate change, not genocide." As of 4:45 p.m., the group had made good on its promise to continue demonstrating. While their numbers had dwindled some, a chunk of the original 100 or so protestors remained. Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on X at @izzihughes_ Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com. READ: Man killed after car plunges into C&D Canal near Delaware City Sunday night This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Protesters arrested after entering Biden campaign HQ in Wilmington DE Humpback whales have improved their conservation status over the past 30 years, but many other migratory species are at risk of extinction. Almost half of the migratory species on Earth monitored by the United Nations are declining and more than one-fifth are currently threatened with extinction. These stark numbers come from the first State of the Worlds Migratory Species report released by the UNs Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) on February 12. [Related: These new interactive maps reveal the incredible global journeys of migrating birds .] Billions of animals including sea turtles, wildebeest, fruit bats, and pelicans make annual migratory journeys by water, land, and air. Some travel thousands of miles to eat and reproduce, while crossing national boundaries and continents. They provide a vital role in the ecosystem , by pollinating plants, being part of the food web, transporting nutrients, and helping store excess carbon. Why are migratory species in trouble? The report focuses on 1,189 specific animal species that have been recognized by CMS as in need of international protection. About 22 percent including are threatened with extinction and that risk is growing worldwide. Nearly every CMS-listed species of fishincluding migratory sharks, rays, and sturgeonare facing a high risk of extinction. Their populations have declined by 90 percent since the 1970s . Overexploitation and habitat loss from human activity are cited as the two biggest threats to migratory species. Three out of four species are impacted by habitat loss and further degradation and fragmentation of the regions that they live in. About seven out of 10 species are impacted by overexploitationactivities like hunting and poaching. Invasive species, pollution, and climate change are also impacting migratory species. Some of the migratory species listed under CMS are improving. About 14 listed species including the blue whale, humpback whale , white-tailed sea eagle, and black-faced spoonbill have improved their conservation status. However, 70 migratory species have become more endangered over the past three decades. These include the wild camel, Egyptian vulture, and steppe eagle. Todays report clearly shows us that unsustainable human activities are jeopardizing the future of migratory speciescreatures who not only act as indicators of environmental change but play an integral role in maintaining the function and resilience of our planets complex ecosystems, UN Environment Programme Executive Director Inger Andersen said in a statement . An international solution The report was released at the beginning of a world summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to discuss better ways to protect the worlds migratory species. The species listed are at risk of extinction across most or all of their range, so they need a coordinated international collaboration to boost their protection. [Related: We dont have a full picture of the planets shrinking biodiversity. Heres why. ] The report was prepared for CMS by conservation scientists at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre. According to the UN, it uses robust data sets and includes expert contributions from institutions including BirdLife International and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Migratory species rely on a variety of specific habitats at different times in their lifecycles. They regularly travel, sometimes thousands of miles, to reach these places, CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel said in a statement . They face enormous challenges and threats along the way, as well as their destinations where they breed or feed. When species cross national borders, their survival depends on the efforts of all countries in which they are found. The report recommends that human infrastructure near the areas that migratory species use to travel should be minimized. The team also stressed more work to understand the landscape, seascape, and flyways that are critical to migratory species to boost conservation efforts. The reason why species are covered by the convention is because they are in trouble it is not surprising to find that some of them are endangered, Fraenkel told The Guardian . The problem is the trend: 44 percent of listed species are in decline and that increasing extinction risk is something that applies globally to migratory species. Participants of this five day UN meeting plan to evaluate proposals for new conservation methods and whether or not to formally list new species of concern. According to the Associated Press , eight governments from South America are expected to jointly propose adding two species of declining Amazon catfish to the list of migratory species of concern. Governments pledged to protect 30 percent of Earths land and water resources during the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference. Paulette Brown, founder and director of Redux Equine Rescue in Colbert, Georgia, working with horses recently rescued by her organization. While a student at the University of Georgia, Paulette Brown had dreams of a career in international business, but a funny thing happened along the way she fell in love with Athens. Brown worked for years at a local bank and about a dozen years ago decided to start working the farm she and her husband, attorney Chip Brown, owned in Colbert. She began with sheep, alpacas and llamas, but gradually shifted her focus to horses. And from there, ReDux Equine Rescue was born. The Browns, in league with a group of volunteers, have in the last three years improved the lives of nearly two dozen horses through rescues. That includes feeding, training and finding the right fit with potential adopters. More: Bogart woman to take ancestry search talent to Zimbabwe as part of missions trip Browns early ventures into equine rescue came as a result of being referred by veterinarians she knew, but shes also been involved in saving neglected and abused horses. We got our own horses and started riding and doing things and thats kind of how the rescue evolved, said Brown. I kept being asked by veterinarians whose clients were selling their farms or were getting older Do you know anybody who knows how to care for these horses? And I kept finding good homes for horses. Brown was adamant that most of the horses the nonprofit has rescued were not neglected or mistreated, but mainly needed a change of scenery. Rescue is not about somebody doing something wrong to their horses; its about doing something right, she said. Rescues began in earnest in 2021 when the Browns ventured to Clarksville, Tennessee for an auction after 52 horses were found with no food or water who happened to be the middle of a legal squabble. They were able to find new homes for more than a dozen horses and, as Brown said, she outbid the meat man for five horses she brought back home. Three of those horses, including a Clydesdale named Titan, remain at the Browns farm, although they are all available for adoption. Rescues generally need some time on the farm before adoption and Brown has recruited trainers who help in the process and takes it slow when a potential adopter expresses interest in a horse. Paulette Brown, founder and director of Redux Equine Rescue in Colbert, Georgia, working with horses recently rescued by her organization. For the first year or year and a half, we were still figuring out the training and finding out who to use and whose philosophy matched with ours on how we liked to train, said Brown, who added her farm currently has 24 rescues in residence. It was a lot of learning. Now we have several trainers that work with us, and we adopted out 11 horses in 2023, and weve already adopted out two this year and were working on more every day. Our vision is were here for a soft landing. We let them relax and mentally and physically work on rehabilitating them and re-educating them or figuring out where the holes in their education are. In early February, Brown was called to McDonough to pick up five emaciated horses that were seized by law enforcement officers due to mistreatment. We got a call from animal control about these five in McDonough, she said. People who do rescue work know us, and this animal control officer was looking for help and it was suggested he call us. I was hoping to take two or three but it turned out nobody else was really ready and we do have the space and the ability to do it. The Browns operated ReDux out of their own pockets in the early days, but now the nonprofit is funded by adoption fees, donations and fundraisers. In the beginning it was all our money, but two years ago my husband said, If this is going to grow and this is going to go, youve got to fly on your own. Ever since then, the rescue has funded itself. Brown said she hopes to grow the enterprise, recruit more volunteers and trainers and have less of a hands-on experience. To scale up and do what we want to do, we have to grow, and to grow I need help, she said. Id love to be able to pay trainers, and ultimately Id love to be able to pay someone to manage the day-in and day-out operations. For more information, visit www.reduxrescue.org. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Colbert nonprofit and farm offers rescue for endangered horses South Florida faces a change in the weather this week: a cold front and rain, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. And risky coastal conditions may keep people away from the ocean. Will you need a cafecito and a coat? When will the region warm up? Should you keep an umbrella handy? Heres what to know about the weather forecast for Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. South Florida resident Timor Klinghofer taking in the sunrise under the cold weather at the Newport Fishing Pier on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024 in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. David Santiago/dsantiago@miamiherald.com Cold snap to chill South Florida A weakening cold front will lower temperatures in the Miami area on Tuesday night. Expect it to drop about 20 degrees from daytime highs in the lower 80s to nighttime lows in the mid- to upper-50s. But the cold snap wont last long. From Wednesday to Thursday, anticipate highs in the mid-70s and lows in the mid- to low-60s. And by Friday, highs are forecast to be in the low-80s and lows in the mid- to upper-60s. South Florida resident JC Holder walk her Yorkshire, Haven, left, and Pebbles under the cold weather at the Newport Fishing Pier on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024 in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. David Santiago/dsantiago@miamiherald.com Is it safe to go swimming or boating? Expect a high risk of life-threatening rip currents across South Florida beaches through Friday. Swimming is not recommended, and forecasters advise beachgoers to heed the guidance of local authorities. In addition, breaking waves could pose further danger to swimmers in Palm Beach County through Feb. 19. If youre considering a boat ride instead, captains of small vessels are recommended to exercise caution across the region through Monday. The risk for rip currents will remain high through Friday across most of South Floridas coast, according to the National Weather Service in Miami. On Tuesday, the risk is anticipated to decrease in Broward and Miami-Dade counties before going back up the next day. Regardless, swimmers are advised to heed the warnings from local authorities. National Weather Service in Miami When will it rain? Rain chances are forecast to remain low until the weekend except, for a 20% to 30% chance Monday night in parts of South Florida. On Saturday, expect a mostly cloudy day with a 70% chance of showers at night. Highs would be in the low 80s and lows in the upper 60s. Rain chances are anticipated to decrease to 50% on Sunday with highs in the mid- to upper-70s. A weakening cold front will pass through the area this morning, but temperatures will still be on the warm side with highs in the 70s to low 80s. Cooler temps arrive overnight under radiational cooling and NW winds continuing to usher in cooler air. #flwx pic.twitter.com/DgGFTDJOsi NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) February 13, 2024 Our investigation revealed that several Hispanic males from Texas entered Lewiston Express to cash fraudulent checks. After numerous checks from WW Siding, LLC were cashed, the manager of the business became suspicious and called the owner of WW Siding, Wilfredo Calles, who stated the checks were not legitimate. Three suspects in the business fled to their vehicles and the manager, Kinjalkumar Patel, followed them to the parking lot. The manager fired one shot into a vehicle as it drove towards him. The manager was struck by the vehicle as it left the parking lot onto Lewiston Road. A deputy working the road construction special in front of the business heard yelling from the parking lot. The deputy relayed information to Dispatch and deputies responded. One witness saw one of the suspect vehicles turn into Nicoles Cove off Lewiston Road and that vehicle was stopped shortly thereafter at William Few Storage. Four Hispanic males fled on foot and two males were quickly detained by deputies and investigators. A third suspect was detained by the K9 tracking team on William Few Parkway. The K9 tracking team tracked the fourth suspect to I-20 Westbound behind William Few Storage where the subject left clothing items in the wood line beside I-20, but he was unable to be located. The three suspects were interviewed and claimed their names were Jorge Eduardo Munoz-Quiroz, Pedro Luis Cueto-Anillo, and Raul Reyes. They claimed to be from El Salvador and Colombia but were living in Houston, Texas. Their plan was to cash as many fraudulent checks as possible and regroup in Texas to divide the money. This was a planned event from an organized crime ring. The suspect vehicle was searched and a stolen handgun was found in the console, along with several Mexican Passports and identifications in different names and multiple checks from WW Siding as well as other businesses. Later, it was discovered that a fifth suspect ran from Lewiston Express towards Columbia Road, but was unable to be located. Bolos were sent out for the two outstanding known suspects. Around 10:30 this morning a fourth suspect was spotted on I-20 and he was taken into custody without incident. Warrants were issued for one count each of Forgery in the Fourth Degree, Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer, and Theft by Receiving Stolen Property. At the time of this email the fourth suspect was being questioned. All were denied bond. Maj. Steve Morris, Columbia County Sheriffs Office COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) Columbus Emergency Management is asking locals to stay away from the Riverwalk until further notice. According to the agency, the Riverwalk is seeing high water levels that could pose a risk to people in the area. Get the latest news developments in your area; click here to subscribe to WRBLs daily newsletter, WRBL Daily News. The message was issued on Monday afternoon following weather aware conditions. Riverwalk on Feb. 12 Riverwalk on Feb. 12 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. San Antonios VP Racing Fuels Inc. registered trademarks for Mad Scientist and this image. Its ex-CEO, Steve Burns, alleges in lawsuit filed last year that the Mad Scientist is his alter-ego and wants a court to permanently enjoin the company from using the moniker and image. In a recent countersuit, VP says the trademark and image were among the assets Burns sold to current owner Alan Cerwick as part of a sale of the business. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office VP Racing Fuels Inc. founder Steve Burns, right, and current CEO Alan Cerwick tour the companys Elmendorf production facility in 2019. The pair are now battling in court. William Luther/San Antonio Express-News VP Racing Fuels Inc. founder Steve Burns, to support his argument in a lawsuit against the San Antonio company that he has consistently been identified as the Mad Scientist, included photos of a racing helmet that he received from seven employees in 2005, which depicts a mad scientist appearing directly below Burns name. Court document The VP Racing Fuels Mad Scientist Monster Truck is shown in 2016. The Mad Scientist trademark has sparked a legal fight. Feld Entertainment San Antonio-based VP Racing Fuels Inc. alleges that company founder Steve Burns trademark infringement lawsuit against it over the Mad Scientist name and image is nothing more than a desperate grab for recognition and money. Burns in November sued VP, which he launched almost 50 years ago, alleging it had misappropriated his Mad Scientist alter ego. He says he earned the nickname while tinkering with volatile chemicals to develop a fuel that could make drag racers faster. Burns is seeking more than $1 million in damages, while asking a court to declare him the senior user of the Mad Scientist trademark and therefore the owner. Advertisement Article continues below this ad VP had the case transferred from state District Court to federal court in San Antonio, where late last month the company filed a counterclaim against Burns. VP wants the court to declare that Burns never owned the mark and image, and that the company is the rightful owner. It also wants the court to award it unspecified actual, special and punitive damages. VP registered the Mad Scientist name and logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2012 while Burns was chairman and CEO, the company alleges in its lawsuit. He never objected to the trademark applications because he knew they belonged to VP, the suit adds. Burns in 2014 sold a majority stake in VP to former Valero Energy Corp. executive Alan Cerwick, who had been with VP for a few years at that point. Burns transferred his remaining interest in VP to Cerwick in 2016, but remained with the company until 2019. The financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. In both sale agreements, VPs lawsuit says, one of the express representations made by Burns was that all assets of VP were held by VP, and there were no other third parties that owned or operated any of the assets owned by VP. That included the Mad Scientist trademark, the suit adds. Advertisement Article continues below this ad VP says Burns breached the sale contracts by now claiming that hes the owner of the name and logo. If Burns owned them, the suit adds, such fact would have a material adverse effect on VP, in that VP could no longer utilize its own, as its own intellectual property. Burns lawsuit is rooted in his envy of how Cerwick has achieved a level of success with VP that Burns had not managed in nearly four times as long, the company alleges. It adds that Burns desperately wants some way any way to seize some of the glory of Cerwick and VPs incredible achievements as his own. Cerwick took VP from a good company to an exceptional company by diversifying product offerings, expanding the number of gas stations and substantially increasing revenue, VP says in its complaint. The company also says it has used mad scientists or similar wording on its website in reference to a group of mad scientists in the VP lab. It linked to an archived 2008 reference on the companys website. The Mad Scientist is a fictional cartoon character, with imaginary red eyes and flaming hair, not a likeness of Burns, the VP lawsuit says. Burns says the caricature is based on his image. A 2015 press release on VPs website, though, said that Burns acquired the Mad Scientist nickname and a reputation as a virtual maniac in his passion for performance and winning. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Last year, the Veterans Administration implemented an important new program designed to help veterans going through mental and emotional challenges. Wally Musto of Warwick reached out recently to ask me to publicize this new aspect of VA care. He is concerned that most veterans are not aware that they can call 911 if they feel badly distressed or emotionally unstable. They can be brought to the closest emergency facility at no cost, and the VA will reimburse that provider for their care even if the episode proves to be a false alarm. Count me as one of those who did not know this. Musto should know what hes talking about. Retired from the Rhode Island Air National Guard in 2006 as a senior chief master sergeant after 38 years in the military, he spent four years at Brown University recruiting veterans for a PTSD risk factor study. From 2010 until last year, he worked in the Jamaica Plain VA as Recruitment and Retention Manager. I dug into it and learned that this benefit, authorized by the COMPACT Act, allows veterans to get no-cost mental health treatment at both Veterans Affairs and non-VA facilities, with the goal of preventing veteran suicide. There is nothing more important to VA than preventing veteran suicide and this expansion of no-cost care has likely saved thousands of lives this year, said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. We want all veterans to know they can get the care they need, when they need it, no matter where they are. Providence VA Medical Center spokesman John Loughlin told me, For mental health emergencies, these expenses will be covered regardless of the enrollment status of the veteran and regardless of the ultimate diagnosis. This is important; there is no longer any reason for a veteran to wait to call for help, thinking his or her symptoms may pass. In a January press release, the VA reported that almost 50,000 veterans nationwide took advantage of this program in 2023. Any veteran enrolled in VA or not can go to a VA or non-VA emergency room for treatment under this policy, said the VA. If you are experiencing such a crisis, you should go to the nearest ER as soon as possible. The VA will also cover the cost of the ambulance. You should then tell the ER staff that you are covered by this policy. You, a family member or the ER staff should notify the VA right away by calling (844) 724-7842 (TTY: 711) or using the VAs Emergency Care Reporting (ECR) portal. COMPACT is shorthand for the Veterans Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment Act. Recent events Four Chaplains Memorial Service On Feb. 4, Cornerstone of Faith Methodist Church in Coventry hosted an ecumenical memorial service to honor the famous Four Chaplains, killed when their troop transport was torpedoed in the North Atlantic in 1943. They famously gave up their life jackets to young soldiers who had lost theirs and did all they could to calm the panic rising around them. Jane Deptula, longtime chaplain for the local Marine Corps League, organized the event. In addition to being a fixture in the Marine Corps League, Jane is well-respected within the local veteran community. Her numerous activities and involvement belie her 87 years. Roger Desjardins of North Providence, a 99-year-old WWII veteran, stands with Chase Warish, a great-grandson of Sgt. Michael Warish. Sergeant Warish survived the 1943 torpedoing of the troopship Dorchester in which the Four Chaplains lost their lives. Victorian Military Society hosts annual dinner The Victorian Military Society (VMS) was founded in England in 1974 to foster interest in military aspects of the Victorian period, later extended to 1914 so as to include the campaigns of the early part of the 20th century. The VMS is principally concerned with the forces of the British Empire and its adversaries but does not exclude other armies. An offshoot chapter of the society was formed in Newport around 1978. The local group received permission from the main organization for use of the name and logo, but there appears to be little if any tangible connection with the parent group and its activities. Attendees at the annual dinner of the Victorian Military Society in Newport in February brightened the room with a colorful variety of dress uniforms. Every year, the local group organizes a formal mess-style dinner in early February. VMS held its 46th Annual Meeting/Dining-in on Friday, Feb. 2 at the Wyndham Newport Hotel. Col. Ron Barnes of the Pawtuxet Rangers and Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company served as the Mess President. Capt. John Conlin hosted the after-dinner program, a mock trial reenacting the court martial of Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell, considered the father of American air power. Conlin served three combat tours in the Borneo jungle with the famed Gurkha Rifles after his 1962 graduation from Sandhurst, the British Military Academy. Calendar Thursday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. Vietnam Veterans of America James Michael Ray Chapter 818; Dinner, followed by Monthly Meeting at 7 p.m. Lincoln Senior Center, 150 Jenckes Hill Road, Lincoln. Hot dogs and chips will be served. For details, email Father Philip Salois at xuanloc@aol.com To report the outcome of a previous activity, or to add a future event to our calendar, please email the details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) to veteranscolumn@providencejournal.com. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Combatting veteran suicide: VA's 911 initiative aims to save lives Ideally, the United States is supposed to be a constitutional republic, managed by a political system with three separate but co-equal branches of government that have distinct responsibilities. Its messy and time-consuming more often than not; look no further than the ongoing debate in Washington about immigration or the countless cases gumming up the courts. Yet the process has worked relatively well for the US, and for all its blemishes is still upheld around the world as the prime example of good governance. However, on matters of war and peace, the most important decision a state can make on behalf of its people, the US has been a de-facto monarchy for quite some time. The president has hogged all the power and expanded it to new domains, far beyond what the US Constitution expressly permits. And the legislative branch, by and large staffed with lawmakers who are unwilling to debate let alone vote on whether US military action in a particular country is in the US interest, is content with allowing the executive to do what it pleases. Its important to reiterate how the system is designed to work. Under the Constitution, Congress has the sole authority for declaring war, even as the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, passed by Congress over President Richard Nixons veto, the president can introduce US forces into hostilities under three scenarios: Congress declares war, Congress authorises military force through statute, or if a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces exists. To ensure presidents dont abuse the third scenario, they are required to submit a report to the House and Senate within 48 hours about why the US military was employed and, absent congressional authorization, must withdraw US forces within 60 days of submitting the report (although an additional 30-day extension is allowed). The War Powers Resolution is the law of the land. But in reality, presidents often treat it as a nuisance and find sneaky ways around the statute. President Barack Obamas Office of Legal Counsel, for instance, all but neutered the law in 2011, when they published an opinion arguing that Washingtons no-fly zone and bombing campaign in Libya didnt constitute a war in the constitutional sense because no US ground forces were deployed. Sixteen years earlier, President Bill Clintons lawyers made the case that a proposed US troop deployment to Bosnia wouldnt require congressional approval since the engagement itself was unlikely to result in sustained hostilities and wasnt geared for conquest or occupation. Of course, nowhere in the Constitution or the War Powers Act is war or hostilities defined in such an obtuse way. In fact, those terms are left undefined, perhaps because they are commonly understood to anybody with even a tertiary familiarity with the English language. Yet for better or worse (mostly worse), the executive branchs shoddy interpretation is now cited as precedent for all US military engagements going forward. The presidents lawyers were able to rewrite the rules, giving their boss maximum flexibility to use US military force at a time and place of their choosing. Biden isnt the first American president to bypass Congress. The list is long and will only grow longer as the years go by. Ronald Reagan deployed US troops to Lebanon in 1982 to assist a UN-led peacekeeping mission there and ordered the invasion of Grenada in 1983, neither of which Congress authorised. President George H.W. Bush invaded Panama and sent US service members to Somalia without congressional approval. Bill Clinton continued the Somalia deployment (until he pulled the plug in 1994 months after the Black Hawk Down disaster), bombed Iraq multiple times, bombed Serb forces in Bosnia in 1995 and spearheaded a 78-day NATO air war against Serbia to compel a withdrawal from Kosovo in 1999. Again, Congress approved none of this. Donald Trump wasnt exactly respectful of Congresss prerogatives either. He took it upon himself to bomb Syrian government forces twice, in 2017 and 2018, to retaliate against Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons on his own people. Whether or not those strikes were warranted as a policy matter can be debated; what cant be debated was the fact that this was precisely the kind of executive war-making Americas founders sought to prevent. James Madison had a lot of legendary lines in his career, but perhaps the most astute was this one: In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department. Beside the objection to such a mixture of heterogeneous powers: the trust and the temptation would be too great for any one man. Regrettably, the US has gotten to the point where a single individual can determine whether the entire country moves onto a war-footing. Despite what the Biden administration may insist in public, the US is in effect fighting a war on multiple fronts, bombing dozens of militia targets in Iraq and Syria one day and launching airstrikes against Houthi military facilities the next. Meanwhile, the lawmakers who are actually responsible for deciding whether the US is at war are content with sitting things out, opining from the sidelines and tasking their staffers to write meaningless press releases in an attempt to convince their constituents that theyre doing their jobs. They arent and they should be called on the carpet for it. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Russia has stopped using its infamous "human wave" attacks in Avdiivka, instead deploying small assault groups supported by aviation to probe Ukrainian defenses, Dmytro Riumshyn, the commander of Ukraine's 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade, said in an interview published on Feb. 12. Avdiivka, lying only kilometers away from Russian-occupied Donetsk, has suffered intensified Russian attacks since October 2023 as Moscow's troops aim to encircle and capture the city. Since the start of the Adviivka offensive, Russia's military used the "human wave" tactics, which the White House described as throwing "masses of poorly trained soldiers right into the battlefield without proper equipment, and apparently without proper training and preparation." According to Riumshyn, Russia does not have a sufficient number of troops around Avdiivka to conduct such attacks regularly. Russia deploys regular troops, sabotage groups, as well as "Storm-Z" and "Storm-V" units formed of convicts to Avdiivka, the commander said on national television. As long as Ukraine has enough personnel and weapons, Russia will not be able to encircle Avdiivka, added Riumshyn. Ukrainian forces repelled 23 Russian attacks against Avdiivka over the past day, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Feb. 12. Russian troops continue their assaults in the south-eastern limits of Avdiivka, where street-to-street combat is taking place, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote in its intelligence update on Feb. 8. Russia has likely deployed additional forces in the Avdiivka sector over the past weeks, increasing the pressure on Ukrainian positions around the city, while Ukraine continues its counterattacks to protect the main supply route, reads the update. "Russia is almost certain to continue offensive pressure in this area over the next several weeks, highly leveraging tactical air power to support its effort," the ministry wrote. Read also: Fate of Avdiivka uncertain as Ukrainian forces defending it struggle with fortifications, resources Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. PIERRE A bill to ensure all children in South Dakotas foster care system have a standard of active efforts applied to their cases failed Monday morning. Rep. Peri Pourier, D-Rapid City, speaks in front of the House Judiciary committee on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 in Pierre. HB 1151 would have made it so that active efforts, a list of ways the Department of Social Services and the courts work to quickly reunify children with their parents during abuse and neglect proceedings, applies for all children. Currently, active efforts are part of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act and only applies to Native American children. Other children who arent Native in state law are subject to reasonable efforts. That's an inequity, so what this bill seeks to do is to bring those active efforts up for all children, said Rep. Peri Pourier, D-Rapid City, who sponsored the bill, adding it from over a year of work after she had initially proposed placing the definition of active efforts into state law for only Indian children. The main point of contention came from the bills financial cost: an estimated $3 million from the states budget to provide DSS an additional 45 to 60 employees who would administer active efforts to non-Native families who make up just over 25% of children in custody. Matt Althoff, DSS secretary, said that while 74% of children in state care were Native American during fiscal year 2023, about 52% were receiving active efforts as defined by ICWA. The other 22% of Native children had their cases transferred to tribal court. More: Native American child welfare bills return to legislature after federal ICWA upheld Why that's relevant is because we know nonetheless with 52% of our youth that are in our custody and are subject to ICWA, we have a good understanding of what active efforts are, he said, adding that his staff already applies active efforts and that it takes a great amount of time. A six-month joint investigation by South Dakota Searchlight and the Argus Leader following last years session explored the causes, effects and potential solutions to the decades-long overrepresentation of Native American children in South Dakotas foster care system. Native American children accounted for nearly 74% of the foster care system in June 2023 despite accounting for only 13% of the states overall child population. Pourier's bill was part of a package of bills from Democratic and Republican lawmakers meant to address issues families face within the South Dakota foster care system. Althoff said that the ongoing expenditure to the state was a big commitment on the part of South Dakotans and didnt fit into Gov. Kristi Noems proposed budget. Secretary of Social Services Matt Althoff speaks to Argus Leader and South Dakota Searchlight reporters about the indigenous child welfare laws during an interview on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023 at the South Dakota State Capital in Pierre, South Dakota. Jim Sword, a Hot Springs lawyer and former Oglala Lakota States Attorney, said the court system has a piecemeal approach to active efforts and the bill wouldve allowed the state to set the standard of what active efforts were and apply them to all children. What we're doing here is giving the child more resources and more opportunities, he said, noting that hes seen abuse and neglect cases from start to end. I know that if active efforts happen early on in the case, the result at the end of the case is much better. The bill listed 11 different active efforts DSS and social workers could apply to abuse and neglect proceedings. The list mirrors the active efforts laid out by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the application of ICWA. For example, if a parent needs to overcome substance abuse, an active effort would be helping that parent with a ride to a treatment class, said Kehala Two Bulls, the executive director of the 7th Circuit Court CASA program. A reasonable effort would be giving that parent a list of treatment programs. More: The Lost Children: An Argus Leader/South Dakota Searchlight investigation into ICWA in SD When we offer those active efforts at the beginning for parents, we know that whether they succeed or fail, they're doing that with every possible chance of success with every possible chance at reunification, she said. During discussion between lawmakers before the bill was defeated 8-5, Rep. Rebecca Reimer, R-Chamberlain, noted that there had been a variety of testimony about the interpretation of active efforts. How do we put something into law when everybody's interpreting this differently? she said. And so I'm wondering if this comes down to more of some internal audits of DSS and what is reasonable efforts? While Reimer voted to defeat the bill, she said she wouldnt be opposed to finding more employees for DSS in the future if the department could fully define active and reasonable efforts. I do hope that the Department Social Services listens to this and they hear this loud and clear that we need examples of reasonable efforts and active efforts, she said. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Active efforts bill in SD legislature killed It's common for actors to get aroused while filming sex scenes, and it can put an entire production on hold David Thackeray, an intimacy coordinator, told Insider how arousal is handled behind the scenes. Though an actor's arousal during sex scenes can put a production on hold, it's normal and expected. Approaching arousal with professionalism and ample communication is key during production. Sex scenes are commonplace in many films and television shows, but the process of capturing one can be more complex when an actor becomes aroused on set. According to one intimacy coordinator a professional who guides actors and the crew through scenes with simulated sex and nudity it's normal that filming these kinds of acts evokes many emotions, including arousal. Business Insider spoke with David Thackeray, an intimacy coordinator for studios like Netflix, Warner Bros, Apple TV, BBC, and HBO, to find out what happens when a member of the cast is aroused while working on a sex scene. Arousal while filming sex scenes is normal and there's protocol for dealing with it A scene from "Sex Education." Netflix Thackeray explained that arousal is very normal when filming sex scenes, telling BI that actors "are going through the physical and the mind, so yeah, it happens." He said the key to handling any resulting arousal on set is professionalism. Thackeray explained that intimacy coordinators follow specific protocols to handle arousal, just like they do with most aspects of filming intimate content. Thackeray said that during sex scenes, a time-out can be called for a number of reasons, including choreography that's gone off course, a modesty garment that has come undone, or arousal. When this happens, it's the job of an intimacy coordinator to honor the actors' needs and normalize what they're experiencing. We just make "it really clear that's normal and that the worst thing you can do is carry on," Thackeray said. "So we call that a time-out. Give them five minutes then I come in and check in Then we come back into it when they're ready." Intimacy coordinators let the cast and crew know that arousal is a possibility before shooting A scene from "The Crown." Netflix In addition to helping cast members, part of an intimacy coordinator's job is informing the crew about the possibility of an actor becoming aroused during a scene and being there for anyone who may feel uncomfortable. "Just making sure it's out in the room by going, 'Hey, this can happen,'" Thackeray said. "The worst thing we can do is gawk or make it a massive deal. I will say for the crew as well, making sure they're aware of what scene is being shot, what nudity is going to be seen. You don't want them to be surprised." In addition to understanding what the day will entail, Thackeray said, communicating that the crew can also call a time-out is imperative when filming an intimate scene. This story was originally published on February 18, 2022. Read the original article on Business Insider The Kansas City Chiefs have now won back-to-back Super Bowls, and its time for their fans and city to party. LETS HAVE A PARADE WEDNESDAY, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII Sunday night. Kansas City, Kansas City Sports Commission and the Kansas City Chiefs will hold the Chiefs Kingdom Champions Parade and victory rally beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday in downtown. Heres your complete guide to the festivities. The parade, which begins an hour earlier than last years celebration, will follow a two-mile long parade starting at Grand Boulevard and Sixth Street. It will head south on Grand to Pershing Road, where it will turn west and end after turning north onto Main Street at Union Station. The parade is expected to last 1 1/2 hours, according to the Kansas City Sports Commission. The victory rally will start approximately at 12:45 p.m., shortly after the parade ends. It will be in front of Union Station, with the National WWI Museum and Memorial hosting viewing opportunities on its north lawn. I want to congratulate the Kansas City Chiefs on another well-earned Super Bowl victory, Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC, said in a news release. The excitement generated by the Chiefs and Chiefs Kingdom continues creating opportunities for Kansas City to reach a wider audience than ever before, bringing economic opportunity to our entire region. A parade and rally will be held beginning at 11 a.m. Wednesday to celebrate the Kansas City Chiefs victory over San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. Here is the map of parade route. When, what roads will close? Kansas City will begin shutting down streets in downtown, Crossroads and Crown Center areas Monday with the closing of West Pershing Road from Main Street to Kessler Road in front of Union Station, according to the parade website. Other road closures will begin along the parade route at 11 a.m. Tuesday. The closures affect streets running east and west of Grand between Walnut and McGee streets from Sixth Street on the north to Pershing Road on the south. Union Station also will close to the public at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, reopening at about 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Main Street will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians on Wednesday from 20th Street to Pershing Road. Main from Pershing to 27th Street will also be closed to vehicles, but open to pedestrians. Additional closures on Main from 27th to 31st will be in effect when the parade starts. Vehicles will be able to cross at the following locations until 8 a.m. Wednesday: Seventh and Admiral Boulevard Truman Road North and South 18th Street 12th Street, until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday. 13th Street until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday Pedestrians will be able to cross the parade route on Grand at several locations marked by large red feather flags indicating a crosswalk. Those crossings are at: Ninth Street 13th Street Truman Road 18th Street 20th Street Drivers are advised to avoid areas along and around the parade route, including Grand, Pershing and Main. They should also use alternate routes and allow for extra time while traveling in the area. People headed into the area on Wednesday should expect significant travel delays along with additional road closures or lane restrictions. Streets will reopen as conditions allow. Shuttles, Streetcar and parking info Fans looking to leave their cars behind will have several options to get to and from the parade and rally. The Kansas City Streetcar will be operating, although the Union Station stop will be closed at the end of regular service on Tuesday. Instead, passengers will exit at the Crossroads southbound stop at 19th and Main streets. Northbound passengers will board at the Crossroads northbound stop. The streetcar will start its regularly schedule service at 6 a.m. and will operate with 10 to 12 minute frequencies until 10:30 a.m. Then, it will suspend service until the end of the parade and rally. Streetcar service will resume once tracks are clear between 20th Street and Pershing Road. The streetcar will post a notice once service resumes on its website, social media channels and text alert service. People can sign up for the service by texting streetcar to 816-685-8541. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority will run shuttles from 7 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday. Riders are advised to allow for possible wait times at park and ride locations up to 45 minutes at popular locations. Heres where the park and ride locations and their pick-up and drop-off locations will be: Former K-Mart at Chouteau and Vivion, 2835 NE Vivion Road, Kansas City, North. Shuttle pick-up and drop-off: Truman Road and Lydia Street. HyVee Arena/West Bottoms, 1800 Genessee St., Kansas City. Shuttle pick-up and drop-off: 18th Street and Troost Avenue. Swope Park/Zoo, 6800 Zoo Dr, Kansas City. Shuttle pick-up and drop-off: 31st Street and Gillham Road. Oak Park Mall at 95th and Neiman Road, 11149 W 95th St, Overland Park. Shuttle pick-up and drop-off: Avenida Cesar E Chavez and Southwest Boulevard. 47th Street and State Transit Center, 849 N. 47th St, Kansas City, Kansas. Buses will pick-up and drop-off at Hy-Vee Arena, where passengers will make a transfer to RideKC buses to 18th and Troost. Fans looking to drive themselves and others to the festivities should be aware that parking restrictions go into effect at 11 a.m. Tuesday and continue into Wednesday evening. Temporary No Parking zones will be in place and vehicles parked there will be towed at owners expense. Cars parked on the highways around downtown will also be towed. For those whose vehicles have been towed, they can call 816-513-0688 for the locations. Most parking lots around the parade route will charge for parking, including National WWI Museum and Memorial, Union Station and Crown Center. Check their websites for more details. Riders on scooters and bicycles will not be permitted to ride where roads are closed. They are also advised to be mindful of pedestrians and not to ride on sidewalks. Public safety, security The perimeter of the parade will be secured for public safety. Fans can help by staying aware of their surroundings and reporting suspicious activity to a police officer or calling 911. No drones, rocket, powered balloons, ultralights or model aircraft will be permitted, regardless whether they are controlled by line of sight, radio frequency or tethers. Violates may be prosecuted and fined for violating FAA restricted airspace. Fans should also not leave bags unattended and report any unattended bags to police and be aware that cell phone reception may be extremely limited. Spectators should also plan their travel and parking ahead and be prepared to walk as road closures near the parade route are expected lead to congested road conditions. People are also advised to have a plan in place in case they get separated from others in their group, including having designated points to meet and photos showing what people are wearing. Children should have contact information for their parents or guardians. People separated from their group are encourage to find a police officer. Any missing people or children will be taken to one of the reunification locations: UMB Bank, 928 Grand Blvd. The Kansas City Missouri Police Department, 1125 Locust St. T-Mobile Center Concourse, 14th Street and Grand Boulevard. Resurrection Downtown, 1601 Grand Blvd. UMB Bank, 1800 Grand Blvd. Blue Cross & Blue Shield West side entrance, 2301 Main St. Lunchland at Crown Center, 2475 Grand Blvd., on the third level above SEA LIFE Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center. The Kansas City Fire Department will have roving crews as well as a staffed medical tent on the east side of the National WWI Museum between the north and south lawn. For those requiring emergency medical attention, they should seek out a roving firefighter, who will be wearing fluorescent green vests and flags. Fire crews will be located on the perimeter of the parade route and at Union Station Accessibility, how to watch For those with special needs, parade organizers have designated space in Crown Center Square for wheelchairs and accessibility for those with disabilities. Space is limited. American Sign Language interpreters will be at the rally and they will be shown on the video boards during the rally. For information on ADA parking, visit the websites of Crown Center, Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial. Contact Erica Good, Kansas City ADA Liaison at 816-513-1818 with any questions related to accessibility. Jamie Guillen, is director of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity for Kansas City. To report any ADA concerns through 311, click here. KSBH41, the official broadcast partner for the parade, will air the celebration live KSHB41 and stream on kshb.com. Yazmin Juarez Coyoy, front left, leaves the federal courthouse in San Antonio on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, after testifying in a trial over the death of her daughter, Mairee. At right is one of her lawyers, Allissa Aileen Pollard. Behind Juarez is an unidentified friend, and other members of Juarezs legal team, Stan Jones (in blue) and Andrew Bergman (rear). Guillermo Contreras/Staff A federal jury is expected to decide this week whether a private prison company running a South Texas immigrant holding facility is liable for the death of a toddler from Guatemala in 2018. Mariee Camyl Newberry Juarez died at 21 months of complications from two viruses six weeks after she was released from the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley. Her mother, Yazmin Juarez Coyoy, sued Nashville, Tenn.-based CoreCivic in San Antonio federal court, claiming Mariee was healthy when the pair arrived at the facility but contracted the viruses while they were held in crowded conditions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jurors began deliberations Monday morning. However, they hadnt reached a verdict by midafternoon and asked the judge for permission to go home for the day. Theyll resume Tuesday morning. Lawyers for Juarez argued in court last week that CoreCivic should have had isolation practices in place to separate the sick from the healthy. They failed to provide safe conditions appropriate for small children detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center, Stanton Jones, one of the attorneys, told the jury. They had a duty to provide safe living conditions for children in their care and, as you have heard all week, they did not do that. But attorneys for CoreCivic said it is impossible to prove that the child was infected at the facility and countered that she was either already sick before leaving Guatemala or infected along the way. CoreCivic operates the facility, which opened in 2014, under a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Since 2021, it houses only women migrants. Advertisement Article continues below this ad They didnt even come close to proving liability in this case, Daniel Struck, one of CoreCivics lawyers, said in his closing argument on Friday. They have to prove that defendants breached the standard of care by having beds too close together in an unsanitary environment, and that Mariee caught these two viruses from a boy there. We all know they didnt prove that. Its simply impossible to prove that burden. Juarez and her daughter spent 20 days at the Dilley complex, from March 5 through March 25, 2018. Juarez testified that she took Mariee to a clinic in Guatemala for a checkup and her latest vaccinations on Feb. 25, 2018, and that the girl was in good health. They left for the U.S. later that day. Testimony and facility records said Mariee was healthy when she and her mother were screened by a licensed vocational nurse and a registered nurse for entry into the Dilley facilitys custody. Juarez and Mariee were held in a unit that housed 10 other mothers and their 10 children. Juarez said one of the children, a boy, was sick. Advertisement Article continues below this ad About five days later, on March 10, Mariee started showing symptoms. Testimony and medical records showed Juarez took Mariee to the facilitys clinic several times for congestion, coughing and diarrhea. She had a high fever on at least two of those visits. Mariee was diagnosed with a virus on one of the last visits. But instead of isolating her or the sick boy, Jones said, Mariee and her mother were returned to their housing unit. Jones said the facility, which can hold up to 2,400 people, had only 1,600 women and children in custody at the time. He claimed CoreCivic could have spread out the population among the empty housing units, but didnt do so because of the expense. Mariee spent six weeks after her release from the Dilley complex at hospitals in New Jersey and Philadelphia as doctors struggled to reverse the damage caused by two viruses, adenovirus and parainfluenza 3. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Initially, Juarezs lawsuit filed in 2019 in San Antonio sought up to $40 million in damages. On Friday, Jones asked jurors to put themselves in Juarezs shoes and imagine what losing an only daughter is worth. In 2020, Juarez also sued ICE in federal court in New Jersey because it handles medical care at the Dilley facility. ICE declined comment on the litigation because it is pending. The Appeals Chamber of Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the arrest of Oleksandr Liyev, former head of the Defense Ministry's department in charge of weapons procurement, the Anti-Corruption Action Center reported on Feb. 12. Liyev was taken into custody in the courtroom and will be held in custody until April 8 unless he posts bail, set at Hr 50 million ($1.3 million), the center wrote on Telegram. His case is related to a corruption scheme revealed by the SBU on Jan. 27 that involved the procurement of almost 100,000 mortar shells, amounting to almost Hr 1.5 billion ($40 million). The SBU said the investigation had "exposed officials of the Defense Ministry and managers of arms supplier Lviv Arsenal, who stole nearly Hr 1.5 billion in the purchase of shells." The individuals implicated in the embezzlement include both former and current high-ranking officials from the Defense Ministry, as well as heads of associated companies. According to the SBU, a contract for shells was secured with Lviv Arsenal in August 2022, six months into the full-scale invasion. The payment was made upfront, including the transfer of funds abroad. No arms were delivered, however, and some funds were subsequently moved to other foreign accounts. Five individuals were charged, encompassing both the ministry and the arms supplier. One suspect was reportedly detained while attempting to cross the Ukrainian border. If Liyev is released on bail, he will be obliged to wear an electronic bracelet and hand over his international passport, among other restrictive measures, the center said. "The bail doesnt match with my salary and income. I am very shocked by the (court) decision," Liyev said in a video posted on Facebook, calling it a punishment for the responsibility he took in his position in the Defense Ministry. Liyev denies the accusations and said he would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Read also: Government agrees to carry out defense procurement through Prozorro system Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Cashapp, surveillance video and a cellphone guided police during a 14-month investigation into the killing of Clarence Holder III. Holder, 38, died on the side of a residential street on the city's east side, feet away from his home with five of his young children inside. About midnight Nov. 30, 2022 Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were dispatched to the neighborhood off English Avenue inside I-465 when residents in the 600 block of Woods Crossing Drive heard gunfire. Responding officers found nothing unusual. Two hours later a man returning home from work saw something lying along the curb and stopped to investigate, finding Holder dead from a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to court documents. At the scene, evidence technicians collected two 9mm Lugar shell casings and Holder's Apple iPhone, which was found in a grassy area next to the curb where he died. Indianapolis killings in 2022: Tracking each homicide Evidence on the phone, including Cashapp exchanges, Facebook messages and video chats, led police to their suspect, Cashmenn Moore, 34. Moore and Holder communicated several times the night of the shooting, with one of the last messages coming in at 11:34 p.m. telling Holder to "come out." That was followed by a 58-second video chat at 11:56 p.m., four minutes before midnight, the last time any of Holder's kids saw him alive, police said in an arrest affidavit for Moore. Video from the area of the shooting gave police their next clue: a small 4-door older sedan captured going by about the time of the shooting. Detectives began watching Moore and in mid-December 2022 saw him driving a 1991 Toyota Corolla with handicapped plates. Police followed Moore to an empty lot at East 30th Street and North Sherman Drive, where he caught on that officers were trailing him and sped off down an alley. Police chased him through the alley, onto West 28th Street to Wheeler Street. The Toyota spun out in a yard and got back onto Sherman Drive before crashing into an IndyGo bus. It's unclear from court records if Moore was taken into custody at that time. In March 2023, Moore was arrested on the east side of the city during a traffic stop and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, false identity statement and knowingly operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license, court records show. At the time of his arrest last year, Moore had a warrant for his arrest in connection with a possession of a firearm by a serious violent charge. From 2019: Son of Marion County judge Barbara Crawford shot in the neck, court documents say A police news release announcing his arrest indicates Moore was already in custody when charges were filed in Holders death. After the pursuit in 2022, police retraced the route and found a discarded 9mm Taurus firearm with an extended magazine investigators believe was tossed out of the Toyota that Moore was driving. A forensic examination determined the Taurus "matched the two casings from the homicide scene and the bullet recovered from the body of Mr. Holder," the affidavit states. The Marion County Prosecutors Office charged Moore with murder and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. In November 2020, Moore pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and battery while armed with a deadly weapon as part of a deal with prosecutors. He was sentenced to four years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, followed by four years of home detention in that case, court records show. The charges stemmed from the 2019 shooting of Loren Crawford, who is the son of former Marion County Judge Barbara Crawford. He was released in June 2022 on probation in that case having received credit for time served and good behavior. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IMPD: Man charged in 2022 deadly shooting on Woods Crossing Drive Some 270 million Americans received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Tens of thousands have since claimed they suffered a COVID vaccine injury, ranging from minor side effects to severe adverse reactions. Around 9,000 of those people have requested compensation through the only legal avenue available to themthe federal government's Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP). To date, the CICP has paid only $30,855 to just eight claimants. Another 1,588 people have had their claims turned downmaking for a 98 percent rejection rate. Thousands more have been left waiting with no response. If their claims are also rejected by the program, they have no other means of ever getting compensation. Typically, someone who's been injured by a product, medical or otherwise, would be within his rights to sue the manufacturer in a state court. Since the 1980s, federal liability protections prevent people from suing vaccine makers. But under the decades-old National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP), people claiming an injury from a non-COVID vaccine are given an alternative to standard civil litigation. Injured patients instead sue the federal government in special vaccine courts, where both sides have lawyers, a special master (judge) decides claims, and people can appeal rejected compensation requests to higher courts. VICP petitioners need only show a preponderance of the evidence that they were injured by a vaccinea relatively low burden of proof. The VICP approves about half of all claims and pays out $200 million a year (all funded by an excise tax levied on vaccine doses). The CICP is nothing like this. The program has its origins in a piece of war on terror legislation intended to create liability protections for makers of novel, emergency countermeasures to bioweapon attacks and the like. It's an administrative process, meaning patients' claims are decided by a federal bureaucrat, not a neutral judge. Claimants have no right to a lawyer and no right to appeal to a higher court. They must also show by "compelling, reliable, valid, medical, and scientific evidence" that their injury was caused by a COVID vaccine. That's an exceedingly high burden of proof for vaccines that were approved without the typical years of study and testing, says Katharine Van Tassel, a law professor at Case Western Reserve School of Law. "We did not have very much time to study [COVID] vaccines, so we know the risk of injury was higher," Van Tassel explains. All these features help explain the CICP's high rejection rates. Advocates for the COVID vaccine injured are asking, through lawsuits and bills in Congress, to move them out of a dysfunctional CICP program and into the standard VICP program, where they stand a chance of actually getting compensation for their injuries. The post COVID Vaccine Injuries Deserve a Day in Court appeared first on Reason.com. Major credit card companies are moving to make a merchant code available for firearm and ammunition retailers in order to comply with a new California law that will allow banks to potentially track suspicious gun purchases and report them to law enforcement, CBS News has learned. Retailers are assigned merchant codes based on the types of goods they sell, and the codes allow banks and credit card companies to detect purchase patterns. Currently gun shops are lumped in with other types of retailers, such as sporting goods stores. Mastercard, Visa and American Express initially agreed to implement a standalone code for firearm sellers, but later paused their work on it after receiving blowback from Second Amendment advocates concerned tracking gun purchases would infringe on the rights of legal gun owners. Gun control activists hope the code, approved by an international organization in 2022, can be used as a tool to help identify suspect purchases and, consequently, stop gun crime, including mass shootings. Proponents say a code for firearms merchants would allow banks and credit unions to alert law enforcement of potentially suspicious purchasing patterns in the same way they already flag other types of transactions, such as those that suggest identity theft or terrorist financing. While a merchant code for standalone firearm and ammunition sellers would yield data that shows a transaction was made at a gun store, the credit card companies say the code would not provide details about the customer or insight into individual items that were purchased. At least seven Republican-controlled state legislatures have banned the code while nine other legislatures are considering similar legislation. However, deep blue California passed a law requiring retailers that primarily sell firearms to adopt it by May 2025. Last month, executives from Mastercard, Visa and American Express each wrote to congressional Democrats assuring them the code would be available to retailers in California by that deadline, according to documents obtained by CBS News. "The applicable standalone merchants in California primarily engaged in the sale of firearms will be required to utilize the code," wrote Mastercard executive Tucker Foote. The letters from credit card executives reflect the tricky political waters the companies find themselves in. "With respect to the [firearm merchant code], there continues to be a tremendous amount of regulatory and legislative uncertainty," wrote Visa senior vice president Robert B. Thomson III, adding that the company will endeavor to comply with the requirements in California. "Given the conflicting state laws on this topic and the likelihood that other states will enact legislation to either restrict or mandate the code, our implementation pause remains in effect." Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, said in a statement, "It's a start that credit card companies have committed to comply with the [merchant code] law in California, but we need implementation across the country if we're going to do everything we can to prevent gun violence." "The sooner credit card companies and banks begin using the new [merchant code] for gun retailers and tracking suspicious gun purchases, the more mass shootings we will have a shot at preventing before they occur," Warren added. Advocates for gun violence prevention continue to push for the code's implementation despite efforts by states to stymie it. A new report from Guns Down America calls for federal legislation to resolve the conflict between states and argues the code could prevent violence stemming from cases of straw purchases, gun trafficking, and mass casualty events. The report cites eight mass shootings that they say could have been prevented, including the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting and the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, because each perpetrator used credit cards to purchase large arsenals in a short period of time. "If a system for collecting and flagging suspicious gun and ammunition sales had been in place over the past 15 years, law enforcement officials would have had the opportunity to potentially intervene and prevent multiple mass shootings," the report says. Hudson Munoz, the executive director of Guns Down America, said the credit card companies' attempts to "stay neutral on this issue" risks "uninhibited criminal abuse of the payment system." The organization is calling on the companies to make the gun store code available in every state where it has not been banned. Paul Giamatti, 2024 Oscars nominee for "The Holdovers" "Hello Vincent": Artificial intelligence brings Van Gogh to life New details on deadly plane crash on Florida highway Judge Frank Aguilar listens during a hearing in the 228th District Criminal Court on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer A judge charged in January after a domestic violence allegation by his girlfriend has been suspended from the bench with pay, officials said. The State Commission on Judicial Conduct signed a suspension order Wednesday against 228th District Court Judge Frank Aguilar about two weeks after Galveston County prosecutors charged him with misdemeanor assault. He is accused of assaulting his girlfriend at his Galveston property. Aguilar's defense attorney, Mark Diaz, pointed to a recent affidavit that the girlfriend filed asking that prosecutors dismiss the charge, saying that the events of Dec. 31 were not as described. She wrote that she felt coerced. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Frank Aguilar never touch me or hit me," she wrote in a recent filing. "I fell from stairs inside house." She said she had taken sleep medication that had an adverse effect from alcohol and caused her to walk in her sleep and fall down the stairs. In a separate affidavit, the woman said she would not testify in his case. Aguilar was acquitted of another domestic violence allegation years earlier. The 2010 incident involved a family member. The judicial suspension could be lifted if prosecutors were to dismiss the charge against Aguilar or if a jury decided to acquit him of the offense. In the wake of the charge, Harris County prosecutors filed several recusal requests asking that Aguilar step down from cases involving similar allegations. He declined and referred the matter to the Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region of Texas. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Judge Susan Brown, who oversees the region, had not ruled on the recusal requests but is now expected to tap a visiting jurist to replace Aguilar in the wake of his suspension. Aguilar was arrested around 3:30 a.m. Dec. 31 as the couple celebrated her birthday with others in the 9600 block of Teichman Road, where Aguilar owns a property, according to a search warrant affidavit. The woman told police that Aguilar punched her repeatedly and held his foot to her neck in their kitchen. She was unable to breathe for about a minute, but at some point managed to say she couldnt breathe, the search warrant continued. The judge, in his own account, said the woman was "highly intoxicated" and throwing beer cans throughout the home and at him, court records show. He declined to tell the officer how the woman was injured. Weeks before Aguilar's arrest, prosecutors accepted charges against his girlfriend in connection with an August incident at the judge's property where she allegedly struck a man identified as John Doe in court records when he refused to get out of bed and help her unload gas cans from her vehicle. The charges do not identify the accuser as Aguilar. Documents related to a May arrest identify Aguilar and indicate both may have been drinking. She was not charged in connection with that allegation. A magistrate declined to find probable cause after her arrest, records show. UPDATE: House Bill 1399, changing the definition of toxic forever chemicals in a way experts say would put Hoosiers at risk, appears to have died. Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, who chairs the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee, said he was not going to take any action on the bill and then promptly adjourned Monday morning's meeting. He said this was the last meeting for the committee for the 2024 session. His decision comes after more than two hours of testimony on the bill during a previous committee hearing, most in opposition, as well as conversations with scientists and officials from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The definition of PFAS, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances commonly called "forever chemicals," widely accepted: They are toxic chemicals that are dangerous to human health, accumulate in nature and peoples bodies, and take thousands of years to break down. Despite that near universal acknowledgment, Hoosier lawmakers are advancing a bill to change the definition of PFAS but only in Indiana. In other words, chemicals deemed harmful in every other state will no longer be considered dangerous in Indiana. In fact, Indiana already one of the country's most polluted states, according to federal EPA data wouldnt even recognize those materials as PFAS. This bill makes no sense at all, said Gretchen Salter, a strategic advisor for Safer States, a national alliance of environmental health organizations working to provide for a healthier world. I dont know why anyone would want to limit a states authority to regulate chemicals that the world has recognized are toxic and harmful to the public. Proponents of House Bill 1399, including the chemical manufacturing industry, say the change is needed to preserve essential uses of PFAS in items such as medical devices or semiconductors. No one in Indiana, however, is proposing to prohibit those uses. PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," have been discovered in at least 45% of the nations drinking water supply, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey. That leaves the bill looking like a solution seeking a problem, but critics say the goal appears to be more spurious: To prevent Indiana from regulating many non-essential uses of toxic PFAS in the future. This could include clothing, cookware and cosmetics. Rep. Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, said she questions why anyone would fight for this to be in products like baby clothing and play mats? The danger here is the public could be misled, Bauer said. We cant pretend we dont know these chemicals are harming the health and safety of people in our community. Indiana stands out for the wrong reasons In the last two years, Indiana lawmakers appeared to recognize the potential harm caused by forever chemicals. They passed two bills to help protect firefighters, who encounter PFAS in their gear, and raise awareness about their potential exposure. Both were authored by Bauer. The state also launched a program to help phase out firefighting foam that contains PFAS. "Where we were once leaders in this effort," Bauer said, "we are now gathering national attention for the opposite reason. Advocates that work closely on PFAS issues across the country say the new bill authored by Rep. Shane Lindauer, R-Jasper is part of a national push to change the definition of PFAS so certain manufacturers can continue using them in their products. Lindauer did not respond to multiple IndyStar requests for comment. While there also have been similar attempts in other states to change the definition, Salter said, none have been approved. To the contrary, some other states are regulating PFAS and eliminating it from some consumer products. Salter of Safer States said, if this bill passes, Indiana will be the first state to actually move backward on PFAS. Forever chemicals: Lawmakers seek to protect Indiana firefighters from toxic chemical, leave Hoosiers at risk There are more than 14,000 chemicals and compounds within the various classes of PFAS, but Lindauers bill would strip as many as 5,000 from the list of toxic chemicals in Indiana, experts said. Salter and others opposed to bill worry about the precedent it could set with far-reaching impacts elsewhere if Indiana is the first domino to fall. What is an essential use of PFAS? The American Chemistry Council an industry trade association for chemical companies sent two representatives from Washington D.C. to Indiana to speak on the legislation during the House Environmental Affairs Committee hearing. Accepted as experts, though they dont have scientific backgrounds, they testified that the change is needed to protect essential uses of PFAS, such as in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. Wetlands program: IDEM saying its a good bill is a lie state water regulators denounce wetlands bill Most everyone including critics of the bill agreed essential uses should be exempt until better alternatives are available. But Bauer, who serves on the House environmental committee, and others argued those specific uses should be carved out for current law, rather than changing the definition of thousands of other PFAS chemicals. As written, HB 1399 would also prevent future regulation of non-essential uses of PFAS in childrens clothing, carpets, cookware and more products people are actually exposed to on a regular basis. While HB 1399's proponents are advertising these PFAS as being "safer" and "more stable," Indiana University environmental chemist Marta Venier said they still pose a danger. They do break down to the same compounds that will be regulated (by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) in water soon," said Venier, who has researched PFAS for years. "So at the end of the day they are not any safer than other PFAS. University of Notre Dame professor Graham Peaslee, also a nationally recognized PFAS expert, agreed: "I've never met a good PFAS." Keeping Hoosiers in the dark This bill will not immediately change things in Indiana, given there are no existing or pending state regulations of PFAS that prohibit their use. Still, it will have significant implications for Hoosiers, experts and advocates warn. If the bill become law, products required to have a "contains PFAS" label in other states could be marketed as "PFAS-free" in Indiana. Bauer said that may prevent Hoosiers from choosing alternative products if reducing exposure to forever chemical is important to them. Indiana State Representative Maureen Bauer, D-South Bend, speaks during a House session at the Indiana Statehouse. Bauer has led some of Indiana's efforts to protect Hoosiers and firefighters from toxic PFAS chemicals, and now is opposing a bill that would weaken protections. Peaslee said he is not surprised this bill is being tested in Indiana because of its history as a manufacturing and pro-business state. But is this bill what Hoosiers want? I dont think so, the Notre Dame professor said. Everyone is drinking and breathing what is coming off these products. The bill passed out of the House by a 64-30 vote along party lines. Now in the Senate, it has been referred to the Environmental committee but has yet to be scheduled for a hearing. Committee meetings will resume again this week. Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStars environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook. IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana bill put Hoosiers at risk from toxic PFAS. It now seems dead. Cruise has named its first "chief safety officer" as part of the company's effort to rehabilitate itself following an incident and ensuing controversy last year that left a pedestrian stuck under and then dragged by one of its robotaxis. Steve Kenner, an autonomous vehicle industry veteran who has held top safety roles at Kodiak, Locomation, Aurora and Uber's now-defunct self-driving division, is filling the newly created role. Kenner will report directly to Cruise president and chief administrative officer Craig Glidden. He will "oversee Cruises safety management systems and operations" and work "in direct partnership with the Cruise Board of Directors," the company said in a statement Monday. Louise Zhang, a VP of safety and systems at Cruise and one of the highest ranking safety-related employees prior to Kenner's arrival, will remain in her position. Kenner's appointment comes just three weeks after the release of a 195-page report by law firm Quinn Emanuel examining the October crash, where a Cruise robotaxi struck and dragged a pedestrian who was previously hit by a human-driven car, as well as the company's response. That report ultimately determined that Cruise's leadership had a "myopic" focus on the media's response to the crash, and that it left out important facts when discussing the event with the public and with regulators. The crash, and Cruise's handling of it, are now the subject of many government investigations. The Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, California Department of Motor Vehicles, California Public Utilities Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are all probing the company's actions. Kenner will start his new role at the company at a time when the entire robotaxi fleet is grounded. Cruise recently slashed its workforce by 24% and pushed out a number of high-level employees. Cruise co-founder and Kyle Vogt and co-founder Dan Kan resigned last year. General Motors, which owns Cruise, has said it will scale back investment in the autonomous vehicle company by $1 billion this year. The automaker installed Glidden as chief administrative officer in November as it started sorting through why the company handled the October crash so poorly. A customer tried to leave a note for a store clerk about a broken toilet only to discover she was secretly being recorded, Texas police say. Pierre Holt, 32, is accused of using a pen camera to secretly record customers in the womens bathroom of the Houston store where he worked, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Feb. 10 in Harris County. Holts scheme was discovered by a customer Jan. 14, police said. When the woman had trouble flushing the toilet, she tried to leave a note using a pen and paper left inside the bathroom, the affidavit said. She realized the pen was actually a recording device one that police discovered contained more than 100 video files of customers being recorded without their knowledge, according to court records. Holt became hostile when the customer tried to leave with the device, but she was able to run from the store with the camera in her possession, police said. In addition to footage of customers, the device also contained a video of Holt positioning the camera, police said. Houston officials encourage any other potential victims who may have used the bathroom in the store located at 900 Prairie Street, to contact law enforcement. Holt, of Houston, was arrested Feb. 10 and charged with invasive visual recording, according to court records. McClatchy News reached out to Holts attorney Feb. 12 for comment but did not immediately receive a a response. Police also located two guns behind the convenience store counter, the affidavit said. Holt was convicted of aggravated robbery in 2011 and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm. As a result, he is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, court records show. He is being held on a combined $87,500 bond. School janitors hidden bathroom cameras record teachers and his face, Texas cops say Child porn falls from the ceiling in office of convicted former attorney, PA cops say Boy Scouts volunteer hid cameras in camp bathroom, then got caught on footage, feds say German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (L) and Nikos Christodoulides, President of Cyprus, speak at a press conference after their meeting at the Presidential Palace. Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday asked Berlin for help in efforts to overcome the island's division, since Germany has better relations with fellow NATO member Turkey. "Our message is that the solution lies in Ankara," Christodoulides said in a statement following a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Nicosia on Monday. "It is high time to work with renewed courage on a solution to the Cyprus question," Steinmeier said. Germany supports a bi-zonal, bi-communal solution to the Cyprus problem based on UN parameters, he said. Nicosia is the last divided capital of Europe. The island has been split into a Greek-Cypriot south and a smaller Turkish-Cypriot north since a Greek coup and a Turkish military intervention in 1974. Only Turkey recognizes Northern Cyprus as a full state. The buffer zone between the two sides is monitored by UN peacekeepers. While the whole of Cyprus became a member of the European Union in 2004, EU law is only valid in the southern part until a possible reunification. UN-backed efforts aimed at ending Cyprus's decades-old conflict have taken place on-and-off for years with little progress to show. Christodoulides said he was pleased that the UN had appointed a new special envoy of the UN secretary general, former Colombian foreign minister Maria Angela Holguin Cuellar, to initiate talks on overcoming the division, which had been stagnating since 2017. "We in Germany, at least, are available to support the UN-led negotiation process and to promote confidence-building measures," said Steinmeier. The German government recently announced it would support the UN mission on the island by sending up to 15 police officers to help monitor the 180-kilometre buffer zone. Apart from the Cyprus issue, the two talked about migration. In terms of population size, Cyprus has received the most asylum applications in the European Union in recent years. Christodoulides thanked Steinmeier for Germany's acceptance of about 1,000 migrants from Cyprus last year. The Czech state arms company VOP CZ has not yet begun repairing T-64 tanks for the Ukrainian army, as agreed last year, because the Ukrainian side has yet to deliver a single tank. Source: Rostislav Roznovsky, spokesman of the VOP CZ, in a comment to the CTK news agency, as reported by European Pravda Details: According to Roznovsky, VOP CZ is "ready at any time to receive tanks and start working on them, but we have nothing to repair." "The Ukrainian side has not yet handed over a single tank," he went on to say. In response to CTK's request, the Czech Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the matter. The Ukrainian side has not yet responded to the message. Background: The contract between VOP CZ and Ukrainian state concern Ukroboronprom (now the joint-stock company Ukrainian Defence Industry) was made public last year. It was assumed that the Czech company would modernise the T-64 tanks, which had been standing in warehouses for decades, and then deploy them to the Ukrainian battlefield. Last year, it was revealed that a T-64 repair centre was opened in Poland. Support UP or become our patron! (Bloomberg) -- The Danish government has reached a deal with labor unions, agreeing to an 8.8% increase in salaries over two years for a range of state employees from military personnel to high school teachers Most Read from Bloomberg The agreement covers around 200,000 employees, according to a statement published by the government over the weekend. The deal still needs the final approval of union members. Finance Minister Nicolai Wammen described the wage increase as significant but responsible. Some unions had sought raises of as much as 10%, according to newspaper Borsen. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Israel should stop and think seriously before taking further action in Rafah in the south of Gaza, the foreign secretary has said. The town was pounded by airstrikes overnight, with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu signalling his intention to carry out a ground offensive on the city, now home to 1.4 million Palestinian refugees. David Cameron warned that many of the people in Rafah had already fled from other areas and said it is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people, there is nowhere for them to go. Prime minister Rishi Sunaks official spokesperson has also said they were deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah. Over half of Gazas population are sheltering there and that crossing is vital to ensuring aid can reach the people who desperately need it, they said. The priority in Gaza must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out, such that we can then make progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire. Lord Cameron urged the Israeli government to stop and think seriously before invading Rafah (PA) Lord Camerons remarks came as two Israeli hostages were rescued from Rafah overnight following a raid on a heavily guarded apartment which killed at least 67 people, according to a spokesman for the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The hostages, 60-year-old Fernando Simon Marman and 70-year-old Louis Har, had spent 128 days in captivity. Rafah, a town on the border with Egypt, is one of the few regions not yet targeted by an Israeli ground offensive and is providing refuge to more than half of Gazas 2.3 million population who have fled fighting elsewhere. Meanwhile, the UK government has now sanctioned four Israeli settlers accused of committing human rights abuses against Palestinians in the West Bank. Announcing the sanctions, the foreign office said Israels failure to act had led to an environment of near total impunity for settler extremists. Speaking to reporters in Scotland, Lord Cameron said: We are very concerned about what is happening in Rafah because, lets be clear, the people there, many of whom have moved four, five, six times before getting there. It really, we think, is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people, there is nowhere for them to go. They cant go south into Egypt, they cant go north and back to their homes because many have been destroyed. So we are very concerned about the situation and we want Israel to stop and think seriously before it takes any further action. He added: But above all, what we want is an immediate pause in the fighting. We want that pause to lead to a ceasefire, a sustainable ceasefire without a return to further fighting. That is what should happen now. We need to get those hostages out, including the British nationals. We need to get the aid in. The best way to do that is to stop the fighting now and turn that into a permanent, sustainable ceasefire. Western leaders have warned Benjamin Netanyahu against a ground offensive in Rafah (AP) The prime ministers official spokesperson added: We are obviously deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah. Over half of Gazas population are sheltering there and that crossing is vital to ensuring aid can reach the people who desperately need it. The Israeli prime minister has said sending troops into Rafah is necessary to eliminate Hamas and announced on Friday that he had asked the military to prepare to enter Rafah and evacuate hundreds of thousands of people. The White House has said President Joe Biden told the Israeli prime minister there should be no military operation in the densely populated Gaza border town without a credible plan to protect civilians. Democratic Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, told The Independent he worried about Israels campaign in Rafah and the number of innocent Palestinians being killed. I hope that Netanyahu government comes forward with the plan, he said. Mr Warner said the aid package included provisions to protect innocent Palestinians and cited actions taken by the Biden administration to insure that human rights are respected. On Thursday, the Biden administration released a memorandum that described conditions countries must meet to receive aid from the United States. The memo articulated that countries must follow humanitarian guidelines including providing credible and reliable written assurances that they are complying with international law and humanitarian standards. But the White House said on Friday that the memo did not signify any significant policy changes. There are no new standards in this memo, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday. We are not imposing new standards for military aid. Rafah is on the border of Egypt and is one of the few regions not yet targeted by Israeli forces (AP) Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who is Jewish and lived on a Kibbutz in his youth, criticised the humanitarian crisis in Rafah. Youre looking at a massive humanitarian disaster, he told The Independent. Youre looking at the possibility of hundreds of 1000s of children starving to death. Youre looking at the United States Congress prepared to give Netanyahu $10 billion more continuous happens, but its outrageous. So am I concerned? That is an understatement. Downing Street declined to say whether Mr Netanyahus claim that total victory over Hamas in months is realistic. Mr Sunaks official spokesperson said: Thats the prime minister of Israels language. From the PMs perspective, what we want to see is a pause in this fighting so we can get aid in and hostages out, and obviously what we all want to see is a sustainable ceasefire. They added: Clearly, in order to reach that, as weve said before, we need to see measures taken including Hamas no longer in charge of Gaza and an arrangement that ensures the sustainable security of Israel, as well as aid in to support the people living in Gaza. Police say two runaway teens stole a 1969 Chevy Chevelle and weapons from a home in Wyoming and are believed headed to Texas. Amarillo Police Department Texas police say they are looking for two runaway teens from Wyoming connected to an alleged threat made against a school in League City. League City Police say the pair stole a 1969 Chevy Chevelle and weapons from a home in Wyoming on Feb. 8 and were believed to be headed to League City, a community just outside of Houston near Galveston. In a Facebook post Saturday, the League City Police Department said there were no actionable threats to any League City preschool or school but that police in Lander, Wyoming had alerted them to a threat to an unspecified school in League City. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A police dispatcher in Lander said the case supervisor was unavailable for an interview Sunday and could offer few details. Police in Amarillo said Friday they were also assisting with the search for the two teens. Police did not specify why the teens destination might be League City. Local, state and federal police were still actively searching for them Sunday afternoon. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The League City Police Department is continuing to follow all leads available and remains in contact with local, state, out of state and federal agencies. As of this update, the two juveniles have not been located, the police department said in its Facebook post. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) Police in the District said that a special police officer from a private security company shot a man who disarmed an officer during an attempted robbery on Sunday. The Metropolitan Police Department said officers were called to the 800 block of 7th St NW at around 6:30 p.m., after reports of a shooting inside an business. Investigators said a man entered the business armed and followed a special police officer into a back room where the officer was disarmed. Howard County police: Man who killed woman hit, killed by car minutes later At that point a second special police officer engaged the man and ultimately fired their weapon, hitting the man. The man was taken to hospital where he was being treated for critical injuries. Police said the Criminal Investigations Division and the Internal Affairs Division were investigating the incident. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. WASHINGTON (DC News Now) A Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer was under investigation for an incident that happened in Montgomery County, MPD confirmed to DC News Now on Sunday. MPD said that the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) had notified it about an officer who was under criminal investigation for an incident in its jurisdiction. A spokesperson did not elaborate on what the incident was but said that MPD was fully cooperating with MCPDs investigation. Man shot by police in Southeast DC identified MPD said that the officers police powers had been revoked and that they had been placed on administrative leave. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. One Haitian killed every two hours. Seventeen wounded a day. Forty kidnapped a month. And incidents of sexual violence in gang-controlled areas of Haiti are so frequent that the United Nations office in Port-au-Prince cant keep track. In the four months since the U.N. Security Council agreed in October to send an armed multinational force led by Kenya to help Haiti combat widespread lawlessness, armed gangs have killed, kidnapped or injured at least 3,425 people, including children. Theyve also looted and seized control of a womens prison and set fires to homes, aggravating an already worsening humanitarian crisis. The grim statistics highlight the deadly cost of delay in deploying a force to the troubled Caribbean country. The country, says the U.N.s top human rights advocate, just recorded its most violent month in two years after logging more than 1,100 deaths, killings, kidnappings and injuries in January. And the violence continues. Two kidnapping gangs notorious for abducting motorists and bus passengers for ransom are now blocking aid deliveries by hijacking food and supply trucks. The latest blockade is happening along a national road straddling two cities, Carrefour and Gressier, south of the capital. In a country where 44 percent of the population is already going hungry, the U.N.s World Food Program says the brutal violence is pushing up food prices in the south, still recovering from a 2021 earthquake, by almost 25 percent. Store shelves are increasingly bare and even oxygen for hospitals is hard to find. Gang clashes near the seaport are once more making it impossible to get any supplies through customs. On Sunday there was more bad news: After confirming that nearly 20 acres of sugarcane in one of its fields had been set ablaze by unknown assailants, rum company Barbancourt announced its foundation was suspending all services to the surrounding community north of the capital. No more free water delivery or healthcare services. A woman runs past burning tires set by protesters against Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Three days of demonstrations forced at least 1,000 schools across Haiti to temporarily close, as well as banks, government agencies and private businesses. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Odelyn Joseph/AP Haitians, including school children, are being killed by stray bullets when they are not being deliberately shot or burned to death. The violence is occurring amid armed clashes between rival gangs, and during anti-government protests sweeping through Port-au-Prince and the rural Artibonite, Grand Anse, South, Central Plateau and Northeast regional departments. In the last week, the protests have forced the shutdown of businesses, schools and government agencies and led to the deaths at the hands of police of five armed agents with a security brigade attached to the environmental ministry. The already dire human rights situation has deteriorated even further, amid unrelenting and expanding gang violence, with disastrous consequences for Haitians, Volker Turk, the U.N. high commissioner for Human Rights, said. Every day that passes, more casualties are being recorded. On Friday, Turk issued an urgent warning about the catastrophe that has already forced an estimated 313,000 Haitians from their homes. More than ever, he said, Haiti needs the rapid deployment of the armed multinational security force. His appeal comes amid uncertainty over the fate of a Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission thats supposed to help stabilize the country. As Turk made his appeal, the death toll and deadly assaults continued to mount as an alliance between two previously warring gangs set its sights on controlling the Cul-de-Sac community north of the capital. The gangs, 400 Mawozo and Chen Mechan, began their deadly assault Thursday on residents and businesses, continuing well into the weekend. They killed a lot of people, Robenson Ycaly, 25, said Sunday. Ycaly was at home in Sarthe, he said, when the automatic gunfire started around 2 p.m. Jumping out of bed, he was only able to grab a backpack. In the scramble, he was separated from his mother. Yesterday, I went back to the house and when I got close they shot someone right in front of me. They killed my neighbor, they burned several cars. They are at my house right now. Ycaly said he spent the night sleeping on the street, with his passport hidden in his socks. He hadnt eaten in days. In addition to taking his home, the gangs now occupy a nearby hotel and other parts of the community where the countrys Rhum Barbancourt factory and other industries are located. I would welcome any force that comes, he said. We cant take it anymore. Kenya mission setback On Monday, top brass from the Haiti National Police will join officials from Kenya, the United States and representatives from other countries at Fort McNair in Washington for two-days of discussions around the deployment of the Kenya-led security mission. Its the first such gathering since a judge in Nairobi put the missions deployment in doubt, leaving Haitis only official security force for now on its own. With the outgunned force shrinking by the day the Haiti National Police lost over 1,600 officers last year, according to the U.N. there are now less than 9,000 officer in a population of nearly 12 million. We think theres certainly a significant need for a multinational security force of some kind down there to help protect the people of Haiti, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said as the meeting commenced. Were glad to host them. Look forward to seeing where we can get. But the idea, really, is to start to set out the general parameters of what that multinational security force could look like, and how it would operate. Its an entry-level discussion. I have no doubt there will be follow-on discussions as appropriate. Much uncertainty remains. Last month, the High Court in Nairobi said it was unconstitutional for the East African nation to send 1,000 of its police to help Haitis police combat gangs. Among the reasons, a judge ruled, was the lack of a police-sharing reciprocal agreement with Haiti. Kenyas government said it is appealing the decision and President William Ruto said the two countries are working on securing the legal paperwork to address the courts concerns. Still, the lack of a definitive timeline and guarantee of deployment means the deaths keep mounting. Every day of delay means more Haitians are killed, raped and kidnapped, said William ONeill, the U.N.s independent human rights expert on Haiti. Untold numbers of people including children will die because they could not get food or medical care. They want to make history In addition to the legal hurdles, the mission faces questions about its funding and composition. The mission is expected to be made up of about 2,500 security officers from Kenya, Jamaica, The Bahamas and other Caribbean and African countries. Some experts have said that size isnt enough to deal with the problem. And some Haitians fear the gangs are getting ready. Every time its announced that Kenya is coming, the gangs, if they are fighting, calm down. You get the sense that they want to save all of their ammunition for Kenya, to take them on, a community leader in the Cite Soleil shantytown who asked to remain anonymous said. Its like they want to make history by fighting against foreign troops. The gangs brazenness raises an important question: Can the international forces make a difference? These are not countries that can help us resolve this, the Cite Soleil leader said. Only the Americans can bring a solution. The politicians, the population, the gangs fear Americans. The U.S has no plans to join the Kenyan-led mission, despite co-authoring the U.N.-backed resolution approving the forces deployment. Instead, the Biden administration has pledged $200 million to help pay for the mission. But the administration is facing objections from some Republican lawmakers in Congress, who are skeptical about the missions goal, timeline and ultimate cost. Of an initial $50 million requested from Congress, only $10 million has been released. A senior Biden administration official said that the latest estimate from the Office of Management and Budget has put the missions price tag at between $515 million and $600 million for two years. But until the operational plans are finalized, we cant really know the precise answer, the official conceded. Other funding questions remain. Even though several countries have said they will help pay for the mission, a United Nations Trust Fund set up to pay for the force is struggling to attract donors after France made an initial contribution. The French provided $3.23 million and also announced an additional $1 million to provide the Kenyans with French-language training ahead of their deployment. During a U.N. Security Council meeting on Haiti last month, the Russian Federations representative, Dmitry A. Polyanskiy, lamented that the council had not received information members had requested on key questions for the operation, including the rules governing the use of force. A protester jumps on burning tires during a protest against Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) Odelyn Joseph/AP The Biden administration official said the key question is how long the international community will stand by and continue letting Haitians suffer. I know it is hard to do something completely new and this type of mission is a new thing. Its not a traditional peacekeeping operation. Its not funded or managed by the U.N. Department of Political and Peacekeeping Affairs the way another mission would be, the official said. So bringing something completely new together is hard. But every day that passes, theres tremendous pain and suffering and I feel that every day weve got to get this moving faster. Compounding the problem, Haitis political crisis has intensified, culminating last week in three days of protests aimed at forcing the ouster of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Protesters, who accuse the increasingly unpopular prime minister of failing to get the violence under control, have barricaded streets, set government property ablaze and clashed with police. Henry had set a goal of Feb. 7, 2024, to hand over power to a newly elected government. However, in the 14 months since signing the agreement that led to that timeline, he and his supporters have been unable to reach a political consensus that the international community has said is necessary for a vote. Henry, who came to power on the heels of the still unsolved assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, has managed to hold on. But he still faces a menacing adversary: former rebel leader Guy Philippe. A former police officer, Philippe was repatriated to Haiti by the U.S. in November after serving six years in federal prison for a money-laundering conspiracy related to drug-trafficking. Since his return, hes been traveling the country rallying Haitians in an effort to oust Henry. In Haitis capital of Port-au-Prince, streets were barricaded with flaming tires and parked vehicles on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024 as part of a countrywide mobilization effort announced by opponents of Prime Minister Ariel Henry to force him from office ahead of Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. JOHNNY FILS-AIME/For the Miami Herald Philippe has teamed up with a Haitian government environmental security brigade and its former leader and called for it to seize control of their regions. And criticizing the international communitys support of Henry, he has called on Kenya not to deploy the security mission. Philippe has support among Haitis political and economic elite as well as ordinary Haitians. Twenty-year ago this month, he led a bloody rebellion against then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide that forced the leader into exile. Maybe the return of Guy Philippe can paradoxically boost the political process and encourage political leaders to find a political agreement, said a western official who is keeping an eye on Philippes role in the ongoing political instability and gang violence. The international community continues to stress the need for Haitians to come together and forge a political agreement that would allow for elections. The deployment of a multinational mission, they stress, is not designed to keep Henry in power, but to create the security necessary to hold a vote. The United States remains firmly committed to working with the global community to support Haitian political and civil society actors working to put their country back on a path toward long-term peace and stability through democratic governance and free and fair elections, a U.S. government official said. But the deployment of the international force is crucial, U.S. officials stress. This is vital to address a human rights crisis, a security crisis, a democracy crisis in our region, said a Biden official. If the international community does not meet the commitment that the Security Council laid out in October, youre condemning the Haitian people to tremendous suffering. McClatchy Chief Washington Correspondent Michael Wilner contributed to this report. An effort to overturn a Delaware city annexation failed to gather enough signatures, but supporters say the more than 1,000 collected will be used to lobby against re-zoning efforts for the 230-acre proposed residential development near Routes 36/36 and 521. A referendum petition drive, lawsuit and opposition website have followed efforts by the city of Delaware to annex more than 200 acres of farmland from neighboring townships to be developed into high-density housing. The citizen-driven challenges illustrate the backlash that some communities face over ever-changing landscapes in growing areas. The need for affordable housing in Delaware County, one of Ohio's fastest-growing, comes at a time when development including Intel's chip manufacturing plant under construction in neighboring Licking County will likely produce more pressure for so-called workforce housing. Delaware City Council last year approved a rezoning application for about 230 acres northwest of Routes 36/37 and 521, just east of the city. That was before it annexed the land into the city. Because the property involved was at the time in both Brown and Delaware townships, Tom Davis, a neighboring property owner, sued the city. Davis argued, in part, that the city of Delaware had no authority to rule on zoning outside its boundaries. The land has since been annexed into the city, rendering that part of the lawsuit moot, said attorney Joseph Miller, who represents Metro Development LLC. But the lawsuit remains open, with Davis still challenging other elements of the project. A ruling on an injunction to stop or delay the project will likely come later this year in Delaware County Common Pleas Court. Meanwhile, other residents began circulating a petition, which needed 1,600 signatures by Feb. 6 to put the annexation issue on the November ballot. But the effort fell 500 signatures short. So now their remaining strategy is to oppose the rezoning. A public hearing on the issue is set for Feb. 26. Why does the city of Delaware annexing land from neighboring townships matter? The proposed development would have consequences for those property owners closest to it and for others, including motorists who travel roadways in the area. An appraiser working for one of those landowners said the development will devalue neighboring farmland, arguing the project is too big for the area and that road and other improvements should precede construction. "It's putting the cart before the horse," said Ross Porter, whose report for Joseph A. Porter & Associates concludes that the proposed 1,168 housing units 811 of which are apartments would create soil erosion and drainage problems, significant traffic and noise for his client and other property owners, and other issues. Objections are fueled by growing discontent about growth, traffic and crowded schools countywide, especially in central and northern Delaware County. The southern townships, largely built-out, have already fueled concerns about unfettered growth and lack of thoughtful planning. A woman wrote a letter to The Dispatch last week, questioning the "price of progress" and transformation of Lewis Center, a few miles south of the proposed housing, where she grew up. Porter said he believes many are simply fed up and concerned that developers wield to much power over officials. "They're saying, 'You can't just come in here and push your weight around for something that (farmers) have worked on for years,'" Porter said. Davis, the plaintiff who is suing Delaware city, lives with his wife on about 110 acres next to the proposed housing development. He rents 72 acres of it to a farmer to grow soybeans. He said he's not opposed to growth, just not high-density growth. "We always considered that (surrounding land) would be single-family homes," Davis said. "Even with single-family homes, it will have a big impact. It's changing. "I think you have to have a good plan, and you can't let the developers get out of control," he said. Davis is also critical of the city's master plan, which calls for single-family homes in that area. "They don't care how they get there," he said of government officials' approach to addressing the need for housing. "They just do this stuff. "It gets really irritating when people don't follow the law," Davis said. "And nobody ever objects because it's expensive," he said of litigation. Shortage of housing in central Ohio presents an ongoing problem The housing shortage justifies the project, at-large Delaware City Council Member Catlin Frazier said. "When we looked at some of the data, we're trending about 9,000 homes behind the population pace in central Ohio," Frazier said, adding that the deficit will climb to 20,000 in the next 10 years. "But not everyone can afford, or wants, to live in a single-family home." Tre Giller, president and CEO of Metro Development, agreed, basically calling the opposition "a fear of the unknown versus the reality." "If we don't provide needed housing now, then we're going to be in a real problem later," GIller said. "If you keep saying no to everything, you end up with higher home prices due to greater demand than supply. If you don't have growth, you have stagnation." Delaware County Treasurer Don Rankey, who lives in the Powell area, said he supports growth, but only when it mixes a variety of housing with new businesses and industry to support it. Rankey also decries the decline of townships due to annexation. "They should not only survive, but thrive," Rankey said of townships. "And the only way they can do that is to maintain their boundaries without cities coming in and annexing their land." Rankey proposes revenue sharing agreements with townships, which have no legal authority under state law to enact an income tax. He noted that the city of Delaware stands to make millions of dollars in city income tax from residents of the proposed development and one-time development fees of about $15,000 per unit from Metro Development. Delaware city is also seeking an increase to its current 1.85% income tax on the March primary ballot, which applies income earned by resident individuals and resident businesses; and non-resident individuals and non-resident businesses earning income in the city. Voters are being asked to approve an additional income tax of 0.35% for general services. If approved, the city income tax would increase to a total 2.20%. The city is also seeking approval on the March ballot to continue an existing 0.15% income tax levy to fund municipal parks and recreation and the payment of securitiesissued for that purpose. Editor's note: Due to an editor's error, an earlier version of the paragraph above listed an incorrect total for the city income tax. dnarciso@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Delaware County annexations face criticism over quality of life issues A photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows a small box of giraffe feces confiscated from a passenger arriving from Kenya at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in 2023. The passenger told customs inspectorss she had planned to use the waste to make a necklace, as she had done in the past with moose poop. Associated Press A dog working for U.S. Customs and Border Protection at a Boston airport alerted to what turned out to be four kilograms of dried monkey meat, which were confiscated from a traveler returning to the United States, the agency said. A K9 unit the dogs name was Buddey flagged the luggage at Boston Logan International Airport coming off a flight from Paris on Jan. 8, according to a news release. The traveler was returning from a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo. When questioned about the bag, the passenger declared that it only held dried fish, and an X-ray seemed to confirm that story, but a physical examination identified the dead and dehydrated bodies of four monkeys, the release said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The seized meat was marked for destruction, according to the news release. Dried monkey meat is commonly categorized as bushmeat the raw or minimally processed meat of wild animals such as bats, nonhuman primates and antelope, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Bringing bushmeat into the United States can incur a $250,000 fine, according to the CDC. The organization cites the potential for infections from pathogens within the dried meat, including the Ebola virus. By David Shepardson and Trevor Hunnicutt ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee said on Monday he is concerned about the decision by the campaign of President Joe Biden to join short-video app TikTok, while the White House said nothing has changed about government national security concerns. Democratic Senator Mark Warner said he was concerned about the national security implications of Chinese-owned TikTok and the Biden campaign decision to join. "I think that we still need to find a way to follow India, which has prohibited TikTok," Warner said on the sidelines of an event. "I'm a little worried about a mixed message." A number of Republican lawmakers have also criticized the campaign's decision to join TikTok, citing national security grounds. The Biden campaign now has more than 57,000 followers on TikTok. TikTok did not immediately comment on Warner's remarks. The White House noted that a ban on the use of TikTok on government devices that was approved by Congress in late 2022 remains in place. White House spokesperson John Kirby said "nothing's changed about the national security concerns, from the (National Security Council) perspective, about the use of TikTok on government devices. That policy is still in place." The U.S. Treasury-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) in March 2023 demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their shares, or face the possibility of the app's being banned, Reuters and other outlets reported, but the administration has taken no action. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that the review by CFIUS is ongoing and noted the White House previously endorsed legislation introduced by Warner and others to give the administration new tools to address threats posed by foreign-owned apps. Efforts in Congress to ban TikTok or give the administration new tools to restrict it have stalled, but some lawmakers want the Commerce Department to put TikTok parent ByteDance on an export control list. Last month, TikTok told Congress that 170 million Americans now use the short video app, up from 150 million a year earlier. The Biden campaign said Sunday it was taking "advanced safety precautions around our devices and incorporating a sophisticated security protocol to ensure security" as it works to court young voters who use the app. (Reporting by David Shepardson and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Jonathan Oatis) A group of progressive senators in a Monday letter to federal regulators accused fossil fuel companies of deceiving the public with ostensibly green gas and overcharging customers for projects that wont help the climate. In the letter provided exclusively to The Hill, the five senators called on the Federal Trade Commission to examine whether the certified gas industry is engaged in unfair and deceptive practices. The group includes Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt..), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Many gas and electric utilities are using so-called certified gas to falsely burnish their climate bona fides, and some charge premiums for gas bearing these frequently meaningless designations, they wrote. As public awareness of the environmental costs of natural gas have grown, the industry has poured money and energy into voluntary certification programs. It has embraced such voluntary regulation as a means to head off recently announced federal controls on gas leaks, a new standard that the leading Texas gas regulator has proposed suing the federal government over. To win over climate conscious customers, gas producers sometimes publicly describe their product as certified, responsible, or differentiated and market it as a climate-friendly fossil fuel, the senators wrote. But, they added, too often these green claims are false or misleading, as the methodology underlying them is opaque, the technology supporting them is unreliable, and the downstream climate effects of gas combustion are ignored. These programs, which go under the broad category of certified natural gas, promise customers, and the municipal utilities they buy from, a product that leads to less planetary heating than uncertified projects. That pitch largely predicated around the idea that gas leaks will be controlled is important because methane, the predominant ingredient in gas, heats the climate dozens of times more powerfully than carbon dioxide, the most common planet-warming chemical. Efforts to reduce methane leaks are at the forefront of attempts to clean up the industrys practice and, in a world where renewables increasingly outcompete gas on price, its image. And utilities around the country have won approval to pay for the price premium commanded by certified gas by passing the costs on to consumers, according to an analysis from the Revolving Door Project cited in the letter. For example, two New York gas utilities received approval last year to pass $250,000 in certification costs on to ratepayers. A third, Con Edison, is passing on $800,000. Vermont, New Jersey, Colorado and Michigan have approved similar programs. Michigans attorney general has pushed back on her states proposal, arguing electric utility shareholders not the captive customer base should bear the cost of the companies climate commitments. The senators, meanwhile, pushed back on the assertion that those commitments are helpful to the climate. Burning any gas heats the planet, no matter how responsibly sourced the fuel is, they noted. And there is persistent evidence from environmental nonprofits and monitoring groups that certification bodies may be missing leaks on a scale that could cancel out their green claims in whole or in part. Even small rates of leakage lead gas to produce just as many emissions as coal a problem that gets worse when the chemicals released by packaging and shipping it are factored in. The senators charged that by simply calling gas natural or describing it as a bridge between dirtier fuels and renewables, the industry was making deceptive claims about its role in warming the climate. They framed the effort to portray it as certified or responsible as a further step down this line and argued it presented a brazen conflict of interest. The gas companies profits depend on the monitoring companies certifying their gas, and the monitoring companies depend on willing industry customers, they wrote. Thus, there is no incentive to ensure the accuracy of emissions measurements. Certified gas, the senators concluded, is part of a much broader claim on the part of industry: that the planet-heating aspects of gas can be cleaned up enough that its use wont have to be reduced. But the evidence is to the contrary, they wrote. The [Federal Trade Commission] should not permit the industry to falsely claim credit for reducing methane pollution from the gas system particularly when it comes at the expense of the fight against climate change. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Democrats are in need of a reality check. The stakes are too high for us to indulge in the kind of denial, self-deception, and illusions that are a too-common reaction to many of the biggest challenges we face as a party and a country. Indeed, reality is our greatest strength and our best defense. Only failing to acknowledge it can undo us. Special Counsel Robert Hurs report describing President Joe Biden as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory has caused a furor. Reactions to it among members of the presidents team and his supporters have ranged from defensiveness to outrage. Most such reactions have not been particularly helpful. The issue of the presidents age cannot be willed or wished away. It must be understood, accepted, and addressed in ways that are consistent with observable reality. Bidens Too Old and Forgetful to Be Prosecuted Step one is to understand what is and what is not trueand what is and is not important about the Hur comment. Among many unassailable facts pertaining to the comment are the following: Hur is a former Trump appointee and self-identified Republican. The fact that he made this comment in the report was, as Vice President Kamala Harris accurately observed, gratuitous, inaccurate, and inappropriate. It is not the kind of comment that belonged in the report. It is debatable whether the report should have been released or not. It is also fair to say that Hur should not have been picked as the special counsel in this case, and that Attorney General Merrick Garland once again seemed to bend so far backwards in the name of appearing non-partisan that his actions actually seemed to serve the partisan interests of the GOP. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 8, 2024. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters As the president himself noted, the interviews he did with Hur which resulted in the assertion that Bidens memory was spotty took place during the midst of one of the greatest international crises of Bidens presidency, on Oct. 8 and 9 of last year, in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attacks on Israel. This was a period in which one senior White House official observed none of us were getting any sleep, and the Hur interview took up five hours of the presidents time in the midst of all that. As Harris and others have observed, the president has effectively led the country for the past three years and achieved a remarkable record, managing highly complex situations from Ukraine to the economy deftly and successfully. Finally, of course, the reality is that President Bidens opponent is essentially the same age, and unlike Biden, he actually shows signs of severe mental decline and would never be described by anyone as sympathetic or well-meaning. But Biden is 81. He is, by any definitionIm sorry, live with itan elderly man. Indeed, one of the accomplishments of his administration may be that he will help combat ageism by demonstrating what an older person is capable of, given his success to date in the worlds most demanding job. And if you think this issue is going away, forget it. The Hur comment is in the universe now. It will be repeated daily from now through the election on a thousand social and partisan media platforms. Evangelicals Trump Worship Looks More Like QAnon Every Day If you are a Biden supporter and you somehow thought the president was going to make it through this campaign year without this issue arising, you are living in a dream world. Indeed, it is going to come back again and again in ways we cannot predict. He is old. Shit happens. If you are a Biden aide and you think you can deny this claim or criticize its author into making it go away, that aint happening. If you think that pictures of the president on his bike are going to make people think hes training for a triathlon nope. Instead, the goal should be to reduce the number of ways this issue could come up and to find ways of addressing it that are realistic, will withstand the twists the campaign may take, and shift the conversation to the bigger issues on the minds of Americans. Because in the end, what we are talking about is how do we ensure that Biden wins in Novemberand we do not elect instead a would-be dictator, serial criminal, friend of our enemies. Rather than trying to make Biden appear younger than he is, own who he is. Manage photo ops accordingly. Manage his schedule accordingly. Lets see more of him not in staged settings, but in the kind of informal, unstaged videos that matter most today on Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok. Show him interacting with people. Show his humor. Show his compassion. Show him with members of his teamwho are younger, vital, and immensely capable. The formal staged events and press conferences that were the meat and potatoes of past presidencies are not the Biden campaigns friend. Theyre also obsolete. Play to on-demand media, not to linear fossils. That is where this election will be won or lost anyway. Next, we could really use a sense of the Biden agenda for a second term. That should start to come in the State of the Union next month. As political adviser Simon Rosenberg puts it, it is important that it is less about finishing the job and more about preparing America for the future. Biden, perhaps counterintuitively, can and should be seen to be leading a generational turn in American politics. Surround him on the campaign trail or use surrogates that show him actively showcasing and elevating next generation leaders like Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, or Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL). President Joe Biden leaves Mrs. Robinos restaurant after having lunch with his sister Valerie Biden Owens in Wilmington, Delaware, on Feb. 10, 2024. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters Biden is a patriarch. Let him play that role. Let him, as Simon puts it, lean into the generational transition, be the enabler of it, acknowledging this is his last act and he sees his responsibility as setting the stage for what comes next. His legacy should and will be measured by whether or not he leaves America better prepared to handle the challenges, and seize the opportunities that mean the most to the youngest members of his and all of our extended families. In addition, Biden and his team should go directly at his opponent. The GOP Is Actively Supporting Russias Ukrainian Genocide Campaigns are won by candidates who play offense (see political scientist Rachel Bitecofers excellent book, Hit Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy By Beating Republicans at Their Own Game). The core issue in this election is whether Americans will have fewer freedoms in the future or more opportunities. Make it clear that Donald Trump will strip away those freedoms and pillage the country to enrich his buddies while weakening the rest of us. Show Bidens vitality through the vigor with which he confronts the blustering bully that is his opponent. A good viral jab at the MAGA menace is worth a thousand bike rides by the Delaware beach. Want to talk about the presidents performance in office? Fine. But trust me, as great as the CHIPs and Science Act is, Democrats will not gain a single vote from a contested voter because of it. What will be essential there is not what he has done but what he will do, demonstrating (not just saying) that he provides the best way to preserve for tomorrow the freedoms they value today. Fortunately, this is where you really see reality kicking in and proving its benefits over denial. Because Biden is a tough fighter. Because Biden is the countrys last best defense against Trump. Because Trump would rob America of its future and Biden can ensure it. But also because the message I am describing is already being delivered very effectively, to cheering crowds, to standing room audiences, to key voting groups like young people, women, and people of color. And it is being delivered by the one person who is the single best reason to feel secure about having a president who is admittedly older, the person who answers all the what if questions no one wants to ask. It is being delivered by the most prominent and accomplished member of the next generation of American leaders. That person is, of course, Vice President Kamala Harris. The Five Big Obstacles to Israel-Palestine Peace Vice presidents are always the countrys insurance policy regarding all the possible twists of fate that may make it difficult for a president to serve. Harris has been at Bidens side for three years and is undoubtedly the single best-equipped person in the world to succeed Biden and carry forward his legacy. In recent months, it has become clear that she has become the administrations best champion on the biggest issues of this election year. She is the woman, trained all her life as an advocate, who has crowds cheering as she talks about the Biden administrations commitment to defending their fundamental freedoms against the threat of Trump and MAGA. She is the most powerful voice in the administration on restoring to women their rights to control their own bodies, on combating senseless gun violence, on ensuring voting rights are protected (especially for people of color), on battling Big Pharma to bring prices down for all who depend on medicine to live. Playing this role so effectively in state after state, at historically Black colleges and universities and in small group sessions with citizens, has produced a long-overdue and accurate reassessment of her as the administrations greatest asset other than the president. Indeed the reason the Republicans attack the vice president so vigorously is not just that they are racist and misogynistalthough they are. It is that they understand that with an older president, faith in the vice president is a crucial ballot box consideration. They want to undermine her. They need to undermine her. Unfortunately for them, Joe Biden understood that, understood the vice presidency from personal experience, and picked a candidate who could be a full partner, a national and international leader, and ultimately, at some point, his successor. The outsize role Harris will play in 2024must play, should playwill not only prove an asset as it did in 2020, but is among the very best ways that Joe Biden can demonstrate the vitality of his administration and silence critics. MAGA Republicans Foreign Policy Is Trump First, America Last Her role as the leader of the first-rate next-generation team that Biden has assembled to carry out his agenda also underscores the future orientation and strengths of Team Bidenand will surely contrast well with Trumps crew if they are anything like his last administration (and theyre projected to be even worse). Democrats seeking to boost Biden would do well to understand the above, and rather than denying that Biden is old or complaining that anyone is pointing it outembrace his wisdom, his vigor in defending what is best about America from the threats we face from Trump, and the quality of his team beginning with Vice President Harris. After all, in 2024 the issue cant really be the age of the candidates. Both will be old. Rather, it will be the age of those they will best servea choice between Trump who will cater to his country club buddies and Biden and Harris who will serve the next generation of Americans. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) Authorities are searching for multiple suspects who broke into an apartment near Holland early Monday morning. The Ottawa County Sheriffs Office said around 4 a.m. Monday, it received a report of a home invasion at the Crystal Waters Condominiums on W. Crystal Waters Drive near the intersection of Riley Street and 120th Avenue in Holland Township. Multiple suspects broke into the apartment. Then, once inside, one of the suspects fired a single round from a handgun, the sheriffs office said. There were no reports of injuries, according to the sheriffs office. No arrests have been made, and no suspect descriptions have been released. This embedded content is not available in your region. Anyone with information is asked to call Ottawa County Central Dispatch at 1.800.249.0911 or Silent Observer at 1.88.SILENT. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Jared Michael Shaw looks toward the gallery during his trial Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, at the S. James Foxman Justice Center in Daytona Beach. Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Jared Shaw told a deputy according to body camera video that he had killed a "god" in reference to stabbing a homeless woman. A prosecutor said that what Shaw actually said was that the gods had told him to stab the woman. A homeless man, his white shirt drenched in blood, told a deputy that the gods told him to stab a homeless woman, according to a prosecutor. Jared Shaw, 36, went on trial Monday charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Christine McCaleb, 67. Shaws defense attorneys are arguing he is not guilty by reason of insanity. If found guilty, Shaw will be sentenced to mandatory life in prison. If found not guilty by reason of insanity, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Blackburn could order him committed to a psychiatric institution. Volusia Sheriffs Deputy Royce James was one of the witnesses called during Monday's trial at the S. James Foxman Justice Center. James testified he was driving on Woodland Boulevard in the early morning of Oct. 16, 2019, when a man flagged him down and directed his attention to Shaw. James body camera video, which was played for the jury, showed a man later identified as Shaw with a wide swath of blood down the middle of his white shirt. The deputy told him to lie down and called for medical help to come to Woodland Boulevard and Ohio Avenue. Shaw also told the deputy that he inflicted the deep laceration to his neck himself. I did it myself, he said in the video. Shaw then says he had stabbed somebody on a bench. Shaw told the deputy that the gods had told him to do it, Assistant State Attorney Helen Schwartz said. A sheath is visible on the left side of Shaw in the body camera video. That sheath matched the knife used in the murder, prosecutors said. Shaw said he stabbed the woman with a knife. When asked how many people he had stabbed, Shaw said one. As medics treated Shaw and prepared him for transport, James asked Shaw for his Social Security number which he provided. During questioning by Assistant State Attorney Mark Interlicchio, James said Shaw followed commands and responded appropriately to questions. Interlicchio also played body camera video from DeLand Police which showed McCaleb laying on the bench. Her eyes were closed. She had red lipstick on. Officers lowered her shirt to check for wounds and there was blood on her chest. A black-handled knife with a notch in the blade was next to her feet on the bench. Shaw sat at the end of the defense table and did not appear to show emotion during the proceedings. When the judge and attorneys discussed an evidence issue prior to allowing the jury into the courtroom, Shaw bent over in his seat and looked down at the floor. As video played of the woman he killed, Shaw looked straight ahead at least some of the time. Prosecutor: Shaw stood over homeless woman before killing her In her opening statement, Schwartz said McCaleb was homeless and sleeping on a bench. Shaw bought the knife used in the murder at Walmart within two days before the killing. It was a hunting knife and contained a hook in the blade used to disembowel animals. Schwartz said that video surveillance at the Bank of America showed Shaw walking back and forth by the bench where McCaleb was sleeping. Every time headlights from passing cars illuminated the bench, Shaw walked away, Schwartz said. When the headlights faded, Shaw would reenter the video frame. Shaw then stood over McCaleb before stabbing her in the chest. It was a painful death, Schwartz said. Schwartz said because Shaw walked back and forth in front of the bench before the stabbing, it showed thoughtful consideration and premeditation on his part and asked jurors to find him guilty of first-degree murder. Defense: Shaw's mental health record dates back years Assistant Public Defender Jessica Roberts in her opening statement began with Shaws response when law enforcement asked who he stabbed. Shaw suffers from mental health illnesses, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and paranoia, records show. She told jurors no one would testify that Shaw was not mentally ill. She said this was not a case in which Shaw killed someone and then it was discovered he was mentally ill. She said Shaws mental health record extends back years. Roberts said that Shaw was born to a mother who kept drinking alcohol even during her pregnancy. He was later adopted. She said that Shaw slit his own throat that night and then got on his bicycle and started riding with blood pouring down his shirt. Roberts asked what sane person would do that. She said that while police found meth in his pants pocket, Shaw was not drug tested. Roberts told the court that three years before the killing, Shaw was homicidal and believed his adoptive parents were going to kill him so he was going to harm them first before they harmed him. But he was hospitalized. She said at the hospital they tested him and found no drug use. She asked jurors to enter a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Accused killer in DeLand homeless stabbing said 'god' told him to kill GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Country music star Dierks Bentley is returning to Grand Rapids this summer with a revival of his Gravel & Gold Tour. Live Nation announced tour dates Monday morning including a stop at Van Andel Arena on September 19. Bentley released his 10th studio album Gravel & Gold last year. Since his debut album in 2003, Bentley has consistently stayed atop the Country sales charts, including 22 No. 1 songs and 15 Grammy nominations. Some of his biggest hits include What Was I Thinkin, Come a Little Closer and Free and Easy. The Gravel & Gold Tour swung through Michigan last summer, performing at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston on June 2. Bentley last played Van Andel Arena on March 3, 2022. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, March 1. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, left center, listens as Mayor John Whitmire comments during a press conference during an active shooter event at Lakewood Church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen listens to comments at a press conference during an active shooter event at the church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A woman holds her face as she waited with others outside Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, left center, and Mayor John Whitmire, right center, listen as Houston Police Chief Troy Finner makes comments at a press conference during an active shooter event at Lakewood Church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Jaime Cabrera, holding a bible, who was inside of Lakewood Church when the shooting happened, talks to a reporter on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Cabrera, who was in the military, stayed in the sanctuary to try to assist after he said 15 shots were fired from the second story of the church. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A woman outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Jaime Cabrera, holding a bible, who was inside of Lakewood Church when the shooting happened, talks to a reporter on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Cabrera, who was in the military, stayed in the sanctuary to try to assist after he said 15 shots were fired from the second story of the church. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Scene outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer From left, Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, Police Chief Troy Finner, Fire Department Chief Samuel Pena, and Mayor John Whitmire participate in a press conference during an active shooter event at Lakewood Church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston Police and Harris County Sheriffs officers outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer From left, Police Chief Troy Finner, Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen, Mayor John Whitmire and Fire Department Chief Samuel Pena, participate in a press conference during an active shooter event at Lakewood Church Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer A Houston Police officer outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Houston Police and Harris County Sheriffs officers outside of Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Emergency vehicles line the feeder road outside Lakewood Church during a reported active shooter event Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Houston Police officers watch over displaced church goers outside Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Emergency vehicles line the feeder road outside Lakewood Church during a reported active shooter event Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024 in Houston. Kirk Sides/Staff photographer Jaime Cabrera, who was inside of Lakewood Church when the shooting happened talks to Houston Police officers on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Cabrera, who was in the military, stayed in the sanctuary to try to assist after he said 15 shots were fired from the second story of the church. Karen Warren/Staff photographer A woman holds her face as she waited with others outside Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Houston Police officers watch over displaced church goers outside Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Houston Police officers watch over displaced church goers outside Lakewood Church on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston, after a reported shooting during a Spanish church service. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Shots may have been fired at or around Lakewood Church early Sunday afternoon, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Houston. Claire Hao/Staff reoporter Officer seen outside of Lakewood Church. Brandon Thomas via X The Houston Chronicle is covering the deadly shooting that occurred at celebrity pastor Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church on Sunday. Follow along below for live updates and analysis from Chronicle reporters. To support our journalism, please consider subscribing to the Chronicle for unlimited digital access. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A woman with a long rifle entered Lakewood Church Sunday afternoon and fired shots inside the Houston megachurch, authorities said. The woman later was fatally shot by two off-duty police officers, according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner. A small child who arrived at the church with the woman was critically injured and was at a local hospital receiving treatment, Finner said during a 4:30 p.m. news briefing. A 57-year-old man was shot in the hip and was taken to the hospital, where his condition was stabilized, Finner said. Finner said it was unknown whether the woman or the off-duty officers shot the child. "I will say this... That female, that suspect, put that baby in danger. I'm going to put that blame on her." It was unclear who shot the man. Authorities believe the woman acted alone and that there was no further danger to the community. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At approximately 1:53 p.m., the woman, estimated to be in her 30s, entered the church from the west side, Finner said. She was wearing a trenchcoat and a backpack and came with a 7-year-old child. "Once she entered, at some point she began to fire," Finner said. Two off-duty officers, one with the Houston Police Department and the other with Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, were working extra security detail at the church, Finner said. Both officers shot the woman, who died at the scene, he said. "I want to commend those officers. She had a long gun, and it could've been a lot worse, but they stepped up and they did their job," Finner said. The woman claimed to have had a bomb but authorities didnt find any explosives on her or her car, Finner said. She was also spraying "some type of substance" on the ground, he said. The substance was being investigated by the Houston Fire Department; Finner said authorities didn't know what it was. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At 2:10 p.m. Sunday, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said he had received initial reports of possible shots fired at or around Lakewood Church, one of the largest Christian megachurches in the country, located in the 3700 block of Southwest Freeway in Houston. Deputies from the Harris County sheriff's office who work extra security detail at the church were on scene, he initially said. The shooter had been fatally fired upon, Gonzalez said initially. Later, he issued a correction to an earlier post on social media saying it was not HCSO deputies who fired the shots but rather an officer from another agency. As is standard when officers are involved in a shooting, the Harris County District Attorney's office will conduct an investigation, and both agencies will conduct internal investigations, Finner said. Both officers will be placed on administrative duty, he said. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz called the off-duty officers who shot an armed woman in a Lakewood Church shooting heroes, late Sunday on Twitter. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "Heidi and I are praying for the Lakewood Church community," Cruz said. "I join them and my hometown city of Houston in mourning after todays senseless shooting." The two off-duty officers were with Houston Police Department and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church, shared a message Sunday on Twitter encouraging everyone to find strength and comfort in their faith after a shooting at his megachurch in Houston. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "In the face of such darkness, we must hold onto our faith and remember evil will not prevail," Osteen said. "God will guide us through the darkest of times. Together, we will rise above this tragedy and stand firm in our commitment to love and support one another." He said it's difficult to understand why such violence can happen, but said "we know that God is in control." Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo praised first responders and those who shot a suspected shooter Sunday at Lakewood Church. The shooting at Lakewood Church today is devastating," Hidalgo said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Lakewood is beloved by so many people in Harris County and around the nation. My heart goes out to the congregation and all affected, and I am angered at the fact that the alleged shooter seems to have brought a young child with her who now has terrible injuries." Hidalgo credited off-duty Houston Police officers and Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for stopping the suspected shooter. a bigger tragedy. Hidalgo also asked that investigators learn if there were any hate-based motives for the shooting. "I will not make any assumptions because information continues to come in as to what motivated the shooter, but I am asking that the investigation look into whether it was a hate crime, given the shooting took place at an all-Spanish service." Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton posted a response to the Lakewood Church Shooting on social media Sunday. "We offer our deepest prayers for this terrible situation today at @lakewoodchurch," Paxton said on X. "Our prayers to all who were involved." U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee was among the Houston-area politicians to offer support after the Lakewood Church shooting. After meeting with some congregants at a family reunification location, Jackson Lee praised the response from law enforcement officers and the hundreds of parents who rushed to find their children. "What I was most concerned about was how the children were evacuated, and they did it superbly," she said. "No one would ever expect this to happen ... on a Sunday, a day of worship at a church." Twelve-year-old Amy Hernandez was in the bookstore when people started scattering. She said she hid under a desk for more than 45 minutes until police evacuated the building. I was panicking, my heart was racing. I didnt know what to do honestly, so I just started praying. I just hoped everything would be okay, Hernandez said. Her family comes to the Spanish service every Sunday, she said. Hundreds, some still praying and preaching in the hours after the shooting, were gathered outside a family reunification location as congregants continued to be ushered out of Lakewood. Churchgoer Nancy Lopez described a frenzy inside the megachurch after several shots rang out as a Spanish-language service was set to begin in the auditorium. "Everyone started running, trying to grab their kids," said Lopez. JOEL OSTEEN: What to know about the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston Like many families still waiting outside the church, the 35-year-old said she had been separated from two of her children for hours since the shooting. She's been in contact with them and knows they're safe inside of Lakewood still, but the mother of three was left shaken. "I thought the shooter was going to get us," Lopez said. "The first thing you think about is your children." Lopez and hundreds of others were told by police to line up single file outside the fitness center behind Lakewood Church and to have photos of their children ready as authorities worked to reunite families. Cherami Fisher said she was one of the last few people who got to meet Joel Osteen in the hallway outside the auditorium after the 11 a.m. service concluded. After meeting Osteen, she went to the bathroom and headed toward the exit when she said she saw a person with a gun about 20 feet away. She instinctively fled in the other direction into a side room, where she hid with about 10 others in a closet for more than an hour. Martha Cardenas was inside the auditorium waiting for the Spanish service to begin when she heard what sounded like three gunshots spaced about 15 seconds apart, she told the Chronicle. Cardenas was visiting family in Houston from Barcelona and had been looking forward to attending services at Lakewood. She said shes been an avid listener of Joel Osteens sermons for years. Gov. Greg Abbott also weighed in, saying he had been in contact with Houston Mayor Whitmire. Our hearts are with those impacted by todays tragic shooting and the entire Lakewood Church community in Houston. Places of worship are sacred," he said. Abbott offered support from Texas Department of Public Safety officers and Texas Rangers. "Join Cecilia and me in praying for this community during this difficult time and for the brave men and women in blue who acted quickly to respond to this tragedy," Abbott said. One of the people shot at the church Sunday was a young child, possibly between the ages of 5 and 9 years old, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said. https://twitter.com/ConstableRosen/status/1756800961870275042 Rosen didn't describe the child's condition. He repeated news that the suspected gunman was also shot. Police have planned a press conference for 4:30 p.m. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez posted an update on X, formerly known as Twitter, confirming that a shooter is down, but that HCSO deputies did not fire shots. It was an officer from a different agency. Houston police confirmed Lifetime Fitness at Greenway Plaza is a reunification point for families who were attending Spanish Sunday service and for parents who are looking to pick up their children from daycare at the church. Lifetime Fitness is located at 1 Healthy Way. The gym is located behind the church. The previous reunification location had been listed as Lamar High School. According to the Lakewood Church website, there is a Spanish language service that begins at 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Authorities completely shut down Timmons Lane from Richmond Avenue to Southwest Freeway. Correction (February 12, 2024, 3:33 p.m.): This story has been updated to reflect that the child is 7 years old and that the 57-year-old man was shot in the hip. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) In case you need a reminder, Valentines Day is Wednesday. And if you needed that reminder, then you probably need some ideas for how to spend it with your loved ones. Dont worry, we have you covered. Here are some of the special ways to celebrate your someone special: Gal/Pal/Val-entines Day glassware painting class Colors & Cocktails in Kalamazoo will be hosting a Valentines Day event for everyone to enjoy. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., enjoy a glass of bubbly and some chocolates while you paint your choice of glassware. Click here for more. Music bingo in Paw Paw Looking for a free event to enjoy? Then head down to Paw Paw for a love-inspired game of bingo. There will be three rounds of music bingo with three winners in each round at Paw Paw Brewing Company. There will also be specialty-themed drinks on the menu as well. More information can be found here. Pizza, beer and donuts in Decatur Final Gravity Brewing Company knows that the key to any healthy relationship is by dining together. Thats why they are hosting an event with the three major food groups for you to purchase: heart-shaped pizza, beer and donut holes. Details can be found by clicking here. Walking tour around downtown GR Nothing says romance like a walk through downtown Grand Rapids during the afternoon. Sneak away from work for an hour on your lunch break and take the final mile-long walking tour part of World of Winters Chilly Challenge. Additional information can be found here. Love On Ice The only thing more romantic than a walk might be an ice skate around Rosa Parks Circle. Skating opens at 11 a.m. and you can have two people skate for the price of one. There will also be an ice wall carving demonstration as well. Click here for more information. Watercolor class in Grand Rapids Tell your partner how much you care about them with a painting you created all by yourself. The ARt of Life is hosting a watercolor painting class that you can take with your significant other and create a work of art. Register for the class by clicking here. Dance class at Social Dance Studio Social Dance Studio is welcoming couples who are looking to bust a move on Valentines Day. Reservations are required but you will be treated to a dance class of your choosing as well as an open dance later that night along with an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage of your choice. Find more information here. Make some holiday cocktails Spruced Studio in Grand Rapids is looking to provide a fun and also educational night for couples. Mix and Mingle starts at 7 p.m. and you will learn how to make two signature cocktails perfect for Valentines Day. You will also be able to try them out yourself. More details can be found here. Grand Rapids Boat Show at DeVos Place The middle of February can feel like the complete opposite of boating season but that doesnt mean you cant start dreaming about it. The Grand Rapids Boat Show returns to DeVos Place and is a great way to prepare for the warmer weather and days on the lake with your loved ones. Click here for more. Comedy show at River City Saloon Have a good laugh this Valentines Day with the person who makes you laugh the most. River City Saloon will have its weekly Comedy Night with a stacked lineup. Shows are expected to begin at 9 p.m. More information can be found here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. Former President Donald Trump is attending a closed-door hearing in Florida related to the case over his alleged mishandling of classified documents, according to multiplenewsreports. Mondays hearings concern whether prosecutors can keep some of the classified material from the defendants as part of the discovery process, according to Forbes. Trump and his team will likely first meet alone with U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon to discuss the case in detail, according to a court filing cited by CNN. Cannon will then hold a separate hearing only with special counsel Jack Smiths team. Trumps co-defendants in the case, his aide Walt Nauta and a Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira, wont be able to attend the hearing as they lack security clearance to see the files in question, ABC News reported. Their lawyers, though, will be present at the proceeding. The hearing is being held at a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility in Fort Pierce, Florida, ABC added. Last week, Smith urged Cannon to reconsider an earlier ruling that would allow the names of witnesses to be unsealed. That discovery material, if publicly docketed in unredacted form as the Court has ordered, would disclose the identities of numerous potential witnesses, along with the substance of the statements they made to the FBI or the grand jury, exposing them to significant and immediate risks of threats, intimidation, and harassment, as has already happened to witnesses, law enforcement agents, judicial officers, and Department of Justice employees whose identities have been disclosed in cases in which defendant Trump is involved, Smith wrote. Another hearing has been set for early next month to determine whether the trial will still go ahead as planned in May. Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira have denied wrongdoing in the case. Related... Former President Donald Trump has a busy week in at least five courts, with decisions expected on whether he can continue to do business in New York state and whether a federal trial on charges of election interference will be postponed. The variety of court hearings reflects the crowded litigation calendar Trump faces as he campaigns to return to the White House as the Republican front-runner. On Monday, Trump is attending a closed-door hearing in Fort Pierce, Florida, in his federal case alleging the mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon will meet with Trump and his lawyers to discuss evidence in the case without Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith. Then Cannon will meet with Smith. Former President Donald Trump arrives at the Federal Courthouse on Feb. 12, 2024, in Fort Pierce, Fla. Trump is appearing at a closed hearing in his criminal case charging him with mishandling classified documents. Later Monday, Trump faces a deadline to ask the Supreme Court to hear arguments about whether he is immune from prosecution on charges of election interference. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump isnt immune. But the appeals court agreed to continue postponing U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkans trial if Trump commits to appealing to the Supreme Court. The arguments in the criminal case would come on the heels of the high courts hearing Thursday on whether Colorado can remove him from the states presidential ballot for insurrection in the Capitol attack Jan. 6, 2021. Lawyers for Colorado and Smiths team are seeking quick answers in both cases. Thursday features two more hearings in criminal cases against trump. In New York, state Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan scheduled a hearing on charges Trump falsified business records in 2016 to pay an adult-film actress and a former Playboy model not to talk about their claims he had sex with them. Merchan had scheduled the trial to begin March 25, but pretrial work on the case paused while the federal cases took center stage. The hearing could clarify how soon the case could go to trial. In Georgia, Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee will hold a hearing about the prosecutor in the election interference case against Trump and 14 co-defendants. Trump and other defendants have asked to remove District Attorney Fani Willis from the case because of her personal relationship with another prosecutor, Nathan Wade. Willis has acknowledged the relationship, but said she hasn't benefitted from it financially and that she intends to remain on the case. Removing her could further delay a trial not expected to start until at least August. Former President and 2024 presidential hopeful Donald Trump attends a "Get Out the Vote" Rally in Conway, South Carolina, on February 10, 2024. Also possible this week is a ruling for damages in the civil fraud case against Trump in New York. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron has aimed to issue his ruling by mid-February, after already ruling Trump and his namesake company committed fraud by overvaluing real-estate repeatedly for years to gain benefits from lenders and insurers. Engoron postponed his ruling after the New York Times reported that a witness, Trumps former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, was negotiating a possible plea agreement for alleged perjury during the trial. But lawyers for Trump and state Attorney General Letitia James each urged Engoron to issue his ruling without waiting for possible criminal charges against Weisselberg. James has asked for $370 million and a halt to Trump doing business in New York. But Trump has vowed to appeal Engorons ruling. Trump's Cases Guide: As Donald Trump's trials heat up, here's a guide to the major lawsuits. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump cases update: action in at least 5 court cases this week As we all know, the biggest story in the world is the breaking news that President Joe Biden is old. Sure 9/11 was something of a big deal and the war in Iraq and the global pandemic required all of our attention for a time, but this is the most important news of our lifetime, maybe anyone's lifetime and there's no telling when, or if, the nation will ever recover. Still, it's probably important to at least pay a tiny bit of attention to other things happening in the world just in case they might also be affected by Biden's age in some way. In fact, we probably should be just a little bit curious about what former Fox News celebrity Tucker Carlson was doing in Moscow last week interviewing Russian president Vladimir Putin. Carlson has demonstrated his affinity for Putin for years now and is commonly extolled on the Russian state television channels as a model American with all the right ideas. Back in March of 2022, Mother Jones obtained a copy of a Kremlin memo with talking points for the media: It is essential to use as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who sharply criticizes the actions of the United States [and] NATO, their negative role in unleashing the conflict in Ukraine, [and] the defiantly provocative behavior from the leadership of the Western countries and NATO towards the Russian Federation and towards President Putin, personally, advises the 12-page document written in Russian. It sums up Carlsons position: Russia is only protecting its interests and security. The memo includes a quote from Carlson: And how would the US behave if such a situation developed in neighboring Mexico or Canada? (People like Carlson used to be called "useful idiots.") Russian state media has followed those instructions and for the past two years has featured Carlson's commentary regularly. It's therefore not all that surprising that he would be granted the coveted interview with Putin. As it turns out the interview ended up mostly being a twisted history lesson from Putin with Carlson sitting there like a potted plant with a feigned fascinated expression on his face. The point of Putin's tutorial was to explain why Russia has every right to invade Ukraine and anywhere else he might fancy. Putin went to great pains to explain why it was the victims of WWII who made Hitler do what he did, specifically the people of Poland, whom Putin blamed for balking at Hitler's invasion of its country. The entire thrust of the conversation was a very thinly veiled threat to invade Poland. The Polish government certainly heard it that way. The foreign minister posted this on Friday: It's not the first time the Russian dictator V. Putin blames , invaded by the USSR on 17.09.1939, for the outbreak of the #WWII. We are used to paranoid justifications for Russia's invasion of in 2022. Whats shocking is that this time they are enabled by an journalist. Radek Sikorski (@radeksikorski) February 9, 2024 He's right. It isn't the first time. Putin been saying it for years now and it's one reason why the NATO alliance has not only been more unified than ever, but they've also welcomed Finland another country that shares a border with Russia and is definitely on Putin's wish list. Sweden has also applied for membership but is still being held up by Russia-friendly Hungary under the leadership of authoritarian dreamboat, Viktor Orban. (There is some hope that this last impediment will be lifted in the near future.) These are countries that had long resisted joining the alliance but moved quickly to do it when Putin expanded his invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They see the writing on the wall. There's been a ton written about the right's attraction to Putin for reasons that range from affinity with his macho whiteness and adherence to "traditional values" (homophobia and misogyny) to an appreciation of his willingness to crack down on dissent. He's their kind of guy. And we know that the man who leads their party, Donald Trump, admires him greatly because he says so all the time. When Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, Trump was very impressed: Heres a guy whos very savvy I know him very well. Very, very well. By the way, this never would have happened with us. Had I been in office, not even thinkable. This would never have happened. But heres a guy that says, you know, Im gonna declare a big portion of Ukraine independent he used the word independent and were gonna go out and were gonna go in and were gonna help keep peace. You gotta say thats pretty savvy. He pays lip service to the idea that Putin is so afraid of Trump that he would never make a move without his permission but the truth is that Trump not only doesn't care that Putin invaded a sovereign country, he is actively hostile to Ukraine, which he has been persuaded to hate for a variety of reasons many of which were likely put in his head by Putin himself. And he's been opposed to the NATO alliance for years, mainly because he never understood what it does and why the U.S. should be a part of it. He even admitted it on the trail once back in 2016, saying "I said heres the problem with NATO: its obsolete. Big statement to make when you dont know that much about it, but I learn quickly. Whatever Trump may have learned came up against his unwillingness to ever admit he was wrong so he transformed his critique to the only thing he understands: money. He has repeatedly threatened to pull out of NATO because the other countries aren't "making their payments" as if they're members of Trump's Mar-a-Lago beach club in arrears on their membership dues rather than a mutual defense alliance in which each country has agreed to spend a certain amount on its national defense. Over the weekend he went further, however, and said something truly dangerous and unhinged: Trump: One of the presidents of a big country stood up and said, Well, sir, if we don't pay and were attacked by Russia, will you protect us? I said.. No I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. pic.twitter.com/2RPVDFZIXy Acyn (@Acyn) February 10, 2024 This kind of loose talk is dangerous and stupid coming from a man who was once president of the United States and is running again. People believe him when he says something like that, not because they can't take a joke or don't know that he's full of hot air, but because it's entirely believable that he would do exactly that. Everyone knows he doesn't care about America's allies and he has made it clear over and over again that he sees no real benefit to them beyond a possible payout. He posted this on Sunday: That's a meaningless demand indicating that even after four years as president, Trump is still as shallow and vacuous as he was the day he was inaugurated. It's no doubt a coincidence that he made these comments within days of the Carlson interview with Putin. I find it hard to believe that Trump slogged through that tedious conversation or understood what Putin was talking about. But you can bet that Putin heard Trump and rubbed his hands together with glee. If only the American people heard him just as clearly. The chair of the House Intelligence Committee is warning that time is running out for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders and he's pushing Speaker Mike Johnson to step up. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) spoke days after leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to Kyiv, his third visit to the embattled nation since Russias invasion, where he tried to assure Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that reinforcements are on the way. The situation back in America has not been so encouraging for Zelenskyy: GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is taking fresh aim at America's foreign aid commitments, and questions abound over just what Johnson's intentions are as the Senate presses forward with an aid package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine. The message Turner brought back from Kyiv is that theres not a moment to spare: Soldiers, he said, are already rationing munitions and are unable to fully defend themselves on the battlefield. We have to get this done, he said. This is no longer an issue of, When do we support Ukraine? If we do not move, this will be abandoning Ukraine. Turners visit is particularly timely. The Senate is on track to pass its supplemental spending bill, which includes funding for Israel and Taiwan as well as Ukraine, no later than Wednesday. But what happens after that remains in question, even though Turner predicts the bill would have overwhelming support in the House. The speaker will need to bring it to the floor, he said. Not everyone is so sure. Plenty of GOP lawmakers continue to insist that no taxpayer dollars should flow to protect Ukraines borders until the southern border is protected, and senior GOP aides are betting that Johnson wont buck that pressure (even after playing an outsize role in killing the Senates bipartisan border deal). It certainly doesnt help that Trump is now starting to speak out against foreign aid. Hawks, however, are clinging to hope based, in part, on one whispered story: When NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was on Capitol Hill late last month, he told a small group of Republicans that the speaker had personally assured him hed allow a vote on Ukraine aid possibly as a standalone measure and that it would likely pass the House. Johnsons office firmly pushed back on that account. The speaker merely conveyed that each component of the supplemental must be evaluated on its own merits and can potentially be considered separately, spokesperson Raj Shah said in a statement. Johnson came into the speakership last year pledging, We cant allow Vladimir Putin to prevail in Ukraine. But he hasn't provided a clear path to delivering the funding necessary to prevent that scenario, with aides citing a lack of White House answers to questions about where the money is going, how its being used and the endgame for Ukraine. Furthermore, Johnsons pool of political capital is quickly dwindling inside the House GOP, and with a government shutdown deadline just over two weeks again, hell be hard-pressed to spend any on Ukraine aid anytime soon lest he invites a right-wing mutiny. Turner wouldnt comment on private discussions but said he was confident Johnson will allow a Ukraine vote, one way or another. I don't think that this is one of those issues where you can change positions, he said. You're either for or against the authoritarian governments invading democratic countries. You're either for or against the killing of innocent civilians. You're either for or against Russia reconstituting the Soviet Union. Turner added that if the hard right comes after Johnson, he believes Democrats will protect him from a motion to vacate: They know the work we have yet to get done this year is essential and critical, he said. If the Democrats allow the fringe that threatens Johnson's job every day to be successful, then all their priorities and the nations priorities would fail. Like this content? Sign up for POLITICO's Playbook newsletter. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story included a subheadline that mischaracterized Turner's remarks about Johnson. WESTERLY The last time that herring, shad and eels freely coursed through the Pawcatuck River, George Washington had yet to be elected president. For hundreds of years, dams and other manmade impediments have stood in the way of their annual migration, preventing them from making their way upstream to spawn. Environmentalists have spent decades working to remove most of those roadblocks, and they are eager to get rid of the last major remaining barrier: the Potter Hill Mill Dam, which sits next to a derelict, abandoned factory at the northern edge of town. Doing so would also lower the risk of flooding and create better conditions for canoeing and kayaking. But for several years, the idea has faced strong political headwinds: Riverfront homeowners in both Westerly and Hopkinton worry that they'll be left with foul-smelling muck, decreased property values and nowhere to use their pontoon boats if the Pawcatuck returns to its natural water levels. "It's a noble thought to return this river to its original state, 250 years ago," James Duksta, who lives on the Hopkinton side of the river, told the Westerly Town Council in December. "However, a considerable amount of wildlife and taxpayers have settled in and come to call this area home since the 1780s. We need to be realistic. It is not practical to restore this area to the 1780s." Environmentalists say removing the Potter Hill Mill Dam over the Pawcatuck River would lower the risk of flooding, create better conditions for canoeing and kayaking, and enable fish to spawn just as they did centuries ago. On-again off-again project has faced shifting political winds Across the country, there's an ongoing push to remove obsolete dams and restore rivers to their wild and natural state. But those projects tend to face unusually high levels of resistance in Rhode Island, according to Christopher Fox, the director of the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association. "Being the seat of the Industrial Revolution, theres a romanticism towards the dams that were built to power the mills that doesnt necessarily exist in the rest of the country," he said. The Potter Hill Mill Dam was originally constructed to power a grist mill in 1762 and was rebuilt in 1905. Then, in 1958, the wool factory that it once powered shut down. The dam no longer served a purpose, but it continued to sit there, slowly deteriorating. Several years ago, Westerly became concerned that the dam might fail, according to Nature Conservancy spokesman Tim Mooney. The nonprofit, which has spearheaded a number of other local dam removal initiatives, worked with then-town manager Mark Rooney to obtain federal funding so that the town could look into options for removing or modifying it. The project was a team effort involving the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and a long list of local conservation groups. But it was also subject to shifting political winds. In the fall of 2021, Rooney resigned, and the Westerly Town Council took on direct oversight of the project, Mooney said. By then, a small yet vocal group of riverfront homeowners and recreational boaters began rallying opposition. A few months later, the council voted to effectively kill the project. But most of those council members were term-limited, and last year a new council brought the idea back to life. Now, several options are on the table, including partially removing the dam and adding a "nature-like fishway" to help migratory species make their way upstream. Homeowners near the Pawcatuck worry that removing the dam would make the river too shallow and narrow for recreational watercraft and would make their wells dry up. Why proponents want the dam fully removed Groups including Save The Bay, the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and the Narragansett Indian Tribe have made their position clear: Westerly should remove the dam altogether. "The best outcome is to restore the river to a free-flowing state," said Michael Woods, chair of the New England chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. "Its going to be best for the fish, for the ecosystem." More: In Warren, a dam comes down to restore a river. How that helps wildlife and reduces flooding The 34-mile Pawcatuck River is part of the largest watershed in Rhode Island. Fish that spawn here are an important food source for bluefish, striped bass, ospreys and herons, Woods said. Although the Potter Hill Mill Dam has a fish ladder, it doesn't work as intended: Migrating fish tend to pile up at the base, where they're preyed on by gulls and cormorants. Getting rid of the dam would have the added benefit of making Westerly less vulnerable to flooding, according to proponents. Keeping the river dammed up means that heavy rainfall can lead to catastrophic flooding upstream. The aging dam could also fail during a major storm, creating problems downstream. Removing the dam would also improve recreational opportunities, in Woods' view. Right now, it presents a safety hazard for paddlers, and getting around it involves a long walk along a road with no sidewalk while carrying a kayak or canoe. Some homeowners worry that the section of the Pawcatuck that's directly upstream from the dam and currently bears more resemblance to a pond than a river will become too shallow and narrow for other recreational watercraft. According to engineers from Fuss & O'Neill, water levels would drop by approximately 6.8 feet if the dam is removed. "Is my pontoon boat going to still to fit on that river? I don't think so," Kenneth Taylor, of Ashaway, told the Westerly Town Council in December. He lamented that he had spent "just about all my life savings" on his riverfront home. Woods pointed out that it's not yet fully clear if restoring the Pawcatuck to its natural state would be detrimental to some recreational boaters. But it may be necessary to make some tradeoffs, he said: "Do we want a river that is a healthy river ecosystem, or do we want a pond?" 'They don't want to see it change' Westerly and Hopkinton residents who live near the Potter Hill Mill Dam have raised some valid concerns about what would happen once water levels drop for instance, the possibility that private wells could dry up. Officials have since pledged to replace any wells that are affected, at no cost. But much of the resistance to removing the dam tends to ignore the scientific evidence. People who live along the Pawcatuck have repeatedly suggested that they're the real experts on the river and say they don't trust what they're hearing from wildlife biologists and engineers. "We have been treated like we don't know what were talking about," Susan Rosen, who's lived on the Pawcatuck for 37 years, told the Westerly Town Council in December. "Those of us who live on the river or use the river for recreation know the river not from a textbook or research data." Opponents of the project often argue that lowering the river's water levels will actually be detrimental to the environment, since wetlands will dry up and habitat will disappear. At public meetings, scientists have repeatedly said that isn't true very few species prefer to live in dammed-up wetlands, and many would benefit from a free-flowing river. Another oft-repeated claim is that removing the dam will lead to more flooding downstream. Again, engineers say that's untrue, adding there's no way they'd be able to get a permit if that were the case. Homeowners also fear that, once the river's water levels recede, they'll be stuck looking at smelly mudflats that will eventually be overrun with invasive plants. Backers of the project, however, say that invasive species shouldn't be a big problem. And it will only take one season for newly exposed soil to be replaced with vegetation, they say. "People that live near the river, they don't want to see it change," said James Turek, a NOAA restoration ecologist who's spent more than two decades working to restore the Pawcatuck River to a more natural state. "They like it the way it looks. And the way I view these projects is that they're to benefit both the overall community in this region and the broader river and marine ecosystems." What happens now? After considering eight options, the Westerly Town Council voted 4-2 last Monday to select full dam removal as its top preference. It also selected two potential alternatives to study further, both of which would involve partially removing the dam and creating a series of weirs, structures placed in the water to direct the movement of fish. Water levels would drop by either 6 feet or 3.5 feet less than if the dam were removed entirely, but still a bigger change than many homeowners were willing to accept. The next step is to have engineers study the feasibility of all three options. At this point, it's difficult to say which would be "the absolute best" for Westerly and Hopkinton, Fox said. However, he pointed out, full dam removal "virtually guarantees no cost ever to the local taxpayer." In his view, it's extremely likely that federal grants would pay for the project. Building a series of weirs, on the other hand, would leave the town on the hook for future upkeep and maintenance. "There's no guarantee that Westerly will be selected for the highly competitive NOAA grants," Turek noted. "But in most cases, both NOAA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prefer full removal of any kind of migratory fish passage barrier when they're deciding what projects to fund." While Westerly deliberates over whether to get rid of the dam, nature may end up making the decision. "Doing nothing might seem like the safer option for the town," Fox said. But the dam is already holding back less and less water each year due to its deteriorating condition, he pointed out. Someday, people's fears may unexpectedly become a reality, whether Westerly decides to remove it or not. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Should Westerly remove the Potter Hill Mill Dam? It's controversial